That evening, a large group met in Katherine’s office. Mara was basically vibrating with excitement. Talking about the technical and engineering work made her eyes shine and face light up. Annabelle sat silently nodding along. They estimated the engine, the two support cars, and all the passenger trains would be ready in about 6 days.
“Our main concern,” Mara said, absently twirling her thick braid of red hair. “Is that we will need a large supply of water along the way.” The scent of lavender still emanated from it every time she touched it, but Morgan was in control now. He noticed it but wasn’t incapacitated.
“Laura can handle that, she is the one who fills our bathing tubs. She could probably fill a pool in a few minutes.” Katherine answered, jotting down a note.
“We will need to make a few extra cars that are for other things also,” Frank said gruffly from the corner chair. “Storage we have, quarters we have, but what about a kitchen, or a bathroom?”
“The bathrooms are already in the plans,” Mara answered quickly. “But I forgot about a kitchen.” She scrunched her nose, looking up toward the ceiling, deep in thought.
“Unless we plan to stop often, we may need to add a couple more cars. I will ask around,” Katherine said. “Also, nearly 60 of our survivors are children under 15. We can double-occupancy those sleeping quarters if needed.
Hesitantly, Morgan raised his hand in the air.
“Yes,” Katherine said with a chuckle.
“Uhmm, which way are we going? The tracks go east and west, but does anyone know where exactly?” He asked.
“Good point.” Katherine said, “Any recommendations?”
“I would like to go east,” Mara answered immediately. “I know it’s a bit selfish. But my sister is just north of Savannah on the coast. I haven’t…” she trailed off, looking at the floor.
“We will go east,” Katherine declared. “It is for the best, the land flattens out, and the weather will be nicer out of the mountains. Also, other than Atlanta to the south, most of the population is to the east. It is a good choice.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
No one else spoke. Mara sat in a chair, slumped and no longer beaming.
The meeting ended quickly after that. Mara and Annabelle said good night and coordinated with Frank for tomorrow. Morgan put on his gear and mask and got ready for another night of hunting.
As the day shifted into night, Morgan could feel himself become faster. As the warmth and light of the sun drifted across the courtyard and bathed the area in shadows, he almost fell over. That was a significant boost to his speed. He decided that he would warm up and practice some of the moves in real life that he had been honing in VISTA.
The stances felt the same, but his muscles were not as used to the subtle shifts and stabilizers he had been able to use in training. Sophia corrected his stance and movement in his head as he went through the 16 strikes and stances she had taught him. The forms were also awkward and jerky as he tried to adjust and adapt to the increased movement speed.
After about 10 minutes, he felt good. He had a thin sheen of sweat on his body, and it was more or less under his control. When he finished the final set of moves and bowed as he sheathed the sword on his back, he heard soft clapping from above.
Looking up, he saw Mara in an open window, gently clapping.
“You have been busy.” She said, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “I didn’t see any of those fancy moves two days ago.”
“Well, I didn’t know all those fancy moves two days ago,” Morgan replied, then mentally kicked himself.
“Are you planning to go out again? All night? Do you not sleep?”
“Yes, I do sleep. But, also yes, I am going out tonight. I am trying to get as strong as I can as fast as possible.”
“Oh a noble goal. Become the champion and savior of our little town,” she said in a light, airy voice. “And what, noble knight, is your quest tonight?”
“I am uhh, hunting monsters to protect the Academy and gain experience.” He was feeling a little lost.
“I offer you a token of my appreciation, dear noble knight,” She said as she tossed a ribbon out of her window. “May it protect you and bring you back to us.” She said in a grand voice.
“Sorry,” she said, abruptly turning back to normal, “I used to read a lot of Shakespeare and the three musketeers and stuff like that. This felt like one of those scenes. Sorry to make it awkward. Good night.” Without another word, she closed the window.
Morgan slowly shook his head. He caught the ribbon as it twirled down and then held the purple ribbon up. It smelled of lavender. He placed it in his inventory, rolled his shoulders, and sped into the night. He was quiet and fast, coasting through the night with barely a whisper. He felt like a panther, sleek and agile as he practiced parkouring off trees and buildings. Tonight was going to be a good night.
