Vessel actually cut a different sheet to a more suitable length just to spite Stardust over her comment last night. Now her dress was knee length with small sleeves, and no back because she cut it too far. She tied a piece of thread around her waist to act as a belt or a sash.
The first thing Vessel did in the morning was go to the Fungal Wastes and tell them about the massive party that was going to be passing through to get to the City. Just for them to be prepared.
Vessel, after collecting said group, also was extraordinarily careful that no one did anything that might result in the mushrooms getting angry. When they finally go to the City of Tears, they had sung at least three different songs five times over. No one else was awake when they got there because of the extreme that they had worn themselves to the day prior, so hearing a bunch of people singing cheerfully was what most people in the city woke up to.
"Can you all start by clearing out some of the roads? They're not too bad because they were underwater but some of them are still pretty bad." Vessel asks the group, "Next we're going to need to fix anything that might be broken, and clean up and corrosion left by the water."
They got to work almost immediately and before even an hour had passed, the streets were much wider because they cleaned out all the deposits left by the water, everyone was now working on having all the windows cleaned, fixing things inside, and a few were even just messing around with levers and elevators to make sure things were working properly and there were no holes in the floor or ceiling.
"Your majesty?" a bug approached Vessel slightly nervous.
"Yes? What is it?" Vessel asks them.
"Some people are asking to see you in the Kingdom's Edge, they told me to get you there or else..."
"Oh dear," Vessel rubs in between her eyes lightly, "You don't need to concern yourself with it I think I know exactly who this is." She made her way to the Pleasure House and climbed up the wall in the tunnel to the elevator shaft, managing to jump across the gap she walked over to the Colosseum of Fools.
"Haven't seen this place in a while." She said as she walked inside, immediately noticing the tied up bug hanging upside down.
"Oh, you do have some sense, the new lord was looking for you." the bug said to her.
"This place is under new management? What happened to the Lord Fool?" Vessel asks confused, she used to visit this place all the time, she even got a title after besting the Lord Fool in a fight.
"He died, but that doesn't matter, the new lord is in the arena waiting for you." the little fool told her.
"Ok then." Vessel says to herself walking over to the arena, not trusting the gates to not close on her she stood just before them and looked inside.
The crowd was muttering among themselves like they usually did before a fight and sitting upon the Lords throne was a brownish creature, looking impressive in strength and speed and clearly battle-scarred. He reminded Vessel of a larger and more impressive version of her father, well... other than the color and horn difference. He seemed bored as he looked into the arena.
Vessel was unimpressed, this bug was nothing like the Lord Fool, after all, he looks more impressive but she doubted he had to prove himself to end up upon that throne. Looks aren't everything though.
"Enter." the large bug calls.
"No, I don't think I will actually." Vessel retorts, knowing a set trap when she sees one. "I know the ways of this place all too well myself."
"Then you would know we have ways of making you."
"No amount of soldiers you send after me would be able to change my mind. Now who are you?"
"I could ask you the same question, stranger."
"I am no stranger here, I thought I told you that already." Vessel contradicts, "I am the Foolish One."
Several people murmured at hearing this title, they seemed excited. The wave of murmurs that passed through the crowd reminded Vessel of the many fights she had won here.
"If you claim to have a high enough skill to a title here you are gravely mistaken. If you wish to prove yourself you must face me." the new lord slammed his fists on the sides of the throne, enraged at Vessel's boldness.
"Oh, but it is rude to duel someone without knowing their name." Vessel is prepared to fight, enraging her opponent to hone their strength but slow them down was a tactic she had learned from several people. Through dance lessons.
"I am the strongest wyrm of all! The last of my kind! I am Crydon, Master of this Colosseum! How dare you oppose me!"
Vessel steps inside and the gates snap shut behind her, "then let it be wyrm on wyrm, nail on void."
The crowd roars with excitement at Crydon jumped off his throne, landing before Vessel.
"You are bold to make such claims. I see now this will be an easy victory, you haven't even a nail."
"Eh, don't exactly need one." Vessel says as they circle one another, carefully examining the other's movement. Vessel immediately noted how Crydon drags his nail behind him and a slight limp on his left side. Must have been in quite a few fights before with a newer heavier nail with than the one he was used to.
Crydon lunged at her and she jumped landing lightly on top of him before casting a spell, descending dark, diving to the ground. Her adversary barely shifted out of the way in time but was still hit with the recoil that shook the ground.
He lunged at her again, trying to strike while she readjusted after the spell but missed when Vessel stepped lightly out of the way and turned to avoid the strokes from his nail. Almost like this was a dance rather than an actual fight. Looks like those dance lessons paid off though :)
The crowd was roaring, and even a few whistles were heard as the fighters movements seemed to parallel one another. Vessel had tried to grab his nail a few times only for Crydon to dash backwards, trying to throw her off step. Unfortunately she was used to fighting people with sudden backwards movements, and it was rather hard to tell she had been dead for so long because the only thing Vessel seemed to be missing was a nail to strike her enemy with. This was because when she was killed, Vessel was in top fighting condition and had no real recollection of what happened after she fell. The only major difference was her extra arms and being a little taller. She also had all her arms behind her back to add to Crydon's rage.
This strategy appeared to be working because his movements were slowing down and his nail was pretty much being dug into the ground with every stroke. Eventually his breath was uneven from swinging so much and his nail fell into the ground with a noticeable dent. Vessel took the opportunity to step up onto the base of handle and kick Crydon in the face, knocking him across the floor and Vessel grabbed his nail's handle managing to twist it around to point it at him before landing.
The crowd's cheers thunder around the arena, like Crydon was already dead or had surrendered. They went silent as he shakily stood up.
"How does a wyrm fight so well for having been found only a few days before?" Crydon asks her.
"I fight with the united strength of the void and light, as well as for my people." Vessel threatens pointing his nail at him. "If you wish to harm my people, you must always go through me to pay for your crimes."
"Never has a wyrm sought for anything but worship, how do you be so selfless with your power? They respect you, like you created them, and yet you wish for nothing from them." Crydon asks quietly confused by Vessel's words.
"I never wished to lead, I never wished for my power and that seems to be the reason they respect me. I will spare your life if you will swear to never go after no such things." Vessel tells him.
"I am a wyrm, it is my nature to seek the things you've denied me. It would be better for you to take my life than for me to make an oath I can not keep."
"If that is your choice, you will have your fate." Vessel swung the wyrm's nail on his head, cracking it open.
The crowd roars and Vessel departs after the gates open, only after collecting the geo the crowd threw because she really needed that.
Making her way back to the Pleasure House, she heard a voice singing. The song was familiar, but she decided not think about where and continued on her way.
The workers had made significant progress from when she last checked on them, the atmosphere was much more cheerful as well, platforms had been moved to connect into a long staircase up the city, making it more accessible, building's had been scrubbed down-- inside and out--and, like in Dirtmouth, more lanterns had been set up to brighten the city, and people could clearly work better now that they could see. Way up at the top some of the old guards were trying to see if they could do anything about the water. All in all, it was much better than the previous day. People cheerfully waved to Vessel when they saw her.
With all the work they had done the structure of the city began to make more sense as well, the lower class clearly lived to the west, closer to the Fungal wastes, near the bottom by the entrances to the swears, it had filled with water and not even the fungi could grow in there, leaving them almost perfectly preserved. The higher class lived more on the east side and the top, by the castle and Kingdom's Edge, probably due to the castle being nearby the cost of the housing was clearly much higher than their western counterparts. There was also a large group of passageways that connected parts of the city to the Ancient basin.
As she got back to the White Palace, Vessel immediately noticed the massive pile of geo just inside, she put her new geo in the pile as well.
Noticing something pale in the pile she reached down and pulled out the white object. She drops it immediately after realizing what it was. It was her old face. Vessel's mask from before she had fallen, it's curved horns were cracked in places, perhaps more geo had been carelessly dropped on it and a giant hole was missing from it. In short, it was clearly beyond repair but not beyond recognition, the horns on it were intact enough that Vessel knew with certainty that it was hers. It was impossible to tell how Vessel had ever been able to balance this head, it's horns were very weighted in the front and the back could not compensate for the weight in the front, perhaps that was why Vessel's posture was so much better back then...
"My Queen we did not expect you to return so soon." A little beetle says, depositing a large amount of geo in the pile, "Ms. Stardust and Sir Ogrim are emptying the fountain."
"I can see that." Vessel says, holding her old mask closer to her chest, almost like she's trying to hide it. "I wish they would've informed me before doing so. Where is Hornet?"
"I believe she went to see how people were around the kingdom." The beetle told her.
"Oh, alright." Vessel nods, turning to leave, "Oh right! Will you inform Stardust and Ogrim I have returned?"
"Of course, your majesty." The beetle says standing tall as the queen leaves them alone in the room.
Vessel stared at the mask in her hands as she returned to her quarters that they had set up the night before last. Looking at it was like getting hit with the realization that this was not who she was anymore. It was like a monument to the change of who she was. Come to think of it, Vessel hadn't even looked a mirror to find out what she looked like anyway. She pulled out the masks she got from the mask maker, if these are similar to what she looked like then she must be a terrifying beast. Entering her makeshift room, she set the masks down on the cushions she currently had for a bed, there was no possible way she was sleeping in the old master bedroom. Presently, she walked over to one of the now inactive buzz saws, carefully holding it's edges to use as a mirror.
She immediately hated what she saw, six curved horns rested on a, for some reason, dark haired head. A pure black complexion, thou this was not the thing that upset her, this was typical for creatures of void. What really made her disgusted with her reflection were the eight eyes that seemed to pierce through her very soul, even though they were her own eyes. Eyes that were impossible to read. Vessel finally seemed to click what the word was for what she saw, and it wasn't wyrm.
She was a monster.
An eight-eyed, eight armed monster. Capable of destroying even the most powerful of warriors with a single nail stroke, if Crydon's death meant anything. She had taken him down, a battle-scarred wyrm who clearly had much more war experience than her, without even having a nail of her own. The fight would probably not even have been a fight if it were not for this handicap.
This was not helping the guilt Vessel had for slaying him, he really hadn't done anything to wrong her and the only reason she had killed him was because she asked him to. This logic didn't sit well with her.
Was this a normal thing for wyrms? Too bad there aren't any left to ask now that she killed him and her father's dead. But Crydon had told her it was against a wyrm's nature to be selfless and humble. To want anything other than praise and worship. Guess that just proved once again that Vessel isn't truly a wyrm...
There were other things wyrms were famous for, of course. Who was it that told her... was his name Bardoon? Yes, that was it, Bardoon the caterpillar. He told her back when she was just starting to wander the kingdom that wyrm's were famous for their wisdom of the future, an ability he did not have himself but Vessel had seen of her father's. It assisted them many times through the kingdom's struggles, but also caused the kingdom's downfall and was the reason for the Fungal Waste's current inhabitants suspicion of Hallownest.
Vessel felt as though her fear for what was happening was not unfounded, she was afraid of her own face, just thinking of what other's probably thought of it was enough to make her want to break something. But why had the stag not recognized her when she put a mask on? Surely it wasn't that different!
Curious, Vessel reached down and picked up the eight-eyed mask and slid it on her face before carefully examining it in the buzz saw. It was actually strange, her horns were now as pale white as the mask, and her hair was a darker tone of brown, but not quite dark enough to be dark almost black brown. Taking the mask off again, her hair and horns went back to a dark black state.
"What in Hallownest?" Vessel questions. There was no logical explanation for this! Literally none! Well, guess she knows whether her mask is on properly.
Flopping on her soft cushions Vessel thought about what still needed to be done. For now, there was no time to sulk in her own problems. After the building were restored everyone needed a job, hopefully some of the miners would put down their picks and assist with further construction sure, but stores needed help to set up, agriculture needed to become a priority, the —hopefully not used— military should probably consist of more than armored void giants, teachers were needed, literally every job position needed someone to fill it.
Vessel severally doubted the current population of the kingdom was enough to accommodate all positions that were currently vacant. The only thing she knew for sure was that there was definitely enough miners. Where was Quirrel when you needed him?!
"My queen," a voice around the corner asks, pulling Vessel out of her thoughts.
"Yes." Vessel says, sitting up and trying to look at least a little decent. She knew she was a little bit of a mess but she didn't care.
The little bug looked like they were a fly of some kind, small but probably light on their feet, with two neat folds in the cloak they had on. "Lady Stardust was looking for you."
"Alright. Tell her I'll be down shortly." The Queen tiredly orders. She was hoping to have a few more minutes to herself before she had to go back down, but she stood knowing she would not go down unless she went immediately.
Upon arriving by the geo again she saw how some people were sitting in groups, counting it. There was a massive pile of geo, a smaller pile of counted geo, and a tiny group of relics and other random objects, Vessel saw her old nail among them and made a note to get it later.
Stardust was observing the group, writing down numbers every once and a while. "Oh hello Vessel. Come down to join the party?"
"You asked for me down here."
"I am aware. I didn't know you'd be so negative towards a friendly jest." Stardust jokes.
"It's been a long day."
"And it's barely afternoon, impressive."
Vessel rolls her eyes, "If you wanted to see me then you should make your business known before I lose my patience."
"Oh, you can handle a slow conversation." Stardust waves off the threat, "I was wanting to ask you about our discussion from last night."
"Well the fountain proved to be an excellent idea to look for geo." Vessel says gesturing to the massive pile in front of her, laughing slightly.
"Well, you're more friendly with the people so I was wonder what we should do with it."
"I think we should set up job applications and maybe a bank first, then pay people based on the work they put in towards revival of the kingdom and the job they wish to have. Then use whatever is left for setting up government projects." The tall void being tells the half blind moth beside her.
"That makes sense, first however, you should set up a council to advise you." Stardust informs her.
"I have been thinking about who I would want in something like that. You're going to be on it because you seem to hate me." Vessel states, this is actually to spite the moth for trying to call her out in Dirtmouth, "Hornet is on it because I trust her with military and the communications with Deepnest, as well as other matters. Ogrim, maybe, for his experience with my father? I was also thinking maybe Monomon's student, Quirrel, I haven't seen him recently but he was one of the smartest people I've ever met."
"I haven't seen him either, not since he left with the mask his teacher gave him." Stardust thinks aloud.
"I have a feeling I know where to look for him." Vessel says.
"Well, maybe on your trip there you could think of others."
"What about the Seer?"
"Vessel... she's gone. I don't know what happened to her, I know she was never infected, she's just gone." Stardust tries to comfort, the three of them had been good friends.
"Oh." Vessel lowers her face, "I have to go." She hastily makes her way out of the castle and to the Hidden Station. She rang the bell and heard the thundering of footage almost instantly.
Ari ran up and stopped, "Haha! I win!" He was clearly having the time of his life and the old stag running behind him was clearly glad for the company.
"Yes you did, but now you have to take them to their desired destination." The old stag says like a father to their child.
"Oh, right! Where are we going?" Ari asks Vessel excitedly.
"The Resting Grounds." Vessel tells him.
"Alright! Climb on!" The child says ecstatic.
The ride was much faster than it would've been on the elderly stag. Ari was clearly very young and the only real holdup was the fact that he didn't have a saddle making it a little challenging to stay on, but it was fun for Vessel to have to try to balance with the child.
When they arrived at the Resting Grounds, Vessel got off praising the little stag for his speed and thanking him for the ride.
"See you around!" Ari called happily as he raced down the tunnel.
Vessel stepped out of the station, remembering how the grave yard used to look.
It was a little depressing to see it, it always was but now there wasn't even a moth shambling around it, tending to the dead. All the moths freed from the infection were helping out in the city below, after all. Walking through the graves sparked a lot of memories as well, stories of the people buried there, conversations with the moths she knew, even the time she scared Stardust half to death with the Grimmchild as she did the ritual... That last one was one of her personal favorites.
Stopping at the memorial for the three Dreamer she remembered how each of them treated her.
Herrah often told her to be kind to Hornet and take care of her when she was gone. She was a good queen and very kind, she had allowed Vessel to learn how to use a needle--despite the Pale King's objections.
Monomon would ask her to help Quirrel and would explain things to her. The teacher even allowed Vessel to assist her with some experiments. Vessel liked her a lot. She spent a lot of time in the Teacher's Archives when she was in the Fog Canyon.
Lurien well... he never liked her very much. Which was fine because she never liked him either.
Continuing on her way to the Blue Lake, she felt like someone was trying to speak to her, like hundred of voices were at once. Figuring this was because of her dream nail, she shook it off and continued on her way, voices still echoing around her.
Stepping onto the beach she immediately noticed the few plants growing on the banks, and a nail stuck in the sand. She recognized the nail as Quirrel's but he was no where in sight. Almost by instinct she walked over and sat down next to it.
To live an age, yet remember so little... Perhaps I should be thankful? All tragedy erased. I see only wonders...
That sounded like Quirrel's voice but not body seemed to be connected to it. This made Vessel stand up to look into the lake. Realizing what must have happened here. "Are you still within me, little one?"
Obviously there was no answer and the purpose of Vessel's visit had been discovered, the student was no where to be found. Vessel herself had witnessed this fact, she found she did not want to know what had become of him after his mistress's seal was broken.
Turning to leave, an idea came to Vessel. Stepping back to the nail, which she pulled out of the ground to take to the Teacher's Archives later, she took a running start and started to run over the lake. Her feet were small and light enough that she did not break surface tension, like a pond skater. It took a minute but she arrived on the other side, almost completely out of breath. She quickly made a mental note to build a bridge across the lake for people wishing to quickly get to the Resting Grounds from Dirtmouth, oh, and build an easier path to each.
Jumping down into the Crossroads, she sat down at the bench. Noticing the pink smoke coming from the building beside her, she peaked inside, seeing a large slug, not like Unn but large for normal size bugs, laughing a little in all the pink fumes. A very confused Vessel walked inside the shop.
"Hello?"
"Ooooooooooh hello there. Been a while since anyone new has visited this shop!" She says laughing lightly.
"Uh, I can imagine. Everyone is still repairing the city below us..." Vessel says gesturing behind her slightly.
"Oh? What happened?" This woman seems like she was oblivious to all the stuff that happened outside.
"Uh, it filled up with water after everyone got infected." Vessel is wondering how long this woman has been here.
"Mmm...Infected? Are they alright?" She now seems a little concerned.
"Uh, yeah. Now they are... Who are you? Wait. How long have you just been sitting here?!" Vessel exclaims.
"Oh, my apologies, I'm Salubra and mmm... what were we talking about again? That dashing little adventurer kept me company whenever they stopped by, I wish they'd come back." Salubra says thinking fondly.
"Uh, ok then." Vessel is overwhelmingly confused by this conversation. "I'm pretty sure if we're talking about the same person, that they're dead and Salubra, you've been here for much longer than you think you have. Maybe you should step outside for a minute."
"And let the pesky thieves take my beautiful charms from me? I don't believe I do need to." Salubra seems like she's lost in her own little world.
"You know what, you do you. I'm just going to leave now." Vessel says unable to handle this unusual conversation and exiting the shop.
"Ooh, what beautiful wings you have. Goodbye." Salubra says after Vessel on her way out.
Vessel is just confused by this. She didn't have wings, did she? Last she checked she didn't. It might've just been Salubra acting weird, Vessel is pretty sure that pink smoke isn't just perfume or something.
Checking she still had Quirrel's nail she tried to make her way over to the exit of this little town. Only to find her way way blocked by a pair of exits she was either too tall or couldn't jump high enough to use.
"Fantastic." Vessel said sarcastically. Climbing back up to Salubra's shop and tucking the nail in her hands in the little sash around her waist, Vessel took a running start and jumped barely grabbing the floor above and using her other hands to pull herself up.
"There." Vessel looks around the small room, "this would be a good passageway into different areas... or an excellent arena." Noticing the statue on her right, she quickly continues walking, pulling herself out of the little hole, only to almost immediately fall into the other passageway to the little town. She was saved from having to do all of that again by the platform that had prevented her from leaving this way anyway. If she was shorter, this would've been her chosen exit.
Climbing out of the hole she continues on her way back to Dirtmouth, not really paying attention to where she was going or how she got there.
Though she did pause when she passed the Temple of the Black Egg. Even the egg had disappeared though, so it was more of a giant empty room full of chains that Vessel got queasy just thinking about it. She was not going in there any time soon.
As she climbed out of the well, fresh air hit her face, a nice breeze was rolling through and the town that was once fading and now full of sound. Not just the wind, but people were trying to set up markets and children were playing in the streets, much to their mothers' disproval. There was one bug though that was examining the Stagway stations and reading something from a tablet. It looked as though they had arrived recently and had set their things down in one of the old shops, but Vessel had never seen him before.
"Excuse me," she greets approaching them, "I don't think I've ever seen you up here before."
"Oh? Hello. I was just examining the structure and history of the Station." The bug who was only a little shorter than she was replies, his long beard told Vessel he was rather old. "And I'm not surprised you haven't seen me around here before, I usually had a shop down in the city but I figured I might as well get out of their way while they were cleaning it up. But what can I do for you?"
Vessel took interest in the journal in his hands, "Isn't that the old language of Hallownest? I didn't know anyone could even read that still."
"Well I do collect relics, they are interesting things to study, trying to figure out their culture and language." He told her.
"Oh! That makes much more sense!" Vessel slightly shouts, "there are a few people left who could tell a lot more of its downfall than I could, but I do remember many parts of its history and even some things that people don't know."
"Really? You don't look like you're that old yourself. You seem like an outsider as well."
"Well... it's complicated."
"Oh, you must be the new queen. My apologies, my name is Lemm, I met the little knight in my quest for relics." He introduced himself, bending his head lightly.
"Yeah, I'm Vessel." Vessel suddenly had an idea. "Lemm, I think I could use your help with something."
"Oh? Well what would that be?" Lemm asks, he seems genuinely interested.
"You see, after the rebuilding process, businesses and schools will need to be installed as well as other facilities. As far as I knew, we didn't have anyone with the ability to teach other people. If you could take up a position as a teacher you would get opportunities to educate others on the rare relics and other knowledge you have. I know resources that could assist you in studying some of the things you may want as well." Vessel offers.
"That is a rather tempting offer but I don't know if I can accept. Most people don't appreciate relics like I do." He says.
"That's a shame, you know earlier this morning a few people started a project of emptying the fountain down in the ancient basin that was for taxes and offerings to the king..."
"There were relics in that?" Lemm is now much more interested.
"Yeah, several were tossed in and I'm pretty sure I saw at least a few other, less common, artifacts." Vessel bribes, this strategy almost always worked.
"Let me guess," Lemm laughs a little, "you'll let me have them if I take the job."
"Most of them, some of them are just genuinely my stuff but I might let you borrow those at sometime as well." Vessel smiles, "should the need arise."
"You have yourself a deal, but may I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know anything about arcane eggs?" He asks.
"Aren't those similar to the eggs the pale beings threw into the abyss to make the vessels?" Vessel had the feeling she had heard of them before... somewhere. Like a long forgotten memory that was somewhere in the back of her mind.
"I don't know about that, but they're stones full of information, I just don't know how to access that information." Lemm explains.
"Oh, I don't, sorry." Vessel realizes where she's heard of them before, there was one in the abyss but she doesn't quite remember where.
"Oh, I see." Lemm says a little sorrowfully.
"Well, I probably need to get back now. Good day." Vessel walked into the station, Ari raced past it as she reached up to ring the bell, the older stag, panting behind, stopped when he saw her.
"That child is of full of energy, it reminds me of the others." He says between breaths.
Vessel laughs lightly, "Could I go to the Station by the castle? If it isn't too much trouble."
"There is nothing these old legs of mine can't handle. Just get on and we will be on our way."
Ari came running back in this moment, "Hi! Did I miss something?"
"Yes you did. We're on our way to the Hidden Station, please try to slow down and be patient with the trip." The old stag shakes his head.
"Oh, whoops." Ari grins, turning to leave.
They set off, Ari keeps in perfect step with the elderly stag and both are silent during the trip.
Getting off at the station, Vessel waves goodbye and walks inside the palace, the room off to the left looked very different, seeing as it was now, also full of geo.
Vessel walked up to Hornet who was chaperoning a group that was repositioning the furniture. She pulled the nail out of her belt holding it in both hands, "Hey Hornet."
"If you wish to attack me please do not do so inside." Hornet tells her before simply returning to what she was focused on before.
A very confused Vessel just says, "What? Oh." She looks at the nail in her hands, "No this is Quirrel's nail." Vessel explains quickly, "mine is still in the other room. I was just wondering what had happened since I left."
"I believe they finished emptying that fountain and as for the citizens, they're fine. They're rebuilding quickly now that they have more people." Hornet informs the queen.
"Yeah, I saw. I don't think the Mantis Tribe or Deepnest really need help, but I think we may want to check, later we'll need to deal with the relationship between them, but like I said, later. I don't think the Mushrooms need help either, they never seemed to have infrastructure in the first place but it wouldn't hurt to check. This is mostly Hallownest's fault after all. Has anyone been in the Fog Canyon since the infection disappeared?" Vessel is trying to build a mental list of what needs to be done. It's so long she barely remembers pieces of it herself.
"I do not believe so, it's still rather dangerous there." Hornet answers, "and please try to refrain from pressing yourself on other kingdoms. We don't want them to think that we don't believe they can take care of themselves. We should offer help, if they refuse it, tell them we will be glad to assist them when they need it. We are not taking them over, but we are trying to establish a positive relationship."
"Oh, right. I guess I just feel like a lot of this is my fault." Vessel says embarrassingly rubbing the back of her head. This was exactly why she wanted Hornet on her council.
"Why did you bring that nail back?" Hornet questions.
"Oh, I was going to buy a little memorial to him and Monomon in the Teacher's Archives. Do you think Deepnest would appreciate it if we did something like that for..." Vessel trails off, Herrah had been a touchy subject for Hornet as long as she had known the half wyrm.
"They might, we could ask. It's more of Hallownest's history and why they were infected." Hornet replies, in a slightly more cold tone.
"Yeah, I mean, she was their queen though." Vessel points out.
"I'm not saying it doesn't make sense, it just might not be what they prefer. Are you going to do something similar for Lurien in the city?" Hornet changes the subject slightly.
"Well, you remember that the watcher's tower is full of statues of him." Vessel points out, "I get the feeling that I should just have a small thing in the tower about him."
"Oh, right."
They stand there quietly.
"I found out what happened to Quirrel." Vessel says sadly.
"Who?"
"Monomon's student."
"I still have no idea who you are referring to but judging by your tone whatever happened isn't good. I'm sorry." Hornet has never been the person to go to for sympathy.
"Yeah, I think I'm just going to go back to my room." Vessel looks over her shoulder into another room. "Please call me if I'm needed."
"Alright. Please mind the people moving things though." Hornet reminds her.
Vessel just waves her hand, not really caring. She went back into the room full of geo to grab her nail, then set off towards her current room of residence.
Sitting on her bed was very relaxing after all the things Vessel had done that day. It didn't take much for her to fall asleep.
But nothing could've prepared her for the nightmares that came with it.