How many del outside this place even know you sealed it?

That's a good point. So she just chose the worst day possible to attack?

It probably would have been worse if we weren't here to help.

If the temple was locked, she'd probably just start killing monks. If the temple was unlocked and we weren't here, she'd probably have taken more control of it than she did.

Not that I'm belittling your assistance, but I believe Beacon would have stopped her either way. I'm not sure anything can stop Beacon, to be honest.

Speakin' of, what's the deal with that? It's just an urocyon. But y'all are saying it... transformed?

I suppose it's only fair I explain what I know about Beacon.

Beacon is older than anyone else here. I'm to understand she's always been here. And for that matter, I can only guess there's a similar guardian at each of the other nexuses. Never been, though.

Beacon... doesn't get involved much. I think her purpose is to step in when there's some greater threat to the Nexus itself. I know she can talk, somehow. She's done that for me at least once, when I became Abbot.

Or rather, right before. All abbots-to-be must be judged in the nexus itself. I went in, and Beacon was there, transformed, and asking me questions.

And I'm figuring from your story she talked to all of you, as well. But she doesn't talk normally. EVEN WHEN IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF SHE DID.

Nyeh.

She did. In a fashion much similar to how the space whales talk, I might add.

Ah, I've heard Ion has one of those. Might be some link between them, but that's far outside my philisophical range.

Wouldn't be surprised if there's some kind of similar 'guardian' role between various animals we don't know about.

Doesn't anyone question an immortal Urocyon?

The monks here who have been around long enough would never question it, and we don't get many pilgrims, let alone repeat visitors. The only Del who would visit more than once is the tribal leader. Folks probably assume we just keep naming our Urocyon the same name.

When Beacon transformed, she went up not only to nine tails, but changed color, like a similar symbol we saw in your tapestry. Except the tapestry version had twelve tails, to Beacon's nine. Is there come kind of link between the two?