Whisper wasn't sure what to think of all the different things she had been learning. It was all so very overwhelming and she didn't have any way to properly process it. Not to mention there were quite a few details she was undoubtedly missing.
But she pushed those thoughts aside for a while. Better to not think right now. It still felt so wrong to have thoughts and she still did not know why.
So instead she decided to see if her new power could indeed finally kill that Elder Baldur.
It took a bit of searching, but finally she found herself in familiar tunnels. Climbing up from the ruined village had led her back to the mines, where the singing miner's voice still rang out. Whisper felt the sadness building up in her again, and quickly scurried out of there.
She soon came across the temple of the black egg again. Whisper noticed the air seemed warmer than before, and a strange unsettling feeling seemed to emanate from the building. She immediately scurried off, not wanting to be near that for longer than she needed to be.
It wasn't much longer after that that Whisper was walking back into the green chamber, ready to try again.
Only to see the Elder Baldur's corpse splayed on the ground, charred black by some unknown attack.
Whisper felt rather bewildered by the sight. It was already dead? Had Ghost somehow figured out how to kill it in a way she had not? She felt rather annoyed at the thought. This had been her challenge, her great task to triumph over…and Ghost had done it first.
She kicked the body angrily. She would just simply have to find something bigger to kill, that was all! She was not about to let that other her get all the glory! No way!
But at least the doorway was open now, and Whisper's anger was overridden by curiosity at what might lay beyond the beast, and the strange pull guiding her ever deeper. So she stepped over the corpse and ventured into the newly opened tunnels.
Whisper found herself crossing another ruined bridge, the strange hissing liquid bubbling below her. The bridge had broken apart in sections, and Whisper was forced to nimbly leap between columns to avoid falling into the liquid below. She sensed it would be a very bad idea to do so.
The bridge, she noticed, was overgrown by the soft green matter, and finally a name supplied itself. These were plants. A strange living thing that did not move or behave as bugs did, but was instead something else entirely.
It seemed to have overtaken these caverns over time, and few traces of the crossroads were left. This was instead a whole new place, a path deeper into the kingdom but filled with green unlike the rest of it.
As such, Whisper decided to call it Greenpath.
As she continued along the crumbling bridge, she heard a rustle and a burbling squeak. She turned around and saw what had originally just looked like another part of the greenery had risen up into a round leafy bug, a pair of orange eyes shining from underneath it.
It looked rather cute in all honesty. Whisper didn't know what that word actually meant, but it was the only way she could describe this small, very round bug. However, those orange eyes meant this was not a friend.
So she killed it. It was very easy too, the small thing didn't have any natural defenses other than its camouflage. Whisper felt disappointed that it hadn't put up more of a fight.
The ceiling hung lower now, Whisper noted, the airy cavern shrinking back into the standard tunnels. And pacing on the next column ahead of her was another new kind of bug.
This one was a lot bigger, and covered in thick white fluff. It shambles around, large orange blobs pulsing on its body and emanating a steaming, foul-smelling orange cloud. Whisper stared at the orange blobs in disgust. They were filled with that horrid light, and the bug moved with every pulse they made. She wondered if, somehow, the light was what controlled these bugs.
She also knew it needed to die.
She leaped across the cavern onto the column, causing the shambling bug to turn towards her. With a yelp, it began to shake, and as Whisper charged towards it the blobs squeezed and sprayed out a much thicker cloud of gas.
Whisper staggered back, her body sizzling where the gas had touched as pain ran through her body. She stepped back and tried to heal, but the bug was walking towards her again and she didn't have much time. Whisper struck as fast as she could, slicing her scepter across one of the pustules and spilling glowing orange liquid on the stones and plants. The bug began to shake again, but this time Whisper rolled back and dodged the gas cloud. She noticed it dissipated almost instantly, meaning she could keep diving in, attacking, and then rolling back.
However, the next time she struck, she had forced the infected bug to the edge, and it fell off into the green liquid below. As Whisper watched, it dissolved and melted away into the liquid, leaving only a few coils of orange smoke behind.
Yup, she definitely wanted to stay out of that.
The bridge ended up ahead, leading into the next tunnel. But as Whisper was about to leap over the last gap, she noticed something interesting underneath the last segment of bridge.
A dead bug, with a strange tablet next to it. Whisper noticed symbols were engraved on it, and grew curious. Carefully, she leaped over there and climbed down to pick it up.
It was surprisingly light, and Whisper wondered if it was a shell instead of a rock. The symbols sketched into it looked like words, and were almost familiar but not quite. There were some plants growing through cracks in the stone, but the symbols were still legible. If one knew how to read them, which Whisper did not.
She decided to keep it anyway. Perhaps she could study it some other time, or maybe there was another smart bug down here somewhere that could decipher it. She tucked into her pouch with all those Geo things, and climbed back up to the doorway.
Walking through she found herself in another tall, open chamber, rising up all around her. Light shone down from above somewhere, and soft babbling streams of acid poured from the ceiling and weaved around the chamber, going deeper down. On top of a raised stone in the middle, surrounded by fragmented graceful metal archways, Whisper spotted a new bench. Flocking around it were tiny winged bugs, that flew away swiftly and elegantly when Whisper approached them.
Whisper climbed onto the bench and sat down, resting for a moment. Around her the plants grew in delicate, beautiful patterns, taking forms Whisper had never even seen before. There was a different power in this part of the kingdom - a beautiful power whose form did not mirror any other. She could sense it deep within Greenpath, and hoped she could find it as she traveled. She wanted to learn how to create beauty like this herself.
Whisper sensed her staff hungered for this strange new power as well. But it felt different than her desire. It did not seek beauty like she did. It just wanted strength.
Whisper wanted strength too, but she didn't want only strength. She wanted to create something like this chamber, something beautiful that would outlast a kingdom. She wanted a voice to sing, a chamber to grow, a…
A…
She realized something felt missing. Something she was so close to recognizing, but still sorely lacked. An ache in her soul she knew not how to fill, or what it was meant to be filled with.
Something that had been torn away from her a long long time ago, something she had lost after the fall.
Falling, falling, falling…a distant silver light turning away. Darkness.
It was all she knew.
Whisper shivered, driving away those weird thoughts and returning to admiring the scenery. But it didn't look quite as appealing anymore. She decided it was probably best to keep going further in.
The next chamber was another open expanse, except instead of going up it went deep down, steam from the acid rising up through the plants. A waterfall of the substance poured down from above, from where Whisper did not know and to where just as much of a mystery. There was another doorway across the gap, but the bridge that had allowed travel between the two had collapsed long ago. Whisper was starting to get sick of collapsed doorways.
However, as she stood there considering her next move, she saw someone appear on the other side. A very familiar someone.
Willow stood at the other end of the ruined bridge, and looked rather excited to see Whisper again.
"So you did come looking for me after all! How thrilling! Unfortunately I don't think we can talk long. I saw the protector just a short while ago, and I cannot lose her now! You have no idea how much it would mean for me to meet the lone hero still standing after Hallownest's fall.", Willow declared. "However, if you do wish to continue to follow me, I believe there are multiple paths through these green caverns. Even through the chasm here, although that way will certainly be more perilous than if this old bridge was still up. Shame you aren't a spider like me, otherwise you could have simply climbed the walls!"
She spun her spear excitedly. "I hope that you do not turn back! I so want to see what you are willing to do to catch up to me! You survived fighting me, after all, even with that hole through your carapace. What else is such a strange bug as yourself capable of? I can't wait to find out!"
Then she turned and scurried off, leaving Whisper alone at the bridge. She looked down into the chasm the waterfall was pouring through, and saw that there were quite a few ledges and fallen remnants of the bridge. She started hopping her way down, noticing how the acid pool below was scattered with large chunks of rock that would provide a safe landing surface.
However, as Whisper clambered down, she heard a hiss, and looked ahead to see a tunnel through the rock with another acid pool through it. Hovering there was a bug that looked similar to a vengefly, except instead of jaws it had a long spike and its body was dark green. It flew back, then to Whisper's surprise folded its wings back and flew at high speed right towards her mask. Whisper dodged, nearly stumbling off the ledge, as the creature (Squit, her mind supplied) slammed into the wall. But it almost instantly recovered, and started preparing another strike.
Whisper leaped across the chasm into the tunnel it had come from, and when the squit came flying in again she managed to swat it aside with her scepter. It was momentarily stunned, but that did not faze it long. Looking around the cave, though, she noticed a pool of acid in the center of the room, which the enemy seemed intent on knocking her into.
It came for her once again, and it managed to dodge the next swing of her staff. It jabbed its sharp beak into her side, but the pain didn't faze her. She brought her branch down, slicing it in half and sending it splashing into the acid, where it dissolved.
Whisper then continued downwards.
The waterfall seemed to flow into a deeper room, but here Whisper found solid land again. Ahead was another tunnel, and she eagerly pressed onwards.
The next room was significant because this time, there were boulders hanging suspended from the ceiling via vines. The cavern opened into a wide basin, where one of the shambling bugs plodded around. The next tunnel was rather high up on the cavern wall, and Whisper realized she might not be able to reach it with how short she was.
She looked at the boulders again. Hmm.
Whisper nimbly leaped up onto the closest one, causing it to shake and scatter leaves. The shambler seemed to notice, and stumbled over to investigate, staring up with puzzlement.
Whisper cut the vines.
The boulder fell straight down, crushing the shambler entirely with only a puff of orange smoke from the sides to show it. Whisper felt thrilled. Now this made things easy!
She leaped onto the next boulder at the other end of the room, cutting that down as well. This gave her the height needed to jump into the next tunnel, and continue her journey downwards. Whisper felt rather pleased by all the progress she was making.
As she followed along the tunnel, she started hearing a rather familiar humming. Whisper recognized it as Cornifer, and excitedly started following the humming. Friendly bugs were always a welcome find, especially ones she had already met.
However, the tunnel suddenly opened, and Whisper nearly fell over the edge. Staggering for balance, she noticed another hanging boulder…and this one was over a pit of spikes, perhaps an old trap left to catch the unwary. In front of her was a smooth stone wall, with more hidden carvings Whisper could not understand.
The humming seemed to come from within the wall. But how could she pass through?
Whisper looked at the pit of spikes below her, and felt weird. Her head felt lighter than usual, and the view seemed to warp below her. She looked away, shivering. It would be a very painful fall if she slipped here.
She looked towards the hanging boulder. Was it possible that it could land on the spikes without harm? Perhaps if she rode it down, it would keep her safe and alive. She certainly wasn't going to turn back.
So she leaped onto it, and sliced down the rock. Whisper braced herself for impact, fearing the boulder would break and the spikes would pierce through her body.
But nothing happened.
The rock slammed safely down on the spikes, cracking some and balancing on the rest. Whisper looked around, scarcely believing it. She had survived!
On either end of the spike pit were tunnels, but the humming came from a hole in the strange smooth wall. So she leaped into it, crawling through into a warm flowery chamber where Cornifer scribbled away on more of those maps, seemingly not noticing her.
Whisper walked up right behind him, and he looked up as soon as she got very close.
He leaped into the air, scattering his papers with a yell. Whisper brandishing her scepter defensively, startled by his sudden movement, and he looked just as spooked. But upon looking closer and seeing that it was her, he settled down with a mysterious red tinge rising up in his face.
"Oh, ah, it's you. P-please don't do that next time, you gave me quite a start! Come to buy another map, have you?", he said, adjusting his glasses and gathering his papers back up. Whisper tucked her weapon away, also calming down.
The two stared silently for a moment. Cornifer looked nervously about and cleared his throat.
"So, uh, isn't this a contrast from the crossroads?", he commented, "Such a humid, lively place. The roads twist and turn in the most marvelous ways…"
Whisper continued staring at him. She could care less about twisting roads, they were just annoying obstacles on her journey.
Cornifer cleared his throat again. "I've done my best to chart the area ahead, though I must admit some of the area's inhabitants proved quite a nuisance. Still, I doubt you'll have much trouble."
He pulled out one of his maps. "This one will be 60 Geo this time, seeing as this place has given me a bit more trouble to chart and also as payment for such a dreadful scare."
Whisper counted out the required amount, or at least what she assumed was such, and received the map. The tunnels ahead weaved quite a lot, she noticed, but there was a particularly eye-catching array of columns at the far end of them. She noticed that was in the same direction Willow had headed, and wondered if that had been the spider's destination.
Cornifer then said, "I ran into another traveller as I made my way down here. I tried to call out to her as she dashed past, but she barely even glanced in my direction. Not an appreciator of maps like you and I, obviously. She had a crimson cloak and a long needle for a weapon, if you ever end up encountering her yourself. She doesn't seem of friendly disposition however, so be wary."
Whisper puzzled over that. She hadn't seen anyone like that on her journey so far. She wondered who they were, and what they'd be like. Her staff hummed in curiosity, interested in the potential power this new character could have.
She left Cornifer's cavern and continued her trek deeper, running into more spike pits and hanging boulders. The waterfall could be heard again as Whisper cut through bugs and vines, more steam rising from below. But as she crossed another pit, she spotted something interesting ahead.
A large tunnel filled with thick foliage, large chitinous spikes arranged outside it but not in the path or in a way they could stab Whisper. Curious, she walked down the tunnel, and into the cavern behind.
It was quiet and dimly lit, the leaves growing ever thicker. At the edge of the tunnel was a large leafy boulder, with a dark hole in the front of it. Many more spikes surrounded the hole, and Whisper approached curiously.
But when she got close, there came a bellowing roar, and six eyes opened inside the soul. Leaves scattered around the creature, and Whisper stepped forward with her scepter ready, eager for a fight.
Yet the creature did not attack. Instead, its eyes looked over her, curiously.
"Tiny squib…you approach fearless. Are you a hunter like me?", it rasped, its eyes still analyzing her.
Whisper fearlessly stared it down, although she was bewildered by the fact that this was a talking, friendly bug. She had expected a fight, not another conversation.
"Do you feel the urge inside, to stalk, to kill, to understand?", the hunter continued.
To understand…Whisper wanted to understand, yes. Everything was so confusing and complicated. She had thought everything was just kill or die, but there was so much more going on in this place, and she wanted to know. Could this stranger help her with that?
She gave a thoughtful dip of her head, and the beast growled pleasantly. "Then take it! My journal, it will aid you."
It hacked, and a rock similar to the one Whisper had collected earlier flew to her feet. This one, however, was larger, and completely covered in crude glyphs and images. Whisper picked it up curiously, although she recoiled slightly from the feel of the green slime dripping off of its surface.
"At first the text may seem difficult to discern, but a learned hunter will come to understand its words.", the stranger explained, "Venture the depths of this land and slay its beasts. Prove yourself worthy to bear the mark of Hunter."
Then the eyes closed, and Whisper was alone again. She stared at the journal curiously. While most of it was indeed hard to discern, Whisper could make out a few glimpses of familiar words and images. Vengefly. Crawlid. Husk. False Knight.
Whisper was curious how many secrets lurked within these carvings, and what the mark of hunter would mean. She slipped the journal into her cloak, eager to find out. She enjoyed hunting these bugs anyway, it wouldn't be too hard.
She turned away from the Hunter's cave and started venturing deeper, riding more rocks into spikes until finally she reached the acid lake at the bottom of the room. A few more squits attacked, but they were still easy to deal with. The next room lay ahead over some fallen stones and grass, but Whisper then heard something whimpering behind her.
She turned to see, tucked against the wall, another one of those squishy green bugs in a jar. Whisper had nearly forgotten about those, but it seemed there were more than the one she had encountered before. She wondered what had gotten them all trapped like this.
She considered leaving it behind. She really didn't need to do anything, did she?
But then she thought of what it must be like in there, unable to roam free. Just staring out as big scary bugs ran about while you just wasted away. Abandoned. Forgotten. Whisper realized she felt the sadness again, that dark feeling she hated so dearly.
So she decided to hop across the lake and break it free. Upon shattering the jar, the grub stared at her, eyes wide and unmoving as if it couldn't believe what happened. Then reality set in, and it chirped happily, hopping up and down. It nuzzled its face against Whisper's chest, before turning and burrowing into the wall.
Whisper stood there, dumbstruck. What had just happened? Every time she had ever been touched, it had been painful. Spikes, clubs, enemy bugs, none of those things were gentle. Touching meant pain, a landed attack.
But this? This little rubbing face thing? That hadn't hurt at all. In fact, it had felt the opposite. Soft, warm, gentle. Happy.
Whisper puzzled over the meaning of it. What did that mean? What made it so different? Why had the grub done that?
These bugs were so strange and mysterious. They did and acted in ways Whisper couldn't understand. They talked about things she had yet to truly comprehend. They had something in their voice, in their mannerisms, that made them different from Whisper.
Things she shouldn't have known or even been able to wonder about.
Whisper became conscious of a strange ache in her chest. But it wasn't from the strange gesture of the grub, or at least, not directly.
It was something deep and crucial she was missing, that she couldn't even begin to think of what it was. Something she needed to truly be alive, but lacked.
Instead, it was darkness. It was all she knew.
Something had been taken.
But when she tried to figure out what, the same thing flashed before her eyes.
Falling, falling, falling.
A silver light, turning away.
Failure. Another failure. Failing eternally.
Whisper shuddered, and fell to her knees and clutching her face. There was a new pain behind her mask, burning at her. Slicing away at her essence whenever she tried to remember. Whisper felt the rivers of black dripping from her mask again as it kept burning and burning and burning-
What was she here to do again?
Right.
Go to the bottom. Gather the power. Kill the light.
Find a voice?
No.
Go deeper.
Collect more.
Become the strongest.
Nothing else mattered.
The pain melted away, and Whisper staggered to her feet, shaky and unsteady for the first time since she had come here. She didn't know what happened and she didn't want to know.
She would just keep journeying and killing. That was her purpose. That was her only purpose.
Whisper retrieved her scepter and looked back to the tunnel ahead.
The weapon hummed in her hand, glowing with hunger.*