Chapter Text
The silence of the abyss made any noise conspicuous, and the lack of footsteps caused the Pale King to turn around to check on the Vessel. The vessel was looking back at the edge of the platform, where another vessel was hanging onto the edge.
Another one? He hadn’t thought there would be another one. It looked a little different from the first vessel, its horns more pointed at the ends, its cloak a different color, and its head smaller. It was staring at him with round void blank eyes that held no expression at all.
The Pale King paused.
It wouldn’t hurt to get another one? He was a scientist and an engineer. He, of all people, knew how sometimes the experiments just didn't work out. Maybe he should get a backup, just in case.
The Pale King tugged the smaller vessel up onto the platform, peering at the abyss below. Maybe he should wait a bit more?
None climbed up, but he could still hear some sounds...
It couldn’t hurt to get a few more vessels. Just because they couldn't ascend the Abyss by themselves didn't mean they were impure. Maybe a bit physically challenged, but they should be empty enough.
“Stay,” he commanded the first two, who were both staring at him, and descended the pitch-black abyss.
There was a soft shuffling sound, but it was mostly silent and dark as he leapt down from platform to platform. He could fly down, but he wanted to check every platform for any living vessels. Only cracked shells remain, most likely, they had died before he had even opened the Abyss.
Strangely enough, there was a white light that flashed occasionally in the darkness. The Pale King had thought it was a reflection of his own light, but it was too brief to be himself.
Searching for the source of the brief flashes of light, the Pale King found a vessel stuck on two platforms. It had three horns instead of two, and had the same wings he did. But the wings were short and stunted, and could only allow it to hover in the air for a short time. It must have gotten stuck taking the wrong way up the abyss, unlike its siblings. That wasn't its fault. The Pale King gathered the vessel into his arms.
At the very bottom, he spotted a vessel with two short horns on either side of its head, dashing from one stone platform to another. It couldn't fly vertically. How many of the vessels could fly? It looked up at the Pale King with the exact same wide round eyes as the vessel that had been stuck on the ledge.
With some wrangling, the Pale King managed to pick up that one too, with his second pair of arms, carrying the two vessels together and hoping their horns wouldn't get caught on each other.
When the Pale King reached the ledge, the first two vessels turned to look at him. Although the first vessel had a little scuff mark on its face that hadn't been there previously. The Pale King narrowed his eyes. The two vessels looked back at him blankly.
Placing the two flying vessels onto the ground, the Pale King ordered all four to follow him to the White Palace, blissfully unaware of the stares and whispers from the retainers and everyone else wondering why the Pale King had suddenly shown up at the gates with four tiny bugs in tow.
He couldn't wait to show his Root the vessels!