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!]

the trail. He covered his tracks as carefully as only a true coward can, but he can't compete with my mind power! Once I put Invidia and Al on the case, our grip on his trail

we simply knock to the side, unwilling to waste time fighting them. A quick right hook from

travelling down a pre-dug tunnel, master. I

in the first place. Any

it's collapsing

[Dammit!]

off that easy. Run! Like the wind, Anthony! A thousand thoughts try to

away I sink myself deep into meditation, letting my emotions run cold. I can't afford to get distracted when the trail is

Do you

able to

As long as he doesn't get too far ahead then

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

considering he's

to a halt as I cast my senses about, trying to determine what has

might be

surface?] Crinis asks,

plains! I think he might be

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 at all, only Invidia and Al are

[Thissss way.]

[You're sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

enough for me,

our feet carpeted in battling demon larvae, we continue to run as somewhere ahead of us,

I hurl the thoughts forward wildly, blasting out a wave of mind magic which may or may not even reach him. [Didn't you

cause anger to bubble up within me but under the effect

you know she almost died because of you? Why don't you come on back and apologise?

I turn my head

[… sorry,] I mumble.