Chapter Text
“Camellia on your left!”
The Valkyrie's spear lashed out at the Archangels attempting to flank them, spearpoint honed by Schicksal technology easily piercing the chitinous armor of the small Honkai beasts. The staccato of Sophia's pistol fire and the roar of Project Bunny's cannon accompanied each strike, the women fending off wave after wave of these airborne manifestations of the Honkai. Cecilia had left a disintegrating trail of her own foes as she carved a path towards the base of the mountains.
Each breath came heavy as Mei rushed to follow close behind her. Every step seemed to draw another hiss of pain from the Herrscher whose arm was slung over her shoulders, but still they forged on. Isabella was close behind, a salvaged cargo sled from what remained of their airship carrying precious supplies as its hover tech glided over the ever rockier ground. Bronya was perched precariously within the shelter of large cargo boxes, the Herrscher curled up in pain and writhing as forces unseen assaulted her body and mind. Project Bunny stuck close to Isabella, determined to protect the Herrscher.
For her part, Mei had been unsure at first about pulling Kiana along like this. The terrifying cracks and Honkai corruption that had appeared along her skin had filled her mind with a fear of accidentally snapping the woman's arm off, splitting apart as she appeared to be. However, the roar of an incoming horde of Honkai beasts had given them little option but to grab what they could and flee.
“Sophia!” Isabella yelled. The woman valiantly attempted to stay a steady course, even as she sprinted full speed to stay ahead of attacks from the Honkai beasts, “Get these Knights off my ass!”
Dexterous fingers snatched a palm sized cylinder of Honkai off her belt. A quick pull of a pin and the Honkai powered grenade flew through the air and exploded just far enough away that Isabella and Bunny were not caught in the blast.
The woman looked like she had a few choice words for her ally but choked them down in favor of continuing to run.
It didn’t take much longer until the flat dirt and dead underbrush of the corrupted land they had crashed in began to give way to rockier, more treacherous terrain as the Honkai beasts pushed them into the mountains. These mountains had been their objective regardless, but Mei would have greatly preferred not entering them at full speed and under attack. Every once in a while Kiana’s cracked body would glow from her wounds. A pulse that coincided with the woman stumbling and failing to bite back another groan of pain. Precious seconds lost. More ground gained by the Honkai.
“Fuck!” Kiana yelled through her labored breathing, “Mei, turn us around!”
The priestess eyed her Goddess incredulously, “What?!”
The land slanted upwards and the women were forced to scramble up dubiously stable ground, no time to slow down or consider the best path. Caihong had jumped back and slid down the incline to give Isabella’s cargo the extra push it needed to stay ahead. If the sled had not been equipped with hover tech their situation would be dire indeed. The constant retort of pistol fire was only broken up by Sophia’s announcement that she was going to run out of ammo if they kept on like this. Project Bunny continued to prove a godsend, its clawed hand and cannon batting away Honkai beasts and blasting them to bits, buying Isabella and Caihong precious time.
“Just get us up that incline and then do it!” Kiana growled through the pain.
As soon as her foot hit the top, Mei bodily swung them both around. A small flash of light from Kiana’s palm and the woman now held an elegantly crafted white double-barreled pistol in her free hand. The barrels began with a black color near the rear and faded into the amethyst of Honkai at the end of the barrels, the gradient an obvious tell of what powered the weapon. Kiana raised a shaky arm and squeezed the trigger. The resulting blast disintegrated every Honkai beast nipping at their heels. The recoil threw Kiana’s arm back with a yelp of pain, and Mei found herself once again worrying that the woman might start completely coming apart at the seams. A writhing sea of white and pink would soon reach the incline and begin surging up towards them. They didn’t have much time, even as Project Bunny gave the sled an extra push over the incline. Before Mei could decide it was better to keep running, Kiana shifted her aim. The next blast shook the mountainside, stone and dirt shaken from their settled foundations and sent tumbling down in a wave of death. Both towards the Honkai, and towards themselves.
The pistol disappeared from her hand, “Run!” Kiana croaked.
Mei didn’t need to be told twice. She called upon her gems, allowing even more Honkai energy to roar through her exhausted body as she dipped low and wrapped an arm behind Kiana's knees to pull her up into a bridal carry.
The others had kept running and now Mei found herself playing catch up. Lugging her injured Goddess along through unknown mountains had not been on her list of things to expect in this strange place, but it was a task she took to with fervor. Her Honkai energy seemed to writhe with a restless excitement as it surged through her body. Sparks of purple lightning jumped across her skin as she chased after her companions with an inhuman strength and agility. Her gems might be the only reason she had been able to keep up this long, Kiana hanging off her shoulder most of the way. Now taking her full weight distributed across both arms, the Herrscher was surprisingly light. Or maybe that was because of her own Honkai energy boosting her physicality? Either way the way was treacherous, not only because of the loose rock and uneven terrain, but there was also the constant threat of her exhausted mind succumbing to the strain of controlling her Honkai energy.
Their path led them through a narrow trail through the rock just big enough for the sled to comfortably fit, the pebbles and other debris strewn between larger boulders suggesting a route carved by water. Not the best entrance, but the Honkai beasts weren’t about to slow down and allow them their choice. The deafening rumble and crash of stone against stone vibrated loose rocks along the path, making their quick retreat even more treacherous. Several times Mei’s foot would land on a rock only for it to shift dangerously as it took her weight. Somehow (she really didn’t know if she was lucky or Kiana was aiding her in some way) she managed to avoid rolling her ankle or otherwise stumbling. The shrieks of Honkai beasts as they were crushed under the landslide hounded her retreat.
Sophia had taken up the rear with Project Bunny, protecting Isabella and Caihong’s backs while Camellia and Cecilia continued to blaze the path forwards. Fortunately the rockslide seemed to have scared off even the flying Honkai beasts, for Cecilia no longer left a trail of corpses behind her. Her companions killed the remaining Archangels nearby only for the rest of the flock to retreat back where they came. Their screeches gradually ceased echoing off the mountainsides around them. The further along this long dried streambed they travelled, the more it widened until they were no longer forced to move in such a narrow formation. The sound of shoes clacking against solid stone and large rocks soon began to shift to the harsh crunch of pebbles and gravel. Mei did not know how long they kept moving, always unsure if more Honkai beasts would leap from the shadows of the mountain slopes above them. Mei’s muscles screamed for rest, no doubt the others were even more exhausted than she, with her gems aiding her every exertion. Kiana had slowly grown more and more limp as they ran, Mei chancing a glance to the Herrscher every so often only to eventually be greeted with closed eyes and a limp Herrscher. She quickly shifted Kiana's body so her head was resting more comfortably against her shoulder.
Her body’s salvation came with the sighting of hair-like blades of grass. The mountains around them opened up into a much wider- though still relatively small- valley. The streambed they had been following travelled onwards to join a similarly dry, and much larger, riverbed. The banks were covered in a light scattering of trees and bush, grass providing a much welcome respite from the hard stone against their feet as they stumbled up the embankment. The vegetation ran back until the mountain rose up at sharp angles again, providing plenty of space for a group of travellers run ragged. Though truly, run ragged was far too simple of a term to describe just how exhausted Camellia and the Moonbeams looked after what was probably hours of pushing themselves to the absolute limit. The physical enhancement of their uniforms and a Valkyrie battlesuit only went so far, after all. They spent only a few more minutes finding a suitable spot shielded by the trees but not too dense with vegetation to claim as their own temporary resting place. One minute. Two.
When it appeared they had truly escaped their pursuers, the entire group sagged in relief. Isabella pushed the cargo sled into the center of the space and turned off the engines keeping it afloat. Its gentle thud against the grassy ground coincided with the woman collapsing to her knees and propping herself up against the boxes. The others followed suit soon after, groans of relief and exhaustion filling their ears as the trees accepted their tired forms. Mei carefully set Kiana down against a tree, removing her jacket and folding it to serve as a cushion between the girl's head and the rough bark of the tree. The air had a notable chill to it, but not enough that Mei would say she was cold. The scent of grass and soil filled her nose with each breath, a welcoming change from the fuel of the crash sight or dust of the plains.
“You know,” Isabella began, chest heaving as she attempted to catch her breath, “There’s a lot of challenges in life I would gladly face again and again in the name of humanity and the Moon Goddess,” Her eyes flicked to the groaning Kiana being tended to by Mei, “But I never want to do this again.”
Caihong stumbled past and lowered herself to the ground, rolling onto her back and splaying out spread eagled with an exhausted puff of breath, “I don’t think we’ve ever pushed our Honkai energy this far,” She gasped. Her head popped up just enough to bring the others into view, “What about you, Mei? How’re you holding up?”
Mei stared at her will dulled, unamused eyes for several seconds, just long enough to reign in the deluge of energy writhing just under her skin, before she sighed and let her head lean against the tree she had knelt next to, “Exhausted. I suppose if we had to go further I could, but I would much rather not.”
Sophia groaned, “I don’t think I could go further even if I wanted to.”
A head of grey hair popped up from the cargo sled, similarly grey eyes quickly finding the still sentry that was Project Bunny. Bronya slid off the sled with a groan of pain and gave Bunny a sincere thanks and a pat on the arm before sliding to the ground next to Caihong. Bronya winced in pain, her own body beginning to show the same strange ethereal cracks as Kiana. They weren't nearly as numerous or gaping as Kiana's, but it was apparent they were still extremely painful. Like something was trying to claw away her corporeal form. Bronya kept her eyes locked onto the night sky framed by the sparse canopy above as she spoke, “Kiana would be proud to have priestesses such as you if she had the capacity to focus on much else right now.”
As if in response, Kiana whimpered in pain and scraped her heels along the ground like the movement might assuage it some. Eyes clenched shut, her brow tense and pulled down, and skin shining with sweat as she fought against… something. Mei watched for a few difficult moments before she pushed herself to her feet. Weary legs plodded over to their cargo. She couldn't let herself rest. Not yet. Not when the terrifying weight of tonight's revelations hovered on the edge of her mind, waiting for her to relax and allow it to sink in.
While Mei rifled through the boxes and began organizing the chaotic mess of its contents, she cast a glance at the spread eagled duo next to her, “Lady of Reason… What exactly is happening to you two?”
Bronya swung her hand in a dismissive motion, failing to hold back the wince it brought to her face, “We don't need the titles here, Mei. I'm still just Bronya. Kiana would say the same.” She let her arm flop back to the grass. Her gray eyes remained searching the starry sky as she took a moment to compose her thoughts, “Do any of you know of the entity called the Will of Honkai?”
There was a chorus of concerned negatives from the others. Mei merely pursed her lips and nodded, drawing the gaze of all her companions, “Seele took me deep into St. Freya's holographic archives beneath the church.” She began.
Bronya raised a curious eyebrow, “I'm surprised that place was maintained long enough for Seele to take over its care.”
Mei nodded slowly, her eyes darting over to Camellia who had leaned forward with interest. Confusion and wonder lined her face as Mei continued, “The entrance is still a massive chamber emblazoned with the ancient crests of Schicksal's three great houses. Seele said… the holographic chamber had been upgraded with the aid of the Herrscher of Sentience by a previous principal. Indeed, when I activated it as she instructed, I felt some foreign presence crawl through my mind.”
Bronya let out a pained chuckle, “I’d love to meet whoever convinced Senti to help with something like that.” Her eyes trailed down and took a moment to observe the distraught expression that had settled over her friend’s face. She pushed herself up, leaning back on her hands so she could better meet Mei’s eyes, “What did Seele want you to see?”
Mei’s breath stuttered as she breathed deep of the chill night air, “She said it was a history whose records were created through the use of the Herrscher of Sentience’s power to build the archive from the very memories of its survivors. The second eruption, she called it.”
“Ah.” Bronya sighed softly, “So that’s why Kiana was such a mess the next day.”
Mei winced, “Yes she… kinda pulled me out of the illusion when she realized what Seele was doing. But I saw enough, I think.”
Bronya sighed again, with a notable undercurrent of disappointment. Her gaze shifted to the white-haired woman, Kiana still writhing against the earth with wounds pulsing unnaturally, “I’d hoped she’d learned to let up on herself a bit, but it seems not.”
“Wait,” Camellia called out, “The second eruption? I’ve never heard such a term in reference to a Herrscher’s eruption before. Why would the Herrscher of Finality want it kept a secret?”
“Not a secret, per se,” Bronya answered, “I can’t give you all the details, unfortunately. There’s… a lot of things about herself that should be left to her to reveal if she wishes. Regardless, we can talk about the second eruption itself.” Bronya’s piercing gaze met Mei’s with a knowing nod of her head.
Isabella frowned, “What did you see, Mei?”
“Sirin,” Mei answered simply. She allowed this to sink in for a moment, those memories twisting in the back of her mind coming back to the forefront at her call. She pulled away from the cargo, no longer able to focus on her busywork, “I saw… Her origin,” Mei’s voice was soft, a part of her still unbelieving at the sights she had seen even as she accepted the truth of them, “A battered and broken girl used as a lab rat in a Schicksal laboratory. One of the few survivors. I… I spoke to her. The illusion created by Sentience was so real, it was like I was living through it myself. She was so… so bitter and angry and hateful even at our first meeting, rescuing her from that cell. But the more I learned of how Schicksal treated them, as nothing more than disposable tools to die in the name of progressing their research, the less I could fault her for seizing the power the Honkai offered her.” Mei shook her head slowly, the empathetic anger she had felt within the illusion flaring up within her heart, “When she attacked us tonight, I… I couldn’t help but still see some of that broken girl in her. The girl I rescued in an illusory world, dressed in nothing but rags and bandages. A girl who so desperately latched onto the power to escape the fate that had befallen her friends. Back in the illusion, I could feel something resonating with my own Honkai energy…” She raised her hand before her eyes and slowly clenched and unclenched her fist as the memory of that presence whispering in her mind shivered through her body, “Something was guiding her. It brought her to a site that contained an other dimensional space saturated with incredible amounts of Honkai energy. A voice that I could hear in my own mind. It made my skin crawl… the way it pushed Sirin to embrace her hatred for humanity. Convinced her no one cared about her. To focus all her being on taking revenge for her fallen friends. To punish all of humanity for their complacency in the face of Schicksal’s atrocities. I tried to convince her otherwise, but I failed miserably and could only watch as she transformed from that broken girl into the Herrscher of the Void.”
“Transformed?” Isabella whispered softly, “From what you’re telling us, Sirin was originally just a human girl? How is this possible?”
Mei nodded, unsure what else she could say.
Bronya’s lips curved upwards ever so slightly, “It’s been so long humanity has forgotten, but nearly every Herrscher was born from a human vessel.” She gestured to herself and Kiana, “Take us for example. We might not look it now, but Kiana and I were Schicksal Valkyries before our paths led to us awakening as Herrschers.”
“What?!” Camellia was the first to express a sharp disbelief.
“That’s…” Caihong finally pushed herself up as well, “I’d say that’s unbelievable except we’ve already learned tonight that Mei somehow unknowingly befriended two Herrschers.”
“Three,” Mei corrected with a tired sigh, “Seele, the principal of St. Freya, is the Herrscher of Rebirth.”
Camellia and Sophia fell back against their respective trees, the truth of Mei’s words slowly sinking in. The Valkyrie’s eyes were wide and she held her head as she processed this information, “What… I- N-no… No no no that makes too much sense!” She looked up at Mei with wide eyes, “You mean I’ve not only been insulting the Herrscher of Finality for the last several days, but the Herrschers of Rebirth and Reason have been watching me do it the entire time?!”
“I am… afraid so,” Mei winced.
Sophia eyed her fellow priestess, “Mei… did you know? Before tonight?”
She shook her head, “I had my suspicions. I spoke to the Herrscher of Finality in person three times, and each time she was remarkably similar to Kiana both in appearance and her way of speaking. But I never had any concrete proof.”
“Back to my original question,” Bronya cut in, “What you heard, Mei, was the Will of Honkai. Or Sirin’s memory of it, at least. The gestalt consciousness that directs all Honkai. It is that which spreads its influence throughout worlds and dimensions, an ever hateful force of destruction. It is… something Kiana and I have learned how to hold back. To a degree, at least. It has taken the effort of multiple Herrschers to shield this world from suffering more of its influence than it already does and even then…” She gestured to herself, “You can see what happens when we have to direct our attention elsewhere while its gaze is upon us.”
Sophia hummed in understanding, “So what’s happening to you is a… psychic attack from this Will of Honkai?”
Bronya nodded, “Herrschers will always be connected to it in some way whether we like it or not. Herrscher cores are a reflection of its Will projected into our dimension. A mere piece of its power. But the three- Kiana and I faced it directly in the void between worlds.” Bronya’s eyes flicked to Mei, but if the woman had noticed her stumble, she was too tired to show it, “I learned how to evolve the Core of Reason into Truth, becoming even greater than I was. Kiana… while she did obtain the power of Finality, it was at a great cost. The Will of Honkai had already selected her to become Finality, the greatest Herrscher of us all and one with the power to devour entire worlds with barely an effort, but when Kiana resisted this final will and it saw her intent to use that power for humanity…” Bronya grimaced, “Finality is the purest form of the Will of Honkai’s power projected into other realms. She is a Herrscher, but at the same time fundamentally different from the rest of us. The closest to the Will of Honkai itself. To have this carefully selected extension of its will turn against it? Well, let's just say the pain we’re in now would probably kill any of you, but it pales in comparison to our resulting struggle against such an indomitable will.” Such a statement hung in the air like a tangible cloud of dread.
Bronya pushed herself to her feet with a small grunt of pain, “Alright, more questions can wait for the morning I think.” She pulled open one of the boxes and rifled through its contents, “There should be camping equipment somewhere.” She continued for a few more seconds before suddenly recoiling with a hiss and clamped a hand to her side, where one of the strange wounds was.
Mei was at her side before the others could even attempt to stand, “Bronya! It’s okay, let me handle it.”
Bronya looked as if she wanted to argue, but after a moment merely nodded her head and slowly shuffled away to collapse again. This time next to Kiana. Project Bunny moved to hover protectively over them, mechanical visor constantly scanning the surroundings for unwanted surprises.
Isabella grunted as she too pushed herself to her feet, “Alright, guess we should get off our asses and help Mei set everything up so we can get some sleep.”
The mention of sleep got everybody- albeit reluctantly- climbing to their feet once more, despite the heavy cloud Bronya’s words had left over them. One last bit of work and they could finally rest.
Mei stared at the ceiling of the small tent with no small amount of exhaustion, resigned to the thoughts now running through her head. The built-in cushioning the sleeping bag had for her head was a small comfort after today. Her feet were eternally grateful to be free from her shoes, though she found herself wishing the river had been awash with cool water so she could have tried to wash off the dirt and sweat from her skin. At least her uniform wasn't so uncomfortable it would hamper her sleep. The sound of Kiana’s soft breathing was only disturbed by her continued groans of pain as she tossed and turned in the sleeping bag beside her. Bronya had only been able to reconstruct enough tents for the group to share two to a tent before whatever the Will of Honkai was doing had taken hold of the Herrschers. Said tents were then arranged around a central area they cleared for a small fire pit, far enough away to be safe from stray cinders, and far enough apart from the other tents that one was just barely unable to make out murmurs within. Though if anyone raised their voice whether it was talking louder or a shout, the others would hear. It wouldn't do to be so far apart they couldn't jump to each other's defence if they were attacked, after all. They had rather easily split into pairs- Camellia with Bronya, Isabella with Caihong, and Sophia with Cecilia- though Mei was a bit concerned that her companions seemed to have unanimously decided she would be paired with the Herrscher of Finality.
The Herrscher of Finality… she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. The signs were all there after all, and yet… A piece of her heart still twisted with hurt. She understood why Kiana must have felt the need to hide her identity, of course, they would have drawn way too much attention if the Herrscher of Finality was just walking around in public. But… even after the conversations the Goddess had with her, was she still considered that untrustworthy? That was always the question, wasn’t it? Why ? Why was she so evasive? Why was she so secretive? Why did Kiana favor her so much? Why did she see her in her dreams? Why did her heart ache so whenever she did? Yet Kiana seemed determined to leave her in the dark.
Perhaps she shouldn’t be complaining. Kiana still aided her greatly and even without that it was still a fact that Mei had greatly enjoyed her friendship. Who knew what else a Goddess could be dealing with that would cause these behaviours? Well, Bronya had cleared some of that up, actually.
She turned and her eyes fell on the shivering form next to her, Kiana’s face still twisted in a tortured grimace, “I can only imagine what you have suffered to protect us all,” She whispered, “And even that is so frightening I don’t dare dwell on it for too long.” She was still for several heartbeats, “I have dedicated my life to you. Your worship. Your divine duty to protect humanity from the Honkai. Such an incredible figure that seemed so far out of reach, so much greater than the rest of us. Only for me to meet you and find you're so much more… human… than I could have ever believed. What kind of fate leads a normal girl to become a God, I wonder?”
Her eyes traced the lines on the Herrschers face. The way one eyebrow tilted downwards just a bit more than the other when she pinched her brows together. The lines around her eyes and the curve of her frowning lips. The wrinkles in her brow seemed to hint at the unspeakable burdens the woman held close, unwilling to let others be crushed under such weight. The glow of her ethereal wounds cast sharp shadows over her face, highlighting a small nick in the side of her upper lip and the slight textures of long-healed scars. So much history kept in such small details, “Though it is frightening to consider, seeing you like this I can't help but wonder… What exactly have you endured for us all these years?” Mei murmured.
Kiana didn’t respond. As expected. She had been unconscious since before they had found their little camping spot after all. Her eyes followed the curves of her pale bangs around her face. They were messy and sticking to her skin from the sweat and constant tossing and turning. Again something deep within her welled up with an irresistible urge to reach out and comfort the woman. It seemed to be a theme with the Herrschers she had met so far that they weren’t particularly interested in being treated like a god. Perhaps then… she wouldn’t mind even now? Her hand was already stretched halfway across the short distance between them by the time this thought passed through her mind. Fingertips brushed against clammy skin, the priestess brushing the damp hair out of her Goddess’s face with an unmatched reverence. Not that the Herrscher would ever admit such a thing out loud if she had been awake. The woman’s head was still nestled into her jacket, a bit of extra padding she gladly sacrificed to help Kiana be even a little more comfortable. The devotion of a priestess? Probably. The kindness of a friend, most certainly.
Mei’s hand passed over Kiana’s face once more as she fussed over her hair. Her hand brushed loose strands behind her ear, and as it moved it revealed the gleaming pink stars now staring back at her in the darkness. Mei’s heart dropped into her stomach as the sudden glow of the Herrscher’s eyes nearly made her jump out of her skin.
“I'm sorry, Mei…” She whispered.
Mei looked back in confusion, “Sorry for what?”
“I’m sorry…” Kiana didn’t seem to hear her. A violent shiver ran down her body, “I’m so sorry…”
“Kiana, what is it?” She dropped her hand from her ear, now cupping the woman’s cheek in what she hoped was a comforting gesture to the seemingly delirious Herrscher. Hidden by the shadows cast over her face, Mei was not expecting the wet sensation that met her thumb as it stroked back and forth on Kiana’s cheek.
“It was so much stronger than I ever imagined. I couldn’t… I-” Kiana curled in on herself, still shaking, and growled against the pain, “You can’t make me,” She hissed, “I can’t… I won’t ! I won’t. I was too weak, Mei. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry-”
Mei watched with helpless horror as Kiana curled into a ball, incoherent mumbles spilling from her lips as she continued to apologize ceaselessly. Mei shifted herself closer and continued to brush her thumb back and forth against her cheek, a hesitation to her movements as she attempted to parse the broken mumbles, “Kiana,” Her words came gently, a light and encouraging tone hopeful in its reach towards the Herrscher, “You have nothing to apologize for. You saved us. We’re here now, and we will accomplish our mission. I know it.”
She slowly withdrew her arm, only for Honkai stained hands to shoot from within the sleeping bag and clasp her retreating hand. Softly glowing eyes peered at her with a focus that belied the woman’s strange state of mind, “You can’t let it happen again,” Her voice was quiet, but carried with it a desperate intensity, “You can’t. Promise me, Mei. Promise me if it- If I-”
“Promise you what, Kiana? What is it?” She whispered encouragingly.
Kiana’s hands tightened around Mei’s. Her breathing was labored, arms shaking even as her eyes never left Mei’s, “Don’t let it-” Her voice fell so quiet Mei had to strain to hear her final terrible, but mystifying words, “Don’t let it use me again… I-I can’t- not again…”
Mei spent several minutes attempting to coax an explanation out of the Herrscher, but Kiana’s condition deteriorated until she could do nothing but apologize and cry. Mei would remain holding her hands for the rest of the night.
Camellia twirled a small piece of her hair around her finger, stern gaze firmly locked onto Bronya as the Herrscher slowly climbed into the sleeping bag next to her. Bronya grimaced in pain as she made herself comfortable, the inside of the bag lighting up with the soft light of her pulsing wounds. Bronya simply stared at the ceiling of the tent for several minutes before her steely grey eyes slid to the exhausted, fidgeting Valkyrie.
“You did good today, Kaslana,” She said quietly.
Camellia’s eyes narrowed, “Are you patronising me? When it really mattered, I did nothing but get impaled on debris and be rescued by Mei and Caihong.”
“Not everyone takes so well to getting stabbed, you know.” The way Bronya’s lips curved upwards ever so slightly was just barely visible in the dim light, “And besides, after the whole incident with Sirin you and Sophia kept all those Archangels off of us literally for hours.”
“I’m an A-Rank Schicksal Valkyrie, if I can’t handle some Archangels then what am I even doing here? It is my duty to combat the Honkai, and I have long ensured I am capable of the task set before me.”
Bronya rolled her eyes, “Sheesh, you certainly take a compliment about as well as Durandal.”
Camellia fell silent for a moment. Her eyes fell hesitantly for several seconds before they found their way back to the grey still staring back at her, “I apologize, My Lady. I let my emotions get the better of me.”
“Pfft,” Bronya exhaled in amusement, “I’ll tell you what I told Mei. You don’t need to hold to any titles with me nor Kiana. We might be Herrschers but we’re also still just the girls you met back at St. Freya.”
“R-right, of course, uh, Bronya.” The two lapsed back into silence. A few minutes later Camellia’s hesitant voice broke the silence once more, “What is she like?”
“Durandal?”
Camellia nodded slowly, as if afraid showing too much eagerness might dissuade Bronya from answering her.
Bronya turned to face the woman, eyes softening as she recalled memories made so long ago, “My first impression was she’s a skilled, intense, no-nonsense, dense brick of a woman with a stick up her ass so large that it could probably reach the moon.”
Camellia pushed herself up to glare down at the Herrscher with an offended scowl across her face, “Hey! Don’t just-”
“But!” Bronya interrupted her, “Once I got to know her better I discovered she was also incredibly kind, that her forthrightness was out of respect for those around her, and that behind the role that was ‘Durandal’, Bianka Ataegina was also a well meaning dork who could be a great blessing or a great curse depending on whether or not she was currently in your kitchen.”
Camellia settled back down, mulling over Bronya’s words, “It’s so different from everything we’re taught… Instead of her grand accomplishments and unmatched martial ability you make her sound so… human. Her first name… I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before.”
“Well, she was human,” Bronya replied, “And I think she’d be okay with me telling you her name. You’re her family, after all.” Bronya’s eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled softly, genuinely, “When Kiana and I were just normal Valkyries-in-training so long ago, Bianka was already an S-Rank Valkyrie. Otto Apocalypse formed the Immortal Blades as a squad to be directly led by the legendary Durandal. Bianka never took responsibilities like that lightly. The first time we saw her in action… it was when the Herrscher of Wind fully awakened, actually.”
Camellia stared at her in disbelief, “You witnessed a human become the Herrscher of Wind, too? I-” She massaged the bridge of her nose and breathed deeply as she took in yet another revelation, “I should have expected this.”
“Yeah,” Bronya said casually, “Wendy was a victim of Schicksal experimentation just like Sirin was, only sixteen years later. Bianka almost killed her back then.”
“You… You want me to believe Schicksal did all of this? They’re the biggest bulwark we have against the Honkai! A respected worldwide organization! Yet you- you tell me they created two Herrschers! One who loathes humanity to its core and one who’s just as likely to destroy a city one day as save it the next?”
The woman’s distress was only matched by the sorrow held within the Herrscher of Truth’s eyes, “Camellia… you don’t have to rationalize it to me. You’re a fully fledged Valkyrie squad leader, I know you’ve experienced more than your fair share of Schicksal’s true colors just from that. They have always been relentless in their pursuit of victory over the Honkai. No matter the cost. Even under Overseer Theresa there were many that still held to that belief instilled in the organization by Otto. It’s one of the reasons Theresa eventually left. The burden of the secrets left to her by Otto simply grew… too heavy. Even as she made Schicksal better than it had ever been.” Bronya took a moment to make sure Camellia saw the pointed look she was giving her.
“I-” Camellia stared back at the Herrscher, torn and distraught, “I know Schicksal has done wrong… I’m not naive. But creating our greatest foe? Torturing multiple Herrschers into existence?”
“They made three Herrschers, technically,” Bronya corrected, once again drawing a horrified look from the Valkyrie, “Though you’ll have to ask Kiana about the third incident.”
“Kiana…” Camellia groaned, “I can’t face Kiana again. I was accusing the Herrscher of Finality of being a thief and a fraud!”
Bronya made an affirmative noise, “Yeah, that was pretty shitty. But Kiana is well aware how she comes off to people. Just talk to her, and I doubt she’ll hold it against you.”
“I’ll… I’ll think about it.”
“Take your time,” Bronya rolled onto her back, “You’ve all been through a lot today. I’ve dumped even more on you. Don’t be ashamed to simply take time to absorb it all and think. Kiana and I aren’t going anywhere.”
They lapsed into one final silence. Bronya quickly found sleep overtaking her despite the constant pain radiating through her being. Soon enough Camellia found herself the only conscious occupant of the tent, Bronya’s words racing through her mind like racehorses around a track. She was grateful, truly, to be trusted with such information about Durandal. Even as basic as Bronya’s quick description might seem. Deep down she knew Bronya’s words regarding Schicksal were truthful. Yet it was something she struggled to reconcile with the duty and good that she had dedicated herself to through the organization. If supporting Schicksal meant continuing to support such things… then what good was she? Mei had appeared shaken to her very core at the things she had witnessed. The things that had driven Sirin to the hateful being that had nearly killed them mere hours before. Was that what she was enabling? Even the Herrscher of Wind, while not actively hostile to humanity like Sirin was, was rather fickle and did not shy away from punishing humanity if she deemed it appropriate. And here Bronya was telling her she too was a result of Schicksal’s abhorrent treatment of human life. The very same life she was supposed to be protecting. Did it still matter when all of this happened thousands of years ago? Was any sacrifice truly acceptable if the end result is defeating the Honkai once and for all? This matter would not leave her in peace, even as sleep finally took her.
“So, whaddya think, Caihong?”
“About what?” The priestess raised an eyebrow at her squad lead, though it was barely visible in the dark, “There are so many things that could be asking about after tonight.”
Isabella let out a tired chuckle, “I don’t know… everything? It’s just…” There was a rustle of the sleeping bag as Isabella was no doubt pressing a stressed hand to her forehead, “Goddess, where do I even start?”
“Well, now you can say you’ve met the Herrscher of the Void. One Herrscher checked off the list?”
Isabella scoffed, “Full offense to Sirin, but she was NOT on the list of Herrschers I’d wanna meet.” She fell silent for a moment before her voice came again, softer this time, “You saw it though, right Caihong? When Mei attacked her. Cecilia and Sophia were too distracted to notice, and Camellia was at the wrong angle, but…”
Caihong crossed her arms behind her head as a tired sigh escaped her lips, “Yeah… Her eyes…”
“Her voice too, it got that weird resonance to it like Sirin’s had. Not for long, but… I heard it.”
Caihong hummed in agreement, “I know gem bearers are strong, but I’ve never heard of one that was able to go toe to toe with a Herrscher and live to tell about it. Even one that doesn’t favor open combat like the Legion Herrscher was still more than capable of killing someone with something like a Gem of Haste or Conquest.”
“No… if anything, Sirin seemed to be toying with her. What she said… it was like she knew Mei already. She’s never mentioned interacting with the Herrscher of the Void before, has she?”
Caihong shook her head, “Nah, her talking about that illusion she was shown at St. Freya is the first time I’ve heard her talk about the Void Queen.”
Isabella sighed, “I suppose either way we should be grateful she held Sirin’s attention. Even if all four of us had been in top shape I don’t think we would have done jack shit to her.”
“Fuck, you can say that again,” Caihong groaned. They both knew what the other was thinking. The Herrscher of the Void had torn apart their transport so quickly, the only reasonable explanation for their survival was a quick reaction from the Herrschers of Finality and Reason. It was… humbling. Humiliating. To be so soundly reminded of just how small they really were in this world ruled by Herrschers. Sirin regarded them as lower and even more unworthy than Schicksal Valkyries. It was a bitter pill to swallow, even if it was from someone that would hate them regardless.
Mood soured, but thoughts still racing, the duo fell into silence, the only interruptions being their own movements and the indecipherable murmuring from the other tents around them.
The night was quiet. Too quiet. No crickets. No bats. No night life whatsoever stirred against the blanket of silence that seemed to smother this valley they found themselves in. For someone that had grown up surrounded by the myriad of sounds of night that signaled a thriving ecosystem, it was quite disturbing to Sophia. Yet even more disconcerting was the phantom sensations she still felt radiating through her body. Too many punctures digging into her skin, like she was a bag filled with liquid someone had repeatedly stabbed with a pencil. She’d come close to death before, but the prospect of being crushed by a Honkai beast was much different from slowly feeling her lifeblood leak from her body. At least with the Honkai she could kill the beasts to prevent such a fate. But at the crash site… nothing she could have done would have kept back the creeping weakness suffusing her body by the time the Herrscher of Finality had worked her miracle. She held her hand up between herself and the roof of the tent. In her mind's eye she could almost still see the deep crimson liquid slipping between her fingers.
“You… okay, Sophia?” Cecilia asked hesitantly. The stiffness in the way the woman formed the words was almost charming in a way.
Sophia exhaled sharply and dropped her hand back to her chest, “I’ll live.”
Cecilia kept her gaze on her for several more seconds before she allowed her eyes to leave the woman, “Alright.”
“I still can’t believe it,” Sophia continued quietly, “That rambunctious kid Mei brought home with her and our Goddess, one and the same?”
“Yeah…” Cecilia fell silent for a moment, “Those gems appear to have brought out an inner strength in Mei. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that our Lady has an eye for these things.”
A short laugh of disbelief escaped Sophia’s lips, “And she kept Sirin from simply wiping us out with a lift of her pinky. What happened to the girl that could barely get to the end of the first wave in the elite level training sims? Now she’s fighting the Void Queen wreathed in lightning like she’s the Herrscher of Thunder.”
“I suppose… I was wrong about her,” Cecilia mumbled.
“Well, that’s always been true, Ceci,” Sohpia said, shooting a look at her disgruntled teammate, “Mei might not have been winning a duel with an S-Rank Valkyrie any time soon but she’s always had the heart, determination, and smarts to allow her to punch way above her weight if she puts her mind to it. The problem is she’s well aware of her own short-comings and her own doubts hold her back.”
Cecilia hummed an acknowledgement but otherwise did not respond for a long while.
“We’ll have to eat quickly and get moving in the morning.”
“Yes,” Cecilia nodded her agreement, “I spoke with the Lady of Reason shortly, earlier. She recovered enough of the provisions we should be good for a week or so, provided we don’t lose any more supplies to the Honkai. We’ll be in trouble if we need to do any serious climbing though. She prioritised food and camping equipment, but the climbing equipment the Raidens provided us was left behind in our escape.”
“Ah, great,” Sophia groaned, “No dedicated climbing equipment for getting through an uncharted mountain range, and the Moon Goddess was forced to collapse the route out behind us so we can’t try to go back and search the crash. Do you think that machine that follows the Herrscher of Reason around could carry us?”
“I suppose we will find out.”
“If Mei is right about these mountains being the site of the Herrscher of Fire’s final battle against the Herrscher of the Void, maybe we’ll get lucky and find out they blasted away most of the mountains we have to get through.”
“Sophia,” Cecilia rolled to her side and locked her gaze onto her chatty companion, “Today has been utterly exhausting. I would like to sleep.”
Sophia smiled sheepishly, “Right, sorry. Good night, Ceci.”
“Good night.”
Mei did not know when she had fallen asleep. She could only assume exhaustion had finally caught up with her, for she did not even remember closing her eyes. One moment she had been holding Kiana’s hand as the girl rambled deliriously and the next she was blinking against the morning sun brightening the inside of the tent. Her hair clung uncomfortably around her face, the ponytail she hadn’t undone the night before a tangled mess and the braids behind her ears slowly coming undone. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, but when they did a shock of fear shot down her spine. The sleeping bag next to her was empty. The priestess scrambled to free herself from the warm confines of her own bag, haphazardly threw her boots back on, and stumbled to her feet, practically ripping open the entrance to the tent in her rush. The light of the sun was blinding. So much so that when her foot caught against the edge of the tent entrance, she was caught completely off guard.
Vertigo overtook her as her balance failed her. The air rushed past her cheek and Mei barely had time to flail her arms in surprise before steady, strong arms slid under her own and halted her fall.
“We have got to stop meeting like this, my dear priestess.”
The brightness of the sun against her eyelids was overtaken by shadow. She allowed them to flutter open, the calm voice like music to her ears. Cerulean eyes engulfing pink stars gleamed down at her, the face of their owner beaming as she held the priestess up so she could regain her footing.
“Kiana!” Mei pulled herself up and calloused hands clasped both cheeks of the white-haired woman. Worried violet darted over her face, Mei taking a small step back so she could check over the rest of her body. The wounds were still there, still pulsing like being able to spy the contents of an aging porcelain jar through its cracking frame. But Kiana’s smile was bright, her eyes shining, no longer holding that dazed and confused unfocused dullness. Still, Mei could not help the way her brows pulled down in worry, “Are you okay? How are you feeling? You were worrying me last night!” There was a moment of silence in which Mei became acutely aware that everyone else seemed to be awake. And was staring right at her, “Er,” Mei’s hands snapped back to her side, “S-sorry, My Lady, it’s just- uh-”
Kiana giggled softly, “It’s okay, Mei. I’m feeling better, though it will be a while still before I can spare more than a small bit of my power. Even with the help Elysia left behind, fighting off the Will of Honkai is no joke.”
The name sent a shock of recognition racing through her mind. However, as hard as she tried, Mei could not place the name nor where she might have heard it before, “Who? Is that why you were apologizing last night?”
Kiana rubbed the back of her head and smiled awkwardly, “Nothing. Just the babbling of a girl who’s been around for far too long.” She held out an arm, revealing Mei’s jacket draped over the limb, “Thanks for this, by the way,” Kiana smiled, “Oh, and I left a little something for you in the pockets.”
Mei frowned, a pointed look flickering across her face. Kiana’s change of subject did little to assuage the worry eating away at her priestess’s heart. Yet judging by it, she was not willing to broach the subject further. Or did she even remember what she said last night? Mei accepted the jacket with a nod. Despite her racing thoughts, “Of course.” She pulled open the jacket and immediately began searching the front pockets sewn into the torso on either side of the buttons. There was a soft clink in one, and Mei’s hand withdrew with a familiar vial and small bottle of alcohol in her grip. She placed it back and soon found the other pocket held a similarly familiar palm-sized injector, “Kiana…” Mei smiled, “Thank you.”
Kiana rubbed the back of her head again, “It’s the least I could do, though I wasn’t able to save all the vials, unfortunately.”
“Well it means a lot that you got even this much,” Mei assured her.
Kiana shrugged in a rather amusing forced nonchalance, “We might be stuck out here for another week or more, so, y’know. Trust me, I know how terrible it feels going without it for more than a week,” She shuddered dramatically.
Mei’s eyes widened, “Wait, really? But I never- religious text never mentions…”
Kiana rolled her eyes and groaned, “Ugh, seriously? This is what I get for disappearing for centuries at a time and then barely interacting with humans when I’m back. I’ll have you know I put a lot of effort into remembering to take my estrogen on time until I became a Herrscher and the Honkai decided to make it for me!”
Mei’s lips twitched as she fought to keep a more serious look on her face, “Of course, My Lady, I am certain you did excellent.” She tilted her head and continued before Kiana could protest her faux seriousness, “Though I am curious by what you mean when ‘The Honkai decided to make it for you’.”
Kiana shrugged, “Well it changed something about my body when I became a Herrscher. I haven’t done injections or taken pills or anything for thousands of years now and my tits still look this good- Ow!”
Mei jumped at the sudden dull thwack that echoed through the campsite.
“Kiana idiotka stop distracting Mei, we have work to do.” Bronya lowered the hand that had just smacked the back of Kiana’s head, nodded at Mei, and walked off.
Kiana rubbed the spot on her head with and annoyed frown, “Stupid brat, just wait ‘till I have the energy, I’ll fucking get her.”
Mei giggled softly, trying to ignore the flutter in her heart at the way Kiana perked up at the sound. The Herrscher shot her an awkward smile before walking away with a last declaration that she’d stop distracting Mei for at least thirty minutes.
“Ah, the sleeping beauty has finally arisen,” Isabella smiled once she saw Mei end her conversation with the Herrscher. She had made a small firepit and begun heating up food, a small foldable grill stand letting her safely place things over the fire, “Good morning, princess.” She teased.
Pale cheeks reddened ever so slightly as she pulled her jacket back on. Kiana’s lingering scent threatened to distract her, even tinged with an undertone of sweat as it was, “I-I didn't sleep in that late, did I?” Stammered the flustered priestess.
“No, but you somehow slept through Camellia running face first into a stealthed Project Bunny this morning. She was swearing up a storm so loud it woke Cecilia up.” Isabella jabbed a thumb at the still grumpy Valkyrie, “We've been slowly packing all this gear and supplies Bronya saved into actual packs. Figured I'd let you sleep in after all you did, it's gonna be rough hauling as much as we can through these mountains.”
Cecilia nodded in agreement, “It is not every day you see someone fight off the Herrscher of the Void long enough for another Herrscher to arrive. I am…” Her eyes darted between her packing and the priestess awkwardly. The woman seemed to be struggling with her words, her lips pursing and opening several times before she continued, “I am sorry for doubting your resolve and abilities back at the temple, Raiden Mei.” Her words came haltingly, slowly. As if an apology was foreign to her lips, “Who knows what would have happened to us if you had not kept Sirin's attention for as long as you did.”
As Mei was processing this, Caihong walked up to her and silently held out a half-packed bag, a proud smile on her face as she nodded to her companion. Hesitation clawed at her gut as she absentmindedly accepted the pack, a pit of insecurity twisting in her stomach as she recalled the ease at which Sirin had batted away her every attack, “I- Thank you, Cecilia. Truly.” Mei gave the woman a shallow bow, “Though I don’t know how much I actually did… Sirin seemed to be toying with me more than anything else.” Her eyes fell upon Kiana, seeking confirmation.
Kiana gave her a look that was somewhere between an awkward smile and a grimace, “Well, you did keep her attention, that part is true. She uh… well, all three of us were holding back… a lot. Sirin’s goal wasn’t to push me into an all out fight. If it was, well, I don’t think there’d be anything left of the crash site and I would have had a much harder time protecting you all.”
Mei nodded, following Caihong back to the cargo sled, and began looking through the bag she’d been given to finish the packing. As she did though, she kept finding her gaze darting back to the Herrscher of Finality, her eyes constantly trailing over Kiana’s pulsing wounds and the tired tilt to her smile even as she beamed as she usually did. Bronya was no longer as visibly pained either. Though the sight of the woman not using her prosthetics, but instead having Project Bunny carry her as she worked, was still concerning.
The group fell into a comfortable rhythm of small talk and packing. Isabella soon made the call for breakfast, a simple meal of canned beans and some vegetables she had found within the provisions. She had seemed a bit amused to discover Ryoma and Mifumi had sent them with a portion of fresh food, but at the moment nobody was complaining. Mei ate little, assuaging her companions' concerns by revealing her lessened need for food and sleep due to her Herrscher gems. While still concerned- Camellia even looking a bit disturbed- they had accepted her explanation (especially when Kiana supported it) and quickly polished off the remaining food. Once that was done, Cecilia gathered the bowls and utensils and began the arduous process of searching their supplies for a way to clean them off without using their limited supply of water. Isabella, Sophia, and Camellia had teamed up with Kiana to break down the tents. Mei had returned to finishing up preparing her pack and had nearly finished when her attention was pulled away from the greater campsite by an elbow gently prodding her side.
Caihong leaned in and murmured to her softly, “You know, I don’t know what I expected the Herrschers of Finality and Reason to be like, but it certainly wasn’t those two rascals you walked in with last week.” She smiled at the small snort that escaped from Mei, “I will admit it’s a bit uh… of a shock to see how casually you treat them,” Caihong shrugged, “But you’re the one that’s met them before so I can only assume they’re okay with it.”
Mei laughed softly, “Yes, it would seem every Herrscher I’ve met so far has been rather unconcerned with formality and insisted they would much rather I treat them as a friend. It is… still something I’m getting used to if I’m honest.”
Caihong raised a curious eyebrow, “Really? I couldn’t tell with how you were all over our Lady this morning.”
Mei coughed awkwardly, “That was… I was just concerned because she was in pain all night and when I woke up she wasn’t there!”
Caihong laughed and gently prodded her with her elbow again, “I’m just teasing. Just don’t take it too hard if the others give you a weird look every once in a while.”
“No, I understand,” Mei sighed.
The rest of the early morning was rather uneventful. As they got close to finishing packing up and strapping anything extra to Project Bunny (Mei could swear the machine was glaring at Bronya though she made no sound), Kiana took Bronya to scout the area. They were confident that even two weakened Herrschers were more than enough to deal with any Honkai beasts that might be in the area, and the Moonbeams weren't about to argue with them. Mei's frown made her displeasure known and Camellia had insisted at least one other come with just in case they were incapacitated again. Kiana had smiled as she always did and thanked the Valkyrie for her concern, but insisted she and Bronya were more than capable of handling it on their own. Camellia relented with a stiff nod and the Herrschers left to venture around the dried riverbed. The others watched on, questions brimming in their eyes even as they pushed them down in favor of moving on as soon as possible. It took another fifteen minutes to finish getting everything ready, double check all their packs, and then that the additional supplies were secure on Project Bunny (as well as Mei taking some time to redo her ponytail, though she had only re-done the right side of her smaller braids by the time they were ready to move, so she left it at that).
Now confident they were suitably prepared, the group made their way towards the edge of the scattering of trees they had taken temporary residence in. In the sunlight their surroundings didn’t look much different than they had in the silver light of the moon. The dry stream they had followed in meandered off to their right where it eventually rejoined the larger riverbed. The bed itself was maybe as wide as five of the women were tall, and appeared to have been deep enough as to have comfortably covered their heads. Not very big in comparison to the major rivers the word usually brought to one's mind. The area along its banks was rather open thanks to the ancient erosion of the rock by the now absent water. Though how the grass and trees were such a healthy shade of green with no water in sight was a mystery. Now that they were not running for their lives and utterly exhausted (though certainly still tired after such a short rest) they could feel the hum of the ambient Honkai energy saturating the entire area. Further upriver to the right was a cliff that must have been a waterfall at one point in time. On the other side of the river the small figures of Kiana and Bronya could be seen observing the far edge of this little valley where the rock jutted upwards once more. If their eyes trailed up the rock a little more there appeared to be a ledge of rock that followed alongside the river higher up the cliff face. A small flickering of blue light flashed against the rock every once in a while as Bronya scanned the environment in a much more literal way.
A few seconds later and there was a distant flash of purple. Kiana and Bronya appeared before them a moment later only for Kiana to double over and hiss in pain, “Okay, I probably shouldn’t do that just yet.” She took several deep gasps of breath, her face twisting in pain.
Mei’s brows pinched together in worry, “Kiana, please don’t push yourself!”
Kiana brushed her off with a wave and a smile that was only a little forced, “I-I’ll be okay. Besides, Bronya thinks she’s found a way forward! Gonna be a bit of a hike though, we’ll be going higher into the mountains.”
Isabella nodded, “Alright, we’ll follow your lead, Lady Bronya.”
Bronya shot the woman a flat look and Isabella had the decency to look at least a little ashamed before the group began making their way down the riverbank and to the other side. Project Bunny quickly retook its place hovering protectively behind Bronya before its form shimmered and it disappeared from sight. As they set off Kiana’s gaze darted over Mei’s form before she passed, the Herrscher falling in step to her right and just a little in front.
Kiana grinned, “Your hair looks nice like this,” Her hand came up and gently cupped the single braid for a moment.
Mei scratched at her cheek and chuckled sheepishly, “It’s basically the same, My La- Kiana. I just didn’t have time to do the other braid like I usually do.”
“I think the asymmetry is nice,” Kiana smiled, “It reminds me of… someone I knew a long time ago.”
Mei’s face burned bright as Sophia’s whispers just barely reached her ears, “Is the Herrscher of Finality flirting with Mei?”
“You’re asking me that after witnessing how our Lady was behaving in the airship?” Came Cecilia’s reply.
Isabella glanced up curiously as they began to climb the opposite riverbank, studiously ignoring her subordinates, “Mind if I ask who, My Lady?”
Kiana’s smile grew nostalgic, “It-” Her eyes lingered on Mei for another heartbeat, something shimmering in her eyes along with her hesitation. After a moment she exhaled and let out a small, awkward laugh, before bringing her eyes to the path ahead instead, “S-She… Well, my old friend is the… Celestial Phoenix, actually.” Her smile grew easier, more confident as more words spilled from her lips, “Bronya and I first met her before we were ever Herrschers. Honestly I thought she was pretty annoying and way too stuck up and serious at first, but,” Kiana shrugged, “We went through a lot together and eventually I learned to appreciate our differences.”
Sophia sighed, “It is so strange to hear someone like the Celestial Phoenix be referred to so casually.”
“To be fair,” Kiana laughed, “If anyone is going to, it’d be me and Bronya. Sirin became Herrscher of the Void when I was just a few years old, but after that? I either personally watched each new Herrscher awaken or had to deal with them after they did.”
Their conversation died for a few minutes as their focus turned to making their way up the rather precarious path Bronya had spotted earlier. She planned to take them up a steep incline in the face of the mountain before doubling back to travel across the ledge the group had spotted above just minutes before. After a good two hours of cautious hiking- now around two dozen metres above the river- Kiana sighed loudly. She was just behind Bronya in the lead of the group, who had adopted a single file formation due to the small path, yet Camellia still heard her loud and clear all the way in the back.
“Bratnya, why do you have us climbing along the side of the mountains when we could just follow the riverbed? Mei said the city in her vision was literally built around the mouth of the river!”
Bronya looked back with an annoyed tilt to her lips, “Do you want to sit out in the open where we could easily be spotted by more Honkai beasts, idiotka? We’re not in much shape to fight, shall we just let your priestesses and Camellia exhaust themselves in battle instead? We are following the river, but I am trying to keep us in a more advantageous position for when we encounter trouble.”
“Ugh, fine…” Kiana grumbled. “If only someone wasn’t collapsing my imaginary spaces as soon as I make them so I could teleport!!” Kiana then raised her fist and shook her middle finger at the sky as if angry at the clouds themselves. “Stupid eldritch bitch.”
“The Will of Honkai isn’t going to see that, Kiana idiotka.”
“I don’t care, it makes me feel better!”
Caihong laughed softly from her spot behind Isabella and Mei, “I thought their mortal forms might have been some kind of act or something, you know? I never expected them to just be like this.” She nearly jumped out of her skin as Kiana’s gaze immediately snapped around and locked onto her. Even when lit by a smile, the gaze of a Herrscher was still a frightening thing.
“Hey!” Kiana protested, “I’ll have you know that after all the shit I’ve gone through, a girl deserves to kick back and be a bit unprofessional! Being all serious and stuck up all the time is my sister’s job, not mine!”
“You’re always unprofessional, stupid Kaslana,” Bronya shot back.
“At least I know how to have fun! Durandal thinks a good time is extending her workout routine!”
The others stared at her incredulously. Eventually Mei voiced their reaction, “Wait, what?”
Kiana rolled her eyes, “My sister is an annoying jock who spends half her day just working out or fighting something. I know people call her the Goddess of Justice, but come on!”
“I-” Isabella’s gaze darted between her companions who all shared a similar awkward look, “I don’t think it’s our place to comment on any of that.”
“Right…” Kiana smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head, “Sorry, ignore me! It’s just been a while since I’ve been around so many people, usually it’s just Bronya.” Her voice was bright, but if one listened closely there was an ever so slight quiver hiding the emotions beneath.
Violet eyes hovered over the Herrscher’s face. Kiana smiled easily, brightly, like her usual easygoing self. However if Mei had learned anything about Kiana this past week or so it was how that smile could so easily cover the shadows that fell over her eyes. Even that first day they had met, something in the temple archives had caused Kiana’s mood to fall and something dark and heavy to pass over her face before that same smile slid over it like a mask. Kiana seemed to realize this as well, and quickly turned back around, removing her expression from Mei’s sight.
They hiked for several hours in relative peace after that. The silence of the mountain was oppressive, and it only seemed to grow worse as the sun reached its peak and began dipping towards the horizon and still there was no change. While there was still some flora somehow thriving despite the dried waterways, there was a stark lack of fauna. Instead, Bronya’s decision to take them to higher ground with more rock as cover proved fortuitous rather quickly. The way was treacherous and hard going, and they had been forced to use outcroppings and the cliff itself as cover from packs of Honkai beasts multiple times. They weren’t nearly as large as the horde that had chased them into the mountains, but the last thing they wanted was for the sound of fighting to echo off the rock and attract even more. After several hours of this winding, difficult path, the rock began to rise once again and flatten out before them. At the top of this new incline was a much wider open space, bumpy but reasonably flat and spreading from the now several dozen metre cliff that fell down to the riverbed.
The small plateau seemed to push back the mountainface to their right, giving plenty of room to maneuver before the rock shot back up at a sharp angle as the peak continued to rise above the river. In front of them it went on for a good few dozen metres before it seemed to begin wrapping around the edge of the mountain and dipped out of view. A scattering of boulders and other large rocks littered the space the closer to the mountainface one went. The boulders themselves and a decent portion of the space was painted with the myriad of browns, yellows, and oranges of lichen, a brilliant array of colors that drew an appreciative whistle from Sophia. The cracks and crevices were lined with sparse blades of grass and other small bits of vegetation clinging to life in the soil that had gathered there. None of the group studied the plantlife too closely, too concerned with making their way across the space to wherever it led on the other side. If they had, perhaps their curiosity as to its hardiness would have been made clear by the miniscule pink veins running through their leaves and tendrils.
Instead they forged onwards, for this mere curiosity was nothing to what they found at the edge of this platform of rock. Kiana had run forward to get a better view over the edge, and when she did she turned back to her companions and began eagerly motioning them forwards. The others accepted the request to speed up, Mei breaking ahead into a light jog to catch up, much to the amusement of the others.
“Mei certainly likes taking a spot right at the Moon Goddess’s side, huh?” Isabella spoke from the side of her mouth, leaning over to Sophia in a show of faux slyness even as her voice was barely lowered. There was a round of giggles and amused snorts from the other girls. Until they crested the small ridge before the path dipped downwards and finally beheld what it was that had Kiana so excited. Any breath they may have had for their amusement fell away as they peered out from their vantage point.
Before them, far far below and brilliantly lit in the afternoon sun, the harsh rock of the mountains opened up and fell away like the hands of the Goddesses themselves had pressed into the earth and pushed back the mountains to create a sanctuary. It was an absolutely breathtaking valley, copses of trees and thinner scatterings dotted the large area and underbrush stretched up towards the sun from their shelter. Through the center of it all, from the rim of this bowl of greenery far to their right several kilometres away, poured a magnificent river. The peaks around the rim of this rich, lovely bowl within the mountains curved away and then upwards, as if formed by a meteor impact. However the rock was too jagged, too blackened and extending too high. It didn’t appear like any other meteor impact crater the girls had ever seen. Regardless, it would be a welcome change as even this half a day of hiking had the group already tired of the mountains. There was only one issue. White dots moved throughout the space in large groupings, mingling and separating like a writhing and contracting organism meandering to and fro. Even the air was not free of them, flocks of these white shapes darting through the air aimlessly, roosting and taking back off from parts of the mountainous rim. They weren’t the first to find this place. Even just stepping off the ridge and entering into the border of this place along the rim they could feel the sharp increase in the humming energy that had been constantly buzzing at the back of their minds.
The entire valley was an intense hotspot of Honkai energy and was crawling with a massive horde of Honkai beasts.
“Aw yeah! Smell that dangerously high Honkai energy!” Kiana took a deep, dramatically exaggerated breath and turned to the girls with a smile on her face, “Welcome to the Alsakan Mountains, girls!”