Chrysalis

“Something strange is happening,” Zluth said, his voice burbling as if rising from the depths of a particularly thick bog.

“Oh?” Shozzl replied, not particularly interested.

Zluth continued to operate the array with his numerous, spindly limbs as he leaned closer to the readout.

“Many of our monsters are being lost under D-6. Too many.”

“Which mountain is D-6 again?”

“It’s next to D-5.”

“I know it’s next to D-5, you slimeless stooge. How does that help me?”

The fierce, primal anger that dwelt within all his kind boiled up in Zluth now, hissing within his slug flesh. He suppressed it. Those who surrendered to the rage too often soon found it became more difficult to resist. It was hard to find a role within the tribe when one had a nasty habit of biting off the heads of one’s partners. And those without a role were meat for the pits.

“D-5 is claimed by the tree, huccop,” he spat, a thick wave of mucus overflowing from his mouth. “Remember now?”

had previously drooped on the end of Shozzl’s eyestalks.

now, she defies

subtly turned one stalk to monitor his partner. She was getting a little too heated, and a little caution

away the device and sliding it

“I won’t,” Shozzl declared.

Zluth turned to behold his partner, once more allowing herself to sink back into the bubbling acid pool. He cursed. Of all the Krath he could have been partnered with for ranging,

will be forced to report your lax attitude to

emerged along with his words would have melted a human face in

perhaps you will find your spawn mother there. I’m certain she still

out of the acid with a chilling shriek, eyestalks blazing red with

later, his stomach roiled unpleasantly as he slithered through the slime-soaked tunnels, rising up

was, Shozzl had certainly cultivated a potent acid. Zluth’s digestive tract groaned and contorted in pain as it was eaten away and reformed itself, struggling to break down

going on up here?” he muttered to himself,

far as the Slee were aware, this mountain was empty except for those useless termites. Having collected useful samples already, they had hoped to clear

to ten times its original length and burrowing himself into the ooze. Faster and more agile than a slime-snake,

felt it long before he saw it. Vibrations, travelling through the slime and even the rock below. There was a battle going on,

slowed his pace and retracted his stalks, bringing his eyes close to his own acidic flesh. He stuck to the shadows and the deeper pools, cautiously advancing, wanting to see what it was that had taken up residence above

the wave, had attacked the slime and triggered this rage. Except that didn’t explain why it was still going on. The monsters of the fifth were inherently superior to those of