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!

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

reincarnated one here, or this one, a friend of that creature,

first gate, a procession of golgari stood with one of their own forced to kneel on the ground at sword point whilst an elaborately armoured figure reclined in a chair next to

have to mean the Eldest… Who else could they possibly want?" Coolant wondered with some

have no idea, but the Eldest isn't here. There is almost a zero percent chance that they don't know

another golgari for some reason, why not let them do it? One less for them to fight when they made a push for the

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

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

me to reach out to them?" Coolant offered. "I'll need to move a little closer, I don't think I can extend a mind

"I'll arrange an escort."

the mage closer to the enemy in a matter of seconds. Coolant

think a thousand may send the

"What do you mean?"

counted quickly, "eight golgari over there. If we walk closer with a

think a thousand is too many?" Sloan rubbed the top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel like many to her. Then again, she was an ant. "I'll send

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 and extended

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

each other for

want you to bring them here so that they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes to expunge the shame the creature has cast upon his

imagined insult? She couldn't possibly