Chapter 6 - Within Their Walls
"I see…" A tall man thoughtfully spoke, leaning back into his chair behind his desk. "It is upon Nova's request that we shall permit you here, Miss Avalin, but understand that even he does not move so freely to and from this place."
"Thank you very much!" Miss 'Avalin' cheered in response, her cheeks rising slightly in a presumed smile that went covered by her facemask. "But what about the other matter pertaining to Aeturnix, Mr. Manactus?"
"Unfortunately we cannot help you there." He calmly replied, his previously soft features turning hard, any previous friendliness vanishing. "You don't seem to have fully grasped the state of the Aeturnix and its factions. Whilst everyone here would long for your dreams to become a reality, the current standing is doubtful, and aiding it would only bring us back into the fighting once more."
As he spoke, Miss Avalin's demeanour quickly dropped like a rock in the ocean whilst Nova could only slowly divert his attention as he stood quietly in the background. His features didn't show even the faintest change from the expected answer, the only question that had been was how well his companion would have taken reality.
'I did warn her.' Nova thought to himself as he looked at Miss Avalin's deflated figure. 'But… I can't blame her for hoping…' he added on bitterly, a slight frown forming on his lips before biting himself lightly to remove it.
"Is there nothing I can say? What about should I manage some sign, or evidence that things can improve with my efforts?" Miss Avalin continued to plead but Manactus firmly shook his head in denial.
"I warn you, Miss Avalin, it's not possible. I truly understand your selfless desires, we all do for we are the same. But, the factions of the Hunt, Abundance, and Destruction simply won't allow it. They will fight until only one remains, and nothing can change that." He said, stressing each word that was filled with a sense of defeat, unable to hold back a sigh at the end. "But… if you can truly pull off such a miracle, then you would have the people's eternal thanks. Not that we blame your failure…"
"I… understand Mr. Manactus. I'm thankful for allowing my presence here and I shall avoid bringing this Sanctuary into the war." Miss Avalin quietly replied, ensuring her calm tones before respectfully nodding to the leader before her.
"Thank you… I don't believe we have much for an Outworlder here, but please enjoy yourself."
"I hate to say it but… I told you." Nova said as they emerged from the town hall building, the doors swinging shut behind them under their own weight. "At least you're allowed to hang around for a bit, not that we really have much for someone like you aside from talking and giving you a place to rest."
"Yes… It's a shame but it doesn't mean it was a waste." Miss Avalin replied as they slowly walked along, soon coming to a stop as they looked around the surrounding area that was spread out before them.
No longer were they above ground, instead found themselves in a large chasm that spiralled downwards into a sizeable plaza at the bottom. The whole of the secret town was visible from the higher levels they stood upon whilst bridges and ladders helped close the distance between the different shelves and the various infrastructures, both old and new, which filled them.
Only a single hole in the ceiling connected them to the outside world and the setting sunlight drifted in, indicating the time to everyone.
"Maybe you could guide me around? I'd like to see how everyone is currently living." Miss Avalin spoke, turning to Nova with a seemingly refreshed look.
For a few moments, Nova could only stare back at the almost cheerful woman in shock and admiration before snapping out of reverie. "Of course, it's practically my role being your guide right now." He said with a small smile.
"Thank you very much, but please don't feel like you have to do it or treat it like a job. I know how determined you are to your goals but please, you can just treat me like a friend." She replied with a slight chuckle.
"Yeah… sure." Nova slowly replied, his smile steadily growing as his mind processed her words. "Then I best show you around then, Miss Avalin! There's not much here, but it's a home." He said, vigour returning to his voice as he strode forth with a confident, teasing grin.
"I'm thankful for that and the name that you provided." Miss Avalin replied.
"Well, we couldn't have you calling yourself something like Or-"
"Nova! Please… it's embarrassing to have it pointed out like that…" She immediately cut him off, her face flushed red as she desperately tried to cover it with limited success
"Well, you just said to treat you like a friend, no? It's all par of the course!" Nova gloated with a devilish grin. "Besides the kids around here can be far worse."
"Ahem. W-well, where are we going first? I currently don't see many children about either." Miss Avalin replied, politely coughing into her closed hand, awkwardly forcing the conversation along.
For a few silent moments, Nova just looked back at her with a sly grin as she desperately did her best to rest blushing once more until Nova finally relinquished. "The kids likely aren't out yet, but I know where they gather. For now, I'll just show you around." He said after turning around and starting to take slow steps forward forcing Miss Avalin to hurry to his side.
The tour was hardly a long one due to the relatively small size of the hidden village. Miss Avalin cheerfully kept up with Nova as they slowly worked their way down the spiral, pointing out various small houses and few shops to be found. Yet they never failed to draw attention wherever they went - whispers and mumbles coming from every direction they weren't looking as speculation and rumours formed.
They never paid it any attention, however, instead smiling at the they came across and earning various kinds in turn. Some troubled, some fabricated but scarce few whole and genuine causing Avalin's heart to feel a pang of pain that she forced down deep within herself as she spoke warmly to them under Nova's gentle watch.
Fear was an undeniable theme.
The signs of it were inescapable. Even with their hiding place, the fear of the fighting and the outside world clearly lingered in the eyes of everyone they spoke with. The sombre mood weighed down the village relentlessly, even in the buzzing plaza, yet it began to fill Avalin with a sense of determination.
"Nova, there's something that I want to do for everyone before we leave," Avalin said, turning to Nova with a serious look who could only raise his brows in confusion.
"Here? And now?" Nova asked before looking across the limited plaza space surrounding them. "I was just about to take you to the last place, which the children also hide in despite the restrictions on it…"
"That's alright, in fact, I think it might be better," Avalin replied with a smile. "It's just something I hope to do for everyone before leaving the village. I think… I hope to bring a little bit more relief to everyone. Despite hiding away, it still seems they haven't really escaped it…" she continued, her voice weakening as they both turned to look across the various sombre civilians with mournful smiles of their own.
"Right… I don't know why but I think I have an inkling as to what it is you want to do." Nova quietly replied. "If you can brighten their days, even a little… I'd be grateful. So, so very grateful…"
"The whole reason that I came here was to help the people struggling here, to help people like them. Please don't think anything of it, I just hope that I can manage something for them." Avalin replied with a small shake of her head. "Now what about that hiding spot you were talking about? It sounds like they're getting themselves in a dangerous situation…"
"Mm… not too bad in my opinion, otherwise I'd have done something about it," Nova replied, already beginning to lead the way forward.
Eagerly keeping up with him, the two began to walk back up the spiral, but it wasn't long before they began to slow down as Nova coaxed them toward the cold, rough cave wall until it became evident that he was leading them too.
After discreetly skimming over the nearby area, Nova quickly hurried forth with a sift, slick movement of sidling into a jagged crack in the wall as Avalin followed his lead without hesitation. It wasn't small in length by any means as they continued to carefully shift through the small gap before finally coming out the other side.
"Oh, is this?" Avalin asked even more she had completely left the crack.
"It's an abandoned sector of the mining veins," Nova explained as they looked across the large open space that was supported by various stone pillars dotted around and random locations, each supported by a rough metal framework with lights dangling off of them.
"It's not really that dangerous aside from being able to discreetly access the live mining zone from here. It wasn't that worth digging here, and it was too close to the village but they didn't realise they caused that crack. Kids found it and now it's their little secret entrance to here." Nova continued to nonchalantly explain before quickly glancing around the place in confusion.
"But I thought they would be here at this time…" He commented, taking a few steps into the room before it happened.
"Nova!" A chorus of voices rang out, echoing throughout the cave as several bright flashes went off making a rainbow of colour.
Before Nova could identify the cause he felt himself being pounced upon by numerous individuals that easily took him down to the floor. With a thud, he landed on the hard stone floor but he didn't let it phase him with the sound of giggling that covered him.
"Talk about a surprise, you guys are getting better at this." He cheerfully replied to all the gleeful kids that were lying atop him, each with beaming grins.
"Capture the traitor!" One boy shouted out, quickly resulting in all the kids hugging him with all their strength further pinning him down as a result.
"Traitor? What have I done to deserve that branding?!" Nova cried out in mock wrath.
"You brought an adult here!" A girl pointed out, her finger aimed right at Avalin who almost jolted under the sudden scrutiny of all the kids pouting at her.
"Oh, her! Don't worry about her, here's a little secret about her…" Nova said with a confident grin as the kids looked back at him in confusion. "Despite appearances, she's not an adult! She's even younger than you guys!"
"Really? There's no way!" Another kid boy shouted out.
"She's as tall as all the adults, how can she not be?"
"Even we make better lies Nova!"
"Um, well, I am younger than you… but in terms of maturity-" Avalin tried to talk only for Nova to hastily cut her off.
"See? She admits it." Nova said, managing to push himself to sit upright despite the numerous bodies that were covering him. "Believe it or not, she's even younger than 30! I think… I haven't really seen an Otherworlder before myself…"
"But then she should be like a baby! How is that possible? Can we look like adults too?!" A boy asked excitedly, stirring up all the other children that had lights shining in their eyes with the sole exception of one girl who continued to look at Avalin with curiosity.
"She's an Otherworlder?" She repeated curiously.
"Ah, you heard that Evangela?" Nova said with an awkward look.
"She does look different…" One of the boys gently spoke up before a lightbulb went off in his head, pointing a finger at her accusingly. "Maybe she still is an adult, like the animals that Mom spoke about!"
"L-like the animals?" Avalin shuttered in shock and confusion.
"Mom said that all things age differently, animals don't live as long but grow up quicker because of it!"
"You too, Niall? I didn't think you guys would have already learnt such things…" Nova sighed in defeat, all the kids now pouting at him once more. "Yes, she's an adult. But she's a nice one who'll be forced to keep the secret - right?" He added on, easily shifting all the attention onto the struggling Avalin.
All she could do was giggle to herself under the sudden adorable scrutiny, slowly walking over and kneeling by the crowd with a gentle smile. "I'll keep the secret, I promise. I won't expose your secret den to anyone else!"
The response was immediate the children cheered, quickly getting off of Nova and running further into the cave area before spinning back around then. "Then, you get to join us! But you have to find us all first!" Niall stated before all the kids quickly split up, each finding a hiding spot of their own within the cave.
"You're really beloved by them, huh?" Avalin noted with a gentle smile, still sitting on the ground as she looked off where the kids had run.
"Well, maybe a little…" Nova said.
"It seems more than just a little to me," Avalin replied with a gentle laugh before getting to her feet and brushing herself off. "I suppose we'd better find them then?"
"Oh, no can do." Nova hastily denied her with a smile, jumping to his feet. "They'd never let it go if I help you. I'm in on it too. Now cover your eyes and count for 20 seconds."
"I see how it is, very well then. I'll be sure to find you soon!" Avalin challenged with a soft yet determined smile as Nova flashed back a confident one in turn before she finally covered her eyes and began to count…
Break
Slowly Lynx began to stir, shifting her weight slightly whilst releasing faint murmurs despite the thick covers that were tightly holding down her form. A sense of overwhelming heat hit her all at once as she cracked open her eyes, managing to pry free a hand to wipe her sweating brow as she took in her situation.
No longer was she out in the freezing winds of the Eternal Freeze that ravaged the Snow Plains, but instead safety within the cover of a building to which the pristine white ceiling alluded too. Despite having fallen to the bitter cold, in her awakening, she couldn't have felt any hotter - or damper with the amount of sweat she was covered in.
"I'm… home." Lynx softly spoke to herself, fighting against her covers to sit upright and see the rest of her room. Her vaguely familiar bed covers tied her down, pinning a couple of hot water bottles to her whilst noting one more was stuffed into the overly fuffy pillows she had been resting on.
"Ugh, I know that was at risk of frostbite but they really overdid it… bathing me in hot water would have been enough. Going this far could make me sick as well…" Lynx couldn't resist complaining as she looked at her situation.
Not only was she under some of her thickest covers, but a blanket had also been placed on top. She had already noted the multiple hot water bottles but her room also had a couple of large geomarrow heaters that had been set to max, turning her room into a sauna.
"So… does that mean I'm free to help myself?" Another familiar voice startled her.
"W-who's?!" Lynx exclaimed, frantically looking around the room before spotting a familiar royal-blue, diamond-shaped crystal on her bedside. "Nova! Are you ok?"
"Considering that people didn't realise my identity or get suspicious, I'm pretty good." Nova nonchalantly replied, or at least she assumed the crystal was as calm as he sounded.
"Luckily they only wanted to wash your clothes and didn't think too much of me being any more than a crystal. If they went through your bag I think we would be in a lot more trouble… Speaking of, you need to make up a story about what I am and where you found me. They were curious and mentioned asking you later."
"I see… then do you know everything that happened?" Lynx asked, settling down slightly whilst fishing out some of the hot water bottles from her bed.
"Basically Gepard rushed you here immediately. Your family went straight into trying to warm you up with a bath, and during that time a doctor called Natasha showed up and gave you a quick check. She said had it been a bit longer then you could have been in some long-lasting trouble but by warming you up in time it was just a matter of keeping you warm and letting you rest. And then… this." Nova quickly explained as Lynx could only groan to herself at the drastic response her family had taken.
"I'm sure that Dr Natasha would have told them that keeping me wrapped up warm after the bath would have been enough… They're always like this about me." She said herself, briefly clutching her head before sighing.
"Do you want me to cool the room down for you? You might expect but I can't remember how to care for human health that well so left things as they were." Nova offered.
"It's fine, you need to remain in hiding right? I don't want to imagine how my family might react if they learnt about you…"
"Oh, no. I wasn't talking about revealing myself and messing with the heaters. That would just give me away." Nova replied, sounding almost dismissive to Lynx as she stared at him. "I can just cool down the room by absorbing all the heat myself. Consuming forms of energy like thermal is basically food to me."
"Does that mean I could use you like an ice pack?" Lynx then asked with an intrigued look.
"Uh… I suppose I could cool you down but don't expect me to help with burns…" Nova hesitantly replied. "Anyways, do I have permission to lower the temperature a bit? Because I'd like to take what chances I have to recover myself."
"Please, you'd be doing me a favour…" Lynx said, quickly taking the chance to place her removed hot water bottles underneath Nova's core before hopping out of bed and flicking through her wardrobe. "I'm going to shower and get dressed. I'll be quick so we can talk about what to do about your friends and Belobog."
"Sure thing. It's nothing to how long I've been here anyways and now I get to recharge!"
"Wait, how long have I been out?" Lynx asked, snapping her gaze back to him.
"Mmm… felt like a few hours but I don't know. I can't see a clock from here."
"Right, I'll be quick then," Lynx said, pulling an outfit off the wardrobe and dashing for the on-suite bathroom, quickly closing the door behind her.
True to her word, Lynx hardly spent much time in the shower before walking out, her hair still slightly damp despite having already put on a new outfit. With thick winter tights much like her previous ones, she wore a long aqua blue wolly jumper with a snowfall design that began to cover her legs whilst its thick collar nearly completely covered her neck.
"Your wear is already looking rather warm there, I thought you were having some problems with the heat?" Nova commented as Lynx picked him up, opting to sit at her nearby desk instead of her sweat-drenched bed.
"Well, the Eternal Freeze is getting worse. This much is the minimum if I want to be able to leave the house later…" Lynx sighed before brightening up again, "Besides, I made sure the top I'm wearing has a little pocket for you to fit in."
"I don't know how I feel about those implications… anyways, are you really good to leave already?"
"Yeah, you said it yourself about what Dr. Natasha said, right? I just needed to warm up and rest a little - and I have. Besides, do we really have time to be wasting?" Lynx quickly replied, her tone insistent as she held Nova up her to face with a glare. "You said you'd been thinking, right?"
"Well, you're not wrong about that… since they won't be expecting it, and with my abilities, I should be able to break my friends out relatively easily without getting caught. It's more a matter of where to hide it out and plan our following actions." Nova started as Lynx nodded along.
"We need to be able to access the whole of Belobog to be ready for where the Stellaron might be. As a result, I want to consider the Underworld."
"You do?" Lynx replied, her eyes widening slightly.
"You don't seem as shocked as I thought you would be…" Nova noted.
"Well, I had a feeling, I just didn't think that you would really consider it," Lynx replied, now gently setting Nova down as she grabbed a nearby hairdryer. "The Silvermane Guards are unlikely to follow you there, and I don't imagine that anyone down there would be aware of your presence either - not that I know how the Supreme Guardian knew of you ahead of time…"
"Yeah… we need to work that one out, alongside what caused her to think we were the cause of the problem…" Nova said, his voice trailing off. If he were still adopting his human appearance he had no doubt he would be struggling to look Lynx in the eyes.
'It's most likely because of the Stellaron, not that I could explain why it became aware of our presence before meeting with Cocolia… maybe because of Caelus's little moment?' Nova thought to himself in confusion as he remembered his fellow crewmate's exploding moment mere seconds after arriving on Jarillo-VI.
"Anyway, do you happen to know where entrances to the Underworld could be?" Nova asked as Lynx was quick to nod in response.
"Yeah, in the middle of Belobog there are some stairs going beneath the street. It's all locked down and usually has a guard to two posted there, but it's said to be where transport between the Overworld and Underworld occurs. But you wouldn't be able to use the cablecart service…"
"Don't worry, we'll figure that much out later. Perhaps we could pass by and check it out?"
"Yeah, no one really goes there so it might seem strange, but it's not like it's illegal." Lynx said, "But you need to think about how you're going to get into the Fortress of Preservation. It's where your friend will be locked up and it's extremely well-guarded. Not to mention how are we going to track down the Stellaron you've been talking about…"
"Oh, no need to worry about the Stellaron. I'm somewhat capable of tracking down those things." Nova quickly replied to the shock of Lynx who leaned forward in shock.
"You can? How?"
"Well, Stellarons all endlessly produce this energy which is actually kinda harmful to me in very large amounts. Finding a Stellaron is merely the question of where that energy is most abundant." Nova calmly explained.
"Your… nature is surprisingly convenient, huh? But you said it's harmful to you, will you be alright?" Lynx said as she leaned back into her chair with a conflicted look.
"I've experienced worse, and for as convenient some aspects of myself are - being me isn't all sunshine and rainbows…" Nova replied with a heavy sigh. "But isn't it about time that we leave? I don't think there's much more worth talking about here instead of outside."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Lynx said, plopping down her hairdryer and swiping up Nova instead and dashing over to a coat hanger in the corner of the room near the door.
In moments she hastily grabbed a simple white scarf and threw on a woolly coated before slipping into familiar tall black boots, white fuzz and dangling pompoms adoring the top of them. Her actions were so quick that Nova felt the world almost spinning around him before he was finally put into one of Lynx's internal coat pockets once more.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Lynx said, quickly returning to her desk and picking up her camping back, fishing through its contents. "Ah, is this it?" Lynx asked, pulling out a small thin, card-like device.
"Is this what?" Nova asked in confusion, his voice muffled by her coat. "It's not like I can see anything from in here…"
"I think you called it a Dimensional Pocket. All your stuff is in here, so I imagine you might need it," Lynx replied, already trying to fit the futuristic device into the same pocket as Nova.
"Yeah, I think that's what I'm seeing. Thanks for remembering that!" Nova replied as Lynx quickly nodded in contentment whilst spinning around on her feet with bubbling excitement.
"Let's go!" Lynx cheered, flying out the door, only to be immediately and expectantly stopped.
"Lynx?" A posh, feminine voice cut through Lynx's enthusiasm as she already saw a well-dressed lady at the bottom of the stairs. Her mother, Lillian.
"Hi Mom…" Lynx said awkwardly, slowly walking down the stairs towards the astonished woman.
The moment that she was within reach, Lillian wasted no time in instantly cradling her daughter. Tightly holding Lynx right into her chest with strength that suggested she didn't want to release her.
"Mom… I'm ok now…" Lynx spoke through muffled words, squirming slightly to break free of her mother's grip just enough to look at her.
"Lynx, you nearly froze out there if it wasn't for your brother! I know how dedicated the two of you can be to your jobs but you need to rest!" Lillian replied, almost horrified at the thought of Lynx's recklessness.
"Mom, it wasn't from exhaustion or wounds or anything. I was just cold, and I'm more than warmed up! In fact, you went too far when warming me up and I've been sweating tons in bed…" Lynx replied, stifling a glare back at her mother resulting in a pout.
"Well that explains you leaving your bed a bit more - we can't leave your bed like that. I'll have Evaginline take care of it, she could be done cleaning your clothes. But no matter what, I can't have you leaving the house." Lillian insisted, relinquishing her hug on her daughter, yet failing to completely let go as she attempted to pull her through the large corridors.
"Ah, everything's already been cleaned…" Lynx noted as Lillian hummed in approval.
"That's right, you've been out for a few hours now - but you should spend the whole day resting. And you won't be returning to the Snow Plains for the foreseeable future." She declared as she walked along, only turning around at the tug of resistance felt as Lynx stood her ground.
"Mom, I know about that. I don't plan on that but I need to go outside. It's just a trip through Belobog so I'll be fine." Lynx replied, giving her mother a serious look as silence began to settle in.
"Lynx…" Lillian started, trying the words to face her daughter with. "Whilst I'm glad to see you understanding the danger of the Snow Plains, I'm afraid to say that even Belobog… isn't as it used to be…"
"Huh, what do you mean?" Lynx replied, tilting her head in visible confusion whilst unbeknownst to them Nova immediately pricked up.
"The Eternal Freeze… has begun entering Belobog despite the defences. Even outside you could begin to freeze without properly gearing up for it." Lillian slowly replied, carefully uttering each word as if each one could damage a piece of art. "Lynx, I'm not risking letting you go out there. Not until I'm sure you're fully recovered."
"Wait, the Eternal Freeze has entered Belobog?!" Lynx exclaimed, eyes widening as she jolted at the unexpected news. "Do you know how it's happened?"
"Not the exact details but it's no doubt because of those foul demons out there. I know that the Supreme Guardian is working on it, so it shouldn't be too long before we recover from his." Lillian replied but it did nothing to change Lynx's mood.
"Needless to say, not our doing. We need to find someone who properly understands Belobog's defences against the Eternal Freeze." Nova whispered, his voice completely faint but barely enough for Lynx to hear him, giving a small determined nod in agreement despite his inability to see her.
"Mom, I'm sorry but I need to go. I don't plan on staying outside - just making sure to check on someone. I need to go." Lynx said, her voice stern as she completely took her hand back from her mother who looked at her in disbelief.
"And who is that?" Lillian asked.
"Serval," Lynx answered firmly after a brief pause. "If she's heard, I want to assure her myself in person. And I'm not a kid anymore Mom, I've been working as an expert in the Snow Plains for a long time already. I know exactly what to do and what to avoid, it was only because of the Eternal Freeze suddenly worsening that this happened."
"I see… well, I do understand your wants Lynx. I can't say what your father might think of it, however…" Lillian replied with a soft sigh, casting her gaze down the floor before walking over the Lynx and gently embracing her once more. "Make sure to go straight to her, and inform me if anything happens."
"Yes, Mom…" Lynx replied, weakly returning her mother's hug despite the blush adorning her cheeks, the haunting knowledge of Nova being privy to the moment burning in her mind. "I'm leaving then." She said, quickly pulling back and rushing towards the door as her mother smiled back, watching her until the click of the door separated them once more…
"I can't believe it's become like this in such a small amount of time…" Lynx uttered, her breath being blown away by the harsh winds.
"I can't see anything in here. You'll have to explain what's happening when you can," Nova commented.
"Well… the weather within Belobog is usually rather tame, like a chill in the air but you don't need to dress too much but now…" Lynx replied as she looked around and trumped her way through the snow-covered streets. "Everything's blanketed in snow. It's nothing new, but it shows no sign of stopping now…"
"That's… bad," Nova replied, his mind blank of anything else to say. "I really don't want this impacting people but then this means we're rapidly running out of time…"
"You sound really stressed about this, does this mean something really bad is happening with the Stellaron?" Lynx asked, glancing towards where she knew Nova was kept with a worried look.
"No, well, unless something else happens this is your new normal." Nova quickly explained, "It's just that I really don't want people to start suffering from these changes. It really shouldn't have occurred."
"Huh? The way you say that makes it sound like-" Lynx began to speak before she was interrupted.
"Lynx! What are you doing out here, you should be resting!" Gepard's alarmed voice filled the air, immediately resulting in Lynx hurridly looking around for any sign of her brother, only taking a few moments to spot the fleet of Silvermane Guards approaching her.
"Lynx, are you alright? You need to go home right now, it's integral that you rest!" Gepard reiterated as he rushed over to her with a stern look, resulting in an irritated glare from the younger sibling.
"I'm fine now, Gepard…" Lynx replied, diverting her attention as she tried to keep her annoyances hidden from him. "Look, I'm just going to visit Serval. I imagine that you told her about what happened?"
"Ah, yes. I see." Gepard said, immediately pulling back and coughing into his fist as he recomposed himself. "Yes, I made sure to tell Serval about what happened. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you in person.
"Captain Gepard, I hate to interrupt but we're in the middle of an important job right now." A short woman said, adjusting her glasses as she approached the two. "Oh, and I'm glad to see you doing better, Lynx! We can talk later, yeah?"
"Yeah, of course! I'll be waiting, Pela." Lynx replied, turning a warm smile to the friendly officer. "But what are you doing now?"
"Escorting the demons to the Supreme Guardian," Pela answered, her voice serious as they turned back slightly, allowing Lynx to see past them and into the fleet of guards. "We're making sure to keep tight security, right, Captain Gepard?' Pela said, her voice scathing as she looked up at Gepard with a stern look.
"Yes, my apologies, Officer Pela. It would be no small problem to let them go now," Gepard said, standing tall. His gaze sharpened as he looked back at their fugitives.
"Wait, you mean you just caught them all?" Lynx said, her mouth agape slightly at the news.
"Yes, although they mainly just surrendered themselves. We don't know if it's because there is something else they are planning or if they simply couldn't survive in the mess they made. Either way, we're not letting down our guard anymore!" Pela explained as Lynx continued to look through the few gaps.
She grew stiff as her breathing picked up, seeing the familiar figures of March, Dan Heng and Caelus all standing around now with cuffs on their hands whilst the platoon of soldiers surrounding them were all clearly ready to strike.
"I see… it's good that you captured them." Lynx said, putting on a strained forced smile of relief. "What will happen to them now?"
"It was the Supreme Guardian's orders to capture them dead or alive." Pela began to explain whilst looking at the prisoners with scorn. "Once they have been questioned over the current state of the Eternal Freeze, knowing how the Supreme Guardian has been of late I wouldn't be surprised if they were slain for their actions."
"B-but… are we certain that did something? Maybe they could be innocent?" Lynx said, yet the moment she uttered those words Pela and Gepard had spun around. The former hurrying stopping her from saying anymore she covered her mouth frantically with horrified looks on their faces to Lynx's startled shock.
"Lynx, please, don't insinuate anything like that again!" Gepard pleaded to his sister, his filled filled with horror and dread. "You know how much trouble you could be in if you…"
"Lynxy, please. You know that it's impossible to change the Supreme Guardians' mind as well, not to mention the insight that nearly all Supreme Guardians have had. Besides they aren't citizens of Belobog, that alone automatically makes them highly suspicious." Pela said, slowly retracting her hand, allowing Lynx to steadily relax in turn yet the fear between them never did.
"I think we should be moving on… I'll be sure to stop by Serval's workshop shortly, but you should head there immediately. The sooner we get the demons locked away, the better." Gepard replied, slowly standing tall again as he focused himself before turning to the soldiers.
"Right, see you then…" Lynx quietly replied, her eyes not leaving the sight of the 'demons', even after Gepard raised his arm, readying his troops before leading them off through Belobog once more whilst Pela followed behind.
The space was only filled by the chilling winds and unified march of the soldiers whilst Lynx silently watched them leave, hurridly fishing through her pocket. Finding Nova, Lynx immediately began to pull him out of her pocket and kept him in her hand as she waited for her moment.
And just as the guards were halfway past her, she faked a sneeze.
It was an inconspicuous action, perhaps too subtle in Lynx's dreading mind, but the thought didn't linger as she saw it had the desired impact. Although none of the Silvermane Guards had spared a thought to a sneeze in the middle of a strong snowfall, the sudden sound was enough to attract the attention of their prisoners.
Lynx almost revealed a gleeful smile as she noticed March looking her way, her expression quickly moulding seamlessly from downcast curiosity to shock and then to a silent abundant joy upon spotting a familiar face.
Although the two couldn't speak, and with the moment only lasting a few precious seconds - Lynx didn't hesitate to lift up and flash the sight of Nova's glimmering core with a determined nod. The response was immediate as March's face began to harden too as she returned a determined nod, seemingly understanding the conveyed message to Lynx's relief.
"So, Serval is your sister or something?" Nova spoke up after the Silvermane Guards were gone, his core flashing slightly as he did so within Lynx's hand.
"Yes, Serval is my sister but… for reasons doesn't return to the family estate," Lynx replied, pausing to choose her words carefully. "She can be overprotective like my bother… no one in my family treats me like normal. It's part of the reason that I like my job exploring the Snow Plains - but only a small part."
"Mm, but they seem loving though. It's… better than what I brought upon myself." Nova replied, earning Lynx's curiosity as she looked at him with concern. "You don't need to worry so much, it's been some time since then and I did what I did knowing full well the consequences it would have. Besides, we have things we need to do like visit Serval now."
"Right," Lynx replied, plopping Nova back into her inner pocket before continuing her journey through the snow. "Oh, and I know that it might seem like I'm doing this to reassure family or to fulfil the excuses made to escape my family but there's actually a massive benefit of visiting her."
"Oh?" Nova said, faining curiosity. 'It's because she used to be one of the Architecs so she's bound to know a thing or two about Belobog's defences, right?' Nova guessed to himself in his mind.
"Believe it or not, because of past circumstances my sister actually likely knows a lot about the infrastructure and defences of Belobog. If there's anyone we could ask to find out what is going wrong to allow the Eternal Freeze in, it would be her. Then we might be able to do something about it!"
"Talk about a jackpot," Nova replied, now genuine enthusiasm entering his voice in relief.
"Yeah, she's easily the best person to gain advice from to help you." Lynx continued with confidence that began to ebb, "Although, unless I can directly bring you up I wonder how I'm going to ask everything needed…"
"It would be risky to expose that you're helping one of the supposed 'devils' you know. We might both end up on the run in that instance…"
"I'm aware of that… but knowing Serval…" Lynx continued to ponder to herself as she continued through the empty streets of Belobog. Not having to worry about being overheard thanks to the likely long vacated natured the streets held thanks to the intruding Eternal Freeze…
A short while had passed before they were finally brought to their destination. After climbing a ridiculous number of stairs only to be led down equally long corridors to finally arrive at the jail that would be containing them.
"You, get in there." A guard said pointedly whilst another had opened a single creaking door. Yet the moment that they had tried to all enter they were hastily met with a spear before them.
"Hey! Come on, we're going in like you said!" March complained, crossing her arms across her chest with a pout.
"No, just one of you." The guard harshly countered before grabbing hold of March's arm and dragging her forward. "You can take this one."
"Hey!" March complained again, stumbling into the cell before the door was slammed shut behind her. "I would have just gone in myself, you know!"
Yet the guards took no heed to her complaints, instead wordlessly opening up the cell across from hers as Dan Heng was pushed towards it. Compared to his fuming partner, Dan Heng didn't utter a word, silently accepting his treatment as the door was closed behind him.
Caelus, however, didn't give the chance or satisfaction of pushing him around as he followed Dan Heng's example, already moving towards the door even as it was beginning to open to the Guards' satisfaction.
"Igor, Irina, the two of you can take the initial guard duty. I shall join Captain Gepard and Office Pelageya in their report now." One of the guards said, causing another two to stand at attention and salute at their orders before the excessive amount of guards all left the room, slamming shut and locking the only door out.
"I can't believe those guys!" March cried out in frustration, gripping her cell door and shaking it.
"There's nothing for it March, and we have other things to think about." Dan Heng replied as he was already scanning the room.
"So what's the plan now?" Caelus asked as he looked over at his friends.
"Plan? It's the first I've heard of someone getting arrested sounding like it was what they wanted - especially with such an armada of the Silvermane Guards like that!" A funny voice suddenly spoke, making the three Express members abruptly turn towards one of the furthest cells in the room.
"Who are you?" March asked with concern as they noticed a tall, lean man stand up before giving an exaggerated bow to them.
"The name's Sampo Koski, at your service!" The blue-haired man said looking up with a sly smile, "Now what about you my new friends?
"Why would we give our name to shady criminals?!" March argued, making Sampo feign pain at the harsh statement.
"Oh, please Miss your words wound me!" Sampo gasped yet his smile never faded. "Besides, are you too shady criminals? My, even I didn't have so many guards escorting me to my cell so seriously! You must have done something pretty~ bad to get that sort of treatment."
"Yeah, but, it's a misunderstanding!" March shuttered as she struggled to counter the logic used against her.
"March, that's enough." Dan Heng gently interjected as he looked at Sampo with a serious, stern look. "My name is Dan Heng, and these are my companions March 7th and Caelus."
"See, that wasn't hard at all?" Sampo replied, his eccentric voice almost taunting in March's ears who held back her emotions, "And now that we all know one another, care to tell me what you have going on, friends?"
"Since when were we friends?" Caelus quipped.
"Oh, don't be so cold! We're in the same predicament, no? You never know how we could help one another!" Sampo said, rubbing his hands together almost greedily.
"Well, we were framed, I guess? Well, we're being blamed for something we didn't do even before entering Belobog and now everything here thinks we're demons…" March answered as Sampo nodded along understandingly.
"I see, so you're the demons that the Silvermane Guards started talking about recently. You sure don't seem like it to me, though! But you made it sound like coming here was a part of a plan, I gotta say, it was a bad move. Almost no one escapes this place you know?"
"I see, but what are you in here for?" Dan Heng asked, not having relented his glare.
"Now, now, please, no need to look so scathing Mr. Dan Heng!" Sampo replied, waving his hands out in front of himself defensively despite his tone hardly sounding concerned at all. "I'm in here for a similar reason like you! I'm just a humble salesman doing his best, I was just found in the Snow Plains and mistaken for somebody else…"
"Why do I feel that there's something fishy about that story…" March said, crossing her arms with an unamused sigh.
"I am, I swear!" Sampo pleaded, "Perhaps I can show a little goodwill to earn your trust first though? I've been cooking up a little plan to get out of here, and I wouldn't mind if you tagged along for the ride if you like!"
"I thought you just said that it was impossible to escape though?" Caelus pointed out, joining Dan Heng in glaring at him with scrutiny.
"Ah, ah, ah~ I said almost impossible. Some of us just so happen to know a few things about the Silvermane Guards to make a few things possible." Sampo replied, wiggling a finger whilst flashing a gleaming, cunning smirk.
"You believe that you can get us out of here? Why wouldn't you have done it before?" Dan Heng asked.
"Because, dear friend, it's not easy to do things like this alone! Besides, I've heard from the loselipped guards that the Eternal Freeze is coming here! There's no place for us here anyways, may as well take you down below with me!" Sampo proclaimed, his sly smile never leaving his face.
"You can reach the Underworld?" March exclaimed at the news, hastily looking back to the teammates. "I don't like the way he presents it but… maybe we should take his offer for now?"
"It is another opportunity that would be to our advantage, however, we don't know Sampo. We could easily be betrayed, and we need to ensure we get our belongings back." Dan Heng mentioned.
"So little trust! But not to worry, I'm perfectly willing to do what I can to earn it, this will be our little trust exercise!" Sampo proclaimed, his chipper mode seemingly never-ending. "And of course, I want my stuff back also so a quick little stop-off is a given~!"
"Then what do we do?" March asked again, her voice trailing off as they remained fixated on their new potential ally…
"Madam Guardian, the demons have been captured!" Gepard declared, holding a hand to his chest that Pela had mimicked. The two of them stood before their eminent ruler whose cold, serious glaze looked back at them approvingly.
"As you correctly predicted, there were a group of unidentifiable people in the Snow Plains who were clearly capable of withstanding the Eternal Freeze in far less than suitable clothing. These individuals, however, decided to turn themselves in." Pela continued to explain, reading off listed points from a tablet she carried.
"Excellent work," Cocolia replied, a faint smile dawning on her features. "I shall see to them shortly, in the meantime-"
Her words were suddenly cut off by the sound of the swinging door, immediately resulting in her looking to the back of the room as Gepard and Pela too turned around to see the intrusion.
"Private Hemsworth, why are you intruding?" Gepard immediately identified the individual, delivering a hard look at the blatant, serious breach of protocol.
"My apologies Madam Guardian, Captain Gepard, but there is something urgent that I must report in case of a misunderstanding of the current situation!" Hemsworth instantly replied, standing to attention as the door closed itself behind him.
"You may speak," Cocolia replied, crossing her arms in expectation.
"There is currently at least one other devil in the Snow Plains still - it was the one that knocked me and my partner out before escaping. Should the demons in the holding cells be all that have been captured that is." Hemsworth reported, not allowing himself to slack off even slightly under the scrutiny that he was under.
Upon hearing the news, Gepard and Pela could only hastily turn back to Cocolia in shock who remained seemingly unresponsive at the news. Only after a moment had passed did she make up her mind and speak again.
"Very well, I thank you for the report, Private Hemsworth. You may leave now." She said, neither her voice nor expressions fluctuating in the slightest as she hid whatever feelings she could have masterfully.
After saluting one more, Hemsworth didn't hesitate to turn around, quickly fleeing the room.
"Captain Gepard, whilst waiting to hear from you personally about the completion of this task - I had already received a report." Cocolia started, focusing solely on the blond captain who tensed under it. "It was one about a brief encounter before with who I believe is the aforementioned devil - one who attacked two of your units and had previously been using your own sister in the attempt of infiltration."
"Yes, Madam Guardian. I apologise for my blunder in this matter." Gepard hastily apologised but Cocolia just gently shook her head in response.
"No need, but I hope that she is doing well now. If we are to get a proper eyewitness report and understanding of the devil, I believe that a hearing with her shall be highly beneficial.
"Y-yes, of course. As long as it is just a quick questioning I'm sure that she'll be able to manage soon. I'll be sure to have her sent here when she has sufficiently recovered." Gepard replied, lowering his head to his leader whilst Pela bit her lip.
"Madam Guardian, should we begin to prepare one of the demons for questioning you now or will you wish to wake for Lynx to arrive?" Pela spoke up.
"I believe that I should be able to interrogate one of them before I heard back about her wellbeing. If that can be done for me, the two of you are dismissed." Cocolia replied, causing the two to salute her once more before turning on their heels and escaping the room in utter silence, Pela was only able to steal a glance at the strained look that Gepard had adopted…