★𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝑭𝒍𝒚 ༄ 𝑲𝒂𝒛 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒌𝒌𝒆𝒓★

5: Whisky

Blood on the rise, it's following me
Think about the break of day
She came and then she drove away
Sunlight in her hair
-The Doors-

Darkness. Rumbling. Fear.

I sat rigid, staring at my palms where they rested on my lap, trying to breath normally.

I shouldn't be scared.

"I'm sorry, did you say the tracks weren't complete?" I looked up with wide eyes at Jesper's remark.

"I said they aren't complete." Arken corrected.

"Hold on a damn minute-?" I stared at him incredulously.

The Conductor checked his watch. "We're a tad late, more coal,"

I took a small flask of whisky from my pocket. "I'm not dying sober." I said, taking a large swig of it.

"We're not going to die." Kaz replied firmly, eyes locked on mine.

I pursed my lips and took another swig. "I'm not taking any chances,"

Jesper interjected. "Back to the real issue, we're on tracks that don't connect to other tracks."

"There's a gap, but~" Arken began, but he was interrupted.

"You said you could get us through~?" Kaz began.

"How much of a gap~?" Jesper questioned.

"I'm going to need more whisky~"

"I built slats on the car," Arken raised his voice over us. "They roll in place under the wheels, the turbine generates enough energy to push us all the way to the eastern track- as long as we don't shift our weight."

Metal clanged and chugged as we zoomed through the fold.

The air was thick in my throat.

"Now, the noise may attract Volcra, but it's the only way across," he said, pulling a lever which made the train scream. "Now, there's a nest nearby- but we'll be fine. They haven't attacked us in~"

We heard the screech of a Volcra.

"Ah, fuck!" I hissed. They turned to me. I held up my flask with a frown. "I ran outta whisky,"

"Priorities, Ada!" Kaz snapped.

"Well, now we've got a problem," Arken grew tense.

The Volcra shrieked again, evidently closer.

"How do you fight them off?" Kaz asked Arken urgently.

"I outrun them," Arken replied, looking to the furnace. "Open the throttle and toss in all the coal, which works when there's twenty points of it!" he glared at me and Jesper.

"Outrun the bastards? Not our fault your plan is shit!" I shouted, throwing the empty flask at him, which smacked off his shoulder and clattered to the ground.

Just as Kaz went to scold me, there was a visceral cry from the Volcra, followed by a thud above.

Black ooze seeped through the roof.

"Damn it! The stupid thing impaled itself on a spike!" Arken exclaimed angrily.

I gagged. "Oh, what was in that whisky, Theo~" I swallowed the vomit with great effort.

"Who's~?" Inej began to ask me.

"More coal!" Arken interrupted.

There was no more coal, so the bag was tossed in the furnace instead.

"We're down to fumes," Kaz looked at the furnace with a grimace.

Thudding came from above.

"We won't make it with the extra weight, will we?" I said through gritted teeth, doubling over as my stomach churned.

"Ada, move next to Kaz, balance the weight." Arken ordered.

"Shit~" I cursed as a sudden lurch made me fall forward as I stood up.

Kaz grabbed the sleeve of my tailcoat, helping my regain my balance. I slumped down next to him, holding my head as it ached.

"If the Volcra don't get me, the whisky will," I muttered, face pale.

"Is this how we die?" whined Jesper.

"Jesper, the goat." Arken said.

"I'm not throwing the goat!" Jesper said, incredulous.

"Grab the damn goat! It's not bait- it's for you! I need you to calm down. Hug the goat- shut the hell up." Arken demanded curtly.

There was the clang of metal. Arken's face grew dark. "We should've hit that twenty seconds ago."

"Twenty seconds is?" Kaz asked.

"My timings are precise to get us outside, even twenty seconds behind means the train stops inside the Fold and... that means we die." he replied grimly.

I put my head in my hands. "I'm going to fucking die whilst vomiting up the most rancid whisky ever concocted. Thank you so fucking much, Theo." I hissed under my breath.

Kaz elbowed me gently. I looked up.

"What're you mumbling about?" he hissed.

Jesper stroked the goat.

"Doesn't matter, I'm just pissed off. I wasn't... I wasn't really planning on dying yet," I laughed, unable to hide the fear in my voice. I jumped as there was another screech from above.

Unsurely, Kaz rested his hand on my leg. "I promise we'll get through the fold alive." he said.

"That's one damn promise, Brekker," I replied, trying not to glance at Kaz's hand on my thigh. I couldn't ignore the fizzing in my heart. Maybe it was the whisky.

"You may want to make your peace," said Arken from his corner.

I was about to ask if anyone had a light for a cigarette when a Volcra tore through the train's roof.

It's disgusting head tried to wriggle through the gap.

I reached for Harbinger in my pocket. Before I could toss it at the Volcra, Kaz grabbed my wrist.

I failed to glare as he took my gloves hand in his, keeping Harbinger secure in my fist.

"Are you mad~?" I began.

BANG. I turned my attention to see Jesper in the middle of the carriage, pistols in hand as he blasted holes through the roof, killing the shrieking Volcra.

Silence.

Bang. The last Volcra, dead.

I held my breath in anticipation. But nothing more came.

Suddenly, light poured in the train. We were clear of the fold.

Kaz slowly released his grip on my hand, and I slipped Harbinger back in my pocket.

I glanced at him, but he wasn't looking, lips drawn into a thin line.

I exhaled slowly, scrunching my eyes closed.

I just crossed the damn Fold.