Chapter Text
The trade system He has established was going well.
The land of the mushrooms were arrogant with their hive mind, but as He proclaimed that He could change their future for the better, describing his power of foresight, they fell under His rule. The mushrooms supplied them with spores and acid from their lakes, containers made with crystal glass could stand against the corrosive properties of the liquid. A few bugs who lived within these fungal tunnels decided to come live in His village as they were curious of their lifestyle.
However, the mantis tribe that lived within those fungal halls refused to fall under any rule. The King had to defeat the four leaders in a battle of strength and was thus given free speech within their village. But they were not willing to partake in any trade with the kingdom and would much rather stick to themselves. He accepted this and in return they would block hostile creatures from the deep dark nesting grounds from reaching His kingdom. The mantis tribe accepted this agreement, as they were already doing this for their own tribe’s safety, and the two communities haven’t contacted one another since.
The same could be said about the beehive situated to the left of His kingdom. He received hostile treatment when He approached for a peaceful conversation. The bees were not willing to open their borders in any way but they were willing to part with a certain amount of honey every 10th sleep cycle to have their borders stay untouched. A good compromise in the King’s own opinion as the honey was sweet and soothing for any bug who drank it. It would become more valuable as time passed and He might approach the beehive once more as the demand for honey exceeded the stock they received. But that was a conversation for the future.
The mosskin of the greeneries had already established a thriving society of their own under the guidance of the goddess Unn that they worshipped. The King accepted this as he had with the other societies and offered to have friendly relations with them, to which the mosskin agreed similar to the mushroom bugs. They saw how allying with Hallownest could benefit their society and they were willing to initiate trade with them. Further in the future He would approach the mosskin about constructing buildings and roads within their lands, the same could be said about the fungal bugs lands but that would occur later.
The bugs of his growing kingdom could take part in purchasing the wares using a work label system. Each bug who had a daily task got a stone slate with a design on it. They could then use this slate once every two sleep cycles to purchase wares on the marketplace they had built on the plaza outside the King's nest. The same plaza which held his statue. Each different work symbol decided how many wares they could buy, where Hegemol had his combat subordinates keep checking on the markings the vendors put on the stone so that no one could grab more than what they worked for. Depending on the work they performed and the value it held to the kingdom, the amount they could acquire would increase or decrease from bug to bug. These slates would change into currency over time as the bugs understood the value of trade and upkeep within their community.
So far, the most expensive and resource craving craftsmanship they had were nails, weapons which anyone could use given enough time. He had a forge be constructed and they had started to melt metal ore to craft weapons and sturdy building material out of the metal. The hardest metal, and the one most difficult to work with, was dubbed Pale ore and there has yet to be a smith who wanted to challenge themselves with moulding it after so many had failed.
The majority of these nails were made with what they dubbed grey metal. Not as sturdy as the pale ore but it was much harder than any rock or caprice in the kingdom and thus was still very valuable. Gologo and the King had created a measuring system with the creation of these nails so that they could be forged after a bug’s size.
10 claws was 1 mandible. 10 mandibles was 1 tail. And 10 tails was 1 king. A normal bugs size was around 1 tail and 7 mandibles tall and the construction work was now measured in kings, or K as they called it, to measure the size of the construction exactly rather than guessing. With the added metal tools, it all has helped the constructor bugs to work better as a team, which He was very glad for.
The King also met someone curious within the land of the mosskin…
It was soon after He finished His negotiations with the mosskin that He sensed her. Her presence was much different from the others He had felt prior, it was a more subtle presence. It melted into the greenery which was why He hadn’t noticed her in the first place while asleep. She was a part of the greenery around her, yet she actively hid from getting noticed. He had sent all of His company except for Hegemol back to their city as He went out to search for this presence.
And as He approached the clearing where He felt her, He was stopped by a determined bug who held a long, sharp cacti needle in her claws and pointed the tip of said needle towards His face. He stayed calm as He was threatened this way while Hegemol tensed up and reached for the hammer that was strapped to his side. He was far larger than this new bug, but she was still taller than the King. She had three triangle pieces of her shell protruding from her head, pointed upwards and her exoskeleton was a prestige white similar to the King himself. Only without the radiant energy of a higher being. She was clad in leaves and vines from her surroundings and her pheromones radiated unease.
“State your business, King .”
She knew He was a King yet faced her weapon towards Him. Curious. He waved for Hegemol to stand down as He looked up at the bug before Him. He wasn’t put off by her approach, He could feel the other beings' influence on her so His own light wouldn’t affect her as much at first glance.
“ We hold no hostility. Simply here to satisfy curiosity. ”
The female bug shivered slightly as His voice shook her to the very core. A voice that cut through all sound, a voice that brought attention to Him the moment He spoke. It made her mind go muddy for only a second, where she was briefly overwhelmed by His powerful presence alone. She was tempted to lower her weapon, it would be rude to have this bug at a weapon’s point when He was only here to satisfy His curiosity.
But no, she would stay loyal. She was tasked to protect. But before she could speak up once more against this King, another voice spoke up behind the female bug.
“ Dryya, cease. He has been expected. ”
Dryya, as the white bug was called, immediately lowered her weapon and turned to face the being who stepped out of a cave she had been guarding. She bowed towards this new entity and took a step to the side to let the King pass, but kept a close eye on Hegemol as he was behind the King.
What stepped out was someone with a familiar radiant aura as the King’s own, albeit dimmer as if she was forcing it to stay dim rather than to let it loose. She was no bug, she was as tall as Hegemol and her body was similar to that of a moving, breathing tree. One which roots kept her body aloft and tree crown which served as her horns and hands. This explained why He couldn’t feel this entity prior, she was literally a part of the greenery around her as he could see how the flowers and roots held the energy this being emitted. The King stood still as the being approached and her wide, blue eyes met His own, she was curious about Him just as He was of her.
“ I did not expect us to meet so soon, Wyrm. His senses are extraordinary. ”
Her voice was similar to His own as well, how it cut through sound and reached the very centre of your being to grasp your attention. If one were to compare how these two beings spoke, the King would demand attention. Where this lady would kindly ask for attention. It was soothing, warm, motherly in a way how the voice enveloped your senses and instinctively had you calm down as you listened. The King wasn’t affected by her voice or her presence, for He was a god, but Hegemol noticeably relaxed from his previous tense stance as this being spoke.
Wyrms were powerful beings, beings who have created kingdoms all over the lands beyond this one. One of the gods who involved themselves in their communities and creations the most. And this being, she was on an equal power level as Himself. No, she could grow more powerful if she so chose, He could see and sense how she held back her power and influence. The King still had room to grow in his current form, as he would, but this one had actively stopped her progress.
Curious.
As they were equals in this instance, the Pale King ceased to speak as a King. And spoke to this being as a person as He gave the lady before Him a bow.
“ My thanks for your praise. I am known as the Pale King amongst my people. I have never seen, sensed or heard of anyone similar to your design before. ”
Hegemol tensed up once more as he stared at his King. He bowed only His head to this living tree, but the fact that his King bowed at all didn’t sit right with Hegemol. His King was the most powerful being in Hallownest, within these tunnels. And to have Him bow towards someone, someone who could never be as divine and powerful as Him, it felt wrong to the knight. But he couldn’t say anything against his King’s decision, so he stayed put and kept a close eye on this lance wielding bug, Dryya, instead. As Dryya likewise kept an eye on him.
The white tree before him lowered one of her branches and had it curl in front of the bottom of her face, as if she covered her mouth in a polite gesture. A brief view into the future showed the King that other bugs would do a similar action in the future, a motion taken as embarrassment or surprise. A motion taken from this pale being? Perhaps. This tree had no arms or claws, but had the roots attached to her head act as arms and hands instead.
“ He speaks to me as a person rather than king. I would be surprised if he had met someone such as I. I have been given my own form and my own divinity through bugs' devotion to nature itself. My power does not come from this kingdom alone, but I have made this place my home. I have come to enjoy the greenery Unn has created. ”
“ That would explain why you feel like nature itself. May I implore on your company, lady white? I am certain you are just as curious of me as I am of you. ”
He could see those sparkling blue eyes narrowed slightly in a smile and she gestured towards the cave she first emerged from. The Soul within her body controlled these roots protruding from her head with perfect precision, not a movement or Soul power wasted.
“ I’d be delighted to. I hadn’t thought of that title before, lady white. I have been known as nature up to this point. ”
The Pale King walked forward as lady white gestured for Him to do and motioned for Hegemol to stay from over His shoulder. His attention was instead on the pale being next to Him as they walked side by side towards the cave she called home. Her roots moved to drag her forward and held her body aloft from the ground. Her pace was slow, but nothing that the King couldn’t adjust to.
“ Nature is too vague of a name to give a radiant being such as yourself. You deserve a proper title, a proper name. I’d be delighted to assist you in the endeavor. ”
“ Does he have a name or simply the title of the Pale King? ”
“ Only a title. ”
“ Then I would be likewise delighted to assist him in finding a name. ”
The Pale King paused for a brief moment as lady white said this and looked up at the much larger, yet equally powerful being next to him. A name for a Wyrm was no simple matter. Wyrms had titles, rulership, but never stood on equal grounds with any being and thus had no need for a name. They had no need for any attachments such as another person nor a name to share with that person. They were rulers, gods.
But here was a being who was His equal.
“ I’d have to decline that offer. It is against the nature of Wyrms to bear a name. ”
“ Then I shall have only a title as well until further notice. ”
She declared and sat down on a rock as they had now reached her living space. There were plants everywhere on the walls and roof of this cavern. And there was a series of roots that He could feel that ran through the cavern floor. Most likely hers. Lady white gestured for Him to sit down on a rock opposite to hers and He gladly did so.
She was a curious being. She knew a lot of the world around her but didn’t understand the meaning behind it. She had seen how the Pale King’s settlement steadily grew but didn’t understand the concept of society. So He told her of all of this, let time fly by as He shared the benefits of having a society with this other Pale being before Hegemol called that they should return to their citizens.
For His next visit, Lady white told Him of the nature she was born from, how she came to be and found her way here. How she saw and interacted with the world through her roots and how she used Soul to shift her being.
He started to bring small gifts for His visits, small trinkets which showed the growth and development of his society. He even gave Dryya, her guard, a solid metal rapier as a weapon so she wouldn’t have to use a cactus needle any longer.
He visited her any time that he could, when there wasn’t a market or food crisis to take care of. When the research quota for the day had been completed and no constructions to look over. It made the visits spontaneous more than anything, but for some reason He craved her company.
She understood Him in a way that no other bug had done before. Just as He could understand the meaning behind her words in a way that Dryya, her only companion up until this point, hadn’t done.
It was like a dance. Where they came together and parted their separate ways repeatedly, over and over.
It was strange to Him, but it was not a dance that he would like to see end anytime soon. And perhaps the same could be said for the White Lady.