Chapter 35

The engine hummed its softening tune, eventually slowing to a stop near a two-story building. Boris pulled himself out of the driver’s hatch and scoped his surroundings with his rifle, checking for any signs of movement. Both Emma and the child followed soon after.

“How do you feel?” Emma asked as she pulled the child up.

“Fine!” The girl excitedly responded, “I feel as good as new!” Shortly after being unhanded, Anya patted her cloak as she still stood on the tank’s track shielding. “There isn’t any vomit on me, is there?”

“No… I’m glad you’re fine.” Although Emma was relieved that the girl felt better after resting, she also found it surprising that Anya recovered so quickly. The woman figured it may have had something to do with the child’s rapid healing abilities. “Anya, you are something else,” she then said with a sigh.

“Strange…” Boris strapped the rifle onto his back and pulled out his sidearm. “It is too quiet, where is big return party?”

“Maybe they left?” The woman followed the man’s caution and pulled out her own pistol. She then hastily approached the entrance, gun readied in her hands.

“Leave?” Boris questioned, “I took car, you think they walk?”

Emma shrugged her shoulders as she placed her hand on the doorknob.

“Wait, why can’t I have a gun?” the child suddenly voiced in discontent.

“Oh, I think you know exactly why, Anya.”

“It cannot be too bad.” Boris then withdrew his backup handgun from his pocket and passed it to Anya. “Here, the more the merry, no?”

“Stop it, Boris. She’s not trained.”

“So? When I was child, Father threw me out with shovel. Then, I fought freaky boar like vicious bear. Two days later, I come home.”

“Wait, what?” Emma stared at Boris with great confusion. “What was the point of that story? What are you trying tell me?”

“Ah, tovarishch. There is first time for everything, no? You treat her like child, then she will not grow from small kitten. Come on, let her feel the kick of gun and she will get better.”

“Just to let you know,” the little girl interjected, “I have fired a gun before!”

Upon hearing the child, Boris expressed a wide grin. “See? Then, she is ready.”

“Boris…” The woman called as she massaged her temples. “I think you should really think this through when you get sober.”

“Ha! I am never sober.”

Having lost the will to argue, Emma decided to cave in just this one time.

“Anya, you watch where you point that thing and only fire when you absolutely need to, got it?”

The girl’s eyes glittered and she eagerly nodded.

“Alright, I’m going in. Boris, cover me. Anya, you stay back.” The woman opened the door just slightly and peeked inside. She could not make out the details, but there seemed to be several bodies on the floor. Carefully, she entered the building with her pistol pointed forward. The room was unusually dim as several of the lights had been shattered, leaving the shorted wires to spark. A pool of blood surrounded the body of a man whose head had been pummeled. The cold carcasses of machines scattered all around, signaling the brutal battle that had occurred before their arrival. Among the wreckage, one of the machines slowly stood up.

“P-P-PleaSE PRESEnt YouR IdentiFICAtion-n-n-n-”

POM!

Emma fired a round directly into the creature’s head, knocking it back onto the ground.

POM!

She then fired another to ensure the machine would stand no more. The woman searched the area vigilantly with Boris, Anya stood right behind them. From the floor above, sounds of footsteps could be heard along with the same eerie, senseless chatter.

“Get ready, Boris,” Emma commanded. “They’re coming...”

The machines released themselves from their passive state and charged forward. Some tumbled and crawled down the stairs while others bursted through the fragile wooden doors. Despite the speed and agility of the machines, Boris and Emma were still able to line their shots. They terminated their assailants with no more than three shots each. Anya tried her best to help.

Unsure whether there were any more of the machines left, the three remained diligent. Boris was the first to move as he approached the body that was soaked in blood. With his hand, he flipped the body on its back, revealing the devastated face. Bruises and horrific lacerations of brute strength rendered the man nearly unrecognizable.

Boris took a deep breath, on his face was an expression that the man had never shown before: grief.

“He’s… he’s one of the mercenaries… right?” Anya asked as she crouched next to the man.

“Da,” Boris responded with a stern but solemn voice. “Name was Ling, can’t shoot for shit, but he was good man.”

“Ling?” the child questioned.

“Far East, the city used to be called Ta’Mir. After revolution it was renamed the ‘People’s City.’ Ling wanted to escape new regime, so he ran.” Boris searched around the man’s neck and retrieved a bloody tag. “Too bad nowhere is safe out here.”

“Boris, if this place has been compromised, then we need to leave,” the woman said, still with her weapon ready in her hands in case more enemies appear.

“No, I need to clear building first. Something I must do.” Boris stood up and began to breach each of the rooms. Emma knew that there was safety in numbers, thus she assisted in the breaching. Anya stayed behind and glared at the corpse, she gently touched the skin and felt that there was a faint trace of warmth. The man passed away not too long ago, they were at most an hour late.

Anya gulped, even though she was not hungry, her mouth still salivated.

“No, I can’t,” she muttered to herself. “Not right now, not to Boris’s friend.”

Yet, the aroma of fresh blood and unspoiled flesh tempted her. The more she stared, the harder it was to look away.

Just one bite… A sweet voice whispered in her ears, It’ll do no harm…

The child’s mind became muddled and her body began to move on its own.

“Just one bite…” She whispered, “It’ll do no harm…”

“ANYA!” The sudden shout awoke Anya from her trance, a hand grasped and shook her by the shoulder. “It’s showing!”

The girl glanced to her side and saw that her tail was revealed and was pointing toward the corpse. She quickly retracted her tail and hid it under her dress. Boris came down from the stairs seconds later.

“I am done. It is time to go, little one.” In Boris’s hands were many more tags, all saturated in the red fluid.

“W-What are those t-things in your hand?!” Anya asked nervously as a diversion. She quickly stood up and distanced herself from the corpse.

“Dog tags,” the man then wrapped the small tags within a piece of ragged cloth. “The only thing man fear more than death is to be forgotten. I bring tags back to company, they will be remembered.” He walked toward the door. “Let’s go, we were here for too long.”

After Boris left the room, Emma confronted the child.

“What were you doing, Anya?!”

“N-Nothing!”

“Don’t lie to me, Anya. I saw the strange look on your face.”

“Umm…” The girl did not know what to say. Even she, herself, was not sure what had happened.

“Anya…” Emma voiced worryingly, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Y-Yes… I’m sorry…” Anya saw that Emma was approaching closer and braced herself for whatever was to come. The girl was surprised when she felt the warmth of Emma’s hand gently placed upon her forehead. The woman had kneeled to her level.

“Your temperature seems normal… Anya, tell me if you don’t feel well, okay?”

Anya nodded.

“Alright, let’s get out of this godforsaken place.” Emma grabbed onto the child’s hand and left for the exit.

...

Once outside, the two saw that Boris was already in the driver seat of the tank, cursing his frustration while he gulped liquor.

“Come on, you pile of crap!” The engine rattled and rumbled but did not start.

“Boris, what’s the problem?”

The man tried the ignition one more time before wiping away his sweat.

“This shit reliable like my father,” he lamented.

“How so?” Anya reactively blurted out.

Hearing the unexpected question, Boris chuckled.

“Not reliable at all.”

“Oh...” Anya responded. Although the man laughed, she felt that she had asked something she should not have. “Sorry…”

“Ha, nothing to be sorry about, little one. Neglect made me strong man!”

“Boris, can you get it to start?” Emma’s worries showed themselves on her face. They were not that far from the exit, but the journey on foot proved to be treacherous. “Maybe we should-”

VRROOoooommm-VRRoooomm!

“It’s working, tovarishch! You should trust me more, no?” Boris cheered before he closed the hatch. The tank roared its engine and the three continued their travels.

...

Not much occurred during the rest of the journey, however, the fear of stalling loomed constantly in everyone’s minds. The terror was most evident when the three came across a sizable force of the murderous machines. Fortunately, their luck had not failed them and they passed the potential hazard without harm.

“Look forward, tovarishch! I never thought I’ll miss the dark skies.”

Emma opened the hatch and poked half of her torso out of the turret while Anya squeezed herself out of the small space that remained in front. The frigid air blew onto the child’s face, making her smile while she shivered. Emma, on the other hand, got a mouthful of the girl’s dirty hair.

They had been traveling on a sloped, coiled road and the uniform sections of pathway curved endlessly. At one point, none were sure whether they had progressed at all. Once the massive entrance was in view, all their worries were put to rest.

“I never thought I’ll miss this place either!” the girl shouted jovially, for all the tension that strained her body suddenly vanished, as if the wind had blown it all away. “Although, it’s much colder than I remembered.”

“The cold season must be coming.” The woman collected the child’s fluttering hair stands in her hands and tied it with a spare hair tie, giving Anya a ponytail much like her own. “I don’t remember how it was in the Dark Lands, but it’s absolutely dreadful up North.”

“You’ve been up North?!” At most, Anya had only heard rumors about the northern regions. Even her treasured journal did not mention much about it.

“Lived there for a while. If you couldn’t stand the cold back there underground, you’ll have no chance up North.”

Feeling insulted, Anya puffed her cheeks.

“I can always just wear more clothes!”

The girl’s childish expression made Emma giggle.

“Anya, I don’t think you’ll like it up there anyway. It’s pretty barren.”

“Ehh, but I still want to see it! Would you at least take me there?”

The woman hesitated, all the time spent with the child had nearly made her forgotten who she was: a Paladin of the Order. There were codes that she was expected to adhere to and duties she had to perform. Emma promised the child that she would take her in, but if the Order deemed it necessary for her to move, what would she do with the child then? She could not just simply abandon the child, but taking Anya with her would eternally bound the child to the Order. Suddenly, the woman became nostalgic of the time underground, for, during that brief moment of her life, all of her responsibilities escaped her. It was when she truly felt free.

“I’ll… have to think about it, Anya.”

Anya smiled, believing that Emma agreed to her request. She then continued to digest whatever scenery there was to enjoy. With the lights of the tunnel far behind, only the tank’s headlights illuminated the road before them. The child turned her head side to side. Her eyes allowed her to see into the dark, to observe what others would perceive as pure blackness. However, it was mostly just collapsed buildings, a sight she had already grown tired of.

Despite the underground city being a treasure trove of wonders, the girl was glad to be away from it. Not only did the constant terror of the machines make her anxious, there was also a sense of unease and discomfort that only vanished when she left the compound.

Pop-Plat-Rumble…

With the sudden noise, the tank decelerated to a complete stop.

“Boris?” Emma shouted, “What’s going on?”

“Etot kusok der'ma!” The two heard from the intercom.

“Did the engine give out again?” Anya asked.

“Okay, do not get angry at me but… we are out of fuel.”

“W-What?! What do you mean we’ve ran out of fuel?!” The woman roared, “Weren’t you supposed to keep track of it?!”

“Hey, I said do not get angry at me.”

“How did you miss it? Isn’t there a meter for it?”

“I may have been drinking… and forgot to check.”

Anya quietly listened to the argument, all that went through her head was that they now had to walk the rest of the way. She then placed her elbow on the rim of the hatch and rested her head against the palm of her hand, waiting for the other two finish arguing.

“Alright, Anya, looks like we’ll have to go the rest of the way on foot. We shouldn’t be too far away from the city. Maybe we’ll meet up with a patrol or something.” Emma then glared at Boris who left the driver’s compartment. “Someone didn’t prepare any backup fuel either.”

“What do you want from me? She eat fuel like gambler to life savings.”

The woman sighed and assisted Anya in exiting the vehicle before she got out.

Once on the ground, Anya patted the dust off of her cloak. The girl check on her satchel and rifle before she waited on the other two to wrap up.

“Everything set?” Emma’s irritated voice was slightly muffled as she put on her cloak. “This area should be safe at least, so-”

EEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

Out of nowhere, a very familiar screech originated from the shadows, Anya could see figures moving about. The other two pulled their weapons and aimed at the source of the sound.

EEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

Another shriek surfaced but from a different direction. The girl glanced into the darkness and saw that they were being surrounded. Boris and Emma could not yet see the creatures, thus they waved their guns in all directions.

“Wait! They-” The child shouted but was interrupted by the woman’s tug.

“Anya, stay behind me!”

Boris obtained a flare from his back pocket and tossed it on the ground after lighting it. It was then that they saw the horrifying creatures that encircled them.

“Blyat, this is not good!” The man stepped back toward the other two until his back nearly touched Emma’s.

Anya had already gotten used to the creatures’ various unorthodox appearances, however, it is inevitable that the creatures instilled a sense of dread to those who had never seen them. Neither Boris nor Emma had ever seen a Berserker or an Infester before and thus they were bewildered.

“What the hell are those?” the woman asked frantically.

“What makes you think I know?” Boris replied in an equally agitated manner.

The situation was getting out of hand, Anya needed to do something before the first shot could be fired.

“Guys-” the child tried to speak but was interrupted again.

“Anya, get inside the tank and close the hatches. We’ll get you once it’s safe.”

The Berserkers inched closer, the bulking creatures sank their menacing, bladed arms into the ground and roared.

“Now!” the woman screamed, fingers ready to pull the trigger.

“WAIT!” the little girl shouted, she held her arms wide open and stood between the creatures and Emma.

“Anya, what are you-”

“Just listen to me, please! I’ve encountered these creatures before! They won’t attack unless we attack first!”

“That is not what I hear, little one.” Beads of sweat rolled down Boris’s face. “They look very hungry.”

“Just trust me! We won’t win this fight!” The child turned her head and stared at the creatures, attempting to get her message across. “They won’t attack if we don’t! Please, just put your weapons down!”

Emma knew Anya was right, the three were in no condition to fight. Though the creatures emanated hostilities, they did not attack. Slowly, Emma lowered her gun and Boris soon followed.

“Now, if we stay calm, the creatures will leave us alone.” Anya approached Emma and hugged her from the side, just in case the creatures had not caught the hint yet. The creatures then glanced at each other before they slowly withdrew back into the void.

A few minutes passed before Boris and Emma collectively began to breathe again.

“Anya, how did you...?”

“I-I… traveled alone for a while.” The child racked her brains for excuses. “A-At first I ran away from them, and… when I was too tired to run, I stood as still as possible.” Anya puffed her chest with confidence to make her words more convincing. “Y-Yep, that’s how I learned.”

“It sounded like you accepted your fate, little one.” The man joked, his hands were still a bit shaky. “But, I’m glad you did, or we would all be food.”

“Those… strange creatures, they were within the patrolled perimeter. We have to alert the guards when we get to Luminus.” The woman got on her knees and tightly embraced Anya. “I’m glad you’re here with us.”

Anya blushed as she was not used to being showered with appreciation. She desired to bathe in the bliss, but she was afraid that she may slip up if any more questions were asked.

“L-Let’s get out of here first!” she stuttered. “I-I don’t know if they’ll return!”