A few hours after introducing their party, which yes the nerd in him was thinking of them as a party, Temate sat uncomfortably in a small chair. Said chair sat in an uncomfortably small room of a tree burrow. Said burrow was a few hours deeper into the Leshy’s communal nd where everything had become, frankly, absurd.

  This deep into their territory everything had continued to grow rger. Now, a single small tree root was thicker than the already towering tree’s outside of Leshy nd. The spreading, glowing mycelium had formed heads Temate could, and did, walk on.

  That had been the most eventful part of the trip here, climbing up into the lower branches of the tree’s. That happened as a necessity because the forest this deep in was no longer a normal one. It was a mangral, more commonly, mangrove forest a type of swampnd that exists solely on coastal regions.

  In his world. Toni had been the one to ask about that, sort of.

  “Wow, I didn’t realize we were so close to the coast.” She commented, looking down from the massive root they were using as a ramp. Thick steam rose from the water, trapped by the towering crowns of the mangroves, heating the entire space like a sauna.

  “Oh, we’re not madame! We’re many, many days of travel even from the close northern coast!” Laurel answered Toni.

  “W-b- HOW is there a mangrove forest here then?! Those grow by the coast!” Toni spluttered.

  Laurel looked confused, “because… there… is?”

  “That’s not-” Toni began.

  “Not important. You’re outsiders, you don’t need to know the Grand Ceils designs.” Tharoah rumbled over her shoulder.

  “If I ‘ad to guess, the water ‘ere is drownin’ in nutrients. Probably ‘ow things grow so big ‘ere. So probably some magic of the Leshy.” Pipuck considered out loud.

  “Hmph, one of you has a head for Life.” Tharoah replied, nodding with some modicum of respect to Pipuck.

  That was nearly an hour ago, and now… They were just waiting. All four of them sat in the tiny chairs which reminded Temate of sitting in those old shitty school deskchairs. The ones where, if you’re bigger, it cuts into your stomach or arms or side or… whatever.

  Thankfully these chairs didn’t have a desk or arms so it was just that Temate’s ass was uncomfortable. He’d stand, but then he’d still be uncomfortable, because this room was just barely too small for him. He distracted himself by focusing on Surrender and Toni talking.

  “I wonder what this Grand Ceil is like, you have no idea Surrender?” Toni asked the gremlin who shook her head as her tail scratched behind an ear.

  “No, not go far from home until now. Never even know of pce.” She gestured at the circur burrow they waited in. The thick, smoothed heartwood reflecting light from a thick trail of fungus filling the ceiling. The whole room gave off a weird mix of waiting at a hospital, and lounging in a log cabin by firelight.

  “Really? Why didn’t you go far from home until now? You seem smart, and very capable I’m sure you could have explored lots! I would have if I lived in the woods, honestly I couldn’t stay cooped up somewhere for too long… Speaking of, how long’s this gonna taaaaaaake.” Toni slid half out of her chair, Temate envied her, and other more normally sized people, in situations like this.

  “Uh. That lot… No I not go far, Mother teach me, when I adult I leave home to find own home and-” she looked to Temate, “-mate.” After she said that, her tail wrapped around Toni’s neck and head, gently petting her.

  “Not know how long wait.” She half whispered to Toni.

  Toni sighed, “I know, I know, I’m just getting antsy, it’s been foreeeeever!”

  “It’s been 10 minutes little T.” Temate pointed out.

  She ughed, “Yeah FOREVER! Sitting in ONE PLACE are you kidding me how long’s it take to tell somebody you’re here to see them?! Really?!”

  Temate thought about the various reasons that could be. “Could be busy. Could have to go really far. Could just be making us wait to throw us off. Could be they only speak entish.” To Temate’s surprised, Toni ughed at that.

  “Entish takes a long time to speak so we only say what is important!” She chortled as she said that. “See I can be a nerd too!”

  Temate grinned, “I believe it’s-” Temate deepened his voice, elongating his sylbles “-‘You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.’ to be accurate.”

  Toni stuck her tongue out at Temate, feigning annoyance. “Well soooorry mister ‘I’ve memorized every quote of every movie I’ve ever seen!”

  Temate responded with another quote. “‘Memory is the way we keep telling ourselves our stories, and telling other people a somewhat different version of our stories.”

  Toni blinked and then furrowed her brow. “What’s that from?”

  “Alice Munro, I’ve never read anything she did I was going to before all this-” Temate waved around himself in general. “-I like it, though ‘I have a remarkable memory; I forget everything. It is wonderfully convenient. It is as though the world were constantly renewing itself for me’ said by Jules Renard is more appropriate to me most of the time.”

  “Really?” That came from Surrender. “You remember lot though?”

  Temate shook his head. “Yes and no. Things come back to me when relevant, but I can never consciously remember things. Memory for me just sort of… Sparks up, then fades away. I don’t know I know a thing until it gets dragged out of the dark void of my mind. Then I know it perfectly, it’s weird.” Temate shrugged at the looks the others were giving him.

  “Quotes and things I’ve read come back easiest, and things about people I care about, like Toni’s favorite color being yellow, or this spot on Surrender's ear.” Temate reached over Toni’s head to scratch a spot on Surrender’s ear causing her to immediately close her eyes and purr softly.

  “Wait, how do you know that?” Toni asked, “That my favorite color is yellow I mean, I’ve never told you that.”

  “You mentioned it to Surrender in the flower field, I just remembered hearing it ‘oh I like those sunflowery ones, yellows my favorite color ever!’” Temate mimicked Toni’s voice.

  “I… didn’t know you heard that.” Toni looked pleasantly surprised.

  “I’m always paying attention to my surroundings, that’s built into me by my upbringing and early life.” Temate smiled softly to her as he pyed with Surrender’s tail which had wrapped around his hand.

  “Huh, and I always thought I was observant.” Toni thought out loud, then looked up at Temate. “You really remember nothing?”

  Temate shook his head. “Not consciously, I can’t just py back experiences, even if it’s only been a few days. I don’t understand people who describe memory like that honestly.”

  Toni was stumped, clearly. “So you can’t just… think about your mother and remember her?”

  “No.” Temate frowned in response. “Not cause of memory weirdness though, for people who I spent a long time with, like my Ali’i sure, my Kuia too. Some of my old mates, but I don’t really think to even think about them unless something prompts me. In the case of friends and family I know I had them, because everyone does, but I forget events I’ve been to, movies I’ve seen, until people bring them up. Context draw’s quotes and scenes…”

  Temate stopped suddenly and looked down at Toni who stared at him with wide eyes. He grunted and brought his hand away from Surrender to pat Toni’s head.

  “Sorry, I’m rambling.” He muttered, Toni shook her head.

  “No no no nonono! I liked hearing it, I love hearing about people’s experiences and how we differ, it’s cool. My memory is like a picture book personally, I just think about a day and time and can pull bits of important moments out. Big important things are pstered on the front cover, my immediate memory, so I can go to them if I want to remember more.” Toni looked to Surrender.

  “What about you?”

  “Me?” Surrender pointed at herself with a cw. Toni just nodded, which surrender shrugged at. “I just remember if like or important.”

  “Oh? Well I guess that’s a pretty normal response.” Toni looked disappointed, then Pipuck spoke.

  “I guess I go nex’?” Toni blinked and smiled at them with excitement. They sighed but smiled and went on. “I thin’ of things as differen’ lights of differen’ shades an’ colors. The brighter the more importan’ to me bu’ they’re all there.” They tapped their forehead. “Every single thin’ I’ve ever experience’ an’ I can pull them up with ease.”

  “That’s sooooo cool, so you have like perf-”

  “Ahem.” Tharoah cut off Toni’s question. The group turned to look at her, standing on the opposite end of the chamber, leading deeper into the vast tree. Despite her being nearly as tall, and significantly longer, seemed more than comfortable in the enclosed space.

  “The Grand Ceil shall see you now.” She stated, her face a ft, unreadable expression. Then she turned and began hopping down the corridor without waiting. Temate stood, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the fungal roof of the chamber.

  “Well, let’s go see who this ‘Grand Ceil’ is.” Temate said.

  So Temate was right, the trip to the Grand Ceils chamber took nearly 5 minutes on its own. Which means the reason they waited forever was purely travel time, or mostly. Toni led the way as they followed the rabbit-centaur dy further into the branch the waiting area had been carved from.

  Temate had insisted on going st, which considering he had to stay ducked nearly the whole way there, she didn’t bme him. Toni didn’t really dislike closed spaces much, but she imagined if she were the size of a bear, she would. She turned her head to check on Temate who grimaced, holding a hand over his head so he’d hit that first if the roof closed in.

  Which it did more than once.

  So they followed Tharoah into the tree, giving Toni an opportunity to examine the sour woman. For a rabbit, she was awfully reserved, even her hopping gait seemed sterile and mechanical. How could she take all the cuteness out of rabbits?

  Though at the same time… Toni couldn’t believe she was thinking about this, but after Milis expressed interest in Temate she’d been thinking about it. About non-humans, after all this was a fantasy world. If she was going to be helping Temate… ‘experience’ this world, what about non-human and non-humanoid species?

  Temate clearly didn’t mind, hell he’d seemed open to Milis even, and that made Toni think. Surely she should try to be open to strange stuff? And Tharoah was strange, though probably not her specifically, but it was a question in her head.

  If she thought Tharoah, or any of her kind, were interested in Temate… Could she? The longer she thought about it, the more she felt blood rushing to her face. Yeah, yeah she could, a fully just animal with sentience though? She felt the flush leave her and shook her head.

  So she had a line now, now she just had to figure out why her line was there. Seeing as half of Tharoah was an animal, but the upper part was humanoid in shape, she figured that was it. So, perhaps as long as they had humanoid characteristics? That would expl-

  Thumph.

  Toni spluttered and nearly fell on her ass after face pnting into something big and fluffy. She looked up to see the armored humanoid half of Tharoah staring through cold eyes at her.

  “We’re here.” Tharoah commented. “The Grand Ceil will test you, and should you pass you will be answered.”

  “Uh, test us how?” Toni spoke up, “I mean, it’d be nice to prepare for it, y’know?” She added as Tharoah looked down on her.

  “I do not know. It varies. Know that you may not receive the answer directly. The Grand Ceil is… Not like us.” Tharoah stated.

  “Right, but like-” Toni began to ask another question but Tharoah turned and hopped into the next chamber. Toni grumbled and stepped into the chamber after her and gasped.

  Almost immediately the space opened. A vast cylinder of hollow space filled the centre of the tree. As if it had been hollowed out, except a vast tower of glowing fungus in the center. It spread itself out like blood veins in a body, stretching out into many small passages off each side.

  The floor was covered by the stuff as well, which seemed to glow brighter at their presence. Small pulses of color and light shimmered across the floor as they walked. Like ripples of water on a pcid ke, but of bright color and light. Different for each of them.

  For Toni, it was red-orange, as if her internal fire spread to her surroundings. For Pipuck it was a bright yellow-white, as if a small star lit under each of their footsteps. For Surrender, the fungus seemed to dim rather than brighten, the colors remaining whatever the natural colors were.

  Then Temate entered, dragging himself out of the small chamber and sighing with satisfaction. When Toni looked at his feet she was surprised to see the fungus move. It split beneath his feet, avoiding his touch as if repulsed by a magnet.

  She was about to comment when she felt a voice in her. It hummed through her body, a soft voice which reminded her of every person she’d ever cared for. Her family, her friends, all whispering together.

  “So you have come, child of Fme and Steel.” The voice shook her, pleasantly thrumming through her body. She nearly colpsed to her knees as she looked straight up, to the endless dark above. Then the dark filled with light.

  “Child, you come for knowledge, yet all of you save the old soul are enemies of Life.” Each word filled the dark with light as what y above shone down. The thick central mass of mycelium extended up, and then spread. That mass at its thickest shimmered along with each word and Toni could swear she saw a face amongst it.

  She realized it was waiting for her to respond, but she couldn’t think of anything. She tried to turn her head, to look to Temate, Surrender, Pipuck, anyone for support. But she couldn’t move.

  Her head was locked in position, and she suddenly realized she could see nothing but It. The Grand Ceil, for she knew that’s what It was. Her mouth was dry, terribly so, so she closed it. She licked her tongue around, trying to drag some moisture into it.

  “I-I don’t- What do you want?” She asked It.

  “No Child. What is it you want. Truly, what do you desire.” Toni felt her body surrounded, and realized the fungus had grown around her, encasing her in a comfortable mass. She rexed as the face swam clearly into her vision, she couldn’t tell who it was but she trusted them.

  “I. Just want to be safe.” She mumbled, eyes stuck to It.

  “I can make you safe. Safe and happy here. No worry or fear of loss or death.” It whispered to her, she smiled. The Grand Ceil wrapped her slowly, gently, within Itself as her eyes closed. Yet she did not stop seeing the light.

  “I. Don’t want to be afraid.” She whispered. She stared at the face in her vision and it swam in her head. It crified.

  Temate’s voice whispered to her. “Surrender yourself to me. You do not need anything else. You do not need to be afraid. Give in. I will mold you, never again will you be harmed.”

  She felt herself smiling, she liked that. Temate had already said something simir. He wanted her to be her best, he wanted to support her, to protect her. She felt so safe with him.

  "Give yourself to me. I will change you, shape you, and you will be safe. Free of the burden of choosing, of being wrong. Of being hurt." He told her, and the words did not reach her as It probably meant them to. They weren't right. Temate wouldn’t say that. Not like that. No... But someone else would.

  The face changed again, the voice becoming smoother, younger. Soothing, would be the word most would use to describe it. Not Toni. It was a vile voice, a cruel one, and the face though handsome, young, was just as bad. Suddenly, she didn't feel so safe.

  Not again.

  Not him. No.

  No.

  "Surrender Toni"

  Anger filled her, what was this Thing doing?!

  "Surrender and be free."

  They came to answer questions, not to what… Join this Thing?

  "Free of pain."

  She snarled and reached into her chest, to the burning fire she could still just barely feel. Being smothered by something, she willed it open.

  To burn.

  Fire filled her, burning the invading fungus without much trouble. It spilled out of her and she erupted, dropping to the ground as fme whisked around her. She nded on the fungus and this time the ring of red-orange light that spread wasn’t just light. It was heat as well, as fire burned It’s body beneath her.

  She expected a scream, some loud fury, but nothing came. She whirled, looking for her companions as she called more fire to her, igniting herself. [Burning Body] covered her with heat and fme, protecting her as it torched the fungus which reached for her. But she hadn't empowered that [Power]... Had she?

  No time to think about that now.

  She whirled about, looking for her companions. To one side she saw Temate, pinned against the wall by fungus, actively resisting. His machete was drawn, because of course he'd reacted to the potential danger first. She could see he was fighting, dragging himself forward step by step towards...

  Two other small bubbles were hovering slightly, no visible resistance being put up. Toni focused, pulling her gun out she aimed at one mass. She did not make bullets this time, instead using the gun purely to aim and direct her attack. She willed the [Eternal Fme] to burn, to roil and scorch. Just as she'd been practicing.

  Fire ran up along her hands, down the barrel of the gun. It coalesced and erupted out into a stream of bright fme, searing the air as it moved. Just as Pipuck said, the [Power] was more than just making a bit of fire grow and shrink.

  “[Bounding Wind].” A voice growled, Tharoah leapt in between Toni’s fme and her target. “[Spear Squall].” She snapped, not a shout just harsh and cracking. Thoroah’s spear began to spin, creating a barrier of steel, and kicking up a roar of wind which put Toni’s ray of fire out.

  “Get out of the way or I’ll have to hurt you.” Toni growled back. Tharoah stood stock still, pnting the spear butt in the ground.

  “They are being tested, further interference will result in your own harm or death.” Tharoah’s eyes didn’t narrow, but Toni’s did. She kept her gun aimed at the woman, trying to decide what to do.

  “Testing how.” She hissed at the rabbit-centaur who eyed her with boredom.

  “Testing. I told you I do not know.” Tharoah answered, unmoving. Unconcerned by the weapon pointed at her.

  “If they’re harmed, or anything is done to them I’ll-”

  “You’ll what? You are weak. If The Grand Ceil desired you would have simply died. Be quiet and wait and hope your companions share your strength of will.” Tharoah cut her off.

  Toni’s mind reeled as she considered her options, then a shout filled her heart and mind.

  “Toni! Fire!” Her hand reacted before her mind processed the words. She fired another bolt of fme, not at Tharoah, but off to the side. For a moment she was confused, she understood Temate had ordered it but... Why there?

  Temate, fungus still clinging to him, wrenched himself into view dragging the Fungus with him. Right where she’d shot. The fire impacted a cluster grabbing at his machete arm as he pulled it up into position. Fire ignited the surface, freeing his bde to swing and begin clearing the mass on him properly.

  The fungus burned from him as it had done to Toni, but she could still hear it whispering. Whispering to her of failure, to protect, to serve, ushering her to surrender. She couldn’t decide what to do, she should shoot, but could she and Temate beat Tharoah? Especially here with It able to act?

  She had already dismissed her fmes, being unable to sustain [Burning Body] for long. She examined the situation. What did she do, what could she do? She had no pn, she didn’t know her opponents weaknesses or strengths… She.

  She was weak?

  She looked to Temate, who finished carving himself from the mass clustering to him. It retreated, freeing him fully. Unlike Toni, he did not hesitate, he charged running right at the mass trapping their friends! Tharoah, much like with Toni's fire, wouldn't allow it.

  She leapt into the way, bringing her nce down with a shout. "[Steel Wind!]"

  There was a whistling like a harsh wind, and a shout from Toni, as the nce soared towards Temate's chest. A crunching grind filled the air as a thick barrier of bone erupted from his chest, deflecting the blow! She watched as Temate whirled using the momentum of the impact to spin in pce and swing his bde.

  Tharoah hopped back, giving herself just enough distance to be safe, but Temate had apparently pnned for that. Bone erupted from the base of his machete, extending the handle out as he swung it. It lost weight that way but it gained nearly a foot of reach, grazing Tharoah's side. He grasped the extended handle of the machete like a spear.

  He prepared himself to charge as Toni watched, mouth agape, eyes wide. She saw something there which shocked her, in his eyes there was a fury that she'd seen few times before. It scared her a little bit, but it also told her he had no intention of stopping.

  Not until one of them was dead.

  "TEMATE!" She shouted. He didn't seem to hear her. He lunged, he needed to stop. She couldn't watch him get hurt again, or hurt someone else even if... She looked at her friends in their pods.

  Trapped. Being tested not hurt.

  No, Tharoah was doing her job, she wasn't trying to hurt them just stop them from interrupting.

  A crash of metal on metal, then metal on bone, drew her attention back and she saw Temate advancing. Surprisingly holding his own, though she was fairly certain Tharoah wasn't going all out, just distracting him.

  At least, that was until he deflected her nce. Pnted himself. And lunged up to the soft spot beneath her chestpte. He was gonna-

  "DADDY!" She didn't know why she shouted that, it was embarrassing, but once again her [Hunter's Instinct] told her to. That was... a strange use of that [Power], especially since it worked. Temate stumbled, and stopped Tharoah leaping back with eyes wide in shock. But only for a moment, they narrowed back in but she didn't attack.

  Temate looked to Toni and she looked at him. She shook her head emphatically. No more, stop fighting. She didn't say it, but she saw him grimace, look around and take the situation in.

  “Let them go.” Temate shouted, with authority rather than anger.

  “I cannot.” Tharoah stated.

  “I know, I’m not talking to you, useless rabbit.” He snarled. For a second time Toni saw Tharoah’s smooth face break as her eyes widened, then narrowed.

  “I am Commandant of the Aldagard.” She hissed.

  “Yeah? Fancy word for useless pet bunny.” Temate replied. “Now let them go, or we kill your pet.” Temate announced again. He leveled his bde at Tharoah, who hefted her own nce in response.

  “You believe you could?” The commandant sneered.

  “I'm pretty sure I just proved I could.” Temate nodded, almost disturbingly calm compared to moments ago. “Absolutely. Especially with both of us.”

  Toni blinked, then lifted her gun back up from where she’d lowered it. Forcing the strongest gre she could onto her face. She focused her [Hunter’s Instinct] and Tharoah reacted. Her ears twitched as she looked with further narrowing eyes at Toni.

  “You wouldn’t dare.” Tharoah snarled.

  “If it’s die, or let my friends die.” Toni thought and hardened her mind. “I would.” Though she didn't think that was the case. Temate was bluffing, they'd proven they could, now they just needed to leverage it.

  A tense few moments passed between the three of them. Then as if a sounding gun had gone off, the room erupted again.

  “[Bounding Wind], [Steel Storm].” Tharoah vanished up over Temate and into the air, falling straight towards Toni, an endless array of spear points coming at her.

  She wasn't pying anymore.

  Toni crouched down immediately, [Fshforge] erected a short barrier of steel between the two. Toni pced her hand on the back of the barrier, waiting for the sounds of steel on steel to [Quick Shape] the barrier.

  It never came, nor was there sound of conflict on the other side. When Toni finally peaked around her barrier she saw Tharoah standing, looking up at It. She seemed to be speaking but Toni could hear nothing. Beyond her, Temate knelt holding Pipuck and Surrender, the two looked confused and bleary.

  “W-what?” Toni muttered.

  A thunk of steel in wood answered her as Tharoah smmed her nce head into the floor. She gred between them before mastering her expression back to its ft, lidded eye boredom.

  “Very well.” She muttered and began hopping, somehow with more rigidity than before, to the entrance. Which was, truly, only one of dozens of entrances. Toni was about to ask the same question over again when she saw the floor shift.

  The mass of fungus along the floor moved rapidly, gathering in the center of the chamber, around the spire which led upward. It massed together into a singur, massive face which spun along the stem. The Grand Ceil stared at them, not in the bored way that Tharoah did.

  No, it was like a person examining, analyzing, a mysterious thing of little concern. It’s mouth opened and moved with the words, but they still filled Toni’s body and mind.

  “Bringer of Steel and Fme. Pass. Tyrant of Heart and Bone. Pass. Elder Light of Life. Fail. Daughter of Whispering Shadow. Fail.” Toni blinked, what were those titles?

  “It is a bitter day that one of Life fails to resist the utterances of Endings. Yet I admit joy fills me that two who have come so far, from a world so failing, have the will to resist.”

  “T-thank you?” Toni replied. “What was that about?”

  “A test, and you have passed.” The Grand Ceil responded.

  “Yeah but… WHY was that the test, I thought we were gonna fight something or… I dunno, go hunting not…” She gestured around at the fungus.

  “You will know when you must know. I do, however, have a task for you.”

  “WHAT!? AFTER THAT YOU’RE STILL GONNA MAKE US DO-”

  “Quie’!” Toni jumped, looking over to Pipuck who was gring at her.

  “Pip, what’s-” Temate began to ask them.

  “I tol’ you, we’d ‘ave to do somethin’. The tes’ is new, bu’ it’s not proof to our intentions.” Pipuck looked to the Grand Ceil.

  “To prove your intention, and earn the information you seek, I request your assistance in Purging. Your Fme will be of great service in such a task.” It spoke, ignoring the exchange.

  “Purging?” Toni asked.

  “The Rot feed on death, and death is growing. Thus the Rot grows, it must be purged or we risk destruction. Assist Tharoah in Purging the West Fallow and you shall have your answer.” As if that was all that was needed, the Grand Ceil’s face melted, flooding the floor once more with fungus.

  The group looked to Tharoah who examined them.

  “Very well, come with me and I shall expin what you need to do.”

  Begrudgingly, they began to do so. Toni sighed with annoyance as she began to follow, until a big red-orange thing fell over her head. She startled, looking to see Temate, without his poncho, as he'd taken it off and put it on her. She blinked and looked down, then blushed as she realized why he'd done that.

  She was immune to her [Burning Body], apparently that didn't extend to her clothes. Oops.