Knight of the Apocalypse Redux (Metro 2033/Frozen)

Today would be a bitter part of the winter. Two armed men stood in the shadow of a tower long-abandoned. Its height almost appeared to reach the moon and try to be above the broken landscape that was post-apocalypse Moscow. At another time, the tower’s purpose was to guide people from one destination to another. Now it was where Artyom could strike back at the Dark Ones for attacking his station.

The young man became curious about the tower as he slowly walked towards the entrance, but a hand had pulled him back from going any further. “Watch out!” His companion shouted as he was taken aback by a few feet. Moments where he once stood, a vehicle drove over his footprints and if he remained the truck would have run him over. “Pay attention, kid.”

Artyom glanced at his better-equipped helper and nodded his head. “Sorry.” The tone almost made him sound child-like beneath the ruins of a long-dead capital.

After the vehicle had parked in front of the tower, one of the truck doors opened with the driver and the passenger stepping out. Yet, the gunner in the turret remained in his position and stood up for a better view. As the driver approached them, he waved his hand. “Colonel Miller, we heard your call and came here as soon as possible. What’s the issue?”

The commanding officer tightly held his assault rifle before he turned his head and revealed his gaze through his gas mask. “There are a group of creatures known as the Dark Ones. They’re very difficult to kill and I think we found a way to fight back. This young man has a target designator and I just need you and your men for perimeter defense.”

Danila turned around and looked back at the tower. “I suppose that is why you wanted us to be at the Ostankino tower. I’m not in the mood to get another batch of radiation, but I can do that.”

The colonel tapped Artyom on top of the shoulder. “Ladna, let’s finish what Hunter started.”

The soldier in the truck’s turret had brought his binoculars out and began to look around their surroundings. “Chyort!”

“Soldier, what’s wrong?”

“Sir, I see a pack coming our way. The storm is bringing them to our end. Get inside, we’ll hold them off as long as you can.”

Miller started running towards the tower as he shouted into his radio. “Get moving!”

Artyom did as he was told, following the officer as they charged into the tower’s entrance. With doors shattered and unmaintained by the radiation and weather, the duo shoulder-charged through the doors and shattered the steel doors that kept them. Then they turned on their flashlights as the young man followed him into an enclosed space.

Gunfire erupted outside of the building, causing the young man to look back. He could hear the soldiers cry out. “Open fire, open fire!”

Then the colonel grabbed his attention. “Artyom, help me pull this up. I think it’s stuck.”

Much as he didn’t want any more souls to be killed in his quest to stop the Dark Ones, Artyom silently left them to their fate with a simple hope that maybe they could endure the horrors he had seen on his journey.

---

The castle of Arendelle was a quiet and lonely place. Princess Anna would spend hours trying to find the most interesting activities to spend her time with. Yet, the years had taken their toll on her. Ever since her parents had been declared dead, she and her sister had lived a secluded life for what seemed like an eternity. She wanted to scream and cry, but that time passed when she was separated from her sister. The boredom was killing her and the castle’s regent was insistent on ensuring that she remained in the castle until Elsa’s coronation.

The princess was lying on the couch, looking at the various paintings on the wall. Each of them special in her own way. When she was younger, she often talked to these paintings as if they were her imaginary friends. Anna smiled at the memories when she would play with her dolls in their presence. She still appreciated their silent company; however, she had grown up.

Outside of the room, she heard a door crack open as a pair of footsteps cluttered the polished wooden floor. The commotion interested her as she quietly snuck up on the door and noticed several of the castle servants passing by. However, she recognized the large man talking with his fellows. “The stable boy is currently injured and doesn’t look like he’ll recover soon.”

She followed after them, using the well-placed display of plate armors as her cover. This time, she noticed an older woman walking beside him. “That would mean we would have to get someone from the outside. We should probably interview someone to take his place for the time being. Kai, what do you think about that?”

He shook his head. “Gerda, I don’t think we have time for that. None of us know how to take care of horses and it would be incredibly nice for the princesses to do something in their spare time.”

“What do they need horses for?” She wondered. “The only place they could ride is in the courtyard.”

Anna quietly snuck up on another display of armor to see the duo stop in the hallway. “I know, but it’s the best that we can do to adhere to the last wishes of King Agnar.”

For a moment, the princess was reminded of that sorrowful day when she was at their funeral. Then she took the time to keep herself from succumbing to tears before she peeked around and saw Gerda continue the conversation. “I see. Perhaps I can help you? I heard the blacksmith has accepted a new apprentice and he seems to have an interesting grasp of horses.”

Kai was surprised at her suggestion. “Thank you, I think you just saved me a whole lot of time looking for people.”

“Do be careful when you talk to him? I heard he is quite a shy fellow. In fact, he doesn’t seem to remember who he was.” She explained.

“What happened to him?” He wondered. “Truly, he didn’t forget his entire memory.”

Gerda shrugged her shoulders. “The master blacksmith certainly does not know, but he seems to trust the man under his wing. Besides, I’m sure your new horses could use a few horseshoes.”

When they continued on their way, Princess Anna remained behind the armor until the servants were gone. She could not contain her excitement that the surviving royal sisters were getting horses as a gift. Then she realized that Elsa was also going to depart from her seclusion for once? The opportunity to finally talk with her after all of these years was… a wonderful idea. The princess walked back to the hall with nothing more than a smile on her face.

---

The few times that Kai had ever left the castle was to buy food for the cooks, services for furniture and glass, and the occasional treat for the princesses. Now he was looking for someone to replace the stable boy. The layout of the villages was quite a confusing mess as most of his concerns were either with letters from foreign dignitaries to matters amongst his peers - leaving little time to memorize what changed in the meantime. Thankfully, people were nice enough to direct him to his destination and he didn’t have to look far when he noticed a large trail of smoke coming from a single building. “That certainly must be it.”

He immediately walked on his way to the blacksmith, finding a set of stairs that led up the hill to the building. By the time he finished climbing the stairs, he found a man far older than him, working on placing an ax on a grindstone. Then he looked past the master, to find a young man in an apron hammering away at a piece of iron. The bearded blacksmith took notice of him and paused his grinding and raised his head. “Kai, it’s so good to see you again. You’ve been cooped up in that castle for how long.”

“Matters of the kingdom had been busy since the king’s death. Tell me, Martin, how have things been since we last spoke to each other?”

“The usual. I’m too noisy when I’m working in the forge,” He answered before looking over his shoulder to see the freshly shaven young man. “Once he came along, I was able to move most of my stuff here.”

Kai smiled. “It must have been lonely working here.”

“Not really when compared to the princesses,” Martin replied as he returned his full attention on him. “Maybe you could tell us what’s been going on since King Agnar’s death - god bless his soul.”

“I’m just following our king’s request to the letter.”

He put his ax aside. “So, what really brings you to my workshop?”

The castle servant placed his hands in his pockets. “Our stable boy took a kick from a horse and the injuries do not look well for him. So we let him recover until he gets better and that is why I am here. Gerda said your man could help us out.”

Martin raised his eyebrows and brushed his beard. “These horses, are they new?”

“Very much.”

“You need horse shoes? I think Alex can make some.”

“However, I would also like to have your apprentice as part of my staff. It’s temporary.”

He laughed. “He’s not really my apprentice, but I’m teaching him how to forge since he might need it for the odd jobs. Sure, I can go tell him.” The blacksmith turned around in his seat as Kai saw Alex shove a piece of burning steel into a pool of water. “Alex, I would like you to meet someone!”

The young man put aside his tools as he walked up to them. “Yes… what… do… need?”

“He’s a bit shy and is still trying to understand how we talk, but he generally has a good head on those shoulders,” Martin commented. “This man is Kai, he is the head of the castle servants.”

Alex nodded his head, understanding what it had meant. “He’s… important.”

“Very much. I’ll finish your work, but Mister Kai needs you to take care of some horses and make some shoes for them. Can you do that?”

“Yes… can do.”

“Good. What do you think, old friend?”

Kai nodded his head in confirmation. “I’ll bring him inside. Maybe his speech will be a little better once he’s finished his work.”

Martin chuckled as he grabbed his ax. “Alright, I got to get to work. I’ll be seeing you around.”

“Likewise.” Then he took a glance at Alex. “Get your things, I’ll be waiting for you at the gate.”

Author's Note: With SB and SV down, I decided to just transfer a chapter over to see how people would react for the hell of it. If anyone asks why it's called "Redux", it's because the story is a rewrite.

 

Anna walked through the castle halls as Gerda led the princess to the front door. Despite knowing what the servants were up to with their gifts, she made sure that they didn’t know. After all, it would spoil the surprise that they had in store for her. The moment Gerda had reached for the door, Anna’s elation was getting out of control.

When the doors creaked open, the old woman stepped aside and let her walk into the courtyard. Sunlight shined upon the courtyard as she found herself surprised to see Kai and a young man groom a chestnut horse. Anna gasped at the sight and expressed her excitement. “You got me a horse?! That is an incredible gift.” The first person she turned to was Gerda and immediately hugged her before she ran towards Kai and the stranger to repeat the same upon them.

Kai turned to grab her full attention. “Your highness, I was well-aware of how bored you were at the castle. There was so much one can do before you get tired and try to do something else that ends up getting into a pattern.” Then he grabbed the horse’s reins and passed it over to her. “I think it is time for you to ride as much as you want and wherever you want.”

“Really?” She wondered. Truly, Kai had his limitations on where the horse could go. “When you mean anywhere, do you really mean it?”

“Yes. You can ride anywhere you want inside of the castle, but do avoid the kitchen and do be careful of the stairs.” He replied.

“Thank you, I love him already.”

The next choice of words did not come from Kai, but from the strange dark-haired man that accompanied him. “His name… Kjekk.”

Anna turned her head to see him gently groom its mane. “Kjekk? He truly is handsome.”

The stranger gestured his head to the head servant. “Princess Anna, do you want to ride for the first time?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” The young woman walked up to the horse and lifted herself onto the saddle as the stranger had helped her second foot reach the other side. “Thank you. This is bigger than I thought and I am not exactly used to this thing.”

“Alex, why don’t you help her get accustomed to the saddle?”

“Yes, sir.” He replied as he handed the reins over to the princess, but walked in front and slowly allowed the horse to advance on its first few steps. In the meantime, he began to pet its mane as the horse followed his lead throughout the courtyard.

Then Kai spoke up his mind. “So, what do you think? Do you like him?”

“I have to get used to riding him, but once I get the hang of it I might get the try in the castle.” She answered. “Speaking of which, would the hooves mess up the floors and make a mess?”

“No, not at all. Alex made sure he got horseshoes so his hooves would not take any damage, but cleaning up after a horse wouldn’t be so bad. It has been a long time since we had a proper mess.”

A long time since he had a proper mess. Anna remembered what he meant by that. She and her sister would be chaotic in the castle, whether it be melted chocolate on the rugs to making sure the furniture did not rot. Oh, how she longed for those distant days when they were children and actually had fun for once before their parents told them to stop and go to bed. It was a pity that she did not have more of those moments. Although Kai’s words revived her of those sad moments, she steeled herself so she could properly enjoy the moments with the horse.

---

Kai was gone and the servants took the opportunity to let the princess enjoy her time on horseback save for a single person. Hooves trotted throughout the hallways under Alex’s guidance as Anna brought her mount into the royal gardens. It was the one place where she sought comfort in the afternoon as she watched the world go by without her. The only difference between this moment and her other times in the gardens can be boiled down to the company she had.

Anna was reminded of that conversation between Kai and Gerda about the young man who could not remember who he was. It was an interesting thought to consider as the aforementioned newcomer was standing upright and gently petted the horse in the area between the eyes. “Hi, what do you think about the horse ride?”

Alex turned around and met with her. His expression displayed his reluctance to speak but knew he had to answer. “It was… I think… Don’t know the word.”

She smiled, not as his inability to speak properly, but his insistence to still speak with little knowledge in Norwegian. “It’s called fun.”

“Fun?” He paused for a moment to take in this information and then he nodded his head. “Yes… Fun.”

“There you go.” The princess commented. “I heard you are new as a servant, what is it like beyond the walls of the castle?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. “Cannot remember… forgot… memory.”

She had to admit, it was sad to have a conversation with someone who could not recollect any prior events. “Sorry about that? What do you remember before - you know - were brought into the castle?”

“Before… came servant… I was… I was… Blacksmith.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out an apple for the horse. The beast immediately reached out for a bite as he continued to let it have its meal. “Before that… was hunter… don’t know… good… or bad…”

“You did not know whether you were good or bad at hunting? What makes you think that?” Anna asked as she dismounted from her saddle.

“Helper… told me… make more… Advise me… blacksmith.” Alex answered. “Better way.”

“That is pretty neat. What did you usually hunt? I am no expert, but it sounds like fun.” She replied.

He shook his head. “Not fun… boring… too much waiting.”

The princess walked away from her horse and the stable boy as she strode near the garden’s pond and sat down on the grass. Then she looked at the waters to contemplate her life, even for a second. “Honestly, it would be far more enjoyable than living inside the castle. You have no idea how much I loathe waiting around the castle for anything interesting.”

“Why?”

“I have been living inside of this castle for years. Anything interesting and enjoyable just doesn’t last long enough until my sister is coronated the queen of Arendelle.” She answered.

He walked up and sat beside her while the horse began to pick at the grass beside him. “Have… sister… where?”

“Elsa doesn’t leave her room at all. So I would not be surprised if you find her there - where she is always there.” The princess grimaced at her sister’s loneliness. “I do not know how she can tolerate being alone inside.”

“At very least… you have… sister… I… no remember… if have family… or not.”

She turned her head to see Alex, but there was a small detail on his neck - a scar. “What happened to your neck?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Not know… If remembered… I would know.”

“Maybe you got it from hunting? Perhaps you stumbled upon some wolf attacking you.”

Alex shook his head. “No… I know… no wolf.”

It was quite jarring just how much of his memory was forgotten. Anna could not help, but sympathize with someone who probably endured some level of loneliness - even if it was memory loss. “You know, I might find something to do after all.”

“What… is it?” The servant wondered, surely curious about her intentions.

“Well, I don’t have much to do around the castle and you seem to have trouble trying to remember who you were. Maybe I can help you ring some old bells?”

He scratched the back of his head. “Not sure… if good idea.”

“Look, I think it is a wonderful idea. You get a chance at remembering who you were. We could come up with all sorts of things to get you to remember. I have read enough books to have some knowledge about the subject.”

“Reading… not same… as performing.”

Anna stood up. “I doubt that. Let’s head into the castle and see what I can do for you.”

---

Night had fallen upon the castle without a sound being heard. Alex was the last of the castle staff as he began to take the equipment off of Princess Anna’s horse. She was surprisingly nice for someone who lived alone despite being in the same castle as her sister. The fact that she was desperate for some interaction with the outside world made him consider a way to spice up her boring life. After all, Anna seemed like she had no clue what she was doing with him. Maybe if she met someone with actual experience in the field, she would have done better in that… interview.

When he finished taking the saddle off her horse, he gently petted its mane before he removed the straps around its head. It was such a pity that these creatures would have to endure the humiliation of having their head wrapped in. That was not a feeling he could accept if there was ever a moment where he had to cover his head. Alex could not understand why he found it so wrong, but his mind shuddered at the thought.

Once the horse was comforted in its space, he looked around to see the other occupant in the stables. A white horse was grazing a pile of hay as he approached the creature by the door to see it calm and quiet in its meal. Alex was told that this horse was meant for the other princess and he hoped that she would have come for her horse, but after Anna told him about her sister’s attitude it seemed unlikely. Hopefully, Princess Elsa would learn about the horse that was waiting for her.

The floorboards creaked and from where it originated from, it did not come from Anna’s horse. He turned around to see a hooded figure standing at the doorway, but as soon as he saw the stranger the silhouette quickly ran out of the stables. “Hello… anyone there?” There was a moment of silence as he waited for a response. The hooded figure returned but leaned out from the stable doors with caution. The stranger’s face was hidden as he waved his hand towards the unknown.

Lithe hands reached for the hood and began to reveal the person before him. The moment she revealed her platinum blonde hair, Alex could not move. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and he did not know what to do in this particular situation. “I thought everyone was asleep around this hour. I did not believe anyone would be awake in the stables.”

He glanced at the horses. “Needed to check… see if well.” Then he focused his full attention on her as she gracefully expressed her regal mannerisms. “Why… are… here?”

The girl looked at the white horse. “I heard there was a horse as a gift for me. So I came down to see what it looked like.”

At that moment, Alex realized who she was by her words alone. “Your… highness!” He really needed to work on this language.

“You seem to have problems speaking. Why is that?”

“Forgot… memory.”

She acknowledged his words with a nod. “I see. What is his name?”

“Have not… settle.” He answered. “Want ride?”

“Right now? No. I was just curious. What a fine creature, it is tremendously better than seeing a horse in a book.”

Alex unlocked the door to its area and slowly guided it towards the princess of Arendelle. “Pet… it.”

She reluctantly took a step back. “No, I just do not want to startle it. Call it a habit of mine.”

It was disappointing to know she wasn’t going to ride her horse tonight, but he obeyed her request. “Princess… Elsa, right?”

Her head looked up at the mention of her name. “Yes, my name is Elsa. How did you find out about my name?”

“Your sister… Anna. She… tell.” The young man answered.

There was a warmness in her smile. “Of course she would. Well, I better go to bed. Maybe I could find a name for the horse the next time I come to see it.”