Chapter 6
July 2nd, Chicago
Rose groaned, slowly sitting up as she held her head. A light chuckle reached Rose's ears, and she opened her eyes to see the centaur that had helped her drive the train. He was standing over her, offering her a hand up. Rose took it, standing up as she asked, "Where am I?"
The centaur continued to chuckle, shaking his head, "Chicago, Miss Dragon, and I must congratulate you. The M-Line made it to Chicago in two hours, an hour before we were expected to arrive. However, it seems you tried so hard to keep your fire going you exhausted yourself. You fell asleep as soon as we arrived."
Rose nodded, rubbing her back where she had slept on a bolt. Rose made a note to herself, never fall asleep on a hard metal floor again. Rose then looked out at the nearby platform, her eyes drifting to the clock that sat on a tall poll in the center of the platform. It was nearly noon.
Rose jumped, quickly turning back to the centaur as she said, "I'm glad I could get everybody home, but do you know of something that can help me get to New York before the 4th."
The centaur scratched his chin, one of his hind lags gently tapping the engine's floor, "There aren't any train lines between here and New York, any track we could use is to heavily watched for a train to get by on. Hmmm…I would say your best bet is to try and hitch a ride with a semi heading for Boston."
"A semi?"
The centaur nodded, "Yeah, that's right. You see, there are farms all across the United States that grow or harvest magical ingredients. All those farmers, miners, and ranchers west of the Mississippi bring their merchandise here. It is then shipped to Boston where smaller trucks distribute the ingredients all across the east coast. I'd say, if you take a Semi to Boston you'll get there in the morning of the fourth, and then New York is just a stone's throw away."
Rose smiled, quickly jumping onto the station platform as she said, "Thank you."
The centaur shook his head, slowly stepping of the train as he did what many of the train's passengers did the night before. Go home, and see his family. Rose walked through the very busy train station, eventually finding a large stair case that lead up to the street level. Rose began to climb the stairs, but quickly stopped just before the top. Though the station itself was a safe place for magical creatures, the street level above was open to the general public of Chicago.
Rose stared at the street, trying to think of what to do. She couldn't just walk out into the city, especially during the lunch hour traffic, it would cause more then chaos. Rose walked over to the nearby wall, groaning as she leaned her back against the cool stone. She would have to wait till night fall, and even then she would be pushing her luck. At the same time, she couldn't just spend half a day sitting in a train station. She needed to get to New York.
"It looks like you could use a wee bit of help lassie."
Rose blinked a few times, looking down to see a lepriacon smiling, a pipe gently clenched in his teeth, "I am the owner of this here train station, and would like to personally thank you lassie for bringing the train here. Now, we can try finding a new fire snail here in Chicago. Still, from the looks of your face you need to get outside. Why don't you just change into your human form?"
Rose smiled weakly, "I don't know how."
The lepriacon blinked few times before pulling his pipe out of his mouth, chuckling, "Ah, lassie, you be yanking my chain."
"No, I really don't know how."
The lepriacon gawked, "By the sweet bagpipes of me homeland, you aren't joking. Well then, that does pose a rather interesting problem. Tell me, are you heading anywhere?"
Rose nodded, "Yes, I need to be in New York by nightfall on the 4th."
"That, lassie, is going to be quiet a feet. Here, why don't I buy you some lunch, and we can sit and talk a spell."
Rose nodded, hearing her own stomach growling as well as the mother Hydra crying to be feed. The lepriacon lead Rose back down onto the train platforms, heading for a small hotdog cart being pushed by an automaton, a living suit of armor created on the island Atlantis before it sunk. As the Mother Hydra ate at her own hot dog, Rose told the lepriacon why she needed to get to New York.
When Rose finished the lepriacon puffed on his pipe, "That is some story lassie. Still, I think I can help yeah. I have a brother of mine who owns a shop in New York. I was going to send him some things I had gotten through the station. Unfortunately, my truck driver backed out at the last minute. Tell me, lassie, have you ever driven a stick shift."
"A stick shift" Rose asked, but before she could get an answer the lepriacon had stood up and was moving down the platform. Rose quickly followed, grabbing up the mother Hydra. Trains from other large cities and small magic communities were bustling in and out of the platforms. Finally, the lepriacon came to a door labeled "Employee's Only".
Rose followed the Lepriacon inside, flipping on the light switch to see a large Semi truck, the trailer filled to the brim with crates, boxes, and bags of many different things. Rose stared in awe at the fully loaded Semi as the lepriacon said, "My driver backed out at the last minute before his delivery drive, but that was a week ago. It seems some biker trolls have been hijacking semi trucks on the old Ness 24 to New York."
"The Ness 24?" Rose asked, looking down at the lepriacon station master.
"I lassie, it's a magical highway that goes under the great lakes, through Niagara Falls, and straight on to New York. It's your best bet for getting to the Big Apple by the 4th."
Rose raised an eyebrow, "But, the centaur that helped me bring the M-line here said most trucks go from here to Boston."
"That is true, but there are about twenty toll roads between here and there, and costs a pretty penny to take that route. The Ness 24, on the other hand, is absolutely free and faster."
Rose lowered her head, wondering if she should take the offer. She would get to New York faster, and be helping the Lepriacon out. Still, she hadn't driven anything larger then a bumper car before, and there were the biker trolls to worry about. Finally, Rose sighed and offered the lepriacon her claw, "Looks like you have yourself a driver."
The lepriacon smiled, firmly shaking Rose's hand, "Oh lassie, you don't know how much this means to me. Now, you go ahead and get into the truck. I'll get the garage doors open. The truck has a built in Magical Network Locator. It's basically a magical version of a GPS unit. It will guide you through Chicago to the Ness 24. There, it's nothing but highway."
Rose nodded, watching the Lepriacon scamper away before she walked over to the truck. She pulled the door open, jumping into the high cabin before slamming herself in. Rose looked over the truck's controls. It had a steering wheel and a key, but there were three pedals and a long shifting rod.
Rose turned, setting the mother hydra down in the passenger seat as Rose lifted her wrist, "Voris, do you know anything of driving large semi trucks."
Voris appeared in the mirror on Rose's wrist and asked, "Why in heavens name do you need to know something like that?"
Rose frowned, turning her wrist so Voris could see the truck, "Because, I have to drive one if we are going to get to New York in time."
Voris continued to laugh, "You are quite lucky Rose. Here, take me off your wrist and strap me to the wheel." Rose was a bit confused, but did as Voris said. She undid the latch on the wrist mirror. The mirror came loose, and Rose quickly took it off and placed it around part of the steering wheel. When she finished latching the mirror's wrist band, she sat back and waited.
Voris disappeared from the mirror, a green energy glow flowing through the steering wheel and down into the semi's engine. For a few moments nothing happened, and then the inside of the truck began to change. The pedals, steering wheel, and stick shift melted into the dashboard and the driver side changed into a second passenger seat. Outside, the dull blue of the semi began to change color. The paint became a bone white, and the head lights shifted to a fiery green. Finally, the bumper became a long row of teeth and a jaw.
The semi's engine roared to life, and Rose could hear Voris shouting from inside the cab, "OH baby, it feels good to be back behind the wheel or in front of it at least." Voris had fused with the semi, becoming the heavy load truck just as the garage doors were opening. Rose was pressed against the back of her seat, the Mother Hydra yelping in surprise as Voris roared out of the garage, streaks of hot rubber following in his wake.
An hour later, Voris had calmed down and slowed down to the speed limit as he reached the beginning of the Ness 24. Rose was leaning back in her sleep, listening to the radio as she enjoyed the ride. The mother hydra had fallen asleep in the other seat, her body, tail, and long necks wrapped around what remained of her young.
The afternoon passed quickly, and soon the Ness 24 had lead Voris and Rose down underneath the great lakes. Rose yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open as she asked, "Voris, how much longer is it?"
The radio cut out for a few moments, a slight click filling the cab before Voris said, "Well, the Ness 24 starts at Chicago and ends just outside New York. If memory serves, the Ness 24 measures 1300 miles, winding through the great lakes to avoid any detection. At roughly sixty five miles an hour, it would take twenty four hours to reach New York from Chicago. We got out of Chicago at around two in the afternoon, and it's about ten at night right now. That means we have been on the road for eight hours, and we still have another sixteen hours to go."
Rose groaned, covering her eyes, "That is a long time to be sitting in a truck."
Voris chuckled, "Well, why don't you try to get some sleep. Getting some shut eye can help pass the time." Rose nodded, leaning back in her seat. Voris turned the radio down, and dosed the lights inside the cab. Soon, rose had drifted off to sleep. Voris continued down the Ness 24 till the next morning without trouble. Then, trouble decided to come with the rising sun.
The roar of motorcycles echoed across the Ness 24, drawing up on Voris and the still sleeping rose. The pack of fifteen biker trolls quickly surrounded Voris. Voris, who had been listening mindlessly to the radio, was no swerving to the left and right trying to shake the bikers. Inside the cab, Rose and the mother Hydra were being tossed around like a bag of potatoes. It took Rose a large amount of luck to grab the mother hydra's eggs, holding them tightly to make sure they weren't broken.
After a few minutes of dodging the biker trolls it happened. One of them got ahead of Voris long enough drop a large nail. The nail drove itself into Voris's front tire, and quickly brought him and the entire Semi to a screeching halt.
The biker trolls circled the truck a few times before they stopped their bikes, walking towards the back of the trailer. The leader, a biker troll with a third eye on his forehead and a single, very large, fang said, "Now we take gold, get very rich, leave driver for buzzards."
The other biker trolls cheered as the leader began to open the trailer doors. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and someone called out, "I'm sorry, but I am going to have you sign for these packages."
The biker trolls looked up to see Rose glaring down at them, her tail holding the trailer door firmly shut. The troll growled as the leader shouted, "Get dragon, make her hurt bad."
Rose took a breath in, a spire of flames pushing the troll away from the trailer. Rose landed inside the ring of fire, getting down into a defensive position as she waited for the flames to die. The trolls soon began to charge forward, carrying clubs and twirling heavy metal chains as weapons. Rose grumbled, doing her best to defend herself against the many biker trolls. She, however, couldn't land a single punch without opening herself up to an incoming club or chain.
Rose then heard something roar, a very small squeak in reality. She turned back and saw the mother hydra standing on the trailer's roof, snapping and growling at the troll below.
Rose smiled, an idea popping into her head. She continued to defend herself, but back up until she could reach the trailer's door. Rose then let another burst of fire escape her mouth, and pushed the troll back. It was just long enough for Rose to turn, and using her claw carved something into the back of the trailer.
Rose turned to face the trolls as her second wall of fire disappeared. The trolls smiled, many of them ready to rip Rose to shreds. The leader stepped forward, gently hitting his club, "Dragon ready to say bye-bye."
Rose nodded, setting her claw on the symbol she had just drawn, "Yeah, bye-bye." Suddenly, a dark shadow covered the sun. The trolls glanced at each other, and then looked up. In that moment the troll dropped their weapons, their knees shaking as they stared down the full sized mother Hydra.
The hydra roared with four of her heads while the other three snapped at the biker trolls. Before Rose even knew it, the trolls had bolted back to their bikes and were tearing down the highway back to Chicago. Rose shaking her head, a smile playing at her lips as she began to move back towards the truck's cab. The smile quickly disappeared though as the mother Hydra surrounded Rose with her seven heads.
Rose gulped, holding up her hands as she said, "Easy girl, please don't be eating the person who saved some of your children."
The mother hydra continued to growl, the central head moving forward. The mother hydra sniffed at Rose a few times, and then the mood of the seven heads quickly changed. The seven heads moved closer to Rose, nuzzling her while one gently licked Rose in the face. Rose coughed, pushing the many heads back, "Enough, enough all ready. I better shrink you back down otherwise we'll never get New York."
It took Rose a few minutes to free herself from the Mother Hydra's affection, and then shrink her back down to size. Rose then left the mother hydra, which she had decided to name Seven, in the truck cab while she went about changing Voris's tire.
When the tire was replaced Rose walked around the truck, stepping into the cab as she said, "Well, Voris, when are we arriving in New York now?"
Voris started his engine, "Well, were about an hour behind schedule. So, I'd say about two in the afternoon New York local time. Hey, I just thought of something. It's only the third of July. We're going to be in New York with plenty of time to spare. Maybe, after we deliver this stuff, we could swing by a certain electronics store."
Rose perked up, a smile crossing her face, "You think Jake would recognize me. I mean, he hasn't ever seen me like this, as a dragon. "
"Rose, I would be very surprised if Jake took more then ten seconds to see who you are. Now, let's get on the road." Voris popped the clutch, roaring off down the Ness 24. Hours passed, and after a few rest stops the New York City skyline came into view. Voris quickly found the warehouse where they were to leave the truck, trailer, and everything else. Voris separated from the semi, returning to his wrist mirror. Rose placed the Seven in her pack, making sure the eggs were safe before taking flight.
Rose took a deep breath, soaring amongst the skyscrapers. It had been nice on Horizon Island with Kryos, but she missed the sights and sounds of the city. The hustle, the bustle, and the slight chance of danger all made New York her home. Rose let our her breath, banking to one sign as she neared Central Street Electronics, the one store that stayed open and never made a sale, ever.
Rose landed on the street, turning as she moved towards the shop door. The problem, the shop door wasn't there. Rose gasped, rushing in as she looked around the shop. It looked like a bomb had gone off. All the furniture was torn up, and there were a few streaks of blood. Rose then saw it, burnt into wall was the symbol of the Huntsclan.