The Royal Waterways are gross. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Moisture clung to every surface in a way that wasn't aesthetic, unlike the City of Tears or (arguably) certain locations in Greenpath. This moisture included a thickness in the air that made their shell feel slick with an invisible grime. If they could smell, they imagined that there would be a very strong sensation in this place. Judging by how unpleasant it felt physically, they imagined that this "smell" that bugs experience would be equally unpleasant. It was probably fortunate that they couldn't smell things.

In addition, the tunnels were swarming with flukemon. Those things (definitely not creatures) were at the top of the list for most gross things found in Hallownest. Honestly, they die, and then each piece of the corpse comes back to life, squirming and slurping even more than the original. It made enough sense though, that these gross things would exist in such a gross place.

Nothing in these sewers even appeared to have sentience. All the enemies just wandered, slobbered, and attacked any moving thing that they could detect. So it wasn't just gross. It was gross and creepy.

They wandered through the Waterways in the direction they thought the Fungal Wastes would lie, and eventually stumbled into Cornifer. It was nice to have a map of the area, and Cornifer was generally a pleasant individual. He didn't try to make them talk, and just gave comments about the area. They weren't friends, but their acquaintance seemed mutual.

They opened the entrance between the Waterways and the Fungal Wastes before heading back to the bench to rest. Even if the place was gross and had thick air, the bench seemed at least clean enough to not be too concerned about collecting too much grime whenever their mask touched it.

This time, they headed off in the other direction. After a short distance, they came to a split in the path. They could continue forward, or they could climb upwards. They thought they heard someone shouting from above, so they decided to try that direction first. Maybe Zote the "Mighty" had gotten caught by something again. It didn't sound like Zote, though. Maybe it was a different bug. Regardless, any company capable of some sort of communication was welcome. Bugs with even a small amount of awareness were a rarity down below and should be appreciated when encountered. If only Hornet would stop running off every time they met. Others at least stuck around for a little while to chat.

As they climbed through the tunnels, the shouting got louder. At least they knew they were headed in the right direction. With all this shouting though, wouldn't the bug at least be concerned about attracting the mindless things that lived in this place? Maybe this bug had some skill with defending themself like Cloth or Quirrel.

The tunnel floor became thicker and stickier as they approached the shouting. It was a strange brown substance. Was this mud? It looked kind of like mud, but a little shinier. Maybe it was mud but made of a different kind of dirt? They'd have to backtrack to the City of Tears to wash this off after. Unless it was worse beyond this area. Then there might not be a point in backtracking so soon.

The tunnel opened up into a larger room with a very thick layer of this mud stuff on the floor. They were lucky that they were light enough not to sink into it much. At the other side of the room was the bug that they assumed was the one shouting. This assumption was confirmed as the bug started beating their (his?) chest and shouting a battle cry. Some gates blocked off the two entrances to the room and this bug started bouncing around and throwing mud balls at them.

As they were hit in the face with a very compact ball of this mud stuff, they had to wonder why even the sane and sentient bugs would attack them on sight. First it was Hornet, then the Mantis tribe, and now this guy. Generally they didn't care about communicating with other bugs, but sometimes they thought a voice might be nice. They could ask to pass by instead of having to waste energy fighting, dodging, and healing before eventually being allowed to pass. And even then, these bugs wouldn't even inquire about their intentions until after it was all over.

Maybe it was fear? Or anger? Or some other emotional thing that made them act first and think later? Wouldn't it make sense to determine the threat level before determining what actions to take? The only bugs they had seen with this kind of forethought so far were the Mantis Lords. They only fought after someone raised their nail.

A second mudball to the face shook them out of their thoughts. This bug was quick when he bounced around and couldn't always be hit when he chose to dive under the mud stuff. They had to pay careful attention to the ground when he dove under. There was only a brief wiggling in the mud before he burst out of it flinging mudballs. In addition, the trajectories of these balls were unusual and difficult to predict, especially when there were two or three flying around the room.

They took it slow and carefully. They could hit him with their nail as he was diving in and out of the mud and heal up while he was swimming and completely submerged. It didn't help that the mud hindered their ground movement, and that jumping left them more open to attacks from the flying mudballs. After several hits to the face and strategic healing, the other bug fell over and gave up, releasing a large brown cloud that quickly dissipated. He dropped a charm called Defender's Crest and disappeared into the mud. They felt the hum of their journal as it changed, allowing a new page to be legible. They would need to learn what kind of magic the Hunter used on it some time.

Beyond the room was a lever. Hitting the lever just seemed to cause the acid in the tubes behind it to flow. That was unfortunate. Acid burns were never pleasant to deal with. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be much else beyond this lever room, so they were free to backtrack to wash off this mud. They didn't enjoy this feeling of being unclean.

They decided to stop at the bench on the way back to the City of Tears to regain their bearings, update their map, and check the Hunter's Journal. The bug they had just defeated was given the name "Dung Defender." Did that mean that it wasn't mud on the floor? It wasn't mud, but dung. Waste from bugs that didn't completely digest their food. They decided that something existed that was actually worse than flukemon. And that was dung.

They didn't need to eat or breathe or do any of those things that most bugs did, but they had never considered how it all worked before. Bugs would eat certain items that they identified as "food" and it would disappear inside them. They had the understanding that bugs weren't like them and that any mass taken in would be added to the bug, but they never saw these bugs getting larger over time. It would only make sense that the extra waste came out somehow. The thought made them shudder. It seemed like such an uncomfortable process, pushing stuff through their bodies, only to expel the excess later.

They weren't sure they wanted to learn any more about how that actually worked. It was already gross. Right now, they just wanted to get this dung off of their mask and cloak. Thankfully, their limbs and body couldn't be affected this way. Being made mostly from void had its perks. The climbed back up to the City of Tears and took off running to the closest flooded area, ignoring the husk guards. When they saw the water, they jumped in head first. The cool water felt amazing on their mask. They briefly removed their cloak to soak it and clean any dung out of it. Once it was suitably clean, they used it as a washcloth to remove the dung that might have gotten stuck on their horns and the back of their head. There was nothing that felt as good as being clean.

Once they had soaked themselves enough to feel thoroughly clean, they made their way out of the water. There was still that other path to check out in the Royal Waterways. After that fight, they were feeling a bit tired. A nap would probably benefit them before going back into that fluke-infested place. They decided to climb back up to the bench where they had met Quirrel when they first entered the city. It was a nice spot. It was safe and the static noise of the rain made them relax. They refused to believe it was emotional. They couldn't feel anything, or their mission would fail. It was just a soft ambience that they associated with safety.

The climb was easy, and the husk guards fell quickly to their nail. They would need to find a way to thank the Nailsmith properly at some point. When they reached the bench, they quickly stretched out on it, thankful for their small stature. These benches wouldn't be nearly as comfortable to sleep on if they were taller. Laying on their back, they let their vision darken and fell unconscious.

Some time later, they awoke and felt a strange sensation just below their mask. They rubbed their neck to try to remove whatever was causing it. To their surprise, they found they couldn't touch the spot that felt odd. They could touch the outside of their neck, but the feeling was somehow inside their neck? They had never felt anything inside them before. It was very strange. It didn't hurt, it was just mildly uncomfortable, like there was sand stuck to the inside of their neck.

It was the first time they wished that they could eat or drink. Water would be able to clean the sand out. But where did it come from? Did that dung have sand in it? That wouldn't make sense. The City of Tears was too wet to let sand dry out, and they were certain that they had washed all the dung off before their nap.

It wasn't really a bother though, so they decided to ignore it for now. They still had to explore that other path in the Royal Waterways. It was only that path and the fluke nest left. And they were going to avoid that fluke nest until they had a good reason to go there. The fewer flukes they had to interact with, the better.

They made their way back through the Waterways, past the bench, and then past the tunnels leading to the Dung Defender's room. These tunnels were thankfully linear. It was just simple climbing and jumping until they came across a long narrow gap with spikes lining the floor and ceiling. Nothing a Crystal Dash couldn't help them pass.

The dash took them through the tall room leading to the ancient basin before becoming sewer tunnels again. That was a neat intersection, even if it didn't make much sense. What if the tunnels overflowed and sewage got into that room? That would be unpleasant for the guards stationed in there, as well as any passersby. God he might have been, but the Pale King was certainly not a competent architect. Who would build walls that break and hidden rooms that aren't accessible to most of the population? What purpose did they serve? Also, why have spike-covered walls, ceilings, and floors to begin with?

Whatever. The King was clearly not as competent as his subjects seemed to think. He couldn't design his city properly, design a functional sewer system, or even prevent a preventable plague from infecting the entire population. If Seer could be trusted, all the King needed to do was not kill the Moth tribe and the Kingdom would have been safe.

That's the past though. It can't be changed. Ahead, there were platforms and acid. They climbed to avoid the acid and followed the path that was accessible to them. They heard a grub from somewhere above them. They also saw a path leading down. They figured they'd have to come back anyways, so they left the grub for now and headed downward.

Maybe it was a mistake. After dropping down, they realised that they wouldn't be able to jump back up so easily. They continued onwards anyways. There was something odd hanging at the end of the room. When they picked it up, they learned that it was a protection item called Isma's Tear. It prevented acid burns! Thank every god and higher being that existed. They tested it out by dropping into the acid pool below. It felt a little tingly, but otherwise just like water. The steam coming from the acid reminded them of hot springs, but it wasn't quite the same. The sand in their neck was beginning to feel a bit drier. Still just a mild annoyance though.

Under the platform that had the Tear on it, they saw a small gap that they could swim through. Might as well take a look. It was a shaft that they could climb with their Mantis Claw. At the top, it was the grub that they had heard earlier. The broke the jar and went back down. It seemed that they had mostly explored this area now, and that there wasn't much left. Except the fluke nest. But that wasn't happening.

They could afford to leave some stones unturned. Anything to get out of these Waterways and hopefully not need to come back. For now, it was time to move on to somewhere else. They decided to try exploring Deepnest next. They took the path through the Waterways back to the Fungal Wastes and took a rest stop in Mantis Village. After defeating the Mantis Lords, they had taken a quick look inside the door that they were guarding. They learned that the area was called Deepnest, and that progressing without light would be unwise. It was darker than Crystal Peak in there.

This time, they had a lumafly lantern that they had purchased from Sly. They bowed to the Mantises on their way to the bench. This one was more comfortable than most. In a vault guarded by a known warrior race, they felt safe enough for another quick nap. Maybe it would get rid of the sandy feeling inside their neck. They wanted to be as rested and healthy as possible before venturing into the unknown of Deepnest.

Upon waking from their nap, they decided that the nap was a bad idea. The inside of their neck felt the same, like dry sand. In addition, their limbs felt heavier than normal and their face had a strange pressure. Pushing on their mask and rubbing their horns helped a little, but only while they were doing it. And they didn't understand why they felt heavy. It was kind of like they were tired, but not exactly the same. It was harder to move, but they weren't hurt. Their whole body just felt mildly uncomfortable in different ways.

They couldn't imagine that the Mantises had done anything. They weren't such a heavy sleeper that they wouldn't have noticed. It was strange, but they just accepted it and decided to move on. They had to continue to fulfill their mission. Even if they didn't know exactly what that mission was. They knew they had to move on, regardless. Besides, nothing was wrong with them. They just felt heavy and mildly uncomfortable everywhere. They've handled worse before.

They climbed down to the Mantis Lords, bowed, then headed into Deepnest. They didn't need to go far before they saw some familiar papers littering the ground. They thought it would be nice to see Cornifer again, but then realised something. They couldn't hear him humming as he normally did while drawing his maps.

They followed the paper trail as quickly as they could. Cornifer could be in danger. Who knows what kinds of creatures live in this place. It was a short climb to Cornifer's hiding spot. He was crouched behind a large rock and shaking. They recognized his body language as being fearful. Carefully, they approached the rock, making sure that he could see them if he looked up. They didn't want to fight Cornifer if he tried to attack them by accident.

When they were close enough, they tapped the rock to make him look up. Cornifer readily admitted his fear and traded his incomplete map for 30 geo. He kept hiding and shaking. They considered leaving. He was relatively safe up here, and it wasn't very far to safety. If the Mantis Village could be considered safe. Cornifer hadn't mapped the village when he was in the Fungal Wastes, so it was safe to assume that he hadn't been there. Even if he had, it's unlikely that he would have defeated the Mantis Lords to gain their respect.

They tapped the rock again to get Cornifer's attention. When Cornifer looked up, they pointed to themselves, to him, then in the direction of Mantis Village. They hoped that Cornifer understood their intentions.

"A-are you saying you want to leave?" he asked.

They shook their head and pointed at him twice before gesturing towards Mantis Village again.

"You want m-m-me to leave?! But it's not safe!"

They shook their head again. The pressure behind their mask seemed to intensify a bit as they moved, but it receded again when they stopped. Slowly, they reached for his hand, then tugged it lightly as they made strong gestures towards Mantis Village.

"Are you saying that there's a way out over there?" he asked hopefully.

They quickly nodded a few times. Nodding was worse than shaking. The put a hand on their face for a second to stop the pressure.

"Is it close? And is the path safe?"

They had killed all the enemies that they had encountered, and it was not far at all. The only concern that they had was the Mantis Lords in the Village. But if Cornifer was with them, then they should be allowed to pass through without difficulty. They should probably lead him all the way out of the Village though, just in case.

They gave a single, smaller nod this time.

"Alright then. I trust you. Lead the way, little one."

They walked slowly, making sure that they didn't lose Cornifer in Deepnest. It was dark, and they wanted to make sure that he was safe. When they approached the door, they took Cornifer's hand again before entering. They had to be clear that Cornifer was with them, since they couldn't explain it to the Mantis Lords, should they have questions.

They took Cornifer quickly through the Lords' chamber and helped him climb through the Village. They took him to where they had met him in the Fungal Wastes, feeling confident that Cornifer could find his was from here. He had made his way out of the Fungal Wastes before, and Queen's station wasn't too far away.

"Thank you, little one. You've shown me quite a kindness today. Come visit Iselda and I up in Dirtmouth some time. I'd like to give you proper thanks, but for now, I'd really just like to go home and see my wife. I'm afraid I've spent too long down here. I need to show Iselda the appreciation she deserves."

They nodded as slowly as they could without making it look like they were uncertain.

"Thank you again, and I will see you up on the surface later"

They gave a small wave. That was the correct greeting when parting with someone you knew, right? Cornifer gave a small wave back before turning and climbing up towards Queen's station, so they determined that they must have been correct. They made their way back through Mantis Village and into Deepnest again. They could feel energy waning from their body.

They used their Dream Nail on a few enemies to replenish their Soul and tried focusing. They could feel the Soul flow through their body, but it didn't relieve the tiredness, the heaviness, the pressure, or their sandy throat. It was very odd, but they couldn't do anything about it.

Deepnest seemed to resemble a maze. If the maze had booby traps, spiky crawlers, spiders that came from nowhere, spikes, and collapsing floors. Don't forget the breakable walls that looked just as black as the regular walls, but were required to break if they wanted to continue through the maze. Why did they want to explore here? Deepnest sucks.

The jumping and dodging and constant vigilance required to traverse this place was taking a toll on their every decreasing energy. Their limbs felt heavier every time they swung their nail, and they barely had enough willpower to make themselves jump to higher ledges, and slow their descents with the Mantis Claws when there were walls nearby. When they came to a choice between moving forwards or heading downwards, they let gravity choose for them. A pressure was starting in their chest too. They didn't know what it was, since their cloak didn't have anything particularly heavy hanging over their chest. The underside of their mask started hurting too, mostly near the base of their horns. When they had cleared the enemies out of an area, they sometimes stopped to rub their horns on the walls. They knew that focusing didn't work, but this helped relieve the pain just a little.

They weren't paying too much attention as they forced their body through the motions of climbing down, letting gravity do most of the work. If they saw an enemy, they swung their nail. If they saw a drop, they fell. If there were spikes on the floor, they would reluctantly jump or dash. Unfortunately, one of the holes they fell down was deep. When they didn't hit the floor after a second of falling, a sharp pain (that definitely wasn't fear) shot through their body. They resigned themself to the fall and were regretting the distance they had travelled since the bench in Mantis Village. If they died in this pit, tracking down their shade was really going to suck. Maybe they could trade Jiji one of their rancid eggs this time. They weren't sure that they'd have the energy to make their way back into this pit to retrieve it. They might be able to make it from Mantis Village to Queen's station though. If they took it slow and maybe rested first. The stag would get them to Dirtmouth.

Then they hit water with a hard splash. At first, the impact hurt. Normally, falls didn't bother them at all, and falling into water was a pleasant experience. This time, with their heavy, achy limbs, the impact caused the sensations to amplify to painful levels.

It didn't last too long, fortunately. The warm water began to sooth the ache shortly after they landed in it. Their limbs felt a bit lighter, the pain in their horns lessened, and the pressure in their mask and chest slowly dissipated. This was the best they'd felt since resting on the bench in Mantis Village.

They let the water hold them for a few moments and restore some energy before they sat up and looked around. If any gods were watching, they were certain that those gods were sending a blessing right now. There, just across this pool, this hot spring, was a bench! They didn't care about being stuck in this pit anymore. They would rest on that bench and deal with this situation later.

When they were confident enough to move out of the water, they stumbled over to the bench before collapsing on it. They hadn't realised just how tired they were. It hadn't even been that long since their last sleep. Now that they thought on it, they'd been taking naps at benches more frequently since the Royal Waterways than they normally did. Usually just sitting for a bit was enough, only napping after extended periods of time or particularly difficult fights.

Right now, it was just a thought. They cared more about sleeping than any reason why. They spread their limbs out, one arm hanging over the side, and fell asleep face first on the bench.

Upon waking, they had to admit that something was wrong. Their sleeps must have been cursed somehow. They woke up with a strong, almost painful pressure behind their mask and heavier pressure in their chest. Their limbs ached and almost hurt to move, and they felt a little cold. The temperature could at least be explained by how far underground they were.

They struggled to push themself into a sitting position. It made them a bit lightheaded and the pressure behind their mask intensified. Three times, they flinched and threw their head forward. It made them very dizzy, but the pressure behind their mask receded a but. It didn't disappear though. They remembered how the water helped earlier, so they pushed their limbs into carrying them to the spring, leaning on their nail for support. It was good that there weren't any bugs around to see them, enemy or otherwise.

When they sat in the water, they immediately had two more of those flinch things. They didn't understand what was wrong with them. Flinching meant either fear or a reflex reaction to fighting, but they weren't scared because they weren't allowed to be, and they definitely weren't fighting. Maybe they were cursed and sleeping just made it worse. It seemed to resemble a curse, because they were craving the sleep that made it worse, even though they had just woken up. It's quite a nasty, slow acting one, forcing them to choose between sleeping to death, if they even could, or waiting for these physical symptoms to incapacitate them and allow a predator or enemy to pick them off at their leisure. Who would even come up with something like that?

Maybe Jiji or the Snail Shaman. They seemed to like dabbling in unorthodox magics. But they hadn't been to see either of those two since before entering the City of Tears. They couldn't be responsible.

Wherever this curse came from, they would just have to deal with it. If they were lucky, it wouldn't remain attached to their shade when they died, and they would be back to normal. They didn't want to test it though. For one, they didn't know if they could muster up enough energy to go looking for strong enough enemies. For another, they didn't want to take a chance that it wouldn't work. It might make the curse worse, or they might not come back at all. They couldn't take that risk when they still needed to somehow get to the Hollow Knight to complete their mission.

With most of their pain and discomfort eased, they relaxed and just enjoyed how nice the water felt. It was almost overwhelmingly warm, but not in a bad way. It made their whole body feel really warm, which was odd, considering that they were made of void, which was generally resistant to heat. Maybe this was what normal bugs felt when they were in warm places. They liked the sensation. It also made them sleepy.

They couldn't allow themself to sleep. They had to stay awake to prevent this curse from getting worse. It was already handicapping them to a point where they couldn't continue properly. They had to stay awake, but they were just so tired. They settled for a light doze. It wasn't really sleeping, but allowing their vision to darken and their mind to wander would at least help their sanity. At least, they hoped it would. Maybe they would get some energy back.

They gave their horns a strong rub before leaning back and allowing themself to doze. They let their horns rest of the rocks around the hot spring to ease their ache and to make sure they wouldn't float away while they were dozing. They allowed themself to relax and accidentally fell asleep in the water.

They were awoken by someone grabbing them by the back of their cloak and throwing them across the room. They fell and rolled across the ground until they hit a cold, hard post. A glance told them that it was the leg of the bench. Their whole body hurt. Their horns hurt, their face ached, and the pressure behind their mask and in their chest were painful now. They knew that sleeping was a poor idea.

But who had thrown them? Normally they were more focused than this. Someone had to have thrown them across the room. They couldn't activate a dash in their sleep. Or do a backwards dash at all. They heard someone speaking and did their best to focus on the words. Paying attention was difficult when everything hurt so much.

"-lying face first in water! What is wrong with you? Shouldn't you be searching for a way to continue your futile quest? This behaviour is entirely inappropriate for a vessel like yourself. And you aren't even trying to offer a reason for it. Get up and let me look at you." They (she?) said.

The voice sounded female. It was familiar too. Where had they hear it before? There were a few females down here, but which one was it. Not Willoh, since she didn't want to leave Queen's Station. Millibelle wouldn't leave her bank, so it couldn't be her. Bretta also didn't seem like she would venture back into the ruins. Myla never left the mines because she wanted to find riches. Maybe it was Cloth? She's the adventurous type. But she didn't seem like the violent type who would throw them around for sleeping in a hot spring.

"I told you to get up!" she stated impatiently.

Right. There was an order. They were supposed to follow orders and help anyone who needed assistance or tasks to be completed. That was their purpose. Obey and find the Hollow Knight.

They struggled to push themself off the ground. Their limbs were shaking with weakness, but they had to stand. They were given an order. They pulled their nail from its sheath and heard the other pull her weapon out as well. It definitely wasn't Cloth because she carried a club. Clubs don't have sheathes. They used their nail to help themself balance and stand. It took them longer to stand than it would to activate two Spore Shroom focuses, but they managed to stand and face the bug who threw them.

When they looked at her, they berated themself. Obviously it was Hornet. The pressure in their mask intensified when they stood and caused them to do one of those flinch things. They were starting to feel cold again. How did Hornet travel comfortably around down here with only her red dress/cloak thing?

"What's that motion supposed to mean?" Hornet asked sternly, "Are you trying to communicate? Was that a threat?"

They shook their head once slowly. This made them dizzy and caused them to do another flinch. The flinch made the pressure in their chest tighten painfully and caused odd oscillations in their chest. It was as if they were trying to push whatever was causing the pressure out of their chest. This whole process caused them to lose their balance and stumble forward. They caught themself with their nail. They figured they must resemble Elderbug, hunched over as they were.

They tried to lift their arm and point to the hot spring to convey their intent to get back into the water. They got their arm only halfway up before their chest hurt again. They grabbed at the painful spot out of reflex and did their best to remain standing.

"What is wrong with you? If you've become infected, then I must dispose of you without mercy."

Hornet held her needle out threateningly. Why couldn't they meet her without resorting to fighting immediately? Why was she even here? Normally she waited for them to find her first. But if she was going to attack, they knew they had to finish this as quickly as possible.

They summoned their remaining strength to stand on shaking legs and hold up their nail. They tried running forward for a pre-emptive strike, but were easily dodged and immediately pinned to the floor by spiky silk balls. They made a mental note to ditch their cloak later. If it could be used to pin them to the floor, then they shouldn't be wearing it when they might come across difficult combat scenarios.

After being stuck to the floor, they didn't struggle. Their energy was gone, everything hurt, and Hornet had won without contest. She would kill them, and they'd wake up at the bench behind them, only to be killed again, over and over until Hornet was satisfied. The 3400 geo that they had saved up would be forever lost, but they could always find more later.

"You don't appear infected. Your gaze is free of the colour of the light," Hornet observed, "yet you do not appear to be in any state to fight, despite having spent what was probably an unreasonable amount of time mostly submerged in the healing waters of this hot spring. So I will repeat my earlier question. What is wrong with you?"

Didn't she know they couldn't speak? She called them a vessel, so she must know what sort of being they are. Or maybe other vessels did speak? They hadn't met one yet, so they didn't know. They just stared up at her. They didn't know how to tell her that they were cursed. And they felt far too tired, heavy, and sore to move.

Hornet huffed and pulled out some silk thread. She used it to tie their arms together. They didn't resist. She had already won, so what were they supposed to do, even if they could move without hurting. Once they were bound, she took the spiky silk balls off their cloak. They would be able to move again, if they had the energy.

"Sit up, ghost." Hornet commanded.

Couldn't she see that they didn't have the energy to move? Still, it was an order, so they struggled. Normally, sitting up took no effort, but they could only pull their head and shoulders a bit off the ground before slumping over again. After a couple of unsuccessful tries, Hornet grabbed the front of their cloak and pulled them to a sitting position with great speed and little grace. It made them dizzy and they flinched three more times. They let their head fall forward but remained sitting. Their head and horns ached terribly. They wanted to lay down in the water and rub their horns. Preferably with their arms and hands, but rocks would suffice at this point.

"Something is clearly wrong with you if you can't manage to sit without assistance. It isn't the infection, you aren't injured, and normal exhaustion doesn't make sense, since you were just asleep." Hornet mused aloud.

They made themselves look up and nod. Maybe she could guess it on her own? They could tell her yes and no while she was thinking. Maybe they would get lucky and she would know how to remove the curse. And if the gods had truly blessed them, then maybe she would help them remove the curse too. They knew it was a long shot, since they had never seen Hornet use or attempt to use magic. At this point, it still wouldn't hurt to try.

Hornet noticed their movement, "So it isn't any of those things. Correct?"

They nodded.

"Do you know what is wrong with you?" she asked.

They started to nod, but then realised that they didn't really know. All they knew was that it was a curse, but they didn't know what kind. They couldn't name it or even describe how it worked. They turned their half-nod into a slow shake.

"I should take that as a sort of yes, or a maybe?"

They nodded slowly. Their head really hurt and the pressure on their head and chest was getting worse as they sat there.

"I'm going to assume that even if you have a small idea about what is causing this, you wouldn't be able to effectively communicate it."

The pressure in their face intensified again, causing another flinch. They nodded slowly.

"And what is causing these jerky head movements? I will assume that they are not a threat, since you cannot effectively threaten even a mosscreep or a tiktik in your current position."

They ducked their head forward and did their best to rub their face with their bound arms. They knew they wouldn't be able to reach their horns or the top of their head, so the face would have to do.

"There is something wrong with your face or your head?" Hornet asked.

They lowered their arms. She could guess that? They nodded again.

Hornet sighed, "You are such trouble. Let me take a look."

She reached over their head and pushed it forward. It let her have a better view and also allowed them to balance a little better. Slouching over was easier than sitting up straight right now. They relaxed slightly as they didn't have to hold themself up so much anymore. They just wanted back in the water to warm up and rest. Hornet's touch on their mask, while not as gentle as it could have been, was nice. It wasn't violent and made them relax further. The light pressure also helped the pain in their head a little.

"Your mask isn't cool. You've been out of the hot spring long enough for the residual heat to fade too." Hornet commented. She removed her hand from their head which caused them to look up at her. The motion caused them to flinch again. The flinching things were annoying and too unpredictable.

"Why didn't you try to tell me that you were sick?"

They were confused. They didn't know what this sick thing was, but they didn't think that could happen to vessels. Being made of mostly void meant that they were immune to just about everything, including the infection. Void can't be affected by physical conditions. Except that acid could burn them. They shook their head.

"What do you mean by no?" Hornet asked severely, "It's obvious. You're sick. You have a fever, probably a headache if the head rubbing means anything, and I'm willing to bet that those head movements were sneezes. I didn't recognize them because they're typically accompanied by a distinct sound."

They cocked their head to the side. If she knew what was wrong, did she know how to fix it?

"Have you never gotten sick before? Or heard about it happening to others?"

They shook their head.

"Actually, I'm not even sure how this could happen in the first place. But it's a bit of good and bad news for you. Good news, you will get better. Bad news, you must wait until your body takes care of the sickness by itself. Since you are a vessel and not a bug, it is unknown how long that will take. For most bugs though, it can be anywhere from a couple of days to a week." Hornet explained.

They slumped again. So they couldn't just remove it like a curse? This was worse than a curse. It involved waiting. And they couldn't do anything about it. They pulled their head up and pointed their gaze towards the pool for a moment before turning back to Hornet.

"I should have guessed. The steam from the water temporarily relieves most symptoms. You can go back in the water, but not for too long. The heat will make the fever worse and make you sick for longer."

They did their best to stand without their arms but ended up falling over. Next they tried rolling, but they were having a hard time rolling over their arms.

"Just ask for help when you need it." Hornet stated.

They looked toward her. They didn't expect her to help even if they had tried to ask. They watched her walk over to them, lift them, and rotate their body until they were in a standing position. She moved them slowly and gently, so they didn't feel dizzy when she stopped. At most, it was ten paces to the water.

They shuffled forward and made it about halfway before stumbling and falling forward. With their arms bound, they wouldn't be able to catch themself before smacking their face into the ground. To their surprise, Hornet caught them under the arms and helped them to remain standing.

"I just told you to ask for help. If you're going to be stubborn, then maybe I shouldn't stay around to aid your recovery."

They shook their head too quickly. It made them dizzy again and they ended up leaning into Hornet to steady themself. The Steady Body charm would be really helpful right now.

Hornet lifted them under their arms and carried them the last few steps to the water. Once they were in the water, she unbound their arms.

"Good. Now, I will allow you to rest in the water for thirty minutes. Then I will help you to the bench so you can rest properly. The quickest way to get better is to rest and sleep."

They shook their head. Sleep made it worse.

"You do not want to sleep?" she asked.

They shook their head again. They didn't know how to communicate. How could they tell her that this sickness was worse every time that they woke up?

"Don't be childish. Sleep is the natural remedy for the body. It helps to heal wounds, as I'm sure you've noticed on your travels. It does the same for illness, it just takes longer. And near the beginning of the illness, your condition will get worse before getting better. That is just how it works."

They shook their head again. They didn't want it to get worse. It already hurt so much all the time.

"I have told you that it will help. Do not act like a child and do as you are told."

They shook their head again. She could help them if she wanted and she could even tie them up, but she couldn't make them sleep. Not unless she knocked them out. They stiffened a little. She wouldn't hit them to sleep, would she. They looked away in an attempt to hide from her gaze.

When they felt her hand touch their head, they gave a harsh flinch, not a sneeze this time. She really was going to knock them out!

Instead, Hornet turned their head so that she could look them in the eyes.

"What's with that? You didn't think I was going to hit you or something, did you? I wouldn't hit someone while they're ill." Hornet huffed. When they looked down, she looked a bit guilty, "Take my word for it. When one is ill, they can't care for themselves and are in a far weaker state than normal. Many can't take it if they are hit while they are ill, so you can never hit someone in that state. It is common knowledge and common courtesy for all bugs. Even if you are not one."

Was that true? While they're sick, she wouldn't hit them or hurt them? And other bugs knew this too? They leaned into the hand that was on their head and turned their face a little. It was nice to pretend that maybe she was rubbing their mask for them. Maybe she would even pat them! They had seen pats from a distance before, usually older bugs patting smaller bugs. The little ones seemed to enjoy it, so it must be a good thing. They can always pretend. This sickness thing was making their thoughts weird, so maybe this impurity could be forgiven when they got better.

"Are you… asking for a head rub?" Hornet asked. They turned toward her in response. "I suppose that's to be expected. Who knows how long you've been travelling with a headache. Head rubs help to relieve headaches." Hornet put both of her hands on their head, close to the base of their horns and started rubbing in small slow circles. It felt really nice and the leaned in as close as they could. "This will also help me keep track of your temperature, since you mask seems to be the only part of your body that can produce heat."

They didn't really understand or care about any of the implications of that statement. They were just enjoying the head rub. It was so nice to be touched without violence! They always thought that it was just for bugs and not something that they could ever have. If this was all they would ever get though, they wanted to get as much as they could out of it. They pressed the top of the mask harder into Hornet's hands. They liked the touch and the headache was starting to go away.

"Insistent thing, aren't you? I suppose I did tell you to ask for help." Hornet commented. They were just glad that she wasn't going to get angry and hit them. They relaxed into her touch and remained as they were, half in the hot spring, half leaning into Hornet for some time. They started dozing after a while, the water, the touch, and the sickness all making them very sleepy.

"Alright, it's been at least thirty minutes. You're still warmer than normal, so you'll need to take a break from the water for a while." Hornet told them. They stirred enough to look at her. They didn't want this to stop. They held her hand against their head.

"I understand that this feels good, but staying in the water for too long will not help. It will make it harder for your body to get better." She explained, "I can keep rubbing your head for a little while if you come to the bench."

A bribe! They didn't think that Hornet would resort to a bribe. They supposed they could get out of the water for now. They didn't want the touching to stop and the water was going to stay here, so they could always go back later. They nodded once. They didn't know if they could walk all the way back to the bench though. The water helped their energy a little, but their body felt so heavy once they left that it became difficult to move.

They let go of Hornet's hand and reached for her shoulder. They grasped it and leaned forward into it, ending up mostly on top of her. They hoped that she would understand their silent request.

"You need me to carry you?" Hornet asked. They slumped forward in relief. "Very well. Put one arm over each of my shoulders and choose one side for your head. You're lucky that you're still small enough for this to be effective. Normally only very young children can be carried this easily."

They didn't know how old they were. They knew that they were born somewhere down below, but they had no concept of age or time. Maybe they still were a child. No one acted like it, and they didn't know what it meant to feel like a child or to be a child. Maybe they weren't. Could vessels be children? Do vessels grow or grow up? They didn't know.

Hornet lifted them with ease and moved them to the bench. "You can release me now. I'll settle you down and continue the head rub, like I promised. But I want you to also try to sleep."

They released Hornet's shoulders and shook their head. Sleeping was bad!

"Come now, your body screams exhaustion right now. Don't think I didn't notice you drifting off while you were in the water either. Your body is telling you to sleep, I am telling you to sleep, so do the intelligent thing and just go to sleep." Hornet said with mild exasperation. She muttered something about acting like her mom under her breath.

They continued to shake their head. Letting out a few more sneezes and setting off one of those chest spasms.

Hornet sighed. "Coughing too? That's the thing that makes your chest move. If you are sleeping, then this will not happen."

They shook their head again. They refused to sleep.

"Fine," Hornet stated, "I am a bug of my word, so I will give you your head rub. But I am willing to bet that you will not be able to stay awake for long as I do."

They stared at her. How could she betray them like this? They didn't want to sleep but they did want the head rub. That head rub was going to make them fall asleep though! Maybe they could do it themselves and stay awake. They reached up and started pulling at their horns, hoping to relieve some of the ache in them.

Hornet grabbed their arms and brought them back to their sides. "You will injure yourself like that. Just let me do it. All you need to do is lay down and relax." Hornet helped them into a laying position on their side. Their back was against the back of the bench and their head was on her lap so that she could reach their head more easily,

A new ache built up in their chest. It didn't make them do the coughing thing and it didn't hurt the same way as that sickness pressure. It hurt in a different way and they didn't understand. They squirmed a little but, but Hornets hands on their head forced them to calm down.

Lying prone on the bench with nice touches on their head made them relax again. They felt their exhaustion fully and were having a hard time keeping their vision clear. Hornet was right. They couldn't stay awake anymore. They just had to hope that Hornet was right and that sleeping wouldn't make it worse again.

They awoke groggy and confused. They let out a few weak coughs and a sneeze before pushing themself upright. They didn't feel worse than before, but they were still tired. Hornet wasn't there anymore. They didn't actually expect her to stay while they were sick, but they had still hoped. They were still just a vessel, just a tool. Their value was the completion of their mission and nothing else.

They glanced to the spot where Hornet had previously sat and saw a not written on a piece of silk.

I have gone in search of food for myself. I will be coming back.

To ensure that you do not try to leave before returning to health, I have tied your leg to the bench. If you cannot untie a simple knot without using your nail, then you are not well enough to travel.

Do us both a favour and stay put.

Hornet

She didn't abandon them! They looked down at their leg. Sure enough, there was a piece of thread looped around it several times and tied securely. The thread was reasonably long and slack. The other end was tied toe the leg of the bench. She had effectively put a leash on them. Their nail rested beside the hot spring. The length of the slack thread would not be long enough to allow them to reach it, though it was slack enough to allow them to move around the bench fairly easily and comfortably.

They tried pulling on the knots a little, but they wouldn't budge. If they were being honest, they were still too tired to care about going anywhere. They sneezed again. Maybe Hornet was right about the sleeping thing.

They weren't sure they wanted to try sleeping again though. Not yet. Anything could wander into the hot spring and attack them while they were unconscious and unable to moved away from the bench! They had to stay awake and stay vigilant, at least until Hornet came back.

Now that they thought of it, why did she leave them alone while they were sleeping? The note said that she needed food. They supposed that made sense. Bugs needed food to live, so naturally that food would be more important than watching them. Food meant survival. Helping them was probably detrimental to and an inconvenience on her life. The Pale King had cast all but one vessel away after all, not letting them live in the kingdom. He must have had a reason.

And what if she didn't come back? The note said that she would, but maybe she was lying. Maybe she didn't want to help them anymore, and they wouldn't blame her. Who would want to go through so much trouble for a vessel? They weren't even a real bug!

The thoughts made their chest hurt again. Not in a coughing way, just in a hurt way.

They heard a sound at the far end of the room. Was it a predator? Was it another enemy? Did Hornet come back? Were they safe? They tried pulling at the knots again, not trying to untie them, just rip them apart. They needed to be able to move now!

The exertion made them start coughing again. This sickness was such an inconvenience! Annoying too!

Thee footsteps stopped somewhere on the other side of the cavern. They looked up to see a friendly face. It wasn't Hornet, it was Quirrel. He looked over and waved at them.

"Hello there, friend! We keep running into each other, almost as if fate has a hand In our travels. I have been wandering in search of a village here. It is rumored to exist deep within these caverns. Deep enough that only the most daring may venture so far." Quirrel said, talking mostly to himself, probably.

As Quirrel approached, they could see him look them over. "My friend, why are you bound to this bench here? I understand that you are partial to resting on them, but this might be going a bit far."

They stared at Quirrel for a moment. He asked them a question. Did he know that they couldn't speak or communicate like other bugs could? They turned slowly to pick up the note that Hornet had left, then handed it to him.

"Oh, I see. Your friend Hornet has gone in search of food and left you here because- Are you unwell my friend?" Quirrel asked.

They nodded and sneezed, looking down with shame.

"No, no. Do not feel sad, my friend. It happens to everyone. It is most unfortunate timing for such a thing to occur now, but that does not matter. I'm sure that a couple of days rest will have you feeling better in no time. Why, you are still young yet, aren't you? Young people tend to recover very quickly from these things." Quirrel said with optimism. He took a seat on the bench next to them.

"The message explains that you are likely to run off? I understand that you must be restless to continue adventuring, but your health comes first. If you would like, I can sit with you until your friend returns." He offered.

They didn't know what to make of this situation. They were just a stranger to Quirrel. Sure, they had run into each other several times on this journey, but Quirrel didn't owe them anything. Maybe he wanted something from them in the future? Like a trade of services or something? Though they didn't know what they could offer him. He was skilled with a nail and didn't seem interested in collecting many trinkets or charms, only observing them. They didn't know what to do!

"Well, I was intending to spend some time here anyway. Might as well have some company." He commented.

That seemed reasonable. They didn't owe each other anything. They would just be sitting here at the same time that Quirrel happened to be sitting here. It was just a fortunate happenstance, same as their other meetings.

They coughed weakly and leaned back into the bench. Maybe while Quirrel was here, they could afford to try sleeping again. If he was here, then they wouldn't have to worry about being attacked. At the same time, Quirrel was under no obligation to protect them. But they were so tired. Without meaning to, they felt their vision blur and began to fall sideways, right into Quirrel!

They snapped back up, looking at him and hoping he would understand that they didn't mean to. Quirrel just glanced over and then went back to staring ahead as he was before.

"It's alright, my friend. If you are tired, then you should sleep. I don't mind."

They were uncertain. Quirrel had just said that it was okay, but they weren't sure. Was it really okay for something like them to have such a privilege? They tentatively scooted closer and leaned into Quirrel a little.

In response, Quirrel moved his arm toward them. Hornet said that bugs wouldn't hit them when they're sick! They flinched in reflex and prepared for a hit, but only felt a gentle weight on their shoulder pulling them closer to Quirrel.

"You seem a bit chilly, my friend. And lonely too, if I'm not mistaken. Please, just rest here. You will be safe."

With Quirrel's arm around them, they leaned in a little closer. It was nice. Maybe getting sick wasn't all bad if there was so much nice touch involved. Real bugs must be so lucky to get this all the time!

Quirrel's warmth and safe presences drew out the rest of their energy. They slipped into slumber once more.

The next time they wake, they hear two hushed voices speaking. They rub their face as they sit up. Their head still hurts a little, but the pressure in their chest is almost gone. Their face still feels a bit heavy though.

They have enough energy this time to take a look at the knot on their leg and begin unravelling it. It wasn't very complicated. They see Hornet and Quirrel sitting in the hot spring and talking quietly. Both of their backs are turned, so they didn't see them wake up. They slowly walk over to the hot spring and lower themself into the water.

"Nice to see you up, my friend! Are you feeling better after the rest?" Quirrel asked.

They nodded.

"I told you that rest would help. It would do you well to listen sooner in the future." Hornet stated.

"Hey now, if the two of you are friends, you shouldn't speak so harshly." Quirrel commented.

Hornet bristled. "We are not friends. Our relationship is not nearly so simple, Apprentice."

Quirrel smiled back. "Well, maybe it is just you that sees it that way. They did not correct me when I referred to you as their friend. Also, will you explain why you call me "Apprentice?" I have never been apprenticed to you in the time we have known each other."

"You were not mine. And they did not correct you because they cannot." Hornet explained.

"I understand that they do not speak, but there was no indication of objection. Not even a head shake." Quirrel retorted.

They put a hand on Quirrel to get his attention. They pointed at Hornet and shook their head.

"Are you telling me that you are not friends? Or that you do not like the arguing?" Quirrel asked.

They nodded several times.

"Is it both?"

They nodded again.

"Well, whatever your relationship is, it must be a strong one if she is willing to watch you while you are unwell, is that true?" he asked.

They just stared at Hornet. They didn't have a say in what their relationship was supped to be. So far, it was mostly just fighting. They didn't like having to fight her all the time, but they figured that was just the way it was. Other bugs fought them too, so they assumed it was a vessel thing. Only the Hallownest natives tried fighting them (except for Elderbug, Zote, and Bretta), so they assumed that everyone else just wasn't aware of their vessel status yet.

Hornet took the stare as a cue to explain. "They are my half-sibling. We only met recently though, in less than optimal circumstances."

"Oh, I see!" Quirrel exclaimed, "No wonder you two have so much in common!"

"What are you talking about?" Hornet asked, voice laced with threat. Did she not like being related to them? Also, how was she a half-sibling?

"You are both caring individuals. You are both very skilled with a nail. You both wander these ruins, stoically protecting others from the dangers within. And the way you spoke of them earlier, it was the way one typically despairs of the actions of a stubborn sibling. That being a trait you both seem to share as well." Quirrel laughed, "I should have seen the resemblance sooner."

"I am nothing like them. Do not ever imply it." Hornet left the hot spring quickly and ran into the tunnels of Deepnest.

They looked down. Did she really dislike them so much? Maybe hate them? They didn't mean to take up her time. They didn't ask to be made as a vessel. Maybe if they were a normal bug, then she would like them better. They would try to be a normal bug for her, but they had to stay pure for their mission. She knew that too. That they had to stay pure. And she still didn't like them because they weren't like a normal bug. It was impossible!

They started tugging at their horns again. It helped the pressure and it distracted them from these feelings that they shouldn't be having.

"Hey now, don't do that friend." Quirrel said, taking their hands in his and bringing them down away from their head. "There is no need to be distressed. I don't know her age exactly, but she appears to be at a point in her life where mood swings like this are normal. Being her sibling, you are just the easiest target. I'm sure she doesn't mean it, so don't take it too seriously, alright?"

Those were kind words, and they wanted to believe him, but they knew it couldn't be true. Hornet had tried to kill them too many times. And she had likely killed another vessel too, in Greenpath. Were they a sibling too? She didn't seem to have a problem with killing those who were supposed to be family.

They started squirming more to get their hands out of Quirrel's grip. He held strong. Their weakness from the sickness didn't help either.

"No, please don't struggle. If I said something to upset you, then I apologize. But it will not let you harm yourself. Please, just relax and I'll let you go."

They made themself calm down and stilled their movements. It hurt in their chest. It felt like there was burning behind their eyeholes, but they didn't know what it was. They tried pressing their hands against their face to make the burning go away. It didn't work.

Quirrel must have thought that they needed comforting, because they felt his hand tap them gently on the head. They flinched a little at the first contact but settled after. They liked it. Was this patting? They understood why other little bugs liked it so much.

"It's alright. Crying is always okay when you are hurt, but very necessary at your age. Just let it out, my friend."

They looked at him. Crying was like the water falling in the City of Tears. They couldn't do that. And what did their age have to do with anything? They didn't even know how old they were.

"Just like that friend. She will come back, and things will be alright."

Just like what? They looked for their reflection in the water and saw a tiny black streak coming down from each eyehole. They quickly wiped them off.

"Why don't you try sleeping again? It will make you feel better, and I'm sure Hornet will come back by the time you wake." Quirrel suggested.

It wasn't quite an order, but they did feel tired still. They climbed out of the hot spring and went back to the bench, curling up as small as they could in the corner of it. They didn't mean to be such a burden to her. They were just trying to do their mission. That was what she wanted, right?

They drifted into a restless sleep.

When they woke again, they felt nearly back to normal. The only remnant of the sickness was a small pressure in their head. Rubbing their arm against their horns was enough to relieve it, though.

They looked around to see Hornet cleaning her needle. Quirrel was gone. They walked to where their nail was lying by the hot spring and picked it up. It didn't feel heavy anymore. They did a few test swings and tried their nail arts. They didn't stumble or get dizzy. It appeared that the sleep really did help them.

Hornet was watching them.

"I have been informed that my behaviour yesterday caused you some amount of distress. Though I am not sure how that is possible for a vessel, you seem to be defying all sorts of truths that I had been led to assume about your kind. So I will apologize, as distressing you was not my intent."

They didn't understand why she was apologizing. That wasn't something that ever happened to them. Only something that they were expected to do when they did something that bugs considered rude. They just nodded, figuring that they should just accept it. Making her angry with questions would just make her more likely to attack them or something.

Hornet seemed to accept the nod. "Before you continue with your adventure, I would like to ensure that you are back to peak form. It would not do for you to be injured or killed needlessly down here. I would like to spar with you. The first to make five hits wins. If you can last that long, you may leave."

They cocked their head. How was this spar different from a fight? The hot spring was here, so they could heal immediately after, but they didn't want to get hit so much so soon. They just got better and they didn't want her to start hitting them again.

"What are you asking me? Do you not understand the rules?" They shook their head. Five hits seemed pretty clear, "Then do you not understand how a spar works?" They nodded.

"You've been fighting your way through hordes of husks. You've fought myself and several other larger and more skilled opponents. You must have had some kind of training, and the only way to learn is by sparring. How do you not know what that is?" Hornet was baffled by their existence. How could they be so nonfunctional in such simple ways, yet be incredibly resilient and gifted in more difficult and complicated affairs? She sighed, "A spar is like a fight, but instead of following through on your strikes, if you are going to hit your opponent, you stop just short. This way, you do not do any damage. It is how masters typically train their students in practice combat."

They nodded. That made sense. Stop before actually hitting. It was still not hitting, so they were okay with that. They really didn't like getting hit. They took a fighting stance and Hornet did the same. She started by jumping high in the air and diving at them. They dashed out of her way, and the spar began.

It took a long time, but they eventually stopped a fifth blow short of hitting Hornet and she lowered her needle.

"Very well. You have proved your health, so I will leave you be. I am needed elsewhere right now." Hornet said, turning towards the exit, "We will meet again soon. Until then, watch your step. Deepnest is a dangerous place, even for those who have lived here their whole lives."

With those words, Hornet threw her needle into the dark and swung away.

They felt empty again. There was part of them that felt a bit more full when Hornet and Quirrel were here, but it was empty again now that they were alone. They took a quick sit on the bench before heading in the same direction that Hornet had gone. It was likely the deeper part of Deepnest. And Quirrel had mentioned a rumored village in the deepest part. Maybe they could find it. And maybe Quirrel would be there too.

Quirrel was not in the Distant Village. They found a stag station and the entrance to the Beast's Den. According to their map, one of the Dreamers was waiting here. After climbing through the narrow tunnels and killing the bugs with the claw-shield faces, they came upon a room with a large bug sleeping on a table covered in silk.

The room looked will cared for, and not dusty, grimy, or abandoned as they had expected. These Dreamers had been sleeping for years. Long enough for Elderbug to be the only one on the surface to remember a lot of the history of Hallownest. This place should at least be dusty, especially with all the cobwebs and silk they had passed on the way to these chambers.

These chambers must have been cleaned recently. Probably regularly too, unless they missed their guess. They approached the sleeping form of Herrah the Beast and drew their Dream Nail. They took a look around first to make sure that no one would disturb them. It would be bad for an enemy to come across their body while they were unconscious inside Herrah's dream.

They struck her with the Dream Nail and visited her dream. The wished that killing the Dreamers wasn't necessary. They were doing their duties, as the Pale King had asked. It wasn't their fault that the King was too stupid to not alienate and exterminate the species whose god was causing this plague.

If they would ever admit to having feelings, it would be their ugly feelings towards the King for everything he had done to his subjects, to his most loyal, and to them and their vessel siblings, however many there were.

The understood that Herrah volunteered herself to Dream to protect her child. They made a promise to themselves that they would keep her child safe, if this child was still alive. They would do their best for her, to make sure that her sacrifice still meant something for her child. They raised their nail and slashed upwards ten times at her dream self. Herrah didn't cry as she disappeared. They liked to think that she understood their intent and that her child would be alright.

They wok up on the floor of Herrah's chambers. Her body had disappeared, leaving only the silk cloth on the table that had served as her bed. At the other end of the bed, Hornet was sitting and waiting.

"You've slain the Beast… and you head towards that fated goal. We do not choose our mothers, or the circumstance into which we are born. Despite all the ills of this world, I'm thankful for the life she granted me. It's quite a debt I owed. Only in allowing her to pass, and taking the burden of the future in her stead, can I begin to repay it."

They stared at her. Hornet was Herrah's child. How would they tell her that her mother just wanted her to live and be safe? This debt thing didn't sound right to them. Herrah didn't say anything about her daughter fulfilling a debt. She just wanted Hornet safe.

They walked over to Hornet, leaving their nail sheathed. They sat down beside her and put their hand on hers. That was how she stopped them from hurting themself when they were sick. Maybe it works for inside pain too. At the very least, it couldn't do any harm.

"Leave me no, ghost. Allow me a moment alone before this bedchamber becomes forever a shrine."

They stayed still, not letting go of Hornet's hand.

"What do you get from this. Is it entertaining you to watch me mourn my only parent?"

They shook their head and moved in front of her, this time holding both hands.

"You want me to stand up with you?"

They shook their head again, this time making sure to hold her hands more firmly and purposefully.

"You want to stop me?"

They nodded.

"You cannot stop me from mourning her!" Hornet shouted.

They shook their head.

"Then what?"

They grabbed their horns and pulled a bit before holding her hands again.

"You want me to stop hurting myself." Hornet stated.

They nodded. It was close enough. They pointed at the table, then at Hornet. They wanted to tell Hornet that Herrah's sacrifice was for her, and that all she needed to do was be safe to make her mother happy. They wished again that they had a wake to communicate beyond the vague gestures.

"I will be fine, in time. Just as you were. My mother raised me, after all. I learned everything I know from her. I've even passed some of her teachings to you. She will not be forgotten."

It wasn't what they wanted her to understand, but Hornet seemed okay. She would be safe.

They reached slowly and cautiously towards her head. When she didn't react, they rubbed small circles in between her horns. They weren't certain if it helped, when Hornet started leaking water from her eyes. They left to let her mourn in peace.

A parent and child deserved a final moment of privacy. It was only right.

As they walked to find a way out of Deepnest, they hoped that Hornet would be able to fulfill her mother's wish for her to live and be safe.

They would make sure that this quest didn't end with her death or sacrifice.