Chapter 109: 109: Departure (END OF BOOK 1)

The chatter of the many-nest’s Coreless seemed louder than ever, as if an invisible pall had been lifted. Wherever we walked, I could see bared teeth and hear raised voices - and, unlike what might have once been - I could taste the [contentment] that was paired with each.

Now, it seemed, the many-nest had truly been filled by the light of the Great Core. The connections in my mind, those links that I could trail to every single [Little Guardian’s Totem], were almost overwhelming in number; they overlapped and twisted among themselves in great droves as the Coreless moved throughout their day, forming a convoluted weave that was hard to tear my attention away from.

It was just so beautiful. Fulfilling, to know that it was no longer just the Great Core and I - and that my own efforts had been the cause. Satisfying.

I found myself tracing the paths as they twisted and turned, following them to wherever they led. Sinking my fangs deeply into the connections, so deep that I received flashes of what my Coreless were experiencing.

I tasted [joy], and watched through the eyes of one of my tiny Coreless as she ran through the paths of the many-nest, others running alongside her, the connection flickering on and off as her [Little Guardian’s Totem] bounced with each stride. I tasted [wariness], and my mind was filled with visions of one of the World Dungeon’s large-tunnels, turning this way and that as one of my warrior Coreless looked out for danger. I tasted [satisfaction], and rode alongside a Coreless lounging nearby the [Little Guardian’s Focus] among others, chattering away contentedly.

I bounced across here and there, curiosity compelling me to sink my fangs into the occasional connection, catching a glimpse of what my Coreless were doing. There was something satisfying about it, the knowing of it all, the surety of being able to bear witness. The connection. It was something that I had never had, beyond my connection with the Great Core - and while that was the only connection that truly mattered in the end, having so many others was...reassuring.

I wasn’t alone anymore.

As if to agree with that thought, the thought-light flickered.

Lesser Core Skill: [Little Guardian’s Focus III] Increased.

[Little Guardian’s Focus IV] Acquired.

I wasn’t entirely sure what [Little Guardian’s Focus] increasing in level actually did, or even why it seemed to be increasing on its own, but the Coreless appeared to have a better idea. The area around the [Little Guardian’s Focus] had become the most popular location in the many-nest, forming a confusing tangle of Totem links due to the sheer number of gathered Coreless.

I let my scale-flesh droop around the-female-who-was-not-Needle’s shoulders again, a bit of fatigue setting in from looking through so many of my Coreless’ eyes. Not enough to be overwhelming, but enough to relax.

And so I did.

“Good, you’re all here,” the Staring One said. “Now…”

My initial Coreless - Needle, the-female-who-was-not-Needle, Will, and the Unrepentant One (who may have actually finally begun to repent; he was wearing a [Little Guardian’s Totem]) - and I, along with the slightly thinner male Coreless that I met after defeating Tiamat’s disgusting bad-things, had all gathered together. Checking the connections of the ones that were in contact with their Totems, I sensed a general tone of [curiosity] and [anticipation] aimed towards the Staring One.

Unfortunately, though the Staring One was wearing a [Little Guardian’s Totem], it was on the outside of his ore-flesh; I couldn’t try to interpret his words through the emotions he was giving off. I hadn’t realized how dependent I had come to be on that ability. It rankled, being in the dark again.

While the Staring One continued to talk, I hissed in the-female-who-was-not-Needle’s ear, trying to get her attention. She absentmindedly scratched at my head-scales which, while nice, was not what I wanted.

Disgruntled, I laid back down again, focusing instead on what I could understand from those listening.

“Over recent days, Orken’s troubles have mostly been resolved. Now that our traders have managed to establish a more reliable food supply, the Council is becoming more interested in investigating the ruins of Verdant Grove. It is entirely possible that the Nature Core is still there, depending on how many other settlements encountered refugees from the ruined city,” the Staring One continued, eliciting nods and [agreement/anticipation/nervousness] from those listening.

“Of course, if it is still around, it will have grown much more powerful. Given that it was already dangerous enough to force the citizens of Verdant Grove to evacuate, it is entirely possible that it will be a lost cause.”

He stopped, looking at the other Coreless with a hard glint in his eyes. “Do not get yourselves killed, if that is the case. You lot were lucky to come back alive from the Flame Dungeon; you may not be so lucky again.”

They kept talking for a while, serious expressions pasted on their faces.

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I didn’t really understand any of it in the end.

The Coreless were preparing for something; they had become flurries of motion, moving this way and that with long and purposeful strides, gathering things and placing them into a series of large skin-mouths. I recognized quite a few of them, though I hadn’t seen them for a while. They were the same skin-mouths that my Coreless had been carrying when I first met them.

I rode on the-female-who-was-not-Needle’s shoulders as she traveled across the many-nest, speaking with a vast assortment of Coreless. For some reason, many of them felt [worry], though not all of them. The tiny Coreless that she greeted were nothing but bared teeth and [excitement], though I noticed that she didn’t speak to them in the same way as the others. She was more animated. Happier. Her face and voice was a mirror to their own [excitement], but I tasted the light hint of [anxiety] that hid behind it.

It was interesting to see.

I gave them a few hisses of my own in greeting, moving from the-female-who-was-not-Needle’s shoulder so that I could better interact with some of the Great Core’s most faithful.

The scratches, like always, were very nice.

During the course of our visit with the littlest Coreless, a small part of not-Needle’s hidden [anxiety] fled, vanquished by the overwhelming [excitement] and [joy] of the tiny beings. It was replaced by flashes of [amusement] and [delight], something that I easily understood.

When she waved goodbye, the way that her teeth were bared felt more honest.

Then I waved too, gripping onto her shoulder with [Clinging Grasp] and swinging my tail in the air in an approximation of their goodbye motions, and her [amusement] seemed to spike. I wasn’t sure why, but I was okay with it.

[amusement] tasted much better than [anxiety].

Similar scenes repeated throughout the day; we visited the [Little Guardian’s Focus], the shaper of ore-flesh, and more. They were all greeted quickly, all in a rush, as if there would be no more time to see them later. Many of them responded with their own [anxiety] and [worry], hidden behind bared teeth and soft voices. Still, those same things seemed to chip away at the-female-who-was-not-Needle’s private [anxiety]. It seemed to help, those little words and gestures - though I still didn’t understand the reasoning behind them.

It was at the edge of the many-nest, as we began piling into the wooden not-sinks and readying ourselves to cross the dangerous black-water, that I finally understood.

The Great Core’s light had already been spread throughout the many-nest, and was even beginning to spread beyond it. The Coreless of the many-nest had all received their [Little Guardian’s Totem], bearing the sign of their faith proudly; they congregated around the [Little Guardian’s Focus] in droves.

The Great Core had won over the Coreless of the many-nest in full, but I knew that there were other Coreless to convert - and while the Great Core’s Coreless had already begun that task, spreading [Little Guardian’s Totem]s on their own, my own job wasn’t done. There were more Coreless to convert. There were more lesser Cores to defeat. Tiamat was coming.

We were leaving again - and I was more than ready.

Zendran

So, this chapter marks the cutoff point for what I'd call 'Book 1'. That has literally zero impact on the release schedule or anything like that, but it IS a really nice milestone. The journey is far from over, but it's nice to be able to look back and see how far our Little Guardian has come.

Please, if you have enjoyed the story so far, consider posting a review. It means a lot to me, and every good review helps give me motivation to keep writing for you guys.

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