Chapter 237: The Greatest Source of Dread

Chapter 237: The Greatest Source of Dread

The tiny Coreless hiss was surprisingly good. At least, when compared to the constant failures of the-female-who-was-not-Needle to communicate. I could almost hear the warning in it; like an infant warning a bad-thing from its nest - not particularly effective, but understandable.

From my place on the-female-who-was-not-Needles shoulder, I leaned closer, adding my hiss to her own. Now that I could actually see the threat, no longer needing to direct my disciple towards the lost Coreless, I paired the sound with a thought-hiss. The nearest bits of plant-flesh thrust itself forward, each bit forcibly grown and then sent into battle all at once. Behind us, the forest itself stretched forward in a great slither, time-stream after time-stream - all of the forests potential growth - stripped away and put towards a new purpose. A tangle of plant-flesh threw itself upwards around the tiny Coreless, hemming her in - and blocking the still-approaching bad-thing.

The creature whipped at the new growth with its odd teeth-covered tendrils, but it wasnt enough; not with me around. Not while I was paying attention. It couldnt have been enough.

The bad-thing was just a bad-thing, and I had long since grown too strong to struggle against something sosmall.

The-female-who-was-not-Needle leaned down, wrapping her arms around the small Coreless and murmuring her [concern]. I gave a hiss as well; to my surprise, the little Coreless responded in kind.

It wasnt bad, even if the sobbing made it a littleshaky. I could forgive that mistake. In some ways, it made the hiss better. More genuine; more understandable. Not that I really needed to understand it. The tiny Coreless [Little Guardians Totem] was more than enough. I had already felt the [FEAR] that spurred me to action, the [GRIEF] that had flowed over it, and the [HATE] that followed. Just like I could feel the [relief] and [awe] filling their place as each of those started to fade away.

You came, she hissed quietly, eyes wide and dripping fluid. You found me.

I hissed back - and, behind the Coreless, the bad-things body was ripped into pieces in a twist of plant-flesh. The little Coreless didnt even notice.

She was already falling asleep, eyes heavy and drooping. Not-Needle caught her before she could fall, lifting the sleeping Coreless into her arms.

She mustve been pretty drained, not-Needle murmured in [sympathy]. Lets hope the rest arent so tired; I cant carry that many kids at once.

The-female-who-was-not-Needle turned to meet my eyes and the [sympathy] morphed, shifting instead to a mix of [curiosity] and [expectation]. I gave the bad-things corpse a quick glance before deciding against eating it. For now, at least. A quick thought-hiss caused plant-flesh to wrap around it, hiding it away and saving the remains for later.

I needed to finish what I had started first.Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m

With a flash of light, I pointed the-female-who-was-not-Needle towards the closest [Little Guardians Totem] that I could sense. It, like many of the others within the forest - though none approached anywhere near what the sleeping Coreless in not-Needles arms had felt - was filled with a strange [dread].

They did end up safe, even if that was only because the Little Guardian made sure of it, using his illusions to alert Valera of the danger and sending her in the direction of the little gremlins time and time again. They were surprisingly hidden; with bodies so small, it was easy for them to nestle beneath the forests unnaturally cooperative leaves, resting in the shadows below them - or even sometimes simply letting the foliage wrap around them in a remarkably gentle hug. Their heavy breathing tended to give them away, though.

And the giggles, which tended to happen every time she loudly expressed her inability to find them.

Another set of giggles trailed after the thought, real rather than a memory, and Valera glanced backwards. The idiots - because they were idiots, and Valera was trying very hard to be mad at them despite their occasional cuteness - were playing with the Little Guardian as they walked behind her, stepping through the forest hand-in-hand. The tiny snake was winding his way across the bridges that their arm formed, occasionally flicking out a tongue as he passed by a wide-eyed face.

Valera most notably did not smile at the sight.

Because they were supposed to be in trouble for acting so recklessly, and she was an adult. One who could definitely lay down the law when needed.

Definitely.

And so, with her teeth bared in an expression that was most definitely not a smile, Valera finally brought the gaggle of idiot gremlins to the banks of the null-water. It looked different than it had only a few days before; the dock, once surrounded by empty air, was completely hidden by the vegetation that surrounded it. It was only once she got closer that it became visible, a hidden clearing appearing at the null-waters edge, its boundaries lined by dangerous-looking plants covered in sharp spines that Valera knew could be sent flying like arrows from a bow. It brought to mind an outpost, almost, if she ignored the fact that it wasnt even manned.

It was planted.

Valera silently congratulated herself for the pun, and made a mental note to try it with Doran later. He hated puns so much, always acting like they physically pained him. Which was obviously the point. Puns were just pain in spoken form, and that was what made them so great.

Just as she finished the thought, she noted a boat sliding into the dock, a furious woman standing upon it. Her arms were crossed, and her foot was tapping hard enough to make the boat she was standing on bob back and forth in a tiny spray of null-water.

In her arms, the sleeping girl started to rouse, one hand coming up to rub at heavy-lidded eyes.

...Miss Triss? she murmured, half asleep. Then, all at once, she jerked in place. Valera nearly dropped her, tightening her hold at the last second.

Miss Triss! the girl shouted, horrified. Behind her, the distracted children suddenly stopped laughing, sounds of joy turning into terrified gasps.

For some reason, the idiots behind her seemed to think that was the scariest part of their day.