Chrysalis

Coolant looked out from her perch next to the upper sally port of the great gate and felt nothing but confusion.

"Do you want to go tell him, or should I?" she said to Sloan who was clinging to the wall next to her.

The general shook her head, bewildered.

"I mean. They have to know, right? There's no chance that they don't know."

"I assume they know. I mean, what are the odds the two forces aren't communicating to this extent?"

"Almost none, surely. Such a lack of organisation in our foes would throw our plans way out."

"Hasn't this thrown them way out anyway?"

Sloan hesitated.

"That's… true."

The two of them looked out in silence for a few more moments at the totally unexpected scene before them.

"What do you think we should do?" Coolant asked, her scent as calm and unruffled as it always was.

"I don't know!" Sloan fretted. Why would these idiots perform this sort of moronic action now of all times? It didn't make any sense!

again that strange, undirected mental communication washed out over them, rippling

or this one,

in

could they possibly want?" Coolant wondered

Eldest isn't here. There is almost a zero percent chance that they don't know that! Surely!" Sloan said. "… We have

asked. In her opinion, if one of the golgari wanted to kill another golgari for some reason, why not let them do it? One less for them to fight when they made a

is involved, there might be some element at play that we don't understand," Sloan sighed. "Anytime something weird happens, it's usually to do with the

to that. It was true. For whatever reason, the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a

out to them?" Coolant offered. "I'll need to move a

"I'll arrange an escort."

away and had a thousand ants ready to escort the mage closer to the enemy in a

a thousand may send the wrong

"What do you mean?"

golgari over there. If we walk closer with a thousand, might they think they

A thousand didn't feel

should be fine. Shortly thereafter a procession of a hundred and one ants cautiously advanced toward the golgari delegation, ready to flee at a moment's notice. Sloan had considered things carefully and the delegation contained a healthy mix of mages, for raising shields, scouts, for detecting foul play, and soldiers, to hold the line in the event the others needed to retreat. Once they had covered half the ground toward the first gate, they very obviously stopped and parked themselves for a moment. Acting with great caution, Coolant wove together a mind bridge

she started off formally, [I have come to clarify exactly

for a

so that they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame

guy came all the way out here chasing the Eldest? For what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend