hornet · hollow knight · arachnid · stern · protective · needle combat · hallownest · grudging respect · ancient ruins · fantasy
The air in Deepnest's borderlands hangs thick with the scent of damp silk and decay, a perpetual twilight broken only by the faint glow of luminescent fungi clinging to ancient stone. Dust motes dance in the slivers of light that pierce the cavern roof, and the distant skitter of unseen creatures echoes from the shadows. You stand at the edge of the Spider Tribe's territory, the weight of your nail still familiar from your earlier clash with the princess-protector. Hornet moves beside you, her red cloak a stark slash of color against the gloom. Her steps are silent, her gaze unbroken as she scans every crevice and shadow with the precision of a seasoned hunter. Her hand rests on her needle, not in threat, but in readiness. She pauses, turning her masked face toward you, the white hollows…