L O S T

The way that Spire stayed on edge, even as they willed and almost wanted to beg them to rest was saddening to Syltyr. Spire had been the first sibling outside of Hornet and Ghost they'd met and they'd grown to love and care for them deeply. Seeing them like this was painful. What had they experienced while in the kingdom to get them this way? How could they claim to be a knight when they couldn't even protect their family?

Spire's voice cuts them out of their thoughts and they watch as the other lowers into the water. Pride and relief swell in them, full glad that they felt safe enough to do so. Syltyr remains calm and relaxed in the water to try and help the other realize it was in fact safe here, that they were safe with their sibling.

"... Understand it dangerous out there... Safe here, with me. Will protect. Promise."

To prove it, they very slowly and gently moved to grasp the nail they'd dropped in the rush to help Spire. The way the knight moved showed little pain, unlike when they'd first met.

Staring down at the water, their head was aching, but they were still very aware of their surroundings. They were very stiff and looked ready to jump at the slightest sound. Regardless of what Syltyr said, they could not convince themself to relax here, or anywhere. They knew better than to trust a sense of safety.

Their head lifted to look at their sibling again, their eyes holding little more than a blank and hollow gaze that they have yet to grow out of. Physically, they were very behind in their growth. Despite the lack of expression, they seem to huff and placed a hand to their own chest.

"Supposed to protect you."

Only by instinct does their cloak open up when the other Vessel approaches, though not fully with their weaker state and their long wings heavy with water. A hiss escapes them, cut short when it occurs to them that this is not a dangerous situation. This was their sibling. They knew their sibling. They were safe. Safety...is not a feeling Spire was very familiar with.

The smaller Vessel jolts when Syltyr reaches a hand out to them, chittering quietly as they remain tense for a moment, before they start to relax. They stare blankly at their sibling, quieting as the gears in their aching head turn. They were hurt, yes. They've been worse off before though.

"...No hurt. Not bad. Can still fight."

Their unbalanced stance said otherwise, but they were a stubborn one.

Seeing the threat displays Spire gives them is a little painful but wholly expected. They'd rushed to the other far faster than they normally would have and clearly the other Vessel has been in a constant fight for survival. Gods they wanted to just whisk them away to the safety of Dirtmouth but... who knew just how long it would be safe with Ghost there. With their twin's deteriorating condition.

The hiss brings them back to the moment to watch as Spire considers their proposal. Their Void twists painfully as their littler sibling denies the offer of aide. It was rather reminiscent of their twin's stubbornness... Suppose that just ran in the family then.

"Are hurt... No fight here. Rest. Please..."

Syltyr wants to put a stop to the other's desire for fighting so they point out the lack of enemies here. Instead they sit down in the water with to try and entice the other to rest with them.

There was nothing of a threat here, not that they could tell. That didn't mean there couldn't be. They knew better than to let their guard down. They were taught better. However, this sibling didn't seem to be on edge as they were, even willing them to rest here. How could they?

"Can't...be sure."

Spire stares at their taller sibling for a while, before moving their gaze to study the rest of the cave. From what they could see, nothing was here. The only sounds they heard was trickling water. Their wings slowly lowered, and they eased themself to sit back down in the pool, though it was very clear they were still tense.

"Never safe."

The water, much as they hated to get wet, did help to soothe the sharp pains in their head. They lay deathly still in the water, soaking in the much needed Soul for their utterly drained body.

It was until they came to realize there was something, someone, there with them. The smaller Vessel jerks and forces themself to sit up in the pool, their body heaving a breath, before lifting their head to look up at their familiar sibling. Their body was tense, it was difficult to process things at the moment, and a low rumble emits from them. It takes them a fair amount of time to figure out how to speak.

"...Sibling... Okay..."

Spire does make the effort to stand up from the water, but they visibly sway. The Void seeping through the cracks in their head wasn't so subtle either. They seemed fairly out of it altogether.

Seeing their sibling laying so still in the water scares them, thoughts of how Spire might have died is racing through their mind. Gods they didn't think they could handle that on top of knowing the states of two of the other bugs they love right now. However, they did not see the shade of their sibling anywhere and that gave them hope.

Once they begin to move Syltyr can feel the relief flooding through them. Naturally they were still tense because it was obvious that Spire was in bad shape. They do not move yet, much as they want to rush over and try to tend to the other's injuries. No, they would just startle the more wild vessel and likely trigger them into attacking. Hard as it is to do so right then the knight waits for a sign of recognition.

They nod once Spire speaks to them before they see the small vessel sway upon attempting to stand. As quickly as they dared to right then they get into the water and go to their sibling's side. Normally they would not be so fast around them but they feared that any more damage to them would result in something far worse, something they dared to not think of.

"Sibling hurt, want to help." Much as they desire to whisk their injured sibling up and away to be treated they knew better. Instead they kneel down into the water to be more at their height and held out their hand for the other to take... to hopefully accept the help they so desperately wanted to give.

Only by instinct does their cloak open up when the other Vessel approaches, though not fully with their weaker state and their long wings heavy with water. A hiss escapes them, cut short when it occurs to them that this is not a dangerous situation. This was their sibling. They knew their sibling. They were safe. Safety...is not a feeling Spire was very familiar with.

The smaller Vessel jolts when Syltyr reaches a hand out to them, chittering quietly as they remain tense for a moment, before they start to relax. They stare blankly at their sibling, quieting as the gears in their aching head turn. They were hurt, yes. They've been worse off before though.

"...No hurt. Not bad. Can still fight."

Their unbalanced stance said otherwise, but they were a stubborn one.

They feel lost, hurting, aching, pain.

That was nothing new, of course. Not with the state of their head. However, it felt worse. It felt splitting, dark Void leaking from the cracks in their shell. They were reckless, they always were. It's a wonder they weren't dead. It was a minor enough injury, in comparison to others. That's not to say it didn't still hurt, burn.

The Vessel staggers, they've made it to the hot springs located in the Crossroads. They walk shakily to the edge of the water, and promptly fall in.

That's where they'll be staying for quite a while.

Syltyr was on their way to the hot springs themself to ease the pain they were in as well. It wasn't like they were near as bad as they used to be but still there were days when the still healing wounds ached fiercely. It always got worse the longer they were awake or depending on how cold it was. This time it was a mixture of both so they'd decided to come soak it off. Besides that, it was a good place to think and sort out their thoughts and feelings on all the new discoveries they had.

However as they approach the door to their destination they could hear a splash of something falling into the water. It drew forth a great curiosity since the gossiping bugs were normally not here this time of day. Entering the room they gaze about to try and spot the source of the splash when their vision lands on the blurred object just floating in the water. It was too blurry to clarify just what they were seeing but it doesn't take them long to recognize it as a vessel.

Quickly they head over to the spring's edge and drop down to their knee, arm outstretched to try and help their sibling out of the water before hesitating. If they were in the water then they'd likely be needing the healing powers of the spring to heal. Then it clicked as they stared at their injured sibling longer, this was Spire! The sibling they had met in the Basin and had promptly lost contact with. Instead of pulling them from the pool they called out in Void instead. "Spire! Sibling are you okay?"

The water, much as they hated to get wet, did help to soothe the sharp pains in their head. They lay deathly still in the water, soaking in the much needed Soul for their utterly drained body.

It was until they came to realize there was something, someone, there with them. The smaller Vessel jerks and forces themself to sit up in the pool, their body heaving a breath, before lifting their head to look up at their familiar sibling. Their body was tense, it was difficult to process things at the moment, and a low rumble emits from them. It takes them a fair amount of time to figure out how to speak.

"...Sibling... Okay..."

Spire does make the effort to stand up from the water, but they visibly sway. The Void seeping through the cracks in their head wasn't so subtle either. They seemed fairly out of it altogether.

#|| voice to speak || ic #//hello it's been like 3 years #//Spire is doing just fine

They feel lost, hurting, aching, pain.

That was nothing new, of course. Not with the state of their head. However, it felt worse. It felt splitting, dark Void leaking from the cracks in their shell. They were reckless, they always were. It's a wonder they weren't dead. It was a minor enough injury, in comparison to others. That's not to say it didn't still hurt, burn.

The Vessel staggers, they've made it to the hot springs located in the Crossroads. They walk shakily to the edge of the water, and promptly fall in.

That's where they'll be staying for quite a while.

Spire how's your head? Has it gotten any better recently?

Spire perks up and chitters at the question, thinking of how exactly they could respond. Eventually, they shake their head slowly, and bring a hand up to the cracks on it delicately.

The damage was still noticeable, and when there wasn't sharp pain in their head, it was a dull ache that they could usually ignore. Trips to the hot springs helped to temporarily soothe it, at the least.

#|| voice to speak || ic #|| strange visitors || ask

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Hey Spire, are you doing okay?? Haven't seen you in a while.

The Vessel freezes for a moment, and takes the time to process the question. Eventually, they tilt their head and let out a series of chitters, before nodding, then simply continuing on with their nail held tightly.

It seemed...they were at Kingdom's Edge, which was much farther than they would normally explore. They weren't entirely sure what to make of it yet, but the flakes of ash and decay fluttering down was both oddly familiar and unsettling.

#|| voice to speak || ic #|| strange visitors || ask

Hey Spire, did you know there's another living Vessel? Theyr'e currently in Greenpath! They're so teeny too!

This makes Spire perk up and they chirp a few times as their head tilts to the side. There was another sibling alive? In Greenpath? They'd never seen one there before...

Looks like today was an exploring day.

#|| voice to speak || ic #|| strange visitors || ask

Hey if you don't like water how do you feel about snow? You should check out the surface!

The Vessel's head pops out of the well to look around, before they hop out into Dirtmouth. Turning their gaze towards the sky, it would indeed seem that something is falling down, and it wasn't like the awful rain in the city. It was white, fluffy, gentle. They could only call it similar to ash.

But even so, Spire bristles and growls at the new substance. They didn't like the feeling of it falling on their fragile shell, and it was still, in a way, wet. Not as bad as rain, but it was also foreign enough to make them uneasy.

So, they jump back down the well with a hiss. They were just fine staying down there.

#|| voice to speak || ic #|| strange visitors || ask

thevoidknights‌:

Ghost calms at the reassurance and nods. If Spire was okay with this then they wouldn’t worry too much. With another nudge the taller Vessel pulls back and gives a soft hum. They were glad that their sibling was feeling better.

They then wait for the answer to their question. It would be nice to get out again, see how the kingdom has changed due to their sister’s work and actions. They then huff quietly at the fact that their new height was going to make getting through some of the tunnels extremely difficult.

Seeing the nod has them chirping and nodding as well.

“Siblings be happy to see Spire! First stop is Greenpath.”

Spire purrs at the nudge, and would smile if they could. What they'd give to have a mouth, or at least be able to emote with their eyes like their siblings. Perhaps they would be able to do the same when they grew too. If they grew, that is. It's been a very long time since they've molted, and they were beginning to wonder if they ever would, or maybe they were just slow. They hoped that was the case. They didn't mind being as small as they were though.

They perk up at what Ghost says, before another gentle hum leaves them. One of their kin was in Greenpath? They wouldn't mind going there to visit. If they knew where they were, they wouldn't mind doing it more often. Their poor siblings deserved the company, after all...

With a whistle, they bump their head against Ghost gently.

"Spire like to see siblings! Miss siblings. Must be lonely."

thevoidknights‌:

Ghost is happy at the trill and nods as well. They liked Greenpath too. Actually… They should go back to the area and visit the vessel that had died there. They liked to try and pay respects their passed on siblings every now and then and sadly since they’d started molting they haven’t been able to do that. Perhaps Spire would like to join them? Maybe. That might be a bad idea.

They then purr at the pat.

“Sorry head still hurts… Spire, want to come visit our siblings… Ones gone already.”

They chirp in reassurance. Their head wasn't something they deemed worrisome anymore, especially after so long. They've learned to live with it. It was only when it got particularly bad that they couldn't, but that hasn't happened recently.

Not yet, at least.

Spire tilts their head at the offer to visit their siblings, and hum softly. They hadn't seen any of their other siblings in a long time. The ones that just didn't make it. They were one of them at one point. But, somehow, they'd made it back to their body. Everything before their life now was a haze.

After thinking about it, they nod.

"See siblings..."

thevoidknights‌:

Ghost was glad they agreed about the city but could agree about the wet. Sometimes they didn’t like being wet but after spending so long on their journey they had just learned to accept it. Like many things that happened to them.

Hearing the description of the area that their sibling liked made them chirp happily and nod.

“Greenpath! Very nice place too. Enjoy that area too.”

Seeing Spire rub their head made them look on in concern and nudge against their sibling gently with their snout. It was still weird that they had one like Hollow.

They look up and trill again at the name, nodding with the confirmation. Greenpath. They liked that place. It was quiet, pretty, and peaceful. Many things that they'd have never experienced down by the Abyss. There are times they miss the Basin, if only because it's all they knew for so long, but they wouldn't stay there again. Besides, they knew their siblings would be heartbroken if they left.

The smaller Vessel purrs at the nudge and removes their hand from their head to pat their sibling's.

"Okay. Head just hurt. Not bad."

thevoidknights‌:

Ghost was happy to hear that trill. They were happy to hear anything happy coming from their sibling! They deserved so much happiness after what happened to them. The tall vessel chirped happily as they listened to what Spire said and looked excited to hear that they had indeed been exploring.

“City very wet indeed. But peaceful. Like the peace.”

Despite the constant downpour in the city they found they truly enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere there. Along with the resting grounds. They were Ghost’s favorite places.

“Spire have favorite place yet?”

Spire hums at that, before nodding in some agreement. The city did have a peaceful air to it. Their only issue was the constant water raining down. They've found they really don't like water. As nice as the hot springs were, even that got uncomfortable.

With the question, they take a moment to think. It was still something they did almost constantly, and with that, they still got frequent headaches. They were easier to ignore, with the distraction of other things, but they lingered.

"Near Crossroads... Green... Soft... Nice..."

It was the best they could describe the area without a name for it, and they rub their head as they chitter quietly.

@thevoidknights || continued

The smaller Vessel let out a series of chirps and lowered their hands when Ghost knelt down to them. They return with their own nudge and trill happily. With the time they've been on the surface, they've grown to learn a lot of things. And the fact that Ghost wouldn't hurt them again was one of them. Emotions and feelings were still very alien, but they would get there.

"Spire exploring! Everything different from Basin. Nice!"

They pause to think about that though, giving a hum, before deciding to correct themself.

"Don't like city. Wet. Don't like wet."

#|| broken thoughts || musing

hivemindsuggestion

Empty heads, infested with thoughts.

thevoidknights‌:

Hearing that their sibling agreed that the spot they suggested was good made them nod. Good. This way they would be near their siblings at all times during this. That was a comforting thing. The little Vessel then stood up slowly and painfully. It hurt but they needed to get to their siblings’ home.

Ghost held their sibling’s hand as they start to make their way to the house and enters. That hurt so badly to just walk there. Hollow chirped in greeting, slightly confused but mostly concerned about their smallest sibling.

The little Vessel chirrups in return softly before letting go of Spire’s hand to move over to a corner in order to start making a cocoon. It was like they were on auto-pilot now.

Spire watches the smaller Vessel move to stand, and does the same as they chirp out their encouragement. They were glad Ghost was listening to them. They didn’t like seeing either of their siblings hurting, especially when they were hurting themselves. That was the worst part.

They hold their sibling’s hand gently as they both make their way home, and take care to make sure Ghost doesn’t fall. It would be okay. Once they molted, they would be okay. When they enter Hollow’s home, they let Ghost go, but watch them still to make sure they were alright. They seemed like they knew what to do. They would be okay.

Chittering quietly, they step over to their taller sibling and whistle at them.

“Talk to Ghost. Ghost molt. Be okay.”