The Mushroom Wars

Chapter 7

Solani broke off down the labyrinthine corridors of the Grand Ficus at a remarkably fast walk. I had to jog to keep up. I broke open a package of chickpeas to see a green curry. Its grassy, sour tang made me dizzy in the best possible way.

It almost made it hard to carry my sack, but running while eating and carrying heavy things was such a large part of life in the Open Wastes that I could probably do it while I was sleeping. I sucked down a satchel of chickpeas, and my body demanded another.

The hallways turned tall and narrow. The thin spindly roots that made such smooth walls were gone, replaced by thick knotty cords. Cobwebs of cables hung from the ceiling above, sparking in the headwind that came from the center of the Grand Ficus.

I opened up a package of berries and cream - blackberries and raspberries lathered in fluffy coconut cream. I ate my first package in a single slurp.

We pushed forward, and the air turned warm and sticky. Jets of steam criss-crossed with thick roots above our heads. The walls turned haphazard and clumsy - more tree than building. I heard a thumping whirr in the walls, and as we got closer to the center it got louder and louder until the roots were all creaking and vibrating.

It was so obviously alive, and we were walking toward its warm beating heart.

I slurped down a second package of berries and cream.

"First, we went to where you needed to go: the bathroom" Solani pushed a dangling root out of the way as they turned around a corner. "Then, we went where you wanted to go: the cafeteria." There was a break in one of the walls, one that I would have mistaken for sloppiness if Solani hadn't just turned into it. "Now, we're going where I want to go: the composter."

I trudged after Solani, climbing up zigzagging roots that were roughly arranged into stairs. Solani stepped lightly, gliding up from each step to the next. My old bag of barley swung gently in their hand. It reminded me of the fresh barley sitting in the bottom of my sack, and so I grabbed a package.

"Seems like a long way to go to throw away some dirty food."

The heat was suffocating. I squeezed creamy barley into my mouth as I wobbled ever higher on gnarled steps. The thumping got louder, and the shaking got worse. I caught myself between each step, trying to stand up in between the crashes.

"The composter is much more than a trash can. It gives us a sense of perspective."

I chuckled.

"I don't really think that perspective is what I'm lacking." I pushed up over a mossy ridge. "This isn't the first True Forest I've been to. Rosea isn't even the first Daughter I've met."

We climbed higher and higher, the path became so treacherous that I had to stop eating. Solani continued to move as if they were strolling across even ground.

"A Daughter? Wow, you are worldly."

I puffed up with a small amount of pride.

"Wanderers are always worldly, but still, most of them haven't met another Daughter. Hell, most of the wanderers that come through here don't get to meet Rosea."

My heart sank under a crush of humility and confusion. If they know that I'm a wanderer, why the hell are they keeping me alive? I started to sweat, realizing that my entire understanding of why they were taking care of me was wrong.

They weren't keeping me alive because they thought I was an idiot. They were keeping me alive and they thought I was an idiot. Usually, understanding came with some comfort, but this realization gave me nothing of the sort. I still didn't understand why they were keeping me alive, and that meant I could easily step over the line at any moment.