Of Thousand Lives

Sincerely, Circulus - Chapter 18: Blitz

So ruthless the sharp pins of the cold, cutting past the layers upon layers of warm clothes. The frost kills, friend or foe. Monsters are frozen stuck in their place in the face of such a low temperature, some buried deep inside the snow. Society comes to a halt in such a cruel apocalyptic winter landscape with the people of Thannatopia and the other 7 cities surviving the passing days.

"Achoo! Gah..", the prodigy sneezes, wiping away the snot from his nose. Despite wearing the most clothes in the group, the kid can barely stay warm when he steps outside. In these trying times, a new division named "Blazeful Dawn" is created to fight against the cold and venture out beyond the walls. Raven is believed to be the source of this eternal winter, though there is barely any information on where he is. Having stabilised themselves for the coming days, the Valkyries sent out the first expedition team to set out the first camp. Though reluctantly accepted by Justice and the Valkyrie captains, Natalia was allowed to accompany the team. "Alright, guys.. I first have to thank you for your service and courage, this is not an easy task, especially for some of you. Honestly, I would like to send more with you, but we are running short on healthy operatives, even Theobold is not available at this moment. You need to know something before going out. The rope that connects you all is there to keep track of where the others are and to let others know where you are. The length is pretty long to give you some room for evasive manoeuvres lest trouble arises, but always stay close to one another at all cost. Oh and it can keep you warm so long as you're connected to a flamemancer. Remember to mark the way as you go. Your task for this expedition is to set up a safe perimeter around the central park for the next expedition team to set up a camp. Justice Juvenlium will be carrying all of your essential gears for marking and such. Natalia Meluven will be the medic of the team and provide you warmth. Finally, Elysia Tudor will be the scout of this team. All clear?", Hurlem looks at the trio before they set off on their journey. They all give him a strong 'Yes, sir.' as they nod. The kid sneezes again, then sighs, looking a little annoyed by all the sneezing that's been going on. "Good.. Alright, follow me.", then the kid leads the group around the second gate through a smaller door. Before them is the front gate of the base, made entirely with metal, so heavy that it can crush a person. Inside of this enclosed space, Natalia can't help but feel anxious about what lies beyond these walls - it's her first time stepping out of the safezone after all. The girl tightly clutches her hands, shaking ever so slightly. Noticing the subtle trembling and small gestures, Hurlem pats on the hand of the demihuman a few times, "If you're scared, miss Natalia, just know that I am too. But I'm sure you will be okay. These Valkyries are trusted within our ranks.". Hearing this, the cat takes a deep breath to gather herself and nods. "I'm ready.", she looks at Hurlem.

With a pull of a lever, the iron gate slowly pulls itself up, slowly revealing the white death that lies beyond these protective walls. The strong howl of the wind pushes some of the white pellets inside. The snow is thick enough to reach the knees of the expedition team, thus surely will slow them down on this expedition. "The map of Thannatopia is located within Justice's backpack. Consult it regularly. Good luck.", Hurlem gives his final reminder as the gate finishes opening up. Heeding Hurlem's words, the group finally steps out into the winter wastelands. Justice gives the prodigy a thumbs up as a sign of confidence and reassurance seconds before the metal door isolates the team from the base. "God damn..", Elysia looks around the streets that she used to roam everyday. The difference is night and day. The cold snow devoured everything, from man-made to natural. The buildings are all covered in snow, giving in to the frost. Everything is quiet, besides the whistling and howling of the strong gale. The city that once looked so busy is now empty to an unimaginable degree. Justice takes out the map from his backpack as well as a few poles for marking. "Pretty straight path. We gotta walk past 4 blocks of buildings before making a left turn to Central Park. I will place down these markers occasionally. Alright guys, let's get going.", after consulting the map, he puts it into his jacket's pocket then unfolds the long and glowy marking poles. These poles have a common crystal that can reflect a good amount of light, which is beneficial for foggy weathers or when vision is limited, built into their tips. The other two nods and embarks on their march into the blizzard.