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Hegemol had always found packing to be rather boring, so he had decided to bring very little on the mission. He leaned against a wall and watched as his friends prepared their provisions. Ogrim hummed to himself as he put their rations into a sack, and Isma quietly worked alongside him. Dryya was discussing the mission with Ze’mer off to the side, fortunately, they hadn’t decided to include him in the conversation. Hegemol yawned and flicked his eyes over to a new arrival, who was approaching the edge of their clearing. He moved forward to intercept the bug, noticing the large greatnail he carried over his shoulder.
“I’m afraid that you are not allowed to be here, friend. Who allowed you through the east gate?”
The bug stopped and eyed the Great Knight, “I was told to come to this location, by my master. I was sent by the Great Nailsage to accompany you on your mission.”
Hegemol raised his eyebrows and looked to see Dryya approaching from where she and Ze’mer had been talking, “We asked for the Nailsage himself, not his apprentice.” Dryya said while looking the bug up and down, analyzing him. “Who are you?”
The bug set the point of his nail on the ground and bowed deeply. “I am Sheo, one of the few pupils chosen by the Great Nailsage to be taught his skill. He has entrusted me to go in his place with the five Great Knights of Hallownest on a covert mission to an unnamed location outside of Hallownest’s bounds. If you do not desire my company, then I will leave immediately and you may seek my master yourself.” He remained with his head bowed, not saying a word.
The knights looked at one another, seeming to communicate silently through their expressions. They all seemed surprised that Sheo knew that much about the mission.
Dryya broke the silence and turned to Sheo, “If the Nailsage has chosen you to go in his stead, then I believe that you must be capable of making this journey.”
Ze’mer nodded. “I agree, but Le'mer must understand that this assignment is not to be spoken of to any outside of ourselves.”
Sheo nodded, but kept his head bowed. Dryya and Ze’mer looked at Hegemol expectantly.
He sighed, “Very well, but get your nose out of the dirt. We don’t bow to one another.”
“It is a simple sign of respect to those that are above my own station, I did not mean any offense.” Sheo straightened up and put his greatnail over his shoulder. “I am very grateful for your decision.”
Dryya over her shoulder at Ogrim and Isma, who had just finished packing. She then addressed them as a whole. “If all of us are ready to depart, then we will leave immediately. She glanced around for confirmation, everyone nodded in return. “Very well, but I must warn everyone again that we will be leaving the borders of the kingdom.” She looked pointedly at Sheo. “We will not be sustained by the Pale King's will anymore, we will be relying on our own minds until we can make our way back to Hallownest. Now, let’s move out.”
The group set into motion immediately, slinging packs over their back and beginning to march down the road. Isma smiled and handed Sheo a sack, which he took without any protest. They were already at the edge of the kingdom, where few bugs lived. If they were to travel much further, they would reach the end of the Pale King’s influence. They emerged into an enormous cavern, where ash floated down from the sky and covered their clothes. Sheo craned his neck and looked towards the roof of the cavern, which seemed to stretch endlessly upward. Booflies floated lazily about, drifting through the air without a care in the world. Sheo brushed ash off of his shoulder and shrugged his pack into a more comfortable position.
They trekked for several hours, leaving the ash-filled caverns and entering into a tight system of dark caves with just enough room for Hegemol to fit into. Each one of them pulled out a lumafly lantern and clutched them close to their chests as they navigated through the caves. Dryya walked at the front of the group, holding a device in her hand that Sheo assumed was some form of map. They all began to feel a weight settle on their minds the farther they got from the kingdom’s edge, their shoulders drooping and footsteps becoming unsure. The caves ended abruptly, opening into a wide, flat plane with rocks jutting out at certain points. Dryya waved them forward and led them in a straight line across the rocky plane.
Eventually they arrived at the edge of what someone might call a forest. Twisted and gnarled roots formed an impenetrable border of thorny tentacles. The roots left a gap in the form of an arched tunnel, which seemed to be the only point of entry. Dryya held up her hand to halt the troop. “We will set up camp here and sleep, we should recover our minds before we continue any further.” They set down their packs and Ze’mer made a fire from some of their resources. She began to heat up a meal as everyone else settled down on the ground. Hegemol sighed as he sat down and leaned his back against a large rock as they all began to chat amongst themselves. As Ze’mer distributed food, Hegemol noticed Sheo sitting outside of the ring of knights. He stood up and strolled over with a bowl of food. He waited patiently in front of Sheo for him to finish what he was doing. Sheo’s head was bowed and his nail was laid off to the side, wrapped neatly in a red cloth.
He grunted and looked up, finally noticing Hegemol standing there. “Ah, Hegemol, what is it that you want?”
Hegemol smiled and proffered the bowl to him. “I simply came to offer you some food, and perhaps even ask how your day has been.”
Sheo looked at the bowl, “My master has taught me to fast for many days, I am grateful for the offer but I am not hungry.”
Hegemol looked him in the eye sternly, “You will eat when in our company, I do not give mind to a master that starves his students.”
Sheo took the bowl hesitantly, “Thank you.”
Hegemol smiled and sat down. “Now, how has the mission gone for you so far?”
“The pressure on my mind is relentless, I cannot help but be curious as to how we are able to continue without losing our minds. Shouldn’t we have devolved into savageness by now?”
Hegemol shifted in his seat, “It is hard on all of us, but as a group we are able to form a shield against it. The Pale King allows us a small fraction of his power, that is why we can survive in these conditions.” He turned his head and stared off into the distance. “Bugs are able to exist without the aid of a higher being, but they must be of strong mind to do so. That is why we were chosen to be Great Knights.”
Sheo gazed off into the distance with Hegemol, contemplating his past lessons with the Nailsage. “Do you know why my master had rejected the title of Great Knight?”
Hegemol’s tipped his head to the side, “I have wondered that for some time, has he told you?”
“He told me of his distaste for the King’s ways, but he made sure to be clear that he did not hate the king himself.” Sheo saw Hegemol’s confused expression and cleared his throat before continuing. “To put it simply, the Nailsage dislikes politics. But there is more to it than that. My master stresses the difference between honor and dignity. One is directed at the benefit of others, and the other is toward yourself” Hegemol nodded slowly, but stayed silent. Sheo turned to look at Hegemol, meeting his eyes. “Do you fight for honor Hegemol?”
Hegemol did not respond and he looked off into the distance again. The two of them sat together in silence for a while, the wind gently brushing against them.
Hegemol moved suddenly, heaving himself up to his feet. “Well, Ze’mer has told me that she did not bring her typical stories tonight. I believe she has come with something different for us.” The Great Knight grinned at Sheo and gestured to the fire.
Sheo glanced around at where he was sitting, then looked to where the other four knights sat laughing with each other. He smiled and stood up, grabbing his nail and walking over to the fire with Hegemol. Isma smiled at him and patted a spot on the ground next to her, prompting Sheo to sit. As everyone began to settle down, Ze’mer leaned in over the fire.
She grinned and began her tale.
“ How many questions can one bug ask? What is life? Who am I? Why am I here? Scarlet fire, deepest shadows, and radiant light cannot answer these things, but what even are they? If one being were to know the answers, what would they do with them?
There was once a bug that knew every answer in the world, but she had never been asked a question. She lived in a small town, full of old, young, rich, and poor. Every day she would sit on the corner of a street humming to herself while watching the other inhabitants of the town pass by. The town called her Esna, but they had never bothered to ask for her name.
Then one day she was asked a question by a young bug with rosy cheeks and bare feet: ‘Esna, why do you sit here every day?’
She answered him simply, ‘I am waiting.’ The little bug seemed dissatisfied with the answer, but they soon wandered away. Esna went back to her humming, but she picked up a stone off of the ground and began rolling it between her fingers.
Eventually, a large, sturdy bug strolled over to her and asked her a question too. ‘Esna, who am I?’ Esna smiled at the bug, for she knew what the bug meant, and whispered in his ear. What she said is to remain a secret, but that bug went on to become a legend known by many. Esna picked up yet another stone from the ground, and went back to humming her tune.
A rich, noble-looking bug passed her by, his face was puffed white and his belly bulged as an obvious sign of his habits. Perhaps this nobleman would not have stopped for her on any other day, but today she caught his eye. The rich bug stepped off to the side and knelt beside Esna. He smiled at her, and asked her a third question. “Esna, why am I rich?” Esna knew what he meant, and she told him why. But these words will also remain a secret. She found one more stone, adding it to the other two stones that she had already collected.
At the end of the day, everyone would run to their homes to sleep. They all feared the nighttime, though Esna did not think the same. She still sat on her street corner humming to herself, whilst every other bug hid from the darkness. Esna knew what was in the shadows, even though she had not seen it. Today, that thing came to her. A large beast emerged from the darkness, and came to stand directly in front of Esna. Esna did not flinch before the beast, she simply continued rolling her stones between her fingers..
The beast opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth and a forked tongue. Esna was not afraid. ‘Esna,’ the beast said in a gruff voice, ‘Why don’t you fear me?’
Esna held out her three stones to the beast. ‘Those that are wise would fear the unknown, and those that seek answers are not afraid of knowing the least. I have known everything, so what do I have to fear? These stones are marks of the people that are brave enough to seek the answers.’ Esna selected one last stone from the ground. ‘This stone is a mark of your fear of me, know this and do not lay eyes upon this village again. If I ever come to know your presence again, you will never speak your mind unless it is to utter a last word. I know your deepest thoughts, and I will break them. Leave me now.’ The beast retreated silently into the darkness and ran as far as it could. The village no longer feared the darkness, and they were never afraid of the unknown. ”
Ze’mer stood up and began preparing for the night. The group remained silent for a few moments afterwards and Hegemol smirked at Sheo’s expression, who was rather confused at the tale.
Isma noticed his expression too, and laughed. “Don’t worry if you don’t understand Ze’mer’s stories, we don’t understand them either.” Ze’mer flashed her a look and Isma grinned.
Sheo cleared his throat, “But what was the lesson of the story?”
Ze’mer cocked her head and looked at him, confused. “Lesson?”
“Yes, what was the message?”
Ze’mer tipped her head back, thinking about the question. She looked back at Sheo and smiled, “Che’ supposes that it is to never fear what might seem daunting, and to instead let Le’mer’s own freedom become their light.”
Still quite confused, Sheo shrugged and began setting up his bedroll. He froze when he heard the snapping of a twig and sweeped his eyes around, searching for the source of the sound. He glanced at the Great Knights, who seemingly had also heard the sound. He moved his hand over to his nail, still wrapped in a red cloth.
A terrifying sound pierced the air in the form of a hideous whooping noise. It overlapped itself, echoing through the air and shaking Sheo to the core. He spotted glowing eyes in the darkness around him that began creeping closer. He grabbed his nail and backed away, the six warriors forming a ring around the fire, Ze’mer and Dryya on either side of him. The eyes got closer to the ring of light, revealing beasts with long limbs and lanky bodies. They snarled and twitched in a disturbing manner, crawling closer. Sheo should have been scared, but the Nailsage's lessons rang true in his mind.
The creatures cried out and leapt forward, reaching out with their claws and whooping with excitement.
The six of them immediately sprung into action. Sheo slashed outwards with his nail, cutting a beast across the chest bringing his nail back around to lodge in another one’s side. Ze’mer swept her intricate greatnail through the air slicing clean through the creatures, she spun and flowed like she was in an intricate dance. Dryya fought with much more precision, her feet moved swiftly and surely. Her pinblade stabbed in and out, piercing one creature then moving to the next. Ogrim moved like a blur. He swiped at the approaching creatures with his claws, leaving them in a heap on the ground. Hegemol fought with a distinctly heavier style, and these creatures seemed difficult for him to deal with. He was grappling with four of the beasts, cursing as they shrieked and howled at him. He grabbed one in his fist and, ignoring the others, and slammed it into the ground. He practically brushed the others off. Sheo huffed as he thrusted his greatnail through one last creature and glanced around, they had finished the last of the beasts.
Isma sat calmly on the ground next to multiple corpses humming quietly to herself. Had Sheo seen her even raise a finger during the incursion? Ogrim wandered over to where Isma was sitting, and Dryya sat down to wipe off her pinblade. They gathered around the fire once more, and Ogrim blew on it to get it going again.
They all acted as if nothing had happened at all, so Sheo didn’t say anything. They all fell asleep with Ogrim taking watch duty.
\ - /
Sheo was shaken awake to find Ogrim’s smiling face staring down at him. “Ah, good morning, Sheo, we’ll be leaving rather soon. You should wake up before we get moving.” Ogrim offered his claw and he pulled Sheo off of the ground. The rest of the camp was packed up, so Sheo quickly rolled up his bedroll and got ready to leave. Isma waved her hand at Sheo, “We won’t be bringing our things with us, you can leave that here.” Sheo nodded and laid his pack on the ground.
The group marched over to the wall of gnarled roots and Dryya turned to address them. “Just to remind you all, we are not sure of what exactly lies in this forest, but we are confident that it is dangerous. We will likely receive some resistance from those same creatures that attacked last night, so be ready for a fight. We are not aware of the nature of this forest, so it might hold secrets and things never seen before.”
Dryya turned and led them into the dark forest. As soon as Sheo entered, he felt a weight slam against his mind. Ogrim noticed him stagger and held out his arm to help. He felt the pressure disappear and Isma smiled at him assuringly.
They could hear distant whooping noises, presumably from the same creatures from before. The dark forest suppressed any emotion, the only one of them with a smile was Ogrim. He whistled a quick and haunted tune that fit the mood perfectly. Dryya constantly had her hand on her pinblade, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Sheo snapped his head to the side, sweeping his eyes through the forest. He squinted into the darkness, he could have sworn that he had seen Oro standing there. What is he doing in this forest?
Hegemol put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him forward. “Remember, these woods are strange. I wouldn’t believe anything that you might see.” Sheo continued walking, but he kept his eye out for the phantom Oro. The group emerged into a large clearing, and in the center there was a large figure with roots spiraling off of it into the ground.
Ze’mer muttered something under her breath in another language. “Merciful Wyrm, it’s a root.”
Isma shook her head, “Not only is it that, but it has grown far larger than our Queen has. This entire forest must be its body.” A pair of eyes opened on the figure that glowed with a sinister violet light. Sheo gasped and nearly fell over.
A booming voice came from the root’s mouth. “Small things, why have you wandered into my domain? You have slain my children and intruded upon my territory! Why have you come here?”
Hegemol stepped forward, his massive form almost dwarfed by the large root. “We came from the kingdom of Hallownest, and our king has ordered us to come to investigate an encroaching force on his realm. Is it you that has been creeping into his lands?”
The root chuckled, “Ah yes, the foolish wyrm. What idiocy for him to build such a kingdom that is doomed to fall. I much preferred the way it was before, an empty land with pockets of life that blossomed with beauty. But all that is gone, is it not? Even Unn has fallen silent as a result of the Wyrm’s meddling. He has suppressed everything that might oppose him. That is why you are here, is it not?”
Hegemol hesitated, “You knew the land before the King?”
The root laughed, “I am the Dark Root, I was here long before the Wyrm came. This land around you has been mine for centuries, and my children have walked it ever since it was made. You are trespassing !” Creatures began to make their way out of the forest and into the clearing. Sheo touched his hand to his nail’s hilt, seeing Ze’mer and Dryya doing the same.
Hegemol narrowed his eyes, “You were first to intrude upon our kingdom, we came in response to an unclear threat.”
The Dark Root glared at Hegemol, “Nevertheless, you are outside of your domain and within my own. I shall deal with trespassers as I please.” The creatures began to crawl closer, there were a lot more than last time.
Hegemol still stood in front of the Dark Root, not moving to face the creatures. “Dark Root, You have declared hostility between us. We have no choice but to eliminate you and any of your followers that pose a threat to us.” Hegemol spun around and shouted at the five warriors, “GO!” He slammed his fist into the ground, sending a shockwave outwards that knocked the creatures back. The six of them charged towards the fallen beasts and lay into them. The creatures snarled and hissed as Sheo swung his nail and sliced two of them across the chest. He stepped into a thrust, his nail piercing through one the beasts. He stepped back and slashed horizontally, cutting down three more. Sheo fought like that for several minutes before he stumbled and the creatures swarmed over him, whooping with delight.
Then Ogrim was there. He laughed as he tore the creatures from on top of Sheo and threw them away. He moved so nimbly that Sheo couldn’t comprehend what he was doing. The creatures screamed and switched their focus to him, allowing Sheo to get to his feet. Ogrim grinned at him and leaped away, spinning through the air and landing amidst another cluster of beasts.
Sheo took a step forward but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Ze’mer standing there with her greatnail held in her other hand. “Le’mer, you should recover yourself, we can handle this.” She gripped her greatnail in both hands and cut into the creatures. Ze’mer twirled around, spinning her greatnail in a beautiful manner. Any creature that got too close was immediately sliced in half.
Sheo froze as he heard a jarring scream and turned to see Hegemol punching the Dark Root. The great knight drew back his fist and slammed it into the root’s body, provoking another scream. The creatures all stopped attacking in response to the Dark Root’s pain and began twitching. Hegemol pulled back and punched again, this time Sheo heard an ear-splitting crack. The guttural shriek that came from the Dark Root forced Sheo to hold his ears and fall to his knees. The creatures all collapsed and tendrils erupted from the ground, wrapping around Hegemol, who bellowed and tore himself from their grip.
The Dark Root shouted in desperation, “I have lived for centuries! You are unworthy to take the life of a higher being!” Sheo gasped as he felt an umeasurable power slam itself against his mind, the Dark Root was trying to destroy his mind. He fell to his knees and pounded the ground with his fist as his mind was attacked from all sides. Sheo looked around to see the other knights struggling as well. Isma stood completely still with her eyes shut tight, a bead of sweat rolling down her face. Ogrim knelt on the ground, surrounded by corpses. Ze’mer clutched her head and groaned as Dryya put her arm around her for support.
Hegemol ignored the pain and clasped his hands together above his head, then he brought them down onto the Dark Root. A fracture ran its way up the Dark Root’s body, and a dark violet energy exploded out of it. Sheo covered his eyes and shielded his ears from the terrible screeching sound that pierced the air.
Sheo heard thumping feet and felt Hegemol’s rough hand grab him by the shoulder. “Come on!” Hegemold shouted. The two of them ran towards the edge of the clearing where the other four were running to. The air began to swirl and violet light emanated from behind them. The screaming followed them as they ran through the withering forest. The roots thrashed about and keeled over as the Dark Root died. Sheo stumbled but Hegemol pulled him upright and shoved him forward. The group burst out of the edge of the forest and turned to watch the death of the Dark Root. Violet light emanated from the center of the forest. The screaming still reached their ears and the wind howled violently. They watched as the light exploded outwards in a wave of energy that washed over the forest and stopped before reaching the knights.
Sheo sat down on the ground and gasped for air, while the other knights simply stood and gazed at the dead forest. After a moment, they walked over to where they had left their belongings and began packing everything. Sheo slowed his breaths and began his meditation process. Had they just killed a higher being? Sheo heard footsteps approaching and opened his eyes to see Dryya standing in front of him with her hands behind her back.
Sheo narrowed his eyes and stood up, “You didn’t tell me that we were going to murder a god.”
Dryya’s expression remained neutral, “They are not gods, they are higher beings. And we were unsure if we would actually kill the Dark Root or not. It was decided in the moment.”
“You were sent specifically to kill it, why else would the king send you here?”
Dryya remained silent for a moment before responding. “I do as the Pale King commands me. I cannot disobey him, or else it would foil my sense of honor.”
Sheo shook his head, “That is not honor, that is dignity.” He stood up and saw Hegemol staring at him, but he looked away and began picking up his bedroll. The group silently began the trek back to the land of Hallownest.
As they got close to the kingdom’s borders, Sheo felt the weight lift from his mind. He straightened up and glanced over at Hegemol, who still seemed exhausted. They soon arrived at the kingdom’s edge, and they set their packs on the ground.
Hegemol approached Sheo and laid a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry that we didn’t warn you of our full mission, you should have been made aware of our true intent in that forest.”
“Do you regret what you did?” Sheo asked, removing Hegemol’s hand. “Do you regret killing the Dark Root?”
Hegemol’s expression turned somber and his shoulders drooped. “I cannot say that I regret it, for it was my duty. But I know that it was wrong to kill a higher being such as it was.”
“Then why would you subject yourself to such a life of murder? Why do you choose to be a servant to the Pale King?” Sheo asked.
“I have an oath, and I must maintain it. I have sworn myself to the King, and I cannot go back on my word. Despite what you might think of the King, and what you have seen of me, please do not think me heartless.” Hegemol knelt down onto one knee and looked into Sheo’s eyes. “I regret many things that I have done in the past, and I wish so desperately to take them all back. But I am bound to this life, and I cannot leave it.”
Sheo looked at the ground and thought about what Hegemol had said. He quietly turned away from the five Great Knights and slung his bag over his back. He squeezed his eyes shut, putting one foot in front of the other, knowing that he could never speak to anyone of what he had seen. He would be alone with this guilt. Forever.