Lost in Shuravia part 2

from /hhg/ Hazbin Hotel general #393
part 1: https://pastebin.com/4Mq6WEVR
part 3: https://pastebin.com/tqP5kZAc
part 4: https://pastebin.com/6BjC4TTm
---
A'ight.

"Lost in Shuravia, Part 2" is a go!


>before long, they were finished
>the Sinner, who called himself Bratislav, was quite resourceful
>with a bit of arcane legwork, they could re-size the old uniform and equipment to fit the smaller frame of the imp
>soon enough, Moxxie stood before them, bundled up in the khaki trousers and a fresh jacket, with a specially-modified kepka-afganka (leaving slits inn the seams for his horns, before they just opened the top and back completely, to enable him to take it off more easily)
>on top of that came the helmet, which hid his horns in a pocket dimension, making it a far easier thing to put on

>it was... weird, looking at him without his horns
>an emasculated look, but at the same time, not - the heavy kit made sure of that
>the boots were arguably the most difficult, mostly because he didn't want to put them on

>"My body's made for barefoot walking! I don't need them!"
"You'll need them in the desert, ypoд. Is hotter than Hell there, and cold as Apктикa at night!"
>"Bah!"
>but he still put them on

>then, Bratislav made him do some basic exercises, to get him used to the weight, whilst Millie and Blitzo finished the circle and pentagram
>soon enough, the portal was ready for access

"Now, for your weapons."
>the Slav laid them out on the table
"You already have the Toкapeв."
>he said, motioning towards the holster at the imp's hip
"Your main weapon will be the AКC-74У. No point in giving you full-scale rifle, so you'll get кapaбин. For back-up..."
>and he moved his hand to the next piece.
"Bитязь. Would've gone with the MP7, but I figured it's better to give something that can double as spare parts."


>next came the grenades
>then the medkit
>rations
>warm clothes
>tent
>and other miscellanea

>soon, the portal was opened, and, with a final hug from Millie (and a salute from Bratislav, which Blitzo soon mimicked), Moxxie stepped trough it
-
>he landed on his feet, nearly buckling under the weight of the backpack and the guns
>it kicked up a lot of dust, too - never before has he appreciated having a hat with flaps
>once the dust settled, he could see his surroundings trough the lenses

>it was morning
>he was in a vast, arid field, near the foot of a mountain range
>but he couldn't take in the scene for long

>the radio crackled to life

*KRRSH*
"Bнимaниe, Shaslik-1, this is HQ, do you copy?"

>shaking off his daze, he replied quickly:
>"Yes, this is... Ugh, do I really have to use that?"

*KRRSH*
"You like to cook, no?"

>Moxxie blinked
>"Well, yeah, but...! Uuugh. Yes, this is Shaslik-1, I hear you loud and clear. Over."

*KRRSH*
"Хopoшo. Check your compass. You need to head south."

>he did, and found himself facing the mountains
>the imp sighed
>"Well, here we go..."


>back in the office, they huddled around the ancient military radio
>the reception was OK, but the sound quality was shit
"Try to find a path, and stick to it. Don't go rock climbing if you don't need to."

*KRRSH*
>"I wasn't going to...!"

>it was tedious
>anxiety-enducing
>Bratislav would ask where he was, and bark orders accordingly
>Blitzo would yell in as well, from time to time, when the Slav let him
>all the while, he kept his... face? on the maps

>at some point, he took his mask off, revealing a blank, green face, with no features - just a mouth, and a questionmark where the rest should've been
>she swore he even saw it subtly move, as he studied the map while talking
>then suddenly, he turned to her:

"Do you want to talk to him?"

>she froze, as the green hand - calloused, with blocky digits - offered her the headset
>placing it upon her head (after trying to wrangle it around her horn, before just letting the arch rest in front of them), she spoke into it, quietly

>"Moxxie?"

>silence

>"Moxxie? Are you there?"

>...

*KRRSH*
>"Millie? Is that you, sweetie?"

>a broad smile spread on her face
-
>"Hi, honey! How are you?"

>Loona groaned in the background
>Blitzo, on the other hand, looked on with starry eyes
>Bratislav waited patiently, as the impette chatted on, non-existent eyes on the maps, when heard a voice
>"Hey."
>he looked to the side
>the Hellhound stood beside him
"Дa?"
>"Who the fuck is your guy?"
>he looked at her straight
"My guy?"
>"Yeah, the guy you sent Moxxie after?"
"Oh, him..."
>his eyes returned to the maps
"I don't know, really..."
>"You don't know?"
>she sounded pensive
"Worried for him?"
>"What? No! No, I don't give a fuck about the squirt." she replied "But you gave a lot of money for some guy you don't even know."
"Hm."
>he pondered for a bit

"He was мoджaхeды, a cнaйпep. Killed some of my comrades. Good friends, coвeтcкий and aфгaнcкий alike. Always hiding, up in those mountains of theirs..."

>he slipped one map over another

"They sent planes, helicopters, mountaineers, but they couldn't root him out. All the planes and helicopters were shot down, all the men were killed. We just fed those mountains with blood..."

>his expression darkened

"And then fed their children with mines and poison..."

>he flipped another map in front of him
>Loona hummed
>"So, what's the point then?"
"Hm?"
>"How do you know he's even alive?"
"Oh, I know."
>he looked up at the two imps, fighting over the radio microphone
"I have... инфopмaтopы."
>"Riiight..."
>she didn't sound impressed
>"So, he kills him. Then what?"
"He ends up in Hell. I get payback."
>he set the maps down, and motioned to the other two, that he wanted the mic back
"Пpocтo кaк тoт."

>"And what if he doesn't end up in Hell?"

>he paused, and stared at the Hellhound

"That's why I'm keeping radio connection."
>and he took back the headset, barking orders once again
>Loona raised an eyebrow

>"The fuck would keeping contact with him would help?" she wondered
-
>he huffed as the reached the top
>after he caught his breath (which has been happening far quicker every day), he stared ahead, surveying the valley below
>no matter how many times he had seen it, it still looked beautiful

>maybe it was the blue sky
>you don't get that a lot in Hell
>well, unless it's was sulfur cyclone season

>the first day, when he reached the top of the first range, he felt disheartened, seeing the vast expanse of valleys and peaks before him
>but after a few encouraging words from HQ, he continued

>huh
>funny
>at first, he just thought about them - Millie, Blitzo, and the client, Bratislav, separately
>but a week later, they just became "HQ"
>sure, he could still talk to them individually, but, for the most part, it was Bratislav who dominated the airwaves

>he kept going south, avoiding major population centers - and smaller ones
>followed a river for a bit, going Southeast, crossed another few mountains, and searched the mountains north of it
>now, he was traveling west


*KRRSH*
"The snow capped one?"
>he didn't hesitate for long
"The Baba range. The one you're crossing, the Hisar, doesn't usually get snow. You should be fine."

>following the river, he soon came within proximity of a town

*KRRSH*
"Chagcharan. Keep eyes pealed."
>"You know, considering what you've said about the war, I haven't seen any wrecked vehicles or anything..."

*KRRSH*
"That's because you're not on the path we took for the invasion. Or what the Americans used. Just keep head down!"

>and so, he did
>moving off north of the Harirud, he traveled across the shallow valleys, until he reached the Murghab
>beyond it laid a smaller, taller range
>on the map - according to HQ, anyway - a "splodge" between the Turkistan and Hisar ranges

"You'll find him there. He lives up there, with the other пacтyхи. Sheep herders."


>and so, the imp scaled the mountain