"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?"- Isaiah 66:1 (KJV)
The steam train smoothly traveled along the tracks as it exited the Vorst station. The sun was no longer directly overhead; however, night was not yet approaching. It consisted of eleven passenger carts and an additional one for cargo. The passenger carts themselves were separated by price, becoming increasingly lavisher the closer to the conductor. Inside the second cabin sat Akeelah, a cup of coffee on the table in front of her. She took a sip with a blank expression on her face. Suddenly seeing a hand in the corner of her eye, she quickly raised her left hand and head, swatting the approaching hand away.
"Well, hello to you as well." The blond assailant spoke returning his swatted hand to the pocket of his jet black, silk dress pants.
"Hello Malcom." she said before standing and bowing, "I apologize for hitting your hand."
"May I sit with you?" Malcom spoke pointing to the seat opposite Akeelah.
"You may." Malcom let out a light chuckle before proceeding to sit down, a smile plastered on his face. He sat squarely, his posture upright and orthodox, his fingers interlocked as he looked forward despite his eyes remaining closed. Akeelah leaned into the soft cabin seat placing her left leg atop her right, her hazel eyes composed.
"You look quite lovely today, are you attending a wedding? But I am not sure in what wedding, alchemic marks are allowed to be enthusiastically displayed."
"Thank you for the compliment, but I am currently on duty." she replied before taking a sip of coffee.
"I see, I thought you Milita folk don't do missions in Tivora?" Malcom questioned, before removing a simple, golden pocket watch from his pants' pocket. Akeelah 's eyes filled with what seemed to be annoyance as she subtly squeezed her left hand.
"You still have the pocket watch I gave you?"
Malcolm's amber eyes opened, and he looked directly into Akeelah 's eyes. "Of course I have it." Malcom spoke glancing downward, as he opened the watch's reflective cover causing its glistening glass face to shine. Its numbers and hands were decadent, the polished, oak wood currently displaying three-seventeen. "You gave it to me after all."
"That was the old me."
"So, you are a different person now?"
An ocean of silence engulfed the train cabin, the only thing that linked the inhabitants to the real world was the train's soft rattle. Akeelah peered outside her cabin's window, placing her chin within the palm of her right hand. The desolate Vorst flashed before her eyes, the buildings mixing into a blob of gray. It always amazed her how a place like this could exist when surrounded by so many technological advancements. Malcolm lightly tapped the top button of his pocket watch.
"Why are you here Malcolm?" she asked intently staring out the window.
"Join the bureau." He responded, eyes intently focused on Akeelah 's plump figure. "You are an upper-class citizen; you must begin acting as such. You can still help those lessers within the bureau."
Akeelah glanced at Malcolm whilst replying, "I hope you haven't forgotten that I paid the debt I owe you."
"This is a request not an order, I am well aware you owe me nothing." Malcolm replied, leaning forward. "Do you think you can refuse my orders, Akeelah Obafemi?"
"It would be wise of you to refrain from threatening me, my patience has limits."
In her hand was an ornate knife, with several rose designs on its blade, the hilt red with the alchemic mark in black. Upon seeing the blade Malcolm's face contorted with anger and disgust.
"Where did you get one of those!". He shot to his feet and attempted to grab the knife, but Akeelah pulled it away from him.
"Stealing is wrong, Malcolm."
"Akeelah Obafemi give me the knife!"
For a brief moment Akeelah's eyes became blank before she began motioning to hand Malcolm the knife. Almost as quickly one of the five roses on the knife disappeared and Akeelah suddenly stopped and gripped the knife tightly, her face flush with rage.
"You dare use your ability on me! Listen closely, the moment you say my name I will cut your throat!"
"I apologize," he said, sitting down and sighing. "Akeelah, why do you have an alchemic tool?"
"My ability has no use in combat, so of course I need a weapon."
"Stop deflecting, how could you even hold one of those things! Do you not feel disgusted?"
Akeelah shot to her feet and for the first time her face was filled with genuine emotion, "Who the hell are you to criticize me! All my ability can do is heal people, but what if I end up in a fight with a man is skilled as me! I am at a biological disadvantage so what the hell is the problem if I even the odds!"
Malcolm looked directly at Akeelah and simply sighed, "You're right, you aren't the same person." "What have you done with your resources? Vorst, the city you Milita folk operate in is a den of crime and poverty. Your knowledge, what have you done with it? Teach impressionable children to blindly follow orders only to end up dead in some back alley. That ability of yours could have made you one of the greatest doctors in history, but you use it for what? Saving the lives of murderers."
"It isn't that simple."
The cabin quickly stopped shanking, and the conductor's voice rang over the intercom informing the passengers that they had arrived.
"Consider my offer. It was nice seeing you again, Akeelah." Malcolm said before leaving.
Akeelah suddenly fell on the seat and sat in silence, clutching her shaking legs, breathing laboriously trying to refocus her thoughts.