Walking past the other members of the Express's rooms, Cole made his way into his room, or rather, his train carriage. Opening the door, he walked around the room, finding all the items where he had last left them.
Passing by his three personal computers, Cole sighed as his body dropped onto the king-sized bed. Some might say that, for his size at least, the bed was overkill, but considering that he has elytra covering his wings, anything less might damage them or give him back pain.
"Ahh... Finally..." Reaching to his bedside table, Cole grabbed his custom-made headphones and plugged them into his phone. Going through the playlist, Cole was once again thankful that Welt had shared the music from his homeworld that he had brought when he joined the Express.
He selected the instrumental version of a classical song often played during Christmas, a holiday season celebrated on Welt's homeworld. For some reason, this music always had a calming effect on him. Welt had questioned him several times about it, but even he doesn't know why.
Before he could play the music to relax after his experience in the Simulated Universe, a knock on the door was heard. Cole looked at the door for a few seconds before giving the visitor permission to enter. "Come in!"
The door slid open, revealing the newest member of the Astral Express, Stelle, as she entered, curiously looking around the room. "Can I take a look around?"
Cole agreed to her request. "Sure. Make yourself comfortable. I assume you've already acquainted yourself with everyone on the Astral Express?"
Stelle nodded.
"Cool. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll be happy to answer."
And so, Cole watched as Stelle went around his room, touching and looking at almost every inch of item that was on display as if cosplaying the universe's biggest kleptomaniac.
Now that he thinks about it, he'll probably have to temporarily share his room with her for the time being before she has a room for herself. Not that he was complaining, of course, he always appreciated company. If he were to hazard a guess, she would probably be given the unused storage room upstairs above the party car.
After Stelle was done inspecting his room, she sat next to him on the bed, now examining him in curiosity. "Your appearance is very... unique. Ever since we met each other, I really wanna ask. What are you, really? I've asked Mr. Yang and Miss Himeko about it, but they just told me to ask you for the answer instead."
"You want to know my origin? Alright then, get comfortable, it's a very long story." Cole patted the bed to signal for Stelle to sit on it.
With Stelle seated, Cole began to tell her how the crew of the Astral Express had discovered an egg that had collided with the train, from which he had hatched, learning the basics from Welt, discovering his abilities, and all the fun little facts about himself, such as how he might be connected to the Swarm.
He also somehow has a sense of familiarity whenever Welt mentions anything about his homeworld, Earth, but has no memories of it.
"Do you ever want to visit Welt's homeworld?" Asked Stelle curiously.
"Nah, not really. It'll be fun to visit, but my home is the Astral Express."
Stelle nodded in understanding at Cole's answer. "So, what are you listening to right now?"
"Oh, I'm listening to one of the songs from Welt's home planet. This one in particular had always had a calming effect on me." Cole then disconnected his headphones so Stelle could also listen.
As Cole hit play, the sounds of flutes played at the beginning before being accompanied by the beating of drums. Stelle closed her eyes as she focused on the piece, as a few more instruments joined in, working together in harmony to create a beautiful symphony.
Yet, as it continued to play, her eyelids seemingly began to shut, threatening her with sleep and a promise of a sweet dream. She quietly tuned out of her surroundings as the piece was nearing its end, the cacophony of sounds from all the instruments calmly fading, leaving only the flute and drum as the only ones left.
When the melody stopped, Stelle's eyes opened as she stretched her arms and let out a yawn. "Yawn... I'm sleepy..."
Before Stelle's body could fall on the bed, a knock on the door alerted the two.
"Hey, you two, Pom-Pom's been calling over. The train's about to make a jump to our next destination! Better hurry up!" The voice of March told them.
Cole quickly got out of bed while dragging Stelle along. "Let's go, Stelle! Don't wanna keep our conductor waiting."
Stelle almost tripped onto the floor because of how forcefully Cole was holding her hand. "Slow down!"
.....
"There you are." Pom-Pom's voice greeted Stelle and Cole as they went over to them. "What were you two doing? You're both late."
Stelle and Cole rubbed the back of their heads in embarrassment. "Sorry, Conductor. We may have relaxed a bit too hard."
"Well, considering you did save all those people in the space station, I guess you did earn it. Anyway, why don't you all take a seat? Especially you, March." Pom-Pom's eyes stared straight at March as she looked rather offended at the conductor.
March had an annoyed look on her face. "Hey, why single me out?"
"Because you always try to challenge yourself." With that, Pom-Pom began to make their way to the front of the train.
"Heh..."
March turns his head to Stelle and Cole, who were now busy chuckling at her. "And what are you two chuckling for?"
Immediately, both of their heads turned to their side to avoid her gaze, but with a smile still on their faces.
"Nothing, nothing," Cole answered with Stelle nodding in agreement.
March, however, had a devious idea in her head to get back at Cole. "Hey Stelle..."
Cole, already knowing what she was trying to reveal to their newest member, attempted to shut her up. "March! You promised you won't bring that up again!"
March merely smirked at Cole before continuing. "Did you know that little Cole tried to fly during a warp jump?"
Stelle, now interested, went closer to March. "What happened then?"
March then whipped out her camera and showed her a picture.
The picture showed a scene of Cole's body comically splattered on the wall, his limbs splayed, making him look like a hieroglyph from ancient civilization.
March and Stelle shared a laugh at Cole's expense, making him pout before he smiled and laughed along with the two.
When their laughter subsided, the trio took a seat on the couch and chatted with each other, with March opening up about the time she was found encased in ice by the Astral Express crew.
The intercom then blared, signaling that Pom-Pom's about to make a warp jump. "Ahem... All passengers, please return to your seats. The train's about to make a jump. Make sure to hold on."
"Make sure to heed the conductor's warning. Just ignore what March is doing." Advised Cole to Stelle.
"5."
Stelle closed her eyes as she steeled herself.
"4."
She feels the train starting to vibrate all around her.
"3."
She then felt a hand grasping at her's. Opening her eyes, she saw Cole giving a reassuring smile to which she reciprocated.
"2."
"1."
.....
When the train exited from the warp jump, all of the crew were greeted with a sight of a massive, blinding white ball, which was quickly revealed to be a planet entirely covered in snow.
"This is Jarilo-VI? This is what happened to it after all those millennia ago?" Himeko asked herself.
March quickly got up to inspect the planet herself. "Don't tell me this snowy planet is our next destination..."
"Nooo..." The crew eyed Cole, who had fallen on his knees in despair. "Not another snow planet."
"What's wrong, Cole?" Stelle asked in concern.
March answered her question. "Just leave him be. He doesn't really like super cold worlds since last time, his wings froze while he was flying."
Himeko shook her head in exasperation. "Unfortunately, it is. Conductor, what's the situation?"
"Star rail stability is down to 12%. Looks like another spatial anomaly." Told Pom-Pom. "We'll have to extend our stopover time indefinitely."
"Indefinitely? Can't we go to another planet?" Stelle asked Pom-Pom.
Pom-Pom shook their head. "No can do. Until the anomaly is removed, the Astral Express can't make a safe warp jump."
With her question answered, Stelle asked another question. "So, what is the anomaly?"
Welt then came over as he told them the anomaly in question. "The analysis is complete. It's a Stellaron, as always."
When Stelle heard Welt's word, she touched her chest and muttered 'Stellaron' to herself quietly.
Welt nodded after hearing her. "Yes, a Stellaron. Just like the one in your body."
"Even after centuries since the first case, the Stellarons are shrouded in mystery. Not even Madam Herta managed to crack them in her research." Himeko explained to Stelle. "The only theory that researchers could come up with was that the Stellarons are a product of Nanook."
Welt nodded at Himeko's explanation. "The only thing for sure is that their arrivals herald a massive change in a planet's climate and ecosystem, along with generating space distortion known as Fragmentums."
"All hope is not lost, however, as there are various ways to contain and even seal away Stellaron and its influence," Welt added.
As Stelle chatted with Himeko, Welt, and then Dan Heng to ask some more questions, March and Cole were doing the same with each other.
"So, March, think you're going to learn about your past here?" Cole asked March, who was busy taking pictures of the planet.
"No way. It'll be super anticlimactic if this big ball of ice reveals my past." March answered. "What about you? Are you excited to go on an adventure here?"
"Not really excited about this planet specifically, but it'll be exciting to go with our newest member as a quartet. Isn't that right, Dan Heng?"
"It will certainly be... interesting. Anyway, ready up, Himeko had given us our objective for this expedition. Find the Stellaron and deal with it as per usual."
With that, Cole, March, Dan Heng, and Stelle readied up and made their way to the surface of Jarilo-VI.
.....
"Ugh. My wings are freezing again." Cole complained as he flapped his wings to dispel a small buildup of ice on their surfaces. He really doesn't like the cold, as his body is more susceptible to cold even with the Trailblaze's blessing.
The only saving grace was that his body produces a small amount of natural antifreeze whenever it gets a little too cold, but it could only do so much. "I really wish we had a snowmobile right about now."
"If only a certain someone didn't have a bright idea to use them at Taikiyan." Dan Heng sarcastically remarked.
March frowned when Dan Heng brought it up. "Alright, I get it. You don't have to bring it up again, Dan Heng."
"What happened at Taikiyan?" Stelle whispered in Cole's ear.
Cole whispered back to her. "I'll tell you later."
"In any case, Cole, can you do some reconnaissance up above. It'll be good to know if there are any dangers up ahead."
"Roger that, boss." Cole saluted Dan Heng before creating a clone. "But you owe us a warm drink afterwards." With that, the clone flew to the sky, but not too high, as the conditions are rather treacherous for it.
Cole relayed the information that he received to the rest of the group. "This should be high enough. I see a few monsters and a Calyx up ahead, along with some abandoned buildings. And there's also a strangely shaped snowpile further ahead."
Dan Heng nodded in appreciation at Cole's intel. "Thanks for the heads up. Let's go and check up on the Calyx first."
Dispatching a few monsters along the way, the group reached the first points of interest. A Calyx. Stelle took a picture of it and asked in the group chat what it was.
Welt answered as best as he could, but by the end of it, Stelle was looking more confused than before she asked.
The group continued on their journey, exploring a few abandoned houses littered across the snowy wasteland.
When they got to the 'weirdly shaped snowpile,' it became rather obvious that something or someone was hiding underneath it.
March kicked the snow pile in an attempt to get whoever it was to wake up. "Hey, wake up, sleepyhead. You're going to freeze to death if you stay here any longer.
Receiving no answer, March glanced at Cole.
"I know what to do." Recalling his clone, Cole positioned himself in between the snow pile, their back facing one another. "3, 2, 1..."
Cole and his clone flapped their wings as hard as they could to generate a very frenzied buzzing sound, hoping to induce a panic response.
"Gahh!" It worked as the person quickly got up from his position, rubbing his head in panic, and faced the group, who had varying degrees of amusement on their faces. "My fine fellows, do you really have to do that? You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Maybe next time, don't just ignore other people." Cole retorted. "You're lucky this time; otherwise, Dan Heng over here would have done a worse thing to you."
The unknown person took a look at Cole, and for a brief moment, his smile turned to a bit of shock. "Well, who do we have here? You, sir, are undoubtedly the most interesting person I, Sampo Koski, have ever met. I assume you are not with the Silvermane Guards then?"
The group looked at each other in uncertainty. In their minds, there was definitely something fishy about this Sampo. Still, Cole answered his question, "Silvermane Guards? No, we're not. Why do you ask?"
"Let's just say that an old buddy of mine, Captain Gepard, is looking for me." Sampo worriedly admitted to them.
Dan Heng couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. "And why is he looking for you?"
Sampo held his hands up defensively. "My friends, you don't have to mistrust me that much. It's nothing really. He is merely rather opposed to my business, that's all. Now then, how about we join forces with each other? If you want intel, Sampo Koski has it."
"Umm... Sampo, can you wait a sec? I want to talk a bit with my friends." Cole requested, to which Sampo agreed,
Cole, Dan Heng, March, and Stelle gathered in a circle as they discussed the possibilities of accepting Sampo's offer.
"So what do you guys think?" Asked Cole.
"What? That guy is more suspicious than that guy who claimed to be an Aeon of Cats." Countered March.
Stelle was rather intrigued. "Aeon of Cats?"
"Yeah, we encountered one during one of our previous trailblazing expeditions," March explained further.
Dan Heng looked thoughtful for a moment. "I agree with March's assessment, but on the other hand, he might be able to answer a few questions for us. We currently have no idea what kind of civilization inhabits this planet. Stelle?"
Stelle shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, can't hurt to team up with this guy temporarily. Worse comes to worst, we'll just bash his head in."
Cole nodded in approval. "I agree. Dan Heng, March."
"Yeah, why not?" Answered March.
Dan Heng also shared the same sentiment. "It'll be in our best interest right now."
With the four in agreement, Cole relayed their decision to Sampo. "Well, Sampo, you're in luck, we'll accept your proposal if you agree to answer our questions."
Sampo's smile seemingly widened as he clasped his hands together in gratitude. "That's the spirit, my bug friend. Now ask away."
With that, the group asked Sampo all kinds of questions.
From him, they learned that the Silvermane Guard is a guard of some sort to Belobog, the last remaining city on Jarilo-VI, and the only thing protecting them from the Eternal Freeze. Sampo was even kind enough to lead them to the city.
They also asked what he was doing hiding from the Silvermane Guard, but Sampo only deflected from answering the question. "As I said, they did not appreciate my business. It's a tragedy for poor old me."
"Oh yeah? What's your business? Selling used cars?" Cole sarcastically asked.
Sampo put his hand on his chest in fake hurt. "Ouch, my friend, do you really think so low of me. Of course not, my trade is much more noble than that."
"If you want us to believe, lead the way then." Cole then dismissed his clone.
Sampo watched on. "It will be my pleasure."
.....
The journey was relatively peaceful, the group avoiding any monsters on their way, thanks to Cole being a lookout.
Unfortunately, it seems the peace was not meant to last when they spotted a man coming right at them.
Stelle was the first to voice their concern. "Who are those people?"
"Uh... Remember the Silvermane Guard that I mentioned? Thats them, my friends." Sampo nervously answered.
The guards stopped in front of them, with one pointing at them all. "It's the suspect! These must be his accomplices! Arrest them all!"
"So, old friends, why not help me out?" Sampo pleaded, making the Nameless look even more guilty in front of the guards.
"What? We're not..." Before March could reason with the guards, one of them already made the first move, swinging his halberd at Dan Heng, who managed to catch it with his spear.
Stelle chose another guard to fight as bat and blade clashed with one another.
March looked to her side, only find Sampo already vanished under the cover of the snow and commotion. "He's gone! Grr... When I get my hands on him..." With no other options, March summoned her bow, aiming it at one of the guards with a gun and releasing her arrow.
The projectile struck the guard's body, covering him in a little bit of ice and incapacitating him.
"Gah! Ug...!" At the same time, Dan Heng and Stelle managed to disarm and knock out their attackers in quick succession.
The fight was not over, however, as another group of guards came over to reinforce the wounded guards. "Stand down now, or you will face harsher punishment!"
"But we're not with Sampo!" March yelled out.
"Tell that to the judges!"
"March!" Dan Heng called out to her. "They're not listening to us, better use it now and end this quickly."
"Alrighty. Since you were all so stubborn, take this." Jumping up, March releases a flurry of Pom-Pom-shaped projectiles at the guards who, upon seeing them, shielded their faces with their hands.
Her attack was for naught when a force shield materialised in front of the guards. The defender in question, wielding a massive guitar case?
"I, Gepard Landau, captain of the Silvermane Guards, order you to relinquish your futile resistance. Surrender now, and you will be given a more lenient sentence." The newly named captain demanded, taking the lead in front of his soldiers.
Just before the two sides could duke it out, Cole, who had been watching the battle unfold from up above, swooped down in front of the captain.
STOP!" Cole shouted out loud before facing the captain. "We're not with that bastard!"
"I-it's a monster!" One of the soldiers yelled out as the rest of his comrades readied their weapons in nervousness.
A raised hand from their captain silenced them from attempting anything.
"Men! Stand down." Gepard ordered even as he grips his own weapon tightly, his eyes focusing on Cole wearily. "You. You're not from Belobog, are you?" He asked Cole.
Cole answered the captain loudly and clearly. "No, we are not. We are also not affiliated with Sampo in any way. We thought we had just rescued him from the cold, but it turns out he was using us to escape from you. If you still don't believe me, then March could show you a picture of your planet."
"Good idea, Cole." March then showed a photo of the ice-covered planet to Gepard and the rest of the Silvermane Guards.
"I appreciate your effort to convince me, but there's no need. The appearance of this young man right here is all the proof I needed." Gepard said. "In the distance past, before the Eternal Freeze, it is said that visitors from beyond the sky regularly visited the planet, with some sporting an utterly alien look."
Gepard then faced his troop before pointing at two of them. "Lieutenant Hart, Private Jane, head to Madam Cocolia and inform her that there will be special guests arriving soon."
"Affirmative, Captain."
Gepard then pointed to the four Nameless. "And outsiders, welcome to Belobog, the city of Preservation."
It was then that the four Nameless finally noticed the city below the cliff from where they were standing.
They took in the sight of the city. Enormous walls surround the city, protecting it from the encroaching cold, with the city itself being divided into multiple sections.
Hauntingly beautiful was definitely an apt description for the city.
.....
Finally arriving at Belobog proper, all of them could feel the air getting warmer the further they traveled in.
"Finally. Somewhere not freezing..." Cole said in relief, opening up his elytra and flapping his wings gently to get any remaining snow buildup out of them.
"Of course, as the last bastion of humanity, Belobog must stay warm to survive the ever encroaching cold," Gepard explained.
"Last bastion?" Jokingly asked March.
Gepart then closed her eyes before answering March's rather unserious question. "Seven hundred years ago, monsters from beyond the sky set the world ablaze. The land was turned to scorched earth, with raging infernos and billowing towers of smoke stretching beyond the horizon."
"In the midst of the conflict, the Eternal Freeze descended without warning. Suddenly, sweeping winds brought blizzards that buried the invading Legion. Belobog was all that remained. The steadfast Architects built this city. Under the protection of Qlipoth, the Preservation, Belobog remains forever warm in the face of unrelenting cold."
The group remains silent after the captain's rather lengthy explanation, although to them, it sounded as if Gepard was merely reading from a book.
"Cough. Anyways, let's hurry up."
Reaching the administration district, the group was astonished to see a large gathering of people waiting for them, some with their cameras at the ready.
The only reason they were not swarmed by now was due to a small contingent of Silvermane Guards holding the horde back.
"Look! It's Captain Gepard and the alien boy!"
Click
Click
"Captain Landau, is it true that you found an extraterrestrial alien outside? What do you think this might mean for the future of Belobog?"
"Mom, look at that scary guy. Do you think he eats people? The scales are kinda cool though."
Gepard tried his best to shield Cole from the stares and whispers he's getting. "I'm sorry about this outsider. It seems words had spread to the public faster than I anticipated." He apologised.
"Meh. I've been to worse receptions. Trust me, I know." Cole nonchalantly said. "In fact, by my standard, this is a pretty tame reaction all things considered."
Gepard silently looked at Cole's attitude, not knowing what to feel at his information that this level of hostilities is rather tame by comparison. So, he chose to keep his mouth shut and escort them all to their destination.
"We're finally here." Gepard faced the group. "This is Qlipoth Fort, the heart of Belobog and the headquarters of the Architects. It is also a residence for the Supreme Guardian of Belobog."
"The Architects?" Asked Stelle.
"They are the saviors of humanity. The Architects were the ones who constructed Belobog's defenses before the Eternal Freeze. Even when their decisions were criticized by the masses, they still persevered onward. Thankfully, history has proven that their decision was the right one."
It was Cole's turn to ask. "Why Qlipoth Fort?" To be honest, he was rather weary of the Aeon after his encounter with THEM during the Simulated Universe test.
"In reverence to Qlipoth, Aeon of Preservation, the Architects named this fortress after THEM. Is there anything more you would like to ask?"
"You told us about the Supreme Guardian of Belobog before. Not to be rude or anything, but who are they?" March asked.
"The Supreme Guardian is the leader of Belobog. They are elected and appointed by the Architects. The Supreme Guardians have watched over this city for many generations and are responsible for every major strategic decision. Madam Cocolia Rand is the current Supreme Guardian." Gepard explained clearly.
"Anything else?" Seeing all of the Nameless shake their heads no, Gepard signals them to follow him up the stairs to the fort. "Oh, and one final thing. If you have time, I would like to consult with you on the matter regarding the monsters."
Dan Heng picked up on Gepard's words. "This must be connected to their appearance outside the city, correct? It must mean that the corrosion is taking hold in the city."
Gepard nodded in resignation. "Sigh... You're correct. Even with the Silvermane Guards' constant fighting against them, the situation is still rather bleak. So, will you help us?"
Dan Heng nodded. "Very well. If you needed help regarding information or even helping directly on the frontlines, we'll be sure to help in any way we can."
"Thank you."
With no other word said, they all silently enter Qlipoth Forth to speak with the Supreme Guardian.
.....
Entering inside, they were greeted by someone who was presumably the Supreme Guardian, arguing with another woman.
"...But a lot of guards will... How can you..."
The Supreme Guardian then noticed them entering and dismissed the woman. "Ahem. You may leave, Bronya. The visitors have arrived."
"Yes, mother..." The woman now identified as Bronya solemnly turned around to leave the room, not before passing by them and staring directly at Cole. Her eyes lingered on his form for a few moments before she made her way out of the building.
Gepard stepped forward to introduce them to the Supreme Guardian. "Madam Guardian, I have brought three outsiders to see you."
Cocolia congratulates the captain. "Your soldiers have informed me. Well done, Captain Gepard. You may take your leave."
At her request, Gepard left the fort, giving the Nameless one last look of encouragement as he passed by them.
"Welcome, visitors from beyond the Eternal Freeze. Or perhaps, more appropriately, from beyond the sky. I am Cocolia Rand, Belobog's Supreme Guardian. I would be grateful if you could tell me why you have come." Cocolia addressed them.
"So you believe we come from beyond the sky?" Questioned Dan Heng.
"The evidence is undeniable, no? Especially the rather unique existence of your friend. It would be silly of me to dismiss him as just another monster roaming the snowy wasteland." Cocolia then went over to the massive globe in her office.
"We remember our history well. I know that in the distant past, an Aeon connected our planet to other worlds, and we discovered the endless possibilities of the boundless universe. It was also then that we came to know of Qlipoth, the Amber Lord, and under THEIR attentive gaze, built the city walls."
"...So, do not be surprised. Even after seven hundred years of no communication from the outside world, the Architects and I still knew of life in other worlds. So tell me then, why have you come?"
"We've come to trailblaze this planet and help it." Answered Stelle.
March looked incredulous at the answer given. "Stelle, do you really think she's gonna know what you're talking about?"
Dan Heng decided to answer Cocolia's question to clear up any misunderstanding. "We came here to search for something known as a Stellaron."
Cocolia's eyes widen in shock for a split second, something that Dan Heng and Cole noticed, before returning to normal.
"A Stellaron?" She asked, appearing to be genuinely confused. Although Dan Heng and Cole definitely noticed something off about her reaction.
"Yes. They are mysterious objects that fell from the sky, bringing disasters and, in some cases, an end to many worlds." Further clarified Dan Heng.
Stelle then backed up Dan Heng's claim. "The Fragmentums and Eternal Freeze are products of the Stellaron."
"That's right, we've seen these phenomena before on different worlds; the Eternal Freeze itself is a unique environment produced by the Stellaron." Added March.
The Supreme Guardian was silent for a few seconds, probably busy processing their words. Although, to Cole at least, it looked as if she was communicating with someone in her head, not unlike how he used to do with his clones before training made communication with them almost instantaneous.
"Forgive me if I sound rude, but I must ask, why should you care for our world? From your own explanation, even if the Stellaron are to exist in this world, ultimately, it has nothing to do with all of you." Cocolia pointed out to the group.
"You're partly right, Madam. Our reason for coming here is not purely selfless. If we don't deal with the Stellaron, we cannot leave this planet. Of course, there are a few among us who wish to help, no matter if we could leave or not." Assured Dan Heng.
"And that's where I come in, Madam Cocolia." Exclaimed Cole confidently, stepping forward. "I have the means and knowledge to seal away the Stellaron's influence so that the world may begin to slowly heal from its wounds."
"Please, help us locate the Stellaron." Begged Stelle.
Cocolia closed her eyes in contemplation before giving them her answer. "Very well. I can hear the sincerity in your words. If this Stellaron was truly the culprit behind the devastation of our world, then you have my backing in finding and dealing with it as you see fit."
Dan Heng and Cole bowed in gratitude at her answer, with Dan Heng thanking her. "Thank you, Madam Cocolia. We'll make sure not to squander your kindness."
"No, it should be me thanking you, visitors from beyond the sky." Said Cocolia in approval. "You must be tired after your journey outside of the city. I shall arrange your stay in one of our hotels. Get your deserved rest for the night. There will be someone dispatched to escort you here tomorrow for further discussion. I shall stay here for now to look at old records and see if any of them mention a Stellaron."
Thanking her for her generosity, the quartet left Qlipoth Fort with Stelle glancing back one final time at the Supreme Guardian after she heard a strange noise.
.....
Gepard waited for them at the bottom of the steps; the massive crowds had already been dispersed from the area courtesy of his action.
"The Supreme Guardian has issued an order that your movements are no longer to be restricted. It seems I made the right choice, trusting all of you." Shared Gepard.
"Aw, don't mention it. So, do you have any sights you can recommend?" Asked March, her tone laced with excitement at being able to explore the city.
"Haha. Of course." Gepard then gave a bunch of locations for the quartet to visit. A landmark and a workshop, which he said had music performances, 'sometimes'. He also gave a warning about entering the alley next to the Goethe Hotel since it's been affected by corrosion.
"The corrosion had made its way this deep in the city..." Muttered Dan Heng wearily.
"Unfortunately. There's no need to worry; however, the Silvermane Guards are mounting a defense as we speak. See you all later."
When Gepard left, Cole looked at the rest of the group. "Where do you all want to visit first?"
"How about the monument? It caught my eye when we first arrived here." Dan Heng suggested, to which no one objected.
Arriving at the monument, the quartet saw a group of children being given a tour by a short, blue-haired woman.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm the Intelligence Officer for the Silvermane Guards, and a temporary guide for the 'A Journey Through Belobog's History' program. My name is Pelageya Sergeyevna. You can call me Pela."
"Yes, Miss Pela~" The children, along with Stelle, March, and Cole, said.
"Whoa, look. It's the bug man!" The children almost immediately forget the existence of their guide and formed a circle around Cole. Some of them looked at him with a small amount of fear, but they were overwhelmed by curiosity and amazement.
"Mister, can I touch your wings? They look so cool!"
"Me too!"
"Me three!"
Pela put her hands on her hips in annoyance at being so easily forgotten. "Perhaps the grownup among us could refrain from spoiling the children too much?"
The children sheepishly went back to their guide after that.
As Pela explained the meaning of the monument and its significance in Belobog's history, Cole couldn't help but look at its top in curiosity. There was a spot where he could stand on without much difficulty.
In the end, the curiosity got the better of him, that and he was rather bored from Pela's lecture, and with no hesitation, Cole flew to the highest point on the monument.
"What are you doing?!" Cole ignored Pela's shouting as he stood proudly on the monument, his right hand pointing at the now attentive children below, an idea already forming in his head to entertain the children.
"My beloved subjects, it is I, the king of Belobog! In this marvelous day, I shall grant each one of you a wish of your choosing!"
Their reactions are immediate, with all of them wanting to stand on the monument as well.
While March and Stelle gave him a thumbs up, Dan Heng facepalmed at his conduct. Pela, meanwhile, looked as if she would pop a vein with how agitated she looked.
"Ha! I, as the most humble of kings, shall grant your wish. Princess March, if you would be so kind as to prepare your image-capturing device."
"On it."
With that, Cole brought the children up to the monument one by one for a photoshoot. Even Stelle, March, and Dan Heng went up there to take a photo, much to the latter's chagrin.
"Miss Pela, would you like to as well?" Cole asked, extending his hand to her.
Pela looks at him in shock at his suggestion. "What?! No. I'm too old for this kind of activity."
"I can see it in your eyes~ You want it too, don't you~? Come on, live a little."
"No, I do not!"
After much prodding, Pela reluctantly agreed, and so, Cole carried her to the top. Up there, Pela cracked a smile as she gestured a peace symbol for the camera.
"My my, it seems Miss Pela is still a child at heart." A mature voice teasing Pela grabbed the group's attention.
They found a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman who looked strikingly similar to Gepard, looking at Pela with a smirk on her face.
"Serval?! This is not what it looks like. Cole! Put me down RIGHT NOW!" Ordered Pela, her face now sporting a blush.
Cole gave her a salute. "Aye aye, Miss Pela."
Setting Pela down on the ground, she corrected her glasses as she struck up a conversation with the woman now known as Serval to momentarily forget her embarrassment. "What are you doing here, Serval?"
"What, visiting my bandmate is a sin now? Anyways, I came here to see what all the commotion is all about." Serval explained to Pela.
Her eyes then darted to the group of people who were busy examining the photos they just taken. Instantly, a single person among them caught her eye.
Serval went up to the person and tapped his shoulder to get his attention.
"Hello there, Miss Serval, right?" Cole greeted.
"You got that right. So this is the boy who made a whole lot of commotion earlier with the crowds. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too. Name's Cole. This right here is March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle. We're just visiting some places right now."
Serval nodded at Cole's words. "I see. Say, want to visit my workshop?"
"Oh? Must you be the owner of Neverwinter Workshop then? Gepard recommended us to visit it to hopefully catch a performance." Told Dan Heng.
"Well, that's Gepard, alright. Pela, want to show our visitors a show? I'll have Lynx come over ASAP." Serval suggested to Pela.
"Perhaps another time, Serval. I still have yet complete my duty as a temporary tour guide." Pela then gestured for the children to follow her. "Come now, children. There are still many places to visit, let's not waste anymore time."
The children all groaned at having to do boring education stuff after having such a fun moment with Cole earlier, but still, they reluctantly followed after Pela to their next destination.
With their visit to the monument done, the Nameless decided to follow Serval to her workshop, which is not far from the monument itself.
Entering the workshop, as expected, the place was littered with mechanical parts and clockwork components along with scattered scraps and tools.
Serval then went behind the counter and looked at the group expectantly. "Well, here we are. Anything grab your fancy? Or perhaps you would like to ask a few questions? Those are free of charge."
Dan Heng asked first. "If I may inquire, I saw a few heaters outside and am wondering, aren't they rather inadequate to fight off the Eternal Freeze?"
"Don't underestimate those small things; they've been a lifesaver to Belobog's citizens in the overworld and underworld."
"Underworld?" Asked Stelle.
"Oh, right, you're all new here. Belobog is actually divided into two parts, the Overworld and the Underworld. The Overworld is responsible for administration and trade, while the Underworld is responsible for energy supply and resource extraction, primarily Geomarrow, the ore used in those heaters."
"Whoa, really? Can we visit it?" Asked an excited March.
Serval sadly shook her head. "I would love to, but unfortunately, due to an order that was given many years ago, nobody has moved between the Overworld and the Underworld in a long time."
Cole questioned Serval for the reason. "And the reason is...?"
"No one but the Supreme Guardian herself knows." Serval looked rather frustrated when she mentioned the Supreme Guardian. "Who knows what she is thinking nowadays..."
Dan Heng nodded in understanding. "I see... Thank you for your answers."
Serval then gestured to them. "Now then, come closer, I'll give you all the basics on how to fix things around here."
They all huddled together at the counter to watch Serval fix a broken heater.
After being given a first-hand demonstration, Serval asked one of them to replicate what she had done.
Stelle volunteered, fixing another broken heater, although she took a bit longer than Serval.
"Nice! You guys learn faster than I thought." Praised Serval. "Say, wanna be my assistant. I'll make sure to treat you all nicely as a boss."
They all declined her offer, much to Serval's amusement.
Seeing as it was getting late, the four excused themself to get to the hotel room they've been given to rest for today.
"Sure. My proposal is still on the table, though. Hope you all have a nice stay!"
Waving goodbye to Serval, the four made their way to the Goethe Hotel, encountering a line of Silvermane Guards standing guard near the hotel's alleyway along the way. The same alleyway that Gepard had told them earlier.
"The situation's worse than we thought." Commented Dan Heng.
March agreed with him. "It makes me wonder how much longer Belobog can hold out."
Stelle remained silent as she looked at a man attempting to get through the alleyway to retrieve his belongings, despite the dangers presented.
Cole, seeing the mood, tried to lift up the group's spirit. "Don't be such a downer, guys. With us here, this crisis will be over before you know it." Cole then turned to Stelle. "Besides, this is the first trailblaze expedition for our newest member, so we don't want to worry her too much now, do we?"
That does the trick as the group mood livened up slightly.
"You're right, Cole. Right now, all I want to do is get a warm shower and get some sleep." Told March.
"What're we waiting for? Rest, here we come."
.....
Arriving at the hotel, they were welcomed by Old Goethe, the owner of the hotel. Although a bit intimidated by Cole's appearance, he served them all the same, nevertheless.
After a bit of chatting, they went to the corridor which contained their rooms for the night.
Before going to sleep, they regrouped one final time in the corridor to discuss the information they'd gathered throughout the day.
Dan Heng brought out their interaction with the Cocolia. "Do any of you notice something strange about the Supreme Guardian?"
March looked confused at Dan Heng's question. "No? She seemed like a reasonable lady to me."
Cole, however, had a different answer. "Sure did. When she was talking to us, it felt as if she wasn't really listening to us half the time and was instead talking to someone else in her head. Kinda like when I was getting used to my telephatic communication with my clones." He continued further. "Not only that, when Dan Heng mentioned the word 'Stellaron', she seemed to be faking her surprise."
"I noticed that as well. Stelle, anything you want to add?"
Stelle nodded. "Just when we're about to leave the fort, I swear I heard something weird."
She described what she meant. At the end of it, all of them had a look of unease on their faces.
"So, in short, the Supreme Guardian is potentially hiding the knowledge of where the Stellaron is..." Cole summarised.
"Does this mean she's going to be our enemy in the future?"
"Not necessarily. Still, it's good to err on the side of caution tomorrow. For now, we should do our best to rest."
"Wait! Cole, I have one final thing to ask. How do you think of Belobog so far?"
Cole takes a moment to think about his answer. "Imma be honest, when I heard that Belobog worship Qlipoth, I thought that thing was going to turn rather hostile since ya know." Cole pointed to himself. "Thankfully, it seems this is one of those planets that was not ravaged by the Swarm in the past, so the Belobogians were at least a little friendly."
They all agreed, and after chatting a little bit with each other, they decided to call it a day and went to their respective rooms.
.....
THUD
Cole woke up from his sleep from the sound of a hammer hitting something.
"Weird," Cole muttered to himself. Checking his phone, he saw that it was 12 a.m at midnight on the dot, which made the sound he heard ever weirder. He was pretty sure no one was doing a midnight renovation unless Belobog had a different custom.
He tried to go back to sleep, but the uneasy feeling in his mind kept him awake. He didn't know why, but he felt as if something terrible would happen tomorrow.
"Screw it... Might as well take a walk. Maybe it'll clear my head a bit." Slipping a paper telling the others where he's headed under their doors, Cole made his way outside.
The administrative district was silent; the citizens had already returned to their homes with only a few guards patrolling the area.
He'd have half a mind to return to his room, but a sound caught his attention. He went closer to the source of it and found Neverwinter Workshop to be lit up with activities.
It was not hard to deduce what was happening, given the context clues given earlier in the day. "Serval did mention that Pela is her bandmate. Maybe they're just practicing right now." While Cole was interested in seeing what their performance was like, he thought that it would be rather rude to intrude on them.
Just as Cole was about to turn around to return to the hotel, the sound of doors opening made him stop. He turned around to see Serval, a purple electric guitar in one hand and a drink in the other.
"Hey, you're that outsider, Cole, right? What are you doing this late at night? Come on in." She quickly finished her drink and tossed the empty can into a nearby trashcan.
Before Cole had a chance to turn her down, she had already grabbed his arms and begun leading him into the workshop and to the music studio on the second floor.
Entering it, Cole saw Pela manning the drum set, presumably waiting for them with a beer can in her hand. He also saw another girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, similar to Serval and Gepard, standing behind a keyboard, also with a drink in her hand.
"Oh, it's you." Pela addressed as she took a sip of her drink.
"Eeyup. Found him standing right outside, so I invited him in. You guys won't mind, right?" Serval's two bandmates shook their head. "Great. Cole, this right here is Pela, you've already met her, and this little cutie right here is Lynx, my little sister, and this is our band, the Mechanical Fever!"
"You don't have to introduce me like I'm still a kid, sis." Lynx then faced Cole. "Nice to meet you, Cole. Pela told me all about you when I returned to Belobog."
"Returned to Belobog?" Cole asked, confused at what she meant by that.
"Yes. I am a member of the Belobog Snow Plains research team. I usually go out of the city to explore the environments outside and catalogue anything I find interesting." Lynx explained to Cole.
"Cool. No pun intended. There must be all kinds of things you found buried under the snow from before the Eternal Freeze."
"That's right. Actually, your unique appearance reminded me of a species of winter beetles I recently discovered."
Before the two could converse with each other further, Serval interrupted them. "Now now, Lynxy. Aren't we here for a rehearsal? Why don't we give a show to our special guest tonight?"
"You got no objection from me. Maybe after this, we'll have a person interested in joining our band." Said Pela as she put her drink on a table nearby and grabbed a pair of drumsticks.
Lynx also readied herself as she pressed a few keys on her keyboard. "All okay in here. I'm ready."
"Alright, team, let's do our best. Have a seat, listen, and have fun!" Expressed Serval.
After setting up his phone to record, Cole listened as Mechanical Fever performed a few of their songs. Some of them are electrifyingly exciting, while a few have their excitement level toned down.
Along the way, Cole also got into the fun as he came and tried to perform with them before remembering one crucial detail.
"Uhh, I don't know how to play any instrument."
Serval laughed at his reluctance. "Don't worry about it, I'll coach you through it."
He was initially assigned the role of the bassist, but then, he thought of a better idea.
"How about this?" Stepping back for a moment, Cole created two clones. He looked at the group and found them shocked at his abilities.
"Are those real?" Lynx asked as she went over to have a feel at one of his clones.
"Yeah." All of them answered her question in sync, creeping Pela and Lynx out somewhat.
Serval observed Cole and his clones before coming to a single conclusion. "That. Is. Awesome!" She exclaimed. "Looks like we'll finally have a full band again and then some. Isn't that right, Pela?"
Pela nodded in agreement as they all went to work assigning roles for Cole and his clones. In the end, Cole himself became the backup vocalist while his clones became a bassist and backup guitarist, respectively.
With the full crew assembled, they all performed to their hearts' content. Sure, there was some huge mistake made by Cole since it was the first time he ever touched an instrument, but it didn't matter, nor does it matter that his vocals are way off in some parts; they were all having fun regardless.
They then decided to switch it up when Cole brought out his phone and presented them all to music from Welt's homeworld.
They listened to a few songs, but one in particular caught Serval's attention. "Rock and Roll All Nite? Now that's my kind of song. All right, everyone, who's up to make a cover for a finale tonight?"
They all agreed and, after listening to the song a few times, they all gave it a go.
All in all, it was a blast as Cole and Serval sang together in unison. "I wanna rock and roll all night and party every day."
When the band finished its last performance, two hours had already passed. Pela was leaning back in her chair as she drank a glass of water while Lynx was bust checking over her keyboard.
"I'm beat." Pela groaned out.
Lynx also agreed with her as she took a sip of water. "Count that two."
"Looks like we're all done for today. So, Cole. Had fun?"
"Absolutely. Thanks for inviting me here, it really helped me clear my head." Thanked Cole as he collected his phone. "March is going to be so jealous of me when I show her this."
"Oh? Clear your head. Did something happen?"
"Not really, just really worried about tomorrow when my group and I have to find that Stellaron."
Cole was expecting a follow-up question, but after several seconds of silence, Cole finally looked toward Serval and found her staring at him with wide-open eyes.
Before Cole could ask her what was wrong, she had already rushed over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. "What did you just say?" In the background, Pela and Lynx had a worried look at Serval's behaviour.
"Uhh... That tomorrow my team and I are going to find the Stellaron?" Cole repeated.
"Explain everything."
.....
"Cocolia... What really happened all those years ago?" Serval muttered to herself as she sat in a chair in confusion.
Cole had explained to them all the reasons the crew of the Astral Express made a stop at Jarilo-VI. He had also explained their suspicion of the Supreme Guardian's true intention.
Pela was a little furious at his accusation, calling it 'baseless', asking for proof, but a few recordings of the Astral Express's previous encounters with Stellaron and its effect on people's minds on other worlds quieted her up quickly.
"Sis...?"
Serval perked up at the sound of Lynx calling to her. "I'm fine, Lynxy... Just processing all of this info."At least, after all this time, I finally have my answer."
Pela went over to Serval to comfort her. "Don't worry, Serval, we'll fix this mess." She then faced Cole. "Right?"
"Yes. The Astral Express has the means to seal away the Stellaron. The only problem right now is finding it in the first place." Cole told her. "Tell me, Serval, can Cocolia still be reasoned with? It will certainly be easier for us."
Serval shook her head. "Sigh... No. I count myself lucky I was only expelled for merely researching the Stellaron; you probably won't be given much mercy. In fact, I suspect that she will deal with you all one way or another tomorrow."
That was not good news for Cole as he became worried. "Dammit... Looks like we'll be doing it the hard way..."
Serval, seeing Cole's worries, draped her arm over his shoulder. "Hey, I think you mean we all will have to do it the hard way. Isn't that right, Pela, Lynx?" The two nodded.
Cole looked at them all in uncertainty. "Are you all sure? We'll be going against the Supreme Guardian herself."
Serval smirked at Cole. "Hah! Not the first time I've done so."
Cole gave her a smile. "Thank you. All of you."
"Thank us after we've dealt with the Stellaron." Serval then motioned Pela and Lynx to come closer so they could discuss plans.
"Firstly, before we started, we mustn't mention all of this to Gepard or Bronya."
Cole looked confused by her suggestion. "Why not? Shouldn't we recruit more allies in the Silvermane Guards?"
Serval agreed with him. "That's true, but unfortunately, those two are fiercely loyal to the Supreme Guardian to a fault. Unless we gather more concrete evidence of the Stellaron's influence other than some videos, they will likely accuse us of treason, and then we'll be in serious trouble."
Pela supported her claims. "I can attest to that."
"Very well, I trust you," Cole replied. "So, what's the plan, then?"
Pela spoke first. "As an Intelligence Officer of the Silvermane Guard, I will try to uncover any information regarding the Stellaron."
"I plan to explore the ruins outside of Belobog; there might be something worth investigating out there," Lynx stated.
Serval nodded at both of their ideas. "Good ideas from both of you. Unfortunately, I can't do much without raising suspicion, so I'll have to wait for more information before taking action."
"Wait, what about the Underworld? There might be a treasure trove of forgotten knowledge down there," Pela suggested.
"Good thinking. The rest of my team will likely head down there tomorrow," Cole added.
"Speaking of, tomorrow, a few guards have undoubtedly seen you outside entering my workshop, so they will certainly send a few once Cocolia enacts her plan for you and your friend. Not only that, there won't be any signal to the overworld while you all were down there, so how can we communicate effectively?" Asked Serval.
Cole thought about it for a few moments. "Actually, I have an idea. Come closer."
Serval, Lynx, and Pela huddled closer as they listened to Cole plan for tomorrow. By the end of it, they all agreed with his plan.
"Well, with our plans for tomorrow discussed, I'll be taking my leave. We'll regroup here tomorrow." Pela got up as she bid farewell to them all.
She was closely followed by Lynx as she exited the room. "See you later, sis!"
In the end, Serval and Cole were the only ones left in the workshop.
Seeing that it was 3 a.m., Serval suggested to Cole, "It's quite late. Would you like to sleep here with me?"
"Uhh..." Cole was unsure how to react to her suggestion. Although he was accustomed to sleeping with other people, it would be his first time sharing a bed with a stranger he had just met today. And a pretty one at that. "Are you..." he started to ask, but a finger pressed against his lips silenced him.
"Don't be shy now..." Teased Serval.
In the end, Cole followed her to her bedroom. Lying on her bed, Cole watched as Serval plopped on the bed next to him.
"Yawn... What a day it has been. Goodnight, Cole." Said Serval as her eyes closed, sleep finally taking her.
Cole's eyelids also grew heavy as exhaustion took hold of him. "Night..."
.....
"Come out with your hands up! We know you're in there!" A Silvermane Guard, accompanied by Pela, yelled out.
"AHH!" A scream was then heard inside.
"Lady Serval! Everyone, move in! Quickly!" Ordered Pela.
Before the guards had time to even reach the door, Cole flew out of the building at lightning speed, knocking a few of them out.
"There he is! Go after him! I'll check up on Serval myself." Ordered Pela.
The guards quickly gave way to the flying Cole, leaving Pela alone as she entered Neverwinter Workshop.
In there, Pela saw Serval perfectly fine behind the counter and having a conversation with another Cole.
"Are they gone?" Asked Serval to which Pela nodded.
Cole let out a sigh of relief. "I really gotta thank my past self for not revealing too much of my abilities."