Archive of Our Own

Amphoreus had well and truly become a part of the universe, their doors had been opened to visitors the year prior. However, open doors also invite problems, especially those that came with interested parties that were seeking their own profit over the wellbeing of the locals.

With a brand new planet with a unique constitution and a history that was finally starting to spread throughout the universe it was only natural that the IPC would be first in line to try and take a slice of the cake that had been placed on the table free for the picking.

Fortunately, those in charge of Amphoreus, namely Aglaea and Cerydra in some aspects, were no fools and were able to sniff out the IPC’s sketchy dealings and one sided contracts that they had proposed to them as a facade for an easy way into the cosmic trade routes and connection with all other developed civilizations under the IPC’s vast influence.

Aglaea was no fool, she had seen through that initial deal clearly but to her own regret she was woefully blind to the way these interastral relationships and deals worked, so she turned to the one group of people that she knew they could trust to help them out in this particular issue.

Stelle was the recipient of the initial message that asked if she would be available to have a call with the Chrysos heir, over a year had passed by since last time the crew had stopped by Amphoreus so when Stelle got that message requesting a call she got both excited to see her friends again as well as worried about something bad possibly happening.

Stelle walked into the parlor car, spotting Himeko right away where she sat by one of the tables with several documents spread around her, coffee in hand. At the sound of the door to the car hissing open she lifted her gaze to see Stelle walking in. “Well hello there, I thought you and March were busy with Aelia.”

Stelle shook her head, her gray hair flowing behind her after she’d let it grow out  a little more just below her shoulders. “Sunday needed March for something I think so she got busy, Dan Heng is sitting in the archives with her, she’s been showing more interest in the books he has around so he’s starting her a bit early on reading.”

Himeko smiled. “Oh wow, four years old and already starting to read huh?”

Stelle sat beside Himeko, leaning back on the chair with a sigh and a smile. “I guess she really is taking after Dan Heng in that regard, though honestly I’m quite happy about that.”

“As am I, She’s really an amazing child huh.” She put down the document in her hand back on the table, turning towards Stelle. “Alright so, what’s bothering you?”

Stelle blinked. “How did you know?”

“Come now, How many years have passed since you joined the express? It would be weirder if I hadn’t noticed something was off.”

Ah, well that made sense. “Well, I got a message from Aglaea. We had a short call and she told me she needs our help.”

“Oh, is…something wrong in Amphoreus?”

The Vidyadhara sighed, crossing her arms.Her tail thumped against the seat. “It’s the IPC.”

“The IPC…in Amphoreus?”

“Aglaea says she was approached by them a couple days ago, they were proposing some sort of contract to open up Amphoreus’ trade channels and connect them with the rest of the universe through the IPC’s channels but she suspects something more is going on, some of the stipulations of the contract seem to be very one sided in the IPC’s benefit. Her and Cerydra have their doubts about the whole thing but they don’t know enough about the way stuff works in the rest of the universe when it comes to all the process and everything, so Aglaea messaged me, we had a quick call where she told me everything and then asked if we could help them out.”

Himeko crossed her arms, her brows meeting as she pondered the situation over. “Looks like they just want help handling the IPC. I'm not surprised that they sent a team to try and make deals with Amporeus this fast, the tale of ‘As I’ve Written’ is finally making rounds throughout the cosmos and a lot of attention is in their story which makes it the IPC’s favorite type of target for expansion.”

“Yeah, which is why I’m worried. Is there a way we could help them?”

“What did you tell Lady Aglaea?”

“That I would talk with the rest of the crew and see what we could do.”

Himeko picked up her phone, which had been resting on the table in front of her. She looked at it for a while, seemingly looking at something before she sighed, her gaze not leaving the screen as she spoke. “Our schedule is pretty busy at the moment, Welt and I need to go to a meeting regarding the newly established intergalactic alliance of which the nameless are a key figurehead so we can’t really miss or postpone it. There is also the gala in Penacony that we got invited to and that you guys were going to attend tomorrow night…I don’t know if we can make time to visit Amphoreus, at least not for a few more days.”

Stelle sat there, her tail thumping lightly against her seat as she thought of what to do, then an idea finally popped in her mind. “So…what if March and Sunday go to the Penacony gala and Dan Heng and I stop by Amphoreus?”

“You would miss the gala for it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t particularly care for it, I know Dan Heng doesn’t either. Plus that would mean we wouldn’t need to find someone to leave Aelia with while we go there and instead we can take her with us down to Amphoreus.”

“Well…I don’t see any issue, and as long as some representatives of the nameless attend the gala that shouldn’t be an problem either…though, would sending Sunday and March alone be a good idea? I understand that Sunday has been offered a pardon recently thanks to Robin’s good word but to have him attend such a public event so soon…”

“Well, if you ask me, this would be the perfect time to do it. If he attends the gala and people see how much he’s changed while out with us then they’ll back Robin’s decision and Sunday will be free to roam Penacony again without needing to hide.”

“Maybe…well, talk to Sunday and March about it, see what they think. If Sunday has no issues with this plan of yours then we can chart a course to drop you and Dan Heng at a nearby station that will allow you both to use the space anchors to return to Amphoreus.”

Stelle stood up, a smile on her face. “Great! I’ll talk to March and Sunday and  come back after we decide what to do.”

Himeko laughed, finding Stelle’s energy amusing. “Sure thing.”

To Stelle’s immense relief Sunday agreed with her proposal, March immediately stepping up and claiming that she would make sure nothing went wrong while they went to Penacony. 

After that she returned to Dan Heng, to whom she had only told part of the story and had yet to realize that they would be making an impromptu detour to Amphoreus.

The door to the Archives slid open, Dan Heng was sitting on the floor by his desk and Aelia sat on his lap, a book between her hands that she was intensely looking at. Her hair had been growing a lot faster lately and her dark locks the same shade as Dan Heng’s were now reaching past her shoulders. Stelle smiled, stepping into the room and letting the door slide close behind her. “How’s the reading going?”

Dan Heng looked up, yet Aelia continued to look down at her boardbook that had several basic words in bright colors. “We’re slowly getting there, still working on her identifying all the letters.”

Aelia finally looked up, her tail immediately thumping against her father’s leg when her eyes landed on Stelle. “Mama!”

Stelle sat down in front of the two, pinching Aelia’s cheek slightly and leaning in to kiss the top of her head before she turned her attention to her mate. “I spoke to Himeko, as well as Sunday and March.”

“Oh? Did you ask them about what Aglaea and Cerydra could do to push back the IPC?”

“Not exactly…we have a little change of plans now.”

“Change of plans?” He started to grow suspicious, his gaze narrowing slightly. “Stelle…what did you do?”

She brought her tail over her lap, running her hands through the gray fur absentmindedly. “Well…how do you feel about paying Amphoreus a little visit?”

“Visit? But we have the gala in Penacony.”

“I talked to March and Sunday, they are both fine with taking over and attending in the express’ stead. Himeko and Mr. Yang are tied up with a meeting with the Intercalactic alliance so that leaves us free to go to Amphoreus.”

Dan Heng could already feel a headache forming. “Stelle…”

“What? Aglaea called asking for help, our two important events are set, there’s nothing to worry about. Plus, we haven’t been to Amphoreus in so long, don’t you miss our friends there? Also I know damn well you had been dreading going to that gala.”

“I do…I did, but that’s not the point. What about Aelia?”

At the mention of her name the girl looked up at her dad, slightly confused as to why her name was being brought up in the middle of a conversation she couldn’t quite understand completely just yet. Stelle reached out and took her daughter’s hand in hers. “What about her?”

“We can’t leave her alone on the express, who’s going to look after her?”

“We can bring her with us.”

“Stelle she’s four.”

“Yeah, and the only place she has properly visited has been the Luofu, and only in quick in-and-out visits into and out of the Alchemy commission for her checkups with Bailu.”

“She’s young, we can’t be bringing her down with us every time the express makes a stop.”

“I’m not saying we have to do that, I’m saying that at four years she needs to experience and see more than just the cars on the express…” she looked up at Dan Heng with pleading eyes, conveying her wish to him through their bond. “If there ever was a place that was safe enough for her to explore and travel to there is no better one than Amphoreus and you know that.”

It was true, the people of Amphoreus had always been friendly and kind, the lack of contact with the outside universe made it so it remained relatively safe by comparison and should they have the need to meet up with Aglaea and the IPC representatives alone he was sure that Tribbie, Hyacine or Castorice would be more than happy to look after Aelia for a little while. He sighed, mentally resigning himself. He knew that when Stelle set her mind for something he would be hard pressed to make her change.

“Alright then…we’ll all go to Amphoreus. When is this surprise trip going to happen?”

“Well…about that.”

This woman was going to be the death of him…

The following morning Stelle, Dan Heng and Aelia were standing by the space anchor on the parlor car, a large duffle bag slung over Dan Heng’s shoulder packing a simple change of clothes for each of them for the one night they would be staying there. Aelia had her own little backpack with a couple books and other things she wanted to bring in what would technically become her first proper adventure outside the express. She had been to the Luofu a couple times but rarely had they taken her anywhere outside the Alchemy commission, she had yet to set foot on Scalegorge Waterscape and when she asked about it this time around her dad hadn’t really given her a proper reason, only saying that he would take her there in due time…whatever that meant.

Stelle, who had been typing on her phone for a little while now, finally put it away, turning to look at Dan Heng. “Okay, I told Aglaea that we would meet her on the entrance to the market. Are we missing anything?”

He shook his head. “I’ve got our change of clothes and a few other essentials already packed.” He looked at where Aelia was kneeling on top of the long seat that lined the side of the parlor car with her gaze fixed on the view outside the express at the unique shape and color of Amphoreus while her teal tail swished back and forth excitedly, the colorful loop weaving and glimmering against the dark backdrop of space.

The girl was wearing black pants and a white shirt as well as a jacket similar to the one her mom wore, just instead of the grays and gold of Stelle’s Aelia’s was teal and white with a design that slightly resembled Dan Heng’s old coat. A gift from Himeko that she specially commissioned from a tailor back on the Luofu during one of their visits and that she had gifted to Aelia on her birthday a couple months ago along with a few more toys. 

The memory warmed his heart but he dashed it away to focus on their present task. With a smile still on his face he walked over to Aelia and placed a hand gently on her back. “You ready sunshine?”

Aelia’s expression brightened, her smile widening as she looked up at her dad with bright citrine eyes. “Yeah!”

“Alright, come here.” The girl climbed down from the seat and held her dad’s hand as he led her over to where her mom was standing by the space anchor. “Now, remember what we talked about last night about our trip?”

She nodded, standing straighter. “Don’t leave your side, don’t talk to strangers and be nice to others.”

The dragon smiled, ruffling her dark heir with his hand. “That’s my girl. Now, this will be your first time using a space anchor. Do you remember when I told you about these?”

“Mhm! They help us move from one place to another fast.”

“Exactly, so when we use it to leave you have to stay close to your mom and I and don’t let go of our hands okay?”

“Okay!”

“Right, then.” He turned to Stelle. “Ready?”

“I’ve been ready, can’t wait to see everyone again after so long.”

“A little over a year since we last visited. Hopefully things have been well.” Looking down, he grabbed Aelia’s hand, the girl practically bouncing with excitement as she tightly held onto her father. “Ready?”

She nodded her head excitedly, exchanging looks between her parents.

Stelle reached out towards the space anchor as she also held onto Aelia’s hand, feeling the characteristic warmth that always came with the use of the device.

Aelia closed her eyes tightly, feeling like her stomach did a flip as weightlessness gripped her at the same time as her world turned to white. When she felt solid ground beneath her feet again she was able to breathe easily again.

The sound of people talking and birdsong filled her ears and the warmth of light on her face finally prompted her to blink her eyes open, taking a few extra seconds to adjust. Her citrine eyes widened at the sight before her as a market street in white stone and marble with colorful stalls draped in vibrant cloth and decor spread before her. People walked around, kids that looked around her age ran around playing dressed in a style of clothes she had never seen as music gently drifted around her from somewhere she couldn’t quite find.

Stelle shared a look with Dan Heng at the sight of their daughter openly marvelling at the Okhema market, her eyes bright as she looked at everything around them while her tail continued to swish back and forth.

Dan Heng looked around, searching the crowd for the familiar characteristic silhouette of Aglaea. When he couldn’t find her right away he decided to move over to a clear spot under a tree where they could sit with Aelia until the Chrysos heir arrived. “Here, let's sit over there while we wait. You messaged Aglaea right?”

“Yeah, she just responded that she would be here in just a couple minutes.”

“Alright, let her know where we’ll be sitting so she doesn’t go around having to look for us.”

Stelle nodded, typing on her phone as Dan Heng guided the three of them closer to the market and then to a large tree where some stone benches were set up, a couple people were sitting there as a bard strung a tune on his instrument which immediately caught Aelia’s attention.

The girl saw a couple kids sitting atop a blanket that was placed on the floor in front of a guy that was playing some music, the sound was nice and pleasant and her parents had already taken a seat at the bench so she saw no harm in stepping just slightly away from them. Tugging at her dad’s hand she looked up at him with round eyes. “Papa, can I sit over there?”

Dan Heng looked over at the couple kids sitting in front of the bard, it was just a couple steps away from them and everything seemed to be pretty safe. “Alright, just make sure to be careful. Your mom and I will be right here.”

Aelia’s smile widened as she nodded eagerly before turning around and finding a spot in front of the bard, as she settled in amongst the other kids she found herself completely enthralled by the music, her tail thumping against the ground behind her.

The bard took notice, glancing at Dan Heng and Stelle for a second, enough for recognition to fill his eyes as he continued to play his music with renewed vigor.  The conflict and war against Irontomb might have been a while ago but to the citizens of Okhema the Chrysos heirs were, and forever would continue to be, heroes in their eyes.

It was a few minutes later that Aglaea arrived, greeting Stelle and Dan Heng with some relief that they had come to their aid even if it was a relatively simple matter. Her gaze was drawn to the kids enjoying the music, particularly over to the little Vidyadhara that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the crowd. Her eyes softened, practically feeling the irradiating joy from the little girl. “And that’s you two’s daughter, I presume?”

Stelle nodded, realizing that while Aglaea did know about Aelia she had yet to meet her. “Mhm. Aelia, she turned four a couple months ago.”

“She looks a just like you two.” The bard stood after finishing his current tune, bowing to his audience as they clapped and voiced their enjoyment of his performance, the kids were also starting to stand and walk towards their parents which prompted Aelia to do the same.

The girl stopped upon seeing Aglaea, her previous joy slightly dampened at the sight of a stranger. With quick moves she slid around the Goldweaver and half hid behind Stelle, clutching her leg and peeking out slightly as she looked at all three adults.

Stelle smiled, bringing her hand down on top of her head. “Aelia, this is Lady Aglaea. She’s a friend of ours, there is no need to be scared. Come out and say hi.”

With the reassurance from her mother some of the girl’s unease receded, however she was still not very comfortable with strangers so when she did come out of her hiding place to greet Aglea she continued to stare at the ground, her hands fisting her shirt slightly as her little tail remained stiff behind her. “Hello Lady Aglaea.”

The Chrysos heir smiled, kneeling so she could be at eye level with the little Vidyadhara and appear less scary. “Hello sweetie. It is very nice to meet you.”

Aelia looked her over, her eyes lingering on the intricate gold details of Aglaea’s clothes. “You have a pretty dress.”

Aglaea’s eyes shone, her smile growing. “Why thank you, you have very good taste little one. Your jacket is very pretty as well.”

The girl smiled shyly, her tail finally loosening up as tension bled from her small body and she grew a little more comfortable. “Thank you miss.”

With a wink Aglaea stood back up, looking at the two nameless. “Shall we take a walk while I explain what the current situation is?”

Aelia held onto her dad’s hand as they walked, she wasn’t paying much attention to their conversation and instead was way more invested in looking at her surroundings. There was a massive statue in the distance of what looked like a man carrying a huge ball with a star inside it, the buildings in the distance looked super tall and made her question how did people make it all the way to the top.

A rumble in the ground caused her to startle, jumping closer to her mom. Stelle looked down, worry in her eyes. “What’s wrong sunshine?”

“Ground is shaking…”

Stelle smiled. “Oh don’t worry, there is nothing to be scared of. It’s just the Dromas.”

Dromas? “What’s that?”

Before Stelle could answer, a huge creature came into Aelia’s field of view. It was as big as some of the buildings back in the place with all the shops, had a really long neck with white horns and purple scales. Aelia’s tail started to swish, her earlier fear immediately replaced by wonder as she looked at the giant creature walking by.

Stelle kneeled down, following her daughter’s line of sight. “That’s a Dromas. They’re native to Amphoreus and help move people and things around so you’ll see them a lot while we’re here.”

Aglaea noticed the scene and looked at Dan Heng. “The Dromas pens are just around the corner, I believe Hyacine and Castorice are there as well.”

The dragon nodded, this would be a good chance to ask if one of them could watch over Aelia while him and Stelle worked with Aglaea and met up with the IPC representatives that were still hanging around Okhema.

Unaware of their new destination Aelia continued to look after the Dromas as they resumed their walk, she was completely fascinated by the creatures and really wanted to see one up close. Just a few minutes later she spotted another two, this time there was a purple and a light blue one just standing outside so she was happy that it seemed like they would be walking right past them. 

It was then that her bright eyes widened impossibly more when they all stopped just outside a place that had a lot more Dromas, some were even small enough that she could probably pet their heads if she stood on the tips of her toes. Aelia gently pulled on her mom’s hand, getting her attention. “Mama, I wanna pet them!”

Stelle nodded. “Yeah we can go and pet them. Just remember, be careful and be gentle with them alright?”

“I will!”

“Okay, let's go then.” 

Aelia was doing everything in her power to keep herself from jumping as she and her mom walked into the place with all the dromas. They stopped in front of what looked to her like a wooden tub full of some sort of red rocks, her mom picked a couple up after talking with the man that was standing beside it and handed her a small piece. “This is redsoil, Dromas love to eat it so with it you can get really close to them. Do you want to try feeding them?”

Was that even a question? “Yes!”

Stelle laughed, looking up towards the nearest Dromas that were looking down at them with curious eyes. Stelle waved around her piece of redsoil which prompted the dromas to lean down, its long neck bending and its head starting to close in on the pair. “Okay, here they come. Reach up and keep the redsoil flat on your palm okay?”

“Yes mama.”

The Dromas saw Aelia, their eyes gravitating towards the piece of feed on her outstretched hand. With slow movements the creature paused to sniff her hand, scenting the food before opening their mouth and scooping up the food. Aelia smiled, the little bit of doubt that had creeped up on her when she saw the massive creature closing in on her vanishing in an instant at the soft feel of the Dromas’ snout as it touched her hand to pick up the redsoil.

She continued to feed it a couple more pieces before a cooing sound drew her attention behind her where now another Dromas was approaching her, this one was just barely bigger than she was and had a light green hide.”Look mama, this one’s very small!”

“They are, that’s because they’re still just a baby. Go on, give them some of the food you still have.”

She did so, after eating the dromas got closer to her, sniffing her hair and nuzzling against her which made Aelia set loose a laugh of pure joy as she reached out and started to pet the baby Dromas. Her gaze drifted around and eventually landed on two eggs that were sitting inside a nest, her head tilted to a side in slight confusion. “Mama, what are those eggs for?”

“Those are Dromas eggs, in due time they will crack open and another baby like the one you’re petting now will come out.”

Aelia nodded, still smiling. They’re like me, then!”

Just then Dan Heng approached, a laugh leaving him after catching what his daughter had just said. “Not quite, but I guess for now you could say it’s somewhat similar.”

The girl continued to look at the eggs for a bit before her citrine eyes brightened, turning her attention back to her dad as her tail swished quickly behind her. “Papa, can we take an egg so we can have a Dromas back home?”

Stelle snorted, fighting back a laugh as she covered her mouth and looked away. Dan Heng felt panic well inside him. “Well…sunshine, we can’t take a Dromas back home. They are big animals and we don’t have the space for them.”

“But look.” She hugged the neck of the small Dromas beside her.”This one’s small.”

“It is, but only for now. With time they’ll grow just as big as all the other ones you see here. We can’t fit a Dromas in the express and I don’t think the conductor would appreciate it too much.”

Aelia took a step closer to her dad, grabbing onto his clothes as she made the infamous puppy eyes up at him. “Pleeease.”

Dan Heng swallowed. He turned his attention to Stelle. “Starlight, a little help here?”

“Sorry, this is all you. I can’t do anything against those eyes.”

“Neither can I…”

Aelia pressed on, standing on her tip toes as she looked up at Dan Heng. “Pretty pleeease papa.”

The dragon took a deep breath, fighting back the urge to cave into his daughter’s pleas. “Aelia, we can’t. Think about their parents, they would be really sad if we took their baby don’t you think?”

She stopped. She hadn’t thought about it like that. “Well…I guess.”

“You wouldn’t want them to be sad right?”

She shook her head, seemingly letting go of her attempts at convincing her parents to adopt a Dromas but looking visibly saddened by it. Dan Heng kicked his brain into overdrive trying to think of something to make the situation better. Then it finally hit him. “Aelia?”

She looked up at her dad, the little Dromas she had been petting now moving to nuzzle her cheek “Yeah?”

“How about this? Instead of taking them with us we can ask if you can adopt the little guy there beside you, they would have to stay here but whenever we stop in Amphoreus you can come here and see them. That way they will have space and the company of other Dromas to grow up happy but you can still come around to visit.”

The girl’s eyes lit up immediately, wrapping her little arms around the little green Dromas. “We can do that?!”
“It’s just an idea. Let me talk to their owner and see what we can work out alright?”

Aelia nodded eagerly. Dan Heng sighed as he started to walk towards one of the caretakers, stopping by Stelle who was smirking at him. “What…?”
“You can really never say no to her can you?”

“You dropped the situation on me, be happy I managed what I did otherwise you would’ve been in charge of explaining to Pom Pom why we would need a new car added onto the train that’s three times as tall as any of the other ones.”

The mental image of having to face Pom Pom if they had returned to the express with an egg or a baby Dromas was enough to send a cold shiver down her spine. “You know what, you’re right.” She leaned closer to him, planting a kiss to his cheek. “You’re the best.”

Aelia noticed as her dad was walking away two new strangers were approaching, one of them had bright pink hair that reminded her of aunt March and the other had purple hair and a pretty dress. Her mom greeted them with a big smile and hugs which immediately put her at ease…that was, of course, until their attention was on her and she found herself wanting to hide behind the little green Dromas.

Stelle took a step forward, approaching her daughter. “Aelia, these are Hyacine and Castorice, they are also good friends of both me and your dad.”

Castorice kneeled down, almost sitting on the ground as she smiled at Aelia. “Hi there little one. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Hyacine stood next to Castorice, smiling and looking very excited. “Hello Aelia, don’t be scared, we’re friends.”

She stood quiet for a few seconds, trying to recall their names. “Hello miss Cas…Castor-” What was the rest of it again?

Castorice giggled. “It’s alright, you can just call me Cass.”

Hyacine, guessing that the girl might run into a similar problem with her own name also jumped in. “And you can just call me Cinny.”

The girl nodded 

Aelia couldn't deny that she was feeling nothing but comfortable warmth from both of them, they seemed nice enough and seemed to get along well with her mom.

Castorice reached up, scratching the head of the little Dromas. “I see you’ve met one of our new baby Dromas, are you liking Okhema so far?”

This managed to pull a smile out of the girl. “Yeah! Everything is very pretty and the Dromas are the best!”

This cracked open a more comfortable conversation between the two Chrysos heirs and the young Vidyadhara, Aelia growing more and more comfortable with them both by the minute. Dan Heng returned a few minutes later, to Aelia’s immense joy he had managed to work out a deal with the caretaker which basically made it so the little green Dromas, whose name he now knew to be Melon, would be stationed in Okhma and be used mostly for local work so that whenever the express happened to stop by Aelia could come over and see her again. Dan Heng had offered to pay for the partial purchase of the creature but the caretaker had refused on account of who Dan Heng and Stelle were. That and also the mother of the little Dromas was his own companion so he was more than happy to allow the little girl to adopt her and have her stay close to her own mom.

All’s well that ends well, he supposed.

Aglaea returned then as well, telling the nameless that the two IPC representatives had agreed to meet up in a little bit back in the bathhouse. They still didn’t know that the two trailblazers were here and it was better that it stayed that way until they met up so they didn’t have time to change up whatever their plan was before meeting. Dan Heng looked over at Hyacine who had been making bubbles that Aelia was only too happy to pop and chase. “Hyacine, can I ask you something?”

She turned towards the dragon, allowing Castorice to take care of entertaining Aelia with her butterflies. “Of course Dannie, what is it?”

“Stelle and I are going to help Aglaea with some things but we can’t bring Aelia with us for it. I know it might be too much to ask but could you and Castorice watch over her for a little bit while we take care of this?”

Hyacine smiled, her eyes shining. “Oh, of course! She’s really sweet and Cassie and I just finished up with the things we needed to get done for the day so we are both free.”

Dan Heng sighed, a breath of relief. “Thank you, I’ll make sure to repay you both for this.”

“Repay? Oh no, there is no need for that. We’re friends! And besides, this is no trouble at all so don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything. Just give Cassie or myself a call or a message whenever you are done.”

The dragon nodded, giving a small bow of his head. “Thanks, I mean it.” He then turned to Aelia, walking over to her and kneeling next to her. “Having fun sunshine?”

The girl nodded. “Cass and Cinny are fun to play with!”

Cass and Cinny, huh? He had to suppress a small laugh at that, he supposed that “Castorice” and “Hyacine” might be a little too much for her to remember and pronounce for now. “Well I’m glad you’re having fun.” He reached out, taking her little hand in his own. “You mom and I are going to help Lady Aglaea with some grown up things, would you be okay to stay with your new friends here while we do that?”

Aelia seemed to ponder the question seriously before she finally looked up to meet her dad’s eyes, her citrine eyes still looking bright and without a hint of fear or anxiety. “Yeah!”

Dan Heng leaned forwards, placing a kiss to her forehead. “That’s my girl. Be careful and listen to everything Hyacine and Castorice tell you okay?”

“Yes papa.”

“Don’t stray far from them either.”

“I won’t, promise!”

Dan Heng sighed, fighting back the slight anxiety that was bubbling within him at the thought of leaving his daughter under someone else’s care somewhere that wasn’t the express or Bailu’s office. He knew Castorice and Hyacine would do a great job but he still couldn’t help it. Standing back up he rubbed Aelia’s head, ruffling her dark hair and making her giggle. “Alright, Have fun okay?”

“Yeah!”

With another set of thanks to Castorice and Hyacine he walked back to Aglaea as Stelle approached Aelia. “Ok sweetie, be good okay? And have fun. We’ll meet back up tonight, yes?”

“Yes mama!” Stelle smiled, loving how much her daughter had opened up in the last few minutes alone.

Standing up she thanked the two Crysos heirs and walked after Dan Heng, the couple soon disappearing with Aglaea.

After spending a while longer in the Dromas pens Castorice and Hyacine took Aelia to grab some food at the market, sitting down at a small outside table where they ate while Aelia talked about her life on the express and the stuff she liked to do. Hyacine was impressed by the fact that she was already starting to learn to read and Castorice pulled out her notebook and a pen so that the girl could draw when she mentioned she liked to do so. As they were finishing their food a familiar head of red hair happened to see them.

“Cassie, Cinny! What are you two doing out here?”

Hyacine turned around, finding herself face to face with Tribbie as she fluttered down beside their table. “Oh, Lady Tribbie! Cassie and I were just taking little Aelia here for some food.”

“Aelia?” She leaned over the side of Hyacine, her eyes finally landing on the young Vidyadhara who was curiously tilting her head at her. “Oh! Is this…Stelle and Dan Heng’s daughter?”

Castorice nodded, turning then to Aelia. “Aelia, this is Lady Tribbie, another good friend of ours and of your parents.”

Aelia looked back to Tribbie as the Chrysos heir walked over to her side with nothing but pure excitement in her eyes. She looked to be not too much older than her if she went only by how tall she was which made her feel more comfortable than if she were talking to another adult she didn’t know. “Hello, I’m Aelia.”

“Aelia, that’s a pretty name! And you’re very pretty too!”

The girl smiled looking back down at the drawing she’d been doodling for a little bit now. “Thank you…what’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Tribbie! It’s nice to meet you.” She turned to Castorice. “Where are Stelle and Dan Heng?”

“Helping Aglaea with some business, they asked us to look after their daughter while they did so and Hyacine and I decided to bring her here to get some food after we let her play with the Dromas.”

Tribie moved to sit down on the seat beside Aelia. “So you’ve met our cute Dromas then! Did you like it?”

Aelia nodded eagerly, smiling. “Yeah! They’re very cute and nice, but a lot of them were very big so I couldn’t play with them too much.”

Tribbie’s eyes lit up suddenly, an idea clearly having taken shape “Oh, I have an idea! Our little Chimera workforce is assembling in one of the gardens above the baths for some playtime, you will love them for sure! Would you like to come meet them?”

Aelia put her pen down, her full attention now on Tribbie. “Chi-Chimeras?”

“Yeah, if you liked the Dromas you’re gonna love them.”

Another creature like the Dromas? Now she was definitely interested. “I wanna see!”

“Great! Let’s go then.” She stood from her chair, Castorice and Hyacine doing the same. “Come on everyone, I can open a gate for us to get there faster.”

Hyacine stepped forwards, placing a hand on Tribbie’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t use your gates so carelessly, we can walk there. Besides, it will allow little Aelia to see more of Okhema this way.”

“Hmm…I guess you’re right. Well, in that case what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Aelia handed Castorice her notebook and pen again, thanking her before stepping closer to Tribbie as the two started walking, Hyacine and Castorice walking just behind them and keeping a vigilant eye out the entire way while also pointing out interesting spots and sights to the little Vidyadhara who was drinking every new sight with the intent of committing it to memory it seemed like.

Walking all the way to the baths took a while but once there Aelia was fascinated by the massive cascading water fountains that seemed to fall from high up in the roof all the way to a massive pool where people were hanging out. She made a mental note to ask her parents if they could let her go for a swim later. She loved the water and having such a massive pool all around her was a strong temptation.

The group went up an elevator and up a couple more twisting hallways until they finally reached a large open garden with a view of the massive statue holding the star that she had seen from afar earlier, people were milling about their business and Aelia was fully enraptured by the pretty colors of all the flowers and plants strewn about the grassy plateau. Tribbie ran ahead towards a whole group of small creatures that seemed to be a little above knee-height compared to her, they were all different colors and had unique little things that made it very easy to distinguish one from another, especially so when she finally walked closer.

Tribbie leaned down, picking up a red chimera with a pale flower on its head and purple-blue eyes like her own. “Here, this is Candied Apple, they’re my own little chimera!” The creature cooed and wriggled in Tribbie’s hold, happy.

Aelia looked around at all the different chimeras, immediately a wide smile grew on her face as she walked closer to Tribbie. “Can I pet them?”

“Of course!”

Reaching out she let the Chimera sniff her hand first, the way her parents had taught her to do when petting someone’s pet. The little creature trilled before pushing its soft head against her hand, earning an immediate giggle from the Vidyadhara as she gained more confidence to pet its head and scratch its chin. 

A nudge on her leg made Aelia look down in time to find two more chimeras. One of them was orange with a warm brown fluffy puff of fur around its neck and red eyes, the other was gray and had two white horns of different sizes, a set of bright blue eyes were looking up at her expectantly. Tribbie looked down and giggled. “That’s Fig Stew and Vigethos! They’re Lord Mydei and Lord Phainon’s Chimeras, they’re usually busy and don’t come around much so they like coming up to others for attention. You can pet them, they’re both really nice to strangers, if only a little feisty with each other.”

Aelia kneeled down, glancing  between the two chimeras as they rubbed themselves against her with persistent purrs and coos. She reached down to let them sniff her hand but before that could happen Fig Stew jumped on her, nuzzling against her face and making her tumble to the ground amidst a fit of giggles.

Vigethos jumped on Fig Stew, knocking them off of Aelia as the two chimeras tumbled on the grass for a bit before returning their attention to the girl who was completely absorbed in her joy as more chimeras started approaching her.

Tribbie introduced each of the chimeras to her and Aelia was only happy to give them all attention, rubbing their soft little heads and bellies while waist deep in the fluffy little creatures that went from begging for attention to chasing each other in a heartbeat.

After a while most of the chimeras started tiring out and finding spots in the grass to lay down and sleep. Tribbie was sitting on the edge of the garden with Castorice and Hyacine while Aelia remained in her chosen spot in the grass amongst most of the chimeras, or at least that was the case until she spotted one particular chimera curled up under a tree that she hadn’t seen approach her or play around with the others since she arrived.

Curious, she stood up and started approaching the tree. The little creature was curled up, likely sleeping, with its back towards her so all she could see were its black and cream body and a scaly teal tail.

Aelia crouched down close to it, prompting the chimera to wake. They raised their head, yawning as they turned to look at her with teal and gold eyes that were still heavy with sleep.

Aelia’s little jaw dropped as she saw the golden horns and teal collar of fluffy fur around their neck, combined with that teal tail an image of her dad immediately made its way into her mind as she sat down under the shade of the tree with the chimera who was now coming to stand, taking a few steps closer to her and sitting in front of her with a curious gaze.

The little Vidyadhara extended her hand out and the chimera leaned towards her, their little nose twitching as they smelled her until recognition suddenly filled their eyes and it cooed while pushing their head onto Aelia’s hand.

The girl giggled while scratching the chimera’s head between its horns, watching as their little tail wagged back and forth while continuing to purr. Footsteps made Aelia look behind her in time to see Tribbie as she walked up to her, a smile on her face. “Oh, you found Toasty Dragon!”

“Toasty Dragon?”

“Hmh, that’s their name! They usually stay away from strangers but they seem to have taken a liking to you.”

Castorice walked over then, crouching down next to Aelia. “They used to spend time with your dad during his time in Amphoreus a while back, they might have recognized his scent from you and that’s why they’re so friendly.”

Toasty Dragon climbed up on Aelia’s lap then, laying down again and kneading their paws on her leg, causing her to giggle as she stroked the chimera’s back gently. Tribbie sat down next to Aelia. “I’m glad that they took a liking to you! They’re usually pretty lonely and most times even I can’t get too close to them. Pretty much every chrysos heir has a chimera of their own but with your parents travelling around as much as they do Toasty Dragon has been pretty lonely.”

An idea popped in Aelia’s mind then. Dromas grew very big and that had been the reason her dad had given her as to why they couldn’t have one, but chimeras didn’t seem to grow nearly as much and the more she spent with the little one on her lap the less she wanted to think about having to leave them behind.

Funny enough Toasty Dragon seemed to be of the same mind since when the group finally started to move to another place the little chimera followed them dutifully, or they followed Aelia,  would be more accurate to say. From the descent to the baths all the way back to the markets the little chimera walked beside Aelia, tail high and the occasional trill and coo filling the quiet.

After more time went by Aelia started to feel exhausted, yet the sky was still bright, which confused her considering that she felt the way she usually did when she was getting ready to go to bed. The girl yawned, leaning back on the plush couch she had been sitting on with one of the books she had brought from her home while Toasty Dragon remained curled up sleeping against her side. She turned to Hyacine, the only one that remained from the trio since Castorice had left earlier to accompany Tribbie to do something for a while. “Cinny…is there no night here?”

“Night?”

“When it gets dark out and people sleep.”

“Oh! Well the dawn device makes it so it’s always daylight out so it never really gets dark in Okhema…are you tired?”

She nodded, another yawn preventing her from responding with anything less than that. Hyacine laughed, picking up a cushion and placing it down beside the sleepy dragon. “Here, you can rest your head here and take a nap. I’m sure your parents won’t be too much longer now.”

Aelia immediately complied, shifting so she was laying on her side with her head on the cushion. Her movement made Toasty Dragon shift as well, the chimera immediately nuzzling against her once she laid down, Aelia smiled and wrapped her arm around them, tucking the chimera against her chest as they purred happily while also curling up to sleep.

Hyacine smiled, returning to the book she had been reading and continued to keep silent watch over Aelia while waiting for Stelle and Dan Heng’s return.

Stelle sighed, pushing open the door to the study she’d been stuck in for the entire day. As expected, the IPC representatives had been shocked to see the two nameless there, they had also been less than happy about that same fact when they revealed that they were there to help Aglaea.

The goldweaver had been right to call them, the original contract that had been proposed to her was heavily skewed to guarantee the IPC maximum profit while barely leaving any crumbs for Amphoreus and some of the clauses looked to be borderline illegal to Stelle.

The fresh air renewed her immediately as she leaned over a balcony railing to peer at the people mingling below minding their own business. As happy as she was to be helpful she was very glad to be done with it after how annoying the IPC people had been. A hand on her waist brought a smile to her face, immediately recognizing Dan Heng as he leaned down to place a kiss on her temple. “Tired?”

“Exhausted, but I’m glad we were able to help.”

Dan Heng nodded. “It would’ve been complicated for Aglaea and Cerydra to handle this alone considering how much of the contract remained buried under technicalities and language referring to how things work outside Amphoreus. It’s clear that this was an intentional way to attempt to take advantage of them.”

“I know, leave it to the IPC to resort to such dirty tricks…”

Dan Heng let out an amused huff, the tip of his tail curling over Stelle’s. “Well it’s over now, you hungry?”

“A little, should we pick up Aelia before we get some food?”

“Not a bad idea. I’ll contact Hyacine.”

Pulling his phone from his pocket he sent the heir a message, she responded almost immediately. To Dan Heng’s surprise and relief Hyacine told him that they were close to where they had the meeting with Aglaea, just a few floors down in one of the courtyards. Dan Heng thanked her and let her know that they would be there in just a little while.

Stelle saw Dan Heng smile as he typed one more message before he put his phone away and turned to her. “I think we can go grab something to eat before going to pick her up.”

“Oh? Why, did something happen?”

“Hyacine says she’s asleep. Guess exploring around really tired her out.”

Stelle smiled, feeling warmth in her chest. “Well…shall we go then?”

The couple stopped at a food stall to grab something to eat, sitting down for just a few minutes before starting to make their way to where Hyacine told them her and Aelia were waiting. When they finally arrived at the courtyard where Hyacine was they were greeted by the two Chrysos heirs from where they sat at a stone table. Dan Heng could already see Aelia’s feet peeking out from around the seat and once he approached he felt like his heart fluttered in his chest at the sight before him.

Aelia was curled up in the seat next to Hyacine, her head on a cushion, and she had an arm wrapped around a familiar chimera he immediately recognized. “Is that…”

Castorice giggled, then answered. “Toasty Dragon. Lady Tribbie found us earlier and we spent a while in the gardens above the baths where all the chimeras gathered. These two immediately took a liking to each other and Toasty Dragon has refused to leave her side ever since. Not that Aelia herself seemed willing to do the same, of course.”

Stelle leaned over his shoulder, her tail swishing behind her when her gaze landed on her daughter. Quickly she took out her phone and snapped a picture, unwilling to let this moment live only in her memories.

The commotion caused the chimera to wake up, sitting up and yawning, in return that caused Aelia to stir. The girl opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing her eyes as she yawned, when she finally cracked them open and saw her parents a smile grew on her face. “Mama, papa!” She climbed down from the seat, running to Stelle and hugging her legs.

“Had a fun time sweetheart?”

She nodded, looking up. “Cass and Cinny were very nice, I also met Tribbie. We explored a lot!”

Dan Heng smiled. Toasty Dragon jumped down from the seat, walking over to Dan Heng with bright eyes. Aelia noticed and immediately walked over, kneeling down and hugging the chimera close to her. “Papa, can we keep Toasty Dragon?”

Oh no…

The dragon coughed, clearing his throat. “Aelia we can’t—”

“Melon would grow too big so we couldn’t keep her, but Toasty is small!”

Stelle kneeled down. “Aelia you already have Puffball and Trash cake.”

The girl pouted. “Puffball is never there and Trash cake hides whenever I try to pick them up!”

“Well, we can try and see if—”

“Toasty is really good and miss Tribbie said that they used to spend time with dad when you were here before. Right dad?”

Dan Heng froze, not liking the fact that attention was on him again. “I…yes, we were together for a while during our first time here in Amphoreus but…Aelia, we can’t just take them from here. This is their home, you wouldn’t like it if you were taken away from home right?”

That got her thinking, she most definitely would not like to be taken from her home. Her eyes drifted down to the little chimera that was constantly purring. Hyacine and Castorice exchanged a look, mischief glowing in both their eyes as Hyacine turned to look at the couple. “Actually, Tribbie mentioned that this little one doesn’t usually spend time with the other chimeras or even other people. They seem to prefer being on their own, but when Aelia showed up they immediately piped up and have been happier than I’ve seen them in a long time.”

The couple stared at the healer with disbelief, baffled that she was taking Aelia’s side. The girl immediately smiled then, seeing that Toasty Dragon wouldn’t be sad if she took them with her back to the express. “See papa? They wouldn’t mind!”

Stelle and Dan Heng exchanged looks again, Stelle sighed and smiled, crossing her arms and taking a step back. “Your call, cold dragon young.”

Dan Heng sighed, closing his eyes. “You’re leaving this to me again?”

She shrugged. “Look at her, I can’t say no to those eyes.”

Glancing down at his daughter he opened his eyes again and was immediately hit with the full force of Aelia’s infamous puppy eyes that had claimed many a victim even at her young age. Those citrine pools were wide and glowing as she continued to look up at him while hugging the little chimera who was also looking up at him with pleading eyes that told him the little guy was more aware of the situation unfolding now than what he would’ve guessed.

Dan Heng sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes.

The conductor would not be pleased with this…

The family spent the night in the same room they had used when they first stayed in Amphoreus, an extra kline was brought in for Aelia who upon arriving in the room immediately fell asleep, Toasty Dragon curled against her as she once again wrapped an arm around them.

Stelle tucked her in, placing a kiss to her forehead between the little golden nubs that were now small horns more than nubs before sitting back on her own kine as Dan Heng did the same on the other side.

Stelle laid down facing him, hand coming up to press on the spot between his eyebrows. “Stop frowning, you’re gonna get wrinkles.”

He smiled, small, then sighed. “I don’t know how we’re going to explain this to Pom Pom…or the rest of the crew for that matter. Puffball comes and goes as they please and don’t need anything to be happy, Trash cake also doesn’t need much and they’re pretty self sufficient which is why there was no problem there but…chimeras are different, they’ll need food and proper care.”

“Which is why this is a great opportunity to teach Aelia responsibility."

“She’s four, Stelle.”

“And yet she’s already starting to learn to read and we both know from what we’ve seen as well as from what Bailu has told us that she’s ahead of other kinds her age when it comes to learning and comprehension.” She leaned closer to him, placing a soft kiss to his lips. “It’ll be fine, worst case scenario we let Aelia talk to Pom Pom, if we couldn’t say no to her I doubt that they’ll be able to.”

Good point, actually… “Lets hope that that’s the case then.” He hugged Stelle close then, the woman tucking her head under his. “I contacted the express, they’re in Penacony for the night but they’ll make the jump to a closer port so we can teleport back using the space anchors by morning so we’ll have to be up early.”

Stelle nodded, yawning before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to take her into the blissful depth of its embrace.

A white flash in the parlor car made everyone aboard turn towards it. Himeko had been going through some documents while drinking her coffee and Welt and Sunday were talking to Pom Pom about making a list of spare parts they would need to get for the express, March was going through the pictures she had taken at the gala but now all eyes were on the space anchor as three familiar figures materialized from the light.

March was the first one to walk over to them. “Welcome back! Hopefully everything went smoothly?”

Stelle nodded. “For the most part yeah, the IPC had the contract set heavily in their favor but Dan Heng and I took care of making sure that won’t happen again.”

March looked down, about to address Aelia. “And how was your time exploring— Oh…”

Aelia had a wide smile on her face, the little chimera she had brought along still wrapped in her arms as she had been instructed to do for their  jump back aboard the express. March looked up at both parents and found them averting their gaze, her mind connected the dots immediately as she smiled and crouched down to be at eye level with the young Vidyadhara. “So, are you going to introduce us to your new friend Aelia?”

This made everyone turn their attention towards them, walking over to see what March was talking about. Meanwhile Aelia dropped Toasty, the chimera sitting next to her while looking around at the new environment they found themselves in. “This is Toasty Dragon! They’re my new friend. Mama and papa let me bring it with us!”

By now everyone had gathered, Himeko was covering her mouth as she stifled a laugh while Welt scratched the back of his neck nervously while looking at Pom Pom as they made their way to the front of the group. The conductor looked at the chimera and at Aelia before turning their gaze up at the couple, stomping their foot on the ground. “Passengers Stelle and Dan Heng, Pom Pom said no pets on the express! Pom Pom is going to need an explanation right now!”

Dan Heng sighed, knowing that this was inevitable. “Yes, conductor…”

After ten minutes of explaining and one very persistent Aelia pitching in to convince Pom Pom the conductor finally relented, barely, but they allowed Aelia to keep the little chimera aboard as long as she took complete responsibility for them and made sure to keep everything clean and organized.

Stelle had to admit that she initially had her doubts about agreeing but that night, when she saw Aelia asleep in her bed with the little chimera wrapped in her arms she couldn’t help the warmth that bloomed in her chest.

Maybe this hadn’t been too bad an idea.

After all, when it comes to pets a chimera from Amphoreus was certainly a great choice if you asked her.