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!]

to her before I dash forward like a terrier on the trail. He covered his tracks as carefully as only a true

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

tunnel, master. I

likely the one he used to reach us in the first place. Any chance we

it's

[Dammit!]

hell am not going to let him off that easy. Run! Like the wind, Anthony! A thousand thoughts try to intrude on my mind as we run. I spent

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

Do you

not able to

push yourself too hard. As long as he doesn't get too far ahead then we can follow the trail no matter where

mana. I know he's not that 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

shouldn't be all that surprising, considering he's

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

He might be going to

surface?] Crinis

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

passage speeding him on his way it takes 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 at all,

[Thissss way.]

[You're sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

for me, let's

our feet carpeted in battling demon larvae, we continue to run as somewhere ahead of us, just below the surface, Jim continues

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 face up to

reply only serves to cause anger to bubble up within me but

I taunt, [you sure you don't want to let her know why you betrayed her? Did you know

me with her mind and I

[… sorry,] I mumble.