Wolf and Ring of Steel
Holo looked out at the field in front of her. There was a network of Trenches filled with Germans ready to die for their losing war.
"I feel sorry for them" She said
"How so?" Dmitri asked. She looked at Dmitri and Smiled
"Because we will win, and they will lose badly" She said with a smile
"Well, I hope we live to tell the tale Holo. I hear we shall enter Berlin by tank" Holo sighed
"Not that machine, the noise of the engine gives me a migraine" She said with annoyance. It was true what Dmitri had said, though Holo did over exaggerate her migraine.
"At any rate, we rest till the attack Holo" Dmitri said as he started to walk to his squad. Holo followed in suit. She was happy for tomorrow. Yes it would mean more fighting for weeks, but these would be the last weeks of battle. After this, they would march back to Finland. And Holo looked forward to be on that trek.
Around the fire, Malik cooked his ration. He himself did not care for the taste, it was food and that was all that mattered to him
"Ah Horo, good to see you. " Malik said
"And good to see you, Malik" Holo responded. She sat down and watched the fire burn. There wasn't much else to do. The sapper scouts already moved to test the German defenses, which meant just waiting for the order to attack.
"Where's Sasha?" Dmitri wondered. Malik looked up and ate some of the strange meat.
"His Brother is here. So of course there will be drunks" Malik said in an uninterested voice. As if by cue, Sasha walked in hammered. Behind him was a tall black Russian.
"Friends, this is my brother Chekov." Sasha said as he stumbled around. The big man raised his larger than life hand out.
"It is good to meet you Horo and Dmitri." Chekov said in a voice that almost caused the earth to shake. Holo and Dmitri held their hands out and shook the giant's hand.
"Why do they call you the Bear?" Dmitri asked. Holo looked at her descendent and face palmed her self
"Because of my hugs" the giant then grabbed Holo and Dmitri and hugged them tight. Holo felt her lungs strain to breathe, while Dmitri was sure his eyes just popped out of his head.
"OK….I see now." Dmitri grunted. Chekov let go of the two. Holo barely stood up after that. Dmitri just lay on the ground.
"What…Service…Are you…..In?" Holo said through her breathes. The man laughed
"Why I am a tanker. I drive the T36" He exclaimed with glee. Holo and Dmitri looked at the man at wonder
"How do you fit in?" Malik said as if he read Holo's and Dmitri's minds.
"OH I just crawl in through the hatch" Chekov said to Malik. Again Holo and Dmitri did not comprehend how he did this.
"You know, that hug took my breathe out. I need some sleep" Dmitri said. Sasha stopped him
"Guess what."
"What?"
"We will be riding on Chekov's tank. Isn't that exciting" Sasha gleefully said
"Sure, whatever" a tired Dmitri mumbled. Holo also yawned
"I hate to say it, but I am tired too. I need my sleep if I am to fight" Holo said as she got up and followed Dmitri. Chekov just nodded and continued to talk with Sasha on their live.
"They won't get sleep, will they?" Malik said. Chekov looked at the Chechen
"Nope, there will be an artillery barrage on the trenches. It is going to be so loud, I would not be surprised if the Japanese heard us" Chekov said as he got up.
"I need to get going, I do not like to leave me tank" The giant said.
Chekov was correct. That night, it was like the night God made himself known to the Israelites when he touched a mountain. The guns fired with a sound worse than thunder. The mortars whizzed as they hit their targets. The Katyusha rockets whistled tunes of death as they flew into no man's lands. Dmitri tried to sleep, but he just couldn't, the songs of war kept coming in droves. Holo fared worse as she tried to cover her ears. No matter what she did, she heard and felt the great guns of the Red Army. Eventually she gave out an ear splitting howl, trying to end the madness. But her howl, as powerful as it was, did not compare to the thundering grace that was the cannons songs. As night became day, the results of their symphony of power where less than desirable. As Holo rode on the T34, se saw no blood in the trenches. No one died that night, for the Germans had retreated to another set of trenches. Despite this set back, she could see that the Germans fought with fear. They knew their war was over, yet they continued to fight. As the red army advanced in its hordes of men, the Germans gave little fight. That was until the Red army was fighting in Berlin, there the Germans had prepared. They had 5 years of preparation. And in a couple of weeks, 5 years of work would go up in smoke.
"Break that Wall!" Dmitri screamed as he fired his rifle. The Germans would not give up without a fight. Barricading themselves in buildings, they made sure to make it hell for the Russians.
"Chekov is trying, the wall is too strong" Sasha said as he covered Malik's advance. Holo aimed down her scope, killing a German trying to take the tank out with a Panzerfaust. Holo smiled at her kill as she loaded another clip into her rifle, the sounds of war not hesitating her. In fact, she loved this new world of gunpowder and bullets. Each shot she fired and heard, gave her a sense of the hunts she did as a wolf.
"It is no use, the wall won't budge." Sasha yelled as he reloaded his Machinegun
"Horo, follow me. Malik Sasha, covering fire" Dmitri said as he tossed a Molotov. The two moved to a bombed out building
"Plan?" Holo said as she sighted and shot a German
"Anti-tank, use it to take out the wall" Dmitri ordered as he killed a German with his rifle and pointed to the building. The building he pointed to was more or less destroyed, but the gun was still operational. At least Dmitri hoped it was. Holo nodded as she fired on some machine gunners raking the area. The two ran to the building, entering with no resistance.
"Hand me that shell" Dmitri said. Holo picked up a shell and loaded it into the cannon. Aiming the gun, Dmitri fired at the wall blocking the tank. It was a direct hit, but the wall held.
"Loading" Holo said as she loaded another shell. Soon bullets whizzed into the house, but neither Holo nor Dmitri cared.
"Fire!" Dmitri ordered to Holo. The cannon fired again, this time damaging the wall enough for the tank to push through. Before either of them could act, a German tackled Dmitri. With his knife pulled, he tried to stab Dmitri. Dmitri fought back by kneeing the German, then grabbing his rifle, he smashed the Germans skull till his rifle fell into pieces.
"Dmitri, are you alright?" Holo asked
"I am fine, wish I could say the same for my rifle" Holo looked at Dmitri's rifle. Despite years of marching and war, the rifle had given up. Holo offered her rifle, but Dmitri refused. Looking around, he spied a dead Russian. Moving to it, he took his dead comrades submachine gun
"I am sorry comrade, but I have more use for it then you do right now" Dmitri said as he looted the corpse. Taking the ammo, Dmitri aimed down the sights of his new PPS-43
"Can you use it?" Holo asked
"Yes, it is just like the PPSH-41 I trained on back in Stalingrad." Dmitri then went over to the German and looted a C96 modified with a 20 round box magazine, auto fire, and a stock
"Here, use this. You're going to need it if we are going to fighting up close" Holo accepted the pistol from Dmitri. He then took the Red Banner from his back and removed it from its pole. He tied the flag to his rifle and wrapped the banner around the rifle.
"Let's go, the Red Army won't wait on us" Dmitri said as he cocked his submachine gun. The two moved from the building to one next to them. Despite fears of the occupants still alive, the Germans inside had already retreated to another house. As Holo and Dmitri watched, they saw there comrades fighting the Germans in brutal hand-to-and combat.
"Look its Nikolie" Holo said as she pointed to the officer. Nikolie fired his rifle. As he aimed at a German begging for mercy, his magazine fell out. He pulled out his TT pistol and fired. The bullet jammed and exploded in his hand. In pain, he gave the perfect opening for the German to pull his knife and stab him in the neck. Holo aimed her rifle and killed the German.
"Sorry I could not save you friend" But Dmitri just shook his head.
"He died how a traitor should have. By his weapon betraying him" Dmitri said as he exited the building
"Dmitri, I thought you and Horo died." Sasha said
"They say that there are no atheists in foxholes." Dmitri answered. Holo agreed with Dmitri.
"SOLDIERS OF THE RED ARMY! WE ARE IN THE GATES OF BERLIN! KILL THE FASIST SWINE ON THERE LAND! REMEMBER WHAT THEY DID IN STALINGRAD, KURSK, AND LENINGRAD. KILL EACH AND EVERY RAT THE TRIES TO HIDE FROM THE JUSTICE OF THE RED ARMY! URAAAAAA!" Boris ordered with zeal from his mega phone.
"URAAAA!" The entire Red army answered with a roar. The end of the war was in Holo's grasp.
Holo and her squad hunted in Berlin. No matter where the Germans hid, they were not safe from the red army. But the Germans kept fighting in there Decaying city. Street from street, house form house, pot form pot, the Germans tried to keep the fascist heart of the Reich beating. But the ring of steel the Russians made kept getting tighter and tighter. The Germans could only slow the inevitable, and even then, that was too much for the Reich. To Holo, this just meant that she had to kill more Germans. The Germans, however would bite back
"Move Horo, we need to get cover" Dmitri yelled as he fired is a burst of bullets. It had been weeks since they last entered Berlin, and already their exploits could be seen. Holo just fired her rifle at a German and moved.
"There Holo, it's the tank" Dmitri yelled. Chekov's tank had served the Wolves greatly the last couple of weeks. In exchange for protection, the tank moved through walls and smashed German fortifications. It even worked well as a ride.
"Get on, we are heading for the Reichstag" Sasha said as he helped Holo and Dmitri on. The hummed and walked like a bear on the hunt
"Funny that my homeland was destroyed by a bear, only for me now to rely on such one to survive" She thought. Just then a rocket whistled near Holo's ears
"TAKE OUT THOSE PANZERSHREKS" Dmitri yelled as he and Sasha fired suppressive fire at the building. The tank stopped and fired is cannon. Holo had since gotten used to it deafening roar. Looking over the turret, she sighted at least three Germans. With surgical precision, she dispatched the three unlucky heads. Holo felt heat coming from in front of her. Removing her concentration, she saw that a panzerfaust had hit the tank
"EVERY ONE, ABANDON SHIP" Dmitri ordered. The squad started to disembark form the vehicle as bullets whizzed to hit them.
"Come on Chekov, we need to go" Sasha said. Dmitri went up to Sasha and grabbed him
"Leave him, he will die a hero" But Sasha refused
"No, we still have to home to my sister Tanya" As Sasha said that, another Panzerfaust hit the tank. At first nothing happened, then the tank became a fire ball.
"CHEKOV" Sasha screamed as he ran out and fire his machine gun at anything
"YOU BASTARDS, YOU KILLED MY BROTHER, MAY YOU BURN IN SATANS HELL AND FACE A FATE WORSE THEN DEATH ITSELF" Sasha opened fire at a building. He had no idea if it had German's or not. As he fired, he began to start lying down, weeping for his adopted brother
"Why, WHY!" he screamed to the heavens. Bullets whistled around him, but non hit him
"SASHA, WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING. YOUR BROTHER WOULD HAVE WANTED US TO KEEP FIGHTING" Malik said with a voice neither Holo or Dmitri had ever heard before. Sasha got up, and walked to his squad. Men died around him, bullets barely missed him. How he was able to not be hit, no one could say. Maybe God had taken pity for the Russian, maybe the German had no idea how hit him, or maybe he was just a lucky bastard that day. He rejoined his squad and looked at them
"This is now personal" He said with anger as he reloaded a magazine into his weapon
"Let's keep moving. I can just feel the Reichstag" Holo said.
"Yes, lets" Malik said. The four moved from building to building. Holo and Malik would cover Dmitri and Sasha as they stored each building. Then, the two Russians would throw a grenade in to kill any Germans. Then they would empty their clips into the building. They would repeat this till the where a block away from the Reichstag. From then on, Holo would blame herself for Dmitri's actions
Taking the banner in one hand, and his revolver in the other, Dmitri made a mad dash for the Reichstag. Behind him where hundreds of red army troops.
"This is it. I will be able to plant the Red flag on the Reichstag" Dmitri thought as he ran. Holo smiled that her descendent ran with the banner of the winning army. Dmitri then ran into a building, emptying his revolver into the occupants. There was no one, but adrenaline had clouded Dmitri's judgment.
"I will be the one to end this was" He yelled as he beated his chest. His next move, Holo would forever fear. Running out, Holo saw a German that stayed behind. He aimed his rifle and shot Dmitri in the chest. Dmitri tried to get up, but the German fired again. Dmitri fell as he felt his life slip away. Holo did what every mother does when her child is threatened. Running to the German, she bit into his neck and ripped the man's neck out. The blood seeped into her mouth.
"Horo?" Sasha asked as he watched Holo do this. Bullets went by Holo as she stared at the Germans firing at her. She only smiled as her body began to transform. Dmitri watched as the Holo he traveled with changed from the young women, to the giant wolf. Malik only smiled, he now knew that his observations were correct. Horo was Holo the Wise wolf of Yoitsu. Holo looked at the Germans as she gave an ear splitting howl, everyone heard Holo's battle cry. Charging at the building, she smashed the wall down. The surprised Germans tried to run, but Holo stopped them. Holo opened her mouth and ripped the men to two. Others she trembled into a pile of blood and gut. At others, her eyes where enough to give the enemy heart attacks. As she fought, Boris watched with his optics.
"So Holo has now shown her true colors…men, prepare to move, we need to link up with Holo" the Commissar said to the special troops. Holo watched as she felt like the god of war. Turning her head, she then saw Dmitri had propped himself to a wall. She walked to him and began to lick his wounds
"So this is what you really look like" He said with a cough. He moved his weak hand to pet Holo's snout
"I feel like you are my mother Holo. All this time, I never had the chance to treat you as a relative. I guess now is the time to do so" Dmitri said as he coughed up more blood. Holo began to cry as she reformed into her human form.
'Dmitri, don't leave me. I don't want you to die." Holo cried. Dmitri held out the banner and handed it to Holo
"I may not be able to place this on the Reichstag, but please honor a hero by placing the banner on his body." Dmitri then began to close his eye
"Dmitri...NO!" Holo sobbed. She then remembered her gift to Lawrence. The one that was never opened. Taking her arm and a piece of stone, she made a cut. Taking the arm, she placed it into Dmitri's mouth.
"Please do not be dead yet." Holo pleaded. As her blood dripped into Dmitri, she saw subtle changes in him. First it was his teeth as they became more wolf like. His hair began to grow somewhat longer. Then, as his eyes closed, his eyes changed from their usual color, to that of crimson red. Then a blinding light appeared. Sasha and Malik shielded their eyes, but Holo did no such thing. She saw the Wolf ears and tail appeared on the soldier's body like light. Then his body began to radiate in white light. Holo saw as the bullets where pushed out of his body, and the wounds began to close up and disappear. There was then a blinding flash that not even Holo could have kept her eyes through. As the flash died down, Holo saw that the clothes of the soldier where all that was left. Then she saw a small mound in the middle of the soldier's tunic. Opening up the uniform, she gasped as she saw a wolf pup in the place of Dmitri. Taking the Banner, she wrapped it around the small artic wolf.
"I have given you life Dmitri. Now you will live forever as me, a wolf" She said to the sleeping pup. She then heard a click as she turned around. In front of her was Sasha aiming his weapon at her.
"Who….Who are you?" Sasha mumbled as he barely held his gun. Holo began to form tears in her eyes.
"I am Holo the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu"
"LIAR" Sasha screamed at Holo
"You are a witch. Turn Dmitri back NOW!" He demanded
"I cannot, he is now a wolf like me"
"I said TURN HIM BACK NOW!" Sasha demanded with more aggression. Holo then saw Malik take his rifle, and hit Sasha with the butt of the rifle. He then walked to Holo and removed his cloak, draping it over Holo's naked body.
"She has made shown us that she is a human Sasha, you were just too drunk to notice her secret" Malik said as Holo looked at the Chechen
"You knew?"
"I only observed your actions closely. Now it all makes sense Holo" The Chechen said as he aimed his rifle at Sasha. Sasha lowered his rifle
"And what of Dmitri, is he still alive?" HE asked. Holo held the bundle that was Dmitri
"He is currently resting. His wounds have placed him in a deep sleep. Thankfully I was able to have him take my blood."
"That is why he is now a wolf pup?" Malik asked
"Not really. You see, Dmitri is related to me, I am his ancestor." Holo said
"But that is impossible. Dmitri is like 24, you look like 18" Sasha said
"As a former harvest deity, I am either blessed or cursed with eternal life. Because I had a child many years ago, wolfs blood runs in Dmitri. When he took my blood, he became like me"
"Blesses or cursed with eternal life" Malik answered
"Correct. He will eventually wake up. Now when he will be able to assume his human form, I do not know."
"And even in that form, He will have ears and a tail?" Malik asked
"Right" Sasha sat down, rubbing his head
"I need some Vodka"
"Take mine" A voice said. Looking up, Holo, Sasha, and Malik saw Boris.
"It is good to finally meet the wise wolf of Yoitsu" Boris said as he blew a whistle. Suddenly the three were surrounded by soldiers armed with automatic weapons and shotguns. Sasha and Malik went to Holo and covered her, but the soldiers outnumbered the three.
"Who are you?" Holo demanded
"Who are we?….We are a secret organization that looks into the paranormal." Boris answered
"The oprichniki?" Malik asked. Boris laughed
"That is our name yes, but we have changed since the Tsarist times"
"I thought Tsar Ivan disbanded them" Malik said.
"The original Charter was disbanded yes…..but the organization changed its goals. We looked into the paranormal…..ghosts, witches, myths. That sort of stuff."
"I have a feeling you had a hand in killing Rasputin" Malik interjected
"But of course….Excuse me my Chechen friend, but I must speak to Holo" Boris said. Malik and Sasha lowered their weapons and allowed the commissar to walk to the wolf deity
"How long did you know I was who I am?" Holo asked
"I know you where the wise wolf of Yoitsu before I even met you"
"But How?" The Commissar looked to the sky
"We heard legends of a great wolf that took the form of a young maiden for years. As the years went by, we heard legends from locals and nomads of Finland told of a woman who could speak and understand the wolves, and that she had children. The accounts eventually became silent, only to resurface in the war we had with the Fins. Holo" Boris placed a hand on her shoulder
"We knew the Germans took you and we knew they wanted an army of wolf men." Boris then looked to Dmitri
"It is funny; Hitler wanted an army of super soldiers. He started look into wolf humans. It looks like the fruits of his efforts are what are in your hands. A small feeble wolf who was once a man." Boris said as he scratched behind the pup's ears. The ears twitched
"What will you do with me….create your own super soldiers?" Holo asked to the aged man. Boris looked to the Reichstag and saw the Red Banner being hoisted to the roof
"Holo, Look" he said as he pointed to the Reichstag.
"The war is over. We have no use for wolf super soldiers. Even if this had not been the case, we still would not want to create them."
"Party Ideals" Holo commented. The Commissar looked at Holo and smile
"I can see why they call you the wise wolf of Yoitsu." He then threw some women's clothing at Holo's feet.
"What are these for?"
"They are your traveling clothes. We have a truck waiting for you to use to get back to Yoitsu. Show them this." Boris pulled out a piece of cloth with a symbol that Holo did not recognize
"If any guardsman or Soviet officer questions you, show them this. They will know and let you pass. If you need supplies, they will also supply what you need." The commissar then turned to Sasha and Malik
"SASHA….MALIK…..ATTENTION!" The two men went to attention.
"Your last order of this war is to escort and protect Holo as she travels back to Finland"
"What of Dmitri?" Sasha asked
"It will be up to Dmitri whether he stays with Holo or leaves" The commissar said
"Thank you Commissar Boris, I am forever in your debt" Holo said. The commissar turned to Holo and smiled
"Holo….we are even. You paid your debt the second this war was over. You deserve to be in your homeland" The commissar then turned to his own men
"Oprichniki…YOU KNOW THE MARSHAL"S ORDERS…WE ARE TO ESCORT HOLO AND HER MEN TO THERE RIDE" The Soldiers readied their weapons to move. Malik went over and used his cloak to make an impromptu changing booth for Holo. Holo thanked the Chechen as she began to put the clothes on her. They were peasant's clothing, but they had a sense of military respect to them. Once dressed, Holo and her squad followed the Oprichniki to a covered truck. As she entered the truck, Boris took Dmitri's Revolver. Removing the barrel, he placed a barrel that had the Red Star imprinted on it
"For a hero of Berlin" He said as he handed the revolver to Holo.
"He is dead to the Red Army… Isn't he?" Holo asked as she boarded the truck
"For all purposes, Dmitri is listed as one of the fallen. To Stalin, Dmitri was reborn when he took your blood" The commissar said as he saluted Holo. Holo returned the salute.
"Good bye Holo the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu….May our paths cross again in the future"
"Same to you Commissar Boris of the Red Army…..May we meet each other again" Holo said as the truck started up. The trek Holo waited had begun, as she embraced the small wolf pup that was Dmitri.
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