Varis and I had gone outside with some of Mother’s cupcakes. From inside, we could still hear the stern back-and-forth Mother and Father were having as she set up the kitchen for tonight’s meal. I could even feel the tension.

  Why are they fighting? I asked myself as Varis and I walked over to the sycora tree at the edge of our property. Its pink leaves were now fully in bloom as the crisp spring air became warmer and warmer.

  We have everything ready, so I understand why Mother wants to slow things down. To keep whatever bit of normality is left. Yet Father wants to get to safety as soon as possible—and I agree. But I don’t want them to fight. Maybe I should’ve stepped in, sided with Papa, yet I don’t want Momma to be mad.

  I sighed under my breath as I sat with Varis at the base of the tree and looked out over the eastern valley. Faintly, we could see what looked to be supply lines of soldiers going to and from the mountains to Oren.

  “Look at that,” Varis murmured as he raised his hand and pointed to a convoy of…

  Wait a second. I rubbed my eyes. Are those trucks? Like, actual vehicles?

  Along the road, four boxy trucks with canvas tops were carrying a mix of soldiers and what looked like supplies. They were shoddy things with very angur shapes mounted on thin wagon wheels. I could see there were no shocks, as the things were bouncing up and down over every crack or stone.

  This world is more advanced than I thought. I blinked as the vehicles rolled by. Interestingly, I didn’t see any smoke or hear any loud combustion. I wonder if they run on something else. Perhaps magic?

  “They’re trucks,” I said, referring to them by the English word offhandedly.

  “A what?” Varis looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

  Realizing what I said, I shook my head. “Sorry, I was mumbling. They’re, uh… automobiles. I think I heard someone in town mention them when I was with Father,” I lied.

  Not questioning it, Varis nodded. “I wonder what kind of magic makes them move. Are they alive?”

  I shrugged, bit into my cupcake, and hummed happily. The strawberry frosting electrified my taste buds. After a brief chew and swallow, I said, “I don’t think so.”

  Seeing me indulge in my little cake, Varis joined in by biting into his. A moment of silence passed as we watched the convoy move along the dirt road.

  I turned to Varis as he sighed, leaned back against the tree, and closed his eyes. After a moment, he spoke up. “Papa said we’re going to war.”

  Slowly, I lowered my cupcake, my appetite fading as I looked back out at the valley. “Yeah. But you and I are going somepce safe.”

  “How do you know?” Varis sat back up, his hands resting on the grass. “How do you know we’ll be safe? Papa made it clear that the Veillites are super scary!”

  “I don’t know” was all I said. I took another bite of my cupcake anyway.

  “You have to know; you know a lot, Luna!” my brother said. What I saw when I looked back at him shook my little heart. The fear in his eyes and the slight quiver in his lower lip; it was like he was pleading for me to make everything wrong go away.

  I swallowed my cupcake, bit my lip, and took a deep breath. “Varis, I wish I could say I do, but I truly don’t. But what I do know is that, as a family, we’ll protect each other. I’ve seen Mother and Father fight; they are strong. Very strong.” I turned to face him fully. “And Momma has been teaching me magic too, and Papa has taught you how to shoot. We can defend ourselves if it comes down to it.”

  Varis sniffed. “But I don’t want to fight.”

  “We’re not going to fight; at least, we’re not going to try to.” I reached over and took his hand. “But this isn’t something we can control. It’s beyond us.”

  He whimpered. “But I don’t want to leave…” Tears began to well up in his eyes. “Papa said we’re going far away; I don’t want to leave home.”

  I gently gripped his hand, setting my cupcake down before cupping both of mine around his. “I know; I don’t want to leave either.” I sniffed. Damn emotions are coming back.

  “But Momma promised me,” I said, “that when things calm down and the Veillites go home, if they attack, we’ll come back here. Things might be beaten up, but Momma said Papa is good at building things.” I smiled at him as tears formed in my eyes once more. “I know it’s scary; it’s okay to be scared. But don’t let that fear take control of you.”

  “You sound like Papa.” Varis grinned, and I blushed faintly.

  “That’s because what Papa says is true.” I giggled.

  Without a word, Varis leaned in, wrapped his arms around me, and hugged me tight. My eyes widened as he squeezed me, and after a brief hesitation, I returned the hug. Patting him on the back, I said, “We’ll make it through this. With your brawny strength and my brains, we’ll be a good team.”

  Varis giggled and sniffed. “Yeah! Like Papa said, I’ll protect you and Momma.”

  I smirked, wiggled out of his arms, and looked him in the eye. “I’m sure you will,” I said as we sat back and picked our cupcakes back up.

  “Do you know anything about the pce we’re going to?” Varis asked me.

  I thought for a second. “A big city called Johanneson. I don’t know what it’s like there.”

  This was going to be interesting, though. Aside from the Heinnd Mountains, I had never been anywhere beyond Oren; hell, I hadn’t even fully explored Oren. Back in my old life, the biggest city I’d been to was Detroit. My hometown Toledo was cssified as a city, yet it wasn’t nearly as dense.

  I wonder how big Johanneson is. What would a city look like in this world? If cars exist, is it going to be jam-packed with them and nd striders?

  “You hear that?” Varis poked me out of my thought process, and I blinked at him.

  “Hear what—” He shushed me.

  From the far east, a low rumble made my pointy ears twitch. Then another, much louder one came down from the far mountains. I gnced towards the purple peaks and noticed rge, dark clouds rolling in.

  Thunder?

  The rumbling continued.

  “I think there’s a storm coming,” Varis said softly. “You want to go inside, Luna?” he asked. I was still looking at the clouds and listening to the rumbles.

  No lightning yet, I thought as they continued to echo.

  “Luna?” Varis poked me, and I turned to him.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “You want to go inside? It’s kind of getting boring; maybe Mother would let us go to the Hautchkins before dinner.”

  I shook my head. “Papa said the Hautchkins are moving too; we’ll be traveling together, silly.”

  “Well, maybe Avdol and Mi can py; you remember Mi, right?” Varis said, throwing his arms up.

  Barely. The girl and I are the same age, but maturity-wise, she’s annoying. Then again, she’s a real seven-year-old. I’m just some grungy, thirtysomething-year-old geezer trapped in one’s body. …Okay, framing it like that makes me sound dirty.

  I sighed. “We can ask, but I’m positive Mother and Father will say no.” I got up off the grass and ate the st of my cupcake as Varis did the same. Dusting off my pants, I motioned for my brother to take the lead.

  “No,” Father said bluntly as he lowered the newspaper. Varis whined as he turned around, stormed over to the living room sofa, and sat down. “Don’t go whining, boy; you know exactly why you can’t.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed as I looked between Father and Varis.

  “This is dumb,” Varis huffed.

  Father shrugged. “I know it is, but we have to deal with the stupidity as it comes. Unfortunately, Hautchkins’s kids don’t know what’s happening. They think we’re all going on a vacation. I trust you two with the real knowledge because you’re both…” He hesitated as he looked at me. “Equally mature.” He looked at Varis. “You both have good heads—not saying the Hautchkins don’t, but it’s clear that Herbert wants his kids to not be afraid.”

  “So, you think I’m going to go tell them?” Varis crossed his arms and pouted.

  “Not intentionally.” Father flipped to the next page of the newspaper. “But I’m concerned you may slip up and say something.”

  “But I won’t—”

  “Varis. Please, I said my piece; don’t question me anymore. You’ll see Avdol and Mi the day after tomorrow.” Papa pointed to the floor. “For now, stay close to the house.”

  “But it’s so boring.”

  My father’s eye twitched. Before he could get mad, I stepped in. “Varis, we can py with our toys. Or maybe we can, uh, go down in the basement and read some books.”

  “Actually…” Mother chimed in behind us. Varis and I turned to her. “The two of you can come with me into town. I have some final deliveries I need to make to help with the gold we lost. As well as a few st things I want to grab.”

  Father gnced up from his paper. “Olson’s shop is closed,” he said.

  Mother stopped, and it was her turn for her eyes to twitch. “Well… that puts a damper on my pns, but I can always check the open stalls.”

  Father lowered his paper and asked, “What’re you looking to get, Cailynn?”

  “Travel rations. I was going over what we had in the wagon; while we have enough, I think I’d feel more comfortable if we had some more.” Mother sighed. “Johanneson is about two weeks away on foot. About a week and a half by cart. We have enough supplies for exactly that, which I don’t feel good about.”

  Papa pursed his lips. “Well, Hautchkins and his family—”

  Momma held her hand up. “I know they offered to share, but I don’t know how I feel about that. So I’m thinking of making my final deliveries and taking that payment to get some extra rations to be safe, as well as some ingredients.” Mother smiled. “Besides, it’d be nice to eat some good food while traveling rather than what we used to eat, dear.” She giggled.

  Father rolled his eyes and sighed. “Love, this is about getting away safely; this isn’t some camping trip. But fine,” he relented, matching her smile. “Just don’t go spending too much.” He gnced at us. “Well, you kids lucked out this time,” he joked. “Stick close to your mother, and remember, don’t antagonize the soldiers and stay out of their way.”

  Both Varis and I smiled and nodded. “Okay!”

  Mother motioned for us to go upstairs. “Alright, you two, go get changed into something more appropriate.”

  “Can I not go out like this?” I asked Mother as I gestured to my pants and shirt.

  Mother frowned. “Sadly not,” she said. “Our neighbors wouldn’t take too kindly seeing you like this, love. At least not out in public… It’s not dylike.” She sighed and rolled her eyes.

  I pouted. “That’s stupid.”

  “It is.” My mother patted me on the back. “It’s best to just py along, though; now, go on.”

  The quest into town was rather uneventful. A new, freshly carved dirt path had been shaped by some magisters and striders with plows who worked with the army. The path went around the main encampment. It increased the time it took to get to Oren, but thankfully we weren’t yelled at or followed by any soldiers as we entered town.

  Normally, early into the evening, the town would be quiet. But all the heavy activity the army brought to the pce made it livelier than ever. A couple of restaurants and pubs were bustling, and market stalls were set up on almost every street corner.

  More people means more business, I guess. One food stall was serving a line of soldiers what looked like corn dogs.

  As we walked, I gnced at the insuted bread bag my mother was carrying. “Who’s the bread for?”

  Mother gnced over and smiled. “I’m making a delivery to the town hall, specifically the colonel,” she said. “Seeing as he’s a high-profile kind of guy, I thought it best to take this myself.”

  “The colonel?” Varis asked just as he gawked at a group of dragon riders patrolling down the street. The decorated officers were tipping their plumed hats to passersby including Varis, which made him beam with excitement.

  Mother nodded. “He’s a very special person. I received this request the other night, the same night I spent making your cupcakes,” she said as we made our way down Main Street towards the rge building at the center of town. “They offered to pay us a ton of money.”

  This building was the town hall and the mayor’s residence; I had passed by it with family a few times, but that was all. Now I realized that it was not particurly impressive. It was roughly three floors tall and several hundred feet broad, enclosed by a cast-iron fence and hedgerow. The stonework was a simple gray, highlighted by bck trim and mildew around the windows. In other words, it was quite dull.

  Around it, we saw numerous constables and soldiers. Beyond the fence, a rge army tent was pitched, where citizens, mostly men, were standing in line. Men and women in white dresses and uniforms waved folk into the tent.

  A recruiting tent? I wondered as we approached the gate.

  At the gate were two guards. As we drew closer, one of them raised his hand. “Stop. State your names and purpose.”

  We all stopped, and Mother bowed her head slightly. “I am Cailynn Ashflow; these are my children, Luna and Varis Ashflow.” She patted our shoulders in turn. “I am here to drop off a delivery for Colonel Hugo Bartz.”

  Adjusting his steel helmet, the guard looked at each of us skeptically. With a small sigh, Mother slowly reached into her pocket and said, “If you don’t believe me, one of his aides came to me the other night. I have been given a letter of approval. I was told he is having a banquet right now.”

  She pulled out a sealed letter and held it out to the soldier. The man took it and gnced over it; he then gnced at his colleague, who simply nodded. He returned the letter and said, “Alright. Though we’ll need to search you before you enter.”

  “That is fine,” she said, motioning for Varis and me to step off to the side.

  I shuddered as the soldiers patted down each of us before checking our mother’s purse. When they opened the insuted bag, the smell of warm bread suffused the air. The two soldiers smirked and took in the scent.

  “Fantastic-smelling loaves you have there, Mrs. Asfhlow,” one said as they handed the bag back. “You may proceed. You are correct about the banquet being held, so please make it quick.”

  Mother nodded, and we followed her through the open gate. We made our way into the yard, walking past the line at the recruiting tent. Most appeared to be young and excited boys while others shared solemn, angry looks. The men and women in white, I could tell now, were doctors, waving those who left the main tent over to another, gray one for checkups.

  My mother gently took our hands and held us close as we passed and entered the town hall. Immediately my senses were assaulted with fragrances I could not pin a name to, as if a bouquet of flowers and lit incense were shoved up my nostrils. The room was rge with beige walls and brown, ornate trimming. A big brown sofa sat in front of us, and to our left was a secretary, beside her a grandfather clock and door leading deeper into the building.

  The secretary, a dark-skinned human with olive eyes, greeted us and asked if we were there to attend the banquet.

  “Not exactly,” my mother said as she pulled out the letter from earlier. “Colonel Bartz’s aide came to my home requesting some freshly baked Branorian loaves. Which I now have here.”

  The secretary took the letter and skimmed it before smiling. “I see! I was told you would be stopping by. I’ll call for Mr. Garazzi to come pick these up for you.” I watched as she lifted a brass funnel connected to a cord.

  An old telephone? I blinked.

  The woman cranked a handle a couple of times before speaking into it. “Mr. Garazzi, the baker, Mrs. Ashflow, is here with her delivery.” Despite having nothing held up to her ear, the woman nodded before lowering the funnel. “He’ll be down in a couple minutes. Please take a seat.”

  Mother gave the secretary a soft smile before motioning for us to join her on the sofa.

  Leaning towards my mother, I asked her, “What was that thing she used to talk to that other person?”

  “Yeah, what was that?” Varis whispered.

  Mother thought for a second, then gave us a small shrug. “Admittedly, I don’t exactly know, kids. I recall hearing that artificers were working on an archeo called an ‘echo communicator’ or something that anyone could use, even etherless.”

  “Etherless?” Varis cocked his head.

  “People who can’t use magic.” She hummed and patted him on the head.

  So early telephones are a thing? I thought. I wonder what else this world has.

  A few minutes of boring silence had passed when the door beside the secretary opened. Out of it came a dark-scaled valendi, who I recognized on sight as Mr. Bxen. The man stepped forth, hatless but once again dressed in a finely tailored suit.

  With a bow and a low growl, he said, “Greetings, Mrs. Ashflow,” before nodding to Varis and me. We shifted away.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Mother snarled, standing up.

  Mr. Bxen gave her a wicked smile as he straightened. “I could be asking you the same thing after everything I told you about. But, as, I’m here to take your delivery to the colonel.” He pulled out a separate leather bag from behind his back, which clinked with coin. “Here is the rest of the payment; the colonel even added a bit extra due to your haste.”

  Mother’s eyes narrowed as she took the money and said, “Thanks… But really, what are you doing here? Where is this Garazzi fellow?”

  “Mr. Garazzi is busy, and isn’t it obvious, Cailynn?” He pced a cwed hand on his chest as his swirling purple eyes softened. “I am an esteemed guest here. If you recall, my position is quite prized.”

  “Right,” Mother grumbled, then removed her bag. “I hope you have a tray or something else to carry this on.”

  Mr. Bxen’s face went ft as he sighed. “I do not, but I think I’ll manage.”

  Mother smirked and began to pull out carefully stacked baskets full of soft bread, which had been kept warm by heat stones. “There are four baskets in total.”

  Mr. Bxen’s eyes widened a bit, his swirling orbs scanning it all. “That is, in fact, a lot of bread.”

  “Indeed, it is. Well then.” Mother straightened up. “That’ll be all, Mr. Bxen. Enjoy your banquet; I’ll be taking my leave now. Come, children.”

  “Cailynn, wait,” Mr. Bxen said in a hushed voice as he took my mother by the wrist. “Before you go, I must tell you this.”

  Mother flinched and looked back at him, eyes narrowing. “What’s that?”

  “It’s started. At seven this morning, word of the Kaiser’s decision reached the front, and already multiple cshes have been reported. So far everything is holding, but word has it that we are woefully underprepared.”

  Mother’s face hardened, though not with anger. She closed her eyes and said, “Thank you. How much time do we have?”

  “Based on the information I have and my estimates, it is not long. Maybe a few more days at best if everything falls apart. Though if they hold, maybe longer.”

  He then released Mother’s hand and backed away. Raising his voice once more, he said, “Thank you for the bread. I’ll be sure to send word on our guest’s praises.” With that, he turned around and collected the baskets as best he could.

  Mother looked back at us, her face conflicted. As she gripped our hands, she was holding on tight.

  This isn’t good. This isn’t good. My stomach knotted as we began to move into the town once more.

  Momma sped through the streets, stopping at multiple stalls to buy goods and supplies with the money she had just received. By the time our shopping was done, and we were headed home, it was well into evening as the sun began to set. My back and Varis’s were almost breaking with the amount of salted meat, jarred produce, and even canned goods we carried. Annoyingly Mother refused to let me use the enigma bag she had given me because it would “bring unwanted attention.” While I understood what she meant, I still thought she was overreacting.

  When we got to the house, Father was already pacing in the living room. He stopped as soon as he saw us enter, and judging by his face, he sensed something was up.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Kids, go in the kitchen and start prepping it for cooking,” Mother ordered Varis and me. We nodded and made our way into the kitchen, though I stopped by the entryway.

  She lowered her voice. “I ran into Lorzio when I made my delivery. He told me the Kaiser made his choice, and the war has started.”

  “Excuse me?” Father blinked. “But the paper said—”

  “Word hasn’t reached the public yet,” she said. “Lorzio stated that the lines are holding, but he isn’t confident things will stay this way. He predicted we have a few days at most.”

  “He’s predicted a lot, but everything is happening faster.” Father smacked his palm with the back of his other hand. “He’s been right, but not about the timing. This is why we shouldn’t be doing this.” He gestured to the kitchen. “We need to get to the wagon. We need to go.”

  “Isa is still gone, though; do you want to leave her?” Mother crossed her arms, and Father stuttered.

  Finally, he shook his head and sighed. “Roots! No… no, I don’t.”

  “We still have some time, Slyran. At least a couple days. The border is nearly a week from here. There’s no way the Veillites can reach us yet,” Mother assured him. “We’ll wait till Isa returns tomorrow, and we’ll go.”

  “Easier said than done,” Father said softly, but sighed. “Alright. I’m sorry.”

  Mother nodded and squeezed his shoulder. Then she came towards the kitchen but stopped when she saw me. “Didn’t I say to clear the kitchen and get it ready?”

  I gulped and nodded. “Yes, Momma, sorry!” I rushed in to help Varis.

  We made grok steaks with a side of taters and these green bean-like things. I swore my child taste buds had betrayed me. Back in the old world, I loved green beans, yet these things, while edible, just left a raw aftertaste.

  While the dinner itself was good, the event was not. Tension was heavy in the air, and hardly anyone spoke. The silence was periodically broken by silverware scraping against our ptes and light chewing, along with that distant rumbling of thunder heard from the open windows.

  The dark clouds loomed over Oren, the dim sky making it feel ter than usual. I tried to ignore the sounds and focus on how good the food was. My mother had made this fine dipping sauce which reminded me of steak sauce back home, though it had a slightly fruity fvor.

  Yet as I admired the meal, a fsh caught my attention. Father and I looked out the window. Beyond the far eastern mountains, great bursts of light flickered, followed by a loud rumbling.

  “I don’t think that’s lightning,” Father murmured as he returned to his meal, my mother gring at him.

  “It’s lightning, dear,” Mother said, “Like I said, the border is far from here.”

  Father didn’t say anything, though his skeptical look told me everything. I gulped and continued to look out the window.

  “Luna.” Mother called me to attention. “It’ll be okay, dear. Finish your food.”

  With an anxious nod, I went back to eating, though the food didn’t taste as good anymore.

  I knew for certain that I wouldn’t be getting any rest tonight. Back in my room, I shut the window, hoping to block out the distant booms, just as lightning fshed across the sky and rain began to pour.

  Climbing into bed, I curled up and prayed I would fall asleep.

  You and my master must heed my warning. The events that may occur in the coming year should not be ignored...