Varis and I had gone outside with some of the cupcakes Mother had made for us. Inside, we could still hear the stern back and forth that Mother and Father were having as she began to set up the kitchen for tonight's meal. Despite being away from it, I can feel the tension.

Why are they fighting? I thought to myself as Varis and I walked over to the sycora tree at the edge of our property. The pink leaves on it are now fully in bloom as the crisp spring air gradually becomes warmer and warmer.

We have everything ready, so I understand why Mother wants to slow things down. To keep whatever bit of normality is left. Yet Father wants to leave as soon as possible to get to safety. Which I agree. Yet I don't want them to fight. Maybe I should've stepped in. Side with Papa, yet I don't want Momma to be mad.

I sighed softly as Varis and I sat at the base of the tree and looked out over the eastern valley. Faintly, we could see what looked to be supply lines of soldiers going to and fro from the mountains to Oren.

"Look at that." Varis said softly as he raised his hand and pointed to a convoy of…

Wait a second. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. Are those trucks? Like actual vehicles?

Along the road, four boxy trucks with canvas tops were carrying a mix of soldiers and what looked to be supplies. They were shoddy-looking things with very angular and blocky shapes mounted on thin wagon wheels. I could see there were no shocks as the things were bouncing up and down over every crack or stone.

This world is more advanced than I thought. I blinked as I watched the vehicles roll by. I couldn't help but notice that I didn't see any smoke or hear any loud combustion. I wonder if they run on something else. Perhaps magic?

"They're trucks." I am referring to them in the English language offhandedly. I couldn't think of a Maurich word to use instead.

"A what?" Varis looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

Realizing what I said, I shook my head and said, "Sorry, I was mumbling. They're uh…" I thought for a second. "Automobiles. I think I heard someone in town mention them when I was with Father." I lied.

Not questioning it, Varis nodded. "I wonder what kind of magic makes them move. Are they alive?"

I shrugged bit into my cupcake and sighed softly. The strawberry frosting electrified my taste buds, and I hummed happily. After a brief chew and swallow, I said, "I don't think so."

Seeing me indulge in my little cake, Varis joined in by biting into his. A moment of silence passed as we watched the convoy move along the dirt road.

Varis sighed softly as he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. I glanced at him, and after a moment, he said, "Papa said we're going to war."

Slowly, I lowered my cupcake my appetite fading as I looked back out at the valley. I nodded. "Yeah. I know. But you and I are going someplace safe."

"How do you know?" Varis asked me and sat back up, his hands resting on the grass. "How do you know we'll be safe? Papa made it clear that the Rusivites are super scary!"

"I don't know," was all I said as I took another bite of my cupcake anyway.

"You have to know; you know a lot, Luna!" My brother said, I glanced at him, and what I saw shook my little heart. The look of fear in his eyes and the way his lower lip quivered slightly. It was like he was pleading for me to make everything wrong go away.

I swallowed my cupcake, bit my lower lip, and took a deep breath. "Varis, I wish I could say I do, but I truly don't. But what I do know is that, as a family, we'll protect each other. I saw Mother and Father fight; they are strong. Very strong." I turned to face him fully. "And Momma has been teaching me magic too, and Papa has taught you how to shoot. We can defend ourselves if it comes down to it."

Varis sniffed. "But I don't want to fight."

I shook my head. "We're not going to fight; at least, we're not going to try to." I reached over and took his hand. "But this isn't something we can control. It's beyond us."

Varis whimpered. "But I don't want to leave…" Tears began to well up in his eyes. "Pappa said we're going far away; I don't want to leave home."

I gently gripped his hand and placed my cupcake down before cupping both of mine around his. "I know; I don't want to leave either." I sniffed. Damn emotions are coming back.

"But Momma promised me that when things calm down and the Rusivites go home, if they attack, we'll come back here. Things might be beaten up, but Momma said Papa is good at building things." I smiled at him as my tears began to form once more. "I know it's scary; it's okay to be scared. But don't let that fear take control of you." I sniffed.

"You sound like Papa." Varis smiled lightly, and I blushed faintly.

"That's because what Papa says is true." I giggled.

Without a word, Varis leaned in, wrapped his arms around me, and hugged me tight. My eyes widened as he gripped me gently, and after a brief hesitation, I smiled and returned the hug. Patting him on the back gently, I said, "We'll make it through this. With your brawny strength and my brains, we'll be a good team."

Varis giggled and sniffed. "Yeah! Like Papa said, I'll protect you and Momma."

I smirked, wiggled out of his arms, and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sure you will," I said as we sat back and picked our cupcakes back up.

"Do you know anything about the place we're going to?" Varis asked me.

I thought for a second. Johanneson, I think it was called.

"A big city called Johanneson. I don't know what it's like there." I shrugged.

This was going to be interesting, though. Aside from the Heinland Mountains, I have never been anywhere beyond Oren; hell, I haven't even fully explored Oren yet. Back in my old life, the biggest city I'd been to was Detroit. My hometown was classified as a city, Toledo, yet honestly, it wasn't that dense. Not like Detroit.

I wonder how big Johanneson is. What would a city look like in this world? If cars exist, is it going to be jam-packed with them and land striders?

"You hear that?" Varis poked me out of my thought process, and I blinked and looked at him.

"Hear what—" He shushed me.

From the far east, my pointy ears twitched at the sound of a low rumble, and then another, much louder one came down from the far mountains. I glanced in that direction towards the purple peaks and noticed large, dark clouds rolling in.

Thunder?

The rumbling continued.

"I think there's a storm coming," Varis said softly. "You want to go inside, Luna?" He asked as I continued looking at the clouds and listening to the rumbles.

No lightning yet. I thought as the loud rumbles continued to echo.

"Luna?" Varis poked me, and I turned to him.

"Sorry what?"

"You want to go inside? It's kind of getting boring; maybe Mother would let us go to the Hautchkins before dinner."

I shook my head. "Papa said the Hautckins are moving too; we'll be traveling together, silly."

"Well, maybe Avdol and Mila can play; you remember Mila, right?" Varis said, throwing his arms up.

Barely. The girl and I are the same age, but maturity-wise, she's annoying. Then again, she's a real seven-year-old. I'm just some grungy, thirty-something-year-old geezer trapped in one's body. Okay, framing it like that makes me sound dirty.

I sighed. "We can ask, but I'm positive Mother and Father will say no." I got up off the grass and ate the last of my cupcake as Varis did the same. Dusting off my pants, I motioned for my brother to take the lead.

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"No." Father said bluntly as he lowered the newspaper, and Varis whined as he turned around from Father and stormed over to the sofa and sat down. "Don't go whining, boy; you know exactly why you can't."

I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed as I glanced around the living room between Father and Varis. "This is dumb." He huffed.

Father shrugged. "I know it is, but we have to deal with the stupidity as it comes. Unfortunately, Hautchkins kids don't know what's happening. They think we're all going on a vacation. I trust you two with the real knowledge because you're both…" He hesitated as he looked at me. "Equally mature." He looked at Varis. "You both have good heads, not saying the Hautchkins don't. But it's clear that Herbert wants his kids to not be afraid."

"So you think I'm going to go tell them?" Varis crossed his arms and pouted.

"Not intentionally." Father flipped to the next page of the newspaper. "But I'm concerned you may slip up and say something."

"But I won't—"

"Varis. Please, I said my piece; don't question me any more. You'll see Avdol and Mila the day after tomorrow." Papa pointed to the floor. "For now. Stay close to the house."

"But it's so boring." Varis huffed.

I noticed my father's eye twitch slightly, and before he could get mad, I stepped in. "Varis, we can play with some of the toys. Or maybe we can, uh, go down in the basement and read some books."

"Actually." Mother chimed in behind us, and we all turned to look at her. "The two of you can come with me into town. I have some final deliveries I need to make to help with the gold we lost. As well as a few last things I want to grab."

Father glanced up from his paper. "Olson's shop is closed," Papa said.

Mother stopped, and it was her turn for her eyes to twitch with annoyance. "Well… that puts a damper on my plans, but I can always check the open stalls."

Father lowered his paper and asked, "What're you looking to get, Cailynn?"

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"Travel rations. I was going over what we had in the wagon; while we have enough, I think I'd feel more comfortable if we had some more." Mother sighed. "Johanneson is about two weeks away on foot. About a week and a half by cart. We have enough supplies for exactly that, which doesn't make me feel comfortable."

Papa pursed his lips. "Well, Hautchkin and his family—"

Momma held her hand up. "I know they offered to share, but I don't know how I feel about that. So I'm thinking of making my final deliveries and taking that payment to get some extra rations to be safe, as well as some ingredients." Mother smiled. "Besides, it'd be nice to eat some good food while traveling rather than what we used to eat, dear." She giggled.

Father rolled his eyes and sighed. "Love, this is about getting away safely; this isn't some camping trip, but fine," he relented and smiled. "Just don't go spending too much." He glanced at us. "Well, you kids lucked out this time," he joked. "Stick close to your mother, and remember, don't antagonize the soldiers and stay out of their way."

Both Varis and I smiled and nodded our heads. "Okay!"

Mother grinned upon seeing our reactions and motioned for us to go upstairs. "Alright, you two, go get changed into something more appropriate."

"Can I not go out like this?" I asked Mother as I gestured to my pants and shirt.

Mother frowned. "Sadly not," she said, shaking her head. "Our neighbors wouldn't take too kindly seeing you like this, love. At least not out in public… It’s not lady like." She sighed and rolled her eyes.

I pouted. "That's stupid."

"It is." My mother patted me on the back. "It's best to just play along, though; now go on."

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The quest into town was rather uneventful. A new, freshly carved dirt path had been shaped by some magisters and striders with plows who worked with the army that went around the main encampment. It increased the time it took to get to Oren, but thankfully we weren't yelled at or followed by any soldiers as we entered.

Normally, at this time of day, sometime in the evening, the town would usually be quiet. But the heavy increase in activity the army brought to the place was livelier than ever. A couple of restaurants and pubs were bustling, and market stalls were set up on almost every street corner.

More people means more business, I guess. I thought as I saw a line of soldiers around one food stall serving what looked like corn dogs.

As we walked, I glanced at the insulated bread bag my mother was carrying. "Who's the bread for?" I asked her as we traveled.

Mother glanced over and smiled. "I'm making a delivery to the town hall, specifically the colonel." She said. "Seeing as he's a high-profile kind of guy, I thought it best to take this myself."

"The colonel?" Varis asked as his eyes widened upon seeing a group of dragon riders patrolling down the street. The highly decorated officers were tipping their plumed hats to passersby as well as Varis, which made him beam with excitement.

Mother nodded. "Yep, he's a very special person. I received this request the other night, the same night I spent making your cupcakes," she said as we made our way down Main Street toward the large building at the center of town. "They offered to pay us a ton of money."

I hadn't been to the structure before, which I recognized as the town hall and mayor's residence; my family and I passed by it a few times, but that was all. However, when we approached it, I noticed that the building was not particularly impressive. If I had to guess, it was roughly three floors tall and several hundred feet broad, enclosed by a cast iron fence and hedgerow. The stonework was a simple gray, highlighted by black trim and mildew around the windows. In other words, it was quite dull.

Around the building, we saw numerous constables and soldiers. Beyond the fence, a large army tent was pitched, where we saw citizens, mostly men, standing in line as men and women in white dresses and uniforms waved folk into the tent.

A recruiting tent? I wondered as we approached the gate.

As we neared the gate, we saw two guards. As we drew closer, one of them raised his hand to halt us. "Stop. State your names and purpose."

We all stopped, and Mother bowed her head slightly towards the guards. "I am Cailynn Ashflow; these are my children, Luna and Varis Ashflow." She patted our shoulders, respectively. "I am here to drop off a delivery for Colonel Hugo Bartz."

Adjusting his steel helmet, the guard looked at each of us skeptically. With a small sigh, Mother slowly reached into her pocket and said, "If you don't believe me, one of his aids came to me the other night. I have been given a letter of approval. I was told he is having a banquet right now."

She pulled out a sealed letter and held it out to the soldier. The man took it and glanced over it; he then glanced at his colleague, who simply nodded. Looking back at us, he returned the letter and said, "Alright. Though we'll need to search for you before entering."

Mother nodded. "That is fine," she said, motioning for Varis and me to step off to the side.

After a brief moment, I shuddered as the soldiers began to pat down each of us before checking our mother's purse. When opening the insulated bag, the smell of warm bread permeated from it, and the two soldiers smirked and took in the scent.

"Fantastic-smelling loaves you have there, Mrs. Asfhlow," they said as they handed the bag back. "You may proceed. You are correct about the banquet being held, so please make it quick."

Mother nodded, turned to us, and gestured for us to follow her through the open gate. As we made our way into the yard, we walked past the group of men and a few women standing in line at the recruiting tent. Most I saw appeared to be young and excited boys while others shared solemn, angry looks. The men and women in white I could now make out to be were doctors, waving those who left the main tent over to another, grey medical tent for check-ups.

Mother gently took our hands and held us close as we walked by and entered the town hall. Immediately my senses were assaulted with an aroma of fragrances I could not pin a name to. As if a bouquet and lit incense were shoved up my nostrils. The interior room was large with beige walls and brown, ornate trimming. A large brown sofa sat in front of us and to our left was a secretary, beside her a grandfather clock and door leading deeper into the building.

The secretary, a dark-skinned human with olive eyes greeted us and asked if we were there to attend the banquet.

"Not exactly," my mother said as she pulled out the letter from earlier. "Colonel Bartz aid came to my home requesting some freshly baked Branorian loaves. Which I now have here."

The secretary took the letter and skimmed it before nodding her head. "I see! I was told you would be stopping by. I'll call for Mr. Garazzi to come pick these up for you." The woman smiled, and I watched as she lifted what looked to be a brass funnel connected to a cord.

An old telephone? I blinked as the woman began to crank a handle a couple of times before speaking into it.

"Mr. Garazzi, the baker, Mrs. Ashflow, is here with her delivery." Despite having nothing held up to her ear, the woman nodded a couple of times before lowering the funnel. "He'll be down in a couple minutes. Please take a seat."

Mother gave the secretary a soft smile before motioning for us to follow her to a nearby sofa, where we sat.

Leaning forward, I looked up at my mother and asked her, "What was that thing she used to talk to that other person?"

"Yeah, what was that?" Varis whispered.

Mother thought for a second and looked at us with a small shrug. "Admittedly, I don't exactly know, kids. I recall hearing that artificers were working on an archeo called something like a 'Echo Communicator' that anyone could use, even atherless."

"Atherless?" Varis cocked his head.

"People who can't use magic." She hummed and patted him on the head.

So early telephones are a thing? I thought to myself. I wonder what else this world has.

A few minutes of boring silence passed when the door beside the secretary opened, and out of it came a dark-scaled valendi, which I immediately recognized to be Mr. Blaxen. The man stepped forth, once again dressed in a finely tailored suit, though he had no hat this time.

In a low growl, he came over to his bow and said, "Greetings, Mrs. Ashflow," before nodding to Varis and me, who shifted away.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mother snarled as she stood up.

Mr. Blaxen gave her a wicked smile as he straightened up. "I could be asking you the same thing after everything I told you about. But, alas, I'm here to take your delivery to the colonel." He pulled out a separate leather bag from behind, which clinked with a coin. "Here is the rest of the payment; the colonel even added a bit extra due to your haste."

Mother's eyes narrowed as she took the coin and said, "Thanks… But really, what are you doing here? Where is this Garazzi fellow?"

"Mr. Garazzi is busy, and isn't it obvious, Cailynn?" He placed a clawed hand on his chest as his swirling purple eyes softened. "I am an esteemed guest here. If you recall, my position is quite prized."

"Right." Mother grumbled then removed her bag and said, "I hope you have a tray or something else to carry this on."

Mr. Blaxen's face went flat as he sighed. "I do not, but I think I'll manage."

Mother smirked and began to pull out carefully stacked baskets full of soft, warm bread, which was kept heated by some archeo stones that she removed. There are four baskets in total."

Mr. Blaxen's eyes widened a bit, his swirling orbs scanning the bread. "That is, in fact, a lot of bread."

"Indeed, it is. Well then." Mother straightened up. "That'll be all, Mr. Blaxen. Enjoy your banquet; I'll be taking my leave now. Come children."

"Cailynn, wait," Mr. Blaxen said in a hushed voice as he took my mother by her wrist. "Before you go, I must tell you this."

Mother flinched and looked back at him, eyes narrowing. "What's that?"

"It's started. At 07:00 this morning, word of the Kaiser's decision reached the front, and already multiple clashes have been reported. So far everything is holding, but word has it that we are woefully underprepared."

Mother's face hardened, though not with anger. She closed her eyes and said, "Thank you. How much time do we have?"

"Based on the information I have and my estimates, it is not long. Maybe a few more days at best if everything falls apart. Though if they hold, maybe longer."

He then released Mother's hand and straightened up. Raising his voice once more, he said, "Thank you for the bread. I'll be sure to send word on our guests praises." With that, he turned around and collected baskets as best he could.

Mother looked back at us, her face filled with conflict, and I noticed that as she gripped our hands, she was holding on tight.

This isn't good. This isn't good. My stomach knotted as we began to move outside and into the town once more.

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We rushed through town quickly. As Momma walked at a quick pace, we stopped at multiple stalls to buy goods and supplies with the money she had just received. By the time our shopping was done, it was well into the afternoon, almost evening, as we began walking home. Mine and Varis's backs were almost breaking with the amount of salted meat, jarred produce, and even some canned goods we carried.

When we got to the house, Father was already pacing in the living room. When we came into the house, he immediately perked up, and judging by his face, he sensed something was up.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Kids, go in the kitchen and start prepping it for cooking." Mother ordered Varis and me. We nodded and made our way into the kitchen, though I stopped by the entryway.

"I ran into Lorzio when I made my delivery." Mother said softly. "He told me the Kaiser made his choice, and the war has started."

"Excuse me?" Father blinked. "But the paper said—"

"Word hasn't reached the public yet." Mother said quickly. "Lorzio stated that the lines are holding, but he isn't confident things will stay this way. He predicted we have a few days at most."

"He's predicted a lot, and shit is happening faster," Father smacked his palm with the back of his other hand. "He's been right, but not about the timing. This is why we shouldn't be doing this." He gestured to the kitchen. "We need to get to the wagon. We need to go."

"Isa is still gone, though; do you want to leave her?" Mother crossed her arms, and father stuttered.

Finally, he shook his head and sighed. "Fuck! No… no, I don't."

"We still have some time, Slyran. At least a couple days. The border is nearly a week from here. There’s no way the Rusivite’s can reach us yet." Mother assured him. "We'll wait till Isa returns tomorrow, and we'll go."

"Easier said than done," Father said softly but sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry."

Mother nodded and squeezed his shoulder before coming towards the kitchen, but stopped when she saw me. "Didn't I say to clear the kitchen and get it ready?"

I gulped and nodded. "Yes, Momma, sorry!" I rushed into the kitchen to help Varis.

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We made grok steaks with a side of taters and these green bean-like things. I couldn't remember the name, but they tasted just like green beans. I swear my child's tastebuds have betrayed me. Back in the old world, I loved green beans, yet these things, while edible, just left a raw aftertaste.

While the dinner itself was good, the event was not. The tension was heavy in the air, and hardly anyone spoke. The silence was periodically broken by the sound of silverware scraping against our plates and light chewing, along with that distant rumbling of thunder that could be heard from the open windows.

The dark clouds loomed over Oren, making it feel later than usual due to how dimly lit it was outside. I tried to ignore the sounds and focus on my food. Overall, I liked it. My mother had this fine sauce, which reminded me of steak sauce back home, though it had a slight fruity flavor when you dipped the meat into it.

Yet as I admired the fine taste of the meal, a bright flash caught my attention as I and Father looked out the window. Beyond the far eastern mountains, great flashes of light could be seen briefly before being followed by a loud, rumbling.

"I don’t think that’s lightening," Father said softly as he returned to his meal, my mother glaring at him.

“It’s lightening, dear,” Mother said, “Like I said the border far from here.”

Father didn’t say anything though his skeptical look told me everything. I gulped and continued to look out the window nervously.

"Luna," Mother called my attention. "It'll be okay, dear. Finish your food."

With an anxious nod, I ate, though the food didn't taste as good anymore.

Later that night, I returned to my room to sleep. I knew for certain that I wouldn't be getting any rest tonight. I shut my window, hoping to block out the distant rumblings and booms, just as lightning flashed across the sky and rain poured.

Climbing into bed, I nervously curled up and prayed I would fall asleep.