Chrysalis

“Be careful, Tribune. The monster may attempt to manipulate your thoughts.”

Morrelia frowned.

“I’ve received mental fortitude training and raised my Skills to the commander level,” she said evenly. “I will of course remain vigilant nevertheless. Thank you for your diligence, Legionary.”

[What’d he say?] Anthony’s voice echoed in her mind.

[They’re still worried you’ll manipulate me,] she sighed.

[I mean… is it possible to communicate in any way without allowing for the chance of manipulation? I’ve seen what the brathian do to people with just words. It’s not pretty.]

[You know as well as I do that a mind bridge allows for more than just communication. How did you defeat Garralosh again?]

[Ugh… I’d rather not remember, to be honest; that was nasty. Alright, this is the place.]

The ants’ forward operating base wasn’t anything special, yet. There were hundreds of carvers still working on it, and she knew full well what miracles they could accomplish.

[Are there really rooms in there for us?] she asked, a little sceptical.

[Of course! We’re an accommodating group of insects. Unlike your Legion.]

Morrelia felt a pang in her chest.

[Are you thinking of the bolts we shot at you?]

[Of course I am! While I was falling out of the sky as well. That’s such a cheap shot.]

took a

of the Legion is to protect people from the Dungeon, and to that end, they’ve determined you shouldn’t be allowed to descend any

ant turned to regard her directly, the many

you to apologise or anything, you don’t run the Legion. I get that you lot are doing what you think is best to protect people. It’s the right goal, just the wrong target. But hey,

At least he wasn’t going to hold it against her personally, but he

to know,] Anthony continued, [is what you think. Am I

to put her on the spot, hitting

Legion has helped us stand firm against the Dungeon since the Cataclysm.

Colony,

at the

all the energy was sucked out of the massive monster and he slumped

that…. That whole mess

[Was? So it’s resolved?]

[not by a long shot.

alarmingly quickly, springing back up onto the tips of his legs. To have such a large monster moving so quickly right next to her was unnerving, to say the

the nests,] she observed as

the tunnels wider,] he dismissed her concerns, and he was probably right. [This is what

she said, looking

of ants, hard at work on a myriad of tasks around her. It was clear the Colony was

many are working on this above?] she asked.

[The initial invasion force is being

[A million?!]

to

separate area where a group of ants were tending to hundreds

the wuffers,] Anthony told her, [I love these guys. I don’t know why they turned