Chapter

I am beginning to regret ever telling the other elders about the young mushroom.

I was lulled into thinking that the others would in actuality take my word that I would keep an eye on Guardian’s actions.

The constant communication, the incessant paranoia, the unrelenting non-issue updates from every tree within the perimeter of the burnt clearing were all beginning to grate on my patience.

Yes the others inevitably needed to be notified of guardians existence, but it was not a joyful and relaxing experience. Novel as its existence was the uproar that it brought to the forest as a whole was monumental.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Every succeeding moment a message from a worried elder on the other side of the forest reached my roots and what felt like every moment of my existence was filled with fielding answers and sending reassuring messages that this mushroom was a kind sapient and intelligent individual with no designs on abusing this forest’s nutrients and welfare.

It was unending.

But all that paled in comparison to the number of non-elder trees that reached out for reassurance. The reassurance their own personal elder was not enough apparently. It needed to come from me.

That they preferred to direct their messages to me instead of contacting Guardian itself was logically sound but was wholly and entirely vexing.

I was fast approaching the point of telling them all to kindly quiet themselves and leave me alone in my vigilance.

I was on the verge of doing just that when a particular message finally got to me.

An elder from far away found the cause of the fire.

The cause?

A devouring mushroom.