Chrysalis

I’m not a huge fan of my insides turning into my outsides, or having my carapace replaced with candy floss, or indeed, of being flattened/expanded into less/more dimensions than I’m comfortable with.

Having said that, the moment when Brilliant drops me into the fourth stratum makes it more than worthwhile. Instantly, I feel a wave of relief wash over me as both my gasping core relaxes, and the insatiable gnawing of the Call fades away.

It’s still there, obviously, but no longer is it the maddening, mind-bendingly painful yanking on my soul, merely a comfy nail through the foot.

Nothing I can’t handle!

“Thanks, Brilliant,” I sigh in relief, “I appreciate the trip.”

“Are you feeling well, Eldest?” the little maniac says, prodding me in the side. “This is unlike you.”

“Pah. Don’t you have something you should be blowing up? Shoo.”

“Why yes! I do! If you find yourself in need of my services again, don’t hesitate to call my name! BRILLIANT!”

With a pop, she vanishes from sight and I allow myself to slump to the floor in relief.

Bliss.

It doesn’t last long, though.

[MASTER!]

Glomp!

From nowhere, an enormous blob of shadow flies from the crevices in the ceiling above me and latches onto my carapace. Crinis wastes no time expanding herself to wrap around my abdomen, poking and prodding as she goes.

[I’m fine. I’m fine. Nice to see you, Crinis. Stop poking! I haven’t been gone that long. I didn’t even do anything dangerous!]

[Then why did you leave us behind? We could have come too!]

[It’s not that easy for Brilliant to haul powerful monsters around. I thought it was better if you three waited for me down here. Did Tiny and Invidia make it alright?]

us, but she’s still in debt

trying to weasel out of the deal? Lousy matchstick! I’ll go have a word when I get a

[Who is Solant?]

champion. She’s an

[She WHAT?!]

going to snap my antennae! Let

I annihilate this FILTH that dared to

breaths. I mean… you don’t breathe, do you? It’s fine. She tried to poison me with… heh… sugar. It was

[... fine.]

Now behave, I’ve got a few things to do, then I’ll chase down the

the moment, I turn my attention to the twenty ants before me. They look a little overwhelmed at the dramatic increase in mana concentration compared to where they

Solant. She’s studying everything with that restless, analytical mind of hers. I can practically hear the cogs turning in her head, and

suppose some congratulations are in

“Congratulations?” Solant asks.

early graduation from the

“Does that mean we can go serve

sense, yes. In another, more realistic sense, no. You’ve been enrolled in the Colony’s most prestigious and exclusive postgraduate program. You get to learn directly from the greatest and best teacher

are they

THWACK!

Eldest? Now, Solant, let’s have a quick chat. The rest of you relax for a

where we can speak privately. Brilliant was kind enough to deposit us inside the chamber I evolved in. Spacious, and, it appears, quite abandoned for the moment, we are very much alone inside, which

smashing defeat I inflicted on you

She glares at me.

“No.”

you that are… rare, to say the least, in the Colony. You’re going to become a very important

like every other

don’t really understand what

I decide I’m going to take an

what a

“No.”

exceptional, unique members of a particular monster type. It happens rarely, but sometimes a monster is simply born better, with an already formed core in some instances. But it’s more than just better, also different. In a species like ours, they go from rare to