Chrysalis

In seconds I had enough fire mana to send spears of bright flame roaring through the air, igniting every bit of fungus that they drew close to. Smoke and fire billowed out immediately, drifting over the wide entrance to the termite mound and sending every one of the blind insects into a frenzy. Then I rush forward, my jaws locking in place as they flood with pure mana. When I'm close enough I spin together a mind bridge and extend it to the large ant zipping through the conflict at warp speeds, latching onto her almost by lucky accident.

[Senior! I had a feeling you might show up-up!]

[If you're talking slowly enough that I can understand you then I imagine you're exhausted. How are you holding out?]

As I draw closer to the melee I can see her troops are flagging, the relentless press of the enemy has been wearing them down. We've arrived just in time.

[We'd be fine if we could run!] Vibrant's indignation at being denied the freedom to move is total. [Those lizard-gizards won't let us leave!]

[Of course not, they want all of you to be trapped and die.]

[That's terrible!] she gasps over the mental connection.

Even while running I slap myself between my eyes with one antennae.

[What did you think they wanted with you? To go for a friendly jog? They want the termites to rip out your souls and feast on your Biomass! We need to break their concentration or force them to retreat and then we need to get the heck out of here!]

invade

damned… no. That isn't going to happen. I'll be happy if we can you are your

[Thanks Senior!]

underneath that, her desperate concern for those who had chosen to follow her. No more time for discussion, as I hit the melee, I force my way to the front and unleash a Doom Chomp, shattering the bugs in front of me before I hurl concussive blasts of fire down the tunnel. As I arrive, so too does Tiny, the giant ape crashing into the encroaching hordes of termites with fire in his eyes and a broad grin on his

face of the mountain, even reaching out to threaten the kaarmodo in their vantage point, however a powerful shield wavers

I command him.

small feat, especially at the levels of density I can achieve now. Comparing it to

There are likely to be far more termites in the nest than this, millions even, but they could be anywhere, high up in

Chomp! Chomp!

the enemy before me, dipping dangerously into my stamina in order to relieve the pressure on the other ants as much as possible and give them time to

the perfect darkness with each and lashing out at the nearest termite they can find. As the dark limbs covered in barbs wind around their victims, I turn away and focus on

escape, but I also really don’t want to

enough to tell

of my mind, I turn and run back, creating some distance but soon enough I slam into a barrier placed before me. The impact is sharp, but not enough to damage me and I shake it off quickly and look up to see the shimmering barrier that they've erected. Now that my pets and I are

the barrier, smashing my hardened carapace into it with all the strength I can muster, only

their dozens of attendants, but what I can do is keep them