Location: White Palace Meeting Hall
The Pale King put his hands on his head and let out a sigh. His messenger reported the giant had emerged in the city again, fewer deaths this time thankfully, but still, having a metal behemoth run around your city with homicidal intent is never good. Isma sat in the meeting hall with him, waiting for the other great knights to come so that they may better formulate a response against these tall berserkers.
Isma hummed as she waited, her eyes were closed, she wondered if Dryya was actually going to come. She hasn't been on the best terms with the king for a while, not after he and the What Lady had their falling out. Perhaps the White Lady would understand the threat of these giants to the bugs of Hallownest, and order her to assist.
"What do you think of it?" Asked the Pale King out of the blue.
Isma opened her eyes and sat up, "I take it you mean the recent incursions by those tall beasts?" Isma said rhetorically.
"I think they are either monsters, or afraid, or both" Isma said, leaning back against the chair.
"I understand them being monsters, but why afraid?" The Pale King asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, it may turn out that this whole chain of events was the result of a misunderstanding, and them being frightened by it, thus resorting to… drastic measures" Isma said.
The Pale King rubbed his eyes, he supposed it made sense, but after the whole giant incident he wasn't really certain that they were afraid. That thing just came in, and began slashing, it didn't seem like the actions of someone who was afraid, but bloodthirsty.
The Pale King rubbed the two nubs where two of his horns were knocked off, the blast had also left a crack going across his face, it would take time to heal.
The Pale King was pulled from his thoughts by a knocking at the meeting room door, it must have been the great knights. Sure enough when he opened the large door, there were the other four knights, though Dryya didn't look pleased about coming.
"Good, good, you're here. Come in, come in, the recent occurrence has created much we must discuss" The Pale King said as he ushered his knights in.
As the assembled knights took their seats, Ogrim letting out a pained huff as he did, the Pale King began going over a plan.
"What we know is that these giants are likely coming from somewhere beyond King's Pass, if we wish to know anything about them, I would like one of you to lead a scouting party to find out wher-" The Pale King was cut off by Dryya letting out an annoyed groan.
"Wyrm, if what we have been informed about these giants are true, all that would do is get more bugs killed. They can shrug off blows from nails, needles, and soul blasts, and according to you, took your flaunted powers as a god to even lay a dent in it. Even after its fight with you, it was still in well enough condition to go on their second run through the city. Dryya said.
"Then what are we supposed to do Dryya?" Hegemol piped up, "Just let it come back and massacre our people again? We can't just do nothing!"
"Would you risk provoking another attack? What if there are more of these metal giants out there!? We can't even handle one, imagine having to face two, or maybe even three?" Dryya yelled.
"Dryya, maybe we could… just send scouts to take a peak? Not fight it, but… just take a peak" Ogrim offered.
"Che will go" Ze'mer said.
"Hold on, we haven't even agreed on a plan ye-" The Pale King was once more cut off, this time by Isma.
"Ze'mer is the stealthiest of the great knights, and it would be advantageous to send as few bugs as possible, the more there are, the more we risk detection." Isma said.
The Pale King sighed, they were not wrong, but he disliked his meetings falling out of his control. The Pale King was also concerned with the possible discovery of his old…. Body, but he was willing to risk it if it meant these giant attacks were not going to be a recurring theme.
"Very well, whenever you are prepared for Ze'mer, you may head for the caves beyond Kingdom's Edge, and find out more about the giants" The Pale King said.
"Che will return" Said Ze'mer, as she walked out of the meeting room.
Before she could open the door herself, something had opened it from the outside. What stood before them was a truly massive figure, it had eight glowing heys, four arms, and stood at a height well above that of even the giant's. The Pale King backed away in fright, it was the Lord of Shades himself, and he looked angry.
Dryya turned towards the Pale King, a look of anger on her face.
"What did you do now!" Dryya yelled at the monarch, things were bad enough with the giant, what did the king do to piss off the Lord this time.
The Lord walked into the meeting hall, Ze'mer stepped back.
"Foolish wyrm, was my warning insufficient? Did I not already take care of the infection for you, was that not enough to stay your hand on butchering my children's souls and turning them against me!?" The Shad Lord demanded, did the wyrm really believe that he would not take offence to him tampering with the souls of his children?
"I-I don't know what you're talking about" The Pale King said, fear clearly in his voice.
"LIAR! One of my own children came down to the Abyss, and snatched another recently recovered child from me!" The Lord yelled
That thing went down into the abyss and took a sibling? This got the Pale King wondering.
"This… child of yours wouldn't have happened to launch explosives at you would it?" The Pale King asked.
"Yes, so you did order it!" The Shade Lord yelled.
"N-no, its just that" The wyrm pointed to the stumps where two of his horns once were as well as the crack on his face, "It did that to me too" The monarch said nervously.
The Shade Lord was dumbfounded, on one hand he was proud of his child for sticking it to the pale bastard. On the other hand, if the Pale King wasn't the one diluting and then ordering around his runaway children, then who was.
"I think" The Pale King began "That our problems may not be so dissimilar"