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.]

a deep

for it. The stated purpose of the Legion is to protect people from the Dungeon, and to that end, they’ve determined you

ant turned to regard her directly, the many lenses in

don’t expect 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, I don’t think I’ll ever convince the people who run your outfit of

he wasn’t going to hold it against her

Anthony continued, [is what you

long for him to put her on the spot, hitting right at the heart of

us stand firm against the Dungeon since the Cataclysm. There is tremendous value in it, yet… I still struggle to imagine the Colony turning on

right by the Colony, and

happened at

out of the massive monster

talk about that…. That whole mess was disturbing and

[Was? So it’s resolved?]

[not by a long shot. But that’s not why

his legs. To have such a large monster moving so quickly right next to her was unnerving, to say the least. It was hard to believe this was the same creature she’d fought alongside so long

going to have trouble fitting into the nests,] she observed as they walked

the tunnels wider,] he dismissed her concerns, and he was probably right. [This is what you came for, right? You want to know how we’re going

right,] she said,

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

this above?] she asked. [I assume this

course not!] he barked a laugh. [The initial invasion force is being prepped above. It’s

[A million?!]

aren’t going to make any progress being half-hearted about it. Here,

to a separate area where a group of ants were tending to hundreds of… strange… wobbly

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