Star Rail: The Aeon Hunters

The Hyperion blast door closed with hiss, leaving Stella, Dan Heng, March, and Herta doll in the snowy plains. Apparently, someone needs to keep an eye on the ship and since they're wanted people, it's better not to leave the Hyperion alone.

"It's sooo cold!" March whined the moment the Hyperion is out of sight.

Stella narrowed her eyes. "You can feel cold?"

"Well yeah! This is just a human body after all," March replied, shivering.

"But… You have ice power…" Stella said.

"Oh are you saying you're immune to punch then?" March punched Stella's half heartedly for good measure. "In any case, why do we have to touch down this far from civilization anyway? It's not like the Hyperion can't maneuver their way through crowded city…"

"Too much attention March, and besides, we might find something interesting out here…" Dan Heng replied calmly. "We might not have a chance to explore this place once we get to the city," he turned to Herta who's been silent the whole time, only to find the puppet walking in autopilot.

March waved her hand in front of Herta's eyes, the puppet doesn't respond. "So like… Is she going to be back when an enemy is spotted, or…"

"Madam Herta must be busy with other things, she did say she's only lending us her puppet, not her full help."

After walking for a while, they found what seems to be a tent in the distance. There's a small campfire at the front of the tent and a small chair at the side of it.

"A camp, out here in the snow…" Stella muttered to herself. "Are these… Expedition team, or…"

"Only one way to find out!" March exclaimed.

The four of them approached the camp, looking around for any sign of anyone there. Some footsteps are visible in the snow, leading off into the white horizon.

"Hmm…" March inspected the campfire and the chair. "Someone was here very recently, it's still hot…" she looked at the chair. "And the chair is still warm."

"There's only one set of footprints, whoever it is, they were out here alone," Dan Heng pointed out.

Stella meanwhile already crawled into the tent, looking for things. There, she saw piles of blankets, some strange devices, ice pick, and some books. She was about to grab the book, when…

"Stella, someone's coming," March called out.

Stella quickly scrambled out of the tent and joined the rest as they watched a figure walking towards them from a distance. The figure is short, quite possibly a child. They are eyeing them carefully, as if unsure of their intention.

"Who are you?" the figure came into view, revealing a little girl wearing a very thick winter clothes and a cat hoodie. She's carrying an ice pick, trying and failing to look threatening. "Stay away from my supplies!"

Dan Heng and March lowered their weapons, not because of surrender, but because they don't perceive her as a threat. The latter walked towards the little girl with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Ahaha! Sorry for showing up like this, we're not stealing anything, I swear," March said kindly, trying to defuse the situation. "I am curious though, what's a child like you doing all alone in this cold? Are you lost? Where are your parents?"

The child sighed and lowered her ice pick. It's like she's tired of hearing that. "My name is Lynx Landau, and no, I am not lost, I am an explorer and I camp around these parts," she explained. "Your turn, who are you and what are you doing so far out in the snow?"

March raised an eyebrow at that. "That's… actually impressive Lynx," she put a hand on her chest. "My name is March 10th, this is Dan Heng, that's Stella, and this doll here is Herta,"

Stella was about to say something, but Dan Heng motioned her to stay silent and gestured at March. He mouthed to Stella 'I'll tell you later'.

"Doll?" Lynx walked towards the group and took a closer look at Herta. "Whoa…" a child-like sparkle formed in her eyes. "She's so lifelike, but…" she looked at Herta's joint, optic, and more. "You're right, it's a doll… And it can move on its own?"

"Yep!" March said with a grin. "What, never seen a super advanced doll like this before?"

Lynx nodded, admiring the doll with wide eyes. "I've seen robots before, big ones… But I never seen doll like this…" a small blush formed on her face. "She looks pretty… is she based off of a real person?"

"Yes, Madam Herta is based off the real Madam Herta from the Genius Society and the owner of Herta's Space Station," March explained. "She lent us this doll to help us during our adventure, it will automatically activate when there's a threat nearby,"

The little girl nodded, eyes still fixated on the doll. Then she looked at everyone else and quickly shook her head. "Right, ahem, sorry… You haven't told me where you came from and what you're doing here? You guys are from Belobog, right?"

March tilted her head. "Belobog? No, we're not, we came from outer space!" she grinned and walked closer to Lynx. "We came from the stars, Lynx, do you know that?" she took out her phone and accessed the Hyperion's Databank. "Here, let me show you something real cool,"

Lynx walked towards the March 10th and watched as the girl took out her smartphone. There were some flashing lights, but then… She saw something even more impressive.

It is a gigantic white ball floating amidst an endless dark. Numerous sparkles of light appeared can be seen scattered in the endless dark. And far off in the distance is a ball of blinding light.

"Is this…" Lynx whispered as the realization came to her. "My world?"

"Yes, this is Jarilo VI, we took this picture from the Hyperion far up in the sky," March explained. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"It looks so… Barren…" Lynx muttered, a melancholic expression on her face. She turned towards March. "Why do you come to this planet?"

"Well…" March said. "We just want to do research you see? We wish to explore, learn about your planet, your people, you mentioned something about Belobog, right? Is that a city?"

A fellow explorer… that's something that Lynx rarely found in her adventures. She couldn't help but smile, finding connections with these strangers from worlds apart.

Lynx nodded. "Yes, it's where I came from. It's… the last bastion of humanity," she explained. "Would you like to visit? I can introduce you to some people."

"Of course!" March replied. "Do you need our help to take down the camp?"

"Oh, thank you, that's very nice of you,"

With that, the Trailseekers began helping Lynx with taking down the camp. March and Lynx worked with the tent whilst Dan Heng and Stella worked with the chair and campfire.

"Stella," Dan Heng spoke quietly. "Sorry for earlier, but there's something you must know about March," he walked closer towards Stella and crouched down beside her near the campfire. "Always let her do the talking, though she makes blunder sometimes, she's really, really good at fabricating stories and identities."

Dan Heng glanced at March and Lynx who's talking like best buds. "Once we get to the safe zone, March will brief us on our cover, our identity, and what people believe we are,"

Stella nodded, thrilled at the thought of assuming a new identity just like that. "Is this what a Trailseeking adventure are like?" she asked Dan Heng.

"Yes, it is, don't worry you will find your true calling or your 'role' in our team."

"What is your calling, Dan Heng? Heavy hitter?"

"Analyst," Dan Heng replied. "There's no 'heavy hitter' in the Trailseeker, we're all heavy hitter," he glanced at Stella's bat. "You might gonna use that bat soon enough, be ready,"

[LINE BREAK]

After a while, the group finally finished packing up Lynx's camp. The girl seems to be more at ease after talking with March. The latter showed her numerous pictures and articles about the world beyond the stars.

"What about you March?" Lynx asked. "What sort of planet do you come from?"

March paused and averted her gaze. "Well, to be honest with you… I don't know…" she raised her palm, a beautiful crystal of six phased eyes floated on top of it. "The Trailseeker found me inside a block of ice floating within the endless cosmos. When they thaw me out, I don't remember anything, like a newborn…"

Lynx gazed at the ice with wide eyes. "So you know nothing about your past?" she tried touching the crystal, finding it strangely cool to touch.

"Nope, not at all," March replied, changing the topic. "But enough about me, what about you Lynx? What drove you to go out here in the snow?"

"I simply love the thrill of adventure," Lynx replied. "Exploring the wilderness and gazing at the stars alone in the nights… it's the only time I can be truly, by myself."

"By yourself?"

Lynx lowered her gaze. "I'm just tired of people babysitting me and umm… people in general. It's only out here that I can… well, take care of myself, be free, truly independent of brothers and sisters…" she sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to dump all that on you, just been a while since I talk with someone."

March gave Lynx a thumbs up. "I think you're doing real great Lynx, we saw what you're capable of and I'm genuine impressed. And you know what I think?," then, the girl leaned down and start whispering to her ear. Her voice sweet, warm, and melodic.

"You should stop listening to those who doubted you,"

Behind the two, Dan Heng winced. "Goodness March, she's just a child," he muttered to himself.

Beside him, Stella tilted her head, confused. Once again, Dan Heng mouthed that he'll tell her later.

[LINE BREAK]

Almost 15 minutes passed, until suddenly…

"Halt, we have company," Dan Heng announced.

"Can you fight Lynx?" March asked.

Lynx's eyes widen, she expected March to tell her to stand back or run. Just like how her brother and sister would put her safety above all else and not even let her draw a sword. But this stranger, she's different, she gave her a chance to prove herself.

'Can I fight?'

Lynx gripped her ice pick and looked around her.

Dan Heng already made a stance with his spear, Stella twirled her bat confidently, March brandished her bow and aimed at a distance, while the doll already brought out a hammer twice its size.

"I'm not much of a fighter but I'll help around as best as I can," Lynx replied earnestly.

"Glad to hear that," Stella said, giving her a thumbs up.

In the distance, a formidable shape floats into view. With its spike-like protrusion, icy exterior, and glowing blue eyes. It is a fragmentium monster, one of the more powerful ones at that.

Lynx flinched at the sight of it. "Be careful! It's…" her words faltered when everyone else began to relax, as if the warning earlier was a false alarm.

"Dan Heng, you're hyping me up for nothing!"

"I never said it was a strong company,"

March rolled her eyes and turned to Stella. "Stella, you wanna have a go with this one?" she asked her.

Stella nodded and smirked confidently. "Leave it to me,"

Lynx watched with wide eyes as the girl rushed towards the monster. With a swing of her bat, she deflected an incoming ice attack and dodged an ice spike that suddenly burst from the ground.

"You're out!" with a shout and a mighty swing of her bat, the monster was sent careening off into the distance. Sparks and shards of fragmentium armor went flying all around the plains.

That strength… for comparison, a minimum of six silvermane guard is required to deal with a fragmentium monster like that. Yet this girl, who never step foot into this planet, just bat it away like it was nothing. Not only that, but they don't even register these monsters as a threat!

Could it be? Could these people have the means to save her world? To put an end to this cold everlasting?

Lynx dared to hope…

"Homerun!" March exclaimed with a grin. "Not bad Stella, I knew you had it in you!"

"It was nothing, hope we can fight a stronger one soon," Stella replied.

"Past victories don't guarantee future ones," Dan Heng said ominously. "Stay on your toes March, Stella, we might face even stronger challenges in the future,"

"Looking forward to it,"