Chatoyant

Chapter 3

"So, which district are you from?" Athena asks.

"Brontide," I say. "You?"

"Irenic. I just got on" she says.

"Ah," I say. She looks around.

"It's a nice train."

"Yeah, you can say that again." There is a short pause.

"Nervous?" she asks. I nod.

"Yeah," I say with a sigh. "Have an idea what you're going to choose?"

"Not really. Maybe Anodyne or Ethereal. I'm excited to see which element I am."

"Yeah, me too." I say.

"What type do you think you are?" She asks. "Both my parents were morphos, so I'd assume I'm one as well."

"Hmm. My mom was a spotted blue, and my dad was a tiger swallowtail, so probably either one of those." We chat a little longer while the train goes to the next district. It took less time than I expected to reach Serein district. Only 4 more districts to go.

It's late afternoon and we depart from Petrichor district, our penultimate destination. The next stop will be at The Council's capital district. The train is rather full now, and the buzz of excitement fills the air. An announcement silences some of these conversations. "Attention all passengers, we are approaching this train's final destination. Please be ready to exit and switch trains in approximately 15 minutes. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your ride." I look out the window. The elegant architecture of the buildings is captivating. This is the capital, so I wouldn't expect any less. The sky is starting to acquire a soft turquoise glow, due to the onset of the two suns setting. I finish my drink and get up to throw it away. I get a better view of the outside. The skyline is breathtaking. I can feel the train decreasing in speed. We're going to be stopping soon. I hurry back to my seat.

The train pulls up to the station. The train compartment is full of people, excitedly making their way to the doors. Athena and I stick together. We shuffle our way down the stairs and out one of the doors. The group disperses a little. The station is a lot bigger than the previous ones with its towering ceilings and marble and glass detailing. More Creda guards lead us to the next train. This one looked similar to the last one. The seats were a lot closer together. Athena and I sat together once again. "What position would you like?" I ask. At the ceremony, we are to choose the position in society that we would like to take part in.

"Probably the guard," she replies.

"Same," Now, I really hope we end up with at least the same ruling moon. The guard is for each moon. It serves two kingdoms. Athena's jaw drops.

"Ara, you have to see this," She looks out the window. We're crossing a large crystal blue lake. There's barely any land in sight. The bridge is just a few inches above the waterline. It's breathtaking.

The train slows as it reaches land. I can see the station. The train pulls in, and once again, everyone starts to get off. Psyche has three terminals. Each one has two floors, and two sets of tracks on each floor. Each floor represents the different directions of the trains, each terminal is for each moon, and each track is for each kingdom. Athena and I get off the train. The station is simple, yet beautiful. There is stained glass art everywhere. There is a large stained-glass mural of Creda, the white moon, between the two sets of tracks. On the left, there were stained glass blue roses to represent The Council, and on the right, red roses to represent Eudaimonia. A train pulls in on the other set of tracks. Excited Eudaimonian citizens pour out of the open doors.