"Little Knight, I may be able to repair that broken mask for you."
The ghost of Void looks to me.
"If I fixed it for you, would you be able to use it? Even though you are in that state?"
It shrugs.
Hmm. It is worth a try, at least. The little knight's battle with the infection left its mask split in two. Is that the reason behind its new appearance? I am unsure, though I think it likely. Luckily, I was raised by weavers, making me the perfect individual for this job. Using my needle, I pierce a small hole into the sides of each half. Then, I run a long strand of silk through both openings, pull it taut, and make a tight knot on the top of the shell. I repeat the process, making another knot on the bottom.
"This should hold it firm. What do you think, Little One?"
It does not respond. Instead, the ghost takes on the form of a liquid and drips onto the ground. The pool of Void, then, makes its way over to the newly mended mask and covers it completely. I watch as the shadowy substance quivers and convulses as if undergoing a transformation. Finally, my hope grows when I am able to distinguish the Void from the tiny, little body of a vessel.
"Ah, yes. That look suits you much better, Little Knight."
It dusts itself off and grows accustomed to its body once more.
"…Little One, may I say something to you?"
It stares and nods.
"I would like to, formally, thank you. Thank you for protecting my homeland that I hold so dear. Thank you for risking your life when you were not obligated to do so. Most Importantly, thank you for…not turning your back on me when I had treated you poorly."
I bow before the little knight.
"Now that my task is complete, I realize that there is not much left for me. Hallownest has been saved but is still in terrible shape. My parents have both passed on. I keep to myself and I have no friends to call my own. I've now realize that I have very little that can keep me moving forward. Except for you, Little Knight, my greatest ally and dearest friend. For you, I will always be grateful."
In response, said knight propels itself into my arms at lightning speed.
"Goodness, are you trying to harm me with your recklessness!? I suppose it is too late to rid myself of you. In that case, you had best learn to restrain yourself or we will be having problems in the future, Little One."
It snuggles deeper into my arms.
"In all seriousness, I…do not know what I should do next. Where do we go from here? For so long, my mind was only focused on my mission and nothing else. Now that it is finished, I feel as though I've lost my purpose. What about you, Little Knight? Do you have a place to return to?"
At this, the knight frees itself from my hold. It grabs its cloak and nail and runs out of the black egg.
"H-hold on! Wait up, would you!?"
We travel only a short distance through the Crossroads. The area has been completely cleansed of the infection and it's a very welcome sight. Within minutes, it appears the ghost has reached its destination. Rays of light shine down from above as the vessel stares up from below.
"Ah, you are leading me to that dilapidated, old village you love to frequent, are you?"
It nods. Grabbing hold of the long chain that leads upwards, the knight begins its ascent. Using my silk and needle, I do the same.
"While I have seen you disappear up that well many times, I have never been here myself. It really is quite dreary, isn't it?"
The vessel seems to disagree, shaking its head. Then, it takes my hand and walks with me through the quaint, little town. We do not come across any other bugs along the way until we reach the central plaza. There, I notice an older-looking bug staring into the darkness with an air of melancholy. The knight approaches him and tugs on his clothing.
"Oh! It is you, Young Traveler! Glad to see you are unharmed. I was worried since I had not seen you as of late."
His eyes land on me.
"Ah…and who might you be? A friend of the traveler's, perhaps?
He seems like a peaceful bug, if not a bit cowardly.
"You may call me Hornet. I am the little one's older sister."
"Oh! I did not know that it had any family. Come to think of it, I do not know much at all about this mysterious traveler."
"My little sibling is the Hero of Hallownest. It battled against the infection and emerged victorious. I was present, so I can testify to that truth. As a result, the entire kingdom was spared from further destruction. It may not look it, but it's the strongest warrior I've ever known."
The little ghost nuzzles into my side. Showering it in praise seems to be an easy way to gain its favor.
"Oh my! A hero! I apologize, Young One. I haven't been treating you with the proper respect, I fear."
The knight shakes his head and gives the old bug a quick embrace.
"Yes, you have always been a kind soul. So often you would sit on that bench and keep me company. You are certainly heroic in my eyes, Little Traveler."
The vessel walks back to my side and takes my hand in theirs again.
"Ah! Please excuse my rambling! I have not even properly introduced myself. I simply go by Elderbug."
"A pleasure to meet you, Sir. The Little Knight here seems to hold you high regard."
"Oh really!? I am pleased to hear so, but…I am not sure I can live up to its expectations. In any case, welcome to Dirtmouth, Young Miss. It does not offer much, but I hope you will enjoy your stay."
After speaking to Elderbug, the knight drags me through the village to meet with the other townsfolk. Sly is a shopkeeper. He seems capable and dependable. I feel a warrior's aura emanate from him. Cornifer is a cartographer. I've seen him roaming throughout Hallownest on multiple occasions. He has quite the love for discovery and exploration. Iselda is his wife who runs their mapping shop. She is easily frustrated with her husband's overwhelming passion for maps, but I can tell they share a strong bond.
Bretta is a skittish, young girl. She has difficulty speaking to me. Is it because I am… intimidating? During our brief conversation, she was staring intently at the knight the entire time. I do not know why, but I will look into this matter further. Jiji is a Confessor. Like Bretta, she is also frightfully shy, but for different reasons, I predict. Her home has strong traces of Void tainting it. She must dabble in some form of the dark arts.
After that tiring process, the knight leads me to a house far beyond the town square. We enter and I see that there is nothing inside.
"Does someone live here, Little Knight?"
It points at itself, proudly.
"This is your home? Oh…I did not know that you had a place to live…"
It looks up at me, expectantly.
"I hate to ask this of you, Little One, but…would you be alright with me living here, with you? You do not have to accept- "
The knight cuts me off by tackling me to the floor. It looks me in the eyes and nods its head.
"You think me ridiculous for asking such a question, hmm? Maybe it is so, but I must try to be considerate, Little Knight."
It gets off me, plops down in the middle of the room and lays down on its stomach. It does not move.
"What are you doing? Sleeping?"
It lifts its head and nods.
"…Do vessels even need to sleep?"
It shrugs and pats the ground beside it.
"Little Knight, I will not be sleeping on the floor and neither will you. You are the Hero of Hallownest and, more importantly, you are my little sibling. No sibling of mine will have to endure such conditions."
I walk to the corner of the room, I ready my needle and thread, and, then, I get to work. While I am most skilled when it comes to combat, my skill in needlework is no slouch either. I can sew and stitch with startling speed that would stack up against most of the weavers. They taught me well, I am proud to say. In no time at all, my project is finished, and I am quite pleased with myself.
"Take a look, Little Ghost. What do you think of your sister now?"
The knight picks itself off the ground and starts to admire my newest creation. Tucked in the corner and hung from the walls are two hammocks made from soft weaver's silk.
"These are called bunk beds. I remember seeing them in the Weavers' Den when I was quite young."
To demonstrate, I lay down in the bottom bunk.
"Because I will need to defend us from possible intruders, I will sleep in this one and I will let you have the top bunk because I know that you- "
Once again, my words are silenced as the knight flings its entire body at me like an enraged gruz mother.
"Ouch! W-Would you quit doing that! You are going to injure me one day if you keep this up!"
It only responds by wrapping me in hug and nestling into the smooth silk beneath it.
"Fine…fine, I surrender. I now know that it is nigh impossible to change your mind. I will not attempt to do so. You…may sleep next to me in my bed, Little One. I am still not completely accustomed to all of this...closeness. But, it would be unfair for me to deny this, I suppose. You did save all of Hallownest and offered me this place to live. Truly, this is the least I can do for you."
With the vessel holding me closely, I fall asleep and experience some of the most relaxing rest I'd ever felt. Thank you, Little Knight. You continue to change my life for the better.