Tusks and Dagger Part Eighteen: The Darkness on the Shadow Train

It had been a couple of weeks of us searching, and now odd trees flashed by my window of the emerald green train. The map said that a black heart was on this train, this sea of different magical creatures were going to prove this difficult. Smoothing out my gray blazer, the white and black plaid skirt floated away from my bump. My other friends were dressed in the same school uniform, Antler sending us these disguises. Gritting my teeth, I felt like I was back in school again. Pulling up the long white sock, the black leather boots were hard on the souls of my heels. Boran adjusted the red and golden striped tie around my neck, a natural gel helping his hair stay slicked back. His eyes glittered with excitement, his clammy hands rubbing against the solid gray wool pants. All of our other companions sat in different cars, probably scratching at their uniforms. Unsure of what I was looking for, Boran held my bump. Rubbing the dark wooden seats, the red cushions barely counted as cushions. Glancing around, a dark energy brushed past me. Turning around, no one was there. Horror widened my eyes, my face paling.  Cold sweat dripped off my brow, a black ball of energy floating around the room. Watching it float, it went into the next car.  My feet pounded into the next car, Lord Somata and his brothers looking up at me. All of them seemed awkward, the ball floating into the next car. Lord Somata followed after us, a conductor in a black uniform stopped us. Golden buttons glistened in the flickering morning sun, the lights flickering. His eyes went red, his brown mustache wiggling over his lips. Flicking us in the forehead, darkness wrapped his rough arms around me.  

The afternoon sun blinded me, the four of us tied up in the engine. A couple pieces of coals rolled to our feet, the conductor crouching down to my level. His red scaly skin shimmered in the light, the black conductor’s hat hanging off the side of his head. A small tuft of black hair stuck out from underneath his hate, the black uniform hanging off of his gaunt frame. A red tail lizard’s tail twitched, the black tongue flicking in and out. His inky black eyes bore into mine, my hair standing up as the rest of the train peered through the window. Struggling pointlessly, his voice hissed in my ear. A shiver shot up my spine, he didn’t have the black heart in his chest.

“Prepare for this to be your last stop!” He gloated gleefully, pressing a small red blade up to my neck. “If you are looking for the heart, none of us have it in us. But can you feel it? It is everywhere, but nowhere. Narrowing my eyes, his riddles weren’t necessary. Kicking the knife out of his hand, a snarl rumbled in his throat as it flew into the fire.  Somata lips moved silently, the rope unraveling itself. Winking back at me, Boran rolled his eyes. A couple of pieces of hot coal tumbled towards my hands, the rope dropping to the ground. Scooping them up, silent tears of pain streamed from my eyes. The palm of my skin burned off, my shaking hand shoving the coals into his eyes. Unnatural screeches burst from the demon’s lips, the heel of my boot kicking him into the hungry flames. The engine rattled, control beginning to get lost in the chaos. 

“Who knows how to drive a train?” I queried nervously, muffled groans coming from the coal closet. The doorknob refused to turn with my sweaty palms barely able to wrap around the circle of gold. Boran ripped open the door, the real conductor rolled out along with all of the original guests. Helping them all up, the different magical creatures thanked us graciously. The various styles of clothing made us gasp in wonder, their languages all clashing. 

“We are going to rid your train of your parasites, so hold onto your hats.” Lord Somata promised warmly, acting like the real leader he was. “Come with me my friends, we have a large clean up job to do.” Clapping his hands together, my scythe sat in my eager palms. Boran hugged his spiked club. The twins swung their blades over their heads, the heart beating somewhere in the distance. Kicking the door down, all of us swung at each evil monster. Black blood splattered all of us, the monsters turning to black dust behind us. Thump, Thump!  A vibration shook the floorboard, Lord Karama and Kanama guiding the passengers into the now empty car. The short chubby conductor shot us a thumbs ups, attempting to dust the black dust off of his blue uniform. Locking the door behind us, we moved to the next car. An eerie silence settled over the car, the sense of something being off eating at me. The storage compartments shook violently above us, all of our faces paling. The rest of our companions crashed to the floor, the four of us jumping back at least ten feet.  Jumping to their feet, a small girl with brown hair peeked out the window.  Waving at her, the whole train throbbed once or twice. Several black demons stepped out from the woodwork, hisses and snarls echoing in the air. Maryanna and Merlin urged us to go ahead, her blade spinning in her palm. Nodding our heads, the lot of us pressed forward into the next car. The vibrant energy of demons gambling stopped abruptly, every single one looking up at us. A million eyes watched us, the chairs all crashing to the ground. Shadows crept up the wall, a barrage of menacing weapons glistening in the flickering lights.  The odds proved not to be in our favor, the lights cutting out. Blue flames devoured my blade, the demons seeming to have multiplied in the last few seconds. Fear paralyzed me, thousands of rotting faces were inches to mine. Hot slime dripped onto my skin, the urge to vomit welling up inside of me. All of us looked seconds from upchucking our last meal, my fingers gripping my scythe tighter. 

“Mina, grant me the power to destroy the enemy in front of me.” I chanted quietly, the flames raging stronger. “Blue wave of flames!” Spinning it above my head, the twins protected me from most of the blows. Cold hands ripped me back, several sharp points stabbing me all at once. Biting my lips, time froze. Merlin waved over at me, his pocket watch spinning around. Struggling to my feet, the sight of me looking like a human pincushion causing me to gag slightly. Slamming the tip of my blade into the floor, blue flames spread like the sea. Swaying, my vision blurred. Boran’s strong arms wrapped around my waist, catching me before I fell. Karama sealed the door shut for a second, Mary tending to my wounds. 

“You really are a mess right now.” She joked lightly, blood coming up with my weak chuckle. “Let me fix you up. You always take such good care of us.” Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids, sweet slumber stealing me away into her dreamland.  

Fog curled around me, the train feeling washed out. Gone were the rich colors, decaying rotten walls screaming out for help. A cheery voice called out to me, the laughter sounding like a train whistle. Glancing around nervously, a small child’s hand tugged at the bottom of my skirt. A cloud of dust choked me, a tiny boy in an emerald suit and twinkling golden eyes stared up at me. Tipping his golden hat towards me, a warm smile curled on his golden lips. 

“I am Emmie, the spirit of the train.  You seem to respond to small children, so don’t expect to see me in this form again if ever.” He chastised coldly, his warm smile contradicting his sharp attitude. “I need you to find that damn black heart before it destroys my train.” Pressing my lips into a thin line, his iciness threw me off. Offering me his hand, chilly air lashed at my cheeks. Accepting it cautiously, my fingers wrapped around his tiny hand. Snapping his finger, the cars flashed by us. Dragging me onto the roof, the world was a blur. Red light darkened the gray sky, black clouds swirling around the caboose. Tossing me towards the final car, his hand caught me last minute. Slamming his heel into the crumbling roof, the two of us crashed into the car. Horror widened my eyes, black roots climbing up the wall. A pulse quaked the car, the train going faster. Cold sweat drenched my skin, another throb tossing us to the ground. Roots crawled towards me, the sound of them creeping slowly towards me caused my heart to sink into my stomach. A lump formed in my throat, my scythe glowing brighter.  Struggling to stand, my eyes scanned the ground for the right floorboard. A black hand burst from the floor, disbelief dawning on my face. A whimper of fear poured from my lips, a giant black blob squishing towards me. Emmie rolled his eyes, a golden whistle sitting in his palms. 

“What is a whistle going to do?” I queried tiredly, dodging the slime ribbons flying towards me. The noise of chaotic battle thundered in the sky, it all made sense now. The heart was in the spirit of the train, the monstrous form now smashing every car behind us. His golden lips wrapped around the whistle. The shrill shriek caused my ears to bleed, a little warning would have been nice. The monster froze in its tracks, my rapid swings doing nothing. Frustration grew, the taste of copper poisoning my taste buds as I down on my tongue.  

“It freezes any intruders. I don’t mean to tell you how to do your job, but maybe up the flames a bit.” He suggested coldly, the urge to hit rising like the tide. “Unless you can’t handle it. I will blow my whistle again, so figure your crap out.” Narrowing my eyes at him, a growl rumbled in my throat. Raising my scythe, all the spells in my head not really working. Dodging each blow, Emmie shot daggers from his eyes. Just making something up, surprise rounded my eyes as blue lightning bounced off my blade. Smiling wickedly, an idea popped into my head. Climbing up to the roof, the devastation was a horrible sight to behold. Shards of words stood where the cars once were. The speed of the train picked up, my hair flew black. Thunder clouds rumbled in the sky, lightning gathering at the tip of my scythe. Wincing in pain, the lightning crackled around my skin. The rotting smell of burning skin poisoned the air, my last meal threatening to come back up. 

“Bolts of lightning, blue flames of light combine to make a single element.” I ordered sharply, spinning my scythe in the air. “Final step, cook the darkness through.”  The heart monster flew up in the air, aiming for the thudding red core. A triumphant grin danced across my lips as the blade sank into the core. Kicking Emmie out of the range of the attack, the lightning illuminating the clear body. Black flames flooded into his body, shrill screeches echoed in the still air. Blue smoke curled from its mouth, black slime covered my body. An unimpressed look dimmed my face, Emmie climbing back up. Another heart down, and I was closer to freeing her. Clapping his hands, the train rebuilt itself, the vines decaying to black ash. Bowing in my direction, he kissed the top of my hand. Wiping off my face, the slime plopped onto my once clean boots.  The train slowed down, him pulling me back into the train. Clapping his hands once more, lights flickered to life. The scarlet cushions called out to me, sweat soaking my skin. Pulling out a gold handkerchief, he tossed it over my head. Ripping it off, childlike wonder brightened my eyes. Any trace of the slime was gone, a gracious smile entertaining his face.

“It appears I was wrong about you.” He conceded rudely, a snarl curling on my lips. “I like you, so calm down.”  His words still sting like something fierce, his hands raising one last time. Narrowing his eyes in my direction, his tiny hand pressed a golden pocket watch into my palm.  

“I am aware that I come off a little curtly, but please accept my friendship.” He continued calmly, tears welling up in his eyes. “I like you and will reward you with a train between realms when you win. This pocket watch will call upon the spirit of the train to take you anywhere in this realm.” My real smile curled on my lips, the awkward silence a bit agonizing. This was the perfect gift, no words able to describe how I felt. The train hissed to a stop, an angelic white train station shimmering outside the window. Taking my hand, he pulled me into the station. My breath hitched at the sight of the golden walls and emerald seats. 

“Your home is beautiful.” I complimented kindly, a rare smile brightening his face. “I love your gift. Now I can visit my friends and most importantly you. You are my new friend, and I can’t wait to spend more time. How about once this war is all over we can go for a ride once a month?” Joy twinkled in his eyes, his arms wrapping around my legs. Sobs wracked his body, tears of my own flooding from my eyes. These hormones were torture, my arms scooping him up. 

“I would love that.” He wept softly, wrapping his arms around my neck. “I am so alone down here, and maybe my loneliness has allowed that monster to plague my train. What a shame, I am blubbering like an idiot.” Embracing him tightly, every single emotion from his life soaked my shoulder. Patting his back, his head snuggled into my shoulder.  

“Don’t be silly!” I mused happily, spinning him around. “You need friends as much as anyone else. Actually, I have something for you.” Fishing around my boot, a small bowl sat in my palm. Passing it to him, his confused look was adorable. 

“Fill that with water and if I am near a body of water, you can talk to me as long as you want to.” I continued cheerfully, his mouth opening with wonder. “If you play your cards right I can even teach you more magic later on. How does that sound?” Hugging my neck tighter, he really seemed like a small child at the moment.  

“I am so pathetic.” He whined softly, a cloud of gold glitter choking me as he leapt out of my arms. “How about we get you home? Just spin the pocket watch once. Miss Lottie, always remember to be on time.” Flashing me one last smile, he spun the clock for me one last time. The heavenly train station changed back to the train car. 

Taking a deep breath, Boran clutched me close to his chest. Lord Somata fussed over me, the people we rescued cheering at me waking up. Cupping my face, Boran kissed my lips feverishly. Scarlet burned my cheek, Emmie waving at me outside the window. Waving back, confusion dawned on everyone’s face when they saw nothing. Turning my attention back to my friends, this felt amazing. Grasping the pocket watch tighter, the gift had come from his heart.  Mouthing thank you, he was gone. The train chugged on, all of them chatting away throughout the rest of  the ride.