Chapter 1518 – Snail Nursery

The chal are a lost people, and knowledge of their society, their manner of speech, even their appearance, is long-abandoned knowledge. There is little use in clinging to the past on Pangera. Despite what the affluent people living in bejewelled cities within the fourth stratum may think, they are locked into an endless struggle to survive along with everyone else. There is never peace between the Dungeon and the sapient races, and the fall of the chal is just one example of the dreadful cost of failure.

Tucked away in various places, it’s possible to find experts on the chal, those who have dedicated their lives to preserving what little remains of their once-mighty empire. If you were to ask them, they would describe the chal as wise, patient, peaceful and shockingly powerful. They were the first to raise a mighty empire in the fourth stratum, and then risked it all in a virtuous mission to rid the world of the blight that infested the fifth.

Obviously, they failed.

– Excerpt from ‘Lost Peoples of the Dungeon’ by Lalo

[A chal?] Coolant wondered. [I must confess, I don’t know all that much about them. Is this some sort of monster?]

Rathwyn found himself barely able to speak. What he saw in front of his eyes simply couldn’t be. It was impossible! And yet… the snail was there, placid, calm, looking at them with a level of patience that seemed almost surreal for a creature who had only just been born.

[Well… I can see you need a moment to collect yourselves,] Coolant observed, noting that one of the academics appeared to have passed out. [We’ll gather these little ones and take them to the sanctuary we prepared. You can come along if you like.]

Another ant entered the chamber with a large, round dish gripped in its mandibles. Coolant and Propellant approached the basin from which more and more snails were emerging and for some reason, bowed. The snails turned their eyes toward the pair, then, without exception, bowed back.

[I don’t know why, but they seem to like this gesture,] Coolant explained before using her antennae to prompt the baby snails onto the dish.

Rathwyn watched the whole thing occur in a blank state, still unable to process. The implications were impossibly out of reach, no matter how many times he reached for them. He turned, recalling that Professor Englebert was well read on the subject of the chal, only to find him foaming at the mouth and vibrating as he stared blindly into space.

With some difficulty, the mages of the Tower supported each other to walk behind the dish as they moved through several chambers similar to the one they just exited. All the while, the little snails remained calm, looking at everything happening around them with a sense of reserved curiosity.

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[If you know something about these little guys, it’ll be helpful for us,] Propellant said. [We don’t know enough to be able to teach them anything of their own history or culture. I hope you’ll be willing to share.]

[O-of course,] Rathwyn managed, collecting a little of his usual aplomb. [I apologise for… my lack of clarity. We’re all just… rather surprised.]