It took two days to bury Adelaide and Sczesny, he too died, when the farm was burned down. Taking shelter in the old burned out farm, though it had to be said he did not get much sleep.
After burying them he decided his best bet was to head to the town of Bateria and start there. It would be a three day journey following road.
On the third day he left. Andelaide sword on his hip, a pair of rifles over his shoulders he left.
Tramping through the snow over the prewar road he forced all of what happened into a dark corner of his head. His only thoughts were getting his mom and sister back.
He marched the whole day though, but that the first night he crowded close to his fire, as forms, both imagined and real prowled along the edge of the light, as he tried to avoid falling asleep for fear of them.
That next day, a much more tired and hungry Radek was moving again. At a cross roads he paused in front of a sign trying to think, which way to go? He had been to Bateria before, and this sign even told him which way to go!
He was, just having trouble processing it that's all.
A voice behind him broke his chain of thought, if you can call two links a 'chain'.
"You look like death warmed over. You alright?" turning, a man with a small, no more than five people with a horse drawn wagon, group behind him was talking to him.
Radek blinked slowly. "I..I don't even know where to begin."
"Well, oh right then." The man said slowly. "You know the way to Falen?"
"Falen was destroyed by Landsknechts, not more than four days ago." God! Was it really that short a time that his world was turned upside down?
"What!" The man said shocked. "Destroyed? But.. How?"
"I only saw a saw a small piece of it, but they just, killed every one."
He shook his head again. "I won't ask if you're OK. You're not."Radek nodded. "You heading to Bateria?" Again he nodded. "Well, now we're going that way. If you don't mind sleeping in a moving cart, I think we have space for you." Radek was only too happy to take him up on that.
SHIFT
That night, around the camp fire a fully rested (if sore and stiff) Radek finally learned about his benefactors.
They were traders who had been going to Falen, now Bateria.
The leader, who had changed the direction on them, was named Ludwik.
As he munched on the supplies that, thrice dammed gypsy Jasna "gave' him, he answered Ludwik's questions about how he survived and what he knew.
"Do you have any what this, Remnant is?"
Ludwik shrugged. "Not much. First I've heard of them honestly. But many nobles use there prewar blood line as an excuse to rule. The Umwa family that rule Bateria are descended from a US marine Colonel. They use the original US mandate on controlling that hill as the reason for ruling."
Radek shook his head, he was a farmer! All he need to know was how to grow plants! This whole, political, descents, thing was a pain!
All he knew was noble and army's were bad news, they conscripted you, stole your food to feed themselves, taxed you and generally were a blight on the land. Luckily he had no first hand experience, but the specter of it happening hung low over all peasant farmers.
"Great. So it could be any one with enough money and power to utterly destroy me ten times over."Radek sighed.
"Where do I even begin?"
"You have any leads?" Ludwik asked. For a moment Radek did not answer, just watching the flickering flames of the fire and the long casting shadows.
"One, if you can count being lead on a wild myth chased a lead."
"What is it?"
"Jasna told me to seek out Baba Yaga."The merchants all looked nervous and more then one crossed himself.
"Your are screwed."Ludwik said break the silence of the crackling fire. "That's just a story. And even so who in there right mind would go to Prypiat?"
"Prypiat?"Radek said confused.
"It's one big ghost city, nothing but the creaking of buildings, the crackle of you Geiger counter, and the howls of Zombies and monsters to keep you company."
"And she would be there, why?" Radek said a sinking feeling in his stomach growing larger.
"That's just what I heard."Ludwik said with a shrug. "A story says when the bombs fell the old wise women was so disgusted by what man had done that she left taking all the spirits of the land with her. She said to have gone to a land already devoid of man and there she lives alone. Another story, tells how shortly after the war a Russian solider found her, and was turned into the first Chernobler."
"A, what?"Radek said the sinking feeling turning into the Bismark.
"A monster. You see them close to the reactor, we are no where near it, so we never see them. Depending on the story their either men, or unholy amalgamations of meat and metal given life, some times both at the same time. And to even get there you have to go though Cossack territory and they do not like visitors. "
Radek paled. Still it was his only lead. "You plan on heading to Prypiat?
"I...I suppose I have no choice." Radek said with a sigh. "First, I need to get to Bateria though."
"And you need a equally insane group behind you." A second merchant said. "Going it alone would be suicide, even more then normal!" Radek sighed.
"I have no choice." silence then Ludwik coughed. "Well lets take this one day at a time. We both head to Bateria to thank you for warning us about Falen. But then we part ways." Radek nodded.
"I'll take first watch."Ludwik nodded as well and the merchant began to slowly fall asleep.
In the gloom of the night Radek poked at the fire, his mind a thousand miles away as he contemplated what he had do to.
It was just about impossible!
And he had to try.
SHIFT
The next day Radek awoke to the smell of badly cooked and burnt sausages. At this point no one else was awake though a few people were close to being woken by the pan fired food. Stretching he stood up. "Morning Radek." The man said and handed him a plate of sausages even before he fully stood up.
"Uh, thanks." He said and plowed into the small plate of meat. Finishing up he then stood up and stretched. Stretching fully upright started to roll up his sleeping bag.
"So, Radek do you even know how to shoot?" he asked. Radek sighed.
"I only have experiences with rifles and iron sights. Still how different can they be from anything else."
"Flint locks?" he said suspiciously.
"...Yes, only flint locks." Radek growled.
"Well let's fix that." He drew a revolver "You want to learn how to take care of more complicate things kid?"
"Why are you offering to help me?" Radek asked.
"Two reasons: One you're a nice kid and I don't mind helping you out. Two: If you do succeed with you mission, you will be a legend. Just remember my name, Mateusz, when they tell it."
Radek nodded whatever the reason he had for helping him he needed it.
"When do we start?"
SHIFT
The booming cracks of a black powder revolver echoed loudly around the small stream bed.
They had traveled roughly half the day and were taking a break for the horses.
Right now a number of nuke a cola bottles on a stump were sentenced to death.
Waving his hand though the smoke Mateusz watched Radek reloaded the weapon "Much better. Again, hit that center bottle.
Taking aim he pulled the hammer back with his thumb and fired.
The bottle exploded.
"Well you've got pistols down. Show me those rifles of yours." Nodding he put the pistol into a gun belt and quickly drew the bolt rifle from his shoulder, taking aim he fired it, worked the bolt and fire again.
Two more bottles went to heaven.
"Your better at this then I thought." Mateusz said approvingly. "Know how to reload it?" nodding Radek demonstrated sliding a stripper clip into the clip.
"I take it you've got this down. Now the boring bit, now we take it apart." Radek nodded.
SHIFT
Sliding the last part of the assault rifle into place Radek sighed and flexed his aching fingers.
It was many hours since they had stopped and they had set up camp and it was dark around the fire. Radek sighed and warmed his hands by the fire.
Mateusz held the rifle up and whistled. "I still can't believe you got a assault rifle. Nobles hoard these things like you can not believe. In fact, it may be best for you to sell it, or you may have to pass as some nobles bastard."
Radek nodded in agreement. "Your merchants. Do you want it?" at the smell of profit Ludwik perked up.
"A fully functional assault rifle? In perfect condition? I think I have a farm for you!" Ludwik joked.
SHIFT
After another early start the small group was moving down the snowy road.
With one less Assault rifle Radek now had a set leather Brigandine armor. As some one had sarcastically said his life span was now measured in minutes.
Again the pressure of the task in front of him bore down on him. Sighing he squared it away.
"Hey Ludwik is something coming up the road?" the appointed leader looked in the direction the man pointed.
"Ya I see them. Men at arms!" he said suddenly the men knew what to do and began to pull off the road.
"Whats going on?" Radek asked. Again, compared to most peasants Radek had been very sheltered and knew little about nobility.
"God what don't you know? Men at arms are a lord personal troops exact armament differs from lord to lord, some use swords, others gun, pre and post war, some use those fancy cross bows from Albion. The point is," at this he stopped walking as they were off the road. "They are skilled and powerful in both arms and in the political sense and will get shown proper respect or they will beat it out of you!"
Silently the group waited for the men at arms to approach and when they were close they fell, or in Radek's case were pulled to there knees.
Still even with his head down Radek got a good look at the troops as they marched by.
There were 15 of them in three ranks of five lead by a single Sargent in the front. Armored in a chain mail hauberk, over lapped with blue cloth with a red shoulder and left arm. In both hands they clenched pre war assault rifles as there main weapon and had broad swords at there hips.
Behind them a pair horse drew a wagon sporting a single 30 cal machine gun and some assorted supplies. The whole thing was painted in bold blue and red to fit with the infantry's motif.
Not even looking at them they marched on.
Just when Radek was sure he get frost bite in his legs they stood up.
"God they had a Tachanka*! I hate to be the one there after!"
"Ya." Radek said watching the troops shrink, they fade from sight. "I hate to be them." for some reason his left hand, the one under his pipboy itched.
*A horse drawn machine gun.
