The first thing I do when I reach the train is find Elizabeth. Striding past moving and wounded soldiers, I find the woman petting a bloodied Dakota and speaking to Millie. Immediately, the fox jumps for me, and despite its larger size than before, I catch him and fall to the ground, rubbing his face.
"Hey, boy! You keep Elizabeth safe?"
"Yeah, he did a great job, Wyatt. How are things over at the library?"
Petting Dakota's soft but crimson fur and slowly standing, I introduce Kate to Elizabeth as well as inform her of Johnny's condition. The fox strains to pull me down as I do, causing me to laugh and almost fall again.
"Johnny is healing now with Prix and Earl's help. They should be here soon. And this is..."
"Kwakiteh. Lennon Hull and I will be joining you all on your way to Blackreach. I wish to see Marshall's monument for myself."
Her words spur confusion from the three of us, with Millie asking the question first. The woman did serve under Marshall for the longest of all the soldiers I know of, so it makes sense she's sensitive to topics regarding the late General.
"Monument? What do you mean by a monument?"
Kate, or Kwakiteh as she goes by to most, sits on a nearby seat riddled with bullet holes. Once she plops, the woman answers the inquiry.
"Edward, along with many of the citizens of Blackreach, after news of Marshall's death reached Blackreach, decided to make a monument for a funeral. I left before it was completed, hoping to do what I could to help as I was already fighting Roots to stop them from impeding Marshall, but they should be almost done by now."
Her words make me stop and think. We've been so go-go-go that I didn't even ponder the concept of a funeral. Though, we literally have only stopped the train for a grand total of five minutes since we left, so I suppose it's not entirely our fault. I also did hear rumors of a funeral for Marshall once we stopped, but now this is confirmation.
I can see Millie get visibly excited and distraught at the idea, as if she's happy her General is getting the respect he deserves, but saddened that it has to happen at all.
"So, when do we leave then? We can't miss his funeral, right? I know his body won't be there, but still."
I propose the question to Elizabeth, and she sighs, shaking her head disappointedly.
"Wyatt... we have so many wounded and injured that we have to wait at least until they are stabilized to move. Plus, the train is severely damaged. The Conductor has to spend a while to repair---"
A man intrudes, stepping into the room as steel contorts and wraps around his hand into a glove. His voice is low and rough but filled with the most solemn respect possible.
"For the General, I can get the lass going in an hour. Just get everyone on board. Nothing will stop me from seeing the man's funeral as I missed his death."
The Conductor, the only man trusted by the Unyielding Wall to helm and sustain the Steam Train, levies his hat as he steps past us all, leaving a final word to strike my shocked face. Can he fix all this damage in an hour? He notices our disbelief and offers words of encouragement.
"If Marshall can conjure a hurricane with his fist, then surely, lil' old me can get this thing going."
As he passes, I notice that he only has one eye for the first time ever, as the other is a fake. Something doesn't feel right about him. Once the man leaves, I turn to Millie.
"Who, exactly, is the Conductor? He seems off."
I catch a glimpse of him through shredded steel as he repairs the train with a sliding grasp, the metal contorting under his very whim. Millie responds with an uneasy voice as I observe him.
"I do not entirely know. He is an old friend of Marshall's, and no one has ever called him by a name. Though, the General has told me many times to respect him just as I would Marshall. So, I do."
Even Elizabeth is confused as she twists her head back and forth, staring at a miniature map in her palms. I step a bit closer and see what she's looking at. It's a version of the map I saw within Bent, only updated to add Stormshand instead of Bent to an area considered right for the storm's size.
"Yeah, yeah. We need to watch out for the Nahullo when we make it to Blackreach. If they made it this deep into Timberlands, then there is no telling how far they've gotten so far. Same with the demons. I know they are going to leave Lawless Lake alone, fearful of Maddox's wrath, but Vallens is a clear break."
Shrugging, I join Kate on the opposite seat from her. The Comanche woman gives me a quick side-eye before shifting her gaze to the book that somehow appeared in her hands. I suppose Mie got bored.
"Dunno. But doesn't that only bring further cadence that we should get moving?"
Elizabeth nods as more people begin to arrive. Prix, Earl, and Primrose step into the car of the train, carrying Virgil. I stand to help, but Earl waves me off.
"Chill out, Wyatt. We're doing what we can to help Virgil, but I think it's on him. Worst case, Prix told me of a man in Blackreach called Eely. He's known for extradimensional powers. Perhaps once we get there, he can help Virgil."
I nod and sit back down as they relocate Virgil to the medical car while Bonfire stumbles into the train with Abraham around his shoulder. They both walk as if they are drunk and slam themselves down on a seat not far from me.
"Hey--- Wyt... I'mma sleep he---"
Bonfire slurs his words as he passes out right on the chair. Abraham slumps onto the pyro's back and also falls unconscious beside him. The half-Nahullo's head rests on Bonfire's back like a loving wife. A chortle of laughter comes from in front of me as Kate knocks her book against the wall. They should be fine, just as Prix said, but it is hilarious to see them act so close, especially when I know neither swing that way. Even more so, their brain traumas are making this happen. They won't be happy knowing what it made them do. If only we had one of those photo-thingies. Too bad they're so fragile.
I laugh with Kate, but Elizabeth and Millie don't find it so comical. The latter steps out to encounter Johnny as the man enters with Blake and Lennon behind him. I wave, but the gunslinger doesn't respond as I realize he's blind, his golden eyes grayed out.
"Are you feeling better, Johnny?"
Finally, the man reacts, nodding before walking away, guided only slightly by Blake.
"Yeah. Just need to sleep a bit. Keep things going while I'm out of it."
"No problem!"
I reassure him as the gunslinger stumbles away, gradually making his way to a place to rest. Sitting here as things slowly start to calm down, a wave of tiredness suffuses me, probably from Lily's bullet.
My head tilts a bit as I rest it on the back of the seat. And as minutes pass, people moving about attempting to get things done, I nod off while watching Kate or Mie, I'm not sure which, read their book.
The darkness consumes my mind quickly, and I'm soon transported elsewhere, as promised.
************************
Sitting up on the bed of lilies by the riverfront of the Cardinal, I find a giddy and excited Lily waving toward me. The young girl soon shouts and motions for me to walk to her. Grunting in exhaustion, I do as she requests.
"Come 'ere! See what I learned! Oh! And I got another bullet! All those dead Angels sure do add up!"
I smile and stride tiredly to her before plumping down on the bank beside her. The ground is so soft and has a slight chill that feels amazing on the skin.
"That's awesome! What did you figure out?"
I peer toward her hands as she lifts them to me, and she shows me her tiny, pale palms that are arcing with a flash of bizarre red lightning. The bolts jump from finger to finger before entering her skin, leaving a glowing color.
"Look! I did it! That Physical Strengthening you spoke of! All those souls make it SO much easier to use Ether. The enhancement won't last forever, but I think now that I know how to do it, I can manage regardless."
Her palms continue to channel the electricity, but I don't know what it does. Sure, it has a visible effect here, but what about in the real world? What will it do?
I propose the question to her as she jingles her glowing fingers in my face. Cursing at the same time, I push her hand away from me as it is getting too close to my eye.
"Well, what does it---fuck! What the hell?!"
"Sorry! I-- I wasn't sure what it did!"
The lightning jumps from her hand to my and then back, eliciting a sharp and reverberating pain. It runs from my thumb all the way to my heart as if endeavoring to steal something from the organ. Instinctively, I yank my hand back and scoot away, but Lily continues to apologize as I hold my fleshy hand against my chest.
"Sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry! It only hurt you, at least. I felt it try to rip Vigor from you as well, but I can't take Vigor from you unless you create a bullet willingly."
I place my thumb in my mouth as the pain centers there, but it doesn't fade any faster. I take my thumb out and instead bite my lip to endure the pain.
"It's fine. It's going away. But that really fucking hurt. Do you have any idea how this will work in the real world, at least? A pain like that and Vigor siphoning could be useful, but only if we don't have to hit a target with a bullet."
Lily shrugs as if she is unsure of her answer, but she still gives me one after a moment of thought. Her words gradually grow in detail as she gains confidence in her ideas.
"I'm really sorry. I-uh... it'll make whatever touches the gun have that effect, most likely. Which means I can now force others not to wield me! And! With your permission, I could probably extend that effect to your limbs or skin! Like a defense! Stop people from laying hands on you! However, this connection will need to be a bit more stable than the one where I flow Vigor from the collected souls. You'll probably have to touch me with your hand or something to work."
As Lily speaks, she moves her hands around to show me what she means before pointing at my hip at the tail end of her words. I nod along with her and give my thoughts as well.
"That'd be amazing. Between you and the Bloody Palm, soon we'll be invincible. Any other ideas for skills you've seen me use?"
I also bring up future skills she could learn, but I see her face turn weird at the mention of the Bloody Palm. Her brows furrow and concentrate as she seems to ignore me.
"Lily? Is something the matter?"
She shakes her head and refutes my concern with those piercing red eyes.
"No, no, no. I was just thinking of names. Blodwyn sounds really cool, don't you think? Fits with the whole bloody thing, and I don't know, I think the other half. It's also a flower."
I see her purpose at the edge of her explanation. She wants the name because it's a flower. The Blooming Spider Lily. All these flowers, the petals when she shoots, and even her name. She must really like flowers.
But I don't even want to refute her. The name sounds good. It fits. Blodwyn. I doubt it'll wish to have the name of its former life, but it'll be able to think by then. I'll let it choose.
"Yeah. I quite like that name. Blodwyn. But we should also give it a chance to choose, though. Maybe it'll want its former name."
Lily nods, then slides backward, swishing her arms through the flowers on the ground. The young girl, made from a weapon, falls silent for a few moments. I join her for a while. Eventually, however, I pick up the conversation again as I give her hints with Ether. If she can learn some more skills and be as flexible as... Blodwyn is, then we'd basically be a trio of people fighting in tandem.
Unfortunately, however, her stored soul-enhancement or whatever runs dry quickly. We'll have to kill either a lot more living things or a few Angels for her to learn another skill soon.
That's alright, though.
Something tells me Blackreach, even if it's split in half right now, will be quite the battlefield shortly. After all, it's now a border Territory after the rapid fall of Vallens and the soon collapse of Timberlands. Bonedunes were basically abandoned over a month ago by the powerful Hunters, leaving the weak to run for their lives.
If we find any on our way, we'll pick them up.
It'd be wrong not to.
*******************
My eyes flutter open to darkness flowing in through the shattered window beside me. Winds slap ay my face, striding in through the opening. I have to squint slightly as I realize the train is already moving once more.
And before me, I find Kate still reading, but she has a different book now. Checking my watch, I find Dakota sleeping on my bag on the floor, his head nestled into the fabric. Sighing, I instead ask Kate the question I seek.
"How long was I out?"
A reply, holding a slightly different tone than usual, comes from Kate. It throws me off at first, but I rapidly realize why. It's Mie, not Kate.
"About eight hours or so. Most of the train is sleeping. Your buddy Virgil is awake as well. He's still in the med bay as well. Counting us two, only five have their eyes open right now."
I nod as she finishes, slowly pushing my way up from my chair, doing my best not to wake Dakota. I still fail, but the fox lies his head back down after seeing nothing significant. The information given makes way more sense once my brain falls to who precisely I'm speaking to. Mie can likely sense the minds of everyone in this train at once without effort.
She is, technically, an Angel, after all. I doubt her limits end there.
And, she's been one the longest of anyone I've met besides Marshall. Almost twenty years, I believe. Even Blightraven had only been a Pillar for a decade and a half. Kai was only seven or eight years. Tomas, Johnny, and Lennon are all under the year mark for Angels.
"Thanks, Mie. I'm going to check on my friend. I'll see you another time."
The artifact controlling Kate's body nods as I step away, pushing past a sleeping Elizabeth and several other soldiers. While I leave, however, she thanks me.
"Thanks."
"What for?"
I pivot slightly, confused, but Mie quickly clears the uncertainty.
"For realizing it was me so swiftly. And for treating me like a person. Very, very few do. Only you, Kate, and Father, in fact."
I scratch the back of my head as I approach the medical car. Her mention of a father confounds me, but I lay off it for now.
"It's nothing. I have my own chaos in my head. It's no issue to recognize you for what you are. A living creature worth respect."
The smile on Kate's face widens to a vast grin, one full of giddiness, before I exit.
"Thank you."
And with that, I leave with a wave, entering the next car. Everyone in this one is asleep, from soldiers resting their heads on chairs to one guy who got his entire arm out a window. Shaking my head, I continue and quickly reach the medical car.
Stepping in, I find a cot surrounded by two chairs, one with a sleeping Victor and the other occupied with an awake Aron. She sees me and smiles as Virgil also notices me.
But the moment the man lying on the cot waves at me, he vanishes, disappearing entirely from my view.
Dammit.