The knights landed on the soft ground of Deepnest, the knights were covered with mud after the fall "ugh, can this get any worse" said Ze'mer annoyed "what? A little mud won't hurt you" said Ogrim, Hollow saw the child stuck on a web so he used his nail to cut through the webs, freeing the child, Hollow picks up the child and puts him on his shoulders, the knights walked through the caves "ugh how do the spiders even see down here" said Hegemol "yeah this place gives me the creeps" said Ogrim then suddenly they heard something, the knights readied they're nails then the child jumped off the Hollow and ran into the darkness "h-hey where are...you going" said Hollow while the Knights chased after him "oh look I have a lamp" said Isma, Isma light the lamp and saw the child looking at a grub in a jar, it was so cute, the child pointed to the grub, "that's a grub" said Ogrim "huh, I think I've heard about the grubs in Deepnest but I forgot" said Ze'mer "oh wait-" Ze'mer was cut off when the child smashed the jar with his nail, the grub jumped with joy, but then it transformed into a horrifying beast, the beast charged at the child making him slam to the walls of the cave, Hollow ran to the child, he picked up the child and saw that his eye had a crack, Hollow froze, he was about to freak out, but then the child glowed and the crack started to disappear "h-how...did you do that?" said Hollow the child stayed silent and jumped off Hollow's hands, the knights defeated the beast, but then the child went into another jar with a grub on it, "no little guy do-" before Ogrim finished it was too late, *history has repeat itself* the grub transformed but then a needle flew through the air and pierced through the the grub killing it, the needle flew back where it came from, then they saw a figure running fast followed by a swushing sound "thanks?" said Isma the child was sitting on the ground, Hollow picked him up "you shouldn't run...like that" said Hollow, the troop kept walking deeper and deeper, and saw signs "beware the beast" "do not ascend deeper" "beware the child" said the signs of the cave, then the child jumped off Hollow and ran to the end of the cave "here we go again..." said Ogrim, the knights ran to the end of the cave and entered a space that had lots of bug husks stuck on webs "jeez" said Isma they readied nails just in case, then they saw one of Cornifer's maps and looked up, Cornifer was trapped on a web then they saw the child in the distance looking at the knights, the knights approached the child "kid you have a proble-" but before Hegemol could finish, the child let out a monstrous screech that echoed through the caves, the the child then morphed into a terrible beast (named Nosk), the knights were ready to fight but Hollow was not "wait, let me...try something...first" said Hollow "kid, I know...you're in there...please, don't do this,...this isn't you" said Hollow the beast charged at him causing him to crash to the jagged sharp sides of the cave, the knights fought the beast furiously, Hegemol smashed his Mace and destroys it's leg, Dryya slashed her nail to it's stomach making the orange fluid in it burst out the beast screamed in pain and lashed it's leg to Isma but then Ogrim chopped it's leg off before it could reach her, Ogrim took Isma aside while the beast lashed out to Hegemol, Hegemol swinged his Mace and knocking the beast to the walls, Hollow was trembling on the ground the jagged stones of the walls pierced through his armor, tearing his skin, his hands were covered in his blood and then he felt the intense pain on his back, he tried using his soul magic to heal but he didn't have enough soul energy, he then fell unconscious, Ogrim saw Hollow injured so he carried him out from the fight, he went out from Nosk's lair and he ran to the place they entered Deepnest "Hollow, please wake up please" said Ogrim while he tries to feel his pulse in Hollow's wrists, he was alive! The battle continues, Isma grabbed her spear and threw it to it's eye, then at the last second a needle came piercing through the beast's chest and strands of silk tightly wrapped around the beast's body until the body of the beast was brutaly torn apart, killing it, when the beast's body fell to the ground the needle came back to a figure through a strand silk, the figure got closer and closer until isma's lamp light reached the figure, a figure with a striking red cloak, a pale mask with long silky horns, the figure was holding the child in her arms, "thank you? " said Dryya "wait, you're Herrah and the king's daughter, Hornet" Ze'mer said "yes, is this child yours" asked Hornet "b-but how? I thought the kid turned into the monster" said Dryya "things can be deceiving in Deepnest" said Hornet while she put the child on the ground and jumps to Cornifer and cutting him out from the web he's trapped on, making him fall to the ground "uh thanks" said Cornifer while he walks to the knights.
The child looked for Hollow but he couldn't find him anywhere, "what's wrong?" said Hornet to the child "wait, where's Hollow and Ogrim ?" asked Dryya worried, then the child found Hollow's blood on the jagged rocks of the cave wall and a torn peace of his cape sitting in a puddle of Hollow's blood "that's Hollow's cape, is he, is he..." the child smelt Hollow's blood and ran outside of the room, "follow him!!" yelled Hegemol, the child ran faster then before, "kid come back" said Hegemol then they reached to the place they entered Deepnest and saw Ogrim holding Hollow in the distance, the troop reached Hollow and Ogrim "wait is he..." said Isma "don't worry he's alive, but his back is badly wounded" said Ogrim "take his armor off" said Hornet, "what, why?" asked Ogrim "I'm going to cast his wounds with my silk" Ogrim took off Hollow's chest plate "wow, this is probably the worst wound I've ever seen" said Hornet while she wraps Hollow's torso with her silk "I know a lifeblood cocoon near hear, follow me" said Hornet.
The troop, the child, Cornifer and Hornet were traveling down the caves, "you seem troubled Dryya" said Ze'mer "yeah, he's never been like this before, I'm worried" said Dryya with a sad tone "I sense love" said Ze'mer "yeah, I love him, he's like a brother to me" said Dryya "no, romantic love for him" said Ze'mer "n-no I-I don't love him that way" Dryya said annoyed while blushing "you must be true with your feelings" said Ze'mer, Dryya stayed silent while covering her face out of embarrassment, "Hollow please hold on, it'll be okay" Ogrim thought to himself while still holding Hollow, then they reached the lifeblood cocoon, Dryya slashed the cocoon with her nail and 2 lifeseeds came out, "this'll be enough to heal his wounds" the child tried to catch the lifeseeds but he fell flat on his face, Isma picked him up while Dryya caught the lifeseeds and infuse it with Hollow, his bleeding stopped but Hollow was still unconscious, "well troop let's go home" said Isma, the troop made their way to the place where they entered Deepnest, "wait, how do we get up?" said Hegemol "don't worry" said Hornet while she makes a ladder with her silk, the troop, Cornifer and the child climbed out from Deepnest "Hey hornet, thank you for everything" yelled Dryya "you're welcome" yelled Hornet back, "Cornifer please never go to Deepnest ever again and here's your map back" said Dryya "okay, and thank you, I'd best be off" said Cornifer "well troop let's go home" said Dryya when they came out from the cave of Deepnest's entrance they saw that it was dusk, they came back to the carriage and ride back home at full speed.
It was midnight and the queen was getting worried of her son, then she heard a knock on the door,the troop came into the room, Ogrim was still holding Hollow, the queen ran to them and asked "what happened!?" "don't worry my queen he's fine, he just needs to rest" said Ogrim, Root noticed the sleeping child that was still in Isma's arms "who is this? " root asked "this child was lost but we couldn't find his parents anywhere, so we decided to keep searching tomorrow" said Isma "may I hold him" said root "yes my queen" Isma handed the sleeping child to the queen (root) "is it really my child? But they're all gone" the queen thought to herself while shed a tear "my queen is something wrong? " asked Ogrim "no no its fine, he can stay here in the palace" said the queen, "okay your majesty" said Dryya, Ogrim and the queen were in the hall ways, "where did you find this child?" asked root "we found him in Dirtmouth your highness" Ogrim said "how long has my son been unconscious" root said "it's been a few hours", They reached Hollow's room and Ogrim placed Hollow in his bed "wait" said Root "before you leave, thank you for taking care of my son my loyal Ogrim" said Root "anytime your highness" said Ogrim, Ogrim left, the queen sat down on a chair next to her son's bed with the child still in her arms, the queen became tired and slept on the chair.
(meanwhile in Hollow's dreams since he fell unconscious)
Hollow was an the ground, he got up and saw his father's chained up body, Hollow staired at his eyes, then a figure came to the room, a pale figure, it was their father, "father?" said Hollow while he kneel to him "what are you down there, stand up" said his father, "father..." said Hollow while he hugged him while sobbing, his father hugged back "it's okay" said Wyrm (his father) they sat down, "father..." said Hollow "yes?" said Wyrm "why did you do that to me?" asked Hollow Wyrm stayed silent and started to cry, "i'm sorry" said Wyrm while crying "I-I forgive you, father" said Hollow "no, I don't deserve your forgiveness, I have done terrible things to you and your mother, you were suffering so much, I was not the father you wanted, and I don't think I deserve the title father" Said Wyrm in a sad tone "no, you made some...mistakes in the past, but...you've changed and you fixed...them, you even...sacrificed yourself to let...me live, I love...you father" said Hollow "hm my sweet Hollow, your wonderful" said Wyrm while he smiled and stands up, "I'd best be off, goodbye Hollow, I love you too" said Wyrm while he walks to a light, when Wyrm walked through, everything went dark, he got scared but then root, the 5 knights and all his friends appeared and light went over Hollow's head and turned into the child, Hollow's fear disappeared and he was...happy.
Then...he woke up, Hollow saw his mother and the child next to him "hello son, welcome home" said Root while hugging him.
YOU ARE READING
...son?...
Non-FictionThis is a sequel to "a heart in his pale chest" that was created by the amazing "Debby_Gatta_thebeast" and all his/her friends from archives of our own and the cover is credited to Wingmould from tumblr
