Escort on a Train

Gamon had prepared himself for the worst. His armor was thicker, his determination was iron, and his mind was ready. Well, kind of. The job sheet had been terribly vague; something about a sacred being who didn't like trains. Gamon was completely sure that he could handle it. How big could this guy be? How old could this guy be? As he walked down the cobblestone streets of Magnolia, the air still held the lingering chill from the night. The sun had just started to raise ahead of him behind the mountains, bringing with it warmth that helped wake Gamon up even more. He wasn’t used to having to get up so early; the job request sheet said to be there early. The only thing that he was confused about was that simple task; the client didn’t give a time to be there. He figured he would be safe and get down there for the earliest train

As he neared the station, Gamon noticed how empty it was in the morning. It was eerily vacant. Gamon had never been there when it wasn’t packed with people and luggage. He was glad he wasn’t alone though, his exceed decided to tag along with him for the journey. He walked through the empty lobby and sat down near the entrance to the platforms. They sat there in silence for a little bit. He turned to say something to Tykva, but all he saw was her curled up in a neat ball sleeping. “Lucky you.” He said under his breath. He sat there awkwardly, as more and more people started to show up and fill the empty spaces. When a young couple walked in which caught Gamon’s attention. The man, dressed in a sharp business suit and carrying a suitcase, was pleading with his wife not to make him go, And that he could take a different mode of transportation. The wife, who looked like she had been dealing with this behavior for a few days, was pushing him towards the platform. Gamon thought to himself, This definitely has to be the client. Without a doubt. He nudged the sleeping kitty to wake her. He got to his feet and started to walk over to the couple.

“Excuse me, but did you put out a job request at Fairy Tail?” He questioned the frantic couple. The woman stopped pushing her husband and turned to Gamon, giving an eager nod. “Yes!” She exclaimed, holding the man in place. “My name is Usa, and this is my husband, Nara.” The man looked terribly nervous. He was drenched in sweat, with bags under his eyes. What a wreck, Gamon thought to himself. He gave a meager wave, petrified as ever. “Uh, it's nice to meet you.” Gamon gave a half smile, trying not to seem disingenuous. For a grown man to be so distraught was truly a trifling sight. Gamon had seen a lot of tremendous sights, but this was a new one. The trains whistle sounded suddenly, causing Nara to jump. “Well,” his wife said suddenly, “looks like you two need to get going!” Without so much as a second thought, the wife was gone. The two men stared at each other awkwardly.

They stood there for a few more moments in silence. Until Gamon broke the silence, “Well, I guess we should get going then. Come on, I’ll take your luggage.” He reached down and grabbed the luggage that sat by the Nara’s feet. He flinched visibly, kicking over the luggage. The jolt caused Gamon to withdraw his hand. “Uh, sorry.” Nara said quietly. Gamon furrowed his brow and looked up at him before reaching for it once again. Nara stepped in front of him, obviously trying to stall for time. The shrill sound of the train’s horn blared once again, signaling that they were running out of time. He frowned at the idea of missing the locomotive and failing the mission; he couldn't bare to even consider it. “Look, we have to go. There’s no getting around it.” Gamon said firmly, and somewhat aggravated. Looks like he was going to have to get pushy.

“I really don't want to.” Nara replied, somewhat sheepishly. The only response that Gamon could muster was: “That's too bad.” With that, Gamon decided his best course of action was to throw the man over his shoulder, and pick up the bags with his free hand. Nara, of course, did not that this well. He began to yell, cursing and demanding that he be put down. Gamon ignored him and kept a tight grip, pursing his lips and trying to keep a straight face. No need to draw any more attention than they already were. A grown man acting like a toddler was a sight to behold, especially when being toted around by a teenager. When he reached the ticketmaster, he silently handed over the tickets, and then held up his mission in an explanation for Nara. The ticketmaster nodded quietly and punched both of their tickets before allowing them to board.

Gamon had to drag him all the way to their cabin, kicking, screaming, and hooking his fingers onto whatever he could. Now that the hardest part was over, he could move onto his next challenge: keeping him in the cabin. The worst case scenario was that he would escape, and abandon the train. That most likely wouldn't bode well with his wife, or the guild itself. So his plan of action was to simply sit in front of the door. It would allow him to keep an eye on Him, and also make sure that he wouldn't leave. When they finally got into the room, he tossed him onto the lower bunk and put the bags down next to him. He darted to the door where he stood, watching Nara dart to get up. “It had to be done.” Gamon said to him, who now sat on the edge of the bed, pouting. He felt slightly bad, but not bad enough to apologize, especially with the scene that he had caused.

Hours seemed to pass like molasses. Even if Gamon had brought his book, he finished it too quickly. Nara had taken to lying on the bed, silently pouting about the entire ordeal. Suddenly, Gamon decided to break the resonating quiet of their cabin. “Why do you hate trains so much?” The question was met with an audible sigh, and a long pause. So long that he assumed that he wouldn't be answering the question. Finally, he replied quietly. “I lost my first wife and daughter in a freak train accident.” Gamon didn't even know how to reply. “Oh.” That was a pretty good reason to dislike trains. “I'm really sorry to hear that. I know how you feel.” Nara sat up to look at him, confused about what he meant. “I lost both of my parents in a fire. I'm not a huge fan of it anymore.” His client nodded in reply and offered his condolences. The ice between them had been broken, and they finally got to taking.

The train ride wasn't near as bad as he thought it be. As the trust between them had been built, he even left the door to sleep in his own bed. Even though he kept the door closed and locked (with the key in his pocket, of course), he was sure that he wouldn't escape. His sleep was less than deep, but at least he was able to without the worry of having to chase the client down. He was glad that Nara had began to trust him; it made him feel as if he was starting to get better at socializing. Gamon had spent a considerable amount of time alone, and never really got the social interaction that he needed growing up. This resulted in his slight awkwardness, but he managed to hide it pretty well. Nearing the destination, Gamon felt a bit sad that he had to make the trip back alone. When he finally delivered the client, he promised that he would keep in touch. Gamon, once again, finished his mission with a new friend.