“Grief is brief. Yet it can haunt one forever.”

“The key to preventing such a scenario is how you deal with it.”

#Quote - Quote of the Year - Lovers Embrace 3ed Edition

*

Central Continent - Southern Forest - Survival Tribe

“Yes, Goldy. My name is too long to use in a conversation, so Master shortened it” Came the reply.

Grand Observer and Librarian for Dreams? Goldy?

Two names appeared in Tina’s mind. Both told of the same person.

One felt more important than the other. Yet both had a purpose.

At least, that was as far as Tina understood things. In truth, she did not care about the Golden-Back Badg’Er name, but as the name reached her mind, parts of her mind reminded her of the System Alert!!!

“Why, Came?”

A bit preoccupied with her mind making her remember stuff, Tine heard her Mate ask.

“My name aside, the initial purpose of the Summon was to safeguard the… Tribal Spirit of your Tribe.” Tina heard Goldy reply. His words once more hinted at the notification. ”However… Seeing that the Danger has been vanquished, by you and your Tribe, that purpose does not need fulfilling.”

“Still, just in case, I will stay until your Tribal Spirit Awakens fully before leaving you all.”

As if the words finally hinted at something other than herself and her Tribe, Tina’s eyes settled on the Tribal Totem in the Center of their Tribal Clearing.

The moment she did, and the moment the pieces of information connected in her mind, Tina was once more aware of the deep connection to the Tribal Spirit living in the Tribal Totem.

When that happened, Tina’s awareness narrowed down to the Black-Goldy Obsidian Totem before her. Instantly, she forgot about the unknown Badg’Er, her Mate, and her fellow Tribal Members.

The only thing that mattered in that narrowed perception was the Tribal Totem.

Specifically, only the Tribal Spirit mattered.

As Tina tuned her mind and senses toward the Tribal Spirit, she once more sensed the encompassing sensation of its presence as it radiated over the Tribal Clearing, and out into the Forest.

It towered over her, her mate, and her fellow Tribal Members, and as the moments passed, that presence only grew stronger. It gained more clarity. With the gained clarity of its presence increasing, Tina understood more about the Tribal Spirit than she ever imagined she would.

However, as she understood more, realizations came.

Realizations of comparison that she, a female Badg’Er, understood innately.

The Tribal Spirit she was now connected to was but a little Cub.

Tina knew exactly the time it was born. It was that very fact that stunned, shocked, and awed her at the possibility. Thus, giving Tina trouble with correlating the slow growth of the Tribal Spirit.

To the current her, its birth had happened a long time ago. Yet it was still but a Cub growing up.

After correlating everything into one, Tina knew this Tribal Spirit Cub had yet to truly open its eyes to gaze at the light outside its birth den. It should not have happened for quite some time, but it did happen.

Now the Tribal Spirit Cub somehow forced itself to grow enough to face the incoming dangers. Yet, even with the threat gone, it continued its forced growth because it could not stop.

If it stopped, it would die instantly, as its mind would not be able to tolerate the stress of forced growth.

After seeing everything.

After examining everything.

After understanding everything, Tine sensed her own longings manifest as a response. Longings originating from her Motherly Instincts.

Instincts to protect and nurture her Cubs, only this one was not her Cub.

That notion forced Tina to reach for an epiphany concerning a dilemma troubling her for a long time. After obtaining Shamanistic Concoctions, her troubles lessened but never disappeared

The dilemma stemmed from her regard for a female Badg’Er, living in a Tribe. After all, she had not been born in a Tribe. Instead, she adapted to living in one with her Mate and fellow Tribal Members as a consequence of more of her kind living in one stationary place.

Facing the predicament, Tina felt her way through as an epiphany reached her mind, bringing forth all her doubts and transforming her gathered knowledge into one interpretation.

That same understanding faced the fragility of the Tribal Spirit.

Immediately, the experience of an Individual mind, with its wants and desires, met with a Gestalt mind, a mind born from the impressions of every Badg’Er living in the Tribe.

As such, Individual and Gestalt exchanged understanding. The Whole supported Tina’s epiphany, and Tine supported the Gestalt’s burden for growth.

With the epiphany’s help, Tine understood her Role in life, just as she understood the individual but connected Roles of Hunters and Shaman.

A Hunter represented the outward protection of the Tribe.

A Shaman represented the inward protection of the Tribe.

A Hunter became the outward nurturer by venturing into the World, braving its dangers, finding the resources for the Tribe's needs, and bringing those resources back into the Tribe.

All Hunters would do that Role for the sake of continued existence.

A Shaman, on the other hand, became the inward nurturer by feeding, educating, and providing a comfy home for the Tribe. And they did it by using the resources brought back by the Hunters. At the same time, a Shaman of the Tribe represented a bridge.

A bridge between the needs of the Individual Badg’Er and the needs of the Tribe as a whole.

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With the epiphany helping her, Tina realized everything in her life so far had been extremely simple. It was as if everything had already been laid out for her and her fellow Tribal Members.

As such, in Tina’s mind, an image of The Maker manifested.

After all, it was The Maker that made the Ascendency Path for every Badg’Er living in a Tribe to walk on. Just as it was The Maker that made the Tribal Spirit to whom she was connected currently.

Tina had known all this long ago. Just as every Badg’Er had known this all along. They all knew it instinctively.

Only everything was through Instinct because there were no Tribes before them. There were no Badg’Er to teach them that wisdom. The wisdom that it was not their Ascendency path determining their Role while living in a Tribe.

It was the responsibility one chose to implement that determined one's Role in the Tribe.

As such, Tina could easily become a Hunter if she was prepared for conducting the Role. And her Son was the perfect example, as he did not follow the Hunter or Shaman Ascendency Path.

Once everything got comprehended, Tina’s epiphany began receding. Yet, that was not a good thing for her. On the contrary, it was a bad thing, as now Tina felt the burden on her mind settle down even harder.

After all, now her mind renounced its distraction. Hence, now it could and would pick up the slack it had been holding. Therefore, the dilemma became Tina not being able to hold on for long enough for the Tribal Spirit to finish its sudden growth spur.

As moments passed, Tina felt the burden gain more and more weight.

Still, there was a light at the end of the tunnel for Tina. She just never knew it existed. Maybe it was because her mind was too busy to seek the answer, or perhaps it was something else.

However, when Tina’s mind was on the verge of collapsing from the pressure, a distant light manifested in her perception transforming her dire situation. Then came another, and another, and another. It went on like that until Tina finally could take a mental breather to make sense of what was occurring.

Despite the mental fatigue, Tina noticed all her fellow Shamans seemed less cohesive and bright, but what they did not have in quality, they made up in quantity. Only that was not all. Moments later, another bright light manifested inside the shared mindscape. It bore a similar quality to her, only still lesser.

In truth, it did not matter to Tina if it was lesser or greater. What mattered was that she innately knew it was Scar, her Mate.

After his appearance came more lights. Being the weakest of all when compared to all, they helped little, but every bit of help was a good thing.

After a few moments of strange interactions between them all, Tine instinctively shared what needed to be done.

*

Everything happened relatively quickly.

Goldy had been the first to realize Tina was not mentally present in the slowly progressing conversation between him and the Badg’Er belonging to the Survival Tribe.

Once he realized that, Goldy, out of curiosity, took a deeper look at Tina and the Truth her existence represented.

What he saw was the usual he always saw.

However, to say that there was nothing unusual would be stretching facts. Especially with the absent gaze between Tina and the Tribal Totem.

Ignoring everything else, Goldy tried his best to see and understand the Truth, but without the Observation Platform, he was limited in scope and depth. Nevertheless, after a thorough comparison of Tina and the Tribal Totem, he realized she was linked far deeper to the Digital Mind living inside the Totem than any other Badg’Er currently existing.

At first, it was nothing, but after enough time passed, Goldy noticed the strain upon her Soul, and when he did, a possibility sprung forth to him. He only arrived thanks to his mental training in regards to stretching the knowledge he possessed as much as possible.

After all, ever since his Master went to sleep, he tried his best to emulate and think like his Master. All of that was to comprehend his Master’s actions. At the same time, it was to learn what thinking outside the box of what he knew and saw was.

Once he knew what was going on, he soon imagined the consequences. And when they first appeared, Goldy knew there was no time to dilly-dally his thoughts.

Therefore, with abandon, he faced every Badg’Er and spoke, all while infusing his voice with Intent in order for them to understand.

“Badg’Er of the Tribe! Listen to me now!” Goldy spoke loudly to emphasize the nature of his words. “Your Tribal Spirit has been forced to Awaken before it was ready. That action carries a lot of danger. As such, your Head Shaman has decided upon herself to help your Tribal Spirit. Only there is only so much one Badg’Er could do, even as strong as your Head Shaman.”

“Hngh?” Goldy heard Scar grunt in confusion.

“Today, you have already lost a few members in order to defend your home. Will you lose your Head Shaman as well?”

The moment the words were said, Goldy knew he had their attention. Yet, he immediately regretted saying them. Grief and despair reached the Badg’Er’s still-developing egos. Primarily because today's event brought forth the first Death of fellow Tribal Members.

Alarmed that he would mess it up, even more, Goldy reconsidered his following speech, at least twice more, before saying them out loud.

“Do not grieve for them. Death is part of Life. All Badg’Er die at some point.” Seeing the expressions dip, even more, he knew he had to keep going. “Instead, what you should do is celebrate their success. Success, where their Glorious Sacrifice helped their fellow Tribal Members Survive the Calamity forced upon the Tribe.”

For a moment, Goldy saw the tiny improvement as his words shifted their thoughts.

“Now that the Tribe will live on, what you have to do is find a way to make their Valiant Sacrifice not be in vain,” Goldy emphasized really hard on the last Valiant Sacrifice. “How to do that? That will be decided by you. But the simplest one would be for their names to be passed on. That way their Valiant Sacrifice will not be forgotten for as long as the Tribe lives on.”

“Teach your children, your children’s children, your children's children's children, about them. And continue doing so that all Badg’Er will know for what they gave up their Life.”

Immediately after saying everything, Goldy saw the Badg’Er’s expressions light up with desire, hope, and reverence.

I Hope Master won't be mad for interfering like this. But I need them committed fully to this.

“Good. Now that you are ready, it's time you helped your Head Shaman and your Tribal Spirit overcome the Dangers they are facing.” Once more, confusion reached the Badg’Er, and Goldy couldn't fault them for behaving like that.

After all, Tina stood beside him, and at first glance, she was in no danger.

“Don't bother gazing at your Head Shaman,” Goldy said. “Her body is her, but her mind is with the Tribal Spirit. If you don't help them, both will Die.”

At least, Goldy theorized, by the strain felt on Tina’s body.

“Help? How?” Scar, the Chief of the Tribe, inquired.

“How? I am not sure. I do not belong to your Tribe.” Goldy answered. His answer puzzled them all. “But, I do know how you can start helping.”

“As such, listen to my suggestion, Shaman of the Tribe.” Goldy ordered gently. ” I need all of you to touch the Tribal Totem. Once you do, I need you to think really hard about helping your Tribal Spirit and your Head Shaman.”

Moments of silence passed as everything said settled into them, but it was Scar’s growl that made the females of the Tribe urgently move and touch the Black-Gold Obsidian Tribal Totem.

Knowing what to look for, Goldy saw his plan working.

“Good, it worked!” Goldy announced only the Hunters had a bit of a skeptical look on their faces.

Ignoring it, Goldy turned to Scar. “Now you, go do the same. Then have your Hunters do the same. As for what will happen afterward, it will be up to you, your Mate, and your fellow Tribal Members.”

“Hngh!!!” Grunting and nodding, Goldy saw the Chief of the Survival Tribe touch the Totem.

What followed were the Hunters, only they had trouble at first, as there was little free space to touch the central shaft of the Totem.

Rolling his eyes, just like his Master used to do. Goldy spoke. “If you can't touch the central shaft, try touching the Black Crucible with the ever-burning White Flame.”

With that said, a few Badg’Er looked at him. Then followed the advice, and soon enough, they displayed the same signs of energy strain upon their Souls.

“Sigh. Now it's all about waiting for the results to appear.”

All said and done, Goldy stood there and waited.

How much time passed as he waited, he cared not. Time had little influence on him, at least it did before. Still, even in his new form, Goldy felt the hours pass as if they were but a brief moment.

As such, when the time came, he was prepared for what was to come. Or at least he thought he was. After all, there was a difference between observing something from afar, even if the details are better, to something staring you right into the face.

In this case, it was the second because The World Spirit descended for the second time upon the Tribe bearing the name Survival.