Lost in Technicolor

Free

 Dane was right and all four of them slept until the train reached Earthsea early that next morning. While Jade, Drake, and Dane all looked refreshed from a night's sleep, Damien looked the complete opposite and neither of them could find it in themselves to try and make him realize that he had stolen their voices.

Jade took one last look around the old worn out train, the mahogany wood, green carpets which were worn into a yellow stripe path straight down the middle. She would have looked more if Drake hadn't dragged her along violently by her arm, jerking her this way and that. Then Amon stumbled into their little group. She hadn't realized that he was on the train as well. That was the first time that Jade had ever seen him sober since she had come back. He took one look at Damien who was trying to be cooled off by Dane and quickly stepped in line behind him with Drake and Jade, muttering through a smirk, "Stay your distance."

Both looked up at him, but remained silent. "What?" He laughed aloud, "Has he tortured you so much that you can't even listen to me?"

Drake rolled his eyes as they all stepped into the brightly lit train station. The floor was made up of rough gray stones and the ceiling was falling apart. There were actual gaping holes letting in sunshine, birds and green vines. The rest of the station didn't seem much better off. The red cerulean blue paint on the walls was beginning to fall of in large strips and despite the overwhelming decay the place was bustling with people and life.

"Jade," Amon grabbed her hand quickly, pulling her towards him and dragging Drake unwillingly along as a rough looking man wearing a large jacket nearly bumped into her. "You need to watch out. The people in this city are swindlers and thieves. They'll tear the shirt off your back if they get the chance."

She glanced at him. That was the first time that she had actually heard her name in a while. Then slowly her eyes shifted down to her clothes. When had she changed? She couldn't remember, which disturbed her. Now she was dressed in a plain plum colored dress. The material was luxurious as it was silk. It was tight around her chest and waist but flowed out around her legs.

"You're just now noticing that?" Drake rolled his eyes from beside her.

"Like it?" Amon tilted his head in her direction as they walked through a patch of light showering out from a hole above their heads. "I chose it out," he sounded as if it were some major accomplishment, but to her it was just creepy.

She shrugged, squinting through the bright light, "Can you speak?" He added a bit more harshly, shinning in the warm light.

She sucked hard on her lips and shook her head no.

"Hmm," Amon crossed his arms. "Drake, you know that I don't appreciate these games anymore than your father does."

A sour look melted onto Drake's features as he glared at his uncle. He grabbed his arm harshly with the hand that wasn't cemented to Jade and jerked Amon closer towards him as they continued to walk on. He then pointed to his mouth and then shoved his finger in Damien's direction.

"Ah," he smiled with a laugh. He thought that it was funny! Jade put a hand to her head. They'd be mute for weeks.

"Fine then!" Damien shouted from in front of them directing their attention onto him.

Dane shook his head and then turned back to face the three of them speaking almost in a whisper, "We're just going to head to the house, all right?"

"As if there's another choice," Amon tipped his head as if he were wearing a hat. "But we should be more discrete. People are beginning to look."

Jade looked around and saw that that was very true. In fact people were beginning to come up to Damien asking him questions and holding out pieces of paper and pens. He looked like a lion in a zoo surrounded by watching people, reaching out to touch him naively.