Chapter 11 – The Road of Life 

    Snow flutters down gently over the makeshift docks along the shore of the gigantic Lake Ladoga. A convoy of loud, rumbling trucks comes to a stop among a hectic scene of soldiers and workers rushing about, moving supplies to and fro. Huge piles of crates and barrels, shipments of munitions and deliveries of food stand in well organised formations, ready to continue their journey on to the besieged city. Likewise rows of refugees line up ready for their eventual evacuation, shivering in the cold with whatever possessions they can carry. 

     It had taken almost two hours to travel between the eastern outskirts of Leningrad and the port town of Kokkorevo. The three girls had wanted to catch some rest during their journey; however the painfully bumpy ride in the bed of a sputtering diesel truck had kept them all awake. The two witches had a lot they wanted to discuss, Erica especially. However, being packed in with at least thirty other people had hushed them down, and no one had said anything along the whole trip. 

     Now Sanya, Erica and Sofia hop down into the slushy, brown snow and mud at the rear of their transport. 

     “I’ll never complain about Shirley’s diving ever again.” Erica whines while stretching her arms out above her head and letting out a wide yawn. As people clamber down from the icy tailgate of the truck a soldier, bundled up under thick winter clothes marches up to the waiting crowd. 

     “This truck is too heavy for the ice! Everyone head to the shore for lighter transport! Children go to the left, adults to the right! Hurry up!” the incredibly loud man shouts. Both Erica and Sanya had thought they’d be escaping by boat, but knowing that they will be driving over the frozen lake is more than a little unnerving.

     “We’re… going over the ice?” Erica asks out loud, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Sanya turns to offer her some comfort. 

     “The lake freezes thick. It should be alright.” Sanya observes as she points out towards a line of truck’s already making their way out across the endless white flats. Suddenly the girls are buffeted along by the evacuees towards the lakeside. Here more trucks; some stripped down of unnecessary weight, idle on the beach. As they get closer they notice some soldiers stopping certain groups of people, demanding that they leave behind anything too heavy to bother taking with them. Some speak up in protest against abandoning their valuables; however when they spot soldiers in blue caps they quickly comply, tossing their luggage into a huge mountain of likewise discarded cases, boxes and bundles.

     After this armed soldiers roughly separate the shuffling group into different lines for transportation. As they were told, the young girls part from the adults in the crowd and head to the left. A sea of children forms in front of them, some in their teens, others much younger. One child carries a small baby, coddled in her arms tightly. Sanya can only hope that she was given the newborn in the separation and that her family is safe in the adult line. None of the kids look their age, as if they had been alive for many decades. Stress, hunger and sickness, the horrors of the siege having wrought its toll on even these poor souls. Sofia squeezes Ericas hand tightly as the mass of youth moves slowly towards their assigned vehicles, which look colossal against the tiny children, most of whom need assistance into the truck beds. 

      The air is filled with the stench of fuel and the bitter chill blowing in over the lake makes everyone huddle together for warmth. Erica helps Sofia gently up into the rear of the already packed truck. As she does so a soldier comes over to check the load. Satisfied that the truck is full he turns to Sanya sternly, placing a huge, gloved hand on her shoulder.

        “This one is full now. Go over to the docks down there and get in that one!” the man says sharply, pointing towards another transport down the beach. Erica looks back up towards Sofia who sits among the rest of the children quietly. 

        “It’s ok Sofia. I’ll meet you on the other side ok. I promise.” Erica says.

       “Good luck Hartmann.” Sofia says back, nodding her head. Some other children in the truck sit crying and sniffling, upset at their departure from their parents. Sofia however has experienced enough loss to bother crying anymore and simply waves back at her new friends as the loud engine revs up and the truck pulls away onto the ice. 

       Now alone again Sanya and Erica begin making their way towards where the soldier had pointed. 

      “She’ll be ok Erica.” Sanya reassures her unusually quiet comrade. Erica however comes to a sudden stop.

      “Sanya, I really need to talk to you…” Erica says in a hushed tone. Sanya moves in closer to listen to whatever Erica has to say. 

     “The artillery camp, where you left me… I destroyed it.” She whispers, her voice breaking as she holds back her emotions, quickly welling to the surface. Sanya looks confused at this sudden, unexpected display from the usually so cheerful Erica.   

     “What do you mean?” she asks calmly. 

     “In my escape I… I killed people Sanya… I can’t stop thinking about it, if there was some other way… if they deserved what I did? Does that make me a murderer Sanya?” Erica cries, almost breaking down. 

      “Hartmann…” Sanya mutters in shock. 

     “You didn’t hear what they were saying. The things those Germans have been told to do! To people like Sofia! Please Sanya… Tell me I did the right thing!” Erica asks, tears beginning to stream down her face as she hugs Sanya tightly. 

     “You did the right thing Erica. We’re soldiers after all.”

     “But we were trained to fight the Neuroi… I never thought I’d do that to anybody. I never thought I could…” Erica cries.

     “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have left you. Then you never would have had to do that. I’m sorry.” 

       “What do we tell people, when we get back? They won’t believe us. They’ll say we’ve gone crazy.” Erica says, sniffing and wiping down her wet face. 

      “I think we need to tell them what we’ve seen, all of it. So that people won’t repeat it. If they know the horror…” Sanya replies, trailing off. Erica looks away unsure of her response as she looks out over the vast lake. 

     “Or that could inspire them… I worry that Karlsland could… What if we give them the idea to fight each other, once the Neuroi are gone? What’s stopping us from… What if they make us enemies? I don’t want to fight you Sanya.” Erica finally says back. Sanya moves in to hug her friend gently.

     “I don’t want to fight you either. The 501 st is the closest thing I’ve had to a family for years Erica. You’re all like sisters to me. Still; I think any of them would have done what you did, I don’t think any of them would follow the orders you’re afraid of getting. Trude wouldn’t, Minna wouldn’t…” Sanya reassures Erica with a smile as she softly wipes away the last tears in her friend's shimmering eyes. 

      “What about Yoshika?” Erica asks mockingly, drawing a slight giggle from Sanya. 

      “She didn’t even want to carry a gun at first!” Sanya laughs. “I think it's going to be ok Erica. We just have to find the way home first.” 

       As the moment passes and both girls get their emotions under control a distant rumble snaps them from their reflective mood. 

      “Thunder again?” Erica asks.

       “No, it came from the lake.” Sanya ponders. 

       Suddenly a loud cracking sound and deep splintering boom silences the whole shore side. In the distance a huge white explosion towers into the sky sending massive chunks of ice and plumes of water into the air. Something must have gone wrong or the Germans have gained range of the evacuation point. 

      “The trucks, Sofia!” Erica shouts desperately as the unmistakable sound of a whistling shell comes into earshot. Another blast strikes the ice, shattering the surface and forming giant cracks. Back on the beach civilians run for cover as soldiers try and pull some of the nearby transports back off the lake. Through the snow and mist Erica manages to spot the convoy of trucks which had set off with Sofia. They’ve made it quite a distance and are now pinned between the falling shells in front of them and a loose broken flow of ice behind. 

      Whole parts of the lake flood with water spewing up from below, and the tracks carved in the snow which trucks had been following have become especially weak. The sound of cracking ice is a disturbing thing, like snapping steel cables, echoing and reverberating with deep base, almost reminding the witches of a Neurois beam attack. 

      With no time to wait the two girls rush forward onto the still solid shore-ice. Several soldiers notice their advance and shout out warnings to try and stop them, however no one is willing to actually give chase. Slipping and sliding, struggling to keep their balance, the pair run as fast as they can across the open plane. Some parts remain thick with snow which they clamber over; others are drenched in black, freeing arctic water. Ericas old boots are less than water tight and her feet become soaked as she pushes on. Even with their magic, staying in contact with this water for very long is a very bad idea, and falling in would be even worse. Water shock paralyses and hits instantly, even a witch would succumb to these sub zero temperatures.

      As they make it halfway to the floundering convoy another barrage of shells touch down in the lake, breaking it apart even further and throwing out shards of ice as sharp as razors in all directions. The temporary ground below them shifts and heaves. The deafening laser-like bursts only throw the girls off balance, disorienting them even more. Regardless they must carry on if they are to save the stranded trucks. If only they had their strikers or anything to fly on. 

      Out of breath, freezing and tired they eventually reach the convoy which has already begun un-loading its evacuees onto the ice. 

     “Sofia!” Erica shouts out, grabbing the attention of the young girl who trembles in total fear against the cold. She looks in amazement as Sanya and Erica bound over chunks of smashed ice towards her. 

      “Erica!?” Sofia calls out loud. As she does so, much to everyone’s horror, the truck at the very front of the line buckles and sinks, crashing through the ice splashing into the pitch black waters below. Luckily no one was inside, yet with the engine still running the truck's headlights remain on, casting a ghostly yellow glow under the ice, even as it settles at the bottom of the lake. 

      Sanya and Erica soon reach the remaining refugees, Sofia rushing to embrace Erica for safety. The whole crowd, soldier and civilian alike cries and screams in terror. The way back is now a churning sea of sloshing white and the path ahead, while still intact, is treacherous with large cracks and holes.   

     “Don’t worry Sofia, it’s gonna be ok!” Erica comforts the crying child. 

     “Hartmann!” Sanya shouts as she notices the streams of another incoming set of shells quickly closing on their position. Both witches know what they have to do and throw out their arms. In unison their familiars appear, tails wagging in the wind. Everyone looks at the mysterious pain in shocked bewilderment as two gigantic magical shields appear in the air above the trucks. 

      The shells slam into the blue barriers, exploding on contact. It’s incredibly difficult for the already exhausted witches to maintain shields of this size. While the impact of the shells aren’t as powerful as some large Neuroi beams, the cold and lack of food has withered the pair's magical reserves down significantly. 

      “I can’t keep this up much longer Erica!” Sanya calls out, clearly becoming drowsy with tiredness. Erica looks back at the hiding crowd behind her. They look in fear and apprehension of the two witches, some soldiers even clutching their rifles tight to their chests. Even Sofia seems alarmed by Ericas sudden display of power. 

      As she watches over the cowering refugees and another blast strikes her barrier she comes up with a plan.

     “Sanya blocking the shells is pointless if we don’t get these people off the ice! We need them to move forward onto the shore!” Erica yells over the sound of explosions and roaring cracks.

     “Its still miles to the next bank and we can’t go back! The ice might not even be stable! What do you have in mind?” Sanya asks. 

      “There’s a trick Rall taught me a while back; use the shields on the water and these guys can drive over them!”

      “Like a platform? Yeah that will work!” Sanya shouts back. Erica turns again to the people behind her.

       “Everyone get back in your trucks! Drivers, on my signal go forward!” Erica yells back at the scared mass of children and soldiers. 

       “What are you!?” one man cries out. 

        “It doesn’t matter, just do it!” Erica demands. With haste the soldiers rush the children back into the remaining trucks. They leave the tailgates open and some stand outside, gripping the wing mirrors and panels ready to jump in case the truck should fall. 

      After another barrage has passed Erica shouts back at the first vehicle in line.

      “Go now, drive!” she cries out. As she does, both girls drop their shields, forming new ones flat against the ice. The trucks drive onto the spinning circles and make progress, moving forward along with the magical protection under their tires. The drivers look in amazement as they pass safely over branching cracks, flooded, waterlogged patches of thin ice and gaping chasms in the surface. They move slowly so as to not out pace the girls who run behind the line of fleeing trucks as shells continue to pound the sheets. Sofia fights her way to the back of her truck bed to watch as Erica and Sanya jog along. Erica, noticing her, shoots a large friendly smile at the girl who, after a moment of hesitation smiles back with a wave.   

      It takes at least fifteen minutes until the convoy is away from the most perilous area of broken ice and out of range of the German guns. The ground becomes thick once more, with no obvious cracks ahead. When all trucks are deemed safe on solid ground the two witches dismiss their shields and fall, exhausted against a large snow drift. Both girls are out of breath, and close their eyes as if trying their hardest to fall asleep. Erica raises a shivering hand to grab hold of Sanya. 

     “We did it, Sanya! We really did it!” Erica sighs, barely able to speak through her fatigue yet wearing a huge, relieved smile. Suddenly Erica is jumped upon by something small. She opens her eyes to see Sofia hugging her tightly. 

      “You saved us! Why didn’t you say you’re magic!? Thank you, thank you Hartmann! And you to Sanya!” Sofia cries out in joy. Hearing that the little girl is safe brings Erica a grand sense of heroism. Of course she’d been called a hero before; for her excellent Neuroi kill count, however this feeling is something different, something far more personal. If Erica and Sanya hadn’t acted when they did, it's likely that all the evacuees would have met their end in the depths of Lake Ladoga. Both girls are immensely happy with their achievement. Even if the soldiers who hang around the stopped trucks hang back with suspicion and worry. 

      “I’m just glad you’re ok Sofia. That sure was something wasn’t it?” 

      “Can you teach me to do magic Miss Hartmann?” Sofia asks with boundless wonder. Sanya chuckles gently at this childlike innocence. Despite all the terrors this child has witnessed in hell that is Leningrad it would appear that the humanity the Germans were trying so hard to destroy is quite indomitable. Through fear and hardship they can find ways to make life better, be it making new friends or playing music, returning hope to the hopeless. 

      “Let’s get off this ice first yeah, kid?” Erica laughs as she catches her breath and sits up, the snow crunching under her as she does so. Together the witches stand, and when they do they receive a loud, inspiring cheer from the groups of children massed around the trucks. Despite whatever they may have been though, right now the only thing they feel is happiness. They still have quite the distance to travel until they reach their destination at Novaya Ladoga but hopefully the rest of that journey will be safe and uneventful. 

      As Sanya and Erica move to clamber onto the side of one of the waiting trucks, a strong gust of wind almost knocks them both over. In the distance another loud rumble shakes the landscape. Bursts of thunder echo all around and Erica thinks that the storm Sofia had mentioned earlier is upon them. Something feels strange however, unnerving to the witches. Flashes of lightning arc across the sky in a brilliant display, however, much to their absolute terror these bolts of energy appear as red as blood. The ice is soon illuminated in a vibrant crimson as Sanyas magical radar appears, also turning a bright, bold red. 

      Then, as if from a nightmare the clouds above begin to spiral and warp, flowing around like a terrible hurricane, red accents and lighting flashing amid the pitch black, growing ominous blot. Sanya can feel a signal which shakes her to her core. Somewhere in this darkening sky, somehow here with them in this world a Neuroi core has appeared. It’s a feeling Sanya remembers. She felt it over Moscow. There is no doubt about it… This is Hive Leon!