The spring weather arrives suddenly.
Hills roll down to form a valley, the green hues of the grass complimenting the aureate as the sun dips down across the sky. Mist swirls up above a lake like clouds, a seemingly forgotten track bending around the bank.
For the first time in a century, a small train rockets past at full speed just as the sun hits a certain point in the sky, casting rainbows across the valley. Coal is tossed hastily to fuel the pace it is going at. The Captain looks worried, his eyes tracking the rainbows as they reflect off each other, coming into clarity.
They needed to go faster, faster.
And just as the sun balances on the horizon, casting a golden glow, the rainbows crisscross in such a way, creating a triangle exactly on the tracks. The Captain yells for the brakes. He has heard the rumours, evident in his anticipated eyes. The train rockets through, brakes squealing, sparks flying. The small crew gasps at as the scenery blends from a golden green tint to dark greys, frosted air icy against their bare hands. The train pulls up to a platform, reacting from instinct rather than conscious thought as wide eyes take in this phenomenon. A man, conductor perhaps, stands there, almost bored, skin a deathly white.
"Where are we?" the Captain demands, arms folded defiantly across his chest.
"Welcome to the Xath Empire."
YOU ARE READING
Darker than You
FantasyAn assassin thrown into a new world. A pirate who is just trying to gain the attention of her father. A princess with the dirtiest secret in the court. Welcome to the Xath Empire. Where violence prospers and innocence dies. Good luck.
