A New Beginning In A Mana Apocalypse - Chapter 65 Chapter 65

‘Are you safe?’ I asked Tracy mentally. This was the one thing I needed to know more than anything else.

‘I am, grandpa is ranting a bit, but I don’t understand what he is saying or why he is so worked up.’ Tracy replied mentally.

I was relieved to hear that. ‘Do you want me to come get you?’ I asked her mentally as I took stock of everything else around me. Mostly Derek’s troops were coming through the tunnels right now, but Michael and Courtney were already through with a number of their people. Arnold, his girlfriend, and her family were standing with them though Arnold didn’t seem to happy about it. Marshal and Rosa weren’t in sight.

‘No, I will stay here, I am my families only contact with you.” Tracy replied.

I frowned but she was right, I hadn’t created any kind of bond with Jessarn or anyone else in his family. I would prefer to have Tracy with us, but I couldn’t fault her for wanting to stay with her family either.

‘If that is what you want. Let me know if you need me.’ I told her mentally as I turned to look up at the room where the survivors were. I could barely catch a glimpse of the older black lady who was leading them glaring down at me.

‘I will.’ Tracy replied.

I moved over to my family and was happy to see that Jamie and Jessica were standing with my wives chatting along happily. “Is everyone alright?” I asked them aloud.

The all nodded and smiled at me. Though they all looked nervous.

‘Daryl.’ Tracy called out mentally surprising me, I had thought she was done talking to me.

‘Yes?’ I asked.

‘I miss you.’ she told me. ‘Why do I miss you?’

‘I am not sure, if it were any of the other girls I would say it was because of the bond.’ I replied.

‘But not me?’ she asked.

‘You never noticed the bond, at least not as far as I know, and as soon as I came for you our bond shattered. So no, I don’t think it is the bond.’ I replied.

I waited for her to say something else but she remained silent.

“Who was it?” Megan asked.

“Huh?” I asked.

“You get a funny look on your face when you are talking to someone through the bond.” Megan explained.

Did I? I hadn’t noticed. “Tracy. Jessarn took his family somewhere else. She doesn’t want me to go get her as she is her families only contact with me.” I replied.

“Oh, so how long are we staying here?” Megan asked.

“Not long, I already told Derek I was going to make a haven tonight, so once that is set up we will transfer to that.” I told her.

“Master, I think we should transfer sooner than that.” Mary spoke up.

“Huh? Why and where to?” I asked.

“Now, and the one you made last night.” Mary replied. “The Lost Ones are very bad news and we need to get as far away from them as we can, as soon as we can.”

I frowned then sent my thoughts to Emy. ‘Anything you want to add?’ I asked her.

‘Leave now!’ Emy nearly shouted into my head. ‘Make tunnels to my haven and I will connect them to yours.’ she told me.

I didn’t understand why we would do that, but I could hear the worry and fear in her tone so I chose to just do what she said.

“Make space tunnels to Emy’s place.” I told the girls then did so myself.

The girls frowned at me but didn’t argue three more space tunnels appeared beside mine. It was difficult to sustain two space tunnels but it wasn’t impossible.

“Everyone start moving into these tunnels!” I shouted.

Everyone turned to look at me but no one moved.

“What is going on?” Derek asked coming over to me.

“This place isn’t safe enough, we are leaving, come with us now or stay here. Your choice.” I replied curtly. I had known that I wasn’t really in charge of the group but the lack of response to my words rubbed me the wrong way, I had saved everyone present at least once, but that didn’t seem to matter. I am sure there might be more to it, but I didn’t have the time or inclination to think about it.

“Let’s go.” Michael ordered quickly then led the way into the space tunnels. Grace’s family followed after.

I sent out my ability to search around just in case another group of twisted had sensed the mana here and was on their way over, but what I sensed scared the living daylights out of me.

It hadn’t noticed us before I sent out the search energy, and I wasn’t sure it had noticed me after, but the flood dragon that was supposed to guard the pyramid was floating above Las Vegas, worse I sensed a new group of people in the city that weren’t twisted, humans, beasts, or plants. I could only guess they were the Lost Ones Jessarn was warning us about. While I was unable to sense what their tiers or strength were I could sense where they were and what they were doing, and it matched what Jessarn had described. They were rounding everyone up and placing some kind of spell onto them as they did so, they weren’t in our part of the city yet, but they were moving quickly like a very well oiled machine.

“Move now!” I shouted at everyone then looked up at the room above, “You had better come with us, I don’t think the ones on their way will be as nice as we are.” I yelled up at them.

“What is it?” Karen asked me sensing my fear.

“The Lost Ones are here. Rounding people up and placing some kind of spell on them as they catch them. Now go!” I told them.

My women and family got moving and Derek immediately gave the orders and the soldiers and support personnel began moving into the new tunnels. A soldier came through the tunnel to the hotel and told me everyone was out of there so I and my girls closed that tunnel happily as the strain was getting worse by the second. A few more moments and everyone but me, Grace, Calidia, Megan, and Derek had gone through.

“Last chance!” I yelled up at the room above as I made my way to the space tunnel entrance. If they didn’t come I wasn’t going to waste my time trying to convince them.

I sent my probe out and noticed that the flood dragon had noticed us and while it wasn’t moving quickly it was heading in our direction, as was a group of the Lost Ones. We did not have a lot of time.

I took a glance up at the room but saw no signs of them coming out. I shook my head then gestured for the others to go through.

The door was flung open as Grace neared her tunnel and several women all rushed down, “Please wait! We can’t get everyone down the stairs!” the called out.

“Go.” I told my girls and Derek then sprinted up the stairs bringing my space tunnel entrance with me. As I went I scooped up the girls who were on the stairs. Looking back I saw that my girls and Derek had already gone into the space tunnels and closed them behind them.

Happy that they were safe I moved a bit faster.

The leader of the women was at the top of the stairs and did not look happy. She didn’t say anything just supported another woman as they moved into the space tunnel. They were slower than the others as they had wounded but I ‘helped’ them along with a bit of wind magic getting a few startled screams as I went. The Lost Ones were on the way and I didn’t want to be here when they arrived. When the last of them were in the tunnel I breathed out a sigh of relief as I stepped into the opening myself and started to run along the tunnel. As I neared the end I glanced back to see that there was already someone standing on the other end of my tunnel.

As per my luck it was an obviously attractive woman. She had long silver hair, pale white skin that looked to be nearly translucent, and black eyes. Not the black eyes of the twisted where everything is black. Just the iris and pupil was black making her look fairly normal. She had an amazing figure, plump and round in all the right places. While I would normally find the woman attractive, and wonder if bonding her would work, I didn’t with her. No matter how pretty the package was, one look into her eyes and the feeling I was getting from her and I knew I never wanted to see this woman again if I could help it. It was a first for me, because I didn’t even have that feeling towards Courtney, but it also confirmed some of what Jessarn had implied. These Lost Ones were very bad news.

I stepped out of the space tunnel and forcefully closed it. The tunnel tried to resist but I pushed at it and it collapsed just a moment later.

“Who was that?” The black lady who was leading the survivors asked. She had been waiting by the space tunnel, probably making sure all of her people made it through.

“That was what we were running from.” I replied.

She nodded a thoughtful look on her face.

“Daryl.” Derek called out.

I turned to face him. He was staring around at the haven a confused look on his face. “Where are we?” he asked me.

“My haven.” I replied honestly.

Derek frowned. “I thought you were going to make one tonight.” he told me.

I nodded. “I was, and that was where you were all going to stay.” I replied. “But the appearance of the Lost Ones changed my plans so I brought you here to the haven I made last night.” I replied. “I don’t trust any of you so I wanted somewhere I could go if you all stabbed me in the back.” I replied.

Derek frowned and seemed a bit upset.

“Don’t start daddy.” Jessica spoke up, “There is nothing wrong with having a back up plan. What matters is that he didn’t hold out on you when it we were all in trouble.”

Derek sighed but didn’t say anything. Instead he just turned away and headed for his group. Already there were four different groups in my haven, mine, Michael’s, Dereks, and the female survivors.

I groaned and wondered if it was too early to start kicking everyone out. A scan of the groups showed that Arnold was with Michael’s which bothered me, but Marshal and Rosa were with mine alongside Grace’s family, which also kind of bothered me.

“Jasmine.” the older black lady suddenly told me.

I looked over at her with a frown.

“My name, I never actually introduced myself.” she told me.

I nodded. “Thanks, welcome to my haven Jasmine.” I told her.

Before I could say anything else Mary collapsed to the ground her skin as pale as snow.