The Outer Frontier contained only old, barren roads that hadn't been kept or cleaned for over a century. Plants grew wildly through cracks in the paths, sometimes covering them completely, creating obstacles for Dr. Alde, Delphina, and Frankie.
"Look, over there. See that?" Alde lifted up his arm. Delphina raised her gaze to meet where he was pointing, squinting at a tall, dark gray castle that stood proudly in the far distance. A large hole gaped in the roof of one of the taller spires.
"Yes… What is that?"
"The Stars Kingdom," Alde replied. "It was known for its technology and now it's abandoned. Perfect for us."
"I see. And… that dark cloud over there? What is that?"
Now it was Dr. Alde's turn to survey the landscape to see where she was pointing, his eyes suddenly settling on a dark, twisting mass.
He raised his hand to his chin, musing. "No idea…"
"Miasma." Frankie piped up, his voice barely a whisper. He shuddered, running a finger along the stitches on his neck. "Dr. Stein tried to experiment with it."
"So that's the miasma…" Delphina breathed. She'd heard of this dark magic before, but had never seen it with her own eyes. After all, the magic flows protected the Inner Frontier from the miasma that sprawled across the Outer Frontier.
"Not to worry. We'll be fine." Dr. Alde began moving again, leading them closer to the towering kingdom.
The castle's halls were barren, save for mold-covered carpets, cobwebs, and a thick layer of dust. Underneath the carpets were black tiles, speckled with white and golden flecks. Something similar to stars…
The trio proceeded through the kingdom, past the ransacked kitchen and dining hall, through corridor upon corridor, until they reached a tall, spiraling staircase.
"Are you sure no one's come up here?" Delphina asked, her voice slightly echoing in the closed stairwell.
"I'm sure someone's been here. But I doubt they've stripped the kingdom entirely of its metal yet…" Alde answered. "After all, all of the kingdoms believe strongly in taboo."
They stopped near the top, allowing Dr. Alde to recover his breath before stepping into the spire. It was truly unlike any other castles they'd seen before—fluorescent lights flickered along the floor in a spiral pattern, encircling a dusty control panel. An unkempt bed with pillows and sheets tossed carelessly to droop onto the floor lay against the far left wall, underneath a window. Of course, there was no need for the fluorescent lights and windows—for there was a giant, gaping hole in the roof.
"This is the spire we saw from outside…" Delphina breathed. She turned back to Dr. Alde, who was already fiddling with the control panel. Frankie had gone off to the other side of the room, gazing at the vanity littered with old papers and books.
The control panel suddenly flickered, humming louder and louder until the light crawling up the post to the base was fully illuminated. The screen blinked on, and Dr. Alde turned to look at his companions.
"Look here, Delphina." Alde ushered her over. She stepped up next to him, looking at the screen of foreign letters. "This is the Primordial language. Very few people know how to read it, but many say it's a language imbued with magic itself."
"Do you?"
Dr. Alde chuckled. "Not at all. Give me a second, I'll figure out how to work this."
Delphina stepped back, letting him fiddle with the control panel. She looked back towards Frankie again, who was now engrossed in reading. Sighing, she walked towards the bed. As dusty as it was, she could use a rest. Flopping down on the mattress, she gripped the edges of the sheets and pulled—only to be met with slight resistance. Frowning and furrowing her brow, Delphina tugged even harder, causing the blanket to come loose from whatever it was caught on, and sending dust and cobwebs flying.
She turned to fold the blanket onto the bed, when she noticed a body tumble out of the sheets. Shrieking, she jumped onto the bed, pointing and stammering at the body.
Its skin was a sickly pale blue, with tufts of light pink hair tossed carelessly about. A long, smooth tail stretched out behind them, a translucent dorsal crest wrapping around it.
Dr. Alde and Frankie looked on in horror, both clearly unsure of how to react in such a situation. The doctor turned to Frankie, waving him forward. "Frankie… go see if the body is alive."
"As you wish, master." Frankie nodded, although he swallowed nervously and scratched at his neck. He strode forward, legs shaking with each step. He knelt by the body, an outstretched finger trembling as it approached. Before he could lay a finger on the body, however, it rolled over, unleashing a hearty groan.
The creature shook its head, shaking cobwebs out of its head, before looking around at the three with its beady eyes.
"Who…"
They struggled to their feet, before tilting their head to look at them. "Where… am I? Is this Planet Cephoxa?"
The three of them exchanged glances with each other, before they all shrugged in unison.
"You're… in the Outer Frontier," Delphina finally replied, slowly lowering herself from the bed. "My name is Delphina. This is Dr. Alde, and that is Frankie." She motioned around the room. "Who are you?"
They smiled, shoulders relaxing. "Call me Syzygy. Now, I can't be here for long, I have a date to-" Syzygy reached to their side, their expression suddenly falling. "-to… attend…"
Syzygy turned around, rifling through the sheets and pillows, peeking under the bed and storming around the room.
Delphina couldn't help but watch, this creature feeling so foreign and yet also so familiar. She spoke up again, gently, "Do you need help finding anything?"
Looking up at her, Syzygy frantically nodded. "Yes. My interdimensional portal maker, I need it to get back home."
"I'll help you find it. Dr. Alde, continue looking at the panel. Frankie, help us look." Delphina ordered. The two quickly moved into position, taking opposite sides of the spire. Before Delphina started looking, however, her brain hit into a wall. She turned back to Syzygy. "Um… what does it look like, exactly?"
Feathery gills that sprouted from Syzygy's head twitched as they surveyed the room. "It… it has a curved handle on a long pull. The portal maker itself is like… a canopy. When it's closed, it's all folded up and wrinkled, but when it's open, it's like a giant dome."
"Got it."
While they looked, Alde continued trial-and-erroring the control panel, seeing what each option he pushed did. Foreign words sped across the screen, when one he pushed finally opened up a cavity in the floor.
Dr. Alde stepped away from the control panel to investigate the newly revealed hole, crouching down and lifting object after object out. His eye lit up as he tossed the objects with mild care to the side.
"Everyone, come here!" Alde ordered, standing up and dusting off his pants. "Look at all this metal!"
Before them lay several objects and machines of different sizes: a metallic looking umbrella, clocks, screens… sheets of metal. And to the side was Alde, looking very pleased with himself but also a little expectant.
Frankie picked up on that, clapping his hands together briefly. "Good job, master. Nice find."
Alde glowed with the praise, although his smug expression was quickly replaced with surprise when Delphina cheered.
"Dr. Alde! You found some!" Delphina rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her shorter senior and lifting him up. "I'm so happy! Do you think that's enough?"
Dr. Alde patted Delphina's shoulder, examining all the objects laid out. "Not quite. But I'm sure there are more archives such as this hidden around the castle."
Syzygy, who hadn't joined them in favor of continuing their search, turned to look at them. Their gills perked up in excitement and they rushed over, grabbing the metallic umbrella.
"My portal maker!" they cheered, hugging it tight. "Now, I must go and return to the stars. Farewell, my brief bud-"
The umbrella opened with a hum, before dying. Syzygy blinked at it, turning the umbrella over and over again in their hands in shock.
"It… it broke?" Syzygy cried. "Two of the rods are broken… How am I gonna get home now? What am I gonna tell Peri…"
"That umbrella," Dr. Alde spoke up. He looked at it curiously. "You can go to the stars with it?"
Syzygy pouted. "If it were working."
Dr. Alde nodded, looking at the umbrella and then back at the scraps piled up on the floor. "It appears to be made with the same material as this anemite. Perhaps…"
He moved closer to Syzygy, leaning towards the umbrella to study it closer. He reached a hand out, turning the umbrella in his hands—which Syzygy surprisingly relinquished to him—and looking over each and every nook and cranny.
"I think I can figure out how to fix this." Dr. Alde returned the umbrella to Syzygy's hands. "On one condition…"
Syzygy's tail curled around their legs. "Wh…what?"
"If I manage to repair your umbrella…" Dr. Alde continued. "Please. Take my assistant, Delphina, with you. It is her dream to reach the stars."
Straightening up, tail unfurling behind them, Syzygy smiled. "You had me scared there, for a second. I would be delighted to offer your assistant a tour of the cosmos."
Delphina squealed happily, balling her hands into fists and dancing around the spire in excitement. She turned to Frankie, holding up her hands above her head in offer. Frankie high fived her: hard. She flinched, shaking out her palms, but her smile never wavered.
"Dr. Alde!" she came back around to hug him again. He conceded to her arms, despite his expression souring. "You really are the best! Thank you so much! I… I can't wait to tell Bitte! She'll be so excited, too!"
"Nothing's for certain." Dr. Alde stated matter-of-factly. His tone quickly softened when he noticed Delphina's face fall. "But I will do my best."
Delphina smiled wide at Dr. Alde, causing him to look away in embarrassment. He coughed into his glove, before waving Frankie over.
"Frankie, gather the scrap metals and inventions please. We'll start carrying them back."
Nodding, Frankie gingerly scooped the various artifacts into his arms. Delphina and Syzygy offered their help with the loose machines and smaller pieces. They descended the stairs, back to the foyer…
Blissfully unaware of the shadow that shifted in the corner.
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An angel dropped down from above, landing next to Asmodeus who was waiting next to one of the crumbling pathways. He ran a hand through his thick, white locs, peeling them away from his face. His skin was dark and flawless, with rippling muscles on his arms and half exposed chest. A loose, white fabric draped from his left shoulder and tucked into a golden belt around his waist. A spiked pauldron on his right shoulder, a black strap running across his chest and disappearing beneath his white top. A regal purple fabric hung from his right shoulder, held in place by the aforementioned pauldron.
Asmodeus smiled at his approach, waiting patiently as he paused to remove pebbles from his golden sandals. He took another beat to adjust the golden cuffs around his wrists and brushed off dust from his pristine, white wings.
"Azzy," he finally said. "Asmodeus. Why did you call me here?"
"Good to see you, too, Altair." Asmodeus teased before replying. "The hospital is running low on certain ingredients. I came out here to look for more–and I thought you might like to keep me company and perhaps lend a hand."
Altair studied him with his sharp, blue eyes, the kind one could get lost in, as if his eyes were as vast as the sky itself. He smiled–a rare smile, given his aloof personality–that Asmodeus treasured at the sight. "Of course I will."
Asmodeus returned Altair's smile, before pointing in the distance.
"There are rumors that the Star Kingdom grew a flower known as the Panacea lily. It was a flower that, when turned into a medicine, could heal anyone and anything." He rambled, his every word dripping with excitement. "I just wanted to go investigate and see if that was true."
Altair nodded curtly. "I understand. Shall we, then?" He extended a hand, and Asmodeus took it carefully.
The two of them walked through the Outer Frontier, eventually sitting down to take a break from the sun before continuing again.
After a long stretch of comfortable silence, Altair piped up. "A while ago, you mentioned a childhood friend and having six other siblings. What are they like?"
Asmodeus' expression became somewhat morose, as his gaze fell to the ground. Altair quickly added: "You don't have to talk about them."
"No… I think it'd be good to talk about them. I miss them dearly, after all…" Asmodeus replied. "I'll tell you about my friend and siblings if you tell me about the angels you worked with."
"It's a deal."
Asmodeus nodded, before beginning. "Well… to start, my childhood friend is named Astaroth. He has a short temper, and he's always getting into fights, but he's really smart and good at math! Just… not the best at controlling his anger.
"Out of my siblings, let's see… I'm the fourth oldest. There's my half-sister, Leviathan. She's the oldest. She loves shopping, fashion and fashion designing, baking, gossiping, and telling stories… oh, and the color pink. She's kind of bossy, haha… oh, but she'd freak out if I said that to her!
"Then there's my half-brother, Beelzebub. He's the second oldest, also kind of bossy… well, more of commanding. See, he was the general of Solyst's army before Hell was created. I think he misses that… he's kind to me, he helped raise me and taught me magic and chess… but he's definitely missing something. He doesn't come up to the surface as much as the others. In fact… I don't actually think he's come up to the surface at all recently.
"Oh, and I don't talk about her a lot, but… Mammon is my twin. She was born first, and she always dangles that over my head! Her greed is relentless, though. She's always stealing my stuff, no matter how well I hide it or how good I make the lock combination. She certainly has a knack for that… always attracted to anything that shines or glitters. She and Levi don't get along because of that.
"Mmm… then there's my half-sibling, Belphegor, they're younger than me. They're a little slow–but super intelligent. You can ask them any question, and they can answer it! Although… it may take a while for them to respond. I don't know why Belphegor is so slow… but they really are very smart.
"And finally… I guess there's the twins. They're also my half-siblings, but there's Lucifer and Iblis–Lucifer is super into showboating and magic tricks, while Iblis is… kind of quiet. The most you'll hear out of Ibbie is one of their telltale fits of anger, haha."
Asmodeus closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting a gentle smile spread across his face. Finally, he turned to Altair. "I suppose that means it's your turn, Altair. Tell me about angels… what are they like? I've only been on the receiving end of an angel's weapon… you're the only one I've gotten really close to."
Altair smiled back. "You're the only demon I've gotten close to. It's… hard to believe I was hunting you down not even two years ago, trying to bring an 'evil demon' to justice. Only to find your kindness and appearance striking and…"
He paused, before continuing breathlessly. "...beautiful." Asmodeus' face turned bright red, his pointed ears burning at the tips. He looked away, sheepishly, before mumbling, "Can you talk about your squad now…?"
Smiling at Asmodeus' embarrassment, Altair nodded. "My squad is known as Squad#G8, led by Gabriel, the tough yet gentle general. He sometimes pops by to check up on me… I should send him a message soon. There's Uriel–she is trained in several methods of fighting, but she prefers using her rifle.
"Jegudiel is next: right now they're on a self-proclaimed mission to protect the forest. They haven't returned to heaven for a while.
"Oh, and Rafaela and Taika are a pair. Rafaela will play music on her lute while Taika performs magic tricks–they've been together for almost a century now, and they're still traveling around and performing!
"And then Selaphiel… they may be the youngest, but they're the tallest–it's crazy! Right now, they're off building houses for people. I haven't seen them in a while, either.
"Oh, and Alpine… he's the newest recruit, only joined about seventy or eighty years ago. He's… odd… he never does something unless he's told to. But Echinine isn't a very commanding god. That being said, I do know Alpine has gotten good at braiding the other angels' hair."
Altair put a hand to his chin, frowning. "Mmm… My squad is off busy doing something for the people. Gabriel and Uriel defend the Frontier from… um… pardon my language, but demons. I used to fight with them, until… ah… I moved in with you. Jegudiel takes care of wildlife… Rafaela and Taika spread love and joy… and Selaphiel builds houses for those in need… and Alpine helps take care of the other angels from time to time."
Knocking a fist gently against his forehead, Altair began to grumble. "What… do I even do…?"
Asmodeus became solemn, his voice soft and gentle. "You've done a lot, Altair. For me and for everyone you meet… I see it all the time. The way you take on tasks and help the community, how you catch thieves and return stolen goods… you even play with the children and help fix fences! You're like a… jack of all trades! You can do all of that and more… and sure, you don't have a specialty… but that doesn't mean you're doing nothing."
A kind smile and a loving gaze. Asmodeus stared at Altair deeply and fondly, causing tears to well up in the angel's eyes.
Quickly turning and wiping his face, Altair tried to remark coolly, although the cracks in his voice gave away his inner feelings. "Th-thanks, Azzy… I, ah… uh… a… appreciate it."
Asmodeus pulled Altair into a tight hug, running a pointed finger down his spine, his tail curling gently around Altair's leg. The angel melted into the hug, wings wrapping around the both of them… feathers brushing against Asmodeus' ear like a gentle kiss.
"I want to serve you for our eternity." Altair said earnestly, locking eyes with Asmodeus. Again, Asmodeus' face turned bright red. He turned, covering his beet red ears with his hands. Altair chuckled at this, before slipping his hand into Asmodeus' and gently tugging him along.
"Come on… let's keep going. Let's go find that lily."
─── ♡ ♢ ☀︎ ✩ ☽ ♧ ♤ ───
Ahead of them lay a shack in shambles. Panicked, Savant climbed down from Armel's shoulders, tossing the inventions in his arms into the soft grass, and rushing forward, pushing the door open–although with all the holes and missing slats of wood, one could easily slip in without opening the door.
Savant tore through his hideout, searching desperately through the wreckage, before dragging his feet as he exited, closing the door behind him–again, perhaps unnecessary.
"Savant?" Armel asked, concerned. It was rare to see the professor in such a downtrodden state. "Are you…?"
"It's gone!" Savant declared dramatically, throwing his hands up. "All of my work before getting sold to the mafia–stolen! Possibly reviled, trashed… who knows what else?"
Armel ran a hand along the bottom of his chin. "Do you need them?"
"I need the metal," Savant replied. "Anemite is a flexible material used in machines because of its ability to absorb magic and change its own properties. I use it in all of my inventions, but it's one of the rarer materials. After all, it was only common in the…"
Savant perked up, spinning around to survey the landscape, before pointing at the ominous structure far in the distance. "The Star Kingdom. Come on, Armel… let's go."
The two of them traveled quickly, aided by Armel's powerful legs and Savant's directions.
─── ♡ ♢ ☀︎ ✩ ☽ ♧ ♤ ───
Uncapping a glass jar, Ignis gently plucked the petals from a red flower, dropping them into the jar. When the jar became full with the petals, he capped the jar again and affixed it to his belt.
"It's quiet in the Outer Frontier." Ginger murmured as they kept walking. "Usually you hear stories of shadowy figures in your peripheral, or of monsters like mimics and miasmoths and marasites attacking you."
"Don't jinx us just yet." Ignis hummed, detouring off the path to pluck some pine needles. Ginger and Kintsugi followed him, his bodyguards as he inspected them. He dropped them into a jar, returning it to his belt. "The miasma lurks everywhere… and it'll figure out your greatest fear and use it against you, y'know. Perhaps this peaceful feeling is a trap."
Ginger suddenly felt uneasy, but Ignis was already on the move again. Kintsugi and Ginger trailed behind, keeping an eye on the easily distracted magister.
While they were walking, Kintsugi turned to Ginger, his voice low. "Is the magister normally this… uh…"
"Distracted? Impulsive? Unable to stick to one thing?"
"That's one way to put it."
Ginger sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. Although he's great at focusing on things he's passionate about, like finding a way to break curses, he's… not so good at motivating himself to do things he doesn't want to."
"Oh? Like what?"
"Like eating, sleeping, sitting down, reading, cleaning-"
"I think I get the idea." Kintsugi cut her off before she tanked the magister's reputation. "I suppose he's just… not what I was expecting from a so-called "master wizard"."
"Don't get me wrong, he's a very talented magician. Very powerful and strong, too… he's just…" Ginger grimaced as Ignis tripped over his cape, causing him to huff and stop as he readjusted all of his clothes. "A bit… peculiar."
"I see…" Kintsugi relegated himself to looking after him, before adding. "So… if Ignis is so powerful, why does he need a bodyguard?"
Ginger pressed her lips into a thin line, before answering quietly, "Because he's lonely."
He didn't respond, merely studying Ignis and the way he kept looking back to make sure they were still following him. The way he'd yell in excitement when he found a plant rarely grown in the Inner Frontier. The way he kept making sure his cap was straight on his head and his gloves were unbunched around his fingers and wrist, constantly readjusting until he was satisfied.
Kintsugi thought back to before they set off, when Ignis insisted on taking a picture of the stove to reassure himself it was turned off, his candles in his lab that they were all out, and the front door to ensure it was locked. He noticed Ignis pull out his device to quickly swipe through the photos, just to remind himself that everything was ok.
"Everyone!" Ignis stopped, looking up at the dark, looming castle that had slowly gotten bigger and bigger as they approached. "Look–that castle… that's the Star Kingdom. I heard that the former king kept an archive of preserved seeds of a plant that no longer exists… but can cure anything. But no one can find the archive!"
"You… want to go to the dark and ominous castle, don't you?" Ginger muttered rhetorically.
Ignis nodded, adjusting his cap that shifted on his head, and then his gloves that shifted when he moved his arms.
"Don't worry, it should be safe," Ignis said as though it would ease Ginger's worries. It did not.
Of course, Ignis pressed forth anyways. Ginger and Kintsugi could only follow.
"You know…" Kintsugi murmured, running a finger along the golden scar running along the bottom of his pecs. "I think I might understand Ignis."
"Oh?"
Kintsugi nodded. "Not exactly the same, but… I spent so long trying to craft myself the perfect body. One that distanced myself from my past as much as possible. I adjusted and fussed over so many minor details that… well… no one would notice or even think about it. But I did. I worried and fretted over stuff I thought about all the time that others would not think about even once."
Looking towards Ignis, Kintsugi breathed out a sigh.
"I think… perhaps Ignis is thinking of things that most people wouldn't concern themselves with," Kintsugi continued. "But I don't know him as well as you."
Ginger simply nodded. "I think you're right. I just… wish he'd talk to me about the things he's going through. But he still treats me like a child!"
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"I don't blame Ignis. You're much too young to fully bear the struggles of an adult. Even if you were…" Kintsugi relayed. "It's a hard balance to find, between giving enough information that the other person can understand your plight, but also being vague enough that you don't weigh them down with all the gory details."
Ginger looked at the ground, before nodding. "I understand… but I can handle it. Really, I can! I know… the struggle of having no one to turn to when thoughts are plaguing my mind."
Kintsugi tilted his head, but didn't probe. As they reached the towering gates to the Stars Kingdom, he realized Ignis had fallen eerily silent and still.
Picking up his pace a little, he reached Ignis' side, tilting his head to look down at the wizard.
Ignis seemed lost in thought, his eye staring into the distance as he mumbled to himself, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Kintsugi wondered if he should snap him out of it, or let him keep babbling on like a madman.
He chose the former.
"Hey, Ignis."
Ignis' eye widened as he jumped at Kintsugi's sudden intrusion, before clearing his throat and adjusting his clothes.
"Yes?"
"Why're you trying to learn how to break curses?"
"I…" Ignis looked away, his eyes glazing over as they focused on nothing and everything at the same time. "I want to break my master's curse, as well as mine."
"Oh? I see."
The magister simply nodded, adjusting his clothes and pressing forth as they entered the towering halls of the kingdom.
─── ♡ ♢ ☀︎ ✩ ☽ ♧ ♤ ───
"We're here, Gordon. Do you know what this place is?" Cras unraveled itself from around Gordon's head, motioning towards the decrepit kingdom towering above them.
"The Stars Kingdom. I've heard some of the stories, but I was born in the desert. We didn't really care much about the Frontier's lore." Gordon continued walking, beginning to feel the sinister pull of the corrupted magic lurking nearby. "I can feel what you guys have been feeling. There's… an uneasy feeling in my gut, but I can't help but want to keep walking."
Hodie nodded. "That's the miasma for you–it slowly draws you in, then preys on your biggest fear or trauma. Be careful, Gordon… we've got your back."
His steps echoed through the desolate halls of the dimly lit castle, forgotten sconces and furniture covered in dust and webs. Anything valuable had already been stolen–as evident by the fallen chandelier that was missing most of its decorative crystals.
The darkness began to thicken, Gordon's chest tightening in response. Is this… because the miasma is thicker here…?
"It looks like the miasma is starting to take over the castle," Hesterno commented. "This growing darkness is a sign of that. We must hurry–even if our vision is lost, we can still find a way through."
Gordon braced himself, before taking a step into the darkness. Not even a moment had passed after pitch black engulfed him when Cras cried out, "Gordon! Look out!"
Whipping around, Gordon saw nothing, until a piercing and numbing feeling shot up his arm. He quickly stumbled back out into the light, dragging whatever had bitten his arm with him.
A strange, lanky creature with dark clouds of miasma dripping off of it had sunk its fangs into Gordon's arm, piercing through Hodie who was wrapped around Gordon's arms and torso. Hodie let out a hiss, writhing and struggling until the beast removed its grip on them both.
Almost immediately, the bite wound closed up, Hesterno unraveling from around his legs. "I've got you, Gordon. Let us press forward."
As if on cue, all of the snakes unraveled, lashing out at the beast and swarming it in a flurry of fangs and scales, biting and wrapping with as much force as they could muster. The miasma beast let out a pitiful whine until its entire body became enshrouded by the serpents. It struggled weakly, until it took its last breath.
Gordon vowed never to get on their bad side again.
The snakes found their way back to Gordon, assuming their established positions on his body. He shuddered to himself, before stepping around the beast's motionless body, taking another deep breath before heading back into the darkness that seemed to have crept closer while the snakes had been attacking the beast…
The beast that Gordon, had he looked back, would have noticed was gone.