His mouth twitched in hesitation. “You can come with me. Back to the Resistance. A lot of people there can help you. You can fight with us. You can get your uncle back, and everyone will have their homes again when you help us overtake the Military.”

For a moment, Maya laughed at the idea. But then again, she knew herself that she had nowhere to go. She ran from the Kingfisher; she didn’t expect to go back. She wouldn’t know anything about what Mister Castel did anyway, and if she tried, she’d just disappoint everyone.

She had no money, and there was no way she’d ask Dirk for some. That man can go drown in his dinoles for all she cared, and he can drown in hell when he dies.

But still… Was there no other options? Was it only just homelessness and the rebellion?

It was the same anyway. And with the latter, she could get Mister Castel back.

She nodded, her insides feeling stormy blue. No more clear skies and calm waves. “I’ll take it.”

Zachary cursed. Maya glared. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just that… I thought you’d say no.”

“Well, you asked.”

He help up his hands. “I know, I know. Forget what I said. Let’s go steal a horse. We’re going to Mossmore.”

*

*

*

They stole two horses, an overindulgent mistake from what Zachary said. They found them behind a manor, probably an Archanian’s. Even Maya’s white stallion smelled expensive, like rose shampoo.

“Asma City is pretty big,” said Zachary, laughing from the speed of his roan horse. “Great place for a race!”

Maya, meanwhile, had trouble with hers. Sure, the horse galloped fast, but maybe too fast. It was her first time riding, and she didn’t like the feeling of almost falling off every twenty seconds.

“Tall posture, Mayala! Keep your weight in the center. Legs tense.”

She tried to, but somehow, it made her balance way worse.

“It’s your posture! Chin up! Look ahead!”

“I am not physically capable of doing that.”

“Sure you are!”

She sighed. Maybe it would be wise to listen to his tips.

With very slow movements, Maya straightened her back. Sure enough, she found herself more stabilized on the horse, but she still would get wobbly in a while.

“Stop staring at the ground, Maya.”

She groaned. Little by little, she raised her head up until she saw the sight.

A gasp escaped her lips, and a burden was lifted from her heart.

She was tall, and from the horse, she felt weightless. It was different from the quarterdeck where everything seemed small. Here, the world looked big. And Maya was living in it.

Wind rustled Maya’s hair around, a different kind from salty ocean breeze. It was the wind of land, warm, full, and rich—something she used to dislike but now is frolicking in.

The buildings she thought to be bland and sad looked happier, their grey colors sparkling silver. Lampposts were turned off in the middle of the day, but their glasses caught the sun’s warmth, caring for it within their material. The whole city looked renewed and hopeful. “This is amazing!” Maya said.

Bang!

The two looked behind them. A couple of soldiers pointed at them, one of them with his gun ready.

“This is not amazing!”

“Giddyup!” Zachary slapped the reins of his horse, and in no time, he speeded down the street faster than Maya.

Maya mirrored the action, and she too was suddenly zipping beside Zachary’s horse.

“We can outrun them,” he said. “As long as they don’t have backups.”

“And if they do?”

As if on cue, a roaring sound echoed in the area. Maya knew of its noisy ramble but she never had the privilege to ever see one. Sure enough, when she looked, it was an automobile zooming at them at a constant pace. It was slower than their horses, but fast enough for the soldiers to get closer by a margin. One soldier peeked out from the passenger’s side and shot his gun. It missed by a big gap. “Great, now they have backups!” Zachary slapped his reins again.

From the pace they were at, Maya had to make sure that her metal box was still in her pocket. She wouldn’t know what to do herself if she lost it—it truly was the only thing left now. But it wasn’t the only thing that mattered, fortunately.

“Let’s keep taking curves,” said Maya, pointing to a sharp bend up ahead. “Are automobiles perfect?”

“They are, but the drivers probably aren’t”

“Then we better take advantage of that.”

They led their horses into the bend. A few civilians jumped back when they were faced with two large stallions about to rear in their faces, although Maya managed to pull hers back into tranquillity. Unfortunately though, she could not help but knock over a vegetable stand. “Sorry!”

As expected, the automobiles slowed down right at the curve. However, that did not stop the soldier from shooting his gun again.

The bullet whizzed past Maya. “Another curve!” she said.

They turned, buying them both enough time to get as far from the soldiers as possible.

“We can’t just keep running away,” said Zachary. “We’ll never be able to leave this city. The point is to travel without having the Military breathing down our necks.”

“So you mean we fight back? No! I can’t do that!”

As Zachary began to speak, another bang rang through the street. “Aagh!”

Zachary slumped down on his horse, striving to keep his balance as blood poured out from his arm, right below the shoulder. He immediately clasped the wound and sealed it tight with his other hand, but the blood just soaked down his shirt instead.

Maya’s eyed widened in horror. As much as she wanted to help Zachary out, they were on two different horses, and there were other matters to attend to, like the soldiers calling them out to stop.

She refused to listen though. Her head grew hot and rage quickened her pulse. In the spur of a moment, she felt like she could do anything, wish for anything. She wished for Zachary to be okay, for them to get out safely, and for the soldiers to stop in their tracks.

Oh how she wished that land, which she was learning to love, swallow the soldiers up.

Unfortunately, nothing that miraculous happen.

But something else did.

The automobile suddenly screeched to a halt, but its engine still ran. The confusion of the soldiers could be heard from where Maya and Zachary were, but they were getting softer as their horses ran farther.

Bang!

They were too far to even be target. Zachary laughed through gnashed teeth, although his face scrunched up in pain.

As for Maya, she didn’t look back anymore. She said a silent goodbye in her head as they galloped through the afternoon streets of Asma City. It was a goodbye to the soldiers, whom she felt like she’ll see again anyway. A goodbye to Dirk, may his money bring him the worst of robbers. A goodbye to Mister Castel, although he’ll see him again.

A goodbye to the Kingfisher. She won’t be returning to her old life for a while.