AN: Just so you know, I'll try to get each chapter to at least two to three thousand words. As for an update schedule, there isn't one; chapters will come out when they're ready.
VolcanicFlare-Thank you! To be totally honest, this just popped into my head one day so I decided to write it.
Also, there is a chance I hid some Easter Eggs in here :P
The two short bugs, both born of beings with power far beyond their own, were at a standstill at the Howling Cliffs. The horned one had one foot forward, with its opposite hand wrapped tightly around the handle of its strange sword. Entoma had her right hand behind her back with a blade bug at the ready, while her left was in front of her, poised to throw a talisman. Neither of the fighters moved for they could sense their opponents strength.
The hollow-eyed one did not think, it merely analyzed the situation. It had no quarrel with this female, but if she would stand in the way of its destruction of the pestilence surging through Hallownest then she would be slain. Her strength was formidable, and it wasn't sure if it would be able to win a fight with her in its current state. Entoma, on the other hand, had rather conflicted thoughts running through her head. This one was strong, possibly as strong as her or even more so. But their weapon, cracked and uncared for, would likely hinder any attempts it made on her life.
The bug native to this world raised its other claw, the one not grasping its needle. It knew this hand-signal as a way of offering a truce. They'd no other option, given how its creator had denied it the ability to speak. Entoma, who did not see the point in engaging in a needless fight, sheathed her blade bug and put her talismans back into her inventory. She took on a typical stance, with her arms down at her waste and her back straightened.
She was unsure if she could win a fight with this one, so the maid took the offered truce and stood down. Then, as if it had never even encountered her, the bug took off past her towards the reaches of the Howling Cliffs. Entoma stood there, confused. She brushed it off quickly and made after it, hoping that it would lead her somewhere where she could find a way back to Nazarick.
After chasing it in the direction it went for but a few moments, Entoma saw something that caught her interest. A tunnel, big enough to fit somebody of Lord Cocytus' size all the way through. Dropping down towards it, and kicking aside the puppy-sized bugs at her feet, the insect queen made her way through the poorly lit pass. It was clearly man-made, as for who built it, they were likely beyond that door with the shoddy drapes.
Cutting them aside with a blade bug as to not dirty the outfit gifted to her by her creator, Entoma walked through a short hallway before coming to a open room with a single meditating bug in it. He was sitting cross-legged, and it took a moment for him to register the maid's presence. "Ah, a stranger enters my home!" he said jovially. "But she does not carry the aura of a warrior. No, you are one of those magic users, yes?"
Entoma shuffled her feet at the overwhelming positivity emanating from the large bug. Upon seeing the large sword upon his back, the insectoid briefly thought of Lord Cocytus. Perhaps he would have liked this one. "Um," the maid stuttered. "Yes?" While the imposing figure of the male intimidated her, his voice and movements carried no ill intents through the air. Still though, Entoma did wonder for a brief moment how such a bug would taste.
"Pah! There is no need to be shy!" the warrior declared, standing up. "While I am hoping for a young warrior to one day pass my nail art onto, the company of the younger is appreciated." He knelt down so as to meet her at eye level. "However," he started. "While you might not be a warrior, I can see by the way you carry yourself that you know how to fight." After this, the large bug shot backwards to the other side of the room and drew his sword, resting it on his shoulder. "That is good enough for me!" he declared.
Pointing his sword at the Entoma, who had readied two blade bugs, he cried out: "I, Nailmaster Mato, hereby take you on as my pupil!" He dropped down into a poised stance, ready to stab. "…I'm sorry, what?" the confused maid said.
"Begin!" Mato shouted before charging.
The following three hours of (forced) training were not easy for the small insectoid. She was supposed to be a support who would mostly pelt talismans at opponents and use blade bugs on those who got to close. This warrior, however, gave her no time to think or get away and use her ranged attacks. Entoma knew his intentions were simply that of a teacher, but she was considerably worn out from this fight. She had never been given a Ring of Sustenance to sustain her, rather she was gifted with a large supply of food and granted access to the Black Capsule.
The two bugs clashed again, Entoma superior speed matching out against Mato greater physical strength. Both jumped back away from the other, breath heavily. "Very good!" Mato said as he sheathed his strange sword onto his back. "It has been long since I have met a fighter capable of keeping up with me, not since my brothers and I trained with my master." The large bug sat back down in his cross-legged position once more.
"I apologize," he said. "I admit, I misjudged you when you first entered. To think that one so young could become so strong." Mato paused for another moment to catch some of his breath. "I must ask, who trained you to your current skill?" the Nailmaster inquired. By this time, Entoma had sheathed her blade bugs and taken out a green biscuit from her inventory and was loudly snacking on it.
"I was never trained." She stated casually, much to the surprise of Mato. "My creator made me like this so I could serve the forty-one to the best of my ability." Entoma took a bite of her food before Mato spoke his piece. "Created? You mean hatched?" he inuired, tilting his head. The maid finished her food before meeting his eyes. "No, my creator, Lord Genjiro, made me from nothing." she said, voice full of reverence. "Do you mean that you have never heard of my lords?"
The Nailmaster shook his head. "Regrettably no," he stated. "But they sound incredibly powerful, are they by any chance gods?" Entoma shot up from her sitting position. "They hunt gods for sport." she declared. "The forty-one are the only dominant life forms in this world, and the worlds that lie beyond." This statement came from her heart. Mato leaned forward, engaged. "Are there great warriors among them?" he asked enthusiastically.
The insectoid held her arms high into the air. "Only the greatest!" she said. Talking about her lords, however, only served to remind Entoma of her current situation. Her thoughts drifted to that of her sisters, and briefly wondered if she would ever see them again. "It doesn't matter though," she said solemnly. "I have been separated from my home, and from the last of my lords." Sensing the change in the mood, Mato stood and approached her. Focused on the ground, Enotma flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm afraid I don't know how to help you," he said. "But there is always a home for you here, pupil."
After saying her farewells to Mato, Entoma continued on her way. The Nailmaster had informed her that there was a small town just to the east of his home. The most interesting thing she'd heard from him was that beneath the town was a vast kingdom full of secrets. The maid decided that there was the best place to look for answers. How she arrived here didn't matter to her; getting back to Nazarick was Entoma's only concern.
Fifteen minutes of walking and climbing later, Entoma found herself staring over a large cliff. She saw a light in the distance, far beneath where she was standing now. Without a second thought, the maid leapt down into the King's Pass.
After landing on her feet with a loud thud, Entoma immediately noticed that somebody else had already been here before her. The stone in front of her was destroyed, and a few corpses in the hallway it led to only confirmed that notion. After walking past more corpses and making a jump and a turn, Entoma came upon a glowing part of the cavern wall in the shape of an oval. It was inscribed with white, glowing runes. She reached out to touch it, and a baritone, reverberating voiced spoke in her mind.
"Higher Beings, these words are for you alone." the kingly voice said. "Your great strength marks you amongst us. Focus your soul and you shall achieve feats of which others can only dream."
"Get out!" Entoma cried, though it seemed that the voice had said its piece. Shaking her head and briefly pondering what sort of creature made such a message, Entoma continued onward through the pass. At some point through the pass, the insectoid came upon a large hole in the path that most would have trouble getting past. It was trivial for her, though. One jump and a balance-regaining twirl later, Entoma found herself looking at a large open hole that probably used to be a door. There was another of those large runes to her left, but she thought that getting another invasive message wasn't worth whatever was on it. Unfortunately, it didn't give her that option. Upon passing it, the rune grew bright and the kingly voice pulsed in her mind once more.
"Higher Beings, these words are for you alone." it began with the same phrase. "Beyond this point you enter the land of King and Creator. Step across this threshold and obey our laws. Bear witness to the last and only civilisation, the eternal Kingdom:"
"Hallownest."
And with that, Entoma flung herself out into the open without a second thought. Realizing she was approaching the ground face-first, she reoriented herself in the air. Landing with a crunch, which was the ground and not her, the battle maid stared ahead at the close lights of the town. It seemed unimpressive, but if what Mato had said was true then the true wonders were hidden beneath. Upon reaching the dismal place, the insectoid found that she was not alone. An elderly looking bug stood at the center, eyes drooping but focused on her.
"Many travelers coming through recently, but I must say you are the most strange looking." the elder said. "I mean no offense of course." Killing him for insulting the appearance bestowed upon herself by her creator would have been easy, but pointless. The elderly never did taste quite as good as the young…
"My appearance is of little importance." Entoma stated, eyeing him. "I wish to know of the lands beneath this town. Hallownest, I believe they are called." The elder merely shrugged in response. "I'm afraid I don't know much, my dear." he said apologetically. "I've lived in this village my whole life, I've never bothered leaving." Almost considering his usefulness at an end, Entoma stopped herself when he spoke up again.
"But there is a cartography shop just over there, I'm sure if you want to know more a map would help." the elder said, pointing to a small, igloo shaped house that appeared to be wearing glasses. Entoma put her talismans back in her inventory. "Thank you." she said in her cutesy voice.
Entering the house that he had pointed to, the maid was slightly surprised to see a tall, female mosquito at the counter. She briefly wondered how she even got through the door before dismissing the line of thought. "Could I see a map?" Entoma asked. The mosquito, who's eyes had been tracking her, sighed before taking out a sheet of paper with poorly drawn lines on it and handing it to Entoma.
It took the maid quite a few moments to even comprehend the messy map. She hoped that this wasn't the final product. When she located the town at the top of the map, she quickly realized something grave. She had no idea what the words said. Entoma could comprehend the map of course, but all the labels that were written upon it were unreadable to her. Still though, this map provided a good deal of information to her. It was obviously incomplete, what with all the open ended paths on it.
"You can look at it all you want," the female mosquito said in a bored tone. "But if you want to buy it it'll be seventy-five geo for the map and another five for a quill to draw in any places you might discover yourself." Simply nodding after coming to the conclusion that geo was the currency of these insectoids, Entoma set the map back up on the counter before walking back outside. "Come again!" a voice behind her said.
According to the map, Entoma had to go down the well just outside of the town. Why there wasn't a proper entrance to Hallownest, the insectoid had no clue. Coming upon the well shortly, Entoma looked towards the graveyard which had long since decayed from what it once was. Turning towards the well once more, Entoma was filled with determination to get back to her sisters as she descended down into the lands below. She would not die and be forgotten as those in the graveyard were.
No matter what.