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A strong wind swept relentlessly across the barren wastelands, blowing at the hunter’s red cloak and causing its various folds to flutter about around her. Ignoring the air whipping furiously against her mask, she stared into the distance, gaze not truly fixed on anything but instead taking in the entire view.
Little time had passed since Hornet had emerged triumphant from The Abyss, bringing with her a shaken but uninjured silkborn who she had called her enemy not long ago, only to truly realise the state that Pharloom was in. Despite now being free from the haunting as well as the void tendrils that had dug their claws into the lands, the total carnage left upon the kingdom in the wake of the disaster had not disappeared along with its former monarch.
Despite still being exhausted from her confrontation with the darkness itself, when Lace requested to see the extent of the destruction for herself, Hornet had agreed to accompany her. If she truly wanted to witness what had become of the only place she had ever known, she deserved to see that wish fulfilled.
The two had taken the bellways up to The Citadel in an uneasy silence until finally getting off at their destination where Hornet could only stand back and watch solemnly as Lace took in the destruction that her actions had resulted in. She betrayed no signs of remorse for the collateral damage that had been caused by what was supposed to be a final act of rebellion against her Mother, nor did she seem to mourn the destruction of the halls she had been forced to call home for so long. However, there was a hint of sorrow nevertheless. Sorrow not for what was, but instead what could have been.
They climbed over the piles of rubble that were once towering spires now reduced to nothing but debris that the two bugs made their way over effortlessly. The only noise that filled the grand halls was the tapping of their footsteps upon the floor that echoed off of the walls and all around the space. This was the first time either of them had seen the Choral Chambers truly devoid of all music. Even while haunted, the voices of the choir had carried on and were only now silenced by death.
Not a word was shared between Hornet and Lace as they continued their climb to the summit of Pharloom. The silkborn never slowed down once to gaze upon the wreckage but instead kept climbing upwards, each movement calculated and intentional as if she had done this a thousands of times. In fact, she likely had due to most of her life having taken place within The Citadel, trapped within a gilded cage.
Hornet had followed right behind her, letting Lace lead the way since she clearly knew where she wanted to go and how to get there.
Now, they stood here together at the summit of the world.
Lace looked out into the vast expanse of nothingness, the empty wastes too similar to the oblivion that had nearly claimed her life such a short time ago. The dust blew at her face relentlessly and she lifted her arm to shield her face from the harsh winds, turning to face away from the direction of their source during a particularly strong gust and instead looking to Hornet. The spider’s gaze was fixed directly ahead, the winds blowing against her mask relentlessly, though she seemed to pay no mind to it. The folds of her red cloak fluttered around her, the soft noise of the fabric rustling being drowned out by the howling all around them.
Lace’s own gaze slowly followed Hornet’s back to the desolate lands before them, the silken heart within her chest beating wildly. Looking out upon these ruined lands that spread as far as the eye could see, she was left to wonder if there was truly anything out there beyond these swirling clouds of dust. It felt as if there was no world beyond Pharloom, the only company one would have out there being the wind and their own thoughts. That idea terrified Lace, and she hated herself for feeling such a way.
“You truly hail from somewhere out there, spider? I find it hard to believe that there is anything out there at all, let alone another civilization.” Hornet nodded, not averting her eyes from the wastes before them.
“Indeed I do, though while my homeland was also underground, the surface was near identical to how it is here. I suspect that just like The Abyss below, this barren expanse spreads across the entire world.”
Lace listened to her speak, dropping her gaze to the ground beneath them as she processed these words for a moment before speaking again. “...What is it like out there?”
Hornet finally turned to look at the silken being, considering how to word what she planned to say. She knew why Lace was asking this and while she didn’t want to deter her from making whatever choice she saw fit, the spider felt obligated to warn her of the harshness beyond.
“The wastes are an unforgiving place where very few survive and none truly thrive. While day and night do exist, no rays of light are able to pierce through the never ending storm and because of this food is scarce, as is warmth. The only shelter that can be found is the ruins of old villages and perhaps a cavern that one could rest within. It would be near impossible to survive staying in only one place as the only effective means of survival I have heard of myself is to always stay on the move, scavenging through old supply carts from when the trade routes were still active. During my brief times in the wastes, conflicts were not an issue, though this was likely only due to the fact that I never encountered another living soul. To make it out there would require survival skills, keen senses and some amount of luck.”
Lace showed no reaction as Hornet spoke of the desolate expanse, face betraying no emotion. If she was being honest with herself, some elements of it almost reminded her of the oblivion she had nearly been lost to, the winds beginning to warp into thrashing tendrils of void the longer she stared at them. Lace wasn’t sure she could bring herself to step out into such isolation ever again.
“...I am not sure where I wish to go anymore,” she finally spoke, the simple statement hanging heavy in the frigid air. Lace elaborated no further, however there was no need. Hornet understood what she was implying.
“It is understandable that you are unsure whether you want to remain here. After all, you’ve been left with either the option to stay in a place that is home to all the hardships you have ever experienced or to walk into a complete unknown filled with challenges you have never known before,” Hornet offered her sympathies, feeling her heart ache slightly for Lace. She was being put in a situation that would force her to confront the very nature of her existence with whatever choice she made, one by learning to accept this place despite its ties to her creation and the other by pushing past the purpose she was created for and instead learning how to survive only for herself.
Silence stretched between them once more as the tension that had built up seemed to soften the howling of the wastelands, as if the winds were much further away than they truly were. Then, Lace finally asked the question that she had not found the right moment to voice but had been turning over in her mind ever since being pulled from the grasp of The Void.
“Where are you going to go now, spider?”
Hornet was somewhat taken aback by the question, not having anticipated that Lace would inquire about her own intentions going forward, though she quickly replied, clearly having already given the matter some thought.
“I will be staying here, at least for some time. The lands which I once stood protector of have long fallen and while I will always remain the daughter of Hallownest, there is nothing left for me to do there. I am unsure if I will ever be able to fully see Pharloom as my home, there are bugs who do see it that way who will need help rebuilding their lives. And until that task is complete, I think that I, too, can call it my home.
Lace let the words sink in and settle within her mind, slowly turning her head to look at the small formation of rocks that the two had rested their weapons against. The hivesteel of Hornet’s needle lacked its usual bright glint as there was no light up here at the top of the world to bring out its intricate pattern, as was the same for Lace’s gilded pin that looked somewhat dulled by time due to the shadows and with dark stains left upon it by The Void.
Despite the difference in the two weapons, having come from entirely different kingdoms, Lace found that both clearly showed the stories that they held. One worn down by time and countless battles only to be reforged into something stronger, while the other that had started out pristine had been slowly damaged by neglect and lack of proper care, now showing every mark ever left upon it.
Lace then turned her gaze back to Hornet, who was looking at her as if she truly saw her as a life worth saving. She felt her silken heart speed up within her chest, the rest of the world feeling distant as she took in this new sense of ease that she felt. Lace’s eyes flickered between Hornet’s face and one of her hands for a brief moment before slowly reaching out, tentatively at first, but eventually taking the spider’s hand in her own, claws lightly brushing against each other.
“Hm, then I suppose I’ll stay as well.”