The bare earth is covered in frost. Upon it are haphazard footsteps, stretching into the distance where the sun fades beneath the horizon.
Scattered black dots are moving slow, at the place where the earth meets the night sky.
Rankin
Lake Neva... is frozen.
Nikto
This year is bloody cold. It's not even winter yet... what are you laughing about?
Rankin
I remember that in the winter of 31, Igor Velikiy defeated the army defending Grypherburg on Lake Neva, spelling the end of the Hippogryph Kingdom.
Nikto
And what about it? You want to lead us in an assault on Deity Grypherburg?
Rankin
No. Not yet, at least.
Nikto
Hmph... it's another story that I'm thinking of.
Nikto
Around the year 150, a famous playwright wrote a play about Igor Velikiy before he entered Grypherburg.
Nikto
His intention was to celebrate the friendship between Igor and the Hippogryph noble Mikhail, who were comrades in the revolution overthrowing the Hippogryph Kingdom.
Nikto
But it was lambasted throughout Ursus because it mentioned a 'compromise' between Igor and certain Hippogryph nobles, whereby Igor gave up some power in exchange for their support.
Nikto
The Ursus refused to accept it. They considered it a slander against Igor Velikiy.
Nikto
The playwright paid the price for a story that he claimed to be true to history.
Nikto
It was only many years after his death, when the original agreement between Igor and the Hippogryph nobles was discovered, that people learned he had been telling the truth.
Rankin
A fine story.
Rankin
Are you trying to tell me that the legend that I worship is just a figment of human imagination?
Nikto
I'm trying to tell you that even Igor knew the importance of flexibility.
Nikto
We should stop here, Rankin.
Nikto
Grypherburg is in the way, and its defenses are on a completely different level from the Far North.
Nikto
What if they find us? It won't be the Patrol Units waiting for us, but the Armies of Ursus.
Rankin
Winter will find us in the wilderness if we continue to take detours and fail to reach the border in time.
Rankin
I would much rather deal with a patrol or two, than Ursine winter.
Nikto
Do we really have to go to the Kazimierzian border, though? Find your legendary Reunion?
Nikto
You know how far it is, never mind the enemies that we might encounter on the way. Look at our people, our food, even our clothes. Do we have enough to make it?
Nikto
Let's say we actually make it to the border. What if it's not an Infected village that awaits us there, but another mine? What do we do then?
Rankin
What other way is there? Where can we go?
Nikto
There must be a way...
Nikto
I know! We can go east! Nikolsk. It's an old city, almost abandoned now, and there are even fewer people in the surrounding villages.
Nikto
We could go there, split up and hide in the villages... that's the only way for us to survive.
Rankin
And live like slaves for the rest of our lives?
Rankin
I gave you a choice, Nikto. I gave everyone a choice.
Rankin
I thought everyone chose to come with me to live like men.
Nikto
But you shouldn't wager everyone's lives on a castle in the sky—
Miner Scout
I took a good look, Rankin.
Miner Scout
The outpost ahead is manned. The searchlights are on... it hasn't been abandoned.
Miner Scout
If we can't get through this way, do we have to...?
Nikto
You hear that, Rankin?
Rankin
Searchlights... how many searchlights did you see?
Miner Scout
I... I don't really remember. Two... maybe three?
Rankin
Think! How many exactly?
Miner Scout
Two! Yes, I remember now. There were only lights on the east and west sides. It's two lights!
Rankin
Two lights... so a garrison of a hundred or so. Maybe...
Nikto
Rankin!
Rankin
......
Nikto
Look behind you, Rankin... this is all the people we have...
Nikto
This is not a revolutionary army. They just want to live.
Nikto
Are you going to send them into the mines from which there is no return, like the mine owners did?
Rankin looks at the crowd behind him and sees their expressions under the lamplight.
Pain, fatigue, helplessness, fear...
Perhaps Nikto is right. Their clothes are too thin and they cannot take it. But he feels no cold, for some reason.
Rankin
No...
Rankin
I won't throw away any lives. Even if sacrifice may be inevitable, I won't allow anyone to die without meaning.
What's going on, Rankin? How did you know where the mine tunnel was here?
Rankin
Someone had an idea a few years back.
Rankin
There are more than a thousand mines in the Far North, each with hundreds of workers, yet they are all disconnected from each other. What if we changed that?
Rankin
We could connect the tunnels—no one knows the underground better than we do. We could weave a web beneath the frozen soil and link everyone, sharing information and helping each other in the hour of need.
Nikto
Have you been preparing all these years? Were you planning for this day?
Rankin
I'm no prophet. I simply began with a very basic idea—we should unite and help each other.
Rankin
At the beginning, my influence extended only to a dozen mines in the area. I was powerless beyond that.
Rankin
Later, I heard that other people were doing the same things in other places... it's a pleasant surprise to find that this tunnel looks relatively safe.
Nikto
Where does it lead?
Rankin
The Volgrad Mining District, southeast of Grypherburg, in the southernmost part of Ursus. If we can reach it through the tunnels, we'll be able to circumvent the capital's defenses.
Nikto
......
Nikto
But you better pray there's no army on our tail, or it'll be an easy opportunity to wipe us out all at once.
Rankin
No such thing as a path without risk.
Rankin
Wait... I smell alcohol.
Nikto
Impossible. How could there be—
Rankin
Get down!
A flash of cold light lunges out from the darkness, breaking the only lit lamp.
Nikto
What the—
Rankin
Get down! Don't move, and don't fire back!
Voice From the Tunnel
Blyat! They found us!
Voice From the Tunnel
Call for help!
Rankin
...?
Rankin
Wait! Stop! We're friends!
Rankin stands and shouts at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing in the deepest reaches of the cavern.
Anxious Miner
You...
Anxious Miner
You're not the Patrol Units?
Rankin
That's what we were about to ask... I suppose the answer is no.
Anxious Miner
Thank goodness! I thought they found our position.
Anxious Miner
Where did you come from?
Rankin
The Central Mining District.
Anxious Miner
Central? I didn't know there were any survivors there!
Anxious Miner
We heard the guards started a massacre. We thought there wasn't anybody left alive.
Rankin
I can see why there would be such rumors...
Rankin
But they're not true. We're still alive. We defeated the Patrol Units and escaped. We haven't given up on our struggle.
Anxious Miner
That's the best news I've heard in a while!
Nikto
One moment.
Nikto
We're trying to get to the Volgrad Mining District, in the south, through these tunnels. Can we—
Anxious Miner
The south? It's no good. The tunnel leading to the south has collapsed. That's why we've been stuck here.
Nikto
I see...
Nikto
Again, Rankin! Again! Why is every path a dead end?
Rankin
......
Anxious Miner
Wait... Rankin? THE Rankin?
Rankin
My name's Rankin. I don't know anything about 'The' Rankin.
Excited Miner
It's really you! Rankin from Central! You're real—you're alive!
Rankin
I see my name has taken flight on its own...
Excited Miner
We can talk about that later! Let me take you to the living area.
Excited Miner
You folks look like you're in real bad shape. We have some food and water, not a lot, but we can spare some.
They follow the lone light of the lamp and walk into the tunnel. Gradually, they begin to see the light at the end, and hear the faint sound of talking.
They go around a corner to see a large number of people—there must be hundreds of them—living in a tiny space.
Some are wearing miner's outfits, others simple cotton clothes. There are elderly, and there are children... with simple living tools around them.
This is where they live.
Rankin
You...
Worried Miner
What's going on? Didn't you guys go on patrol? Why did you bring so many people back? Who are they?
Excited Miner
Friends! Let me introduce this man here—Rankin!
Excited Miner
Rankin! He's Rankin!
Curious Miner
I've heard the name before! You were the one who had the idea of linking all the mining districts!
Hunched Old Man
You're not as tall as the stories say, but I guess you're tall enough...
Young Child
Did you fight the Kazimierzians? Do the Firewatch really exist?
......
They rush forward to see the figure of legend. There is reverence, there is joy, and there is a little bit of disappointment in seeing the real man behind the myth, but all culminate in an excited call for his name.
Rankin, Rankin.
Excited Miner
Alright, that's enough. Our friends have run into some trouble and they need rest.
Excited Miner
Get some bread from the storage room, Zoya. The big loaves.
Rankin
...Why are you living here?
Excited Miner
That's a long story...
Excited Miner
The Neva Dam burst three years ago, flooding the nearby mines. The overseer refused to let us come out from underground, fearing that we might flee to a nearby city.
Excited Miner
The mine eventually collapsed, splitting it in half. Half of us were drowned. We were the lucky half.
Rankin
......
Excited Miner
We thought all we could do was wait for death, until we found a passage below that led to another mine.
Excited Miner
We got some food from there, but we didn't dare go above ground, so we stayed underground...
Rankin
And you've been living here? How?
Excited Miner
We helped deliver cargo for other mines. Some kind-hearted people shared food with us. Sometimes we stole from the Patrol Units... just like musbeasts, eh.
Excited Miner
We continued to expand the passages, to the Ural in the east and Kras in the west, linking up a lot of mines and districts.
Excited Miner
We've taken in refugees who fled the other mines. We've got maybe a thousand people who are somewhat fit to move.
Rankin
There are children here...
Worried Mother
Yes... she's two years-old, and she's never seen the sun...
Calm Miner
Blyat!
Excited Miner
No matter what, we're still alive! All thanks to you, Rankin!
Excited Miner
We'd have been long dead if you didn't come up with your idea!
Rankin
No... I did nothing. Don't thank me. You found your path of life on your own.
Rankin
But it shouldn't have been like this. This shouldn't have been your life.
Excited Miner
But... what could we do, Rankin?
Excited Miner
Of course we don't want to live in this hole forever, but where else can we go?
Rankin
......
Rankin
...Come with me.
Excited Miner
Where to?
Rankin
South.
Rankin
To the Kazimierzian border. We'll find the village that belongs to the Infected, land that we can live on.
Rankin
We'll go together.
Nikto
Calm down, Rankin.
Nikto
Did you forget about the Lake Neva Outpost? Did you think you could sneak past them with so many people?
Rankin
Then we'll take it by force.
Nikto
You're out of your mind—
Rankin
I know what I'm talking about, Nikto!
Rankin
I'm confident.
Rankin
The Lake Neva Outpost will have at most a hundred men, and no heavy weapons.
Rankin
Three hundred. Give me three hundred pairs of hands that can hold a crossbow and a hoe, and we'll take the Lake Neva Outpost before they have a chance to send a distress signal.
Rankin
By the time the regular supply delivery arrives weeks later, we'll be long gone, on the vast Barton Plains!
Rankin
We'll only be one step away from the goal. Nothing can stop us.
Nikto
No... you've gone mad.
Nikto
I don't understand... why do you always force yourself into the riskiest option? Why do you—
Rankin ignores his objections and extends his hand to the crowd.
Excited Miner
I see your vision, Rankin, and I'm willing to go with you to take the outpost.
Excited Miner
But I can't make the others follow you. They'll have to decide their own fates.
The miner shakes Rankin's hand and goes to stand behind him.
Excited Miner
All who are willing to go with Rankin to take the outpost, come forward.
Feet shuffle in the crowd, and several youths take their place behind Rankin.
Others remain hesitant, or find their own family hanging onto their shirts.
Calm Miner
Whatever the others say, I'm with you, Rankin.
Calm Miner
I don't know what that place for the Infected on the Kazimierzian border is like, but it can't be worse than here.
Calm Miner
We trust you because you're Rankin. You're the hero that united us. No matter what end awaits us—
Rankin halts those words by raising a hand. He looks down, takes a deep breath, then looks up again at the crowd, his eyes resolute.
Rankin
Have you ever seen spring in Ursus?
Silence.
Rankin
I have, when I was a soldier with the border guard.
Rankin
When the snow melts, green grass grows from the soil again, and the migratory fowlbeasts come back.
Rankin
Sometimes, the sun is out all day, so bright it almost drives you mad, and you can only sleep by pulling your blanket over your head.
Rankin
The sun, the grass, the fowlbeasts, the wind... none of those exist in the mines.
Rankin
But it's not because we don't deserve it!
Rankin
It's not too much to ask. These are things that you and I, your children, all of us, deserve as human beings!
Rankin's words echo in the dark mine, and in the hearts of all who are listening.
Rankin
It will be dangerous. I won't lie to you, nor will I force anyone to join us.
Rankin
But sacrifices are a part of any struggle. There will always be those who fall by the wayside, or leave of their own accord.
Rankin
Whether they fell or left on their own, whether they were brave or timid, remember those who are around you, and remember that you once stood together and shared the same pain.
Rankin
We will always be comrades.
Rankin
Some may fall tonight, and some may live. Those who live will pave the path to tomorrow for the rest.
Rankin
We shall raise a torch upon the outpost to remember the fallen, that survivors may remember, and the oppressor will see.
Rankin
Before we leave, I want to tell you how I feel.
Rankin
I hope you will join me and contribute your strength.
Rankin
Only by taking this step can we go back to the surface, bathe in the sunlight, and become human again!
Rankin's chest rises and falls. He feels hot blood flow through his veins, and his strength return to him, and he raises his arms as he speaks.
More and more people come over to him, as they did when he first made his rallying cry in the mine shafts of the Central Mining District.
