Pinthalak was growing desperate. He could feel his overfiend’s impatience bubbling into anger across the dimensional boundary like distant thunder.
The imp’s forces had grown at her command in the past days. Thousands of demonic fairies with bat wings and tiny nymph like bodies buzzed through the trees, scouring every corner. Even the rarely seen Behemites had been called in - three colossal two headed demons tasked with protecting Behemet’s territory in his absence. How his mistress had secured their aid Pinthalak didn’t know, but he was happy for their protection. Even with his forces so bolstered, the imp feared that the worst case was upon them.
There was a reason this great grove was the only place in Cairn Carna left untouched by the overfiends. This was the territory of an old world entity, a being that had been alive when the hells, mortal realm, and heavens were still one world.
It was a reclusive thing, mostly seen as a cloud of spores in the shape of a man wandering alone or talking to various giant mushrooms. It was little more than an odd sighting to most, but those ignorant few that chose to waylay it or willingly incurred its wrath were fed to the grove, without exception.
Legends said that it could do all manner of outlandish things. It could make the grove release storms of spores which could paralyze, heal, kill, or confuse any intruder at will. It could visit the dreams of any sleeping creature on any plane of existence. It could even cause temporal anomalies such as time loops within the grove. Pinthalak shuddered at the idea that he might be stuck in such a loop and would never even know it. It had many titles, but the name it gave to those it fancied was...
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“Mycel?” Leza repeated the word as she opened her eyes.
When had she fallen asleep? She was supposed to be on watch! This was inexcusable. Thankfully the others were all still here, sleeping soundly - too soundly. Several loud snores echoed through the silent grove around her. She couldn’t blame them. This small clearing was covered in a thick bed of velvety soft green moss, and a cool breeze somehow made it through the thick forest of mushroom stalks. The oppressive sense of danger typical to this place was not present here, which only made Leza even more suspicious. A sense of peace and safety unlike she had felt since EDEN prevailed in this clearing, and Leza had reluctantly agreed to rest here for the night.
She stood and berated herself vehemently as she stretched her rejuvenated muscles. Strange, she had been sore and half starved before nodding off. Now she felt stronger and more alert than ever. What was that dream? Someone had been speaking to her.
“I am.” A very strange voice responded to her word. It filled the air like the chorus of a million crickets, and yet was as soft as the heavenly moss beneath her bare feet.
“What!?” Leza blurted as she spun. Her face melted into confusion at what she saw. It was a vaguely humanoid cloud of tiny particles, each glowing softly in every color on the spectrum.
“I am Mycel. We are awake now. You resisted my spores. It was a surprise.” It spoke in a tone of utter serenity. Every word rang like a crystal bell. “You are on time. It is good. Sleep more. No enemies will come. Heal. Wake. Follow the child.”
A tiny portion of the humanoid cloud broke away and flew toward Leza’s face.
“Hold on, I-” Leza was asleep before she was guided gently to the mossy ground by an invisible force.
”...What the heck...!?”
”...It’s so CUTE...!”
”...Stand back it’s probably dangerous...!”
Leza’s eyes flared open as the bewildering exclamations filtered through her semi conscious mind. Damn it all! That talking cloud of rainbow dirt had put her back to sleep! She leaped to her feet and immediately spotted the backs of her companions. All of them were exclaiming over something just out of sight. She vanished and reappeared on the other side of them, ready to intercept any danger.
She looked ahead and saw nothing, then her gaze drifted down. There it was, the object of all the excitement. It was a chubby beige mushroom creature the size of a toddler with a wide, yellow cap that gave the impression of a sun hat. It had tiny cylinders for arms with hands that looked like mittens, and legs with no feet which gave it a cute but clumsy gait. Two large innocent green eyes dominated its otherwise plain face. It was waving happily, and Leza thought it would be smiling if it had a mouth.
Once it noticed Leza, it turned and waved them to follow. It proceeded to the edge of the clearing and waved with both arms at the giant mushrooms blocking the way. To the amazement of everyone, the entire grove shifted. Massive stalks parted, and all growth cleared to reveal a wide, flat path leading straight ahead as far as the eye could see. The tiny mushroom creature then began its determined march, which was agonizingly slow but undeniably adorable.
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“Looks like we don’t have much choice.” Leza said as she gestured around them. The mushroom forest had formed impenetrable walls around them, except for the path ahead.
“I don’t think Mycel means us any harm.” Leifa offered hopefully.
“He spoke to you all as well?” Leza asked, and everyone nodded in response.
“There’s no way Mushie is evil!” Asha was already ahead of them, copying the silent little mushroom’s exaggerated march.
“She already gave it a name.” Leza groaned as she dragged her hands down her face in exasperation.
With no other options available, the marooned women of EDEN followed their small guide, and after a few hours found themselves before something that defied all mortal experience.
The path widened, and spilled out into an impossibly wide meadow extending to the horizon in every direction before them. Lush violet tinted grass and vibrant blue wildflowers grew between sparsely placed giant oak trees, with limbs that sprawled hundreds of meters, often parallel to the ground. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and all manner of familiar critters from the mortal realm flourished around them. A refreshing breeze carried an intoxicating floral scent and banished the musky odor of the mushroom grove. Sunlight shone brightly, illuminating a breath stealing scene.
Dominating the space was a figure larger than should have been possible. Its shape was unmistakable. It was a dragon, sleeping deeply. If it had stood, there would be a thousand meters of silver scaled power between snout and tail. A feeling of literal gravity pulled the women toward the mountainous form.
As they drew close, they could see movement all over the dragon’s body. Thousands of tiny mushroom creatures just like Mushie frolicked and played all over and around the dragon. Several of them rushed away from their play to greet Mushie and drag him back to the group.
There was something else peculiar about this dragon. Much of its body had grown into the ground of the meadow.
“So you arrive.” Mycel’s voice rang from somewhere unseen. “So you see my body. So you see my folly. You have questions. I shall indulge them.”
“Where are we?” The single question had dominated their thoughts for over a month.
“You are in the well of life, the womb of reality, where all are born, and all must return. Mortals know it as Cairn Carna, First Layer of the Hells.” The voice was not sympathetic, but rather had a welcoming tone.
“We’re dead?” Leifa’s voice sounded weak.
“Nothing is dead, merely in motion. You are here, as was foretold.” The cryptic answer was less than comforting.
“Can we return to the mortal realm?” Leza asked firmly.
“After you fulfill your role here, you are free to return to your destined path.” The voice gave a long pause. “Hear my folly. Hear my plea.”
“Your plea?” Leza asked.
“Too long has this flesh lingered in torpor. A power you bring. The white light that purges. You shall use it upon this body that imprisons mineself.”
“You lazed about for too long and fused with the land, and now you want me to kill you.” Leza summarized.
“Nothing dies, but merely moves.” Mycel repeated his previous statement. “A beast mired in mud may not toil at its purpose. I have rested, and would return to my labors.”
“What purpose do you serve, then?” Leifa spoke up. “What will you do when we free you?”
“Fairly queried. I am the protector of those sent here ahead of schedule. Children struck down shall find me, and those that would call them prey shall know my wrath. It was not always my lot, but I chose it after the splitting of worlds. Such is the glory of will. This meadow is a peaceful harbor, but too many lost children have gathered. It is time for many of them to return to the cycle.”
“So these are all... kids?” Tora looked all around, at the countless thousands of tiny frolicking mushroom sprites.
“They are young souls, unfairly waylaid.” Mycel affirmed. “Kids you may indeed call them. A prosperous time approaches the mortal realm, many here deserve to be among those born into the coming Age of Gray.”
“Wait. What was that last part?” All of the women had confused expressions.
“BLABBERMOUTH!” A young girl’s voice broke the awkward tension.
Before anyone could react, a teenage girl with long silver hair and an abnormally large bust had appeared on top of the slumbering silver dragon’s head. She did an annoyed stomping dance, and Mycel’s entire tone shifted from ominous and cryptic to utterly childish.
“Ow! Ow! Ow! Hey! Cut it out Ariel! SORRY!” Mycel’s frantic pleading shattered the powerful image he had cultivated so well.
“Hmph!” Ariel snapped before hopping off of his head to land nimbly in front of Leza. “Hiya kids, I’m Ariel as Mycel the Blabbermouth just said. He really is in a pinch, and I’m still low on power from bringing your boss over to this world. Your Null Roar is about the only thing on this layer that could put a scratch on this guy. That’s the main reason I bundled it into your evolution, at the risk of getting in BIG trouble just so you know.”
“So you knew we would end up here the whole time?” Leza reasoned, a tiny hint of accusation in her tone.
“Hello!? What part of Goddess don’t you get?” Ariel pointed at herself and then bonked Leza on the forehead. “Hello!?”
“Right.” Leza suddenly realized her impertinence and dropped to one knee. This was essentially her master’s master after all. “Forgive me. I was just shocked.”
“Okay, now where were we?” Ariel said. “So you use Null Roar on Blabbermouth, then we let that little what’s-his-name find you. Then that other what’s-her-name will get you back, and little Laintrain will have to worship me and stop calling me a poser! Right, another perfect plan!”
“You have the nerve to call me a blabbermouth?” Mycel grumbled.
“You want another dance, shrimp!?” Ariel barked back, lifting a foot to emphasize her threat.
“Just get me loose, please!” Mycel pleaded. “I’m going crazy.”
“No kidding you’ve gone crazy, mouthing off to your own aunt like that.” Ariel huffed as she crossed her arms and pressed up the F-cups which had no rightful place on her tiny frame. “Now let’s all get clear and let her huff, and puff, and BLOOOW this house down!”
“M-My lady Goddess... are you the one that gave lord Gray his weird sayings?” Asha asked curiously. She now held Mushy in her arms like a teddy bear, and the little sprite was clearly enjoying it.
“Uhh, they are infinitely layered words of wisdom that mortals can’t quite comprehend. Gray may have stolen a few from me I suppose.” Ariel looked away and quickly changed the subject. “Okay Leza, go for it.”
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Pinthalak was silently composing his own eulogy after the leader of the bat winged fairies told him the trail had gone cold. He resolved to deliver the news of his failure with all the dignity he could muster, and was about to tell everyone to keep searching while he prepared to return to the palace. An unfamiliar voice called out to him as the fairy departed.
“Looking for us?” It was a tall, powerfully built Hellcat leading a large group of Cambions and a handful of other Hellcats. They looked in perfect health, and too clean for a group lost in the wilds of the hells for more than a month. The leader also had a long staff or spear wrapped in black cloth strapped to her back.
“Thank the Overfiend.” Pinthalak nearly collapsed in relief. “I was sent by your lord Gray and my great mistress. You’re going home.”