Road to Ruisea

❆ ❆ VII. JAE ❆ ❆

They sit at a wooden picnic table and feast on the tandoor bread they'd bought, occasionally snapping up bites of the bright green watermelon.

"It's a very good subag," Jae says.

"A delicious suika," Chiro agrees.

"I love qarpız," Kumari adds.

After their dinner is done, the paper the bread had been wrapped with and the thick watermelon skin is discarded in a nearby trash bin. They stand up, wiping their mouths and their hands on their sleeves.

"Home?" Kumari asks, with just a twinge of disappointment.

"Didn't you want to see the train off?" Jae reminds her.

"Oh!" She perks up immediately. "Yes please!"

"Which train?" Chiro asks, as they leave the bazaar through the nearest exit gate, heading towards the harbor.

"The Ocean Express," Kumari replies. "I've always wanted to ride it."

"A close look will have to do," Jae sighs. "We could go on it, but I didn't bring nearly enough gold to afford tickets for all three of us, and the Princess going missing for more than one evening would definitely start a panic."

"Some other time then," Kumari suggests.

"One day," Jae assures.

"Let's go," Chiro says. Jae makes a sound of compliance.

They walk quickly towards the docks, in more of a rush now because Kumari needs to be brought home soon. The trio stop as soon the reach the train tracks, that disappear into the horizon along with the edge of the water.

The train stands proud, shimmering bronze and black, puffing steam, getting ready to leave, families crowded around it to say goodbye to their close ones.

"It's so much better up close," comes Kumari's hushed voice.

"It's beautiful," Jae agrees.

"Even better on the inside," says Chiro, and the two turn around to look at him.

"You've been on it?" They both ask, very curious.

"You're both so in sync," Chiro notices.

Jae can't help but enjoy the sound of that — being in tune with his Princess.

"Well, yeah," Chiro nods, "Of course I've been on it. No other way to get from Qiluca to Cevalon, after all. So I saved up, parlor tricks in exchange for loose coins... Soon had enough to go to the kingdom of sunset and sunrise, magic is stronger here than back home."

"What's it like?" Kumari pushes her hands against Chico's chest, leaning in so their noses touch. Jae doesn't really like how close she's getting to him.

"Quiet. It runs so smoothly... All you hear are the waves crashing outside as the train travels. The beds are soft, the food is good. It's even better than being home."

"They say," Jae chimes in, "Ocean Express reminds you that the journey is better than the destination."

"Their little advertising bit tells no lie," Chiro confirms. "But Cevalon is a destination that's fine, I like it here."

"Abrazavonsky!" Kumari exclaims, still awed by Chiro's train experience.

"What?" Jae asks and before Kumari can explain, they hear a man shouting in another language.

"What's he saying?" Jae asks.

"Qilucan," Chiro furrows his brow. "It's the train conductor. Let me listen, I think I can translate..."