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When he looked back on the past, Zote figured it wasn’t his fault. The Vengefly King encounter? Unfortunate bad luck. The defeat in the Colosseum? An unfortunate turn of events. The carnage that had happened a mere minute ago? Simply an angered God’s will.
Zote looked at the vast chasm of Kingdom’s Edge, Life Ender in a trembling hand. From the cold or fear, he wasn’t sure. The left-over Infection that the Fools had bled was still fresh on his beloved weapon. Zote looked down at his hand and used his free one to wipe away the orange.
The Grey Prince wasn’t sure where to go from here. He could return to Dirtmouth, but what did the small town have for him there? A fake queen. A small cur who had stolen the wits of everyone. A blubbering elder and a nuisance of a warrior (who had cleared his trials seconds before Zote was sent out to fight). Bah. He’d be damned if he had to listen to the somber accordion music of the bug that lingered by the bench or the short shopkeepers' constant demanding of Geo.
The Dream World was taken into consideration. It wasn’t much better, if Zote was to be honest with himself. He didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with any of the Dream Warriors, nor did he want to arrive only for Gorb to make him regret it. Ogrim was too friendly sometimes, and Zote couldn’t find it in him to pick a fight with Soul Tyrant today.
Zote found himself in Deepnest. He had sworn once to never return here. It baffled him how fate had different plans. Nonetheless, Zote ventured deeper into the dark corridors.
A flash of white caught his attention and he looked up. Above, he saw the exact same mask he wore, the same shellwood nail, the same cloak and scrutinizing eyes. The other Zote was looking down at him. He scowled. “I have no interest in a fight, cur.”
The other knight merely bought out their nail, his Life Ender, and waved it, almost tantalizingly, at Zote. Zote scowled more. “Very well then!” He climbed up to the knight. The doppelganger disappeared, much to Zote’s annoyance. What a coward!
The copy was running when Zote saw them again. They jumped down and disappeared into a long, dark corridor. Zote huffed in annoyance, wanting this fight to end already. Zote stepped into the room, not noticing the debris that blocked his exit.
He did notice, however, the many Deepnest creatures strung up on the ceiling. Zote’s eyes narrowed, then turned his gaze to the other Zote, who was waiting patiently by the middle.
Ah. He had heard of the Nosks. Monstrous creatures, ones able to contort their bodies to mimic faces. They were feared for it, mimicking one’s loved ones.
Something about that made Zote ache inside. It made sense why the Nosk had mimicked him. He had no loved ones.
Nonetheless, Zote drew his nail. The Nosk towered above him, screeching like a damned creature. Zote showed no fear, though he was the exact opposite on the inside. He wanted to run, he wanted to be back with someone, anyone who would comfort him. He missed the music and company of Dirtmouth, and he yearned for the bickering between him and Gorb. Zote wanted to imagine it all again, and he would’ve had it not been for the pain that he was plunged into as the Nosk slashed at him with a claw.
Zote’s small frame flew into the debris blocking the entrance. He looked up at it in dread for a moment and reached for his nail. To his horror, his hand met air and he looked out at the Nosk. The beast was charging at him, but Zote’s gaze was on his Life Ender, stuck in a cobweb in the corner.
Zote snapped himself out of his small trance and dove out of the Nosk’s way. The beast screeched as it turned to charge at Zote again. Zote continued to run for his nail, ignoring the thundering of the Nosk as it grew closer.
Zote stopped as blobs of Infection rained from the sky. He turned and barely dodged the Nosk as it tried to swipe at him. A sizzling blob of acid landed on the Nosk and it screeched in pain and fury.
Zote felt relief as he grabbed Life Ender’s hilt. He pulled on the weapon, but it was stuck right. Cursing out the world at that moment, Zote continued to pull.
Behind him, Nosk screamed again and more blobs of Infection rained down. Zote hissed in pain as one landed near him, the splash causing little drops of the orange goop to land on his arm. He wiped it off and it landed on the cobweb, burning through the sticky webbing. Zote pulled Life Ender free and turned to face his opponent…
Only to find Nosk looking above him, claws poised to strike.
Zote reacted instantly and out of fear, bringing Life Ender above his head in a feeble attempt to protect himself. Nosk dove and Zote prepared himself for death, hoping the ghosts weren’t lying when they said it was quick.
A screech rang through the air. Zote wasn’t affected, thinking it was his own. An eye dared to peer open and Zote was caught by surprise. Life Ender was embedded into Nosk’s swelling stomach, orange dripping down the blade and onto the ground.
Sudden anger took over. How dare this creature! The audacity, to copy his face, to bat him around like a mere plaything, to ruin his perfect Life Ender! It was simply unheard of! Zote gripped Life Ender with both hands. The Nosk scrambled above him, trying desperately to reach him with its claws.
Zote ignored the beast and pulled Life Ender free, rolling to the side to avoid the spray of Infection. The Nosk let out an ear piercing scream as it flailed, falling to the ground into the ever-growing pool of infection. Zote stood by, idle, watching the beast. He lifted his cloak and wiped the orange off of his nail.
At last, the creature was gone. All that remained was the mask it had bore. Zote’s mask. The horn was chipped, and it had a large crack on it from the destruction. Zote kicked it with a scowl and turned to the exit, pushing aside the debris.
At the end of the corridor was a small glowing rock. Zote blinked at it. A Pale Ore. Zote ran a hand over it, watching it for a moment.
A scoff. Bah. A useless thing. Zote turned away and marched out of the room. When he discovered the Hot Spring, he practically collapsed, enjoying the warm waters and soft light.