They were close, Boryslav could tell.
No longer was it a winding dirt road but uneven stone steps, increasing the likelihood of civilization. Boryslav looked up, the two young orphans whispering to each other in front of him.
He frowned.
It had been a few minutes since he used the Compass to traverse the 'curse' anomaly, and ever since then, the two kids had outright ceased any form of conversation with him. It was almost as if they were... afraid.
They noticed his attention, ceasing their whispers as Boryslav spoke up.
"Something wrong?"
Shiggy stopped. "Er, no." And then began walking forward.
However, Nat clearly begged to differ, biting his lip as his fingers twitched. Something was making the boy nervous, his body language speaking high levels of anxiety before Shiggy stopped in his tracks again.
"Oh, um... actually yeah, there is." Shiggy turned his head, pointing forward. "There's a sentinel up ahead who watches the border of Orth."
"A guard?" Boryslav asked, "Well then what is the problem?"
"She's going to see that you don't have a whistle, and immediately assume that you're an illegal Delver."
"Ah,-" Boryslav nodded in understanding, "I see." He then looked around, peering at the grass mounds on the side of the road. "Then you two should keep walking forward, I will sneak past." He then turned to Shiggy, "Do you have a map I can follow?"
"Here." Shiggy said, ripping a piece of paper from his notebook and scribbling on it. He then showed it to Boryslav, pointing at two separate drawings. "This is us, and the stone arc she'll be stationed on is over here."
Boryslav nodded, taking the paper before pausing, raising an eye.
"What's wrong?" Shiggy asked.
"I do not understand this language you wrote..."
"It's Orth rune." Shiggy explained, "Anyhow, it's not important. They're just designations I wrote."
Boryslav slowly nodded as Nat spoke up. "W-Wait, you're really going to try and sneak past when it's broad daylight?"
The Stalker pocketed the map, "Do not worry, I will manage." He began to climb atop the grass mound, "I will meet you two on the other side,-" He then put his strange mask on, turning his head one last time. "Бувай."
Boryslav disappeared over the ridge, the two orphans watching him leave. They waited for a few moments, sure that he was out of hearing range before speaking to each other, continuing their climb atop the steps. "Shiggy, I-I don't get it. I thought the plan was-"
Shiggy shook his head, "I couldn't go along with it. There's just... so much we still don't know to act with haste."
"Yeah but, if people figure out about his relic-"
"Artifact." Shiggy corrected.
"Same thing!" Nat said in exasperation, "If people figure out that he has an artifact that can negate the curse of The Abyss, then nations are going to figure out too! Remember what Director taught us? Artifacts considered special grade-"
"-are too powerful for an individual to keep for personal use." Shiggy finished, "But that only applies to relics found in The Abyss."
"So you believe him?" Nat asked.
Shiggy nodded, "Yes, I do. He didn't even know what rune was, Nat. I really think what Worn has said is true, he isn't from around here, or anywhere..." Shiggy turned his head, "And did you forget? If it weren't for Worn, you and I would be snake droppings by now. The least we can do is make sure he gets to Orth unmolested."
"I-..." Nat then paused, noticing that the stone arc had come into view. Already the town sentinel could be seen, staring forward from the balcony with unblinking eyes, an explosive 'Powder Spear' by her side. Rumors circulated that she used a relic to keep her eyes open without blinking, another more extreme rumor, told that her eyelids had been eaten off by a creature of the Abyss.
Yet one thing remained constant. A lot of kids, especially orphans from the Belchero orphanage, feared the woman.
Shiggy and Nat kept silent, traversing a few meters forward as they approached the arc. It was hard to tell whether or not she was looking forward or at them.
And then she spoke, the two orphans freezing up.
"You two."
Shiggy looked up, "Y-Yes?"
She leaned forward, head peering down from the stone balcony. "I noticed the blonde-haired girl with glasses was looking for you two. She passed a few minutes ago..." And then the sentinel leaned back, resuming her watch.
The two orphans blinked.
"That must be Riko." Nat whispered before looking up, "And uh, there's...-"
A tense moment passed, Shiggy staring at Nat wide-eyed behind his glasses as the sentinel leaned forward again. Nat then looked back down at Shiggy's face, pausing, and then looking back up.
"T-Thank you, f-for telling us about our f-friend."
The sentinel paused before nodding, leaning back to disappear behind the balcony.
And they went on their way.
A few moments passed, silence between the two orphans as the arc disappeared behind them. Shiggy then stopped, turning his head. "Nat... thank you, for not exposing Worn."
Nat let out a sigh, "Yeah... anyway, even though that lady isn't too bad, she's still scary to talk to. I could barely thank her, much less give away Worn's position."
"Of course. I would have been long gone by then." a muffled accent spoke out.
Shiggy and Nat flinched, peering to the side of the steps to see Boryslav squatting on the side of the road, weapon casually resting on his shoulder. His mask was still on, two lenses staring at them. They hadn't even seen him, much less notice his presence.
The Stalker stood up, stretching his back as Nat spoke up. "Er, how long were you there for...?"
"Long enough to hear your conversation." He then held his weapon in front, "So, you two were thinking of betraying me?"
Shiggy opened his mouth to protest, only for no words to come out. Sweat began to bead on his head, much like when they were hiding from the Splitjaw within the truck... that everpresent feeling of dread and death. Shiggy's eyes managed to peer to the side to see Nat in a similar situation, eyes wide as he stared forward. And then the orphan turned back to look up.
He wished he didn't.
No longer did Shiggy see Boryslav, as the dark lenses on his strange mask now gave the impression nothing was there anymore... Just a black shade contained within the confines of a green armored suit.
It was as if the man in front of them had been replaced with some other entity entirely, created by something unspeakably cruel and unforgiving.
"He's going to murder us, and then loot our corpses." was all Shiggy could think.
And then Boryslav threw his head back and laughed, taking off his mask and looking back down to show that his face had turned into a healthy red, contrasting with his grey goatee. "Ha, ha! I kid, I kid!" He then squatted down again to face level, "You both are good children. For you two to lie for my sake..." He then shook his head, "I will not pretend what you did was right. I do not know your customs and values... if lying here is taught as a sin." Boyslav stood back up, "But regardless, I do wish to thank the two of you for guiding me. You two would make good guides if you were in The Zone."
"... S-So you're not going to kill us?" Nat asked, slowly recovering.
"Of course not." Boryslav then paused, longer then he should have. "I do not kill children."
Shiggy let out a breath of relief, Boryslav holstering his weapon.
"I think I see an end to these stairs. We must be very close to your town." The Stalker then turned his head, "Maybe on the way there, I can tell you a bit more about The Zone, where I came from, Dah?"
Nat gave a small shrug as Shiggy's eyes lit up, producing his notebook.
Boryslav didn't expect much from Orth.
He had been to plenty of quaint little towns in his homeland... and in Afghanistan. So he had expected to see a few houses, maybe a town hall, but he had forgotten just how different this new land was.
Thousands of chimney stacks from thousands of houses could be seen emitting grey lines over the town as sun began to set. They were built haphazardly over rocky ridges, some even overlapping each other. Iron waterwheels churned at the edges, funneling rivers from the mountains and sending it pouring downward into The Abyss. A giant bridge extending toward the middle of the chasm held hundreds of gondolas and elevators, all operating as figures could be seen standing on it. And it went on for miles and miles, spanning around the giant chasm that was The Abyss.
"It is like this entire society is built around this damn hole..." Boryslav thought as Nat came up next to him.
"So uh, what are Emissions like?" The boy asked.
Boryslav kept walking forward, eyes now scanning the peaceful and civilized scenery around them. "Dangerous."
He had been telling the two orphans a bit about The Zone, giving basic explanations on things like anomalies and mutants. He had remembered their faces, from lighting up with intrigue before turning to shock. The Zone, although similar to The Abyss, came with its own dangers. At least in The Abyss, one didn't need to worry about being sucked up into a Whirligig and ripped apart, or thinking that said Whirligig was the entrance to a safe compound because a Controller (a former human somehow turned mutant) was toying with your mind.
But admittedly, Boryslav knew that he hadn't experienced The Abyss long enough to paint a clear comparison.
"I do not know why it happens, an Ecologist egghead can probably tell you more. But from what I know, Emissions, or as Stalkers like me call it, a Blowout, happens when energy builds up in the center of The Zone and releases, sending out massive psy waves across the land." Boryslav shook his head, "Only way to avoid it is getting to a suitable shelter. If not, well..." Boryslav shrugged, "If you are lucky, it will kill you, fry your brains and leave it leaking out of your ears. If you are unlucky... you get back up..."
Shiggy and Nat paused before the latter spoke up, "Wait, are you saying they turn into literal zombies-?!"
"Nat, Shiggy!" A girls voice called out.
The trio turned to see a girl down the road, blonde hair and ponytails covered by a Delver hat as her green eyes shined behind a pair of glasses. A giant bag full of relics could be seen on her back, but otherwise did not impede her speed as she rushed forward.
"It's Riko." Shiggy uttered before the two boys were pulled into a tight hug. Boryslav watched from behind, using the moment to get a better look at his surroundings. Actual town goers could be seen walking the streets now, a few wagons full of produce pulled by giant furry beasts, not too dissimilar to the look of oversized guinea pigs.
"Those must be Furpongs." Boryslav thought as the girl named Riko pulled away from her two friends.
"I was so worried when you two didn't show up at our usual meeting place! What happened?!"
"We got attacked by a Crimson Splitjaw." Nat spoke, half stating and half bosting.
"Eh?!" Riko exclaimed in shock.
"Juvenile Crimson Splitjaw." Shiggy corrected, much to Nat's disappointment. "And the only reason we survived was because of Worn over here."
"Worn?" Riko asked before turning her head to Boryslav, she seemed to shrink beneath the visage of the Stalker, clenching her hands out of both determination and fear. "Y-You're Worn?"
"Dah, that is-" He was cut off.
"Aie!" Riko then laughed, tears literally coming from her eyes as she seemingly forgot her fear. "His accent sounds so funny!"
Boryslav raised an eye, genuinely surprised at how expressive the small girl in front of him was. Shiggy and Nat stared at her as well, teeth gritted with embarrassment.
Riko recovered, "But, still-" She then bowed her head, hat almost falling off her head. "Thank you for saving Nat and Shiggy!" She looked back up, "Are you a Delver? Where's your whistle?" She then gasped, "Unless, you're an ille-!"
Nat immediately put a hand to her mouth, Riko murmuring in surprise. "Sorry, one moment." Shiggy simply said, the two of them dragging her to the side as Boryslav watched.
"These children are going to be the death of me..." Boryslav thought.
"-And he has used this artifact to help us ascend the first layer... without any of us receiving the curse." Nat whispered.
"Whaaaat?!" Riko exclaimed, "Really!?"
"Shhhhh,-" Shiggy shushed, "But yeah, that's what happened. Don't tell anybody about it."
"Wow..." She then turned her head, Boryslav walking closely behind the trio. "You really are like a white whistle..."
He shrugged, "It is common to utilize artifacts from where I am from."
"Then where are you from, and how did you get here?" Riko asked.
"The Zone." Boryslav explained. "A place similar to your Abyss but different in other ways. You have your bottom and we have our center..." He then shook his head, "As for how, it was a Space anomaly that sent me here. Not sure how, but it did."
"A space anomaly?" Riko asked, Shiggy perking up.
"Anomalies are basically unnatural hazards where Worn comes from." The boy explained, "There are all sorts of anomalies apparently, and they're all dangerous to walk into."
Boryslav nodded, "Very good, very good. But a space anomaly is different from the rest, and the most dangerous. It alters the very fabric of reality and time, creating a loop in space and trapping any unfortunate bastard who walks into it." Boryslav then stared forward, a distant look in his eyes. "You will find yourself walking anywhere, only to find yourself in the exact same spot you left... your supplies running low." Boryslav shook his head, "Anyways, I tried to destabilize one using my detector to reach a stash, but it instead blew up in my face... God damn Ecologists and their prototype tech..."
Nat and Shiggy tilted there heads at that while Riko looked up, a dreamy gaze on her face. "Woah, if only my mother were here. I'm sure she and you would have gotten along really well." She then paused, "At least I think you would have. I never knew much about her."
"Who was your mother, if you do not mind me asking?" Boryslav asked.
"Oh, I-I'm supposed to keep it a secret!" Riko realized before calming back down, "But... she was a white whistle. Lyza the annihilator." Riko's eyes began to shine with pride, "And she was called that because she was able to exterminate any enemy she encountered! Be it a creature of The Abyss or Delvers from rival nations."
"Ah, I see. It sounds like she would have been at home where I am from... A shame she passed away."
"Er, no she's just down in The Abyss... somewhere." Riko explained.
"... So she is still alive?" Boryslav asked, "Then she left you? By yourself? In an orphanage?" His tone became tense.
"Uh, y-yeah. But she did it for my safety." Riko explained. "I've been told that she made a lot of enemies in her life... so some would try to hurt her by hurting me."
The Stalker paused before sighing, closing his eyes. "Stop acting like a damn hypocrite. Even she had a better reason than you did..." He scolded himself, brushing away thoughts of his past as the orphans came to a stop.
"We're here." Shiggy simply said.
Boryslav looked up, noticing the faded looking building ahead of them. It was taller than most houses around as ivy could be seen growing atop its roof, window openings arranged by rows and columns were on every floor of the building. "I guess this is where we part ways." Nat surmised.
Riko let out a sigh, "Aw..." She then turned her head, "Will you visit us, Worn?"
Admittedly, he didn't expect that question, but the Stalker did answer. "I will try..." He then turned around toward the rest of the town, staring at his surroundings. Unsureness finally began to arise as the situation sunk in. Although they spoke English, he didn't know the written language of these people, or 'rune's... and there was also the case of currency. He doubted that roubles were usable here, meaning that the 5000 he had bought with him were now completely useless, he needed to make money and fast.
How was he going to survive and fit in here?
He scrunched a hand beneath his goatee as Shiggy seemingly read his mind.
"You could try and pass off as a foreigner who arrived recently, and that the gear you have is just gear developed by your nation via the usage of relics. There's a lot of nations around Orth, and not all of them are... 'openly' hostile to us." Nat nodded in agreement with that statement as Shiggy then paused, "But... Boryslav."
"Dah?" He asked as he squatted, knowing that the boy had something important to share.
"Be careful who you trust... In Orth and in The Abyss."
Boryslav smiled, "Then it looks like I am in my element." He slowly stood up, "Goodbye, little ones-"
"You three." A voice spoke up.
The group turned their heads toward the giant door of the orphanage. A tall woman stood there, dressed in black robes and cloth. Her face was slightly gaunt, complemented with a set of sharp eyes. Her hair was black and accented with white strains, with two long curls going down each ear. Both of her hands rested on a walking cane, giving off more of an impression of authority than age. She noticed Boryslav before narrowing her eyes at him.
"Who are you?"
He could feel her hardened gaze, as well as the worried looks of the three children beside him. Boryslav paused for a moment before lightening his stance, thinking up an explanation and considering Shiggy's advice.
Finally, he spoke.
"Just a foreigner to these parts. I got lost around the town, Orth is just too much of a wondrous place." He then turned his head toward the trio, "Luckily these three children who were returning from The Abyss helped guide me in the proper direction."
She watched him for a moment before turning her head to the three kids. "Is this true?"
"Y-Yes, Director." Nat answered. "M-Mr. Shevchenko was lost. S-So we told him we could help find his way from the orphanage."
Not a whole lie, not a whole truth.
Yet 'Director' turned her head back to Boryslav, staring at him intently and clearly not satisfied with the explanation.
"I hope I still got it." Boryslav silently thought.
"And why did you come here, to Orth?" She asked, eyes still scanning him intently.
Boryslav shrugged, "Oh, you know. To see the sights and sounds, maybe meet a beautiful woman or two... Luckily,-" He then smiled, looking her straight in the eye. "-I think I just fulfilled the latter."
There was a reason why his unit called him 'Smooth-Talker' back in the day.
She blinked.
"Oh! Where are my manners?" Boryslav then walked up to her, reaching a hand forward. "Can I ask for your name, Pretty One."
"I-" She then slowly took his hand with her black-clothed glove, "My name is Belchero."
"Ah, of course." He then put both of his gloves together, fingers softly grasping at her hand. "My last name is Shevchenko, but since we are already on a first-name basis, you can call me Boryslav." He then gently let go, her hand still out before she shook herself out of her stupor. "It must be hard running an orphanage with you and your husband-"
"Oh, I-" Belchero then paused, "I do not have a husband. I am unmarried."
"What?!" Boryslav exclaimed, "Impossible."
Belchero slowly nodded, her usually colorless face now beginning to turn a slight shade of red as the children stared with wide eyes.
"Now, the killing blow." Boryslav thought as he leaned in close to whisper, a tone inaudible to the trio. "Well, luckily for me, I am without a lover. And I believe you exceed all my expectations. Perhaps we can warm a bed sometime, if you want..."
That was it.
Belchero's face turned as red as a tomato, her eyes wide. She then turned around, covering her mouth with her free hand. "S-Scandalous... S-So scandalous." He heard her whisper to herself before quickly leaving, not even bothering to call back the orphans.
"Still got it..." Boryslav thought with satisfaction.
Nat and Shiggy's jaw simply dropped as Riko spoke up, a shine in her eyes.
"Worn really is beyond a white whistle! He managed to make Director blush!"
Another person walked out of the orphanage just as Riko finished that declaration, head turned as if having noticed Belchero walk in earlier. He then turned his head to the group. He was a young man, with white hair and bright blue eyes, a frown could be seen on his face, not of anger but more of concern. "You three are very late. Did something happen in the first layer?"
"Er...-" Nat paused as the young man then looked at Boryslav.
"Who's this?"
"Ah Говно, here we go again." Boryslav thought, Shiggy speaking on his behalf.
"This is Mr. Shevchenko. He's a foreigner. We were guiding him around town because he got lost."
The young man narrowed his eyes before relenting, probably relieved that the kids had returned to the orphanage. "Alright then. Return inside." They obliged, Shiggy, Nat, and Riko giving silent waves goodbye. Boryslav returned the gesture, watching the children leave behind the giant door. The young man then turned his head back, "Answer me truthfully. Did you come to Orth to illegally delve?"
"No." Boryslav answered, "At least, that is not what I plan to do."
The young man crossed his arms, "Then why are you equipped head to toe in relics?"
Boryslav shook his head, "All that I wear is human-made."
That was technically true. What he used on the other hand...
"... Alright then." The young man relented, "I believe you." He then turned around, but not before pausing at the doorway. "A word of advice, Orth isn't a friendly place for foreigners. I suggest you be careful..."
"Why tell me this?" Boryslav asked.
"Because I have a feeling you could use what I've told." The young man responded before closing the door behind him.
Boryslav was left alone, the sun now having disappeared over the mountains that enclosed the ringed town. He turned around, silently leaving the courtyard of the orphanage.
"блядь..." Boryslav mumbled to himself as he walked the dark streets alone. Night had already fallen, the only sources of light being from nearby houses, but even that was starting to disappear.
He checked his surroundings again, noticing that most of the wooden buildings around him were ramshackle and in disrepair. Not a soul walked the streets here, Boryslav now completely on his lonesome.
"It seems that I have wandered to the wrong part of the town." Boryslav thought, "Maybe I should have asked if they had room at that orphanage..."
And then he heard a grunt nearby, commotion coming from an alleyway beside him. He turned his head, slowly walking toward the side of the opening and knelt as voices could be heard. Dim lighting coming from a nearby shack acted as the only source of illumination for Boryslav, as five figures could be seen, four of which were surrounding what appeared to be an elderly man.
"We're trying to be really civilized here, Old Man." The lead mugger said, his voice menacing as he held a knife in his hands. "If you don't tell us where you put it, then we're going to have a real problem here."
"I told you-" The elderly man hacked and coughed behind his bushy beard, clutching a stab wound. "I'm not telling you anything!"
"Stubborn Old Man..." Boryslav thought before analyzing the situation. Four thugs, all of them dressed in rags, all of them young and possibly impressionable at some point, reduced to this... Boryslav shook his head in silence before thinking. "Now, do I really want to get involved?"
They were muggers, and there was a good chance that they had Orth currency on them, money that he could use. Not only that, but he would be committing assault and be morally in the clear. Practically speaking, it was the perfect opportunity for him.
He slipped on his gas mask before standing up, Boryslav knowing just how to lull them into a false sense of security. He waved cheerfully at the group. "Привіт!"
The thugs turned their heads to him, as did the Old Man.
"А ну чики брики и в дамки!" Boryslav yelled nonsensically behind his gasmask, walking unbalanced as if he were drunk. "Aya! Hardbass!"
"Who's this weirdo?" One of the thugs asked. Two of them began to laugh as the leader smirked, letting go of the old man as the two others held him up to the wall.
"Горілка! Горілка!" Boryslav exclaimed, the leader slowly walking up to him. "That is right. Get close. Get separated."
The leader brandished his knife. "You drunk or something? Kind of picked a bad time to-"
And then Boryslav swung a powerful left hook, catching the man across the face. The leader was instantly knocked out, body falling like a sack of potatoes as he smashed against the wood walls of the alleyway. The rest of the thugs and the old man stared with shock, Boryslav looking down at the leader's unconscious form.
"Засранеес..." Boryslav simply muttered before looking at the other three, "Well?" the lenses on his gas mask were dark, "Who is next?"
The one closest to him seemed to shake, body quivering as if his body was doing a coin flip between flight or fight. He chose the latter, letting out a shrill cry before charging forward with a rusty pipe.
Boryslav simply met his charge, his VDV hand-to-hand training kicking in as he ducked under the clumsy swing. He retaliated with a swift punch, striking the man quickly in the chest as the thug let out a gasp before launching a kick into the side of his shin to disbalance him. Boryslav then wrapped one arm around the thug's waist and the other around his thigh, lifting him up sideways before slamming him into it the ground.
A pained moan escaped the thug's lips as he simply laid there, perhaps in too much pain to move as Boryslav looked up at the other two who were still holding onto the old man. They looked at Boryslav before looking at each other, and within an instant, they broke off into a sprint, running away from the scene as the old man fell to the floor.
"Smart." Boryslav simply murmured before walking up to the old man and lending a hand. "Hey, you alright, Старик?"
"Gah..." The old man batted away his hand, "I'm fine. I could've handled those thugs myself."
Boryslav rolled his eyes behind his gas mask, "Sure you could have, Пердоон стары..." He then looked at the blood on the old man's hands, "At least let me look at your wound."
"I've suffered worse in The Abyss. It's just a flesh wound. Just-..." The Old man sighed, "-I need some bandages. Do you have any?"
The Stalker nodded, reaching into his pack to produce a roll. He then cut a piece off, handing it to the old man. "Here." He gave it to the old man before turning around, kneeling down next to one of the unconscious thugs and rifling through his pockets. "... Nothing." Boryslav said to himself, before moving on to the leader. He checked his pockets before pulling his hand out, a few silver coins held in his fingerless glove. "This must be the currency."
The Old Man picked himself up with a grunt, stumbling a bit but otherwise maintained himself. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"
"I was in the military." Boryslav simply answered, pocketing the coins.
"You an illegal Delver?" The old man asked.
Boryslav shook his head, "No. I am not if you would believe me."
The old man seemed to scan him for a moment before walking to the side of the alleyway, he then knelt down, removing a wooden box to reveal a small hole in the ground. Reaching in, he took out what seemed to be a big bag of silver.
"So that's what those thugs were looking for." Boryslav said, the old man turning to him.
"You gonna attack me for it?"
Boryslav shrugged, "If you give me a reason to, then yes." He then took off his mask, giving the old man a warry look. "But so far, there is none. All I am looking for right now is a place to stay."
The old man then walked past him. "Then follow me. My house is in the east district, outside of The Wharf."
Boryslav followed the old man out of the south district, returning to the more pleasant parts of Orth.
He wasn't sure if he could trust this old man, but as of now, with night already in full effect and having found no place to stay, he was kind of out of options. Besides, the old man didn't seem like a deceitful-type, just... cranky.
"Here." The old man said, opening a door and walking. Boryslav looked up to see that it was two stories high and with windows, a rich medieval house.
"This house looks nice. What the hell was the old man doing, picking up a stash from the bad part of town?"
He silently followed in after the old man.
The old man flipped a switch, lights turning on to reveal a beautifully decorated interior, filled with various furniture and a big dining table in the middle. A Delvers jacket and hat could be seen hanging off a nearby wall as if on display, black whistle seen with it. Boryslav blinked, if he remembered what Shiggy had told him, a black whistle meant the old man was just behind a white whistle in terms of experience in The Abyss, a veteran in his own right.
"You can sleep in one of the guestrooms upstairs. But be quiet, my granddaughter is-"
"Grandfather Taro?" A girls voice asked.
The two of them turned their heads to see a young girl in a nightgown staring at the two of them from the steps of the stairs. The old man, now confirmed as Taro, gave the girl a tired smile. "Orla, my Eternal Fortune. What are you doing up so late?"
Orla peered from behind the wooden handrails. "I-I was waiting for you to come back." She then turned her head to Boryslav, "W-Who's this?"
Taro turned his head to Boryslav, "A friend of mine. He'll be staying here overnight. Just go back to sleep, please..."
The young girl seemed to pause before slowly nodding, climbing back up the stairs. Boryslav watched as she left before turning his head back to the old man, digging through a cupboard as he grunted in pain. "Damn it." He then stood up, wincing in pain. "I need a drink..."
"What you need to do is sit down." Boryslav demanded, "I'll get you a drink."
Taro paused before slowly nodding, passing the Stalker and sitting down on a giant sofa chair. Boryslav grabbed a bottle of vodka from the side of his bag, unscrewing the top and pouring it into the cap as a shot.
"Here." Boryslav said, handing it to the old man. Taro took a sip from the cap, licking his lips in satisfaction.
"Ah, this has a nice taste." He then turned his head, "What is this?"
Boryslav sat on one of the couches, "Vodka. A liquor from my homeland."
The old man took another sip, pausing for a moment. "What's your name, foreigner?"
"Boryslav. Boryslav Shevchenko." The Stalker answered, "But you can call me Worn."
Taro shrugged, "Well, 'Worn', you already know my name... and my granddaughter's..." He then turned his head, "Are you going to be a threat to us?"
"Are you?" The Stalker asked, to which Taro shook his head.
"No. Guests are sacred in this house..." The old man murmured.
"What were you doing in that shithole before?" Boryslav asked as he looked around the fine interior. "It seems to me that you are rich."
"Rich? Ha." Taro chuckled bitterly, "I'm struggling to make ends meet for this house."
"But you are a black whistle, dah? I heard your types collect hundreds of relics to sell."
"That was a long time ago... when I could delve on my own and not have to worry about my age." Taro answered, "My son was supposed to pick up after me, but he died on his second delve, right after becoming a black whistle." He shook his head. "And as for my son's wife, my daughter in law, she got sick on her 20th birthday, a few days after giving birth to Orla. Apparently, she was the first case of some mysterious disease that's now going around, and no doctor could cure her. By the end of the exact same day, she passed away. All she could do was pray... " He sighed, taking another sip. "Now I'm behind paying my own taxes and rent for this house, and the guild won't give me enough for the relics I've collected and kept throughout my life, so I head over to The Wharf to get them sold illegally, it's dangerous... but they pay well over there."
Boryslav looked to the side, "Sounds like this godforsaken hole takes more than it gives..." He then paused, "A feeling all too familiar."
Taro nodded in agreement before wincing in pain again, "Agh, damn it..."
"Are you alright, Taro?"
"Yeah I'm- Eurgh, fine..." He clutched his bandaged wound, "I'll just sleep this off."
"You will be dead in the morning if you try." Boryslav simply said before pausing for a moment. "Can I trust this old man?" He then made his decision, reaching into one of his pouches. "I have something that might help."
He had a total of 5 artifacts on him, not including the Soul he had found in the truck, or the fragments of a Gravi and Goldfish built into his Mossberg and backpack respectively. Worn reached in to produce an orb, this time consisting of green unstable particles, small miniature swirls giving the impression of tiny galaxies on its surface as it churned brightly.
Although a Soul had regenerative properties, the Firefly artifact took that prospect to a whole other level.
"What is that?" Taro asked, staring at it in wonder. "It's... beautiful."
Boryslav held it close to the old man as Taro let out a small gasp, as if he could now breathe more easily. The lines on his elderly face seemed to fade by just a tiny bit, and as for the wound... Boryslav held the Firefly away, removing the bandage off the old man's stomach to show bare skin, no sign of a wound ever existing or a scar to detail its history. The Stalker then put away the artifact as quickly as he had bought it out, closing the pouch.
"What..." Taro spoke, "What type of relic was that?"
"A Firefly." Boryslav answered, "Speeds up your bodies regeneration." Boryslav then leaned back in his chair, "You may not believe it, but it is not from The Abyss. It is... from somewhere similar. Where I am from."
"..." Taro then nodded, "I believe you. I've been collecting relics for most of my life, I've never seen any like that one before, and neither has anybody detailed anything similar. It's beyond aubade, and the fact that you managed to utilize it like a white whistle..." The old man then turned his head to the Stalker. "Who are you Worn?"
Boryslav shrugged, "Just a foreigner in a foreign land..." He then stared at the old man, "But the question is, and it feels wrong to ask this now, but will you try and steal it from me while I am asleep?"
Taro paused before shaking his head, "No. Even if I have to resort to doing illegal acts, I don't steal... and even if I did, I don't think it'd be a sane decision to steal from you." The old man then stood up without any sign of difficulty. "Wow, that Firefly worked wonders on my body. I feel 10 years younger!"
"... And you probably are now..." Boryslav murmured as Taro turned his head to him. "But if I used it on you for too long, you would have suffered long term from radiation. Just carrying it begins to destroy your body from the inside."
"I don't know what 'radiation' is." Taro admitted, "But it already sounds dangerous enough..." the old man then asked, "How do you prevent that from happening to you then?"
"Another artifact I use neutralizes it." Boryslav simply answered.
Taro looked down before drinking the rest of the Vodka poured inside the cap and handing it back to Boryslav, "Right." He then turned around, walking toward the staircase. "I've made up my mind. You can stay here for as long as you want."
"That would be unnecessary, I only need the night-"
"And I need to repay you for all that you have done for me." Taro responded before walking upstairs. "You can take my son's room... it's... the tidiest I have right now..."
"Dah." Boryslav acknowledged, taking a quick swig from his bottle of Vodka before closing it with the cap.
At least he figured out a place to stay...
It was a nice room.
A queen-sized bed next to a window as a single standing frame could be seen on a table next to the bed. Boryslav peered down at it, noticing a portrait of a smiling young man in a Delver outfit, a scruffy mustache on his face.
"That's my son."
Boryslav turned his head, noticing Taro standing from the doorway.
"It's customary to receive a portrait of yourself when you become a black whistle." Taro smiled, walking past Boryslav to pick up the frame. "He was so excited that day... could barely even hold still for the artist to draw him."
The Stalker paused before walking next to the old man, "It's good that you have something to remember him by..."
Taro nodded before placing the frame back down. "To tell you the truth, I was proud when he was preparing to go down his second time. " Taro recalled, "He had been assembled into a team by the powers that ran Orth itself, sent to retrieve an artifact of immeasurable value. I didn't think he'd be in any danger, it was being led by two white whistles after all, but foreign nations had also found out about the relic... sending their own Delver's to fight for it." Taro shook his head, "Only the white whistles survived... and they weren't able to retrieve my son's body."
Boryslav could sympathize, or at least, compare it with what his father had gone through. There was a reason why Boryslav didn't have any uncles, or grandparents, or granduncles. All of them had perished fighting the Germans in the so-called Great Patriotic War. And despite that, his father simply carried on, creating a life for himself after fighting in the Eastern Front.
Such a shame Boryslav failed to do the same.
He shook his head, banishing his thoughts as Taro turned to leave. "Alright, you're probably tired." Taro looked back, "Goodnight, Worn."
"Goodnight to you too, Taro." Boryslav responded as the old man closed the door behind him. Boryslav was left alone in the darkness, walking toward one of the walls to switch on the light.
It was about time he made a check-up on his own inventory.
He took off his giant backpack and placed it on the bed with ease, opening it up. His organization from constant drilling in the VDV showed, as he was able to neatly unpack everything in a short span of time. Boryslav then went on to remove the entirety of his Sunrise suit, the clothes he wore underneath being a sleeveless striped Telnyashka as well as a pair of thin black and white track pants, his boots still on.
First was his reconnaissance gear. A pair of binoculars, military-grade with advanced threat detection. Night vision goggles, meant to be put over his head and drawn down. His Detector was also marked, the Svarog having done its job detecting the Curse anomaly.
"Maybe it can be used to find relics... if I ever decide to go down that hole." Boryslav wishfully thought, looking down at his Personal Digital Assistant, or PDA. The power for it was fortunately renewable, as one could simply leave it outside to be solar charged. He had also used the grey device to snap a picture of that Splitjaw. Yet a few features were useless now, that being the map and communication, as there was no other Stalker but him.
Medical became accounted for. Five small orange medkits, three dark blue army medkits, and two bright yellow scientific medkits, giving him 10 medkits in total. 2 full rolls of bandages, not to stop bleeding on himself but for others. Two blister strips of Radioprotectant and Psy-block, giving him 4 of both pills. And finally, one Antidote for any dangerous poisons as well as 3 sets of anti-rad, both drugs requiring a needle to inject.
Food provisions came next, the first being the half-full bottle of Vodka, a canteen full of water, six cans of Tourist's Delight, a wrapped Diet Sausage and two cans of S.T.A.L.K.E.R energy drink. Boryslav tapped his chin, "A decent amount. I will probably end up eating whatever they serve here, but it is good to have some food for emergencies."
And then came the weaponry.
The only ammunition he had used so far was half a magazine of his AK-74, as well as two shells from his Mossberg shotgun and none from his silenced M1911 which left him with... 4 and a half magazines full of 5.45x39mm, 18 shells, 3 clips of .45 ACP., and 3 F1 grenades.
He was stocked well on ammo for now, but resupplying was going to be a problem. Boryslav attempted to recall his childhood, remembering the times he had helped put clips together for his father's old Mosin Nagant, or filled shells for the double-barrel. He generally knew the process, and the possibility of there being gunpowder in this world, but the materials for the shells and casings... he would have to figure that out another time.
There was also the matter of their written language which he would have to find a way to learn, as well as finding a way to make a suitable income.
Boryslav yawned, stretching his back as he lied down on the bed.
"A Stalker's hands are never idle..." He quietly thought, drifting off into sleep.
Wow. That is a lot of words. Thanks for the reviews btw! Admittedly, there's not a lot of traffic for both of these fandoms, but the reviews come to show that the people who have read my story so far have come to enjoy it! A word of warning though, the next chapter is going to take longer to come out, I'm going overseas somewhere, but I'll try to see if I can work on it.
Translations:
Бувай - Buvay - Goodbye
Говно - Govno - Shit
блядь - Blyad - Fuck
Привіт - Pryvit - Hello
А ну чики брики и в дамки - Ah noo cheeki breeki i v damké - One, two you're on top! (which also translates to "Put a fucking bullet in his forehead!")
Горілка - Horilka - Vodka
Засранеес - Zasranees - Shithead
Старик - Starik - Old Man
Пердоон стары - Perdoon stary - Old Fart