The sun was still sleeping when my mother woke me with coffee. It was still sleeping when I snuck past my sleeping siblings and ate breakfast with my parents. It was still sleeping when I walked the streets with my father, my destination Collette's and my heart's desire for my bed.

Fountain Square contained a soldier or two, which was a new development after Collette's was broken into, and the gurgling of three fountains filled the quietness of the night.

There was a lantern burning in the window of the small cafe. The door opened before we could knock, and it was the same girl as yesterday who ushered us inside.

"Keep your coats on, for now. It's really cold as I just started the fire." She led us to a table, the only one whose chairs were not stacked, beside a small fire. "My name is Colette Devereux."

My eyes wandered over the sharp angles the shadows cast; the play of light on the wooden floor and the emptiness of a closed shop. I turned back to the woman, who also was hard to see in the scarce light of the room, and introduced myself.

"Shae Burrower." I shook her hand, foregoing a curtsy entirely. "This is my father, Dr Burrower."

"Good to meet you both. I will start some coffee and tea if anyone would like some?"

"There's no time, Colette."

Lennon T. James strode into the room, nodded at us in greeting, and set his armful of supplies on a table. "We need to set out before the king wakes and makes my life even more miserable. We need to take the first train to Arriza and it leaves in less than half an hour."

This was off to a wonderful start. Already I was deemed a misery and I hadn't even fallen off my horse yet.

The explorer's gaze caught on my luggage. He looked at me. "That's not coming with us." Without waiting for an answer, he was once again focused on his task.

Before I could protest, there was a knock at the door.

We all stood very still, wondering who would be up at this hour. But then I thought of the adventurer's words and wondered if it wasn't too late for the king not to interfere any further.

Miss Devereux rushed to open the door, her skirts swaying about her, and in stepped a man dressed in the leather of the Chileez army. Behind him, a girl clad in rags and filth. It was all I could see of them and I bid my curiosity to be patient.

Lennon T. James straightened up and crossed his arms.

"His Majesty sent us to accompany you, sir." The guard pulled the girl forward, directing our attention from him to the manacles around her wrists and the chain attached to them. Light winked from the metal. "My name is Borys Nattaniel, sir. I am to guard the prisoner and she is to contribute her pickpocketing to the team. I was to inform you this was nonnegotiable." There was a short silence before the soldier continued. "He said to inform Miss Shae Burrower her student debt shall be repaid on her behalf if she survives."

"That's reassuring," I whispered to my father, then realised it was too loud when everyone turned to look at me. I cleared my throat and searched my satchel for my notebook.

My father settled his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry too much about it. I wouldn't let you go if I didn't think you would survive."

"Did you bring supplies?" asked Lennon T. James, slipping a pack onto his back and sliding a sheathed knife into his boot.

"Aye." The guard, Nattaniel, gestured towards the door. "It's waiting outside."

Lennon T. James nodded. "We have to catch the first train."

Everyone was spurred into action.

My father turned me to him, hugged me, and then offered his goodbyes. We followed after almost everyone had gone out of the cafe, except Colette, and I thanked her.

The sun had started waking up, the sky becoming noticeably lighter by the second. I could see the merchants and shopkeepers starting to set up shop. Even the birds started singing.

Lennon T. James seemed to be organising two leather bags, whose length would reach from my ankle to my knee. He kept his attention on his task as he said, "Leave your luggage with your father, Miss Burrower. It's too big to carry."

I looked at Nattaniel, who was sliding his pack onto his back and adjusting the straps across his chest. It was not a small pack, but it was light and a comfortable size to carry. Mitch, also, had an even smaller pack lying at her feet.

My father kissed my forehead. "I'll take it home, Shae. Stay safe and have fun. We'll see you soon."

Then he left, carrying my suitcase of dresses and hats and shoes with him. I had no idea what I'd wear now, as the only clothes I had were on my person, but I knew our plans included buying supplies at Arriza.

Clang.

Metal struck stone. A sharp and clear note rang through the air and dug into our skulls.

Lennon T. James and Nattaniel both reached for their weapons. I whirled around to face the source, hand on my heart, feeling its tempo accelerate.

The girl, Mitch, was rubbing her wrists and toeing the discarded manacles with her boot. Not looking up, she bent down to retrieve her pack and slowly threaded her arms through the straps.

"Did you unlock them yourself?" I asked, apprehensive as Nattaniel strode closer. I could see the glint of a key in his hand. His gaze was hard and his stride determined.

Mitch smiled and nodded, focused on me. "Yes. I have enough incentive to go of my own free will." She sidestepped her guard when he reached for her, then approached me. "Do you have a hair strap I could borrow?"

I looked past her shoulder at Nattaniel, who stood warily watching his prisoner. Then I faced Mitch, whose brown eyes were soft and her stance uncertain.

"Yes." I loosened it from my wrist and handed it to her.

She gathered her long, wavy black hair and twisted it at the nape of her neck. It was greasy, and she was dirty, but she didn't seem to mind. When she caught me looking, she shrugged. "I spent a week in prison, Miss..."

"Oh, you can just call me—"

"Shae. Mitch." Lennon T. James held out a pack to me. "We need to go."

He set off without waiting to see if we followed. I shrugged the pack on, surprised at its weight. The straps were too loose, so unhooking the bag, I managed to cross them over my chest. Then I hurried after the group.

Lennon T. James led us through the streets, several strides ahead of Mitch who was closely tailed by Nattaniel. I struggled to keep the pace, straggling as I walked as quickly as decorum allowed me to. My yellow jacket clung to my skin already, and my skirt was becoming a hindrance at the pace Lennon T. James had set.

I envied Mitch and her patched trousers.

The train station was not far. It had been built in the heart of the city so as to be more accessible. The tracks would've caused many city blocks to be rebuilt but the architects had managed to build several bridges, and it was one of the many feats Hanochk was known for.

Hanochk was one of the biggest cities on the continent.

Before the days of the Muran, it had been a town surrounding the palace. There had been one marketplace, two districts, and it had all been to support the communication and delegation at the palace.

Now, the city had expanded over a century, and therefore had continued to be built in haphazard sections. It had city blocks but no district had a single purpose. They were called by the year. In each district was a square, and that square was its own centre of commerce and trade.

Travelling by train was the fastest way to traverse the city. Cabs could be called, of course, and they usually didn't restrict themselves to one district. After all, the smallest city block had been finished in Year 21, and it had no shops.

The whole city was a collection of small towns, it sometimes seemed, and it impacted our society by creating a sense of loyalty to the district you lived in. Worked in. Traded in. They were solidified against other countries, yes, and all banded together to form trade for Chileez itself. But they also had trade regulations within the nation, and within Hanochk.

The whole city had one university. Due to thriving trade and food production, most skills were practical and learned by internships. It wasn't seen as a terrible thing to learn as a scholar; it was mostly just not practical.

Hanochk seemed like a world unto its own. I had lived here my whole life. There had been no reason to leave. I suspected Mitch and Borys Nattaniel had never left the city limits either; not unless the latter had seen the fields of battle. He seemed too young for that, however, but I did not know him yet.

🙞

The train station was crowded.

The platform was large and, from sunrise to sunset, and even after, was always busy. Steps led up from the street, which had been widened to allow for carriages, cabs and automobiles. The wooden platform itself was divided in half: the one side dedicated to processing arrivals and the other for sending off departures. White-painted iron lamposts dotted the platform, and shrubbery had been planted wherever they could set a flower pot.

There was even a tree, from which hung small lantern lights.

The crowd mostly consisted of workers heading out of the city. They stood gathered in groups, waiting for the train. Like flocked to like, and it was not hard to distinguish farm hands from factory workers. I was surprised to note several soldiers standing around the perimeter.

Lennon T. James was purchasing passes.

I stood with Mitch and Borys Nattaniel. The former was scanning the crowd, a small smile playing at her lips. Nattaniel was focused on her, tense in anticipation of her trying to escape. But, judging the way she leaned against the lamppost and crossed her arms, I didn't see her going anywhere soon.

Pulling out my notebook, I made some notes.

The sound of a train pulling into the station surrounded me. The conductor was yelling, "To City Centre!" People were embarking; there was no one to disembark. It was the first train.

By the time I snapped my journal shut, tucking it into my satchel and sliding my pen into my hair, Lennon T. James was striding towards us.

"You each have a pass. It will expire a year from now. If all goes well, we should be back in Hanochk by then." He held out the passes, which were wooden-engraved plates that hung from a leather strap.

I took mine. "A year?"

He nodded but didn't meet my gaze.

Looking at the other two, both whose passes already hung around their neck, I realised they were much better prepared for this journey than I was. Mentally, that was, as if they'd been given concrete details. To me, a year seemed like a long time.

"The train departs in ten minutes?" asked Nattaniel, who was reading the posted schedule of train departures and arrivals. They changed daily. Nattaniel had shifted so that he could see both the board and the convict he was charged with.

Mitch didn't seem too dangerous, and I wondered what she'd been locked up for. The absence of weapons meant nothing. They'd have taken everything from her before throwing her in a jail cell.

"James! Jamie! Wait for me!"

There was a general hush as the crowd opened for the waving, hollering, rushed individual. We all watched the approaching man. His hair drew one's immediate attention. It was black, like ink, and stood straight up. The sides had been trimmed close to his scalp.

Lennon T. James seemed annoyed. "What are you doing here, Lyong?"

The stranger grinned. "I heard that you were taking five untrained explorers with you, so here I am! As your best friend and roommate, it seems only natural I come along and be the sixth. Besides, you've never taken me anywhere, and we've known each other for years. Decades. Practically since birth."

"I didn't take you along because I work better alone." Lennon T. James set a hand on Lyong's shoulder. "Please stay home."

"Not a chance, my friend. I can't stay here." Lyong then faced the rest of us. "My name is Wade Lyong. I apologise for the informalities. I meant no offence."

When no one responded immediately, I held out my hand. "None taken. Shae Burrower, at your service."

"Enchanted, Miss Burrower." He shook my hand. "And...?"

The others introduced themselves while I tried to place the person in front of me with everything I'd heard about him before. In the newsroom, especially.

We all know who Lennon T. James is. We have been told stories of what he's done. We've been teased by 'secret' information that came to light, or new adventures he just set out on, or been told about the beasts he'd fought. And we know all of this because of one person: Wade Lyong.

Wade Lyong himself was never a figure in any of the stories. There was an article written by him here and there, however, and I was told that many of the 'anonymous' informants were actually only one man. Besides being a man of information, he was popular amongst nobility and commoners alike. The third son of a wealthy baron allowed him that freedom.

It all made sense, now.

He was as tall as Mitch, not including the shock of hair on his head and thin as a whip. Next to Lennon T. James, who wore sturdy pants with lots of pockets and a white shirt covered with a sturdy, brown leather jerkin, Lyong looked overdressed. Slim black pants, not a pocket in sight, were tucked into red boots. His jacket was also dyed red, left loose to showcase his finely-crafted black tunic.

"Lyong." Lennon T. James faced his friend. "You are not coming with us."

Wade Lyong bowed to us. "Please, excuse us." And then they stepped away, where it looked like Lyong was talking in fast whispers and Lennon T. James replying with one-word answers.

A train whistle blew. It was loud and long, high pitched, and sent the whole platform into a frenzy. Brakes squealed as the train slowed to a stop. The conductor was calling for passengers. "Leaving Hanochk! Leaving Hanochk!"

"We have to go." I hiked my pack higher onto my back. I looked at Mitch and Nattaniel. They were ready. Mitch pushed away from the lamppost. Nattaniel gestured for me to go first.

I walked towards Lennon T. James and Wade Lyong, trying not to interrupt too harshly. "This is our train."

Lennon T. James ignored me, his jaw clenched as he stared back at his stubborn friend. Then he sighed. "If you die, Lyong, the responsibility falls at your feet."

He gestured for us to follow him, ignored his friend's grin, and led us towards the train. Lyong followed him, I followed Lyong, and the other two weren't far behind.

Now, after all is said and gone, I realise none of us had noticed how Wade had been told there would be five travellers with Lennon T. James. At that moment, there had only been three.

🙞

The train tracks started at the capital of Chileez, which bordered the sea on the western side, and ended in Arriza.

Arriza was not a border town in the strictest sense of the word. The land beyond it was unclaimed, largely inhabited by a nomadic people we traded with occasionally. There was no formal alliance with them but there was also no need for one.

It would take us a day to reach Arriza.

I started on my manuscript. Mitch stole a pair of clothes for her and refused to say where she'd gotten it. Lennon T. James ignored that. Nattaniel had harsh words with her. Wade Lyong offered to trim it, if needed.

The offer was unnecessary.

Mitch had stolen clothes that fit her perfectly.

🙞

author's note

darlings,

this was the hardest chapter i've had to write in a long time. it took me forever.

and it's an absolute mess.

so, I need help if you have a moment...

1. is this too much of an info dump?

2. are there too many names being thrown about?

3. are my descriptions disruptive?

4. was the flow confusing?

thanks so much for reading! i hope you guys are doing well and hanging in there.

<3 klara