I follow the knight as it continues with its looting through Hallownest. Deep within the Queen's Gardens, we come across a large cocoon. Seeing as this is her domain, I believe this structure to be a resting place for the queen herself. The corpse of a warrior bug is found nearby. It must have met its end in battle while defending this location from the ravenous Mantis Traitors. Upon further inspection, I recognize the deceased as Dryya, one of the kingdom's five great knights and the queen's personal guard. Knowing this, I have no doubt that my earlier thoughts are correct.
"You may go on ahead, Little Knight. I will wait outside for you."
It appears ready to protest but, then, decides against it.
While I'd prefer to protect the ghost as best I can, I am confident that it will not be in danger here. I am also confident that the knight will soon meet with the queen in the depths of this cocoon. Whether she is dead or alive, though, I do not know. In either case, I think it best for the vessel to be granted some privacy. Reuniting with your birth-mother, or discovering her body, both are situations I would rather not intrude on.
In time, the vessel emerges. It does not appear downcast and I can sense, emanating from it, a strange force.
"Little Knight? …Were you able to meet with the queen?"
It nods.
"…She was…still alive, yes?"
It nods again.
My tension begins to evaporate. "Ah. It is a relief to hear that."
The vessel may not know much about the relation it shares with the queen. Depending on what she discussed with it, the vessel may not know anything about it at all. So, it is difficult for me to predict whether the knight feels any sort of attachment to her or not. But, no matter the circumstances, I did not wish to see the knight grieving her possible demise. A brokenhearted knight would leave me quite discouraged as well; I fear.
"I have another question. Did you obtain some sort of…power while you were with her? I can feel a foreign presence when I am near you. It feels…ethereal."
The knight confirms this by showing me a small object. It is white, shaped like a moon, and bears a single hole near the bottom. What it could be, I have no idea. It almost looks like it's been broken off from a greater whole, but there is no way to be sure.
"Do you know what this object is?
It thinks in silence before shaking its head.
Hmph. Quite the mystery, then. I stop questioning the little knight for now. If this small item grants new strength or abilities, then all will be revealed when the vessel enters battle. This is what I had thought, at the time. But, even after many encounters, the little knight shows no sign of possessing any unusual, new skills. If Hallownest's queen granted the knight this gift, it must serve a purpose. Time will tell, I suppose.
It is not until we travel to the Ancient Basin that I find the answers I seek. The region is filled with old structures belonging to Hallownest's past. The most prominent being that of the White Palace. Our shared father ruled over the entire kingdom from this place, but now nothing remains of it. The infection is powerful, of course, but could the royal palace be destroyed so utterly? Destroyed so badly that no trace was left? It simply does not add up.
The Knight stops in front of the corpse of a Kingsmould. Father created these soldiers from the Void. They are not so different from the little knight, when I think about it. The vessel, then, draws the Dream Nail and enters into the guard's dreams, leaving me by myself. I…was not expecting that to work. I have only ever seen the knight enter the dreams of the living, never of the dead. I wonder what the knight might see inside the dream of one of the Pale King's own guards. Perhaps it will meet with the king himself, albeit only in a dream.
As I wait, nothing stirs around the Palace Grounds. The vessel has never taken this long to return from the dream world. It is at times like this where I desperately wish I, too, could enter the dream world. Having to laze here, unable to assist the knight in any way, it makes me feel useless. Whatever it is doing, I hope the situation has not grown dire.
After what feels like an eternity, the vessel returns. The first thing I notice is that heavenly power again. This time, it is even stronger. More importantly, the knight appears unharmed. What trials it faced in the Kingsmould's mind; I cannot help but wonder. Before I have a chance to speak, the little one eagerly holds up a small talisman. When I inspect it closer, I realize it to be the same object that the queen gave to the vessel. It is now complete, I see. Two halves join to make the whole.
"…Little Knight, who did you receive the other half fro-"
The vessel cuts me off and sprints back toward the Ancient Basin. I call out to it, but it does not listen. It moves as though pulled by invisible ties. I can do nothing but follow as it makes its way lower and lower. The ghost only stops when it runs into a large stone with the king's mark carved into it. I have been here many times. Never have I been able to pass onward, though. I've had ideas of what must lay beyond this seal, but I have always wanted to see it with my own eyes.
When the knight approaches, the seal disappears in a flash. After obtaining the King's Brand, it makes sense that the way would open up. Once inside, my suspicions are proven true. I knew that The Abyss must exist. I had heard its name before when I was young, and I knew that the failed vessels must have been thrown away at some location. This many though? I could not have imagined. The entire floor of the vast chasm seems to be made up of discarded vessels and nothing else. It is a jarring scene, I admit.
How will the little knight react to this revelation? These thousands of vessels, they are all its siblings and this is its birthplace. They were rejected and left to rot in this abyss. Even I am left disgusted at what I see. I can only hope that this truth will not shake its resolve.
"…Are you alright, Little Knight?"
It looks at me but does not respond. It must be conflicted, of course.
The vessel descends into the abyss. I desire to accompany it, but I am not sure it is wise. I can feel the oppressive atmosphere and danger that the void expels. There must be large concentrations of it down there. As a creature born of Void, the knight should fare far better than I. And so, I find myself waiting and thinking.
I sit on the cliff overlooking the darkness. Large amounts of time go by and there is still no sign of the ghost, but I will have faith in my friend. This vessel is the Knight of Hallownest, after all. Sure enough, I soon see the little knight jumping from rock to rock as it ascends to the top of the pit. When it finally reaches me, it sits down next to me in silence. I get the feeling that it may be feeling confused.
"That aura you are giving off…It is…different, once again."
The knight holds out that familiar charm. This time, however, the white has all turned to a despairing shade of black. I recognize the power that it exudes as Void. It is the same sort of pressure that fills this abyss.
"I see. You've faced the place of your birth, and now drape yourself in the substance of its shadow."
It nods solemnly.
"I would like you to know, Little Knight, that I do not condone what has happened here. What the Pale King did to his children is unforgivable. I understand that he was desperate. He did whatever he could to save Hallownest. In his mind, there was no cost too great, but that doesn't make this right."
The knight doesn't move. I…wish I could cheer it up.
"I would do your best to forget about our father, Little Knight. Chances are, he is no longer with us. We may not be able to undo the damage he has done, but we can try and make the best of what we have left. Besides…, you have your big sister with you, remember? With someone as skilled as me protecting you, I'm the only family you'll need…Don't you think?"
The vessel looks up at me and nods. Thankfully, it seems to have gained back some of its lost joy.
"I am glad to hear that. Then, let us leave this place, shall we? The atmosphere here is overwhelming."