Leo and Heidi
Han’s farm, Germany
The next morning came like any other. The sun rose high above the tree-line early before 7 AM and shone through the small house’s windows. As Leo should have expected it in his sleep, a stray ray of light shone straight in his eye, blinding him - first thing in the morning.
“Urgh,” he groaned and turned on the other side of the small sofa he passed out on, finishing eating the sandwiches yesterday evening. Peeling an eyelid open, he looked around the room and saw that he was the only one there. He got up, stretched, and walked out of the room toward the kitchen area, finding everyone already having breakfast and chatting.
“Morning,” Evan said, raising a cup of coffee in his direction.
“Good morning,” Leo responded grumpily and sat down next to Heidi. “Why are you all up so early?” he asked, taking a slice of black bread and starting to spread butter on it, to proceed with adding pepperoni slices and cheese.
“Because, boy, we need to get to the bus on time to leave this forsaken place. I would have gone to wake you up in a few minutes if you had not come. But then you would get no breakfast,” Seb replied, smirking.
“Uh, alright,” Leo grunted, not loving the early morning hours. Everyone proceeded to have breakfast in a normal, family-like manner, save for Hans who had gone to do whatever farmer jobs he had to in the morning. This made Leo think how nice it was that he had found people he got along with and that his life had not looked so bleak since escaping from Berlin.
Enjoying the warm early summer sun on his back, that shone through the window, Leo could not believe that yesterday he had allegedly almost died. Things just seemed - normal for once. Gone were the nights he spent hiding in the back of a commercial truck running like a common criminal.
His blissful thoughts were interrupted by Seb who asked playfully, “What do you think, boy? You are thinking that all of it just blew over your head and you are safe and sound finally?”
Frowning, Leo answered, “No, Sebastian. I thought for a second how nice it was to have a quiet morning among friends. Until you ruined it, that is. So what do you mean? Nobody explained to me yesterday before I passed out. What is the plan?”
“The plan is simple, boy. We are on the run. No place is safe as you have become Europe's most wanted kid. Not that they will print out your photo and start plastering it everywhere. But trust me, if they see you or me, for that matter, they will be in our hair in a second. And no Bishop will come to get us this time, I believe, after that clusterfuck of performance that fool Leonard left behind.”
Leo was quiet for a moment, chewing over what Seb had said. All of the illusion of safety evaporated. “Got it. We run. Though I am not fine with that. Sure, I am a little kid in your eyes not knowing any better. So I will ask - what options do I have? How do I make this stop?”
“Stop?” Seb laughed. “They will not stop. Not on your account. What happened to that little speech to make the world a better place? The only way you can make them stop is by eradicating the force that drives these fanatics.”
“And that is how?” he asked, feeling that the punchline of a bad joke coming. He was right.
“By beating back that shithead of a Pope. You know this.”
“And how do I do that? By sitting around and meditating? The crystals were not a big help, you know?” Leo said, offended and frustrated by the lack of brains in the room providing a solution, his included.
“Leo,” Heidi began calmly. “You are wrong. The crystals were a huge help. You just haven't seen it yet. Give it time. Trust me.”
Leo looked at her for a second and bit in his sandwich, thinking. More silence followed, the mood becoming gloomier.
“Alright, that is it, boys and girls, “ Seb said and got up from his simple wooden chair. “We are leaving in ten minutes. Wash your face and get ready for the road. A long walk is ahead of us. Evan, get that cash ready. Let's not flash the spatial bag around. Never know who is watching. Also, change your clothes to something baggier, get some hats and so on. You know, to hide your faces.” Finishing his little impromptu speech, he left the kitchen area and went out to find Hans and thank him for his hospitality.
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“What he said,” Evan nodded to everyone in the room and went after Seb.
“Don't beat yourself up, Leo,” Heidi said, getting up as well. “This is only the beginning of your journey.” She smiled and left the room. Meanwhile, Leo stayed at the table, chewing his breakfast. A lump formed in his throat. ‘Hopefully not a brief one,’ he thought, taking another bite.
- - -
They walked out on the road, just next to the small German farm, and waved their goodbyes to good old Hans, who waved back at them. Standing just over to the border of his little farm, he breathed a sigh of relief, as the little group left.
The trip to the bus was uneventful as it should be. To Leo’s surprise, everyone kept to themselves as they put the meters behind them. Even Evan, who normally would be blabbing some nonsense, was quiet and stared straight ahead of him, marching quietly.
As they arrived at the bus stop, Leo stopped and looked around to his left and then to his right. All he saw was the blue sky and planted fields with wheat, no soul in sight. “Are you sure we are at the right place?” he asked looking at the old, run-down wooden bench behind him, which could not hold a single soul without breaking.
“Yes,” Seb said, nodding to an old, rusty Mercedes bus slowly coming their way from out of the horizon.
“Great,” Evan said. “Another crappy journey. As if the forest was not enough. And you call our country a backwater one.” Heidi turned to him and frowned, not saying anything.
“Let me do the talking,” Seb said, ignoring Evan, as the bus came closer to them and pulled to a stop, brakes squeaking.
“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” asked the driver in thick German. Leo noted the crazy gleam in his eye, and a wrapped bottle by his left side, sitting comfortably in a large cup holder. Observing the bus, he saw that no other passengers were present and they were the only ones to board the crazy old man's bus. He was around his sixties, dressed in worn, simple jeans and a checker-patterned shirt, sporting a red face as if he was holding his breath, which reeked of alcohol.
“Just some of your casual travelers. Having a look around through our glorious country,” Seb answered, getting inside the bus and pulling out a fifty euro banknote, handing it to the bus driver, holding it in his two fingers, as if giving a tip. “You do go to Freiburg if I am not mistaken?”
Looking at the bill, the driver smiled a big toothy smile, missing a few of the front teeth, and said, “But of course, kind traveler. To Freiburg. Though, be advised that the road will be a long one. I assume you want to keep from the big roads?”
It was Seb’s time to smile in return and nod toward the driver, “You are right. We were not here, you understand, right?”
“Sure, sure,” the driver said, taking the fifty from Seb’s hand and waving everyone to get inside. They got in, not saying a word, and sat at the back of the bus and got comfortable, for what started as one weird ride.
- - -
The ride to Freiburg turned out to be as uneventful as you would expect it to be. True to his word, the drunkard bus driver kept to the country roads, avoiding all and any traffic possible. Leo was too tired to feel any excitement about the plain German countryside in all its glory. So he decided to sleep through all of it. For some strange reason being unable to stay awake.
Leo peeled his eyelids open just about the same time the bus abruptly stopped and popped the doors open, Seb and the team swiftly exiting. Leo followed suit and gave the driver a sharp nod who in turn waved him off. Exiting the old bus, Leo was met by a picturesque old town, with beautiful buildings stretching across the horizon.
“Let’s get going,” Seb waved them ahead and moved away from the old town and its architectural pearls toward the more lively taxi station right next to the bus stop. Hailing a taxi, in record time, all of them got inside and Seb asked the driver to take them to the nearest car dealership that was open. In fifteen minutes, they exited the yellow Mercedes C-class sedan and walked inside a used car dealership with a big sign ToTos above the main door.
Seb walked in first and was immediately intercepted by a salesman, taking him further in to see the crossovers on sale, leaving Leo, Evan, and Heidi to their own devices.
“Good thing you cast that spell on us,” Evan said, glancing around at the cameras in the dealership.
“Is your glamour gonna hold up to electronic means?” Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, easily. It is a standard spell, based on fire and air,” Heidi replied, checking out a newer Mustang that sat comfortably near the entry of the dealership. Five minutes passed and Seb walked back, pair of car keys jingling in his hand.
“How did you manage to buy a car in less than ten minutes,” Leo asked, exiting the showroom behind Seb. With a brisk step, they arrived next to a black Volkswagen Atlas crossover with tinted windows.
“Nice,” Evan breathed, popping open the doors and getting in at the back, letting Seb drive and Leo shotgun in the front.
“Yes, well what can I say? Paying cash with a healthy tip does wonders,” Seb shrugged, fastening his seatbelt. “Get comfortable kiddos, this is going to be one long ride.”
“Yea, you never told us where we are going?” Leo asked, looking at the coordinates Seb entered in the CarPlay.
“Right, sorry about that. You, my boy, are going to Switzerland!” He laughed, looking at the slightly bewildered Leo. Before he could ask a question, Seb continued, “And not just any random part, but to Sternenberg, where you will meet the oldest living animal.”
Leo’s bewilderment turned to a frown, and he asked, “And what may that be?”
“A werewolf,” Seb answered with a grin and hit the gas.