The descent down the spiral staircase was not quick. Although it was agile for Nikolai and his group, the size of the Moranas' bears made the path slower and required caution.
"If we keep going like this, we'll never get there."
Ekaterina seemed irritated with the unexpected situation, which was already consuming precious time the group could not afford to lose.
"Don't worry, love. The time we're losing here will be paid back tenfold once we're riding those monstrosities."
Andrei, as always, was the most optimistic in the group. He already expected the journey from that point on to be much faster. Of course, not at full speed — after all, even mounted on bears, they would still have to escort the hired blacksmiths.
Fortunately, Kolya had ensured that all the chosen blacksmiths were top-notch black bear tamers. Nikolai, confused by the statement, soon had it explained by Ekaterina: it meant they had extremely developed physiques, capable of keeping up with the average pace of the mounts. Once again, Nikolai thought of Ivan, a black bear tamer — and also a Muromets, precisely because of his unusually strong build.
"I really hope you're right. We need to cover at least thirty kilometers and come back."
At first glance, the route didn't seem that long. But there were many obstacles: clearing the enemies from the path, installing the gate, and returning before nightfall. Otherwise, they'd be at a major disadvantage. Nikolai still didn't fully understand what it meant to be outside the tower at night, but Ekaterina had explained that, for reasons still unknown, the creatures became stronger during that time. According to her, the monsters became at least twice as powerful and considerably more active. In her opinion, perhaps only Vladislav Dragomir could survive a night in Vybor.
"Miss Svetlana… You came too?"
Nikolai left Ekaterina and Andrei discussing the setbacks and walked over to the woman who had forged his armor.
"Mr. Nikolai… Yes. The pay is good and I passed the selection."
While waiting for the last members to descend, Svetlana explained to Nikolai how strict the selection process had been for the blacksmiths joining the incursion.
"Honestly, I barely made it through."
"Really? Is it that hard?"
"Hard? I thought she wanted to kill us! But in the end, it all worked out."
Svetlana told Nikolai that all the blacksmiths had been forced to take part in the selection — even those who didn't want to join the incursion. After all, despite the hefty bonus, the mission was extremely risky, and there was a certain belief that if problems arose, not even above-average strength would change the outcome.
"I'm glad you came. I mean… it's good to see a familiar face."
Nikolai truly was happy. Seeing familiar faces always brought a certain relief. It was true that he felt Svetlana was there more for the money than the reunion — but still, it was good to have her around.
"Good luck. If you need anything, just call me. I'll be on one of the big ones,"
Nikolai pointed at the Moranas' bears.
"So you really allied with them? They're nice, but…"
Svetlana turned her head to check if anyone was listening to their conversation.
"Be careful with the leader. She's a bit temperamental. Last time a blacksmith tried to haggle with her, she nearly killed him."
Nikolai was surprised, but he understood what Svetlana meant. After all, Ekaterina also had no fondness for Tatiana.
While digesting the little information he had about the Moranas, Nikolai finally began to observe them more closely. The truth was that all of them were stunningly beautiful — the kind of beauty that would attract attention anywhere. If it weren't for their bears — with such threatening expressions they looked ready to kill over an empty pot — many men would probably have already approached them.
Even so, Nikolai was restless. He was taking a while to find one specific figure.
"I think someone's missing…"
While he waited, a shadow covered his torso.
"Looking for your girlfriend?"
Without realizing it, Tatiana had approached from behind, seated atop the colossus that was her bear — an animal nearly three meters tall at the torso.
"Miss Tatiana… Girlfriend?"
Nikolai was startled by her presence, but quickly adjusted to the conversation. He sensed she was referring to Zoya, but couldn't quite understand the meaning behind the question.
"Don't worry, boy. I'm not jealous!"
she laughed loudly.
"If you're looking for my pupil, she stayed behind to supervise the floor with a third group. Think of her as our reinforcement. Besides, her bear is still too small. So, for today… you're mine."
Tatiana was dazzling — a living painting amidst Vybor's blackened terrain. She drew attention not just for her beauty, but for her presence. Her hair, an intense and vibrant red like fire at dusk, fell in wide waves to her shoulders, reflecting copper and gold tones under the light. She wore no helmet of any kind — she insisted on letting her scarlet, almost sinful hair cast an elegant shadow over her green eyes — cold, calculating, but with a curious glint that revealed intelligence and mystery.
Her long cloak, cinched at the waist, shifted between crimson and wine as she moved, revealing leather boots that beat with firm rhythm on the golden saddle strapped to her bear's belly. The only visible weapons were a few daggers at her waist and a sharp-tipped glove on her hands. Her full lips, a deep red, curved in a subtle smile — the kind of smile that promised both danger and allure.
There was something about her — an enigma and a challenge — as if she were both the hunter and the prey. A woman of contrasts: warmth and distance, elegance and danger, charm and strategy. She was striking and threatening on levels that made the hairs on the back of Nikolai's neck stand up.
"You're coming with me, boy. I want to get to know you better."
Every word that came out of her mouth seemed to carry a double meaning. And her melodic voice didn't help — it was hard to tell whether she was simply chatting… or if there was something more intimate behind it.
"Of course… Of course, Miss Tatiana."
"Miss, please."
When everyone was finally ready, Nikolai's group positioned themselves with the five Moranas, forming a diamond formation with the blacksmiths protected in the center.
"All right, gentlemen. We're going full speed. Please shout if you need a break."
Nikolai and his group were just as surprised as the blacksmiths. After all, despite their superhuman physiques, they knew they wouldn't be able to keep up with the Moranas at full speed — but Tatiana wanted to test them to the limit, and that was clear in her tone.
"The faster we return, the sooner you'll see your families. And the sooner you'll receive your gold. So… hang in there."
Nikolai looked at Ashen, who — being too large — would run alongside Tatiana's bear, as would Andrei's Laika. Still, he seemed calm. Daria and Ekaterina, who were carrying their bears in their arms, had no trouble displaying confidence. The blacksmiths, for their part, held onto their small black bears and began to run alongside the Moranas. Nikolai felt a chill in his stomach, but when he looked at Svetlana, he saw that she was calm, carrying her little bear in her arms.
"Don't worry, boy. These guys are much stronger than they think they are. At the end of the day, they're still tamers like us. They're just not taken seriously."
Nikolai nodded at Tatiana's words. He knew that kind of prejudice — black bear tamers were seen as inferior for lacking magic or shapeshifting abilities. But even so, they were still superhuman. Only now did he realize that Tatiana trusted them in a strange way — even an ambiguous one — to the point of not easing the journey one bit.
The advance took just under an hour, which was surprising. In fact, it could have been even faster, if not for one of the older blacksmiths, whose leg scar began acting up during the run — forcing everyone to slow down. Tatiana also didn't bother to talk, contrary to what Nikolai had imagined. Her eyes remained fixed on the path, alert to any dangers that could appear at any moment.
Nikolai was also surprised not to encounter any enemies along the way. It was clear that Vladislav had left his mark there. Everywhere he looked, he found piles of bodies. It seemed as if Vladislav had killed just for the sake of killing — the bodies, although sliced and decapitated, had their limbs scattered around, as if they'd been destroyed with no tactical purpose, just brutality.
"All right, everyone. One hour of rest and then we begin the operation."
When they finally arrived at the site, the blacksmiths were breathless, but in good shape. However, upon hearing they'd have an hour to rest, their faces immediately lit up. Many weren't sure they could go on without a break.
"Is it really okay to let them rest for an hour?"
asked Kuzma, visibly bothered by what he saw as carelessness on the part of the Moranas' leader.
Tatiana looked at him with irritation. She didn't like having her orders questioned, but stayed firm and answered in the harshest tone she could muster:
"I'd be very curious to see what you do after spending the entire day fighting Leshiy. I'm sure it's not lifting gates."
Harsh as she was, Tatiana had a point. Though the blacksmiths appeared fine, Nikolai noticed that many could barely stay on their feet. The desire to begin building the gate was visible, but their bodies said otherwise. For those who had ridden their bears, the journey had been relatively easy. But for those who came running — as if their lives depended on it — they were at their limit.
"We've already pushed them hard. Now, it's our turn. Do you want the front or the rear?"
Tatiana added.
Kuzma, visibly red with irritation, hesitated before answering. He surveyed the terrain, let out a sigh, and said:
"We'll take the rear."
"Thought so. If you need help, shout… but not too loudly."
Tatiana didn't even bother continuing the conversation. She turned and headed to the back intersection, where the gate would be built.
"Don't worry. She's right. Now it's our turn,"
said Daria.
"You too, sister?"
Nikolai was impressed by the way Tatiana dealt with people. It was as if she simply ignored anyone who questioned her, but did so with a kind of elegance and almost theatrical arrogance. His eyes still followed her as she walked away, her cloak swaying with the rhythm of her bear's steps. He only stopped watching when he jumped slightly from a poke by Andrei.
"Boy, don't make your intentions so obvious…"
Nikolai turned, startled.
"What? I don't get it."
"Sure you don't…"
replied Andrei, laughing.
"Anyway, Kuzma's calling us. Let's go."
Nikolai finally pulled his gaze away from the scarlet-haired woman and followed Andrei to the group.
"We'll set up a different perimeter. Andrei and I will be advanced on the flanks, while Daria stays with the blacksmiths. Ekaterina and Nikolai, stay at the rear, but be ready to respond to my call or Andrei's. In theory, it's the safest position."
Kuzma spoke with confidence, but it was clear that, like everyone there, he was also nervous. After all, all it would take was one sound for everything to go wrong.
Nikolai was grateful for the one-hour break they received. It allowed the group to align tactics and strategies for every possible scenario. Maybe, deep down, Tatiana had understood that too — and allowed the rest so they could clear the perimeter and prepare for any signs of conflict.
Time passed quickly, and Nikolai's nervousness grew. He placed his hand on Ashen, feeling the steady breath of his companion, while watching from a distance — at least fifty meters away — as the blacksmiths began to rise.
"It's been an hour."
Ekaterina was just as tense as he was, though she tried to hide it. Nikolai felt the moment had come. He needed to prove his strength.
"Ashen, let's get ready."
He grabbed his bow and took position. At any moment, anything could happen. On the other side, the blacksmiths finally gave the signal to begin. The gate parts started being pulled from the storage ring, and the noise began to fill the empty space.
"Just focus on what's in front of you. And be ready, boy. If all goes well, it'll be a quiet day."