Chrysalis

[He's close! We need to get all minds on the job. Try and find his mana signature. It'll be hard, he's good at hiding, so we need to get on this now!]

[Anthony…] Sarah's mind hesitantly reaches out to mine.

[Later,] I tell her brusquely, [I can hear what you have to say later. The Colony won't be dissuaded on this, not after what he did.]

I switch my mind directly to my allies.

[Crinis, reach out through the shadows, cover as much ground as you can.]

I reach back and pat her with one antenna.

[This will be a huge strain on you, so be careful. It's important, but not more important than you are.]

[I understand, master.]

[Al, I need you to help track down this worm.]

[I do not understand. Confusion. What is a worm?]

[It's a type of creature that’s long and burrows through the ground. Just try and find the damn traitor, please?]

[I will try.]

As I've been talking all of my minds have already bent themselves to the task of tracing the mana that Jim wove with such cunning. I refuse to believe he's so good that he can hide all evidence of his weaving.

Wherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewherewhere?!?!

AHA! A sniff!

[This way!] I roar over the mind bridge to my team and we rush northwards. [Crinis! Let's go!]

tracks as carefully as only a true coward can, but he can't

knock to the side, unwilling to

down a pre-dug tunnel, master. I can

the one he used to reach us in

believe it's collapsing

[Dammit!]

A thousand thoughts try to intrude on my mind as we run. I spent time with Jim. He helped me escape from

push those impulses away I sink myself deep into meditation, letting my emotions run cold. I can't afford to get distracted when the trail is this faint and hard

you have

able to catch up

as he doesn't get too far ahead then we can follow

far away, but I can't seem to grab hold of his core despite the fact that I should be able to sense it at my level of mana sight. I have a dozen minds out sweeping ahead, hunting for every little skerrick of energy that leaks beyond the fleeing coward's control and it's barely enough to keep track of

be all that surprising, considering he's a worm, but he's

something change. I screech to a halt as I cast my senses about, trying to determine what has happened. My sense of Jim is fading, but not in the way it was previously.

be going to breach the

surface?] Crinis

think he might be leaving the tunnels! Quick! We need

far less time for the worm to wriggle his way up than it does for us, as we run and climb our way out of the tunnels our hold on the trail grows ever more faint. By the time we reach the plains I can barely sense him

[Thissss way.]

[You're sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

for me,

the plains now, the ground beneath our feet carpeted in battling demon larvae, we continue to run as somewhere ahead of us, just below the surface,

hurl the thoughts forward wildly, blasting out a wave of mind magic which may or may not even reach him. [Didn't you have something to say? Come back! Or are you unwilling to

to bubble up within me but under the effect of meditation I allow it

why you betrayed her? Did you know she almost

with her mind and I turn my head a little

[… sorry,] I mumble.