Enter the Dragon
Chapter 8: Pale Being's lament…
Solaris sat, sitting upon his thrown, contemplating recent events. He had, after returning to the palace and healed the Pure Vessel, sequestered himself into his workshop, working on miscellaneous projects to ease his mind, when it hit him. That presence, that he had been feeling for the last few cycles, had been right there, passing him as he returned to the palace. When he stretched out his senses towards the new presence, he noted it's location, deep in Deepnest, beyond his current reach.
While distracting himself in his workshop, he felt the expenditure of powerful soul magic, originating from Deepnest. Focusing his senses again, the presence was apparently in a fight, blasting powerful soul magic in combat. The soul magic was raw, unrefined, but powerful none the less, showcasing that whatever this presence was, it was still quite young. Afterwards, the presence seemed, wilted, tired, but still strong.
Keeping a note on the strange presence, he finally cleaned up and went to bed. Upon falling asleep, he found himself not in the dream realm, that he had gotten used to, but sitting inside Grimm's tent, in the nightmare realm. He sat up fully, waiting for Grimm to make his appearance.
And he didn't have to wait long, as Grimm appeared before him in a burst of nightmare flames, bowing before him, saying "Hello, my dear Solaris. I hope you've been well." in greeting, straightening up before gesturing for Solaris to follow, leading him to Grimm's personal chamber.
"Things have been, good and bad. Despite my best efforts, your sister's infection continues to claim bugs at a steady pace." Solaris responds, falling into step with Grimm, entering Grimm's personal chamber after a few moments. Grimm's personal chamber was as lavish and colorful as Solaris remembered, taking his place at the guest spot, as Grimm sat down on a positively massive cushion, summoning up some tea.
"Yes, so I've felt. Even after all this time, my sister's grip on the dream realm, diminished as it is, has continued to drag others to her thrall." Grimm responds, pouring out a pair of cups, handing one to Solaris and taking a sip of his own. Solaris, after taking a sip, says "So, I'm sure you didn't drag me here for some simple tea. What do you want?"
Grimm takes another sip of his tea, setting it down as he sighs, responding "What, can I not visit an old friend?" with a smirk, leering at him. After a few moments of Solaris staring back, unresponsive, Grimm releases another sigh, continuing "Yes, this visit isn't just for tea. I've been called back to Hallownest, by the void."
Solaris's eyes widen, rearing back as if struck, before leaning forward, star more intense than before, and says "Called? By the void? But that's impossible. The void isn't alive, it can't call to anything."
Grimm lets out a huff, smoke puffing out of his jaws as he responds "As impossible as it seems, the void has called, and so I shall answer. But that's not the only reason. Even as far from Hallownest as I currently am, I can sense a new godling in the making, living in Hallownest as we speak. Their mind burns like a raging wildfire, suppressed by a raging thunderstorm."
Solaris sets down his teacup, and says "Yes, I've felt this new godling. It currently resides in Deepnest, and as of yet, has made no moves against me or my Kingdom." with a hint of concern, steepling his claws in nervousness. Grimm chuckles, and leans forward, responding "Even with it's mind shielded from my sight, I've been able to gleam that it is unlikely to a threat to you or your kingdom. If anything, the sense I've gotten from it, is that it wishes to help stop the infection, although whether that is of it's own personal desires, or something instinctual, I don't know as of yet."
Grimm finishes his tea, setting the cup aside, and continues "My troupe will be arriving in about 7 days. Then, we can talk more, face to face. A warning, my current vessel is, quite promiscuous, and I ask you to resist stabbing him when he flirts." with a shit eating grin, giving Solaris his own bedroom eyes.
Solaris simply sighs, and responds "Alright, I'll try to be courteous to your current vessel. But I promise, nothing!", empathizing the last word with harsh tone, before summoning up the essence required to exit the nightmare realm, awakening back real world, blinking the spots from his eyes as he sits up in his bed, alone, as he has been since his Root had sequestered themselves into their gardens.
Rising up, he got dressed, and went to get breakfast, along with his Hollow Knight. It was while eating breakfast, that a retainer stepped in, bowing before saying "Your majesty, an urgent message was received from Deepnest." and holds out the tablet. Solaris accepts the tablet, reading over the message.
"Pale Wyrm
In a decacycle, I will be coming to the Palace for a meeting of great importance, for the future of Hallownest. I request that all three of the other Dreamers, be present for this meeting, for their input will be required upon new information I have learned.
Sincerely,
Herrah of Deepnest."
Just reading it, he could feel the demeaning sneer upon her face, and could already feel a headache coming on from the implications. Turning to the Hollow Knight, who has already eaten their food and sits still, awaiting instruction, Solaris says "Pure Vessel, I want you to join Ogrim in the training yard, and continue your exercises. I will collect you when you're finished."
The Pure Vessel, after a moment of silence, stands and straightens up, following his instructions and leaves the room, headed towards the training yard. After they leave, Solaris gets up, and moves to the throne room.
It was while moving towards the throne room, that he finally noticed a soul signal. Or rather, the lack of one. Changing his course, he moved through the hidden doors and chambers, heading down into a hidden, secret room that only he and the White Lady knew of.
Coming up to the door, he released the soul seal on it, and stepped inside, his eyes widening in horror of what he says. Inside the room, what was once an immaculately lit room, was shrouded in darkness, the luma fly lanterns dark and empty. In the center of the room, surrounded by what could only be void stains, was the black egg, of the former Black Wyrm. And the egg was empty, caved in on itself.
Staring at the egg, he racked his mind for answers, trying to understand the impossible thing before him. And only came up with one solution. The void had freed his brother, from his forced imprisonment. But that shouldn't be possible. The void isn't aware, it just, exists. Like a force of nature.
Focusing his senses, he now believed that the new godling he had been sense, might have been his brother, now freed, reborn into a smaller form. And was apparently either possessed or infected, by the void in some way.
Channeling his soul, he created a series of seals of binding, locking the void within the room. Once done, he exited the room, adding another layer of seals on the outside of the door, and went back to his throne room, a headache already forming from the assured problems that would arise from his brothers escape.
Amorpha sat, surrounded by plants around her, her personal gardeners tending to the plants every whim, as she contemplated what to do now. Her husband was likely to go through with the Vessel plan any cycle now, and if it succeeded, then the infection would be quelled. And life would move on. But she couldn't shake the feeling that the Vessel plan would fail.
Casting her memories back, she laments, wishing how things could have played out differently. She wishes she had been more steadfast in standing her ground, in not giving in to his plans, in protecting her children from their doomed fate. Even now, so many cycles later, the urge to have more, is strong. And in shame, she has chained herself in her own spells of binding, to keep her urges at bay, to prevent such another painful loss of life again.
While reminiscing, she senses a being bowing before her. Focusing her sight, her loyal knight, Dryya came into view. She says "Rise, my loyal knight. What have you to report?" with her wispy voice. Dryya pulls out a tablet, responding "My Queen, a message from Herrah of Deepnest has arrived." and holds it out to her.
Amorpha reaches with one of her tendrils, taking the tablet and bringing up close to her eyes, reading the message, which reads "My humblest apologies, your majesty, for not visiting you in some time. I will be holding a meeting of great importance with your husband in 10 cycles, and humbly request you attend. It involves the Pure Vessel, and the future of Hallownest. I know you still hold yourself guilty of it's creation, but the news I bring will allow you to have the children you so desperately deserve. Sincerely, Herrah."
Amorpha, sets down the tablet, closing her eyes as she ruminates on the message. After a few moments, she opens her eyes, looking at Dryya as she says "Dryya, my loyal knight, prepare the carriage. It is time we finally return to the White Palace." At her words, Dryya bows before turning away, shouting orders to her retainers and gardeners, preparing to move their Queen back to the Palace. Closing her eyes, she begins drawing her roots back into herself, a process that will take many cycles, and while doing so, spreads her awareness across them.
And immediately notices a burning presence with the heart of Deepnest. Attempting to discern the meaning of this presence, she pulls away, putting her concentration on withdrawing her roots, and relieving her seals of binding. It was time to return to the Palace.
AN: And we see how certain things are playing out from the Pale King and White Ladies perspective. I know this is a short chapter, but what happens in this one is important, for future chapters.
Also, a bit of head canon time. So, the Pale King, being a god of Knowledge, is capable of entering sleep like other bugs, and in fact requires it once every great while. That's simply the reality of having a physical body. Same for Grimm, who's vessel is very mortal, due to what the Radiance did to him. More on that in the future. As such, the Pale King is capable of entering the dream/nightmare realm when he sleeps. Most of the time, he blots both out, the dream realm because the Radiance is in there, and the nightmare realm because Grimm, even if a friend, gets on his nerves. However, Grimm can call him into the nightmare realm at will when he sleeps, like what happened here, but Solaris is capable of dispelling the nightmare realm once he realizes that's where he is.
The White Lady, on the other hand, is a plant like being, and as such, doesn't 'sleep'. Instead, she can enter a coma like trance, when she needs to rest, which isn't very often. She needs rest even less often than the Pale King, and he's technically the stronger of the two. But, that's just the nature of being a sentient plant god.
Another head canon, for this story, is that Grimm, being the God of Nightmares, is essentially the polar opposite of the Radiance. And normally, the nightmare heart would be fueled by the nightmare flames collected from nightmares. Since the fight with his sister however, Grimm has had to personally collect the nightmare flames to keep himself and the nightmare realm alive. And nightmare flames can be created from a variety of processes, including the destruction of a kingdom, but even normal nightmare's create nightmare flames to be consumed.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed, and peace out.