Changes in the Wind: Part II - Edward and the Arcane Ones

Chapter III: Destination

The sun had finally risen once more, but also along with it were dark clouds. Rain was inevitable and Edward sighed, slightly annoyed about it. Sadly, the good streak of getting fast goods had ended, and now he was to take a slow goods, stopping at a few stations along the way. However, Edward wouldn't be stopping at Skegness, but one of the few cities on Thesang, Carrag.

Edward had never heard of Carrag, then again, the only city he knew of on Thesang was Camford, which was the capital of Thesang and was up north of the island, whilst Carrag was down at the bottom. Edward found this agitating as well, after all, he had to go down south to the bottom and might have to go all the way up to the top of Thesang. But it would make sense the region would get off at Skegness since it did go down south towards London. It would be more of a hassle for people trying to get to the capital of England if the terminus between regions of British Railways was north.

But Edward decided not to fuss, after all, he managed to get a train from a sick engine that was going to Thesang itself, so he was glad that was the case. Carefully backing down onto the train, Edward got ready to leave. A tarpaulin was put between his cab and tender to keep his crew nice and dry. "There we go," smiled the fireman, "warm and dry ay Edward?"

The blue engine scoffed a chuckle and soon enough, the line was clear and Edward set off down the line, the final stretch of his journey awaited.

Even though it was slated to be a slow goods, in Edward's case he wasn't going slow at all. He sped down the line as quickly as possible, trying to reach Thesang and find Thomas. His driver had to hold him back slightly though. "Calm yourself Edward!" he called, "we won't be getting there any faster! And besides, you need to keep yourself in check, you'll break yourself otherwise!"

Eventually, Edward began listening to Sidney and slowed down. He did have a point after all, after shunting his wagons into sidings of a station, he would have to wait until the line was clear for him to proceed and signalmen would most likely only allow him to leave at his designated time as to not confuse others. Edward arrived at a few stops early already and left on time even when ready early. But no matter what, Edward kept to the pace he was supposed to. Each station he went past he was getting closer and closer to Thesang.

At one of his final stops before going straight over to Thesang, Edward had to shunt some vans onto his train. He left his goods in a short loop line and went to find them. As he puffed into the sidings, he noticed something which made him tremble. Another line of engines sat in the sidings, waiting for their fate, most likely going to the scrapyards to be cut up like all the rest that lay there. Their faces were pale and fragile, the skull faces slightly showing through their flesh, no steam left their bodies and they remained lifeless. Their eyes were all shut, drifting off to sleep where they would feel no harm and torture whilst being scrapped by the cutters waiting with their torches in every scrapyard in Britain.

Edward shivered violently, with chills going across his boiler. His driver noticed him looking at the line of engines, he patted his engine's running board soothingly. "Terrible," he said, whilst shaking his head.

The fireman also looked on with a pained expression. "I have never so many engines withdrawn and lined up like that," he murmured.

"Neither have I," sighed Sidney, then walked back to the cab to join Michael.

"Indeed," whispered Edward sadly, he looked at all the engines in the siding, before puffing off out of the yards and back to his train. The image remained in his mind though, haunting him like a ghost. Edward only wished he could help them, but didn't know what to do. He simply just couldn't take them with him, they would just be sent back if he was stopped and where would he take them anyway? The Fat Controller probably have no choice but to send them back, he simply couldn't handle that amount of engines. Hiding wasn't much of an option, in a country where there were so many people across the landscape, one would tell another about them and that would lead to BR finding them, not to mention the rarity of old, forgotten lines.