When what was left of Esoom-Moose bubbled to the surface, he could tell things were different. He was gone now, in a proper sense, separated from the chaff of humanity and sifted down to memory and thought, and all the things that made him who he was.

He carefully gathered the vines to his person, weaving them into a tapestry of his befuddled state, and as he did so he recognized a quickly disappearing figure.

Esom brushed the vines from her mane gently, and they receded. He knew at once both that he'd never seen this creature before in his life, and that she had somehow saved him, after the earthquake and fog had consumed them all.

He spread himself thin, wrapping her in what was left of who he was, shielding her from the raw energy of creation and moving away from it's pulsing glow, into the dark.They descended the tower rapidly, and with distance he felt more pieces of himself fall away, shedding himself of their weight and wear.

When he reached the exit, and could go no further, he laid her down gently on the doorstep and with one last push sent what was left to signal the others - her kind, her safety.

And then, like many before him, he was drawn inexorably back up the steps, to await assimilation.