Chapter 2: The Full Circle Railroad

Zel let out a mighty yawn and opened her eyes. Out the window she could see a blur of white as the train made its way through the Shadetree forest. Zel scratched her side lazily and thought that perhaps she had never seen anything move as fast as they appeared to be moving now before another yawn took her over.

She and Miriya had been on the train for two nights now and they had been on this pace for the majority of it. With the exception of a few stops that the train took along the way, it had been a smooth ride and the girls had made sure to enjoy the trip.

The initial excitement of travel had ended after the first night on the train, but it ended up being a good thing. They weren't able to get a proper sleep when bedtime came around for the first time, the two ended up staying up late and waking up sluggish in the early evening. But this time they had done a better job, making sure to stay up and not take any naps so they could be well-rested the next evening and it had worked. Even though it had been on the benches of the transport car, Zel could hardly remember the last time she had slept so soundly.

Stretching her arms above her head, Zel let her eyes drift away from the window and back within the room they stayed in. The cabin was a wonder of the Full Circle's finest furniture and luxury that they offered all of their passengers. Dark shadewood walls and benches covered with the finest leather cushions that could be found nowhere else. A button by the sliding doorway could be pressed at any time of night to call an attendant who would immediately see to any needs that the wonderful customer might have.

At least that's what they always tell us, Zel thought with another yawn. Zel pressed it as she was quite thirsty from the long rest. It wasn't until after the strange white button began glowing that Zel noticed something was amiss in the cabin, or rather someone was missing. Miriya was nowhere to be seen, the seat across from Zel barren of her elegant fluffiness.

Hmm, Zel thought while scratching her chin, maybe she went to the bathroom. Zel set her hand down and felt something unusually fuzzy where she expected her own leg to be. She looked down and found that Miriya had fallen asleep in her lap. Zel smiled. Some habits would be harder to break than others it would seem.

Zel looked out the window while gently rubbing the back of her sister's neck. It was the same ocean of trees that had been there when she went to sleep, except now instead of vibrant yellow leaves they were instead covered with branches full of a beautifully pure white. Zel could tell that they were, finally, nearly there.

Perhaps I should get Miri up, Zel thought, looking down at the soundly sleeping Trailfolk in her lap.

"...Miri…" she whispered, "...Miri…" Miriya began to stir, her pointy ears twitching and perking up as she awoke.

"What…" Miriya uttered lazily, still half asleep.

"I think we're almost there, the Shadetrees are white now." Zel said. "This is the first time I think we've ever followed the colors."

"Mmm…" Miriya mumbled. "Probably right. Weird trees."

"They are not!" Zel retorted, slapping Miriya gently on the leg.

The Shadetree was a tree that could be found anywhere in Split Sky but nowhere else in Tenyarn. It was known for having a vibrant variety of colored leaves depending on which part of Split Sky you were in. The are all the same, however, and the colors would change depending on what time of year it was, or rather, the citizens of Split Sky had decided to measure their years by this unique color cycle. Specifically it was determined by what color the leaves were in the capital of Split Sky, Dreamsquall. As Zel and Miriya began their journey to DreamSquall, the year had just turned over into a new one. When they left Slipton which lies in the east, the trees were yellow, having already turned white towards the end of last year. Seeing the trees with white leaves once again meant that they were closing in on their destination.

"They're definitely weird.." Miriya said, still a bit drowsy, but she managed to face her head upwards in Zel's lap.

"'Weird trees,' is that all you have to say?" Zel scoffed, "We've been waiting for years to finally have a chance to show what we got at this school! We passed that stupid competency exam, we just said goodbye to mom and dad, and now all we got to do is take a magic aptitude test and we're in! Fuck off with your 'weird trees!' This is it! Mom and Dad are cheering us on back home, and I'll be fucked if I'm going back without something to show for it!" Zel's eyes were burning with a passion she had rarely expressed before, the words pouring out from her heart.

However, to Zel's general dismay Miriya began giggling halfway through her rant.

"The second you get away from Mom your mouth starts dumping all sorts of profanities, Zel. You really couldn't wait to get away, could you ?" she said. She stared up at Zel from her lap with a coy, and maybe a little malicious, smile.

"You know I can't stop it," Zel replied quickly, turning her head away from Miriya to hide her cheeks that were rapidly growing flush.

"Well, you're right though!" Miriya swung her head up and lifted her arms in a stretch of her own, her ears and long tail joining in. "It is exciting that we're almost there. After all those years of boring school, we finally get to learn how to use our magic to fight!" Miriya threw out a few loose jabs and an uppercut into the air.

"Yeah!" Zel said, joining with shadow boxing of her own, "I bet we make it to the top of the academy in no time! We'll be the best of the best! Captain by the end of the year!"

Miriya started laughing again. "I can't imagine what they would make you captain of, 'captain of short temper', maybe!"

"Better than 'captain of afraid of heights,' I would say!" Zel retorted.

"Enough of that, look!" Miriya exclaimed. Zel turned around and looked out the window where Miriya was pointing. The train had finally broken out of the forest and was in the middle of a vast array of farms. The fields were chock-full of huge variety of fruits that grow throughout Split Sky. Each of the individual fields stood out distinctly, starkly coloring the landscape like cloth patches on a vast and open canvas. Each individual patch of crops was larger than the entirety of the farmland that Zel was familiar with up by Slipton

"Woooaaah!" exclaimed Zel, "They're so much bigger than the fields at home! Look, look! They're growing Slipton Squash!" Zel enthusiastically pointed out a field of large, gourd-like vegetables whose tough skin was split down the middle into the vibrant colors of the moon.

"Looks like we won't miss that from home, at least!" Miriya said, matching Zel's enthusiasm.

"The farms are supposed to surround the capital, right? If that's true then we should be able to see it soon." Zel leaned forward and smooshed her face against the window to try and see further ahead up the track to no avail. Miriya grabbed her and pulled her away from the glass.

"No need to give the maintenance people any more work by rubbing your face all over the window, Zel!" Miriya giggled. She was fully awake now, her tail wagging to and fro behind her uncontrollably.

"I know! Why don't we ask an attendant how much longer we have until we reach the station? I already ordered some help before you woke up, for I thirst." Zel explained somewhat dramatically..

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Ask-who-a-what-now?" A voice exclaimed as the sliding door of the passenger carriage suddenly burst open and slammed to one side.

Zel and Miriya both jumped in their seats and turned to face the doorway. There was a large figure standing in the entrance, taking up the entirety of its space. He was wearing the distinctive white conductor overalls and an oily shirt seemed dirty independently of the white cloth covering him, but all of that was mostly covered by his two massive arms that he crossed in front of him. He had the trademark blue complexion of the Splitfolk, though a shade or two darker than Zel. He wore a massive grin under his beard and he was wearing his hat too low so that it almost covered his eyes like he always did, but the duo recognized him instantly.

"Ziek!" the two shouted in unison.

"How are my girls?" Ziek bellowed, laughing as Zel and Miriya leapt out of their seats to embrace him.

"We're doing great! What are you doing here, you old fart?" Zel said while buried in one massive arm.

"Well, I couldn't rightly let my two biggest fans pay a visit to me school without seeing them off meself, now could I?" Ziek replied with a laugh, his big belly shaking as he did so.

"You came all the way to the capital to see us off?" Miriya asked, puzzled.

"Well, that ain't all, I got business in the big city. But it was convenient, cause I heard which train you two was getting on. You been going since night before last, yeah? I just got on a bit ago." Ziek explained, releasing the girls.

"Well that is convenient!" Miriya said, "You coulda seen us off at the station, though! Don't want you getting in trouble with the other conductors!"

"Ah, I'm technically here to give one of the attendants a break and take your order." Ziek explained knowingly tapping on the white light Zel had pressed earlier, "Technically, the only ones that I'm inconveniencin'' are the other customers who ain't getting, erm, attended to." Ziek paused to think for a moment before leaning into the cabin and speaking softly.

"I also thought that I might come give you some advice, about the academy, that is. Since you two ain't so little anymore," he said in a whisper.

"Advice? What ain'tcha told us that we haven't heard from any of your 'valiant' deeds you've told us over the years?" Zel teased.

"Well, that's just it. I've told you the stories of my glorious 'dventures and you guys have always eaten that up, but I just wanted to let you know that it's not going to be all nice. There's a lot of stuff that you're gonna learn here, stuff that you're gonna like, stuff you're gonna hate. You're gonna to have to be stronger than you've ever been before if you want to hack it." He paused again, before taking off his hat. He was bald on the top of his head, and his frame was so large that his eyes, usually hidden behind the brim, seemed beady compared to the rest of him. He twisted up his hat in his hands before he spoke again.

"You two, you're not just going to learn how to use magic to fight… You're going to learn to use it to kill. And that's a hard thing. Killin'. I know better than most how hard it can be. I just wanted to tell you two before you got there. You got to understand what you're really gettin' into." His voice was stern in a way that neither Zel nor Miriya had ever heard before. The two of them shared a concerned glance.

"What are you talking about Ziek? Are you telling us you don't want us to go?" Miriya asked.

Ziek shook his head. "No, no. That ain't what I mean at all. I'm probably just worried since I known you two since you were not but dust… but you girls are much stronger than I ever was, so you'll be fine." Ziek paused and suddenly his eyes brightened as if he had a wonderful idea. He returned his freshly scrunched conductor's cap to his head before holding up his two massive hands out, the palms up towards the ceiling..

"Hold out your hands, touch mine." He said. Zel and Miriya were still confused, but they did what he asked.

"What are your affin'ties?" he asked. Zel and Miriya's confusion continued to grow.

"Why you asking? You know what they are." Zel said.

"Humor me." Ziek replied.

"Mine's time!" Miriya exclaimed excitedly.

"Lighting." Zel answered in turn.

"That's right. You remember what mine is, right?"

"Gravity!" Miriya yelled.

"That's right. While you're at the academy you'll learn about all sorts of different kinds of magic, but nothing is more important than learning about yours. Magic is a gift that we mustn't take for granted, it can do wonderful things." As he finished his sentence, Zel and Miriya both felt a sensation as if the weight of their bodies fell away. Zel felt her feet lift off the ground and suddenly found herself floating in the air inside the small room. Miriya was floating next to her and it seemed like the two of them were balloons, their arms the strings that kept them tethered to earth by Ziek's meaty hands. Eventually they felt their weight begin to return in almost a ticklish sensation as they began to pull towards the floor. Miriya couldn't help but giggle at the feeling.

"But it can also be used for horrible things." Ziek continued. Suddenly Zel and Miriya both collapsed to the floor, their legs failing in an instant.. It felt as if every part of their bodies was being weighed down. Twice the weight, three times, four, they kept getting heavier and heavier until neither of them could breathe, their lungs crushed under the intense weight of their own flesh. Zel felt that she was going to pass out, but right before she did, the sensation ceased, and their bodies returned to normal.

Ziek released their hands. Zel and Miriya were still gasping for air on the floor as Ziek's shallow grin turned into a big toothy smile.

"You'll will be fine." He said. "You two just keep an eye on your own asses, work on getting stronger as best you can. I know you will have blast at me old school!"

"H-hey!" Zel gasped between breaths. "You lied! You just said we were stronger than you!"

Ziek let out a hearty laugh.

"One last piece of advice 'fore I'm off, then." Ziek lifted one of his massive arms and pointed towards both Zel and Miriya with one finger each in one hand. He lifted the fingers towards the ceiling, then flicked them towards the seats of the carriage. Zel and Miriya were each lifted into the air as they had been before, before being flung into their seats, each forced to sit up straight and proper. Zel and Miriya looked stunned, but looked back at Ziek from their newly discovered orientation.

"Don't believe everything every wise-ass from the academy tells you!" Ziek bellowed before erupting with laughter, "Especially from the most handsomest wise-ass you know, yah runts!" He kept on laughing until Zel and Miriya joined in. Ziek wiped the tears from laughing out of his eyes before taking a step backwards out the door.

"I'll be off then," Ziek took off his cap one last time and giving the two girls a bow, "please enjoy the rest of the ride, ladies," he said with a wink before the door slammed shut by itself in front of him and Zel and Miriya were alone in the carriage once more.

"That bastard!" Zel yelled. "Did you know that he could use his magic without touching things? He always told me he had to touch things!" She slumped down into her seat as Miriya giggled at Zel's attitude. "He didn't even take our order, either!".

"He really got us, didn't he!" she said. "I'm glad we got to see him again, though, it will probably be a while before we see a familiar face again." Miriya looked out the window, once again. Her eyes grew wide as she turned to Zel excitedly.

"Zel! We're here! It's the city!" She exclaimed, she was practically shaking in her seat.

Zel looked out the window as well and saw that they were approaching a huge mountain, the sides dotted with thousands of shining lights from the buildings that made up the capital of Dream Squall. The train was pulling to the foot of the mountain where a massive train platform appeared to be abuzz with activity.

Before Zel could say anything, out of the train's intercom a booming voice filled the car.

"Dearest passengers, we are now arriving at our final destination of Dream Squall Station. All train doors will open, allowing exits from all sides, but we do ask that those of you who are here to attempt the Dream Academy entrance exams exit on the right side of the train where you will meet a representative of the school who will guide you through town. We hope that you had a wonderful ride and wish you well." The intercom made a static clicking sound as the message finished.

Zel could feel the train begin to decelerate, her body lurching forward as the brakes began their work. Zel was filled with excitement as they pulled into Dream Squall Grand Station, but she also felt something else: fear.

She had been nervous before, but seeing the mountainous city laid out before them for the first time suddenly made it real. She felt the cold fingers of anxiety wrap around her heart, its voice whispering in her ear to go home. Stay on the train and go right back. Miriya saw the look on Zel's face and grabbed her hand.

"Hey," she said smiling, "we're going to be fine. If Ziek can do it, then we can too. That lying b-b-bastard!" She cussed with tremendous effort.

This caught Zel off guard, and the thought of her sister cursing made her smile and start giggling all in an instant.

"Hehe, here you were making fun of me for my nasty mouth, when you can't even say the word with a straight face!" This time it was Miriya who looked away embarrassed, but she was as accurate and true of a shot as she had always been. She managed to calm Zel down.

"C'mon," Zel said, "let's go see what the big city is all about!"

Hand in hand, the sisters stepped out of their cabin.