110. Stella, the Star-Aspiring Child

110. Stella, the Star-Aspiring Child

Stella was a bundle of information. A gift that granted deeper insight into this mysterious world. She was apparently one of a hundred more aspiring Stars who were transferred to the Triple Paw Complex from another place called the City of Vocals.

From what she understood, there were two major powers at play. The Monkey Brothers who ruled the Triple Paw Complex, and Leitmotif who oversaw the City of Vocals. The girl did not know what the term Impuritas meant or their subsequent names, such as the Blood Festival or Librarians.

She only knew as much as she could see, but her insight was beyond useful, and Frost was eternally thankful for her cooperation. And as it turned out, this girl was not from the surface like them.

She was born and raised here in the Derma layer. Not as an Impuritas, but as a tormented human being.

“I… I-I can hear a lot of talking. Y-You speak my language but how come everyone around us can’t? U-Um! D-Did you lie about taking me back?” She muttered nervously as they approached the group and were immediately greeted by several people.

“I did. Just to get you out of there.” Frost affirmed as she waved back at them. “Are Angels capable of doing evil?” She added.

“… if you’re a false Angel, then maybe. Um…” She mumbled, clasping onto Frost’s hand as a certain red-haired girl approached her.

“I’m not going to let go of your hand. It’s ok. These are people from above. Ignis~ Say hello to Stella.”

Ignis’ scornful face was one that could rattle a person’s soul. Even if they sealed their eyes tight, they’d be able to sense her disgusted, angry gaze.

But Stella was different. For some reason, her brows perked up as she brought herself closer to Frost and slowly nodded.

“H-Hello. Um… can they understand me?” She timidly asked.

“Mhm. She can understand you. But she’s not really good at talking, even though she has a pretty voice.” Frost answered in Ignis’ stead, teasing her right as a certain blonde woman desperately dashed towards her.

“B-Brother!” She cried, collapsing onto her knees as she embraced the young boy. “Thank you! You– you brought him back! Are you ok!? I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you!”

“Sister. I want my sister. Where are you? I’m scared. I’m scared.” The child repeated this even though his sister was here in front of him.

“I’m right here! It’s ok! I won’t disappear again… thank you. T… thank you…” She sobbed, thanking Frost between a storm of sniffles and tears as she clutched onto her brother’s body.

I want this misery to end. I’m optimistic that we’ll get through this. I know we will. But the same can’t be said for everyone.

Frost only responded with a gentle smile before she moved to grant them some space. In the meantime, the young Stella could not understand why that woman was crying. The cacophony caused her to tremble in this unfamiliar place as her grip tightened around Frost’s hand.

Ignis then slowly took one of the girl’s hands. She did not refuse. Or rather, she did not know how to refuse. Living here in the Derma layer with the Impuritas must have beaten out all forms of resistance out of her, right from birth.

“I… I like my fingers. I’m sorry if I did something wrong. U-Um…” She whimpered, expecting her hand to be severed as punishment.

But to her surprise; “H-Huh!? Fluffy!? Soft!?”

Her hand was placed onto an irresistibly soft patch of fur. It was utter bliss. The fluffiness caused her hand to instinctively wander around this amazingly soft area, which happened to be Ignis’ head.

It instantly defused the girl who had never felt something so soft in her life. Stella’s hand then suddenly froze as her head drooped.

She sniffled and broke into tears.

“Stella. We’re not here to hurt you. I want you to understand that we’re here to help. I’m not looking to take your organs, your hand or tell you what’s right or wrong.” Frost soothed her, spotting Ber, Res, Perla, and L.S approach.

“… ‘safe?’ I was already safe… but… I don’t know.” The girl surrendered. Those places were essentially her home. Safety was a notion associated with home. But Frost couldn’t see it as anything but an illusion.

And unfortunately for this girl, she couldn’t even see this was the case at all. For all she knew, her world was normal. Cruel, but normal. That was why she was shocked by the fluffy sensation of Ignis’ ears, and the warm, strangely nostalgic hand of Frost.

Touch of the Black Dove was insanely powerful in these instances. As a healer, it was much easier for people to trust her as well. Especially children now that she realized it. But there was no greater motivation than the looming threat of punishment.

Violence, so to speak.

So long as the Impuritas existed, then this girl would perpetually remain afraid of some sort of retribution…

And for what? Children shouldn’t feel guilty or afraid. Nav. Do you have any info of the Monkey Brothers? Leitmotif? Those locations?

“Nothing worthy of note. But the Archivist has become more active. She apologizes to Ber.”

For?

“Allowing the Librarians to steal a piece of her past. A page from the incomplete book of Ber has been torn. She will not elaborate.”

As usual. So everyone has a book of their own, huh.

“Aside from you.”

There was nothing else of value to add.

The Librarians were as enigmatic as any other Impuritas family. In the meantime, she kept the girl company as Perla pleasantly greeted the child. The Paladin seemed far more affected than anyone else present. Not because of hunger, thirst, or despair.

But because she had little avenue to help these people. Let alone this child. She could only help haul rocks, dig out trenches, and create a makeshift ladder up to artificial ledges.

There was an effort made by L.S to connect themselves with the next cavern above.

If the Impuritas were close as Frost shared, then it would be wise to increase their elevation. The new cliff face would function as a last line of defense should the need arise. She was surprisingly tactical.

Frost never really needed to use proper tactics in combat. Her head, heart and fists were usually the first thing to enter the fray. But that was because of her strength. These people needed these to overcome a larger threat, whereas Frost just needed to hit her head harder against that insurmountable wall.

It was an exaggeration of course since the Conditions required her to fight differently. But the battles were usually the same.

Eat, punch, win. And eat again.

Not that it was a bad thing necessarily.

And speaking of eating –

They asked the girl various questions after getting her acquainted with them. Res did not allow the child to touch her, but Ber was willing to let her ears be touched. When Frost asked if it would be better to touch their tail; Ignis and the duo stared at her like she was an idiot.

Apparently, touching the tail of a Demi-human was considerably more intimate than touching their ears. The only thing that one upped the tail pats would be to tickling under their chin or rubbing their bellies.

They really are half animals. It’s unbelievably cute.

“Food? We have food. Something s-sweet. Fruit. We eat a lot of them. I-I can show you if you want! Just please don’t leave me behind… I wouldn’t know w-where else to go.” Stella cried, latching onto Frost’s hand suddenly.

Except the hand she just took was Perla’s cold gauntlet. She recoiled and desperately searched for Frost’s in a sea of others, eventually finding hers.

“… you don’t eat people?” Frost questioned, gently taking her hand into her own. “Does anyone eat people? I heard that from someone.”

“W-Why would we do that? T-the escorts and the happiest residents don’t do that either. They’re not the scary m-monsters of the night and the highways to other cities.” Stella explained shakily.

Frost’s feathers rustled. It appeared that she was telling the truth. She realized that the Bloody Herring must have told her a lie that was somehow undetected by her feathers.

So they don’t cannibalize each other. Then they probably need these people for something else.

“Night? Underground?” Res was just as confused as everyone else.

“Isn’t there a day and night? I can’t see so people like me wouldn’t know. I think… I-I think the person who told you that they eat people is a liar.” Stella defended this particular person, who Frost suspected was the Bloody Herring.

“Are you sure that same person isn’t the one who told you that you have a night down here?” Frost hissed.

“They never lie… they never… ever lie. They just… j-just want me to be happy. So I can become a Star.” She muttered pleadingly.

Frost glanced over at the others, including L.S. The woman seemed to understand her to some extent. She was unnaturally silent on the matter. She’d giggle or crack some obscure joke, but not here.

Stella was paranoid. Anxious. Jumpy. She showcased every hallmark of mental and physical trauma. She could almost sense when a person dragged their hand towards her. She’d flinch whenever someone raised their voice, and shudder when she heard footsteps approach.

They unanimously agreed that now was not the time to keep questioning her. Ber and Res knew this better than anyone else. Ignis stayed close to her as L.S then said something to Frost as she passed by.

“She speaks a tongue understandable to me. Though I’ve never heard it before, I can understand her words. It must be the language of the ‘Impuritas’ that you call us. I did not expect people to live beneath us. More sorrowful souls will reside deeper.” L.S lamented, pausing by Frost’s shoulder as she spoke these final words:

“We will find Mr. Fisher. You will gut him.”

“Believe me, it’ll be worse than that.”

They both agreed on something for once.