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our children are as gods
Fandom: Hollow Knight
Character(s): God Tamer, Grimmchild, Grimm, The Knight
Pairing(s): None
Genre: Hurt/Comfortish
Word Count: 1,505
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Offscreen canon character death and animal death
Summary: After losing her companion, God Tamer tames... no, babysits a god.
Notes: Remember when I said I wasn't crossposting the whole fic anymore for my own convenience? This actually is basically as hard as it was before.
They say those who complete the Trial of the Fool either wander Hallownest in search of something new to give meaning to their life or continue to take the Trial until they die.
Awoken from her sleep and without her beast companion, God Tamer chooses the former.
She has walked these passages before. She knows the creatures that can be hunted and the creatures that are best left undisturbed. She has seen the lakes, the mounds, the sanctuaries of stone. She has even been to this tiny village.
The circus troupe is new, though.
Curiosity has her entering the largest tent. It’s surprisingly empty, although perhaps it isn’t set up for the show yet? But there’s a bug playing the bagpipes inside. She thinks she hears him mumble something when she passes, but it’s hard to distinguish.
The large open area at the back is empty, right until it isn’t. She braces herself when the lanterns start to swing, and a bug she’s never seen before appears in a burst of red smoke.
“You… are not the one who called us.” His voice is a painful rasp. “I apologize for the state you’ve found us in, for the performance we have planned is only meant for two.”
He doesn’t seem to mean to attack, so she relaxes just a bit. “Disappointing.”
“It must be so. But while we await the other half of the Ritual, perhaps a frivolous display could be arranged-”
Something mewls from inside the bug’s… cloak? A much smaller bug emerges and immediately flies towards her. Rather than attack, it settles on the top of her helmet.
“My dear child seems to have taken a liking to you.”
It’s not the first time a small creature has sat on God Tamer’s head. She reaches up to pet it gently, and it purrs. “I see the resemblance.”
“When they’ve grown to full potential, they’ll resemble me more completely.” He cracks a smile at a private joke. “I am Grimm, the master of this troupe. And you are?”
“…I’m called God Tamer.” If she had another name, she’s forgotten it.
Grimm’s smile grows wider. “I see. Well met, God Tamer. As children are as gods to their parents, do be gentle with my god.”
“Of course I will.”
She wasn’t able to protect her companion, but even she can protect this child.
The other half of the ‘performance’ planned is, of course, the tiny Knight who defeated her in the Trial of the Fool.
They listen in silence to Grimm’s explanation of their first part in the Ritual, then jerk their head at God Tamer, who is sitting on the floor with the Grimmchild asleep on her head.
“Oh? You would have her take your place?” Grimm asks.
They nod.
“The Ritual is quite a dangerous task for those unskilled in combat-”
They shake their head.
“They’ve fought me before, and it was almost evenly matched,” God Tamer says. The ‘almost’ went in their favor, but that’s not important right now. “I could collect the flames as well as they can.”
“Hm… My child has bonded to her already. It’s unusual to be done when the summoner is still alive, but a substitute may be chosen.”
They nod, and then approach her to squeeze her shoulder. She’s not sure what comfort they’re offering, encouragement for the task ahead, apology for her defeat, sympathy for her beast’s loss… Her answer is the same.
“…Thank you.”
The first three flames go smoothly. Grimmchild, as they’re apparently called, is more intelligent than most of the beasts God Tamer has worked with. They already know to sit when God Tamer sits on a bench, not to go too far away from God Tamer, and to follow without being told. They’re also very good at avoiding being attacked, which largely renders ‘stay’ a non-priority.
The flames are carried by bugs(?) that like to hide in walls where God Tamer can’t reach, but she jumps farther than they assume she can and is capable of dodging flames.
The second set of three takes longer, mostly because Grimmchild has learned to attack, but not what to attack and what to leave alone. They work on ‘leave it’ for a long time before she feels comfortable taking them into Fog Canyon again. Then ‘attack it’ to get them to focus on a specific enemy, rather than whatever catches their attention at the moment.
Actually getting the flames is far easier compared to not getting them to blow up jellyfish in her face anymore.
Grimm reveals that the ‘performance’ he mentioned is the most difficult battle of her life. By the end of it she’s burned through much of her armor, has marks on her shell she doubts will ever come off, and is barely standing, but she’s standing. Grimm bows to her and she bows back, then collapses onto the floor.
“Bravo, dear friend. See how the crowd adores you! A fever pitched battle from start to finish - and look how our child has grown!”
Grimmchild emerges from Grimm’s cape, now red instead of pure grey. They settle on God Tamer’s head and meow something that sounds concerned over her injuries.
“And so our Ritual nears its end-”
“If you want me to fight you a second time you’re going to have to wait a while,” God Tamer wheezes.
Grimm smiles and sits down beside her. The sudden crowd disappeared while she wasn’t looking. “For you, no second dance will be necessary. Only three more flames to harvest and your role will be complete.”
“Swear it?” she asks.
“I solemnly swear.”
After a good night’s rest, she goes to harvest the remaining flames. They aren’t much more difficult to gather than the others except that they’re out of the way. There’s four marked on the map, but she was only told to get three, and she doesn’t feel like making more work for herself than she has to.
“Your father hits like a tram,” she says to Grimmchild on their way back up. “If you ever get that strong, you’ll be a nightmare on the battlefield.”
Grimmchild purrs at the compliment.
Grimm doesn’t appear in his usual spot, so God Tamer heads further in to find him sleeping on the ceiling. The polite thing to do would be to leave and come back later, maybe wash some of the soot from the Ancient Basin off and take a nap herself.
Instead she prods him with the dull end of her lance.
Grimm squawks and falls off the ceiling, landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor. “Who dares-”
“Got your flames,” she says.
“…Ah. I suppose it’s time.” With as much dignity as he can muster after that display, Grimm stands back up. “For the conclusion to the Ritual… I must ask you to leave.”
“What?!” She worked hard getting all those flames from his troupe members, managed to beat him in a fair fight, and now he wants her to leave? What gives him the right-
He holds up a hand. “It is no slight against you, or your efforts. Rather… this version of the finale is not pleasant to look at, and I would not want to leave you with regrets.”
“…Will Grimmchild be alright?” Slight against her or no, she’s not leaving if the child gets hurt.
“They will. And they will return to you, stronger than before. This I can promise you.” Grimm bows low. “Leave this tent of ours, and do not look back until the child returns to your side.”
She doesn’t like it. The same sense that warns her of danger bellow in Hallownest warns her that following Grimm’s instructions is a choice she won’t be able to unmake.
“…Will I see you after that?”
Grimm smiles. “In a sense.”
That’s not the most reassuring answer, but at least it doesn’t seem like a lie. God Tamer nods, turns, and walks away.
She keeps walking towards the cliffs. She hears nothing but the wind, no cries of pain or anything that would tell her what’s happening behind.
A weight settles on her helmet. Grimmchild, oddly quiet.
“Your father’s too cryptic for his own good,” she says, and turns back.
Even from this distance, she can see Dirtmouth… but no troupe. No sign of any tents, not even a residual glow. The only hint they were ever here is the child on her head, who’s starting to cry.
Carefully, God Tamer picks them up and cradles them in her arms.
They say those who complete the Trial of the Fool either wander Hallownest in search of something new to give meaning to their life or continue to take the Trial until they die. The implication is that they never find anything to give their life that meaning.
God Tamer holds in her arms someone who was called their father's god. They’re too intelligent to truly tame, too much like any other child. Not a beast, but a person.
God Raiser whispers, “It’s going to be okay.”