"Of course, I'll try," Jinyi agreed. Now that he'd had practice casting it several times, the spell came easily. He thought back with amusement to the first time he'd tried it, deep in the Dontas Factory experimenting with enchantment, and showed the memory to Yellow, who made a face.

'Don't remind me of those chips again,' they said with an exaggerated shudder.

He wordlessly agreed with Yellow, and lifted his own hand. Fungus seemed to materialize from thin air and it too raced away on the wind. You could put that on a painting. Like the carvings along the tunnels but better. When are we going to get an artist Drone? It's a shame that all of the art in these caves are from the other side.

Glancing down at the sleepy sifaka, Jinyi couldn't resist. He reached out and pet their head, chitinous fingers running lightly through the soft yellow fur. Go nap then. I'll see you again sometime soon. And I'll bring more chips.

Big Brother or whatever, he added wryly.

They didn't? Jinyi was left with chromatophores flickering in his own surprise. Somehow he must've missed that hint through the Hivemind link. Oh well, whatever! He was full of surprises or something.

He watched as the sifaka ascended, then lowered his gaze to the fallen tree. He touched his hand to the bark, pushing one last wave of magic to try to accelerate Order's reclamation of it. The rough surface turned glassy white, and he wandered off satisfied.