Глава 16

(Yawns)

Look sharp. We're on shift for another two hours.

<i>Blyat</i>... not a damn mangler in this ice and snow.

Hey... did you hear something?

What—

The soldier turns around, only to see a crossbow bolt punching through his friend's skull.

Huh?

Ah! Ahhhh—!

Rankin! We got the ones below! Let's go up!

Wait! Don't be rash! Come back!

The miners are gathered under the outpost, gazing at the flashing warning light above their heads.

Watch your heads!

Mmph! Ugh!

They saw us! They're pulling the ladder!

We'll have to do this the hard way.

Take all the explosives and come with me, Team 3. We're blowing the outpost door, whatever it takes.

Don't stop if I fall. Take my place.

Team 4, Team 5, keep shooting and cover us!

The rest of you, don't let a single soldier get away.

You got it!

On my mark—

The searchlight catches them, and it is immediately followed by a hail of projectiles.

Rankin continues to push forward towards the outpost, raising his crossbow and taking aim at the vexing searchlight above their heads.

Argh—!

Suddenly, Rankin feels a sharp pain on his forehead, and the left side of his field of vision is covered in red.

Blood streams down. He hears a ringing in his head.

Rankin? Rankin!

Not a step back! With me! Push forward!

Damn it. We're dead anyway if we go back! Might as well take a few of them down with us!

The cries around him seem so distant. He can hear the sound of crossbow bolts finding flesh. He can hear the sound of bodies hitting the floor.

He must not fall. Not when victory is so close.

He wills his limbs to move with the last bit of strength he has left, once again raising his crossbow, aiming at that loathsome light above. He pulls the trigger.

They're weakening! Keep up!

Now, ready—

The door's blown! Charge!

The miners' voices feel more and more distant. It is all Rankin can do to keep up.

No one notices him in this battle of life and death.

He leans against the rubble and heads upwards, one small step at a time.

His senses are returning, and his body is getting used to the pain.

He walks over bodies that were alive just a moment ago. The spiral staircase leads to an aperture at the top, where the most beautiful aurora of the Ursine night shines through.

He remembers sitting in the mine elevators, gazing up at the only light above.

Finally, the last step. He finds himself standing amidst the aurora, beneath the stars, with friends.

Rankin?! Are you alright??

...I'm fine.

Rankin wipes away the blood on his forehead and takes a look at his brothers and sisters around him.

Half of us didn't make it...

...But we did it.

We did it...

In the distance, Deity Grypherburg remains hidden behind the thick taiga. The vast, frozen icy lake seems to taunt them for their foolish challenge.

We climbed from the dark mines to the surface, and now we stand atop the Army's outpost.

We will cross the frozen lake and forest, and plant our flags in even more places.

Rankin's eyes burn bright as he tries to communicate his vision to the others.

Their faces are bright with the joy of victory too. They have waited for this day for far too long.

Nikto, we finally—

Rankin turns around, but does not see the familiar figure.

...Nikto?

*pant*... *pant*...

I ran away when the first bolt left the crossbow.

It's no shame to be afraid. It is only the most foolish of fools who do not know fear.

Rankin is mad. Everyone who follows him is mad.

I wanted to pull them back. But if they want to die, let them.

I can't die yet.

From cobbler to tutor, to being adopted by a count. I didn't do all that just so that I could die in a place like that.

Die, and it's all over.

I must survive.

Volgrad is just ahead...

...Start over, Nikto.

<i>Blyat</i>...

What the bloody hell is that...?

A torch!

We should light a torch, so that the others will know we've succeeded and come to meet up with us!

Yes... you're right.

Light the fire.

A dull thud coming from the distance shakes the icefields, and makes their eardrums and hearts tremble.

What's that?!

O-Over there!

They look in the direction that he is pointing, and see a massive battleship rising on the horizon, so massive it is hard to tell whether it is a ship or a nomadic city.

The taiga is leveled in an instant, and the stars are veiled by red light.

Snow and tree trunks are torn to pieces and sucked into the sky.

Only now...

Only now do they understand what they are dealing with.

Ursus.

They are dealing with Ursus.

I see...

So this is what it is...

Raidian?

I just got a message on a public channel.

It says that the Ursine ore veins are near exhausted...

The Armies are trying to cover it up. At least one army is already here in the Far North...!

Did the Doctor's team send the message?

Uncertain, but likely. This is a warning from the Doctor.

The mines becoming exhausted... could it be...?

But I don't understand. Ursus wants to cover it up? Do they plan on killing everyone in the Far North who knows about it?!

...I knew it.

The rumors of the ore veins running dry were true... That's the source of all the unusual events. That's what they're trying to hide!

You don't look surprised.

It was the worst-case scenario that I projected, until now.

But now, there is reason to believe it's true. And I have no doubt some of the Army brass are capable of doing such things...

The Far North is the most dangerous place on Terra right now. We must leave, immediately.

We haven't made contact with the Doctor yet—