Eisen's face had gone pale. All at once, a flash of agitation crossed him, and he lashed his tail to one side, shifting its position.
The thin blood-filaments responded instantly, shuddering and whipping about, sending ripples of sound through the flowing water.
Albert drew in a soft, sharp breath. "These are…"
What were they? Those bloodlines trailing behind the ticks—where did they actually lead?
Even without saying it aloud, the two men opposite him knew exactly what he was asking.
With a grave expression, Charles said, "There's a huge insect down below. In many ways, its situation is very similar to ours. When it first appeared, it wasn't very large. Back then, we were only ordinary snake-sized creatures ourselves, curled up sleeping beneath the tree. Then one day, the space under the tree suddenly collapsed, opening into a vast cavity—and that's how we encountered the insect."
