After a few more days, the spawning pool was ready. At least ready enough for simple tests. The waters were perfectly still and black as the darkest night. All around the edges grew a fibrous mold or moss, slightly blue in color. In the dark, the tips of the fibers gave off a glow. Currently, it had grown several feet beyond the rim of the pool, but with time would encase the entire cavern.

  “Wow, it's grown so much already?” Ves said.

  ‘It's been well fed. We did dump a lot of bodies in there.’ Nell answered.

  “Arugh is the bottom filled with bones or something?” Ves said with a grimace.

  ‘No, there is almost nothing this thing can’t eat. And as I said before, it keeps itself very clean’ replied Nell.

  “What’s this stuff growing around the sides?” Ves asked as she pointed at the mold.

  ‘It is used to store extra material until we need it. The worms started it on their own.’ Nell replied after a moment to think. Ves thought it actually looked kind of beautiful if she could ignore the fact that it was all a result of all the animal remains they shoved inside. Mostly the leftovers after butchering.

  “On their own? I thought anything we created was mindless,” Ves asked, concerned.

  ‘They are mindless, they are extensions of our body, like anything else we have created. When I say they did it on their own, I mean the same way our hearts beat without conscious thought required.’

  “Urgh… so the things in this pool are the same things in our body?” Ves cringed.

  ‘Basically, albeit bigger. The ones in our body are too small to see with the eye’ Nell said.

  Kneeling to get a closer look, Ves ran her hand through the mold at the water's edge as a contented sigh escaped her lips. She felt bad calling the stuff a mold. It felt like she was rubbing her hand against a bed of down feathers.

  “This is so soft, I’m not sure even the finest silk sheets can compare. If we can make a bed of this, I may strongly consider your suggestion to move down here,” Ves said.

  ‘It will take time, but for us, this place will eventually become the ideal environment. Also defensible, to anyone unwelcome, this room could instantly turn into a death trap’ Nell proudly explained.

  “It won’t accidentally attack any of our friends, will it?” Ves asked worriedly.

  ‘It won’t, it’s still part of us and should only be hostile to those we ourselves consider an enemy. That said, it's likely best no one comes down here without us, as the pool is a different story.’ Nell said as she tossed a chunk of meat into the pool. As soon as it hit the water’s surface, there was an explosion of movement as thousands of the worm-like creatures devoured the flesh almost instantly.

  “That will never stop being really cool and really creepy,” Ves said as she stared at the already calm surface.

  ‘Thank you? I think? Well, ready to give it a try?’ Nell asked.

  “Are you sure it’s safe?” Ves asked as she inched closer to the edge.

  ‘Positive, everything alive in this room is us. And last I checked, we don’t make a habit of biting ourselves. Also, it’s not like I haven’t been in here plenty of times while you focused on Bu,’ Nell reminded Ves. Bu was what Ves had named the bear.

  “Fair…”, Ves disrobed and walked over to the water’s edge. As soon as she stepped on the mold, she stopped. Not so much in hesitation but more that the mold just felt that good on her bare feet.

  ‘Ves…’ Nell chided her.

  “Fine, just promise me a bed made with this stuff.”

  ‘I was planning too, even if you didn’t ask.’

  Ves let out a laugh, then finally stepped into the pool. It was incredibly creepy as she could feel the hundreds or maybe even thousands of worms in the water around her legs. But as she got further in, that feeling turned to bliss.

  She had heard her old mistress describe a hot spring bath before, how the water melted all your exhaustion away. This had to be the same or better. The worms worked in tandem like the many skilled fingers of a masseuse giving her a full body massage. The water was also the perfect temperature, she was worried it would feel slimy, but it was not at all.

  Any callouses or blisters she had gained just melted away as the worms delicately repaired any injury or imperfection on her skin. Any sore muscle or crick in her joints magically worked itself out.

  “I love you so much right now.” Ves cooed as she let herself melt into the water.

  ‘Told you.’ Nell remarked.

  “I’m sorry for ever doubting you,” Ves said as she drifted off into the water, letting the moment take her.

  After half an hour, Ves spoke up, “Should we do what we actually came down here to do?”

  There was no response.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Nell?”

  ‘Oh, sorry, what’s wrong?’ Nell answered in a daze.

  “Didn’t we come down here for a reason?” Ves asked.

  ‘We did, didn’t we, but first. How about five more minutes.’ Nell said.

  “Deal,” Ves said as she closed her eyes.

  ‘Actually, let’s try one thing quickly. Fully submerge.’ Nell said.

  “Wait, why?” Ves asked in concern.

  Nell simply explained, ‘The worms can’t reach our head and hair.’

  “Ah, good point, what about breathing though?”

  ‘I don’t think we need to. Remember, the pool is part of us, as long as it is open to the air, I think it can breathe for us.’

  “That doesn’t make any sense…”

  ‘Just try it, hold your breath and see what happens.’

  Ves did as asked, and surprise, surprise, she felt fine. She didn’t feel the need to breathe at all. It didn’t even feel like she was holding her breath. Now, wondering what the worms could do for her tangled mess of hair, she let herself slip under the surface.

  Well over an hour later, they finally popped their head out of the pool. As Ves had hoped, the worms did wonders for her hair. All the tangles and split ends were gone, it even seemed to have a shine to it.

  “Ok, if we don’t start now, we will end up in here all day. I bet our fingers are pruned to hell already.” Ves complained.

  ‘Can’t happen in here. But yes, we really should get started.’ Nell agreed.

  “So what do we do?”

  ‘For now, just focus on what I’m doing. Synchronize your mind with mine. This is instinct for me, but it’s something it may take you a few tries to learn’ Nell instructed Ves.

  Ves felt out deep inside her own mind, she could feel something there welcoming warmly. So she reached out and felt herself intertwine with Nell even deeper than ever before. Their bodies were already inseparable. But it felt like their minds, and maybe even their very souls, had begun to be the same.

  Through the connection, she could feel the room around them as if it were truly alive. Which, in a way, it was. It was simply another part of them. She could feel the tens of thousands of worms in the pool begin to act in concert. A small group of them began to fuse together. Their bodies contorting and merging into the desired shape.

  It was hard for Ves. She tried to follow Nell’s actions, but it felt like something was missing. Still, she kept at it. She could feel something at the edges of her mind. Like she almost had it. Or more like she nearly remembered, like a word stuck on the tip of one’s tongue.

  So she persisted, and her actions slowly began to copy Nell’s more and more. Eventually, nearly in tandem.

  She just needed one last push.

  She knew she was close, close to something.

  So with one last mental shove, she pushed back the veil in her own mind.

  With that last effort, she was bombarded with a flood of information as she could feel herself connect with Nell on a deeper level than ever before.

  All the instinctual knowledge that let Nell do everything she did was now Ves’s as well.

  With this new understanding, Ves redoubled her own efforts.

  She could feel Nell’s pleasant surprise at this change.

  They both worked on the creation in perfect sync and unity.

  For a time, they truly felt like one, neither could really tell which thoughts were their own or the others. Ves was honestly surprised she didn’t find this alarming, it felt right.

  Like this, they continued on until finally, the work was complete. A knife, incredibly sharp. Almost like one of their claws.

  Now finished, to some relief, they could feel their minds separated back into their own distinct selves once more. Ves could feel much of the instinctual knowledge slipping back, but at least some remained.

  “What was that?”

  ‘I’m not sure myself, that was an experience to say the least.’

  “Understatement”

  ‘Not sure we can do anything about it now, or if it was even a bad thing. I feel like we are back to normal.’

  “Just another strange thing to add to the list…, So I saw the worm things were used up, and the knife doesn’t feel alive. Did they kill themselves to make it?”

  ‘No, they are not separate living things. They are us. This entire pool is like the growth our right arm grew in, only on a much larger scale. If we really wanted to, we could have grown the knife directly with our body. This is just much faster and simpler.’ Nell explained.

  “What else can we do with it?” Ves asked.

  ‘Honestly, I’m not sure the limit. But I don’t think we have even scratched the surface.’

  “I’m starting to see why Senotraxia was so concerned with our presence.”

  They spent another few moments just relaxing in the pool as they worried about their increasingly complicated place in the world.

  “There should still be some time left in the day. Should we give Ryuko her gift?”

  ‘Yes, let us do that, I hope she likes it,’ Nell replied.

  “Alright, let's go find her,” Ves said as she crawled out of the pool, took a few steps, then paused before she began gasping for air. “Crap, forgot we need to breathe ourselves again.” After a moment, Ves got her breathing back under control when she noticed something. “Umm, Nell, why are we not wet? We have been in the pool well over an hour.”

  ‘It's not water in there, not anymore at least. It glides right off the second we get out.’

  “Weird”

  After leaving their secret cave, it didn’t take them long to find Ryuko.

  Ready?

  “This is your gift to her, Nell, you should take control”, Ves pointed out.

  ‘ah, good point,’ Nell thanked Ves as Nell took the lead. As Nell walked up, Ryuko saw them and waved, only to stop with her arm held in the air as they got closer.

  “Ves! Wait, no, Nell? What happened to you?!” Nell would be worried, but Ryuko’s expression was more one of wonder than concern.

  “Wait, you can tell it’s me and not Ves?” Nell asked, confused.

  “There are differences in your body language and how you walk. It’s subtle, and I doubt most would notice, but I’m good at picking up on small details like that.” Ryuko explained.

  Nell was impressed.

  “Never mind that, though, what happened to you!” Ryuko gasped as she started to dart around them, looking from every angle.

  “I’m not sure I understand… what do you mean, what happened?” Nell asked.

  Ryuko stopped to look Nell in the face.

  “Your skin is practically glowing. Your hair is so smooth and vibrant. We have been roughing it in the middle of nowhere for weeks, yet you look like a pampered noble. Gods, even your claw seems to have gained some luster.”

  Nell was rather confused and asked, “Is that a good thing…?”

  “Good! It’s amazing. You two look incredible.” Nell reached out to try to feel their skin before she stopped herself.

  “Ah, I’m sorry, got ahead of myself.”

  “Nothing to apologize for, we don’t mind, at least when it’s you,” Nell told Ryuko as the dragonewt grew red in response.

  ‘And you accuse me of being a flirt…’ Ves chided Nell.

  ‘You're just a bad influence,’ Nell responded as she smiled at Ryuko.

  “I wanted to give you a gift, we noticed your knife is getting a bit worse for wear.”

  Nell then handed Ryuko a small bundle wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped it to find a remarkable, razor-sharp, pitch-black knife.

  “Where did you find a blade like this? I have never seen anything like it.” Ryuko paused for a second before glancing at Nell’s claw, “Wait, did you make this?”

  “We did, or I did. Ves wanted me to stress it was a gift from me to you.”

  Ryuko held the knife up closely, appraising it. “Thank you, Nell! This is incredible.”

  “You're very welcome”. Nell said before Ryuko had to leave and get to work. Being the best hunter, she was always busy. As they waved bye to Ryuko, Nell could feel Ves reach out.

  ‘Alright, Nell, ready to see what else we can do?’