Curator POV

"Stars have mercy..."

'Well, didn't realize stuff was that awe inspiring. Also Poppit you cheeky boy, didn't know you could move that dang fast! Now off ya go, keep those folks safe for a bit, eh?'

Now then, how to go about all this. Turning my attention to Babe, a gentle, mental, nudge would quickly rouse her.

'Hey Babe, some one is going to be moving me soon to a safer spot. They will be staying here with us, and their people will be joining us soon enough too. I think you and he will likely work closely together when the time comes so you'll want to say hi to them some.'

Babe POV

The Curator has woken me from my sleep...to let me know a new individual will join us, and have the honor of moving them. It is a shame that I lack the strength or size to do so. The ability to be useful to Curator, and while they say they have plans for me, it is not pleasant to feel sidelined so much since my awakening.

"....as you wish Curator" is the only response that I can muster while moving to stand.

'Hey, I know that tone, you okay Babe? I promise there is a rhyme and reason to this. I've asked their people to put trust in me, and this is as much a test of them, as me showing the wisest of them trust as well. Our bond lets me feel somethin' is up with ya, now, speak your mind, please. I don't want to force myself to look deeper and invade your privacy none, but, if somethin's eatin' at ya, we need to get that corrected.'

There it is again. That same care, quick observation and picking up on things that are not said. Why such care is wasted on a useless scion is beyond me.

"I am, useless. You say you have plans for me in the future, but as of now, I have been of no use to you. I cannot protect you like Poppit. Or move you like this stranger will. There is no point to keeping me around."

Curator is silent for a bit, through our bond though the gentle warmth of his care and concern washes over me. It doesn't take long for this to help me feel a good bit better.

'Babe, you don't need a use to exist. Your existence has value to me. You are my first companion, and I'd hope friend, in this world. You've also helped teach me some good things already, as, without you, Poppit would not exist as they are now either. Without that, I would not have been able to find and approach others to get more help in the physical sense to save my mana, and to help build and make the things that will let me share my plans for you. They are still a surprise, but it'll hopefully be something you can pick up sooner rather than later. Just like with getting to my core on that first night, the paths one can take may be long but the reward at the end can be more than worth the wait. Does that clear things up, or help you feel better any?'

Heaving a sigh and shaking to clear my head that wisdom would sink in properly. They are right, after all, I am just trying to get to the end, but loosing the journey. In my desire to be useful, I had forgotten I already was, and was helping Curator just by being.

"Yes Curator. And thank you for your patience. As your first scion I should not be hindering you with my own ineptitude and lack of understanding."

'You aren't inept, you just don't have a chance to truly shine yet, but trust me, that'll come sooner rather than later and will be a great help to me, and many others as well.'

As always, they seem to know just how to make me feel better, for that, I'm more than slightly grateful. It does lead one to wonder though, how do they know how to comfort others so well.

Curator POV

Oh Babe, sorry I've not done much with you yet, but, until we have the start of a library, we'd be in the same boat even if I were to tell you the plan on that. We'll have to make that a priority, can't bear seeing my friends so torn up like that. That said, there are more pressing things to handle.

'Welcome shaman to my domain. Sorry for the mess, ain't had much time to clean up, after all, only been here a night and a day! Now then, I do have a task for you to start with, just south of the pyramid...although I guess ziggurat is more appropriate, you'll see a plant that looks like a coiled snake, with thorns and a woven grass cap atop it. You will need to carefully remove that cap, and, gently, grab myself. I'd also ask you to let the scion there also ride along with you, they aren't nearly as big as Poppit, which means it'd take here ages to join me. After you have us both, you will ascended to the top of that ziggurat and place me in the central pedestal in the top. If it helps, think of this as a trial of your resolve, as well as me giving a sign of trust as you have shown to me.'

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Y..you want me to move your core!?"

And here I thought the old fellow couldn't look and more shell shocked and timid.

'You'll do fine. I have faith in ya, and doubt you'd do anything stupid with my...what'd you call it...core? That's...apt in the sense of it being my center and such, but...ah lets not ruin the surprises before they can be surprising eh!'

Shaman POV

Were it not for out tenuis position as it is, there would be no way I would consider handling a dungeon's core. Let alone have a scion ride me and with how powerful the other scion is...there's no doubt this is as much a test of my trustworthiness as it is for this dungeon to show us an...immense measure of trust. First they raise a temple as I approach then they ask of me to carry their core to it's summit, as though this were a pilgrimage. What to do, what to do...I don't think running away would do anything but make them disappointed in me, and potentially ruin our chances with a healthy relationship with this dungeon. So push on I must, even if every fiber of my being begs me to flee.

"O-okay Curator, if...if you say so"

'Oh, calm down, it's not the end of the world, just don't drop me, try to break me, steal my mana, so on and so forth. Basically, don't be a bad person, shouldn't be to hard for ya!'

Such...faith in another they barely know beyond a brief interaction. They aren't in any danger from me, perhaps that's why they asked for me specifically? They know of betrayal, and know seem to hold it in the worst regard yet they still trust a near stranger with such a delicate task? Do they read the weaves of fate to know that they are safe in my claws, is this perhaps a decoy to see what I will do? There are so many possibilities, but, with how they phrased it, they only expect me to be a decent person, a good person. A good person wouldn't betray the trust of one who's offered it in good faith.

Calming my trembling and taking a deep breath, a quick slap to my cheeks would snap me out of that funk before padding toward the indicated place. It doesn't take long to find the cacti they speak of, the thing almost as tall as I, and that still green but surprisingly well woven basket upon the top. The coiled nature of the plant though means that top must be twisted off the top, a clever way to have something fastened so it's not just easily lifted off, nor will blow away with the wind.

"This is a well made basket. Do you have denizens serving you to make such a thing? If so, why not have them move you, instead of trusting an outsider?"

'I made it actually, from grasses in the sprouting of an oasis just ever so slightly to the south. Before you ask, yes, I only took a few blades from each tuft, after all, wouldn't do to kill it off by over plucking! Oh, and the yucca that was growing there is now a form of agave I think, don't have much of a green thumb as it were, hah!'

-They knew to selectively harvest to not kill the plants and....transmuted one plant into another on seeming accident? How does that...ask later, focus, don't mess it up.-

Taking the basket and slowly lifting while rotating it, my claw tips would clack on something on the underside causing a quick peek under. This reveals a small portal that even my small hand would have trouble passing through, even before those sharp spines and spikes pointed down away from it. Stopping a pause, to consider this before resuming the removal of the basket, I can't help wonder what kind of scion would be with the core for them to feel the need to put some form of protection against wild animals like that. Perhaps part of the plant is their scion, never heard of anything like that, then again, none of the wisdom of our little clan says dungeons would be like this in the first place.

Finally freeing the topper from it's home, it's quite a sight, a flower that should be pale white is instead a deep violet. Barely inside it is a gem that in my opinion is indescribably beautiful. Look at it more closely and the bottomless depths of that deep blue from between stars, small lights dancing around inside those dark depths. Almost as quickly my eyes would alight upon the golden bands going against it's ring shapes spin, two solid bands of shimmering gold, and another that looks as though it's being made from motes of light. Subconsciously reaching out to touch it, I'd be ripped out of my reverie as a pincher grips my finger, halting it's movement. With a slight squeeze the owner of that claw would move my finger up and down before, to my surprise speaks, in a prim, proper, and crisp voice.

"Greetings. Curator has informed me that, in the future, we will likely end up working closely together in some way, shape, or form. As such, it only seems prudent for us to be on good terms, and know some of each other quickly before you move them. I am Babe, first of the scions, and first friend in these lands to Curator, who might you be?"

Not only another scion, but another NAMED scion?! And a Grimoire Tender Scorpion of such prodigious size at that! I didn't even know they could grow to the size of a hand, I've only ever heard of them being the size of a pebble at most! Taking a closer look, it has eyes, and bands, the same deep blue in that gem, and that Poppit had for his own eyes and mandibles that means....the captivating gem is the core. It's size and beauty are truly misleading, no bigger than a bangle yet so much...power. Then those golden rings are mana wound around it's mana heart. Truly fascinating.

Placing my hand palm up near that violet flower I would smile at this Babe, offering them an easy way to crawl up onto me. While there is no risk of being envenomed, if the core has that much mana to spare, one can only wonder what a scion of a species known to be coveted by mages the world over for being skilled at keeping magical tomes and records can do with so much of the core's influence.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you Babe. I am just simply a shaman, I have no name beyond my roll, my people lack the strength to produce many named such as yourself and Poppit much like this dungeon, Curator, has. Hopefully I can live up to both of your expectations and my people may grow strong alongside you and we can all have a prosperous future together."

Curator POV

Hmm, seems the shaman was overwhelmed by looking at me some, not sure why. Sure I'm a sparkly rock but that's about it on that front, much more interesting is Babe, and the...well...everything around here. Does seem those two will get along juuuuust fine, and with some proper companionship Babe will probably feel better too. I'm snapped out of my reverie by a sudden shift in my...everything as shaman lifts me. Sliding me onto his tail and then biting down on it in the corner of his mouth, holding me in front of his body as he walks, Babe riding on his shoulder and looking around curiously, if cautiously as he walks before coming to a stop at the base of the stairs leading up to my, hopefully long term, new home.

"Whelp, up we go then Curator and Babe?"