“We have the worst luck!”

Zachary’s voice was so loud that it reached the second floor, through Maya’s closed door, and into her deep slumber. The room was dark and cold which prompted Maya to get up and leave.

As she descended the staircase, she saw Folke rub his chin in thought in the same armchair he sat on before. Rei stood by with a worried look though she was blindingly lovely as usual, and Zachary paced around, a newsletter in his hand.

“What’s up with luck?” asked Maya. Everyone turned to her.

Zachary held the newsletter up. It read, “Country Lockdown: Security Heightened.”

Maya may know how to read, but she did not quite understand what it meant.

Her questioning face was obvious to Zachary. “The Military will be searching buildings,” he said. “Nowhere is safe. Travel roads will be heavily guarded starting tomorrow afternoon.” He shook his head. “I told you guys we were in a hurry. This is another rebel hunt.”

Maya felt her heart fasten its pace at the news. It was something they would not be able to escape, and the chances of them dying were high. Rebels were killed, after all. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

“The necessary,” replied Folke. “We’re leaving now.” He turned to look at the man behind the counter who tried his best to look like he wasn’t listening. “I hope you don’t mind that we cancel everything.”

He blinked and gulped, unsure of what to say.

Rei stepped closer and gripped Amberstone’s hilt. “You will not mind, is that right?” she said. “And the Military will not know of our presence.”

“O-of course!” he replied, sweating buckets. “I swear on my life!”

“Where will we go?” Zachary asked.

Folke’s expression turned dark. “I hope you three won’t doubt me on this one,” he said. “We’re going to the Capital.”

Zachary crossed his arms. “Are you crazy? I think you forgot that we’re supposed to avoid the Military, not go right into their nest.”

Folke was unperturbed, though. “You misunderstand. Our destination is not the central part, it would be the outskirts. I have a friend there. He can help us, and that I can guarantee. He is our only chance at this. We have to get there before the lockdown.”

Maya had no problem with it at all. Folke looked sure of himself, and it was the best possible plan they had, or rather, the only plan they could have.

She nodded in agreement towards Folke, though Zachary was not feeling the same.

He gave in, though, and said, “Fine.”

Folke got up from his seat. “Let’s make preparations and leave in ten minutes.”

Everyone scrambled away, though Maya was left to stand all alone. She had no preparations to do except to check that her metal box still sat safe in her pocket. As usual, it was still there and it still reminded Maya that Mister Castel waited for her and that she had to get her act together. Though the situation was going a little too fast for her, she needed to stay calm.

Zachary appeared with a satchel over his shoulders and new sword on his hip. “It’s just temporary,” he said when he saw Maya looking. “I can’t wield anything properly other than my own sword.”

“Why don’t I get a weapon?” asked Maya.

“You don’t need it.”

“Let’s leave, everyone!” interrupted Folke. “Don’t act suspicious, don’t walk too fast.”

After paying the bewildered man of the inn, the group quickly retreated from the city. They scampered down the road in the middle of the night, and Maya could not help but feel like she missed too much of the city. She really thought she’d be able to gaze upon its beauty for a little longer, but she guessed being a rebel came with a price.

Their horses were still tired, but they ran at full speed away from Evergreen City.

The night was warm and the gusts of wind ran smooth on Maya’s face. Somehow, crickets and other creatures of the night sang with mirth and musicality despite the danger the group was in. Maya had to wonder if their luck really was that bad. Nature seemed to argue otherwise.

“That’s the wrong way, Folke!” Zachary shouted when Folke strayed to the wrong direction, north. “We go east to the Capital!”

“We won’t be riding horseback the whole way,” Folke said. “We’re taking the lone train. That way, we’d be able to get to our destination before the afternoon.”

Zachary’s brows slanted. “So we’re leaving our horses behind?” He sounded more upset than he should be.

“Unfortunately. Now come on! We should not tarry.”

The next hour was filled with silence from the four but a whole racket from their surroundings. Many creatures awoke at night along with the crickets, and Maya just hoped that not another Star-born would come running at them from the forest.

The flat lands made everything easy to see despite the night tones, at least, so if something would try to attack them, Maya would notice right away.

Finally, they arrived at a humble train stop which was a mere concrete platform overlooking a railroad, and so few people that Maya could count them. Everyone looked sleepy and tired, especially with the moonlight as lighting on their faces.

Parked next to the platform was the train itself. It was a metal monster, although no more did it don its great colours. Rust of red and brown covered it and nothing seemed to look safe to step on, although they were just in time to see the people enter it one by one. A conductor collected their tickets and shouted orders at the very front of the train.

“It’s the ten o’clock train,” said Folke as he dismounted his horse. “Very, very old but reliable. This train passes through all stops on the way to the Capital, and we’ll be getting off at the second to the last one.”

Maya, Rei, and Zachary got off from their horses as well to get on the train, though Zachary lingered back to stroke their snouts. “Sorry, friends,” he said. “See you next time.”

He removed their reins and patted for them to go, but the horses stood still anyway.

“We have to go, Zachary,” said Folke when Zachary tried to push the horses away. “They’ll go off on their own later.”

The conductor, a lanky man in blue baggy clothes, sniffed and rubbed his nose. A small chuckle escaped his lips. “Yer leaving the horses for the wild, eh?” he asked. When Maya looked, she saw that soot covered his face and hands. “Mighty brave.”

Folke smiled back. “They deserve it, poor things. Now, about tickets, we don’t have any. But I’m willing to pay in cash for first class.”

The conductor shrugged. “Sorry, mate. No tickets, no ride. It’s policy.”

Maya thought they were doomed for sure, but then Folke brought out his pouch, something that Maya seemed to see more often these days. “I’ll be paying double for the inconvenience. Triple, if that would change your mind.”

A certain smile of amusement plastered onto the conductor’s face. “Alright!” he laughed, taking the pouch and jingling it in the air. “Please, enter. The first class rooms are at the third car. Choose whatever isn’t locked. I don’ think we got passengers there anyway.”

They entered, and Maya almost stumbled to discover that the train’s floor creaked underneath her feet. It was her first time to be in a train, and perhaps it would be the last that she’d ever ride. She did not want to die because her transportation was falling apart.

They passed through the first car. It had two long benches facing each other from the walls, and people were packed like sardines in the area. Somehow, most of them were able to sleep comfortably despite the sweaty sticky scent in the car. Next was the second car which offered more privacy with benches set as pairs to face each other. Small metal tables were positioned in the middle of each pair, so most of everyone in the room was either sleeping in their arms or eating.

The third car was significantly bigger than the rest. It was a long hallway with carpeted metal floorings, and never ending rooms lined up one side. The other side had a great view of the outside, showing Maya the wide expanse of fields under the stars.

“This looks like Mister Folke’s manor,” she said, trying to lighten up the mood. Zachary’s sour attitude was prevalent in the area. He was obviously still upset about the horses, just like a little child.

Folke approached one of the red metal doors and turned its knob. He opened it to reveal a room sizable enough for the four of them. Two red sofas faced each other at the end of the room and in between them was a small varnished table. One big window beside the table let the moonlight light the room, although white lamps were also turned on the walls.

Folke put his satchel on the shelves above one of the sofas, and so did Zachary. They both sat down on one end, while Maya and Rei sat next to each other on the opposite.

“Now we just wait,” said Folke. “This is supposed to take five or six hours, maybe more. This train looks quite old now.”

Maya grunted. She knew then that she was going to die of boredom.

Folke sighed in turn. “I wish I had my cane.”

Zachary turned to him. “Wait, you lost it? I thought it was inside your bag the whole time?”

He shook his head. “It was lost in the village of the Star-born. I’d be crazy if I secured it first rather than our own lives… Oh well. I’ll have to order for another one to be made.”

Maya grimaced with that statement. She still could not get used to how much money Folke actually had. He never seemed to run out, but perhaps that was how it was with every Archanian. She wondered how she would have lived with that much money, and how things would have turned out if everyone had that kind of money, including Dirk.

Despite her intrusive thoughts, Maya almost jumped when the train started to rumble and move. The dark scene of plains, trees, hills outside her window started to shift, and when they were in motion, she felt a little queasy.

“Are you okay?” asked Rei.

“Never better,” Maya said, though she could feel herself paling. Why was the train shaking so much?

“Better just sleep, Maya,” said Folke. “We wouldn’t want you vomiting all over the table.”

“No, I’m not gonna vomit. I just feel… scared.”

Zachary rolled his eyes. “You got chased after by a Star-born and being in a train scares you?” He slouched back on the sofa. “I think your brain has its priorities messed up.”

Maya decided to ignore him and just focus on her breathing. Sleep was not an option for her—she did so many times already that not an ounce of weariness was left in her. She looked out the window, although all she could see were the stars.

It wasn’t long until she began to feel comfortable inside the rumbling metal car, her stomach finally settling down. She stayed awake and watched her companions slowly drift into sleep. Zachary was the first. He slept with his head turned up and with his arms crossed, though all that comfort caused his bandage to shift and fall apart. Rei had to go pry his arms off each other just so she could secure the white cloth again, and Zachary surprisingly stayed asleep the whole time.

Rei fell asleep next with a stiff sitting posture that did not last for more than ten minutes. Her head soon slumped onto Maya’s shoulder, and although Maya felt weird about it, she did not have it in her to shake her off.

Folke was the last. He stayed awake for two whole hours trying to keep his eyes open, but alas, he was as weary as the others. His head hung down and would sometimes lean on the window, though he’d straighten himself up again.

I guess they were all really tired, Maya thought. It was nice to become the responsible one for once. She knew that she had the duty to watch over them as they all recovered, and for just that, she was grateful. They deserved it, and she felt like she could take on anything if just to protect them from disturbance.

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