Chrysalis

The hot air of the third stratum burned against his skin and Jim cursed as his tender flesh seared in the open air. He wasn't built to be exposed like this which was probably why they demanded he come out of the protective soil for this discussion.

The demon city of Arkesh loomed high above them, the five tiers of plates disappearing in the smoke and ash far above. He shuddered and the rings that made up his long form coiled and twisted uncomfortably.

Now that he had revealed himself fully the three kaarmodo who awaited him at the base of the pillar stepped forward, accompanied by their attendants they approached him as he writhed slowly with pain.

Without preamble he felt the combined weight of their minds slam into him, smashing his thoughts aside in the most brutal way possible. If he had any illusions as to how high he was held in their regard, then this deliberate, crude intrusion would make them clear.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, depending on the perspective, Jim was under no illusions as to what the kaarmodo thought of him. To them, he was a tool, nothing more, nothing less. He viewed them in much the same way, and if it helped him achieve his goals then he would gladly suffer some indignities. After all, hadn't he lived imprisoned by the golgari for a decade? Compared to that, rough treatment from the giant, sentient lizards was nothing.

[We have protected you, as we promised we would,] the lead kaarmodo declared, [this is evidence enough of our sincerity, I am sure?]

Jim wanted to snort and scoff at the ridiculousness of that statement. Protect him? They'd very nearly left him for dead! If he hadn't slithered directly towards their city they may well have let that idiot, Anthony catch him! But he couldn't do that. The kaarmodo were touchy when it came to questioning their morals, regardless of how questionable they were.

your protection,] he said, using the power of his mind to find a little more balance within his own head, shoving the intrusive presence back just a smidge. [I would also like to think that my efforts have also served to more clearly demonstrate the threat that the

difficult to try and read a kaarmodo, their faces almost never moved, if they wanted to they could stand perfectly still for days at a time, their bodies not shifting position in the slightest. It was unnerving

you suggest,] the kaarmodo to the left told him, breaking into the conversation for the first time. [We have heard dire warnings, but until now we have seen and heard little of this 'Colony'. A single ant, no matter how powerful, is

human gesture he might have engaged in so long ago, slapping a palm against his forehead. He no longer had palms, or a forehead, but the sentiment remained. How could

a single ant can become so powerful. Reaching tier

to allow the supposedly aged and wise

you trying to suggest there are thousands of such creatures? All ants, with a comparable level of

tone of the thoughts was loaded

know how fast they work. By now there will be tens of thousands of them, hundreds of thousands maybe. They can spread over an enormous

are all future concerns, far off and theoretical. Little

Colony had failed, when the golgari and Legion had fallen short of eliminating the pest, he had despaired of ever being able to pry Sarah away from the insects who pushed her to the edge of her sanity in their own defence. They were far too on guard for him to ever be able to approach the nest again, no matter

some of the ant's new neighbours and give them a nudge. The empire of the great lizards, the Dune Kingdom, seat of the old ones, had been a perfect target. Too proud to ever settle to treat monsters as equals, a conflict with the Colony was inevitable. All he

have fallen to the Colony in a matter of weeks. It won't be long before they come here. I predict that you will begin to see scouts poking at the edges of your territory in a few