It was time again. It would take around twenty minutes to get to the train station. Moving through the streets of Velonn district, Lina was walking faster than usual. The spring in her step carried her forwards, a flicker of melancholic joy on her face. Should I tell Trenn?
He was a handsome young man, that looked at her with eyes full of understanding, that quiet understanding that no one else in her class could give her. Every time Lina talked to him, it made her feel a funny way. The way that an academy student like her, shouldn’t be feeling right now. Especially not right now. It was almost over. The grueling studying at Dunn academy. Can’t mess it up, not when the end is so within reach. However, those warm brown eyes of his, so kind yet they instilled so much doubt in her. I must focus on my studies, I can’t fail when I’m so close, her heart skipped a beat, or two.
On the other hand, Elle knew about it. Lina made it clear to her, the moment she found herself deep in thought about him. And if Elle understood her and was happy for her, then Trenn would too, right?
Trenn would understand , her steps still echoing on the pavement. She snuck through the crowd, the train station almost in sight.
I will tell him tonight, I hope he wouldn’t get mad.
The gate in front of the station rose up and Lina was let in after she verified her license mark. The station was already full of people. Some of them smoked tobacco, others just chatted with their acquaintances. It must be nice, having friends from the same district.
The bench squeaked under her weight and relaxation hit her lower back. Only four minutes left. She had made it in time, even with some minutes to spare.
“Train to City Centre leaving in one minute, all passengers must get on the train.” – the loud announcer box rang.
Must be nice, going to City Centre. I wonder if I will ever get to visit.
Looking around the platform, she saw a couple of kids, throwing rocks at something. Clank , clank , clank . Was it a person or an animal? The low but distressed hissing of a cat gave her the answer she was looking for. The bench squeaked again, and her shoes led her in a dash towards the animal. The kids were surprised and stopped throwing the rocks and looked at her to pick up the cat.
“What in all hells are you doing???”
“What’s it to you?” “Yeah” “We were just teaching this cat a lesson to not steal our food!”
“This cat has been neglected, malnourished and starving, yet you absolute buffoons thought the best idea to deal with it, is to throw rocks at the poor thing?” She hissed, just as much as the cat did.
“Alright, alright, you don’t have to be a- “
“Shut up! Get the hell out of here!” She looked at the animal. The poor thing was bleeding and had a broken leg. “Oh, you poor soul, Dra’ahan preserve you, let me see if I can help you.” The cat calmed down and let itself be brushed by Lina’s hand. Gently she sat the cat down on the bench with her. The kids had already scrambled.
Out of her backpack, she pulled out a book, and a few pages were flipped through. That’s the one! That’s the spell she was looking for.
“Vie Noenne Maenne Koen Ged Ville! “– a small green glint surrounded the animal, effectively curing it of its wounds and mending back the broken bone on its left leg. Lina received a very happy and thankful purr, as the kitty rubbed on her hands. “There, you are better now, watch yourself out there, will you friend?”
Thump. A few paw-sized steps and the kitty was already halfway to the other platform.
“There it goes.” Lina put back her book in her backpack and as if just on time, the train slowly made its way to the railway station.
“Train to Dunn District, all aboard! We leave in three minutes.”
This train was new, usually she’d take a train to Dunn, that looks like an old metal can.
Apparently High Magisters and their visits bring along some advantages for the common folk.
Lina found herself in a nice, cozy place in the seventh wagon. After that she opened one of her books and started reading. The travel time was around thirty minutes. Dunn was not that far, however Stummglenn was a big city.
Sometimes you can forget how big it is. It takes you around six entire hours to move from one end to the other. Let’s not even mention the difference between the layers – The High Layer, The Middle Layer and The Lower Layer of the city. All her life Lina, spent on the Lower Layer. District Dunn was at the edge of The Middle Layer. It was a whole miracle that the academy took her in. Remarkable intelligence and a gift for magic, they told her. She was just happy to be there and study. It was a great opportunity. Both her and Trenn were very surprised that she was picked to study there. The application had been just out of curiosity – no real expectations were attached to it. Trenn was never good at studying, he preferred to mine coal all day. At least it paid well.
Meanwhile, I am feeling bad because I am not making any money.
The whistle shrieked, announcing the train’s departure. The railway rumbled beneath the train’s weight and steady acceleration.
Trains were always so fascinating to Lina. Because she couldn’t understand them properly. Not like magic. Magic was simpler to her. You had to feel it in your body, in your veins, to grasp the mana within and say the words out loud to manifest it into something real. Like a fireball or a gust of wind, or perhaps a healing glyph.
Too bad trains weren’t just magic.
“Next stop – Woerran”
Lina kept reading her book about the Elemental Theory by Professor Zirszka – an assignment material for the next semester, however Lina was too interested and wanted to get ahead of the curriculum. Whilst the book was keeping her company enough, down the wagon a couple of steps were getting closer. Two train guardsmen and two ticket control officers began checking everyone’s tickets or cards and demanding their identification marks. Soon, they were just outside the booth.
“Identify yourself, please.”
Ah, damn it. And here I thought they might pass me by.
“Oh, sorry I didn’t see you there, right away.” – beneath her right-hand sleeve, was a small vaguely noticeable mark in the shape of an unfinished circle with a short vertical line in the middle. They checked the mark and the ticket at the same time.
“Name?”
“Lina”
The officers shuffled a bit. “Full name, please.”
“Linnea Vellum”
“Acknowledged. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a good day.”
They turned towards the person in the opposite booth of Lina’s. “Name?”
This must be a security measure for tomorrow. This High Magister must be very important. Maybe at the academy, they would explain more of tomorrow’s plan.
“Next stop – Dunn”
So soon? The book was too good of a company then; time had passed so quickly that Lina barely noticed the ride.
The ticket control officers were still checking others in the wagon.
“We have arrived in Dunn; we will take a short break before we continue to Torrosz” – the train conductor announced through the intercom.
District Dunn.
Time to find Elle. She is supposed to be waiting for me in front of the Winmakker’s Bakery.
She walked past a large crowd of people, waiting in a queue at the local bookstore. The book that was coming out today was the one that Lina wanted since it was announced. This district was already at least ten times better than their home district. The most notable thing about it was the people. The people here dressed better and they just had a specific aura to them. The smell of cologne and automobile oil hung tightly in the air. No homeless people sleeping on the pavement or the stairs either.
I’ve always wanted to live here; it just looks so much better than everything else I’ve seen. At least being able to buy fresh food every morning, that sounds like a dream.
The bakery was already in sight, and soon after – so was Elle.
“Lina~, you made it in time!”
Elle didn’t even wait for her friend to come closer and just shouted across the distance, waving her hand.
Lina’s steps quickened. Soon she was in her friend’s company and arms. “Hello Elle!”
“Hello~” her auburn-colored hair was neatly tied into a long braid, her freckles shimmered with the red sunlight’s contrast. Eyes glistening with green hue. “So, Lina, did you… you know?”
“No, not yet, I couldn’t bring myself to. I will tell him this evening, after he comes back from work.”
“Ah, I see – so you chickened out, I knew it.” That damned know-it-all smile popped up on her face.
“Sure, sure – call me a coward. I will tell him tonight though.”
“We will see. Anyway, I am starving for some honeybuns” She gently tapped her stomach. “Let’s go before Winmakker runs out.”
They entered the bakery.
The aroma of fresh bread and cake hung in the air. Delicious.
Multiple people were already having breakfast – pastries filled with cream or with cheese. The girls walked down the neatly swept floor.
They got a classic honeybun each, with some milk coffee.
“Did you know that Markus had his first rune engraved?” – Elle whispered, as if he was here in the bakery with them.
“No, I didn’t. What rune did he choose?”
“An ice one, it’s going to be helpful in the long run, with cooling machinery.”
“Smart of him, think about his career already, I wish I could do that.”
“Get a rune or think about your career?” – Elle munched on the honeybun, eye closing in enjoyment from each bite.
“Both, to be honest.” Lina would love to have a rune engraved. That would save her some mana and some work for the future. But it was expensive. Very expensive. The kind of money – her and Trenn did not possess.
They continued to talk, to eat – Lina slowly, Elle already ordering a second one. They still had around thirty minutes before curriculum began.