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Entry 4 | Date Unknown | Trust?

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As Bea’Don smiled at me, I realized I was still tense. The slimes were circling xer. I did my best to relax. Taking some deep breaths. I told the slimes to return to eating insects. They did, but did not stray far. Having a name lifted a weight off my proverbial shoulders that I didn’t know was there. As I thought about it, having an identity, a name, was grounding. It gave me a sense of self, of ownership.

Bea’Don sat there quietly as I thought about the implications of having a name. As xe did, the tiny round creatures moved about. Seeming to relax since the slimes had moved away from Bea’Don. I watched as xe picked one up and petted it. The creature responded with soft, rhythmic clicking sounds, closing its eyes in contentment. Upon hearing this, the other creatures hurried over, eager to receive their own head rubs. The largest one stayed on Bea’Don’s head, keeping a watchful eye on the slimes. I asked, “What are those little creatures?”

“O these little things, these are Peblings. They’ve been with us throughout our entire lives. They act as guards and protectors. Alerting us to danger and helping us locate food,” Bea’Don explained as xe picked up one of the peblings and held it out towards the crystal. “That’s how we discovered you. One of our gatherers’ peblings informed him about your presence. However, when he returned with a companion to investigate, they were too frightened by the mushrooms to enter. So they returned and told the council. As the oldest member who can no longer bear children, they nominated me to come and investigate. I accepted because if you were to kill me, it wouldn’t weaken the colony.”

“Are you able to talk to the peblings?” I asked without thinking.

“Not exactly. It requires many years of training for both the Goni and the pebling to establish communication. We can grasp the general idea of what the peblings are trying to convey, and they seem to understand our intentions in return.” Bea’Don said while petting xer pebblings.

I took a moment to think. Goni must be the name of Bea’Don’s people and the pebblings must be their pets. I had a vague idea that some species evolved together. But I couldn’t remember how it worked or why. Plus, it surprised me that xe could not bear children. Which meant that Bea’Don must be an elder of xer species or was infertile. However, xe had said ‘no longer bear children’ meaning that xe did at one time. I had a lot of questions and I did not know where to start. I really felt like a child learning about the world for the first time.

I took some centering breaths before asking, “What you just said, ‘no longer bear children’? Does that mean you once could bear children? Did you have a mate? Also, the peblings, are they pets?”

“How do I explain this?” Bea’Don readjusted again, seeming to favoring xer left hip. Then patted the pebblings before continuing. “There are Goni that provide the seeds, males, ones that provide the eggs, females, and we, the naimales, who take both and carry them to birth in our pouches. After a certain age, our pouches can no longer hold the eggs. So we can no longer bear the children. Yes, I had mates, Tro’Lo and Sho’Raa. However, they died last winter. I would prefer not to talk about it.”

Xe looked longingly at xer pebblings and let out hard, raspy clicks. It sounded like metal scraping against a rock. I could not help but feel sad. I didn’t know why and I still don’t. But I knew how that felt. To lose one that you love. I couldn’t do anything to comfort xer. I didn’t have a body. All I could do was watch as tears raced down Bea’Don’s jowls. “I’m sorry Bea’Don. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.” I mumbled.

Xe waved xer hand. “It’s alright.” After several long moments, xe regained some composure and took in some shaky breaths and asked, “I know you have a lot of questions about me and my kin. But the colony has questions for you. Do you know what you are?”

“All I know is that I control this area of stone and that I’m this crystal.”

“Are there others like you?”

“Not that I know of. But I can only sense what I have claimed.”

“Claimed?”

“Umm…” I took a moment to measure my words. “I can claim an area and within that area, I know everything that is happening.”

“How do you…” The rest of Bea’Don’s question reverted to clicks and grunts. I floated there, confused about what happened. I tried to ask xer but nothing happened. I felt the alien presence fade. The spell must have worn off. Bea’Don must have felt it, too. Because, xe ate the other mana mushroom xe grabbed on the way in and recast the Merge Minds spell.

“As I was asking, how do you claim an area?” Xe asked.

Again, it took me several moments to measure my words. Because I didn’t know what was safe to say and not to say. “I use energy to claim an area as mine. When I do, it becomes part of me. That is as much as I know right now. Unfortunately, I have learned little. You are the first intelligent creature I have talked to. The only other complex creature was a walking corpse who bit me in half.” I didn’t mean to say that last bit. But it flowed out of me like water before I could stop myself.

“I see, poor thing. That must have been rough.”

“It has been, but I’m trying to make the best of it.” My light dimmed and gray clouds filled the crystal. Bea’Don tried to get up. I could hear xer joints pop. Xe used the walking stick to steady xerself. Then Bea’Don walked over and patted my crystal.

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It was a motherly pat. The feeling of a warm embrace and patting on my back when I feared a severe storm filled my mind. Xe leaned down to look into my crystal. “I’m not sure how much help we could be for you. However, I hope we can be your friends.”

A knot formed in my proverbial throat. “I would like that.” I choked out as Bea’Don returned to her seated position. I noticed I was trusting Bea’Don.

Several moments of silence passed as I considered that thought, ‘trust’. It raised a question in my mind. ‘I know they want to be friends. But why? What do they hope to gain?’ I could not help myself from taking a pessimistic view on the interaction so far. Bea’Don has been very forthcoming with answering my questions. However, xe skipped how they shape these crystals and if peblings are pets. Now, this could have been because the conversation moved away from those questions. But it was nagging at me. I should not trust Bea’Don right off the bat. “Why are you being so friendly with me?” I asked. My tone betrayed my skepticism.

“I have no reason not to be. Other than you attacking me with the slimes. But I assume the spell I cast scared you.” Xe answered with warmth still in xer voice. I floated around Bea’Don’s head while thinking. The silence must have gotten to xer because xe said, “Look, I understand you are wary of me. We have had a pleasant conversation so far. Other than the slimes and the spell. You have been friendly. I could leave now and tell my colony that you are friendly but to give you space. You have no reason to trust us. Nor should you. The world is cruel and uncaring. You have to take care of yourself and those you care about. Your first interaction was with that walking dead and it ate part of you. That would make any creature wary of others. It’s okay, I understand. I have been alive for many winters and have seen my fair share. So, if you want me to leave, I will leave.”

“What do you hope to gain from a friendship with me?” I asked, with more hostility than I wanted.

The change in tone took Bea’Don aback. Xe rocked back on xer bottom for a moment before calmly responding, “A friend, an ally, a trading partner. The mushrooms you grow are tasty and don’t seem to be poisonous. As I have not died yet or thrown it up. I seem to be fine. So I’m confident that we could eat them. Having another source of reliable food would be good for our colony. Plus, we could bring you something you need and trade. We are simple people. We only want to survive. Which has been hard of late. Larger clans have forced us out of the prime areas of the bound lands. So we hoped we had found a new place to gather from.”

I realized I had tensed up. The slimes were circling Bea’Don again. The peblings had jumped to Bea’Don’s head and were watching the slimes. Xe was also watching them closely. I told the slimes to go back to eating insects and attempted to relax. Bea’Don’s words seemed to be genuine, and it made sense. If they are having issues sourcing food, then finding a long passageway of mushrooms would be a good find. Then add on to it, finding me, a potential new trading partner, would also be a significant find. I couldn’t find a reason to refuse, especially since I gained so many orbs when xe picked the mushrooms. I took a moment to calm myself before saying, “I would like to be of help and if the mushrooms help, then you can take them. All I ask in return is to be taught your magic and how to shape crystals. Just have any of your colony members tap a stick or rock five times at my entrance, so I know they’re friendly. I wouldn’t want to attack them accidentally. Also, can you please come visit again so that I can ask more questions?”

“Of course, I would love to.” Bea’Don smiled and tried to stand up, but stumbled when xer leg gave out. Concerned, I approached to see what was wrong. To my surprise, I found I could float into xer body and see that Bea’Don’s joints were damaged. “Hold on! Be careful, Bea’Don. Let me have the slimes help you,” I commanded the slimes to come over and assist xer.

“That’s unnecessary. I just need to get my walking stick under me.” Bea’Don reached for the walking stick and fell over, landing on xer face. The slimes quickly rushed to Bea’Don, helping xer roll over. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I just need some rest.”

While Bea’Don layed there, I felt helpless. Then a thought struck me, maybe I could give her some of the energy I have stored up. It might help her, or it could kill her. But what other choice did I have? So I attempted to share some orbs with xer. I broke some orbs and introduced them to Bea’Don’s body. Similar to what I did with the mushrooms. But at a slower pace.

Orange and teal light flowed out of my crystal and through my roots towards xer body. The energy formed a circle around xer, waiting for a command. I didn’t want to force the energy into Bea’Don, fearing a reaction similar to the slime mold. “Can I provide you with a small amount of energy?”

Bea’Don relaxed, and the energy entered xer body as a mist when xe breathed. I could see my energy swirling within Bea’Don. Following those lines that had lit up when xe cast the Merge Minds spell. Eventually, tracing glowing spirals across xer body as it spread evenly and was absorbed.

Bea’Don began to cough and choke, and fear gripped my mind. I was worried that I had harmed xer. However, xe soon coughed up black bile and chunks of tissue. After several moments of deep breaths, Bea’Don then shot up and looked around, appearing tense. “I need to find a place to relieve myself, but I don’t want to be rude.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t the reaction I had expected. “Relieve yourself in the mushrooms. They’ll clean it up later,” I replied with amusement. Bea’Don hurriedly rushed over and squatted down, and I gave xer privacy. Although I couldn’t help but feel the effects. I did my best to ignore it.

After Bea’Don was finished, xe walked back to my crystal but halted. Xe hopped from one leg to another, then stood at xer full height of one block and thirteen centiblocks. “I can’t believe it! You’ve cured my joint rocks!” Taking deep breaths one after another. “And my air mud! How can I thank you?” Xe ran over and hugged my crystal.

“No need to thank me. I saw you were injured and wanted to help. Besides, I wasn’t sure if it would work. You’re the first complex creature I’ve worked with. The last time I tried, the slime mold exploded.”

“Well, I must be lucky, or you’ve learned your lesson. Either way, I feel winters younger. I can’t thank you enough. I have nothing valuable to repay your kindness.” Bea’Don searched xer shell looking for something to give me.

“Just come back for a longer visit and allow me to ask questions.” I responded.

“I would be happy to return. I better return to my sons. So that they don’t worry about me.”

“Of course. I hope to see you again.” I answered.

Bea’Don smiled and began making xer way back, picking more mushrooms from each patch. Xe looked funny trying to carry so many. But, xe found a way. I was excited to feel one foggy orb filling after another. I didn’t know I could gather orbs so quickly!

Bea’Don reached xer children, and they fussed over xer. Noticing that xe wasn’t using xer walking stick anymore. Xe tried to explain to them what had happened in xer native tongue, which I couldn’t understand as the spell had worn off. However, they looked happy.

After several moments, Bea’Don tapped on the ground and then left my perception. I was so happy to have found a potential friend. However, that did not mean that I should let my guard down. There was a nagging thought that I should not trust anyone. That everyone would eventually turn against me. I was not sure where those thoughts were coming from. Maybe my past?