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!

strange, undirected mental communication washed out over them, rippling through the ambient mana in the

this one, a friend of that creature, will

forced to kneel on the ground at sword point whilst an elaborately armoured figure reclined in a

the Eldest… Who else could they possibly

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

some reason, why not

don't

whatever reason, the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen taking in

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

"I'll arrange an escort."

and had a thousand ants ready to escort the mage

a thousand may send

"What do you mean?"

there. If we walk closer with a thousand, might

a thousand is too many?" Sloan rubbed the top of her head with an antennae. A

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

of the Colony,] she started off formally, [I have come to clarify exactly what it is

for a long moment before

Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame the creature has cast upon his house with his

was rather taken aback by this. This guy came all the way out here chasing the Eldest? For what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning behind such actions, but she didn't let her confusion show. True to her name, she remained