Disclaimer, I don't own Honkai Star Rail or Warhammer, Mihoyo and Games Workshop does, I only own my OCs and my ideas. Reviews, suggestions, and critiques are welcome but flames are to be extinguished.
"Such harsh cold... It's hard to imagine anyone surviving in these conditions."
It wasn't long after the Astral Express and their Belobogian allies ended the Stellaron crisis on this planet. Now they were already preparing to move on to their next adventure amongst the stars. Not before helping out wherever they're able and getting ready for the transfer of power scheduled in a few hours. The others had already moved on from the Underground and were finishing things up above.
Caelus accompanied the leader of Wildfire and talented doctor Natasha in her little expedition out of the Underground using the Furnace Core stairway path, while more official methods were still being repaired and readied for its official reopening due to end just before the transfer of power.
Natasha is a curvaceous woman with purple eyes and a fair complexion. She has blue-gray hair that's bob-like in front with two symmetric strands reaching her shoulders; the back is tied in a ponytail as well as a mole under her lip on her left side that makes her all the more fetching. Her outfit is a white layered dress that resembles a doctor's coat, with a blue-gray layer and crimson lining with high leather boots with blue-gray details down below. Her left arm is bare, while her right arm is covered in a leather elbow-length glove with a torn crimson band tied to her right shoulder, all capped off with a white nurse cap-like bow.
On her belt, Natasha carries a plush bear, as well as a small leather bag, a glass tube with mushrooms, and a flask of green liquid in it. She also wears a similar pear-shaped flask as a necklace. He stared at the hefty grenade launcher being carried around like it was nothing as they headed deeper into the snow, her firepower more than sufficient to blow any creature lurking in the cold into smithereens.
Clunk
Clunk
Clunk
Each shell fired out was swiftly replenished on the launcher itself with a click as her weapon rotated its ammunition, which she had linked with her magical inventory bestowed upon her by her Pathstrider status. Caelus didn't have to lift a finger as his companion unleashed her grief at any that stood in their way.
"Unless Blizzard Immunity is real. Let's hurry up, Caelus. We need to find any clues that Vache may have left behind before both of us become ice sculptures." He noticed the uncharacteristically serious tone she had as she sped up, forcing him to do the same as the temperature dropped considerably.
Caelus couldn't blame her for it after all everything that led to this trek to the surface. Working with her and Wildfire to uncover a social peddling "Mutual Aid" that turned out to be illicit and dubious medicine belonging to a long-lost sibling. Ending the supply of the very same unsafe medical liquid from being distributed and trying to calm down the duped patients who were less than happy about the truth. Something he hoped wouldn't be repeated when it was time for Cocolia to transfer her power to Bronya.
"What happened to your father wasn't your fault." Speaking softly when he saw frozen tears fall into the snow still, now they were on a mission to try to fix Wildfire's medicine stock after disposing of the dangerous reagents. Buying gifts for Natasha's adopted parents and helping her get used to seeing a world she had long missed.
"I know, it's just that maybe if I had just put aside my duties to Wildfire or my patients for even just once, maybe I would've been able to see Dad for one last time." Despite knowing that he would've passed away peacefully either way, even now the Wildfire Leader wondered what if she had tried to sneak out of the Underground to re-establish contact with her parents sooner. Take a page out of that rascal Sampo.
"Sunshines represent "warmth and love of light..." For patients on the verge of death, my dad might have been the only light to penetrate the surrounding darkness." Keeping a single Sunshine with her to remember her father by, Natasha smiled sadly as she had it materialize in her hand for a moment before putting it away to grab the launcher with both hands again.
The main problem of the supply issue had been resolved by the chat with Natasha's mother, who was more than happy to use her family connections with the academy to provide the denizens below with the official resumption of their relations so close to occurring. The knowledge of the doctor's ultimate fate was still up in the air.
"The cold has revealed to me my arrogance. How can a child who grew up in warmth ever begin to comprehend a cure to bitter cold?" Reading the letter again, Natasha shivered as it had been so long since she went out in such weather. She knew that she could easily brush the plan off and return to the Underground, but the question about her brother's fate would forever haunt her for the rest of her life if she didn't even try.
"Vache…He... Vache didn't give up on his research into Blizzard Immunity... even after he left the city." Natasha didn't even bat an eye when she aimed her firearm towards the cold where a pack of monstrous figures roamed before blowing them away with a single shot.
BOOM
"I live in abandoned houses under broken roofs and continue my experiments. One step after another, I've made breakthroughs. I'm trembling, not because of the cold... but because I can feel I'm getting closer to the answer I seek..." She could almost feel the desperation, the sense of hopeful inevitable success from the paper in her hand. Natasha didn't notice when her foot stomped on a single blue feather hidden underneath the snow and neither did her companion.
Digging through another set of buildings that looked like they could be used as a shelter, the pair managed to find more promising leads as unlike the buildings themselves that looked ancient. The medical objects looked relatively fresh and new in comparison.
"It's all just used test tubes, beakers, and other vessels. No sign of any sample reagents, or lab notes for that matter" From his end of the room, Caelus floated the idea that Vache's memory might be too good to need lab notes or that the environment is too harsh only for the doctor to shake her head.
"I know my brother. He's meticulous when it comes to medical experiments. There's no way he wouldn't document his results. We have to go deeper into the Snow Plains." Finishing up her little search at her corner of the makeshift lab, Natasha double-checked the tables just in case, only to still find nothing.
"Gosh... The temperature keeps getting lower." Shivering after leaving the shelter, Natasha let out a sneeze. Feeling hopeful as she had a hunch of finding something more solid.
"The Trailblaze protects me. It's you I'm worried about... I can warm you up if you'd like." Offered Caelus with a friendly smile as the blessing of Akavili continues to protect him and those that follow the same path from hazardous conditions, including weather.
"Hehe, that's very kind of you. Don't you underestimate the leader of Wildfire but then again this weather really is exceptionally cold~" Leaning into the Trailblazer and let out a comfortable sigh, enjoying his body heat as they continued onwards extremely closely.
"Consider it thanks for helping me with all this, I know you and your friends have been really busy lately up above." Natasha looked up and said a silent prayer to Qlipoth or whatever deity the Architects to give them luck in their search.
The leader of Wildfire smiled when she saw a patrol squad of Silvermane Guards up ahead after they searched through the area like a fine-tooth comb. It seems that the Preservation isn't deaf to her prayers.
"Citizens outside the city itself? Halt!" Natasha looked surprised for a second before recalling that they indeed snuck out of Belobog before she and Caelus explained their reasoning. The suspicious looks of the guards faded at the sight of her necklace.
"It's...the same as Dr. Vache's." Looking stunned when the sentry leader shook her hand, she quickly composed herself and asked what they knew of him.
"Dr. Vache saved a lot of my soldiers! We lose men to frostbite every year aside from any who perished to monsters, the medicine your brother left us has allowed the patrols to withstand the cold and fortify the area with camps.. If it weren't for the doctor, we would have long since frozen to death."
Musing about Blizzard Immunity, she asked again if they knew of his precise location only for their leader to shrug. He told him that the doctor was quite the elusive individual who said little while leaving his medicine at certain drop points. The news that the medicine actually progressed positively far ahead of the dubious incomplete state they discovered before was heartening.
"Did the medicine have any side effects for you?" Worrying once more at the idea that her brother hadn't been seen for two or three years. She wanted to see how much of a breakthrough he really made out here.
"Side effects? Well, we now have to make sure that the effect of the medicine runs out first before returning to the city, or else it would be too hot for us. We'd sweat ourselves into the grave."
The patrol wished the duo luck in searching for the good doctor, deciding against leaving their posts but otherwise willing to give them one of the medicines the squad currently has on them that hasn't been taken.
The search, while not fruitful at first, soon gave way to the sight of abnormally cold areas filled with particularly vicious ice monsters. It was the perfect chance to test the medicine out when the largest one of them, a so-called Ice out of Space, spotted them.
"Shall we drink the Blizzard immunity? I trust your judgment, whatever your decision." Caelus thought about it and, after some mulling, chose to take it. Deciding to trust in Vache's research. With a gulp as they both shared the one bottle, Natasha teased him with the fact that it was an indirect kiss. Warming him up further with how red he became.
"The doctor's got your back, Caelus." With their bodies filled with heat and warmth to the touch, neither of the monsters was capable of freezing them and Caelus smirked as he no longer needed to rely on March's shield to avoid getting iced, literally. With his new fiery lance and his companion's grenade launcher. The monsters were easily handled and cleared out of the area.
"You've got some new moves under your belt, don't you? No wonder you were able to save the Underworld." The doctor praised, enjoying seeing his lancework even more so than the bat like he did when she saw his fights for the sake of Wildfire.
Something fell off the Ice out of Space, an object that made Natasha's eyes widen in horror as she hoped her guess was wrong. She quickly ran into the closest building as Caelus made a sweep of the area to ensure that there were no monsters hidden anywhere.
"These are... records of his experiments. It's Vache's handwriting. This must be the location of his final lab. Caelus, come have a look. His last experiment was nearly two years ago. What happened after that? His notes seem to suggest he was working to improve Blizzard Immunity."
Looking around to see Vache nowhere to be seen, Natasha looked at the injection in her hand and put two and two together. Tears dripping freely from her eyes, she held it close to her chest and uttered several prayers in the hopes that Qlipoth would listen to her prayers just one more time.
"Brother…"
"Let's call it a day, Nat. It's time we headed back. I don't think there's anything else for us here."
Wiping the quickly freezing liquid dripping from her eyes, Natasha mournfully looked at what she had left of her own brother and tightened her hold on it. She apologized for bringing Caelus here just for this, how even with evidence slowly piling up to prove the contrary. She still hoped that things could've ended differently.
"You miss him, right?" Putting a hand on her shoulder, Natasha stared at the used injection in her hand, the so-called Blizzard Immunity that he tested himself.
"I do. He was my family and someone I used to look up to. I can't forgive him for what he's done. But nor can I say I don't miss him. I… maybe I should feel glad. The medicine might not have been what he wanted it to be, but it came to something. Maybe he found some inner peace in his final moments before he turned into that thing."
The doctor nodded when he mentioned that his victims wouldn't ever share that same peace, a thought she agreed with. How there can be no forgiveness for his severe crimes that were a disgrace to the very profession? A murderer whose evil experiments harmed so many innocents. His legacy is forever tainted.
"But maybe this Blizzard Immunity can now bring benefit to others even if it was made by a monster. Human beings really are conflicted life forms..." Putting the injection and the empty vial she drank from together, she looked at it closely before glancing at what was left of his little den. Moving to take every single one of them back with her.
"One day, the world will see a perfect Blizzard Immunity. One to make all this pain and suffering worth it so that even more can be saved in the end for the good of Belobog. Before we leave, I'd like to ask for another favor. The last one, I promise."
Caelus agreed, needing nothing to agree as he helped the leader of Wildfire build a makeshift grave for Vache for the few belongings that had no significant medical value. Burying the injection and other trinkets under the headstone that are put neatly to hopefully withstand the snow.
"Is Vache worth you doing all this trouble?" Her answer was unsure as she tried to think of a fitting epitaph, deciding on a simple one that says 'Here lies Vache, my brother.'
Feeling a great weight have been lifted upon finishing her etching on the headstone, she looked at it one more time before leaving with Caelus for Boulder Town.
"So long, brother. Hope you don't forget Dad's teaching either in your last moments or in the afterlife. A doctor does not get to choose his or her patient, my children. Remember, never say no to those who come to you for help. Never."
The long trip back was silent, Natasha choosing instead to focus on checking out the research notes rather than dwell on Vache's final moments as that monster. Her brother's first experiments on animals were monstrous, using finches and happily talking about the lack of oversight from any ethics committee before using himself as a guinea pig for side effects that included vomiting and dizziness but with the success of the lack of cold for the next fifty hours.
He saw that her gaze softened slightly, only a little bit, however. When she read the notes where he still remembered the mice, she took care of them as a child which gave him some hesitation to use them in his fourteenth animal experiment.
It kept going with how his body started to suffer numbness and shock systems while communicating with the Silvermane Guards they met a while back. The effects worsened as he further improved the formula, stability, and success straight from the mouth of the guards that tested it while his lack of motor control slowly reached his brain. Destroying his vocal cords irreversibly and seeking whatever method he could to relieve the pain in his legs at the end of his notes. No doubt the start of the transformation to whatever Fragmentum creature he ultimately became after the toll his body took after so much experimentation.
"When you move on from Belobog, I hope you still remember me~" Giggling as she kissed Caelus on the cheek, her little helper that has not only proved himself invaluable to her, Wildfire, and the town itself in the Underworld but also to Belobog as a whole.
"Haha, don't worry. I've got a feeling that this won't be the last time I see this place." Several children poked their heads like a stack of dolls from a nearby alleyway. Their faces were full of mischief as the four-kid core group took note of their illustrious and grand group known as the Moles' own chief rival in the 'Witch' Natasha seemed to have grown considerably with their honorary member, the heroic but of course second only to the magnanimous leadership of Pitch-Dark Hook the Great.
Gears turning in their little heads, plots and schemes are already being formed to use this to evade adult meddling.
Hearing a beep, Caelus looked at his phone to see that the others were finished with their given tasks and that Bronya's about ready to commence with her succession ceremony to transfer power between Cocolia and her daughter after everything that had happened. In fact, he also just received a message from Bronya in his group chat with March and Dan Heng.
"How do you feel, physically? Bronya?" Raising a brow at the sight of a Silvermane Guard sticker popping up in the chat, he had a feeling that Belobog would be able to integrate with the wider universe just fine. Far easier than Welt and Himeko had expected.
"Thanks to Seele and the rest of the Astral Express. I'm fine now. Mother's condition also stabilized, thank Qlipoth."
When Bronya sent out official invitations to the group, stating that she had also given the orders to the Silvermane Guard to end the blockade between the Overworld and the Underworld by finally reopening the cable car station. March was quite ecstatic. "Woohoo! We wouldn't miss it for the galaxy!"
When Caelus was about to return to Natasha and tell her the good news. It was plain to see that the edict had already spread like Wildfire. All of Boulder Town erupted in commotion. No doubt the other settlements were experiencing the same thing as communications had immediately reopened between both halves of the planet.
"The smell of freedom's in the air~" Natasha stated with a smile, catching sight of Caelus nodding as he approached her, only to almost jump into a trash can in shock when he saw her eyes looking at someone else beside him. It was the Moles, surprisingly quiet considering he knew how boisterous they could really get.
"I hereby nominate the Moles to be the witnesses of this pivotal moment in history!" offered their leader with a salute with her group mirroring her actions. Natasha let out a giggle before ruffling their hair, agreeing to give them permission to accompany them as the first to use the cable car back to the surface.
Looking down, he sees Hook. A young girl with yellow eyes and blonde hair that's tied into two ponytails. She wears a large ushanka, and a thick coat, and wields a giant, wheeled mining claw. Other children standing right beside her that he was well acquainted with Alina and Julian the so-called The Thousand-Faced who was given the role of Second-in-command, Captain, and Intelligence Officer of the group that encompassed many children Boulder Towners and otherwise. A group he helped with plenty with that whole business with Hook's adopted dad Fersman, the auction, and her birthday party.
Walking together towards the gathering crowds at the station, Natasha was looking forward to officially returning to the top. Legally through less covert channels like she did with Caelus from now on.
The doctor saw her Chief, an old bearded man and a mechanical left arm who goes by Oleg, her second-in-command talk to Clara. Seeing if Svarog is willing to make arrangements with Wildfire to tighten the security of the Underworld.
Upon seeing the growing crowds of people lining up as the last preparations for the cable car, workers that had long since awaited to assume their old roles before contact between both parts of Belobog was severed more than happily returned to work.
To both Oleg and Natasha. They knew that this would be the dawn of a new beginning, the day when everyone young and old would rediscover old ways of living. A return to normality where survival is no longer the top of the agenda, where everyone can finally breathe easily for the first time in years. It would be a new life for children who were born in this isolation, and it would be a new life for them altogether.
"Once you've tasted freedom, it's difficult to accept a life of separation and isolation. Those of us whose childhoods were marred by tragedy, we must strive to do better for the next generation." Whispering to herself as Hook and Julian practically bounced around in excitement.
The Trailblazer could hear loud chatter across the waiting lines for the station, the sounds of fathers looking forward to seeing their graduating daughters. Alina, talking to her mother away from the other Moles about how children up above wore and how she's worried that other kids up there would laugh at her for her outdated fashion only for Hook to put her hand on her shoulder. Declaring that anyone that does so will have to go through her, and the rest of the Moles. Julian continued, only for her to tear up and hug her best friends.
He could also hear civilians voice their suspicions about how the Guards acted suspiciously quickly, only for them to be defused as they told their more doubtful members. How they had met the new guardian Bronya and how the three heroic outsiders are on good terms with her after saving lots of people in the mines a while back.
"Ah, it's the prime variable!" Caelus sighed and reminded Clara that he had a name only for her to apologize. Thanking him and the Astral Express again for doing so much for everyone.
"Svarog says that he will hold Bronya to her promise, that the Underworld and Overworld will be reunited. With Wildfire ensuring that her end of the deal is upheld." Oleg nodded his head. He had already promised to do so, swearing on his life to do his utmost to ensure the bond between those below and above wouldn't be broken again.
"You guys said you were travelers from other worlds, right? I want to be just like you. One day, I'm gonna go traveling to faraway places and make new friends." Natasha looked proud of Clara. She wasn't the most social and amicable individual so this is also a good opportunity for her to go and be at the forefront of the new tomorrow. Together with Hook and the other kids.
RING
With a loud ring of the bell, the workers finally reactivated the cable car. The operator in charge, brightened up at the sight of Caelus.
"Ah, it's you! The liberators of the Underworld! You're the first passengers we've had since being sealed off. It'll be my honor to get you to the surface in one piece!" Looking around at the workers who seemed quite rusty, he questioned his license only for the worker to cough as he held the gate open for the first cable car. Mumbling something about a ten-year expiration date for the license, and that his record was mostly pristine. Mostly.
'How encouraging.' Caelus thought with a shudder as he looked up and down. It's a mighty long fall from top to bottom. Sure, it's an excuse to be tended to by Natasha again, but only if he actually survived the way down. No matter, it's time to be brave the whole time with the kids to not ruin the moment.
"Brothers, sisters, ladies, gentlemen, boys, and girls of all ages. Gather round! The cable car passenger service is about to restart!"
Cautiously entering the metal transport that hadn't seen use for so long. Caelus took the very first one with Natasha, Oleg, and Hook. The latter looked more and more excited as the machine creaked, coming alive as they were slowly brought up to the surface.
"One small step for Boulder Town, one huge step for the Moles." Laughing and waving at each other, Hook and Clara waved at each other from their rides. Julian and Alina looked around in awe. The faces of the children, not once showing boredom, as they finally reached the cable car station in the city above.
"Whoaaaa! Look at the big blue ceiling!"
"That's not a ceiling, Hook. That's the sky." Hook rushed out of the station in a near blur, only to run around in a loud laugh. Loving the cold, fresh air as more and more cable cars reached the surface. Clara sniffed the air with a smile, smelling that indeed. The air here smells different from what she's used to down below.
Caelus saw the equally large crowds around the Belobog station, no doubt families and friends that had long looked forward to seeing the Underground again. He found himself smiling when he overhead one of the older gentlemen who came in the third cable, having a tearful embrace with his long-separated daughter. Weeping openly at the knowledge that he has a grandson when a small boy ran up to him.
"Hahaha, less rust and geomarrow particles floating around. Take a deep breath, children. This is what freedom tastes like. I never thought I'd live to see the Administrative District again. All those years... We've been through a lot, Natasha." His leader agreed with his words, seeing the lines of Belobogians lining up to see the world below.
She lets out a laugh, not so different from what came out of the children's mouths. Finally relaxing after so long in a genuine manner, no longer charged with duty as a doctor or searching for Vache in a hurry. Hopefully, she can be a little greedy and enjoy a brief moment of true respite with her family more often to make up for her failure to be with her late father just before he passed on. For now, however…
"It's the moment I boarded the cable car, my mind was filled with everything I wanted to do on the surface, but now... I just want to sit down, zone out, and watch the people coming and going... and let the day just pass me by..." Her arms wrapped around Caelus' before letting go and gently pushing him upwards while reminding him that he probably had something to attend to than just standing around.
"Enjoy the peace and quiet, Natasha. We earned it."
"Yes, we did. All of us, did."
Seeing Natasha chaperone the children as they beheld the shining luster of the glass windows shining on the tall buildings with the warmth of the sun. A sight they've never seen before in the Underworld. Caelus checked his phone and took a picture of the others going their merry way, Oleg running into starstruck Silvermane Guards.
"Uh, excuse me. Are you Captain Oleg?"
"Huh? I didn't think anyone would still remember my name after all this time." Oleg picked his ears after he covered his eyes from the sun's rays that seemed brighter than he had ever remembered. Wondering if he had heard correctly before turning to see still green guards, testing the boys with a question.
"Of course, we remember! Every young guard knows about your courageous exploits! Oh? Which ones might they be? The time I finished off that rampaging prowler with just three bullets? Or when I defended the outpost from monsters for six days straight without food or water?" Chuckling at the sight of the boys still asking for more stories from his days in the service, Oleg cut his plans to head straight towards the ceremony and elected instead to tell tales to the new soldiers.
Texting March and Dan Heng, Caelus was guided towards a plain seating arrangement where March and Dan Heng idly waited. Taking advantage of the moment of respite afforded to them after helping to add the threat of the Stellaron on the planet. He saw Serval in the distance, stomping off into her workshop. She had a less-than-pleased look on her face after taking several glances towards a gathering crowd.
March drank from the straw of her sweet beverage, closing her eyes to savor the taste. Caelus sitting beside her on the seat as Dan Heng spoke to Gepard. An opened book lying on the table, one favored by the local Intelligence Officer. The final chapter of the Tale of the Winterlands: Satelleden.
"Thank you again for everything you've done for us, Trailblazers. Let me apologize once more for what happened between us. I really should've trusted my sister's judgment from the start." March giggled. Enjoying the fact that the team is being called Trailblazers with warmth instead of Outsiders.
"Serval knows what's up."
"That she does indeed. I know that you all have places to be, but I do hope if you return to Belobog, you'd be willing to train with the guards."
"How's the security for the areas outside the city?" Questioned Dan Heng, still not completely enamored with the idea of relaxing even after the blizzard's end. Both literal and figurative.
"So far, I've had no reports of any major activities, both of the Fragmentum and whatever force that we repelled. Still, the occurrences that happened the last few days after the crisis are unsettling." Gepard said in a frown, heads of the fallen disappearing on both sides. More and more of the bodies of the invaders were being dragged off at the dead of night and eluding their patrols, making it difficult to properly have their remains investigated. Unusable mush and scrap are left behind alongside the bodies too damaged to recognize.
"The flapping sounds at midnight and talk of fiery horned beings being spotted in the cold wastes. Scraping at unseen corners revealing nothing when my men tripled their guard." Dan Heng shrugged when asked if he had any idea. Welt had told him that the warriors they fought seemed to hail from Battle. A Path that seemed to be more active in galaxies that the Express had never even been to.
"They're no friends of the Antimatter Legion, whatever the case." Gepard agreed with the youth's words, March drinking away her stress and barely paying attention to whatever serious matter they were discussing. Caelus leaned back and checked out the growing crowds of people at the Everwinter Monument.
"Is Bronya well enough to, well, you know."
"Lady Bronya's inaugural address will begin soon. She and Lady Cocolia jointly insisted despite the urging of the Ministers and the other military leadership for them to rest and delay the ceremony. Now if you'll excuse me."
Dan Heng nodded his head, picking up his book as the Belobogian returned to his post above the stage as Belobog's civil and military leadership gathered beside the two leaders of the nation. Caelus then told his friends that he was going to take a closer look, March chirpily asking if he could use his phone to give her a closer look as well without having to part ways from her near-full drink of unparalleled sweetness.
He obliged, pressing buttons on his phone as he gave the slothful Trailblazer a closer look at the camera setting of his machine. The loud chatter of the citizenry from above and below quieted at the words of the Silvermane Announcer.
"Didn't think you'd make it in time," Seele smirked from the crowd, Caelus scratching his head. Saying that he couldn't exactly miss it. Hook tried to stand on her tippy toes only to complain that there were too many adults there.
"Here, let me help. Hook."
"Heehee, thanks big sis, Seele. No wonder you're a valued honorary member of the Moles" Hook was then carried onto her back, the little girl being able to see the line of shining soldiery as Cocolia started her speech. The Wildfire member snorted at the sight, disappointed that she did not have to rest longer after everything she had done.
"People of Belobog, hear my words. Today, we gather here to celebrate our victory against the dark forces that threatened our beloved homeland. Our 700-year struggle finally ended as the evil that darkened the future of Belobog despite the many efforts of the prior generations of Supreme Guardians. I regret the many actions that I've done, the harsh measures required to stem the tide and achieve victory."
Gepard and Pela stood silent amongst the lines of Silvermane, hearing the words of their Supreme Guardian praise the sacrifice of the many and the tenacity of the nation to endure many years of hardship required to survive the threat posed by the Fragmentum.
"Even now I know, as it's also the wish of countless Silvermane Guards to hold out long enough until the blizzard beyond our walls died away and the Fragmentum's advance halted in its entirety in the far north." Bronya nodded as her mother spoke of Belobog's strength and unity in such trying times. Knowing full well that it is the currently accepted version of events she had agreed with, honeyed words to rally and comfort the people to prepare them one day for the truth to come out after the wounds of the nation start healing.
"The order to seal off the Underworld from the Overworld had ended today. We, as a people, must rise to the occasion as the shadows of the Stellaron scatter, but I know with all my heart that it is no longer my duty. In such trying times, my daughter Bronya has shown her exemplary abilities to lead the nation. And I believe, truly, that she is more than capable of walking side by side with the Overworlders and Underworlders. So that we may embrace the dawn of a new age, together as one.
Natasha and Oleg could hear the loud proclamation, echoed by the many speakers dotting the city as people all over stopped their actions to listen to the voice of their beloved leaders. She was quite impressed, hearing Bronya add her word to her mother's. Waxing poetic as they had managed to turn Cocolia's darkest years to the passing of the torch, painting her harsh and cold rule however needed to the annals of history so that Bronya could herald the beginning of a new age of light and understanding untainted by her predecessor's mistakes.
'I've got a feeling that Bronya will handle her new position well.' Oleg thought as the city seemed to freeze to listen to their guardian figures.
"People of the Underworld, I dare not ask for your forgiveness. I now know the reality of your decade of suffering."
"But I want us to work together. We know that without your perseverance and hard work, Belobog will not recover its former glory and the seed of civilization will not be preserved. I'd also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to a few guests of the city, guests I know were treated quite unfairly by the few that were aware of their presence but still resolutely provided their assistance to give seeds of hope to our near frozen world." Bronya stated regally, imitating her mother's posture and tone as she looked at Caelus and Wildfire with a smile filled with gratitude.
"They made me realize that while we remain focused on "Preserving" the ground beneath our feet, we should not forget to look up into the sky. I firmly believe that with the determination of everyone, our world, the world the Trailblazers call "Jarilo-VI," will no longer be alone among the stars." The eyes of the many citizens of Belobog widened as they started to believe more and more that things would change for the better for everyone.
"I know words alone will not make amends for those that I've hurt with my harsh edicts." Serval watched from the open window of her workshop, a white-haired girl tinkering with machinery in wonder as she too looked out of the window to the distant event. The elder Landau nodded with a scowl. Cocolia was completely right about that part.
"But I solemnly swear that I will spend the rest of my life blazing a trail for our great country to a brighter future… to ensure Belobog's place in the wider universe. I humbly ask you no matter where you hail from, be it Above or Below, to follow us into our future as one once more."
With both hands on Bronya's shoulders, Cocolia stepped aside and raised her hand towards her while taking a step back. Seele, Caelus, and even Hook stared focused at them both. The latter with starry eyes, as a new dream, is born this very moment.
"It is with great pride and honor to announce that I'm no longer your Supreme Guardian at this very second"
"I, Bronya Rand, the nineteenth Supreme Guardian of Belobog, hereby take my oath to take my first steps as the one to inherit my dear mother's mantle and do her proud as is befitting of any woman in the station entrusted to me."
"Lady Cocolia! Lady Bronya! Long live Belobog!" Caelus could hear the crowd yell out their approval as they cheered, giving out many epithets as this historical moment had come to this world. Caelus made his way back, rolling his eyes at the sight of Sampo scampering off in the crowd. Go figure he would be here.
Caelus returned to where the others were sitting only to be told by the pair to go to Qlipoth Fort. March slowed her step as Dan Heng moved the quickest. Drinking up every last drop of the drink before licking her lips, and tossing the rubbish into the trash can with a loud crash.
CLANG
The trio waited patiently within the halls of the hallowed structure. Cocolia and Bronya soon appeared. The latter let out a sigh of relief as the whole thing went by as well as it could be.
Cocolia immediately deflated into her daughter's arms and that of the Silvermane Guards that escorted them. The regal and imposing figure shrinks into a sad and guilty one. The act she held up long enough to assuage the doubts of her people, shattering like a crystalline mirage.
"I hope you'll make none of the mistakes I made in my long tenure," Cocolia said sadly as she stood on her own again, Bronya keeping her grip on her arm to help her steady.
"I'll do my best. I have many friends to support me," Bronya replied softly as Cocolia shook her head sadly. It was what sealed her fate long ago. Believing that she could've endured everything all on her own, silently and alone, as she distanced herself from friends and subordinates alike in the false belief that she alone could do what must be done.
"That was some speech, Bronya! If I had to talk like that in front of a huge crowd, I'd be shaking head to toe!" March exclaimed with clapping hands as Bronya gave a sad smile in response.
"It was all just a bunch of palatable lies. I hope you never have a similar experience, March." Caelus put his hand on her shoulder, telling her that even so, it is what she does as a leader that matters. To ensure that the Preservation of civilization becomes more than hopeful words. Bronya nodded as his touch felt more comforting than any level of rehearsing in front of mirrors.
Bronya admitted she'd rather be honest, straight up, but she understood enough that there's no telling what the people would do if they knew the truth immediately after all that happened just days ago.
Marched bumped Dan Heng's shoulder, reminding him to give them Welt's observations. March looked sheepish as their promises were a bit too optimistic. Dan Heng let the news sink that the Fragmentum had already taken root and the damage would take time to reverse even with the Stellaron sealed.
"Stellarons are terrible things," Caelus said with his other hand on his chest. Cocolia's eyes widening slightly as she thought she could see a vague golden outline pulsate within his heart. Dan Heng could only sympathize with the next step the people here have to take, such as the cruelty of a Stellaron. Still, compared with some of the other planets we've visited, at least this one has hope.
"I know. Our ancestors wouldn't have risked using one if they'd had other ways of avoiding calamity." She strengthened her resolve, taking to heart Welt's words. Humankind has always struggled against austere conditions and has always managed to thrive despite it. Jarilo-VI could, no… will be revitalized. As long as she believes in the perseverance of her people.
Cocolia mentally prepared herself as she stared at her own office, the very place that caged her mind under the power of the Stellaron throughout the years. It is for the best, as Bronya put it when they discussed it earlier, both as a symbol of the turning of the era and giving her mom some time away from where the Stellaron corrupted her.
Leaving the duo to sort out the office after the change in power, the three crew members left the doors only to see Seele, Oleg, and Natasha waiting for them. The Babochka leaned against the wall, unable to wait for Cocolia to leave. She knew that it was cruel, but there was a part of her that hoped that she'd be gone for good, still not forgiving her for everything she had done. It's up to her if she would be able to truly make amends.
"The inauguration ceremony went very smoothly. I didn't expect so many Underworlders to come and listen to the address, even staying to the end. Even Hook was well hooked. Everyone seemed supportive, too. Seems like Bronya made a pretty good impression on them...Cocolia too, for what's little it's worth."
"You two helped a lot to smooth things out between the Architects and Wildfire." Natasha and Oleg looked at each other and laughed. They only helped. The ones to carry it out were all on the mother and daughter.
"So about Wildfire's future…" Oleg chuckled. It was never a question of whether the organization would disband as he and Natasha knew as its founders. Only when.
"A healthy, normal Underworld doesn't need an existence like Wildfire's. Don't worry though, even if we do disband, there'll be plenty of youngsters who will carry on the will of Wildfire. Don't count us yet. Bronya has decided to accept some of us Underworlders to balance out her cabinet." Natasha knew that the work has only just begun.
"No point waxing lyrical about the past, though. One shouldn't be stuck in the past at my age. We should embrace the present and seize the day. Hahaha! Swiftstrike Oleg of the Silvermane isn't done YET!" Seele blushed in embarrassment as he pats her back with much force as he bragged about her and his rowdy apprentice ready to carry the torch just as Bronya did for Cocolia, ensuring that the Underworld's future is as bright as up above.
Oleg looked up at the painting of the Supreme Guardians, seeing a new one for Bronya being put up. "Oh, that girl... I knew she was special the first time I laid eyes on her down there. To a certain extent, I feel like she's just like when Cocolia was younger, and trust me, that's definitely a compliment. Except that Bronya's less glum, and more sincere, especially now with number eighteen being a ghost of her former self. A major undertaking can't be accomplished by a single person, regardless of her individual strength. It's a good thing her sincerity has touched so many, and we're all glad to be helping her."
"Hah, I'll do my part to protect and help her in my own special way unless it's meeting folks or anything bureaucratic," Seele muttered honestly. Paperwork is not for her and neither is going through stuffy meetings. At that point, she might as well wait down below until Bronya summoned her for emergencies and bodyguarding. All that fancy official stuff is Oleg and Natasha's specialty anyway.
Caelus heard the beeping from his phone again. Seems like Serval has sent him something. He raised his brow, seeing the image of two coupons pop up. As well as text indicating that Serval found two coupons for afternoon tea at the Goethe Hotel, her responses were quick. Expressing laughter when he questioned her hobby of cleanliness.
"Haha, I knew you would say this!" When Caelus asked why she didn't choose either Pela or Gepard, she told him that both were busy before reminding him that the whole thing was free.
"Why would I let it go to waste if it's for free? Just wait for me"
"It's a date then! Whoever stands the other up is a snow mouse"
Natasha read Caelus' expression like an open doctor's medication script, peaking over mischievously in a teasing smile. Seems like she's going to have some competition. "My, someone seems to be quite popular~"
Excusing himself quickly, both March and Dan Heng stared at each other in confusion as he left the fort, telling him that he had a personal appointment and headed towards one of the first places the Astral Express went to in Belobog. March scratched her head as Natasha's the only doctor they were close with as the rest in the Underground were more occupied with helping her patients than making small talk.
He wasn't naïve enough to think that it was a so-called 'date' or something thought about on a whim. There was something to this, a purpose and a reason. Something she thought was important enough for them to meet face-to-face right at this moment. But what?
It was a suspicion well founded when he reached the hotel and found Serval humming one of her songs, stirring her steaming hot tea and his with a spoon.
"Ah, speak of the devil! I was just wondering when you might show up, hehe."
Making himself comfortable in the hotel chair, he heard Serval suggest he take it easy and not drink too much of it at once, or he would get a case of insomnia tonight. Feeling a bit in a mischievous mood, he pretended to get up in order to leave as if the tea was a dangerous superweapon.
"Already sounds dangerous and beyond my ability, bye!" Mirth dancing in his eyes, Serval completely taken aback, reached out to grab his arm and yank him back down with desperation.
"Wait, don't go! Take it easy, I just wanted to ask you a question...W-wait, you weren't going to….y-you…" Serval sighed when she noticed his amusement. She fell for it hook, line and sinker. Scratching her cheek, the rockstar wondered how she could put it without sounding too desperate.
"I was wondering… is the train accepting new passengers? You know, the one you and the others arrived here in."
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Serval blinked, words fumbling as she said something about the Stellaron crisis being resolved and something about Cocolia before clearing her throat to give a more well-thought-out one as she took some time before asking again.
"I'm wondering though, are there any restrictions against, uh... "aliens" like me from boarding the train?" Caelus looked genuinely confused and shook his head. The last thing he or anyone on the Express would consider is an alien of any kind. Even if she was of a different species, it would change nothing between them.
"You see, there's not much left for me here except to carry on repairing equipment in the workshop. I like practicing the guitar, and performances are fun, but the crowds are pretty small. Besides, I'm a researcher, so how could I not get excited about the chance to explore new worlds up close? Everyone gets tired of living in small places like Belobog after a few years, right?"
Caelus listened attentively when she mentioned that folks come and go in her band all the time, more than a few from the Underground showed plenty of interest in making use of her workshop, and that she's always looking for more perspective in her music in places beyond Belobog.
More than happy to let her join up straight away, he told her that the others have to be asked first before anything. An act Serval is more than happy, excitedly ordering some more snacks from the hotel as a gift of sorts. Mulling over the idea that it might be taken as a bribe before waving it off, excusing herself after paying so she could prepare her belongings.
'Hmm, who's the best one to ask about this kind of thing? Pom-Pom, Welt or Himeko….Hmmm, I suppose Miss Himeko, because she's got the most similarities with Serval in hobbies.'
"Serval's pretty meticulous in her mechanical skills..." Caelus wasn't surprised to see the direction of their little discussion when Himeko inquired more about the would-be newcomer to the crew. She was quite willing to give Serval an opportunity to join up with them.
"That's pretty good. Maybe she and I will have a lot in common." That was that, Himeko's pretty on board. Caelus surmised, finishing the delectable and tipping Old Goethe a fair amount before leaving for the workshop to let Serval know.
He was quite surprised to see Serval excitedly shove a heap of documents into the hands of one grunting Gepard, who struggled to keep the pile from flying all over the place with the suddenness. Trying to keep the papers in one pile as his Silvermane Guards picked the documents that fell.
"Serval, I understand your reluctance to rejoin the Silvermane Guards and all, but please, there must be a better-."
"No, Gepard. I'm not the only genius amongst the research team and you know it. Get Pela to help you with the documents. Heck, get the Minister of Research to do his job with his Ministry since it's what they're there for. If Bronya needs anything, then we can keep in contact by phone. I'm joining the express and that's that." Caelus saw the commotion at the front of the workshop and quickly headed there to see Hook, Clara, and the rest of the Moles in the workshop. Making themselves at home with a certain tinkerer he helped in Boulder Town, Molly if he recalled correctly.
"If you're really dead set on going, then let me tell you that Cocolia will be going as well." For the very first time in her rush to get ready for departure, this was the only thing that had truly given her pause. She thought it was just a figure of speech, flowery language for the masses.
"…"
Gepard and the other guards left, leaving Serval to stare off into the snowy streets in silence before she noticed Caelus. "If you reconsidered going with us, then I understand, with everything that happened between you both…"
"No, no. If the knowledge that I won't be the only one going with you guys changed my mind so easily, then I'm pathetic." Shaking her head as she went back into her workshop with the Trailblazer. Hook and Clara, already making more than a few mechanical doodads as well as trying to upgrade Diggertron. Serval vanished into the back to get her things as he appraised the machines the two Underworlders made together.
"Someday, when I become Supreme Guardian. Me, Clara, and the Moles will build our own Astral Express, bigger and better than the original!" Caelus chuckled at Hook's exclamation as her white-haired partner nodded at the cheer of the Moles. He ruffled her blonde hair. Encouraging her to do so, proud to see Bronya's coronation has lit the fire in more than a few people.
Taking a picture of the miniature Astral Express after they and the others took turns checking out the Astral Express from the inside. The responses of the others were more than slightly positive, which only made Hook's beaming expression to widen even further.
"Pitch-Dark Hook the Great has new orders! The Moles are breaking out of Belobog, and we're coming for the stars! A great new adventure is about to begin!"
"AYE AYE, BOSS!"
The children scattered around the workshop, busy with their own projects, as Molly did her best to keep them from making too much of a mess in her new role as Serval's assistant and the one in charge when she was gone. Hook opened the door of the tiny express and pointed to the insides which barely resembled the real thing. "The Express is so pretty!"
"Which place looks nicer, Honorary Member? The Express or the old witch's clinic?" Caelus could only chuckle at the comparison. Both places looked quite decent but there was someone that looked far better than either.
"The old witch looks nicer than either of them!"
"Hmph, only when she's not angry. Wait. Honorary member, stop changing the subject and cheat with the answer!" Hook protested, stomping on the floor adorably in a cute tantrum before huffing. Admitting that the clinic is the better one, even if the Astral Express' floors look so shiny and sparkly that the Moles could see themselves inside.
"I've made up my mind. When The Moles make our masterpieces to make Big Sis Serval proud under my leadership, we'll help the old witch make her clinic shiny and sparkly. The Moles always repay our debts!" Nodding at the promise, Caelus could only imagine how Hook would be if she managed to become a or even the next Supreme Guardian. The traits she had shown all but proved that it would be a great reign indeed.
Roaming the workshop to peruse the machinery, Caelus was lost in the creative ingenuity of the children before Serval came out of her room with her things stored safely in her Path storage. She was about to tell him that she was ready to go only for the door to her store to open, revealing two individuals that made everyone inside freeze.
The Underworlders didn't mind Bronya's presence. Cocolia, however, was a far more intimidating individual for them up close. Serval's gasp was audible, as was her muttering, which broke the silence.
"Cocolia…"
RING
RING
Suddenly Serval's phone rang, and she silently held it up as Gepard spoke through it. "Before, I forget. Serval. Madam-Ah…"
Staring at her brother coldly, Serval moved the phone's screen towards the doorway and a sighing Bronya as Cocolia did her best to look anywhere but her old friend while stepping forward with her daughter, the door shutting like a coffin behind them.
"If anyone needs me, I'll be handling our reconnection efforts in the Underground as we work with Wildfire to stand against whatever Fragmentum presence is left down below." Gepard quickly said, adding something about his trust in his sister awkwardly before cutting the connection. Molly quickly ushered the children outside to give the grown-ups some serious alone time, none of them making much of a protest as they disappeared into the emergency exit.
"Serval, if you're not ready to deal with Cocolia, then I can-"
"No need, Caelus. For the last few days, I've either avoided or ignored anything about Cocolia, but no more. Trying to run away from my problems, I know all of it wasn't a mature thing to do. I've always found it hard to handle complex relationships, be it Cocolia or my family. The first thought I have when things don't work out is to run away. Starting from today, that's no longer the case."
"After all. I'm not doing this on my own, right?" Caelus shook his head at Serval's words, telling her that she's got him and the rest of the crew when they need her. Sighing deeply as she approached the remorseful old band member of hers and raised her hand towards the ex-Supreme Guardian.
"Serval…"
"Cocolia. You better make sure that part of your speech where you swore on your life to dedicate yourself to blazing a trail into the wider universe for Belobog's Future rings true because I swear on my own life, Qlipoth and everyone in this room that if it turned out to be another dirty rotten Lie where it turned out to be another scheme to hurt Bronya, Caelus, me or my new friends. I will personally make sure that it will be with my own hands that I WILL END YOU. In order to keep you from hurting anyone else in your life again."
Caelus and Bronya both froze at the words. It was the most serious any of them saw Serval and Cocolia herself said nothing to defend herself. Her gloomy eyes rose to meet hers to answer with silence, inwardly accepting whatever came next. Knowing that she deserved everything coming to her.
"Because Bronya and Caelus have decided to give you a chance with that Stellaron no longer inside you. I will at least try to do the same." As if a storm raged behind her visage, Serval grabbed Cocolia's shoulder so easily that even she was surprised. She pulled her old best friend close and said in her ear in a faint whisper.
"I hope that for your daughter's sake, that at the end of your lifespan. You will be remembered as Cocolia the Martyr. Cocolia the Redeemed rather than the Callous and Disgraced." If she proved herself completely lacking and devoid of the person she once knew, then she would make it her sole duty when it was time for Belobog to learn the truth behind the crisis instead of the flowery version of the truth to comfort the people. That she'll ensure all of Belobog knows who Cocolia truly is.
Serval gripped the shaking hand that was offered back that felt weak to the touch, shaking on it before pushing Cocolia aside and leaving the workshop. Bronya tried to catch up to her so she could give her something that she wanted to do so earlier.
"I…deserve her scorn. I really do." Muttered Cocolia as she followed Caelus, her posture and demeanor assuming her public façade. A part of him wanted to comfort her and cheer her up, but doing so in public would make her look weak to her people. It doesn't help that he still remembered how she practically killed him in battle if not for Qlipoth's blessing and the Lance bringing him back from the grave.
"Madam Cocolia…" Nodding towards her citizenry as they greeted her on the street, Cocolia greeted both citizen and soldier alike as the group moved towards the fort to the scene of Dan Heng and March helping Seele, the Silvermane Guards, researchers, and engineers finish setting up a trailblazing Space Anchor to officially tie the world with the Astral Express.
Allowing those with the blessing of the Trailblaze to visit any other anchor as long as it's carefully maintained and charged up, of course after giving them gifts of the type of technology they'll get used to when they link up with the wider universe like the phones they distributed to more of the planet's leadership.
"Hah...I guess this explains if joining the Astral Express is a one-way trip or not." Serval observed the shining blue crystalline object powering up as Dan Heng gave several documents to the Ministry pertaining to its limits and capabilities before he joined the waving March in using it to teleport directly into the Astral Express.
Caelus saw an unfamiliar guitar in Serval's arms before being pulled aside by Bronya. The rockstar rolled her eyes, out of the view of the other Belobogians, when Cocolia stopped to give her government and military one more impassioned speech. 'The only time I see her acting somewhat normal and it's just an act for her people. A damned façade. Go figure.'
She was barely a sentence in before Serval decided to use the Trailblaze energy-infused golden ticket March gave her so she could use the anchor without officially joining yet. In a flash, Serval was gone. Something all the onlookers looked incredibly impressed by as the words of Dan Heng and March repeated in their minds, all the technological advances that happened after their world was split with the rest of the galaxy.
"You've gone out of your way to save this world. Caelus, you nearly lost your life. I have no right to ask for more. Ultimately, the fate of Belobog is in the hands of its own people. I can only ask that you remember me- I mean us, no matter how far you travel." Bronya grabbed his arm hesitantly before gently pushing him away, it'll only hurt more if she acts on it too much.
Cocolia stared at the sight coldly in the middle of her speech from the corner of her eye, regaining enough of her old self to scowl with her maternal instinct. Naturally putting on the face as she spat on the Fragmentum as she continued to speak.
"I don't care what happens to Cocolia, but if you break Bronya's heart after all this. I'll make you regret it." With the faint outline of her scythe wreathed in Quantum, Caelus could only gulp as it slowly traced the outline of his neck from behind. The near-invisible energy made his hair stand on end until Bronya gave Cocolia one last big hug after her speech. Seele's threatening voice and posture vanished like a fleeting butterfly when the new Supreme Guardian joined her ministers in the yard of Qlipoth Fort and turned to smile at them.
'Good grief, the kids are a handful. 'In the distance from the stairs to the fort, Caelus could see a running Hook and Clara tire themselves out with the rest of the Moles in an attempt to catch the Caelus leaving as Molly struggled to get any higher. Not used to climbing so many stairs as she spent her life down below on far more flat ground. Julian and Alina decided alongside the others to jump as high as they could and wave as he disappeared alongside Cocolia, who held her own golden ticket.
"The Moles will hold the fort, Honorary Member. Just don't take too long to come back!" Screamed out Hook into her own hands in the shape of a megaphone.
When Bronya returned to her office with Seele, resuming work as both Natasha and Oleg had already departed for the Underground again to jumpstart their joint efforts in working with Gepard, Pela, and the Silvermane Guards.
It didn't take long for Seele's distaste for cramped office spaces and utter inaction to have her start butting heads with the one she was trying to protect as the tedium of bureaucracy already took its toll on her.
"Priorities? What do you mean? Are you saying rebuilding the Underworld isn't one of your "priorities"?" Bronya fumbled her words in an attempt to defend herself and explain that they've only got limited assets and that new parameters are required to keep things going with a lot of the troops being diverted down below.
"Ugh, forget it. Leave it to me. I'll go down myself, just call the troops back and let me handle the threats." Itching to get back into the field, Seele got ready to leave the fort only for an agitated Bronya to grab her arm, only for her bodyguard to pull her arm back in a glare.
"Come on, Seele! I won't leave you to-" Both of them noticed a bright light coming from the window as their argument and frustrations died down as Seele pointed into the sky, the sight of the distant Astral Express departing from Jarilo-VI an awe-inspiring one. Their annoyance turned into smiles as Bronya put her gloved hand on the window.
Both of them realizing and falling apart right after Cocolia and the Astral Express just left would be utterly embarrassing to the ones who were supposed to lead Belobog to a better tomorrow.
"There'll be plenty of difficulties waiting for them, right?"
"Yes, their future is filled with even more uncertainty than ours." Seele calmed down as she took a step away from the Supreme Guardian's desk, her hands on her hips as she whistled as the train looked like an out-of-night northern star from down here.
"But we will prevail here. Even if it means arguments like this go on forever."
"Hmph, they won't go on forever if I win them," Seele stated plainly as she made a beeline for the entrance the exasperated Silvermane Guards assigned to guard the interior of the Supreme Guardian's Office silently watched on, wisely letting the two deal with their own problems unless they turned violent.
"At least make sure to work together with Gepard and Pela."
"No promises, I work better solo!" Sighing at Seele's last words as she rushed out of the office, Bronya looked towards the disappearing shine in the sky before putting a hand on her chest. Promising to her mother.
"I promise, mother. On Qlipoth and all the Supreme Guardians before me. I will become a Supreme Guardian you can…no. Will be proud of and make sure that Belobog is thriving and happy the next time you see it."
Author's Note: Similar to how the polls for my Genshin fanfic work, there will eventually be polls put up soon to decide which characters will become Caelus' harem members and possibly join the Astral Express crew. Some are already guaranteed like Serval and Cocolia, others would need a miracle and some like the children will not be considered.