Malia

Remember Malia, not every battle is a fight.

Don't go running to the enemy just because you want revenge.

Anger in the wrong moment could kill you.

Sina's words echoed in Malia's head like a broken record. Quite useless, she thought, because it meant nothing to her.

Words were absolutely nothing to her.

No one could truly keep their word, not unless action accompanied it. And action was in the heart of battle. Malia would fix all of this shit on her own. No matter what the cost was. She owed her mother that. She owed her mother action behind her words.

Her mother's defeated and listless face when she was in that dungeon was all she could see. At night. When she looked at Captain Jared. When she looked at Misty. When she looked at Halo. It came in violent flashes that would seize her appetite and make Malia pour out her stomach over and over again.

No one could comfort her. No words would fix what she felt. Years ago, when Malia was dropped off by her mother and father at the dormitary for kids whose parents were both serving in the war, she was alone. She had no siblings or close relatives to care for her, so she was forced to stare at the face of her Headmaster till the war ended. And when the war ended, her mother came back in a wheelchair, whilst her father never returned at all.

She prayed every night, she begged the Goddess Avani for the war to end so she would not have to spend another night staring at four, lonely grey walls. That she wouldn't have to deal with that crushing weight of being alone in that prison ever again.

But when her mother returned alive, the loneliness did not end. That war took everything from her. She had not lived peacefully since. All for another mans horrors and ambitions. Fuck royal destiny and fuck duty. It robbed Malia's entire childhood and it took her mother's soul.

Now, Vaea had it in his hands. It just wasn't fair.

I'll fucking kill him. Even if it has to be the last thing I do.

Malia watched as Jack and Finn punched down trees with potion-induced strength, blocking the rails of the seemingly abandoned train-tracks that lined the Bay of Leiloa. Sina said that the route was used during old wars to transport soldiers, weapons and rations to the forts, but fell into disuse when Kukoa found peace.

Now the tracks was how people were being ripped from their families, never to be seen again.

It was beautiful too. The sharp smell of saltwater mingled with the humid, earthy smell of the jungle. On one side, the sea stretched out into the horizon, shimmering under the beams of the sun, its waves lapping against the rocky coastline. Through the gaps of the trees, the ocean was visible in glimpses, just as fleeting as freedom.

To the other side of the tracks, there was jungle, thick and unforgiving. Towering trees pressed in from the land and casting ominous shadows over the rails. The forest canopy almost swallowed the sky, and the occasional birdcall was drowned by the distant crash of ocean waves.

Malia, Sina, Halo, Jack and Finn hid in the depths of the jungle, stalking and waiting. Jack and Finn dragged and stacked the jungle trees atop each other on the rail, spacing some out just so the train would not just plow right over them. It was a proper shitshow, looking like a storm had collapsed the trees onto the rails.

Malia adjusted her potions belt, locked in with filled bottles and vials for battle. Her sword rested on the side of her hip, with even her knuckles wrapped to give a real beating. She was bested by that Kaua scum, it would not happen again, with any of Vaea's cronies.

Her eyes watched the bend in the tracks like a hawk. The train would have to slow down here, especially with the physical obstruction they created–Sina's idea, of course. They'd have the perfect opportunity to sneak aboard.

Halo moved from talking to Finn and Jack to getting inbetween Sina and Malia. They were all flat on their stomachs as they watched from the shrubbery. Malia did not pause her observing to look at Halo, even after he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Augus says they'll be here soon. We should ready ourselves," he told her.

"I've been ready," Malia said coldly.

"I hope Misty isn't having too much trouble with Captain Jared," Sina said to no one in particular. Malia didn't care to be honest. Captain Jared could have starved to death while they were gone. Now that they had a few locations, he was borderline useless.

"She probably is," Finn replied. "That runt is demanding and needy. He's probably driving her crazy."

"She really should have came along," Jack said. "We could have used the extra person to carry more potions."

"She's already done her part by brewing all of these for us," Sina said. "Plus, I don't think Misty has about any combat experience. This would have scared the life out of her. Even I'm scared."

Malia scoffed, remembering when Misty clear-as-day told Sina and her back at the farmhouse how she was not revolutionary material. Back then she wanted Misty to join them, now she didn't feel a damn difference.

"Just makes you think how much worth she brings to the group. We have a Brewer already. We don't need two. And what use is someone who can't fight with us?" Malia's clipped response made everyone's heads turn.

Sina frowned at Malia but said nothing. Halo and her seemed to share the look, both on the same page. They knew Malia's moods and train of thought was getting worse because of her mother, and everyone had been victims of her wrathful words at some point. Malia spared no one when she was over the edge. The only thing that would fix this was finally getting Lucia back.

"What if the train, doesn't stop in time?" Jack asked. "What if they immediately know this is a trap?"

"Doesn't matter," Malia said. "We came all the way out here. We're not leaving empty handed."

"That's not even what we should really worry about," Finn said, chewing on his piece of wheat. Somehow that thing never broke apart. "What we should worry about is where all these people are gonna go once we save them."

Halo sighed. "That's right. They can't go back to their homes, they'll most likely be sold again. Or even killed."

"Look what happened to Sika," Jack said somberly.

"I didn't even think of that," Sina said, sounding like she was scolding herself. "Everything's been so intense, coming up with a solid plan feels impossible when everything's so at risk. If we leave these people behind, they'll become slaves. If we save them, we can't take them with us to the bunker, and some of them will want to return to their families, but they might get killed. What do we even do?"

Malia's eyes were trained on the bend of the track. She was listening, but she wasn't present. Maybe she wasn't being the best leader right now, but she didn't want to acknowledge nor entertain doubt. All she knew was the plan, and that's all she needed to know.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she muttered. "No point in us wondering about things we can't control out here."

Halo squeezed her shoulder, trying to get her attention. Her eyes stayed where they were.

"We'll be okay. Let's just all stick together." He told her. Something stirred inside Malia, making her finally break concentration to look at him.

His brown eyes had a glimmer in it, something that wasn't there before. Was that...pity? Did he pity her?

Halo looked so earnest, his lips in a faint smile that showed he was trying to be there for her, but guarded in case he was overstepping. Why would he ever pity her? When had he ever? She knew Halo cared about her, but her brain was going haywire. It felt like she was going crazy and getting pulled in lots of directions, when the only direction she wanted to follow was the one that led to her mother.

Malia’s gaze flicked back to the bend in the tracks. The wind had died down, and the air felt still, too still. A heavy weight seemed to settle over the jungle as if the world itself was holding its breath. Even the distant crash of the waves faded, leaving only the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional creak of the trees.

And then, faintly at first, she heard it.

A low, rhythmic hum. The sound of the train, growing louder with every passing second. The steel wheels grinding against the tracks sent a shudder through the earth. Malia could feel it in her bones, a faint tremor beneath her, like the heartbeat of a beast slowly waking.

"There it is," Sina said, just above a whisper.
Malia's eyes narrowed as the train circled into view around the bend.

From behind the wall of trees, the locomotive emerged like a hulking black shadow, its iron frame catching the light in fleeting flashes through the gaps in the branches. Steam hissed from its chimney, billowing into the sky and mixing with the canopy above. The train cut through the landscape like a predator, relentless, unstoppable.

Her heart hammered in her chest, matching the rhythm of the train’s approach. The clanging of metal against metal grew deafening, a harsh reminder of what was at stake. She tightened her grip on her sword, her knuckles going white beneath the wrappings. This was it. The moment they had been waiting for.

The train was close now, slowing as it neared the tree blockage they created. Its enormous wheels squealed in protest as the driver caught sight of the fallen trees sprawled across the rails. The entire train shuddered, metal groaning under the strain as it came to a grinding halt just a few metres from the obstruction. The hiss of steam filled the air, a sharp contrast to the sudden silence that followed.

Malia’s pulse quickened. She could see the movement now—shadows of cronies leaning out from the cars, scanning the area, their hands already on their weapons. They were dressed in black cloaks, none of them looking like ordinary guardsmen. This was their chance. She could feel the tension in the air, could sense her companions coiled like springs, waiting for her signal.

"We're up," she whispered, reaching for her potions belt. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out everything as she swallowed an invisibility potion in one gulp, a cool trail sliding down her throat in its wake. Everyone else followed suit, till all of them blurred out of existence.

They had thirty minutes of complete invisiblity, thanks to Sina and Misty adding a lingering component to each brew. Malia got up from her spot, stealthily moving toward the rear of the train, letting her boots softly crunch onto the forest floor.

The soldiers, guards or whatever they were, started surrounding the trees and attempting to move them apart from each other. While they were occupied with that, Malia and everyone else wandered to the rear of the train, finding the ladder.

Not sure who was who, Malia kept bumping into the invisible flesh of her friends as the ascended to the top of the cart. "Is everyone up?" She whispered, looking at nothing.

"Yes," that was Jack.

"Right here, Lia," that was Sina.

"This is bloody madness," heavy accent and accent–Finn.

That leaves...

The faint sound of a hatch creaking open reached her ears. "Over here guys!" Halo's voice softly beckoned them. Malia darted to the opening, her boots loudly clanging  against the metal roof. Malia misjudged the distance between them, knocking into an invisible Halo and sending him crashing down with a startled grunt.

"Uhmp!"

Her heart skipped a beat as she followed, sliding down the ladder into the interior of the train. She landed softly—until a sudden weight knocked her flat on her back. Jack and Finn had dropped in right after her, tumbling into a pile of limbs.

"Sorry," Jack groaned, trying to untangle himself.

"Couldn’t we have found a quieter way in?" Finn whispered through gritted teeth.

"Are you guys out of the way? I don't wanna fall on you too!" Sina yelled in a whisper.

The three of them rolled away from the landing, still somehow entangled in each others limbs. She felt Jack's arm over her head and someone's leg was kneeing her in the back. Malia finally scooted from under them both, gazing around the train cart with wide eyes.

Horses, confined to tight stalls, shifted nervously, their ears flicking in all directions. They snorted and huffed, sensing something amiss. Malia's pulse quickened. If the horses got spooked, their whole plan would go to hell.

Sina hit the floor hard, groaning as she landed, knocking the wind out of herself.

"There HAD to be a better way to do that," Jack said.

There was a door at the far end of the cart. "Where are we?" Malia asked. "Where did Gus say the shipment was?"

"He said it was second from last," Halo answered. "We need to detach it before the train starts moving or else we're going to struggle."

"Let's not waste time then," Sina said. Malia went to pull on the door's handle, but it was locked.

"Locked. Jack and Finn, rip it open." She said.

The effects of the lingering strength potion was enough for Finn and Jack to tear the handle from the door, and then the door itself. Shrieks of the iron fittings tearing squealed into the air, making an inconvenient amount of noise until the door crashed to the floor, reverberating through the train.

Malia froze, breath caught in her throat. The horses neighed, stamping their hooves, reacting to the noise. The tension inside the train was palpable as she waited for the guards outside to react. Seconds passed, the only sound the restless movements of the animals.

"Oh goddess, there's no way they didn't hear that," Sina muttered. "They can sense we're here."

"One at a time through the door guys, please," Halo pleaded. "In order, Malia, me, Sina, Jack and Finn."

Malia went first, entering a car that made her blood run thin. There she saw it, a navy container forced in the corners, looking like even animals didn't deserve to be in it.

Who knows how many people they forced in there. Could her mother even breathe among all those people? Malia's entire body got heated just thinking about it.

Fucking monsters.

The next interior door had a barred window in it. Malia could see a man approaching. He scowled as if he was ordered to come investigate the noise, unlocking the door and pushing it open with irritation. He paused when he saw the mangled door leading to the horse car, and Malia took the opportunity to knock him over the head. The man collapsed, and Jack dragged him behind the container.

Someone shut the interior door. "We need to be quicker. They're already checking on the noise, let's detach the car from the outside before they get all the trees off the track." That was Halo.

Malia's pulse quickened as they hurried into action. They needed to move swiftly before the soldiers outside caught on to their presence. The horses were still in disarray, their huffing and stomping adding a chaotic soundtrack to their efforts.

"Finn, Jack, go outside and get to work on the coupling," Malia ordered. "Sina, Halo and I will guard the door."

The two men slipped through the door, moving like shadows as they worked their way along the side of the train toward the coupling mechanism at the rear. Malia crouched low near the barred window, peering through the gaps, watching the guards struggle with the trees. One of them glanced suspiciously toward the train, but the sound of the horses' distressed movements must have convinced him it was nothing more than animals acting up.

"How long do you think we have before they realize something’s wrong?" Sina asked, keeping her voice low.

"Not long enough," Malia muttered. She kept her sword ready, eyes flicking between the locked door and the view outside.

A metallic clang echoed from the rear of the train. "They're working on it," Halo whispered, hovering near the horses. His fingers twitched nervously at the sound, and he was glad no one could see him.

The seconds felt like hours. Every creak of the train, every distant shout from the guards, heightened the tension. Finally, Finn’s voice came in a strained whisper, "Almost there. Hold tight."

Malia nodded to herself, gripping her weapon tightly. If anyone came through that door again, they’d get more than just a knock on the head.

***

Augus

They're here. I know it.

Augus watched as Vaea's secret soldiers were dragging the last of the trees of the track from the window, deep in thought. He wondered if Halo had managed to disconnect the cars yet. As soon as the last tree was gone and the last man hopped on, the train would go forward, no questions about it.

He hadn't had the chance to inspect the container himself, with Sora watching his every move. This felt like a test, and Augus knew he couldn't mess up because Vaea would know for sure that this failure was deliberate. Sora was the King's new eyes and ears. She would tell him if Augus hesitated in any way. He'd be damned for sure.

And if that happened...Augus was finished. He didn't even want to think about what would happen to Riso. They'd likely inspect his letters, and find nothing of his traitorous endeavors, just father-daughter gossip. But seeing how Vaea punished Malia's mother, Augus knew his suffrage would be generational as well.

He just prayed Riso was keeping her distance from him as much as she could. After all this passed, Augus' heart health would be in the gutter. He couldn't wait to retire.

"What is taking Ibram so damn long?" Sora grumbled under her breath across him. She was reading a newspaper, crumbling it up aggressively as she threw a hard look over her shoulder at the train door.

She stared at Augus. "He's been gone long enough, don't you think?"

"Perhaps he is simply calming the horses."

"Do they sound calm to you?"

"Perhaps he is bad at it."

Sora gave him a dry look and stood up, hand instinctively on the handle of her scimitar, a sword with a curved blade he had never seen before. Augus really wanted to know how the Hell Vaea even found this menacing woman. Everything about her was ominous–from her constant dark eyeshadow to the sharp shoes she insisted on fighting in. That couldn't be practical.

He stood up as well, following behind her as she advanced through the cars.

She stopped infront of the slave car, peering in through the barred window and frowning. "He's not in here," she muttered. Her eyes finally noticed the missing door in the room. She pulled on the handle, but it was stuck.

"Why the Hell won't this open?" She grunted, turning to Augus expectantly.

He groaned internally, going to help her push down the handle. It really wouldn't move. Did Sina spell it?

"Something's wrong here. The door on the other side's not there."

"What about Ibram?" Augus asked, not really caring, but needing to buy time.

Sora unsheathed her blade, and it lit up into a bright, cerulean blue. Augus eyes widened. So this was the famous Moon Ranger technology.

"Magic..." He accidentally said aloud. Sora had a determined look in her eyes, a wry smile spreading on her face.

"Not magic. Energy."

She drove her sword clean into the door. Blue flames spread from the puncture, vaporizing the wood until the door completely vanished. Sora walked into the empty car, eyes scanning the perimeter sharply. Augus saw faint glows of Halo and his friends aura from the potions, holding his breath as he prayed Sora didn't have the same sharp eye.

She wandered to the empty doorway where the other interior door used to be, casting a brief glance into where the horses were. There she saw the opened latch in the roof, and when she turned back, she saw Ibram sprawled out on the floor like a bug behind the container.

"Someone was here. Someone's on the train," she said, giving Augus a cautious look. "I'll go tell the men to hurry up and get this train running. We don't have time to search these woods for the perpetrator. We'll just have to deal with them accordingly if we find them. Stay here and watch."

Sora strutted past with sword in hand, and Augus waited till she was out of earshot to address the room.

"How far is the unbuckling going?" He whispered. "Halo, are you here?"

A quiet voice came from a corner. "Yes. So is Malia and Sina."

Great. Malia had to be holding up well, seeing as she didn't attack Sora on the spot, or at least he'd hoped.

"These Invis potions won't last forever," came Sina's voice. "Distract them till you no longer can, Gus."

Augus grimaced at the name, so they were just not going to let it go even though they were allies now. Sora quickly returned, giving Augus a sharp nod.

"The train's about to move. Let's get seated."

Augus threw a look back to the suspicious situation happening behind him. "And what of all this?"

"We wait. Pick Ibram up."

Augus scowled. He was Head Guard, why did he have to listen to this mercenary. He nonetheless complied, going behind the container and picking Ibram up under his arms. He dragged him back into the other cart, just as the loud rum of the train starting echoed into the air.

Dear Goddess, they still were not done! The train accelerated with the slave car still attached. What were they doing?!

***

Malia

Malia crouched low behind the container, her heart pounding as the train roared to life beneath her. The vibrations from the tracks rattled through her bones, but it wasn’t the train she was worried about—it was the ticking clock. Sora had nearly spotted them, and the invisibility potion was already fading. Sina’s potions could only do so much to keep them hidden.

Sina wanted her to avoid a fight, but Malia didn't see this heist going down successfully without one. Especially not with that menacing woman and her glowing weapon. Malia saw what it did to the door, she didn't want to know what it would do to flesh.

What were Jack and Finn struggling with?!

Malia wished she could help, but she was not a mechanic. Her hands were sweating on her sword, and to her horror, she started to see her fingers materialize right infront of her.

Halo started to appear in the corner, realizing as well. He darted behind the container with her and Sina followed suit, all of them huddling close together to avoid being spotted. This meant that Jack and Finn would soon be visible too.

Suddenly, the sound of boots echoed from the far end of the car. Malia stiffened. Sora was coming back.

There was nowhere left to go. The container was too small to shield them all, and Jack and Finn were still working. Her eyes flicked to the strength potion in her belt. She had only one option.

"Sina," she whispered urgently. "Get ready."

Before Sina could reply, Malia downed the potion in one gulp. The effects were almost immediate—her muscles tightened, strength flooding her veins. She clenched her fists, trying to control the surge of energy rushing through her body.

The moment she felt Sora’s presence in the room, Malia stepped forward, her stance firm as she positioned herself between the mercenary and her friends.

Sora’s gaze snapped to her, and her lips twisted into a cruel smile. "So, you're finally done hiding, huh? This is the infamous Malia Lui, I was expecting someone bigger. Not some little girl."

Malia tilted her head slightly, scoffing. "Who you calling 'little'? Who the Hell are you even?"

"The person who's going to snap you in half. Intruder!" Sora suddenly yelled, calling all the men in. Their boots pattered on the floor as they advanced.

Malia shot a quick glance back at Halo, who had risen from behind the container, his eyes fixed on Sora. He unsheathed his sword silently, positioning himself at her side.

“I’ve got your back,” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s see how tough she really is.”

Meanwhile, Sina slunk to the back of the car, silently moving toward the horses. She crouched low, not wanting to be seen, and swiftly nocked an arrow into her bow. From there, she had a clear vantage point, ready to pick off any soldiers that might come rushing into the car.

"Don’t worry," Sina whispered from her position. "I’ll give you cover."

Malia’s heart steadied, feeling a surge of confidence with her friends at her side. The train rattled on, shaking beneath their feet as Sora’s men closed in. The time for hiding was over.

Sora charged.