《Renalia's Tale [Deckbuilding]》


 Chapter 1: Mothers

    It ended, as all birthings do, with a cry. But not the lively cry of a newborn greeting the world for the first time. No, it was the voice-ruining scream of the mother. A cry so full of misery that it brought tears to eight-year-old Renalia¡¯s eyes.


    Mama lay in the center of the straw bed, where Renalia usually slept, nestled between her parents. But Mama had no time for sharing warmth with her right now. Papa rushed to Mama¡¯s side, leaving his discussion with the midwife. His sudden stop caused straw to sprawl all over the dirt floor of the hut.


    He said something to Mama, but Renalia could only hear Mama¡¯s heartrending screams. Mama squirmed, clutching her distended belly.


    To her guilty relief, Renalia''s tears blurred her vision. She normally loved tracing her mother¡¯s laugh lines, but the distorted face now made her fingers tremble. She squeezed her eyes shut, blocking it out.


    But Mama¡¯s primal howl resonated with her heart. It triggered their horrible duet of wailing. She wanted to stop. She wanted Mama to stop. But she didn¡¯t know how.


    ¡°Hang in there, Eiry,¡± Papa said as he extracted his hand from Mama¡¯s unfettered grasp. ¡°I¡¯m going to get the Healer.¡±


    He patted Renalia¡¯s head while passing her by. ¡°Renya, be a good girl and listen to Myfanwy.¡±


    Myfanwy nodded. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    He rushed out the door, his haste causing a few embers from the central fire pit to dance briefly in the air before dying out.


    ¡°Renalia,¡± Myfanwy said, ¡°we need more water to boil.¡± The midwife approached and cradled Mama¡¯s hand, giving encouragement. ¡°Eireanne, you can do this, you¡¯ve done this before. God gave you the strength to get through this.¡±


    ¡°Fanny,¡± Mama gasped between breaths, ¡°save the baby.¡±


    ¡°I know, we¡¯ll try.¡±


    Myfanwy turned, wiping her glistening eyes out of Mama¡¯s sight. ¡°Renalia, go!¡±


    The sharp tone interrupted her blubbering. She latched onto the order. Yes, something she could do. Wiping her eyes, she grabbed the water bucket and fled the hut. Her refuge had turned into a battlefield of agony and heartache. She was a little girl, unready to join this war.


    Renalia regained her senses at the brook, in the unexpected stillness of the night. The echoes of screams faded, replaced with more familiar sounds: frogs croaking, grasshoppers chirping, and mosquitoes buzzing. Life continued, undisturbed by the events within one home.


    It¡¯s nice here, she thought. Peaceful.


    If she could just stay here for a bit¡­ But Myfanwy had told her to fetch water, and the midwife knew what Mama needed. She had to go back, no matter how much it pained her to see Mama suffer.


    Renalia prayed as the bucket filled up. While always pious, she now prayed with a fervor unbeknownst to her. ¡°God, please save Mama! I''m not ready to let her go.¡±


    She wiped her tears away. ¡°She doesn''t deserve it! She¡¯s-she''s a good person. Please, I need her!¡±


    Renalia knew she rambled, but she compensated for it with conviction. ¡°Please! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    She struggled trying to lift the bucket. ¡°Please, God,¡± Renalia cried. It dragged against the mud. ¡°Please. Anything.¡± The mud held firm, uncaring.


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    ¡°Oh ho. What this? What a girl doing?¡± A misshapen shadow fell over Renalia. Even backlit with moonlight, the many wrinkles on the woman¡¯s face were apparent. The speaker stood, bent over with age, with satchels piled high on her hunchback.


    Renalia had never seen the old woman before, not in the village or among the Manor staff. Not even as part of the few merchant wagons that came to the village. An unfamiliar outsider. Anything, thought Renalia. ¡°Please, help me. Help Mama. She needs water.¡±


    ¡°Ho. Granny helping bucket girl.¡± Side by side, they lifted the bucket between them. To Renalia¡¯s relief, it was much easier to handle. They marched well together, Renalia¡¯s quick, short steps keeping pace with Granny¡¯s jerky, longer ones.


    ¡°Hum. Helping Mama?¡±


    ¡°The baby. The baby¡¯s not right. Mama¡¯s in pain.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Bad.¡± This simple summary of the situation acknowledged Renalia¡¯s fear, which threatened to cause a flood of tears. But she forced it back. Even though the path back was familiar, she refused to risk it by crying. She had to make it back with the water.


    The smell hit her as they approached the hut. A coppery tang, sharp and distinct. Crouched between Mama¡¯s legs, Myfanwy turned her head towards them. ¡°Good, you¡¯re back. Wash these and boil them for a minute.¡± The midwife held out the red-soaked towels to Renalia.


    There was blood. So much blood.


    Renalia gasped, her grip loosening. Luckily, Granny let go at the same moment, letting the bucket drop without tipping over.


    With each step home, Renalia had built up an emotional dam within herself. As the bucket landed with a thump, the walls guarding her from herself shattered. Her vision clouded up, but forced herself to step forward, grabbing the towels with shaking hands.


    Anything, she told herself.


    ¡°Bad,¡± Granny said, surveying the situation. Myfanwy shifted, inviting the unexpected visitor to Mama¡¯s side. Granny checked Mama¡¯s heartbeat with one hand and patted her belly with the other. With a curt shake of her head, she concluded, ¡°Outing baby.¡±


    ¡°The father will be back soon with a healer. Then we can¨C¡±


    ¡°No. Outing baby. Now.¡± She reached backward, opening one of the pouches sewn into the knapsack on her back.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Myfanwy recognized the herbs in the old woman¡¯s pouch. ¡°Dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Granny acknowledged, gently placing her hand back on Mama¡¯s spasming belly. ¡°Now.¡±


    Myfanwy looked away from the old woman, facing Mama with clenched her fist.


    ¡°No, I can wait!¡± Mama cried, reading the look on her friend¡¯s face. She lifted a hand to push them away, but did not even have the strength to reach them.


    Renalia did not know what was going on, but she trusted the two older women to help her mother. She focused on her tasks at the washbasin. Soak the towels, wring the towels, and dump the water. Repeat. She concentrated on the actions, ignoring the color of the towels and how fast they dirtied the water.


    ¡°Good job, Renalia,¡± Myfanwy said, as she scooped some of the boiling water into a mug. ¡°Now boil the towels for a minute.¡±


    Myfanwy handed the mug to Granny and opened one of her own pouches.


    ¡°Numbingweed powder,¡± she said in response to Granny¡¯s raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Good.¡± Granny nodded.


    Myfanwy knelt next to Mama and moved Mama¡¯s sweat-soaked, red curls back. She held Mama¡¯s face and touched foreheads with her, whispering softly all the while. She then kissed Mama¡¯s forehead and took the mug back from Granny.


    ¡°Renalia, honey, why don¡¯t you go fetch some more water?¡±


    ¡°Ho. Little water,¡± Granny added. ¡°I no helping lifting.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Renalia fished out the boiling towels with a long wooden spoon and grabbed the bucket again. She glimpsed Mama sipping from the mug as she turned and went out of the hut. She had never seen anyone so heartbroken before and it pained her to see it on her Mama.


    ***


    In the far future, Renalia would write this in her memoirs:


    That night, I learned of the beauty and horror of motherhood. I learned how it bonded women, transcending cultures and bridging generations. I learned how it coerced and scarred women, breaking them physically and emotionally.


    Life and death, death and life: two sides of the same coin called birth. Unremarkable, for how commonplace it was. And absurd, for how it caused either incredible joy or devastating anguish based on a flip.


    God chose a biased coin for my mother. That night, her eighth miscarriage, changed the course of my life forever.

 Chapter 2: Decked

    Renalia sprang awake from the small pile of straw that served as her bed, eager to start the day.


    ¡°Happy Deck Day, baby!¡± her Mama said, opening her arms wide.


    Renalia hopped over on her tiptoes and jumped into her mother¡¯s hug.


    ¡°Oof,¡± Mama said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re ten already. You¡¯ve grown into a fine young lady.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Mama.¡± Renalia wished she could stay in her mother¡¯s warm embrace till breakfast was ready, but she had her duties.


    ¡°Happy Deck Day, Renya!¡± her father exclaimed. He knelt next to the fire pit, adding more lignite, the dry and compressed coal they produced from their land.


    ¡°Good morning, Papa,¡± Renalia said as she hugged him from behind. She squealed with delight as Papa suddenly stood up, wrapping her arms and legs around him as he trotted around the hut.


    ¡°Oof,¡± Papa said, ¡°you¡¯re getting too heavy for me!¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± She reached under his armpits to deliver punishment.


    Mama laughed as Papa fake-bucked from being tickled, jumping high enough to almost reach the ceiling. ¡°Renalia, can you help with wrapping lunch once Papa-horse collapses? These old eyes aren¡¯t as good as they used to be.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± she acknowledged in between whoops.


    A short while after, Renalia took over lunch assembly at the table, barely illuminated by the soft glow of the fire pit. She frowned at the four piles of barley sitting on beds of reed leaves, noticing they each had three pieces of cured fish. Mama had given her an extra portion for her birthday. Three whole pieces! Her stomach almost leapt at the sight, but she suppressed it with practiced ease.


    She glanced at her parents out of the corner of her eyes. Papa was making sure the pot of oatmeal sat correctly over the coals, while Mama poured water into the pot. She quickly snatched the fingernail-sized filets from the smallest heap and placed them with the bigger ones. And before they could notice, she wrapped each of them in reed leaves.


    She was small for her age. She didn¡¯t need to eat as much. Just the other day, she had to tilt her head up to talk to Lil¡¯ Jenny. Lil¡¯ Jenny, who was not even nine, more than a year away from getting Decked!


    Besides, she should celebrate and honor her parents on her birthday, not herself. Mama did the difficult part of giving birth to her ten years ago. And Papa had run all the way to the Manor to fetch Healer Rensto at Myfanwy¡¯s request.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get more water,¡± Papa announced.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Renalia said. ¡°I need to get stronger.¡± This was the last day of the plan she had put together two years ago.


    Back then, she had asked Chief Cian, a village elder, how she could get a strength card like her Papa. He had said the Cards reflected the heart¡¯s desire¨Cthat she should do the actions requiring strength. And all the while, she should wish that she could do more with her body.


    Father Cornelius had disagreed, saying that God rewarded the good and worthy with what they deserved. The two had continued debating, using big words that Renalia didn¡¯t understand. But she had gotten what she wanted, seeing no reason not to put both methods into practice.


    Of course, she had also asked Granny. But as was often the case with Granny, she was not sure she understood. Granny had said: ¡°Bah! Not a doing. Not a deserving. Card is what girl is. What girl was.¡±


    Outside, the sun had yet to fully chase the moon away with its radiance. The soft glow of the moon in the west still outshone the general brightening in the east. But even together, they barely lit the path to the brook.


    Nevertheless, Renalia strolled with certainty, having made this predawn trip numerous times before. With each step, she spread her toes, sinking them into the dew-coated soil and enjoying the caress of the soft earth.


    Some of the village women were also out and about at this time of day. Some milked cows. Some fetched water. Some picked berries. They all performed various chores before husbands and babies demanded their attention. Renalia had first joined their number a couple of years ago when Mama became bedridden after her last miscarriage. And she had continued ever since.


    She stretched a little after filling up the bucket with water, enjoying the sound of the bubbling brook and the squelch of mud under her feet. Straddling the bucket, she placed her forearms on the inside of her legs and grabbed the handles with both hands. She leaned back, slowly lifting the bucket then waddled back home with the bucket underneath her forearms. Good thing neither Shim nor Ullock were around to see her stumble about.


    When she got back to the hut, Papa picked up the bucket with one hand and her with the other, his arms around her stomach like she was a sack of oats.


    ¡°Ah!¡± screamed Mama. ¡°Did you purposely bury your feet in the mud?¡± She hurried over and pointed a forefinger at Renalia¡¯s dangling feet. As she mentally activated her [Cleanse] skill, the accumulated mud flew off, plopping down outside the doorway . ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear your shoes?¡±


    ¡°The mud feels nice,¡± Renalia replied sheepishly. ¡°Besides, you can clean my feet better than the shoes.¡± She stretched her toes farther apart while Mama sighed and cleansed again. She stayed silent on the third reason. So when Papa placed her down, she shuffled her feet away from the shoes, not wanting them to compare the two easily.


    While they ate the buttered oatmeal, Mama said, ¡°Take one of the barley bundles to Granny at lunch time, okay?¡±


    ¡°But I wanted to be with you guys when I get my Deck.¡±


    Papa explained, ¡°Your Mama and I talked about it last night. We know you¡¯re a patient girl¨C¡±


    ¡°But we also know you¡¯ve been waiting to get Decked for a long time,¡± Mama continued.


    ¡°And who knows when the new baron will come around to take a look at all the new Decks this year.¡±


    ¡°So you can ask Granny if she¡¯ll translate your Deck.¡±


    ¡°We believe you can trust Granny with your cards. She¡¯s been a blessing to this family.¡±


    Renalia jumped up and went around the table to hug her parents, rewarding them for the suggestion. She saw the wisdom of asking Granny, even though the thought of sharing her Deck made her cringe.


    Papa raised an eyebrow. ¡°You weren¡¯t going to experiment secretly with your cards, were you?¡±


    ¡°I will tell no lies,¡± Renalia proclaimed with her best innocent expression.


    Mama chuckled, but then gave her a serious stare. ¡°You know the rules, young lady. You know why they exist.¡±


    She did. Everybody knew what happened to the McGinness family. But she wasn¡¯t stupid like that kid, Leo McGinness. Really, who played with a [Small Flame] card next to a stockpile of coals?


    She had a good plan though.


    Granny had been teaching her to read, so she should be able to reason some of it out. And she knew the icons for the more dangerous cards, like fire, lightning, or cutting, so she could avoid those. And with some careful experimentation, she was certain she could figure everything out.


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    But, yeah, asking Granny was a better plan. Safer. She just needed to work up the courage to share.


    After breakfast, they worked on their small plot of land. Papa swung at the earth with a hoe, prying away strips of peat, the soil of decayed plant matter. Sweat ran in rivulets down the contours defined by his muscles. Against his tea-colored skin, it was reminiscent of brooks, glistening in the sun.


    Renalia took the chunks of peat and stacked them vertically against each other, forming cones. This allowed nature to evaporate and slowly drain moisture from them.


    Mama tended to their subsistence garden of oats and barley. They worked with a rhythm, interrupted occasionally by laughter or song.


    Renalia bounced on her feet as Mama dumped the packets of barley and fish from the steamer onto a plate. ¡°Wait till they¨C¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡± Renalia exclaimed, as the steam from the pouches stung her fingers.


    ¡°Renya, what did I just say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said, as she lifted the bottom of her shirt to form a bowl and scooped the two smaller bundles in, only to receive a brief, sharp stinging on her fingers. Mama rolled her eyes as Renalia kissed her on the cheek and bounded out the door.


    Renalia switched to holding the portable lunch bundles in her hands once they cooled enough, somewhat embarrassed by the puzzled stares she had been receiving from the villagers in the fields.


    All of a sudden, she felt a tingling sensation.


    It began somewhere in her navel and spread outwards: a twitching sensation, like an involuntary spasm of the muscles but not wholly physical. It came from somewhere deep within her, which she instinctively knew was her Core. The twitching slowed but grew more forceful. It culminated in a ripping sensation, not painful but not pleasant either.


    A card materialized in her mind¡¯s eye. It had a ten-pointed star burst symbol on its back, which she had seen on the cover of Father Cornelius¡¯ Bible. But it had a weird carrot color instead of the color grades that everyone was familiar with.


    She mentally flipped her Core Card, examining the text and icons. ¡°D-e¨C card¡±. She couldn¡¯t sound out the letters of the first word to form anything recognizable. The icon was also unfamiliar: a rectangle with a line connecting the upper left and bottom right corners.


    Her core pulsed, spitting out the first of her skill cards. The back of the card showed the expected white color of a common card. The two words on the front side were again unfamiliar, as was the black circle of an icon. She was slightly disappointed in not finding the curled arm symbol for Strength, but she had nine more cards to go through.


    The second card appeared next to the first one, forming a row beneath her core card. She flipped the new common card over and noticed the same words and icon as the card next to it.


    As the third card manifested, she hesitantly flipped it over, her eagerness replaced by dread. Her hands unconsciously squeezed the pouches of barley as she looked.


    It was the same.


    So was the next.


    And the next.


    Her core¡­ It was broken.


    The growing dismay dissipated as the eighth card appeared: a green uncommon!


    Her knees wobbled as she mentally turned it over, hoping with all her being to see something different. It was different, but still unfamiliar. The symbol was two red bars, one vertical and one horizontal, crossing each other in the middle. Renalia thought she might have seen it before, but before she could search through her memories, the next card appeared.


    Another uncommon! In her lifetime, nobody from the village had gotten uncommon cards as part of their first Ten. And she had two. She scrutinized the text, but could not puzzle it out. And the icon was missing. What is going on?


    Her last card¨C


    ¡°Oh look, I think little Renny got her Deck. Y¡¯all think she¡¯s squinting ¡¯cause it¡¯s baby-sized like she is?¡±


    Her face flushed and she spun, recognizing Shim¡¯s voice. She had been standing in the middle of the path, one foot still in front of the other, frozen in mid step. Shim and some of the boys her age all sat beneath a tree, taking their lunch break. He wore the same sneer he always did when talking to her.


    ¡°No! My cards are beautiful, like¡­¡± She caught herself before bragging about the color grade. They already had enough taunts to sling at her. She didn¡¯t need to energize them any further with jealousy.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Ullock mocked. Even while seated, he was a full head taller than the others. He pointed to his head. ¡°Seems like she¡¯s a couple of cards short of a full Deck.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Shim said. ¡°She couldn¡¯t afford to buy more cards.¡± The group of boys laughed with him as she turned and stomped off, her hands clamping down on her lunch.


    She seethed with righteous anger. She hated the boys. It wasn¡¯t her fault she had been born a girl. Despite pushing herself to do as much as any other boy, they never accepted her. The boys had all known each other growing up, with older siblings or cousins who had worked or played together.


    Her anger faded as the ground became softer. It had more moisture. Two years ago, Granny had situated herself just past the edge of the village, close to the bog. And even though the land was unused, it still belonged to the Manor.


    Some guy from the Manor had shown up with a scroll and started reading rules, like no hunting, no growing crops, and so on. Granny had given him the stink eye, and he had sputtered to a stop. And after an awkward silence, he had actually apologized to her before fleeing back to the Manor.


    With Myfanwy¡¯s endorsement, people had started coming to Granny for herbal remedies. And in return, they supplied her with food or helped with labor. Some villagers, including Papa, had built a lean-to for Granny. The three-sided wooden structure had a thatched roof and opened out onto the bog.


    Renalia walked around it and found Granny sitting on a rock, with a far-off look and an open book in her lap. Where does she get all these books? Renalia wondered.


    She waited for Granny to notice her before she said, ¡°Hello, Granny.¡±


    ¡°Ah, little Renya. Good noon-ing.¡±


    ¡°I bought some steamed barley, what you called zongzi, for lunch.¡± She handed the one with fish to Granny. But she froze as she saw that the triangular shape of the wrapped lunch had turned into a lump with some barley peeking out between the leaves. ¡°Ah, sorry, I held it too hard.¡±


    ¡°Ha, no problem. No judging book by cover. Yes? Inside mattering more.¡±


    ¡°Right. Granny, guess what? Today¡¯s my Deck Day.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Happy Deck Day! Very exciting.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I was wondering if you could translate my cards for me.¡± On the trek over, she had worked up the courage for this moment. She had no problems breaking rules, but taboos were much harder.


    ¡°Course, course. Granny happy helping.¡±


    ¡°Um, how do I show you my Deck?¡±


    ¡°Concentrating on Deck. Seeing with eyes.¡±


    Renalia focused on her Deck, trying to see it, not just in her mind, but with her eyes.


    Granny''s face changed from puzzlement to sadness to joy as she looked at the cards. It roughly tracked Renalia¡¯s thoughts from earlier.


    ¡°Hm. Core Card: [Delete Card].¡±


    ¡°What?! Why would I ever want to delete cards?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very strange.¡± Strange did not cover Renalia¡¯s bewilderment. She had waited so long for these cards. And her Core wanted to delete them?


    After Deck Day, each person would only receive a Card on their birthday. And on their twentieth birthday and beyond, they had the option to replace an existing Card with the new one. She had never heard of the need to delete cards. And why would she want to?


    ¡°And why is it orange? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Not knowing,¡± Granny replied and shook her head. ¡°Very strange. Very interesting.¡±


    ¡°So I have a broken card?¡± Her voice rose in a staccato.


    Granny deflated audibly while shaking her head. ¡°Not knowing. People always having Decks. But many secrets existing.¡± She muttered to herself, ¡°Not knowing. Very interesting. Need researching.¡±


    Renalia had prepared herself for possibly not getting the strength card she so desperately wanted. But never in her imaginings had she prepared for a completely useless card. She did not know what to think.


    ¡°What about the next card?¡±


    With drooped eyebrows, Granny hesitated before saying, ¡°Seven cards. [Resist Hunger].¡±


    Completely useless. Why, God? Why do you hate me so? Renalia whimpered and shut her eyes. But in the darkness, the seven cards taunted her in her mind¡¯s eye, shining with the color of bleached bone.


    ***


    It has been said that one never forgets their first Ten. Understandable, as people typically only see dozens of cards before they reach the end of their lives. Me? I have seen hundreds¨Cmaybe even thousands. I had lost track, having stopped counting so long ago.


    Even so, I see my first set with complete clarity. Each card traced the scars on my soul, mapping out life¡¯s cruel carvings year after year.


    My students have often asked me whether suffering made me who I am. I have always answered in the negative, knowing the passion of the young in their academic pursuits. Knowing more, the warmongering cruelties of man in their breeding of better weapons.


    But in the spirit of honesty, I will give my true answer here. I do not know. Moreso, I do not intend to find out. Perhaps that is a wisdom in and of itself.

 Chapter 3: Innocence Lost and Friendship Found

    ¡°In-ing breath. Out-ing breath. Girl feeling emotions. Not emotions controlling Girl. Girl knowing emotions. Not emotions being Girl,¡± chanted Granny in a calming cadence.


    Renalia let the hurt and frustration pass through her. But then a thought occurred to her. Granny knows now. Shame flooded her and her body tensed. She wanted to run and hide. But hiding won¡¯t solve anything. And all the pretense she went through, like eating slowly or sitting on her hands when they shake, none of it matters now. Because Granny knows.


    Granny repeated her litany. ¡°In-ing breath. Out-ing breath. Girl feeling emotions. Not emotions controlling Girl. Girl knowing emotions. Not emotions being Girl.¡±


    Granny hadn¡¯t said anything else and Granny was her friend. Maybe she could just continue pretending.


    She slowly opened her eyes and saw that Granny stood next to her, cane tucked under her arm and poised to catch her if she fell. ¡°Thank you, Granny.¡± She reached out, but paused, knowing Granny did not like displays of affection.


    Granny beckoned with her fingers, so Renalia enveloped her in a hug, being careful around her hunchback, not knowing if it would hurt.


    ¡°Girl feeling okay?¡± Granny asked as they drew apart and sat down.


    Renalia nodded. ¡°Is ¡­¡± Renalia hesitated, afraid to ask since she feared the answer. She rushed the words out, ¡±Is my Deck broken?¡±


    ¡°No. Baby needing early cards. Later cards being different.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. What is my eighth card? The one with the red cross.¡±


    ¡°Eighth card: [Disinfect Self Wounds]. Disinfect meaning cleaning. Good for healing.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Renalia said, without inflection. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Uncommon card good. Most evolving to Healing Self Wound. Very, very good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too good,¡± she complained. Noticing the other¡¯s confusion, she explained. ¡°The Baron will just take it at the Deck Day Ceremony.¡±


    Once a year, the Baron collected taxes from the manors within his authority. During that time, all the Deck-year children within each manor¡¯s domain must present themselves. And the Baron held the right to take one card from the new Decks among them, in exchange, exempting that new adult from taxes for one year.


    ¡°Ah, Granny forgetting. Bad custom.¡± Granny tilted her head and her fingers tapped against her cane. ¡°Girl coming with Granny?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She had gotten used to how Granny spoke, but she still had trouble deciphering it sometimes.


    ¡°Girl coming with Granny,¡± she said, ¡°Baron no taking card.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Renalia shouted, surprising both of them with her vehemence. ¡°S-sorry. I mean, I can¡¯t run away. I have to help Mama and Papa at the farm.¡±


    ¡°Parents understanding. They knowing¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Renalia said firmly, holding her palms out in refusal. ¡°They need me. Unless they can come with?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Granny answered, shaking her head slowly. ¡°Girl disappearing, people understanding. Family disappearing, people wondering.¡± She switched tactics. ¡°Girl seeing world. Going adventuring.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Renalia said, patting the other¡¯s knee. ¡°It¡¯s only one card. I don¡¯t really need it. And one year without paying taxes would really help us.¡±


    ¡°Healing valuable,¡± Granny harrumphed. ¡°Keep when needing. Hm.¡± Having made some conclusion, she pointed her walking cane at Renalia. ¡°Granny giving Girl card.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Granny giving Girl card,¡± the old woman said, banging her walking stick on the ground firmly. ¡°Girl showing Baron ten cards. Girl not showing healing card.¡±


    ¡°N-no. I can¡¯t take your card,¡± Renalia said, her voice pitched high with disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s too precious.¡±


    ¡°Bah. Granny having twenty cards. Giving Girl card first. Birthday coming. Getting new card,¡± Granny said, referring to the twenty-card deck limit.


    Renalia frowned. ¡°But what if your new card isn¡¯t as good as the old one? I can¡¯t have you take that risk.¡±


    ¡°Nah, card only okay. Healing valuable.¡±


    Renalia started opening her mouth, but Granny slammed her staff on the ground. ¡°Granny giving Girl card. No debating.¡± Granny looked at her with a steely eye. Renalia had only seen Granny so fierce once before, when a teenager had repeatedly asked for a love potion. Granny had finally ended that episode by hitting the lovesick teenager with her walking stick.


    ¡°Okay. Thanks, Granny. But¡­ How do we do that? I thought only the Order of Cards could take cards out of a Deck.¡± The Order, consisting of monks and nuns dedicated to the study of cards, accompanied the Baron to every Deck Day Ceremony. They performed the actual ritual of taking a card out of the Deck and replacing it with another card.


    ¡°Bah, Granny worrying about details.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Renalia said, surprised that Granny would go to such lengths to help her keep the disinfect card. ¡°So my other uncommon card isn¡¯t as useful? The one without an icon?¡±


    ¡°Ninth card: [Dull Emotions]. Specializing too much. Healing better.¡±


    Renalia flushed with embarrassment. Yeah, I can see why I have that in my Deck. The embarrassment turned into frustration. None of these actually help with peat harvesting.


    All her hopes depended on the last card. ¡°T-tenth card?¡± she asked with trepidation.


    ¡°Tenth card: [Restrain Impulse]. Meaning keeping self in check. Being in control of self.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Renalia growled. ¡°My Deck sucks! I can¡¯t lift more, I can¡¯t run faster, I can¡¯t create water, I can¡¯t burn things. I can¡¯t do anything with it!¡±


    Granny pointed at her with the walking stick again. ¡°Deck not sucking. Deck being Girl. And Girl being smart. Learning Deck. Using Deck. Yes?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± she said, forcing the words out. While this day had turned out much worse than she could imagine, she should not burden Granny with her disappointment. The latter had helped her so much. She grimaced, not knowing how to repay her friend.


    As if reading her thoughts, Granny said, ¡°Good. Granny helping Girl. Now Girl helping Granny.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, of course,¡± Renalia said, sitting up attentively.


    ¡°Good. Granny creating new medicine.¡± She walked to the pot simmering in the open-air firepit and ladled out a bowl of slurry. ¡°Girl trying. Telling Granny.¡±


    Renalia took the bowl, full of what looked like thick brown mud, with bits of leaves and branches. It smelled surprisingly good, though.


    ¡°No eating wood¡± Granny cautioned her, sitting back on her stone stool, a book and writing utensil in hand. ¡°Tasting?¡±


    ¡°Earthy. A good earthy.¡± She loved Mama¡¯s cooking, but this altered her taste buds. It coated her mouth and each time she thought she tasted something familiar, it changed to something else. But never anything disgusting, unlike the medicine she had in the past. ¡°It keeps on changing. Very complicated.¡±


    Granny nodded her understanding. ¡°Feeling?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Renalia replied uncertainly, ¡°warm?¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Aiming for warm.¡± She jotted some notes in the book. ¡°Finish.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Renalia ate slowly, swirling the sludge in her mouth and making sure to spit out pieces of wood. She had bitten into a bark by accident earlier and it had hit her with a jolt of flavor. It tempted her to try eating it, but Granny had said not to.


    Eating slowly also allowed her to savor each bite. She found it quite delicious, even if she didn¡¯t understand why Granny created a medicine for warmth.


    Granny added a thick white liquid from a carafe into the pot and waved Renalia over. ¡°Girl trying,¡± she said, spooning the new mixture into the bowl.


    It now had a consistency of rain runoff with dirt instead of the thick consistency of mud. ¡°Hm, creamy. Still warm.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Granny made more notes in her book. ¡°Eating some oatcakes. Washing it down.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no thanks,¡± protested Renalia. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. The medicine didn¡¯t taste bad at all.¡±


    ¡°Hum. Balancing liquid and solid. Very important.¡± Granny pushed the oatcake into her hand.


    Granny lectured while she ate, ¡°Remembering using cards. Using causing leveling. For non-commons, leveling causing upgrading.¡±


    All kids knew this, of course, but she paid special attention since Granny mentioned it. Renalia yawned and quickly waved it off lest Granny thought she¡¯s bored. ¡°I think the medicine causes sleepiness too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Possible side effect. Renya Girl lying down. Napping.¡± She pointed Renalia to her bed of straw.


    ¡°Okay, just for a bit.¡± Exhaustion washed over Renalia as she laid down, the emotional whiplash of the day having taken its toll physically. As her head hit the hay, she murmured before falling asleep, ¡°Granny, are you lea¨C¡±


    ***


    As Renya¡¯s breathing deepened, Nona, known as Granny to the villagers, helped herself to a bowl of stew. She had thrown everything she couldn¡¯t take with her into the pot: fresh and dried mushrooms; chunks of onions, leeks, cabbage, carrots, and nettles; hawthorn and elderberries; whole dandelion and comfrey; sprigs of thyme and rosemary; and leaves of parsley, mint, plantain, clover, sage, and myrrh.


    Very flavorful. And well-balanced with the heavy cream Renya had seen her pour in. Honestly, one-pot cooking was the best. Those wok-heads in the east don¡¯t know what they¡¯re missing. She did miss spicy dishes the White Pond Sect provided though. Locals here reacted to slight tingling in the mouth like they were drinking boiling water.


    Reminded of the sect, she activated her [Librarian] core card and took out the Book of Malthus from the pocket dimension around her navel. No one knew the original title of the ancient book, nor even if it had a title to begin with. They simply knew that Malthus had used it to share stories with Ginjo. Once closed, any text written in these pages would appear in the corresponding Book of Ginjo. And vice versa.


    Malthus and Ginjo had used it originally to write about the fictional adventures of King Bald. Incredibly detailed adventures among the women-folk of various races and species. Nona had read some in the past out of academic curiosity, but had quickly stopped in disgust. Really, who takes such a wonderful technological artifact and uses it to write smut.


    Nowadays, the sect harnessed its powers to pass important messages. In the two years she¡¯s been away, the only message she received came yesterday from her Core Disciple: The Council requests the presence of the Mistress Librarian ASAP.


    Her disciple had written in his perfect penmanship along the margins, small and clean. Understanding him, he had probably practiced several times on another piece of paper. He needed to choose the words and carefully align the characters so that it occupied as little space as possible.


    She imagined that he had struggled with removing the honorifics from her title, finally settling on exactly the two words in her title. He probably broke out in sweat at even considering skipping the title and reducing it further to ¡°requests your presence¡±.


    The sect had already filled the margins of half the pages in the extraordinary book. And though the sect issued many quests, no one had found a suitable replacement. Yesterday evening, she had written back in her scrawl: Go stick your head in a freshly used chamber pot.


    She opened the book now to see the almost illegible writings of the Patriarch, heavy on the page: Get your ass back here, you old crone. She chuckled softly, envisioning her disciple tossing and turning the whole night after receiving her message.


    He had probably waited outside the Patriarch¡¯s door before the sun rose, waiting to deliver her reply with baggy eyes and trembling hands. She drew a small face with tongue sticking out and closed the book, putting it back in her navel.


    She placed a blanket over Renya and shook her head, chiding herself. She prided herself on her perceptiveness, but she did not realize that her friend was little, not because of genetics, but because of starvation.


    Friend, she thought, lingering on the word. Yes. She had come to this bog a couple of years ago wanting¨Cbut not expecting¨Cto find the Star Lotus. Instead, she had found something else just as unexpected and precious.


    Oh Renya, what am I going to do with you? She knew a structured learning environment like the sect would greatly benefit the young girl. Renya was smart, and more importantly, driven. She had a level of dedication rarely seen in the young, even among the best of White Pond Sect.


    If only that drive pointed to something other than her parents and peat harvesting. Properly guided, and with the level of resources that Nona could command at the sect, Little Renya would soar.


    Nona knew Renya¡¯s parents would agree. No matter how much they would miss their daughter, they would want the best for her. Logically, taking Renya with her back to the sect made the most sense for everyone involved.


    Even future Renya would forgive her and appreciate it. Ah, I¡¯m getting weak in my old age, letting emotions, of all things, decide the matter. For she knew young Renya would hate her for it. And the world had hurt the poor girl enough¨Cshe could not bear to add to it.


    Thinking of hurt, Nona activated her [Read Book] card in tandem with [Librarian], recalling the lab journal she wrote years past titled Experimentations on Self Card Removals. She could never forget the soul wrenching sensation when she successfully removed a Card from her Deck, as if she had ripped out a piece of herself.


    And that was for a new card, barely hours old. Now, she would need to do the same for a card she had continuously activated for the past couple of years.


    Renya stirred, seeming to eat something in her dreams. Nona shook head sadly. This girl would doggedly refuse food while starving, but graciously accept being experimented on with ¡°medicine.¡± You¡¯re too good for this world, kid.


    ***


    Hunger squeezed Renalia¡¯s stomach, as it did every night. It compressed her insides to nothing, leaving a hollowed-out void in its place. A haunting emptiness that demanded to be filled. Still half asleep, Renalia bit the insides of her cheeks and tasted the familiar coppery tang. She sucked and swallowed, offering herself to the dark presence, in the secret ritual she had started long ago to appease its craving.


    She jolted awake, confused. She wasn¡¯t hungry yet. It felt weird. Granny sat not far from her surrounded by books, glancing back and forth between them. So many books! Where¨Cno, she wouldn¡¯t pry. Granny had secrets and so did she. Secrets were good, for they protected people from being hurt.


    She didn¡¯t want to interrupt Granny, so she laid there, ruminating on the events of the day. Her Deck did not turn out the way she expected it to. But it was her. She understood now the taboo against sharing. She would never go up to someone to ask them to strip naked, and decks were so much more intimate than just the physical body.


    She also understood now why her plan for a strength card would not have worked. No matter how much conscious effort she put in, it was dwarfed by her desire not to be hurt: by hunger, by poverty, by loneliness.


    So she needed a new plan. A plan that exploited the uniqueness of her Deck. Well, all except the Core Card. She didn¡¯t know what to think or do about that yet.


    Granny had emphasized using her cards often, and as fate would have it, she had the wounds to use her best card on. ¡®Disinfect¡¯¨Cshe repeated the new word in her mind. Activating it caused a brief lull in the constant stinging sensation in her mouth. She had long gotten accustomed to the discomfort, so the brief absence of it surprised her. The stinging resumed after a second¡¯s respite, though, appearing stronger due to the sharp contrast.


    [Dull Emotions] also seemed to lessen the feeling of pain, but she could feel it working more on her perception of its unpleasantness, not on the physical wound.


    [Restrain Impulse] caused a general flattening that she found hard to put into words. She would need to experiment more in the next hour, when they became available to use again.


    She could already see the usefulness of these cards, once they were leveled up to longer durations. With these three, she could push herself past what her body would usually allow, acting stronger and faster.


    In the Great McGinnis Fire last year, she had witnessed a mother lift a burning wall, allowing her children to escape their collapsed house. Granny had explained that the human body could perform exceptional feats when needed, even in the absence of cards.


    Renalia had asked how she could do it too. Granny had said that our bodies and brains typically prevented us from doing so, due to the potential damage it would cause. Renalia had observed that too. As the last of the children came out, the mother had collapsed, succumbing to various injuries.


    But she could do it now. Granny had said [Restrain Impulse] would help keep her desires in check. So maybe she could use it to remove the desire not to hurt herself¨Cjust a little bit. Just enough so that she could become stronger. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad since she could dull the pain that it would cause. And once her disinfect card evolved to healing, she could recover from any injuries.


    So she had a new plan¨Ca secret plan. It would have to join her other secrets, since she would not want to worry her parents.


    With the plan in place, she looked at her seven useless cards. She had a practiced hand at resisting hunger. She didn¡¯t need any help from the cards.


    Granny¡¯s medicine soup had filled her up, but she was intimate enough with hunger to start sensing the edges of it. She rotated through her resistance cards, focusing on how each time, when the duration faded, the hunger came back with force.


    But with numerous quick repetitions, she could tell that the hunger did not increase. It came across strong because it was not the gradual ramp up in hunger that a person normally experiences. It hit with a sudden jump from not-hungry to yes-hungry.


    ¡°Ah, Girl being awake. Readying for card?¡±


    Renalia opened her mouth to protest again, but she saw the determination in her friend. The same resoluteness that she herself felt when a sacrifice needed to be made for the greater good.


    ¡°Yes, Granny,¡± she said simply.

 Chapter 4: Friendship Lost and Card Gained

    The sun had traveled past its zenith and cast long shadows from the shack into the bog. Renalia lifted the blanket and a cold blast of wind caused her to shiver. Granny waved it off, indicating she should keep it on her.


    ¡°Girl using cards?¡± Granny asked.


    ¡°Yes, I tried the cards while you were busy. They only last a second, though. Am I supposed to do anything else while I wait for them to be active again?¡±


    ¡°No. Using whenever possible. Every waking hour. Tonight, lasting ten seconds. Couple of days, lasting one minute. Week, lasting ten minutes. Couple months, lasting twenty minutes. Year, lasting thirty minutes.¡±


    Renalia nodded, secretly vowing to wake herself up at night to speed it up. ¡°So eventually I¡¯ll never feel hungry again.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Granny disagreed sharply. ¡°Not feeling hungry. But body needing food.¡±


    Renalia startled and shrank further into the blanket at the rebuke. She only intended to talk about cards, not the other stuff.


    ¡°Girl listening Granny. Suppressing cards temporary. Hunger important. Emotions important. Impulses important. Girl listening self.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I only meant¨C¡±


    ¡°Knowing what you meant. Wanting strength? Eating. Wanting peace? Dealing with frustration. Wanting¨C¡±


    ¡°Wanting you to stay!¡± Renalia shouted. Silence intruded between them, an unwelcome stranger invited by her words.


    In the past two years, an easy friendship had developed between the child and the wise woman. Renalia had found, in her mother¡¯s savior, an adult who enjoyed her endless questions about Decks. In lessons about cards, letters, and numbers, Renalia had bloomed under the brilliance of Granny¡¯s tutelage.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving, aren¡¯t you?¡± she whispered, hesitant to dispel the uneasy silence. But she must know, even if it signified replacing a hazy future with a certain dark one.


    ¡°Yes. Granny coming here. Not meaning staying. Not meaning forming relationships,¡± Granny said. ¡°But happy knowing Girl. Girl best thing happening to Granny here. Wishing Girl came with.¡±


    Renalia swayed, one of the pillars of her life crumbling. She forced back the urge to plead, knowing it would only cause distress without changing anything.


    Granny reached up and around her neck, lifting a leather necklace. She placed it over Renalia¡¯s head. ¡°If Girl going Central Kingdom, coming find Granny.¡±


    Renalia nodded, not trusting herself to answer. On the necklace dangled a wooden pendant, which boasted an etching of an open book. She clutched it tightly, willing herself not to cry. It was the first thing she ever owned, but a poor replacement for something lost. ¡°Will you visit sometime?¡±


    ¡°Not likely. But nothing written.¡±


    When Renalia¡¯s cards were ready for use, the two of them sat cross-legged on the ground, facing each other. As Granny had instructed, Renalia recalled the times in their past when the two of them had gone to gather herbs, focusing on the joy when they found what they wanted. Meanwhile, Granny closed her eyes and concentrated on materializing her [Find Herb] card.


    Despite Granny¡¯s warnings, the turmoil apparent in the old woman still shocked Renalia. The latter strained, her entire body tense. She reached around her navel and pinched, slowly forcing out a card the color of moss while her whole body broke out in a sweat.


    ¡°Uncommon? I can¡¯t take an uncommon from you.¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± Granny commanded with urgency.


    It whipped Renalia into action as she snatched the [Find Herb] card. She coerced it into her core, activating [Restrain Impulse] and [Dull Emotions] when it brushed against her being. But even past the barrier, she struggled to retain the card, her very soul rebelling against its foreignness. As Granny had advised, she visualized expanding her spirit, imagining the delight of finding new herbs.


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    After a moment of meditation, the card finally settled, forming a new row beneath her first set of ten. As Granny had suggested, she practiced visualizing ten cards, replacing the healing card with the herb card. To her dismay, she found it more difficult than anticipated. Either eleven cards showed, with one of them looking fuzzy, or ten cards showed with one of them obviously on a lower row.


    ¡°Remembering. Expecting seeing ten cards. So Girl showing ten cards. Lying not about telling untruth. Not about hiding truth. Lying best when believing lying as version of truth.¡± Renalia smirked at Granny¡¯s instructions. Her parents had approved of her learning from Granny, but that probably didn¡¯t include life lessons on lying.


    Together, they walked to the village square, Granny¡¯s [Sun Orb] hovering above them, providing ample light and warmth. Renalia needed neither, though. Due to familiarity with the path, she could have found her way back with her eyes closed. And she did not feel the cool breeze, absorbed with Granny¡¯s new topic of White Pond Sect.


    As they neared the square, Granny warned, ¡°No telling. Secret between friends, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes. No telling, secret between friends,¡± Renalia repeated.


    Earlier in the day, while Renalia¡¯s puzzled over materializing her Cards, Chief Cian had interrupted them seeking succor from a recent foot fungus flare-up. Granny had given more medicine that he needed, announcing that she planned to go back home that very night.


    He had tried to convince her to stay, but Granny had given him a steely stare. Renalia had covered a smile behind her hands, knowing better than to test Granny¡¯s resolve. He had convinced her to attend a farewell party before she left, though.


    Villagers crowded the town square. More people than even for Sunday Church. It seemed like the entire village had received word of Granny¡¯s leaving and hastily assembled a farewell party.


    At first, various villagers approached, trying to get Granny to remain with them. But after grumblings about ¡°kids needing her¡±, word spread and the villagers kept up the pretense. They wished her kids well, even though nobody had ever heard her mention kids before.


    Renalia stayed glued to Granny like a newborn duckling, as if the latter would vanish as soon as she lost sight of her. Granny spent most of the night offering final guidance on various ailments.


    As the night wound down, Granny chatted with Mama, pressing a pouch into Mama¡¯s reluctant hand when she finished. Mama had glanced worriedly at Renalia several times while Granny whispered at her. So Renalia had a good guess as to what Granny had said. Thankfully, her card leveled up, allowing her ten seconds of dulled emotions.


    The next day was Manor¡¯s Day. It was a day of the week when the serfs, which most of the villagers were, worked the lord¡¯s fields as part of their rental contract. The requirement covered able-bodied adults over the age of ten.


    Renalia had joined their numbers when she was eight, though. She had no siblings to care for, and the work started with a small breakfast and ended with a hearty dinner. These served as a major attraction for her, as she received full servings of food even as a child.


    She used to look forward to Manor¡¯s Day, but in recent months, irritation had replaced her satisfaction at doing a good day¡¯s work. Ullock first, followed by Shim, had Decked and joined the work crew.


    The former, large and muscular for his age, bent down and grabbed a chunk of peat, tossing it up at her. His size had always intimidated her a little, the two of them representing two opposite ends of the growth spectrum. He had never been physically violent, but after getting his Deck, he had an edge of rage to him.


    At the top of the mound, she restrained her impulse to dodge and caught the chunk of peat. It smacked into her palms, causing her to grimace. She hid her face from Shim by looking down and stacking the peat by her feet. The two of them took turns receiving the peat and stacking them, allowing gravity to compress the dried turf into charcoal.


    As Ullock tossed the next chunk to Shim, she swore it hit him with less force. What had she ever done to Ullock to deserve this treatment? Even so, she still would have preferred to have Ullock up here instead of Shim. Ullock never spoke with her much, but Shim never seemed to shut up. Seeing him open his mouth again, she activated [Dull Emotions].


    Shim stacked his peat and needled her, ¡°So you finally drove Granny away with your questions, huh?¡±


    ¡°At least she said goodbye. Your big brother didn¡¯t say anything before he ran off,¡± she responded. She was just as good at insults as he is. She caught the next chunk of peat and stacked it.


    Shim spat at her feet. ¡°At least I have a brother. Your Mama had you then tore her womb out rather than have another.¡±


    Her gaze turned red as his words punched deep into her shame. Her [Dull Emotions] card expired, and unsettled by his words, all the exasperation and grief from the previous day snuck past her defenses.


    Before she knew it, she had her hands wrapped around his throat, strangling and shaking him. ¡°You take that back!¡± The shock in his eyes shocked her, too. But before she could release him and apologize, she saw a chunk of peat flying toward them. She screamed and dodged, but tangled up with Shim, she lost her balance. The two of them tumbled from the mound.


    She quickly used [Disinfect Self Wounds] on her scrapes and stood up. But Shim lay there screaming, his arm bent underneath him at an unnatural angle.

 Chapter 5: New Beginnings

    The village depended on the bog for two primary products, both taking millennia to produce. Dead and decomposed plants waited for them to harvest as turf, which they turned into compressed peat blocks. Dead and reanimated animals came for them to reap as boglings, which they turned into supple and strong leather.


    Hunters usually patrolled the edges of the mire, catching the boglings as they emerged from the acidic waters of the bog. Occasionally however, a quick hare or sneaky fox would slip past the patrols, heading for the village to devour the living.


    For nothing defines the dead better than their desire for life.


    And even though they were still small animals, the bog transformed them, making them stronger, faster, and tougher. Worst of all, the dead do not die easily.


    So when someone screamed, the villagers grabbed hoes, spades, and rakes¨Cwhatever long tool they had lying about¨Cand swarmed towards the noise. If a bogling got loose among the children, the results would be disastrous. But as they arrived at the screaming, they stood dumbfounded, not expecting a little girl crouched over a little boy.


    ¡°I-I-I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Renalia shouted, as the adults formed a half ring around them, gathered like they were witnessing a climatic scene from a play. She reached for Shim, but not knowing whether to turn or lift him, her hands hovered and shook around him. She wished Granny had not left; Granny would have known what to do.


    ¡°Shim, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Shim had stopped screaming, but he grimaced and turned his head, not meeting her eyes. Somehow, that simple gesture hurt her more than her physical injuries. ¡°Please, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Myfanwy squeezed past the wall of onlookers, and said without looking back, ¡°Geordie and Donaldson with me.¡± The two men she had just pushed past followed along.


    ¡°Hang in there, Shim,¡± Myfanwy said, ¡°everything will be alright¡±. She parceled out some numbingweed powder on a piece of paper. ¡°Geordie, waterskin.¡±


    Renalia sat back, hugging her knees. Myfanwy took charge of administering to Shim and, some time later, Chief Cian went around interviewing witnesses.


    ¡°The facts of the matter are thus,¡± Chief Cian said. ¡°Renalia had lunged at Shim, causing both of them to fall and the latter to break his arm. As neither of them deemed it necessary to explain the original incident¡±¨Che frowned at both of them¨C¡°I find Renalia solely at fault.¡± No one spoke, but many among the crowd nodded in agreement.


    ¡°And so, my recommendations are thus. Renalia is to minister to Shim, as Myfanwy directs. Additionally, for the length of his recovery plus one week, Renalia is to stay with the Ongock¡¯s, taking over all of his chores and responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Renalia and Shim¡¯s father shouted at the same time. He briefly glanced at her, then addressed Chief Cian. ¡°She hurt my son. And now I¡¯m supposed to house and feed her?¡±


    ¡°Her family will reimburse you for the food, Malchim. But you will house her and treat her as a guest. I do not think Renalia will shirk her duties, but you can inform us if she does.¡±


    Shim¡¯s father seemed to accept, though a frown still creased his face. Shim, standing next to him with his arm in a splint, still looked pained but offered no response. Renalia had her own objections, though. ¡°I can¡¯t leave my family. I¨C¡±


    ¡°No, Renalia,¡± Papa said from behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve wronged Shim and must make it right. When you incur a debt, you must pay it back.¡±


    Chief Cian glanced between the two families. ¡°This is only my recommendation, of course. If either family disagrees, we will need to involve the Bailiff.¡±


    Renalia kept silent, as the mention of the Bailiff brought a note of finality to the conversation. While Chief Cian held no official position, the villagers valued and respected his wisdom. On the other hand, the Bailiff was an unknown quantity. He may very well punish everyone for making him trek out here and deal with such a trivial matter.


    Renalia leaned against the fence outside of the Ongocks¡¯ cottage, catching her breath. The vapors from her breath formed a fog cloud around her, faster than the wind could dissipate. She had finished both her own and Shim¡¯s shift for Manor Day, staying after most had left. She had rushed here in the dark of night, heeding Papa¡¯s warning to obey and not anger Shim¡¯s father, Malchim. It was late, and she did not know when the Ongocks¡¯ would go to bed.


    She gathered her courage and knocked softly on the door. It yielded a crisp tat-tat, instead of the hollow phap-phap she was used to. After a while¨Clong enough that she debated whether she should knock again¨CShim opened the door a crack. Seeing her, he held a finger to his lips and opened the door wider to let her in. The cottage blanketed her in light and heat through the doorway.


    The front door opened into the kitchen and dining hall. The kitchen ran along the right wall, every inch covered with counters, cabinets, or pans hanging on hooks. An imposing clay oven bisected the wall. It faced the fireplace at the opposite end of the house, engaged in their nightly competition to provide warmth. Small bundles of blankets around the hearth declared a clear winner.


    Renalia stood at the edge of the doorway, eyeing the pristine wooden planks that lined the floor. The Church had a wooden floor too. But the worshippers had long since sanded down the boards underfoot, such that the seams were no longer discernible. It never occurred to her that people¡¯s houses also had wooden floors.


    ¡°Well,¡± Shim whispered, ¡°what are you waiting for?¡± Noticing her toes in their nervous twitching, he sighed. ¡°Oh, for Heaven¡¯s sake.¡± He pointed at her feet and the accumulated dirt from the day¡¯s work flew off. Her mouth gaped, shocked equally at finding out Shim had the same card as Mama and at seeing a boy doing what she always thought of as women¡¯s work.


    She hid her eyes behind her bangs as she walked past him, doubly embarrassed now that he knew the source of her embarrassment for standing there. She should have walked in like she belonged, tracking dirt all over the place. They can make me stay here, but they can¡¯t make me¨Cno, Papa said to be nice.


    Once in the kitchen, she turned in place while looking around, amazed both by its spaciousness and the amount of cookware it contained. Her whole hut could fit in the kitchen. And why would any family need more than one pot? She quickly recovered and pretended she was trying to find some water to mix Shim¡¯s pain medication with.


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    They didn¡¯t speak much while she prepared the herbal mixture, nor when he drank it. Afterwards, he pointed to one of the two open piles of straw, and they joined the other three bundles around the hearth. Renalia had never slept around so many people, nor felt so alone.


    Renalia woke and performed her usual morning tasks in a new household. Or, at least, she tried to. But she suffered a solid defeat as the drawers and cabinets conspired together to prevent her from finding anything. Her fumbling woke Shim, who directed her to prepare the oatmeal their way¨Cwith lots of fruits and nuts.


    She marveled at the clay oven. It contained the flames and allowed her to maneuver more freely. And it focused the heat, cooking the oatmeal faster than she expected. So simple, and yet, such an improvement over the wild, uncontrolled fire pit.


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± he said, tasting it when she finished. ¡°Grab a bowl.¡± He filled it up and handed it back to her. Leaning the ladle against the pot, he stretched his right hand out and curled his fingers slightly. An empty bowl from the table flew into his hand. While filling it, he told her, ¡°You can start eating. We do not need to wait for the others.¡±


    Renalia pondered the oatmeal, almost twice the size of what she usually had. Is all of this for breakfast? That can¡¯t be right, especially since we didn¡¯t prepare lunch. But why did Shim ladle lunch out into the bowl instead of leaving it in the pot? Is it to clean the pot after breakfast? But they have so many pots. Oh, maybe¨C


    ¡°Is something wrong? Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Shim asked, sitting opposite her at the table.


    ¡°Oh, I was just wondering about the leftovers.¡±


    ¡°What leftovers?¡±


    ¡°You know, for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really are poor.¡± Renalia flushed, shame and anger rising in equal measure. She opened her mouth for a quick retort, but Shim raised a hand to forestall her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Um, we have dried jerky for lunch. This is breakfast.¡±


    Renalia stuffed the oatmeal in her mouth. She hoped that keeping it busy with chewing would prevent her from making more stupid comments. She had been so close to saying something nasty about Shim¡¯s mom. She would be nice, like Papa told her to, but Shim always brought out the worst in her. Stupid boy.


    Shim¡¯s younger siblings woke up and joined them. They all spoke in hushed tones, not wanting to disturb their father. Renalia assumed he slept in one of the two rooms at the back of the cottage.


    The youngest, a girl about six named Minnie, asked, ¡°Are you our new Mommy?¡±


    Renalia choked and sputtered. ¡°Ah, no. I¡¯m Shim¡¯s¡±¨Cshe fumbled for a word but could not find anything suitable¨C¡±friend.¡± It left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, ruining the nuts she had been munching on.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± said Marcy, the oldest Ongock girl at age nine. ¡°Shim only has boy friends.¡± She squinted at Renalia. ¡°You¡¯re that little girl Shim talks about all the time.¡±


    Now it was Shim¡¯s turn to choke and sputter. ¡°I do not!¡± He talks about me?


    ¡°Ah,¡± said Sammy, the younger brother after Marcy, ¡°the tiny girl without any friends.¡±


    ¡°Alright guys,¡± Shim started saying, ¡°that¡¯s enough¨C¡±


    But at the same time, Marcy winked at Minnie and said, ¡°Not a Mommy, but maybe we¡¯re getting a new sister.¡±


    Minnie¡¯s face lit up, and she whispered a soft ¡°yay¡± while Sammy whined, ¡°But I don¡¯t want another sister.¡±


    One of the doors in the back flung open. ¡°What¡¯s all this ruckus?¡± Shim¡¯s father, Malchim, shouted. He stumped heavily into the room, squeezing his brows with a hand.


    ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± the kids around Renalia said in unison. She almost followed suit, but it would have sounded weird after everyone had already said it.


    Shim¡¯s father pointed at her. ¡°You, get me some breakfast.¡± As he sat down, he continued, ¡°You¡¯ll clean up after we finish. And after that, you¡¯ll fetch me a bogling.¡±


    Renalia froze at the pot, uncertain how to respond.


    ¡°She just got her deck,¡± Shim said, ¡°and she doesn¡¯t know how to hunt.¡±


    Malchim slammed a palm down on the table, causing Renalia to nearly drop the bowl she was carrying over. ¡°Was I talking to you, boy?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Sorry, sir.¡± The other kids sat motionless and silent, staring intently at their oatmeal, some of which had spilled onto the table.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. She knows how to fight. Broke your arm, didn¡¯t she?¡± He sneered and snatched his bowl of oatmeal from Renalia, who stood frozen nearby. ¡°Go catch a bogling later and don¡¯t come back until you do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she whispered softly. Oh my God, he means to kill me.


    Renalia followed Shim outside after she finished cleaning up. She labored to keep up with Shim¡¯s purposeful steps. ¡°Shim,¡± she said to his back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I broke your arm. I was angry at you, but I never meant to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he replied without turning. ¡°I know it was an accident. I¡¯m sorry about what I said about your mother. She¡¯s a nice lady and I can tell she loves you.¡± He stopped in front of the kennel.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said to his back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your brother leaving. I didn¡¯t ¡­ ¡± She paused, struggling and failing to find the right words. However, she knew no words that captured the enormity of the situation. Her world had always contained a loving Papa and a loving Mama. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± He reached for the kennel door, but held on to it instead of opening it, as if for support.


    She almost reached for him, but did not understand how to help. ¡°Why don¡¯t you run away also?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he answered, hanging his head. ¡°Not until I can take them with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Their conversation weaved through a delicate landscape, stepping close to various emotional quicksand. But Renalia deliberately refrained from using her cards, saving them for the bogling hunt. Plus, Granny had said not to ignore her emotions. She just wished it wasn¡¯t this hard.


    Shim turned to question her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run away? I¡¯m sure, if you asked, Granny would have taken you with her. Away from this sad life.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t abandon my parents. It¡¯s-it¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°It was different for me too, before my mom died. Before my dad turned to drink ¡­ ¡± He looked so tired and sad that Renalia almost wished for the old Shim instead¨Cthe one that would laugh and hurl insults at her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I owe them.¡±


    ¡°Owe them? We don¡¯t owe them anything! Our parents gave birth to us, but that doesn¡¯t mean they own us.¡±


    In response to Shim''s raised voice, a dog whined from behind the kennel''s door. ¡°Ah, never mind,¡± Shim said as he opened the kennel door. ¡°Meet Boogie, he¡¯ll help you track down the boglings.¡±


    A large wolfhound bounded out. It had shaggy gray and brown fur and stood tall enough to look her in the eye. ¡°Boogie, meet Renalia.¡± Boogie ¡°met¡± her by sticking his nose directly into the nook of her neck and licking upward on her face.


    It tickled fiercely and Renalia laughed, losing her stability and sliding down to the ground. Boogie followed, sticking his wet nose at her unprotected side. Renalia squealed with delight and Boogie jumped back, only to lunge forward again when she quieted down.


    And so Renalia discovered the magic of a dog¡¯s tongue, powerful enough to wipe away all negative emotions.

 Chapter 6: First Hunt

    While Renalia played with the dog, Shim went into the kennel. He re-emerged with a makeshift spear made from the branch of an ash tree. But instead of an actual spearhead, the head was a dagger attached with straps of black bogling leather.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell my dad I have this,¡± Shim said, handing her the spear.


    Renalia nodded, understanding his need for a secret weapon if he ran away from home. She held the spear close to her body, blocking the line of sight from the cottage.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly hide it when I¡¯m walking around, though. Isn¡¯t it safer to use your regular spear? I promise I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a regular spear,¡± he answered. ¡°I haven¡¯t earned it yet. Besides, it¡¯s more of a symbol and last line of defense. You¡¯re not meant to spear the boglings with it. It¡¯s difficult to get through their tough hide sometimes.¡±


    ¡°But, then how do you hunt?¡±


    ¡°I simply carry the equipment and any carcasses. My cards have not leveled enough to hunt with yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Renalia said. It came out as more of a whimper, though. Not only have her cards not leveled enough, but they are also singularly unsuitable for hunting.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Shim said as he saw her distress, ¡°Boogie can take down small prey by himself. Just run if they¡¯re bigger than he is. They¡¯re usually not that fast. And keep the boglings distracted so they don¡¯t try to bite him. Take this too, just in case.¡±


    He reached to unbuckle his leather belt, which held a sheathed knife. But he struggled to do it with one hand. Renalia leaned the spear against her body and helped, embarrassed. Of all the things to happen this morning, helping a boy undo his pants still stood out as particularly unexpected.


    Once they clumsily removed the belt, Shim quickly turned his attention to Boogie. His attempts to hide his red face behind the dog did not succeed, but Renalia avoided looking at him too, concentrating on putting the belt around her waist.


    He slipped a harness of bogling leather over the dog¡¯s head, resting it on the back and hanging down the sides. The dog stood attentively, all sense of playfulness gone, as Shim crouched to tie the straps under the dog¡¯s chest. But he found it difficult to accomplish with only one working hand. Putting the spear down, Renalia knelt to help out.


    On the other side of the dog, Shim said, ¡°I¡¯ll sneak some food and put it in the kennel. You can stay there, just in case, you know ¡­¡± Their hands briefly touched around the straps and he quickly withdrew.


    ¡°Why?¡± Renalia started asking, but paused as Shim stood up and looked down at her. Why are you being so nice to me?


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Um, why is he called Boogie?¡±


    ¡°Well, when we got him a couple of years ago, he liked to eat everything,¡± Shim said while picking at his arm splint. ¡°So I wondered if he¡¯d eat boogers too.¡±


    ¡°You named him after boogers?¡± Renalia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Shut up. I was just a kid. And he liked them just fine.¡±


    ¡°Stupid boys,¡± Renalia muttered under her breath.


    Renalia ruminated on the past couple of hectic days as she followed Boogie. The fear and nervousness at hunting having long faded, siphoned away by the lack of attacks. Her cautious approach in passing any bush or puddle, at first, seemed silly now.


    Many times she had visited Granny, close to the bog, and had never spotted a bogling. Besides, she had a massive wolfhound to give warning. And she had a spear from Shim for protection.


    Shim. What is going on with that boy?


    She understood, of course, why they picked on her. Her family was relatively new to the village, refugees from the previous war. They also had fewer belongings than other folks.


    And she appreciated what really rankled the villagers. Despite Papa¡¯s physical stature and bearing, he refused to take up arms to defend against any bogling incursions.


    Beyond her family, she also stood out, being much smaller than the other children. And she had inherited from Papa, albeit diluted, a slight brownish tinge to her skin.


    ¡®Mud Baby¡¯, the children had called her. When she asked, Papa had said that she was who she was, that nothing they said made her less.


    She loved her Papa, but he didn¡¯t understand what it was like to be attacked. So she had fought. Every insult they threw at her, she fired one back. Every prank they tried to pull on her, she destroyed, without letting them recognize it bothered her. Pretty soon after, only Shim and Ullock still bullied her.


    It never devolved into physical fights, though. If Shim had tried to choke her, she¡¯d choke him right back. So she had been on edge since last night, waiting for him to retaliate. But it never came. Instead, it almost appeared like he was being nice to her.


    It must be the pain medication. Myfanwy had said it may make him ¡®disoriented¡¯. When Renalia asked what it meant, she had said ¡®confused¡¯. So maybe he forgot they were enemies.


    She shook her head, clearing her thoughts of Shim. That¡¯s not important now; instead, she focused on her cards. After they had leveled the first time, small numbers had appeared on the bottom corner of the cards.


    After two level-ups, [Disinfect Self Wounds] had a ten on the bottom right corner. Ten activations per rolling hour, or one every six minutes, if she spaced it out. She wasn''t sure exactly how it worked, but she noticed her scrapes from the fall yesterday scabbed over and healed faster than expected.


    Her only other usage-based card, Granny¡¯s [Find Herb], currently had a zero. It appeared dim, indicating she could not use it right now. She had been using it whenever it became active, heeding Granny¡¯s advice on leveling her cards as quickly as possible.


    Even though it¡¯s an uncommon grade, she couldn¡¯t imagine the Baron finding it enticing enough to take from her. A year¡¯s worth of taxes refunded seemed a poor trade compared to some herbs. ¡®Preposterous,¡¯ as Chief Cian liked to say.


    The duration-based [Dull Emotions] and [Restrain Impulse] cards now both had sixty on the bottom left. She had a bank of sixty seconds for those cards, which she¡¯d have to manage actively while in battle. This worried her the most.


    When she had lunged at Shim, she had lost herself, her anger swamping conscious thought. Would fear do the same? Would she panic and lose control?


    Her [Resist Hunger] cards all had zeros in the bottom left. She couldn¡¯t imagine keeping any of them once she got to four full hands, or twenty cards. But she might as well get some benefit from them in the meantime.


    Besides, she liked it when the numbers go up. So she drew upon them diligently, gaining as much experience with them as her more useful cards.


    Boogie¡¯s low rumbling growl snapped her attention back to the bog. He snarled at the water line, hackles raised and body tensed.


    Stolen story; please report.


    She approached cautiously, spear pointed at where he barked. A few bubbles broke the surface, but her sight could not pierce through the murkiness of the turbid water.


    Suddenly, a dark shadow breached the water, shooting through the air. Boogie leapt after it, then tried to turn in midair as it zipped past faster than anticipated. It headed straight toward her.


    She instinctively tried to back away and bring up the spear to block. But [Dull Emotions] drove the panic away and provided her a spark of clarity. She restrained her original impulse to back away and dove forward instead, landing on hands and knees. The black bogling shot past where her head had been a half-second ago.


    A brush of wind across her right side indicated that Boogie had landed and rushed past toward the bogling. She pushed with her hands and pivoted on all fours, her legs swinging around while sliding across the top of the shallow water.


    The bogling also landed, pausing long enough so she could see it was a reanimated hare. The bog had enhanced its physical attributes, so it stood almost two feet tall, not counting the ears, and was almost twice that in length.


    The wolfhound and the bogling ran at each other in a game of chicken. They ran at full speed, paws barely touching the ground, each believing themselves to be the predator.


    Renalia jumped forward, but her feet slipped on the mud and she floundered at the edge of the water. Boogie¡¯s jaws snapped at the hare as they closed in on each other. But he caught only air as the hare, with a push from one leg, dodged to the side. And with a push with the other leg, like a spring unleashed, propelled it forward again, with almost no loss in momentum.


    Straight towards Renalia.


    ¡°Bogling¡¯s butt,¡± Renalia swore as she scrambled upright. On some level, she grasped that fear coursed through her and she wanted to run. But that felt far away, like it was happening to some other Renalia. This Renalia planted her feet wide, knees slightly bent, and hands wide apart, with her right hand almost at the butt of the spear.


    At the village¡¯s Midsummer Festival last year, the spear dance performed by some hunters had mesmerized her. For several days after that, she had played at being one of them using a stick she found. She had a lot of fun until Shim and Ullock saw her one day and laughed. And laughed. And laughed.


    Now she fell into the stance naturally and without thought. Her focus narrowed down to just the dead hare and keeping the spearhead on target while it moved. It approached unnaturally fast, with bog-enhanced strength lengthening its hops.


    Time seemed to slow, and expecting it, she caught the moment the hare side-stepped to avoid the spear. She shifted her feet slightly and her right hand pivoted the spear, with her left hand acting as a fulcrum.


    She was successful, as the spear continued to track the hare as it leapt at her. But, noticing its imminent impalement on the dagger, the bogling contorted unnaturally. It drew its paws in, twisted at the spine, and with a final kick, changed its trajectory in midair. From three feet away, it opened its mouth in anticipation of plunging its abnormal fangs into Renalia¡¯s belly.


    Working on instinct, Renalia stepped back and placed the spear across her body to block. Just in time too, as the shaft caught the bogling¡¯s open mouth with a satisfying clunk.


    But the force of the impact forced Renalia to take a step back. Again, the slippery footing threatened to make her fall, but her trailing lower leg had sunk deep into the mud, and the resistance it provided helped anchor and stabilize her.


    The bogling hung on the shaft with its incisors, turning its forward momentum into a rotation. The movement whipped its hind legs toward her midsection. Unlike regular hares, the bog transformation had given this hare long black claws, sharp enough to break the skin and cut muscles. She quickly pushed the spear and attached bogling away, sending them right into the pursuing Boogie.


    Before the bogling could react, Boogie¡¯s jaws snapped shut on its rear leg. The hare opened its mouth in a silent scream, and Renalia lurched forward to snatch her spear back before it could fall into the mud. Well, that worked out better than expected.


    She deactivated her cards as Boogie shook the bogling, surprised at seeing the ¡°47¡± on the lower left. Only thirteen seconds have passed.


    Fright, anxiety, excitement, and relief flooded her system, almost causing her knees to buckle. But she was ready for this. She fought through the overwhelming desire to flee and took a step forward with determination, disengaging herself from the muddy shore.


    The wolfhound continued to shake his capture enthusiastically, trying to snap its spine. But the bog magic¡¯s enhancements had reinforced both the hare¡¯s skin and bone. And unlike a prey¡¯s desire to scramble free and escape, the bogling¡¯s killing instinct drove it to claw and bite.


    None of the attacks hit the dog yet, for it was a seasoned pro, wrenching the hare¡¯s body to and fro in constant motion. But Renalia approached with worry, having witnessed the bogling¡¯s ability to force its body into difficult positions.


    She could not see how to help, though. From what she knew, bogling leather was much tougher than normal leather. So she doubted that a quick thrust of the spear would pierce the thick hide of the hare. And a more powerful thrust with a long windup held too much risk of hitting Boogie instead.


    Taking Shim¡¯s advice, she let the dog do the fighting, while standing ready to provide a distraction. To her relief, the wolfhound¡¯s muscular mouth powered through the bogling¡¯s tough hide, and she heard a satisfying snap as the hare¡¯s spine broke.


    Relief turned to horror, as unrestrained by a spine, the front half of the bogling extended. With the longer reach, it scored a scratch on the dog¡¯s snout with its claw, precariously close to the eye.


    ¡°Boogie, let go!¡± Renalia shouted. The wolfhound, either not hearing her or deeming it bad advice, continued his aggression. She activated her cards, stretching the moment out. Her vision clarified, and the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears lessened.


    The bogling craned its neck, seeking a weak spot. She perceived with cold certainty that it would succeed this time. She must get it away from Boogie. So she dropped the spear to free her hands and lunged forward.


    The hare hurled its fanged mouth at Boogie¡¯s unprotected neck, now within its reach. ¡°Let go!¡± Her left hand slipped on the bogling¡¯s wet back, but her right hand found purchase on the scruff of its neck. She yanked right as Boogie released, causing the bogling¡¯s bite to miss narrowly.


    The hare turned and pummeled her with its legs. Even though the broken spine no longer provided it with the leverage for powerful kicks, the claws were still sharp enough to cut through cloth and skin, raking along her ribs.


    She had to stop it and she knew exactly how to do it. Turning, she leapt and slammed the bogling down into the mud. It wouldn¡¯t drown, but the thick sludge slowed down its struggles. While pushing it deeper down with her right hand, she reached for Shim¡¯s knife with her left.


    Boogie growled next to her, uncertain how to help. But she didn¡¯t need the assistance, since the earth held on to the hare in a tenacious grip, as if it knew the hare belonged underground. She had the bogling pinned with her right hand and splayed out with her knees.


    She raised the knife high above her and stabbed down with all her might. Again and again. Enough of her strikes punctured through, causing the horrible magic of the bog to leak out.


    The doubly dead hare ceased its struggles, and she deactivated her cards. Only seven seconds left on the cards. Exhilaration inundated her, and she stayed kneeling on all fours, enjoying the relief.


    But as the adrenaline left her system, the wounds on her chest and stomach started throbbing. And more worryingly, she felt a sharp pang on her right wrist. She crawled towards a deeper patch of water, heedless of tracking through the muck.


    The dirty water did well enough in washing away the thick mud. Even through the muddied waters, she could spot a tinge of red. As she lifted her wrist, dark red blood flowed freely from a gash that the bogling must have opened with its fangs.


    Without thinking, she slapped her left hand around the wound and winced at the sudden pain. The red seeped between her fingers and oozed around her hand, as if eager for freedom from the confines of her body, unstoppable like a cracked egg.


    There was so much blood.


    No, it can¡¯t end this way, she screamed in her mind. My life just started!


    She activated both of her important cards, along with a burst of disinfection. It lessened the pain and panic, but did not help otherwise.


    She struggled to tie her shirt around her wrist, the flimsy cloth unwieldy with one hand. Worse, the cool wind on her wet skin, compounded by blood loss and panic, caused her hands to shiver. By the time she tied it around her wrist, the thin makeshift bandage had already become saturated with blood.


    She deactivated her cards and slumped.


    I¡¯m sorry Mama. I¡¯m sorry Papa. I¡¯m sorry for being such a disappointment.


    The wolfhound whined beside her. ¡°It¡¯s okay Boogie. You¡¯re okay. You did good. You¡¯re a good boy.¡± She reached back around, grabbed the dead bogling by its ears, and dragged it into the water, submerging it.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, biting back a sob. She lifted the less muddy ears out toward the dog, who stood on a bank overlooking the waterline. ¡°Take this back to Shim. Let them know that I at least tried to pay my debts.¡±


    Boogie dragged the carcass from her, but after successfully getting it over the gentle bank, stood there and whined. ¡°Go on.¡± She shooed with her good hand. The dog took a step away but turned back to look at her. ¡°Go back to Shim and Malchim.¡± The dog dropped the body and whined even louder. ¡°Leave me ¡­¡±


    Renalia trailed off, for from the corner of her eye, she had caught a faint glittering. She climbed over the bank and found its source. Through an open wound at the hare¡¯s navel, a faint light shone.


    A white light, like she first saw two days ago.

 Chapter 7: First Loot, Among Other Firsts

    Mesmerized by the light coming from within the hare¡¯s navel, Renalia crawled on hand and knees up the bank towards it, the damaged wrist held at her chest. She moved like a supplicant crawling towards a deity, awestruck and apprehensive, in equal measure. Even as her body lost strength with each drop of blood, curiosity for the card¨Cfor that¡¯s what it must be¨Cdrove her.


    Boogie, overjoyed at winning this argument, play-bowed and wagged his tail ferociously. ¡°Stay and guard,¡± Renalia ordered, forestalling any wrong-headed attempts at play wrestling. A soft whimper escaped the dog as it stood and resumed work mode. The tail wavered softly side to side, letting her know playing was always possible.


    Arriving at the corpse, Renalia grabbed at the knife at her belt, but found air instead. With a disheartening glance, she traced the splatters of blood back, almost to the water.


    There, half buried in the mud, she glimpsed Shim¡¯s knife.


    Belatedly, she realized that the blood loss, besides slowing her movements, affected her mind as well. She should have taken it with her. Now it looked immeasurably far, and she could not hope to get there and back again in her state. She wondered how to ask Boogie to fetch it for her, but decided to forego the risk of him hurting himself.


    She wanted to try something else first. When she had received the [Find Herb] card from Granny, it had felt immaterial between her fingers, as if she held on to light itself. And she had encountered no physical resistance when placing the green card into her navel. Maybe it worked the same way in the other direction as well.


    Renalia pinched the light in the hole of the hare¡¯s abdomen and pulled. She stared at the materialized card between her fingers, held so tightly that the blood drained from her fingertips. Or perhaps she did not have enough blood in her system to extend to her fingertips anymore. Either way, she did not dwell on it, her attention drawn to the card itself.


    It was the same size as her other cards, but instead of the familiar ten-pointed star on the back, this featured a pile of bones. The front side depicted a patch of bogling hide, absent any words or icons. But the image triggered an instinctive understanding that this card would toughen her skin.


    A bogling card, a real bogling card!


    She¡¯s never heard of boglings, nor any non-human creatures, having cards before. She spared no thought on the wisdom of incorporating an undead horror-hare¡¯s card into her core.


    At any moment now, she would bleed out. She hoped that tougher skin, if only for a second, would staunch the wound at her wrist. The discovery of this weird card also rekindled her curiosity, which the disappointment in her own Deck had extinguished.


    As Granny had shown her, she assumed a cross-legged position and concentrated on opening her soul to the new card. But when she tried to push it into her navel, her soul rebelled against its foreignness. However, her impending death served as a great motivator, incentivizing her soul to relax its safeguards. She activated it as soon as it settled.


    Darkness¨Ca black darker than a moonless night with eyes closed¨Cenveloped her. It passed before she could panic, light hitting her eyes again with sudden brightness. By her side, Boogie stood with hackles raised, producing a peculiar sound as his growl lengthened into a whine.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Boogie, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just me playing around with some cards. I¡¯m still me, not a bogling. Not yet, at least.¡± She reassured him, thankful that he did not automatically lunge at the bogling that, to him, must have appeared out of nowhere. She shivered at the thought.


    After he quieted, she glanced at the claw marks on her chest, which now had a thin covering over them, like a skin of fat forming over fresh milk. She reached to undo the makeshift bandage on her wrist, curious if it had stopped bleeding as well.


    But as the thin membrane over her chest wounds started to crack at the twisting of her torso, she froze and reconsidered. Maybe she should wait so she could activate the new card again. Perhaps a second activation would make a thicker skin. ¡°Girl trying. Girl seeing. Girl understanding, yes?¡± Granny always said.


    Seeking to minimize movement, she laid on her back so that she could relax for an hour. And without any conscious task beyond staying still, she quickly lost consciousness.


    She dreamt of a world of white, illuminated softly with the constant glow of common cards. As soon as she thought of cards, faint rectangular outlines appeared in the light. Black silhouettes darted to and fro, ripping through the light and replacing it with a dark opaque red. On a primal level, Renalia knew this was a nightmare. But she felt no fear, even as a black shape collided with her and turned orange.


    ***


    I no longer believe in God, but I sometimes wonder at the hands of fate. Without knowledge of first aid, I should have died that day, the day of my first hunt.


    Now, of course, I know to tie the bandage tightly, hold my wrist above my head, and apply constant pressure to it. I know how to make a tourniquet with a belt. I know a half-dozen other ways to survive venous bleeding.


    But, back then, as a child just turned ten, I could only see my life flowing away, like a stream of sand from a broken hourglass.


    I would have died, if not for a stubborn dog. If not for trying to pay my debts with my last ounce of energy. If not for stabbing the bogling, blindly through mud, precisely at the navel. If not for exactly the right sparkling card¡­


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    To the ten-year-old me, it was as if God shone His Light on me.


    ***


    She woke and saw the [Bogling Skin]¨Cas she chose to call it¨Cturn back on. In the past, she had always wondered how her parents would perform various tasks outdoors and meet back at the hut at the same time. She now knew that either Decks inherently, or through repeated use of hourly cards, gave an impeccable sense of timing. It even worked in her unconscious state.


    The definitive countdown to her death had morphed into more of a question. It allowed her some time and space to think. So instead of blindly activating her new card, she pictured covering only her wounds with bogling skin. Holding onto that image, she activated [Bogling Skin] and [Disinfect Self Wounds] together.


    To her pleasant surprise, only part of her chest and her right wrist formed a layer of bogling¡¯s hide, a slimmer version of the hare¡¯s. She held her breath, as the transformation lasted longer than the expected second. Eleven seconds later, she expelled her breath as the black, leathery armor disappeared. It revealed a thicker crust of scabs on her chest wounds.


    She sat up and unwrapped the bandage around her wrist with controlled movements. A beautiful dry scab laid over what had been an open wound. She chuckled at how perceptions of ugly and beauty could change so quickly. It turned into a laugh after she saw Boogie¡¯s quizzical expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m really okay,¡± she said with relief.


    ¡°Wait! Not that much okay!¡± she shouted as Boogie moved toward her with obvious intentions of play. Noticing her distress, he laid down next to her, only giving her a quick lick on the cheek.


    She checked the cut on his snout, but he did not seem bothered by it. Renalia hugged the dog, burying her face in his fur. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for not leaving me.¡± The dog gave no signs of understanding, but he laid his head over her shoulder and back, hugging her in return.


    It meant more than she could have imagined.


    As if relief had opened the emotional floodgates, other emotions came unbidden: the terror from almost dying, the dread at hunting boglings, the guilt of hurting Shim, the sadness of saying goodbye to Granny, the disappointment at her broken Deck, the anger of life¡¯s injustices, and the shame of her poverty.


    No longer held in check, it all came rushing in. So she cried for the first time in two years. Her facade of strength crumbled, and she sobbed with her whole body. She let it out, letting a non-judgemental dog share in her burdens.


    Buffeted by powerful emotions, she clung tightly to Boogie. The solidity of his presence highlighted, in contrast, her adrift life of late. Granny had pulled up anchor from the bog and abandoned her. And Mama and Papa had stood by while Chief Cian gave her away to the Ongocks¡¯. They didn¡¯t want her either. Shim¡¯s dad had sent her away the first chance he had.


    Boogie was all she had left. Boogie and her cards.


    The [Dull Emotions] card glowed lightly in her mind¡¯s eye. Its availability tempted her. It could calm the storm in a snap, its effectiveness proven several times over in the fight with the hare.


    But she thought back to the last life lesson Granny had tried to impart to her. In multiple conversations in the past, she would nod along, pretending to understand what the older woman was saying. Granny had an odd way of speaking, and many times, Renalia could not tell if it was the language or the concept she did not comprehend. And it would only occur sometime later that she would comprehend the wisdom of Granny¡¯s lesson.


    Now she considered the warning against suppressing her emotions, which she had done unconsciously for the past two years. Granny had said her emotions were important and she should feel them, not silence them. She repeated Granny¡¯s litany to herself: I feel the emotions; they do not control me. I know the emotions; they do not define me.


    As these feelings lost their power over her, she realized how they had warped her thoughts.


    Granny did not abandon her. The old woman had waited till she got her Deck and guided her through it. Even when Granny left for her home, she had invited Renalia to go with her.


    And if her parents had fought against Chief Cian¡¯s decision, she would have honored it anyway. She knew the Bailiff would view it as one Decked individual taking another out of production. And to prevent it from happening again¨Cand getting called back to the backwater village¨Che would make an example of her. He probably would sentence her to several years of hard labor in the slave camps.


    She sat up and released her grip on Boogie, who took the opportunity to lick the tears off her face in passing. Well, her perception of Boogie hadn¡¯t changed. He was still the most wonderful, best-est, dog there ever was.


    As her emotions drained from her, her physical needs started demanding her attention. She realized how parched and ravenous she was. She took the waterskin and food pouch off her belt. Belts¨Cshe never knew how useful they were.


    With her head tilted back, she squeezed every last drop of water from the skin. But it still did not come close to replenishing the water she had lost as blood. She wondered if her [Disinfect] card worked on bog water also, or if it only affected wounds. Granny would tell her to test it, but it didn¡¯t feel like a safe environment to do so now.


    The pouch of dried jerky contained more meat than she had ever seen for a family in one sitting. There were dry ones that tasted salty when she licked one. And there were sticky ones that tasted tangy and sweet.


    She was glad Shim was not here to mock her surprised expression. Looking down at her unclothed upper body with streaks of dried blood and ugly/beautiful scabs, plus a lower body caked in mud, she revised her notion. She was glad Shim was not here to see any of this.


    ¡°Am I supposed to share this with you?¡± she asked Boogie. Boogie stuck his head out eagerly. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll share. Half and half, okay?¡±


    As they ate, Renalia told him about her life as a peat farmer and how she had hoped to help her family. The dog listened with rapt attention, focused on every word that came out of her mouth.


    On his last piece, he held it in his mouth and tilted his head, ears pivoting front and back. Renalia was about to ask what was wrong when Boogie dropped the jerky and turned, growling back toward where they fought the hare.


    Oh no, Renalia thought, as she realized that the splotches of her blood in the wet dirt served as the perfect lure for boglings.


    She dropped her own jerky and jumped to retrieve her weapons. But dizziness caused her to stumble. Without any relevant skills to help, she relied solely on her desperation to propel her to the dropped spear. Sharp pains accompanied her scrambling, as scabs cracked and split. But she ignored them.


    This is all my fault, she thought as Boogie circled to find the beast, I won¡¯t let you suffer for it.

 Chapter 8: Skin and Claws

    Retrieving the spear, Renalia gripped the shaft around the head and pushed her hand toward the butt, removing as much of the mud as possible. By this point, Boogie had stopped circling and sniffing around. Instead, he growled at one spot in the sludge.


    So it was both expected and surprising to see five one-inch claws shoot up from the ground. The fingers moved independently of each other, anchored by what resembled a cross between a rat paw and a human hand. The grotesque similarity to a newborn baby¡¯s hand caused a wave of revulsion in Renalia.


    Boogie didn¡¯t seem to like it either, as he barked at it. Renalia ran at the paw with the spear held high overhead. A similar eruption around Boogie¡¯s feet interrupted his barking. But before she could shout a warning, he side-stepped and clamped down at the small paw that attacked him in one motion.


    At the same time, she brought the spear down with enough force that it pinned the palm of wriggling claws into the dirt. The sudden impact caused her hands to slide down the slippery pole, and she pitched forward. Even as she fell, she focused all her strength on keeping the clawed hand trapped.


    The potential havoc five nimble claws could wreak on Boogie¡¯s face scared her.


    A quick restraint of panic kept her own hands on the spear instead of trying to break her fall. And as she hit the ground, she followed up with a burst of dulling emotions. Even so, the impact knocked the wind out of her and multiple scabs split open.


    As the acidic mud seeped into her wounds, not even her numbed nerves completely masked the pain. Disinfecting the wounds didn¡¯t help much either, as mud still covered them.


    But she had done what she wanted. Both claws were immobilized. Now they only needed to worry about whatever fangs this creature had.


    ¡°Careful,¡± she gasped as Boogie started shaking the bogling.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she yelled, feeling the spear loosen from the dirt by the dog¡¯s pulling. But Boogie stopped his attack before she could finish her sentence. He let go of his prey and sat back on his hunches.


    That¡¯s it?


    ¡°Is it dead?¡± she asked as she firmly thrust the spear back into the ground again and stood up. Boogie looked at her with his tongue sticking out. ¡°Are you sure? Maybe it¡¯s just playing dead?¡± Boogie retracted his tongue and scooted forward on his hunches a little.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a ¡®yes¡¯, but I guess it¡¯s not a ¡®no¡¯.¡± Carefully, she pried the spear loose, ready to push down again at the slightest hint of movement. To her relief, it didn¡¯t shoot forward like some undead beast.


    ¡°Um, can you dig it out?¡± She pantomimed digging around the bogling. Boogie looked at the bogling and back to her, whining. ¡°Yes, yes, I know. We both want the same things.¡± Running through the list of commands Shim had given her, she said, ¡°Fetch?¡±


    Released, Boogie jumped forward and started digging the corpse out. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said,¡± she said, showing how her gestures were similar to his digging motions. But he neither heard nor glanced at her.


    Shaking her head, she moved to recover the buried knife from where she had dropped it close by. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up really fast and we should get out of this bloody area as quickly as possible.¡± Turning back to the waterline, she froze in mid-step.


    Right below her raised foot was a snake brilliantly striped in black, red, and yellow. Not a bogling, but just as dangerous.


    It lifted its head and flicked its tongue in and out as if taking her measure. It probably didn¡¯t receive a firm answer, since she, herself, didn¡¯t know what to do. Both her spear and knife were muddy enough to impact her handling. And she didn¡¯t want Boogie to fight it, in case the snake¡¯s bite was venomous.


    Caution dictated that they retreat. But she didn¡¯t want Boogie to manage future bogling encounters by himself. Even in the recent fight, if she had not pinned one of the paws, it may have done damage to Boogie. Her cards were not good enough by themselves; she needed usable weapons.


    So she stepped to the side, her foot trampling on some flowers. Thorns advertised themselves by pricking through her mud-caked feet. Still watching the snake, she continued her wide berth around it. The snake, in turn, also tracked her with its unblinking and emotionless gaze. Reaching the water, she submerged the knife first and sheathed it, keeping an eye on the snake all the while.


    This allowed her to see Boogie snatch the bogling from the ground and start making his way to her. Holding her palm out, she quickly signaled that he should stay put. She breathed a sigh of relief as the serpent kept its focus on her. Retracing her steps after washing the spear, she returned to Boogie¡¯s side.


    The snake still had not blinked nor stopped studying her. ¡°We mean no harm,¡± she said. Renalia didn¡¯t think it looked like a magical snake, but Chief Cian¡¯s fairy tales had taught her that fantastical creatures could take many forms. More importantly, that they repay kindness with kindness and disrespect with terror.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry for coming into your home. We did not see it for what it was. Please forgive us.¡± She continued backing away, pulling a confused dog with her. After they had gone far enough, the colorful snake slinked into the undergrowth of flowers. She let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding.


    With the threat gone, she had the chance to examine the strange bogling the dog held in its teeth. It was reminiscent of the shape and size of a swaddled baby. But instead of a round head at the very top, it narrowed to a point, like the baby was wearing a conical hat. The pointy tip appeared to be the snout. Shockingly, it didn¡¯t seem to have eyes.


    And instead of arms and legs, it looked like someone had done a poor job of swaddling, allowing the hands and feet to stick out. She noticed how one foot hung onto the body by a thin strip of hide. The hole explained how the bogling had died without much effort on their part.


    It must have originally perished from the severed leg. And while the bog¡¯s necromancy reanimated it, the primitive magic could not repair a missing leg. Boogie¡¯s violent shaking of the bogling had probably dislodged a lot of the cursed magic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get our stuff and go home,¡± Renalia said, as she grabbed the last piece of her jerky from the ground and stuffed it into her mouth. ¡°Did you want yours, or¨Cnever mind, I see you already got it.¡±


    She unfurled the two lengths of rope clipped to Boogie¡¯s harness and tied the ends to the bogling corpses, making sure to balance the load. And in preparation for any ambush, she practiced unclipping the rope several times.


    Wounded, but victorious, the two of them left their first battlefield together. One dragged the trophies behind him, the other carried them in her core.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    As they walked home, Renalia remained hypervigilant. The sharp pangs from her wounds precluded her usual daydreaming. She called a stop when they crested a small mound next to a patch of water. This should be far enough from the bloody battle site, and her wounds were getting harder to ignore without relying on her cards.


    Unclipping the corpses from Boogie, she told him, ¡°Stay and guard, okay? Get some rest while I go to wash up.¡± She quieted her nerves and waded into the cold water.


    She had given a lot of thought to her Deck while waiting for [Bogling Skin] to become active for the third time. Combining it with [Disinfect Self Wounds] allowed her to seal her wounds and heal quite a bit faster than usual. While she appreciated this, she needed to hide this fact from the villagers.


    No one would ask her directly if she had healing skills. However, card gossip is a prevalent conversation topic among the villagers. She, herself, often participated in the Deck rumor mills.


    If the Baron heard whispers about her healing ability, he may wonder how the ten cards she materialized for the Deck Day Ceremony could spark such rumors. None of the lies she came up with sounded plausible in her own ears.


    No, he would make the logical conclusion that she had other cards beyond the Starting Ten that she displayed. So she had to prevent any suspicions that she possessed restorative cards. This meant either not healing existing wounds or not showing injuries in the first place. She much preferred the second way.


    So while submerged, she stripped and scrubbed her clothes, getting as much of the blood off as possible. Lacking soap and relying on dirty bog water, her clothes¡¯ condition stopped improving fairly quickly. But at least it appeared just dirty now, not bloody. She wrapped her wet clothes around her neck to free her hands.


    Now for the second reason for stopping at the small pond.


    She grabbed their latest kill and immersed it in the water, too. Suppressing her revulsion, she pushed her left hand through the gaping hole at the corpse¡¯s hip. Actively distracting herself with the cards in her mind¡¯s eye, she scooped the slimy innards out. She shivered, both from the cool air on her wet skin and the squirmy squishiness that her hand pushed through.


    After she extracted as much of the viscera as possible, she walked back to Boogie¡¯s side. She dropped the carcass and laid her clothes on his harness. The black leather was warm from the sun''s rays and should help dry her clothes faster.


    ¡°Stay still, okay?¡± she told Boogie, petting his head gently. ¡°I¡¯m going to use my cards. Don¡¯t worry, okay? It¡¯s just me.¡±


    Focusing on her wounds, including the new ones at her feet, she disinfected and called upon the overlay of bogling skin. Boogie perked up, but did not seem overly agitated. Did her bogling skin still smell like her? And where does it come from?


    She ran her fingers across a patch of the black hide over her chest, noticing the roughness of it. Just like bogling hide. Curious, she poked at it. A smile tugged at her lips as the wound did not react to her jab through the thick hide. She remained smiling as the armor disappeared, revealing the newly covered scabs underneath.


    Reaching for the cleaned bogling, she hoped the string of good news would continue. She held her breath and flipped the creature over, peering into its cavity from the missing leg.


    A gleaming white rectangle hovered within.


    She almost yelped as, in her haste to grab it, her hand scraped against the edges of the rough hide. The card resembled the previous one, but instead of a black patch, it displayed a picture of five white claws intersecting another five at a forty-five-degree angle.


    She mentally calmed herself to prepare for incorporating it into her core. Expecting great spiritual resistance, she yelped in surprise as her core eagerly sucked in the new card without conscious effort on her part. It instantaneously appeared next to the [Bogling Skin] card. Huh, I guess saving my life means bogling cards are good cards.


    Renalia debated activating the card but concluded leveling it quickly trumped saving its usage in case of an ambush. It would require five activations to level up its duration from one second to ten seconds. She doubted that one second of claws, at the current level, could turn the tide of battle.


    She also wanted to test a theory.


    Granny had taught her that one way of testing a truth is to gather as much data around when it may fail. So she concentrated on a single forefinger and activated [Bogling Claws]. The nail there shot forward into a slightly curved claw between two and three inches long.


    She explored it with her other hand, satisfied with the solidity of it. It also had a sharp point, nearly catching on her skin when she brushed against it lightly. Any more pressure, she guessed, and it would pierce the thin skin on her fingertips.


    Best of all, it lasted a full ten seconds.


    They resumed their journey back to the Ongocks¡¯ residence. As they left the vicinity of the bog, Renalia played her cards whenever possible. She practiced activations while moving, especially with the bogling cards.


    And she experimented with the amount of focus required to activate the cards. To her pleasant surprise, the more she used the skills, the easier it became.


    [Resist Hunger], her most frequent activation, barely required any conscious effort on her part nowadays. Since she had no intention of banking any of the activations, it had become a reflex to use it whenever it became available. Sometimes, she only became aware she resisted hunger after the activation timed out, as it hit her with a sudden resumption of hunger.


    Could she also use the cards while asleep? That would be awesome. The time she spent sleeping was such a waste.


    While her wounds had sealed, a dull ache served as a constant reminder of unhealed injuries just beneath the skin. Without the unpleasantness, they could have had an enjoyable walk back to the village, just like after a tutoring session with Granny.


    Thinking of Granny, she made some quick detours, as directed by the [Find Herb] card. Might as well get some real use out of the card, instead of just activating it to increase its level. Granny had shown her some of the rarer herbs only available deeper into the bog. She harvested them to give to Myfanwy.


    This sense of usefulness and exploration was what she had always wanted from skill cards. She didn¡¯t know how to feel about the fact that none of these fun cards came from her own core.


    Before reaching the village, [Bogling Skin] leveled, allowing her to cover her wounds for almost two minutes. The smaller scabs started peeling, and she picked at one till it fell off. The patch of new skin felt tender but healthy.


    It appeared darker than the skin surrounding it, though. She shrugged¨Cuneven skin color being a small price to pay for saving her life. Almost dying had also given her a new perspective. She couldn¡¯t care less what the kids thought or the names they called her; she had fought boglings and survived.


    Getting rid of as many of the scabs as possible, she put on her damp and shredded clothes. Maybe she could trade the herbs with Myfanwy for some new clothes. Luckily, the deeper wounds higher on her chest remained hidden. And she could pretend they were small scratches inflicted when she fell from the peat stack the day before.


    Arriving at the kennel, she hid Shim¡¯s spear underneath some hay. She briefly considered unhooking the carcasses and letting the dog rest. The leather workshop was on the other side of the house though, and she did not think she could carry the hare there by herself.


    And, being honest with herself, she knew the real reason for the hesitation: to delay showing Shim and his dad the injury that the wolfhound received.


    She hugged Boogie. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said for the umpteenth time. The muddy dog wagged its tail at the attention, but it did not lessen her guilt. ¡°It was my fault. I should have kept the bogling distracted.¡±


    Renalia¡¯s heart quickened at the prospect of meeting Shim¡¯s dad, Malchim, again. Most adults had treated her with either pity or kindness. Some, like Granny and Myfanwy, she¡¯d even call friends. But Malchim ¡­ scared her. And she wasn¡¯t the only one. His own kids were scared of him.


    She had thought he meant to punish her with his order to fetch a bogling. And the first encounter with the hare had confirmed this, almost killing Boogie and her both. But the second one with the strange beast had been so easy. Now she didn¡¯t know what to think.


    Which version of boglings did he intend for her to get?


    Leaning on the dog for courage, she walked towards the other side of the house, towards judgment.

 Chapter 9: A Long Day

    The leather workshop was a square yard that held several processing stations. For venting, it opened to the air on two sides. It shared one of its walls with the house, with an adjacent side made up of multiple storage sheds. At the opposite corner stood a post, anchoring the awning that covered the yard.


    Shim, with his broken arm still splinted, resigned himself to supervising Marcy at the hole-punching machine. This is going to be a long day.


    It¡¯s the simplest of tasks: line up the markings on the leather with the guides on the machine and pull the handle. His little sister had learned how to use the machine several months ago. But Marcy being the woolgatherer that she is, he thought it best to monitor her.


    Dad was having one of those days, so it¡¯s important to present no outlets for his mood.


    Correcting Marcy¡¯s placement of the leather again, he almost wished Renalia, that work fanatic, was here instead. And that makes two of us, he thought, as Marcy asked yet another question about the girl. ¡°But what did she say that got you so mad?¡±


    Shim sighed. ¡°She said Big Brother ran away without saying goodbye.¡±


    Marcy glanced around, and without sighting Dad, whispered, ¡°But he didn¡¯t say goodbye, though. He left us in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. She implied he didn¡¯t care about us.¡±


    ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t¡±¨CMarcy met his eyes before he could protest¨C¡°not like you do.¡±


    How do I reply to that? For how scatterbrained she is, Marcy said the most perceptive things sometimes. When Big Brother had run away from home, Shim had taken it personally. He had struggled with anger at his brother, mixed with self-doubt at being left behind. And he had vowed that he would never cause his siblings to feel the same way.


    But, despite his resolution, he had not come to terms with his brother leaving in the first place. Even a year later, Renalia sticking her nose where it didn¡¯t belong was like lifting the lid from a pot of boiling soup.


    ¡°Well,¡± Marcy declared, ¡°I think you deserve it. Why are you so mean to her, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mean to her. She just ¡­ she says the meanest things, too.¡±


    Marcy rolled her eyes and pulled the handle on the machine down. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m making her my new best friend, so you¡¯d better be nice to her.¡±


    Shim quickly adjusted the leather so that it lined up. ¡°She¡¯s not here for a sleepover, Marcy. She¡¯s only here to do my work and chores before my arm¨Cwhich she broke, by the way¨Cis fixed. After that, she goes back to her family.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I like her, and if you make her sad, I¡¯ll be sad too. You wouldn¡¯t want me sad, would you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works,¡± Shim said in exasperation. Why do people like that girl so much? He didn¡¯t understand it. She¡¯s feisty, but that didn¡¯t mean she deserved all the attention.


    Spotting Dad¡¯s approach, he said, ¡°Shut up, Marcy, and get back to work.¡± Having made her intentions clear, Marcy seemed to concentrate on the task before her much better than before.


    In the afternoon, the siblings transitioned to adding rivets to the pieces of leather while their dad made measurements at the center table. They had fallen into a silent rhythm, so Shim was startled when his dad barked a laugh. ¡°What¡¯d I tell ya, boy? This girl knows how to fight.¡±


    Shim looked up and his jaw dropped. The tiny girl stood next to Boogie, clothed in disgusting and torn rags. She shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable at the attention. Boogie, on the other hand, stood happy and proud, with the double haul behind him.


    Marcy gasped and rushed to the girl, dropping their sheet of leather and spilling rivets everywhere. ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Renalia said as she squirmed under Marcy¡¯s probing hands. ¡°It only got to my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Dad said as he approached. ¡°Marcy can get you a set of clothes later.¡± His sister clasped her hands together in joy. ¡°Later,¡± Dad emphasized, ¡°after the carcass is unmade. Shim, show her how to do it.¡±


    Shim, examining the cut on Boogie¡¯s snout, replied without lifting his head, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He directed various jets of [Cleanse] on the dog.


    ¡°Is Boogie going to be okay?¡± Renalia asked, stroking his cleaner coat.


    ¡°Yes, it looks like a clean cut. As long as he¡¯s not bothering it, it should heal fine,¡± Shim replied.


    Dad unhitched the boglings from the dog. ¡°Goddamn! Look at the size of this hare.¡± He slapped Renalia on the back, causing her to wince and take an involuntary step forward. ¡°I knew you had a hunter¡¯s spirit.¡± He gave her a rough half hug.


    Dad¡¯s mood had really turned around. The sudden action surprised Renalia, and she stood there uncomfortably.


    Judging by its size, the hare died in its prime. And its quality condition meant it was suitable for multiple enhancements from the bog. At the very least, the musculature suggested enhanced speed, while the sharp claws and fangs implied vicious combat ability. Boogie couldn¡¯t have taken down this prey by himself.


    How did she do it?


    ¡°Girls, grab the feet,¡± Dad ordered, and proceeded to drag the hare to a station at the far corner of the yard. Shim trailed the girls, and regarding them side by side, it was even more obvious how short and skinny Renalia was. Shim frowned. It didn¡¯t make any sense that a peat farmer¡¯s daughter could score a kill like this.


    ¡°Shim will show you how to process the hare here. Best to do it now before cleaning yourself up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Renalia replied. ¡°Um, sir, can I give these to Myfanwy later?¡± She lifted her right wrist, which had bundles of weeds tied to it with a strip of rag from her shirt.


    ¡°Sure, after everything¡¯s done.¡±


    Shim telekinetically grabbed a couple of aprons off a nearby hook and handed one to her. ¡°Get rid of the weeds and put this on.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure it was strictly necessary for Renalia though. Her rags were going to get tossed anyway.


    ¡°They¡¯re not weeds,¡± Renalia said, ¡°They¡¯re precious herbs.¡± But she did as Shim told her to.


    With the carcass laying on its side on top of the drainage table, Shim got a good view of the at least a dozen knife wounds on the hare. Frowning, he probed with his fingers, confirming that the leather was at least an inch thick, even around the abdomen. There¡¯s no way she could do this with the small knife he lent her. Unless, maybe she had a strength card, like her dad.


    ¡°Now grab that saw and open up the hide, from abdomen to sternum.¡±


    ¡°The what to the what?¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°God, you don¡¯t know anything. From the belly to the chest bone.¡± The girl tried to cut the hare open but struggled to pierce the hide, with the saw looking comically big in her hands. He waited for her to activate a strength card, but she didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°Argh, move!¡± he said in exasperation. She offered the tool to him, but he shoved it out of the way. Pointing at the abdomen with his fore and middle fingers, he [Cut] in a smooth motion. The skin split, and satisfied with the depth of the cut, he [Cut] again up to the sternum.


    Proud of himself, he looked at the girl to brag, but her emotionless expression unnerved him.


    ¡°It took a lot of practice to balance the depth and length of the cut,¡± he explained. ¡°And I could do it because my dad has the same card, so he showed me how to control it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said in a level tone.


    Unsatisfied with her lack of appreciation, he said roughly, ¡°Now, reach inside and scoop all the innards out.¡±


    The girl reached out but returned her hand to her belly. Puzzled, he asked, ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just scratching my belly.¡±


    ¡°But what was that thing you were doing?¡± He mimicked her pinching motion.


    ¡°What thing? You¡¯re being weird.¡±


    ¡°What? No, you¡¯re being weird.¡±


    ¡°Shim,¡± Marcy called out from her rivet station, ¡°The lady¡¯s got an itch¨Cmaybe you should help her scratch it.¡±


    Dad erupted in laughter and slapped his knee.


    ¡°Shut up, Marcy!¡± Shim sighed. This is going to be a long day.


    ***


    Marcy was being so patient, but they were taking so long.


    How hard could it be to dress a hare? You just cut it open and then¡­ Marcy shivered at the image. Okay, it¡¯s not easy, but it shouldn¡¯t take this long.


    It¡¯s so boring punching holes and putting in rivets.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to dress Renalia! So much better than dressing a hare. They¡¯re going to have so much fun.


    ¡°Are you done yet?¡±


    ¡°No! Mind your own business,¡± Shim shouted back. Argh, stupid Shim. He¡¯s such a terrible teacher. Renalia should have finished by now.


    Renalia. Nalia. Nali. Alia. Lia. Renaly. Rena. Reny. ¡°Can I call you Reny?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± came the reply.


    Yes! Marcy and Reny. Reny and Marcy. They¡¯re going to have so much fun.


    A rivet flew from her hand. She jumped after it. Stupid rivets, never staying in place.


    While crouched on the ground, she found another rivet. And another. Why are there so many rivets on the ground? People shouldn¡¯t just leave them lying around. What if Reny stepped on one?


    It would hurt so much.


    Cause she didn¡¯t have shoes. Why doesn¡¯t she have shoes? Oh my God, she needs shoes. But maybe she doesn¡¯t like shoes?


    ¡°Reny, do you wear shoes?¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Yes, sometimes.¡±


    Yes! It would be so cool if they could share shoes. They¡¯d be like real sisters.


    The very worst thing about Minnie¨Cthe only bad thing, actually¨Cis that she¡¯s too little to be a sister. She¡¯s barely even a person!


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be like sisters!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Marcy.¡± Stupid Shim. He better be nice to Reny. Why couldn¡¯t he see that Reny is good for him?


    ¡°Marcy, stop staring at the ground.¡± Reny was good for Dad too, who resumed humming while measuring and cutting pieces of hide. He seemed more secure and happier with someone capable of hunting in the house.


    And Marcy just knew Reny would be good for her too. She needed someone fierce in her life.


    Oh, what is taking so long!


    ¡°This one is my favorite.¡± Marcy presented Reny with her best dress, with colorful ribbons that she had added since learning to sew. The ribbons added extra awesomeness to the already frilly dress.


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s beautiful, but I need something with pants. You know, for hunting.¡±


    Marcy frowned. The only ones suitable were hand-me-down outfits from Big Brother, which are now hand-me-down outfits from Shim.


    ¡°I guess this will have to do.¡± Marcy reluctantly lifted the best one in Reny¡¯s size from the pole in the closet. ¡°But maybe we can add some ribbons?¡± she asked in a plaintive yet hopeful voice.


    ¡°Well, I was thinking maybe instead of loose ribbons, you could make it into a loop. You know, for hanging stuff from.¡±


    Oh, yes! A designer who knows her mind. ¡°Like the bracelet you made to hold the herbs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, something like that.¡± Oh goody, and she can make some new bracelets, too. The one Reny had would probably fall apart with a light tug.


    ¡°And what about shoes? What do you have in mind for those?¡±


    Shoes, shoes, lovely little shoes.


    One, two, one two, one, two!


    ¡°I think shoes will be wasted on me. If I¡¯m going into the bog to hunt, I¡¯ll just get them dirty.¡± Aw, no!


    ¡°Hm, none of Big Brother¡¯s old boots are small enough for your feet.¡±


    While helping Reny clean herself up, she had been shocked into silence by the ridges of ribs and dark patches of unhealthy skin. Now is the time to say something.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll eat everything I put in front of you. And no more sharing with Boogie. He doesn¡¯t get lunch.¡± She placed her hands on her hips. ¡°Then you can grow into those boots!¡±


    Reny nodded her head and hugged her. Reny¡¯s a hugger! She¡¯s the best best-friend ever! Marcy enveloped Reny in her arms. Huggies, huggies, huggies.


    She¡¯s waited so long for this.


    ***


    Renalia was tired to the bones after a long day. Not only had she pushed her body to its limits in a life-or-death struggle, not only did she have an emotional confrontation with her own mortality, but she also had the grueling task of deboning a massive bogling hare.


    While Shim had assisted on the bigger bones with his [Cut] skill, there were still dozens of pieces she had to carve through by herself. She became intimately familiar with the muscles and bones inside the body¨Cthe ¡°anatomy¡±, as Shim had called it. Working with Shim had been a test of her patience, but she realized the value of what he taught her.


    She finished preparing the stew for dinner and forced herself to ignore the pull of the straw bed before walking out the door.


    Shim¡¯s dad was using the last hour before sunset to finish cutting the piece of leather he was working on. ¡°Sir,¡± she said, ¡°I started the stew. Can I stop by Myfanwy¡¯s before dinner?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Renalia, come here for a moment.¡± Taking a spear from nearby, he told her to kneel.


    She trembled at his no-nonsense attitude, not knowing what was coming next. It¡¯s not fair! She had done everything he asked.


    While a loud voice, he intoned, ¡°Clan Ongock recognizes Renalia as a full-fledged Hunter, as proven on her first outing, with a solo take of a bog-enhanced hare in its prime and a solo take for a bog-enhanced mole.¡±


    Renalia looked at him in shock. She had feared he would reject her request since she took so long at cleaning the hare. This, on the other hand, had never been part of her expectations. ¡°I don¡¯t ¡­ I¡¯m not ¡­¡± I¡¯m a peat farmer.


    He held out the spear. ¡°I was waiting to give this to Shim someday, but who knows when he¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    She glanced at Shim, who wore the weirdest expression on his face. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, but it was definitely not happiness for her.


    ¡°Take the spear,¡± Shim¡¯s dad whispered out of the side of his mouth, in a tone that brooked no argument.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.¡± She reached overhead with both hands and accepted the weapon.


    ¡°No need for formality between Hunters. You can call me Malchim.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, he continued, ¡°Take pride in your kills and carry yourself with the dignity and honor of all Hunters. May your hunts be ever fruitful. Rise, Hunter Renalia.¡±

 Chapter 10: Mothers and Daughters

    Renalia woke in the middle of the night and almost winced at the unexpected ache all over her body. The pains around her covered wounds she could understand. She had anticipated that the numbingweed powder she had stolen before dinner would wear off around now. So she had planned to steal a second dose in the wee hours of the night.


    But this¡­ This was like someone had beaten her all over with a stick while she slept. Any attempts at movement hurt, even just curling her fingers.


    Lying there without moving allowed her some time to process the events of the day and she realized what had happened. Her plan¨Cher secret plan¨Cto push her body beyond its limits must have succeeded.


    It explained why she had such a difficult time slicing through the hare with the saws. It wasn¡¯t because the tool¡¯s teeth were dull compared to Shim¡¯s knife; it was because she did not command the same strength as she had during the battle.


    But how did she do it?


    Renalia struggled to recall the battle with the hare and found it hazy and chaotic. She only remembered stabbing the hare over and over until it stopped moving. Some stabs went through, some didn¡¯t. Both [Restrain Impulse] and [Dull Emotions] were activated back then, but she had done that when trying to disassemble the carcass too.


    Thinking back, she realized she must have become strong even before stabbing the hare. How else could she explain snatching the hare¨Cby herself¨Cand slamming it down into the mud? At the Ongocks¡¯ workshop, carrying the backend with Marcy had been difficult enough.


    Oh, I was trying to save Boogie! It was exactly like how that mom saved her kids during the fires last year.


    The elation at finding the trigger quickly faded, though. The whole point of learning to push beyond her physical limitations was so that she could be strong on command. If someone had to be at risk of dying for it to happen¡­ Well, it¡¯s good that she would be strong enough to save people from danger, but that¡¯s not what she wanted¡­


    No one dies at peat harvesting.


    She was weirdly grateful and ungrateful at the same time. If she didn¡¯t think her eye muscles would hurt, she¡¯d roll her eyes at herself.


    Alright, enough lying about. Renalia suppressed the urge to go back to sleep, dulled the unpleasantness of the aches, and left the straw bed. With creeping movement, she took out the packets of numbingweed powder from the pocket of Shim¡¯s old pair of pants. Pockets! Why do boys get all the good stuff?


    She replaced what she had pilfered and dumped a packet into her mouth, chasing it down with some water. The pain medication had been the motivating reason for the urgent trip to Myfanwy¡¯s, not the plants she had gathered. As far as she knew, Myfanwy had to let the harvest dry before processing it, anyway.


    She had also lied to Myfanwy, saying that Shim was being whiny and needed more medication. But that was a good lie, as it prevented the midwife, and therefore her parents, from worrying about her.


    Myfanwy had demanded confirmation that she wasn¡¯t hurt though, and Renalia had relied heavily on her skill cards to get through the physical examination. Thankfully, she had used [Bogling Skin] enough during the day that no wounds showed anymore.


    Renalia pushed her muscles into action again and plodded back to bed. This pain is nothing, she thought to herself. Nothing, compared to the pain of losing Boogie.


    She dreamt the same dream again, an abstract world of colors and shapes. Except this time, when the black shadows collided with her, their outlines merged and their colors intermingled. She bulged with the increase in mass. Her feeble attempts to ward against them failed, as she absorbed the shadows whenever they touched.


    The pressure within her built to an unbearable degree, shredding her outline apart and spraying her colors into the world. She jolted awake and shuddered, her body coated in a sheen of sweat.


    She quickly looped through her skill cards, and aided by exhaustion, fell back into a dreamless sleep.


    Renalia awoke to Shim and Marcy arguing in hushed tones about her chores for the day. Shim wanted her to clean out Boogie¡¯s kennel and assist with leather working, whereas Marcy wanted her help in organizing the house.


    Marcy finally won by mentioning how their mother used to do ¡°spring cleanings¡± and they have not done it since she passed. Renalia blinked, impressed by Marcy. This girl fights dirty!


    Malchim, in a better mood than the previous morning, agreed with their plan. He wanted Shim to assist him in slicing the hare hide into workable pieces, which their [Cut] skill performed much better than manual tools. He had no new commands for Renalia, only nodding at her and saying, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Helping Marcy consisted mostly of sitting in place while the girl, along with the younger children, grabbed various objects, told a story about them, marginally dusted them, and placed it back more or less where they got it from.


    Marcy glared at Shim in warning whenever he got too close, causing him to shuffle uncomfortably away. It did not escape Renalia¡¯s notice, this change in dynamic.


    In the past, whenever she came across the Ongocks in the village, Shim would start lobbing insults at her. It demanded all her attention to defend herself, so she never gave much thought to the younger Ongock children. They remained like the background crowd in a painting, witness to the duels she had with Shim.


    But now she was invited into the background, welcomed to partake in all the characters and objects in the scenery, to forget the action in the foreground. She found it enjoyable and relaxing.


    In the afternoon, they migrated to the workshop. She helped Marcy hold down Shim¡¯s old shirt while the latter worked her ¡°art¡± on them. Marcy sewed several metal loops onto the shirt and wrapped them with ribbons for padding. Working together, they picked a brown and green color theme¨Ca Hunter¡¯s theme.


    The metal rings looked better¨Cmore useful, too¨Cthan Renalia could have imagined when she first proposed an alternative to the waves of ribbons that adorned Marcy¡¯s outfits. After they finished, she smiled and held her arms open to thank the girl. Her sore muscles would complain, but Marcy had been good to her, and it was the least she could do for the girl.


    Marcy, the day before, had unsettled Renalia with her raw hunger, her ravenous yearning. Renalia didn¡¯t know how to be a mother to the girl¨Cshe didn¡¯t even know how to be a big sister¨Cbut she could be a friend.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    So she braced herself for the odd girl, but instead of the expected lunging embrace, Marcy melted into her arms and sighed dramatically. Renalia chuckled and wrapped her arms around the girl, amidst soft murmurs of ¡°Huggies¡±.


    Minnie and Sammy hovered nearby, sneaking glances at them. Renalia had no experience interacting with younger kids, but channeling her Mama, she beckoned them over.


    She caught Malchim smiling at their group cuddle. Maybe this punishment isn¡¯t so bad, after all.


    She pointedly avoided looking at Shim, though. No way in hell that¡¯s going to happen.


    The next day was Sunday, and Renalia¡¯s heart beat faster in anticipation of seeing her parents again at Church. She had to slow down consciously and not leave the rest of the Ongocks behind.


    Thankfully, Marcy started teaching a lullaby she learned from her mother, which helped Renalia keep her mind off of her parents. Just as well, since she was still acclimating herself to Marcy¡¯s shoes on her feet. It would not do if she ran and tripped herself while Shim was around to observe.


    She snuck a glance at Shim, who still avoided her. He had washed up in the morning but wore the same clothes he always did, resisting Marcy¡¯s attempts at dressing him.


    Unlike the rest of them.


    The girls all wore frilly dresses, generously festooned with ribbons. In the past, envy at the pretty dresses other girls wore to Church almost made her balk at going to Sunday Sermons. But now that she wore one, she felt oddly exposed, even though the layers of cloth covered her more than the thin piece of cloth she usually wore.


    And while she looked pretty, deep down, she knew she didn¡¯t deserve it. It was Marcy¡¯s dress, not hers. Marcy was pretty, not her.


    The Ongock sisters sported ribbon bracelets, while Renalia had a ribbon tying her unruly brown curls into a ponytail. She also had a ribbon around her neck, which felt weird. Marcy had said it was ¡°very cute¡± and insisted on the necessity of ¡°balancing¡± the ribbon headband that Sammy wore.


    She had let the girl have her way, which she learned from the other kids early on was the best way to deal with Marcy¡¯s weird demands. Renalia didn¡¯t understand why ¡°balancing¡± with Sammy mattered though, since she would be sitting with her parents. She pulled at it a little. And why does it need to be so tight?


    Mama and Papa. She missed them dearly. Of course, she could have visited her parents in the past few days whenever she finished Shim¡¯s chores. However, she did not think she could hide her muscle pains from them, as they knew her too well to be fooled by her pretense. It would have caused more trouble than it was worth.


    She spotted her parents at the same time as they saw her, since they had been scanning in the Ongocks¡¯ direction. She ran towards them, the combination of shoes and skirt almost tripping her. Argh, who designs these things?


    ¡°Mama!¡± she called, as Mama wrapped her up in her embrace.


    ¡°Renya, are you okay?¡± Mama asked her with a crease between her brows.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just not used to running in skirts. How do people even¨C¡±


    ¡°Renya, are you hurt?¡± Mama held Renalia out at arm¡¯s length, green eyes darting up and down her child.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Renalia answered with a new winning smile, wide and definitely convincing. She had retired her previous winning smile since she used it so often that her parents had started labeling it her ¡°lying smile.¡±


    ¡°Papa!¡± She held her arms over her head, glad for a distraction. Papa grabbed her and launched her high up in the air. She laughed as her skirt puffed out. See, perfectly healthy and doing perfectly normal things. After he caught her, she wrapped her legs and arms around his left arm.


    ¡°How¡¯s my little squirrel?¡± he asked, as he palmed the top of her head and dropped his arm, turning her upside down as his muscles thickened.


    Her squeals of delight turned to horror as the layers of her skirt opened up like flower petals greeting the sun. Stupid skirt. Couldn¡¯t even be a squirrel while wearing one. She pushed off with her feet and stiffened her neck, Papa¡¯s hand helping to rotate her upright. She landed and noticed Mama marching up to Malchim with pounding footsteps.


    ¡°Eiry,¡± Papa said, but Mama ignored him. Father and daughter abandoned their play and hurried to catch up.


    ¡°How dare you send her out on a hunt?¡± Mama yelled at Malchim. ¡°She¡¯s just a little girl. You had no right! You¡¯re not her dad.¡± Mama jabbed her finger at Malchim¡¯s chest. The Ongock children stood frozen, staring at a mother¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°Mama,¡± Renalia tried to interject, while Papa tried to pull Mama¡¯s other arm back, neither really succeeding.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Malchim responded, wiping away the spittle on his face. ¡°Now I know which side of the family Renalia gets her balls from.¡± He chuckled as if he said something funny.


    ¡°Eiry,¡± Papa said, wrapping up Mama in a hug as the latter started to raise her arm to slap Malchim. Her pale skin flushed red, and she struggled to get at Malchim, screaming obscenities all the while. But Papa lifted her as easily as he had with Renalia.


    Renalia tugged insistently on Mama¡¯s shirt. ¡°Mama, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Malchim held up his hands with the palms out. ¡°Listen, she¡¯s a born hunter, that one.¡± He tilted his chin in Renalia¡¯s direction. ¡°She¡¯s wasted as a farmer. You should have seen the¨C¡±


    ¡°You do not get to decide that!¡± Mama shouted. ¡°You do not get to put her in danger.¡±


    ¡°Mama!¡± Renalia shouted, matching her mother¡¯s intensity. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m good at it.¡±


    Her shout finally distracted Mama, who responded softly, ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. You can get hurt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Boogie can protect me.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Mama asked.


    ¡°Our wolfhound,¡± Malchim responded. ¡°Big enough and ferocious enough to hunt by himself. He just needs the right guidance, is all.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t completely true, but neither was what she added. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, Mama. And I like hunting.¡± And the cards that come with it, she did not say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, Eiry,¡± Papa said, ¡°but she is old enough to make her own decisions now.¡± He held Mama gently, now that she no longer struggled. ¡°We never wanted you to follow our path, Renya. You were always destined for something greater. But make sure this is what you really want.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Renalia nodded, a little sad. Papa didn¡¯t understand. She¡¯s not abandoning them. She¡¯s doing this so she could become a better peat farmer. Otherwise, she¡¯s just like some weak, undecked kid. A disappointment, no use to them at all.


    Mama wiped away her tears and crouched in front of Renalia. ¡°Listen to me, young lady. When there¡¯s danger, you run away, okay? Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    Renalia nodded, not daring to voice a lie.


    ¡°Well, this is a touching family reunion,¡± Malchim said. ¡°We¡¯ll see you guys in there.¡± He gathered up his children and headed to the church. On the way there, he elbowed Shim. ¡°Like mother, like daughter, eh?¡±


    After they left, Mama smoothed out Renalia¡¯s curls and cupped her face. ¡°So you¡¯re really not hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, really.¡± Renalia tilted her head and rested her face on her mother¡¯s palm.


    ¡°Not from him either? Or that boy Shim?¡±


    Renalia recalled Malchim slamming his hand on the table, which seemed like a lifetime ago. She shook her head in the negative.


    ¡°You had us so worried,¡± Mama said, hugging her. Renalia buried her face in Mama¡¯s red tresses, feeling safe. This is my Mama, my world, she thought to herself, and I will do anything to make her happy.


    She released the tension she unconsciously held, and hoped she made the right decision.

 Chapter 11: Safety in Numbers

    As they approached the Church, Shim¡¯s dad intercepted them. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Donaldson and Lexi.¡± He gestured to the pair of siblings in their early twenties following behind him. ¡°They¡¯ve agreed to take Renalia under their wings if she¡¯s keen to learn. Show her the way of the spear, as it were.¡±


    He turned towards Mama, whose stern expression at being accosted by Malchim softened somewhat. ¡°I¡¯d train your daughter myself, but I¡¯ve been spending most of my time in the workshop these days. Someone¡¯s got to watch over the little ones.¡± He placed a hand on Sammy¡¯s head, who preened at the attention.


    ¡°Is this acceptable?¡± Malchim asked.


    Renalia wasn¡¯t certain she liked this development. On the one hand, she could learn a lot from her seniors and they would protect Boogie and her. On the other, it meant she couldn¡¯t activate her bogling cards, which had her most lethal and most defensive cards.


    And what about harvesting cards? She doubted she could create a good explanation for wanting to open up the bellies of their captures. It was hard enough planting this seed in Shim¡¯s mind yesterday, and he¡¯s much easier to distract than adults. Maybe if she¡¯s still involved in unmaking the carcasses, she could sneak the card out then.


    It wasn¡¯t like she had to worry about anyone else snatching the cards before she did. Shim had, the day before, laughed when she asked if boglings had cards. And he had called her stupid again, for what seemed like the hundredth time. She had to resist the impulse to hurl some undead hare innards at him.


    Ugly thoughts about Shim lead to her drifting her attention towards him. Their eyes met and they both whipped their gaze away, as if something in the distant horizon had suddenly appeared. She caught his expression in the brief second, though, a mirror of her own. He was having ugly thoughts about her, too. She smirked. He totally deserved it, whatever the Renalia in his thoughts did.


    In any case, Malchim¡¯s proposal was out of her hands. Even if she knew what she wanted, she doubted she could sway Mama either way. Malchim¨Cit still felt weird thinking of him as anything other than Shim¡¯s dad¨Chad addressed Mama directly. He knew too, that this was Mama¡¯s decision.


    Mama eyed the two young hunters closely as if peering into their souls. ¡°Her safety is of the utmost importance. I don¡¯t care if that means you all return without a catch. Just keep her safe.¡±


    The two of them nodded, Donaldson perhaps a little less enthusiastically at Mama¡¯s mention of a catch-less hunt. Seeing this, Mama raised her voice. ¡°She¡¯s my only child. If you two ever return without her, so help me God, I swear I will¨C¡±


    ¡°Eiry,¡± Papa interjected, ¡°please, we¡¯re at Church.¡±


    Addressing the youths, Papa said, ¡°Little Renya can be overly enthusiastic sometimes. Please keep in mind that she has only ever lived a peaceful farming life. She has not had any opportunities to develop a more martial attitude¨Ca hunter¡¯s instinct. So please, watch out for her. She may not know how, or even when, to protect herself.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Lexi said, ¡°and Madam. We will keep her safe until she can do so herself. I believe Malchim asked me to help because my Deck is known to be stacked toward defense and protection. Both my brother and I were raised as hunters, so we know how to train kids, like¡±¨Cshe glanced sideways at Malchim¨C¡°not letting them hunt alone.¡±


    ¡°Aye yai yai,¡± Malchim muttered, loud enough for them to hear, ¡°Women these days. This coddling will be the death of us all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lexi,¡± Mama said, ¡°Donaldson.¡± She headed into the Church building, following the rest of the congregation.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Malchim asked as Mama walked past him. ¡°I arranged all this, no?¡± He raised an eyebrow at Papa, who just ducked his head and followed Mama.


    Renalia shrugged, walking at her parents¡¯ heels. She may not have a hunter¡¯s instinct, but she knew enough not to pick fights with her Mama.


    Renalia typically enjoyed Father Cornelius¡¯s sermons. But, for the first time in her life, she found something else holding her interest. Sitting between her parents, with her hands tucked beneath her legs, she played with [Bogling Claws].


    Tiny bursts against the bench and longer bursts in tandem with [Bogling Skin] against her legs. When the activations timed out, she slipped her hands into her parents¡¯ hands and played with her other cards.


    She wondered how many in the silent audience were actually paying attention to the Sermon.


    Before long, the sermon ended¨Csomething about the village being one big deck of cards¨Cand Father Cornelius called on Chief Cian.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received news that the new Baron, Baron Hegelstern, has started preparations for a tour of his domain.¡± The entire congregation sat up straighter at this news.


    ¡°As such, I ask that we hold an impromptu village meeting after lunch today to discuss our own preparations for his arrival.¡± Not seeing any objections, he continued. ¡°As part of his tour, the Baron will also be overseeing the Deck Day Ceremonies for all Decked kids since the last ceremony.¡±


    As they filed outside for lunch, a group gathered to discuss who among the newly Decked had a card that the Baron might take. Renalia struggled between following her nose to the enticing food or following her heart to join them for the equally enticing discussion. But before she could make up her mind, Marcy grabbed her hand and led her to the lunch line.


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    When the grown-ups went back into the building for their village meeting, Alice approached them. ¡°Ullock called a meeting,¡± she said. Renalia looked around at the remaining kids but didn¡¯t spot the big teen or any of the older kids.


    ¡°This way,¡± Alice said, motioning with her head towards a copse nearby. Seeing the rest of the Ongock kids following, she quickly added, ¡°Decked kids only.¡±


    ¡°Too bad for Ullock then,¡± Marcy responded. ¡°Reny already promised to go pick flowers with me. Bye-eee.¡± Marcy grabbed Renalia¡¯s hand and started to walk away.


    Alice looked at Shim, her eyes pleading with him to control his sister. He commanded, ¡°Marcy, stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a dog. You can¡¯t just order me around.¡± She snorted and hooked arms with Renalia for emphasis.


    ¡°Marcy,¡± Renalia said, patting the girl¡¯s arm. ¡°You heard Chief Cian. The Baron¡¯s coming soon. The adults have to prepare, and so do us Decked kids.¡±


    Marcy was not easily swayed, though. ¡°Please don¡¯t go,¡± she whispered forlornly.


    The girl¡¯s tone infected Renalia, growing the sense of foreboding that had already nestled within her. But she put on a brave face and, while removing Marcy¡¯s arm, said kindly, ¡°It¡¯s better to have a discussion now, before ¡­ before the Baron gets here.¡±


    She turned before Marcy could respond, taking big steps towards the group of trees Alice had pointed out, her skirt flitting around her as if catching her mood.


    From behind her, Shim asked, ¡°What¡¯s this meeting about?¡±


    ¡°Ullock called it. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡± After a brief pause, Alice continued in a softer tone. ¡°You think he tells me?¡±


    Renalia had an inkling, though. While glancing around during the sermon, wondering who among them paid attention, she had caught Ullock staring at her with this look on his face. A look worse than his usual mocking contempt. A look that, theoretically, she knew as ¡®hatred¡¯.


    They gathered in the grove of trees, the ten of them. A number fitting for their status as newly Decked, no longer children but not yet recognized as full adults.


    Ullock walked to one side of the small clearing, facing them all. ¡°As we all just heard, the Baron is coming. While the adults will handle the planning and the festivities, we will assist as needed. And we, as the newly Decked, also have a special responsibility.¡±


    He looked at each of them. ¡°We represent the village in the Deck Day Ceremony. That means we will be on our best behavior.¡± He smiled. ¡°No spitting. No picking our noses.¡± Some of the kids chuckled at this.


    He continued, more seriously, ¡°No cursing. No using cards. No breaking rules.¡± He looked at her and she felt her stomach sink. ¡°No fighting.¡± The other kids shuffled away from her as if her stigma was catching.


    ¡°Renalia, you attacked one of our own.¡±


    ¡°Chief already gave his judgment,¡± Renalia reminded him.


    ¡°Yes, he made sure the Ongocks didn¡¯t suffer¡±. Ullock glanced at Shim. ¡°But Shim stands before us now, arm still broken.¡±


    Shim scrunched as all eyes turned to him. ¡°She did apologize.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ullock acknowledged, ¡°But did she learn her lesson? Was she punished?¡± He let the question hang in the air, knowing no one would agree.


    He pointed at her while addressing the crowd. ¡°Look at her. She¡¯s dressed better than she¡¯s ever been, in Shim¡¯s sister¡¯s Sunday finest.¡±


    His voice grew louder, more vehement. ¡°And I hear she''s wearing Shim¡¯s old clothes, wielding the Hunter Spear meant for Shim. So I ask again, was she punished?¡± A chorus of ¡°no¡¯s¡± answered him.


    Noticing her peers becoming incensed, Renalia sought to stop it. As she¡¯s learned from her own experience with despair recently, strong emotions warp the mind. And she did not want to find out what righteous anger would do to a bunch of kids who already do not like her.


    ¡°What do you want, Ullock?¡± she asked with exasperation and disdain.


    ¡°I want you¡±¨Che spun to face her¨C¡°to obey the rules.¡± On the last word, both of his hands shot out¨Cfaster than she could react¨Cand wrapped around her throat.


    Shocked gasps sounded around her, sharply contrasting with her inability to draw in a breath. This sudden physical discovery drowned her shock with panic. She quickly suppressed it. Think, think, think.


    She grasped his oversized hands as he lifted her into the air, allowing him to meet her eyes at his height. ¡°The rules are there for a reason.¡±


    She raised her feet to kick him, like the hare did to her, but held still as she detected the barely hidden anger and anticipation in his face.


    ¡°They protect you.¡± He wanted me to fight back; she resisted her body¡¯s impulse to thrash.


    ¡°They protect us.¡± He wanted a release for his rage; she suppressed all emotions.


    ¡°From something worse. Something awful.¡± He revealed his real face as his mask cracked with emotion; she recognized it, for it mirrored her own just several days past.


    A face full of anger and despair and loneliness and terror and grief. The face of a ten-year-old. She had forgotten how young he was, only seeing his size. She had forgotten how alone he was, only hearing his bullying.


    This was not about her. It was never about her.


    She had Papa to play with when she was sad. She had Mama to protect her from harm. She had Granny to teach her about regulating emotions.


    He had no one, for Leo McGinnis broke a rule last year and played with a flame card he shouldn¡¯t have.


    So she looked at him, not with the anger or fear he expected. But with pity. And with compassion.


    He squeezed his eyes shut and released her. She dropped to all fours, coughed, and gasped for air. He stood before her, fists squeezed tightly and chest heaving erratically as if her ¡°punishment¡± took as much out of him as it did her.


    Which ¡­ it probably did.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, slowly getting up and approaching him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for breaking the rules.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, gently laying a hand on him.


    Sensing no reproach, she placed a second hand on his arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that something awful happened.¡±


    She held him as he sobbed, perhaps the first time he did this past year. ¡°You¡¯re safe now.¡±

 Chapter 12: Learning Some Lessons

    The Tuesday after Church, Lexi and Donaldson took Renalia out for her first hunting lesson. Even before reaching the bog, walking under the protection of two experienced hunters offered a marked contrast to her first trip four days prior. For while her heart still beat fast, it was more with excitement than anxiety and dread.


    On top of that, she held a professionally made spear with a smooth wood shaft and a real spearhead. While longer than Shim¡¯s makeshift spear, it felt more balanced, without the mess of leather straps tying a dagger to a wooden pole.


    She also wore a shirt with a dense weave and pants with pockets. The ribboned rings Marcy had added to the shirt worked well to hold her lunch at the small of her back. It wasn¡¯t as sleek and stylish as the leather straps that the two older hunters had, but it worked just as well.


    Marcy had also helped tie her hair into a bun at the back of her head. And she noticed that Lexi kept her hair cropped short, barely kissing the nape of her neck.


    Lexi, the stockier of the two, held a shield in her left hand and a short one-handed spear in her right. She walked on Renalia¡¯s left, with firm and measured steps. Donaldson, tall and slim, carried a spear that overshot his six-foot frame by several feet. He took long, easy strides on her right.


    On the way out of the village, her companions asked what Malchim had already taught her. When she replied that Shim had told her to distract the bogling while Boogie handled it, they stared at her incredulously. Their reaction made her feel inadequate, even though not receiving training was not her fault.


    ¡°Malchim said I had a hunter¡¯s instinct,¡± she said, trying to justify what had happened. She had thought going hunting by herself was an awful idea at the time. But since all the Ongock children went along with it, she assumed it was something hunting families did. And Shim¡¯s dad was an adult. And ¡­ and he had been so demanding.


    It didn¡¯t seem like she could say no. But she really should have, though. So, in a way, it was kind of her fault.


    Lexi scrunched her brows. ¡°No one doubts your bravery, kid. But that¡¯s only the start. To be a real hunter, you need to go out day after day and come back safely. That takes discipline, practice, and knowledge, not just courage. It is not an easy path, but it is a rewarding path.¡±


    Renalia blinked her eyes. Besides the bit about courage, Granny had said almost the exact same things when she asked about teaching her letters and numbers. She supposed it made sense, as misspelled words did not try to kill her.


    ¡°I want to learn,¡± she said.


    ¡°Good.¡± Lexi smiled kindly. ¡°That¡¯s kind of why we¡¯re here.¡±


    They then asked her to describe her first hunting trip in detail. Taking care to replace mentions of Shim¡¯s spear with a stick she found, she recounted her experiences with the hare and the mole. Everything except the almost-dying part. Or the putting undead cards into her Core part. And not the splitting of her lunch with Boogie detail, which she had learned she was not supposed to do.


    The siblings glanced at each other with wide eyes when she finished.


    Uncertain if the stick made the tale too incredible, Renalia tugged uncomfortably at the ribbons around her neck. The knots felt either too loose or too tight, as Marcy had tied it poorly through her teary eyes, seeing again the bruises and the welt where Granny¡¯s necklace had bitten into the skin.


    Honestly, it was like the girl herself got hurt, instead of Renalia. But she was thankful for Marcy¡¯s help.


    Thankful, too, that however mad Ullock had been, he had not unleashed the strength that his muscles hinted at. Of course, she would have never let it get that far. [Bogling Skin] would have protected her neck while [Bogling Claws] would have severed his hands from his wrists. It scared her, this cold calculation she made while under the influence of [Dull Emotions]. She knew that she would carry this emotional weight with her, long after the physical injuries had faded.


    Lexi cleared her throat, bringing Renalia¡¯s thoughts back to the present.


    ¡°Alright, lesson one,¡± Lexi said, breaking the silence, ¡°if you ever see a bogling the size of that hare¨Crun. We don¡¯t understand exactly how the bog brings them back to life, but it probably has to do with the water. And the more water the bogling holds, the more powerful it is.¡±


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t really run. It was so much faster than I am.¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± Donaldson acknowledged. ¡°You were unlucky with that one, though. Most boglings won¡¯t be so fast.¡±


    ¡°And I couldn¡¯t leave Boogie to fight it by himself.¡±


    Donaldson looked to Lexi, who knelt down beside Renalia to see eye to eye with her. Placing the shield by her feet and resting the short spear on her shoulders, Lexi placed her now freed hands on Renalia¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Listen, kid, I was just like you when I was your age. My Blueberry was my best friend in the world, and I spoiled her rotten. I gave her food and shelter. And in return, she gave me love and companionship. For that is the bond between a girl and her dog. But that¡¯s only back in the village.¡±


    She tilted her chin ahead of them, where the three dogs had fanned out, forming a triangle with them at the trailing vertex. ¡°Out here, they¡¯re working. Out here, they know their role is to sight boglings and sacrifice themselves for us if necessary.¡±


    Renalia frowned. She couldn¡¯t ask that of Boogie. She¡¯s not even his owner. And he had saved her life. He was her friend.


    Lexi saw her expression and continued. ¡°And in return, our role is to be the best damn hunter we can be so that they never have to make that choice. For that is the bond between a Hunter and her Hound. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Renalia replied.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Lexi puckered her mouth like she bit into a sour cherry. ¡°Oh God, no, that sounds awful. Just call me Lexi.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind being called ¡®Sir¡¯,¡± Donaldson said. Lexi squinted up at him. ¡°Ahem, I mean, call me Donaldson.¡±


    They resumed walking and Lexi said, ¡°Lesson two¨C¡±


    ¡°More like lesson three,¡± Donaldson interjected.


    ¡°Eh, I was never really good at numbers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not balancing the books. It¡¯s just counting. One, two, three.¡±


    ¡°Lesson two,¡± Lexi said firmly, ¡°Once you place that harness on a dog, you are the Hunter and he is your hunting dog. And while he¡¯s a hunting dog, he needs to obey your every command, without fail. So if you have decided to run, he should run with you.¡±


    ¡°Like so. Porkchop, come,¡± Lexi called. Her dog, exploring ahead of them in the distance, rushed back and crouched down in front of her. Porkchop? Blueberry? Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have made fun of Shim for his naming sense. Porkchop was beige and even bigger than Boogie.


    Taking a big step over the dog, Lexi continued speaking, ¡°They have good instincts a lot of the time, but they will always choose to chase and hunt if given the chance. So you will need to make better decisions for them. When to defend, when to retreat. What to fight, what to retrieve. When to push forward, when to go back home. Understand?¡±


    Renalia flushed with shame at all the mistakes she had made during her first hunt. Plus, the failure to command Boogie had almost cost him an eye. The guilt continued to gnaw at her, but she forced herself to acknowledge her weakness. ¡°I guess. But Boogie doesn¡¯t always listen to me, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s understandable,¡± Donaldson said. ¡°You were not part of his training, so have not built up a working rapport with him. And Shim probably did not do enough to establish that you are his Hunter doing a Hunt.


    ¡°We¡¯ll work more on this back in the village when Boogie¡¯s less distracted. For now, I¡¯ll manage Boogie since I¡¯ve worked with him before. Take this.¡± He handed her a leather bracelet with a dangling strap. ¡°Killer has been trained to obey the person with the bracelet.¡± Killer? Gah, do boys never grow up?


    ¡°Raise your hand high so she can see it and call her. And remember, this is a command, not a conversation with a friend, so say it with authority. Demand that it be obeyed.¡±


    ¡°Killer¡±¨Cshe stumbled over the name¨C¡°come!¡± The wolfhound, with a dark gray coat, ran to her, with only the slightest glance at Donaldson while passing him by.


    ¡°Good, now praise her, let her know she did the right thing,¡± Donaldson told her.


    ¡°Good girl, good ¡­ Killer.¡± Killer licked her lips at the praise, but did not respond to Renalia¡¯s pets. Right, you¡¯re working out here.


    ¡°Great,¡± said Lexi. ¡°Sometimes, we¡¯d have the dogs far apart to allow for side flanks.¡± Renalia glanced back at Porkchop, small in the distance. He remained down on the ground where Lexi had originally called him, staring intently at the back of Lexi¡¯s head. Similarly, Killer tracked Renalia¡¯s every movement, waiting for the next command.


    ¡°But we¡¯ll talk about formations later. It¡¯s not really that important anymore. For now, we¡¯ll just let them scout. Porky, free. Take point.¡±


    From Renalia¡¯s side, Donaldson whispered, ¡°Killer¡¯s release word is pee.¡±


    Renalia looked at him with furrowed brows, but he was intently inspecting his long spear. Lexi shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the chance to intervene. My brother had already trained Killer¡±¨Ceye roll¨C¡°before I realized how stupid he was going to be.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Donaldson asked. ¡°Release and pee. It makes perfect sense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s juvenile.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, look at you with your fancy adult words.¡±


    They continued their playful bickering for a few minutes, with Renalia swiveling her head back and forth between them. She enjoyed the give and take, making her wish for siblings too. But as soon as she thought that, painful memories surfaced, dampening her mood.


    As they hiked, the siblings took turns showing her various spear thrusts and strikes. These she found easy to pick up, having mimicked it previously. However, the hand positions, guards, and stances proved more difficult, as she had not recognized what those were during the spear dance last year.


    When they broke for lunch, Lexi resumed her lecture, ¡°You¡¯ll note that we have not mentioned anything about our Decks nor asked you anything about yours.¡± Renalia had noticed but had decided not to ask, embarrassed about her worthless Deck.


    ¡°That is because spear fighting, dog commands, and formations¡ªthese are all fundamental skills and knowledge that every hunter should know. So all new training starts with these basics. Bear in mind, even though we call them basic skills, they take many years to master.


    ¡°In addition, these skills, like quickly transitioning from a thrust to a guard, have saved hunter lives many times. So even though professional hunters rely more on their Decks, we will always start our training with the basics.¡±


    Donaldson took over as Lexi took a bite from her lunch. ¡°Honestly, for someone like you¨Cwho didn¡¯t grow up as a hunter¨Cyour Deck is probably not geared for this way of life. Hell, even my own first Set wasn¡¯t as useful.


    ¡°But as you walk this path, your Deck will grow with you, and your style will change along with it. For me, my Deck excels at fast attacks over short and middle distances. So Killer acts mostly as a nimble distraction.¡±


    ¡°And for me,¡± Lexi said between bites, ¡°my Deck is about protection and keeping the prey¡¯s focus, allowing others to hit them. In this hunt, I want you to just observe and understand the roles that we play. In future hunts, only one of us will go with you and you will assume the complementary role.¡±


    ¡°If we encounter a bogling this time, that is,¡± Donaldson sighed.


    Seeing the quizzical expression on Renalia¡¯s face, Lexi explained. ¡°There are fewer and fewer boglings lately. Many have even started solo hunting in order to cover more ground.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the curse I tell ya. That fire last year, and the bog drying up this year. It¡¯s a pattern,¡± the brother said.


    ¡°Bah, it¡¯s not related to anything.¡± She looked at Renalia. ¡°You running into two boglings in one trip is nothing short of extraordinary. Must have made Malchim incredibly happy.¡±


    Donaldson laughed. ¡°Yea, happy enough to call in favors and train up a hunter who¡¯s not even his own son.¡±


    Renalia accidentally bit her tongue while chewing a piece of jerky, uncomfortable at the change in topic. ¡°I got a small cut fighting the hare. Do you think the blood attracted the second bogling?¡±


    ¡°Aye, could be.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t hunters set out baits to lure more boglings?¡± Renalia asked.


    ¡°It may come to that.¡± Lexi shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s been done in the past but has fallen out of favor. Sometimes too many boglings get lured, you know what I mean? In the good times, it was enough to just play it safe and bag a bogling or two every week.¡±


    They went further into the bog for a couple of hours after lunch, before Lexi called for a return to the village. Their return trip was also uneventful for several hours and the three of them gave up on the idea of catching a bogling. But an hour from the village, Porkchop, ever vigilant, howled at the sky.


    ***


    I learned many lessons that day, intended and not. Foremost among them was that the secret of success is no secret at all. It takes discipline, practice, and knowledge to excel. Easier said than done, perhaps, but achievable by all.

 Chapter 13: Gifts and Favors

    High above them, a bird of prey circled, a small but conspicuous black silhouette against the azure sky. Renalia craned her neck back, mouth open with astonishment. Boglings can fly?


    ¡°Renalia, five steps to my right and back,¡± Lexi shouted as she started banging her spear against her wooden shield.


    Moving to the safe spot behind Lexi¡¯s right side, she assumed a guard position. By unspoken agreement, Donaldson distanced himself, crouching down about fifty paces away, facing the two of them.


    ¡°Hoo-wap, hoo-wap,¡± chanted Lexi while shimmying from side to side. Her movements caught the undead bird¡¯s attention, and it folded its wings to stoop and attack.


    Startled by how fast the tapered oval shape fell, Renalia took an involuntary step backward before forcing herself to stay still. The plan they had discussed earlier in the day relied on Lexi holding the attention of the bogling while Donaldson speared it. Any errant movement by Renalia had the potential to spoil their preparation.


    Despite recognizing its speedy descent, Renalia still misjudged how fast it truly dropped without a frame of reference in the blue sky. One moment she was glancing up to look at it; the next moment, faster than she could dip her head, it slammed against Lexi¡¯s upraised shield.


    The impact was so loud that Renalia was surprised to find the wooden shield still intact.


    Lexi had absorbed the force of the blow by crouching and shortening her arms. It placed the bogling at the right height for Donaldson¡¯s thrown spear to pierce through the middle. The long lance bounced off the shield at a slight angle, its upward motion providing enough resistance to carry the struggling bogling along with it instead of flying straight through.


    ¡°With me,¡± Lexi yelled as she turned around and set off after the bogling at a slow jog, shield held in front of her. Renalia followed behind on the left, surprised to find Donaldson so close to her and trailing Lexi on the right. Confirming with a quick glance back that Renalia kept up, Lexi maintained the tempo.


    It was only with surreptitious activations of [Bogling Claws] on her toenails and [Bogling Skin] on the soles of her feet that Renalia could push off of each step with enough momentum. This allowed her to keep pace with her longer-legged trainers.


    They reached the lance fairly fast, the bogling struggles only moving it two-thirds of the way to the butt of the spear. Lexi halted ten paces from it and held out her spear in an open palm. Catching up to her on the right, Donaldson grabbed the spear and, in a blur of motion over the remaining distance, stabbed their prey before it could free itself.


    As its writhing slowed, Lexi turned to Renalia and asked, ¡°Well, how¡¯s that?¡±


    Mimicking Lexi¡¯s relaxed stance, Renalia laughed. ¡°That was awesome! It flew so fast, but it was like, bam against your shield. And Donaldson threw his spear and it went right through the middle!¡±


    ¡°Haha. I like your enthusiasm, kid, but I meant more in terms of what you are learning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. It worked as planned. You took the first hit and stopped its attack. And before it could attack again, Donaldson speared it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important to reiterate¨Cthat means to say again¨Cthe overarching strategy. We are in their territory and with their enhanced senses, we almost never get to ambush them. So the best plan is to spot them before they could attack, then block and counter.¡±


    Lexi tapped her shield on the ground, shaking off some residual bog water. She paused for questions before continuing. ¡°While it¡¯s good that everything worked out, it¡¯s also important to understand what could have gone better. That is essential to learning and improving. Donaldson?¡±


    Donaldson had removed both spears from the still bogling and now lifted it into the air by its wings. He whistled as the wings, mostly still feathered, expanded to over four feet. ¡°Damn, these feathers will fetch a pretty penny.¡±


    ¡°Donaldson,¡± Lexi said with exasperation. ¡°List the learnings, for Renalia¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, yes. Anything for our little good luck charm. This¡±¨Che raised the bogling to get a closer look¨C¡°peregrine falcon was damnably fast. It completely messed up my timing, and I had to throw my lance to get it before it flew off again. By the way, never throw your spear unless you have a backup weapon.¡± Working the toe of his boot under Lexi¡¯s spear, he kicked it up to his sister. ¡°Which I did.¡±


    Lexi grimaced as she caught her bog-slicked spear. ¡°My spear is not your backup. I let you borrow it because you lost yours.¡±


    Addressing Renalia, she said, ¡°I underestimated its speed too. Originally, I had thought to angle its contact so that it would bounce and plop between my brother and me. But it hit with such force that, even with my [Force Shield] in effect, I had to crouch down so that my arms wouldn¡¯t break.¡±


    ¡°Now, what about the dogs?¡± Lexi asked.


    The excitement of watching two professional hunters fight a flying bogling made Renalia forget about the dogs. With the bogling dead, the three dogs now wandered around them, providing a lookout for intruders. ¡°Um, they were close by?¡±


    ¡°Haha,¡± Lexi laughed. ¡°Good guess, kid. It¡¯s a lot to take in at first, and it¡¯s always best to focus on the most dangerous element: the bogling. But with experience, you¡¯ll learn when you can safely let the dogs rely on their instincts and when you¡¯ll need to keep an eye on them.¡±


    ¡°This being one of the latter instances,¡± Donaldson said. He squeezed out the remaining bog water from their prey and retrieved his spear. ¡°It¡¯s not every day that a bogling drops out of the sky like a gift from God Himself.¡±


    ¡°God doesn¡¯t give us boglings. If He did, He sure needs to work on His delivery.¡±


    ¡°Sacrilege! He¡¯s literally raining money down on us.¡±


    ¡°First off, that¡¯s not what ¡®literally¡¯ means. Now who¡¯s trying to use big words? Second of all, if He¡¯s sending us boglings, doesn¡¯t that mean He¡¯s living in the bog?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Everyone knows He¡¯s up there in the sky. Why else would Father Cornelius always look up when talking about God?¡±


    ¡°Hm, yes, I think you¡¯re right about that. Though, I don¡¯t think the Father actually sees God when he looks up; he only wishes he did.¡±


    While at ease with their good-natured and lighthearted bantering, this casual characterization of God, followed by a quip about the Father, discomforted Renalia. However, the sight of a familiar flicker in the hole at the bogling¡¯s middle distracted her.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    If Cards came from God, perhaps He used boglings as a kind of packaging. Wait a minute, are humans another kind of packaging? Her whole body shivered at the thought, and she forced the idea away.


    She approached Donaldson. ¡°Can I see the dead bird?¡± Please, God, if you are giving me gifts, please let it be [Bogling Flight].


    ¡°Of course, little one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so heavy! How does it even fly?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a simple answer really.¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± Lexi readily replied.


    ¡°Yep, magic,¡± Donaldson confirmed.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain anything,¡± complained Renalia.


    ¡°Sure it does,¡± said Donaldson. ¡°Why are there boglings?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± Lexi replied.


    ¡°How do beasts come back to life?¡±


    ¡°Magic.¡±


    ¡°Why can they breathe underwater?¡±


    ¡°Magic.¡±


    Seeing Renalia¡¯s frustrated expression, Lexi explained, ¡°Listen, kid, we¡¯re just hunters. We don¡¯t understand any of this. It¡¯s easier to say ¡®magic¡¯ to anything we don¡¯t know while holding on to what we do know: poking enough holes in them kills them again. If you want to know the why of things, go ask Father Cornelius. Although, he¡¯ll probably say¨C¡±


    Donaldson clasped his hands and looked up at the sky. ¡°God sent the boglings to test our resolve.¡±


    Renalia opened her mouth to disagree, but snapped it shut as she realized that was exactly what Father Cornelius would say. That he had, in fact, said the exact same phrase to her many times. In the past, it was comforting to think that the world was testing her, challenging her; it was more bearable than the world being unfair and filled with pain for no reason.


    But now, she realized it for what it was. ¡°If it explains everything, it¡¯s the same as explaining nothing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Lexi said. ¡°People don¡¯t like to say they don¡¯t know something. They want to help, so they say something vague that might be true.¡±


    How much of the Father¡¯s sermons were true and how much was explaining things in a way that seemed true? This troubled her greatly.


    Leaning on Lexi¡¯s wisdom, she decided to hold on to what she did know about boglings: they have a Card that she could take.


    She placed her fingers in the hole created by the lance. ¡°Straight through the middle.¡±


    ¡°Indeed! A good throw, that was.¡± Donaldson beamed proudly.


    Lexi coughed politely from behind them. She muttered under her breath, ¡°A teaching moment.¡±


    Donaldson cleared his throat and added, ¡°Though, to be fair, the whole point of the setup was so I didn¡¯t need to worry about where the bogling would be, just when.¡±


    Renalia understood the concept of simplification, as Granny had taught her the idea in another context. When she had asked Granny to teach the words commonly found on cards, Granny had instead started with the objects they could see around them. She had wanted Renalia to focus solely on pronunciation and spelling, not learning unfamiliar words or concepts at the same time.


    She placed the newly acquired Card into her Deck, slightly disappointed that it was [Bogling Sight] and not a flight power. Neither would have helped in harvesting peat, but flying probably would have made hunting easier. Plus, she would be flying.


    The remaining trek back to the village passed pleasantly, with all of them, including the dogs, in good spirits. Based on Donaldson¡¯s estimation of the falcon¡¯s value, Renalia hoped this would alleviate Malchim¡¯s foul mood of late.


    While Renalia cleaned and dissected the peregrine falcon under Shim¡¯s supervision, she kept an ear on the conversation that Lexi and Donaldson were having with Malchim.


    ¡°Well, how''d she do?¡± Malchim asked. ¡°Is she an instinctive hunter or what?¡±


    ¡°We went over the basics, which she picked up pretty fast,¡± Lexi replied.


    ¡°So when do you think she¡¯ll be able to hunt alone?¡±


    Lexi¡¯s reply was so long in coming that Renalia glanced at them. The frown of disapproval that first appeared on Lexi¡¯s face when they caught the stink of alcohol from Malchim had resurfaced.


    ¡°Renalia, pay attention!¡± Shim said. He was cutting the falcon with his skill while Renalia held the carcass still for him. ¡°God, you¡¯re as bad as Marcy.¡±


    Renalia shrugged. Being compared to Shim¡¯s own sister didn¡¯t sting that much, since he obviously loved her a lot.


    And why was he allowed to use [Cut]? Was it because his dad had the same card, so he didn¡¯t need to perform any dangerous experiments? Or was it because he¡¯s Ullock¡¯s friend? And who made Ullock the enforcer of rules? Just because he¡¯s bigger doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s in charge.


    But she cleared her thoughts as Lexi started speaking.


    ¡°We will not be rushing the training just so you can take advantage of her kills while she¡¯s under your care,¡± Lexi said in a measured tone. ¡°Remember, I am doing this training as a favor I owe Lily. In her memory, we will do this correctly and safely. It¡¯s what she would have wanted.¡±


    Renalia¡¯s heart eased upon hearing this. She had worried about how she was going to pay back the siblings for their help in training her.


    When Granny had taught Renalia lessons, she had made sure to pay her back by assisting in the gathering of plants and the processing of herbs. And once she had learned the alphabet, she spent most of the time practicing by herself, only occasionally asking Granny some questions.


    On the other hand, Lexi and Donaldson had both spent the whole day teaching her. So she was glad they got to keep the bogling. Except, the two of them had done the hunt themselves¨Cwithout any help from Renalia¨Cso it belonged to them, anyway. If they were doing this in repayment of a favor, does that mean she¡¯s actually indebted to Shim¡¯s late mom?


    Malchim drew a sharp intake of breath at the mention of his dead wife. He said slowly, ¡°She¡¯s more than capable. You didn¡¯t see the size of the hare she brought back.¡±


    ¡°No doubt she¡¯s brave and smart,¡± Donaldson answered. ¡°But she¡¯s also very, very lucky. As much as we all wine and dine Lady Luck, we should never depend on her showing up.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a better assessment once we start actually hunting with her,¡± Lexi said. ¡°For now, it¡¯s enough that we¡¯re giving you first processing rights.¡±


    ¡°Renalia,¡± Lexi called. ¡°Get a good night of sleep. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning again.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Thank you, Lexi!¡±


    After she finished cleaning the insides of the bird, Shim handed her what he called a tweezer. It was a piece of metal folded upon itself and Shim showed her how to squeeze it to grab and pluck the preserved feathers out. She marveled at how precise and powerful the tool was. So much easier than using her hands.


    When Malchim went back into the cottage, she asked Shim, ¡°What does Lexi mean when she said she owed your mom a favor?¡±


    ¡°I knew they were good friends, but I don¡¯t know anything about a favor.¡±


    ¡°What was your mom like? I don¡¯t think I ever got the chance to really talk with her.¡±


    ¡°She was¡­ She was the best person. She made everything and everyone around her better.¡±


    ¡°I would have liked to have gotten to know her.¡± She concentrated on plucking the feathers as Shim squeezed his eyes shut, preventing further discussion.


    It was actually quite fun applying just the right amount of force to maneuver the tweezer in between the feathers to grab exactly one feather. And then close it with just enough pressure to remove the feather from the skin without damaging it. She barely noticed when Shim left her side, completely forgetting dinner preparations.


    Thankfully, Shim commandeered the other kids to help. Delaying dinner would have probably sent post-Lexi-confrontation Malchim into a rage.

 Chapter 14: Attempted Adoption

    ¡°What is that?¡± Renalia asked. They had spotted the black shape of a bogling some distance away and had gotten into formation. Lexi stood in the lead holding the shield, with Renalia off to the side. But the expected attack hadn¡¯t come. In fact, it barely moved. So, instead, they approached it.


    Lexi stepped on the hard, domed shell of the bogling, the size of a large oval shield. The lightest of pressure kept it in place, its stubby feet doing little in its scraping on the ground.


    Not only was it weak, it was incredibly slow. It took several seconds for it to crane its neck around and several more seconds for it to realize it couldn¡¯t reach her foot. It gave up trying to bite her and concentrated anew on crawling, to little effect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± Lexi bent down and rapped on the shell. It was hard and sounded more solid than a wooden shield.


    Keeping its attention in the front, she told Renalia, ¡°Try to see if it¡¯s armored below too.¡±


    Renalia crouched next to it with [Bogling Skin] mentally ready. With one hand keeping her ponytail out of the mud, she bent over and reached underneath between its legs. It felt hard and she gave it a quick tap. ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°No way we can get through that armor. My brother may be able to [Pierce] through it if he was with us. Maybe not even that would work.¡± She placed her foot back on its shell and pressed down. ¡°We¡¯ll do this the old fashioned way, then. Renalia, take its head off.¡±


    Renalia backed away a little. Like Lexi had shown her, she lifted her spear horizontally over her head and ran towards the bogling. A step from the bogling, she planted her feet with a little assistance from [Bogling Claws]. Doing so helped her bend over her stomach and accelerate the spear down in an arc through her shoulders.


    She grinned as the spearhead went through the bogling¡¯s neck easily and into the ground. ¡°I did it!¡± It was so much more forceful and graceful than the flying stumble she had done with the mole¡¯s paw several days past.


    Without a hint of pain, the bogling strained against the spear, successfully tearing itself away. It retracted its neck, tail, and all four limbs into the domed armor. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s so cool!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it also means we don¡¯t have a good way of injuring it further. I don¡¯t want to damage our spears by trying to push them through the holes in the armor. Let¡¯s head back and let Malchim deal with it.¡±


    With its unwieldy bulk and smooth round surfaces, it took the two of them some time to tie it up. And since the bogling wasn¡¯t dead yet, caution slowed their movements whenever they came close to any of the six holes on the side. They did not know if a limb would shoot out and attack.


    Lexi stood and stretched, arching her back. ¡°That¡¯s the first time that bagging the prey took more effort than capturing it.¡±


    Turning away from Lexi, Renalia activated [Bogling Sight]. She had experimented with Boogie the night before. His growling confirmed that whatever magic the Card did, it changed how her eyes appeared. So she had been secretly activating it behind Lexi¡¯s back whenever it became available.


    [Bogling Sight] was more powerful than she imagined. Using it in the kennel and within the confines of the cottage last night, she had thought it just clarified her vision, making objects more distinct.


    But out here in the open, its usefulness truly shined. Her bogling eyes could see many times farther than her human ones. Better yet, motion seemed to jump out in her enhanced vision. And when she focused on a bug flying in the far distance, it appeared bigger and slower, allowing her to count the number of feet it had.


    Now, she could easily see that a small patch of ground close by seemed to be twitching. Approaching slowly, she poked at it with her spear. It hit something solid and dislodged enough dirt for her to discern its shape. Working the spearhead underneath it, she lifted.


    It was a lump of mud, but the tiny feet that protruded out from it recalled the bigger version they just captured. She walked to a nearby patch of water and dipped the spearhead in. It barely moved while the mud washed off, allowing her to lift it out again with only a minor adjustment.


    ¡°Aw, it¡¯s so cute!¡± It was the same kind of bogling, but at half the size of her palm, barely bigger than a large coin. She picked it up delicately with her forefinger and thumb, its feet slowly wiggling in the air. ¡°Can I keep it?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Lexi stammered. She was at a loss for words, as her hunter training had probably not covered adopting boglings. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hurt me, would you, Penny?¡± Renalia petted its head with a finger, which the bogling promptly bit.


    ¡°Ow!¡± It stung, but didn¡¯t break the skin. She held the uninjured, but slightly throbbing, finger up to Lexi. ¡°See, it¡¯s completely safe!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the opposite of what ¡®safe¡¯ means. But I suppose it¡¯s harmless enough.¡± Seeing Renalia¡¯s face brighten, she quickly added. ¡°But not as a pet. I would not be ¡®safe¡¯ from your mom if I let that happen. We¡¯ll take it with us. I¡¯m sure someone from the city would pay dearly for a live undead.¡±


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    Both the dogs¡¯ muzzles twitched when they saw Penny in her hand. But they stood still, understanding their current role as beasts of burden. She kept Penny out of their sight, though. As Father Cornelius said before, ¡°It¡¯s easier to avoid temptation than resist it.¡±


    ¡°But I can keep it in the meantime?¡± She discovered that bonking it on the head would cause it to retract everything into its shell. It really was the cutest thing.


    ¡°I suppose. If Malchim has a cage for it.¡±


    ¡°Wait till Marcy sees Penny. She¡¯ll absolutely love it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure Marcy would feel the same way about boglings as you do.¡±


    As they turned back toward the village, Lexi asked, ¡°How are you getting along with the Ongock kids?¡±


    ¡°Fine. Even Shim¡¯s not as bad as he used to be.¡± She flicked the tiny bogling again when it came out of its shell and tried to bite her, sending it back into its protected armor.


    ¡°They¡¯re good kids. They¡¯ve just had a hard time¡­ As I¡¯m sure all the kids in the village have.¡±


    They walked in silence for a while, before Renalia decided if she was going to ask, this would be the time. ¡°Um, Lexi? Why are you helping me?¡±


    Lexi chuckled. ¡°Heard my conversation with Malchim yesterday, eh, kid?¡±


    Renalia blushed but she pushed on. ¡°What does training me have to do with Malchim¡¯s late wife?¡± She flicked the undead bogling again.


    Lexi sighed wistfully. ¡°Lily¨CLiliane¨Cwas the kindest person. I know people say speak well of the dead, but she really was. She was there for me when I needed someone kind.¡±


    Puzzlement probably showed itself on Renalia¡¯s face, for Lexi continued. ¡°You¡¯re too young to understand, but sometimes, love hits unexpectedly and you fall for someone you really shouldn¡¯t have. Someone your parents and society disapprove of. And it hurts, it really hurts, when something that feels so right is deemed so wrong. And¡­¡±


    Lexi was right. Renalia really did not understand what the older girl was talking about. She could not imagine falling in love with someone Mama and Papa didn¡¯t like. That¡¯s just illogical. And what does society have anything to do with it?


    Exhaling deeply, Lexi said, ¡°I guess¡­ I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is that I know what it¡¯s like to feel alone, like the world is against you. And I know how important it is to have someone on your side, to guide you to the right decisions and away from the bad ones.¡±


    Renalia gasped as Lexi¡¯s words conjured up memories of several days ago. Alone. Adrift. The world battering down on her.


    ¡°I- Thank you.¡± The small head of the bogling peeked out from its shell again, this time ignoring her fingers. She stopped, holding tightly to the bogling, willing herself not to cry. ¡°I thought¡­ I thought I was going to die¡­¡±


    Lexi stopped by her side and placed a hand on her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that, kid. And I¡¯m going to do my best to make sure you never have to go through that again.¡±


    Renalia nodded, liking Lexi¡¯s hand against her head. There was a weight to the muscular arm, just like Papa¡¯s. ¡°How do I pay you back?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re just a kid, Renalia.¡± Renalia frowned, so Lexi added, ¡°Listen, once you¡¯re older and you see some kid needing someone by their side, you help her out, yeah?¡±


    Renalia¡¯s internal sense of balance complained that she owed Lexi for her kindness, not some random, undeserving kid in the future. Although she had to admit Lexi¡¯s support now meant a lot to her; much more than she could ever repay. So maybe it made sense to have a three-sided scale with some kid in the future whom she could really help.


    The mental image made her dizzy, but she recognized that Lexi probably had her own three-sided scale, with Liliane and Renalia at the other ends. ¡°Alright,¡± Renalia agreed. ¡°But you¡¯ll let me know if I can help you too, okay?¡±


    Lexi chuckled and patted her on the head. ¡°Will do, kid. Will do.¡±


    They resumed walking, catching up to Boogie and Porkchop. Every once in a while, the bogling that the dogs were dragging would stick its feet out. But upon not finding a good purchase against the ground, it would retract them again.


    The baby version pinched between her fingers had ceased trying to bite her, so she placed it on her palm. It wobbled forward and, upon reaching the edge of her palm, pawed at the air continuously as if a surface would magically appear at any time.


    Which Renalia supposed it was right about, as she placed her other hand at the edge, letting it continue its walk. Does Penny feel alone? she wondered. Do boglings still have feelings or were they just dead and mad? Penny reached the end of her hand and pawed at the air again. Was it trying to reach its parent?


    For an undead monster that would kill her if given the chance, it was really quite adorable.


    ¡°And maybe don¡¯t fight with Shim so much.¡±


    As if I have a choice, she thought. But she said, ¡°I¡¯m trying not to.¡±


    ¡°I know he hasn¡¯t been that nice to you. But he was such a good boy, before¡­ You know.¡±


    Renalia shook her head. She knew what Lexi referred to but not the details. ¡°How did she die?¡±


    Lexi looked at her, surprised. ¡°I thought the entire village knew. It was the talk of the town.¡±


    ¡°Um, I guess I was busy at the time.¡± Busy taking care of Mama. Busy catching bugs to eat. Busy trying not to cry.


    ¡°Well, it was while Malchim and their eldest were out on a hunt. Some other hunting party lost control of the wolf bogling they were fighting and inadvertently led it back to the village. Right to where the Ongocks lived. Lily sacrificed herself, keeping it busy and away from the kids until enough villagers could bring it down.¡±


    Lexi tightened her grip on her spear as if reliving the memories. ¡°Shim was Lily¡¯s favorite, the most like her among all the kids. Her passing changed him¡­ It¡­ It made him more like his dad.¡±


    She shook her head softly. ¡°Even Malchim was nicer before, a good provider for the family. Now he never ventures into the bog, never allowing the kids out of his sight.¡±


    They passed the rest of the trip back in silence. Lexi was occupied with her memories while Renalia dealt with the unpleasant feeling of sympathy for her bully.

 Chapter 15: Children

    Panting with exhaustion, the dogs gripped the earth with their claws and dragged the big, upside-down boulder of a bogling into Malchim''s workshop. It gave the Ongocks enough time to gather around.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Sammy asked, mirroring Renalia¡¯s reaction several hours ago.


    Lexi shrugged, so they all looked at Malchim. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Never seen it before, either.¡±


    ¡°That armor is pretty hard. Might make a good shield,¡± Lexi said. She knocked on the chestplate of the bogling for emphasis.


    ¡°Ha. That¡¯s why you¡¯re the hunter and I¡¯m the processor,¡± Malchim said as Lexi rolled her eyes at his response. ¡°No, this here is a collector''s item. To the right people, I reckon it¡¯s worth its weight in silver.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you retrieve the arms and legs?¡± Shim asked.


    Lexi grinned widely, eyes twinkling with anticipation. ¡°Renalia, will you do the honors?¡±


    Renalia raised her cupped hands to chest-high and lifted her upper hand off with a flourish. ¡°This is Penny.¡±


    The baby bogling extended its limbs from its shell to stand up and swiveled its neck to eye each of them in turn.


    Renalia smiled at their widened eyes and Sammy audibly gasped.


    Marcy froze and then squealed in the highest pitch Renalia has ever heard. ¡°It¡¯s sooo cuuute! Can I hold it? Can I? Can I hold it? Can I?¡±


    Renalia looked pointedly at Lexi, who shrugged at her misjudgment of Marcy.


    ¡°Okay, but watch out for its bite. Just bonk it on the head when it tries that.¡± She pinched the edge of its shell between her thumb and forefinger and handed it to Marcy.


    ¡°That¡¯s- That¡¯s a live bogling.¡± Malchim came forward for a closer inspection.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m only a hunter,¡± Lexi said with a self-satisfied grin, ¡°but I think that there¡¯s a collector¡¯s item.¡±


    Malchim laughed and rubbed his chin. ¡°And worth its weight in gold!¡±


    They each took turns handling it, except Minnie, who hid behind Malchim. ¡°Is it going to eat us?¡± she asked in a small voice.


    ¡°No, no, sweetheart. We¡¯ll lock it up. It won¡¯t be able to get out. But that¡¯s a good question, though. Is it going to stay ¡®undead¡¯ if we don¡¯t feed it?¡±


    ¡°I tried giving it some jerky¨C¡±


    ¡°¨CReny, the jerky is for you only,¡± Marcy interjected, placing her hands on her hips.


    Renalia shrugged. ¡°It was only a test and it didn¡¯t want it.¡± She took the bogling back, as it had not stopped trying to bite the others, no matter how many times they tapped it on the head. It only seemed content in her hand. Is it because I¡¯m turning into a bogling?


    ¡°Ooh, I know!¡± Sammy shouted before running into the house.


    Malchim looked at his youngest son¡¯s back in confusion before addressing Lexi. ¡°I¡¯ll have a chat with the Chief later, see if he has any contacts in the city that may be interested.¡±


    ¡°Yep. And I¡¯ll check with Old George. He¡¯s been in this business the longest. He may know someone, too.¡±


    Sammy came running back, holding a glass jar with a live cricket inside. ¡°Try this. I caught it this morning.¡± He unscrewed the top and Renalia quickly dropped Penny inside.


    They all drew closer together, even the dogs, mesmerized by the life-and-death struggle on display. The cricket jumped and flapped, instinctively recognizing a predator. But within the small confines of the jar, there was no escape.


    Renalia felt bad for it and thought a brief prayer for the little insect, in case crickets had souls and could go into cricket heaven.


    On the third attempt, Penny pinned one of the cricket¡¯s legs beneath its foot. In slow motion, they watched as its mouth approached the cricket¡¯s back and chomped down. A few drops of cricket innards sprayed on the glass jar as Penny used its tongue to stuff more of the cricket, legs twitching, into its mouth.


    ¡°Ew,¡± said Minnie.


    At the same time, Sammy exclaimed, ¡°Yes!¡±


    Renalia took the glass jar from him before he could drop it in his excitement. She said, ¡°I think we can give it some bog water too, in case it needs more magic.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± said Malchim. ¡°And Sammy, you¡¯re now the Hunter in charge of getting bugs for this bogling.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Sammy agreed happily. The boy stood tall with his new responsibility, his wide grin squeezing his eyes as he glanced up at his dad.


    Am I this obvious too? Renalia thought. In the past, she had suspected that Mama had a mind-reading skill, with how often she seemed to guess exactly what Renalia had been thinking about. But after Mama failed to detect the white lies she told, she concluded that they had a special mother-daughter bond.


    But now, she realized that children were simply transparent. Sammy worshiped his dad and was happy at the implied praise. Minnie appeared relieved that the bogling was bottled, but had not yet conquered her fear. Marcy seemed happy that everyone was happy. And Shim¡­ Huh, maybe it¡¯s hard to tell what he¡¯s feeling because he himself isn¡¯t sure.


    Renalia took Penny out and handed the dirty jar back to Sammy. ¡°Thank you, Sammy.¡± The boy took it and ran off. If she had to guess, he probably went to wash off the jar and hunt for more bugs.


    Malchim was easy to read, too, as he became less angry and more excited. He walked around the bogling on the ground with his tongue pinched between his lips. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see how we can cut into this one.¡±


    Shim followed with his hand out. As he activated [Cleanse], caked mud and other debris flew off, offering them a view of the glossy chestplate on the upside-down bogling. And underneath, there were intricate patterns on the dome of its shell. Geometric shapes with four to six sides interlocked with each other, with barely any gaps between them. Each shape was slightly elevated in the middle, with multiple ridges lowering it down toward the edges. It looked like a stack of sliced ham, with each piece slightly smaller than the one underneath it.


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    Malchim whistled in appreciation. ¡°A collector¡¯s item indeed.¡±


    Renalia ran her fingers along Penny¡¯s shell, sensing tiny knobs that were the precursor of a completed plate. She wondered if boglings continued to grow in un-death. It didn¡¯t make sense because it implied they would die again of old age. And what would happen to a dead bogling if they patched it up and stuck it back in the bog? Would it rise from the dead a second time? Would it become even stronger?


    Once again, she wished Granny were still around. Granny had not had a particular interest in boglings before, but Renalia was sure that would change once she told Granny they were Carded.


    Noticing Penny allowing Renalia¡¯s fingers to caress it, Marcy reached out again. It snapped at her, causing her to stare accusingly at it and to pout at Renalia.


    Renalia shrugged and mouthed a silent ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± so as to not hurt Penny¡¯s feelings. It was stupid to think of boglings as having emotions, but she did it anyway. Marcy stuck her lower lip out even more and left before they started taking the bogling apart, taking Minnie and Boogie with her.


    Lexi caressed the shell of the armored bogling. ¡°Would make a pretty shield, too.¡± She smirked.


    Malchim whipped his head at Lexi, but before he could say anything, she started laughing. He joined in, laughter erupting from his belly.


    The prospect of a substantial payday had raised all moods and erased all previous disagreements.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you guys to it,¡± Lexi said. ¡°It stopped moving a while ago, so it¡¯s probably dead. But be careful anyway. And, Renalia, I know you usually harvest peat for Manor Day, but would you be interested in hunting for Manor Day tomorrow? You can continue your training with my brother that way.¡±


    Renalia considered it for a few seconds. On the one hand, working in the fields meant she would get to see her parents again. On the other hand, going to the bog might net her a new Card. Plus, leaving the village meant she could put off dealing with Ullock.


    Their previous interaction had ended in a weird state. Did the crying in her arms mean he forgave her? Or would he see it as a moment of weakness that he had to address by asserting dominance now?


    Their peers had, whether through bravery or cowardice, snuck away quietly while Ullock wasn¡¯t looking. Only Shim had stayed. But he had not said anything either, even after Ullock extricated himself and walked away without a word or backward glance.


    It was as if they had all decided that silence allowed them to ignore a very messy, very adult situation.


    Despite all that, she was certain of one thing: bringing a live bogling into the village probably broke some rule Ullock had in his head, even though Hunter adults seemed thrilled at it.


    She refused to let Ullock, or even the fear of him, dictate her actions, though. She was too much her Mama¡¯s daughter, after all.


    Noticing her mental struggle, Lexi suggested an alternative before Renalia could announce her decision. ¡°If you choose to hunt, I can tell Donaldson to come back early enough so that you can have dinner with your folks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Lexi. I¡¯d like that.¡±


    As Lexi and Porkchop left, Malchim and Shim gathered the tools they needed. The bogling was too bulky and heavy to move to the processing station, so the plan was to dissect it where it lay.


    Placing Penny on her head, she hurried over to where the aprons hung, stripping down to her underclothes and wrapping an apron around her. Without a useful card like [Cut], she knew it limited her role to scooping out the innards. This suited her just fine, as it would give her the chance to snatch the bogling Card.


    Having seen how Lexi wielded a shield to great effect, she hoped the Card would give her one of her own¨Ca shiny black one, as dark as coal. And with pretty patterns, too. It¡¯d better not be full-body armor because she couldn¡¯t imagine moving in such a heavy shell. If it doesn¡¯t break my knees first, that is. She said a brief prayer in her mind, just in case.


    She rejoined Malchim and Shim as they carefully used their skills on the bogling. The shell resisted the [Cut], screeching like when Blacksmith McCormick used a sanding wheel on a knife.


    By making an incision where the dome intersected the plate, it was like they were creating a bogling bowl with a lid on top. Even with both of them working at it, it was a much slower process compared to opening up the hare.


    It gave Renalia ample time to wonder what Penny thought of the scene before it. Penny had settled into Renalia''s brown curls after wandering around a bit. It realized that the top of Renalia¡¯s head dropped into the air all around.


    She consoled it with a quick pet. I won¡¯t let them cut you open, Penny¨Ceven if you have a nice Card.


    Shim¡¯s [Cut] duration ran out after ten minutes, so Malchim continued on his own. He stood up and stretched after completing the cut from armpit to armpit.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way this thing is still alive. But, just in case, grab your weapons and stand ready, kids.¡±


    Malchim and Renalia grabbed their spears from nearby, while Shim unsheathed the knife from his belt. Renalia assumed a ready stance, the spearhead pointing down and the shaft angling up and back over her head. Malchim extended his spear out and raised the chestplate. A flap of skin came up with it, revealing the preserved innards of the bogling.


    In the dissection of previous boglings through slits or holes, Renalia could avoid looking too closely at what she was doing and power through it with her [Dull Emotions] and [Resist Impulse] skills.


    But now she witnessed the inside of a once-living creature on full display. While there was no sickening sight of blood, everything glistened with disturbing wetness. But the worst part¨Cthe very worst¨Cwas how many things there were and how they nestled against each together. Having reached inside of boglings before, she knew exactly how they would sound rubbing against each other: the moist sucking noise of dead flesh.


    Her stomach dropped, and her precious jerky threatened to come back up the gut. She quickly averted her eyes and resisted the impulse to throw up. She added an activation of [Dull Emotions] for good measure, despite doubting whether wanting to vomit is an emotion. But maybe it dulled the disgust?


    Next to her, Shim¡¯s face had taken on a greenish tinge and the knife in his hand trembled. Malchim, however, could barely contain his laughter.


    ¡°Oh, this is beautiful! I¡¯ve never witnessed anything so well preserved before. Listen, I¡¯m going to fetch some jars and we¡¯ll place everything inside. I think there may be some interest in these organs, too.¡±


    As he left, Renalia relied on her ability cards and willed her foot forward. With only Shim left, who was actively looking away from the open bogling, this would be her best opportunity to grab the bogling Card without any weird stares.


    She knelt by the bogling and parted the intestines gingerly, feeling her disgust and anxiety rise even under the influence of [Dull Emotions].


    There was no Card.


    She grew more frantic in her search, ignoring the squishiness, until she finally spotted a sparkle. Unlike the steady glow of previous Cards, this one was faint and flickered like a candle on the last bits of the wick. Wasting no time, she plucked it and placed it into her Core.


    She froze, dumbfounded, staring at the four black feet imprinted on the Card in her mind¡¯s eye. Speed? I get speed from this lump but armor from a hare?! Someone has a sick sense of humor. And not funny. Not funny at all.


    Hearing dry heaving behind her, she turned to see Shim staring at her, with one arm still buried halfway to the elbow in slick intestines.


    ¡°There¡¯s more of everything, but it¡¯s still like before. You can just look at little sections of it.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Shim said. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    I tried, Lexi. I tried. Renalia shrugged and turned back to the bogling, for she had felt something hard in her fumbling, and it wasn¡¯t the tucked legs.


    She found it again: a small round thing. She pulled it out as Shim said from behind her, ¡°I think it helps. Thank-¡±


    ¡°Is that an egg?¡± Malchim interrupted. He placed a couple of big glass jars down and rushed to her.


    She held the matte black sphere up to the sun. ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an egg!¡± Malchim exclaimed. He wrapped an arm around her chest and spun her around in a jig. ¡°It¡¯s an egg! It¡¯s an egg!¡±


    Renalia flew through the air, laughing in spite of herself. Penny flew with her, its jaws tightly clamped on her tresses. She clutched tightly to the egg with one hand and tried to reel Penny back with the other. Despite fearing that she would lose her grip, she enjoyed herself.


    This happy version of Malchim reminded her of Papa. It made her wonder what a happy version of Shim would be like.

 Chapter 16: Pleasant and Not

    When Donaldson had mentioned them going to his secret favorite location, Renalia had thought he meant a spot filled with boglings. So her apprehension had grown with each step. While she had learnt a lot about killing boglings, she still doubted she could fight one, even as part of a duo.


    Farther into the bog than she had gone before, he called for a halt before a large, but otherwise nondescript, patch of moss and sedge. It didn¡¯t look like the dark horror of a bogling lair she had imagined.


    The moss covered parts of the ground, resembling a pillowy cloud that was dyed a vibrant green. In other parts, the green sedge lay, looking like spun thread haphazardly layered into thick padding. If anything, she had to suppress the urge to roll around and nap in the implied softness.


    ¡°Where are the boglings?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Boglings? Why would there be¡±¨Che slapped the side of his head with a hand¨C¡°Oh, you have a weird definition for a favorite place, little one.¡±


    He kneeled and untied the harness from Killer, motioning Renalia to do the same for Boogie. Before they left, Malchim had requested some bog water to submerge the armored bogling¡¯s innards. So they had hung multiple empty waterskins on the dogs¡¯ harnesses. The flopping of the waterskins, when the dogs ran, had appeared comical to Renalia, but the dogs seemed unbothered by them.


    ¡°Well, I thought you meant a favorite place to hunt since we¡¯re, you know, hunting.¡±


    ¡°Bah, hunting is work, and I¡¯d much rather work for myself than the baron. This is for fun. And, by the way, if anybody tries to sell you a map to a secret location where boglings live, just walk away. Trust me, nobody knows when and where boglings will appear.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So what¡¯s special about this place?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of quaking bogs before, right? Those are patches soft enough¨Cyet with a firm enough layer on top¨Cthat it feels like you¡¯re walking on liquid mud. Well, I call this patch the ¡®bouncing bog¡¯. Killer, pee.¡±


    Released from his authority, the wolfhound rushed forward and leapt. As the dog landed, the moss caved in around her, almost hiding her from their view.


    Renalia gasped, taking an involuntary step forward.


    But in the next second, the ground under Killer reversed itself and flung her up and out. Killer pushed off at the apex, her paws sticking out behind her and her tongue flapping out the side of her mouth. At the peak of her graceful jump¨Chigher than any dog had a right to be¨Cshe drew her legs and tongue in. As she fell, she extended her paws out ahead of her, toes splayed. The sedge that she landed in sunk and she crouched at the nadir, preparing for the next launch.


    Renalia realized she had left her mouth open and closed it with an audible click of her teeth.


    Donaldson chuckled beside her and laid his lance by his feet. ¡°My turn.¡±


    He squatted and launched himself, streaking overhead in a Card-assisted blur. Whooping as he flew through the air, he somersaulted and hung in the air for a brief second before gravity seemingly remembered to assert itself. As he landed, the ground deformed to a much greater degree than with the dog, completely hiding him from view.


    Killer yelped as the ground unexpectedly dropped below her feet just as she prepared to push off. Her legs windmilled in the air. As the land came up to meet her, she shot forward in a dash, pushing little hills of moss and sedge behind her.


    As Donaldson ascended with the upsurge in a squat, he pushed down against it with his legs, which caused the earth underneath him to reverse course. He pirouetted inches above the receding ground.


    By pushing against the swell and pulling up against the downswing, he quickly stabilized the bouncing. ¡°Jump in!¡± he shouted. ¡°The water¡¯s nice and dry!¡± He tossed his head back and laughed at his own joke.


    Renalia closed her mouth again with a click. At her side, Boogie reflected her desire to join in. He hopped on his toes and barely suppressed his urge to bark, instead blowing air through the side of his mouth in excited breaths.


    But she held on to her spear with a firm grip. They were in the bog, and danger lurked everywhere. ¡°What if boglings attacked?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve never seen any boglings here.¡±


    ¡°But you just said no one knows where and when boglings would appear!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t need my lance to activate [Pierce]¨Canything pointy would work.¡± He held up a forefinger as an example.


    Renalia remained uncertain, though. Even though her bogling cards provided weapons and armor, her reluctance to reveal those cards lingered. She had concocted a perfect reason to explain their existence, but still felt uneasy about sharing with people she barely knew.


    Noticing her hesitation, Donaldson rolled his eyes and made his way to her in long, bounding strides. She caught him muttering under his breath. Something about ¡°too old for her age.¡±


    ¡°Alright, tell you what, little one. We¡¯ll take turns. One of us will keep a lookout and the other can play in the bouncing bog with the dogs.¡±


    With one final hop, he landed on the solid earth next to her and picked up his lance. ¡°Fortune favors the prepared, yes?¡±


    Renalia didn¡¯t understand what that meant, but she supposed one person standing guard was better than nothing. But shouldn¡¯t one of the dogs stay back also? In her hunting experience so far, it had always been the dogs that first noticed a bogling. Yet, looking at Boogie¡¯s barely contained eagerness beside her, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to mention it.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you go first. Take it slow in the beginning and get used to the bounce before really pushing it.¡±


    She freed Boogie, who rushed forward without a glance back. The wolfhound outran the dip and bumped his chin on the sloping ground before him. But he adjusted quickly and started making short hops.


    She followed slowly, experimenting with how the soil shifted beneath her feet. But before long, she too, was skipping around in long strides. She joined the dogs in a game of chase. The only rule seemed to be that someone always had to be in the air, since the role of predator and prey swapped without reason.


    With every bounce, she felt lighter. The accumulated knots of worry and fear in the past eight days loosened and fell away, left behind with each hop. It all seemed trivial, when flying through the air, planning the perfect angle in order to intercept a bounding dog.


    After a while, she lay on the undulating moor, catching her breath. As she did so, she also unconsciously released the responsibilities of adulthood that she had burdened herself with two years ago.


    Laughter erupted unbidden as Boogie decided no time-outs were allowed and shoved his nose into her side. She jumped up after him, simply a kid chasing after a dog.


    Renalia had checked with Donaldson several times to see if he wanted to switch with her, but he had waved her off every time. He called for a lunch break when she and the dogs collapsed into a giggling and panting pile. She crawled over to him on all fours, too tired to stand up just to sit down again.


    Donaldson unwrapped her lunch for her as she collapsed in barely exaggerated exhaustion upon reaching firmer ground. He laid it in front of her face. ¡°Lunch for the hairless dog. I¡¯d recommend using hands, though.¡±


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    Renalia rolled her eyes in response. She had previously bonded with Lexi over the young woman¡¯s teaching and care. On the other hand, she had found Donaldson a bore with how often he distracted from his sister¡¯s lessons.


    But now¡­ She could see a certain appeal to his boyish charm, even if it didn¡¯t seem very fatherly.


    Except, was he even a father? She realized that, despite seeing them around the village sometimes, she didn¡¯t really know the sibling pair that well.


    ¡°Do you have kids?¡± she asked, as she started eating.


    ¡°Oh Lord, I hope not! Ahem, that is to say, I¡¯m not even married.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want to deprive the single ladies of my company.¡± He chuckled as he added, ¡°Nor the married ones.¡±


    Renalia stopped chewing and glanced at him with a flat face, lowering one of her brows in disapproval.


    ¡°Well, excuse me, mom. I guess liking girls just runs in the family.¡± Observing Renalia¡¯s scrunched brows, he added, ¡°You know, cause Lexi likes¨C¡±


    He froze in mid-sentence, mouth agape, showing the half-chewed jerky within. His arms weaved in an awkward pattern, as if to disrupt the sound waves that he had emitted seconds ago.


    ¡°Lexi likes girls?¡±


    He shook his head, worry lines creasing his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it. You didn¡¯t hear me say anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Is that why your parents didn¡¯t approve of who she fell in love with?¡±


    Donaldson made a show of tightly pursing his lips and making indecipherable noises.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get what¡¯s the big deal. I love both my Mama and Papa.¡±


    He exhaled with a puff. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± He faltered for words, but then asserted quickly, ¡°It just is. You¡¯re too young to understand.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± she snorted. ¡°Grown-ups always say that.¡±


    She squinted up at him. ¡°Does it have to do with, you know, ¡®sex¡¯?¡±


    His eyes rotated erratically, as if her gaze had struck his. ¡°Bah, bah, bah!¡± He covered up both of his ears with his hands while making random sounds. ¡°I¡¯m too young for this conversation. You should ask a real grown-up, like Lexi.¡±


    Renalia giggled at his antics. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen what the dogs and cats do when they¡¯re in heat.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s- You know what, I¡¯m gonna shut my big mouth. You¡¯ve already gotten me into so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Me? What did I do?¡± She drooped her eyebrows and gave him her best innocent expression.


    ¡°You literally made me say¡­ Nothing. I said nothing.¡± He clasped his hands in front of his chest and drooped his own eyebrows. ¡°Please, please don¡¯t tell her I said anything.¡±


    Renalia laughed. ¡°Alright. I suppose for sharing your secret of this bouncing bog, I¡¯ll keep the secret of you not saying Lexi likes girls.¡±


    ¡°A fair bargain!¡± He spat in his right hand and held it out to her. ¡°Put it there!¡±


    ¡°Ew, do we have to? I¡¯m eating.¡±


    ¡°Of course you need to. That¡¯s how I¡¯ll know you¡¯re serious.¡± He used his left hand to support his right elbow and pushed his right hand further out at her.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed. Or at least, she tried to, but it came out as more of a chortle. She made a show of transferring her jerky to her left hand before spitting in her right and clasping his.


    ¡°Mwah, haha,¡± he fake laughed while shaking her hand enthusiastically. ¡°You¡¯ve fallen for my brilliant plan. Now half of your luck with boglings has been transferred to me!¡±


    She snatched her hand back. ¡°That¡¯s not how luck works.¡±


    ¡°Sure it is. It¡¯s like magic.¡±


    They made the return trip back to the village after lunch. Donaldson informed Renalia that Malchim would probably need help with processing the takes from hunters. For Manor Day, instead of hunters and processors negotiating a percentage of the sale, everyone received a small commission. Since Malchim used to be one of them, a lot of the hunters let him earn it while hanging around to socialize after.


    As they walked with the dogs beside them, they chatted about everything and nothing. The only topic Donaldson disapproved of was hunting, which he derisively labeled as work and unsuitable for his ¡°day off¡±. It worked well since the part of Renalia that would usually point out he was her hunting mentor had also taken some time off.


    It was a pleasant hike, without any attacks. Even the lack of a new bogling card failed to bother her much. It helped that her recent acquisition, [Bogling Speed], was applicable toward peat harvesting too, greatly easing her concerns around the usefulness of her Deck.


    They heard the droning of voices as they approached the Ongock residence, frequently punctuated by bouts of laughter or the barking of dogs. Up against the side of the house were propped various spears, bows, and other hunting instruments. Rounding the corner of the house toward the workshop, Renalia spotted almost two dozen people milling about, hunters plus their families and dogs.


    From among the crowd, Lexi was the first to spot them, even though she stood shorter than most. She met them halfway. ¡°Renalia, how did the hunt go? No massive bogling today, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, we walked around the bog, but didn¡¯t find any boglings today.¡±


    Glancing at Donaldson to her left, Lexi whispered out the right side of her mouth, loud enough for both of them to hear, ¡°Color me surprised.¡±


    Donaldson pretended not to hear. ¡°We talked about cats and dogs. And Renalia has a question for you, about the birds and the bees.¡±


    Lexi looked at her brother quizzically before her eyes widened. ¡°Ah, er, well¨C¡±


    ¡°Renalia!¡± yelled Malchim over the crowd. ¡°Good, you¡¯re back. Can you help Marcy load the cleansed hides onto the wagon?¡± From within the workshop, he waved in Marcy¡¯s general direction.


    ¡°Okay!¡± she replied. To the siblings, she said, ¡°I have to go. Talk later?¡±


    ¡°Sure, kid,¡± said Lexi. ¡°But if we don¡¯t get the chance, say hi to your Mama for me.¡±


    ¡°Catch you later, little one.¡± He waved her off. ¡°I hope there¡¯s still beer left. It was a hard day of work.¡±


    Renalia ran past a group of hunters, huddled around Sammy. Or, more precisely, gathered around the big jar that the children had made into Penny¡¯s home the night before. It now featured a pool of bog water at the bottom, along with artfully placed river rock platforms, smooth sticks, and colorful flowers.


    But she paused as Sammy lowered a stick past the mouth of the jar, with a good-sized spider hanging down from it on a strand of web. The audience collectively held their breath as the spider lengthened its web to its doom. The crowd burst into cheers as Penny chomped down on the offering.


    Satisfied that everything went smoothly, she continued on. She was not so worried about Sammy, since Penny had gradually grown accustomed to the Ongock kids the night before. The tiny bogling even let them handle her. She had been more worried about the hunters who made their livelihoods from killing boglings. But it seemed like hunters would celebrate a good hunt, no matter who the predator was.


    She passed another group gathered around a beer barrel. A bearded hunter finished filling up his tankard and raised it high.


    ¡°Sixth toast,¡± he announced.


    Whispers of sixth toast traveled like fire through the throng, and people held their tankards and mugs at the ready. Renalia stopped to observe, unfamiliar with this ritual among the hunters.


    ¡°Sixth toast,¡± the man declared again. ¡°To Liliane.¡±


    ¡°To Liliane,¡± the people echoed, loud in resonance.


    ¡°She¡¯s making Heaven a better place.¡±


    A chorus of soft ¡°ayes¡± answered him as they all took a sip of their drinks.


    Malchim and Shim stood in the workshop with their heads bowed and eyes closed. At the far end of the workshop, Marcy had open streams running down her cheeks, a dead bogling forgotten in her hands.


    Reaching the workshop, she gave Marcy a half-hug, allowing Marcy to wipe away the tears and snot onto her clothes. The crowd resumed their previous activities as she donned the other set of aprons and climbed onto the wagon bed.


    Grabbing the fox carcass that Marcy handed up to her, she made her way to an empty spot to lay it down. As she did so, she snatched the glowing Card from its opened underside and placed it into her core.


    Like before, her Core readily accepted the Card, which had a cute little black nose imprinted on the front. Covering her nose with her right hand in case her nose would appear different, she tested a quick activation of [Bogling Nose].


    She gagged and coughed as the nasty grossness in her and Donaldson¡¯s dried saliva flooded her senses. It was so much worse than merely smelling stronger. There were levels and edges to the scent that she had no words for and very much did not want to linger on.


    ¡°Renalia!¡± Marcy cried from behind her. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± And she would be, for through the unbidden tears in her eyes, she spotted twinkling lights from within the dark remains strewn around her.

 Chapter 17: A Harvest of Cards

    Wiping away her tears using a moss-stained elbow, Renalia surveyed her surroundings. A dozen or so black carcasses lay around her, opened and drained. They ranged in size from a mouse to bigger ones, like badger and beaver.


    But none could compare to the armored bogling Lexi and she had captured the day before. The biggest two could easily fit into that carapace, which Malchim had placed prominently in front of the workshop.


    Some boglings precluded identification, though. Some had been too decomposed before the bog reanimated them. In others, the hunters that dispatched them had more destructive skills than a clean, lethal, [Pierce]. Or, as Renalia was starting to learn, there were more animals in the world than she had known.


    But she spent little thought on the previous life of boglings. Her attention gravitated towards the glow of cards within some of the hides. Scrambling toward the front of the wagon¨Cwhere the older kills were placed¨Cshe quickly shifted through and stacked them.


    The stacking she performed under the pretense of making room for newer kills. It was not necessary, given the small number of corpses queued up by Malchim and Shim. However, it was a natural action by someone on a wagon bed.


    After all, the best kind of lies were ones that didn¡¯t even need saying. They flowed naturally from people¡¯s assumptions. Organizing a wagon load was more believable than pawing through carcasses to peer inside each one.


    Doing so on the older kills yielded nothing. The lack of glowing rectangles confirmed a theory she had thought of the previous day during the dissection. The barely perceptible glow from [Bogling Speed] yesterday was much fainter than the Cards from fresh kills. She suspected that without bog magic nor a Core to sustain it, the cards would disappear eventually.


    She would not be surprised if bogling cards had the same hour limit that human cards had.


    From Deck Day to a person¡¯s twentieth birthday, a new Card would appear in their Core on each birthday without complication. But on Vigil Day¨Cthe twenty-first birthday¨Cthe person had one hour to decide which Card in their Deck to replace with their new Card. Otherwise, the new Card would disappear after an hour. Hence, it became a tradition to reflect on one¡¯s life and remain vigilant during the hour of birth.


    This possible similarity between the human and bogling cards reassured her. In addition to the same size, shape, glow, and iconography, it meant that the magic worked the same way. Even if the source was different. And was the source really different? Maybe boglings get a Card on their reanimation day too.


    All the villagers knew the story of how Saintess Lasserie had sacrificed herself to conquer the Ten Sins ravaging humanity. And how God had honored her sacrifice by gifting her children with the Ten Cards of Virtues that formed the first Decks.


    But she had learned at a young age that Papa grew up on a different origin story for Decks. With a different God. And Granny had shocked her last year by proclaiming that God did not exist. She had felt like she sinned by just hearing those words.


    She had waited with bated breath, but no lightning had struck Granny, nor had any kind of divine punishment. Nevertheless, she had checked with Father Cornelius during Confessional. He had blurted out, ¡°There¡¯s no saving that old hag.¡± He had then reconsidered and reframed it as God¡¯s test for her to show Granny the correct path to God.


    She had known the contempt the two had for each other, so did not even try to convert Granny. Though her faith in God had remained strong, her trust in the Church had eroded. She had started listening to Father Cornelius¡¯s sermons with a more skeptical ear.


    ¡°Reny,¡± called Marcy from behind her. ¡°Here¡¯s another one.¡±


    Right, no time to waste. She duck-walked to Marcy, not trusting her knees against the rough wood of the wagon bed. There was no danger of a bogling attack, surrounded by a dozen hunters in the village. So she had spent [Bogling Skin] activations to protect the soles of her muddy feet from splinters.


    Oh, she realized, I have magical shoes now. Expensive ones, with real bogling leather!


    Marcy gave her a frog the size of an adult hand. She grasped the frog across the middle and slipped her fore and middle finger through the slit in the belly. Accustomed to estimating the center by now, she pinched her fingers without looking. The awareness of a leaping power affirmed that she found the right spot.


    Muttering thanks, she turned back to the front of the wagon with the frog close to her body. In a smooth motion, she directed the Card into her Core, which eagerly slurped it up. She smiled as her Core reflected the Card fanatic that she truly was.


    But why was [Delete Card] written on her Core Card and not [Add Card]? Has she ever had a desire to delete cards? And what would deleting cards accomplish?


    When she had added Granny¡¯s [Find Herb] to her Deck, she had experienced a tiny desire to go out and gather herbs. But it wasn¡¯t really that strong or demanding. And after a few hours, it felt like a natural part of her. Would deleting that card make her lose the motivation to gather herbs? She didn¡¯t think so. After all, she had learned from Granny and Myfanwy how useful herbs were.


    Even with the shameful cards like [Resist Hunger], what was the benefit of deleting them? They didn¡¯t cause hunger, but resisted it.


    Although it had been eight consecutive days that she went to bed without hunger pains, the craving still haunted her mind. At night, she still had nightmares of frantically gobbling up mud and rocks, unable to satisfy the throbbing void within her. And during the day, she still squirreled away pieces of dried fruit, nuts, and jerky in a hidden stash, just in case.


    Just in case they stopped feeding her. Just in case all seven of her [Resist Hunger] cards were on cooldown. Just in case she couldn¡¯t find any herbs to eat.


    It was stupid, she knew. But she couldn¡¯t help it.


    Unlike the sudden shocks from boglings, or even bullies, the fear of hunger was a constant presence. The awareness and the threat of it were always in the back of her mind, just at the edge of consciousness.


    Maybe deleting a [Resist Hunger] card would lessen the persistent need to hoard food? These oldest cards of hers had increased to level four around noon, improving their effects by a factor of ten. Each card now offered a ten-minute respite from hunger every hour. So she really only needed six of them.


    But before experimenting with her Core Card, she should get as many bogling cards as she could before they vanish.


    Reaching into the beaver, she found a white card depicting a jaw with two large incisors. The associated instinct suggested the skill would allow her to chew through wood, and possibly even stronger stuff.


    It may be useful if she could apply it to her hands. Unfortunately, the Card left the impression that it would enlarge and strengthen only her jaws and teeth. This meant she had to put whatever she wanted to chew in her mouth. After her experience with [Bogling Nose], this [Bogling Chew] was decidedly unappealing.


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    The next Card, [Bogling Dig], from the badger made her excited, though. She could imagine using it to dig up turf for peat farming. That was the one part of their work that she could not help with before, the hoe being too long and unwieldy in her hands.


    The next animal resembled a mouse, except somewhat longer. Its Card gave the impression that she could see with sound, which made no sense to her. Seeing is seeing and hearing is hearing, right? Not having the time to experiment, she named it [Bogling Echo] for how it seemed to work.


    And that made twenty.


    The last bogling on the wagon was another fox, with a [Bogling Dodge] Card. This time, instead of slipping into her Core unimpeded, the glowing rectangle she held overlapped with her navel.


    In her mind¡¯s eye, borders surrounded her two rows of cards. Typically, one would select a slot for the new Card, which would replace the Card in that position. But this was the perfect opportunity to experiment with her Core ability.


    She activated [Delete Card] and mentally targeted her first [Resist Hunger] Card, but stopped herself in a panic. In her eagerness to add more cards, she had forgotten the necessity of showing ten cards during the Deck Day Ceremony.


    Ten human cards.


    The whole reason Granny gave her the [Find Herb] Card was so she could hide and keep the rare [Disinfect Self Wound] Card.


    Calming herself with [Dull Emotions], she looked over her bogling cards.


    <ol start="12">


    <li> [Bogling Skin] - Common - Level 3</li>


    <li> [Bogling Claws] - Common - Level 3</li>


    <li> [Bogling Sight] - Common - Level 3</li>


    <li> [Bogling Speed] - Common - Level 2</li>


    <li> [Bogling Nose] - Common - Level 1</li>


    <li> [Bogling Leap] - Common - Level 0</li>


    <li> [Bogling Chew] - Common - Level 0</li>


    <li> [Bogling Dig] - Common - Level 0</li>


    <li> [Bogling Echo] - Common - Level 0</li>


    </ol>


    The last four stayed at level zero since she had not tried activating them yet. However they manifested, the new skills wouldn''t be as easy to hide as the nose had been.


    Without a doubt, she had to keep the physical enhancements, since they helped her hunt and kept her safe. Similarly, she would retain [Bogling Dig] for its usefulness in getting peat out of the ground. So that left the unpleasant scent one, the chewing one, and the weird echo one. Yes, she would definitely take [Bogling Dodge] over any of those.


    She wanted to understand what [Bogling Echo] did before making a choice, though. Hopping off the wagon, she said to Marcy, ¡°I¡¯m going to the outhouse really fast. Be right back.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no hurry,¡± Marcy replied. ¡°All the hunters have returned, so this is the last one.¡± She nodded at the mess she was washing.


    Whatever animal it used to be was indiscernible. The hunter who bought it back had ravaged it. So it appeared more like a blanket with many holes in it. It was a fairly big blanket, but that wasn¡¯t what drew her attention. Hanging next to it in midair¨Cthe original center of the animal, she assumed¨Cwas a bright green rectangle.


    Seeing her shocked expression, Marcy said, ¡°They really tore this one apart, poor bogling.¡±


    Renalia shook her head at Marcy¡¯s misplaced sympathy. Whatever animal this was, its size would not have made a good bogling pet.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s the last one, I can help out before going. I can hold it in for a little while.¡± She reached out to help Marcy handle the ungainly mess, aiming her hand through the green glow.


    The sense of strength passed through her fingers and she almost gasped before activating [Dull Emotions]. Marcy had an uncanny ability to perceive what people were feeling, and Renalia did not want to explain why she was so happy all of a sudden.


    A strength card! And an uncommon one, too! It¡¯s what she always wanted. It just took a very convoluted route to get to her. But do human and bogling strength abilities work the same way? She couldn¡¯t wait to try all her new cards out.


    But under the dulled emotions, she kept her focus on holding the bogling hide while Marcy scrubbed with a brush. And she kept her fingers tightly pressed together while helping maneuver the bogling hide, a rectangle of light superimposed on each hand.


    What would happen if she let go of the Cards? Would they dissipate? Would they stay in the air where she let go? Or would they travel back to the center of the boglings they were from? Or, even worse, would they travel to her center? She couldn¡¯t imagine carving her belly open, even for an uncommon strength card she had always wanted.


    Her active imagination didn¡¯t get the message though, as it showed her stomach split open with gushing blood and spilling innards.


    Thankfully, [Dull Emotions] was in full effect or she would have shuddered. It allowed her to note with curiosity how the viscera¨Cas Malchim would say¨Cseemed like a smaller version of what the armored bogling had. She didn¡¯t understand why they needed a new word for it. It made perfect sense to call them ¡®insides¡¯ since that was where they were supposed to stay.


    With an objective eye, she saw they were each colored human blood red instead of bogling midnight black. But she doubted human innards resembled bogling ones. At least her imagination had edited out the hard-shelled eggs the bogling had.


    She cleared the image away and forced herself to think of nothing. Focus on the random melody that Marcy was humming, she thought to herself. For, without any disgust from suppressed emotions, her curiosity wandered toward whether fresh human corpses had Cards in their bellies.


    It scared her, sometimes, the direction her thoughts took in the absence of emotions. She joined in Marcy¡¯s humming. Just two girls cleaning a massacred undead corpse. Completely normal.


    Once finished, they struggled to get it up in the wagon. So Shim came to give them a hand.


    ¡°Good thing I cleared up some space,¡± Renalia remarked.


    ¡°This is nothing,¡± Shim said dismissively. ¡°There used to be bigger hauls in the past.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lexi mentioned something similar. I¡¯m still impressed that there are so many.¡±


    ¡°Well, it helps that boglings run at the hunters instead of running away. I doubt beast hunters can get so many in a day.¡± He beamed, even though he had not personally gone out into the bog.


    Marcy, who had only looked at Renalia while the other two conversed, blurted out, ¡°So you¡¯re going to see your mom and dad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have a quiet dinner with them. Instead of this.¡± She gestured toward the crowd outside the workshop.


    Just then, a hunter squealed as he removed Penny from his inner thigh, followed by raucous laughter from those around him. The crowd had started a game of dare, letting Penny nip at various parts of their bodies.


    Sammy took Penny back while the crowd around him started another round of outdoing each other with dares. Sammy didn¡¯t look worried, and Renalia trusted him to keep Penny safe, knowing that he took his caregiving duties seriously.


    Marcy, with her unpredictable train of thought, followed up with, ¡°What will you do if you run into Ullock?¡±


    An uncomfortable silence descended on them, a stark contrast to the noise outside the workshop. Renalia rubbed at the ribbons around her neck with a knuckle. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really want to talk to him.¡±


    Marcy pursed her lips. ¡°Do you want me to walk with you? Or maybe Shim?¡±


    Shim, surprised at being mentioned, mumbled, ¡°Uh, yea. I can go with you. To, uh, see your parents. If you want.¡±


    Marcy rolled her eyes dramatically. Renalia appreciated the offer but did not think a companion would make a difference. After all, her previous encounter with Ullock had had an audience.


    Besides, she didn¡¯t think Ullock would be still mad at her, given how things had ended. And based on the reactions of the hunters today, he couldn¡¯t find fault in her bringing Penny into the village, right?


    ¡°No, thank you. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Noticing Marcy¡¯s skeptical glance, she quickly added, ¡°No, really. I¡¯ll be fine. There will be lots of people there, too. I¡¯ll just avoid him.¡±


    She held her knees together to pantomime the need to pee. ¡°I really have to go now. I¡¯ll talk to you guys later.¡±


    But really, the eagerness was due to the Cards. Twenty in her mind¡¯s eye and two in clenched fists. Somehow, just eight days after Deck Day, she had a full Deck.

 Chapter 18: A Pruning of Cards

    Fortunately, no line had formed at the outhouse. The Ongocks had their chamber pots in the house while the hunters and their families were well accustomed to doing their business outdoors in the fresh air.


    Who would want to trap themselves in a small box over a hole of human waste when they could do it naturally out in the open air?


    Renalia, though, had used it whenever she could.


    Now that she hunted with Lexi and Donaldson, it represented her only way to get some private time. The only place she could practice materializing the images of ten Cards of her choosing.


    She could display ten in a row by now, lined up squarely next to each other. But any lapse in concentration would cause the later Cards to shift to their true position. Not knowing how long they would need to read and record her Cards, she continued practicing.


    Likely shorter than others, since six of her Cards were a repeat of the first one. But she had two uncommons, which was, well, very uncommon. If the baron and the representative from the Order of Cards engaged in a discussion about it, it could take much longer than usual.


    So she kept visiting the outhouse, no matter how unpleasant the experience.


    As soon as she closed the door, she activated [Bogling Echo]. A chittering emitted unbidden from her throat. Suddenly, she could sense her surroundings. She could ¡°see¡± the box she stood in. Not restricted to in front of her but all around. Top, bottom, even to the back.


    She gasped in surprise and started coughing as she had snorted in some of the disgusting air. Focusing on breathing through her mouth, she recalled what had happened.


    It only lasted a second and did not show as much detail as her eyes currently did. Nothing about the roughness of the planks or the gaps between them. And the perspective¨Cthe seeing all around at the same time¨Chad made her dizzy. It had taken some time to make sense of the ¡°image¡± that she ¡°saw¡±.


    But it was so cool!


    That settled it. She quickly [Delete]d [Bogling Nose]. She didn¡¯t even want to use her regular human nose now. That Card vanished and the four to the right of it shifted over.


    And on her Core Card, which she had mostly ignored up to now, a ¡°1¡± appeared on the bottom of the card, centered. Some cards track the seconds of activation stored on the bottom left, while others track the number of remaining activations on the bottom right.


    She had never heard of a number appearing in the middle of any Cards though. And certainly never about activations increasing these numbers instead of decreasing them.


    But she smiled, for it certainly tracked something. It meant her Core wasn¡¯t broken, just different.


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    She quickly added [Bogling Strength] to her Deck, feeling her muscles swell for a second with an activation. She used [Delete] on [Bogling Chew]. Somehow, with the release of the worries about her Core Card, deleting a Card and seeing the ¡°2¡± brought her a lot of satisfaction. Even more than adding the strength ability she always wished for.


    She followed up by adding [Bogling Dodge] to make her Deck full again. But she refrained from activating it, though, not trusting a new movement ability in a confined space. Especially not one with a big hole of poop in the middle.


    She didn¡¯t mind the delay in exploration. This had been such a good day. And she could meet her parents for dinner too! Now that the shame of a broken Deck had disappeared, she couldn¡¯t wait to share with them the details.


    She rushed out of the outhouse and stopped short, surprised at the presence of Shim, Lexi, and Boogie, apparently waiting for her.


    ¡°Well, it looks like someone made a big deposit.¡±


    She and Lexi groaned at the same time. Then they laughed as they had the same reaction at Shim¡¯s gross attempt at a joke. Shim looked disappointed at the turn of events, which made it even better.


    Ha, thought Renalia, I have friends now too!


    ¡°Um,¡± Shim muttered as he petted Boogie. ¡°I was thinking you could take Boogie with you when you go to the other side of the village. He so rarely gets to explore the other side. And he could walk with you.¡±


    Oh! Oh, now I feel bad for laughing at you.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. For taking Boogie.¡±


    ¡°Right. Er, welcome.¡±


    Lexi coughed beside them. ¡°Well, speaking of awkward conversations. Renalia, could I walk with you a bit?¡±


    Shim left them and they walked a couple of seconds in silence before Lexi said, ¡°So about the birds and the bees¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Renalia looked at Lexi quizzically.


    ¡°Ah, Donaldson mentioned you had a question about where babies come from?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I already know about that from Myfanwy.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes! Of course! The midwife¡¯s the perfect person to ask. She works with them all the time. I mean, not ¡®work with them¡¯ but you know what I mean.¡± Lexi rambled but seemed very happy she could avoid talking about sex.


    ¡°So, uh, no other questions?¡±


    ¡°No. I think Donaldson was playing a prank on you.¡±


    ¡°Argh! I knew it! That bastard!¡± Lexi stomped off while muttering under her breath.


    From what Renalia could hear, it sounded like Lexi was testing out various curses to inflict on her brother.


    Looking at Boogie, she asked, ¡°Run?¡± Dinner time had already started, and she wanted to spend as much time with her parents as she could. The wolfhound looked eager at the prospect. Or perhaps he got excited whenever someone talked to him. She supposed it didn¡¯t matter.


    They ran. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell Mama and Papa everything. About Boogie and Penny. About the bouncing bog. About Lexi¡¯s shield and Donaldson¡¯s lance. About her Cards and boglings. Maybe not the almost dying part, though. She didn¡¯t want to worry her parents.

 Chapter 19: Running Man

    ¡°Finally! Renya¡¯s finally heading over. I don¡¯t know what took her so long.¡± Jabal squinted in the direction of the Ongocks. ¡°At least she seems to be making up for lost time.¡± He stretched and hauled the piece of turf he had cut over to the drying area.


    ¡°Well,¡± Eiry responded. ¡°Maybe she had to help Malchim with the processing.¡±


    She gathered their tools and [Cleansed] them. Most of the other villagers had already stopped and made their way to the dinner line. But they had always stood apart from the rest of the village. Originally due to the villager¡¯s hostility and later by their own choice.


    She [Cleansed] their hands for them and they both noticed his hands shaking when he asked, ¡°Is she hurt?¡±


    She cupped his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know, hon. I can¡¯t see as far as you do.¡±


    Anxiety spiked in him about their daughter¡¯s unknown state. It mixed with frustration and helplessness, as everything he could think to help their child would make it worse.


    And the anger. Oh, the anger, like he had never felt before. Anger at himself for failing to protect her. Anger at the world for daring to hurt his little girl.


    Eiry glanced up at him, a slight tilt to her head. ¡°What would you do if she was?¡± she asked.


    Red strands of hair had plastered her forehead, face, and neck while they worked. And smudges of dirt highlighted where she had unconsciously tried to swipe them out of her face.


    She looked as beautiful as the day he had run into her.


    He moved the hair to her back, running his hands through it to help it dry. It saddened him that they could not even afford a hair ribbon. That he could not provide her with the niceties she deserved. Even though she would and had given away all luxuries for the life they have now.


    He knew her well enough to understand the intent behind her query. She meant to help him focus. To break the mental turmoil of recriminations he found himself in. To switch to the action-oriented world he moved more comfortably in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered truthfully.


    She responded with a twinkle in her green eyes. ¡°Well, I intend to slap whoever hurt her this time. It¡¯s a proven method, after all. Just line them up for me.¡±


    Laughter burst from him, expelling all the negativity that had been building up in him.


    He moved in to kiss her. What did he ever do to deserve a woman like this?


    One year ago.


    Jabal ran into the burning house, sidestepping those running out. They had shouted something at him, but he didn¡¯t pause to listen. There was no time to spare. Besides, he figured it had something to do with the baby in the far corner of the house.


    Black smoke obscured everything, but his [Target] ability highlighted the infant in red, twenty feet away. It lay on the ground with its feet kicking in the air.


    Still alive. But probably not for long. Not if he couldn¡¯t get there in time.


    Good thing he could take the direct path.


    When he had entered the fire-engulfed house, safe from prying eyes, he had morphed into his fighting form. His body became a monstrous man-shaped boulder in a blink of an eye. It transformed smoothly even though it had been years since he activated [Strength], [Stone Skin], [Haste], and [Enlarge] in tandem.


    He angled his body, lowering his head and crossing his forearms in front to protect it. Pushing off from planted feet, he charged like the unstoppable juggernaut he had always been. With closed eyes and held breath, he barreled through the smoky darkness. He rammed through any furniture or walls that stood in his way.


    As he got closer to the target, he lowered his right arm and deactivated the stone armor around it. The heat pounded at his unprotected arm as if it were a physical thing. Yet, he found it preferable to the intense heated pressure within his armor. His whole body felt like an oversized bruise that needed to swell, but had no room to do so.


    He should crawl, staying low to avoid the heat and smoke. But there was no time.


    Barely slowing, he scooped the target up with his bare hand. Running now with his left hand extended out ahead of him, he encountered another wall. This time, he thinned the protection around his chest and added another layer of stone to his left shoulder.


    Cradling the target to his chest, he lunged and slammed into the wall at full speed. Fortunately, the fire had sufficiently damaged the structure of the house so there was no contest between a rock and a hard place.


    But the house got the last laugh though, as he didn¡¯t break the wall completely. The bottom portion held firm, tripping him. Before his brain caught up to the situation, he smacked into the ground.


    He quickly undid his power-ups, scared that in his rush to save the baby, he had killed it instead. But even before the stone covering his eyes faded, he heard a piercing wail from the nook he had instinctively formed between his chest and arms.


    Sharp pains traveled along his arms, a result of breaking the fall of an oversized man-rock. His right arm hurt especially badly, as burn blisters had burst on impact. He healed fast, but that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t hurt.


    Despite all that, joy crowded out other thoughts as he gazed at the baby boy. The infant, whatever his name, now screamed at the top of his lungs and sported a few bruises. He barely even knew the family. But it didn¡¯t matter, for it was a life and not a death.


    The rest of the family were hurrying over, but he paid them no mind. Because in the next house over, which the fire had spread to, [Target] showed him three red silhouettes.


    In the past, these red shapes were deaths for him to take. But now, they were lives for him to save.


    Jabal ran for the next burning house. These three he would save because he could.


    Two years ago.


    Jabal ran away from home with [Haste], dirt and pebbles flying back in his wake. He could run twice as fast as a horse, but he feared it would still take too long. The figure of Healer Rensto in his [Target] view appeared tauntingly small. The red shape moved though, so at least he didn¡¯t need to rouse the Healer from bed.


    He winced as he reached an unpleasant decision. He had kept his Card activations to a minimum in these past years, hiding them from nosy neighbors.


    But timeliness mattered. Besides, even if people saw something in the moonlight, perhaps he would travel fast enough to prevent identification. So he activated [Enlarge] to lengthen his strides. And once he established a rhythm, he timed short bursts of [Blink] along with his strides.


    To any witnesses, they would see a twelve-foot figure appear out of nowhere, poised in midstride. And after a quick touch on the ground, disappeared again in the blink of an eye.


    It was dangerous running and blinking this fast at night, especially on this so-called road. This path that connected the village to the Manor was barely maintained and rarely used. But he had [Stone Skin] to break his fall. And he had [Regenerate] for everything else.


    For the umpteenth time, he cursed his Core Card. What was the point of an epic healing card if he couldn¡¯t heal people with it?


    It had, in fact, been employed for the opposite; for instead of helping others, it had made him into the perfect soldier. An undying deliverer of death.


    But completely useless now, like most of his Deck. Neither the Cards that came from his Core nor the combat-oriented ones that were forced on him could help in tonight¡¯s battle.


    He hated leaving Eiry, but hers was not a war he was geared for. A war versus miscarriages that¨Cbesides a hard-fought victory in the form of Renalia¨Cthey had already lost eight battles against.


    Besides, she was the strongest person he knew. Much stronger than him. If anyone could take command of the situation, it would be her. He only needed to complete his role as a footsoldier on a fetch mission.


    He wished, not for the first time nor the last, that he could give Eiry his Core Card.


    For all the destruction that it enabled, he understood that his Core cared solely about survival. Growing up as a street rat in Razzad¨Can orphaned son of a prostitute, no less¨Cthe daily rhythms of life swung precariously close to death.


    [Regenerate] represented the way his Core wanted him to survive. To persist.


    But now, his life would not be worth living if Eiry wasn¡¯t in it. He had not expected to find Love in this life. To deserve it. And the fact that someone as wonderful, as beautiful, as smart as Eireann loved him back never ceased to amaze him.


    An unseen rock interrupted his thoughts as it rolled when he landed on it. He grimaced as his ankle twisted at an unnatural angle. But he encased his foot in rock and blinked on.


    People who had knowledge of his regeneration powers assumed it helped with the pain. It didn¡¯t.


    The sprain hurt as much as one would expect from several hundred pounds falling on a bent ankle. But he had fought through worse before and there was no time to wait for it to heal.


    He forced himself to enter into a state of emptiness. He needed to concentrate with each step on spotting a clear location¨Chowever difficult in the waning moonlight¨Cto teleport to.


    Jabal ran on, every step a [Blink]. Every other step a clunk from a stone boot.


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    Eleven years ago.


    Jabal ran through the unfamiliar corridor, seeking an exit. The defenders had made this castle into a trap, collapsing it on the invaders. He only avoided getting buried in the rubble since he had run in front of the others, at the honored position as the tip of their formation.


    He was uncertain if any of the others survived, but he recognized they had lost this battle in an instant. Absent was the coordinated symphony of previous battles, with clanks of weapons and cries of men. Instead, there were only the chaotic clunks of falling stones and the low discordant rumble of a castle coming apart at its seams.


    The screams of dying men and women were still there, though. That never changed. However, they consisted more of servants in livery than warriors in armor.


    He ran and teleported haphazardly through the corridors, as falling objects rerouted him every few steps. Masonry, braziers, tapestries, paintings, and¨Cwhy was there so much stuff?


    An oval metal helmet rolled and bumped against his foot, having detached from an empty suit of full plate armor that had fallen nearby.


    He stopped using [Blink], cursing his mindlessness. If he had blinked just a little to the right or arrived slightly later¡­ He didn¡¯t want to think about it. He decided to stick with minor bursts of [Haste] instead.


    Panic built up to an unmanageable level as the fears of the castle burying him alive grew. He could not stop his Core [Regenerate] ability. Which meant the rubble would trap him in a perpetual state of being crushed. And the pain that came with it.


    He forced himself into a state of emptiness like Lieutenant Murshad had taught him a decade ago. Back when he had panicked before his first battle as a recruit.


    Just before that, the authorities in Razzad had realized¨Cin his second trial for theft¨Cthat the punishment after his first arrest had not been enough. That cutting his hand off for stealing a loaf of bread had not taught him a permanent lesson. So they had offered him a choice between cutting off both of his hands and his head or volunteering for Lieutenant Murshad¡¯s unit.


    So at the age of eleven, he had joined the war against the invaders and infidels from Mireland.


    It had been fun that first month, training with other young men, experimenting with the new Cards they gave him, and eating to fullness at every meal. But anxiety had transitioned to fear in their inaugural battle. So Lieutenant Murshad had taught them a technique to deal with it. To imagine a void and feed it their emotions and thoughts and emerge empty.


    At first, he used the technique before combat, feeding his fears of death, pain, and failure into the void. Later on, he relied on it while fighting, feeding the void his bloodlust so that he could retain control over himself.


    As the years passed and the war changed, he only performed it after battle, to forget what he had done. For the war had morphed from defending the homeland into one of retribution.


    But now he circled back to the first kind of usage, to deal with the fear of premature entombment.


    Turning a corner, he ran into a large room, surprising a bunch of kids. The amount of books in the room, many now on the floor, suggested a well-stocked library. He had orders to burn false infidel books, but he didn¡¯t need to lift a hand this time. Many of the oil lanterns had fallen or spilled, creating growing bonfires.


    The six kids turned as one to stare at him, then stiffened, like marble statues. The youngest, perhaps just past his Deck Day, looked at him with absolute terror etched on his face.


    He knew that look well. They saw their death in him. Just like all the others.


    He stood almost seven feet tall, with muscles chiseled over a decade of combat. And holding a scimitar in each hand, there was little doubt as to why he was here. Plus, his brown skin, a stark contrast to their white ones, loudly proclaimed their opposing allegiances.


    He froze also, for the recent reminisce about Lieutenant Murshad had surfaced old memories. He recognized the kid¡¯s expression as the same one he exhibited when he had peered out at his first battlefield. At the invading Mirelanders a decade ago.


    Except he was the invader now. And this was their home.


    The oldest, perhaps the same age as him, shoved the others behind her and faced him. The similar faces and fiery red hair suggested that they were her younger siblings.


    She kept her hands at her sides, away from but close to the knife at her belt. She stared at him with firm eyes as she spoke passably in his language, ¡°There¡¯s a way under to the¡±¨Cshe said an unfamiliar word in her own language¨C¡°and out. I can lead us out safely.¡±


    Behind her, he could see that they had emptied a bookcase, and he had interrupted their attempt at moving it. A patch of wooden boards peeked out behind it, instead of showing solid stone blocks. He moved to sheath his swords.


    Perhaps misinterpreting his intent, she quickly added while the hand close to her knife twitched. ¡°My father is¡±¨Cshe paused while searching for a word¨C¡°leader here. He will pay lots of money if you return me not hurt.¡±


    She paused again to phrase it more clearly, but he had caught her meaning. Really, who could think of rape when an actual building was falling and burning around them?


    Then again, he imagined some of his army buddies would. They¡¯d jump at a last chance to do their duty for the war effort if they thought they were about to die.


    ¡®Duty¡¯, the new orders had called it. As relayed by their new lieutenant: to rape and pillage and slaughter their way across Mireland. He still thought of their commander as new, even though it had been almost two years since the new guy transferred into Lieutenant Murshad¡¯s position.


    ¡®Transferred¡¯. That was another army term.


    Lieutenant Murshad had been publicly executed for refusing to pass down those same orders. His boys had been forced to stand at attention while it happened, their countenances monitored for any sign of disobedience.


    For the higher-ups knew of the loyalty Lieutenant Murshad had garnered, had earned. As harsh and demanding as he was on the battlefield, he was like a big brother and father to them when off-duty. In his final words to them, he had told them to not give the higher-ups, the higher-fucks in his words, any reason to extend the punishment. To remain strong. To stay alive.


    So they had stood there that day, crying on the inside, outwardly showing their lieutenant how strong they were.


    But it had all been a lie, for the real strength had died that day. They began to die in their dangerous missions without Lieutenant Murshad''s wisdom and protection. Without Lieutenant Murshad¡¯s influence, their unit had diminished. Became less human, more monstrous.


    And they followed their orders as written. Did it matter that they disliked it? Did it matter that they didn¡¯t want to? No one had the strength of conviction Lieutenant Murshad possessed. To refuse and die.


    So he imagined a lot of them would follow orders and do their duty here.


    Especially since this young lady before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


    He didn¡¯t believe, as she claimed, that the lord of the castle was her father, though. After all, what father would collapse a building with his children still inside?


    But he could believe she came from wealth and nobility. The way she stood confidently facing him. The expensive cut of her outfit. The elaborate styling of her hair. Her fair complexion, highlighted with a light dusting of freckles. The way her bright green eyes seemed to pierce into his soul¡­


    Shit, he thought, as he noticed her hand creeping towards her knife.


    He had been standing there, lost in reminiscence. But she probably thought he was stuck deliberating between forcing himself on her or taking a payment in ransom. As if he would price her worth like she was a common whore.


    A bookcase crashed near enough to them, causing them to jump even in the general din of destruction. Causing her to jerk her arm and unintentionally yank her knife out of its sheath. They all froze again, staring at the bared knife and thinking of its implications.


    She stood there, with the knife still pointed towards the ground. She looked pitiful, torn between angling the knife at him in challenge and putting it back in its sheath in apology.


    And she looked strong, her face firm as she guarded her siblings against him while the world she knew came tumbling down around her.


    He didn¡¯t know how to explain that he didn¡¯t want to hurt her¨Corders be damned. Didn¡¯t want to kill any of them. That her brother reminded him of himself. That he didn¡¯t want to be here either.


    The ground shook again. Right, he didn¡¯t have time to explain anything, even if he knew how. They needed to get out now.


    ¡°Move,¡± he commanded, gesturing with his arm to indicate all of them. She ushered her siblings out of his path as he moved towards the bookcase. He intentionally avoided glancing at her knife when he passed, hoping she wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid.


    He pushed the bookcase fully out of the way with one hand while the other reached behind him for his handaxe. Gauging the size and state of the wood planks, he decided that a small dose of [Strength] would be necessary and sufficient.


    The girl would not have been able to get through this unless she also had a [Strength] Card. Or perhaps some destructive magic. But if she had, he was certain she would have used it on him by now.


    He added [Haste] as he chopped. Since fed by the dry books, the fires had spread faster than he expected. The boarded-up entryway had stairs that led downwards, into the inky darkness.


    With no other option, he had to trust that whatever caused the building to crash around them would not extend below. He glanced at the girl, who meanwhile had sheathed her knife and found a couple of unbroken oil lanterns. Good thinking, even though the oil remaining seemed worryingly low.


    ¡°You lead,¡± he ordered, while he put his handaxe away. He rested a hand on the hilt of his sheathed scimitar. ¡°But don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    She nodded and spoke to her siblings. They formed a line behind her, from youngest to oldest. The youngest had stopped crying but let out a whimper once in a while.


    ¡°And no noises,¡± he added. His [Target] ability showed people around, but not engaged in fighting. He suspected that everyone he came with, his only friends in the world, had died or were dying.


    And whatever parentage the girl claimed, somebody here had the authority and the ability to collapse a castle. The fact that they did it around her suggested her lack of value as a hostage. Therefore, he assumed that they needed to avoid all the red shapes.


    She crouched down and whispered softly to the little boy, who wiped away his tears and nodded resolutely.


    She would make a wonderful mother someday, he found himself thinking unexpectedly.


    So unlike his own mother, who had treated him as an undesired disease caught from a customer she despised. As a burden that took time away from making a living, in the only way left to her.


    He understood now that a burden was all he and his half-siblings would ever be to her. But as a child, all he ever wanted was a mother¡¯s love. And he had felt worthless, for never receiving any. He hadn¡¯t understood that she had none left to give. That life had already beaten all of it out of her.


    Satisfied with how the youngest kid behaved, the girl looked up at him to see if he had any further instructions. He nodded toward the open staircase.


    These kids obviously had known love from their parents, given how quickly she had quieted the child. How easily she had convinced them that all would be well.


    He suspected his way to get the child to be quiet, learned from both his mom and the army, would not have worked so well.


    After all, he doubted that a soft child raised in love would respond correctly to him shouting, ¡°Quit crying! Don¡¯t be a - -!¡± with whatever derogatory expletive they understood. Likely, any shouting in a foreign language would have driven them to tears.


    Not that he could really fault these weak kids for it, growing up with love and luxury. He was just¡­envious.


    She moved to hand him one of the lanterns, but noticing his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword, handed it to the oldest kid beside her.


    He felt silly playing the role of a captor. But Lieutenant Murshad¡¯s training had not covered how to escape from a crumbling and burning castle with enemy children.


    They proceeded down the steps.


    He turned briefly at the top of the stairs to move the bookcase back into place. The closed entryway muffled the noise from above, as if the darkness had draped a heavy cloak over him.


    He doubted hiding the entrance would matter. Ample smoke ruined the current visibility. And eventually, this entryway would collapse in all the quaking. But their chance of getting out of this alive was slim enough already. Any more would help a lot by comparison.


    Jabal turned and ran down the stairs after the two flickers of flame. The fear of being buried alive by falling stones shifted to the fear of being buried alive in an exitless tomb. He hoped he ran toward salvation, not death.

 Chapter 20: Fainting Man, Delivery Man, Gentle Man?

    Thirteen years ago.


    Jabal ran at the enemy line, his abilities letting him outdistance his compatriots. While he typically stayed in formation, he had a special mission today.


    In the past several weeks, the invaders¨Cno, no longer invaders, as they had fallen back to the original border between the two countries.


    In the past several weeks, the enemy had used casks of charcoal dust to devastating effect. The enemy would lob these grenades from behind their lines with delayed fuses. The resulting explosions disrupted organized assaults and caused massive casualties.


    Mustankar, stationed behind enemy lines with his [Invisibility] ability, alerted them that the enemy expected a resupply of these weapons today.


    As the more mobile and resilient member of the team, Command had tasked Jabal with preventing the delivery behind enemy lines. ¡°By any means necessary,¡± the higher-ups had written in the orders. It meant that their team of ¡°hand-picked volunteers¡± should destroy the charcoal dust shipment or die trying.


    But Lieutenant Murshad, with his tone and gestures while conveying the orders to him, implied he should regard it as ¡®by any reasonable means¡¯. He and other men had, by now, gotten used to how the lieutenant re-interpreted their orders.


    He wondered if the higher-ups knew what the lieutenant did, but turned a blind eye to it. The lieutenant had accomplished these ¡®by any means necessary¡¯ missions that regularly got handed to them with minimal losses.


    Steps away from impaling himself against enemy pikes arrayed against him, he teleported far behind them. He landed on a lookout hill, right next to a group of enemy soldiers sneaking a bite to eat. As expected, they yelled in surprise and scrambled away from the hulking form that had appeared among them.


    He paid them no mind, continuing his run while scanning the field below. Spotting the train of supply wagons, he blinked to the one carrying barrels. Unfortunately, his target wagon had turned after he teleported, so he did not land next to it as he had planned.


    Instead, his left leg and hip, overlapping with the wagon and its wheel, exploded.


    There was no other word for it.


    He had seen a charcoal dust barrel burst when lit, the ignited dust forcing the wood staves of the barrel out. No, the wagon was so much worse; it did not push against him.


    It was more like reality itself said his body did not belong there. That those parts had to move. NOW.


    He blacked out instantly.


    He woke to the worst pain he ever experienced. And he had endured many, as his regeneration power allowed him many once-in-a-lifetime experiences.


    He had jerked back into consciousness because the wagon driver, indulging in his morbid curiosity, had poked at him with a sword. An unexpected gift, since his own sword had fallen on the ground when he blacked out. And out of reach, since the pain threatened to take him into unconsciousness when he moved to grab it.


    So he stilled and relaxed his body, grabbing the protruding blade in his shoulder with his bare hand. It tore into his palm, causing him to wince. As if this minor cut still mattered, considering that parts of his leg were just gone.


    Luckily, the soldier decided he no longer wanted anything to do with him or the blade. The soldier released his grip instead of pulling the sword back. Flipping the captured sword in the air, he caught the hilt in his palm, wincing again. And in a smooth motion, he swung down at the soldier, who had stood there frozen in shock like a training dummy.


    Like he had many times before, he angled it around the helmet and into the unprotected neck. The fresh-faced recruit, who had probably never faced a real opponent, gurgled as blood sprayed from his neck.


    He tried to activate [Blink] to escape, but blacked out again instead.


    Movement jolted him, causing him to regain consciousness again. But much slower this time, as blood loss had taken its toll. In a way, this benefited him. The soldiers surrounding him thought he was dead. Jerking awake would have ruined the illusion.


    His slow survey of the situation yielded a grim conclusion. His lower left leg was stuck in a wagon wheel while his upper body hung at an angle halfway between upright and crumpled on the ground like his right leg was. His sword and the one he wrested from the earlier soldier also rested on the ground. Beyond his reach until he freed himself.


    The grim conclusion gave way to a sickening realization, though. His left leg wasn¡¯t caught in the spokes of the wagon wheel like he had assumed. No, it was much worse. From his hip down, he had fused with the wagon.


    The movement that jolted him had been the soldiers trying to get moving again. It hadn¡¯t worked since part of the spokes and rim of the wheel had splintered in the fusion with his flesh and bones.


    The soldiers arguing around him confirmed his suspicions that these were new recruits traveling to the front line as part of the resupply. Veterans would have already had a case of ¡®not my problem¡¯ and gone back to the wagons they were driving before.


    This suspicion prevented him from spiraling into despair, for he had a good Card to use against new recruits.


    The rookies stopped arguing as one of them, officer candidate wannabe probably, went to find something.


    Jabal tried to calm himself and empty his mind. Despite familiarity with the exercise, it proved difficult to achieve. The pain down his left side was unyielding and persistent.


    Yet he kept trying. He could not afford to lose consciousness again. Even dumb recruits such as these would not believe he had ¡°died¡± if he fainted again.


    Officer Wannabe returned, having found a bardiche in a weapon supply wagon. A simple handaxe would have sufficed. But the greenhorn probably picked the biggest two-handed axe blade available. The curved blade itself was almost two feet long, with the shaft attached lengthwise at the middle. So the shaft overlapped the bottom of the blade by one foot and extended beyond for another four feet.


    Officer Wannabe could not have brought a more perfect weapon for him in this situation.


    He closed his eyes to sell the illusion of his ¡°dead¡± state. His [Target] ability gave him enough of a picture. By connecting Officer Wannabe¡¯s shape¡¯s two hands, he could imagine the bardiche¡¯s location.


    His would-be executioner indulged in several seconds of grandstanding and posing. Based on the appreciative noises emanating from the two soldiers near him, Jabal named them Asskisser Left and Asskisser Right.


    He waited while his target spread his legs to lower his center of gravity. He waited more as his target did some practice swings. He waited yet still as the bardiche came down for real.


    When the swing brought the bardiche within arm¡¯s distance, he snapped his eyes open and angled his head up. Officer Wannabe sought his eyes out, by instinct. When their eyes locked, he activated [Fear] while shooting his left hand out. Wannabe froze and went slightly limp.


    As he had suspected, beneath the bravado, Officer Wannabe was afraid. The fear that fresh meat had for their first day on a battlefield would be intense. A perfect victim for the [Fear] Card. The shock from a corpse moving probably wasn¡¯t even necessary. But with a giant axe seeking to cut him in two, Jabal wanted to leave nothing to chance.


    He grabbed the bardiche from Wannabe¡¯s loose grips and rotated his wrist along with the downward swing of the axe-head. As the butt of the bardiche came up, he added a small burst of [Strength] and [Haste], accelerating it up and into Wannabe¡¯s face. The force dislodged the regal nose and displaced it into the man¡¯s brain.


    With assistance from his right hand, he turned the bardiche into a horizontal sped-up swing and took Asskisser Left¡¯s head clean off. Asskisser Right, in his haste to back away, had fallen on his butt and out of reach, even from the bardiche.


    But to his right, another soldier had materialized a blade of pure light. It shone brighter than the sun overhead. Jabal could not predict if his stone armor would protect against that. But it hardly mattered.


    Lightblade likely had dreams of glory since he was a child, for he charged with the blade held high overhead like a child would. Jabal thrust his longer weapon at the man-child, the upper point of the axe piercing through the lower portion of the sternum and into the heart.


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    Asskisser Right seemed like a smarter guy though, as he stayed out of reach of the bardiche. The soldier raised his right arm. Having seen that motion many times before, Jabal let go of the bardiche with his own right hand and hid his head behind his arm.


    He doubted a regular recruit would have powerful enough abilities to overcome his [Stone Skin]. But experience had taught him never to gamble with Cards.


    Shiny metallic projectiles shot out from around Asskisser Right¡¯s palm as Jabal activated his armor. While sharp, the rhombic pieces of magical metal did not hit with enough force to pierce. He lowered his arm and relied on a single layer of [Stone Skin], forming little holes at his pupils for sight.


    With his right hand free, he caught a projectile and sent it back to its maker with strength.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Asskisser Right actually said as his own missile hit his midriff. It didn¡¯t seem like a lethal wound. But it helped the guy become a veteran as he had a sudden case of ¡®not my problem¡¯ and ran off. Probably to head towards camp and find a healer that will give him a pass for enforced rest.


    Smart guy. He¡¯ll probably have a long career as a professional soldier.


    The other four guys escorting this delivery looked at him with a shared expression. A combination of ¡®please don¡¯t call on me to humiliate, sergent¡¯ common to many new bloods and ¡®oh fuck, what did I run into¡¯ common to him.


    He ignored them. They huddled in the distance, probably debating whether driving their own wagons into camp counted as doing their jobs or abandoning an enemy.


    While a hit with [Fear] would send them running, he didn¡¯t want them to inform others that the shipment had encountered an obstacle. Of course, a dose of [Fear] combined with him beckoning them over would allow the bardiche to reach them.


    However, if he was honest with himself, he possessed many abilities that would let him kill those four soldiers at range. Not his own skills, but the ones the army had allocated him.


    He had always tried to avoid those, not liking how they changed him.


    And he had completely stopped since a couple of years ago when unexpected enemy resistance had forced him into a fight for his life. He had only fuzzy memories of that time, when he had lost himself to despair and rage. But he had some glimpses of the monstrous murderer he became.


    Enough for him to vow to himself that he would never lose control again. Never turn into the monster that the army wanted him to be. To never call upon these Cards that were not him, no matter how tempting.


    It would have made this mission so much easier, though. He could have blinked overhead, sent a [Fireball] down under his feet, and blinked his way back to the team. Many other creative applications would have worked too. He had many ways to destroy.


    Moreso, if he ignored how many people would die.


    But he had had enough of killing, even though it was the only thing he was good at. He was not like Mad Majunda, who took particular pleasure in the process of pain and death. Who, bored between battles, would ¡°accidentally¡± kill some camp followers while ¡°practicing¡± with his Cards.


    Early on, Lieutenant Murshad had tried to introduce young Jabal to some non-lethal diversions. But he never enjoyed the whoring, drinking, and gambling that the other soldiers indulged in. As a kid, his exposure to the lasting effects of those vices in others had inured him against those hobbies.


    So Lieutenant Murshad had started to invite him to his tent at night. And away from eavesdropping ears, the lieutenant would read to him from a well-worn copy of A Gentleman¡¯s Guide to Warfare. The banned book outlined various situations one may find oneself in war. More importantly, it discussed the most humane resolution, among the many possibilities.


    Jabal found it a useful guide to live by, even if it seemed too idealistic at times. Perhaps Lieutenant Murshad felt the same way, as it did not stop him from assigning Jabal some very inhumane Cards.


    So he had planned to teleport next to the wagon, throw the driver off, head to somewhere isolated, and then set the wagon on fire. With a torch.


    Killing nobody and preventing the charcoal dust barrels from killing anyone. A perfectly humane solution for all involved.


    Except people had a way of dying around him. Of forcing him to kill them. He looked at the bodies at his feet. At least he tried to be humane.


    One hit, one death. Each lethal blow was delivered at such a speed that some probably died before realizing that they had been hit. Been hurt.


    But did it matter? They were dead, just the same.


    But it mattered to him. It mattered that the only army Card he used was [Fear], and only briefly. It meant something, that he still held the second metallic projectile he had palmed. That he did not throw it into the neck of the retreating Asskisser Right.


    He should have, since Asskisser Right was probably getting reinforcements right now. But that was just another situation for the future-him to deal with. Without taking lives, if possible. In any case, he didn¡¯t want to stick around to find out.


    He considered his predicament.


    Now that he understood the nature of his injury, he suspected the previous attempt at [Blink] failed because there was no clear delineation between him vs not him. With regret, he realized that Officer Wannabe¡¯s idea of cleaving him off with one big stroke of an axe remained the best solution.


    Perhaps he could entice one of the remaining soldiers into the role? But he couldn''t think of a succinct way to communicate his desires. They would probably get the wrong idea if he shouted at them, alternating between pointing to the long axe and himself.


    Well, at least he delayed the charcoal dust barrels, even though this probably exceeded the ¡®reasonable means¡¯ category.


    This gallows humor was an attempt by his mind to distract him from the incessant pain and growing despair. But he could think of no other alternative. He had grown cocky with the continued success of his missions and had taken unnecessary risks to avoid using his full arsenal.


    And now, he had to pay the price.


    A group of riders were approaching in the distance. The glints of reflected sunlight from their armors and shields relayed their status as a well-equipped squad.


    A real officer showed up. From the angry scowl, he guessed that someone higher up the chain had issued a ¡®this is your problem¡¯ type of order.


    He had a squad of real veterans with him, too. Jabal could tell from the fanatical hatred they displayed toward him. A hatred borne from lost squad mates.


    The officer directed half the squad to the wagon. Those soldiers off-loaded barrels, concentrating on where the bardiche couldn¡¯t reach. The other half peppered him with ranged abilities and weapons.


    The worst kind of officer¨Cone with brains.


    The projectiles they shot at him would have killed any other individual. But his fully leveled, rare-grade [Stone Skin] proved too tough to crack.


    One soldier walked closer while engulfing his hands in bright red flames. The officer quickly barked at Burning Hands and they all breathed a sigh of relief. Jabal included. While he had not tested the limits of [Regeneration] and [Stone Skin], he surmised that getting blown to bits had a good chance of surpassing the limits.


    Another soldier, with a paunch, gave him a brief scare, too. Fat Belly shot a stream of yellow goo at him. Where it lingered, the substance ate away at the stone armor. Worse, in the unarmored areas between his flesh and the wood of the wagon, immense stabs of pain traveled through.


    Fortunately, it was a fairly new Card, as Fat Belly ran out of activations after some time. He didn¡¯t know exactly how long, since he had fainted while encased upright in stone.


    Neither did he know exactly how long he endured these assaults. But it felt like a good while. Long enough that in his [Target] vision now, he stood encircled at a distance by a wide band of red figures.


    The assault stopped, while the band of bodies remained unmoving. He understood what they wanted. Deactivating [Stone Skin], he looked upon them. Hundreds of them. While he recognized no one, they all knew him by reputation now.


    They regarded him, letting him glance around. To witness all those gathered at his execution. They mostly stayed silent except for random outbursts of cursing, directed at him.


    Incidental damage had decimated the wagon beside him. It freed him to move about. But he couldn¡¯t imagine it, as standing upright already took all his focus. And the pain. For how familiar it felt now, the agony had not diminished one bit.


    Worse, his hips transitioned to wooden planks, and he stood on an unholy amalgamation of flesh and wagon wheel. He would not attempt to teleport in this state.


    But that wasn¡¯t what drew his focus, as he noticed an even bigger potential source of pain.


    Arrayed around him were several barrels of charcoal dust. Officer Brains must have caught his sigh of relief when he prevented Burning Hands from accidentally blowing all of them up. He realized he did recognize someone, as Burning Hands raised up his hands, engulfing them in flames.


    Jabal¡¯s thoughts fled as those twin flickering of death triggered an instinctive urge to survive. The only thing he ever wanted, but which the world constantly tried to take from him.


    He came to again, this time from suppressed consciousness instead of unconsciousness. And this time surrounded at a distance by familiar faces and colors of the army. Equally silent, with mutterings of curses at what they saw. And perhaps giving him an even greater berth than the enemy had.


    For between them and him was a chaotic jumble of body parts in a sea of red. Torn, melted, exploded, burned, frozen, and disappeared. More ways to die than the eye could discern.


    He wondered how much was because of him and how much was due to the army fighting their way to him. But the joyful glee of challenge in Mad Majunda¡¯s eye confirmed his suspicions. As did the sorrow on Lieutenant Murshad¡¯s face.


    Jabal was not a gentleman. He never was.


    That day, they called him the Undying Deliverer of Death. For that was all he was ever good for.

 Chapter 21: Questions and Questions

    Renalia ran, her reddish brown hair flowing freely behind her. She had pocketed the hair ribbon Marcy gave her, uneasy at the thought of ostentatiously displaying luxury in front of her parents. Sunday Church had been different, as Marcy had dressed them as a group. But in a private dinner with just her parents, it would be a slap in their faces.


    As the noise from the hunters¡¯ party faded, she practiced with her new Cards. [Bogling Speed] had leveled since the day before and now lasted a full ten seconds. It allowed her to gauge that she ran half again as fast, to Boogie¡¯s delight.


    She activated [Bogling Leap], noticing how it strengthened her leg muscles and caused her to shoot up and out. Soaring through the air felt exhilarating, but she panicked in mid-arc, remembering that they were no longer at the bouncing bog.


    She suppressed the panic and shut out other thoughts, picturing the landing on the hard ground. Her armored feet touched first, but momentum continued to pitch her forward. Expecting it, she armored her hands and knees and braced, sliding along on all fours for another couple of yards.


    Staying crouched, she brought a hand up and breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing had gotten through the thick bogling skin.


    ¡°Well, that could have been wor¨C¡±


    Boogie, assuming they were still playing, lunged at her.


    Without active thought, she dug into the dirt with her claws and used [Bogling Dodge] to fling herself to the side.


    ¡°Wait, wait! No more playing!¡± She shouted as Boogie crouched into his play posture.


    ¡°Did you see that? I can move like a bogling now! And, oh¨C¡± She stopped as she felt a breeze across her knees. Glancing down, she noticed the rips in the pants where they had scraped the ground. [Bogling Skin] had protected her, but not her clothes. Or rather, the clothes she wore, since it was Shim¡¯s and would be Sammy¡¯s. Not hers.


    No, no, no, no! Everything was going so well! She jogged the rest of the way in silence, worried about her growing debt to the Ongocks. Why do I keep making things worse?


    ¡°Papa!¡± She launched herself at him and he twirled her around in a circle. Boogie ran along, play-snapping at her flying feet.


    She laughed and placed Boogie in a sit before hugging Mama. She missed them so much.


    Mama must have missed her dearly too, because she didn¡¯t let go.


    Hugging her tighter, Mama whispered, ¡°Did Malchim hurt you? Shim?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not hurt,¡± she replied in a small voice.


    Mama placed her at arm¡¯s length and stared at her. ¡°Who hurt you?¡±


    Renalia fingered the ribbons at her neck, checking that they were still in place. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I mean, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Discomforted by Mama¡¯s intense gaze, she lowered her eyes and pulled on her shirt nervously. Boogie, picking up on her distress, growled in a low pitch, ending it with a high whine. Seizing the opportunity, she hopped back and placed a hand on the dog.


    ¡°This is Boogie. He¡¯s my best friend.¡±


    Papa bent down and stuck his hand out. ¡°How do you do, good sir?¡±


    Boogie stuck his paw out for Papa to shake. ¡°What a polite gentleman you are.¡±


    ¡°No, silly Papa,¡± Renalia exclaimed with exasperation, ¡°Boogie¡¯s a dog!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear. And here I believed you had such a fine scruffy beard.¡± Boogie wagged his tail, happy at the attention. And probably satisfied that he had helped solve a sticky social situation.


    Renalia peered up at Mama, who still had a frown on her face. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Mama. Malchim and Shim aren¡¯t as bad as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mama said, laying a hand on Papa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sometimes people aren¡¯t as frightening as they may seem at first.¡±


    ¡°But sometimes,¡± she continued, ¡°there are real monsters. So you scream and fight. Or you kick and run. Don¡¯t let them hurt you.¡±


    Caressing Renalia¡¯s face, she added softly, ¡°Even if you think you deserve it.¡±


    Renalia wanted to shrink down on herself, but not willing to shake off Mama¡¯s touch, she forced herself to stand there. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered.


    Mama moved her hand from Renalia¡¯s face to her hair, organizing the disarray. ¡°I know we said you can train to be a hunter with Lexi and Donaldson, but keep in mind how dangerous it is, okay? If you ever need a break, just say so. If you decide you don¡¯t want to hunt anymore, that¡¯s fine too.¡±


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    Mama paused. ¡°And if you ever get hurt¨Cfor whatever reason¨CPapa can fetch Healer Resto from¨C¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Renalia shouted.


    Boogie¡¯s ears perked at the sharp word. At the same time, the corners of her parents¡¯ lips dragged down into frowns.


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s-that¡¯s too expensive. It¡¯s not necessary.¡±


    Papa¡¯s frown deepened further. ¡°Renya, let us worry about the cost. What¡¯s important is that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Renalia started to panic. She did not imagine dinner with her parents would turn out like this. ¡°Really, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be okay. I have this Card¨C¡±


    Mama interrupted her with an upheld hand. ¡°Just promise me, Renalia. Promise me that you will not take on all of life¡¯s burdens by yourself. Promise me that you¡¯ll talk to us and let us help.¡±


    Recognizing the resoluteness in her Mama¡¯s eyes, she understood this was not the time to insist again that everything was fine. ¡°Okay, Mama, I promise.¡±


    They found an isolated spot and started to eat dinner: a warm stew with a brick-hard bread for dipping. While they ate, Renalia told her parents about the lessons Lexi and Donaldson were teaching her. About finding Penny and the funny things that Marcy said.


    But Mama stopped her when she started talking about her Deck. ¡°Do you remember the story about the little boy who couldn¡¯t stop talking about his Card?¡±


    Renalia had heard the story during one of Father Cornelius¡¯s sermons. It was about a little boy who kept spinning tales about the wonderful things his Card could do. Until one day, a horned devil learned of those tales and wanted the Card for himself.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be proud and brag about ourselves to others,¡± Renalia intoned.


    ¡°Yes, that is one moral of the story. But there is another. A more sinister lesson.¡±


    Renalia scrunched her brow while Mama shared a glance with Papa. Whatever passed between them, Mama resumed, ¡°You have asked us many times in the past about our Cards.¡±


    Renalia felt teased with the phrase ¡®many times¡¯, but Mama did not dwell on it.


    ¡°And while we shared a little with you, we¡¯ve kept many things hidden. But there¡¯s a good reason for it.¡±


    Anticipation at learning the bigger mysteries about her parents caused Renalia to forget about her stew and focus her attention on Mama''s next words. She had wanted for so long to learn more about them. But they had rebuffed her many times before.


    ¡°There are those out there, like the devil in the story, who seek out powerful cards. Monsters who have the wherewithal to hunt for cards. So the more unique your Cards are¨Cthe more interesting they are¨Cthe less you should speak about them. Even now, when it appears like we are alone and no one can hear.¡±


    Renalia gasped. Did Granny tell Mama about her Core? And what does this say about her parents¡¯ Decks? Did they have weird cards like she did?


    Perhaps seeing the questions on her face, Mama continued. ¡°I realize you have many questions about who we are and where we came from. But we don¡¯t want our past to become your future.¡±


    Renalia lowered her head to hide her disappointment. It was unfair that she should share her burdens with her parents, but they continued to conceal their own. How was she supposed to help them if she didn¡¯t know what they needed?


    She re-dedicated herself to becoming a better peat farmer and bogling hunter. Even if she didn¡¯t understand why they settled in this village to become peat farmers, she could and would help with the debt. Noticing the rips in the pants again, she tugged at the frayed strands. What is wrong with me? I have to stop adding more debt.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey. I¡¯m sorry we can¡¯t talk about any specifics. But keep using your Deck, okay? Become familiar with them. Be creative with them.¡±


    ¡°I thought we¡¯re not supposed to play with our Cards. And if I¡¯m supposed to keep my abilities hidden, how can I practice with them?


    ¡°Oh,¡± Papa interjected, ¡°so you haven¡¯t been playing with your Cards?¡±


    Renalia averted her gaze and stuffed a spoonful of stew in her mouth. ¡°Mm¡­¡±


    Mama chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep all your Cards hidden. You know Papa is strong and fast. While others can summon a shield or an orb of light. These are typical abilities that many people have. There are also straightforward skills that are harder to hide, like how Hunter Allain can transform into a wolf. But the more peculiar or powerful a Card is, the less you should show it or even talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m uh¨C¡± she licked her lips ¡°¨Cgoing to tell Lexi and Donaldson that my Core gives me bogling powers. So that they can teach me how to fight like one.¡±


    Mama smiled at her. ¡°That seems like a fine idea.¡±


    ***


    In the setting sun, with their shadows intertwined on the ground before them, Eireann and Jabal watched their daughter walk back to the Ongocks.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± Eireann said after a long while. ¡°Not knowing anything means they won¡¯t target her.¡±


    But in her own ears, she could hear the wishful thinking. No, they wouldn¡¯t care about innocent victims at all. So she tried again. ¡°There¡¯s nothing she could do. So knowing will only worry her.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Jabal expelled through clenched teeth. ¡°Who hurt her?¡±


    She placed a hand on his, the one that was squeezing her other hand tighter by the second. He released his grip in an instant and tried to let her hand go. But she folded his hand back onto hers, letting him feel her trust.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t apparent. But since we decided to let her blaze her own path, we have to trust her to make her own choices.¡± Despite sharing many secrets with him, she withheld some stuff for his benefit. So she stayed silent on the nature of Renalia¡¯s injury, knowing it would make him feel worse. A choking did not come from some cold-blooded bogling. No, a choking meant an intense burning hatred for their daughter.


    Jabal sighed, the tension still obvious in his breath. ¡°I just¡­ I just didn¡¯t expect it to be this hard.¡±


    Eireann leaned her head against his arm. This fierce protectiveness, combined with an open vulnerability, was why she fell in love with him in the first place. ¡°I know. I¡¯m scared for her too.¡±


    ¡°But she can take care of herself now,¡± she murmured.


    He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. A corner of her lips tugged up as Eireann whispered in his language, ¡°With her Full Deck.¡±

 Chapter 22: In Society

    Thirteen years ago


    The Honourable Eireann O¡¯Brien, eldest daughter of The Viscount of Airondale, led her latest suitor, Baron Ottocon, heir to The Earl of Fykington, on a tour of the garden. As the premier garden in the O¡¯Brien family seat, it contained both the wild species found around the domain and cultivars bred for aesthetics.


    The well-groomed path meandered around the variety of plants. Each artfully placed to amaze the amblers with dazzling colors, spectacular shapes, and graceful swaying in the breeze.


    Or at least, it should have.


    Baron Ottocon, however, seemed to have eyes only for her shapes and her swaying. As if staring at her could burn away the simple yellow dress that blocked him from his prize.


    As a young girl, Eireann had grown familiar with¨Cbut never accustomed to¨Cthe predatory gaze of boys and men. She was lucky though, that the authority embedded in her father¡¯s name and title persuaded most to hold to their best behavior.


    She supposed it was better now, since at sixteen, she at least looked like a woman.


    They arrived at a dead-end in the garden. The intentionally isolated patch was absent of flowers and foliage. Lacking also, the sounds of birds and insects. A quietness enveloped the place, as if a glass dome separated it from the rest of the garden. Mushrooms carpeted the shaded seclusion. A light layer of fuzz lay on top, as if a pastry chef had livened up the place with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.


    ¡°And here we have the pi¨¨ce de r¨¦sistance of the garden: a cluster of Sleeper Shrooms. The only cultivated cluster in all of Mireland.¡±


    She extended her arm out to one side and bent towards it, forming a straight line between her fingertips and waist. Sidestepping towards the other side, Eireann imagined herself as a master of ceremony. She pretended to pull back the curtains from the main exhibit without blocking the view of the audience.


    Eireann had developed this little routine some years back. The combination of a secluded location and the danger ahead of them had spurred many suitors to attempt a grab at her waist. They would make a show of saving her from succumbing to the somniferous effect of the spores. But she knew it was a thin excuse for simply taking advantage of what they thought was her lack of escape.


    So she did this deft dance to escape unwanted attention without appearing to reject it. For nothing angered arrogant and entitled men more than showing disapproval of their graceless attempt at possessing her.


    As Eireann scuttled to the side, out of reach of Baron Ottocon¡¯s outstretched hand, she mentally sighed. As predictable as ants swarming a cake.


    ¡°Notice there, a mouse caught in a dreamless sleep from the spores of these mushrooms.¡± She pointed with her hand while still bent over, pretending she had not spotted his attempt to touch her.


    ¡°Oh, my word!¡±


    Instead of the peaceful slumber many expected, she showed them the reality of a Sleeper Shroom victim. The mouse lay on its side, with several baby mushrooms growing out of it. They had burst through its skin, with the blood leaving dried streaks of dark red on the caps. At the bottom of each stalk, a chaotic jumble of rent flesh revealed white filaments of mushroom interspaced with the dark brown of dried muscle fibers.


    As if popping a zit did not clear the skin, instead causing the stuff inside to gain sentience, growing and bleeding.


    The occasional twitches from the mouse¡¯s whiskers and paws suggested that it was still very much alive.


    Scenes like these typically quelled whatever amorous fantasies her suitors had been building in their minds. When one of her suitors had become visibly aroused by this, she had quickly excused herself with some fake emergency and informed her parents of her hard veto.


    Yes, she had become adept at navigating the minefield shaped by men¡¯s desires. So different from four years ago, when she had debuted in society, announcing her availability for marriage.


    Back then¨Cat the age of twelve¨Cher rare-grade Core Card had not yet evolved. [See the Unnoticed] could highlight when merchants short-changed their customers or help find a hairpin that had dropped while riding her horse. But she found it lacking for the responsibilities that would fall to the lady of a major house.


    Nothing like her mother¡¯s [Calculate the Odds] ability, which had made her parents¡¯ marriage more like a partnership of equals, from which respect and love had unfolded.


    But despite her general uselessness and her ungainly mess of long limbs, her pretty face had drawn a hungry fixation from the menfolk. While she theoretically knew she was prettier than average, she had grown up among her father¡¯s men, who treated her as their own daughter.


    So the raw lust from the boys and men at her debut had paralyzed her.


    Her mother had called off the debut even though they had received decent offers for her hand. It had paid off a week later since her Core had evolved to [See the Unseen].


    To the delight of Master Huffenbrow, in charge of animal husbandry, she had seen what ailed the animals under his care. She had become popular with the healers too, since even though people could say what was hurting, she could better discern why they were hurting.


    Most importantly, she had identified individuals infected with the plague and prevented its spread into their household. While she could not help Mireland at large, nor even their own domain of Airondale, she at least had protected those closest to her.


    But her proudest moment had been spotting the missing little boy, Patrick, in a pit dug beneath a house. Her personal guard had ferreted her away after she told them. So she had not witnessed the guards storm that house and mount a rescue. But days later, the family had thanked her profusely, moving her to tears. He was just a commoner¡¯s son, but helping him had mattered more than she could imagine.


    While Father had his doubts about withdrawing her from society at first, he came around after several months. As tales of her beauty had spread¨Ccoupled with her accomplishments¨Chis peers, the other noble houses, had started visiting their estate. Whatever reason they gave, they had all traveled along with their heirs, young men of marriageable age.


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    And thus started a period of growth for them. Under managed circumstances, she had learned to interact with men and manage their libido. At the same time, her parents had signed many alliances and agreements with other houses. Though many had expressed an interest, Mother had held off on any marriage contracts, gambling on the next evolution of Eireann¡¯s rare Core.


    The bet had paid off again, as her Core had progressed to [See the Unseeable] two years ago. The most important ¡°unseeable¡± were Cards.


    With applicability in politics and deal-making¨Cas long as the other party was unaware of her abilities¨Cher parents had changed the plans for her re-debut. Instead of a public event, her father had written letters to specific families with oblique hints at her uniqueness. Old families with land and power.


    They had taken some of the money set aside for her dowry and held a birthday celebration in happiness, donating the rest to the Church in thankfulness. Her mother had been overjoyed, because it allowed Eireann to marry someone of higher social standing, as she had.


    Eireann had been less sanguine about marrying into a more prestigious house, uncertain if they would treat her as a person instead of a political tool to be called upon and shared. That had changed several months later, in the spring following her fourteenth birthday.


    She had met the Baron of Byzantia, heir to the Duke of Sumani.


    Eireann had not known if it was love, not having experienced it before. But in his presence, her heart had pounded in her ears and her typically eloquent tongue had found itself dumb, stumbling over simple words. And parting with him come nighttime, she had wished the moon would speed up its sojourn across the sky so that she may gaze upon the shining beauty of his face again in the morning.


    Very different from how she avoided looking at Baron Ottocon, who¨Cat this moment¨Cwas stealing furtive glances down her bodice in her bent position. She kept an arm across her bosom, a scant protection against his lecherous gaze.


    In fairness to Baron Ottocon, though, he was decent enough as suitors go.


    Ample farmland in the northwest, away from the war. Full set of teeth, strong jaw, bright eyes, and well-defined musculature. She should probably not gauge his worth as if he were a horse. But in all fairness to him still, it would be a closer comparison than shaming him through comparison with Alexios, as the Baron of Byzantia had insisted she call him.


    ¡®As fine as a horse¡¯ was a decent compliment, given her love of horses. How would Baron Ottocon react this afternoon when, instead of riding side-saddle like a proper lady, she planned to show up for their ride in skin-tight pants?


    Her form, unhidden behind layers of dress, had scandalized all her past suitors. But she refused to let them take away her greatest joy. They had to understand that her role as their future wife was not only reciting the Cards she saw or hosting tea parties. She liked the parties just fine, but tea and pastries could not compare to the sheer exhilaration of a good gallop.


    Father had disapproved at first. But as the marriage proposals under discussion became more generous after the heirs had spent an afternoon riding with her, he had relented.


    The last time she had seen Alexios, they had been on horses too. She had escorted his entourage to Airondale¡¯s borders, not wanting to part with him back at the castle. The last image was of him turning around and waving to her, regal atop his brown mare, as if posing for a painting.


    The tail of his Petravian horse, reaching almost to the fetlock, had waved in the light breeze as if saying her own goodbye. She had known that beautiful tail intimately, having spent copious time combing it. As she groomed, she had dreamt of running her fingers through Alexios¡¯ hair instead.


    He had taken with him Eireann¡¯s heart and a copy of the marriage contract. And he had left her with a promise. To get preparations ready at home and return, as fast as he could, with his wedding party. She knew the speed at which he could prepare.


    He had revealed that while his common-grade Core appeared useless, [Restful Nap] allowed him to feel refreshed with brief naps. Since sleep did not rob him of his time, he had almost two sets of servants seeing to his needs and could dedicate many hours to readying the city of Byzantia for their matrimonial celebration.


    Eireann found it fascinating the subtle nuances present in Core Cards and how it painted the portrait of a person. Alexios became the most skilled, the most knowledgeable, the most ¡®everything¡¯ person she had met because he could take naps.


    Whereas, while Baron Ottocon¡¯s Core ability seemed so similar to hers, his behavior left little doubt now what his [See the Hidden] skill applied to.


    As Eireann guided him back toward the garden proper, walking ahead of him, she thought about feigning illness and excusing herself. She tried to convince herself again that he wasn¡¯t so awful of a suitor. That they needed him.


    Worry loomed large in her mind that, nowadays, Baron Ottocon represented the best match she could get.


    For the war had come back to Mireland. Although her Core ability offered great advantages in the Game of Houses, politics became an afterthought with a horde of angry barbarians at people¡¯s gates.


    Nowadays, too, their peers regarded her as bad luck. As if her engagement to Alexios almost two years ago had somehow inspired Petravia to launch a surprise attack against Byzantia.


    Byzantia, one of the wealthiest cities in Mireland, arising from its commercial position in the confluence of two major rivers. Byzantia, a trade hub of strategic importance between the three neighboring countries of Mireland, Petravia, and the Central Kingdom. Byzantia, of tactical importance at the nexus of the resupply routes for Mirelandic military forces.


    No, it was somehow her fault. Eireann had beguiled the shining star of Byzantia, who stood so far above her station, thereby forcing God¡¯s wrath as punishment. It was as good of an explanation of the attack as any to most people.


    Back then, people regarded war as something that happened elsewhere. Not even her mother had foreseen the possibility that the Petravians would send forces so far behind the war front to sack the city. And in making sense of this tragedy, people had settled on divine judgement against her, since they could not imagine the Baron of Byzantia deserving it.


    By all reports, Alexios had led the defense of the city bravely and tirelessly. But his preparations for a wedding celebration had not accounted for the band of killers and lunatics known as the Lost Boys of Razzad crashing it. His overseeing of their wedding regalia had not equipped him for his dance with the Butcher of Byzantia, who had torn him apart, along with half the city.


    With one attack, the enemy had taken the best of them. Had destroyed the brightest exemplar that Mireland nobility had to offer, cut down before his prime.


    Courtship rules did not specify a formal mourning period for engagements, but Eireann had grieved Alexios for real. Grieved for the shearing of the love blossoming between the two of them. Mourned for the loss of a happy life together with their shared joys of reading, riding, and dueling.


    That spring, she had lost her joy and naivete, as much of Mireland had. Food turned to ash in her mouth, presaging how villages and cities had burned that summer. As the months passed and winter arrived, Eireann became not exactly better, but numb.


    While no longer overwhelmed by grief, little things would still spiral her into depression. She couldn¡¯t even ride, as the sight of her beloved horse had brought up painful memories and caused her to shake uncontrollably.


    But she became functional. Ready again for duty, if not for love.


    As she came back to the world, she discovered it had changed as much as she did. Their peers no longer formed alliances for influence and trade. The currency of power was now denominated in knights and fortifications. Beauty and knowledge, which she had in abundance, now counted for little.


    Little. Just like the dowry her father managed to amass over the last year and a half.


    Eireann steeled herself. She smoothed her face, took a deep breath, and turned, uncrossing her folded arms. ¡°Can I interest you in riding this afternoon, Baron Ottocon?¡±

 Chapter 23: [Deleted Scene]

    Eleven years ago


    Eireann crouched down and placed the lanterns she had fetched on top of the books by her feet. She didn¡¯t like the idea of placing oil lanterns so close to books, but so many had fallen off the shelves that it would take too long to clear a spot.


    She cupped little Brody¡¯s tear-streaked face, wiping away his cheeks clean with her thumbs. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay,¡± she lied. Her touch eased his fearful shaking but his eyes seemed skeptical.


    ¡°We have to be quiet, so no more bad people will come.¡± Her youngest sibling tried to turn and glance at the hulking invader but Eireann kept her grip firm. She had not liked how the monstrous killer had stared at Brody.


    ¡°You know that game you want to play for your Deck Day? We¡¯re going to do that once we get outside, okay?¡± She tilted her head toward the entry way that the Petravian had chopped open with his axe.


    She didn¡¯t know if this invader understood Mirelandic but figured that ¡°run!¡± was a word he probably had heard before. So she made a vague reference to the massive hide-and-seek game that Brody had convinced most of the household staff to participate in for his tenth birthday next month.


    Brody¡¯s eyes widened and he nodded as he deciphered her message.


    ¡°All of us,¡± she lied again. Eireann made eye contact down the line with each of her four other younger siblings, making sure they understood they should run and hide. No one spoke but she read their firming of jaws and hardening of eyes.


    Even Finn, last in line, accepted her suggestion. Finn, now sixteen, had started to exercise his role and authority as the heir to The Viscount of Airondale more frequently. But with their home crumbling around them and invaders in their midst, he was just a scared little boy looking to his big sister for answers. She nodded at Finn, suggesting that she had seen the best way forward.


    As if running and hiding had a chance against a seeker with [Haste] and [Target].


    Not that this monster would play games with them. She had never seen a Deck so focused, so devoid of fluff or personality. Once they reached an exit, he would kill them all with a mere thought. However he pretended to take them hostage, his Deck betrayed his real nature.


    She had to kill him before that.


    Once again, Eireann tried to draw his attention to her right hand and the dagger hanging by it. So that when the time came, she could use her left hand to grab her hidden knife and stab him while his focus was elsewhere. She had to kill him before he could notice and activate [Regenerate] or [Stone Skin] or [Blink] ¡­ or any of his Cards. Or before he could shove her or cut her in half with his sword ¡­ or anything physical with his sizable muscles.


    If Mother was here, she¡¯d tell Eireann just how small the odds were of her assassinating a seasoned fighter.


    She had to try, though. They were all supposed to gather at the stables this morning for a trip to their country estates. But she had rerouted the kids to the library so that they could each grab a book. So none of the guards nor the mercenaries would know to look for them here.


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    They had fled the room when the first rumblings in the castle had started. But by the time they had made it to the hallway leading to the courtyard and stables, the crumbling ceiling of the hallway made it an untenable path. Her [See the Unseeable] had highlighted the unbroken passageway down into the tombs so she steered them back to the library.


    She had gotten them into this predicament and she would see them out. Would see him out. After years of societal conditioning, she knew without thought that Finn, as the heir, needed to survive. That she, a spinster past her prime, could be sacrificed.


    With her in the lead, they shuffled their way down the stairway known as Lady Liandry¡¯s Grief. Generations of O¡¯Briens ago, a dowager had requested its construction, allowing her easy access to her late husband¡¯s resting place. Their son had boarded up this tunnel after her passing, burying this constant reminder of mortality. Not that it had helped him.


    She had discovered its existence while perusing the family history archives several years back. Would her Core ability have highlighted this hidden entryway if she hadn''t known of it in advance? Was it ¡°unseeable¡± because a bookcase has blocked the view or because it was boarded up? Would it have worked if it was neither? Even after all these years, the extent of her abilities puzzled her.


    Perhaps she should join the Order of Cards instead of the uncertain wait for a suitable suitor. The organization typically recruited initiates with the third son or later from noble families. But it was not unheard of for young girls to join. Unfortunately, like marriage, she had aged out of the Order also. But perhaps a special dispensation could be made due to the relevance of her Core in the study of cards.


    As she crossed the archway on the floor of the tomb, cobwebs wrapping around her face snapped her out of her reverie. She quietly removed them, hiding the motivation for her movements. The twin girls, Caitria and Caitlin, following behind Brody, would probably scream if they knew spiders haunted the tomb.


    The chaos above had become increasingly muffled, as if in consideration for the last sleep of the dead. They proceeded in kind, maintaining a solemn silence, partially to avoid alerting the enemy but also as a sign of deference for the ancestors interred around them.


    The barbarian following them showed no such regard, however, stomping heavily down the stairs to catch up to them. And without even a few seconds of respectful silence, he blurted out in Petravi, ¡°We didn¡¯t do this. We didn¡¯t¡±¨Csome word she wasn¡¯t familiar with¨C¡±the castle.¡±


    As if Petravians haven¡¯t been doing exactly this, sacking towns and castles all along the border.


    But why would he lie?


    She doubted, with his single-minded focus on killing, that this warrior had received training in psychological warfare. And she had seen the Cards of her father¡¯s men. None of them had the ability to do this. Neither did the Golden Hand, the mercenary band that Father had redirected her dowry toward. Besides, Father would not order the destruction of their beloved home just to spite the enemy.


    Is there a third party? Is this barbarian suggesting a temporary truce with us?


    She didn¡¯t know how to respond so they continued in silence, the layer of dust on the stone floor hushing even their footsteps.


    With calm contemplation, her conviction grew. This ogre wearing a man¡¯s skin would turn on them the moment she led him to the exit. She had to stop him and give the others a chance to run.


    Her lantern flickered and died, freezing their procession. Finn handed his lantern up the line and rested his hand on the dagger on his belt. She hoped he understood that her message to run and hide meant that he shouldn¡¯t fight. Finn had been so proud at getting a [Sword Dance] Card several months ago.


    Eager, almost to the point of wishing, that the Petravians would invade already so that he could use it on them. She realized now the mistake in having Finn bring up the rear and keep an eye on their younger siblings.

 Chapter 24: Learning More Lessons

    Renalia ate her oatmeal breakfast with deliberate movements, keeping her left hand motionless on the table. At the opposite end of the rectangular table, Penny weaved between the obstacles that they had placed before it. Cups, bowls, candle holders, and so on. Once in a while, it would raise its head up and smell the air, as if to get its bearings.


    Sammy stuck his hand out in front of the tiny bogling. It lifted its head and scaled the minor hurdle instead of walking around it. Sammy¡¯s face lit up as Penny climbed onto the back of his hand. But scrunched up as Penny left without even a pause in its steps.


    Shim pretended he was too old for games like this. However, Renalia noticed how he tracked the bogling¡¯s journey across the tabletop. As it made its way close to Minnie¡¯s location, Minnie scooted her bowl away, as if Penny would try to take a bite from her breakfast. Penny finally staggered up over Renalia¡¯s fingers and perched on her forearm. It resumed its previous position before Sammy had dislodged it for the obstacle course.


    Marcy, seated across from her, cheered.


    Renalia did not know how to feel about this, though. While she had named the bogling, Penny did not really belong to her. So she had consciously kept an emotional distance from the little critter. But Penny treating her like its mama weighed on her heart, heavier than its physical size would suggest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make it a maze this time,¡± Sammy suggested. He started rearranging the obstacles before anyone could say no.


    The front door opened, and Malchim walked back in with leaden footsteps. Lexi and Donaldson had arrived earlier in the morning and had called him outside for a chat.


    Marcy brushed the tabletop with her fingertips, causing Sammy to glance up at her. And with a quick shake of her head, prompted Sammy to place the tabletop items back the way it was. Fluent now in the silent communication of the Ongock kids, Renalia spooned the last of the oatmeal in her mouth and got up to place Penny back in her jar.


    Malchim sat by his breakfast, swirling his spoon around instead of eating. As Renalia reached for the front door to leave, he said, ¡°Give ¡®em hell, Renalia. Kill those bogling bastards.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, Malchim sir.¡±


    On their way into the bog, Renalia cataloged her ¡°Core¡± bogling powers for her two teachers. Lexi nodded encouragingly at various points, but did not interrupt her.


    Meanwhile, Donaldson whistled multiple times and, once Renalia finished, exclaimed, ¡°Man, I gotta see this! Using bogling powers to fight boglings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but remember that she¡¯s supposed to be learning from us, not just hunting with us.¡±


    Donaldson rubbed his chin. ¡°Are we sure she¡¯s actually with us, though? Boglings come to greet her daily and she¡¯s got a bogling baby in the village. How do we know she¡¯s not some bogling spy in disguise? Sussing out our defenses before she takes over the village?¡±


    Lexi rolled her eyes while Renalia sputtered. Of all the reactions she imagined, being accused as a bogling agent was not among them.


    Donaldson dropped to his knees, putting him at eye-level with Renalia. ¡°Spare me, Great Bogling Queen!¡±


    He directed Killer into a bow while he clutched his hands in front of his heart. ¡°I am but a humble hunter. I shall bring you offerings for your graciousness in sparing my life.¡±


    Renalia muttered an ¡°um¡± before hurrying after Lexi, who had not stopped walking.


    Donaldson called out from behind them, ¡°A plump, juicy spider for Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Ew!¡± Renalia caught up to Lexi and asked, ¡°How do I make him stop?¡±


    ¡°Let me know if you ever find a way.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Perhaps Your Grace prefers the crunchy long-legged ones?


    Lexi sighed and said, ¡°Ignore him; it¡¯s how he deals.¡±


    Donaldson dashed back to them and continued to list various kinds of bugs. Once he paused for breath, Lexi sighed again and asked Renalia, ¡°Do you know Hunter Allain?¡±


    ¡°Is he the one with the bushy grey beard?¡±


    Lexi nodded. ¡°He had not come back by sunset yesterday. While it¡¯s not unheard of for hunters to engage in longer battles, it¡¯s rare for someone as powerful as Allain. So we formed a couple of search parties¡­¡±


    Lexi trailed off before holding her shield closer to her body and resuming. ¡°We found him early this morning: torn to pieces while still in his wolf-man form.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fucked up,¡± said Donaldson. ¡°How are we supposed to fight boglings when they could do that to someone like Allain.¡±


    ¡°We do as we always have. We practice and prepare. And the three of us travel as a party now. No more solo hunts.¡±


    ¡°D-do you know what killed him?¡± Renalia asked.


    ¡°No, the fight was too chaotic for us to identify any meaningful tracks. But his Core transforms him into an eight-foot-tall wolf-man, with the strength and tenacity that form would suggest. For a bogling to defeat him¡­¡± Lexi shook her head slowly.


    ¡°Is it safe to be out here, even with the three of us?¡±


    ¡°First of all, Renalia, remember what I¡¯ve said about running. Don¡¯t look back and get to the village as fast as you can to fetch reinforcements. And second, while hunters make a good living, it comes with a responsibility. We hunt the boglings in the bog so that they don¡¯t hunt our loved ones in the village.¡±


    ¡°Yep, be safe,¡± Donaldson said with a lopsided grin. ¡°But also go risk your life out there in the bog. Makes complete sense.¡±


    Lexi shrugged. ¡°People have tried building a wall around the village, but the ground shifts too much for it to work well. So it¡¯s up to us to keep the village safe. Alright, enough depressing talk about what we have to do. Let¡¯s talk about what we can do.¡±


    Lexi turned toward Renalia. ¡°Your abilities¨Cwith its balance of offense, defense, and mobility¨Cmake you a natural skirmisher. Someone that goes toe-to-toe with the bogling. Just be aware that, even with the same armor as them, you¡¯ll need to care more about defense than they do.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t feel pain,¡± Donaldson interjected.


    ¡°Exactly. You bleed blood and they leak water. Formation-wise, try to fight close to me. With practice, you¡¯ll understand what hits I can block for you and which ones you¡¯ll need to dodge. For now, I¡¯ll try to call it out.¡±


    Seeing Renalia nodding in agreement, Lexi continued. ¡°The two of us will practice this first. In the future, we¡¯ll go over how to set up my brother for the lethal blow. Donaldson, keep a lookout and only step in when necessary.¡±


    With their assignments defined, they continued to patrol. While they walked, Lexi and Donaldson suggested ways for Renalia to incorporate her powers into a cohesive fighting style.


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    She had simply thought that becoming stronger and faster would make her a better hunter in the general sense. However, Lexi and Donaldson gave her very specific tips.


    Like, instead of strengthening her arms for a forward thrust, she should instead focus on the solidity of her stance to receive the lunge from a bogling with a fixed spear. Or, how a dodge in the last second not only avoided a hit but also placed the bogling in the correct position for a speed-empowered side-swipe.


    It was an eye-opening experience, as it introduced her to a different way of thinking: from a brawl to a tactical contest between brains and beasts.


    As the siblings slowed in offering their suggestions, Lexi counseled, ¡°But these are all just our ideas. You¡¯ll need to try them out and see what suits you. And, more importantly, become familiar enough with these actions that you don¡¯t waste time thinking about them while fighting.¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Donaldson agreed. ¡°Now¡¯s a perfect time to call up some boglings to practice with, eh?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at Renalia, who whined, ¡°I¡¯m not a bogling queen! I can¡¯t¨C¡±


    Boogie barked, interrupting her. He leapt, trying to chump at a black shape hovering in the air above him. The other two dogs joined him in a jumping chorus.


    ¡°Wow, I was only kidding,¡± Donaldson said, squinting into the distance at the commotion ahead of them. ¡°But this should work.¡±


    With enhanced sight, Renalia could see an insect the size of her forearm, zipping in the air with two sets of wings, each as long as its body. She recognized it as a dragonfly, having seen it before in the book of illustrations that Granny had shown her.


    Upon hearing their voices, the dragonfly made a beeline toward them.


    ¡°Alright, Renalia. Just like we talked about.¡± Lexi handed her spear to Donaldson, keeping her right hand free for her special skills.


    Renalia assumed her position in front of Lexi, facing the bogling and the three dogs making their way toward the humans. She wiped the sweat from her clammy hands and tried to slow her beating heart. While she felt secure under Lexi¡¯s protection, having the sole responsibility of bringing down the bogling made her nervous.


    The dragonfly made its steady progress in their direction. Thankfully, it seemed much slower than the peregrine falcon the siblings had previously fought.


    Inspired by her teachers¡¯ suggestions on her bogling powers, she refrained from simple uses of her original Deck to save it for more creative uses too. Without activating [Dull Emotions], Renalia¡¯s breathing steadily quickened despite her attempts to keep it controlled. But she succeeded at standing her ground without relying on [Restrain Impulse].


    As discussed previously, she dodged left at the last minute and brought her spear down in a sped-up swipe as Lexi raised her shield to block the bogling. Except, instead of crashing into the shield, the bogling pivoted with one set of wings and stopped in midair. And it swung its butt down with the other set of wings. It hung vertically next to the shield as Renalia¡¯s spear whipped past where its body had been.


    ¡°Oh, what beautiful wings,¡± Donaldson remarked from off to the side.


    Lexi didn¡¯t pause to admire the wings before thrusting her shield forward. Similarly, Renalia pivoted on her front foot, turning her body and tracing the butt of the spear across a lateral arc to ram the bogling into the shield.


    But the bogling proved too maneuverable. It flew sideways out of the potential spear-shield sandwich while still vertical. It shot toward Donaldson while Renalia¡¯s strengthened swipe clanged loudly against Lexi¡¯s shield.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop it,¡± Lexi said. Understanding the intent, Renalia activated [Bogling Leap] and flung herself through the air after it. Meanwhile, Lexi thrust her palm forward, and the dragonfly smashed into the solid plate of air that her skill formed.


    But before Renalia could reach it with her spear, it flew up and out of reach. She quickly formed padding on her feet and knees as she landed.


    Donaldson chuckled as she slid to a stop near him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to attend a circus performance today. Especially one with clowns.¡±


    Renalia groaned but couldn¡¯t help but agree. It was silly to chase an insect with a stick, one so agile it could easily avoid sped-up swipes and thrusts. She had to fight smarter.


    ¡°Here, hold this.¡± Standing up, she tossed Donaldson her spear. She smiled as Donaldson fumbled it, his hands already full with his own and Lexi¡¯s spear.


    ¡°Come on!¡± she shouted at the insect, slapping her chest with her hand. ¡°Come at me!¡±


    Attracted by the noise, the dragonfly dived at her. Renalia opened her arms wide and planted her feet. The bogling smacked into her chest with enough force that she felt it through the layers of bogling skin she had conjured.


    She ignored the pain.


    With [Bogling Speed] and [Bogling Strength], she grabbed a set of wings before the dragonfly could back completely away. It crunched in her hands but stayed intact enough for her to pull. Bog water arced out of the wing sockets and the bogling fell to the ground.


    It flopped around erratically with only one set of wings. She leapt after it, landing with the dragonfly between her legs and stomping on the remaining wings with satisfying cracks. With the bogling pinned, she thrust her hand down, striking it with the five mini-spears of her claws. Enough pierced through the reinforced exoskeleton. It flailed one last time before collapsing.


    ¡°Note to self,¡± Donaldson said as he walked up beside her. ¡°Don¡¯t pick fights with bogling children.¡±


    Lexi arrived on her other side. ¡°Not as planned but¨C¡±


    Next to Renalia¡¯s feet, the dead bogling spasmed and black worm-like tendrils emerged from its butt, twitching in the air.


    ¡°Eek!¡± Renalia yelped in shock. She backed away, but in her haste, tripped and fell on her behind. Noticing the movement, the worms shot out at her¨Cif something moving so fast could be called worms. As a tendril brushed against her unprotected foot, she screamed in terror, barely noticing the dogs howling in solidarity.


    Lexi slammed the edge of her shield down on the worms. Meanwhile, Renalia kicked out, screaming again as it brought her foot into the writhing mess of dying worms.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lexi asked.


    Renalia scooted backward on her butt and hugged her knees to her chest. She barely registered Lexi¡¯s question with her heart pounding in her ears. And she could not have answered anyway while uncontrollably and desperately sucking in air.


    She had never been so scared in her life.


    Lexi knelt by Renalia and, with the cuff of her sleeve, wiped away the tears, sweat, and snot that intermingled on the little girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± she said softly. ¡°It can¡¯t hurt you. It¡¯s natural to back away in surprise or kick at something that¡¯s trying to grab us. It¡¯s human instinct, and it saves us in many cases. But we¡¯re also hunters with hunting skills.¡±


    Lexi brushed back the hair sticking to Renalia¡¯s face and continued. ¡°It can¡¯t get through your armor. It won¡¯t be able to hold on to you with your strength. Or you could even dodge or leap out of the way.¡±


    She patted Renalia¡¯s head. ¡°Your human instincts make you act like prey. But your hunter instincts will make you a predator.¡±


    Renalia nodded, not trusting herself to speak yet. Boogie nudged her with a wet nose and she buried her face in his shoulder, feeling embarrassed at how she had acted in front of her teachers.


    She felt stupid, too.


    The new bogling had caught her by surprise, making her forget about [Restrain Impulse]. She realized now how it was not just a ¡°don¡¯t flee in fear¡± ability, but enabled everything Lexi had mentioned. And [Dull Emotions] would have helped when the tentacle had probed the sole of her foot and pushed between her toes.


    She shuddered again at the memory and hugged Boogie tighter. I¡¯m the hunter, she repeated to herself. You¡¯re the prey, she thought to the memory of the tentacle that had wriggled against her foot. It didn¡¯t sound very convincing in her head, though.


    ¡°Oh, the beautiful wings,¡± Donaldson lamented. The pensive wailing interrupted Renalia¡¯s thoughts and caused her to look up. Donaldson crouched by the bogling, shards of crushed wings held in his open palms.


    Lexi sighed. ¡°What my overly dramatic brother is trying to teach is that our primary job as hunters is not to destroy boglings, but to harvest them.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry.¡± Guilt drove away all other emotions as Renalia realized she had denied the siblings their payday.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s our bad, kid. I should have realized that you didn¡¯t grow up in a hunting family, so haven¡¯t internalized the business side of things.¡± Lexi¡¯s comforting words about what other children already knew filled Renalia with shame, and she buried her head in Boogie¡¯s fur again.


    Donaldson approached the two of them. ¡°That was good thinking, giving the bogling the hug of death. But what caused you to toss your spear away, even though we had a very specific lesson about never losing your spear?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know. It just seemed too fast for me to hit with a spear. I thought if I could approach it from two different directions¡­¡±


    ¡°Yep, that was a trick question. These lessons we¡¯re teaching you are for the general case. In any specific fight, they could all be worthless. But you have good hunting instincts, so trust in them. It¡¯s like you¡¯re already a full hunter, right, Lexi?¡±


    Lexi cleared her throat. ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. You did well in applying your powers to take down the bogling, Renalia. For the rest of the week, we¡¯ll go over the business side of hunting and harvesting. That has the added benefit of avoiding the bog while a monster still roams free in it.¡±


    She stood up and stretched. ¡°For now, relax while my brother and I pack up the dead.¡±

 Chapter 25: Hunted

    Renalia allowed Marcy to fuss over her non-hunting outfit for the day. The girl treated the tour of bogling processors like an appointment with a marriage broker. But Renalia tolerated the flurry of outfit changes, since she had specific preferences this time around.


    The bogling encounter the previous day had taught her the distinct, if somewhat subtle, difference between dirty and gross. She still didn¡¯t understand why the wormy bogling bothered her so much, though. After all, she had no issues rescuing earthworms from drowning in past rainstorms.


    Was it the color? How fast it moved? The way it tried to grab her? Or maybe the unexpected emergence from a dead insect¡¯s butt?


    If Granny was here, she would say, ¡°Experimenting with each, yes? Testing to understanding.¡± But this was one mystery Renalia had no curiosity to explore. She was satisfied with ¡°earthworms good¡± and ¡°everything else bad¡±.


    So yes, she would pick the thick leather encasement of a boot, thank you very much. And not borrow the oh-so-pretty sandals with red straps that her hands lingered on.


    By the time Marcy finished dressing her, the other Ongock children had already prepared breakfast and started eating. Renalia joined them, relieved that Malchim had not woken from his drunken stupor yet. But the spike of relief turned into a gathering of guilt.


    The previous evening, when Lexi had announced the plan to introduce Renalia to the hunting families, Malchim had objected. He had yelled that Renalia didn¡¯t need to meet the other processors since she already had him. And that Lexi¡¯s job was to improve her hunting skills in the bog, not socialize around the village. Lexi had stood firm, though, against his loud blustering.


    So he had turned to Renalia, claiming how he had welcomed her into his house, how he treated her like his own daughter, and pleading with her not to abandon him. She had not known how to respond to his raw need, recognizing the kernels of truth they revealed.


    Lacking the emotional wherewithal to reply, her eyes had sought out the other adult figure. But as Lexi had opened her mouth to respond, Malchim turned and stomped into his room, muttering something about women not acting like women.


    Renalia had a restless night, struggling to decipher how much she owed to the Ongocks versus how much of her budding hunting career was her own doing.


    The burden she felt toward her teachers was clear, though. The time they would spend in the village prevented them from earning for a week. This guilt tainted their otherwise pleasant morning walk to their first destination.


    Or perhaps it was the presence of Shim, whom Lexi had invited along. With his broken arm precluding him from productive work, he remained a blend of guilt and annoyance for Renalia. But he held to his best behavior, though, listening along with Renalia as Lexi lectured them on the economics of bogling hunts.


    The job of harvesting boglings held similarities to the job of harvesting peat. Both professions had a baseline that they were expected to achieve: the rent payment to the baron and manor lord for living on their land. Any amount over that, while heavily taxed, were the profits of their labor.


    Peat farming, barring long rainy seasons, yielded low but consistent earnings. Whereas bogling harvesting could shift between bust and boom, depending on a hunter¡¯s luck. To ameliorate the possibility of going into debt, hunters and processors operated within Clans. Formed from familial relationships, this sharing of risk reduced the impact of unfortunate years.


    Realizing that this tour wasn¡¯t only about learning what other processors did, Renalia said a silent thanks to Marcy for fussing about her appearance. And she checked that none of her unruly hair had escaped from the tight bun that Marcy had created for her.


    ¡°Our first stop is with the O''Connor Clan.¡± Lexi gestured to an imposing house, even bigger than the Ongock residence. Teams of people bustled about in the open-air workshop next to the house.


    She stopped in front of the open entryway, calling out ¡°Lexi and two apprentice hunters to see Elder O¡¯Connor.¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± some lady in the house responded. ¡°Come in and head on to the study. Big boss ain¡¯t doing shite except sitting on his bum. At least shitting would be doing shite. It¡¯d still be shite, but it¡¯d be something.¡±


    Lexi chuckled as she entered, nodding to the old woman knitting by the window. Renalia mimicked her actions and followed along, but was unsure whether she should smile at the stern woman that glared back.


    They walked along a hallway, so long that Renalia scarcely believed they were still in the same house. Lexi knocked on the door at the end of the hallway, receiving a booming ¡°Enter¡± in response.


    ¡°Ah, Lexi,¡± the rotund man behind the desk said. ¡°Come in! What brings you around? Any news on Allain¡¯s bogling?¡± Elder O¡¯Connor sported a large graying beard, which draped down and lay on his belly. And his deep voice resounded from within his gut. He leaned forward and gestured toward the seats in the room.


    Lexi took the one facing him while shaking her head. ¡°No. Everyone¡¯s keeping an eye out, but no one spotted any likely culprits yet. So, uh, some of us were thinking. Just talking and all. When we catch his killer, maybe the proceeds could go to his family.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We hunters should look out for each other. The O¡¯Connors will support this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s been a while since we lost someone to the bog. Just wanted to make sure.¡±


    Elder O¡¯Connor glanced at Shim, who was studying the planks on the ground. ¡°Aye, the traditions are important. The bog gives, but it also takes. And we have to stand united against it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. The actual reason for my visit is to introduce Renalia, a hunter without a Clan.¡±


    Lexi beckoned, and Renalia stood up and bowed. ¡°Elder O¡¯Connor.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± a gravelly boom sounded out, ¡°is this the one that tamed the baby hardshell?¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Yes, and took down a prime hare and mole in her first outing. Solo.¡±


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Elder O¡¯Connor addressed Renalia directly. ¡°You know, the O¡¯Connor family specializes in processing boglings. We can get you the best prices for your takes. And we have the best tools, regardless of the carcass. Much better than just hacking through it.¡±


    He glanced at Shim. ¡°No offense meant to your father.¡±


    Lexi coughed politely. ¡°Ahem, we¡¯re under contract to use Malchim as the processor during her apprenticeship.¡±


    Elder O¡¯Connor raised an eyebrow at this as a questioning ¡°hmm?¡± vibrated out from him.


    ¡°Renalia comes from a peat harvesting family, so she still has a lot to learn about our profession. She will, of course, look for processors to work with once the apprenticeship ends.¡±


    ¡°Well, Apprentice, let me introduce you to our processing team and their special skills. The best in the business, if I may be so bold.¡± Elder O¡¯Connor placed both hands on the arms of his chair and stood up, the chair creaking in relief.


    ¡°And let me introduce a grandson of mine, too. He¡¯s a little older than you and would be a excellent addition to the team you and Shim are starting.¡±


    Shim and me in a team? ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not... I mean, I haven¡¯t thought about stuff like that yet.¡±


    ¡°No worries. The future is ever so hard to picture, with unexpected twists and turns. Just laying out a possible path for your journey as a hunter, and a companion to walk with. My grandson earned his spear several months ago. He is a good boy with a decent deck of skills.¡± Elder O¡¯Connor placed a hand on her shoulder to guide her into the hallway.


    They left the O¡¯Connors after several hours, much later than Renalia expected. She had learned much more about the processing of bogling leather and the prices that different pieces command.


    Along the way, she had lost the guilt about taking Lexi away from the bog, understanding now how incredibly valuable the hardshell was. With some mental calculations, she had estimated that it would take a few months of harvesting peat for her to reach a comparable sum.


    So it was without hesitation that she had replaced [Bogling Dig]¨Cthe valuable peat harvesting skill¨Cwith a [Bogling Hearing] she had snatched from a rabbit carcass that an O¡¯Connor showed them.


    The number on her Core had increased by two, which she assumed was because she had played with [Bogling Dig] enough to get it to level two. Renalia regretted not deciding to delete the peat harvesting Card sooner.


    The previous day, she had grabbed the cards from the dragonfly and the worm but refrained from adding either to her Deck. The dragonfly card, which increased the speed of beating wings, held no utility for her. As for the worm one that elongated the body, she assumed it would be uncomfortable, if not outright painful, to use.


    But she realized now that despite the lackluster skills, they translated into points for her Core. Regardless of why her Core wanted to take in Cards to delete them, she would happily comply and enjoy the benefit of getting so many cool Cards.


    Guilt-free and with additional motivation, she looked forward to the visit with the next family.


    ¡°So we haven¡¯t talked about this yet,¡± Lexi said, ¡°but it¡¯s strongly encouraged for new hunters to form teams instead of trying to make it on their own. It¡¯s fewer earnings but much safer that way.


    ¡°And I think the two of you would make a fine team. Shim¡¯s [Cut] and his telekinetic hand make him a skirmisher too. Which is a natural complement to another skirmisher like you, Renalia.¡±


    Renalia braced herself for a snide comment, but Shim just said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to check with Dad.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You have been practicing with your magic hand ability, right Shim?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a lot. Since I somehow need an extra hand nowadays.¡± He narrowed his eyes at Renalia.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Renalia said blithely.


    Lexi laughed. ¡°See, you guys got that team camaraderie already!¡±


    For the next several days, they paid visits to various representatives of the hunting clans. Many of them she had seen in the village before but never truly interacted with. Some, as Renalia had feared, sneered that they do not do business with her kind. Accustomed to this, she had pulled a shocked Lexi away before she turned to anger.


    But most, like the O¡¯Connors, surprised her with their unexpected friendliness. Since she had no preexisting clan affiliations, these visits felt like matchmaking sessions. Many of them introduced her to potential team members. And some even heavily hinted that these team members were unattached and could grow into something more.


    One Clan Matriarch explicitly detailed the benefits of a househusband while her nephew stood silently at attention in the middle of the room. Renalia was glad Shim did not accompany them that day. For she had turned as bright a beet red as the nephew did before Lexi suggested they head to the workshop.


    Slowly, it dawned on Renalia why Donaldson had called her a bogling queen. She had, in the brief span of her first week, brought in as many boglings as experienced hunters did in a month. Some, like the hardshell, could even be called a catch of a lifetime. Maybe it was coincidence or luck, but most families placed bets on her continued good fortune.


    And, noticing the advanced ages of potential team members, she started to understand Malchim¡¯s comment about the coddling of new hunters.


    At the end of a visit one day, she asked, ¡°How long does an apprenticeship last? How does one become a real hunter?¡± With the focus on Clans and relationships, she worried they wouldn¡¯t allow her to become a hunter until she married into a hunting family. She only wanted to earn some money, not start a family of her own.


    Donaldson, who accompanied them that day, responded into the silence her question had created. ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t keep it from her.¡±


    Lexi stared at the ground with clenched jaws.


    Uncomfortable at unknowingly forcing Lexi into something, Renalia quickly added. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just curious. I like you guys as teachers. The apprenticeship can last as long as you want to. Or, er, don¡¯t want to? Whatever. You don¡¯t have to answer. Nevermind I asked¨C¡±


    ¡°The thing is¡­¡± Lexi interrupted her, but then paused. ¡°You¡¯re already a hunter, Renalia.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°By the old ways, with two solo takedowns, you graduated to a full hunter on your first hunt.¡±


    ¡°You mean Malchim wasn¡¯t using it as an excuse to make me hunt?¡±


    ¡°Listen, kid,¡± Lexi started slowly, ¡°I disagree with everything that Malchim did.¡±


    She took a deep breath, and the words started pouring forth like a torrent. ¡°But yes, he was correct in naming you a Hunter. And you¡¯ve shown us in the past week that you have the skills and mindset to potentially become a great one.¡±


    Lexi paused. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think we¡¯re trying to take advantage of your ignorance, though. I think you still have much to learn. But¡­ I¡¯d understand it if you wanted to end the apprenticeship and start leading your own expeditions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no no no.¡± Renalia shook her head vehemently. ¡°I¡¯m glad to learn from the two of you. I just didn¡¯t know how it all worked. I was worried I¡¯d never become a hunter and didn¡¯t want to take advantage of your kindness and waste your time.¡±


    Lexi signed in relief while Donaldson said, ¡°Well, if it helps the two of you any, just think of it as us taking advantage of your vast number of bogling subjects, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 26: Family Drama

    Renalia tossed the dissected raccoon into a bin and laid another carcass out in front of Shim. She angled it so that he could start cutting immediately. They had settled into a natural rhythm, anticipating each other¡¯s movements.


    Is that what people call teamwork? Isn¡¯t it just understanding what each other can do and working toward the same goal?


    Renalia considered the suggestion that the two of them should team up. She realized she had not dismissed it immediately. So much had changed between them since she broke Shim¡¯s arm. Even the mocking insults they hurled at each other no longer felt hurtful. Instead, it seemed like they engaged in a competition of creativity.


    Plus, unlike the empty corpse in front of them, Shim could open up a bogling right after they kill it and before the Card could disappear. It figured in no small part in her considerations.


    This Manor Day had yielded fewer Cards at Malchim¡¯s workshop, compared to the week before. Most hunters had taken their captures to Hunter Allain¡¯s family as a way to offer support to his widow and kids.


    Malchim could have easily handled the workload by himself. Except, like in recent days, he rarely left his room.


    When Renalia and the siblings had returned from the bog, Lexi had joined the other hunters to talk and yell at Malchim through his closed bedroom door.


    Marcy¡¯s eyes had pleaded with Renalia, so she had stayed to help with the processing instead of leaving straightaway. It was not because Shim had looked so pathetic and alone, trying to cut open a bogling with his one good arm.


    Definitely not.


    ¡°Why did you harvest peat in the previous Manor Days?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re very good at this.¡± She mimicked his cutting motion on the newly opened corpse and palmed the Card she spotted there. It was some kind of biting ability again.


    She spared it no further thought as she fed it to her Core, more interested in Shim¡¯s answer.


    ¡°And miss the chance to insult you? Never.¡±


    ¡°You mean miss the chance to get beat up?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± he snorted. Turning thoughtful, he wedged a couple of fingers underneath the arm splint to scratch at his arm. ¡°I guess I wanted to be away from home once in a while, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± The thought of wanting to spend less time with her parents had never crossed her mind. But having lived with the Ongocks, she understood what he meant.


    ¡°And I wanted to make sure Ullock was okay.¡±


    ¡°Ullock? Was something wrong with him?¡± Besides hating her with an intense passion.


    ¡°You know how he was after getting his Deck.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no? He doesn¡¯t really talk to me. None of you do.¡±


    A bitter edge of resentment and loneliness had crept into her last sentence. She sucked in her breath as if to draw the words back. Shim showed no outward signs of noticing, however, so she busied herself with cleaning up the workstation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Shim answered. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem very happy with his Deck.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What did he get?¡± she asked. As much as people cringed at revealing their own Cards, most eagerly reveled in gossiping about other people¡¯s. For Renalia, this signified a return to normalcy.


    Shim shrugged. ¡°He doesn¡¯t really talk to me either.¡±


    ¡°Really? I thought you guys were best friends.¡±


    ¡°Not really. We just hung out sometimes and¨C¡±


    ¡°¨CBully me.¡±


    Shim held up both hands, looking asymmetrically comical with one hand still in a splint. ¡°That was before you and¨Cuh¨CMarcy became friends.¡±


    Wait, did he mean to say ¡°you and me¡±? Nah, no way.


    ¡°Like sisters,¡± Marcy said as she picked up their dissected carcasses.


    ¡°Like sisters,¡± Renalia affirmed. She smiled at Marcy, who had dressed herself in a green and brown color scheme that reflected Renalia¡¯s hunter outfit.


    She hung up her leather apron and asked Shim, ¡°So, what Cards do you think Ullock got?¡± She wondered if going through as much trauma as Ullock did the past year would change the Cards his Core created.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Boys¨Cthey¡¯re stupid even when they¡¯re not being mean.


    ¡°Boys,¡± muttered Marcy on her way to the wagon, causing Renalia to burst out in laughter and Marcy to join in. They laughed even harder as Shim stood there, looking confused.


    They really were like sisters.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Renalia said once she finished cleaning the workstation. ¡°My parents had invited Marcy to eat together with us tonight. Do you want to come also?¡±


    The previous Sunday, with Malchim still incapacitated in a drunken slumber, the kids had gone to Church by themselves. Marcy had sat with her and her parents while the other kids had sat with their cousins. Marcy, being Marcy, had completely charmed Renalia¡¯s parents.


    ¡°No,¡± Shim replied. ¡°My Aunt Chaim is stopping by. And I should be around if Dad wants to have some dinner.¡±


    Renalia and Marcy chatted non-stop on their trek across the village. For the first time in her life, Renalia had a conversation partner who asked even more questions than she did. It was like they had somehow established a solid bond of friendship, but now rushed to fill it with the details that such bridges should have been built from.


    So it was with ambivalence that Renalia walked the last few steps to her parents. Boogie, however, showed no such hesitation, resuming his play-wrestle session with Papa as if a week had not passed.


    Mama asked as they approached, ¡°How¡¯s your dad doing, Marcy? He was close to Allain, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s getting better. Some of the other hunters are staying with him right now.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let us know if there¡¯s anything we or Renalia could help with.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm. Renalia¡¯s helping a lot. Dad likes it when he can cut into the boglings.¡±


    Mama chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure he does.¡±


    Turning to Renalia, Mama asked, ¡°Word is Allain¡¯s beast hasn¡¯t been caught yet. Is Lexi still having you stay out of the bog?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm. Lexi wants me to keep practicing with my skills, so we only go to the edges to skirmish. Besides, they say that it¡¯s likely the bogling bled out and sank into the bog. Since no one has found any signs of it yet.¡±


    ¡°Still, you stay safe and listen to Lexi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mama,¡± Renalia replied as she shared a glance with Marcy and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you roll your eyes at me, young lady. Your bravery borders on recklessness.¡±


    ¡°But Lexi said I¡¯m already a full hunter and can lead teams out into the bog.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mama¡¯s gaze and voice turned steely. ¡°Is she telling you to go into the bog without her?¡±


    Renalia withered in the face of Mama¡¯s intensity. ¡°Um, no. But I can¡¯t earn any money as an apprentice.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Mama sighed. ¡°Listen, Papa¡¯s been getting some side jobs recently. I think we can pay back our debts, so you won¡¯t have to inherit them. So don¡¯t push yourself into doing something risky. Besides, you already are earning money. Just yesterday, Fanny dropped off the payment for your latest batch of herbs.¡±


    ¡°But the herbs were a gift.¡±


    ¡°Fanny knew you¡¯d say that. She said she accepted the first batch as the gift you intended. But everything after that, she¡¯d pay you the same rate as any other herb gatherer.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not going out of my way or anything. And¡­ she¡¯s a friend.¡±


    Mama smiled. ¡°Yes, and our families will continue to help each other out when needed. However, going out into the bog every day to get herbs? That¡¯s business.¡±


    Renalia failed to discern the difference.


    Papa, pinned on the ground beneath Boogie, called out, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll keep your money in a jar till you decide what you want to do with it. Don¡¯t be in such a hurry to grow up and start working. Growing up ss-yucks!¡±


    The last word came out garbled as Boogie took the opportunity to lick the insides of Papa¡¯s mouth.


    Renalia chortled and jumped on to lend Boogie her weight. In response, Papa pushed his arms up and lifted them in the air, one in each hand. Boogie yelped at the unexpected loss of ground and tried to jump off, kicking at the air. Renalia laughed even harder and mimicked the dog, comfortable that Papa would not drop them.


    They played while Mama and Marcy fetched four plates of food from the communal dinner line.


    Spotting the four identical plates, Renalia said, ¡°We made sure Marcy brought some food since she wasn¡¯t part of Manor Day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think anyone minds.¡± Seeing Renalia¡¯s puzzled look, Mama replied, ¡°She¡¯s an Ongock, after all. Their family has a long history in the village.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Renalia complained. When she had first joined the Manor Day crew, she had worked her arms off, eager to prove that she deserved to be there. At day¡¯s end, the foreman had spat at the ground between them but had, nevertheless, given her a full bowl of stew.


    And it wasn¡¯t just that. As far as she could remember, she had to work extra hard and behave better in order to get treated the same as other kids. Yet all they had to do was have the right last name.


    ¡°Life¡¯s not fair,¡± Mama said as she handed one of her plates to Papa. ¡°You have to learn to pick your fights. Are you trying to make things better or just angry? Can you even win?¡±


    She moved to take a plate from Marcy¡¯s outstretched hand, which had halted mid-handoff by Renalia¡¯s outburst. ¡°And sometimes, none of that matters because there¡¯s no one else.¡±


    Marcy¡¯s sheepish expression softened to gratitude as she thanked Mama with her eyes. ¡°I left what I bought,¡± Marcy said. ¡°So it¡¯s like a trade.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Renalia replied, her pout lingering.


    They sat down to eat and Papa said, between bites of food, ¡°Well, on to happier topics, I got a new Card yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Happy Birthday!¡± Renalia and Marcy said together, which caused both of them to giggle.


    ¡°Sis¨C¡± Marcy started.


    ¡°¨Cters.¡± Renalia finished for her.


    Papa held his palm out as Renalia said to Marcy, ¡°Papa gets the silliest cards.¡±


    ¡°Behold,¡± Papa said as he splayed out his fingers. ¡°[Sparklies]!¡±


    Dozens of motes of light materialized in the air above his palm. They flew lazily in a cloud the size of a newly weaned pig.


    ¡°Ooh, pretty,¡± the girls cooed, followed by a soft ¡°sisters.¡±


    The flying particles of light winked out after ten seconds. Mama chuckled. ¡°Not bright enough to read by. Not warm enough for chilly nights. Typical Jabal power,¡± Mama said, not unkindly.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Renalia declared. ¡°But [Musical Hands] is still my favorite.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± He tapped his fingers against his wooden bowl, which emitted a ¡°fwip-fwip¡± as they bounced rapidly against the bowl.


    Tapping the fingers of his other hand on the ground as he placed his bowl of soup down, they started moving slowly back and forth in concert. Each time they reached the end of their arc, a ¡°fwump¡± sounded out.


    He pushed the ground to stand up but Mama, without even glancing up from her plate, stopped him with a ¡°No tickle wars at dinnertime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mama,¡± Renalia and her Papa whined in unison. Papa chuckled as Renalia and Marcy giggled.


    ¡°Like father¨C¡± Marcy started.


    ¡°¨Clike daughter,¡± Renalia finished.


    Papa sat back down and drummed his forefinger on his cheek in contemplation. His digit vibrated so fast that it resembled a fat translucent sausage. It emitted ¡°mmm¡± at a constant pitch.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said with a cocked brow, ¡°this is your Mama¡¯s favorite too.¡±


    Renalia turned to say ¡°like mother¡± but the words died on her lips. Mama had flushed a bright red, the color even showing on her bare forearms.


    After a few heartbeats of silence, Mama said to Papa, ¡°Makes one wonder what you thought about.¡± She added, enunciating each word with emphasis, ¡°All¡­ Year¡­ Long... To get a card like that.¡±


    Renalia crinkled her brow in confusion, but Papa understood Mama¡¯s meaning as he turned a dark red.


    Renalia, embarrassed by the peculiar ways her parents were acting, explained to Marcy, ¡°Nevermind them. They get weird sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Marcy added, in a whisper so soft that Renalia was not sure Marcy meant for her to hear, ¡°I wish dad had someone to be weird with.¡±


    It was a splash of cold water on Renalia¡¯s smoldering resentment of Marcy¡¯s heritage. She laid her head on Marcy¡¯s shoulder to offer some comfort.


    After dinner, the two best friends lingered in the village square, marveling at the changes the villagers had made. Booths, in various stages of construction, now lined the square in preparation for the Baron and his entourage. So it was later than usual that they returned to the Ongock residence.


    As Marcy opened the door and entered, Malchim shot up from his chair, knocking it over. The half-bottle of wine on the kitchen table wobbled, threatening to join the chair on the floor.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± he shouted, face contorted in anger. He staggered toward them.


    ¡°Who said you could leave this house? It¡¯s not safe out there!¡± Malchim lifted his arm as he got closer, a cross between waving at the dangerous outdoors and delivering corporal punishment.


    Without even thinking about it, Renalia rushed past Marcy. She planted her feet and raised her elbows like a boxer, layering on extra-thick bogling skins on her forearm.


    She didn¡¯t believe Malchim would hurt his own daughter, but she suspected Malchim was no longer in control. Renalia refused to let anyone hurt her best friend. Not even the dad.


    Malchim stopped in his tracks, surprised at her intervention. He swayed, confused for a second, before his anger morphed into fury. He closed the gap between them and raised his hand even higher.


    Renalia unconsciously activated [Dull Emotions]. The calming space it granted typically allowed her to formulate a plan. But this time she rejected every thought she had. She couldn¡¯t dodge and leave Marcy undefended. She didn¡¯t want to leap at Malchim and start a fight. She didn¡¯t even want to unsheathe her claws, certain that it would escalate the situation even further.


    So she stood there, offering herself as a substitute for Marcy.


    And she watched as his outstretched hand moved. His thumb folded on the smaller two fingers while the fore and middle fingers closed together. She kept her elbows up, bogling-skinned forearms out. But she held no illusions about how much protection it offered against his [Cut].


    Time seemed to stop as they faced each other. They didn¡¯t hear Sammy or Minnie whimper nor register Shim shouting at his dad to stop.


    Renalia didn¡¯t think Malchim would actually kill her. Then again, she hadn¡¯t thought he meant to kill her either that first day, when he had sent her out into the bog. Yet she had almost died, nonetheless.


    And this version of Malchim? She had no idea what he was capable of.


    She didn¡¯t know how long they stood there, motionless. His face, however, twisted in a turmoil of emotions. Anger, fear, regret, and other emotions she herself had never experienced nor learned the words for.


    A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her dark thoughts. As Marcy¡¯s hand traveled down the length of her arm, a gentle but steady pressure caused her to lower her upraised arms.


    Marcy pushed past to stand in the narrow space between them. She clasped Renalia¡¯s hands behind her back and craned her neck up to face her dad.


    ¡°Living in fear won¡¯t bring Mom back,¡± Marcy said in a firm voice, louder than one would expect coming from a small child. Malchim flinched as if she had slapped him. ¡°And you won¡¯t find her at the bottom of a bottle either.¡±


    Shim gasped at Marcy¡¯s audacity and Renalia almost snatched her hands back from Marcy¡¯s death-grip, just in case Malchim became mad again. But Malchim crumpled to the ground as if Marcy had dispelled a wine-fueled monster, leaving behind a bawling rag-doll.


    Marcy released Renalia¡¯s hands from her grasp. Only Renalia, from her vantage point from behind Marcy, could see the girl¡¯s hands tremble.


    ¡°I¡­¡± sobbed Malchim, face buried in his hands.


    Marcy hugged his head. ¡°I miss her too, Dad. We all do. Even little Minnie, who barely has any memories of Mom left. Will you tell us about her? Please?¡±


    The children held their collective breath.


    Renalia backed herself through the open doorway. She had never felt as much of an intruder as now, not even during her first night at the Ongocks¡¯.


    As she shut the door, she heard Malchim say, ¡°I first met your mother¡­¡±


    ***


    Day in and day out, numerous family dramas play out behind closed doors, each with their unsung heroes and villains. And minor acts, even by uncarded children, may have lasting effects. However, as memorable as that night was, it had not graced my thoughts much over the years. Instead, my own upcoming¨Cmore public¨Cfamily drama had consumed my thoughts.


    But in reflecting on this memory now, with what I could gather about my mother over the years, I could identify her fingerprints all over it. While she did not set the stage, as an astute observer of the human condition, she must have anticipated the upcoming scene. So she cast a Reckless Renalia and called for a local hero to rise to the occasion because there was no one else to fill the role.


    A small act of kindness on her part. I wonder, though, if I had realized how she helped my best friend back then, would that kindness have balanced out her unkindness towards me? Would it have prevented my growing resentment and hatred toward her?


    But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. Let us return to that night.

 Chapter 27: Restarting the Hunt

    Renalia crouched low to enter the kennel, Boogie thumping his tail excitedly at the unexpected visit. She signaled for him to stay put, since the entryway could not fit both of them. With her body blocking the waning light from a setting sun, she flashed [Bogling Vision] to ensure she didn¡¯t trip over the dog¡¯s limbs. The skill lightened the darkness within the kennel into desaturated grays.


    It also allowed her to spot several fleas jumping around the straw-padded ground. Before squeezing into the kennel, she encased herself with a fabric-thin application of [Bogling Skin].


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this cool? I barely feel anything and it can last a long time. Granny said that cards may gain new abilities as they level. This became available a few days ago.¡±


    She showed her forearm to Boogie, who gave it a dutiful sniff and lick. Curious, she sniffed it herself. Boogie¡¯s bad breath came on strong, but underneath she detected a faint hint of what she associated with boglings. Soggy earth intermixed with the peculiar scent of trash before it turns into compost.


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m becoming more like a bogling, you have to learn how to tell us apart, okay? Like Granny would say, ¡®studying to training the mind, yes dog?¡¯ Did you know Granny? I miss her. I miss Mama and Papa too. I mean, I¡¯m glad I got to know you and Marcy, but I still miss them a lot.¡± She patted the dog¡¯s big head, which had overtaken her lap once he realized Renalia did not come to play.


    ¡°So I was thinking, if I team up with Shim, we can continue to hunt together and I wouldn¡¯t need my own dog. I don¡¯t know how much Fanny is giving me for the herbs, but I don¡¯t think I have enough for a dog. Besides, I don¡¯t want another dog¨CI want you.¡± She leaned over to hug Boogie while trying to keep her legs still for Boogie.


    ¡°Plus, I¡¯d still get to see Marcy every day. And Shim¡¯s [Cut] is really nice since¡±¨Cshe hesitated before continuing¨C¡±it¡¯ll make the boglings easier to carry.¡±


    In practicing with her Deck, Renalia had found that [Bogling Hearing] allowed her to hear¨Calbeit muffled¨CMalchim back at the house. She stopped the skill before its duration expired, not wanting to intrude on a private family matter. However, it reminded her of Mama¡¯s admonition to keep quiet about her Cards. She didn¡¯t think anyone would eavesdrop on a conversation with a dog, but her parents had instilled in her a paranoid obsession with privacy.


    This private time in the kennel let her practice with her Deck in other ways, too. While training sessions with her mentors improved her skill activations, other explorations required time away from prying eyes.


    For one, the beautification of the village square served as a reminder of the imminent visit from the Baron and the Deck Ceremony. Renalia picked ten cards, focusing on seeing with her physical eyes. Ten rectangles of dim light appeared, causing Boogie to perk up and smell them.


    ¡°Shh,¡± she whispered, pushing his head back onto her lap and stopping his test bite from interfering with the image. ¡°Go back to sleep.¡±


    Renalia practiced some more, picking ten other cards or showing different numbers of cards. Satisfied that she could do this on demand, she turned to a harder task: temporarily removing a Card from her Core.


    The need for this became clear because the tracker on her [Delete Card] remained stubbornly at ¡°4¡±. Despite her deleting several newly harvested bogling cards, the number refused to change. Since the number increased by one and two when she deleted level one and two cards, respectively, she suspected her Core did not want level zero cards.


    This presented a problem since she did not want to lose the cards she currently had. So she planned to remove a card from her Deck, add a new bogling card, activate it once to get level one, delete it to increase her Core, and finally put the old card back, hopefully in its original leveled state.


    However, the first step proved as difficult as she had feared.


    In what seemed like ages ago, Granny had meditated for quite some time before attempting to remove [Find Herb] to give to her. While she did not know what Granny did to prepare herself, the strain and pain visible on her face during the extraction spoke to the difficulty of the process.


    She wished Granny was here to help her right now, missing her all over again.


    While her Core eagerly sucked in cards now, she remembered how difficult it was the first time. Back then, Granny had taught her to imagine how wonderful searching for a herb and finding it would be. To luxuriate in that feeling and focus on wanting to do it over and over again.


    So Renalia tried to imagine the opposite of that for removing cards.


    She had first tried to remove [Bogling Echo] several days ago. While she found the ability fun to play with, it seemed like the least useful of her bogling cards. As nice as having a 360-degree vision was during a hunt, she couldn¡¯t imagine needing it. There would always be other hunters or dogs to watch her back. Besides, when have boglings ever attacked in a swarm?


    Attempting again now, she tried imagining how weird and nauseating it was to see all around her at the same time. How unnatural the experience was and how much she did not need it nor want it to happen again.


    The card remained unmoving in her Deck. As she glowered at it, she saw the number on the lower left, tracking available usages, change from zero to one. She activated it straight away, ¡°seeing¡± the complete image of the inside of the kennel for one second. She smiled at the image, then grinned broadly as that activation took the card to level four.


    How could she convince herself she didn¡¯t want a card when her whole life she loved learning about card abilities and wanted a Deck to play with? Maybe it would be easier to convince herself that she wanted whatever new card more than [Bogling Echo]?


    She sighed. She was being silly and greedy. Her Core Card, which somehow allowed her to loot any bogling cards, was more important than any individual bogling card. She vowed to feed [Bogling Echo] to her Core the next chance she had to fill a slot with a new card.


    She glared again at the [Resist Hunger] cards occupying a full seven slots in her Deck. She couldn¡¯t wait to show them at the Deck Ceremony and delete them afterward. It would give her seven slots¨Csix, if she kept one, just in case¨Cto explore new cards with.


    They were all at level four too, enough to push her Core past both the five and twenty-five thresholds, leveling it twice. Not all cards gained ability variations on level up, but that didn¡¯t stop her from fantasizing. Maybe each bogling would yield two cards instead of one? Or maybe she could harvest from dead animals? She forced herself to think of other possibilities, not dwelling on the ¡°dead humans¡± that briefly entered her mind.


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    With her practice finished, Renalia drifted off to sleep, the darkness and the deep rhythmic breathing of a sleeping dog proving too strong a soporific.


    After some unknown length of time, she stirred to the potent smell of alcohol.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Malchim said, ¡°let¡¯s get you back in the house.¡± She drifted back to sleep in his arms, barely hearing him say, ¡°Thanks, Renalia.¡±


    The whole Ongock family was still asleep when Renalia left with Lexi and Donaldson in the morning. The half bottle of wine remained untouched on the kitchen table, though, a silent testament to a possible change.


    ¡°How is Malchim?¡± Lexi asked.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s better,¡± Renalia replied, omitting any details of last night. It did not feel like her story to tell.


    ¡°Good. We tried getting him to Allain¡¯s wake yesterday, but he really did not want to go.¡±


    ¡°Had a few choice words to say about it, too,¡± said Donaldson.


    ¡°Donaldson,¡± Lexi warned.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s the hunter¡¯s language, ain¡¯t it? Or are you still trying to prevent Renalia from being a full Hunter?¡±


    Lexi growled, making the dogs¡¯ ears perk up. Renalia giggled, enjoying this family¡¯s comedy much more than last night¡¯s tragedy.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Lexi continued after a few more back-and-forths with her brother. ¡°It¡¯s been a week and the consensus is that Allain had dealt a lethal blow to his bogling. So we¡¯re going deeper into the bog to hunt again. This time, the three of us will hunt as a team, like we have been practicing.¡±


    Anticipation and anxiety intermingled as they walked further into the bog, gradually muted by the lack of any bogling encounters. About an hour in, they heard a scream in the distance.


    ¡°Go!¡± Lexi shouted.


    Donaldson dashed, abandoning their formation. Renalia followed, keeping pace with the running dogs through her [Bogling Speed]. Lexi trailed them all. While her ability to make herself lighter made her faster than an unpowered human, it could not compete with a dedicated speed card.


    As they approached the source of the noise, Renalia saw a hunter struggling to hold a lizard-like bogling the size of a forearm between his hands. Another hunter tried to grab the bogling¡¯s arms while avoiding the mouth filled with sharp teeth. Donaldson arrived at the scene, poking a hole straight through the bogling from the side.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill it!¡± the first hunter shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brian, I won¡¯t steal it from you,¡± Donaldson said.


    ¡°No! We wanted it alive,¡± the second hunter said.


    Startled, Donaldson only managed a ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yo, Brodir, you¡¯re bleeding,¡± Brian said, lowering the bogling, which had stopped moving.


    Renalia arrived, and they all stared at Brodir¡¯s side. Tiny holes traced an oval where the bogling had bitten him. Small spots of red rapidly grew from the holes, expanding and joining into one big splotch.


    Brodir lifted his shirt in a panicked scramble. A chunk of flesh, shaped like half an egg, detached from his side and slipped off.


    Brodir started screaming repeatedly, each one cutting off the previous one before it finished.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± said Brian, as he dropped the bogling, but just held out his hands, uncertain what to do with his flailing cousin.


    Renalia hyperventilated, the scene recalling her own experiences with bleeding out. She shut down the building panic with a burst of [Restrain Impulse] and calmed herself with [Dull Emotions].


    ¡°Bandages,¡± she said in a level tone, reaching into a pouch tied to her vest.


    ¡°Right, bandages,¡± Brian repeated, unslinging his pack and dropping to his knees to ruffle through it.


    Donaldson grabbed the hunter around the chest, as Brodir seemed ready to bolt in fright, joining his dog in its frenzied dashing to and fro.


    Lexi finally reached them. She stopped in front of Brodir, and in one smooth motion, slapped him across the face. ¡°Get a hold of yourself. You¡¯re a Hunter, for God¡¯s sake.¡±


    Brodir¡¯s dog growled but quieted as the slap shocked Brodir into silence and stillness.


    Taking the opportunity, Renalia clapped a gauze pad onto the gaping hole in the flesh. With clinical detachment, she noticed how the blood swiftly saturated the thick cloth at the gushing wound, but slowed around the edges. If only I had something like this in my first hunt, Renalia thought. Together with Brian, their four hands working in concert, they wrapped a long strip of bandage around Brodir.


    Lexi took over holding Brodir from her brother. ¡°Donaldson, send word for Healer Rensto.¡± Motioning Killer to stay, he dashed off towards the village without a word.


    Lexi laid Brodir on the ground. ¡°Brian, get some rope. We¡¯re making a stretcher.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Brian said as he hopped up to grab some rope.


    ¡°And Renalia, calm this damned dog.¡± Brodir¡¯s dog, at that moment, was trying to push past Lexi to sniff at the gauze pad.


    Renalia wiped her bloody hands on her pants, saying a mental apology to Marcy. She wrapped her arms around the dog to drag it away. It raised its lips and a low rumble started deep in its chest. But as Renalia continued to make soothing noises, it whimpered and allowed her to pull it away.


    ¡°It hurts,¡± cried Brodir, as Lexi pressed a hand on his wound.


    ¡°Yeah, you fool. What were you thinking, trying to capture a bogling?¡± Lexi found the numbingweed powder she had been looking for and dumped it in Brodir¡¯s mouth, not waiting for a response.


    ¡°Well,¡± Brian answered instead, gesturing at Renalia. ¡°She did it.¡±


    ¡°Hers couldn¡¯t even hurt a small child. Yours is full of razor-sharp teeth.¡±


    Brodir coughed as some of the water went down the wrong pipe. ¡°I mean, this all would still be worth it if Donaldson hadn¡¯t killed it. We heard you secured a buyer for that bogling. How much are you getting for it?¡±


    Lexi pointed a finger at Brodir, saying, ¡°None of your business.¡±


    ¡°And you,¡± she said, pointing at Brian. ¡°Don¡¯t call me ma''am. We went to the same Deck Ceremony, for God¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Fools, the lot of you,¡± Lexi said to no one in particular.


    Renalia¨Coriginal capturer of a live bogling¨Cthought Lexi included her in the last chastisement of fools, too. But she was wise enough not to confirm it.


    While the adults tied together spears and shields to make a stretcher, Renalia repacked everyone¡¯s pouches and packs. She took the chance to grab the lizard bogling¡¯s card. As she expected, its icon was a perfect representation of a mouth full of teeth.


    She deleted [Bogling Echo], the sadness from its loss quickly forgotten when the number on her Core Card increased by four to eight.


    Still, she wished she got something more versatile than teeth. In recent days, she had exclusively applied [Bogling Skin] as protective armor. But the experience just now made her remember its first life-saving usage: as actual skin to hold her blood in.


    Renalia and Lexi escorted Brodir back to the village, rejoined Donaldson, and went back out into the bog. They mostly walked in silence, each absorbed in their thoughts.


    After a while, Donaldson seemed to reach the end of where his thoughts took him. ¡°So, the business side of things has always been your business, not mine. Heh. But, uh, how much are live boglings worth?¡±


    Lexi shook her head. ¡°Not you too.¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously, we won¡¯t try to catch any with our hands. But with nets and your [Force Shield]...¡±


    Donaldson continued laying out his plan, but Renalia stopped listening. Instead, she became focused on some bubbles breaking the surface in the watery parts of the bog.


    The scene felt familiar, somehow.

 Chapter 28: Ambushed

    ¡°Bogling!¡± Renalia shouted, relying on a powered dodge to get out of the way.


    The surface of the water crested. The head emerged at the same time as two clawed hands swiped at the hunters on either side of her. Donaldson dashed back while Lexi blocked the surprise attack with her shield. The powerful strike sent Lexi to her knees and pushed her back several feet.


    [Dull Emotion] chased away the shock, fear, and awe as she glanced up at it. It was not a black-skinned bogling that had jumped out.


    Instead, a silver-scaled lizard towered several feet over them. It kept its arms stretched out on each side, but retracted the curved metallic blades back into its fingers. Sunlight glinted off each polished scale, flickering as water sloughed off faster than one would expect. It looked as beautiful as Renalia imagined a dragon would.


    ¡°Run, Renalia!¡± Lexi shouted, moving between the reptile and Renalia.


    Renalia activated [Bogling Speed] and ran, dropping her spear to run even faster. A small part of her did not want to abandon the siblings and the dogs to this monster. But fear and duty drove her. She had not trained to fight monsters like this. Lexi and Donaldson needed real Hunters to help them. She would only get in the way.


    Donaldson pointed a finger at the lizard. His magical lance hit it squarely in the chest with a loud plunk. The lizard grunted, but Donaldson¡¯s most powerful ability did not penetrate the armored hide. Donaldson angled his finger up, but a quick twitch of the lizard¡¯s head avoided his second lance.


    A forked, metallic tongue darted out as the monster hissed. It raised a clawed hand and dozens of javelins materialized overhead. A swift chop with its arm sent the projectiles flying toward the hunters.


    ¡°Earth,¡± Lexi called out.


    Renalia dropped to her knees at the warning, bogling skin protecting her as she slid. Even this far from the epicenter of Lexi¡¯s power, she had to thrust out her hands to brace against the sudden heaviness of her body.


    Dozens of javelins buried themselves deep in the soft earth, short of the hunters.


    As quick as the lizard¡¯s reactions were, it could not predict the abrupt grasp of gravity on its body. Unbalanced, it pitched forward. But it threw its hand out as it fell.


    Javelins appeared just above Lexi, aimed straight down. Lexi released her power and jabbed her hand up. The gravity-accelerated javelins banged loudly on her force shield inches from her head.


    The creature, now on all fours, sped toward Donaldson, faster than one would expect from a giant lizard.


    Donaldson stood, planting the butt of his long physical lance on the ground with one hand and pointing with the other. The oversized reptile dodged at the last second, trying for a side-swipe with its claws. But it slammed into the force shields Lexi had conjured on either side of it.


    Surprised, it tried to leap up and back on instinct. It was the worst thing it could do, as both of Donaldson¡¯s lances caught it in the throat. Scales flecked off as the lizard¡¯s head snapped backward, tracing a short arc of blood.


    With inertia, its lower body continued forward. It lashed out with its tail, lightning fast.


    ¡°No!¡± Lexi shouted as the heavily muscled appendage smacked Donaldson at the hips, strong enough to fling him into the air.


    Renalia risked a glance back, blinking away her tears. She continued running at normal speed, since [Bogling Speed]¨Calready reduced from assisting Brodir¨Chad expired.


    Lexi made her brother lighter as he fell and ran at the downed reptile with her spear. Aided by its tail, it flipped itself upright and deflected the spear with a forearm. The other arm lashed out, five metallic blades extending out. Lexi blocked again with her force shield.


    The dogs, finally reaching the fight, lunged at the reptile. The monster whipped its tail again, faster than Lexi could react. It hurtled Porkchop and Killer away, both yelping in pain. Boogie chomped down on the lizard¡¯s ankle but it knocked him out with the back of its hand.


    ¡°Back,¡± Lexi commanded the dogs. The monster turned back to face Lexi but, as it did so, a bruised and battered Donaldson rose from the ground and aimed from a distance.


    The lizard¡¯s eye exploded, peppering Lexi with its fluids. It blasted an inhuman, grating screech that halted Renalia in her tracks. She glanced back, far enough away now to need [Bogling Sight] to see the battle.


    Blood flowed from the lizard¡¯s eye socket and down the side of its snout. Its lips curled, not in pain, but in anger. And, maybe¨Cas she lacked experience with lizard expressions¨Cjoy?


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    It screeched again, spewing forth chartreuse bile. Lexi conjured an invisible dome to block. As it splashed to the ground, the plants it touched blackened and shriveled, turning to dust.


    ¡°No,¡± whispered Renalia. [Force Dome] was Lexi¡¯s strongest defensive spell. It blocked everything from crossing its barrier, even magical abilities like Lexi¡¯s own [Gravity].


    But it had a short duration.


    Renalia took a hesitant step back toward the conflict as Donaldson shot a lance across the top of the dome at the monster. With its remaining eye constantly trained on Donaldson, it casually cocked its head and avoided his ability.


    [Bogling Hearing] detected a gurgling sound, which, Renalia realized with horror, was laughter. Through it all, the toxins never stopped.


    But Lexi¡¯s dome shrank a little.


    ¡°No.¡± Renalia started running back as fast as she humanly could. Not Lexi, not like this. The barrier would not last the hour that it would take for Renalia to get back with reinforcements.


    Boogie regained consciousness, shook his head, and launched himself again at the creature. Five metallic knives came down to meet him. Donaldson dashed around the dome, his magical lance deflecting the clawed hand inches from Boogie¡¯s face.


    ¡°No!¡± Renalia shouted as the swift lizard tail tossed the dog away. Boogie!


    She activated [Dull Emotion] and [Restrain Impulse], even using [Resist Hunger] to shut down the part of her mind starting to anticipate lunch. No, she told herself calmly. I have to be faster. She concentrated with her whole being.


    Faster than the malnourished child that she was. Faster than any human could be. Faster, even, than any bogling had a right to be.


    Lexi needed her help. Boogie needed her help. They all needed her help because there was no one else.


    The dome continued to shrink, small enough that Lexi had to crouch, encircled by a pool of yellow-green bile and black specks of dead plants. Donaldson dashed back around the poison-coated dome as javelins flew at him, clutching his injured hip in pain.


    Renalia¡¯s mind broke. One thought overwhelmed all others: faster. Subconsciously, she activated her abilities in rapid succession. Claws into the dirt. Strength into the limbs. Leap. Dodge. Skin and slide. Faster.


    Renalia¡¯s body broke. Pain laced through, but the thought faster subsumed everything. She barely registered the futile [Disinfect Wound] aimed at the pain or the successful [Find Herb] targeting a numbingweed plant. Claws into the dirt. Strength into the limbs. Leap. Dodge. Skin and slide. Faster.


    Her pain did not matter. Her humanity did not matter. All that mattered was getting to Boogie and Lexi and Donaldson.


    Claws into the dirt. Strength into the limbs. Leap. Dodge. Skin and slide. Faster.


    By the time Renalia reached them, the dome had shrunk so much that it scarcely had room to cover Lexi. Not breaking stride, Renalia leapt at the monster, digging [Bogling Teeth] into its neck. Hot tangy blood spurted down her throat, causing her to cough.


    The lizard screamed its harsh shriek again. And the spewing bile stopped.


    Not long after, the dome¡¯s duration ended. As it disappeared, it revealed Lexi sitting on her ankles, body bent low, face flat on the ground, and arms wrapped on top of her head.


    But not long enough. Not all the bile had drained off the dome yet. Some, not even four inches from the ground and in the absence of a dome, dropped straight down onto Lexi¡¯s boot. It ate through the leather and disintegrated her foot in an instant. She screamed, clutching her knee and writhing in pain.


    Renalia raked her bogling claws along the monster¡¯s shoulder and arm. They slid across the scales, not breaking through. But she never imagined they would. She just wanted enough purchase to launch herself upward and bite off the remaining eye.


    But the lizard caught her by the throat in mid-jump. It sliced into her thickened neck with a metal claw, causing her to instinctively go slack. Any more movement and she would die. She had never experienced a situation such as this, but the primitive part of her brain knew her life was on a literal knife¡¯s edge.


    Lexi had also ceased squirming in pain, as her consciousness became overwhelmed. And not a second too soon. She laid on her side, mid-roll, with the short hairs at the back of her head dipping into the corrosion.


    No, it wasn¡¯t supposed to end like this, Renalia thought. I was going to save you!


    Even as she watched, the pool of decay, unconfined now by a dome in its center, pressed into Lexi¡¯s circle of refuge. A light breeze carried away the specks of debris as her hair slowly shortened.


    Renalia saw Donaldson waver with uncertainty, torn between rescuing his sister or her. Questioning, perhaps, what he could even do with his one battle-suited card.


    With a sharp blade at her artery, Renalia wasn¡¯t stupid enough to speak. But she would risk herself to save Lexi. She readied a burst of [Bogling Skin]. She didn¡¯t think it would work, but she didn¡¯t care.


    The lizard stopped them both with a wag of its finger. Eyeing Donaldson, it pointed to Renalia, then to the village.


    Then it spoke a word, garbled to almost indecipherability emanating from a lizard with a forked metallic tongue. But it was unique enough that both of them understood.


    ¡°Jabal,¡± it hissed.


    Papa?

 Chapter 29: Sins of the Past

    Once they lost sight of Donaldson, the lizard laid Renalia down on the ground, a claw still at her throat. It sat cross-legged, and with its other hand, pressed down on her chest. Five blades extended, digging into her protective [Bogling Skin]. But, with meticulous control, they stopped short of piercing her human skin.


    The message was clear: move and die versus stay and live.


    Satisfied that Renalia understood, the lizard removed the blade from her throat. She patched the cut with [Bogling Skin] and slowly rotated her head to check on Lexi. The toxic pool still encroached on Lexi¡¯s island, but had slowed its advance.


    ¡°Help her,¡± she pleaded. She looked at his one eye, trying to convey her urgency. ¡°Please, save her. I won¡¯t do anything.¡±


    It gurgled its laugh as its lips drew back in a smile, displaying a row of sharp fangs.


    ¡°What do you want with P-Jabal?¡± Renalia asked.


    It didn¡¯t answer, but it started changing. Its scales lost their luster and started fusing. Its imposing tail shrunk and drew back into its body. The vertical slit of its reptilian pupil morphed into a circular dot. And, to Renalia¡¯s fascination and disgust, the empty eye socket filled with fluid. An orb, twitching and rolling all the while, took shape. It¨Cor rather he¨Cwinked at her when the eye finished forming.


    The transformed man, with familiar brown skin, looked down at her. He said something in Papa¡¯s language. She didn¡¯t understand, but the words ¡°bint Jabal¡± snapped back a memory she had long since forgotten.


    Her Papa cradled her in his arms, rocking her back and forth. His gaze locked lovingly on her face as he repeatedly murmured a phrase to lull her to sleep. Renalia bint Jabal Al O¡¯Brien. Renalia, daughter of Jabal, of the family O¡¯Brien.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡± she asked, eagerness mixing with dread. As a child, she had wanted nothing so much as to learn about her parents¡¯ pasts. Now, though, she feared for what they hid.


    He glanced away from her and cackled maniacally, no less disturbing than the reptilian laugh. Renalia turned to look at what he found funny. The pool of bile had found a path of least resistance and reached Lexi¡¯s backpack, disintegrating wherever it touched. Puffs of smoke rose in the wind as items fell into the corrosive liquid.


    Renalia struggled, but blades extended before her eyes, blocking a good portion of her vision. The naked man shook with laughter, but the blades remained fixed, promising death if she moved.


    Jabal kept pace with Donaldson as the hunter explained the situation. The father in him wanted to run ahead and rescue his little girl. But his soldier training cautioned against rushing in without gathering information.


    The more he heard, the more anxious he became. For the day he dreaded had arrived.


    He had tried so hard to be a good man these past years. When others insulted him, he turned the other cheek. When the villagers ¡°accidentally¡± bumped into him, he apologized.


    But his attempts at a humble and peaceful life were for naught. The sins of his past have caught up with him.


    No, not him, but his daughter. Fury and apprehension drove him to go faster. However, the battle-weary hunter soon slowed to a jog, his magical speed exhausted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rescue them,¡± Jabal said to Donaldson. ¡°Just keep the other hunters away for their safety.¡± No longer caring about secrecy, he [Blinked] to the edge of his vision, leaving a void in the air that filled with a pop.


    His body reminded him why he only reserved this ability for emergencies, even when secrecy did not matter. Prior to re-opening his eyes, he physiologically registered sensory signals that his consciousness was still ignorant of, like the abrupt absence of ground and the subtle displacement of air. A wave of nausea hit him, subsiding only after he visually confirmed a location change.


    A couple of blinks later, and [Target] highlighted his daughter in the distance.


    He blinked high overhead to survey the scene. He fell as he considered the potential avenues of attack. But Mad Majunda had not forgotten his training either, maintaining full control of the situation.


    While he could blink into the man and slay him instantly, the blade claws were a problem. Unlike a cat, the steel daggers¡¯ natural state was fully extended. But, like a loaded crossbow, Majunda kept them inside his body, reveling in its dramatic reveal.


    With no easy rescue plan, he teleported back to the ground, far enough away to avoid surprising his former squadmate.


    The man had aged well, still possessing a full head of hair and smooth skin. He had a chiseled face that many would call handsome at first glance. Few would sneak a second glance, though, after catching Majunda¡¯s eye. How he looked back at them unnerved them.


    Majunda grinned as he spotted Jabal, the drying blood highlighting the start of crow¡¯s feet around one eye. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t resist my invitation.¡± He patted Renalia¡¯s head, who bore it without expression.


    A pang of nostalgia shot through Jabal upon hearing his mother tongue. But worry for his daughter overwhelmed all other thoughts. Blood coated her face too, running down her chin and neck. He didn¡¯t know whose blood it was though, as neither sported visible wounds.


    ¡°Renya, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Papa, help Lexi. He¡¯s hurting her.¡±


    ¡°You got me, Mads. So let the hunter go. She has nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Hm, I was saving her for later,¡± Majunda said. ¡°It¡¯s been so boring this past week, waiting for your daughter to show up.¡± He drummed his fingers on Renalia¡¯s chest while he considered the proposal. His finger-blades stabbed into her armor repeatedly.


    Renalia remained silent and unmoving.


    His brave daughter helped Jabal avoid rising to Majunda¡¯s bait. ¡°The other hunters in the village will come to rescue her. But if I return her, they won¡¯t bother us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, very well.¡± Majunda waved him off.


    Jabal teleported to the island of dirt and wrapped his arms around Lexi, connecting their bodies enough for his teleportation to include her.


    ¡°Jabal,¡± Majunda said, lifting a finger high off of Renalia¡¯s chest. ¡°Come back soon, hmm?¡± He slowly unsheathed the blade attached to the finger.


    Jabal reappeared some seconds later, Majunda¡¯s curved knife still far from his daughter¡¯s chest.


    Majunda retracted his metal claw. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re no fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back, like I said I would. So let my daughter go. We¡¯ll talk, just the two of us. Or whatever else you wanted me for.¡±


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    ¡°Ah, nah, nah, nah. If I let her go, you¡¯d just run away with her. You¡¯re so very good at that. She¡¯s staying exactly where she is right now.¡±


    His daughter remained calm, not provoking her captor. But anxiety roiled within Jabal. He needed to get rid of Majunda before this monster could hurt his little girl any further, whether intentionally or accidentally. ¡°Why are you here, Mads?¡±


    ¡°Is that how you greet an old friend?¡± Majunda shot back.


    Jabal knew Majunda well enough to understand that Mads was savoring their fear and prolonging his pleasure. Back in their army days, Mads Majunda would raid the prisoner pens during stretches between battles. He would take his time carving into his victims, inflicting as much pain as he could before they bled out. But the ones Lieutenant Murchad could rescue fared arguably worse. So overwhelmed with terror, those prisoners eventually took their own lives.


    After Lieutenant Murchad died, they tried to disrupt Majunda¡¯s indulgences. But, unlike the Lieutenant, Majunda did not respect them enough to tolerate their interruptions. He would turn from crazy-mad to angry-mad. And angry-mad Majunda did not limit his anger to the prisoners.


    Jabal now had to tread that fine line, somehow stopping this game that the sadist played without devolving into a fight with a monster. Renalia would not survive such a battle if Mads stopped playing around and tried to kill them instead.


    And Jabal had to do all this under time pressure, too. He had told Donaldson to leave the situation to him. But he suspected the hunters would impose justice themselves against a Petravian who hurt one of their own. He had limited time before the hunters provoked a murderous psycho.


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±


    ¡°Fine, not friends. But we were brothers. And you abandoned us.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t abandon you,¡± Jabal said. ¡°Squad D annihilated us at Airondale. There is no ¡®us¡¯ anymore.¡±


    ¡°So many Lost Boys died that day. But Sand-eater Syed got out with some others. You and I survived too. Yet you ran away when we needed you. To do what? Live among the enemy?¡±


    ¡°The war¡¯s over,¡± Jabal replied. ¡°And what could I have done? I was a soldier, not an officer.¡±


    ¡°Bah, Squad D defeated us, but the war lasted for several years after that. And, even then, however loudly they proclaimed the peace, the fighting didn¡¯t end. Not ''til recently. Too much hatred on both sides to lay down the sword on some liege¡¯s say-so. Yet, here you are, married and a father for many years.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I ran away. But I never liked the fighting, not like you did.¡±


    ¡°Hah, not the fighter? I¡¯m good with a knife¡±¨CMajunda lengthened a finger blade and pointed at him¨C¡±but we all know who the real Butcher is.¡±


    Jabal hung his head. ¡°The army stuffed me so full of weapons that I became a weapon. But I was never a warrior at heart. This is the real me.¡± Jabal played a melody with one hand, harmonizing with his vibrating fingers; in the other, he conjured a ball of dancing lights.


    Renalia wrinkled her brow, confused at his display of her favorite powers. Majunda, however, barked a laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve become weak, living among the sheep. That one¡±¨Che gestured at the shrinking island among his bile¨C¡±was not half bad, though. Maybe I should have kept her around instead of you.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here? To finally get the battle you¡¯ve always wished for? Fine, let¡¯s do it. Let my daughter go and I¡¯ll fight you. To the death.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that was part of why I sought you out. I¡¯ve always wondered which of us was stronger. But family life has made you soft, Jabal.¡±


    Jabal [Enlarged] and encased himself in stone. ¡°Hard enough for you, though.¡±


    Renalia gasped at the revelation of his powers, but Majunda just raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nah. Like you said, your heart¡¯s not in it anymore. It¡¯ll be as boring as pounding rock.¡±


    Jabal released his powers, ignoring the small part of him that wanted to hold on to it. ¡°So why else are you here, Mads? And how did you find me, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you remember this?¡± Murchad clenched his teeth and drew a claw along the forearm holding Renalia down. Reaching into his flesh, he withdrew a glass vial the size of a child¡¯s finger.


    ¡°The bloodmancer¡­ I thought that was just a ruse to keep us from deserting.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s real. Whatever he did to your blood¡±¨CMajunda shook the vial¨C¡±a drop on my tongue lets me know which direction to take. The army didn¡¯t believe you had died at Airondale. They wanted the bloodmancer to find you, but I got to him first, brother.¡±


    Majunda placed the vial back in the wound he had opened. He morphed his arm into his lizard form and changed back, his forearm slowly re-knitting itself. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I would have your back, did ya? Out of everyone in my life, I¡¯ve known you the longest. That¡¯s gotta mean something, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I ¡­ Thank you, Mads.¡± Jabal thought of Majunda as a horrible and repugnant monster. Something he had striven his whole life not to be. But he realized now that Majunda had not always been like this.


    When they met, twenty-some years ago, they were two scared kids forcefully recruited into the army¡¯s experimental unit. Maybe his childhood had so damaged him that Jabal didn¡¯t know how to make friends. But Majunda was right. They were brothers, born from the same suffering.


    ¡°Ha! You are surprised. You think I¡¯m a monster? That I was born like this?¡± Majunda raised both hands, extending his claws out to their full length.


    Jabal tensed. He saw a glimmer of a chance. Blink into the gap between the knives and Renalia, cover himself in [Stone Skin], wrap her in his arms, and teleport away. But he also saw so many ways for Renalia to get hurt. And, if Majunda found him once, what would stop him from doing so again?


    Jabal hesitated and in that delay, Majunda smiled, showing his teeth.


    Majunda returned his hand to Renalia¡¯s chest. ¡°You think I want to have this-this unrelenting need to cut into things?¡± He traced a claw on Renalia¡¯s black leathery skin, applying enough pressure to part the outer surface. ¡°To see them bleed?¡± He sunk his claws into Renalia¡¯s armor.


    Jabal tensed, but forced his fists to unclench as the claws did not penetrate deep enough to draw blood. Majunda could still be playing with them, but Jabal sensed his former squadmate fighting with himself. Trying to find a way back to his humanity.


    ¡°You remember when they gave me [The Killing Gas]?¡± Jabal asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you partied hard that night. I¡¯ve never seen anyone drink so much, not then and not since, either.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t celebrating, Mads. I was drinking myself to senselessness.¡± He had told no one this story before, worried that he would scare them. But Majunda would understand. Perhaps the only one that would.


    ¡°Because every waking second, I wanted to envelop myself in a cloud of death. That card was strong enough to kill everyone in camp. The entire camp, not only our unit. But I was enough of myself to understand that it was the ability that wanted to end everything, not me. So I replaced it as soon as I could. You could do this too. Focus on what is you and what are the cards. Then, when you can, get rid of the ones that fuck with your head.¡±


    ¡°I have a full deck of death, Jabal. I¡¯d be fifty-something by the time¡­¡± Majunda frowned and squinted at him. ¡°Wait a minute. It hasn¡¯t been that long since you deserted. Half your deck should still be from the Masked Ones.¡±


    Jabal materialized his Deck, letting Majunda see the true him. His little girl¡¯s eyes widened at his colorful cards. She craned her neck off the ground, eyes eagerly scanning his Deck. Jabal mentally sighed. No reactions when Mads toyed with her with five sharp knives, but this made her struggle.


    ¡°How is this possible? How did you get rid of all the cards that the Masked Ones forced into our Cores?¡±


    Jabal¡¯s [Target] highlighted various shapes in the distance, confirming that hunters from the village were coming. Some were assholes, which he understood, given the recent hostilities between their countries. But some were truly decent folk. He would not want any of them to come to harm.


    It was time to try another tack.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you¡­ If you let my daughter go. This has nothing to do with her. I¡¯ll stay and tell you, brother. On my word as a Lost Boy.¡±


    Jabal could see the struggle on the ex-soldier¡¯s face, with hope and curiosity finally winning out. He felt awful for lying to Majunda, but he would do anything for his daughter.


    Majunda nodded and lifted his hand from Renalia. She laid there, uncertain if this was a trick.


    ¡°Renya,¡± Jabal called. ¡°Come here.¡±


    She leapt up, tears springing to her eyes as she ran to him. He hugged her a little harder than he intended.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. Go back to the village. Tell Mama an old friend showed up, but I¡¯ll be home soon.¡±


    Renalia pulled away to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m going to finish chatting here and see him off. Go.¡±


    With Renalia on her way back to the village, his muscles, tensed since entering the bog, relaxed. Renalia and Eireann were safe. No matter what price his past extracted from him now, he had protected the two most precious things in his life.

 Chapter 30: Honing a Weapon

    A summer drizzle started, light enough to drift on the wind, but heavy enough to bead on their skins. While their transformations had destroyed their clothing, neither of the ex-soldiers seemed bothered by the change in weather. Majunda remained seated on the ground, his clawless hands drooping to the ground, purposeless.


    Jabal regarded the blood-splattered war veteran. In riskless fights, Majunda liked it when his opponents made him bleed, offering them flickers of hope before watching it fade. The hunters he had fought¨CJabal included Renalia amongst them¨Chad made a good showing. But they encountered a Majunda who simply wanted to play around before asking for Jabal.


    For the hunters now coming for revenge, though, Majunda would obliterate them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get away from here,¡± Jabal said. ¡°Before the other hunters come.¡±


    ¡°You said you got rid of them,¡± Majunda said, more accusation than question.


    ¡°I tried, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re too happy with you injuring one of their own.¡±


    ¡°No. No stalling. You promised to tell me how to get rid of these cards.¡±


    Jabal took a deep breath. ¡°You remember how, when the Masked Ones forced the first cards into us, they followed each of us around continuously? Constantly asking how we felt, tracking what we did, taking notes on each card activation?¡±


    ¡°I guess? My mind was on other things back then. They gave me [Blade Claws] and I wanted to use it all the time.¡± In a small voice, he continued. ¡°And since I couldn¡¯t, I stole a knife and cut¡­ I cut¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, and they watched while you did it. Lieutenant Murchad only stepped in when you tried to kill another Lost Boy.¡±


    Majunda slumped even further, recalling memories long since forgotten.


    Jabal continued, his memories of the time no more pleasant than Majunda¡¯s. ¡°His role was to whittle away the parts of us that remained children and hone us into lethal weapons that could defend the Motherland.¡±


    Majunda protested, ¡°No, Lieutenant Murchad¨C¡±


    Jabal held up a hand, stopping him. ¡°I loved the Lieutenant like the father I never knew. We all did. The army knew what it was doing, giving us a father figure who kept us obedient, killing only those they wanted. Later in life, Lieutenant Murchad regretted his role in¨C¡±


    ¡°Where is this going, Jabal?¡± Majunda interrupted. ¡°What does this have to do with removing my cards?¡±


    ¡°After the Masked Ones¡¯ success with us, after we proved ourselves to be good little soldiers, they stopped monitoring us so closely. So even before I left the army, I had already started replacing the harmful cards with whatever my Core gave me. And whatever new weapons they issued me, I slotted them into the older ones.¡±


    Majunda stood up, facing Jabal, anger causing the muscles to twitch. ¡°You tricked me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I found a new way to dispose of cards. But yes, I did trick you.¡± Jabal tensed as they eyed each other. ¡°You can still replace those cards with your core. It¡¯ll just take longer.¡±


    ¡°You promised,¡± Majunda snarled, morphing into his reptilian form. ¡°You promised to help me.¡±


    Jabal enlarged himself, placing him at eye level with the threat. ¡°She is my daughter, Majunda. I won¡¯t let you hurt her. And I do want to help. From my experience, having a family grounds you. You¡¯ve said many times in the past that, as an orphan, you¡¯d never have children as a soldier and risk orphaning them. But you¡¯re not in the army anymore and can start a family of your own.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Majunda grabbed his snout with a scaled hand, his forked tongue darting out. ¡°Look at me! I¡¯m a monster. What kind of woman would want this?¡± He tapped his heart, repeating softly, ¡°I¡¯m a monster.¡±


    ¡°I was a savage when I met my wife, too. But she saw past all that to my real self. And whatever love I gave her, she gave me even more in turn. You can also find someone like that.¡±


    ¡°She sounds really nice. And pretty too. Maybe I should just take her for myself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s mine! Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Jabal shouted, raising a stone fist. The tension in his muscles snapped, and rage rushed in to fill the gaps, accelerated with an unconscious activation of [Strength].


    Majunda smiled widely, showing his fangs. ¡°Ah, there you are. There¡¯s the Jabal I know.¡± Majunda took a half-step back into a half-crouch and extended his claws.


    In the brief time it took to square themselves up against each other, Jabal assessed the tactical situation.


    He could ignore the blades, [Stone Skin] rendering them harmless. Only [Corrosive Breath] worried him. But as long as he could [Blink] or [Haste] himself away from direct hits to his vital areas, his epic [Regeneration] would out-heal any damage. And while the lizard¡¯s scales resisted piercing damage remarkably well, they offered scant protection against his enlarged and strengthened stone punch.


    He couldn¡¯t anticipate the arsenal of weapons his opponent acquired in recent years, but he felt confident in a one-on-one battle of attrition.


    Surely, Majunda must have reached the same conclusion. The realization hit Jabal, sending a cold shiver down his spine and recasting their interaction.


    The threats to Renalia. The desperate grasping for a solution. The sadness in his voice. Majunda didn¡¯t make the long trek out here for some battle-crazed amusement. He came to end the monster within himself at the hands of his only friend.


    Is mercy killing the only way, though? Jabal wondered. Majunda had rejected the slow method Jabal had used. But there weren¡¯t many who knew how to remove cards from a deck.


    The Order of Cards could definitely do it, but afterwards, they¡¯d kill him for the war criminal that he was. Squad D would do the same, but murder him for fun.


    Jabal knew of no other groups or individuals who could remove cards. However, he did have suspicions about one other person.


    A couple of years ago, after Eireann¡¯s last miscarriage, Granny had visited them to check up on her. Eireann¡¯s gratefulness had faded into fear and awe as [See the Unseeable] revealed the old woman.


    Jabal never asked Eireann what cards she saw, and knew she would not tell him, even if he did. But there had been only one other person who had elicited such a response from her: him, when he had stumbled into her as Airondale crumbled around them.


    However friendly Granny was with them, he doubted she would share such a profound secret with Majunda or him. Doubted, too, that Majunda would make the journey to another foreign country. Besides, he didn¡¯t know how to find Granny, anyway.


    The anger evaporated as Jabal considered the alternatives, replaced by sadness.


    Majunda must have detected a change in his stance, as he said, ¡°Or maybe I¡¯ll take your daughter. You know I like them young and fierce.¡±


    Jabal knew Majunda meant to goad him. Majunda had always shown kindness to the orphans of war, from either side. Nevertheless, Jabal raised his fists. He would help his friend the only way he knew how.


    By killing him.


    Could he do it before the hunters get here, though? Jabal would have to take some risks to end the fight fast if he did not want any collateral damage.


    As if summoned by his thoughts, the hunters seeking revenge appeared in the distance. At their vanguard ran the small figure of his daughter, to his dismay and pride.


    Jabal clenched his fists in frustration, rock chips breaking off and falling to the ground. But the approaching hunters sparked an idea. ¡°Revenge,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a family, but I can give you the chance to avenge ours.¡±


    Seeing Majunda perk up in interest, he continued. ¡°Between missions and public appearances, Squad D withdraws to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. You can ambush them like they did us. Kill or be killed.¡±


    Majunda smiled. A smile that finally reached his eyes. ¡°Join me, brother. I¡¯ve heard they hunted you and your wife for many years. Together, we can end that threat once and for all.¡±

 Chapter 31: The Importance of Timing

    Since hunting had resumed following Allain¡¯s death, most of the seasoned hunters were out patrolling the bog. So the rescue party that had formed in the village consisted of individuals who processed the hides and managed the books. While less physically fit, they made up for it with their eagerness to punish Lexi¡¯s assailant.


    After catching up to Donaldson and an unconscious Lexi, some turned back to escort them to the village. Those more martial-focused continued onward to confront the monster. They may not fight boglings regularly, but they were no less brave. They would deal out vengeance against those who had hurt one of their own.


    Renalia ran, leading the hunters to Papa and the lizard monster. Her body screamed at her with each step, telling her to stop and rest. While trying to save Lexi, she had pushed through her human limits with card-augmented power. But now, with her magic exhausted and her body broken, the ground seemed to pass so slowly.


    She was just a powerless little girl, a small part of her mind said. She would not matter in a battle between warriors, for that was surely what was happening.


    No, it does matter! If she had been just a few seconds earlier, the lizard¡¯s spit wouldn¡¯t have hurt Lexi. Lexi¡­ Her heart clenched, remembering her mentor¡¯s scream of pain.


    Renalia blinked away the tears that had formed and sought reassurance from Boogie. For his safety, she had commanded that he stay next to her and not run ahead. Her glance did not comfort her though, as she noticed the lump on his head.


    She knew Papa had wanted her and Boogie safe and back in the village. But while Donaldson had pointed these hunters toward Papa, they would not know the most direct path.


    And every second mattered.


    If she had been just a few seconds slower in reaching Lexi¡­ If the force dome had disintegrated while fully coated¡­ She suppressed those thoughts as her pace faltered. Granny had educated her about the importance of regulating emotions, but she didn¡¯t have the time for it now.


    She pushed to maintain the tempo, guiding the hunters onward as quickly as she could.


    As she approached the battle site, she saw two monstrous forms opposing each other: stone versus scales. But there were no new pools of corrosion. And the number of javelins jutting the ground remained unchanged. As she puzzled over this, slowing her steps, the other hunters rushed past her.


    Papa shrunk down to his natural human physique while the reptile¡¯s silvery scales blurred, like a painter creating a sfumato.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Papa said, raising a palm at the hunters charging into battle. At the same time, color suffused through the silvery form by his side. Blues, greys, greens, browns, and splotches of other shades. Renalia gasped at the beauty of colors in motion as the rain seemed to wash away the lizard, blending it into the background.


    A twang sounded out as a hunter shot an arrow at it. But the lizard disappeared and the arrow flew by without finding its target.


    ¡°Where did it go?¡± one hunter asked while another shouted, ¡°Spread out!¡±


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Papa said, as the hunters reached him and fanned out to search for their prey.


    With [Bogling Sight], Renalia spotted a faint outline of a figure, as if someone had cut a lizard shape out of a painting and glued it back on the canvas.


    Papa shouted, ¡°Stop! It¡¯s too powerful.¡±


    Renalia bit back her words as Papa continued, pointing to the chartreuse pool. ¡°Lexi could barely protect herself. Could any of you?¡±


    The hunters acknowledged this piece of wisdom, some more reluctantly than others. Some of them gathered around Papa instead, peppering him with questions.


    ¡°Why is it here?¡± Brock, one of the older hunters, asked.


    ¡°And what did it want with you, Jabal?¡± asked another.


    ¡°He is¨Cwas¨Ca soldier,¡± Papa said. ¡°He came to punish me for deserting.¡±


    ¡°Ha, I knew Jabal was a soldier,¡± someone said.


    ¡°Of course he was a soldier, you dimwit. Petravians don¡¯t come to Mireland for any other reason.¡±


    As Renalia approached Papa, he picked her up and placed her on his back. Renalia slumped, relieved that Papa was safe and that she didn¡¯t have to run back to the village by herself.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Brock shouted. ¡°The questions can wait till we¡¯re back at the village. Chief Cian will want to be part of it.¡±


    Turning to one of the hunters, he said, ¡°Geordie, you¡¯re one of the better trackers here. See if you can pick up that reptile¡¯s trail. Do not engage, though, just keep track of where it¡¯s going. And form a team to relay messages.¡±


    Geordie nodded and squatted, putting his nose to the ground where the lizard had stood.


    Brock pointed to one of the younger hunters. ¡°Grab Lexi and Donaldson¡¯s gear. The rest of you spread out and make contact with other hunters on the way back to the village. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Papa¡¯s sudden absence of swaying woke Renalia up from her exhaustion-induced nap. They had arrived back at the village and a crowd had gathered at the church as word spread of the monster attack. It reminded her of the last time a crowd had gathered, after she accidentally broke Shim¡¯s arm. That the crowd focused on Papa did not make it easier to bear, as loud whispers of his malicious involvement in Lexi¡¯s injury reached both their ears.


    Mama hugged her fiercely after Papa lifted her off his back and didn¡¯t let go. But the Chief wanted to hold a meeting with the adults. Renalia probably could have insisted on inclusion as a full Hunter and based on her participation in the events.


    But she wanted to check on Lexi.


    The walk to Lexi and Donaldson¡¯s house tested her resolve, as the nap had made her even more sore than before. But she bore it with a smile, hiding the discomfort as well as she had hid her hunger in the past. Lexi had more important things to worry about than her aching muscles.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Donaldson welcomed her silently, guiding her to Lexi¡¯s bedroom. Renalia gazed at the unconscious form of Lexi, who breathed deeply and evenly as she slept. In a whisper, Donaldson explained that, luckily, Rensto had not yet left the village after treating Brodir. So, the healer had seen to Lexi immediately.


    It was a rare piece of good news, but they both remained sad, staring at a spot toward the end of the bed. There, the blanket gradually draped down onto the surface of the bed instead of forming a peak like the one next to it.


    Renalia and Donaldson offered each other silent comfort by their presence, neither knowing what else to do. After some time, Brock came by, telling Donaldson that Chief Cian had some follow-up questions about the monster encounter.


    Renalia left and walked to the Ongocks by herself. The rain dissipated, and the sun reappeared low in the sky. It shined directly into her eyes, annoying her. As she averted her eyes, annoyance turned to anger as it reminded her of how different the day had turned out. Usually, on the trek from the bog to the Ongocks after a hunt, the sun shone at her back.


    The day had started so hopeful, with Malchim on the mend and the possibility of looting more bogling cards. But it had turned sideways, making her both angry and sad. Not even sloshing through the wet mud brought her joy, as it had when she was a child.


    Absorbed with her thoughts, she almost ran into Malchim.


    ¡°Ah, Renalia, I¡¯m heading to the church. Are you¡­¡± They regarded each other, neither certain how to start a conversation, given how the prior one had ended.


    ¡°Listen, on days like this, it¡¯s important to be around family. Get Shim to walk you back home.¡±


    She watched him shuffle stiffly toward the church, as if moving as a sober man needed exact control. She supposed she walked the same way now, forcing aching muscles to move.


    She sighed. More walking, and with Shim, of all people.


    Renalia changed out of her clothing with Marcy¡¯s assistance. Blood, in different states of drying, covered her neck, chest, arms, and legs. Everywhere, really. Tears streamed down Marcy''s face as she helped to wipe it off, despite Renalia¡¯s assurance that most of it belonged to Brodir or the lizard.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ruined another set of clothing,¡± Renalia said, noticing the various holes and cuts that the lizard had made. Plus the scruffs and rips she had created by running too fast.


    As if her apology broke a dam, Marcy bawled. Renalia tried to comfort the girl as best she could, wondering what happened to the brave little girl that who stood up to her drunk dad.


    She helped the Ongock kids prepare dinner and checked in on Boogie before taking off with Shim.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Shim asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, just a little sore.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, do you want this?¡± He dug into his pocket, retrieving a packet of numbingweed powder. ¡°My arm doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. It mostly itches now.¡±


    Renalia snatched the medication and dumped the contents into her mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to take that with water.¡±


    Renalia glared at him.


    ¡°Ah, well, I suppose you already knew that, as the herb girl.¡±


    Renala coughed, some of the powder sticking to her throat. ¡°Herb girl? And what am I now? Hunter girl?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. There is more than one girl hunter, after all. Now you¡¯re the girl who broke a boy¡¯s arm even though he maybe deserved it.¡±


    Renalia chuckled despite herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, today has been¡­ But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here to walk me home.¡±


    And she was. She was glad that Shim carried a lantern in the dusk. Her arms ached even more than her legs, unused to the bogling-style running that involved her clawed hands.


    They walked in silence, Renalia busy dissolving the numbingweed powder with saliva. Maybe she should have waited until she had a glass of water. But she wasn¡¯t about to let Shim know that.


    Shim carried the lantern between them with his one good arm, mouth closed, unlike his usual talkative self. With a start, Renalia realized that Shim was purposely not bothering her with endless questions. Perhaps we¡¯re both growing up.


    ¡°I was thinking we should form a hunting team, like Lexi suggested.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shim asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t earned my spear yet.¡±


    Renalia shrugged. ¡°I think it¡¯s more important that we can support each other within a team. Being able to hunt by yourself isn¡¯t as important. Besides, we would start off working together with L¨C¡± She gasped and stopped in her tracks. Lexi¡­ Lexi wouldn¡¯t be able to hunt anymore.


    Shim stopped and turned to face her. ¡°How is Lexi?¡±


    ¡°Her foot¡­¡± Renalia blinked back her tears.


    ¡°Lexi¡¯s strong. She¡¯ll be okay, you¡¯ll see.¡± Shim reached over, but with his hand full, patted her back with his elbow.


    It was awkward, but Renalia appreciated the gesture. And, however inelegant his attempt was, Renalia was glad he did not try to console her with his phantom hand instead.


    She took a moment to collect herself before they continued.


    Renalia stopped once they reached the worn path leading to her home. ¡°Thanks for walking with me.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Shim said, but he stood there instead of turning back to his house.


    Before she could ask what he was doing, he leaned forward and bumped his nose into hers. Renalia blinked in surprise as their lips touched. Argh! Stupid boys!


    Shim drew himself back, as if just as shocked as she was. ¡°Ah, th-thanks, for helping with Dad last night.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. That was Marcy.¡±


    ¡°Marcy couldn¡¯t have done it without you there.¡±


    ¡°Um, thanks.¡± Argh! What am I doing, thanking him?!


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll see you.¡±


    Renalia watched Shim¡¯s hasty retreat, the glow from the lantern swinging erratically before finally disappearing in the dark. Stupid boys and their stupid timing.


    Renalia was about to turn toward the hut as a practice activation of [Bogling Hearing] caught her parents¡¯ conversation from within. As she focused on it, the voices became louder, drowning out other sounds.


    Mama said, ¡°You¡¯ve doomed us all.¡± Renalia froze, Mama¡¯s tone sending a shiver down her spine.


    ¡°I sent him away, so he can¡¯t hurt anybody,¡± Papa said.


    ¡°No, you gave them another way to find us.¡±


    There was a brief pause, letting Renalia untangle the implications of Mama¡¯s statement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave now, I¡¯ll go¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Mama interrupted. ¡°I go where you go. We all go.¡±


    There was a rustling noise, but Papa did not respond.


    Renalia opened the door to find her parents embraced, their meager possessions already packed.


    Mama beckoned, and Renalia joined their hug. ¡°Are-are we leaving?¡±


    Mama explained, ¡°Chief Cian will leave final judgment to the Baron, but many folks don¡¯t feel safe with our presence here. We may have to leave the village.¡±


    Renalia, secure in the encirclement of her parents, felt emboldened to share a secret she long held. ¡°Sometimes, I have nightmares of being chased. And-and shadows jumping out to grab me.¡±


    She sensed her parents shift to share a glance, confirming what she had long suspected of their life before the village.


    ¡°Oh honey,¡± Mama said, hugging her tighter. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. We tried so hard to give you a normal, stable childhood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mama,¡± Renalia said. ¡°As long as we¡¯re together.¡±

 Chapter 32: Surprise

    Renalia woke up, disoriented in both place and time. Sunlight beamed through a gap in the rotted wood of the ceiling, lighting the walls that loomed in her peripheral vision.


    So small, she thought. Shame flooded her, followed by sadness. I¡¯ll still miss it.


    She crawled out of bed, stiffness softening to a dull ache.


    Outside, she saw neither her parents nor any other villagers. While puzzled, she spared it no further thought. Malchim had allowed her to stay with her parents, but that did not excuse her from the chores she owed the Ongocks.


    She ran at a fast clip across town toward their house. Although she wanted to check on Lexi, the sun had already reached its zenith. Renalia hoped the Ongock children had prepared breakfast for their dad, not wanting Malchim to regret letting her stay with her parents.


    Renalia heard it before she saw it. Sounds of music, occasional laughter, and the susurrations of revelers drifted from the village square. The Baron had arrived, together with merchants and entertainers who tagged along, taking advantage of an armed escort that traveled the realm.


    I hope there are jugglers, she thought. No. Chores first, then Lexi, then the festival.


    And she would need to attend the Deck Ceremony, whenever that would occur. She couldn¡¯t wait to get rid of her old cards finally.


    As she passed the square, she spotted Ullock on the outskirts. He turned in her direction as if to call out. She mentally groaned, not wanting to deal with the bully. There were other people she could ask about the Ceremony. So, Renalia quickened her steps with [Bogling Speed], pretending not to notice him.


    The ability, now level four, allowed her ten minutes of magical speed. She spent it all, not expecting to go hunting with Lexi and Donaldson today.


    As she approached the Ongock house, she was surprised to spot Lexi seated outside, consoling a sobbing Marcy. It pained Renalia to see one leg of the trouser tied into a knot, where a foot would normally be. But she¡¯s no crybaby like Marcy; she¡¯s an adult now, with a whole Ceremony soon to confirm it.


    ¡°Lexi, are you okay?¡± Renalia asked.


    With a lopsided grin, Lexi answered. ¡°No more ¡®good mornings¡¯ or ¡®good afternoons¡¯ for One-Foot Lexi, huh? Well, ¡®are you okay?¡¯ to you too, kid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. You¡¯re really okay? Why are you out of bed? Are we¡­ going hunting?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lexi replied, ¡°not for me. Not until I learn how to walk again.¡± Lexi leaned on her walking stick to stand, grunting with the effort. It was, Renalia realized, simply Lexi¡¯s spear with the spearhead wrapped in cloth. It didn¡¯t seem safe or easy to use.


    Lexi exhaled after she straightened. ¡°No, I¡¯m here for your surprise.¡±


    ¡°My surprise?¡± In the past, Renalia had scoffed at storybook characters pinching themselves to see if they were dreaming. She never mistook her dreams¨Cso dangerous and eerie¨Cfor reality. But now, this weird sequence of events bewildered her.


    Lexi turned to lead them into the house. ¡°I thought I would have to fight with Malchim on this, but he readily agreed.¡±


    As Renalia¡¯s eyes adjusted to the darker indoors, she spotted the rest of the Ongock family. They nodded in greeting, but Shim avoided looking at her. Stupid boy.


    There were also a couple of strangers. One crouched at the kitchen table, his face plastered to the jar containing Penny. The curvature of the glass squished his face, making him appear like a doll with a mass of grey locks.


    ¡°Absolutely fascinating,¡± he said, standing up and pushing his spectacles back atop his long nose. ¡°No evidence of excrement, but the presence of fine particulate matter coating the inside of the jar suggests a process of aerosolized defecation.¡±


    Lexi said, ¡°Professor Winkleston, this here is Renalia, the hunter who captured the baby bogling.¡±


    ¡°Splendid to meet you!¡± The professor came around the table, tripping over one of its legs, flailing about to stay upright. He ended up next to Renalia, a little too close for comfort.


    ¡°Um, a pleasure to meet you too, Professor, Sir,¡± Renalia replied, uncertain about the honorifics for professors.


    ¡°No, no, no, the pleasure¡¯s completely mine.¡± Turning to his companion, a young man not yet twenty, he said, ¡°This is my assistant, Loris. What did I say to you last night, lad?¡±


    The teenager took on a far-off look in his eyes as he replied, ¡°You said, ¡®Finally! That stupid Baron¨C¡¯¡±


    ¡°Never mind that,¡± interrupted the professor. ¡°Skip ahead a couple of minutes.¡±


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    ¡°¡®¨Cthat backwater dump of a village¨C¡¯¡±


    ¡°The part about the hunter here!¡± yelled the professor.


    ¡°¡®¨Cmust be a singularly intelligent girl, to recognize the value of a live specimen, when a whole stupid village¨C¡¯¡±


    ¡°There! A ¡®singularly intelligent girl¡¯, I said. Thank you, my boy. Have I ever told you that you¡¯re brilliant?¡±


    ¡°Four hundred thirty-three times, Professor. Although¡±¨Ca pause as Loris¡¯s eyes twitched and flickered with light¨C¡°you¡¯ve called me stupid two hundred and forty-two times as well.¡±


    ¡°There you go, my lad, quantifiable evidence. Now, Renalia, tell me everything about the tortoise.¡±


    ¡°Penny¡¯s a tor-tus?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! We don¡¯t have any in Mireland, but they are native to The Central Kingdom and Petravia. As for the particular set of events leading to the death of this Mama and baby tortoise in the bog, that is sadly lost to history. That reminds me, Loris, let¡¯s interview some folks while we¡¯re here. This bog is such a fascinating local phenomenon and egregiously ignored by historians. Why, I¡¯m positive Professor Porcus would be indebted to us for one of your transcriptions.¡±


    Without waiting for a response from his companion, he turned to Renalia. ¡°But never mind that now. Renalia, the floor is yours.¡±


    With the speed of Professor Winkleton¡¯s patter, it took a few seconds for Renalia¡¯s comprehension to catch up. She narrated their encounter with the baby tortoise, with assistance from Lexi. That Loris would somehow remember the entire conversation made her self-conscious and stumble over her words.


    After she finished, Malchim prodded a reluctant Sammy to detail how he had been caring for the baby bogling.


    ¡°Hm, mind if I try something?¡± Professor Winkleton asked. Not understanding what or who he asked, Renalia shrugged.


    Professor Winkleton approached Penny¡¯s habitat and stuck his hand in, which the bogling promptly bit. ¡°Ow! About a four on the pain index. We¡¯ll have to get a live baby tortoise to compare to.¡±


    Holding his hand in front of him, the Professor approached Renalia. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Sure..?¡±


    ¡°For the sake of Science, my lass,¡± he said as he stuck out his hand.


    Am I supposed to bite him? thought Renalia.


    But the professor stuck his hand into her hair, wiggling his fingers among her strands and patting her head. Renalia glanced at Lexi to check if this was normal, ¡°professorial¡± behavior, but the woman looked equally confused. He repeated the same process with his other hand on Sammy¡¯s head.


    Keeping both hands out in front of him, Professor Winkleton walked back to Penny¡¯s jar. Everyone gathered around as he placed his first hand in front of Penny. It extended its neck and rubbed its head over his fingers.


    ¡°Aw,¡± said Marcy, ¡°it¡¯s so cute.¡±


    Winkleton extracted his hand and replaced it with the other one, which Penny bit again. Sammy frowned, but the professor shouted excitedly. ¡°Aha! It formed an olfactory bond with Renalia. I didn¡¯t think baby tortoises exhibited imprinting behavior, though. Loris, research this when we get back to the university.¡±


    ¡°Um, is it because I can turn into a bogling?¡± asked Renalia.


    ¡°What¡¯s this you say?¡± The professor turned toward her, the widening of his eyes exaggerated by his glasses.


    Renalia encased a hand in [Bogling Skin] to show him.


    He reached out and grabbed her hand, lifting it close to his eyes before smelling it. ¡°Fascinating! You must give me a sample.¡±


    ¡°I guess¨C¡± Renalia started to say. At the same time, Lexi said, ¡°No, she¡¯s not giving parts of herself to you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well. Transformative powers rarely persist anyways. Nevertheless, we could¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the merchandise, Professor,¡± Lexi interrupted. ¡°Perhaps we can close the deal now? I¡¯m not used to standing on one leg yet.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯m quite satisfied. Such a perfect specimen for experimentation, in both size and mobility. The lack thereof, that is. Plus an utter absence of lethality. Why, it¡¯s the find of a lifetime.¡± Lexi coughed politely, prompting Professor Winkleton to fetch something from the pouch tied to his belt.


    He held a gold coin between his fingers, not as shiny as Renalia would have thought, but still quite beautiful. She had never seen so much money in one place. It was more money than her parents earned in months, maybe even a year. She had not imagined that Lexi and Malchim would find a buyer willing to spend so much money on a bogling.


    Professor Winkleton continued to hold the coin out. ¡°Um, as agreed, yes? I didn¡¯t anticipate needing to prepare additional funds for haggling.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s yours, Renalia,¡± Lexi said. ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I can¡¯t take that. I¡¯m-I¡¯m just an apprentice.¡±


    ¡°No, you got Penny by yourself. It¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Malchim, ¡°if the girl doesn¡¯t want it, we shouldn¡¯t force her.¡±


    Lexi glared at him and gave Renalia¡¯s shoulders a little shove.


    Renalia took the gold coin, its heaviness weighing on her in more ways than one. She turned to Lexi, holding it out. ¡°F-for your foot.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the gesture, kid, but your father already worked something out with Healer Rensto. No, it¡¯s yours, rightfully earned. Put it away, though. People have a way of ignoring claims when greed gets in the way.¡±


    Renalia placed the coin in her pocket, even though she did not feel like she earned it. Her parents labored so hard at farming peat and all she did was pick something up from the ground. It seemed so unfair.


    ¡°Well, now that¡¯s concluded, I¡¯m going back home. There¡¯s no hunt today, Renalia. Donaldson¡¯s briefing the Baron on our recent encounter with the Petravian reptile. And later, he¡¯ll take some city folk out so they can play at hunting. Plus, you have the Deck Ceremony at dusk.¡±


    ¡°Malchim,¡± Renalia asked, ¡°can I walk Lexi home?¡±


    This day had not happened at all like what she expected. But, at least, she would get to do what she needed to do. Lexi first, then chores, then the Deck Ceremony, then the festival.

 Chapter 33: Like a Rock

    They made their way to Lexi¡¯s house at an uneven pace. Lexi hopped with one foot, using her spear for balance. While they made steady progress at first, this clearly exhausted her. She summoned a [Force Shield] to sit on, leaning on the spear to catch her breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s somehow more than double the effort to walk with one foot. My [Endurance] is almost exhausted. I¡¯ll have to look into getting a fake foot like Healer Rensto suggested.¡±


    ¡°You can have the gold coin back,¡± Renalia offered.


    Lexi shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I have enough saved up. Let this be a lesson for you. Our profession is one of feast or famine. That one gold may seem like a lot, but you never know when you¡¯ll bag the next bogling. So have enough set aside to ride out the empty days.¡±


    She paused for emphasis. ¡°And whatever you do, don¡¯t gamble it away like my brother and many other hunters.¡±


    ¡°But this money can help¨C¡± Renalia stopped when Agdalena happened upon them.


    Agdalena¡¯s perpetually sour face took on a sneer when she spied Renalia. ¡°Get out of our village, you murderer!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Go away!¡± Renalia shouted back. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a child,¡± Lexi said. ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything.¡±


    Agdalena whipped her head toward Lexi and pointed at Renalia with a crooked finger. ¡°It¡¯s in her blood. They¡¯re murderers, all of them. Look at what they did to Allain.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if it was that Petravian soldier or some bogling that killed Allain. Either way, it definitely was not Renalia¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Some bogling?¡± Agdalena asked in disbelief. ¡°Allain has spent his whole life hunting boglings. Open your eyes. This is what they do.¡±


    Agdalena squinted at Lexi, lips curling in disdain. ¡°Oh, I see. You a brown-skin lover? Is that why you never married? Waiting to do some sick mating ritual out in the bog yesterday?¡±


    Lexi gritted her teeth and stood up. ¡°Come on, Renalia. We don¡¯t have to listen to this.¡±


    At the same time, Renalia said, ¡°You can¡¯t talk to Lexi that way. She¡¯s a Hunter! You¡¯re-you¡¯re nobody.¡±


    Lexi resumed hopping, leveraging her spear to vault forward with each step. Renalia jogged to catch up, she and Agdalena glaring at each other in passing.


    After traveling far enough from Agdalena, Lexi summoned her [Force Shield] again. Panting at the exertion, she slumped down on it,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Renalia said. ¡°It¡¯s not good to be seen with me, especially after that guy came to find Papa.¡±


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    Lexi waved the apologies away. ¡°Agdalena¡¯s never been the same after the war took her husband and eldest son. It has nothing to do with you or your father.¡±


    ¡°But people know Papa was a soldier now.¡±


    ¡°True, but many folks here have a past that they¡¯re trying to escape from. People don¡¯t settle in Deathwater unless they have a good reason.¡±


    ¡°Did you know Papa was a soldier in the past?¡± Renalia asked.


    ¡°I assumed. Chief Cian interviews people who want to stay in the village. Since he approved, no one asked for details.¡± Lexi shrugged. ¡°But I think everyone suspected.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why everyone hates us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Hate comes easy; it¡¯s kindness that takes effort.¡±


    Lexi sipped from her waterskin before she continued. ¡°And however people treated your father in the past, his actions during the McGinnis Fire bought a lot of goodwill among the hunters. We leave our loved ones behind in the village every time we go out into the bog. That he saved many families last year is not something we will forget anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll get thrown out of the village like Leo McGinnis?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s up to Chief Cian to weigh the good your father does in the village versus the danger that might come looking for him. There will always be folks like Agdalena, but I¡¯ll speak to how your father rescued me yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry you got hurt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, kid.¡± Lexi patted Renalia¡¯s head. ¡°I should thank you. My brother said I would have died if you had not come back for me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Renalia choked back the beginnings of a sob. ¡°The monster sought me out. B-but you stood in its way, so it went after you.¡±


    Lexi kneeled, placing herself at Renalia¡¯s level. ¡°Listen to me, Renalia. You didn¡¯t do this, the lizard did.¡±


    ¡°But-but you lost your foot! That¡¯s so unfair; you had nothing to do with it.¡± In a small voice, she added, ¡°If anyone should be hurt, it should be me.¡± Tears sprung from her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to hold it back. [Dull Emotions] beckoned, but she refrained from activating it, not wanting to present an emotionless mask to Lexi.


    Lexi cupped Renalia¡¯s face, her thumbs rubbing away the tears. ¡°No, none of us deserves this. But as hunters, we are the shield that defends this village.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not a hunter anymore. You can¡¯t even walk.¡± She took short gulps of air between sobs.


    ¡°Eh, I was never the most mobile hunter. As long as the boglings run at me, I still have my skills. I just need some practice at walking.¡±


    Renalia couldn¡¯t believe how calm Lexi seemed. ¡°You should be angry at me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, kid. I don¡¯t blame you, and you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself, either. If I hadn¡¯t been there, my brother might have died. And if none of us were there, it may have fought its way into the village. I don¡¯t like becoming a cripple either, but I am glad I was there yesterday.¡±


    Renalia murmured as Lexi hugged her, ¡°You¡¯re too nice.¡±


    ¡°So are you, kid. Remember our promise? I help you now, but in the future, you find some kid to pay the kindness forward.¡±


    Renalia buried her face in Lexi¡¯s shoulder, letting it take her tears away. She had been strong through her childhood, facing all hardships head-on. She wouldn¡¯t change that, heading into adulthood.


    Be strong, she thought. Like a rock.

 Chapter 34: For the Money

    On the return trip to the Ongocks, Renalia activated [Resist Hunger] two more times. At level four, each activation lasted ten minutes, allowing her to rotate through her seven cards and cover the entire hour.


    In mornings past, she had activated all of them at once, caring more about leveling than their actual effect. But today, missing breakfast and not having done chores to deserve lunch, she spaced them out. She appreciated the relief they provided against hunger, her old acquaintance.


    Maybe I¡¯ll keep some [Resist Hunger] around, after all.


    She arrived back at the Ongocks, discovering more out-of-town strangers in the workshop. One had clothed himself completely in black bogling leather: vest, jacket, trousers, belt, and boots. He even had a long strip that hung about his neck and coiled around his arms. He twirled one end of it with his gloved hand while he spoke to Malchim.


    Renalia, now versed in bogling economics, goggled at the ostentatious display of wealth.


    Malchim nodded. ¡°A fine design, my lord! Such pieces may take some time to acquire, though. It¡¯s unlikely I¡¯ll be able to finish it by the time you leave.¡±


    ¡°Work out the delivery with my scribe.¡± He gestured at one of the other men as he spotted Renalia.


    ¡°Is this the hunter that Professor Winkleton was so eager to meet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord. This is Hunter Renalia, currently working out of my household.¡± Malchim beckoned her over. ¡°Renalia, this is Lord of the Manor of Dusne, vassal to Baron Hegelstern.¡±


    ¡°My lord,¡± Renalia said, giving a small curtsey. Before she straightened, a gloved hand cupped her chin and lifted her head.


    ¡°Smaller than I had imagined. I¡¯ve heard you can turn into a bogling.¡± Lord Dusne said, his eyes boring into her as he turned her face from side to side.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Renalia responded, as his tight grip on her chin prevented her from saying anything.


    He lifted his hand more, forcing her to stand on tiptoes. It strained her body, but she didn¡¯t think he would allow her to back away. Renalia had experienced enough bullying to fear the consequences of denying a noble man-child what he wanted.


    ¡°I''d very much like to see that. Tell you what, why don¡¯t you stay with me while I¡¯m here?¡± He smiled, showing his teeth. ¡°You show me your bogling form in all its glory and I¡¯ll show you the world.¡±


    ¡°Ah, apologies, my lord,¡± Malchim said, turning his attention from the scribe he was talking to. ¡°Renalia, as an apprentice, is under contract to hunt in the bog with her mentor.¡±


    ¡°Pity. I want my own live bogling to play with.¡± Lord Dusne stroked her cheek with his thumb. ¡°One gold piece, was it? And if I get it soon, I¡¯ll double it.¡±


    Two gold?! Renalia didn¡¯t know how much her family owed Healer Rensto, but surely two gold, plus the one in her pocket, would be enough to pay off her debts. There may even be enough to convince Lexi to take some for her fake foot.


    The prospect of so much money allowed her to tolerate his behavior. She nodded into his palm.


    Malchim approached them, having finished the business with the scribe. ¡°Splendid idea, my lord. I¡¯ll work out the details for the hunt with your scribe.¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her toward the house. ¡°Renalia, grab some lunch before you head out to the bog.¡±


    The Manor Lord loosened his grip and Renalia backed away. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, hurrying to the house.


    Two gold! She could understand now why Brodir and Brian tried to catch the lizard with sharp teeth alive. But she wouldn¡¯t be so stupid.


    She thought back on her bogling hunts. Hare, too big and fast. The digger, yes, as long as she restrained the claws. Peregrine falcon, blindingly fast, but her [Bogling Dodge] should keep her safe from most of its diving attacks till she caught it. Mama tortoise, too heavy to carry but easy enough to lead back to the village.


    Baby tortoise¡­ Losing Penny earlier in the day had felt bittersweet. While she knew that exchanging Penny with the gold in her pocket was worth it, it still saddened her. She vowed, however, not to name the next bogling she would capture.


    Renalia opened the door and continued listing through the boglings she had encountered. The dragonfly would be easy to clutch to her chest if it flew at her. The worm¨Cshe shuddered¨Cshe would let it coil and wiggle around her however much it wanted for two gold coins.


    So in all, only the hare and the sharp-toothed lizard were too deadly for capture. The rest she could attempt to snag without damaging them. She liked those odds.


    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± said Shim, snapping her attention back to the present. While lost in thought, her steps¨Cdictated by her stomach¨Chad taken her into the kitchen. Standing by the boiling pot, Shim had ladled a bowl of hot pottage for her, with extra chunks of beef and skirrets.


    ¡°Um, hi,¡± she replied, watching as he placed a hunk of brown bread on the pottage, adding a thick slice of cheese. Great, now I¡¯m stupid and avoiding eye contact. But unlike outside with the manor lord, this awkwardness was not altogether unpleasant.


    ¡°Reny!¡± Marcy called, gesturing to the empty seat beside her at the middle of the table.


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    Seizing the opportunity to excuse herself, Renalia muttered a quick ¡°Thanks¡± and left.


    Marcy leaned toward her as she sat down and whispered, ¡°Are you two being, you know, weird?¡±


    ¡°What?! N-no!¡± Renalia said back, a little too loud for the whisper she intended.


    Minnie, seated across the table with Sammy, frowned at them, wagging her finger. ¡°No secrets.¡±


    Marcy waved her off. ¡°You¡¯re too young to understand.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Minnie whined. ¡°I¡¯m five already.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, too young for adult stuff.¡±


    Shim placed a bowl of pottage at the head of the table for his dad and sat down next to Renalia with his own bowl. ¡°What adult stuff?¡± he asked.


    Marcy leaned forward to look around Renalia at her brother. With a hand on Renalia¡¯s shoulder, Marcy turned her to face Shim as well. ¡°Oh, you know.¡±


    Shim apparently did know, turning a bright red as he glanced between the two of them. He quickly refocused his attention on the bowl in front of him, taking a big bite of his pottage. Which he immediately spat out as it burned his mouth.


    They all laughed, even Sammy, who had seemed sad with Penny gone.


    They joked and ate, teasing each other the way siblings do, including Renalia in their merriment. She appreciated that none of them mentioned or asked about the troubles of the previous day, not even Shim.


    She noticed how they tried to create a joyful atmosphere for her, as they did when Malchim had his bad days. It made her as warm as the hot pottage did. She had only been gone for half a day and she already missed the Ongock kids. She turned thoughtful, never expecting Shim and his family to number among the few she would miss if her family left the village.


    After a short while, Malchim concluded the business outside and joined them for lunch.


    ¡°Listen, Renalia. I said the things outside to get rid of that lordling.¡± He tapped the papers he had sat down beside him. ¡°I made sure there¡¯s nothing in the contract that requires you to go out into the bog to hunt if you didn¡¯t want to. It only states that if you did capture a bogling, Lord Dusne had the first right to buy it at the agreed price.¡±


    He took a spoonful of pottage and blew on it. ¡°Having said that, most hunters would jump at this chance of a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Shim said, turning to Renalia, ¡°it¡¯s not worth risking your life.¡±


    Renalia shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, then,¡± Shim offered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, boy,¡± Malchim admonished. He held up a placating hand as Shin started to get mad. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the two of you practice recently, and I do think you two would make a good team.¡±


    Malchim gestured at Shim¡¯s splint. ¡°Once your arm heals, that is. Renalia¡¯s greatest strength is her mobility, allowing her to stay untouched and run away if she needed to. Right now, you¡¯d just be a burden if she had to slow down to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I want to help catch a bogling,¡± Sammy said.


    ¡°No!¡± they all shouted, including Minnie, who grabbed ahold of Sammy¡¯s shirt sleeve as if he meant to leave right away.


    Renalia headed into the bog, keeping Boogie close by.


    She and Malchim had reached an agreement for her to borrow their dog, along with equipment for catching boglings: ropes, nets, and even various bogling leather pouches. In return, he¡¯d receive twenty percent of what Lord Dusne would pay out. And in the more likely event that she killed a bogling, he¡¯d give her the same rates he gave Lexi to process it, the use of Boogie included free of charge.


    Renalia walked in high spirits, buoyed by the gold coin in her pocket and the promise of more. As Lexi had mentioned, she passed many groups of hunters, escorting the city-folk for their attempt at bagging their own bogling.


    Malchim had cautioned that, in this environment, she would need to head deeper into the bog to have a better chance at finding a bogling. So she had announced that she would head toward Donaldson¡¯s secret spot. Malchim had looked puzzled, but had not asked further.


    She supposed hunters had some code of conduct regarding secret hunting spots. For certain, her new profession had more oaths, pacts, and contracts than peat farming did. She was indebted to Lexi for introducing her to their world and helping her navigate it.


    Lexi¡­ Thoughts of her crippled mentor stifled her spirit. She had taken on this excursion for Lexi¡¯s sake, too. If she had enough money left over after paying off debts and setting up an empty-day fund, surely she could convince Lexi to take some for her foot. Lexi had said it was not her fault, but Renalia refused to believe that. This, too, was her responsibility.


    Reminded of her motivations, she picked up her pace, leaving behind those who only played at hunting. As sightings of other hunting parties dwindled, her dread grew.


    Her only solo outing had ended in such a disaster.


    Renalia slowed, watching for bubbles in the water, silhouettes in the air, movement in the horizon, and trembling in the dirt. She even eyed the bushes they passed, even though boglings were not ambush-predators. They responded to signs of life, but did not lie in wait.


    But boglings weren¡¯t the only foes she guarded against. While Papa had said that the Petravian soldier would not come back, Renalia did not trust the word of lizards who would kidnap little girls.


    Her apprehension continued to build as they headed further into the bog. Boogie picked up on her tension, staying on full alert. She was glad she had charted a course toward Donaldson¡¯s fun spot, as they both needed some stress relief.


    As they approached the bouncing bog, Boogie caught a scent of something and growled, body lowering into a stalk position. Renalia gripped her spear tight and activated [Bogling Sight] to examine what he had smelled.


    Between them and their destination lay a smattering of rusted metal. They had corroded enough to obscure their original identity. But she spotted a more or less circular piece that might have served as a shield. Renalia crouched among the sedge, placing a hand on Boogie as she used her ability to scan the horizon.


    The sky appeared spotless and the horizon still. Even the sedges and bushes remained motionless.


    Renalia sniffed the air, but could not detect anything beyond the earthy smell she associated with the bog. Regretting deleting [Bogling Nose], she whispered into Boogie¡¯s ear, ¡°What do you smell? Where is it coming from?¡±


    Boogie declined to respond, not breaking eye contact with the pile of degraded metal that appeared so out of place in the environment.


    For Mama and Lexi, she thought. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. Slow.¡± Boogie crept forward and Renalia followed. She didn¡¯t think the sedges were thick or tall enough to hide their approach, but she maintained the squat anyways, trusting the dog¡¯s instincts.