The return trip took a little longer than the initial departure; before, I had been rushing, desperate to cross the black-water and seek vengeance against Tiamat before she could gather too much power. Now, with the Great Cores enemies having been punished as much as possible, I let the Great Cores remaining flyer relax.
Its wings beat again and again, and I noticed the beginnings of a droning buzz at the edge of my hearing. Its hearing. Mine?
It didnt matter. For the mont, they were one and the sa, bound together by the blessings of the Great Core.
I could feel other senses creeping in as well, leaking through the strengthened connection between myself and the [Little Guardians Totem]s bearer. The shifting of muscles that caused wings to flex and flutter, the trickle of fluid between my fractured carapace, the slight pain as spore-roots pulled harder than the bearers body could bear.
Not all of the senses were pleasant.
Still, above them all was the wonder that ca with flying. Where before I had rely ridden alongside the bearer, sharing in the perspective that ca with flight, now I was truly experiencing it - feeling the beating of wings, the gentle touch of the wind.
A thought-hiss sent the bearer into a sharp, twirling dive. The winds gentle touch beca sothing stronger, its fingers pressing back against hardened carapace and delicate wing alike. The black-water grew in my vision, almost seeming to swallow the ager light of the [Little Guardians Totem], just as I knew the waters could swallow the Totems bearer.
Another thought-hiss, pulled my wings up again at the last mont; there was a tiny flash of pain as one slightly tore, unable to handle the strain of such a sudden change in direction.
My vision shifted with the motion, eyes skimming just above the surface of the black-water as bedraggled wings buzzed and beat.
It was wonderful. Mont by mont, it felt as if my senses were expanding, plunging deeper into the connection to the [Little Guardians Totem] that pressed against the little flyers flesh. Though I knew that it wasnt true, I felt as if the borrowed perspective was a true part of , as if the beating wings and regrettably rotting flesh were mine.
It was enjoyable for all its strangeness, made all the better for the fact that [Spore Puppeteer] gave a sort of control that I wouldnt otherwise have. While I could dive deeply into one of my Coreless [Little Guardians Totem]s, I would just be a passenger.
This was sothing different. In a way, it was like I was the one flying, almost brushing my flesh against the deadly black-water below. It was exhilarating in that sense - dangerous, and yet completely safe. Even if I were to slip into the black-water, I would survive.
The power in that was almost intoxicating. Yet, like all things, it eventually ca to an end. I reached the many-nests shore.
Reluctantly, I pulled myself free from the Totem bearers senses. It was harder than I had expected, my mind sticking to the [Little Guardians Totem] and its wearer like clinging fluid, thick and viscous. I had stayed too long, focused on it too much. My mind had mired myself within its borrowed perspective. Part of it wanted to stay.
That part didnt let go easily, though let go it finally did. My perspective shifted. I saw a bad-thing, hovering nearby with blurred wings turned blue and gold. I felt the cool touch of ore-flesh against my scale-flesh, smooth and familiar. I heard the noises of Coreless, jabbering at one another in tones of [excitent] and [relief].
I couldnt feel my - its - wings anymore. Couldnt feel the drip-drop of rotting blood through ruined flesh. Couldnt feel the spore-roots pulling my muscles this way and that.
I could feel exhaustion. My length felt heavy and weak, my mind drained. Sending my senses through the [Little Guardians Totem] for so long had taken more from than I had realized. I couldnt have realized it, so lost in borrowed sensations.
That was dangerous.
In the future I might need to do things differently; given a few more [Little Guardians Totem]s, I could probably swap between different bearers frequently, both giving myself a greater perspective and preventing my mind from clinging so desperately to a single one. I wasnt sure if that would be more or less tiring, but at least I would be able to notice the exhaustion set in during the swaps.
A hand reached up to scratch against my scale-flesh.
Tired, I allowed the touch.
The walk back was a somber affair, full of plodding steps and staggered sounds. Fits and starts of incomprehensible conversation from which I could only barely glean a hint of aning - though I did understand one thing for sure.
The first of the Great Cores Coreless were [restless], despite their clear [relief]. [Worried].
We need to move faster, Will said, his voice hard like ore-flesh. As much as we might want to save everyone still caught within the mists, that might be sothing to put aside until later.
I noticed a spike of [anxiety] and [apprehension] from the-female-who-was-not-Needle and The Grateful One both, each of them stamring out a few noises in response to Wills words. Whatever the noises had ant, neither was happy about it.
He raised his hand and the noises slowly fell silent.
Just for a little while. The Core needs to be dealt with before we end up hopelessly surrounded by the Mother of Monsters minions. If were lucky, theyll leave once we deal with the Core. If thats why theyre here in the first place, anyway he trailed off. I have my doubts about that.
You think that they might be here for sothing else? The Grateful One asked, her brows furrowed and her [Little Guardians Totem] tinged with a [confusion] that the others lacked. It wouldnt be the first ti that monsters gathered at the edges of the city. They can sense the Core whenever we let it out of the null-water. Thats actually one of the reasons that Virtun gave for why we should sell it to them before the Collapse happened; they said that they could deal with the monsters that it attracted more easily than we could. That they were stronger, she said.
Her emotions shifted, moving towards sothing closer to [anger]. We should have just let them have the damn thing instead of sending them away like we did.
Speaking of...what are we going to do about the little guy when we do get to the Core? not-Needle asked, her fingers scratching away at my still-limp scale-flesh. I gave a languid hiss, my tired mind luxuriating in the sensation she provided. Hes probably going to want it for himself.
There was a pause, a stilled mont where none of my Coreless even breathed - and then it broke, shattered by a single set of noises.
I say we give it to him, not-Needle finished.
The Coreless erupted into a cacophony of various noises, each weaving over and under the others; the result was sothing so chaotic that I doubted even the Coreless themselves could find the aning within. I certainly couldnt, eventually deciding to just ignore their noises and let myself limply dangle across not-Needles shoulder while I waited for them to finish with whatever it was they were doing. Even with the wait, it would be faster than slithering back to the [Little Guardians Focus] myself, and the lack of effort involved was still far more relaxing than having to move about myself - though the grating tones that occasionally spilled from their lips made it a closer thing than I had expected.
Finally though, the sounds began to settle and the Coreless stopped speaking over one another. It was much more pleasant after that.
...the Council wont be happy if we co back empty-handed, I heard Will say. They already didnt like that we lost the last one.
The-female-who-was-not-Needle scoffed, a sound spilling out from sowhere deep within her throat and vibrating at the places where my scale-flesh and hers t. They werent even sure it would still be here in the first place. Besides, do we really want to risk sothing like this, she gestured at the ruined many-nest around us, happening in Orken?
I want it gone, The Grateful One murmured. Dead.
Thats two of us for feeding it to the Little Guardian, then, Not-Needle said, nodding towards her. Id say Elaras done enough to earn a vote, even if she isnt from Orken. Shes done more than the Council has, at least.
She leaned forward a little, almost causing to slide across her ore-flesh.
The question is, where does everyone else stand?
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