After she adjusted to the lighting of the tunnels, the conversation continued, but it was now focused on her. "Winter, I have to ask. Why is your hair white?" Eugine asked. "Are you old?"
His question quickly garnered a cold glare and a slap to his hands by Boris. "Eugine, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Then he glanced over to the odd one of the caravan. "Pardon my friend's rudeness."
Winter expressed a smile. "No, it's fine." She replied. "I know that my hair isn't exactly… normal."
"Did you dye your hair that way?"
The specialist shook her head. "It's part of my family."
"By god, that must be rare for someone to have." He said. "Though, if you are going to be traveling in the Metro, it's best that you avoid the Nazi stations. If they see you as 'genetically impure', they will not hesitate to kill you. Trust me, I have some friends who have been sent to an early grave because of this."
"I'll take that advice to heart."
Boris nodded in approval. "Okay, we're coming towards the edge of our station. Artyom, I know you can't wait to leave your home for the first time. Though, I noticed that you've been troubled by something. What is it?"
Winter looked over to her companion as she noticed his hand holding the very dogtags of Hunter.
Artyom raised his head and replied with a smile. "Well, a friend of mine wanted me to go to Polis, but I'm worried about how my father would take it if I went there behind his back."
However, Boris began to comfort the young man. "You're Alex's son. While you may not be of his blood, you have good head on your shoulders. I can see you getting to Polis if you listen to that."
Then the Riga merchant made a comment. "Just a fair bit of warning, getting to Polis is going to be a bit more dangerous. Expect some bandits along with a few military patrols from the Nazis and the Reds. Trust my word on it, they're always prowling the tunnels."
Winter began to bring out the military side of herself. "Artyom, just be very cautious in your surroundings."
"Say, do you have hostile creatures trying to kill you where you are from?" The merchant asked her.
Now that he mentioned it, Winter was reminded of the Grimm back on Remnant. While they were easily frozen thanks to the weather back home, it was almost similar to the creatures that she fought in Exhibition… almost. "Yes, but they're much more larger."
"Shit, that is something I don't want to hear about our mutants."
Then Boris joined in. "Depends, if you go on the surface there are rumors that giant mutated bears roam places that even regular mutants would not go to." He commented. "Hell, even the demons won't fuck with them." Soon after, his head piqued at the activity in front of the trolley car. He tapped the merchant's shoulder before he continued. "Slow down, I think somethings up."
Winter looked to the front of the trolley, only to see three armed men standing in the middle of the tunnel. "Who are they?" She asked.
"One of the outer patrols." He answered and as they got closer, he grabbed their attention. "Peter, is that you?"
The armed man waved his hand. "Of course it is. Boris, my friend, it's good to see you." Then him and his men began to move aside as the trolley passed by. "Where are you heading off to?"
"We're heading to Riga. I heard that they needed more guards."
"I need to give you the heads up." Peter began. "The military convoy reported in and said there was a cave in on their end. You'll have to use the alternate route tunnel to get there."
"Okay, thanks for telling me." Once the trolley was out of range of the armed patrol, he swore. "Shit, I never liked this tunnel."
However, Eugine began to ask a question. "Hey, what's wrong with the tunnel?"
"About a month ago, I used this tunnel. The least I can say is that I just had a bad feeling about it." Boris answered.
"If that's the case, maybe if we got there quicker we don't have to worry about that."
"Are you going to volunteer to push the trolley?"
"Hell, if you say there is something off about the place I'm with you." Then Eugine began to stand up and push down on the pulley."
Then Boris turned his gaze onto Winter and Artyom as he grabbed his Kalash. "Winter, Artyom, check the front." He ordered. "If we do stumble upon something, I want to be prepared for anything that comes at us."
As he loaded his rifle, Winter noticed Artyom turn on his flashlight as he aimed the bright light in the direction of the unknown. She quickly followed his lead and did turned on her flashlight before the railroad. However, she noticed that her light was dimmer than Artyom's. "I think my lights old."
"Check your battery charger and pump the handle." Commetned Boris. "It'll charge up your flashlight."
Listening to the more experienced man of the group, Winter brought out her battery charger before she noticed the handle was quite different. She quickly pumped it like he said, only to see the changes in her flashlight. This time, her light was on the same brightness as Artyom's.
"Okay, I think we better hurry it up before the shadows start getting to us."
This quickly piqued her interest. "Shadows? What are you talking about?"
"You don't see the shadows?" Boris asked.
Just before she could continue the conversation, she looked to the front and saw a shadow of a creature standing before the light. However, there was no body there. "What is going on?"
A crackling sound was coming from behind as Winter looked over her shoulder, only to see a small, but bright light that zapped the surrounding area. Then an ear-piercing scream entered her mind before she noticed her party was beginning to fall asleep in their seats. She tried to fight her tiredness, but she succumbed to it.
. . .
The world was shaded in blue as Winter found herself laying on the ground, she looked around, only to find herself besides Artyom looking at a man standing in front of them. "Both of you, get up." He said.
When Winter looked up from the ground, she saw Hunter standing there with his assault rifle. However, something had brought his attention.
"Damn it, a Dark One is here." He began before he fired his weapon towards their right. Suddenly, he was caught by surprise when a familiar figure stood in front of them.
Winter looked up and recognized the creature with its lithe, but tall form. It was very menacing when it brought both of its hands and surrounded Hunter's body with its hands. Just as the creature did something to it, she watched in horror as the man who rescued her had fallen to the ground. "No." She said to herself. "Hunter!" She wanted him to get back from the ground, but his body showed no signs of movement.
Then she looked back to the creature, a Dark One, to be precise. It did the same thing to both Artyom and herself, but it felt like it was trying to speak with her.
Voices echoed into her mind; however, she heard a voice call out to her. "Save… us…" It said, before it turned away from her and began to walk.
Despite Winter's view of the creature, she could not understand what it was trying to do. Why she was the one who sent to this strange world beyond her own. However, she was surprised when three shots rang out and the Dark One fell…
Another voice called out, but this time it came from Artyom. "Wake up…"
. . .
"…wake up!"
Winter was awake as she began to look around, only to find herself back in the very place she was sitting. She was tired, but she knew that those creatures were capable of doing those things. Then she her armed was tapped on her right.
"Winter, are you awake?"
When she turned to see Artyom, she nodded as she noticed his concern about her. "Yes. I'm awake." She answered as she began to rub her eyes. "What was that?"
However, she heard a groan coming from Eugine on the far right side of the trolley. "Ugh, what the fuck just happened?" He loudly asked. When he was fully awake, Eugine began to look around and noticed the two men across from them were sound asleep. "Hey, Boris, what the hell? Why are you sleeping?" No response came back to him before he looked back to the other members of the party. "Artyom, do you know what is going on?"
The young man shook his head. "No, I don't know what is going on to be really honest." He answered.
The trio had quickly perked their heads up, only to hear a roar in the distance cry out in the tunnel.
"Eugine, I think you better start pushing the trolley." Artyom began. "They're coming at us from behind. If we get started, we can get to Riga without the mutants getting to us."
Eugine was quick to grab the handle on his side as he began to push. "Okay, just cover me." He replied. "I don't want them to get on my backs." Then he glanced over to Winter. "Young lady, get your gun out. I think you are going to need it just in case." When he looked to the back of the trolley, his eyes blinked in surprise. "Winter, Artyom, they're here."
Artyom rose to his feet and tapped her shoulder. "Winter, get your flashlight on." He began as he looked.
The specialist quickly took his request as she turned on her flashlight and put it on to maximum. However, she was surprised when she saw four-legged creatures slowly creep up on the trolley. Despite their cautiousness, one of the Nosalises had decided to take a step forward and rush the trolley.
"Shit!" The young man cried out as he fired his Bastard gun.
The gun began to eat away at his magazine, but Winter saw the damage done when the creature died to its wounds and dropped itself on the ground. Soon after, more of the Nosalises began to follow its first brethren and take advantage of the trolley.
"Winter, shoot!" Artyom shouted as he began to open fire.
When Winter pulled the trigger, her gun ate her rounds, but she noticed the damage done on the mutated creatures. Bullets peppered the tracks as she began to notice one of the Nosalises had leaped from the ground and took hold of the railing.
Then she heard Eugine cry out of pure fear. "Ah, it's going to get me!" He shouted as he began to push himself away from the mutant and into Artyom.
Artyom switched his sights to the mutant on the right, which was trying to attack Eugine, but was killed when its body was soaked in blood. "Are you all right?!" He asked.
Eugine shook his head as he handed his weapon to Winter's companion. "Here, take my shotgun, you need it more than I do." He said before continuing the caravan's speed.
Once Artyom had gotten ahold of the makeshift double-barrel shotgun, he aimed it at a flying mutant that almost tried to land on Boris body. When he fired a shot off, pellets flew from his barrel and smashed into the organic body of the Nosalis before it flew back and crashed into the rest of the pack.
"Okay, we got some more time. I'll get to it."
When her weapon grew empty, she remembered how the armorer told her how to load the weapon. Pulling out the mag, she began to search into her bag for her fresh case of ammunition, but Winter noticed one of the mutants grabbing onto the rail. This time, it was deciding which victim to choose.
The creature's eyes focused on the merchant, who was still asleep, and began to bring out its claws.
Winter was quick to forget about loading the Bastard before she reached down for her sword. Then she began to swipe at the back of the creature, risking its head out to the edge of the blade.
When it noticed her weapon, it was already too late when it's head was removed from its shoulder. Blood began to pour onto the tracks as the merchant woke up to the blast of the shotgun.
He sat up as he looked around in the chaos. "Ugh, what the hell is going on?!" The merchant asked. Then he looked over his shoulder, only to see the sheer numbers of the mutants following them. "Oh god!"
Eugine was quick to bring him back to group. "You, push the trolley! We'll outrun them if they do!"
"Okay." He said to himself as he began to push the trolley on his side of the trolley. "God have mercy on us!"
Eugine began to look up at the walls, only to see a mutant climbing on the side with ease. "Shit! Artyom, look out!"
As Artyom was reloading his shotgun, he raised his head, only to be jumped by the mutant. When it landed onto his body, he fought against it as he brought out his knife and began to stab at it's skull without mercy. However, he leaned over the pulley as he began to land between the merchant and the awakening Boris.
The older man of the group began to sit up straight as he noticed the gunfire. "What the fuck?!"
Eugine was quick to tell him. "Boris, you're awake! Help us against these mutants!"
"Damn it, I hate it when I'm right." He shouted to himself as he brought out his assault rifle and began to open fire on the mutants. Then he glanced over to Artyom. "Kid, are you alright?"
Artyom turned his head over to Boris with a smile. "Yes, I'm glad that everyone is awake."
Then a moment of horror had come to Winter when she saw a mutant reach out for him and snatch him off the trolley. Everyone heard Artyom scream out loud in surprise before Boris tried to reach for him.
"No, Artyom!"
As the trolley continued to continue, Artyom fell upon the tracks before the sea of monsters came closer.
It terrified Winter that one of her companions was yanked away from her in such a short manner in her life. Despite the loss, there was still a chance that she could salvage him. At least, for Alex. "Cover me, I'm going to get him!" She said, dropping her Bastard while she tightened the grip on her sword. Then she leapt from her seat and began to jump off the edge of the seats.
"No – wait, it's suicide!" Boris shouted.
It was at this moment, Winter found herself in her element.
Her feet found themselves in the air, before she landed on something that was not on the ground. A smile fell upon her feet as noticed a line of glyphs appear in front of her. This did not only terrify the mutants, but it also stopped them in their tracks. "Good to know that this is part of me." Soon after she landed, the specialist left off from her first glyph to another. Winter quickly sprinted as she forced the mutants to run in the opposite direction, only to see a body lying on the ground with the arms covering his face. "Artyom!" She called out to him.
The body looked out from underneath his bodily protection, only to be awed by her very power. "Winter, what are you doing?"
"I can tell you later, just take a hold of my hand." She said as she reached out for him. A mutant's cry came from behind as she looked over her shoulder, only to see it flying towards her.
Just when it was about to make the landing, a shotgun blast was enough to fly into another direction.
Winter turned back to Artyom, who was hugging his shotgun as he brought out his hand. "Thank you." He said as Winter pulled him onto a glyph.
However, she noticed the mutants terrified awe of her stop as they began to go after her. "Follow the glyphs, they'll help you get going faster." She advised before she created more towards the rest of the caravan. "Now, run!"
They both set off from their place in the tunnel as Winter made the occasional look to see Artyom keeping up with her. It was a good deed she had done for the day as she began to see a light on the other end of the tunnel. This time, she could see her crew and dozens of other armed guards with their weapons.
However, she heard her companions pleading with the guards. "Wait, give them a chance!"
Then she heard one of the guards cry out. "Prepare the flamethrower!"
As Artyom and Winter arrived at the guard post, she noticed everyone awed by her presence.
One of the guards was quick to bring them back to reality. "Burn the bitches!" He ordered.
When the order was given everyone watched with satisfaction, including Winter, and the flamethrower spewed out into the tunnel they came from. A sea of fire was unleashed upon the waves of mutants, who tried to penetrate the defenses. However, it was all in vain as the rest of the creatures fled from the fire.
Then Boris sighed with relief before he brought attention on himself. "I think I need a drink after this."