Chrysalis

I strain. I push. I fight with every fibre of muscle and every strand of brain matter to get my body to move forward! Nothing. As an experiment I try to move backwards and find no resistance, but once I move forward again, no dice. I'm frozen in place as long as I attempt to move forward.

This is crazy! The Dungeon is basically refusing to let me walk forwards?! Are you telling me I don't have control of my own limbs?

Dammit, Gandalf! Get your scrawny wizard backside out here and explain this. I won't take another step until this unpleasant phenomenon is spelled out to me. I mean… I can't take another step… but that's not the point!

[Master? Is everything alright?]

I realise then that my comrades have been watching me skuttle backwards and forwards, straining against an invisible barrier in front of the gate for over a minute now. I can imagine it doesn't look at all that sane, prompting Crinis to check in with me.

[I, uh, seem to be experiencing technical difficulties?] I reply.

Crinis is confused.

[I'm not sure what you mean. Is there a problem?]

[In a sense. I can't walk forward.]

[You can't?] She extends a tentacle forward toward the gate and meets no resistance. [I don't think anything is there?]

[This is a little hard to explain. It feels like the Dungeon itself is preventing me from going through the gate. As if it refuses to let me move somewhere that's going to take me up a stratum.]

[The Dungeon isn't letting you move?]

[Yeah, it sounds weird, I know.]

[CONTEMPTIBLE DUNGEON! UNHAND THE MASTER!]

Exploding with wrath, the tentacled shadow-mass unleashes her fury upon the Dungeon. In the literal sense. Stones fly and the bark beneath us splinters as Crinish lashes out blindly. Tiny, witnessing this chaos, naturally does the first thing that pops into his head, which is to join in. Chunks of wood start flying everywhere as the giant ape joyously smashes his mighty fists into the root beneath his feet.

off, both of you. That's not the

A Grove Keeper stomps over, a rare expression of

Misunderstanding! We didn't mean to attack the Mother

Keeper one bit

would brush off this attack so

I retort, [besides, since you're here I have a question

she help you?]

be dead

can say to that. Still bristling with anger the Grove Keeper turns toward the bushes and engages in another rustling session with them before

most displeased at her roots being disturbed. What is your

Dungeon is preventing me from moving through the gate. Does she have any idea

Dungeon,

sounds crazy, I get it. Talk to the tree

kind of expected that to happen as I kept evolving, but this constant tug dragging me downwards is something

I was so eager and reckless

the answer we get back. [The Call. She says that many monsters have felt it at one time or another, even Mother for a brief time. She believes that any monster

the Dungeon itself has acknowledged me or something? I don't want it, the Dungeon

But doesn't

an

of her potential to be able to create us, her children, she

some useless options during an evolution I won't have to put up with

[Hmmm. Useless?]

in the 'becoming an Ancient' sense. I like you branchies, always have,

look

say on this matter. Please refrain from

totally

to extend past me to throttle the

[Ha-ha! Friends!]