- Location
- Quebec
I want Knight to destroy Sion and the Endbringers... because nothing say I am a God like Casually destroying Abominations.
Journey of Wyrms and Gods (Hollow Knight x Worm crossover)
- Thread starter Lleh
- Start date
- Crossover
- Location
- US
Personally, I hope this story focuses more on the ISOT aspect, or local/city/state level. Bringing Scion into this is unlikely to make for a good story, unless it's very brief or tangential.
None of the bugs really have anything that could even hurt an endbringer, much less scion. Some of the unfortunate aspects of scion are how large he is, how hard it is to hit him, and how hard it is to damage him if you were able to hit him. If you don't have some exotic workaround, you will never be able to kill him.
The Knights nail likely wouldn't be able to do more than surface level damage, if that, and it definitely wouldn't be able to destroy enough volume even if it could cut through scion like butter, and he was at the main body with no impediments and was swinging the nail the whole time for a year. Scion is the size of a planet. The knight may be far more powerful than any of the other bugs... but it still isn't unlimited.
Tisaku
Head Chief Thinkomancer
Hallownest
- Location
- Quebec
...You do know this Story is Based on the God Ending, right? Knight has become Void Given Focus, it's the THING in the NOTHING. I doubt Scion can deal with an Actual God.
Subrosian_Smithy
endless
- Location
- Washington
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Hers
Mmm, the protagonist has to siphon SOUL from others in order to regenerate it, but there's a good chance that's only because they don't have a soul of their own: they're a vessel and a metaphysically empty creature of void, so their circumstances are pretty special.
Not that ordinary bugs can't steal SOUL if they put their minds to it; the Soul Master can attest to that.
The Radiance is scary, and the Knight is scarier for having beaten her, but both of their feats are pretty lacking compared to Scion. None of the Higher Beings have shown anything even close to his raw power or experience.
The Knight's only chance is if he can somehow fight Scion on equal footing in his dreamscape, but dream combat only worked on the Radiance to begin with because she was a purely spiritual entity and could be suppressed on that level. The Knight has never shown the ability to kill embodied creatures by killing their dreamselves, and there's no particular indication that Scion's dreamself would itself any weaker than his physical body in the real world (in fact, every dream boss has been much more powerful than their real-world counterpart).
- Location
- The City of Tears, Hallownest
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I dunno about that, Ending 4 implies that the force of The Knight's ascension, without the delicate flower as a focusing barrier, destroyed the godseeker and possibly all of Hallownest (given the lack of the hornet+ HLK cutscene from ending 5) even from the Godseeker's dream realm, so I'd say the god of gods is pretty powerful, wether this is particularly relevant to this story, because hornet is the main character? who knows.
- Location
- Florida
It's a modified ending that is heavily based off ending 2 (void heart) and ending 5
- Location
- The City of Tears, Hallownest
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Are you talking about the ending this story is following? because I figured that, I was using ending 4 as an example of how powerful the GOG is (very)
Subrosian_Smithy
endless
- Location
- Washington
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Hers
What? That's complete supposition, and not even based on evidence. Hornet (and the figure we assume to be HK) appear in both Godseeker endings - the only difference is whether the Godseeker's void-erupting body can be visibly seen to disappear (if she's been given a Delicate Flower) or if the camera simply cuts away.
We have absolutely no information about the agenda of the Lord of Shades in canon (save its willingness to kill the Radiance) or its level of power in physical reality (save that it can manifest tentacles and someone mysteriously disappears around it). There's no indication that the LoS is capable of destroying an entire kingdom, and even if it could do that, and even if we assumed Hallownest existed on the scale of a human civilization, that would still be absolute chump change compared to Scion, who has a foothold across uncountable planets and erases continents for fun.
The only thing the HK setting has over the wormverse is the esoteric dream+soul manipulation. There's no point in entertaining a contest of biggatons which it's sure to lose.
Can we all stop sucking the dicks of all our favorite characters? Great now we can get back on track with this amazing story.
I always enjoy city building fics, and regardless if this one ends up being one I can honestly say that I'm very interested in this fic! I cant wait to see how this crosses over with worm, and I hope to see more esoteric and eldritch proof of the not so little knight.
I always enjoy city building fics, and regardless if this one ends up being one I can honestly say that I'm very interested in this fic! I cant wait to see how this crosses over with worm, and I hope to see more esoteric and eldritch proof of the not so little knight.
- Location
- Florida
Thank you. I love city builders 2 I just needed to get all this early disaster maintenance out of the way. there will be more city building elements to come definitely. and I don't want to say if we'll get more knight because that would be a spoiler.
we will. S***'s going to hit the fan.
Constitution: Part 6
- Location
- Florida
Once there was a Ship of Stone, That orbited a mighty Star, And from it flew the First Ship's crew, Whose children we all are.
- Kathy Mar: Ship of Stone
Constitution: Part 6
Hornet opened her palm and focused her mind. Like water from a cup, the warmth flowed into her hand, and then out of it. A small ball of pure light appeared, replacing the ambient blue of the cave.
Soul.
It was the lifeblood of bugs, or at least that was what Hornet had been told. Soul was supposed to be the energy that gave life to bugs, and sometimes took it. Manipulation of this power could be used to create spells or animate beings.
During the nascent days of the kingdom, the practice of Soul manipulation was shunned and tabooed. Hornet knew that this was not done in jealousy, but in fear. Soul manipulation was powerful and dangerous; the Soul Sanctum proved that.
When societal order had been breaking down, and the infection of Old Light ran rampant, some scholars had secluded themselves in the Soul Sanctum. They had believed that Soul could save them from the Radiance. They were wrong, but before they finally fell, the masters killed hundreds of bugs.
Her father used it.
Soul was one of the materials the king used to create his automatons; and his hollow children, the vessels.
Her little sibling, the knight, and Void had used it. It was one of the reasons he was so proficient in his attacks. He could use Soul, and so could Hollow Knight.
Hornet couldn't use Soul. She'd never learned how, and had no natural ability to use it. That was until today, of course. Her sibling had done something, whatever the flower was, and now she could use Soul. It opened up many questions for the young queen.
She knew that she could project, launch, and infuse the energy. She knew that after using a sufficient amount, she became tired. After time spent, the resting Soul seemed to regenerate. Hornet still felt tired, but nowhere near the amount, she'd felt after she defeated the sister lords. It also came more naturally than she expected, but that was possibly due to Hornet's divine ancestry.
But…
How long could she use it? If she ran out of Soul, would she die? What were the ways to regain Soul? What were the limitations? Where did it come from?
Too many questions.
With a small sigh, Hornet dissipated the little sun in her hand. The blue of the cave returned to dominance.
"L...Old Stag, how much longer till we arrive at the Gardens?"
"Not much longer, my princess." There was a pause before the stag spoke again, "Princess, if you don't mind me asking, was that Soul you were using?"
There was a second where Hornet thought to deny it, but decided against it; Old Stag was too old to be tricked so easily.
"It is. May I ask why you ask?"
"Well, you see, the last bug I saw use Soul was a little Knight."
Hornet could hear the affection in the Stag's voice. She shook her head; it seemed the young god had impacted almost everyone.
"He was my sibling."
"Oh, really? He did a lot for me. Helped me reclaim my memories to find the stag nest and those little ones." Hornet glanced at the stag kids playing with Childgrimm.
"Where is the little guy?"
"He defeated Old Light." Hornet paused, thinking. How was she going to describe this part? "And… then... he became a god?"
"Ha...like your father, the king?"
Hornet thought about it. That was a good question. Before he became the Pale King, her father was a great Wyrm — a Higher Being like the White Lady and Radiance. It was common knowledge to the kingdom, if a bit vague on the details. Hornet couldn't place where the feeling was coming from, but something was telling her that something was different when it came to her little sibling.
"I think my sibling is… far-"
"I'm sorry, my princess, but it seems we have arrived!"
They had; the darkness of the Stag Way was overtaken by light. It took but a moment for her eyes to adjust, but soon Hornet found her surroundings dominated by the beautiful green of the Queen's Garden.
Once, long ago, the Gardens were a part of Unn's domain of Green Path. Legends say that Unn had dreamed the plants, creatures, and all of Green Path into existence. Then her father came and brought order to Hollownest.
His queen, the White Lady, had, at some point, taken part of Green Path for herself. How she had done so without a fight was beyond Hornet. It was here in the Gardens that Hornet's surrogate mother retreated when the Radiance spread through the kingdom unchecked.
Hornet took a second to secure the Hive Queen egg on her back before jumping off.
"Thank you, Old Stag; this is appreciated."
The old bearded face of the stag split into a smile. "My pleasure, princess, and don't hesitate to ring the bell if you ever need these old legs."
Hornet gave a small nod before looking over to her companion. The Childgrimm was flying around the little stags, making all sorts of chirps. For their part, the children were doing their best to swat the pyro-menace.
"Come, Grimm," called Hornet before he could set fire to anything.
Begrudgingly, the flyer followed her down the winding paths of the Gardens. Like most of Hollownest, the track had three significant features. First was the corpses of monsters and infected bugs that Hornet was pretty sure had been cut down by the little knight. Hornet idly noted that a not-insignificant amount of those were renegade mantises.
Second, there was the occasional creature. Either a bug that was far too gone to remember their previous existence, or had never had a mind. It took Hornet mere moments to dispatch them.
The last was the cured — lost, and afraid bugs that were enthralled to the Radiance's light and were now freed. Hornet pointed them all towards the Stag Way with instructions to go to Dirtmouth or another safe place.
Soon the pair found themselves at the heart of Queen's Garden. The cocoon of the Queen dominated the center of the chamber. The Queen's pale tendrils stretched from the closed shell and reached into the earth around.
There was one way in and out to speak to the old Queen of Hollownest. Her most loyal servant protected it.
Hornet walked between the fallen forms of the Traitor mantises that lay dead and broken on the chamber's floor. Ani, the Traitor Lord of the Mantis Tribe, had openly accepted the Radiance's infection. It gave him strength but drove him deeper and deeper into madness. Ani and his followers broke with their tribe and tried to kill the White Lady.
Hornet knelt next to the body of the defender. Fierce Dryya of the Five Great Knights had died defending the Queen. She had gutted and routed the Traitor Lord's forces before finally succumbing to her wounds.
She was another friend that Hornet would never see again. Another loyal fighter who would never know the final victory.
"Sorry, Dryya. You did well."
Hornet felt something push into the crook of her neck.
Beeeeeerrrrrrrrzzzzzzz!
"Oh, I'm okay." Hornet patted the flying bug on its head before standing up. "I miss her, Dryya was always fun to be with, but I think this was the way she would have liked to go. Fighting for her lady to the last. I just wish she could have seen the little knight."
Bruzzzz!
"Yea, let's go."
Before entering the cocoon, Hornet made a small promise to herself. She would make sure Dryya received a proper burial, her and all the others.
"Oh child, the gendered one, I can not see, but it is you?" the great Queen spoke from her bindings.
"Yes, mother, I have returned."
"Little Hornet, it's been so long. Time blinded me to the world. I feel so weary in my roots. Do you remember, gendered one, last you came to me?"
"Yes, I do. I asked if there was a way to defeat the Radiance once and for all."
"You were such a sad child, and your heart was empty. I told you there was a way. To accomplish this feat, you would share a part of the sins of your father, my Wyrm, and the sins of myself. Another of my failures."
Hornet averted her eyes as she remembered. They needed a vessel strong enough to harness the void and kill Old Light. Hornet was required to test her siblings; she had found many wanting.
"I do not know if it was worth the deeds that were done, but the Heart of The Void can be kind."
That caught Hornet's attention.
"My queen. Do you know what exactly happened? What became of the vessel?"
"I was wrong. The vessels were never tarnished, there was no idea instilled, for the Emptiness was never void. The little one became what he always was."
Not precisely helpful, but that was the usual outcome with the old queen. Hornet sighed and changed the subject slightly.
"Mother, I spoke with Vespa."
"Yes, the queen, so strong and so caring. I know why you come, child. A deal and a debt repaid." A branch of the queen expanded through the floor in front of Hornet. The vines split into the shape of a cradle. Gently, Hornet placed the golden egg within the clutch of the crib. Immediately the roots encircled the egg, holding it tightly.
"Vespa's last child is well. She shall see the world in a few days."
"I'll come back soon, my Queen." Hornet was about to turn and leave when the old queen spoke again.
"Queen no longer, child. You are the queen of Hollownest now. I sense it, the brand, a gift from the void. Go to it child; the birthplace of your parent's faults and sins."
What!?
"You mean the Abyss!?"
"Yes, the way is open; go and see."
"I'll think about it."
And she did.
Hornet reflected about all that had been going on. She was pretty sure that her sibling was a Higher Being at this point, and a powerful one at that. Far stronger than the Radiance at least, and leagues above her father. The knight had become the Void or joined with it in some way. He could interact with the world in ways Hornet didn't fully know yet, but unlike her father, the little knight didn't have a body.
She needed to go to the Ancient Basin, where the Abyss waited.
Before that, Hornet needed to talk to her older sibling.
The town of Dirtmouth seemed to have doubled again over the time it took to talk to the various tribes. Lucky, bugs were not a capricious lot most of the time. Elderbug was pulling double duty making sure everyone was caught up to speed and had time to rest.
It was while walking down the center plaza Hornet met up with Hollow Knight's group.
"My Queen, my queen!" The dual-wielding Musha came running up to her first. He was tired, but Hornet couldn't see any wounds on the kid. Looking behind the boy, she saw her sibling waving.
Hello sister, were you successful?
Hornet was about to respond when a thought struck her. Hornet focused on her Soul, the feeling of warmth, and then connected it to her bond. It snapped together like a thread of silk stretched taut in her loom.
You could say that.
The giant knight tilted his head to the side in an unspoken gesture of surprise. Hornet giggled a little at the scene.
I'll explain later.
Hornet looked back to Musha. "I assume it was a success with the Fools?"
The boy nodded vigorously, "Your brother ripped through the Colosseum's best fighters like a Nail Master through a bunch of yearlings. It was… amazing. I've always loved the stories of the warriors of old, I just never thought I'd see one."
Hornet looked back to her sibling. I think you have an admirer.
I was rusty, kind of hard to hold back. Hollow Knight shrugged his shoulders in the epitome of a 'what can you do' way.
"Also, we ran into someone; he's kinda crazy, but he said he knows you."
Hornet was about to ask who Musha was talking about when the ground started to shake ever so slightly. The faint smell of sewage invaded her senses as well.
"PRINCESS!!!"
"Wait! Ogrim!?"
There was no time for the young queen as a crimson armored bug nearly twice her height wrapped her in a smelly hug. Hornet was sure she heard a few bones creak.
"Ogrim! Is that you!?"
Ogrim, the Loyal Knight, was one of the Five Great Knights of old Hollownest, the order of warriors that defended the kingdom since its earliest days. Hornet had been sure that after the disappearance of her father the knights had died or left.
"Ogrim, you're alive! Where have you been?" Okay, Hornet would admit that was a loaded question for her to ask, but still.
"I was defending...Isma from any misbegotten vagabonds, under the alias 'Dung Defender!" Hornet did not raise the point, but she noticed the pause. Kindly Isma, Ogrim's love, was another Great Knight and almost certainly dead. Poor Ogrim. It must have been hard.
Also, 'Dung Defender'?
Ogrim pushed through his dour mood. "But I never lost hope for the kingdom. A brave knight came to me to prove his strength and courage. He was worthy, and so I knew that I would be needed again!"
The Knight walked over to Musha and bumped the small bug on the back. Musha nearly toppled over.
"I ran into this young Warrior, and he gave me the news. It swelled my heart; I just needed to see for myself. So I, 'The Dung Defender', have come to pledge my loyalty once more!" The Great Knight bent his knee and dipped his head to the point Hornet could look down on him. "Tell me, Princess, my Queen, how may I serve once more?"
Hornet did not immediately respond.
How could she respond to this?
The earnest way Ogrim spoke and acted was always able to endear most bugs to him, even with the smell. He did seem to want to help too. So again, what could Hornet have him do at the moment?
How about...
"Ogrim… Take a couple of the best fighters you can find, and search the Forgotten Crossroad and the nearby area for survivors, and clear out any remaining monsters."
The old knight's smile nearly blinded Hornet.
"A worthy task! Dung Defender, away!" In a heartbeat, Ogrim had grabbed onto Musha and launched into the crowd. Hornet winced at the betrayed look on the young bug, and the cries of unsuspecting bugs being 'volunteered' for the duty.
A few minutes of chaos and soon the siblings were left alone
When could you use Soul?
Hornet looked back at her sibling and sighed. We may have underestimated the true nature of our sibling's new existence.
So he gave you the ability to use Soul?
Not just that.
Hornet reflexively rubbed her forehead. He — I still can't believe this — somehow allowed Vespa to interact with her hive and myself.
Hollow Knight didn't immediately respond but after a minute. Isn't Vespa dead?
Yes. Look, I talked to Mom; she suggested, and I agree, that we need to visit your birthplace.
As much as I would like not to do that, it makes sense.
Chirp! Skweee!
Hornet looked up to the flying Childgrimm and smiled. "Yes, you can come too."
They didn't take the Stag Way this time. Going at a pace only a few in the kingdom could match, the royal siblings, plus Childgrimm, made quick time through the Fungal Wastes.
The Mantis lords did stop them from entering Deepnest. The Siblings demanded the chance to test The Hollow Knight because, of course, they did. Suffice to say that they held their own, but Hollow Knight was a monster even with one hand.
From Deepnest, it was a quick shot to the Ancient Basin. The Basin was not their final destination, though; they needed to go deeper. Very few know that at the bottom of Hollownest was a seal, a door that barred the way to the Abyss.
It was about here that the small group ran into the unexpected. Bugs… Tall bugs. Hundreds of gold and grey-clad bugs milling around what Hornet had thought was one of the biggest secrets in Hollownest.
So much for that then.
Shaking her head at the thought, Hornet raised her voice: "What's going on here!? Who are all of you!?"
As one, the intruders turned to Hornet and Hollow Knight. In the corner of her eye, Hornet could see her sibling gripping his nail. Hornet released her silk threads; pushing a small amount of Soul into them. They were at a severe disadvantage in numbers if it came to a fight.
"Make way you knaves, make way! The children of the blood, the siblings of the Void. It is as we were told. O God of Gods!"
The fight never came. Instead, a feminine voice spoke up from the back of the crowd.
The crowd did as the voice commanded, and soon a path was made. Hesitantly, the group walked forward until they made it to the door.
To say it was a door was a misnomer. The seal to the Abyss was a giant slab of rock as tall as Hollow Knight with the image of the King's Brand upon it.
Standing before the entrance was the source of the voice, another of the golden bugs. Like the others, this bug wore a type of grey wrapping and a golden headpiece. In reflex, Hornet narrowed her eyes as she studied the bug. She was different from the others; authority and power emanated from her.
She also had a very familiar pure white flower in her hand.
"They come. From purest light, they come. O God of Gods, the Void said it so. My queen opened thy way."
Are they talking about… ?
"You speak of the little knight, my sibling?"
"Fools, we were! We Godseekers, to think thy smallest brethren was a blasphemer. In truth, we were the blasphemers! The God of Gods is kind and forgiving." The little tirade was laced with an amount of passion and zeal that Hornet rarely ever heard. Hornet couldn't help but notice the bug's hands clenching the flower.
"Please, open the way!" The Godseeker moved out of the way and bowed.
Waiting for a later time to ask her questions, Hornet walked to the seal and raised her King's Brand to the door. The brand and door both pulsed white for a second then dimmed. With his one hand, Hollow Knight pushed the slab of rock to the side.
Light flooded into the other side.
She had expected a dark room and a drop. Hollow Knight had told her before that his first memories were of scaling up a small cliff. At the top of that small ravine was the sealed door. Hornet had never entered the Abyss, but she had a pretty good idea what to expect.
She did not expect this!
The light from the wall-mounted glow stones and the lamps held by some of the Godseekers shined down upon white faces and black eyes.
Hornet found herself staring at more than a dozen vessels. Her many, many siblings.
The one in the front, a vessel with two thick horns, walked up to Hornet. It might have been the surprise, but Hornet was sure she recognized this one from the dreams. It placed a black spherical charm into her arms. Hornet looked down into the shining white eyes of the mask-like object.
The Void Heart.
A/N: I just wanted to thank the coll people from the Cauldron Discord that have done the beta on this chapter.
- Kathy Mar: Ship of Stone
Constitution: Part 6
Hornet opened her palm and focused her mind. Like water from a cup, the warmth flowed into her hand, and then out of it. A small ball of pure light appeared, replacing the ambient blue of the cave.
Soul.
It was the lifeblood of bugs, or at least that was what Hornet had been told. Soul was supposed to be the energy that gave life to bugs, and sometimes took it. Manipulation of this power could be used to create spells or animate beings.
During the nascent days of the kingdom, the practice of Soul manipulation was shunned and tabooed. Hornet knew that this was not done in jealousy, but in fear. Soul manipulation was powerful and dangerous; the Soul Sanctum proved that.
When societal order had been breaking down, and the infection of Old Light ran rampant, some scholars had secluded themselves in the Soul Sanctum. They had believed that Soul could save them from the Radiance. They were wrong, but before they finally fell, the masters killed hundreds of bugs.
Her father used it.
Soul was one of the materials the king used to create his automatons; and his hollow children, the vessels.
Her little sibling, the knight, and Void had used it. It was one of the reasons he was so proficient in his attacks. He could use Soul, and so could Hollow Knight.
Hornet couldn't use Soul. She'd never learned how, and had no natural ability to use it. That was until today, of course. Her sibling had done something, whatever the flower was, and now she could use Soul. It opened up many questions for the young queen.
She knew that she could project, launch, and infuse the energy. She knew that after using a sufficient amount, she became tired. After time spent, the resting Soul seemed to regenerate. Hornet still felt tired, but nowhere near the amount, she'd felt after she defeated the sister lords. It also came more naturally than she expected, but that was possibly due to Hornet's divine ancestry.
But…
How long could she use it? If she ran out of Soul, would she die? What were the ways to regain Soul? What were the limitations? Where did it come from?
Too many questions.
With a small sigh, Hornet dissipated the little sun in her hand. The blue of the cave returned to dominance.
"L...Old Stag, how much longer till we arrive at the Gardens?"
"Not much longer, my princess." There was a pause before the stag spoke again, "Princess, if you don't mind me asking, was that Soul you were using?"
There was a second where Hornet thought to deny it, but decided against it; Old Stag was too old to be tricked so easily.
"It is. May I ask why you ask?"
"Well, you see, the last bug I saw use Soul was a little Knight."
Hornet could hear the affection in the Stag's voice. She shook her head; it seemed the young god had impacted almost everyone.
"He was my sibling."
"Oh, really? He did a lot for me. Helped me reclaim my memories to find the stag nest and those little ones." Hornet glanced at the stag kids playing with Childgrimm.
"Where is the little guy?"
"He defeated Old Light." Hornet paused, thinking. How was she going to describe this part? "And… then... he became a god?"
"Ha...like your father, the king?"
Hornet thought about it. That was a good question. Before he became the Pale King, her father was a great Wyrm — a Higher Being like the White Lady and Radiance. It was common knowledge to the kingdom, if a bit vague on the details. Hornet couldn't place where the feeling was coming from, but something was telling her that something was different when it came to her little sibling.
"I think my sibling is… far-"
"I'm sorry, my princess, but it seems we have arrived!"
They had; the darkness of the Stag Way was overtaken by light. It took but a moment for her eyes to adjust, but soon Hornet found her surroundings dominated by the beautiful green of the Queen's Garden.
Once, long ago, the Gardens were a part of Unn's domain of Green Path. Legends say that Unn had dreamed the plants, creatures, and all of Green Path into existence. Then her father came and brought order to Hollownest.
His queen, the White Lady, had, at some point, taken part of Green Path for herself. How she had done so without a fight was beyond Hornet. It was here in the Gardens that Hornet's surrogate mother retreated when the Radiance spread through the kingdom unchecked.
Hornet took a second to secure the Hive Queen egg on her back before jumping off.
"Thank you, Old Stag; this is appreciated."
The old bearded face of the stag split into a smile. "My pleasure, princess, and don't hesitate to ring the bell if you ever need these old legs."
Hornet gave a small nod before looking over to her companion. The Childgrimm was flying around the little stags, making all sorts of chirps. For their part, the children were doing their best to swat the pyro-menace.
"Come, Grimm," called Hornet before he could set fire to anything.
Begrudgingly, the flyer followed her down the winding paths of the Gardens. Like most of Hollownest, the track had three significant features. First was the corpses of monsters and infected bugs that Hornet was pretty sure had been cut down by the little knight. Hornet idly noted that a not-insignificant amount of those were renegade mantises.
Second, there was the occasional creature. Either a bug that was far too gone to remember their previous existence, or had never had a mind. It took Hornet mere moments to dispatch them.
The last was the cured — lost, and afraid bugs that were enthralled to the Radiance's light and were now freed. Hornet pointed them all towards the Stag Way with instructions to go to Dirtmouth or another safe place.
Soon the pair found themselves at the heart of Queen's Garden. The cocoon of the Queen dominated the center of the chamber. The Queen's pale tendrils stretched from the closed shell and reached into the earth around.
There was one way in and out to speak to the old Queen of Hollownest. Her most loyal servant protected it.
Hornet walked between the fallen forms of the Traitor mantises that lay dead and broken on the chamber's floor. Ani, the Traitor Lord of the Mantis Tribe, had openly accepted the Radiance's infection. It gave him strength but drove him deeper and deeper into madness. Ani and his followers broke with their tribe and tried to kill the White Lady.
Hornet knelt next to the body of the defender. Fierce Dryya of the Five Great Knights had died defending the Queen. She had gutted and routed the Traitor Lord's forces before finally succumbing to her wounds.
She was another friend that Hornet would never see again. Another loyal fighter who would never know the final victory.
"Sorry, Dryya. You did well."
Hornet felt something push into the crook of her neck.
Beeeeeerrrrrrrrzzzzzzz!
"Oh, I'm okay." Hornet patted the flying bug on its head before standing up. "I miss her, Dryya was always fun to be with, but I think this was the way she would have liked to go. Fighting for her lady to the last. I just wish she could have seen the little knight."
Bruzzzz!
"Yea, let's go."
Before entering the cocoon, Hornet made a small promise to herself. She would make sure Dryya received a proper burial, her and all the others.
"Oh child, the gendered one, I can not see, but it is you?" the great Queen spoke from her bindings.
"Yes, mother, I have returned."
"Little Hornet, it's been so long. Time blinded me to the world. I feel so weary in my roots. Do you remember, gendered one, last you came to me?"
"Yes, I do. I asked if there was a way to defeat the Radiance once and for all."
"You were such a sad child, and your heart was empty. I told you there was a way. To accomplish this feat, you would share a part of the sins of your father, my Wyrm, and the sins of myself. Another of my failures."
Hornet averted her eyes as she remembered. They needed a vessel strong enough to harness the void and kill Old Light. Hornet was required to test her siblings; she had found many wanting.
"I do not know if it was worth the deeds that were done, but the Heart of The Void can be kind."
That caught Hornet's attention.
"My queen. Do you know what exactly happened? What became of the vessel?"
"I was wrong. The vessels were never tarnished, there was no idea instilled, for the Emptiness was never void. The little one became what he always was."
Not precisely helpful, but that was the usual outcome with the old queen. Hornet sighed and changed the subject slightly.
"Mother, I spoke with Vespa."
"Yes, the queen, so strong and so caring. I know why you come, child. A deal and a debt repaid." A branch of the queen expanded through the floor in front of Hornet. The vines split into the shape of a cradle. Gently, Hornet placed the golden egg within the clutch of the crib. Immediately the roots encircled the egg, holding it tightly.
"Vespa's last child is well. She shall see the world in a few days."
"I'll come back soon, my Queen." Hornet was about to turn and leave when the old queen spoke again.
"Queen no longer, child. You are the queen of Hollownest now. I sense it, the brand, a gift from the void. Go to it child; the birthplace of your parent's faults and sins."
What!?
"You mean the Abyss!?"
"Yes, the way is open; go and see."
"I'll think about it."
And she did.
Hornet reflected about all that had been going on. She was pretty sure that her sibling was a Higher Being at this point, and a powerful one at that. Far stronger than the Radiance at least, and leagues above her father. The knight had become the Void or joined with it in some way. He could interact with the world in ways Hornet didn't fully know yet, but unlike her father, the little knight didn't have a body.
She needed to go to the Ancient Basin, where the Abyss waited.
Before that, Hornet needed to talk to her older sibling.
The town of Dirtmouth seemed to have doubled again over the time it took to talk to the various tribes. Lucky, bugs were not a capricious lot most of the time. Elderbug was pulling double duty making sure everyone was caught up to speed and had time to rest.
It was while walking down the center plaza Hornet met up with Hollow Knight's group.
"My Queen, my queen!" The dual-wielding Musha came running up to her first. He was tired, but Hornet couldn't see any wounds on the kid. Looking behind the boy, she saw her sibling waving.
Hello sister, were you successful?
Hornet was about to respond when a thought struck her. Hornet focused on her Soul, the feeling of warmth, and then connected it to her bond. It snapped together like a thread of silk stretched taut in her loom.
You could say that.
The giant knight tilted his head to the side in an unspoken gesture of surprise. Hornet giggled a little at the scene.
I'll explain later.
Hornet looked back to Musha. "I assume it was a success with the Fools?"
The boy nodded vigorously, "Your brother ripped through the Colosseum's best fighters like a Nail Master through a bunch of yearlings. It was… amazing. I've always loved the stories of the warriors of old, I just never thought I'd see one."
Hornet looked back to her sibling. I think you have an admirer.
I was rusty, kind of hard to hold back. Hollow Knight shrugged his shoulders in the epitome of a 'what can you do' way.
"Also, we ran into someone; he's kinda crazy, but he said he knows you."
Hornet was about to ask who Musha was talking about when the ground started to shake ever so slightly. The faint smell of sewage invaded her senses as well.
"PRINCESS!!!"
"Wait! Ogrim!?"
There was no time for the young queen as a crimson armored bug nearly twice her height wrapped her in a smelly hug. Hornet was sure she heard a few bones creak.
"Ogrim! Is that you!?"
Ogrim, the Loyal Knight, was one of the Five Great Knights of old Hollownest, the order of warriors that defended the kingdom since its earliest days. Hornet had been sure that after the disappearance of her father the knights had died or left.
"Ogrim, you're alive! Where have you been?" Okay, Hornet would admit that was a loaded question for her to ask, but still.
"I was defending...Isma from any misbegotten vagabonds, under the alias 'Dung Defender!" Hornet did not raise the point, but she noticed the pause. Kindly Isma, Ogrim's love, was another Great Knight and almost certainly dead. Poor Ogrim. It must have been hard.
Also, 'Dung Defender'?
Ogrim pushed through his dour mood. "But I never lost hope for the kingdom. A brave knight came to me to prove his strength and courage. He was worthy, and so I knew that I would be needed again!"
The Knight walked over to Musha and bumped the small bug on the back. Musha nearly toppled over.
"I ran into this young Warrior, and he gave me the news. It swelled my heart; I just needed to see for myself. So I, 'The Dung Defender', have come to pledge my loyalty once more!" The Great Knight bent his knee and dipped his head to the point Hornet could look down on him. "Tell me, Princess, my Queen, how may I serve once more?"
Hornet did not immediately respond.
How could she respond to this?
The earnest way Ogrim spoke and acted was always able to endear most bugs to him, even with the smell. He did seem to want to help too. So again, what could Hornet have him do at the moment?
How about...
"Ogrim… Take a couple of the best fighters you can find, and search the Forgotten Crossroad and the nearby area for survivors, and clear out any remaining monsters."
The old knight's smile nearly blinded Hornet.
"A worthy task! Dung Defender, away!" In a heartbeat, Ogrim had grabbed onto Musha and launched into the crowd. Hornet winced at the betrayed look on the young bug, and the cries of unsuspecting bugs being 'volunteered' for the duty.
A few minutes of chaos and soon the siblings were left alone
When could you use Soul?
Hornet looked back at her sibling and sighed. We may have underestimated the true nature of our sibling's new existence.
So he gave you the ability to use Soul?
Not just that.
Hornet reflexively rubbed her forehead. He — I still can't believe this — somehow allowed Vespa to interact with her hive and myself.
Hollow Knight didn't immediately respond but after a minute. Isn't Vespa dead?
Yes. Look, I talked to Mom; she suggested, and I agree, that we need to visit your birthplace.
As much as I would like not to do that, it makes sense.
Chirp! Skweee!
Hornet looked up to the flying Childgrimm and smiled. "Yes, you can come too."
They didn't take the Stag Way this time. Going at a pace only a few in the kingdom could match, the royal siblings, plus Childgrimm, made quick time through the Fungal Wastes.
The Mantis lords did stop them from entering Deepnest. The Siblings demanded the chance to test The Hollow Knight because, of course, they did. Suffice to say that they held their own, but Hollow Knight was a monster even with one hand.
From Deepnest, it was a quick shot to the Ancient Basin. The Basin was not their final destination, though; they needed to go deeper. Very few know that at the bottom of Hollownest was a seal, a door that barred the way to the Abyss.
It was about here that the small group ran into the unexpected. Bugs… Tall bugs. Hundreds of gold and grey-clad bugs milling around what Hornet had thought was one of the biggest secrets in Hollownest.
So much for that then.
Shaking her head at the thought, Hornet raised her voice: "What's going on here!? Who are all of you!?"
As one, the intruders turned to Hornet and Hollow Knight. In the corner of her eye, Hornet could see her sibling gripping his nail. Hornet released her silk threads; pushing a small amount of Soul into them. They were at a severe disadvantage in numbers if it came to a fight.
"Make way you knaves, make way! The children of the blood, the siblings of the Void. It is as we were told. O God of Gods!"
The fight never came. Instead, a feminine voice spoke up from the back of the crowd.
The crowd did as the voice commanded, and soon a path was made. Hesitantly, the group walked forward until they made it to the door.
To say it was a door was a misnomer. The seal to the Abyss was a giant slab of rock as tall as Hollow Knight with the image of the King's Brand upon it.
Standing before the entrance was the source of the voice, another of the golden bugs. Like the others, this bug wore a type of grey wrapping and a golden headpiece. In reflex, Hornet narrowed her eyes as she studied the bug. She was different from the others; authority and power emanated from her.
She also had a very familiar pure white flower in her hand.
"They come. From purest light, they come. O God of Gods, the Void said it so. My queen opened thy way."
Are they talking about… ?
"You speak of the little knight, my sibling?"
"Fools, we were! We Godseekers, to think thy smallest brethren was a blasphemer. In truth, we were the blasphemers! The God of Gods is kind and forgiving." The little tirade was laced with an amount of passion and zeal that Hornet rarely ever heard. Hornet couldn't help but notice the bug's hands clenching the flower.
"Please, open the way!" The Godseeker moved out of the way and bowed.
Waiting for a later time to ask her questions, Hornet walked to the seal and raised her King's Brand to the door. The brand and door both pulsed white for a second then dimmed. With his one hand, Hollow Knight pushed the slab of rock to the side.
Light flooded into the other side.
She had expected a dark room and a drop. Hollow Knight had told her before that his first memories were of scaling up a small cliff. At the top of that small ravine was the sealed door. Hornet had never entered the Abyss, but she had a pretty good idea what to expect.
She did not expect this!
The light from the wall-mounted glow stones and the lamps held by some of the Godseekers shined down upon white faces and black eyes.
Hornet found herself staring at more than a dozen vessels. Her many, many siblings.
The one in the front, a vessel with two thick horns, walked up to Hornet. It might have been the surprise, but Hornet was sure she recognized this one from the dreams. It placed a black spherical charm into her arms. Hornet looked down into the shining white eyes of the mask-like object.
The Void Heart.
A/N: I just wanted to thank the coll people from the Cauldron Discord that have done the beta on this chapter.
- Location
- Florida
It's not that hornet didn't know about soul. Being the fact that she was the daughter of a higher being and King at that she would know about it, until recently it just wasn't of any importance to her personally.
Beautifully written chapter! I cant wait for more.
So you're not going with the interpretation that her thread control is based on soul manipulation? Don't see that very often. Ok then.
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Tisaku
Head Chief Thinkomancer
her shell
Guardsman_Sparky
The Clueless Wonder
- Location
- Virginia
Eh. *waggles hand*
I'd make the argument that individual parts of a Bug's shell could be called bones.
There's also the possibility that Bugs of Hollownest have both exo- and endoskeletons.
- Location
- US
- Location
- Florida
So chapter 7 is in the process then an interlude which will have several POVs. Then the ISOT arc which will cover the events right before, during, and immediately after. Where and when is, of course, classified.
Constitution: Seven
- Location
- Florida
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."
- Thomas Paine
Constitution: Seven
"It seems that the vessels are natural fighters."
Hornet looked to her companion and gave a subtle nod. They were watching her siblings spar in the yard behind their temporary living quarters.
After the events of the day before, Hornet had to make some snap decisions. The Godseeker tribe — Hornet was slightly annoyed that they'd slipped into the kingdom without her notice --- had expressed interest in joining the new Kingdom of Hollownest. She was suspicious, but since it seemed her god sibling favored them, she really didn't have a choice and invited them to the council.
The gold loving zealots were the least of her concerns. She had acquired twenty-one siblings in that dark and abandoned cave. Hornet had… mixed feelings.
She was attached to Hollow Knight and was pretty sure she loved or had affection towards the little knight. No, Hornet's problem was not the vessels. The little guys had a sort of quirky charisma that made her want to hug them.
No, her problem was her father.
That thrice-cursed bastard.
She had a sort of expectation of what she would have found down there. In desperation to stop the infection, the Pale King and White Lady had created vessels made of the Void. The hope was to create a being of complete nothingness that could contain the Radiance.
Not any vessels would do, though. Her father had tested the vessels to find the perfect prison. Again, Hornet knew this, and she also knew what became of the others.
They'd died down there. Left to rot in the Abyss. These facts had been distant to Hornet, like the tales of old told to her at bedtime. They stayed remote and unimportant throughout her life, even as she was forced to kill those vessels that escaped.
She had not known the quantity until she entered that dark place. The vessels that had greeted her were but a bare fraction of her total siblings; they were also some sort of exception. Hornet had expected that maybe more of her kin had somehow come back. That was not so.
As she descended, all Hornet found were corpses like those of the little knight left behind in the Temple. Hundreds upon hundreds of her tiny family members lining the flower and walls, their empty eyes staring at her, accusing her.
Hornet only barely heard the creaking of the railing she was squeezing.
"Are you okay, Hornet?"
She let go of the railing and focused back on her siblings. Hollow Knight had insisted on sparring with the vessels with practice nails.
All twenty-one of them.
At the same time.
They had been going for two hours. The little vessels weren't inadequate as far as Hornet could see, but they were obviously still unfamiliar with their bodies.
Hornet turned to face her current company.
"Tell me, Quirrel, did Monomon ever say anything about the Abyss or the Void?"
"She left some notes on the subject, and I do vaguely remember her speaking of the topic but I do not know much. I can guess that nothing good is involved in the depths of the kingdom."
Hornet's laugh was bitter. "The Void itself might be unnerving, but the legends of its malice are false. At least they're false now."
"Our little friend's doing, I assume."
"Yes." Hornet sighed as she looked at the fighting. "The king, my father, did horrible things and I… I killed a lot of bugs and a few of the vessels. I hate it, I hate I was a part of it, and I resent my father's place in this mess but…"
"You hate most of all that it was necessary."
Hornet looked at Quirrel sharply.
Quirrel, for his part, rubbed his chin before continuing, "Monomon pondered this issue. At what point are the actions you take justified? What point is it better to do nothing, to save your dignity? I'm not sure if she ever found the answers, but Monomon did become a dreamer, so there is that."
CRACK!
Hollow Knight punted one of the siblings into three others. Quickly, he blocked another two strikes.
"I guess I'm going to have to figure it out, aren't I?"
"Not exactly. You are the new ruler, Hornet, and you will have to make hard choices. You know this fact, I don't have to tell you that, but you will have the help that many kings I've met didn't have. The little knight seems to be quite the active God."
Hornet noted that the siblings looked to be getting tired.
Did vessels feel exhaustion?
She decided to change the subject.
"I was wondering, Quirrel, can I ask you to do something for me?"
"Well, you are the Queen. I will warn you that if it's a fight you need doing, there are bugs better than I."
Hornet shook her head in negation. Holding out a hand, she focused Soul into it and out, creating a miniature sun.
Quirrel took a step back. "Is that...?"
"Yes?"
"But-
"Quirrel, I have a mission for you. Several actually. As the heir to Monomon's legacy, you are most suited for it."
Hornet released her Soul and waited for Quirrel's answer. She did not have to wait long.
"How can I help?"
"As the student and caretaker of Monomon's archive, in addition to your experience with the world outside Hollownest, I want you to lead the effort on a new education system for the kingdom."
Quirrel didn't immediately respond. "I… I'm honored and will endeavor to live up to my master... but what does this have to do with Soul?"
"Simple, you will be in charge of the study of Soul. To do this, I will give you the responsibility for the Soul Sanctum. Take what you deem safe and useful, destroy the rest. You'll have my full support with whatever material or bugs you need. Just make sure the madness of the Soul Masters never occurs again."
"Well, I guess that's a worthy endeavor for a scholar. I accept this duty, my Queen."
Quirrel dipped his head in recognition before turning to the spar.
Hornet did as well.
And then promptly choked.
Hollow Knight was tangled in a duel with about half of the siblings. The others were hanging back, all but one that is.
A sibling with a small set of three horns was dangling from the Childgrimm, and the two miscreants were hovering above Hollow Knight. Hornet could guess what was coming next.
The sibling let go and fell. Hollow Knight noticed a second too late, and the jumper latched onto the neck of their much larger sibling with a vice grip.
Everyone! Attack attack attack!
What happened next brought both Quirrel and Hornet to laughter.
His arms! His arms!
Go for the legs! Legs!
As one, the siblings launched themselves at Hollow Knight. A wave of tiny hands started grabbing the knight's arms, legs, and cloak. Soon, the wave began to bring the towering bug down to his knees.
Bring him down! Bring him down!
It's working!
Hornet knew that Hollow Knight allowed himself to be pinned like this and could probably still defeat them. He wouldn't though; the plan was actually well done, and they deserved a little victory.
I give! I give!
The little vessels jumped off their defeated foe. Hornet smiled and started clapping herself. The noise seemed to have reminded the vessels of her presence as they soon started running towards her, sticks waving in the air.
Sister, sister!
Did you see it!
They started to crowd around her, asking questions and demanding head pats. Hornet was glad she could feel through their joined connection which vessel was saying what. A helpful ability considering that they all wanted to speak at the same time.
You all did terrific, especially there at the end.
That was mostly Self's plan.
A vessel with two thick horns pointed over at the vessel that first latched onto Hollow Knight by using Childgrimm as an aerial platform.
A thought came to Hornet as the little vessels went over their plan.
Do… I didn't ask this last night, but what are your names?
There were twenty-one identical answers.
Self!
Hornet sighed. They were going to need some names.
"They are going to need nails."
Hornet nodded at Quirrel. Vessels were naturally great fighters and needed good weapons. Well, not precisely — her other sibling had gone around slaughtering monsters with a nail more damaged than Green Path.
"You're probably right, Quirrel. Have you seen the Nailsmith recently?"
"I believe he's moved in with the Nailmaster Sheo."
Hornet racked her brain for the memory. It did not take long for her to remember Sheo, one of the students of the Great Nailsage. She made a mental note to enlist their help later.
The tapping of feet brought everyone's attention to the door of the patio. A young bug opened the door — it was Spring. Hornet noticed she did not have her tank contraption on her back nor her bombs. She also seemed a little winded.
The girl bowed before trying to speak, "Um Mis… I mean Your Mage-
"Hornet is fine," Hornet interrupted the stuttering girl. Best to nip the whole etiquette and royal decorum thing. At least that was what Hornet hoped; being called 'my Queen' or being bowed to was tiring enough for the former princess.
"Uh… Hornet, you wanted me to get you when the representatives arrived… they have."
"Good, were you able to get the snails to join?" At Hornet's question, the girl raised her hands in the universal sign of 'kind of.'
"I was able to talk to members of the tribe on the Crystal Peak. You could say they are hesitant to commit to this, but are willing to send one of their shamans to observe."
"That's better than nothing, I suppose."
Hornet conceded that it really was the best they could hope for. The snails had always been a reclusive and shunned tribe. The snails were natural at Soul manipulation and therefore looked at with both fear and jealousy in the days of old Hollownest.
Lucky those days were long ago, and Hornet had a chance to mend that old bridge. Sighing to herself, Hornet looked up to her older sibling. Hollow Knight was pulling his nail out of the ground.
Ready?
There was a small nod from the tall knight.
"Okay then, let's go make a kingdom."
The village of Dirtmouth was not unusually large and probably not the best place to hold a council of Hollownest. There was a large building near the center of town, a common eating and storage area that Hornet had requisitioned for the event.
As Hornet and her large posse walked through the town square, she saw a crowd gathered around her destination. They seemed quite excited, with lots of chatting and movement, all mixed together so Hornet couldn't really make any of the conversations out.
Hornet had talked to Elderbug at length if she should open the meeting up to the public. Elderbug had hosted some 'Town meetings,' but they eventually decided against it; Hornet reasoned it would be too chaotic to give everyone a chance to speak. The last thing the new kingdom needed was chaos or misdirection. Instead, Hornet had invited a few select bugs to join that had a particular skill or influence.
Soon, the crowd noticed their approach.
"The Queen?"
"Is that lady Hornet?"
"I can't see!"
"Lady Hornet! Lady Hornet!"
The crowd seemed now entirely focused on her now and about ready to swarm her. Hornet distantly started to realize why her father avoided public appearances. Hornet almost laughed at the thought of her father being assaulted by a crowd of frenzied fans.
The moment the crowd started to push forward twenty-one shadows landed in front of Hornet. The appearance of the vessels startled the group and forced them back. Or maybe it was the set of near-identical blank faces holding sharp sticks at them.
Either way, a makeshift barricade was now formed between the crowd and herself. There was a laugh beside her from Quirrel.
"It seems the little ones are quite protective of their big sister."
Ignoring the little joke, Hornet addressed the crowd.
"Good morning, citizens of Hollownest, I am sorry for the commotion this morning. The first council of the kingdom is being held today and will probably take some time. Please go back to your daily business; there will be an announcement when it's all over."
That seemed to appease the crowd as most of the bugs left. Hornet noticed many did not precisely go far to continue their day.
Waiting for them at the entrance was Ogrim and Musha. As she arrived, both gave a small bow and opened the doors.
The occupants of the room instantly quieted as Hornet entered.
The room, or hall, in this case, had several rows of tables and a more extended table at the far end. Hornet made her way through the center path, scanning the occupants. There was no real order or positioning, so everyone was spread out.
Hornet nodded to Cho and Jiji as she passed them. She noticed their shocked expressions as they saw the vessels. Many of them did resemble the little knight.
Close to the Mantis Lords sat the Fools. She didn't know them by name, but Hornet noticed that one of them seemed very small for a Fool of the Colosseum.
Looking over to the Deepnest delegation, she saw Midwife and a small spider she didn't recognize. The low buzzing alerted her to the Bees that the Hive sent. Worker Bee 177 and Patrol Bee 89 if Hornet remembered correctly. Next to them was a large Mosskin and skinny Moss Knight.
Near the front was the Godseeker leader, the pale flower attached to her clothes. Scattered around the area were some of the prominent merchants and bugs that Hornet had invited.
Off in the corner, Hornet could see the small form of the snail shaman.
Hornet walked to her seat behind the long table. On her right sat Elderbug while Hollow Knight stood behind her left. As she sat, everyone else took their places beside her.
Taking a moment to collect herself, Hornet gave the room a smile.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming here today. I believe it's best to start by confirming the events that have transpired recently. I'm sure everyone here has met a little knight that looked similar to one of my siblings here."
There was a course of 'yes' and other adjectives. The small Fool shouted something about a great fool.
"Some called him Ghost or the little knight. He was my sibling, a vessel like Hollow Knight, created by my father long ago. The little knight killed the Radiance, freeing the bugs once more. In this… event, my sibling has become more than what he was. He became a God of the Void; a Higher Being of extreme power."
Through the chatter that followed, Hornet noticed the Fool, a female in red armor, seemed to deflate a little even as she laughed.
Jealousy? Maybe not?
"If you want a theological explanation, talk to the Godseekers."
"Speaking of the Golden ones," Cho interrupted from her seat, "Hornet, who are they? A whole tribe doesn't just appear."
Hornet looked to the Godseeker and motioned for her to answer.
Godseeker turned to the Mantis Lord. "My tribe was called the Godseekers. We come from the Land of Storms… far from this place. We came seeking the God of Gods. We came to commence a ritual to find this being, but were chained for some time."
Hornet wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a chuckle from Ogrim.
Was Godseeker glaring at him? There was a history there.
"That is when the smallest of the small came to us. He defeated many foes and killed the mighty Radiance. Through this act, the smallest became the highest and the Void. And so we are no longer the Godseekers but the Voidkeepers. We thank the Void Sister, Queen Hornet, for her gift to us. We shall tend to the garden of the Abyss and keep faith with the Kingdom of Hollownest."
"Right… yes, as the Godseek— sorry, Voidkeepers said their tribe will be taking residence in the Aichnet Basin."
Hornet paused to look over the group again before continuing.
"Are there any pertinent questions that need answers before I move on?"
Jiji stood up. "Well, I am somewhat confused as to the purpose of this council. You are the Queen, after all, you can just order things to be done. That's how your father did things."
Hornet nodded. "Yes, that is true, but this is going to be a different Hollownest. I do not intend for this council to be a one-time thing, nor do I want to be hands-off like my father. I request that each tribe from now on choose a representative for my council. They and others that I intend to choose shall meet with me regularly. The council will be held at an as of yet undecided location; Probably somewhere in the City of Tears.
"I hope that with this council, we can accurately discuss problems and find solutions for our kingdom. I hope to build a new government for this kingdom. Sadly this will take more than a single day, and we have to get ahead of the current crisis. So for today, we will be working on the foundations."
Hornet heard Musha mumble, "We're going to be here till tomorrow."
He was not wrong.
The meeting went on for a long time. Many ideas were thrown around, and there was much arguing. Hornet considered the fact that there were only two attempted murders — one from Cho and another from the lady Fool called Godtamer — as a good sign for things to come.
They agreed on a few immediate measures.
One was the creation of work teams to find and transport bodies for burial. The Guildmaster of the Menderbugs volunteered to nailhead the effort. Hornet meanwhile had to appease Midwife over the loss in food.
The next order of business had been the creation of a 'militia' to clear out the remaining monsters. It was decided after some argument that the militia would be universal. Every citizen of Hollownest who was capable of combat would be trained.
That was Cho's idea, and her reasoning was simple. Bugs that could fight were not just physically resilient, but mentally resilient as well, as proven by the events of the infection. The bugs who'd been stronger in martial capabilities resisted the Radiance for much longer.
The explanation had more or less appeased Iselda, a merchant, who had been particularly against this new idea. It was agreed that the exact details of the new law would be ironed out later.
That had been the last real argument of the day. Everyone agreed on opening up the City of Tears for living space to all, and the start of large scale infrastructure projects. First on the list of rebuilding was Greenpath, where most of the city's food would be coming from.
After that had been settled, the discussion turned to their next meeting, where Quirrel finally spoke up.
"I have visited many places in the wasteland and have seen many types of kingdoms. I think we should start working on a document of laws and governance. In the places I have seen, they call it a constitution."
"What does writing have to do with strength and vitality?"
Quirrel looked at Godtamer and smiled. "That's because it's a declaration, you might say, of the principles and laws of a kingdom. To use your definition, a constitution is the vitality and strength of a kingdom written down."
"For one, I think it's a splendid idea!"
Despite Elderbug's vote of confidence, the ensuing debate lasted another hour before Hornet had declared the meeting over and a success before anyone could disagree.
All the representatives filtered out, ready to start their roles the next day. Hornet also decided to wait as well to give any speech to the people. Instead, she and her family left for the house they had been gifted.
That is until she was stopped by a small figure. It was the snail shaman, his white eyes shining underneath his shell. As he moved, the little bells on his staff chimed.
"You know the secrets of Soul."
It was not a question.
The snail started to walk off as he spoke, "Queen Hornet, the tribe will be in touch."
I suppose that's a success?
Hornet shrugged at her big sibling and started to walk off before something else came to her. Looking up at the Crystal Peak, Hornet voiced to her siblings.
Go on without me, there's something I've got to do.
Are you sure?
Hollow Knight looked directly at his sister, and Hornet returned the look unflinchingly. Hollow Knight held for only a few seconds before giving the equivalent of a mental sigh.
Thank you.
Ya ya, sis, I'm the best; just don't take too long.
Hornet nodded and then dashed off to the mountain. The Crystal Peak was a three-dimensional maze of purple crystals and broken down mine shafts. Before long, however, she found her way out of the winding paths and tunnels.
At the top of the peak is a desolate field of grey rocks and worn out pillars. Hornet's cloak blew hard in the win as she started the final leg of her journey. Hornet scanned her surroundings carefully, watchful for threats. This was the Crown of Hollownest, a place more feared than even the Ancient Basin was.
There were large monoliths lined each side of the way. The great stone boulders were engraved with glyphs that glowed and hummed as Hornet walked past. She occasionally stopped to study the old stone writings, but it was fruitless; they were all in the tongue of the extinct moth tribe.
Hornet walked on until she came to her destination.
On the edge of the mountaintop stoop a giant statue older than Hollownest itself. It was in the image of an enormous moth.
The cause of all the troubles, the death.
"What are you going to do with it?"
Hornet did not turn around. "Your idea of a constitution was a good one, Quirrel. Hopefully, we can get something written down in a few days."
"I'm glad, but as a fellow traveler, you know I'm just applying what I've seen."
Hornet nodded at that. She did know what he spoke of.
"Do you remember when we first met?"
Hornet released her string, sending Soul through the threads.
"I believe you tried to kill me." Quirrel laughed.
"Sorry about that… I told you Hollownest was a corpse," Hornet stated as she sent her string to surround the stone statue.
"Yes, I do remember. I wonder, do you still believe that? Current evidence does suggest otherwise."
She gripped her hand, causing the glowing string to twist and close. The statue shattered into small chunks and scattered in the wind. All that was left of the thing was a stump.
Hornet breathed deeply into the mountain air. It felt cleaner and more invigorating to the young demi-god.
She turned to face the scholar-warrior and chuckled.
"The Hollownest of old is a corpse; it's dead, buried and mourned. We will build something new."
Quirrel put his sword hand upon his heart and bowed.
"I will help in any way I can, my Queen."
A/N: Thanks again to the cauldron server for help beta this chapter. As I promised an interlude will be next and the next arc.
- Thomas Paine
Constitution: Seven
"It seems that the vessels are natural fighters."
Hornet looked to her companion and gave a subtle nod. They were watching her siblings spar in the yard behind their temporary living quarters.
After the events of the day before, Hornet had to make some snap decisions. The Godseeker tribe — Hornet was slightly annoyed that they'd slipped into the kingdom without her notice --- had expressed interest in joining the new Kingdom of Hollownest. She was suspicious, but since it seemed her god sibling favored them, she really didn't have a choice and invited them to the council.
The gold loving zealots were the least of her concerns. She had acquired twenty-one siblings in that dark and abandoned cave. Hornet had… mixed feelings.
She was attached to Hollow Knight and was pretty sure she loved or had affection towards the little knight. No, Hornet's problem was not the vessels. The little guys had a sort of quirky charisma that made her want to hug them.
No, her problem was her father.
That thrice-cursed bastard.
She had a sort of expectation of what she would have found down there. In desperation to stop the infection, the Pale King and White Lady had created vessels made of the Void. The hope was to create a being of complete nothingness that could contain the Radiance.
Not any vessels would do, though. Her father had tested the vessels to find the perfect prison. Again, Hornet knew this, and she also knew what became of the others.
They'd died down there. Left to rot in the Abyss. These facts had been distant to Hornet, like the tales of old told to her at bedtime. They stayed remote and unimportant throughout her life, even as she was forced to kill those vessels that escaped.
She had not known the quantity until she entered that dark place. The vessels that had greeted her were but a bare fraction of her total siblings; they were also some sort of exception. Hornet had expected that maybe more of her kin had somehow come back. That was not so.
As she descended, all Hornet found were corpses like those of the little knight left behind in the Temple. Hundreds upon hundreds of her tiny family members lining the flower and walls, their empty eyes staring at her, accusing her.
Hornet only barely heard the creaking of the railing she was squeezing.
"Are you okay, Hornet?"
She let go of the railing and focused back on her siblings. Hollow Knight had insisted on sparring with the vessels with practice nails.
All twenty-one of them.
At the same time.
They had been going for two hours. The little vessels weren't inadequate as far as Hornet could see, but they were obviously still unfamiliar with their bodies.
Hornet turned to face her current company.
"Tell me, Quirrel, did Monomon ever say anything about the Abyss or the Void?"
"She left some notes on the subject, and I do vaguely remember her speaking of the topic but I do not know much. I can guess that nothing good is involved in the depths of the kingdom."
Hornet's laugh was bitter. "The Void itself might be unnerving, but the legends of its malice are false. At least they're false now."
"Our little friend's doing, I assume."
"Yes." Hornet sighed as she looked at the fighting. "The king, my father, did horrible things and I… I killed a lot of bugs and a few of the vessels. I hate it, I hate I was a part of it, and I resent my father's place in this mess but…"
"You hate most of all that it was necessary."
Hornet looked at Quirrel sharply.
Quirrel, for his part, rubbed his chin before continuing, "Monomon pondered this issue. At what point are the actions you take justified? What point is it better to do nothing, to save your dignity? I'm not sure if she ever found the answers, but Monomon did become a dreamer, so there is that."
CRACK!
Hollow Knight punted one of the siblings into three others. Quickly, he blocked another two strikes.
"I guess I'm going to have to figure it out, aren't I?"
"Not exactly. You are the new ruler, Hornet, and you will have to make hard choices. You know this fact, I don't have to tell you that, but you will have the help that many kings I've met didn't have. The little knight seems to be quite the active God."
Hornet noted that the siblings looked to be getting tired.
Did vessels feel exhaustion?
She decided to change the subject.
"I was wondering, Quirrel, can I ask you to do something for me?"
"Well, you are the Queen. I will warn you that if it's a fight you need doing, there are bugs better than I."
Hornet shook her head in negation. Holding out a hand, she focused Soul into it and out, creating a miniature sun.
Quirrel took a step back. "Is that...?"
"Yes?"
"But-
"Quirrel, I have a mission for you. Several actually. As the heir to Monomon's legacy, you are most suited for it."
Hornet released her Soul and waited for Quirrel's answer. She did not have to wait long.
"How can I help?"
"As the student and caretaker of Monomon's archive, in addition to your experience with the world outside Hollownest, I want you to lead the effort on a new education system for the kingdom."
Quirrel didn't immediately respond. "I… I'm honored and will endeavor to live up to my master... but what does this have to do with Soul?"
"Simple, you will be in charge of the study of Soul. To do this, I will give you the responsibility for the Soul Sanctum. Take what you deem safe and useful, destroy the rest. You'll have my full support with whatever material or bugs you need. Just make sure the madness of the Soul Masters never occurs again."
"Well, I guess that's a worthy endeavor for a scholar. I accept this duty, my Queen."
Quirrel dipped his head in recognition before turning to the spar.
Hornet did as well.
And then promptly choked.
Hollow Knight was tangled in a duel with about half of the siblings. The others were hanging back, all but one that is.
A sibling with a small set of three horns was dangling from the Childgrimm, and the two miscreants were hovering above Hollow Knight. Hornet could guess what was coming next.
The sibling let go and fell. Hollow Knight noticed a second too late, and the jumper latched onto the neck of their much larger sibling with a vice grip.
Everyone! Attack attack attack!
What happened next brought both Quirrel and Hornet to laughter.
His arms! His arms!
Go for the legs! Legs!
As one, the siblings launched themselves at Hollow Knight. A wave of tiny hands started grabbing the knight's arms, legs, and cloak. Soon, the wave began to bring the towering bug down to his knees.
Bring him down! Bring him down!
It's working!
Hornet knew that Hollow Knight allowed himself to be pinned like this and could probably still defeat them. He wouldn't though; the plan was actually well done, and they deserved a little victory.
I give! I give!
The little vessels jumped off their defeated foe. Hornet smiled and started clapping herself. The noise seemed to have reminded the vessels of her presence as they soon started running towards her, sticks waving in the air.
Sister, sister!
Did you see it!
They started to crowd around her, asking questions and demanding head pats. Hornet was glad she could feel through their joined connection which vessel was saying what. A helpful ability considering that they all wanted to speak at the same time.
You all did terrific, especially there at the end.
That was mostly Self's plan.
A vessel with two thick horns pointed over at the vessel that first latched onto Hollow Knight by using Childgrimm as an aerial platform.
A thought came to Hornet as the little vessels went over their plan.
Do… I didn't ask this last night, but what are your names?
There were twenty-one identical answers.
Self!
Hornet sighed. They were going to need some names.
"They are going to need nails."
Hornet nodded at Quirrel. Vessels were naturally great fighters and needed good weapons. Well, not precisely — her other sibling had gone around slaughtering monsters with a nail more damaged than Green Path.
"You're probably right, Quirrel. Have you seen the Nailsmith recently?"
"I believe he's moved in with the Nailmaster Sheo."
Hornet racked her brain for the memory. It did not take long for her to remember Sheo, one of the students of the Great Nailsage. She made a mental note to enlist their help later.
The tapping of feet brought everyone's attention to the door of the patio. A young bug opened the door — it was Spring. Hornet noticed she did not have her tank contraption on her back nor her bombs. She also seemed a little winded.
The girl bowed before trying to speak, "Um Mis… I mean Your Mage-
"Hornet is fine," Hornet interrupted the stuttering girl. Best to nip the whole etiquette and royal decorum thing. At least that was what Hornet hoped; being called 'my Queen' or being bowed to was tiring enough for the former princess.
"Uh… Hornet, you wanted me to get you when the representatives arrived… they have."
"Good, were you able to get the snails to join?" At Hornet's question, the girl raised her hands in the universal sign of 'kind of.'
"I was able to talk to members of the tribe on the Crystal Peak. You could say they are hesitant to commit to this, but are willing to send one of their shamans to observe."
"That's better than nothing, I suppose."
Hornet conceded that it really was the best they could hope for. The snails had always been a reclusive and shunned tribe. The snails were natural at Soul manipulation and therefore looked at with both fear and jealousy in the days of old Hollownest.
Lucky those days were long ago, and Hornet had a chance to mend that old bridge. Sighing to herself, Hornet looked up to her older sibling. Hollow Knight was pulling his nail out of the ground.
Ready?
There was a small nod from the tall knight.
"Okay then, let's go make a kingdom."
The village of Dirtmouth was not unusually large and probably not the best place to hold a council of Hollownest. There was a large building near the center of town, a common eating and storage area that Hornet had requisitioned for the event.
As Hornet and her large posse walked through the town square, she saw a crowd gathered around her destination. They seemed quite excited, with lots of chatting and movement, all mixed together so Hornet couldn't really make any of the conversations out.
Hornet had talked to Elderbug at length if she should open the meeting up to the public. Elderbug had hosted some 'Town meetings,' but they eventually decided against it; Hornet reasoned it would be too chaotic to give everyone a chance to speak. The last thing the new kingdom needed was chaos or misdirection. Instead, Hornet had invited a few select bugs to join that had a particular skill or influence.
Soon, the crowd noticed their approach.
"The Queen?"
"Is that lady Hornet?"
"I can't see!"
"Lady Hornet! Lady Hornet!"
The crowd seemed now entirely focused on her now and about ready to swarm her. Hornet distantly started to realize why her father avoided public appearances. Hornet almost laughed at the thought of her father being assaulted by a crowd of frenzied fans.
The moment the crowd started to push forward twenty-one shadows landed in front of Hornet. The appearance of the vessels startled the group and forced them back. Or maybe it was the set of near-identical blank faces holding sharp sticks at them.
Either way, a makeshift barricade was now formed between the crowd and herself. There was a laugh beside her from Quirrel.
"It seems the little ones are quite protective of their big sister."
Ignoring the little joke, Hornet addressed the crowd.
"Good morning, citizens of Hollownest, I am sorry for the commotion this morning. The first council of the kingdom is being held today and will probably take some time. Please go back to your daily business; there will be an announcement when it's all over."
That seemed to appease the crowd as most of the bugs left. Hornet noticed many did not precisely go far to continue their day.
Waiting for them at the entrance was Ogrim and Musha. As she arrived, both gave a small bow and opened the doors.
The occupants of the room instantly quieted as Hornet entered.
The room, or hall, in this case, had several rows of tables and a more extended table at the far end. Hornet made her way through the center path, scanning the occupants. There was no real order or positioning, so everyone was spread out.
Hornet nodded to Cho and Jiji as she passed them. She noticed their shocked expressions as they saw the vessels. Many of them did resemble the little knight.
Close to the Mantis Lords sat the Fools. She didn't know them by name, but Hornet noticed that one of them seemed very small for a Fool of the Colosseum.
Looking over to the Deepnest delegation, she saw Midwife and a small spider she didn't recognize. The low buzzing alerted her to the Bees that the Hive sent. Worker Bee 177 and Patrol Bee 89 if Hornet remembered correctly. Next to them was a large Mosskin and skinny Moss Knight.
Near the front was the Godseeker leader, the pale flower attached to her clothes. Scattered around the area were some of the prominent merchants and bugs that Hornet had invited.
Off in the corner, Hornet could see the small form of the snail shaman.
Hornet walked to her seat behind the long table. On her right sat Elderbug while Hollow Knight stood behind her left. As she sat, everyone else took their places beside her.
Taking a moment to collect herself, Hornet gave the room a smile.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming here today. I believe it's best to start by confirming the events that have transpired recently. I'm sure everyone here has met a little knight that looked similar to one of my siblings here."
There was a course of 'yes' and other adjectives. The small Fool shouted something about a great fool.
"Some called him Ghost or the little knight. He was my sibling, a vessel like Hollow Knight, created by my father long ago. The little knight killed the Radiance, freeing the bugs once more. In this… event, my sibling has become more than what he was. He became a God of the Void; a Higher Being of extreme power."
Through the chatter that followed, Hornet noticed the Fool, a female in red armor, seemed to deflate a little even as she laughed.
Jealousy? Maybe not?
"If you want a theological explanation, talk to the Godseekers."
"Speaking of the Golden ones," Cho interrupted from her seat, "Hornet, who are they? A whole tribe doesn't just appear."
Hornet looked to the Godseeker and motioned for her to answer.
Godseeker turned to the Mantis Lord. "My tribe was called the Godseekers. We come from the Land of Storms… far from this place. We came seeking the God of Gods. We came to commence a ritual to find this being, but were chained for some time."
Hornet wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a chuckle from Ogrim.
Was Godseeker glaring at him? There was a history there.
"That is when the smallest of the small came to us. He defeated many foes and killed the mighty Radiance. Through this act, the smallest became the highest and the Void. And so we are no longer the Godseekers but the Voidkeepers. We thank the Void Sister, Queen Hornet, for her gift to us. We shall tend to the garden of the Abyss and keep faith with the Kingdom of Hollownest."
"Right… yes, as the Godseek— sorry, Voidkeepers said their tribe will be taking residence in the Aichnet Basin."
Hornet paused to look over the group again before continuing.
"Are there any pertinent questions that need answers before I move on?"
Jiji stood up. "Well, I am somewhat confused as to the purpose of this council. You are the Queen, after all, you can just order things to be done. That's how your father did things."
Hornet nodded. "Yes, that is true, but this is going to be a different Hollownest. I do not intend for this council to be a one-time thing, nor do I want to be hands-off like my father. I request that each tribe from now on choose a representative for my council. They and others that I intend to choose shall meet with me regularly. The council will be held at an as of yet undecided location; Probably somewhere in the City of Tears.
"I hope that with this council, we can accurately discuss problems and find solutions for our kingdom. I hope to build a new government for this kingdom. Sadly this will take more than a single day, and we have to get ahead of the current crisis. So for today, we will be working on the foundations."
Hornet heard Musha mumble, "We're going to be here till tomorrow."
He was not wrong.
The meeting went on for a long time. Many ideas were thrown around, and there was much arguing. Hornet considered the fact that there were only two attempted murders — one from Cho and another from the lady Fool called Godtamer — as a good sign for things to come.
They agreed on a few immediate measures.
One was the creation of work teams to find and transport bodies for burial. The Guildmaster of the Menderbugs volunteered to nailhead the effort. Hornet meanwhile had to appease Midwife over the loss in food.
The next order of business had been the creation of a 'militia' to clear out the remaining monsters. It was decided after some argument that the militia would be universal. Every citizen of Hollownest who was capable of combat would be trained.
That was Cho's idea, and her reasoning was simple. Bugs that could fight were not just physically resilient, but mentally resilient as well, as proven by the events of the infection. The bugs who'd been stronger in martial capabilities resisted the Radiance for much longer.
The explanation had more or less appeased Iselda, a merchant, who had been particularly against this new idea. It was agreed that the exact details of the new law would be ironed out later.
That had been the last real argument of the day. Everyone agreed on opening up the City of Tears for living space to all, and the start of large scale infrastructure projects. First on the list of rebuilding was Greenpath, where most of the city's food would be coming from.
After that had been settled, the discussion turned to their next meeting, where Quirrel finally spoke up.
"I have visited many places in the wasteland and have seen many types of kingdoms. I think we should start working on a document of laws and governance. In the places I have seen, they call it a constitution."
"What does writing have to do with strength and vitality?"
Quirrel looked at Godtamer and smiled. "That's because it's a declaration, you might say, of the principles and laws of a kingdom. To use your definition, a constitution is the vitality and strength of a kingdom written down."
"For one, I think it's a splendid idea!"
Despite Elderbug's vote of confidence, the ensuing debate lasted another hour before Hornet had declared the meeting over and a success before anyone could disagree.
All the representatives filtered out, ready to start their roles the next day. Hornet also decided to wait as well to give any speech to the people. Instead, she and her family left for the house they had been gifted.
That is until she was stopped by a small figure. It was the snail shaman, his white eyes shining underneath his shell. As he moved, the little bells on his staff chimed.
"You know the secrets of Soul."
It was not a question.
The snail started to walk off as he spoke, "Queen Hornet, the tribe will be in touch."
I suppose that's a success?
Hornet shrugged at her big sibling and started to walk off before something else came to her. Looking up at the Crystal Peak, Hornet voiced to her siblings.
Go on without me, there's something I've got to do.
Are you sure?
Hollow Knight looked directly at his sister, and Hornet returned the look unflinchingly. Hollow Knight held for only a few seconds before giving the equivalent of a mental sigh.
Thank you.
Ya ya, sis, I'm the best; just don't take too long.
Hornet nodded and then dashed off to the mountain. The Crystal Peak was a three-dimensional maze of purple crystals and broken down mine shafts. Before long, however, she found her way out of the winding paths and tunnels.
At the top of the peak is a desolate field of grey rocks and worn out pillars. Hornet's cloak blew hard in the win as she started the final leg of her journey. Hornet scanned her surroundings carefully, watchful for threats. This was the Crown of Hollownest, a place more feared than even the Ancient Basin was.
There were large monoliths lined each side of the way. The great stone boulders were engraved with glyphs that glowed and hummed as Hornet walked past. She occasionally stopped to study the old stone writings, but it was fruitless; they were all in the tongue of the extinct moth tribe.
Hornet walked on until she came to her destination.
On the edge of the mountaintop stoop a giant statue older than Hollownest itself. It was in the image of an enormous moth.
The cause of all the troubles, the death.
"What are you going to do with it?"
Hornet did not turn around. "Your idea of a constitution was a good one, Quirrel. Hopefully, we can get something written down in a few days."
"I'm glad, but as a fellow traveler, you know I'm just applying what I've seen."
Hornet nodded at that. She did know what he spoke of.
"Do you remember when we first met?"
Hornet released her string, sending Soul through the threads.
"I believe you tried to kill me." Quirrel laughed.
"Sorry about that… I told you Hollownest was a corpse," Hornet stated as she sent her string to surround the stone statue.
"Yes, I do remember. I wonder, do you still believe that? Current evidence does suggest otherwise."
She gripped her hand, causing the glowing string to twist and close. The statue shattered into small chunks and scattered in the wind. All that was left of the thing was a stump.
Hornet breathed deeply into the mountain air. It felt cleaner and more invigorating to the young demi-god.
She turned to face the scholar-warrior and chuckled.
"The Hollownest of old is a corpse; it's dead, buried and mourned. We will build something new."
Quirrel put his sword hand upon his heart and bowed.
"I will help in any way I can, my Queen."
A/N: Thanks again to the cauldron server for help beta this chapter. As I promised an interlude will be next and the next arc.
- Location
- Quebec
...Is it still a Panic of Siblings if they all have Vessels to inhabit? We might need to devise a new name for a group of Vessels. I suggest a Familly.
- Location
- Florida
I'll think on it but a pretty good idea