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!

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

or this one,

elaborately armoured figure reclined in a chair next to him, watching all that occurred with an expression of detached boredom. Next to them a trio of mages worked

Who else could they possibly want?" Coolant wondered

chance that they don't know that! Surely!"

for some reason, why not let them do it? One less for them to

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

For whatever reason, the Eldest gobbled down trouble like a Queen taking in Biomass. The end result was something

move a little

"I'll arrange an escort."

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

think a thousand may send

"What do you mean?"

total of.." she counted quickly, "eight golgari over there. If we walk closer

top of her head with an antennae. A thousand didn't feel like many to her. Then again, she was an ant.

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

formally,

with each other for a long moment before a reply

they may duel the High Blade Balta. He wishes

what? Some imagined insult? She couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning behind such actions,