Arctic Blues
Chapter 1
The Arctic Express Fight

Story Written by Martes Pure whiteness.

Snowflakes falling slowly, silently.

Then the train cuts through the air like a bullet.

Kay crashes into the ceiling. Because it's covered in a thick layer of ice, he slides toward the edge, barely managing to grab hold of a handrail before ending up crushed between the wheels. He catches a glimpse of a shadow before the wolf lands a few cars back, drawing his sword.

“Why don't you just die, damn it?!” the wolf shouts.

The egg and the bottle survived the impact, protected by his right arm, although he wouldn't last long in this condition. Using all the strength in his left arm, the reindeer climbs up onto the train. The sword's cuts and the cannon shot destroyed his favorite trenchcoat.

'They'll pay for this,' he thinks.

With his free arm, he tore off the remaining shreds, exposing his muscular white torso to the freezing cold. The wolf stopped dead in his tracks. Anyone would die of hypothermia in a matter of minutes, but what caught his attention was the left arm: from the pectoral to the tips of the claws, everything was made of ice.

And despite having the wind against him, the wolf spits three times at his feet.

The wolf lunges at the reindeer, slashing and cutting at his white body, but Kay uses his ice arm as a weapon and shield. The steel not even scratching the cold surface. 'But not all of his body is made of ice,' the wolf notices, 'He's not fighting at 100%.' His right arm balanced the egg and the bottle. 'Better for me. My mission is to recover the evidence, not bring him back alive.'

So he concentrates his attacks on the vulnerable spots. Kay was expecting this. The reindeer throws the objects into the air, punching and switching hands as he catches them back. One minute, his left arm was a shield, the next a blade cutting the air, yet the wolf couldn't neglect the rest of the body because the reindeer fought like a professional boxer. All his bones shook when he blocked a powerful kick.

“What's wrong, Grimm?” Kay shouted. “Running out of air?”

The wolf growled, baring its teeth, and its attack would have cut through a metal pipe in one fell swoop. But when the sword struck the frozen forearm with such force, it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Kay looked at Grimm, Grimm looked behind Kay. A fraction of a second.

The reindeer realized too late. He crashes back against the tunnel wall, the impact causing him to drop the objects. Grimm slides down, catching the egg, and by the time the train emerges on the other side, he is gone. Using all his strength to stay conscious, Kay reaches out and grabs the neck of the bottle with his fingers.

Kay stands up, staring at the empty ceilings. Grimm couldn't have gone far — he had lost too much heat in the battle. That meant there was only one place to run, with two possible directions. She calculates the wolf's current position based on the speed of his disappearance and his most likely disorientation strategy. His next move had a 20% margin of error. Too much for his liking. Kay runs to the end of the train and jumps into the void, grabbing a handrail and crashing inside.

The wagon is warm and comfortable, with cushioned seats and even small crystal chandeliers on the ceiling. The passengers cower in fear as the reindeer stands imposingly, shaking the glass off his body.

Grimm's there, panting and holding the egg in his right hand. Kay was right: the wolf had tried to go to the end of the train instead of the engine to buy some time and escape.

“It's over, Grimm. There's no way out.”

The wolf looks around frantically, but he knows he has lost the battle. Without a weapon, he is no match for the reindeer. Then Kay noticed the slight tremor he had when he looked at the broken window. 'He wouldn't.' But Grimm did.

The wolf throws the egg toward the broken window, forcing Kay to stretch out to prevent it from getting lost in the frozen wasteland, an opportunity Grimm takes advantage of to lunge forward and kick him in his exposed spot. Kay recoils, the air knocked out of his lungs, and his antlers get caught on one of the chandeliers.

Grimm doesn't attack, but passes him in a flash and escapes through the door leading to the rear carriages. There is a loud metallic screech.

With a roar and veins bulging in his thick neck, Kay rips the chandelier from the ceiling and clumsily lunges toward the door. Too late. Grimm had detached the cars and was turning the brake handle. By the time Kay removed the ornament from his head, there were already more than 30 feet between them. He watched the wolf fall behind as the train pulled him further and further away from his target. They exchanged one last glance before the snow blurred their faces.

The reindeer snorts through its nose before turning back inside. He leaves the bottle and egg on a table as he approaches an empty bench. Kay rips it from the floor and covers the broken window with it, securing it with the luggage straps.

“That should hold until the station. Everyone all right?”

The passengers nod silently, still intimidated. When Kay returns for the items, he finds a small arctic fox admiring the jewel egg. It wasn't until the giant pecs' shadow darkened the glimmer that the child looked up. His gaze rests on the arm of ice.

“Are you a superhero?”

Kay crouches down to speak to him face-to-face.

“I'm not that interesting, little one,” he says, extending his arm for the child to touch. “I'm just a humble detective.”

The child's eyes shine with admiration.

Suddenly his muscles tense when someone stands up behind him.

“Alexei? Alexei, is that you?”And so it starts! Hope you enjoy the story, wherever and whenever you're reading it <3