HP:[" the Illithid Inquisition"]

*See normally an Ulitharid spends some time as the Elder Brain's number one minion and then takes a bunch of Illithids with it to leave the colony and start a new one. Elder Brains hate that whole leaving thing since it takes away a bunch of their servants. This Elder Brain should hate it even more since there's already an Ulitharid in this colony likely picking out what Illithids it likes best to take away with them very soon""

And that Ulitharid won't like us showing up to demand our share of the minions, perhaps trying to steal away a few of its favorites. I think we can take advantage of this. Follow my lead and I think I can get us out of here.

The Illithid got the last of the people in the room into their containment pods and then motioned for Harry to follow it. The two of them walked along long corridors cut into the rock about them passing the occasional open room or other passages intersecting theirs. There were no windows to be seen anywhere and the way was only illuminated by faint strips of softly glowing light.

Harry had no problem seeing into the shadows around him though, everything seemed more gray than dark away from a light source.

Occasionally they passed other Illithids, either coming down the passageway towards them or standing in the rooms they passed. Each bowed to Harry respectfully but they did not pause long in their work. Most were working on some arcane devices, others were studying great tomes and heavy books. In one room they passed, two of the Illithids had a green skinned humanoid strapped to a table and were carving into its flesh with long wicked looking knives causing their victim to howl with pain.

Harry did his best to focus on his guide as they walked passed that room, desperately reminding himself that he was in no position to help anyone here. Eventually the two of them came to a spot in passage where there was a hole in the ceiling. Without pausing Harry's guide began to float up through the air and passed through the hole.

That is psychic power that he is using. Harry's new voice explained. It is a kind of magic, but one focused through our thoughts rather than through words and motions. Focus on me and feel how I move our thoughts then join your efforts to mine and we will not have any trouble.

Harry briefly turned his attention inward until he felt the movement of power within his mind moving outward around him. It was surprisingly easy for him to resonate his own core of magic power with the energy being produced by his mind. First he pushed the power out from himself, then he wrapped it around his own body and moved it and himself upward. Almost gently he floated up from the ground and continued to follow his guide.

The sensation of levitation was quite different from that of flying his broomstick. On his broomstick he flew by riding on something fundamentally separate from himself, now his own power was lifting him in the air. It would've been exhilarating were it not for the strange and terrifying circumstances he now found himself in.

Harry and his guide exited the tunnel they were floating through to enter into a truly massive chamber. A vast vaulted ceiling towered overhead leading up to a huge crystal that filled the room with an ominous but still beautiful light. The walls of the chamber were divided into many different layers which new openings ran into and bridges ran across the chamber linking doorway to doorway on the same level or even to different ones.

It reminded Harry of the great central staircase at Hogwarts, though no part of this structure moved on its own, everything was much bleaker to look at, and there were still no windows that might reveal the outside world. Many Illithids filled the chamber floating from place to place, but Harry also saw a variety of other creatures moving around as well, though most of these had to walk on their own legs. Most of them were tall men and women with dark blue or gray shaded skin and pointed ears.

Others were short stout men, like the few dwarfs that Harry had seen during the last valentine's day celebration, but these had ash gray skin and red eyes. He even saw a few ogres and trolls moving around the chamber. Harry and his guide eventually arrived at another doorway near the top of the chamber, which the guide bowed in front of and indicated that Harry should continue on inside.

Harry floated through the door and came to a quite lavish and opulent looking room. The furniture was luxurious, gems and rare metals decorated everything in sight. Along the walls experimental machines, bottles of rare potions, ancient tomes of strange sigils and the bodies of creatures Harry didn't recognize were all to be found in abundance. This place was a room not just of wealth but of knowledge. Harry's new voice approved of it all and even Harry was somewhat impressed.

At the center of the room stood another one of these tentacle monsters. This one stood far taller and looked much stronger than the two that Harry had seen so far. It also had more tentacles sprouting from its face, six of them while the others had only four. It carried a staff in one hand and was stroking its chin with the other thoughtfully. Harry could sense much greater power emanating from this being than from the others. Surely this was the Ulitharid that the voice had mentioned, Illithid royalty and likely the second in command of this whole colony.

"So this is the new Ulitharid that the Elder Brain has spoken so proudly of." The tall monster pronounced, its words echoing in Harry's mind as it studied Harry with interest. "A fully matured mind, but one without a body to match its grandeur. How unexpected. Perhaps I should order you dissected to find out how such a thing could've happened, and to ensure your mind suffers from no deviancy."