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!]

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

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

a pre-dug tunnel, master. I can sense it ahead

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

it's

[Dammit!]

of course it is. The only thing this idiot is good for is betrayal and running away! But we have the scent and I sure as 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

those impulses away I sink myself deep into meditation, letting my emotions run cold. I

you have

fast. I'm not able to catch up to

push yourself too hard. As long as he doesn't get too far ahead then

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 the fleeing coward's control and it's barely enough to keep track of

considering he's a worm, but he's one slippery

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

be going to breach the

surface?] Crinis

the plains! I think he might be

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, only Invidia and Al are doing any

[Thissss way.]

[You're sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

for

our feet carpeted in battling demon larvae, we continue

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 face

of reply only serves to cause anger to bubble up within me but under the effect of meditation I allow it to flow past

to let her know why you betrayed her? Did you know she almost died because of you?

growls at me with her mind and I turn my head a

[… sorry,] I mumble.