The way ahead was bumpy, Figuratively and literally. The condition of the rails seemed unpredictable, some areas could only be passed at extremely low speeds while on others you could breeze by at 70mph. The rails out of the yard soon entered a forest, effectively turning Sam into a steam powered lawn mower for the overgrown tracks. Occasionally they passed barely recognizable ruined platforms, stopping occasionally to explore them.

  Now was one such expedition made by Bill. Sometimes he found a coal stockpile, which was promptly taken, other times it was assorted goods, things from steel sheets to assorted foodstuffs. The occasional keg of some form of alcohol was found, and stored in the boxcars with everything else. This pattern of looting and storing led to Sam finally getting out of the perceived “Railway Hell” which was the overgrown tracks of the forest.

  The two now found themselves in a large mountain valley, following tracks that snaked back and forth around medium sized rivers and short cliffs. In the distance Sam could see a small greyish brown dot appear with the rails leading all the way there. All Sam could guess was it was going to be their first city to arrive at.

“Hey bill?”, Sam asked.

“What do you want?”, Bill said, sitting in the egineeriers chair, half asleep.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“We got a city coming up, but not for a little bit, I would suggest preparing for social interaction.”

“Ha Ha, very funny Sam.”

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  It was a new morning in Plarta for Torth. Today was the day he was to visit the food stand to get his government mandated rations for the week, at least it was better than not getting anything at all. He was “nicely incentivized” to go to work as a guard for the Rockwater Guild’s branch building. Forced to stand in front of a door for hours on end, the only thing that helped him pass the time was what the iron rails that ran right through the guild building were for.

  There were stories of hulking metal constructs that used the rail to travel the world at impossible speeds, but they were relegated to myth and fiction. So he stood at the door, or he did until a watchman spotted a large plume of smoke rapidly approaching the city. A deep throaty Star Brass 5 Chime Whistle spread out across the valley, screaming out the presence of the approaching beast unlike anything before it.

  Frankly said, Torth was scared shitless. What he thought to be another lazy day turned into a revival of the iron beasts of yore. Thankfully he wasn’t one of the guards put on the rails, surely the beast going that fast couldn’t stop in time to preserve those guards lives. Soon enough the beast was discernible with sight, clad in orange and red paint with a shining silver cap on the front. Torth prayed for the guards on the rails.