Chapter 21: Foundations 11
Elania wrinkled her nose as she entered the mushroohum chamber, the thick, musky scent assaulting her senses. The warm, humid air reminded her of their cave in the Depths under Neftasu. Artifice torches flickered, illuminating large mounds of mud and the mushroohums working diligently to create fields. Beds of mushrooms grew, thriving in the damp environment.
A group of warriors approached her stiffly, armed with javelins. Among them, she recognized their leader: Skinner. A wave of spores filled the air, and she perceived it as a voice, the words clear and understandable.
“Greetings, honored one,” Skinner’s voice resonated through the spores.
Elania’s eyes lit up. “I’m glad to see the mushroohums recovering,” she replied, her words resonating with divine energy, seemingly translated into spore language.
The mushroohums stood astonished, and Skinner bowed before her. “Tre’gat’aru greets the Divine One,” he acknowledged, fungal eyes studying her intently. “From first sight, I knew you were more than your appearance.”
His demeanor shifted, and a serious smell emanated from him. “Why did you kidnap the people to bring them to the thin air?”
Elania frowned, realizing this would require a lengthy explanation. “Is there a place where we can sit and talk for a while?”
He nodded and turned to lead the way. She followed. The path wound through the growing colony. Most of the mushroohums marveled at her presence as they passed. They bowed and made way for her as if she were royalty.
Tre’gat’aru led her to a section of small mushroom beds, his demeanor somber. “These are the mushroohums who did not survive the withering of thin air.”
Elania’s heart sank. “I’m sorry for acting so slowly.”
They approached a group of mushroohums sitting in a line, their caps drooping and their bodies showing signs of decay. Tre’gat’aru’s spores carried a sense of despair. “These have given up. The thin air has broken their spirits, and they will soon give birth to new members of the people.”
Elania’s guilt intensified, the sight of the suffering mushroohums tearing at her heart.
Tre’gat’aru seemed to sense her distress. “Do not worry. Many are recovering.” He turned to face her, fungal eyes searching hers. “Are we still in the land of thin air?”
Elania nodded. “Yes, but I’m maintaining the air composition and seal of the area.”
Tre’gat’aru’s spores carried a sense of understanding. “Then what has been suspected is true. We cannot leave the chamber without risking death.”
They finally reached a spot that seemed to be a sitting area. It was meant to be in a building, but they had no material to build one.
As they sat down, Elania decided to make an offer. “I can have supplies brought to you, but I need an idea of what you require.”
Tre’gat’aru immediately came up with a list, the biggest item being fungal wood. Elania hesitated, unsure if it would be available. “I can try, but there might be substitutions since I know of no fungal wood on Contia. But I’ll do my best.”
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Mushroohums gathered around, spores filled with curiosity and reverence. Tre’gat’aru apologized. “Many consider you either a savior or a devil.”
Elania laughed weakly, the familiar feeling of being a fraud hitting her. She worried about how the mushroohums would develop while trapped in such a fragile ecosystem and how she would afford the cost.
“Tre’gat’aru,” Elania began, voice serious. “The building and arena cost money, and they’re very expensive. We need to find ways to trade for them.”
Tre’gat’aru was taken aback. “Why must we pay for the area we are in?”
“We are in a city of floating islands, high in the sky. Space is limited, and everyone who lives on it must pay in some way to inhabit it,” Elania said.
Tre’gat’aru’s fungal eyes widened, the reality of their situation sinking in. Elania could sense the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. She had felt the same thing herself.
Tre’gat’aru released a cloud of musky, unhappy spores. “Can you not simply place our people back in the ground where we belong?”
Elania sighed. “That’s a good long-term goal, but my resources are limited at the moment. Dropping ropes is out of the question, and it isn’t feasible for me to try and basket everyone down. We need to come up with something in the meantime to sustain your people here.”
Tre’gat’aru’s cap drooped slightly as he considered their predicament. “Now that we know our life in the thin air is not eternal, we can avoid working on permanent infrastructure,” he suggested, spores carrying a hint of determination. “Instead, we can focus on creating tools and other tradable items.”
Elania winced internally, imagining the primitive mushroohum tools. They needed to find a viable solution to help cover the cost of renting the arena, but those tools wouldn’t be valued as anything other than trinkets for tourists.
“Do you have any specialties or unique items that we could trade?” she asked.
Tre’gat’aru paused, fungal eyes distant as he pondered the question. Suddenly, he stood up, spores filled with a sense of purpose. “Follow me,” he said, gesturing for Elania to accompany him.
He led her to a small raised bed, fungal eyes fixed on the center. As they approached, Elania noticed a faint glow emanating from it, a soft light amidst the dimly lit surroundings.
“This is the only patch that survived,” Tre’gat’aru explained, spores carrying a sense of uncertainty. “I am not sure it will grow. The air here is thin and weak.”
Elania leaned closer. “Glow moss,” she whispered.
The revelation sparked an idea. This could be an excellent opportunity for the mushroohums to establish a valuable trade commodity.
She took a deep breath, wings glowing as she focused on the small planter bed. Extending her hands, Elania channeled her energy, creating a dense field of natural mana around the glow moss.
Sparkles danced off the mushroom substrate, and the moss seemed to shine a little brighter in response to her divine intervention. Tre’gat’aru looked at her with curiosity.
“What have you done?” he asked, a thin cloud of spores filling the air.
“I hope I made the planter safer and better for the glow moss to grow,” she said. “If it thrives, we might be able to create a larger area to cultivate it. If we can trade it for a good value, it could pay for everything the mushroohums need.”
Tre’gat’aru nodded, fungal eyes gleaming with newfound purpose. “I will place tenders who will watch, nurture, and protect it.”
Elania nodded in agreement. “I’ll consult with experts about other valuable things you might be able to grow. We’ll find a way to make this work.”
Tre’gat’aru bowed his head. “Thank you for aiding our people,” he said, spores carrying a sense of deep appreciation.
Elania smiled warmly. “I appreciate you helping me after the battle with the Darkwalker Demon. Think of this as my thanks.”
A crowd of sedate mushroohums had slowly formed around them, fungal eyes fixed on her. A prick at the back of her neck felt like something was flowing into her. Her [HUD] showed that her [Divine Power] had ticked up slightly.
She turned to Tre’gat’aru. “What’s this about?” she asked, gesturing to the gathered mushroohums.
Tre’gat’aru’s spores carried a sense of solemnity. “Since the prince and king have passed on, the colony has no proper leader. I am fulfilling the role of caretaker, but many of the mushroohum who view you as a savior think you are their god, and believe you should be the leader.”
Elania ran a hand through her hair, realization dawning. She understood the weight of their expectations and the responsibility that came with it. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Tre’gat’aru, golden irises shining with determination.
“Thank you for telling me, Tre’gat’aru,” she said, voice steady. “I’ll return soon to see the progress of the glow moss and hopefully have luck finding things for you to grow.”
Tre’gat’aru nodded. “I hope you have success.”