Chapter XLVIII: Darkscape Overrun part 2: The Culling

 A single raven circled over a constantly expanding battlefield, lazily flapping its wings as it observed the scene below. It couldn't have cared less on who died and who lived, what killed what, all it cared was that soon this battle would be over and it could feast on the dead. It saw large groups of mutants moving towards an abandoned gas station, driven not by hunger but by fear. On the other side of the hill, a group of stalkers rushed up the incline. At the gas station, two stalkers were pinned down behind a truck, while another group of stalkers fired at them wildly. Yet despite all the chaos, the raven kept moving from one summer breeze to another, because soon it would not be hungry no more.

Boris crested the hill first. He held his Remington close and grabbed his binoculars, observing the gas station. A group of bandits fired at Mark and Anton down below, but it was not the typical disciplined firing of stalkers. Now, bandits are not the best marksmen in the world, but even they know not to shoot like madmen. These bandits did, they dumped mags at the car as if it was the most horrible creature ever, and when Boris zoomed closer, he could see a look of absolute terror on their faces.

• It seems like the karlik might still be here! Those bandits are clearly under some sort of illusion, Antipin yelled over the gunfire, also surveying the scene through binocs. Boris yelled for him and Dima to follow and charged in. Behind them a sharp barking of rifles erupted, as Dimuha and Hip engaged the bandits with the intent of not killing them but keeping them pinned.

It did not work well enough however. The bandits were far too deep into the fight-mode to snap out of it, and as Boris got closer they started firing at them as well. However, their gunfire was not particularly accurate, and the squad managed to reach Anton and Mark without losses.

• Good to see you guys again, but could you maybe kill those bandits instead of coming here to sit with us? Anton asked sarcastically. Mark nodded to Boris, his NBC suit-exoskeleton hybrid keeping his face and expressions hidden.

• But this spot seemed so cozy, how about we light a campfire here and wait for those bandits to run out of ammo, Dima remarked.

• Shut it, you two. We need to fight the karlik, not the bandits. I don't want yet another reason for Sultan to get angry, Boris ordered, thinking quickly as to what to do.

The mutant wave heading towards the gas station stopped his planning, as thousands of kilos of muscles, teeth and fear barreled into the bandit group. They turned their weapons to fire at the new enemies and bloody chunks flew across the air as bullets hit the horde, but it was not enough. Only the bandit leader clad in exoskeleton managed to retreat, the rest of his group turned into minced meat. The suppression ended, Boris and the group left their cover and trained their weapons on the flood of mutants. Dogs, boars and fleshes took a massive beating as seven different weapons blasted them from the side, buckshot and bullet breaking bone and hide alike.

But the mutants weren't the main issue. As they fought the different creatures, dancing around their clumsy counter-attacks and finishing off dying monsters, Boris could feel something clawing inside his skull. The edges of his vision darkened, his heart rate rocketed. Odd apparitions appeared first at a distance, closing in. Suddenly they jumped at his face, filling his field of view completely. There were strange and otherworldly creatures, terrifying humans seemingly mauled and maimed crying for help, madmen running around covered in blood and bodyparts, ghostly abominations and more.

Boris fought back the best he could, but it was like battling the ocean. Unforgiving terror swept over him and swallowed him whole. Controllers and psi-emitters were different, they tried to take your free will. This thing tried to make you mad with fear and confusion, and it was working. But through this lunacy going around in his field of view, he saw Mark rise up while others were firing wildly at the apparitions and walk forward. He shot mutant after another, using his SVDS PMC like a Grim Reaper's scythe. Boris squeezed every last drop of his willpower to follow him.

He saw Mark walk behind the gas station as another flock of illusionary ghosts attacked him, and the headache he was feeling started feeling like a heated metal ring was trying to squeeze his head from all sides. But he concentrated on what Mark was doing, and saw him raise his SVDS, placing one round into the thick undergrowth ahead.

In a second, a lot of things happened simultaneously. A pitched screech erupted from the bush, and following it came a massive psi-wave, destroying the illusions but striking human and mutant alike down as it advanced. Last thing Boris saw before losing his conciousness was Mark being sent flying back. The wave hit Boris like a tank cannon, and despite his heavy armour, he blacked out.

Boris came back to his senses a few minutes later. And not a second too late, as more mutants were quickly approaching the scene, this time roughly fifteen of them, some dogs and lurkers with a large mutant Boris had not seen before leading them. Boris quickly ran around waking the others up, and they took defensive positions. As the mutants got closer, Boris realized that the large mutant leading the charge was infact a massive mutated bear. Its claws were larger than Boris' kukri and in general it was around twice as big as a regular bear.

• Blyat, this isn't gonna be fun, he muttered, as the mutants attacked. Lurker pounced at him, and he barely avoided it, pumping a buckshot round into it as it went. A slug round struck the mutants head, ripping the skull apart. Hip's Bizon claimed yet another victim.

Antipin was dueling the bear, his Protecta singing a melody of death as buckshot round after another struck holes into the beast's hide. It did little against it however. Boris tried to get to him to help, but another lurker crashed into him and made him stagger. Mark was struggling against three dogs, swapping his sniper for a MP-443 Grach to fight them. Anton fired his SCAR as fast as he could as he battled another lurker, and Dima was using his KS-23 to disintegrate boars that circled him. It was a chaotic struggle, the mutant numbers overwhelming.

• Die you piece of shit, Boris screamed at the lurker clawing at him, and sunk his kukri into its heart. Warm blood streamed down his hands, and with great difficulty he dislodged the lurker corpse. His adversary dealt with, he glanced at the others. Just as he did, he heard an audible click.

• Antipin, watch out! Dimuha yelled as he came down the hillside, firing his SVDS at the bear. But it was too late. The ecologist's shotgun had run out of shells, and he tried to switch to his pistol. But the bear was lightning fast, and its claws went through Antipin's suit like it was nothing. In seconds, he was gone, claimed by the Zone.

Boris roared in anger and fired his shotgun at the bear, prompting it to turn around and face him. Boris' Remington clicked as the final round pierced the mutant's hide, and Boris swapped into his TT-33 and kukri, holding them out together as he prepared to fight the bear. Its claws were blood red, and Boris could see that so were the fangs as it opened its mouth to roar at him. In a swift motion, Boris fired a round down its throat, wounding it. But it was not enough, the massive creature charged him with terrifying speed.

• What now you piece of filth, Boris muttered as he dodged the bear's attack and struck his kukri hilt-deep into the bears insides. It groaned in pain and growled even more as Dimuha's rounds hit it in the back. Boris withdrew his blade from its side and leaped further back, emptying his pistol at it.

The monster was getting weaker. The rest of the mutants had been slain, and the squad all turned their weapons at the beast. It made one last pitiful charge at Boris, smacking him and wounding his arm slightly as the hit really did not have that much weight behind it no more. Boris raised his kukri and jabbed it right between the gap between the things eyes.

• For Anton Antipin, you fucker, he hissed, and the bear let out its last sigh, crumbling to the ground. Boris collapsed next to it, exhausted beyond measure. Mark appeared beside him, speaking to Boris for the first time:

• You remind me of Theo, you have that same endless determination. I had my doubts about working with you, but I feel like this could finally be something interesting.

• In that case, I'm glad you feel that way. But I've got a few questions. How the hell did you avoid the karlik's influence? And did you kill it?

Mark slapped an artefact container on his belt, where two Artefact Application Modules were hanging from, and replied:

• Theo and I found plenty of things during our travels, but these two have served me the best. One has a Full Empty, so I can use this NBC suit of mine and take damage like a champ, other one is a Black Spray that keeps my mind safe from anything that tries to get in. How I got them is a story for another day, but let's just say they are real good for annoying karliks. That thing managed to slip away after the psi-blast though, we'll need to kill it some other day.

• Indeed, the sooner the better. As if it wanted us to fight each other instead of killing us on spot, Dima chimed in. Boris nodded, it had clearly wanted them to be its tin soldiers. He shuddered.

• Well, we need to hunt it down but it is probably already in Dark Valley. I'd rather bury poor Antipin now, Boris said, sorrow in his voice. The others agreed, and they started digging a grave.

In the evening sun, a small seremony was held for Anton Antipin. He was buried alongside his suit and the trophy Boris had extracted from the bear. Boris took his Svarog with him however. As they held a moment of silence for the fallen comrade, Boris thought he'd say at least something.

• We didn't know him for long, but the man kept his cool when Rookie village faced its worst disaster in ages, then volunteered to hunt a incredibly strong mutant and fought a bear alone. The man is a hero in my books, and I am proud to have served alongside him.

The others repeated his last sentence, and Dimuha stuck a small cross they had created into the ground, leaving Antipin's Protecta hanging from it. The group started heading further north up the road. Only the lone cross remained, staying behind, weathering the storms of the years to come.