Chapter 9 - The Train Chapter

David stood atop the train. The wind whipped his clothes, and his hair. He tipped the bill of his hat down. It would be a shame to let it blow away after all those years.

As he walked, it felt like the whole train could collapse at any moment. Pockets of rust and holes littered the metal. He hopped the gap between train cars and made his way toward the front. It was there that he could see the dark silhouettes. Figures in the night.

If it wasn’t for the chaos of the afternoon, David would have almost enjoyed staring up into the night sky. As the train left the city and it’s gleam behind, the night was allowed to become darker, and the stars allowed to shimmer in ways many modern islanders would never understand.

David hopped from car to car, his eyes adjusting in the new darkness. They were off in the countryside now. Just grass fields, large boulders, and patchy forests all around. In the distance he could make out the Explorer’s dropships, no doubt looking for him, and Taylor.

He was two cars away, and there she was.

The princess of Alkania.

She was hugging herself, her hair wrapping her face in the wind. There were two bakiri kneeling next to her, and even so they were still head and shoulders taller. David had faced a lot of monsters. These were some of the worst.

“I told them…” Steven’s voice carried from up ahead. The wind brushed his words past David’s ear, and then they were whisped away into the night. The knight was sitting on the edge of the train car behind the bakiri, his feet dangling off the side. He seemed to sigh, much like David, wanting to enjoy the night, but alas. Business to attend.

He pushed himself to his feet and walked past the bakiri. The two of them standing on separate train cars, watching the world pass by.

“I told them that you were like this.” Steven pointed a knowing finger. “I don’t know how you do it, but you’re so lucky, you’re so… persistent.” He shook his head. “We had this all planned out you know. Get the princess, hop on the train, and get out of there. Simple, right?”

“Sounds like a good plan,” David shrugged.

“The only problem is you,” Steven said. “I’ve seen what you can do, I know what you’re capable of.”

“And what exactly am I capable of?” David held his arms out. Challenging.

“You are capable of tearing this world apart,” Steven snarled. “Piece, by piece. It’s all a game to you. You play the hero, and you save the day, but it’s all just some grand adventure for you. Something you read about in a fairy tale. You never stop to think about the wake of destruction, the people you betray, and hurt, and leave behind.”

“I’m trying to make amends,” he responded, doing his best to keep emotion out of his voice. He couldn’t think about that now.

“No,” Steven shook his head. “No, what I’m doing is making amends. I’m trying to fix the world that you broke. I’m trying to bring it back together.”

“So am I…” David growled.

“No…” Steven tried to stop the smile, but he couldn’t, he even laughed a little. “No, I think you need it to stay broken. The only way this world makes any sense to you is in pieces. Now…” Stephen glanced back to the two bakiri. “I’m gonna give you one last chance. Let things be, let Alkania go, and stop making things worse.”

“I can’t do that,” David replied with a smirk. He looked at Taylor as confidently as he could. “I may or may not have left my earbuds there, and they were like, the wireless ones. So I can’t, you know, I can’t just leave them there. Gotta listen to my music, man.”

“Fine.” Stephen rolled his eyes. “Throw him off the train.”

“No!” Taylor screamed, but her voice was overcome by snarling as the bakiri bounded forward. She tried to run, to get away, but Steven grabbed her by the arm, yanking her back.

“I am so screwed,” David muttered. He ducked, narrowly dodging as one of the creatures soared through the air, the opposite direction of the train bringing the creature a faster and greater distance.

He crawled forward, rolling to one side as the second bakiri slammed it’s claws down. It missed, and to the creature’s surprise, it’s claws broke through the rusted metal. It was caught off guard just enough that David was able to jump and land a heavy kick on the it’s snout. In a rage it yanked it’s claws out of the metal, but the sudden motion sent it flying backward and off balance, and right off the side of the train.

Before David could even react to what had just happened, the first bakiri returned, grabbing him by the back of his jacket and tossing him up into the air. David yelped as he went up, the train rumbling past beneath him. Then he crashed down on top of another train car, denting the roof around him.

He coughed, the breath knocked from his lungs. The bakiri stalking slowly toward him.

“No, no, stop!” Taylor yelled. She was struggling against Steven, but he was too strong. What could she do? The Explorers weren’t there, and she didn’t want to watch someone die right in front of her. But she had nothing, could do nothing…

Except. Taylor’s hand caught the locket, the cool metal on her skin. The crystal inside… it contained magic, and people used magic, right? She just didn’t know how, she couldn’t possibly—

The time for doubt and uncertainty was past. Taylor flicked open the locket, and the crystal inside was pulsating with light and life. The last time she had touched it, she began to remember. Those memories had made her afraid, maybe now they might give her strength.

When she touched the crystal, she felt it. That surge of energy, like an ocean wave inside of her. Taylor felt it reach out, and touch her, as if asking to enter her very soul.

She let it.

The dark of night was fractured by a blinding gleam of blue. Train metal screamed as it rocked on the tracks, as power emanated from Taylor, her eyes glowing electric blue. She took a deep breath, and it felt like taking a hundred breaths at once, it was revitalizing. There was something about this magic that swirled within her, it knew her, and had known her for a very long time.

Then all at once it exploded.

The outward force sent Steven flying backwards. He hit the train, rolling off the edge and just barely managing to hold on.

Taylor recoiled at the magic. It was a sudden and vivid experience. The night sky had more colors to it. Deeper shades of purple and blue. She could almost feel the light of the stars and moonbeams on her skin. Her senses were heightened to a level she didn’t know possible.

She took another breath of cold air, then coughed. There was a smell in the air. As the magic coursed through her, Taylor could make out the metallic scent of rust and iron. Powdery coal dust shaken into the air by the magical blast. There was also the pungent smell of gasoline.

“Oh, break me…” Taylor swore. She realized that the old freight train was a rumbling bomb, and she was, quite literally, holding the spark.

Ahead of her, the remaining bakiri was distracted by the blast, and the sudden burst of light. It’s eyes narrowed, seeing the power she now wielded. It crouched down on all fours and charged at her with alarming speed.

The only way to stop the creature would be to use the magic again, but how? She needed to focus. Taylor closed her eyes, feeling the magic inside of her.

Time seemed to slow down. The rushing of wind muffled in her ears, her hair quit whipping about so quickly. She thought about something that she had a connection to, something she might be familiar with. She felt the rumbling of the train beneath her feet. Heard its squeaking wheels. The whole thing was just one gigantic vehicle. Something that Taylor could work on like a car.

It was made of the same things. Metal. Screws. Paint. Sweat. She felt the magic reaching out in front of her, almost spider-webbing across the train cars. Just reaching out and feeling everything in front of her. It was something Taylor knew like the back of her hand. She lifted her arm out in front of her, opening her fingers.

When she opened her eyes, the world rushed back into place. In front of her, the bakiri was mere feet away. To her left, Steven had climbed back up, he was drawing his sword, a look of surprise on his face. She saw the blue tendrils of magic wrapped across the train cars in front of her like the patterns of shattered glass.

Taylor gritted her teeth.

Then she closed her hand.

Light beamed out of the cracks like spotlights, then wherever the magic was, the train was torn. Metal screamed, and one by one the train cars began to crash into each other. They exploded in flashing plumes of fire. Some turned sideways, flinging metal shrapnel like bullets towards them.

The bakiri attacking Taylor was hit once in the shoulder, then again, a metal shard knocking it’s legs out from beneath. The creature hit the edge of the train and tumbled off into the night.

Taylor’s attention went to David. He was racing atop the train cars, the one he was on shaking violently. He managed to dive forward, just as the train car he was on ripped away and went flying off the tracks. It flipped and spun and crashed into a clump of trees. He crawled forward, continuing to make his way to her.

More metal shrapnel whistled through the air, and some of it pinged off of Steven’s armor. Taylor swore and spun around to face Steven. His sword was drawn, firelight gleaming in his eyes, and on his armor.

“I need you alive,” Steven snarled. “I don’t need you in one piece.”

Taylor raised her arm, but he grabbed her, jerking her forward and kicking her leg out from under her. She hit the roof of the train hard, gasping. Steven knelt on her chest, pressing the tip of the sword into her shoulder.

She yelped in pain, as blood oozed along the groove of her collarbone. Steven reached down, and grabbed the locket chain, snapping it off her neck. He clutched it in one hand, staring at the crystal within, now diminished, almost clear.

She grabbed at the blade with her hands, trying to push it back but she couldn’t. She was already so tired. Beyond weak. He dug it in deeper. Blood emerging from between her fingers.

“I just want my home back,” Steven said, turning his attention back to her. “And I’m willing to do anything to make that happen.”

“And I…” David yelled tackling him from behind. “Am trying to save the day!”

Steven whirled around yanking his sword out of Taylor’s shoulder. David went swinging, his legs in the air. Then Steven lost his balance and they both went down.

This was her chance. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Taylor rolled over and crawled out of the way. She clutched at her shoulder, the blood warm and flowing, and made her way towards the front of the train. If she could get there, maybe she could contact someone, or even stop the train.

She hopped the gap between train cars, her legs shaking. Whether it was nerves or pain, or weariness, Taylor wasn’t sure. She kept moving forward until she was at the front of the train. To one side was a ladder that led down on to a ledge, and a door.

Taylor swallowed, taking a deep inhale through her nose. She grabbed the ladder with bloody hands and made her way down. Step by step. The wind whipped at her body, and she felt unnerved hanging on the side of the train, but then she landed on the ledge.

The door was right there, and she reached for it, fiddling with the handle until it open. Once inside the world fell still. The hammering rush of winds went away, her messy hair finally landing. Her ears were left with a soft ringing, and her skin a faint chill.

She scanned the control board, looking for something, anything that might be familiar. Nothing, there was nothing. Taylor might be a good mechanic, but she’d never been a train conductor. Then something on the wall caught her eye. A lever with a bright red handle, and the tell tale yellow and black striped caution tape. Beneath the lever, in bold letters were the words EMERGENCY STOP.

“There we go.” Taylor reached up and grabbed the lever, but something caused her to hesitate, to look out the windows in front of her. Up ahead, on the tracks, lit by beaming headlights was a large fallen tree. And standing next to that fallen tree…

More bakiri.

“Oh, break me!” Taylor swore, yanking the emergency stop. The wheels shrieked as they locked up, but it didn’t matter. It was too late.

The train went careening into the tree, the wood practically disintegrating into splinters, but it was enough. The engine car bounced so violently that Taylor came off the floor, crashing into the ceiling and then the wall.

She crashed into the control panel with a sickening thud, and everything went dark as the train went off the rails.