Chapter Text
Long ago Hallownest fell to ruin, and with it its once grand capital drifted into melancholy. Husks of its once great sentries and other small bugs roamed its soaked roads, rain pouring down as though a god were crying above it. Its height had faded and left it close to abandoned, though a few sane shells remained.
One of them was a mantis, up high behind glass and seated at a bench—watching the once glorious city below. Her eyes betrayed a mix of nostalgia and sadness, as well as a small spark of wonder that never seemed to fade. Her tall stature was slightly leaned down, looking at the husks that walked the streets far below with some interest.
That was until she heard a small patter behind her, and found a small bug. It had the bearing of a warrior, with a pale blue cloak and a worn nail that reminded her of the weapon at her side that she hadn’t lifted in some time. Her head slowly turned, and some surprise appeared on her face as she took in the emotionless stare of the one before her, who had walked right over and sat on the bench beside her without a second thought to the idea of her being a threat.
“Hello little warrior. You bear no fear here, before someone so much taller than you?”
The silence stretched like thread, her white and pale cloak a great contrast to the Knight’s dull blue. Their face reminded her of something long ago that she struggled to ignore—the face of a grander figure whose statue remained in the center of this very capital; where she usually found herself.
“Not a talker, hmm? Then would you be kind enough to listen? I haven’t had someone to talk to in…quite some time.”
Her eyes softened with loneliness, and she offered a small and kind smile, warm despite its weariness. Although the Knight didn’t speak, they didn’t move away either. They only stared up at the taller bug who contrasted the darkness of the room surrounding them both. Mysha took this as an invitation and shifted, moving one of her wrists behind her, just out of view.
“No sane bugs truly reside in this city any longer, aside from the relic seeker a little below and likely a few others. If you have any relics, I’d suggest giving them to him—unless you wish to decipher them yourself. Though, he offers much for them.”
She leaned down just slightly to see them better, before glancing back out through the glass once more. They were soaked from traversing the rainy streets, no doubt.
“You must be here to rest and dry off, though your stature alludes to a greater purpose. I’m sure mine is a little intriguing to you as well, considering you’ve found a mantis within the capital.”
She chuckled softly, her eyes watching rain drip down the glass, its scent seeming to infect even the room beyond its fragile layer. Her soft voice seemed to echo along the forgotten walls, mixing with the gentle patter of the rain on the glass a few feet away. The Knight still hadn’t left, seeming to follow her eyes, although it was hard to tell given their expression didn’t seem to shift. She leaned back into the metal bench as if it were made of soft cushions, eventually shutting her eyes—but she didn’t fade into the room, she still stood out as though she were a unique statue—her nail placed at the side of the bench, undrawn yet imposing in its size. It was as thin as a needle, meant for swift fights that relied more on agility than brute force—similar to what the knight had seen from the Mantis Lords a small while ago.
The knight nudged her, and she opened an eye to see them holding out a small charm. When she looked down, her gaze went wide, she looked like she’d seen a ghost.
The small Knight was holding a charm she remembered all too well—a mark of pride, from a village she was born in. One hand lifted and without thinking she gently took the charm from them. She examined its every detail as though she was trying to memorize it, and it looked exactly the same as she remembered. Her finger brushed over its slightly scratched front.
She looked at the Knight again, more seriously now, almost scanning them for injuries. When she found none, she exhaled.
“They don’t give these out very easily, you know. It’s been a long time for me, but I still know their rules, their views. They’re…”
She suddenly looked sad, holding out the charm again gingerly, claws barely touching it as it shimmered and in dim light, and she looked away.
“A very strong tribe. You should be proud to have such a thing.”
When the Knight took it back, their hand felt cold. Their stoic demeanor didn’t fade at her words, but she still believed they were listening.
“Your bearing resembles something old and forgotten, little one. Do you know this? Or are you ignorant of this Kingdom’s past? Something tells me otherwise.”
She tilted her head, looking back at them as they shifted to rise. She looked determined for a moment, something old flaring in her chest, blooming like a long dormant bud.
“…If you need something, you can find me here. Look in Lemm’s shop or the statue at the center of this place. It’s not like I do anything here, regardless.”
She offered a hand, a silent agreement, something old that was close to a reflex—a pledge of loyalty to this small knight.
They grasped her hand, their hand cold and unfeeling, Mysha’s callous and worn, before they left to continue their own journey—leaving her with the rain and her thoughts, the memories that charm and the Knight’s bearing had returned to her mind.
She eventually stood up, and while she usually stayed beneath the statue or at that bench, she found herself walking towards Lemm’s shop. He wasn’t the most hospitable and didn’t care for visitors, but she managed to converse with him a few times—as well as trade.
When she arrived, dry, she saw him polishing new relics—sorting through them, eagerly examining their every detail. She sat in as empty of a corner as she could, still tall enough to almost reach the top of the doorframe, and waited for him to notice her. After realizing he was completely engrossed in his relics she opted to call out to him instead.
“You saw the little one, I take it?”
Lemm visibly jumped, even if it was only slight, and glared at her he sighed and put down one of the countless wanderers journals that now littered his desk.
“What have I told you? If you have relics, then hurry with them. If not, don’t take up my shop.”
He seemed to register her question after another moment.
“…you mean the small knight? Yes, I saw them. They had many relics. I’m sure you can see that based on my desk. Is that why you intruded on my home?”
Despite her usual attitude she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, rising to stand before him at his desk, her arms draped across it with her cloak carefully placed over them. He could only see her hand, the claws on them, and the outline of her frame beneath her cloak. He also noticed the nail that she usually kept at her side in his shop was casually leaned against the doorway with care to avoid his collection. He couldn’t help but appreciate it, though was broken free of those thoughts when she spoke.
“No, I have something for you.”
She fished in her pocket with one hand and lifted up a King’s Idol—a beautiful, incredibly valuable relic that outclassed most of the things within his shop. It was something he paid a good chunk for, and she gingerly placed it on his desk with great care as though it were something far more precious to her. Lemm looked amazed at the sight of the pale relic, and noticed how her cloak matched its coloring—in fact, he realized how much she stood out compared to the colors surrounding them.
“A King’s Idol? I wouldn’t have taken you as the type to find relics—let alone keep them. I’ll get you some geo for it, just a moment.”
He paused as he went to retrieve her payment for the item, his mind replaying how carefully she’d offered it—and only now thinking about the slightest mix of melancholy and fondness in her eyes, something closer to regret.
“I usually give nine hundred, but this one seems…more valuable. No?”
She chuckled, waving her hand while leaving the other beneath her cloak.
“Please. Keep your geo, I have little need. It’s a gift.”
“There’s no way I could take this without-“
“Ah-ah. Just take it. You’re right, I’m not one for keeping relics. I just…had this one for a very long time. You’ll take good care of it, I’m sure.”
She smiled quite widely at him, wider than usual. There was something brighter about her expression, some kind of joy in seeing his own surprise and hidden joy at what she’d given him, and there was also trust there.
“Fine. I suppose you can stay in my shop for now, at the very least.”
It was strange to him. He’d never considered her a friend, but he started to think that maybe she had—and at this point, he felt like calling her one. He was never fond of company—but she had always been kind.
A part of him felt as though she were a relic, but he couldn’t figure out why, even as he watched her nod gracefully and seat herself in the same spot; similar to a guard at their post. He was fairly certain she’d play it off if he asked, so he didn’t yet. He went back to observing and polishing relics, moving first to polish the one she had given him. While it seemed old, it also seemed well cared for.
On the back he noticed a set of initials, marked “MF”. He took great interest in it, but left it for later. At some point he became so absorbed in his work and the sounds of the rain that he forgot she was there again—practically losing sense of his surroundings—it wasn’t uncommon.
But by the time a few hours had passed and he’d at the very least organized everything, placing everything on shelves and leaving her idol in a beautiful display case engraved with insignias, he finally looked back at where she had been the whole time.
Her steady presence remained, though she’d fallen asleep at some point. Her eyes looked tired even when shut. Lemm had half the mind to wake her up and kick her out like he usually would, but a bigger part of him entertained the idea of having another bug to share his shop with—a friend.
In his mind he see her either way, whether he noticed her at that statue nearby the few times he walked outside or she came here. Maybe he could finally ask her if she had any real historical knowledge, considering he’d always had an inkling that she did. Now that idol seemed to prove his theory.
He returned to his relics after watching her for a moment longer. He could bother her once she woke.