Location: Fungal Wastes

It was very humid in the fungus covered caverns. The Scouts felt lucky that their suits helped control their body temperature. Seer however was not so lucky, her fluff and inability to sweat made it all the worse for her. She had to be carried on one of the Scouts backs so she wouldn't pass out from exhaustion.

The Scouts at this point have learned that questioning how any of this makes sense is futile, and have learned to just accept it. But damn it, they really were not expecting sentient fucking mushrooms. Seriously, it feels like reality and sense were one of the nuclear war's many casualties.

Seer was currently on Matthews back, she would be wishing she could be sweating bullets if she knew what sweat was.

"My friends… how are you so… unaffected by this oppressive heat?" Seer painted.

"Just the wonders of human technology and physiology" Chris said.

"What? But, you are so warm..." Seer didn't understand.

"Well you see my fluffy friend, our suits help regulate our body temperature, and our bodies have an impressive heat regulation system, a byproduct of our evolution as persistence hunters" Chris said in a flaunting manner.

"H-hunters?!" Seer said in confusion.

"Yup, predator species through and through, why are you surprised?" Chris asked.

"W-well it's just that. I don't believe I have ever seen you eat any meat"

"Oh that's right, you've only ever seen use eat out nutrients bars" Chris said

"What are those?" Seer asked.

Matthew was the one to answer this time, he liked explaining things.

"Nutrients bars are given to in our MREs, or, our rations. They give us all the nutrients we need in small bars, they are tasteless though, this was on purpose se we wouldn't have the urge to burn through them"

David came to an abrupt stop, and turned to Matthew, Chris did the same. They just stared at him for a while.

"Was it.. Uhm.. something I said?" Matthew said, clearing his throat.

"Who is rationing you your food?" Seer asked.

"Oh… Oh shit" Matthew thought to himself. He had to find a way to bullshit his way out of this one.

"We got them from a nearby kingdom as a parting gift… for… helping them with a… uhm… territorial dispute.. Yea" Matthew said bullshitingly.

"Which kingdom?" Seer asked innocently.

"Ah fuck… uhhh… uhm… the... Kingdom of Chicago?" Chicago sounds alien enough right?

"Huh… must be from one of those far off lands you tell me of, for I have never heard of this Kingdom" Seer said.

"Actually it's fairly clo- I mean yes, yes it is, too far to reach anymore, sorry" Matthew said, even more bullshitingly than before.

Matthew couldn't see it, but Seer was just staring at the back of his helmet, with a strange look on her face.

"O-okay then my friend"

David just face palmed, and Chris was giggling. They needed to make sure to not draw suspicion upon the bunker, and things like that really did not help. They were too focused on the incident Matthew almost caused to notice the small black figures peeking out from behind various mushrooms watching them.

"Siblings found, siblings found" Lost relayed to the others.

"I see, lets go" Ghost relayed back.

"Not yet, remember what we rehearsed" Hollow interjected.

"Okay… no like Moth near sibling" Ghost said

"I understand sibling, I really do" Hollow said, rubbing his left arm, it had taken the Lord a while to regrow it. His time trying to contain the Radiance was… less than pleasant.

"Alright, on one. Three, two, one" The three vessels huddled together, as Hollow, and disappeared in a black mist.

"Right.. So lets get goin- HOLY FUCK" Chris was interrupted by the the appearance of a relatively large bug as well as two smaller ones.

"Greetings" The larger on said, waving at them.

"Hello" David said flatly.

"Me and my siblings were wondering if you could use guides through the fungal waste, and beyond. We are quite well traveled"

"You mean my siblings and I-"

"Chris, please" David said, now was not a good time for finding humor in correcting others' grammar.

"What's your name?" David asked.

"My name it Hollow, my siblings here are Ghost and Lost, don't let the name fool you, he is quite adept at knowing where he is… well, at least now he is"

"Hey!" Lost said, taking some offence.

Hollow chuckled, and patted him on his three horned head.

"You know it's true" Hollow said in what could be described as an affectionately mocking voice.

"...yea" Lost said with some reluctance.

Seer was in the middle of a panic attack. The children of the one who had shattered her beloved god. Where are they here to kill here to take her shards!?

"My friends, you cannot trust these.. These creatures!" Seer practically yelled.

Hollow noticeably stiffened "We are not here to bring harm to you moth, as long as you don't intend to harm us"

"If you want to rob us, I am afraid we don't actually have any… What do you call it? Geo?"

Hollow seemed to reel back wide eyed. "I would never steal from my sib-... anyone. I would never steal from anyone. I just want to be helpful to those who need it, I heard that you were new to Hallownest."

"In a sense yes" David said.

"My friends please, creatures of the void can't be trusted!" Said Seer.

"Hey! That's not nice!" Lost replied, very child-like.

"Travelers… I merely wish to offer my assistance, not cause harm" Hollow said.

The Scouts looked at each other, then back to Hollow.

"Alright Hollow, we accept your help, however we will be keeping an eye on you"

"I thank you for your trust friends" Hollow was internally giddy, the first part of the plan was complete. Now all they had to do was gently steer them towards the Abyss.

Seer didn't like this, she didn't like this one bit. Her friends didn't seem to know the danger of these void beings. But she couldn't risk saying anything more than what she already said, without the risk of outing herself on the fragments. She would just have to work with the new situation, she wasn't going to give up on something as important as this just because of a few void beings.