“So, this is the address?” My face contorted as I stared up at the gaudy flashing sign. It illuminated the street with its glowing angel’s silhouette bending over while a demon girl paddled her. I’d have said it was overkill, but it certainly caught your attention among the sea of flashy signs that surrounded us. Beneath the silhouettes were the words ‘Angel Kiss Manor’, an establishment I’d heard many rumors about, guess it was time I learned if they were true. “Are we certain we need the work?”

“I thought you enjoyed this kind of place, why are you so reluctant now darling?” Gabby teased.

“Paying for a good time now and again is one thing, but I’m not looking for ‘that’ kind of work.” I knew there was something odd about those guys, but I never expected them to do me in like that.

“Well it certainly is a lucrative business, especially in these trying times,” My familiar said, “with those legs, and your toned abs I’m sure you’ll be beating customers off with a stick.”

“Gee thanks,” I scoffed, “this better not be what it looks like or I’m decking that Aakarie guy right in the face!” With clenched fist and a growl, I stomped up the steps to a hulking bouncer by the door.

“Welcome to the Angel Kiss manor, where sin and absolution are synonymous,” an overly eager greeter gave me the most insincere slight eyed grin. “Are you here for confession? Or would you prefer a group worship?”

I groaned, turning my head down, and read the password Aakarie gave me, “I’ve kissed a demon, now I’d like to taste the Archangel’s lips.” the words barely escaped my mouth before I could feel them crawl back into my gut.

The slight eyed greeters grin grew longer, “My, my, for the devilish types we have just the thing. Please follow this way.”

The man motioned me past the bouncer and towards a hostess dressed in black feathered lingerie. Hey she matches Gabs, I thought with a brief grin.

“I’ll lead you to a true paradise, beyond the gates of hell cutie,”

The hostess blew me a kiss then took my hand. We walked down the long winding halls, and honestly, I was pretty impressed, for a brothel it was fancy, elegant even. The themes of heaven and hell were prominently displayed throughout. Cloudlike molding and velvet tapestry coupled with gold gilded pillars decorated the walls. A thick, sweet fragranced smoke rose from the floor, and the familiar sounds of passion echoed through the corridors. From what I could tell the halls felt like they were sectioned in layers, and we were heading towards the center.

The hostess stopped in front of a grand ornate double door, embossed to appear like a twisted gate. The words ‘Seventh Heaven’ prominently displayed on a placard.

“Please enter,” she bowed.

I swallowed a lump in the back of my throat, pushing the door open, and stepped into a massive chamber. On the opposite end sat an empty golden throne, with seven angelic wings sprouting from its back. Below the throne was a large red mattress, fluffy like clouds, where a mystifying woman reclined. Her furry beast-like ears twitched as I stepped closer. She pulled a silk shawl over her shoulders and shifted her posture, smiling devilishly at me, her deep crimson eyes locked on to me, halting my approach.

Taking a drag on a hookah pipe she puffed a smoke ring, and beckoned me with a single wave. I took slow and deliberate steps, my face set with a skeptical frown, but her smile persisted, exposing her long fangs.

“My, my what do we have here?” her voice was deep and mature, and just a tad bit seductive. “What business do you have with me, young lady?”

“Heard you were looking for me, something about a job opportunity,” I answered, “No offense, but I’m not interested in selling my body.”

The woman laughed a dry laugh, “Don’t be silly girl, if I wanted fresh talent, I’d look in the burlesques and night houses, not ask for wanted criminals.” She puffed another smoke ring, her expression more austere: “No love, I am offering a sort of job which requires someone with your expertise.”

“Alright, then let’s hear it.”

“Oh my, quite the impertinent one, are we?” the woman said, her eyes narrow with intrigue. “Either you do not know with whom you speak, or you have the skill to back up your brash demeanor.”

“I know who you are, Lady Karakahl, the Archangel of Gold City,”

She was far from an unknown, stories of her renown spread as far as the first circle, though they differed depending on who you asked. To the everyday type, she was a whore who made a fortune and started an ‘empire of sin’. To the underworld, however, she was a powerful witch that even the church feared, enough to turn a blind eye to her business.

“So then, you do know, good.” She stood up from her plush bed, and approached, swaying her hips as she walked. “Of course, I know about you as well, Shana MacArthur, the Bullet Witch.”

Well now, she really did ask for me... I felt a tinge of nervous energy slip down my spine.

Standing in front of me, she ran her finger down my cheek and lifted my chin. “If your talents are as good as they say, I do believe you have potential to become my favorite.” She finished her sentence with a low seductive laugh.

“If the pay’s good, I’ll consider it.” A bead of sweat ran down my face as we locked eyes.

“Mmm, yes, you have nothing to worry about in that regard. I treat my girls well, as I’m sure you’ll come to see.” She circled around me slowly, her eyes scanning me from head to toe, “Rumor has it you have quite the talent for robbing trains.”

“I’ve pulled off a few heists in my day,” I tried to give a confident smirk, my composure slipping under the heat of her predatorial eyes.

She chuckled dryly, “I’d say humility does not suit you,” Karakahl stopped her circling, standing in front of me, and stared directly into my eyes, “how well do you handle Inquisitors?”

A clenched fist raised I boldly declared, “Even the best couldn’t touch me!”

“Now love, don’t oversell yourself, it may get you in trouble,” Gabby whispered.

“Shut up,” I shushed her. “Wouldn’t be here today if I couldn’t take on an inquisitor or two,” I said, shifting my gaze back to my interviewer.

“We shall see about that,” Karakahl said, “perhaps you are a good fit for this job.” She walked back to her bed, crossing her legs as she sat, and with a single snap summoned a behemoth of a man, wearing only a blank white mask and thong.

Holy shit! Where was that guy hiding? I nearly jumped out of my skin as I watched him lumber over to her, take an envelope and bring it to me. He loomed over me like a tower, easily twice my height and then some. I chuckled nervously as he presented me with the envelope. His eyes shined from behind his mask, conveying a gentleness that betrayed his gigantic form. “Thanks,” I squeaked out. I had never seen an Ael so big, Kydael’s maybe, but this man was just a plain ordinary Ael. 

“The church’s songbirds are very talkative when you know how to properly rustle their feathers.” Karakahls words shifted my focus back to her. “Inside that envelope you’ll find security override codes for a train. I will be having you sneak onboard and disconnect the caboose, we’ll then meet you at the coordinates specified along with the codes.”

“But why? There something valuable in that caboose?” I took the envelope and looked over the paper.

“Do not worry yourself with the contents,” she dismissed my question.

“So then why go through the trouble of detaching the caboose?”

“I wish to get a taste of your potential. See your powers in action, and how well you handle yourself under pressure. Just consider this an extension of the interview process.”

“Wait, so you expect me to do this job pro-bono?” I asked, nearly crumbling the envelope out of protest.

“Oh you misunderstand, I will be paying you from my own pocket,” Karakahl said, her painted lips curled around her pipe. “So don’t you worry your pretty little head, mommy Kara will take care of you.”

Mommy Kara? Please lady you’re like in your twenties or something, I thought, cocking a brow as I examined her. She was shorter than me, though bigger in ways. Yet she felt like a giant herself, in spite of the massive man next to her, though perhaps that was just the kind of energy she gave off.

“Okay, then just exactly how much Ylda are we talkin about here?”

“Upon completion, you will be rewarded with twenty-thousand Ylda, same as your current bounty.” She offered, before adding, “I also ask you to join me here, as a part of my family,” I nearly objected, but she clarified, “not as a prostitute, don’t worry. No, join me and you will be pampered, you’ll have your own personal room, as well as other exclusive benefits for being within my employ.”

Damn lady, I don’t know about all that. My face betrayed my resolve as my eyes lit up for the briefest of moments. I shook my head, shifted my posture, and shrugged. “Okay, that’s a fair deal, though if I’m going to be facing Inquisitors, you think you could pay more.”

“I am set on the price, but perhaps you may wish to ask for another sort of reward,” she suggested.

“Another sort of reward huh?” I tipped my hat back and scratched my scalp. “Okay, if I’m going to be staying here then give me the best room you got and a massage from the best masseur you got.” She responded with an approving nod, so feeling a bit greedy I added, “make that a nightly massage session with your most popular girl!” I could hear Gabby click her tongue in disdain. 

“Oh my my, how bold of you,” Karakahl accented her words with a faux shocked gesture, “such a high price to ask.” The Ferael woman laid her chin in her hand as she leaned forward. “Though I suppose that could provide you quite the morale boost, perhaps it would help you achieve even greater performance in any job I send you on.” She sat there quietly for a moment, mulling it over as she smoked from her hookah. “Very well, it shall be done.”

“Wait really?” I was honestly shocked that she caved so easily.

“When you return from the mission, I shall give to you the most luxurious room, complete with pampering from our most popular girl.”

Wow, is she for real? Wont that disrupt her profits from actual paying customers? Eh, what do I care?  “Okay good, then it’s a deal.” I smiled while nodding my head. Finally negotiations were going my way.

“Don’t be too pleased with yourself, love,” Gabby quipped, “you’re not nearly as clever as you think.”

“Hush you!” I gave the carta concealed in my pocket a little smack. Looking back to my new would-be benefactor I asked one last question, “Why me? I’m just a train robber after all. Am I going to be some kind of ‘full-time thief’ for you?”

“Well my dear, that’s just something you’ll have to figure out for yourself,” she said with a bright and beautiful smile, “think of this as an opportunity to better the lives of those in need, by taking from those who don’t.”

However she put her pretty little spin on it made no difference to me, robbery was robbery. As long as I was paid the semantics didn’t matter.

“Yeah, okay...” I shrugged again, correcting my tone as I struck a cocky pose. “Whatever you call it, I won’t let you down.”

Karakahl giggled, “I do believe you shall not disappoint. Now, little miss Shana, you may retire, our girls will show you to the baths. Rest well, for your mission starts tomorrow.” she waved to four girls who had been standing on the sidelines, girls that till then, I had mistaken for statues.

They surrounded me giggling, the lady putting in a final word, “I am sure this goes without saying, but you may stay here until the time of the mission, in one of our more modest accommodations, of course.”

Yeah, figured as much.

The girls, all scantily clad and painted gold, began to lead me from that crazy throne room, stripping me of my hat and poncho, “Hey be careful with that, that was my mother’s!” I scolded, though they continued to strip me. They removed my moccasins as we entered a room with a large steamy bath. A floral fragrance was instilled into the steam that rose from the lavender waters. The walls bore carvings of angels bathing demons, sticking to the theme the whole place shared. The girls lifted my arms up to remove my tube top shirt, while the other two removed my shorts and undergarments. Once fully undressed, two of the escorts left with my clothes, I better get those back, I thought as the other two beckoned me into the water where even more young ladies waited.

The water was very warm and had been infused with some kind of salts that felt soothing on my dry chapped skin. One of the four girls began with washing my hair, leaning me back, lathering a thick golden soap into my long purple mane. Well it looks like I get to try the honey treatment after all, I chuckled to myself as the girl worked the sweet mixture into my hair. Another of the girls extended my legs out massaging my feet, scrubbing away the grime with a pumice stone. I sighed in bliss, my tense muscles relaxing for the first time in a long time, while another girl began to massage my body, gingerly yet deliberately cleaning off the caked on layers of wasteland dust and various dried fluids, some of which may have been blood, but honestly I didn’t want to think about that. My body grew hot, though I wasn’t too sure if it was the heat of the bath, or the blood rushing through me that was to blame. I moaned softly, my tension, my anxiety, and all more stress washed away with the wasteland filth.

After bathing, I was led to a room, where I was left alone for the night. The bed was bigger than any I had ever slept on, and looked a million times softer than the bales of hay and desert sand I was used to. It was covered in pillows, all which were like fluffy clouds. I also had one of those container things with a big grand mirror, what do you call them… Ah armoire, I think. Not that I had much I needed to store away, but still it was pretty neat to have. Shit if this is a modest room, I can’t wait to see the most luxurious room! Strangely I had become anxious, no, excited to complete my mission and get my reward.

“Wow, my dear you almost look a shade lighter,” Gabby said emerging from her carta.

“It has been a long time hasn’t it?” I stretched my limbs and admired my smooth dark brown skin, now cleaner than I could ever remember it being. “And hey, they even gave me an evening robe!” I squealed with excitement, rubbing my face on the velvety sleeve of the crimson colored robe. “Damn, why didn't I come here sooner?”

“Do you mean Gold city, or the whorehouse?” Gabby asked accusingly, “not that I should be surprised, you were never shy about brothels before,” she pouted.

“Yeah, but none of them were as swanky as this,” I threw myself back on the bed, which was lined with the softest shimmering silk sheets I’d ever felt. “Gotta admit, I could never afford anything like this, no matter how many trains I rob.” I began giggling like a child, while rolling back and forth in the bed.

“Well, it does seem that there are benefits to working for this Madam Karakahl,” Gabby sighed, her jealousy subsiding slightly. “If it makes you happy, then I am happy.” She smiled, watching me indulge in that wondrous bed that was fit for even the High Priestess herself.

“Hey this is good for both of us.” I sat back up, “This Lady Karakahl isn’t just some brothel queen, she’s a witch too don’t forget.” I pulled Gabby by the hand, causing her to topple on, top of me. “You don’t have to hide while we’re here, didn’t you see those girls, two of them were branded, I’m pretty sure the other two were their familiars.” Come to think of it, the hostess was a witch as well, though I wasn’t sure if that was the case for every woman here.  

“Yes, that is true, and more so did you notice the detail of their brand?” Gabby inquired.

“Huh, what about the details?”

“They had the runes of completion on the inside of their brand, the mark of a Witch Bride,” Gabby said, “it would seem that Karakahls are the same, you know what that means?”

“Yeah, it means they’ve consummated their contract, right?”

“Exactly, and they have access to even more magical powers,” Gabby gently pushed me over, and leaned on top of me, “don’t you think it’s time we grow together, my love?”

I buried my blushing face in a pillow, “I’m… I’m not ready to become a Witch Bride Gabby.”

“But our bond is strong darling, we are the perfect team. Surely your new benefactor wants the strongest of witches in her employ?” Gabby leaned her face closer, her hot breath tickling my neck, “we could be the most powerful there is, I know it, why wait any longer?”

“It’s hard to explain,” I squirmed in her embrace, turning my head, “I’m not saying I don’t ever want it, I’m just not ready yet.” It pained me to say it, but I couldn’t give her what she wanted,

“I’m sorry.”

Gabby leaned in and kissed my forehead, “You do not have to apologize, every relationship moves at their own pace, I am sorry to pressure you.” She released me from her hold, sitting on the bed beside me, and stroked my hand softly with her claw. There was an odd comfort I felt in the sensation of her talon lightly brushing across my skin, it didn’t hurt at all though it was sharp. “You should get some sleep, don’t want to disappoint her with a poor performance tomorrow.” Turning her head to look at me, she smiled with sad eyes.

“Yeah, I probably should. Good night Gabby,” I pulled the sheets over my head and curled up.

“Good night, my darling love.”

***

The sun was still low, just barely peeking over the horizon, as I sat atop a horse generously provided by Karakahl. To my left, another witch was riding her own horse. She was kind of short, at least compared to myself, and scrawny with lightly freckled skin. She furrowed her brows, her button nose scrunched, as she squinted into the distance, probably trying to spot our target. My stomach was in knots looking at my companion, she no doubt lacked experience robbing trains, hell I’d even wager she never fought in her entire life. I wanted our mission to be a resounding success, and to say I was skeptical of her abilities was an understatement.  

“Everything okay there, um Reli was it?” I tilted my head, with more than just a hint of concern. It seemed she may not have heard me so I snapped my fingers a couple times.

That caught her attention, she swung around to me swaying, nearly falling from her horse before catching herself and sitting upright.  “Huh, oh yeah my name’s Reli,” the young witch answered, sweeping her golden bangs from her eyes. “Is something wrong Miz Shana?”

“Just Shana please, Miz makes me sound old.” I couldn’t imagine we had that big an age gap, I was only in my early twenties after all. “Wouldn’t it be easier for you to see if you wore those goggles?”

Reli looked confused, like she was unaware of their existence, before patting her head and feeling the large goggles she had strapped on. “Oh no, these are welding goggles, though I guess binoculars would have been a good idea to bring along,” her face broke into a wide goofy grin.

“Welding goggles? You planning on blowtorching the couplers or something?”

 “Oh no Miz Shana, don’t you worry about that, I know what I’m doing.” She tried to look cool and confident, I think, wearing a bright smile as she gave me the thumbs up, but she looked too innocent and honestly a tad silly.

Would you stop with the Miz! I’m like twenty-three years old! I thought, rubbing my temples. “Okay, if you say so.” I looked at the girl and began to examine her a bit more closely. She wore a brown cloth vest, and a pair of asymmetrical tan pants, one leg cut off like shorts, the other intact and tucked into her mechanics boots. She had work gloves as well, but the fingers were cut off the right glove. What’s up with this witch and hating symmetry, I silently judged the girl’s odd fashion sense. Now that I think of it, Lady Karakahl also only wore a fishnet stocking on her right thigh, am I the only witch who doesn’t do that crap? My musings were interrupted by the distant sound of a train whistle. 

“Well hot damn, looks like the trains a coming!” Reli shouted, her language not suited to her at all, was she really just trying to impress me? That aside, I signaled her to get ready, then took off, riding parallel to the tracks. It didn’t take long for the locomotive to overtake us, our horses unable to match the train’s impressive speed. Before we knew it, we were nearly in position with our mark, the caboose. 

As the train’s rear grew closer, I stood up on my galloping steed, using the aid of Gabby’s wind magic to keep my balance, and launched myself onto the train’s back platform, grabbing the rail and raising my body safely aboard. Looking back, I could see Reli leap from her own horse, and sprout wings made of some sort of leaves, which she used to glide right beside me, her ‘wings’ dissipating as she landed. 

“Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a witch fly,” I remarked with a whistle.

Reli blushed, and waved her arm. “Oh, it’s nothing, it’s the first spell I gained when I consummated.” 

She could fly, well sort of, and she was a Witch Bride, perhaps I hadn’t given her enough credit. 

“I heard you’re pretty impressive yourself Miss Shana,” she had an eager smile, her eyes wide with admiration.

“Shucks, I mean yeah I’m pretty infamous in the outer circles.” As much as I wanted to brag, we had work to do. “Anyways, chances are someone had to spot us approaching the train, don’t be surprised if they start busting through the doors, okay?”

“Yeah, I expected a little push back,” Reli answered, her cutesy voice barely carrying over the roaring sounds of the wheels against the tracks and soaring winds. 

I nodded at her and cautiously placed my hand on the door handle, then flung it open, revolver drawn. We sprung into the caboose, our weapons ready, only to be greeted by absolute solitude. Not a single person, train staff or potential security was to be seen, the only sounds in the car were our own footsteps on the creaking floor as we began to explore. 

“Shouldn’t there be at least a couple people here?” Reli asked, creeping over to a bench and looking under it.

“So easy job?” Gabby spoke up.

“I don’t know...” Something did not feel normal, there was an unusual eerie silence as I snuck further into the car, each step deliberate, scanning my surroundings like a hawk. Wood framed beds fastened to the walls sat empty, the sheets disheveled and the pillows torn. A faint smell of gas leaked out from a stove built into the opposite wall, the burner still on, but the flame was no longer lit. I turned the knob, to stop the flow of gas, and slowly approached the far end of the car. A small sectioned off room, most likely the restroom, was positioned near the passage to the next car. As I got closer, my attention was drawn to the door, which had been bashed in and nearly split in two.

“Shit, I don’t like this at all.” I pushed the broken door to the side, and examined the interior, only to see that it too was empty. As I stepped in, I felt a damp sticky feeling underneath my foot. My body froze in place, it was like it didn’t want me to know what I just stepped in, but I forced myself to look. It was dark, it was deep, it was red, and it was fresh. Blood. It seeped into my moccasins, adhering my fringe together. A part of me wanted to whine, the girls at the manor had just cleaned these for me after all, but I knew that wasn’t important.

“Kid,” I called over to the other witch, “get your ass over here.”

“Miz Shana, is that blood?” I hadn’t noticed, but she was practically breathing down my neck. “What do you think could have happened?”

I shook my head furiously, backing out of the bathroom. “I’m no detective, and honestly it isn’t even my business.” The door to the connection was nearby, its track dented, but with some effort it slid open. “Let’s just hurry up and disconnect, I don’t want to stick around any longer than we have to.” Stepping out into the conjoined platform sparking wires hissed at me from a broken terminal. Deep gashes in the steel had completely disabled the device we needed to operate. I kicked the now useless metal block and cursed, “Damn it, no good, this thing’s busted,” It had clearly been tampered with, but by who? Or worse, by what? “Is there any other way we can separate the caboose?” My expertise was in boarding trains and robbing passengers, not stealing trains themselves, but even still I knew there had to be another way.

“This is an old brassmill model Diesel train, there should be a master control panel in the Locomotive, we can use that to disable the safety switch then manually disconnect the cars.” Reli answered, stepping beside me on the outside.

“Oh great, so we have to make it all the way to the front? How much time do we have left?”

Reli examined a device on her wrist, “With the speed we’re going, I’d say we’ve got maybe twenty minutes, give or take.”

“Shit just Twenty? Better hope we don’t run into any inquisitors on our way.” That was wishful thinking, I was sure, but at that point I was afraid of something far worse than church soldiers or simple security. 

“Should one of us stay here and disconnect the car?” Reli asked.

“Hell no,” I placed my hand on her shoulder, “we don’t know what’s going on here, it would be better if we had each other’s backs.” She simply looked me in the eyes, and nodded. 

I walked across the coupler and onto the next car, shoving the door open, only to find it had been knocked off its track. Stepping in, we were greeted by another car once more devoid of passengers. 

“This one’s empty too huh?” her voice almost echoed, though maybe that was just a trick of my nerves. “You think they jumped ship, or I guess train?”

I stepped cautiously into the car, slowly pushing forward, looking into every seat I passed. The interior was wrecked, torn cushions, splintered wood, shattered windows everywhere. This couldn’t have been the work of bandits, it looked too chaotic even for a witch perhaps. It took a moment before they were visible, claw marks and inky black fluids strewn about the floors and walls.

“Shana!” Gabby shouted.

 “Shit!” I barely got the word out my mouth before Reli screamed. Spinning around I came face to face with a black mist as it began to take a solid form behind us. “Malefic!”

As soon as the creature manifested into a solid shape, I fired a wind bullet into its head. The person-shaped creature snapped its neck back as the bullet blew a chunk of its skull off, then simply stumbled forward and gave a slimy ghastly grin.

“Michael!” Reli shouted, and she became clothed in an armor of thick thorny vines. One of the vines rocketed out from her extended arm, piercing through the chest of the Malefic, ripping out the creature’s pulsing black heart. It dispersed into a black bloody mist once again, no trace being behind, save for some inky fluid that evaporated after a moment. 

“Always go for the heart,” she told me, crushing the disgusting heart in her viny tendril. 

“Yeah, I know. I just panicked, that’s all,” I holstered my gun, and walked to the opposite end of the train car. “Well we know what happened now,” I forced a dry humorless laugh. The remnants of victims laid out in the booths and on the far end of the train painted a picture of everything that just happened.  Looking at their clothes, they didn’t look like the kind you normally saw in the outer circles. “Where do you suppose this train was coming from?”

“Brassmill trains like this one haven’t been in major use inside Haven since the newer railways had been built,” she said, hand on her chin while pondering, “if I had to guess though I’d say it might be refugees from beyond the outer wastes.”

“Poor bastards must have got caught in the Malice on their way here.” it wasn’t unusual, though normally a nun would be onboard to protect the passengers from such an event. Clearly that wasn’t the case here.

“You know a lot about trains?” I asked, trying to distract myself from the grisly scene around us.

“Sure do,” Reli chirped, a proud gleam in her eyes, hiding her fear. The viny armor she had produced withered away as she continued to walk behind me.

 “What else can you tell me? Anything that might help?” I ducked through the front door, which was more of a hole in the wall now.

“Well if this is a refugee train, then there’s probably only four cars till we reach the locomotive.” Good, then this shouldn’t take too much longer. 

“Hey, keep your guard up, there’s likely going to be more ahead.” 

“Have you ever fought Malefic before?” She asked, her teeth chattering slightly as she spoke.

“A few times,” I answered, pushing the broken door to the next car down, “you can say they weren’t exactly uncommon back home.”

Immediately upon entering the car, two Malefics were waiting. Their bodies were like that of men, though there was no flesh, only a swirling oozing mass of darkness. They stood hunched, brutally tearing their claw like hands into the meat of a survivor, his harrowing screams echoing through the car, casting a heaviness on my chest.

Quickly, I drew my gun and fired a wind bullet into the heart of the nearest one, its body fading away into nothingness. The remaining Malefic snapped its head towards me, it’s soulless voids for eyes bearing down into me with the most unholy of gazes. It grimaced a perverse hungry grin, and scrambled at me with unnatural speed. There was no time to fire a second shot, the Malefic pounced on top of me, forcing all its weight over me, pinning me down. Its long gangly fingers, sharper than even Gabby’s claws, tore my poncho into shreds, black drool spilling from its hungry maw onto my face. Its arm pressed into my windpipe, while it used its other hand to grab hold of my arm preparing to tear it from me. I heard stories of what the Malefic did to their victims, and now my heart raced faster than the train’s own speed, as the reality of what was going to happen set in. Not giving it any time to do more damage, Reli pierced the thing's heart with a vine, killing it instantly.               

“I thought you were a quick draw,” She said, helping lift me up. “Damn they did a number on that poncho of yours.” 

My garment was in tatters, barely holding on by just a few untorn strands. I ground my teeth, and pulled my arm out of the girl’s grip. “I thought you had my back,” I fumed, the embarrassment of my immature reaction not outweighing my anger. “Guess we were both wrong.”

”Hey I saved you didn’t I? Not everyone can be as quick as the wind or whatever your magic is,” Reli objected.

I scoffed, refusing to speak another word, and walked over to the man we had saved. His clothing was torn revealing a body covered in deep agonizing gashes. He laid curled in the fetal position sobbing uncontrollably between gasping breaths. I knew there was no point in asking him any questions, not while he was in this state. I looked around for something to treat his wounds with, or even just something to cover his mostly naked body, and found a shawl on one of the ruined seats. I laid it over him, placing my hand on his head and tried to calm him with some gentle words, but when his sobbing ceased, I knew he was gone.

“Those awful monsters!” Reli spat, her fury sounding almost as strong as her sorrow, as she tried to hold back tears.

Honestly, I never tried to let myself think too hard about it, but it was true, the Malefic were the very definition of monsters. Their sadistic methods of torturing their victims first seemed fruitless. With their strength and near invulnerability they could easily kill any Ael in seconds. Most creatures found in the wastes would only kill for their own survival, not the Malefic though, they had no need to eat. They killed because they liked it, at least that’s what I believed. It suggested a level of intelligence far greater than any animal, but worse than that, it suggested an evil far greater than any other beast.

“What an awful way to die.” Reli kneeled by the recently deceased, and pulled the shawl over his head.

“We need to get to the front, so we can get off this damned train,” I stood up, and continued forward. Reli followed, careful to not step on any corpse that laid in our path. As we continued through another car, left in the same state as all the cars prior, I found the shattered remains of an Inquisitor’s armor leading to their body. Even the church’s finest were no match for the monsters of the Malice. It was almost humanizing, seeing the lifeless body of a witch hunter, almost. We made our way, and as more Malefic would appear, we would kill them, then move on, till at last we reached the Locomotive.

The door was heavy and made of brass, unlike the simple wood ones on the former cars, and was perfectly intact.

“Do you think the driver is still alive? The train’s still going after all,” I shouted, trying to be heard over the train.

“They didn’t have deadmans switches on these older models, so the train would continue regardless.”

“Well shit!” I knocked on the door, slamming my fists against the brass. No response came from the inside.

“Even if they were alive, do you honestly think they’d open up for us?”

“It’s better to try than do nothing,” I argued. “You got any better ideas?”

 She peered her head over the side, and shouted. “If we could climb up there, we can probably get through that window.”

“Oh great, I love dangling my body from high speed death machines!” I tried to sound sarcastic while shouting. 

“Come on! You’re an experienced train robber aren’t you? Don’t be a wuss now!” she goaded me.

Groaning, I grabbed hold of whatever ledge I could grip onto, and began to shimmy around the side. Gabby, sensing my predicament, created a gust of wind to help pin me to the train, while redirecting the winds from the speeding train. I reached one hand forward, and slowly slid my body before reaching out with the next, my hands sweating profusely in spite of the wind. Come on you’re halfway there, I repeated to myself inching forth. As I stretched my arm up to the window, I grabbed hold, only to lose my grip with my other hand. Dangling against the train, and pinned down by my own familiar’s magic, I desperately held on, till a vine wrapped around my waist. I looked back to see that Reli was extending the vine around me, while also wrapping one around the train whistle. 

Damn it kid, if you could do that the whole time why didn’t you?  I cursed silently, though I should have been grateful. Less than a minute later I managed to pull myself through the window, into the train with her help.

A gelatinous mass of black swirling mist, slowly taking form, greeted me as I fell onto the floor with a thud. It grinned maliciously, its black ooze stretching across its mangled mouth. It was much larger than the ones before, nearly taking up half the room. It had snapped bones protruding out its head like goat horns, not unlike a Kydael. It slowly approached, as I scrambled to unholster my gun, a sickening moan emitting from its maw. Only a few feet away, it readied itself for attack, only to be shot through the heart before it could make its lunge. I sighed in relief, dropping the gun from my hand as my brain tried to catch up with the world around me. 

As its body evaporated, Reli climbed through the window and landed beside me. Looking around, the young witch exhaled, her hand to her chest. “There’s nothing here, that’s good.” I could only glare as she walked over to what I believe was the control panel, and began fiddling with the keys and knobs. “Alright, that should do that, and...we’re good!” 

“The cars disconnected?” There was strain in my voice as I began to stand up.

“Well technically. We’re going to have to go back to the caboose and pull the break, otherwise it will keep moving forward past our target point.”

    I groaned, exasperated, “a simple train heist, just consider it a test.” I mocked my employer’s words.

“It wouldn’t be a very good test of our abilities if it was just a cut and dry robbery now would it?” Reli pipped, a cheery grin spreading across her rosy cheeks. 

“Yeah, yeah, glass half empty and what not,” I grumbled, opening the door. “At least our trip back will be more straightforward.”

And it was, we crossed back through the train cars, the Malefic now exorcized from the train, and made it to the caboose with no obstacles.

 On Reli’s signal we pulled the emergency break, and after a few yards the caboose came to a screeching halt. The rest of the train continued forward, its crash inevitable, now that the crew were all dead.

“Shouldn’t we have stopped the train too?”

“Nah forget it kid, best to let the damn thing crash,” I waved her suggestion off.

“But couldn’t that cause more people to get hurt?”

“Not our problem, let the church handle it,” I sat on the bench, and kicked back. “It’s their damn fault any of this happened in the first place.” The girl looked at me with her hazel eyes, shimmering from the tears that began to form. “Hey, if we stopped the train, then another one could come along and crash into it. We let it keep going, and it will probably just derail as it keeps picking up speed.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she sat down on a bed opposite from the bench. “Still I wish there was something we could do.” 

I probably wasn’t right, I was just guessing afterall. For all I knew it would make it to the next station, where it would cause havoc for the people there. 

“Well there isn’t, kid, just let it go.” She was silent after that, and so we sat and waited. Less than an hour later, a group sent by Karakahl came and connected the caboose to their own locomotive and brought us back to a substation in Gold City. Our mission was a success, though honestly it didn’t feel like that was saying much.