Permafrost Slumber

Chapter 6

Snow and ice crunch beneath her feet as Kallen hurries back to meet up with her companion before the Steam Lorries are about to leave for New Leichester. Despite the cumbersome Oath of Judah, Kallen's pace is oddly fast and draws attention from people witnessing someone running at such a pace while carrying something so big on their backs.
After a little while, Kallen sees her companion in the distance, staring off into the distance with his head raised probably studying the hot-air balloon with the glowing light beacon underneath it. As Kallen draws closer to the Captain, he turns around and sees Kallen coming to a skidding stop. She then places both of her hands on her knees while trying to catch her breath and says:

Kallen Kaslana: Am... Am I... late?

Kallen takes in one deep breath, the cold air almost makes her cough.

Captain: No, we still have a little bit of time left. But we should get on in case they leave early.

The Captain then spots someone running toward them waving their left arm wildly to get their attention. After a few moments of staring, the companions realize the person is Higgins and he seems to be carrying something in a bag in his right arm that he tries not to jostle around as he runs.
After Higgins comes to a stop a few feet away from them, his face is terribly red and he can't talk properly as he continues to gasp for air. He takes a few more staggered steps toward the companions and says:

Higgins: Boss said... you two... were... leaving... Oh, Godsdamned... breathing... Wanted to... give you this.

After catching some of his breath, Higgins spits out a sizable glob of saliva mixed with mucus into the snow before wiping his soot-covered chin with the sleeve of his right arm. He then uses his left to wipe away the sweat on his brow before placing it on the parcel he was holding and presenting it. Kallen is a little hesitant to touch the parcel, very likely because of Higgins's sweaty hand and earlier display of mannerisms. The Captain accepts the parcel with a smile and says:

Captain: A goodbye gift?

Higgins: No, no. Margaret said the Lovely Lass left without getting her pay after today's work. Two rations as promised.

Despite his best attempt to remain energetic and positive, Higgins seems to be visibly sad despite his smile.

Higgins: So... New Leicester, eh? I figured you two were too much of a city folk to stay out here with us. There's better work there too if you follow the rules.

Captain: We're looking for someone and Natasha said that I might have a better chance in New Leichester. A lot of people from New Preston moved there and I hope I can find them.

Higgins glances at the snow-covered ground for a bit and says:

Higgins: Family then? I hope you find them. It's important to have someone to lean on in times like these. Best of luck to you then.

Higgins extends his right hand, Kallen once again is hesitant while the Captain extends his right hand and the two men briefly share a firm handshake. Higgins then gives Kallen a sympathetic look and says:

Higgins: I will always cherish our brief time together, my Lovely. I will always keep your memory alive in... my heart.

As Higgins reaches the end of his "poem", he folds his hands over his chest directly over his heart to empathize with the word and its value. Kallen cannot hold back and giggles, Higgins beams in response as he sees Kallen react to his poetry.
A sudden sharp whistle came from inside the large warehouse, bringing the meeting to a sudden end. The Captain hurriedly picks up the backpack that was leaning against his legs and the three of them hurry inside.
Once inside the warehouse, Higgins hurries the two companions toward a convoy of steel train carts filled to the brim with long sections of lumber. A small crane works tirelessly to place the last few logs before the convoy sets out for its destination. The head of the convoy is impossible to see as the numerous train carts fill the entire length of the warehouse and reach outside through a set of massive sliding double doors.
As the last log falls into place, the workers back away from the steel carts and give a hand signal to the crane operator. Another sharp whistle is heard and the convoy carts slowly begin to move with a plume of white smoke making its way inside the warehouse through the open doors, likely coming from what these people call a "Steam Lorry".
The two companions latch onto the side of a cart and climb on top of it as the convoy begins to move. Some of the workers are visibly agitated seeing the two strangers climb on top of the convoy and start to shout for them to get off immediately. Higgins intercepts the agitated workers yelling that the two companions were allowed to get on the convoy by Natasha, even if the workers weren't fully convinced they give up their attempts.
As the convoy picks up speed and the last carts exit the warehouse, Higgins rushes out through the double doors and waves goodbye using both his arms, then takes off his knitted cap, letting out his short curly hair as he continues to wave. Although seeing the gesture too late, the two companions wave back and think they see Higgins flash his well-known smile as the white cloud of smoke begins to obscure them.
Steadily gaining more and more distance from the outpost until it disappears into the white void, the convoy moves at a constant speed making its way through the Frostlands with relative ease. While the Captain was content with finding some measure of cover in one of the convoy's carts that provided enough shelter to ward off the snow and wind, Kallen insisted they venture toward the head of the convoy and find proper shelter there if the Captain isn't keen on dying in the cold.
As the two companions made steady progress toward the head of the convoy, carefully traversing the train carts that weren't precisely made for people to walk over or cross from one cart to another, they were given a fairly beautiful spectacle as the aurora borealis started to dance and move in unpredictable patterns. They weren't noticeable a few moments ago, but as the last rays of light died out they made room for this spectacle in the sky. Briefly stopping to admire the greenish-blue lights that steadily gain intensity and become ever more visible in the sky, the two companions sit down on top of the logs filling a train cart.
As the two admire the spectacle, the Captain cautiously questions how was Kallen's day at the Cookhouse and if she had the chance to exercise her culinary skills. In response, Kallen begins by shrugging off the subject trying to say that everything was "fine" but she soon starts to complain and explain how the cooks were adamant that no one except themselves would touch the food. Despite Kallen's noble intentions to help, she describes the cooks as being very difficult people who didn't trust strangers around the food to avoid thefts. Despite Kallen's visible frustration, the Captain lets out a sigh of relief knowing no one would be subjected to a member of the Kaslana Clan's cooking and will rest well from this day on at peace with the thought of no one would be unfortunate enough to spontaneously blackout after a spoonful of apparently harmless food.
The Captain's tranquility doesn't last long as Kallen then begins to bully him pointing out how the sweat of eight hours of work permeates the air and that he needs a bath. The Captain tries to defend himself saying that there's no means of bathing in such circumstances, but as Kallen scoots away from him while shielding her nose with her scarf, she says that snow is abundant around them and that he should start being creative.
Staying at a safe distance from the Captain where her nose can't pick up any scent, Kallen resumes her admiration of the spectacle in the sky. The Captain begins to sort out the contents of the backpack the Overseer gave him. The backpack contained numerous packages of foodstuffs, cured and salted meat mostly, that would suffice for well over a week for two people. Doing a quick count of the packages inside, there are over twenty packages that could be eaten as is, or boiled in water and turned into something more nutritious and filling.
Thinking about taking out two packages and eating them as is for today, the Captain's attention is redirected as a small snowball harmlessly hits him in the shoulder.
Looking at his side, he sees Kallen beckoning him over to her while making her way further toward the head of the convoy. After quickly closing up the backpack, the Captain follows Kallen further up the convoy and comes to a stop at the second to last cart where they decide to spend the night. For obvious reasons, there's no telling how the crew inside the Steam Lorry would react if two strangers attempted to enter or ask for shelter inside.
Fortunately, the white smoke coming from the Lorry is steam that's bathing the carts behind it and raising the temperature to a rather chilly level instead of being outright cold. Peering over the edge of the cart and looking forward at the Steam Lorry, the vehicle gives the impression that it's more of a land locomotive that doesn't require rail tracks to travel than some kind of large vehicle made for hauling goods.
Entering the cart wasn't too difficult, only a simple latch-like mechanism had to be used to open a sliding door, and there were likely no heavy security measures installed on these carts since there didn't seem to be any sort of raid attempts in these frost-stricken lands.
Inside, the cart is nearly overpacked with logs freshly harvested from the frozen forest, stripped of bark and branches; fortunately, there's a little bit of space near the entrance of the cart that allows the Captain and Kallen to take shelter.
Kallen gingerly steps inside trying to maneuver the Oath of Judah through the door and find a suitable place for it. As they each take their places opposite of each other, Kallen just now noticed the Captain had a new backpack with him. When she questioned what was inside, to which the Captain answered with "rations for more than a week". Noticing Kallen's pout, the moment the Captain asked if something bothered her, Kallen turned away and mumbled that everything was fine even though she was visibly jealous of this. The thought that she only managed to eke out two portions of rations after eight hours of work at the Cookhouse while her companion was rewarded handsomely with so much was a light blow to her pride. In an attempt to make amends, the Captain suggested that they eat Kallen's rewarded rations for today under the explanation that the backpack's contents will be for the long road that awaits them.
After Kallen cheered up a little bit, the two companions shared a humble meal of cooked meat that was touched so much by the cold that it became a little difficult to chew and bite into, it was a filling meal and was enough to help them fall asleep in the cramped space of the cart, Kallen used the Oath of Judah to lean the upper part of her body against while the Captain used the backpack as a very uncomfortable pillow.
A few hours later the Captain is shaken awake by Kallen who seemed to have an early start. She somewhat forcefully wakes up her companion and tells him to hurry outside and see something that can't precisely be explained but is unbelievable to watch. Kallen was the first to climb on top of the cart with the Captain slowly making his way up, there was a loud roar-like sound echoing through the area and the Captain was unable to see where it was coming from. Looking up where Kallen pointed, the Captain sees a large wall of ice and stone the Steam Lorry slowly makes its way around. On a closer look, something made out of metal, broken and mangled by the elements beyond recognition, was trapped inside the ice, but it was impossible to see given the speed of the Steam Lorry and the distance. Looking toward the sky where Kallen pointed, a thick plume of white smoke rises into the sky as if there's an oversized chimney somewhere nearby. As soon as the wall disappears suddenly into the snow and the Steam Lorry begins to turn, the Captain is treated with an incredible view.
Before them lies an ice crater of great proportions, a city built inside it and around a familiar-looking towering engine-like structure that proves to be the origin of the roar-like noise. It ejects incredible amounts of white smoke into the sky and roars fiercely as if it was revved up in a similar manner one would do with their vehicle to show off or gain attention from nearby people.
As the Steam Lorry nears the edge of the crater, Kallen and the Captain jump off the moving cart and land safely into the snow, fearing that when they are discovered on board the Steam Lorry people might not take kind to stowaways, even if they are friendly.
Taking a moment for themselves, the companions peer over the edge and gaze at the city built inside the crater; like ants, people move about in the streets below and there are tens of dwellings built around the massive engine to house what seems a population numbering in the few hundred given the sheer size of the city. Many tall structures emanate steam and smoke, Kallen then points to a familiar structure in line with two more just like it; the very same structure they first rested in on their first night in this world. Uncovered by snow, the slender and tall structure had something akin to a coil coated in electricity at its back underneath a tall chimney made of metal that they hadn't noticed until now.
From place to place, tower-like structures made of metal are doting the city, strategically built no doubt to keep a vigilant watch on the people below. At the far end of the city, something akin to a church seems to be built, but it's far away from the towers, and the buildings there aren't as developed or as big as the ones that are near the towering engine; it is as if it was a corner of unwanted people, built as far away as possible from the rest of the well-planned city construction.
With a measure of difficulty, the two companions tear themselves away from the view and proceed to follow the tracks left behind by the Steam Lorry who, fortunately, didn't stop too far away from their current location. The Steam Lorry seems to have stopped at a cargo dock built on the edge of the crater's lip with a tall tower-like structure fitted on top of it with something that functions like a signal lamp. A revolving elevator track, anchored into the wall of the crater, with a few gondolas that descend into the crater seems to be the means of efficiently unloading anything that arrives at the City.
Approaching the cargo depot, the two companions are welcomed by a group of very surprised workers who weren't expecting to see travelers. Most of the workers returned to their duties while only two people bothered to speak with the Captain and Kallen; admittedly, Kallen did attract many curious stares from the workers because of the Oath of Judah on her back.
After a few unexpectedly friendly exchanges, the workers admit that they have heard of the man named "Cohen Grant" but don't know if he's in the City or out exploring the Frostlands. Before excusing themselves, the two workers tell the companions that they are welcome to enter the City and try to ask around as long as they don't get any unwanted attention from the "Lord" and his men who have an iron grip on the City and more than half of its people.
With that advice, which sounded more like a warning, taken to heart, the two companions squeeze into one of the gondolas and descend into the crater. Once they emerge from the gondola, they are greeted by more surprised workers who, when questioned about "Cohen Grant", give the same answer except for one of them who was almost certain that he saw him this morning somewhere on the far side of the City.
Proceeding toward the City by a walkway made from wooden planks with a voluminous steam pipe running underneath it, the Captain and Kallen find themselves embraced by an unexpected warmth the closer they get to the outskirts of the city where the first dwellings are. As soon as they cross the threshold, passing by the first line of houses, they are enveloped by a comforting warmth likely radiating from the towering engine in the center of the City.
The streets are full of people who busy themselves with either shoveling snow off the streets or checking the exterior of their houses to make sure everything is well insulated. Kallen notes that children are among the people who are shoveling snow; like dutiful little workers, they stand at the side of adults aiding in whatever way they can. Although worried by this sight, Kallen tries to brush off the sight thinking that the children are probably doing their part in helping during this difficult time, but she doesn't know why she can't fully brush off a worry that's eating away at the back of her mind.
After walking the streets for a good amount of time, the Captain questioning random people about the whereabouts of the man he's looking for, and with Kallen getting many unwanted glances and stares from passers-by, the two companions finally confirm that Cohen Grant is in the City and if they want to talk to him then they should hurry since he's due to leave tonight after his team restocks.
Walking toward the eastern side of the City, the companions arrive at the Cookhouse where Cohen Grant and his team were resting. Once they entered the Cookhouse, several people looked up from their bowls of food to briefly stare at the strangers before returning to their business. The atmosphere in the Cookhouse is relaxed, people chat idly while eating and share a few laughs once in a while. Everyone seems to be sharing a drink, there's not a single table that doesn't have a short glass full of clear liquid.
Once again Kallen's attention is drawn to a few children working at the Cookhouse; there are three children serving food and drinks to a long line of people waiting to get their share, with two adults working in the kitchen cooking food.
As the Captain scans the interior of the Cookhouse, Kallen takes off the cumbersome Oath of Judah, placing it with a heavy thud on the floor, as she turns away from her weapon, Kallen begins to briefly rotate her shoulders to relax after carrying the Oath of Judah for so long.
The Captain motions Kallen to follow him toward the other side of the Cookhouse at a table where five men, clad in heavy winter fur clothes, were eating their meals in silence. The table they were eating at also seemed to have been displaced from the others as if the five men didn't want to be bothered by anyone else, so they moved their table a few feet away from the otherwise well-organized table layout.
Approaching the table, the Captain clears his throat, puts on a friendly smile, and says: