Chapter 527 Barging In (1/2)

Anger boils inside me at the thought that these moronic Shapers would dare to kill my siblings! Outrageous! They've n.o.body to blame for their current circ.u.mstances but themselves, I've no pity for them at all. My att.i.tude toward the Golgari is hardening at a frightening pace. If I hadn't had such positive experiences with Granin and his triad then there's a possibility that none of the Shapers would have made it out of this a.s.sault alive. I suppose that's a dark thought, but these people are messing with my family! That's not something I can allow anymore.

[Crinis, do you think you could jump through to the Shadows in the next room?]

[I'll need a distraction. They'll be on the lookout for a tactic like that.]

[Not a problem. I can give you all the distraction you'll need. Keep your senses open and wait for your chance.]

[Right, Master!]

…

[That means you need to climb off me and move to the side.]

[… No it doesn't.]

[Yes, it does! What's the point of me drawing their fire and creating a distraction if YOU are the one being hit?!]

[But…]

[No buts! Get your nightmarish gloop over in that corner and wait for a chance!]

Grumbling and full of reluctance, I'm finally able to get Crinis to climb off of me and out of sight in a corner where she huddles pitifully, small tentacles extended in my direction trying to latch onto my legs.

I avoid her feeble attempts with ruthless precision, she'll be glued back onto my carapace before too long anyway, I need to enjoy this brief moment of freedom whilst it lasts. Troublesome pet dealt with, I approach the fire zone at the end of the corridor, an area covered in ants clinging to any piece of cover they can find and blasting acid at the mages whenever they get the chance.

”No mage support?” I demand a nearby soldier.

”They got tied up on other floors keeping the peace. They're the only ones who can talk to these people, after all.”

Makes sense.

”Have negotiations been attempted here?” I ask.

”No. They opened fire the second they saw us!”

Hmmph.

”Well, it's time they got what they deserved for it, don't you think, soldier?”

”Yes, Eldest!”

I hunch out of sight and wait for the next barrage of spells to fly down the corridor. It arrives after a few seconds, a wave of fireb.a.l.l.s, bolts of ice and other more esoteric magics that detonate, shatter and otherwise peter out against the rubble without finding a target. In the next moment the ants step from cover or raise their abdomens to unleash their formic acid spray.