The Enchantments: Book 4 - The Key of Mulastef

Chapter 2: Lost

The biting wind blew across the barren landscape of the railway yard sending drifts of snow high up into the barren rail cars. All was quiet this New Year's Eve as black as the night sky and every bit as peaceful. Deep between the rows of hundreds of rail cars of the Central Plain Railroad, a soft amber light glistened against a rusted abandoned car that had seen better days. Blocked in from the rest of the yard it was a favorite place for hobos and vagrants alike. A normal person walking in amongst the cardboard boxes and discarded bottle would have a tough time believing that people lived this way, but for the men that rode the rails, it was a stopping ground for the world that had no limits.

Tonight a small inconsequential fire flickered lazily in the still of the wintry night. Hidden amongst a large cloak that looked twice as big as the diminutive person sitting huddled trying to draw as much warmth from it confines as they could sit someone who was more special to the grand scheme of the world than they could ever believe.

Simeneon Enchantment sat uncomfortably on her ankles trying to bring her body closer to together to conserve heat. She never had in her life felt this cold to the bone as she had at the moment. Even that time she had dove through the ice looking for the castle of the north she thought to herself. There she at least had the opportunity to get to safety and get warm. But here with no money now and very little hope as she tried to make the best of what she had.

From deep in her ratty looking cloak, she pulled out something that resembled a crushed piece of dark bread. It was a cupcake she had saved for a few days for this special occasion, pulling over a rock she placed the small pastry upon it as she reached inside again and pulled out a small waxy stick. Being gentle as she could with her hands constantly shaking from the cold she placed the stick in the center of the pastry, and with another shaky hand, she lit a stick and as lightly as she could bring the candle to life.

"Happy Birthday to me..." She said weakly. "Happy Birthday to me."

She stopped unwilling to continue, something deep inside finally broke, and she felt the first pangs of tears begin to flow down her dirty and chapped lips. Never before had she felt more alone than she did right now. Her mind raced back to where her friends had turned against her, and she now realized how alone she was. She couldn't afford to be responsible for another human, if she ever let her guard down, it would mean watching another of her friends die by her hands, and that would never happen again.

The feeling of isolation was starting to take her over as night had fallen a few hours earlier coming in around her like a cloak. She was afraid to go to sleep for she might not wake up again from the cold. It was going to be a long night one where she would reflect on her life and how miserable it had become.

She peeled back her hood and looked around, never in a million years did she think that she would be alone in the middle of a rail yard with barely enough food to survive and worse of all, no money. How could things have turned around so drastically in such a short time? Her world came crashing down, the day she went to the bank.

...Simeneon stood at the doors of the dilapidated building waiting to enter the world many had no clue existed, she pushed open the large double doors and waited for the inevitable. Like clockwork, they came, a few of the vagrants that she knew occupied the main floor began stirring as she waited in the center of the dingy carpet for their approach.

"State your name!" A demanding voice from the shadows yelled.

"My name is Simeneon, and I wish to go to vault Aldernone 360."

A large burly man dressed as one of the many drifters stepped from deep in the shadows and approached her menacingly.

"What did you say your name was?" He asked again as he brought the clipboard into the light.