Chrysalis

[You look happy,] Granin rumbles over our link.

[Har, har. You’re a real comedian, you know that? In fact, why don’t you take your show on the road?]

[Don’t mind him,] Corun grins, [he’s just excited.]

[It’s not often you get to see a Mythic monster born,] Torrina adds.

I’m currently splayed out on the ground, my six legs stretched flat in all directions as I lay on my underside. The boredom has finally defeated me, and now I adopt the posture of surrender, unmoving and unthinking.

You can do an awful lot of not-thinking with this many brains, let me tell you. It’s like having static in stereo.

[There’s a lot of guards here…] Corun notes as he casts his gaze across the ranks of ants positioned around me. [Is there some kind of danger?]

[Not as such,] Wills, the guide for the trio, chips in. [The Eldest tried to break out yesterday, so we had to reinforce the garrison, significantly.]

I’ll get those damn centipedes if it's the last thing I do.

[Well, we’re here now, so you won’t have to wait much longer,] Granin sighs. [Once you’ve evolved, you’ll be free to move around again, from what I understand.]

[Oh, will I?] I say. [What about the Call, huh? Won’t the Ancients have an even bigger hook in my guts once I evolve? Seems like the opposite of being free to move around, if you ask me.]

Granin spreads his hands.

[Maybe yes, maybe no. It all depends on how strong they think your potential will be. It’s not ideal, I know, but at least you can take it as a sign that your evolutions are strong.]

[I don’t care. Am I clear on this, Granin? I. Don’t. Care. Whatever your precious Ancients want, I couldn’t give a single pip of Biomass. If it gets in the way of me protecting my family, I will go down there and kick them right in the teeth.]

Man, I’m grumpy. These past few days have piled insult on top of injury. Not only have I been locked here under constant supervision while hundreds of thousands of my own siblings wait on me hand and foot, building an entire fortress just so I can evolve in it, the idiot Dungeon even went and made a diamond centipede!

until not a claw remained, I was prevented from doing so! Outrageous! Never mind the indignity of having ants pile onto me

of betrayal cuts deeper than

the quicker you get evolving.

That’s actually touching.

a second. Mana

rock-covered golgari

time on the fourth in decades. Torrina and Corun have never even been here. We’re acclimated to the third now, but it’ll take

long until

to sulk or are you going to

[Sorry! Consult!]

get to it

risked that much to come here and help me. It warms my little ant heart to know they care that much. It also scares me, I don’t want them to

about the whole “Mythic” thing

of your core. You have a rare core right now, but after you push your core

mean I get

And we

might be a better

evolutions as you proceed up the tree. This is

[didn’t we kind of know this

one to progress from worker

the results are remarkable.] Even Torrina has an uncharacteristic gleam of enthusiasm in her

Heh. A hilarious example.

I can

smiles, [is that you

high praise coming from a

might need to revisit plans on your resets

[What? Why?]