Nevendar: The wizard's tale - Long train voyage - part 3
The short vacation is over, time to continue the story :) link.
“Did you found it?”
“Not sure. The description wasn't clear.”
“Keep looking. Our associates won’t wait forever. We need to find it before we reach Bedford.”
This people were not train workers. Luca hid behind a stack of very large boxes. They were made out of wood, thin, polished and light. It was not clear what was in them. It was definitely not something Luca was thinking about. As his heart was beating so fast he felt it would burst out of his chest. Est was next to him. Trying to comfort Luca. As he leaned on the crate to catch his breath. He pushed one of them. Just slightly, but enough to make a noise.
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“I heard something. Go see what it was.”
“It’s probably a cat, or a rat. No need to be so alarmed.”
“Or it could be an elephant. Go and see what it was.”
“No need to be so sarcastic!”
The men started moving towards the sound. Towards the front of the train carriage. Est noticed and started pulling Luca’s leg. Est wanted to get away from there as fast as possible. Without thinking, Luca started a chant. His mind was unable to form coherent though fast enough. He whispered, hoping that he would not make any more noise.
“Exio es mene.”
“Exio es mene.”
“Exio es mene.”
“Exio es mene!”
“Exio es mene!”
As he said the last word he started fading away, becoming transparent, almost completely invisible, thanks to the cabin with almost no light in it. He almost started shivering. He struggled not to say anything, not to move. If he could just not move. Do not run away. Just stay and be quiet.
“Do you see something?”
“I’m not sure.”
One of the men was looking straight at Luca. If it was not dark as much as it was, he might have seen him, but it was not.
“It’s as if, I can see something, but I’m not sure if it’s real, or my eyes got damaged from last job. As he approached towards him, Est jumped in front of him and started barking playfully.
“What? A dog? Hey, you lot, it’s just a dog. But I could swear I saw something there.”
“What do you mean, a dog? Let’s me see.”
As the man and Est walked in the open, Luca started crawling closer to the door. Only thing he could think of, was to get away from there. He had to warn someone.
As the leader approached closer, he started yelling.
“Oh no. You idiots! Are you blind? That’s not a dog! Find the mage. Find him now! He is still in this cabin.”
“How do you know it’s a guy?”
The leader slapped him on the head.
“Go, and, find him! Now!”
Luca was almost at the door when they spread over the cabin to find anything suspicious. Est started barking as loud as it could.
“Someone, shut that thing. Someone might hear it.”
That was the point when everything started escalating, at an exponential rate. Luca grabbed the door handle and rushed out. Est quickly ran as fast as it could in Luca’s direction.
“He escaped! Don’t let him get away from the next one!”
Just as Luca wanted to open the next door, the men were inside the next cabin.
“Ready your weapons.”
“But boss, it could be just a kid?”
“I don’t care. Stop him at all cost. If he tells someone about us, we’re done for.”
As fast as his body allowed him, he hid under the first seat. Est was already close to the middle of the cabin. Little dog like creature was running under the seats, towards Luca. The men noticed this and speed up.
As soon as Est reached Luca it barked, confirming their presence.
“I wish you didn't do that Est. They’ll be here any second.”
Little creature was just as happy and cheerful as ever. Almost looked oblivious to the danger they are in.
“There is something you need to do for me. So please listen and please understand.”
As he was talking three men were almost close enough to see them. Luca would not be able to hide as he did in the dark.
“Remember that prank Cris liked to pull on us? The one with really loud barking. Please do it. But please don’t hold anything back!”
“We found you!”
“Look boss. Just as I told you. Just a kid. A scared kid. No need to worry.”
“Boss. I've never killed a boy before. It doesn't feel right.”
“Don’t whine! We have to do what we need to do. Hey, what’s that?”
Est walked under the seat. Still with a happy smile and wide opened eyes. Looked up just as the group leader changed his expression. His eyes widened in sudden realization of what is to come. In that instant a thought passed his mind. He should have shoot the little thing when he had a chance.
As Est looked up, it’s mouth narrowed and it released a deafening shriek. To those close to it, it was paralyzing. Luca did not wait a moment. He jumped out of hiding and rushed to the door. Est was quick to follow. He was running as fast as his legs let him. This was one of the rare times in his life he wished he was more physically able. Before he knew it he was at the door of the next cabin. The door opened and he ran out. A thought passed his mind that he should close the door, but all he could do at that point was to slam it behind him and keep running. Est warned him about the men behind them. They started running after the two. Luca knew that all he needs to be safe is to reach someone. Any adult should be fine in this moment. His sister would be even better. At first he was not sure why he thought of Cristabella at this time. If he had slightly more time to think he might remember how she always looked after him. How safe he felt when she was around.
As he opened the next door, Luca finally saw someone. The first face he noticed in the dozen of young people that were there was none other than Cristabella’s. With serious and grim look on her face, she stood there. Next to her was John. Fingers on both his hands were burning. This time whole fingers, not just the tips. His whole body was tense. He leaned forward a bit, arms stretched on the sides, ready to strike. Even if he tried to hide it his face showed fear, nervousness. He might have look menacing with that stature and look, but it was anyone’s guess he would be able to even move, if he was told to actually attack the large and scary men in front of him.
Behind them was Nicolas. He, on the other hand, was not even trying to hide fear. He stood there almost shaking. He held some kind of metal and wooden rod. Squeezing it with both of his hands in front of him. His arms bent close to his body.
The next thing Luca noticed was an actual surprise to him. There were three unknown people there. Two were right of John and one left of Cristabella. On John’s right were a girl and a boy. She looked older than the rest of them. Not taller, but her face was more mature. She wore a uniform. White pants with golden stripes on the sides. They were straight with no widen parts. Her shoes were light yellow. Light and soft. The shoes looked as if they were made especially for her. Her top was a bright white jacket with long sleeves. Covering part of her hands. It had a short collar that was neatly bent. It also featured a v shaped cut. Bright, golden lines highlighted the edges of the jacket. Underneath she had a blouse. It was also white, even more than the rest of her uniform. It had bright tin vertical lines. Thanks to her hand position a red bracelet could be seen. At the bottom of it there was a small, thin, light red chain. The end of the chain is connected to a small emblem. It looked familiar to Luca, but at this time he could not remember what it was.
The most striking feature was her face. Bright blue eyes, even softer and brighter than his, or Cristabella’s. Only smaller. Her skin was like the soft snow. Lips red as the setting sun. Hair, full of curls. Blond like the noon. Her hair was shining brighter than her cloths, if that was even possible.
At that instant, Luca ended in the arms of his sister. He held her as hard as he could. Still shaken. Barely able to speak.
“Are you alright Luca?”
“I’m, fine. How did you…? They’re still there! They have weapons! We have to run, please!”
Cristabella smiled. It was a smile so warm it could have melted ice. She held Luca’s head with both her hands, looking him straight into his eyes.
“Everything is going to be all right. Leave everything to me.”
Luca knew this look. It was something he always aspired for. Something he respected so much, but also envied.
“You three! What do you plan to do now?”
“Boss, I don’t feel like killing kids today. Can we not do this?”
“Shut up, you idiot. Let me talk.” “You have us in a tight spot little girl. Do you really think you can stop us? Look at you. Half have never seen a fight, let alone killed someone. We are professionals. We are here to do a job and that boy got in our way.”
“That boy is my brother. I don’t intend to stop you. On the contrary. If you turn away now, I’m willing to let you go.”
“What did you just say?” The third man was noticeable agitated. Just his voice was enough to scare almost everyone present. At this point, everyone noticed Nicolas behind a seat. While most of them had their instinct tell them to hide right now, he was there almost since the beginning.
“Let’s just kill them and get this over with. Come on boss, we don’t have time for this. You’re now going to let this brat talk to you like that.”
“Shut up!” The boss said as he slapped his associate.
“This is why I’m the boss. You two don’t think. We’re leaving. Well played little girl. If we ever meet again under similar circumstances, I won’t give you this much time.”
“I’m not easily scared, you know!”
“We’ll see about that. Let’s go! We still have time to finish the job.”
Angry and upset, they left. The last man slammed the door behind him. Looking back with hatred in his eyes.
“That was amazing! You truly are wonderful! I cannot believe that worked!” Nicolas was ecstatic, even more than usual.
Everyone felt relieved. Luca sat on the third seat. For a few moments he stared into nothing, as his mind was calming down and replaying previous events.
John’s face was red. His veins popped. He still had problems calming his breathing. His breaths were fast and short. He was nervous enough to forget to turn of the fire from his fingers. Nicolas finally managed to stand up. For the first time since they met him, he wasn't interested in talking.
“Can you please tell me what happened?”
Luca asked as his eyes met Cristabella’s. He waited for her to turn and look at him.
Just as she was about to explain everything, a large snake slithered behind second to last seat. It was reddish and green. A very striking combination of colors. Scales were large and noticeable. Every single one, shaped like a hexagon. Eyes almost gray. Just then, from the first seat, just behind the two other kids, arose an older woman. She was dressed in plain clothes, she looked frail, wrinkled and gray. After a swift hand gesture, the snake moved towards her. Slithering around her leg, then body and stopping around her neck and arms. As she was getting up, the girl in uniform moved to make her room. In a very sudden gesture, almost like being pushed aside by an unseen force. The woman moved slowly, but with grace and elegance. She stood tall. As she approached Luca, he immediately recognized her.
“Aren't you the person who helped me earlier?”
“Have you found the little boy you were looking for?”
“Oh, no! I still haven’t. But I run into trouble. I was chased, but everyone came here to help me. I don’t even know everyone here.”
“Your sister is a very persuasive person. Everyone she asked followed her. I have to say, I’m impressed. To make strangers go with your crazy plans is an impressive feat.”
“Wait just a minute, I never told you I was Luca’s sister and you came here on your own!”
“True, but you had a plan even without my help.”
“But how did you managed to scare them like that? Those were hardened criminals. Why would they back away like that? Can someone please explain?” Nicolas was rambling asking everything that came to his head, all the while hectically moving his hands. He finally managed to sit down, but he was still noticeably shaken.
John was right next to him. Fire turned off, he was much calmer than a few moments ago. He sat close to Cristabella and Luca. He put his hands on his knees. Still with an uncomfortable feeling that things could have gone a lot worse.
“I’d like to think that we somehow managed to scare them away, but we’re not why they run. Isn’t that right Blue?”
“…You’re talking to me?”
“Pretty much.”
“Blue?”
“Short for blue eyes. I’m going to call you that.”
“I, guess that’s fine. You’re right. Us just standing here, looking scared is not what made them turn back.”
At this point everyone was sitting. The woman, introducing herself as Selia. One of the administrators at the university. Brother and sister sat on the second seat. Her name is Ophelia and his Gabriel. The last person was Ethan, he was the same age as Ophelia, but he forgot his uniform. Except from Selia, nobody knew what kind of magic he prepared. He had simple cloths. Brown jacket and a blue shirt underneath. With lighter brown pants and dark colored shoes. The only remarkable fact about him was his glasses. Nobody in the cabin had them, so he stood out. He sat at the first seat opposite of Ophelia and Gabriel.
“As you might have guessed, I had several plans in order to stop them.” Cristabella continued talking.
“My first goal was to hold them as long as we could so that the conductors would arrive. As soon as I knew what was going on, I asked the first person I found to call them, then I found John and Nicolas, then a few more who agreed to help. I was just planning to stall. Talk to them until they realized what I was doing. I was never planning to fight them. I only needed to buy us ten minutes at best. Then I realized we could do something else. Ethan and Ophelia. Thanks to them we had a backup if they weren't interested in talking. And after all of that, a third option came. Mrs. Selia walked in and called her serpent. I was sure we would have been able to capture them ourselves. But the thieves were smart and magically attuned, or at least familiar with it. Their leader knew something was happening.”
Everyone was amazed at her way of thinking. John desperately wanted to say something, but was unable to find the right words. Selia was smiling. She was petting her snake companion while looking proudly at Cristabella, and also Luca, although that is something no one knew at the moment. Ophelia was twirling her hair as she was looking at someone, nobody knew who it was. Ethan was just sitting there. Looking at the general direction everyone was. His face was almost expressionless. If someone looked at him they might thought he was deep in thought, but on the contrary, his mind was empty. It took him a while to regain his thought process.
Only a few moments afterwards, the front door opened. Four men entered, with them was a scared fifteen year old. They all wore dark blue uniforms with golden colored buttons from the neck down. Blue pants and a blue cap. The boy was slightly shorter than the average of his age.
“What is going on here? This kid run into us, yelling how a scary girl yelled at him to call us, because of the thieves. If this is some kind of prank, whoever is responsible for this is in serious trouble!”
The man talking was noticeably older than the rest of them. He was taller and bulkier then them. He was also the only one with a mustaches. One of the other conductors had a small beard.
Cristabella was stunned at the moment. She did not expected to be called scary, she does not remember being scary, or that she was yelling, much. She still rose up, straightened her clothes and started speaking in her usually tone.
She spoke with her usual eloquence, but unlike usual, she was a lot more stiff. Even if what she and everyone there went thru was traumatic and intense, she couldn’t stop thinking how exciting that all was. She kept this to herself, but Cristabella was ready to do this again.
Luca was the opposite, only thing he wanted to do was forget about all of this as soon as possible. He was never interested in adventures, or excitement, a trait that made him seem passive at times. That was not entirely the case, but it is true that he felt a lot better if there were no too much stress. Luca managed to recover his breathing and was almost back to normal. His heart was still trying hard to burst out of his chest, but he could at least think clearly again. All of the familiars were recalled, everything was calming down. The conductors ran off to see if they can catch the thieves. Only the older one remained. While Luca was looking at the ground, Ophelia stood in front of him.
“Hello, my name is Ophelia it is so nice to meet you.” She spoke softly, her words were like a river flowing. As if there is nothing else in existence.
Luca barely looked at her.
“Uh..hello. I’m Luca.”
It was not a response she expected, but she thought it was due to shock of the event.
“I saw what you did, it was really brave.”
“I, guess. I just wanted to help.”
“I know. I have such an admiration for people who are prepared to risk their own lives for someone else. That is one of the main tenets of my path. I am just surprised that you are related to that, know it all.”
“What do you mean, know it all?”
“You know, Summoners. They always think they are the smartest and they pretend they know more than you do.”
“Cristabella is not like that.” Luca’s voice become a little louder and he was looking Ophelia straight into her eyes. She was again surprised with his reaction. Her eyes widened and she slightly backed away. Just half a step.
“Give her some time and you’ll see.” She was almost smiling at this point. “I’ll be seeing you again, Luca.” As she finished the last sentence, she turned back and went to her seat, next to her brother.
Cristabella, Luca, John and Nicolas got back to their seats, tired and exhausted from the events.
In the end, thieves got away. Even if some had suspicions, it was nothing clear. People investigating the theft never revealed what was stolen.
Hope you liked this! If you do, don't forget to upvote and resteem it. Also make sure to follow @thewriterguy to stay updated about future posts.
If you are new, please check my older posts as well, you might like some of them. Remember, older posts need love as well :)