The Magician's Assistant

16

Several days had passed since Rachael had returned to Woodridge. She now found herself on the outskirts of Stevensburg, a larger town a relatively short walk away from her home.

She had instructions to meet Gramps and Erika at the train station, with a generous amount of time before their train was scheduled to leave.

As Rachael walked, she felt refreshed and proud of herself. The road into town had been quick, uneventful, and safe. She couldn't help but feel a since of accomplishment seeing all the traffic pass by her on the way over, completely unmolested by any strange creatures in the forest.

Rachael's mother had made sure everything was as ready for the trip to Silverport as it could be. All of Rachael's clothes were pristine, and she had just about every item she could possibly need with her.

Rachael wasn't very familiar with Stevensburg, though she had been there many times. Most of her visits ended with the commercial district just off the main road. This wasn't her first ever visit to the train station, but it was the first in years.

She found the train station after a few more minutes of walking. Gramps and Erika were both waiting for her right by the entrance.

"Rachael! We're over here!" Gramps called out.

While Rachael was wearing a fresh dress and shoes, Gramps and Erika both seemed to be wearing the exact same clothes they had when she'd last seen them. At least, Rachael assumed they were the same outfits.

It certainly seemed possible Erika's black outfit was one of many, but she was sure Gramps' was the exact same article he'd seemingly always worn.

Rachael walked over to Gramps. She noticed several bags of luggage by the pair's feet.

"The train should be arriving in just a little while. I've sent word ahead of us. Erika's family, as well as some good friends of mine, should be waiting for us," Gramps said.

Erika rolled her eyes at the mention of her family.

"Also, I've heard that there have been some interesting happenings at Silverport. I'll likely be busy for most of my time there,"

"What do you mean by 'interesting happenings'?" Rachael asked.

"Don't worry, there shouldn't be any monsters or undead jumping at us when we disembark from the train,"

There was a loud whistle as a train pulled into the station behind Gramps.

"Think that's ours?" Rachael asked.

"It probably is. I'll explain it more once we're on board,"

The group headed into a station, and within the hour, they were on the train. The train pulled out of the station, and headed for Silverport.

The group sat near the front of the train. Gramps sat by himself, with Rachael and Erika opposite to him.

"Now then, It seems as though there have been some odd robberies in Silverport," Gramps explained.

"That doesn't sound like something you'd call a magician in for," Rachael said.

"They just want me to look over things a bit. You see, they're worried that there might be some sort of magical component to the crime,"

"What, like they think they're using magic to steal things?"

"No. They think the objects that have been stolen might be used for some sort of magic ritual,"

"What have they been stealing?"

"An assortment of artifacts from the local museums and universities. They weren't very detailed, but I certainly couldn't find a pattern in it,"