Girl of Iron and Magic

25.

25.
PRESENT DAY

"Let's think this through," Rowan said. "So you're going to somehow save an entire train from the eruption, we know that much, but then why did I need to tell you that if you do it, your seal will fade?"

"Lotte says she doesn't know," Maloru said. "She says her seal is fading anyway, so she might as well save some people on the way."

"And how do you intend on doing that?"

Lotte had collected what materials she could from the Nahilin cult. They didn't have any magical ingredients, but she was going to enchant a massive hulk of iron, she didn't think magic ingredients would cut it.

No, what she needed was something else. A path opened in her mind. She knew where she was going and how to pave her way.

"Lotte needs you to go to find Igador, Rowan," Maloru said. "You need to get him to stop the train when Lotte enchants the engine."

"You're going to enchant the train?" Rowan cried. "The whole gods-damn train?"

"It's the only way," Maloru said. "She says she knows she could do it thanks to you."

Rowan frowned, shaking her head. "So what's the plan?"

"Lotte and I are going to gather some ingredients," Maloru said. "Then she's going to start enchanting the train beginning from the last car and ending at the engine. She wants you to have the train stop in one hour."

"What is she going to make the train do?"

Maloru gasped when Lotte sent her answer. "Fly," he said.

"That's crazy!"

"Lotte sounds pretty convinced."

Rowan heaved a sigh. "Fine, but we need to arrange a rendezvous and ditch the train the second you land it somewhere."

"It'll be fine," Maloru said. "We'll find you."

"It's not me I'm worried about," she said. "You're two elves on a human train in the middle of a war. What's more, if you can make this train fly, that'd be broadcasting to the world that someone can use magic on iron, that there's a power in this country that's magic, but isn't working for the elves. I don't know if the elves will like it. I doubt the humans would."

Rowan had a point, she had several points. Lotte pursed her lips.

"We'll meet at the train's engine," Maloru said. "In one hour."

A few minutes later, Lotte and Maloru with their heads covered, snuck through the narrow corridor along the train car, passing compartments filled with sleeping passengers, towards the luggage compartment.

They pushed open the sliding door and closed it behind them. There were chests, trunks and suitcases in all sizes and shapes lining the racks on the walls.

Lotte pulled the nearest one onto the narrow floor area.

"It's locked," Maloru said.

Fintan chirped importantly, attacking the small padlock.

It broke off with a crunch. Lotte swung the suitcase open.
She found a bag of toiletries and emptied it on top of the folded clothes. It was a woman's case and there was a tube of lipstick and some perfume. She put both of those back into the toiletries bag.

"What should I be doing?" Maloru asked.

Keep watch, Lotte thought, hauling down the next chest. This one was heavy and bulky and should've been impossible for her to lift.

But not for her elven strength.

Fintan took care of the next lock too. The chest was filled with children's clothes and toys. Lotte took out a box of wax crayons and dumped them into her bag.