A Tale of the Grimm Troupe

The Abyss Stares Back

     Aspen was not surprised that the ruins below the City were even quieter than the City itself.  The are was still and the only sounds were the fluttering wings of husk guards and the skittering of mawleks and shadow creepers...but everything was eerily quiet.  His fingers added to the noise as he flew slowly downward, searching for whatever it was drew him down here, taking note of the dark spots which appeared like lumaflies in the night.  He knew the farther down he went, the closer he got to the bottom and most ancient parts of Hallownest.  There weren't any bodies except of bugs who succumbed to to the infection and were destroyed by someone down here...at least until Aspen moved into a small room off the side.

     A large fountain dominated most of the room, two corpses of high class bugs were slumped next to it.  Geo glittered in the fountain's bowl, what looked like about three-thousand worth.  Aspen almost made to reach in and grab all of it and leave, but the visage of the Pale King on the fountain made him stop.  No one knew what happened to the Pale King...and it was almost always unwise to challenge gods that strong.  Heading down deeper, whispering began to fill Aspen's mind.  Whispers of pain, fear, doubt...perfect fuel for the the Nightmare Heart but he wondered where it came from.  His question was answered by a large door marked with the King's Brand

     "'Our pure Vessel has ascended,'" Aspen read on a tablet nearby.  "'Beyond lies only the refuse and regret of its creation.  We shall enter that place no longer.'"  He turned back to the door before standing in front of it.  "Regret and refuse, huh?  Let's see what you're hiding...."  He tried to move through the scarlet fire to the other side but was blocked by a barrier of white light.  The light was familiar to him...once friendly but now recognizing him as an intruder rather than an old friend.  "Of course it's protected...why wouldn't it be?"  Aspen turned to leave but stopped as he noticed the vessel had snuck up behind him.  "You've strayed an awful long way away from your role, vessel...."

     The vessel didn't respond but instead raised its nail to the door behind Aspen.  "I'm sorry, little vessel, but the way is blocked.  Only the king would be able to open it and who knows where he is...."  The vessel, seeming to ignore Aspen's warning, walked up to the door, revealing a strange marking on the back of the vessel's shell.  The same marking adorned the door which glowed white and shattered, opening the way into whatever it was.  "My, my...you really are more than meets the eye, vessel...."

     There was a platform on the other side, hanging over a deep darkness which seemed to stretch down eternally.  Aspen opened his mouth to speak before the vessel jumped down into that darkness without fear.  Aspen slapped himself.  Of course it wouldn't have any fear...it's hollow.  He took a running start and leaped off the edge, keeping himself up by his wings as he descended further into the darkness.  

     He met the vessel at the bottom, the clatter of rocks scattering beneath his feet...or at least, that's what he thought.  Looking down, he gazed into the empty eyes of a shell...many shells and would've jumped back in fear had it not been for his exposure to the Heart.  His eyes adjusted to the darkness, tinting his vision a deep red as magic took hold to allow him to see and his heart dropped.  The shells seemed to stretch on forever...similar to the shells up in the Soul Sanctum but something felt different about this...like something lingered.

     A strange noise made Aspen react instinctively, surrounding himself with red fire as he looked at something he wasn't sure he understood.  Shades, small ones with different head shapes, had risen from the shells, hanging in the air and staring at Aspen.  Their eyes looking unfeelingly at him...no emotion...no feelings....  Aspen's mind suddenly clicked as he watched the vessel run off into another area.  The regret and refuse of its creation...the pure Vessel has ascended...there were more than just two...so many more.  The scarlet fire burned away the shades as Aspen took back to the air, trying to get as far from this place as possible, vanishing in scarlet fire halfway back up to reappear next to Brumm.

     "What's wrong?" Brumm immediately asked, kneeling in front of his friend who was breathing heavily and collapsed against the wall.  "What happened?"  Aspen didn't speak...his mind racing at the knowledge of what he had seen...what he now understood about the vessel.  "Aspen...?"

     "There were so many," was all he said.  "So many lives...snuffed to find one who could seal the Light Forgotten....  So many...."  And with that, his consciousness faded, forcing him to slump to the ground.

      "Aspen?" Brumm said, shaking his unconscious friend.  "ASPEN?!  Someone help me!"