A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: OOC, LANGUAGE, SUGGESTIVE SITUATIONS
Chapter 7: Hope Mirroring Despair
Argilla limped through the snow, as slow as she could. She had helped Serph with the packing of their supplies. And now, they were set to move once more.
That morning, the sun was up and was shining languidly. Well, they couldn't really hope for a really sunny day, can they?
This was more than enough.
"Well, which way leader?" she asked cheerfully.
Serph chuckled and pointed to the northwest, "That way. Come on."
She giggled and slowly walked over to him. She, however, slipped, as she lost her footing. Serph immediately rushed to her and caught her in his arms before she could feel the cold embrace of the ice below.
"Are you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned. She stiffened in his arms as their eyes met; she felt drawn to him suddenly and she felt all of her words die within her mouth.
She parted her lips to say something…but nothing coherent left her lips.
Serph arched an eyebrow; was something wrong? Was she hurt?
"Argilla?"
She suddenly snapped out of her daze and noted with a blush both her mortifying behavior only seconds before and the fact that his hands were still on her waist.
She turned her face away so that she may conceal her blush.
She had her palms against his chest and lightly pushed him away, "Erm, I'm alright now Serph. I just slipped."
He raised an eyebrow, "You've been doing quite a lot of that lately." he then grinned as he released her, "You better be careful, another stunt like that and I'll tie you to the sled." he told her with a husky voice.
Argilla's stomach churned and somersaulted as his eyes penetrated hers, as his voice sent tingles on her back…
'Does he have to use that tone…?' she asked, mentally making a face.
Yes…that tone.
That was the tone that made her legs weaken and her knees buckle…It was the tone that sent electrical surges throughout her whole body…
"…" She didn't reply and just smiled, her face still turned away.
Serph noticed the blush on her cheeks. A part of him, within, smiled. He looked at her, "Well, ready to go?"
She nodded her head vigorously, "Yes. Let's get a move on!" she chirped cheerfully.
Serph chuckled a bit; she was in high spirits today! A lot better than the last night…and the previous night before that. His heart sang; maybe…his words had something to do with it…
He watched her limp slowly towards the sled, careful in each of her steps…Serph watched her with intense eyes…He watched as her long hair moved with accordance to her walk. He hadn't even noticed that her hair wasn't in their traditional Chinese buns.
They were loose…and unbound.
He watched with hungry eyes as her hips and waist moved in tandem with each other…swaying left and right alluringly…
It was just like that time years ago…when they first met at the academy. She was…captivating.
Before he could ponder over it any more, her cool voice reverberated through the cool air, terminating his flight of fancy, "Well, come on Serph!"
With a small smile, he strode up to her, catching up to her in a matter of seconds. As they neared the sled, he suddenly scooped her in his arms and carried her. She squealed in surprise as he did and blushed furiously, "Serph!"
"What?" he asked coyly, not looking at her.
She clung to him tightly, "Put me down this instant! I can walk!" she said, embarrassment clearly within her voice.
He chuckled, "You were the one who said that we had to go right? Well, if I waited for you, we'd never reach there in time!"
She frowned, "Pff…Whatever." she grumbled.
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The hours had gone by and the weather had held out. Serph was glad. With the binoculars, he searched for their dome.
Aah…
He smirked; it was just a few miles ahead. They would be able to reach there before nightfall. Putting his goggles back over his eyes, he reached Argilla.
"Come on. It's just a bit farther away." he told her.
She nodded, "Great. We can probably find shelter there."
He concurred, "Well, let's go."
"Serph." she called.
He turned back to her, "What is it?"
She looked at him bravely, her pink eyes burning with passion and resolve, "I want to walk."
Serph arched an eyebrow, "Are you certain?"
She nodded, "I'm fine now. I can make it."
Serph frowned and walked over to her, "Look. I know what this is about. I already told you. What happened back there was an accident. You needn't push yourself this way…"
She narrowed her eyes, "Serph. You told me once that you weren't a boy. Well, now, I'm telling you, that I'm not a girl. I want to walk."
Serph stiffened at that and then calmed a second later. He understood. With a nod, he unfastened her from the sled, "Alright."
He held her by the waist and assisted her as she got on her feet. There was no harm in it, he reckoned. The weather was agreeable and they were near their destination. Her walking for an hour or so would do her good.
And if she were to tire, he would just put her back on the sled.
No fuss, no muss.
She nodded and smiled, "Alright! Let's go!"
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The two kept to themselves as they walked. It wasn't that they were avoiding one another; it was just that they needed to conserve their energy as they still had quite a trek.
The two stopped though after covering a mile.
Argilla sat on the snow, "That was…tiring…" she said, huffing.
Serph chuckled; he wasn't tired at all, and could go on for another hour of trekking but he stopped as he felt and saw that his partner wasn't.
So, he complied.
He saw a hill and there walked over to it, the binoculars still in his hands. He scanned the area but his sights landed…on her.
He swallowed the lump on his throat, as he gazed at her. Seeing her wave at him with a warm smile on her face made him blush uncontrollably and he immediately turned his sights elsewhere.
He hated himself right there.
'The world's biggest idiot, right here.' he sighed, thinking to himself.
She had caught him staring…with the binoculars no less!
'She'd probably think I'm a pervert…' he thought as his face fell.
He looked to their left and there saw, in the midst of the new layer of snow brought about by the previous night's blizzard. There was a sort of…hole.
He blinked; it was probably a part of the lake…or a small pond. Well, since they were resting, perhaps they could use this to their advantage…
"Serph?"
He froze as he heard her voice. She was there? He turned and looked at her, shifting uncomfortably as his quivering hands struggled to put his goggles back on. He stopped his fidgeting as he felt her hands on his, stilling his movements.
She guided his hands and there set his goggles over his eyes perfectly.
"There." she said cheerfully.
He coughed, hiding the blush and turned away. His eyes widened as he did so and there saw a pack of wolves upon the sled. He cursed and there dashed from the scene, accidentally shoving Argilla on the snow.
"Serph!"
Serph grabbed the flare gun from his waist and there fired a round. The wolves were momentarily blinded and there whimpered as they scattered.
Argilla looked on from afar as she saw the wolves run. She got to her feet and with her eagle-eye saw that a wolf had taken something from the sled.
She cursed, it was the transmitter.
She looked at Serph and saw that he was preoccupied fending the remaining wolves off. She narrowed her eyes; it was up to her.
She grabbed the combat knife from the belt around her waist and there dashed from the scene, thanking her lucky stars that her foot and ankle had cooperated.
She knew that the wolf was going to run and so, she had thrown the knife with the deadly accuracy that she was infamous to her enemies for.
The wolf whimpered as it had been hit on its belly and there dropped the sensitive piece of equipment. The aforesaid transmitter fell on the ground and there slid across the smooth surface of the ice.
She followed suit.
She didn't care where it went. It was their most valuable item. There was no way she would let it out of their hands…
Serph turned his direction to the sound of the whimper and there saw Argilla and the wounded wolf. His eyes widened, "Argilla…!"
"Don't!" he shouted as he rushed over to her.
Argilla slid on the ice and there outstretched her arm.
"Gotcha…!" she said.
She slowly made to get up when she heard the distinct growl of a wolf. She raised her head and there saw a pure white wolf, staring at her, baring its teeth, growling angrily.
She paled; why did she always find herself in this sort of situation?
"Argilla!" Serph yelled, the rifle in his hand, aiming for the wolf's head.
The wolf saw him and there, whimpered and backed away.
Seeing the wolf gone, Serph put the rifle down and slowly spoke, "Argilla. Don't move. That's thin ice you're lying on…"
Argilla paled; thin ice…?
Well, there was nothing that she could do right now. She had better stay put as she was instructed.
Serph rushed over to the sled and there tied the cord to it and then around his waist and made his way over to her. He then made a loop at its end, big enough so that she may sling herself in it.
"Listen, I'm going to toss you this cord. Grab onto it and sling it across your chest." he called out firmly.
"Alright…!" she replied. She stiffened as she saw a crack on the ice.
She cursed.
"Damn…!" Serph hissed and there tossed the cord over to her. Argilla caught it and carefully slung it across her chest. Her movement however was not careful or slow enough as the crack around her stretched even wider.
Serph's eyes saw that she had completed his instruction and made to pull her when the ice beneath her gave way, plunging her within the icy waters.
"Argilla!" he yelled as he pulled.
"Serph…!!" she yelled back as she fought to stay above water.
He pulled with all his might be she seemed to be slipping farther and farther away.
"No…!"
He pulled once more, forcing his legs to move backward. After a few moments of grueling pulling, he had managed to get her out of the hole.
He pulled her out of the frozen pond and onto the snow. He rushed to her and saw that she was shaking uncontrollably. He saw that she still had the transmitter and immediately grabbed it from her, not letting her feel additional cold from its metallic feel. He scooped her in his arms and there made for the sled.
He cursed and there removed her jacket and pants immediately. She was going into shock. She closed her eyes tightly as the cold engulfed her body. He had stripped her so that the only thing that she wore was their black undergarments from their Embryon uniform; luckily, it hadn't been that wet or soaked. Luckily, her spot in the sled was still prepared.
Serph immediately grabbed the fur coats, his and hers and dried her off being wrapped her in it. Her socks had been removed then. He cursed as he saw that there weren't any other pair. He looked around and saw the dead wolf.
He scooped Argilla from the ground and there placed her within the sleeping bag and fastened her in it securely, zipping it sealed.
He dashed from there and ran to the wolf's carcass. With his dagger he immediately set to work and skinned the animal. He made precise cuts and there took two pieces of skin. He rushed back to the sled and took a piece of thin cord that he cut in two.
He unzipped his unconscious comrade once more and made for her feet. He wrapped her dainty feet with the animal's fur and tied it with pieces of the cord around the ankles, sealing her feet within.
He then sealed her entire body within the bag once more.
He sighed; it wasn't much but it would keep her warm enough and hopefully slow the effects of hypothermia.
He needed to get to that dome!
Wasting no more time, he rushed from the scene, pulling the sled with all of the strength he could muster. The weather was holding. That was good. He needed all of the support that he could get at that moment.
His breathing became ragged as he continued to pull.
His heart was beating wildly against his ribcage that he feared at that moment whether it would eventually give out; out of exhaustion. His hands gripped onto the cord as tight as he could. He gritted his teeth in frustration as his eyes burned in anger.
He was angry…He was angry at himself.
He had done this to her…
If only he had been there sooner. If only he had pulled faster and harder! This wouldn't have happened!
His tears were threatening to spill but he wouldn't let it…No. If he did, it would be the same as accepting defeat. No.
He would not yield. Never.
He had to be strong; for her. He had promised her…that he would become strong…for her! And he intended on fulfilling that promise…whatever it took!
He let out a breath of relief as now…he stood in front of the dome that they had been seeking for the last few days…
"Finally…"
He looked back at Argilla and saw that she was still unconscious.
He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands, "You'll be alright. I swear it."
Leaving the sled momentarily, he walked over to the dome and felt the wall. It was made of some metallic alloy. It wasn't wooden…
He looked around it for any sign of an entrance. But found none. He frowned and let his eyes blaze in fury, "Then I'll just have to make one."
He walked back to the sled and there pulled out the explosives within. He grinned, "C4."
He took the aforesaid explosives and there attached two of them on the wall. He readied the detonation and there walked back to the sled. He pushed the detonation button and heard an explosion.
Once the smoke had cleared, he looked at the wall and saw that it had created a hole. He nodded, right.
He dragged the sled over to the hole and let it just be there, by the entrance. He then took a luminescent rod from there and ventured further within.
He raised his arm and found himself upon an empty room. Right. Well, the first thing to do was to see what type of room they were in.
There had to be a furnace or a power-grid somewhere within. He turned to look at Argilla. He needed to do something fast!
He dragged the sled further within and there he placed the sled on the farthest corner of the room from the hole. He had set the tent up as fast as he could and there lit their lamp. He took Argilla from there and laid her within the tent. He checked her temperature…
She wasn't doing bad…Not too bad.
She wasn't shaking as much as before either. She was just suffering from mild hypothermia. He needed to warm her up. There wasn't any choice. The small lamp burned its fire within their tent languidly but he didn't care. Any heat was better than none…
He quickly unzipped her from the sleeping back and saw her shake and quiver from the cold as he did. He checked her undergarments and saw that they were quite wet. He frowned; he unzipped it from her body and quickly removed it, revealing all of her to him.
He was right…She was…indeed a goddess…
He shook his head; no! This wasn't the time!
He removed his jacket and pants and just settled for the black undergarments of their uniform. Without hesitation, he straddled her and pressed himself against her tightly, taking her in his arms protectively.
His legs intertwined with hers as his arms slid around her body. With his one hand, he grabbed the fur coats and there draped it on their bodies. He then sealed them within the sleeping bag.
He held her there…all the while whispering into her ear…
"You're going to be alright…" he told her, "Just hang in there…"
He closed his eyes and there listened for the rhythmic beating of her heart…It was quite faint; he felt his chest tighten at that. But he realized that it was because of the low temperature of her body. He needed to increase it damn it!
He held her tighter…
He waited a few more minutes…Her heartbeat was still slow…But it was better than the last reading he took.
"Argilla…hang on…"
Feeling exhaustion lurk over his weary body, he slowly closed his eyes, all the while holding the woman he loved tightly in his arms…
XXXXX
Argilla stirred and moaned. Where was she…? What happened…?
'All I could remember was…the wolf…and the transmitter…' she thought to herself.
She awoke to a warm and euphoric feeling…What was it that made it so…?
She fluttered her eyes awake…She saw a plop of silver hair. She blinked as she faintly registered that it was Serph, sleeping on her. He was on her, fully. She blushed at that but shook her head, 'It's stupid.'
She then focused on their surroundings. They were within a tent.
'Is it that time already?'
Was it nighttime already that they had decided to camp out?
She yawned…she was so tired…She felt so sleepy…
She stirred a bit more and there made for her uniform but was shocked to find that it was not there. Panic set in within her body as she stole a peek at her body. She paled.
She was…
'I'm naked…!'
Her hands went from her leg and up to her private and sacred parts and gasped.
She was naked…
'I'm naked completely!'
She blushed furiously as she considered their positions. She bit her lip; no. It couldn't be what it looked like, right?
No; of course not.
Serph must have had a good reason…
Listening to herself make the justification, she immediately felt her drowsiness return…and there…she once more succumbed to sleep.
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Serph awoke suddenly as he felt himself on his back. On his back? Wait a minute! He opened his eyes and saw that the woman that he was straddling, now straddled him, her head on his chest.
He blushed but, moreover, he was happy. She had pulled through and it looked like she was strong enough to flip him over too.
His hands, which were resting on his side, slowly crept up to her back and there felt her body. She was warm. He smiled and relaxed his tense muscles. She was alright. He considered their positions for a moment.
Would she still need him…?
He really didn't want to remain there any more than he needed to. With her state of undress, she might consider it as offensive if he indeed remained there unnecessarily.
He wrapped his arms around her once more, fighting the urge for him to feel her, skin on skin as he flipped her over, so that she was once more on her back, resting on the warm fur coat. He looked at her face and saw contentment in it…
She wasn't pouting or furrowing her eyebrows…There was just the facial expression of…peace. That was all that he wanted to see…He smiled and there leaned in, kissing her chastely. He chuckled a bit as he felt her warm and moist lips…
He then fought the sudden urge to kiss her once more…fully. No. He wouldn't.
'It's not right.'
Even if it was killing him with desire at the moment.
He smiled once more, forgetting all of his longing for her and thought back to her previous precarious situation.
He had thought for a moment back there that he would lose her…He was thankful to the gods that he didn't.
Making up his mind, he slowly moved out of the sleeping bag and left her altogether. He cracked his tensed joints and his stiff muscles and there looked for his windproof uniform. He quickly put it on himself and there took another luminescent rod, exploring the room a bit, letting his curiosity get the better of him.
He blinked.
'This was someone's old quarters…' he mused absentmindedly.
He looked back at Argilla and took a deep breath.
'Ten minutes.'
He'd be back in ten minutes.
He needed to know what type of place this was. He needed to know where they were. He walked over to the sled and rummaged through her knapsack.
Aah…there they were.
He took the earpieces and there put it on his ear while taking the other one, putting it on her ear. There. That way, they can communicate with one another and he could give her instructions if there came a need to.
Serph then armed himself, taking with him her rifle and a combat knife. He also put on his eyepiece and a small flashlight. Well, that was it.
He looked at his sleeping companion and there smiled, "I'll be back soon."
He chuckled, "Be good."
He pivoted his heels and left the room. The doors were automatic like theirs at Muladhara…but due to the lack of power, he had to pry them open with his hands manually. He walked along the halls, opening the similar doors beside and in front of the room in which he left Argilla in and saw identical rooms.
They were all someone's quarters.
He nodded knowingly, 'This was the personnel's barrack, I suppose…'
Soon, after taking many steps, he reached the main corridor.
He lighted his way and there looked for the staircases. The elevators wouldn't be much help. No power.
He walked all around the main hall and saw old abandoned furniture. The air around him was musty and stale. He breathed in the air with slight disdain although he showed none of his personal sentiments.
He was a soldier after all.
He looked at the walls and saw images of the animals in which he had encountered outside.
'The bear…the wolves…and…birds…?'
He raised an eyebrow. He nodded as he saw the worn out banner on the walls.
"An…ta…i…ca…ser…a…ry…?"
Well. That didn't make much sense. He blinked; the rest of the writing was rubbed off. Oh well.
He resumed his walk and headed for the corners of the room. He reached the staircase and pulled the door. It was locked. A moment later, a loud crash was heard as he forced the door open. He ascended the staircase and reached the next level.
He pried the doors open and frowned, 'More offices…' he noted dryly.
He left again and there ascended another floor. It had only three floors…and two levels of basements he ascertained.
Overall, it wasn't a large place…
He reached the topmost floor and entered. His eyes widened and gave an expression of awe.
'This is…an observatory.' he thought; impressed. There on the wall, he saw, and read the bold letters, telling him where they were…
"Antarctic Observatory…" he read aloud. Now, the gibberish that he had read downstairs made sense.
Within the chamber were large equipment and in the middle was a large telescope, pointing to the cosmos…
The telescope was the largest he had ever seen…Its detection area was over 5000 m2. It had a wide field-of-view and was probably heavy duty.
He nodded knowingly.
'I wonder what this…had seen…How many stars…?' he wondered.
He had read of those…before the cataclysm had happened…The civilizations had flourished and looked to the stars, to the cosmos for their inspiration.
And then…when it all happened, the Great Disaster and Pestilence…all the major settlements had been abandoned…People lived underground…Many died…
Most of the world's population was decimated…And over time…knowledge of such a world had been lost.
And then, the world became harsh…and arid…The survivors were forced to live an unsightly existence; their lives as primordial as that of animals.
They were animals.
He narrowed his eyes; animals or not, it didn't change the fact that they were stranded there and that they needed something to communicate with Muladhara.
His thoughts wandered over to Argilla. He should return to her. Figuring out about the stars and whatnot can wait.
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A/N: The telescope model I've used is the Milagro. It is the first TeV All-Sky Telescope. Located in northern New Mexico.