(𝐊𝐀𝐙 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐊𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐅. 𝐎𝐂)
❝︎Why didn't he see
it coming?❞︎
BORN A PRISONER, TURNED INTO
one of the best soldiers of the Second
Army was Vera Sokolov, a Fjerdan
girl born with Shadow Sum...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
METAL CLANGED AS the train chugged along. Vera found it easy to stay still in the train, and it was funny watching Jesper struggle for a moment (he got the hang of it quickly).
The train moved fast through the darkness, the fire inside raging as it fought, trying to escape the confinement of the engine. Vera looked over at Arken, trying to make it appear as though she were simply glaring at him as she zoned out, focusing on every sound outside of the train. Any small crack. Any creak. Any whisper. She noted it all. If there were any threats she would know first.
A clang echoed through the interior of the train. The Crows (besides Vera, she had learned what that was the hard way) looked up in bewilderment. "What was that?" Jesper called out.
"I've erected a system of timers along the line." Arken looked down at his pocket watch, checking the time, "Bits of metal hung on poles to keep me apprised of our pace."
"How did you know where to put the poles?" Kaz investigated, his eyes looking around in controlled wonder.
"Physics and engineering account for... " Arken gave an honest shrug, "most of my success."
"And the rest?" Inej piped.
"What we might call divine intervention. What others might call luck." At Arken's words, Kaz turned to look at Vera, as if questioning everything he said. Vera shook her head with a sigh. It was all true. "And after all, the Fold is thick with volcra, and the tracks are not complete. Coal, please." Kaz shoveled some of the coal in.
Jesper caught onto his words, "I'm sorry. Did you say the tracks weren't complete?"
"I said they aren't complete." Arken barely looked up from his notes. Vera's lips twisted upward into a small smile, ready to see the chaos that would undoubtedly occur from the words.
Kaz whipped his head towards him as Inej gaped. "What?" Jesper leaned forward, his volume increasing.
"Ah, ah, ah. No moving." Arken raised his finger to stop Jesper in his tracks. Jesper begrudgingly sunk back into his seat. Then he turned to Kaz, "We're a tad late. More coal."
"Back to the real issue." Jesper intervened, his voice loud with worry, "We're on tracks that don't connect to other tracks?"
