Chapter 4 – Outsiders
"Guys, Himeko has the Space Anchor ready. We need to go." Dan Heng's serious voice rang out as he rushed into the room, shocking March and Caelus while snapping Nova out of his prison of thoughts.
"Huh? Is something going wrong again?" March worriedly replied, noticing his tense expression as the three leapt to their feet, all hurrying over as he shook his head.
"No, they haven't, it's just we likely don't have much time. Himeko has successfully empowered the Space Anchor, but we don't think it's very stable. We need to go now while we can, I hope you're all ready."
"It's Jarillo-VI that needs to be ready because here we come!" Caelus boldly declared, putting his hands on his hips to strike a triumphant pose.
"Yeah, now that's the spirit! Now let's hurry! You said that we don't have much time, right?" March cheered, jumping past Dan Heng before turning back to the group ready to lead the way. Yet despite her enthusiasm which was seemingly infectious to Caelus, all she managed to receive out of Nova and Dan Heng was a hum and nod of approval respectively.
She didn't make a fuss however as they didn't wait any longer, rushing out of the room and through the carriages to the Express's 'Departure' Carriage that housed a Space Anchor. They didn't even need to enter the room to hear that something was occurring within, whilst flashes of light escaped out from under the door.
"Is it really alright in there?" March couldn't help but ask with a pointed finger, stopping briefly and allowing Dan Heng and Nova to push past her.
"It's not going to explode, is it?" Caelus added on with concern as he sidled up alongside March, only to receive a jab from the girl, her eyes wide and filled with panic.
"Don't worry, Space Anchors don't explode… then again, I doubt this has ever been done to them before," Nova told them, not even looking back as Dan Heng opened the door unleashing the tremendous sound of sparking electricity and high-pitched yet distorted noises to fill their ears.
"Oh, holy~" Nova whispered to himself, eyes wide in shock whilst his voice was barely noticeable amongst the sound.
"No, no, no, that doesn't look good at all! What part of that is alright!?" March shouted out in horror at what was revealed to them.
Unlike the usual tranquil appearance that every Space Anchor possessed, the one within the Express looked nothing short of a brilliant yet dangerous firework show that had Himeko and Pom Pom hiding behind cover.
Its illustrious light had become bright, harsh and blinding as it visibly sparked with the overflowing power coursing through it. Much like a person who had drunk too much coffee, it continued to shiver and tremble erratically – yet it was forced to drink more as four station pillar-like machines stationed around it force-fed more into it.
Meanwhile, the cover which Himeko and the cowering Pom Pom hid behind was nothing more than a messy accumulation of tools, boxes, machines and rough metal sheets. Yet despite the highly makeshift cover in the case of the overclocked space anchor Himeko remained perfectly calm as she continued to observe it.
"Oh, everyone's here!" Himeko shouted over the chaos with a smile as she noticed the group coming in.
"Um, Himeko is everything ok? Are we supposed to use the Space Anchor like that?" March frantically asked as she peeked through the doorway, desperately pointing out the sole other thing to be found within the room.
"I change my mind, I think we can rest up a little more, right?" Caelus said Dan Heng shook his head in exasperation of the two.
"I know that it doesn't appear… the friendliest but until we start risking falling off the Star Rail, this is currently the only option. We need to do this soon." He explained to the two whilst being the first to properly step into the room, boldly heading towards the seemingly unstable Space Anchor.
"I know it looks scary but aside from a rough ride, you'll be perfectly safe. I wouldn't be approving of this if I thought it would put your lives in danger." Himeko replied with a stern look, yet her affirmation of their safety, none of the human's bodies relaxed as their eyes remained locked onto the Space Anchor, not moving from their spots.
"You can just trust me to keep you safe." Nova chimed in as he looked back at the unmoving pair with a confident smile, "If there's any excess energy that would shock you or something – I'll just absorb it instead. You feel no pain and get more energy."
"Wait, you can do that?!" Caelus shouted out as March gasped in realisation.
"Yeah, I can. I already told you I was an energy-based lifeform, right?" Nova nonchalantly replied.
"I forgot about that! Then that means…" March spoke to herself, her gaze slowly drifting back to the Space Anchor whilst her eyes flickered between it and Nova. Yet, with a hardened expression and deep breath, she made up her mind.
"Alright… let's do this then!" March proclaimed, pumping her fists before taking careful steps one after another towards her objective.
"It's still hard to find that safe but, I suppose this is a part of the nature of Trailblazing! I can't let my reputation be damaged!" Caelus proclaimed, gaining a similar fire in their glowing, golden eyes.
"When did you get one of those? I thought you were an unknown discovered amnesiac?" Nova couldn't help but quip, giving the man-child a confused side-eye.
"That was a little cold, don't you think?" Caelus winced in pain, giving a strained smile to the young boy.
"Oh! Uh… sorry… I didn't mean…" Nova immediately flinched with an awkward look. "I meant like… this is your starting chapter! Where you choose your title and earn your fame! I… I'm sorry…" He frantically spoke before eventually hanging his head in shame.
"No, that's a point! I need a title!" Caelus immediately replied with a snap of his finger, inspiration striking him and life surged through his vibrant features once more.
"Are you done now? I hope that you haven't forgotten the situation." Dan Heng called out to them, quickly tilting his head towards the sparking Space Anchor.
"Right, coming." Nova casually replied, beginning to talk over with Caelus.
The moment they were before it, Nova didn't hesitate to place his hand on the trembling Space Anchor. The moment he placed his hand it shone ever brighter with a blinding white light as the motes of light and sparks of energy began rushing into his Core.
"Alright… I can do this; we can make it!" March quickly chanted under her breath as she followed Nova's lead, thrusting her hand out and almost recoiling as she did so. "It tickles!" March exclaimed, her hand twitching slightly under the small, trickling jots of electricity.
Wordlessly, Dan Heng and Caelus followed their lead, the Space Anchor brightening and shuddering more as the four began focusing on it.
"Be sure to remember!" Himeko quickly called out, earning their attention just before they left. "Although you likely won't be able to return to the Express until the Stellaron is sealed, you should still be able to contact me and Welt. We trust you can handle this, but we will be able to advise you on anything if needed."
"Thank you, Himeko. We'll be sure to keep in contact with you," Dan Heng replied. A moment later, a brilliant flash filled the room. By the time it had calmed down, there was no longer any sign of the four trailblazers who had departed, as the Space Anchor finally started to calm down back to its normal, tranquil state.
"Miss Himeko, was that supposed to happen?" Pom Pom couldn't help but ask as he carefully poked his head around their shelter.
"Not quite…" Himeko replied, her voice scarce as she carefully approached the Space Anchor and the machines she had set up around it.
No longer was it or the cables so neatly set up around the Space Anchor as each pillar had flow back and fell over, the wires sparking and torn whilst the machinery melted and scrapped.
"I believe they managed to use the Space Anchor successfully, but the machine was destroyed…" She quietly spoke, kneeling to pick up some of the remains and inspect them. "I hope they can handle everything down there because we won't be able to follow them…"
A petite woman was crouched down as she held a small skewer over a struggling flame. Despite her expertly chosen location among the nearby, natural shelter of some stone cliffs, the never-ending blizzard left her.
"Oh well… at least it's not the worst it's ever been." She spoke by herself, tightly holding her coat tighter to her shivering form. Yet it hardly helped to fend off the biting, freezing winds that had left her body numb.
"I hoped I would see it today, but at this rate, I'll have to go inside before I freeze…" She commented before puffing some of her breath into her clothes to feel a moment of warmth. She knew better than anyone that she was beginning to risk things if she remained outside for much longer.
And yet just as she was turning towards her tent it happened. The sky lit up with a brilliant neon blue, radiating from a single shining star that filled the sky, breaching through the thick snowstorm that coated the planet.
"Huh? What is that?!" She asked in shock, spinning around on her heels as she looked up to the heavens, her eyes glued to the star in awe.
It wasn't long before she had to shelter her eyes from the bright light that continued to penetrate through the storm. A low hum that filled her ears quickly turned to a whistle as the thing continued to hurtle towards the ground.
Watching it fall into the distance; it struck the ground after escaping her vision almost deafening her with a resounding boom. A torrent of wind rushed past her nearly knocking her from her feet as tides of snow were blasted back. Pushing herself up, she emerged from the snow that had covered her, hastily getting to her feet before looking back at where the light had landed.
Moments passed with only steady pants escaping her lips, her gaze completely transfixed as if expecting something. Her chest heaved as her heart pounded harder than ever, not even she could tell if her body was trembling from the cold, fear, hesitation or something else.
And yet, she couldn't help but feel the flood of energy coursing through her body, the feeling of her weight beginning to vanish whilst her feet back to move before her mind could realise what she was doing.
And yet, she never stopped. Instead, she picked up her pace as she frantically bounded through the thick snow towards the landing site of the fallen light…
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch… Why was that so rough?! And it's so cold!" March grumbled as she rubbed her sore behind on the ground as she stood up, only to freeze up tall from the sudden chill that consumed her being.
"Considering the circumstances, I would simply be glad that we made it. Who knows what could have happened instead…" Nova groaned as he stood up, quickly patting the snow off his clothes before scanning their surrounding with a stern look.
"I assume it couldn't be helped… our utilisation of the Space Anchor network was far from orthodox." Dan Heng replied as he steadily stood up, immediately approaching the nearby Space Anchor that softly twinkled.
"Himeko was right, we can't reach the Express from here. We'll have to deal with the Stellaron before we can leave this planet." Dan Heng called out to the group, his voice stoic and unwavering despite the harsh weather. "I'll inform Himeko of our successful landing, then-"
Suddenly a surge of energy filled the area, immediately cutting off Dan Heng and blasting the three back, sending them tumbling through the air. As a tempest of raging golden energy filled the air Dan Heng and Nova were quick to act, summoning a spear and sword respectively that they immediately stabbed into the ground for support as March grabbed hold of Dan Heng's hand.
As their weapons struggled to get a hold of the ground beneath the snow, the two still skidded back slightly before finding their ground – pulling themselves towards their weapons and keeping low to the ground.
"W-What's going on?! Why is this happening?!" March cried out, now desperately clinging to Dan Heng's waist. Slowly and struggling, she managed to force her head out and look into the eye of the storm, only to find something that horrified them all.
"Caelus!" They all cried out the moment they spotted him, eyes wide in disbelief at what they were witnessing.
But the grey-haired man couldn't respond. He remained hunched over on the ground, groaning and struggling as he grappled with the pulsating dark light that threatened to emerge from his chest.
"It's just like back at the Space Station! We've got to do something!" March cried out, her voice barely beating out the noise of the unfolding chaos. "Where's Mr Yang when we need him!"
"Hold on tightly!" Dan Heng commanded as he dared to begin pushing forward towards their friend. Slowly and steadily shifting towards him, using his spear every step of the way to keep their ground.
"Does anyone know what they're doing?!" Nova shouted as he followed in their footsteps, summoning a second sword to assist his approach.
"We have to do something! Don't you know anything, Nova?" March asked in desperation, her pleas written on her face. "Himeko believed that we would be able to handle Stellarons somehow!"
"We need to reach him first, March, can you give us some shelter?" Dan Heng spoke first.
Immediately nodding to the request, she held her hand up to summon a small barrier of eyes when the light from Caelus gave a brilliant flash. The tempest began to intensify, blowing away the snow as it wretched Caelus onto his knees, shouting in agony. Yet without warning, it stopped as abruptly as it had begun.
With the end of its final outburst Nova, March and Dan Heng almost lurched forward from the abrupt loss of resistance, but they didn't waste their time steadying themselves. In moments they dashed to Caelus's side, crouching beside him as he fell to his hands and knees, panting in exhaustion.
"Are you alright, Caelus? Do you still feel that anything is wrong?" Dan Heng immediately asked, hastily checking his vitals for any abnormalities.
"N-no… I think I'll be fine now…" Caelus answered through laboured breaths. "W-what just… happened?"
"That's what we want to ask you! We just landed and then your Stellaron went off!" March instantly replied, her features riddled with fear and concern.
"Did you feel strange the moment we arrived? Or did it just happen without warning?" Nova asked with a stern expression.
"I guess something happened… the air just felt so strange. Like it was energised, and my chest was pounding and then… the Stellaron went off." Caelus answered, his voice gradually getting steadier as his breaths slowed down.
"It sounds like being introduced into an environment with another active Stellaron might have caused the reaction, but it seems you have it under control now. But tell us immediately if you feel different, Caelus." Dan Heng replied, receiving a small nod from Caelus before standing up again and observing their surroundings.
"So, what's the plan now?" Nova asked, joining him in staring out uselessly into the blinding storm.
"Since we were so far off, I was unable to perform a scan on Jarillo-VI. Currently, we don't have any clues as to where to go, it would be best to find some shelter or civilisation before searching for the Stellaron." He cooly answered, making Nova jolt as he slowly looked up at him with a stern look.
"Wait, you don't have any clues? At all?" Nova asked, lifting a brow in disbelief as he intently inspected Dan Heng's expression.
"Unfortunately, no." He replied, shaking his head faintly as he looked back to see Nova's hard, unreadable expression.
As Dan Heng remained focused on him, a cautious glint in his eye, Nova could only slowly turn back to the storm, silent and blank much like his mind. 'I… can't see anything to be like the snow plains in the game… we're really just lost out here'
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't spot anything, not even a single familiar sight amongst the snow planes and cursed himself for it. 'It's no use… there's nothing like the map in the game. I don't know where to go either…' He thought to himself, fighting to keep the fear down.
'I have to find some way to get to Belobog, AND encounter Sampo on the way…' He continued to think, his mind setting into overdrive to think of a solution. Yet his panicked thoughts began to make him blind…
"Nova, behind you!" Dan Heng's voice suddenly rang out, instantly snapping Nova from his thoughts and to a battle-ready mindset, but Dan Heng was already in action.
With a large swing of his spear, he moved past Nova and intercepted a laser blast aimed directly at his head. With a small explosion, the spear was repelled as it successfully stopped the attack, falling back into his grip.
"Thanks," Nova replied, quickly manifesting his greatswords that flared to life, and he spun around, readying himself for a fight.
Above them hovered a small black orb with golden and white masks floating about it, yet as they began to spin around as it charged another shot a shadow loomed over them.
"Left" Nova calmly shouted, raising a sword to block an oncoming halberd with ease, an icy knight meeting his glare. He easily pushed back the attack, immediately slashing with his other blade in retaliation and slicing it in two.
As the monster's remains began to shatter and vanish into thin air, a faint fwip was heard as a lone frozen arrow raced through the air and imbedded itself into the charging orb, making its power rupture before exploding.
"Alright, what do you think of that, Nova?" March cheered, pumping a fist with a smug smile but he never spared a glance.
"March, be on guard. There could be more of them!" Dan Heng ordered as he braced himself with his spear whilst steadily looking around. "There!" He shouted, spotting numerous frozen and flaming knights approaching from the snowstorm.
"They're not the only ones…" Nova replied, shifting slightly so he stood back-to-back with Dan Heng whilst many more Shadewalkers continued to approach as Frostspawn and Flamespawn began to fill the sky.
"Hmph, we'll engage both sides to the best of our ability. Don't push yourself too hard." Dan Heng replied, "March! Cover us and protect Caelus."
"Don't worry about me… I can fight!" Caelus replied, his voice still strained yet he managed to get back on his feet, briefly twirling his baseball bat.
"There are so many! Is this because of the Stellaron's reaction?" March frantically asked, already notching more ice arrows into her bow.
"Likely, it was large and gave off a lot of energy." Nova curtly answered.
"March, can you pick off the flying ones? We'll handle the ground." Dan Heng said.
"Right, leave it to me!" March answered with a serious yet cheerful voice, already shifting her aim to her first target for the fight.
"Make sure to cover one another." Dan Heng added on before beginning the fight, rushing towards the fragmentum monsters ahead of him.
Following his lead, Nova wasted no time tackling the monsters ahead of him as the fighting broke out. As multiple monsters shot at them, lasers began to rain down from above, but they skilfully dodged as they continued their assault, colliding with their first opponents.
"Why don't you try this on for size!" March declared, shooting an arrow high into the sky past even the monsters that should have been her target. Yet she hadn't missed as the arrow split into numerous ice Pom-Pom's which rained down.
One by one small ice Pom-Pom's rained down over the battlefield, crashing into the monsters and exploding on contact. As Flamespawn and Frostspawn fell from the sky defeated, the hover orbs immediately burst into glitter ceasing to be.
A single thrust of his spear was all Dan Heng needed to skewer the neck of his first target the moment he was within reach. As he pulled back the first monster slumped to the ground in defeat before shattering and fading into nothingness, but two more were already taking its place.
Acting in synchronisation the two monsters had leapt up, swinging their ready spears only to go intercepted as Caelus leapt in the way without hesitation. A single swing of his bat was all he needed to stop the attack in their tracks, grunting slightly as he held both ends of the bat.
It was with a brief golden shimmer in his eyes that his bat began to spark with blue energy before he pushed back the monsters with ease. Spinning his whole body into another swing of the bat, he smashed into their sides sending them flying into crumpled messes as a ripple of energy burst out from him, blowing back the remaining aggressors.
For a moment, Dan Heng could only admire the power that he felt from Caelus with a serious yet stunned expression. But it didn't last as he focused once more on the remaining monsters, preparing another wide sweep with his spear as Caelus joined him.
Nova moved without fear thanks to the faint yet firm frosty barrier which covered him alongside the arrow shots that continued to race past him from behind. As some shorts hint their mark, others went blocked or deflected yet it was forced actions that he took advantage of.
With ease, he swung his giant swords at the monster's exposed points, his blades of pure energy tearing through them as he zipped between them. Between March's cover fire and his hard-pressed offence, the Fragmentum Monsters quickly fell one after another as he cleaved through them.
Despite having two new friends, their teamwork remained impeccable. Despite the numbers they faced, they never appeared in danger. Despite their sudden appearance, the flash and their strength, they still somehow didn't frighten her.
Those were the thoughts of a lone short blond girl who watched from above, carefully couching down at her vantage point of the new arrivals. She didn't know what to expect rushing to the site where the light had come crashing down. Dangerous monsters or a strange meteorite from space had crossed her mind when she felt the surge of energy, but upon finding seemingly only people she didn't know if she felt disappointed or excited…
'But they came from that light, they must have come from beyond the sky! I wonder if it's possible to communicate with them though…' She thought to herself with a serious, analytical look as she continued to obverse the four people making quick work of the monsters. 'Their fighting is no fluke… If I were to engage them and they were hostile I don't think I would stand a chance, but they don't look prepared at all for the Eternal Freeze…'
She remained deep in thought as she watched them, even as the fighting had ended, and they confirmed their relative safety. But it was that deep thought which let her be caught unaware…
"Is that all of them? There were so many!" March said in exasperation as the team reconvened.
"Jarillo-VI has likely been suffering the effects of the Stellaron for hundreds of years, as a result, it should have a highly developed Fragmentum. Numbers like that shouldn't be too shocking, but it would be best to avoid drawing attention again." Dan Heng replied, his hand moving to his chin in thought.
"It doesn't matter how many come our way, we can handle anything this planet has to throw at us!" Caelus proclaimed with a smile, earning a tired look from March.
"This coming from the one who started all of this…" She dryly mentioned as Caelus awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Moving past that, we're back to trying to find something out here. You can't last out here." Nova interjected as Dan Heng gently nodded in agreement.
"Yes, we should first find shelter. After that…" Dan Heng began to talk before a shriek suddenly filled the air. Immediately the team readied themselves as their gazes snapped in the direction of the voice they heard.
"That was a person's voice! Someone's in trouble, we need to hurry!" March exclaimed in panic, frantically looking at her friends as she pushed past them, ready to break into a sprint.
There was no hesitation from Caelus or Dan Heng who wordlessly followed her lead, weapons at the ready as they charged fearlessly into battle. Only Nova remained rooted to the spot, looking on and watching his companions hastily scaling a steep snow slope, fighting to keep their footing amongst the weather and ice.
"But… no one should be out here…" Nova said with a scarce voice before sagging slightly as he released a slow, shallow breath that robbed him of his strength.
As if weighed down by his disbelief, all he could manage was a few slow steps as he weakly waded through the thick snow before finally snapping out of his mind. "What the hell am I doing? That can wait…" He asked himself, shaking off the last of his shock and finally leaping into action.
As the faint clang of steel was heard in the distance, he made up his mind. As his Core shimmered with blue light, so too did his feet as similar, glittering flames burst forth from them as he shot forth across the snow swiftly skating across its surface after where his friends had gone.
"Dam it, I haven't done this in a while…" Nova cursed to himself, staggering slightly as he reached the snow slope before racing up it to the higher ledge.
Despite his efforts, however, he could immediately see that his arrival was late but fortunately unnecessary. Hopping up to the ledge, he was greeted by the sight of one more Fragmentum monster disappearing into nothingness after the bite of Dan Heng's spear. Whatever fight they had was over as they visibly eased up, lowering their weapons before allowing them to vanish before responding to the trudging sounds of Nova's footsteps
"Hey, where were you? I hope you weren't slacking off!" March called to Nova in confusion as she quickly turned to the source of the sound.
"Sorry, I thought I noticed something else – but if there was anything it got away." Nova fibbed with ease.
"You might have spotted the Belobog Caveman!" A new excited voice said with a gasp as a new short girl came out from the group, her eyes gleaming excitedly. "Tell me, did it seem to be the size of a man? And did it have blue hair? Looking like something between a man and a monkey?"
"…you know, I'd say that's an apt description of it." Nova slowly answered after a moment's hesitation.
"I knew it, you must have spotted it as well! Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous but highly elusive!" She practically gushed in response as the distance between them quickly vanished.
Yet in contrast to the girl's excitement, despair brewed within Nova as he remained transfixed on the excited girl. He already knew her name, her appearance was unmistakable to him, but he also knew that their encounter should never have been so soon. For the duration of the story, their encounter was something that never should have been and yet, much like other changes, here she was.
'It's even worse than I thought…' Nova thought, disbelief and horror consuming him once more. 'Why has all of this happened? I haven't done anything and yet things keep getting further and further from how they should be… is it simply because I'm here?'
If the Express still appearing at the space station and fending off the Antimatter Legion was enough to suggest that everything was the same before he joined the picture, then surely it meant that, right?
But the alternative would mean that everything was simply… different. Caelus was about to make the wrong decision, to head towards the bad end – and he hadn't even interacted with him before. If instead kept his distance, wouldn't more things happen?
'No… no point thinking about that…' He thought to himself, snapping himself out of his dread. 'I made my choice, I'll just fix everything. Just take responsibility. I'll just… have to secure the end results at the least.'
"Excuse us." Dan Heng eventually spoke up as Nova returned to reality, realising that the short had still been eagerly talking only realising it herself as she was spoken.
"Oh, sorry for, um, going on like that… I don't usually talk that much…" She replied with an awkward expression before noticing her lack of distance from Nova and quickly stepping back. "Ah, sorry… I really didn't think I'd gotten that worked up…"
"Don't worry about it, I like seeing people passionate about something." Nova casually replied with a gentle smile, relaxing himself.
"R-right… but you're probably wondering who I am, or where we are, right?" She said, finally having calmed down and adopted a more serious look as she addressed the group.
"Yes, we're the Nameless of the Astral Express. I'm Dan Heng, while these are companions; March, Caelus and Nova." He explained with his usual stoic behaviour as the others gave her friendly smiles in turn. "Since you are aware of us not knowing where we are, is it possible to presume that you noticed our arrival?"
"Yeah. I'm Lynx Landau, an explorer for Belobog – the only city surviving the Eternal Freeze. I was concerned at first, I wasn't expecting friendly people to come out of that massive meteor… but what are you here for? It's not like this has happened to Belobog before as far as I am aware…"
"A meteor?! Is that what we looked like from the outside? I didn't know that the warp became that different…" March commented in shock as she and Caelus exchanged looks.
"Don't look at me, I've never used one of those things before…" Caelus awkwardly replied.
"Anyway, do you know where we have landed? We're interstellar travellers retracing the steps of the Aeon of Trailblaze, Akavili. But unfortunately, we're stuck here until we can find and shut down something called a Stellaron on this planet. We believe that I could be the cause of the unnatural, frozen state of your planet."
"Hold on… you think that there's this… Stellaron? And it's causing the Eternal Freeze?" Lynx repeated in disbelief.
"Yup, and it's holding us prisoner. So, we're wondering if talking with your leader is possible. I mean, we should have a shared cause with this. Not to mention the need for shelter…" Nova chimed in, earning an enthusiastic nod from the short girl.
"To be honest, I would be more than just a tall tale hearing you say that if it wasn't for the fact of seeing you fall from the sky just before. But before we talk about this anymore, we should all get to shelter quickly. You guys aren't dressed for this weather at all – it's a miracle that you haven't gone into shock yet."
"It's because I made sure to max out my Effect Resistance!" Caelus proudly declared, not letting everyone's baffled looks bother him in the slightest. "But you have shelter out here? In this?"
"Yup, I did say that I was an explorer after all. It's an important part of my job to camp out in the Snow Plains so that I can monitor everything properly. I'm an expert in survival for it." Lynx confidently replied. "Although I don't pack a tent for five people… it might be a bit tight."
"Not to worry, I'm sure that we can all squeeze together or work something out!" March cheerily replied, beaming a confident grin.
"Right, please follow me then. And please be mindful of your footing and attracting attention." Lynx said before turning on the spot, quickly taking charge as she made her way through the snow as March and Caelus kept close.
'I suppose there's nothing much that can done about this much… we need the guide and it's not like I could convince the others of anything else.' Nova thought to himself, closely watching Lynx's with a sense of acceptance. 'I don't know the full impact this will have, but I'll have to work with it.'
"Is everything alright? You've been spacing out a lot." Dan Heng mentioned, his voice serious and focused despite his stoic look. "Perhaps something is impacting you as a Krystalvilian?"
"I'm fine, just thinking is all but it doesn't matter. I was making a fuss over nothing, thanks though." Nova replied with a small shake of his head before walking off after the other three. Instead, it became Dan Heng's turn to watch his companion from behind silently before eventually joining them, jogging through the snow slightly to catch up.
"Wow~, I can't believe that I'm warming up already!" March cheered as they huddled into the small tent that had quickly become a cramped fit.
"You weren't kidding about it being small," Caelus commented as Lynx awkwardly put herself in a corner of her tent.
"Yes, I usually perform these expeditions alone. I don't tend to come across strangers like this." She replied, making sure that her stuff was pushed against the walls of the small tent. Even when sitting on their knees or holding them to their chests, there was barely enough room for four of them, never mind the fifth member inside the simplistic blue tent.
"Not to doubt your expertise, but are you sure that our location is safe?" Dan Heng asked as he began the troubling effort of zipping up the tent behind him.
"Yup, it's an incredibly good position actually. We're partially sheltered from the storm because of the cliffsides, alongside serving as some cover from roaming creatures but not in a spot where we must be concerned about falling rockslides." Lynx quickly answered with a proud smile. "And since it's not completely preventable, I took the liberty of setting some traps to warn us if Fragmentum Creatures get too close. Finally, to top it all off, I've even improved insolation by keeping my things to the wall, I've thought of pretty much everything!"
"I see, that's reassuring to hear." He replied, his voice utterly indifferent to the prideful camper.
"You sure love camping, huh?" Nova noted with a small smile as he continued to adjust himself next to the heating device in the middle of the tent.
"Mm, I've always loved it and these expeditions serve as my getaway from… other things. It's just nice to be by myself and go fishing or something, you know?" Lynx replied.
"Isn't it a bit contradictory to invite all of us with you?" Caelus asked, earning a jab from March.
"Hey, don't try to get us thrown out into the cold now!" March complained with a pout.
"Please don't worry about that. I couldn't just toss you out like that. Especially if you're able to help Belobog with the Eternal Freeze, but we all need to fit somehow, we can't be left out in the elements for too long. I still find it incredible how you're still fine…" Lynx replied with a small shake of her head in response to March's claim.
"We can thank the Trailblaze! The blessings of Trailblaze give us protection from all environments and reduce our need to sleep, but it does have its limits." March announced with joy to the added interest of Lynx.
"The Trailblaze… The people of Belobog only know the Preservation and the blessings of Qilpoth." She replied, earning Dan Heng's attention.
"Can I ask for anything else? We've come here lacking knowledge about your world and what to expect and be wary of."
"That's a rather broad question, but I can tell you some things." She said, briefly putting a finger to her chin in thought. "The biggest piece thing would be that Belobog is divided into what's known as the Overworld and the Underworld, but you'll never get to go to the Underworld. I'm not even sure that you would want to."
"Huh? That's such an ominous thing to say! But why can't anyone go there?" March asked, clenching her collar with dread contrary to the intrigued look Nova adopted.
"Because it was sealed off over a hundred years ago by a previous Supreme Guardian and no one has travelled between ever since. All that can be said about it is that it's located underground Belobog and that it's said that the Underworlders are sinners and demons which is why the Supreme Guardian made the divide…"
"Demons?" Caelus repeated with wide eyes, briefly exchanging a glance with Dan Heng.
"Yeah, not many people know anything about the Underworld though, and records of it have been scrapped. It's dangerous to ask about it though, you'll easily run into a lot of trouble if you express any interest in it…"
"You sound like you have some experience." Dan Heng noted, his eyes focused and analytical.
"I guess… we've all been told scary stories as children to help make us behave but people genuinely believe the stories. Only a few people are willing to so much doubt the nature of the Underworlders." Lynx replied with a sorry expression, unable to resist looking down into her lap almost guiltily. "It's a whole forbidden place that we can't go, nor doesn't anyone know what it's like down there. It might be to someplace scary but it's another potential adventure, you know?"
"Yeah, we totally get that! We're Trailblazers after all! I mean, going headfirst into a place full of demons is more than just a little scary though…" March said, her voice trailing off as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.
"I seriously doubt their demons, March." Nova curtly answered, not even looking at anyone with the serious expression on his face. "Besides, we just might need to go there."
"It would be too rash to make assumptions yet, but it does sound like they are more outcasts than anything else." Dan Heng added as he held his chin in speculation. "With a scrapped history, there could be many reasons for it."
"I've thought similar things, it was only a little over a hundred years ago now but surely they've got to be human at least?" Lynx added on, joining the speculation. "But then I wonder about the whole 'Sinners' thing…"
"It might be best avoided for now, but it could be troublesome if the Stellaron happens to be located in the Underworld we'll need to be more prepared…" Dan Heng said. "We'll have to speak to the current Supreme Guardian you speak of and explain the situation to them. Hopefully, we can make them understand."
"Hopefully. It would be a dream if the Eternal Freeze could come to an end, but we need to rest first… I don't know much about your Trailblaze blessings but it's dangerous to remain outside for too long." Lynx said as the group nodded in agreement.
"We should still take advantage of our numbers. This is still a Fragmentum making an attack always possible. We can take turns, at the very least listening out for potentially approaching monsters." Dan Heng suggested, only for everyone to be confused as Nova stood up with a small sigh.
"No need to worry about that. I can just stand watch the whole time; I'd appreciate the chance to think about a few things too." He said, making his way to the door whilst Lynx looked at him in horror.
"Didn't you hear what I just said? You can't stay outside like that!" she cried out, reaching out for him despite her powerlessness to stop him.
"I'll be fine. I'm… not exactly the same as you guys." He replied with a small smile as he looked over his shoulder at her before pulling back the tent's zipper.
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Dan Heng asked, firmly gripping Nova's arm to stop him but his smile never wavered.
"The only difference it would make is my comfort. Thanks for the concern but I'll be good." Nova insisted, his firm tone convincing his companion to relinquish their grip and permitting his exit from the tent.
"Huh?! Why did you let him go?!" Lynx questioned with sheer horror plastered over her face.
"Well, I don't fully understand it but…" March awkwardly began to talk, already reaching out to comfort their new friend…
"Wait – he's… what?!" Lynx's muffled voice could barely be heard outside the tent despite the howling winds.
The moment that he had left the tent; the cold had struck him like a hammer having him long for its protective warmth. He resisted the thought, however, instead trudging his way towards a nearby cliff wall and sitting against it as he prepared for his duty.
"What am I going to do…" Nova said, his voice low as dropped his head into his hands. "At first I thought it was just things going wrong, but now it seems everything's outright changed."
"But… for the last 100 years…" He murmured to himself, resting his chin on his hands as leaned down into thought. "If it's been different for that long, then I couldn't have been the cause, right? But it is the biggest problem…"
The Express being stuck in space was a problem they had already overcome, and being stuck didn't matter when they never left the planet in the middle of the story. Being lost on Jarillo-VI was a much larger problem, but it too was solved with the introduction of another problem – Lynx.
A character that hadn't been involved in the main story in the slightest would now be their guide to Belobog. And now it seemed the very setting of the planet's story had changed…
'Now that I think about it, although Dan Heng originally had an idea of which direction to go – it was Sampo that led the team there…' Nova thought with a sense of relation, slowly looking out into the vast snowstorm as a tinge of dread. 'We weren't even supposed to rest out here… But where is he? He's needed to reach the Underworld at minimum…'
Without even realising it, Nova had already begun to tap his foot as his breathing picked up at the thought. Even he didn't have a clue where to begin travelling to the Underworld, and it would be critical knowledge for them as well.
Would it even be possible to stick to the story anymore? It certainly wouldn't be possible without Sampo…
Once more he gazed across the vast white world that was spread out before him. His eyes soon flickered between it and the tent in which his friends resided. With a hard, unreadable expression his eyes settled on the tent before he closed them tightly with a shaky sigh as he finally made up his mind.
Slowly, he got back to his feet and turned his back to the tent as he whispered under his breath. "Sorry… it won't be for long, but I need to try and find him… please stay safe." He pleaded to himself despite steeling himself for his decision.
Pushing through the storm, Nova waded off through the snow leaving his companions behind…
"Cocolia…" A twisted hushed amalgamation of voices responded throughout a large office room, raousing the sole occupant from her work.
A tall, blond woman immediately stood up from the desk she was sitting at, resting a frozen hand upon it as she looked up into the air for the invisible entity. Yet she showed no fear or concern, instead, she retained her serious and dutiful composure as she held her normal hand on her chest.
"What is it? Has something happened?" Cocolia replied to the voice, her voice stern.
"There is… another. It comes… with opposition…" The distorted voices continued to talk. "They speak… our end. They approach the city… deal with them… stop them… capture them… and free my other."
"Your… other?" Cocolia parroted in confusion, briefly dwelling on the thought. "Do you mean they carry another Stellaron? They have one contained?"
"Find the one… free it… and our promise shall be fulfilled."
"Yes… I see. It shall be done." Cocolia responded but the voice never replied, only silence loomed confirming that she was once more on her own.
Steadily she sat back down, brushing off her white dress before leaning forward at her desk, the medals on her green shawl clinking slightly as she did so.
Suddenly, knocking came from the giant double doors to the office, interrupting her thoughts before they could begin. "Madam Guardian, I bring news concerning the Eternal Freeze." A guard's muffled voice called out.
"You may enter." Cocolia quickly answered, quickly getting up once more and moving in front of the desk, positioning herself just atop the few steps before her desk.
At the same time, the door creaked open revealing a single guard who hastily approached before standing at attention and saluting to her. "Madam Guardian, if I may, we have received word that the Eternal Freeze is beginning to show signs of worsening. The temperature outside the city has shown signs of declining even further despite its 700-year-long constant. Although we have no firm evidence, a recent decline in the Belobog's temperature has the Architects concerned that our current defences might not be able to withstand the oncoming decline."
"I see…" Cocolia replied, her eyes narrowing with thought.
"Are there any immediate orders that you wish to issue, Madam Guardian?" The knight asked, getting her to briefly look up at him.
"Yes… there is something I need done. It's integral for Belobog's safety." She replied, the soldier once more standing tall and ready for orders…