Combat in storms like this is simple avoid being hit no matter the cost, if not then you have a time limit as your blood and organs slowly freeze due to the storm going on around your body so any holes that would normally be sealed up during combat normally are their own death sentences. Simple but not if your new to it. And I have no experience whatsoever to even hit him or stop the freezing of my veins.
As the man slowly uncloaks himself I have time to look at what stage of fucked I am at. As I look it is not looking good at all. The holes that are in me are now ice and feeling around those areas is nothing, frostbite op top of it all as well I don’t have long at all. I scoff at what I just thought. I am Arthor Björn Knight son of the Winter Reaper of Arctaisia I can’t fall here now.
I stand holding my knife as my pistol is lost somewhere and something immediately takes my attention, he is not wearing a helmet and he is wearing an SV so that is how he can see me and know where to stab me. my luck is getting better.
as I get my footing and position my self to fight. As I look up I see him charging at me with his own knife before I have time to react h is already making a swing for me and so I start to lean back to avoid the swipe but I what I also failed to see is the other knife he is holding. As I lean back to avoid his first swing he swipe the second knife down I move to intercept the hit that is inevitable unless I block it.
As I move to that the person from earlier is moving and has taken off his helmet and has strapped an SV on to his head. Just how many do these guys have? These things are rare to find unless you are deep mining in open mines which is still uncommon. As the situation continues to deteriorate the pain from both wounds in my abdomen start to flare and become unbearable. As the second swing from the second person is intercepted I spot my pistol. I push the man away from me and direction I am heading in and make a rush for it.
The resistance of the snow piles start to be more noticeable at this point as I start to feel exhausted. I grab my pistol and notice some permafrost on it which is not a good sign. I aim my gun at the first person I started the engagement with and switch to the other man as he starts to move. I stand there breathing heavily aim between the two if I notice movement from either. I guess there about as new as me in this and that I can’t shoot this thing unless I am close range in this weather condition.
As we stand the pain continues to get worse this time spreading a fine notice that I don’t have time. I grit my teeth with desperation. I grip my knife harder and start to plan how I will take each of them out. If I go for the second guy he will dodge based of his agility and speed of his movements but if I go for the other he will have a delayed reaction time due to his arm being out of commission but leaves me open against the second guy.
I think a little on it and decide to go for the first guy although leaving me exposed it is better to get him out before he can find his gun and use it. I take a breath and make my move hurriedly heading towards the first man stepping back fast realizing what is happening a bit to late. As I reach him out of my vision I see the second man very close and closing faster if I were to use melee to……kill the first man.
I bring up my gun and point it at his head and pull the trigger without thinking or hesitation. The man eyes before the bullet went in his head locked with mine although with the helmet he couldn’t tell if we were locking eyes. His eyes were filled with fear then hate then nothing as the shock of death hit his system. I felt vile and nauseous like I become a person that is worst of the worst. I had killed someone for the first time without even thinking if I could have done it different. I understand that I am going to become someone that will kill but I don’t want to kill someone this early in life. I snap out of thought and bring myself back to the real world and focus on the fight that was still in progress.
As I look away from the dead man in front of me, I look towards the more dangerous enemy and realised I had used all time available for me as the man is practically breathing down my back and wanting me dead. I understand why. I move my arms out of instinct to block the blow that is unable to be blocked even if I use my knife to block like last time. As the knife swipes down slashing a deep cut into my arms I move forward to get closer to do my own slashing.
When I reach a distance suitable to get a good hit and one that will do damage I go for it. I bring my back and begin the swing with a slash aimed for his shoulder. As I begin to do so he starts to move to counter with his bare hand to stop me and not his second knife. I presume he had dropped it and decided it was not worth to go back pick it up. I change the way the knife pointed to go for a stab and continue with the swing. He notice this little change and moves his other hand free to grab the knife.
He now realizes he mistake that will now cost him his life. I move my hand that still has the pistol in it which was the hand he was keeping occupied with his hand holding the knife. I move the pistol slightly to point it at his head he quickly reverts his mistake and focuses both of his hands on the gun. I pull the trigger with the flash confirming it even more that I was successful in firing it. It was in this I moment I saw the same thing as when I had shot the other guy. Hate, fear then nothing. I stand there as the victor of the fight having two people at my feet with there blood seeping into the snow and changing the colour from a nice white to a dark red with spots of white quickly filling the spots only to turn red moments later.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Through out the encounter with the second guy the pain I felt was nothing. As I finished the thought the pain in both my side and arms flared to life and the actions of what I have done as well. I fall to my hands and knees I take off my helmet and vomit. I had killed two people, they could have had family, wives, children, friends and brothers and I had made sure they won’t be able to see them unless they see them when they are moments before being cremated.
Tears start to form as they drop from my face the turn to ice in moments. I wipe my face and put back on my helmet I sit there on my knees with the two lifeless people and listen, the roar of the storm is all I hear. I stand and take the pairs SVs and slowly walk away “I’m sorry I had to come to this” I say with a shaky voice full of guilt.
I walk toward the group or where I last left them. I turn the corner into the building and see the, sitting around. One of them I presume mark looks up and notices that I am back. “Your back how did it go?” mark asked seeing if I was ok, I gave them a quick lie saying that they are knocked out and should not be a problem for a little. I called over mark and jasmine and hand them the SVs for them both to wear.
After they put it on the see the condition I am in. Mark was about to scream for merry to help me put but jasmine stops him from doing so and creates a separate channel for us to speak in. “What they hell happened I thought you knocked them out and you were fine!?” mark screams out of concern “I got pretty badly injured from the fight but I should be fine the way to vehicle” I say trying to dispel any concern from him “You killed them didn’t you” Jasmine plainly ask’s, I keep quite to that question as I remember the eyes of them both “I take the silence as a yes” she says with a low tone “Judging by you injuries you don’t have long unless we make a mad dash for that vehicle” Jasmine speaks without fault and just goes for the obvious answer of what we should do but I have low hopes it will go that way.
The pain once again flare this time worse than the other time it has been. I grab the side of my abdomen and fall to my knees in my pain. They both move to support me and see the injury I have sustained. “Holy shit Arthor why did not tell us about this” Jasmine express her worry in a very much need and understandable way “I was shot back in the house and did not know until I was the fight with the two” I answer back with truth in my words, when we were fired at I felt nothing what so ever through my body it was until we spent some time outside the pain started which was most likely when the freeze was entering my blood stream and so on so forth until the fight. I stand back up the help of two with the pain subsidizing again.
“We need to move and not worry about getting caught because the more time I spend out here I am going to continue dying slowly” I say with a grunt halfway through, I sit down I breath deeply. “Well, we don’t have time so let’s get going” Mark says after keeping quite for the whole matter that is something I like about mark he knows when and when not to talk.
We switch channels to the one with merry in it and confirm the continue for the move. While we move I am supported by mark to help me move when ever pain starts to flare up and I can’t continue to walk. It is getting worse to the point I think I won’t be conscious anymore for the rest of journey.
As we walk close to the hangers we see a group of four armed men walk from direction we are going in and stop in front of the hanger we need to get into. I can’t fight anymore due the pain and mark is also like me most likely to get really scuffed up and unable to do things, so it leaves the elite to do it. She tells us she is going to be gone for a little and starts to head for the group I was sat down by mark to rest a little.
After a while Jasmine return’s with no injuries and guides us into the hanger. As this point we could all see with out the SVs so there is no more hiding the fact that I am close to deaths door at this moment but it seems Merry keeps quite about it as they explore the place looking for the keys. The hanger in question is filled with equipment and ammo and the like along with vehicle that has the insignia of the empires military on it. A crown in the centre of a snowflake accompanied by swords crossing the middle with the words Honour, Bravery, and knowledge a weird combo to go with but a sensible one for some reason.
I look around willy Knile with pain getting worse. I grunt a little to the flare of pain that has just erupted and feel my consciousness falter a little. I begin to slump as the pain grows stronger but diapers. Instead of pain I start to feel sleepy and smile at the thought of sleep.
I close my eyes and sleep. And enter a big plain with gold grass as high as my elbows and I am 5’10 so that is pretty high. “Arthor!” some one shouts in the distance “Arthor where are you dinner is ready” oh yeah it is mum I was playing out here for a while “Coming!” I shout with all might hoping she would hear it and notice I had my higher pitch voice from when I was kid. I wonder what mum has cooked up for dinner tonight. Mum stood facing the stove steering a pot. Her blond her flowing with the wind coming through the window, she turned and saw me sitting down at the table with the grin of a monster wanting food. She giggles a little.
She places down bowls for us to eat from and spoons humming a song. A song that is common when someone is dead and this is a way to connect to them a way to know they are watching over you. “Mum do you mind if I were to be while before I were to join us in dinner” my voice went back to normal. She looks up at me with her green eyes and red lips in the shape of a smile “Of Couse Arthor you may leave and join latter” she says in her soft warm voice that sounds like an angle “You still have to save the empire and beat you fathers infamy don’t’ you so go back and join us latter after you do that” she walked over to my side of table and shewed me through the door back into the gold fields. “How do I go back though mum” she laughs a little “Open your eyes”.