Gears of Fate, page 12
part #1 of Forgotten Gods Series
Lenis tackled her sister and they both crashed into the grass. “I was trapped in my own cup!”
“You’re so unreasonable sometimes!” Liliana pulled at Lenis’ hair.
Lenis flipped Liliana to the ground and bent her tiny arm behind her back. “Your mother is a dandelion!”
“Your mother mates with humming birds!” Liliana head butted her sister, and the two broke out into an all-out brawl.
The dwarf looked on in confusion, while the goblins tried to split the two apart.
“Maybe now would be a good time to run?” I whispered to Seneca.
“I kinda want to see how this plays out,” Seneca said, barely holding in her laughter.
I grabbed her arm and dragged her off running down the road. The Lillies continued shouting as their argument raged behind us. Soon the growls and wicked screams of the Redcaps drowned the pixies out. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, fear ran through my body and gave my legs that extra boost.
“The train stop is just up ahead.” Seneca said.
“Are you kidding me?” Lenis shouted from behind. “They’re getting away!”
The Redcaps attacked like a pack of wild dogs. I knew nothing would stop them until they had us in their clutches.
“Where’s this train?” I huffed. “I don’t see a station.”
“You won’t see the station,” Seneca answered. “Until you see the station.”
“That doesn’t―”
A growl cut me off. I glanced back at the red blur of the Redcaps running on all fours. The flashing of bronze teeth and wild eyes said they fully intended on ripping us apart. The Lillies and others chased behind them. Ahead of us, the road reached far and wide, no real way of escaping.
“We have to fight!” I yelled.
“Would you stop posturing?” Seneca had a strange look on her face. “And keep running. I can feel the tracks. Just up ahead.”
The road went up a rise I couldn’t see beyond. I had to trust her.
We reached the top and found nothing, except a perfect view of the Redcaps making short order of the distance between us.
“Where’s the tracks?” I yelled.
“They’re coming.” Seneca looked around. “As soon as it shows, jump.”
“This is rust! They are going to catch us.”
“I hear it.” Seneca grabbed my arm and pulled me in her direction. “Look!”
She pointed down the slope, where I didn’t see anything worth our time. But she wouldn’t let me turn away. I kept looking until the air wavered like the surface of a lake. The thick smell of iron and steel filled my nose. The ground rumbled, and a horn bellowed so loud I fell to my knees and covered my ears, but Seneca pulled me up by my arm and dragged me down the hill. The ground shifted before my eyes, almost as if reality couldn’t make a proper decision.
“Are those tracks?” I gasped, seeing them but not believing they could just appear out of nowhere. They cut across the road leading deep into the forest. Seneca stopped right before the tracks, holding me steady as I swayed to the earth-shattering rumble.
She shook me, using her free hand to slap me out of my stupor. “Be ready. When the train passes, we have to grab on.”
“Grab on to what?” I shouted over the roar of engines.
“Anything you can!”
A bright light cut across the forest path, followed by the drumming and screeching of wheels as a hulking iron thing, black as a smith’s anvil, came forward. A massive chimney along its top spewed gray smoke, polluting the sky as it burrowed through the forest. The engine shot by, leading a precession of cars with such fury I feared I would be sucked under its wheels.
“A freight car is coming up,” Seneca said. “This is where we get on. Jump when I say.”
I bent at the knees waiting for the signal. Sweat streamed down my back as the Redcap’s growls clawed their way after us. I looked to Seneca, expecting her to shout out something, anything. Instead, she stood calm as if waiting for spring to arrive. I glanced back over my shoulder at the Redcaps, who would be on us in seconds.
“Now!” Seneca yelled.
Instinct took over. My body made the decision before my brain was even aware. My legs launched me forward. There was no way we would make it. Gravity insisted I fall under the tracks. I could practically feel the warmth of the Redcaps’ breath on my skin. Before panic set in, I hit the wood flooring of the freight car and rolled to a stop next to Seneca. I swung around ready to defend myself. The first creature must have tried to make the jump, his clawed nails dug deep into the edge of the doorframe. The train moved too fast for his foot to get a good purchase, leaving him hanging from the side, trying to claw his way in.
I ran over and stomped his fingers until they came loose. He vanished in a blur, sucked under the wheels. I averted my eyes an instant before the crunch of bones.
Seneca came to my side and peeked outside. “You want to know the first thing I plan to do when I’m on the throne? Easy. Unprofessionally devote all my resources into hunting down the Lillies and trapping them under mugs forever.”
The train moved through the forest at such incredible speed it made me nauseous watching the trees and land go by. A blur of motion, the mixed greens, browns, and yellows bled across my vision. Soon, the world exploded into endless sparkling copper brown. As far as I could see, desert surrounded us. The sun burned down on a wide vista that almost seemed like an entirely different world.
“We’re slowing down,” Seneca said. “Let’s find the passenger train.”
The smell of roasted chicken, steak, and pork chops saturated the next car. I couldn’t help salivating. Silverware clanked and people idly chatted, reminding me of a time when I had to work washing dishes at dining hall meant for the rich. Now here I was once again walking amongst people of a different station.
Fancy dressed Fey sat at elegant tables enjoying their expensive meals and sipping on drinks. A waiter shooed us out of the way while speeding past with a tray of drinks held high above his head. Had Seneca not dragged me along, I would have grabbed a chicken leg off a pompously dressed woman’s plate. She rolled her eyes at me in disgust while I watched her eat with pigeon like nibbles. I blew her a kiss and enjoyed her unpleasant reaction before stepping into the next car.
We entered another car lined with seats all along the wall. There seemed to be a more diverse array of passengers here, but mostly fairies dressed in fine clothes, top hats, and corsets. The well-to-do of the fairy world only travelled by train I presumed. Seneca chose seats for us toward the back. She sat heavily, and I squeezed in next to her.
She looked out the window almost as if she couldn’t meet my eyes. “More of the fallout I suppose.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“These are all Seelie. Why do you think they’re so far from home?”
I looked around. “Your people don’t seem anything like you.”
“Thanks, it’s a compliment. But still… they are refugees aren’t they?” She sounded as if she asked herself more than me.
“If you ask me, they seem pretty content.”
She sighed. “The Seelie always make do. We are taught from a young age to meet great disaster with elegance and a smile.”
“Still,” I said. “They don’t seem all that bothered. They are a lot more well off than I ever was.”
She finally looked at me and her eyes burned with sorrow. “Everyone needs a home, Zak. Even if you hate it, at the end of the day, we need to know there is some place to return to.” She motioned to the Fey around us. “They have nowhere to go. It’s all my fault.”
I sat back and thought about The Fringe, Abby, and even my dad. Once we got Alice back and I helped Seneca stop this war, I’d have to go home. I may have hated it, but she was right. It was nice knowing I had some place to call my own, lay my head down, where I could easily find people I loved. Dad sending me off to work on a ship was a huge blow. Obviously, I didn’t want to leave Alice and Abby behind, but being away made me wonder if I had also been scared of leaving.
I looked around at the Fey I was so quick to write off, and paid closer attention. Their smiles never reached their eyes, laughter ended in long sighs and periods of silence, and most of all, they all over indulged in alcohol. These people masked their feelings the same way I always have.
Not knowing what I could say to cheer her up, I decided on the next best choice. “I’m going to see if I can find us some food.”
“Just don’t drink any pixie ale,” she said. “That stuff is brutal!”
I found the next car alive with amazing music. A band played various string and brass instruments on a low stage. Women in refined dresses and elegant masks spun around on high heels and sparkling shoes while men in suits laced with silver and gold danced around them with wanting eyes.
A buffet of food off to the side drew my attention. The spread wafted with lingering smoke and the scent of yummy things hung in the air. Pointed-eared waiters stood impatiently on the other side of the table, watching me with a bit of distaste. I made sure to offer up my most fringe smile while sticking my fingers in a tray of meat then licked the gravy off my finger. The waiter all but fainted in front of me. I grabbed two plates from one of the disgusted waiters and piled on large amounts of food, most of which I couldn’t even begin to identify.
Fey surged into the entertainment train, and the room came to life with graceful dancers. I dodged my way across the floor on nimble feet while trying to balance my plates and avoid being run down. It was time to leave. After a night of endless dancing with Maeve the psycho violinist, I swore to never dance again. I headed back to the passenger train. When I stepped between cars, the warm desert breeze brushed against my face.
I stopped and took in the warmth. Soon Alice. I’m coming for you.
Chapter Twelve
Seneca and I ate our dinners in silence. Each bite I took filled my mouth with a new explosion of flavor. No two bites tasted the same. It could easily be the best meal I had in as long as I could remember. I was so wrapped up in my food I hadn’t noticed Seneca stopped eating. She put down her plate and leaned back, sinking into the seat cushions.
She pulled her hood down lower over her face. “I think someone recognizes me.”
I looked up and across the aisle, a man with long blond hair and an arrogant smile stared back at us. He didn’t try to pretend he wasn’t watching. I sat up straight and leaned forward, letting the muscles in my jaw clench while putting my perfected ‘hop off’ look on display. He nodded, turned to his companion, and whispered something into his ear.
“How bad would it be if someone recognizes you?” I asked.
“Depends. If it’s Seelie, I’d be welcomed with open arms. There’d be some crying, it’d be a whole thing. If it were Unseelie, well the reception wouldn’t be that grand… then there are the bounty hunters. Puck has a bounty out on me, not sure how much it’s for. But the way that guy is looking at me makes me think it’s a lot.”
The blond and his companion both openly stared at us. His companion to my surprise had the body of a man and the head of a hog.
“What should we do?” I asked.
She looked out the window. “I don’t know how far we are, but it may be a better idea to continue our journey on foot.” She got up and motioned for me to follow. “Let’s head back to the freight and hop off this train.”
“Stay close to me.” I pulled her behind me.
We walked down the aisle toward the door. We would have to pass the man and his companion to get back to where we came in. I hoped he had no intentions of making a scene in front of everyone else on board. If he were a smart bounty hunter, he’d want to keep it quiet and have less competition. He watched us approach with the maddening patience of a true predator. Three more steps and we would be on top of him.
“Good evening,” he said, with a singsong voice. “How have your travels been?”
I kept myself between him and Seneca. “Fine, thanks. We were just heading up front.”
His friend sniffed at us and grunted under his breath.
“Really?” he said. “But the view here is so much better. All that’s up ahead is the engine and some lonely freight cars. Now why would you want to go there?”
“None of your business really,” I said, fists clenched and ready for a fight.
He held up his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I really was just curious.” Still holding up his left hand, he held out his right for me to shake. “I am Nolan Wolfe and this unsettling fellow here is my lifelong friend and partner, Gorge.”
I looked at his hand for a moment before shaking it. We both squeezed harder than necessary. “I’m Zak Walker.”
He tried to get another glance at Seneca, but I kept step in front of him. “And who might this be?”
“My friend,” I said. “And we have to get going.”
I took Seneca’s hand and tried to lead her pass the two. Nolan had other plans; he put his hand on my chest to stop me, while Gorge crept in behind Seneca and sniffed at her hair.
“Zak,” Seneca said. “I think it’s time we leave. So maybe a bit of violence will do?”
Nolan’s smile spread wide across his face, revealing sparkling white teeth. It was an easy target, so I punched him in the face. I definitely felt something crack under the weight of my knuckles. He did his best at cursing me while trying to keep his blood from pouring out his nose. Whatever Seneca did to Gorge worked, because he hunched over, grabbing his crotch, squealing like a pig. We didn’t stick around long enough to see what kind of damage we did. I ran for the door at the far end of the train and pulled it open. She ran in and I after her.
We rushed through the dining car pushing surprised Fey out the way as we went. Trying to keep up with Seneca, I accidentally knocked over a waiter. We both fell to the floor, his tray of drinks spilling glasses and liquid all over. Seneca helped me up and I yelled an apology over my shoulder as we ran to the door to the freight car. The side door was shut and locked up tight.
“Hades!” I shouted.
“Let’s keep going.” Seneca pointed toward to the next door.
Nolan stormed in, his nose bent at the wrong angle and blood staining his upper lip. He tried to smile, but to my enjoyment, was missing a tooth. Gorge limped in behind him, breathing hard and let loose a long, angry squeal.
“See the problem with people today,” Nolan shouted. “Is that they can’t just talk things out. Why did we have to jump straight to fighting? You know I had a whole speech planned out and everything.”
Arms of solid muscle grabbed me from behind and lifted me into a bear hug. Hot putrid breath washed down my back and made my skin crawl. Nolan smiled his missing tooth smile as another hog headed man grabbed Seneca up in his muscled arms. The three hog men squealed along with Nolan’s laughter.
“Seneca struggled to get loose. “Wait, so you’re like king of the hog people? Nolan Wolfe, king of the hogs! Wouldn’t it have made more sense if you, I don’t know, trained some wolves to be your cronies?”
“Insults won’t get you anywhere,” Nolan said. “Not when all I hear coming out of your mouth is the sound of my sweet reward.”
“How much?” Seneca asked.
“Enough to bring honor back to my name.” He ran his hand through her hair.
“Don’t touch her!” I yelled.
Nolan nodded to my captor. The hog man flexed his muscles and crushed the air out of my lungs. I gasped, desperate to breathe. My legs flailed uselessly as he swung me back and forth like a broken toy.
“Ease off!” Seneca yelled.
Nolan nodded once again and the hog loosened up his grip. I inhaled deeply and felt the relief of my lungs expanding.
“As I was saying,” Nolan said. “This reward is enough to get me a ship, set myself up with a good crew—”
“Maybe train some wolves?” Seneca said. “I get it would really help your image. But the thing is, if you turn me over to Puck, you aren’t just turning over the Seelie Princess, you’re turning your back on your people. If Puck gets what he wants, he won’t stop at the Seelie lines. He’ll come for the Free Fey next. He wants the whole land united under his rule, and trust me, it won’t be a just rule.”
Nolan waved his hand and faked a yawn. “It’s all very interesting. Unfortunately for you, I don’t care. You see I’m an outlaw. Regardless of who rules what, I will remain outside the law because that’s where I am most comfortable and most profitable.”
“So what’s all this talk about bringing honor to your name?” I asked.
He leaned in close enough for me to smell the sweat of his hair. “The Wolfes were once well known and feared throughout the land. My father unfortunately made some bad decisions where his finances were concerned and lost his ship and crew.”
“Sounds like my dad and your dad should get a drink together,” I said.
“He died a coward’s death.” Nolan shrugged.
“Ouch,” Seneca said. “Way to put your foot in your mouth.”
“So it’s up to me to restore my family’s honorable name as the most feared and powerful―”
“Yeah,” I moaned. “We get it. You’re a loser that should have been edged a long time ago.”
Nolan laughed so hard I thought he didn’t understand the insult. He bent over and clenched at his stomach while his laughter filled the train. The hog men looked at each other in confusion before cautiously laughing along with him.
“Did you break him?” Seneca asked.
I didn’t have time to answer when Nolan’s laughter stopped abruptly as he introduced his knuckles to my face.
I woke with a start, feeling the dull ache of my jaw. My wrists were bound with rough rope that bit into my skin. I squirmed around on the floor trying to sit up as the train shook and jostled me back down. Seneca leaned against the wall, her arms secured behind her back as well.
“Rise and shine sleepy head.” She scooted over to me. “Man, Zak, I would have thought you could handle a punch better. He barely tapped you.”
