Hours From Home   

Contrary to what they expected to do. Lynda and Karl didn’t take the train to Sedendorf. There was a problem with the railing leading to Sedendorf. There was a need to repair the rails. Because of this the train company wanted to halt all incoming trains going to the station. Since that was the case, they joined a stagecoach from Muhlenhaubu headed to Sedendorf. Along the way they encountered a change in scenery. Green hills and meadows littered with yellow flowers and violet ones. Because of how close the Schopel River was. Water meadows were scattered all over the area we traversed.

There were only two of them in the stagecoach. From the looks of it most of the travelers found this excuse to take their time since the train heading to Sedendorf was not running. Everyone was getting used to the train. It wouldn’t be long until every financially-abled person in the old continent could afford tickets to fly.

In fact he had heard rumors of an ongoing airfield construction on Lenztalfach which faces the Otten Lake which covered about seventy-two thousand miles of area. He thought they were going to use the lake to test their new ideas regarding those gigantic planes that he had seen being constructed in Schal. Karl wondered if this was part of their innovation in air travel.

Nonetheless, Karl’s attention was single-mindedly focused. Once they reach Sedendorf they would take the train again headed northeast of Sedendorf and hopefully reach the main capital of the United Provinces. It didn’t take long for them to finally take in the sight of the curtain walls of Sedendorf that that was in ruins as well. Once a great city covered in stone and marble had become one of the first cities to fall when the war started. Most of the infrastructure of the city was in ruins. The only functional structure was the train station that had been used to carry goods and products all over the United Provinces.

The stagecoach entered the city. He caught a glance of the constructions. Scaffoldings everywhere and the construction workers bringing lumber and stacks of roof-tiles to the city. The restoration effort was going to take long despite the signs that there was already rebuilding happening in the city. It made me wonder if the refugees that escaped the city would ever return to this ruined city.

The stagecoach stopped just next to the train station. There was no further entry allowed past the train station unless you were a person who had a house and was helping in the construction. Karl looked at the train station that had been used as a governing building. He could just imagine the terrible paperwork. Permits and the confirming which lot belong to someone without the prior documents was going to be hell.

“Looks like it’s going to take more than months to reconstruct this city. What a shame.”

Lynda commented as she pulled her luggage down. He took her luggage and watched the stagecoach make a U-turn and head to the other side of the city where he was probably going to deliver the packages on his stagecoach. Karl was just glad that the stagecoach driver allowed them in his stagecoach.

The two stood in the center of the crowd. Lynda was fiddling with her bluebird mantle. Karl took notice of it. He set aside his gaze and approached her. His fingers peeling on the straps of the mantle around her neck.

“Thank you. Hard to do it in this crowd.”

“We should move.”

Karl shouldered his way through the crowd. Lynda followed behind while watching her pockets and luggage. Bumping into another’s shoulders once in a while, they finally reach the ticket booking office where they stood in line. Most of the passengers were civilians. From the looks of if they were eager to get in a train as well.

Karl waited in-line for five minutes when he saw a uniformed-man with a military police armband approached him with leisure eyes. The black trench coat and the slow stride of the military police officer made Karl sigh inwardly. He was sure that he didn’t do anything wrong at least.

Lynda stabbed her elbow on Karl’s side. “We don’t know each other if you get arrested, okay?”

“How could I not know you, Lynda? It’s okay, I shall make sure that you are involved.”

“Thanks?”

The military police stood before them. He took his bowler hat and placed it on his chest. “Second Lieutenant, Karl Von Alden, and I believe it is Ms. Lynda?”

Karl nodded. The military police officer stared at them. “Would you mind if you two step out? Ms. Lynda, it would please us if you join us as well.”

“Why?”

Karl stared and folded his arms. Lynda switched her gaze from the officer to Karl before sighing.

“Only for a moment.”

Karl hesitated. He looked at Lynda before nodding quietly. The military officer led them out of the office and then back out in the open.

“You need to get us a ticket. Can you do that?”

“I can.”

The military police officer entered one of the buildings with Karl and Lynda in tow. The building was occupied by officers and clerks. They went to the second floor. Entered a double-door room where three men were arguing. The first man left the door, a little later, the other man left the room as well, leaving only the average height mustache-wearing officer in a black double-breasted suit. He took a glance at the three. The military police officer stood on the side.

“This is Second Lieutenant Karl Von Alden, and his companion, Ms. Lynda. I brought them here as you requested, Sir.”

“Thank you, you may leave. And get them some tickets will you?”

He turned towards them.

“Apologies for this sudden call. I am Castel Oro. I am the chief officer attached to this station.”

He offered a hand that Karl shook. Lynda stayed on the side with her arms folded.

“This must be a bother but I will only need a moment of your time. I understand that this is abrupt.”

“So what is the problem?”

Castel Oro’s shoulder sagged. He walked around his desk and twisted on the chair.

“We would like information regarding Kimball.”

It took Karl for a moment before he sat down and leaned forward to hear what Castel had to say. Castel observed me with a stern expression. He wasn’t going to let them out until he heard something from their mouths.

It was clear that he had eyes and ears around. But Karl had an idea on which he was probably more worried about it.

“I am not joining them, if that’s what you want to know first..”

He tried to hide that visible relief on his face. He rubbed his knuckles on the table. His lips formed a downward smile. He tried squaring his jaw, but instead loosened it. Castel Oro looked like he was inwardly wrestling with himself. Should he ask Karl and try to do his job?

“Kimball was with us on the ferry. You should know this considering that you manage to find us. News travels fast. Are you keeping an eye on potential troublemakers?”

Karl questioned with the flattest voice he could muster. Castel leaned back and sighed. His brows meet together and his hands interlocked.

“Yes. We receive reports from our military officers that there are illegal movements lately. There is an ongoing investigation regarding the constant loss of contrabands, military-grade hardware, and provisions. We found out that there have been merchants selling the exact same goods in the black market lately.”

He dragged a piece of parcel forward. Karl took the piece of parcel and scanned the contents of it. The paper detailed how many contrabands were missing during the last four months. Karl placed the piece of paper down.

“Unfortunate. But I’m afraid that Kimball had said nothing about whatever activities he was doing other than looking for a job. I heard that he is eager to return to his previous job as assistant at least.”

Karl could tell that they have an idea already. But he wasn’t willing to be the guy who snitched on them. Karl already told Castel all that he could. They could force him to talk about what else Kimball had told Karl. But it was clear from Castel’s eyes that he wasn’t willing to go down that path. If anything he was probably relieved that Karl wasn’t going to be part of Mooney’s Syndicate.

“I see. Is it the same for you, Ms. Lynda?”

“Don’t ask me. I haven’t talked to that sleazebag even on the ferry. I was with Karl here all the time. Isn’t that right, Karl?”

“She was. We’ve been traveling with a brother named Emil. Are you interrogating him as well?”

“We got some ideas.”

It made Karl worry what Emil had said to these guys. But he wasn’t going to admit to anything even if they pointed a gun on his head. He wanted nothing to do with whatever Mooney or Kimball wanted to do with their lives. Even his affair was not something he wished to join.

“Is that all? I don’t really associate with them and we are not friends as well. I think that it would be best if you find others who might be willing to cooperate.”

“Yes, that should be all. Truly sorry for this inconvenience, but as you have noticed the allied nations are still healing. We cannot leave any maggots on the wounds of our nations, now, can’t we?”

His voice had a cold edge on it. He spoke like he was spitting something disgusting out of his mouth. Karl looked at him with dispassionate eyes before he stood up and shook Castel’s calloused hands. It was then that the military officer who led them to this office appeared as well. He was holding two tickets for them. He gave the ticket to them and then left with a polite nod.

“Once again, thank you and sorry for this interruption.”

“No need. The allied nation’s police must be having a hard time with all these. I understand.”

Castel stared at him and then asked. “Second Lieutenant, it would mean a lot if you would serve with us in keeping the states safe. Your name is quite reputable especially to those who fought in Gustav Sallen. If anything, I’m sure that many young men would like to join if they heard that the Magic Shooter is with us. You could rise in ranks as well.”

“No. It’s because they might join that I rather not. I think they deserve more than just fighting. I mean I know that not all affairs are just fighting, but I rather not be the reason why they should join and risk their lives for the protection of the states. Besides, I want to continue my previous profession.”

“I see. Again, sorry for the bother, I hope that you two have a safe trip.”

“Sure.”

Karl and Lynda left the three-story building. They went back to the train station, handed their tickets, and moved to the third cabin of the train where they sat across from one another.

“That was the most sincere thing that I have heard from you.”

“Who wants to fight all the time? I rather not really. Eight years is long enough. I don’t want to spend the next few years waiting to get shot again.”

“But you are still going to become a physician?”

“I will. It’s not like that I am going to focus on surgery. I plan to do internal medicine. Danil, my blood-brother, is probably going to become a surgeon.”

Lynda leaned on the walls of the cabin. She placed her hand on the table and lifted her beautiful eyes at him.

“You sound so sincere when you speak about the things you want, Karl. Makes me almost forget how rude you are.”

Karl snorted. He folded his arms and looked outside. For the first time in his journey home, he wanted to sleep without minding the outside world. The war was over but life continues on. Those who survived merely have to strive on and keep moving forward to follow whatever dreams they have before the war started.

The train’s rattling slowly lulled him to sleep.