Brumm braced himself against the wind high on the Howling Cliffs, wondering if the vessel would show as he had hoped. The little creature had no concept of empathy and there was no reason to suspect it would yet Brumm could hope. The ritual desecrated the ruins of Hallownest...a great kingdom which he felt deserved to lie protected forever. The cave was hidden far back into the rock, the warmth and glow of the Nightmare Lantern shining far out into the wilds, but a shadow danced among the light.
"You disgust me," Aspen spat as Brumm entered the cave. The dragonfly stood tall and his sneer was evident even beneath his mask. "After all the troupe has done for you...."
"Please, Aspen," Brumm pleaded. "Just stand aside. The vessel could be here at any...."
"The vessel won't be coming," Aspen stated, matter-of-factly. "Didn't you understand? It's a vessel, born to be hollow and unfeeling so it can be a container for the Light Forgotten." Brumm's head dipped in sorrow but Aspen's imperious stature didn't change. "Master Grimm has told me to offer you a chance to live...leave your mask and walk away...we'll let you."
"And if I don't?" Brumm asked. Aspen didn't change his stance but his cane appeared in his hand.
"Then I will kill you," he answered. "The ritual must finish...a new Nightmare King must be born through scarlet fire." Brumm didn't say anything and his face was impossible to read behind his mask but Aspen had an idea. "You've come with us to raid different kingdoms...why now are you so soft about this one?"
"There's history in this great kingdom," Brumm grumbled. "A history that should be preserved, untainted by the troupe." Aspen scoffed and looked at the Lantern whose flame had started to flicker.
"The vessel is dancing with the Nightmare King," Aspen whispered. "If you destroy it now, you risk the vessel being destroyed." He turned back to Brumm who had raised his fists, causing Aspen to ready himself. "I'm sorry that you have chosen this path...but I will kill you in the name of the Nightmare Heart."
"We both know which one of us is stronger," Brumm countered. Moving much faster than expected, he lunged to strike Aspen down but his fist fell through red smoke.
"You forget, musician," Aspen chided, reappearing behind him. "I don't fight like you do...I fight like the Master does...." With that he vanished once again in red smoke, appearing a ways in front of Brumm and bowed to him. "Dance with me, traitor...even the Lantern is shuddering in anticipation...."
KAMU SEDANG MEMBACA
A Tale of the Grimm Troupe
Fiksi PenggemarAspen does not remember much of his life before joining the Troupe but he remembered where he was from. Powerful in the ways of manipulating soul, he became a magician in the troupe, commanding scarlet fire in the place of soul, using it both to en...
