Back when I first became Infected, my mind wasn't clear on anything.
I knew Kashchey wanted to use me to do so much, but I was always afraid. What was it he wanted me to do?
Had he planned some kind of trick, one to destroy in a blink of an eye the network of Infected I'd spent so much time setting up?
Or had he planned to let me divide the Infected? Let them drift into two camps, the urbanites and the settlers?
Or the even more frightening scenario—perhaps he'd planned for the Infected to become a new army, and for Ursus to be plunged into war once more?
I could only speculate. He hung over my head like a murky specter, impossible to chase off.
But I could only move onward.
One of the Yetis, apparently called Petrova, used cystymilk yesterday to stir-fry oilseeds. A strange recipe, for sure. The taste was pretty interesting.
Oh, that... I remember that. The time's gone so fast. It's been two whole years.
Alina
Are the stories the fighters passed around true, then? You really fought with her? From the sound of it, you both blew the entire city ruins into oblivion.
Talulah
It wasn't that dramatic. Rumors always get more outlandish as time goes on... all I did was melt her Originium ice crystals.
Alina
Sashenka, no running around! You'll slip!
Talulah
Look at them, just free to live. It's so nice.
Alina
It's a duty of mine.
Talulah
I never imagined you'd volunteer to teach the children.
Alina
I get along a lot better with the children than I do with Ursus. What was that about melting, just now?
Talulah
FrostNova's Originium ice crystals. A sort of Arts device her squad used, by my guess.
Alina
That's something... I'm sure FrostNova didn't like it.
Talulah
*chuckle*. Nope. I took a single breath, and she froze half my body.
Talulah
And when I finally snapped out of it, she was already charging me, going for the neck with an ice blade.
Talulah
I blocked it, took in the hissing sound, and this sword tasted frost for the first time in all its years.
Talulah
It was probably a first for her, too, meeting someone who could chip her blade...
Alina
Ah, you're pretty happy to talk about this. Are you proud of it, maybe?
Talulah
Not really... yeah maybe you are right... uh. That child. The one hiding behind the wood fence. What's her name?
Alina
Lyubov. That's enough spying on us, Liuba! I'll read a story for you all next period.
Alina
That's right, a story all about an old ghost in the gray forest... a scary story!
Alina
Could you help bring me some wood shavings? Put them in a basket. Thank you.
Alina
So then?
Talulah
FrostNova... Alina, you know it's FrostNova we're talking about. Her name spread among the Casters of the Northwestern Tundra long before mine ever did.
Alina
I thought you didn't like it when people spoke your name.
Talulah
If anyone ever uses it to threaten, then of course I won't be happy. But if hearing my name makes them want to challenge me, then that's not too shabby.
Alina
Nothing like you. I don't think FrostNova ever gives challenges the time of day. Thinking about it that way, you really stoked her fire, didn't you?
Talulah
She's the top of the Infected Casters, the top squad commander, and the strongest of the Infected's warriors to boot.
Talulah
...Don't misunderstand. It's not like that's what I aim for.
Alina
Plenty of people think you resemble each other in places, though. Some of the children say they want to be like FrostNova, and some of them say they want to be a hero like you.
Talulah
Time out, time out. Now that's a word I'm not happy with. How about you, Alina? What do you think?
Alina
No two people are alike, in my eyes.
Talulah
Figured you'd say something like that.
Talulah
Truth be told, I don't really know what FrostNova's life was like as a child. She's been brought up well. It was probably alright.
Talulah
But don't let any child experience the things I did.
Alina
You've been brought up well, too.
Talulah
I don't want to talk about it.
Alina
...Talulah, none of us know the bitter things the world has in store for them, nor whether those things will be even more absurd than what we've already seen.
Talulah
Well, that's depressing.
Alina
It's also the reason I wanted to be a teacher.
Talulah
My 'teacher' wasn't anything like you, for sure.
Talulah
...I get what you mean, now. You're saying maybe FrostNova also had, well...
Alina
Who knows. No two Infected live identical lives.
Talulah
Well, to wrap up, I never slacked on practicing technique again after my dispute with FrostNova. Not just Arts, my swordsmanship too. Like hell she'll ever best me again in either.
Alina
I know you and her fought. What about after that?
Talulah
It took until her anger abated before she told me she wasn't the one responsible.
Alina
Then that only leaves one person who could've been.
Talulah
You're right on the mark, yes. It wasn't too long after our scuffle finished...
Talulah
...that out from another end of the city, came a...
Talulah
...person.
Alina
Is remembering it that much effort?
Talulah
I should say, that first impression was too shocking. I'm scrambling to find the words for you.
Talulah
The broad midday light spilled over his body, but couldn't melt away the black, black as tar.
Talulah
I was in the middle of telling FrostNova about my project. I'd gotten up to where I was in contact with Infected in other cities.
Talulah
I wanted to assemble the funds to construct or seek out a small-scale nomadic city, and invited them to join the project...
Talulah
I saw his shadow. I couldn't keep speaking.
Alina
What stopped you?
Talulah
I'm not THAT confident in myself.
Alina
Not that confident? I've never seen you short of confidence before.
Talulah
I mean, this was... Patriot.
Alina
You couldn't talk him over.
Talulah
I still haven't to this day.
Talulah
You already know all the rest. After FrostNova and I had our 'friendly discussion,' our group successfully joined up with the guerrillas.
Alina
Good for us. All else aside, after hearing we could go with the guerrillas, plenty of our Infected here were happy beyond belief.
Alina
These last two years have been better to us than before. You made a good choice. You're finally in the right, Talulah.
Talulah
I mean... the way I see it, the guerrillas definitely didn't care about me or the other Infected fighters, they just... couldn't ignore the rest of the Infected, traveling with us.
Alina
Then that's even less reason to be down about it. You thought the same way, after all.
Talulah
But it's been two years. The situation hasn't made any headway at all.
Alina
Think about it this way, Talulah. From what moment did you start feeling Patriot didn't approve of you?
Talulah
Over a year ago... not long after we joined up with the guerrillas. All the way up until now.
We don't even know how many more Infected are out on the tundra under Ursus's wretched rule. It's too early yet to be talking with the guerrillas about the Infected in the cities.
Talulah
We're not intending to abandon the tundra's Infected. Why would I have brought them with me, otherwise?
Talulah
Sooner or later will come the day we return. Our objective is to have Ursus's, no, the entire world's Infected come together...
Talulah
We may be in differing places, but our lack of resignation to our circumstances is one and the same, indistinguishable.
Talulah
A friend of mine in a certain city calls that kind of behavior 'reunion.'
Talulah
He calls on the Infected to come together, naming it the 'Reunion Movement,' revolving around one identical belief, protesting against Ursus's cruel rule over the Infected.
FrostNova
And we should get the chance to protest the Ursus soldiers on the tundra about the exploitation in the mines, but I can't say it'd make them turn over a new leaf.
FrostNova
Talulah, forget the common people for a moment. Talk about the soldiers. The Ursus Army wouldn't let a single one of us go.
FrostNova
If you want to go south to 'protest,' we could just save ourselves the trouble and find a division to kill us.
Talulah
Ursus is not a single-minded entity. This is our chance. What the Reunion Movement aims to do is pass on the belief, but I see even more opportunities in it. We have our own signal to send.
FrostNova
What signal?
Talulah
'You are not alone.'
FrostNova
——
Talulah
You know better than I do that staying on the tundra is a life of attrition, eating away at our strength. We need to go beyond it.
FrostNova
I don't decide this stuff.
Talulah
You're still not willing to decide it.
FrostNova
If the price of leaving is death, then my life never had much use outside of taking down an Ursus soldier or two.
FrostNova
But what about the people around us?
FrostNova
Talulah, you haven't got brothers and sisters by your side. I'm not going to let mine throw away their lives.
FrostNova
But I think the other part's right.
Talulah
Which part?
FrostNova
Telling the Infected they're not alone.
FrostNova
We've spent too much time on one thing, here on the tundra.
FrostNova
Seeking friends.
FrostNova
But linking up with the city Infected?
FrostNova
Guess people from the big city really do like to dream a little bigger.
Talulah
I don't need you mocking me yet, FrostNova.
FrostNova
I'm not mocking you. You're so strong. You've taken all of them a long, long way, just like us.
FrostNova
But it's a dream, going south, trust me.
FrostNova
The guerrilla force grows, but we're Infected.
FrostNova
We don't have many years left... and your alliance would need plenty of years, at least...
Talulah
And that's precisely why—
FrostNova
Dad?
Talulah
Ah...
Talulah
Mr. Patriot?
Patriot sits down by the bonfire. Like Talulah simulated over and over in her mind, Patriot simply sits down, wordless, and gazes into the fire.
It's been two years, and the only conversations we've ever had have been about team composition and following plans. He's never asked me once about anything to do with any project.
Alina
Talulah, no matter if he's ridiculing you or opposing you—ah, not that I think he's the type to really ridicule other people—you're still going to wait forever. Am I right, or not?
Talulah
If we want to leave the tundra, we need the power of the guerrillas. I'll keep at it.
Alina
Because he's the hope of the tundra's Infected?
Talulah
I thought you didn't say things like that. I mean, you never... you don't say things like that, right?
Alina
I just want to know what your thought process is like.
Talulah
...I think—it's because he's the symbol the tundra's Infected unite behind.
Talulah
A symbol with no way of passing on to the next generation.
You gave me a chill, you goddamned white rabbit...!
FrostNova
I don't care how stick thin you are, don't tell me this cold front's too much for you!
Talulah
You sure weren't saying that when you iced these Ursus weapons.
FrostNova
Brothers and sisters, withdraw! Let them follow! Draw out the mine guards!
Talulah
Just hold on until the Shieldguards can support us! Don't lose hope!
FrostNova
—Pace. Pick it up. Faster. The guerrillas are in place to get the mine guards double-teamed.
Talulah
How do you figure—wait.
Talulah
Those strange Originium ornaments. Did the guerrillas arrange those?
FrostNova
Those were set up for my father.
Talulah
The Ursus army isn't pursuing us anymore. Seems like they're really not a fan of what those entail.
Talulah
Wait, are... are these some kind of Sarkaz thing?
FrostNova
His Sarkaz ceremony. These two are the best we could make with what we had on hand.
Talulah
Patriot... is Patriot here?
FrostNova
You said it yourself. You were expecting our team to be surprise-attacked. And if we wanted to annihilate their whole company, of course we'd come up short if we only relied on our squad.
FrostNova
...They're already beginning to rout.
FrostNova
Have you ever seen my father in battle before, Talulah...?
Local Ursus Troop
The... him... It's him... Why did none of you s—say... say he was here?!
Local Ursus Troop
Retreat! Retreat! Just forget them, forget them!
Local Ursus Troop
Wait, hold on! He's coming from the rear? Then what's all this in front of us?
Local Ursus Troop
Hello? Hello? ! Say something! Say something!
Patriot
......
Until those local troops let loose their violence upon him, the Sarkaz who towered over all others makes no move, nor does he make a sound.
Yet Talulah hears, laced through the north wind of the tundra, something not unlike cries. The shudders of the world itself, its wickedness cowering back, step after step, before the Wendigo.
Patriot stands fast, and casts toward the tundra a long halberd.
And in the gloom of a sky that knows only to devour all life, suddenly, a chasm is cut.
