Hollow Knight Stairway To Heaven Chapter 5: Warrior of the North

By Bluestar 076

Hello everyone! Bluestar here with a new chapter! And we've finally reached the 5th chapter with this story as well! For me this number is always important because it means that I've finally reached a slightly decent number of chapters with a story! So I'm happy to see this first small but important goal! As for the chapter itself, this will be lighter and funnier than the previous two ones, as a new member of the team finally joins the team! One of my favorites of the group of travelers! So without further ado, we can dive in! As always, enjoy!

Note: I do not own Hollow Knight. All rights and characters belong to Team Cherry.

Chapter 5: Warrior of the North

[Hollow Knight OST – City of Tears]

At the center of Nepherius, one of the two kingdoms that ruled over the land of Zarudia, stood the imposing capital of Nile, one of the biggest cities that rational bugs had ever built. It was a capital always in movement. In every moment of the day, there were millions of bug that were passing by for various reasons, of which the most important was work. Even if it wasn't ruled by some sort of dictature like Farland, the city of Nile had always been extremely productive, since the king put a lot of importance on the work that their people did. The high productivity contributed to prosperity and a nice life among the insects that lived in the capital. But after the war broke out, the kingdom started to enter in a phase of crisis. It wasn't a terrible one, but it was surely notable. The king, their knights, and the common bugs of the city all felt a ton of pressure from this. As the king and his warriors continued the struggle to win the war, the citizens had to increase their workload in order to survive.

And at the center of the city, stood the giant royal castle. Its look remembered that of a gothic cathedral, with eight towers that were placed around the main building. There were also a lot of decorations and statues that depicted insects or supernatural beings that increased the beauty of the place.

It was night in that moment…and the rain was pouring, soaking the streets of the capital. While most of the insects were coming back to their houses, there still was someone who walked around, and some lights were still on among the many palaces, including the castle. Inside of it, in one of the corridors, an important insect of the king's warriors was watching outside from one of the tall glass windows.

It was Frodus, who was able to come back at the capital in one piece. He was tired for the battle he had with that strange group of strangers and the injury that Achilles, Great Knight of Duloc, caused him (He had some bandages around his belly). The Great Knight of Nepherius looked at the rain that was going down while his head was covered with thoughts.

Frodus always knew that the world he was living in was full of magical and extraordinary people. There were insects that were able to do unexpected things and he knew well that all of this was possible because of the will of the deities that created this world. Yet…the encounter he had today was…like a first experience for him. He was a knight, a Great Knight of Nepherius that served his king. As such, he had been trained for many years to do his duty at the best of his possibilities much like the others. He knew that the bugs in Zarudia were known for their incredible powers and rationality. This made him think that maybe…bugs like that could only be there in Zarudia. Of course, he didn't deny the possibility that there could have been insects like him outside the land. But…he also knew that there weren't many places in the world where insects actually evolved. As far as he could know, most of the creatures that lived in the world, had primitive instincts and their only thought was to eat and survive.

Then…those three travelers came. Insects who didn't belong to that land and showed extraordinary powers and skills. This wasn't the first time Frodus had seen travelers wandering through the land of Zarudia…but those three in particular…left him something. And…probably that wouldn't have been the only time he met him. He heard of their intention to reach the pointed mountain and meet the Lich of the legends, so it was sure that they would have passed by Nile. Maybe…deep inside…he was curious to see how far they would have come.

In that moment, Frodus could hear the echo of some footsteps. When he turned around, he could see another insect approaching. It was another Great Knight, since he had an armor similar to Frodus's one. His armor was colored in a pure silver, while the wrap were much shorter. His head was similar to Frodus as well, but he only had two horns.

"Are you feeling better, Frodus?" The knight asked. "Yes. Thanks for the thought, Argenti." Frodus answered calling the knight by the name. "Man…to think that Achilles would have used a surprise attack…you really had a ton of luck." Argenti then continued, looking at the outside as well.

"…Well…I was lucky indeed. But…it was also thanks to someone if I was able to come back." Frodus then spoke, making his friend curious. "Hm? By who?" Argenti asked. "A group of strangers. There were three of them, and despite I've attacked them…they wanted to help me. I still wonder why. Much like other travelers, they are trying to reach the Pointed Mountain where it is said to live the Lich that knows everything. Somehow…they were moved by a strong will that led them go forward…much like us." The Great Knight explained.

"Will, huh? Hmm…in that case…they're probably really strong insects…both in mind and soul. Sometimes…the will can change the impossible in possible. At least…that's what I've been told from my master." Argenti said, remembering some memories of the past.

"Yes…even if…this is not the case. We have a strong will…yet…the tides of war didn't change in five years. There are many insects who want to go back to a quiet life, without the terror of having to hear the sounds of weapons or explosions. What are we missing? What is our mistake? And…why can't we notice it?" Frodus wondered.

"I wish I could know the answer as well, Frodus…I'm sure even the king wants to know it. The only thing we can do now…is to continue until something changes. They say that this war will have only one of two outcomes: either it will continue forever…or something unexpected will change everything." Argenti replied, feeling a little bit melancholic. The last thing he said…made Frodus think. "...Something unexpected, huh?" He wondered.

"…Well…if we stay pessimistic things could get only worse. For now it's better to keep on our duties." Argenti said. "Are you sure you will be ok, Frodus?" He then asked.

"Yes, don't worry. I should stay better tomorrow." The other Great Knight replied with a smile. "Eheh, good to hear! Well, I think I'll go now, then. Good night." Argenti concluded before leaving.

"…Good night." Frodus told him back before turning on the glass window. "…Something unexpected…at this point…it may sound stupid to think that something unexpected would happen but…it must be nice…to believe in that outcome…" He thought.

And the rain kept on falling down…until the dawn. The dawn of a new day.

[Seven Deadly Sins – Netsujou No Spectrum]

*On a night sky, many shooting stars fall down, while some pieces of papers representing Pure Vessel, Amabe, Lybelt, Tecumpsa, Saluk and Jubei.*

(Of love i will scream, echoing eternally! I hold everything i can, and it's slipping through my hands, but at last we found a light to guide us!)

*The screen zooms at high speed towards Pure Vessel and Amabe, who are leaned on each other's back*

(Never wavering, our emotions flying free! Living on the edge of hope, toward your light 'll always go, cause the dream we've always shared...)

*The Pure Vessel and Amabe now are holding each other's hands, looking at the sun rising, as the title appears*

(LEADS TO YOU!)

*The devasted land of Zarudia is seen from high*

(One day soon with you, i know that we will bring to life a new beginning warm and bright...)

*The Pure Vessel and Amabe are layed on the ground. While Amabe is sleeping, Pure Vessel is awake and makes a jump to rise up*

(Cause your gentle voice could change the world and i know it would only take a single word...)

*The Pure Vessel and Amabe are seen walking through many dangerous zones of Zarudia*

(No one can do everything alone, not a single soul can do it on their own)

*Tecumpsa is seen waking up in a foggy enviroment, Saluk is seen standing up inside a prison with his body full of blood and Lybelt is seen flying above a road full of crystals*

(But together as one i know we can!)

*After a thunder, Achilles is seen making his lance rotate and attack, while Pure vessel is seen behind a rock with the shadow of the void king on the rock and then a giant explosion*

(We can fly, come on let's try, just take my hand!)

*Pure Vessel is running along with Amabe, Lybelt, Tecumpsa, Jubei and Saluk*

(Of love i will scream, echoing eternally!)

*The group is sitting near a fire while drinking beverages and laughing*

(No one knows more you than i, like two planets we collide, and the light that shines within will guide us)

*In a rainy battlefield destroyed, Frodus is holding his nail tight, while the Pure Vessel is approaching him*

(Never wavering, our emotions set us free!)

*The Pure Vessel and Amabe are seeing watching the land of Zarudia while standing with the others on a giant trail insect*

(Living on the edge of hope, towards your light i'll always go, cause the dream we've always shared...LEADS TO YOU!)

*The opening ends*

The next day…

The Pure Vessel opened their eyes and stood up. In order to feel their limbs better, they even did some stretching with both their arms and their legs. When they looked down, they could see that while Amabe was still sleeping, Lyebet was missing, which it meant that he probably already woke up and came out. And they were right.

When the vessel came out of the small cave as well, they could see Lyebet that was looking around. The bat turned around and smiled at his friend. "Oh! Good morning partner. Glad to see that you woke up as well. I was just observing as the weather didn't seem to please us today." He said. When the Pure Vessel looked up, they could see that he was right, as there were a lot of clouds that covered the sky. They were a little bit sad since they liked seeing the sun.

"Hmm...at least I don't think a weather will slow us down. So…today we must pass through that Foggy Swamp if we want to reach the SEED city, right?" The bat then asked, with the vessel nodding. "Our first stop…how interesting, maybe I could even find someone willing to join my future troupe!" He added, feeling rather excited.

"Yawn…good morning you two…" In that moment, even Amabe woke up and came out of the cave. "Wow…I thought that I would have been the first one to wake up, but it seems that you two are less sleepy than me…" She then commented.

"Well, at least we all woke up soon. It could be a good thing, I guess." Lyebet answered. "So, are we leaving yet?" He then asked. "Before that, we should eat something. Luckily, Carpedour actually gave us something before he tried to kill us…I still feel sorry for him." Amabe answered before taking three slices of food and giving two of them to Lyebet and the vessel.

"Hmm…i'm new with this type of food." Lyebet observed. Even the Hollow Knight thought the same. "You guys have never seen bread? It's good!" She said before eating. Both the vessel and the bat didn't care that much if they didn't know what that was. If it was food, then it was ok for them, so they both ate it, and actually liked it. "Hmm! It's not half-bad! Simple, but tastes good!" Lyebet commented. Even the vessel liked it.

"Glad to see that you appreciate it! Well, now that we all have a full stomach, we can proceed!" Amabe said. It was simple but direct, so the three travelers resumed their journey, passing through another bizarre place.

The Foggy Swamp was the last obstacle that the three travelers had to pass before reaching the SEED City. Once they've reached it, they found exactly what they would've expected.

Fog. A dense fog. The group of travelers couldn't see more than a few inches from their eyes, and if they tried to move the fog away with air, it didn't work. With that…they had to be extremely careful on where they put their feet.

As for the ambience, it was like the places they had been before. They still didn't get through the heart of the swamp. Still…some mud puddle could be seen, making some bubbles.

"Man…I can't see anything…well, at least it's better here than staying in the Beheaded Logs…" Lyebet commented while trying to look around. "Even with my magic I can't see that much...the only thing we can count on is our ears." Amabe added.

The Pure Vessel kept on walking while maintaining the calm. Even if they couldn't see much, it was still a calm situation, and they felt no need to get agitated. They then stopped walking when they've heard something under them. When they looked down, they could see a line of small worms going from left to right.

"Oh God, if I'm late, they'll lower my salary!" One of them exclaimed while trying to go faster." The vessel didn't pay much attention to that, and just stretched their leg so that they could not crush them.

The walk through the swamp continued with no troubles or anything. While they kept on going, the travelers could see bugs such as mosquitos and dragonflies flying around without noticing them. It seemed that the bugs living here were simply focused on their chores. This could be of actually be of some help for them, since the travel could have been easier.

And then…they have reached a part that maybe could have been more complicated: a bridge made of wooden. Luckily it was large enough for three bugs, but if they did something wrong, they could have fallen in the river below. "Ok…let's try to be careful…I really don't want to get dirty…" Amabe said. "You sure? I thought that you silverfish liked that type of water." Lyebet asked. "What? No! First, I'm not a Silverfish, and second, I don't think they like that either…" The white witch replied before moving on. The vessel and the troupe master looked at each other in confusion. "Wait…if she's not a silverfish…then what is she?" Lyebet wondered.

While walking, they could notice that the bridge wobbled not a little, which could make them feel uncomfortable, since this meant that it wasn't perfectly stable. But the travelers kept on calm in order to not make things more difficult (even if Amabe had to make deep breaths). After a while, they were able to reach half of the bridge. Just a little more and they would have reached the other side. But then in that moment…they could hear something.

"…Did you hear that too?" Lyebet asked. "It's not a noise. It's more like…a music?" Amabe answered. But to be honest, music was a big word for that, since that 'melody' was actually…terrible. It was clear that whoever made that music, they were playing the instrument extremely bad.

The travelers found the music atrocious at this point. Even the Pure Vessel had to cover their ears. They just couldn't stand that. "THIS IS TERRIBLE! WHO THE HELL IS MAKING THIS!?" Amabe shouted.

"I DON'T KNOW! BUT THEY CLEARLY DON'T HAVE TASTES IN MUSIC!" Lyebet answered. The Pure Vessel turned around, as they noticed that the sound was coming closer. And then…after some seconds…the silhouette of someone appeared.

The vessel stood on guard despite the horrible music, fearing that it might have been an enemy that tried to make them vulnerable. The steps the figure was making were loud, making the knight understand that they were probably a large bug. And they were right.

In the end, the one who was playing that music…showed up, and the three travelers were surprised to see a bug like him.

He was a big and large Hercules beetle. His body was colored in purple, and his eyes were glowing yellow. On his carapace, he was wearing a solid armor, but the style was clearly different from the one the Pure Vessel or the Great Knights were wearing, making it clear that he was not originating of Zarudia. under the armor, it could be seen that he was wearing a shirt made of leather, this was shown by the sleeves on his shoulders. On his head he was wearing a large hat made of iron with two horns, and the hilt of a nail could be seen on his back. The travelers could understand that he was the one playing the music, since he was holding a bagpipe on his hands.

The three travelers and the beetle looked stared at each other in silence for some seconds…and then…

"By da look on y'er faces, it seems that ya like the sound of my pipe!" The beetle said before starting to play again. But this time, the three travelers couldn't handle all that music, especially Lyebet, who immediately tried to talk with him. "ENOUGH! Please, put a stop to your 'melody'! As a future troupe master and director of a theater, I think that your melody is so uncomposed that it could break all the glasses of a castle!"

"LYEBET!" Amabe exclaimed. Naturally, the beetle didn't take it well. "What did ya say, ya tiny bird!? Ya think that just because ya dress up well, ya can go and offend others!? Ya're discourteous!" He answered.

"U-Uhm…please, try to forgive him…he has a mind of his own…" Amabe tried to make the situation quieter, while the vessel looked at the scene with a drop of sweat on their head.

"I'm just saying the truth here! The music you play is horrendous! What, are you telling me that you cannot face a critic?" Lyebet insisted on his words. "Don't fool me! These are insults for my ears! And in my place, insults are treated with fists on y'er cranium!" The beetle answered. "Ya lucky that I'm in a good mood, now, or else I would have already turned you into cracked NUTS!"

The four of them then…stood still…doing nothing.

…

"So…what are you doing?" Amabe then asked. "Waiting for ya to move along, isn't that obvious!?" The beetle replied. "What? We can't do that! The bridge is already narrow! If we make space for you, we could fall down!" The white witch countered. "And carry two people like you with wings is kinda heavy..." Lyebet added.

"So ya think that after offending me, ya can deny me the passage through this annoying bridge?" The beetle asked. "N-No…we're not saying that…we can just…continue to move and…you can just…follow us." Amabe told him.

"I don't have time for stepping around with slowpokes like ya! I've been travelling for days at this point, and all I want is just to sit down and take a nice brew of BEER IN PEACE! I'm starting to have the calluses at the paws, ya know!?" The beetle protested.

"We're sorry for that, but we don't have time either! We are trying to go through this bridge as well so-" Lyebet was going to answer, but the beetle immediately stopped him. "YA DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO TALK, YA SLIMY BIRD! Ya guys think that ya're so important that you cannot give priority to others!?" He then looked at the vessel. "And what are ya looking at!? Ya're the only one who still didn't talk. What, ya think that ya cannot try to say something for the worries of my answers?"

The vessel didn't answer and kept looking at him.

"I'M CALLING YOU A COWARD!" The large insect shouted. "Uhm…it's kinda useless, mister…they don't have the gift of word." Amabe told him. "But anyways, what my friend did was clearly wrong, but now you are just being rude! You cannot just tell us what to do and then freely say these words to us!" She then exclaimed.

"Ya were the first ones to trash talk about me, and now ya think I should respect ya? I don't let bugs like you lower my head!" The beetle answered with nonchalance before looking back at the vessel. "Also, ya call that a nail? It looks like the whitest toothbrush I've ever seen!" At this point, even the vessel frowned at him. Now he was just being offensive.

"This…is a nail!" The beetle then put his hand on his back…to grab a long nail of big dimensions that even shined despite the fog. "And it's even bigger than yours!" He then swung it, showing that he wanted to fight.

"So, are ya ready, ya big dumb stupid, mongoloid, vertebrate, disgusting, distasteful, ugly, putrid, imbecile, dumbass, childish, effeminate, tiny, piece of cockroach shits I've ever seen!?"

At this point…that Beetle had gone too far.

The three travelers immediately threw themselves to the attack with powerful blows, all blocked by the warrior's huge nail. This forced them to jump back and stay on guard. "Nice shot, y'all! But forget it takes this little to take me down!" The beetle exclaimed.

[Hollow Knight OST – False Knight]

He then used his wings to dash towards the vessel and the others, showing that despite his large body, he also had a notable speed that shocked his opponents. The Viking tried then to slash them down with one single cut of his nail, but the Vessel quickly blocked the blow and answered with a parry counterattack. "Gah!" due to that, the beetle started to lose balance, so both Amabe and Lyebet took advantage of it and started to attack him repeatedly with magic spheres and small bats made of fire. Their opponent was taking damage, but it didn't seem to make such a difference for him. The large carapace, added to the armor, formed a strong and resistant defense for the Beetle, who started to swell the muscles. "NGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"What is he doing!?" Lyebet exclaimed. Electric shockwaves started to surround that warrior's body, who was storing that energy. "TSEAH!" The beetle then released the electricity in three different beams that attacked the travelers, making them recoil.

"Agh! So, he can use magic as well! This will be troublesome…" Amabe commented before summoning four magic chains that she threw in the attempt of limit the enemy's movements. "Now what are these!?" The Viking exclaimed.

"Now! Attack him!" Amabe then advised her friends to take the chance she had given to them. The Pure Vessel and Lyebet quickly ran towards the beetle and started to attack him repeatedly with the nail and with the claws. "NGH! Now these attacks hurt me more! BUT WE VIKINGS NEED MORE!" The beetle shouted before starting to struggle with his arms in order to break free from the chains. Thanks to his strength he was able to shatter them and grab both the vessel and the future Troupe Master in a tight grasp. "AH!"

"Oh oh…" Amabe commented, as she knew what was going to happen. After taking the two opponents, the beetle looked at the witch with a smirk and threw the two travelers like a bowling ball against Amabe. "AAAAAAAAH!"

"Oh no! NONONONONONONO!" Afraid of getting hit in the face, Amabe trapped the vessel and Lyebet in a ball of energy, blocking them. "Are you ok?" She asked worried. "S-Sorta…" Lyebet commented. The vessel could swear to see tons of Radiances flying around their head. The witch then proceeded to putting them down and have a breath.

The Viking seemed to wait for them to get better. "I'm warming up! I've faced much worse than all of ya!" He exclaimed.

"Now we know that we can't underestimate him…which means…that we need to go full power with him!" Amabe said. "I like this idea!" Lyebet answered. Even the vessel nodded. With that, much like in the beginning, the three travelers started to run towards the Viking, who was ready to welcome them with open arms.

The Hollow Knight was in first line and started to attack the Viking with their nail. The beetle on the other hand, answered to his attacks with his own nail. Despite the difference in dimensions, the Vessel's nail seemed to resist to the Beetle's one's blows, showing that they were made of a similar material. Amabe was the second to come as she jumped to attack the Viking right in the face with a white beam. "NGAH!" This forced the beetle to recoil and become open to a combo made by the vessel. "Now Lyebet!" Amabe exclaimed.

"With pleasure!" Lyebet said before starting to fly towards the enemy. When he was high enough, he put all his body inside his coat and then put himself tip-shaped before making a dive attack, which attacked the Viking, but not making him fall. "HA!" After the blow, the beetle used his large sword to push away the three travelers, managing to hurt them all. "Gh!"

"Anf…anf…anf…ya're showing to be tougher than expected…for a bunch of thin dudes…" The beetle said as he caught his breath. The vessel, Amabe and Lyebet were catching their breath too. Despite being born from a simple argument, it was starting to become an intense fight, which meant that they needed to implement even more energy to take that strange enemy down.

The vessel glared at their opponent…thinking on how to deal with him. This made them thought of what happened the previous night, during the battle with that Great Knight of Duloc. That…black energy that took over their body and made them power up and lose control at the same time. Was it going to happen again? Maybe it was an innate ability of theirs that activated when they were having difficulties in a fight or when they were on the verge of death?

But...they didn't have the time to find an answer.

Before they could resume the fight, everyone suddenly heard another noise coming closer. "What is this?" Amabe wondered while looking around. "It seems like…a flap of wings?" Lyebet added. "Flap of wings? Who the hell might that be?" The beetle added.

When the vessel looked up, they could see with surprise that a group of cockroaches were starting to come closer to the bridge by flying.

[Kingdom Hearts OST – Squirming Evil]

"YAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Well, look at that! A bunch of travelers wandering in this stupid bridge that had been rebuilt at least four times! You know what to do boys!" The leader exclaimed.

"Bandits!? In a place like this!?" Everyone (except the vessel) exclaimed. They could then notice something unpleasant: those bandits were holding many packages of dynamites on their hands while getting closer. It didn't take too long before understanding what they were going to do.

"Enjoy the fireworks!" The leader exclaimed before the group as a whole threw all the dynamites at the bridge.

"MOTHERFU-"Before the travelers and the Viking could finish their insult and do something, the explosives hit them and made them fall.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…"

Some minutes after the fall, the vessel slowly opened their eyes. Their head was still hurting so they had to hold it with their hand, but they were still able to stand up. When they looked around, they could see that they were on what seemed a small river, as the water bathed only their paws. They remembered that the bandits attacked them with dynamites and made them fall. In fact, the vessel could see some pieces of the bridges floating close to them, and when they looked up, they could see that the only thing left of the bridge were the ropes that were holding it.

The Hollow Knight then turned around to see that Amabe, Lyebet and the beetle were laying down still unconscious. The vessel promptly came close to Amabe and started to shake her gently. "Hmmm…Pure Vessel?" She asked. Her friend nodded. "Ugh…I'm glad that you are ok…but…where are we?" The white witch then wondered while looking around.

Even Lyebet and the viking woke up a few moments later, confused about the place. "We've ended up falling down…all because those extras attacked us while we were busy!" The bat spoke, not liking the situation. "Argh! It's already the fifth time I get attacked by bandits ever since I put foot on this weird land! Where do they come from!?" The beetle added.

"Well…there is a war going on for five years on this land, so the chances of running into criminals and bandits are more frequent." Amabe explained.

"A war? Really? Great Nitor! I've basically ended up in a giant battlefield! That may explain why I've seen lots of devastated places before coming in here!" The Viking exclaimed before releasing a deep sigh. "This is really a bad day for me." He then turned around and started to leave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Amabe asked. "To the exit, don't ya think? I need to get out of here before something worse happens! I've been travelling for days now, and all I want is to arrive to this SEED city I've heard about and have a nice brew of BEER like I said before!" The beetle exclaimed.

The vessel came closer to him and shrugged. "…What? What are ya looking at, thin boy?" The Viking asked. "I think that Pure Vessel wants to ask you…if you know the road." The white witch translated for them. This made the beetle look around and…much like when he entered to this Foggy Swamp. The only thing he could see was…well…fog.

"Ah right…it's in the name." He spoke. "For Baldurin's sake, at this point I'm completely lost! Guess I'll have to search the road on my own…"

In the meantime, the three travelers were already standing up and ready to resume their journey. "Well, we hope you can get out of here alive. We'll just take that road to the north and see where it leads." Lyebet told him. "Farewell then! Hope you'll have a good life!" Amabe added. And with that…they returned to walk. Now that the bridge was broken, the only thing left to do was to move forward, since they couldn't see much with the fog. Maybe it would have been a road full of risks, but at this point, it was worth the try…if they wanted to proceed with their journey.

Though after a few minutes…they've started to hear something behind them, and when they turned around…they could see the Viking.

"…What are you doing?" Amabe asked. "Following ya?" The beetle answered. "What!? You wanted us dead just a few moments ago! What's the deal?" Lyebet exclaimed.

"AH COME ON! I wouldn't have killed ya, just taught ya a lesson for being so annoying! I would like to make ya remember that ya're the one who started all this, little bird!" The beetle explained, lowering his head to Lyebet's height and glancing at him.

"First of all, I'm a bat, not a bird, and second, it's not my fault if your music is- OUCH!" Lyebet was about to complain again but this time Amabe stopped him with a slap on the back of his head. "Stop! You're repeating the same mistake again!" She told him before turning to the Viking. "Listen…it's true that he made a mistake by insulting your pipes, but you also exaggerated by pretending for us to step aside. Not only that, but you also insulted us! I don't know if it's common from your parts, but we consider it quite rude!"

"Well, yeah it's pretty normal. Especially if inside a tavern." The beetle simply replied. "Look…the point is, we all made a mistake here. If you want to come with us you'll need to apologize and promise not to insult you or fight against you again. We'll do the same." Amabe continued. Even the Pure Vessel came closer to the giant insect and lent a hand.

The Viking looked at them in silence for some seconds. He still didn't like them at all, since they weren't insects of his standards, as he was used to another type of relations…but he could see that they were not people with bad intentions. And in the end…the witch was right. It was also his fault. So maybe…just for once, he could let it go this time. So, he decided to shake the vessel's hand. "Fine…I'm sorry." He simply spoke. This made the Vessel nod.

"That's good to know! We're sorry too." Amabe said. Even Lyebet made a little bow. "I apologize as well..." He added.

"Ok. Let's search for the exit then!" With those words made by Amabe, the three travelers and the Viking started to get out of the river and proceed towards the north.

[Super Metroid OST – Upper Brinstar]

"Now that I think of it…we still don't know your name." Amabe pointed out while the group was moving throughout the fog. "My name? I never thought you would have asked it, strange bug. My name is Tecumpsa! And as you can see, I'm a proud Viking!" The beetle answered, introducing himself as Tecumpsa.

"Hmmm…A particular name…and I suppose that you are not from this land as well." Lyebet observed. "That's right. Besides, this land surely doesn't have the temperature I'm used to! It's a swamp for sure, but compared to where I come from, it's like being in an oven! I come from the land of Tundra, in the distant north. A place where great fighters and the coldest ice live." Tecumpsa explained.

The vessel listened curious that explanation. Tundra…it was a particular name that made them curious to know what type of land that was. It seemed that the more the vessel was moving on this journey the more they knew about the existence of other lands and kingdoms. For their entire life, the only place and home they used to know was Hallownest, and the idea of a world in the surface never attracted them. But…now that they were knowing more about other kingdoms and their inhabitants…they couldn't hide the sense of curiosity that was slowly growing in them.

"The land of the coldest ice…now that I think of it…I've heard that in the north, the wind and the temperature are more raging…so it would make sense for your land. But…if you come from a land of ice, then why is your element the thunder? During the fight you've attacked us with electricity." Amabe then asked.

"Don't think a land makes the bug, little witch! Through the guidance of our deities, we strengthened our muscles and our magic so that we could resist to the challenges that mother nature would have thrown at us!" The Viking continued before making a question on his own. "And what about ya? Who are ya?"

"Oh! Fair enough. My name is Amabe, I'm a white witch, a bug that uses magic to help whether they can." Amabe presented herself before pointing at the vessel. "This knight here is Pure Vessel. They said to come from an underground realm. They seem to hide a huge power…but this also makes them unable to talk somehow…"

"Really!? Are ya under some kind of curse!? There were many bugs back in my home that had your same problem! Maybe ya've enraged the huge tarantula?" Tecumpsa wondered. The vessel didn't know what he was talking about, and they couldn't answer at all, so they shook their head.

"I do think that this mystery is what makes my partner interesting. I wonder if we'll ever be able to find out something about them. Anyways, now it's my turn. My name is Lyebet, and I am a Troupe Master and a loyal follower of the Nightmare Heart. My intent is to nurture the Nightmare Heart by creating a wandering group that feeds on the others dreams and nightmares through wonderful shows, like my father before me." Lyebet then said.

"Ya're a show man and ya didn't like the melody of my pipe? It's clear that you don't have taste for art!" Tecumpsa exclaimed, remembering how the bat insulted his music. Lyebet eye twitched for a moment, remembering how horrible that pipe was. He wanted so badly to counter his sentence, but he decided to let go, as he turned around. "Maybe another time…if there will be." He spoke.

After that presentation, the group of travelers, followed by Tecumpsa, continued to wander through the swamp, noticing how the mist was becoming denser. They still could see something, but now if they wanted to get out of there, they needed to be extra careful, since they didn't know what was waiting for them aside from the bandits that attacked them.

At one point, they've ended up in front of a large pool with big leaves on it that could have been used as platforms to move one. Amabe could see that the water had a strange color, which made her doubt. "Eugh…I don't want to know what that thing is…maybe it's better if we use those leaves as platform." She suggested before noticing that Lyebet and Tecumpsa were already at the other side. "H-HEY!" She shouted.

"Ah come on! What did ya expect? I'm a big bug, if I tried to jump on one of those leaves, I would have sunk for sure!" Tecumpsa answered. "Personally, I don't want my outfit to get dirty. You know how hard it is to find a cape like this? Or even a hat like this?" Lyebet added.

"Lyebet, you stole that hat." Amabe mentioned with a sceptic face (?). An embarrassing silence followed before the bat gave his answer. "Well…I think you've understood."

Resigned, Amabe sighed before turning on her other friend. "Ok…let's go, Pure Vessel…" She said before jumping to the leaves, with the Hollow Knight following her.

Suddenly, when they jumped to the third leaf, a dragonfly came out from that water, catching them by surprise. "Ah!" The insect started to shoot several green bullets to the two of them, but the vessel was agile enough to block them with their nail and cut the dragonfly in half with them. "Phew…that was close…" Amabe commented. But in that moment, more dragonflies appeared from the water and started to attack the group. "OH, COME ON!" After complaining, the white witch generated some white spheres in order to take care of them, while the vessel used arrows of light that he shot from his hand. To help, Lyebet used some small bats made of fire, and soon, the dragonflies fell to the ground.

"It's already the second ambush ya get. I guess this is not your day." Tecumpsa told them. "Sigh…don't mention it…we're used to it at this point." Amabe answered after she reached the other side of the pool. "And it seems that there are territorial insects lurking around…it seems that not everyone is rational here…" Lyebet added. The Hollow Knight turned around one last time to make sure that they didn't get other surprise attacks. They did see one dragonfly pass by, but he just flew away, which meant that the road was clear…for the moment.

After the puddle, the water in the area seemed to slowly decrease, and the ground seemed to become dryer, while the level of vegetation was the same. "Hmm…we're starting to see less water…I wonder if that means something…" Amabe said. "Ah, whatever! I'm surely not thi-"Tecumpsa was about to say something while proceeding, but he then felt his ankle get grabbed by something. When he looked down…he could see what seemed to be…a vine, which threw him several meters away, making him clash to the ground. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"OH DEAR! Tecumpsa!" Amabe shouted before she and the others reached the Viking, who slowly stood up for the pain. "Ngh! What the fuck just happened!? A vine that came out of nowhere grabbed me and threw me away like an orange during a party!" The Beetle complained.

The vessel was just as bewildered as him. Where did that vine come from? The road was pretty clear and there weren't enemies that used magical power. So…what just happened? The knight turned around to find an answer…and could see that the vine was still there…coming from underground. They weren't convinced at all, so they decided to make a text by running forward.

"Huh? Pure Vessel, what are you doing?" Lyebet asked. The being made of void kept running for some minutes before more vines surrounded their whole body and threw them away, back to the others. They had to hold their back while standing up due to the pain. "Ya were quite reckless!" Tecumpsa commented.

"I think…they wanted to find an answer…and…they found it." Amabe added while looking straight. When even the others did so…everything suddenly became clear.

The vine were still in there, and it almost seemed as they were looking at the group of travelers in a menacing way, since they were all wriggling and dangling.

"The…The vines? They're alive?" Lyebet asked confused. "Could it be? Is it almost as the spirit of the swamp doesn't want to let us proceed?" Amabe tried to guess. "I mean…it's the most plausible way. I've heard that there are places around the world that manage to maintain some sort of soul. They are able to show their will to the mortal beings."

"Ah yes…I've heard of it at well…many imply that the wind in our land of Tundra is a demonstration of this thesis." Tecumpsa added. "Places around the world that show their will…interesting…but the question remains…why are they attacking us? We don't have evil intentions." Lyebet then asked.

"I think the swamp is just protecting itself from any type of stranger. Though…it would be sad to take them down. They're just…being themselves. What can we do?" Amabe answered while wondering if there was a way to pass without having to cut off the vines. All of them started to think of something. It wasn't the first time that they had to pass through a difficult route, but this time, much like the others, was particular and showed to give more troubles than expected. If they tried to walk normally, they would have been thrown away, and even those who could fly might have had some troubles on doing so, as the vines would have probably reached them and thrown them away.

The vessel looked at the vines again before looking at his companions…and then at Tecumpsa, noticing how big he was. In fact…his seize made him remember of someone they used to know…who looked similar to him. They remembered that…they used to do something…by taking advantage of his body.

"FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARFUNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

They…used to roll.

Suddenly, the vessel lighted a light bulb. So, they touched Tecumpsa to get their attention. "What do ya want?" The Viking asked. The vessel turned around for a moment and scratched their cheek, since they had to explain their plan by using gests. So, they first pointed at the giant Hercules Beetle…then at themselves and their two friends…then they moved their hands with the intent to imitate a pinch…and then they moved their hands in a way that resembled a rolling.

Another silence followed. "Did…did you understand what they just did?" Amabe asked to Lyebet. "I…really have no idea." The bat answered.

"…Ya want me to take ya three and roll through that route?" Tecumpsa asked by interpretating the vessel movements, shocking both Amabe and Lyebet. "Wait, he understood!?" They both thought. The Hollow Knight nodded, glad to see that the Viking understood.

"Are ya dumb, thin guy!? Didn't ya see what that vine had done to me before? Those plants have enough strength to throw me like a ball! Ya think I like being crashed to the ground!?" Tecumpsa exclaimed, not liking the idea.

"Wait!" Amabe suddenly stopped him. "I…I think…it could work…and I know exactly why!" She added. "Ya too!?" The Viking exclaimed.

"Tecumpsa, you are big enough to hold the three of us at the same time, thus making the whole route much shorter and faster! If you roll with the three of us, considering your speed, we should be at the other side before we know it!" The witch explained, even though…it wasn't enough to satisfy the individual concerned. "YA'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!" That yell paralyzed the three travelers from some seconds. "Did ya forget that vine was the same that threw me away of all people!? How do you think it will work this time!?"

"Don't worry…I know a way…I think even Pure Vessel understood what to do…they usually know what is right. Or at least…that's what I think. They usually knew how to get out from dangerous situations like this during the journey we made now." Amabe told him.

Tecumpsa looked at all of them for some seconds. It was true that he didn't like the idea…at all. But at the same time, despite wanting to refuse so badly…at this point he knew that saying no wouldn't have changed anything. Plus…he also didn't know how to move on from that part of the swamp. So, the least he could do was…to give it a try.

"Urgh…FINE! But I can't guarantee anything, got it?" He answered. "Thank you…ok, hold tight anyone!" Lyebet told him before the Viking grabbed all of them. He looked at the vine, who continued to wriggle, showing that they were ready to attack in case they tried to move too much further.

"Are ya ready?" The Viking asked. "Ready!" Both Amabe and Lyebet answered, with the Pure Vessel nodding. The Hercules beetle stood steady as he held the three travelers tightly. "Ok…Ready…steady…AND GO!" With everything ready, Tecumpsa started to roll forward as fast as he could.

The vines started to go towards him to grab him and push him away, but this time, the Viking started to put up some resistance, and he was supported by Amabe, who used her magic as a shield that defended the large insect's carapace. And this time, the vine couldn't stand to his strength and had to let go. With that, the three travelers and Tecumpsa were finally on the other side.

"Wait…it worked?" Tecumpsa spoke, still incredulous, as he looked around. "Woah…maybe I've underestimated my strength!" He added before making a boastful laugh, leaving the three travelers with a sceptic face. "How fascinating that he forgot that you helped him, Amabe…" Lyebet ironically commented.

"Oh, well! Let's not waste any other time! After this, my optimism has grown! The exit is probably right there!" The Viking said before starting to move forward.

"Well at least he seems less grumpy than before, right?" Amabe asked to the others, who weren't that convinced. "…Yeah, maybe it's better if we proceed…" She concluded before proceeding with the others.

The three travelers, accompanied by the Viking Tecumpsa, eventually reached a circular zone which was full of green puddles and vegetation. They could notice that the fog was less dense in this point.

"Aaaaah, I can finally see! I was getting tired of stretching my eyes to look better!" Tecumpsa exclaimed.

"Could it be that we are near the end? If that so, then the SEED town must not be so far away!" Amabe answered. And in fact, by coming closer, the Pure Vessel could see that there wasn't any fog in the distance, meaning that they just had to go forward to get out of there.

"I'm thinking the same, Pure Vessel!" Amabe told them before turning to Lyebet. "What do you think?" She asked to the bat, who leaned his head slightly behind. "Yes, that must be it. Though…am I the only one who hears wings noises?" He asked.

The others made deeper attention and could hear it as well. After what happened to them before, they already knew what was going on, so they took their weapons and got ready, since after all, a comeback was waiting for them.

And just as they expected, the same group of cockroach bandits that attacked them before landed on the arena and surrounded them, with the leader approaching them. "Gotta say, I'm impressed! A bunch of bugs like you actually made it this far! And here I thought all we had to do is wait for some plant to kill you and then plunder your dead bodies!" He spoke.

"Ah, PLEASE! Tecumpsa the Viking had gone through much worse than just a bunch of little plants. And ya surely have GUTS to try and take on someone like me!" Tecumpsa countered.

"Oh boy oh boy! Sorry if our little prank didn't satisfy you but let me tell you something! As long as there's anarchy, everything is possible! And a land like this, especially this swamp, can be considered our playground! And now you are in our personal territory, and don't think…you can get out alive with this-" The bandit leader replied back, but the Viking didn't let him finish.

"Blah blah blah! Yeah I know y'er stuff 'we're stronger! We're going to kill you! Don't think ya can handle us! How about we go straight to the point?"

"Well…at least he gets straight to the point?" Amabe said while the Pure Vessel and Lyebet stood on guard.

The bandits' leader felt extremely offended by that interruption. In an instant, he and his subordinates immediately had many knives on their hands. "KILL THEM!" The leader shouted as he and the others charged. The travelers did the same and the little clash started.

[Hollow Knight OST – Dung Defender]

The bandits were much smaller than the small group, but they were many, and they could count on their teamwork to overwhelm their victims. But the travelers, on the other hand, could rely on their power, and they knew a bit about teamwork as well.

Four of the bandits started to attack repeatedly the vessel with their knives. The knight answered by clashing with their nail, before making a large jump to get away from them. While in mid-air, they stabbed the nail on the ground, making four large nails appear from the ground, which stabbed two of the bandits, while the other two moved away in time to dodge the attack. "What's with this knight!? Did you see what they just did!?" One of them exclaimed.

"Who cares! We know how to answer to that, ehehehehe!" The other one answered before taking a block of dynamite and threw it at the Hollow Knight.

They recognized the weapon they used to destroy the bridge and thus knew that it would have brought to an explosion. Therefore, they started to run towards the block, and just a second before it exploded, the vessel used their shade dash, managing to surpass the blow.

"WHAAAT!?" The two bandits shouted after seeing what just happened. They didn't have the time to answer that the vessel was already in front of them, cutting their bodies in half with their nail.

The vessel turned around and could notice more cockroaches flying towards them with more dynamite, making it fall near them. The knight swiftly moved from left to right to avoid the impacts and then released several small arrows of light from their hand, which got rid of the flying bandits.

"I'm having enough! Let's crush them!" A mass of the bandits then charged in group, attempting to smash the vessel with their numerical superiority. The Hollow Knight saw them coming and turned their arm into a large tentacle of void that destroyed them.

Meanwhile, Lyebet was piercing through one bandit to another with his wings. One of them jumped in front of him and made a large shout trying to intimidate him, but Lyebet answered by making a large roar. The bandit widened his eyes and tried to escape. "Eheh! It always works." The bat saying before shooting a smaller bat of fire that incinerated the bandit. More bandits started to run towards him from everywhere, so Lyebet planted his cape to the ground, and made several spines appear to the ground and stab the bandits.

"HYAH!" Suddenly, one of them dived towards the bat, managing to make a cut on his face. Lyebet was surprised by this, as he cleaned the cut from the blood. "Not bad!" He commented before starting a small clash with said bandit. Lyebet then made an uppercut against the bandit and threw him away with a kick. He then stood in mid-air and swelled up like a puffer fish to release several balls of fire that eliminated the nearby enemies.

In the meantime, other bandits targeted Amabe and threw several arrows by using crossbows. The white witch created a barrier to defend herself, until the cockroaches finished their ammunitions. Amabe could then deactivate the barrier and generate several spheres of energy that aimed directly at the enemies, eliminating them. More of them tried to charge against her, but Amabe turned around and quickly shot a beam of energy to get rid of them.

"COME IN HERE!" Two bandits tried to stab her with their knives, but the witch promptly generated two chains to block them and put them in panic. "AH! I CAN'T MOVE!"

"You know, it's a shame. You could have done something better with all those weapons. Oh well! I hope you like flights!" Amabe told them. The two cockroaches widened their eyes and started to squirm. "NO NO NO DON'T DO THAT!"

But Amabe immediately threw them away with the chains.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…"

The witch could see two shining stars in the distance (which were the two bandits). "I hope they've landed safely…"

And in the end, Tecumpsa directly confronted the leader of the bandits, who was armed with two maces, which clashed with the Viking's large nail. The cockroach was sweating from his head, as he could see for himself that his opponent was much stronger than he thought. "What's the matter? Ya don't talk too much now, eh?" Tecumpsa asked.

"Don't mock me!" The bandit exclaimed before making a direct smash with his two maces. Tecumpsa defended himself with his nail and the impact generated a shockwave. The Hercules beetle then jumped back and started to spin with his nail.

The bandit tried to stand firm with by blocking him with the maces, but the Viking's strength turned out to be stronger, and the cockroach ended up getting pushed away. "AH!" He even fell on the ground.

Seeing the chance, Tecumpsa stopped spinning and ran towards the enemy to dive against him. The bandits' leader widened his eyes and blocked the attack with the maces. "NGH! Never before I got pushed back! Just what are you!?" He asked bewildered.

"I thought I told you! The great Vikings of Tundra don't fear things such as bandits!" Tecumpsa answered before pushing up with the nail, depriving the enemy of his maces. He then proceeded to throw him away with a powerful attack.

"AAAAAH!" The bandits' leader crashed several times to the ground before stopping. When he raised his head up, he could notice with horror that most of his subordinates were deceased or unable to continue while his four opponents were just fine and were staring at him.

"What now? Still want to make one of your antics like before?" Lyebet asked. The cockroach started to sweat and shake, but he was a bug that hardly admitted defeat and didn't want to leave without a loot. "Uuuh…d-don't think it's over for you, pals! In fact, you just passed the first part of my skills! Those buds over there were only a tool to make me concentrate!"

"Are you…trembling?" Amabe asked. "N-NO! It's just…an impression of yours! I've been able to trick and rob anyone who passed through this swamp, and don't think you'll be the first one who shall be able to flee! You still need to see what I can really do!" The bandit continued.

During this conversation, no one could notice that behind the bandit…something was coming closer.

"Then show us. What are these skills you're talking about? I wouldn't mind seeing a good show out of you." Lyebet said with a smile on his face. "That, if he really has those skills." Tecumpsa added.

The vessel was looking at the bandit as well, but then…they could notice something alarming: what seemed to be…a purple liquid, that passed through the bandit's legs. They touched Amabe to let her know about that. "Hm? What is it, Pure Vessel?" She asked, making the knight point at the liquid, so that she could see it as well. "Oh dear…what is that?"

"I do have those skills! Don't mock me! Let me show you right-" The bandit was going to continue on his excuse until he felt something on his legs. "Uh?" When he looked down, he could see the purple liquid as well.

"What the hell is that?" Tecumpsa asked.

"I've seen a lot of things in this swamp, but I don't remember this-" The bandit added before noticing that the liquid suddenly started to surround him, as if it was trying to swallow him. "AAAAAAAAH! WHAT IS HAPPENING!?" He shouted in terror.

The travelers widened their eyes as they witnessed the scene. "N-NO! THAT'S JUST STUPID! I CANNOT DIE IN A WAY LIKE THIS! NO ONE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A MONSTER LIKE THIS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" These were the last words of the bandit before he got completely swallowed by the liquid.

"I-I'm not the only one who saw that, am I?" Tecumpsa asked to the others. "That can't be a regular bug…right?" Lyebet added. "I fear…that's an amalgamate…like the ones we saw at Carpedour's mansion." Amabe answered while the Pure Vessel glared at the liquid while holding their nail tightly.

After the last bandit was finished, the liquid started to emit several bubbles before taking the form of a huge creature that seemed made of a purple slime with two large green eyes, two large arms and a mouth full of fangs. The beast released a large roar that made the travelers hold tight.

[Hollow Knight OST – Decisive Battle]

"AH GREAT! As things couldn't get any worse! What is this now!?" Tecumpsa asked. "I think we know the answer, but that is a long story! For now, it's better if we concentrate on taking it down!" Amabe replied. The vessel, in the meantime, could see as the amalgamate raised one of its arms, attempting to crash them in one blow.

"Oh oh! JUMP NOW!" Lyebet advised the others before everyone moved away in time. The arm crashed to the ground, making it crack and tremble.

Once he was safe, Tecumpsa released three beams of electricity from his body that directly attacked the amalgamate's back. The blow succeeded and actually generated three small holes in the monster's back. The Viking made a satisfied smile since he now had the confirm that the thing could be attacked. But soon after that, the slime that composed the monster started to recompose, thus nullifying the attack. Tecumpsa widened his eyes as he saw this. "What the!?"

"No way, he can regenerate!?" Lyebet added. The amalgamate then turned to the Hercules beetle and widened his mouth. The group could hear something boil inside the creature, which turned out to be a slime jet that headed directly against Tecumpsa.

To his surprise, the attack was fast enough to get him before he could move. "GAAAH!" The beetle was overwhelmed and crashed against a rock, while getting soaked in the slime. "Eugh! I've never felt so dirty since that time I've ate a ton of blueberry pie!" He commented before looking first at the monster and then at the travelers. "We need to find a weak point!" He then started to roll to get clean from the slime.

"Easy to say…" Amabe answered before shooting several balls made of energy at the monster. Again, the attack worked, but his regenerative skill made him quite troublesome. Even Lyebet tried to attack him from above with several bats of fire, but it didn't seem to work. "He almost seems invincible! If I could entirely burn its body, it would be different…uh!?" He said before noticing that the monster was about to grab him with the arm. "NGAH!" The creature proceeded with throwing him away before turning on Amabe and shot another slime jet.

The witch activated a barrier made of magic to defend herself, but even inside that, she was forced to recoil. "Gh! Weiße Ketten, blockiert dieses üble Biest!" She then proclaimed a spell that made several chains appear from the ground and block him. The creature started to move in an attempt to get free, while the Pure Vessel took advantage of the situation granted by their friend and started to run towards the enemy.

They ran around it and started to slice it in several parts of the body, while the creature tried to smash them with its arms, but the vessel was fast enough to jump at the right moment and dodge the attacks. The vessel then concentrated the souls inside their body to create the circular barrier that converted in the explosion that destroyed most of the creature's body.

"It worked?" Amabe asked hopeful. But the vessel wasn't convinced enough as he stood on guard. Seeing the situation, the monster regressed into its liquid form so that it could recompose itself. "OH NO, YOU DON'T!" Tecumpsa realized what it was trying to do and tried to get rid of the liquid by attacking it repeatedly with his nail, and by doing so, the others could notice something: when attacked, the liquid got actually destroyed.

But before Tecumpsa could finish the job, the liquid recomposed itself into his monstrous form. But…this time it seemed to be smaller. The vessel leaned their right while noticing this, but they could see that the monster was already shooting another slime jet, so they had to defend themselves with their nail. The amalgamate then took advantage of his defense system and made them fall by attacking them with its arm, making the knight fall on the ground. Tecumpsa tried to dive attack from behind, but the slime was fast enough to turn around put him on the ground as well. "ACK! Dammit!"

"Ngh…did you notice, guys?" Lyebet asked the others. "Yeah…it seems rather small now." Amabe answered. "I think it's because Pure Vessel and Tecumpsa destroyed most of its structure back when it turned back to a liquid so that he could regenerate itself…"

"Oooh…I think I understood! That thing focuses more on having its body intact. When it comes to regular attacks, it's not a problem from it, since it can normally close the wounds, but if it's about big attacks, it's forced to regress to its original form!" Tecumpsa found out.

"And that is when it can be harmed!" Lyebet added. In that moment, the Pure Vessel, who heard what they were saying, reached the others, and through gestures, they told their idea. They pointed first at everyone (including themselves) and then at the creature.

"Ooooh, I see! You're suggesting attacking all together to harm it badly, right?" Amabe asked. "Not gonna lie, I LOVE this idea! COME ON, LET'S SHOW SOME WRATH!" Tecumpsa added, starting to concentrate the electricity in his body. The others followed his example and started to charge their best attacks.

"Ready…set…FIRE!" It was Amabe that gave the go-ahead and the four bugs all attacked simultaneously. The Hollow Knight shoot several arrows from their hand, Lyebet released several balls of fire, Amabe shot a powered-up beam of magic and Tecumpsa released five beams of electricity from his carapace.

All the attacks headed straight-forward to the amalgamate…who did something unexpected. He quickly moved away and started to dash towards the insects.

"Uh?!" Everyone exclaimed, as they were forced to jump away before getting crushed by the enemy. "What now!? It didn't move like that before!" The Viking said.

"Dammit! We should have thought of this occasion…now that he's smaller, his speed has increased, therefore he can move more easily!" Lyebet explained. "Then, at this point, we have to block him first! If we prevent his movements, it should be more open to our attacks!" Amabe added.

Tecumpsa gritted his teeth as he stood up. "Gotcha! Ya guys find a way to immobilize him! I'll distract him in the mean-" He was going to use more attacks as a distraction for the others, but in that moment, the amalgamate was already in front of him, leaving him baffled. "D-Did he became that fast!?"

The creature then proceeded with grabbing him and put him on his belly, where the slime was slowly starting to swallow him. "A-AH! DAMMIT! IT'S EATING ME!" The Viking shouted. He tried to struggle to get free, like the bandit did before him, but it was futile, as the slime was surrounding his body bit by bit. "NGHAAAH!"

The others were shocked while witnessing this scene. "He will get eaten as well!" Amabe said. The vessel widened their eyes.

Somehow…they didn't want this to happen again. So, as per instinct, they started to run fast towards the amalgamate, made a long cut with their nail and freeing Tecumpsa from its grasp. After seeing that the amalgamate was more focused on regenerating itself, Pure Vessel grabbed the Viking and jumped far from the opponent.

Tecumpsa could take a long breath after realizing he was still alive. "ANF…ANF..." He then turned to the Hollow Knight. "Ya…Ya saved me…" He said as he looked at the knight, almost moved. But he couldn't give the proper thanks as he noticed that the monster was already running towards them. Both the Pure Vessel and Tecumpsa quickly turned around, more furious than ever, and released respectively a tentacle made of void and a large sphere of electricity on the amalgamate's belly, making it roar with pain.

The vessel looked at Amabe and Lyebet, as if they were asking to attack as well. The two of them nodded and used the same attacks of before, and this time, they worked. The monster was reduced to his original liquid form once again and tried to regenerate itself as fast as it could. But this time, the three travelers and Tecumpsa wouldn't let it get away with it.

"LIGHTS OUT BITCH!" The Viking shouted. In an instant, the four of them started to attack repeatedly the liquid, until there wasn't any trace of it left.

Another battle…was finally over.

All of them could take a breath and calm down. "Anf…anf…anf…son of a bitch…" Tecumpsa said.

The vessel and the others made a double check to be sure that they got rid of the creature and they could see with relief that the area was clean and free.

"It's all over then…that means that we can get out of this swamp." Amabe said before looking at the others. "At last! I think I'll need some time to recover from what I just saw…" Lyebet added while the vessel nodded before looking at Tecumpsa.

"So, the exit is there?" Tecumpsa said. "Man, if that was one hell of a trip! Glad I've got out of this alive! As always, ahah!" He added before turning on the travelers. "But…I think that this time…I owe my life to someone." He then came closer to the vessel…and made a slight bow, surprising the others. "I thank ya. If it wasn't for you, I would have been killed by that thing. Now I can say with ease that I misjudged you all. Ya're pretty tough actually! True warriors! I bet ya would be appreciated in Tundra!"

"Aw, thank you! Again, we made a mistake as well and we should apologize, and this time for real." Amabe answered while she and the other two bowed back. "Especially me. I misjudged you for the music of your bagpipe." Lyebet added, while the vessel came closer to shake the Hercules beetle's paw.

"With this said…the SEED city is just a few steps from here." The witch then spoke. She then turned curious on the Viking. "What will you do now, Tecumpsa?" She asked.

The larger bug looked at the exit in silence for two minutes. "Hmmmm…honestly, I don't know. I didn't come here with a particular reason. I've just started to wander around in order to make a proper map of other lands for my kind, so it was pretty a journey without destination. What about ya, guys?" He then asked back.

"We're travelling to reach the Pointed Mountain to find a Lich so that we can ask him how this whole war started. Considering that it's situated on the other side of this land, it will be a long journey for us as well!" Amabe answered.

"Really? If that so…our paths would probably cross several times. In that case…" Tecumpsa spoke…before making a smirk. "Would ya consider the idea of me going along with y'er group?" He then asked.

Everyone was surprised.

[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders OST – Fists of Platinum]

"Really? You want to join us?" Lyebet asked. "I'll admit it. I've made a complete revaluation of ya all. After seeing how ya work, I started to like ya a lot, and it would be a shame to not know ya better. Plus, if I could follow ya in this swamp, I'm pretty sure I could follow ya anywhere. And after all, ya're going to need someone that could be a shield!" Tecumpsa answered.

Overall…the three travelers seemed to like the idea. "What do you think, guys?" Amabe asked. "I don't mind at all! The more we are the more my company will become legendary and interesting!" Lyebet answered. The Hollow Knight nodded again. Despite having a bad approach with them, they could realize that this Viking was not a bad bug at all and that they could find a powerful ally in him.

"Nice answers, guys! You've heard them, Tecumpsa, you're more than welcome to join our party!" Amabe told the Viking. "AHAH! YES! The pleasure is all mine! I bet I'll have a lot of fun! Come on, then! Let's head for the town!" Tecumpsa answered all happy before heading towards the exit.

The other travelers looked at each other satisfied and followed him.

With this, the group had now a fourth traveler: Tecumpsa the Viking, as they headed towards their true first stop, the SEED city. With this, the situation started to become slightly positive for the group. Not only they got a new friend, but they also reached what could be an important place for them. Maybe they could have found some important information in there. In short: a step closer to the truth.

Though…The Hollow Knight stopped for a moment and turned around. They thought of the amalgamate they just took down.

They remembered that Carpedour seemed regretted of what he had done. So…what did that Amalgamate doing there? Was there…something else they didn't know?

"Hey! Pure Vessel! We should move before something else arrives!" Amabe called them out. The vessel shook their head, looked at the swamp for one last time…and then followed the others.

They didn't know why…but they started to have a bad feeling about what just happened.