GOOD PERFORMANCE. [training thread]

Ohoh, this was a spell she could do just fine. The feline closed her eyes and focused on bringing forth a cluster of edible mushrooms. It worked. Really well. When her harsh green eyes cracked back open she found herself sitting in a whole bowl of white caps, causing her to jolt up with surprise. Man, she was... surprisingly good at this magic business. Maybe she viewed it too harshly before. Maybe...

The rest of the meeting went by in a blur. Gembounds asked questions and Tahi answered them. Sparks of magic fizzled through the air. Some deer was arguing with a funny bug. Twisted didn't pay attention to anything but the most important information, spending the rest of her time shifting her paws and twitching her tail. Man, this "Vargas" character seemed tough. His "physically adept creatures"? Like a gang? Man, she'd like to join something like that. Still, she didn't do anything of note except shuffle around, grooming her whiskers and watching the Fungal Prince pace.

Eventually, it was over. Seven days to prepare, and she'd come back here. With one last nod to the cervine general, the stray let herself out and padded back to her den. Nothing remained of her presence but a cluster of mushrooms on the rotunda seat.

Reign's rumbling purr responded to Pride. "That's good to hear." From there on out the deer seemed preoccupied with the strange, squabbling insect, so the cheetah turned away with a good-natured chuckle and focused his attention on Tahi-Shei.

Fungal Wake, eh? That was a nice name. This time, he had more of a feeling he could do it. He pressed his paw to the stone, poured his concentration into the thought of drawing mushrooms, and smiled pleasantly as toadstools sprouted out of the ground to meet him. 'A new spell.' Old dogs can learn new tricks after all, eh?

But now it was time to leave. With a small smile to the two deers, Reign padded his way out of the rotunda and back to his home.

Tahi-shei breathed out a sigh of relief. All was well, then--? It certainly seemed to be. "I'll see you soon," he called, and glanced towards Giggle. "Let me know what the bones say." He was genuinely curious -- he trusted them as much as Giggle did, and wanted to know what the dead thought of their plans. If they approved. If all those that Vargas had killed were--

No, none of that. He shook his head slightly and looked back over the dispersing crowd. Tahi-shei waited until he was completely alone in the forum, and straightened up, looking pleased with himself. With a final, upturned smile, he finally made his prancing exit and return to his path.

The lessons were over. Madhukar had listened, wasn't retaining everything. They were going to go -- Madhukar figured she ought to follow. Despite everything feeling terrible. Despite wanting to just leave and lie down and rot into something new. She knew they were supposed to be fighting Mother and all, but being consumed by mushrooms didn't sound so bad right now--

Where had that come from? Where... why-- Madhukar wasn't going to worry about it. She would follow Tahi-shei, think only of how to detach herself while remaining somehow surreptitiously tethered to him. It was the only string she had to follow in what was now a labyrinthine world.

Think "Speak"