The Knight places the rare jewel on the small table in the Snatcher's home with trust in its smiley new ghost buddy; then returns back outside.
The Snatcher points to the direction of his old home. "So ,little fella, what do you think? Will you go retrieve a book on creatures from my old home?"
The Knight stares off into the distance for a moment then begins walking in the manor's direction.
"Wow, I didn't even have to make you sign a contract, you're easier to convince than the kiddo."
The Knight makes its way down the forest path till it comes across the broken stone bridge needed to get to the manor. Ghost looks over the edge at the eyes in the mist below and stares back at them.
A minion taps Ghost from behind. "Hey, newbie. Need help crossing the bridge to your death? I can help with that. The boss asked me to anyway. No way you're jumping across that like the boss's BFF does."
The minion sighs downhearted. "The boss's BFF left behind this hookshot badge and pin so maybe you could use it with that parasol... I mean it worked for her so why wouldn't it for you?" The Minion hands the Knight the hookshot badge. "See ya, newbie." The minion walks away towards Subcon village.
Ghost takes a moment to pin the badge to the parasol. The Knight points it across the broken bridge at a tree limb. After some wild swinging with the parasol, the hookshot launches out and pulls the Knight across with a swinging grace. The hookshot releases and Ghost does a mandatory backflip to land on the other side of the broken bridge.
Ghost begins walking through the frozen village and touching a frozen villager; Ghost feels just how cold something can be. The Knight feels zero amount of soul inside the frozen villager. Continuing through the frozen canyon to the manor, Ghost jumps to a floating platform only to fall right through. A large ice wall blocks it's path so seeing the only other physical item in its field of view, the Vessel swings and rings the mystical green bell. The platforms gain a more solid form and Ghost wastes no time beginning to parkour from platform to platform. It leaps over the ice wall and continues its new adventure to find a book on otherworldly creatures.
Coming up to the old manor, the Knight tries to open the front door to find it stuck in snow. Ghost being the reckless vessel that it is, dives head first through a window, creating a noisy crash. Now inside the manor, the courageous Vessel gets up and takes its first step to- "You dare enter my home!" The Knight is swept up into the grasp of the Snatcher's ex lover, Queen Vanessa. The Knight is stuck in the claws of the queen and its body begins to freeze in the queen's blackened palm.
The Snatcher inspects the jewel the Knight left on his table. "The only currency I have use for is souls hahahah!" He goes to sit in his chair and a black mist starts to form in it. "Woah! This ain't my magic, that's for sure." The black mist forms into the vessel sitting on his chair. "Where did you come from!? And why are you in my chair again!?"
The vessel hops off the chair and begins walking back to the manor again. "Woah, wait, little guy!"
The vessel pays no mind to the smiley ghost and heads straight back to where the manor resides. After traveling through the icy canyon once more, Ghost enters the previously broken window, quietly. The Knight spots a black shadow of itself floating around. The Knight charges at its shadow and takes a whack at it with its parasol but merely pushes it over. The shade gets aggressive and clings to Ghost trying to sap its void from it. Ghost struggles to throw the shade off its face and is pushed against the window where it plops down, losing strength. The vessel desperately pats the floor around it and manages to pick up a glass shard and continuously stab the shade with the jagged glass. The shade curls up and the Knight absorbs it back into its body.
The Vessel, now at full strength again, starts exploring the dark manor. The Knight hears the queen's footsteps coming and she also hears the Vessel's. The Knight runs to the next room with haste and the queen spots it. She enters the room in search of Ghost. "You live? Or are there others like you?"
Queen Vanessa starts creeping around in search of the vessel. "You're a brave little thing whatever you are." The Knight hides under the piano in fear if it had any to begin with, all it has is the will to survive. The vessel notices the bookshelf on the wall but knows it can't find what it's looking for with the queen roaming the room. Waiting for its chance to slip past, Ghost runs out of the room and down the hall where it finds stairs. The vessel makes its way up and sees a frozen mafia in the hallway. Continuing its plan, Ghost pushes the frozen mafia over, shattering him to pieces and creating a loud racket to draw the queen's attention from below.
Ghost hears the queen's steps echo throughout the manor as she rushes up the stairs. The Knight quickly hides behind another frozen resident. "You think you're as sneaky as that hatted child don't you? She may have got away, but I won't let that happen with you."
The Knight rapidly tip-toes back down the stairs and makes its way to the bookshelf. Taking a careful good look at the names, it selects 2 books and one random one. The Knight heads back up the stairs for who knows what reason and sees Vanessa breaking things and scratching the walls while lumbering around the halls. Ghost sneaks into another room and discovers the old ruined diary of Queen Vanessa. After trying to understand some of the melodrama, Ghost takes the diary with them.
The vessel exits the room and approaches Vanessa at a distance. Ghost takes the random book it picked out and tosses it at the back of Vanessa's head. She turns around growling at Ghost and chases after them. Ghost gives the lunatic queen a small wave before jumping out the 2nd floor window with the books in hand and into the cold snow outside. The proud vessel makes its way back to the Snatcher's tree home.
The Snatcher is found reading a book on his chair. "I wonder if that little guy made it out? Still don't know how its body just poofed into my chair... oh, you're back!" The vessel hands its books to the Snatcher.
"Pure and dark magics, How to care for your child!? Why did you bring this one?" He puts it on his bookshelf. "Whatever, just go play with the minions while I see if this book says anything about you."
The Knight leaves the tree home and plays with the talking noose for about a half hour.
"Hey! Little vessel!" The Snatcher calls out.
The Knight instantly responds to the name and heads straight back to the Snatcher.
"Listen to this little vessel. This chapter is called Biological Vessels... the book says to create any kind of biological vessel, you need any suitable source and a specific form of void. Should this vessel come to a grim fate, its body will be transported to the last known location the vessel deemed a safe place to rest. That would explain you coming back to my chair."
Snatcher continues reading, "The vessel leaves behind a void shade where it died and if the vessel dies without retrieving this shade, it's current shade disappears into the air; leaving the vessel permanently weakened as its body creates a new shade to be distributed; out of the remaining void it has in its body for the next time the vessel may break. This process can only repeat a few times before the vessel is permanently terminated. Well I hope you retrieved your shade from my crazy ex. Hahahaha!"
"Hey, Snatcher!" A voice calls out.
"Bow Kid!" The Snatcher replies, seeing her enter the tree home. "Wow, kid! You're a lot older but you still pretty much look the same. It's only been like 3 days."
"You want a hug, Snatcher?" Bow asks.
"N-no!"
"Yeah, you do, come here." Bow Kid tackles Snatcher to a hug.
"Alright alright get off!" Snatcher holds Bow Kid out in front of him and puts her down. "I-Is Hat Kid with you?"
"No... actually, Hat Kid's been missing for a while and I know she really likes this planet during this time period so I thought she might be here, but I haven't seen her." Bow looks over to the Knight playing in the shallow water surrounding the tree. "Who's this little... creature? I've never seen anything like it."
"That, Bow Kid, is a vessel, mute creature that should serve a single purpose but almost never does; stubborn things." Snatcher grumbles. "I sent it to the manor for some books about itself and I think it got caught by Vanessa and yet it still lives hahaha."
Bow Kid kneels to the Knight and talks to it. "I've never been in that manor myself but my friend said it was quite the traumatizing experience." Bow Kid checks her timewatch. "The TTA assumed Hat Kid was fine until her tracker went offline a short while ago. They place a microscopic chip in the retinal blood vessels of a member's right eye and if it's not receiving blood then it means they're probably dead. Hat Kid's seems to have gone offline... that would mean she's either dead or worse... but it's possible she's alive. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about, Snatcher."
"No I do not, but I h-hope Hat Kid is alright. Ugh what am I saying?"
"You care about Hat Kid, I never doubted that for years. She's always thought of you as a father over the years, you know that right?"
"I-" The Snatcher is cut off.
"Wanna-be Knight!" A voice yells out from the trees. "I want the jewel I stole fair and square!" The Empress shows her face as she stumbles out of the trees. "I-I finally found you." The Empress says out of breath.
She points at the Knight who runs behind Bow Kid. The Empress turns her attention to Bow Kid. "Oh! We met yet again, friend of the hat brat. You're a lot older, must've been the timepieces."
"Have we met?" Bow Kid asks sarcastically.
The Empress gives her a dirty look then spots the jewel sitting on Snatcher's table inside the tree. "That's mine!" The Empress charges towards it.
Bow Kid see's the purple parasol in the Knight's hand and grabs it for herself. "Let me borrow this real quick." Bow dives at the Empress and smacks her upside the head.
"Ow! Why do you people use umbrellas as weapons!?"
She goes to claw Bow Kid but Snatcher attacks her with some magic laser of his which she dodges and scatters backwards hissing. "Crazies! All of you. I'll be back with my army and that jewel will be mine, just you wait!" She declares running back into the forest trees.
Bow Kid sighs, "If I know her, she will. If it's alright with you, Snatcher, I think I'll stay here for a bit and help you out when she returns."
"Fine by me, kid, what do you say, little vessel?" The Knight stares at Snatcher. "Just kidding, I know you can't talk hahaha!"
The Knight holds its hand out to the Parasol in Bow Kid's grip. Bow awkwardly at the Knight and parasol. "Uhhh... I like this so I'm keeping it."
The ground begins to shake and the sky looks as if it's turning to glass. Bow Kid looks up as everything calms down with a worried look. "Oh, that can't be good."