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!]

vanished into the darkness, her body totally hidden from sight, so I 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

through the tunnels, brushing past numerous demons who we simply knock to the side, unwilling to waste time fighting them. A quick right hook from Tiny and a dash is usually enough to put them

tunnel, master. I

most likely the one he used to reach us in the first place.

it's collapsing behind

[Dammit!]

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 spent time

impulses away I sink myself deep into meditation, letting my emotions run cold. I can't afford

Do you have

I'm not able to catch up to

too far ahead

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

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

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. The direction

He might be going

surface?] Crinis

plains! I think he might be leaving the tunnels! Quick! We need to

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

[Thissss way.]

[You're sure?]

[Alwaysssss sure!]

for me, let's

we continue to run as somewhere

or may not even

within me but under the effect of meditation I allow it

right here,] I taunt, [you sure you don't want to let her know why you betrayed her? Did you know she almost died because of you? Why don't you

I turn my head a

[… sorry,] I mumble.