A slithering third party looked over from afar at the vessel as it stared down the spiders with it's mighty great nail.

"Oh my, such a fascinating emissary" said the snakish voice as it watched as te vessel then rushed forward with the spiders and stalkers also rushing forward towards it. The vessel tore them to bits and shreds, however still even being able to wield it as it did the vessel still was a bit clumsy with it for it still had no clue on how to balance it's weight with the blade.

"Still not good enough" it thought to itself as it cut down a stalker in one cut and smashed a spider with the flatness of it's blade. One stalker pounced on the vessel from above only to split in half with the great nail as the vessel swung upwards nearly losing it's balance before steading itself. The vessel looked at it's nail covered in the blood and remains of the spiders it had slain, it looked at the blade and saw flashes of a delusional king and a chained last symbol of hope that died long ago. It dropped the blade in hesitation of the vision. The vessel looked down at the blade as it had sunken partial into the ground due to it's weight.

"Well well well" said a snakish voice as a long spider like entity lowered itself to the vessel which then picked up it's weapon.

"That was quite the performance, as horrid as it was" said the long spider, the vessel held it's nail tight as it stared at the spider.

" my name is Azazel, Azazel the nefarious or so that is what others have deemed me as hehehe" giggled Azazel.

(Illustration of Azazel the Nefarious, by Annoying-Flower.)

"Most interesting that you resemble so much the child of Herrah and the fair knight of the pale king and yet you look as if you are merely a shadow of such a mighty figure." Said Azazel.

"Oh my what was that famous line that mad king said before he vanished..." Azazel said getting the vessel's full attention

"ah yes! No cost too great" Azazel muttered only to have the vessel nearly slice his head clean off if Azazel hadn't dodged it.

"Now now, that's no way to treat a new ally my friend now is it?!" Azazel said a bit shaken up and yet still composed. The vessel looked at the long spider with a tread of caution, for it knew that no spider had proven itself to be of no ill will yet.

"Ally?" said the vessel as it stood up

"Yes! Ally, I'm sure you heard the call that rang throughout all hollownest. The call of the knight, it was heard by all. Some have even gone to lengths as to kneeling near the black egg itself. I'm guessing you seek to get to your sibling's prison" Azazel said, but as it looked at the vessel it felt perhaps a deeper conflict inside of it emerged.

"Or...maybe it is the old conflicts of your past, the pale king? Perhaps even the truth of your birth? No, I'm sure you know that. Whatever it may be I sense you are here for a deeper meaning than such of the black egg. If it is so than you must allow me to accompany you" Azazel requested with a little bow.

"Why" the vessel asked

"Man of little words I see, well it just so happens that the kingdom of Deepnest has started it's takeover of hollownest and the mantis lords have fallen with only one remaining. The bugs of this kingdom praise a new power that they now call god. Tarantula, a large creature born under Deepnest, powerful and mighty in nature. He is a large threat to this kingdom and soon to be spider kingdom if he and Moochie aren't stopped. No doubt you will cross paths with them, but at your current state, you are nothing but a horrid vessel. Heh quite the fitting name." Azazel chuckled as the horrid vessel simply sheathed it's nail back onto it's back and began to walk away.

"Wait! How about I prove my usefulness and get you out of the jaws of the beast safely? No doubt the ruckus you made got the attention of a few more of us, allow me to help you out of here and to safety. There we can discus more on our new partnership" Azazel said. The Horrid vessel looked towards the rest of Deepnest and then towards Azazel who was ready to go at it's command.

The Horrid vessel nodded as it walked towards Azazel.

"Then let us be off" Azazel said as he quickly coiled around the Horrid Vessel and began to crawl out of the hole the Horrid vessel and the giant centipede from before had entered from.

" I'm sure you are curious as to my title in Deepnest, well if you must know I am what they would call a scribe or keeper of secrets have you. I have documented every single word spoken, ever single dirty lie and every single memory from these bugs dreams by using my webbing to weave into their tiny mind's and snatch away they're secrets. I could even learn of yours if you'd like?" Aazel said only to have the Horrid vessel tightly grab at his hide hurting him.

"OW! Alright message received" Azazel said as he kept crawling through large tunnel out of Deepnest. While he did so the Horrid vessel felt tired, the weight of lifting it's nail and from fighting so much, it's body could no longer bear to stay up and so the Horrid vessel slumped over and fell asleep as Azazel carried it to safety.

Whispers of something dark, something lukewarm and puss-like filled the Horrid Vessel's senses. It's very soul acting as a conduit for it to sense the world around it. The Horrid Vessel then awoke once again. It found it and it's great nail lying on the ground. The Horrid Vessel stared in each direction, it understood clearly where it was. It had been dumped in the Fungal Wastes. The Horrid Vessel then looked to it's great nail, the girth and width of it. It was somehow becoming heavier in sight then in hand.

It picked it up and placed it on it's back. The Horrid Vessel just before walking once again, would be spoken to-

"My my, it arises." Said Azazel, slithering out of the shadows. The Horrid Vessel looked up to see Azazel lurking near the top of the fungal cavern. Azazel crawled down, his body long and nearly endless from how the Horrid Vessel saw it.

"See? I kept my word. Now about you keep yours?" Said Azazel to which the Horrid Vessel just stared at him. Azazel then perched himself on a small mushroom, his body coiling around it. "Now then, you are on your way to the city of tears no doubt. Yes? Well, allow me to accompany you. I have some interest with that place. I've heard stories of how the Soul Sanctum's scholars learned the secrets of the mind, and focus. I'm interested in all things delving into the mind.

So allow me to journey with you, and perhaps I can even help you learn some of your own secrets too." Said Azazel. The Horrid Vessel just kept staring. Showing no amount of care of what Azazel did with the knowledge he searched for.

"Or perhaps, because of your appearance. You would halt me from such a venture?" Asked Azazel to which the Horrid Vessel simply just stood there. "Ah ha! Then we are of an accord. Let the two us journey into the depths of this once blooming city. And discover something grand!" Azazel said with a voice of grander and profundness.

"...Could be useful." The Horrid Vessel thought as it then began to walk away. Azazel followed behind him, yet keeping out of sight. As they traveled through they'd come across a small group of shrumal warriors, all of them embedded in the ground until the Horrid Vessel moved too close. Casuing them to burst out of the ground. The Horrid Vessel looked at them and then pulled out his great nail slamming it to the ground. "Your method of combat and brutality is something akin to a beast, flailing and rampaging around without care for their surroundings." Azazel said as he retreated high above the cavern.

The Horrid Vessel ignored the comment and gripped it's great nail. The shrumal warriors then rolled towards the Horrid Vessel who then slowly began to spin around, faster and then faster so that when one of the shrumal warriors rolled by-

SLICE!

The Horrid Vessel would slice them right in half, using that momentum it then raised it's great nail and slamned it against another one crushing it's head into a fungal puss. Azazel was in awe of the display once again. It was like watching a violent execution. The last shrumal warrior rammed into the Horrid Vessel, however it stood it's ground and with one hand gripped the fungal creature's mushroom head and tossed it into the air. The Horrid Vessel then lifted it's great nail high and pointe it up, causing for the shrumal warrior to fall ontop of it upon its imminent decent.

"Bravo! Another great display! I'm honestly impressed, from the way you appear. It seems you haven't weilded that great nail in some time. Makes me wonder of it's skill that moves your or instinct.

Question is, can such a thing as yourself even have that?" Azazel chuckled as he crawled further ahead into the fungal wastelands. The Horrid Vessel tossed the shrumal warrior off of it's great nail before placing it back on it's back. It then moved forward after Azazel. Soon the two would begin to hear some running water nearby, the Horrid Vessel remembered the sound. They were close. Close to the crying city. As they journeyed forward the Horrid Vessel's steps aginst the ground would feel a bit more squishy as it moved forward. It looked down to suddenly a small bug sprout out of the ground, wielding a large club, which was really a tooth.

The small bug wore a sort of cloth on their head, they were rather girthy too.

"Ah haaaaa....oh." said the bug as they looked up to the Horrid Vessel who was staring down at them. Towering over like a mountain over a small tree. The bug nearly fell backwards looking up at the Horrid Vessel. "Those mighty steps..
You got the look of a wanderer in you. Perhaps maybe an adventurer even?" Said the bug, they had a soft and elegant voice for someone who looked so brutish.

"Oh, but they are no adventurer that you've seen. Lonesome cicada." Said the looming echoy voice of Azazel. The small bug looked around in worry and frightened. Yet they still branded themselves as brave and held out their giant club. "Show yourself createn! Face me!" The bug demanded and slowly behind them, descended Azazel.

"Would you truly face one with no face?" Azazel whispered s aging the bug back under ground in a fright. The Horrid Vessel just stared at the ground where it went and then to Azazel. "Oh don't try to behave so stoic. That was gift wrapped for me. Hehe." Azazel chuckled. The Horrid Vessel had no thoughts for this display. Only the need to move past this unnecessary encounter.

"Oh you rotten spiders! You all just need to stay in the dark where you belong! You all just have taken over this place." Said the bug. The Horrid Vessel took notice of the comment and then walked over to where the bug had burrowed. It then reached up and slammned it's hand into the ground, only to then pull out the bug; much to it's suprise.

"EEEK!" the bug shouted as it then instinctively slamned it's large club over the Vessel's head. However the attack had no effect. They noticed it...and slammed it once again ontop of the Vessel's head. "My goodness! Thats- quite the head you got." Said the bug.

"Don't be so afraid small thing. We mean no harm, I believe." Azazel said with a tone of which shares no confidence nor showed no care too. The bug looked back at Azazel with a heart filled with fright as they stared at him.

"Whats your name cowardly bug?" Azazel asked, with that question and tone. The bug puffed up and tried to appear strong and intimidating to Azazel. "I am not cowardly! You just suprised me is all! And my name is Cloth." Said the bug.

"Well then, Cloth, what has you cowering away?" Asked Azazel. "I wasn't cowering, I was...sleeping. Even if I was cowering, and I ain't saying I was. Just that a certain amount of creepy crawlers have been wondering around recently making trouble. So I figured to steer clear. A few came by, I didn't mind fighting a few.

However...then more came." Cloth said.

"Spiders..." Azazel mumbled.

"...Disgusting" the Horrid Vessel thought before it then dropped Cloth to the ground. The Horrid Vessel immediately continued forward. Marching through with no hesitation. Azazel moved quickly out of it's way as he watched it move forward. "...I'm guessing...you're a friendly spider? Cloth asked.

"No such thing sadly. Ta ta little cicada. " Azazel said as he then crawled away behind the Vessel. They'd soon arrive towards the entrance to the cavern leading to the sound of the running water. The Horrid Vessel looked down the now thorn covered passageway. Azazel crawled down and over the entrance to the passageway. "Ah ha, is this what you seek? The-"

However suddenly a large burst of rubble would come from edge nearest them. Fungal creates and their bits sent flying above as a swarm of spiders, Devotes and small weavers too. Azazel took notice of their eyes and saw how they were void of an orange tint. He thought about how peculiar it was, how odd even. However the Horrid Vessel simply just lifted it's great nail and got ready to cut them down. Suddenly though the group of spiders would be torn to pieces very quickly. It was like the wind itself whisked them away onto pieces.

"Oh my! Such speed. Now who would our savior be?" Azazel said.

"State your business foul beast!" Said a voice above. The Horrid Vessel and Azazel looked over to see the one responsible standing upon a small ledge. It was a Mantis, yet this one was different from the others. Less slim to say the least. The Mantis had a masculine-like energy to them and their voice helped in that too.

"Why isn't this a suprise, and here I figured that the Mantis lords were only of four. What sort of secret could there be that they'd have have another I wonder." Azazel said. The Horrid Vessel put their great nail away.

"Don't be coy secret stealer. You will have nothing from me. I share naught with none, especially with a treacherous arachnid." Said the Mantis. Azazel felt a bad feeling come over him. The Horrid Vessel watched as the Mantis jumped down and revealed their weapon, a large double edges lance. It then pointed it at them. "This entire place, my kingdom is swarming with spiders. My siblings are nowhere to be seen.

Yet all I've heard, is the sound of a nail grinding aginst hide and tearing through shells. Rumors of a masked and large creature. The same responsible for my kingdom's downfall. Tch, not to mention, your accompanied by an arachnid too. It would seem I've found my quarry." Said the Mantis. "Now, now. Theres no need for such-"

"SILENCE WRECH! PREPARE THYSELF! A SLOW, YET QUICK DEATH AWAITS YOU!" shouted the Mantis. Azazel crawled behind the Horrid Vessel and up a wall behind it. "Now my brutish companion. How about you sharpen those skills of yours now, and see to it we don't die yes?" Azazel said.

"No matter you're skills. I will have vengeance for my kingdom. HAVE AT THEE!" shouted the Mantis.

(Illustration of Mantis and his double edged lance, by Annoying-Flower.)