Admittedly, it had only been a few days. Which perhaps was not a reasonable time frame to be returning, at least without seeming needy; but truthfully, Lichen was worried. The Mushroom-Friend had reassured her that it would be safe buried deep, but she had been unable to shake the concern, she'd laid awake next to Aurelle thinking about the Fungi-Friend, thinking of every possible way the organism could meet an untimely end -- both likely and unlikely.

The cave dragon snuffles low to the ground, trying to retrace its steps, though admittedly, their first meeting hadn't been on one of the easier to find paths. At least, she thought she was. Though, she was also fairly certain she'd walked in a circle.

With a huff, she focused...

...The mycelial network unfolded before her senses, it'd got easier in recent cycle; she felt for that odd not-quite-fungus among the network. Loud, clumsy, footfalls made their way towards where she believed where she'd buried that piece of amber. "..Are you there?" She felt compelled to whisper towards the dirt, as if it were some elusive meeting that no others could find out about.

"Are you alive..?" Lichen whispers to the dirt, feeling about in the soil with her nose. Though, she's likely facing the wrong way --having severely underestimated how much it may have grown-- it had to be around here...

@The Chorus

Already, it had spread so far. The second tree was now hooked within its grasp and the tree that it had been planted under, to one that had a keen eye for nature and growth, might identify as being sickly. They had traveled quite a ways up its trunk before pausing. Perhaps a less intelligent fungus might consume this tree, kill it from inside out and devour the decaying matter left behind. But they were an intelligent one and they recognized this tree as their protector of sorts. A place to mark where they were and the heart of their network. If it died, it would point out an obvious ground zero.

They would keep it alive, let it heal, and feed more. This was logical.

The ground in this area was scattered with fruiting fungi at this point, not just at this tree but in the bushes and ferns and the roots of another tree nearby. Their infection had taken root of this place.

As such, they felt the vibrations approaching of a larger creature, and the tempr a voice that they recognized quickly. How could they forget, their first known walking-one, who had given them the chance to live.

Bright sounds traveled through the network as they reached for Lichen, excited to share their voice again, now that they had grown some. "We are here!" It's voice had changed, from a singular sound to what seemed like many. But the one Lichen had spoken to before was the loudest, and the clearest. "It is good to feel you close again, walking one. Your gift has given us opportunity. We grow, we thrive. See us, all around!" If they could move, all of the mushrooms in the area would have wiggled, to show how much territory they'd claimed. Alas, they are but a fungus.

@Lichen

this roll was supposed to be telepathy oops

Lichen, regardless of wiggling or not, wouldn't've been able to see the joyous wiggle. Her head rises quickly at the sound of calling, swivelling this way and that, as if she could pinpoint the sound; which naturally she could not, since it was in her head.

"You thrive?" She asks, the excitement carrying in the lightness of her voice. With her nose towards the soil again, she snuffles around for the Fungi-Friend. "I cannot see you, I'm sorry." She didn't know what she was apologizing for, perhaps for not being able to see her friend's hard work. "My eyes have never worked."

It's instead with gentle hands that she feels around for the Many-Mushroom, claws that barely brush the soil, in her search. Leaning on her elbows meant that movement was slow, and clumsy; but slow was good when you didn't want to trample your friend.

"Am I close?" Lichen asks, letting the backs of her knuckles brush closer to the tree's roots.

@The Chorus

It did not understand why one who had eyes simply could not use them. Then again, it did not understand what it meant to have eyes. But that was no issue with this mushroom, for it, too, forged through this world with its own senses, its own means. It was impressive to them, however, that this walking one had been able to find them this place and bury them here without the advantages of others of their kind. They wondered if they would have been able to do that if that had been them...

Yet still they wanted to show this one how they had grown. They could feel where its claw was brushing the soil, pinpointed the exact location, the exact distance between it and one of their fruits, and with this great concentration in mind, it sent magic along the network. From one of the caps, it was freed, the arcane gently tugging on Lichen's claws to move it to the side. Like an invisible hand guiding her over, they aimed to let her brush gently through a large cluster of their mushrooms. There were over 20 of them here where she was led - small, mature caps growing in a dense group from the soil at the roots of the tree.

They sang with excitement and jovial victory, for they had survived and they were growing strong!

@Lichen

There was a sharp intake of breath as Lichen's hand was tugged; fungus didn't usually have hands, did they? At least not as far as she knew; it was an odd sensation, not quite a touch but almost. Then again, she supposed, this was no ordinary gembound. At least not like any others she'd met before.

It was difficult to be gentle with unwieldy claws that she couldn't feel the ends of, but it was try or potentially hurt her friend. The backs of her knuckles brush the growths, they seemed hearty to her; but then again, she couldn't see. "You're bigger than I expected." Lichen murmurs, with the only slightly overexaggerated joy one may save to complimenting a growing child.

"There's a lot of you-- How are you faring? Are others leaving you in peace? I--" There was single beat pause, as if one thought cut through the slurry of questions rattling around. "How are there so many? You've grown so fast..."

They delighted at Lichen's joy, indeed like a child that had been praised by a mother. They were proud of their growth - they had worked hard on it for days. It had been crucial for them to expand as quickly as possible, to protect the amber, and to begin setting the trail for the future. Now...they were addicted to the feeling. The expanding horizons, the growing intake of sensations. It felt right. It felt like destiny.

"Magic," they almost seemed to giggle the word. "It has been useful. We have found a way to speed our growth. But also..." Although they had no power to direct her again at the moment, nor give her sight of the tree, their voice seemed to move up. Even though it spoke directly into her head, it seemed to come from somewhere slightly above.

"Less intelligent of our kind are short sighted. They feed upon one host until there is nothing left to take. We take only what we need. Under our own restraint this tree, which others would drain dry of life, shall remain standing. Protected. And we continue - expanding, finding new hosts, feeding just enough to continue. On and on...we shall be in this forest, everywhere. All places. They wanted her to know. They wanted someone to know their plan, even though it was dangerous to share, but oh they wanted to share! "We shall hear and see all! So we must grow. Grow and grow! Far and fast!"

@Lichen

Lichen tilted her head upwards as the voice moved, not that she could see, but the direction of the voice gave her an idea of where to face. Not that she really thought that a fungus would care much for manners. She turns her head to the side, as if leaning an ear towards the voice. Perhaps unaware that it would make little difference.

The words however, were.. concerning. Her brows drew together to reflect as much. Not the growth, she'd thought it natural for anything to want to grow. But, the growing so large and fast. Was it good for one organism to grow so far and fast? Perhaps not. Yet, the Mushroom-Mate was certainly more careful than their less mindful counterparts.

After a pause to mull it over, surely if it was only taking what it needed, no harm would come to the surrounding area. It was harmless. It had to be, it sounded so.. excited? Could it feel excitement? Lichen hoped so. It was a good feeling.

And, if it was willing to share, there could be nothing nefarious about the expansion plans, naturally. It was a flawless logic.

It was also difficult to say 'no' to. After having contacted it while it was little more than amber and a few tufts, she wanted it to be large. To be able to protect itself. To see something once so vulnerable, not just living but thriving.

"Your magic must be strong, hm?" Lichen cooed towards the tree, still carefully feeling around the soil. It takes some manoeuvring but she shuffles closer to the tree, trying to avoid crushing any of fruits and roots of her companion. Then, after a beat. "Well, to see far reaches you have to be a bit bigger. These places, the tunnels, are very big."

What could possibly go wrong? "Would you like some help?"

@The Chorus

They did not detect anything odd from Lichen. It was not feeling for the spores that had scattered on her claws. Perhaps then they might detect the subtle chemical signals in her body that would betray her concern. But they saw no need for this - after all, she was a friend. She had helped them, she would help again, as they would help her, if she ever needed it.

"We think so," was its thoughtful answer. It considered how strong it was, although it had little frame of reference. What was strength, for they had no physical power? They could move things without touching, they could grow their own body far rapidly then any other being they had known. They could feel far beyond their body allowed. Was that strength? Was that impressive? To them, it was both normal and extraordinary.

"Yes...yes! We must be big! We feel...at all places that we are. Beneath your feet...many strands, many roots. Where our network goes, we may fruit and feel more! See more! ...Help us?" They paused. Again...to help them? When she had already done so much? But...they had little sense of shame and pride tied into one, and hummed happily in her mind. "Yes! You can help us. Feel for our network, find its ends. Grow us out from there." Oh, but having a second one helping them out...they could truly go anywhere!

@Lichen

Find it? Well, she could probably do that. Though, she had her lingering doubts when her Fungi-Friend was such a strange thing to feel through the senses. Not quite gem, not quite fungus, she doubted even her other friend's red sense could locate it. Not that it was impossible, just strange. However, that could entirely be just her.

Yet, it was the lingering uncertainty -- was it capable of uncertainty? -- that set her into action. "You think so?" Lichen asks, tilting her head once again in the direction of the tree. "You're not certain?" She could only hope that the Fungus-Fellow would understand the question to be concern; opposed to a questioning of its' strength.

Lichen turns her head back towards the soil, to try to feel for the networks of her friend...

...The senses didn't paint a clear picture. Just enough to feel the network below. The sensation of having someone so encompassing, a friend you could stand on without noticing, it was going to take some getting used to. "You've not had many questions," she observes, shuffling herself along the soil; searching.

@The Chorus

She asked good questions of them and the Chorus considered, appreciative of the chance to truly think upon things. So much of their life so far had consisted of the increasingly stale day-to-day of being totally inanimate and extremely slow growing. They had such a small scope of experience at the moment and they desired anything more. Conversation was quite the appreciated break in their monotonous world.

They thought of the question, many voices chiming their opinion - of course they were strong! They knew, of course. No, no, they were quite weak and needed to grow stronger. How would they know if they were strong anyways? They settled upon an answer after a few moments. "We do not know the extent of strength. Perhaps we are weak. But in what little we have experienced, we are extraordinary." They hummed softly, wondering, and Lichen might be lucky enough to hear the background sounds of The Chorus thinking. "No other fungus can speak that we have known, nor move things without touching, nor grow at our speed. To us, we are strong. But we know there is room to grow. Are you strong?" It wondered if she was and thought that she might be, considering the weight she pressed on the soil and the heaviness of her vibrations. Larger meant stronger.

Questions? It almost laughed. Some voices did, but the loudest one simply hummed thoughtfully. "Oh. But we have had questions, and we have answered them. All things can be discovered. We have no other thing to do but question and learn and grow. But...what questions do you think we should be asking?"

@Lichen