All the cogs had finally slid into place.

It took another day of preparation but they were finally ready to get out there. Ulgrin had been met with the fact that only one of his companions actually owned a tent and had to dip into his savings. His poor, poor coin purse. It was still alive and kicking, but gouges and chunks had been carved into it by this hellish city.

Everything needed to be considered. Things like rope, camping supplies, healing potions, bandages, rations, and even soap had to be properly purchased and tracked. His experience as a scribe was a godsend, and Ulgrin quickly had everything properly recorded down and marked for consumption.

All at a premium because prices here weren’t the best. Who charges so much silver for dried mushrooms?! Practically half of his day had been spent yelling at merchants and trying to get the best price.

Ulgrin returned to the Dripstone Delve later the next morning, having secured passage northwards.

He found his companions lazing away the day. Or rather, two of them were playing cards while Alyss seemed to be brewing up something sweet-smelling in her portable alchemy supplies. He’d grit his teeth and pulled the arrow on that matter, purchasing her some good equipment to keep the human satisfied and working at her best.

It was an investment. Or so he hoped.

Waiting for them as well was their newest companion. The rusthound was a fluffy creature, more like a fox than anything. Excitably little thing, with a thick coat of brown fur. A layer of black and white surrounding its face, forming a ‘mask’ of sorts. At its rear lay a ringed tail with a similar black and white color pattern.

“Saezz greets our leader,” the lizardfolk said upon noticing him. “You have finished?” He slowly pet the rusthound, having claimed the rights to name her ‘Thornbush’. Or, Thorn for short.

“I have.” Ulgrin replied. “Get all your things in order. We’re heading out in ten minutes. Interestingly enough, I managed to get a spot on the new train carriage!”

“Train carriage?” Raelza echoed, sweeping a small pile of copper into her pouch. Saezz seemed to have lost pretty handily.

“A new method of transportation.” The dwarf replied, proudly. “The finest Dunvi engineering, and the first of its kind. Their prototypes carrying workers to the mines have been approved. It seems they’ve finished the first stretch connecting the mountainhomes together. There’s now a railroad in the mountain passes between Vunverdern and Fort Balbedur.”

Saezz grunted. “Those things smell too much for Saezz’s liking. He can notice their scent from halfway across the city.”

Alyss perked up. “They’re actually quite ingenious. Just a simple chemical reaction, yet it can pull a hundred tons of iron! Isn’t it amazing? All without magic.”

Raelza gave him an eyeful. “Are you sure that thing can hold Wreath? And our new dog, for that matter?” Thorn gave a little yip, taking offense to being called a dog.

“I asked and they have cars dedicated for animals as well.” He replied. “Wreath should be able to fit in one of the horse-sized pens.”

The drow nodded, standing up. “I’ll get my stuff and have the old boy saddled up.”

With that the party began gathering their things and preparing for the trip. Ulgrin dropped off the last of the coin to Lionel and said his goodbyes. The party traveled through the streets at a relaxed pace. His tickets said to arrive by twelfth bell, so they had plenty of time to meander and get some sightseeing in. The group wandered through opulent streets of gold and marble, watched street performers play their tricks, and ate an early lunch at a simple market stall.

Delicious kebabs. He noticed hints of strong spice and roasted vegetables. Wolfing it down, Ulgrin watched in amusement as his less fortitudinous party members struggled with. He and Saezz remained champions, but Raelza was a surprising second. Alyss turned bright red behind her glasses before they could get a cold mug of milk for the poor human.

Together they arrived at the ‘station’ where rows of steam engines sat on metal tracks slatted with fungiwood. Truly the best example of Vunverdern’s industrial might.

Each of the large trains rivaled the might of the thunderers.

His eyes ran across steel wheels and gears. The main engine itself was massive, sporting a rough and blocky design. Atop its nose was a chimney from which black smoke erupted. Every car seemed to be made primarily of iron and wood, with the more delicate bits constructed or a mixmash of bronze and steel.

Hundreds of workers darted this way and that, ensuring the vessel’s maiden voyage went as smoothly as possible. He noticed several noble-looking individuals and their entourage boarding a notably fancier car closer to the front. Government officials as well, military too.

They weren’t alone. Plenty of less well-off folk were waiting, a crowd forming in the square behind the tracks.

It took some hassling to convince Wreath to board the cattle wagon, but together they managed to entice the thornshield on board. Done with that, the party showed their own tickets and got on as well.

The passenger car was a simple affair. Wooden benches lined either side of a central hallway, separated only by thin barriers. It was a bit of a squeeze with all four of them, but they fit just barely. Ulgrin tried to ignore the fact that he was squeezed into the wall by a massive lizardman.

Windows allowed one to watch as the trains were loaded up. More passengers boarded and they were soon on their way.

A whistle rang through the air, and they could feel the sheer power beneath their feet as the engine kicked into gear. It picked up speed, wheels turning swiftly. The ground below them began to move as the train took a path northwards. The cavernous hallway had only recently been excavated, still bearing the marks of pickaxes.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Cheers rang through the crowd behind him as they disappeared down the tunnel. And then they were off.

Stone ran by them at speed. Not as fast as a horse could sprint, but considerably faster than a walk. Ulgrin watched the shadowed tunnel go by, lit by internal lanterns. Peeking out, he saw a large magelight had been constructed at the front of the train and lit their path forwards well enough.

“Well. That was exciting.” Ulgrin said, relaxing in his seat.

“Kind of anticlimactic,” Raelza said with a shrug. “Sure the first few minutes were great, but now we’re just stuck in a blank tunnel.”

Alyss poked her, being seated across from the two males. “Just because you’re not satisfied doesn’t mean we aren’t. It beats sitting in a wagon going down the same tunnel! At least we’re making good speed. This is fast!”

Saezz gave a deep rumble. “It is unsettling. Nothing in the wild fills Saezz with such fear, save for something like a Thunderbird or a Fang Titan. This machination of steel rivals their might. It is an ill omen. Only the Spirits of the land possess such power to go beyond them.”

“You’re overreacting. This holds nothing to their power.” Alyss replied. “This doesn’t even approach what they’re capable of producing within’ their demesne. Gods even more so.”

Ulgrin contemplated that for a moment. Religion was a complicated subject. Spirits, or ‘little gods’, were beings of pure spiritual power. They lacked a body to properly express themselves. Scholars theorized that humanoids were made up of ‘Body, Mind, and Soul.’

Spirits were entities that possessed a Body that spontaneously came to possess a Soul. There were many examples of such things. The mountains possessed them, large forests did, rivers, and bodies of water. The land they occupied was known as their ‘demesne’ and these Spirits were capable of causing great change within their areas of influence.

Maintaining a good relationship with the Spirits of the land was important for communities. Small villages regularly paid homage to these beings. Some were small, only possessing large hills. Others could take up entire ecosystems under their banner.

Gods on the other hand were concepts that gained impetus. These were Souls that attained Mind, primarily through humanoid belief. Whether it was accidental or through purpose, a portion of faith had granted them presence long ago. Far before the Shattering they had been created.

What remained were the Gods, existing in their own plane of existence alongside ours. It was a bit blurry, considering cultural differences. Each of the Gods were not quite solid and single entities. They were more like a canvas upon which many shades of the same color were painted.

One town of dwarves might worship the God of Stone while another would worship the God of Earth. They were the same being, only at the same time not.

He was no priest, so it was a bit beyond him. Magic made things strange. He’d read a biographical retelling of two Avatars of slightly different Gods being summoned at the same time. The entities were separate yet wholly in tandem with one another. Scholars surmised that it was, in fact, humanoids who gave them perspective. They were naturally refracted beings, only capable of being focused when brought to this realm.

Whatever the case, they were powerful. May you bless this journey, whatever Gods of Invention are listening. “It is hubris to think we could reach such heights,” Ulgrin replied. “No, I’m fairly comfortable with achieving what the Ancients did. That seems like a fairly good stopping place.”

“Enough talk about this boring nonsense. How are we going to pass the time?” Raelza asked.

Saezz promptly pulled out a deck of cards. “This one believes he is owed a rematch.”

The four of them busied away the hours with games and chatter. The cabin around them likewise settled into a comfortable murmur as the grandeur of such an event wore off. Ulgrin was glad he had splurged and purchased seats here. It would not have been a good ride in the back cars, packed like ingots into a crate.

Several hours and bathroom breaks later (which involved entering a cramped room and defecating through a hole in the floor), they could see light ahead. Blinding light filled the tunnel ahead of them. Ulgrin shut his eyes tight.

When he opened them, he was met with a beautiful vista. To their left side the open world awaited. Only a few hours and they’d traveled dozens of miles through stone. Now the train coasted along the mountain’s side. The horizon lay before them, leagues of hills and valleys.

Distantly they could see the shores of the Channel of the Star. Its glittering cerulean depths. The falling western sun known as ‘Uli’ had begun its descent, casting blue-ish white rays across the land. Behind it, his larger brother ‘Kili’ remained as slow as ever. Forever chasing his kin in their playful celestial dance. Kili was a dark orange bordering on red, causing the sunset to take on a purple hue.

His companions and fellow passengers were equally as stunned. All the while their train compartment rumbled along, the railroad taking them at a quick pace. This was worth it all.

Even if he never accomplished anything else, Ulgrin was satisfied here. This was what it was all meant for. His first glimpse of a world he’d only heard of in stories. Truly beautiful. The memory of this journey would never leave him. Thank you for this opportunity, Grandfather. To new beginnings!

The silence eventually left as people gathered their wits. After another hour of waiting and watching the suns fall, he heard the creaking of wooden wheels.

Several crewmembers were walking down the hall, pushing a cart along. The smell of stew filled the cabin and he and his companions had worked up quite an appetite with all the nothing they had done. Truly exhausting work. Each of them were given a bowl and spoon.

Not the best meal, he had to admit. Too much salt, not enough meat. Way too many leeks. But it was food and he had never turned down a meal. Satisfied, he continued to watch the horizon wash by them.

Only… did it just get darker? Ulgrin paused. “Clouds ahead? Hope it ain’t gonna storm. These windows don’t have any coverings. It’d be a bit of a bitch to have sleet pour on us. Especially me.” He bemoaned his seat, for all that it gave him a better view of the surroundings.

Raelza shrugged, sticking her head completely out the window and looking up. Then she froze. “Um. Boss, that isn’t a cloud.”

“What the hells do you mean, drow?” He asked, struggling to do the same. Not quite as flexible as she was.

“I mean, there’s a flock above us! A big one!” She called, panic filling her voice.

“How big?” Alyss asked, confused.

Ulgrin found himself pinned against the window as Saezz leaned over. “Too big. It’s a migration flight.” Eventually the dwarf managed to pull himself free and look up towards the heavens.

At first glance it appeared to be a dark cloud. Upon further inspection one would see it moving. Hundreds of creatures flew together, packed so tightly they cast a shadow over the land. He narrowed his eyes and saw they were a horde of pterosaurs. Winged dinosaurs, each one with a flightspan of at least fifteen feet.

By this point, the rest of the train had noticed their rude guests. A whistle had begun to send out its shrill cry and he cursed. Wouldn’t that only attract the beasties?

Indeed, some inquisitive flyers had broken off from the flock to fly closer. He could identify them as pteranodons by their long and thin crests. “Listen up,” he said, reaching into his bag. “If ye’ve got armor, put it on. We’re about to have company. Guess they forgot their tickets.”

“Oh fuck,” Alyss said, digging around in her satchel to pull forth bombs. “Nobody said there was gonna be a migration!”

Saezz shrugged. “It is no easy thing to predict.” He grinned, showing his teeth. “They will be worthy prey.”

Raelza grunted. “I hope Wreath and Thorn are going to be alright. That train car is sealed, yeah?” She drew a large crossbow from the straps on her backpack and strung it. “Things are about to get real complicated.” She quickly pulled on an iron breastplate and dusty leathers, eyes on the sky.

“This may not be a ruin,” Ulgrin said, trying to remain confident and act as a leader. “But a fight is a fight. We work together, we fight together. Don’t run off on your own, you hear? This is our first test. So do it well.” He quickly pulled on his own armor and shoved his helmet on.

The air around them was suddenly filled with the screams of predators.

He took a deep breath, hand gripping his ancestral warhammer tightly. Shouts could be heard from the other train cars, the guards stationed preparing their own weapons. Could it have been that expensive to install a ballista on this damn train? Damnable cheap-skates.

Suddenly the pterosaurs were upon them.

The quartet is assembled! The party moves onwards! Fun fact: rusthounds are based off of the Japanese raccoon dog, or at least that's how I envision them. Isn't Thorn so cute? Just dashing little creatures. I love them. Side note, we're at 10 chapters! I've officially hit the halfway point in the Writathon and boy has this been a ride. Thank you all for the support and reading my stuff.

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Lexicon of Words and Terms Used:

Gods and Spirits - Beings of substantial power. Worship and homage is paid to them in return for boons and blessings. A small amount of mana is lost when offering prayer, disappearing to their realms.

Uli and Kili - The brother stars that move through the heavens. Technically most cultures have their own words for the stars, but the Dunvi ones are what Ulgrin is most used to. One is a Blue Giant O-type star and is farther away while the other is a Red Dwarf (heh) M-type star.

Pterosaurs - A clade of flight-capable reptiles. The species in question are Pteranodons, a particularly large brand. The males possess wingspans of up to six meters! Quite deadly to a bunch of train-riding civilians.