Kidnapped Kingdom

Evelyn Ozlanski 2

The sun beat down on my head as I walked through town. Everyone was bustling around, going through their daily business. Everyone in the West was so nice. I wasn't exactly social enough to have any friends, but I was on good terms with everyone.

In the center of the square was a wooden board with pins sticking out of it, each one holding a piece of paper. There were newspapers, notices, Help Wanted signs, and other things with it. There was even a crayon drawing of a butterfly and another one of a cat.

There was one thing that caught my attention, though. It was  a sheet of paper buried underneath the others, only leaving a sliver of it exposed. I grabbed it and read it:

Help Wanted
Looking for young apprentices in Central, Ağac District

This was amazing! This was a place I could go to learn magic! It wasn't that far, and I could be there by tomorrow if I wanted to. This was perfect!

I rushed home immediately so I could start packing. The breeze picked up, and it rustled through my hair. As I ran by, some people waved, and others just smiled. I smiled back.

----------------------------------------------

I sat in my bedroom and packed my bags, which didn't include much more than a few pairs of clothes, a few pairs of pajamas, and a pair of worn sneakers.

It was while I was packing that I thought about what would happen. Would it be a huge building where millions of others would come and practice magic? Would it only be me? Would it just be an old creep? I kept thinking about it and, eventually, I realized that the letter didn't really specify much, like what I would need or  how long I would be staying. Well, I was packing all my stuff, so I assumed that I was fine.

I finished later on in the day. I still had time to take the train to the Agac District before night fell. Shouldering my backpack and gripping my suitcase, I started out my door, but then stopped in my tracks. My smile faded. I turned around and took one more look in the house.

"Goodbye." I said to nobody in particular. I shut the door and walked on.

----------------------------------------------

The train station in the West wasn't anything special, but it was still a relaxing and peaceful place. The high ceiling was completely made of glass so all the sunlight filtered in. There were a few paintings on the walls that depicted the history of Creseress. Wooden benches dotted the square building. I moved swiftly through the crowd towards the center, where there was a wizard working at the portal. I got in line and waited to get on.

It took a while with the afternoon rush, but I stood next to the circular, swirling teleported as the wizard talked to me.

"Name?"

"Sasha Ozlanski," I replied.

"Where are you going?"

"Central Station, Agac District,"

"May I see your ticket?"

I have it to him. He studied it quickly, stamped it, and let me on the teleported. Honestly, it was amazing to me. The light it emitted gave everyone standing on it a purple hue.

Once the whole circle was filled up, there was a flash of light, and we were suddenly underground in the station. There was a huge black steam engine to my left, and people were boarding it quickly.

"All aboard!" shouted the conductor from the door to the conductor's booth.

I rushed to the doors and got on. The train car was painted a cozy yellow and it had green seats. At first glance, there weren't any seats open, so I tried the next car. There was one seat open. I quickly slid into it and gave a little victory shout. The person in front of me looked back at me, and I felt a little embarrassed. I blushed and pulled out a book to read as the engine started and the train took off. I only read for about twenty minutes before I fell asleep.

----------------------------------------------

I had a long nap before I woke up about an hour later. We were still about fifteen minutes away from the Agac District. I sat patiently for ten minutes before I actually looked at a map. There was no stop for the Agac District. I guess I had no choice but to get off early. There's a stop that isn't very far from the Agac District. It would have to do.

----------------------------------------------

I got off the train and looked around. There was a bustling crowd that stretched to just about everywhere. I could barely see anything past that. I looked around for a while, trying to find some way to get to the Agac District without walking. A man who looked to be about twenty came over to me. "Exscuse me, are you looking for someone?"

"Oh, sorry, no. I was wondering, do you know if there's any way I can get to the Agac District from here?" I asked him.

"No way besides walking, I'm afraid. What business do you have in the Agac District, anyways?"

"I'm responding to a notice. They're looking for apprentices."

His eyes lit up. "Well, that would be me. I'm Jordan, and I'm basically here to escort you and anyone else responding to the Agac District."

I smiled. "Awesome. So, when do we leave?"

"In a while. We're just waiting for anyone else who's coming."

"Great."

----------------------------------------------

We walked throughout the train station for ten minutes, Jordan making small talk with me about where I came from and how I saw the notice. Finally, a girl walked over to us. She had brown hair, a little lighter than mine, and bluish-gray eyes. She waved at us, and I waved back.