The Harder I Swim, the Faster I Sink

Chapter Two

A COUPLE HOURS LATER, the trolley came by and the lady asked if Laika wanted anything. She was jolted out of her reminiscing by the sudden appearance, and stammered briefly that she didn't want anything before leaning her head back against the window. The cart moved on and Laika sighed. Forty-five minutes in, and she was already homesick.

Outside her window, trees scrolled by. The sun was blindingly bright, and hot sunlight cascaded through the glass onto Laika's lap, overheating her. She wished she could get away from it, but there was nowhere to move. Beside her, there was a young, fresh-looking girl of uncommon beauty absorbed in the view. Laika wished she had the guts to speak to her; she seemed like a good person to be friends with.

The girl seemed enraptured by the forest scrolling quickly by. It was beautiful, true; everything in Du Weldenvarden, the Great Forest, was. Some even called it paradise, but Laika wasn't so sure about that. Du Weldenvarden had plenty of flaws: for example, the hot sunlight baking her where she sat. The forest they were passing through was of the ancient kind, with colossal moss-covered trees and a floor carpeted by moss and ferns. It reminded Laika of stories about the Old Days, when the trees and animals spoke the common tongue and the earth brought forth fruit of its own accord. It had clearly captured the imagination of the girl beside her, too, judging by the way she was staring at it, with her mouth slightly agape and her eyes like saucers.

The girl noticed Laika staring at her and smiled, slightly embarrassed. "It's lovely, isn't it?" she asked, nodding to the view. Laika nodded, relieved the other girl had taken the first step.

"I love forests like this. They seem so wise and awe-inspiring."

The other girl nodded eagerly. "Exactly! You feel like they've been around since the dawn of time. Maybe they have, we don't know. It seems plausible."

"Indeed." Laika nodded and held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Laika."

"Bella Donahue. I'm traveling to the city to take on a position as a maid in the palace. What about you?"

"The exact same!" she exclaimed. "Which wing are you working in?"

"The East Wing."

"Me too! What a coincidence!" Laika smiled warmly at Bella, and her new friend smiled back just as warmly.

"This is great! We can work together and see each other all the time. I just know we're going to be the best of friends!"

"Totally!" The two girls beamed at each other, and then Laika asked, "So, what are your interests? What do you like to read?"

"Well, I'm a writer — or an aspiring one," Bella said with a shy smile.

"You are? That's so awesome!" Laika gushed. "What genre do you write?"

"Science fiction, mainly. Aliens and robots, you know. Spaceships, intergalactic battles ... that kind of thing."

"That's so cool! I'm an artist, and I've always been interested in drawing sci-fi."

"Maybe you can illustrate some stuff from my stories, then. I've got plenty of material — none of it finished, and all of it trash, but if you want to, you can."

"That sounds great! We can be a team — you write the books and I draw the covers. Bella and Laika, the inspiring team taking the science fiction community by storm! They sing! They dance! And most importantly, they write!"

Bella was laughing by now. Laika joined in, and the two girls laughed their hearts out. Laika felt a warm feeling spread through her. She had already found a friend. Everything would be okay.

"So who are you leaving behind?" Bella asked once they had stopped laughing. "I'm leaving a mom, a dad, two brothers, and a best friend. I'm glad to escape the brothers, though. They are the sons of Satan, I swear."

Laika laughed. "I'm leaving a mom, a dad, and a best friend. I'm really going to miss the friend. I haven't been without him since ... well, ever."

"Wow. What's his name?" Bella asked.

"Ayden. He's an archer, and won himself a couple of prizes. You might have heard of him. He's sweet, and kind, and the best friend anyone could ask for. When he heard I was leaving today, he took me everywhere. We went to the circus, the theater, the library, a museum, and a lake. We had so much fun! I don't know what I'll do without him."

"He sounds so sweet!" her new best friend gushed. "Is he the same one who won the Tri-City Championship?"

"So you have heard of him!"

"That Ayden?" Bella gasped. "Wow! He was all over the news for a couple weeks, you know. So brave, and such a hottie. Half the country had a crush on him."

Laika cleared her throat, uncomfortable. "I see. Well, I don't know about him being so perfect. I mean, I guess he's kind of handsome ..."

"Oh, please. He is smokin' —"

"... but I've only ever thought of him as a friend. He's great, of course, and I wouldn't give him up for the world, but like that ... no, I couldn't. It would be too much."

Bella shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'd leap at the chance to spend a day with him, myself."

Laika grinned. "We can arrange that."

Her friend laughed. "Oh, you! I would never be brave enough to actually do that. I don't even know him."

"We could fix that," Laika said again.

Bella chuckled. "Whatever. Maybe some other time. You say he took you to the circus?"

"He did! And we saw lions and elephants and even a white tiger! He got me a stuffed bear and ..." she chattered on, not even noticing as the old forest gave way to rolling hills. Their conversation came to an end when the train stopped and a voice called, "Palatine City. Please collect your bags and make your way out."

"We're here!" Bella cried, seizing a bag from under her seat. Laika got her suitcase and followed her new friend off the train, pausing just after they stepped outside to take it all in.

The sun was nearing the horizon, and its beams pierced the city like golden blades. It made Laika squint. The sky was full of clouds, and they caught the rays of the setting sun and turned brilliant shades of coral pink, yellow, and sunset orange. But that wasn't the most impressive thing. The thing that caught Laika's eye was the palace. It was breathtaking.

The palace was made of translucent crystal, and the quartz caught the beams of the sun and reflected them off millions of surfaces, turning the entire palace a stunning shade of pinkish-orange. It shone like a diamond among coal, and the spires gleamed with an inner radiance. It was like looking upon the face of a goddess.

The city descended from the palace until it reached the gates. The houses looked like fairytale houses, and the wall was made of beautiful sandstone, with gates standing wide open. The River Initium's surface was turned a lovely marbled orange color by the setting sun, and little canoes sat on its glassy surface here and there, each with a little lantern on one end.

Bella had stopped with Laika, and now she murmured, "Oh, wow."

Laika made a sound of agreement and the two kept staring, awestruck, at the capital city. After what seemed like only a few seconds, they were forced to move by the pressing crowd of people behind them. They walked forward together, Bella's hand seeking out Laika's. They walked up to the gates and inside, feeling as if they were in a dream. One of the guards noticed their awestruck appearance and smiled. "Welcome to Palatine, ladies," he called as they went in. "Welcome to the place where dreams come true."