Chapter 61 Homeward

Kate cut through another undead, an orc sword blocked with her raised arm just before it could strike her head. The blade cut into her exposed and bloodied skin, not deep but she would have to kill more of them to heal it. Pushing the blade aside, she swung her hammer upwards and struck the undead orc’s head, blood magic rupturing through the monster’s skull before it staggered back and fell.

She breathed out, feeling a little bit of energy return but even with her magic active, her swings were getting slower, her steps heavier.

“Kate!” her ally shouted and she turned, just when she saw a large undead human reach her, veins of red pulsing over its skin before it shook, its skin bulging. She raised her arms to shield her chest and face right when the creature exploded in a shower of dark blood, flesh, and shards of bone. She was flung backwards, her ears ringing right before she stumbled back and fell down. She still held on to her hammer but she saw through her blurred vision the flesh stripped from her arms, bone exposed in parts. Searing pain came from the wounds and her chest didn’t feel right either, her breaths sharp and grating.

She had to kill more, had to drink blood. Kate stumbled up but found the hall spinning. She hit the ground again, her ears popping now, the ringing growing louder. She turned and saw the face of an undead, a goblin reaching down to bite her. She swung her hammer in the general direction, blood exploding from the creature. Her ears crackled when she absorbed some of its life back into her. She could hear something over the ringing in her ears again but the pain felt the same. The room wasn’t spinning anymore but she still couldn’t quite tell up from down. They were in the same hall still, where they had killed the second Emisary.

Her ally walked over, swinging his sword at two approaching undead. He injured one of them, no golden shine left around him, scratches, dents, and cuts were visible on his armor. “Can you stand?”

Kate tried but staggered, shouting as she took a step and nearly fell, swinging her hammer at an undead. She felt the impact and the energy that flowed back into her confirmed the kill.

“We’re getting out,” her ally said.

But there are more, she thought, looking at him. Her vision blurred for a moment before she refocused. She could still fight.

“If we stay, we will die,” he said.

He grabbed her arm and steadied her, taking her hammer and putting it onto her belt. He led her a few steps, crouched down, then handed her the battle axe. “Kill them as we retreat.”

I can do that, Kate thought, listening as best she could while they walked with heavy steps and breaths, retreating through the corridors of blood. She tapped his armor when they reached the fork, separating from him and turning around to face the monsters that she heard. Kate blinked her eyes, nearly passing out before she leaned forward and cleaved through the first undead human.

The second one jumped her, impacting with all its weight and running speed.

Kate remained standing, reaching up to grab the undead’s neck. She stumbled to the side and threw the human off herself, hearing bones break when the creature hit the close by wall. She rolled her shoulders, the pain lessening a little with the kill from before. She felt tired now, the magic straining. Steadying herself, she swung down at the injured monster, striking its shoulder and cleaving halfway down its torso. She ripped out the axe and staggered back a step, her ally catching her.

“Onward, no more shouting, no more guns,” he said and continued to support her, the two of them soon reaching the first set of slaughtered corpses, then the steps leading up and out of the underground.

Her ally turned off his light.

Kate blinked her eyes. It was dark and she could hear the howling winds. It was cold and for the first time in a long while, she breathed in fresh air. She shuddered, her magic waning as she grit her teeth, tears coming to her eyes as she gasped at the pain coming from her arms and chest. Light snow had started to fall, Kate could feel it on her skin.

“Keep walking. Steady. Listen to my voice. I’m here and you’re alive. I’ll help you heal soon,” Logan said. He paused after every sentence, the large man walking with slow and heavy steps, his breathing ragged, raspy. “Can you hear and lead still?”

She nodded.

Kate felt the tears running down her cheeks and smiled, then gulped at the pain.

“That fucking… piece of…” she gulped again.

“Wait with talking,” Logan said, the two of them walking over the snow covered field.

“That w… way,” she got out, pushing Logan a little to the left.

It took a while but they reached the office building in the first industrial site without alerting any other monsters.

Logan set her down onto the ground, took off his helmet, and grabbed Kate’s pack still sitting in the room.

“I’ll need to clean the wounds first. Morphine or not?” he asked.

Kate shook her head. She wouldn’t be much of a help with opiates in her bloodstream.

A moment later, he crouched down and held a piece of wood in front of her mouth. “You should bite down.”

Kate did, feeling her teeth sink deep into the wood as she bit down and closed her eyes. She gasped when he started to clean and disinfect the wounds. Activating Mindless Ferocity, Kate slowed her breathing as her world narrowed, the pain losing a little bit of its edge.

She waited and let him work, soon feeling the strange warmth of his sacred healing spell, and the horrible itching that followed. She breathed a little calmer by now as he put on the bandages.

She lay there and breathed a few ragged breaths, glad that much of the pain was gone, not that she knew which was worse, the pain or the itching. “Your injuries?”

“I took care of most of it during and between the fighting. Doesn’t hurt much anymore,” he said. “But you should check.”

“Can I sit up?” Kate asked.

“Yeah, most of the wounds weren’t too deep,” Logan said. “Just your arms were fucked but the undead you killed helped already.”

“That thing… it fucking exploded, right in my face,” she said. “You saw that too, right?” Kate slowly sat up and started helping Logan out of his blood covered and dented armor.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Allison is going to be pissed, seeing the state of our gear,” Kate said.

He breathed in deep, then chuckled.

Kate smiled, finding a few small cuts and bruises on him but nothing truly concerning, not with healing magic existing.

“We’ll need Melusine to heal us up before we go down there again,” Logan said.

“Think we can make that walk through the forest?” she asked.

“If you can hear well enough, yeah,” he said. “We should be back by around ten if we leave now.”

“Let’s eat something first, catch our breaths,” Kate said.

“Sounds good. God, I want a warm bed right now,” Logan said as he looked for the food in her larger backpack.

“A shower and a bath,” Kate murmured, taking the bottle of water he handed to her. She drank, only now realizing how parched she was. She emptied half the bottle before she slowed down, offering it to him.

“Got more, it’s fine,” Logan said and opened another bottle.

They unwrapped the mana infused bacon jerky, both of them wolfing down the food as soon as they tasted the first bite. Kate closed her eyes. It was the best meal she’d ever had. Maybe. She saw Logan dunking the bacon into the mana infused honey. She did the same and found that actually, this, was the best meal she’d ever had.

They finished the food and rested for a moment.

A part of her wanted to just lie down and sleep but this place wasn’t safe. Kate closed her eyes for a long moment and then sighed. “Let’s get ready.”

They cleaned up a little and took stock of their gear.

They were out on rifle and shotgun ammo. The only pistol rounds they still had were in Kate’s Glock.

She helped Logan back into his damaged armor and made sure the weapons were strapped close to his pack, then checked her own gear.

Kate put on her ripped and bloodied direwolf cloak and found its magical effect still intact. She sighed. Their gear desperately needed repairs.

“Ready?” she asked, looking at the massive armored knight covered in blood and a torn cloak.

He grunted. “As ready as I’ll be tonight.”

She smiled and tapped his armored shoulder, trying to push away the pain and itching that she felt throughout her chest and arms. Below it all, she felt the deep exhaustion of the day and all their fighting. Steeling herself, she opened the door out into the cold and snow covered valley. They weren’t done yet.

Kate and Logan cut through the industrial sector and then went south and up the slope, staying out of the forest for now as they walked westward.

It was quiet and the winds were less strong here.

Kate felt cold but she knew it was just due to her general state. Still, she was glad for the warm cloak Allison had provided.

“Do you think Mateo and the others left already?” she asked.

“It’s been dark for a while,” Logan said. “I hope they make it back without any issues.”

Kate grunted. “They got past the undead before. They’ll probably be fine.”

“Yeah,” he said, the two of them continuing in silence.

Kate had to start focusing on her steps soon after. More snow was falling now but it was a far cry from the blizzard they had experienced when the snowfall had begun.

She started hearing the Willow river in the distance as they closed in on their home, Logan raising his radio close to his mouth when they got closer.

“Logan here, we should be in range again. We’re coming back. How are things on your end?”

“I’m glad to hear your voice.” Jon answered. “Are you both safe?”

“We are. Need some healing and repairs,” Logan said.

“A shower or three,” Kate added.

She felt her step was lighter now. Jon had kept them updated with his magic throughout the day but the radio range meant they were nearly back.

“We’ll prepare everything. Stay vigilant, and call us if you need support out there,” Jon said.

Kate smiled.

She heard everything around them and they were pretty familiar with these woods by now. With what the other survivors had said, she was slightly concerned about the large monster they had seen down in the caverns near Keilberg.

Haven’t encountered another one of those. Yet.

She sighed, remembering how all of them had fought down there. Ethan’s fire magic, the orcs, Grey’s assassin skills, how he had hidden away and scouted ahead. The valley on fire.

And now all of it was snow covered and calm.

“What do you think the two would’ve said, if they had seen us fight today?” Kate said.

Logan didn’t speak for a while as the snow crunched beneath their boots.

He pushed air out of his nose. “They would’ve been just as impressive by now. Better with all that magic stuff too, I’m sure.”

Kate nodded.

“I miss them,” he said after a while.

“Yeah,” she said, tapping his armored shoulder. “Come on, nearly there now.”

He followed.

Kate soon saw the distant shape of the walls and watchtower. She smiled at the sight, her chest a little tight as she thought of Grey, Ethan, and Bert.

We’ll keep fighting, she thought. It was all she could do. I’m sorry that we couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry that you’re not here anymore.

She looked up at the dark sky, the falling snow cold on her cheeks.

I hope you found peace, wherever you are, or aren’t.

They trudged through the snow and soon reached the trench, Jon and Melusine reaching the ladder over it, Allison throwing the rope as well.

Kate did a last take of the white field, then raised her brows. “Shit.”

“What is it?” Logan asked, already grabbing onto the rope.

Kate glanced at him before she gestured for him to go on. “We forgot the orange juice.”