The Road Ahead

With Velvet’s repairs completed, it was time for them to leave. The two sat down with Suzie at her kitchen table to discuss their next move while Katie watched from afar.

“Thank you for everything, Suzie, but we should be going now.”

“Oh, come on. You can stay as long as you want, it’s really no trouble.”

“Thank you, but we can’t stay here forever. Especially with the entire Republic looking for us. It’s too dangerous for everyone.”

“I see, I see, but have you even decided where you’ll go? Surely not back to that abandoned city, right?”

Felix looked down and thought. They really didn’t have many options. The abandoned city was compromised, and most other surrounding areas were hostile or desolate.

“You know, there is one place you could go…” She revealed a conspiratorial smile. “How about the Empire?”

That was indeed an option. Felix had always been a bit skeptical of them, but in hindsight, how bad could they really be? I mean, they had a shared hatred of the Republic.

“This Empire, what exactly are they like?” Velvet asked curiously.

“Well, the Empire was created several years back as a rebellion force against the Republic. They’re particularly strong advocates for the rights of dolls.”

“Oh?” Velvet’s interest was piqued.

“The Republic views dolls as tools, but the Empire views them as equals. About half of their population is dolls, in fact. They consider dolls to be the bridge to a new world, and the union of man and doll as the building blocks.”

“Hm. The Empire may be worth looking into.” Velvet still sounded skeptical, but she gave Felix a look of full approval.

He looked back at Suzie. “I thought you didn’t like the Empire.”

“Let’s just say I see things a bit differently now. As do many others. The Empire has been growing rapidly recently. Just about every alchemist has been poached. I’m the only independent alchemist left in the area, as a matter of fact.” Suzie rustled around in her pocket. “Here, take this,” she said as she slid a piece of paper across the table.

Picking up the paper, Felix unfolded it, revealing a code.

“Still remember how to read that?”

“How could I forget?”

It was a simple cipher that shifted around the letters of the alphabet. Felix and Suzie would play around with this kind of thing all the time back in the day.

“Follow those directions and you’ll end up in the Empire. A skilled alchemist such as yourself will be welcomed with open arms, not to mention, I’m sure they’ll be impressed by Velvet too.”

With a pause for thought, Felix made up his mind. “That’s where we’ll be heading then.”

Suzie smiled.

Felix was just about to get up, but he suddenly remembered something. “Oh yeah, by the way, Suzie, I hate to ask even more of you, but can I borrow a gun, please?”

“A gun? Sure, I have a few lying around. But that means you must’ve lost your old one, right?”

Felix sighed. “Yeah, I had to give it up when we got captured.”

Felix’s gun was very strange. It was a semi-automatic pistol that had its magazine in front of the trigger, a long barrel, and a wooden handle. The weapon was very unique and extremely rare. He had once taken it to a gun collector who had never seen another like it and theorized it was a prototype that never entered mass production. However, that wasn’t the main reason he loved it.

“That gun was my dad’s! It’s all I had left of him! But now it’s gone…” Felix looked down, dejected.

“Aw, cheer up.” Suzie walked over and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Come on, I got some upstairs.”

“All right.”

“Felix, I didn’t want to talk about this around Velvet, but I assume you’re not going to see your mom, right?”

“No, wasn’t planning on it.”

“I see… That’s probably for the best… She’s been doing really badly ever since you left, same with that Alyssa girl…but honestly…” Suzie’s voice became cold and venomous. “They deserve it all…”

“Yeah…” Felix’s gaze fell, his eyes distraught. “Suzie…I’m sorry…about what happened then… I shouldn’t have turned on you like that…”

“Oh enough of that. What matters is that you learned and are doing better. Besides, if all that never happened, you would’ve never met Velvet, right?”

Felix smiled. He hadn’t really thought about it that way before. “Yeah, thanks, Suzie.”

“No problem. Now let’s get you equipped.” Suzie pulled out a dark red revolver engraved with rose patterns. “How about this? A real beauty, huh?”

“Suzie…” Carefully, he took it into his hands. “It’s beautiful, but do you really want to give this to me?”

“Of course! It’s just collecting dust here, and I’d say it suits you, especially now.”

“Well, if you insist.” With confidence, Felix holstered the weapon.

***

Katie had watched as Felix repaired Velvet. She watched as he reattached her leg, meticulously mended her cracks, and crafted her new eye, and throughout each moment she became more and more angry. She knew that Felix was a two-faced, ungrateful, rat bastard, and nothing would ever change that, so now that she was left alone with Velvet, it was up to her to give a fair warning.

“So Velvet. I don’t know what you see in that reprobate, but I recommend cutting ties before it's too late.”

Velvet had been minding her own business, sipping a cup of local milk tea. Putting it down, she calmly responded. “And whatever do you mean by that?”

“I mean that that guy is bad news. He betrayed Suzie and he’ll betray you too.”

“I’ve taken note of your suggestion...”

“Good, becau—”

“...And thrown it into the garbage.”

Katie’s face flushed in anger. “Don’t you get it! That guy’s a punk, a traitor, a coward, and a thousand other things! I saw it all myself, who he really is!”

In total silence, Velvet grabbed her teacup and took another slow sip, savoring the taste. “Katie… I understand that Felix has wronged you in the past, but he’s done more for me than anyone else, so I’ll do more for him than anyone else. In a covenant, that is simply how it is. I am sure it is the same way with you and Suzie.”

Even more annoyed, Katie yelled, “Whatever! See if I care! Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when he leaves you in pieces!” as she stormed off.

***

“I guess this is goodbye…” Felix said to Suzie at the door. “Tell Katie I said bye to her too.” Katie was still missing after her earlier argument with Velvet.

Velvet popped up out of Felix’s backpack. “Goodbye, Suzie, and thank you.”

“No problem, safe travels! And come back anytime!”

With a few last goodbyes and waves, Felix and Velvet left S&K’s behind, beginning their journey to the Empire.

It was currently midnight. The streets of Thuri were dark, only illuminated by the moon and some rare candlelight. This late they were unlikely to be spotted, but just in case he tried to stay off the main roads.

Things had changed a fair bit. He was in that house for days, but in that time, the streets had been lined with posters, mostly war propaganda denouncing the crimes of the Empire and encouraging enlistment. Most troubling were the wanted posters for him and Velvet. Thankfully, though, the camera they used to take the picture morphed their faces a bit, and they somehow got Felix’s name wrong, putting it down as “Alex” instead, so it shouldn’t be a death sentence even if they do get spotted.

The city limits weren’t far off, and it was only a few days hike northeast through the forests and mountains to get to core Imperial territory. Just a little further and they’d be home free, but that was when Felix heard a voice that he’d never wanted to hear again.

“Felix…!”

His heart stopped and he froze like a deer in headlights.

“Felix, that’s you, isn’t it!?”

His heart beat fast, as he slowly turned around, only to come face to face with his mother.