Over the next few months to a year, I witnessed the wealth starting to seep into the city more and more. Trade posts were set up, and influx of a variety of people came to the village. Inns opened up to accommodate the steady flow of travelers. Some structures were torn down to their foundations and rebuilt with stone instead of wood. The church had a few upgrades as well.

As civilization was kicking up speed in the small village of Little Leaf, I returned to mass cavern. There was hardly any dry land since most of it was flooded, but I had no need for foot holds, so I did not care.

I wanted to do a little more with this cavern. I materialized myself on the raised platform and looked around the massive room. Looking into the water, I saw dozens of eyes staring back as if they were waiting. As if they were waiting on me to do something. So an idea appeared in my head, since I was going to make this my retreat I will alter everything.

I looked over to the walls and decided they needed to be not of dirt or rock but something new. Something that would still help with keeping the ground fertile but much sturdier than most of the metals that passed through the village. Gliding through the air, made my way to the walls, I placed one pale hand on the dirt walls. I close my eyes and put my focus into the attributes of sturdiness and the ability to manipulate the elements. By the time I opened my eyes; the dirt had become really hard, dark, and gained a luster to it. It was a little glittery.

Next was lighting and I had a general partialness to the lighting of my altar. However, I don’t want torches. Instead I took the idea of fire being alive and made it so. These burning blue wisps floated all around the cavern providing light. Not going to lie I like the look of the cavern already.

  I suppose walkways for things that can’t float would be needed. Instead of solid walkways, I made them bridge like walkways from one raised platform to the next. I wanted the water inhabitants to be able to get around without being confined to only a single section of water.

Now for the inhabitants! I decided I would leave the fish population mostly untouched, however I did make them produce more offspring as to serve as the other inhabitants’ food supply. I was trying to decide what the food chain should consist of but then I saw a small pack of wolves sitting at the edge of the room staring at me. Another epiphany, I will keep the food chain simple. I decided on highly nutritious water and plankton being at the bottom, then various fish, and wolves being at the top, with rats being the scavengers, and I would work the decomposers.

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The diet of the wolves is going to be mainly fish, so I have to alter their bodies so they don’t die out. I approached a pooch and started to stroke its fur and closed my eyes visualizing the body of the wolf inside and out. I altered its taste for red meats toward something that complements the palate of fish. If these guys were to hunt fish, they need to be quick in water. So narrower bodies, thin muzzles to further increase aerodynamics, next, I slightly tilted the hips toward the back and increased hip muscles for powerful kicks.

I spread the each toe a little, adding surface area to the paws, and added a fleshy bridge between the toes. A little flexibility for shoulders to make quicker turns in the water. The hair fell out and was replaced by a smooth, slick skin that had the same patterns as the fur. The skin was that of an amphibian, in that oxygen was directly exchanged through the skin. This left extra room in the chest for further work; I decided another heart would be useful, increasing blood flow keeping the species warmer than that of the rest of canine family so they won’t freeze to death. Extra eyelids so they could see underwater. Lastly, I gave them hooked teeth for the fish diet.

When I open my eyes a pack of these magnificent creatures stared back at me. When I stood up, I gave a nod releasing them to do their own business. Now for the fungus, I want to keep it simple. The air has the spores everywhere to begin with will grow on decaying matter. The fungus will be luminous and the spores will serve as food for the wisps. Releasing the creatures, I was satisfied.

Now at the biggest room in the cavern, the place of the first platform, I raised more of the dark material into a shape that resembled an altar and was done. It still doesn’t feel as comfortable as my first altar and I still felt that tug in my chest for being away from it. The fatigue is kept away by prayer but I feel as though I should stay near my altar despite not seeing it in a few years.

It was just a feeling, but I think I know how to get this to feel like home. Time for me to fetch the priest, dissolving my form I phase through the ground and shift my consciousness toward the church.