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.

it off, both of you. That's not the

two friends restrain themselves, Tiny much more reluctantly than Crinis. A Grove Keeper stomps over,

Misunderstanding! We didn't mean

satisfy the Grove Keeper one bit and he replies in a tone rumbling with

so brazenly?

get your logs soggy,] I retort, [besides, since you're here I have a question for your mum. She

she help you?] the Keeper

be dead if

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

roots being disturbed.

preventing me from moving through the gate.

Dungeon,

sounds crazy, I get it. Talk to the

a little rude, but to be honest the inability to walk where I want to walk is freaking me out more than I'm letting on. Not being able to go back up a stratum is one thing, I kind of expected that to happen as I kept evolving, but this constant tug dragging me downwards is something else entirely. Now that I'm aware of it, I'm starting to think it's been there for quite a while and I just wasn't conscious of it. Ew, that's weirding me out. I have to wonder why it's so much stronger now than

why I was so eager and

has some understanding of what you refer to,] the Keeper sounds just as surprised as I am at 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 with the potential to become the final Ancient is called to the depths to

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

herself? But doesn't

an important

to her current form, sacrificing much of her potential to be able to

options during an evolution I won't have

[Hmmm. Useless?]

in the 'becoming an Ancient' sense. I

me a long look before he confers further with his

said all she wishes to say on this matter. Please

was totally a

antenna as they start to extend past

[Ha-ha! Friends!]