The Everburning City

Act 1, Part 2, Chapter 10

An accomplished duty. A small victory on their part, all things considered.

At the exit to the top of the all, Mildred and Fauth were deep in conversation, speaking in hushed tones that Gwendolyn couldn't pick words out of until she was almost in arms' reach.

"Ashes of the end, but they broke the wall!" Fauth exclaimed quietly. "That breach was as big as the one the Golem made, and it didn't take that Crafter half an hour to make it. So why didn't that Golem go down?"

"This isn't the First," Gwendolyn found herself saying. "We have beaten them before. Golems have fallen before. And there's more strength in the City than six Crafters."

Both of the specialists looked at each other for a long moment, confusing Gwnedolyn. Eventually, Mildred lunched Fauth in the shouder, and laughed. "My, Corporal Redgrave, how your voice has changed."

"Oh, spit and ash, did I?" Gwendolyn asked. She covered her mouth with her hand in mock surprise. She then struck a dramatic pose, setting one foot on a nearby box, and rested her left hand on her sword. She tried to lower her voice, and stared off at a corner of the room. "Then fear not, mere mortals! Should the worst come to pass, even the Golem is no match for my sword! I will cleave the monster atwain, and stand humble and solemn in the victory parade the City will hold on my behalf!"

Mildred doubled over, laughing. Even Fauth found the mirth infectious, and was trying to stifle its verbal expression.

Gwendolyn kept the pose, but then pointed at Fauth, and then Mildred. "But you still have latrine duty. Now get to work, while I stand on this mountain of Gloamtaken I personally killed and pose for my appearance on the Fifth Tapestry."

That line broke Fauth, and he doubled over, leaning in on the wall as laughed. Mildred, in the midst of struggling upright, collapsed to her knees and punched the wall, howling in laughter.

As the laughter died down, Gwendolyn asked, "So, does this mean the fields are lit? And there's no one out there who needs evacuating?"

Fauth's expression darkened, and he looked down at the ground. Mildred only nodded, and said "Evacuation orders were given long before the Crafters arrived. There shouldn't be anyone in the fields right now."

"Thanks for that," Gwendolyn said, as she stepped around Mildred and reached for the door. "And Mildred?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming to save my ass. And the kids. More the kids, come to think of it. I don't know how I'd have handled not being able to get them out."

"We're square," Mildred replied. "Valen said he wouldn't have made it back without you."

"He said that?" Gwendolyn asked, surprised.

Mildred nodded in affirmation, and stood straighter. "Did Redgrave have any orders?"

"He asked me to have the train engineers prep to leave. Said he wanted to be ready to leave after he gives a few minutes for new deployment orders to arrive. Figure we shouldn't linger."

"Good call, ma'am," Mildred said.

"Ma'am?"

"Sorry, it's something I need to bring up with the corporal. Carry on, soldier. Fauth, I believe Hendricks and Roderick are still outside. Have them stay close to the train, so we can leave quickly," Mildred ordered.

Gwendolyn nodded, and stepped out.

It wasn't hard to find that ostentatious beast of a locomotive. The massive engine hissed and thrummed, fidgeting in place like an eager child. Something about it seemed, to Gewendolyn, almost too eager to be moving. The machine sounded one more hiss, belched a cloud of steam and started to roll.