Chapter Text
Hollow saw fire.
Not fire in the literal sense, but a fire burning deep within the empty darkness past their gaze, burning with a level of determination and aggression unlikely to of been seen before. If it wasn't for those mantis traitors, they wouldn't be storming through mushroom blooming caverns, swinging their nail in swift retaliation. Nothing was going to stand in their way, not now, not ever.
They needed to find Sister and fast.
Thoughts of her somewhere deep below in the darkness, alone and possibly injured pour into their mind. Her calling out for help, in pain, possibly weaponless to defend herself. Whatever she fell in, it had to belong to some creature's den. A trap for bugs to fall down and never climb back up. Such terrible thoughts coursing through Hollow's mind. What if they couldn't find a way to get her? What if she was dying and the longer they tried to find a way around, the more in pain she was in? What if....
No, no get those thoughts out! Hollow lets out a deep silent snort of cold air, shaking their head side to side to clear their mind. Sister had to be fine, she was stronger than to let a fall cause her the greatest form of casualty. She had to be alive and fine, she was a tough young girl. If anything, she would kill whatever called that hole in the ground back in the gardens its lair. Yes, just believe that. She was fine, alive, and likely also trying to hunt Hollow down.
The Fungal Wastes had to be the most bizarre landscape Hollow had ever laid eyes on, but they didn't have the time nor patience to stop and smell the fungus. Especially when some of the mushrooms were sentient enough to attack back. All it took was a few swipes of fury and they fell into pieces. Hollow sizes up another, head lowering before springing forth in a jolt of power, their small nail swiping through a shrumal warrior as if it were mere silk scrolls. For a moment in time, Hollow didn't think about the destruction in their wake, they didn't feel the need to other than stay focused on finding their little sibling, one way or the other.
Eventually their rampage path slips in front of them and they slide on moist and rotting debris, falling down towards a acid pool below. With a hard splash, they scramble to get out momentarily forgetting Unn's blessing would allow them to traverse through acidic waters. Hollow pauses once they're out, staring down at the ground before shaking the acid off themselves. Their sense of smell detects a faint burning and turn to find their pack having slightly singed from acid contact. A moment to remember for later. Just a moment where they didn't become a mindless killing machine striking at anything coming their way with force.
Hollow remains still, crouched while they silently heaved in and out. They needed to re-focus, find a method through this maze of mushrooms that grew everywhere and made the world look the same. Only a few strange thin purple cap mushrooms with white stalks occasionally break up the sensory. Easing their head upwards, Hollow stares at the scenery, reflecting back on the last moments of seeing Sister alive. Her confidence shifting to one of shock and disbelief, her stance going from proud and noble to that of fear and uncertainty all in the blink of an eye. Her voice, so sure and determined devolved into a mere shriek of terror from the unknown and at last she disappears before the older sibling could react.
Something cold slips down Hollow's face causing them to reach up with one hand to gingerly wipe away at the sensation. Black tears dapple over their clawed fingers, and as they stare on, it somehow fuels them to keep going but focus this time. Not dash through like some reckless, feral child. They were a proud hunter of the Wastelands, survived some of the harshest conditions thrown at a bug and perfected their skills in the art of the hunt and blade.
Back on their feet, Hollow pushes through, navigating around the bend and through heavy fungal areas only to stop in their tracks as they spy a pair of those sentient mushrooms. They were huge, wallowing about only to take one look at the hunter and gargling out a snarl. Hollow crouches down, nail in hand in a tight grip. In a single bound, they come racing towards the first Shrumal Ogre. The great mushroom waddles towards Hollow, inhaling a great amount of air before exhaling out harshly bringing with it wads of the familiar orange goo of the infection. Hollow leaps back, narrowly avoiding the glowing globs and watch as it hisses upon contact with the ground, burning like acid till they dissolve.
That was with just one Ogre and there were two blocking Hollow's way.
With both giant lumbering mushrooms now projecting the acidic orange goo of infection, Hollow had to become light on their feet. Every leap and bound would be accompanied by the swing of their nail, slicing through fungal skin or simply bouncing back to gain some distance again. The ogres groan out, relentless in their pursuit to down the hunter in their homelands. Hollow makes for a crouch, waiting till they were both close enough. With a spring of energy, they leap into the air, both hands clutching the hilt of their nail before striking with force downward. The small nail hits true, cutting through one of the Shrumal Ogres as it breaks from the pulsating infection from within its body. The second one would meet a similar fate when Hollow dashes forward, feeling their energy build up and burst to gain extra speed.
Infectious goop flies everywhere, making Hollow roll out of the way to avoid getting burned. A moment of silence, now that the fiends were defeated to allow the hunter a few breaths of air, regain themselves before proceeding on. Hollow pulls themselves back into a kneel, hand forming a fist and focuses on healing their wounds, calling forth the Soul within themselves as well as the surrounding area. With a renewed silent sigh of relief, they press on, already the blockage cost them precious time they could of spent looking for Sister.
Now back to their mission, Hollow gazes about the area they were in before aimlessly wandering down one path. Everything still looked the same so it was any wonder any of the residents of this kingdom hadn't gotten themselves lost to these fungus covered lands. Another turn of the bend, another ledge to climb down. Hollow carefully gazed around the area, mentally trying to make note of where they went and which direction they were going.
So lost... so... lost...
Hollow felt something against one foot, something not quite wet from the moisture in the air, but firm and dry with a crinkle sound from being stepped on. They look down and discover their foot to be pressing into the discarded sheet of writing silk. Wait, they instantly recognize that size anywhere! The map maker, Cornifer was near!
The hunter whips their head up, scanning the area till they spot another sheet in the distance. Yes! He must be close by, perhaps sitting somewhere working on drawing out his maps? Wasting no time, Hollow bounds for the source of the discard sheets of rejected maps half drawn, and soon the familiar soft and cheerful humming fills the air to drown out the ambiance of the Fungal Wastes.
Another scrap of writing silk paper, coated in spore stains leads Hollow right to the map maker, humming his recognizable tune while scratching away on a new and improved map of the area. Not wanting to spook him, they quietly approach, moving over till they stood in front of the other bug. Thankfully they did not have to wait to long for Cornifier to notice he was not alone in these parts.
"Oh! It's you! That traveler from the Wastelands. Hollow wasn't it?" He exclaims, happy to see the hunter before him. Hollow nods, getting a cheerful chuckle out from the other.
"It's good to see you again my tall and silent friend! I suspect you've gotten yourself a little lost out here?" Cornifer continues only to notice a lack of a sibling that normally accompanies the other to help translate what they sign.
"Where's your sister? Is she not with you?"
Hollow responds with their head lowering, almost in shame in their appearance. They peer back up, then with their hands they try at least to gesture what had happened. Taking their time, it was a series of movements trying to mimic the scene of a battle, gesturing the length of their sister's weapon, her attacking and them winning the fight against the mantises. It was only when they gesture with one hand the appearance of walking while the other hand represented the ground only to move away and the first hand falls, both disappearing into their cloak and they return to lowering their head, that Cornifer finally understood.
"She fell through somewhere!? You couldn't get to her?"
A slow shake of their head, still deeply ashamed in their failure for being unable to rescue her. Something touches their left shoulder easing Hollow to cast their empty looking gaze at Cornifer trying to comfort them.
"You did what you could, but I think I know where she might be if you couldn't get to her. There's a few old tunnels and burrows that lead down to a second smaller kingdom that resides inside Hallownest. Deepnest... is what it's called. Oh, just thinking of it already has my shell crawling. It's not a place for the faintest of hearts but its residents are notorious for creating those shafts for... shall we say, unfortunate bugs to fall in. There's very few locations you could enter into Deepnest. One of which is gated off by the Mantis Tribe.
"They're a warrior bunch of bugs. Seekin' honor by the blade of a nail or with what sharp claws they possess. If you challenge them, their lords might let you pass through into that haunting land of darkness... and spider webs. Oh I promised Iselda I wouldn't be going in that territory fer quite a while but there are some locations I haven't filled out yet for my maps to sell. Not like most Hallownest citizens freely enter that kingdom... and come back out alive.
"If yer sister is still alive, then seek the Mantis Lords and try yer hand at gettin' through their gate. Then maybe you'll have a chance at gettin' yer sister out back alive. Oh poor thing she must be worried sick ov'r ya! I bet she's fearin' you wouldn't be able to 'talk' to other bugs without her translatin' your signing."
Hollow listened, noting to seek out this village. Were there mantises unlike the ones in the abandoned gardens? Ones that weren't infected? It sounded dangerous to be sure if the ones outcast meant anything. Regardless of the level of danger, Hollow had to press forth, for Sister. Once Cornifer finished they nod once and pulling from their cloak they produce their own personal pouch of collected geo off the dead infected they had slain so far. They hold it out, offering to pay for a map.
"Oh you wish to buy a map? Are you sure?" Cornifer questions, about to say he would happily give them a copy of the Fungal Wastes just to navigate through it to rescue their sibling.
The other pauses for a moment, staring at the bag before returning that eerie, haunted, empty gaze of theirs to the bag and give it a shake. They could always find more if there were still plenty of reanimated corpses to slay as well as nodules of geo they could dig up from the rock and dirt.
"Very well, I just need a small amount. I have no intentions of taking everything you've earned on your journey. Thank you Hollow, I pray you will be successful in your quest to reunite with your sister soon. Remember to come back and see Iselda and I in our shop. You have a safe place there."
In no time, a rolled up map was placed in Hollow's awaiting hand. They take a moment to unravel it, study the contents poured from fresh ink. Pathways that were familiar, some not so much. Judging by where they stood, Hollow traces a delicate clawed finger to follow a path till they point to a section marked on the map - The Mantis Village. There, that's where they needed to go. Rolling their map back up and placing it inside their cloak, they wave to Cornifier one last time. With a renewed sense of direction, the hunter was off, their destination waits for them.
Deeper and deeper into the Fungal Wastes they travel, pausing only to swipe away at an annoying Fungoon floating by, blocking their path. If they became too much to simply swipe aside, then Hollow pulled forth more strength into their arm, slicing through till the strange floating creatures practically deflated, whizzing through the air to flop into a cluster of puffy mushrooms.
More delays, each one felt as if engaging with them would only hinder finding their sibling. At this rate, if Sister was injured, she could fall unconscious or be easy pickings for some predator lurking in the darkness of that place called Deepnest.
Hollow slows down, their mind returning to that name. Deepnest, why did it felt like they knew that place, as if they've been there before? They reach up with their free hand, resting their palm to their forehead. Remember, Hollow, remember! So far, only darkness greeted their inner mind. Maybe it was dark in Deepnest? If so and they were there before losing most of their childhood memories... why were they there in the first place? Did Father have anything to do with it? Could he have originated from that kingdom? Maybe something happened between Deepnest and Hallownest that forced him to take his children to the Wastelands for safe keeping till he could come back for them?
So many questions, swimming in their head, it was enough for Hollow to shake their horns to and fro in their attempts to clear their head. Yet a new question formed. If they were from Deepnest, then maybe they had family members still there? Could Sister locate those family members and if so... would they recognize her? She was a tiny infant as far back as Hollow could try to recall, but the details were scarce.
As Hollow clears over a ledge, something catches their attention. Up ahead, there stands a mantis. She stares at them, claws raised as if poised for attack. The pair of them kept at a distance, sizing each other up. What could Hollow do? They did not want to take on the first blow, trying to figure out if this mantis in particular was infected or not. By what they could tell, no. No orange glow from the eyes or aggressive behavior, just a bug trying to defend themselves. Something brushes through Hollow's mind, something suggesting they had to do some sort of reaction. Maybe if they show some respect, as this is the mantis' home most likely.
Hollow slowly takes a knee, hand across their chest as they bow their head to the mantis, maybe that will show her they were not here to spill unwanted blood.
"Who... are you? What business you have in this part of the Fungal Wastes?!"
Hollow gazes back up, the mantis now right in front of them they never even heard her approach. Her claws glistened in the biolumenescent light, showing their deadly precision. It was obvious she was in no mood for intruders. Acting fast, Hollow produces the map, showing it to the mantis before pointing to the bottom past the village. She takes one look at the map and hisses.
"You want into Deepnest!? Hah! What a foolish thing you are! I don't know what you are, but if you think you're brave enough to take on the beasts that make that foul place their lair, then you are either incredibly stupid or have a death wish. Hm, the only way into that place is through my Lords. Of course if you have a death wish, then being slain by the sisters will be a lot more merciful. But first..." She explained, then raises one claw.
"Let me test you myself!"
The claw comes swiping downwards, allowing Hollow only mere seconds to dodge out of the way. Wiping out their nail, they use it to block her attack, swiping sideways. Metal versus natural claw clink back and forth, Hollow blocking each of her attacks. They had to prove to this mantis before they could reach the village. If they can defeat her, then these 'Lords' she spoke of may be of help? They had to find an opening.
Wasting no time, Hollow dashes forward, swinging their small nail three times, the last one landing on its target. The mantis hisses, jumping into the air over Hollow's head to try and rake her claws along their horns. Instead, the hunter whips around, using their nail to counter those claws. They shove her back, squaring up their shoulders. Another dash, more swipes where two take a beating against the mantis, though not without receiving a slash mark of their own.
Hollow and the mantis warrior fall back, and it was then she raises her claw. "Stop!"
Confused, Hollow remains in position to fight even when the mantis eases from her own.
"It's clear you are no mere wandering bug. I can feel there's a special kind of warrior within you, whatever you are. You have prove yourself worthy to approach the village. Go, my Lords await. May you present to them a worthy fight to be spoken of beyond this moment." She explains and to show her good faith, bows before Hollow.
Sheathing their nail, Hollow stands to attention, returning with a bow of their own to her. Like Cornifier said, these mantis were honorable in battle. So, if they must fight their leaders to enter Deepnest, then that's what they must do. They lean back up, watching the mantis turn behind her and points with one claw the direction of the village. A few steps forward, only for Hollow to pause to stare back at her, still bowing in respect. They nod and return their attention to the path beyond them. With a burst of speed, the hunter dashes on ahead, rejuvenated with energy to continue their quest...
Old shells of bugs and beast from another time decorate the entrance to the village, dangling from poles or alongside the walls. The spores here floating in the air seem to mimic flakes of gold, airborne in lazy swirls. Even with the buildings and huts that lined this section of the Fungal Wastes, mushrooms and fungus grew about between stonework and various structures. It was a far more primitive looking settlement compared to the surface town Dirtmouth, yet despite that the Mantis Village felt similar to the old cave home on the cliffside back out in the wasteland.
Hollow pauses, staring up at one large head of some beast hanging up above, as if in warning to all those who dare try to enter the village. They check their map, making sure this was the right location before proceeding in. No sooner had their feet enter the village that Hollow would be met with a set of deadly claws blocking his way.
The mantis here stare the intruder down, only to watch as Hollow takes a step back and bows more like the mantis warrior had earlier. Easier, simpler. A means of trust and respect if they wanted to get to these Lords. Above them, they catch the sound of wings beating against the fungal air and they dare glance up to see the younger members of the tribe fly overhead, curious of the newcomer. One of the guards turns to the other, whisper something before the two nod and bow back to Hollow. They would be allowed in, but monitored heavily.
Once the claws were removed, Hollow leans back up, slowly making their way through the village and catching the eyes of practically every villager. A few of the young would dart around and hiss, trying to incite some reaction out of Hollow. In turn, Hollow merely would gaze up, maybe duck slightly to a quick divebomb but never once draws forth their nail. Not going to risk the wrath of the entire tribe for striking one of their children just because they wanted to see what this stranger would do in reaction.
"What sort of stranger is that?"
Hollow glances around, catching the sight of two mantis watching from some sort of structure adorned in smaller bug shells.
"Their horns... it couldn't be could it? I thought our lords banished him and his followers..."
"No, it's not him. Look, it has no claws like us. It's shell is black as midnight... It's not the banished one, and those eyes.", The second one points out.
"Those eyes are eyes who have seen death... and embraced it."
Embracing... death? Hollow was confused by what they meant by that only to continue further down the main path. They were a hunter, so death was a natural part of that livelihood. One must take a life to sustain another. Cruel as it may seem, it was just a part of nature's cycle. Hunting meant they and their sister got to survive another day, another night, in the unforgiving harsh Wastelands. The two guards behind them gave no indication to the whispers circulating around the three.
Thoughts quickly dashed soon as the lost hunter find themselves within a circular area and before them four pillars, the far right one broken off. Masks and shells of slain bugs surrounded what looked like some form of an arena, held up by long poles embedded in the cobblestone floor. The other three ended as thrones from which sat three identical mantis. They were different than the tribe, without the large bladed claws. Each of them had bluish horns, shaped similar in shape to Hollow's own. At their sides rested long pole nails, their weapon of choice. Ah, these must be the Mantis Lords spoken of. As Hollow approaches, gazing up at these resting sisters, it is the one to Hollow's left that perks up, and nudges the sister in the middle to attention.
"Sister, look. A stranger has come before us." She states.
The middle Mantis Lord slowly leans up from resting on her smaller claw, staring down at the outsider to her village. She hums in thought, gaining the attention of now all three sisters.
"Speak, stranger! State the meaning of which you step onto our tribal grounds? If it is by foolish means, then our people will see that you are escorted out of the village and back to where you belong."
Hollow leans back, as if surprised by the sudden hostility towards them. So instead, they merely bow for a moment, then lean back up to present their map, pointing with a clawed finger the entrance to Deepnest past the village. The sisters stare them down, judgmental eyes focused on Hollow's actions, searching for any form of weakness.
"It can not speak? Hmph, and it seeks the entrance to that monster's land. Either this stranger is seeking some form of courage to traverse those darken land of tunnels and danger... or seeks a death wish." The sister on the right grumbles. "Fools are better off dwelling either in the Kingdom's Edge or to seek the favor of that bloated monstrosity who dare calls itself a 'King'."
"Indeed, seek your foolishness elsewhere stranger, this is no place for you." The left sister adds in, only for both to twitch to attention the moment the middle sister holds up a claw, the gears turning in her head.
"You... are not some wandering fool are you? Those eyes... I recognize them. They match those of another... One for whom we once made a pact with long ago... To prevent the dwellers in that deep dark from expanding." She calmly says. "Yes... it is you, isn't it? If the other side is what you seek, to seek the 'Beast' that dwells from within, then you must prove yourself that are you ready to the task. We can not make exceptions, only those with a warrior's spirit and might may pass beyond the gate past our thrones. Will you turn back now, or show us your strength?" She states, watching Hollow as Hollow watches her back.
There's a pause from Hollow, staring up at the three Mantis Lords in their thrones as they stare back, waiting and watching at what answer this silent bug would deliver. The hunter removes their pack, pushing it to the side so it would not be in the way. Once that task was completed, that Hollow swiftly turns back to the Lords, revealing their small nail and swipe the air across them, eyes still locked on the sisters.
A smile creeps up on the middle lord's face and she stands up, her sisters watching the scene.
"Then, shall be it! You have challenged the Mantis Lords and we accept!"
The room shakes, and around them metal gates fall from hidden suspension chains, planting firmly into waiting slots below. Locking into place, the arena shrinks in width as a ring of deadly spikes reveal themselves. Far above the arena, many of the villagers have taken to watching the scene, many expecting the stranger to fall very easily. Hollow turns back in time to witness the middle Lord leap into the air, her pike nail in hand before crashing back down, the end of the pike aimed for Hollow's head.
In a split second move, Hollow rolls out of the way as the mantis lands, and they whip around with their small nail, getting a hit on her before she darts back into the air. They try to track her movements, proving to be mediocre at best in keeping up. The Lord lands on one of the panels with one claw, the other holding her weapon as she lifts it into the air. With a heavy swipe, she cuts the air so hard that it creates a deadly whirlwind whizzing through towards the hunter.
Hollow leaps in response, eyes trained to the whirlwind cutting underneath them. It tries to double back, and they dodge out of the way. The Mantis Lord leaps into the air, intending to dive back down onto Hollow again, only to be met with the swipe of the small nail again. She dashes off, only to reappear to Hollow's left, pike in hand before making for a forward rush to the edge of the ring of spikes. Again, Hollow does their best to dodge out of the way, rolling to one side and tries to swipe again.
It became a set of patterns, a swipe here, a dash across the arena there. Only once did the Mantis Lord get a hit back on Hollow, the hunter lurching back with a silent cry. They had to get up and continue fighting, had to prove to the sisters they were capable of winning their respect. Another whirlwind comes whizzing by, nearly clipping into the side of Hollow's mask as they move away. With a deep breath, the hunter turns about and rushes the lord, triple swiping their nail at close range.
"Arugh!" The Mantis Lord cries out, feeling her strength leave her but only once she retreats, landing back on her throne and hunches over, panting to rest.
Hollow stares at the trio, expecting it to be over. How simple would that of been.
Instead the two other sisters now leap into the arena, doubling their attacks on Hollow. Now it wasn't just a one on one fight, it was a slight unfair advantage. Hollow watches them bounce back and forth from the gated walls, using their claws to throw whirlwind attacks at them before one lets go to dash with their weapon, while the other attacks from above. They would met each attack with a dodge, a roll, metal clanking against metal, a swipe to hit one sister, only to fall back when the edge of a pike strikes them from behind.
Harder Hollow had to strike, focus on one at a time instead of both. Eventually their efforts would pay off, landing a strike back and forth between the two sisters. When one hung on the wall to attack, the other to dive down and Hollow would aim for them first. Back and forth the nail whips around until at last one of the sisters cries out, signalling her defeat and leaps back to her throne, hunched over just like the first sister. With one remaining, Hollow feels a new wave of confidence, leaping into the fight like a dance. It was more predictable, easier to dodge her attacks.
Finally after what seemed like forever since the first Mantis Lord started her advance, the last sister yields, gasping out before she rejoins her kin on the thrones. Hollow stands to attention, dark eyes on all three of them. Would all three now join the fight, making this even more difficult than it already was?
The Mantis Lords finally seem relaxed, standing back to attention before staring down at the hunter.
"This battle has been decided. You have earn our respect, fellow warrior, and with that we honor your request to enter into the dark kingdom of Deepnest. However, you will find it a maze of tunnels and corridors that could lead you towards uncertainty without the proper gear." The middle sister speaks.
With a clap of her claws, a young warrior mantis flies in, carrying with her a strange sort of gauntlets in the shape of the very claws she wielded.
"Take these Mantis Claws with you on your journey. They will aid you when you find yourself in places with no other means than up. May they serve you well."
Hollow holds their hands out after sheathing their nail, watching patiently as the mantis attaches the gauntlets to their wrists. Yes, with these they'll be able to climb out of sticky situations or cling on if danger lurks below. They nod their thanks to which the young warrior bows back and flies off back into the audience watching.
"Deepnest is not to be trifled with easily, warrior. Tread carefully and you may be able to find what you seek within their webbed walls. Good luck to you and may the Pale light guide you."
All three Mantis Lords then tuck one arm under themselves, and graciously bow before Hollow. In response, the arena's gated walls lift back up on their chains and the circle of spikes keeping Hollow within are hidden back into place. Hollow stares at the sisters for a moment longer, then returns with a deep bow of their own.
Mantis claws in hand, pack returned to their side, and determination within them, Hollow turns and rushes for the tunnel once blocked away and into the darkness of Deepnest they go. It's not long that they come in contact with the other side, dozens of bodies of strange creatures broken or stabbed through. A few mantis spears littered the area, revealing some form of conflict long ago. Hollow studies the area, and reaches for one of the spears. As much as they want to continue using their nail, it was apparent the weapon was just too small if other enemies carried with them longer weapons.
So Hollow takes the spear for themselves until they find a better alternative and deeper into the darkness they go.
Hold on Sister... Hold on... They manage to whisper out in that strange ability that no other being could hear...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sister, now Hornet, slowly stirs from sleep while feeling weight over her body. She draws in a breath, feeling her mind ease from the empty comfort of darkness from dreamless sleep till at last it welcomes in the sense of being awake.
Her right hand reaches up, pressing into the softness of sheets against each finger, how delicate to touch they felt yet strong the further she presses into it. Another breath of air and she pushes herself to rise from where she was sleeping, feeling the silken sheets fall and drape over her shoulder while her vision readjusts to her new surroundings. The room from which she was resting in was dim with a dozen candles flickering in a warm and subtle glow. Not far from her bedside, which might add, had to be the most comfortable thing she's slept in in a long time, her needle rested alongside one of the walls. A few stray webs swayed in the cool air, acting like decorative banners in this otherwise mostly featureless room. Well, it mainly was used for a guest room and judging by the small layer of dust along the creaking wooden floorboards, had not seen guests in a long time.
It takes her a moment for her mind to catch up to the recent events, in particular the reunion. A strange feeling, being here in Deepnest. Yet, for lack of better explanation, she felt at ease here despite the web covered tunnels and strange chittering of creatures in the unknown going on with their lives in the dark.
With a fresh deep breath to take in the scents of her surroundings from the old, dusty furniture to the warm scent of melting beeswax candles, Hornet slips out of bed at last, looking to explore this new land. She dons on her cloak, fastening it before turning to stare at her weapon. The needle glimmers in the faint yellow light and her hand reaches for the handle. Normally, it would be second nature to simply grab her blade and head out from her home to assess any sort of danger outside. Yet now here she stands, a stranger in a strange place that felt more natural than the humble abode she grew up in out in the Wastelands with the soft straw bed and Hollow to provide as a cool pillow.
Hollow...
Hornet grabs her needle, placing it behind her before heading out at last. Her sibling must be worried sick over her by now. Searching for her while aimlessly trying to navigate in a kingdom network of tunnels, traps, and enemies they were not prepared for. The thoughts buzzed in her mind as she walks her way out of the den, passing by a few followers in the main hall whispering and mumbling to each other even as the huntress walks by. She paid no mind to them, didn't felt the need to anyways. Her feet soon lead her to the entrance of the Beast's Den and from there she steps up to the balcony, leaning over to survey the Distant Village above and below hanging in strong cables comprised of silk and web, suspended over a small lake to keep the place cool and damp in the air.
What few residents were left in the village, went about with their daily lives that seemed no different than the surface town of Dirtmouth. The only difference being the lack of the guards in black armor attire with spears aiming at her throat. Hornet watches on as a few young spiderlings proceeded to jump off the ledge of one dwelling, only to sway back and forth off their own silken threads, fashioning them into make-shift swings from which they played back and forth on.
A smile crept on her face for a moment before returning to her neutral expression, gazing around at the few residents engage in conversations or catching the faint sound of looms worked on inside one or two of the dwellings.
"Enjoying ourselves, aren't we?"
Hornet's attention perks up before turning to her left. Emerging from the great Den, Herrah joins her daughter's side, looking out at the village before them. All six eyes seem to trail down from the lake below, rising up to the humble weaver dens danging from the cavern's ceiling, old silk trailing in the air like glistening starlight. With a satisfied hum, she looks back to Hornet, smiling with contentment.
"Beautiful, isn't it? Oh if only you got to witness it when this village was full of life, excitement brewing for everyone to meet their princess at last. Seems like yesterday I held you in my arms. Such a tiny, helpless thing, but you are indeed my daughter. Not even an hour out of the egg and already you were making little demands. 'Hold me, feed me, you're not allowed to stop rocking my cradle until I am very much asleep and maybe then I'll let you sleep past a few hours yourself!' Hah hah! You couldn't have made me any more proud a mother."
"Was I?" Hornet questions, her voice just above a whisper exhaled out.
She glances to the spider queen for a moment before looking back at the village in full view, concentrated on where routes were laid out in case she needed to navigate them later. Her right hand curls in and out lazily, mind teething on wanting to further the conversation somehow. What could she say that wasn't already asked on the way to the Distant Village earlier?
"Where are most of the villagers?" She finally pushes out a question to keep the awkward silence between her and her mother from settling in.
"Gone, mostly. Some taken by that dreaded curse that plagues all the kingdoms at once, while those still with a clear mind requested I permit them to leave our home to seek our ancestral grounds for safety and to keep our traditions alive. Those who remain here are my most devoted and loyal though I do not bear any ire from my people who fled. I'd rather some of them survive through any means than every single one of them suffer the fate of those already fallen. I'm sure you know of what I speak of?"
Hornet listens intently to her mother's words, offering back a focused hum of acknowledgement.
"Yes, this plague the whole kingdom apparently is afflicted with. But, why Mother? What is being done about it? Was there not a way to combat this infection once and for all?"
Herrah mentally flinches, turning to face her daughter, searching deep within those eyes undoubtedly inherited from her late father for any speck of knowledge of the source of this pandemic, and of the queen's part to play in it's original resolve.
"There... was, once. That method no longer bears any weight so it's practically useless. Without a key piece to the solution, I fear Hollownest and by extent, Deepnest, will eventually fall into ruin with a tyrant uncaring towards his citizens until he rules a throne of an empty dead kingdom."
"And what was that crucial piece to this kingdom's salvation?"
Hornet tilts her head just slightly, giving away no sign of recognition or of any point she would know the answer. A naive and innocent expression as well as of some general concern. So, she doesn't know at all... did the vessel, if it still lives, manage some way to explain its purpose or was it true the Pale King really did ensure it was merely a living, mindless being? Then again, the way it acted upon the monarch's demise, to come here and retrieve the only surviving member of its kin, though half-blooded, away from the encroaching dangers. Herrah had her theories, ideas that perhaps that even through all the suppose research and trials he put himself through, the Pale King failed in creating the perfect vessel and either he knew and continued to go along unfaltering or... something kinked in his grand plan like a misplaced thread of silk to a heavily detailed web.
"You mean to say you don't know?" Was Herrah's response, pausing to cast a cautious gaze around from listening weavers, last she needed was misheard rumors going around.
"My dear, it's-"
"Is that the sound of idle chit-chat or am I simply hearing ghosts? Hahaha!"
Hornet jumps at the unfamiliar voice interrupting, whipping around with needle in hand to face a new foe. Instead, what she sees before her is a rising mass of blacken chitin and legs, dozens of them! A long slender body snakes its way closer towards Herrah and Hornet, baring a rather unsettling happy mask with a seam down the center. Along the creature's back ride a few weaverling children and one lucky Deepnest young bug who's dark cloak was slightly too big for his little body. The great centipede turns around to view them with a unnerving chuckle.
"Alright kids, time to get off, Midwife would like to speak to her friend. I'm sure your parents will be happy to see you all home in time for lunch!" She chuckles out, watching as the children slide off with giggles, separating off to their respected homes and waiting families.
With a hearty laugh, Herrah reaches over, gently pressing her daughter's posed weapon down with one hand. "There's no need for that, this is an old family friend."
"Ah good to see you up and about Herrah. I was beginning to think your hunts were going to leave you more exhausted dealing with infected husks than finding actual.." The black centipede, Midwife as she refers to herself, starts only to lean over to one side, her eerie happy mask eyes staring directly at Hornet.
"No... it can not be!? Let me get a good look at you." She states and before Hornet could protest, she's surrounded by the greater bug, eye to eye with that mask that she swore looked hinged and hiding something nasty behind it. "Yes! I recognize those eyes anywhere! To think I'd be able to see the Princess once more! By the Wyrm's glow! She's returned to us!" She exclaimed, coiling lazily around Hornet as the young huntress kept her guard up.
"Yes! Look at you, oh look at you! How much you've grown from the little spiderling you once were when you hatched! I see you have your mother's horns and her sharp wit! Ah yes, I can smell it on the very fabrics you wear you've become a skilled huntress!"
"Who are you? How do you know me?" Hornet asks, taking a quick glance towards her mother for reassurance.
"Hornet dear, this is my old friend, Midwife. She's been with us for quite a long time as caretaker for our villages' expecting and children when the parents are busy working or hunting. She aided me on such a special occasion. There's no need for defensiveness, I trust her with my very life in times of need." Herrah leans in, patting a hand beside Midwife as the other chuckles cheerfully.
Hornet glances back and forth between the two, till at last she straightens up, sheathing her needle behind her. She had no reason to distrust her Mother to this point, why would she start now?
"Hm, well it's a pleasure to meet you at last, Midwife. Mother and I were just catching up. It's been quite a while and I was too small to remember much of anything of this place."
"Really now? Oh yes so I've been told! Raised in the wilds, were you? To think after all these years we were certain you'd never return to us and our only hope for a future dashed away alongside that ves-"
Herrah quickly gives her friend a quick jab, shaking her head slightly. No, not yet. Hornet didn't need to know who... or what her sibling really was. Another time, another place maybe, when Hornet fully understood the severity of the kingdom's plight. For now, let her simply settle back into the life she was meant to live and enjoy the few pleasures before the harshness of reality set it.
By the ancient weaver gods, please don't let the girl ask about the whereabouts of her father...
"Midwife, why don't you accompany us for a stroll? I could stretch the ol' legs out again and show Hornet around the safest tunnels. We can even stop by the hot springs and see what the local gossip is amongst the Devout? Heh heh, wouldn't that be fun?"
"Ah haha, of course my friend! You were always the little sleuth roaming around, getting yourself into trouble while your mother worried for you. Always wanted to see the White Palace and that king... Oh I remember the day you came home, a little hot in the face, scowling as if the very soil you stood on mocked you. Ah, I remember it well. 'What's wrong Princess?' I asked, and you, so crossed in the face, complained about all the legends and stories about the Wyrm were nothing more than fantasies to fill a young bug's head and the real thing was nothing but bundled up into one word: Disappointing.'
Hornet listens intently. The White Palace... that must be where the king of Hallownest resided, the tyrant who's somehow put a hit on her and her sibling Hollow. As she listens, the term 'wyrm' came up. What sort of bug was a wyrm? Was it even a bug at all? Could such terrible beasts exist further beyond even the border of her former home in the Wastelands? Grog, that great beetle, had never spoken of such creatures. Maybe it was all just a myth then?
"I-I liked to see the hot springs, if you both don't mind." She quickly jumps in before the older women started going off on a old nostalgia trip. Hornet will ask later for those stories another time but for now the idea of relaxing in another hot spring sounded ideal. After falling into Deepnest and battling that retched Nosk, a moment to rejuvenate in those glowing, warm waters caused Hornet's joints and muscles to ache back once more.
"Of course dear, you've traveled such a long way it would be rude of us not to give you a proper rest and chance to clean up." Midwife hums, uncoiling herself from around the princess.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it might be crowded, the hot spring down here is well known amongst the villagers, but also to a few outsiders as well. If any of them give us any trouble... well, they'll soon find out why Deepnest is to be respected." Herrah chimes in with a quick hiss before offering a hand to her daughter.
"Do you consider yourself too old for a ride?"
Hornet chuckles into the collar of her cloak and takes her mother's hand, climbing up to sit comfortably on her back.
"I don't think myself that old quite yet. Soon I shall learn these tunnels well enough into memory." She responds.
"Good! That's what I want to hear! This kingdom is a maze on purpose where only the bravest dare traverse and I shall do my best to teach you the best routes to evade our traps and dangerous wildlife, though I may have to eat my words on that. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, you are capable of self reliance."
"Just like you in your younger, youthful days! Like Mother, like Daughter that runs in the family! At least our Princess has more of your perks than that of that tiny nightlight that calls himself the Pale -", Midwife starts only to once again be cut off by Herrah.
"Shall we be off before we lose enough track of time?" She quickly ushers in, barely gesturing to Midwife of Hornet's confusion to the sudden halt in that statement. Midwife glances to the girl, then back to the queen and at last finally understood the hidden tone.
"Oh yes! Yes, my apologizes. I get a bit... excited over things, especially with our Princess back home. Of course!"
Hornet listens in but doesn't say anything, allowing the two older women to continue their own conversations while they descended to one of the tunnels that exited from the Distant Village. Questions continued to fill her mind, things the two spoke of that were cut off suddenly made her all the more curious. What... or who, did they speak of briefly only to stop to prevent her from knowing? Maybe a friend of the family who's passed on? A lover or someone who's brought shame to the village? Maybe if she worded her questions just right, she would get those answers out from Herrah or maybe one of the other villagers. Though, was it important for her to know now? If Hollow was here, then maybe Herrah would be more opened to both siblings about whatever or whoever she shushed away earlier?
The tunnels the trio entered were just as nasty as any pathways owned by Deepnest territory, full of cobwebs with the occasional dripping of water going through the cavern system keeping the tunnels cool to any passersby. It was likely the water collected in the lake below the village and served as drinking water. Hornet closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the echoes of chittering bugs and beasts in the distant dark. With a breath exiting from her, she reopens her eyes, taking the moment her mother and her trusted friend paused in their conversation.
"Is Deepnest really this twisted about in tunnels? It seems to go about in ways that would only lead to dead ends or confusion, possibly getting lost." She asks.
"That's the point." Herrah motions with a shrug.
"We do not take too kindly to outside forces looking to barge their way in and just demand what they deem is theirs and take away what's ours. Or course it also serves as ideal hunting grounds. There are plenty of dirt carvers to keep the village well fed. Though, as I'm sure you might suspect, many of them have become tainted with the infection. So great precautions have been put in place to ensure the meat isn't fouled as much as possible. We allow a very few select outsiders to traverse these caverns unscathed."
Hornet hums back in thought, then turns her attention to the layout of the tunnels, how they were carved out, any sort of landmarks from which she could use to navigate. Shame the only maps in her possession from Cornifer won't help her here. What about the darkness as well? Her mother and Midwife seemed quite adapted to the faintest of light sources down here, with Hornet just now adjusting her vision as well. Perhaps with practice, she could travel these tunnels at an expert's pace blindfolded.
Suddenly there's a shift in temperature and Hornet's attention focuses ahead of her, feeling a faint cloud of warmth waft in the air.
A pale light welcomes the trio, followed by a billowing cloud of steam. At last they've arrived to the hot springs, appearing similar to that of the one Hornet encountered up in the Crossroads, yet here there were two ways, possibly more to enter this place as proof with a couple of Little Weavers entered from a tunnel above, skittering over the cavern ceiling to partake in the healing properties of the hot springs. In the pool, two greater sized beasts were already engaged in taking in the peaceful, soothing waters. Creatures Hornet had not encountered yet that dwelled from the village like the Weavers did. These beings were large, with six eyes on small heads, hidden away by a pair of wide arms that acted as a makeshift 'mask' of sorts.
The moment Hornet slides off her mother's back do the pair look up from the shallow waters.
"Ah! My Queen! Had we of known you were coming, we would of departed to allow you a moment's peace." One of the beasts exclaims, holding one of their false mask half of a claw up.
Herrah merely chuckles and shakes her head.
"No need for that. Carry on as you wish, I'm here moreso for my daughter than indulge myself right now."
The two turn their attention towards the returned Princess, even the Little Weavers making their way off the cavern's ceiling and wall paused to take notice of the young stranger in red.
"Is... is that the Princess?! THE Princess, a gift of divine Pale Blood!?" The second spoke, staring in disbelief.
Hornet takes a step back, not used to having all the attention drawn on her this suddenly. A firm but gentle claw rests on her shoulder, making her snap her attention back up towards Herrah so seems quite bemused by the situation.
"Fear not my daughter. The Devout are loyal to me and by extent they are to you. They are among our home's greatest allies. Friends with Devouts shall never worry about facing an enemy alone."
Taking a moment to listen, Hornet returns her attention back to the Devout and approaches the edge of the hot springs pool.
"I suppose I am. My name... is Sis- er, Hornet, and I've traveled far away to find my birth home." She explains, getting a silent awe from the pair.
"Oh! You came from the Wastelands!? I heard the tales!" One of the Little Weavers calls out, still helping her companion who seemed like they could use the spring moreso than Hornet.
"Long, long ago, our fair infant Princess was stole away! To protect her from the evil king of Hallownest who might try to seize her! A knight in gleaming pale white armor and cloak rescues her, and into the Wastelands they went, safe from the monster now sitting on Hallownest's throne. That's you isn't it!? You're the missing princess!" The Little Weaver excitedly states.
"I guess that statement would be factual to the predicament."
"But... where is the knight? Did they return back here or did they stay behind in the Wastelands? Are they dead?"
Herrah stiffened at the questions, glancing to Hornet. Where was the vessel anyways? Surely Hornet did not come back here alone? That vessel had to be alive, surely as testament to Hornet's very existence still standing.
"Um, I don't believe I know of any 'knight'. I grew up in the Wastelands with my older sibling. We got separated not too long ago, so I'm sure they're trying to track me down and find a way into Deepnest. That is if they can fit in any of the tunnels... I miss them. We're hunters, not knights." She explains only to pause and look back to her mother. "Unless... that knight was my..."
A loud splash broke out and Hornet turns in time to watch as Midwife promptly allows half her massively long body to end in the other side of the pool.
"Oh sorry deary! I thought while we were here I'd freshen up a bit. Especially after handling quite a handful of young ones for the day." She apologizes, getting a silent 'thank you' nod from Herrah. Not yet, it was still too early to tell Hornet the truth about her sire. Herrah needed more time to adjust to Deepnest living, with or without the Pale King's chosen vessel. Soon, she'll reveal these secrets once she was sure her daughter would not be too quick to judge not just the actions of her late father, but also the actions and purpose of her sibling.
"Come Princess. I can assure you the waters are quite enjoyable and by this angle, it's clear you are in need of a bit of cleaning, if nothing else to ease any aches you may have gained along the way."
Casting a glance to Herrah for a mere moment of hesitation, Hornet holds out her needle, handing it to her mother to take and approaches the side of the hot spring. She stares down at her reflection and noted that indeed she could use a bit of a scrub down, her pale white face and horns still slightly dirtied with a few scrapes here and there. Reaching down with a hand, she cups a small amount of the warm water, bringing it closer for inspection.
"Hm, indeed it does feel warm. I shall take your advice then." Hornet remarks, and lets the small handful of water fall like white rain from her palm. Using the same damp hand, she removes her cloak slowly, though hesitant as the ends of her claws tug at the collar. Having never experienced a communal 'bath house' sort of speak, it was a bit unnerving for her to remove her clothing, feeling rather exposed to eyes who all knew her, but she was still getting to know them.
"Do you mind if I partake this more... privately? I've not encountered the concept of washing outside of alone in some form of privacy yet I know the others were here to take advantage of the soothing power these hot springs hold and then some. I do not wish to evict them what is equally theirs as well."
With a warm hum and nod, Herrah turns her attention to the other springs guests.
"I'm sorry to have to do this but do you all mind for a short while to vacate the hot springs for a moment? My daughter wishes for some privacy, it won't be too long." She requests.
The Devout look to one another before nodding, alongside the two weavers.
"Of course my Queen. Please don't let us dampen the moment! Take all the time you need." One of them states, before raising their claws, the two of them in unison clacking them together and bowing before moving out. The two small weavers also take to giving a quick bow, following the much larger Devout out the opposite entrance, even so much as getting a quick ride on their way out.
With just her mother and Midwife in the Hot Springs, Hornet lets out a short sigh of relief. Tugging away the last latch on her cloak, she lets it slide off and she slips into the warm waters, feeling the soothing sensation upon her shell. Any marks or remnants of pain from her battle against the Nosk easily slip away in these glowing white waters. Hornet takes a few handfuls of the water, splashing some on her face to wash away any lingering bits of grim and dirt.
She was not expecting a pair of claws to rest on her horns so suddenly.
"Don't mind me dear, I just thought I'd help in getting where you can't reach." Herrah's voice seemed to not only calm Hornet, but felt just as soothing as the waters and motherly the way she had long since eager to hear all her life.
"Thank you Mother, I appreciate the help."
Hornet's attention turns toward the fountain heads, all the while her head slightly moves side to side while Herrah tends to her horns, polishing them up to a shine the young huntress would of likely never would of imagined otherwise. What little water was collected back in the Wastelands that was set aside for washing was merely just to remove surface grim and dirt as well as any scents the siblings might have accumulated from the elements or a successful hunt. So to feel this cleaned, this invigorated... it was a new sensation for Hornet and she was increasingly enjoying it. To be doted upon like this, it was no longer just survival, this was thriving life. It felt like a real home.
As Hornet closes her eyes, the voice of her mother eases into humming a song. What song, Hornet had not the knowledge its name or writer, but only that it was hummed by Herrah when she was but an infant spiderling. Yes... that's what she was, a spider and proud to be known as one. No longer was her origin questionable by her appearance or the fact she could summon forth the strong white threads from which she would haphazardly weave into tools and projects back in the Wastelands. That poor beetle Grog probably had never met a spider before, so of course he wouldn't have known what Hornet was.
"That song... you sang that to me when I was a hatchling, correct?" She asks after a few minutes past and the sounds of Midwife also cleaning herself in the waters slowly begins to cease.
"Every night before I laid you down for sleep... until the night came were we unexpected had to part ways for your own safe wellbeing did I sang that song one last time in hopes maybe somehow you would recall it. If that... monster, got his claws on you outside my watch... I would never forgive myself." Herrah responds, her voice releasing a slight hiss when she refers to a certain foe now fouling the entirety of the kingdom.
"What is this.. monster you speak of Mother? Is it the king of Hallownest? I've already had the unfortunate encounters with some of his guards on the surface. I suspect the further underground of Hallownest I explore, the more troublesome they'll be. Are those... mantis working for him as well?"
Herrah pauses, tilting her head to one side slightly in confusion.
"No? They shouldn't. The Mantis clan keep to themselves for the most part except in places they don't belong and they certainly don't belong here! Dangerous lot they are! I wouldn't trust them and have long since gated off one of the entrances to my territory."
"Oh yes indeed, ever since there was an agreement with the old crown of Hallownest, the Mantis keep to their side of the fence and we keep to ours ever since a few skirmishes left both parties with fallen members." Midwife pipes in, leaning in to the conversation.
"They didn't want to give up land they weren't using and would of served a better purpose for Deepnest. But that's in the past and that fat king in his throne is more interested in making us all collectively miserable even with a dangerous infection ever steadily increasing."
"So why would he be interested in me when we've never encountered one another before? Is it because I'm princess to Deepnest?" Hornet asks, and the two older women glance at one another. Again, the timing was too soon to tell her the truth.
"Probably my child. He's attacked my borders along the Ancient Basin twice before in the past and each time was met was great resistance. Though, that was before the infection started to spread even more into my domain, taking those loyal to me as well as any beasts and creatures that call Deepnest their home and hunting grounds." Herrah tries to soothe, her voice hiding away what she could from Hornet digging in too deep for a truth she was not prepared for.
Something just didn't settle with Hornet. There had to be some underlying reason why the monarch of Hallownest was after her specifically. It might have something to do with Hollow and her growing up in the Wastelands, but who could of brought them out there in the first place, especially to be trusted by Grog to watch over them, despite that old Atlas beetle being a more thorn in the carapace on even good days sometimes. She stares down at her reflection in the water, taking note of her appearance versus her mother. Though there were similarities to the two of them, the horns being a near perfect match, that was the most extent of Hornet's physical appearance went in relations to Herrah.
Could it mean... her father took her and Hollow away to save their lives? Was he the knight those little weavers spoke of? Maybe he tried to fight off the king only to find he could not and instead stole his children away for safe keeping till he could retrieve them? But if so... where is he now?
"Mother, I have a question... if it's alright to ask." She starts, gazing back to Herrah.
"Of course dear, what is it?"
Hornet felt her chelicerae work as she tried to find the right words to her question. She wasn't dense, she had a feeling her mother and Midwife were hiding something from her. Maybe her father was a traitor? If so then to who and why? So many questions bubbling in her mind and they all had to condense somehow into one neatly packed singular question.
"Hollow and I came here to find some answers, that being of our lineage and where we came from. I now know that you are my mother, but our original mission was to seek our sire. So, where is our fa-"
"My Queen! It's urgent!"
Her question would have to wait, much to Herrah's silent relief, as a weaver rushes into the hot springs, causing the party to look in the direction. Immediately Hornet goes to reach for her cloak, eyes trained on the weaver as she leans against a rock to catch her breath.
"My Queen, it's a Mantis Lord! They've entered through the gated entrance above and have desolated through several traps laid out and dirt carver nests! They're looking to be heading down further, possibly to the Den!" She explains, offering only a small bow for not doing so when she first rushed in. The look on Herrah's demeanor says it all.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes my Queen, I don't know if they've encountered any Devout sentries up there but there are infected husks lurking about. "
Herrah stares down at the weaver for what felt like an eternity, deciding on what action to partake in. Hornet glances to Midwife, who could only watch on as well. If a single leader from the Mantis Tribe was enough for concern from the Queen of Deepnest, then as protector herself, she would lend what aid she could.
"Make sure everyone's held back. I'll go deal with this problem myself! If it's conflict from Deepnest those Mantis want, then that's exactly what they'll get." Herrah announces and turns to follow out the way the weaver came in.
"Mother wait! I'm coming too!" Hornet shouts, shaking off what droplets of water clung to her shell before throwing her cloak back on and gathered her needle off the ground.
"Oh no dear, let Herrah handle this. We can't afford to risk losing you to a wicked, mean mantis now can we?" Midwife tries to suggest to Hornet to stay, but she could clearly see the determination and stubbornness on the young huntress's face for she has already set her mind to it. Just like her parents, determined like Herrah... and stubborn like him...
Herrah stares down at Hornet, eyeing her already set to travel alongside, needle clutched tight in her hand, and if she had extraordinary hearing, how her daughter's heart was practically dancing for the anticipation for the next hunt, the next challenge.
"Alright, you may accompany me Hornet. However I want you within sight of me. You may have taken down a Nosk but I do not know what skills you have that could defeat a mantis, especially one of their lords." She turns her attention back to Midwife.
"Midwife, can you stay behind and look out for anyone who might be trying to sneak through the back entrance? We might have a double attack from both sides."
"You can count on me, my friend! I'm sure I can rally up a few angry Devout to handle this end. Good luck to the both of you and may speed and accuracy be on your side!"
Nodding to the centipede, Herrah signals for Hornet to follow, the two of them exiting the hot springs to follow up a series of tunnels and pathways. Hornet would throw her needle in front of her, gaining ground ahead before her mother would catch up. They would be cutting through some of the main pathways, sticking to tunnels very few residents of Deepnest would remember. For Herrah, these old roads were once her hunting grounds from her days of youth. Maybe one day when the infection is gone somehow, she will teach Hornet the same routes to take to bypass traps laid out for any trespassers trying to claim what isn't theirs.
For Hornet, she continues to follow alongside her mother, excited at the prospect of battling side by side. If the mantis in question was the one that attacked her and Hollow earlier, by what gods still exist in the world, does she have a shell to pick at them. Yet while thinking back to that moment in time, it only causes her to reflect back in those last few moments...
Hollow, turning back to see her as the floor beneath her started to fall.
Hollow, reaching out, trying to save her only for her to slip into the darkness below...
'Hollow,' she thought to herself, 'wherever you are... please be safe.'