***


    "I think this is it," Asclepius whispered, staring at a group ofrge mushroom-shaped towers, clustered under a mushroom-like tree.


    The mushroom towers were about 1.5 meters tall, and apart from a few odd openings they looked near identical to normal mushrooms. These towers were spread across quite a distance, though one wouldn''t be able to discern them from the rest of the mushroom-esque vegetation in this section of the forest.


    "Aren''t those just nts?" Pagan asked, wondering why they were hiding behind a patch of mushrooms when there was nothing close by.


    "Those aren''t just nts. It''s a den. elders have the ability to create structures that look very simr to natural vegetation," Asclepius replied, before slowly walking toward the structures.


    "Keep quiet and let me do the talking," she whispered to Pagan, before looking towards the top of the mushroom-tree that stood over the structures.


    "Ie to speak to your elder. We mean no harm," she shouted towards the tree.


    A momentter, several shrooms appeared, standing atop the tree''s branches.


    "What is the creature that stands behind you?" one of the shrooms asked.


    "One of the chieftains of my n. I was sent by my elder, so it is a given that hees along," she exined.


    The shroom she had been talking to slid down the tree with movements so fluid that could only havee from repetitive practice.


    "Your n houses creatures thisrge?" the shroom asked, walking past Asclepius to inspect Pagan.


    His confidence made Asclepius certain of the fact that there were probably many more guards hiding somewhere close by. Though if they did the mistake of confusing Pagan for a mere boar-sized creature, they would have her eternal pity.


    "Give me a reason as to why we should not just kill the both of you, and eat the big one?" the shroom asked after walking around Pagan once.


    "It would not be wise to anger my elder or his chieftains. One of his chieftains holds enough power to kill a thousand of your elders," Asclepius replied.


    Though the reply may have seemed aggressive, to shrooms a show of power was as natural as breathing


    The shroomughed at thement, before ordering one of his men to inform their elder of their guest.


    "This elder of yours, is he so powerful that he got such arge creature to obey him? Or is it that this creature is so meek, that even a weakling could do such a task?" the shroom asked, staring at Pagan.


    "Asclepius, I take it that him being so close to you is a sign of aggression? ording to the Lighted One''s wishes, I shall now destroy this entire n," Pagan announced, mere moments away from calling his crux.


    "Pagan, if you call out your… remember what he said. I''ll have him fail you if you don''t calm down," Asclepius warned, trying her best to diffuse the situation.


    "No matter how big you are, you will still fall to our poison. We have dealt with creatures bigger than you before, you are nothing to us in our domain. So watch your tongue," the guard replied.


    "Listen, if you don''t stop talking, I will not be responsible for what he does to you," Asclepius said, staring dagger at the guard. She could already tell that things were not going to end well.


    "Stand down," shouted an old voice, before the figure of arge shroom being, just a few heads shorter than Pagan came out of the fungal towers.


    "So you are the messengers that your Elder has sent?" the old shroom asked, sizing Pagan up.


    "A chieftain?" he asked, recognizing that Pagan had signs of being modified by the shri''kilian.


    "It is so," Asclepius replied, before offering her hand to the elder.


    The chieftain received her hand with his own, before putting his other hand on top of it.


    "May the shri''killian guide you," the elder said, before turning to look at Pagan.


    "He does not follow our ways. He knows not of the legends," she exined.


    "To think that one who knows nothing of our ways haspleted our trails. But such is the way of the forest," the elder said with a slight chuckle.


    "So what is it that your elder wishes to tell me?"


    "He requests that rtions be formed," Asclepius replied.


    "We are a n, 400 strong. Our den spans quite the area, and I have ten chieftains of my own. Though they are smaller than this one, their poison would be enough to defeat him, if not kill him. So tell me young one, why should we form rtions with this elder of yours?" the elder asked with a near-evil smile.


    "Topare yourself to the Lighted One is heresy. In fact, I could see it as an act of aggression," Pagan said, once again mere moments away from releasing his crux.


    "Pagan! Let me talk," Asclepius said, straining her words.


    "My elder offers food in exchange for information," she continued, facing toward the elder.


    "You have not answered my question. This is the biggest n this side of the forest, whatever food your elder can secure, we can secure many times more. Have youe here to waste my time?" the elder asked, his smile only growing more wicked.


    "Enough of this," Pagan shouted before Asclepius could reply.


    "Pagan, if you mess this up Lucius won''t forgive you," she shouted at him.


    "It seems that this elder of yours has ipetent chieftains. If this creature speaks one more time, I shall end our discussions here, and prepare a feast for my children," the elder warned.


    ~No you won''t, you idiot,~ Asclepius thought to herself.


    This was way harder than she had anticipated. She had gone to thergest n hoping to create the best link possible, but she hadn''t taken into ount that their strength might''ve made them conceited.


    Now she had to make sure that Pagan didn''t delete what could be their best allies.


    "My elder is the shri''killian. I have seen his gifts myself," Asclepius said, realizing that if she didn''t find a way to resolve things, the talks would soon fall through.


    The shrooms who were currently watching the negotiations began murmuring. And even more shrooms beganing out of the den, to see what all themotion was about.


    "It seems you have indeede here to waste my time," the elder said, a bored look on his face.