Rose stared at the dark orange soot directly in front of her on the suite floor and felt a powerful urge to scream. In part, she was ecstatic to have come across what very well could be a significant factor in the appeal. The feeling was also due to the heat Rose felt on her hands as she desperately tried to cover the sanitizing lantern. The door had begun to open so quickly, she had time to do little more than block the light manually; switching the lantern off would briefly allow the light to shine and give away her position. So Rose found herself biting her lip and hoping whoever entered left before her resolve gave out.
She heard soft footsteps, then the slight creek of the door before a click as it closed. Rose closed her eyes as she attempted to focus and listen for any indication that the intruder was away from the door. After a few moments of silence, Rose immediately let go of the lantern and collapsed the housing so the light was covered and her hands could find relief.
“This is huge!” Rose said as she stood up. “Someone must have put a Ley Stone in here, and when Dr. Ulrich arrived, he went through a portal directly to the room. It doesn’t matter who they interviewed, the check in is inaccurate.”
“Unless he arrived normally and then used it in the process of killing his wife.” the voice said.
“Well he...I mean...” Rose frowned and tapped her cheek. That was technically true; the discovery was still big, but it wasn’t the truth revealing evidence Rose hoped.
“While you sort that out, perhaps it would be wise to get out of here.” the voice said.
Rose walked to where the Ley Stone had been and crouched down to grab some of the soot. The door burst open once again; the surprise of which caused Rose to tumble backwards and forced her to roll behind a large reading chair. Several people entered the room and fanned out. They were each in identical uniforms. They wore padded pants and doublets with a metallic cuirass on top. A few of the guards wore helmets which covered their faces and leather gauntlets. At the front of the group, one of the guards, a taller and stockier man, quietly directed the others. Rose caught a glimpse of the tail end of a dark green tattoo on the side of his neck.
Rose’s eyes darted around as she searched the immediate vicinity for a way out. Her eyes landed on the bedroom area and Rose was forced to do a quick double take. Tristan was crouched next to the bed, trying to sneak glances at the people who had just entered. Tristan saw Rose and held a finger up to his lips and nodded towards the front door. He motioned for Rose to come closer and she frantically shook her head. Tristan waved for her again, and she continued to refuse. They exchanged nods and head shakes, along with points toward the door, until Tristan quickly peeked over the bed. With a deftness Rose had never before witnessed, he made his way to the complimentary reading chair next to her own. Rose felt her heartbeat spike as Tristan arrived and she shut her eyes to brace for caught. After a moment with no sudden grab of her arm or pain from being hit with a spell, Rose slowly opened her eyes.
Tristan took a quick peek around the chair and held up five fingers. Rose nodded and watched his eyes, a pale gray, search the same part of the room she had looked over earlier. Tristan kept his arm low and pointed towards the nearest end of the room at a pair of double doors which led out to the patio, covered by lace curtains.
“Distraction.” he mouthed at Rose. With nothing around nearby, she put the sanitizing lantern down to check her bag and the unlatched lantern nearly popped open. Rose quickly pushed the top of the lantern and forced it close. Her eyes widened and she turned to Tristan, careful not to make noise from dragging her head against the back of the chair. Rose could shine the light and the silhouettes from the magical residue might disorient and confuse whoever was in the room just long enough for her and Tristan to escape. The living area also housed the largest amount and darkest hued figures which would obscure the view of their exit. Rose extended the lantern slightly to show Tristan what she intended to do. He gave her an ‘OK’ sign and reached over to grab the lantern. Before Rose could react, he had already cocked his arm back and she could only wildly wave as Tristan lobbed it over the chair.
Rose felt the heat before she heard the shattering of the glass. A voluminous flame roared, scorching the ceiling and bathing the room in an eerie brown glow. The front of the chairs, along with the rest of the furniture, were incinerated almost immediately, and Rose only just got away in time as it collapsed into a smoldering heap. The silhouettes faded in and out as the flame danced back and forth. Tristan was already on his feet and ran towards the patio doors, slamming into them with his shoulder. Rose scrambled to her feet and followed suit. She glanced at the chaos as she sprinted and saw a flame thicker than any fire Rose had ever encountered; it looked almost solid in certain moments. Across the room, a man flailed around on fire as a teammate tried to put it out. Thick, stifling gray smoke settled over the room. Rose tripped through the patio doors and crashed into a wiry outdoor chair as she landed. Tristan urgently closed the doors and placed the knocked over chair under the handles.
“Were you trying to burn us alive?” Rose shouted as she stood up. Tristan looked over the balcony. He looked back at Rose.
“Why would you hand me a lantern to throw? That’s very dangerous.” he said.
“I was trying to put together a distraction. And I didn’t hand it to you.” Rose said.
“A distraction to catch their attention while we sneak out, not take us all out in a literal blaze of glory. It worked, but you’re too reckless in my opinion.” Rose wanted to reiterate that engulfing the room with fire wasn’t her plan, but the patio doors rattled and caught her attention. “We need to get out of here before a barrier goes up to contain the fire.” Tristan said. Rose too slow and cautious small steps towards the edge of the balcony. She looked at the street below, and began to feel queasy, then looked at the patio for the room next door.
“Is there a rope or-” Rose stopped talking as Tristan moved very close and tightly wrapped his arms around her. Rose remained rigid and felt the heat in her body raise. She made a weak attempt to pull back but he had pulled her in tightly enough that Rose could hear his heart beat; it was calm.
“Close your eyes.” Tristan said. “Oh and don’t let go.” As soon as Tristan finished speaking, Rose felt her stomach drop, followed by sudden lightness. She closed her eyes as she felt a gust of wind and lost all sense of orientation. Then just as quickly as the sensations started, it all stopped. “Now you can let go.” Tristan said. Rose slowly opened her eyes. Tristan was looking down and held his arms spread out and away from her. Meanwhile Rose had a vice like grip around his torso. Rose cleared her throat.
“Well, would you look at that.” the voice said as Rose started to pull away.
“Oh.” Rose whispered and leaned back in for a hug. “Thank you.” she said.
“It was quite the imposition, but you’re welcome.” Tristan replied as he awkwardly patted her on the back and pried her away. Rose looked around to get a sense of the area. The street was filled boutique shops, exotic restaurants, and all the decorative trappings of an exclusive, affluent area. The people who strolled the boulevard carried the same air of pseudo nobility which Rose encountered inside the resort. A crowd formed as the people passing by gawked at the flame which now spilled out of the suite. Rose looked up and watched the flame shoot forward then stop and arc around in a loop.
“Protective barrier.” Tristan said as if he read her mind. “Now would be a good time to exit.” Rose took one last look at the patio and through the haze of smoke and flames saw someone walk out onto the balcony. He looked below at the street, face concealed by the helmet, with an eerie calm, as fire licked at him. The man was several floors up, but when he looked in Rose’s general direction, she felt as if he were staring directly at her.
“Who were those guys?” Rose asked. When no answer came, she turned around and caught Tristan disappearing into the mass of people. Rose pushed through the crowd and stumbled when she finally broke through. Ahead, Tristan stood and waited at a street corner. Rose heard a loud whistle and saw a train speeding down the street. The train floated less than a foot above tracks which appeared in front of the train and disappeared once the final train car flew over them. Tristan walked to the designated train stop few yards away and placed a scroll down in front of a tree. The tree changed to look like a woman in a nice dress standing still and smiling. From her position, Rose could see the silver shimmer indicating the glamour, but the train began to slow down as it approached. The front of the train stopped, a little ways past the fake rider, and Tristan strolled to the back. Rose sprinted towards him, and as she arrived, he had taken his first step onto the back of the train. Rose lunged and grabbed his arm, pulling them both to the ground. The train began to pull off and the glamour vanished.
“Great. Now I have to wait until the next train.” Tristan said as he sat up.
“We need to talk.” Rose said as she nursed her shoulder.
“It was only an okay plan. How much praise do you want? Not to mention, it was bit reckless for my tast-”
“Not about the fire.” Rose shouted. “I want to know why a lawyer is stalking me.” Tristan stood up and dusted off dirt from his suit.
“I’m neither lawyer nor stalker.” Tristan said. He held out his hand. Rose let out a dramatic and angry exhale, then took his hand.
“Enough with the lies. I saw you in the trial footage.” Rose said as he pulled her to her feet.
“I’m here on legal business for a client. I can’t be more specific than that. Unless...” Tristan bobbed his head side to side.
“Unless what?” Rose asked. She folded her arms.
“Nah. It’s more of a complicated legal move. Something you could do if you’re an established juror.” Tristan said.
“What is it?” Rose asked. She wanted to grind her teeth and already she felt a headache coming on.
“Well...obviously we’re orbiting around the same case. Technically, we’re not in opposition, so we could trade notes, strictly above board of course. Then, you could give the kind of assurances which can only be provided by a Juror, and I throw you some of the good stuff in exchange.”
“You’re asking a Juror to give you official case details during the investigation?” Rose asked.
“I’m asking a first time Juror, in way over he head, if she wants to exchange the little leverage she has by virtue of being the only of us to see that room before...” Tristan made an explosion motion with his hand. “if she wants to make life a little easier.” Rose narrowed her eyes.
“How do I know what you have is worthwhile?” she asked. Tristan laughed.
“I’ve actually stayed at hotels like Obsidian Resort because what I have is always worthwhile.”
“So what kind of exchange do you have in mind?”
“I could certain help if I knew the angle you were taking towards the appeal.” Tristan said. Rose glanced around and cleared her throat.
“The appeal is based around whether or not Dr. Ulrich can actually be placed at the scene of the crime.” she said. Tristan looked down and rubbed his chin.
“Hmm. Yeah. That lines up with something off about the trial.” He glanced around. “There was something that the manager said during deposition that wasn’t included in the trial.”
“What was it?” Rose asked.
“Specifics are going to cost you.” Tristan said. Rose leaned forward.
“Anything.”
“Not a high price. Just you tell me what you found in the suite and I want immunity from the investigation for my firm’s client. No naming names or pointing fingers. On your word as a Juror.”
“You got it. What did the manager say?” Rose asked, a touch breathless.
“The hotel manager is a Yeti. Their eyesight picks up on detail better than anybody.” Tristan said. “Well in the course of the interview, he says Dr. Ulrich didn’t mention anything about wife, just talked about being in town for some secret project. All cagey like.” He paused. “You do know what Dr. Ulrich is known for right?” Tristan asked.
“Yeah...of course...” Rose bluffed.
“Right. Well the manager says Dr. Ulrich briefly left then came back. Upon the return, Dr. Ulrich seemed different. His body language you know? Came off nervous, scared, jittery. The strange thing is he wasn’t alone. He returned with a guy by the name of Crumble McGee. Allegedly into all sort of schemes but he’s mostly known for his weapon contracts with the government. Here’s the kicker: everywhere I looked Crumble McGee was a no go. Someone didn’t want me to investigate him.”
“Wow.”
“Exactly. I was only able to dig up one lead, something by the name of PROJECT F You ask me, find Crumble, you find the truth. Maybe even the culprit.”
“That’s incredible.” Rose said.
“That’s nothing. If what you found is good enough, I’ll tell you about some evidence which was sealed for the trial.”
“I can’t wait.” Rose said. She walked closer and looked over her shoulder. “I found...what I found when I went into the suite completely turned this case on its head.” she whispered. Tristan nodded. “I arrived in the suite, which was the location I decided to search, with the intention of locating a clue or evidence or something to indicate the truth. What I found...” Rose let out a whistle. “I found something that opened my eyes and revealed so much to me. It was like wow this is informative and revelatory.”
“Okay...and what was it?”
“Everything. And yet nothing, but mostly everything. Truly, the moment I came across what I found, I had to reevaluate all the work I had done. Not just on this case, but my entire life.”
“What specifically did you find?” Tristan asked, his voice raised slightly. Rose looked over her shoulder again.
“I found...a giant...huge...massive...load of Pegasus plop.” Rose stepped back and folder her arms. “Crumble McGee? Seriously?” Tristan unsuccessfully tried to hold back a smile.
“What? He’s a real guy. We had lunch last week.” he said.
“By the way, I already spoke to the Yeti, and he wasn’t deposed at all. And guess what, I’ve already narrowed down who was so your attempt to hide it during the trial failed. You really thought that would work?.”
“Interesting.” Tristan slowly nodded and moved his lips to the side. “You can’t blame me for trying! You know what’s better than an even trade? When I get something for nothing.”
“Because that’s all you have. Nothing.”
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“I probably found five things, on the way to the suite, more significant than anything you discovered since being put on the case.” he said. Rose bit her lip and looked at the ground.
“I can’t believe you would say that to me.” Rose looked up and pulled an envelope out of her jacket. “That confirms this must be super important.” Tristan tilted his head and furrowed his brow. He patted his suit jacket. Rose smiled as he reached inside but came up empty handed.
“Fair play.” he said.
“Save your applause.” Rose said. She put her fists on her hips. “I want answers.”
----------------------------------------
“This is unreal.” Rose said. She clenched her jaw and tapped her foot.
“What? You’re not hungry?” Tristan asked. He took a large bite out of hunk of charred meat wrapped in a thin layer of bread and covered with spices. A large ogre with bushy eyebrows, covered his eyes, stood behind the cart and offered similar food to Rose. She shook her hand and Tristan handed the chef some gaeld. “You need a menu?” Tristan pointed to Rose and the ogre gave her a stain splotched menu. She wrinkled her nose and put it away in her bag.
“Considering Diroot Vale is one of the richest and most exclusive areas of Aesos, I didn’t think ‘talk over dinner’ meant find the greasiest, only street cart around.” Rose said.
“Right? That’s why I love Tronk. He’s got carts everywhere. No snobbery can stop the man. Can they Tronk?” Tronk, shook his head.
“I thought lawyers were all fancy dinners and high end lifestyles. Not...whatever you are.” Rose said. Tristan shrugged.
“That’s probably true.” Tristan finished his food and patted his stomach. “So good.” He said, and as he spoke bits of food flew from his mouth. Rose curled her lips and leaned away.
“Can we just get this over with?” she asked.
“You’re the one asking the questions.” Tristan said. He walked away from the cart and Rose followed him to a nearby bench in front of an elaborate fountain; water shout from a center sculpture of a woman holding a sword and he head of a Minotaur.
“Honestly. You people.” The voice said as Rose studied the fountain. Tristan sat down and Rose walked in front of him.
“What was all that back there? Why were you being chased by armed soldiers?”
“Guards, not soldiers.” Tristan said sharply. “I was doing my job. Same as you, just less arson. I attempted to acquire some information which was of interest to my firm’s client, and a couple of surly fellas didn’t appreciate my inquisitive nature.”
“That’s really how you want to play things?” Rose asked. “Fine by me.” Rose pulled the envelope back out. The front was entirely blank, and on the back side a wax seal kept it shut. Tristan partially looked away as she ripped the seal off. In the distance the horn of another train blared. Rose looked at the paper, and to her astonishment the markings were incomprehensible.
“Spell to obscure the content.” the voice said. “Luckily we’re not dependent on your clumsy eyes.” The markings seemed to come alive on the paper, changing and rearranging until they started to take the shape of words.
“What’s up with the color changing eyes thing? You a shifter?” Tristan asked. Rose ignored him and closed the envelope.
“Wow. I can see why your client wants this.” Rose worked hard to maintain a severe face, and not let the rolling in her stomach show. She managed to succeed in one bluff already today, Rose hoped she’d add a second to the list. “I happen to have a photographic memory so I’m fine with destroying it. I could use an incinerate spell right now if I wanted.”
“Since when can you do magic?” the voice asked.
“Shut up.” Rose hissed.
“I can’t just spill every detail. There are rules and ethical considerations.” Tristan said.
“Worried about being a blabbermouth as well as a thief? Wow you have a conscious after all.” Rose said.
“Sort of, but I’m more worried about the lethal consequences than the reputation hit.” Tristan said. Rose felt a slight urge to wince. She had no desire to put anyone, even Tristan, directly in harms way from her actions. Rose wasn’t sure if this was another of his tricks, but she was similarly unsure if she live with herself if it wasn’t.
“Fine, I’ll drop it. I’ll log this as a formal interview for the appeal, that way you’ll at least have an excuse.” Rose tapped her badge.
“Fine enough by me. Are we concluded?” Tristan said, his voice straining to remain pleasant. He held his hand out and Rose moved to place the envelope in his hand but snatched it back.
“Actually I have a couple of questions about the trial. There were quite a few irregularities.” She said.
“Irregularities? How have you not figured out yet that was entirely the norm? The strata of people we’re dealing with start with outcomes and then will reality to fit them. The trial was decided before the ink dried on the court order.” Tristan shook his head. Rose walked up to Tristan, a scowl on her face.
“That’s not happening with my cases.” she said.
“Maybe. But for your sake, you better be wrong.” Tristan said.
“Why was there no mention of the murder weapon in the court records? How is that even possible?” Rose asked.
“I just told you how it’s possible. As for why, your guess is as good as mine.” Tristan said.
“What was the weapon?”
“Can’t tell you.” Tristan held up his hand before Rose could start. “All of that was sealed when my firm came on board. Even Ulrich won’t say it was. I will say though, it takes a tremendous amount of influence to bury something like that.”
“You think it could have been the Judge or Mayor?”
“Either someone part of the system or with a ton of weight to throw at it. More than just some noble with gaeld in their pockets. Couldn’t begin to guess who though.”
“And somehow your little game of hide and find is involved.” Rose said. She tapped her chin and stared at the ground. “Is it possible this could tie back to whoever hid the weapon?”
“It’s a certainty this interview is over and I want my envelope back. How about you hand it over?” Tristan asked. Rose waved the envelope around.
“I have a lot more I need to know before you get this back.” Rose said as she waved the envelope around. “Someone hid a murder weapon in a case where nobody seems to know any details but we wound up with a swift verdict.” Rose forced a laugh. “We haven’t even-” Tristan had gone from standing a few feet away to being right in Rose’s face before she even noticed. He held a tight grip on Rose’s arm and lifted it into the air; the envelope still in her hand.
“Do not overplay your hand. Not everyone will be a nice as I am when you ask those types of questions.” He said. Tristan’s voice was stern and uncomfortably calm. Pale gray eyes glared at Rose and she felt a chill. “If I wanted this back by force, I’d have taken it by now. So let’s play nice and end on good terms.” Rose felt her breathing shallow and a weakness in the knees. She hadn’t known Tristan for long, but his current level of intensity clashed with his normally glib demeanor. Rose watched Tristan’s eyes briefly break away from her before returning just as focused. He let go of her arm. “We have to go.”
“What?” Rose whispered. She was so shaken she could barely get the word out. Tristan ignored her and walked briskly away from the fountain and across the street. Rose finally got her legs to work and by the time she caught up, a train had nearly arrived. Tristan didn’t wait for it to stop, he hopped onto the stairs as one of the cars passed by and turned around to hold out his hand. Rose hesitated but as the train continued to move, she ran grabbed onto Tristan. As they made contact, Rose took a brief look back at the street. The guards from the suite were standing in front of the alley which lead to the Obsidian Resort. Tristan pulled her on to the train and didn’t let go until they found the first empty seats in the car.
“Keep a low profile.” Tristan said as they sat down. With no passengers at the stop, the train picked up speed and continued its route. He sunk low in his chair, but kept an eye on the window. Outside the sunset had dwindled and a starry night sky reigned overhead.
“Hotel security?” Rose asked.
“Private.” Tristan said. “Hand me the envelope. We’ll ride to the next station and separate.”
“If I hand this over you’ll leave me to the hellwolves.” Rose said.
“Listen, that’s not the type of security you hire because you’re worried about a pick pocket. You don’t want to be caught with that envelope. Believe me, I’m doing you a favor.”
“They’re looking for you, not me. Plus, we’re leaving them behind.” Rose said. She began digging around in her bag. Tristan raised an eyebrow and she pulled the bag further out of sight and continued to work. The train lurched as it made an abrupt stop, which cause Rose to nearly fall out of her seat. A spectral projection of the conductor in translucent blue appeared.
“We apologize passengers we have a late arrival to board and then we’ll be on our way.” she said before the projection disappeared.
“Let’s get off. Now.” Tristan said. He pointed to the window and Rose saw the last of the security guards enter the train from the rear; only two cars back from where Tristan and Rose sat. They rushed to the exit doors but the train lurched as it resumed the route and the doors locked refused to open as Tristan pushed. They returned to their seats just as the door to the car on the far end opened and one of the guards entered.
Rose sat opposite Tristan and watched his hands tense as he gripped the arm rest. Rose turned her head as slight as she could and tried to watch the guard. He walked forward slowly in an attempt to avoid panic and tried to check each passenger. Tristan’s leg twitched as the guard moved closer; he was four rows away from where they sat. Rose wondered what, if anything, Tristan planned to do if the guard happened upon them. The guard neared and Rose saw Tristan slowly reach into his suit jacket pocket. Her heart pounded. Should she help, or try to cause another distraction?
Rose heard the footsteps from the guard’s boots followed by a lot of rustling and talking. Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw several passengers stand up. Some stretched, others gathered their luggage, but all physically blocked the guard and caused him to move back in order to get out of the way. Rose immediately turned to Tristan. She saw his body relax and he nodded towards the door to another car. As the riders exited, they used the cover to slip inside.
This was a dormitory car which little seating at far end and several beds attached to the wall. A long counter with various food items and dishes filled the other side of the car and the windows had long shades pulled down. The car was longer than any of the others Rose had seen so far. Towards the front were two small tables with a couple of chairs pulled up.
“Who did you steal from?” Rose said. “This is ridiculous.”
“Someone very persistent, it seems.” Tristan said.
“We should have gotten off at that stop.” Rose replied.
“It’s a carriage pick up spot. All flat land with no cover. They would have seen us from the windows.” Tristan said. He walked over to the table in order to look out of the window. “Nobody we care about got off. Let’s-” The door to the car opened and the same guard from earlier walked inside. Rose was sitting with her back to him and Tristan tented his hands then put his head down.
“Look at the route posted on the wall. We’re coming up on Nanrior Forest right?” He said, barely above a whisper. Rose looked up at the map high on the wall across from them and nodded. “Stay here. Do nothing to call attention.” Rose heard the footsteps again, this time faster as the train passed into the thicket.
It’s said the trees of Nanrior have the most beautiful leaves of any flora in Aesos; they changed appearance depending on the current Moon. As the train approached Nanrior Forest, Rose saw no reason to doubt the stories. The leaves were exquisite; they had taken a crescent shape and even at a distance, Rose could see their dark blue glow gave off an other worldly feel. They had been uprooted and replanted in the most luxurious part of Aesos, not without controversy, and created the most gorgeous scenery Rose had ever laid eyes on. They are also said to be so voluminous and to grow so large that the first explorers who had found the tress, and wandered under their canopy unaware, went mad due to the darkness. When the train passed under the tress, the car went pitch black. Not just the night sky, but the actual light in the train seemed to disappear. Rose heard muffled voices express amazement in the other car. She held her breath until the train pulled out of the first set of trees and the torch lighting resumed. Tristan was gone from his seat.
She flicked her eyes across the train and saw Tristan crouched next to the counter staring in the direction of the guard. The train traveled under another growth of Nanrior trees and back into darkness. When it passed, Tristan was gone again. Rose considered turning her head to track him, or help somehow, but the footsteps grew closer and her nerves held Rose in place. The footsteps stopped and Rose could feel the presence of someone standing right behind her.
“Don’t get caught unawares at least. Defend yourself, and thus me.” the voice said. Rose exhaled and turned around. The guard stood above her and stared down. The train flew into the final portion of the forest and darkness enveloped the car. When light returned this time, Tristan had his arms around the guard; one around the neck and the other held something into his chest. The guard flailed weakly as Tristan dragged him to a bed. He covered the guard’s now limp body with one of the provided blankets.
Rose could only stare, eyes wide, at what she just witnessed. Or what she witness the end of, at least. She was unsure if the guard was dead, something she’d never seen happen in front of her eyes before, and felt a mixture of fear and dizziness.
“Did you see those leaves? They really are everything people said they were.” Tristan said. He looked up and pointed at the map. “Two more stops, then the train goes through a portal to wind up Oakenvale Bluffs where everyone goes back to the city. That’s when we split up. You catch a ride to anywhere from there.”
“You’re just going act normal? As if you didn’t just kill someone?” Rose asked incredulous.
“Yeah, because I didn’t kill anyone. He’s fine...probably.” Tristan said.
“I need to get off this train.” Rose said.
“Three stops.” Tristan said. “Oh and...” he held out his hand.
“Only when we’re home free.” Rose said flatly.
“You still don’t trust me?” Tristan asked. Rose studied him for a moment. He was full of surprises, for good or ill, but more importantly, Rose was beginning to feel as if she could indeed trust him. He was liar and sneak, yes, but he wasn’t a backstabber. As she took the envelope out of her bag, the door from the car the had just left opened. Rose spun around, but only an older Elf couple wandered in and over to the counter. She exhaled and Tristan smiled then motioned to head to the next car. He grabbed the handle, and when Tristan pulled the door open, he and Rose stood face to face with security guard.
Tristan and the guard both needed a moment to register their surprise, but Tristan acted first. He slammed the palm of his hand into the guard’s chin, which knocked the helmet and his head up and back, before Tristan sent a brutal punch to the guard’s throat. As he reeled, Tristan pulled him into the dorm car. The guard, who was taller and had weight on Tristan, reacted by pulling the smaller man into a bear hug and driving him into one of the small tables.
“Couple....couple...” Tristan managed to say while the guard tried to rain elbows down on his head. Rose turned and saw the elderly couple chatting pleasantly on the other side of the train car, seemingly unaware of the current situation. She ran to the counter and frantically searched for what Tristan might have been referring to, until she noticed the couple’s place setting.
“Hi!” Rose said as sweetly as she could while she tried to catch her breath. “Did you see those Nanrior leaves. Oh my Myr. So beautiful. Mind if I borrow this? Thanks.” Rose picked up a large serrated knife, used for cutting meat, from the table.
“By all means...allow me.” the voice said. Rose felt her right arm twitch and she switched the knife to that hand. Immediately, she flipped it into in the air, and before a rotation finished, she grabbed the handle and threw the knife towards the other end of the car. It was the smoothest and slickest motion Rose had ever, sort of, performed. She watched, mouth agape as the knife cut through the air and hit the guard in the exposed neck with a soft ‘thwick’ noise. He seized up then his body fell on top on Tristan, who was still on his back on the table. Tristan turned and looked at Rose, his own mouth open and his brow furrowed.
“Why are you so destructive?” he said.
“What in the name of Myr was that?” Rose hissed. She looked down and away from Tristan.
“I don’t know. I’m still feeling a bit...vigorous...after this morning.” the voice replied.
“We’ll deal the whole ghost of a murder machine inside of me concept later.” Rose said.
Rose turned back to the couple who smiled, still unaware of the events, then rushed over to Tristan. He was tucking the guard into bed with the one he stabbed earlier.
“I was saying to keep them distracted to not cause a panic. Not add to your kill count. Don’t think I didn’t see that guard on fire back in the suite.”
“Have we not gotten past two stops yet. Where is this train even going?!” Rose threw her hands up. Tristan motioned for her to calm down.
“It’s big lavish tour through Diroot Vale so all the not quite nobles can bask in luxury. Don’t worry we’re coming up on a stop now, then one more to home.” he said.
“Why not just hop off at the next stop? These guys are everywhere.” Rose said.
“The train is on a loop, and the closer we to the start the more City Watch is around. We get through the portal, we get back to the city, and it’s easier to lose them.” Tristan opened the door to the next car, and after a pause, walked through. The car Rose followed him into was larger and far more crowded than the last passenger car. Riders talked quietly and children played near the aisle as Rose looked for an open seat. The only two unoccupied chairs were end seats on opposite sides of the car. Rose took a seat, leaned back into her chair, and closed her eyes. She had left the apartment with visions of getting a tour around the building, learning how to fill out legal paperwork, and maybe even making a friend for lunch. Nowhere in her imagination did Rose even contemplate fleeing from attackers on a train with a smarmy lawyer.
“Excuse me passengers.” the voice of the conductor broke through Rose’s musing. She looked up and the translucent projection stood at the head of the car again. “We apologize for the inconvenience but this train will need to return to the home station for repairs. Our upcoming stop will be the last on the normal route. After this, the train will hit end of the line at Bartofft Plaza where a spellhop will take you to any hotel pickup location in the city. Once more we apologize and thank your for riding Diroot Line.” The projection disappeared and Rose sat up. She leaned into the aisle to talk with Tristan.
“Is that good or bad for us?” she asked.
“Very bad. It’s not a regular stop, so the spellhop will be the only way out. We’ll be cornered. No choice but to get off here.” he said. A passenger walked by and Rose leaned back into her seat to get out of the way. She looked back at Tristan to ask a question, but caught his pained expression. She turned around and saw three guards had entered the car.
“They don’t give up.” Rose moaned.
“Not if they want to remain employed, or alive.” Tristan said. “Stick to the crowd as we exit for cover.” Rose nodded. She hesitated then dug into her bag and pulled out the envelope. Rose flipped it open as she felt the train slow down for the stop. Tristan stood up, but promptly sat back down.
“What’s wrong?” Rose asked. She closed the envelope and placed it on her lap.
“Nobody is getting off.” Tristan said, his voice was hushed exasperated. Rose glanced around the car. All the other passengers continued to sit unbothered by the stop; a few were putting their luggage back into the carriers.
“They probably all plan to use the portal. It’s more direct.” Rose said.
“It’s also going to leave us entirely exposed.” Tristan said. Rather than move through the crowed train car, the guards stood posted at the door. Rose felt her stomach churn as the train slowed to a stop and she heard the doors disengage. Should they just run and hope to find some way to shake the guards if they followed or could they hide out until they could convince the spellhop to send them somewhere? There wasn’t much time to decide.
Sitting two rows away, a child coughed, and Rose watched his mother chide him for not using his silk handkerchief to cover his mouth. Rose turned to Tristan.
“Be ready.” she said. He furrowed his brow as she looked down, turned her head to the side, and cupped a hand to the side of her mouth. “What do you mean you have Wizard Rash?” Rose yelled in a deep voice. “Highly contagious? And you touched everything in this car?” she shouted. It took a moment before whispering started, then full panic broke out. Wizard Rash was a mild, but highly annoying and contagious disease. Overuse of magic would cause a person to develop a rash which was incredibly itchy, and induced feelings of extreme giddiness in the afflicted. Rose had obviously never worried about getting it, but knew how much normal magic users hated coming down with a case. The disease also caused a temporary block on use of magic for whoever caught it, which was a frightening prospect for the very rich people who used magic to become very rich.
Passengers began to shriek and hop out of their seats. Parents pulled their children towards the exits and others ripped their luggage down from the overhead containers. Tristan and Rose jumped to their feet as panicked riders rushed to the doors. In back of the car, the guards were held in place by the amount of people pouring into the aisle. The doors opened, and someone swinging luggage as they ran out of the train around hit Rose, which knocked her into the wall. The trunk the man carried hit her arm, which forced it to swing upward, and the pain caused Rose to lose her grip on the envelope. Instinctively, she stopped to soothe her arm and was pushed into the wall by the fleeing horde of riders. Rose was pinned and helpless to do anything but watch as the envelope was trampled by someone dragging a suitcase which pulled it off the train.
The crowd finally thinned and Rose escaped from the wall just as the doors closed. She heard the locks reengage and rushed to the window. Outside Tristan looked around until he saw her watching him from the window. He held up the battered envelop and saluted before he disappeared into the crowd. Rose shook his head.
“Why am I not surprised?” Rose asked no one in particular. The train lurched forward and picked up speed towards the new final stop. Rose stepped back from the window, content to find a seat and figure out how she could get home, when she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder.