The Stagways were a vast transportation network that spanned all of Hallownest.
Tremors and long, drawn-out rumbles were the constant refrain here. The Stags spent their entire lives running to fulfill their calling.
Among them, one Stag with distinctly special trappings carried equally extraordinary passengers: the delegation from Deepnest, on its way to the Pale Court for the Dreamers' meeting.
Their destination was still some distance away, and Hornet sank into thought as they traveled.
Ever since she had first learned the consequences of her father's plan, she had been searching alone for answers and a solution to the Infection.
Nox's appearance seemed connected to the book she had found in the Archives, but he had flatly denied knowing anything about it.
She believed him.
The way he spoke, that voice like something warm yet irresistible, easily overwhelmed quieter voices and sent a chill down her spine. It almost demanded that bugs believe him.
So after he recovered, Hornet challenged him to a sparring match, a sort of test to assess his fighting skills.
Both his walk and his manner of speaking were perfectly ordinary, but Hornet could still tell from his stance that Nox was anything but.
The fact that he had defeated Nosk meant he possessed some kind of ability. She wanted to see it for herself.
And so the match began.
Hornet started with cautious probing attacks, but she still found it incredible that he could swing that great blade one-handed when even she considered it rather too heavy.
He had even twirled it with just a few fingers before the fight properly began.
First of all, Nox's appearance was deceptive. He weighed far more than an ordinary bug of his size, perhaps even more than Herrah, despite her larger frame.
Hornet's needle was parried, her traps