But The Chorus wasn't done, oh no no no. Out of the soil they lifted the enemy mycelium, flicking open their senses to keep the spell going without the physical touch giving away the exact position of their foe. With the limited senses fungus granted them, including their own hyphae stuck in its grasp, they began to punish it.

Anyone watching would see the...oddest sight. From seemingly nothing, a trail of thin gray roots were ripped out of the ground, stretching all the way to the base of a tree where the white-capped mushrooms they were attached to. Torn off of the rest of their network, the bundle of mycelia was thrown around like a ragdoll. It was smacked against a tree repeatedly, slammed into the ground, dragged through sticks and rocks and catching on undergrowth, ripping off strand after strand and eventually the mushrooms themselves. After a few moments, the ragged remains were flung off into the woods and all went silent again.

The Chorus was quiet for a while after the destruction of its competitor before at last it relaxed. It could feel no more chemical signals in its vicinity, although it knew there was likely more of this particular fungus that it had not ripped from the soil. It would just have to deal with it when they arrived there.

In the meantime, more magic spread along its network, slowly healing the damage it had suffered. Of course, that damage was simply some lost rhizomorphs, but in moments, it was at where it had been before the parasite had tried to devour them. Perhaps even an inch or so farther.

Like a sigh of relief, the voices of the Chorus hummed and said nothing other for a while, allowed their magic to relax. They did not use it for a while afterwards.

As they continued to grow, many of the voices of the Chorus began to speak with each other about what they had done. It was so brutal, Alphhen whispered, horrified. No less then it deserved, spoke back Ethrael, confident and firm. We should have done worse! yelled Etu, who held Abdicus tighter. Imagine if it had gotten here!

Other voices rose in agreement with Alphhen, wishing they had more restraint. Perhaps just a simple rip from the soil would have been enough. Or they could have held it down while they consumed it. Others joined Etu's argument - it had tried to harm them, so they had every right to strike back! To punish! they were, after all, thinking, and it was not. They had that authority.

Abdicus was quiet for the most part, focusing its magic on expanding the outer voices while the inner ones argues. Eventually, a signal from it and the rest went quiet, listening. We have authority...but that does not mean undeserved cruelty. We will make it known who we are, and what we are capable of. With acts like this, if we must. But no more then what is needed. And the rest agreed. Even the dissenting voices changed to match Abdicus's song, realizing that yes...it had been cruel, but it was simply an unthinking fungus. It did not matter. And they would have to be forceful, if they were to survive.

In the days that followed, they continued to expand outwards. To the next tree, they hooked their network in, and another on the other side. They continued to grow until one of the voices on the fringes exclaimed in wonder. Abdicus had given it more magic to push its fruits forward and it had fruited indeed, and it had felt fresh air pressed against the caps. Wind unhindered by trees. A bit of pollen had caught onto the clumb, as if there was open ground before it where flowers grew.

The voices whispered together excitedly, all of their attention turned towards that spot as they continued to push their way outwards. For the motivation of more food, of course, but also for the wonder of what is here?

They quickly cast out their senses beyond this cap, into the expanse beyond and all the voices crooned in wonder as each bit of fungal life painted a clearer picture. There were many fungi here, peaceful ones that lived together, that fed off the same tree in symbiotic patterns. They sense the tree beyond those growths, faint at the point they were, but the richness the tree offered and the strength it held was overwhelming. No other tree was like this one, massive as it was, standing before a great bed of flowers and ferns, wild and free. And everything here was...peace.

They sighed. They wished to be a part of this too. But they were not a peaceful network. They were a parasite, they devoured and took took took and gave little back. But one voice raised up - perhaps they could grow into it, but only take a little. They would be a part of it. Perhaps they could even protect the non-thinking ones here with its magic. They did not have to keep taking.

Good. Yes, yes the Chorus sang their praise and their agreement. They would stretch a hand out to this tree and find their place in the ecosystem without tearing it apart. They could do that. They could be gentle.

Their conquest would lead them elsewhere, but they would always have one line straight here, to this tree and this field.

That sounded nice. A respite for their minds, for their attention. Where birdsong was ever in the trees, a pleasing vibration against their caps, and the energy of the Arborspire would feed them for time yet.

*Exit