The night was tense with anticipation among the three assailants: Huia, Akhaqia, and Adinim. The warmth of Akhaqia's earlier conversation with Lilly had evaporated as if it had never happened in the first place. It was replaced by the intensity or the weight of their mission to ambush the Alfheim Empire's supply line and steal from the supply line. Their thoughts were on one thing and one thing only: their meticulous planning of an attack right now. They couldn't afford to be distracted.
Moving under the cover of the night, the group made their way through the dim streets of Hasa Curies. Unlike Equilibrium Haven, where the bright stars lit the night sky, there was no natural light here to guide them. Only shadows grew deeper as they approached the edge of the city. Huia, uncharacteristically quiet, dragged his feet, his usual sarcasm absent.
They arrived at a critical juncture—the edge of the town, which also marked their entry point to the track lance, the transport route they intended to ambush.
Adinim Sebag, already on edge, spoke up. "Where's the track lance? You said it should be coming through here," he asked. Impatience and nervousness were evident in his tone of voice and eagerness to engage as he glanced at Akhaqia.
Akhaqia, clearly irritated, snapped back. "Why can't you just wait, for God's sake? Did you think we'd just walk right into the track once we arrived? It's an approximation, and thank God. We need to be here before the track lance comes through."
He paused, and his frustration was evident by the contortion of his face. His eyebrow drew closer, creating vertical lines in between them. "We all understand what needs to be done, right?" His eyes shifted from Adinim after seeing Adinim's fiery eyes to Huia. The question hung in the air, with Huia seeming to be lost in thought while looking to the ground.
Before Akhaqia had a chance to gauge Huia and his expression, or lack thereof, the conversation came to an end due to the unmistakable sound of rustling reaching their ears. It was faint at first, carried by the wind, but it grew steadily louder. The noise they had been waiting for was finally here in earshot.
The wind howled as the track lance hummed. Its rhythm could be heard on the electromagnetic railroad, elevating the track lance over the railroad and traveling at the warping speed of three hundred miles per hour. The bus was sleek and adorned with hues across its metallic frame.
Adinim and Akhaqia readied themselves, focusing on the approaching track lance. Huia was lagging behind the two with a look of uncertainty. Whether it was because this part of the plan required a crest or because he was nervous remained to be seen. Huia didn't have a crest like Akhaqia and Adinim; he was crestless, so he couldn't equip or construct anything out of thin air like weapons or, more accurately, gadgets like the other two had just done. He was just standing there.
Then Akhaqia barked, "Now!"
Adinim, without a moment's hesitation, wasn't sure if it was his enthusiasm to strike back at the Alfeheim Empire or just pure nerves driving him. Either way, he wanted to act quickly. With a swift motion, he conjured a blazing red spear-like weapon from his crest. Without a second thought, he leaped forward, the weapon securing itself to the side of the tracklance.
Akhaqia followed effortlessly, summoning his own azure, blue weapon, identical to Adinim's, and latched onto the tracklance right behind him.
Huia, amidst the other two leaping on the track, made no effort to do the same. He instead reached his hands in the air in a hurry, gripped by Adinim's iron-firm grip. Adinim exerted a strong force towards holding onto Huia, with his feet failing, trying to get a foothold on the track lance. This proved to be very difficult due to the speed of the lance and the lack of any place where he could place his foot, with the wind doing its best to loosen Huia and Adinim's grip. He demonstrated his strength and facial expression as he pulled up Huia with all his might to no avail.
Adinim's grip weakened under the relentless pressure of the wind. With no foothold to steady himself, he struggled to hold onto Huia. His arms burned from the effort, and exhaustion crept in with every passing second.The tension mounted, making his strained expression a lot more apparent. Huia's heart skipped beats as he sensed the grip faltering. He looked on the floor at every smaller slip. He started getting closer and closer to the floor, the danger growing more real with every second.
Akhaqia, having a somewhat stable structure or hold on the tracklance, scanned the situation. He saw Adinim struggling to keep Huia from falling. He hurried, and then with his crest, he created a latch to hold him steady on the tracklance.
Adinim's strength faltered, and Huia dangled precariously. His legs flailed, searching for a foothold, but the tracklance's speed made it impossible.After creating a construct of a hook, latching onto the tracklane, and securing himself at the top of the tracklance, and against the wind resistance, Akhaqia swiftly moved to help Adinim pull Huia up. He grabbed Huia's other hand, easing some of the strain on both of them. With both of them holding on, their combined effort made lifting Huia onto the tracklance a much simpler task.
Huia was breathless. Looking at both Adinim and Akhaqia, expressing a great deal of gratitude, he said thanks with something of a sheepish grin as if he were in the clear.
"Ouuuhhh," Adinim said. In response, he took a deep breath and then said, "Just hold on tight for now."
The tracklance continued on through the night with the three of them holding onto its side, looking to accomplish their mission.
While the trio stood on top of the tracklance in the middle of the night inside the tracklance, unlike the unluxurious circumstances of the three assailance on the outside of the tracklance, or, to be more specific, atop the tracklance, everyone aboard was indulging in such luxury.
The train hurtled through the moonlit desert, its iron wheels clattering against the tracks like a steady heartbeat. Inside the opulent first-class car, chandeliers swayed gently with the train's motion, casting flickering reflections on the velvet-upholstered seats and mahogany paneling. The passengers were lost in their indulgences: sipping brandy, exchanging hushed whispers, and admiring the glimmering jewels draped across necks and wrists.