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!

I might wage a holy war to purge the many-legged devils from existence, to scour them from the Dungeon until not a claw remained, I was prevented from doing so! Outrageous! Never mind the indignity of having ants pile onto me until I couldn’t move; even Crinis, Tiny

of betrayal cuts deeper than any centipede

mandibles. [Let’s get started. The sooner we finish our discussion, the quicker you get evolving. I know you don’t care about the Ancients and any of that nonsense, that’s fine. You aren’t an

That’s actually touching.

a second. Mana

big rock-covered golgari rolls

decades. Torrina and Corun have never even been here. We’re acclimated to the third now, but it’ll take a week of careful

until you get

already feeling sick, idiot. Now are you going to sulk or

[Sorry! Consult!]

Let’s get to

heart to know they care that much. It also scares me, I don’t want them to suffer because of me. I do my best to shake off the malaise and focus.

“Mythic” thing you mentioned. What’s

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

mean I get

And we

steps forward, although “bounces” might be a better term. He's

proceed up the tree. This is due to the

say, [didn’t we kind of know this

one to progress from

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

Heh. A hilarious example.

you’re saying… what? I can expect something

[is that

coming from a people who cover themselves in

think we might need

[What? Why?]