The instant the news of the ghost train leaving Wysper City reached the citizens, the relief that was felt was intense. Passengers and goods clients returned to the railways and business returned to normal. As an added bonus, the story of the ghost train\u2019s passengers passing on their last message to their loved ones caused the general mood to improve. On top of that, while the rails were still icy and there was still snow, the fog had lifted. Trains could go just a little faster, but only by so much. Now, as Arsha mentioned before, the snow brings other problems too, snow drifts being chief among them. As snow didn\u2019t care where it landed, certain parts of the tracks would be buried, forcing the engines to take up snowplows. Some of the Mechanica engines found them to be uncomfortable, but put up with them to keep the lines cleared. This was a boon for the newly formed Rail Rescue Service. They helped whatever engine they could from any disaster, no matter the livery. As such, they were funded by the government instead of the citizens. Because there were only so many engines in the organization, the others had to help out. Out of all the engines, there were two who excelled in clearing snow; a duo of male Mechanica tender engines named Yalso and Yalsu. They once worked for the railways of the Ralandren plains, just as flat as Wysper City, before they consented to being sent to Northern Regional a month before the Over-union Festival. To hear them talk, the snow drifts they used to clear were twice the size of the ones that appeared on Wysper City\u2019s rails. Thanks to their efforts, many an engine was rescued from a snowy situation. During the festival, they were called to the site of a really large drift. \u201cSWEET ONES!\u201d swore Yalso. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a doozy, Yalsu!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat thing\u2019s nothing we can\u2019t handle, I\u2019m sure,\u201d mused Yalsu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never said I was worried, just impressed!\u201d chuckled Yalso. \u201cDid Intal want us to wait?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, he said to make a head start on it and…\u201d Yalsu was interrupted by a noise. \u201c…Did…you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt sounded like a whistle,\u201d replied Yalso. \u201cIt\u2019s one I recognize, but I can\u2019t place my finger on it.\u201d The whistle sounded again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, better find out,\u201d declared Yalsu. He cupped his hands to his mouth. \u201cHello!\u201d he called. \u201cHelp is here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYalso?! Yalsu?! Is that one of you?!\u201d replied a voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood grief, it\u2019s Jenmar!\u201d yelped Yalso. \u201cJenmar, are you all right?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been better,\u201d reported Jenmar. \u201cBy Nartor, am I glad it\u2019s you two that are here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow long have you been stuck there?\u201d asked Yalsu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d answered Jenmar, \u201cis it 4,006,300,079, TAU?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t panic, now,\u201d urged Yalso. \u201cJust wait a moment and we\u2019ll get you out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait a moment?!\u201d snapped Jenmar. \u201cLike I\u2019m capable of doing anything else right now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSorry!\u201d yelped Yalso. \u201cPoor choice of words!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arsha and her lovers sat on a hill in the park, taking in the view of the city. \u201cYou know,\u201d sighed Arsha, \u201cit\u2019s really nice looking at the festival from a distance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEspecially one that isn\u2019t haunted by ghosts,\u201d mused Lardeth. \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong; I\u2019m glad I could say goodbye to Dad, but ghosts tend to cause a dip in morale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAin\u2019t that the truth,\u201d muttered Malnar. \u201cStill, what happened at the station was really sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m really glad the train made it to the Heights,\u201d sighed Arsha. \u201cAlthough, if I may be frank, I kind of want to bring the Heights to the mortal plane, continue having moments like this together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFunny you should mention \u2018together\u2019,\u201d mused Lardeth. Arsha arched an eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe just got the paperwork approved,\u201d explained Falnii. Arsha was still a little confused until she recalled Foresna and Gorfanth\u2019s arrival on the Endeavor<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Are you guys serious?!\u201d she squeaked happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re all living together once the festival is over!\u201d confirmed Falnii. Arsha squeed in happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBEST! NEWS! EVER!\u201d she announced as she tightly hugged her lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t wait to see what the Endeavor<\/em> looks like from the inside,\u201d giggled Malnar. It was only after she completed her sentence that everyone realized something was not usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Malnar, black mist just came out of your mouth,\u201d remarked Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, how embarrassing!\u201d groaned Malnar as the embrace broke off. \u201cI have dark breath again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you been eating bananas again?\u201d asked Foresna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know they don\u2019t agree with me,\u201d sighed Malnar, \u201cbut I had such a craving for them! …Is it bad?\u201d She opened her mouth and everyone goggled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMalnar, I can only see your teeth,\u201d reported Lardeth. \u201cEverything else is just obscured by black mist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you got something for that?\u201d asked Falnii. Malnar nodded as she tightly closed her mouth. \u201cWell, then, let\u2019s go use it,\u201d declared Falnii. \u201cWhere is it?\u201d Malnar, too embarrassed to open her mouth, pointed to Lardeth\u2019s castle off in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen let\u2019s head home and get it cleared,\u201d affirmed Lardeth. He led the way back to the castle. The instant they went into the castle and the door shut behind them, Malnar dashed to the bathroom near Lardeth\u2019s room and brushed her teeth furiously and then gargled with mouthwash. After that, she checked her breath, then sighed once she was satisfied. She was still blushing like mad over the whole thing. As she and her lovers met up in the castle\u2019s foyer, she was holding her arm and looking sideways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d soothed Gorfanth. \u201cIt happens to the best of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStill embarrassing,\u201d mumbled Malnar. That was when someone stormed past them. \u201c…Was that…Rokalla?\u201d muttered Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was,\u201d confirmed Lardeth. \u201cWhat\u2019s he doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo sense in staying ignorant about it,\u201d mused Gorfanth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s heading to the throne room. Come on,\u201d declared Lardeth. They arrived at the throne room\u2019s doors to see Rokalla throw the doors open. \u201cOkay, NONE of my parents like that!\u201d gulped Lardeth. \u201cMaybe we should defuse the situation, somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot a bad idea,\u201d agreed Arsha. They entered the throne room just as Rokalla began heaping verbal abuse!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWHAT IN THE DEEPEST PARTS OF THE DEPTHS ARE YOU DOING, LETTING HER GO LIKE THAT?!\u201d he shouted at Lardeth\u2019s parents. \u201cI CAN\u2019T BELIEVE YOU LOT WOULD DO SOMETHING SO DUMB AFTER WHAT SHE DID! SHE\u2019S MINE! I\u2019LL…!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHOW DARE YOU BURST IN HERE AND ADDRESS US IN SUCH A MANNER!\u201d thundered Roomef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut…!\u201d stammered Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBE SILENT AND STAND TO ATTENTION!\u201d roared Endram. He then drew in a breath before continuing. \u201cWe have company.\u201d He pointed out a female Troll in full Realmfleet Regalia. Arsha and her lovers gasped before saluting with Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSupreme Admiral Aldarval!\u201d gulped Rokalla. \u201cPlease, excuse my outburst, but…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, Admiral Rokalla, I won\u2019t!\u201d snarled Aldarval. \u201cThat was completely unacceptable and unbecoming of a Realmfleet Officer! Do that again and I\u2019ll have your balls on a plate! Out!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust a moment, Supreme Admiral!\u201d called Lardeth. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here? I didn\u2019t know you were coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m simply here on your parents\u2019 summons,\u201d explained Aldarval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSummons?\u201d asked Arsha. \u201cWhy were you summoned here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo ensure that Wysper City would be ready for war, should the situation with Dr. Borg and her cronies escalate that far,\u201d replied Olmarfa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWar?\u201d gulped Falnii. \u201cHas it…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Final War hasn\u2019t begun yet,\u201d assured Aldarval, \u201cbut we must be ready. With Remsu escaping, there\u2019s no telling when that will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I came in here!\u201d snapped Rokalla. \u201cThey gave the order to recapture her to Onfuu!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnfuu?\u201d asked Malnar. \u201cI hate to say it, but he\u2019s an utter incompetent when it comes to his job. And, just to clarify, are we talking about the Succubus\/Zephyr Blender who was my original First Officer when I did my tour of duty?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe same,\u201d confirmed Aldarval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m lost here,\u201d admitted Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure I told you I didn\u2019t really have the best relationship with my old First officer,\u201d began Malnar. Her lovers nodded. \u201cWell, it all came to a head during the Galdredan affair. The Meteor<\/em> was tasked with bringing in a Realmfleet Officer turned mass-murderer. Remsu\u2019s someone who believes in putting people in the ground to solve problems, so, during the chase, she went to the ground, cornered the guy, and went against our orders to bring him alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…She…KILLED…?\u201d gulped Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSliced the poor guy\u2019s head off,\u201d confirmed Malnar. \u201cDuring her arrest, she killed a few of our crewmates. I had to have her court-martialed and she was sentenced to life in prison. If she\u2019s escaped, then Onfuu\u2019s a terrible choice. Aldarval, I really recommend that you let Rokalla find her!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnfuu\u2019s a solid, reliable Officer,\u201d countered Aldarval, \u201cunlike Rokalla at the moment. He used to be our best man, but, ever since the destruction of the Skyshell<\/em>, he\u2019s gone to pieces. Rokalla, your wife told me you had to take some time off for mental issues!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy would she tell you that?!\u201d snapped Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAdmiral, with all due respect,\u201d interjected Malnar, \u201cI can\u2019t let Onfuu go through with this case without someone like Rokalla. I\u2019m going to have Daddy implement Paragraph 37 of the Realmfleet Accords.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou want him to order me to let someone that is mentally unfit in every respect to take this case?!\u201d growled Aldarval. \u201cI highly doubt he\u2019d do something that dumb on your say-so, even if you\u2019re his future replacement!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe he won\u2019t,\u201d called Olmarfa, \u201cbut I would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…You wouldn\u2019t dare!\u201d hissed Aldarval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTry me,\u201d challenged Olmarfa. The tension could be cut with a knife!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Fine, fine, Rokalla, you can find Remsu,\u201d grumbled Aldarval. \u201cBut, know this, you WILL be working with Onfuu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnderstood, Supreme Admiral,\u201d confirmed Rokalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDismissed,\u201d growled Aldarval. Rokalla saluted and left the throne room. \u201cNow, with that out of the way, once the festival is over,\u201d declared Aldarval, \u201cI\u2019ll need to visit the Drelda Forest. The Fae will be excellent if it ever comes to war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRellmeer will NOT like it, I can tell you,\u201d muttered Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, but she\u2019ll understand the necessity,\u201d remarked Aldarval. \u201cI must go. Farewell.\u201d She left the throne room and Lardeth and his parents and lovers released their breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMan, she is intense!\u201d shuddered Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe DOES get the job done,\u201d replied Endram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn any event, preparing for war is what Dr. Borg\u2019s master wants!\u201d argued Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve tried the diplomatic route,\u201d answered Olmarfa, \u201cbut Dr. Borg\u2019s refused to reply to us. We need to cover all bases before we take any further action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLardeth, Falnii, Arsha, Foresna, Malnar, Gorfanth,\u201d proclaimed Roomef, \u201cwhat you\u2019ve seen today does NOT leave this room, is that clear?\u201d Arsha and her lovers looked at each other before nodding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCrystal, Your Majesty,\u201d answered Gorfanth. \u201cWe won\u2019t discuss this with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d bid Roomef. \u201cNow, come here and give us all a hug!\u201d Lardeth, his parents, and his lovers then joined together in a mutual embrace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The instant the news of the ghost train leaving Wysper City reached the citizens, the relief that was felt was intense. Passengers and goods clients returned to the railways and business returned to normal. As an added bonus, the story of the ghost train\u2019s passengers passing on their last message to their loved ones caused […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,95],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-2827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-2-the-rise-of-living-metal","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2827"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2828,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2827\/revisions\/2828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}