(Part 1)
Chapter 2: The Baron and The Frost Giant.
Unsteady breaths followed by unsteady moves. I hunger for the food, but I can’t eat. I drank the drinks which I was given, now my stomach burns. I sit down on one of the chairs and look around. The whole train feels empty. Not a single soul. Until I hear some soft movement. Not loud, but certainly noticeable. It slowly increases in volume. I duck under one of the tables and wait. The sound finally arrives.
Voices echo through the wagon.
“C’mon we NEED to try it. If we don’t steal it, they will starve to death. Lhucenbark will pay for them with enough stuff for us to survive this hellhole.”
A desperate voice filled the room. A male spoke, as he was on his last leg.
“No, NO! What the fuck does food worth if he will slaughter us all??? Have you, just for a second, reconsidered what we actually wanna steal??? We aren’t stealing some kind of soft cake, we would be stealing, not only just for Jotunn, which already is terrible, but one of his fucking SOUL SHARDS?!? He would make this place run red… No, not just red, any colour that our body has. Blood mainly, but you get what I mean.”
Another voice reasoned.
I glare out from under the table. I see two men, dressed in dark suits, dark trousers and dark shoes. One of the men grabs the other by the shoulder and turns him towards himself. The first man speaks again, his voice filled with anger.
“BECAUSE FUCKING STARVATION IS PREFERABLE? DO YOU FUCKING WANT TO WATCH YOUR OWN FAMILY STARVE TO DEATH?!?! PERHAPS, YOU RATHER WATCH THEM GET GUTTED ALIVE BY WHATEVER THINGS WALK THIS HELLHOLE?!?!? DO YOU?!?!?!”
He shakes as he speaks, his voice cracking halfway. The other man takes the verbal beating, but at the end retaliates, while maintaining perfect calmness in his voice. As if a father was talking to his teenage son about something.
“Do you think I want that? Do you? I don’t. Neither do you, I assume. But if we were to commence with your idea, if there was even a small, seemingly unimportant mistake, we would end up on a chopping board. It would be not just us, but our families as well. Viktor, I do believe that we can make it through this, even if we don’t resort to such means.”
The one who is called Viktor lets go of him.
“Whatever. I won’t be idle while my daughter starves to death and my wife dies of infection. If death must come, I will make sure it will come quickly. Good luck with hunger, Thauri. I hope you manage to do whatever you want.”
Viktor storms off towards the direction which they came from. Thauri simply shakes his head, his eyes glaring towards the floor. His face twists in anger and picks up one of the ashtrays on one the tables and throws it across the room. It gets lodged into one of the wooden walls. He stomps the ground a few times and finally begins to hit the walls with his hand.
Cracking sounds echo, it is unclear if the wall or if his hand is the one cracking. After a few hits he hisses. Blood slowly drops onto the ground.
“AHHHHH! THIS FUCKING TRAIN! THIS SHITHOLE! THIS PIECE OF FUCKING GARBAGE!”
He lets out deep breaths. He sits down onto one of the chairs and gazes up towards the ceiling, dimly lit with yellow lights. As he does, muffled growling noise quietly moves across the room. I cannot see far enough as to what is going on, but I can see him reaching into his pants and then a loud thundering noise. I jump back as I hear it, only to hit my head into the table, which I’m hiding under.
“What’s the sound, I know someone’s there! Hiding, thinking I was unaware? Come out. COME OUT I SAY!”
I slowly come out, hands raised. Thauri looked at me for a few seconds, revolver pointed at me. Now I know what were the thundering sounds that made its swift way through the room. Behind him, a corpse of a Bleeder lays. I look back at him and we make eye contact. He aims the pistol upwards and pulls the hammer back.
“Voi helvetti, poikani”
He shakes his head.
“You almost gave me a heart attack, you are lucky I’m not trigger happy.”
He sits back into his chair, slowly shaking his head. He takes a few deep breaths and plants his face into his hand. I sat down before him.
“You alright?”
He doesn’t bother taking his face out.
“You heard it yourself, as much as I can maintain my calmness, even I cannot hide the fact that we needn’t worry about our future, because I’m sure we will be dead soon. Keep delaying, but it won’t help. The tables haven’t turned and we are out of supplies.”
I put my box of eggs and bacons onto the table and push it to him. He looks up to me, suspiciously. He looks down at the food then back at me. He then tilts his head a bit and points behind me.
“What is that?”
I look behind myself and I see nothing. I turn back to him, only to meet the barrel of the revolver, this time, up close and personal. His other hand rests on the table. He slowly tabs his fingers on the fine wood then points at me.
“Do you think I’m new here? Sadly for you, no. I’m aware of how things function around here. I’m more than aware of the fact that we have no way of purchasing anything.”
He then points at the food and then rests his hand on the table.
“Care to explain how you acquired this before I pull the trigger?”
I gaze down the barrel of my possible doom and the man holding it, his face not moving. As if I was staring at a porcelain doll. No emotion and somehow even less feelings hidden deep in his eyes. Seconds feel like an hour, minutes like a millennia.
“I’m waiting, but my patience is at an ever-low point. Having food on you, no injuries, finding me alone and in a weakened mental state, these things adding up don’t look really hot for you.”
Something’s clicks in me. Perhaps I can save my skin.
“Wait, let me show you something.”
I slowly bring my leg out from under the table. He slowly glances at it, while maintaining his gun. After a few seconds brings the gun upwards and pulls the hammer back. He clicks his mouth and looks a bit embarrassed.
“Sorry mate. I was just worried, you can’t trust a thing here. Not even your closest friend.”
I nod.
“I heard it.”
He scoffs, sounding rather displeased.
“He is a good bloke, but he ain’t the wisest of all. I’m being gentle here, not using another word to describe him.”
He points at my leg.
“You good?”
I look at my leg. The bandages now soaked with blood and looking rather yellowish. Puss, I suppose. Even after the alcohol, an infection perhaps?
“What in the bloody hell did this to you?”
He asks as he takes the food which I placed before him. He looks a bit concerned about my condition.
“A House Guest. I think. You know those large fuckers who only come out during tunnels and attack when the lights come back? That thing.”
He slightly shakes his head as he thinks.
“Those were House Guests. You learn new shit each day on this torture place.”
We both chuckle a bit. He stands up from his chair and bows before me.
“Thanks… For the food and for the talk.”
He turns and rushes away. As soon as he is out of hearing range I turn and begin to vomit. Turns out, living on simple drinks for almost a day, while consuming large amounts of energy is highly unhealthy. But so is being on this train, so it is balanced I suppose.
After I’m finished letting out my stomach’s content I lean back up. I burp as I cover my mouth, trying to halt any more vomiting. I take a few deep breaths as I feel my eyes watering and my throat burning. As if I had just smoked a pack of cigarettes.
I stumble a bit before turning around and walking through the door which I came through. As I do, I enter a room, only lit by a small fireplace. Many shelf’s hold books and the air was pleasant. Ah shit, I’m in the library again. I look around for Prónay, the megalomaniac general, only to not see him at all. As I look around My eyes land on the chair which he sat in.
A pair of shoes began to materialize, a trouser, a fine jacket, slowly a whole man appeared in it. He wore glasses stereotypical of the 19th and 20th hundreds. He wore a huge fur coat on his back and a black sword holder, which was extremely ornate and decorated by golden carvings. A magnificently detailed rose was on the sword and a red lion with a blue crown on a yellow background also decorated the sword. He holds a book in his hand and is actively reading. He looks up at me and smiles. His large beard almost made it impossible to see his mouth.
“Willkommen Freund. Ich glaube nicht, dass Sie wissen, mit wem Sie es zu tun haben, lassen Sie mich mich vorstellen.”
He places the book on the table and stands up. He walks to me and reaches his hand out for a handshake. I look at him, confused and cautiously shake his hand.
“English?”
I ask, hoping he does speak English. His face turns sour and he takes a deep breath.
“Yes, yes. I speak the language of the common. Now, I assume you have no idea as to who stands before you. I’m the Grand Baron, also known as Könitz Von Habsburg. I have been here for a while now, by any chance, can you tell me what has happened to my dear family of Habsburg’s? Last I heard was that our great uncle has made a compromise with the ever restless Hungarians and formed a new Austria. What was its name, Austro-Hungarian Empire? I think so.”
He points at me, as if expecting an answer. I take a deep breath and prepare for the worst.
“That is no more. Habsburg power is no more than a thing of the past.”
He clicks his mouth and shakes his shoulders.
“That is of no surprise. It was only a matter of time until something would draw the people of the empire against one and another. Was it the Italians, seeking to unite their brothers in Venice? Was it the Germans smelling weakness and finishing what they started long ago? Was it the Ottomans, the sick man of Europe finally strangling our great empire into submission?”
He rolls his eyes.
“Don’t answer it or I might be enraged by whatever information you provide. It is far better if I remain in the knowledge that I was right about the empire being on borrowed time. Now, back to the matters at hand that matter.”
He takes his sword off and places it onto the table, next to his book. He turns his back to me and points to a great painting. It was both magnificent and huge. It was him in the painting, surrounded by books and his sword in hand.
“I know a lot.”
He smiles.
“Even as to what happened to my family after the war. Some fled, some tried to take their power back, twice, and some were sent to die in camps made by the lunatic Reich. A sorrowful fate, far worse than what I find in myself now. It is actually I, who made this library into a pocket dimension. It took me a long, but now, I can safely say, knowledge is power.”
He turns back to me and sits down onto his chair. He crosses his legs and reaches out for a pack of cigarettes. He takes out one and rolls it in his hand. He glances up to me and offers one to me. I raise one of my hands and shake his shoulders.
“Your loss.”
He places the box down and takes out a golden lighter. He takes a deep breath of his cigarette and chuckles.
“Ah Prónay, how come someone with such knowledge and a hundred years can turn out like…this.”
I sit down before him as he says that.
“Yes, yes. I know my Prónay. He wasn’t always like this. He used to be, he was once, but a general trapped here. It was logical for me to take pity on him, after all, he was similar to me. We both shared similar culture, even if almost fifty years apart. I gave him a place to say and knowledge to learn. I thought of him like a son, he looked at me as a father which he always lacked. His father was less than ideal, that is all I say.”
I look at him with mixed feelings. For once, he was the one who led him down this way. By his words though, it didn’t sound like he was always this deranged. I wait on, listening to further explanation.
“Well, this train is not safe from wicked ideas. I do not mean that any place is, but here, it is highly noticeable. An aura, if some sort, which slowly corrupts and breaks minds. It has its way with people, even though I wasn’t safe at first. Prónay, however, wasn’t as lucky as I was.”
He takes a deep breath and glances at me. He slowly shakes his head, like a guilty dog.
“I saw the writing on the wall. I knew what was happening. Idea of life and death has infiltrated him. I could have given him a merciful death, but couldn’t bring myself to do so. He was, but a son to me at that point. Poor Leonard, it is my fault that he had to perish the way he did. But crying over the past is of poor people’s medicine.”
I raise a hand to catch his attention. He stops and looks at me, waiting for what I want.
“What was the idea about?”
He scoffs, throwing his harm in the air and then crossing them.
“To control life, one must first wield the power of death itself.”
“That, in this train, lies the mistakes of the universes. This train is not an accident, it is a Prison. It is highly unwilling to let go of its “inmates.” This doesn’t mean no one ever tries to get out one way or another. In this train, lay a few books. There are good ones, bad ones and ones even I’m unsure about. If I am unsure about it, most likely no one is sure about it. One of the books here is the one called “Claws of Sorrow.” It is the book of death. As the claws represent the feeling when someone is being haunted by pain, terror and the feeling of impending doom. Sorrow, well, I don’t think I have to give that much context. The pain you and your loved ones will feel.”
He puts his hand into his beard. He slowly begins to put down his cigarette, only to reach for another. This time, with a much smoother pace, he lights it and looks up to the ceiling.
“Then there is its counter.”The joy of creation.” It is the opposite of Sorrow, as it can heal the sick, do all good, yayayayaya.”
He rolls his eyes
“It turns you into Jesus. Which is why it must be just as hidden as the other books. Having those powers is not good to have, believe me. I know. Now, there is one more book worth noting, “The Book of Conquest”. This book is one which I dread the most, as unlike the rest, this book cannot be clearly put into either category. It was made by one of the ancient horsemen. Death, Famine, Pestilence, War and Conquest. We can put the rest into categories, heck, “claws of sorrow” is the book of death himself. I fear what that book can do, as it is the only one which has ever shown itself without being capable of clearly putting it into anywhere. It wouldn’t scare me, but when you know everything, only then, do you truly start to fear the unknown. “
He exhales some smoke then finally brings his head down.
“These books aren’t found in the way you and I would understand it. They need to be “pleased”, As those books are just as aware and conscious as you, I or anyone else here. To Prónay’s understanding, death would be most pleased by what he is doing and is unwilling to even give it a second thought. He is so close, yet so far from the truth.”
His face twists and his smile fades. He takes his glasses down and places them onto the table.
“Whatever you do, even if death holds you in his firm fist, do not accept any deals here. Not from me, not from Knightmare and definitely not from Prónay. Leonard already gave you a better way out, didn’t he?”
I blink a few times and reach into my pocket. Yes, they are cyanide pills.
“How do you know?”
He laughs a bit, a small smile and hopes returning to his face.
“Who do you think gave it to him? Well, two, actually. One has been used now…”
He turns his head towards the fireplace, while slowly shaking his head.
“My fault…”
He mutters, quietly under his breath. He takes his cigarette out of his mouth and throws it into the fireplace. The bright orange fires engulf the almost finished cigarette, like piranhas on a small piece of meat.
While his head turned I picked up his sword. Its handle has a soft feeling, it is perhaps fine leather? Könitz still looks at the fireplace.
“You like it?”
He asks as he glares at the rising flames. I swiftly put the sword down and shun my head. He looks back at me.
“I asked you something. Please do not shun your head.”
I look at him and give him a fake smile.
“Yea, yea, really good.”
He picks up his sword and looks at it. For a few seconds he smiles and then throws it at me.
“It’s yours.”
I glare at the fine sword and then look up to Könitz.
“There are still a few things which I don’t understand. How come you aren’t in any books or such? You were a Habsburg in the 19th hundred or so and why did you ask me about your family if you are clearly aware of what has happened to them.
He takes up a huge smile. He takes a breath from his cigarette and speaks.
“This train doesn’t leave any trace of you when you enter. For us, humans, at least this is the status quo, not much we can do. No one knows any of us ever existed, only when the train lets go of you, which I assume it won’t. For your other question, it is kinda simple. If you were to lie to me, you it would make two things obvious; You would be either a huge buffoon and I’m using a gentle word here or just that afraid of me, which would mean that you are nothing but a tiny, little, useless worm, which would need to be squashed, either by the things or the train or by Prónay.”
He throws his cigarette onto the ground. The smell and taste of smoke reeks the air, as some grey smoke ventures towards the ceiling.
“It’s not that I hate you, it’s that I need someone who, you know, can actually survive here and not wither up and rot. If I wanted to see something rot, I would visit one of my friends. Well, “Friends”, not the usual way as you and I am, but a lot darker. That is a matter for a different time. What I wished to speak about now i-.”
He shuts his mouth. He places a hand next to his ear and listens. I don’t speak a word, he might hit me if I do. As I listen I hear something. Louder and louder, until I hear it. A deep, booming voice, with the most cold voice I ever heard.
“You dare to steal from me. Now, prepare for a swift, squishy death.”
Könitz’s face has now shifted to one, which clearly resemble either clear fear or surprise, hard to tell.
“Jotunn. The last time I heard this was… Oh no.”
He quickly stands up and rushes out the door. Well, I say running, in reality more so flew. I look on for a few seconds before standing up myself and looking out the door. I walk through it only to hear it slam shut.
“F u c k”
Annnnd I was fucking stupid enough to go trough the door and leave the only space where I could have hidden. As I look up at the ceiling I see the lights fully turned on and no light coming through the windows. Just my luck. I can feel warm breathing on the back of my neck and my muscles tense up. I look behind my back only to see a large dark furred House Guest.
I cannot move. My body doesn’t follow none of my pleas and orders, as it remains a statue, as if my legs have rooted deep into the fertile soil and now never wishing to leave. Only the ticking of an old clock can be heard.
Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick
I can see saliva dripping from the thing’s mouth. Slowly licking its lips. I stand there in fear as the lights slowly begin to flicker. I look on as terror as I begin to hear loud footsteps. The thing turns and its ears point upwards. It begins to growl as something comes its way. The noise comes closer and closer, until but a wooden door separates the three of us.A loud, thundering punch breaks through the door and slams its hand to the door frame, breaking it. A hulking monstrosity enters.
It had a steel helmet on its head, filled with small, purple gems. Its skin…. No, it had no skin. It was like it was made out of ice. It had a huge stone in its chest, a purple glowing orb. A huge crack was at his chest, from his right arm, right to the orb. A purple light was coming from the crack. He held a huge, sharp axe, which was befitted with purple stones, similar if not the same as to what was in his helmet and chest.
It glares down at us, with a cold stare(Literally)
“I smell man blood.”
It turns its head towards me and then at the House Guest. It growls at the huge ice giant thing and it begins to walk towards me. The House guest lunges at it, clawing deep into its ice meat. The thing just slams its axe into the ground and grabs the house guest’s jaws and with a swift motion rips down its lower jaw. A big chunk of flesh also came with the jaw, most notably its tongue. The giant takes a huge bite out of the meat and chews on it, before throwing it onto the ground. By the time it finished its mockery the House Guest finished its struggle for its life and became motionless and the life left its body.
The thing takes another bite, blood splashed onto its face and continues to chew on it. It slowly reached over to the axe and ripped it out of the floor. It throws the remaining jaw onto the corps of the wolf and glances at me, blood still dripping onto the ground from his face. It smiles at me, bringing his huge axe up.
“Just like crushing a bug. But killing a bug would be sorrowful. Luckily, you are not a bug, but a human!”
My body simply stays put, as fear has now taken over my body even more. The thing’s smile has grown as it finally brings up the axe high enough for it to be satisfied. As I look, I see a shadow in the corner of my eye. Another House Guest. It claws, sharper than the one before, its eyes red. It was larger, taller and more fearsome than the two I had encountered so far and those were already close to killing me. As I look at it, I glance back over to the giant, unaware as to what was behind it. I point towards the House Guest and with a shaky, unsteady voice speak.
“T-There is something there.”
The thing takes a few seconds to understand what I wanted to say and it finally turns. The wolf jumps at the giant, clawing deep into its ice-meat. I see a huge claw mark on its chest and the giant looks down onto its chest. It gives a huge smile to the House Guest before taking a deep breath.
“I was mad before. But now, I’m rather enraged.”
The thing jumps at the House guest and slams its head into one of the windows. Then, with a sudden move, it hit the wolf’s back and slammed its fist deep into its back. Then, with a slow move, it began pulling its spine out, like wet noodles from a ramen cup. It then used the thing’s spine to bash its head with it.
Have you ever seen someone head get run over by a tank? No? G o o d. Wait, you did? Well, sucks to be you, but I saw it too, so we are traumatized comrades. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that its head looked shit. It was now REALLY dead. Or not, no idea how the fuck this train works.
The Giant looks down upon me, axe in one hand, spine I another. It bends over to look me in the eyes. My body shivered, both because of the cold its body gave out and because of fear. Its face has a serious look, before turning to a smug smile.
“For an insect you are quite helpful. I will not crush you this time. But if I hear that you are affiliated with that THIEF the last thing you will get is a swift death… A shame. You would have made a nice dinner. Crushing you into bits, breaking your bones to season my bread with, taking your organs out and eating them as a late night snack, your skin, to be used to season my soup and stew with. Ahhh, my mouth is filled with ice, just thinking about it.”
It leans back up, still smiling.
“Perhaps, I can make a single exception.”
My legs give in and I begin to run. I hear it’s laughter as it laughs and laughs, but doesn’t give chase. After what feels like an eternity and a half, I stop. I vomit again. This time, I handled it better. Just quickly and I’m finished. A few deep breaths and I stand back up. I hear people talking so I creep over to the door and listen. What starts as normal toned, turns into an argument.
“I FUCKING TOLD YOU NOT TO STEAL IT.”
“OH FUCKING YEA, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS L O N G AGO. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THIS SHIT WORTH? DO YOU?”
“I DON’T, BUT I DO KNOW, JOTUNN WILL BREAK IS LIKE A FUCKING TWIG FOR THAT. AND THAT IS, IF HE IS HUNGRY AND GRANTS US A MERCIFUL DEATH. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF DOOM HAVE YOU BROUGHT UPON YOUR DAUGHTER?”
After that I hear a loud slap.
“DON’T YOU FUCKING TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTER LIKE THAT, YOU PIECE OF SHIT. THE GREAT TAURI WITH HIS FUCKING MORALS RATHER HAS HIS SON DIE OF INFECTION RATHER THAN STEAL. BUT BE MY FUCKING GUEST.”
After that I hear a bottle breaking and a loud thud towards the walls.
“Viktor, Viktor, Viktor. If you speak to me like that, I will not guarantee your safety. I mean, you already doomed yourself, but fine. Do what you want, but if you dare to speak about my son’s condition and use it like a pillar to stand on against arguing with me, I will fucking break your bones and leave your head so high up your ass, you will see nothing but darkness.”
I hear a bit more from the brawl before I hear pairs of footsteps getting further and further. It seems as if Viktor and Tauri are the ones responsible for the theft, as I heard. So that giant was… Jotunn. Sucks to be them, but I think this is the fate they themselves sow. Or at least, Viktor did. I wanna help them, but that’s it… It would break me like a fucking eggshell. I’m not dying for someone else. I have survived a crazed madman, a little red shit, three furred shit, an animated armour, a fucking ice giant and a weird Austrian prince.
I gotta sit down to write. My leg, it burns. The clothes are bloody, it hurts even just to sit and do nothing. If this keeps going on, I might need to cut off my own leg. As I sit in pain, I feel something hit my shoulder. Könitz’s sword. I glare at it, looking around while I contemplate how this thing got here.
Right… Pocket Dimension. Of course, he has it on easy difficulty.
For now, this sword will work like a cheap walking cane. If nothing else, I will find use for it that way. I don’t know if I will leave to write again or just wither up and rot. I hope I will be capable of surviving, I have given up on getting out a while ago.