{"id":117,"date":"2018-01-05T15:07:45","date_gmt":"2018-01-05T15:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/?p=117"},"modified":"2018-01-05T15:07:45","modified_gmt":"2018-01-05T15:07:45","slug":"twenty-seven-the-train","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/01\/05\/twenty-seven-the-train\/","title":{"rendered":"Twenty-Seven: The Train"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAm I really here?\u201d Raizel muttered to the Diamond Raven. \u00a0It felt unlikely. \u00a0She had been trying for this for what seemed like months, even if it had only been days, and here they were, on the platform, buying two tickets for the train. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That she had the Diamond Raven with her, that she was carrying a kitten, and that she was being followed by a rich woman who still hadn\u2019t quite stopped muttering about her husband, the sword – none of that seemed unusual anymore. \u00a0That she still had to unthrone a Poison King, tell stories about a Jade Knave, and that she still owed several other quests to several other beings – she was beginning to think that this was her life, to go from place to place solving other people\u2019s problems. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are not here, then neither am I, and I am fairly – although not totally – certain that I am here, and so must you be, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid you really just bargain me an entire stable of assistants?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSlaves. \u00a0Remember that they are slaves. \u00a0They have been slaves for some time. \u00a0They may be slaves for longer, depending on your wishes. \u00a0But it is entirely at your disposal what happens to them – and to me. \u00a0Remember that, Raizel ry\u2019oya <\/span>Ennizaba of Grey Mountain, Raizel who Searches, Raizel who Finds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeither of those are my name.\u201d She shifted from foot to foot. She lifted her hand up towards the gold wrapped around the Raven\u2019s throat and then dropped her hand again. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRaizel who controls the Diamond Raven,\u201d he murmured, so softly she wasn\u2019t entirely sure she\u2019d heard him right. \u00a0Then he was turning towards the ticket counter. \u00a0\u201cTwo tickets to the Capital, please.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have money,\u201d she protested, as he pulled out his purse. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am called the Diamond Raven for a reason,\u201d he countered. \u00a0She fell quiet as he counted out the coins for the tickets. \u00a0\u201cBesides, I might have just acquired you a really large obligation. \u00a0<\/span>And<\/span><\/i> there\u2019s the kitten.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour logic is-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImpeccable?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA little bit strange, but I shouldn\u2019t expect any different from you.\u201d \u00a0She tensed. \u00a0The woman\u2019s attendants – slaves – were coming back with five more in similar garb. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd here\u2019s tickets for all of them. \u00a0They are yours. \u00a0Here\u2019s the paperwork.\u201d \u00a0The woman took papers from the attendant and pressed it into Raizel\u2019s hands. \u00a0Raizel handed the papers to the Raven. \u00a0\u00a0He looked them over and pocketed the papers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all in order.\u201d \u00a0He nodded. <\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel found a nice tall post to lean against. \u00a0\u201cSpectre, I ask of you a question.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Between her and the matron, the spectre appeared, a black shadow with wavering outlines. <\/span>Ask<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThis woman\u2019s husband became a Blessed Sword to save his life. \u00a0How can he brought back to human-\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c-living-\u201d the Raven filled in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHuman, living form?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For a moment, the spectre said nothing. \u00a0Then it seemed to shake, the whole waiting-platform quaking. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, she made out a chuckle in the midst of the shaking. <\/span><\/p>\n

You are more clever than we thought, Raizel-who-opens. \u00a0This woman\u2019s husband may be brought back, alive and in human form, should his blade form be plunged into the heart of another. \u00a0But here is the problem: The other must be willing to endure this pain, and must understand that this pain may mean death<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d \u00a0The woman stared at the spectre and at Raizel. \u00a0\u201cNo, I can\u2019t! \u00a0I can\u2019t do that! \u00a0There has to be another way!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Blessed Swords are a way of cheating death. \u00a0To come back from such a blessing, one must invite death in. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The woman sputtered. \u00a0\u201cSo- so in order to have him, I have to – oh.\u201d \u00a0she shook her head slowly. \u00a0\u201cOh, my. \u00a0All right. \u00a0You- oh, that\u2019s right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She looked not so much broken as grieving. \u00a0\u201cIs there anything else?\u201d Raizel offered, although she had nothing else to give this woman. <\/span><\/p>\n

The woman shook her head. \u00a0\u201cNo\u2026 no. \u00a0Take good care of them. \u00a0Some of them have never been free. \u00a0Some of them don\u2019t know how to live on their own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take good care of them\u201d \u00a0Raizel studied the woman and could not tell if she was \u00a0about to plunge a sword through her chest or not. \u00a0\u201cI am sorry there wasn\u2019t an easier answer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t an easy answer; I think that\u2019s the nature of life.\u201d \u00a0She barked out a humorless laugh. \u00a0\u201cMay the road be smooth and easy for you, Raizel who Knows, and may you find what you wish to find.\u201d \u00a0She bowed shallowly. \u00a0\u201cYou have given me what I asked for.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel bowed back. \u00a0\u201cThen our business is done.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The train whistle sounded. \u00a0It was time to board. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll herd people, you get yourself on the train.\u201d \u00a0The Raven moved her gently with a hand on her back. \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019ve been going for a long time to get on this train. \u00a0You wouldn\u2019t want to miss it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She thought for a moment he would take the chance to escape, but he followed her, steering the people she had so recently acquired. \u00a0\u201cDo you think she\u2019ll do it?\u201d she asked the assistant who had been there for most of the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe might,\u201d the assistant answered slowly. \u00a0Something in the tone made Raizel look sharply. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I freed you, right now, would you go back to her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Of course \u00a0She\u2019s all alone in the world now. \u00a0She need someone to look after her. \u00a0She doesn\u2019t know how to live on her own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I freed you, right now, would you go back to her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Of course \u00a0She\u2019s all alone in the world now. \u00a0She need someone to look after her. \u00a0She doesn\u2019t know how to live on her own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen go.\u201d \u00a0What else was she going to say to that? \u00a0\u201cI release you. \u00a0Be free and do as you will with her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel turned her back, not sure what to do with the expression she saw on the assistant\u2019s face. \u201cCome on,\u201d she said to the Raven, to her – to her new slaves. \u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s board the train.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAm I really here?\u201d Raizel muttered to the Diamond Raven. \u00a0It felt unlikely. \u00a0She had been trying for this for what seemed like months, even if it had only been days, and here they were, on the platform, buying two tickets for the train. \u00a0 That she had the Diamond Raven with her, that she… Continue reading Twenty-Seven: The Train<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Side Quest is back!\r\nChapter Twenty-Seven: The Train\r\n\ud83d\ude82\r\nAfter all this time, is Raizel really going to get on the train?\r\n\ud83d\ude82","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quest"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Tn4Q-1T","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":58,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/25\/eleven-the-diamond-raven\/","url_meta":{"origin":117,"position":0},"title":"Eleven: The Diamond Raven","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Esteronzerai was the biggest town Raizel had been in yet, and it was where the carriage\u2019s route diverged from Raizel\u2019s, whether or not she had been stopping to lasso a wizard. \u00a0She bowed to the driver and, her grandfather\u2019s words in her mind, tipped him, although she had not been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/27\/twelve-watch-what-you-say\/","url_meta":{"origin":117,"position":1},"title":"Twelve: Watch What You Say","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The man who might or might not b the Diamond Raven struggled, but he couldn\u2019t seem to do anything about the cord around his neck and, rather than have Raizel tug it tighter, he followed her. \u00a0\u201cI have things I should get-\u201d he protested, but she didn\u2019t listen, and then\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/27\/twelve-watch-what-you-say\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":110,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/31\/twenty-six-the-price\/","url_meta":{"origin":117,"position":2},"title":"Twenty-Six: The Price","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"October 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Raizel shared a look with the Raven. \u00a0He looked at her, then at the two attendant, at the woman, and back at her. She cleared her throat. \u201cYour husband is a sword?\u201d \u201cMy husband is The Blessed Sword. \u00a0It was given to him by the gods. \u00a0To become the sword\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 6 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 6 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/31\/twenty-six-the-price\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":65,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/08\/11\/fourteen-walking-with-the-veiled-prince\/","url_meta":{"origin":117,"position":3},"title":"Fourteen: Walking with the Veiled Prince","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"August 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"She missed the carriage immediately, but there wasn\u2019t such a thing going from Esteronzerai to the train station for at least two days. \u00a0In two days, if she made good time, Raizel could already be on the train. She and the Diamond Raven joined a small group of people leaving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":89,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/26\/twenty-the-kitten\/","url_meta":{"origin":117,"position":4},"title":"Twenty: The Kitten","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"September 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The gardener in front of them cut a strange figure, her pockets wriggling. \u00a0 Raizel bowed politely anyway. If she had learned anything so far on this trip it was that she might find the god-touch or even stranger things in places she was expecting nothing of the sort. \u00a0\u201cI,\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/09\/26\/twenty-the-kitten\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":129,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/02\/16\/thirty-one-whispers\/","url_meta":{"origin":117,"position":5},"title":"Thirty-One: Whispers","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"February 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Raizel watched the conversations move around in circles. \u00a0They were trying to be deferential, but she was a kid by their reckoning (and they weren\u2019t far off), and she wasn\u2019t firm or authoritative enough to make it easy for them. 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