The sight of the handler caused Brandy to relax some. She hurried past the bubble and approached him. “Don’t care, just happy you showed. Oi, Gus! Bring out the cargo!” The rabbit called back over her shoulder.

  “How is the detainee?” asked the horse, eyeing the ship. He watched as a large, grey-maned lion with what he assumed was Lucien slung over his shoulder.

  Both Brandy and the handler watched as Gustavo marched up to the pair. Brandy held up the bladeless hand, causing him to stop just short of the barrier.

  “One high blood, muffled and bound as requested,” Brandy answered while leading him back to the barrier. She watched as Gustavo studied the handler with a wary eye. Though her outward appearance was far more approachable, her thoughts mirrored Gus’ concern. “So, GhostTongue, where do you want him?”

  “Drop him anywhere, it’s fine,” Answered the horse.

  Gustavo’s expression quickly changed as a smirk appeared on his maw. In one motion, he thrust his shoulder out and sent Lucien crashing to the ground rather unceremoniously.

  Brandy gasped as the rabbit came crashing to the ground between herself and GhostTongue, and the cargo landed in the dirt. His handler, on the other hand, seemed relatively unbothered by it.

  “The hell was that?!” Brandy snapped at Gustavo.

  “What? He said I could drop him anywhere. I was just doing what the client said.” Gustavo played innocent while trying to prevent his smirk from growing into a full-blown smile.

  “Captain Fender, it’s fine. I can assure you that he probably deserved it.” GhostTongue spoke as he pulled Lucien to his feet.

  Once upright, it was clear that Lucien didn’t share in his handler’s nonchalantness. Instead, Lucien’s eyes said what his mouth was unable to. Wide to the verge of bulging, the rabbit’s wrathful gaze could only draw out the smug smirk the lion was trying his best to hide.

  “Goddess’ grace. Alright, everyone back on the ship, now!” Brandy shouted as the blade of red light disappeared. As the rest of her team loaded back onto the ship, Brandy rummaged around in a chest pocket while keeping an eye on the horse.

  “Lovely doing business with you, Miss Fender. Your unit’s fee has been processed. it should be in your account shortly.” Emil said while grabbing ahold of Lucien’s jumpsuit.

  “Ah, ah,” Brandy started as the blade reappeared over her right hand while pulling the other out of her pocket. “We aren’t done here. Gustavo, that big lion, isn’t a fan of your friend there. Come to find, that's a pretty popular opinion down at Creekside.”

  “I can assure you, that's a pretty common feeling across Maeros. I am assuming this about your personal debt?” He watched the rabbit’s closed hand with concern. When she opened it, there sat an old battered coin with the casting of a possum skull on it.

  “Damn right, GhostTongue. I either leave one coin poorer or a quarter million credits richer. It's up to you.” Brandy gestured to the jumpsuit-wearing rabbit.

  GhostTongue eyed her in silence for a moment longer before nodding. With an exasperated sigh, he reached into his vest and retrieved a pocket watch. His thumb slid along the edge of the watch and thumbed the three switches on the side. His thumb flicked the last of the three and caused the silver cover to pop open. Inside were thin lines of gold filigree around a circular space just wide enough to fit the coin in Brandy’s hand.

  “Please, call me Emil. As for your debt, I agree you have done more than enough to aid us. Consider it cleared.” spoke the horse. He took the coin from her and slipped it into his watch. The device started to click and buzz as the silver cover snapped close.

  “Finally…” Brandy dismissed the blade and started back towards the ship but stopped. She spoke in a low growl as her eyes locked on him one last time, “Don’t contact us ever again.”

  “Understood. One last question, if you may?” Emil asked.

  “What?” Brandy snapped.

  “How is your brother? I like to know how my investments panned out. I do hope the medicine was able to help.” Emil watched as the doe‘s face twisted with disgust and annoyance. Though his interest was earnest, there was no surprise with how it was taken. His line of work was undesirable even on his own, but it always seemed to be in high demand.

  Emil was an information broker and deal maker. The LeBlancs were lawyers by trade and had climbed their way into the lower aristocracy of Maeros. Those talented in the ways of law, at times, found their way to a sort of contract magic. The shiny bit of gold was the signature on a deal, and the pocketwatch’s work marked the end of a contract penned for a very desperate doe in need of a very rare and expensive medicine.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  “He’s…better,” Brandy said flatly.

  “Splendid. Farewell, Fender.”

  Brandy got back to her team, and it wasn’t long before the ship melted into the pitch-black sky. Emil found himself watching the spot where the small, boxy ship disappeared. There was a want to follow them up and out. Out of the forest and, really, just anywhere else. Alas, the sound of a clearing throat pulled him back into the reality he found himself in.

  Lucien’s head was laid back, revealing the underside of the mouth covering. His wrists, still bound, did little to stop the rabbit from making his wants known. A finger found a small circular indent on the underside of the muffler. The Rabbit’s impatient tapping drew a sucking of teeth from Emil before he grabbed hold of the jumpsuit’s collar.

  Lucien found himself being dragged into the abandoned train depot. Inside was completely dark short of the dim light leaking through the rusted through holes in the ceiling. Through them, starlight illuminated the cracked concrete floor and small puddles of still water that had formed from recent rains. In the center of the floor was a bit of track, disconnected from the rest of the world.

  Emil continued dragging Lucien up onto the bit of raised ground while fishing out his pocket watch. This time, his thumb flipped the second switch. The watch opened again, revealing a reflective surface that gave off a faint blue glow. Once they stood atop the small mound, Emil traced his finger along the edge of the blank watch face. As his finger moved, a line of blue light moved around the edge of the mound where the track was placed. Completing the circle, he brought his finger down the middle and split the concrete below the track.

  The handler turned his eyes back upward as the mound of earth began to descend into the floor. The light, what little there was, quickly faded as the pair lowered into the cold ground. In the dark again, Emil let out a tense sigh as he tried his best to ignore the still-demanding rabbit. A snap of anger tore through Emil as the grunts of the rabbit got louder. There, in the pitch blackness, Emil gave an unseen glare. A balled-up fist longed to slap some sense, or better yet respect, into the impatient rabbit but knew it would do little to correct his impatient cargo’s behavior. Instead, he turned his eyes back to the unseen hole they descended through.

  Before long, light began to spill in from the edges of the descending earth. Brighter and brighter, the light grew until the platform dropped out of the tunnel of earth and into the open air. Around them was a well-lit and spacious train depot. Unlike the one above, multiple tracks could be seen though only one train car was there. The unoccupied tracks stretched out in various directions and undoubtedly led to any place on the continent.

  When the rush of clean air hit Emil, he moved away from Lucien and toward the edge of the circle of concrete and dirt. He did his best to ignore Lucien.The rabbit began stomping where Emil had left him but moved closer when the horse ignored him. It didn’t take long for Emil’s strained patience to finally reach its limit. He spun around and his furious eyes fell upon Lucien, who’s head was craned back. His finger was aggressively pointing toward a small circular indent on the underside of the muffler. Emil grabbed hold of the device and yanked Lucien’s head back down so he could stare into Lucien's beady green eyes.

  “Not. Yet. There’s business we need to discuss. You are to be silent until we get on the train.” Emil spoke in a calm yet cold tone. The levelness of his words did little to mask his frustration. However, they fell on long and deaf ears as the rabbit’s head snapped right back up as soon as his hand left the muffler.

  The chunk of earth soon came to rest in the floor of the train depot before a car. It was large and silver and looked as if it had never even known the concept of dirt. Two large sets of windows ran along the side of the cabin, the view inside obscured by large curtains. Under the bottom row of windows ran a strip of scarlet, its color matching the curtains and metal door at the back of the car.

  Snapping the watch shut, Emil didn’t get much time to think before hearing the door at the back of the train slide open. Looking up from his pocket watch, he saw the head of an older rabbit poke out from inside. The old buck’s tired eyes opened wide as he saw the muzzled Lucien. The short and stoat rabbit hurried off the train and up to the foot of Lucien.

  “Master Grayhart. Your glory!” said Klaus as he dropped to a knee and removed his flat cap. With his other hand, he scooped up the still-bound hands and placed them against his forehead. Emil watched in disgust as the display caused Lucien to glow with pride.

  “Klaus, would you stop your groveling and get back on the train?” Emil hissed as he marched past the older rabbit and dragged Lucien behind him. “There will be time for that later. We need to move.”

  “Oh, yes, yes. A thousand pardons, Baron LaBlanc,” Klaus said while hopping back to his feet. He followed the two inside and hustled past them once they were inside the train car proper.

  Looking inside, it was easy to think the furnishings were fit for a prince. Luxurious satin curtains covered the large windows along the side, colored the same deep red seen on the outside of the train. A few seats ran under the windows on the right side of the cabin while a single large seat sat on the left. To call it a seat was a little bit of an understatement. It would be easier to mistake it for a king's throne with its ornate design and accents of silver.

  Above the throne was a large crest. It too was ornate but had more of an air of the occult as opposed to nobility. It was emblazoned in scarlet and gray and displayed a new moon around an open eye. Under the moon was a ribbon that read, “Vow and Strength, Unbroken”. Over their heads was painted an intricate mural. It displayed two sides tangled in combat. On one end, sporting the colors of the crest, stood a rabbit with a small gray staff in an outstretched arm. Around him were what looked like beings constructed of cogs and gears brandishing blade and bludgeon. To meet him, on the other end of the ceiling were scores of others. Amongst them were the many races of Aria. They were armed to the teeth, and all marched behind a group of five with a wolf ahead of them. All five standing in opposition were clad in the same colors: purple and white.

  Klaus disappeared behind a curtain toward the front of the train car. Emil and Lucien stopped before the garish throne as a storm of clicks and clacks could be heard from the front. Lucien dropped back into his throne, sinking into the velvety material of his chair.

  “Were you always this insufferable?”, Emil snapped as he took a few steps away from the throne. “Look, we have business to discuss, and I really need your mouth shut. Understand?”

  There was a moment of silence between the two, save for the noise coming from the front of the train. Emil was certain that he was heard just fine. Though one could be mistaken as, once again, Lucien lifted his head and tapped at the indent. Emil’s drifted from Lucien to the spot just between the long ears. He might as well be talking to that empty space for all the good it was doing. When the stomping began again, Emil reached his limit as his teeth clenched tightly. Taking a deep breath did very little to keep the rage at bay, serving as more of a back draft for the rising flame.

  “Klaus!” Emil shouted to the front.

  “Yes, Baron?” Klaus answered, his head peeking out of the curtain.

  “Please tell me we’ll be departing soon.” growled the horse.

  “Yes, yes, Baron. The engine core is just about done warming up. We’ll be gone any minute now.”

  No sooner did Klaus make his announcement did the car rumbled, and a string of chimes sounded. Feeling the train lurch forward caused Emil to lose some of the tension he had been carrying. Getting distance from the drop-off point was the first concern—security reasons, of course. There was very little stopping the mercenaries from changing their mind short of honor and reputation. If their honor didn’t hold, Emil doubted that he and the old man would be enough to stop them. He couldn’t promise he would even put up much resistance if they gave chase.

  With the first concern being dealt with, Emil turned his attention to Lucien to handle the second.

  “I want out,” Emil stated flatly.