** In a world of steam and danger, Scarlett Lockhart joins the Redcoats. But in the darkness of the Bone Forest around the Iron City of Grimmhold, the Bad Wolves are already lurking for fresh prey. **
"Who's that I see walkin' in these woods?
Hey th...
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Her body felt as if it had been twisted through the wringer. With every second that the adrenaline of the fight faded, the throbbing of her wounds became stronger. The elevator rattled, and the dark red of her blood-soaked her clothes. With a moan of pain, Scarlett groped for her leg and grimaced when she saw the bruised boots.
The beast had bent a support rod, and the poorly repaired wheels had now also stopped working. The gliders stood still and did not move anymore. Her leather boots were torn at the calves and gaped apart. Blood ran through her soles, and Scarlett pulled a small silver knife out of the dagger sheath on her other boot to cut a strip of her cloak. The pain burned like fire in the wound as she made a makeshift bandage with the torn-off rags.
Scarlett pulled the pressure injector out of the medi-kit from a leather bag on her belt. Her hands trembled as she removed a small glass vial from its holder, broke the head on the slender neck and poured the transparent contents into the loading chamber. After taking a deep breath, she pressed the injector onto her thigh and pressed the button, which shot the needle into her flesh with a whirring sound. It took a few seconds, but then the agonising pain finally subsided – along with the bleeding and the throbbing in the wound.
Only now she had time and strength to pull herself up on the railing. The elevator emerged from the fog at a dizzying height, and immediately, the air became thinner but lighter. In the distance, Mount Grimm rose out of the white haze as if it ruled over a sea of fog.
At that moment, the platform above her finally came into view. The station towered just above the layer of fog, and the shingled roof stood out against all the grey like the cap of a leprechaun. But what made Scarlett's heart beat faster was the light behind the arched windows – thank the gods, the station was occupied! She wanted to cry with happiness. Of course, she was too proud to do that, so she straightened up and hastily plucked at her clothes to make herself somewhat presentable.
The elevator swayed as it finally locked, and the huge spindles stopped turning. However, the thick iron doors that led to the station did not open, and even when Scarlett pulled on the door rings, they remained locked. Irritated, the young woman's forehead furrowed, and then she hit the door three times. She had seen the light, so the station must be occupied, even if it seemed to be in a bad state of repair. A scratching sound came from the wooden box next to the door; then a tinny voice sounded from the copper speaker: "Identification code!"
Scarlett blinked. She had completely forgotten the strict protocols in her excitement.
"SL-R.A.L.3002," she replied, wishing more than anything to get to the other side of that door. To be safe and with - well, more or less - solid ground under her feet.
"Password!" the voice demanded now.
"Bread and wine," she replied, and there was silence.
Suddenly, Scarlett had doubts. Did anyone here in the tower even know the current password?
