《Source & Soul: A Deckbuilding LitRPG [Returning in May]》


 1. Hull - An Empty Heart

    The old man was dying, and I wasn¡¯t going to budge until he kicked it. Seeing folks crawl off to hack out their last was common enough here in the Lows, but I¡¯d never spied one that had a pint-sized Earth troll to carry them like this fellow did. It was positioned squarely under one of his armpits, levering him up off the dirty cobbles by main strength and pulling him along far more effectively than the dying fellow¡¯s twitchy hands and feet could. If not for the little troll, the vagrant would be flat on his face in the middle of the street. The sorry old blighter wasn¡¯t long for this world.


    I¡¯d caught sight of him just as the troll had dragged him into the dead-end alley behind Capano¡¯s tavern, and I couldn¡¯t believe my luck. The troll had that extra-present, extra-real look that couldn¡¯t be faked, and the three tiny rock spheres of Earth source circling the old man¡¯s head proved it: this wasn¡¯t a live troll ¨C it was a card. A summoned Soul.


    It was dropping lumps of clay from its legs as it went, but the bloke had to weigh ten stone, maybe twelve, and the little creature was grunting along just fine, even though it couldn¡¯t be more than two feet tall. That much strength at that size, with only three source called forth? It had to be an Uncommon, maybe even a Rare. It was unthinkably lucky I¡¯d been the only one to see the old man. There were plenty of folk in this neighborhood who would have caved in his head in front of Fate, Fortune, and everybody just to get their hands on a card like that. I thanked the Everlasting Twins that most folks from the Lows were over in the Palace District today making a few clips off the festivities leading up to the rich kids¡¯ dueling tournament.


    For now, though, I squatted in the throat of the alley in just the right spot so I could keep an eye on both the street and on my good friend Almost Dead where he¡¯d curled up ¡®round the bend. He was right under the window Capano always used to throw out his scraps. I pulled out the broken table knife I¡¯d stolen from a sleeping beggar on Hook Street along with a small round stone and set to scraping the smooth rock along its edge as if sharpening it. I had no idea if it worked ¨C for all I knew, I was making it duller ¨C but it looked fierce, and I didn¡¯t want anyone strolling past and deciding to take a peek in the alley. I¡¯d stab someone if I had to, but the easiest thing was to scare them off in the first place. I was big enough to be a threat, and the knife was just a little extra encouragement. I didn¡¯t miss the days back when I¡¯d been a little runt. Running away all the time made me angry. Angrier.


    ¡°Come for my card, eh?¡± the old man said, looking at me from where he lay in the mud of the dead end. He¡¯d landed in the gorsefruit Capano had thrown out a few days before, and when he¡¯d rolled over some of the rotten red fruit had smeared on his cheek. It made a vivid blotch against the grayish grime ground into the cracks and creases of the dying fellow¡¯s face. He was an old one, all right. His eyes were still a sharp bright blue, though.


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s bound to,¡± I said. ¡°Might as well be me.¡±


    ¡°Might as well,¡± he said, giving a weak laugh that turned into a barking cough. Bubbled spit frothed on his slack lips, and it was speckled with a red even deeper than the gorsefruit.


    ¡°Is it a Rare?¡± I asked, keeping my eyes on the street. An old woman carrying two full pails of water hanging from either end of a rod across her shoulders was teetering her way towards me, but she looked about ready to keel over herself. She wouldn¡¯t be any trouble.


    ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± the old man wheezed.


    I didn¡¯t bother saying anything. I don¡¯t answer stupid questions.


    ¡°Leveled him myself,¡± he continued, pride audible in his voice despite the rattling I could hear in his lungs. ¡°Took me years to get the shards and the money for a shaman smith. Went all the way to Gurbin Caves for it. The cathedral soulsmiths are idiots. You want a good leveling, you have to go to the Dwarf shamans.¡±


    I felt a thrill of victory and clutched my knife tighter. It was a Rare. Leveling a card from Common to Uncommon would only take a fraction of the time and expense he was describing. Hells, even I had enough Basic shards in my hidden stash that I could trade up for an Uncommon shard or two, and I was a street kid.


    ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± I asked him. I glanced back and saw the little troll summons scaling the red brick wall up to Capano¡¯s window. Its muddy hand flattened and disappeared into the crack between the wood and the brick, and then the latch popped loose, letting the window swing open just a crack. Up and in, and then the troll was out of sight. I was speechless with jealousy. I could steal anything with that. Anything.


    ¡°Not bad, hey?¡± cackled the dying man, pink froth dancing on his lips. More coughing followed, and I inched back toward him. Any time now.


    I waited for his hacking to subside. He was wheezing hard, like he couldn¡¯t get enough air. Someone else might have thought it sad. ¡°Got any others?¡± I asked him.


    The old man shook his head, sorrow filling his eyes. ¡°I fell sick and started losing duels. To the victors go the spoils, hey? I had a house on Bourbon Plaza ten years ago, if you can believe it. Two maids. One of ¡®em was pretty.¡±


    I¡¯d heard it could happen sometimes, crowd favorites losing their ante cards in surprise upsets and eventually ending in the gutters. It made a small part of me happy to see the results in front of me. Everybody should have to scrape to survive, especially the rich ones. ¡°Never been in a duel,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Never lived then,¡± he gasped, wiping a filthy hand across his slack, bloody lips.


    I was tempted to palm his wispy-haired head and bounce it off the bricks. I knew I hadn¡¯t lived, and the dotty old bastard had no right to say it. He had no idea what I¡¯d been through. I breathed deep and let my eyes unfocus. Too much more of that kind of thinking and I¡¯d find a source ball circling my head. There was a time and a place to dance that jig, but this wasn¡¯t it. He¡¯d be dead in minutes and I¡¯d have what I came for. No point in fouling my only shirt more than it already was.


    The troll summons reappeared at the sill, pushed open the window, and dragged its prize through: a dark brown bottle of Capano¡¯s house beer. It was nearly half as tall as the little guy, but he gamely wrapped his muddy arms around the bottle and jumped from the sill to the ground carrying his prize. His knees bent impossibly deep when he landed, and the butt of the bottle thumped gently against the grimy cobbles. With a little squawk of success, the troll lugged the beer over to his master. The old man took it in eager, shaking hands.


    ¡°Do me a favor, boy,¡± he whispered, holding the capped bottle toward me. ¡°Least you can do if you¡¯re taking the card.¡±


    I considered letting him die with his favorite drink in hand, untasted. ¡°I could have killed you before you even saw me.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± he begged.


    I shrugged and nodded. Capano¡¯s beer was good, and dying probably wasn¡¯t easy. I crossed to him, took the bottle, and used the window sill to pop the crimped cap off. I took a deep pull first ¨C it had been a long time since the last time I¡¯d found a half-full bottle of the stuff ¨C and handed it over. He took it gleefully and gulped it down like a baby on the tit. Then he coughed some more. It looked like there was more blood than saliva now.


    ¡°You could win big with my little guy,¡± he croaked. ¡°You have Earth source?¡±


    The top of my head felt as if it were going to pop off, and my hands clenched into fists. It would have been so easy to snatch the bottle out of his hand and beat him with it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I managed to say. ¡°Never got my hands on an Earth card before. But I don¡¯t have an affinity for Order or any of the other three elements, so it¡¯s got to be Earth, right?¡±


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    The old fellow gaped and struggled like a fish, his free hand flopping loosely. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I¡¯m not giving up my last card on a maybe!¡±


    I knelt beside him and pushed him back into the muck. It was easier than bending a river reed. ¡°It¡¯s not like you have a choice. You¡¯ll be swimming with the Sources in a minute.¡±


    He looked around desperately. No one was coming to save him. ¡°Have you created your own Soul card yet? Even a street kid could level up to Common. Have you? That could be Earth!¡±


    ¡°I had a Soul card, and I don¡¯t know what it was,¡± I said flatly. ¡°My mother stole it from me when I was too young to remember.¡±


    That shocked him into stillness. He might be at the tail end of his life, but I knew he¡¯d never heard of a person¡¯s Soul card being stolen. Nobody had. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible. It could be harvested when you died, yes, but before then? Impossible. A person¡¯s Soul was them ¨C their essence, their self. It took most folks work and pain and prayer to refine their own Soul enough to form a card that would endure when they died. Many never bothered. Somehow I¡¯d done all that as a tiny kid ¨C not that I remembered any of it ¨C and then dearest Mommy, a vague shadow in my mind at best, had torn it out of me and danced right out of my life. Someday I was going to find that damned woman and we were going to have a long, unpleasant conversation.


    ¡°Do you not have any source at all?¡± he asked, aghast.


    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± I told him. Holding out my left hand, I pulled source out of the aether, feeling it stream into me like liquid life. It formed into a solid card in my hand and I cast it into the air, where it morphed into a small ball that orbited my head like a tiny moon. It was deep purple, and it pulsed with jagged spikes.


    He struggled uselessly against my hand. ¡°You draw on Nether? What are you, part demon? I can¡¯t let my sweet boy go to a monster!¡±


    ¡°You already have,¡± I said. ¡°And who knows? I might be able to use him. Damned if I know how I ended up with Nether source, but I¡¯m human through and through. I know it¡¯s strange I don¡¯t have Order, but I¡¯ve got to be able to draw on one of the basic elemental sources, don¡¯t I? Earth¡¯s the only one I haven¡¯t tried to unlock yet. We¡¯ll find out soon enough. Or I will, at least.¡±


    He slumped back, defeated. ¡°I was a tri-city finalist. I nearly made the Champion¡¯s Circle. Behar Toulon, the Underdog of Harp¡¯s Bend!¡±


    ¡°Never heard of you,¡± I said. ¡°But I won¡¯t let the card go to waste.¡±


    He gripped my wrist. ¡°Win,¡± he said, his breath thick and rotten. ¡°Win big. Show those bastards what it feels like.¡± He took another drink, slopping half of it down his own front.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll win,¡± I told him, ¡°but you can sod off with your fancy duels and high class rules. I¡¯m going to build up a deck so powerful that I can walk right up to the King and make him think I¡¯m one of his fine nobles. Then I¡¯m gonna put a knife in his eye and watch this whole city eat itself alive.¡±


    The old man expressed neither shock nor approval of my grand plan. He had died in the middle of his beer. The troll summons, which had been rocking back and forth on top of a loose cobblestone, shimmered into nothing. The circling Earth sources splintered to bits and spun out of sight. Beer and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and he stared blindly into the realms of Fate and Fortune.


    I rescued his beer bottle before it fell out of his slackening hand, wiped the rim, and drank the rest. No point in wasting it, and this was a moment to savor. Then, muttering a quick prayer to the Eternal Twins, I took a deep breath and reached behind his right ear. I¡¯d seen it done a dozen times before, but I¡¯d never had a chance to take a dead man¡¯s cards myself ¨C someone else always got there first. My guts shook within me. This is it.


    Behind the flap of his ear I could feel the edge of something smooth and hard. Sure enough, just as it should be, the gaffer¡¯s single collected card pushed out from inside him now that his mind couldn¡¯t make a Home for it. Grasping the corner with my thumb and forefinger, I drew the card out gently, oh so gently, and it lifted free.


    My breath caught, and I cradled the treasure in both hands. It was a thing of beauty. It was the size of a regular numbers card like anyone saw in the taverns, but its outer edge was shining metal, or at least something that looked like it. I¡¯d been told they wouldn¡¯t chip or bend if dropped ¨C not that I was going to risk it. The edges shimmered in purest gold. Rare. I tried to slow my breath. This card would cost a skilled tradesman six months¡¯ wages. I could pick pockets from now until I was fifty and not earn enough to buy it.


    The rest of the card was beautifully colored, with a static picture of the tiny troll I¡¯d seen resting in its home cave, long forearms resting on its knees, its toothy maw quirked in devious humor. He was a thing of beauty. A border of rich brown bracketed the troll above and below, showing it to be an Earth card. Inside that top border was the title of the card and its source cost, and below the portrait was the description of the card itself.


    I ran my hand over its smooth surface. It even felt expensive. It was a great card. I might not be a duelist myself ¨C not yet ¨C but I¡¯d heard enough drunken fools holding forth about tournaments over their cups to know that so long as a person had Earth source, there was hardly a deck out there this card wouldn¡¯t fit into nicely.


    Now, the real test. Holding my breath, I held the card to my skull behind my right ear. Again, I¡¯d seen it done before. It should phase into me, and then I¡¯d be able to call the card forth whenever I wanted from my right hand. Someone could beat me and make me give it up ¨C it wasn¡¯t my own Soul card, which supposedly could only be drawn out when a person died ¨C but other than that, it would be safe.


    All right, so you¡¯re a freak that can¡¯t access Order source; fine. But there¡¯s not a human out there that can¡¯t develop an affinity for one of the four elements. I have to be compatible with Earth. Air didn¡¯t work, neither did Water or Fire, so it has to be this one. This is where it turns around for me. This is the beginning of my deck, and from here¡­I rise.


    Nothing happened. The card sat firmly against my coarse waves of black hair and did not move. Rage building, I swapped it to the left side and tried again. Summons cards were supposed to live in the mind and sources in the soul, but maybe I was a freak in this way, too.


    Nope. The card sat there, inert. My soul had no Earth affinity, and it would not accept the card. The only source I was somehow attuned to was Nether, from the Demon Realm. Nobody had Nether cards, not around here. They weren¡¯t illegal, exactly, but they were about as common as unicorns, and no upstanding kingsman would be caught holding one even if he chanced across it.


    I¡¯d thought I was going to rise? Forget it. I was finished. I¡¯d scrape out a few coins until I got caught stealing and then I¡¯d die kicking on the end of a spear.


    ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± I told the corpse. ¡°You¡¯re useless.¡±


    I pried open his lips anyway to get at his Soul card. That one came out through the mouth. His jaws were already stiffening, and I got his bloody death foam all over my hands. Who cared? I was as good as dead already.


    Four Basic shards sat on his tongue. He didn¡¯t even have a complete Soul card, the bastard. He¡¯d spent all his time leveling his stupid little troll and never bothered to advance himself. No wonder he¡¯d ended up losing his tournaments. Now he was nothing. Had he bothered to work on himself to at least advance himself to Common, he might have had his portrait live on as a 1/1 Soldier or Duelist. Instead, the shards of his being could only be used to improve someone else¡¯s card. I pocketed the shards. I¡¯d add them to my little stash when I got back to my sleeping hole.


    Not that it matters. You can¡¯t use the card. You can¡¯t do anything. When you die, will you even leave shards behind? You¡¯re useless.


    I closed my eyes and shook my head. Whenever I held Nether source too long, the rage that came with it eventually turned to hopeless thinking. I knew I should dismiss the source circling over my head. I¡¯d feel better. I could find that thieves¡¯ fence Tomarken always bragged about knowing and sell the troll card. I¡¯d only get half of what it was worth, but even that was enough to¡­ what? Buy a neutral Relic or two? That wasn¡¯t the start of the great deck I needed to build. I had to find good, high-quality cards that my soul would accept. I¡¯d never even seen a Nether card. There had to be another source I could use. What was it? Depths? Celestial? Death? Twins knew I¡¯d seen enough of that. Maybe I could trade my troll for a good Death card. People looked suspiciously at Death users, or so I heard, but Tomarken¡¯s shady seller might be able to lay his hands on one. It was either that or purchase an apprenticeship and be a barrel-maker for the rest of my life. I¡¯d rather die.


    I held onto my source. I didn¡¯t want to feel better. I wanted to hit something, and my old, diseased, beer-swilling friend couldn¡¯t yelp the way I needed him to. I needed to sink my knuckles into flesh and let the world know I was still here and still not happy about it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± someone at the mouth of the alley barked. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    Shit. I¡¯d forgotten to keep an eye out for passers-by. Did some City Watchman wander into the Lows by accident? Still crouched by the dead man, my back to the person who¡¯d caught me, I furtively stashed the card under the loose cobble the troll had been balancing on. Anger surged again. This was my card. When I stood and turned, two bulky men loomed in the gap. One held a truncheon.


    I held out my left hand for more Nether source, and with my right I shattered the dead man¡¯s bottle, holding the broken neck out like a knife. They¡¯ll do.


    ¡°I killed this man and took his shards,¡± I said. ¡°You gonna do something about it?¡±

 2. Hull - Big Man

    It wasn¡¯t until I had already started sprinting toward them that I caught a good glimpse of their faces, and that was almost enough to stop me in my tracks. The fat fellow on the right was Skop, and the taller, stronger one was actually a massive freak of a woman named Harker. They were two of Ticosi¡¯s meanest enforcers, and I spent a good chunk of each day avoiding them and the others like them. Charging them was insanity.


    But in the grip of the Nether, it felt right. Who were they to keep the whole Lows scared and scrabbling? Sure, they were big, but that just meant they¡¯d hit the ground harder. I was sick of hiding, of giving up the few scraps I found for myself just because Ticosi and his thugs said I had to. I was gonna watch them bleed, and if Big Man Ticosi didn¡¯t like it, I had a fistful of glass for him too. A ragged laugh burst out of me as I dashed toward them. I sounded completely barkers, and I liked it.


    Skop¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°What you on about, squirt?¡± he bayed. ¡°Gonna hurt yourself.¡±


    Harker just settled into her knees, keeping her arms loose and free. ¡°Come get it, little man,¡± she said quietly. Skop made a lot of noise, but she was the one that got things done. I¡¯d have to hit her first. She was ready, though. I saw a white sphere spin into existence over her head and knew I was running out of time. I angled toward her and put on more speed, my last few strides more like leaps than steps.


    I had two Nether overhead already, and I drew on them both as hard as I could, pulling the source directly into myself. Even without any cards to Summon, a person could still put their source to use. Each source had a different effect when channeled through the body instead of being used to summon Soul, Relics, or spells. Water let a fellow heal, Fire let him do extra damage, and Order let him pull his cards more quickly. Nether filled me with a shaking rage and made me incredibly strong. It was the only way I¡¯d survived all these years on my own. Pulling this hard on both the sources I had out was enough to let me break bones if I hit right, even though the sources would be exhausted for a while after. Hit fast, hit hard, and get away. That was life in the Lows, and I was good at it.


    The air beside Harker shimmered and misted, and then the haze contracted into a solid form. A Soldier appeared, standing out from everything around him, colors vibrant and deep like all summoned Souls.


    It flexed its fists dully and stood there like a human wall, ready to do whatever it was commanded but taking no initiative ¨C it must have been a Common. They weren¡¯t very smart. Harker obviously didn¡¯t think I could deal out much hurt up front, because she let the Soul stand idle and stepped forward to take me on herself. If I sidestepped her and attacked the Soldier before she gave it any direction, it¡¯d puff into aether and be gone before it could stick that sword into me. That was the smart move, but summons don¡¯t bleed, and with the Nether thundering in my veins, I only had eyes for Harker with her square jaw, bristling short hair, and that nasty mole under her eyebrow. She looked smug, expectant, and I wanted to see her brutish face go wide in panic and pain.


    Skop, meanwhile, was still trying to wrap his idiot mind around the fact that someone was running toward them instead of away. He was stumbling back, his first Order source flickering into being overhead. I had time before he was a problem.


    I ignored the Soldier summons and dove toward Harker. She grinned her mouthful of decaying teeth and opened her arms wide like she wanted a hug. Through my berserker haze I almost had to respect the crazy bitch. The tip of my broken glass bottle dug into her ribs, and it felt like digging into sandy soil with a spade. The glass tips caught, dragged, broke, and kept scraping.


    Shredded cards sprayed out as my deadly bottle weapon swept past her, confetti swirling in all directions like a rich kid¡¯s birthday celebration. I blinked, shocked at the number of cards I¡¯d just torn out of her. I¡¯d thought she¡¯d have three or four at the most, but that had to be the remains of six cards at least. I hadn¡¯t destroyed them for good ¨C Fate in her wisdom had decreed from the beginning that a person¡¯s cards shielded their soul, absorbing any damage the person took until they were all gone and then reappearing in their Mind Home later. A quick glance back at Harker showed her clutching at her side. I¡¯d torn through her leather vest and dirty shirt, and a bit of blood dribbed from between her fingers¡­but not much. That hit should have taken her down, maybe even killed her, but I¡¯d misjudged how many cards she had to lose, and they¡¯d taken the lion¡¯s share of my blow.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± I had time to say, and then I was eating her big, dirty fist. The last of the Nether I¡¯d consumed guttered out, and I felt every last inch of the pain as my nose broke and I went skidding to the cobbles. Her Soldier Soul got in on the fun, booting me in the ribs.


    ¡°Stupid, kid,¡± Skop said, standing off to one side, his Order source dismissed. ¡°You¡¯re, uh¡­one a them Hook Street kids, right? Hull, ain¡¯t it? I mean, I knew all you little shits was dumb, but that was some hash-smoker kind of stupid. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Less than is gonna be wrong in a second,¡± Harker grunted, grabbing me by the shirt and hauling me up for another blow. ¡°Little bastard cut me. Went right through my cards.¡±


    Skop¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Serious? Damn, squirt. You oughtta be in the fighting pits. Don¡¯t break him too bad just yet.¡±


    I pried hopelessly at her fingers. A beating I could handle, but Skop¡¯s words send a thrill of fear through me. Not the fighting pits. I couldn¡¯t quite reach her hand to bite it.


    ¡°He cut me,¡± Harker repeated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to give him a kiss and a cuddle,¡± Skop said, settling his bulk onto a barrel at the mouth of the alley. ¡°Just make sure he can hit somebody tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said grimly. ¡°Like this.¡± She opened a meaty hand and slapped me, her paw covering my ear and the whole side of my face. It was like a whole building fetched up against my head and pushed on through. I fell back to the cobbles, tasting blood and hearing colors. Maybe I should summon more Nether and hit her again. I might get lucky and make her kill me. It¡¯d be better than going to the pits. It was an even worse idea than attacking her in the first place, but I couldn¡¯t do it one way or the other ¨C I¡¯d lost hold of my two source when I went down, and if I tried to summon more, she¡¯d just break my fingers. There was no chance.


    My ear hurt worse than the rest of me. A shaking hand held to my head came away bloody. She¡¯d done something bad when she hit me like that, but I didn¡¯t know what.


    ¡°Now,¡± Harker said, squatting by me, ¡°how about you tell us why you went and killed someone on my streets, little man?¡±


    ¡°Whose streets?¡± a quiet voice said from behind her.


    My guts froze. I¡¯d thought I was in a bad spot, but it was so much worse than I¡¯d imagined. That was Ticosi¡¯s voice. He was the Big Man of the Lows, and one of my primary goals in life had been to never speak to him face to face. The fighting pits would kill me, sure, but that was the least of my worries at this point. I¡¯d be lucky to be alive in five minutes.


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    ¡°Boss,¡± Harker said respectfully, clambering to her feet. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always around, beautiful,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Even when I¡¯m not.¡± Harker stepped back, bowing her head, and I got my first up-close eyeful of the man who¡¯d once killed an entire tavern full of people because the barkeep laughed at him. He was average sized, spare of frame, and well-washed where everyone else was dirty. He looked young but was totally bald, his skin just dark enough that he could have been from east or west or anywhere in between. He wore a long coat of mismatched leather squares year-round, no matter the weather. People said it was made of human skin, and I believed them. His eyes were a pale brown so leached of color they were almost yellow, and the whites were bloodshot. His gaze fell on me, and I froze. It was like locking eyes with a snake, or maybe a vampire.


    ¡°We got this handled, Mister Ticosi,¡± Skop said, standing at attention. ¡°Got us a scrapper for the fighting pits. Hits lots harder than you might think.¡±


    Ticosi¡¯s eyes turned to Skop, and he said nothing. He just looked at the dumpy enforcer, and finally Skop shuffled his feet and muttered an apology. The Big Man zeroed back in on me.


    ¡°If I want chaos on my streets, I¡¯ll be the one to make it, boy. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I whispered, not meeting his eyes and hating myself for it. I was a hard man, I was, but it¡¯d be easier to stare at the sun than lock gazes with Ticosi.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he commanded in his soft, reasonable voice.


    His word was every bit as compulsive as having the Nether in me. A second ago I couldn¡¯t bring myself to pull my eyes off the cobbles, but when he said it, I had to. My guts were clenching like I¡¯d drunk sewer water, and my breath was fast. I wanted to say something smart, something tough, but my mouth was dry and my throat hot.


    ¡°Hull. I¡¯ve never paid you much heed. You sleep on Hook Street. You have a hidey-hole under one of the cobbles behind the tanner¡¯s shop where you keep whatever you can get your hands on. You bring a shard to one of my men every few weeks to keep them off your back and think you¡¯re pretty smart to hide the rest.¡±


    I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I felt scoured to the bone. How does he know this?


    He knelt next to me, moving fluidly to my side, reinforcing the feeling that he could strike like a snake. I couldn¡¯t help it ¨C I shied away from him.


    ¡°I know everything in the Lows,¡± he told me. ¡°But I don¡¯t know who this man is or why you say you killed him, and I don¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± I said, and then froze, fearing that he hadn¡¯t actually wanted me to speak.


    He gestured impatiently.


    I swallowed hard and tried again. ¡°He said his name was Behar something. Taloo, maybe? Old duelist, fell on hard times and got sick.¡±


    ¡°And you waited for him to die.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. I don¡¯t have any cards.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t.¡± His eyes went right through me, and I wondered how much he knew. Did he know about my mother? Did he know what was wrong with me? ¡°There are worse things than trying to get ahead. But you must know that any cards in the Lows belong to me. What did he have?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and curled my toes inside the rags covering my feet. Steeling my aching face, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the four Basic shards. ¡°He gambled his cards away ages ago and never leveled his own soul. This was it.¡±


    I was careful to only let my eyes touch his for a second and then drift away. If I stared too hard or tried to act too sure of myself, he¡¯d know I was lying. Everyone was scared of Ticosi whether they told the truth or not. I was taking an insane risk, especially with how much he seemed to know, but he¡¯d just admitted he didn¡¯t know everything. He was going to send me to the fighting pits anyway, and handing him the Rare wouldn¡¯t change that.


    A small smile touched the corner of his mouth, and a card appeared in his left hand, which he threw up into the air, where it formed a dripping source ball of blood-red. My muscles locked up, and I couldn¡¯t look away. Fate and Fortune save me, he¡¯s using his Chaos. By royal decree, even having an affinity for Chaos source was a hanging offense, but Ticosi ran the Lows. Nobody down here could touch him, and none of the rich folk up the hill seemed in a hurry to step in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± he said.


    My world exploded into confusion. My vision went jittery and my arms and legs started to quiver and jerk like they had a mind of their own. My back arched, and I bucked wildly on the cobbles. Screaming fear gripped me. I couldn¡¯t control my body at all. I bit down hard one my tongue once, twice, and my breath sounded like a forge bellows. I was making noises, little grunts and cries, and I sounded like a madhouse inmate. My head knocked on the stones, and I saw stars. Everything hurt. Everything moved. I couldn¡¯t think straight. It was like I¡¯d run five miles and fought an army at the end of it. Sweat covered me, and still by body writhed and spasmed. What¡¯s happening to me?


    Then it stopped and I was gasping on the ground, bleeding from half a dozen new little cuts and feeling like I¡¯d just survived bonebreak fever. I was exhausted. I had no idea how long it had gone on, but both Harker and Skop were staring at me in horror.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start that conversation again,¡± Ticosi said, leaning close. His eyes were even more bloodshot than before. Whatever card he¡¯d just used on me, it had done something to him, too. ¡°What cards did you take from the old man?¡±


    Part of me quailed, but another, deeper, angrier part of me crowed. He doesn¡¯t know. ¡°No cards,¡± I gasped. It came out as more of a sob, but that was all to the good. Maybe he¡¯d believe it more.


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a monocle. He held it up in front of me. It had green glass filling the frame. ¡°One last chance,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t change his voice at all, but the menace of what he hadn¡¯t said hung in the air. The monocle was for sure an artifact built by one of the high-priced Artisans of the city. I¡¯d heard the tavern jockeys talk about the Gamemaster Spectacles the referees wore in the high-folk tournaments, and this was a back-alley version of those. They let the wearer see all sorts of things about a person¡¯s cards and magic, like what source a fellow was holding, or how many cards they held inside, or even what the cards were. He was going to peek inside me whether I liked it or not.


    I held out my empty hands in a helpless gesture. I¡¯d dropped the Basic shards on the ground. If he wanted them, he could scrabble for them himself. He could peer into my soul with his monocle all day long and see precisely shit. Unless this one showed cards that weren¡¯t in your Mind Home but were hidden nearby. Then he¡¯d probably just kill me.


    He put the circle of brass and green glass to his right eye and looked at me hard, scanning my head and chest. Then he let it drop and looked nowhere in particular for a long moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Capano is going to complain about the mess in the alley, and my sweet girl Harker is going to need bandages. You, Hull, are worth exactly two shits. No one likes you and no one will miss you.¡±


    Some part of me felt I should be offended by that, but after everything else, I couldn¡¯t muster much outrage at a little bald truth-telling.


    He skewered me with another bloodshot look. ¡°So I can either let Harker turn you into stew meat and never think about you again¡­ or you can go with Skop to your hidey-hole, give him every last shard and coin you¡¯ve hidden, and then follow him to the arena on Broad Avenue to join our fighters there.¡±


    It was about what I expected. Ticosi didn¡¯t end up as Big Man of the Lows by being easy on little rats like me.


    ¡°So tell me, Hull,¡± he said, seeming mildly curious at best, ¡°are you someone that chooses a hard death or a harder life? Either suits my purposes.¡±


    It took more thought than I¡¯d like to admit, but I turned to Skop and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my spot.¡±


    My life had always been hard. So long as I wasn¡¯t dead, there was still a chance to turn things around. The golden troll card was sitting snug under its cobble no more than ten feet away, undetected. Nobody expected a thief to hide a card anywhere but inside his own Mind Home. Once Ticosi let me up, all I had to do was get away from Skop to come back and fetch it. I couldn¡¯t use Earth cards, but maybe I could trade it and find something to protect myself with.


    I didn¡¯t know how I was going to manage yet, but by the Eternal Twins, I would find a way. I was not going to the fighting pits.

 3. Basil - Fighting the Future

    ¡°If you can¡¯t beat me, you have no hope in the Rising Stars Tournament, Basil. It¡¯s a fact, my boy, simple as sunshine.¡±


    I had expected Tipfin to say as much in our final day of practice duels, but still, the words stung. If the old duelist had thought me capable, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to bruise the air with his doubt, would he?


    ¡°Especially considering I don¡¯t have all the cards I should,¡± Tipfin groused, pulling at his narrow salt and pepper beard.


    ¡°It¡¯s still a good deck,¡± I countered, opening and closing my hands in preparation for the cards I would soon be summoning from my Mind Home. Scary, I had almost said, but I didn¡¯t want to give Tipfin additional ammunition. The brackets had been finalized earlier in the week for all of the noble participants, and they placed me up against Losum Drakk, who used an Archer-centric deck, capable of dealing damage to whoever it wished, the opposing duelist included. ¡°He¡¯ll decimate flying decks, and be able to race fast decks for the kill.¡±


    ¡°Pfff,¡± Tipfin said dismissively. He stood precisely twenty-four feet away from me in the round training hall, perfectly shaped brown bricks making up the floor and walls, infusing the room with Order. ¡°Orelus is what pulls it together. Without that Mythic it has no oomph. And that fool boy should be using some Air Source to refresh his Archers. I don¡¯t know what their resident trainer is doing, letting him go without.¡±


    I agreed with Tipfin about the Air Source, but I knew Losum never would. ¡°He¡¯s terrified of heights.¡±


    My trainer raised a bushy eyebrow at me. ¡°Are you telling me that family can¡¯t afford an Air fabricator? Preposterous.¡±


    I shrugged. The Drakks were some of the wealthiest people in the city, but money didn¡¯t solve everything. ¡°They probably bought one for him, but when I say he loathes heights, he truly does.¡± Years ago our families had gone on an excursion together to Pirtash Peak, the small mountain in the eastern portion of the city where summoners cultivated Air. Nine-year-old Losum had wet himself halfway up and refused to go any farther. A fabricator would give him a few Source without the usual work involved, but he¡¯d still feel their essence when summoned, and if today¡¯s Losum was anything like back then, he¡¯d probably sick up from the sense of soaring freedom using Air made me experience.


    ¡°Regardless,¡± Tipfin said, ¡°let¡¯s get this farce over with. If you can¡¯t beat me without this deck¡¯s key component or how it should be played, I don¡¯t know why I bothered to train you for the last five years. I might as well have retired after finishing with your brothers.¡±


    I swallowed hard. I had hoped that this match would give me a boost of confidence before starting the tournament tomorrow. I had participated in countless duels in my time working with Tipfin, and a few tourneys hosted by schools around the city, but the Rising Stars Tournament was a much more serious affair. Not only was it open to anyone who had enough cards and courage, which often drew in duelists from outside the city, but the Sun King always sent the top five placers to officer training in the army.


    The Orc hordes would come massing next season ¨C so consistently you¡¯d think they cultivated Order ¨C and I wanted to finally be able to stand with my two brothers and the King against them. What¡¯s more, my fiancee Esmi was a much better match than I ever could have hoped for, and I needed to prove to everyone, myself included, that I was worthy of her.


    ¡°Well?¡± Tipfin asked. His temper had grown much shorter this last year, I thought. He had his hands raised, ready to summon his own cards.


    I nodded, and since we had no announcer for our duel, Tipfin barked, ¡°Begin!¡±


    Wasting no time, from my left hand I pulled two Source cards. Unlike Losum, I had spent hours and hours atop Pirtash, surveying the land below and sky above while the high winds stripped me of my worry. From that time, I could summon three Air Source, and one of them sat in my hand now, a card with glass edges and a swirl of roiling clouds in its center. The other Source was Order, the card depicting a bright sun, bathing perfectly lined fields of golden grain.


    I didn¡¯t even need to look at the Summon cards in my right hand to know my play, flicking the Air Source up, where it dissipated, reforming into a tiny stormcloud, lit from within by self-contained lighting. It drifted upward to swirl above my head. Looking over at Tipfin, he had also called a Source forth, but it was moving slower, the Order taking the form of a porcelain ball that gradually floated up. That was a major advantage of Air: it was quicker than any of the other three Elemental Sources, as well as all four of Existence, of which Order was part. It was true that Planar could beat me out for speed, but I didn¡¯t expect to face any demons, fae, or other such far flung peoples in the city¡¯s Rising Stars Tournament.


    No Summons in my deck could be paid for with a single Source of Air, so while I waited the few seconds it would take for my mind to recover enough to draw more out of it, I looked over my right hand to think through future turns. All my cards were silver-bordered Uncommons, as were most of the Summons I possessed. My family was noble, but my brothers had gotten the lion¡¯s share of the good cards from our personal library, so that when it came my turn, only the less desirables had remained tucked into the pages of our generational tome. I had done my best to refine the collection over the years, and despite Tipfin¡¯s frequent criticism, I was quite proud of the deck I had crafted that now sat within my Mind Home. I knew the look of each and every card in it better than almost anything else in my life, so it took me less than a second to recognize the two Souls and a Spell I held: an Assassin, a Headsman, and Penitence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you exchanging anything!¡± Tipfin snapped, unable to drop his role of teacher even when he was supposed to be my opponent.


    Within the first few moments of generating your opening hand, any duelist could call on the pity of Fortune to let them swap some of their Summon cards for other random ones in their deck. Tipfin was a great believer in making the most out of Fortune¡¯s kindness, and I had been part of enough matches to know that a bad opening could spell disaster for even the most skilled duelist.


    However, since my deck was cobbled from the family¡¯s remainders and discards, I only had two copies of many of my Summons ¨C sometimes just one. So if I was fortunate enough to get a decent combination, I¡¯d much rather keep them and find a way to make the cards I had work rather than risk getting something even worse. I had tried to explain my thought process to Tipfin on more than one occasion, but after so many years tutoring my older brothers, who had three copies of everything, the stodgy duelist just couldn''t seem to grasp the subtle change in strategy my deck required to be effective.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s luck,¡± I said to him over my cards to explain why I wasn¡¯t changing any of them, and he gave me a skeptical look back.


    As if to accentuate the point, three of the cards in his own hand vanished, instantly replaced with new ones. He let out a sharp bark of a laugh and then tossed one into the air.


    I had studied the deck list for my opponent as soon as Tipfin revealed his findings to me, honestly obsessing over it the last few nights. None of his Spells would make sense to cast yet, and the only Soul he ran that could be paid for so cheaply was the very backbone of his forces.


    Sure enough, when the floating card snapped out of existence in a flash of light, standing in front of Tipfin was the Soul of an Archer.


    He looked to only be a few years older than me, face framed by a baggy hood and a bow over his shoulder he quickly unslung. Like with all summoned Souls, his skin and clothing had vibrancy to their color and texture, as if he was somehow more present in the here and now than either Tipfin or me ¨C a trait I always found odd, yet equally entrancing, considering it was he who was long dead and we were still alive.


    Also, since Tipfin had let me look at the card before our duel, I knew its stats and abilities without the need of gamemaster glasses, which most duelists wore to see the details of unknown cards they faced.


    ¡°Shoot him,¡± Tipfin told the Archer.


    This card was only a Common, so it reacted silently to the command, pulling an arrow from the quiver strapped to its back and knocking it in a practiced motion. Its dull eyes found me ¨C the one part of it that didn¡¯t shine brighter than us ¨C and then released.


    The arrow crossed the intervening space to me in half a second. Even though it was just a Common, only the most skilled and talented of people left cards behind when they died, so it was no surprise that the arrow he fired flew straight at my face, targeting the space between my eyes. It was too quick to have any hope of dodging, and I had no defensive Spells to cast in reaction, so all I could do was watch it streak toward me. Before it connected with the bridge of my nose, the metal head froze a bare inch from my skin, everything around me slowing down.


    This was Fate¡¯s Grace, a moment I had heard more than one priest describe as a ¡°glimpse of the divine¡± or ¡°the closest one can get to communing with the Twins.¡± In my training with Tipfin, he had been much more practical about it, calling the brief freeze in time one of the many critical points that separated master duelists from those who played at the role but would never fully grasp it. During Fate¡¯s Grace, I had the opportunity to decide if I would block the incoming damage with a card in hand, thus losing a known resource, or let the attack strip a random card from my Mind Deck, leaving my hand intact but potentially depriving me of an even better card in the future. A few wrong choices could leave a duelist so far behind he never recovered, which was of course why Tipfin was forcing me to make such a decision so early.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I knew that an Archer¡¯s shot would do a single point of damage to me, which, without my Scalemail Relic, was annoying for my deck to deal with ¨C yet another fact that Tipfin knew all too well. This was because my deck featured many cards with decently high Source cost, which meant I could block mid-sized attacks effectively but also that I would be overpaying to stop a single point of damage. Out of my current hand, all three of my Summon cards could stop 2 points of damage, so to use them now to stop only 1 felt like a waste.


    The arrow was slowly nearing me, so I needed to make a decision quickly. Yes, it was frustrating, but this was exactly why we were doing this practice match, so I could test counterplays before the real thing.


    I nearly chose to block the arrow with the single Source in my hand, which was capable of stopping 1 damage ¨C an even trade ¨C but in the end I let go of my Penitent Spell. The silver-bordered card drifted out of my hand and then suddenly zipped between me and the arrow. Time resumed, and the metal head slammed into the floating card, both vanishing in a small spray of sparkling light that briefly obscured my vision.


    I had chosen the Spell because, though it interacted well with my Headsman, I didn¡¯t need it to take out Tipfin¡¯s Archer. Also, I only had one copy of each of the three Rare cards owned, all still in my Mind Home, and I wasn¡¯t about to risk losing any of them by letting the arrow do a random point of damage to my deck.


    The interaction had been just long enough for the tightness in my mind to lessen, indicating I could pull from it again, so I did with a mental tug, two new cards appearing between my fingers next to the others I still held. This time, instead of drawing one Source card and one Summon, I pulled both from my Summons. I was rewarded with Carrion Condor, which I was quite glad to see, as well as the gold-bordered Master Assassin ¨C one of the Rares I had just been protecting ¨C which I would have preferred getting much later.


    I tossed my Order Source into the air almost absently, looking at my four remaining cards. Master Assassin was one of my favorite and best Souls, but its utility came near the end of a duel. It was true that having it now meant I didn¡¯t need to worry about coming up short in the late game, but I hoped it wouldn¡¯t clog my hand in the interim. After all, if I turned into a pincushion in the next few rounds, it wouldn¡¯t matter what I might have done if the duel had lasted longer.


    When my ball of porcelain Order joined the one of Air that swirled above me, I drew on them both to power my first Summon of the match. The Source entered my body through my head, tingling my hair, before shooting down the back of my neck, out around both arms and then through my fingers, straight into my card of choice. Since I had used two different Sources, I felt two different sensations: Air, as always, making me feel light on my toes, almost like I was on the edge of falling even though I stood straight, or about to shoot into the sky, electric energy dancing over my skin. Order, on the other hand, came with a profound sense of balance and dignity, as well as a nagging need to straighten my tunic, which was hanging more off of one shoulder than the other. These were passing sensations, there and gone in a flash, and something I had learned years earlier to not linger on.


    Instead, I watched my chosen card break into glittering motes before reforming in a flash before me. A helmeted Headsman stood with his back to me, a large ax connected to a long pole already in his hands.


    ¡°Remove the Archer,¡± I told him, and he lumbered forward dutifully. The Archer for his part was still recovering from the shot. Common card as he was, firing the shot had completely depleted him for the following turn, a state Summoners called ¡°devoted,¡± and he stood slumped, as if half asleep. He did stir slightly when the Headsman lifted the ax over his head, but not enough to move away or defend himself, so my card had no trouble splitting him down the middle with his weapon. The Archer Soul didn¡¯t cry out, instead breaking into shards of light that spun through the air before fading away.


    The kill had been guaranteed, not only because my Headsman had 3 attack compared to the Archer¡¯s measly health of 1, but because the Headsman¡¯s special ability was that he could automatically destroy any devoted Soul card, regardless of its health. It was a good ability to be sure, and one that let me compete with decks that had cards that were much better than mine, but I paid for it in the card¡¯s high casting cost.


    I glanced up, seeing that the two Sources above me had both become dull. Like Summoned Souls, Sources could be devoted to gain extra power from them, each yielding 2 Source of their given type instead of the usual 1 gained from merely focusing them. That¡¯s exactly what I had done in order to afford the three Sources my Headsman required. Also, attacking with a Soul the moment after they were summoned devoted them, so now it was my card who stood slumped in the middle of the training round, giving me no choice but to let it spend my next turn in recovery.


    Meanwhile, Tipfin had been busy, drawing two cards of his own ¨C Source or Summon I couldn¡¯t tell since all cards had the same smoky glass background. He¡¯d also summoned a second Source during this time, another porcelain ball of Order that glistened much brighter than his first. Like me, Tipfin had been forced to devote his first Source to summon the 2 cost Archer so early, which meant he couldn¡¯t use it again yet. That left him with only his new Source to call cards forth with, and a max spend of 2 if he wanted to devote it like he had his first.


    That was why I had risked attacking with my Headsman as I had. He was certainly vulnerable now, unable to defend himself if he was attacked, but the only things that could do enough damage to kill my Headsman in Tipfin¡¯s deck were his Master Archer and High Paladin, neither of which he could summon even if he devoted his remaining Source for 2. For now, I was safe.


    Or so I thought.


    Tipfin released a card from his hand into the air, and another Archer Soul took form. This one was a shorter woman with wide shoulders, but despite the difference in appearance, I knew she¡¯d have the same traits as the other; it was only as Souls leveled to Uncommon or higher that divergences occurred, and there had been bronze in the flash of light that accompanied her summoning, marking her as Common.


    Her attack would be 0, and even if she devoted to shoot an arrow it would only do 1 damage, not enough to kill my Headsman with his health of 2.


    Without hesitation, Tipfin said, ¡°Fire at that boy, the duelist,¡± and the newly created Soul did just that, another arrow streaking toward me, just as fast as the first had flown.


    Fate¡¯s Grace slowed time again, giving me an opportunity to look at my three remaining cards in frustration. All of them could block the arrow of course, but I wasn¡¯t about to spend my Master Assassin on 1 point of damage. I couldn¡¯t use my Carrion Condor either, as that was the play I planned to make next; my deck with its Headsman and Assassins was good at killing things, which, when my Condor was on the field, strengthened the great bird, letting me then do a large, often undefendable, attack to the opposing duelist. The regular Assassin was the only one I could afford to lose, but I didn¡¯t want to part with it either. My own cards dying would also power the Condor, but only if they were on the field.


    With a prayer on my lips, I didn¡¯t choose anything, letting the arrow strike me when time resumed. The metal head easily cut through the light sparring shirt I was wearing but then ricocheted off my skin, a spray of colored shards bursting from where it had connected instead of blood. In those fragments, I saw the pieces of another Condor, and my heart started beating again. I could afford to lose one of those. If the card had been my Equality Spell though, I would have almost no way to come back if I started to lose.


    I pulled two more cards into my hand, barely noticing the arrow clattering to the brick to my right ¨C the summoned object wouldn¡¯t dissipate until the card that brought it into being did. One was a Source, since I couldn''t afford to fall behind in my power to fuel cards, and the other ended up being a Spell, Execution.


    Seeing it, I lamented no longer having my Penitent Spell, as the combination would let me kill even the Mythic card Orelus that Tipfin wished he possessed. However, I actually had two more Penitents in my deck, so I could still draw into the pairing later in the match.


    I played my new Source while my other two were still recovering, sagging in the air without much luster. My Headsman was looking much more alert but I knew it would still be another few seconds before he could act, so I waited like I had known I would need to.


    Tipfin did the same, his new Archer unable to be used again immediately, and the old trainer didn¡¯t seem willing to expend his third Source as quickly as he had the last two.


    Moments like this were when duelists often bantered with each other, and I knew the same would be expected of me on the morrow, so I decided to give it a go.


    ¡°You¡¯re throwing your Archers away,¡± I said, as boldly as I dared. ¡°Using a Shieldbearer first would have given them some protection.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fodder,¡± Tipfin snapped back, paying more attention to his cards than to me. ¡°And much more expendable than this motley assortment you continue to use. I already have the Source and deck advantage.¡±


    That stilled my tongue from making a rebuttal. I knew what he said was true: he¡¯d landed two attacks on me, losing me two cards, while I¡¯d only managed to remove one of his; not to mention he had done so for less Source since he had cast his first Soul before me, giving the Source he had used more time to recover.


    I willed two new cards into my hand, immediately tossing the Order Source card into the air as soon as I saw it. Tipfin might be right, but it was also true that I had a better card on the field who would soon recover, and I had enough Source to summon my Carrion Condor, which Tipfin¡¯s deck couldn¡¯t easily remove.


    I¡¯d get to start playing my game now.


    I was about to release the Condor from my fingers when the door to the training room burst open, banging loudly on the brick wall. I jumped near a foot, and Tipfin shouted at the newcomer, ¡°Randel! What in the Twelve are you on about?¡±


    One of my older brothers stood in the opening, his arms wrapped around a large stone gargoyle of all things. No regular person could have carried a piece of marble that size, but both of my brothers had already advanced their own Souls to Rare, flecks of Gold appearing in their eyes, and in Randel¡¯s case, gaining the strength of three men. He had one foot raised, which he had obviously used to kick the door open.


    ¡°Ah, Master Tip,¡± he said, catching sight of the old trainer, ¡°still managing to stay upright despite the gout. Fortune truly does favor the old.¡±


    Tipfin¡¯s jaw worked in reply but no words came out, which gave my brother an opportunity he didn¡¯t hesitate to take.


    ¡°Esmi¡¯s come to call on you,¡± he said to me. ¡°Looked like she even brought you a gift.¡±


    ¡°Esmi?¡± I said, my voice going much higher than expected. I had always met my fiancee to be at preplanned events, never something impromptu like this. And she had brought me a gift? I couldn¡¯t even imagine what it would be, as we hadn¡¯t exchanged anything of the sort yet.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± my brother confirmed, ¡°and I would be a poor host if I left her alone much longer with Gale.¡±


    ¡°Gale?¡± I said, my practice duel with Tipfin all but forgotten. ¡°Gale is with her?¡± Gale was the older of my twin brothers, and a notorious womanizer. He also delighted in telling anyone I tried to associate with the most embarrassing stories about me possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said, isn¡¯t it?¡± Randel said, turning down the hall while continuing to talk, his voice carrying back through the door. ¡°He was reminiscing about that time you fell down Mount Pirtash when I left. But that was nearly a half hour ago now.¡±


    I dropped my hand of cards, and without me willing any Source into their summoning, they all burst into starry fragments that I ran straight through. Tipfin called something after me, but I didn¡¯t hear it in my mad dash to get out of the room and reach Esmi before Gale could do more damage than I could repair.

 4. Basil - To Be Entertained

    True to form Randel decided to race me, and it was a boon from Fortune that he chose to; I wished to reach Esmi with all possible haste and I didn¡¯t have a clue which drawing room or courtyard my other brother Gale had chosen to receive her in. It turned out to be the Blue Flower Room in the Southern Wing, which meant I arrived covered in a coat of sweat that looked particularly terrible when paired with the sparring whites I was wearing. Of course, the stories Gale would be telling Esmi about me were surely much worse, so I didn¡¯t hesitate to follow Randel ¨C who had managed to beat me despite his oversized load ¨C through the two cherrywood doors.


    The room within was round, with sections of the walls bumped out to represent the petals of a flower. A pastel blue oval rug covered the floor, a few gold leafed chairs and a swoosh-backed settee positioned upon it. The rear of the chamber had glass doors, which led out to the largest garden on our grounds, but my attention snapped straight to Gale. He was with Esmi on the settee, leaning in with a smile on his lips, saying something too low for me to hear.


    ¡°Look what I found on the way!¡± Randel declared


    Bless you, I mouthed, this time to Fate for giving my middle brother such a boisterous way about him, interrupting whatever it was Gale was saying.


    Gale turned to face us and so did Esmi, smiling pleasantly at our arrival, which picked up the pace of my already quickened heartbeat. She was much too good for me: beautiful, from a better house, and her inner soul already a Rare. I would have begun tallying my many inadequacies in comparison as I usually did when thinking of her, but I was caught off guard by a number of wide-nosed faces poking out from various locations around the room. Some were beside vases or candle stands, others leaning out from where the wall curved, and one popped its head up over the back of the settee, right beside Esmi. They were all kobolds, the two- to three-foot-tall creatures unmistakable with their pointed ears, blunted noses, and sharp teeth. They were also all cards, their tan or ruddy brown skin, sometimes scaled, just as vibrant as any Soul I possessed.


    Since I had not previously seen the kobolds as cards, my Soul ability did not activate, and the mystery of the details hidden from me itched at my curiosity. I would have loved to ask Esmi to view them in their natural state but such a request would be much too forward at this stage of our relationship.


    After spotting me and apparently deciding I was of little consequence, the kobolds became much more relaxed, some drinking tea in small, clawed hands, others gabbing to one another in low squeaks and growls. Watching them behave so, they didn¡¯t seem like the threatening volcano dwellers I had always heard them to be.


    ¡°You went all the way to your room?¡± Gale asked Randel, throwing an arm over the back of the settee ¨C an arm I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d try to put around my fiancee.


    ¡°His room?¡± Esmi asked, her attention shifting to my twin brothers as Randel placed the large gargoyle he was carrying onto the edge of the rug. ¡°That looks like a piece that would be out in a garden or guarding your rooftops.¡±


    ¡°I dabble in sculpture,¡± Randel said with only the barest coat of humility. He lay his hand on the misshapen work of stone possessively, but also angled his body in such a way that Esmi and Gale could appreciate his creation unobstructed.


    I was a few steps behind, trying to surreptitiously make sure that my arms stayed close to my sides to not show the pit stains I had right now. At the same time, my thoughts lingered on the rug that the ridiculously-sized sculpture was crushing ¨C our mother who cultivated only Order would have a fit when she saw it if the servants didn¡¯t find a way to re-fluff it first.


    ¡°And you felt the need to show us this now?¡± Gale said to Randel, sounding more amused than annoyed.


    ¡°Her kobolds are so wonderfully grotesque. I had to capture some of that in this piece.¡±


    ¡°Gwerp?¡± the small one on the settee said, cocking its head at my middle brother like a lizard.


    Esmi touched the creature reassuringly, no longer looking pleasant but instead quite serious. ¡°My kobolds, just like all kobolds, are adorable, good sir. And if you don¡¯t take back that slanderous comment, I will no longer think you a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Never was one to start,¡± Randel said, winking at her while backing out of the room. ¡°I need to get my tools. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± He was out the doors in no time, leaving the three of us and a half dozen kobolds in a rather awkward silence.


    ¡°One man¡¯s grotesquerie is another¡¯s inspiration,¡± Gale commented, to which he earned a sharp look from Esmi.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not how the saying goes,¡± I said, happy for any chance to needle my oldest brother no matter how miniscule the cut may be.


    ¡°No reason to be so tart,¡± Gale said with a laugh. He stood, bowing to Esmi and kissing her hand. ¡°My lady.¡± He then gave me a smile that was pure manufactured innocence. ¡°We spoke of you the entire time.¡±


    He was out the door nearly as swiftly as Randel had been, and I suddenly realized that I was now alone for the first time with my fiancee ¨C or as alone as one could be when also hosting a gaggle of kobolds. Were they perhaps her idea of a chaperone?


    I waited to see if Esmi would speak first, hoping I would appear gentlemanly by doing so, and after a short pause, she accepted my silent offer.


    ¡°Your brothers¡­¡±


    I immediately disliked where this was going. Are so handsome, I was sure she was going to say, like so many people often did, what with their well defined jaws, coiffed hair, and Rare souls.


    ¡°...are not nearly as nice as they first seem to be.¡±


    I coughed out a laugh, and then looking at her sweet face in combination with the memory of what she had just said, another, less constrained one burst out of my body, feeling simply marvelous as it did.


    She smiled at my reaction and the kobolds hissed some laughs as well, looking pleased to see her ¨C and maybe even me ¨C happy.


    With effort, I composed myself. While getting to snigger at my brothers was a wonderful treat, it wouldn¡¯t do to keep going on like that, not when I had something important to ask her. ¡°Would the lady care to join me on a walk through the garden?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, considering me in a way I found incredibly alluring. ¡°But your other brother told us to wait.¡±


    I purposely stepped past the gargoyle so I was closer to her than Randel¡¯s ridiculous art project. ¡°He¡¯ll just have to find his inspiration elsewhere, mayhaps by looking in a mirror."


    She giggled, telling me I had said just the right thing, which sent a trill up my spine. ¡°Seeing the garden sounds delightful.¡±


    We exited through the back door, the kobolds joining us, continuing to gabble in their unfamiliar language. I knew a bit of kestrel, as those were much more common here in Treledyne, many roosting in the floating Grand Library chained to the Palace. But of kobold I knew next to nothing. They could be solving mathematical equations or insulting me, and I would be none the wiser. The truly impressive bit though was that any of them could speak at all, as that meant they were Rare Soul cards or even higher.


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    ¡°You didn¡¯t have them summoned last time I saw you,¡± I said, unsure where else to start our conversation. ¡°Your kobolds, I mean.¡±


    She looked at me instead of the blue, purple, and cream flowers spread out before us, their colors tinged with red due to the setting sun. ¡°We were at one of the finest restaurants in the city last time,¡± she said. ¡°It hardly would have been appropriate. Even now, I know it¡¯s rather silly to have them out like this, but I prefer it this way whenever I go traveling,¡± she confessed.


    I had a flash of us old and married together, the kobold Souls having not aged a day and still keeping us company. It was an unexpected yet strangely pleasant daydream.


    I motioned for her to travel on the left path, and she and her entourage dutifully did so. I explained that my mother¡¯s personal Soul card gave her a way with plants, which is why we had many that weren¡¯t quite in season. I wasn¡¯t aware of what types of flowers should or shouldn¡¯t be available right now, but Esmi nodded appreciatively as if she could see what I described within the menagerie of various types, some potted, others hanging, all in very neat and orderly sections.


    While I made little comments like this, my attention often dropped to the package that she carried. It was wrapped in red paper and so certainly could be a gift, like Randel had told me. If that was its nature in truth, I was falling short on guesses as to what it might be. The wrapping couldn¡¯t disguise that it was a rectangular box, which could be filled with many different things, but out of all the myriad possibilities, what would someone like Esmi actually get me? We didn¡¯t know each other very well, and she wasn¡¯t holding it tight to her chest like it was of great value. In fact, she carried it almost like she had forgotten it was there.


    We passed a collection of chrysanthemums, one of the few flowers I could recognize and remember the name of, and I decided it was time to broach the topic.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me yet why you chose to visit me today. I¡¯m grateful to see you of course, but also curious.¡±


    Esmi stopped in her tracks and spun to face me so fast I abandoned my plan to subtly point at the package she carried. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, and I should, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± She looked so torn, the golden flecks of her Rare soul sparkling in her eyes. ¡°And I would, or would have already, but you see¡­it¡¯s rather awful, unfortunately.¡± She sounded profoundly apologetic, which only made me more confused. If something bad had happened to her family, surely news of it would have traveled faster than she could have, and Esmi herself looked unharmed.


    ¡°Are you or one of your parents unwell?¡±


    ¡°Master Basil,¡± I heard someone call, the words stiff with formality. I turned to see one of our butlers, Ossun, standing in a different entryway from our home into the garden.


    ¡°Your Headsman is wandering the halls.¡±


    I cringed. A Common card would have dissipated as soon as I was more than fifty feet away from it, returning to my Mind Home, just as I imagined some of Esmi¡¯s kobolds would do if she left them behind. An Uncommon, however, possessed a modicum of autonomy, which was how my father and those under him were able to guard the city with a force of summoned Souls. However, neither he nor my mother would be pleased to happen upon a Soul like the Headsman in their home. Not again, at any rate.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it soon, Ossun, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Headsman?¡± Esmi asked me when I turned back to her.


    We hadn¡¯t gone so far to share details about the decks we preferred to use or would use in the tournament tomorrow, though after seeing her today, it was obvious to me that she possessed a number of kobolds.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that right now,¡± I assured her. ¡°What you were saying sounded much more important.¡±


    ¡°Very well, but only because my news probably is worse. I¡¯ll just say it then: my parents are reconsidering our engagement.¡±


    I felt like I was experiencing Fate¡¯s Grace, time suddenly freezing around me, but seeing Esmi¡¯s eyes shift slightly as she watched me closely for a reaction told me that it wasn¡¯t the same.


    ¡°They¡­are?¡± was what I managed to get out. Was she here to end it in person?


    ¡°It¡¯s this bothersome boy,¡± she explained. ¡°He was sweet when we were in school together oversea in Charbond, but somewhere along the way he got it into his head that we should be married. Apparently he and his family have been making overtures to my parents for months now and they just told me today.¡±


    It turned out that getting more details about the situation did not improve it. In fact, it just made me feel more uncomfortable, but I felt obligated to say something in return. ¡°And is he a¡­suitable match?¡±


    She nodded reluctantly. ¡°His family is noble and one of the wealthiest in Charbond, yes. And he is quite the duelist, with a number of tournament wins to his name.¡±


    I swallowed, knowing what was coming next if her parents were considering marrying their only daughter to him.


    ¡°And his soul is Rare.¡±


    I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I was behind, simple as that, but I had a plan: placing in the top of the Rising Stars tournament would surely give my soul the added boost it needed. However, when I told this to Esmi she didn¡¯t seem particularly convinced.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the thing,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s entering the tournament, too.¡±


    Instead of panicking, I immediately started information gathering. ¡°What sort of deck does he use?¡±


    Esmi, blessedly, obliged. ¡°Order and Fire,¡± she said, ¡°but more on the Fire side.¡±


    ¡°Soul heavy?¡± I asked, half dreading the answer. My deck was designed to eliminate big threats, but besides my Equality Spell, I didn¡¯t have much of a way to level the playing field if my opponent swarmed me with multiple, low quality Souls.


    She shook her head, and I was halfway through breathing a sigh of relief when she said, ¡°The opposite, actually. He runs all Spells, not a single Soul.¡±


    My stomach dropped into my feet. ¡°Lots of removal?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°And board clears.¡±


    My deck was designed to go toe-to-toe with other Souls, building up my Condor for a final big swing. However, if my opponent didn¡¯t give my Souls anything to fight, most of their abilities wouldn¡¯t be useful, and their stats were comparatively lackluster. Worse, if this duelist could target my main threats and deny me the use of my own Equality because they never had any Souls out, it could be an unwinnable match for me¡­


    I gave her my best smile, even though I knew it would be as weak as watered down tea. ¡°I appreciate you telling me, but there will be many skilled duelists participating. I may not even face him, particularly if we start on opposite sides¡­ ¡± I trailed off because Esmi was already shaking her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to pay to be in your quarter and one of your first matches, to prove to my parents that he can thrash you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, trying my best to not look already beaten but obviously doing a terrible job of it because she felt the need to give me a sympathetic pout.


    ¡°I told you it was dismally bad, but that¡¯s why I brought you this,¡± she said, shoving the package she held into my arms. Seeing the exchange happen, some of the kobolds hissed happily.


    Mechanically, I opened the gift, a small part of me daring to hope that it was a powerful card, or maybe even cards ¨C her lamplighter family was richer than mine, after all. The paper wrapping did cover a metal box, and opening the hinged lid, I discovered a silver blue armband studded with a line of sapphires resting inside on a bed of silk.


    ¡°It¡¯s a two-Source fabricator for Water,¡± she said, clapping her hands in excitement, which a few of the kobolds mimicked. ¡°Water Source has some useful counters to Fire, and I checked with our record keeper. They assured me that your family is known to have a collection of Water cards.¡±


    ¡°We do¡­¡± I said, unsure how else to respond. I hadn¡¯t looked at that particular family grimoire since I had been quite little. At the time I had been interested in the Ice Relics and the Water Elementals, but when I had learned that the way Water Source was cultivated in Teledyne was by meditating under a waterfall that ran off of Pirtash Peak, I promptly never looked through those cards again. This was because the stream from Pirtash that fed into the waterfall was one where people bathed, and did other unsanitary things too I was sure. While my Order sensibilities weren¡¯t as pronounced as some other members of my family, there were some things I simply could not tolerate.


    ¡°But if you beat him,¡± Esmi said, sounding hopeful of all things, ¡°you¡¯ll prove to my parents that their first decision was the right one.¡±


    ¡°You want me to play tomorrow with an untested deck,¡± I said, barely comprehending the words even though I was the one saying them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can figure out something effective. Your parents told mine that you love putting together unique combinations of cards. The more obscure and obtuse the better, they said. That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    My deck was different than the norm of most Order decks, but I had spent years building it that way. I wasn¡¯t the type of person to randomly pair things or use a tournament ¨C especially one as important as this one ¨C to try anything other than what I¡¯d previously practiced. She had the entirely wrong impression of me, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to do anything other than nod.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, leaning in to give me a light peck on the cheek. Her skin on mine was warmer than anyone else I had ever met, like a soft furnace, and I had a sudden, sneaking suspicion that her personal Soul card must be the cause. The heat was gone as soon as she leaned back, replaced by the cold feeling of the unwanted fabricator box in my hands.


    Esmi smiled at me and waved, her kobolds following in tow behind her.


    I returned the farewell gesture with what little will I could muster, knowing without a doubt that after talking to her I wouldn¡¯t be getting an ounce of sleep before my first match tomorrow. Worst of all, as Esmi rounded the bend, I realized that I never thought to ask her if she wanted me to win or not. If questions about the composition of my deck didn¡¯t keep me awake tonight, that certainly would.

 5. Hull - Precious

    Skop kept a tight hand on my elbow all the way to Hook Street. His grip was hard and he wasn¡¯t shy about using it. My fingers were tingling, but any time I tried to jerk away, he pinched even tighter and yanked me back like a rich man¡¯s pet wyvern on a leash. He kept up a steady mutter of threats and directions in my ear that all blended together into a single, wordless promise of violence the longer it went on. I kept my face turned as far away as I could without tripping over my own feet ¨C his breath smelled of rot and oysters.


    Everyone that saw us averted their eyes and kept moving. Somebody getting frog-marched by one of Ticosi¡¯s enforcers was no business anyone with half a brain wanted a part of here in the Lows. I saw Tomarken chatting up old Lucera at her produce stall and tried to catch his eye. He was one of the street boys I knew best, if not exactly a friend, but I might as well have been made of glass for all he noticed me. Oddly enough, he suddenly found urgent business down another street before Skop and I got too close.


    We turned onto Hook Street, and it felt deeply wrong to be on my home turf, the place I knew better than any other, and have this fat bastard stinking up my ear hole. The road had the old-style stone cobbles worn down over who knows how long that felt so much nicer on my rag-wrapped feet than the newer brick pavers the idiot Sun King was making them use now, and the street itself had a lovely little meander to it. Lots of nooks and crannies for an smart grocer to set up a snacking table, or an enterprising card sharp to fleece the merchant folk, or a poor sap like me to hide from danger¡­ if only I could get away from this breathing shit pit and his pinching fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you all the shards in my stash if you let me go,¡± I said to him when he paused his whispered threats for half a second. ¡°You can tell him I jumped in the river and drowned before we ever got here.¡±


    Skop snorted and shook me by the arm. ¡°You¡¯ll give me the shards anyway, and then we¡¯re going to the pits. They¡¯ll like a pretty little boy like you. People pay good money to watch pottery break.¡±


    ¡°But Ticosi¡¯ll just take my card shards,¡± I said, thinking fast. ¡°If you say I drowned, you could keep them.¡±


    ¡°You think he wouldn¡¯t find out?¡± the fat man sneered. ¡°Twenty people seen us walking safe and sound so far, and the river¡¯s all the way over on Sinner¡¯s Row. Why would we even be over that way?¡±


    ¡°I could run once I hand you the shards.¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad plan, if only the moron would listen. ¡°You chase me over to Sinner¡¯s, I jump in, and now you¡¯ve got enough shards to take one of your cards up to Uncommon.¡± I couldn¡¯t swim worth a damn, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. Not like he could keep up with me all the way to the river anyway. He¡¯d have a heart seizure if he even thought about running that far.


    ¡°He¡¯d find out,¡± Skop repeated, saying it slow like he was speaking to a simpleton. ¡°It¡¯d take ten times whatever you¡¯ve got in your little stash to get me thinking about crossing the Big Man. Twenty times. Not all of us are stupid like you, kid. Attacking Harker like that? You got a death wish.¡±


    I did have a death wish, just not for myself. At the moment, I was considering adding Skop to the list. ¡°My spot¡¯s over here,¡± I said, pointing to the alleyway between Teran¡¯s dye shop and the back wall of the butcher¡¯s place.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Skop grunted. He held out his free left hand, drew a source card from the air, and threw it overhead, where it formed into a pearlescent ball of Order. Then he switched his grip on me to free his right hand, plucked another card out of nothing, and focused on it ever so briefly. The white ball circling his head dimmed and grew dull, and a Guard Soul misted into being next to us.


    The Soul summons was nondescript, a human man in a simple-woven tunic and trousers, with a head wrap obscuring most of his face, cheap, rusted armor protecting his torso, and a short, serviceable sword hanging from his belt. It was impossible to know the rarity of a Soul someone else summoned, so far as I knew, but this one was the very image of a Common Order card. He was standing at ease when he appeared, and he shrugged inside his armor, loosening his sword in its sheath and waiting dully for Skop to tell him what to do.


    ¡°No funny business, squirt,¡± Skop said, shaking a finger and giving me a gimlet eye. ¡°I¡¯m just as happy to watch you bleed out as I am to hand you over to Brin in the arena.¡± He plucked a second source card from the aether, and a moment later a second white source circled his head opposite the first.


    Damn. I should have known he¡¯d take measures against me before we ducked into the alley. All I could do was walk in front of him, trying to look unthreatening as his guard Soul followed us. It hadn¡¯t drawn its sword, and I hadn¡¯t heard him give the summons any command to protect against me, but a single word from the fat fellow would do the trick, and that¡¯d be that. I didn¡¯t like my chances against a sword. Even a Common card could kill a nobody like me.


    My little alley was cozy and warm, as usual. The chimney of the dye shop jutted out into the alley, radiating heat and making a little recessed nook behind that was perfect for sleeping, especially since the roof covered the spot. I¡¯d had to fight no fewer than five other kids for it in the last two months, but my Nether source and its ability to strengthen my blows made me king of the hill compared to other defenseless, card-starved orphans.


    ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± I said, pointing to the wall at the back of the alley. ¡°The dark brick with the red spot in the corner. It¡¯s a false front with a hollow behind it.¡± I darted a look at the guard, who was still standing mindlessly at its ease, waiting for a command from its Summoner. It¡¯s a good three steps away, and that idiot Skop hasn¡¯t told it to keep an eye on me. He¡¯s not being careful. Can I do this? I have to. They want to break me like pottery.


    ¡°Get it, then,¡± Skop said, gesturing.


    I backed into my sleeping nook and raised my hands helplessly. I was two steps from my shard stash, and if Skop went for it himself, I¡¯d be four steps from the guard, who was on the far side of him. It might work. ¡°I don¡¯t want you thinking I¡¯m going for a weapon. Please. I don¡¯t want any trouble.¡±


    The heavy man sighed and rolled his eyes, lumbering forward and prying at the fake brick I¡¯d showed him. My heart leapt, and with my right hand I reached behind myself into the other hollowed-out brick I¡¯d made ¨C the one in my sleeping spot, right where I already stood. With my left I pulled one of my Nether source from nowhere, moving my hand as little as possible. Skop was peering into my treasure hole and sticking in his grubby fingers. With a little flick I tossed the card up, and the spiky purple ball of Nether coalesced overhead. I drew on it hard, and my right hand found the little sack I¡¯d filled with lead slag and cobblestone rubble. It made a handy blackjack for a poor boy, and even when I was sleeping it was always within reach.


    Rage filled me along with the Nether, and I lashed out just as Skop pulled my pouch of shards free. The heavy end of the little sack connected with the base of his skull, and he pitched forward into the wall, his face scraping against the brick. The shredded bits of a single card puffed up into the air, and he went down like a sack of rocks, his eyes rolled back in his head. I immediately dove to the left, looking for the guard, but as I¡¯d hoped, the moment Skop lost consciousness, his summoned Soul vanished into the same nowhere as the other card I¡¯d beaten out of him. They¡¯d reappear in his Mind Home in a moment now that the fight was over.


    The heat of victory flushed me, and I hit the unconscious thug across the jaw with my blackjack, snapping his head hard to one side. ¡°Give me my shards!¡± I crowed, snatching the bag out of his loose fingers. He couldn¡¯t hear me, but I didn¡¯t care. I¡¯d been scrabbling and scraping for six years for those forty-one shards, and then he¡¯d put his foul, rotten breath on them.


    The last of the Nether dribbled out of me, leaving me feeling drained and shaky. What did I just do? Skop was still breathing, but a bad hit to the head could ruin him, and even if it didn¡¯t, Ticosi was going to catch me and use his terrifying Chaos cards to do unspeakable things to me until I died. I¡¯d just made sure I could never show my face in the Lows again.


    ¡°Might as well make it count,¡± I muttered, reaching behind Skop¡¯s right ear. His skin was greasy and slick. I only got wet when it rained, and I was still cleaner than this slug. Ignoring the grime, I pulled a finger along the bare skin, waiting for the feel of a card against my fingertip. Fate and Fortune only let you take one card from someone you¡¯d dueled ¨C nobody knew why ¨C and I wasn¡¯t going to miss this chance.


    He jumped under my hand, his eyes rolling wildly. ¡°Help!¡± he bleated, sounding drunk and confused. ¡°Harker!¡±


    I jerked back and looked around, heart hammering wildly at the thought that the other mountainous enforcer might be creeping up on me. She wasn¡¯t ¨C Skop was barely conscious and talking nonsense. He¡¯d pissed his pants, too.


    Cries for help weren¡¯t the most remarkable thing on Hook Street, but if anyone had seen me come in here with Skop, and at least a few had, they might decide to curry favor with the Big Man and intervene. Time to get gone. What am I going to do with some garbage Common Order card anyway?


    Sell it, obviously, but it wasn¡¯t worth the risk to try to wrestle it out of him if he was stirring. I pocketed my shards, tossed my blackjack aside, and then strolled out of the alley, doing my best to look casual and unhurried while still covering as much ground as quickly as I could. I had to get back to Capono¡¯s place, retrieve my hidden Rare card, and get gone. Plus, once Skop got back on his feet, I¡¯d have to do it all without any of Ticosi¡¯s people spotting me.


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    * * *


    I crouched in the shadows and watched the tailor¡¯s shop. I was right on the edge of the posh Hills district, where the city watch passed down each street twice an hour and the gas lamps left only the occasional pool of darkness. It had taken me all day to fetch my card ¨C my heart seizing every five minutes as I imagined Harker kicking the loose cobble aside when she moved the old dead man, or some other random lurker coming across it by accident ¨C but now it was safely stowed in my underclothes, and I¡¯d tracked down Tomarken and beaten the location of his fence out of him. Three times using the Nether in one day left my joints feeling loose and my head on askew. I felt like I could go in any direction, do anything under the sun no matter the consequence, and it was scaring me.


    The Watch wouldn¡¯t come back by this spot for another ten minutes, and I was sitting in the garden in front of some posh merchant¡¯s home, screened from its windows by a flowering bush and from the street by a waist-high wrought iron fence. Everything reeked of money, and I regretted not venturing here to pick pockets more often. Sure, it was a good way to end up in the Palace cells if you got caught, but not five minutes past I¡¯d seen some fool strutting past in velvet puff trousers, a purse the size of both my fists together jangling obscenely at his side. It was ten o¡¯clock. The man was practically begging to be robbed.


    Across the way, a red curtain fell across the window of the tailor¡¯s shop, and an ornate CLOSED sign got propped up in the corner by a well-manicured hand. According to Tomarken, the red curtain meant it was time for the real business of this particular shop to start. I was fairly sure he¡¯d told me the truth. I hadn¡¯t knocked out any teeth or broken any of his bones. In the Lows, that was as good as asking politely and serving a fellow tea. I waited for the watchman to pass again, gave it another five minutes, and stole across the street. I slunk around the shop to the back door, where I knocked twice up high on the door, three times down low, waited three long breaths, and one final knock right in the center of the door.


    An eye slot on the door slid open, and a pair of dark eyes filled the gap. They flicked up and down over me and the eyebrows drew down. ¡°Get running, gutter trash. You¡¯ll scare off the customers.¡±


    I wanted to poke him in the eye, but instead I fished out my troll card and held it up in front of him.


    The gold border caught the dim light shining back from the street, glinting beautifully. The man behind the door paused and then gave a little huh sound, and the door unlocked. The portal swung open, and the man filled the doorway, his muscular bulk filling the doorway, a dim silver light silhouetting him from behind.


    ¡°Are you the tailor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one that¡¯ll break you if you touch anything without permission,¡± the man grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    With the pleasantries out of the way, the man retreated and beckoned me in. I came into a room small enough that I could almost touch both walls by spreading my arms. A curious lantern that shed a light like pale moonbeams hung over a narrow, severe looking man with thinning brown hair wearing an embroidered jacket of the deepest red. He was twitching black velvet cloth back from glass cases that ringed the room on three sides. There were two tall, narrow cases, one standing in each back corner, that he did not uncover. In the lunar glow I could see the outlines of dozens of cards displayed within the bared cases. My fingers itched. So much power and wealth all in one spot.


    ¡°You have ten minutes,¡± the thin man said, drywashing his hands and looking down his nose at me. ¡°Then you leave.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You make people buy and sell in ten minutes? I can¡¯t even look at all these cards in that time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making you leave in ten minutes, and I¡¯m only giving you that much because you¡¯re carrying a Rare,¡± he said. ¡°Your time has already started.¡±


    I suddenly felt the minutes slipping away. ¡°I want to trade my card.¡±


    The man held out a thin-fingered hand and said nothing. I wasn¡¯t about to just hand it over; I held it by the edges and held it face-out toward him. He quirked an eyebrow at me but didn¡¯t complain. He merely pulled a pair of reading spectacles out of his pocket and leaned in, peering at my treasure.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said. ¡°A decent summons. Trolls of this size and cost don¡¯t often have the attack bonus I¡¯m seeing. What¡¯s your source?¡±


    ¡°Nether,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really?¡± he said, eyebrows high. ¡°Highly unusual. What else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a sigh.


    He shook his head and shared a glance with his bouncer, who was lounging in the corner. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, young man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I growled. ¡°I¡¯ve tried Order and each of the four Elementals. I can¡¯t take any of them.¡±


    He rubbed his chin. ¡°So your soul card is Nether, then?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t about to get into that story in the time he¡¯d given me. ¡°Yes.¡± For all I knew, it was. I had no memory of my soul card, no matter how much I wracked my brain.


    His eyes flicked ever so briefly to the tall, cloth-covered case in the right corner and then back to me. ¡°As far as Nether goes, I haven¡¯t got anything useful for you.¡±


    My heart sank. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He spread his hands. ¡°Cards from the Demon Realm don¡¯t grow on trees ¡®round here, boy. I have to keep my little shop quiet unless I want to start paying the Sun King¡¯s ruinous trading fees, so my reach remains short. I do have some very nice neutral Relics that might be of interest, though. What are you looking for?¡±


    It felt like the walls were closing in on me. ¡°I need to be able to protect myself.¡±


    He sniffed. ¡°Of course you do.¡± He reached into the rear of one of the cases and pulled out a card, holding it out toward me. As if to mock me, he did as I had done, holding onto the card and forcing me to peer at it from an awkward angle. A solid silver border glinted in the lantern¡¯s starlight glow.


    I wanted to snatch it from his hand and run out the door. A one-attack Relic was next to useless ¨C and it was ridiculous for such an underpowered item to have Overkill, which allowed any excess damage to pass through a Soul to the Summoner ¨C but for someone using Nether to power their blows, the damage would stack. If I¡¯d had this in my hand when I attacked Harker this morning ¨C was that really just this morning? ¨C I¡¯d have dished out just that extra bit of hurt and she wouldn¡¯t have gotten back up. It was perfect for me.


    Time crunch or not, I knew enough not to let on. ¡°Can I look at some of the others?¡±


    The tailor¡¯s bloodless lips puckered unpleasantly. ¡°No.¡±


    I gestured around. ¡°Look at all of these. There¡¯s got to be something else¨C¡±


    ¡°Not for you,¡± he said primly. ¡°I want you gone, boy. You stink, and if anyone important sees you mucking about my place, they¡¯ll start asking questions. If you want the card, we can trade. If not¡­¡± He beckoned to the muscled man in the corner, who came and stood behind me, breathing down my neck.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°The Relic plus what else?¡±


    The tailor feigned ignorance. ¡°Else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m handing you a Rare,¡± I said, blood rising in my veins, ¡°and you¡¯re trying to scoot me out the door with an Uncommon. I may not be a merchant, but I know a bad deal when I see one.¡±


    He smiled thinly. ¡°You are welcome to take your custom to any of the registered shops about town if you prefer.¡±


    He knew I couldn¡¯t. A kid like me, showing up with a Rare? I¡¯d end up in chains and the card returned to the Sun King¡¯s repository.


    ¡°Another Relic added in, then,¡± I said. ¡°A source multiplier. Those aren¡¯t hard to come by.¡±


    ¡°For someone else, maybe,¡± he said. ¡°But you either stole that card or killed for it, and I don¡¯t like you. Two minutes.¡±


    Desperation rose in me. He had me over a barrel, and he knew it. ¡°Money, at least. The hammer and two crowns and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°Have you spent too long staring at the King¡¯s sunrise celebrations? Your brain is addled. Five silver clips.¡±


    ¡°Five clips and ten Common shards,¡± I said. It was a rotten deal, but I wouldn¡¯t get a better one.


    He just held out his hand, and with no small amount of trepidation, I laid the Rare troll card in his palm. In return, he handed over the Hateful Hammer. Before he could take it back, I pressed the card against my head behind the ear.


    I¡¯d never gotten my hands on a neutral Relic before, and I had no idea what it felt like for a card to be stored in my Mind Home. There was a flash of cold behind my ear, and I felt the card dissolve out of my hand. I had a sensation almost like swallowing a bite too big for my throat, except it was in the side of my neck. And then¡­I could feel it inside me, fluttering about my mind like a moth around a flame. It was like having a friend floating inside me. I loved it immediately. I knew intuitively that I could hold out my right hand and draw the card back into existence whenever I wished. It was mine now.


    ¡°Beiron, be a dear and get this little urchin his coins and shards,¡± the tailor said, pointing to a shelf high on the back wall. The bouncer brushed past me, reached up to a high shelf for a metal box, and as he turned, he bumped into the side of the tall, velvet-covered case. The black cloth fell aside, revealing a narrow display with many levels, with space for only one card on each shelf. My eyes latched onto one immediately, and my entire body clenched. It was a royal purple above and below, and its border was made of purest faceted ruby. I¡¯m looking at an Epic card. I never in my life dreamed I¡¯d see such a thing.


    My mouth went dry, and my insides yearned. It was a Nether card, I knew it instantly. It spoke to me. I had to have it.


    The tailor tsked and quickly covered the tall glass case, throwing an annoyed glance at his employee. The bouncer, totally unaware of what had just transpired, shoved five silver coins and a small bag into my hand. ¡°Time¡¯s up, friend. You can walk out or I can throw you.¡±


    Seconds later I was back on the street and slipping into the shadows. The smart thing to do was to get myself to the docks and use those five silver clips to buy passage to Charbond or the Pax Crossroads. The number of hours I¡¯d keep breathing here in the capital could be counted on both hands, maybe on one. Ticosi would never let my defiance go unanswered.


    I settled back into my garden hiding spot and watched the tailor¡¯s shop. I¡¯m going to leave. It¡¯s the only option.


    But there¡¯s one thing I have to do first.

 6. Basil - Cards by Candlelight

    After collecting my wayward Headsman ¨C who had ended up in the pantry of all places ¨C I spent the rest of the evening pondering the Water cards my family had and whether or not I should reconfigure my deck list. The grimoire was part of my mother¡¯s dowry, but she rarely summoned anymore, focusing instead on using the power of her soul to help the local crop yields, not to mention running the many charities she led and perfecting our gardens in her leisure time.


    The collection was impressive, with a mix of Souls, Spells, and Relics, the cards ranging from Common all the way up to a ruby-rimmed Epic. Each one I lingered on, trying to figure out if there was a way it could help me win, either in general or against a Spell-heavy Fire duelist. The staple Soul of Water decks were troglodytes, just like kobolds were for Fire, kestrels were for Air, and humans were for Order. On the whole, troglodytes were cheaper Souls with some interesting abilities, like the Dart Thrower, who could do a single point of damage upon being summoned, or the Shaman, who could regenerate ¨C an extremely useful trait when paired with Water Source¡¯s power to transfer damage between Souls.


    While those effects and others ¨C like the Warrior¡¯s increased strength when attacking ¨C could have great utility, none of them synergized particularly well with my deck. The Shaman would buff my Executions, true, but that was the only spell I used which dealt damage, and a 6 point strike was usually enough to eliminate Souls I targeted without assistance. I did linger on the Leecher; lifesap was a rare and highly sought after ability since it returned destroyed cards to the duelist¡¯s deck. However, the Leecher¡¯s high casting cost and low attack eventually made me turn the page.


    Other Water Souls were actually similar to those I already used, and so I pondered if including them would increase my deck''s effectiveness. The Troglodyte Tracker had Hunt, just like my Assassins and Master Assassin. The advantage of the Tracker was that it was cheaper than either of my cards at only 2 Source total versus 3 and 5, respectively. However, it wouldn¡¯t always kill what it struck with its Attack of 2, unlike the Assassin¡¯s Venom, which automatically destroyed Souls that they damaged. The Water Moccasin did have Venom, but with only 1 Health, a Human Archer, Troglodyte Dart Thrower, or countless other things could easily remove it.


    My regular Assassins only had 1 Health, too, but they had Stealth, which hid them from view, while the Moccasin had no such defense. I could give it my Scalemail Relic, I supposed, granting it Armor, which would eliminate the first point of damage it sustained from combat or Soul abilities, but that would mean I wouldn¡¯t get to use the Scalemail on me, which was much more important. In a deck with more Water Source the Mocassin would be easier to protect, since I could slide damage off of them with the Source Spell, but with only 2 Water, I wasn¡¯t confident that I¡¯d have those Source out and ready when it was under attack. So, all in all, I decided on ¡°no¡±, even though there was a full complement of three Water Mocassins available to use.


    Besides troglodytes and swamp creatures, my mother had three levels of elementals, from Lesser to Greater. Lesser Elementals would give me access to more Water Source, which made me briefly reconsider the Water Moccasin, but other than that Lesser Elementals were fairly useless. So, I¡¯d be adding multiple cards to my deck to achieve the affect my basic Assassins already gave me. Perhaps if my Mind Home could hold more than 20 Summon cards it would have been a good option, but as it was, every card I added would force me to remove one, and the trade felt far from worth it to me.


    Standard Elementals on the other hand had very good Attack and Health values, and their Overkill ability meant that any damage they did beyond the target Soul¡¯s Health would rollover to the enemy duelist.


    They were just good cards, simple as that, hard to kill and hitting like a battering ram when at full Health. My hand twitched above one, wanting to remove it from the grimoire and tuck it behind my ear. What stopped me was the casting cost of 4. If it had been a mix of Water and Any it wouldn¡¯t have been an issue, but as far as I knew, elementals always required pure Source of their own type. With 2 Water Source I could get to 4 if I devoted them, wringing them for everything they were worth, but how often would I have both available to me? Every moment I didn¡¯t the Water Elemental would sit in my hand, unsummonable. I could add a few Lesser Elementals in to increase my chances, or bank some Source with a Relic like the Bowl of Tides, but that went back to the problem of using up more card slots than I wanted to.


    If I was to include something new, I wanted it to be able to work on its own. Anything else felt too risky to me. Maybe that was just pre-tournament jitters, but I only had myself to rely on for this; neither of my parents had dueled in ages, my brothers would make a jest of it at best, and Tipfin had decided to go on early holiday after I ran from our practice match without his leave.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As for the final elemental, I barely let myself glance at it, a glorious Rare, because it simply cost too much, and I needed to spend what little time I had focused on things I could actually use.


    For the Spells, my mother only had two: Ice Arrows and Whirlpool.


    Ice Arrows could pair well with the Shaman or even the Dart Thrower, and I was sure that was how my mother had employed them in the past, but as I had already decided, I wasn¡¯t interested in any Water combinations. Also, my deck was focused on all or nothing kills, like with the high damage Execution dealt, the Venom my Assassins employed, or the ability my Headsman had to remove a devoted Soul. Pinging a few targets for 1 damage wouldn¡¯t help my gameplan. The Whirlpool though¡­ what I wouldn¡¯t give for it to do two points less damage or for Carrion Condor to have 2 more health. If either were true, Whirlpool had the potential to power up my Condors to an absurd degree, since any enemy Soul not damaged by the Condor that was destroyed would increase its Attack value. The reality was that Whirlpool would wash away my Condor along with other weaker Souls, and I couldn¡¯t even afford its casting cost, so there was no point to any of my wishing.


    The Relics, somewhat surprisingly, were the most interesting to me, and I hunkered forward over the grimoire to give them my full attention. The Bowl of Tides was a ¡°no¡± since I didn¡¯t want to worry about pairing cards together, and I didn¡¯t often need extra Order or Air Source. The same was true for the Spawning Pool.


    Though the thought of having a horde of 1/1s was a fun, brief distraction, I wasn¡¯t well versed in managing that many Souls nor did I think they would supplement my other cards particularly well. That left three ice cards: Ice Blade, Armor, and Wall.


    The Ice Blade and Armor looked exactly as I remembered from my time spent staring at them as a child. In fact, with the candles of the library burning pleasantly around me, and my shoulders wrapped in a soft woolen blanket, this moment was much the same as it had been for me back then, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I had loved the idea of freezing my enemies with the Blade or Armor, but now as a young man who had participated in many duels, I saw the effects from a different lens. Yes, slowing down opposing Souls and the opposing duelist was effective, but if a summoner decided to enter the fray with a weapon, the Soul or duelist they struck was able to hit them back. I knew some duelists used decks that made themselves the most powerful fighter on the field, but that was not how mine was constructed. My Scalemail and Helmet offered some limited protection, but that was all ¨C not enough to be under constant attack.


    It was tempting though to consider adding the Ice Armor to my deck to have another card that would help me defend. Or I could even swap it for my Scalemail if there were no other cards in my deck I could bear to give up. But would it be worth it to use Water Source to gain access to a single card? Every Water source I drew wouldn¡¯t help pay for any Order or Air Source specific cards I used. The only way I could justify watering down ¨C I chuckled, likely due to the late hour ¨C my Source deck is if the resulting benefit was extremely good. Ice Armor was just that, protecting me while punishing Souls for attacking me, but my mother only had one of them. Also, the ability Armor didn¡¯t work against Spells, which meant including it wouldn¡¯t help at all against my rival for Esmi¡¯s hand.


    With a sigh, I moved onto the Ice Wall. I had always been fascinated by how soulsmiths had figured out generations ago how to capture a portion of the essence of things that were useful, like the Spawning Pool, or in this case a cliff face of ice. Ice Wall was perhaps an unassuming card since it had no Attack value, but it had the potential to pair very well with my deck. This was because one of my deck¡¯s greatest weaknesses was the early stages of a duel. Since all of my Souls were specialties in one way or another, the cheapest of them was 3, stopping me from ever summoning one with a single Source. But with Ice Wall, I¡¯d only need one Source out to create a defender. Its Tall ability, which let it block enemy fliers, was nice¡­ or was it? I could already do the same with my Condors and Winged Knight. And while the 5 Health of the Wall would certainly stop an initial attack or two, what then? If I had some way to heal them it would be a different story, but as is, tossing them into my deck, was I just delaying how long it would take me to lose?


    Pondering that, I idly flipped to the final page, where the Epic lived.


    The Sea Titan was glorious, and my mind tingled at the thought of summoning so colossal a Soul. As Fate would have it, it was exactly the sort of card I¡¯d want to put into my deck. The initial damage of 2 it dealt upon arrival could sweep away enemy hordes I might be facing, as well as power up my Condor without killing it. And that was far from the only utility the Titan had. With its 8 Attack, it could destroy nearly any other card it faced, even Mythics, and with Overkill all that extra damage it dealt would fall onto the other duelist. With 8 Health it could survive those fights, and with a Regenerate of 2 ¨C which I¡¯d never seen on any other card ¨C it could weather multiple Spells, even Fire ones from Sir-No-Name of Charbond. Crushing my rival with such a mighty Soul would feel absolutely glorious, I was sure.


    Alas, for all the good the Titan would do in my deck, its casting cost was even higher than the Greater Water Elemental and well beyond the paltry Source the fabricator gave me. So, with that, I closed the grimoire.


    I looked to the side table where the gift Esmi had given me sat, still in its silken-lined metal box. The sapphires on the bracer reflected candlelight, looking like tiny, flickering ponds. It was a handsome, expensive gift, and I simply couldn¡¯t use it. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t be too disappointed; I had tried to make it work, truly I had. Out of the library¡¯s eastern windows I could see the night sky lightening toward dawn, a testament to the time I had spent in the attempt.


    And then my thoughts dipped darker. What if she had known this was an impossible task to begin with? What if she had given me the fabricator in an effort to weaken my deck so that I would lose to her Fire noble when I faced him? That way she could be rid of me and wed someone with a soul that equaled her own. It was a chilling thought that lingered with me as I put the grimoire aside and picked up a musty textbook of Fire cards. My personal Soul ability wouldn¡¯t work on this type of information, but I was determined to try and memorize as many cards as I could the old fashioned way before the tournament began.


    I had been through enough surprises for one sun cycle, and I didn¡¯t need any more during my duels.

 7. Hull - A Bad Idea

    Life on the streets had not made me good at complex planning. My usual way of solving things was to hit them and take their money, but barging back into the tailor¡¯s card shop would just get me beaten and thrown in jail. I¡¯d heard bad stories about street boys going into the cells under the palace and never coming back, and besides, the big doorman could break me like a dry twig. I sat in the dark and stared at the shop for hours, doing my damnedest to rub two thoughts together for a spark of inspiration. Occasionally a furtive man would come along and slip into the rear toward the illicit card shop. Every last one of them was well-dressed, and not a one got hustled out the door in ten minutes as I¡¯d been.


    The summoned Souls belonging to the City Watch came by every twenty minutes, not every thirty as I¡¯d first thought, and while they were obviously Commons, marching blankly along their preset route, they were still large, professional-looking, well armored, and would snatch up an urchin like me in a heartbeat if they saw me.


    They didn¡¯t disappear, and I didn¡¯t see anyone with them, which meant that their Summoner was probably patrolling the adjacent street. I thanked Fate that this was a quiet enough neighborhood the Watch overseers believed they could pad out their patrols with simple Common cards. If any of the more intelligent Uncommons had been patrolling, they might¡¯ve thought to check the shadows, and I didn¡¯t need that trouble alongside everything else.


    Fate wasn¡¯t normally on my side, and it made me uncomfortable. Who I really needed tonight was Fortune. The street preachers always said the Twins were eternally linked and eternally opposed, and what I was doing was definitely a gamble. That¡¯d draw the god¡¯s eye, and who knew? Maybe he¡¯d look on me with favor.


    What I couldn¡¯t do was kick the door in and start laying about with my Hateful Hammer and Nether source. That wasn¡¯t a gamble; that was suicide. Even if I could overpower the doorman, no doubt the tailor had his own defenses. I hadn¡¯t seen any active guard Souls; some folks preferred live employees like the hefty bouncer for vital tasks. Still, a place like that, with its illegal fortune in cards like a dragon¡¯s hoard, was certain to have Artisan-crafted defenses: traps that could immobilize or kill intruders, alarms that could shatter the eardrums and bring the Watch summons running, or even slow poisons that would make a fellow sluggish enough to catch and then make his dick drop off as he was moldering in the Palace cells. None of those options appealed to me.


    I needed a distraction to pull the tailor and his muscle-bound goon away ¨C preferably one that kept the City Watch busy as well ¨C and then I needed a way to disable whatever defenses the card shop possessed. I thought about going back to the Lows to recruit Tomarken and his friends. He ran with a gang of some twenty young thieves that worked the wharf, and if I could convince them to rush the shop, they¡¯d keep the occupants busy while I snatched my card.


    My card. It still vibrated in my mind, hours after seeing it. Epic cards had a sense of motion and depth to them that nobody had ever told me about: the swirling whirlpool of blackness at the card¡¯s center had been hypnotic in its motion, and if I could have reached out to touch it, I almost thought I¡¯d have felt the fiery bite of the Demon Realm. And the card¡¯s ability! The thought that I could be completely impervious to everything, even for a short period of time, was intoxicating. I couldn¡¯t believe my luck that its covering had slipped and I¡¯d seen it, or even that the tailor had it in the first place. I¡¯d never even heard of one of the muckety-muck noble folk using Nether, nor any human at all, for that matter. The capitol had its fair share of elves, dwarves, and other creatures traveling through as ambassadors and merchants, but none of them were likely to use it either. Coming across a Nether card ¨C an Epic Nether card ¨C was like seeing a shooting star streak across the sky on another shooting star¡¯s back.


    Tomarken¡¯s urchins would never go for my plan, was the problem. For starters, the festivities preceding the Rising Stars tournament were in full swing, so they¡¯d all be cutting purses and waylaying drunks in the Palace District until sunrise. The promise of a shop full of cards might entice them, but the risks were sky-high, and whoever came to grips with the tailor¡¯s doorman wouldn¡¯t be walking away on both feet. Even if I¡¯d been able to find them and muster them all here before morning, they¡¯d all take one look at the quiet, secure, expensive-looking shop and decide to be elsewhere. It was a bad bet, and street kids don¡¯t take bad bets if they want to keep breathing.


    The sky was turning purple in the east and I was still banging my head against the problem when I saw the dim moonlight illumination from under the back door wink out. A few minutes later, the big doorman lumbered out of the alley, a cap pulled low over his eyes and hands stuffed in his pockets. Looked like the black-market shop had closed for the night and the bouncer was headed home. He looked neither right nor left as he passed. Nobody was going to bother a fellow of that size no matter what time of night it was.


    It was now or never. In an hour it would be dawn and Ticosi¡¯s troops would be out in force looking for me. They might not think to patrol the streets here in the Merchant District, but I couldn¡¯t stay for sure. Once someone saw me I¡¯d either have to run or face the City Watch. My time was up, and if Ticosi got his hands on me, I¡¯d be tortured publicly as an example and then killed very, very slowly. No fighting pits for me, not now. I¡¯d crossed the line. I just needed an idea, just a spark!


    A spark. Ohhh, that was a terrible idea. Yes, there was a gas streetlamp not two doors down from the tailor¡¯s, and it would be child¡¯s play to set fire to the wooden walls of his expensive home, but I knew better than to think I could control a fire. The whole street could go up in flames.


    So? These are people who¡¯d rather call for the Watch than toss you a spare coin. Let their pretty shops and houses burn. They¡¯ve never known a moment¡¯s fear their whole lives. It¡¯d be justice.


    It was a mean thought born out of the cruel part of my heart, but it wasn¡¯t a lie. The cards wouldn¡¯t burn. They were made of a sterner kind of magical stuff than mere fire could touch. The Artifact protections on the shop, on the other hand¡­when I was younger I¡¯d liked to sit outside the one low-grade Artificer forge in the Lows on Baker Way and watch the old man heat his brass contraptions and infuse the little magics of the world into them. They were made of metal, always. Apply enough heat and they¡¯d melt and stop working. Once the shop caught fire I could stroll in and take whatever cards my heart desired. You could take them all. You could be rich. Become the noble that could walk up to the King undetected all in one fell swoop. It could work.


    I rapped my own forehead with a knuckle. The place would be burning down around your ears, fool. You¡¯d be lucky to get out with your life, much less a stack of cards.


    But my beloved Nether card would make me safe, wouldn¡¯t it? All I¡¯d need was to snatch it, absorb it into myself, and cast its spell, and I¡¯d have three turns of safety; that was a good minute¡¯s worth of time. It wasn¡¯t enough for the stealing spree I¡¯d just been imagining, but it could get me out alive if I was lucky.


    Once the tailor sees the house on fire, he¡¯ll take the cards and run. He wouldn¡¯t want to be caught red-handed. He¡¯d gather up his greatest treasures and bolt before the watch could arrive. That¡¯s all well and good. I catch him on the way out, give him a tap like I gave Skop, and pick through his choicest wares. If he has the Nether card, I grab it. If not, I duck into the shop and pick up what he left behind.


    The pieces fell into place in my head like a rich kid¡¯s puzzle toy. It would work. Well, no: it might work. But if I was being honest with myself, I¡¯d rather die in a fire reaching for a taste of glory than get peeled an inch at a time by Harker and her friends. That ended the same as the fire, just with more pain and pissing myself in front of strangers first. Fortune save me, I was going to do this.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Before I could second-guess myself, I darted out of my hiding place toward the tailor¡¯s shop. The Watch wouldn¡¯t be along for another ten minutes, and I had the street to myself. As quietly as I could, I gathered the dry leaves and twigs beneath the two ornamental bushes that flanked the front porch and made a little pile in the spot where the porch timbers jutted out over the yard. Then I pulled off one of my ragged cloth foot-coverings and held it in my teeth while I shimmied up the lamppost like the little flame elementals that lit them every evening. It was the work of half a second to hold the cloth to the blue flame, and then I slid down the post, a burning rag in hand. I hurried over and pitched it into my pile of kindling.


    I held my breath for a long moment as the dry greenery smoked and smoldered. Finally a nest of little flames appeared, and I grinned like a maniac. Thinking fast, I fetched a stick and lit one end before retreating to the alleyway where the card shop sat. I didn¡¯t want to be on the street when someone noticed the blaze, and if I set fire to the back too, it would speed the process up that much more. The bark shingles hanging over the roof in back caught the fire nicely, and I backed up against the opposing brick wall to wait for my prey. I pulled my first source into my left hand and threw it over my head. I¡¯d had six Nether source for as long as I could remember, and I¡¯d want as many as possible ready to go once things got toasty. A second Nether followed the first a few seconds later, and that gave me enough to summon my Hateful Hammer Relic without having to overdraw my source. I had time; no need to rush it.


    I¡¯d never cast any kind of summons before, and though I¡¯d heard the fellows in the taverns talk about it endlessly, I was doing this all for the first time. Sure, it was just a neutral Relic, the cheapest and least impressive of card types, but it was mine, and I was going to appreciate it. Holding out my right hand, I willed the card into existence. I felt a tug inside my head, and the Uncommon card dropped into my hand with satisfying heft. Its silver border glimmered in the growing firelight, and I admired the artistry of the square-headed, bejeweled hammer.


    I¡¯d been pulling source from my soul into my left hand since I was old enough to remember anything, but this was the first real, true summons card I¡¯d ever called into my right hand from my Mind Home. It felt different. Meaningful. If I¡¯d had more cards within me, one of them might have appeared first; I¡¯d been told that Souls, Spells, and Relics all vied to come out first, and Fortune was the one that decided which dropped first into your hand. I¡¯d never paid the god all that much attention, but in this moment I marveled at his involvement in even the smallest of human actions.


    Focusing on the Relic card, I pulled gently on my two Nether sources, pouring their energy into the card instead of into my own body as I was accustomed to doing. The card glowed brightly and shimmered into stardust, and a moment later the light coalesced into a heavy iron hammer in my right hand. It had a glittering red jewel in its center, and it hummed with energy. I knew instantly it would obey my will like no broken bottle ever could. I pulled a third source into my left and threw it aloft. The shingles were blazing merrily and spreading fast, and I saw a thin streamer of smoke rising against the lightening sky out front. Any time now.


    It was an agonizing five minutes before I heard the first shouts. I was on the verge of breaking into the shop already, protections be damned, when some poor goodman ¡®round the front screamed, ¡°Fire! Fire! Call the watch - fire!¡± In moments other voices joined, and a light went on in the upper floor of the tailor¡¯s house.


    I heard someone pound on the front door. ¡°Porren! The shop¡¯s caught fire! Wake up, man!¡±


    A swish and a thunk amid the crackles of flame spoke of a window thrown open. ¡°I know,¡± called the tailor. ¡°Fetch a bucket and help!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve called the watch and the fire brigade already, just get out of the house,¡± the unseen neighbor cried.


    The tailor cursed and said nothing more, but from within the house I heard thumps, crashes, and swearing as he careened about trying to save his valuables. That¡¯s right. Grab your things and run, you miserly bastard. You don¡¯t want to be here when the Watch arrives. My own life had fallen apart in the last day, and I felt a savage pleasure in seeing it happen to someone else, too. Especially someone who had just robbed me blind when I tried to make a deal.


    I heard noises from within the card shop and backed up against the wall right next to the door so he wouldn¡¯t see me when he came out. My heart was hammering and my palms were sweaty on the hammer. This is it!


    The door burst open, and the tailor stumbled into the alley, coughing and spitting. He had a thick roll of cloth in his hands. Black smoke poured out after him until he kicked the door shut behind him. I didn¡¯t wait for him to get his bearings. I jumped out, swinging the hammer right at the base of his skull. By this time I had all six of my Nether twirling overhead, but I didn¡¯t infuse any of it into the blow. It seemed like a bad idea to kill the man when the Watch was on its way. I just wanted to ring his bells and take that fat blanket full of cards.


    The sweat on my hands betrayed me. My hammer turned just a bit in my grip as I swung, and the flat of the head hit him on the stringy band of muscle connecting head to shoulder next to the spine. A single card shredded into confetti from the spot of contact, and he cried out, falling to one knee and clutching at the spot with his free hand. Four pearled spheres and two swirling, watery ones circled his head. I swung again, wildly, and he dove out of the way with a grunt. My hammer passed harmlessly through his source spheres without touching them. Source was ethereal; things like iron couldn¡¯t touch it.


    With an incoherent yell of rage, the tailor instantly plucked a card from the air and threw it out his right hand at me. One of his water sources dimmed, and the card broke into shimmers of light that turned to water as they streaked toward me.


    Suddenly my hands and feet were encased in an inch of ice, and I slipped and fell to the cobbles. The weight of the hammer in my right hand cracked the solid casing of cold when it hit the ground, but all my extremities had gone numb, and I couldn¡¯t find any purchase on the fire-heated cobblestones as my hands and feet skittered around on all sides, the ice leaving everything slick with melt. I looked like an overturned crab, and the cook that was going to throw me in the pot was standing up, rubbing his neck and looking at me with murder in his eyes.


    Then more shouts rang out from the front, and he remembered that he was one conversation away from being an enemy of the crown for running an illegal card shop. That, apparently, was more important than taking revenge on the street rat that had just gotten the drop on him. Clutching his roll of treasures to his chest, he vanished through the smoke gathering at the mouth of the alley and was gone.


    Wait! I cried silently after him. My card! Sitting up, I bashed my hands and feet against the oven-warm wall of the card shop until the ice fell away and I could stand. My one uncovered foot was numbed all the way through, but if I was careful it would support me.


    Nothing to do but hope he left the Nether card behind, I realized grimly. From the sound of things, there was a goodly crowd out front, and while he might have been able to slip past them, if they saw a street boy like me, I¡¯d be collared immediately for arson. That irked me until I remembered that I had, in fact, set this fire. Men were calling stridently for bucket lines to soak the adjacent houses. It wouldn¡¯t be long before somebody thought to come around to the alley to wet things down from this side, too.


    The card shop door had locked when he kicked it shut, damn the luck, but I had a hammer and plenty of motivation. A quick infusion of Nether into my arms let me smash the door to kindling with one blow.


    The second the portal flew open a roaring wall of flame leapt out, searing my face and crisping my hair. I cried out, falling back and covering my eyes. Sitting on my butt on the cobbles once more, I took stock of myself. My hands and arms were red like I¡¯d fallen asleep in the sun on a summer¡¯s day, nothing worse. Everything about me smarted, and a distinct burnt-hair smell told me I¡¯d need a haircut when all was said and done. But I could stand, so I did, and my heart sank. In the two minutes since the tailor had come out, the card shop beyond the door had gone from a smoking danger zone to an inferno. All I could see was the shadows of glass cases wrapped in pillars of orange. Even if I held my breath, going in there was insanity. I¡¯d be horribly burned.


    But only for a second! Once I get the card I can cast its spell and protect myself. It¡¯ll be like putting out a match with your fingers, no worse. Just¡­with your whole body, that¡¯s all. The one upside was that any magical defenses on the room had certainly burned away by now.


    That was good¡­except that I didn¡¯t know if the card was still in there.


    ¡°Come around the side!¡± someone yelled from nearby. ¡°There¡¯s an alley!¡±


    I was seconds away from discovery. My choices were the Palace cells, torture and death in the Lows, or a quick death in the fire.


    ¡°Fortune favor me!¡± I yelled, and I ran into the shop.

 8. Hull - Jokes Should Be Funny

    My feet started burning the second I crossed the threshold. I bit down on my tongue and threw myself forward. I knew right where the card was supposed to be. Every step forward felt like holes being burned straight up through to my foot bones, and it was getting harder and harder to hold my breath. My singed face felt like it was about to catch fire. This is stupid this is stupid this is stupid!


    My whole front fetched up against the glass of the tall vertical case in the corner; it was half a step closer than I¡¯d thought. Somehow the glass was even hotter than everything else around me. The blaze all around me reflected off the glass, keeping me from seeing what was behind. Is it there? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s there. I¡¯m going to die.


    I swung my hammer and shattered the glass. There, sitting pretty on its narrow little shelf, sat The Sucking Void card. Either the tailor had missed it in his mad dash or he had a cache of Epics and Mythics so valuable that this was a minor loss. No matter which it was, my heart soared, and I snatched it with eager fingers that were already starting to blister. The soft inner part of my arm snagged against the broken glass, drawing a bright line of pain down my arm that felt different, cleaner somehow than the burning hell around me. I barely noticed the blood on the glass as I drew the card to me. As much as I wanted to look at the card, to drink it in and revel in my luck, I shoved it against the side of my head behind my right ear.


    If taking in my Uncommon Relic had felt like swallowing a too-big bite of food, this was like choking down a whole rat as it kicked and wriggled. I gasped and immediately regretted it as burning air flooded my chest and I started to hack and cough, doubling over. I couldn¡¯t feel my feet, and suddenly I knew that even with my new card, I was in big trouble. The card itself tumbled about inside my Mind Home like a rock tumbling down a stairwell. Focusing through the pain, eyes tearing and throat burning, I dropped my hammer, letting it vanish into the aether, held out my right hand, and called the Nether card forth. It vibrated into being like I¡¯d snatched a hummingbird out of nothing.


    Drawing desperately on my source, I pushed it all into the card. I didn¡¯t even know if it was too much ¨C I couldn¡¯t think. I had maybe ten more seconds before I choked on smoke and died.


    The card turned to stardust, but instead of coalescing as the hammer had done, it flew toward me and stuck to my skin, forming a kind of starlight skin of armor.


    The heat vanished. My breath whistled cool and easy in my throat. I stood up straight and laughed. My hands and feet were still burned, and blood still dripped down my arm where I¡¯d cut it on the glass, but compared to the terror and desperation of a moment before, I felt like I was walking on clouds.


    No time to waste. On impulse, I grabbed another card off the narrow shelves sight unseen, jammed it into my pocket, and then darted for the door, running as hard as I could through the smoke. I fetched up against one body and then another, and hands snatched at me, but I batted them away and bulled forward. Confusion reigned and smoke wreathed everything. I kicked a bucket full of water and it flooded onto the cobbles even as I stepped through it. The iron-banded wood should have broken my toes, but I felt nothing but a gentle bump as I kept running. I couldn¡¯t see where I was going, but any place was better than here. I was young, I was fast, I couldn¡¯t be harmed, and I didn¡¯t care at all about saving the neighborhood. None of these rich fools could catch me. The streets of the Merchant District disappeared behind me.


    I felt it immediately when my minute of invulnerability guttered out. My feet suddenly hurt three times as bad, and the blood ran faster down my arm. I groaned and stumbled, but I didn¡¯t stop. If I¡¯d had any more cards inside me, they¡¯d have been temporarily stripped out of my Mind Home, leaving me vulnerable to any attack¡­ but so long as I didn¡¯t get stabbed or start another fire in the next ten to fifteen minutes, I¡¯d survive. I was streaking through the still-shadowed streets of the Lows as the sky went slowly from a glimmer of brightness in the east to the lightening blues of day. I saw old ladies sweeping their stoops and laborers trudging toward their early jobs, but none of them gave me a second look. I was back in the Lows ¨C nobody wanted to know about whatever emergency I was running from.


    Wait, I¡¯m in the Lows. What am I doing? My burned and battered feet were carrying me back to my little nook on Hook Street like I was a cow bolting for the slaughterhouse. I skidded to a halt and ducked into one of the natural eddies of the road where barrels and other clutter collected. I was on Murder Lane, three crossings from Hook Street. One of Ticosi¡¯s men was sure to be waiting near my chimneyside hidey-hole. I¡¯d almost let my unthinking panic deliver me to the Big Man of the Lows.


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    I thought through the best route to the wharf. I had the tailor¡¯s five silver bits in one pocket and my bag of shards in the other. Ticosi would have someone stationed at the docks, but if I was careful I¡¯d spot them and maybe I could slip past and buy passage out of town. The straight shot was on Broad Street, but he¡¯d have people there too. Better to loop around on the Ring Road and take the long way. Two seconds to catch my breath and I¡¯ll go. I pressed a hand against my cut arm and felt my shirt sodden with cold blood against it and the deep, urgent ache within. Maybe I could pay one of the sailors aboard ship to stitch me up once I¡¯d gotten away.


    Cursing myself for a fool, I remembered the other card I¡¯d stolen. I pulled it from my pocket and angled it into the light to get a good look.


    I made a sound that was half sigh and half snort. It was a Fire spell, so I couldn¡¯t use it, but I¡¯d half-expected that when grabbing blindly, no matter how much I hoped for another Nether card that would fit in my Mind Home. The real problem was that, despite the silver border marking it as Uncommon, it was a joke card. I¡¯d heard a gaffer talk about them once in the taverns: cards that someone had put incredible effort and time into which had no practical use in real life or dueling. It was a cruel twist. Maybe there were more useless cards than this one out there, but if so, I hoped I¡¯d never see them.


    Fate take me. Even if I didn¡¯t end up with a card I could use, I¡¯d expected to get something I could trade away to my advantage. This, though¡­I¡¯d be lucky to get a handful of rusted bits for this trash. Unless, that is, I happened to find one of those idiot collectors who made whole decks out of joke cards to amuse their idiot friends at fancy idiot parties. Folks like that lived in the Palace District or the Hills, not the Lows. I jammed it back into my pocket, disgusted. At least I got an Epic Nether card, because this one¡¯s a total loss. I mentally paused. Wait, this one was right beneath mine¡­is my card a joke card? Is that why the tailor didn¡¯t take it? The Sucking Void was supremely useful, as I¡¯d just proved by not dying in a fire, but in a place where Nether users were about as common as hen¡¯s teeth, maybe he¡¯d decided it was more novelty than treasure. After all, the loss of the Summoner¡¯s entire deck when the spell ran out would be a massive drawback for anyone who had a proper-sized deck in their Mind Home.


    Worry about it later. Get out of the neighborhood. Just as I got up to head on my way, Harker stumped into view at the far end of the street, her blond, bovine face swinging from side to side as she scanned the houses and passersby. Everyone shrank away from her visibly. Nobody wanted attention from Ticosi or his lackeys, and I could only sympathize. I shook off my fear-freeze. I needed to make myself scarce.


    There was a deep pocket of shadow not ten steps away where two angled walls and a protruding sign blocked the rising sun. The walls above were a brilliant, reflective yellow and the cobbles below shone with a fresh coat of whitewash, increasing the contrast. There was just enough space in that shadow for me to hunker down and be invisible. I hobbled over as quickly as I could, held my breath, and sent up another prayer to Fortune. I was abusing his good will today, but I needed to roll the dice one more time.


    Harker made her methodical way up the street, looking everywhere in her dull, stupid, vicious way. I didn¡¯t see her check any corners, though ¨C she was just eyeing the people on the street and generally making sure they weren¡¯t me. I¡¯d be safe if I held still. She was only fifteen steps away now, and in moments she¡¯d pass me by.


    Then, high above the rooftops, a man soared into the sky, his golden cloak snapping in the wind as he flew without wings up to where he could see the whole city at a glance. His hair gleamed black and lustrous, cascading in perfect loose curls even as he streaked through the air. He spread his arms, and a magically powerful voice boomed out over the city.


    ¡°Good morning, my beautiful ones! I see you, I watch over you, I light your homes and your hearts ¨C today and every day!¡± His voice was rich, deep, and hatefully smug.


    The Sun King was doing his sunrise ritual. The arrogant bastard never missed a day, rain or shine. Arms outstretched, he shone brighter and brighter until he became a miniature sun, shining golden rays into every nook and cranny of the city. Including mine.


    Harker had been looking up at him, just like everyone did, but she knew to look away once the King started to shine. Doing otherwise was a good way to go blind. So she glanced away, and Fortune, instead of helping me, played one of his little jokes. She was looking right at me as the Sun King stripped away my shadow and left me exposed for the whole world to see.


    The son of a bitch couldn¡¯t have ruined me any more perfectly if he¡¯d tried. He¡¯d been doing it to me since before I was born. He was my father, and right now I wanted to kill him even more than when I found out he¡¯d thrown my pregnant mother into the streets all those years before.


    Harker¡¯s smile was like the blooming of a poisonous flower. ¡°Hullo, kid,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s have a talk.¡±


    She blocked the way toward Hook Street, so I got my burned, blistered feet underneath me and ran the only direction I could: away.

 9. Hull - Rock and a Card Place

    My running feet took me back toward the Merchant District, where I could see a smear of greasy smoke rising over the rooftops. Not there. They¡¯ll have the fire brigade and the city watch crawling all over. I darted left on Pasero, a narrow lane hardly wider than a back alley, and toppled three stacked crates of gorsefruit stacked outside the grocer¡¯s on the corner. It cost me a couple of seconds, but when I looked over my shoulder another ten steps down the street, I saw Harker slip on one of the soft green things, going down hard. I cackled. It was almost worth the pain in my feet to watch her eat cobblestones.


    Pasero let out onto Broad Street with its wide expanse of horse-drawn carts heading down to the wharf. Could I hide in the back of a wagon and let it take me safely to the ships? My feet thought that sounded like a grand idea, and so did my throbbing, bleeding arm. I slowed, looking over the tall wooden sides of the wagons nearby, hoping to find a deep bed of hay or some loose sacks of goods I could squirm underneath.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Harker brayed from the intersection at Pasero I¡¯d left behind not too many seconds past. Her jacket was ripped at one elbow, her face was red, and she was pointing at me. ¡°Him! Get him!¡±


    One evil-looking fellow with a scraggly beard on the far side of the street leapt into action, and a quick look around showed a tall, muscular lad sprinting toward me from where he¡¯d been lounging against a wall. Shit. Ticosi¡¯s thugs were spread all over ¨C no easy ride to the wharf for me.


    The wagons were between me and Evil Eye, but Muscles was coming at me fast from wharfside, so I doubled back and headed the other way. My groaning body, ready to give up a moment before, found its second wind ¨C or maybe its third ¨C and I stutter-stepped between a woman carrying a water jug on her head and a man pushing a wheeled barrow full of dung. They both cursed me roundly and then screamed as Muscles plowed past them, dumping water and manure both to the cobbles.


    The kid could have folded me into a carrying case, but he¡¯d have to catch me first, and even with hurt feet, I was faster. I high-tailed it up Broad Street, ducking between carts, weaving around passers-by, and generally making myself as much of a greased pig as I could. Ticosi¡¯s boys were floundering against the flow of humanity, and I could hear Harker shouting rage at them from further back. Never chase a street kid. You¡¯ll lose every time.


    Then a stream of caustic acid spattered against the stones next to my feet, sending tiny droplets against my skin that stung and smoked. I looked down and saw holes eating through the coarse fabric of my trousers. A summoned troglodyte perched on the rear gate of the nearest wagon, and it was already snorting up more goop to spit at me.


    I leapt aside, scrambling between a team of horses and their driver, and I had to duck under the reins as he kicked at me, growling something about urchins. A bare moment later he had his hands full as the horse up front reared and screamed, jerking the entire wagon forward. I had to dive out of the way to keep from losing a few burned toes under the wagon¡¯s iron-bound front wheel. Looked like Harker or whoever¡¯s troglodyte Soul didn¡¯t mind sowing a little chaos ¨C I could almost respect that. The little blighter was down on all fours on the cobblestones, loping forward on both hands and feet at a disturbing speed. Enough dicking around ¨C it¡¯s time to get out of here.


    I mustered my flagging strength and tore up the street. I felt the troglodyte¡¯s claws snagging in the trailing, torn threads of my trousers¡¯ hem, but it couldn¡¯t quite get close enough to trip up my ankles. I bobbed and weaved with all my might, hoping its next spit wouldn¡¯t land right between my shoulders. I was well into the Merchant District now, and I could hear the roar and swell of a huge mass of people not far off. Oh, that¡¯s right. The rich kids¡¯ tourney would be starting any time now, and the Coliseum of the Twins where it was held was just up the road on the border between the Merchant and Palace Districts.


    The Coliseum will be crawling with palace guards and city watch types. If I¡¯m right under their noses I can play the poor mistaken beggar and they¡¯ll keep this troggie off me. Even Harker won¡¯t dare interfere. It was a sign of how desperate I was that I was considering putting myself within sight of The Law.


    I still had two blocks to go, and this little green bastard was going to burn off my skin and eat my eyeballs before I ever got there. I still couldn¡¯t feel my Sucking Void card or my Hateful Hammer in my Mind Home, but some indefinable part of me knew it wouldn¡¯t be much longer. My Nether source, on the other hand, was there and ready. It was time to use my old standby and put a little rage to use.


    I could feel my six little knots of source in the left side of my soul in a clearer way than ever before. It was almost as if having an actual Spell and a Relic in the right side of my Mind Home clarified everything else about me. That Nether source was mine, a product of my life and experiences, and it was there to be used. I pulled two of the sources into my left hand, feeling them form into cards that I threw overhead to form into spiky purple balls of Nether, first one and then the second as soon as I was able. I felt a clawed hand latch onto my bare heel and pull hard.


    Now! I pulled all of my summoned source into my body, wringing both spheres totally dry to get every last drop of rage and power. At the same time I stopped in my tracks, and the slimy, lithe little swamp Soul barreled into the backs of my legs. Its many-fanged mouth was open, and as much by accident as anything else, several of the teeth pierced the back of my right thigh. It burned like fire. The damn thing was too confused to bite down; it couldn¡¯t figure out why I had suddenly stopped.


    I showed it exactly why by grabbing it by the back of the neck, wrenching it around to my front, and smashing it face-first into the cobbles. Troggers were scary fast and could swarm together to strip a wild ox down to bones faster than I could eat a stolen sticky bun, but they weren¡¯t so tough on their own. If it had been a living troglodyte its skull would have smashed into a red mess on the street. Instead, the summoned Soul shattered into sparkling bits of light and disappeared.


    Harker and her boys would be on me any second. I forced myself back into a run. I couldn¡¯t even feel my feet anymore, which was probably bad, and a cold numbness was spreading down the back of my leg where the troglodyte had bitten me. I couldn¡¯t go much further. The small rear entrance of the Coliseum loomed ahead on the right. I can make it. I have to make it.


    ¡°Hull! Stop!¡± I heard Harker scream.


    I had to laugh. Does she actually think I¡¯ll stop just ¡®cause she yells it? Ridiculous.


    The laughter was short lived. If she had one troglodyte card, she likely had another, and I knew she had Order, too. Any moment a summoned sneak thief or water moccasin would be on top of me. She was yelling to distract me, not because she thought I¡¯d obey. The wide beams of the Coliseum gate were still twenty strides away, and I was moving slower with every step. That damned troglodyte had definitely poisoned me. I wasn¡¯t going to make it. A glance over my shoulder showed Harker running as hard as she could, face red with rage and stupidity. Evil Eye and Muscles weren¡¯t far behind, and there were at least two summoned human Souls with them, too.


    It was a good try, I told myself. You got further than anyone would have expected. Now turn around and go down swinging ¨C maybe they¡¯ll be mad enough to kill you before Ticosi shows up.


    Heart full of rage and body full of heaviness, I swung around and brought up my fists. The gates of the Coliseum were only ten steps away, but Harker and the others were only five.


    One of the summoned Souls pulled out in front, a tough man carrying a slim sword he obviously knew how to use. His vibrancy and extra-presentness made it clear he was a card.


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    That made me glad, somehow: I didn¡¯t want Harker to be the one to lay hands on me first. She was the worst.


    The Soul had his sword poised to skewer me as he rushed forward, and I tensed against the feeling of steel I knew would invade my flesh any second. Here comes the bad part.


    Instead, when he surged toward me, he vanished less than an arm¡¯s length distant. Harker and the others ground to a halt, gaping. He hadn¡¯t shattered into light as summoned Souls did when they were defeated; he¡¯d simply gone poof. Ticosi¡¯s goons shared a baffled glance, and then Harker reached for me.


    But then two armored guards clanked up on either side of me, having watched the whole thing with professional disinterest from right inside the gates.


    ¡°This Tournament is a controlled zone,¡±  the taller one said, hand on his sword hilt. ¡°Any unauthorized Summoning within a stone¡¯s throw of the gates gets dispelled. If you want to enter the tourney, table¡¯s over there. If you¡¯re here to watch, the main gate is up the street; it¡¯s three bits. Either way, you¡¯ll have to check your weapons.¡± He gave a meaningful glance to Harker and the studded club in her hand.


    I took the moment to slip behind them and back away into the Coliseum gates. The guards were totally focused on the obvious threat presented by the obvious criminals and their obviously combat-oriented summoned Souls. Harker was trying to paste an innocent smile onto her ugly mug without much success, and it looked like Evil Eye was edging backwards toward the flow of wagons heading down to the docks. Two more steps and I was inside the gates and into the plaza ringing the Coliseum.


    ¡°Fortune save me, you¡¯re not trying to sign up, are you?¡± said a man¡¯s voice in disgust.


    I whirled around and saw the speaker sitting at a table flanked by two guards. The man was spare, bald, and had the subtle vibrancy of a summoned Soul.


    ¡°Sign up?¡± I asked stupidly. Half my brain was still back outside the gates where I¡¯d nearly just died.


    He pressed his lips together and his spidery hands into the table. ¡°I speak five languages fluently and can translate from another ten,¡± he said, looking to the sky. ¡°My cataloging system has been in use in the Royal Library for more than a hundred years. I could run this kingdom with one hand and pen an epic poem with the other. Why does that pile of excrement Pamplus have me manning the brackets?¡± He looked back at me with the falsest, most offensive smile I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°You have at least two cards?¡±


    I stepped back and balled my fists. Summoned Soul or not, I could beat this toady to a pulp any day. ¡°They¡¯re mine,¡± I said, low and flat.


    ¡°I know they¡¯re yours,¡± he said, bored. ¡°That¡¯s the point. One can¡¯t enter without at least two cards in their Mind Home.¡±


    ¡°Enter?¡± I said, my thoughts finally catching up. ¡°You mean the rich kids¡¯ tournament?¡±


    His lips quirked. ¡°Thank you for saying what we¡¯re all thinking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entering,¡± I told him. ¡°Just catching my breath for a minute and I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡±


    He frowned and pasted the few strands crossing the top of his head back in place. ¡°Are you certain, young man? Even if you only win a match or two, you could walk away with a wealth of cards greater than you¡¯d see for the rest of your life.¡± He eyed me up and down. ¡°Make that five lifetimes.¡±


    I laughed at him. ¡°Do I look like a duelist? I don¡¯t even know the rules.¡± I leaned forward onto my knees. My head was swimming unpleasantly. I couldn¡¯t feel the knee under my own hand on the leg where I¡¯d been bitten.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest,¡± he said primly. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t piss on you if you were on fire. But our illustrious Prince started showing off and scared away one too many of the merchant-class competitors, and if I don¡¯t find another duelist in the next ten minutes, I¡¯ll have to remake the entire bracket. I could do it, but I¡¯ve been summoned for nearly the whole day and I¡¯m tired. Put your name on the line and I¡¯ll give you a gold crown after your first match.¡±


    I eyed him suspiciously. Everything was looking fuzzier than I wanted to admit, and I couldn¡¯t feel my hands now, either. ¡°You¡¯re a Soul. You don¡¯t have money.¡±


    He clicked his tongue in irritation. ¡°Who do you think my Summoner is? Pamplus might be a toad and a lecher, but he¡¯s also the King¡¯s Underchamberlain. He has all the money a man could ever need and then some.¡±


    Now that was interesting. I liked the thought of making an easy gold crown ¨C that would make it much easier to leave town ¨C but even more than that, I had a sudden vision of traipsing into the King¡¯s Palace with a dagger hidden up my sleeve. I opened my mouth to ask him more, but suddenly the world tilted and I was looking at a bright blue sky overhead. I couldn¡¯t move, and coldness was creeping up my chest. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was breathing.


    ¡°Twins tangle me,¡± I heard the scribe Soul groan. ¡°Hermika! I need you! This dirty rat is going to save me from having to redo the entire lineup. Don¡¯t let him die, please.¡±


    I heard someone trot up grumbling, and the sun overhead dimmed as someone leaned over me. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m going to have to take a bath after this. Two baths.¡±


    A cool hand pressed against my forehead, and suddenly it felt as if I¡¯d been thrown into a winter lake. I gasped and thrashed, yelling incoherently, and then went limp on the ground. I was exhausted.


    I blinked. My vision was clear again, and I could feel my whole body. I sat up and stared at my feet. They didn¡¯t hurt at all. Nothing on my body hurt at all!


    ¡°What¨C¡± I muttered, passing my hands all over myself. I felt great.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± a woman crouched next to me said sourly, rubbing her hands vigorously on her white apron. ¡°Another ten minutes and your lungs would have filled with fluid. I don¡¯t know what happened to you, but don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I said fervently. I scrambled to my feet.


    ¡°Healing is expensive,¡± the scribe said, leaning forward over his table, quill in hand. ¡°The King doesn¡¯t give away these services for free.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to call her!¡± I protested.


    ¡°A single match and we¡¯ll call it even,¡± he said, holding out the quill to me. ¡°Just sign your name. Make an X if you can¡¯t write.¡±


    ¡°I can write,¡± I told him. ¡°But I¡¯m telling you I can¡¯t enter the tournament. I don¡¯t know how to duel!¡± I wanted to run away, but the guards were back at the gates, having successfully chased off Harker and the others. If I tried to bolt, I was sure it wouldn¡¯t go well for me. Nobody wearing armor could keep from clobbering a street kid that was running away. It was in the rules somewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s enter the tourney or get turned over to the Watch for theft of services,¡± the scribe said with a nasty smile. ¡°I heard you ask for healing. Hermika, didn¡¯t you hear that?¡±


    The healer woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Ugh, are we extorting street children now?¡±


    ¡°Hermika¡­¡± the scribe Soul said in a warning tone.


    She sighed. ¡°Fine, I heard it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ liars!¡± I gaped at both of them. Of course I knew rich folks always played false ¨C that was how they got rich ¨C but I wasn¡¯t used to them doing it to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll feel very bad about it in Pamplus¡¯ Mind Home tonight,¡± the scribe Soul assured me. ¡°Sign here, please.¡±


    I took one more look at the gate. Harker and her toadies were sure to be lurking nearby and watching for me. Even if I made it past the guards, they¡¯d be there, and my cards still weren¡¯t refreshed and ready to summon. I was stuck.


    ¡°I get the gold crown after my first match,¡± I told him, reaching for the quill but not taking it yet.


    ¡°My word of honor,¡± the Soul said blithely.


    He pulled out a paper with a strange, branching tree on it. Each straight line had a name written above it, and he pointed to one where the name Corbicus had been crossed out. ¡°Right here, please.¡±


    I dipped the quill in his pot of ink and scratched HULL above the crossed-out name. My penmanship was bad, but seeing as how I was probably the only seventeen-year-old from the Lows that even knew how to read, I ignored the prissy fellow¡¯s judgmental sniff.


    He scattered sand on the ink to soak up the extra. ¡°Welcome to the Rising Stars Tournament, Hull. Go through the tunnel over there, ask for Garrod, and tell him you¡¯re my new number 27. He¡¯ll understand, and he¡¯ll get you a list of the rules. Your first match starts in less than an hour.¡±


    ¡°And then I get my gold,¡± I said, fixing him with a firm eye.


    He laughed as he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind, young man: you¡¯re not half bad. Those rich kids you were talking about had better watch themselves.¡± He pointed toward the tunnel leading into the Coliseum, shooing me on. ¡°Fortune favor your Summons!¡±

 10. Basil - Todays the Day

    By the time I joined my family for an early breakfast I had slept perhaps an hour in total, a few snatches here and there when my eyes could no longer focus on the crabbed script of the Fire card textbook, and none of it by choice.


    As usual, my parents and brothers were preoccupied with their own affairs and so paid little attention to me despite my obvious rumpled appearance and the fact that today marked the beginning of the Rising Stars Tournament. The closest they got to acknowledging the occasion was my mother mentioning that she couldn¡¯t wait to have another woman in the family ¨C followed by a pointed look my way ¨C to which I did my best to respond neutrally. It seemed that neither Esmi nor her parents had alerted my family about the impending possibility that our engagement might be called off or that I¡¯d likely be facing a foreign noble at some point today. My father ¨C who looked even more exhausted than me, as he always did from an evening spent refreshing the city guard Souls around the Noble District ¨C would have certainly roused himself to give me a gruff speech if he thought the pairing he had worked so hard on was in any sort of jeopardy.


    To his credit, Gale made a commotion when I got up to leave, tapping his fork against his stemmed water glass. When he had the family¡¯s attention, he said, ¡°To our little Basil. May he rise as far as he can today.¡±


    Randel favored the poor quip with a brief laugh, while my mother pursed her lips and my father opened his.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Tipfin was exaggerating,¡± he said, which made my heart dip ¨C what had the old duelist told them before he had left? ¨C ¡°and that you¡¯ll do fine. Soldier through, as we all must. If it goes poorly, well,¡± he spread his hands over his half eaten eggs and sausage as if they were somehow relevant to my future, ¡°you have more important things on the horizon, and a job that will never be in doubt.¡±


    The City Guard, and thus my father, always needed more people to summon and check on the vast network of Soul cards that policed Treledyne, keeping it safe. My older brothers had somehow managed to weasel out of the responsibility so far, but I knew that unless I acquitted myself well in the Rising Stars Tournament and then in the invitation-only war camp that was to follow, I would not be so lucky. Of course, I wasn¡¯t about to tell my father anything concerning my alternate plans. That conversation would come after I had achieved what I needed, in which case he¡¯d have no choice but to recognize that I was meant for something different than his own calling.


    For now though, I simply said, ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, dear,¡± my mother added. ¡°Letting anyone with two cards to rub together enter this tourney is a surefire way to entice opportunists and ruffians to attend. When you¡¯re not competing, stay in the noble dorms and venues.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± I echoed but with even less enthusiasm. I had heard that many people viewed participation in the Rising Stars Tournament as a coming of adulthood, and it would have been nice if my own family could have treated it the same. Instead, she was acting like I had never been in the lower districts before, which I had, on at least a half dozen occasions.


    With those pleasantries complete, I left our home, taking the smallest of our carriages to the tournament grounds. The location wasn¡¯t far from our estate, since we lived close to the center of the Noble District ¨C one of the few advantages to being one of the less wealthy noble families.


    I thought it might be quiet, what with it only being a few hours after sunrise, but the large open-air space within the large arena was already abustle with activity. A mixture of men and Soul cards were setting up multiple wooden stages, each of which rested a few inches off of the ground and was clearly meant for summoners to use for their dueling.


    They were all square and thirty feet across, I knew without measure, because that was regulation to ensure that there was always twenty four feet between summoners at the start of the match, along with a bit of extra space behind each duelist to provide them some maneuverability.


    Food stands were also setting up on the edges of the walled space. From watching past tournaments here I knew they¡¯d have helpers who¡¯d walk the tiered seats, hawking everything from meat pies to spiced wine.


    I never could eat before a duel though, so I moved past the various workers, living and vibrant Souls alike, making my way to an oversized board on the north side. There, on an enormous piece of stretched parchment, were a series of plates with names, connected by lines made from inlaid gold: the bracket for the tournament. Like a hawk, I zeroed in on my quarter of the competition:


    The first thing that leapt out at me was that I had no opponent in my first round. Some people liked getting a bye, as it was called, a free win, but I wanted nothing of the sort. After all the time I had spent contemplating an alternate version of my deck, as well as not finishing my last match with Tipfin, I needed an opportunity to warm up. The first match of a seeded tournament was usually the perfect opportunity since my opponent at that point would almost certainly not be as skilled as those I would face later on. In addition, in every match a card was wagered, so not having a first opponent meant that I was missing out on earning a card that could enhance my deck. While I had decided against adding any Water, I would certainly consider an Order, Air, or neutral Relic card, especially if it was a Rare or higher.


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    Someone must have registered and then dropped out at the last moment ¨C it was the only explanation for why there would be a gap for the 27th seed and not later. If I really didn¡¯t have an opponent at the start, I could at least watch Throice and Lily compete since I¡¯d be facing the victor of their match in the next round. Sometimes knowing what type of deck an opponent employed was key to leveraging a win, and if the Twins were kind, they would send me a few easy victories today. Or I could try to figure out who Esmi¡¯s mystery suitor was. A Spell-heavy Fire deck should be easy to spot, and if what she said was true about his dueling prowess, knowing how to defeat him would be the most important information I could find. Unless the reason for the missing slot was him paying someone to let him take it over, in which case the blank space next to mine wouldn¡¯t remain that way for long, and I wouldn¡¯t have any chance to scout him before I faced him across the dueling square.


    I was breathing faster than was necessary as I turned away from the board, my mind a jumble of half-formed ideas of what I should do next. I was considering summoning some Order source to calm myself, when I spotted a familiar face in the growing crowd.


    ¡°Warrick, you came!¡± I said, unable to keep the immense relief at seeing him out of my voice. ¡°But you swore up and down you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    The tall noble sighed dramatically when he reached me. ¡°I nearly didn¡¯t,¡± he said, ¡°but then I¡¯d be a poor excuse for a friend. Can¡¯t be terrible at everything, can I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a terrible duelist,¡± I told him, to which he gave me a flat look. I didn¡¯t press the point because I could tell it wouldn¡¯t help him feel any better. Even though he was of age to compete in the Rising Stars tournament, his family hadn¡¯t sponsored him for the event. Instead, they had given that honor to the best student in the school they ran, some girl whose name I also didn¡¯t know. I could respect the merit of the decision, the fairness, but at the same time I felt badly for my friend. He could have chosen to enter the tournament on his own, but the truth was he really wasn¡¯t a very good duelist.


    In an effort to distract him from his own woes, I described my own predicament, to which he let out a rueful whistle.


    ¡°Fate has you over a barrel and Fortune isn¡¯t helping,¡± he said. ¡°Any idea who the bastard is?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue,¡± I said, turning back to the bracket board. ¡°Demane. That sounds like a Charbonder, doesn¡¯t it? Or maybe Plutar?¡±


    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Warrick replied, unhelpfully. ¡°I saw a vampire on the way here, though.¡±


    That was enough to yank my attention away from the brackets. ¡°A vampire? Here? In the daylight?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Warrick said, ¡°and not just here, competing.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve taken the joke too far. Even without a night of sleep, you can¡¯t expect me to believe that.¡±


    Warrick was shaking his head the whole time, denying my refusal to believe him, but it wasn¡¯t he who answered me.


    ¡°She¡¯s a foreign dignitary and was given special dispensation to compete by my father. Not that I¡¯d expect lesser nobility to know that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even need to turn around to know who the smugly pompous yet perfectly polished voice belonged to. I had been hearing it off and on throughout my whole life, and interactions with it always led to me feeling much worse about myself afterward.


    I turned around because it was the only proper thing to do, and there, flanked by his two toadies as always, was the crown prince, Gerad of Treledyne. His clothes were the height of fashion: a stiff high collar, long cuffed sleeves, smooth pants tucked into tall boots, and every inch of those items stitched with intricate patterns likely made from gold thread, so that he shone nearly as much as his father, the Sun King. His long, wavy black hair was tied back, and his condescending smirk was one I had seen many, many times before.


    ¡°Gerad,¡± I said, giving him half a bent knee as was appropriate given our difference in stations, and I heard Warrick do the same beside me. When I straightened, I did my best to put us on a pleasant path, saying, ¡°Are there any opponents you¡¯re excited to face, my prince? Perhaps this vampire ambassador?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Hardly. This is a tournament for children. Forcing me to compete before I¡¯m allowed to attend the War Camp or regular tourneys is an obscene joke. I could face every duelist here at once and not break a sweat in claiming victory.¡±


    It was a ridiculous boast, but if the rumors about his deck containing nearly all Mythic cards was true, he might actually be right.


    ¡°Reggie is in the same portion of the bracket as the vampire. Lustra, she¡¯s called,¡± the prince continued, gesturing to the boy on his right, ¡°and I expect him to make short work of her.¡± Gerad smiled toothily, his teeth pristine. ¡°It¡¯s important that we show those bloodless curs what we men and women of Treledyne are capable of, after all.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my prince,¡± Reginald of Turmas said. He was a stocky boy with shorter legs, which I always found a touch odd since his family was in charge of our military¡¯s cavalry.


    As Fortune would have it, Esmi arrived at the bracket board then. This time she was bereft of kobolds but carried herself with a commanding grace I found enchanting. The curtsy she gave the prince was a hair less deep than the leg I had done ¨C her family was more powerful and respected than my own. She turned to me, a smile on her lips until she looked down and saw that I wasn¡¯t wearing her gift on either of my arms.


    I immediately wanted to rid her of that look of confused disappointment, my musings that she might be trying to undercut my performance discarded. ¡°Could we go somewhere private? To¡­to¡­,¡± I stammered, finding it much harder to speak to someone of her beauty with other people watching me.


    ¡°A kiss or even more isn¡¯t going to give you the kind of luck you need win, Basil,¡± the prince¡¯s other toadie said, Losum of Drakk.


    I shot the tall, crass boy a hateful look. He was the one I had been training with Tipfin to defeat, and after that comment, I wanted nothing more than the opportunity to grind his Archer Souls into the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I said, turning back to Esmi. ¡°I ¨C ¡±


    A horn sounded, which meant I had been staring at the bracket and then talking with my peers much longer than I had realized. It was time for the tournament to begin.


    Esmi gave the prince another shallow curtsy and departed, favoring me with a brief backward glance that nearly ripped out my heart. The prince said something cutting before leaving, but for once I didn¡¯t listen. It wasn¡¯t until Warrick spoke up that I heard anything at all in truth.


    ¡°Fate is giving you no breaks today.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± I asked without looking at him. I was still watching Esmi on her path away from me, wanting nothing more than to run after her, to explain everything, but there just wasn¡¯t time.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a free round anymore as your first,¡± Warrick explained. ¡°They just added a new nameplate. Someone called¡­Hull?¡±

 11. Hull - No Such Thing as Fair

    I frantically scanned the long page that the bored functionary had pressed into my hand and tried to ignore the odd flapping of the page he¡¯d pinned to the back of my shirt. It had an oversized ¡°27¡± painted on it, which I could only assume was my competition number. The list of rules, on the other hand¡­ ¡°This is hopeless,¡± I said to myself as I scanned it.


    These weren¡¯t the rules, they were just a list of terms that these rich tits all learned in their cradles while their parents fed them sunfruit juice and bits of wyvern veal. These kids probably shit card shards and gold nuggets, and here I am going in blind. What am I doing here? That bastard scribe Soul had strong-armed me into this, and the more I thought about it, the more I doubted I¡¯d ever see that gold crown he promised. I could just see myself tugging on sleeve of the High Lord Muckety-Muck Underchamberlain and telling him some scribe card had said he owed me gold. The scribe would be nowhere in sight, I was sure, and the fellow would clap me in chains long before he bothered summoning the Soul to ask him about it. You got greedy, and that¡¯s how you got taken. You know better. Still, I wasn¡¯t sure what I could have done differently. I¡¯d just have to suffer through it. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d actually let some rich kid murder me in one of their duels. Not that the rules sheet said anything about that.


    I stopped at the mouth of the tunnel, all thoughts forgotten. The unfocused, joyful roar of the crowd squeezed me like a fist. The stone arena rose on all sides, and there were more people crowded in than I¡¯d ever even imagined existing. I knew the capital was big, but this¡­! People in vibrant purple silks and feathered hats rubbed shoulders and traded jibes with leather-smocked artisans and crabbed grandfathers. Vendors with boxes strapped to their chests sold breads and fruits and beer, yelling cheerfully to be heard over the din and adding to it themselves. I didn¡¯t even have a number for how many people there were. The Coliseum was enormous, obviously ¨C I¡¯d seen it more than a handful of times on trips down to the docks ¨C but I¡¯d never been inside before. The tiered stone benches rose up and up and up toward the sky a good five times taller than the highest tenement in the Lows, and there wasn¡¯t an empty spot in sight. The people of Treledyne loved their duels.


    Gulping, I focused on the arena floor. Big, square wooden platforms checkered the sand, each with a number painted on the floorboards big enough to be seen from the cheap seats up high. Several of the ones nearby had other young folk clustered near the stairs wearing competitor numbers like me, but they weren¡¯t like me. One girl wore a blue gown that was nicer than anything I¡¯d ever seen before. Her copper hair swept up in an elaborate shape that looked like a tower with curls falling off the top. She was so pretty it hurt, and the look she gave me as I walked past hurt even more. I could almost hear her thoughts: What is that kid doing here? If she were on my street I¡¯d have broken her nose for a look like that, but as things stood, I could only agree with her. I put my head down and hurried past. I was supposed to go to platform 12. No one was dueling yet, so there was no point in lingering. All it would earn me was more ugly stares.


    One final glance at the useless ¡°rules¡± sheet confirmed that there wasn¡¯t much to be learned. It had a list of the sources ¨C never heard of Fae; that¡¯s something new at least ¨C and all the abilities cards could have. Some made such perfect sense that they didn¡¯t even need to be listed and others were things I¡¯d never heard of and didn¡¯t really understand. Overkill I recognized from my Hateful Hammer, Armor was obvious, and Fast Attack was at least sort of self-evident. Focus and Devote weren¡¯t terms I knew, but they matched up with my experience of using my own source: I could either tap into one of my summoned sources for a normal amount of Nether and it would refresh itself quickly, or I could wring it totally dry for twice as much and it¡¯d take twice as long to be useful again. Intervene, on the other hand, was so convoluted that I couldn¡¯t even make sense of it.


    ¡°Twins tangle me,¡± I sighed, tucking the paper behind my belt. Knowing terms wouldn¡¯t save me. As I thought through what I was going to do, I realized I had exactly one good trick: casting my Sucking Void spell to protect me from damage and then pummeling the other kid into submission with my Nether-enhanced Hammer before my invincibility ran out and I lost. The real problem was that some of these rich snots probably had decks with ten or more cards in them, and I¡¯d have to strip those out of their Mind Homes by dealing damage before I could win. The more cards they had, the longer that would take, and the less likely it was I¡¯d last through the match. The fact that I¡¯d owned both of my cards for less than a day and summoned them both exactly once wasn¡¯t doing me any favors, either.


    So be it. Swallow your pride, lose the match quick, get your gold piece if you can, and then slip out the front entrance when there¡¯s a big crowd. As I approached platform 12, though, I knew I¡¯d fight with all I had. It was the only thing I knew how to do.


    I climbed the steps to the platform and saw a boy on the far corner. He was as noble as nobles came: fine-featured, blond-haired, and about as big around as a lamppost. He caught sight of me, and his pretty brow wrinkled in confusion. I walked right over to him.


    ¡°Are¡­you my opponent?¡± he asked. He even sounded noble.


    ¡°Looks like,¡± I said. ¡°If you win the match, I¡¯m going to beat the shit out of you.¡±


    He took a step back, looking around for an adult. ¡°Threats will get you disqualified. We¡¯re not even supposed to talk.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± I gave him a look that said I absolutely mean it. Not that I actually believed I¡¯d get the chance to tear into him one way or the other ¨C they weren¡¯t going to let me beat up a fancy kid in front of everybody, the world didn¡¯t work like that ¨C but if it made him hesitate as we dueled, so much the better. ¡°Do we just start, or what?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­?¡± he sputtered, indignant. ¡°Stand over there, behind the other line in the corner, and wait for the announcer to call the match. Did they not tell you the rules?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. It was a stupid question.


    I stood in my corner. Some of the other pairs had started fighting already, but I didn¡¯t dare pay too much attention now, because a faint blue sheen fuzzed into existence around my platform, and a voice boomed overhead.


    ¡°Welcome to our first bout, folk of Treledyne!¡± The voice was resonant and deep, and I couldn¡¯t tell where it was coming from. Whoever it was, it sounded like he was smiling even as he spoke. ¡°Those of you closest to box 12, get your food and set yourselves down ¨C we¡¯re about to begin! Basil of House Hintal, our sixth-seed competitor, is facing off against¡­¡± there was a magnified shuffling of papers, ¡°a late entrant. Hull? Is that a name, or a ship?¡±


    The rabble in the stands laughed and jeered, and I looked around again for the son of a bitch making fun of me. He could have been anywhere. All the laughing faces made my blood boil.


    ¡°Fate and Fortune save our blessed King, who lets even the lowest of his citizens compete to better their own lives!¡± the announcer continued. ¡°This may be a short match, my friends, but you never know. Perhaps our dirty friend has a trick up his sleeve. An attack of lice, perhaps?¡±


    I tuned him out. Even my lice could trounce this pansy noble boy, and I wasn¡¯t going to waste my anger on some bastard commentator I couldn¡¯t even see. I¡¯d find the smug, honey-voiced whoreson later and kick his balls into his stomach. For now, I had other things to attend to.


    ¡°First things first!¡± the announcer sang. ¡°Let¡¯s make this official, shall we?¡±


    A shimmer appeared in the air around the dueling box. I jumped just a little as the sheen rose past me into a rounded arch overhead, enclosing us entirely. As it sealed itself, the sound from the crowd dropped just a notch. I could still hear everything, but it was like an invisible curtain had been pulled between me and the crowd.


    ¡°For you little ones that have never been to the Coliseum before,¡± the announcer said cheerily, ¡°the dome protects us from the competitors and the competitors from each other. It¡¯s a finely-tuned bit of magic: it¡¯ll keep any stray fireballs from ruining your mommy¡¯s hair, and whoever loses ¨C let¡¯s be honest, I think we know who that¡¯ll be, right? ¨C won¡¯t get his guts spread all over the boards when he runs out of cards. Not only that, for fairness¡¯ sake, anyone inside the dome is able to see every card as it¡¯s cast as well as an aura that tells them how many cards their opponent has remaining. Now, I know, I know, you¡¯re outside the dome, my friends, but that¡¯s why you¡¯ve got me! I have a pair of the King¡¯s Gamemaster Glasses that let me see everything about these two: the cards in their Mind Homes, their sources, and if I squint just right, what they had for breakfast. Our dirty friend Hull really likes a good mud pie, from the looks of it.¡±


    The crowd jeered me, and the irritating announcer laughed. ¡°Just kidding about that last part. Now let¡¯s get serious, folks: it¡¯s time.¡± His voice dropped in pitch, taking on more reverent tones. ¡°Fate who guides and Fortune who saves, these your servants offer themselves in the sacred contest of will and skill. Seal this combat with your divine power and show them the cost of coming before their gods!¡±


    The crowd chanted, ¡°SO BE IT,¡± the whole thing sounding like a ritual. Only the slice of bleachers nearest us gave the shout; the others were all focused on other matches. I had no idea what the whole thing was about.


    Then I felt a tug behind my right ear, and the Sucking Void disappeared out of my Mind Home, flying up into the air just beyond my outstretched fingertips.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± I yelled, jumping for it. The card jerked upward, hovering just out reach.


    ¡°Oho, will you look at that!¡± the announcer crowed. ¡°Hull the Guttersnipe is sitting on an Epic, and a Nether at that. Twins tickle me, who¡¯d have thought?¡±


    A magnified version of my card shone in the air high above the dome, and the crowd lost their minds, yelling, cheering, and throwing bits of food that vaporized as soon as they hit the barrier surrounding the ring.


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    ¡°Never fear, little man, you¡¯ll get it back,¡± the voice said indulgently. ¡°Hold onto your rags for a moment.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I called out.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the ante,¡± the blond wisp named Basil yelled back. A card flew up from behind his own ear and was magnified in the air next to mine.


    Basil grimaced at the sight and shrugged fatalistically. ¡°You get it back for the match; don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just the Twins showing us what card is at stake if we lose.¡±


    My heart seized in my chest. ¡°If I lose, I have to give you my card?!¡±


    The boy shrugged, looking as if he was explaining water being wet.


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± I raged. ¡°I withdraw!¡± In the back of my mind, I remembered hearing something about this from folks talking about duels in the taverns, but somehow I hadn¡¯t put two and two together. I¡¯d only just gotten my hands on this amazing, perfect card, and now this sniveling rich prick was trying to take it from me.


    ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s having second thoughts,¡± the announcer cooed overhead, as if I¡¯d done something naughty. ¡°Sorry, my smelly young friend, once the Twins seal the match, there¡¯s no backing out. If you want to keep your card, you¡¯ll have to win.¡±


    The crowd booed and hissed at me, and more food sizzled against the barrier. Basil nodded apologetically and spread his hands. I¡¯d have gladly killed them all.


    The cards floated back down, and my spell evaded my fingers once more, slotting in behind my ear and reappearing in my Mind Home. It was like my heart had come back to me, and I sighed in relief.


    ¡°Competitors, draw your cards,¡± the announcer intoned.


    I felt something give way in my Mind Home, and suddenly both my Hateful Hammer and the Sucking Void were begging to be pulled forth. I called them into my right hand, and both dropped at the same time. I tried to pull as many Nether into my left as I could, and only three formed as cards in that hand. Apparently in formal duels there was a limit to how many cards you could draw up front.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give them a moment to mulligan¡­¡± the voice said.


    Mulligan? I had no idea. Basil flicked a card back behind his ear, where it was reabsorbed, and another appeared in his hand. Maybe we were allowed to swap out cards in our opening hand? Didn¡¯t matter to me; I didn¡¯t have any others to draw.


    ¡°And now, the opening gambit,¡± the announcer said.


    Once again, I didn¡¯t know what that was, and I looked around blankly. On the far side of the square Basil plucked a source card into his left hand and turned it around to show. It was Air source, and it formed into a ball of clouds that floated up over his head. ¡°Pick a source and show it,¡± he told me. ¡°It determines who goes first.¡±


    All this stupid song and dance just so we could beat each other up. I pulled a Nether, showed it to him, and threw it overhead. The spiky purple ball gave me some comfort. It was my bad old friend that let me hurt people.


    ¡°Could our young mystery man be playing nothing but Nether?¡± the announcer asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a Nether user take the field in years! But even if he¡¯s an Order/Nether split, it¡¯s a good play. Planar sources trump Elemental ones, so Master Hull goes first.¡±


    A momentary hush descended over our corner of the arena and the crowd leaned forward expectantly. The announcer spoke in his grandest tones. ¡°Gentlemen, do your worst. Fortune favor your summons!¡±


    Finally. It was time to thrash this kid. I tried casting another Nether overhead, but it remained stuck to my hand.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve got a total novice!¡± the announcer laughed. ¡°Only drawing two summons cards? Trying to put up a second source when he¡¯s gone first? Lunacy. How¡¯d this kid end up with an Epic?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± I snapped. I shifted all my cards to one hand, draining my one source dry ¨C devoting it, that¡¯s what they call it ¨C and channeling the Nether power into my Hateful Hammer.


    It shimmered into being in my free fist, and I ran across the open space right at Basil, hammer overhead. I could have cast my Sucking Void first, but Basil was dithering over his cards, and the sooner I cast it, the sooner it ran out. Summoning my weapon meant I didn¡¯t have any spare Nether to power up the blow, but the Hammer would do some damage all on its own, and I wasn¡¯t going to wait any longer.


    ¡°Hull comes out strong with a Neutral Relic!¡± the announcer boomed even as I moved. ¡°It¡¯s got Overkill, folks. It might not do much yet, but if he can pack some more power into it, our man Basil had better watch out!¡±


    Basil looked up when I was two steps away, yelped, and raised his hands against the blow. I felt a surge of savage triumph as the hammer came down. It would connect on his arms and tear a card out of his Mind Home. I can see how people get into this dueling thing.


    Then somehow, between one instant and the next, Basil flicked a card out of his hand, and it intercepted my Hammer on the way down. My blow bounced back, staggering me, and the sacrificed card shattered into motes of light, leaving the visible afterimage of a card behind.


    What just happened? He¡¯d used one of the cards in his hand to block me. I hadn¡¯t known that was possible. A card out of the hand or a card out of the Mind Home, it¡¯s all the same to me: it¡¯s one less card he can play against me.


    ¡°Basil sacrifices Protection,¡± the announcer murmured. ¡°A good choice for the moment, but he might regret it later.¡±


    The little noble bastard was quick, I had to give him that ¨C in the few seconds it took me to regain my balance and gather my thoughts, he¡¯d retreated to the side of the box where I¡¯d started, putting as much distance between us as he could. He flicked a pearly ball of Order overhead, and both the Air and Order source dimmed. A scary-looking man misted into being right beside him, and for the barest moment I saw the card that had summoned him right over his head.


    The announcer was saying something, but I didn¡¯t have any spare attention to listen. The card vanished before I was done reading it. What was his attack? Shit, I was reading and I didn¡¯t see. Stealth, Venom¡­ what was Hunt, again? As soon as the hooded man solidified out of the casting mist, he stepped sideways into a shadow that hadn¡¯t been there a moment before and slipped out of view. Looking all around in panic, I saw nothing. He was gone! That¡¯s what Stealth does, I guess. Not good. It was time to use my spell before he reappeared and stuck a knife in me. My Nether source was unstuck from my hand now, and I put it overhead, devoting it while my first one recovered.


    My beautiful Sucking Void descended on me like a suit of armor made of dark starlight, and I reveled in the feel of it tightening around me. Let¡¯s see your sneaky summons stick me now, pretty boy.


    ¡°Ohhh, now that¡¯s something, all right,¡± the announcer said, sounding impressed. ¡°This card¡¯s incredible, ladies and gentlemen ¨C they don¡¯t call them Epics for nothing! It¡¯s a hard hitter for the duelist who likes to get in and get the job done fast. Basil can¡¯t touch him for three rounds. Is this nobody going to beat our sixth seed out of nowhere?¡±


    Basil grimaced at me, seeming at a loss for how to respond now that I couldn¡¯t be harmed. I laughed at the joy of it all and went for him again. His eyes darted to one side, he growled, and as he backpedaled he threw a card into the path of my Hammer¡¯s swing. Like before, it deflected the blow and demolished the card.


    ¡°Ooh, another useful spell bites the dust! He could have had his Assassin take the hit, but he¡¯s playing the long game, friends. Let¡¯s hope there will be a long game ¨C if the Lord of Lice over here keeps hammering him, this match is over!¡±


    I¡¯m going to find that man¡¯s house and rub my ass all over his bedsheets. Then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s Lord of Lice. I¡¯d never heard of match announcers being quite so biased, but what did I know? One way or the other, the crowd was eating it up. I actually heard a few cheers for me on that last hit. Some folks love to see a surprise, and that¡¯s what I aimed to be. Maybe I can actually win this!


    Basil had scarpered once again as I glanced into the crowd, and he had a determined look on his face. Another Order left his hand to circle his head, but it didn¡¯t look as if he had any fewer cards in his hand. He continued to top up from his Mind Home, and I felt a moment¡¯s unease. How many cards does he have? I¡¯ve only got a minute to finish this before my spell runs out. Less, now.


    He partially drained his two Order sources, focusing them, and a card in his right hand coalesced into an ornate helmet that he swiftly clapped onto his head.


    Shit. I¡¯d gotten stuck watching him put the thing on and missed what the card had said when it flashed by during the summoning. Something about destroying it? Too late now. I could see his pale eyes glaring through the eyeslit. He might be a slip of a thing, but I¡¯d gotten good ol¡¯ Basil the Tender Noble riled at last.


    ¡°Well,¡± mused the announcer, ¡°it may not be the most impressive card in the deck, but a good cheap Relic is better than losing cards hand over fist. It¡¯ll buy our boy some time, and that¡¯s exactly what he needs. The Assassin stays stealthed and in reserve, since he can¡¯t do any damage.¡±


    I pulled another Nether from the aether into my left hand and tossed the one I was already holding aloft. My first source had finally come back to ready, which meant I could devote two sources to pump Nether¡¯s anger into myself and power up my swings. The heat of my source ran through me, and I found myself grunting in animal rage as I pounced again. This hit was going to hurt him.


    Basil lowered his head into the strike, and the helmet sounded like a gong, shattering with such force and brightness that I was thrown backward. The crowd stamped and hollered. They loved it. Regaining my balance, I looked to see how many shredded cards were fluttering down from Basil¡¯s Mind Home. My Hammer and its Overkill ability had to have passed some damage through to him.


    Nothing. Not a single scrap of card floated around him.


    ¡°Looks like somebody doesn¡¯t know his basic cards very well!¡± the announcer chortled. ¡°Must be hard when you can¡¯t read. Those single-use Helms might not look like much, but they can take as big a wallop as a fellow cares to give.¡±


    Nether still pumping in my veins, I bellowed in frustration. I¡¯d never hit anyone so hard before, and that damned stupid Relic just soaked it up. Even as I raged, though, a small, wiser part of me thought, I could really use one of those.


    Basil threw another Order source overhead, and with the faintest smile, all four of his sources went focused. An oversized bird of prey as tall as my shoulder flapped into being and took to the air. This time I made sure to take a good look at the card as it shimmered in and out of being.


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s brought out the Condor. It¡¯s not the usual inclusion for an Order/Air deck, but Master Basil has always marched to his own drummer, and it¡¯s served him well so far. This might not be the ideal matchup for the Condor, but I don¡¯t see any new cards appearing in young Hull¡¯s hands, friends. I think he¡¯s run through his paltry little deck.¡±


    My mind raced. I can¡¯t last much longer. How many cards does he have left? The asshole jabbering at us had said something in the beginning about a card aura. Flexing my fists, I focused in on Basil and tried to see it. I squinted and thought I could see a faint silver nimbus around him. At first I thought I was imagining it, but as I strained my eyes even further, the glow coalesced into a field of cards encircling his torso just a hair¡¯s breadth above his fine clothes. I could only see the backs, and they spun too fast to get a solid count, but his Mind Home was absolutely thick with cards still to be drawn. Ten of them, at least.


    My heart lurched. Basil was massing his forces and I only had one round left until my Sucking Void expired, leaving me exposed. Twenty seconds, tops. I¡¯d just given him my hardest blow and had nothing to show for it. The Nether petered out of my veins, and ice replaced it.


    I¡¯m in deep shit.

 12. Basil - Dreams

    As it often did, having my Condor in play let me breathe a touch easier. Not just because my Assassin dying would now serve a larger purpose but because the Condor had a wonderful healthpool for defense. I cared about that fact deeply at the moment, because I still couldn¡¯t attack the filthy duelist I faced ¨C not while his skin remained coated in starlight. I was quite fortunate that his ante card had been the Epic, so I¡¯d had adequate time to read through its rather long effect instead of needing to do so when he cast it. With my soul card¡¯s ability, I could see the spell perfectly in my mind¡¯s eye. Amazingly, it gave him three full rounds of complete immunity.


    It still had one round¡¯s worth left, and sure enough, the urchin was going all-out. He charged at me again, hammer raised. Unlike his first attacks, I now knew how much damage he could do: 1 from his hammer and 1 more for every two Nether source used. As he ran at me, the same number of spiky balls dimmed as last time, making this another 3 point attack. I had three cards in hand.


    Both my Execution and Master Assassin were capable of absorbing the strike, but I didn¡¯t want to lose any more cards if I didn¡¯t have to.


    I whispered a command into the air and my huge Carrion Condor whipped down from where it had been circling beneath the roof of the Dueling Dome. My opponent roared as he swung the hammer straight at my side, purple Nether energy warping around the weapon, making it a fearsome thing to behold. But then my Condor was there, its blue-gray feathers taking the blow full-on.


    The Condor squawked in fury, pecking back, but its jagged beak slid off the starlight skin just as that damnable spell said it would. Still, my card had stopped my opponent in his tracks. The urchin looked shocked that a bird ¨C even one as big as he was ¨C had managed to halt his attack.


    He seemed even more surprised when the sparkling darkness flaked off of his flesh, revealing the same dirt and grime that soiled his clothes. Without its protection, he backed away uncertainly, and my Condor let out another squawk, shuffling its wounded body after.


    I could have used my refreshed source to summon another Soul to the field, but I wanted to see what an attack against him would net me. His Sucking Void spell had said that it forfeited the remaining cards in one¡¯s deck, and using the extra senses the dome provided, I didn¡¯t see any more cards circling him. He still held a card in hand though, and him playing that spell so early in our duel made me think he had a way to mitigate its steep cost, perhaps with a personal soul ability. He didn¡¯t seem the sort to have upgraded his soul, but neither did he look like someone who would own an Epic card or cultivate Nether, so he might have a third surprise up his frayed sleeve. In fact, he was probably baiting me into a trap by assuming he was vulnerable. Better to poke at him and gather information while I still had the source to cast something after.


    With another command my Condor rushed forward, and my Assassin slipped from the shadows behind the boy, stabbing him with a long knife. Together they hit for 3 damage, the same amount he¡¯d just tried to do to me.


    I tensed as they struck, ready to react to whatever return strike he had planned. Instead, the lone card he was holding in his hand shattered, revealing itself to be nothing more than another Nether Source, and with a gasp, he collapsed onto the wooden stage.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the match, ladies and gentleman!¡± the announcer boomed, and I could hardly believe it. My opponent possessed an Epic and yet had so few other summon cards? Just a neutral relic and some source?! ¡°Victor ¨C as if there was ever any doubt ¨C Basil of Hintal!¡± My heart was pounding in my chest, the fear that had snuck around the edges of my mind the entire duel blasted away by the announcer¡¯s words. I had done it. I had won my first match in the Rising Stars Tournament!


    ¡°No!¡± I heard my opponent cry, and I looked back to him, suddenly worried, remembering that he¡¯d threatened to hurt me after the match. His hand was outstretched, reaching after something that was arcing through the air toward me. It was the ruby-rimmed ante card I had just won, and it came to a sudden stop a foot or so above my head, hanging there tantalizingly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget about the Lord of Lice, everyone,¡± the announcer commented. ¡°He gave us a much better show than any of us could have expected, and Nether to boot! Fate couldn¡¯t have made me believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Surely he deserves some praise for that?¡± A cheer went up from the audience in agreement, their shouting reverberating the air as the Nether card floated down into my fingers. I had never encountered its like before and doubted I ever would again. I had visited multiple card shops in the Noble District, even one on the edges of the Lows, and never had I seen a single Nether card for sale or on display. Its top and bottom banners were a fluctuating purple, proclaiming its source type boldly, and its border shone like a perfectly faceted gem, yet its value was so much more than that of a mere stone. The card was a match to the Sea Titan ¨C but unlike my mother¡¯s dowry, this one I was free to trade.


    Over the top of my new card, I saw the boy across from me standing there like a fountain of rage, his fingers crushed together into shaking fists. He looked crazed, and I tensed, thinking he would charge me, but then that fountain drained. His shoulders slumped, and his chin fell to his chest. The dirty boy turned, lurching off of the platform on legs that barely seemed to be working properly. He only had one other card, that hammer, which meant he couldn¡¯t compete anymore.


    My eyes dropped back down to the red-bordered spell I held my fingers. I knew what an Epic meant to me. What must it mean to someone like him, who clearly had so little? He probably looked so disheveled and slovenly because every bit of money that had passed through his fingers had gone to getting this very card. Surely it represented the culmination of his life efforts, the key to whatever dream he was chasing after by participating in the Rising Stars Tournament. Now it was all over for him, just like that, in Round One no less. And if his outburst at the start was to be believed, he hadn¡¯t even known he was risking a card by participating.


    I thought of my family then for some reason, sitting around the table, none supporting me. Who had this urchin had in his corner along the way? Probably even less than me. I turned the ante card over, its back the same smoky glass as all summon cards. I didn¡¯t want the achievement of my dream to snuff out others along the way. I knew I had to defeat my opponents ¨C it was a tournament, after all ¨C but I had expected to best other nobles and well-off merchants, people for whom this was just one opportunity among many. I hadn¡¯t thought to ruin someone¡¯s only chance to turn what was obviously a terrible existence into something more.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°You! You, I say!¡± I called after him. What was that name he had gone by? ¡°Hull!¡± I shouted as soon as it came to me.


    It wasn¡¯t until I used his name a third time and chased him halfway to the next platform that he turned at my voice. Tears were leaking from his eyes, cutting through the dirt on his cheeks. Seeing me, he frowned and then he turned ugly, like he expected me to gloat over my win.


    To forestall his worries, I held out the spell to him. ¡°Here.¡±


    His eyes shot to the card, then to me again, the rest of his body frozen and wary.


    ¡°Here,¡± I repeated, though I found the second time harder to say than the first. The amount of money I was holding in my hand was staggering, and I was giving it up? Just this once, I told myself, the urchin¡¯s sallow face strengthening my conviction. It was because of its value I couldn¡¯t keep it; it was just too much to take from someone like him. Every other ante I won on my way to the top of the Rising Stars Tournament would feel right, I was sure ¨C but not this one. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±


    His eyes narrowed and then a nasty grin spread on his face, like he thought I was the biggest coward to walk under the sun.


    ¡°And not because you threatened to thrash me earlier,¡± I informed him, wanting to put that unflattering idea straight out of his head. ¡°Because¨C¡±


    He snatched the card out of my hand, tucking it behind his ear and into his Mind Home as fast as he could. ¡°You think I care why? Rich folk are crazy. I¡¯m getting out of here before you or anyone else gets crazier.¡±


    His reaction was not what I had been expecting, and I found myself rather flummoxed in the face of it. Did he not understand what I had just done for him? And at great personal loss to myself? His retreating back gave me an answer, and it was one I didn¡¯t appreciate.


    ¡°The tournament¡¯s not over,¡± I called after him, not sure why I was bothering.


    ¡°It is for me,¡± he said, squeezing between people on his way to the nearest exit tunnel.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± I said, catching up to him. ¡°That¡¯s why I gave you your card back. So you can keep competing.¡± If he wasn¡¯t going to do that, I¡¯d have kept the blasted thing.


    He turned around, his face a mask of confusion. ¡°What in the Twins are you talking about? I lost.¡±


    ¡°Just stop for a moment,¡± I said, refusing to chase after someone like him in such an undignified manner any longer.


    Seeing me stationary, he begrudgingly halted as well. He turned toward the tunnel he had been nearing and then back at me, growled a groan, and finally stomped back over, acting like each step taken in my direction pained him.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, using what little height he had on me to lean aggressively.


    ¡°It¡¯s a double-elimination tournament,¡± I explained as calmly as I could. ¡°You¡¯re not out until you lose twice or get down to just one summon card.¡± When he didn¡¯t look particularly convinced or grateful, I continued on just to be sure he was understanding. ¡°But you have two cards again, so you can keep competing. You can do what you came here for: win. Increase your card collection.¡±


    He looked at me sideways, like he was trying to figure out my game. ¡°I came for a gold crown. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°A gold?¡± I said, not understanding where he had gotten that peculiar information from. ¡°The prize pools starting with third place are in the hundreds of crowns, not a single coin.¡±


    He coughed hearing that number, and I angled my head back and to the side, trying to breathe different air.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to get that far,¡± I said. ¡°If you win just two matches, you¡¯ll double your number of cards.¡± I felt like I was explaining to a bird why it was already flying.


    ¡°Win. Like I did against you?¡± he asked sarcastically.


    I was beginning to find his attitude nearly as unseemly as his appearance. If he didn¡¯t believe in himself, why had he entered in the first place? ¡°The opponents in the loser¡¯s bracket will be easier, especially at first. They all lost, like you.¡±


    He gave me a dangerous look, which only frustrated me further.


    ¡°You have a good combination. You could surprise someone with it and win if they don¡¯t have as many cards as I did.¡± The agitation I was feeling made my movements stiff as I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your life. Do what you want. I was merely trying to provide you with an opportunity.¡±


    He leaned in. ¡°I need a rich kid¡¯s opportunity like I need a burning rot on my sack. You got lucky.¡± He accentuated the point by spitting on the ground; the saliva would have splattered on my shoe if I hadn¡¯t pulled it away fast enough. ¡°I¡¯ll stomp you next time, you hear?¡±


    His threat seemed to imply that he now planned to stay in the tournament long enough to try and duel me again, but then he abruptly turned around and made for the same exit he had been heading toward before I had stopped him.


    I flared my nostrils, blowing air. I¡¯d just given up an Epic card on that complete waste of a human being. An Epic. I was an idiot.


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± Warrick asked, coming to stand beside me. I had noticed my friend hovering nearby at the end of my conversation with the urchin, but he had held off on approaching until I was alone. I didn¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± There wasn¡¯t time to discuss the monumentally horrible decision I had just made, not when I had other problems to worry about. The first day of a tournament this big would have multiple matches to whittle the competitors down to the top sixteen. That meant I would be dueling again soon, and I knew next to nothing about who I would be facing in the future ¨C besides Losum, assuming we both managed to last long enough on the winner¡¯s side. ¡°Come on.¡±


    ¡°Where to?¡± Warrick asked, trailing after me as I started checking the other platforms.


    ¡°I want to see who I¡¯m fighting.¡±


    ¡°Winner, Throice!¡±


    I turned toward the sound of a different announcer calling out the victor. That was one of the two names I had been searching for, Match 16. Instead of looking at the competitors, my eyes widened, trying and failing to take in the entirety of a massive metal construct that had been summoned on that stage. It was in the form of a person and absolutely enormous, its legs so wide they straddled the thirty foot square platform and so tall its shoulders were actually outside the shimmering curve of the Dueling Dome, putting its head level with the highest of the nosebleed seats of the Coliseum. The only reason I had missed seeing the behemoth previously was because this particular match had been happening directly behind me.


    ¡°Twins protect,¡± Warrick gasped at my side. ¡°What in the Twelve is that?¡±


    What little air I still had in my chest I used to wheeze out an answer. ¡°My next opponent.¡±

 13. Hull - In or Out

    I hurried through the tunnel leading under the Coliseum stands, my eyes fixed on the light ahead like it would save me. My right hand kept reaching up to clutch my heart without me meaning to. It didn¡¯t make sense; my spell lived in my Mind Home, not my heart, and covering my chest wouldn¡¯t protect it¡­ but I kept feeling pains there, like an old fat man about to go swimming with the Sources. When I¡¯d seen that little shitstain of a noble holding my beautiful Nether card, knowing that Fate and Fortune had decreed it, I¡¯d honestly thought I might die for a second.


    Self-righteous prick, acting like he¡¯s doing me a favor giving me back what¡¯s mine. I should have smeared his nose across his cheek for him and damn the consequences. At the same time, a quieter, truer part of me said, He did do you a favor ¨C a bigger one than you can ever repay. That card was his by law and by right. The thought rubbed at me like a tick, irritating and impossible to get rid of. With a growl, I shook my head, forced my hand down to my side, and hurried a bit faster. Fortune could crush my stones and use them for dice before I ever admitted a debt to that soft-hearted weakling.


    I emerged into broad courtyard between the Coliseum and its outer walls, breathing a little easier as the sound of the crowd dropped to a less demanding level behind me. It had felt so wrong to let that many people look at me all at once. I was made for hiding, sneaking, and stealing, not grandstanding in front of the whole city.


    ¡°Hot cakes!¡± a vendor cried nearby, shaking a sugar-coated twist of something hot and steaming at me. ¡°Hand pies and sweetmeats!¡± He was a summoned Soul, I saw immediately, and my hunger leapt up at me out of nowhere as I smelled the sweet, bready cinnamon aroma surrounding his table like an aura.


    I had no business spending any money, but I was so tired, so hungry, and so wrung out from the loss and miraculous recovery of my card that I walked over to him in a haze, digging into my pocket. ¡°What can I get for a silver clip?¡±


    The bearded, jolly old fellow smiled at me kindly. ¡°A competitor, eh? Fortune favor you, lad. No need to waste your money: the Coliseum feeds and houses the contestants so long as they haven¡¯t fallen out of the running. Head back into the tunnel and watch careful-like on your right side ¨C there¡¯s a staircase leading up into the halls that run beneath the bleachers. Ask around and someone¡¯ll point you to the competitor¡¯s mess hall and your resting quarters.¡± He looked me up and down and his smile faltered. ¡°Here¡¯s something for you as you go, though. To keep up your strength. No charge.¡± He reached into a basket, pulled out a hand pie as big as both my fists together, wrapped it in paper, and handed it to me.


    The sad look in his eye tugged at my already wounded pride, but I hadn¡¯t survived this long by turning down free food. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said grudgingly, taking it. I bit in immediately and my knees nearly buckled. The hot, flaky pastry was full to the brim with tender bits of beef soaked in gravy. Another chew revealed whole potatoes no bigger than a fingernail hiding in the mix. It was warm and filling and full of flavors I¡¯d never even tasted before. A tiny moan escaped me, embarrassing me even further.


    The baker Soul beamed. ¡°Not bad, eh?¡± He motioned me off to one side and kept talking to me even as other folks filed up and pointed out the sweets they wanted. ¡°That recipe was the one that formed my Soul card, you know. I remember: I finally got the recipe right, baked ¡®em up, took a bite, and felt the card spring into being inside my heart. Tarragon, that was what it had been missing. Just a pinch of tarragon. Does me good to see a young man enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been a card?¡± I asked him once I could take my face out of the pie. I¡¯d eaten nearly half of it already.


    ¡°Two hundred years,¡± he said cheerily. ¡°I¡¯m a Rare, ¡®course, or else this wouldn¡¯t be much of a conversation. They tell me I spent a hundred some-odd as a Common and then another eighty as Uncommon. Drives me a little crazy to think of all the thousands of recipes I likely dreamed up during that time without being able to tell anyone, write them down, or remember them every time my summons expired.¡± He pointed to a woman sitting in a chair against the Coliseum wall reading a book and spoke in a lower voice. ¡°That¡¯s my Summoner these days, Gracinda. Says she¡¯s my fourth great-daughter, and I don¡¯t doubt it. I could run a whole restaurant for her, but she says we make enough here at the Coliseum to get on with. You think that pie¡¯s good? You should taste my venison tartare.¡± He harrumped into his beard. ¡°Young folk these days. No initiative.¡±


    I crunched on the buttery rind of the pastry and was surprised to find the paper packet empty already. ¡°I¡¯d eat at your restaurant, old man. Well¡­ probably not, but I¡¯d steal from it, at least.¡±


    He laughed, a hearty, clean sound. ¡°That¡¯s the worst compliment I¡¯ve ever heard. Thank you, young man. Go win yourself some more cards, and maybe a new outfit while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    He said it so kindly that I almost didn¡¯t bristle at the jab at my clothes. Maybe people aren¡¯t so bad once they¡¯re dead and living as summoned Souls. Can¡¯t remember the last time anyone in the Lows handed me good food and talked to me like a real person. I nodded to him as graciously as I knew how and left the cart behind, walking toward the front gates.


    This was the great front entrance, not the little side gate where I¡¯d ducked in to escape Harker, and a steady flow of folks from all walks of life streamed past, most heading into the arena, but a surprising number milling about the tables and stalls of the courtyard, shopping, chatting, and enjoying their day out. I spotted a couple of boys who looked more like me lurking about the edges picking pockets and keeping their distance from the guard folk. So many lives gathered in one place, and nearly all of them better than mine.


    I didn¡¯t dare try to find the scribe Soul to get my gold crown. Either he wouldn¡¯t be at the table where I found him before and I¡¯d have to argue that he¡¯d promised me the money, or else he would be at the table and he¡¯d talk me in circles until I found myself in an even worse bind than the first time. This was rich-folk territory. Nice baker or no, I was out of my depth, and I needed to leave. Harker and her boys would be watching the back gate where I walked in, but so many people were coming and going through these wide portals out the front that all I¡¯d have to do is slip out in the middle of a group of common folk. I¡¯d be halfway to the harbor before anybody caught on.


    Basil¡¯s words snagged in my thoughts. ¡°You have a good combination. You could catch someone by surprise and win.¡± I hated the thought of tucking my tail and running off with a stadium full of fools laughing at me. Could I really win some matches in the loser¡¯s bracket? Basil was a noble. I likely wouldn¡¯t face many other competitors with decks as large and hard-hitting as his¡­ Several of the vendor tables in sight were laden with cards, and there was a healthy, vigorous trade happening both across the table and between the customers themselves. I doubted anyone would want the ridiculous Fire card I¡¯d stolen from the tailor, but if I won a few matches, who knew what treasures I could trade into? I was never going to get close to my monster of a father without a deep, impressive spread of cards.


    No. It was too much, too soon. My heart still kept stuttering of its own accord, and I felt like a mouse under the cat¡¯s eye. Staying here meant losing the thing I¡¯d nearly died to get, and the city beyond the Coliseum wasn¡¯t safe for me. Time to head to another city and start over. From there I could marshal my resources, build a deck, and come back as someone entirely new. It was the smart move.


    Mind made up, I turned to the gates. It was time to go.


    That was when I saw Ticosi standing right there chatting casually with one of the gate guards. He was staring right at me even as he carried on his laconic conversation.


    I froze. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw he had my attention. He flicked a card into his hands, playing with it, leaned back against the gate, and said something to the guard that made the idiot laugh. He made no move toward me, but his bloodshot eyes bored into me like a dog looking at dinner.


    The message was crystal clear. He couldn¡¯t get to me in the Coliseum, but he wasn¡¯t going to let me leave, either. He was chummier with the guards than I liked, flaunting an illegal Chaos card out in the open, but maybe he didn¡¯t have the kind of sway it took to march in and snatch someone right from under the Palace Guard¡¯s nose. Beyond the no-summons zone that had been set up for the Tournament, though¡­ I was as good as dead.


    Heart hammering, I turned and headed back to the tunnel. I couldn¡¯t bear that gaze one more second. The incredible pie I¡¯d eaten sat like a brick in my gut, and I suddenly feared I might chuck it back up and waste it. Every time I saw the reddened whites of Ticosi¡¯s eyes I remembered shaking and bucking on the ground, totally helpless and sure I was about to die. I swallowed sour bile and concentrated on the ground in front of my feet.


    When I reached the mouth of the tunnel, a harried-looking boy in official-looking robes trotted past, out of breath. Then, catching sight of the painted ¡®27¡¯ pinned to the back of my shirt, he stopped and doubled back. ¡°Excuse me, uh¡­ sir? You¡¯re 27, right? Hull? Your next match begins in ten minutes on platform 9. We¡¯ve been looking for you. Come with me?¡±


    He was a good five years younger than me, but he¡¯d mastered that officious air that made my feet start moving before I¡¯d thought about it. Realizing what going back in meant, I stopped. He looked back, saw that I wasn¡¯t following, and his lips thinned. ¡°Sir?¡±


    I hesitated. Can¡¯t go back, can¡¯t go forward. ¡°Who¡¯s my next opponent?¡±


    He flipped through a tiny booklet in one hand. ¡°Lily somebody. Number 22. Water deck, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    I¡¯d never felt so indecisive in my life. ¡°Is she a noble?¡±


    ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t think so. Has the look of a merchant family, if you ask me. Come, please?¡±


    Leave now and die for sure. Stay and maybe lose your cards¡­ probably die later. When I boiled the situation down to the bone like that, it wasn¡¯t a hard decision. My hand crept up to my heart again and I let it stay. Gritting my teeth, I stepped back into the tunnel, toward the sound of the raging crowd.

 14. Basil - The Trouble with Winning

    Other duels around me finished soon after the one that featured my upcoming opponent, their hazy domes coming down in a shower of glittering sparks. During this, Warrick tried to engage me in conversation a few times, but I responded noncommittally to his questions, unable to get the sight of the giant summon out of my head. Colossal it had been called, and it certainly lived up to the name. It didn¡¯t take long for Warrick to figure out my mood, and he was a good enough friend to stay with me in companionable silence while I brooded.


    It was perhaps inevitable that I found myself wondering what options would have been available to me if I hadn¡¯t so blithely and foolheartedly given up my previous ante win. It was a bitter sort of thinking and in truth didn¡¯t serve me. I was still frustrated by my interaction with the filthy, rude, and ungrateful urchin, but it wasn¡¯t as if I could use Nether to summon the card myself. Also, a crier had announced that the next round would be starting within a quarter hour, enough time for our Mind Homes to refresh but not enough for me to engage in bartering. Even if I could have, what would I trade for? All I had seen was a single card from my next opponent and none of its abilities. Swapping blind wouldn¡¯t help me anymore than using a deck I had never played before.


    Reflexively, I pulled one of my summon cards into my hand, and seeing the gold bordered Soul that Fortune picked coaxed an unexpected smile from me.


    The Winged Knight was a particular favorite of mine, in large part because she was such a good listener. There had been more than a few nights we had stayed up late speaking to each other. One time, when I had been feeling particularly bold, I had promised to upgrade her all the way to Mythic, so she could recover her name and the rest of her memories from when she was alive.


    Warrick, with his tall, lanky build, was easily able to peer over my shoulder.


    ¡°Planning to call her out for some advice?¡±


    I blushed. Warrick was the only person I had admitted to having such drawn out discussions with a card. It wasn¡¯t exactly improper behavior, but doing the activity alone in my bedroom, late at night, didn¡¯t sound dignified to me either.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered quickly, tucking the card behind my ear so she could return to my Mind Home. ¡°Sometimes holding them makes me feel better is all, more grounded and in control.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s why you¡¯re a better duelist than me,¡± Warrick answered with a touch of resigned boredom. ¡°I¡¯d be rid of each and every one of them if I could. Too much responsibility for my tastes, having to worry about a mess of other Souls. I barely have enough energy to take care of myself.¡±


    The comment was a variation on an attitude my friend had adopted for the last year or so, ever since his marks had started falling in his classes at Biddlewyn, the school his noble house was in charge of, and his dueling record had gone from poor to abysmal.


    ¡°The church is always looking for new tenders,¡± I replied, which had become my standard response.


    He pulled a face. ¡°And talk to people about cards all day? I¡¯d rather clean latrines at Biddlewyn. At least that way I¡¯d have some time to myself.¡± His displeasure turned to a grin, quick as a card draw. ¡°Or better yet, I can be one of your hangers-on once you¡¯re a famous duelist. If Losum and Reggie are any indication of what it entails, the lack of responsibility will be a perfect fit for me. Let¡¯s go get you that second win.¡±


    He said it so casually, and I supposed that¡¯s how it looked to him standing on the sidelines, a simple feat to repeat. Instead of lingering on the lump that had suddenly appeared in my throat at his words, I put feet to motion. One of the many tournament helpers that darted about dressed in their robes of garnet and gold was able to direct us toward the appropriate location.


    When we arrived, already standing upon the platform was a boy around my age, with a large chin and square cut clothes. He was one of the two duelists I had seen leave the stage where the Colossal had been summoned ¨C the other being a rather hardy looking girl. I had guessed that Throice would be the boy, but at the time I hadn¡¯t been entirely sure. Seeing him closer it couldn¡¯t have been more obvious that he was the owner of the metal creature: chunky gears in the place of buttons on his shirt proclaimed his association, along with a series of smaller cogs running down the side of his pants and then two large ones on his boots where buckles should have been.


    Warrick gave me some words of encouragement, patting me on the shoulder before he headed to the stands, but I was focused on simply walking up the wooden steps on the side of the platform. They were each only half a foot high, yet with my heart beating faster, they seemed taller than Pirtash Peak, a place I found myself wishing I was, the wind in my hair and crisp air filling my lungs.


    Shouldn¡¯t this be getting easier? My earlier win had positioned me closer to my goals than I had ever managed before. I was on the path to impressing Esmi and her family, as well as my own, taking steps that would let me capture the life I wanted to live. So why did I feel so unsure of myself? I had thought on this tournament so many times, planning to give it every ounce of effort I could muster when the opportunity was finally before me, and now I balked at going further?


    The ridiculousness of that thought propelled me up the steps and across the platform until I reached a place an appropriate distance away from my opponent. Oddly, he turned to the crowds that were gathering on the Coliseum seats behind us, more hurrying to find a spot as it became evident that our match would soon begin.


    ¡°I am Throice of the Artisan Guild!¡± the boy called up to them. ¡°The marvels you will see today are but a taste of the impressive works we artisans labor day and night crafting. Works whose genius and accessibility to any, no matter what source type you cultivate, could revolutionize Treledyne! But in order to do that, in order to make all of your lives grander, we artisans deserve, and need, a place among the nobles. A Ninth House!¡± he cried out, to my shock, and surprised murmurs among the crowd rippled after. ¡°When the time comes, we desire your sup ¨C¡±


    A shimmering Dueling Dome came down around us, and he abruptly cut off his speech. The spell was followed by a clear, no-nonsense woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°That is quite enough, Duelist 11,¡± she said, ¡°as I am told you were informed at the start of your last match. If you make it to the winner¡¯s stage of five, you may say a few words at that point. Until then, you are to use these platforms for the sole purpose of dueling. If you conduct yourself otherwise again, you will not only forfeit your place in the winner¡¯s bracket but the entire Rising Stars Tournament.¡±


    Unlike my previous opponent, he didn¡¯t look outraged by the announcer''s words. Instead, he took the chastisement in stride, inclining his head to the air respectfully. The idea of another noble house was strange to me, but I cared more about how many cards my opponent had in his deck than his politics, and with the dome around us, I could find out.


    A squint and careful count didn¡¯t make me feel better in the slightest. He had a full complement of twenty, the same as me. I supposed it made sense. If the Artisan Guild wanted to have a mouthpiece, it would be in their interest to equip that person as well as possible.


    The announcer had paused before continuing, perhaps to ensure that my opponent would indeed remain quiet, and then she intoned the usual refrain, after which the now sizable crowd cried out, ¡°SO BE IT.¡±


    With those words I felt the familiar tug behind my ear that I could participate in a thousand tournaments and still never grow used to. It was my ante card, and the gold afterimage I saw streaking away from me, clenched my heart. The Twins were known to often pull the most valuable card a duelist had for ante, but I would have greatly appreciated it not being one of my three Rares two times in a row.


    Reaching a point above the Dueling Dome, my card went from a trail of flickering light to a full blown image that all could see.


    In an attempt to distract myself from how much worse off my deck would be if I lost my only board removal, I focused on the card that hovered beside my own, the one that would be mine ¨C and that I would actually keep this time ¨C if I could but win again.


    It was only an Uncommon, which perhaps meant my opponent didn¡¯t have much of value in his deck ¨C a pleasant thought. As for the card itself, it was certainly curious. A Relic made sense for a self-proclaimed artisan to have, but in order to be worthwhile, he would need to be using multiple Relics as Souls. I had only seen a few of those in the past, like the Spawning Pool from my mother¡¯s dowry, and I had trouble imagining a deck having enough of them to make this card useful.


    The Colossal though¡­it must be a Relic Soul.


    The ante cards vanished, and I returned to my earlier brooding of how I would defeat such a monstrosity. My Assassins might be able to kill it, but something that big and made of metal? It would surely have Armor, and if it possessed 2 points of protection or more, not even my Master Assassin would be able to harm it unless I attacked with multiple Assassins at the same time.


    In a situation like this, I needed to either defeat my opponent quickly, before he could muster the resources necessary to summon his giant, or I needed a way to kill the Colossal when it was out. Either way, I wanted to draw my Headsman. It had high Attack, so it could shave large chunks off of my opponent¡¯s deck pool, and it had the potential to kill anything once it was Devoted, no matter how much Armor or Health the target had.


    My ante card slipped back into my Mind Home, restoring a sense of completeness to me, and the announcer said, ¡°Competitors, draw your cards.¡±


    Since my Headsman took 3 source to summon, I didn¡¯t want to risk being forced to go first, which using Air source in my opening gambit would likely make me do. So, to be safe, I drew two source from my soul with my left hand. The first glass card coalesced into my fingers, showing a rolling storm. I stopped breathing until, half a second later, the second formed beside it, picturing a row of wheat with a sun above ¨C Order.


    As for my summon cards, none of them were the Headsman I was hoping for, or even any Souls. Instead, I drew a Relic and two Spells.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The Helmet was actually a gift from Fortune, and I mouthed a quick prayer to his benevolence. While useless against Spells and swarm decks, it was the perfect thing for helping me survive against a large, single threat. Execution also had the potential to be good in this match, but without any idea how much Health the Colossal had, I didn¡¯t want to risk keeping a card that wasn¡¯t a sure thing. Lastly, Protection was almost always useful, either as a Spell or an efficient way to block an incoming attack with a card in hand. However, I wanted a Headsman ¨C or any Soul really ¨C in my hand now, so I put them both behind my right ear, sliding them back into my Mind Home. The two Spells would go to the bottom of my summon deck, but it was worth it to get the cards I really needed ¨C or so I told myself, doubt already making me second guess the mulligan.


    You can win this, I told those feelings. You won the last handily. To which another part of me quickly responded, Against a two card deck, you did. This one has ten times as many and whatever in the Twelve that summon was. You¡¯re going to lose, and Esmi¡¯s going to see it happen.


    That second voice cackled in sad triumph as the two new cards coalesced into being, pulled from my Mind Home with a tug. They were also both Spells.


    I don¡¯t think I had ever been so sad to see one of my three Rare cards in hand before. Equality could possibly help me deal with the Colossal, but only if I had no Souls on the field, which seemed like a fool¡¯s choice if I was trying to defeat the other duelist quickly. Of course, my opponent probably ran other Souls too, of the Relic variety it seemed, in which case Equality could get me out of a bind. And if nothing else, I could use it to block for 3. I didn¡¯t quite believe the positive twist I was putting on the draw, but it was enough to keep me afloat and focused on solutions.


    Penitence, though not a Soul, was actually an excellent find. It was the other half of my Headsman combo, an absolute necessity, because it let me force the opposing Soul into a state that the Headsman could use its ability. I would have undoubtedly preferred to get the Headsman part of the pairing first, so I could summon the Soul right away, but still, this was a card I would eventually need. My mulligan had worked, somewhat at least.


    ¡°Opening gambit, if you please,¡± the lady announcer said, continuing to be much more formal than the one from my previous match.


    I played my Order source as I had planned, and my opponent also brought forth a ball of Order.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s choice,¡± the announcer intoned, and those people watching our match loudly repeated the words. Whenever two duelists used the same source type, it fell to the male half of the Twins to decide who summoned first, much like he decided which face of a coin landed when flipped or side of a die.


    I held my breath in anticipation, hoping that Fortune would choose my opponent, and sure enough it was his source ball that rose into the air first, beginning to slowly circle his head, while mine hung an extra few moments just above my hand. I saw the artisan work his large chin side-to-side in annoyance, draw two new cards, grimace, and then look back up without playing anything.


    A tiny thrill of victory shot through me. If he was playing a slower deck too, mine was well designed to counter it.


    I might truly win this yet.


    My pearlescent ball of Order began to orbit me, and only a moment later, I felt my mind relax, which meant I could pull more cards from it. Wanting to dig for my Headsman, I did just that, pulling two more Summon cards into my right hand.


    A little laugh escaped me. Finally some Souls, but not ones I wanted. My Winged Knight or even Carrion Condors would have been better, because while Assassins were excellent at killing other Souls, they weren¡¯t the best at striking summoners because of their low attack.


    To give myself some time to decide my next play, I went ahead and summoned the Air source that sat in my hand. The card that acted as its container fractured into a tiny storm cloud that drifted up to join my Order source.


    Knowing I only had a few seconds remaining before my opponent would be able to draw new cards and summon source, I muttered to myself, ¡°Might as well.¡± I Focused both of my own sources for 2, the free nature of Air and calm balance of Order flowing through me and out my fingertips, infusing the Helmet card I held. The Relic briefly warmed and then vanished from my right hand, appearing in the air in front of me as a fully formed piece of equipment.


    I grabbed it with my free left hand before it could fall, quickly fitting it onto my head. The metal was tight against my ears and came down a bit farther over my eyes than I would like, but still, I found the familiar weight and the closeness of it comforting. I had some protection now, and since they were only Focused, my sources would be available to me again soon.


    My opponent didn¡¯t seem particularly concerned by my play, but neither did he seem pleased with the two new cards he pulled into being ¨C his reaction buoying my hopes yet again. With a flick of one hand, he summoned another Order source. He then surprised me by Devoting one and Focusing the other, both of them losing their luster, the devoted one drooping in the air, floating lower than the other. Those 3 source summoned a card that the magic of the Dueling Dome let me see with perfect clarity for a split second.


    Its gold border marking it as a Rare was worrisome, and its stats were certainly nothing to shrug off. Then I saw its abilities and an audible groan escaped. Strong was utterly terrible for my deck to fight against because it meant that all of my Souls with 2 attack or less ¨C which was most of them ¨C wouldn¡¯t be able to block. My Assassins suddenly felt even more useless than they already had.


    And then the Golem took form in truth in front of me, its metal body slipping from the air and onto the wood platform with a heavy thud. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near as large as the Colossal I had seen, but it was still quite big, easily eight or so feet tall and its wide body was as thick as three or four people fused together. Steam blew out the grate it had in place of a mouth while the crowd oohed and aahed over the unique summon ¨C I had certainly never seen its like before. Uncaring of the spectacle it was making, the Golem opened and closed its overlarge hands, one of them easily able to crush the head of a grown man. Orange lights flickered along its arms, but nowhere more brightly than its eyes ¨C they glowed and crackled, and I imagined its innards were made of the same lava that was said to boil in the heart of Charbond¡¯s volcano. The Golem then turned those menacing eyes on me, and I was sure of it.


    In my years dueling, I had faced off against many a frightening Soul. However, I had yet to gain the cold calmness that Tipfin always talked about master summoners possessing. A true duelist, he would say, trusted in his cards and deck for protection. Only once those things were depleted did one truly need to worry. I tried to tell myself the very same, but I half wondered if I might wet myself a little if the Hulking Golem charged me now. Attacking the same turn it was called forth would exhaust the Relic Soul, but my opponent might judge it worth the cost.


    The artisan duelist chose not to commit to the attack, and the familiar sensation of my mind relaxing, shedding its previous tightness, drew my attention. I immediately pulled two new cards from within, choosing both to be source. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the play, desperate as I was to get to a Headsman, but I also knew that I needed to start using the cards I had. Ideally, I wanted another Order source, as that would let me summon a regular Assassin without needing to Devote any of my source. Seeing both cards appear in my left hand, I was glad I had chosen to pull two instead of just one. The first was Air, just like my opening hand, and would have been woefully inefficient for summoning my current hand, and the second was Order. I cast the Order so fast I barely felt the heft of the card before it was gone.


    A heartbeat later, three source circled me, and with a thought, I Focused them all. This time I had twice as much Order flowing through me than Air, and I felt a more profound sense of calm. In fact, the sensation was so well needed, I entertained only summoning Order leaning cards from here on out to capture this feeling as much as possible for the rest of the duel. ¡®A more relaxed duelist is the one more likely to win,¡¯ Tipfin would often say.


    Like with the Helmet, the Assassin card broke apart in my hand and then reformed in front of me.


    The man was there one moment, around my height and gray cloaked, and then he vanished. This was his Stealth, and while I could still sense him, I knew that for as long as the Assassin stayed this way, the opponent and its Souls wouldn¡¯t be able to attack him.


    Another burst of steam issued from the Hulking Golem across from me, and with the crowd a touch quieter than before, I could hear whirring and whining come from the Golem¡¯s metal body as it turned its torso instead of its head side to side, apparently looking for where the Assassin had gone to. For a split second, I had the urge to send my Soul charging into my opponent¡¯s. He didn¡¯t have any source available to surprise me, and my Assassin¡¯s Venom would kill the Hulking Golem since the Relic counted as a Soul. Also, destroying the Golem now without another Soul on the field would negate its Dying Breath ability.


    Despite these reasons in favor of the attack, I hesitated. In the ensuing fight my Assassin would also be destroyed, and I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to lose my only troop so soon after summoning it. In addition, I always hated my own Souls dying when I didn¡¯t have a Carrion Condor out to benefit from the sacrifice.


    My dithering lasted long enough for my opponent to draw two more cards and his source to partially refresh, and I berated myself, the window of opportunity gone. I could still issue the command, but now the artisan duelist might be able to counter me. That might seemed all the more likely when he played another source, giving him two that were refreshed and ready to use. They didn¡¯t stay that way long, both losing their luster almost immediately, and a new card came forth.


    In reality, this Golem was only around six feet tall and came up to the first¡¯s chest when they stood side-by-side: one gleaming silver, the other the copper-gold, their bodies seeming like reflections of their rarity. I twitched with irritation. Not because of the new Soul¡¯s stats or abilities, but because the Hulking Golem now had a target to buff with its +1 Attack when it was destroyed. Holding my Assassin back had decidedly been the wrong play, and now I would pay the price for that. My annoyance spiked when the Hulking Golem then came stomping toward me, its large footfalls shaking the wooden platform we were on and vibrating up my legs.


    It ate up the space between us quickly, and if I tried to use my Assassin to block, he would be brushed aside due to Strong. The Golem lifted a large hand, smashing it down on me, and I flinched as time froze for Fate¡¯s Grace. Fear and frustration roiled within me, and if I could have moved normally, I would have been tempted to shout myself hoarse to try and get them out. The reaction was far from my norm, but I simply couldn¡¯t believe how poorly I had played the last turn. What if I lost because of this? What if all I was good for was beating random dirty duelists and their niche decks?


    Time was beginning to speed up, the metal fist descending, but those facts didn¡¯t help with my decision. All I could think was that I shouldn¡¯t be in this position in the first place, having to pick which cards to lose to stop 3 damage. If I had attacked with my Assassin, the Hulking Golem wouldn¡¯t even be here anymore, let alone about to brain me. The cards I had available to block with only made matters worse. To lose a card like Equality or my Master Assassin so early would be another misplay, I was sure. And Penitence? I needed it for my eventual combo; I couldn¡¯t get rid of it now.


    There was also the Helmet I was wearing ¨C it could absorb the entirety of the attack. But to use it up for just 3 damage when the Colossal would surely do more felt equally wrong.


    Disliking all my options, I finally decided to simply take the hit directly. I was afraid it was another wrong choice, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do. Time resumed, and I turned my body so that the massive fist crashed into my shoulder instead of my head, thus preserving the Soulforged Helmet I wore. Instead of the attack breaking my bones, or crushing me to the ground, as I¡¯m sure it would have if I wasn¡¯t blessed to possess as many cards as I did, the fist ricocheted to the side, away from me. As it glanced off, three cards were stripped from my Mind Home, appearing in the air briefly where the blow had struck before bursting into shards.


    The first was one of my two Headsman.

 15. Hull - The Losers Bracket

    Lily Whoever-She-Was waited for me on platform 9, perfectly poised and stern as a shopkeep. She wasn¡¯t as richly dressed as that earnest weirdo Basil, but her people obviously had some money. Her dress was a deep green wool that cinched up under the bodice, and a collared shirt of pristine white made her tanned face and bleached-out hair look weathered. Her hands looked chapped as she held them perfectly still by her sides. She was sturdy. Not ugly, by any means; not even really plain, just¡­ hard. Swap out the green wool for salt-stained cotton and she¡¯d be the perfect picture of a fishwife working the boats. My stomach, already sour with anxiety, sank even further. She looked like she knew her business.


    I¡¯d gone into the first match all piss and vinegar, and I¡¯d gotten my ass handed to me. If not for Basil¡¯s unbelievable kindness ¨C he¡¯s playing an angle, he has to be ¨C I¡¯d have already been turned out into the street and Ticosi would be taking strips out of my skin right that moment. I¡¯d lost, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling. I didn¡¯t want to lose my one good card, but staying in the tournament was the only thing that would keep me alive. They had a room for me, they¡¯d feed me, and unauthorized summoning was impossible for the duration of the tourney. So long as I won every match from here on out, I¡¯d keep breathing.


    And afterward? This thing can¡¯t last more than a couple of days. What then, genius? I shook my head and stepped up the stairs to the platform. I had enough on my mind to be going on with ¨C tomorrow would have to wait. That was, if I even made it ¡®til tomorrow. I had no confidence I could win this match.


    I took a deep breath and blew hard, shaking my hands to fling off some of the fear. Come on, dummy. You¡¯ve been stabbed twice just for sleeping in the wrong spot. You can handle a rich kid play-match. I glared at the girl across the boards, and she looked back, cool and unaffected. Had her hands tightened on her skirts for a second? Maybe she was scared of the dirty gutter boy. I could only hope.


    The announcer called our names and began the ritual for the bout, giving his call-and-response prayer to the Twins so the crowd could yell their part all together (which, by the sound of it, they loved doing) and then the isolation dome went up around us. This announcer had a hushed, respectful tone totally at odds with the one from my first match. It sounded affected and snooty, and I suddenly wished for the other guy hurling insults at me. This fellow was likely to put me to sleep instead.


    When the crowd yelled their response, I felt a card slip out from behind my right ear and fly up in front of me. I put my eyes down, not wanting to see my Epic spell dangling like bait before the sharks.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said the match-caller in his hushed, too-educated voice. ¡°The Hateful Hammer Relic for Hull and a Troglodyte Tracker from Lily.¡±


    I jerked my eyes skyward and saw two cards reflected near the top of the dome.


    My heart unclenched the barest bit. If I lost, it wouldn¡¯t cost me my Epic.


    The commentator made a sound that I could only call detached interest. ¡°Interesting. Those of you who saw young Master Hull¡¯s first match know he lost an Epic, but as I look into his deck, it appears he has it back again. There¡¯s a story there, I imagine. The Epic was the more likely one to be pulled as ante, but it seems that Fortune has favored the draw for the young man. We have a pair of Uncommons in the offering.¡±


    My Relic came flying back and settled back into my Mind Home. It might not be as critical as the Sucking Void was, but I still felt much better once I had it back. Flexing my fists, I focused in on Lily to see her card aura. I needed to know how deep a deck this girl was fielding. If she had as many cards as Basil, I was shit out of luck exactly like before. Why did he give me the card back? No, focus!


    Trying to see the silver glow of the cards felt like reading something that was written too small, but once I zeroed in, her aura looked dimmer than Basil¡¯s right from the jump. A tiny bit more effort and I saw the cards spinning ¡®round her. As before, they whirled too quickly to get a solid count, but there couldn¡¯t have been more than seven or eight. Not so bad. More than I might wish, but far less than I feared.


    I drew my two cards and three source. Neither of us mulliganed for new cards. I threw a Nether overhead when the commentator prompted us for the opening gambit, and Lily¡¯s first source turned out to be Water. Maybe she really was a fishwife. Regardless, I¡¯d be going first.


    ¡°Kill him, Lills!¡± someone shrieked from the stands. ¡°Feed him his own guts!¡±


    The crowd laughed and cheered, and I saw an older woman standing and shaking her fist in a sign that would have gotten her knifed in my neighborhood. Several others near her repeated the gesture, and other folks nearby threw bits of bread and heckled them goodnaturedly.


    ¡°Quiet, please,¡± chided the announcer. ¡°This is a sacred contest.¡±


    The crowd jeered even more loudly at that, and one man skinned his pants down to wag his bare butt in the air. I couldn¡¯t help it ¨C I chuckled just a bit. This contest was deadly serious for me, but I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate somebody taking the piss out of the invisible commentator.


    He sighed, a longsuffering sound. ¡°Fortune favor your Summons, contestants. You may begin.¡± It felt deeply wrong to have such a quiet, urbane voice telling us to beat the blue hell out of each other. I liked this guy even less than the first.


    No matter; I had more important things to attend to. I drew one more Nether and devoted the single one I had in the air, wishing with all my heart that the rules of this stupid game allowed me to put up another source when I went first; I had three waiting in my hand. As it was, though, that let me play my first move.


    The heavy hammer settled into my hand, and I pounded across the arena as quick as I could, swinging hard at my opponent. She growled a curse that let me know she definitely worked a fishing boat and flicked a card from her hand to meet the blow. It shattered in the air, leaving a quick afterimage of the card that had been destroyed.


    ¡°Lily loses a Common Troglodyte,¡± the announcer murmured. ¡°No doubt she¡¯d have liked to play that instead of discarding it.¡±


    The crowd booed and threw food at the magical dome. Lily had quite a few relatives in the stands, it seemed. I was painfully aware that I was following exactly the same gameplan that had earned me a loss in round one, but there weren¡¯t many dazzling combos a fellow could manage with only two cards. I had exactly one trick; I just needed to make it work this time.


    ¡°Give me some space,¡± Lily snarled at me. ¡°You smell worse than a box of clams left in the sun.¡± She flicked another source overhead and they both dimmed, one completely and the other halfway. Two separate cards shimmered out of her hands, and each of them flashed before me as their summons misted into being.


    I stumbled away, grimacing. Two summons on turn one? Basil had been so slow out of the gate that I wasn¡¯t prepared for immediate resistance. Neither of the troggies looked all that tough, and I didn¡¯t see anything about Venom on either of the cards, thankfully. Still, a finger snap and a point from Lily was all it took for the red-crested Tracker to leap forward, spear extended. The slower, dumber-looking trog hung back, protecting its Summoner.


    I backpedaled hard, but the troggie was fast and its spear was long. With a croaking cry, planted its spear in my ribs.


    Or at least, that¡¯s what should have happened, but as the iron spearpoint drew near, everything slowed down like molasses dripping out of a jar, even my backwards fall. That vicious point inched closer, and I felt a pressure on my mind that felt foreign, unearthly. CHOOSE, it whispered at me.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Mind racing, I remembered both Basil and Lily blocking my hammer blows with cards from their hands. At the time, I couldn¡¯t understand how they¡¯d gotten them in the way, but¡­ maybe this happened every time? It hadn¡¯t happened to me when Basil¡¯s damned death bird had taken a swipe and knocked me out of the match, but I hadn¡¯t had any options left at that point. That wasn¡¯t the case now. I didn¡¯t have any deck remaining in my Mind Home to absorb the blow coming at me right now, true, but I did have a hand full of cards.


    Gingerly, I held out the fan of cards in my one hand, touching one of my source cards to the tip of the spear, making sure it didn¡¯t catch my Sucking Void instead. I still needed that. Instantly, two Nether were ripped out of my hand and into sparkling shards, and time resumed its normal speed. As I hit the ground I swung my hammer at the overextended Troglodyte Tracker. The blow was wild but caught it on the jaw, and the fragile creature exploded into bits of light. I scrambled back to my feet, breathing hard.


    ¡°Hull sacrifices two source,¡± the announcer murmured.


    The crowd called for my blood. The old woman had a whole section chanting with her now. ¡°HIS GUTS! HIS GUTS!¡± Everyone was having a grand old time watching me get pounded.


    My mind raced to catch up with what had just happened. That ethereal voice, the slowing of time ¨C Fate had let me choose where to take the damage. Each one of my lost source cards had absorbed 1 damage. It was that much less Nether I could use to power up my blows, but I couldn¡¯t complain. Had I not intervened with my cards in hand, that spear would have plowed into my ribs, found my Mind Home empty, and I¡¯d have lost the match. Thank you, Fate. Turns out you¡¯re not always so bad.


    I drew two more source from my soul, feeling them form into cards in my off hand. Somehow I knew in my bones from that moment of stillness that any source still remaining in my soul would do me no good for blocking damage. Source weren¡¯t really cards in the same way that Souls, Relics, and spells were ¨C they just looked like cards in the hand for a moment until you brought them forth. The only way my source would serve me was on the field or in my hand as a temporary blocker. I put one more overhead; the first had come back to focused but wouldn¡¯t be available to draw on until next turn.


    It was time for the second half of my one-trick-pony show. Devoting my second Nether, I cast my Epic spell.


    I breathed just a little easier as the starlight armor settled around me. No more troggie spears for me for a little while.


    ¡°And there¡¯s that Epic I mentioned,¡± the announcer mused. ¡°I wonder what he had to pay to get it back from his previous opponent.¡±


    Nothing! I shouted at him in my mind as I rushed at Lily again. He gave it to me free and clear and it¡¯s driving me crazy. Why did he do it?


    The lesser Troglodyte jumped in front of my swing at Lily¡¯s command, taking the hit. It didn¡¯t kill it, but its arm hung at a funny angle and it hissed in pain. Under other circumstances I¡¯d have felt bad. Hurting people was one thing; hurting dumb animals was another, and I didn¡¯t like it. Then it tried to bite my hand with its razor sharp teeth and I reconsidered. The bite slid off my magical encasing, but still: troglodytes were mean little bastards.


    Lily looked panicked as she backed away. ¡°What does it do? The description was too long, and they flash by so quick. What does the card do?¡±


    I gave her my nastiest smile. ¡°It tells you to read faster.¡±


    ¡°A little competitive banter between the contestants there,¡± murmured the announcer.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lily and I both yelled at the same time.


    I laughed to hear her echoing me so perfectly, but she didn¡¯t seem to think the moment was amusing. Pulling more cards, she threw another Water source up, devoted one and focused another, and summoned a fresh Soul.


    ¡°Kill that scum sucker,¡± she barked, pointing at me.


    This trogger was fishier and burlier than the others, with massive jaws that gaped wide as it lumbered toward me. I felt a moment of instinctive fear, and then I remembered: it can¡¯t hurt me.


    Laughing, I offered it my head. It chomped down hard, but I felt nothing more than a slight pressure. One of its teeth broke off and clattered onto the boards at my feet, and I gave it a friendly tap with my hammer just for fun. It wasn¡¯t enough to kill it, but it yelped, scampering back towards its Summoner mommy.


    In the background, I heard that boring, sleepy voice drone, ¡°Ooooh, a severe misplay by Lily. She seems to have not understood the effect of her opponent¡¯s spell, and now she¡¯s devoted her hardest hitter in a futile effort to deal damage.¡±


    Lily turned so red she was almost purple. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! I¡¯ve never seen that card before. Who¡¯s ever seen Nether cards?¡±


    I put up my third Nether source and drew on both my available ones hard, devoting them and feeling the rush of rage in both arms and heart. ¡°I¡¯ve lived on the streets as long as I can remember. Don¡¯t talk to me about fair.¡±


    Running in with a roar, I focused on the spine of the retreating Troglodyte Warrior. Just because it couldn¡¯t hurt me right now didn¡¯t mean I wanted it hanging around later, and my hammer¡¯s Overkill meant I could still hurt her with it, too. She¡¯d had to overextend the beast to make it attack the first turn it was in play, and it couldn¡¯t even defend itself. Not that it would have mattered.


    My hammer, pulsing with a purple haze that extended out from my hands, tore through the troggie¡¯s back, and it shattered into shards. The sweep of my hammer barely slowed, pushing on through to Lily. Eyes wide and desperate, she threw up her hand to block. Two cards shimmered and vanished, one a Water source and the other a Soul.


    I was grinning from ear to ear despite the rage pounding in me. In fact, the thrill of the battle transformed the rage into something more like joy. I threw my face to the sky and let out a primal battlecry. It felt good, and the crowd loved it. Except the old lady and her friends; I heard one of them yelling about what I should do to my mother. I barely heard it. Hearing the cheers, ripping cards out of my enemies, instilling fear ¨C suddenly I felt like I was born for this.


    Careful, stupid. Last round was going great too, until it wasn¡¯t. Don¡¯t get cocky. I had one more turn on my Sucking Void. I needed to shut this match down quick. Lily looked at the one card remaining in her hand and her face fell.. She hesitated, looked to her one remaining injured Troglodyte, and said something I couldn¡¯t quite understand in a seafarer¡¯s dialect. It must have been exceptionally foul, because the old lady who¡¯d been screaming accusations of incest sagged into her seat with a slack mouth. Whatever the words, the meaning was clear: Lily knew she couldn¡¯t penetrate my Sucking Void, and she couldn¡¯t cast anything else to protect herself. She was stuck, and her turn was wasted.


    I used the moment¡¯s respite to focus in on her card aura. I had to know how much damage she could still absorb. My heart lit on fire when I saw no glow at all. She had no cards left in her Mind Home. I must have miscounted at the beginning ¨C she was played out.


    I put up another Nether source and devoted both the new one and the one that had just refreshed. Last turn of invulnerability. How many damage can the cards in her hand absorb? I had no way of knowing, and it was the difference between winning and losing. If she didn¡¯t go down now, my spell would expire and I¡¯d be defenseless against her remaining troggie. She wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to block with it, would she? She had to be waiting for her chance to attack.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s favor,¡± I muttered, a fervent prayer in my heart. I waded in one last time and swung my hammer. The troglodyte didn¡¯t block, and Lily shrank away from the blow, holding up her card. It shattered and showed itself.


    The barest trickle of the hammer¡¯s force bled through and hit her in the face, throwing her to the ground. She sprawled there, groaning and clutching her nose. I stood over her, blood ringing in my ears and hammer held tight in my fist. Every street instinct in my body was screaming to hit her again and again until she couldn¡¯t get up.


    Then I heard the crowd roaring, looked up, and realized I¡¯d won.


    ¡°¡®The round goes to Hull, Contestant 27,¡± the dry-voiced announcer said. ¡°What a match.¡±


    I staggered back, my muscles suddenly loose and rubbery. I put my hands on my knees and breathed deep. The announcer said something else, but I couldn¡¯t hear it. I got to keep playing; Ticosi couldn¡¯t get his hands on me yet, and that was worth a word of thanks to the Twins. When I looked up again, a thousand faces were still pointing and cheering. I gave a little wave and the noise doubled. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, and they loved that even more. Sure, there were a few sour faces in the mix ¨C I couldn¡¯t see where the old woman had gone ¨C but these people didn¡¯t see a violent street kid they wished they could ignore. They saw a violent street kid who¡¯d just won.


    The dueling barrier came down, and Lily¡¯s ante card floated over to me. I snatched it out of the air and laughed in sheer glee. Another Uncommon card, and this one was actually decent!


    Unlike the Fire spell I¡¯d stolen from the tailor, this was trade-worthy. I suddenly itched to get to the trading tables I¡¯d seen outside and make the most of it. Looking around, I saw Lily had already left the dueling box and was retreating toward the tunnel, head hanging low. I remembered that walk of shame; I¡¯d made it myself not half an hour before. I felt the sudden, insane impulse to run and give back her card like Basil had done for me.


    I shook my head and flicked myself on the ear with a finger. Don¡¯t go soft in the head. Basil¡¯s a bleeding noble. His family probably has a library full of Epics. It¡¯s not the same thing. You won this fair and square. I watched her go and said nothing, but I didn¡¯t like knowing how the girl felt right now.


    ¡°Excuse me, Master Hull?¡± It was the same functionary boy in his official robes. ¡°My sincerest congratulations on advancing in the Tournament. If you¡¯ll follow me, the Mess Hall has been prepared for the competitors and your room is also ready. Your next match is not until later today. Now is a good time to rest and prepare for the matches ahead.¡±


    My stomach grumbled. The hand pie that had been sitting so heavy in my stomach before the match had disappeared, and I was ravenous. ¡°Show me where to go,¡± I said. ¡°And then show me the trading tables.¡±

 16. Basil - Winning Isnt Everything

    I almost cried out in physical pain to see one of my Headsman cards destroyed, barely registering the other two I lost as they vanished alongside the first, a Carrion Condor and my other Protection Spell.


    ¡°Three damage to Basil of Hintal. This leaves him with only twelve remaining.¡±


    The announcer¡¯s cool voice cut through the air, startling me nearly as much as the Golem¡¯s attack. She had been so silent up until this point compared to the one in my last match I had almost forgotten that she was there.


    Despite the damage, my mind was free to be delved again, and so I grabbed for two summon cards, hoping to find my remaining Headsman. I got a pair of Sky blue Air cards for my trouble, both of them Condors.


    I tsked, thoughts racing. The Hulking Golem had been pushed back a few feet by the flurry of card shards it had stripped off of me, and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before it would be able to accept another command. I still had one source in my hand, Air, so I played it. Along with my newly refreshed source, I now had four available to me. But what to summon? I had planned to defeat my opponent quickly, yet he was the one who had more Souls on the field and had managed to strike me first. I couldn¡¯t let this continue, and yet I was torn how to stop it. Equality would let me eliminate one of his two Golems, but that was hardly worth it. No, I needed to match his Souls with my own, but not a Condor ¨C their attack wasn¡¯t high enough at the start.


    Pulling on all the source I had available, I devoted one Order and focused the rest, summoning my Master Assassin. Energy poured into the crown of my head, coursing through my chest and right arm, burning like fire compared to the small things I had called forth before. The gold-bordered Master Assassin card vibrated in turn, flashing hot briefly and then it was gone.


    Before me was a masked man in black, much the same size as a regular Assassin. However, the speed with which he surveyed his surroundings and then turned to me, revealed to any watching closely that he was clearly a cut above.


    His eyes narrowed, and a raspy voice came from behind his mask. ¡°Why has a summoner with greater skill not purchased me from you yet?¡±


    The Master Assassin was rarely pleasant in our interactions, but after my recent misplay ¨C and in the middle of the Rising Stars Tournament no less ¨C his usual barb stung all the more.


    ¡°Because no one has offered me a trade for you,¡± I explained, leaving the larger truth unsaid. And because you are a key part of my deck.


    He took in the surrounding crowds just as quickly as he had clocked the two opposing Golems. ¡°Then I will have to make an impression.¡± His cold eyes drilled into me. ¡°Be sure that I do.¡± He then vanished as completely as the regular Assassin before him, slipping into a shadow cast by the Hulking Golem.


    I tried not to let his departing words affect me, but I found the sudden added pressure disconcerting. It was one thing to have my own hopes for my performance, not to mention Esmi¡¯s and Warrick¡¯s expectations of me, but to try and juggle the wishes of my Souls on top of that? That felt like too much to bear.


    I closed my eyes for a split second, centering myself. When I reopened them I knew what I needed to do. I couldn¡¯t attack right away with my Master Assassin, regardless of his desire that I showcase him. Doing so would break his Stealth and leave him devoted, making him vulnerable to attack. I didn¡¯t have two Order Source available to save him if he was attacked, so for now, he needed to stay in hiding.


    I did need to eliminate at least one of my opponent¡¯s Souls though, and that meant it was time to Hunt with my regular Assassin, like I should have earlier in the duel. I whispered a brief command, and the Soul revealed himself, much to the crowd¡¯s delight. He charged at the Hulking Golem that had attacked me, and I backed away, not wanting to get caught up in the fray.


    The blade my Assassin wielded was short, much shorter than the Golem¡¯s arm, but he slipped past the metal construct¡¯s initial swing, burying his dagger in its side. The Assassin was stuck there a moment, holding onto his weapon, and that was all the time the Golem needed to bring a fist down, turning my Soul into a spray of card shards. The Golem didn¡¯t survive long after that, the metal where the blade had touched melting away, causing the Golem to collapse in on itself sideways before breaking into shards as well.


    ¡°The Assassin¡¯s Venom destroys the Hulking Golem,¡± the announcer explained for the crowd¡¯s benefit. ¡°And in turn, the Golem destroys the Assassin. The Metal Golem gains +1 attack in the exchange.¡±


    I could see the silver golem gain copper plating on its arms, both limbs looking bulkier than before, something that wouldn¡¯t have happened if I hadn¡¯t misplayed. That thinking is a trap, I heard Tipfin say. Focus on the now.


    It was a challenge, but I did just that, watching my opponent summon another Order source, giving him four available in total. He devoted one, and a card vanished from his hand. It formed into a rock in the air in front of him, and he grabbed it before it fell, much like I had with my Helmet.


    The card was an amazing fit for his deck, and I wished I possessed something similar that worked on any summon type. I knew of one such Order card from my studies, Horn of Recruitment, but I had yet to find one for sale at a price I could afford. The artisan threw the stone to the ground, breaking it, which only a moment later gained him a new card in hand. The speed with which he had chosen made it clear that this was a sequence of plays he was well familiar with, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he had picked, having his whole Mind Home to choose from.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait to find out. He devoted another of his sources, and focused one, and a Relic appeared around his waist.


    While the last card had been good, this one I found rather terrifying. The amount of source someone could get from it bordered on absurd. True, it would all be Any, but unless I missed my guess, that was all his deck used.


    The artisan devoted his final Order source, and smiling at me, he let one more card fly free from his hand.


    ¡°Throice uses his Refractory Belt to turn his devoted source into four, enough to summon a three cost Relic,¡± the announcer said, like she was reading from a rather dull book.


    In comparison, my experience was a great deal more fraught as I watched a giant body of metal take form beside the artisan, towering over him. It was the Colossal I had seen before, or at least a part of it. It came in pieces? Six of them according to the card, which meant I had some time until the behemoth took the field. In the interim, however, the body part gave his Golems a buff, and I could only imagine that the other five pieces would have similar but varying effects ¨C none of which I wished to discover.


    The Metal Golem took a step forward, perhaps emboldened by its newfound Armor, and I hoped fervently that it would attack. Even with a point of damage reduced, my Master Assassin would make short work of it with his Fast Attack and Venom.


    Throice didn¡¯t have it charge though, and then I felt my cards ready to be drawn. I grabbed for two source, no summons. It wasn¡¯t the play I wished to make, but I didn¡¯t want to risk drawing Air when I needed an Order up for my Master Assassin¡¯s ability. The first source that coalesced into my hand was Air, making me very glad of my decision to draw more than one source. The second was Order, and I cast it.


    Next, I devoted both of the stormclouds hovering above me, the four Air letting me play one of the two Carrion Condors in my hand.


    My opponent had no source available to stop me, so I finally sent the Master Assassin in, using his Hunt ability to go straight at the Metal Golem. The Rare Soul chose not to run like the regular Assassin that had come before him, instead flipping through the air. Parts of his long black cloak were ribbons and they trailed after him like streamers, accentuating his acrobatic movement. The crowds loved the display, whooping with excitement each time he performed another skillful leap or cartwheel.


    The Master Assassin was upside down in the air when he threw two daggers, his Fast Attack letting him strike before other Souls. The first pinged off the Golem but the second buried in its forehead, instantly dissolving its face.


    ¡°The Armor from the Colossal''s Torso stops one point of damage to the Metal Golem,¡± the announcer informed the crowds, ¡°but the other goes through, and yet again, Venom sees the job done.¡±


    Without any urging from me, my freshly summoned Carrion Condor swooped over, ripping a chunk of metal off the Golem and guzzling down the black fluid that came with it eagerly. The impromptu feast lasted only another moment before the Metal Golem broke into shards, leaving behind no carcass, just a few bits of glittering light.


    ¡°The Carrion Condor gains plus one attack from the exchange.¡±


    It felt nice to be the duelist earning combat buffs, and my Condor looked pleased as well, its plumage more puffed up than before.


    The combat didn¡¯t only benefit me though, as I saw my opponent draw a card from the Metal Golem¡¯s Dying Breath ability. That Relic Soul was good, very good, but I felt I had managed to shift the match back in my favor: my Carrion Condor was free to block, and I had two Order source available to me if the artisan tried to target my Master Assassin.


    That sense of confidence lessened somewhat when my opponent played another source and devoted two of them, gaining 8 through the Refractory Belt. A metal box appeared in his hand, which he tucked into his Belt.


    Next he summoned a hammer ¨C not wicked like the urchin¡¯s had been, but utilitarian.


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    He swung the hammer around, putting its stone head to the platform, and then he knelt over it, touching his forehead to the end of its haft.


    ¡°Throice devotes his Crafting Hammer to recover one of his destroyed cards.¡±


    ¡°The Hulking Golem!¡± many in the crowd cried, while others shouted for the Lodestone. ¡°Get the Colossal! Get the Colossal!¡± they repeated. Strategically, I agreed with the second group but at the same time, hoped the artisan chose not to.


    A new card formed in his hand, and was cast just as quickly. The Metal Golem my Master Assassin had just eliminated reappeared on the field.


    I grimaced. A blocker and a way to cycle his deck. The card probably was the best choice.


    Despite my agitation, I didn¡¯t miss my mind relaxing, and I drew two summon cards out of it this time, gaining Scalemail and Execution, neither of which I particularly wanted.


    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t need my new cards for a strong turn. I played the Air source I still had in my hand, then devoted it and one of my refreshed Order to play another Carrion Condor.


    That done, I sent the Master Assassin after the returned Metal Golem and my buffed Carrion Condor at my opponent, keeping my newest Condor in reserve. I knew the artisan would likely use the Flashbomb on one of them, and he did, lobbing the box at the Master Assassin, where it exploded in a flash as bright as the Sun King¡¯s morning ritual. I shielded my eyes, seeing my master Master Assassin stumble back and hearing him mutter a curse, sharp as the blades he wielded.


    ¡°The Carrion Condor strikes Throice for three damage.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t blocked it? I wondered, blinking the brightness out of my eyes. And then I realized: he couldn¡¯t block it, not if all he was using was neutral Relics. Blocking from the hand required the card used to have a specific source cost; cards with only Any-source costs were useless. I stood there slack jawed at the revelation. His cards had great synergy, but their nature made him vulnerable, very vulnerable. The deck was probably meant to be a statement, to show the strength of the artisans and why they deserved a House. What it represented to me though was a gaping hole in his defense that could just be my key at winning.


    Not that my opponent showed any signs of letting that happen, four of his Order source balls drooping heavily in the air.


    ¡°Throice devotes all of his available sources and, channeling them through the Refractory Belt, gains sixteen source for use,¡± the announcer somehow managed to say calmly.


    The crowd went insane, and my eyes widened with them. The multitude of gems on the belt were glowing white hot, and a nimbus of energy began to creep both up and down my opponent¡¯s body. I had never channeled that much source before and couldn¡¯t imagine what it would feel like.


    Giant body parts started appearing all around, one after the next, turning the platform into a forest of gargantuan metal limbs leaning at odd angles.


    The artisan gestured, and the eyes of the Head glowed cold blue, bringing a fresh card into my opponent¡¯s hand. It didn¡¯t stay there long, another massive body part appearing on the field.


    ¡°After focusing the Head of the Colossal Golem to draw a card from his deck, Throice uses three of his remaining four source to summon the last piece of the Colossal Golem.¡±


    My opponent then did precisely what it seemed like he was going to: he sacrificed them all. The six body parts vanished in unison, each creating the usual shards when a card was destroyed. However, the size of each of them turned the shard explosion into a veritable whirlwind of card parts, the shards glowing with an intensity they didn¡¯t usually possess, whipping upward, as high as the dome, and then they vanished. When they disappeared, standing in their place was none other than the Colossal Golem, in all its terrible glory.


    I stared up at the behemoth, my neck craning so I could look up that high. The Soul Relic was bigger than anything had a right to be, and much more intimidating to face head on than it had been to see from afar. It was not only an absurdly powerful attacker but an incredible blocker. With Tall it could defend against my Flyers, and Wide would let the Colossal block two of my souls simultaneously ¨C so, both of my Condors. With his Metal Golem to stop my Master Assassin, my opponent had managed to put up a wall of blockers that could halt what I had on the field.


    But that didn¡¯t matter.


    I slid my thumb over to Penitence. I had two Order source available to draw on ¨C the ones I had kept available to protect my Master Assassin ¨C and even more in another moment. As soon as my Master Assassin and my bigger Carrion Condor were ready to attack again I¡¯d ¨C


    ¡°Charge,¡± the artisan bellowed, and his Souls obeyed without question: his Metal Golem ran forward on its silver legs while the Colossal moved considerably slower, yet managed to cover the intervening distance faster by virtue of its size, simply leaning forward to come within striking range.


    I didn¡¯t understand. Why is he risking an attack? Does he know what cards I play?


    With a mental command, I sent my one ready Carrion Condor to intercept the Metal Golem, leaving me to fend off the Colossal and its arm the size of a tower raised above me.


    It was sooner than expected, but I used my two available Order source to cast Penitence on the Colossal. The Relic Soul might have Resistance, but Penitence didn¡¯t do damage.


    The Colossal didn¡¯t pause in its movements, and for a heartstopping moment I was convinced that the spell had somehow, impossibly failed and I was about to be crushed. But then one of the Colossal¡¯s tree trunk legs went out from under it, the knee hitting the platform with an incredibly loud clang. Both its arms followed after, its palms colliding the wood to either side of me, rattling up my legs. The Colossal¡¯s huge head hung above mine now, casting me in shadow, looking like it was paying me fealty. With effort, I ripped my eyes away from the monstrosity, not even bothering to draw or use my newly refreshed sources.


    Now was my chance.


    I sent my Master Assassin and both Condors rushing toward my opponent, who had no blockers remaining since one of my Condors had already dispatched the Metal Golem. I could just see the artisan through a gap in the Colossal¡¯s bent leg as my Souls converged on him. Together they were attacking for 9 damage, mostly because of the buffed Carrions, and my opponent only had a single card left circling him in defense. He had drawn too much with his Metal Golems, Lodestone, and Colossal Head, depleting his deck.


    Since he couldn¡¯t use his neutral cards in hand to protect himself, the winning blow was a foregone conclusion, but it was still a joy to see my Souls connect with him, knocking him off his feet, and hear the announcer call out, ¡°Victor, Basil of Hintal.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think I would ever grow tired of hearing those words or the sudden roar of the crowd cheering my win. I joined their cries with a triumphant shout of my own, punching my fist into the air, uncaring of whether or not it was dignified of me to be expressing myself so brazenly.


    A silver card shot away from my defeated opponent, who was managing to hold himself upright on the ground, looking much like his Colossal but at a fraction of the size. The flying card slowed as it came to float in front of me.


    ¡°Praise be to the duelists for their efforts,¡± the announcer said, her cool voice finally gaining some warmth, ¡°the audience for observing, and to the Twins for all time.¡±


    ¡°For all time,¡± I echoed, plucking the Relic out of the air. Lifting my left arm, the laced sleeve I wore fell back to reveal a small leather case I had strapped to my wrist. The card holder was currently empty, but I had used it often over the past few years, when my Mind Home hadn¡¯t been able to accept a full twenty cards. The pouch portion of the holder, which was boxy in shape, faced inward, and I clicked the metal snap of its lid open, slipping the Relic inside.


    That was when Dueling Dome came down, its magic dismissing the remaining summons on the field. I stood near the center of the sparkling shower the collapsing spell created, feeling the heights of a winner¡¯s high, just as strong as any source, running through me. I was in its intoxicating grip for more than a few moments until I saw my opponent heading my way.


    Unlike the last duelist I had faced ¨C which was generous of me to even call him ¨C the artisan boy approached me with his hand held forward. Not wanting to dishonor the offer, I met him partway and shook his hand.


    ¡°Well played, Basil of Hintal,¡± he said.


    ¡°And the same to you, Throice the Artisan.¡±


    His skin was rough against mine, and I quickly found myself wishing for the exchange to end. The Ordered part of me wasn¡¯t used to touching people I didn¡¯t already know, but the Air in me relaxed those thoughts, urging me to free myself of such restrictions. I normally didn¡¯t feel my sources this way, but after having poured so much of them through my body during the match, some of their sensibilities were clearly lingering on.


    Blessedly, he let go, looking at me a bit oddly then, and I couldn¡¯t quite tell what he was thinking. ¡°You could have just used your Soulforged Helmet to stop that last attack.¡±


    ¡°My¡­¡± I reached up, as if I might touch the Relic I now remembered having summoned, but it was gone, like all the other cards.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. I had completely forgotten I had been wearing the Helmet.


    ¡°I already knew the match was over at that point,¡± Throice went on, ¡°but I wanted those watching to see the Colossal in action. My family has been working on it for the better part of two decades, so it deserves as much time in the sun as possible.¡±


    He gave me that look again, and this time I was able to place it: he thought I¡¯d been showing off, making his best card kneel like that. He perhaps even thought I had done it to rebut his call for a Ninth House. That would be poor form indeed, and I didn¡¯t want him to believe that. The trouble was that I didn¡¯t want him to think that he had just lost to a fool either.


    ¡°I was worried that it wouldn¡¯t work,¡± I said, ¡°what with how strong your Colossal was. 12 attack? I¡¯ve never seen the like. Focusing it with Penitence seemed the safer choice.¡±


    He frowned at me, as if I¡¯d just managed an even greater sin. ¡°The words of the Twins are absolute.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said, ¡°true.¡± Fate and Fortune penned every card; they didn¡¯t make mistakes. That¡¯s what we were for, and especially me this day it seemed. I didn¡¯t say anything else, unsure how to get myself out of this embarrassing situation.


    ¡°The card you won from me,¡± he said, pausing meaningfully.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I asked, my back straighter than it had been in any other point in our conversation. I might be embarrassed, but I wasn¡¯t about to give up another ante win today.


    ¡°It¡¯s only an Uncommon, but it¡¯s quite challenging to make. Would you be amenable to a trade?¡±


    Fortune was kind. Now Throice had made a mistake, letting me know that he valued the card for more than it appeared to be worth.


    ¡°Possibly,¡± I allowed. ¡°I¡¯ll need some time with the card first, to consider its usefulness in my own deck. I would then need to know what you have available for trade in order to make an informed decision.¡±


    He looked like he wanted to argue the idea that I could find any use for the card, but instead he said, ¡°My family has a shop in the west corner of the Grand Hall, outside the inner ring of eateries.¡±


    His speech before our duel made a great deal more sense to me now. He wasn¡¯t just rallying support for his family¡¯s future plans but customers for the present.


    ¡°Good to know,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to visit it.¡±


    ¡°Before the next round, if you please,¡± he said.


    So, he wanted the card for his last match of the day? That being the case would only increase the value of the trade in my favor. I tried not to smile, but a narrowing of his eyes told me that some of my good cheer had snuck out.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, doing my best to shift my smile into something that looked more innocent. ¡°I¡¯ve been told that they ring three bells to signal the end of lunch, after which there is a fifteen minute grace period before the next match begins. I¡¯ll come see you then.¡±


    ¡°If that is your earliest available opportunity,¡± he said, his words coming out much stiffer than before, and he had good cause. Shortening the window of our trade wouldn¡¯t give me as much time to examine what his family had available, but it would make him considerably more likely to agree to whatever exchange I offered.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± I said, giving him a nod and then turning away before he could try and alter our arrangement.


    Walking off the stage, I was feeling a high of a different sort when I saw Warrick, and to my surprise Esmi, waiting for me at the edge of the platform. Warrick seemed happy for me but also on edge, and a glance at my fiancee easily explained why: her face was a thundercloud, and when our eyes locked I knew with uncanny certainty that I was the cause of that storm.

 17. Hull - Tender

    I was on my third plate of food when someone sat down next to me. I tensed and put one arm down wide around my plate while the other hand kept shoveling the well-sauced chunks of pork and rice into my face. If some asshole tried to take my food they were going to get a fork in the forearm. Some small, shameful part of me whispered that this wasn¡¯t how proper folks did things, but ten years of street living didn¡¯t disappear just because that Coliseum boy in the robes had handed me the key to a private sleeping room.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaning into it a little hard,¡± the person said quietly.


    I looked up, aware that I was hunched over my food like a starving dog but unable to stop myself. A boy only a few years older than me was sitting next to me on the bench perfectly at ease, giving me a conspiratorial smile. ¡°What?¡± I said around a mouthful of food.


    ¡°I get it,¡± he said in a low voice. ¡°You make ¡®em think you¡¯re down at the heels and then they won¡¯t think much of you when you match up on the boards. It¡¯s a good strategy even if I wish there weren¡¯t two of us doing the same thing. But you don¡¯t actually have to stuff food into your pockets. None of these rich folk are watching us hard enough to even notice. Same with the rags on the feet. It¡¯s a nice touch, but some worn leather would send the same message and be far more sensible. You don¡¯t want to slip during a match.¡±


    My brain finally caught up with his words and I took in the lad sitting there. His clothes were streaked with dirt in a way that looked purposeful. His white shirt was thick and fine, but he¡¯d rolled up the sleeves and pulled a few threads to leave them hanging. The rip in the knee of his breeches was fresh, and his stout leather shoes were scuffed. His curly hair was thick and lustrous, but he¡¯d hacked the ends at his forehead and neck to make it look ragged. He was playing at being poor.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, offended anger building deep in my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°I know the game. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not mad! Playing the losers¡¯ bracket to sweep up cards is the smart thing to do. And with how we¡¯re positioned in the brackets, we can both clean up nicely before we risk facing each other, so it¡¯s a win-win. I just thought I¡¯d pass on a couple of pointers.¡± He winked and patted me on the shoulder.


    He had no idea how badly I wanted to bite that hand. This kid was pretending to be somebody like me to fleece the rich folk, but those clean fingernails had never scraped between cobblestones to pick out a copper bit that had been dropped or tried to gouge out the eye of a rival that wanted to beg on the best corner. He was trying to be me, and he had no right.


    I swallowed the food in my mouth, gripped my fork hard, and smiled big. ¡°Get anything good yet?¡±


    He leaned back, laughing. ¡°Oho, he likes to talk shop! Nothing much yet, just an Uncommon kobold. But I only gave up a Common soldier in the first round. You never want to be in the winner¡¯s bracket. That¡¯s where all the nobles and heavy hitters live. Suicide.¡± He scooted a little closer, smiling, and I wondered if pumping Nether would let me hit him hard enough with my fork to break one of those perfect white teeth. ¡°It¡¯s all about loading your deck with Commons. Leave the big boys home and you can¡¯t lose them, right? There are some decent bronzes out there that can hit hard and close out a match fast before these fools know what you¡¯re up to.¡±


    He held up a hand. ¡°No, don¡¯t ask, I¡¯m not telling. A man¡¯s gotta keep some secrets, doesn¡¯t he? After all, we might end up facing each other eventually, and I¡¯m not just gonna roll over because I like you!¡± He clapped me hard on the shoulder and stood. ¡°Take ¡®em for all you can, brother.¡± He strode away, heading for the table heaped with meats, fruit, and bread that the cooks kept filled.


    With him gone I was able to unclench from my fork. The slices of bread sitting in my pocket were going to stay exactly where they were, no matter what he said. He might be headed home to mommy and daddy after the tournament, but some of us had to think ahead.


    The Mess Hall was massive, a good hundred feet from end to end, with long tables lined up along one side for competitors to either sit together or be on their own if they pleased. The room was tucked into the upper levels of the Coliseum underneath the tiered stadium seats, and I could feel the subtle vibration of thousands of cheering idiots above me even if the solid stone blocked the noise. The room I¡¯d been assigned was one level down, and the trading tables were down the hall. I¡¯d gone there first, but when I¡¯d peeked in, the vendors and haggling competitors standing over stacks of cards all looked so intimidating that I¡¯d thought I would do better on a full stomach. Three plates in and I was starting to question that decision ¨C now I just felt tired.


    A huge board on the wall with name placards hung next to each other spurred me on, though. Workers in Coliseum robes filtered in and out of the hall, some bringing food, some with carafes of wine or water, but every now and then an official-looking fellow would march in, grab a short ladder, and rearrange the names on the board as matches ended, either removing competitors or advancing placards to the next round. My stomach gurgled with an unpleasantly full anxiety as the fat, robed official came back in and moved a name into the slot right below mine. The next person I¡¯d be facing was named¡­ Fferun, which I wasn¡¯t even sure how to say.


    I need to get to the trading tables. I didn¡¯t know exactly how long until the next match would start, but it wouldn¡¯t be forever, and I needed to build up my deck if I hoped to win any more matches and stay in the Tournament in order to stay alive. I¡¯d won against that Lily girl, yes, but I couldn¡¯t count on my next opponent having that small of a deck. From here on out the matches would only get tougher. I wished I could just stay here in the Coliseum in the Mess Hall forever and never leave. The food was good, and other than that smarmy hustler who¡¯d thought we were cut from the same cloth, no one here had bothered me.


    ¡°Tell me the state of your Souls, my child,¡± an old man said from behind me.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I jumped just a little, turning on the bench. A kindly-looking old man in an open black robe with a long white smock showing down the middle stood there with his hands tucked into the deep sleeves of the opposite arm. He had a long, white beard and a bald head. I¡¯d seen robes like that before, though only from a distance. He was a Tender, one of the priesthood of the Twins.


    I felt uncomfortable under his smile. In the Lows, smiling old men were either loonies or perverts, and I tried to avoid both. Tenders, though, supposedly knew the secrets of the gods, and it would be a bad idea to hit him if I hoped to keep winning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any Souls, church man,¡± I said, trying to sound as respectful as I could. ¡°My deck¡¯s pretty thin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all right, my boy,¡± he said, sitting next to me. ¡°We all have to start somewhere. You can always improve your own soul no matter what Fate has brought you. Have you formed your card yet?¡± His manner was gentle, but his eyes were piercing.


    I scooted away just a little. Why do people think it¡¯s okay to sit next to me? ¡°I¡­ no.¡± He might be a Tender and an acolyte of the Church of the Twins, but I didn¡¯t have the time or the desire to explain that yes, I¡¯d once had my own soul card, but no, I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d formed it at the ripe old age of four or five, that my mother had stolen it from me and run off, and no, I didn¡¯t know how that was possible. Some conversations just weren¡¯t worth having.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± he said, eyeing me with a knowing look that I didn¡¯t like at all. ¡°Best thing you could do for yourself, young man, especially for someone in your circumstances.¡± He gestured to my ragged clothing, but unlike everyone else I¡¯d met today ¨C or, well, ever ¨C his eyes were gentle and his tone devoid of judgment. It was as if he really didn¡¯t care I was a street kid. Maybe this fellow wasn¡¯t a loony or a pervert after all.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But let¡¯s say that¡¯s out of my reach right now. What d¡¯you think the Twins would want me to do to keep winning?¡±


    His smile broadened. ¡°Young man, you are talking to exactly the right person. My life as a Tender exists to help people advance themselves and improve the state of the Souls in their care. Even if you don¡¯t have any Soul cards, you can still improve your Mind Home in preparation for them. Would you be willing to show me your cards? I promise that I am entirely neutral and unconnected from the Tournament and will hold your information in the strictest confidence. The Church always sends a few of us to Tend to the competitors, and we know how to keep things to ourselves.¡±


    I chewed on my lip. I desperately needed help, and if I went to the tables by myself I¡¯d get taken for a rube like I had been by the tailor. I pulled the Troglodyte Tracker and the Uncontrolled Revels from my pocket and laid them on the table between us.


    ¡°Can you help me manage some trades?¡± I tried to keep my tone unconcerned, but I wasn¡¯t sure I managed.


    He sighed and tugged at his beard. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, my boy, but you don¡¯t want me to do that. I haven¡¯t got the steel in me for haggling, and the vendors can smell it on me like a pack of dogs. No, I don¡¯t like the trading tables. But perhaps I can do something else for you. These weren¡¯t in your Mind Home; can you not use them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said shortly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Elemental source.¡±


    ¡°It can be developed,¡± he said absently, fishing a pair of half-moon spectacles out of his robe and perching them on his nose. They didn¡¯t have the colored lenses of an Artifact that could see deep, like Ticosi¡¯s lens or the Gamemaster Glasses; they were just for improving an old man¡¯s sight. ¡°It¡¯d take longer than the Tournament would last unless your affinity is strong, though, and I don¡¯t know where you¡¯d find the elements to do it here in the Coliseum anyway.¡±


    He picked up the Fire card and inspected it. My hands itched to snatch it back, but I restrained myself. After a moment he snorted and put it down, obviously seeing how useless it was. The Troglodyte he considered for a moment longer, but then he handed it back to me, shaking his head.


    ¡°Troglodytes can be very useful, but if you haven¡¯t got Water already that¡¯s a longer road than we want to walk right now. Might I see what else you have?¡±


    I hesitated, remembering how much I hated it when my ante cards had been snatched out of my Mind Home and shown to the world. Stalling, I took the two cards from the table and put them back in my pocket.


    ¡°I won¡¯t take them,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I promise you in front Fate¡¯s all-seeing eye. A strong lad like you? I wouldn¡¯t get far if I did.¡± His eyes were clear and his face calm. I wasn¡¯t used to feeling like I trusted someone, but this old fellow was about as harmless as they came.


    Steeling myself, I put my hand behind my right ear and gave a mental push. The Hammer came out first, and then the Sucking Void.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± he breathed, bending over the Epic spell. His hands hovered over it, but he didn¡¯t pick it up, which I appreciated. ¡°What a beautiful piece.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got,¡± I admitted. ¡°Two cards.¡±


    ¡°A noble start,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t ask how you came by this card.¡±


    I stayed silent. What could I safely say to that?


    ¡°Elevating this will make it all the more powerful,¡± he said, running one finger along the faceted gem edge. ¡°To go from Epic to Mythic takes some serious resources, though. You¡¯d need Epic shards, for one, and those don¡¯t exactly grow on trees. Plus, for a spell like this, you¡¯d need an infusion of the Nether magic that formed it in the first place, and short of a trip to the Demon Realm I don¡¯t know where you¡¯d find such a thing. Not to mention the hefty smithing fee. Much as I¡¯d love to see what this will become one day if you Tend to it, that¡¯s a long-term project. Won¡¯t help us right now.¡±


    ¡°This, on the other hand,¡± he said, picking up the Hammer, ¡°is ripe for improvement. As much as I¡¯d prefer to help you elevate an actual Soul, there¡¯s satisfaction to be had in upgrading a fine piece of equipment. This one¡¯s a tad underpowered for an Uncommon.¡±


    He gave me a sharp look over the top of his spectacles. ¡°Have you got any resources? Shards? Coin?¡±


    I looked around. The closest competitor was the hustler boy sitting three tables away hunched over his meal. Even so, I lowered my voice. ¡°I have five silver clips and forty-one Basic shards.¡±


    The old man pulled the corner of his unkempt mustache into his mouth with his lower lip and chewed, thinking. ¡°That might get the job done. And you¡¯ll want to keep your whole cards for trade; you get more value that way than by breaking them down. Hmm¡­¡± He stewed silently for a long moment and then stood up abruptly. ¡°Put your Epic back and come with me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t waste a moment, eagerly putting the Sucking Void back into my Mind Home. I held the Hateful Hammer in hand and stood up as well. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To help you take your first step toward eternity,¡± he said firmly, marching out of the Hall. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you what elevation is.¡±

 18. Hull - The Refiners Fire

    I followed the black-robed Tender, an unfamiliar feeling bubbling inside of me. It was part anxiety, part fear, and part suspicion¡­ but it was mostly hope. He¡¯d said something about elevating me, and I was pretty sure he meant upgrading my Hammer card. I¡¯d heard people talking about card upgrades, but nobody I knew in the Lows had ever seen it happen. That was a thing for rich folk.


    We hurried down the bare stone hallway, passing servants and functionaries without slowing. The hall holding the trading tables came and went, but he didn¡¯t slow. Two more turns of the hallway and my hope started to get buried under new shovelfuls of doubt. I was beginning to wonder if this friendly gaffer had lied and was taking me somewhere quiet where an accomplice could get the drop on me and steal my card. Anxiety building, I put the Hammer back in my Mind Home and summoned a Nether source. If I saw a single person skulking ahead, I¡¯d cave in the old man¡¯s head.


    ¡°Here we are,¡± he said with satisfaction, approaching a wide archway to his left. Glancing back, he saw the source over my head, took a quick look at my face, and understood immediately. He stopped, faced me, and spread his hands wide. ¡°I¡¯m not going to steal it,¡± he said gently. ¡°That might be the life you¡¯ve had, but by the sacred name of the Twins, I only want to help you.¡±


    My jaw was tight and I had both a second source and my Hammer card in hand, ready to summon. I felt ever so slightly embarrassed, but I shoved the feeling down. ¡°That sounds nice,¡± I said roughly. ¡°We¡¯ll head in and see what¡¯s what.¡±


    He gave a sorrowful sigh. ¡°All right. You can go first, if you¡¯d prefer.¡±


    I did. I scooted past him, not letting him out of my sight as I peeked around the corner into the space where he was leading us. It was another big room, not quite the size of the Mess Hall, with people sitting at tables and in booths against the wall, a bare handful of people moving amongst them. No one was waiting to jump me.


    ¡°Artisans and Soulsmiths,¡± the Tender said, standing well back from me. ¡°We¡¯re going to upgrade your weapon.¡±


    Feeling stupid, I let my summoned source dissolve and my card vanish back into my Mind Home. ¡°Yeah. Right. Good.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a man I want to introduce you to,¡± he said brightly, moving past me into the wide room. ¡°I¡¯ve known him a long time.¡±


    I walked at his side across the space, passing several people showcasing Artisan wares on their tables. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said grudgingly.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to be sorry for in this world, my boy,¡± he said sadly, not looking at me. ¡°A well-earned sense of caution isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    He came to a halt in front of one of the stalls against the far wall. A fat man with hairy arms and a bushy beard wearing a leather apron sat on a rickety stool with his back against the wall. He was snoring.


    ¡°Brask,¡± the Tender said. ¡°Brask!¡±


    The man kept snoring.


    ¡°I want to elevate a Mythic,¡± the Tender said.


    With a snort, the big man sat bolt upright. ¡°Whassat? Where?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Brask.¡±


    The man clapped his meaty hands with a sound like a thunderbolt. ¡°Penkmun! You old god-botherer! What¡¯s this about a Mythic?¡±


    ¡°You must have been dreaming,¡± the Tender said with a smile. ¡°You know the priesthood doesn¡¯t keep the high rarities for themselves.¡±


    ¡°More¡¯s the pity,¡± the fellow grumbled, getting to his feet. He towered over us both, and I squelched the sudden desire to run. I¡¯d never seen such an enormous man.


    ¡°This young man has an Uncommon that could use some attention,¡± the Tender said, laying a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Show him, my friend.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± I said, looking back and forth between them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can afford this.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s take a look, at least,¡± the big fellow said, stretching. ¡°Haven¡¯t had a body come to me in hours. Let¡¯s humor the old fool.¡± He grinned through his thicket of a beard at Penkmun, waggling his eyebrows as he insulted him.


    ¡°This fool beat you the last three times in a row at tiles,¡± the Tender said mildly.


    The big man harrumphed. ¡°You¡¯ll get your crown.¡±


    ¡°Two crowns, six clips, as I recall.¡±


    He smashed a fist down on his own counter. ¡°A Tender isn¡¯t supposed to cheat, y¡¯know!¡±


    Penkmun smiled blandly. ¡°And yet here we are.¡±


    The two were obviously old friends, and it helped put me at ease. I slipped the Hateful Hammer out from behind my ear and put it on the counter in front of him.


    He bent over it, the top of his belly resting on the wood. ¡°Could use an upgrade, all right. Weapons are simple. I can handle this in two shakes. What¡¯ve you got for me?¡±


    My heart had risen as he talked about upgrading my card, but it clenched as his gaze skewered me. I had no idea how many shards it took to upgrade an Uncommon to Rare, but I was certain it took more than Basic shards. Holding my breath, I dug into my other pocket for my coins and the bag of shards I¡¯d taken back from Skop, the one that had gotten me in so much trouble to begin with. ¡°I have five silver clips and forty-one Basic shards.¡± I put them on the counter next to my card.


    The craftsman took the pouch with a doubtful look and pulled it open, sifting through it with a finger as big as a sausage. ¡°Basics, eh? There¡¯s more variation in those than higher shards. A lot of these are small¡­ the smart thing would be to take them over to the valuator for rating.¡±


    The Tender cleared his throat and gave a small shake of the head, not looking at anybody in particular.


    Brask scowled at him and grunted. ¡°Well then, maybe we figure an average value.¡± He looked up at the ceiling as if calculating. ¡°You¡¯ve got the Basic to Common conversion, and from there to Uncommon¡­¡± He turned back to me, eyes hooded under his heavy brows. ¡°It takes the equivalent of one full Uncommon card added to one you¡¯re working on to elevate to Rare. What you¡¯ve got here is about one average-rating Uncommon shard shy of what you need.¡±


    My stomach sank down to my toes. ¡°Oh. I see.¡±


    He grunted again. ¡°Now, the five clips might buy an Uncommon shard¡­ if you found a seller that liked the look of you or had an exceptionally soft head.¡± He reached under the counter and brought up a solid metal box as big as my head with an iron padlock on it. ¡°Course, I keep materials on hand, but you¡¯re an ugly little runt, if you ask me, and I¡¯m not exactly in my cups, am I? Not to mention that even then I don¡¯t make a single bit off the deal. Not in the habit of working for free. I¡¯ve got kids, plus a wife that keeps the accounts, and she makes me look like a kitten.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said, irritation growing the longer he went on.


    ¡°Getting a card to Rare isn¡¯t a trip to the corner store, lad. You have to work for it.¡±


    The old, familiar anger boiled up inside me. ¡°That bag is six years of my life. I slept in the rain for those shards. I begged for bits and traded for them. I broke bones for them. I ate garbage for them.¡± Shame prickled at the skin of my face, and I snatched my card off the counter and held out a hand. ¡°It¡¯s not enough, I get that. But Twins twist me if I¡¯m gonna stand here and listen to a lecture like I¡¯m some lazy apprentice. Give it back.¡±


    The craftsman swelled in offense, his face reddening, and he opened his mouth to give me a piece of his mind, my shards still clutched in his hand.


    The Tender cleared his throat again and tapped a knuckle on the counter. The big man checked himself and looked to his old friend.


    ¡°Do you remember being an apprentice, Brask?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Working like a slave from sunup to past dark, sending your bits and clips to your parents, doing your damnedest to learn everything you could to form your soul card?¡±


    The craftsman frowned and looked at the floor. ¡°I remember a young Tender coming to have a conversation with my master, that¡¯s what I remember.¡±


    ¡°None of us advances on our own,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°We take what we need and we give when we can. Elevation isn¡¯t just about card rarity, Brask. You¡¯ve known that for a long time.¡±


    The big man tugged on his beard and looked sulky. ¡°Don¡¯t need a reminder, then, do I?¡±


    The Tender reached across the counter and patted his friend on the hand. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    With a gusty sigh, the craftsman nodded. ¡°All right, boyo, give me the card and let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± My blood was still up, and my wariness spiked. I held my card up and away as if he might snatch it from me. ¡°You said yourself you don¡¯t work for free. Now the old man says boo and you do what he asks?¡± I turned on the Tender. ¡°Why are you doing this? What do you want from me? I¡¯m not gonna spend my life in the church, and I¡¯m not going home with you.¡±


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    Penkmun faced me squarely, face serious. ¡°I don¡¯t want those things.¡±


    I shuffled back a step. ¡°What, then? What is this?¡± They were both looking at me like a dog with a broken leg, and I wanted a corner to hide in.


    The Tender¡¯s silver-flecked eyes nailed me in place. ¡°I will not deny that my help comes with a price, young man. What I want from you¡­ is for you to create your soul card and elevate it as far as you can. I want you to gather as many Souls as possible and do the same for them. I want you to make your Mind Home a beautiful place where they can rest in peace and serve you in love. There is the spark of Legendary in all of us, and I want you to find it. I want you to live forever as a powerful, unique, beautiful card in the everlasting hand of Fate. Do that, and my assistance will be repaid.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± My mouth worked as I searched for words and found none. Is this old bastard working some kind of scam, or does he really believe that? I prayed to the Twins just like anybody, but he was leveraging a life-long friendship for some dirty kid he¡¯d just met. Was there really a hint of Legendary somewhere in me? If I had a soul card, could I live forever somehow? Meet the gods? I knew that Rare cards could talk and think; were they still alive in some way? If by some miracle I reached Epic would I get more of my memories back? Could that be me after I died? It was more than I had ever had time and energy to think about.


    But I didn¡¯t know that he was wrong, either.


    Stuttering, I looked to the huge, burly craftsman. He shrugged sheepishly. ¡°He does this sometimes.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ do what I can.¡±


    Penkmun straightened his robes. ¡°That is all I ask. Will you give Brask your card?¡±


    The air leaked out of me and I laid the Hammer card back on the counter, mind awhirl and emotions complicated.


    The big man smiled fiercely at me as he scooped it up in his paws. ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried, kid. I had to make sure you were serious. And it just so happens you¡¯re standing in front of the best Relicsmith in the city.¡±


    ¡°Third-best,¡± murmured Penkmun with a smile.


    ¡°The best Relicsmith that this bald toothpick knows,¡± Brask huffed. ¡°Fortune lays a finger on any work we do, so you never know exactly how it¡¯s going to turn out, but by Fate¡¯s snaggly gob, you¡¯ll be glad you came to me. Elevating a card take a steady hand and a pure heart.¡±


    ¡°Pure heart,¡± Penkmun scoffed.


    ¡°Pure enough!¡± the big man roared. He strode over to the oven set against the wall, throwing open the front door to reveal a bed of glowing coals inside. He pumped a set of hand-bellows, stoking the dull red into an open flame. Turning back to us, he pulled a clay frame out from beneath the counter, grabbing the Hammer card and slotting it into a space just big enough for it, and layering all of my dull, gray Basic ones evenly over the top. He pulled out his lockbox, opened it with a key from his pocket, and picked out one large silver shard, eyed it critically, put it back, and pulled out another instead, laying in the frame atop the Basic shards. He jerked his head at the Tender, and Penkmun re-locked the box for him as he worked. Then in a swift motion, Brask swept the clay frame onto a flat metal paddle and dropped it into the flaming coals.


    I must have made a noise, because he turned to me with a grin. ¡°No fear, boyo, an unbroken card won¡¯t be harmed by a little fire. In fact, watch close and you¡¯ll see something I bet you never have before.¡±


    He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and plunged his hands deep into the coals.


    I did make a noise then, and the Tender patted my shoulder. ¡°He knows what he¡¯s doing, my boy. Card smithing takes a great many years to learn, and it holds many secrets.¡±


    Brask was still whispering as he moved his hands about in the coals, shifting them up and over the tray holding my card. A shimmering glow like a brilliant star appeared in the midst of the orange-red heat of the forge, and the Relicsmith bowed his head, eyes closed and mouth moving, hands still working within the coals.


    ¡°The Twins at work,¡± Penkmun sighed, a look of peaceful wonder on his face. ¡°Fate, guide his hands. Fortune, bring him success beyond his abilities. So be it.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± I whispered. The shimmer in the flames entranced me.


    ¡°Come here, boy,¡± the Relicsmith said. ¡°Quick now. Over the counter.¡±


    I scrambled to obey, my eyes still locked on the magical light growing in the forge.


    ¡°Stand here,¡± he said, nodding next to himself. ¡°This is about you more than it is about me, and a good smith knows it. Take a moment. Close your eyes. Think about who you are and who you want to be. What matters to you. The Twins know you have this card, and they¡¯re willing to make it yours as you care for it. Think about what being you really means.¡±


    Screwing my eyes shut, I wracked my brain. What does it mean to be me? What a stupid question. I didn¡¯t worry about things like that; I just survived. I fought. I scrimped and scrabbled for more.


    I wanted. That¡¯s what it meant to be Hull, and it wasn¡¯t stupid at all.


    I opened my eyes and nodded to him, feeling strangely at peace.


    He jerked his bearded chin toward the glimmering star of power shining amid the coals where his hands were still shifting and working. ¡°Spit.¡±


    Leaning in close to the searing heat, I spat, suddenly worried I was going to miss and hit his arm. I didn¡¯t. The spittle disappeared into the light with a vicious hiss.


    ¡°Back over you go, and give me just a few seconds.¡±


    I hauled myself back over the counter, excited in a way I couldn¡¯t ever remember being before. Penkmun the Tender beamed at me as if I¡¯d just won a race.


    ¡°Aaaand there it is,¡± Brask rumbled, pulling his hands out of the fire. He held the smoking clay frame in his bare hands, and as he moved toward a full bucket in the corner he began to move faster as if the heat was starting to burn him. He dumped the frame into the water, where it hissed and steamed. He grinned at me, sweat rolling down into his beard. ¡°What are you hoping for, boy?¡±


    ¡°Something that lets me win,¡± I said.


    He snorted and reached into the bucket with a pair of tongs. The clay frame emerged dripping wet and cracked down the center. He dumped it face down on the counter and shifted the broken pieces aside, leaving the card exposed with its smoky-glass back to the sky.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said, gesturing to me. ¡°You should be the one to see it first. Don¡¯t worry, the clay holds the heat but the card will be cool.¡±


    Reaching out eagerly, I held my palm over it, and sure enough, there was no heat. I picked it up with a prayer to the Twins in my heart and flipped it over.


    Tears sprang to my eyes. It was perfect. It shone in a way it hadn¡¯t before, and I loved it. If this was what being a Tender or a Relicsmith was like, maybe it wasn¡¯t such a bad life after all.


    ¡°Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± the Tender murmured behind me, looking over my shoulder. ¡°Remember it, and as soon as you¡¯re able¡­ do it again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my throat tight.


    ¡°I work in the chantry on Gable Street near the wharf,¡± he said. ¡°Come see me sometime, and we can talk more about how to create your soul card.¡±


    I nodded, barely hearing him. I slid the new Rare card into my Mind Home, reveling in its added feeling of weight and substance inside me. I couldn¡¯t wait to summon it and beat the ever-loving shit out of somebody.


    Penkmun gave me a rueful smile as if he could read my mind. ¡°This Relic will help you more than previously, but if you hope to keep winning, you¡¯d be wise to secure at least one more card for your Mind Home with what you have for trade. You¡¯ve got a fierce look; perhaps the vendors will go easier on you than they would on me. Be quick about it, though: I doubt you have more than an hour before your next match.¡±


    I took a few steps away, stumbled to a stop and turned back to both of them, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°We know, lad,¡± the fat Relicsmith said, waving me toward the door. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it. Go on, now. Hit hard, win big.¡±


    When I walked around the corner they were both leaning on Brask¡¯s counter, chatting like only the oldest and dearest of friends could. It was strange to realize that I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing either of them again. That had never happened to me before.


    My mind kicked back into gear. The kind old Tender was absolutely right: I needed a trade, and a good one. The trading tables waited for me. I¡¯d been frightened before, but now I had a full stomach and a new Rare inside me. It was time to make a deal. I strode confidently up the corridor until I reached the Dealers¡¯ Hall and stepped inside.


    It was every bit as large as the Mess Hall and far more crowded. Tables were set up in a regular grid all through the space. It wasn¡¯t just competitors milling about in here; there were dozens of rich-looking folk browsing the tables and talking to the card vendors. Probably the collectors with deep pockets pay an extra fee to get access to the best card libraries here. The buzz of conversation and haggling was nowhere near the level of noise I¡¯d faced in the arena, but the feeling of wanting to run from it was nearly as strong. Steeling myself, I walked to the nearest table where a middle-aged woman with a shock of frizzy hair was in the middle of an animated negotiation with a very short, very sour-faced vendor. She had a fan of cards on the table in front of herself and one in hand. Peeking over her shoulder, I saw what she was holding.


    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect synergy,¡± she said, shaking it. ¡°I attack with all my little token Souls first, whittle down any bigger defenders as needed, pop this, and it buffs my Earth Elementals. Say I have two out ¨C I could hit for 10 or 12, easy.¡±


    The seated vendor shrugged, unimpressed. ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll sell it, that¡¯s fine, but Fortune¡¯s really got to be on your side for that play to happen. Problem is you don¡¯t know your own deck.¡±


    The woman had already started to reply and then stopped short. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking like you¡¯re playing pure control, but from what I see,¡± he said, sweeping a hand over the spread of cards she had displayed, ¡°you¡¯re more likely to be taking the beatdown side. Lots of smaller Souls and token generation. The combos you¡¯re spinning don¡¯t fit; they have too many pieces. You¡¯ll never put them together.¡±


    ¡°I won against the Marquess deRouche with this deck,¡± the woman said, leaning over him aggressively.


    ¡°The Marquess is a soft-skulled inbred that can¡¯t close her mouth all the way,¡± the vendor said, sounding bored. ¡°Buy the Rockslide if you want; it¡¯s your deck. But I¡¯m not taking that puny Troll for it, and don¡¯t blame me when you lose.¡±


    I backed away as the woman¡¯s volume increased. They weren¡¯t going to be done any time soon. Turning around, I saw an old woman without any customers spinning a Rare on her knobbly knuckles, the stiff card flashing in and out, back and forth between her crabbed fingers as if she was making it dance on Air. She saw me looking and gave a crooked smile.


    ¡°What¡¯s the play, kid? That¡¯s an angry face you got. You pushin¡¯ aggro, or do you just stink ¡®em to death instead?¡± She cackled at her own joke.


    I backed away with what I hoped was an apologetic wave. All my earlier anxiety had returned. I didn¡¯t know what aggro meant and I¡¯d only been able to follow maybe half of what the first pair were saying to each other. Angry face or no, if I tried to make a deal by myself, these folk would eat me alive. I needed help. I needed someone who knew the cards, who knew the game, and who wouldn¡¯t take advantage of me.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered.


    There was only one option, and it was going to take me swallowing my pride in a way I¡¯d never done before. Turning back toward the Mess Hall and breaking into a run, I hoped against hope I¡¯d be able to find that snooty little noble twig Basil.

 19. Basil - Defensive Positions

    Chapter 19


    Defensive Positions


    When I reached Esmi and Warrick, I gave my fiancee a nod of greeting, a full inch deeper than was necessary between us. ¡°It is surely through the kindness of Fortune that I¡¯m blessed to see you again so soon, Esmi. How did you fare in your recent match?¡± I didn¡¯t know what I had done wrong, but I hoped the extra genuflection and pleasant greeting would soften her disposition toward me.


    She neither returned my welcome nor answered my question. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said, pivoting on her heel and setting off in the direction opposite from where my match had occurred.


    I turned to Warrick, hopeful to gain some insight regarding my fiancee¡¯s queer mood, but he gave me a helpless shrug in return.


    ¡°Joined me maybe halfway through,¡± he whispered. ¡°All smiles until she wasn¡¯t, and I didn¡¯t have the courage to ask why.¡±


    Having no time left to dawdle, I started after Esmi, and to my surprise, Warrick matched my steps. When I gave him an inquisitive look, he smiled back, ¡°Not even Fate could make me miss seeing this.¡±


    The three of us, Esmi in the lead, walked out of the center of the Coliseum and up wide spiral stairs that took us to the second floor. This area was tucked under the tiered seats of the massive structure, and in the first chamber off of the stairs there were a number of eateries lining both walls. These were much more established restaurants than the various temporary food stalls and carts than were available below. Esmi veered toward the nicest of those present, each of its round tables surrounded by a peaked tent made of varying pastel colors.


    Were we meeting her parents? Mine? I rubbed my hands together, discovering that there was sweat on them. I didn¡¯t think I was entirely ready for either of those possibilities. I hadn¡¯t noticed it when competing ¨C my blood racing during both matches ¨C but my lack of sleep was starting to catch up to me. I felt like a limp handkerchief that had all the energy twisted out of it.


    We walked under a free standing archway with a sign that proclaimed the establishment The Souls¡¯ Haven in beautifully inked letters. I had never been to it before, but the smell of braised meat and charred vegetables was a delight to my nose and stomach, even if my mind was still caught up in its worries. Esmi spoke briefly with a man wearing a collared shirt and neatly pressed pants, who led us to a pink tent near the back. Strangely, Esmi gestured for us to enter first, so I did. It was a touch awkward to duck within the linen enclosure and get my knees under the circular table, but I managed it, shifting around until I reached the back. Once there, I lowered myself to the curved bench that acted as seating for all occupants. Warrick joined me shortly after, sitting to my left, while Esmi fussed with the tent opening, pulling at one side.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what she was trying to accomplish, but I heard her say, ¡°It will just have to do.¡± With that, she entered the tent and sat to my right.


    It was a cozy space, with room for only one or two more diners, and in another time I would have enjoyed being this close to Esmi even more than the smells of well cooked food. As it was though, the silence between us felt fraught with whatever it was Esmi wished to say¡­ and Warrick¡¯s cheerful intrusion¡­ and my growing anxiety over how this was all going to turn out.


    Esmi waited silently for our waiter to come, a young girl with short hair. Yet again my fiancee took charge, ordering a bottle of red wine with a charcuterie board. The waiter whisked away, inviting another uncomfortable lull, which Esmi spent looking out the tent flap at passersby.


    I considered trying to break the ice again ¨C on the walk I had wracked my brain for a few conversational gambits that might serve ¨C but I wasn¡¯t confident of success. After all, I didn¡¯t want to stumble onto a topic that would upset her further or discuss something I meaningful when she wasn¡¯t in the right mindset to hear it. So, stomach clenching, I continued to wait. Nothing that had been ordered needed to be cooked, and perhaps once we had been served, Esmi would tell us what this was all about.


    As I had guessed, the waitress returned quickly with the items Esmi had requested: three glasses; a large, dusky bottle to stop the light from ruining the wine within; and a slab of white marble with a mixture of cheeses, dried meats, pickles, olives, and some nuts. Esmi told the waitress that we were to be left alone until we requested otherwise, and Warrick busied himself with uncorking the wine using a spiral bottle opener that had also been provided.


    The young girl with the bob cut assured us that we would not be bothered and then whisked off, at which point Esmi turned to face me, leaning in even.


    ¡°What in the Twins are you doing with that deck?¡± she whispered fiercely.


    Warrick froze in the act of giving her a glass full of plum colored wine, and I, shamefully, was at a loss for how to proceed.


    ¡°Could you be more specific?¡±


    She liberated the glass from Warrick and took a rather long sip. ¡°What is it meant to be? Aggro, control, midrange, combo?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t fond of her phrasing. ¡®Meant¡¯ indicated that she didn¡¯t think it was succeeding in whatever it was I wished from it. ¡°It¡¯s my own concoction. I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to give it a label, but it works,¡± I assured her. ¡°As you witnessed yourself, I believe.¡±


    She leaned back, placing her glass on the table, and crossing her arms. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be comparing yourself to the duelist you just faced.¡±


    Now it was my turn to accept the wine glass offered by Warrick and take a quick drink before responding. The smell of currant and a bit of chocolate as I brought the glass to my face was soothing, and the taste of it was equally pleasant: round and fruity, with a slight tartness that made me immediately want to take another sip.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± I asked, resisting the urge.


    ¡°He was using a bara deck,¡± Esmi said, frowning at me, ¡°that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡± Warrick asked, for which I was grateful. I wasn¡¯t at all familiar with that particular term.


    Esmi fluttered one of her hands. ¡°It¡¯s what they call a joke deck in Charbond.¡±


    I nearly choked on my second swallow of wine. ¡°A joke? Did you not see that Epic Colossal??¡±


    ¡°What I saw was a duelist who couldn¡¯t block a single attack with his hand. There¡¯s a reason people don¡¯t use Sourceless decks. They leave you defenseless. I¡¯d wager he did more damage to himself with his various draw effects than you did to him.¡±


    I felt my cheeks heat at that assessment, but couldn¡¯t think of a proper retort back. He had drawn a lot of cards there at the end.


    ¡°Fate take me,¡± Esmi said, popping an almond into her mouth, ¡°I can¡¯t think of a reason why he would have used such a collection in a tournament as important as this.¡±


    ¡°He was calling for a Ninth House,¡± Warrick supplied. He swirled the wine in his own glass, taking a long sniff from it, and sighing contentedly.


    ¡°And¡­?¡± Esmi asked. She wasn¡¯t acting nearly as deferential with Warrick as she had been with my brothers, but the way my friend hunched as if ashamed of his height and his less-than-serious manner usually led people to treat him this way. Also, his bronze flecked eyes weren¡¯t helping him any.


    ¡°One for artisans,¡± I supplied, and as much as it irked me I added. ¡°He told me that he wanted the crowds to see what they could make.¡±


    Warrick tipped his glass in my direction, as if to indicate that I had landed on precisely where he had been headed.


    ¡°Well,¡± Esmi said, tone clipped. ¡°That¡¯s that then.¡±


    With those words, Warrick seemed to realize where exactly he had led the conversation, and he started talking in a rush.


    ¡°Surely that wasn¡¯t all you two discussed, was it, Basil? Long as you talked, there must be a story there. Might as well share it while we¡¯re all here. The tents are a cute touch, but without a bard or poem reader, this restaurant is too quiet for me, too much time to think. What about a cake? We can eat it when we¡¯re not talking.¡±


    ¡°We did chat about something else,¡± I said, mostly to get Warrick to stop his nervous rambling. ¡°He wants a trade for the ante I won, and I¡¯m feeling rather good about my prospects, in fact.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Warrick declared, too loudly for my tastes. It was clear to me what he was hoping to accomplish, and I could only pray to the Twins that his false cheer wasn¡¯t as apparent to Esmi. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you make him sweat more during your dealings than he did when dueling you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at this then?¡± Esmi asked me. ¡°Card bartering?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Warrick answered in my stead. ¡°He traded for¡­what was it, Basil? A third of your deck? He couldn¡¯t have beaten a beggar with the scraps his brothers left for him.¡±


    ¡°Half,¡± I corrected, warming to this part of the conversation despite my initial misgivings. Dueling skills aside, Warrick knew exactly how much of my deck I had traded for. Judging from the thoughtful way Esmi was now considering me, my friend¡¯s impromptu plan to cast me in a favorable light actually seemed to be working.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°So many?¡± she said, and the flaw in our present course revealed itself to me, writ large in her now-concerned expression. Singing my praises at the expense of my family was far from a worthwhile exchange, not if Esmi came away from our discussion thinking my House too poor to provide for me and thus not a good match for her.


    ¡°My brothers did take quite a few good cards,¡± I conceded, ¡°but that wasn¡¯t the only reason I worked so hard to curate a deck of my own choosing. I wanted to challenge myself, to push my soul to grow.¡±


    Warrick looked at me sideways but didn¡¯t disagree. Instead, he swallowed his glass of wine in a single gulp and quickly scooted toward the tent¡¯s exit.


    ¡°Well, I think that¡¯s been enough of this for one day. Esmi, glad you didn¡¯t fall into Charbond¡¯s volcano while you were away. Share some of that new fire you have with Basil, would you? Basil, I¡¯ll pop by your room here tonight before the Spring Soiree. If you have it, could I borrow that sage vest again? I almost didn¡¯t hate myself in it.¡± He smiled like a man headed to the gallows. ¡°I¡¯m off to see my parents about their scholarship entrant, so be a friend, you two, and pray that she¡¯s already lost twice. The Twins never listen to me anymore.¡±


    We agreed to help and waved our goodbyes. I was sure Esmi would comment on any one of the many problematic things that Warrick had just spouted, but the first thing she said when he was gone was, ¡°I want to see your whole deck.¡±


    This time I did choke on the wine I was drinking, coughing long enough that when I finally managed to speak again my voice came out hoarse.


    ¡°Now? Here?¡±


    Some cards flashed into her hand from her Mind Home, and she let one of them go, a small ball of fire drifting up over her head. ¡°If anyone looks like the thieving type, I promise I¡¯ll singe their hands and send them packing.¡±


    She was looking straight at me ¨C into me, it seemed ¨C and I couldn¡¯t help but stare back. Even in the shade of the tent, I could see the gold in her eyes, the flecks flashing, catching what light there was. She was so clearly better than me, and I found that gap between us intoxicating. No one else in my life challenged me, at least not in the way I wished. Not my parents, or brothers, and certainly not Warrick. But here Esmi was, not even my wife and already pushing me about my deck, wanting me to be the best duelist I could be. This is what we could do for each other, and why I would never willingly let some foreign suitor sweep her away.


    And, if to keep her, I needed to lay my collection bare, well, then by the Twelve that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯d do. It took some time, but I pulled each of my Summon cards from behind my ear and placed them on the crushed red velvet tablecloth. I also called my source from my heart, and after a few minutes, I was holding all eight of them in my hand, which I showed her alongside the rest.


    Empty as I was, my head and chest felt light, like I might float away. Ridiculously, I found myself glad that I was in such a small space so that I might stay safely anchored.


    Esmi was too engrossed in the cards to notice my state. She scoured them for longer than I would have suspected, moving around the circular table, her ball of fire following after her, sometimes getting near the cloth walls and worrying me that it would catch them on fire.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s a combo deck.¡± She made a face. ¡°Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Combo into control, I suppose,¡± I said. ¡°If we must classify it.¡±


    ¡°Control would have more defense with Guards and Shieldbearers, or life gain with Healing Spells, or more card draw and a full set of Protection, not to mention more board clears. You only have a single Equality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my own concoction,¡± I repeated mildly, ¡°so it doesn¡¯t fit neatly into one of the standard archetypes.¡±


    This seemed to worry her. ¡°And where¡¯s your win condition?¡±


    ¡°I have three of them,¡± I said, pointing to the Carrion Condors.


    ¡°Only in certain circumstances,¡± she replied, sounding highly unconvinced. ¡°And if you wanted to play them that way, Carrion Condors are traditionally run with token decks, so they can become as large a threat as possible. You could use Order¡¯s Barracks Relic for that, like my first opponent did.¡±


    ¡°I assume it didn¡¯t work out well for them,¡± I said, a bit of defensiveness entering my voice despite my best efforts to hold it back. ¡°You¡¯re still on the winners side of the bracket, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It would have worked quite well, but they only had five source and ten summon cards. Their loss wasn¡¯t about the type of deck they were running; it was the difference in our resources.¡±


    ¡°My first decks featured some smaller Souls,¡± I admitted. ¡°Guards, Watchmen, and the like, but I found that managing that many Souls wasn¡¯t my playstyle and delayed me in getting to the cards that really mattered. My current deck can also win the attrition war; big souls generally aren¡¯t a threat to me.¡±


    ¡°With your Execution-Penitence-Headsman combo,¡± she actually agreed with a nod. ¡°That¡¯s a known package at least. But you¡¯re missing one of the Headsman.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t managed to find one for a price I thought fair. Not to mention I don¡¯t want the deck to lean too heavily in one area. I prefer to have access to more versatile plays.¡± I pressed some meat and cheese together and took a healthy bite from the pairing, hoping the food would weigh my stomach down to balance out how the rest of me was feeling.


    ¡°Is that why you have the one-offs of the Helm and Scalemail?


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    She picked up some food, too, nibbling around the pit of an olive. ¡°Single copies are so risky, though.¡±


    ¡°The Scalemail was because of Losum and his Archer deck. As for the risk, it¡¯s no good to have an extra of either of those cards in hand, not when they can¡¯t block, just like you said about Throice¡¯s deck.¡±


    She paused for a moment on the name but then seemed to remember it from the bracket. ¡°True enough. If that was the only weakness of your deck, it might not be an issue, but it has other glaring issues.¡±


    I tried not to bristle. Lightheaded or no, hearing her criticize the deck I had spent years refining ¨C carefully choosing what to include versus not ¨C was hard to swallow. Part of me wanted to excuse myself on the spot and go lay down. I was so tired I could have slept two full days if Fate let me.


    However, if I hoped to equal my fiancee, I needed to be able to face such things, especially when they came from her. ¡°What would you say are its weaknesses?¡±


    She lifted three fingers and ticked the first off: ¡°You¡¯re playing Air but only have a single card you can summon if you go first. What point is there in having that advantage if you can¡¯t exploit it?¡±


    ¡°Opening with the Soulforged Helm can be a strong play,¡± I said. ¡°It has saved me countless times, including my first match today.¡± And the second if I had remembered it. I didn¡¯t bother to add that.


    Esmi pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me you mulligan for that every time.¡±


    ¡°Match-up dependent, of course. I can assure you I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°What of the initial rounds?¡± she fired back, ticking off her next finger. ¡°Your smallest Souls are all 3 cost. Face an aggro deck, or even midrange, and you¡¯ll get overwhelmed. You should have kept some of those Guards.¡±


    ¡°The Scalemail and Carrion Condors are excellent at stopping Souls with low attack, or if I haven¡¯t managed to get anything on the board, I can use Equality to reset. I¡¯d rather my cards have utility both in the early and late game. Souls like Guards are too narrow for my tastes.¡±


    She shook her head, but instead of arguing the point she ticked off her last finger. ¡°Your Assassins. You say you don¡¯t want to lean into your Headsman combo, but they exist for the same reason: to remove problem Souls. However, unlike the Headsman, that¡¯s their only use. With only 1 and 2 attack, they¡¯re no good for striking the enemy duelist.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said, ¡°but they pair so well with Air.¡±


    ¡°Because Air Source lets you Ready them after attacking, re-engaging their Stealth,¡± Esmi supplied, seeing the nuance of the combination immediately.


    I was impressed but didn¡¯t let that stop me from continuing to argue my case. ¡°They are also better than a Guard when blocking from hand.¡±


    ¡°Sacrificing a Soul from hand doesn¡¯t help your Condor win condition,¡± Esmi said, not nearly as amenable to that notion as she had been the last, ¡°and with only six non-Condor Souls, you don¡¯t have any to waste.¡±


    ¡°That is another reason why I run three Execution. The spell is incredibly good for blocking, yet I rarely see anyone use it that way.¡±


    This time Esmi didn¡¯t reply immediately. She placed the olive pit on the edge of the charcuterie board and took another sip of wine, looking down over my spread of cards.


    ¡°You¡¯ve thought about them at least. I suppose that¡¯s something.¡±


    I dared to shift around the curved seat, edging closer to her. ¡°You believed I hadn¡¯t?¡±


    She looked over at me, calmer than before but not what I would call happy. ¡°As you said, your deck doesn¡¯t fit a standard archetype. At a glance, it can seem¡­thrown together.¡± Her gaze dropped down to her lap. ¡°Watching you use a deck like that while spurning the fabricator I had given you¡­¡± Esmi sighed and then met my eyes again. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t care.¡±


    The sadness in her was like a spike through the chest, and no part of me felt light anymore. ¡°Nothing could be further from the truth,¡± I assured her. ¡°I want to win, and have for years, even before I was lucky enough to be engaged to you.¡± She smiled just a touch at that, and it was like a pure beam of light broke through troubled clouds, emboldening me to continue. ¡°You¡¯re right to say what you have about my deck. I know it¡¯s not perfect and that I¡¯m still not using it as well as I could, but every day I get better. Every duel I improve. This tournament is my chrysalis to becoming the man I¡¯m meant to be, and part of that will be defeating your Charbonder when I face him, along with every other opponent I can. I swear it.¡±


    I wanted to take one of her hands in my own as I spoke these words from my heart, to show her the seriousness of my commitment¡­ but I couldn¡¯t quite manage it, my fingers stalling out on the tablecloth a few inches from hers. I think she must have noticed the gesture, for she took pity on me, placing her own hand atop mine, her skin so wonderfully warm like before.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to hear you say so.¡±


    Close as we were, cuddled in the confines of the tent, with some wine smoothing the edges of worry, a question floated from my mind right out of my lips.


    ¡°Why do you want me to succeed?¡±


    Esmi started, pulling her hand back, and the sudden coolness on my skin felt like a reprimand


    ¡°Why?¡± she said, eyes wide. Unlike with Warrick, I couldn¡¯t tell if her change in mood was because I was asking a question to which the answer was absurdly obvious or because no satisfactory one existed, and my heart teetered between those two possibilities. ¡°What sort of fiancee would I be if I didn¡¯t support my betrothed?¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± I said, the rest of me going cold. I wasn''t sure what answer I wanted from her, but I had hoped for more than obligation.


    ¡°No,¡± Esmi said, and seeing my flagging state, she repeated firmly, ¡°No, definitely not.¡± Her free hand ¨C the one that had left me ¨C twitched toward the cards she still held in her other hand. Did she plan to summon a Kobold to answer for her? Or perhaps blast me out of the tent with a Spell? She didn¡¯t end up summoning a card; she took a deep breath, placed her hand back atop my own and looked me directly in the eyes like she had earlier. She even managed a bit of a smile again. ¡°It¡¯s because ¨C¡±


    She stopped, holding me in limbo. At first I thought her silence was because she didn¡¯t know what to say next, but following her eyes I realized it was because someone was standing outside our tent. Not just someone, him, that damnable urchin who I had faced in my first match. He had a harried look about him, his breathing as heavy as a bear running through the woods.


    ¡°I¡­¡± he started and then made a face, looking no happier to be speaking than I was to see him. ¡°I need your help.¡±

 (Test) Appendix: Elemental Cards (Air, Fire, Water, Earth)

    AIR


    SOULS


    4 Source:


    Dual Source:


    FIRE


    SOULS


    ? Source:


    SPELLS


    1 Source:


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    WATER


    SOULS


    ? Source:


    1 Source:


    2 Source:


    3 Source:


    4 Source:


    6 Source:


    10 Source:


    SPELLS


    ? Source:


    2 Source:


    7 Source:


    RELICS


    2 Source:


    3 Source:


    4 Source:


    EARTH


    SOULS


    3 Source:

 20. Basil - Time for a Trade

    Help this ill-mannered urchin? Ridiculous. Preposterous. I couldn¡¯t believe he had the gall to ask after how callously he had treated me during our previous interaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t make the same mistake twice,¡± I told him coldly. I lacked experience when it came to being mean or forceful in conversation, but that was certainly my aim now. ¡°Be on your way, Hull. You¡¯ll find no assistance here.¡± Then, in the same manner my brothers often did when they deemed a conversation at an end, I put my attention wholly on something else, busying myself with collecting the cards on the table and tucking them back behind my right ear.


    I didn¡¯t see his reaction to my dismissal, but I did see Esmi¡¯s: she frowned deeply, and when she spoke, her tone was admonishing.


    ¡°Basil, is that anyway to treat a guest, let alone one in need? When we¡¯re married and holding events, I expect you to be a better host than that.¡±


    ¡°You two?¡± the urchin said.


    Despite my plan, I glanced at Hull and caught him shaking his shaggy head at the idea of Esmi and me as a pair. The last thing I would stand for was this dirty oaf insulting me further, but I was also a bit lost in how Esmi had just spoken of us being married and couldn¡¯t manage to come up with a cutting retort. I turned to her instead. She was the one I needed to convince, after all, not this lout.


    ¡°Esmi, he threatened me. Spat at me.¡±


    ¡°At you?¡± she asked, her brow wrinkling.


    ¡°Yes, well, I was quick enough to move out of the way. If I hadn¡¯t been¡­¡± I left the rest unsaid, not wanting her to have to imagine the sordid details.


    However, instead of appearing concerned about the integrity of my attire, she looked like I had just given her a spot of cheery news. ¡°No real harm done then,¡± she declared, turning back to Hull. ¡°How can Basil help?¡±


    He looked uncertainly between us, and I spotted our waiter hovering a bit behind him. I met her eyes, lifting my arm to flag her to have the dirty boy removed ¨C an establishment this fine must have some sort of guards. Esmi¡¯s next words, however, pulled me up short.


    ¡°Where are my manners?¡± she said to Hull. ¡°I¡¯m Esmi, Basil¡¯s fiancee. Please, join us first and then tell us why you¡¯ve come.¡±


    And to my great shock and annoyance, the street boy entered the tent and scooted in beside her. I had heard Charbonders were more lax about such things, and Esmi must have developed some of those habits during her time there, but it was more than my Ordered sensibilities could take.


    ¡°Esmi,¡± I said, pitching my voice low, ¡°should we be inviting strangers to dine with us? Particularly those that¡­¡± ¨C despite everything, I didn¡¯t want to come across as crass ¨C ¡°do not appear prepared for such an outing, either in their dress or cleanliness?¡±


    ¡°Is he a stranger?¡± she asked, guilelessly, not bothering to whisper. ¡°He seems to know you.¡±


    ¡°We dueled in the first round,¡± Hull said by way of explanation. He didn¡¯t sound altogether happy about it, and at this point, I certainly wasn¡¯t either. Why Fate had allowed our paths to cross again I couldn¡¯t fathom, especially not when it had robbed me of the chance to hear my fiancee¡¯s true motivations.


    ¡°You¡¯re a competitor,¡± Esmi said, clapping her hands, completely unaware of my brooding. ¡°How are you enjoying the tournament so far?¡±


    Hull eyed her like she was a card he¡¯d never seen before. ¡°It¡¯s better than a stick in the eye, I guess. Lost to him,¡± he said, jerking his head in my direction, ¡°but then won my next.¡±


    A very small part of me was actually happy to hear that news; I had told him he could win, after all.


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± Esmi told him and then smiled mischievously between us. ¡°Are you here to declare revenge against Basil? To tell him that you¡¯ll fight your way through the Losers¡¯ Bracket until you can face him again?¡±


    Esmi seemed oddly taken with the idea, and now that it had been mentioned, I too found myself wondering if that¡¯s why he had sought me out. He¡¯d have some nerve if so, after I gave his card back.


    ¡°No,¡± Hull said. Then, without any invitation, he filled his fist full of shaved meats from the charcuterie board and shoved them into his mouth all at once. ¡°I won a card,¡± he said, actually speaking while chewing. I sat back, flabbergasted by the behavior, wishing I could unhear the ghastly noises he was making. ¡°And I need to trade it.¡± He took a big swallow and made a face; I thought he might be choking on the amount of food he had just shoved down his gullet.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t find them?¡± Esmi asked, obviously taking his pained reaction to have a different cause. ¡°A number of them are on this floor, just outside the free eateries and below the dorms.¡±


    ¡°I found ¡®em just fine,¡± Hull said darky, ¡°but they¡¯re talking garbage. Tokens this, aggro that.¡± He reached across the table again, greedily taking another grip full of food. Like before, he made no effort to separate out the various items or flavors, cramming it all into his mouth like it was a race.


    Esmi seemed not to notice his appalling conduct, giving me a knowing side-look. ¡°I hear that Basil is quite skilled at negotiating card trades. That¡¯s how he made a large part of the deck he¡¯s using at this tournament.¡±


    Hull swallowed with a lack of chewing I found disturbing. ¡°Really?¡± he said, spearing me with his hooded eyes. ¡°A kid as rich as you, they don¡¯t just hand you a deck ready-made when you burst out of your mom?¡±


    I bristled. ¡°They most certainly did not.¡±


    Esmi beamed. ¡°Wonderful. Basil, you can put your expertise to good use while looking for some good trades yourself, hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡­what?¡± I turned to Esmi, having seen the noose tighten all too late.


    She looked at me kindly. ¡°¡®Care for each Soul in the world around you just as carefully as you would those in your Mind Home. If you have gifts, share them. If you have talents, teach them.¡¯¡±


    Her words tickled a memory as dusty as the books I had been reading from at the time, and I realized she was quoting scripture. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a Rapturist,¡± I said. They were a sect of worshippers who believed that the world we lived in was also a Mind Home: one belonging to the Twins. It wasn¡¯t a particularly popular faith here in Treledyne, but perhaps Charbond differed in that regard, too.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot about me you don¡¯t know,¡± Esmi said, her expression turning warmer. Then she scooted my way, leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. Heat seeming to roll off of her in a wave. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two boys to your shopping, but I¡¯ll see you tonight for the Soiree, won¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I¡­um, yes, you shall,¡± I said, any counterarguments I might have made dying on my lips. I happened to look past her wavy brown hair and saw Hull staring at us. He seemed bored, but the fact that someone was watching my fiancee and me be so close I found decidedly uncomfortable.


    ¡°Can you move?¡± Esmi said, her breath tickling my ear.


    ¡°Oh, of course,¡± I said, scrambling around the seat and out of the tent, feeling like an utter fool yet again ¨C I was beginning to lose count how many times that had happened to me today. Boxed in as Esmi had been, the only way she could leave was for one of us to move. At least she¡¯d asked me and not the urchin.


    When she reached the end of the curved seat, I offered her my hand to help her the rest of the way out, and she honored me by taking it. Her fingers were just as warm as the last time we had touched, I couldn¡¯t help but say to her, ¡°Holding you is like touching the sun.¡±


    Esmi beamed at me, and I swear my heart didn¡¯t beat again until she spoke.


    ¡°Happy hunting to you both.¡±


    ¡°Esmi?¡± I called before she had gotten far. She turned back, looking radiant, and my resolve wavered. I didn¡¯t want to mention something that would ruin the moment we had just shared, but I also itched to know. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, what is that Charbonder fellow¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Plutar,¡± Esmi said and then, quieter, ¡°He¡¯s been winning.¡± Her delivery of the news shook me, and not even her subsequent smile could put me all the way back to right. ¡°Think on what we discussed while you¡¯re bartering, won¡¯t you? We can talk more about him tonight if you like.¡±


    She left then, and I didn¡¯t call her back a second time. I could have departed, too, but standing in front of a bracket list to measure the truth of her words wasn¡¯t going to help me, whereas talking to her this evening would. When we did, she was sure to ask how things had gone with Hull, and after not using the fabricator she gifted me and then hearing her less-than-favorable thoughts about my deck, I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her again.


    So I sat back down and faced the unpleasant task that had somehow found its way to me. I had the time available at least ¨C having already won twice, I didn¡¯t compete again until tomorrow ¨C and making some trades was probably preferable to obsessing in my Coliseum room alone until the Soiree.


    ¡°Sure you¡¯re not married already?¡± Hull said. ¡°She runs you like a Common.¡±


    The front end of a disbelieving laugh puffed out of my mouth, more cough than humor. The nerve of this urchin. ¡°Should you really be pointing that out when you¡¯re the one who benefits from it?¡±


    He paused in drinking from a wine glass, Esmi¡¯s glass I realized. ¡°Suppose not.¡±


    ¡°Twins be praised, he can be reasoned with.¡± Before he could fire back some other nastiness, I said, ¡°Let¡¯s get to business, shall we? Any good trade comes from knowing your deck and its needs. With two cards, that task should be straightforward. It¡¯s just your Void Spell, and your Hammer, correct?¡±


    He got a sly look, the closest I¡¯d seen him to being happy. I didn¡¯t trust it in the slightest, and I gripped the edge of the table with both hands, leaning back.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I upgraded it.¡±


    I hesitated. My match had taken some time, and Esmi, Warrick, and I had been in this restaurant a bit. It was possible that he¡¯d had the opportunity to do as he claimed. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Unlike when Esmi had made the same request of me, he called some cards into his hand from his Mind Home, which would get the job done because he had so few. He took one of the two that had appeared from thin air and held it out to me, which I had to lean it to see clearly. The dirt under his fingernails was distracting, but the change in the card demanded my attention.


    The additional damage was good, but Strong? If he had possessed this version of the Relic when we dueled, I would have found it considerably harder to defeat him since so few of my Souls would have been able to block him in combat. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could have won, which was surreal to think considering I had ten times as many cards in my Summon deck as he did. Many duelists, Tipfin included, often touted card quality over quantity, but this was ridiculous.


    I did look at Hull¡¯s dirty fingernails then, his mussed hair that I doubted had ever seen a comb, the grime on his skin, and the sack of a shirt he was wearing. An Epic and now a Rare? There were people who would do terrible things in order to enrich themselves, and I was beginning to think I was sitting across from one of them.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it,¡± he said, shaking the card at me before letting it vanish along with the other one he was holding.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you did,¡± I replied carefully.


    ¡°No, but you were thinking it. I¡¯ve seen that face a hundred times. More probably. That Hammer? I traded a Rare at a shop near the Hills District for it.¡±


    ¡°I distinctly remember that Hammer being an Uncommon when we fought. If you traded a Rare, you didn¡¯t get a very good deal for it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he growled, looking like he wanted to throttle someone, as he often did. ¡°I didn¡¯t. But here I got the deal I needed to make an upgrade. Don¡¯t believe me? Ask a Tender named Penkmun or a Relicsmith named Brask, who works over that way,¡± ¨C he gestured to the left. ¡°They¡¯ll tell you true.¡±


    I sat there for a moment thinking on his claims. They sounded plausible, believable even. ¡°And your Epic?¡± I asked, keeping my tone neutral.


    If he¡¯d been a dog I could have seen his hackles rise. ¡°You know anyone else in this city with Nether? Makes sense for me to have it, right?¡±


    That argument was much less specific or persuasive than his first. I wasn¡¯t familiar with the people he had named, but if I encountered either, I¡¯d certainly ask them for more information. For now though¡­my twenty cards were back in my Mind Home protecting me, and I needed to make a trade anyway. He could tag along and if he made trouble, I would call for the Coliseum''s guards.


    ¡°What do you have for trade?¡± I asked.


    This time he took a card from his pocket and held it out, gripping the edges with both hands as if he was worried that I would steal it from him.


    It wasn¡¯t anything special, but it was Uncommon at least. ¡°And your affinities? Nether and Order?¡± Even with his lack of cards, an Order Protection spell could serve him well, or perhaps just a high Source-cost card he could keep in hand for blocking when his Sucking Void wasn¡¯t granting him immunity.


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    He quickly took the Troglodyte Tracker away while shaking his head. ¡°Just Nether.¡± There was a challenge in his voice, as if he wanted me to comment on the oddity so he could lash out.


    ¡°That¡­is a surprise.¡±


    He just shrugged, losing none of his tension. Then he pulled the marble charcuterie board over to his side and began picking at the remnants.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to find any Nether cards at the standard stalls,¡± I said, resisting the urge to fix the tablecloth he had just bunched by pulling on the heavy slab. ¡°Even if you did, they¡¯re so hard to come by that you¡¯d likely pay twice or even thrice the cost of an equivalent card. The best thing for you will be a Relic.¡±


    He just shrugged again, noncommittally, as if after asking for my help, the burden of choice was now solely upon me.


    The clear note of a bell rang through the hall we were dining in, and I could see patrons at other tables turn at the sound, as well as people walking in the middle lane pause briefly. Two more rings followed it, signaling the end of lunch and a quarter of an hour until the last Loser¡¯s matches of the day began.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, glad to be leaving before he started licking the board.


    Hull made a face, but scooted around and out of the tent. Then he reached back over the table, taking the half finished wine bottle with him. I opened my mouth to argue, but just as quickly decided it wasn¡¯t worth it. I did however follow after him with haste, as I didn¡¯t want him to try and pilfer anything else on the way out of the establishment.


    Seeing us go, the waitress hurried up to me, and before I could ask her how much we owed, she told me that Esmi had already paid our bill. That put a warm smile on my face as I set off, Hull following in my wake.


    Throice had said his family¡¯s shop was in the Grand Hall, so that¡¯s where I took us ¨C Hull could find something there, I was reasonably sure. The Grand Hall was only a bit further into this level, a place for competitors to eat for free and for card dealers to entice them with their wares. The arched entryway doors we walked through were large and the steeply angled ceiling went up as high as the nosebleed seats did. Turning to the right to reach the west corner that Throice had specified, I happened to walk past an updated bracket list, and couldn¡¯t help but look at my portion of the Winner¡¯s side.


    When Esmi had told me my rival¡¯s name and that he had been winning, I knew what I would find, but still, my gut twisted at the sight of it. Losum was a skilled opponent, with a Mythic in his deck, and Plutar had bested him. What did that mean about the Charbonder¡¯s deck? He must have something equally strong, perhaps a Mythic Fire Spell.


    ¡°Fferun?¡±


    I nearly jumped, having forgotten momentarily that Hull was with me. It didn¡¯t take long to discover what he was referring to. The urchin was looking at the Loser¡¯s portion of the bracket, and there, Match 33, was Hull vs Fferun, the 16th seed in the competition.


    ¡°That¡¯s an Elf name,¡± I said, setting off again.


    This time Hull walked quickly enough to be beside me instead of behind. ¡°How you know that?¡± he asked, doubtfully.


    ¡°The double consonants,¡± I explained. Talking about his future opponent was much easier than thinking about my own. ¡°And I recognize it. He¡¯s the new ambassador in the King¡¯s court. Young. He¡¯ll be using a Life Deck, for certain.¡±


    ¡°What are those like?¡± I could tell from the extra lines his brow was making that Hull was worried, though he¡¯d likely hit me if I pointed it out.


    ¡°He¡¯ll have Elves, of course,¡± I answered. ¡°Those Souls are more expensive, not a single 1 cost as far as I know. They usually have pay effects which make them versatile, and many will have Dodge.¡±


    ¡°Dodge?¡± he said, and I saw him fumble with a piece of crumpled parchment he took from his pocket. I was surprised someone like him would be carrying paper, and when I realized it was the basic list of card abilities given to audience members who weren¡¯t familiar with dueling, I almost felt badly for him.


    ¡°It lets the Soul avoid damage,¡± I said, saving him the trouble, ¡°which is normally very useful, but it won¡¯t be very useful against your Overkill. All the damage that was Dodged will go straight onto the summoner.¡±


    He seemed to brighten some at the news, pushing the paper back into the depth of the rags without the same sullen force he tended to use.


    Throice¡¯s stall turned out to be very easy to find, because the artisan duelist was pacing in front of it.


    ¡°There you are!¡± he nearly shouted when he spotted me. He walked straight up to the nearby counter of the impressive card shop, motioning for me to join him. Card trading stalls were usually smaller than other businesses since their stock took up so little space. However, this one was near twenty feet wide and at least that deep. The extra space in the back was for not one, but two forges, both burning bright and in use by sweating smiths, going about their craft of turning physical objects into cards. The shop had no name, their sign the simple, yet elegant anvil of the artisans, the same that Fate & Fortune penned in the upper left of every Relic. However, the size of the shop, the smell of burning coals, and the sizzle of soul magic as the smiths used their personal card abilities in their crafting proclaimed this place a cut above the rest.


    A woman with brown hair streaked with gray pulled into a bun and glasses on a string around her neck confronted me from her position behind the counter.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who beat our hope and then left him worrying?¡± she said, eyeing me critically.


    A twinge of guilt thrummed in my heart. I had waited to the very last moment, which was perhaps unkind of me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t watch the duel?¡± I asked her. I realized that we were in a hurry, but I thought a touch of politeness might not go amiss. Hull was crouched down looking through the glass front of the counter at all the cards propped up on display behind it, so I didn¡¯t need to worry about him for the moment.


    ¡°What do you want for the Repair Field Generator?¡± she said, not bothering to entertain my question. ¡°If you wish to look through our offerings, do it quickly.¡±


    I shook my head; I already knew what I wanted after seeing Throice¡¯s Deck firsthand. I took the Generator from my wrist holder and placed it on the counter between us, keeping a finger upon it.


    I had briefly considered pairing it with the Water fabricator to give my mother¡¯s Ice Walls Regeneration, but after speaking with Esmi, I was convinced I should go with my original plan.


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in procuring three of your Metal Golems,¡± I said.


    Throice sputtered from where he stood beside me. ¡°Three Uncommons for one? Where did you learn to trade?¡±


    ¡°I would be willing to pay for some of the difference,¡± I offered, not raising my voice as he had. It had taken me years to learn that staying calm always netted me the best trades, as did keeping some promises general so that I had room to negotiate.


    The woman behind the counter crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯re out of Fortune¡¯s favor then. I only have two left.¡±


    That was one of the downsides of me not coming here right after my match, but I hadn¡¯t expected to succeed in trading for three anyway, not with the small amount of personal spending money I actually possessed.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy with two, then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would be!¡± Throice huffed.


    ¡°That is my offer,¡± I said to them both. ¡°Do you accept?¡±


    It was clear that Throice was torn between frustration at me and a desire to get to his next match as soon as possible, maybe to make the same speech he had before despite the announcer¡¯s warnings.


    ¡°One condition,¡± the shopkeep said. ¡°You speak with your parents favorably about the vote we¡¯re proposing to become a Ninth House. I have a pamphlet of talking points you can take.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± I agreed on the spot. ¡°By Fate and Fortune, I swear it.¡± The promise took little effort from me, and it helped that I was truly impressed by what these artisans were creating. The Colossal Golem for instance was a marvel.


    ¡°Jemil,¡± the woman said, and a young boy in the shop darted over to her. ¡°Get me the last two Metal Golems.¡± She looked at me the whole time as she said it, like she was waiting to see if I would try to back out of the agreement, which I wisely did not.


    Instead, I picked up the Generator card and handed it to Throice. ¡°Here you are,¡± I said, hoping the show of good faith would resolve any lingering antagonism they might have over my high asking price. If this family did manage to rise in power, I wanted them as an ally, not an enemy.


    He snatched the card out of my hand and quickly tucked it behind his ear, seeming no more pleased than he had been a moment before.


    ¡°You should include more Flashbombs in your deck,¡± I added, trying a different tack. ¡°So you don¡¯t need to take as much damage to your Summon Deck.¡±


    Throice looked at me skeptically.


    ¡°Maybe instead of some of your draw effects?¡± I offered.


    ¡°Jemil,¡± the woman behind the counter said, ¡°bring two Flashbombs, as well.¡± The young boy had just returned with my cards and whipped around to get the newly requested Relics.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Throice said, turning to her.


    ¡°He¡¯s a noble and he won,¡± she interrupted. ¡°Take them in case and decide before the match.¡±


    Jemil was back by then, and she transferred two cards to Throice first, asking for Fate and Fortune¡¯s blessing as she did. He took the cards, eyed me, and then dashed off. Throice¡¯s mother next laid the pair of Golems on the counter, pushing them forward atop a trifold printed pamphlet with The People¡¯s New Day emblazoned on the front.


    Excitement bubbled in me as I picked them up, tucking the paper away. These cards would be perfect.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her, sliding both into my wrist holder.


    Then, I moved over to where Hull still crouched. Just like Throice had to get to his Loser¡¯s side match, so did Hull. The street boy had shifted to a section of cards on the far right, which he couldn¡¯t possibly afford.


    At first I thought he was staring at a Rare Relic that could certainly assist with his gameplan.


    My mind boggled at the thought of him dealing damage both on his turn and his opponent¡¯s, but then I realized it was an Epic he was salivating over.


    The summoning cost of the Blade was quite high, but anything with Lifesap always was. Being able to return three destroyed cards every time he struck, or even more with his Nether source ability, and at Fast Attack speed? Hull would be nearly unkillable with a card like that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have time for daydreams,¡± I told him. When he didn¡¯t move, I forced myself to grasp and tug his dirty sleeve. ¡°Come on.¡± I moved back over to the Common and Uncommon Relics, and with a forlorn look at the Blade, he joined me.


    They had a good spread of cards, and I immediately saw a few that could help his Deck.


    ¡°I should get the Armor one, right?¡± Hull asked. He didn¡¯t sound particularly excited by the prospect after having looked at the better cards ¨C always a hazard of card shopping.


    ¡°Too expensive for your Deck,¡± I answered, and when he didn¡¯t look like he believed me, I said, ¡°Your advantage is that you can have the same opening hand every time. Anything that slows you getting out your Hammer and Void won¡¯t work for you until you have a much larger and well-rounded deck.¡±


    ¡°What then?¡±


    What indeed? The Shield was the right Source cost to not slow down his gameplan much while protecting him from smaller things it would be a waste to spend his immunity on. Also, like I had told him, Life Souls often had abilities, which the Shield could block. On the other hand, the Helmet would give him a turn of relative safety, just as I had used it, while the Strength Potion could let him finish the match sooner.


    ¡°You best hurry your choice if your friend is competing,¡± Throice¡¯s mother said. She had moved over to join us and had apparently decided that I would be her customer for the remainder of the visit instead of letting one of the other two senior staff assist me.


    ¡°Right you are,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll take a Lesser Healing Potion.¡±


    This time she reached down to get it herself, and as she did, Hull got much closer to me than I would have wished, in no small part because of the reek of his breath.


    ¡°Healing Potion?¡± he said. ¡°What are you on about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you on the way to your match,¡± I said to him. ¡°Now get off.¡±


    Throice¡¯s mom eyed us as she stood with the card in hand, placing it on the counter.


    ¡°We have an Uncommon for trade,¡± I said, and when Hull didn¡¯t immediately produce the Troglodyte, I motioned with exasperation, ¡°If you miss your match without officially withdrawing, you¡¯ll still have to pay a card to your opponent as ante.¡±


    Glaring daggers at me, Hull put the Uncommon on the counter, opposite the Potion. Throice¡¯s mother put on her glasses to consider it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to an even exchange,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± I replied. Sellers didn¡¯t always do that when it came to cards they may not specialize in, but perhaps she wanted to give me another reason to speak well of her family.


    Hull, however, didn¡¯t appear pleased. He stepped close so he was standing in front of me and even ducked his head down some, revealing flakes of dandruff atop his head.


    ¡°I thought you were good at haggling,¡± he hissed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a cut and dry trade for a relatively weak Uncommon on your side,¡± I whispered back. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to barter.¡±


    He looked like I had just told him to chew dirt and stepped back up the counter. To my utter surprise, he pulled another card from the folds of his clothes.


    ¡°What if I throw this in?¡±


    Curious, I moved up so I could see the new card.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Throice¡¯s mother said, pushing it back to him. ¡°But we don¡¯t deal in that sort of thing.¡±


    I could see why. Now that was a bara card if I ever saw one.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Hull growled. He took the new Uncommon back with one hand, and with his other, he dropped the wine bottle atop the counter so hard I cringed. ¡°What about this? Everyone likes to drink, and this is some fancy shit.¡±


    The shopkeep paused, expressionless, before repeating, ¡°The Lesser Healing Potion in even trade for the Troglodyte Tracker.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it,¡± I said, before Hull could embarrass me further by trying to sell her the rags off his back. For his part, the urchin sulked and took a pull from the bottle he¡¯d just tried to sell.


    Throice¡¯s mother seemed as eager to finish the exchange as I was, and it was only a few moments before Hull and I were on our way, walking with a stream of people out of the Grand Hall. We had spent longer trading than I had planned, and after all of that, I wasn¡¯t about to have Hull lose because he was tardy. As much as I hated to make a display, I started jogging toward the exit.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Hull was beside me, arms and feet pumping to match my pace; he wasn¡¯t carrying the bottle anymore, and I silently prayed to Fortune that he hadn¡¯t just left it on the shop counter. Though I supposed that meant he¡¯d just left it sitting on the floor somewhere. Disgusting.


    ¡°Trying to get away after tricking me into a bad trade?¡± he asked dangerously, sounding like he was about to take a swing at me.


    ¡°Trying to make sure you don¡¯t forfeit your next match.¡±


    ¡°Which I¡¯ll lose because some idiot bought me a Healing Potion when what I need is protection.¡±


    ¡°A Healing Potion is protection,¡± I countered.


    ¡°My ass it is. Fate curse me and Fortune fleece me, I don¡¯t know why I trusted a weak willed, hobnobbing, noble whelp of a whor ¨C¡±


    ¡°Will you be quiet?¡± I snapped, stopping in the hall. It surprised me, him, and all of those around us with how loudly I had just spoken. I immediately broke back into a run, and to my partial relief, it wasn¡¯t long before anyone in front of whom I had embarrassed myself was soon well behind us. ¡°Just listen,¡± I told Hull after collecting myself, our feet never slowing. ¡°I have a plan, and it¡¯s going to work.¡±

 21. Hull - Fortunes Little Tricks

    Chapter 21


    Fortune¡¯s Little Tricks


    ¡°Thank the Twins,¡± Basil huffed as we arrived at platform 4. ¡°You haven¡¯t missed it. Get up there.¡±


    I wiped the sweat from my brow, tried to slow my breath, and went for the stairs. My courage failed and I turned back to the boy. He¡¯d pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve to dab at his temples and throat. ¡°We should have gotten the scalemail. I¡¯m going to lose. You want me to lose.¡±


    His nostrils flared and his lips thinned. ¡°Who won our match?¡±


    I thought about hitting him, but even in the Lows we knew not to stick a man that¡¯s just done you good. ¡°You did. Barely.¡±


    ¡°Call it handily and you¡¯ll come closer. Just don¡¯t forget to use the potion when I told you.¡±


    I shook my head, feeling stubborn. It was easier to argue with the little shit than face my next match. ¡°You¡¯ve got me wasting a turn of invulnerability. It¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°I am not re-litigating this, Hull. Get up those stairs and thrash the fellow.¡±


    I licked my lips and considered the dueling ring. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that means.¡±


    ¡°Hull.¡± Basil¡¯s voice lost its snooty air as he leaned in and spoke earnestly. ¡°You can win this. I¡¯m done for the day; I¡¯ll be here watching. I half feel that I should want you to lose, but Esmi¡¯s got it right on this one. We ought to help each other when we can.¡±


    An announcer¡¯s voice broke in overhead, sounding annoyed. ¡°The match is ready to begin. Competitors, take your positions.¡±


    Basil waved up the stairs. ¡°They will disqualify you if you dawdle. Go on, and don¡¯t make me look a fool for spending time on you.¡±


    Steeling myself and putting the odd, infuriating little nobleman to the back of my mind, I mounted the short flight of stairs to the dueling square. The man that I found staring back at me from the far side was, as I¡¯d been warned, actually an elf, and he was wearing even richer clothes than Basil and his friends. My guts cramped in anxiety, and I suddenly wondered if my deck upgrades would be of any use against Life cards I¡¯d never even heard of before.


    The tall, beautiful, whip-thin creature swayed bonelessly over to me, all blond hair, cheekbones, and casual arrogance. ¡°So you¡¯re the poor kid with the good card, are you? You¡¯re the perfect ideation of this garbage heap of a city.¡± He leaned close. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone I said it.¡± His breath stank of liquor, but even that smelled expensive.


    He was right up in my face and it wasn¡¯t time to hit him yet, so I backed up a step. ¡°Are you drunk? Before a duel?¡±


    He straightened and put his hands on his hips, looking proudly over the arena as if he owned it. ¡°I am.¡±


    Look at this idiot. Nobody ever said elf-folk were so dumb. He didn¡¯t look any older than the rest of the competitors, but the stories said elves lived for ages and looked young the whole time, so who knew? Maybe he was just young and inexperienced. I couldn¡¯t help but thank Fate for her boon. The stories also said elves were fast, fierce, and relentless.


    With a sudden, despondent sigh, he folded himself up at my feet, sitting in a heap. ¡°One reason I was sent. Exactly one. Lose to the Prince so he gets the gift and then bow out of the tournament gracefully. I did as the mothers told me, and then¡­ Fortune. Fortune, you heartless bastard!¡± He laughed, a melodic, despairing sound. It looked like he was crying.


    I looked around. The Dueling Dome was bound to go up any second, and the crowd watching us was murmuring in confusion. Basil, still watching from outside the ring, shrugged helplessly. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think we¡¯re supposed to be talking.¡±


    He grabbed me by the wrist from where he sat, striking like a snake. Drunk or not, he was fast. ¡°The rarest card almost always gets picked for ante; the Twins like high stakes. Do they hate me? Why did they make me forfeit a Common to the Prince? It¡¯s the whole reason I was sent; the card was a message! What message does a Common send? I¡¯ll tell you: it¡¯s that my kind would just as soon shit on the Sun King¡¯s head, that¡¯s the message it sends.¡± He cocked his head and shrugged loosely. ¡°And that¡¯s true enough, I suppose, but it¡¯s not the message the Prince was supposed to get! I tried to apologize, tried to give it to him, but the little whoreson walked off in a snit.¡±


    Another glance at Basil showed him even paler than usual and with eyes as round as the moon. The elf wasn¡¯t talking quietly. A few of the spectators in the lowest stands were guffawing and passing the drunk elf Ambassador¡¯s words to their friends.


    The commentator¡¯s voice cut in as the Dueling Dome went up in haste. ¡°Sorry for the unexpected delay, ladies and gentlemen. Let¡¯s give our competitors a moment to collect themselves while we start the final match of the day for these two. Welcome back to Hull, an unexpected up-and-comer, and Fferun, envoy from the Elven tribes of the Eastern Blue Wilds!¡±


    The cheers and applause from the audience muted as the Dome closed overhead, but I heard as much laughter as anything else. The drunken fool of an elf was making an ass of himself and spilling secrets besides. Not that I cared: the more people wanted to hear about honored allies talking about shitting on my blessed father¡¯s head, the better.


    ¡°Get up,¡± I said, taking the morose elf by the hand and pulling. ¡°The match is about to start.¡±


    He staggered up, swayed like a tree in a windstorm, and gave a soul-deep sigh. Then he visibly steeled himself and focused his gaze in on me. His irises were a sunny yellow flecked with bronze. Suddenly he looked entirely sober.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to grind you to powder and win this mockery of a tournament,¡± he whispered. ¡°Nobody makes a fool of me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help a laugh as he walked away. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re doing a pretty good job of that all on your own.¡±


    He didn¡¯t acknowledge my words, his back ramrod straight. I didn¡¯t even hear the commentator as she went through the opening paces of the match; suddenly a card flew out from behind my ear and the elf¡¯s at the same time. Both were immediately magnified overhead, and the crowd gasped as one, the chatter falling momentarily silent.


    ¡°Really?¡± the elf called bitterly to the sky. ¡°Now it comes out?!¡±


    ¡°We have our highest stakes of the tournament so far, everyone,¡± said the commentator, sounding awed. ¡°An Epic against a Mythic!¡±


    The crowd lost their damn minds. They cheered, they swore, they pounded each other on the backs. Within seconds the stands closest to our dueling square held twice as many people as the word spread and gaping city folk came to watch us fight over cards that only the richest of the rich would ever lay hands on. I shook my head and tried to get my head into the match. You can hit harder than ever, and Basil says the Potion is the best thing for me. Maybe he¡¯s even right. He might be a rich little prick, but he did win.


    Fferun¡¯s drunkenness seemed to have evaporated in the face of his anger. He glared at me from over a handful of cards. A quick squint showed me his Mind Home was thicker with cards than Lily¡¯s had been, but only by a little. If things went like Basil assured me they would, I might be able to outlast him. I drew all three of my cards from my Mind Home and filled out my opening hand of five with Nether from my heart. I was glad to hear the announcer say that Nether took first turn against life as we both put our first source into play, and then, suddenly, we were in the thick of it.


    Same first play as always. Hit first, hit hard. I pulled two more source into hand, launched myself toward the willowy elf even as I devoted my Nether overhead, and summoned my newly-elevated Hammer.


    It felt heavier and somehow meaner in my hand as I swung at him, and Fferun grimaced prettily, smoothly moving his card hand up to intervene even as he began to draw on his own vine-wrapped ball of Life source overhead. A card shattered out of his hand.


    ¡°Ah, a smart discard on the Ambassador¡¯s part,¡± the announcer called. ¡°The Flock Mother would be of little use against an opponent with such a thin deck; by the time he might put her to use, Hull is likely to have all his cards in play.¡±


    I hardly heard the man; all I knew is that was one less card between me and a win. The elf flowed away from me smoothly, summoning an Order source even as he moved. That was a surprise ¨C I¡¯d thought he was playing pure Life. That wasn¡¯t the uppermost thought in my mind though; if this was how quickly the bastard moved when he was drunk, I was glad I wasn¡¯t facing him sober. A Soul misted into being next to him, and a clipped word from its Summoner sent it racing toward me before it had even finished appearing.


    The blank-faced elf warrior was on me before I knew it, jabbing a curved silver sword at my ribs. Heart hammering, I backpedaled and tripped as the sword came at me. Fate¡¯s Grace overtook me, slowing the moment in time, and I had the extremely odd sensation of falling backwards very slowly. I couldn¡¯t let the blow land; my Mind Home was empty. My only option was to block with the source in my hand, and two of the cards of ink-purple clouds disappeared into shards. Time sped back up, and catching my balance cost me the chance to swing back at the attacking Soul.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That¡¯s all right. He¡¯s mine now. Fferun had devoted the Warden Soul in order to attack with it, and now it was defenseless, down on one knee right by Fferun as it recovered. I could attack it at my leisure, and with both of his summoned sources focused, there wasn¡¯t a thing Fferun could do about it.


    I put another Nether overhead. It was time to cast my Sucking Void, but I dithered for a heartbeat, wishing I could hold off for another turn. The later I cast it, the longer it would last. That was lunacy, though: if Fferun had another cheap Soul in hand, he could summon and devote it to strip even more source out of my hand, and the more source I lost before putting it out, the less I¡¯d be able to use to power my blows with Nether. Do what works. Don¡¯t get fancy. I devoted the newly summoned Nether and cast the Spell.


    ¡°Hull casts his signature Spell, meaning he can¡¯t be harmed for three rounds,¡± the announcer murmured. The crowd whistled and cheered as the starlight skin of invulnerability tightened around me. The folks in the cheap seats loved watching a little shit like me beat up on the fine folk. The sound warmed my heart as I attacked again, targeting the kneeling Elf Warden. It shattered into shining bits, and a wave of force from my Overkill hammer pushed through the sparkles toward Fferun.


    The elf Ambassador spat something in Elvish that sounded like a curse before flicking another card up to block the passthrough damage.


    ¡°Fferun is taking more than he¡¯s giving,¡± the announcer said. ¡°He needs to turn this around before the upstart gets out of hand.¡±


    ¡°They needn¡¯t tell me how to do my job,¡± the elf snapped. He looked baffled and frustrated now that he couldn¡¯t hurt me. Another Life source went up over his head, and he devoted both Life source and focused his one Order. My heart clenched ¨C this would be a big one.


    I blinked. What was wrong with that card? Why was part of it upside down? And how had a 1/1 taken five source? It vanished before I got a good look. But as I goggled at the slender elf maid in her furs that was coalescing, she misted again, taking on another form.


    Oh. The pretty elf girl had turned into a slavering wolf-man standing on his hind legs. What he lacked in looks he made up for in scariness. I was suddenly very glad of my untouchability ¨C that thing had a wicked jaw, and I wasn¡¯t excited to meet it.


    The elf Ambassador cursed in his melodic language again. He obviously wanted to send that nasty Soul after me but couldn¡¯t do anything while I was protected. He turned aside and spat, stumbling just a hair as he did so. Maybe the drink was still affecting him after all.


    ¡°My turn,¡± I whispered, putting up another Nether. Time to deal some real damage.


    Piercing through the roar of the crowd, I heard a nearby voice yelling, ¡°Now! Use it now!¡±


    I knew that snotty tone. Basil was trying to run my match while I was right in the middle of a fight. My heart rebelled. What does he know? He¡¯s an idiot noble that just wants to order me around like his own private life-size toy. I¡¯m the one fighting here. I needed to hit this elf bastard hard, and I needed to do it now, not summon some piddly potion.


    The quiet part of me, though, pushed back. Why ask for help if you¡¯re too proud to take it? You¡¯re in over your head and he knows more than you. Admit it.


    Hating it even as I did so, I devoted both of my available Nether, but I only channeled enough for 1 extra damage into my arms, and the rest I used to summon the new Relic Basil had foisted on me.


    The Potion manifested in my hand. Popping the cork, I downed the thick, red brew, trying not to gag. It both looked and tasted suspiciously of blood. A moment later, I felt a card re-materialize in my Mind Home. The Sucking Void that had been in some invisible waste space had come back to me. Once I drew it next turn, I could use it again.


    As I rushed at Fferun with my hammer, I thought back on how I¡¯d argued with Basil about the strategy he¡¯d dreamt up for me. Obviously getting my Spell back in order to cast it again was a great move, but I¡¯d wanted to wait until the next turn. As it was, he wanted me to cast it on my third turn of invincibility, essentially wasting one of my turns of protection as it reset to turn one while still on turn three.


    He¡¯d countered that I couldn¡¯t afford the turn of vulnerability if I let the Spell expire on its own. With no Souls to block and nothing else but source in my hand, a big swing from my opponent could knock me out before I could cast again.


    Now that I could feel the Spell back in my Mind Home, I knew he¡¯d been right. I just hadn¡¯t wanted to say so. He¡¯d have been so smug. Last thing that boy needs to hear is that he¡¯s right.


    Fferun was keeping up a steady stream of cursing now, varying in volume and intensity to match his own movement. With an agonized look at his own hand of cards, he gave a flick of his fingers, and his Werewolf dove in front of my hammer, protecting him. It didn¡¯t look nearly so scary when it burst into shards, even if it did absorb the entire blow.


    ¡°What was that about grinding me to powder?¡± I called to him as he backed away.


    ¡°It¡¯s not wise to boast before you¡¯ve actually won, little boy,¡± he growled. ¡°That Spell of yours is about to run out.¡±


    I gave him a winning smile. ¡°Is it, though?¡±


    Snarling, he put up another Life source, focusing both it and his single Order to bring out another Soul.


    Fferun looked at the starlit skin that still covered me, and even with his new card in play, he cursed a third time in disgust. ¡°I might as well drink tea with him as pretend to fight you.¡± The Leaf Whisperer stood at the ready, waiting for its master¡¯s call, but Fferun left it idle and ready to block. ¡°That¡¯s the most annoying Spell I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°I kind of like it,¡± I responded, drawing my Sucking Void and another source. I devoted the two I had available, cast the Spell again, and used the rest to power up my hit.


    Now, instead of being on turn three of you-can¡¯t-touch-me, I was back on turn one. Fferun¡¯s face went slack with the realization, and the sight made me laugh. The Nether felt good in my veins. I still felt the rage I always had, but focusing on the match kept my head clearer. As I leapt and swung my weapon, I suddenly realized that I really enjoyed dueling. Yes, I might be dead tomorrow under Ticosi¡¯s knife, but this was what the old duelist I¡¯d gotten that first card had meant: I hadn¡¯t lived until now.


    This time the elf was silent and grim as I hit him. He didn¡¯t block with the Leaf Whisperer; maybe he hoped to keep it out long enough to do some good later. For whatever reason, he blocked out of hand again. Two cards shattered, leaving his hand empty.


    A quick glance at his Mind Home showed that he only had three cards left. I might just do this! It was getting easier to shift my eyes into the strange blurriness that let me see the cloud of cards around him.


    Fferun drew two cards from his Mind Home, leaving him with only one, and then devoted all three of his Life source. I braced for another big summons, but instead, he merely glowed a little, and nothing happened.


    ¡°The Ambassador uses his source ability to Heal for 2,¡± the announcer said. ¡°A smart move to keep this heavy hitter at bay.¡±


    I gaped and looked back to his Mind Home. Where a moment before there had only been a single card remaining, now there were three. ¡°You can do that?¡± I said.


    He gave me a bitter smile. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one allowed to Heal. Some of us learn to do it in our cradles.¡±


    Shit. I¡¯d thought he was almost done for, but now he had a couple of his dead cards back. What went first? The bird lady and the Wolfkin? I really didn¡¯t want to face the Werewolf again. The good news was that it looked like using Life to Heal was expensive; he didn¡¯t summon anything with his remaining Order source.


    I needed to close this out, and quick. I was now on my second turn of the Sucking Void. I put up my one remaining Nether out of hand, leaving me with three I could use right now; the other two were still refreshing. I wanted to devote them all to swing as hard as I could, but that small, wise part of me wondered if it might not be smart to save a little juice for the following turn. I shook my head at myself as I split the difference, devoting one and focusing the other two. Who even am I if I don¡¯t go hard? Basil¡¯s infected me with something.


    Still, I was hitting for 4, and Fferun took it on the chin again, holding his Leaf Whisperer in reserve. Two more cards bit the dust in a silver shower.


    There was that incredible Mythic. I wanted it so badly I could taste it. Who cared if I could never use it ¨C my mind spun at the thought of all the incredible trades it could bring me. Yes, I wanted to win so I could keep my Epic, of course, but that card!


    Fferun took a deep breath, steadied himself, and drew one from his Mind Home and one source. I spared a moment¡¯s pity for him: he needed source to cast anything, but he needed cards in hand to block as well.


    Whatever he had been hoping to see, it wasn¡¯t what he drew, because he gave a despairing laugh, shot me a quick glance to count the source I¡¯d have coming up, and then cast his hand up in the air. They vanished in midair.


    ¡°I concede,¡± he said in a loud voice.


    I stopped dead in my tracks, and the crowd did too. Then everyone went wild.


    ¡°You can do that?¡± I muttered. The emerald-bordered card flew away from the elf with the bowed head and landed heavily in my hand.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. The image of the beautiful elf and the regal-looking man moved, speaking silently to each other as they consulted the book before them. I didn¡¯t even know how much a card like this was worth, and it was mine. I felt light-headed. This couldn¡¯t be real.


    A slender hand intruded on my field of vision, and I automatically clutched the card to my chest.


    ¡°You shake hands, do you not?¡± Fferun said. ¡°The mothers told me you barbarians press your stinking, dirty hands together to show respect. If I¡¯m going home in shame, I might as well congratulate the one who wasn¡¯t supposed to beat me but did anyways.¡±


    I shook his hand. His grip was hard, and he jerked me in close. I could still smell the liquor on him.


    ¡°They¡¯ll come for you,¡± he told me. ¡°That card was meant for their Prince.¡±


    Then he let me go and moved away smoothly, only staggering the tiniest bit. ¡°I wash my hands of it. I never want to see this city again.¡±


    I stumbled down the stairs in a daze. Basil was right there, bouncing on his toes. ¡°You did it! You really did it!¡±


    ¡°You said I would.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t really believe it! And what a prize. May I see it?¡±


    It was a sign of how dazed I was that I actually allowed him to hold the card for a moment.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± he breathed. ¡°We can manage some amazing trades with this.¡±


    I focused in on him as he handed the Mythic back to me. ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°There are going to be exotic card dealers at the Spring Soiree tonight, and you¡¯re going to be there. I won¡¯t allow anything else. Get to your room and have them bring you a tub ¨C you¡¯re dining with the high rollers tonight.¡±

 22. Basil - Soiree Preparations

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he won,¡± I said to my reflection, ¡°and when a Mythic was up for ante. A Mythic.¡± The mirror I was looking into was gilded in gold ¨C part of the Colosseum¡¯s furnished rooms for competitors ¨C and the cravat around my neck hung in two forgotten halves. I was supposed to be getting ready for the Soiree, but the enormity of Hull¡¯s victory kept distracting me. Little things like getting properly dressed felt so¡­pedestrian in comparison to the memory.


    ¡°Who is this again?¡± Warrick asked. My friend had only recently joined me, and he lounged on the plush, plum-colored sofa, his lanky frame stretched from one end to the other. He held a glass of wine close to his chest, and another waited on the end table below the mirror, which I had yet to touch. ¡°That beggar boy you faced in the first round?¡±


    ¡°One and the same,¡± I answered. Using more focus than it should have required, I took the two ends of the cravat in hand and gave them the proper loops and tugs so that the silken concoction puffed up below my neck. Then, to hold it in place, I used a small silver pin bearing my family¡¯s Hintal insignia. I had received it from my parents when I raised my soul to Uncommon, and, besides my cards, it was one of my most prized possessions.


    ¡°And you helped him again because your first attempt was so well received?¡±


    ¡°Esmi wished it,¡± I replied, not rising to the bait. I made a slight adjustment to the cravat now that it was pinned down. ¡°Turns out she¡¯s a Rapturist. I suppose it makes sense considering how sweet she is to everyone, but I wouldn¡¯t have guessed it. Have you ever met any Rapturists here in Treledyne?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t seem so sweet when she was brow-beating you about your deck,¡± Warrick murmured into his wine cup.


    I had meant to check my hair next, but responding to a comment like that through a reflection didn¡¯t feel direct enough, so I turned around. The sofa that Warrick was splayed out upon sat directly across from the bed, its four posters made of wood, carefully carved vines running up and down the length of each. Past those two pieces of furniture was a wide, free standing dresser, each door made to look like the back of a card. To the left of that was a window looking down on the city, and to the right was a tiled washroom. Spending time with Hull must have rubbed off on me, because I was half tempted to take Warrick into the side room and dunk his head into the water basin. However, a noble couldn¡¯t afford to be a brute, nor had I gone to the trouble of assembling my outfit just to get it wet.


    ¡°She was worried about me,¡± I explained. ¡°And I¡¯m grateful, I¡¯ll have you know, particularly if her attention to detail can help me perform well at the Tournament and elevate my soul to Rare.¡± Warrick didn¡¯t respond, so I added. ¡°I think that Charbond fellow ¨C Plutar is his name, by the way ¨C must be a rotten piece of work for her to be so concerned.¡± I also hoped I was becoming someone fond to Esmi, but I didn''t have the courage to say that part aloud.


    Annoyingly, Warrick just stared into his glass instead of looking at me, seeming entranced by the swirl of dark wine, nearly the same color as the sofa.


    ¡°I should have drunk more before meeting with my parents,¡± he said. ¡°It would have made their stories about that damned student they sponsor infinitely more bearable. Afi this and Afi that. You¡¯d think they wanted to adopt her.¡±


    I shook my head and turned back to the mirror. He wasn¡¯t trying to insult my fianc¨¦e; he was just having one of his moods. ¡°She¡¯s been winning, has she?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Warrick said, miserable. I heard a clink as he put his glass down on the marble coffee table and a burble as he poured himself a fresh glass. ¡°Fought a kestrel in her second match, apparently, somehow managing to beat a pure Air deck. They say she duels Gerad tomorrow. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever wanted the Prince to win anything before, but I hope he sweeps her off the stage, I really do.¡±


    The Prince was favored to win the whole Tournament, so he¡¯d probably do exactly as Warrick wanted, but I was still caught at the halfway point in his story. ¡°A kestrel?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Warrick confirmed, taking a huge gulp of wine. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be at the Soiree, flapping around.¡±


    It was possible for lower-order creatures to become summoners, but it wasn¡¯t something that happened frequently. For a kestrel ¨C the diminutive bird-folk closely aligned with Air ¨C to accomplish such a feat was an impressive thing indeed, and I certainly wished to meet it.


    Another clink told me that Warrick had already tossed off his second glass, and I sighed internally. I felt more than a little guilty; I had asked him to come watch me duel when being here at the Colosseum was obviously too blatant a reminder of his failing as a duelist. On the other hand, he had just gotten to spend time with his parents, while I had no such prospects ¨C both my parents were too busy guarding the city, helping to feed it, or some other thing they deemed more pressing than spending time with their extra son.


    A knock at the door relieved me from my darkening thoughts, and I moved to answer it, knowing that Warrick would stay right where he was. I thought it might be Hull ¨C I had told him my room number before we parted ways ¨C but Esmi stood in the portal instead. She looked utterly divine in a scaled dress of the softest salmon pink. A similar hue dusted her eyelids and lips, and she wore twined rose gold earrings to match. Her hair was curled with purpose, flowing down her neck and over her shoulders in rolling waves much more hypnotic than any cravat or cloth could hope to mimic.


    ¡°You¡¯re the image of perfection,¡± I told her, and she smiled, taking the opportunity to inspect me, too.


    ¡°You look quite nice yourself.¡±


    The suit I was wearing was black trimmed in a whimsical teal. Its angular cut wasn¡¯t quite as popular as it had been when my brother Gale had commissioned it for himself, but thankfully it fit me well enough, though I found it a bit long in the sleeve.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± I said, stepping aside. ¡°Please come in.¡±


    She wafted past me, the perfume she was wearing giving off a light floral scent with a touch of bite beneath, putting me in mind of my friend¡¯s comment about her personality.


    ¡°Warrick,¡± she said, spotting him immediately. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±


    He lifted his glass in salute but didn¡¯t answer.


    Esmi leaned closer to me, and I did my best not to overreact to her nearness or the heat she emanated. ¡°Is he all right?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be just fine after this glass,¡± Warrick answered for himself.


    Esmi blushed at being overheard, looking absolutely adorable with her cheeks flushed. She moved farther into the room, seating herself on the edge of my bed, and for a brief moment I wished I possessed some Spell that would whisk Warrick somewhere else, anywhere else.


    ¡°You have quite good hearing,¡± she told my friend.


    Warrick smiled at her, his teeth stained just a touch red. ¡°Didn¡¯t Basil tell you? That¡¯s my soul ability. Wondrous, flawless, unmatched hearing of the gods.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Esmi said, smiling like she wanted to make a good impression. ¡°How nice. I wish mine stopped me from getting hot-headed like I was earlier. I wanted to apologize for that, actually, so Fate was kind enough to bring us together again so soon. You two should have been celebrating Basil¡¯s win, and instead you had to deal with me. I¡¯m sorry I interrupted.¡±


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    She looked up, including me in the apology, and a small part of me I¡¯d been ignoring in the madness of the day untightened. I had been excited to win that match. Ecstatic even, and with her words it was like I was allowed to feel those emotions again.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± I told her. ¡°We can celebrate now.¡± I took the glass that Warrick had poured for me and walked it over to Esmi. Then I whisked into the washroom and grabbed a squat crystal tumbler from the counter. It wouldn''t aerate the wine in the same way as a proper glass, but Warrick had only brought two, and I found I didn¡¯t care. Warrick had already swung his legs down from the sofa when I returned and, like a good friend, was ready to fill my cup as soon as I brought it near.


    Libations in hand, we all clinked them together.


    ¡°To staying on the winners¡¯ side,¡± I said.


    ¡°To staying on the winners¡¯ side,¡± Esmi echoed, her grin just as pleased as mine.


    ¡°Congratulations to you both,¡± Warrick said, and he looked as if he might just mean it.


    We all drank, and the wine turned out to be exactly what I needed ¨C not just delicious, but relaxing as well. I could feel my muscles breathe as soon as the full-bodied liquid touched my tongue.


    ¡°So, Esmi,¡± Warrick said, surprising me by lowering his drink first, ¡°I hear you¡¯re dueling a previous champion tomorrow. Some bruiser from Dalrish.¡±


    I perked up. I had been so focused on my own matches ¨C and then Hull¡¯s ¨C I hadn¡¯t done any research on anyone else¡¯s yet. Dalrish was the third great human city, said to be a maze of ever-changing warrens from the constant earthquakes.


    Esmi nodded, her muted reaction telling me that she was well aware of the difficulty of her upcoming opponent. ¡°With no one of age for the Rising Stars Tournament, the Velps decided to go a different direction than your family,¡± she said to Warrick.


    ¡°You should hear my parents tell it,¡± Warrick said with a snort. ¡°They won¡¯t shut up about how the Velps are disgracing the rest of the nobility, trying to pay for a win like that. The hypocrites.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s that good, is he?¡± I asked. ¡°And a bruiser ¨C so he¡¯s a big fellow?¡±


    Esmi took another sip of wine. ¡°From what I¡¯ve been told, he has won Dalrish¡¯s equivalent of the Rising Stars twice already.¡±


    Warrick nodded, having apparently learned the same from his parents. ¡°He uses Relics, but not the same way as that Artisan you fought. Lots of weapons and armor; only a few Souls. He¡¯s an up-close duelist.¡±


    I let my wine explore the recesses of my mouth as I pondered those details. Someone from Dalrish would probably cultivate Earth, and that Source Power allowed the Summoner to stop damage directed at them. That would make for a powerful combination, almost like a more reliable version of what Hull did.


    I looked over at my fiancee sitting across from me. Esmi had been kind enough to provide feedback about my deck, and it would only be chivalrous of me to offer the same in a situation like this.


    ¡°Did you hear about the competition tonight?¡± she said before I had the chance. Esmi didn¡¯t seem worried in the slightest about the bruiser tomorrow, but excited, the gold flecks in her eyes twinkling.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked when Warrick didn¡¯t seem to know either.


    She leaned forward on the edge of the bed, her smile wide. ¡°The culmination of the Spring Soiree will be a chance for each attendee to show off their personal soul ability. They¡¯ll do a round for each level, from Common on up, and the prizes are donations from some very affluent families both local and foreign. Won¡¯t that be fun?¡±


    I sat back on the sofa, not feeling quite as jubilant as she was, but that didn¡¯t seem to dispel her enthusiasm.


    ¡°Warrick? I¡¯m sure you could impress them with your ability.¡±


    Warrick took another drink and only after pretended to notice her speaking to him. ¡°What¡¯s that? Sorry, didn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Esmi caught the joke immediately and gave Warrick a look before turning to me. ¡°Basil?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well,¡± I said, not wanting to disappoint her but feeling like I had no other option available to me, ¡°my soul ability isn¡¯t well suited to that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± she asked, tilting her head, causing her curled hair to tumble to the side.


    Warrick looked suspiciously between us before declaring. ¡°By the Twins, you two haven¡¯t shared your soul cards yet.¡±


    Esmi and I both jumped at the accusation, my cheeks heating to match Esmi¡¯s blush, which had returned in full force. The sharing of one¡¯s own soul cards was a deeply personal thing. I had heard that some couples in arranged relationships did it right from the start to force an immediate closeness, but Esmi hadn¡¯t offered to show me hers yet, so I hadn¡¯t broached the topic either.


    ¡°Ah¡­ no,¡± I said, answering for both of us. ¡°We¡¯re waiting,¡± ¨C I shared a quick look with Esmi, trying to confirm that I wasn¡¯t misspeaking too badly ¨C ¡°for the appropriate time.¡±


    Warrick reached down at his feet and then proceeded to thump a fresh bottle of wine down on the table. ¡°What time could be better than now?¡±


    If it was possible, Esmi went even more red, brighter than her dress and all the way to the tips of her ears; if I could still see myself in the mirror, I was sure I looked precisely the same.


    ¡°Actually,¡± I said, hoping to save us both, ¡°I was going to ask Esmi to help me decide what to cut from my deck so I can add the new cards I traded for.¡±


    Warrick threw up his hands in the air. ¡°Cards? Again? Can¡¯t we take a break from that nonsense for a while?¡±


    I looked at him with a very real frown. ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought up Esmi¡¯s next opponent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s people, not cards,¡± Warrick said, as if the distinction should be obvious. Something in the way Esmi and I looked at him made him toss his hands into the air again, the yellow cape he was wearing fluttering when he stood. ¡°Obsessed, both of you. I¡¯m going to find a runner to get me something salty.¡±


    With Warrick¡¯s departure, Esmi scooted from the bed over to the sofa, watching the door as if worried he might suddenly return and renew his previous awkward demands.


    ¡°So,¡± I said, doing my best to sound natural, ¡°the first one to remove is obvious: there¡¯s no need for my Helm since you say Plutar uses only Spells.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wise start,¡± she agreed. The pink was starting to fade from her ears.


    From there, we talked and tinkered, the intense nervousness we had both shared gradually shifting into an enjoyable exchange of ideas. As I had hoped, she approved of the Metal Golems, and Warrick returned with enough fried potato wedges for us all to share. He had even ordered half a dozen different dipping sauces in small ceramic bowls that paired perfectly with the hot snack.


    Eventually though, Warrick looked like he would throw himself out the back window if he had to hear us talk dueling any longer. So, I thanked Esmi for her insight, tucked the cards I would use behind my ear and the others into my leather holder, and stood, stretching my legs.


    ¡°We should probably be heading out soon.¡±


    Warrick had been up pacing, and he turned to us both, flaring his cape as he did. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± He reached into his pocket and produced a handful of tiny, colorful pouches. ¡°I brought Tears of Les.¡±


    I choked on the air I had been breathing, even more shocked by this revelation than when he had proposed Esmi and I lay our souls bare to each other. ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡±


    He grinned. ¡°I definitely did.¡±


    Esmi took a tentative step toward Warrick but then stopped, like she was afraid to go any farther. ¡°Is that legal here now?¡±


    ¡°It most certainly is not,¡± I answered. Few weeks went by that my father¡¯s patrols didn¡¯t bring someone into custody for the use of the illegal substance. In small amounts it was said to simply make people feel euphoric, but taking more led to visions ¨C visions said by some to give a glimpse of what one¡¯s soul might be when elevated. The trouble was if a person became angry or violent while on the drug, such distortions of perception could easily make them dangerous.


    Warrick knew my father and his stance on such things, but that didn¡¯t stop my friend from waving the bright pouches in front of our faces. ¡°Neither of you competes again until morning. This will take the edge off.¡±


    A knock at the door did away with Warrick¡¯s playful taunting, and he stuffed the Tears back into his pocket. I made sure the pouches were well and truly out of sight before I opened the door, revealing Hull on the other side.


    The surly urchin had clearly not listened to my advice about a bath. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem like he had done anything at all to prepare himself for the gathering this evening, other than perhaps wipe a bit of grime from his face. His hair still looked like an untrimmed hedge, his clothes hardly earned the name, and the smell that rolled off of him was somehow even worse than before.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked when he saw my shocked, disapproving face. ¡°You told me to come.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Warrick said from behind me.


    Esmi had moved up to my shoulder, and she put a hand to her mouth when she saw the state of the fourth member of our party. ¡°Oh my.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hull asked again, expression darkening as he looked between us.


    And then a brilliant idea struck me; an idea so perfect, so just, that it must have come from the Twins themselves. ¡°Esmi,¡± I said, ¡°would you be a dear and summon your kobolds?¡±

 23. Hull - Deep Waters

    I had to walk all ginger-like as I trailed the others up stairs and down corridors through the Coliseum. Those damned kobolds had scrubbed me near to bleeding, and my skin chafed and burned in places I hadn¡¯t even known I had skin. That trollop Esmi had promised me they were only taking me back to my room to help me clean up, but they were relentless. At one point I¡¯d wondered if I needed to summon my hammer to defend myself. One of them had taken a stiff brush and scraped out under my fingernails, of all places. I kept catching sight of my hands as I walked and being distracted by how pink and clean they were. Between that and the fine clothes and soft leather shoes the girl had drummed up somewhere, I felt downright noble.


    I hated it. Anybody from the Lows who saw me now would bloody my nose just on principle, and they¡¯d be right to do it. I didn¡¯t belong with these rich fools, even if they weren¡¯t quite so bad as I¡¯d first thought. My shirt was whiter and softer than anything I¡¯d even seen for sale in the Lows, and I had some kind of blue silken stocking covering my feet and calves like a lady¡¯s glove. That damned Esmi had said they were to show off my legs and keep my feet from stinking up the shoes, which didn¡¯t make a lick of sense to me. Sure, the blue looked nice under the tight cinch of the trousers that ended just below the knee, but who¡¯d be looking? And my feet would just stink up the stockings instead, which didn¡¯t seem any better than the alternative, and who even noticed a little stink? A good strong smell let a fellow know he was still alive, but when I¡¯d said that they all laughed to the skies like I¡¯d made a joke. These people thought weird things were funny and funny things were offensive. It made me jumpy.


    I trailed behind the other three by several paces, letting them chatter on, but that grinning trio of kobold Souls were right behind me, keeping me from running off. Not that I intended to. I was uncomfortable, sure, and deeply anxious about going to a party full of rich shits, but Basil had said the words exotic traders and that was enough to get me walking through fire. It won¡¯t be that bad. The noble kids¡¯ll take one look at me, see I don¡¯t belong, and ignore me. I had plenty of practice being ignored, and even with all my idiot finery I still looked like a sparrow among peacocks. Basil¡¯s chatty friend was wearing a cape.


    Esmi let the other two go ahead of her, and she hung back until she was alongside me, at which point she hooked an arm through mine as if we were the oldest and dearest of friends. It was all I could do not to pull away and shove her into the wall. She was pretty, of course ¨C painfully so, with a cascade of dark curls halfway down her back and gold-flecked eyes that nearly glowed ¨C but in my experience, girls only played friendly for one of two reasons: they wanted you to pay for a tumble in the sheets, or they wanted to knife you for your sleeping spot. I doubted this girl needed to play either of those games, but she had sent her Souls to manhandle me. The instinct to protect myself was strong, and the best I managed was to stiffen like a board and stare straight ahead as we walked.


    She noticed and patted my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯re used to this sort of thing, but it will be so fun! Just follow my lead, or Basil¡¯s, and soon enough the rest of them will forget to be wary and start imagining you¡¯re some lost royal scion.¡±


    I had a good laugh at that and she joined in, missing the bitter note in my voice entirely.


    ¡°So tell me about yourself,¡± she said easily. ¡°Basil¡¯s taken a shine to you, obviously, but honestly, the mystery boy in rags has everyone else wondering.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop a snort. ¡°Basil wouldn¡¯t have pissed on me to put out a fire if it wasn¡¯t for you. He¡­ well, he gave me back my ante after I lost our match ¨C the Epic, you know? ¨C and I was a prick about the whole thing.¡±


    She beamed at the back of Basil¡¯s head, who was deep in conversation with Warrick and his cape. ¡°I suspected as much. He¡¯s a good man, I¡¯ll have you know. He would have warmed back up to you in a moment; I just helped the process along.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, deciding on bluntness. ¡°What¡¯s it to you if the poor kid flames out and loses his cards?¡±


    She gave a thoughtful smile and took her time before responding. ¡°There¡¯s more to elevating yourself than just leveling up your soul card, if you ask me. Yes, we can have eternity as Souls after we die, going from one Mind Home to the next, but what about this life? Shouldn¡¯t there be some joy, some goodness, some beauty? What¡¯s the point of being powerful if you don¡¯t protect and help the people around you? I think the Twins value that at least as much as a well-played game.¡±


    I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was trying to fool me or herself. Goodness? Beauty? Please. ¡°Nobody does that kind of shit.¡±


    ¡°Not enough,¡± she allowed, ¡°and maybe not often in your neck of the woods, but there are more than you think.¡± She gave a pointed look toward Basil. ¡°For instance, who¡¯d give up an Epic out of the goodness of their heart and then help the same fellow win a Mythic after getting spat on?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide a grimace. I¡¯d been asking myself the same thing all day, and I still didn¡¯t have a good answer. But I¡¯d seen too much of this damned city and its damned people to take her explanation and swallow it. ¡°Not me,¡± I said roughly, pulling away from her arm.


    She kept her mysterious smile, completely unruffled by my rudeness. ¡°You¡¯ve been the target of incredible luck and incredible kindness today, Hull. At some point you¡¯ll have to either accept those gifts with grace or reject the concept of goodness entirely and settle on becoming a truly terrible person.¡±


    I thought of old Behar the duelist dying as I watched and drank his beer, of a thousand alley fights and petty thefts. I was already a terrible person. She just didn¡¯t know me well enough yet.


    ¡°Are you excited for the abilities competition?¡± she asked breezily. I¡¯d been silent too long.


    She thought she was making small talk, but this topic was no easier for me than the other. With a mental shrug, I decided to simply spill it all rather than dance around the topic. Something about this girl made me talkative. ¡°I don¡¯t have a soul card, so I can¡¯t say I care much either way about folks showing off. I had one when I was little, but my mother stole it and ran away.¡±


    I expected her to react in shock, to protest at the impossibilities of my story, but she merely closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. ¡°That sounds awful.¡±


    Something deep inside of me shifted painfully, and I bit down on the inside of my cheek to ease it. A fragment of memory drifted up, of sitting warm and sleepy tucked into a woman¡¯s lap as she hummed an odd, mournful melody that vibrated in my chest. Her arms were wrapped around me, and I played idly with her fingers, so much bigger than mine, the fingernails painted a glossy purple so dark it was almost black.


    I spoke without thinking, lost in the half-remembered moment. ¡°Sometimes I wonder, was she in trouble? Did she take it away to protect me somehow? Or was she just a heartless bitch that was glad to find something useful and leave the useless baggage behind?¡±


    I snapped back to myself and shot a glance at Esmi. What¡¯s wrong with you? I cleared my suddenly-thick throat and shrugged as casually as I could. ¡°Sad story, boo hoo. Others have had it worse in their day.¡±


    Pity in her eyes, Esmi reached over as if to pat my shoulder but then appeared to reconsider, folding her hands demurely in front of herself. ¡°I can¡¯t say I understand, but¡­ Fate is good more often than she is bad. It¡¯ll work out.¡±


    I had a dozen cutting answers to that one, but she didn¡¯t deserve any of them, so I let them die unsaid.


    We¡¯d been climbing stairs for ages, and Basil looked back as we rounded a corner with eyes only for Esmi. ¡°Ready for the big event? May I escort you in, my good lady?¡±


    The stairway opened up ahead onto night air, and gentle music drifted down at us. Two gleaming palace guards in polished cuirasses and helms stood at the head of the stairs, their pikes held at perfectly matched angles. Streamers of gold and scarlet silk crisscrossed the night sky ahead, and laughter and conversation burbled all around. Esmi hurried up to Basil and took his arm, and I fell in right behind them. We had arrived for the Soiree.


    ¡°Competitors Basil Hintal and Esmi Fireheart of the winners¡¯ bracket,¡± one of the guards announced loudly as we passed, making me jump. Nobody had said a word to the man; he¡¯d just known who they were already. ¡°Competitor Hull of the losers¡¯ bracket.¡± Somehow, having a stranger know my name without me ever laying eyes on him before made me deeply uneasy.


    Basil noticed and leaned his head toward me as we strolled into the party. ¡°Nobody will expect much of you if you keep to yourself. The trading tables will be in out-of-the way nooks and corners so deals can have some privacy. See what you can find and I¡¯ll join you as soon as I¡¯ve made the rounds. And, Hull?¡±


    He laid a soft hand on my sleeve and gave me a serious look. ¡°Behave.¡±


    I wondered if behaving included burying my foot in his ass as he led Esmi and Warrick away, the very picture of a prissy nobleman. Esmi could talk all she wanted about the greatness of his heart ¨C the kid was an unbearable twerp.


    I forgot my annoyance as I took in the sights around me. We¡¯d come all the way up to one of the private balconies at the very top of the Coliseum, and the only thing blocking the velvet night sky was a series of bright silk bolts attached to the crenelated walls enclosing the space on one end and soaring up overhead to wrap around a huge, central maypole, making a sort of open-air tent lit with elemental lamps of all colors. People and Souls mingled freely, drinking wine and spirits from delicate crystal goblets and nibbling expensive-looking finger foods. I made a mental note to find the person handing those out and make him earn his keep.


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    First things first. The Mythic Life card felt like it might burn a hole in the pocket of my expensive trousers. I looked around for any open tables and found a dozen in easy sight, but they were either full of lounging nobility chatting and stuffing their faces with delicacies or else playing host to friendly card matches. I was tempted to sidle up to those to see what I could learn, but I had to stay focused on why I was here to begin with. Could I dare to hope that I might find someone trading in Nether? Basil seemed to think it was a possibility, and his instincts had steered me well so far.


    I was backing through the space trying to look in all directions at once when I bumped hard into someone that yelped and swore. I stepped wide to steady myself and somehow got my foot tangled in theirs. Suddenly I was falling, and I had to turn and pull hard on their arm to keep from going down.


    ¡°Watch it,¡± I grunted, pulling myself upright. ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt¨C¡±


    My throat tightened convulsively and my words disappeared in a rush of hopeless air as I came face-to-face with my obstacle, still holding tight to their arm. It was the single most incredible woman I¡¯d ever laid eyes on.


    Her skin was bone-white and flawless, and her perfectly styled hair swept in raven waves around a porcelain face with blood-red lips and the largest eyes of bottomless black ¨C flecked with tiny ruby stars ¨C to ever grace all the Twins¡¯ creation. Her lithe, muscular body was sheathed in a sleeveless gown of black silk trimmed in gold and cream accents. My stupid brute hand was still clutching her forearm, and I snatched it back in horror. Had I bruised her? I¡¯d cut off my own fingers first.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I babbled. I wondered if I should drop to my knees. Would she like that? ¡°I never should have touched you. Stupid, stupid.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t have been any older than me, but she gave off an air of ancient mystery as she rolled her perfect eyes. ¡°Stupid is putting it mildly when you show up to a party without protection when you know a vampire is in attendance.¡±


    She reached into a handbag studded with black pearls and pulled out a copper bit. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I keep an emergency stash for idiots. Scratch that: you¡¯re lucky the Nine expressly forbid me to feed on guests or take any pets while I¡¯m here.¡± She flipped the coin at me with her flawless goddess thumb.


    Feed. I imagined her dainty, sharpened eyeteeth pressed against my neck and shuddered with pleasure. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her, and the coin pinged uselessly off my forehead and fell to the ground. I felt a flicker of confusion, but it passed instantly. ¡°Tell me when you¡¯re allowed to feed again and I¡¯ll follow you ¡®til the day I die.¡±


    She suppressed an irritated sigh. ¡°Pick it up, you imbecile.¡±


    Cringing at her displeasure, I stooped to take the coin. If she had given it to me, I¡¯d treasure it forever. The moment my fingers touched the cool metal, my mind lurched and shifted as if I¡¯d just landed from a jump off a second-story balcony. Clutching the coin to my chest, I gaped at her. ¡°What? What did you do?¡±


    She tsked. ¡°Nothing I can control. You think I want every jumped-up undersquire and witless lordling panting after me? The glamour is a common ability among my kind, and if you don¡¯t know it yet then your minders should hardly allow you out in mixed company.¡±


    Shame flooded me as I remembered my fervent words of a moment before. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I muttered. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Keep the coin,¡± she sighed, moving away. ¡°If I end up facing you tomorrow, I expect to win fair and not hear you pledging your undying servitude.¡±


    I stared after her. Even with my mind clear she was still one of the most impressive women I¡¯d ever seen. I wished I¡¯d thought to ask her name, but I wasn¡¯t about to embarrass myself even further by trailing after her. The coin in my hand was stamped with a complex sigil and vibrated ever so slightly. Some Artisan must have imbued it with protection against mind alterations. Even if she¡¯d given it out of annoyance, it was quite a gift. I kept it in my fist and resolved to make a bracelet for it as soon as possible so I could keep it against my skin. Not because she¡¯d given it to me; it was just useful. At least, I was fairly sure that¡¯s why I wanted to keep it.


    Shaking my head, I headed for the perimeter of the terrace, looking for any tables or small booths that might indicate a card trader. I passed a handful of impressive people, both living and summoned Souls, and even a tiny bird creature with a nearly-human face fluttering by at head level, but nothing useful.


    I stopped at a clump of young nobles, each richer-looking than the last. ¡°Um, excuse me?¡±


    They all laughed merrily at some witty remark someone had tossed out over their wine goblet, and not a one of them even glanced in my direction.


    I tried again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt.¡±


    A redheaded boy with a punchable face gave me the most condescending smile I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±


    The others tittered and kept up their conversation.


    That stopped when I yanked the wineglass out of the little shit¡¯s hand, drank it down in one gulp ¨C fruity and sweet, not bad ¨C and let the glass tumble to the flagstones, where it tinkled prettily into pieces. I stepped in close to the boy, stepping on the broken glass with my solid-soled shoes and grinding it into bits. I gave that same smile back to him with an added promise of violence. ¡°Tell me where the card traders are before I break your fingers.¡±


    The girls in the group laughed, and he scoffed haughtily. ¡°You can¡¯t just¨C¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said reasonably, grabbing one hand and getting his pointer finger clamped in between both fists.


    ¡°Wait, stop!¡± he shrieked. ¡°Over there, overlooking the arena! Stop!¡± He was yanking his trapped hand ineffectually and slapping at my arm with the other.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, letting him go and walking away. I heard them burst into horrified whispers behind me. No one else nearby had even noticed the commotion; everyone was chatting gaily and utterly caught up in their own self-importance. I knew Basil wouldn¡¯t have approved of how I handled that, but the thought of his horrified dandy face gaping in surprise was almost as satisfying as bullying that redheaded boy toy had been.


    The far side of the open-air space overlooked the great arena of the Coliseum. Far below I could see the dueling squares painted with their numbers. Watching from up here might not give the best view, but some high lord and his retinue could easily fill the space with iced drinks and dancing girls while they kept an eye on the competitors below, likely wagering unthinkable sums on the least of outcomes. The arena was dark and empty now, but minor flame elementals trapped in glass boxes gave light to the handful of tables set up for business nearby.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Basil said, trotting up to me. He¡¯d lost both Esmi and Warrick, at least for the moment. ¡°I¡¯ve asked about, and the word is there¡¯s a half-dwarf with some rare goods worth checking out.¡±


    ¡°Half dwarf?¡± I said. ¡°Never met a Deepkin before.¡±


    ¡°Well, you still won¡¯t have done,¡± he said, peering over the assorted tables and fussing with his own vest. ¡°A mixed man might be shorter and, ah, rougher than what you¡¯re used to, but that¡¯s nothing next to a full Deepkin. Unsettling, I don¡¯t mind telling you.¡±


    I wondered for a heartbeat just how far this prissy noble kid had traveled in order to see a dwarven Deepkin, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered with the whole how dare he be so rich thing at the moment: there was a short man at one of these tables with cards I wanted to see, and it only took a moment to figure out which. ¡°There,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The man at the furthest table was the smallest full-grown man I¡¯d ever seen. At first I thought he was sitting on a very short stool, but a second glance showed that he was standing at full height; it was just that the flat of the table came all the way up to his chest. He looked¡­ lumpy, almost like he¡¯d been hit with a stick that had raised goose eggs on cheeks, forehead, and chin. Even that wasn¡¯t right, though, because the lumps had an uneven texture, almost like rocks were growing out of his skin.


    ¡°Well if you¡¯re not the ugliest pair of bastards to ever slap yourselves on my eyes, then I¡¯m a troll with two dicks,¡± the little man said, peering at us suspiciously. ¡°Whaddaya want?¡±


    All the air left Basil in a rush. I liked the man immediately.


    ¡°Think you can handle a Mythic?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I can handle your mother and the Queen Consort without spilling my beer,¡± he retorted. ¡°And if you¡¯ve got so much as a Rare then I¡¯ll eat my own boots for dinner.¡±


    I grinned at him. ¡°Hope you¡¯ve got a big pot of mustard to help choke ¡®em down.¡± I pulled the Shared Wisdom card from my pocket and held it out to him.


    ¡°Hull, that¡¯s not¨C¡± Basil sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°We¡¯re not bargaining like fishwives here.¡±


    The half-dwarf flapped an absent hand at him, never taking his eyes from the emerald-bordered card. ¡°Shut it, rich boy. That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re doing.¡± He licked his pebbly lips. ¡°Don¡¯t see a Life Mythic very often. Those tight-ass Elves can¡¯t bear the thought of breaking a card for its shards, any card at all, and it takes a damn long time to get to the higher rarities without ¡®em.¡± He rubbed his hands together. ¡°You¡¯re no Order-pusher, I can see that, and if you were slinging an Elemental source you wouldn¡¯t come to me. You¡¯re not Depths, are you?¡±


    ¡°I might be,¡± I said, trying not to get too excited. ¡°Never tried.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± he said. ¡°Lessen your dad was twin to mine and stuck his pecker in a rock that turned out to be a dwarf, don¡¯t bother. Or maybe if you¡¯d been living in a deep cave for the last month to cultivate the source, but you¡¯ve got too much color for that.¡±


    I¡¯d held out hope long past the time it made sense that I might have another exotic source capability, but the more I learned, the less likely it seemed. ¡°I run Nether.¡±


    He perked up. ¡°You the little toad that¡¯s got all the fancy knickers in a twist? Good for you. Love to see it. This place could use a little Demon blood.¡± He reached down to a leather case at his feet and rummaged through it. ¡°As it happens, my ma¡¯s clutch lives in the lowest reaches of the Dwarrow Caverns down south, and there¡¯s a fissure not far from their stomping grounds that links up to the Outer Wilds of the Demon Realm at every solstice. Makes for a good trade stop even if you have to sit in a cage to keep the bastards from eating you. Been sitting on a stack of Nether for ages, wondering what to do with them. Been half tempted to trade ¡®em all away at half price, and now you make me glad I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll not take dross and leavings you can¡¯t trade elsewhere,¡± Basil broke in. ¡°We know the value of what we have.¡±


    The little man gave him a withering glare. ¡°Find me anyone in any of your three great cities that says Findek the Mender trades crooked. Go on, I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    Basil straightened his frilly cravat, looking away. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude.¡±


    ¡°Talk less and you¡¯ll come closer,¡± Findek grumbled. ¡°Wait ¡®til you see the wares before you start bitching.¡±


    Throwing me a knowing smirk, he laid card after card face up on the table between us, and my heart beat faster and faster with each one. Twins bless the twist that led me to this moment. This is exactly what I need.


    ¡°Now,¡± Findek the Mender said with a grim kind of relish, ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±

 24. Basil - The Other Suitor

    Seeing the spread of Nether cards laid out by the half-dwarf, any worries I had about the quality of his selection quickly departed. Palms on the table, Hull hungrily leaned over the fan of Souls and Relics, and I joined him, though my hands stayed clasped neatly behind my back. The point of Nether ¨C or at least what these grouping of cards represented, along with the one I¡¯d already seen of Hull¡¯s ¨C wasn¡¯t hard to tease out. It was a source type that utilized low cost, high damage cards, something that would seem otherwise unfair if it wasn¡¯t for the additional price they demanded: the life of one¡¯s deck. If the Root Imp or Demon Marauder were the only cards I had ever encountered of Nether, I would think that secondary cost too high. But with cards like the Ghastly Ghoul, Talisman of Spite, and Hull¡¯s own Sucking Void Spell, I knew there were ways around such costs.


    In fact, not only could such downsides be mitigated through the synergies before me, but they could turn to one¡¯s benefit. For example, summoning the Root Imp and then using the Ghastly Gremlin to block the two damage the Imp incurred, putting the Gremlin into play. Both could thus be summoned for a single devoted Nether source ¨C a pittance ¨C letting the duelist strike for five damage on the first turn. True, the Gremlin would be destroyed right after due to Expire, but taking a quarter or more of an opponent¡¯s deck in trade was surely worth it, and that was only one such powerful combination these cards presented. The Talisman of Spite could be incredibly useful, frighteningly so, particularly if avoided damage still counted toward triggering it. Once activated, it became a win condition unto itself, or with Sucking Void up, Hull could simply ignore the damage these cards caused for three turns, or even more with the Lesser Healing Potion, letting him utilize all of the strengths of Nether with none of the downsides.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t about to show my pleasure to Findek the Mender. While my speech to Esmi had been true ¨C I planned to reach as high in my life as Fate and Fortune would allow ¨C I could also accept that tonight might be the only opportunity I would ever have to be involved in the trade of a card of Mythic rarity. That meant every barter, every purchase, from the most ill-handled to the best I had ever managed, had led me to this very moment. There was an art to it, a well made trade, not so different from that found on the dueling field, for when it was done, both parties knew who had emerged victorious.


    And this¡­this would be my masterpiece.


    Unfortunately, out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Hull was drooling over the feast laid out before him, or near enough it made no difference. Findek, shrewd trader that he was, had noticed my companion¡¯s overeagerness, his pebbly lip twitching up at the corner in delight.


    I leaned back, not hurrying the move nor slowing it too greatly, as either miscalculation could throw the game away. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if any of these will work with your deck, Hull. There was a trader, Belwin, who I spoke with that sounded like she would pay top coin for a Mythic, and she had some fine Relics for sale. Or we could go get that Vampiric Blade you were impressed with. Perhaps even the Boots of Speed, too. Hull? Hull!¡±


    I elbowed him in the side, and he finally jerked upright, looking like a man coming up for air.


    ¡°Whatsat? Boots?¡±


    ¡°I said, why don¡¯t we take a look around. There¡¯s lots of other sellers in the area, and maybe another even has some Nether cards.¡± From all the questioning I had done when first entering the party, that was a bald-faced lie, but Hull didn¡¯t know that and hopefully neither did this half-dwarf.


    ¡°Look around?¡± Hull said, like he had never heard the words before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to this pissant,¡± Findek said to Hull, eyeing me evilly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t even know how to barter right. You threaten to leave after a potential trade is discussed, you shit, not before it even starts.¡±


    I smiled at him toothily. ¡°No need to do that when there¡¯s nothing of interest available.¡±


    ¡°Why you little¡­¡± the half-dwarf started, puffing up, but then his attention caught just below my chin, likely on the family pin I was wearing, and his jaw clenched shut. ¡°What you fancy, boy?¡± he said to Hull instead, acting like he had forgotten about me. ¡°Come on now, I don¡¯t have all night.¡±


    That was the precise reaction I had been hoping for. I hadn¡¯t actually expected Hull to go anywhere ¨C it was obvious to any looking that he¡¯d trade a finger, maybe even a whole hand, for these cards ¨C but if I could make Fendek believe we might leave, the half-dwarf would be more inclined to make a trade sooner instead of milking it for everything he could get.


    Next, as an extra touch, I just needed to ¨C


    ¡°Baseel,¡± an accented voice said, and I turned around to find a young man perhaps a year or two older than me. He wore bright colors: a red shirt and pants accented in swirls of orange, with a yellow sash over his shoulder that glistened with what looked to be gold stitching. At his shoulder was an older man, grim and wearing brown leathers, a red sash the only color on his person. The living guard meant this young man was important, but I couldn¡¯t place him: his sharp nose, dark hair cutoff at his chin, and gold flecked eyes were all unfamiliar to me.


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    He, however, smiled as if we had known each other for years.


    ¡°Ah, there ¡®ee is, my rival for thee ¡®eart of sweet, Esmee.¡±


    My chest tightened, and I was impressed that my response came out as evenly as it did: ¡°Plutar?¡± I guessed.


    He dipped his head, his straight hair falling beside his face like a curtain. He was still smiling when he straightened. ¡°Just so,¡± he answered. ¡°Might we share a word, you and I? Suitar to suitar?¡±


    What could he wish to speak with me about? Calling off my engagement, probably, which I would never stand for. Or something else entirely? Looking over my shoulder, I saw that Hull had actually stopped fixating on the cards and was watching our exchange. He glanced at me briefly, and I had the oddest feeling that if I decided to punch Plutar in the face right then, Hull would have joined me, not a single question asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said to Hull. ¡°Don¡¯t buy anything.¡±


    I turned to Plutar, and he led us away, his legs annoyingly longer than mine and able to cover the distance more efficiently. He took us to a high table with no chairs that a few others stood around. Waving his hand, fire arced through the air above their heads, and they quickly ceded the spot to us. I immediately looked at Plutar¡¯s hands, but I saw no card there. Had he managed to cast one without me noticing, or was it a Fire source power or personal soul ability he had just used?


    ¡°Brandy,¡± Plutar said to his guard, before asking me, ¡°Friend of yours?¡± He nodded back the way we had come in case I wasn¡¯t sure who he was referring to.


    But we weren¡¯t here to discuss Hull, and I refused to act otherwise. ¡°Why did you want to speak with me?¡±


    He spread his hands innocently. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? We are thee same, thee two of ahs.¡±


    ¡°We are not the same,¡± I answered, careful to keep my building anger reigned in. ¡°I am engaged to be married to Esmi. You¡­are not.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, waffling a hand in the air. ¡°Peraps.¡±


    I could tell he was baiting me, but I couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°There is no perhaps. It is a fact.¡±


    The guard returned, depositing a squat glass filled with an amber liquid in front of Plutar. Then, the older man stepped back into the surrounding party guests, giving us space.


    Plutar picked up the glass, smelling it like one might a fine vintage of wine. ¡°I find that eet ees a matter of time. Recognizing what you weesh before eet ¡®appens ees thee best way to make eet ¡®appen. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    He sounded so relaxed, but the way his eyes stayed on me while he took a drink told me all I needed to know.


    ¡°Esmi has chosen to be with me. Time will not change that.¡±


    ¡°Did she choose?¡± Plutar asked, his expression skeptical as he lowered the drink. ¡°I was told ¡®er parents made thee match, no? Do they not teach strategy in Treledeen? How can you consider yourself a duelist if you do not focus on thee one who ees pulling thee strings?¡±


    I had only interacted briefly with Esmi¡¯s parents, but I wasn¡¯t about to relinquish the point to him. ¡°Esmi wants me to beat you. She gave me a water fabricator just so I could.¡±


    He eyed my arms where such a device would be worn. ¡°Wheech you are not using.¡± He wagged a finger at me as if I was misbehaving. ¡°Peraps, she wished to give me a challenge, hmm? ¡®elp me level my soul by giving me a stronger adversary than you could manage to be on your own.¡±


    So, the proverbial blades were out now, the pretense of friendliness forgotten. ¡°You have no idea what I can manage.¡±


    He chuckled, and I did want to punch him then, but I restrained myself. Striking another competitor outside of the dueling platforms could be punished with a fine, if not expulsion from the tournament.


    ¡°I know all about your deck, Baseel. With eets focus on Soul destruction, and a single win condition, really? Esmee and I,¡± ¨C he smiled languidly ¨C ¡°we had a laugh about eet. All she had to do was ask, and you showed eet all to ¡®er. Just¡­like¡­that. Like a trusting child.¡± He leaned a shoulder on the table, as if imparting charitable wisdom to me. ¡°She does not want a child, Baseel. She wants a man.¡±


    My breathing was coming faster now, my mind both unable to accept what he was saying and yet completely believing, my earlier fears rushing to the fore. She had gone to see him instead of joining Hull and me at the trading tables? Had this become her plan when her attempt to ruin my deck with a last minute change hadn¡¯t succeeded? Now all Plutar had to do was use his knowledge of my deck to best me, and her parents would surely decide that he was the better match for her.


    ¡°Oh, so sad!¡± Plutar declared. ¡°Do not worry, Baseel. Your struggles, they are ovar. Unlike your last, pitiful ahpponents, I will not give you a chance to fight back.¡± He smirked, shot the rest of his drink back, and then departed, his guard sliding out of the crowd to join him.


    I watched the Charbonders go, rooted to the spot. I wanted to shout from the top of my lungs that he was a liar, to chase after and leap on him from behind, grinding his smile into the flagstones, and yet all I did was stand there. I don¡¯t know how long it was until I finally managed to turn back toward Findek the Mender¡¯s stand, but what I saw there catapulted me into motion.


    Hull held the beauteous emerald Mythic out toward the half-dwarf while none other than Prince Gerad stood over the trade, engaged in a shouting match with the erstwhile urchin. My feet propelled me forward, fast enough I prayed to stop Hull before he ruined everything.

 25. Hull - Sibling Rivalry

    ¡°Are you as thick as you are ugly? It¡¯s not your card.¡± The smug bastard was right in my face, his perfumed breath washing over me. ¡°Trade it away and I¡¯ll have you imprisoned for theft and fraud.¡±


    It would be so easy to lunge forward and break his nose with my forehead. I imagined him falling backward with his nose crushed to the side and blood leaking onto his teeth. Oddly, I found less pleasure in the thought than expected; he looked enough like me that it was almost like imagining my own defeat. There he was, the man that I should have been, every inch a prince in his dark blue and cream silks, glossy chestnut hair swept back over his shoulders, ruby flecks shining in his eyes like angry stars. He was the very definition of a handsome devil, and from the first moment I saw him I hated him every bit as intensely as our piece of shit father. I wanted to ruin him. If I couldn¡¯t make him actually bleed without a trip to the headsman, I could at least keep this Mythic out of his hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone¡¯s cards here but mine,¡± I said as innocently as I knew how. ¡°What was your name again?¡± I let the Shared Wisdom card drift an inch closer to Findek.


    The princeling turned red and clenched his fists, but then he took a glance to both sides, saw that others were watching, and relaxed into a mocking smile. ¡°I¡¯m not one to make much noise about myself. Maybe there¡¯s someone else here who wouldn¡¯t mind letting this dimwit in on a little secret?¡± He held one arm out casually, and from absolutely nowhere appeared a truly stunning woman who slipped inside the circle of his arm like she belonged there. His hand rested on her glowing hip in a possessive manner.


    Wait, glowing? She was a summoned Soul, and she had that extra-realness to a stronger degree than I¡¯d ever seen. She made everything else seem dim and dingy just by existing. She was dressed all in dark leathers, and if an Artisan could have put a woman¡¯s curves on a blade, it would have looked like her.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking to Crown Prince Gerad of Treledyne, and you¡¯d know it if you ever popped your head up from your farmer pigsty or wherever you¡¯ve grubbed through life,¡± she said in a throaty voice, looking me up and down in a way that knew everything about me and dismissed me as useless. ¡°Best give him what he wants. He doesn¡¯t play nice.¡±


    ¡°Twins take me,¡± whispered Findek, his jaw slack. ¡°That¡¯s Kitsanya the Ghost!¡± When I looked to him, he mouthed Legendary at me. Suddenly it made sense. The woman looked a good ten years older than Gerad, and I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around a woman like that letting a smug little boy paw at her, Crown Prince or no, but he had to be her Summoner. Apparently the highest-rarity Souls would put up with a lot to stay summoned. I imagined his Mind Home wasn¡¯t exactly a nice place to rest.


    Gerad gave the woman a wink, and she nodded to him gravely, moving off into the crowd. Then he stepped close, his smile bigger than ever. ¡°Now you know who I am, you whoreson gutter trash, and if you cross me, I will destroy you. That card was meant as a gift for me. I know that idiot elf told you.¡±


    He pointed across the way, and in the distance I saw Fferun stagger up to a table and pick up an entire crystal decanter of wine, tipping it back into his mouth. Apparently the sting of losing to a kid like me wasn¡¯t bad enough to keep him away from the party¡¯s free flow of booze.


    I made a show of thinking. ¡°Did he, though? The duel went by so fast it¡¯s hard to remember everything. The only thing I know I heard for sure was something about shitting on you and your father.¡±


    People were gathering, and I heard a few of them gasp. Findek sniggered, watching us both as if he were spectating a duel even as he kept one hand out to accept the card I kept teasing in his direction.


    Hearing the whispers, the prince straightened up and went very cold. ¡°You want to be very careful, boy. You can go to the cells for treason just as easily as theft.¡±


    I turned to Findek. ¡°Are people allowed to interfere in private trades?¡±


    He grinned, delighted. ¡°They, as a matter of fact, are not. I could summon Coliseum security if you like.¡±


    The rage lit in the prince¡¯s eyes again as he considered the half-dwarf. ¡°Tell me who you think any guard will side with, little man. Are you trying to get yourself blacklisted?¡±


    ¡°Eh,¡± Findek said casually. ¡°I don¡¯t come to Treledyne often enough for it to make much difference.¡± To me he said, ¡°Come on, lad, are we doing this or not?¡±


    Then Basil was at my elbow, eyes wide and breath short as he tugged my hand and the treasured Mythic back to my side. ¡°Oh hello, Your Highness. What an unexpected pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this, Hintal,¡± the prince growled. ¡°Go sit with the children watching puppets; that should be about your speed.¡±


    A sudden voice broke over the crowd, magically amplified so everyone could hear. ¡°Friends and fellow King-men, the time has come for this evening¡¯s entertainment! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard about the soul ability competition ¨C time to brush up and show off! We¡¯ll start with our guests of Common rank. Don¡¯t be shy, come up to the stage. The prize is worth the effort, I promise! Come on now, that¡¯s right, everyone leave your gossip and drinks for just a tick and work your way to the center stage for the competition. I see a line forming, good, good!¡±


    I recognized the sound of the smarmy, smartass announcer from my first match, the one who¡¯d mocked me so mercilessly, but now he sounded a touch breathless, almost scared. If I had to guess, the party organizers had seen the prince spoiling for a fight and decided to move forward with the festivities ahead of schedule.


    The prince gestured toward the stage in the center of the space where guests were slowly congregating. ¡°Drop the card and go grub for a prize that suits you better, you dogshit. Or do you even have so much as a Common in you?¡± He fished in his pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses with multicolor lenses and gems studding the frames. They had to be Gamemaster Glasses or something very like them. He slid them onto his nose and looked me over. ¡°As I thought. What kind of scum, what kind of thief plays an Epic and wins a Mythic without even forming their own soul card? Sounds like somebody needs a little investigation, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I said shortly, my heart pounding. I wanted to rip the glasses off his face. I didn¡¯t like people seeing inside of me, and the thought of someone trying to trace my Epic back to its source was nearly as bad.


    ¡°Come on in and watch, folks!¡± the announcer jabbered, sounding desperate. ¡°Our first Common competitor takes the stage. Oho, look at that ¨C a growing ability from Zarina, companion to Bessamun of House Jasker. Not all abilities are meant for the dueling arena, my friends. Look how lovely: hothouse flowers within spitting distance of winter. Well done!¡±


    The Prince stepped in close, breathing on me again. ¡°You¡¯re a slum rat feasting at my table, and I won¡¯t have it. That¡¯s. My. Card.¡±


    Basil cleared his throat. ¡°Your forgiveness, Prince Gerad, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s accurate. I can attest that the card in question was won fairly as the ante in an official duel. Hundreds of us saw. Thousands.¡±


    The announcer prattled on in the background, commentating on one contestant after another, but Gerad had his eyes locked on me like a cat hunting mice. ¡°You¡¯re playing at games so far above you they might as well be in the clouds, you pissant. That card was meant for my hand and you know it. Keeping it could cause a rift in our state¡¯s alliances that last for generations.¡±


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    I drew myself up to full height, wishing he weren¡¯t taller than me. ¡°If the card was supposed to be yours, then why did Fortune give you the elf¡¯s Common and me the Mythic?¡± I raised my voice to carry. ¡°I can¡¯t be hearing you right, because it sounds like you think you know better than the gods. Is that what you¡¯re saying, Prince?¡±


    His fists clenched again, and for a moment I thought he was going to have a go with me right in front of everybody. I almost hoped he would.


    Findek jumped into the silence. ¡°I have three of the Ghastly Gremlins and a second copy of the Marauder to sweeten the pot. Now or never.¡±


    ¡°Wait¨C¡± said Basil.


    ¡°Deal,¡± I cut in, never taking my eyes from the Prince. I held the Mythic out to the half-dwarf, who snatched it up with a cry of joy and dumped a stack of cards into my hand in return.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Basil whispered, aghast.


    Prince Gerad was pale as milk and moving stiffly as he scanned the space around us. The competition was in full swing, but plenty of eyes were turned our way, as well. I could see him decide that making a scene would hurt him more than it helped, because he pasted on a brittle smile and stepped back from me.


    ¡°You pick your enemies poorly.¡±


    My whole body hummed with pent-up energy. I wasn¡¯t used to a fight where we never threw punches. ¡°You and me were enemies the day you were born,¡± I said.


    That puzzled him, but he wasn¡¯t about to admit it. He drew back and very deliberately spat a thick wad of spittle near my feet. ¡°I¡¯d say I hope we meet on the boards, but it would be a lie. When I come for you, I won¡¯t be under a Dueling Dome.¡± He pointed to Findek, who was in the process of packing the Shared Wisdom card into his leather case. ¡°You. Stay right there. One of my men will be along to trade with you in a moment. Try to leave the building with that Mythic and you won¡¯t live to see sunrise.¡±


    Findek hugged his case to his chest behind the table but stayed put. ¡°Better tell them to bring the good stuff, little prince, and lots of it. Sentimental value costs extra.¡±


    Gerad¡¯s lip twitched into a snarl before he could stop it, and he stormed off, pushing people out of the way as he went.


    I clutched at the little stack of cards in my hand, letting my eyes soak in the horrible, beautiful Demon Marauder sitting on top. I had two of them, and I¡¯d nearly made Gerad shit his pants in anger. It was the best night of my life, no contest.


    Then Basil had my arm in his pinching fingers, his eyes wide and despairing. ¡°What did you do? Why didn¡¯t you wait?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I snapped, shaking his hand off me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him? I got two of the Rares and three of the Uncommons.¡±


    ¡°You idiot!¡± he wailed. ¡°I told you to wait for me!¡±


    I put a hand on his shoulder, wishing I could slap him in the head but feeling sorry for him. He cared so much about his trades, and I could see he didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. ¡°I know you wanted to be here for it, but that asshole was breathing down my neck and I had to go for it. Besides, look,¡± I said, spreading the cards for him. ¡°Look at all of these!¡±


    The sight of the cards just made him angrier. ¡°I¡¯ll never get my hands on another Mythic to trade, and you botched it!¡±


    ¡°Are you blind?¡± I laughed. ¡°He threw in extras just to piss off the Prince.¡±


    With visible difficulty, he controlled himself. ¡°Hull, even after the doubles, we could have gotten three more Rares out of him easily. Maybe even another Epic. He used the Prince¡¯s interference, my absence, and your inexperience to his own advantage. If Gerad weren¡¯t such an unlivable pain in the derriere every single second, I¡¯d suspect them of working together.¡± He patted my hands, sympathy warring with annoyance on his face. ¡°You got taken, Hull. Plain and simple.¡±


    I looked over at Findek, who was still at his table, holding his pack of cards tightly and listening in. He met my eyes shamelessly and nodded.


    ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± I said. I was so shocked I wasn¡¯t even angry. Findek hated the nobles; he¡¯d helped me pull one over on my secret half-brother. He¡¯d been on my side!


    ¡°No other way to learn, kid,¡± he said casually. ¡°I¡¯ll get twice as much out of the Prince¡¯s library. More. Fate must love me to send me a greenhorn with a Mythic. My deepest thanks ¨C I¡¯ll be able to get a nice manse down in my ma¡¯s clutch because of this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible person,¡± Basil said primly.


    Findek the Mender snorted. ¡°If you think this is what¡¯ll weigh on me when I¡¯m trying to sleep, you¡¯ve got some living yet to do, lordling. Go to battle a time or two and then let¡¯s talk.¡± He waved a dismissive hand at us. ¡°Be on about your evening, little ones. Better if you¡¯re not crowding me when the Prince¡¯s men come to trade. Don¡¯t give me those angry eyes! It¡¯s not a robbery, it¡¯s just a bad trade. Go drink too much and fall into bed with someone pretty. You¡¯ll hardly remember in the morning.¡±


    I balled a fist and wondered if his face felt as much like rock as it looked.


    ¡°Come on, Hull,¡± Basil sighed. ¡°There¡¯s no point. He got us by the rules, there were plenty of witnesses, and there¡¯s no better way to anger Fate and Fortune than going back on a trade. Making a scene won¡¯t do any good. Come on. Put your new cards away.¡±


    Mentioning my new cards distracted me enough that he was able to pull me away. They looked less shiny than they had a minute ago. ¡°They¡¯re really good cards,¡± I protested.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be excellent for you,¡± Basil admitted. ¡°I just wish you had waited for me.¡±


    A familiar face stood in the center of the competition stage as we approached. The announcer was chattering on, sounding more cheerful now that the potential disruption was taken care of. ¡°And the winner of our Common competition: Jubal Fisk of Dockside, one of our Rising Star competitors, for his impressive demonstration of the Hunt ability!¡±


    We found space alongside Esmi and Warrick. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Basil asked them.


    ¡°Another poor kid,¡± Warrick sighed, then jerked a guilty glance at me. ¡°Ah, no offense meant.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not poor,¡± I said shortly. I felt sour about everything, including the boy standing on stage. ¡°He admitted as much in the Mess Hall. Pretends to be poor, gets into the loser¡¯s bracket, and takes as many cards as he can. Leaves all his best cards home. If I knew where he lived I¡¯d rob him blind.¡±


    Warrick¡¯s private little frown told me he didn¡¯t think I was much better, but I¡¯d decided he was a whiny, self-obsessed piece of shit hours ago, so I wasn¡¯t any more bothered than I had been before.


    ¡°And for the prize,¡± crowed the announcer, ¡°Jubal can go to the Royal Library any time in the next month and have his choice of any Common card from the King¡¯s collection!¡± Approving mutters rose in the crowd, and Jubal, ever the hustler, ducked his head in an aw-shucks kind of way and gave a rich kid¡¯s idea of a poor kid¡¯s bow before tromping off stage in his strategically stained boots. I kind of wanted to follow him to his seat and kick his teeth in just on the principle of the thing.


    I distracted myself by putting my cards into my Mind Home one by one. They really were incredible, and I couldn¡¯t wait to absolutely tear through my next opponent in tomorrow morning¡¯s match. I¡¯ll be unstoppable with these. I get my Sucking Void out to absorb damage until the Talisman kicks in while my Souls beat the shit out of everyone. It wasn¡¯t that bad of a trade. The sense of weight got heavier and heavier as I put each card behind my right ear and let it disappear into me. The Epic Talisman of Spite was the last one in, and I felt a feeling of fullness that was like eating my fifth plate of food in the Mess Hall while carrying a sack full of bricks on my back¡­ except it was all inside my head. I didn¡¯t think I could have fit so much as a single additional Common into my Mind Home until I got used to these.


    The discomfort made me antsy and left me itching for a fight even more than I had been before. Right then, the crowd parted just as my gaze fell off to my right, revealing a tubby man sitting at a table near the stage right as his mouth opened. He was wearing Gamemaster Glasses and a smug little smirk. I knew what he was going to sound like, who he was, even before he opened his mouth and confirmed it for me, his voice echoing magically around the space.


    ¡°On to our Uncommon competition! We¡¯ll have fewer to see but each one will be that much more impressive. Line up, friends, don¡¯t be shy!¡±


    He was the asshole commentator that had mocked me during my first match. I hadn¡¯t heard him make a single snotty comment about any of the Common card competitors, not even Jubal, who was ostensibly a poor kid just like me. The fat little bastard just hated me for some reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get a bite to eat,¡± I told Basil.


    He nodded distractedly, his eyes glued to Esmi as she spoke. Warrick didn¡¯t even notice when I walked away. I circled away from the competition stage, trying to look casual.


    I was going to get some food, and then maybe some ale to wash down my anger and complex disappointment. But then I had some ideas about how I was going to pay my respects to the worst announcer of the Tournament.

 26. Basil - The Power Within

    I registered Hull¡¯s departure half a moment later than I should have, and I nearly cursed when I scanned the crowd, unable to find him. He had barely needed anytime alone before to get into a shouting match with the prince ¨C the prince! ¨C not to mention failing miserably in the trade I had been so looking forward to. Considering what sort of trouble he might make this time around made my skin itch, and I did another scan over the well-dressed attendees to no avail.


    A warm hand on my wrist pulled me back to my more immediate surroundings. It was Esmi, of course ¨C only her touch held such heat.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said, giving me one of her equally warm smiles. ¡°Let him enjoy himself.¡±


    Earlier today, not an hour ago even, I would have delighted at the contact and the look she was giving me. Now though, my thoughts swirled around the poisoned words with which Plutar had infected me. I knew his boasting had to be some trick, some attempt to rattle me before our match tomorrow ¨C he had talked of dueling strategy, after all. But know that as I might, there was a traitorous part of me that questioned, that yet again spun out the possibility of Esmi having played me for a fool this entire time.


    I could put the question to her, cutting through the deplorable what-ifs that my mind in its sickness seemed to enjoy fabricating. In fact, I wanted to ask so badly I worried my face would betray my intent without a word being spoken. However, if she was in cahoots with Plutar, I doubted she would reveal the truth to me before my match with him ¨C why give up the charade now? ¨C and if she wasn¡¯t, the question would dishonor her. What sort of relationship, what sort of marriage would we have, if I let us start out on such an unstable footing?


    So I bit my tongue and nodded my agreement. I thought she might have paused ever so slightly to consider my reaction but then her focus was back on the wide stage and the people who had assembled there.


    I decided my best course of action was to follow suit. I didn¡¯t particularly care who won the competition ¨C not unless it revealed a duel oriented soul ability of someone I might face in the tournament ¨C but it was a good distraction. I just had to make it through this night without causing disorder in my relationship with Esmi, defeat Plutar on the morrow, see Esmi¡¯s delight at my victory, thus proving the falseness of his words, and everything would be aright in the world again. It was less than a day away. I could hold my peace that long.


    A few of the competitors on the stage were talking to the event functionaries, perhaps coordinating the order they would go in or things they would need to showcase their abilities. In the last round, I had caught the winner using some cups and a ball to prove that no matter how a functionary had tried to hide it, he could always locate the ball with Hunt.


    ¡°Time for our first competitor!¡± the announcer declared, apparently having received whatever information he needed.


    There were eight Uncommons in total and as they took turns displaying the power their inner soul card gave them, I found that I didn¡¯t need to work particularly hard to become engaged. The first was a blind boy who summoned a butler Soul, of all things. That card then went out into the crowd to taste various foods and wines set out for the guests; each time the boy calling out what the food was and even the vintage of the wine. I hadn¡¯t ever seen a shared perception ability before, and I think not many others had either, because the applause for him was quite rich.


    Next was a girl who made a series of volunteers laugh when she touched them, then came a boy who wore a strange outfit: half bright yellow, half bright blue, split down the middle. The purpose of the curious fashion choice became clear when he changed his skin color to match: all yellow, all blue, and then split just like his clothes. Both of these received a healthy applause from the crowd, but not as much as the blind fellow had earned. Then came a girl who tried to show us that the cold didn¡¯t affect her, but seeing her stand in a bucket of iced water without shivering wasn¡¯t particularly engaging, and she only received a smattering of applause from those who seemed sorry for her, myself included.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it would have been like if either of us had gone up there,¡± Warrick said to me, his breath sour from wine. I had lost count whether he was on his third glass or fourth, but half drunk or no, I certainly agreed with him. Esmi, for her part, chose not to comment.


    Next on stage was Throice, still wearing his shirt and pants with buttons made to look like tiny gears. I was actually quite curious to discover what ability he would show off, since I hadn¡¯t noticed him using any during our duel. He carried a metal ingot with him about the size of an apple. He knelt down, knocking the hard ball against the wood of the stage for some reason. Then he straightened, and using nothing more than his fingers, he began to pull the metal like taffy.


    Esmi let out an appreciative ¡°ooh¡± beside me, as did many others in the crowd, and I was certainly impressed, too. Something about his touch must be changing the integrity of the metal, but the effect seemed localized to the bit he was grasping and stopped as soon as he was no longer touching it, the metal returning to its hardened state. This let Throice work the ingot like a sculptor might but in a fraction of the time. Barely a minute or two passed before he held up a beautiful iron flower for us all to see. The crowd shouted and clapped at the display, the sound redoubling when Throice tossed the flower to a young girl in the audience, who spun about laughing after receiving the fine gift.


    After him went the kestrel about whom I had been so curious, but the three-foot tall bird with its spotted blue and brown plumage merely showed off that it could summon cards, which ¨C while an impressive feat for one of its kind ¨C was not much of a show, particularly not after Throice¡¯s display.


    Next was an older boy with glasses, who I recognized as Bessamun of House Jasker. Before going on stage, he shared some soft words with the kestrel, who seemed rather disheartened by the reception it had received. Bessamun then turned to us with a deep frown, as if we were bullies to have treated the bird so. The announcer tried to say something funny, but the awkwardness of the moment lingered as the older boy stalked out to the front of the stage and lifted an open book before him. House Jasker was in charge of the Royal Library, so seeing him with a book wasn¡¯t a surprise. I knew Bessamun in passing; at Common he¡¯d had the ability to have a book read itself aloud to him, but I¡¯d not seen him since advancing to Uncommon. Thus I got to experience the same surprise as the rest when a disembodied voice was joined by an elderly man made of yellow light projected above the book, who moved and gestured along with the words. Strangely, the section Bessamun had chosen was a lecture on the importance of treating all creatures under the sun with equity and grace. The speech droned on and on, until the announcer finally called for a stop, at which point Bessamun snapped the book closed dramatically, eyeing us all again before finally yielding the stage.


    Last was a squat boy who Esmi mentioned had been the aggressive swarm duelist she had faced earlier. A functionary assisted by throwing various fruits from the food tables at him, which he slashed in half with a curved blade nearly faster than the eye could follow, showing off his Fast Attack ability. This earned him a robust applause, but not as much as some others had received.


    In the end, it was Throice who walked away with the win, a chance to pick an Uncommon from the Royal Library, and I was happy for him. I thought that Bessamun might have been the victor instead if he had chosen a more lively section of his book to read from¡­ or perhaps a different novel entirely.


    ¡°Next up, Rares!¡±


    I had considered going and getting a bite to eat, that last act having made me a touch hungry, but it seemed that the announcer wasn¡¯t planning on giving us any breathing room between rounds.


    ¡°Wish me luck,¡± Esmi said, throwing me a smile. I did my best to smile back encouragingly, but the unasked question stuck in my throat kept it from being as natural as I might have liked.


    The Rares were only a slightly smaller group than the Uncommons, and I knew almost all of them: Esmi, Losum, Reginald, and Plutar. There was also a boy with very short hair and scarred, cauliflowered ears that I thought might be the bruiser from Dalrish, and when Warrick let out pitious groan as the last of them took the stage, I knew it had to be Afi.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me she was Rare,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course she is,¡± Warrick said, staring hatefully up at the smartly dressed girl. ¡°Just another reason why my parents think she¡¯s perfect. If she wins this, they¡¯ll probably adopt her and leave me out on the streets to eat garbage with your new little friend.¡±


    There was a lot in that sentence I¡¯d have liked us to discuss, but his tone told me it was best not to comment further just yet. Ideally, the girl would lose and some of Warrick¡¯s good cheer would return of its own accord. If not¡­ well, I¡¯d deal with that card when it flipped.


    Losum was up first, and while seeing him lose wasn¡¯t as important to me as Afi doing the same, after his rude comments to me earlier in the day, I surely hoped he did. The tall boy proved that he had Armor by taking spaced out hits from a sword swung by a functionary directly to his torso, shedding no card shards in the process. The Prince¡¯s other toady Reginald went next. He had a functionary put on a blindfold and sit off to the side of the stage. Then, Reggie held out his hand to us, showing three fingers. Only a few moments later, the functionary called out the same number, though there was no way for him to have seen it. Reginald repeated the trick two more times, just to prove it wasn¡¯t luck, and in both cases the functionary gave the number correctly.


    ¡°One-way telepathy,¡± the announcer called out, ¡°not particularly useful in a duel but invaluable on the battlefield!¡±


    The bruiser went next, picking up one functionary and another and another, until he had all four balanced above him. He was Strong, just like my brother Randel, and the crowd clapped happily at the feat ¨C in part, I thought, because the functionary on top seemed utterly terrified to be so high up off of the ground.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then it was Esmi¡¯s turn, and I found myself unexpectedly torn. I had been wanting to know her soul ability ever since we had become engaged, and yet to find it out at the same time as everyone else felt somehow¡­ wrong. Should I leave to keep the pureness of the reveal when it finally happened between us? My body made my decision for me, not moving from where I stood, and so I watched along with the rest as Esmi lifted her bare arms into the air and then set them on fire. At first I worried for her safety, and others cried out in shock as well, but the pleasant smile on her face as she swung her burning arms in slow arcs put us at ease. She sped up, spinning on her toes like a dancer, arms outstretched and the fire whooshing as it cut through the air, brilliant motes trailing after the flame. Esmi then came to a sudden stop, rubbing one arm against the other, like a knife on a sharpening rod, and the flames vanished, leaving her skin pink but otherwise unmarked.


    Plutar stepped forward into the wake of the strong applause meant for her, which I didn¡¯t particularly appreciate. Worse, instead of using a functionary as others before him had done, he conscripted Esmi to assist before she could escape. Putting a blindfold on himself, he had Esmi walk among the crowds with her arms on fire again. She consented, but was careful to hold them high so as not to endanger anyone she passed. During this, Plutar tracked her movement the entire time, his outstretched finger following her unerringly.


    It was some sort of heat sensing ability, and while I disliked nearly everything about what had just transpired, there were two things I was glad of: one, I couldn¡¯t see how such an ability could help him in his duel against me, and two, the crowd wasn¡¯t particularly impressed by it.


    However, when Plutar removed the blindfold, he gave Esmi a bow for her help and winning smile, saying, ¡°I weell always know where you are, my deer,¡± to which many of the women in the audience tittered in delight, and the applause for him increased while my teeth creaked together.


    Last was Afi, who walked primly to the front of the stage and then reached forward, her hand vanishing into nothing. When she pulled it back from wherever it had gone, she held a potted plant, which she placed on the stage beside her. She then reached both hands in, pulling out a stack of books, and then a stool, and then even a candle, making a neat little study space on the stage.


    That done, she used both hands again, but this time she pushed outward with them, straining a bit as if there was a force resisting her. Despite this, she eventually got her arms quite wide, as wide as I thought she could go, and then she stepped into nothing, vanishing, leaving the crowd in dead silence.


    ¡°Did she just go into her Mind Home?¡± the announcer asked, sounding flabbergasted.


    Afi then stepped back out of the invisible door she had used, returning to her spot on stage, and gave us all a bow.


    The crowd went wild.


    For Warrick¡¯s sake, I didn¡¯t join in, but it made little difference. Afi was declared the winner on the spot, gaining access to the Royal Library like the winners before her, and my friend let out the foulest string of curses I¡¯d ever heard him use. While I expected him to be angry at the outcome, I still jumped when he smashed his wineglass on the ground. Luckily, the way he drank, there was very little liquid left, so it was just the shards of glass that made a mess. Still, people near us reacted, making sounds of shock or glaring at Warrick¨C and me, by association. My friend hardly noticed, storming away without a word of apology or explanation of where he was going.


    While I felt badly for him, I didn¡¯t bother following. In situations like this, it was usually best to give him an hour to cool off, if not more. After that, we could have a more logical conversation about what had transpired and how best to proceed. In the meantime, I did my utmost to restore Order to the moment by expressing my sincere regret for the outburst to those nearby and pushing the glass shards I could find together into a small pile with my boots.


    Despite my focus on the task, I saw Esmi coming and gave her as hearty a greeting as I could muster, hoping she didn¡¯t feel as badly about the outcome as Warrick had.


    ¡°That was impressive,¡± I told her. ¡°I should have guessed you had such an ability from the interactions we¡¯ve shared.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her cheeks pink from her recent exertions. She looked perfectly pleased by the situation, at least until she registered that I was alone. ¡°Where did Warrick go?¡±


    ¡°He¡­uh, wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡± I was saved from needing to explain further by the announcer¡¯s insistence on going one round immediately after the next.


    ¡°What you¡¯ve been waiting for, Epics!¡± he cried.


    As everyone knew he would, Prince Gerad took the stage, waving lazily to the crowd as if he was climbing to the steps to the throne. He didn¡¯t bother waiting on the wings once he had ascended, boldly walking to the middle of the stage. Before he could say or do anything though, he was joined by a beautiful girl in a dark skintight dress. She leapt up onto the stage in a single bound, positioning herself to stand near the prince, which Gerad seemed decidedly put out by. To glower as he was instead of turning into a simpering, drooling buffoon, the prince must have been wearing something to protect himself against the vampire¡¯s glamor. My family pin had such an effect, and I imagined Esmi was wearing a similar Artifact. Hull, though¡­ I realized belatedly that I hadn¡¯t thought to warn him about such things. Likely an inconsequential worry. The vampire was up on stage, after all, while he was off doing whatever he was doing. The chances that the two of them would interact were low, and even if they did, Hull would just end up fawning over her, which would hardly be the worst thing someone like him had experienced, I was sure.


    ¡°First up, the Prince!¡±


    Taking a measured, distasteful step away from the vampire, Gerad flourished a full hand of cards in the crowd¡¯s direction. Did he plan to summon one of his powerful Souls like that Legendary he had been with? That really wasn¡¯t a personal soul ability, but the prince wasn¡¯t always the best at following rules. The audience waited with me, expectant, but the prince didn¡¯t do anything. Instead, the longer the standoff went on, the more annoyed Gerad looked.


    ¡°He¡¯s got an extra card!¡± someone called. The voice sounded a great deal like Reggie, but looking around, I didn¡¯t spot him.


    A slow applause picked up through the crowd, and I went ahead and joined in. It wasn¡¯t the flashiest of soul abilities, but I could appreciate its utility. Still, the way Gerad looked down at us all like we were twice-blind idiots to have not noticed the grandeur of his power wasn¡¯t the most pleasant of sights.


    Esmi shifted beside me. ¡°I see the prince hasn¡¯t become less entitled since I left for Charbond, has he?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± I confirmed. ¡°He¡¯s somehow managed to get even worse.¡±


    ¡°Eleven cards,¡± the announcer crowed, sounding sycophantic. ¡°What a feat indeed. Can our foreign competitor hope to match it?¡±


    The vampire stepped forward, and I swore I saw her eyes go as black as her dress. A shockwave rippled out from her, seen as a distortion in the air and a collective gasp in the crowd, many crumpling before it. When the strange force reached me, I was no longer standing amongst my peers, but instead looking down at the hilt of a dagger protruding from my breast. My cravat and shirt darkened around the wound, blood soaking into the cloth, and I was hit by a staggering, searing pain, a force pressing into me that shouldn¡¯t be there, making it hard to swallow. I went to try and pry the dagger out, but my hands didn¡¯t move, nothing could move, and yet I felt myself falling, out of control, unable to brace for ¨C


    I jerked upright, awaking in the same fashion I often did after attempting to power through a dull book in my family''s library. This, however, was much more unpleasant. My chest was still tight, and I put a hand over it to prove to myself that I wasn¡¯t actually in mortal danger. Had I just felt my own death?


    Beside me, Esmi¡¯s eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and her body was trembling, like a hare that had just managed to escape a hunter¡¯s hounds. She must have felt my attention, because she turned to face me, and without needing words, the two of us grasped hands, our fingers squeezing each others¡¯ tightly. I felt more grounded while touching her, more alive, my worries from before now seeming like inconsequential things after such a macabre experience. Supporting one another, we were finally able to take stock of those around us, and I discovered that most were even worse for wear, a good number having to actually pick themselves up off of the ground in the wake of the vampire¡¯s power.


    ¡°That was¡­¡± ¨C the shaky voice of the commentator broke the eerie silence ¨C ¡°both unexpected and quite impressive. I think¡­yes, it seems we have our winner.¡±


    The applause was slow to start as people recovered themselves but then it swelled in intensity. Gerad stormed off the stage with a petulant huff, while the vampire gave the audience a shallow bow of appreciation. Our adulation for her was loud, but also tempered by a healthy dose of fear. What she had just done, and to so many of us, was a terrifying display, and I was quite glad that I wouldn¡¯t be facing off against her on my side of the tournament bracket tomorrow.


    ¡°For our winner, we have a veritable mountain of shards, enough to raise any Rare you might possess to Epic!¡± the announcer declared, having regained some of his gusto.


    The vampire seemed pleased at that news, her full lips stretching far enough to reveal two pointed teeth. She left the stage then, gliding off of it as gracefully as I¡¯d ever seen a person move. Even with my pin and at a distance too great for her glamor to affect, I found myself utterly captivated by her movements.


    ¡°What a show,¡± Esmi breathed, squeezing my hand again. That broke the spell, and I turned to my fiancee, giving her a solemn nod of agreement. I hadn¡¯t expected there to be a second Epic in attendance tonight, and the vampire¡¯s presence had indeed made for a show to remember.


    ¡°Any Mythics who wish to compete?¡± the announcer asked those gathered, though he did so in a playful tone.


    Anyone with knowledge of Treledyne¡¯s annual Rarity census could easily deduce why. The only other Epic who resided in the city besides the prince was one of the two commanders of the king¡¯s army: Jorin, Losum¡¯s father. No one of Mythic rarity lived in Treledyne, and hadn¡¯t in more than three and a half generations.


    ¡°We have a pair of foreign dignitaries in attendance who can boast such a claim,¡± the announcer went on. My attention couldn¡¯t have been grabbed more fully if the words had been a physical thing, and many others felt the same, excited, disbelieving talk bubbling up all around. ¡°But from their looks¡­ No, my friends, it appears as if neither Ilopion from the Cloudpierce Peaks or Geldenik from the Undermountain Ways wish to share their souls with us at this time.¡±


    Cloudpierce Peaks? Undermountain Ways? Those were centaur and dwarf lands, respectively. I had never met a centaur before, and though I had some experience with dwarves already, I would very much enjoy speaking with another ¨C they weren¡¯t all as harsh-tongued as Findek the trader. I craned my neck, and sure enough, near the back of the crowd I could see a woman who was taller than the others, a mane of reddish brown hair cascading down her back, white leathers covering her torso, painted with some sort of silvery runes, and just below that, the chestnut hair of her equine lower half.


    ¡°That means the Ability Competition of the First Blossoming of the Spring Soiree has come to a close. Please show your appreciation one last time for those who chose to entertain and impress us with ¨C¡±


    The announcer cut off unexpectedly and conversation among the crowd also died out suddenly. I turned from my inspection of the foreign dignitary, searching for the cause and found it even faster than I had the centaur: our King was floating down from the sky, resplendent in fluttering, fur-lined cream and garnet robes. He also wore a golden crown atop his head, the burnished metal embedded with rubies, emeralds, and an enormous diamond at the center.


    He landed softly on the stage, his layered garments settling, and his skin giving off a soft glow ¨C not like when Esmi had been coated in fire, but as if light were trapped beneath his flesh. He flashed a smile to the crowd that was nearly as bright and declared in a rich baritone, ¡°There¡¯s one more category left to judge.¡±

 27. Hull - Like Father, Like Son

    My father the King strode back and forth on the stage like a peacock, the smug son of a bitch, and everyone in the crowd dropped to their knees with held breath, waiting for something amazing to happen. This is a Legendary Soul! I could hear them all thinking. What incredible powers will he show us?


    One person who wasn¡¯t thinking that was the asshole announcer. He was making small noises of distress and trying to find something to say. I knew this because I was crouched right behind him. I¡¯d snatched a sharp knife from one of the tables and severed his belt purse while he was still recovering from the vampire¡¯s mind ability. I¡¯d woken screaming from dreams of my own death often enough that I shook it off more easily than these soft fools, and now the bastard¡¯s pouch was stowed comfortably in my pocket. I hadn¡¯t gotten to sift through it yet, but it was reassuringly heavy. What I¡¯d really wanted to take were his Gamemaster Glasses ¨C that¡¯d take the wind out of his sails when he tried to commentate on his matches tomorrow ¨C but they were firmly perched on the end of his nose. I was a decent pickpocket, but I couldn¡¯t quite manage that kind of sleight of hand without him noticing.


    I¡¯d been on the verge of seeing if I could pull one of the support pins from under his seat just to see if I could get away with it, but suddenly my little games with the pudgy asshole announcer felt pointless. I¡¯d never been this close to my father before. He was strong-jawed, square-shouldered, and wherever Gerad and I had gotten our dark hair, it wasn¡¯t from him, because he had a mane of hair so gold it was almost white. I hated how pretty he was. I wanted to break his nose and watch blood stain his teeth. That¡¯d be a good start to our conversation. My fingernails were digging into my palms, and I realized I was holding my little table knife like a dagger.


    ¡°Revered Majesty,¡± the announcer stuttered, ¡°your radiance overwhelms us. We had not dared to hope you would attend our silly little contest!¡± As I edged away from him I could see sweat beading on his forehead. This little drop-in from His Imperial Knob-ness was definitely not on the list of events, and I could almost feel the fat little man wondering if a wrong word here might land him in the Palace cells.


    ¡°I am everywhere,¡± King Hestorus of Treledyne boomed, tossing off a sparkling smile as he strutted back and forth. ¡°And now I decided to be here.¡± He gave a playful pout, and I heard an older woman nearby murmur appreciatively. ¡°No other Legendaries dare to compete with me.¡±


    The announcer forced a laugh, and a good portion of the crowd followed suit. I could only assume the Almighty Shithead had made a joke and there weren¡¯t any other Legendaries around.


    ¡°All hail the Sun King!¡± the announcer said with a hollow heartiness. The crowd echoed, ¡°HAIL!¡±


    The King waved a playful hand at everyone. ¡°Oh, get up. Looking up under my chin is hardly the most flattering angle.¡±


    The gathering shuffled to their feet with more scattered laughter. He could have read them a menu and these sheep would have brayed laughter at him.


    ¡°Now that you have graced us with your magnificence, your Majesty, we would be overawed by a display of one of your soul abilities,¡± the announcer fawned. ¡°Who could compare to your greatness?¡±


    Hestorus paused, frowning. ¡°No one, obviously. But many of my abilities are state secrets, good man. I can never be too careful.¡± He cast a suspicious glance around the gathered nobility as if spies hid in their midst. As if every last one of them wouldn¡¯t lick his balls at the hint of a favor, I thought sourly.


    ¡°My abject apologies,¡± the announcer stammered. ¡°Forgive a poor fool for overstepping himself.¡± He sounded truly scared.


    I imagined summoning my Hammer to smash my father¡¯s face, or maybe just rushing the stage with my little knife. Would I ever get this close to him again? Was this my chance I¡¯d been waiting for my whole life?


    I knew it wasn¡¯t even as I savored my daydream. There were no fewer than four armed Coliseum guards in sight, and two of them were between me and His Festering Boil-ness. They¡¯d be on me like fleas if I so much as put a foot on the stairs, much less summoned my Nether. It was killing me to hold back, to keep from screaming my identity to him here in front of the gods and everybody¡­ but it wasn¡¯t the right time. My deck is growing, and if I do well tomorrow it¡¯ll get even bigger. There will be other chances. I had to repeat it over and over in the hopes I¡¯d start to believe it.


    Then the King flipped a lazy hand. ¡°Oh, all right, then. I suppose there¡¯s one that wouldn¡¯t make the High Council shit themselves. How about this?¡± He raised his hands in a grand gesture, as if he were gathering power into his hands ¨C although he wasn¡¯t, as far as I could tell ¨C and stayed there for an awkwardly long moment.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± interjected the announcer, seeming frightened of the lengthening silence. ¡°Your Almighty Highness¨C¡±


    A sudden warping of perception made the world waver and shake. All around me people swooned and cried out. I fell into a crouch, wondering if the earth was shaking. If it was, the top of the Coliseum was a bad place to be.


    But nothing had moved; my eyes were playing tricks. All the light from the glass-trapped elementals shimmered and broke into rainbows, making a dizzying clash of color that grew and grew until I actually heard a thrumming sound beneath it. The hum rose from a buzz in my chest to a crescendoing roar. The light had come alive, dancing and shouting in a way nothing ever should, and I had to close my eyes. The silverware and plates were rattling as the sound built, and I dropped my knife, clapping my hands over my ears.


    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± the announcer begged amid screams and prayers. ¡°Spare us, please!¡±


    The King laughed and raised his hands higher, and the roar of sound crested and broke into an ear-splitting shriek of noise as high as a bird¡¯s tweet and as loud as a thunderclap. Every glass in sight shattered at the sound, showering the guests with glittering shards. I felt a sharp pressure in my head, and I saw the ghostly shape of shredded cards drifting down from me. I¡¯d just lost two cards out of my Mind Home. From the looks of it, so had everyone else.


    Then came a deafening silence. People picked themselves off the floor, cursing and sobbing. I saw a boy in a server¡¯s outfit on his hands and knees on the flagstones, retching up bile. His ears were bleeding. Poor kid with no cards shows up at work to make a day¡¯s wage, and this is what he gets instead. Another few seconds of that and he¡¯d likely have died. Others dabbed napkins at the spilled drinks on their outfits or carefully brushed away shards of glass, laughing gaily in an attempt to disguise the fact that their King had just attacked them.


    ¡°I call that one Lightsong,¡± Hestorus said proudly. ¡°It is the least of my powers. Not bad, eh?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ agh¡­¡± sputtered the announcer, picking himself up off the floor. He was red in the face and there was a dark patch in the crotch of his trousers that he quickly pulled out a handkerchief to dab at. ¡°Incredible, your Highness. Ladies and gentlemen, your King!¡± He sat back at his judge¡¯s table to hide his pissed pants and began clapping vigorously. Slowly others joined in until even those with tear tracks on their cheeks were pounding their paws together like trained beasts. I stayed in my crouch and kept my hands still, hating them all.


    The King basked in the applause. ¡°Come on, then: what¡¯s my prize?¡±


    The announcer went pale. ¡°Your prize¡­ is¡­¡± His eyes flickered around the space and then I saw an idea spawn in his eyes. ¡°It is in the keeping of Underchamberlain Pamplus! Of course we prepared something in case our King decided to bless us with his presence. Good Chamberlain, will you take our royal winner to collect his prize?¡±


    He pointed to the far side of the stage, where a skinny, balding man in rich robes and a chain of office shot the announcer a horrified look. Then, conscious of everyone¡¯s eyes, Pamplus pasted on a sickly smile and bowed to the King. ¡°My liege, we have an assortment of possibilities laid out for you¡­ back at the Palace. Surely you would rather choose your reward at your leisure?¡±


    I squinted at the sweating functionary. That¡¯s the name that damned scribe Soul gave me. He owes me a crown. Now that I had a face to put to the name, the odds of being able to collect on that debt went up a bit.


    ¡°Oh, pooh,¡± Hestorus pouted. ¡°I hoped you¡¯d have it here. A big winner¡¯s cup.¡±


    ¡°Exactly that,¡± Pamplus gasped in relief. ¡°A big golden one. Give us the evening and we¡¯ll have Your Highness¡¯s name engraved on it.¡± He shot a venomous look at the announcer whose purse I¡¯d stolen. The fat little toad wore a satisfied smile even as he kept dabbing secretly at his wet crotch. It was an odd feeling to realize I was seeing court politics in action.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fine, I suppose,¡± the King sighed, visibly losing interest. ¡°Have them put my face on it, too.¡± He rose into the air effortlessly, twirling in the air to make his fur-lined cape flare. ¡°Good evening to you all, my adoring subjects! You can tell your children of this day.¡± Then he rose between the silk streamers overhead and was gone.


    The whole company let out a collective breath. It was incredible to see that even fancy folk like this had to fear their brushes with power.


    ¡°I believe that is the conclusion of our abilities competition,¡± the announcer said with a shaky laugh, magnifying his voice again. ¡°A memorable evening for everyone!¡±


    This time there was scattered grumbling amid the laughter and applause, and the crush of people near the stage began to thin out and scatter back to their tables and private conversations. I picked back up the fallen meat knife I¡¯d snatched ¨C never a bad idea to keep an extra weapon on hand, no matter what cards I had now ¨C and slipped it up my sleeve. Then I put some distance between myself and the announcer before he noticed his missing purse. I cast about for Basil and his friends and spotted both him and Esmi not far from where I¡¯d left them earlier. Prince Gerad stood there glowering over the slight, fair-haired noble boy, and I felt an unexpected surge of anger. That bastard needs to pick on somebody else.


    The Prince was giving him a tongue-lashing, I could tell, and even without hearing them I was sure it was because Basil had been helping me trade the Life Mythic with that damned half-dwarf. The hateful princeling had come out even worse in that encounter than I had, and then that incredible vampire girl had handed him his ass on stage, too. He was spoiling for a fight; anybody could see it. Looks like we have more in common than dark hair. I edged forward, wanting to get another jab in but not wanting to make things worse for Basil.


    ¡°Your family should help shoulder the cost,¡± Gerad was saying. ¡°I¡¯ll not let you weasel out of this.¡±


    Basil kept his eyes down, but his jaw was set with a stubborn firmness. ¡°There¡¯s no precedent for passing responsibility for a bad trade onto bystanders, my Prince.¡±


    ¡°Bystander,¡± Gerad scoffed. ¡°You expect me to believe some street kid could trade for a Mythic without someone pulling his strings? What cut are you taking? It¡¯d better be high, because I¡¯m going to bleed you for it.¡±


    Esmi stepped in, frowning at him. ¡°That street kid is intelligent enough to hold his own, no matter what neighborhood he hails from.¡±


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    He gave her a murderous look. ¡°You too? The amount of disrespect toward my person from the lesser nobility verges on treasonous.¡± He gestured to her, looking to Basil. ¡°Control your woman before she gets in trouble, Hintal. Or what, are you letting her fuck the boy too? Do you like to watch?¡±


    I had to chuckle ¨C it was a good insult ¨C but Basil and Esmi both stiffened in outrage as oohs and whispers echoed through the gathering onlookers.


    ¡°I beg your pardon¨C¡± Basil said hotly, but Esmi beat him to it.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± she cried, stepping in close and lifting a hand to slap the Prince.


    ¡°Get back, you whore,¡± he snarled, putting a hand in the middle of her chest and shoving her powerfully. He was a big lad, and Esmi wasn¡¯t more than a slip of a thing, so she went a good distance before crashing to the floor. More people stopped to watch.


    From where she landed, Esmi¡¯s eyes snapped to Basil. He was frozen in shock and rage, both hands stretched out toward her. It was like he couldn¡¯t process what he was seeing. He¡¯d locked up, and everyone else was waiting for him to say something. I felt a smile start to grow. This was their fight, but if Basil was too slow to see it, I was more than happy to step in.


    I gave it one more second, but when the poor, overloaded noble boy still hadn¡¯t moved, I cleared my throat. ¡°Hey, asshole. You¡¯re not supposed to pick on the ladies. Isn¡¯t that a chivalry something-or-other?¡±


    Gerad rounded on me like he¡¯d been waiting for it. Maybe he had. A fierce, cruel joy lit his face. ¡°You dare talk to your prince that way, you scum? The man who will be your King?¡±


    I rolled my shoulders and loosed my neck. ¡°Show me somebody acting like a prince and I¡¯ll give him a bow. Assholes, though ¨C they get the boot.¡±


    Esmi, still on the floor, was shaking her head at me, horrified. Basil still hadn¡¯t looked away from her. She had the poor devil wrapped around her pinky, and it had broken his brain.


    Gerad¡¯s lip curled. ¡°If you¡¯ve ever worn boots before tonight then I¡¯ll eat a toad. And unless I¡¯m mistaken, that was a threat just now. Did I hear wrong? Do you want to fight me, little boy?¡±


    A life¡¯s worth of anger surged through me and I tingled with it. I didn¡¯t just want to fight him, I wanted to destroy him. I had the cards now¡­ I could do it. Think how badly it¡¯ll hurt my father when some nobody trounces his pretty heir to the throne. It would be a delicious appetizer, a delicate first course of hate before I finally got to the main dish and murdered the man. I raised my voice. ¡°Gerad, Prince, whatever bullshit title I¡¯m supposed to use: you¡¯re a piece of trash and everybody knows it. I challenge you. Fight me.¡±


    That probably wasn¡¯t the right way to declare a duel for these rich shits, but from the look on Gerad¡¯s face, it got the job done. He was as glad about this as I was. The whole party had gone quiet. The evening¡¯s entertainment wasn¡¯t done yet.


    ¡°Under normal circumstances,¡± the Prince said loudly, making sure everyone was paying attention, ¡°I would ignore petty insults from such a miserable peasant. You aren¡¯t even worth my notice. But I will not tolerate some filthy child barging in off the streets to meddle in affairs of state and the doings of his betters. Let you be a lesson to others to know their place. I accept your challenge, you whoreson rat.¡±


    Some other paunchy steward or some such in rich clothes rushed in from the margins. ¡°Ah, forgive me, Your Highness, but duels between active competitors in the Tournament are forbidden.¡±


    Gerad waved him away. ¡°I¡¯m the Crown Prince. I tell you what to do, not the other way ¡®round.¡±


    The man came in close, whispering fiercely. I heard something about massive bets and healthy economy and undermining public trust. Gerad¡¯s eyes never left mine, but his face grew darker and darker.


    ¡°Fine!¡± he burst out. ¡°No duel!¡±


    I laughed as loudly as I could. ¡°Backing down from a gutter kid? What a fine king you¡¯ll make.¡± I knew it wasn¡¯t smart, but I didn¡¯t want him to walk away. I wanted to see him bleed.


    He stepped close to me. ¡°I am going to make you beg for death,¡± he whispered, his breath hot on my face.


    I grinned at him. ¡°You need mouthwash.¡±


    He ground his teeth and turned away. ¡°I¡¯d never dream of disrupting the Rising Stars Tournament,¡± he announced. ¡°It¡¯s a sacred holiday for the whole city. So, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint, but you won¡¯t get to watch me crush this mouthy commoner the way you all deserve. But that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t still have a little fun and teach the boy a lesson, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± yelled one of his hangers-on, some ugly rich boy with a collar that was too tight for him. Others cheered and clapped.


    ¡°Competitors have to stay in good shape for their matches, so we can¡¯t spill too much blood, but there are other ways to show who¡¯s the better man. The stronger man.¡± He turned back to me, smiling maliciously. ¡°I think we should have a Flinch Test.¡±


    The watchers hooted and hollered in approval. These rich folk were every bit as crass and bloodthirsty as the common folk in the Coliseum stands. For my part, I still wanted to summon my Hammer and smash the bastard¡¯s face in, but it made sense. If Tournament competitors could duel each other in their down time, it¡¯d throw off the whole bracket, and like the man had whispered, the games were big money for the city and the Crown. Personal grudges couldn¡¯t be allowed to rule the day, even though I really wanted them to. And besides, a Flinch Test didn¡¯t sound so bad.


    ¡°Clear the stage!¡± Gerad bellowed, even though no one was standing on it. He was a showy son of a bitch, just like our father. He hopped up and stood to one side of the boards and then gestured to me. ¡°Come on, little boy, if you¡¯re man enough.¡±


    I tried not to glower as I mounted the stairs and took the spot opposite him. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re an ass and you don¡¯t belong here,¡± he said smoothly, and the crowd guffawed. ¡°But what we¡¯re going to do is let someone else take their best shot at us one at a time, the same hit from either Spell or Soul for both of us. If we both take it without flinching, someone else takes a turn with an even bigger hit until the lesser man bows out and steps out of the way.¡±


    I saw some immediate problems with that. ¡°Who picks the hitters?¡±


    Gerad smiled indulgently. ¡°We¡¯ll take volunteers. It¡¯s the fairest way.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the fairest way, not when your opponent was someone who could send anyone in the room to the dungeons, but I realized that if the point was to show who was toughest, complaining and nitpicking every detail would be the same as losing. This was all a damn sight less satisfying than a real duel, but I couldn¡¯t back down now. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but raise an even more obvious point. ¡°All this Flinch Test of yours does is show who has more cards. It¡¯s easy to take a hit when you¡¯ve got dozens of cards in your Mind Home.¡±


    Gerad spread his hands magnanimously, but I saw some steel in his smile. ¡°I¡¯ll match your piddly card count.¡± He pointed to the announcer, who¡¯d approached out of curiosity along with everyone else. ¡°Kishupp, what¡¯s his count?¡±


    The fat little man donned his Gamemaster Glasses and peered at me. ¡°I see nine cards. He has two more, but they¡¯re in discard for another twenty minutes.¡±


    Gerad glared at me. ¡°Il-gotten gains,¡± he muttered. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve a one of them.¡± Then he painted on a smile for the crowd and made a show of removing card after card after card from behind his ear, tucking them into his pouch. ¡°What¡¯s the count, Gamemaster?¡±


    The odious man used his Glasses again. ¡°The Prince stands at nine cards. They¡¯re even.¡± He quirked an eyebrow at the Prince. ¡°Do you wish to declare an ante?¡±


    ¡°No ante,¡± Gerad boomed, smiling. ¡°I merely wish to show my people what kind of character dares spit on the King¡¯s grace and overstep his bounds. You will all see who stands and who runs, and that will be victory enough.¡±


    He came and stood beside me and we both faced the clapping crowd. ¡°You talk too much,¡± I said.


    ¡°Control the crowd, control the world,¡± he said back in a low voice. ¡°Not that I expect you to understand.¡±


    ¡°All right, friends!¡± Kishupp the announcer cried, stepping easily into his usual role. ¡°It¡¯s a proper contest. They can¡¯t flinch before the hit, and they can¡¯t fall after they¡¯ve taken it. Who¡¯s our first volunteer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± a lanky boy in rich cream silks said. I scowled at him. He was another one of the Prince¡¯s friends. Lossor? Lowbum? I¡¯d heard someone say it, but I couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°Clear the way!¡± the announcer cried, and the crowd parted to either side, leaving a clear lane between the stage where we stood and the tall boy who had just summoned a Soul.


    ¡°Are you ready, my Prince?¡± he called.


    Gerad squared his shoulders and looked right at him. ¡°Always.¡± Even I had to admit he looked the part in that moment.


    The fellow muttered a command to his archer Soul, who loosed an arrow directly at the Prince¡¯s face. Gerad didn¡¯t even move as it shattered directly onto his face. The shredded remains of a single card fluttered down around him, and I saw the broken pieces of a broadhead arrow fade into nothingness on the stage.


    ¡°And now, the Lord of Lice,¡± the announcer said with relish. The onlookers tittered, and I hid a sigh. The man still had it in for me. It was significantly less annoying now that I had his purse in my pocket. Looking back to the archer and his Summoner, I saw the tall boy taking one hand away from the other quickly. Was there a ring on that hand that hadn¡¯t been there before?


    The Prince¡¯s friend saw me looking and didn¡¯t bother to ask if I was ready. An arrow streaked for my face. I tensed my muscles and forced myself not to blink as a metal arrowhead spent itself and broke against my forehead. The pressure was greater than I expected, but I didn¡¯t move. Claps and whistles sounded from the crowd, but when I looked down there were more card pieces than a single card could account for. Hold on, he hit me for two, not one. How is that possible? Looking up to our attacker, I saw he¡¯d dismissed his archer. The ring was gone from his hand and he was stuffing something into his pocket.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± the announcer cried at the same time.


    No one heard me except the Prince, who smiled grimly. The bastard had seen, and he wasn¡¯t going to say anything. People cheating for you was just how the world worked when you were the Crown Prince.


    ¡°I¡¯m game,¡± a deep voice called. The big fellow I¡¯d seen earlier with the thick shoulders and pit-fighter¡¯s scarred, puffy ears stumped forward.


    ¡°Oho,¡± Kishupp crowed for the spectators¡¯ enjoyment. ¡°This won¡¯t be a ping from a little archer!¡±


    Gerad didn¡¯t look any happier about this volunteer than I felt, but he nodded brusquely. The young man looked even bigger as he mounted the stairs to the stage. Earth source began to circle around his head. ¡°I fight up close,¡± he rumbled.


    The boy pulled a card and cast it, and rocks clabbered into being, starting around his hands and forearms and then sheathing him entirely from head to foot. He looked like a rock monster.


    His face was covered. I wondered how he could even see. He jerked his chin mutely at Gerad, who nodded. With no further ado, Rockfist stepped into a fighter¡¯s stance and thundered himself into the Prince¡¯s jaw.


    Gerad¡¯s feet stayed planted and his head rocked back, while the bigger boy bounced back, reeling from the rebound. Card confetti showered down around him. I couldn¡¯t tell how many the hit had taken, but it was a lot. This kid made my Nether-powered hammer hits look like love taps. I was suddenly glad I hadn¡¯t faced him in the arena yet and hoped I never had to. He took my trick and elevated it to the next level.


    ¡°A crushing blow, and our Prince takes it like a man!¡± Kishupp bleated. ¡°Our Kingdom has a bright future, friends.¡±


    The eyeless rock face swiveled toward me. He said nothing, but I could sense the intention in the slight cock of his head. You ready?


    I took a deep breath and steadied myself. The cards take the hit. You¡¯ll be fine. Just look tough. The cards take the hit. I gestured at him impatiently.


    He moved so fast I didn¡¯t even see it coming. It felt like a mountain slapped me, and I rocked on my feet. Card bits sprayed into the air around me. So many cards. It had to have been six.


    ¡°Whoa there,¡± the Prince said, putting one hand on my shoulder and the other behind my back. ¡°You look about to fall.¡±


    I felt a sharp bite in the middle of my back right under his hand, and I spasmed. More shredded cards spilled from me even as the ones from the bruiser¡¯s hit floated in the air.


    ¡°Get off me,¡± I gasped, pushing him away convulsively.


    Gerad backed off, hands in the air, a false look of concern and solicitousness on his face. I thought I caught a glimpse of metal hidden in one palm, but it was gone too quickly to catch. ¡°Forgive a man for helping. Wasn¡¯t it you who said something about chivalry?¡±


    The bastard was shameless. I thought about crying foul play and forcing him to turn out his pockets, but I knew in my bones he had some secret pocket and I¡¯d end up looking weak and foolish. He wouldn¡¯t have risked it otherwise. At least I hadn¡¯t flinched or fallen, even though the spot in my back screamed pain at me. I schooled my face to stillness, stood up straight, and nodded to the crowd.


    ¡°He takes it!¡± Kishupp the announcer called. ¡°He¡¯s probably seen his fair share of scraps in the streets, but nobody hits quite like the nobility, eh boy?¡±


    The crowd laughed and clapped their approval. I hardly noticed. Something wet was trickling down my back and into my waistband. I was bleeding. The Prince¡¯s hidden dagger had taken the last of my cards. If the next hit was even harder than Rockfist¡¯s, it would kill me.


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± the announcer cried.


    ¡°I¡¯m your man,¡± said a low, musical female voice.


    The vampire stepped out of the crowd.

 28. Basil - True Wishes

    The evening had turned into a nightmare much worse than any vision of a dagger stabbed into my chest. The vampire had returned to the stage, this time summoning shadowy Source balls of Death, which I had only ever seen pictured in foreign textbooks. The more of them she summoned, the more anticipatory the audience became: people making predictions in heated whispers and drifting ever closer to the raised platform. The vampire was up to nine Source ¨C a ridiculous count for a Flinch Test ¨C when I felt the undeniable urge to check on Esmi again.


    My fianc¨¦e was still nearby, but that seemed more due to the press of the crowd than her desire to be close to me. We hadn¡¯t shared any words since the moment I had finally come to my senses long enough to help her up off of the ground, and every moment that passed without us discussing the prince¡¯s shocking attack, I felt the distance between us mount. It was a ludicrous situation to be in, considering that only moments before I had believed us the closest we had ever been, holding hands in the aftermath of experiencing our own deaths. Yet now it was like there was an invisible barrier between us, as powerful as a Dueling Dome, and it was there because of me; I had erected it due to my previous and continued inaction.


    The trouble was that I didn¡¯t know how to begin to apologize for how deeply I had failed her. To not defend her honor when she was assaulted right in front of me, even if the culprit had been the prince, shamed me to my core. No mere words I could say would make up for such a fault in my character, only action could, and yet I had been denied that opportunity when Hull stepped forward. Part of me was grateful for what he had done, but another, hateful side of me blamed him for robbing me of my chance to act. If I was up there instead of him, win or lose, I could have at least shown Esmi that I had tried. But to be standing here beside her instead, watching an urchin fight on her behalf, I felt useless and more unworthy of her, or anyone, than I ever had in my life.


    I sent another pained, pleading look at Esmi ¨C who refused to give me anything other than her profile ¨C and so yet again I took the coward¡¯s way out, turning to the stage. The vampire focused all of her source ¨C awfully showy of her to summon so many when devoting half the number would have accomplished the same effect, a distant, analytic part of me complained ¨C and mist shrouded whatever huge summons she had been building up to. A chilling gasp rippled through the crowd like a wave. Next to her stood a huge Soul, at least eight feet tall, with a sword crafted for its stature. In addition to its size, the way it stood, almost casually, exuded power, and I swear the air grew stiller ¨C dying some ¨C just from being in the Revenant Lord¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Are you trying to murder the crown prince?¡± the announcer sputtered, examining the newly arrived Soul with his gamemaster glasses.


    The vampire wasn¡¯t put out by the accusation. She merely shrugged her gown-wrapped shoulders, sounding bored if anything, ¡°I thought they wanted a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, man,¡± the prince said, pushing the smaller man aside just as uncaringly as he had Esmi. My fist tightened at the familiar sight, and I had a deep urge to drive it into the prince¡¯s face, even though such an act was well beyond my station. Gerad turned to the vampire, contemptuously. ¡°You¡¯ll not best me again, corpse. Do your worst.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± she said with a wry grin, ¡°someone with some backbone.¡±


    ¡°Healers!¡± the announcer cried. ¡°We cannot continue until there are healers present!¡±


    One of the functionaries stepped forward, as did a Soiree guard, clanking up the steps of the stage in the armor she was wearing. Then a call of ¡°I can be of service!¡± turned my head, along with plenty of others. The speaker was Fferun, the elf that Hull had dueled. He was stumbling through the crowd, weaving this way and that on drunken feet and yet when he reached the bottom of the stage, he seemed to sober, his lithe body standing tall as he looked up at the participants. ¡°Allow a member of the Eastern Blue Wilds to be of assistance.¡±


    The prince waved uncaringly, but I noticed that the announcer didn¡¯t seem any less concerned, even with three healers at the ready. How much could that Dread Knight attack for? And how many cards did the prince and Hull have left? Under normal circumstances I would have been keeping close count, but with my thoughts on Esmi, I had only been paying attention with a half a mind.


    An arm fell over my shoulder, and I turned to tell whoever it was to please place themselves elsewhere, only to find that it was Warrick dangling on me.


    ¡°Whass thepoorkid doingupthere?¡± he asked, gazing toward the stage, bleary-eyed. From the amount of weight he was putting on me and the slur of his words, he had clearly used our time apart to get profoundly drunk, even worse than Fferun.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing what¡¯s right.¡± Esmi said quietly but forcibly, and my gut clenched. If this was the opening to explain to her how sorry I was, I was still at an utter loss how to proceed.


    Someone snapped their fingers, and a glance to the side showed me it was the vampire, her Dread Knight creaking into motion. It was so large and its sword was so long, it only needed to take a single step to reach the prince, its blade crashing down between Gerad¡¯s neck and shoulder. There was a burst of card shards, but only enough to be two or three of them. The repulsive force they created wasn¡¯t big enough to stop something as strong as the Dread Knight, its blade connecting with the prince¡¯s body and cutting into his flesh.


    I wanted the blow to flatten Gerad to the ground, to slice him in half even ¨C all of the condescension he had meted out to me over our lives, and now even worse to Esmi with his actions and awful words, rolled into one fated redemption. However, even though he had no cards left to protect him from the brunt of the blow, the prince somehow remained standing. Even with an inch-thick blade sunk half a foot into his body, cutting through his right collar bone and who knew what else, Gerad refused to bend the knee.


    The Dread Knight removed its sword with an awful sucking sound, and the prince stumbled but still did not fall. Blood poured like a river from the wound, staining the rich garments he wore at a frightening pace and dripping onto the stage. It was a mortal blow. The only way he could possibly be staying upright was if his personal Soul card gave him extra Health, and a significant amount of it.


    The announcer fluttered his hands worriedly, and the self-selected healers moved to act, including Fferun, who lifted an arm surrounded by floating green vine balls of Life Source toward the prince.


    ¡°No healing!¡± Gerad snapped. He pointed at each of them in turn with his left hand, not seeming to notice that his other arm hanging uselessly. His face, growing white from blood loss, made him look like he should be part of a Death deck himself. ¡°Not until it is done.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t ending now, that meant Hull was next. Even from a distance, I could tell he was shaken, his eyes darting between the bleeding prince and the monstrous Soul from which he would soon be taking a hit. I could understand his fear, and yet, somehow, I wanted him to win.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± the vampire said, smiling at Hull.


    The street urchin paled, looking the most out of place I¡¯d ever seen him since we¡¯d first met. He balled his fists, stared down at the stage, and then said something I couldn¡¯t hear.


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    The prince did though, and he laughed heartily, an odd sight with how injured he was. ¡°Say that again,¡± he demanded. ¡°Loudly, so everyone here can know the truth of you.¡±


    ¡°I said, I can¡¯t do it. You¡­ you win.¡±


    The breath I had been holding ¨C much like the hope that the prince would actually face some sort of recompense for his behavior ¨C blew out of me.


    The vampire shrugged, looking disappointed, and her giant creature of Death shattered into smoky motes before vanishing entirely. Hull stalked off of the stage, taking the steps quickly and pushing through the crowd as jeers started up after him.


    If Warrick hadn¡¯t been dangling on me or I didn¡¯t have a rift to repair between myself and my fianc¨¦e, I might have tried to catch up to him. Logically, Hull had done the right thing, the sensible thing, by conceding. But, with everything that had been at stake, I couldn¡¯t applaud him for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to retire for the evening,¡± Esmi announced. Her voice lacked its usual buoyancy, and she didn¡¯t even look my way as she spoke, as if she was merely declaring to the world her intentions.


    This was it, my last chance to attempt to make right what had transpired between us. She turned to go, and Twins be praised, I finally found my voice.


    ¡°Esmi, I¡¯m ¨C ¡±


    The sound a body makes when expelling a sickness it has held within happened directly in my ear, and I felt something wet land on my shoulder and then spill all the way down my arm.


    Warrick had thrown up on me, and Esmi had never slowed in her departure.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± he said and then burped, an even worse smell passing right in front of my face. Warrick waved a hand side-to-side in an attempt to dispel the noxious fumes, to little effect, commenting. ¡°What a stench.¡±


    I closed my eyes and sighed, so long it felt like the air came up all the way from my toes.


    ***


    Having no wish to experience additional humiliation and not wanting to spend any more time than was necessary in soiled garments, I returned to my room in the Colosseum with all possible haste. Being a three day tournament, I had thankfully packed a few sets of clothes, including sleeping attire. However, before I would permit myself to change into them, I used the bathing facilities in my room, which I was quite grateful to have, to scrub myself clean. Warrick had somehow managed to escape the offal he had spewed on me, emerging completely unscathed, and was currently snoring loudly, stretched out on my bed. He had apparently not purchased a room before spending all his coin on food and drink; I didn¡¯t have the spare funds to spot him, nor was I about to pay for a carriage driver to return him to his family in such a state, so we would simply have to share for the night. Tomorrow we could come up with alternate arrangements.


    Another feature of my room I hadn¡¯t fully appreciated until now was its small balcony, and it was there I went to rest, cleaned, changed, and alone on a small stool. By myself, I only had my thoughts to keep me company, and they turned out to be a poor companion, forcing me to relive the moment I had stood still, doing nothing, when Esmi needed me most. Or after, when I couldn¡¯t even muster words to speak to my fianc¨¦e.


    So, I summoned one of my Rares.


    She took solid form on the balcony beside me, looking just as comfortable to find herself staring out over the city as she did when appearing on the dueling field. I often wondered if card Souls had a way to see where the bearer of their Mind Home was, so they would know what to expect when called forth. But Atrea had told me on more than one occasion that she couldn¡¯t speak of such things with me.


    That was the name we had decided on for her: Atrea. It wasn¡¯t until her Soul rose to Mythic that her true name would return to her, along with all her memories, instead of just a spotty few. So, until that happened, Atrea would do.


    ¡°I heard you won today,¡± she said to me, ¡°but you do not look it.¡±


    She refused direct questions on the subject of her time spent unsummoned, but knowingly or not, she gave me clues like this. Heard? Could she hear what I experienced, or as strange as it seemed, had another of my Souls told her?


    ¡°I did,¡± I said, putting my back against the side of the railing. ¡°Twice. Those parts of the day were quite nice.¡±


    She remained standing, leaning on the opposite side of the railing, so we were facing each other. ¡°And the rest of it?¡±


    That was all the prompting I needed to tell my tale, from first meeting Hull, to my match with Throice, to Plutar¡¯s threats, and beyond. The part I really wished to discuss with her was what had happened with Esmi, but I found that I stretched the telling, as if I was afraid for Atrea to learn how weak I had been. But eventually, I had to recount that part or stop talking, and for whatever reason, not finishing felt worse than revealing my cowardice.


    When I was done, Atrea shook her head, looking disgusted, and I was gripped by the sudden, sure feeling that she would name me the basest of cravens for my lack of action.


    ¡°That man has no honor, and he will be the ruler of this place?¡±


    ¡°Gerad?¡± She nodded, and I nearly slumped in relief that I was not the target of her ire. ¡°Unfortunately, yes. He stands to inherit the throne. Assuming the Sun King ever dies.¡± The Rarer a Soul, the longer it lived, and the king being Legendary meant he could last for hundreds of years ¨C but old age was not the only way to perish.


    ¡°And there¡¯s nothing you can do to change that?¡± she asked, hand resting on the pommel of the sword at her hip, as if she wished to change it.


    I went to say both ¡°no¡± and to point out that my trouble at this point was with how I had handled Esmi, but ordering the two thoughts delayed me, and the intense look Atrea was giving me made me pause further. Was that the trouble? Did I need to apologize to Esmi, or did the prince? But Gerad would never do such a thing, not unless¡­ I outranked him.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve found it,¡± Atrea said. ¡°What you need to do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I answered quickly this time. ¡°It¡¯s¡­impossible.¡±


    Atrea turned some so she could unfurl her wings, the pair stretching an impressive ten to twelve feet from tip to tip. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born with these, you know.¡±


    Despite the circumstances, I gave a small chuckle. ¡°I know.¡± The story of how she had managed to attain that particular ability had been the first thing I had asked her when she joined my deck.


    She tucked the wings back beside her body and leaned toward me. ¡°Strong dreams happen, Basil. Fate and Fortune treasure them and help them come to fruition.¡±


    I had thought I already had a strong dream: reaching top five in the Rising Stars Tournament, advancing my Soul to Rare, escaping a life of monotonous guard duty, marrying Esmi, being a son my family would be proud of. Was that not enough? Was more really possible?


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking on it,¡± Atrea said, sounding pleased. ¡°That¡¯s how it starts.¡±


    I was not so optimistic, and yet¡­ the Sun King had become king by virtue of the Rarity of his Soul, and Throice hoped to succeed in making his family of artisans nobility. Was it so different to work toward raising my family from nobility to royalty with the advancement of my Soul?


    And even before that, I could make the prince begin to pay for his slight against Esmi and me. I could defeat him in the Tournament, publicly humiliating him. In fact, if I truly wished to surpass his Epic Soul, I would need to achieve great feats, and winning the Rising Stars Tournament would certainly count as one of those.


    ¡°Would you procure some things for me?¡± I asked Atrea. ¡°From my family¡¯s estate?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°I know the way, and it would be a pleasure to stretch my wings.¡± After I described them, Atrea hopped up onto the railing and balanced on the narrow edge, something I could never imagine doing unless I had wings like she did. Before departing, she turned to me.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten about your promise, have you?¡±


    My cheeks heated, and for some reason I felt like I was failing Esmi yet again. ¡°Of course not. Never. With what I¡¯m planning, it might even happen sooner.¡±


    ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± Atrea said, grinning wide as she tripped herself over the railing, falling like a stone. My heart clenched for her as I watched her plummet, but then her wings snapped out, and she rose up, gliding over the buildings below.


    After she left, I stayed on the balcony, looking out at the night. At this hour, many homes were dark, but as high as my vantage was, I could see a large swath of Treledyne and those few lights scattered across the city that did still burn. People up, doing things they believed important enough to defy the call of nature to rest.


    If I was truly going to go against everyone¡¯s expectations and defeat the prince ¨C and maybe even one day be the steward of this land ¨C I had a great deal to think on. And this was the perfect spot to do so, with my fellow dreamers.

 29. Hull - Old Friends

    Chapter 29


    Old Friends


    I woke up in total darkness and felt a complete sense of dislocation. Something was on top of me, and I grappled it in desperate panic for a breathless moment before I realized it was only the soft, shapeless coverlet I was sleeping under. I was in my competitor¡¯s room, on my ridiculously comfy bed, hidden and safe. I slumped back into the mattress, heart thumping, breathing hard. My body could tell it wasn¡¯t morning yet, and I resolved to sleep uncovered for the rest of the night. I wasn¡¯t used to sleeping that deeply. It wasn¡¯t safe.


    Then the evening came rushing back to me and I groaned, shame and anger spiking my blood just as hard as fear had the moment before. I lost. I ran. That cheating son of a bitch got the best of me. I could still hear the rich folk laughing and jeering as I¡¯d fled down the stairs. They didn¡¯t know for sure I¡¯d have died if that monstrous specter had taken a swing at me, they didn¡¯t know Gerad played dirty; all they saw was a snot-nosed gutter kid turning tail after their gallant Prince took a horrendous blow ¨C a massive monster¡¯s sword halfway through his body ¨C and stayed on his feet.


    How did he do it? Did he slip some cards back into his Mind Home? I didn¡¯t think so; we¡¯d been out in the open in front of the gods and everybody. It wasn¡¯t like when his buddy Losum ¨C that was his name ¨C slipped on an damage-enhancing Aura ring when the crowd was looking elsewhere. No, Gerad took the hit fairly, much as it galled me to admit it. His soul card must give him extra health. It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense. He really just is the better man. Tougher. Better with people. A slicker cheater. I wanted to be outraged by that, but to be honest, I¡¯d have cheated in a heartbeat if given a way to do it. What did cheating even mean, anyhow? A fellow won whatever fight he found in whatever way he could. Anybody crying about cheating was just someone looking for an excuse as to why they¡¯d lost.


    And I had lost. I jammed my head back into the feather pillow and gritted my teeth. Can I even show my face for the next matches in the morning? That was stupid. Of course I could. Who cared what these rich tits thought? You do. Like it or not, you care. I hissed out a long breath and tried to dismiss the thought. It lingered anyway.


    A tiny light bloomed by the doorway, revealing a slender man in a long coat sitting in a chair that hadn¡¯t been there when I went to bed. He lit a cigarillo and let the flame from a little brass Artifact firemaker die. ¡°Bad dreams?¡± He took a long draw, the cherry ember of his smoke stick painting his face in red like some nightmare fiend.


    It was Ticosi.


    I scrambled into a crouched position on my bed and put my back against the wall, panic hitting me as hard as that bastard Rockfist. I reached for Nether and threw one up over my head as quick as I could.


    Harker loomed up out of the darkness at the foot of my bed and grabbed my wrist just as a card materialized in it. ¡°None of that, kid. I¡¯ll break your arm.¡±


    ¡°You should listen,¡± Ticosi advised quietly. ¡°My darling Harker has been itching to get her hands on you since your little fracas a couple of days back, and I won¡¯t stop her if you get out of hand.¡± He tapped the wall behind him with a sharp knuckle. ¡°Thick stone walls here. No one will hear.¡±


    ¡°Dismiss it,¡± Harker said, her voice like granite and her fingers even harder. ¡°Now.¡±


    My mind raced. I didn¡¯t even know what card I held; the light from Ticosi¡¯s cigarillo only showed the dimmest of outlines. I could try summoning it blind and just see what happened, but did I even have enough source for whatever it was? Besides, I believed her. She¡¯d break me if I tried.


    I¡¯d been thinking too long, and Harker¡¯s other hand clamped down on my forearm. Her grip tightened, ready to snap my arm bones like sticks. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± I said shrilly. I mentally dismissed my Nether. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Good lad,¡± Ticosi whispered, sitting at his ease with his long legs crossed. ¡°This will be a far more productive conversation if everyone keeps their head.¡±


    I noticed he had a full six or seven source circling his head. It was hard to tell by the light of his tiny, lone ember, but I thought they were all the dripping red spheres of Chaos. The message was clear: behave.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡± I said, trying to keep my voice level. Harker released my arm and stepped back to where I could barely see her. It didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    Ticosi folded his hands in his lap and puffed contentedly. ¡°The powers that be might spend their breath talking about Order and peace and all that, but I¡¯ll tell you a deeper truth for free: they need someone like me in the Lows. I keep the malcontents with nothing to lose in line. People like you. In return I am given¡­ a certain amount of leeway. Nothing official, mind you,¡± he said, blowing a careful smoke ring, ¡°but as real as good coin. A smart man might use that leeway to develop relationships. Make friends. Grease palms. Put people in his debt who would never otherwise deign to admit he exists. Enough years of that, and getting the master key to the competitors¡¯ rooms at the Coliseum is a small thing. I could murder every single one of you in your sleep if I wished it.¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Mind you, that particular indulgence would cost me more than it¡¯s worth ¨C no matter how much a certain young man has tested my patience lately.¡±


    I held my tongue. He lounged in his chair completely at ease, but I had no doubt he could strike like a viper if I said the wrong thing. Inside, I was cursing myself in every way I knew how. I¡¯d thought I was safe. I¡¯d gotten too cozy with the naive noble kids and forgotten how the world really worked.


    ¡°When I realized you¡¯d entered the Tournament, I thought you¡¯d be bounced out in short order,¡± he admitted, idly pulling a card into his hand and then putting it back in behind his right ear. It was just another way to remind me who held the power. ¡°I assumed I¡¯d meet you at the front gate, a complete failure, and then I could take my time having your legs ripped off in the washing square once we got back to the Lows. Imagine my surprise, won¡¯t you, when I hear the hoi polloi talking about an angry-faced poor boy with an Epic who was winning his matches.¡±


    He held his cigarillo between two fingers and gestured at me with it. ¡°Such a strange coincidence, a thing like that happening on the same day a dark-market card shop went up in flames. I hear the City Watch is investigating. A lucky thing that shop wasn¡¯t under my protection, or whoever managed such a thing wouldn¡¯t need to wait on the high folk¡¯s justice.¡±


    He waited for a moment, one eyebrow quirked at me. I said nothing. It was the only safe move. Strangely, he seemed pleased by my silence, wagging a finger at me like a tolerant uncle. ¡°And then, Hull, and then¡­ I sat in on your final match this afternoon. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw. All these years, and you managed to hide your Nether from me and mine. I thought you were just another one of my sad little street boys scrounging for shards.¡± He leaned forward, his words suddenly razor-edged. ¡°All. These. Years.¡±


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    From a pitch-black corner, I heard Harker¡¯s dull, stupid voice. ¡°I shoulda known he couldn¡¯t hit that hard. Happened too fast for me to see his source.¡±


    Ticosi raised a placating hand. ¡°None of us saw it coming, dear girl. I stopped keeping an eye out for Nether-wielders years ago. Shame on me; I shouldn¡¯t have forgotten so quickly.¡±


    He sat back and lapsed into musing silence. His cigarillo burnt down to a stub, and he cast it to the floor, grinding the ember underfoot and throwing us back into total darkness.


    Not seeing his silhouette emboldened me. ¡°If you want me to go to the fighting pits, go ahead and kill me now.¡±


    His laughter floated out of the darkness. ¡°The pits are for refuse. Fate must love me to keep me from making such a mistake with you.¡±


    A flicker of hope flared within me, all the brighter for the midnight both inside and out. ¡°You¡¯re not sending me to fight?¡±


    His magical flame cylinder flared to life again, making me squint. He lit another smoke. ¡°I am not. You deserve it, and plenty more besides¡­ but a boy like you knows that the world cares intensely about what we have and very little about what we deserve.¡± His chair creaked, and he stood up, approaching my bed.


    I couldn¡¯t help it; I cringed back against the wall. I¡¯d taken a hit from a man encased in stone, but that guy had nothing on Ticosi. The Big Man of the Lows loomed every bit as dangerously as the vampire¡¯s Revenant had.


    ¡°You come from the Lows, and that means you belong to me,¡± Ticosi said, his voice barely more than a whisper. ¡°Every breath, every scrap of everything you possess is mine. You¡¯re going to keep competing to the best of your considerable, surprising ability, and when the Tournament is over, you will hand over every last card to me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t mean to; it just slipped out of me.


    A card appeared in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not finished. Those cards and every single other you are able to win already belong to me; you simply have them on loan while you expand my collection. Getting that fact firmly planted in your mind right now will improve your odds of seeing sunrise. Once the Tournament is over, we¡¯ll make a big public show back home of you handing everything over and then have a big party to celebrate. Won¡¯t that be nice?¡±


    He paused as if waiting for me to agree. He gave a tsk of disappointment when I stayed silent but then continued his instructions. ¡°You¡¯ll take Skop¡¯s place on my crew. It¡¯ll be weeks before he¡¯s right in the head after the hit you gave him. If ¨C if ¨C you prove your worth, your reliability, and above all your loyalty, perhaps in due time you¡¯ll get one or two of those cards back. Maybe even for good. And in the meantime, you¡¯ll live a far better life than you have up till now.¡±


    My fists balled against my stomach. I felt sick. Of course this was how it went. No grand, powerful deck for me. No delicious revenge as I stalked my father¡¯s court unknown and finally found the moment to kill him. Instead I¡¯d have a life of petty thuggery under Ticosi¡¯s thumb until he grew paranoid and had me murdered. A few days ago that might have been a solid upward trade on my life, but now I¡¯d met Basil and Esmi. I¡¯d seen how they lived, how they trusted, how they relaxed. I wanted more.


    ¡°Take a moment to control yourself,¡± Ticosi said, the source still circling his head. ¡°This offer is a damn sight more than you merit. If I didn¡¯t have such a sentimental streak, I¡¯d drag you home right now and give you what you¡¯ve earned. I¡¯m giving you a chance, Hull. Don¡¯t be stupid and waste it.¡±


    I wrestled with myself. I could feel Harker looming off to one side, and Ticosi took a long drag, blowing smoke in my face. If you¡¯re not dead you can keep on working for something better. I had no illusions ¨C if I didn¡¯t say yes to Ticosi in the next five seconds, I wouldn¡¯t leave this room alive. When I thought about it that way, there was only one thing to say, no matter how much I wanted not to.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I whispered.


    He rocked back on his heels, the shadow of a smile curving his barely-seen lip. ¡°So you can keep a lid on that temper when you want to. That¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°Boss,¡± Harker grunted.


    ¡°Yes, my sweet girl?¡±


    ¡°You sure we can¡¯t¡­ y¡¯know¡­ give him the business? Just a little?¡±


    Ticosi grinned wide. ¡°Oh, I think we can. If I¡¯m going to ask you two to work together, there ought to be a balancing of the scales. Crossing my enforcers is the same as crossing me, after all.¡± He leaned in close enough that I could see a hint of the bloodshot spiderweb in the whites of his eyes. ¡°Stay very still now, Hull, and take your medicine. This is part of the deal.¡± He cast the card he had into the air, and it shimmered into nothing, nearly blinding me.


    I felt a wrench in my Mind Home, and a Soul misted into being beside him.


    I gaped at it. That was my Soul, one of my heavy hitters! I hadn¡¯t even summoned it myself yet, and he¡¯d yanked control of it away with whatever that Spell had been. The demon glowered at me evilly, its eyes glowing brighter than Ticosi¡¯s cigarillo. The Soul crowded forward, panting heavily through its sharp teeth.


    ¡°A good get,¡± Ticosi said, eyeing the Soul with interest. Settling back into his seat, he flicked a finger toward me. ¡°Teach your new master a lesson, demon.¡±


    It leapt up, swarming me on the bed even as I raised my arms to shield myself. I tried to summon a Nether, but I couldn¡¯t concentrate. One taloned hand pulled my arms down effortlessly, and it was right there in my face, its panting breath sounding like laughter.


    ¡°Delicious,¡± it said in a guttural voice. Slowly, deliberately, it raked its other clawed hand down my face, starting at my hairline and razoring down my chest and belly. The pressure was nearly as heavy as Rockfist¡¯s hit had been, but slower, more painful somehow. The wound in my back pressed against the wall and felt like fresh agony all over again. Shredded cards plumed out in all directions. The demon¡¯s claws went down the length of me, leaving my shirt and pants in ribbons from throat to crotch. It swept down and away, tearing through the mattress and sending feathers up to mingle with the falling bits of cards.


    It stepped back, still panting out its obscene laugh. Ticosi held out an arm toward it like an offering, and it raked its claws across him too, if somewhat more lightly. More cards puffed away. Then he waved a hand at it. ¡°Begone.¡±


    It misted away, and I felt its weight settle back into my Mind Home. For the first time, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted it there.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to ask for new clothes in the morning,¡± Ticosi said briskly, standing. ¡°The noble folks tend to get squeamish if your soft bits are out in the breeze.¡± He pulled his chair to one side and opened the door. ¡°Come along, Harker. We¡¯ve had our fun.¡±


    Harker obeyed like the cow she was, pausing in the dim light of the hallway to look back at me. She probably thought it was a meaningful look, but all I could see was her outline, so the effort was wasted. She stumped out of sight and I spent a futile moment hoping I¡¯d never see her again.


    Ticosi paused in the doorway too. ¡°I¡¯m glad we had this chat,¡± he said pleasantly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were right under my nose all this time and I never saw it. Now that I know, the likeness is plain as day. You¡¯re quite a bit like your mother.¡±


    And then he was gone.


    I scrambled for the door in the pitch blackness the moment it shut and turned the key behind them. Not that it had stopped them before, of course, but it was something to do. After another breathless moment I pulled the bedside table in front of the door as well, barking my shin on the way.


    I retreated to the bed, my mind awhirl, but when my hand touched the gash in the mattress I bolted back upright. I wouldn¡¯t be sleeping on that bed again, not tonight. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be sleeping at all.


    I stood stock-still in the darkness and clutched at my tattered clothes, feeling even lower than I had after losing to the Prince. No matter where I turn, there¡¯s someone there to trip me up.


    And then: He said he knew my mother. He¡¯s lying. He must be. Is he?


    I sat on the floor and waited for morning. It was a long time coming.

 30. Urgal - Interlude

    Urgal stood on the cliff edge, looking at the expansive valley below him and even higher peaks in the distance. He was an honored forerunner to the Great Host, and just like all the days since the title had been bestowed upon him, he could see nothing in their path ahead that was a threat to the enormous army. They were still many hundreds of miles from their destination, the human city of Treledyne, but the distance did not trouble Urgal; they would arrive when they did.


    His scouting for the time done, he turned and made his way down the goat path he had used to reach the high vantage. He had had his five balls of Chaos summoned, as he always did on such forays, the Source aiding his awareness of the constant changes happening all around. His thick green feet did not need protection from boots, and he felt each rock and rift in the cliff side, adjusting his weight accordingly with every step so that he did not fall. The wind picked up, pulling at him, cold and trying to tug him over the edge, but he found the play on his skin refreshing, like a mouthful of icy river water. As for its attempts to hurl him sideways, the challenge was a worthy one, and he was smiling around his short tusks when he reached the flat land at the thrill of having lived through it.


    Turning away from the edge and working his way inward, it wasn¡¯t long before the harsh words of the one named Reesk reached him. The high-pitched complaining tempered Urgal¡¯s mood and slowed his steps. All scouting parties were composed in this way now, with a member of each of the three armies present, but he had yet to grow used to the mixed company, particularly the demon. All she knew how to do was be angry.


    Pushing past a low branch, Urgal entered the depression they would be camping in for the evening. Reesk already had a fire going, as she did every night ¨C apparently, her kind held a bitter hatred of the cold. Off to the side stood Calbrin the wight, dressed in rusted armor, his bluish skin pulled tight over a human skeleton, white hair trailing in wisps behind his head.


    At Urgal¡¯s arrival the demon whipped around, her long tail aiding the maneuver. Spiky balls of Nether hovered over her, and she lifted a card in a taloned hand to cast before seeing that it was him. Her face ¨C long and pointed, spikes jutting from hard ridges around her eyes ¨C tightened together, a look Urgal had come to know meant displeasure.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to make a sound when you come back,¡± she shrieked in a voice that reminded Urgal of a hawk diving toward a kill. ¡°Two raps on a tree trunk. Is that so hard to remember?¡±


    ¡°There were no limbs thick enough in my path,¡± Urgal answered simply.


    She hissed in disgust, hunching, trying to get every part of herself as close as she could to the flame. The behavior made little sense to Urgal. Among the orcs, only children were allowed to hide from what was, and only when very young. Once they saw how those older than them lived by accepting the world as it came, it wasn¡¯t long before they adopted the wiser attitude themselves.


    Urgal tried to model the same for the demon, paying no heed to the cool air and striding over to Calbrin, who was their hunter. The wight had no need of sustenance himself and wasn¡¯t particularly fast, but he still managed to catch them game each day. Urgal would have preferred to do the trapping himself and leave the surveying of the land to the undead. However, during the first leg of their journey together, he and Reesk had discovered that Calbrin had very poor long sight, despite the wight claiming it was better than most of his kind.


    Much like the weather, Urgal accepted the situation for what it was, taking the two scrawny rabbits Calbrin gave him and walking them over to Reeks to have her pick. With barely a look, she selected the plumper of the two, as she did every time when given the choice. Urgal stood there a moment, while the demon turned with her prize back to the fire, weighing his heart to see if her behavior bothered him. Hunger ate at him more than annoyance, it turned out, so he stepped away to find a flatter piece of land to sit on. One day her selfishness would lead him to batter her into the dirt, but it seemed today was not that day.


    Seating himself cross-legged, Urgal tore into the hide of the raw rabbit, not bothering to skin it or hold it over the flame as Reesk was. Neither the demon nor the wight kept their Source summoned, which he understood even less than building fires. Orcs were rarely without their Sources, and certainly not when doing things that involved the senses, like eating, fighting, or child-making. With his Chaos, Urgal could taste the fresh grass the rabbit had eaten, some mushroom even, the flavors mixing in the juice of the meat and making him hungry for more.


    In contrast, Reesk held the rabbit over the fire until it was nearly blackened. After multiple nights of watching her do the same, Urgal had decided that she must like the crunch of such fare.


    As he ripped the last of the flesh from the bones of his small meal, a thought entered his mind, and Urgal gave it voice, honoring the moment. ¡°Why do your leaders have the same name?¡±


    The question had been directed to the demon, and she paused after swallowing a whole leg. ¡°Yveda? It means they have both single-handedly killed a creature of high Epic Rarity: one a Silver Wyrm that coiled in the depths, the other a Void Demon swollen with Nether. It is only two names down from our great Akkanos, Primarch of all Demons,¡± she added in a tone that indicated the information should impress.


    Killing things was a worthy skill, Urgal could agree, but to earn a name through the act? ¡°What do you call your young then? And do not many of you end up having the same name?¡±


    ¡°We are nothing before our first kill,¡± the demon snapped, ¡°and of course scores of demons bear identical names. That way you know what our value is with a single word. There are only nineteen other Reesks in the war camp,¡± she preened, then, almost as an afterthought, she asked, ¡°What were you named for?¡±


    ¡°The shape my mother¡¯s birthing fluid made on the earth when I was pulled from her.¡±


    The demon twisted her elongated face. ¡°How can ¡®Urgal¡¯ mean that?¡±


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    ¡°How can anything we make here,¡± ¨C Urgal pointed a finger to his mouth and then lifted it to his eyes ¨C ¡°mean what we see here? It simply does.¡±


    ¡°An orcish philosopher,¡± the wight hissed with a rasping chuckle, joining the conversation though he remained standing, still as death.


    Urgal felt no kinship to that particular title. As a tracker and forager, he often spent long stretches away from his kin, and during those times his thoughts wandered, as natural as the clouds drifting through the sky. Names were also his gift. Ever since the Wills had seen fit to bless him with a Common Soul, his Forestcraft skill told him the secrets of forest plants and creatures as if he had always known them. If the Wills had so easily given him those names, surely they must have decided on names for all other things, too.


    ¡°You will forgive me if I engage in an old pastime of mine, yes?¡± the wight asked.


    Urgal had nothing to do until the sun set, so he shrugged his shoulders in assent. Calbrin¡¯s responding smile showed teeth rotted brown and swollen lump that might have once been a tongue.


    ¡°It is my understanding,¡± the wight hissed, ¡°that your people dislike the act of controlling the world ¨C one of the reasons you detest humans and their Order so much. Yet, isn¡¯t the act of naming one of control, of enforcing Order upon things?¡±


    Urgal frowned, the question making little sense to him. ¡°I do not control the tree by naming it alder or oak, any more than you control me by speaking my name aloud.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± the wight hissed, and there was another long pause before it spoke again, which neither Urgal nor Reesk chose to fill. ¡°It is said that before the Fixed and Fluid entities came to power, the races, both high and low, all spoke with different voices, different languages. I wonder what your people, if you existed back then, would have called each other, if anything at all.¡±


    Urgal shrugged. He had heard the Wills called such names before, but he cared for the past about as much as he cared for the future: both were a distraction from the now.


    ¡°What will you do if the orcs do not go to war?¡± Reesk asked the wight, gnawing on the remains of her burnt rabbit.


    Calbrin turned its dead eyes onto the demon while also giving the impression that it was still watching Urgal.


    ¡°We did not march from the heart of the Red Desert to hang our hopes on the whims of the orcs. I may not be privy to the plans of Countess Felstrife, but after two long centuries of service, I know her mind well enough. I am sure she has contingencies should the need arise.¡±


    More planning that did not interest Urgal, and Reesk didn¡¯t seem particularly impressed by the wight¡¯s words either.


    ¡°Contingencies,¡± the demon spat. ¡°Power is all that matters, and our Demon Lords are brimming with it. Either of them alone could level Treledyne.¡±


    ¡°The Countess could easily do the same,¡± Calbrin replied haughtily, a fly buzzing out of a hole in his throat. ¡°With the wave of one hand she could end every living creature in the city without an inner Soul card, and with a wave of the other she could raise them all to fight for her cause.¡±


    If they were to compare the might of their leaders, Urgal felt obliged to champion his own. ¡°Targu¡¯Thal has not been wounded since his Soul became Mythic, his skin tougher than any bone, stone, or blade. He can lift a full-grown lonyx over his head, and his ax¡± ¨C Urgal could see the Legendary Relic in his mind ¨C ¡°Horak¡¯s Bane, can cut a mountain in half.¡±


    ¡°Hyperbole,¡± the wight said with a wheeze.


    Urgal did not know that word, but he knew doubt when he heard it. ¡°Travel south and you will find a great plateau. It was a peak before the Six Clans passed through.¡±


    ¡°One of the Yvedas can make a thousand copies of himself. He is an army unto himself,¡± Reesk said, clearly not wanting the demons to be left out. ¡°And the other¡­¡± she leaned forward as if imparting a secret, the fire playing off her purple skin and its patchy scales, ¡°can steal your Soul, even while you live.¡±


    Urgal put a hand over his chest. To lose what the Wills had given him before his death struck him as an unnatural thing, deeply so, and he thought even Calbrin looked rattled by the idea of such a power.


    ¡°But will it be enough to kill the Sun King?¡± the wight said into the ensuing silence, his voice a light hiss on the breeze.


    ¡°With four living Mythic Souls?¡± Reesk screeched. ¡°With the largest army the world has ever seen? We will carve his Legendary Soul out and feast upon the shards it makes.¡±


    For once, Urgal agreed with the demon. He didn¡¯t know if Targu¡¯Thal or the Six Clans would decide to attack Treledyne when they arrived ¨C only the Wills could decide that ¨C but if they did¡­


    He looked back at the Great Host that followed behind their scouting party. The trees were thin enough that he could see the hundreds of thousands of bodies that made up the gargantuan force. From the Clans, there were orc warriors, berserkers, iron-hides, and spirit talkers. Mammoth riders, sabertooth-kin, archers, half-giants, and even the enormous lynoxs, each tall as a mountain.


    The undead boasted countless skeletons and zombies of all races that moved at a shambling pace, yet never tired. Armored wights on foot and mounted on desiccated horses flanked the lesser troops, and above them, huge bats swarmed the air, vampires flitting amongst them. There were half-seen phantoms, ethereal wraiths, slavering ghasts, and catapults composed of massive arm and leg bones. Perhaps most impressive though were the multi-armed skeleton giants that retained some flesh and walked with their much smaller cousins, the tinier skeletons and zombies often swarming around them, as if drawn to their obvious might.


    Last were the demons, who were the most varied, their skin ranging in color from purples like Reesk, to reds, yellows, and shades of green. Some walked on two legs, others more; some had the bodies of snakes, others winged; a few even looked human; but one at all they had eyes that burned with an unsatiated hunger. This was particularly true of the demons that were larger than the rest, Void Demons Reesk had called them. There were three such creatures present, each as big as the giant skeletons and furred lynoxs, with enormous bladed weapons in their hands.


    Urgal had planned to give the group only a passing glance, but he had trouble taking his eyes off the last of them, the force of malice the demon emanated something he could feel even at this distance. With his Chaos summoned, he could also feel the ground tremble slightly from the combined footfalls, great and small, of the Host, and the number of souls stretched so far from left to right, Urgal had to turn his head to take them all in.


    With an army like that, if the orcs did decide to join the battle when they reached the human lands, Treledyne and their King wouldn¡¯t just be destroyed¡­ they would become dust.

 31. Hull - Juggling Act

    The Mess Hall was a buzz of morning activity, and every server and functionary that hurried past in my peripheral vision made me flinch and jump. My stomach was in no shape for breaking fast, but I wasn¡¯t so rattled that I¡¯d forgotten the basics: I took three fat sausages and stuffed them into the pocket of my fresh trousers, ignoring the odd looks from a serving girl arranging fresh fruit on a platter. I¡¯d been amazed to find that my room had spare clothes tucked into a drawer that pulled out from under the bed. They weren¡¯t so fine as what Basil and Esmi had given me, but they were in a damn sight better condition than the mess my Demon Marauder had made of the nicer stuff. I couldn¡¯t find the rags I¡¯d shown up in; apparently whoever had cleaned my room while I was out thought they were trash and had them thrown out.


    My mind buzzed and hummed, bouncing back and forth between just run now and take your chances and that bastard can¡¯t get away with this. I¡¯d spent the whole night that way, and I could barely remember my own name after so many hours of wrestling my thoughts and getting nowhere. It was like being back on the street, and I couldn¡¯t believe how foreign the feeling was after a single day of passing time with rich folk and having my own soft bed. I shook my head, trying to focus on why I was there. Basil. Gotta talk to Basil. I had no idea what the weedy little prick could do about Ticosi, but maybe there¡¯d be something. He was surprisingly decent for a noble.


    Problem was that Basil was nowhere in sight in the Mess Hall, and I didn¡¯t know where else to look. I¡¯d already been to his room and knocked long and loud without a response. Maybe he was off mooning after Esmi somewhere, or perhaps he¡¯d gone out drinking with that skunk of a kid Warrick. There was no knowing, and I was irrationally angry that the little shithead wasn¡¯t here when I needed him.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the belle of the ball,¡± an angry drawl behind me said.


    I turned and saw the hustler boy pretending to be poor walking past me with a plate of food. He shot me an ugly look and let his dish clatter to the table with a palpable air of disgust.


    Part of me wanted to plant his sneering face in the middle of his eggs and potatoes and grind it in until either the porcelain cracked or his face did. Another part wanted to ignore him entirely. I split the difference. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡±


    He jabbed his fork in my direction like a dagger. ¡°You show up playing my game and I treated you with respect even though you obviously had no idea how to run the con. Then you come out swinging with an Epic and bag yourself a Mythic? It¡¯s offensive. Who¡¯s gonna believe a poor kid would start off fielding a heavy hitter like that? Twins twist me, you walked in looking like a dog shat you out and then you end up with Fate herself tickling your balls. Nobody can talk about anything else. You¡¯d think you were royalty the way these rich girls are panting.¡± He shoveled his food into his mouth as if attacking it, seething the whole time.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I thought of that last bit, but I wasn¡¯t about to let this poseur dress me down for playing poor better than he did. ¡°I thought your whole thing was to not get noticed.¡±


    ¡°Not if it means missing out on a Mythic!¡± he cried, spraying food. ¡°Two Rares, an Uncommon, and then my pick of a Common because the abilities contest last night: that is my entire take. And you know what? I was feeling pretty damn fine about it until I heard about your ridiculous win. Just you wait, Hull ¨C or whatever your real name is ¨C because Fortune doesn¡¯t let this kind of thing stand. Your luck is going to snap back so fast it¡¯ll take your head clean off, just you watch.¡±


    I almost wanted to tell him it already had, but half of what had happened he wouldn¡¯t understand and the other half he wouldn¡¯t believe. ¡°You¡¯ve still got plenty of matches to win.¡±


    He flicked a hand at me dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°What? Did you already play a match today?¡±


    He nodded sourly. ¡°First one of the day, bright and early. I didn¡¯t lose, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡± He pointed his fork at the wooden name plates on the wall showing the bracket of upcoming matches. ¡°It¡¯s my next one that¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Looking up, I realized I had no idea what his name was and didn¡¯t care to find out. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    He glared at me. ¡°I¡¯m up against Afi, you illiterate pig. Afi.¡±


    I remembered the name. ¡°The one that won the Rare contest. That can step into her Mind Home.¡± I¡¯d been pickpocketing the asshole Gamemaster at the time, but I¡¯d still kept an eye on the action.


    ¡°I know when I¡¯m outclassed,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°No point in losing a card to find out the obvious. I¡¯m ceding the match. Pulling a no-show. I¡¯m getting one last free meal and I¡¯m out the door. May I never see you and your rat¡¯s-ass face again.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    If he thought he¡¯d get an apology from me on the way out, he¡¯d be holding his breath for a while. ¡°Have you seen Basil this morning?¡±


    He threw his arms up in the air. ¡°And to top it all off,¡± he announced to the air, ¡°he gets a bloody noble patron, too.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°He¡¯s not my patron.¡±


    ¡°If not, then you¡¯ve got the whole city fooled. What have you got on him? Is the Prince right? Are you bedding his fianc¨¦e?¡±


    I clenched a fist. ¡°No.¡± I was tiring of his accusations.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± He scooped the last of his food into his mouth and stood abruptly. ¡°Fortune piss on your boots. You¡¯d better hope you can juggle all those new cards of yours, but if there¡¯s any justice, you¡¯ll choke and flame out in your very next match. It almost makes me want to stay and watch¡­ but not quite. I¡¯m out of here.¡±


    Panic gripped me at his words. That was exactly why I¡¯d been looking for Basil ¨C not just for advice on my troubles, but because I needed to know which of these new cards to play and which to leave out, if any. Just because I knew I couldn¡¯t keep winning with my one paltry move didn¡¯t mean I knew what to do now that I had nearly four times the deck size of the day before. I needed help.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said as he walked away. I hated how desperate I sounded, but I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°So you haven¡¯t seen Basil? Are you sure?¡±


    Something in my tone caught him, and he eyed me with renewed curiosity. ¡°No sign of him. Probably got his nose stuck in a book somewhere. What¡¯s got you all bothered?¡±


    I chewed the inside of my cheek. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    He cocked his head and peered at me closely, then barked a sharp, satisfied laugh. ¡°You are going to choke. You¡¯re sweating like a whore caught by her father. Maybe I¡¯ll stick around to watch after all. Seeing you roll out a few bad misplays would improve my day immensely.¡±


    ¡°He said he¡¯d help me with the new cards,¡± I muttered, shamefaced. I didn¡¯t want to tell him, but unless I could consult with Basil before my next match, this hustler had the right of it: I¡¯d be sunk.


    He looked confused. ¡°Are you trying to tell me that you¡¯re fielding a perfectly tuned combo ¨C with an Epic, no less ¨C and you don¡¯t know how to put a deck together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to tell you anything,¡± I said, looking around the room. Maybe one of these other fools knew where my friend was.


    ¡°You really are,¡± he mused. His shoulders softened, and he looked almost pitying. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I know plenty,¡± I said, stepping in aggressively. Showing weakness was never the right move.


    A sad smile quirked at his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re Fortune¡¯s greatest fool,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so fun to watch you lose after all. Still¡­ I don¡¯t mind telling you this makes me feel much better about myself.¡± He reached out to clap me on the shoulder and I shied away, so he let the hand drop. ¡°Do what I¡¯m doing, kid: drop out. You¡¯ve gotten an absolutely insane haul, and all you can do now is risk losing the best parts of it. Walk away, learn your cards, sell a couple if funds get tight, and in a year or two you can train up enough to hit the big leagues.¡±


    My throat tightened. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I wanted nothing more than to drop out and disappear, but Ticosi would have every entrance watched, every angle covered. I was making him a fortune and he wasn¡¯t about to let it slip through his fingers. Why did he say that about my mother?


    The hustler shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t fix stupidity. Do what you have to.¡± He turned to go.


    ¡°You know how to win,¡± I said, snagging his sleeve. ¡°You only lose when you want to.¡±


    He raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°That might be overselling it a bit, but yeah. I know how to put together a good deck on the cheap and I know how to play the odds.¡±


    My pride sat like a stone in my throat. This piece of shit pretended to be a gutter kid to game the other players and he was walking away unscathed. I wanted to set his hair on fire. But my desperation was even greater, so with a deep pain in my soul, I swallowed that bitter rock and let it settle in my stomach. ¡°Would you take a look at my new cards?¡±


    He laughed in my face. ¡°Just because I feel sorry for someone who got in over their head doesn¡¯t make me a Tender. I gave you my advice. If you¡¯re too thick to take it, I¡¯ve got nothing for you.¡± He pulled his sleeve free and walked on.


    ¡°I can pay you,¡± I called after him.


    That stopped him. He squinted at me, weighing his odds. ¡°Four crowns.¡±


    My heart leapt, and I said a silent thanks to the Twins that Ticosi hadn¡¯t thought to check my pockets the night before. I still had the announcer¡¯s purse, and it had three crowns and change in it. A downright fortune for a kid like me, and I didn¡¯t want to turn it all over before I¡¯d even spent any. ¡°Two.¡±


    His lip curled. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t actually poor,¡± he said. ¡°You play it better than most, but the Epic gives you away. All right, you¡¯ve got a deal.¡± He held out a hand. ¡°Money up front.¡±


    I reached into the purse in my pocket and withdrew two of the big, heavy coins, holding them up in my fist. ¡°You walk me through the combos and the best sequence of plays. We spend the whole time until my first match. Two hours.¡±


    He eyed the gold in my hand. ¡°There¡¯s a practice hall just around the corner. For a couple of clips the fellow there will summon his training dummy and you can beat on it all you¡¯d like.¡±


    I stretched out my hand and then drew it back as I thought of something. ¡°And you can¡¯t tell any of the other competitors about my cards.¡±


    He shrugged, looking faintly disappointed. ¡°All right. I can¡¯t keep them from watching if they show up, though.¡±


    I let the coins clink into his hand. It hurt to let them go, but I had to do this. The second I washed out, Ticosi would be on me like flies swarming dung. I needed to keep winning, if only to give me more time to think about how to deal with him.


    ¡°Not bad wages for a couple of hours¡¯ practice,¡± the boy said, grinning at me roguishly. ¡°Now take those damned sausages out of your pocket and eat them. We¡¯ve got work to do.¡±

 32. Basil - Mindset

    By the time the sun had fully risen I was already gone from my room. Much like the night prior, my rest came in only a few short bursts interspersed with wild thoughts and planning of how to raise myself to previously unfathomable heights. Atrea¡¯s return with the items I had requested also awoke me for a time, as did Warrick leaving in the predawn light.


    ¡°I thought I was the one who was supposed to have good hearing,¡± he said, sheepishly, when I greeted him from the floor.


    I stood, stretching my aching muscles ¨C the rug covering the wooden boards hadn¡¯t been quite as plush as I had hoped. ¡°I needed to get up anyway,¡± I told him with a half-contained yawn.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have an afternoon match?¡± He moved to my wash room, where we took a mouthful from the water pitcher, swished and then spit it out into the waiting bowl.


    ¡°I do,¡± I confirmed without saying the rest of what was on my mind. I would have preferred him to use one of the cups provided instead of drinking directly from the pitcher, but this was Warrick: the fact he had managed to cultivate two Order with how he lived was a feat unto itself.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off,¡± he said. ¡°Need to write an essay for my probabilities professor. Can you believe my parents are holding classes during the tournament? Demented, eh? Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll make your match, but I¡¯ll come back as soon as I can. And here,¡± he said, pressing something into my hand, ¡°for letting me sleep in your bed when you deserved the rest much more than I did.¡±


    By the time I looked down at what Warrick had given me, he was already out the door; in my hand sat two colorful bags of Tears of Les. They were the last sort of gift I would want, but I saw little point in chasing after him, not with all the work that had to be done.


    I started with cleaning my room, which was in desperate need of it. Warrick had left the bed a sea of rumples, so I straightened the three layers of sheet, blanket, and quilt, and then tucked them carefully in, double-checking my work, and brushing out any lingering wrinkles with the flat of my hand. I fluffed the two pillows, neither of which I had gotten to use, and placed them next to each other at the top center of the bed, perfectly equidistant from the edges as measured by my pointer finger. Then, using a small cloth from the wash room with a touch of water, I dusted all the surfaces in the room. I had only been there one evening, but whoever¡¯s role it was to clean this set of dormitories had been lax in their work, as I needed to refresh the cloth ¨C wetting it and wringing it out ¨C multiple times before the job was done to my satisfaction.


    I would have liked to do more, but I also needed to straighten myself, so I bathed using the remaining water in the sizable pitcher to wash my hair and scrub my skin in the clawfoot tub. I wasn¡¯t always a fan of cold baths, but it served to wake me the rest of the way up, and it was with a spring in my step that I dried off and dressed in a similar outfit as the day before ¨C this time with different underclothes and an undershirt with more ruffles that I was fond of. A bit of oil in my hair helped it swoop the direction I wished, and a dab from a different, tinier bottle, just below my jaw on either side leant me a pleasant scent.


    I left the room, completing my cultivation of Order by locking the door behind me with a hand-sized key that produced a satisfying click when the mechanism was in place. From there, I passed few others as I ascended to the highest point I could find in the Coliseum. This turned out to be the same space that had served as our location of entertainment the night before, except that now it was deserted, both of people and furnishings. The tables were gone, and even the stage, meaning a team of laborers, and likely Souls, had worked to transform the space back into a flat, open-air roof surrounded by crenellations, the gaps in the stone looking like missing teeth. There were still some long streamers hung on a handful of raised poles, but those poles were too narrow for me to climb, so I went instead to the edge, lifting myself into the dip of one of the crenellations, so I could then get onto the higher part. It was quite a fall from that point, twice as high up as my balcony, but after so many years cultivating Air atop Pirtash Peak I was used to such dizzying sights. In addition, the crenellation was thick, at least four feet deep, so I could sit atop it with my legs hung over the inward side with little fear of falling.


    My preparations complete, I closed my eyes, ready to start my secondary cultivation. For all his faults, Tipfin had drilled into me the importance of honoring your Sources every day. With the distraction of the tournament, I had failed to do so the day prior, and I wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake twice. Without proper attention paid to one''s Sources, one¡¯s attunement to them could degrade, like Hull¡¯s lack of Order, and I needed mine flush and ready for my upcoming matches.


    First, I focused on the Air outside of me, letting the way it tossed my hair, brushed my skin, and fluttered my clothes consume my thoughts. I tracked its shift from a light breeze, to a strong gust, to a return to playfulness. The brunt of its power came mainly from the East, but there were times when it pivoted, blowing toward me from the Northeast or even straight North.


    Next, I focused on taking it in, breathing deeply of the Air around me, feeling it spread through my chest, expanding it. On my following inhale, I concentrated on pulling deeper, into the space below my rib cage, and after a few more breaths, I was able to get it all the way down to my belly button. Each time I held the Air, noting how it filled me, swelling and strengthening my core. As I did this, I realized that I had been wrong the other day to think that an apology was nothing but air. Air was tangible, and with intention behind it, had great force. While it would be more convincing when paired with action, it was still powerful unto itself, and I had been foolish to ignore it as an initial overture to Esmi.


    Today, I would correct that error in judgment, as well.


    Finally, I focused on adding my own Air to the world. When I had been younger, that had been simply breathing out ¨C or as some of the other children with me at the time had joked, passing gas ¨C but many years later, I now did so with song. I didn¡¯t have the best voice, but after more than a decade of such cultivation, it was clear and, I liked to believe, strong:


    Sources swim with the Twins at the end of time,


    Fire churns the restless wyrm that burns inside,


    Water waits beneath the waves to one day rise,


    Earth regrets seasons spent without Fate to guide,


    Air swirls around the world when Fortune smiles.


    A took a breath to start the next refrain and ¨C


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    ¡°You are much better at that than I remembered.¡±


    I turned to find my brother Gale on the crenellation beside mine. Unlike me, he dared to stand tall against the wind that whipped at his long hair. He couldn¡¯t fly like the king, but one of his soul abilities allowed him to adjust his weight. That, combined with the strengthening bracers he wore strapped to his ankles, let him leap through the city practically weightless and then take root with greater mass wherever he wished to lounge.


    ¡°I appreciate the kind words, brother,¡± I replied, donning a mantle of formality and Order to do so, which felt more stifling than normal, coming on the heels of cultivating Air.  ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?¡±


    ¡°Mother¡¯s been asking after you,¡± Gale said, his light blue eyes making the gold in them stand out all the more.


    ¡°She has?¡± I asked, not liking how hopeful my voice sounded.


    ¡°She heard that you had taken up with some lowborn boy who entered the tourney, and when you chose to stay at the Coliseum instead of coming home when it¡¯s only a short carriage ride away, she became downright moody. So, I took it upon myself to check on you. Easier than continuing to live with her in such a state by far.¡±


    I slumped. She still viewed me as a child, concerned for my safety and not what I might accomplish. I quickly straightened out of that old way of thinking. If I planned to raise my soul to Epic and beyond, then moving beyond my mother¡¯s expectations would be the least of the hurdles I would need to overcome.


    ¡°You can report to her that I¡¯m doing well and merely living by her example: a weed is not always a weed, particularly not when given the proper soil and attention to thrive.¡±


    He nodded, looking amused at my tart reply.  ¡°If you win your next match, you¡¯ll be in the top eight of the tournament. That means you¡¯ll get to have dinner with the king tonight. When Randel and I competed, it was a humorous affair, and I¡¯m sure it will be similar this time around. The king is eccentric at best, and he¡¯s only become more so over the years.¡±


    ¡°I am quite aware of those things,¡± I responded, having heard those particular stories over our own dinner table for many years. I didn¡¯t bother confirming my brother¡¯s assessment of the king by sharing how our liege had appeared unexpectedly, wishing to compete in a category none could match and damaging the entire gathering with his Lightsong ability in the process. If I managed to gain similar power one day, would I also become as out of touch as he seemed to be? Hopefully not with someone like Esmi at my side, or a Soul like Atrea. ¡°The opportunities you describe are precisely why I am here,¡± I said to Gale, ¡°preparing for my match. If you are finished confirming my well-being, I would appreciate it if you let me return to my cultivation.¡±


    Gale smiled again ¨C that knowing one which often irked me. ¡°Luck, brother,¡± he said, crouching slightly in preparation to jump, and then with a wink, ¡°Give your fiancee my best, would you?¡± Before I could respond, he leapt off the crenellation, soaring away in a perfectly executed arc.


    I watched him go, more likely to cultivate Nether with the sudden spark of rage I was feeling than anything else. The sensation was momentary though, gone with the breeze. Gale wasn¡¯t serious about Esmi ¨C he wasn¡¯t serious about anything. He was just tweaking my nose, a pastime both my brothers engaged with annoying rigor. Well, raising my soul to the heights I had planned wouldn''t just be useful for putting princes in their place but also interfering siblings.


    With that pleasant thought in mind, I closed my eyes, and started again, feeling the wind upon me. Though I had a few errands I planned to run before Esmi¡¯s match, I still had enough time to ¨C


    ¡°Master Hintal,¡± a gravelly voice said.


    I let out a sigh that was more of a grunt, opening my eyes. For a moment I didn¡¯t recognize the man, with his grizzled features and dark clothes, cut more for travel than social gatherings. Then I placed him as the one who had been with Plutar.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, equal parts wary and frustrated. How did people keep finding me? Gale could have guessed that I¡¯d be cultivating Air and searched the high points of the Coliseum, but this lackey? Did he possess the Hunt ability or a lesser one associated with tracking?


    ¡°From my lord,¡± the man said, holding out a rolled piece of parchment with an orange wax stamp keeping it closed.


    I reached to take it, but a thought forestalled my hand. Unfurling it, reading it, those things would take time, and today mine was especially valuable. Not to mention this was probably just another base attempt to distract me.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Master?¡± he asked, as if confused by my question.


    ¡°You seem close to him, a trusted vassal,¡± I explained. ¡°He might have even dictated this message to you. You know its contents, do you not?¡±


    He looked somewhat uncomfortable at that idea, but eventually jerked a begrudging nod.


    I folded my arms. ¡°Then tell me what it says. In the shortest way possible.¡±


    The man pressed his lips together, but did close to what I asked, breaking the seal and spreading the vellum lengthwise between his two hands.


    ¡°Hintal,¡± he began, in that rough voice, with only a touch of the accent that Plutar possessed, ¡°I was disappointed to learn that, while I was indisposed, you allowed Esmi to be harmed by Prince Gerad. If you have any dignity ¨C ¡±


    Anger swelled in me, something I would normally curtail, but again, I found myself resisting my usual nature. Why must I temper my reaction for this individual? Just like my mother would need to accept my independence, I needed to gain the respect of those I interacted with, and, as well as I could judge, some heat in this particular situation wouldn¡¯t go amiss.


    ¡°I did not ask you to read it,¡± I snapped at him, letting my displeasure show ¨C it was uncomfortable to speak so, but the Air in me seemed to resonate with the freedom of the act. ¡°I asked what it said. What is the point of this message?¡±


    Again, the man didn¡¯t look happy, trailing his eyes down the sheet as if to confirm the words it contained.


    ¡°He asks that you forfeit your match against him and relinquish your status as Esmi¡¯s fiance, since you are, judging from your recent inability to act, unworthy of the title.¡±


    I slid off of the crenellation, booted feet landing on the stone. I summoned a full set of cards into my hand, which widened the other man¡¯s eyes. Bronze flakes danced there, glittering off of the new sun ¨C he was only a Common Soul, with probably no more cards in his Mind Home than I now held in my fist.


    ¡°Tell your master that I will beat every last shard from him during our scheduled duel. Also, inform him that if he tries to play any more games with me before our match, I will not wait for our sanctioned duel but instead find him and settle our differences in the raw, as they do on the streets.¡± I had never been in a street fight myself, but I was confident Hull could give me some pointers should the need arise.


    The man stood there a moment, seemingly shocked by my claim, and I turned one of my cards into a floating ball of Order Source.


    ¡°Do I need to send an Executioner after you to make sure it¡¯s done?¡± I asked, my voice nearly as rough as his.


    Whether it was from my tone or the threat, he flinched ¨C a grown man, actually shying away from me ¨C and then he turned on his heel and marched away, not running, but moving a good sight faster than walking.


    Watching him go, I was just as surprised by my behavior as he had been. Making demands, threatening people? That certainly wasn¡¯t how I usually comported myself. And yet, would constantly being polite let me reach my new goals? I somehow doubted it. Halfway across the rooftop, the man glanced over his shoulder to make sure that I wasn¡¯t sending a Soul chasing after him, and seeing him do so had the oddest effect on me ¨C I felt a warmness in my heart, as if, even if it was only for a moment, I was in complete control of my destiny.


    The sensation didn¡¯t last long, replaced by the realization that I needed to get a move on if I was going to accomplish all that I had planned. One of my most important tasks for the day was to watch Esmi¡¯s duel, not only so I could provide her support, but because after defeating Plutar ¨C which I would do; he was a bug compared to the prince ¨C I would face the winner of their match.


    Whether that ended up being the bruiser from Darlish or my fiancee, I aimed to be prepared.

 33. Hull - Practice, Practice

    Chapter 33


    Practice, Practice


    ¡°I hate you all over again,¡± the hustler sighed when I finished showing him my cards. ¡°I¡¯d kill my kid sister for a haul like this.¡± We were working our way through the honeycomb network of hallways tunneled into the recesses of the Coliseum, and I didn¡¯t trust the boy well enough to hand the cards over, so I¡¯d drawn them one by one into my hand to show to him. Once I got to 10 cards I couldn¡¯t bring any more out no matter how I strained, so I¡¯d let go of the Lesser Healing Potion, letting it dissipate back into my Mind Home, and only then could I bring forth my 11th card into my hand. It was my new Epic, the Talisman of Spite, and that was what had prompted the new declaration of hate from my temporary tutor.


    ¡°I should have gotten more,¡± I said bitterly, letting all the cards disappear back into my Mind Home. ¡°I jumped to a bargain too quickly and got taken.¡± I still wanted to find that damned half-dwarf and kick his rocky little ass up into his ears, even if it broke my toes.


    ¡°Bad deals happen,¡± the boy said, waving a hand. ¡°Feel bad, sure, and learn from it ¨C but save all that for later or else it¡¯ll cloud your thinking and lessen your confidence in the arena. Fact is, you¡¯ve got the core of a mean little deck here that can wipe the floor with most folks in the city, so long as you learn how to use it. Ah, here we are.¡±


    The practice arena was a space a little larger than the Artisan and Soulsmith hall I¡¯d visited with Penkmun the Tender the day before, with a raised arena in each of the four corners and a handful of benches ringing a wide cistern of water for a rest area in the center. The dueling spaces were all empty. A fat, balding man was taking his ease on a bench, thumbing his way through one of those cheap novels I sometimes saw the merchant folk reading. He ignored us even when we stood right beside him.


    ¡°Need to use your training dummy,¡± my companion said to him.


    The man grunted and turned a page.


    ¡°If you can spare the time. Must be awful busy,¡± the hustler said dryly.


    ¡°Two clips.¡± The man didn¡¯t even look up.


    The boy next to me rolled his eyes but motioned at me. I didn¡¯t like having to spend even more money that he was already costing me, but having something to use my cards on seemed like a good idea, and there were a few clips rattling around in my stolen purse anyway. I fished two out and handed them over, and the man¡¯s eyes left his book for the very first time as he inspected the money carefully and tucked it behind his sash. An Order source flowed into his left hand and was immediately cast overhead as a summons card appeared in his right. He cast the card and immediately went back to reading. Instead of appearing right next to him, the Soul appeared in the center of the furthestmost practice arena.


    The hustler thanked him ¨C to absolutely no response ¨C and we climbed up into the ring.


    ¡°Ignore the dummy for now,¡± he told me. ¡°We¡¯ll need it in a bit, but first we have to talk business about your cards.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking maybe there are some I shouldn¡¯t use right now. The more cards I have, the harder it will be to draw my Hammer-Void combo, and that¡¯s what really works.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what works because that¡¯s all you¡¯ve had until now,¡± he said, leaning against a corner post. ¡°You¡¯re scared to branch out.¡±


    ¡°Am not,¡± I shot back. ¡°But having more cards can be a problem if it disrupts my play style. I know that much, at least.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± he allowed, ¡°but you¡¯re not right, either. Fact is that your new cards work together pretty tightly. Even just a few minutes of thinking about it gives me a dozen ideas of how to put things together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a dozen ways,¡± I said, clenching my fists. ¡°I need one, and I need it to win this next match.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± he said, waving me back. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to spin your head; I just want to show you that these cards can preserve the one trick you¡¯ve been using ¨C a very good trick, I admit ¨C and add a bunch of other options for you to face down a wider range of decks than before. We can talk about whether you need every last one, that¡¯s fine, but you shouldn¡¯t be thinking about sticking with the three cards you know and leaving the rest for later. You¡¯ll lose.¡±


    I realized I was gnawing on my lip and stopped. I¡¯d had that exact thought no less than a dozen times this morning. I wasn¡¯t going to say it out loud, but he was right: I was scared, and the thought of sticking with the familiar was persuasive.


    ¡°Show me your hand again,¡± he instructed.


    I pulled the cards one by one, filling my hand in moments, and spread them wide between both hands. My maximum of 10 left one of my Ghastly Gremlins still in my Mind Home, but he¡¯d seen it before, and I had two others sitting in view.


    ¡°With Nether, you¡¯ll go first in nearly every situation,¡± he mused. He tapped the Talisman of Spite. ¡°That means that even though you¡¯d like to get this out turn 1 so it can activate as soon as possible, you¡¯ll probably never be able to.¡±


    ¡°So, honestly, your Hammer turn 1 and the Sucking Void turn 2 is still probably your most effective opener. Old faithful.¡±


    ¡°Then you could pop your Talisman turn 3 as your first source finally recovers and you lay down a fresh one. Hmm. We¡¯ll have to practice to make sure that damage nullified by the Sucking Void still counts towards the Talisman¡¯s activation total. They fit together so tightly that I suspect it will, but if not, you¡¯ll want to hold off on the Talisman ¡®til later. We¡¯ll see.¡±


    I listened as fiercely as I knew how, sucking the information in. I had questions, but I didn¡¯t dare interrupt yet.


    He continued. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not always going to get the cards you want in your opening hand. Fortune¡¯s little tricks, you know? But you¡¯re going to need to learn to mulligan. With only 10 or 11 cards total, your chances of getting what you need are still quite good even if you don¡¯t get them on first draw. You want the Hammer and the Void. Draw 4 cards from Summons and only one from Source for your opener, is what I would recommend, and trade out all 4 if you need to. If you still don¡¯t get the combo, then a good alternative opener is a turn 1 Root Imp. You let the damage it deals you summon one of your Ghastlies, and then devote both. Hitting for 5 turn one puts your opponent firmly on the back foot and thins their hand nicely.¡±


    I nodded. I¡¯d thought about that combo; it was straightforward and powerful, especially in the early game. Still, it was nice to hear someone with some experience confirm my vaguely-formed idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the main strategy, though. If you¡¯re able to get the Void out turn 2 and the Talisman turn 3, then you want to pile on the damage to yourself as quick as possible, because your opponent will stop attacking you if they¡¯ve got half a brain. So turn 4 is either the Root Imp - Ghastly Gremlin combo ¨C or even better, one of those Marauder beauties.¡±


    He sighed, looking at one of them. ¡°So cheap. So powerful. So entirely not worth including in any deck that can¡¯t ignore damage like yours does. 3 self-damage per turn is insane.¡±


    I remembered this one tearing me from neck to groin just the night before and shifted uncomfortably. I¡¯d use them and I¡¯d appreciate how powerful they were, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever feel entirely at ease around these demons.


    He tallied up numbers on his fingers. ¡°If you¡¯re drawing 4 in the open and 2 more from Summons for turn 1, then you¡¯ll need to draw 1 Summons card and 1 source each turn so you can keep laying Nether each turn. If you¡¯re running all 11 cards you have in your Mind Home right now and you lay the Sucking Void on turn 2, then¡­ 7, 8, 9¡­ you¡¯ll end up discarding your bottom 2 cards because of the deck destruction effect.¡±


    I waited for half a beat to make sure he wasn¡¯t going to say something else before I broke in. ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t be playing them all.¡±


    He waffled a hand. ¡°Maybe. Leaving the Healing Potion out hurts if you do manage to get your Sucking Void out turn 2 without taking damage, because then you give up on doubling down on your best effect¡­¡±


    ¡°...but most folks will find a way to hit you for at least 1 or 2 that first turn, and then all you¡¯re getting back is a Ghastly, most likely. They make great damage blockers in hand even if you end up wasting them to the Expire effect on the opponent¡¯s turn. I mean, there¡¯s also an argument to be made for keeping the Potion in regardless ¨C no matter what card you get back, it¡¯s one more card to play or block damage with. Reasons against, reasons for¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a wash.¡±


    I fought the urge to shake my head like a dog doused in water. His branching logic was getting hard to keep in order. I gritted my teeth and focused harder.


    He tapped the one remaining undiscussed card in my hand. ¡°This is the only other one I¡¯d consider leaving out.¡±


    ¡°Armor 2 is insanely useful against just about anybody, and the self-damage can help you activate the Talisman, but it¡¯s not worth trading out for any of your other early plays like the Talisman or the Marauder, so you¡¯re looking more at late-game usage. By then your Sucking Void will have expired, and you risk discarding cards you don¡¯t want to unless your Talisman is up and running.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m almost talking myself out of removing it. It¡¯s a fantastic card.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°So should I take it out or not?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Hrm.¡± He chewed on his lip, thinking. ¡°Let¡¯s have you run through your first few turns a handful of times and see how it plays out. You need to get comfortable summoning your new cards as much as anything else. Then we can decide. Come on, let¡¯s take it from the top. Dismiss those cards and draw like you¡¯re starting a match.¡±


    I let my cards drop into nothing and faced the training dummy, feeling tingles of excitement in my fingertips. It wasn¡¯t a real match, but still: here I was learning gamecraft from a kid I¡¯d hired, drawing incredible cards out of my Mind Home. The me from two days before wouldn¡¯t have believed it. I pulled 1 Source from my soul and 4 Summons cards from my Mind Home. The cards were¡­ not exactly what I hoped for.


    The hustler peeked over my shoulder. ¡°Oof. Not great. Well, that¡¯s how it goes sometimes. I¡¯d redraw all 4.¡±


    I frowned at him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I keep 1 of the Ghastlies? You said that¡¯s a good alternate turn 1.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said, scratching his chin. ¡°But never make your backup plan your primary plan when you¡¯ve still got a good chance of putting the primary into action. Think about it: those 4 go to the bottom of your deck ¨C you get to choose what order they¡¯re in by what order you let go first, don¡¯t forget that ¨C and if you draw 4 more you¡¯ve filtered through 8 out of 11 cards. You draw 2 more turn 1, and now you¡¯ve seen all but 1 of your cards. That¡¯s damn good odds of getting the desirable combo. To be honest, it¡¯s worse when you get part of your combo and have to go fishing for the rest, because you¡¯re cycling through fewer cards. So don¡¯t be shy about mulliganing hard.¡±


    I let go of my cards one at a time, starting with the Marauder and the Plate. His point of getting to order your later draws by mulliganing strategically was exactly the kind of thing I¡¯d have never thought of, and those two would be better mid-game draws. By the time they came around I¡¯d have plenty of Nether to summon them with, and hopefully that was the stage of the game for getting a heavy hitter and sealing the deal. My next draw was much more interesting.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, peeking. ¡°You¡¯d have rather gotten the Sucking Void than the Marauder, but this isn¡¯t bad, and you still have 2 more cards to draw at the start of your turn. The important thing is that you¡¯ve got your turn 1 drop in hand. Missing a good turn 1 is death for an aggro deck like yours. Not to mention that so long as you get your Sucking Void by turn 2, you have the chance of using the Potion to get it back.¡±


    He gestured to the training dummy. ¡°All right, so let¡¯s say we¡¯re starting the match. You both reveal your starting Source to determine who goes first¡­¡±


    He waved at me irritably, and I threw my one Nether overhead, watching the purple, spiked sphere orbit my head. The color shimmered and pulsed, and I could feel the rage waiting inside it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say your opponent lays out, uh, Order. That¡¯s the most likely. You go first. Draw your cards. Remember, you want 2 from the Mind Home this time; no point in wasting hand space on Source you can¡¯t play this turn.¡±


    I nodded and drew.


    ¡°Two Epics in a single draw, you son of a bitch,¡± the hustler said ruefully. ¡°I¡¯ll never get over your luck.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mention that I¡¯d stolen one of them and the other one had earned me the lifelong hate of the Crown Prince, who also happened to be my half-brother who I was strongly considering killing alongside our father. That would divert our training session for sure, and I¡¯d paid him a ridiculous amount of money for every minute of help I could get. Basil, you asshole. Why weren¡¯t you in the Mess Hall?


    ¡°You¡¯re set up for your early rounds!¡± the hustler said, clapping his hands. ¡°Go on, play your turn 1. Go nuts, the dummy can take it.¡±


    Grinning, I devoted my Nether and summoned the Hateful Hammer.


    It settled into one hand with a reassuring weight, and I sprang forward, swinging for the strange-looking dummy. I wanted to knock its head clean off. I could feel the magical hammer shifting in my hand, finding the perfect angle to ensure it dealt its unavoidable damage.


    The dummy¡¯s head exploded in a shower of dust and leather, which I found very satisfying. When I turned back to survey the damage I¡¯d done, though, I saw the padding and cloth stitching itself back together. A second later it looked exactly as it had before my hit.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I grunted, dissatisfied.


    My temporary tutor barked a laugh. ¡°You could hit a training dummy with every Spell and Soul under the sun and not leave a scratch. You have to have some kind of destruction effect to get rid of them, and I¡¯m pretty sure if we used one that bastard would pull his nose out of his book and kick us out.¡±


    I nodded. It made sense; we were here to train. Still, I wanted to break the thing down to pieces and leave it ruined. Even without my Nether I just liked destroying things.


    ¡°Now your opponent would hit back,¡± the hustler warned me. ¡°There¡¯s always a chance they have a bad opening hand, especially if they¡¯ve got a deck of 20 or more, but don¡¯t bet on it. They might be able to hit you for 1 or 2 if they have their own weapon or a Soul they¡¯re willing to devote turn 1. You can hope for a slower deck or a conservative player, but again¡­ expect to take a hit. With what you¡¯ve got, I¡¯d recommend dropping the Imp if it¡¯s 1 and the Marauder if it¡¯s 2.¡±


    I opened my mouth to object, but he held up a hand.


    ¡°I know, you hate to lose a heavy hitter, but you¡¯ve got the Potion and could get it back if you had to.¡±


    ¡°But then I don¡¯t get my Sucking Void back.¡±


    ¡°True. But if I had to guess, I¡¯d say you¡¯ll only manage to double-dip on your Void maybe a third of the time. You can¡¯t manage perfect plays every time when the other guy¡¯s trying to kill you.¡±


    I shook my head, frustrated. ¡°I need a real opponent.¡±


    He looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see any volunteers.¡±


    I gripped my Hammer tighter. ¡°I¡¯m paying you two crowns, asshole.¡±


    He laughed in my face. ¡°You¡¯d have to pay me ten to get me to step in front of those Demons. No, twenty.¡± He twirled a finger over our heads. ¡°We don¡¯t have a Dueling Dome, dipshit, and card damage is Fated. You either block it with cards or with blood. I¡¯m not risking my life for two measly crowns.¡±


    I wanted to argue the point, but he was right. If I was him, I wouldn¡¯t have done it either.


    ¡°So go on,¡± he said, pointing to the dummy. ¡°Turn 2. Either you¡¯ve taken a little damage or you¡¯re going to the very next turn. What¡¯s the play?¡±


    I nodded and focused back in on the job at hand. I knew what to do now. I¡¯d done it every single time so far. I drew a Nether and a card.


    I now had my Imp-Gremlin combo in hand, but I knew he¡¯d tell me to save it until I had my Talisman in play. Devoting the new Nether, I summoned my trusty Spell.


    The starlight covering snugged around me like a blanket of safety. The first few times I¡¯d used it I¡¯d felt stifled, like I couldn¡¯t breathe, but now my body knew what it did. That snugness meant safety. I jumped in again and whacked at the dummy. It wasn¡¯t any more satisfying the second time than it had been the first.


    ¡°Now you can expect your opponent to summon something bigger. It could be a heal, but more likely it¡¯ll be a decent-sized Soul they can block with. It won¡¯t be able to hurt you, but for turn 3 you¡¯ll have to decide whether to summon your Talisman or your Potion. If you do the Potion you¡¯ll have a Nether you can power up your swing with so you can hit for 3, which could be handy if their blocker has 3 health or more. Depends on whether you have anything in discard underneath your Sucking Void. If not, then you should absolutely summon the Potion and get it back for turn 4. If the Potion is going to bring back a Demon, though, it can wait and you should get the Talisman in play to start accumulating damage. Like I said, that¡¯s the most likely scenario.¡±


    He nodded decisively. ¡°Let¡¯s say you lost the Root Imp on turn 1 this time. Play the Talisman.¡±


    I wanted to argue, but I wanted to summon the new card even more. I pulled another Nether into my hand and a card as well. It was the Marauder I¡¯d mulliganed in my opening hand. Devoting the new Nether and the one that had just come back to ready from turn 1, I channeled my Source into the card, watching it shimmer into nothing and then appear as a plate-sized medallion hanging around my neck.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± the hustler said, and then I felt a sharp pressure in my back. The Sucking Void¡¯s starlight armor stopped it entirely, but it made the wound in my back twinge painfully. I whirled around, and a blank-faced Soul stood behind me, short sword in hand.


    I rounded on the hustler, who had a spent Order hovering overhead and a smug grin on his face. Fury flooded me, and I raised my Hammer.


    ¡°What¡¯s the idea?¡± I roared.


    He laughed. ¡°Oh, relax. I wanted to test my theory.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t have cared less about his theory. He¡¯d stabbed me in the back, and when that had happened just last night, I hadn¡¯t been able to hit back. Not this time. I swung my Hammer at his face.


    I saw his look of shock right before the Hammer covered it. The glowing metal slammed into him, drawing a grunt and leaving the shreds of two cards fluttering down. I rebounded hard, just as I always did when cards took the damage.


    The hustler¡¯s shock quickly turned to anger. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m helping you!¡±


    I drew myself upright, Hammer still clenched tightly in one fist. ¡°Summoning a Soul to stab me is a shitty kind of help.¡±


    With a waved hand, he dismissed the Guard. ¡°Look at your Talisman, you knob. Look!¡±


    I held my glare on him for a moment longer just so he¡¯d know he couldn¡¯t order me around, and then I glanced down. The tip of one of the horns surrounding the central face glowed a dull purple.


    ¡°I wanted to see if damage taken while your Sucking Void is running still works to activate the Talisman. It does! I show you the best gods-damned synergy in your whole deck and you bash me in the face for it. Twins, I should have asked for hazard pay.¡±


    He was right, but the rage didn¡¯t care. ¡°You tell me before you do something like that.¡±


    He threw up his hands. ¡°It was a joke! You¡¯re literally covered in an unbreakable protection. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you!¡± I yelled. ¡°I don¡¯t even know your name. You don¡¯t play jokes like that on someone who just paid you a shit load of money for help.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± he yelled back. ¡°The point is, you¡¯ve got an insane pair of cards that will absorb whatever damage you take even when you¡¯re not really taking it, and you¡¯d have never have figured it out on your own. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    I walked to the far side of the arena, taking another pointless swing at the dummy as I passed. He was right. I should be thanking him. But a lifetime on the streets didn¡¯t just go away because he didn¡¯t know about it. I¡¯d wanted to summon my Marauder and have it rip his arms off. The Hammer in his face had been me restraining myself.


    I took a few breaths and cast my eyes around the room. There, lounging by the entrance, stood Losum, the Prince¡¯s friend who had helped him cheat during the Flinch Test. He saw me looking and gave me a cool smile.


    The hustler walked up behind me. ¡°He¡¯ll be telling the Prince everything he sees.¡±


    I nodded curtly. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There was a long silence. ¡°I should have told you what I was doing.¡±


    It was a peace offering. I didn¡¯t want to take it, but this was a different world than the one I was used to. People here helped each other, even the assholes who made you pay for the privilege. I took one more steadying breath. ¡°And I overreacted. So, uh¡­ sorry. I guess.¡± The words felt like coals in my mouth.


    He snorted. ¡°Such sincerity. Come on, let¡¯s keep working.¡±


    I jerked a chin at the Prince¡¯s spy. ¡°What about him?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Chase him off and the Prince¡¯ll just send someone else or bribe the training dummy guy. Gathering information about your opponents¡¯ decks is part of the game in Tournaments like these. Let it go. You¡¯ve only got so much time before your match starts.¡±


    I turned back to him. The rage had passed, and it was easier to open my mouth this time. ¡°Thank you for helping me. I know you didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    He shrugged and gave me his roguish grin. ¡°What can I say? I like getting paid. And my name is Morgane, by the way.¡± He stuck out a hand.


    I steeled myself and shook it. ¡°All right. I think I missed my last turn of protection. What¡¯s next?¡±


    He tilted his head toward the training dummy. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±

 34. Basil - Earth vs Fire

    After completing a few errands, I passed an updated bracket board in the Coliseum¡¯s halls on my way to Esmi¡¯s duel and immediately paused to inspect it.


    The winner¡¯s bracket matches were in the upper half, while the loser¡¯s took up the lower portion in a more condensed fashion. Right at the top, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the prince had emerged victorious against Afi. The sight brought on a cold rush of doubt: she had a Rare Soul and was the best student at Biddlewyn, which was why Warrick¡¯s parents had chosen to sponsor her for the tournament. Someone of her skill and standing hadn¡¯t been able to best Gerad, and yet I believed myself capable of such a feat?


    My recent Air cultivation saved me: the desire to go where I might and do as I wished still ran strongly through me and brushed the doubt away. I can reach for whatever I like, and if I get sent to the loser¡¯s bracket along the way, I¡¯ll fight my way free of it and still best him.


    I was pleased to see that the vampire Lustra had beaten the prince¡¯s other toadie, Reggie, and that he would be facing off against Losum in a later loser¡¯s match today. That meant only one of them could advance to top eight and have a chance at attending war camp ¨C practically a scandal considering their fathers were the realm''s two generals. I was especially delighted, though, because the situation would certainly be a thorn to Gerad. If I knew the crown prince at all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy the top eight spot he had already secured in the slightest with his underlings losing face like that.


    I scanned the rest of the info quickly, humming happily to myself, the match numbers showing the order they would take place in; it was a fortunate thing that I¡¯d be able to watch Esmi¡¯s duel, catch some of Hull¡¯s against Spignit, who was that kestrel summoner from the night before, and then just get to my own match. I hadn¡¯t noticed previously that Hull would fight the loser of Esmi¡¯s match against the Earth bruiser Haze, just like I would fight the winner after beating Plutar. That made it all the more important that I studied both their decks thoroughly, which got my feet moving in a hurry and headed toward the ground floor of the Coliseum.


    As expected of a winner¡¯s side match, the stands were absolutely packed, and I had to do some searching to locate a seat. My resulting find was farther up than I would have liked, but I preferred that over having to sit pressed shoulder-to-shoulder and shin-to-shin with other spectators. I might not have gotten a seat at all, but some kind folk recognized me as a competitor and scooted over, so I could take the very edge of the bench they were on.


    The announcer, a rather bubbly fellow, had us complete the usual prayer, which sent the ante spinning up into the air. The two cards, both Rare, where then magnified for all to see as part of the magic of the Dueling Dome.


    The cards gave hints about the decks they were attached to, the first considerably more so than the second. Esmi would have no reason to include the Spitfire Kobold unless she were running a considerable number of other kobolds, which, judging from the pack I¡¯d seen trailing after her before, I could safely say she was. The bruiser¡¯s card, on the other hand, was flexible removal that could be useful in almost any sort of deck. However, from what Warrick and Esmi had said about him, combined with how he had chosen to participate in last night¡¯s ill-fated Flinch Test, I guessed that Haze planned to use the card to deal with blockers that might get in between his fists and his opponent.


    ¡°And now the opening gambit!¡± the announcer declared. ¡°To no one¡¯s surprise, Haze uses Earth Source, while our very own Esmi Fireheart ¨C a title she earned after thrashing many a Charbonder ¨C uses Fire, meaning she will have the first go!¡±


    While the competitors were playing their starting Sources, I pulled a monocle from my vest pocket and held it up to my right eye. It had been my grandfather¡¯s on my mother¡¯s side, and was one of the items Atrea had retrieved for me. It was an Artifact: an older, weaker version of Gamemaster Glasses.


    I watched Esmi draw two more cards, hesitate a beat, and then play a Soul. My monocle showed me the truth of it, just as if I were competing under the Dome.


    ¡°Esmi plays a kobold,¡± the announcer said. ¡°To anyone who has watched her previous two duels, this comes as no surprise. What is surprising, folks, is that she¡¯s not attacking!¡±


    Fire decks were notorious for their aggressive play, and the same was true of swarm builds. Put those together, and I wasn¡¯t only surprised that Esmi was keeping the creature back but also that she hadn¡¯t devoted her Fire Source to put two such Souls onto the field.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got him, dear!¡± a woman from a lower portion of the stands called out encouragingly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared to wallop him!¡± another man shouted.


    But her blue-scaled kobold continued to stand there, the only thing about it moving being a nimbus of soft flame that shimmered around its torso. I wasn¡¯t sure what the fire was doing there, considering the Soul¡¯s card didn¡¯t have any abilities.


    ¡°For those of you who haven¡¯t seen Duelist Haze compete before,¡± the announcer said, perhaps in response to the crowd, ¡°or didn¡¯t see him during the Ability Competition, keep in mind the power of his Soul: not only does he possess the Strong ability, but he is fated to do 2 damage to anything he strikes. Esmi surely has reasons for playing this as she has.¡±


    I leaned back on the bench at that revelation. He had Strong and 2 Attack? I knew that Rare Souls were incredible, but that combination sounded borderline unfair. It helped explain why Esmi wasn¡¯t attacking, though. If she did, the kobold would be destroyed by Haze¡¯s return strike, and then she¡¯d be left vulnerable. I frowned. But with Strong, Haze could just push past the Cold-Blooded Kobold anyway, so was there any value in waiting to attack?


    ¡°Haze plays a second Earth Source and devotes it to summon!¡± the announcer cried.


    A creature of dirt and mud came into being on the wooden dueling platform. Its limbs were loose suggestions of arms and legs, unequal in size and with little defined detail, and its body was garnished with grass and even some flowers in bloom. But its ability¡­ what I wouldn¡¯t give for an Order card like that.


    As soon as the troll finished forming, Haze rushed past it barehanded.


    ¡°And he¡¯s going in for the first attack!¡± the announcer cried.


    At a command from Esmi, the Cold-Blooded Kobold moved to intercept and somehow managed to grapple Haze to a standstill despite the duelist¡¯s strength, mystifying me.


    ¡°Esmi¡¯s soul ability is no slouch either, my friends!¡± the announcer declared happily. ¡°Not only does her fiery touch deal a point of damage to anything that strikes her, but she empowers all kobolds she summons, giving them plus one Attack!¡±


    If my eyes could have popped out my head they would have; that¡¯s how stunned I was. An additional Attack to every single kobold under her control? When attacking or on defense? That was an incredibly powerful ability, and made me think that her Soul must be edging near to Epic rarity. It was no wonder Plutar was desperate to marry her in my stead.


    On the arena floor, Haze punched the blue creature, dealing his 2 damage. At the same time, the Cold-Blooded Kobold slashed him back for 3 due to Esmi¡¯s buff. But Haze released a card from his hand, blocking the damage in an explosion of shards that my monocle let me catch the original form of before it broke apart.


    ¡°He uses an Iron Troll to stop the entire attack!¡± the announcer narrated. ¡°These Earth Souls are only Uncommon, but are the perfect sponges for soaking damage.¡±


    Because of the kobold¡¯s sacrifice, Esmi had time to draw her next two cards, play a Fire Source, and summon two more Souls between her and Haze.


    Like before, she only focused her Sources, so they¡¯d return as quickly as possible ¨C she was obviously prioritizing having a steady stream of summons over flooding the board. The Kobold Fighter was quite useful for that, letting her bring forth another kobold ostensibly for free. If there was a backbone to her deck, I was fairly certain that I was looking at it: with its tough, dun-colored hide, sword in hand and shield on its back, waving for the other kobold to stand by its side. The Fighter was one of the ones I had seen with Esmi in my parent¡¯s drawing room not long ago, but it looked much more fearsome now than before.


    I suspected that she would attack with the Fighter since it had Bloodlust, an ability that let a Soul attack the turn it was summoned by only focusing instead of devoting, but ¨C


    ¡°And again she doesn¡¯t attack!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°Is playing it this slow really the right move?¡±


    From his draw, Haze played an Order source and pulled deeply from it and his available Earth Source, devoting both and making me and many others lean forward in our seats: what did he plan to cast for that much Source? A card in his hand vanished in a flash of red, and a chunky, brown pendant appeared in the air before Haze. He quickly ducked his head under where it hovered, slipping the Relic on.


    As soon as the Pendant was around his neck the entirety of the dueling stage filled with mud and muck, the mire boiling up from between the platform boards. When Esmi and the kobolds tried to move experimentally, the magically created mud sucked at their feet, making Esmi grimace and the two kobolds hiss in frustration.


    ¡°He already has his Pendant, ladies and gentleman!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°One of the best cards in his arsenal to counter swarm focused decks. We¡¯ve seen it grind matches to a halt, giving Haze the eventual win. Does Esmi now regret not attacking these past two turns? Is this the beginning of the end for her?¡±


    There was a rumble of worry from those I sat beside, who I suspected wanted a local of Treledyne to win. Personally, I thought the announcer was being overly dramatic. The Pendant was indeed powerful ¨C as well it should be, considering it was an Epic ¨C but its restriction went both ways. Haze would now have to decide each turn if he wanted to attack or to send forth whatever trolls or other Earth denizens he summoned.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    However, as Haze barreled through the mud to attack again, I had a creeping suspicion. Warrick had said that the bruiser didn¡¯t run many Souls. If the ones Haze used were only there for defense, like the Iron Troll, or to get him more Source, like the Soil Troll, and he planned to do all attacking himself, then he would successfully ignore the downside of the Pendant.


    Maybe this was a terrible spot for her.


    In a repeat of before, Esmi used her new Cold-Blooded Kobold to block Haze, leading to its demise and him taking 3 damage, which he shrugged off this time using a different card.


    I instantly recognized it as the same card the bruiser had used during the Flinch Test, and what a card it was. Its flexibility in target alone earned its Rare status. The effect it granted combined with Haze¡¯s 2 base attack, meant he had hit the prince and Hull for 6 damage each the night before. No wonder they had both looked like they might topple from the strike.


    ¡°Earth cards,¡± the announcer commented nonchalantly. ¡°So good at defending, eh?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. Slow Earth excelled at blocking damage, while faster starting sources like Fire and Air were quite poor at it. Their speed of play was believed to offset their weakness in defense, but Esmi hadn¡¯t used her opportunity to go first to accomplish much. From my research into Fire Spells in preparation for my match against Plutar, I knew there was one called Melt, which would destroy a Relic. Perhaps she had one of those in her deck and was waiting for the right time.


    Esmi drew her cards and played an Order Source like Haze had on his turn before. With three Source now at the ready and five cards in hand, she surely had a variety of options available to her. For whatever reason though, she only devoted a single Fire Source, and made a play much like the turn prior.


    Once again, the utility of the Kobold Fighter was clear, and I could understand why she had previously used it to tandem summon a Cold-Blooded Kobold instead of a regular Kobold like this. Even with her Soul ability buffing it, the little Soul only had 2 Attack, so couldn¡¯t defend against Haze¡¯s Strong.


    ¡°With three kobolds against one troll, Esmi still doesn¡¯t attack! What could she be waiting for?¡±


    Even her supporters near me grumbled at her lack of action, and I wracked my mind, trying to rationalize her line of play. Esmi was the second seed of this tournament, just under the prince. There were a variety of factors that went into the placement, but it was largely determined by duel wins. I hadn¡¯t gotten to watch those matches because they had happened in Charbond, but the ranking must mean that she had been very successful in them.


    So why hadn¡¯t she attacked with at least the Kobold? It was wasted as a defender and even had Bloodlust. Was she worried about a trade with the Soil Troll, and Haze getting another Earth Source? He did have two cards in hand, so it was possible he had another ready to play should the Troll be destroyed. But even if that was the case, what could she be setting up for that was better? Maybe Convocation? It was a Fire Spell that turned all Fire Soul cards into Fire Source for the turn, so they could be used to power an even bigger summon. I hadn¡¯t given the Spell much thought in my studies since Plutar apparently didn¡¯t use any Souls, but for a Soul-heavy deck like hers, it could be her plan.


    Haze seemed equally confused by Esmi¡¯s defensive play and yanked two cards from the air. He played another Earth Source and then devoted his only two ready Sources, both Earth.


    ¡°Does he have his board clear??¡± the announcer speculated loudly, his voice ringing out around us.


    A board wipe would be disastrous for her right now, and yet when I looked at the woman I hoped was still my fianc¨¦e, she seemed attentive, not worried. She still had two of her own Sources at the ready, one Fire, one Order, and she was watching Haze closely, her cards in hand lifted, clearly ready to play in response to whatever he did. I had glossed over other Fire cards that affected friendly Souls in my research, and now I wished that I had asked Atrea to bring me that book so I could be referencing it right now.


    The card that Haze played vanished in a familiar flash of red, and a gauntlet made of white stone surrounded his right fist.


    ¡°No!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°It¡¯s another of his Epic Relics!¡±


    Two Epics, and from the wording of this card it sounded like part of a paired set, which meant he might have three. No wonder he had been victorious in the youth tournaments in Dalrish. That also explained why he hadn¡¯t minded losing cards these last few turns by clearing the kobolds himself instead of waiting for a board clear: he was powering up his Gauntlets. If Haze did possess Dyran¡¯s other Gauntlet and got it into play with enough in discard, it would surely lead to a game ending hit. If Esmi was going to win, she needed to do it quickly.


    ¡°¨C able to hit for four now or stop damage spells Esmi might throw at him,¡± the announcer was saying. ¡°She better watch out!¡±


    However, instead of attacking himself, Haze sent his troll clumping through the muck covered ground that, because of the similar color, looked very much like an extension of the troll¡¯s distorted body.


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to let her ignore the Soil Troll any longer!¡± the announcer chortled.


    Any of her buffed kobolds could trade evenly with the troll, and I expected her to use the lesser of them for this, but I gasped along with the crowd when Esmi had her kobolds part, letting the Soil Troll stomp right up, swinging at her with an overlarge limb.


    ¡°She¡¯s taking the hit, ladies and gentleman! She¡¯s taking the hit!¡±


    Esmi¡¯s skin lit aflame like it had during the ability competition, and the troll was burned. Also, like Haze had done when damaged, she pulled a card from hand, blocking the Soil Troll¡¯s strike, and knocking it away in a burst of shards that had originally been another Kobold.


    From that play, I could only deduce that Esmi really did not want her opponent to get another Source. With him already having four out and apparently a board wipe in his deck, I could concede that it made some sense, even though it hadn¡¯t been the route I had expected her to take.


    Esmi played another Fire Source, giving her two Fire and one Order available like her last turn. She hesitated, and I wondered if she¡¯d finally attack with one of her three waiting kobolds. This time, maybe because the Soil Troll wasn¡¯t available to block, she finally did, sending her basic Kobold charging forward on its short legs.


    ¡°She¡¯s on the attack!¡± the announcer cried, and there were a smattering of cheers among the crowd.


    The muck coating the field slowed the Kobold down, but it still managed to slip around the recovering troll and stab its small spear at Haze, a nimbus of fire surrounding its chest and arms, just like the other kobolds. Haze blocked the two damage with a card from hand, which I didn¡¯t catch, and then punched the Kobold with his bare fist, leaving his Howlite Gauntlet at the ready and turning the small creature into a spray of card shards.


    Before her turn was over, Esmi quickly focused one of her Fire Sources, and summoned what was clearly another staple of her deck, with a maximum of three copies in use.


    It was then Haze¡¯s turn to draw, bringing his hand back up to three and his ready Source to two. He eyed Esmi¡¯s line of three kobolds with contempt, and spit into the mud at his feet before summoning another Earth Source.


    A board clear would still be a very useful play, getting rid of Esmi¡¯s sizable defense, but instead, Haze brought another Soil Troll onto the field. The creature rose up through the muck, looking just as glommed together by earth, weeds, and mud as the damaged one beside it did.


    He only had one card left in hand, which had to mean that it wasn¡¯t a board clear.


    Once again, Haze charged forward through the mired field, and Esmi sent her last Cold-Blooded Kobold to intercept him. It took no effort for the bruiser to destroy the creature, but he did have the kobold¡¯s return strike to deal with. One of the Earth Sources over his head darkened, and stone armor surrounded his body, stopping some of the kobold¡¯s damage. The others he took directly, not bothering to block with his remaining card in hand, and 2 damage worth of cards shed from him. The monocle didn¡¯t let me see what they originally were, but they built his discard size regardless.


    ¡°Our first use of a Source Power this match!¡± the announcer cried.


    While I didn¡¯t have Tigru Han¡¯s Book of Fire Spells with me, I did have Delane¡¯s Compendium of Source Abilities ¨C it was another item I had asked Atrea for, so I could discuss Nether in greater depth with Hull. I pulled the small book from my pocket and thumbed to the reference list concerning Source Powers.


    From previous studies, I already knew that Earth Source could negate a damage for every 2 Source spent, just like Fire Source could deal a damage for every 2 Source, but still, seeing the words penned before me was comforting confirmation.


    For her turn, Esmi drew and summoned another Order Source, giving her five Source balls to use, compared to Haze¡¯s single card in hand and only one Source at the ready. She could go for a big swing if she had it, and he presumably wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to stop it. Esmi continued to play cautiously though, using only some of her Source to summon a type of kobold I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    The new Soul was similar in look and size to the others, but when it appeared, it held a torch in front of its mouth and blew a stream of flame right at the undamaged troll. The creature of earth and mud lit aflame, crackling and cracking, until it burst apart with a piteous groan.


    The crowd let out a cheer, as the announcer said, ¡°Now that¡¯s the type of thing we paid to see!¡±


    As it died, the last card in Haze¡¯s hand drifted up, becoming another Earth Source. Esmi reacted with an annoyed look I¡¯d only seen a few times from her before, and she followed it up by devoting one of her available Fire Source to create a fist-sized fireball over her outstretched palm. It hovered there a moment as she moved her arm to line up with the other troll and then it shot forward, striking the creature in the chest in a small explosion of flame that turned the Soul into shards.


    ¡°Esmi Fireheart, true to her name, uses her own Source Power to take out the damaged troll! And she does it when Haze has no cards in hand to make use of its Dying Breath ability. She¡¯s waited for this and now she¡¯s struck!¡±


    Those beside me cheered for the play, pumping their fists in the air, and though it wasn¡¯t my usual way of acting, I gave a hearty whoop of encouragement along with them.


    The lack of trolls also meant that there was nothing to stop a kobold running through the mired field to attack Haze, and Esmi sent her newest kobold off to do just that. The Fire-Eater dropped its torch in the mud along the way, which guttered out, and leapt on Haze, biting him in the shoulder.


    ¡°Duelist Haze takes three damage from his Mind Home!¡±


    The bruiser clubbed the creature in the side of the head, smashing it into shards.


    The kobold had delivered a good hit, but if Haze managed to get his other gauntlet into play, he¡¯d be able to return the favor with an even bigger attack of his own now.


    Haze drew his two new cards, which made up the entirety of his hand, and smiled as multiple Source balls above his head dimmed. The card that vanished did so in a silvery flash and to my monocle showed itself to be¡­


    ¡°He drew it!¡± the announcer cried, as the huge stones appeared in the air, striking the center of the dueling field with a thunderous noise and rolling across it. ¡°His board clear!¡±


    The three kobolds on the field hissed in alarm, but their cries were cut short as they were smashed by the massive rocks. Esmi stood her ground as the Spell passed in front of her, decimating her forces. What¡¯s more, the Fire Source and Order Source she had at the ready dipped in the air, going dull ¨C two Sources I realized she had continually left untouched ¨C and she loosed a card from her own hand.


    ¡°But she answers back!¡± the announcer screamed.


    The Rockslide had hit the wall of the Dueling Dome by now, dissipating into shards, but from the muck and leftover rubble of the Earth Spell, new kobolds were emerging. They were a bit smaller than the ones that perished, but Esmi¡¯s nimbus of fire energy surrounded them, meaning that each would have 2 Attack. Not enough to block Strong though, which Haze took full advantage of, bowling past them and striking at Esmi.


    I flinched as she didn¡¯t block the blow with her last card in hand, taking the punch from the Gauntlet and his strength behind it, resulting in a plume of card shards.


    ¡°He hits for four damage, taking one in return from her fire skin! She only has six cards left in her Mind Home, and Haze only has five!¡±


    The explosion of shards on both sides pushed them apart, their feet sliding in the mud that still coated the platform from his Pendant. The space gave Esmi time to replenish her hand with two new cards. She was breathing hard, hair sticking to her face, but she looked stunning to me, my heart swelling to see her so unafraid and fiercely focused on her goal. She closed her eyes briefly, and a sudden swirl of fire and light shot up around her, in a pillar as high as the Dueling Dome.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it, she was ¨C


    ¡°She uses Source Explosion!¡± the announcer cried in disbelief, his words echoing over a crowd that had gone silent in shock from the sacrifice Esmi had just made ¨C a sacrifice that would give her one last ditch play.

 35. Basil - Resolutions

    A Source Explosion was when a Summoner chose to sacrifice whatever undrawn Source remained in their heart, destroying it for a time. Just as all Source Powers were unique, each had a different effect when spent in a singular burst. None were weak ¨C far from it, in fact ¨C but since the tactic lost you the cards for the rest of the match, some duelists like myself shied away from their use, while others often waited until a point near the end when it could secure a win. I wasn¡¯t as well versed with Source Explosions as I was Powers, because not every duel featured them. However, I still had a finger in the Compendium in the right section, and I quickly flipped the book back open to see how Esmi planned to end this match.


    Glancing up at the pillar of energy that swirled around Esmi, I saw shafts of yellow-white light windmill around and leaping reddish-orange flame dance up the length of the column. The mixed presence meant she¡¯d had some of both Order and Fire Source within her when she triggered the Explosion, and the size of it indicated that at least four or five Sources had gone into its making. She¡¯d receive the effect of whichever one there had been more of, and to me it seemed that there was a greater presence of light, thus Order, than there was Fire.


    Sure enough, when the pillar dissipated, three additional cards appeared in her hand. They would be exclusively Summon cards since her Source Deck had just been destroyed, and she only had a single Fire Source ready to fuel them. What in the Twelve had she been digging for?


    ¡°Esmi is down to her last card in her Mind Home, folks!¡± the announcer called out. ¡°Was getting six cards in hand worth it?¡±


    Whatever she had been searching for, we all watched a triumphant look appear on her face as she played the very spell I had speculated about previously.


    With its activation, her three raised kobolds were surrounded by a flickering glow ¨C not true fire but a ghostly approximation of it. With a command from her, one kobold went all the way to the ground, its forehead bent over the muck, the soft flame around it vanishing.


    ¡°She devotes one of her kobolds to gain two Fire Source, getting a quick return on the two she spent to cast Convocation,¡± the announcer explained.


    The building excitement of the crowd dulled somewhat, as the power was used to bring a familiar Soul onto the field.


    Another of her glowing kobolds went to one knee, dimming, which I assumed equated to it being focused. That likely meant she was planning to summon a two cost kobold, but would that help her when she could only attack with one at a time? Her Convocation Spell didn¡¯t affect new Souls she summoned, and she only had one kobold-Fire Source left to use after whatever this was.


    ¡°She combines the Kobold Fighter¡¯s ability with another Fire Source to bring out¡­¡±


    ¡°A Kobold Treasure Hunter!¡±


    The new arrival appeared next to Haze instead of Esmi, clawed fingers wrapping around the white stone gauntlet. Haze registered its presence a beat after us onlookers and yanked his hand with the Relic away, but that only seemed to help the kobold slip the gauntlet off of his hand. The Treasure Hunter then scurried off through the mud with it, seeming untroubled by the mire, while Haze was too slow to follow, his feet pulled by the muck.


    The Treasure Hunter bounded to a stop beside Esmi, presenting its prize to her, and she accepted the gift, slipping the gauntlet on. It had been stolen after being used, so she couldn¡¯t move her fingers within it ¨C the Relic frozen until it refreshed the following turn ¨C but still, she looked quite pleased to have it in her possession.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± the announcer cried. ¡°She just took his Epic! We haven¡¯t seen her use that kobold in either of her two previous matches. Did she recruit it just for her fight against him?!¡±


    I was equally impressed. Now, even if Haze did get his other gauntlet, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use its game-ending devote ability.


    Pointing with her free hand, Esmi sent the Kobold Treasure Hunter back at Haze, the diminutive creature unslinging a long-bladed spear from its back and stabbing the bruiser from Darlish. The blow did 2 damage, thanks to Esmi¡¯s aura, and Haze took it on the chin, shedding cards. The Kobold Treasure Hunter was destroyed on his return swing, but it had already done its job and then some.


    ¡°Only three cards left in Haze¡¯s Mind Home!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°And she¡¯s not done yet, folks! She devotes the last of her kobolds turned Source to make a Source Powered fireball, and like the damage he took from Esmi¡¯s Fire Skin, he can¡¯t use his Earth Source to block it after attacking himself! Only two cards left for him now! What a turn! What a play!¡±


    The announcer was getting into it, so close to the end, a nonstop font of information.


    ¡°Haze draws two cards but only one of them Summon, leaving a single card in his Mind Home. He devotes an Earth and his Order Source¡­and it¡¯s for another Epic!¡±


    There it was, a gleaming, black stone gauntlet that he shoved over his left hand. Haze looked furious, and I could understand why: if he had drawn it only a single turn earlier or if Esmi hadn¡¯t used her Source Explosion to dig for her Treasure Hunter, he would have already won the match.


    ¡°A powerful Relic, no doubt,¡± the announcer said,¡± but he only has two cards left in hand now, and one in his Mind Home. Will it be enough to get the job done?¡±


    A column of dirt and mud shot up around Haze, obscuring the bruiser briefly and extending just as high as Esmi¡¯s had.


    ¡°Of course!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°Haze tells us all he¡¯s got more up his sleeve by using his own Source Explosion to devote her only ready defender, the Kobold Warrior, as well as put her focused kobold into the mud! The way is clear now!¡±


    The pillar of Earth disintegrated, and Haze dashed forward, running past the kobolds that were either parallel to the ground from being devoted for Fire Source or were sucked waist deep into the mud from his Source Explosion. He roared as he neared Esmi, putting his own strength behind the punch, likely hoping to strip her of her three cards in hand and one in her Mind Home so she¡¯d be powerless except for her Source, and he could finish her off the following turn.


    His fist connected, and Esmi was forced to use cards from hand to block the damage, lest she lose.


    ¡°He hits for four, but Esmi manages to stop it with only two cards!¡±


    Like before, my grandfather¡¯s monocle let me catch sight of the cards right before they shattered, the second of the two making my eye widen.


    ¡°The brunt of the damage, three points, was taken by an Epic Albino Kobold!¡± the announcer explained for those who couldn¡¯t see the card like I had. ¡°It¡¯s obvious why she¡¯s been holding onto it until now. What a blocker! For his trouble, Haze takes one damage in return, which he uses an Earth Source from hand to stop! He¡¯s only got one card left in hand, and only one in his Mind Home!¡±


    I was sure Esmi would have liked to hit him with the gauntlet she had taken, too, but it still wasn¡¯t ready to be used yet. The spray of cards shards she had employed to defend herself pushed the two combatants back from each other, and I used the moment to do some quick math. I was fairly certain I knew how the end of the match would turn out, but it was a near thing ¨C a single point of damage tipping the scale.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Esmi draws her last summon card, folks, leaving her with nothing in her Mind Home. If Haze gets past her hand, she¡¯s out!¡±


    Like I expected her to, instead of using one of the two cards she held, Esmi devoted her two Fire Source that were back to ready to send a slightly larger Source Powered fireball streaking toward Haze.


    ¡°He can¡¯t take two points of damage to his Mind Home and he can¡¯t defend with his Earth Source. He has to block with his last card from hand, and it''s¡­¡±


    ¡°Another Iron Troll! That¡¯s what he¡¯s been saving all this time, and no wonder, considering how much it can absorb. Haze is still standing, and Esmi doesn¡¯t have any Souls ready to finish the job, but she does have¡­¡±


    Esmi sprinted forward and punched the bruiser with his own Howlite Gauntlet, the Relic guiding the blow so it slammed solidly into his stomach. He returned the favor with a right hook from his bare fist, his Onyx Gauntlet heavy and dull, unable to be used again so soon.


    ¡°Is this going to be a double knock out?!¡± the announcer crowed.


    Esmi, however, released her last two cards from hand.


    Together, they blocked for a combined total of two damage, letting Esmi take the hit, while Haze went down, his back slapping into the mud.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why they¡¯re the ones dueling, and we¡¯re not, folks!¡± the announcer shouted. ¡°Esmi Fireheart is your victor, advancing to the top eight and tomorrow¡¯s matches! What a last series of plays! What a match!!¡±


    The crowd screamed in approval, leaping to their feet, and I didn¡¯t hesitate to join in. To see a duel that close, that near to either side winning, a single misplay affecting the outcome, was an exhilarating rush, just as strong as if I had been the one on the dueling field. As I shouted along with rest, I decided it was even better, actually, because I could tell that Esmi shared our exuberance, raising one hand and her face to the sky, while the Relic she had used to secure the match hung at her side.


    Trying to beat the rush, I used my position by the aisle to head down to the arena floor. I had hopes that people would keep cheering long enough for me to descend all the way to the bottom, but halfway there, I encountered a crowd of others who had similar plans, which slowed my going to a crawl. By the time I reached the platform for the match and was allowed past the guards due to my status as a competitor, Esmi had already received her ante win, the Dueling Dome had dissipated, and Haze was gone.


    ¡°You saw?¡± Esmi asked when she spotted me, eyes sparkling.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I told her, covering the remaining distance between us. Her warm greeting was a balm to the knot of tension that roiled in my stomach. With how she had left last night, I hadn¡¯t been sure in what manner she would receive me today; it seemed approaching her immediately after her win had been a good choice. ¡°You were magnificent.¡±


    She beamed, patting herself dry with a pastel pink handkerchief. ¡°I probably could have ended the match sooner if I had played my Giant Kobold before his Rockslide. I was just so worried he had a Sinkhole and didn¡¯t want to risk it.¡±


    My Soul ability flashed both those cards in my mind¡¯s eye, letting me see them perfectly.


    ¡°It makes sense you were worried about Sinkhole,¡± I agreed, ¡°since the Albino¡¯s Resist wouldn¡¯t have stopped it. That Epic of yours is incredible though, on the field or in hand, what with its three Fire icons. That¡¯s rare for Fire Source, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she said, smiling appreciatively ¨C I liked to think in part because of how quickly I was following along. ¡°I leveled it myself to have extra defense.¡±


    I¡¯d personally never gotten to level a card, not with how focused I had been on cobbling together a working twenty cards. ¡°You did? What was that li ¨C¡± I stopped myself. I loved that we could talk card theory so effortlessly, but that wasn¡¯t the most important thing for us to discuss right now. ¡°Esmi,¡± I said, straightening and squaring my shoulders.


    She noticed the change and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t defend you when the prince treated you so horribly last night. You must think me a coward for just standing by when it happened and then not being the one to face him in the Flinch Test. I promise that I will make it up to you.¡± So saying, I bowed deeply at the waist, putting my upper body perpendicular with my legs. I stayed there for a beat, expecting a response from her, and then held the pose another beat, growing worried when none came. Eventually, I lifted my head enough to look her in the face. ¡°Esmi? Can you forgive me?¡±


    She was looking down at me oddly, an expression that the old me would have tried to find words to dispel. I didn¡¯t wish to be that way anymore, dancing nervously from one failing to the next, so I breathed, and did my best to wait calmly.


    ¡°Why do you think you need to be forgiven?¡± she eventually said. ¡°It was the prince who acted awfully.¡±


    I straightened, somewhat unsure of where the conversation had taken us. ¡°Because I did not intervene, nor did I take up your cause like Hull did. You seemed so disappointed when you left ¨C¡±


    ¡°I was disappointed in myself,¡± Esmi said, frowning now. ¡°Not you.¡±


    ¡°You were?¡± I asked, still not quite understanding.


    Esmi went back to wiping her neck with the cloth, the act seeming to calm her. ¡°I just haven¡¯t been back in Treledyne long enough, and I am out of step with the players here. If I had known what an utter toad the prince had become, I would have burned his hands off when he touched me.¡± The vehemence with which she said the comment surprised me. ¡°And if there was to be a Flinch Test, I should have been the one to face him, no one else.¡±


    I went to argue the point but my eyes caught on the dueling platform behind her and my tongue stilled. I had just watched her defeat Darlish¡¯s top rising star with a deck and Soul abilities that were objectively stronger than either myself or Hull possessed. Of course she could defend herself if she wished.


    Esmi was looking at me intently now, the golden flakes in her eyes flickering. ¡°I expect you to support me in the troubles that come my way, not take them up for me. And I will do the same for you. Does that make sense?¡±


    I nodded slowly. ¡°It¡­ does.¡± And though I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if what I was about to say next qualified as what she was speaking of, it felt correct to say nonetheless. ¡°Plutar told me that you were spying on my deck for him. Giving him information so that he could beat me in the tournament and you two could be married.¡±


    Her skin flared orange, the neckline of her battered leather tunic starting to smoke from the sudden heat. ¡°He said what?¡±


    ¡°It was last night, during the party,¡± I confirmed, both happy to see her anger and somewhat intimidated by it. ¡°He dragged me to a table to talk for a few minutes, and it was a thoroughly unpleasant experience.¡±


    Esmi turned to the side, shaking her head. ¡°He¡¯s almost as bad as the prince, that fire asp. When I finally get to duel him, I¡¯ll ¨C¡± She stopped, spinning to face me. ¡°Did you believe him?¡±


    I should have seen that question coming, but I was only half prepared for it. Even so, I did my best to reply honestly. ¡°Not really, no¡­¡± and when she looked at me doubtfully, I added. ¡°But it was an unpleasant thing to consider.¡±


    Esmi crossed her arms, the glow from her skin fading. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would think that of me at all. Especially not after I took the time to bring you the water fabricator.¡±


    ¡°That was part of the reason¡­¡± the Air in me let out before I knew it.


    ¡°What?¡± she snapped, arms down by her sides now. ¡°Why in the Twins would that be?¡±


    Some heat entered my voice as I let loose what had been on my mind since it had happened. ¡°Changing my deck the night before could have been disastrous for me. You¡¯re a skilled duelist, you must have considered that possibility, but you didn¡¯t mention it at all. It was odd¡­¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t suggesting that you alter your whole deck,¡± she said. ¡°And if you thought it was so strange, why didn¡¯t you say something then?¡±


    ¡°Immediately after you had given me a gift? And be so rude?¡±


    ¡°You mean like you¡¯re being right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ¨C¡± I stopped. Was I being rude? I had raised my voice at her shortly after apologizing. That certainly hadn¡¯t been my intent when I had come to see her. Should I apologize again?


    She broke into a laugh.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, decidedly off balance.


    Esmi stopped her giggling and gave me a wide smile. ¡°You should see your face right now. I wish I could capture it on a card.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± I said, but the look she was giving me was infectious, and I felt the corners of my own mouth turning up in a smile.


    ¡°You know what?¡± she said, stepping up to me. ¡°I like this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked again, but this time I had an inkling of what she would say.


    ¡°Us speaking openly to each other.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right,¡± I agreed and then dared to add, ¡°Let¡¯s always be like this.¡±


    Until those words, I hadn¡¯t realized that a separation had existed between us, a wall of sorts, the brick and mortar of which stemmed from propriety, my insecurities, and perhaps something deeper. Whatever it had been, with its absence I could tell the difference, like there was nothing impeding whatever might flow from one of us to the other. She was so close now, I could lean forward and kiss her, and feel that delightful heat on my lips.


    A roar of excitement to the side drew our attention, and I realized how much the time had gotten away from me. That sound marked either the beginning of Hull¡¯s match or an important play in it, and either way, it meant I wasn¡¯t where I needed to be.


    ¡°I want to help Hull win,¡± I told her as honestly as I could.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Esmi said. And without any further discussion, she sprinted off toward the other side of the arena.


    Making haste after her, it came to me that I seemed to be running a great deal in public these days. Despite my initial misgivings about such behavior, I was discovering that I quite enjoyed it, and, as my footfalls landed in time with my fiancee¡¯s, I wondered who I might become if I never stopped pursuing what I desired in exactly this way.

 36. Hull - Fowl Play

    I stood in the arena with my fists clenching and my mind whirling. The crowd was rowdy and the announcer was speaking, but I hardly heard anything. My thoughts kept running through everything I¡¯d worked on with Morgane the hustler, but every now and then I¡¯d remember Ticosi¡¯s face, dimly lit by the ember of his cigarillo, and my carefully constructed plays would fall to bits and I¡¯d have to start over. It didn¡¯t help when I caught sight of my opponent on the far side of the boards and felt a hysterical laugh bubbling in the back of my throat. They had me fighting a gods-damned bird.


    It was a big bird, maybe a foot tall. I wouldn¡¯t want it flapping after me in the streets, no doubt, but compared to that monster condor Basil had summoned during our fight, this thing looked like a sparrow. How can a bird be a Summoner? The announcer had said its name was Spignit, but how did he know? All I¡¯d heard from it was chirps and squawks as it hopped around and pecked at things on the floor. I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was a boy or a girl. Not that it mattered, exactly, but I didn¡¯t know enough about kestrels to tell the difference. It had been in the soul ability competition the night before, so there had to be something special about it, but it was going to feel pretty damned weird to swing my hammer at a bird. It hardly felt fair.


    Take the easy win and be grateful, the wiser part of me said. As soon as you lose you get handed over to the Big Man, and every extra card you win will make him more likely to go easy on you. My guts burned at the thought of forfeiting my deck to that snake-faced bastard. I wasn¡¯t sure I could make myself do it, no matter what I¡¯d told him¡­ but it wasn¡¯t like he was going to give me the choice, either.


    A wrench from behind my ear pulled me back into the moment, and I saw my ante card fly out, magnified overhead alongside my opponent¡¯s. I¡¯d been so busy gnawing on my worries I¡¯d missed the opening bits of the match.


    I blinked and goggled at the matched pair. This chirping feather duster was carrying an Epic? As I quickly scanned the text, I realized I was underestimating the little beast. That was a powerful Spell. A quick squint now that the Dueling Dome was up showed that Spignit had the full deck of 20 cards allowed for the Tournament. My insides clenched. Bird or no, this was a serious competitor. If I wasn¡¯t careful here, I¡¯d lose the best new card I¡¯d gotten last night.


    Drawing my opening hand helped me focus and calm myself. I drew a single Nether from my soul, and from my Mind Home came the Hateful Hammer and then one of each of my three new demons. The Marauder still gave me a twinge, but I¡¯d summoned each of them several times during my practice session, and not only was I unable to figure out which was the one that had attacked me for Ticosi last night ¨C I couldn¡¯t tell the two Marauders apart yet ¨C but both had obeyed me perfectly, performing exactly as expected.


    I chewed my lip. Morgane had beaten into me the idea that I needed to mulligan hard for my Hammer-Sucking Void combo, but it was hard to put my alternate opener of the Root Imp and Ghastly Gremlin on the bottom of my deck. You¡¯ll get the Void. The draws work. Breathing deep, I tucked the Marauder behind my ear first ¨C I¡¯d want to get that back as soon as I could ¨C then the Root Imp and the Gremlin. Drawing 3 more immediately eased me: I drew the Sucking Void, the other Marauder, and my Lesser Healing Potion. I had my opening combo in hand. It was going to work.


    I took a peek at my opponent as it mulled over its own cards. It had the tip of one wing folded over against itself to hold its cards, and its tail twitched rhythmically against the boards in a way that made me imagine it was thinking hard. Its beak was curved like a bird of prey¡¯s, and the rust-colored stripes beneath its eyes looked like war paint. It saw me looking and shrieked a cry of challenge, brandishing its cards.


    The opening gambit went as it always did, with me going first. I wondered if I¡¯d ever play an opponent with a source that was faster than Nether. None of the Elemental sources were faster ¨C not even Air, which this kestrel was playing ¨C and neither was Order. I had no idea how fast some of the other exotic sources like Celestial or Fae were.


    Drawing 2 for my first turn got me another Ghastly Gremlin and the Iron Maiden Plate, but those were concerns for later. Devoting my single Nether, I summoned my Hammer and raced over to the bird, swinging hard. It squawked furiously, flapping into the air to avoid my blow, but the Hammer¡¯s damage was Fated, just like all cards. The arc of my swing changed to catch Spignit squarely on the body, and it twitched its feathers to cast one of its in-hand cards in front of the blow, shattering it.


    The kestrel is playing with other kestrels. Was that weird? I wasn¡¯t sure, but either way, I was glad to have gotten rid of that one before it hit the field. I didn¡¯t need a bunch of armored birds pecking at me. I bounced back hard from the card shatter, and the Hammer felt heavy in hand. I wished for a weapon that recovered so quickly I could use it on both offense and defense. Morgane had mentioned that out in the real world, in wars and such, some Summoners carried both a carded Relic weapon like my Hammer, Fated to do its damage, and also a mundane sword or even a non-card magical Artifact weapon. Those could miss, of course, depending on the skill of the wielder, but you could also use them as fast as you could swing your arm; there was no waiting for them to come back to Ready. Such things were banned under the Dueling Dome, but maybe once I was working for Ticosi I could get something like that. If he lets me.


    There was no time for self-pity. Spignit summoned 2 Souls at once and sent them streaking at me side by side.


    Time slowed, and though I hated to lose a heavy hitter, I threw my Ghastly Gremlin at them, letting it shatter against their sharp claws. Both Kestrels dropped to the ground, exhausted from having been devoted the turn they were summoned but seeming very satisfied in a bird-y kind of way to have done their damage.


    The Ghastly Gremlin shimmered into being, looking at me in fire-eyed confusion for a brief moment before splintering back into nothing.


    It felt like a waste to block with the Gremlin and have its Expire get activated before I had the chance to command it to attack, but it was a better option than sacrificing my other Marauder, so down it went.


    Now I could put a fresh Nether in hand ¨C and immediately into play ¨C as well as draw another card, which was my Talisman of Spite. I grinned, glad to see my next big piece of my puzzle fall into place. But for now it was time for the tried-and-true, and I devoted my new Nether to summon my protection Spell.


    I thought about just swinging at Spignit¡¯s face ¨C it felt a lot less weird now that it had attacked me ¨C but decided to take out one of its damned Summons first. Some of the damage would pass through due to my Hammer¡¯s Overkill, and besides, it wasn¡¯t a good idea to let Souls pile up on the board even if they couldn¡¯t hurt me yet. I smashed one of the downed Kestrels with my Hammer, and it shattered. An arc of power surged through the glittering light to strike Spignit, and it cast another card out of hand to block it.


    This bastard had no end of Kestrels! I was starting to see how well all these tribal cards worked together and was doubly glad I¡¯d gotten one off the board.


    Spignit was chirping and hopping in agitation. If it had been human, it would have been spitting and cursing, no doubt. Instead, it drew its cards, summoned more Air source, and devoted 2 of them to summon a new Soul. From the size of the mist cloud it generated, it was a sizable one.


    Dammit! The bird wasn¡¯t just playing Kestrels; it had one of those cursed monster birds of Basil¡¯s, probably more than one. I hated those damned things.


    Seeing that it couldn¡¯t hurt me, Spignit left the Condor at the Ready as a blocker. It was the only sensible thing to do. Its remaining Kestrel was still recovering, now at a focused state, so there was nothing left for the Summoner bird to do.


    The Hammer lightened and shifted in my hand, begging to be unleashed, and I was happy to comply. Another Nether went overhead and a fresh card came into hand, my third Ghastly Gremlin. I used both available sources ¨C devoting one and focusing the other ¨C to bring out the Talisman, ducking my head under the loop and letting it settle onto my chest.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    I was really cooking now, and not only would any blocker not harm me, any damage the Sucking Void absorbed would still serve to charge up the Talisman, as Morgane had proven in the most annoying possible way. I leapt into the fray, swinging my Hammer.


    Spignit puffed out its feathers and took the hit on the chin, discarding its 1 card in hand ¨C another Kestrel Sentry ¨C and shredded 1 from the Mind Home as well, a puff of confetti showering down around it. The bird glared at me balefully. I had no doubt it would gladly peck out my eyes if given the chance.


    It drew a card and a source, put an Air up overhead, and eyed the 1 card it had in hand doubtfully, ducking its head to preen its feathers as its tail bobbed. Whatever its card was, it decided to hold onto it for the moment. The Kestrel and Carrion Condor were fluttering at the ready, but they couldn¡¯t do me any harm. With a frustrated quorking, Spignit let its turn pass.


    I was on my last turn of invulnerability. I still had my healing potion in hand, but I realized that, like Morgane had predicted, it wasn¡¯t going to do me any good in getting my Sucking Void back for a repeat use since Spignit had forced me to discard my Ghastly Gremlin back on turn 1. Fortune¡¯s balls, I need to upgrade that Potion to get me 2 cards back. As it stands, I might as well take it out of the deck. We¡¯d gone back and forth on that one, and the hustler¡¯s advice was that getting any card back was worth the inclusion. Not that the Ghastly Gremlin wasn¡¯t a good card, but I wanted the Spell back.


    There was no point in wasting time. I summoned another Nether, drew my second Marauder ¨C I¡¯m down to my mulliganed cards; not much left! ¨C and devoted my 2 available source to bring forth the one I¡¯d been hanging onto since the top of the game.


    The horned monster misted into being and bounced lightly on taloned hands and feet, watching me expectantly and huffing its chuckle-breath.


    ¡°All right, you scary son of a bitch,¡± I said, pointing at Spignit. ¡°Let¡¯s go nuts.¡±


    ¡°Finally,¡± it laughed, sounding ecstatic. ¡°Gimme.¡±


    It scrambled forward on all fours, getting ahead of me as I ran to swing my Hammer as well. It felt odd to not be using my Nether to power up my hits, but with all these cards there never seemed to be any left over.


    Spignit trilled, and the little Kestrel Soul swooped in front of the Marauder, scratching at it. It managed to score the demon¡¯s face with its claws as the terrifying thing stuffed the bird into its mouth and chomped down, sending shards of light everywhere. I felt a moment of surprise as I went in for my own hit; I¡¯d thought for sure Spignit would block with the Condor to soak up as much of the Marauder¡¯s insane Overkill damage as possible, but instead the bird Summoner shed 4 cards out its Mind Home and then immediately another 2 as I slammed the Hammer home, leaving its Condor out of the fray.


    The Marauder, leaking black blood from its torn face, bounded back to me and casually raked its claws down my side. With the Sucking Void still active, I felt nothing but a gentle pressure, and 3 of the 5 points on the Talisman of Spite lit up, which made me very happy.


    I looked to the massive Condor circling overhead and felt a tiny spike of fear penetrate my battle focus. That fear took root and blossomed as the Sucking Void finally dissipated and the last 2 cards in my Mind Home shredded themselves into the discard. I really wanted that Condor out of play! I¡¯d swung big and hit hard, and a focused glance showed me that Spignit only had 6 cards left in its Mind Home. I, on the other hand, suddenly had none, and my opponent was gearing up for the attack.


    Spignit, chirping in distress and hopping in a circle, made its draws, summoned its source, and a full 4 of its Air source went totally gray as it devoted them. A truly massive Soul appeared, and my blood ran cold.


    Some distant part of me heard the announcer jabbering excitedly, but I might as well have been underwater for all I understood. The Eagle stood well over six feet tall on two clawed feet, with massive wings blocking the sky and powerful man-arms beneath them reaching for a shining broadsword. This thing made the Condor look like a house pet. It was a beast of savage majesty, and I knew I¡¯d lost the match. Looking at my hand, I saw the Iron Plate ¨C which I now wished I was wearing ¨C my second Marauder, a Ghastly Gremlin, and the useless, good-for-nothing Potion. I could block 6 damage out of hand. If this bad boy wasn¡¯t hitting for at least that amount, I¡¯d eat my new shoes, and the Condor was at the ready as well. I was done for. Spignit just had too damned many good cards.


    But then the bird Summoner dithered, looking from me to its one card in hand and then back again. It hopped and chirped and bobbed its tail feathers in thought.


    It¡¯s scared, I realized. I just sent a shit load of damage down its throat and it¡¯s not sure what I have in hand. I squared my shoulders, spread my cards as wide in my hand as possible to make it look like I was holding more, and glowered for all I was worth. It was a weak bluff, but it was all I had.


    Finally Spignit squawked a word of command, and my heart seized as the Condor came swooping down at me. I cast my Ghastly Gremlin into its claws, and the last 2 points of the Talisman lit up. It hummed with a weird, discordant energy as the Relic fully activated. It was a sight to see, but I could hardly appreciate it. I was certain that once the Condor cleared my field of view, I¡¯d find that great damned Eagle shoving its sword down my throat.


    It didn¡¯t. When the Condor swooped away, the Eagle Overlord still hulked at Spignit¡¯s side. The kestrel had kept it back as a blocker, fearing my next attack, not knowing that it could have just put me out of the match and into Ticosi¡¯s grasp.


    As if from another world, I heard a familiar voice scream, ¡°Use the Potion! Hull, use it!¡±


    I looked over and saw Basil shouting at me, red in the face. It looked as if he¡¯d been at it a while, but I¡¯d been so deep in my battle trance I¡¯d heard nothing. Esmi was at his side, hopping up and down and shouting as well. I couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying.


    Was that the right play? Basil knew his stuff. Getting a card back would be a good idea with that monster Eagle in play, but I knew in my gut a single card wouldn¡¯t be enough to save me. Now or never, dummy. Don¡¯t waste your chance. I had no more cards to draw from my Mind Home, but I pulled 2 more Nether and put 1 up. I had 3 available, and no matter what Basil said, there was only one good last-ditch play. I summoned the other Marauder.


    The last 2 Nether I sent coursing up my arms to fill me with rage and power my Hammer blow. I had to hit with everything and I had to do it now, or I was lost.


    I sent the twin Marauders in first, hoping against hope that Spignit would have to block one of them with that beefy Eagle. Sure enough, it sent the monster swooping over to intercept the freshly-summoned one. The demon swarmed up the front of the Eagle, shredding its armor and digging its claws deep into its chest, sending bright blood spurting. The great bird shrieked in rage and brought its sword down on the Marauder¡¯s head, and it shattered into light. The Eagle limped off to the side, bleeding profusely but still on its feet. If I didn¡¯t beat Spignit this turn, that sword would be coming down on me in a moment.


    My other Marauder rushed past the focused, recovering Condor and got right up in Spignit¡¯s face, slashing and tearing as it panted its creepy breath-laugh. Spignit threw its last card in hand at it, and I saw the afterimage of the shattered card glowing brightly for a moment.


    Twins twist me, how did this kestrel end up with all these amazing cards? Either Spignit was the hope of the avian tribe, or else the rest of the kestrels had the humans fooled and were going to take over the kingdom any day now. Either way, the Mythic only blocked 2, and 3 more cards shredded out of its Mind Home.


    That¡¯s when I showed up, swinging the Hateful Hammer with all my might, a prayer to my pal Fortune on my lips. With a despairing peep, Spignit took the hit, and 3 more cards fluffed away. As I reared back, recovering my balance from the hit, I saw that the little kestrel had no more cards left. Its Mind Home was empty.


    If I¡¯d been playing any other deck, I¡¯d have been done for. I¡¯d hit with everything, and even though I¡¯d stripped my opponent bare, it could attack back now and I¡¯d be totally defenseless.


    Except I wasn¡¯t playing any other deck, and my Talisman was still humming and bouncing on my chest. My surviving Marauder loped up to me and with a satisfied growl dug its claws into my side, dealing its 3 end-of-turn damage. Instead of the pain I expected, I felt a surge of power course from the spot where it had raked me and up through my chest, focusing into the Talisman. The metal plate¡¯s hum rose to a fever pitch and resolved into a fell harmony¡­ then three glowing blue spikes shot out of its face, slamming into Spignit.


    The kestrel tumbled into a heap, and the match was over. I¡¯d won.


    The Dueling Dome came down, and the roar of the crowd broke over me. HULL! HULL! HULL! they chanted. I wanted to revel in it, but all I felt was weak-kneed relief. Another match won. Another moment of reprieve gained.


    The kestrel¡¯s ante card came flying at me, and I caught it reflexively.


    Another Epic in hand, at least for the moment. It galled me to think I¡¯d have to hand it to Ticosi. There had to be some way I could escape him. Later. Think about it later. I caught Spignit¡¯s eye across the arena and nodded to the bird respectfully. It had almost won. It could have won ¨C although not even Ticosi¡¯s little tortures could have forced me to say it out loud to Spignit. The bird fluffed its feathers and bobbed its head in return before taking to the air.


    Then Basil was there, grabbing my hand and pumping it for all he was worth. ¡°A fine showing! Capital! Twins Above, when I think about how you started out I can hardly believe it. Incredible!¡±


    Esmi clapped me on the shoulder and favored me with a smile. ¡°Not half bad, Hull. Keep it up and the Prince will have to watch his back next time.¡±


    I had plenty I wanted to say to that, but Basil wouldn¡¯t shut up as they pulled me arm-in-arm down the stairs. ¡°...only caught the latter part of the match, but you put up a smashing fight. And tell me, why didn¡¯t you play the Potion? I know you heard me that time; I saw you look.¡±


    I smiled and put it as kindly as I knew how. ¡°Basil, that Potion isn¡¯t worth shit for any deck bigger than 3 cards. I¡¯m going to find that Relicsmith and see if he¡¯ll upgrade it for me.¡± It wasn¡¯t worth trading away my new Epic just for that, but I still had a good deal of the Gamemaster¡¯s purse left, and maybe it¡¯d be enough for an elevation.


    Basil looked crestfallen. ¡°Ah. A wise thing, I suppose. I¡¯d rather hoped you¡¯d come watch my match, but that¡¯s all right. You do as you must.¡± He looked down and shuffled along, looking as if I¡¯d kicked him.


    Esmi caught my eye over his head and gave me a say-the-right-thing kind of look. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew that¡¯s what she meant, but it was clear as day. I rolled my eyes at her, and the look hardened just a little. The girl had some steel in her, no doubt about it.


    I held in a sigh. ¡°Course I¡¯ll watch your match. Plenty of time for trading afterward.¡±


    He brightened like the sun, and then he didn¡¯t stop talking for twenty minutes after.

 37. Basil - Burn

    The walk from Hull¡¯s match platform to mine was a boisterous affair. I both could and couldn¡¯t believe the wily scrapper had managed to pull out yet another win with a deck that had started with a mere two cards. All he needed was one more victory, and against all odds, he would break into the top eight. I was sure he was the talk of the tournament already, and if he managed to make it to the third day, criers and wordsmiths would be peddling his story for years to come. During my contemplations last night, I had considered how continuing our relationship didn¡¯t directly align with my new goals ¨C in fact it could run counter to them should we be matched up against one another ¨C but despite that, it felt proper in my heart and bones to be on Hull¡¯s side, as if Fate truly had wanted us to go through the gauntlet of the Rising Stars tournament together by pairing us up in our first match.


    The platform for my match was the same one Esmi had competed on a short time ago, and like before, the stands around it were filled to the brim ¨C overflowing even, with people standing on the walkways meant for accessing the seats. It was a sight I was growing more and more used to, and while I knew that many were in attendance because I was the only winner¡¯s side duel happening at the moment, when some started chanting my name, I felt a small burst of pride in having made it so far in the tournament myself.


    Plutar was already waiting on the other side of the dueling square, wearing oranges and reds like he had the previous night, his curly hair fluffed, and his eyes narrowed, watching our trio approach.


    ¡°I will be most grateful if you turn him into a smudge,¡± Esmi said at my side.


    ¡°Looks like he deserves it,¡± Hull commented. ¡°Want to borrow my Hammer for the job?¡±


    The idea of smashing a slab of metal into Plutar¡¯s face was a pleasing one, and I was touched that Hull thought enough of me to let me borrow one of his cards. ¡°Thank you, but no,¡± I said and then added with a wink, ¡°I have a different plan in mind.¡± To my fiancee, I dipped my head like she was royalty, saying, ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± She gave me a warm peck on the cheek, and Hull clapped me on the shoulder before departing, and I practically bounded up the steps: I was ready for this challenge, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see it done.


    Plutar was saying something to me across the platform, and the announcer had begun speaking as well, but on an instinctual whim, I chose not to listen. The Charbonder would just be trying to unsettle me, the same as his two previous attempts, and I already knew how a duel was to run. The shimmer of the Dueling Dome surrounded us, the crowd chanted words I could ignore, and I didn¡¯t even look up when the ante was pulled from behind my ear: it wouldn¡¯t matter until the match was over, and I didn¡¯t need knowledge of it distracting me during. Instead, I focused on recreating my time on top of the Coliseum this morning. There was only me and the Air, lightly playing on my skin and breathed in through my body, filling me, calming me, until it was its time to go.


    I saw Plutar start drawing cards, so I did the same, receiving from Fortune an Order Source, an Air Source, Protection, Penance, and one of my new Metal Golems.


    At first I had worried over the number of cards I possessed that would have no effect on a deck like Plutar¡¯s. With Esmi¡¯s help before the Soiree, I had removed the most obvious offenders, but there were still a number of Spells, like Penitence, that I couldn¡¯t purge from my deck if I wished to have a full count of twenty. However, after watching Esmi¡¯s match against Haze, I was no longer so concerned. Like Earth, Order¡¯s cards had a tendency to make good blockers from hand, so even if there was no point in me casting a spell like Penitence or Execution, they could still keep me alive.


    I didn¡¯t need them now though ¨C I needed Souls to attack Plutar with ¨C so I tucked Protection and Penitence back behind my ear and drew into exactly what I had hoped I would: Atrea, my Winged Knight, and a Headsman.


    I played my Order Source during the Opening Gambit, wanting to go second, and Plutar, as expected, played Fire. He was immediately able to draw two more cards, but he didn¡¯t do anything with them; Plutar just stood there with a full hand of cards and a small ball of flame hovering over his head, watching me. He didn¡¯t seem happy to have been ignored before, but that wasn¡¯t of interest to me. What was, was his patience. If it was true that he didn¡¯t use any Souls, that meant the only way he could stop my attacks were with cards in hand: either Spells or ones used to block.


    So, he was waiting to see what I would do and then react, which sounded just fine to me; I¡¯d get to dictate the pace of the match.


    When my Mind loosened, I drew two more of my Summon cards, adding an Assassin and a Runic Cloak.


    The Common Relic was the most recent change to my deck, and a replacement for my Soulforged Helmet. Throice¡¯s family had given me a good deal on the Cloak earlier today, but it had still taken the very last of my limited allowance to purchase. I hoped it would be well worth it.


    I played the Air Source I already had in hand ¨C a small stormcloud joining my porcelain ball of Order ¨C and I pulled on both to bring my Metal Golem onto the field.


    As soon as it coalesced, I sent it charging toward Plutar, its feet clanging against the wood with each step. Attacking with it right away would then take it longer to recover, but I had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Plutar answered back by devoting his Fire Source, the ball of flame darkening and dropping near a foot in the air. In one hand, a card vanished, and in his other, a clump of fire the size of a grapefruit appeared.


    The Fireball streaked from his hand into my approaching Golem, bowling the metal creature back. Righting itself with a pained squeal from its joints, the Relic Soul tried to stumble forward as it burned and melted but then it shattered into card shards. From its destruction, another card flitted from my Mind Home into my hand.


    I was truly being favored by Fortune to draw so many of my Souls so early in the match. Although, that also meant I didn¡¯t have any cards in hand that I¡¯d want to use to block damage with, so perhaps I wasn¡¯t quite so fortunate as I thought.


    Plutar had another quick turn: drawing and playing a second Fire Source, the majority of his attention remained on me, continuing to wait.


    I drew, getting another Order Source, which I played, and a second regular Assassin in hand ¨C now I didn¡¯t feel as bad about using one of those two for blocking. Focusing all three of my now ready Source, I summoned my Headsman, the card melting from my hand and appearing before me, nearly a head taller than I stood.


    Like with the Metal Golem before him, I sent the new Soul pounding toward Plutar. As the Headsman neared, it was now my turn to wait and see if Plutar would use his new Fire Source to power a similar counter strike. It never happened; the Headsman got in striking range, swinging his ax, and Plutar rapidly threw two cards from his hand, blocking the attack. I missed seeing the first he used because my eyes caught on the red border of the second.


    As usual, the force of the cards shattering pushed my Headsman back a few paces, but then the Epic card reformed, flicking back through the air to Plutar¡¯s fingers. He smiled wickedly at me as he caught the card, adding it back to his hand.


    What in the Twins had that been?


    I opened my senses beyond the tunnel vision I had been using thus far, hoping the commentator would explain this oddity to the crowds.


    ¡°...oul ability, only once a match, to return a used Spell from hand¡­¡± a cool, clipped voice was saying, who I recognized as the same business-like announcer who had commentated my match with Throice.


    ¡°Thank the Twins he can only do it once,¡± I breathed, shutting the rest of the world back out now that I had my answer. After seeing what Esmi and Haze could do with their Rare Souls, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that Plutar had more up his sleeve than just the ability to sense heat. At least I had gotten it out of him early in the match, and he hadn¡¯t gotten to cast a spell on me twice, especially not that one. 9 damage? I¡¯d definitely need to keep my defenses strong in preparation for that, as I was sure he wouldn¡¯t be using it just to block with again.


    Plutar drew and played an Order Source. My guess was that he had at least two so he could use Order¡¯s Source Power of drawing cards ¨C a reactionary deck like his would need it. He devoted two of his Sources and summoned a suit of armor which took form over the layered robes he was wearing.


    I coughed a dry laugh, finding it funny to see him using a card I had cut from my deck since it didn¡¯t provide any protection against Spells. It was a smart choice on his part though since Fire cards were such flimsy defenders.


    I drew an Air Source and finally a Spell: Execution.


    That was part of the defense I was looking for, which made me happy as I played my new Air Source and immediately used it along with one of my Order Source to bring out Atrea.


    When she appeared, she stretched her wings.


    ¡°Finally. The way things were going I thought I¡¯d be the only card you didn¡¯t use in this tournament.¡±


    ¡°A gift for you.¡± I said, playing the Runic Cloak on her.


    This had been a plan of mine from the start since I had no other way of defeating Plutar besides using Souls on the field. Seeing that Hellfire Spell had almost made me reconsider, and the old me might have, draping the Relic over myself instead, but I chose to trust my previous thinking. Atrea was tied with my Headsman for the strongest Soul in my deck, and in case Plutar put out some sort of an obstacle, she could potentially fly over it.


    There was a brief moment though, as the Runic Cloak was starting to take form over Atrea, that Plutar could strike her before the Cloak¡¯s protection was active. He had one ready Fire Source and another Fireball would erase Atrea from the field.


    When it didn¡¯t come ¨C a blue stitched gold cloak appearing around her winged shoulders ¨C I breathed a sigh of relief and then sent her off to attack. Plutar did respond then, playing a card I hadn¡¯t seen him use yet but one I expected a deck like his to have.


    Atrea reversed in flight, her wings beating against the Spell, but unlike regular smoke, the ash cloud stayed there between her and Plutar, completely disrupting her ability to strike. I also had trouble seeing Plutar, until another Fireball ¨C which he must have just drawn ¨C shot through the cloud of gray and slammed into my Headsman, turning him into a smoldering lump before he broke apart.


    Through the tunnel that the Fireball had created in the smoke, I watched Plutar as I drew an Order Source and another Execution, making me feel good about my decision to give the Cloak to Atrea ¨C I had a sizable amount of defense in hand now. Playing my Order Source gave me five Source balls floating around my head: one dim, four ready. I wanted to attack every turn, but I also didn¡¯t want to fill the field with my Souls only to run into a board clear from Plutar, like Flaming Ribbons or Conflagration, both of which I had also read about. His Fire Source Explosion was another way to empty the field, though that one was at least Slow, so could only happen on his turn.


    To avoid overcommitting, I used my Order Source not to fuel a card in my hand but for its Power: a wave of structured, calming energy untightened my Mind enough to release a card into my hand, which turned out to be another Spell I could only use for defense: my Rare, Equality.


    I then used Air¡¯s Source Power, which flowed around me in a whip of rejuvenating wind that I sent flowing toward Atrea, which recovered her enough that her wings snapped back to open and she soared toward Plutar, striking him with her sword. The Scalemail protected Plutar from 1 point of damage, and he defended the other 2 with cards from hand, both of which I caught right before they shattered, giving me more insight into his deck.


    Both had their uses, and Blood Boil could kill any Soul in my deck. I was glad the Spell was Slow at least and that Atrea was safely covered in her Cloak in case he was running another copy.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Plutar drew his cards and played a Fire Source, giving him only three cards in hand compared to my six. Was I winning this handily? It seemed like I was, but I shouldn¡¯t get too ahead of myself. That Hellfire of his would cost three of my own cards to stop, so our available resources really weren¡¯t that different.


    Plutar used his Source Power to ping Atrea for 2 damage, enough to force her to use Runic Cloak since her Armor didn¡¯t protect against Spells. The Relic fell from her shoulders aflame, quickly disintegrating and leaving her unscathed. I thought Plutar would cast another Spell to take her off the field now, and when he devoted his two remaining Sources and a card vanished from his hand, I was sure of it.


    But then, instead, a book with pages lit aflame appeared, falling into his waiting grasp.


    ¡°By the Twelve,¡± I cursed. Source Powers and Source Explosions were Spells.


    Plutar didn¡¯t have any Source left ready, but with that book, he could start whittling down me or my Souls twice as fast with his Source Power. And, assuming he still had a fair number of Fire Source that he hadn¡¯t drawn from his heart yet, he could blanket the field in flame at any point in my turn, destroying my Souls. Suddenly, he was the one in a favorable position, able to threaten me on future turns, and if I tried to go all in to stop him now, ready to punish.


    I breathed out, letting the air take those nervous thoughts with them. I still had three Souls in hand; I could afford to lose some, and the sooner I made him use his Source Explosion, the less Source he¡¯d have for the rest of our match.


    My draw gave me another Order Source and a Carrion Condor, which cemented my next play. Using some from all of my available Sources, I brought out both the Condor and a regular Assassin.


    The giant bird screeched, seeming to be as pleased to be on the field as Atrea had been, while the Assassin was there and gone in a blink of an eye, his Stealth taking effect. Then I sent all three charging forward. I was out of Source, just like Plutar was, and I was hitting him for 6 damage, when he only had two cards in hand and ten left in his Deck ¨C with the magic of the Dueling Dome, I could see their ghostly images flitting around his body, protecting him.


    Sure enough, a pillar of fire with a touch of light bloomed around Plutar. It was similar in size to Esmi¡¯s, but instead of granting cards like Order, the Fire Source Explosion swept across the space between us like a boiling inferno, the heat blasting my face.


    Atrea withered and became shards, and I winced, seeing her blown away, and the same for my newly summoned Assassin. The Condor survived though, as I had hoped he would ¨C Plutar had been using more than one Order Source ¨C flapping onward with a single point of Health. To block the 1 damage from the Condor, Plutar used a card I had suspected from him.


    The more cards I got out of him like that the better, so hopefully my next group of Souls wouldn¡¯t be threatened.


    Plutar drew, both Summon cards since all his Source was gone, and only a single Source of his came back to ready. This was another reason I had been willing to go for a big swing ¨C he wouldn¡¯t be able to do much to me to answer back. I suspected he¡¯d just destroy my wounded Carrion Condor with his Source Power, giving me time to restock my Souls and attack again.


    As expected, he did just that, using a Source powered fireball the size of an apple to fell the Condor from the sky, the bird shattering into shards before it hit the platform.


    I drew another Order Source and played it, giving me seven of my eight Source out, with only one Air source still to be drawn. I also drew Protection, which, with my hand of six cards, was quite effective at the moment. But, I also needed Souls back on the field, so I used all but one of my ready Source to finally bring out my Master Assassin.


    He wasn¡¯t as deadly against a deck like Plutar¡¯s, but he was durable, and I planned to make full use of him. When he appeared, he turned to stare at me in a way no Common or Uncommon card ever would, and I could feel the venom coming off of him, just as strong as whatever deadly substance coated his blades.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re not even trying to sell me to a more suitable Summoner,¡± the masked man hissed.


    Instead of placating him as I had in the past, I said, ¡°That¡¯s correct. You¡¯re too valuable by far for me to let go, and I think in time you will see that I am more suitable than you expect. Now, if you would, please strike him down.¡±


    The Master Assassin hesitated against my command for a moment. ¡°We shall see,¡± he finally allowed and then took off, sprinting toward Plutar.


    Plutar had no Source ready and his Source Explosion spent, so all he could do was take the two daggers that flew at his face, one pinging off his Scalemail, and the other blocked by one of the few cards in his hand, another Smoke Screen.


    That meant Plutar just had Hellfire in his hand and something else. Of course, he¡¯d get two more cards on his turn, but none I had seen so far particularly worried me, since I could defend my Master Assassin with my Protection Spell, or use the card¡¯s ability to return him to my deck if needed.


    And then Plutar cast the perfect answer.


    The Spell was absolutely awful for me. Using Protection, I could defend the Master Assassin for 4, but then Plutar could use his remaining Source to fuel a Source Powered blast to kill him because I didn¡¯t have enough available Source to play Protection and use the Master Assassin¡¯s ability. And if I did use the Master Assassin¡¯s ability, then the Overkill effect would roll all the damage over to me, and I¡¯d have to defend for 5.


    Unlike when I was being attacked directly, Fate did not slow time for me, and I had to make a decision in an instant if I wished to counter. Hoping it was the right play, I used my only ready Source to send power through Protection, sending it to intercept the Greater Fireball.


    As I knew would happen, the Spell didn¡¯t stop all the damage, a bit of flame spilling past the glimmering, oversized shield that had appeared in front of the Master Assassin, setting some his black clothes afire and burning him, though he bore the damage silently.


    I then waited to see if Plutar would finish off the Rare Soul by devoting his last remaining Fire Source. I loathed losing my Master Assassin, but if Plutar did opt for that play, he wouldn¡¯t have any Fire Source ready on my turn and be severely limited on his next turn, giving me an opportunity to set up my Carrion Condors or Headsman. I still had three of those Souls left in my deck, and only eight cards remaining. I could also use my Order Source Power to dig for them if need be, making me confident that I¡¯d get some of them out in time.


    The Master Assassin shot me a dark look from where he crouched, devoted, obviously aware he was vulnerable, while Plutar hesitated, the Burning Book he held casting his face in flickering light; he clearly wanted to destroy the Rare, but in the end he chose not to, prioritizing having more Source available in the following turns.


    I didn¡¯t bother drawing any Source, opting for two Summon cards instead to get to my remaining Souls¡­


    ¡°Fortune, I could kiss you,¡± I said, grinning big, looking down at a Headsman and Condor that had just appeared in my hand. Using my Source, I summoned the Condor.


    And then¡­ I did my own Source Explosion. It was a relatively tiny thing, powered as it was by only a single Air Source. Still, the force of it twisted around me, flapping my clothes and hair as it funneled upward. From the sudden sensation of lightness that permeated me, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to find my feet had lifted from the ground, but I wasn¡¯t the intended recipient of this effect: the Master Assassin was. At my urging, the swirl of air vanished from around me and surrounded the Rare, his body actually rising into the air in a bubble of wind. And then it was gone, making him fall a few inches, but he landed unbent and as ready when first summoned. Normally he was too expensive to refresh using my regular Air Source Power, but the Air Source Explosion completely ignored that restriction. It was a combo I had only gotten to use a few times before, and it felt quite good to pull it off in front of a crowd, who I did catch giving me a few wild cheers.


    With two Souls now at the ready, I sent the Master Assassin and Condor forward, attacking Plutar for 4. In response, Plutar used a Greater Fireball ¨C now a Fast Spell due to the Burning Book ¨C sending it plowing into the Condor, immolating it and Overkilling into me for 1 damage. Time did slow then, letting me look over my hand of one regular Assassin, two Executions, one Equality, and one Headsman. None of them blocked for a single point of damage, so would be a waste to use now, but I didn¡¯t want to risk losing the Condor still in my deck, or even my Metal Golem. It pained me to lose another Soul in this type of match where I needed them so much, but I sacrificed the Assassin to block.


    The Master Assassin¡¯s blades then stabbed into Plutar: the Rare Soul had decided to attack the Summoner directly this time instead of using thrown daggers, perhaps not taking kindly to having been singed before. Plutar blocked the strike with another Fireball, which was good to eliminate, but I worried that Plutar had another of those Greater Fireballs left to play in his ¨C I squinted ¨C remaining 6 cards.


    He drew two of those and decided it was time to finish the Master Assassin off, using his one available Fire Source for a small blast. I wasn¡¯t about to allow that, and I devoted the Order Source I had purposely kept ready to activate the Rare Soul¡¯s ability.


    The Master Assassin slipped sideways and vanished into thin air before the Source Powered ball of flame struck him. He hadn¡¯t truly vanished, which I knew because I could feel the weight of him sitting at the base of my Mind Home. Plutar cursed loudly enough for me to notice, even though he had likely been expecting the response from me.


    Yet again, my side of the platform was empty, and my draws were Execution and, Fortune be praised, my last Condor. Like the two before it, I immediately summoned the Air Soul. This was the turn where I needed to end it or at least do as much damage as possible, so I summoned my Headsman as well, sending both Souls at Plutar. He couldn¡¯t stop either this time, having no Source at the ready, and they struck for a combined 5, minus 1 for his Armor, which he blocked using all three of his cards in hand, shocking me that he was willing to give up his Epic for good and then some.


    I was relieved to see those cards go ¨C the Choker in particular would have been a nightmare if he had managed to get it into play ¨C but I was also wary. What else did he have in his deck that was better and thus worth protecting?


    He drew his cards and had four Source available now. If he got what he had been waiting for, he¡¯d surely use it now. His Source all dimmed, and I saw a green shimmer, heralding the arrival of something awful I was sure.


    Fire burned everywhere except for him, ripping the Souls I had on the board away and buffeting me with a terrible heat, hotter than hot, making it hard to breathe. A Mythic. He had a Mythic. Again, time slowed, but despite my shock, I already knew my choice: I released all three of my Executions, fully stopping the Spell¡¯s damage. I didn¡¯t like blocking for 9 when I was only taking 7 but I had cards in what remained of my own deck that were worth protecting, too.


    The platform was still smoking from the effects of the Mythic when I drew my cards, giving me three in hand: my Equality, joined by my second Metal Golem and Penitence.


    The Spell was useless to cast of course, but it offered more defense in hand then it did in my deck. I used my replenished Source to get the Golem onto the field, and having no other Souls to summon, I sent it to attack. Plutar stopped the 1 damage that got past his Scalemail with yet another Conflagration Spell, giving him no cards in hand and only two in his Mind Home ¨C I was so close!


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet, so I used my leftover Order Source to draw one extra card to have more defense. I couldn¡¯t imagine Plutar had a second of that Mythic ¨C I hoped to the Twins he didn¡¯t ¨C but I wanted to be as prepared as possible. The card was what I had known it would be since I had mulliganed at the start: Protection. Sadly, my hand wasn¡¯t large enough to make much use of its effect but it could still block for 2 on its own.


    Plutar drew his final two cards, which I desperately hoped were just Spells like Melt or maybe a Stoking the Flame. No such luck: he used his Source to cast another Greater Fireball, blasting my Summoned Golem apart and roaring into me for 3 damage. I stopped it with my Equality, while the Golem¡¯s effect brought another Penitence into my hand.


    I only had one card left to draw, and I did, the Master Assassin returning to my hand. The crowd was going wild, each of us now without any cards in our Mind Home. But the Master Assassin let me cheat that with his ability, and if I didn¡¯t blunder, I should take the match. For all my expressed new confidence, my hands shook as I played, summoning him. He rushed forward, striking for 1 damage, which Plutar blocked with his last card in hand, another Smoke Screen.


    Plutar used his Source power to strike me for 1, which I blocked with a Penitence.


    My Source came back to ready, but I had nothing to draw or play, and my Assassin couldn¡¯t attack again, slumped from being devoted. So, I waited. This was it; I just needed to survive long enough to attack one more time.


    Plutar looked at my Master Assassin, but of course there was no reason to send a Fire Source attack at the Rare Soul, since I could just pay to return him to my deck and then instantly have him out again. So, Plutar shot at me. I only had two cards in hand and he was striking me for 3. If I had different cards, it would have been the end of me, but Protection and Penitence blocked together for 4 and the explosion of shards they made in front of me was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.


    My Master Assassin stood, and I thought he looked as eager to finish the job as I was, but instead of standing there to take the final hit, Plutar strode off of the field.


    The crowd shouted at him and applauded for me, the sound thunderous. The Dueling Dome was still up though, and the Master Assassin cocked his head in my direction.


    ¡°Without me you would have lost,¡± he rasped. ¡°You owe me.¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± I replied. ¡°Any duelist worth the name knows that he owes his success to every card he is fortunate enough to carry. By staying with me, you give me the chance to repay it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t get to see the Assassin¡¯s reaction because a card whipped down, hovering in front of my face.


    I plucked it from the air, disbelieving. An Epic. I finally had an Epic of my very own that I could sell, and there were a few choice cards I had seen the night before from some high-end vendors that immediately sprung to mind.


    A weight crashed into me from the side, and I turned to see it was Esmi hugging me. She gave me a tight squeeze and then pulled back, beaming. Hull was close behind her and even had a smile for me, marring his normally gruff countenance.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Esmi said and then she bopped me lightly on the cheek with the flat of her hand. ¡°And that¡¯s for making me worry you might lose. What were you thinking cutting it so close?¡±


    ¡°What she said,¡± Hull echoed.


    I caught the hand she had used for the faux slap with my own before she could remove it, pressing it back against my cheek. ¡°This is just the beginning,¡± I told them both.


    Esmi looked at me in mock offense. ¡°You do realize that I¡¯m your next opponent, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I grinned back at her. ¡°And I¡¯m sure the experience will only serve to deepen our respect for one another.¡±


    Hull coughed awkwardly. ¡°I can give you two some time¡­¡±


    I released Esmi¡¯s hand and pointed at Hull, who was already starting to turn away. ¡°Don¡¯t you go anywhere. We need to figure out how you¡¯re beating Haze next.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how I did it,¡± Esmi said, her eyes alighting eagerly at the prospect.


    Watching the two of them talk, thick as thieves, I smiled in joyous contentment that I didn¡¯t think any amount of Order or Air Source channeled through my body could make me feel. The Dueling Dome had fallen and my Master Assassin was gone with it. Spectators were crowding down the stands, some waving to me, and I waved back. Esmi¡¯s parents might be somewhere in that group, unless they had decided to just wait and hear the outcome. If they were here, I wanted to ¨C


    My chest fluttered, driving all other thoughts out of my head. It was like a hummingbird had become trapped in the upper portion of my ribcage, which wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, per se, yet it was noticeable. The sensation lasted for a few more heartbeats and then faded, still present, though considerably lighter than it had been a moment before. I gasped in shock and profound delight. Three times now I had been blessed by this herald of change, and never this strongly. The timing made sense though, after defeating my self-proclaimed rival and reconciling with my fiancee.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Esmi asked, and I realized that I stood partially hunched, a hand over my chest. ¡°Is it¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I said, straightening with a laugh. ¡°Which makes me much better than fine.¡± Hull seemed confused by that, so I happily explained. ¡°My Soul is on the cusp of elevating.¡±

 38. Hull - Smarter, Not Harder

    I stared at Haze across the boards, sweat trickling down the back of my neck and into my collar. I shifted the Hammer in my hand, glanced at my cards, and waited. This was the strangest match I¡¯d played yet, and it had me spooked. I was used to hitting hard every turn, but with this great clobbering bastard I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°He has a personal Attack on his soul card,¡± Esmi had explained to me. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need a weapon at all ¨C although he has those too ¨C so every time you hit him, he hits back, even if he attacked on his turn. You can¡¯t just dance in and whack away at him for free like you¡¯re used to.¡±


    ¡°Use his Attack against him,¡± Basil had advised me later. ¡°Wait until you¡¯ve got your Sucking Void active before you go after him, or better yet when you have the Talisman of Spite equipped. That way you¡¯re powering it up using his own ability.¡±


    It was great advice, but the strategy session had gone on long enough that I¡¯d had to scramble to the trading tables to find a replacement for my Lesser Healing Potion. Fortune had turned his back on me there; plenty of vendors had Minor and Lesser Healing Potions, but none of them were any more powerful than what I had, and the one man I¡¯d found with a Greater Healing Potion, a Rare, wanted either my new Epic Microburst card as a straight trade or five crowns for the purchase. He had a sneer the whole time that said clear as day that he had it in for me, and I wondered if maybe he¡¯d lost a bet against me or something. When I tried to talk him down to a more reasonable price he said it had changed to six crowns. Only the fact that I had a match about to start kept me from getting my fists involved in the trade. I¡¯d scurried off to my match at the last second without the new potion I needed, and I was worried. According to Esmi, Haze would be my toughest opponent yet.


    Now, several turns into the match, I knew she was right, but the rounds were progressing with an unfamiliar cadence that left me wrong-footed. Here we were, two in-the-face duelists, and instead of wading in at every opportunity and whaling away at each other, so far we¡¯d done a lot more dancing around and waiting for the right moment than I was used to.


    I¡¯d gotten pretty much the perfect opening hand, but for the very first time, I hadn¡¯t attacked with my Hammer on turn 1. It nearly killed me not to, but I knew it would just cost me twice the cards until I had my Sucking Void out, so I¡¯d bitten my tongue ¨C hard ¨C and waited. He¡¯d waltzed right over with a tight grin on his turn and hit me with a bare fist, costing me a Ghastly Gremlin, but the fact that I¡¯d left my Hammer at the ready meant the blow cost him a card as well. He¡¯d lost his smile once the Sucking Void had come out and I came swinging for him, instead. That had forced him to use the Lodestone he¡¯d summoned on his first turn to search his deck for his Onyx Gauntlet. Seeing it summoned left me cursing to myself.


    It was terrible. No, it was an amazing card, but it was terrible for me, because it meant my Hammer would do nothing to him so long as he kept just hitting with his fists and keeping the Gauntlet at the ready to eat my damage.


    But then I¡¯d played the Talisman of Spite, and he¡¯d started cursing every bit as fiercely as I had.


    When I hit him with my Hammer that next time, he¡¯d used the Gauntlet to dismiss my damage as expected, but the 2 damage he did in return was absorbed by the still-active Sucking Void and started to charge the Talisman.


    So there I was, sweating as I wondered whether he¡¯d draw his other Gauntlet on the coming turn and knock me straight out of the Tournament and into Ticosi¡¯s waiting arms, praying to the Twins I could pull off a win. The Sucking Void was on its final turn. Is it better to skip out on drawing another Nether this turn? It¡¯s always good to have more source, but I¡¯m going to lose the rest of my deck at the end of the turn. If I take 2 from the Mind Home instead, then I only lose whatever the last card on the bottom is. It felt like a good trade. I could always draw more Nether later.


    I pulled my 2 cards and felt a rush of relief. The only thing I hadn¡¯t drawn was my potion, and it was of no use to me anyway, since all it could get back for me at this point was a Ghastly Gremlin. I had both Mauraders, 2 Ghastlies, my Root Imp, and my Iron Maiden Plate in hand. This could work. Can I win this? Quit blabbing to yourself and play, you stupid lump of shit.


    I devoted both my available Nether and brought out a Marauder. The 3 damage it does at the end of the turn will activate my Talisman, and then maybe I¡¯ve got a chance.


    Haze had no Souls in play ¨C I assumed because they didn¡¯t have high enough Attack to block my Strong hits ¨C but he had 2 Earth source available to soak up damage. I looked to the Marauder, which was bouncing eagerly on knuckles and toes, panting with an insane eagerness for blood, and was about to order it to attack when a thought occurred to me. Haze might focus his Gauntlet to absorb the 5 damage, but he could also hit back instead, and if he uses the Gauntlet and his 2 Attack, that¡¯ll kill the Marauder. If it dies, it won¡¯t trigger the Talisman. That would be really bad for me. On the other hand, if I left it at the ready, it¡¯d make a hell of a blocker.


    ¡°Sit tight,¡± I told it.


    The demon¡¯s mouth gaped in offended shock as I left it idle. I shifted onto the balls of my feet, ready to charge in wielding the Hammer, but then¡­ He¡¯ll just block my damage with his Gauntlet, and then I won¡¯t be able to hit back when he comes at me after the Sucking Void expires. I settled back onto my heels and let the moment pass. As I did so I marveled at myself. I could have gone in there raging and dealt out 7 damage to my opponent ¨C more than twice what it would take to kill an average man on the streets ¨C but I had chosen not to because it might be more useful later. The me I had been a couple of days ago wouldn¡¯t have even considered it. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that.


    The Marauder, still pouting around its tusks, raked me with its claws for its end-of-turn damage, and I felt the Talisman start buzzing and bouncing on my chest. The starlight skin of the Sucking Void guttered out, and the single remaining card in my Mind Home shredded away. Now it really begins.


    Haze brought out another Earth source, leaving him with all 5 available. He looked to his hand, grimaced, and devoted 1, bringing out a Soul for the first time.


    It wasn¡¯t a big one, but I could see its use as a blocker. I expected him to come flying at me for 4 damage using both his personal Attack and his Gauntlet, but he stood there irresolute, lips moving subtly as he talked to himself.


    I remembered something Esmi had said earlier when she¡¯d been talking me through the upcoming match. ¡°He has to focus himself to hit using his personal Attack power, you know. It¡¯s one of the few downsides to having an Attack value on your soul card. When a Summoner is focused, they can¡¯t devote their source on the opponent¡¯s turn, which cuts the amount of damage he can soak up with his Earth source by half. If he plays defensively ¨C and he might; he did just lose his last match ¨C he might hold back when he sees you have a big swing on the boards.¡±


    Haze spat a curse and let his moment pass. Esmi, you really know your shit. Since she¡¯d pointed it out, I could now see the conundrum the bruiser was in: if he hit with his fists, he¡¯d lose the ability to soak up a full 5 damage on my turn; if he focused his Gauntlet and hit with that instead, it wouldn¡¯t be able to use its damage-ignoring ability either. I cursed him for playing it smart even as I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I didn¡¯t have to swallow 4 damage this turn.


    The moment of respite gave me the chance to build some momentum. I drew 2 Nether and put one overhead. I had 2 available and I devoted them both. I was itching to use the card I hadn¡¯t gotten to play in a match yet.


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    The full set of plate appeared in front of me with the back hinged open like a casket. I could see sharp little spikes lining the interior of the armor, and I had to remind myself that its damage would be going to Haze instead of me now that the Talisman was activated. I stepped into its embrace and the back closed in on me. It felt nothing like the Sucking Void; that was like being wrapped in a sheath of cool air that fit perfectly. This felt like a suit of armor ¨C big, clanky, and awkward. On the other hand, it felt like solid steel, and I was glad to have it on me. Before the helmet settled on my head I glanced down and saw the Talisman on the outside of the armor even though I¡¯d been wearing it when I stepped into the plate. The details of how these arcane magics worked together was beyond me, and I simply accepted it. Haze¡¯s frown deepened when he saw me suited up, and I felt a little thrill. The helmet had horns on it, and I knew I looked mean. Haze, the crazy bruiser who¡¯d hit me for 6 with a single punch at the Soiree the night before, was scared of me.


    His Onyx Gauntlet was at the ready and so was he. He could block or absorb any combat damage I sent at him right now, and he could kill the increasingly-frenzied Marauder just like I¡¯d worried about the turn before, so¡­ I did nothing. My activated Talisman was going to do the job for me. A moment later, the Marauder reached into the gap between breastplate and pauldron to deal its 3 damage to me, and at the same time I felt a stab from the spikes inside the armor. Once again I had the strange sensation of the damage passing through me instead of into me, and four spikes shot out from the Talisman, trailing blue wisps.


    I thought he¡¯d devote some of his Earth source to absorb the spikes, but instead he held out a card from his hand, and all four projectiles thudded into it, leaving a brief, sparkling afterimage.


    That little bastard was a hell of a blocker out of hand, but he could only have so many of them. I hoped any others were buried in his Mind Home instead of sitting in his hand. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I could last. My Mind Home was empty and I had my Root Imp, 2 Ghastly Gremlins, a Marauder, and a Nether in hand. I could block some damage, sure¡­ but not if he had a really big swing with Overkill like his Gauntlets could deliver together.


    I watched Haze realize that I was going to be doing 4 damage to him at the end of every single turn independent of any other damage I could deal when attacking. He was going to come in hard and try to finish this before I whittled his deck down to nothing. He drew 2 from his Mind Home, smiled, and focused 3 Earth.


    A hole appeared in the boards of the arena right underneath my Marauder, and it sank up to its neck, howling and spitting. The hole closed up around it and yanked itself to the very corner of the dueling square, where it could do nothing.


    I gaped at the sight. Basil had mentioned that card in passing, but I¡¯d completely forgotten about it. I¡¯d been counting on that Demon as my big blocker!


    Haze left his Soil Troll at the ready as a blocker and came charging at me himself, inserting his hand into the Onyx Gauntlet and making a fist. My guts clenched. Even with the Plate on me that Gauntlet looked jagged, pointy, and oversized.


    His spiky fist came flying at me, and Fate¡¯s Grace slowed the moment, giving me a breath to calculate what was coming at me. He was hitting for 4 damage. The Plate would absorb 2. I threw one of my Ghastly Gremlins at his approaching fist and swung my Hammer at him at the same time. The air filled with shattered cards on both sides as we rebounded away from each other.


    The Gremlin, summoned out of turn, looked just as confused as it had when the same thing had happened in the match against Spignit.


    ¡°Sorry, little guy,¡± I told it. ¡°You¡¯ll get your turn next time.¡±


    It scowled at me and vanished into sparkling light.


    All right. Haze had taken his swing and I¡¯d weathered it shockingly well. In my heart of hearts I thanked Fate that his other Gauntlet of the pair was buried somewhere at the bottom of his Mind Home instead of being in play, which would have made that last turn a very different experience. He¡¯d focused all his source but one on that last turn, and he was focused himself, meaning he couldn¡¯t devote that 1 open source for the 2 Earth he needed to block even a single point of damage. Now was the time to strip him of as many cards as possible and hope that Dyran¡¯s Howlite Gauntlet was one of them. A quick squint showed that he had 9 cards left in his Mind Home.


    I drew my last Nether, put 1 into play, and looked at my hand. What I saw was a thing of beauty. He has no idea the fury I¡¯m gonna rain on him. Sure, my one Marauder was still mired in Haze¡¯s Sinkhole, but it hardly mattered. First I devoted 1 Nether and brought out my Root Imp.


    Its thorny branch-talons raked me across the bare hand as it shimmered into being, and the damage shot through me to the Talisman and out toward Haze as a pair of glowing spikes. He shouted in anger and threw another card at it.


    Oh, was I glad to see another blocker gone, especially with what I still had coming. As the damage from the Root Imp was passing through me, I felt it trigger the activation of my one remaining Ghastly Gremlin in hand, and I let it loose to be summoned.


    Then I devoted my last 2 available Nether and brought out my other big boy.


    I looked to my little troop of Demons, all waiting on me expectantly, and a smile broke all over my face. ¡°Let¡¯s go get him.¡±


    They hissed and hollered in response, and we swarmed at Haze in a group. I saw his eyes go wide in panic, and he shouted an order to his one Soul, the Soil Troll, which jumped in front of the Ghastly Gremlin. They both shattered as they clawed at each other.


    Haze threw his last card in hand at the Root Imp, and it shattered.


    But then he was out of defenses, and all he could do was watch helplessly as the Demon Marauder climbed all over him, laughing as it ripped and tore at him. His eyes turned toward me as I came down with my Hammer, and in them I saw the dullness of defeat. He gave a half-hearted swipe at me with a bare fist as I came close, but it bounced off my Plate, doing nothing. An incredible shower of card pieces rained down around him as I bounced back. It was so dense that I couldn¡¯t even see him for a moment.


    When it cleared, I peeked to see what was left to him. I¡¯d dealt 7 damage directly to him, and he only had 2 cards left.


    That wasn¡¯t going to be enough.


    I held out the bare underside of my arm to my nearby Marauder, and it chuckled in black-hearted glee as it did its 3 damage right as the spikes inside my armor skewered me. The Talisman surged, and 4 little spikes thudded into Haze. Cards puffed into shreds, and he went to one knee with a pained expression.


    It was done. The Dome came down, and the crowd was once again chanting my name. I heard a female announcer say, ¡°And the out-of-nowhere Hull has reached the top 8!¡±


    Haze¡¯s ante flew into my hand.


    Fortune¡¯s hairy ballsack, I just won! I stared at the card, hardly able to comprehend what had happened. I¡¯d hoped to whittle down Haze¡¯s deck with a big hit, but I hadn¡¯t realized I could take him out all at once! I counted it up in my head and couldn¡¯t quite believe it ¨C I¡¯d dealt out a total of 18 damage in a single turn. It almost scared me.


    Haze stumped over to me. He didn¡¯t look happy, but he stuck out a hand. ¡°You hit like a falling mountain.¡±


    Dazed, I shook the proffered hand. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you didn¡¯t get your other Gauntlet. Or that ante Spell you hit me with last night.¡±


    He nodded tightly. ¡°You should be.¡±


    He walked away, back straight and head high. He knew he could have beaten me if the cards had fallen differently. So did I. I expected the thought to bother me, but it didn¡¯t. Fate had her hand in all our lives; what was the point in worrying about it? There was plenty else to fill my head. Ticosi would be glad I was getting him more cards, and now I¡¯d have an extra day of competition to¡­ I don¡¯t know. Something. There must be something I can do.


    Basil and Esmi were cheering at the foot of the stairs. The funny little nobleman even embraced me for a moment, and Esmi shook my hand warmly, chattering about the grace and beauty of the moment.


    They were good people. I wasn¡¯t sure how I¡¯d fallen in with them or why they bothered with me, but the truth was that I liked them. I trusted them. I wanted to see where my life would go if I stayed in the clean, trustworthy world they moved in. I didn¡¯t want to be Ticosi¡¯s man.


    Strange, somber thoughts to be having right after a huge victory. Feeling oddly removed from myself, I let them pull me toward the tunnels. As I went, a new firmness of mind grew and overtook me.


    I¡¯m turning into a force to be reckoned with, and Ticosi knows it. He wants to take my cards because he knows that if he doesn¡¯t do it soon, he won¡¯t be able to. I have to stand up to him. I can¡¯t just go along.


    One last thought chilled me as we passed into the dark interior of the Coliseum. It echoed inside me with the hard certainty of truth. If I don¡¯t get out from under Ticosi¡¯s thumb now, I never will. And then I¡¯ll end up being just like him.

 39. Basil - Dinner for Ten

    I walked arm-in-arm with Esmi through the halls of the Colosseum. We had gotten ready separately and then convened at Hull¡¯s, who had managed to put himself together in a respectable fashion without the help of kobolds, impressing us both. Warrick hadn¡¯t returned yet, but Biddlewyn¡¯s curriculum was known for its intensity, so that didn¡¯t surprise me.


    Unlike the celebration that had taken place the evening prior, tonight¡¯s event was a much more intimate affair: only the king and the top eight competitors in the Rising Stars Tournament were to be present ¨C at least that¡¯s what the gold and ivory invitation that waited in my room had said. And, instead of the expansive rooftop being our destination, this gathering was taking place at the finest restaurant housed in the Coliseum: Obu. Its fame throughout Treledyne and beyond was due to its head chef, Tomlil Obu, who continued to make breathtaking cuisine centuries after his death as a summoned card of Mythic rarity. Obu was also famous because the restaurant served only a single table and thus had a reservation list more than a year out. My parents, nobles that they were, had eaten there but a single time and that had just been for brunch!


    As the three of us neared the establishment, the usual walls of stone were replaced by wood paneling, which gave the space a warmer, more inviting feel. Waiting outside the open door was a man dressed in a well-cut suit standing with both hands tucked behind his back. He smiled genially and bowed low to us at the waist until he was perpendicular with his legs. When he straightened, he extended a white-gloved hand.


    ¡°Welcome to Obu. May I have your invitations?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied, producing mine and Esmi¡¯s from within my jacket.


    The man accepted them and turned to Hull. ¡°And you, sir?¡±


    When no reply was forthcoming, I turned to find our third digging unsuccessfully through his clothes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you left it in your room?¡± I said, feeling a spot of embarrassment. ¡°It specifically said to bring it along.¡± I should have offered to carry it like I had Esmi¡¯s, that¡¯s what I should have done.


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Hull said, bringing forth a mangled piece of paper from his back pocket that the tails of his own jacket had been covering.


    I cringed, as he handed the lump of what had been beautiful cross-hatched and embossed parchment to the man, who accepted it with an expression of mild shock. Our host quickly recovered, bowing again and motioning toward the entrance.


    ¡°Do enjoy your meal with us this evening.¡±


    I headed in eagerly, walking a bit faster than Esmi the first few steps before I caught myself and corrected to match her more refined pace.


    ¡°Have you eaten here before?¡± she asked me, humor coating the question.


    ¡°Never,¡± I said, embarrassed and yet also relishing how tonight would see that fact changed. We emerged through a much shorter hall to a good sized dining room. The space did indeed have only a single table, but it was long and wide enough to sit at least a dozen. Only eight high-backed chairs surrounded it though, some already occupied. The prince was there, lounging at one end with Losum to his left and his Legendary card of all things to his right.


    At the other end, there was Plutar and the vampire Lustra, meaning almost all of us were now in attendance. The room had a sunken floor, so we descended a set of steps to reach the table, and on the way I heard Hull grumbling.


    ¡°Like eating at the bottom of the bowl.¡±


    ¡°Mark the moment, my friend,¡± I said to him. ¡°If your taste buds could elevate, today would be the day they do so.¡±


    He looked at me dubiously but didn¡¯t bother to argue, choosing instead to take a seat, glaring at the prince as he did, who pointedly ignored him. Hull had selected the middle section between the two groups, which left room for Esmi to sit beside him and then me beside Esmi. I too had feelings about those we were dining with, but before I addressed those emotions I gave myself a bit longer to enjoy Obu¡¯s decor. There was a tiered chandelier hanging over our table, its candles and those set in amber sconces along the wall casting the room in a pleasant light. A green velvet carpet beneath us paired nicely with the wooden table and walls, both an even deeper mahogany than had been used in the entryway. And set at intervals in the wall, there were bookshelves, polished leather tomes waiting to be plucked out and read by curious diners, perhaps between courses. There was even an orchestra playing somewhere, perhaps an adjoining room, filling the air with low, yet delightful harmonies.


    All in all, it was like fine dining had been married with a library, and I absolutely adored it.


    Waiters were drifting in and out through a set of tall double doors in the back, filling the crystal goblets set in front of us with water, wine, or anything else that was asked for ¨C Lustra held a glass of liquid so red, I thought the staff might actually have procured blood for her to sip.


    There was, however, a problem with the seats. Not the chairs themselves ¨C the tufted leather seats and backs were incredibly comfortable ¨C but with how many of them were present. As it was, our current gathering filled them all, leaving no place for the king or the last competitor to sit.


    It was as I was considering this conundrum that Afi arrived. Unlike Esmi and Lustra, who both wore gowns, she was dressed in dark slacks and a high collared jacket with large buttons up the right side, her hair pulled back into a tight, condensed bun. She looked like she could be going to study or to a duel, and in either case be fully prepared for it.


    I thought that the prince might possess enough etiquette to have his Legendary move, but of course he failed in that as well, continuing to talk with his card as if Afi didn¡¯t exist.


    I took Esmi¡¯s hand, briefly kissing it. ¡°Pardon me for a moment,¡± I murmured to her. Then I stood, pulling my chair out. ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± I told Afi, extending a hand toward the seat.


    She frowned for a moment, looking between Esmi and me, but then I suppose the practical side of her won out, because she accepted my offer without argument. There were things I was curious to ask her, such as the composition of her deck or if she truly had stepped into her Mind Home during the Ability Competition, but it wouldn¡¯t be proper to do that while hovering awkwardly over her, so I moved to stand between Esmi and Hull.


    Everyone was still keeping to their own groups or sitting in stony silence, and neither seemed fitting with the spirit of this event, so I took a stab at bringing us together.


    ¡°Congratulations to everyone for making it this far,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s quite an achievement.¡±


    There was a brief pause, and then it was Gerad who responded. ¡°You think you¡¯ve accomplished something, do you?¡± He was staring at his Legendary companion, not me, and she had a smirk on her lips.


    I tried to find the trap that was evidently in the prince¡¯s question but didn¡¯t see one. I had an Epic for trade in my wrist pouch and a soul that softly hummed, on the cusp of elevation; I felt quite good about what I had achieved thus far.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Proving that you are still a blind fool,¡± he said, shaking his head in mock sorrow.


    In years past I would have accepted the slander stoically, but I wasn¡¯t that person anymore. ¡°Perhaps it is you who are not seeing clearly. Looking down your nose can make it easy to miss things.¡±


    That got some reactions around the table, as well as the prince¡¯s full attention, his ruby flecked eyes spearing me. ¡°So, it only took a few wins for you to forget your place, Hintal. And calling them wins is generous, considering how badly you misplayed your last match.¡±


    Plutar perked up at the opposite end of the table hearing that, while my mind raced back through my last duel, looking for what the prince could be referring to. Win or lose, I always reflected on my matches, and today¡¯s had been no different ¨C while cleaning and dressing, I had considered how I might have played it better. A second Runic Cloak would have tipped the match in my favor earlier, potentially decidedly so, but I had refrained from purchasing one due to my limited funds and the likelihood that my mother would use me for fertilizer if I traded away any of her dowry. I also hadn¡¯t needed to use up my remaining Air Source as I had, and having it in play would have let me refresh my Master Assassin with its Source Power.


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    ¡°If you¡¯re referring to my using Air Source Explosion,¡± I said, ¡°it¡¯s true that the gains were temporary ¨C¡±


    The prince snorted, and Losum joined in with him, a harsh braying, which always managed to get under my skin. ¡°Can¡¯t even see it when it¡¯s pointed out to him,¡± Gerad said to his toadie, ¡°and he has the gall to claim I¡¯m the one missing things.¡±


    ¡°Those with knowledge are celebrated when they share it, not hoard it,¡± Esmi chided the pair. I looked down at her, realizing with a swell of appreciation that she was supporting me, just as she had said she would.


    The prince¡¯s humor died out, and he turned back to me. ¡°You could have used the Master Assassin¡¯s ability to recall him to your deck at the end, letting you resummon him instead of waiting a turn for him to recover from attacking. You took a whole round of damage you didn¡¯t need to.¡± I opened my mouth to argue but then realized he was right ¨C I had misplayed, in a way that could have lost me the match. While I swallowed my pride, the prince turned his disdain upon the rest of those gathered. ¡°None of you know how to play your decks optimally. That¡¯s why I never should have been in this tournament for amateurs.¡±


    The vampire¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t comment specifically on how the rest of us lack because there is nothing of truth to say.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Esmi said.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear as day,¡± Losum gruffed, the tall boy thumbing toward Plutar. ¡°Just look at him, using only Spells. That¡¯s a shit deck if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡±


    Plutar, predictably, puffed up. ¡°It ees you ahl oo play like cheeldren. I use ah deck meant for whar.¡±


    ¡°War?¡± Hull said. ¡°What war?¡±


    ¡°Against orcs and their use of Chaos,¡± Afi said, and after my recent studying, I quickly recognized where she was going. ¡°Without Souls, their Source Explosion Power becomes useless. Correct?¡±


    ¡°Just so,¡± Plutar said appreciatively and then smiled at Afi. ¡®Eet is nice to ahv someone oo ees knowledgeable at the table. And beauteeful, too. Peraps we ahv a dreenk together after to discuss thees more?¡±


    Esmi made a disgusted noise, and I was equally offended. All of his efforts to court Esmi gone up like smoke immediately after his loss, so much so that he had the nerve to court a new target in front of her.


    ¡°Marvelous as always!¡± a rich voice declared, and none other than the king came through the doors at the back. Instead of walking, our liege floated across the ground, his outfit sparkling with gold and encrusted gems, and an oversized yellow cloak trailing on the ground behind him.


    Hull went stiff, likely not knowing how he was supposed to act in the king¡¯s presence. I tapped him on the shoulder and then inclined my head, showing him the proper form of greeting while seated.


    ¡°What were you doing in the kitchen?¡± Gerad asked, and I noticed from the corner of my eye that he wasn¡¯t even bothering to bow.


    ¡°Catching up with Tomlil,¡± the king said, drifting closer. ¡°It¡¯s been years since we last spoke. And he has the best troglodyte caviar this side of the Arafan. Melts in your mouth.¡± As I watched, the king floated to a spot with a gap between two chairs and, using his ability to fly, sat down on nothing but air, looking decidedly comfortable as he lounged back. ¡°Gerad, no cards at the table.¡±


    ¡°But, father ¨C¡± the prince started, practically a whine.


    The king¡¯s skin pulsed slightly brighter ¨C that was all, no turn of the head or additional reprimand ¨C and Gerad angrily deflated, saying a few whispered words with Kitsanya.


    ¡°Better for me anyways,¡± she said with a grin of all things. The Legendary didn¡¯t vanish back to her summoner¡¯s Mind Home, marching from the room on silent feet as Gerad watched her go.


    That left an empty chair for me, but no one bothered to shift seats, so I mustered myself and walked over, sitting directly beside the prince, who practically recoiled at my intrusion.


    The king had busied himself talking with a waiter, and the rest of the table had gone silent again. This was an opportunity to ask something of our liege I had been wondering ever since my plans had changed the night before.


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± he said, turning his head toward me. I had never been this close to Hestorus of Treledyne before and at this distance I could see that his eyes shone like diamonds, adding to his already majestic air, the combination of which almost stole all the breath from my lungs.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t find it impertinent,¡± I managed to get out, ¡°but I was wondering how one can lift their soul as high as you have?¡± There was plenty written on the subject of course, earlier levels that had been achieved by many discussed with academic precision, but for higher tiers there was much more of an air of mystery. To get to ask someone who had actually achieved such a thing was a boon on par with the meal we would soon be treated to.


    ¡°By constantly setting your sights on new horizons, my boy,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°When you crest one peak, find another.¡±


    I nodded along with his answer, seeing the sense of it. The Twins responded to us achieving our deepest desires, but once that had happened, no further growth would occur. But if one¡¯s goals evolved or changed, as the king was saying, those limits could be surpassed.


    ¡°A fine question to get us started, and a fine group it is who sits before me.¡± The king smiled at the eight of us, his whole body emanating a bit of light, even his teeth it seemed. ¡°Or maybe you aren¡¯t. Maybe you are a useless sack of cards who the Twins have foisted upon me to muddle my plans.¡± His smile had vanished, the sudden change surprising me even though I had been told by my brother and seen firsthand how oddly the king could behave. ¡°Let us find out, shall we? Power, as young Master Hintal has asked about, is something you all are chasing, one way or the other. Basil, why do you pursue it?¡±


    He was asking me first? Was this a punishment for my earlier query? ¡°I¡­I¡­ ¡± I began, stammering, which I heard Losum snicker about. I took a breath, calming myself and saw Esmi willing strength into me across the table. ¡°I want to nurture Treledyne and its people.¡± There, I had said it, but there was more, and if I had managed that much, I could say a bit more. I glanced briefly at the prince. ¡°By whatever means may be needed.¡±


    ¡°Nurture not protect, as your father does?¡± the king commented. The tone wasn¡¯t accusing but there was also a bite to his question.


    ¡°I do not believe the two are mutually exclusive,¡± I answered, ¡°nor that what I have to offer the city can be confined solely to my father¡¯s legacy.¡±


    Hestorus considered me for a heartstopping moment and then shifted his glimmering gaze. ¡°Gerad?¡±


    ¡°Because that is what I was born to be,¡± the prince answered sullenly, arms crossed.


    ¡°Yes, your mother and I saw to that,¡± the king said, sounding neither pleased or displeased by the terse reply. Across the table, I noticed that Hull was staring particularly hatefully at the pair, though I couldn¡¯t fathom why.


    ¡°Losum?¡±


    ¡°To support the prince, of course,¡± the tall boy replied, almost mechanically.


    ¡°You sound like your father,¡± the king said. Losum smiled about that, but yet again, I couldn¡¯t read the king''s face well enough to see if that was actually a compliment or not.


    ¡°Plutar?¡±


    ¡°To strengthen Charbond,¡± the foreigner answered, just as quickly as Losum had, ¡°so that eet may one day equal Treledeene.¡±


    ¡°...if not surpass it?¡± the king asked, and Plutar hesitated before shrugging, to which Hestorus chuckled. For some reason this time the sound made my blood run cold.


    The king shifted in his floating seat toward the vampire. ¡°Lustra?¡±


    ¡°I have had more¡­ experience than my fellow competitors,¡± she said. ¡°Perhaps even more than you, o mighty king.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Hestorus allowed. The history of his rule of Treledyne stretched back more than fifty years, and as far as I knew, no official age for him had been recorded. But a vampire could be centuries old, and we¡¯d have no way of telling.


    ¡°In my early years,¡± she continued, ¡°I focused on satisfying only my desires. It was fun, deliciously so, but in the end, a hollow way of living. I have found that this way of existing is much more to my liking.¡± She smiled with that admission, wide enough to reveal her fangs, looking like she was baring her teeth at another predator.


    The king took a sip of a purple concoction that a waiter had brought him. ¡°I know something of what you mean. Perhaps I should speak with more vampires.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should.¡±


    ¡°Afi?¡± Hestorus said, having moved to the next down the line.


    The scholarship student had steepled her fingers in front of her face, obscuring her mouth but not her words. ¡°The more power you have, the more knowledge you have access to,¡± she answered matter-of-factly. ¡°The more knowledge you have, the more problems you can fix.¡± I thought she would stop there, but she added in a tighter voice, ¡°There are many problems in this world.¡±


    ¡°Very true, much more than a lifetime can resolve. Esmi?¡±


    My fiancee looked back at the king, answering passionately. ¡°To help everyone live the best way they can before they answer their next calling.¡±


    I heard the prince mumble something about Rapturist nonsense, but a twitch in his direction from his father instantly cut him off.


    ¡°And¡­ Hull?¡±


    Again, my new friend seemed both stiff and angry. I had come to expect such behavior from him, but it seemed the issue was exacerbated beyond his norm. Did he not wish to say, or ¨C


    An argument from the entryway turned all our attention that direction and then a pair of people burst into the dining room: the host who had taken our invitations, trying to hold the other back, and ¨C to my utter shock ¨C Warrick, pushing forward red-faced, still wearing his Biddlwyn robes.


    ¡°My apologies, your lordship,¡± the host gasped, ¡°he refuses to listen ¨C¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Warrick said, pointing a shaking finger at Afi, ¡°are in my seat.¡±

 40. Hull - A Little Experiment

    I wrenched my eyes away from dear old dad and his weird diamond-colored eyes to see Warrick pulling ineffectually on Afi¡¯s arm. He was such a weedy thing that the ramrod straight girl didn¡¯t budge in the slightest. The ruffles of his shirt were stained pink with spilled wine at both neck and wrist and his formal robes gapped open, showing his untucked shirt tails flapping in front of his trousers. Everyone else was frozen in their seats, shocked at the audacity of it all. Personally, I was glad Basil¡¯s buddy had broken in ¨C I wasn¡¯t sure what would have come out of my mouth if I¡¯d spoken directly to the King, and I hadn¡¯t known how to answer his question anyway.


    ¡°My seat,¡± Warrick yelled, pulling harder. ¡°Do we pay the donkey for plowing a field? Praise the stonemason for hefting stones in lieu of the grand architect? Get up!¡±


    Afi flicked a hesitant glance at the King, and when she saw nothing but amused detachment, she pried Warrick¡¯s fingers off her arm. ¡°Your parents specified that I should attend. If you wished to be a part of this gathering, you should have spent less time in the brothels and more on the boards.¡±


    He drew himself upright. ¡°I will not be slandered by some two-clip hired hand ¨C¡±


    Basil hurried to his friend¡¯s side and put a hand under his elbow. ¡°Forgive me, friends, your Majesty. He¡¯s been under a terrible strain ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Warrick snapped, pulling away so hard that he stumbled several feet before catching himself and reaching for a wobbly uprightness. ¡°I belong at the side of the King!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve noticed the lack,¡± Hestorus said into his winecup.


    Someone snickered, and Warrick stood there at an ashen-faced loss, his mouth hanging in a slack O. I noticed the wait staff in their crisp outfits of white and gold standing in the periphery, each holding a wide, shallow bowl in their hands. Gerad waved them forward, and they swooped toward us in perfectly synchronized movements like dancers, each bowl settling gently onto the table at precisely the same moment. A thick, creamy soup of bright yellow stared up at me, with a spiral shell standing upright in the center and dots of some vibrant purple sauce dotted in curving spirals toward the scalloped china lip of the bowl. It smelled sweet and spicy and hearty all at once. I reached for my spoon, but Esmi flicked me on the knee beneath the table and gave me the tiniest head shake. Scowling, I settled back in my chair. Of course there would some stupid noble rule about when to eat and how. Idiots.


    Basil had taken advantage of Warrick¡¯s deflating ego to pull him toward the exit, bowing as he went. ¡°A thousand pardons, my liege. He¡¯s a dear friend, and I really must take care of him. I will return with all haste.¡±


    ¡°Your loss,¡± my father said, dipping a spoon into his bowl without looking at them. ¡°Tomlil never makes the same soup twice.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we ought to let the Artisans form a ninth house,¡± Gerad said, tucking into the food. ¡°The rising generation of nobility here in the city are an embarrassment.¡±


    Hestorus raised an eyebrow at him and said nothing.


    The proud fool took it as encouragement. ¡°Look at them. Out of eight Treledyne houses we have but three viable competitors in the top eight.¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± Esmi corrected. ¡°Your Highness, Losum, Basil, and myself.¡±


    ¡°I said viable,¡± Gerad said. ¡°The day Hintal takes the battlefield is the day we all die, and I¡¯m not so sure of you, either. You¡¯re more Charbonder than Treledyne these days.¡±


    The others had all started eating and Esmi was flaring her nostrils at the Prince, so I grabbed my spoon and slurped up a mouthful. I lost track of the conversation as the taste of heaven exploded in my mouth and consumed my entire body. Sweet cream swirled with piping hot mashed root tubers and chunks of tender beef, and a pleasantly spicy heat chased it all down. I wasn¡¯t sure why they¡¯d plunked a snail shell into it, but I couldn¡¯t have cared less. If Fate and Fortune had their own cook, he¡¯d make something like this. I finished my bowl far too quickly. I¡¯d have taken Esmi¡¯s, but despite not having touched it, she had clenched fists planted on both sides of the bowl as she traded words with Gerad.


    ¡°None of you should be off your mothers¡¯ apron strings,¡± Lustra interjected. She hadn¡¯t touched her soup either. I wasn¡¯t sure if vampires ate normal food; she just kept sipping at her glass of blood. Will they kick me out if I ask for her bowl? I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d say yes or I¡¯d have risked it.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather have the slum dog at my back than you,¡± Gerad told her, gesturing offhandedly at me. ¡°The undead have no love for us. You think my father will allow you to join our War Camp if you reach the top 5?¡±


    ¡°When I reach the top 5, your father can speak for himself,¡± Lustra said laconically. ¡°A wise king values competence.¡± She gave Hestorus a shallow nod of respect, which he ignored.


    ¡°Watch your tone,¡± Losum huffed, gripping his spoon like a dagger.


    ¡°Watch your back,¡± Lustra responded with a slow smile.


    The King let his spoon clink into his empty bowl and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. ¡°I do love a vigorous conversation. Yes, I value strength and competence. For all my puissance, I cannot be everywhere all at once. Equally important, though, is loyalty. Strength of character. No single thing is more vital than the others; if you wish to rise in my War Camp and my court, you must have all these qualities. Lack even one and you are of no use to me, whether you are a filthy walking corpse, a child from the gutter, or my own beloved son.¡±


    Gerad stiffened, eating his soup mechanically. I looked back and forth between them. Is he threatening to kick his own son out? I¡¯d seen him lash out carelessly at a crowd of fawning nobles and hangers-on the night before; was he such a madman that he didn¡¯t even care for his heir? I didn¡¯t like feeling even a shred of sympathy for Gerad. He was a walking horse turd of a human.


    ¡°Tomlil told me that the fire spice in the soup has to soak into our mouths for no less than ten minutes in order for the braised kestrel to hit just right, so I think I¡¯ll stretch my legs for a moment,¡± Hestorus said, tossing aside his napkin and floating into an upright position. ¡°Gerad, with me.¡±


    Still looking sullen and sour, the Crown Prince fell in behind his father as he drifted toward the far recesses of the room.


    ¡°Hull, you too,¡± the King called over his shoulder.


    I went instantly rigid. Everyone at the table looked at me as if I¡¯d just grown a third arm. ¡°Why does ee ask for yoo?¡± Plutar asked blankly.


    ¡°Go,¡± Esmi hissed. ¡°Go now.¡±


    I jerked to my feet like a marionette toy, all my limbs feeling loose and uncoordinated. Before I could step away, Esmi clutched at my arm.


    ¡°Be polite,¡± she urged, eyes wide. ¡°This one conversation could change your entire life.¡±


    The conversation with the King that had changed my life happened before I was ever born, but she didn¡¯t know that, so I just nodded and followed after them. I wished I still had a knife up my sleeve. The corner where they waited was dim. Not that I thought I could take down an Epic soul with a table knife, much less a Legendary, but it would have made me feel a little bolder. Everything about me felt stiff. What does he want from me?


    Gerad was obviously wondering the same thing as he scowled at me, but Hestorus was wearing the bland smile he¡¯d kept on since he arrived. He hovered a good two hands over both of us, but somehow he kept his legs and feet taut and still, looking as if he were simply standing on an invisible stair.


    ¡°By all reports you two exchanged words last night,¡± the King said pleasantly, ¡°not to mention some mild dueling. I¡¯m fascinated; it¡¯s almost as if you two are opposite ends of a lodestone. As such, I thought it was high time I made formal introductions between my sons.¡±


    I¡¯d thought I was already at peak tension, but at those words I found my muscles winding themselves even tighter. He knows. He knows?!


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    Gerad, on the other hand, seemed to lose all rigidity. His face sagged, and the handkerchief he¡¯d been holding slipped from his hand. ¡°What?¡± I¡¯d never heard anyone express so much horror in a single word.


    A chuckle slipped from Hestorus, and he shook his head ruefully, his golden curls bouncing. ¡°If everyone could see you right now, the whole world would know. Put shock on your faces and you might as well be twins.¡±


    ¡°Father, how is this possible?¡± Gerad whispered, turning his back to the table of competitors, at least a few of whom were openly staring at us.


    ¡°If I have to tell you that ¨C¡± the King began, his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°He fucked my mother and threw her out when he got bored,¡± I said, the familiar old rage rising in my chest.


    ¡°Your mother was many things,¡± he said fondly, ¡°but she was never boring. Tell me, how is the old bird?¡±


    My mind raced. Does he truly not know, or is he testing me? ¡°I thought you saw all in your kingdom,¡± I said, my voice sounding strained.


    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± he said casually, ¡°but she was always a slippery one. I might not have been able to hold onto her even had I wished to.¡±


    My heart thudded in my ears. Hearing him talk so carelessly about ruining my life left me almost paralyzed with anger. I imagined putting my thumbs into his eyes and pushing until they burst.


    ¡°Father, how could you bring a bastard to the Tournament?¡± Gerad asked, aghast.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring him,¡± Hestorus said, smiling down at me. ¡°I never gave Hull a word, a clip, or a smile, and he got here all on his own. And if you think he¡¯s my only bastard, son, you¡¯re in for a very bad evening.¡±


    The Prince¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Does Mother know?¡±


    He waved a dismissive hand. ¡°You think I would have made her Queen if she were a stupid woman? Just because I was picking from the high-rarity souls doesn¡¯t mean I lacked for choices. Who¡¯s going to say no to a Legendary?¡±


    The Prince chewed on that, looking ill. Were he anyone else, I¡¯d have felt sorry for him. I suddenly realized that not having to deal with my father for my whole life might have been a peculiar sort of kindness. I was beginning to suspect he wasn¡¯t the silly, useless fop I¡¯d always thought, but something crueler and more calculating. His eyes glittered as he watched Gerad wrestle with himself. Hestorus¡¯ mouth was still bent in that pleasant smile, but those eyes were weighing the angry boy, testing him.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Gerad whispered, very carefully not looking at either of us. ¡°It was supposed to be an enjoyable night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had too many of those already,¡± our father said. ¡°I kept waiting for you to grow beyond your childish posturing and petty bullying of the other nobles, but you persist and I grow impatient.¡±


    That was apparently more than Gerad could bear. He glared our father full in the face. ¡°You made the Marquis LaRouche eat horse shit because he laughed too loud!¡±


    Hestorus leaned right into his heir¡¯s face, still floating. ¡°If you haven¡¯t learned to see past the mask I use to keep the squabblers off balance and our enemies in check, I despair of you. Grow up, Gerad. I couldn¡¯t be happier that Hull is here; it gives me the excuse to speak plainly for once. Do you think I ascended the throne because I was born to it? You know I didn¡¯t; I told you those stories as a boy, if you¡¯ve bothered to remember. I rose to the top and stayed there because no one could deny me. When¡¯s the last time you even thought about your next elevation?¡±


    Gerad threw his hands up. ¡°I reached Epic at sixteen, Father! Is that not enough for you?¡±


    The King scoffed. ¡°Nowhere near, you thoughtless child. And reaching Epic when you were born at Rare is not such an achievement. You take the advantage your mother and I provided and you piss it away.¡±


    He straightened, looking every bit the stern, imperious king. ¡°Do better, Gerad. Work harder. We¡¯re having this conversation to help you understand that if you don¡¯t measure up, there are others who could replace you.¡±


    Gerad went white. ¡°Him? He doesn¡¯t even have a soul card, Father! He sleeps in shit and steals what he eats.¡±


    ¡°And yet somehow he¡¯s done nearly as well as you in this Tournament you think is so far beneath you,¡± the King remarked dryly. ¡°Perhaps you should try sleeping on the streets for a time.¡±


    Gerad¡¯s shot me a look that was pure, distilled hatred. I returned it full force. Then, gathering his battered dignity about himself, the Prince picked up his fallen handkerchief and drew himself upright. ¡°Our guests have been left alone too long, and a prince takes care of his people. Thank you for your time, Father. I will¡­ think on your words.¡±


    I thought I saw the King¡¯s face soften ever so slightly, but it might have been a trick of the dim light. ¡°I sincerely hope you do.¡±


    Head held high, Gerad wheeled around stiffly and returned to the table. A moment later I heard him say something glib and cheerful to Losum about rubbing shoulders with the common folk. I had to admit I was impressed; hearing him, I never would have guessed he¡¯d just been shaken to the core.


    ¡°He¡¯ll try to kill you at some point, and I won¡¯t intervene,¡± the King said to me.


    Heat prickled through me again as I thought about what had just happened. ¡°You painted a target on my back and handed him the knife.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said cheerfully. ¡°I imagine you¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    I clenched my teeth. ¡°How long have you known about me?¡±


    ¡°From the beginning,¡± he said. ¡°Your conception was the reason I had to put your mother out. Having her as Queen would have presented complications I wasn¡¯t prepared to confront at the time. I started my sunrise ritual the day you were born. You may not be the only thing I look for, but I always keep an eye out.¡±


    My mind scrolled back through my life in the Lows. ¡°A boy stabbed me in the gut two years ago.¡±


    He nodded solemnly. ¡°I saw you the very next day. A close thing.¡±


    My hand traced the thick ridge of scarring on the lower right side of my belly. ¡°I was sick for months. I nearly died. It still hurts sometimes.¡± I hesitated, searching his face.


    ¡°Ask the question, Hull,¡± he said.


    ¡°Would you have let me ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ve done it to others and I¡¯d do it to you. You might have been the first, but I am even-handed with all.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I hated how much hurt I could hear in my voice. I sounded like Gerad.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just stop an experiment in the middle,¡± he said reproachfully. ¡°You have to wait to see how things fall out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re experimenting,¡± I said flatly. ¡°With your bastards.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility,¡± he said, looking more open and genuine than ever. ¡°Humanity needs more Legendaries ¨C more leaders ¨C and I¡¯m in the best position to create them. Is it privilege and resources that create strength, or is it hardship? Or something else entirely? By the time I am done, I¡¯ll know for certain.¡±


    I laughed, a bitter sound. ¡°You left me in the Lows to see if it would make me strong?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I hadn¡¯t yet formulated this plan of mine when you were born, but the idea appealed to me once I hit on it. The histories don¡¯t include this, so I expect you to keep it to yourself, but I started off in similar circumstances.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether I believed him. ¡°If you¡¯re hoping I¡¯ll reach Legendary you¡¯re in for a disappointment. It¡¯s a bit of a stretch when you don¡¯t have a soul card.¡±


    ¡°I expect you¡¯ll sort that out too. Or you won¡¯t, and you¡¯ll die somewhere along the way.¡±


    I balled a fist. ¡°Do you not know what she did to me?¡±


    He pursed his lips and shrugged. ¡°I pieced it together after the fact, though I¡¯m still not clear on how she managed the deed. Like I said, she was always slippery.¡±


    He¡¯s always known. He could have reached in and saved you at any moment. He¡¯s experimenting with you and who knows how many other kids besides. He was ten times the monster I¡¯d thought him to be.


    ¡°You hate me,¡± he remarked, unconcerned. ¡°It¡¯s natural, I suppose. I wonder how many of your Nether you were able to cultivate as a direct result of my actions? Hm. I¡¯m sure it could be calculated.¡± He snapped his fingers in front of my face, bringing my eyes back to him. ¡°This conversation stays between us. I will not acknowledge you as my child until and unless you reach Mythic, and if I hear you¡¯ve been spreading tales, you will disappear. There¡¯s a time for that information to be known, but it is not now. And in the meantime, remember the advice I gave your brother. It holds true for you, too.¡±


    He smiled brilliantly, donning the fey, foolish smile I now knew to be a hollow mask, and swept away on the float, gliding back to the table. ¡°All right, my lovely competitors. We¡¯re well overdue for the kestrel course. Bring it in!¡±


    I watched the wait staff do their dance with fresh dishes as I skulked in the dark corner. My head hurt. My whole life and what it meant was reordering itself inside me, and I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it yet.


    ¡°As added incentive for tomorrow¡¯s matches,¡± Hestorus announced to the table, ¡°those who make the top 5 will be given their choice of Artisan gear from my personal armory once they arrive at the War Camp. Fifth place gets Common rank, fourth gets Uncommon, and so on up the line. I know you¡¯ve all been weaned on cards and their Fated effects, but the wise warrior widens their arsenal as much as possible. We¡¯ll likely need to accelerate our timetable for this year¡¯s War Camp; I¡¯ve received unsettling reports of late from our borders.¡±


    My hands were shaking. I considered walking out of the restaurant and going back to my room. I didn¡¯t belong with these children of wealth and privilege; Hestorus had ensured that from the beginning. Beyond that, I had no desire to break bread with the madman who¡¯d been watching me like a beetle in a cage my whole life. He might rule for another century or more. He could do this to dozens more kids like me. Hundreds, maybe. I can¡¯t allow it. I¡¯ll be Ticosi¡¯s man and live under his thumb if that¡¯s what it takes. I will never know true rest until my father is dead.


    The realization calmed me. Yes, I was in danger ¨C from the Prince now as well as from Ticosi ¨C but I didn¡¯t care what happened to me. I was doomed; so be it. All that mattered now was taking him down with me.


    And with that, I suddenly felt hungry again. I pasted on something that felt like a smile and walked back to the table, ignoring Esmi¡¯s questioning glance. This was the best meal I was ever going to eat; a dead man might as well enjoy it while he could.

 41. Basil - Growing Pains

    ¡°What occurs when two duelists summon opposing Sources during the opening gambit of a match?¡± Tipfin asked. The trainer rested on the edge of a wide desk, a cup of tea poised near his lips to take sips from in-between his questions.


    Basil was the lone student in the hall, sitting in a chair a few feet from his instructor. He was thirteen, but the Twins hadn¡¯t blessed him with the growth spurt everyone told him was coming, so his feet only tickled the wooden floor.


    ¡°The contrasting forces will beckon another Source of the same type from their hands if available,¡± he answered. His back was straight without aid from the chair, and he spoke in a voice he had practiced in his room, one he thought sounded strong and sure of itself ¨C like the Sun King did whenever he addressed the people from on high.


    If Tipfin noticed the effort, he didn¡¯t show it, taking a long drink. Basil¡¯s brothers claimed that the retired summoner spiked the tea, but Basil wouldn¡¯t believe that of his mentor.


    ¡°The duelists,¡± Tipfin said when he lowered the cup, ¡°must they use this second Source?¡±


    Basil shook his head. ¡°No. There will be a pull, but it can be resisted. However, to do so is unwise because it is better to have more Source early in the match, whether you are the first to act or the second.¡±


    ¡°And what is the appropriate strategy to adopt in such a situation, when you believe your opponent will use your opposite?¡±


    Basil hesitated. He had never faced someone who possessed Earth, the opposite of his single Air Source, and Chaos was illegal in Treledyne. Tipfin had told him the answer but that lecture had been months ago, and to his annoyance, Basil found he didn¡¯t remember. He would simply have to reason through it.


    ¡°If you are a duelist who uses only a single Source, you should draw two Source in your opening hand,¡± Basil said. He had slowed his speech just a touch to give himself more time to think. ¡°If you cultivate two or three, you should draw¡­ three,¡± ¨C he thought that seemed right ¨C ¡°to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me or telling me, boy?¡± Tipfin said.


    Basil pulled shoulders back he hadn¡¯t meant to let slump while trying to remember ¡°Telling,¡± he said and added for good measure, ¡°also, mulligan aggressively to ensure you have two Source of that type available for play during the opening gambit.¡±


    ¡°That goes without saying,¡± Tipfin said with a cough. He then wagged his cup at Basil, which must have been empty from how he was handling it. ¡°And your hesitation could lose you a match under the Dome, or much worse, your life on the battlefield.¡± He set his cup aside and tossed some nuts into his mouth, plucked from a nearby dish. ¡°Let¡¯s see what else you¡¯ve managed to forget.¡±


    Tipfin then quizzed him on twenty different Order cards, expecting him to know all of their qualities from the name alone. The trainer might have gone higher, but after Basil struggled with the last half dozen, the man stopped with a, ¡°Bah! Your brothers didn¡¯t have this sort of trouble.¡±


    It was hardly the first time Basil had been compared unfavorably to his older siblings, but he never enjoyed it, and he hated hearing the disappointment in his Tipfin¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Do your cultivation,¡± Tipfin said, getting off the desk and stretching. He then put on his coat that had hung on the back of the desk¡¯s chair. ¡°And continue to practice summoning your Souls in this hall and directing them.¡± Heading from the room he did a little jig as he neared the door, ¡°I will be cultivating dancing at House Erlun¡¯s Winter Fete.¡±


    ¡°With House Erlun¡¯s head cook?¡± Basil asked. His friend Warrick was from House Erlun and had told him of the two stealing moments together.


    Tipfin turned around, looking at him reproachfully. ¡°Gossip does not become a lord.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Master. My apologies,¡± Basil said, quickly dipping his head in shame. He knew he would never be the true lord of his House, but he strived daily to be an asset to his family, not an embarrassment.


    ¡°You are forgiven¡­ this time,¡± the old duelist said with a sniff. ¡°Confine your mind to what needs to be done, and someday, Twins willing, you might become a halfway decent duelist.¡±


    ¡°As you say, Master. See you on the morrow.¡±


    Tipfin gave no other farwell, leaving through the hall¡¯s double doors and not bothering to close them behind him. Hearing the man¡¯s steps recede into the distance, Basil deflated with a sigh. For all his trying, it felt like he was making very little headway in the art of dueling or in convincing Tipfin he was a worthwhile student, seeming to always do something wrong in his training sessions, if not multiple things like today.


    Now he would not only need to practice his cultivation and Soul manipulation, but he would need to look up the cards he had remembered incorrectly; Tipfin hadn¡¯t provided those answers, just grunted with increasing agitation each time he gave a wrong reply. For that he would need to go to the library, and while there, he could organize any books that had been left out of place by his family ¨C something he enjoyed doing and also cultivated Order. That way he could achieve two goals with one play and then he could come back to this hall later to practice his Soul work like Tipfin had told him.


    Basil was up and out of the room, halfway to the library, when Ossun, one of the manservants, came up beside him.


    ¡°Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Basil asked, pausing so Ossun wouldn¡¯t need to chase after him.


    ¡°Warrick of Erlun is in the foyer.¡±


    ¡°Speak of Fate and she appears,¡± Basil mumbled to himself, thinking of his ill-fated question to Tipfin that never would have happened if not for his friend¡¯s overactive mouth.


    Ossun stood ramrod straight, waiting for a response, his silence speaking for him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Basil said, addressing the manservant directly this time. ¡°I¡¯ll see to him.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± the man said and bustled off.


    Basil found his friend dressed in a winter coat, rubbing gloved hands together. Warrick''s wavy hair fluffed around his head, and he looked up, hearing Basil¡¯s boot heels on the flagstones.


    ¡°You really need a larger fireplace here or to take your guests to a room with one when they first arrive.¡±


    ¡°We do for invited guests,¡± Basil chided him but couldn¡¯t hold back a smile. In truth, he found seeing Warrick was a welcome relief after a tough lesson. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Mother said I was being a nuisance during the preparations for the Fete, so I decided to pop over here. I figured you could entertain me until it begins.¡±


    Basil folded his arms in front of himself in mock indignation. ¡°That was presumptuous of you.¡±


    Warrick stood up, and was taller than Basil, having gotten some of his growth. However, he seemed to only be growing up, not out, looking like a spindly tree. ¡°What could you possibly have to do that is more important than seeing to a fellow noble?¡±


    ¡°My training, of course,¡± Warrick knew well about his private instructions with Tipfin; they¡¯d talked about it often enough.


    Warrick smiled conspiratorially. ¡°Then I arrived at the perfect time for you to take a well deserved break, I¡¯m sure. Come on, let¡¯s rest in the Dining Hall. There¡¯s two big fires there.¡±


    Warrick already knew the way, and Basil decided not to argue ¨C his friend would stay for just an hour or two, and there was enough time left in the day for Basil to do the work he¡¯d been assigned by Tipfin after that. The fete was only for older members of the court, and while Warrick might be planning to try and sneak in, Basil had no such intentions, leaving his evening free for study.


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    Taking their seats at a long table in an even longer hall, Warrick requested a slice of cherry pie from the cook who came to check on them from the adjoining kitchen. Basil did the same, not wanting his friend to snack alone or to create additional work for the staff by asking for something different. He also knew the request was purely for show: Warrick didn¡¯t actually care about the food or the fires but how the dining room afforded a view into the kitchen, where a number of pretty girls worked ¨C ones much prettier than in his own kitchens, he had told Basil on more than one occasion.


    The pies were already made, and so slices were placed in front of the two boys in no time. Basil picked at his, while Warrick craned his neck to look through the stone archway that connected the two spaces.


    Today¡¯s lesson had exacerbated something that had been on Basil¡¯s mind for a time, ever since he had started tutoring with Tipfin. It was just the two of them at the table and no one in the kitchen could hear them unless they raised their voices.


    ¡°Warrick, I think it is actually good timing that you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Warrick said, putting a forkful of pie into his mouth without looking, his attention focused over Basil¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be a duelist. Not a very good one anyway.¡±


    That brought Warrick around, his brown, copper flaked eyes, snapping back to look at Basil. ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re loads better than I am.¡±


    ¡°That may be, but my Soul has yet to enhance, and I¡¯ve been working with Tipfin going on a year now.¡±


    ¡°Neither has mine,¡± Warrick said with a laugh, ¡°and you don¡¯t see me worrying.¡±


    The reaction eased some of the tension that had been building in Basil. It was true that neither of them had upgraded their personal Souls beyond the Common ones they had been born with. That was undoubtedly one of the reasons they were friends, and Basil didn¡¯t particularly care for other nobles his age who were already of a higher rarity ¨C the prince especially. Did he really want to be like them anyway?


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right,¡± Basil allowed. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m getting myself worked up over nothing.¡±


    ¡°You always do,¡± Warrick said, pointing his fork at him with a knowing smirk. Then his smile widened, pulped cherry on his teeth, which he clearly didn¡¯t realize was there. ¡°Twins mark my words, you¡¯re going to be a great duelist. One of the best, even. Wait and see; I¡¯m right about these sorts of things.¡±


    His friend looked ridiculous, and Basil would have normally told him about the stuck food right away, but the way Warrick was speaking was so earnest he found himself caught up in the words. His parents had never said that to him, and definitely not his brothers. But something said like that ¨C so easily ¨C had to be true, didn¡¯t it?


    Basil looked down at his own, uneaten pie, using the provided napkin to dab at his eye. ¡°Thank you, Warrick. I¡­ very much appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Any time,¡± Warrick said without care, turning his red smile onto some kitchen girls who were peeking into the dining room to spy on the young nobles, giggles shared between them.


    A joyful humor at the sight bubbled in Basil along with a redoubled conviction. He would do his training and then some, and the next time Tipfin asked him the characteristics of cards, he would get every single one of them right, even if he had to live in the library to see the feat done.


    * * *


    ¡°Unhand me,¡± Warrick sputtered, as the host and I practically carried him out of the restaurant.


    When we deposited him in the hall outside of Obu, the host quickly closed the door and took up position directly in front of it instead of using the narrow stand he had previously greeted guests from behind.


    ¡°Warrick,¡± I said for the tenth time, ¡°please calm down.¡± He had been drinking, the evidence on his cheeks and stained edges of his clothes. The king hadn¡¯t punished him on the spot for his behavior, but he would have been well within his rights to do so after such a display. I couldn¡¯t imagine what Warrick had been thinking, or that he was thinking at all.


    ¡°I will not,¡± Warrick replied emphatically. ¡°I have been robbed by Fate and abandoned by Fortune. How else could I possibly behave in such circumstances?¡±


    I tried moving him farther down the hall, but alone I wasn¡¯t enough to make him budge, so I stepped closer, hoping that if I lowered my voice, he would do the same. The host would likely still hear us, but if Fortune was kind, the same wouldn¡¯t be true of the rest of the wait staff or, more importantly, the guests.


    ¡°You were managing well enough before,¡± I told him. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for that to change now.¡± That wasn¡¯t entirely true, but I also hoped that reminding him of a time when he had better contained his emotions might return him to that state.


    ¡°No reason? No reason?¡± he practically yelled, and I winced. ¡°As we speak, that parasitic sycophant is representing my House to the King. My House, when I am the sole heir.¡± He started pacing back and forth, eyeing the host as if looking for an opportunity to leap past him. ¡°It is a farce, a mockery of me and my parents, and now you act like I should not see it.¡±


    ¡°She can be a resource for you,¡± I said, ¡°just as the living guards under my father are to him. Cultivate a relationship with her, and she will strengthen your House. I¡¯m sure that is your parents¡¯ plan.¡±


    ¡°You think this is the first time I¡¯ve tried to put her in her place?¡± Warrick scoffed. ¡°She is full of herself, dangerously so. She doesn¡¯t want to strengthen my House, she wants to be my House. I know it.¡±


    I recalled Afi¡¯s talk of problems and her desire to rectify them. It was true she¡¯d have more resources to do that if she was in control of a House. Perhaps my friend¡¯s worries weren¡¯t entirely unfounded.


    ¡°If you are concerned about your position, elevating your Soul could be a good countermeasure.¡±


    Warrick snorted. ¡°Says the Uncommon.¡±


    Knowing that Warrick was quite drunk and that he was only a Common himself softened the blow, but I felt it just the same.


    ¡°Actually, my Soul is about to be Rare,¡± I informed him. ¡°I experienced the signs earlier today.¡±


    Warrick jerked back, looking at me, and then declared, ¡°You won¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Due to his current state, I hadn¡¯t expected heartfelt congratulations but neither had I considered that he would try and refute me.


    ¡°You won¡¯t make it,¡± Warrick repeated, sounding surer of himself. ¡°You were lucky enough to get to Uncommon. Rare is too much.¡±


    He certainly wasn¡¯t ready to hear my newest plans if that was his thinking, nor did I appreciate him acting like my achieving Uncommon had been by chance. ¡°I worked hard for that elevation, and you could as well if you wished.¡±


    ¡°Pff,¡± Warrick responded, dismissively. ¡°You got that far by hiding from dueling in the library, your nose stuck in as many books as you could find.¡±


    I probably wouldn¡¯t have said the next words if I¡¯d never cultivated Air, but I had and I did. ¡°And your keen sense of hearing came from listening at doors you should not be at, hoping your name would be on their lips. What of it?¡±


    ¡°You think you¡¯re so grand now, don¡¯t you?¡± Warrick shouted, the full brunt of his anger brought onto me. ¡°With your Soul, and fiancee, and tournament wins, and your dinner with the King. But the truth is you¡¯ll never make it into the top five, and in a week¡¯s time and for the rest of your life, you¡¯ll work as a guard for your father. You¡¯re not good enough for better and you never were. That¡¯s why I was your friend. I felt sorry for you.¡± He took a step back, chin tilted up, using his greater height to look down at me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t anymore.¡±


    Warrick stormed off then, and in shock I watched him go, no more return volleys flying from me. When I recovered enough to uproot from the spot, I went to reenter Obu, but the host did not move from his position in front of the door.


    ¡°I apologize, Master Basil, but I cannot let you back inside.¡±


    Frayed as I was, it took me a moment to realize what the man had just said to me. ¡°If it¡¯s a matter of seeing my invite again¡­¡± The host shook his head, and I trailed off.


    ¡°After what just took place, no one else is allowed entry until the service is complete,¡± he explained, ¡°so as not to disrupt the integrity of the meal. This order is from Tomlil himself.¡±


    Again, it took me longer to understand than it should have. ¡°How long will that be, do you think?¡± I asked, my voice sounding hollow in my ears. My best friend had just left me, and it seemed so too had the best meal of my life. I felt empty inside, raw, and I couldn¡¯t tell if the feeling was hunger or loss.


    ¡°Two hours, at the least.¡±


    I nodded woodenly, and having nowhere else to go, I made my way back to my room. On the journey and once inside, Warrick¡¯s final speech echoed in my mind. We had fought before, especially when he was in his cups, but our tongues had never cut as deeply as tonight, and I wasn¡¯t sure if these were wounds our relationship could survive.


    To say my lack had been the root of our friendship and that what I had been working toward had never been within my reach! It was so¡­ cruel of him, since he knew my fears best of all. And perhaps worse than that, a small part of me ¨C one that was growing larger as I worried on it ¨C believed that he might be right. The signal of a Soul soon to advance did not guarantee that it would, and very few people made it as far as Rare, and even fewer beyond that. Certainly, none in my family expected me to achieve the fanciful heights I had recently considered, and after this, it seemed neither would the person I normally counted on for support.


    Now I was the one who paced, telling myself that he was jealous, drunk, unhinged, a poor friend¡­ but the reasoning failed to make me feel any better. And then it came to me: a way to prove him wrong; a way he himself had provided.


    I opened the desk drawer, and there, underneath my notebook, were the two colorful packets Warrick had given me. I chose the blue folded paper and gently pulled the edges back, unsure what I would find. Inside, was a white powder with a metallic tinge to it. So this was what Tears of Les looked like. I didn¡¯t know how much I needed to take in order to see the future of my Soul, so, before I stopped myself, I tipped the entirety into my mouth.


    It tasted like summer.

 42. Hull - Tears

    Esmi knocked again at Basil¡¯s door. Her brow was creased with worry, but what really gave away her state of mind was the fact that her knuckles were leaving little round burn scars on the door. Her control of her soul ability was slipping, and that spoke volumes.


    For my part, I hadn¡¯t wanted to go looking for him in the first place. Despite the good food ¨C no, the incredible food ¨C sitting at the table listening to my insane, meddlesome father and my furious, wounded half-brother as they talked about the care of the kingdom and the duty of the powerful had been almost more than I could bear. I wanted nothing more than to slip into my soft, beautiful bed and not think about anything earth-shattering until morning. But Basil had never come back to the table as he¡¯d promised, and when Esmi had seen that he wasn¡¯t outside the venue as we were leaving, she¡¯d slipped her arm through mine and announced that we needed to check on him. She wasn¡¯t an easy person to say no to.


    ¡°He probably went back to his family for the night,¡± I offered. ¡°Or maybe he walked that fool Warrick back to his own house.¡±


    ¡°Warrick has rooms here for the week,¡± Esmi said, shaking her head. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t miss the rest of the Tournament no matter how upset he is, not with how much he said he¡¯d wagered on me.¡± She fixed me with a stern eye and shook a finger at me. ¡°You have to find him.¡±


    I snorted. The gall of these little nobles. ¡°I¡¯m about to fall asleep standing up. Besides, only one of us is his fianc¨¦e, and I¡¯m pretty sure it ain¡¯t me. Enjoy your night, milady. I¡¯m off.¡±


    I only got a few steps before she said, ¡°Please.¡± There was real pain and worry in her voice, and when I looked back she was wringing her hands. ¡°My parents are waiting for me to report back about the Top 8 dinner, and I¡¯m overdue already. It¡¯s not just a formality; my family has major initiatives that depend on the disposition of the King and Prince, and they need me there. But I¡¯m sincerely worried about Basil. He wouldn¡¯t have missed the rest of that meeting on a lark.¡±


    I sighed and kicked idly at the stone wall with the tip of my new boots, enjoying how completely they protected my feet. ¡°If one of you noble buggers hears the word no does your head explode or something?¡±


    She gave a dimpled smile. ¡°Something like that. Here, wait just a moment, I¡¯ll lend you something to help.¡± She drew one card into each of her hands and used one of them to put a Fire source overhead, then immediately summoned a Soul.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found that some of my Kobolds can do things that are extensions of the abilities listed on their cards but not exactly combat-related,¡± she said, rummaging through her little bag. ¡°Most duelists would never dream of such a thing, because they only bring out their Souls in the arena. But Bharghona here ¨C I call her Bhargona because it means finder in kobolese; I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯ll get her to Mythic and find out her real name any time soon ¨C at any rate, if I have an object that¡¯s strongly linked to a person¡­ yes, here it is.¡±


    She pulled out something finger-sized and handed it to the Sniffer, who took a deep whiff, handed it back, and chittered at her. It was an old pen of some sort, child-sized, battered and chipped in a well-loved sort of way. Esmi tucked it away carefully.


    ¡°She says she has the scent. Bhargona, take this fellow where the scent leads.¡± Clasping me by the hand, she said, ¡°Thank you so much. She¡¯ll stay summoned for half an hour if I¡¯m nearby, but I¡¯ll be out of range well before that, which will recall her. You should have ten minutes, maybe a little more. I¡¯m depending on you to send me a message once you find him. Just ring the bell and give it to the staff; they¡¯ll have it delivered to my family¡¯s home. Bhargona¡¯s only an Uncommon; she won¡¯t remember what happened when I resummon her.¡± She patted my hand, a pretty little crease of worry between her brows. ¡°Basil will be nearly as happy to see you as he would me. He wouldn¡¯t admit it, but meeting you has had a profound effect on him.¡±


    She hurried away down the hall, leaving me bemused. Basil doesn¡¯t give two shits about me. He¡¯s just a nice fellow to everybody.


    ¡°All right, you little shit,¡± I said to the Sniffer. ¡°I guess we¡¯re doing this. Lead the way.¡±


    The Kobold gave a barking laugh and loped off in the opposite direction from Esmi. It was oddly flexible, doubling down from the waist to sniff at the floor without hardly bending its knees. It led me on a merry little chase up one hallway and down another, down a back flight of stairs, and then crisscrossing a dozen back areas where servants walked past hauling mops and pails or slaved over hot tubs of laundry. This place is its own little city.


    I was about to give up and find my way back to my rooms ¨C Esmi can go hang, what do I care? ¨C when the Sniffer hissed in a different, more urgent way and doubled its pace. It ducked through a doorway and immediately poked its head back out, beckoning to me. Feeling tired and put-upon, I followed it in.


    It was a circular stairwell built into an open stone cylinder in the building, and there, tucked into a hiding space behind the lowest steps, Basil was huddled in on himself, hair clutched in his fists. He was staring at the Kobold with a fascinated, horrified expression. He didn¡¯t seem to notice me at all.


    ¡°Hey there, lordling,¡± I said, squatting next to him. ¡°Nice spot you¡¯ve got here. Definitely worth missing dinner for.¡±


    He started, looking all around before slowly, finally zeroing in on my face. ¡°Hull!¡± he gasped, one hand latching onto my shirt. ¡°Thank the Twins. Don¡¯t look now, but that Kobold has too many eyes. They¡¯re not supposed to have that many eyes.¡±


    I got a good look at him. He¡¯d sweat through his fine white shirt and his blond hair was plastered to his head. His eyes were so dilated I could hardly see the blue rims of color around the black.


    ¡°You ass,¡± I sighed. ¡°What did you take?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I, well,¡± he said, smoothing his hair and straightening up. ¡°I don¡¯t normally go in for that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t normally go looking for idiots, but here we are,¡± I said, helping him to his feet. ¡°You don¡¯t smell like hash, and rock bliss doesn¡¯t make you see things. What was it?¡±


    ¡°He said such awful things,¡± he whispered. He was still keeping his distance from the Kobold. ¡°I just wanted to see. Wanted to see he was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, only halfway listening. ¡°Hey, ugly, can you find our way back to Basil¡¯s room?¡±


    The Sniffer barked and headed back the way we came.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to see me,¡± Basil said, clutching my arm. ¡°They¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°The only people I saw after leaving dinner were servants,¡± I assured him, easing him out into the hallway. ¡°Everybody else is either off at a party or gone to bed. That second one was my plan, I don¡¯t mind telling you.¡±


    ¡°Even servants will carry tales,¡± he said, eyes darting. ¡°My father¡¯s the head of the Watch. It¡¯d be a terrible scandal.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be the only little rich shit taking some potion he shouldn¡¯t,¡± I said, pulling him along. ¡°It¡¯s the only way to get through the day for a lot of us in the Lows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never indulged before,¡± Basil confessed in a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I may have misjudged the potency. The room was closing in on me, but when I went for a walk the hallways all shifted. I was under the stairs for three days waiting for the voices to stop.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Yeah, you took too much of whatever it was. You left the dinner less than two hours ago.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He peered at me suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re mocking me.¡±


    The Sniffer led us up a staircase, and I shrugged at Basil. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be hard at the moment, but Twins¡¯ truth, it¡¯s only been a couple of hours. What did you take?¡±


    He swallowed hard. ¡°Tears of Les.¡±


    I huffed a laugh. ¡°Even your drugs are fancy. Never heard of that one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to open your inner eye and show how you¡¯ll advance. That¡¯s what I heard.¡±


    The Sniffer Kobold stopped and looked off into the distance as if sensing something, then pointed down the hallway and crooked a finger to the left.


    ¡°Thanks, ugly,¡± I told it. ¡°We can take it from here.¡±


    Then it shattered into shards of light and was gone. Basil flinched and covered his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Soul burst into flowers like that,¡± he said into his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not right.¡± His whole body shivered. ¡°I think I might be dying.¡±


    I pulled him along, looking for the left turn we were supposed to take. ¡°One of these days I should slip you a few flakes of Dockside Tar. It¡¯ll make you look back on tonight and realize how good you¡¯ve got it.¡±


    We found his room a few minutes later. It took a long while for him to find his key ¨C apparently his pockets felt like they went on forever ¨C and even longer to get it into the keyhole, because he said if he put it into the wrong one the entire Coliseum would disappear. I solved the matter by taking it out of his hand and putting the key into the only keyhole in the door. He was mightily impressed by my ability.


    I¡¯d seen his rooms briefly the night before, but this was the first time I¡¯d been inside. They were ten times the size of my little cell, with a sitting room, a separate bedroom, and a washing closet. It even had a wide balcony that looked out high over the city.


    I walked Basil into the bedroom and dumped him onto the perfectly-made bed. ¡°Does a butler come in and clean while you¡¯re gone?¡± I muttered, looking around. Everything was perfectly ordered and in place, with not a speck of dust or scrap of garbage to be seen.


    ¡°Third son,¡± he groaned. ¡°No manservants for me. I tidied before I left.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it, but at the same time I absolutely could. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you took way too much of your Tears of Liss or whatever¡­ and then you put your things away before wandering off in a paranoid stupor?¡±


    ¡°Cultivating Order takes extra effort at the higher levels,¡± he remarked, keeping his eyes covered with one hand. ¡°It¡¯s the order you don¡¯t want to create that gets you to seven or eight Order source.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re such a prissy little bitch,¡± I said.


    He dropped his hand and gave me a serious look that was only partially spoiled by the fact that he was sweaty, strung out, and flat on his back. ¡°Hull, you think you can¡¯t use Order, but you¡¯re human, and that means you can. I don¡¯t know what awful thing stole every shred of normalcy from your life, but things have changed for you now. You have a deck, a real deck. And some impressive prospects for the future. It¡¯d be silly to limit yourself. Start sleeping in a bed every night. Make that bed every morning and wash the sheets once a week. Eat your morning meal at the same time each day. You¡¯ll have your first Order source within a month.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If it were that easy I¡¯d have figured it out ages ago.¡±


    He peered at me blearily. ¡°Sources have to be cultivated, Hull. They don¡¯t just happen.¡±


    ¡°My Nether did,¡± I objected.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®cause you¡¯re the maddest little hornet of a man I¡¯ve ever met,¡± he said. ¡°You cultivate rage just by breathing at this point. It¡¯s second nature to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that angry all the time,¡± I said, nettled.


    He laughed as if that were the funniest thing he¡¯d ever heard, but when he looked at me he cut off and looked away, clapping a hand over his mouth. ¡°Would you turn your head right side up?¡± he said weakly. ¡°It¡¯s nauseating.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°Get some sleep, lordling. You¡¯ll feel better in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said.


    I waited, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°What?¡± I finally asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get my shoes off,¡± he said, whimpering. ¡°My legs are on the other side of the room.¡±


    Sighing, I stomped over and yanked off his fancy shoes, throwing them into the corner. ¡°Right. Good. Done. Go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Will you stay for a bit?¡± he asked, sounding tearful. ¡°I keep seeing mouths opening up in the ceiling, and if you leave they¡¯ll eat me.¡±


    I bit back a complaint. Basil had done me no end of good since we met. I was tired, yes, but a few more minutes wouldn¡¯t kill me.


    ¡°The mouths aren¡¯t actually there, Basil,¡± I told him, sitting on the foot of the bed. ¡°It¡¯s just the drug.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he said, ¡°but they¡¯re still there.¡±


    ¡°Summon an Order source. Maybe that¡¯ll help.¡± I only paid half an ear¡¯s attention when Basil and Esmi started nattering about the mood altering effects of different sources, but apparently something had stuck without me realizing, because I knew that Order should have a grounding effect. Even if it wasn¡¯t really true, hopefully the fact that he thought it was would help him quiet down and drift off to sleep.


    He obeyed, summoning a pearlescent ball of Order to float over his head, and we were silent for a time. I looked over at him, hoping he¡¯d fallen asleep, but he was staring wide-eyed at the ceiling.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see past Rare,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Not sure I follow,¡± I told him.


    He went up on one elbow and looked at me. ¡°I¡¯ve recently made it my goal to elevate myself as far as possible. Legendary, if I can make it.¡±


    ¡°King¡¯ll be glad to hear it,¡± I muttered, feeling a remembered sting of anger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that he will,¡± Basil mused. ¡°I hope to displace him and his worthless son.¡± He paused and lay back, staring at the ceiling again. ¡° I probably shouldn¡¯t have said that out loud. Please don¡¯t repeat it.¡±


    I gaped at him. This little willow of a boy wanted to be King? It was like imagining a tree growing underwater.


    ¡°At any rate, the Tears of Les are supposed to give you a peek at what you¡¯ll be like at higher elevations, or so I¡¯ve been told, and tonight I¡­ felt a keen need to remind myself of that goal. But when I took it, all I could see was Rare, and I¡¯m right on the edge of that already.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I understood.


    Tears welled in his eyes. ¡°What if I never make it any further? What if I really am just a no-account extra son that will never amount to anything?¡± His fists gripped at the coverlet and his tears ran down into his ears. ¡°What if he was right?¡±


    I looked away, uncomfortable. I didn¡¯t know how to have these kinds of conversations. ¡°Not sure I believe that these Tears of Les can really show you the future.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said in an agonized whisper. ¡°I keep telling myself that¡­ but why couldn¡¯t I see further? I¡¯ve heard of folks seeing to Epic or beyond. Should I have taken a stronger dose?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I told him firmly. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to, but I was so scared once I started seeing things in the walls. That¡¯s why I went walking and got lost: I wanted to take another dose and I knew if I stayed I would, so I took the coward¡¯s way out and ran.¡±


    I gave him a stern look. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of it?¡±


    He looked sheepish and pointed at a desk in the corner. ¡°There¡¯s another little paper square in the drawer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking it,¡± I told him, walking over to the desk. ¡°You can¡¯t handle this stuff.¡± And I could probably sell it for a pretty penny if push comes to shove.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he sniffed.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how the painted bit of paper could be something that would put a fellow in this state, but I pocketed it anyway. Then I walked back over to Basil and looked down at him on the bed. He looked miserable, and he deserved better. ¡°You¡¯d be a better king than most of these shit heads.¡±


    He shrugged and gave a sad smile, his eyes still swimming in tears. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, Hull, but I think I¡¯ve won my last match. In the Rising Stars Tournament almost certainly, and perhaps beyond that. I think I¡¯m not cut out for the highest levels of leadership.¡±


    ¡°Talk that way and you¡¯ll lose for sure,¡± I told him.


    He gave me a pitiable look. ¡°My next match is Esmi.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s a tough one, I grant you. But so what if you lose? Your match after could be me, right? You already took me down once.¡±


    He reached over and patted my hand. ¡°You¡¯re not the same boy I beat before.¡±


    An uncomfortable warmth burned within me, and I looked aside. ¡°Losum, then, or Afi. You could take them for sure.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance,¡± he sighed, starting to sound sleepy. ¡°But I already traded away the Epic I won, and my deck simply doesn¡¯t match up to what the richer families can afford.¡±


    It felt wrong to see Basil so passive, so beaten. Something itched at the back of my brain, and I pushed it away. ¡°You sent Plutar off with his tail between his legs. You¡¯re a hell of a duelist, and when you¡¯ve got your head on straight you can do the impossible. You took a gutter kid and saw him all the way to the top 8.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Hull,¡± he said, lying limp on the bed. ¡°Some dreams just don¡¯t come to pass.¡±


    The itch came back even stronger, and I did the thing before I could stop to think about it. I took a card out of my pocket and slapped it into his outstretched, upturned hand.


    ¡°What about now?¡± I said.

 43. Hull - Turnabout

    Basil dismissed his Order and sat bolt upright, clutching the Microburst card. ¡°Hull, you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± I said, crossing my arms.


    ¡°Hull,¡± he pled, holding it out to me. ¡°This is more money than you¡¯ll see in a year after the Tournament. Several years. Take it back.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I told him. ¡°You saw a kid about to walk out of the Tournament and you gave him an Epic that you had just won. Now you want to stop me from doing the same thing? Don¡¯t be an ass.¡± My heart was hammering in my chest, and I was trying very hard not to think about what I¡¯d just done. Nothing made sense, and yet somehow I knew this was perfectly right.


    His eyes fell on the card. ¡°It¡¯s an incredible Spell.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re right about me and Order, I can¡¯t use Air,¡± I said. ¡°You, on the other hand, can.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± he murmured, caressing it. Then he stood up and thrust it toward me. ¡°No! Hull, what I did¡­ it¡¯s not the same, you know it¡¯s not. I¡¯ll leave this Tournament and go back into a noble home with everything I need, even if I never do make it past Rare. You¡¯re going back to the Lows. You should keep every advantage you can get.¡±


    I bit my lip. You¡¯ve already made the stupidest decision of your life; might as well go the rest of the way. ¡°Basil, I¡¯m in deep shit with the crime boss of the Lows. He wields Chaos, and when I¡¯m done here he¡¯s going to take every card I have. At least give me the satisfaction of keeping this one away from him.¡± I closed his hand around the card and pushed it back toward him.


    His mouth dropped open. ¡°Why is this the first I¡¯m hearing of it?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s been a busy couple of days.¡± And I didn¡¯t realize I had a friend I could tell it to until just now.


    His jaw firmed. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the King. Wielding Chaos is treason.¡±


    I thought of Hestorus and how closely he¡¯d been watching me all along. ¡°I think he already knows. He won¡¯t do anything, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Somehow, burdening Basil with the knowledge that I was the King¡¯s bastard on top of everything else felt unkind. ¡°Let it go, lordling. I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do no such thing,¡± he said hotly. ¡°This is rank injustice, and it cannot stand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a concern for after the Tournament,¡± I told him. ¡°And in the meantime, I want you to have the card. It¡¯s a gift. Stop being a self-righteous dick and take it.¡±


    He opened his mouth to argue, and then the card in his hand caught his eye again. His face softened, and his eyes welled up again. I¡¯d never met a boy who cried so easily. He threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly.


    ¡°I am in your debt forever,¡± he said shakily. ¡°Anything you ask from now until the day I die, you shall have it. I swear it by Fate and by Fortune.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not in my debt,¡± I said, embarrassed by the affection and trying to free myself. ¡°I¡¯m paying the debt I owe you, and I¡¯m not even sure this covers it. Please stop.¡±


    He backed away, grinning like a loon. ¡°We¡¯re in each other¡¯s debt, then. Permanently. You and I shall rock the world on its foundations as we stride through it side by side like giants.¡±


    His smile was infectious. ¡°Sounds good.¡± I knew it would never happen, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to burst his bubble. For just a moment I let myself imagine a life where I was the strong right hand of a good, kind man who rose to be King and a strong, beautiful woman who was his Queen. It was a nice dream.


    Basil looked around the room brightly. ¡°You know, I think the worst of it has passed. I still see mouths everywhere, but they don¡¯t have fangs anymore.¡± He bustled away, cradling the card to his chest. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a glass of something nice. A moment like this calls for a toast. We need to cement this in our memory.¡±


    He threw open a huge armoire of some rich-looking wood and rummaged about inside. ¡°Ah!¡± he said happily, coming back out with a bottle. ¡°This will do nicely.¡±


    ¡°You keep bottles hidden in your clothing drawers?¡± I smirked. ¡°In the Lows, we call folks like that drunks.¡±


    ¡°I am very careful about the amount I consume,¡± he said primly, peeling away the foil covering the top of the bottle and freeing the cork with a deft twist of the wrist. A head of foam bubbled over the top and dripped gently down the side. Looking back into the wardrobe, Basil¡¯s face fell. ¡°I think Warrick used the last of the goblets.¡±


    ¡°Gimme that,¡± I said, yanking the bottle out of his hand and taking a hard pull. It was fizzier than anything I¡¯d ever tasted, and it was all I could do not to cough it up. Once I¡¯d swallowed, I licked my lips and tasted sweet apples. ¡°Not bad,¡± I judged. Then a thunderous burp rushed out of me, echoing through the room.


    Basil giggled and snorted, taking the bottle and wandering over to the couch in the sitting room. I followed him, seeing that he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the rim of the bottle before he took a dainty sip. I shook my head and plunked down on the other end of the plush sofa, running my hands over the warm softness of the blue velvet. People really live like this. The richness never ends. And yet, if richness could produce a kind heart like Basil¡¯s, it couldn¡¯t be all bad, could it? He was still smiling down at the Epic I¡¯d given him.


    ¡°Are you going to put it in your Mind Home or not?¡± I asked, taking the bottle for another swig.


    ¡°I most certainly will,¡± he said, ¡°but it won¡¯t fit at the moment. I¡¯ll have to decide what to take out and how to adjust my deck so it fits.¡± He looked up at me coyly with a mischievous air. ¡°I¡¯ve made some drastic adjustments. I want to see if I can catch Esmi off-guard with a surprise or three.¡±


    I grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t know that most girls care for the kind of surprise where their man trounces them in a duel.¡±


    ¡°Esmi¡¯s above all that,¡± he said stoutly, taking the bottle back for another sip. ¡°She¡¯s completely invested in my progress and elevation. Win or lose, our bond will only grow stronger.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± I said, settling back into the couch. ¡°And hell, maybe you are. She¡¯s something else, that girl is.¡± I let my eyelids droop. Weariness was catching back up with me, and I felt peaceful and slow in a way I wasn¡¯t used to.


    ¡°Now,¡± Basil chirped, scooting toward me with an eager look, ¡°tell me every last detail about the dinner. It kills me that I had to miss it. That soup looked incredible. What was in it?¡±


    Sighing, I sat back up and did my best to satisfy his curiosity. He pestered me with picky little questions about every single course, what wines they were paired with, what temperature they were at, and what colors they showed. I didn¡¯t know the answers for three quarters of what he asked, but every I don¡¯t know just led to more questions.


    Then at some point he started talking about his fight with Warrick during dinner, his family, his responsibilities, and how he hoped to finally impress them all. I let him go on, enjoying the sound of his voice and the feeling of being comfortable in someone¡¯s presence. When he asked something about me or my past, I shrugged, gave a nothing answer, and asked him more about what he¡¯d just been saying. I wasn¡¯t sure how to broach the fact that I had almost no recollection at all of my life before age ten or so, some time after my mother left. I¡¯d simply come to full awareness in an alley one day with a broken bottle in one hand and bruises on my knuckles, knowing that my father was the King, my mother had stolen my soul card, and I was all alone. Other than that¡­ bare wisps of memory. How could I tell him all that when he needed to agonize about how his parents didn¡¯t respect him and the boy he¡¯d thought was his dearest friend secretly despised him? Those things didn¡¯t belong in the same conversation. So I let him talk and basked in the odd feeling of friendship, trying not to fall asleep.


    He ended up nodding off first, his head lolling on the couch arm, the Microburst card still clutched in his hand. It took me a long, muzzy moment to realize he¡¯d stopped talking. It had to be near to midnight. I thought about just closing my eyes and sinking all the way into sleep, but something was nagging at the back of my mind. My gaze kept wandering over to the pull cord by the front door ¨C the one that called the serving staff.


    Ah, shit. I¡¯d forgotten to send a message to Esmi. She¡¯d be frantic. Grumbling, I hauled myself to my feet, stumbled over to the door, and yanked the cord. Somewhere outside the room a bell rang, and I went to the writing desk perched neatly between two brocaded sitting chairs. Opening it up, I saw that it was well stocked with thick, expensive paper, an assortment of wooden pens, and a well of ink. Putting the items together a tad unsteadily ¨C Basil and I had polished off the whole bottle of bubbly stuff ¨C I dipped the pen into the ink and scrawled my words across the page, tongue clenched between my teeth. I wasn¡¯t a good writer, but I knew how to get the basics done.


    Basil bak in his rum safe. Fot with Warik. All gud now. - Hull.


    She didn¡¯t need to know about the Tears of Les. Basil could tell her about that if he saw fit; it wasn¡¯t my place to spill about his indiscretions. I folded the paper, growling at how the ink smudged all over when I did so. There was probably a way to keep that from happening, but I didn¡¯t know what it was. I wrote Esmi on the outside.


    When a soft tap sounded at the door, I opened to find a young lad looking in Coliseum robes looking deferential and not in the slightest bit tired. ¡°Take this to, uh, Esmi. Noble girl with the fire ability. Competitor, you know?¡± I had no idea what her family name was, but the boy simply nodded, taking the note. ¡°She said she¡¯d be at their family home.¡±


    He waited there a moment longer, looking at me expectantly.


    ¡°Go on, then,¡± I told him.


    For some reason he looked annoyed as he walked away, but for the life of me I couldn¡¯t figure out why, so I shut the door and locked it. The boy would get the job done, and I¡¯d done my duty to Esmi. I might not owe her as much as Basil, but I wanted to stay on her good side.


    My body cried out for sleep. I saw Basil draped over the couch in a position that was certain to leave him sore in the morning and toyed with the idea of putting him into the bed. But then I realized that I could sleep on the bed and save myself the twisty, lengthy, half-drunk walk back to my room and decided the kid was fine where he was.


    I split the difference between gallantry and selfishness by pulling Basil¡¯s stocking feet until he was stretched out flat on the couch. He didn¡¯t even stir when I moved him. I was about to stagger into the bedroom when I heard a curious scrabbling on the low table behind me. I spun around and then nearly sat on top of Basil as I stumbled back. Something unreal was perched on the table.


    Its painfully colorful body was as big as a dinner plate, and its long stick legs covered the entire surface of the small table.


    ¡°Hull,¡± a ghostly voice said, emanating from it. I didn¡¯t for a second think the spider was talking; it was Ticosi¡¯s voice. He¡¯d just picked the creepiest messenger possible because he was a mean old bastard whose head was screwed on loose. ¡°My sincerest congratulations on advancing to the top 8. It¡¯s truly thrilling to watch you from the stands and know that your success is my success.¡±


    What would happen if I smashed the spider? It¡¯s a summoned Soul, stupid. It¡¯ll just disappear and you¡¯ll wake up Basil and have to explain why you broke his table.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man who values adapting to the realities that exist rather than adhering to the rules of yesterday,¡± his whispering voice continued. I wondered whether he¡¯d already said his bit to the spider and sent it on its way or if he was speaking now and could hear me in return.


    ¡°You¡¯re a murderous piece of shit and everyone wishes you were dead,¡± I said, testing the waters.


    The voice continued as if I hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°Being in the top 8 gives you introductions into the upper tiers of society that could serve us both well. That changes your value. As of now I will allow you to retain 3 cards of my choice on permanent retainer as long as you continue in my employ. Should you advance to the top 5 and gain a place in the King¡¯s War Camp, things will get very interesting. There are those of my acquaintance who would very much like to know what occurs in that training and what decisions the King is making as he prepares for war. Try your utmost to reach the top 5, Hull. Do that, and I will give you all the cards you currently hold, free and clear. Do your job well in the War Camp, and we will be partners in running the Lows. You have seen a glimpse of the power and influence I hold; you can share it. I know you¡¯re a smart man, Hull. Do this for me and I will grant you a favor. Any favor.¡±


    Kill the King for me, I thought. Do that and it¡¯s worth it.


    ¡°You see how much this means to me,¡± the voice whispered from within the spider. ¡°You want to find your mother? I can help you. Just get into the top 5, and your life will take a turn for the better that you can¡¯t yet imagine. Change is coming, Hull, and if you want to get on top and stay there, stick with me. Be wise, be patient, and before you know it you and I will be the most powerful men in the city. I¡¯ll come to speak with you after the Tournament. Best of luck, my young friend. Fight hard, fight well¡­ and win.¡±


    The spider scuttled away, and I followed it numbly to the balcony, where it clambered over the edge and scaled the sheer wall down to where the street lay in darkness seven stories below. The night was cool and quiet, but the peace I¡¯d felt before was gone. Ticosi must be an agent for the Orcs who come to attack every so often. That¡¯s why we even have a War Camp, right? Hestorus had talked a little about that at dinner. Layers of plans. Plots piling up on each other. This is enough intrigue to drown in.


    It was a good deal. I had to imagine Ticosi knew how to conceal his treasonous connections from the King, or he¡¯d be dead already. He¡¯d proven that he could infiltrate the security of the Coliseum with the King himself on the premises; if the time was right, he could slip an assassin into the Palace and take the horrible man out once and for all. All I had to do was work for him. Spy for him. Betray the city.


    I thought of the calculating inhumanity in my father¡¯s eyes and knew I could do it. I left Basil sleeping on the couch and walked back to my own room. I didn¡¯t deserve that kind of comfort or a friend I might have to let burn alongside Treledyne. I needed to be hard. Cold.


    I had a Tournament to win.

 44. Basil - Gifts

    I awoke with a slight headache, but otherwise refreshed and clear-eyed, none of the invasive visions I had experienced the night before clouding my sight. I was relieved, but also rather surprised that the Tears of Les hadn¡¯t left me worse for wear, especially after how thoroughly I had been in its grip. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had meandered around the Colosseum in such a state and then hidden under a staircase, of all places! I shook my head ruefully at the hazy memory. I knew that quality wines were less prone to leave one with a hangover ¨C like the empty bottle that sat on the coffee table beside me ¨C and perhaps the same was true of higher end drugs. Hull had called it fancy, after all. Speaking of, I propped myself up on the couch where I lay and looked around, but I didn¡¯t see my savior. A shame that, since after the kindness Hull had shown, caring for me while I acted like an infant and then gifting me an Epic card from his personal winnings, I would have loved the opportunity to thank him again.


    I still held the Spell, having clutched it while I slept apparently, and I laid back down, lifting it above my head. The sunlight through the window caught its ruby edge, making it glisten beautifully, and I let out a contented sigh.


    The card was marvelous, not only because of its staggering value but also its synergy with my deck. My Assassins or Headsman or an empowered Condor attacking twice? That could be a match-winning move. And if I combined that with my other plans¡­ I got up, invigorated by the possibilities of the day ahead, barely even noticing the headache anymore.


    I straightened my room, picking up and organizing. As I did, I found myself pausing every now and then, recollections floating back to me from the night prior, like the overwhelming certainty that the furniture was moving out of the corner of my eye, preparing to pounce when I looked away, or later, the many mouths that had sprouted from the walls and how the flat surface seemed to bulge closer so they could consume me. It was obvious now that such things had been just fanciful imaginings, part of an unpleasant evening I would never, ever put myself through again.


    Yet, the experience had also contained a brilliant silver lining that in my distraught and distracted state I¡¯d overlooked: I had seen my Soul at Rare, which, if the Tears could be believed, meant that Warrick was wrong ¨C I would complete the advancement I had started.


    The image had been the first hallucination I had encountered; everything else had come later and were, I supposed, the aftereffects of the drug. The powder had dissolved on my tongue, and when nothing initially happened, I did some chores, waiting for the Tears to do their work. While dusting the mirror, I¡¯d realized that the me staring back had golden flecked eyes, not the silver I currently possessed. The longer I looked, people started appearing at my side, and I knew them to be dead Souls because within the center of each was a card. More and more came to stand around me, but eventually, I had to blink, and when I did the mirror¡¯s reflection was back to normal. It was then I swore that the walls and ceiling were tilting inward, ready to collapse, so I hurried out of my room to avoid being crushed. Once outside, it came to me that if I found a different mirror or reflective surface, I might see myself at Epic or beyond, but that, of course, hadn¡¯t come to pass.


    Stepping from my room now, I didn¡¯t feel that same need anymore. Rare was enough for the moment, and as for the future beyond that¡­ well, it was easier to have hope after seeing the early morning light and feeling the breeze brush past me in the open air hall, ruffling my clothes like an old friend.


    I went to see Hull first, but my knocks on the door were met with no answer. Either he was already gone or deep in slumber. It was still quite early, so I took a risk, slipped a thank you note along with a little gift of my own under Hull¡¯s door, hoping he would see it before his match against Plutar.


    I then headed for the Coliseum''s Vault, which contestants were allowed to use to store items of value free of charge. The rest of what Atrea had retrieved for me from home waited there, and it was finally time to make use of the lot. I had been tempted to do so earlier, when I faced Plutar, but in the end, I had trusted my current deck. Against Esmi, though ¨C after seeing her match against Haze ¨C I had come to a simple conclusion: there was absolutely no way that my current combination of cards could best her. My deck was too slow to keep up with her horde of kobolds and my Souls would trade abysmally with hers in the attempt, some dying outright if they tried to attack her directly.


    Also, having seen my whole deck, Esmi could play with that information in mind, letting her make more optimal choices. I didn¡¯t think that had been her plan when she asked to look through my Mind Home, and in fairness, I knew most of hers after spectating the match, but I saw no reason to let her keep the advantage if it could be avoided.


    The Vault was in the lower portion of the Colosseum, the bulk of the structure hidden behind a thick wall. Windows dotted the wall at even intervals, each fitted with iron bars that uniformed workers waited behind. Due to the early hour, only three of the twelve openings were manned, and only one other customer was present, the woman already being helped.


    An elderly gentleman sat on a stool behind the window closest to me and waved me forward.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said when I stood in front of him. ¡°Here you are.¡± I slipped a brass token through the bars, which I had received when dropping off my possessions. It was hexagonal in shape and had a series of markings scratched onto it I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    He inspected it, the writing obviously meaning more to him than me, and then looked up. ¡°And what are you withdrawing?¡±


    ¡°A grimoire and an artifact, if you please.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re using it now? Against me?¡± Esmi said.


    We were standing on the platform for our duel, closer than would be allowed when the match proper began. She was staring at the Water fabricator around my left arm, eyes wide with disbelief.


    ¡°Are you angry?¡± I asked, touching the sapphires of the gauntlet with my off hand subconsciously. Despite my assurances to Hull last night, I was a bit concerned that Esmi might take offense to my timing on the use of her gift.


    Then she let out a delighted laugh. ¡°Not at all.¡± And the way she said it made me believe her completely. ¡°I love it, in fact. I want this to be the best duel we can have.¡±


    The announcer told us to take our positions, and as Esmi turned to go, I spoke up. ¡°Good Fortune to you.¡± I hadn¡¯t wished any of my competitors luck in the past, but Esmi wasn¡¯t just anyone.


    She smiled back at me. ¡°The same to you.¡±


    When we were the proper distance apart, the announcer summoned the Dueling Dome and led the crowd through the usual refrain ¨C there seemed to be more people present then either of the previous two days, the stands overflowing, not a single free seat or step to be seen. Our ante¡¯s were pulled from our Mind Homes: a Condor for me and a Spell from her I had seen shredded for damage in her match against Haze, but not used.


    And then it was time to draw. Now that I was playing three different Sources, I was tempted to pull three at the start, but after a moment''s hesitation, I went with my standard two Source, three Summon opening. I stared down at the hand Fortune had given me, both elated and concerned. I had gotten some of the key cards I thought I would need to have a chance of besting Esmi: Ice Armor for protection; Ice Arrows to stop her initial onslaught of Souls, similar to the way Plutar had used Fireball against me; and a Greater Elemental for defense and to hopefully power future Water summons.


    The trouble was, the Source I had drawn was one Air and one Order. With a quick prayer to the male Twin, I mulliganed both Source, and he must have heard me, because I drew one of Water and one of Order this time around. I sighed in relief; the match had almost been over before it began.


    Next was the opening gambit, and again, I was faced with a difficult choice. Esmi would very likely play Fire Source if she could since, as far as I could tell, all her cards required it. If I played Water, that would put our Source in opposition, giving us each the opportunity to bring out another of the same Source if we had it. I, of course, did not, and the thought of Esmi having two Fire and going first, since Fire was faster than Water, was a terrifying prospect. So, though it weakened my ability to react, I summoned my Order Source above my head, and sure enough, a ball of Fire drifted up over her, burning brightly.


    Perhaps she won¡¯t have much to play, I dared hope, but no sooner had the thought passed through my mind than her Source dulled and drooped, fully devoted, bringing out the exact combination I had been fearing: a Kobold Fighter, and with its ability, a Cold Blooded Kobold.


    Predictably the pair came charging forward the moment they stepped into being, the flickering aura of flame around their chests from Esmi¡¯s personal ability meaning they would hit for a combined 6 damage. I vehemently wished now that I had played the Water Source at the start, extra Source for her be damned, so I could destroy both with my Ice Arrows. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option, so, with the deepest of regrets, I loosed my Rare from hand to stop them.


    The force of the blocking card¡¯s shard explosion blew both kobolds back, the Cold Blooded going to one knee since it had devoted to attack, while the Warrior only looked winded, its Bloodlust ability meaning it would be ready to strike me again the very next turn.


    The announcer was saying something, but it was Esmi¡¯s voice I heard. ¡°What a card,¡± she called. ¡°Your mother knows how to collect.¡±


    ¡°I would rather it had made it onto the field,¡± I called back.


    Esmi shrugged. ¡°Better than losing a quarter of your deck.¡±


    I looked down at my cards and then up at her Souls that were recovering. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve decided that your Kobold Fighter is much too good. A petty opponent might even say unfair.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Why do you think I have three of them?¡±


    The pressure on my mind released, distracting me from making a witty retort, and I drew a Condor plus ¨C I practically vibrated with excitement ¨C another Water Source, the only other in my Source deck since the fabricator only provided me two.


    I released one of the Water Sources, and a teal-colored bubbling ball of liquid joined my porcelain Order Source, hovering in the air. I could destroy both kobolds now, but only one would be able to attack me next turn, and the sooner I used my Armor, the more value I would get from it. So, I used both Sources to play my Relic. The calming sensation of the focused Order was familiar, but for the first time in my life, I felt the rush of Water from devoting the Source ball: it swirled through me, flowing from one part of my body to the next in a way that left me feeling connected from my toes to ears to fingertips, powering the card I held.


    Unlike the Helmet, which appeared before me, the Armor coalesced around my upper body and arms. It was heavier than my usual Scalemail, noticeably so, but it was a burden I could manage. There was also a pleasant coolness to the suit, and seeing its hardened edges and softly glowing blue light in the periphery of my vision made me feel protected, indestructible even.


    While I was marveling at my new Relic, Esmi was drawing cards and playing another Fire Source, which she devoted like the first to play a regular kobold. The tiny creature blinked with big eyes, and I could almost see why Esmi called them cute.


    That and the Fighter isn¡¯t so bad. And then the pair was joined by a third.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said loud enough for her to hear. ¡°Another one already?¡±


    She smiled again, looking mischievous. ¡°I have three of them, too.¡±


    The kobolds came at me while the fourth watched from where it recovered. With Esmi¡¯s ability, the trio would be hitting me for a staggering 8 damage.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I blocked 1 of it with my Condor from hand, and the thick Armor turned aside another, but their vicious claws bled 6 more from me. I always hated losing any cards, but four of them were particularly painful to see go in the veritable cloud of shards that came from my body.


    I had thought to use the Spawning Pool to match her Soul creation, and Equality was one of my only board clears ¨C incredibly important against a deck like hers. Also, to not have a chance to use my newest card stung and then to lose my other Epic, too¡­ My strategy to win was going to tatters, literally vanishing in the air around me.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± Esmi cried, hands to her face, having seen what I had just lost.


    The only consolation I could take from the exchange was that her three attacking kobolds were now encased in ice, which meant I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about them next turn. Of course, two of them would have been devoted anyway, attacking after having just been summoned. Perhaps Ice Armor wasn¡¯t quite as good in practice as I had always thought in theory.


    I desperately needed defense, so I drew two Summon cards, getting another Equality and Condor. I was so glad I had a second Equality in my deck now, which was what I had traded the Epic I had won off Plutar for: a Rare and more coins than I had ever possessed ¨C the bulk of which I had also stored in the Colosseum¡¯s Vault.


    I played my second Water Source and was tempted to bring out the Condor, but I wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake for a third time in a row. Instead I simply waited, ready to cast Ice Arrows and hopefully set up Equality, which was the only way I could see myself winning at this point. It was a tricky balance. While the icons on Water were helpful for defense, they kept forcing me to devote my Sources, strangling my ability to use more cards.


    Esmi brought out an Order source, focusing it and a Fire to summon a familiar face.


    I¡¯m going to lose on turn 3, I thought with a hysteric chuckle. However, I perked up when she didn¡¯t summon another kobold with its ability and sent it along with the newly recovered Cold Blooded Kobold at me. Two kobolds? I could handle two kobolds.


    I devoted my one ready Water source to cast Ice Arrows, spears of ice slamming into both creatures, turning them each into a satisfying spray of card shards.


    ¡°Good play!¡± Esmi called to me.


    ¡°Thank you! I figured I should put up at least a bit of a fight.¡±


    I drew an Air Source ¨C ¡°Egad,¡± I sighed ¨C and then a Summon card which gave me a dash of hope.


    This beautiful Troglodyte should let me remove two cards for the price of one, which was exactly what I needed right now. Actually, if I went all in¡­ I considered the possibility a moment longer and then decided to throw caution to the wind before Esmi could act again. I devoted my Air and Order Source, playing my Condor. Then I devoted my Water Source and played the Dart Thrower.


    At my direction, the troglodyte threw a spear at the Fighter, who was just starting to thaw, impaling it. Before the kobold could expire, the Condor swooped over, gobbling up the smaller creature.


    ¡°That is entirely uncalled for!¡± Esmi called, sounding more cross than she had been about the fabricator.


    ¡°But see how good he looks now?¡± I replied, pointing at the Condor¡¯s feathers, which had noticeably more volume and luster. ¡°A few more, and he would be fancy enough to dine at Obu.¡±


    Esmi sniffed loudly, but I knew there was no real issue. Even though the Fighter had turned to shards inside the Condor, the card would still return to her Mind Home eventually. I was also finally on even footing with her: two Souls against two Souls, and mine stronger than hers. True, a peek into my own Mind Home showed only 7 cards remaining, but with my lone card in hand being Equality, I had a response if she found a way to drastically outnumber me again.


    I might actually win this.


    Esmi played another Order Source, giving her four at the ready compared to my three devoted and one focused Source.


    ¡°Feel free to do nothing,¡± I called to her. ¡°I won¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what fun would that be?¡± she said with a devilish look. She then used most of her Source to summon what was, as far as I knew, her biggest Soul.


    The Giant Kobold was true to its name, taller than my Condor or either of us and thick with muscle. Some of its scales had turned into what looked like plating, giving me no doubt about the Armor its card said it possessed. Its Intervene was a defensive trait though, and if she kept it back to make use of it, that would be fine by me.


    With a bellow, it along with the now free Kobold and Cold Blooded Kobold came pelting toward me. I let out a small laugh at the sight; I should have known Esmi wouldn¡¯t give me room to breathe. Quickly, I considered my options: I could easily stop the two smaller Fire Souls and buff my Carrion Condor in the process. But the Giant Kobold would hit me for 5, Esmi¡¯s ability and my Armor canceling each other out. Also, the devotion effect of my armor wouldn¡¯t matter since the Giant was already devoting to attack me the turn it was summoned.


    Wishing I had a better choice, I sent the Carrion Condor to block the Cold Blooded and the Troglodyte to block the Giant. The Condor took 3 damage from the Kobold it fought, leaving it with 1, but it gave as good as it got, doing 3 in return. However, when the Kobold slumped to the ground, it didn¡¯t expire, the Albino¡¯s ability keeping its body on the field. Sure enough, the Giant bellowed again, lumbering over and actually picking the dead body up and hurling at me. The corpse struck me for 1 damage, but thankfully it ricocheted off of my Armor, having no effect. My Troglodyte leapt onto the Epic Kobold while it was distracted, getting 1 damage past the Soul¡¯s armor, but then the Giant caught the Troglodyte in an oversized hand, crushing it into shards with a single squeeze. This left the Regular Kobold still hitting me, which did 1 damage past my Armor thanks to Esmi¡¯s ability, and I didn¡¯t want to lose my Equality in hand, so I sacrificed a card from my Mind Home, appearing briefly to me as it shattered.


    I groaned; I had hoped the Shaman would last through a few blockers with its regenerate ability, but at least the Kobold that had struck me was devoted again, its body covered once more in ice.


    I only had 6 cards left in my deck. I could answer what was on the field with Equality, but that didn¡¯t give me a way to win. I needed another Order Source to even be able to cast Equality, though, so I drew one of each Source and Summon, getting the Order I needed ¨C Hurrah! ¨C and an elemental.


    My plan had been to use Source generating cards like this to assist me in summoning the Greater Water Elemental, which in turn would have let me summon the Sea Titan, destroying Esmi¡¯s kobolds on its arrival and maybe even winning me the game straight out. If not, Microburst would have let me attack with the huge, Epic Soul twice, which surely would have done the trick. Those heavy hitter cards were long gone, but this little elemental could still serve as a blocker on the field and a way to help me power my remaining, smaller Water cards. Esmi¡¯s two remaining kobolds were currently both devoted, but she would almost certainly summon more on her next turn.


    I devoted my one ready Water Source to bring the new Soul into play, the Elemental spinning into existence, a flowing twist of water that stood three feet high and bobbed there, arms waving around it like it was floating in the air. Part of me wanted to attack Esmi with my Condor, which ¨C due to Fire¡¯s weak defense ¨C would likely strip 2, maybe 3 cards from her hand. But then I¡¯d have just a single blocker, an Equality in hand I dare not use to defend with, and only 5 cards in my Mind Home separating me from losing. So, though it pained me, I didn¡¯t act further.


    ¡°You should have attacked,¡± Esmi called in a sing-song voice, as she drew her cards and played another Order Source.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I replied, and then I saw her devote everything she had available, one Fire and two Order Source, and ¡®maybe¡¯ went to a definite ¡®yes.¡¯ Or did it? If she summoned multiple Souls, I needed multiple blockers. But if I had attacked, she might not have had those Souls to summon.


    While I was wrestling with my past decision, I watched part of the fire and light that swirled around her hand of cards disappear, as a new Soul came into play, one I immediately recognized that had ruined Haze¡¯s day in her match with the bruiser.


    No sooner had I seen the card text due to the magic of the Dueling Dome, then the kobold appeared at my side, looking up at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it,¡± I said, trying to pull away.


    But the Treasure Hunter was too fast, its cat-like eyes gleaming as a clawed hand touched my armor in a place that didn¡¯t leave the kobold frozen. Instead, the Ice Armor unlatched and fell off of me in two halves, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. I glanced down, wanting to grab the armor to put it back on, but again, the Treasure Hunter outpaced me, grabbing the Relic in its arms and dashing away, my wants no match for its Fated ability.


    The kobold covered the distance quickly and then with care, put the armor around Esmi, fitting it onto her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair that it looks better on you than me,¡± I called.


    She gave me a smile as she manipulated the Source that was still available to her, ¡°Flattery will get you everywhere, Basil, but not during a match.¡±


    Then she cast a spell I hadn¡¯t seen her use in her last match.


    With fiery energy, the three kobolds on the field leapt upon my poor, wounded Condor, tearing it apart until only the twinkle of card dust remained. The Treasure Hunter dashed through the sparkling air that came from the bird¡¯s passing, sprinting to attack me. I had the Water Elemental block it, and the two of them grappled, the kobold stabbing at the being of liquid with a short spear, while the Elemental shot close ranged blasts of water from its limbs so strong, flesh stripped off the kobold¡¯s face. The Treasure Hunter collapsed with a death cry, its last attack shattering the Elemental.


    And then the Giant Kobold was there, picking up its fallen comrade and hurling the body at me from close range. Without my armor to stop it, the force of the unconventional attack pushed me back a step and a card from my Mind Home was blown away.


    Yet another one whose effect I had hoped to use to summon something larger. I could see the errors in my plan now that I was actually playing it instead of just spinning possibilities in my mind, but it wasn¡¯t as if I could ask for the duel to be restarted now that I knew better, so I soldiered onward. I had at least survived another turn and was desperately glad that Esmi hadn¡¯t possessed enough Source to trigger the Overkill effect of her Spell, especially since I was now bereft of my armor.


    With four Source at the ready, two Order, one Air, and one Water, I decided to draw both cards from my Summon deck, to have more options for play and defense. What I got was actually quite good, copies of the most effective cards I¡¯d played in the match so far: Ice Arrows and the Troglodyte Dart Thrower.


    With them in hand, I decided that it was finally time to use my Equality; I needed to get rid of that Giant Kobold and this was the only way available to me. It was one of the reasons I had blocked with my Elemental, to ensure that I had an empty board, so all of her Souls would be removed by the Spell. With a thought, I devoted my two Order and one Air Source, my Rare vanishing out of my hand and coming into existence.


    With a rumble that filled the air, a giant set of scales rose up from the ground between us. The kobolds on the field were caught in the base of one of the two wide, golden plates, while the other plate remained empty since I currently had no Souls on the field. As the scales lifted into the air gaining more distance from the ground, the far plate dipped, having more weight, the scales tilting from their fulcrum in that direction. There was a loud gong and the kobolds shattered into shards. The far plate, now empty, rose until it matched the height of the plate closer to me. Having equalled itself, the scales also vanished, the Spell complete.


    I stared up at where the thirty foot tall scales had been, and I heard the muted crowd roaring at the spectacle I had just provided. I had only gotten to cast the Rare Spell in actual matches a few times before, and it was truly a sight to behold.


    Looking back down at Esmi, she was all focus, already with another card in hand and a Fire Source above her, giving her three at the ready. I still had a Water Source available, and my fingers slid over to the Ice Arrows, sure that I would need to cast it to survive another round.


    Her Sources dimmed and two more Souls came onto the field. One was her last Fighter, which I could handle, and the other was a card I recognized from her ante against Haze.


    With a howl, both came sprinting at me, and I knew it was the end.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± I cried back, despairing at the Spitfire¡¯s 2 health. ¡°I was just starting to stabilize.¡±


    I went ahead and played it out, casting Ice Arrows, which blasted the Fighter off its feet and stopping the ridiculous 4 damage it was going to do to me. Sadly, the other arrow wasn¡¯t enough to take out the Spitfire, who stabbed me for 3. I blocked with the Troglodyte from hand, but it only stopped 1 damage, the other 2 plowing into me, ripping my last cards from my Mind Home, another Dart Thrower and Lesser Elemental, leaving me empty, both inside and on the board. Also, unlike a Fire Source user, none of my Sources could do any damage to her, which meant that the match was well and truly over. Taking my turn when I could do nothing would be a poor way to finish the match.


    ¡°I concede!¡± I said, loud and clear. Then I started clapping for Esmi, and the crowd joined me with gusto, the sound of them much louder when the commentator brought the Dueling Dome down. She had done an incredible job.


    A felt a pull and slight pop from the side of my head, and a card zipped from me ¨C a Carrion Condor, which had been up for ante ¨C and Esmi grabbed it from the air. Holding it, she walked toward me, and I matched her pace to meet her halfway.


    ¡°That was an excellent fight,¡± I said when I reached her. ¡°Well, not really. You absolutely slaughtered me.¡±


    She smiled, ducking her chin in a way that looked pleased but also shy. ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I laughed at the sight. ¡°Please! I didn¡¯t land a single point of damage on you the entire time.¡±


    ¡°You could have if you¡¯d attacked with that Condor. Speaking of¡­¡± She lifted the card she held. ¡°I hear those of noble heart return the ante to opponents they truly respect.¡±


    ¡°No, no,¡± I said, waving her away and feeling a blush come to cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Fortune was kind to me that it was only an Uncommon. You deserve it.¡±


    Esmi crossed her arms and tapped the edge of the card to her lips. ¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°I made so many misplays,¡± I confided. ¡°Not to mention completely botching my new deck construction.¡±


    ¡°Now, Basil, don¡¯t get too down on yourself.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s not what I meant at all. I learned so much by playing against your deck. Thank you. It was an invaluable opportunity.¡±


    Esmi paused, considering me. ¡°No one¡¯s ever said that after losing to me. And I¡¯ve beaten a lot of duelists.¡±


    ¡°How could they not?¡± I asked, honestly perplexed. ¡°Your deck is so well tuned, with multiple synergies. Not to mention the strength your personal ability gives it. I can¡¯t even imagine the work you had to go through to receive such a blessing from the Twins. It¡¯s inspiring, honestly, how good you are ¨C¡±


    She moved before I could react, kissing me, her lips pressing into mine. The contact was soft, warm, and wonderful.


    Esmi pulled away. ¡°You were saying?¡±


    When I got my breath back, I answered, ¡°Whatever I must to make that happen again.¡±


    She frowned at me, ever so slightly. ¡°Basil, you do realize that you can make it happen again, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what she meant, and then, like inspiration from the Gods, I knew exactly what she meant. Cupping her face in my hands like I had seen couples do in the park, I kissed her. The onlookers cheered and whistled, but with an effort borne of Air, I ignored them. This kiss was even more magical than the first, and in that perfect moment, I didn¡¯t feel like I had lost a match in the most important tournament of my life.


    I felt like I had won the whole thing.

 45. Hull - Back to Basics

    Chapter 45


    Back to Basics


    I spent the early part of the morning wandering from level to level, convinced that Gerad had bought up all the decent Healing Potions from every trader and shop in the Coliseum. No matter who I asked, the person at the table or counter just shrugged and said they¡¯d traded away their last, or left it at home, or there¡¯d been a strange shortage lately. I imagined the Prince sending his toadies out once they¡¯d spied on my deck as I¡¯d practiced the day before with Morgane, come back to strategize how to spike my wheel, and the bastard had given them all a bag of crowns each to buy up every last healing card I might need. I could envision it all, and I had no doubt the little shit would do it.


    Never mind that when I asked who¡¯d bought the last of their potion card stock, each shopkeep had a different answer, and never mind that neither Losum nor any of the others of the Prince¡¯s pals had never given me a second look after that time in the training hall ¨C I wanted it to be true. I wanted Gerad to be a hopeless asshole that I could blame instead of a kid who¡¯d been mistreated by the same man who¡¯d ruined me too. Hating him was easier. I needed Iron Maiden Plate around my heart if I was going to work for Ticosi and use him to bring down the King. It was going to be hard enough pushing Basil and Esmi away without spending a single extra thought on the idea that Gerad might deserve any sympathy.


    It wasn¡¯t until I actually found an out-of-the-way stall with a short, bald, sullen-looking man who said he had a Rare Healing Potion that I began to doubt my conspiracy.


    ¡°Can I see it?¡± I said, my heart speeding.


    He leaned off to the side and spit on the stones. ¡°No.¡±


    I was lighter on trades than I wished now that I¡¯d given up that Epic to Basil like a soft-headed idiot, but this fellow didn¡¯t know that. I frowned at him. ¡°You set this stall up for fun, did you? Tell people you¡¯ve got the card they want just to wind their chain?¡±


    ¡°With the fees they charge to set up a table on Coliseum grounds, I¡¯d sell my thumbs for a crown a piece,¡± he said, shuffling through a small wooden box stacked with cards, doing his best not to look at me. ¡°But you¡¯re not so much as smelling my cards.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a competitor,¡± I said.


    He raised his eyebrows and waggled his shoulders mockingly, still refusing to look up at me. ¡°Ooh, a competitor. I¡¯m supposed to lick your boots or something?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I growled, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to trade with me.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid?¡± he barked, finally meeting my eyes. ¡°Come around here swingin¡¯ your dick around like you¡¯re something? Of course I know you¡¯re a competitor. You¡¯re that piece of shit gutter rat everyone¡¯s going on about, and you cost me an Uncommon on that last fight.¡±


    Now it made sense. I clenched my fists and tried to breathe deep. ¡°Listen, everybody loses a bet sometimes.¡±


    ¡°That card was my Nana!¡± he bellowed, jabbing a finger at me. ¡°She could pour fresh water out of her fingertips and she¡¯d make us melon juice with it when I was a kid. Best damn woman this world ever saw.¡±


    I stared at him. I came from a world where someone would knife you for a clip and still I was horrified. ¡°You bet your grandmother¡¯s card on my match? Why would you do that?¡±


    His bald head was turning red. ¡°Because he put up a Rare against it and you¡¯re a trash slum kid who was supposed to lose!¡±


    I spread my hands and tried to reason with him. ¡°When someone offers you a bet that good, they probably know something you don¡¯t.¡±


    His face got even uglier and darker, and I realized that had been the wrong thing to say. ¡°You¡¯re gonna need a Healing Potion when I¡¯m done with you.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, trying to sound calm. ¡°Let¡¯s just trade. I¡¯m sorry you lost an important card. That¡¯s rough. But look ¨C¡± I pulled the Rare Earth card from my pocket.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a good trade. I need a better Healing Potion than what I¡¯ve got. Let¡¯s forget about that other stuff and do business, what do you say?¡±


    His chin stopped jutting when he saw the card, and he stood up straight and took a deep breath. ¡°You want a trade? All right, here¡¯s a trade: I¡¯ll take that Epic you won from the bird yesterday. Straight across.¡±


    I sighed. I didn¡¯t have that card anymore, and besides, trading an Epic straight across for a Rare would be as bad a trade as the one I¡¯d made with that Life Mythic at the Soiree. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. You know I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you think so?¡± he said snidely. ¡°Then how about you trade this for your mother?¡± He grabbed his crotch and shook it at me.


    My rage spiked, and I nearly jumped over the table to tear off the thing he was shaking and feed it to him. Strangely, though, there was a space between my anger and my muscles springing into action, and in that gap I heard myself think If I beat up a vendor they might disqualify me. Gerad could get away with it, but I won¡¯t. And if I don¡¯t get into the top 5, my father gets away with everything.


    I turned and walked away. His Rare Healing card might as well have been on the bottom of the ocean for all the good it was ever going to do me, and no amount of sweet-talking was about to change that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, run away!¡± the man shouted after me. ¡°Chorfun the miller got the best of you. That¡¯s for my Nana!¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I made my way back to the Mess Hall to get some breakfast now that the sun was up. I wished I¡¯d beaten that asshole into a pulp without thinking of the consequences. It¡¯s what I would have done before arriving at this Tournament, and I didn¡¯t like how much I¡¯d changed in just a few days. I needed to be the feral street kid if I was going to see this through, not someone who walked away from fights and considered people¡¯s feelings. It was time to go back to my roots.


    The bread, sausages, and fruit in the Mess Hall were as plentiful and tasty as ever, though now that I¡¯d eaten at that Obu place I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever appreciate anything else the same way. There had been a frothy pudding dessert at the end made of some fruit I¡¯d never heard of, and there were soft little balls hidden all through it that burst on the tongue like roe but tasted incredible. Esmi had said they were chocolate, and I¡¯d dreamt about it all night. It was no wonder those noble kids were pleasant and polite all the time if that¡¯s what they normally ate.


    I enjoyed the silence of the Hall as I ate. There were only eight of us left now, and either the others had come and gone already or they were sleeping in. Basil could use the extra sleep. Who knows if that stuff he took lingers? I shook my head and stabbed a sausage with my fork. Basil could go hang. I needed to focus on this match. We¡¯d spent some time the night before talking over Plutar¡¯s deck, and I was worried, especially without a better Healing Potion. I wasn¡¯t sure I could win, and I needed to.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Esmi said, flouncing down onto the bench beside me. ¡°Thank you so much for seeing to my dear fiance last night. I can¡¯t tell you how much your note calmed me. I wouldn¡¯t have slept a wink otherwise.¡±


    I grunted and filled my mouth with a flaky roll.


    ¡°I might have wished for a little more detail¡­¡± she said, eyebrows raised.


    I swallowed hard and cleared my throat. ¡°He was sad. Went for a walk. It was fine.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, eyeing me and tapping the table with a fingernail. ¡°I think we have different definitions of the word detail.¡±


    I shrugged, picked up a sausage with my hands, and shoved the whole thing in my mouth.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see him soon enough, I suppose,¡± she sighed. ¡°And truly, thank you for your assistance. I shan¡¯t forget it. Now, what about Plutar? You¡¯ve got a plan?¡±


    ¡°I plan to beat him,¡± I said, mouth still full.


    ¡°Yes, very droll,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°He can burn through those demons of yours with his Greater Fireballs, you know, and if your invulnerability spell isn¡¯t active, the Overkill will be the end of you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I snapped. It¡¯s all I¡¯d been thinking about all morning.


    She stopped. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, standing. ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like being the grateful poor-boy pet to a spoiled rich girl when I¡¯m trying to eat.¡±


    Her mouth dropped open, and hurt spread across her face. ¡°Hull, that¡¯s not ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, stepping away. ¡°Just go mother Basil and leave me out of it.¡±


    I walked away from the table and ignored the wounded silence that followed me out. There was a painful hollowness in my stomach as I stalked back to my room. It was like I hadn¡¯t even eaten.


    My mood worsened when I opened the door and found a slim envelope in front of my feet with the word Hull lettered across the front with perfect calligraphy. I knew who it was from even before I picked it up. I was tempted to toss it aside unread, but there was a stiffness and heft to the envelope that told me something more than paper was inside.


    Tearing it open, I saw a note folded around a card. Curious, I looked at the card first.


    I frowned. It was a nice piece, but what was this about? I unfolded the note.


    Dearest friend, it read. I paused and once again thought about tearing it up without reading any further. That pit in my stomach was deeper than ever. It was worse than unkind for me to pretend to be friends with these silly children. I was going to burn any chance for happiness and peace for myself when I went with Ticosi, and if I dragged either of them along with me it¡¯d be like pissing on a fresh pie. I needed to never speak to either of them again. Hopefully my rudeness to Esmi had offended her enough to keep her away, but I¡¯d let Basil believe I would become the friend Warrick had failed to be. Guilt gnawed at me. I¡¯d harmed him already and he just didn¡¯t know it yet.


    My hand rose of its own accord. Dearest friend, Words cannot express my gratitude at your actions last night. I was truly in the depths of despair ¨C lost in a stairwell like the basest hash fiend; I shudder to even think it! ¨C and you came to my aid like a hero out of a storybook to bring me back to hope and life. And then, beyond all belief, to give me such a supernal gift¡­! You are a scion of the Twins themselves.


    Please accept this humble token of my appreciation as you prepare for today¡¯s match. It in no way balances the scales between us, of course, but I very much hope that you and I can be companions of the sort where no accounting is kept. You need this; therefore I give it. You have shown that you will do the same at a thousand times the value. Thank you, thank you, thank you.


    - Basil of House Hintal


    P.S. The Cloak will serve you well should you don it yourself against Plutar, but perhaps consider putting it on one of those big brutes of yours instead. As I¡¯ve thought through the match-up further, I think your best hope of winning is to keep his hand thin so he has fewer Spells to respond with, and that means keeping your Souls alive as long as possible. Best of luck! I¡¯ll come find you after your match.


    I found myself sitting on my bed with my head in one hand as I held out the note with the other. I didn¡¯t recognize a few of the words he¡¯d used, but the meaning was clear: I was the worst human being that had ever lived. Not that he said so, of course, but that was what it all meant.


    Shit. I don¡¯t know if I can do this. What if I went to Basil and told him everything? I¡¯d mentioned Ticosi already; maybe he had the connections to¡­ I don¡¯t know, jail Ticosi? Bring him to justice? I wasn¡¯t at all sure he could manage that, but I let myself dream for another moment. Basil could help me hone my deck and rise in status. Maybe I could find my mother and get my card back, or if not that, maybe it was possible to create a new one. I could stay at Basil and Esmi¡¯s side, being some kind of odd uncle to their children, and live in peace.


    But then there was Hestorus. Basil couldn¡¯t do anything about him. He¡¯d talked about his new dream of rising to Legendary and challenging him, but that was fool¡¯s talk. I imagined elevating my soul to Mythic in some impossible future, and there was the King, presenting me in front of the court as his own long-lost son, an arm wrapped around my shoulders.


    My fist closed compulsively on Basil¡¯s note, crushing it. No. He has to die, and Basil¡¯s too much of a sweetheart. He doesn¡¯t have it in him. It has to be Ticosi. I¡¯m sorry, Basil¡­ I have to. I let the paper fall to the floor.


    The card was a good one, and his thoughts fit in nicely with the strategizing we¡¯d done the night before. I¡¯d take it and I¡¯d use it, and that would be the last thing I ever took from him. He¡¯d be crushed, but it was already done.


    My face felt like it was made of stone. I squared my shoulders and slipped the Runic Cloak into my Mind Home. It was mine now. Mechanically, I turned around and arranged the sheets and blanket on my bed. It was a small thing ¨C nothing at all, really ¨C but it was something I could do to honor the memory of the boy who had almost been my friend.


    It was time to get ready for the match.

 46. Hull - Mouthing Off

    Plutar was waiting for me on the boards, arms folded and face smug.


    ¡°I thought yoo might run away eenstead of face me,¡± he laughed. ¡°Eet would have been ze smarter thing to doo.¡±


    He¡¯d have looked so much better with a bloody nose. ¡°I hope you like the taste of my hammer, you peacock, because it¡¯s going to be in your face every single turn.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°Yoo think so, but zat ees because yoo are a stupid child. I will rain ze fires of heaven on yoo. Per¡¯aps zen yoo will stink a leetle less.¡±


    The Dueling Dome went up as the crowd chanted the opening ritual, and the ante cards flew out for all to see.


    I scowled up at the sight. It felt deeply unfair that I was putting up an Epic and all he was risking was a Rare, especially when Basil and Esmi had told me that he had a Mythic in his Mind Home. I knew I couldn¡¯t expect Fortune to smile on me every time, but it never felt good when he didn¡¯t. Still, I knew I shouldn¡¯t let my opponent know I was bothered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice card you¡¯re giving me,¡± I called over to Plutar as I drew my cards. ¡°Awfully sweet of you.¡± I got the Sucking Void, but the rest of my opening hand was pure shit for the early game. I mulliganed 3 of my Summons cards, making sure to put the Marauder where I would draw it at the right time. My re-draw netted me a Ghastly Gremlin, my Hammer, and the Root Imp, and my chest eased. I know how to do this.


    ¡°Yoo will touch zis card when Fortune abandons zis land and ze sun grows cold,¡± he scoffed, managing his opening hand and sorting his cards.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m starting to feel the chill,¡± I said as we both put our opening gambit sources overhead. He played Fire against my Nether, so I went first. ¡°Might want to buy yourself something warm.¡± I pulled 2 cards ¨C my Talisman and that stupid potion ¨C devoted my source, and went hard.


    The Imp thrashed against me as it was summoned, doing its Arrival damage, and I threw the Ghastly at it, which summoned it too.


    I needed to strip his hand and whittle him down before he could play his big nasty Spells against me, so even though I ached to smash him in the face ¨C like I¡¯d just told him I would ¨C doing more damage from more sources was the right move.


    ¡°Yoo utter trash,¡± Plutar sighed, devoting his single Fire source.


    The fireball grew in his hand and then zipped straight at the Root Imp, which shattered and disappeared before it could reach him. The Gremlin, though, scampered over and raked its claws at him. He scowled and cast a card at it from his hand, letting it glitter away into nothing.


    That only blocked 1 of the Gremlin¡¯s damage, though, and he lost a single card from his Mind Home, as well. As the confetti floated down I remembered Basil saying the night before that if I focused in at the moment it was first destroyed I could see what card had been shredded, just like focusing to see the cloud of cards left in the Mind Home, but by the time I¡¯d brought the thought to mind it was too late.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but grin at the insufferable boy. ¡°I might be trash, but I just drew first blood.¡±


    ¡°Whoo cares about such things?¡± he said, flipping his long hair back over his shoulder. He was bothered, though, I could tell.


    The Gremlin disappeared because of its Expire ability, capering and laughing as it did so: it had finally got to do something instead of being used as a blocker and dying from it. Good work, little buddy. Let¡¯s hope your friends can do more of the same.


    ¡°Yoo will pay,¡± Plutar promised, drawing his cards and putting up a second source. He frowned at his hand. ¡°Eventually.¡±


    I waited, clenched, but he did nothing. I laughed, realizing that he didn¡¯t have anything to respond with. Maybe I should start with the Imp-Gremlin combo more often!


    My draws netted me a Nether, which I put up, and a second Ghastly. I considered putting up the Sucking Void, but I thought of what Basil had said in his note: I needed to strip Plutar¡¯s hand as soon as possible to keep him from building up his variety of kill Spells. It was a risk leaving myself unprotected, but I had a Ghastly in hand to absorb a bit of damage if needed. It was time for the Hammer.


    It felt solid and reliable in my hand, and I rushed at him, giving a wild yell when I was right up in his face just to watch him flinch. He quailed and threw two cards at me, letting them smash against my Hammer and throw me back.


    ¡°Are yoo a barbarienne, zat yoo must scream so?¡± he huffed. ¡°Zis is a ceevilized match.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that was saying we¡¯re supposed to be preparing for war?¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help you out.¡±


    He ignored that as he summoned an Order source and devoted both it and one of his Fire, leaving the other at the ready.


    He nodded, tucking the flaming book under one arm and looking grimly satisfied. I was relieved it wasn¡¯t a fireball or something coming for my face, but on the other hand, having that Relic meant that his biggest and baddest Spells could now be cast anytime, not just on his own turn. I need to keep the pressure on.


    I¡¯d thought maybe he¡¯d use his Fire source ability to hit me for 1 damage, but he held back, and I realized he was waiting to see if I brought out another Imp or Gremlin. It was the smart move, and I found myself wishing he were a little dumber. I pulled 1 Nether and 1 card from my Mind Home, the new Runic Cloak. My conscience twinged. Basil, why couldn¡¯t you just be a snotty noble? That would make this all so much easier.


    I had to think about my options for a moment. Plutar only had 1 card in hand and 1 Fire source available. I knew he had some cards that could multiply his Fire source, but if he had that, then that meant he didn¡¯t have that big board sweep that could hurt me too. I wanted to hold off casting my Sucking Void as long as possible if I could¡­ I could summon the Ghastly, but he¡¯d just ping it to death with his source ability. I thought about summoning the Cloak on myself for some much-needed protection, but in my mind I could still see Basil¡¯s excellent suggestion to save it for one of the Marauders. In the end, I settled for focusing both available Nether to summon the Lesser Healing Potion ¨C for a rainy day, I thought sourly.


    Then I headed in again with my Hammer.


    ¡°Stop zat,¡± Plutar growled as I got close, throwing a card at my Hammer. It shattered but didn¡¯t completely stop the blow.


    The other damage from the Hammer thudded home against him, and I squinted at the card shreds as they puffed out. Sure enough, I could see the image of a card there, faint but distinct.


    I grinned, mostly because he was scowling.


    ¡°I needed zat,¡± he said. ¡°There is no eleghance in zis bashing wiss ¡®ammers.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Put your elegance in one hand and your shit in the other and see which stinks more,¡± I laughed as I recovered my balance.


    ¡°Zat makes no sense,¡± he muttered. ¡°Barbarienne.¡± Whatever he drew made him nod and smile, but once again he bided his time, letting his turn pass despite having 2 Fire source at the ready. It made me nervous, but any turn where I wasn¡¯t getting singed was one I was grateful for.


    I drew another Nether and my third Ghastly Gremlin. Plutar had 2 Fire at the ready and more that would come ready on his next turn. It was time to suit up and play my big cards. I focused 3 of my Nether and devoted 1, summoning my dear, sweet Sucking Void Spell and my Talisman of Spite at the same time.


    Plutar¡¯s eyes widened and he went pale as I rushed at him again with my Hammer. He quickly focused his 2 Fire and cast a Spell.


    My Hammer cracked into his ribs and did¡­ nothing.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I grunted, falling back disappointed.


    ¡°Now yoo will begin to suhffer,¡± he gloated.


    ¡°You literally can¡¯t touch me for 2 more rounds,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    He clenched his fists. ¡°Yoo will see!¡± He took 2 from his Mind Home this time, apparently digging for whatever it was he wanted to punish me with. His satisfied cackle gave me pause. Whatever he¡¯d drawn, I wasn¡¯t going to like it. ¡°Zis is where your end begins,¡± he said.


    Then he did nothing.


    ¡°...Any time now,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°I know what I am dooing!¡± he shrilled. ¡°Gutter gargbagze children should hold zer tongues!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold my tongue perfectly still. While I beat you right out of this tournament.¡±


    It was my second turn of invulnerability, and I had 3 cards left in my Mind Home. I could take my usual 1 Nether and 1 card and still get both remaining Summons cards on turn 3 of the Sucking Void before it wiped them out. My heart leapt to see one of my Marauders in hand. This was what I had been waiting for. I devoted 2 Nether and brought out the big boy.


    In the bare shred of a moment before I focused my other 2 Nether to cover it with the Runic cloak, I realized that Plutar could try to kill it with whatever he had in hand before the protection landed. He had 3 Fire available, which was plenty for a Greater Fireball or whatever other devilry he¡¯d been chuckling about.


    Apparently, though, that wasn¡¯t the play he¡¯d been planning, because the Marauder remained unmolested until the Cloak misted into being around its shoulders.


    I was glad he didn¡¯t have 1 more Fire source in play; then he could have simply used his source ability to destroy the Marauder immediately, regardless of what else he had up his sleeve.


    ¡°Kill,¡± I told the demon, who whisper-laughed insanely and bounded away. I followed after him with my Hammer. It was time to do some real damage.


    Plutar grimaced to see the Cloak fluttering around the Marauder¡¯s shoulders but didn¡¯t waste any time. He focused 2 Fire and summoned a Spell.


    The Hateful Hammer turned soft and gooey in my hand and dribbled away into shards of light, leaving me empty-handed. ¡°Hey!¡± I yelped, looking to my bare palm in surprise. Plutar laughed snidely, and I felt a flush of anger. I¡¯d known he had that Spell and I¡¯d forgotten. I felt naked without my Hammer. That son of a bitch.


    His laughter cut off short as the Marauder got up in his face and started tearing. He¡¯d played a dirty trick on me, but apparently he couldn¡¯t stop my big boy. He cast his single card at the charging demon, but it was nowhere near enough to stop him.


    Four more cards shredded out of his Mind Home, and I watched with eagle eyes to make sure I saw them all. Every card gone was a boon, but there was one in particular that I had to make sure didn¡¯t get into his hand.


    Then the final card appeared to my eye amongst the shreds, and my hoarse cry of triumph mingled with Plutar¡¯s wail of despair.


    I¡¯d gotten the Mythic away from him! If he¡¯d drawn it into hand, he could have used his soul ability to pull it back from discard even if he¡¯d used it to block ¨C but like Esmi had told me after Basil¡¯s match against him the day before, if it went straight to discard from his Mind Home, his ability wouldn¡¯t let him touch it. All right, Hull ¨C if you don¡¯t fumble the back end of this game, you might just win.


    Plutar was spitting and cursing in Charbonder words I didn¡¯t understand as the Marauder came back and dealt me its 3 damage in an almost friendly manner. The Sucking Void absorbed it, of course, and the Talisman started to glow. One more turn of safety. I¡¯d better make it count.


    He drew 2 more from his Mind Home, desperate for options, and immediately focused 1 Fire, summoning a new Spell.


    I chewed on what to do for a split second as the Fireball streaked toward the Soul, who opened its arms as if to welcome the pain. I could use the Cloak to nullify it¡­ but he must have something else to try to kill it, and this only does 2 damage. Let it hit.


    The fireball splashed home in the Marauder¡¯s chest, making it howl and caper as it beat at the clinging flames. Plutar immediately devoted his other 2 Fire and sent his Fire source ability to do 2 more damage at it. This I couldn¡¯t let land, or my big boy would die. Time for the Cloak.


    No, wait. I don¡¯t even need it. My Lesser Healing Potion still sat unused in one hand, all but forgotten. I¡¯d only ever used it to heal myself to get a card back, but it would heal any of my Souls for 2, which was exactly what I needed. I lobbed it at the demon, and the glass broke against its skin and healed its burns a bare moment before the new Fire damage tore into it, leaving it once again at 2 remaining health.


    ¡°Zat piece of shit potion!¡± Plutar shrieked, tearing at his hair. ¡°Whoo even uses zees things?!¡±


    ¡°Garbage gutter children,¡± I told him, chuckling. ¡°That¡¯s what I hear.¡±


    His Fire source was all exhausted and he had only 1 card in hand and 3 in his Mind Home. It was time to bring it home. I decided to only pull 1 of my final 2 cards from my Mind Home; from having mulliganed in the proper order, I knew it would be the second Marauder. My Iron Maiden Plate would be destroyed at the end of the turn, but it was less than useless against his Spells, and this way I got to pull and use another Nether. I devoted 2 of my 4 available Nether and brought the bastard out.


    I could have summoned both of the Ghastlies, as well, but I thought it would be wise to keep something in hand to block with in case he had one last surprise up his sleeve. Instead, I summoned only 1 of the Ghastlies ¨C


    ¨C and used my final Nether in the good old way, sending the source coursing up my arms and filling me with the need to beat the shit out of this pansy asshole. Back to basics. Remember the savage street kid. That¡¯s you.


    ¡°All in,¡± I said to my demons, gesturing at Plutar. ¡°Get ¡®im.¡±


    They shrieked and hissed for joy, tearing across the boards at a suddenly determined-looking noble boy. I bounded after them, ready to tear his head from his shoulders. Grasping at his own chest as if pulling deep, Plutar drew forth 4 unsummoned Fire source all at once, compressing them in his hand into an unbelievably bright point of light and then letting them go. A loud boom sounded, and fire streaked across the arena.


    What was that? I had no idea what he¡¯d just done, but it was something big. With half an ear I heard the distant commentator babbling something about source explosion. Had Esmi mentioned something about that? I should have listened better.


    Meanwhile, though¡­ ¡°Cloak!¡± I snapped at my wounded Marauder. I didn¡¯t know how much damage this would do, but better safe than sorry against a last-ditch gambit. The Marauder pulled the Runic Cloak up over its face just as a wall of flame enveloped us. I flinched, but whatever it was, it passed right through me. Thank the Twins. My other Souls weren¡¯t so lucky. I saw nothing but sparkles where the fresh Marauder and the Gremlin had been. The Runic Cloak burned away from the one who¡¯d used it, but it was otherwise sound, and it once again surged forward against Plutar.


    With a cry, the boy went down under the demon¡¯s claws. I loped up and saw that the deed was done. Plutar was out of cards and had taken damage beyond that. Still, my Nether damage was fated, and I wanted to hit this kid. He¡¯d tried to steal Basil¡¯s girl. And he was an asshole. And he talked funny. Standing astride him, I walloped him across the face. The Dueling Dome wouldn¡¯t let him take any real damage from it, but he whimpered and flinched, and that felt good.


    ¡°If you ever bother my friends again, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I told him quietly as the Dome came down and the crowd roared. As I stepped back his ante card floated up, and I snatched it.


    I¡¯d hoped for better than a Rare this late in the game, but I wasn¡¯t about to turn it down. I had to beef up my deck as much as possible before my next match. I needed something that could get more cards back. That, or something that could counter Relic removal. When Plutar had stripped away my Hammer, I thought I¡¯d lost the game for just a moment. My deck had an unhealthy dependence on Relics. Just because I was one step closer to the top 5 didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d gotten there yet.


    My heart clenched. Basil was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs, bouncing with excitement. ¡°Bravo, Hull, masterfully done! You made mincemeat of him!¡±


    I steeled myself and marched right past him. ¡°Not now, Basil. I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡±


    Even without seeing him I could feel the shock and hurt behind me. ¡°Oh¡­ ah. Very well. Perhaps later, then.¡±


    I strode on, feeling worse than when I¡¯d been stabbed with a dirty knife all those years ago.


    The persistent little bastard called after me. ¡°But we really must chat soon. Hull, your next opponent is Lustra! We must make a game plan.¡±


    My stride faltered, but I kept on going. Turning back now would break me. He won¡¯t want to be part of what you¡¯re doing. Keep walking. I¡¯m doing you a favor, Basil.


    And then, when I reached the tunnels: Oh shit, I have to fight the vampire.


    I¡¯m done for.

 47. Basil - Culling Cards

    Watching Hull take Plutar out of the tournament was a moment of sheer bliss, nearly on par with the sublime kisses I had shared with Esmi. I¡¯d hoped that after he and I would have a chance to briefly celebrate and discuss our upcoming matches, but Hull, unfortunately, hadn¡¯t been in the mood. I was disappointed, but chalked it up to him wanting to preserve that killer instinct he seemed to tap into when he was on the dueling board ¨C he¡¯d certainly need any edge he could get against a competitor like Lustra.


    With the first four matches of the day having been played, there was now an hour¡¯s break for competitors to recover their Mind Homes and for spectators to make use of the many shops, vendors, and trading booths that filled the Coliseum. So, bereft of my new compatriot and my fianc¨¦e ¨C who had confessed to me that her pre-match routine involved being alone with her kobolds ¨C I found myself heading toward The Souls¡¯ Haven.


    The destination was largely inspired by nostalgia since the restaurant was where we had all gathered on the first day of the tournament. However, that wasn¡¯t its only charm. I quite liked the privacy its curtains provided, and though I hadn¡¯t partaken of the beverage on my first visit, the smell of their coffee, rich and hearty, lingered in my mind. The taste of the warm brew turned out to be even better than expected, and I sipped it contentedly at a private table as I contemplated my upcoming losers¡¯ bracket duel.


    I had seen an updated bracket board on the way, and had chuckled heartily at my pairing.


    My opponent would be none other than Losum of Drakk, the very person Tipfin had been training me to defeat. Of course, that was long before we knew about Plutar or could predict that the Charbonder would best Losum before I ever had a chance to face his archer-centric deck. But now Fate was giving me the chance to see the deed done myself, and it was an opportunity I relished.


    Not only would publicly defeating him be incredibly satisfying after all the cruel pecking he¡¯d done to me over the years, but I was already very familiar with his deck ¨C an advantage I wouldn¡¯t have possessed if it were Afi I was up against instead. Also, if Losum had scouted my deck ¨C which he surely had since we started in the same quarter of the bracket ¨C there was no way he would be able to guess its current form. Or, more accurately, the form it would be by the time I was finished with this excellent cup of coffee. Was that hazelnut in the brew? And mint? I would certainly have to come back here even when I wasn¡¯t competing.


    While fantasizing about making the trip with Esmi on my arm and us stealing more kisses when sequestered at our table, I began pulling cards from my Mind Home. Even with my Twins-given card memory, I found I could make better decisions with all the cards laid out before me, and what a spread they made. I could hardly believe that with my original deck, my purchases at the tournament, my mother¡¯s grimoire, and Hull¡¯s recent gift, I had over 40 cards to my name. It was a shocking amount to see all at once, and I took a moment to pray, humbly thanking Fate and Fortune for being so rich in their creations.


    The amount of cards available also made the prospect of restructuring my deck incredibly exciting ¨C something that my match against Esmi had proved without a doubt was a necessity. The truth was, my attempt to build up to the bigger Water Souls by using smaller ones just wasn¡¯t feasible when I only had two Water Source to my name.


    But I didn¡¯t think that meant I should abandon using the Water Fabricator entirely. That same match had also shown me the power of the large Water Souls as blockers. Being able to defend for 6 using the Greater Water Elemental had been wonderful and kept me fighting longer, and the Sea Titan would let me defend for a staggering 7. Even if I could never summon the two, that was reason enough to include them in my deck. And with Water Source Explosion, it was actually feasible that I could get one out in a match.


    Another advantage to having Water Source was that, with 10 total Source instead of just 8, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily have to play them all. Instead, I could keep some in hand to use as blockers of single damage, which would be very effective against Losum¡¯s Archers. My memory conjured an image of the card, and I imagined blocking the exact damage it was doing to me with relish.


    That important decision made, I patted the Water fabricator on my arm and then put the two large Souls to the right, the first in my ¡®definite keep¡¯ pile.


    And, since it was a sure thing that I would be using Water, I decided that I might as well go through the rest of those cards now. Considering them for a solid few minutes, in the end, most didn¡¯t seem to be a very good fit. For some, like the Lesser Elemental and Bowl of Tides, it was because I was no longer trying to use Summon cards to gain Source, and for others, like the Ice Armor or Sword, it was because I didn¡¯t see them having much utility against a deck that would mostly be attacking me from a distance, not in combat.


    However, there were two Water cards that had proved themselves invaluable against Esmi¡¯s deck and should perform similarly against Losum¡¯s, specifically for removing his 1 Health Archers: Ice Arrows and the Troglodyte Dart Thrower. I wasn¡¯t sure how many of each I¡¯d be including, but it would definitely be some, so I moved them to the right as well.


    Air seemed like the next easiest thing to consider since I only had Carrion Condors, Microburst, and Atrea, my Human Winged Knight. Atrea was a definite inclusion, not because I was partial to her ¨C well, maybe a little ¨C but because her Armor would be perfect for defending against the pings of Archers. So, to the right she went.


    The Carrion Condors¡­ their 4 Health would be good for weathering shots from Losum¡¯s Archers, and even the Master Archer, which was another Order card I had seen in my studies.


    However, I wasn¡¯t convinced that the Condors would be very good at destroying Losum¡¯s units. This was important because, after seeing Losum show off the Armor that his personal Soul ability gave him, attacking him directly seemed like a trap to me. Instead, a much more practical path to victory would be to eliminate all the ways he had of hurting me, which was just his Souls. After all, he was a pure Order user, and Order¡¯s Source Power and Explosion did nothing but draw cards. Plus, I didn¡¯t know of a single Order Spell that could damage an opposing summoner. But Carrion Condors weren¡¯t great at targeting Souls. Their strength was getting buffed by other friendly Souls attacking and then using their Flying to soar over defenders to strike the opposing summoner. Since targeting the opposing summoner wasn¡¯t my primary goal in this duel, they didn¡¯t make sense to have. So I slid the pair to the left, as part of my ¡®cut¡¯ pile.


    The line of reason I was heading down naturally got me thinking about my Order Assassins, but I wanted to finish with Air first, so I picked up the last of them, Microburst.


    The newness and beauty of the card still made me giddy, and I internally bemoaned the fact that it had been destroyed as deck damage in my match against Esmi. I itched to use it against Losum, both to see it in action and to show Hull how very much I appreciated him gifting it to me. But, would it help me win? Unlike playing a card such as Atrea, who only required a single Air Source, I would need two of my three Air Source to be able to summon this Spell. With 10 Sources in my heart, they would be harder to come by. In a different duel, I could see the card being a fabulous winning move, sending, for instance, my strengthened Carrion Condors at the summoner twice in one turn. But targeting Souls? My Assassins normally died when they fought, and the same was true of the troglodytes I was going to use. The idea of my Master Assassin striking twice in one turn was tempting, but he was only one card. If I was using my Condors and wasn¡¯t using the Water source, I could definitely see myself using Microburst. As it was though¡­


    ¡°Terribly sorry, friend,¡± I said, as I moved the Epic to the left. It was my hardest cut so far, and it broke my heart to do it. However, the true gift of the card had been the act of Hull giving it to me, because it meant that he believed in me, supported me, and was willing to sacrifice something incredibly precious to prove it. He would understand that I was honoring the spirit of the gift by doing everything I could to beat Losum, even if the choice was difficult. ¡°Next time, I promise.¡±


    My attention turned to the Assassins since they had been on my mind repeatedly, but the pair happened to be sitting beside my non-Source specific Relics.


    ¡°Feckless Fate,¡± I swore. ¡°I should probably do those first since there are so few.¡±


    My Scalemail Armor was an instant include; it would be instrumental in protecting me from both regular and Master Archer shots.


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    The Soulforged Helm could work against a volley of arrows, but Losum could easily get around that by having the Archers fire at me individually. Losum did have some heavy hitters with his High Paladins. The image of that card popped into my mind.


    But I¡¯d rather include a way to remove the Paladins from the field than simply defend against them for a turn, so the Helm went to the left.


    The Golems, though¡­ while playing Esmi I had found myself wishing I had the pair since they would work no matter which of my three Source types I drew. Plus, they would cycle my deck, helping me get to key cards like the Scalemail faster. I moved both to the right.


    ¡°Now, finally to some Order. But first¡­¡± I signaled my waiter and got a refill on my coffee, as well as a warm chocolate cake with even warmer chocolate sauce in the middle ¨C absolutely delectable. Esmi had said that the food at Obu had been incredibly good, but I had trouble imagining anything tasting better than this.


    So: the Assassins. They could target Souls and remove them, just as I wanted my deck to do. However, attacking would break their Stealth, which would give Losum¡¯s Archers a chance to react. Only 1 health and no Armor let the Archers destroy them in a single shot, and their 1 health would also trigger the High Paladin¡¯s ability if they ended up in combat together. To top it off, the Armor that Losum and his High Paladins possessed meant the Assassins couldn¡¯t scratch them unless they attacked in a group. Too many negatives had me pushing those two cards to the left.


    The Master Assassin, however, was a completely different story. His attack of 2, paired with Fast Attack and Venom, would let him remove High Paladins without dying in return, and his 2 Health would help him survive slightly longer against Archers. Also, his rarity meant that if I did somehow manage to pull off a Water Source Explosion, he could swap with a Greater Water Elemental at ready, or the Sea Titan at focused. But more important than that, my strategy revolved around having a Soul left on the board when Losum didn¡¯t, and as my match against Plutar had proved, no card I had was better suited for that task than the Master Assassin with his return-to-deck ability.


    I moved him to the right while savoring the last bite of cake.


    The only other Order Souls I had available to include were my Headsmen. They had 3 attack, which would help break through Armor, 2 health, which would assist against Archers, and could instantly destroy any Soul if it was devoted, like those High Paladin or the high health Shieldbearers I knew Losum used. The thought of them brought their stalwart image to mind.


    The Headsman could even destroy Losum¡¯s Mythic archer, Orelus the Inspiring. I had never seen that card because Losum possessed the only copy of it, but from what I had read about its abilities, I would need to remove it from the field as soon as it appeared to have a chance at winning.


    All of those reasons combined was enough for me to move both Headsmen to the right, though I didn¡¯t move them quite as far as my other ¡®keep¡¯ cards in case I needed to cut one later.


    If I was including the Headsmen, that meant I also needed to have my Penitence Spell to maximize their effectiveness. And with Penitence came Execution ¨C a perfect Spell against Souls that would be focusing and devoting themselves to use their abilities.


    But how many of each should I include?


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I decided to go with all 3 copies of Penitence I had. Not only did the Spell pair well with those other cards, but it could stop any of the archers in their tracks, even Orelus, forcing them to focus before they had a chance to activate, similar to what I had done against the Colossal Golem.


    I also needed my Protection Spell to defend myself and my more valuable Souls, so I moved those 2 copies to the right as well.


    A quick count revealed that, depending on how many Ice Arrows, Dart Throwers, Headsman, and Executions I included, I was already at 20 cards. Should I worry about Equality?


    I had 2 of the Rares now, something that would have had me dancing for joy before I entered the tournament, but did they make sense? I certainly wanted to destroy Losum¡¯s Souls, but I planned to do that largely with my own Souls, so I didn¡¯t foresee too many instances where Equality would be able to remove more than one Soul. And if all I was taking out was a single Soul, I could do that with Execution for half the cost.


    I decided to let those thoughts marinate while switching to the last important thing I had to do before my upcoming match. It took a few moments, but eventually I had the proper Source balls circling my head and a Headsman summoned beside me. The Uncommon sat in a chair, absolutely quiet in his dark, foreboding garb. I would have summoned Atrea or the Master Assassin instead, but the chime I had recently heard told me that I didn¡¯t have time to chat before my next match.


    I then flagged down my waiter.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said when he neared. ¡°Could you please bring me a knife?¡±


    He eyed my plate, empty but for a few remaining crumbs of cake.


    ¡°A knife, sir? Do you want anything else with that?¡±


    ¡°No, just the knife, and make it the sharpest one you can, please.¡±


    He openly frowned at me, and it was then he caught sight of the Headsman sitting in the shadows and jumped near out of his skin.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Very good, sir,¡± he mumbled before dashing off.


    The man quickly returned with a steak knife, which I thanked him for and apologized for surprising him with my Summon, though he seemed to have trouble focusing on me.


    When he departed, I placed the blade over my bare arm and pressed down. It took some effort, but finally, a card shed from my Mind Home from the damage I was trying to do to myself. I tsked in annoyance. I had been trying to watch for that moment, so I could transfer the damage using the Water Source that hovered above me to engage its Source Power. Against Esmi, I had just assumed that I could do these sorts of things in the moment when needed, but that had been a foolhardy assumption, like the construction of my deck. I was in the Losers¡¯ Bracket now, and I didn¡¯t have the luxury of being unprepared again. It was true that the Power would happen if I willed it to, but the timing mattered, both to engage the effect at the proper time and to do it fast enough, so that it happened on my turn.


    I pressed down with the knife again, reaching out with my senses, trying to feel the card that would loosen out of me in response. I waited, and pressed, and waited, and when I felt a twinge, I pulled energy from the Water Source above me. The now familiar rush of that Source entered my body, and I imagined that flowing feeling carrying the twinge in my mind to the Headsman who sat beside me. The card in my Mind Home stilled and the Headsman grunted. Sure enough, a cut had appeared on his arm.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I told him, even though I knew he wouldn¡¯t respond. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back Home soon, where you¡¯ll be fit as a fiddle.¡± That fact was a core tenant preached by the Tenders: the hallowed halls of the Mind Home healed all. Atrea spoke very little about such things, but I had gotten her to confirm that it was indeed a peaceful place ¨C a little thing maybe, but as a beginning summoner, it had made me feel much better.


    Before I could let him dissipate, I needed to see about Source Explosion. I didn¡¯t plan on actually performing it, since neither of my ideal targets, the Greater Water Elemental or the Sea Titan, would fit in this tent with me. Even so, I wanted to get a feel for it. I had arranged things so that I only had one Water Source left in my heart, and after putting the Greater Water Elemental behind my ear and drawing a few cards, I had the Rare Water Soul in my hand.


    I then turned my attention inward, focusing on where Source collected in my chest. Tipfin had told me that some people liked to use gestures to activate a Source Explosion but they weren¡¯t strictly necessary. What was necessary was compressing the remaining energy that lived in your heart and then setting it free. Compressing Order felt like folding a sheet smaller and smaller until it became difficult to get it to bend, and Air required one to spread their attention wide to capture the entirety of the Source and then gradually bring it inward. With Water¡­ it felt expansive, so at first I tried gathering it up like Air, but parts of it flowed away from me when I tried to coax it together. When I attempted to pluck at parts of it with my mind as I would with Order, it slipped from my grasp, just like water would if I tried picking it up in a bath. A bath¡­ could that be it? Curious, I focused on what felt like the middle of the Source instead of the edges and then twisted. I kept this up, turning the center point, and I felt the Water Source respond, moving with me, slowly and then spiraling faster, like water twisting down a drain. As it picked up intensity, I also felt a link appear between the Headsman and the Soul cards in my hand. The connection wasn¡¯t visible beyond the related cards bending slightly toward the summoned Soul, and the Headsman must have sensed it too, because for the first time, he turned and looked at me.


    I stopped the twisting then, letting the Source in my heart calm. I was confident now that I could Explode the Source should the opportunity arise, and that left me feeling quite good.


    ¡°Some big changes, eh?¡± I said to my grim companion. ¡°I bet you haven¡¯t fought beside a troglodyte before, but I think this new setup is going to take us places. I can¡¯t wait to see Losum¡¯s face when it does.¡±


    I heard someone speak outside the tent in a voice that sounded all too familiar. I stood, swinging part of the curtain back and looked out.


    ¡°Warrick? Is that you?¡±


    I searched around but didn¡¯t see the lanky boy, so eventually sat back down, letting the curtain fall. I found that my pulse had sped up, and that I didn¡¯t feel nearly as good as I had a moment before. Was this the real reason I had chosen to come to The Souls¡¯ Haven? Hoping that Warrick might find me and apologize for the awful things he had said? Hull had been a solid ally, listening to me recount the horrid affair, and I was confident Esmi would do the same for me when I had a chance to tell her. I had been trying rather hard to forget the whole thing, but the truth was that Warrick¡¯s words would sometimes pop into the middle of my thoughts, or worse, just a memory of that last look he had given me, clearer than I could see cards ¨C so put off, so disgusted.


    Like Hull looked at you today, an unwanted voice in my mind said. My fist tightened around the steak knife. There were certainly kinder ways Hull could have told me he wished to be alone, but it didn¡¯t make sense for him to be cross at me, did it? Unless he was regretting giving me the Epic? Or maybe he had realized that I couldn¡¯t offer him anything anymore? Maybe he expected me to lose. Maybe I was dead weight to him now.


    I forced myself to stop that destructive line of thinking and slowly breathed those feelings out. That wasn¡¯t the type of person I was going to be anymore, always worrying, always second-guessing. The achievements that Warrick had thrown in my face were true, Fate be praised: I had a wonderful fianc¨¦e, a chance at joining the King¡¯s elite War Camp, and a Soul on the edge of advancing. Hull was also my friend, and I wasn¡¯t going to let a moment of surliness from someone I knew could be a boorish grump let me believe otherwise.


    I turned to the Headsman. ¡°What say you? Ready to cut some Archers and Paladins in half?¡± And Twins as my witness, I swore he smiled at me.

 48. Basil - Pincushion

    My match with Losum began on a high note and quickly devolved thereafter.


    The crowd was smaller than usual but boisterous, and Fortune blessed me with a Water Source in my opening draw. Praying he¡¯d favor me again at the end of the match, I mulliganed it away to the bottom of my heart to use in a Source Explosion. As for my Summon Cards, they were decent enough for the early and late game: a Metal Golem, my Master Assassin, and the Greater Water Elemental.


    I deeply wanted my Scalemail as protection from Losum¡¯s archers, but after having been able to prep the Explosion, it felt blasphemous to give away the other pieces I¡¯d need: a big Water Soul and a high rarity Soul to swap it in for. So, I kept all three, hoping that the card draw the Metal Golem provided would help me get to my Scalemail and the middle of my curve.


    During the opening gambit, I nearly used an Air Source to go first and attack Losum with the Golem. However, I didn¡¯t want to give him the Source advantage he¡¯d gain from going second just to push a single point of damage past his Armor Soul ability. So, I matched his Order with my own, making it Fate¡¯s choice. Unfortunately, she picked me, letting me draw two more cards before Losum: a Troglodyte Dart Thrower and Penitence, leaving me without a play I liked.


    Smirking at my lack of action, Losum proceeded to summon what I considered to be his ideal opening: a Shieldbearer followed by an Archer on his following turn.


    In between those plays, I did manage to get Atrea out ¨C one of the only cards I planned to attack Losum directly with, and that she did, swooping down on him with a vengeance.


    But a single Shieldbearer from his hand was more than enough to block the diminished damage, and the strike left Atrea devoted.


    Worse, the archer he brought out was one of his Masters.


    It used its devote ability to send a perfectly aimed shot at Atrea. Her own Armor protected her from half the damage, but the arrow still broke through metal, lodging in her chest and leaving her with only 1 health remaining.


    I would have normally returned the favor by sending a Soul to attack the devoted, and thus vulnerable, enemy, and I had two Metal Golems in hand now, eager to see the job done. The Shieldbearer¡¯s Intervene ability was the snag. In order to get past it, I would have to devote both my ready Sources and both Golems to attack, a cost I deemed too high. Instead, I summoned just one and did send it after the Master Archer. Predictably, the Shieldbearer took up position between the pair and blocked the construct¡¯s fists with his large shield, shoving back with the metal boss, denting the Golem¡¯s chest. When the two disengaged, my Golem had taken 1 damage, and the Shieldbearer 2.


    That¡¯s when things truly swung out of my favor. Losum used all the Source he had to summon an Epic High Paladin, the new Soul¡¯s ivory and gold armor gleaming like the sun.


    The Paladin strode forward, the aura around him growing brighter when he approached the hurt Metal Golem. The construct fell to its knees under the pressure of the Epic¡¯s presence and ability, but instead of drawing a weapon, the Paladin lifted a gauntleted hand, closing his eyes and saying something I couldn¡¯t hear. My Metal Golem exploded into card shards, and a swirl of golden energy surrounded the Master Archer, who had been recovering from his previous attack. Ready again, the Master Archer fired a second perfect shot, the arrow whistling through the air and punching far enough through Atrea¡¯s Armor to do the final point of damage she could sustain. She didn¡¯t cry out as she vanished, but turned hard eyes onto me ¨C eyes that said the war still needed to be won. I hoped the look I gave her was reassuring, even though I had no idea how I was going to do it with my current hand and facing a 5/5.


    The announcer gushed about the combination play in a nasal voice, while Losum sneered across the distance at me. ¡°See how my Souls work together, Hintal? I hope you¡¯re taking notes.¡±


    I looked down at the Summon card that the Metal Golem¡¯s death had provided me: an Execution Spell.


    Losum didn¡¯t have any Source at the ready or abilities he could activate, so I went straight for the kill, using two of my three Order Source to play the Spell. The air over the Paladin darkened and the Soul looked up. From the inky distortion came an even darker blade, a shiing sound echoing within the Dome as it sheared his head straight off at the neck.


    ¡°See how I spent only three Source to destroy something that cost you six?¡± I shouted back. ¡°That¡¯s called winning the resource war!¡±


    While Losum fumed, I devoted my remaining Air Source, summoning another Golem; I could tell now that including both had been the right decision, much better than Souls I may not have been able to play when needed.


    In a repeat of before, I sent the Metal Golem trudging toward the recovering Master Archer. Once again, the Shieldbearer Intervened, but this time my Golem was enough to take it off the field, turning the Order card to shards.


    The board was looking much better now: just my devoted Metal Golem facing off against his devoted Master Archer, and I had more cards in hand. Also, with one Order Source still at the ready, I could react with Penitence to stop an Archer shot or a large Soul from attacking.


    Losum had run himself nearly dry to get the Paladin on the field, but he still was able to use one of his ready Source to cast his At the Ready Spell.


    In an even more impressive display than last time, from a semi-hunched position, the focused Master Archer let an arrow fly. It thudded into my Metal Golem¡¯s forehead, rocking the construct back on its heels before it broke apart.


    Losum then used his remaining ready Source to put a yellow potion in his hand.


    The tall boy didn¡¯t hesitate, lobbing it to the Master Archer, who caught it from the air and downed the contents in a single swallow.


    ¡°That hits the spot,¡± the Rare said with a winning smile. Then he snapped off a quick shot at me, the same type he had used to kill my Golem.


    The slim arrow whipped to a stop a few inches away thanks to Fate¡¯s Grace, and it was like I was back in the training hall with Tipfin, watching the broad head of an arrow slowly rotate as it waited to connect. This was the moment that I had considered earlier today, using some of the extra Source I had to stop a single point of damage instead of wasting a Summon card. But was that the best play? I looked over my hand, including the Sea Titan I had just gotten from the destruction of my second Metal Golem.


    The trouble was the Source I had in hand was Order, and I wanted to play my Master Assassin soon to deal with that troublesome Master Archer. I¡¯d have enough Order Source at the ready next turn to do so, but I wouldn¡¯t have enough to be able to trigger his flee ability if needed, which wasn¡¯t ideal. The Master Assassin was the primary way my Souls could outlast Losum¡¯s. And, with Atrea destroyed, the Master Assassin was my only other Rare Soul, and thus the best target for a Water Source Explosion to get either the Greater Water Elemental or Sea Titan on the field ¨C both of which I had in hand.


    I couldn¡¯t risk the Master Assassin dying, simple as that.


    Since I didn¡¯t have any Water Source summoned or in hand, I blocked with the Troglodyte, the shattering of the card snapping the wooden shaft of the arrow in half.


    Then I played the Order Source, giving me three ready ¨C not quite enough to both play and then recall the Master Assassin yet, but it would be next turn. I still wanted to get Losum¡¯s Master Archer off the board, and I did have another Execution in hand now. However, I only had two of that Spell in this deck, and I knew he had a second High Paladin he¡¯d eventually play.


    ¡°Your Master Assassin will deal with that,¡± I told myself, but I wasn¡¯t fully convinced. Wanting to do something, I finally used some of my Sources to cast Order¡¯s Source Power and drew a Summon card. For my trouble, I got another Troglodyte Dart Thrower, and a half chuckle escaped me. Fortune was certainly having his fun.


    ¡°Hintal looks unsure,¡± I heard the announcer say, which I tried to ignore, but then Losum shouted clear as day, ¡°Hintal¡¯s never sure!¡± which got some of the crowd laughing.


    Having no return quip at the ready, I busied myself by counting my cards in hand and was pleased to discover that I had eight in total compared to Losum¡¯s measly four ¨C and that was after drawing at the start of his turn. At least I could block well if needed. As if my thoughts were prescient, Losum devoted three Sources, bringing another High Paladin on the field. Unlike the kindness the previous one had shown my Metal Golem, the new arrival unslung his sizable sword and came charging forward.


    Seeing the Epic bear down on me with his promise of 5 damage, I found myself wishing very much that I had not wasted my Source on drawing a card. If the Source had instead been ready, I could have cast Execution, felling the Paladin before he reached me. I still had one Order up and a Penitence in hand, so I could make the Soul stumble, but I really wanted to have that card for when Losum¡¯s Mythic eventually landed on the field.


    ¡°This is why you¡¯re in the deck,¡± I said, as I released the Greater Water Elemental. The Rare card absorbed the entirety of the attack and created a huge shard explosion, pushing the Paladin away from me a handful of paces.


    After that, it felt like almost nothing at all to spend my second Troglodyte Dart Thrower from hand to stop the arrow the Master Archer sent at me.


    When it came round to my turn to act, there were a number of things I wanted to do from digging for more cards with the Order Source Power, to playing the Master Assassin, but in the end, I cast Execution while the High Paladin was still devoted.


    ¡°Not this time!¡± Losum shouted at me, playing his own Spell in response.


    With inhuman speed, the Master Archer covered the distance between him and the High Paladin, shoving the stockier Soul out of the way. By the time Execution¡¯s blade appeared, dropping with deadly force, it was the Rare who was cut down instead of the Epic.


    What crowd there was shouted in excitement at the turnabout, while my mouth hung open. I was keeping Losum¡¯s Soul cards in mind well enough, but obviously not the Spells I knew him to have. It was fortunate for me that in this case the new target had been focused, so was still affected. If it had been ready instead, Execution would have just fizzled, doing nothing at all ¨C a mistake that could have cost me the match and my chances at top 5.


    ¡°You¡¯re better than this,¡± I told myself. ¡°Focus.¡±


    Losum followed up the surprise play by summoning another Master Archer, making me feel like I had accomplished practically nothing during my last turn. This time when the Archer shot me I did use the Source I had in hand, an Air, to block it: 1 point of defense against 1 point of damage, which gave me a small dose of satisfaction.


    My mood continued to improve after drawing and playing, seeing seven Source at the ready: two Air and five Order. It was time for me to initiate. In hand I had my Sea Titan, Master Assassin, and two Penitence, as well as the Ice Arrows Spell and a Headsman I had gotten during recent draws.


    There were a plethora of options available to me: I could use a Penitence to move either of Losum¡¯s two focused Souls to devoted and then eliminate one with an attacking Headsman, I could summon the Master Assassin and have enough Source left to use his ability for defense, I could even use Source Explosion to get the Sea Titan on the field since I only had two Sources left in my heart, both of which had to be Water. The number of choices was empowering, yet also intimidating ¨C the fear of making the wrong choice growing stronger with each new possibility that came to mind.


    ¡°Do what you planned,¡± I coached myself. I had kept the Master Assassin in my opening hand for a reason, and it was high time he hit the field.


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    As soon as he appeared, I sent him dashing toward the High Paladin, the blur of his body preceded by two thrown knives. The first pinged ineffectually off the Paladin¡¯s plate, but the second cut into flesh. The single point of damage was enough to trigger Venom, making the mighty Soul crumple, darkened veins bulging in the Paladin¡¯s face before he broke into shards.


    The Epic removed, I almost used Source Explosion to replace the Master Assassin with the Sea Titan. The Titan would come in focused because it was a higher rarity than the Assassin, but its Arrival effect would still happen, doing 2 damage to everything, enough to kill Losum¡¯s Master Archer. However, I¡¯d be wasting the second Water Source I was Exploding and then I¡¯d never have any Water Source for regular use, making the Ice Arrows in my hand a dead card. Also, was using the Sea Titan¡¯s board wipe against a single card really worth it?


    Changing my mind, I summoned the Headsman, careful to leave some Order Source ready to use for the Assassin¡¯s ability or to cast Penitence. Part of me wished I had summoned the Headsman sooner, so I could have attacked with it too, but another part of me was glad to have it as a blocker. After all, who knew? Perhaps throughout the tournament Losum had added some big Souls to his deck. The Headsman¡¯s 2 health wouldn¡¯t do much against Overkill, but its 3 attack would let it block something that was Strong.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s been fun, Hintal,¡± Losum said, smiling wide, ¡°but I¡¯m no liar. Say hello to the end.¡±


    Multiple Order Sources dipped in the air above Losum as he drew on them, and a shimmer of green signaled the arrival of his newest card. I swallowed instinctually. Losum only had one Mythic as far as I knew: Orelus.


    And sure enough, that¡¯s exactly who appeared.


    ¡°There he is!¡± I heard from the announcer, ¡°one of the greatest archers in human history!¡±


    Those who remained in the crowd cheered for the cowled figure and his golden bow that dripped sparks of energy. It seemed to me that there were considerably fewer audience members since last I had checked, and sure enough a huge roar came from the direction of Esmi and the prince¡¯s match, a sound only thousands upon thousands of throats could make. Here I was, fighting for my tournament life, and most people didn¡¯t care.


    Orelus pulled an arrow from his quiver, which was also gold, and suddenly, the Master Archer¡¯s arrows changed to the same color, bleeding the same sparkling energy.


    ¡°Always a pleasure to take the field with you,¡± the Rare said to the Mythic, who nodded silently in response.


    I had read that two centuries ago, when Orelus was still alive, many people had claimed to be him, the stories springing up in too many places to all be true. This was a constant for near eighty years, and it wasn¡¯t until his card was found, confirming his death, that the number of imitators lessened. Yet, to this day, I¡¯d heard that some still hid their faces and painted their bows gold to inspire those they led.


    Losum could have done plenty of damage with the two Souls he had, but he rounded out their number with the first Common Archer of the match.


    It was this Soul who struck first, the young looking man firing a shot at my Master Assassin, the arrow shimmering a piercing yellow from Orelus¡¯s Aura.


    To stop my Rare from dying, I immediately used my ready Source, engaging his ability to slip back into my Mind Home. There was a split second where Losum could have commanded either of his other two archers to shoot the Master Assassin before he escaped ¨C one of which I could have stopped ¨C but Losum opted not to, probably not wanting to use all three of his Souls to stop one of mine when I had a Headsman waiting to cut down any that ended up devoted.


    Sure enough, I saw Orelus nock not one but two arrows. Before the Mythic could launch them, I used my last ready Order Source to bring him to his knees with Penitence.


    ¡°You¡¯re just delaying the inevitable,¡± Losum called out, smugly.


    Proving his point, he brought out another Common Archer and used that to destroy my last Soul on the field. Then, his Master Archer devoted to shoot me for an empowered 3 damage. I didn¡¯t want to lose any cards in hand, and I did want to reach the Master Assassin at the bottom of my deck, so, feeling nervous as I always did when taking an attack directly, I let the arrow through. It ricocheted a bare inch from my right eye ¨C that Rare truly was a master shot ¨C stripping 3 cards from me that I watched vanish into dust: a Penitence, Headsman, and a Protection Spell.


    The losses weren¡¯t terrible, but seeing them go and looking at the current state of the board left me nauseous. Only a short time ago, and I¡¯d had all the necessary pieces available to me. Now, I had no way of removing either the Master Archer or Orelus, and no way to get the Sea Titan from my hand out onto the field.


    ¡°I am so utterly atrocious at this,¡± I lambasted myself. If I had played the Source Explosion last turn, the Sea Titan could have weathered even Orelus¡¯s shots and then I¡¯d still have the Master Assassin and Headsman in hand.


    I took a quick breath and reframed the situation.


    ¡°You¡¯re new to the deck. It¡¯s understandable that you¡¯ll make some blunders. ¡®The duelist who wins isn¡¯t perfect, it¡¯s the one who can play through imperfection.¡¯¡± This quote wasn¡¯t from Tipfin, but something my father had told me when he gave me my very first card: unsurprisingly, a Human Guard. At the time it had struck me as a loser¡¯s mindset, but in this moment, it bolstered me. ¡°Fortune, please be kind.¡± I said, drawing my cards. It was a Water Source and¡­


    Without hesitation, I gripped the newly arrived Spell to cast it, overjoyed beyond measure that I had decided to include one in my deck.


    And then I realized I couldn¡¯t. I had five Order Source drifting above my head but only one was ready. I played the Water Source, and I had an Air Source already, but those didn¡¯t help me get to Equality¡¯s requirement of 3 Order. Somehow, I needed to survive another turn.


    I could cast Ice Arrows now, but Losum¡¯s two Archers were only returning to focused on his turn and weren¡¯t an immediate threat. No, better to wait so I can react with the Ice Arrows if needed.


    So, I did nothing, which Losum found infinitely amusing.


    ¡°Just say ¡®I concede¡¯, Hintal. No reason to embarrass yourself more than you already have. No? Maybe this will convince you.¡± Bright light shot up in a pillar around him, an obvious Order Source explosion, and three additional cards appeared in his hand. The act not only gave Losum more options, but I saw Orelus¡¯s bow glow as it elongated and twisted, adding a recurve portion to both ends. Now the Mythic¡¯s devote ability would hit all the harder. Frightening though that was, I could tell the truth of the matter: this was bluster and intimidation. Orelus could only use that power against other Souls, not me, and Losum¡¯s Sources and Souls were almost all focused, with only Orelus at the ready.


    I wasn¡¯t losing yet.


    When I didn¡¯t concede, Losum had Orelus shoot me for 2 damage, which I blocked with Penitence. I could have cast Penitence to stop the shot entirely, but this way I didn¡¯t have to spend any Source.


    I drew two from my Mind Home, so only my Master Assassin remained, but I barely looked at the new cards: my other Protection Spell, and finally, my Scalemail Relic.


    With more than enough Source at the ready ¨C eight in total ¨C I cast Equality.


    The huge scales appeared, rising like mist through the stage but then growing solid when picking the Souls in play up into its plates. The scales tipped entirely toward Losum, with four Souls on his side and none on mine -- my weakness from a moment ago now my strength. Up on the perch, I saw Orelus put a comforting hand on the shoulders of the two archers nearest him. Then, with a solemn gong, all four Souls shattered into a spray of shards. Their weight gone, the giant scales swung back into balance before dissipating a moment later.


    I was elated. ¡°That¡¯s called overextending,¡± I shouted to Losum. ¡°Best not to do that next time you¡¯re in a duel.¡±


    ¡°All you¡¯ve got left is that infernal Assassin,¡± he growled back at me. ¡°And I¡¯ll take him out easily enough.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure,¡± I answered with a smile. I also summoned the Chainmail, enjoying its familiar weight as I slipped it on. It wasn¡¯t as strong as the Ice Armor, but it was much easier to cast, being Source agnostic.


    By my count, Losum should still have another Common Archer in his deck, and this would stop it from hurting me. I also kept my Water Source at the ready in case I needed to cast Ice Arrows in reaction.


    I watched as Losum drew the last of his Summons, the ghostly apparitions of cards that had been circling his body winking out. I had only attacked him a single time, with Atrea, but now if I could just get past the 8 cards he had in hand, I¡¯d win.


    Like I had calculated, he did bring an Archer out, but then didn¡¯t bother to shoot me with it.


    If that really was his last Soul, I should have this. Though, I only had two Souls left myself, one of which I couldn¡¯t summon unless I pulled off a Source Explosion.


    I drew my last Summon, getting the Master Assassin as I knew I would.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not make the same mistake twice,¡± I said, summoning it so I could perform the swap.


    ¡°Come at me!¡± Losum yelled, slapping his chest with both hands.


    Since trading the Master Assassin for the Sea Titan would leave the Epic Water Soul focused and thus unable to attack, striking with the Assassin first could seem like a good choice. Instead, I focused inward, twisting the remaining Water Source in my heart ¨C the one I had mulliganed at the start for just this purpose. I did that until I felt it tighten, ready to explode outward. The Sea Titan card in my hand bent toward the Assassin, and I let it go, a small column of water whipping briefly around me, followed by a snap-pull feeling that tugged me forward and then back. The Assassin was now in my hand, and in the center of the field, the enormous Sea Titan swept into being, as tall as the Colossal Golem had been, its arrival sending a ferocious splash of sea water in every direction, bowling into me and Losum.


    The Armor on both of us ¨C mine from the Scalemail, his from his Soul ability ¨C reduced the damage but I still needed to use my Ice Arrows from hand to block the rest, lest I lose. Losum blocked the attack with another At the Ready, and the lone Archer was unceremoniously washed away.


    ¡°Just say it,¡± I parroted to him when the deluge subsided, absorbed by the Dome or dripping between the platform boards. ¡°¡®Concede.¡¯ Weren¡¯t you telling me how easy it is?¡±


    ¡°I said come at me, Hintal!¡± Losum repeated, eyes wild. He stood there like that, not doing anything with his 6 cards in hand.


    I didn¡¯t have anything to draw either, nor anything I wanted to play ¨C by having both the Protection and Master Assassin in hand I could block if he had some sort of surprise in wait.


    ¡°Fine then.¡± I looked up at the monstrous Sea Titan, feeling a thrill at finally being able to use such a powerful card. ¡°Crush him.¡±


    The Epic growled in a language I wasn¡¯t familiar with, and then, much like Colossal Golem had, the Sea Titan merely bent at the waist to reach its target with a massive arm. Losum played a card in response I just barely caught: Rise to the Challenge.


    Even if I hadn¡¯t seen it, I would have known the Spell for what it was from watching Losum grow, taller and taller, until he too was some fifty feet high, as big as the Epic. The announcer was babbling in excitement about the transformation, and I heard people from outside our section yelling in interest. The Sea Titan let out a bellow that drowned them all, the sound fluctuated in pitch from low to high, which sounded alien to my landborne ears. Then the Epic slammed a fist into Losum, who punched the Sea Titan right back. Losum¡¯s cards hadn¡¯t grown with him and a few tiny ones left his hand.


    ¡°He casts Protection,¡± the announcer hurriedly declared in his nose-forward way of speaking, ¡°blocking 4 of the 7 damage he¡¯s taking after Armor.¡±


    ¡°And discards two Rallies to block the other 3.¡±


    I had to squint, but I just caught the afterimage of one of them.


    It was a true blessing Losum hadn¡¯t been able to cast one of those while he¡¯d had four archers on the field, and I said a word of thanks to the Twins. At the same time, I was thinking how to save the Sea Titan from being destroyed by the 8 damage it was taking. I could stop some by casting Protection, but instead I did what I had practiced at the restaurant, just in reverse. Focusing my one Water Source, I felt the flow of energy move through me. Quick as I could, I cast it out, imagining it creating a connection not just between the Water Titan and me but going from the Titan to me. I even leaned back slightly, hoping to aid the transfer, and then a force struck me in the chest, making me stumble back. Due to my Scalemail, the 1 damage I had siphoned didn¡¯t hurt me further, but it had still been shock enough to catch me off guard, and I let out a shaky laugh.


    The play had been well worth it because the Sea Titan survived. Losum was cursing, loudly at first but then quieter as he returned to his regular size, and the announcer was talking faster than ever. My attention was on the Epic, watching a river of green-blue blood sluice from its mouth down its large chest. The flow eventually slowed and some bruising on its body from Losum¡¯s blows started to lighten. Its Regeneration had begun, not healing it fully, but putting it in a place where it couldn¡¯t be taken out by a single arrow shot or two.


    I cupped my hands around my mouth to be heard. ¡°It¡¯s over ¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not over until I say it is, Hintal!¡±


    ¡°Fine then,¡± I said, going all in and summoning my Master Assassin for the third time.


    I had been holding it back in case Losum had something unexpected, but if he did possess such a card, he surely would have played it by now.


    This time both the Assassin and Sea Titan went after Losum, and again, he played Rise to the Challenge, one of his last two cards. Like before, he rose to the size of my Water Epic, and with a one-two strike, he punched the Titan and stomped on the Assassin. In return, both Souls did their fated damage of 10, which Losum could only block 3 of: 1 with his Soul Armor and 2 with his last card from hand, Protection.


    I wished to use my last card as well, also a Protection, but I had nothing left in hand to power its defense. So, I focused my Water Source, pulling 1 of Losum¡¯s damage off of the Assassin and onto myself, the Scalemail shaking again as it absorbed part of the blow.


    The Sea Titan shattered into a cloud of card shards so large it was like it was snowing, and Losum¡¯s huge body slammed into the wall of the Dueling Dome as he collapsed, defeated and rapidly shrinking. However, because of my intervention, the Master Assassin survived the final exchange, and he turned his dark eyes in my direction. Through the glittering remains of the Titan, I winked at the Rare. I hadn¡¯t needed to save him and doing so hadn¡¯t changed the outcome of the match, but he had been my key to victory multiple times now and I thought he deserved it. In return, he surprised and delighted me by giving me a small nod of respect.


    Then the Dome came down, letting me hear the jubilation of a crowd that had grown considerably in the last few minutes. The announcer was also saying something about my win, but I was distracted as the ante card zipped to a stop in front of me.


    While I hoped to never face off against anything as strong as a Sea Titan, I had to admit that seeing Losum grow to the size of a tower had made me curious to try the same. Plucking the card from the air, I considered how I might sneak it into my deck for next time.


    Before that though, I needed to decide if I was going to share any closing words with Losum. He made the decision for me, stomping over as soon as he was upright. Instead of offering me his hand in congratulations, he sneered down at me.


    ¡°You won that by a hair''s breadth, Hintal, so don¡¯t feel too proud of yourself.¡± I must have looked exactly the way he didn¡¯t wish because his expression darkened, and he jerked a hand at the card of his I held. ¡°Even Fate barely considered it a match, giving you a nothing Uncommon for the win. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± I answered with a small smile. I was amazed that, for once, Losum¡¯s cutting words weren¡¯t affecting me. ¡°I think Fate knew exactly what she was doing, giving me the card around which I¡¯d have to successfully play to stop you from baiting me into a draw. That was your intention, wasn¡¯t it? To get me to attack you directly with my Master Assassin before the Sea Titan was on the board? A last ditch tactic that I didn¡¯t fall for?¡± With every word of mine, he grew redder in the face. ¡°And even if that isn¡¯t Fate¡¯s message, taking you out of the tournament is gift enough for me.¡±


    Losom¡¯s blew out his nostrils. ¡°You won¡¯t win again. Not with that trash you call a deck.¡±


    ¡°The trash I beat you with?¡± I asked, all innocence, and I thought Losum would burst a vein. ¡°And what do I care? I¡¯m already in the top five.¡± My nonchalance about the future wasn¡¯t entirely true ¨C I hadn¡¯t felt my Soul elevate after claiming victory, which might mean I needed to win the whole thing to do so ¨C but the small lie felt like an appropriate way to end the conversation. Plus, it had the lovely bonus of leaving him stewing.


    I didn¡¯t see anyone waiting for me, so I hurried off the stage, eager to share my good news, as well as to see how Esmi was fairing against Gerad and Hull against Lustra.


    ¡°You¡¯d both better be winning,¡± I sang, my excitement to find out spurring me onward.

 49. Hull - Burning Bridges

    Chapter 49


    Burning Bridges


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Hintal¡¯s little pet again,¡± Throice said when I approached his family shop, squinting through some head-mounted device that magnified his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t rip the thing off his head and beat him with it, which I was proud of, but I couldn¡¯t make my voice any less rough. ¡°I¡¯m nobody¡¯s pet.¡±


    He shrugged and looked back to the work he had on the bench in front of himself. He was the only one manning the booth at the moment. ¡°Then you must be a long-lost relative or bastard brother, the way he keeps you close.¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I said impatiently. ¡°Are you open for business or just playing with yourself back there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any potions,¡± Throice said, fiddling with his tools. ¡°I didn¡¯t this morning and they haven¡¯t magically appeared in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± I said. Might as well put my suspicion to rest while I¡¯m at it. I fixed him with my best glare. ¡°You gonna look me in the face and tell me under the Twins¡¯ eyes that the Prince¡¯s little friends didn¡¯t slip you a few crowns to not have any potions when I came asking?¡±


    He flipped the magnifying glass aside to meet my gaze. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡± He was entirely unbothered by my intensity, putting his lens back in place and going back to his work. He picked up a brass awl and tiny hammer to tap on a metal something-or-other on the workbench. ¡°I ask you, though: if someone did buy us off, what benefit would there be in me saying so? You have to know that my parents want to create a ninth noble House; why would I do anything but what the Crown Prince wants?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a piece of shit,¡± I said.


    The corner of his mouth quirked ever so slightly. ¡°All the more reason not to cross him.¡±


    I pointed an accusing finger. ¡°So they did tell you not to sell me any potions.¡±


    He stopped his work and pasted on a bland smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find anyone in spitting distance of the Coliseum who will.¡±


    His meaningful look was enough to confirm it. I knew the slimy bugger had been behind it all. How could all the healing potion cards suddenly vanish from the biggest card market in Treledyne? He¡¯d had his lackeys spy on my practice to suss out the one kind of card I needed and then made sure I couldn¡¯t get it. I might want our father dead, but more and more I wanted to see Gerad humiliated, too.


    There had to be other options. I¡¯d even thought about trying to elevate my existing potion, but when I¡¯d checked in the Artificer¡¯s Hall before my first match, Brask was gone. One of the other Smiths nearby had said the burly man had gone home to care for his wife, who¡¯d apparently burned herself rather badly somehow and needed tending. When I¡¯d asked the other man about getting my Healing Potion up to Rare, he¡¯d just shaken his head and said that Brask was the man for Relics. Several others had echoed him, and just like that, another possible avenue closed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for potions anyway,¡± I told Throice. ¡°I¡¯m going to take that card out of play; it¡¯s not doing me any good.¡± I paused and eyed him sourly. ¡°Or are there no cards anyone can sell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to let you have a look at our other wares,¡± he said glibly, taking off the headgear and putting his work aside. ¡°Doing the highborn a favor is one thing, but nobody can ask an Artificer to turn away a customer entirely.¡±


    It galled me to have him more or less admit to my face that he was giving Gerad his way, but nobody knew better than me that beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. ¡°Let me see that Vampiric Blade again.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow and quirked a knowing smile as he fetched the card from behind the counter. ¡°There¡¯s a certain symmetry in using this against the undead girl. She¡¯s a beauty, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Are we talking about the card or the girl?¡± I asked, leaning over to drink in the sight of the Epic. It was even better than I remembered.


    ¡°Take your pick,¡± Throice chuckled. ¡°They both bite hard and shouldn¡¯t be toyed with.¡±


    I chewed my lip and imagined the long, slender blade in my fist, bringing cards back into my Mind Home with every swing. Its only downside was how expensive it was to summon. I tended to use every single source as soon as it became available, and if I kept playing that way, I wouldn¡¯t be able to bring this into play until so late in the game that it might not do me as much good as I hoped. ¡°What happens if I summon this while I¡¯ve got my Hammer in play?¡± I asked.


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Nothing bad. You can have a weapon in each hand without a problem. You can only attack with one, of course, but having two lets you keep one ready against anything that hits you on the opponent¡¯s turn.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t hit with both at once?¡± I¡¯d never even considered such a thing, but now that I¡¯d had the thought, it was exactly what I wanted to do.


    ¡°The quirks of using items that do Fated damage,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°If you had Flurry as a personal Soul ability you could, but otherwise the second weapon simply won¡¯t swing. I hear that in war some folks carry both a Relic weapon card and a regular blade to get around this. The Relic weapon will always do its damage, but a sword of good old steel can swing whenever and however you please.¡±


    I nodded, brain spinning. ¡°Do you sell regular weapons?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Sure, but they¡¯re forbidden in competition. Seems a shame to get this far and then get disqualified.¡±


    A new thought occurred to me. ¡°If I¡¯ve got a weapon in each hand, what do I do with my other cards?¡± I had visions of sticking them in a pocket and then juggling them back into hand when it was time to summon something else. It wasn¡¯t a pretty sight.


    ¡°Have you never had a tutor?¡± Throice said incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re in the top 8, how have you never asked these questions?¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had much spare coin to throw around,¡± I growled. His magnifying-glass headset was starting to look like a good bashing tool again.


    He shook his head. ¡°Poor branch of the family, eh? Well, I¡¯m no one to talk. We didn¡¯t exactly start off with much when I was younger.¡±


    He seemed to have convinced himself that I was some poor relative of Basil¡¯s. The part of me that knew I could never allow him to be a true friend wanted me to speak up and correct him; the part of me that wanted to seal the deal on a new card told me to shut up. ¡°So what do I do with my cards if my hands are full?¡±


    ¡°Let them go,¡± he said simply. ¡°The cards will hover in your view and stay available unless you completely lose concentration. You don¡¯t even have to touch them to summon something new, you can just think it. Most trainers don¡¯t let their students do it until quite a bit later down the line ¨C they want them to know exactly what they¡¯ve got in hand and stay focused ¨C and quite honestly, most summoners prefer to keep their cards in hand just for a sense of security. But every now and then you¡¯ll see someone who dual wields or is missing a hand or something, and they¡¯ll put their cards on the float.¡±


    There was still so much to learn. Maybe once the King was dead I could convince Ticosi to let me study more, or even travel around to compete. Not likely. You¡¯re going to be his heavy hand in the Lows, and he won¡¯t want you getting any better than he has to.


    ¡°So, are we doing this?¡± Throice said, rubbing his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got in trade.¡±


    I wanted the card. What¡¯s more, I needed it if I was to have any hope of besting that gorgeous, frightening vampire. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re doing this.¡± I reached into my pocket and pulled out my trade fodder.


    Throice frowned. ¡°All right. What else?¡±


    Digging into my other pocket, I opened up my stolen purse and emptied it onto the counter. ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­ a crown, five clips, and eight bits.¡± The enchanted copper bit I¡¯d gotten from Lustra was hanging around my neck on the braided cord I¡¯d made for it, but I wasn¡¯t about to part with that, not when I had to face her again. It¡¯d be a short duel if I fell under her glamour again.


    Throice gave me a concerned look. ¡°This isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    I spread out the cards, somehow hoping that making them cover more space would make them seem bigger or more valuable somehow. ¡°Well, but see, it¡¯s three Rares to an Epic, right?¡±


    ¡°Depending on the cards,¡± he said dubiously. ¡°And these ¨C¡±


    ¡°And two Uncommons to a Rare,¡± I hurried on. ¡°So really, if I throw the money into the mix, I¡¯m being more than fair.¡±


    ¡°Look, Hull,¡± he said patiently. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, I¡¯d like to see you win. Everybody loves an underdog.¡±


    Not everybody, I thought, remembering the vendor that had chased me away screaming that morning. And the Prince. And his buddies. And the elf ambassador Fferun, who¡¯d looked at me like I was shit on his shoe.


    ¡°But trades have to make sense,¡± he said. ¡°This Fire Spell ¨C¡± he picked up the Uncontrolled Revels, ¡°you have to know it¡¯s a bara card.¡±


    ¡°Bara?¡± I said blankly.


    ¡°A joke card,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t people just say that?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it trades more like a Common. I wouldn¡¯t want this one even if it were Rare. And this,¡± he continued, picking up the Pyroclast Casing, ¡°is great, but we don¡¯t have much truck with Earth Spells in our shop. It¡¯s just trade fodder for us, and not that we never do that, mind you, but it¡¯s not exactly enticing. The Ruby Choker actually came from our shop, and I¡¯d be glad to see it come back, but this Lesser Healing Potion? It¡¯s not great for an Uncommon.¡± He picked it up and peered more closely. ¡°And it has a misprint in the text.¡± He pointed it out to me. ¡°It should be a Minor Healing Potion.¡±


    He tapped the text. ¡°That¡¯d make more sense, given its relative weakness. This card¡¯s a mess.¡±


    I scowled at him. ¡°I got that card right here less than two days ago.¡±


    He frowned at the card. ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡±


    ¡°You were standing over there when it happened!¡±


    Now he was the one hurrying onward. ¡°Regardless, you put it all together and it¡¯s a bad trade. Sorry. My mother would take off my thumbs if I let an Epic go for this motley bunch.¡±


    ¡°Would she, though?¡± I asked, thinking fast. ¡°Your mom and pops are all about getting in good with the nobility, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he said, hesitating.


    ¡°This is your chance,¡± I whispered, gesturing to myself. ¡°I¡¯m your guy.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re nobility?¡±


    ¡°Bastard son of house Hintal,¡± I said, keeping my voice low and making a show of looking around. ¡°It¡¯s not public knowledge yet, so keep it under your hat, okay? Father gave me two cards to get me started, and now that I¡¯m in the top 8 he¡¯s going to recognize me.¡± I felt an unfamiliar twinge of conscience and hastily told my own mind to go stuff itself in a trash bin. After all, what I was saying was more or less true; I was just swapping out the King for Basil¡¯s father, which Throice already seemed inclined to believe anyway. ¡°He¡¯ll make the announcement after the closing ceremonies today.¡±


    He nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Having two top competitors would be a serious win for Hintal.¡±


    ¡°And you could be the one that helps one of them get into the top 5,¡± I said conspiratorially. ¡°I¡¯m going to be in a position to press your family¡¯s case directly to the King¡­ but only if I win this match.¡±


    He tapped on the counter and looked thoughtful. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of worse bets.¡±


    ¡°Take the cards,¡± I urged him. ¡°Hell, take the money and buy yourself something nice. You give me that Blade and I¡¯ll make it worth your while in the long run.¡±


    He gave me a level look. ¡°I¡¯ll need assurances.¡±


    I had no idea what he meant, but I could see that I had the hook set, so I smiled genially. ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    He hurried to the back of the stall, grabbed paper, a quill, and an ink pot, and came back. He scratched furiously at the paper for a long moment and then handed it over to me.


    I, Hull of House Hintal, do hereby give my word as a high noble of Treledyne to pay the cost of a Rare card in either coin or trade within a fortnight of the close of the Rising Stars Tournament. I further swear to speak in favor of the creation of a ninth House for the Artificers in all circumstances and to vote in favor of any motion to that end should I ascend to the High Council at any point from now until the end of my life.


    I felt my stomach sink as I read it. Basil would get wind of this, and he and his family would be the ones to pay the price in both coin and embarrassment when I ducked out of paying the debt, as I would almost certainly have to ¨C there was no way Ticosi would allow me to hand over cards or money that he saw as belonging to him. Once he sees this, he¡¯ll know for sure that I¡¯ve turned my back on him.


    Clenching my jaw, I took the quill and scribbled my name beneath the note. Throice nodded briskly and scattered a bit of sand across the page to soak up the excess ink. ¡°Good to have another arrow in our quiver. This competition has been good for us. The King will be declaring our barony before five years has passed, mark my words.¡± He shook the paper at me. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to this, you know.¡±


    ¡°I expect no less,¡± I said as neutrally as I could. I slid my pile of cards and coin toward him, and he handed me the Vampiric Blade. I wasted no time putting it in my Mind Home. The gibbering panic I¡¯d been feeling that the vampire was going to mop the floor with me faded to a slightly more reasonable level of fear. I need to trim some of the fat from my deck. Get back to basics. Focus on the combo.


    As I walked away though, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I¡¯d just traded away something far more important than a few cards.

 50. Hull - The Little Death

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± Lustra said as I mounted the arena, the crowd chanting and singing on all sides. She stretched languorously, showing a tantalizing stretch of pale belly between her leather pants and black bustier. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already beat you once?¡±


    I patted at the neck of my shirt, making sure the enchanted copper bit was touching my skin. It was; my speeding heartbeat had nothing to do with her glamour and everything to do with the fact that she looked good enough to eat even without it. ¡°It¡¯s hardly beating someone when you take a whack at them and they¡¯re not supposed to move,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off her, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of her beauty or some deep instinct to not turn my back on a predator.


    ¡°Seeing as how you didn¡¯t even take the whack¡­¡± she said, smiling lazily. She kept stretching her arms overhead and bending at the waist like some kind of acrobat or athlete warming up, and it did fascinating things to which bits were covered and which almost weren¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a different story now,¡± I told her, wrenching my gaze away and marching over to my starting spot.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± she said. Her smile was slow and sultry. ¡°Most of my matches have been dreadfully dull, and I could use a bit of excitement.¡±


    She¡¯s toying with you. Don¡¯t engage. You¡¯re here to fight. I focused on a spot over her head and wrestled to find a more focused frame of mind. This was going to be a hell of a fight, and I couldn¡¯t afford distractions.


    The Dueling Dome went up, and I heard her make a cute little meow of disappointment when she saw that I wasn¡¯t looking at her. She turned and swayed over to her starting spot. Those tight pants were a compelling sight from behind, and her hips moved hypnotically. I bit down on the inside of my cheek intentionally, pressing until it hurt, and locked my eyes on that same blurred spot overhead until she was set and facing me again. When I looked back, she had a knowing smile on her face.


    ¡°And here¡¯s the ante reveal!¡± burbled the announcer¡¯s voice. It was a woman, and I thought maybe I¡¯d heard her in a previous match, but other than that one fellow from the first match, I¡¯d never paid much attention to any of them.


    My heart sped. It was that big bastard she¡¯d used during the Flinch Test. It was even scarier now that I could see what it did. 8 points of Sneak Attack damage? A single hit would take me out. Getting another Epic would be amazing; losing my Sucking Void would be a disaster. Even more, though, not getting into the top 5 meant that I¡¯d never get that favor from Ticosi that would be the end of my father.


    I tuned out the announcer and pulled my opening hand. My Mind Home was a lot lighter after my furious last-minute culling, and I found myself worrying that I¡¯d taken something out that I should have left in. Too late now, stupid. Get on with it. I got both Marauders, a Ghastly Gremlin, and the Talisman of Spite. I mulled over my strategy. She runs a bunch of Souls and can sneak them out with their From the Grave ability. I need something in hand that can absorb a bit of damage early on, but I have to make sure I get my combo cards. I put back the Talisman and both Marauders. With only 7 cards in my Mind Home, they¡¯d all be back in my hand in a heartbeat. My mulligan draw netted me the Sucking Void, the Hateful Hammer, and the Vampiric Blade. Perfect. This was why I¡¯d taken out the Plate, and the Root Imp, two of my Ghastly Gremlins, and the Runic Cloak: I wanted to make sure I¡¯d get the cards I needed at the right time no matter what.


    Lustra had already mulliganed and was watching me like a cat watches a mouse. She had the ability to stay perfectly still that screamed to me on some very low level that she wasn¡¯t alive, but my libido was saying something totally different. I was used to ignoring women entirely ¨C they usually wanted nothing to do with me, and I was glad to return the favor ¨C but this one was scrambling my senses.


    We put up our sources, and her Death source was a sickly black hole in the world overhead. Somehow even the motion she used to throw it into the air was sexy. Keep your dick in your pants and focus!


    ¡°Hull takes the first turn,¡± the announcer chirped. ¡°Death can be quick, but it¡¯s not as fast as Nether.¡±


    My first turn draws brought me my mulliganed Talisman and the first Marauder. Hit fast, hit hard, and don¡¯t stop. Don¡¯t look her in the eye. Win the game. Ticosi is watching. The image of her Revenant Lord burying his sword deep in Gerad¡¯s chest swam up in my mind, and I ruthlessly shoved it away. It wasn¡¯t here, that wasn¡¯t now. It was my turn, and I knew exactly what to do.


    My Hammer vibrated in my hand, the metal singing softly, and I slammed it into the damned vampire¡¯s face. I caught her grinning widely as it came down, and the moan that slipped from her as she cast 2 cards from her hand to block sounded almost sexual.


    As I rebounded, another vision came into my mind, far more vivid than the first: it was of that gutter rat that had stabbed me in the belly two years before. I felt the cold steel in my guts and smelled his foul breath in my face, and my insides cramped. I stumbled, and if the Hammer hadn¡¯t been magical, I would have dropped it.


    ¡°Lustra gives up her Soul-linked card as a blocker,¡± the announcer reported. ¡°She¡¯s got an Epic soul, folks, and since I get to peek, I don¡¯t mind telling you that it¡¯s impressive. I won¡¯t give any of her abilities away before they¡¯re activated in order to keep the gameplay fair, but I¡¯ll mention them as they occur. From the looks of it, her Terror is giving Hull a run for his money! Its primary purpose is to frighten blocking Souls, of course, but I¡¯ve heard from a reliable source that her particular brand gives anyone nearby a vision of their own death!¡±


    I grunted. Another chatty announcer. Great. She wasn¡¯t wrong, though. My palm was sweaty where I gripped the Hammer harder. Lustra¡¯s visions of death were harder to shake one-on-one than they¡¯d been when she spread them out over the whole crowd during the soul ability competition at the Soiree. They¡¯re not real. You¡¯ve seen death every day. Let it wash over you. We¡¯d only just begun and already sweat beaded my forehead.


    Lustra, on the other hand, looked fresh as morning dew despite her deathly pallor. In fact, she was more animated than I¡¯d ever seen her. She¡¯d liked it when I hit her, and now it was her turn. She drew, put up a second Death source, and focused 1 source. Her discarded Zombie shivered back into a whole card from nothingness and reappeared in her hand.


    What just happened? I¡¯d never seen a card come back from discard before, not like that.


    ¡°And the vampire wisely uses Death¡¯s fantastic Source Power to pull a cheap Soul back from the beyond,¡± the announcer said, almost as if she¡¯d read my mind. ¡°It gets more expensive the higher the summon cost, but that¡¯s going to make it that much harder for Hull to take her out!¡±


    Shit. Basil had said something about that and I¡¯d just forgotten. There was too much to remember all at once, and these duelist assholes had been perfecting their skills for years. All I could do was hit hard and hope it was enough.


    Then she devoted her other source and summoned a Spell.


    A new card appeared in her hand, and she sorted through her options quickly, slipping 2 back into her Mind Home. She grinned and dipped me a mocking curtsy. I can bide my time, she was telling me. I¡¯ll destroy you when I get bored.


    I only had 1 card left in my Mind Home, and I knew it was my other Marauder. I didn¡¯t need it yet; it wasn¡¯t time for my Souls just yet. It was better to draw 2 Nether instead. I put 1 overhead and left the other in hand where it could soak up a single point of damage if need be without clogging my discard. I devoted my available source and juiced my muscles with Nether essence to power up my Hammer hit. In I went, bracing myself against the Terror vision I was sure to have.


    It was me falling off the roof of a tall building as I tried to hide from the City Watch, and the ground raced up toward me. I felt my face shatter on the cobblestones, but my Hammer knew its job, and it slammed home even as its owner was busy watching himself die in a nightmare.


    Lustra¡¯s groan was louder this time, and she took the hit on the chest instead of discarding from hand. I tried to refocus my attention and vision to see what she¡¯d lost, but before I could do so, the card confetti of damage taken from the Mind Home transformed into summoning mist, and two new Souls appeared at her sides.


    ¡°And now we see why Lustra doesn¡¯t mind taking the hits!¡± the announcer crowed. ¡°Hull¡¯s doing her job for her with her From the Grave Souls. They come in devoted, but Souls on the field for free are nothing to be sneezed at!¡±


    The remains of a single card still fluttered down around Lustra, and I squinted in to see what it was.


    I gulped a deep breath, feeling a flood of relief. The big bastard was in discard. Sure, she could bring him back using Death¡¯s source ability, but that would take more source than she had available, at least for this next turn. I was safe for the moment. Thank you, Fortune. You¡¯re better to me than I deserve.


    Lustra¡¯s face turned ugly as she saw what she¡¯d lost, and suddenly all the attraction I¡¯d felt was gone. The being in front of me was a tiger, a beast, a dragon, and it wanted my head.


    She summoned another Zombie, but it couldn¡¯t attack on its first turn even when summoned normally, so she contented herself with a glare. It was sharp enough to cut, but I didn¡¯t meet her eyes for long. I had the taste of blood now, and I wanted more.


    I drew my final Marauder and another Nether, put one up, and focused both available sources, activating the Sucking Void.


    It was time to get my combo in action. I¡¯d figured out the right turns beforehand, and I was pretty certain it would work. The starlight skin settled on me, and I went in for another hit. None of her little Souls could stop the Strong on my Hammer, and 2 of them were focused, anyway. All she could do was take it. I was tensed for another vision of death, but nothing came. I laughed as I realized that the Sucking Void¡¯s effect must be blocking it. I love that Spell. I hope I never lose it.


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    She blocked out of hand this time, and the sexy sounds were gone. She was breathing heavily and very nearly growling. She stopped my hit with a Spell, and I read it quickly as it shattered.


    One less problem to face. That was good. That could take out one of my Marauders, or even me if I couldn¡¯t get my combo working the way I hoped. She could only get Souls back using her source ability, so at least this one was gone for good.


    She wasted no time. She drew 2 from her Mind Home. All 3 of her Death source were at the ready, as were all of her summoned Souls. But now you can¡¯t hit me! She gave me a full-lipped pout and let her turn pass. She¡¯d remembered to use her seduction act, but I thought I could see some strain in it. She didn¡¯t like being on the back foot, no matter how much she was trying to lure me.


    All right, let¡¯s get this party started. I drew a source, put one up, and devoted 3, focusing the 4th.


    The blade shimmered into sight with the sound of steel being drawn. Hoping Throice hadn¡¯t been pulling my chain, I let go of my cards and grasped the hilt. The cards hovered off to the side of me where I could see them easily.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Hull has a new weapon! Oh, what a monster it is!¡± the announcer said. ¡°Lustra¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    If so, she certainly wasn¡¯t showing it. Her lips parted in a breathy laugh when she saw me coming. I had the Vampiric Blade up and at the ready. Just for fun I tried to lift the Hateful Hammer as well, but just as Artisan boy had predicted, it hung heavy in my hand, refusing to be used. That¡¯s fine; it means I¡¯ve got a weapon I can use on defense, too. Not that I should need it if I play this right, but at least it¡¯s something.


    She flicked a finger at one of her Zombies, and it shambled in front of me, reaching up to grab my Blade. The sword cleaved the fragile, decaying thing in two and it turned into shards of light. I wished the Blade had the Overkill of my Hammer so I could pass damage through to Lustra, but that wasn¡¯t the point this turn. I needed the Blade¡¯s powers instead. Sure enough, I felt a surge of energy from its Lifesap ability, and then my previously empty Mind Home had the weight of a single card in it. Just like I¡¯d done once before with the Healing Potion, the Sucking Void card was back and ready to be drawn on my next turn while its effect was still active. I love this weapon.


    Lustra hadn¡¯t seemed to notice the change; she was focused on her own cards. She¡¯d drawn 2 from her Mind Home despite having only 3 Death source in play ¨C she¡¯s digging for something. Devoting them all, she brought out a new Soul.


    Ooh, that¡¯s a mean one. I was glad I had my invulnerability spell running, or that thing would have ended me immediately. It didn¡¯t even have to attack; it could just deal its damage directly to my Mind Home. Lustra now had a tidy row of Souls protecting her. With me not having anything but myself on the field they weren¡¯t doing her much good, but they certainly looked scary.


    ¡°Give me something to hit, big boy,¡± she called to me, her voice throaty and full of insinuations. ¡°You¡¯ve got me all wound up with no way to express myself.¡±


    ¡°Your problem, not mine,¡± I grunted, drawing a card and a source. I put up my fifth Nether and devoted both that were available. One I sent coursing down my arms to power up a hit and the other I used to re-summon my Spell.


    Another layer of starlight armor formed around me.


    Lustra¡¯s eyes widened, and she started to laugh. ¡°Oh, you little shit ¨C you¡¯re cycling it. I ought to tear out your throat.¡±


    I was simultaneously on the third turn of the spell and the first. The card itself went back into discard. I rushed in, making sure to raise my Hammer instead of the Blade this time. Most likely she¡¯d block with the Elf Vampire, but with my Nether powering the blow, it would die. What I didn¡¯t want to do was get any Lifesap this turn, because that would return the Sucking Void to my Mind Home immediately, where the expiring first use of the Spell would simply strip it away again. From here on out, it would be 2 turns with the Hammer and then 1 turn with the Blade at just the right time to bring the Spell back when I wanted it.


    And next turn I can bring out the Talisman and one of the Marauders. I won¡¯t attack with it, not with all those Souls of hers ¨C I¡¯ll just let it sit there and power up the Talisman and start pinging her for 3 damage at the end of every turn. Then I¡¯ll bring out the other. She won¡¯t be able to touch me, and she¡¯ll run out of Souls eventually whether she blocks my hits with them or not.


    Apparently Lustra was thinking along the same lines, because she didn¡¯t even have her Elf Vampire block my Hammer hit. She took it herself, still laughing and eyeing me like a seven-course meal. As the card confetti showered down around her, she tossed her hand aside, letting it evaporate and called out, ¡°I concede!¡±


    There was a moment of stunned silence as the crowd tried to wrap their heads around the words, and then the stands exploded into pandemonium. ¡°Hull has beaten the vampire!¡± the announcer called out, sounding shaken. ¡°Whoever took the odds on Treledyne¡¯s favorite street kid will dine well tonight!¡±


    The Dome came down, and Lustra swayed over to me. My weapons had vanished when the match ended, and I wished I still had one in hand. Those eyes were dangerous, and it wasn¡¯t the knifing kind of danger.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I asked guardedly. ¡°You had plenty of cards left. That match could have gone for another five minutes.¡±


    She flipped her hair back over her shoulder casually, exposing the bone-white skin. ¡°Once I saw you could keep bringing your Spell back I knew it was just a matter of time, and grinding it out would have been so boring.¡± Her eyes raked me up and down, and she stepped closer to me. ¡°I like to get to the point.¡±


    I retreated a step, feeling an uncomfortable heat flushing through me. I clutched at the copper bit under my shirt. Does this damned charm even work? She doesn¡¯t want you, stupid, it¡¯s just an act.


    Her ante card came flying at me, and I pulled it out of the air.


    ¡°Take good care of him,¡± she said ruefully, looking at the card that had been hers. ¡°He¡¯s a handful ¨C no, he¡¯s several handfuls, but he wins matches. You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t get him out.¡±


    I could only nod in fervent agreement.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t think to fetch my Relic removal Spell from my rooms before our match,¡± she corrected herself. She closed the distance between us again. ¡°Want to come up and see my sideboard?¡±


    I blinked, feeling like I was several steps behind in the conversation. ¡°Why would I want to see your extra cards?¡±


    She hooked a finger between the buttons of my shirt and pulled me so close that her breasts pressed up against my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about the cards. I just want to get you someplace private and work off some of this heat you¡¯ve built up in me. There¡¯s nothing like sex after someone¡¯s just beaten you.¡±


    I tried to pull away, but she was strong. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she purred, leaning in close. ¡°It¡¯s a great idea.¡±


    I swallowed hard. She smelled like flowers, but under that there was a sickly whiff of something rotten. My body, however, wouldn¡¯t have cared if she smelled like a cesspit. She wasn¡¯t wrong about wanting to release tension after a big match. I tore my eyes away from her, gently tried to untangle her finger from my shirt, and stepped back. ¡°No thanks. I need to focus on my next match.¡±


    She sighed gustily. ¡°You¡¯re going to make a girl take matters into her own hands, are you? How unkind.¡± She gave me the filthiest look I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°You could come watch if you wanted.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even form a response to that. I just ducked my head, put the Revenant Lord in my pocket, and backed up farther.


    ¡°Well, if you change your mind, I¡¯m in the fifth floor suites. I may have underestimated you, but there¡¯s a different kind of fight that neither of us loses, you know?¡± She winked and then shook her head. ¡°Beaten by a gutter boy. If the Nine could see me, they¡¯d yank the fangs out of my head.¡±


    ¡°Will you be punished?¡± I asked, feeling the barest hint of guilt.


    She snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not out of the running yet. There¡¯s an extra match to determine who gets sixth and who gets fifth, and my opponent will be Losum. I¡¯ll be standing on the podium with you for the top 5, never fear. If nobody¡¯s going to give me something more interesting to do in the meantime, I might as well go and beat the tar out of him. That¡¯ll be a bit of fun, at least.¡±


    She walked away, her hips once again drawing my eyes. ¡°See you soon, Hull. Come by whenever you¡¯d like.¡±


    I shook my head like a dog coming out of water. My heart was racing and my mouth was dry, and it had very little to do with the match we¡¯d just played. I stumbled down the stairs, thinking I should head to my room¡­ or maybe to hers. Why exactly did I say no, again?


    When I looked up, Basil was standing in front of me, his arms crossed and an amused smile on his face. ¡°You just fought two fights, my friend, and I think you only won one of them.¡±


    The sight of the boy threw cold water on my libido and reminded me of all the unkindness I¡¯d done him today that he simply hadn¡¯t discovered yet. ¡°A win is a win. Excuse me.¡±


    I tried to step past him, but he merely fell in step with me. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you got the Vampiric Blade. Looks like your trading skills are improving, at least ¨C I¡¯d have sworn you didn¡¯t have enough to trade for a new Epic.¡±


    I stopped just inside the tunnel leading out from the arena, forcing him to stop as well. My guts churned, but I forced myself to open my mouth and say the words. ¡°Basil, quit tailing me everywhere. You got that card out of me ¨C good job. You played the poor kid and got your way. I¡¯m done with being a pet to the noble kids. Leave me be unless you want that broken nose I promised you at first.¡±


    In a flash he had the Microburst out and was pressing it into my hands. ¡°I was worried about that this morning. I never should have let you give it to me. Please, I would never¨C!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled, drawing back without taking the card. He¡¯s not going to make this easy. Passers-by slowed to eye us, but everyone was too polite to gawk properly. ¡°Hintal: I¡¯m not your friend. I used you to advance in the tournament, and now that I¡¯m top 5 I got what I needed. Don¡¯t talk to me any more. You¡¯re a leech, and it makes me sick.¡±


    He looked like I¡¯d just kicked him in the stones. Hating myself, I spun away, trying to put distance between us. I should have never let him be nice to me. I¡¯m such a piece of shit.


    I¡¯d only gotten five steps away when he said, ¡°NO.¡± His voice rang in the tunnel, jerking me to a stop. I¡¯d never heard him speak with such anger before. I turned back toward him without thinking about it.


    He marched right up to me, his face cold, austere ¨C noble. ¡°You and I have formed a bond. I did not dream it and you did not fake it. Something is going on, and I intend to discover what it is. You think I fail to notice that you didn¡¯t take the card back? This is nonsense, Hull, and I will not have it.¡±


    His voice was rising, and now people did stop. His eyes never broke from mine, and he looked angry enough to chew rocks. For the very first time, I looked at Basil and felt a hint of fear. This boy had power, and he was starting to figure that out.


    ¡°I will not lose another friend because I¡¯m too scared of offending anyone to speak the truth. I am your next opponent now, Hull, do you realize that? You won¡¯t be able to pull the trick you pulled on Lustra with me; I know your deck, and I will play to my best, do you understand? I respect you too much to do otherwise. Look at me, Hull. I can feel that you¡¯re hiding something, and you will stop. I will not be lied to. I will not have this pall hanging over our match, over our friendship.¡± His voice rang with conviction, with righteousness. ¡°You will tell me the TRUTH.¡±


    A wash of power rushed out of him, passing over me like a wind. Several of the people who had stopped to watch gasped, and one of them scurried away. Basil had one hand to his chest, and he was heaving breath as if he¡¯d just run a race, but his eyes were still locked on me.


    They were flecked with gold.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± I whispered.


    He swallowed. ¡°I think my soul just elevated.¡±


    A servant rushed forward. ¡°Master Hintal, may I be of service? Shall I call for a manservant? An unexpected elevation can be exhausting.¡±


    Several others pressed in to offer congratulations and ask him how he¡¯d done it, and I took the chance and fled. The last thing I could do was tell Basil the truth. He¡¯d never stand for me killing the King. He wanted to do things the right way, the sweet, noble fool.


    And now I¡¯d have to face him in the ring. The thought tore at my heart, and I pushed it away. He¡¯d beaten me last time, and despite everything I¡¯d learned and earned since then, I didn¡¯t think I could beat him this time, either.


    I had a new Epic I could trade, but I had the strong feeling that wouldn¡¯t be enough. Who knew what Basil would be able to do now that he was Rare-souled? I needed serious upgrades, and Neutral Relics would only get me so far. There was only one person left I could turn to, and no matter how much I hated the thought, it was time to seek him out.


    I needed to bargain with the Big Man.

 51. Basil - Sharing Souls

    By the time I recovered my wits, Hull was nowhere to be seen. I didn¡¯t have the energy to chase after him or any idea as to where he had gone, so I rested on the steps to the match platform he had recently vacated. Some thoughtful spectators buzzed around me, asking after my needs and expressing their excitement over my advancement, but they were soon dispersed by a tournament official. The man was older and wore his robes proudly, the colored-spectacles that were a mark of gamemaster glasses resting on a long nose.


    ¡°Congratulations on your elevation, Master Hintal,¡± he said. ¡°Would you like me to have you brought to the Coliseum''s infirmary? It is much more comfortable than the name would suggest, with a knowledgeable staff who could help you recover before your next match, two hours hence.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m feeling more like myself with each passing moment. A bit longer here, and I¡¯ll head to my room.¡± I experienced a wave of fatigue and added, ¡°Though, if you could have a runner sent to retrieve me beforehand, I¡¯d appreciate it. I may decide to nap for a spell.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± he said, bowing his head. He then peered at me, I thought waiting to be sure that I did what I claimed I would. Instead, he ended up saying, ¡°And would you like to know what boons the Twins have decided to bestow upon you?¡±


    He could see my new abilities. My heart sped up at the idea of having more at my disposal than a perfect memory for cards, and I suddenly felt much more awake. I could find out myself, of course, but seeing one¡¯s own soul card required deep meditation of a type I was unlikely to achieve situated within the hustle and bustle of the Colosseum floor.


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m afraid I must decline. I would prefer that discovery to be my own.¡±


    He inclined his head for a second time. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll update our records regarding your status accordingly and see to that runner.¡± The man left then, and not long after, I managed the same.


    I spent half of the walk to my room wondering about my new soul, tempted to stop at any nook or halfway quiet spot to delve myself and find out what I had gained. Each time I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other, slowing sometimes but never stopping. You waited this long, I told myself. You can wait a few more minutes. The other half of my thoughts were centered around Hull. I was sure that there was something going on with him, and I was proud of myself that I had told him so and in such a direct fashion. Apparently the Twins had been similarly impressed, but what did that mean? Were my deepest desires actually centered around steadfast companionship, discovering the truth, or something else?


    With such thoughts on my mind, the rest of my journey seemed to take no time at all, and I was only partially aware of what I was doing when I unlocked the door and stepped inside my suite. That was until I saw who was waiting for me.


    ¡°Esmi? What are you doing here?¡±


    My fiancee looked up from where she was busying herself over a table and chair set that hadn¡¯t previously been part of the room¡¯s furnishings. I had missed the conclusion of her last match and her ¨C a circumstance I had deemed less than ideal when I found out that the prince had won. However, Esmi wasn¡¯t wearing the face of someone who had just lost to a heated rival. Caught in the midst of arranging a stack of paper boxes sitting in the center of the table, she looked adorably surprised.


    ¡°Basil!¡± she said, her shock transforming into delight. ¡°I was just about to send a kobold to get you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± I asked, stepping the rest of the way in and closing the door. I noticed that the places were set with plates and silverware, along with two glasses and a pitcher of water. Having an army of kobolds at her disposal truly was useful. ¡°Did you bring lunch for us?¡±


    She gave me a mischievous smile. ¡°Not just any lunch.¡± Then she frowned, inspecting me closer. ¡°Are you well? You seem paler than usual.¡±


    Despite my unfinished talk with Hull, the return smile I gave her was genuine. I was about to say something I had spent most of my life thinking I would never achieve.


    ¡°My soul became Rare.¡±


    Her eyes widened, and she covered the distance between us in a heartbeat, throwing her arms around me. ¡°Basil, that¡¯s wonderful. Congratulations.¡±


    I dared to hug her tightly, talking into her hair. ¡°Thank you.¡± The soft curls and scent of honeysuckle drew me in until my chin was resting upon her shoulder. ¡°I feel run ragged,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It can be like that,¡± she said, her warm fingers trailing the back of my head so soothingly I could easily have fallen asleep upright. ¡°Gaining my Rare Soul took more out of me than Uncommon and Common combined.¡±


    ¡°I had forgotten you earned all three,¡± I said, as she gently led me to the nearer of the two chairs. Unlike Warrick and me, and most other nobles, Esmi hadn¡¯t inherited any Rarity levels from her parents.


    She chuckled. ¡°I certainly haven¡¯t.¡± When she got me into the chair, she stayed close, staring into my eyes. ¡°The gold looks good on you. Like it was always meant to be there.¡±


    I felt heat rising in my cheeks from the compliment. ¡°You are too kind.¡±


    Esmi pecked me on the lips, which only made me warmer, and then stepped away, her fingers opening the tops of the folded boxes with impressive assuredness.


    ¡°That makes this even better,¡± she said. ¡°I had planned to get this lunch as a celebration for your win over Losum, but now it also celebrates your advancement. Twins be praised, what perfect timing.¡±


    Watching her work, all I could do was smile over her faith in me. There was no way for her to have had enough time after her match to see how mine concluded, then get food and bring it here, along with a table and chair, even with her kobold army. Instead, she must have assumed my victory and gotten it right after losing to the prince.


    My appreciation for her soon switched to the contents of the stiff wax paper containers, as Esmi pushed each in front of me after opening it. Within the first was an arrangement of grilled vegetables in a star pattern, their colors of green, red, and yellow evoking the rainbow, with a sauce as dark as night drizzled over them. The next was a collection of steamed hazelnuts, each wrapped in their own mint leaf, unless my nose betrayed me. The one after contained thin cuts of meat, ranging from light-colored chicken, to darker duck, then venison, and beef, the strips all glazed on one half with a browned honey. This wasn¡¯t just food, it was art.


    I glanced up, an impossible thought having occurred to me. ¡°Esmi, is this¡­ Obu?¡±


    The look she wore was pure triumph. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of them allowing food outside of the restaurant, not even for those who manage to have a seating with them. Not once, ever.¡±


    Esmi¡¯s nod confirmed what I had heard. ¡°My family supplies much of the fuel they use for their cooking, and it is surprising what you can get people to agree to when you threaten to start charging them double.¡±


    ¡°You strong-armed a Mythic card?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°No,¡± she admitted with a little laugh, ¡°just the restaurant manager. He swore me to secrecy about the whole illicit affair, and the same goes for you, by the way. I also had to sign a note pledging that my house wouldn¡¯t increase fuel prices for the next five years.¡±


    ¡°Esmi,¡± I said, torn by her thoughtfulness to go to such lengths for me and concerned that her mother and father would find out that I was the cause of a five year, likely less than favorable, contract, ¡°that¡¯s too much. What will your parents say?¡±


    She opened the last box, giving me an unworried, contented smile as she did. ¡°This meal is for you, Basil, but also me. I wasn¡¯t able to enjoy Obu last night due to poor company at the time.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t have that problem now.¡±


    I could have easily kept worrying about her family, but I chose instead to trust her assessment, letting myself get caught up in the delectable scents that were radiating off of the medley of food laid out before me.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Esmi, this is amazing, and wondrous, and more than I could have ever expected. But¡­ and I hope you won¡¯t think me rude for saying it, I¡¯d like to look at my Soul before I eat. As incredible as this food will be, I don¡¯t think I can fully appreciate it without first knowing what the Twins have given me.¡±


    Esmi let out a sigh of relief and plopped down in the chair opposite me. ¡°Oh, thank goodness. I wished to ask, but didn¡¯t want to be too presumptuous. I¡¯m still getting my bearings on how to act in Treledyne after so long in Charbond.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re doing a wonderful job of it.¡±


    She smirked at me. ¡°Now you are being too kind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said, glancing down at my lap. I would normally have let embarrassment take hold of myself at this juncture, but now I had the ability to push through such hindrances. I looked back up, matching her gold-flecked stare. ¡°Also, if it is agreeable, I would like you to see my Soul.¡±


    ¡°Basil¡­ I would love to.¡±


    To assist in the process, we moved the chairs out from under the table and set them facing each other, so that when we reseated ourselves, our knees touched. I rested my hands in my lap and closed my eyes, trying to ignore everything without and focus entirely within. My inner eye didn¡¯t linger on my mind or my heart but instead traveled to the center of my being where my personal card lived.


    At first, all was dark, but I knew this to be part of the process and stayed calm despite my growing eagerness. Each breath I took pulled a layer of the murkiness away, the inner place I stared at going from inky black, to soot, to charcoal, to a foggy gray where I could just make out the edges of a card. The shape of it was still the same color as its surroundings, but as I focused on it, falling deeper into myself, the shimmer of its golden border eventually revealed itself, along with a picture of me, like I was looking in a mirror, and then text, written in the Twins¡¯ own hands.


    I had done it. I was truly Rare.


    ¡°That good, is it?¡± Esmi asked.


    Her words made me realize that I was grinning ear-to-ear with my eyes closed. ¡°Better than I could have hoped.¡± I focused on the card, lifting it closer with my will, until I could see it as crisply as possible. Then, I opened my eyes, leaning forward. ¡°Here, look.¡±


    Esmi leaned forward, too, our noses practically bumping together, looking deeply into my eyes as I did my very best not to blink. If she focused on one of the flecks, it should subsume her vision, letting her see the card within.


    ¡°Oh, Basil,¡± she said, her pupils twitching back and forth as she read. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful.¡± She sat back, giving me that mischievous look I was growing increasingly fond of. ¡°You do realize that after this tournament I¡¯m going to want you to tell me about every card I have.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± I said, ¡°as long as you promise to stay with me after while I do the same for my own.¡±


    Esmi laughed. ¡°You do like to barter, but don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s a price I¡¯m more than happy to pay.¡±


    Full of cheer, we began to eat then, sounds of delight escaping us on the very first mouthful. Somehow the food tasted even better than it smelled, each dish equally delicious but in completely different ways. With every bite, I felt my previously flagging strength returning in leaps and bounds. It was all I could do stop myself from inhaling the entire spread in a matter of moments, and to avoid such a travesty, Esmi and I engaged in conversation.


    We had a great deal to catch up on and started with her experience at the Top 8 dinner. Much of the bickering among competitors I had expected, but Hull having a private chat with the King and the Prince certainly came as a surprise, and I added it to my mental list of why Hull might be behaving oddly. Next, it was my turn to tell her about my confrontation with Warrick outside of Obu. I gave her the unvarnished truth, and she was sweetly conciliatory, letting me unbox the still-fresh pain, lighten it some through the act of sharing, and then put it away again. I wasn¡¯t as open about taking the Tears of Les ¨C that would be a story for another time, if ever ¨C but I did tell her about the Epic Hull had given me, which brought a tear to her eye.


    ¡°He has such a good soul, that one,¡± she said.


    ¡°I concur, even if he doesn¡¯t always seem to know it.¡± I reached for her hand across the table, and she provided it, her touch warm like always. ¡°But, I believe we can keep helping him with that.¡± She nodded, giving my hand a squeeze of agreement.


    While we were already on the subject of Hull, I told Esmi about how he had bested Lustra by cycling his Sucking Void using a Vampiric Blade ¨C a tactic the urchin I had met a few days ago would never have considered. His growth was truly astounding. I even told her about how the vampire had made some incredibly suggestive offers to Hull after the match, which I had chanced to hear being so near the platform edge.


    ¡°She made a pass at me, too,¡± Esmi said, after taking a bite of honey-glazed meat. ¡°Right before dessert was served at Obu.¡±


    ¡°Did she now?¡± Such same-sex relations weren¡¯t unheard of in Treledyne, but I was surprised by the number of targets the vampire was apparently willing to go after.


    ¡°Mhmm. And when I told her that I was already engaged, she invited you along as well.¡±


    I nearly choked on the bite I had been eating. Here I had joked with Hull about his fumbling of Lustra¡¯s advances and now I was barely able to hold down my meal when faced with the mere suggestion of such a circumstance.


    Esmi gave me a sultry look. ¡°Should I have said yes?¡±


    I coughed into my napkin, completely out of sorts and easily redder now than I had been at any point since returning home. In a desperate attempt to save myself further embarrassment, I hastily changed topics to my duel against Losum. Esmi smiled knowingly as I did but was a good enough sport to clap excitedly when I told her how I had managed to summon my mother¡¯s Sea Titan using her fabricator.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Esmi said when I finished the details of the match. ¡°After playing against your tri-Source deck, I had some concerns¡­¡±


    A laugh escaped me. ¡°And you had every right to. When I realized that I had no way of overcoming your kobolds, I made a large gamble that didn¡¯t pay off in the slightest. This new version, however, is much more balanced and flexible, I can assure you.¡±


    She smiled over a hazelnut poised to go into her mouth. ¡°I look forward to seeing it in action.¡±


    Lastly, we discussed her match against Gerad, at which point she did finally get heated. I had expected the loss to be frustrating to her and was impressed by how long she had held in such feelings. Apparently, he had out-Sourced her into a Legendary Relic that was too expensive for her Treasure Hunter to steal. I had actually seen both culprits before on a visit to the King¡¯s Card Library.


    It was strange, just thinking of the Paladin in my mind ¨C the Mind Trap, my Soul card had called it ¨C I could start to see shadowy images behind it, one with better stats, another with Resist 1, that one with Intervene, and one with an Arrival ability that brought in a 1/1 Order Troop for every Order Source on the field!


    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t the worst of it.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t?¡± I asked, quickly recentering my attention on Esmi. It was clear that my Seersight ability was something I could easily get lost in if I let myself.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, stabbing her fork into a box that was now empty. ¡°It was him having Esmet.¡±


    I had never seen the Order Mythic before, but I had read about her. Her stats were quite good at 5 apiece but it was her abilities that made her incredibly powerful. Her Arrival created an effect similar to Equality, but for Summon Decks, where the Duelist with more had to shed cards until their Decks equaled each other. Also, when Esmet was discarded, even as damage, she Healed the controlling Summoner for her attack value. Thinking about it, I could see that last effect being terrible for Esmi to face.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s so good?¡± I ventured.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have won the match without her,¡± Esmi confirmed. ¡°But it¡¯s more the fact that a pretentious pimple like him has our greatest heroes at his beck and call. It¡¯s not just Esmet, but Agata and Hilbrand, too!¡±


    So it was true. Gerad did have multiple Mythics, as well as the Legendary Kitsanya. ¡°I know what you mean.¡± I said. ¡°Seeing someone like Losum with a card like Orelus was unpleasant.¡± It didn¡¯t feel like quite the right time to say that these sort of feelings were what had inspired me to push for a Soul beyond Rare. Instead, I chose to comment on something else I had noticed, ¡°But Esmet was especially hard for you, because you¡¯re named after her, yes?¡±


    Esmi looked at me, and it was like all of the sudden I was the only thing in the room. ¡°You remembered that?¡±


    ¡°What, our conversations before you left for Charbond? Of course.¡±


    ¡°But we were only five at the time, and you haven¡¯t mentioned any of them since I returned.¡±


    She was looking for something, but I wasn¡¯t sure what, so I gave a pleasant smile and shrug. ¡°They just hadn¡¯t come up is all.¡±


    Esmi seemed to consider me a moment longer, and then reached into the purse she carried, removing a tiny pen.


    ¡°Do you remember this as well?¡±


    I stared at the small object. It was old and chipped and too little for it to be of regular use. It didn¡¯t evoke any immediate recollection, and as time stretched and Esmi¡¯s face fell, I began to wish I had a perfect memory for things other than cards. She moved to put it away, and I spotted a bit of metallic blue paint remaining on its opposite side.


    ¡°That¡¯s my pen,¡± I said, seeing the aged object as it had once been: all blue, with a copper tip. ¡°It was my first pen, and I¡­¡± I looked up at her, remembering now. ¡°Gave it to you. When you were sad about going away and not having a Common Soul yet.¡±


    Esmi nodded, holding the child-sized pen tighter. ¡°You told me to write down my dreams, so that Fate and Fortune could better know them. I ended up writing a great deal over the years, and nearly all of it has come true, but some things I had to come back to Treledyne to see done.¡±


    The way she was looking at me now, I didn¡¯t think I could ever look away, nor would I want to.


    ¡°Basil. I told my parents to ask for our match. I hope you don¡¯t find that presumptuous.¡±


    ¡°I find it¡­ wonderful.¡±


    I probably would have told her that I loved her then, but we were standing and kissing so suddenly, I didn¡¯t have the chance. The moment was much rawer than those in the past, and it was like no matter how tightly we held one another, it wasn¡¯t as close as we wished to be. If not for the eventual arrival of the Coliseum runner to procure me for my match against Hull, it probably would have been days before we came up for air.

 52. Hull - Bound

    I was halfway through my third bowl of stew in the Mess Hall when I looked up and saw Ticosi sitting directly across from me. His patchwork leather coat hung still behind the bench and he had a toothpick in his mouth; his shaven head gleamed in the elemental lamplight. The way he was lounging at his ease, he might as well have been there all day. I choked and coughed, spraying bits of meat and vegetable everywhere. I hadn¡¯t seen or heard him approach; he was just there. We were alone in the Mess Hall; with so few competitors left ¨C and most of those nobles who¡¯d rather eat at fancy restaurants instead of rub shoulders with me at the long tables ¨C I had the place pretty much to myself, and I liked that just fine. I should have heard him approach. This bastard is a sneaky one.


    A quiet, wise, calculating part of me said, That¡¯s how you want him, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re going to ask him to kill your father, and that¡¯s no walk in the park. It¡¯s good that he¡¯s a scary bit of work.


    ¡°Been looking for you,¡± I grunted, wiping my face with a clean napkin.


    ¡°That¡¯s what my sweet Harker tells me,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°She said you tracked her down near the entrance and strong-armed her into summoning me. Be careful with that one; she doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    I felt my lip curl. ¡°She can hate me all she wants.¡± Harker had gone back and forth between threatening me with a beating and complaining of being too busy when I¡¯d asked her to track down the Big Man for me; only when I¡¯d finally mentioned that he¡¯d be displeased if I lost my next match because of her that she finally got off her ass and went after him.


    He tutted at me. ¡°You¡¯re going to be working with her, young man. She¡¯s been in my service a long time. Regardless, I¡¯d have come to find you anyway; I¡¯ve been busy as a bee since your last match, and I wanted a moment to confer with you before you step back into the ring.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the whole point,¡± I said, taking a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can win this next match with the cards I have right now.¡±


    His eyes gleamed, and he cocked his head, considering me deeply. ¡°Agreed. I¡¯m glad you see it. The Hintal boy is a surprise. Despite his decent ranking coming in, I thought him a weakling that was sure to be weeded out early. Instead, he has adapted and flourished.¡±


    I nodded, feeling a painful mix of guilt and pride when I thought of Basil. He was more than I¡¯d thought him at first ¨C his thoughtful kindness was a strength, not a drawback, and even though I¡¯d only known him a few days, I had the feeling that he was starting to come into his own. What better marker could there be of understanding oneself than elevating their soul?


    ¡°But before we get into that,¡± Ticosi said, ¡°let¡¯s take a moment to celebrate your success.¡± He pulled a metal flask from his coat, snagged my pewter cup, and dashed the water in it to the floor. He poured a long splash of amber liquid in and handed it to me. ¡°You¡¯ve done everything I¡¯ve asked and exceeded all my expectations.¡± He raised the flask in a toast to me. ¡°Here¡¯s to the beginning of a very fruitful enterprise.¡±


    I sniffed the cup. It had a sharp smell, but I liked it, so I took a sip. It tasted sweet, spicy, and smoky all at once, and it burned all the way down, leaving my tongue and lips tingling. I gasped and coughed, then immediately had some more.


    Ticosi laughed. ¡°Charbond makes a good whiskey. Each sip tastes a little different, and there¡¯s no better way to become aware of the moment you are in. I¡¯m glad to see you appreciate it.¡±


    I cleared my throat. ¡°I have done everything you asked.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I will live up to my promises. The Nether cards are yours. I need someone in the War Camp, and the closer to the King, the better.¡±


    I felt a hysterical little laugh bubble up in my throat and suppressed it hard. He doesn¡¯t know. You can¡¯t get any closer to the King than I am. I wondered how and when exactly he¡¯d known my mother. It made the most sense that it had been after she¡¯d been thrown out of court, but either Ticosi hadn¡¯t had the power and contacts back then to know the goings-on of the high and mighty or else I had my timeline wrong and she¡¯d spent time in the slums before Hestorus knocked a baby into her. I wanted very much to ask, but I didn¡¯t dare let myself forget that Ticosi was a snake. The less information he had about me the better, and even in asking questions I was likely to give something away. ¡°You said I could ask a favor.¡±


    He arched an eyebrow. ¡°You should be very thoughtful about that. Favors from the powerful are better than gold. Better than cards. What¡¯s more, an unspent favor can carry more weight than any item calling in the favor might net you.¡±


    I looked around the room. It was empty. ¡°I want you to kill the King.¡±


    He went very still, and his hooded eyes bored into me, an amber so light they were almost yellow, the whites of his eyes unnervingly bloodshot as always. ¡°And why might you want such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a bad king,¡± I said, the words pouring out of me like the whiskey had poured in. I¡¯d had a long, long time to consider this, and everything I¡¯d learned since coming to the Rising Stars Tournament had only solidified it. ¡°I think he might be mad. He hurts his people and doesn¡¯t care, he treats the people closest to him like shit, and he thinks he¡¯s a god.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Legendary,¡± Ticosi said, spreading his hands. ¡°It¡¯s the next best thing.¡±


    ¡°He lets the Lows stay poor and dirty and violent,¡± I countered. ¡°He wants it that way; he said as much at the dinner last night. He lets the rich folk snatch up all the cards and use them for their shops and businesses so that people without can¡¯t even find work. Who¡¯s going to hire an apprentice when you¡¯ve got an expert you can summon at any time who you never have to pay, never have to feed, and can¡¯t even complain about it unless you take them to Rare? It¡¯s killing people, and it¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Ticosi stroked his chin and regarded me thoughtfully. ¡°I take care of the Lows. You¡¯re going to help me.¡±


    ¡°You keep the Lows in line,¡± I corrected him, feeling reckless. Whatever that whiskey was, it had loosened my tongue. ¡°And you wanted to kill me until yesterday.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He waved my argument away. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it takes to be in charge, not yet. A certain amount of brutality actually improves the overall conditions for everyone. Suffering is a given; we¡¯ve just learned to put it to use. Whatever his other faults, the King understands this.¡±


    My face stiffened and my hands clenched. ¡°You won¡¯t do it?¡± Did I chain myself to this beast for nothing?


    Ticosi quirked a smile. ¡°Oh, I assure you that the King will die. I find myself amazed that our goals are so aligned without any effort whatsoever. Plans are already in motion. Why do you think I want you to get close to him? It¡¯s not so I can figure out what to buy him for his birthday.¡±


    It was hard to breathe all of a sudden. ¡°How are you going to do it? When?¡±


    He held up a slender hand. ¡°Patience. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t know everything, especially if you¡¯re going to spend time in his company. You see, Hull, I want you to win this tournament if you can. I want you to be the darling of the court. If I knew how to make you Hestorus¡¯s cupbearer, I¡¯d do it. I want you to be as close to him as his own son.¡±


    I tried to make my face a mask. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Information,¡± Ticosi said. ¡°The more, the better. Turbulent times are coming, and I have friends who are poised to change things drastically. They would benefit from as much knowledge of the King¡¯s plans as possible, especially as they relate to the War Camp. You don¡¯t like life under Hestorus? Life in the Lows? Just wait. Better times are coming ¨C more equal times.¡±


    It sounded better than I could have hoped for. ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°A year,¡± he said. ¡°Possibly even less.¡±


    I¡¯d have liked it better if he¡¯d said a week, but even in my impatience I realized that on the grand scale Ticosi was talking about, a year was soon. ¡°I¡¯ve wasted my favor. You were already going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± he said. ¡°If anything, this request of yours endears me to you even more. I¡¯d been worrying about how to keep some of this from you, not knowing how you¡¯d take it. Now I can bring you in fully, and that¡¯s nothing but good for you.¡±


    I nodded, feeling a deep hollow inside of me. If Basil and Esmi could see me right now, they¡¯d be ashamed. It wasn¡¯t enough to shake my conviction, but it made me a little sad. ¡°I need to keep winning, then.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Ticsosi said briskly. ¡°I¡¯ve been scrambling around the city all morning calling in favors and twisting thumbs on your behalf, and I¡¯m glad to say it¡¯s been time well-spent.¡± He gave me one of his lopsided, humorless smiles. ¡°I have rather more resources than the average citizen when it comes to getting my hands on hard-to-find cards.¡±


    Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small stack of cards. ¡°The first of many gifts to cement our partnership. May they bring you victory.¡± He set the cards on the table, but when I reached for them, his hand stayed firmly in place on top of them. He eyed me carefully, weighing me. His gaze was cold as a winter gale. ¡°I am willing to let you keep the Nether cards and the Relics, as I¡¯ve said, but you do still work for me. You have two other Epics you have won that you cannot use. Surrender them.¡±


    Sighing, I fished the Revenant Lord out of my pocket and laid it face up next to his stack of cards. I¡¯d suspected as much when I¡¯d asked to meet with him.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said. It felt like cutting off my own finger. ¡°Take it.¡±


    His hand stayed where it was. ¡°And the Air Spell.¡±


    I schooled my face again. ¡°It¡¯s hidden in my room. It doesn¡¯t feel safe to carry everything with me ¨C I¡¯ve spent too long on the streets. I¡¯ll fetch it for you later.¡±


    He said nothing and merely examined me.


    ¡°I promise,¡± I told him, heart beating fast. I didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do when he found out I¡¯d given it away, but it wasn¡¯t going to be pretty, and right now I needed those cards under his hand. ¡°I swear it on my mother.¡±


    One of his eyes twitched, and another faint smile ghosted across his face. He let go of the cards and let me pick them up. ¡°You have a talent for saying just the right thing. I want that Microburst by the end of the day, you understand?¡±


    I nodded, eyes drinking in the cards he¡¯d handed me.


    ¡°There were a few other Nethers I could have acquired,¡± he said casually, ¡°but after watching you play, these seemed best suited to plugging the most glaring holes in your deck.¡±


    ¡°Do you like them?¡± Ticosi asked.


    I smoothed my hands over them one by one. I especially liked the Spell Drinker. He was right; they were exactly what I needed. Ticosi was obviously a good duelist himself to be able to see what I was lacking: removal. I imagined using Unstable Rift to take out an opposing Soul with both my Sucking Void and Talisman of Spite in play. It was a beautiful thought. ¡°Perfect. Thank you.¡±


    He beamed at me, perhaps the first genuine emotion I¡¯d ever seen from him. ¡°You do remind me of her sometimes.¡± He hesitated and then pulled a pouch from under his shirt. It was hanging on a cord around his neck. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if I should do this, but the moment speaks to me.¡±


    He drew out another card and held it out. ¡°Your mother left this with me many years ago. I don¡¯t think she ever meant to give it to me; it felt more like insurance that she would return at some point. Nevertheless, it is dear to me. She valued strength and mastery more than anything, so I think she would approve of it passing to you now. Another heavy hitter never goes amiss.¡±


    My hands trembled as I took it. This was hers. I imagined those soft hands I could only vaguely remember holding this card in a duel, and my heart twisted. I hated her. I missed her. I didn¡¯t even know her. ¡°What was she like?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I was rather hoping you could tell me,¡± Ticosi said ruefully. ¡°I imagine you had more time with her than I did.¡±


    I shook my head, not daring to look at him. ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything before she left.¡±


    He tsked. ¡°A shame. She was an enigma. Beautiful, powerful, driven. She gave me the seeds of the plans we will bring to culmination now. It¡¯s poetic, really.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. We sat in silence and I looked at her card. My card, now.


    Ticosi stood abruptly. ¡°I look forward to watching you duel again. I hear that the Hintal boy has taken a shine to you. Cultivate that if you can, but don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s part of the whole structure we¡¯re going to destroy. Use him, but don¡¯t be persuaded by his soft noble ways. His gentility is built on the backs of boys like you.¡±


    He held out his hand to shake, and by reflex I took it. I was surprised when he gripped it hard and pulled me to my feet. He stared at me as if he wanted to look all the way down into my soul.


    ¡°We are bound together now, Hull. Bound by secrets, by intent, by memories, and by gifts. Do not forget it.¡±


    It was similar enough to what Basil had said the night before that I couldn¡¯t help but squirm. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± He clapped me on the shoulder and strode away. ¡°Because if you do, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

 53. Basil - Rematch

    Instead of letting the Colosseum''s runner take me directly to my match, the young girl followed after me as I stopped at a booth I knew specialized in Water cards. Against Hull, I would need some Relic removal, and the Water Spell Rust was the most affordable option I was aware of out of the three Source types available to me. For the first time in my life, money wasn¡¯t a hindrance thanks to the Epic I had sold the previous day. However, with my newfound Soul Ability, I wanted to save as much coin as possible for potential upgrades to my existing deck. Once I had sorted each of those out after the Tournament, then I would consider purchasing more costly additions with any remaining funds.


    Rust was a Common Spell, so the shopkeep had plenty in stock. I opted to procure just two instead of the full three because there were other cards I wanted to experiment with today. As I had told Hull, I planned to take our match seriously. At the same time though, I was already in the top 5 ¨C top 4, in fact. Esmi had told me about the king¡¯s extra incentive of an artifact based on our final placement, and while that was enticing, this duel was also an excellent opportunity to test some of the many theories I had concerning my existing stock of cards. How certain ones performed alone and in tandem with each other would help me decide which I was more likely to want to upgrade.


    In addition, I wanted to hit the ground running at War Camp. As far as I knew, the other finalists all had refined decks, and while a strength of mine might always be a measure of variability, the sooner I could nail down which variations were more effective than others, the better.


    We left the card booth behind and the runner kept urging me to speed up, often walking well ahead and then jogging back when she realized I wasn¡¯t keeping pace. Watching her obsessively worry was like looking into a mirror of my own past. I had so often been tightly wound just like her, nervous and unsure. I didn¡¯t wish to arrive overly late of course, but at this stage of the tournament and my own advancement, I could recognize that as a top 4 finalist, they weren¡¯t going to disqualify me for being a few minutes behind.


    I had earned being able to walk at my own pace.


    Still, I took pity on the poor girl; she was just trying to do her job after all. ¡°Do you want to be a duelist someday?¡± I asked.


    She gave a quick nod of her braided head, eyes begging me onward.


    ¡°Do you have a favorite competitor?¡±


    ¡°Esmi,¡± she admitted. ¡°Esmi Fireheart.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said. Hearing my fiancee''s name brought a smile to my lips. ¡°She¡¯s an inspiration to me as well.¡±


    We walked a touch longer and then the girl said, ¡°Was that her? In your room?¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± I confirmed. ¡°And if she was here with me now, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d tell you that you can become the duelist you dream to be.¡± Esmi had needed to go her own way to meet up with her parents, who actually were going to be watching my duel this time around ¨C yet another reason to give it my all.


    The girl tried to hide it, but she smiled to herself over the words. Her shoulders relaxed some, too, and her gait eased by just a hair.


    Watching my fiancee¡¯s effect on others only served to elevate my already elated mood, and I turned inward to share the moment. Before I had left, Esmi had quickly shown me her own Soul Card. ¡®So you can see me whenever you wish,¡¯ she had said. I recalled the image with my Mindtrap, more grateful for the ability than at any other time in my life.


    Being with her in person was wondrous enough, but now to also be able to look at her as the gods did? There could be no better parting gift.


    The crowds boomed in excitement when we reached the Colosseum floor, the stands more packed than I had ever seen them. There was only one other match happening right now ¨C Lustra versus Losum to determine 5th place ¨C but it was the winner of our match that would progress further into the Tournament, facing Esmi next, so I supposed it was only natural that people should prefer to watch us.


    I waved to the gathered mass of humanity as I mounted the steps to the platform, their cheers ringing in my ears since the Dueling Dome hadn¡¯t fallen over us yet. In the cacophony, I didn¡¯t even bother trying to greet Hull verbally who waited across the way. Instead, I nodded to him, and he scowled back, looking like he planned to fight me with everything he had. I could respect that, not wanting our friendship to cloud his judgment, and I vowed to match his intensity with every play.


    The announcer wasted no time in calling down the Dueling Dome and starting the chant, which whipped our ante cards up into the sky.


    ¡°A fight over two Epics!¡± the announcer declared enthusiastically. ¡°Now this is a Losers Semi match!¡±


    From the wild cries of the crowd, they certainly agreed.


    Seeing the mightiest of my mother¡¯s cards on the chopping block did give me my first twinge of nervousness. She would not be happy if I lost that. And what was this new Nether card of Hull¡¯s? An Epic, no less.


    ¡°Where did you get that Soul from?¡± I called to him. Now that outside noise was being muted some by the Dome it was significantly easier to converse. He refused to answer though, the look he gave me putting me very much in mind of our first match. If winning again was my only goal, it probably would have been wisest to use an Order and Air configuration similar to then.


    But that wasn¡¯t what I had in store, not at all.


    The announcer shouted for us to begin, and I drew four Source instead of the usual two, receiving 3 Order and 1 Water from Fortune. I could mulligan the 1 Water and setup the same sort of Source Explosion I had used against Losum. However, the Summon card I received was one of my newly purchased Rust Spells.


    The only way I could cast it was with Water Source, and if I put the one I held on the bottom of my Source Deck, the chances I¡¯d get the only other I possessed when needed was slim. That felt like too big a chance to take, so I decided to go a different way, mulliganing the 3 Order Source. In return, I got my other Water Source and 2 of Air.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I muttered to myself as I thought through the various ways I could use such a Source combination. ¡°Very interesting.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter which Source I opened with, since neither were faster than Nether, but I went ahead and chose Water, a ball of sea-green liquid floating up above my head. Predictably, Hull used his Nether Source as soon as it appeared, but instead of bringing forth his Hammer that I was so used to seeing from him, the air in front of him bent, and a small demon appeared when it snapped back into focus.


    Without hesitation, the long-eared creature charged at me. This was the turn I was most concerned about when using my new Source heavy tactic; I had few cards to defend with. Like I had done against Losum, I blocked the attack with one of my Air Source, letting the other point of damage through, praying to the Twins I wouldn¡¯t lose any of the key cards I needed for the match.


    I squinted at the shards that were ripped from me and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it was just a Penitence Spell that had been sacrificed in my defense.


    On my draw, I pulled both from my Summon Deck; I already had plenty of Source. It was a bit of a risk since I had no Order yet, but I didn¡¯t want to go through another turn without better options for blocking from hand. What appeared in my fingers were two more Water cards I had never used before.


    I had planned to use the Water Mocassins to remove Hull¡¯s bigger demons, the Marauders, and maybe also to deny Hull much life gain when he attacked with his new Vampiric Blade. Having now seen the Epic that Hull had somehow acquired ¨C perhaps he traded away his Death Epic? Who could have had another Nether Epic just lying around? ¨C I was especially glad to have the small, venomous Souls at my disposal.


    As for the Ice Wall, against Esmi¡¯s swarm or Losum¡¯s Archers it would have been next to useless. Versus Hull, though, it would slow down his Hammer attacks and the handful of Souls he used, including the Flying Root Imp because the Wall had the Tall ability. Hull¡¯s deck hit fast and hard, but once the protection of his Sucking Void expired, his own cards often hurt him. If I could survive long enough, his deck would do my work for me.


    I played my other Water Source and debated my options. I wanted to summon both Souls right away, and I could, but if I did, I wouldn¡¯t have Water Source available for two turns, which would delay casting Rust. If Rust worked instantly like Melt, I might not have minded, but since the Spell required a full turn to take effect, I judged that to be too slow a line of play. So I summoned the Wall by focusing my two Source, a massive sheet of ice growing up in front of me, cracking and groaning until it reached a height of some twenty feet and ten wide, separating me from Hull. I could pick out layers within the ice, but it was also translucent enough that I could see Hull and his recovering Gremlin on the other side.


    If I had summoned the Water Mocassin as well, I could have attacked and destroyed the Ghastly without any recourse since it was devoted. But then my Mocassin could have been attacked in return, and I was more worried about a Hammer or worse from Hull than a little demon.


    With Hull¡¯s next Source, he summoned the Hammer I had just been thinking about, and charged forward.


    I watched him try and sprint around the Wall, but with a thought from me, the magic of the Soul Relic let the large construct grow sideways to match Hull¡¯s movement. The Wall shrank on its opposite side as it did this, so it never grew bigger, but it was always in between Hull and me. With an eventual growl of frustration, Hull slammed his Hammer into the ice, which cracked it, but still left the Wall with more than half of its health.


    Though I wanted some Order Source, I went ahead and drew two summons again. Unfortunately, it was another Water Mocassin and a Protection Spell, neither of which were particularly useful for me at the moment.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the worst thing; I still had plays to make. I summoned my Air Source and touched one of my Water Moccasin cards in hand, ready to bring it forth. I hesitated a moment though, deciding which Source Power I¡¯d rather have available: Water for transferring damage or Air so I could ready the snake again after attacking.


    In the end, I cast Rust on Hull¡¯s Hammer first, the Spell creating a mini storm around the Relic, which Hull jerked away from in surprise. The water from the spell vanished as quickly as it appeared, but in its wake, Hull¡¯s once gleaming Hammer was now dull, brown rust marks appearing like a pox.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time until it¡¯s destroyed!¡± I heard the announcer call, and Hull flicked an angry gaze in the direction of the disembodied voice.


    I knew Hull had bigger threats on the way, with his Talisman, Armor, and Blade, but I wanted to slow him down as much as I could now. Plus, I had a plan to get to my second Rust quickly.


    Next, I devoted my other Water Source and brought out a Water Mocassin.


    No sooner had the Soul arrived than I sent it slithering after Hull while the Gremlin was still focused, unable to defend. 1 attack wasn¡¯t much, but Hull¡¯s strong suit wasn¡¯t defense, so any damage I could inflict before he got his Sucking Void up would help me in the long run.


    When the snake reared back and struck, Hull discarded another Gremlin from hand, looking decidedly unhappy about it. I could relate ¨C it always stung to block for more than the damage incoming.


    Finally, to ensure that my Water Mocassin wouldn¡¯t get bashed by Hull¡¯s Hammer, I used the Air Source power to bring the snake back to Focused, wind whipping up and around the serpent, reinvigorating it. This was another reason I had decided to try the Mocassins: with their low cost, I could more often use Air¡¯s Power on them than I could my Assassins.


    Hull surprised me on his next turn, bringing out another Relic instead of casting his Sucking Void.


    Seeing the Epic that I knew had been key in Hull defeating the Earth bruiser Haze had me doubting myself for a moment. I would have much rather taken it out with Rust instead of the Hammer if I had known it would be entering the field so soon. At the same time though, I was impressed by Hull. He was evolving his tactics, just like I was trying to do.


    This time both Hull and the Ghastly Gremlin charged in. I used the Wall to block Hull¡¯s Hammer for a second time, leaving the Relic construct with only 1 health remaining. For the Ghastly ¨C which skirted around the ice, since the Wall was focused on interposing itself between Hull and me as I had commanded ¨C I stopped its attack with my Protection from hand, the explosion of card shards pushing the demon back.


    I only had one card in hand now compared to four in Hull¡¯s, and I only had one Source coming back to ready next turn. When precisely had the tides turned on me? Perhaps opening with so many Source had been a foolish choice after all.


    Seeing Hull¡¯s Hammer break apart when his attack concluded was heartening, as was the realization that I could commit even further to my unique opening. Up until a moment ago I had been planning to draw one Source and one Summon. But if instead I drew two Source, that would only leave four in my heart, three of which I already knew were Order. If I then did a Source Explosion after drawing my new Source, I would have all the cards I would need. Doing an Order Explosion had been my plan ever since my mulligan, but this way it would happen so much sooner.


    Feeling equal parts excited and foolish, I drew two Source, getting my last Air and an Order. That cemented it.


    I then focused within, taking the Order that was still in my chest and folding it over upon itself, again and again, until it grew so tight that I couldn¡¯t move it an inch farther and the stoppage in my breast was so tight I could no longer breathe. Then I let go, and it exploded out of me, a column of shining light borne from my cultivation instead of the sun shooting upwards.


    I basked in the sensation, feeling utterly calm and centered, and just so perfectly ordered in this moment and my choices. The me of the past would never have made a play like this, and Tipfin would never have approved of it. ¡°Cutting yourself off at the knees,¡± he would have said. It was true that having only 1 Order at my disposal wouldn¡¯t be enough to use some of my cards, like my Master Assassin, but Fate take it all, I had done it.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Basil executes an Order Source Explosion on his third turn, gaining four cards!!¡±


    Hull looked at me dumbfounded, and I just shrugged, a rather wild smile on my face as cards appeared in my hand, one after the next. I wouldn¡¯t be getting any more Source for the rest of the match, but I had so many options now. My four new cards were a mix of Relics and Souls, and my second Protection Spell.


    With a Water Source Explosion off the table, I would never be able to summon the Titan, but that didn¡¯t bother me since it could still block an absurd 7 damage.


    I brought forth my only Order Source so I could cast Protection if needed. I was tempted to play the Helm on its heels, but instead I devoted my Water Source that had just come back to ready to put the Metal Golem on the field.


    If Hull wasn¡¯t going to defend himself with Sucking Void, I needed to attack, especially since the more cards of his I managed to destroy, the harder it would be for him to use his Vampiric Blade to cycle the Void.


    I sent the freshly summoned construct forward, its metal skin shining, and the Mocassin followed after, its body moving side to side, covering the distance quickly. Together, they would hit for a combined 3, but yet again, Hull chose to block the attack with a card from hand instead of taking it directly. To my shock, it was the ante card that exploded in the air, throwing my two Souls back with the power it contained, even when used on defense.


    ¡°Hull blocks with his Epic!¡± the announcer cried, and the crowd screamed and shouted over the choice.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to lose that?¡± I called.


    Hull growled at me in a way that made it quite clear that he didn¡¯t want to be giving up such a valuable card. He probably thought I could easily remove it with an Assassin or one of my Executions; I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that I wasn¡¯t using either in this match because I hadn¡¯t believed him to have anything bigger than his Marauders.


    Though he might have lost a powerful card in the exchange, the 3 damage energized his Talisman, the eyes of it starting to burn hotly where it sat on his chest. Just 2 more, and it would activate. Hopefully, I wouldn¡¯t have to dig much farther to reach my second Rust.


    On his turn, I was sure Hull would play a Marauder to activate the Talisman, or at least his Root Imp, but neither of those came out. Instead, a foreboding set of armor appeared in the air, and when Hull stepped forward, the suit locked itself around him.


    Its damage effect would eventually activate the Talisman, but luckily for me it would take longer.


    Hull sent the Ghastly Gremlin after my devoted Metal Golem, ripping its head off in a shower of sparks without taking a return hit. Hull himself used his last Nether Source to charge in with a gauntleted fist glowing with purple power, slamming it into my Ice Wall and doing the last point of damage it could sustain. The construct shattered into a shower of ice shards that, after a few heartbeats, dissipated into nothing, leaving the space between me and an armored up, and thus very imposing looking Hull, empty but for a small snake.


    From the Metal Golem¡¯s death, a new card snapped into my hand, which, ironically, was another Metal Golem. I could have used my Protection Spell to stop either of the Souls from having been destroyed, but I preferred the card draw. Also, it was my last Protection in the deck, and I was sure there would be a moment later in the duel where I would need it more.


    At the end of Hull¡¯s turn, his Armor shook, hurting him, and he quickly discarded a card from hand. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw what he had used to avoid the damage.


    Where had he gotten these new Nether cards from? We had scoured the sellers available in the Colosseum together, and only that overly rude half-dwarf Findek had any. Not only that, but if Hull had another of these Unstable Rifts and played it while his Talisman was active, he¡¯d be hitting for 10 damage, 5 of it at any target he liked. The glowing eyes of the Talisman stared back at me, one step closer to having its power realized and providing me with no answers.


    I only had Summons left, so I pulled two from my Mind Home, getting a Carrion Condor and a Spell I had put into my deck specifically for this match.


    With a flick of the wrist, an Air Source floated up from my hand, giving me 4 total at the ready: 2 Air, 1 Water, and 1 Order. But with seven Summon cards available to me, what would be best to use? Seeing the Unstable Rift certainly had me feeling unstable, particularly since the inclusion of a second Nether card unknown to me meant Hull might have more I was unaware of.


    Due to that, I needed to focus on doing what I knew to be strong plays, so I devoted three of my Sources, summoning both the Metal Golem and Carrion Condor.


    ¡°Hello, old friend,¡± I said to the Condor when it arrived. The creature squawked to the sky, either in response to me or glad to be free of the confines of my mind. Despite its eagerness, I didn¡¯t have it or anything else attack. I certainly wanted to, but even if I sent all three of my Souls, they would only do 3 damage past Hull¡¯s Iron Maiden Plate. Then, two of my Souls would be devoted and vulnerable, which would be terrible if he managed to get a Marauder out next. His Talisman would also have activated, so he could then direct the damage from the Marauder and the Plate to hurt more of my Souls or me.


    I didn¡¯t like any of those possibilities, much preferring to finish Hull off on a single turn if possible. The fewer opportunities Hull had to use the Talisman the better, and in another turn or two I should hopefully get my second Rust to take it out, or the Vampiric Blade once summoned.


    I briefly toyed with playing my Soulforged Helm on something, but in the end, decided to keep my Order Source up, ready to cast Protection if needed, which would block for 4 due to my large hand.


    Hull seemed somewhat disconcerted by my lack of action, or perhaps it was just the three Souls I had at the ready he disliked. Whatever the reason, he opted not to bring out another Nether Source, getting Summon cards instead, and finally cast his Sucking Void Spell.


    That used Hull¡¯s only available Source, and while I would have liked him to send his Gremlin at me so I could block with my Metal Golem, drawing another card and powering up my Carrion Condor, he wisely chose to keep the demon back. In the end, the Armor shook again, but with his Sucking Void protecting him, he didn¡¯t need to use any cards from hand to stop the damage. The last point did its job, flaring the Talisman to full life, its eyes and mouth glowing a dark magenta now instead of ruby.


    ¡°The Talisman of Spite is finally active!¡± I heard the announcer shout. ¡°Will Basil get another Rust in time to deal with it? Does he even have another?¡±


    I chuckled nervously, wondering the exact same thing myself. I drew two new summons, getting another giant Water Soul I wouldn¡¯t be able use for anything but defense and¡­ exactly what I needed.


    I knew getting the Rust was partly the hand of Fortune, but also by drawing four extra cards out of sequence with my Order Source explosion and then pulling two summon cards a turn since then, I had drastically increased my odds of reaching the Spell quickly.


    The question now though was what to use it on. My instincts were pushing for the Talisman, but I took a moment to consider eliminating the Armor instead or waiting to use it against the Vampiric Blade. This was my last Rust Spell, and if Hull was able to start cycling Sucking Void with the Blade, I would lose just as Lustra had. But with my cards in hand and what I knew I had left in my deck, I thought I could finish Hull off before he made himself unkillable. Focusing a Water Source, I released the Spell.


    ¡°Basil drew it! He plays his second Rust on Hull¡¯s Talisman!¡±


    Hull vented a wordless shout of frustration from inside his armor, and I felt a touch badly for him. He¡¯d only get one turn¡¯s worth of damage from his Epic now, but I was also sure he¡¯d find a way to make it count.


    The only other Source I had ready was Order, and I continued to keep it that way for my Protection Spell, now able to stop 5 points of damage because of my increased hand size. From what I could see, I had stabilized the board, maybe even just made the game-winning play. At the same time, I didn¡¯t know what other new tricks Hull might have in store. Also, if the person Hull had gotten his new Nether cards from had taught him about Source Explosion¡­ One of the reasons I had brought Delane¡¯s Compendium of Source Abilities was to show it to Hull, but with the drama of Warrick and everything else, it had slipped my mind. That didn¡¯t mean Hull hadn¡¯t gotten the information from someone else though, and Nether¡¯s Explosion was rather terrifying: 1 point of Sneak Attack damage for every Source sacrificed.


    Thinking thus, I saw Hull not playing a Source last turn in a new light. With only 4 hovering over his head, he still had 3 remaining. That was 3 damage he could do directly to my Deck that I couldn¡¯t use cards to block with. I could still cast Protection, which affirmed my decision to keep my Order Source ready.


    My suspicions intensified further when once again Hull didn¡¯t bring forth another Nether Source. It was possible that he was trying to get as much out of his Summons Deck before his Sucking Void expired in another turn, destroying the rest of the cards in his Mind Home, but it was equally likely he was setting up a finishing blow, like I was.


    Hull brought out a demon with leathery wings that I was, fortunately, familiar with.


    I had hoped to have the protection of an Ice Wall against that particular creature, but my Carrion Condor could serve as a Flying blocker in a pinch if needed. What the Condor couldn¡¯t defend against was the clawed screeching the demon did to Hull upon arrival, which the Talisman directed right at me, a bolt of purple energy streaking past my Souls, headed straight for my chest.


    It slowed as it approached thanks to Fate¡¯s Grace, giving me a moment to consider. The trouble was, I didn¡¯t have anything in hand that was good for blocking 2 damage. My other Water Moccasin only stopped 1, and I wasn¡¯t about to use Protection when Hull might know how to do a Nether Source Explosion or could have another Unstable Rift.


    With a similar pain Hull had experienced when overblocking earlier in our match, I used my newly acquired Water Elemental to stop the blast of energy from reaching me.


    ¡°Basil blocks for 6 when only 2 was required! What else could he be keeping in his hand that he values more, I ask you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get to see,¡± I promised the announcer and everyone watching. Assuming things worked out as I hoped, of course.


    Hull then used a bit more Nether to come in swinging himself for 1 point of damage, which I had the Metal Golem take, the two wrestling briefly in the middle of the platform before separating ¨C the Golem doubly unable to hurt Hull because of his Armor 2 and the invincibility of Sucking Void.


    Like clockwork, Hull¡¯s Plate tried to harm him at the end of the turn, but that attack was rechanneled through the Talisman in a smaller bolt of purple energy than before, sending 1 damage my way. This time I used the Mocassin in hand to stop it, watching the card shards vanish in the air before me as the Talisman finally rusted away, disintegrating. Only one turn of it being active and it had cost me two cards; I was certainly glad to see it go.


    I drew two more Summon Cards, putting my deck at 3 remaining, the same number of unused Source Hull had. I wouldn¡¯t draw any more until I had seen him bring some out. My cards were another Carrion Condor and Master Assassin.


    I stared at the Rare, feeling a touch melancholy. Having sacrificed so many of my Order Source in that early explosion, this would be the first match I wouldn¡¯t be able to get him on the field. Still, he was a good blocker from hand.


    Shifting my attention to my other cards, I found myself torn. On the one hand, I could play a Condor and nothing else, setting up what I hoped would be a game winning turn on the following round, after Hull¡¯s Sucking Void expired.


    On the other hand, Hull had used his Source in such a way that he¡¯d have 3 at the ready next turn, if not 4 if he played another. That could be two Marauders coming at me, as well as the Ghastly Gremlin and Root Imp he already had on the field. I had a lot of defense in hand, true, but I also didn¡¯t want to hemorrhage cards unnecessarily. If I played some cards in addition to the Condor it would delay my attack, but provide some more efficient defensive options. Not to mention it would let me put together a pairing I had been whimsically contemplating.


    First, I devoted both my Air to get another Condor out. Then I devoted a Water Source to put the Soulforged Helm not on myself, but on the Water Moccasin, the magic of the Relic smartly sizing itself down so that it nestled neatly around the serpent¡¯s much smaller head.


    I turned to the crowd, finding Esmi in a lower box sitting with two older individuals, and pointed at the well dressed reptile. ¡°Now that¡¯s adorable.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hear her reply over the laughing of the spectators, but I did hear the much closer Hull finally say something to me.


    ¡°Are you messing with me, Hintal? Is that what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see his face within the helmet of his armor, but he sounded mad enough to chew rocks.


    ¡°Not at all, Hull,¡± I replied. I didn¡¯t hide my good cheer, but I also did my best to not appear smug or patronizing; I was genuinely just having fun. ¡°There are other cards I can use to defend myself, but by giving the Water Mocassin the Helmet, I can now get two uses out of its Venom, and block with it to stop Overkill and other effects. It is, honestly, a highly effective combination. Against your deck, at least.¡±


    He growled, grabbing at the air, as if trying to draw cards that weren¡¯t ready yet, signaling to me that our brief exchange was at an end.


    With his Sucking Void still active, there was no point in attacking, so I contented myself with continuing to wait while throwing a small wave Esmi¡¯s way.


    When Hull was able to draw, he finally played another Source and pulled from all of them the moment it arrived. Nether energy swirled in a storm around him before coalescing into the Epic Relic he had used to defeat Lustra.


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard about it, folks, and here it is! The Vampiric Blade that defeated a vampire. Will it cut down nobility as easily?!¡±


    Seeing the magnificent weapon in the flesh and how the red gems running down its center gleamed, promising to steal life from me, I found myself almost wishing I had purchased three Rusts from the vendor.


    From the way Hull swiped the blade side-to-side, it looked like he itched to charge in again, but he held himself back from attacking. When some in the crowd booed at his inaction, the announcer went about explaining what I already knew: this was the last turn of Hull¡¯s Sucking Void, so any cards he recovered this turn from the Vampiric Blades Lifesap ability would just be destroyed again when the Sucking Void expired. It was true such a move might let him get to more valuable cards in his deck faster, like the Talisman or Sucking Void again, but that was assuming he could live through the following turn. By not attacking, he could heal himself immediately when I came after him once the Sucking Void was down.


    Hull¡¯s Spell protected him one last time from his Armor¡¯s self damage and then the midnight wrapping slipped away. I watched Hull shudder in his armor as it did, and I wondered what it must feel like to have one¡¯s remaining cards destroyed in such a way. In the spray of shards that leaked from his body, I saw almost all the cards I had been worried about, including the gift I had given him.


    So that¡¯s where his Marauders had been all this time. And he had indeed had a second Unstable Rift. Yet again Fortune had favored me by letting me avoid facing such powerful threats ¨C and done Hull exceedingly dirty by burying his best attackers at the bottom of his deck. Selfishly, I was glad to see that Hull hadn¡¯t traded away the Cloak to get his many new cards.


    ¡°Hull¡¯s Sucking Void is up and he has nothing left in his Mind Home. Will the Vampiric Blade be enough to let him recover? If ever there was a time to lay a bet, folks, it¡¯s now!¡±


    Hull still had four cards in hand, and while one of them should be his third Ghastly, I realized with a touch of dread that I didn¡¯t know what the others would be.


    Thinking of those, and still taking into consideration the possibility that Hull might know how to use Nether Source Explosion, I drew only one card, getting the second Ice Wall I had put into my deck. I had 5 cards in hand now, and I¡¯d have enough Source next turn to use the card I had been saving. The play I wanted wouldn¡¯t work unless I started chipping away at Hull now, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as defenseless as he first appeared. He had two blockers at the ready, one of which could Fly, he could absorb 2 damage with his Iron Maiden Plate, and he¡¯d get 3 cards back by defending with his Vampiric Blade.


    That still didn¡¯t feel quite enough in my favor, especially when 3 of his cards were a mystery to me, so I played my new Ice Wall and did nothing else. Without his Sucking Void, the Iron Maiden Plate would begin to eat away at his remaining cards, eventually forcing him to attack. That situation would be much better for me because then I could dictate what the Vampiric Blade hit and thus how much he could heal.


    Hull drew two cards, which had to be the last of his Nether since Sucking Void had taken away the rest of his Summons Deck. Sure enough, he played another Nether Source, giving him 3 at the ready. Then he devoted 2, casting a demon I had never seen nor heard of before.


    ¡°What in the Twins?¡± I gasped, focusing on the card text that appeared thanks to the magic of the Dueling Dome and then at the image. Both stayed fixed in my mind after it was gone. My new Seersight started giving me ghostly images of what it could become, with cheaper activation or even retaining a countered Spell to be recast later, like an Order Orb of Holding. Those things didn¡¯t matter for this match, so I refocused on what the demon was currently, not on what it could become.


    It was a brilliant play, whether Hull knew it or not, since the Spell Drinker could stop the very thing I had planned to use to end the match. Uncertainty rose within me. I¡¯d thought I was very close to winning this duel ¨C was I wrong?


    Then Hull came at me, his Vampiric Blade raised.

 54. Hull - Reckoning

    This is where it turns around. The Vampiric Blade sang in my hand as I ran at Basil. No matter which of his bullshit Souls blocked, they¡¯d feed me fresh cards from discard, and with my Mind Home empty that was exactly what I needed. I¡¯d gotten absolute shit draws from the word go in this match, but I¡¯d held out, and now it was going to pay off. I¡¯d have my Sucking Void back in a few turns and then I¡¯d be unstoppable. I just had to focus and keep pushing.


    Basil wasn¡¯t helping any. The little bastard looked like he was having the time of his life, waving to his fianc¨¦e at every turn and throwing out little smiling comments at me like we were still friends. I¡¯d never seen him so at ease, so at home in his own skin, and it was infuriating. I really wished he¡¯d been impulsive enough ¨C stupid enough ¨C to send a couple of Souls after me during his last turn, given that he was amassing a small army over there, but he was too good of a duelist for that. He knew that my Blade would just give me cards back when I defended, and that didn¡¯t help him any. Now, though, it was my turn, and my Blade was going to work.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to hate this,¡± Basil sang gaily, and his stupid, tiny Water Mocassin flung itself into the air in front of my Blade, and my blow rang on the ridiculous little helm he¡¯d put on it, shattering the Relic.


    No cards returned to my Mind Home.


    ¡°You whoreson shit-sucker!¡± I raged, my voice sounding tinny and weak inside the helmet of my Iron Maiden Plate.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that,¡± he said primly. ¡°A fellow might get offended if a friend said something so foul.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help it; I vented another yell of frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not your friend!¡± I really needed to get some cards back into my Mind Home, and his garbage Soul and the Helm he¡¯d put on it had put a serious kink in my plans. It was a good move on his part and I knew it, but that didn¡¯t mean I liked anything about what had just happened.


    ¡°Pish,¡± Basil said dismissively. ¡°It¡¯ll take more than a little spleen to convince me of that.¡±


    I¡¯d already drawn both my remaining sources ¨C the only thing I could draw at this point ¨C and put one of them up. It didn¡¯t make any sense to attack with my Root Imp or Ghastly Gremlin. I needed them as blockers, especially now that I had to wait an extra turn to get any cards back with my Blade. I had source available, though, so I brought out one of my new additions.


    The shambling, gray-skinned demon-thing grinned up at me. ¡°Feed me,¡± it gurgled.


    ¡°Hold your horses,¡± I told it. ¡°You¡¯ll get your turn.¡± I still had 1 Nether at the ready, and if Basil were dumb enough to summon a Spell on his turn, the demon would get the meal he was looking for.


    ¡°Where did you get all these cards?¡± my opponent cried. ¡°They¡¯re amazing!¡±


    There was exactly zero chance I was going to tell him that, so I planted myself at the ready and let my turn expire. The Plate stabbed in at me, dealing its end-of-turn damage, and I finally got to use one of the other cards I¡¯d been holding back specifically for this.


    The card shattered into sparkles as I used it to block the damage and then immediately re-formed in my hand as my turn ended. This is such a perfect card to use with the Plate. Now I can use it without having to wait for the Sucking Void so long as I have one of these beauties in hand. As it happened, I now had both of them, and they¡¯d be fantastic damage sponges on Basil¡¯s turn, too. All right. Make it through this next turn and you¡¯ll start getting cards back. Damn that Helm.


    Basil drew 2 cards, and a quick squint showed they were the last cards in his Mind Home.


    If I only had some way to sneak past his Souls and do some direct damage, I could finish him off now. It was a useless thought ¨C that wall of Souls was solid, and I had nothing to get past them with.


    ¡°Now,¡± Basil said with relish, ¡°let¡¯s see how you deal with this.¡± He sent his Metal Golem charging in, and both Condors swooped down right behind. I tensed and felt my brain kick into a trot, calculating the possibilities and the outcomes. I was going to take a little damage ¨C there was no way around that ¨C but I could make it through. I realized it might have been wiser to hold back with my Blade so that I could defend with it instead of attacking as I had done; then I would have been able to pick my target and make sure I got cards back. Though, had I not attacked, he likely would have just held off and kept waiting, so I wasn¡¯t sure it would have made a difference. A moot point now, either way, as the Blade hung heavy and useless in my hand while I waited for it to be ready again.


    ¡°You,¡± I said, pointing to the Ghastly, ¡°take the metal man.¡± It hissed and threw itself at the automaton, all feral teeth and claws. They both died in a shower of light.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Basil called, sounding entirely insincere.


    ¡°How about you quit talking?¡± I yelled back. He shrugged impishly.


    The Condors were right in my face, and I nearly sent the Root Imp after one in the lead, but I realized in a flash that the death of my Gremlin had increased their strength. Their claws now glowed with an imbued power that hadn¡¯t been there before. If I sent the Root Imp to block the first one, my Imp would die, buffing them further, and then I¡¯d take 4 damage from the remaining Condor. Better to step in and take my licks first and then let the Root Imp get wrecked by the final attacker. I¡¯d take less damage that way. The Condor battered me with its wings and its claws scored my Plate, digging through to seek flesh. I tossed one of my Ravening Hatchlings out of hand to absorb the point, and once again it shattered and re-formed. Nearby, my Root Imp tangled with the other one, shattering into shards and leaving the huge bird bleeding heavily but still alive.


    I¡¯d weathered the worst and felt my battlelust rising as the Vampiric Blade came back to life in my hand. I had fewer Souls at my disposal than I¡¯d had a moment ago, but with the Soulforged Helm gone, I¡¯d for sure be getting a handful of cards back this time around. I had nothing to draw. I kept my final Nether in hand, suspecting I might need it for blocking soon enough, and focused 2 of my summoned ones to send extra strength into my arms, then went in swinging again. Getting back four cards is better than three!


    I was barreling toward the Ice Wall. I knew I wouldn¡¯t get any cards away from Basil this turn; right now I was just trying to get stabilized, and taking a chunk out of the Wall would feed my Mind Home just as effectively as anything else. I ached to watch it shatter and feel the cards reforming in my mind.


    Instead, the damned Water Mocassin leapt up and severed itself in half on the edge of my sword. A single card dribbled back into my Mind Home.


    ¡°What?¡± I cried as the force of the collision and the shattering Soul forced me back.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do more damage than a Soul has life to give,¡± Basil told me, sounding truly apologetic this time. ¡°It¡¯s the smart play.¡±


    My heart clenched. ¡°Twins take you! I needed that hit!¡±


    He looked guilty, but he spread his hands. ¡°Should I roll over and play dead, then? Come on, Hull, we have to give each other our best. Anything less would be insulting.¡±


    I wanted to breathe fire and burn the whole world down. He¡¯d stalled me out with that stupid snake, and I didn¡¯t know if I could make it through another turn without getting my Sucking Void back. My insides cramped. I gave up everything to win this and now I¡¯m not sure I can. I still had source left, but all I had in hand was a final Ghastly Gremlin and my 2 Ravening Hatchlings. They¡¯d do me more good in hand as blockers than on the field, especially since his heavy hitters were flyers. Attacking with the Spell Drinker would be idiocy ¨C I had to leave him at the ready for whatever Spell Basil might have in hand. I had to let the turn pass.


    ¡°Damn you, Hintal,¡± I whispered, feeling sick. I saw my doom approaching and there was nothing I could do. The Plate did its damage to me, and without hardly noticing I let the Ravening Hatchling absorb it and reappear in my hand.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll appreciate this,¡± Basil said gently, ¡°though I¡¯ll understand if you don¡¯t say so in the moment.¡± With a flourish, he devoted an Order and summoned a Spell, focusing on my Spell Drinker.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± I asked him, focusing an available Nether. ¡°Do your thing,¡± I said to the Spell Drinker, who was drooling and clutching at its stomach. With a relieved sigh, the pale thing unhinged its jaw all the way down to its chest and sucked in like a miniature dust dervish, swallowing the mist-like magic before it could manifest and force my Soul into a focused state. It was still focused now, having used its ability, but if it couldn¡¯t block for me at least its Attack was 2 higher now. Its shoulders bulked out as it digested the Spell, and it looked healthier than it had before.


    ¡°Right, then,¡± Basil said, prim, proper, and suddenly stern as a judge. ¡°Attack!¡±


    His Condors swooped down again and I braced for the impact. I had nothing to block with, and my Blade was focused. The Plate would help, but I had to take some damage. The first Condor hit harder, it having been powered up by 2 of my Souls instead of just 1, and the next came in right behind. It took everything in hand to handle the damage, and with regret I watched my Ghastly Gremlin summon itself and then Expire, while my Ravening Hatchlings and remaining source shattered. I¡¯d get the Hatchlings back at the end of the turn, at least, and I still had that single card waiting in my Mind Home to draw once my turn began.


    I¡¯d weathered the attack! There were no more bullshit snakes to hamstring my Blade, and if I could just hang on, I could still make this work. I heard the announcer blabbing something excitedly, but I was too focused to hear it. I could still see victory ahead.


    ¡°And¡­ now,¡± Basil said, sounding satisfied. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting the whole match for this.¡± He devoted nearly everything he had left.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered. ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    His Condors rode a sudden zephyr back to readiness overhead, and when he pointed, they came screaming back, attacking a second time.


    I closed my eyes and let them come. I¡¯d given him the Twins-damned Spell and now he was going to win with it. Damn you, Basil. That¡¯s a beautiful play.


    The Condors slammed home, tearing the single card out of my Mind Home and sending me tumbling painfully to fetch up against the buzzing energy of the Dueling Dome. I coughed and tasted a hint of blood. I¡¯d bitten my tongue when I fell.


    ¡°And Basil of Hintal takes the match!¡± the announcer crowed. ¡°What a duel! What a day!¡± The crowd cheered, chanting his name.


    I¡¯d lost. It was over. I felt the ante card fly out from behind my ear and toward Basil, and I felt a twinge of regret. It was my mother¡¯s card, and I¡¯d lost it within a mere hour of knowing it existed. I hadn¡¯t even gotten to summon it.


    Ticosi is going to kill me. It was a cold certainty. He¡¯d been friendly and full of promises, sure, but I¡¯d watched the Big Man of the Lows carefully for years, trying to stay out of his way. His displeasure was swift and deadly. I¡¯d just lost an Epic card he¡¯d given me, and from the look in his eye, he still carried a torch for mommy dearest. He would not be gentle with me.


    I got to my feet, suddenly feeling very old. It had been a beautiful few days pretending to be a little noble kid and play with their cards, but that was all over now. At best, I¡¯d be Ticosi¡¯s thug and thrall. At worst, I wouldn¡¯t see sunset. Either way, there was nothing I could do about it.


    ¡°Two days ago I¡¯d have never guessed you could put up such a fight,¡± Basil said, bounding over to clap me on the shoulder. ¡°Truly, the strides you have made are nothing less than remarkable. I can¡¯t wait to see where the Twins will take you next, my dear friend!¡± He stuck out a hand for me to shake.


    Feeling dead, I turned away. ¡°Away. They¡¯re taking me away.¡±


    Undeterred, he fell in beside me. ¡°You keep saying gloomy things like that. I¡¯ve gathered that you¡¯re in some kind of trouble, but you know, I am not without resources. I¡¯m certain it¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t handle.¡±


    I wanted nothing more than to sit down with him like we¡¯d done the night before and tell him everything, to trust that the nobility would come to my aid and protect me from Ticosi and whatever else might come my way¡­ but that was wishful thinking. Putting Basil in Ticosi¡¯s path would be the worst kind of selfishness; it would only get him killed. I was trusting the Big Man to have the King murdered, after all, and I was fairly certain he could do it. Offing Basil wouldn¡¯t so much as disturb his breakfast.


    The yearning I felt to confide in this boy angered me. Had I grown so soft in only a few days? It was time to put all this bullshit behind me. ¡°Keep your resources, Hintal, or shove them up your ass for all I care. I¡¯ve told you to leave me alone, and I mean it.¡± I sped up, moving into the hallways of the Coliseum and hoping he¡¯d be hurt enough to hang back like he¡¯d done before.


    I should have known better. He¡¯d confronted me before, and I¡¯d only gotten away because he¡¯d gotten caught up in the elevation of his own soul. No such luck this time. He kept pace with me, still unruffled and friendly despite my insults.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to determine what is causing this act of yours,¡± he mused. ¡°It¡¯s not very convincing, you know. You¡¯re much scarier when you actually mean what you say, and this is something else. You don¡¯t regret giving me the Epic, no matter what you say ¨C¡±


    I laughed bitterly. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t? You might not have won without it. Go away, Basil.¡±


    He ignored me blithely, staying by my side even as I increased my walking speed again. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d have won anyway, but you have to appreciate the beauty of using it to close out the match. It was practically Fated.¡±


    There was a godly symmetry to it all, but I wasn¡¯t about to admit it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had someone be so generous and so kind to me as you have been,¡± he continued, ¡°and yet you¡¯ve done nothing but heap abuse on my head since the new day began. I can only assume that some tragedy has befallen you in the meantime.¡±


    I turned on him. ¡°Regret has befallen me in the meantime, Hintal. And who even talks like that? I regret helping you, I regret ever approaching you in the first place, and I never want to see you again.¡± I pointed down the hallway behind myself. ¡°I¡¯m walking back to my room and staying there. If you follow me, I¡¯ll break your nose.¡±


    He considered me thoughtfully. ¡°No.¡±


    I ground my teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ve been wanting to since the first time I saw you.¡± I balled my fist and tensed. If a little blood was what it took to keep him at a safe distance, it was a small price.


    ¡°Oh, certainly,¡± he said, waving his hand carelessly. ¡°But I¡¯m not giving you the option.¡±


    At some point during our walk he¡¯d re-summoned an Order and Air Source without me noticing, and now he used them.


    ¡°Secure him and come with me.¡± he ordered the Soul.


    The Headsman latched onto my arm with a grip like a vise. I tried to jerk away and couldn¡¯t break free. Basil had already walked away, and the Soul dragged me after him.


    ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± I grated, summoning a Nether and putting it overhead. ¡°You don¡¯t get to treat people like puppets just because you¡¯re noble.¡± I sent the Nether into my arms, feeling my rage surge.


    Basil glanced back and stopped in his tracks. ¡°Hull, don¡¯t!¡± He sounded urgent, scared.


    It was enough to check my fist for just a heartbeat. ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do!¡±


    He gestured frantically. ¡°Hull, if you do damage to him, he¡¯ll do it in return. It¡¯s Fated damage, Hull, and your Mind Home is still empty. It could kill you.¡±


    With supreme effort I checked my anger even as it coursed through me with the Nether. He was right, and I hated it. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, and I don¡¯t want you to hurt yourself. But you¡¯re coming with me and we¡¯re getting to the bottom of this.¡±


    I made the Headsman drag me the whole way.


    * * *


    ¡°Now,¡± Basil said, shutting the door to his rooms. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    I finally shook free of the Headsman, who silently let me go and stood near the door, keeping a close eye on me. I kept feeling at my Mind Home, waiting for my cards to refresh after the match. Once I had enough to weather the return damage from the Headsman without crippling myself, I was going to knock that damn Soul¡¯s head off and be out the door no matter what this simpering little noble prick said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about. We¡¯re not friends, Basil. You felt bad for me and I took advantage of it, and now I¡¯m sick of it. Let me go. This is pathetic.¡± I¡¯d said the same thing and more on the march to his rooms, using my entire Lows-earned vocabulary of cursing, but apparently he needed to hear it again.


    ¡°You said something last night about a crime boss,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bring it up in the open, but you have to tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I sighed. I never should have said anything. ¡°I¡¯m going to work for him. He¡¯s helping me.¡±


    His mouth dropped open. ¡°Hull, you can¡¯t! Associating with a criminal will ruin everything you¡¯ve gained during the Tournament.¡±


    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve gained in the Tournament is his,¡± I said, feeling a bit of a sting even as I said it. ¡°I only entered to get away from him, and I knew it couldn¡¯t work forever.¡±


    Basil latched on to a single bit of what I¡¯d said. ¡°So you don¡¯t want to work for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. He¡¯s giving me what I want.¡±


    He threw up his hands. ¡°What you want? Pardon my language, Hull, but sod that. I¡¯ve watched you duel. You love it. You¡¯re good at it. What you want is to keep building your deck and become one of the most valuable and respected people in Treledyne. I know I¡¯m right.¡±


    I clenched my fists. ¡°You¡¯re not. Respect won¡¯t give me what I need.¡±


    He looked at me like I was spouting a foreign language. ¡°What on the Twins¡¯ good green earth ¨C¡±


    ¡°I need him to kill the King,¡± I snapped. Immediately I bit my tongue. What are you doing?


    Basil sagged. ¡°Hull¡­ look, plenty of folks even at the highest levels would agree with you, but you mustn¡¯t say such things. You never know if he might hear.¡±


    ¡°Let him,¡± I said, hearing my own bitterness. ¡°He probably already knows anyway.¡±


    He approached me as one might a skittish dog. ¡°What did he say to you at the dinner? Esmi told me he took you aside for an extended conversation with the Prince.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my father,¡± I blurted. Now you¡¯ve done it. What¡¯s wrong with you? Why won¡¯t you shut up? At the same time, I was glad I hadn¡¯t. A tension drained out of me that I hadn¡¯t even known was there. I felt tired. Unburdened.


    Basil had gone very still. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m his bastard,¡± I said, reveling in the sound of the words out loud. ¡°There are lots of us. He told Gerad. He wants us to fight, I think.¡±


    He took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. ¡°Hull, will you swear to me on your life that this is true?¡±


    I chuckled, feeling better than I had all day. ¡°May Fate herself strike me down if I lie. I swear it by my head, my heart, and my very last card. Oh, and I pretended to be your cousin to get an extra card from the Artisans I couldn¡¯t pay for. Sorry about that.¡±


    He made a pained sound but then shook himself off. ¡°Hull, no matter what wrong the King has done you, this is not the way.¡± He looked around the empty rooms and lowered his voice. ¡°I myself have considered that someone else might more fruitfully occupy the throne, but skullduggery and murder will not get it done.¡±


    I shook my head. Getting it out in the open felt good, and now I could see more clearly. ¡°What won¡¯t get it done is political jockeying and playing for power. He needs to go down, and it needs to be soon. This is more important than anything, Basil. I¡¯ll die for it if I have to. He¡¯s playing games with the whole city, and it has to stop.¡±


    ¡°It will!¡± Basil said, eyes wide. ¡°It can! But not like this. Don¡¯t make yourself a criminal for this, Hull. You¡¯re too good a soul to bathe in hate.¡±


    I laughed a little and shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m a Nether user. All I have is hate.¡±


    The door creaked and closed softly behind us. ¡°Hate¡¯s a better motivation than most. Dependable. Though apparently not enough to see you all the way to the top.¡±


    Ticosi stood there looking at me with his bloodshot eyes and dead gaze, his hands in his pockets. My heart sank.


    ¡°Excuse me, these are private rooms,¡± Basil said indignantly. ¡°Remove yourself, sir.¡± The Headsman, who had been focused on me, saw him for the first time and reoriented itself, holding at the ready for Basil¡¯s command.


    Ticosi¡¯s gaze skewered him. ¡°You¡¯re going to give me that demon card back. I¡¯m happy to cut you a little first if it will let you save face for your father and the Watch, but one way or the other I¡¯m walking out of here with it.¡±


    Then he jabbed a finger at me. ¡°And imagine my surprise to see the card you¡¯d promised me was in your room waiting to be delivered in the hands of the very person you came to me for help to beat. Are you very, very stupid, or are you betraying me?¡±


    My heart was hammering. ¡°It was a thoughtless moment. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you.¡±


    He grimaced, looking as threatening as I¡¯d ever seen him. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have picked a worse way, it turns out.¡± He looked back to Basil. ¡°You¡¯ll be giving me the Microburst as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing no such thing,¡± he said indignantly. ¡°I gather you¡¯re the thug that¡¯s trying to keep Hull under his thumb, but you will release him from any agreement you¡¯ve made immediately. He wants nothing to do with your nonsense.¡±


    Ticosi arched an eyebrow at me.


    I flushed. ¡°Stop talking, Hintal. I work for him. That¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°Hull, you don¡¯t want this!¡± he cried, impassioned. ¡°I know you don¡¯t!¡±


    It broke my heart to say it, but I did anyway. ¡°You just don¡¯t know me that well.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, pleading. ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill the King. We can find another way.¡±


    Ticosi sighed and moved to the door, where he picked up a stout plank from where it was propped next to the frame and slotted it into its hooks, barring the door. ¡°Stupider and stupider. You¡¯ve just killed your little friend, Hull.¡±


    Everything inside me froze. Ticosi summoned a dripping ball of Chaos and turned toward me.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve told him our plans then he has to die. And if you want to walk out of this room, you¡¯re going to help me do it.¡±

 55. Basil - Battleground

    Before this tournament began I would have hesitated, but not now. That single Chaos Source had been a declaration of war more serious to me than any threat that the slumlord might spout.


    I sent the Headsman swinging at the bald fellow, who by now had drawn a full hand of cards. I couldn¡¯t imagine a thug, even a leader among them, would have many cards ¨C Hull had only had two to start, after all. I needed to strip the man quickly of his illegal power and then restrain him before he could do anything dangerous.


    To my shock, the slumlord took the blow full on, three cards shedding from him. Outside a Dueling Dome, they would normally be unknown to me, but to my surprise, their images flashed in the fading shimmer of shards.


    Three Chaos cards. I had thought the man might have one or two when I saw his Source, but this¡­ He was clearly more dangerous than I had first assumed. However, it seemed my new Soul, Mindtrap specifically, would balance the scales. If I could see what his illegal cards could do, I could plan for them. Had Fate known that I¡¯d face such an ordeal and had prepared me accordingly? The Twins truly were kind.


    A new card whipped into his hand. How? He¡¯d just drawn, and he hadn¡¯t used his only ball of Chaos to cast anything.


    ¡°Does he have an upgraded Soul, Hull? An ability that lets him draw?¡± The lack of reply from my friend made me think he didn¡¯t know, and I didn¡¯t have time to look his way, drawing my own cards as fast as I was able. I didn¡¯t have all of them back yet, so soon after my match with Hull, but I was able to get to five. Looking at the spread, it was like I could see Fortune watching over me.


    ¡°Draw if you haven¡¯t yet, Hull,¡± I said, glancing his way and seeing a Nether at the ready ¡°We can subdue him and have him arrested.¡±


    I had drawn all summon cards because I already had two Source floating above me: one of Air and one of Order. There were a few cards I might have mulliganed, but this wasn¡¯t like an official duel where my opponent would give me the luxury of time. So, I moved backward, going around the table that Esmi had shared a wonderful lunch at only a few hours before, putting a bit more distance between me and the slumlord, all the while considering how to best use what I had drawn.


    ¡°The gossip is you¡¯re Rare now, little lord,¡± the man said to me. He played an Order Source up beside his Chaos, leaving him six cards in hand -- more options than I would prefer to deal with. However, with my early lead and Hull at my side, I was still confident we could neutralize him. ¡°You might actually have a use in my deck.¡±


    The thought of spending my existence helping one such as him was sickening to me. ¡°I would rather be broken into shards than serve you.¡±


    ¡°How naive to think you have a choice. Hull knows much better than that by now.¡±


    The bald man devoted both his Sources, and a huge Soul misted into being, seven, maybe eight feet tall, giving it only a foot or two of clearance beneath the arched ceiling of my room.


    The gray-skinned orc came charging at me, leaving me confused. Was the slumlord not aware of what my Headsman could do? Or was he thinking along the same lines I was, to strip me of cards as quickly as possible before my full deck could return to my Mind Home?


    Whatever his reasons, I wasn¡¯t about to take 4 damage needlessly, not when I had the perfect number of cards in hand to block the full amount using one of my Protections. That¡¯s precisely what I did, and an oversized shield appeared in front of me, obscuring my view of the charging orc. A loud clang made it clear when the Soul¡¯s axe made contact with the Spell, a moment after which the shield dissipated. The grayish orc had thrown the table to the side on his way to me, but the rebound from Protection had pushed it back a few steps, leaving it in a hunched, devoted state. A terrible misplay, in my estimation.


    It was highly possible that my opponent was only used to bullying those weaker than him and might not know how to duel at all.


    To my utter surprise, two knives came streaking at me. The first flew wide, telling me that the blades weren¡¯t Fated ¨C weren¡¯t from a card ¨C but the second came straight at my face. Worried he might have other high rarity Relics like the one I had seen him lose, I kept Rust and threw my Water Moccasin forward, the Water card shattering in a burst and driving the blade to the side.


    The man may not have been a skilled duelist, but he was used to street fighting, something I wasn¡¯t versed in at all.


    ¡°Watch his hands,¡± I said to Hull. I dared a longer look his way and saw that he held his trusty Hammer.


    That was good. The sooner we could put pressure on the slumlord the better. I wasn¡¯t sure why Hull hadn¡¯t charged him yet, but from first hand experience, I knew how much better Hull was now at using his cards effectively and trusted him to make the right call. He might be building up to some of his better Relics or a more powerful swing powered by Nether.


    Those thoughts whipped through my mind quickly as I refocused on the bald man across from me, not wanting to be caught off guard by a mundane attack again. He was staying by the door, either to keep his distance or to prevent us from escaping.


    I drew as soon as my mind relaxed, and from the corner of my eye I saw my focused Sources quickly came back to ready. My new cards were an Order Source and my mother¡¯s Epic.


    I hadn¡¯t been able to mulligan Sources to the bottom of my heart to guarantee a Water Source Explosion, but neither had I drawn any Water Source yet. It was possible I might be able to get the Epic out, but not yet.


    ¡°What sort of cards have you seen him use?¡± I asked Hull, as I played the Order Source. I didn¡¯t have many options yet, but I had managed to best harder opponents by knowing their decks and countering them. ¡°Anything you can know will help.¡±


    ¡°I dislike repeating myself,¡± the bald man growled to Hull. ¡°If you want to leave this room alive, hit the boy.¡±


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re doing fine,¡± Hull said.


    A glance to the side revealed to me that Hull was talking to the thug, not me. It had to be some sort of ploy, didn¡¯t it? Not letting myself linger on that, I sent the Headsman at the Iron-Hide Orc before it could recover. The Chaos Soul¡¯s devoted state let my card cleave through its neck without issue, turning it into a spray of shards.


    With three Source at the ready, I was tempted to use the two Order to draw another Source, hopefully getting to a Water so I could use Rust and my other Water cards. But doing that would leave me unable to play the other Protection in my hand, so instead, I merely focused an Air and an Order to bring the Helmet into play, leaving one Order Source at the ready.


    The weight of the Relic was familiar as I slipped it over my head, but I didn¡¯t find the usual comfort in having it. This was partly due to the metal covering my mouth making me aware of how quickly I was breathing. I did my best to slow down, lest I hyperventilate, telling myself that I had two ways to defend now. We would survive this. We would win this.


    The slumlord brought out another Order Source but seemed disgusted as he looked down at his cards in hand. This was likely because his other two Source were still recovering from summoning the Iron-Hide and were thus unusable to him.


    ¡°Hull,¡± the man said in a hissing, deadly whisper, ¡°I swear that if you don¡¯t attack now, all our agreements are as good as dust. Your cards will be mine, every last one of them, and the King? Well, long may he reign.¡±


    ¡°You think you can coerce him with idle threats!¡± I said. I had to speak loudly for my words to reach outside of the helmet but I discovered it felt good to yell. ¡°He¡¯s not a card Soul you can order about! He won¡¯t just ¨C¡±


    Hull ran at me, Hammer raised.


    ¡°Hull, what are you doing?¡± I shrieked, scrambling back, but the Relic was fated and it swung at me unerringly.


    I quickly devoted my ready Order Source, and cast my second Protection, blocking for exactly 2 since I still had the Rust and Sea Titan in hand. As the Spell formed between us, I looked desperately for some indication that this was a ruse, a clever trap to fool our unwary foe, but there was nothing there: no hidden wink or half smile to let me know he was on my side. Hull looked like he had during our very first duel, full of rage and nothing more.


    ¡°Talk to me, Hull!¡± I demanded around the Spell. ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking to go along with this madness? Help me and you can be free of him. Hull? Hull??¡±


    I was shouting again, being loud. However, his lack of response and the stone faced look he gave me when I was able to see him again dwindled the confidence I had been stoking within, leaving me lost and afraid.


    The two new cards I drew bolstered me some, but not by much. One was an Order Source and the other a Condor.


    Not knowing what Hull was thinking, I felt a desperate need to have another ally and a second defender out: one for the bald man and the other until Hull came to his senses. I had the Source available, and using them, the giant bird squawked into being at my side. Looking at it, I found I was much more grateful to have it at my side than in my hand. However, my Mind Trap power showed me something odd the longer I stared.


    The card that represented the Condor changed.


    Its Flying was gone, and sure enough the Condor didn¡¯t take to the air, staying awkwardly afoot on its taloned feet. Was¡­ the environment affecting it? The ceilings were only ten feet high ¨C which was one of the reasons I had previously summoned Atrea on the balcony, so her wings would fit ¨C but I hadn¡¯t thought of the consequences now. This was terrible! Without Flying¡­


    I saw the bald man draw, and cursed myself. Like against Throice, I had waited too long.


    The slumlord summoned another Chaos orb, smiling in the red light that the blood-colored Source gave off. All four Source balls dipped in the air, most falling so far I knew they had been devoted. A red-bordered card flashed, twisting my stomach to see such a high Rarity, and a bent crown appeared on his head.


    On its heels, the bald man let out a mighty shout, rattling the furnishings in the room, and pushing me back. Worse, my two Souls sagged and then cried out in pain, thorns of copper appearing around their legs, stabbing them, the effect of the Diadem damaging both.


    ¡°Again, Hull,¡± the thug commanded. ¡°The sooner this is done and we are gone, the better.¡±


    With a grunt, Hull came lumbering back at me, this time empowering himself with some of his Nether.


    ¡°Stop it, Hull! This isn¡¯t what you want! I know yo ¨C¡±


    My pleas didn¡¯t slow his swing, leaving me no choice but to take the hit on my Helmet, the Relic shattering as it absorbed the 5 damage.


    When I reoriented myself, I heard the slumlord laughing ¨C a dry, awful sound. ¡°The foolishness of the nobility never ceases to amaze me. I¡¯m convinced it¡¯s the clean air that makes your minds feeble. You think a few days in your company can outweigh a lifetime of experience? And here I thought you played Equality.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Fortune brings new possibilities every day, nay, every moment. Hull has changed.¡± I desperately wanted my speech to be true, but there was so little of the friend I had come to know in the way Hull hung silently off to the side, waiting for his massive Hammer to be ready again. I was beside myself with anger and frustration at seeing what this man had turned the Hull I knew into, but I was also growing increasingly terrified. The slumlord had said he would kill me, and if Hull truly was on his side, I had no hope of defeating them both, not with only two Water cards in hand and no Water Source to my name.


    My balcony was five stories up. If I leapt from it, would the remaining 9 cards in my Mind Home be enough to protect me from such a fall? Or could I use the defensive capabilities of the Sea Titan in such a situation? I had no idea, but either possibility seemed preferable to staying in a place where I seemed sure to die.


    I ran for it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him get away!¡± Ticosi snapped, and to my utter horror, Hull managed to slip in between me and the balcony.


    ¡°Hull¡­ truly?¡± I said, the last of my hope draining away. Taking a few non-lethal swings at me was one thing, but I hadn¡¯t believed he would stop me from escaping.


    ¡°I tried to tell you, Hintal,¡± he said. ¡°But you were too rich to listen.¡± Something wavered in his dark gaze. ¡°You¡¯re Rare now. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll really be dead.¡±


    Those words shook me to my soul and made me realize I had no other choice. I quickly drew two summon cards, and seeing neither used Water, I delved within. I discovered that the four remaining Source in my heart were one Order, one Air, and two Water. Even if it had been tied at two and two, I would have been able to choose, so I latched onto the Water, twisting it into a spiral.


    Water Source shot up around me, pushing Hull back, and I focused the whirling energy onto my Headsman. I experienced the same snap-pull I had felt when using the effect against Losum, and the Sea Titan vanished from my hand, replaced with the Headsman. Where the Headsman had stood, a whorl of water was rising, the teal flesh of the Sea Titan visible underneath.


    The water shot out, slamming into all of us for 2 damage, destroying furniture and washing it up to the sides of the room. I didn¡¯t get to see what cards Hull and Ticosi lost, but I did see that the slumlord didn¡¯t block from hand and got another card, which had to be a Soul ability ¨C a frighteningly powerful one, at that. To protect myself, I used the Rust to stop 1 point of damage and let the other strike my Mind Home; I wasn¡¯t willing to give up my last Source or the Headsman in hand.


    From the shards that spun off me, I briefly saw the Greater Water Elemental, which meant I had just lost my other best blocker.


    A groan from the Sea Titan turned my attention to where it was pushing against the ceiling and floor, snapping wood and cracking stone, a fifty foot creature trying to fit within a much smaller space. The more destruction it caused the better, because I wasn¡¯t expecting to win with it, just draw people to the commotion. But instead of breaking out of the room, with an anguished cry, the Sea Titan fell apart, its body collapsing in a huge splash of water and then shards.


    The slumlord was dripping wet and flicked his hand to dislodge a small portion of it. ¡°Your lack of time outside a Dueling Dome is showing, little lord. Tragic.¡±


    My mind struggled to grasp what had just happened. The summoning had¡­ failed? Because the space was too small? I had seen the limitations of the room impact the Carrion Condor negatively. Why hadn¡¯t I considered that something similar might happen with other Souls? Now I was down a defender, and my Condor had but a single point of health remaining. At this rate, my only hope was that someone had seen the deluge of water that must have cascaded off of the balcony and hopefully under the door from the Sea Titan¡¯s Arrival ability.


    Trying to delay my attackers, I summoned the Order Source I had gained on my draw and then used an Order and Air to resummon the Headsman.


    I didn¡¯t attack with it or the Condor ¨C doing so would see them damaged by the Chaos Diadem, and I needed to turtle as much as possible. I did, however, use my other two Source to cast Order¡¯s Source Power, drawing another summon card in a flash of light.


    I had two cards in hand now, an Air source and the Rare, and I desperately prayed to the Twins that it would be enough.


    The slumlord drew and played another Chaos source, giving him two at the ready. Without hesitating, he devoted both, bringing two new Souls into the waterlogged room.


    With a gesture from him, the new arrivals threw their chain bolas at my Souls, trapping both. The bolas did no damage themselves, but the Diadem flared, causing the copper thorns to reappear, doing 1 point of damage to my Headsman and finishing off my Condor, turning it into glittering motes.


    Despite my efforts, I was vulnerable once again. Why was no one coming to my rescue? Because they¡¯re all waiting for you to arrive to play the Losers Final match, a practical part of me answered. Who would be anywhere else on day three of the Risings Stars Tournament, let alone near the dorms, of all places?


    ¡°You know what to do, Hull,¡± the bald man grated. ¡°Finish him off.¡±


    Hull came in again from behind me, but with his Nether used up from his last attack, his Hammer hit for only 2. Still, that was 2 more damage than I could easily take and in the space Fate gave me, I agonized over whether to block some or take it all straight to my Mind Home. In the end, I let the damage through, hoping I would lose more Water cards that I wouldn¡¯t be able to summon anyway.


    As the spray of cards left me I saw a Metal Golem and my other Carrion Condor, an utter failure of choice on my part.


    It doesn¡¯t matter what those cards were. You¡¯re dead either way, a frantic voice in my mind said. I gripped the Master Assassin card tighter. He¡¯d won me multiple games before. Maybe, somehow he could do the impossible again.


    The cards I drew failed to support such ambitious hopes.


    The Penitence had been a game winning Spell in my last match and now it was practically useless. As for the Ice Wall, why couldn¡¯t it have been part of the damage I had lost during the previous hit? The Twins had favored me in my match against Hull, but now that my life was on the line everything seemed to be going wrong. Was my fortune all used up?


    I played my other Air Source and then pulled from three of my other Sources ¨C devoting two Order and focusing an Air ¨C to bring my Master Assassin into play. I¡¯d get two more Order back next turn and maybe having two Air for its Source Power would help me against Chaos¡¯s focusing effects. Did I even have anything left I could use it on? I didn¡¯t know. This was too much for me: too many opponents, too much on the line, and only three cards left in my Mind Home. Three cards there and two in hand were all that was separating me from death, no matter what Hull called it.


    In my drained and desperate state, I nearly commanded my Headsman to attack before realizing that the move would kill him because of the slumlord¡¯s Diadem ¨C what sort of slumlord had an Epic Relic? Hull had clearly been in the right to be afraid of this man. If I hadn¡¯t strong-armed Hull back to my room, we would currently be safe out amongst the crowds, a place this thug surely wouldn¡¯t have dared to attack us.


    Why hadn¡¯t I listened to Hull? Why was I such a fool?


    I watched the bald man with as much attention as I could manage while still keeping an eye on Hull. As near as I could tell, the Order Source the slumlord flicked into the air wasn¡¯t one of the cards he had just drawn. Perhaps¡­perhaps he¡¯d already played all his powerful cards. Perhaps all of those he had remaining were weak Order or Chaos Souls.


    The Souls he had out were just 1/2¡¯s, after all.


    ¡°Hull, stop this madness and help me,¡± I tried again. There was no way I could survive jumping off the balcony with only three cards. The only way was teamwork. ¡°We can take him if ¨C¡±


    I didn¡¯t see how many Source the bald man used, but I couldn¡¯t miss the appearance of another Orc and then a monstrously large Soul.


    The Half Giant was huge, its body caught between a swirl of red Chaos energy and green skin, straining against the floor and ceiling. For a moment, I hoped that it would suffer the same fate as my Sea Titan, dispersing because there wasn¡¯t enough room for it. As it turned out, the dents that my Titan had left in the room, breaking some beams and widening the space, seemed to be the reason that the Giant finally did materialize fully. It did so on its knees though, hunched, and like with the Condor, I saw its card flicker, changing based on the environment.


    ¡°It got better,¡± I whispered, disbelieving that Fortune could be so cruel to me.


    ¡°This is what it means to know your cards,¡± Ticosi said. ¡°Curious you can see it though. Perhaps I will want your card for my deck, or at least to pull you out for a little novelty.¡±


    And then he attacked with everything. One of the Slingers tossed a new chain at my Headsman, focusing and killing it due to the Diadem. Blessedly, Stealth stopped the other Orc Slinger from targeting my Master Assassin, so he would get to defend. The obvious choice there was the Half Giant, who was destroying the molding of the ceiling and the rugs on the floor as it shoved itself forward on its knees. Almost lazily, the Master Assassin threw two poison tipped daggers at it. The Giant shuffled forward a bit farther, ignoring the steel sticking out of it, and then convulsed, breaking apart into shards. The other two came at me, the Orc Warrior swinging with its axe while the Slinger whipped the heavy end of its bolas¡¯ chains into me. It was a total of 3 damage, which I could block fully from hand. I used the Ice Wall to stop 2 and took the last, losing a Rust Spell from my Mind Home instead of the Penitence from hand. What I would have given for a Water Source to be able to destroy the Diadem or Hull¡¯s Hammer! I nearly smacked the Water fabricator I wore on my wrist, as if that would give me another Source somehow. I never should have used the Source Explosion on the Sea Titan, but I just hadn¡¯t known that it would fail to work.


    At some point Hull had put on his Sucking Void -- this turn? One of his Nether was devoted -- and then he devoted the other four Nether to bring out two Marauders.


    I stared at the slavering creatures. I could stop one with my Master Assassin, but the other one and Hull¡¯s Hammer¡­ I could only block 2 damage and take 2 from my Mind Home. It was over. I was done for.


    I didn¡¯t have any words left for Hull; I just looked at him in utter despair. In contrast, the Marauders were nothing but eager to dine on my flesh, and Hull hefted his Hammer in kind. And then he stood there, a slight frown on his midnight-covered skin.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Tiscosi hissed at him from the other side of the room.


    The Marauders let out guttural whines, like dogs waiting to be fed, and then they turned on Hull, clawing at him with their talons but unable to get past his Sucking Void. He¡¯d hesitated too long, and his opportunity to attack passed. I felt the tightness of my Mind Home lessen and I desperately drew the two last cards in it.


    The Golem was no good to me in my hand, so I used a single Air Source to summon it. If I could just get rid of the slumlord, Hull would see sense ¨C I had to believe that. My Golem charged forward, running past the two focused Slingers and devoted Warrior, punching the Chaos wielder. Like before, the bald man took the hit without blocking or flinching, shedding two cards, another Orc Warrior and a strange, Rare spider.


    And then he drew another. How many cards did he have?


    While I still could, I used my other Air Source for its Source power, bringing my Golem back to focused so it couldn¡¯t be targeted by attacking Souls. Wind whipped around the construct and it looked more alert.


    ¡°When this is over,¡± the bald man said, cracking his neck calmly, ¡°we¡¯re going to have a long talk about loyalty, Hull. Very long and very focused. But first¡­¡± He speared me with his gaze, playing another Chaos Source so that he finally had more source balls above his head than me. Then he Bellowed.


    And to my horror, my Master Assassin slumped, copper thorns stabbing it for a point of damage. Because the Bellow affected all Souls instead of a specific target, the Stealth proved ineffective.


    The slumlord cast another Spell, which picked both his own focused Warrior up and my Master Assassin, since his Stealth had been broken, and threw them at each other.


    Reading the effect of the card text for the second time now, I knew my Assassin would die in the exchange, so I devoted one of my ready Order, bringing the Rare back to my Mind Home with his ability, just as I had done in so many duels.


    The bald man smiled, a ghastly thing without any warmth. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that trick before, little lord. Seen it and been waiting for it.¡± He cast a Rare Spell I had glimpsed earlier in our fight ¨C glimpsed and hoped he only had a single copy of.


    With a painful tug, the Master Assassin was ripped from my Mind Home and appeared in the flesh, standing beside the slumlord. Worse, the Assassin came charging at me. Like Hull earlier, there was no regret in the Rare Soul¡¯s eyes as he sent two daggers streaking at me.


    I knew there was no hope, but I went ahead and blocked the 2 damage with my Ice Wall. The shards from it had barely faded when I saw another flying dagger approach, not from the Soul but the slumlord again. In shock, I fumbled my last card, Penitence, out of my hand to stop the blade. No sooner was it turned aside than the man was there, having run in the wake of his thrown dagger. He stabbed me with a final knife in hand, the blade sinking into my gut.


    I gasped. I hadn¡¯t been cut or bruised in over a decade, ever since I had started filling my Mind Home with cards. The pain was excruciating, just like it had been in Lustra¡¯s vision.


    ¡°I lied,¡± Ticosi said in a whisper, keeping me upright with his other hand. ¡°You¡¯re obviously a distraction for Hull, and with your Soul at Rare, you might be able to tell someone about our plans once you¡¯re summoned. Too risky by half. You¡¯ll be nothing but shards before the day is done.¡±


    Fear took hold of me, stronger than any pain. The thought of ceasing to exist completely unmoored any resistance I had left.


    ¡°Please, no,¡± I said, hating the hypocrisy I was spewing in my final moments but unable to stop. ¡°I¡¯m valuable. I can see cards, can see how they¡¯ll progress. I¡¯m worth keeping.¡± If I were a card, maybe I could see Esmi again and tell her how sorry I was for dying.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ticosi said, considering me. He hadn¡¯t pulled the dagger from my belly for the finishing blow, and it was a cold pressure living in my gut, radiating agony in all directions. Yet with the life leaking out of me and staining my water soaked shirt, all I cared about now was hearing this horrible man say he would make use of me. ¡°That is interesting. I¡¯ll give your card a read and will be much more likely to keep it whole if you cooperate. Now: hold still and die. Hull! This is the moment. Come finish the job and convince me that you don¡¯t need killing, too.¡±


    If I had carried some sort of weapon like this man did I could have struck him then, while his attention was diverted. Would it have made a difference? I didn¡¯t know how many cards he still had left, and up close I could see the impossible ¨C he had red flakes in his pale eyes. I¡¯d never stood a chance, especially not when fighting against the two of them. Hull had betrayed me, betrayed what we could have been. He¡¯d said he would, but I had refused to listen: too stubborn, too naive, and too desperate for a friend after being spurned by Warrick.


    I heard the slavering laugh of the approaching Demon Marauders, and like the coward that I was, I shut my eyes. All I could do was hope that the pain they brought would be brief.

 56. Hull - On the Brink

    The chuckling huffs of my Marauders flanked me as I walked slowly toward Ticosi and Basil. I absent-mindedly pulled and summoned my final source and a card from my Mind Home, but I couldn¡¯t pull my eyes away long enough to see what it was. The Big Man had let the slender noble boy splay out on the ground and was going through his pockets. He fished out the Night Terror Basil had won from me, gave me a flat, ugly, loaded look as he waved it at me, and then tucked it back into the pouch hanging around his neck. You don¡¯t deserve this, that look said. I wondered just how close he¡¯d been to my mother. Had he slept with her? Had he loved her? I¡¯d have plenty of time to ask once this was all done and I was working for him, but I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted the answers.


    Ticosi¡¯s knife jutted proud and quivering from Basil¡¯s belly. His silk shirt was already stained scarlet in a large ring around it. I¡¯d seen men stabbed like that before ¨C I¡¯d been stabbed like that before ¨C and most of them died slow and hard. The noble boy¡¯s fingernails scrabbled at the stones beneath him as he endured the pain with scared, shallow breaths and closed eyes. He hadn¡¯t yanked the knife, which was probably smart. His sources still circled his head and were ever so slowly refreshing, but what did it matter? He was going to die and I was going to have to do it. It felt like the Hammer should have been heavy as a boulder in my hand, but in truth, it quivered with readiness. It didn¡¯t care what it hit. Damn you, Basil. Why didn¡¯t you let me walk away?


    As if he¡¯d heard the thought, he opened his eyes and looked at me. The pleading I¡¯d seen earlier was gone. All that was left was the dull resignation of the dying. He looked like he belonged in the Lows with eyes like that. He hardly looked like the boy I¡¯d known these last few days. His lips moved, but no sound came out. He could have been asking me for mercy, or praying, or doing arithmetic in his head for all I knew. He¡¯d never get the chance to tell me.


    What did it matter?


    ¡°Have the demons eat him,¡± Ticosi said casually, standing up. ¡°Or, if you actually care about convincing me that you¡¯re worth half a damn and I should ever trust you again, use your Hammer and do it yourself. Don¡¯t think I failed to notice you hanging back a moment ago.¡±


    The two Marauders clawed at me as the moment stretched on, trying to do their damage to me, but the Sucking Void was still coating me. I couldn¡¯t look away from Basil, from the sad, defeated look in his eyes. Ticosi jabbed me hard in the chest, forcing me to turn and face him. He had turned his full attention to me, that lizard gaze driving into me, his eyes more bloodshot than ever, the ruby flecks glinting a brighter shade of red in the midst.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never, Hull. My soft spot for you is hardening fast. Do this and you can be at my side as we watch the King die and build something better. Fail me and the little lord dies anyway, but I will never trust you. Not ever.¡±


    My hand tightened on the Hammer. He was right. Now or never.


    I spoke to my Marauders. ¡°Kill him.¡±


    I pointed at Ticosi.


    ¡°You worthless piece of shit!¡± he roared, rage flaring as the demons bounded toward him. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    I¡¯d been the worst kind of stupid ¨C I¡¯d dithered and given his Souls time to refresh a step. If I¡¯d set my big boys on him while he¡¯d been occupied looting Basil¡¯s dying body I could have stripped him of a dozen cards or more right off the bat and maybe even killed him outright. But no, I¡¯d had to sit there wrestling with myself like an idiot and let him recover. I raised my Hammer and dashed in after the Marauders. I¡¯d thought I could follow this man; thought that the fact he could help me accomplish my goals justified whatever I had to put up with in the meantime.


    I¡¯d been wrong. When he¡¯d stabbed Basil, when I¡¯d seen the shock on his face and the blood on his clothes, something had switched inside me like a key turning in a lock, and everything changed. I¡¯d let him stab the only person who¡¯d ever called me friend ¨C I¡¯d helped him do it ¨C and suddenly I could not tolerate the Big Man of the Lows. I couldn¡¯t undo the awful thing I¡¯d just done, but I could kill the man who¡¯d done it. That, or die trying.


    The latter seemed more likely; Ticosi sneered viciously and snapped a finger at his 2 Orcs holding their chain-and-ball weapons. Fast as an eyeblink, they both tossed their chains, tangling them in the legs of my Marauders, who ground to a halt in a hissing fury to free themselves. They would deal no damage this turn. I was still moving forward with my Hammer, and I cursed myself for not thinking to power myself up with Nether. I had all 7 available ¨C what was wrong with me? I¡¯d been so desperate to jump to the attack that I hadn¡¯t thought it through. He¡¯d likely block with his beefy Orc warrior and take no damage whatsoever.


    He did me one worse: instead of sending in a blocker, he tossed out a Spell.


    My muscles jerked and bucked just like they¡¯d done the first time he¡¯d tracked me down on the streets earlier this week ¨C a lifetime ago ¨C and I fell to my knees with a groan, unable to move.


    ¡°You miserable lying sack of fish spunk,¡± he spat. ¡°You turn coat and don¡¯t even do that right.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. I hadn¡¯t so much as scratched him, and my Sucking Void was about to run out of steam, taking my Mind Home with it. I pulled 2 cards while I still could, adding a Ravening Hatchling and the Vampiric Blade to the other cards I had in hand. I was suddenly grateful I¡¯d forgotten to use my Nether to strengthen my blow ¨C I still had a split second in which I could do something. Devoting 2 source, I flung one of the Spells he¡¯d given me with spasmodic fingers.


    A gout of purple energy spurted up from the stones right at Ticosi¡¯s feet, and he threw up a startled hand. It stripped his last 2 cards out of hand and pulled a shower of card confetti from his Mind Home. Reflexively I tried to squint to see what he¡¯d lost, but all that happened was that my eyes crossed and everything went blurry. You¡¯re not under the Dueling Dome, stupid. You¡¯re playing blind.


    I still had plenty of source. Given my dire straits, it didn¡¯t make any sense to summon my Ghastly Gremlin or the Ravening Hatchling; I needed to be able to block from hand once my Mind Home emptied itself here in a moment, and I didn¡¯t have time for another attack right now anyhow. However¡­ I drained nearly all of my remaining source to make the one final play that might help save my sorry, idiotic ass.


    I set my hand on the floor and wrapped my gradually-calming fingers around the sword¡¯s hilt. My Hammer might be focused, but this one was fresh, and anything that hit me would only bring me cards in return. My Marauders, slinking back to my side with a disgruntled air, swiped me with their claws, and a bare heartbeat later the Sucking Void shimmered away to nothing.


    My Mind Home emptied itself. I was well and truly fucked.


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s a shame, what you¡¯ve done,¡± Ticosi said quietly, ¡°but instead I feel impressed to thank you. It¡¯s the height of stupidity to move against me now, when my doubts are fresh and my suspicion roused. Had you waited even a single week you might have lulled me into thinking I could depend on you.¡± He twitched his head toward me in a mock bow. ¡°Allow me to show you the tokens of my regard.¡±


    He flicked two cards up out of hand, smirking as a couple of his Chaos source went dark.


    I felt a wrenching inside myself, and one of my Nether source spun away from me and sailed over to hover over Ticosi. A split second later, the cards hovering in front of me flew away as well, landing in his outstretched hand.


    ¡°You son of a bitch, what did you do?¡± I gasped, doubling over. It felt like I¡¯d been punched in the chest by an invisible man and had my insides scoured with sand all at once.


    ¡°I showed you what happens when you choose the wrong side,¡± he said, serious as a judge. ¡°You die.¡±


    He sent all his Souls rushing at me. He¡¯d stolen my hand. I had nothing to block with.


    I felt like I¡¯d swallowed ice. This was it. I was going to die. I¡¯d betrayed the Big Man and this was how it turned out. Feeling numb, I raised the Vampiric Blade out of habit, lashing at Basil¡¯s stolen Master Assassin even as it stuck its knives into me.


    I felt power flow from the sword into my Mind Home and then immediately out as a burst of card shreds as the Lifesap exactly matched the damage he dealt me. He burst into shards, leaving me gasping. The two Orc Slingers were right on his heels, but now the sword was heavy and useless in my hand. One of them swung its chain at my legs, and I felt a horrible crack as my right leg broke and folded underneath me. I screamed, my world going white as I fell to the floor. The second one slammed the brass ball of its bolas into my chest, and my scream cut off with a strangled gasp. I heard something else snap inside me and tasted blood on my tongue.


    Sorry, Basil. I really messed it up. Head swimming with pain, I turned to watch the final Orc, the Warrior, raise its long-hafted axe. This would be a killing blow. There was no escaping it.


    Its brow wrinkled in confusion as its knees hit the floor. Someone had focused it before it could complete its attack.


    Looking over to Basil from where I lay, I saw his hand fall back and the glitter of a freshly-summoned Spell vanishing on the air. One of his Order source was dark and hanging low. How? He was out of cards! I didn¡¯t even think he was still conscious!


    Obviously he was, because he was laughing weakly even as he clutched at the knife in his belly. He forked his fingers in the air at Ticosi in a gesture of defiance. Another second¡¯s thought and I understood: his Mind Home had been empty when Ticosi stabbed him, but he¡¯d still been gradually recovering cards from our duel. He¡¯d gotten the last of them back, played dead, and waited for his moment. My heart clenched hard enough that I felt it even past the pain of my broken bones. I¡¯d betrayed him, and he still stuck around to save my sorry hide.


    ¡°Twins take you,¡± Ticosi grated, pale face going red. ¡°This is what happens when you don¡¯t finish the job properly!¡± Working furiously, he devoted all the rest of his source, doing several things at once while he still could. One of the 2 cards remaining in Basil¡¯s hand flew away and shattered ¨C is that the Chaos source ability? I can¡¯t remember ¨C and then the two Souls he¡¯d stolen from me shimmered into being to serve as blockers.


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    My Marauders were finally back at the ready, bouncing eagerly on toes and knuckles despite their wounds. ¡°Kill him,¡± I pled. ¡°Quick.¡±


    I wanted to rush in with my Vampiric Blade to heal my own wounds. He¡¯d certainly block me with the Gremlin, but my Blade¡¯s Fast Attack would put it down before it could harm me. The problem was that even the thought of swinging the sword made me want to scream in pain and never stop. I suspected that if I put my intent into the Blade, the Fated nature of the card would drag me along with all my broken bones in order to connect, but it was too much. I¡¯d pass out. Just the violent movement itself might put one of my broken ribs into my lung or heart and kill me before I ever made contact. I had to stay put and let the Marauders do the job for me. Can they finish it? I don¡¯t even know how many cards he has left. If it was too many, then Basil had bought me a reprieve for nothing.


    I watched helplessly, pleading with my whole soul to the Twins as the two Marauders clashed with the Ravening Hatchling and the Ghastly, one apiece. They¡¯d both already taken another point of damage from Ticosi¡¯s Diadem of Ruin once they moved in to attack, and while they both mowed effortlessly over the smaller demons, turning them into sparkling shards, each one took deadly damage while doing it.


    Even so, their momentum and their Overkill ability let them take heavy, raging blows right at Ticosi¡¯s body. The first one tore at his chest right before it died, bringing forth a flurry of card confetti, and the second lasted a little longer, the Hatchling¡¯s Venom taking its time. It was long enough for the Marauder to swipe at his face, destroying even more cards¡­ and then tearing out his throat in a gout of deepest red.


    Ticosi¡¯s eyes went wide, and at the very last second his hooded lizard gaze held shock and fear. Then he crumpled, fell, and died. The rest of his Souls shimmered into nothing.


    The Marauder turned back to me, and I saw the promise of pain and retribution in its grinning face, but then it too turned into sparkling dust.


    The room fell silent, and I slumped back in exhaustion and pain. After a moment I heard someone crying softly. After another, I realized it was me. It had all happened so fast. I couldn¡¯t take it in.


    How long I lay there in a haze of pain, regret, and confusion I could not say. At some point, though, I heard Basil¡¯s quiet voice from across the room.


    ¡°The smart thing would be to pull this knife out and finish you with it.¡±


    I closed my eyes, tears still leaking out of me. ¡°That¡¯s smart, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you sided with him. After everything.¡±


    There was something peaceful about finally having all our cards in play. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Basil, about all of it. I was wrong.¡±


    He sounded as weary as he was pained. ¡°I suppose you did try to tell me. Twins twist me for being a trusting fool. Try to help a friend and get a knife in the stomach for your trouble.¡±


    I wanted to go kneel by him, to see to his wounds and beg his forgiveness, but I couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t hardly breathe, for that matter. I wished I still had that stupid Healing Potion. He could use it, we could wait for it to refresh, and then I could use it.


    That thought sparked another in my slow-churning head: the Vampiric Blade would fix us both up in a trice, and it was still in my hand. ¡°Basil, you don¡¯t still have an Ice Wall you could summon, do you?¡±


    ¡°No. Shut up.¡± Then, a moment later, ¡°Why?¡±


    I sighed in defeat. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing either of us could summon that we could use the Vampiric Blade on without taking any damage in return.¡±


    ¡°Shame someone hit me with their Hammer so many times,¡± he said bitterly.


    ¡°Yeah. Right. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Someone will be along shortly to see why I¡¯m missing my match,¡± Basil said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait.¡±


    I let my head fall to the side and saw the bloody mess of Ticosi leaking into a pool of red nearby. ¡°You think they¡¯ll heal us when they see all this?¡±


    ¡°They will me,¡± he said. ¡°They might not you when I tell them you¡¯ve been claiming noble relation and conspiring with a Chaos user.¡±


    I deserved that and then some. ¡°I really am sorr¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said sharply. ¡°I will not tolerate more lies. If you¡¯re not well enough to go fetch help, sit there in silence and leave me be.¡±


    I looked over and saw him glaring at the ceiling, jaw jutting stubbornly, hands still clutching his wounded stomach. I¡¯d never seen him look so angry. I shut my mouth, and we sat there in our own private prisons of pain.


    Finally he stirred. ¡°I may have to crawl off to find someone,¡± he admitted. ¡°I thought certainly the ruckus would have brought some attention.¡±


    I wanted to offer to go instead, but the slightest movement sent stabbing pains up my leg and stole what little breath I had. ¡°Careful of that knife,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t pull it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± he said sharply. ¡°Just¡­ give me a moment.¡±


    We were not given a moment. Right at that moment there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°In here!¡± Basil called weakly. ¡°Help!¡±


    The handle jiggled, but the bar Ticosi had dropped into place held fast. A second later there was a resounding crash, and the locking bar splintered into kindling as the door slammed open. The jerk of shock I felt from the sudden noise sent a fresh wave of pain through me, and I nearly vomited.


    A huge white Kobold stood in the gap.


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± it rumbled, its basso voice more felt than heard.


    ¡°Thank the Twins,¡± came a musical voice, and Esmi rushed into the room. Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw the destruction, and she cried in alarm when she caught sight of Basil. She stepped right over the top of me as she ran to him, not even acknowledging me.


    ¡°My dear Basil, what happened?¡± she cried. ¡°What is all this?¡±


    ¡°There was a bit of an altercation,¡± he said weakly. ¡°My apologies for inconveniencing you.¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± she said, reaching into a pocket and sifting quickly through a slim pack of cards. One of them she put behind her ear, and with several Fire source already overhead, she summoned it. A ruby-red potion not all that different from my old one shimmered into her hand, and she immediately put it into Basil¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull this knife out, and it¡¯s going to hurt like blazes,¡± she warned, ¡°but you have to drink immediately.¡± She got an arm under him, heedless of the blood. ¡°Ready?¡±


    He nodded, and with a deep breath, she pulled Ticosi¡¯s knife from his gut. He yelped in pain, but she helped him lift the potion to his lips. He gulped it down greedily.


    I tried not to feel jealous. Of course she¡¯d go to him first; he was her fiancee. What¡¯s more, this was all my fault. He deserved to be seen to first even if my wounds were a little worse.


    Basil got to his feet, looking shaky and still holding a hand to his belly at the memory of the pain. His shirt was soaked from hem to mid-chest with his own blood.


    ¡°Oh, and he¡¯s a mess too,¡± Esmi said, hurrying to my side. ¡°I have another potion here somewhere, just hold on.¡±


    Basil walked up and stood over me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you should,¡± he said darkly.


    Esmi looked up in shock. ¡°Why ever not?¡±


    His face was hard and cold as he gestured to Ticosi¡¯s dead body. ¡°He helped the man who attacked me.¡±


    She went still and considered me with a new distance in her eyes. ¡°Is that true, Hull?¡±


    The judgment in her gaze cut almost as deeply as Basil¡¯s did. ¡°Yes. I thought I had to.¡±


    ¡°He did come to my aid once I¡¯d been stabbed,¡± Basil admitted grudgingly. ¡°Nearly got himself killed too.¡±


    Esmi shook her head, businesslike. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let him die on the floor one way or the other. If we need to call for the guards after that, then we¡¯ll do so.¡± She got out another card and put it in her Mind Home, pulling forth a second potion. ¡°Try anything funny once you¡¯re on your feet and I¡¯ll have my Kobold break you again,¡± she warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of cards,¡± I croaked. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t anyway.¡±


    She still watched me carefully as I downed the thick sludge in the bottle. It tasted far better than my potion had, and energy surged through me, leaving me gasping and shaking. It was a disconcerting thing to feel my leg knit itself back together, but it felt like bliss once it was done.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I sighed, climbing to my feet. Neither of them helped me up.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Esmi said, finally getting a good look at Ticosi. ¡°How horrible.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look,¡± Basil said, drawing her away.


    ¡°He was worse when he was breathing,¡± I assured her. ¡°This is the best I¡¯ve ever seen him look.¡±


    ¡°We have to call my father,¡± Basil murmured. ¡°It will be a horrible scandal.¡±


    ¡°Who was that man?¡± Esmi asked.


    ¡°A criminal of some sort,¡± Basil said. ¡°Hull says he ran the slums. A Chaos wielder.¡±


    Esmi looked at him sharply. ¡°What scandal is there, then? You defeated a traitor who attacked you in your own rooms. You¡¯ll be a hero once it¡¯s known.¡±


    Basil scowled at Ticosi¡¯s body, thinking hard, and then looked away, seeming to want to change the subject. ¡°I presume I missed our rematch?¡± he asked her with a crooked smile.


    She rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. I made them wait as long as possible, but they wouldn¡¯t let me go look for you until they¡¯d already called the forfeit.¡±


    He nodded calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t imagine I¡¯d have won at any rate. I¡¯ve reached top 5; I¡¯d considered conceding as the match begun regardless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have given you an earful if you had,¡± she said archly. ¡°If we petition the Games Council, they might allow for a replay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m in no shape at this point,¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never nearly died before. I want to sit in a quiet corner for a week and not see anyone but you, if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Basil,¡± she said, enveloping him in a comforting hug. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡±


    He laughed into her mass of curly hair. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I want to sit quietly for a week after I watch you humble Prince Gerad in the finals.¡±


    I wished I could creep away and let them have their moment, but the Albino Kobold stood in the doorway, and I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d let me go quietly.


    When I looked back they were both regarding me solemnly.


    ¡°What¡¯s to be done?¡± Esmi asked him.


    I opened my mouth to offer an opinion, but Basil held up a hand, forestalling me. ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to hear from you,¡± he said, stern. ¡°I¡¯m far too angry. And let me tell you: I will not allow you to drag me and my family into disrepute yet again because you chose to consort with traitors. I am going to leave with my fianc¨¦e to clear my head and you are going to stay here. You will clean this up and dispose of that body.¡±


    ¡°Basil,¡± Esmi said, sounding shocked. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said, sounding troubled but still firm. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m beginning to believe that obeying all the rules all the time will keep me bound hand and foot for the rest of my life. It¡¯s time I learned the lessons the Twins keep trying to teach me.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to get rid of the body?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Have your demons eat it and lick up the blood,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Collect his cards first and I¡¯ll take charge of them when I return.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound even remotely fair, but now was not the moment to argue.


    ¡°Put the room in order as best you can,¡± he ordered. ¡°When I return¡­ we¡¯ll discuss what¡¯s to be done.¡±


    I shrugged and nodded. I owed Basil; I¡¯d clean up the mess I made. When he found me gone once he returned, it would simply confirm to him that I was a bad seed, and that¡¯d be that. It hurt, but it was better than going into the Palace cells for conspiracy and treason.


    He stepped forward and looked me in the eye. ¡°If you leave before I return, I will hunt you down. I will tell my father what you¡¯ve done and have him scour the city. I am not finished with you, Hull. I have things to say.¡± He opened his mouth as if to say more, shook his head angrily, and then drew Esmi away by the hand.


    She followed him, giving me an unreadable look on her way out. The Giant Kobold¡¯s red eyes were unfriendly, but it pulled the door shut gently as they all left.


    I looked at Ticosi¡¯s broken corpse on the floor. There lay my dreams of killing the King, of maybe teasing out some information about my mother. I¡¯d given it all up to save a boy who was going to hate me for the rest of his life, and I couldn¡¯t even say he was wrong to do so.


    Strangely, the only thing I really regretted was not turning on Ticosi when Basil had first suggested it. Or earlier even ¨C what if I¡¯d admitted the whole mess with the Big Man the night before when we¡¯d stayed up late drinking and talking? If I¡¯d have worked with him from the beginning, I¡¯d be sitting in the stands watching him fight Esmi right now, and we¡¯d all be friends. Or Ticosi would have tracked me down and killed me already.


    It was done; there was no point in wasting more thought on the matter. I found a soaked, overturned chair and set it on its feet, waiting for my cards to refresh. Once I could summon my Sucking Void and my Marauders, I had a messy job to do.


    And after that¡­ well, we¡¯d see.

 57. Basil - Decisions

    Despite Esmi¡¯s potion having mended me, I felt lightheaded and awkward being upright, making use of my limbs. So, I walked at a slow, measured pace down the hallway, hand held protectively to my stomach as if it might start gushing blood again. Esmi was kind enough not to hurry me, keeping a dignified pace at my side. I didn¡¯t have a particular destination in mind; I just knew I needed to be anywhere but that room. The way her warm hands rested in the crook of my other arm made the journey easier, as did her giant kobold following in our wake, sending anyone who might be tempted to ask about my sopping and bloodstained appearance scurrying out of the way.


    After a time, my fiancee asked the inevitable. ¡°What will you do about him?¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely no idea,¡± I answered without hesitation. After the nightmare I had just lived through, Esmi felt like the only person in the world I could trust, and I didn¡¯t mind her knowing how completely out of my depth I was.


    ¡°You seemed quite sure of yourself a few moments ago.¡±


    ¡°A few moments ago¡­¡± I trailed off, my hand going from my stomach to run through my water-slick hair. A few moments ago, I had been at the edge of death¡¯s abyss, staring into the certainty that I would not only fail in seeing my life goals achieved but also that I would be completely erased from existence. The prospect had been utterly terrifying, and when I somehow managed to survive, righteous anger had been the only thing stopping me from curling into a ball around the knife and joining Hull in his tears. He had sounded so gutted at the very end, remorseful even. ¡°That idiot,¡± I breathed out, my indignation still closer at hand than I realized. If he had taken up with me at the beginning, neither of us would have had to go through such an awful ordeal.


    ¡°If you think Hull is in league with the man you dueled,¡± Esmi said, speaking obliquely due to a pair of maids we passed. ¡°Then you are probably right to inform your father.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that. Not after how Hull turned on him.¡±


    ¡°That was my suspicion as well, but I didn¡¯t wish to presume. Why do you suspect Hull changed his mind?¡±


    ¡°For me, I suppose.¡±


    Esmi paused, bringing me to a halt as well. ¡°You suppose? What makes you doubt yourself?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t drum up another plausible reason why he would have swapped allegiances when he did, or at such Twins-awful timing. He didn¡¯t even surprise the man. As near as I can tell, going through with the final act was just too much for him.¡± It felt odd to refer to my own demise so, as if it had happened at a distance, and it was equally strange to feel even a thimble of gratitude toward Hull for his final actions, but it was there in me, small yet significant.


    Esmi pulled us along again, and my body obliged her. My mind, however, had spun off in a different direction: Was this the best I could hope for from a friend? Not quite murdering me? If so, I was better off without any at all.


    ¡°Hull said, ¡®He thought he had to¡¯,¡± Esmi quoted, ¡°about siding with the man initially. Why do you think that was?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite good at this,¡± I commented.


    ¡°At what?¡± The casual way she asked, turning her head toward me just so and the breeze playing in her hair, could make me believe we were out for a pleasant stroll. The memory of the knife in my gut ruined the fantasy, the sensation so visceral it was like it was still there, the cold heavy weight living between my ribs.


    I took a breath, pushing the pain of the past away. ¡°My father has had me listen in on prisoner questioning a handful of times over the years. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think you came from the same sort of family.¡±


    Esmi ignored the suggestion with an unassuming shrug. ¡°I¡¯m simply trying to sift through what little information we have.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m simply trying to compliment my fiancee. Is that not allowed?¡± I asked with what playfulness I could muster in my current state.


    Her features softened. ¡°Of course you can. After what you¡¯ve been through, you can do whatever you like.¡± Esmi leaned in, pecking me on the cheek, but then lingered there. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe,¡± she said, breathing into my neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have done if you hadn¡¯t been.¡±


    While I adored her close, I felt the need to look her in the eyes to respond adequately, so I took her by the shoulders and leaned back. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more grateful to the Twins and the Twelve to be here with you now, Esmi. If I had died, I know you would have felt the loss keenly. I know you love me,¡± I added with a small grin. ¡°However, with the strength I¡¯ve seen in you, in a shorter time than you imagine, you would have been all right. You would still go and do all the wonderful things that Fate surely has in store for you.¡±


    The gold in her eyes flared, and I thought she might strike me. ¡°Don¡¯t you talk like that. I would not have been all right.¡± Her hands around my elbow pulled me closer. ¡°I¡¯m probably asking all these questions because otherwise I¡¯d be rushing you off to a room with the thickest door and softest bed I could find for a week straight, if not longer, to ensure that you¡¯re safe and fully recovered.¡±


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    I felt my cheeks heat at the thought but didn¡¯t mind. If anything, I was glad to still be here in the flesh to have such a reaction. ¡°Perhaps we can do that for our honeymoon.¡±


    She seemed to realize the implication of what she had said and joined me in blushing. The shade looked marvelous on her.


    ¡°To answer your question, Hull¡­¡± I leaned closer even though no one was near. ¡°He¡¯s the king¡¯s son.¡±


    Esmi¡¯s eyes flew wide in shock, but only for a moment. ¡°I assume it was he who told you so. And you believe him?¡±


    I laughed hollowly. ¡°You make a good point.¡± Hull had proven himself to be someone who couldn¡¯t be trusted. And yet, as I thought on it, I found myself questioning whether or not he had ever lied to me directly. I was surprised to discover that I couldn¡¯t think of such an instance. ¡°Strangely, I do believe him.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why Hestorus took him aside at dinner,¡± Esmi mused. ¡°Hull didn¡¯t seem pleased afterward, and from what he did today¡­¡±


    ¡°Precisely. He wants to see the king¡­removed,¡± I said very quietly.


    ¡°And killing you¡­?¡±


    ¡°That man you saw caught Hull telling me their plans and said I was dead for knowing.¡±


    Esmi nodded. ¡°If one was going to engage in such a risky enterprise, secrecy would be an obvious prerequisite for any chance at success.¡±


    I concurred, and we walked in silence for a time, reaching an outer rounded walkway, which looked over the arena. The number of spectators packed into the stands was more than I could take in at a glance because the entire circle was in use now, only a single dueling platform left on the grounds, right in the center. I could see someone pacing there, well below, who must have been the prince.


    Esmi surely saw the same, but instead of hurrying down the steps, she put her hands atop the low wall and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Hull didn¡¯t seem like a noble in hiding when we first met him,¡± she said.


    ¡°Nor to me.¡±


    Neither her focus or posture changed, but her face fell. ¡°How utterly awful.¡±


    It was obvious to me what she meant. To have not just a father, but one with the resources of our king, and yet to be made to scrape like a stray dog. It was the height of cruelty.


    ¡°Hull must truly hate him,¡± Esmi added.


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine so. It certainly explains his general disposition, and ¨C¡± A thought came to me that I couldn¡¯t believe I hadn¡¯t managed to put together until now. ¡°His Nether Source. It¡¯s a testament to precisely how much he hates him.¡± I knew the grueling, daily effort that had gone into cultivating my five of Order and three of Air, and Hull had seven Nether.


    She nodded forlornly at the revelation. ¡°And yet¡­¡±


    ¡°And yet?¡± I asked when she didn¡¯t finish the thought.


    She gave me a sad smile. ¡°He gave it all up for you.¡±


    I looked away, trying to breathe out the knot that had formed in my chest. I could tell what Esmi was getting at, but he had attacked me, betrayed me. If even a single card had drawn differently, we would have both ended the day dead, and no matter what rationale was applied to the situation, a sizable portion of that blame would always lay squarely at Hull¡¯s feet. I clenched and unclenched my fists on the walltop, trying to control and release the rush of emotion that was boiling through me. I would have liked longer to collect myself, but I knew we didn¡¯t have the time, so I was still rather raw when I turned back to her.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m finding that understanding is not the same as forgiving.¡±


    She laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t need to forgive him today, Basil. You just need to decide if you will report him.¡±


    That, finally, eased some of my tension. ¡°Hull will make that decision, not me.¡±


    Esmi looked at me quizzically and then I saw it come to her. ¡°That¡¯s why you left him alone.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. My father also used to say that you could often learn more about a person after a night of solitary than a night of questions. If Hull is still there when I return, I see no reason to involve anyone else. If not¡­¡± I shrugged. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to that possibility or explaining it to my father, but I wouldn¡¯t be taken advantage of anymore.


    ¡°Will you go see him now?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I said I was going to watch your duel. He can wait until after that.¡± I didn¡¯t add that I was unsure what I might say to Hull if I saw him again too soon, particularly with the room I had almost perished in as the backdrop.


    Esmi looked like she might want to argue, but then the announcer¡¯s voice from far below came to us, calling her name, followed by whoops and shouts from the crowd.


    She turned back to me. ¡°Last chance to make your case to the announcer and council. You must know it wasn¡¯t your fault, and we can surely come up with a believable excuse as to your delay. I can even refuse to play Gerad until they agree,¡± she offered brightly. ¡°They won¡¯t dare skip the final match of the day. People would riot.¡±


    Watching her be the type of person she was coaxing out of me was both inspirational and intimidating. I knew how badly she wanted to defeat Gerad, and yet here she was, risking that opportunity for my benefit. The truth was, I was actually feeling halfway decent now and probably could have dueled. However¡­


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to beat him twice to be declared the victor since you¡¯re coming from the Losers Bracket.¡±


    ¡°I know ¨C¡± she started


    ¡°Which means,¡± I continued, ¡°you¡¯ll need all your energy to see the task done. I¡¯d never forgive myself if I got in the way of that.¡±


    She hesitated, clearly battling within, but then threw her arms around me. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered. I gave her a quick squeeze in return and kissed her cheek, after which she pulled away, motioning to her giant kobold. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sklar.¡± The massive albino creature surprised me by picking her up and placing a huge clawed foot on the low wall. Before it went wherever it planned, Esmi turned my way. ¡°Wish me luck?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± I answered, and then the kobold pushed off, launching them into the air in a soaring arc toward the platform down below.

 58. Hull - The Wants of a Street Boy

    Ticosi¡¯s body was already stiffening. He looked sightlessly at the ceiling, his mouth gaping just a little, his throat gaping far wider. Crouching next to him got the bottoms of my shoes sticky with congealing blood, but there was enough water pooled all over that I¡¯d be able to wash them clean after. How Basil expects me to make this room any less of a disaster I don¡¯t know. The ceiling is buckling, for Twins¡¯ sake. Well, I¡¯d deal with that later ¨C first things first. I unstrung the little pouch from around the dead man¡¯s neck and fished the Night Terror out of it. It was my mother¡¯s card, and I wanted it back.


    Would Basil let me keep it? By rights it belonged to him; he¡¯d won it from me during our last match. All he¡¯d be able to do was trade it away, and the thought made me sick to my stomach. The woman might be the world¡¯s worst mother, but for some reason I still wanted to keep her things and find whatever I could about her. I wished I¡¯d had more presence of mind to keep my demons from killing Ticosi during the fight ¨C who knew what he could have told me? But I¡¯d been on death¡¯s door at the time, and in the moment I¡¯d felt nothing but relief when they¡¯d torn his throat out. I put the Night Terror in my pocket for now.


    There was plenty more I needed to harvest from the corpse. I¡¯d spent so many years fearing this bastard that I was almost afraid to loot him, like he¡¯d spring back to life and bite me or something, but I steeled myself and reached into his mouth, gripping his jaw with one hand to pry it wider, trying to ignore the gore right next to my fingers. Just because I¡¯d seen dead folk before didn¡¯t mean I liked it.


    I felt the edge of a card on his cold, slimy tongue and pulled it out as quickly as I could. What did the card of a man like him look like?


    It looked pretty damn impressive, that was how it looked. Not traditionally powerful, maybe, but cunning, tricksy, and deadly, just like the man himself. What had I been thinking, taking on an Epic? Had I known that¡¯s what he was, I might not have had the courage to turn on him. His eyes had always been so bloodshot red that I¡¯d never noticed the ruby flecks ¨C and before I met Basil and learned a bit about dueling, I wouldn¡¯t have known what they meant anyway.


    I¡¯d never seen a card with so much text on it, and the powers were unique. Being able to stack your deck deeper than others without having to work at it was a boon, no question, and I could imagine the card draw being very useful if you had a thick stack of cards in the Mind Home like he did, but it was the Soulspeaking that really caught my eye. For a guy who ran the Lows with an iron fist, being able to send messages out with a Soul ¨C like he had to me with that nasty spider ¨C would be really useful. Not to mention conspiring with enemies unknown to kill the King. He had to have been working with the Orcs, I figured. They were the Chaos folk, and hadn¡¯t Hestorus said something about them rumbling along the border during that fancy dinner for the top 8? I hoped a dozen giants took turns stomping on the man when the time came¡­ but Ticosi wouldn¡¯t be the one helping them. It galled me to have helped my father even in this indirect kind of way, but the regret was less painful than I¡¯d thought it would be. I¡¯d had to help Basil, I¡¯d had to, whether the little shit appreciated it or not.


    I shook my head, focusing back on the card. Can I use this? I¡¯d have to learn to cultivate Chaos, and there was no chance under the sun such a thing was either easy or legal. Plus, I didn¡¯t know if Basil would let me keep the card; there were probably noble-folk rules about that sort of thing. But if anybody deserved it, I did. The Big Man had been actively trying to kill me just two days before, and he¡¯d been the one with the boot on all our necks in the Lows for a long time before that.


    Firming my jaw, I stuffed the card into my pocket. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever be able to use it ¨C or that I¡¯d want Ticosi in my Mind Home even if I could ¨C but it was mine. If Basil made a stink I¡¯d just say my demons ate him before I got to his Soul card. I wasn¡¯t at all sure my demons could destroy a card, but maybe he wouldn¡¯t know either. Counting on Basil not knowing is stupid. He¡¯s too smart for his own good.


    Well then, I¡¯d just tell him the card was my price for the cleanup. I hadn¡¯t wanted to antagonize the boy any further when he¡¯d been here in the room, but when he¡¯d taken the high hand and ordered me to clean his room like I was one of these Coliseum lackeys, my hand itched to slap him nearly as bad as when we¡¯d first met. Sure, maybe I deserved a little ill treatment after what I¡¯d done, but I still wasn¡¯t very good at biting my tongue. One way or the other, Ticosi¡¯s card was mine, even if Basil decided he wanted to send me to prison.


    And what will you do if that¡¯s his game? I mulled it over as I drew the cards out of Ticosi¡¯s Mind Home from behind his ear. You going to trot off meekly to the Palace cells because little Basil says so? No, I wouldn¡¯t. Just because I owed him a debt didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d let him ruin me.


    The door was right there. He¡¯d said not to leave, that he¡¯d hunt me down if I did, but¡­ wasn¡¯t it the smart move? If I left now, would he really be able to find me? Would he even bother? A few days to cool off and he might decide I wasn¡¯t worth the trouble. All I¡¯d have to do is confirm his worst doubts about me and run.


    I was squatting there in a pool of blood next to a dead man with a stack of cards in my hand, and I suddenly realized I was staring at the door like my head had gone soft. Plenty of time to worry about Basil later. Focus on the job at hand.


    I flipped through the cards one by one. He¡¯d had a full thirty in his Mind Home. For the first time I appreciated just how close Basil and I had come to dying. Only a fool would attack the Big Man, and I¡¯d paid for it dearly. I stopped on the pair Ticosi had used against me there near the end. He¡¯d ripped away one of my source and then my entire hand, and I hadn¡¯t been able to clearly see the Spells that had done it.


    They made for a great combo, and I saw how deftly he¡¯d avoided giving up any of his own cards with Mind Swap by waiting until his hand was empty. I hadn¡¯t noticed one of his Chaos source exchanging with my Nether when it happened, but I supposed I¡¯d been busy getting beaten to a pulp by his Orcs at the time; I could forgive myself for missing the smaller details.


    And there was the Spell he¡¯d used on Basil to steal his Master Assassin, as well as my Marauder the night he¡¯d shown up in my room.


    It was a risky play, because you never knew what you¡¯d get, but I imagined what would have happened if he¡¯d gotten one of my Marauders during our fight instead of me having both of them, and I shuddered. It would have been the end of me and Basil both.


    I pawed through the rest. He had no end of Souls, it seemed, and some of them were pretty damn fierce.


    There were others too, of course, but I¡¯d seen what they could do already. I¡¯d seen the Half Giant in play, if only squatted on its haunches and hampered by the confines of the room, and I was glad Basil had been able to finish it off before I had to face it.


    It was the Relics, though, that widened my eyes the most.


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    The Diadem of Ruin had been a constant thorn in my side during our fight, and I could only thank Fate that he hadn¡¯t gotten that Armor too. All in all, it was a seriously impressive deck, and as I counted all of them at once, I could only shake my head and wonder that I had survived. The son of a bitch had had thirty cards in his Mind Home. Maybe an elder noble might have that many ¨C if he¡¯d dedicated his life to dueling or war, perhaps ¨C but that many cards in the Lows? And all of them Chaos? If I were Hestorus and I knew about such a man, I¡¯d have taken an army into the Lows and burned it all to the ground just to be rid of him. Ticosi had suggested that some of the higher nobility knew about him and allowed him to operate. The whole system was rotten.


    I was about to summon my Marauders to dispose of the body when I shook my head and reached back toward him. Less than a week ago I¡¯d been living on the street, and already I nearly missed checking his pockets. Lunacy. His pants pockets held a few coins, though nothing of great value, but his leather coat was a treasure trove. A fat purse with no less than five crowns was the first find, and in the same pocket I found a solid metal claw-style bracelet of silver. It had a curious housing with hinges on it that would sit right on top of the wrist if worn; it looked like a stone or gem could clip into it and be held securely, but it was empty now. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it looked valuable, so I took it. The other pocket held my Epic Revenant Lord that I¡¯d had to turn over to him earlier in the day; I was more than happy to take that back and put it alongside the Night Terror.


    I considered stripping the trenchcoat off of him. The pale patchwork leather made for a striking piece of clothing even sopping wet and soaking up blood. I¡¯d never wear it, of course. Even thinking about it made my skin crawl. It was so much a part of Ticosi that putting it on would have felt the same as slicing off his face and wearing it as a mask. I could sell it, perhaps, but¡­ no. Let it die with the man who made it infamous.


    The corpse was rolled partially onto its side, and I pulled on a rigid arm to pull him flat. I saw a leather thong tied around his far leg and realized it was part of a sheath. Untying the thong was the work of a moment, but unbuckling his belt to unthread the top felt ickier. In the end, though, I came away with a medium-sized knife in a black leather sheath with a pearl handle. Drawing it, I saw it looked the same as the knives he¡¯d been throwing at Basil during the fight. How many knives did this bastard carry?


    Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t see any of the knives he¡¯d thrown on the floor anywhere, not even the one Esmi had yanked out of Basil. That was odd. I was sure they hadn¡¯t taken it with them. Pulling the knife from its sheath, I hefted it experimentally. I knew nothing about knife throwing, but it felt pleasantly heavy and well-balanced. If I could find the rest of the set, it might be worth hanging onto them.


    I tossed the handle from one hand to the other, testing the feel, and immediately froze. I was suddenly holding matching knives in both hands.


    ¡°Twins tickle me,¡± I muttered, dumbfounded. They were exactly the same, right down to the hammer-divots in the metal just above the handle. Moving slowly, I put one on top of the other, and they merged, becoming one. I tried to pull it out of the one hand with the other while imagining still holding onto it, and once again there were two.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I grunted. I took the one in my strong hand and hurled it at the bedpost. All the furniture would need replacing anyway; the force of the water had splintered most things in the room beyond repair. I missed the post and the blade thunked into the mattress with a puff of feathers. I did the same thing as before and a fresh knife duplicated itself into my hand. I could get used to this. Walking over to the bed, I saw that the first knife had disappeared. This was why Ticosi had so many knives: he had a magical Artifact that could copy itself. Very nice.


    I was putting off the unpleasant bit. I steeled myself, summoned my Nether as quickly as I could, and put on my Sucking Void protection before summoning both of my Marauders. They prowled in front of me, huffing their laughing breaths as they paced.


    ¡°Eat that,¡± I said, pointing to the corpse. ¡°Clothes and all. Get rid of everything. Then lick up the blood.¡±


    One of them grinned up at me and spoke in a gravelly voice. ¡°Finally, a bit of reward.¡±


    ¡°Started to think you didn¡¯t like us,¡± the other chuckled.


    ¡°Save you a piece?¡± the first said, loping over to the body and running its talons lovingly up and down Ticosi¡¯s flanks. ¡°The head bits are nice.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said roughly. Each one took hold of one of his arms and braced themselves to pull. I turned away and heard a sickening wet sound behind me as they pulled him to pieces and began to feed. ¡°Do it quick.¡±


    I summoned my Ghastly Gremlins to help them and then retreated to the other room. Even a street boy wasn¡¯t used to this kind of carnage.


    With the door shut I could think a little more clearly. I¡¯d done as Basil had asked. The demons would be done with the body in no time, and I¡¯d dismiss them as soon as my Sucking Void expired so they couldn¡¯t hurt me. Then I¡¯d straighten things up as best as I could and¡­ then what? Was I really going to sit here like a fool and wait for Basil to decide my fate? I had a fat stack of cards in hand and, now that Ticosi was dead, nobody after me any more. Harker was bouncing around out there somewhere, sure, but I felt plenty capable of handling that piggy brute now. She was small potatoes. I could do what I wanted.


    But what did I want? When I thought of my father, I still felt the same murderous rage and offended righteous ire as before. Should I just try to kill him myself? I knew it was idiocy even as I thought it. Basil and I together had nearly died facing an Epic ¨C who knew what kinds of insane power Hestorus could bring to bear as a Legendary? Yes, I¡¯d get to stand before him and be acknowledged as one of the Top 5 later today, so long as Basil didn¡¯t decide to have me jailed, but I was long past the childish dream of walking up and putting a knife in his eye. I wasn¡¯t ready. I had to play the long game there.


    War Camp was the right move. I¡¯d learn from the best, face the kingdom¡¯s enemies, and hopefully continue to improve my deck. I had some beastly good cards, but I was still a novice when it came to putting together a finely-tuned deck. I had a lot of work to do if I was ever going to be the kind of man who could take on the King and survive. And if that rankled, if waiting felt like a pale shadow of the destiny I wanted¡­ that was just the way things were sometimes. Street boys don¡¯t usually get what they want, even when they¡¯re not quite street boys anymore.


    And that was the truth of me now: I wasn¡¯t a scared, angry little mouse nibbling away in the shadows, and I¡¯d proved conclusively that I didn¡¯t have it in me to be the scary bastard Ticosi wanted me to be. I wanted¡­ Twins help me, I wanted to be like Basil. Not formal and snooty and silly like him, but good like him. A person who had friends. A person who had earned them. I had no illusions about being Basil¡¯s friend at this point ¨C I¡¯d taken that pretty little mirror and smashed it on the stones, and neither he nor Esmi would want anything to do with me after this. But maybe there were other decent folk out there that would be willing to put up with an asshole that sometimes forgot himself and stuffed food into his pockets. Who was angry and sour most of the time. Who would club a stranger over the head at the slightest hint of offense.


    Who are you kidding?


    I walked back out into the front room with the full intention of marching out the door and taking my chances running for it. The second I opened it, though, the Marauders were right there, whining and clawing at me, telling me how good the meal had been with their mouths and claws slick with gore.


    ¡°Begone,¡± I told them all. The body was gone, the blood mostly mopped up, and my Sucking Void was about to expire anyway. The pack of demons hooted and hollered, the sound fading as they vanished into mist. Mere seconds later my starlight armor broke and my Mind Home emptied itself again. I hated that feeling.


    The least I could do was take three crowns out of the purse I¡¯d taken from Ticosi and leave them on the corner desk as payment for the card I¡¯d told Throice that Basil¡¯s family would foot the bill for. That didn¡¯t entirely square the debt ¨C Throice was expecting two champions from House Hintal to back him, and he¡¯d only have one now ¨C but it was as close as I could get. If I left the money, he¡¯d be less likely to come after me.


    The money was on the desk and my hand was on the doorknob when I paused. Should I leave a note? I didn¡¯t know if that would make it better or worse. While I thought about it, I shifted whatever furniture wasn¡¯t totally ruined back into place. He¡¯d asked me to do that, and it wasn¡¯t too much effort.


    Half a dozen times I went to the door fully intended to leave, skip the closing ceremonies, and disappear into the city, but somehow I never quite made it. I had three separate attempts at an explanation half-scrawled onto wet paper in my untrained hand, and I still hadn¡¯t managed to say anything useful. How did a fellow say sorry for nearly killing the only person who¡¯d ever been kind to him? Enough time had passed for my Mind Home to refresh, so I summoned my pack of demons and bossed them about like a tyrant, making them eat the scattered wood chips from broken furniture and lick up the pools of water while I wore my Plate and the Sucking Void just for fun.


    Once the room was cleaner than it had any right to be, given what had happened here, all trace of Ticosi¡¯s death gone, everything straightened and neat if still soggy and half-broken, I dismissed my demons and paced the floor. I was dithering and I knew it, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave. I sat back down at the desk and started on a fourth note. Maybe I could get the words down in a way that made sense this time.


    Right then the door creaked open, and it was with a strange mix of despair and relief that I stood to face my judgment. I¡¯d let my indecision make my decision for me. Maybe I¡¯d meant to all along.


    But it wasn¡¯t Basil at the door.


    My guts clenched. I¡¯d judged him wrong. I thought the worst the simpering noble boy would do was deliver me to the Palace cells. But Basil had grown strong since I¡¯d first met him, and my betrayal had changed him. He¡¯d sent one of his Souls to deal with me instead. I pulled Nether, cursing myself bitterly for once again getting caught with a depleted Mind Home.


    There was only one reason he¡¯d send his Master Assassin.

 59. Basil - Grand Finals

    Chapter 59


    Grand Finals


    Esmi played her first match beautifully, deftly countering the prince each time he tried an avenue of attack. First, she used her Rare kobold to steal a magnificent shield Relic the turn after it was summoned.


    Next, she managed to always leave one of Gerad¡¯s Souls alive so his attempts at Equality kept her Giant Kobold on the board; and finally, she used her From the Ashes Spell to repopulate the field after he overextended to cast an Epic removal Spell, which I had read about but not seen before: Fate¡¯s Judgment.


    During the back-and-forth, I didn¡¯t notice any changes to Esmi¡¯s deck, but I would have wagered a sizable sum that her previous experience facing Gerad had heavily influenced her mulligans and her order of play, resulting in a dominating performance on her end.


    The crowd cheered loudly for her when her newly risen kobolds crashed through Gerad¡¯s last cards and stomped their feet against the stone stands in excitement that the tournament wasn¡¯t over yet. They also screamed enthusiastically when Esmi held aloft the Rare Soul card she had won from him, turning slowly to display it to all watching.


    From what she had told me over lunch about their match, and what I had observed from my perch at the top of the stands, Gerad¡¯s best line of play against an aggressive deck like Esmi¡¯s was to get his Paladins on the field as soon as possible. That way he could draw and lay Order Source two a turn, which would then let him use an Order Source Explosion very early, giving him the card advantage that many of his Summons benefitted from. It would have been better if she had won one of those Souls instead, but the Master Scribe could let Gerad search out Paladins, so in a way, getting the card away from him should still help her in their next and final match.


    Esmi surprised us all by throwing the card she had won into the stands. It was an impressive toss considering the distance from the edge of the platform to even the lowest rung of spectators, but the gold-bordered card flew true and was caught from the air by a tall, gangly boy who tucked it behind his ear so quick no one had a chance to snatch it from him.


    It was inevitable that the crowd would begin to chant her name then, and I saw Gerad look upon the whole affair with utter contempt as he too slotted a new card behind his ear ¨C a replacement for the one he had lost, just as the rest of us had been allowed to do between matches.


    Apparently Fortune also approved of Esmi¡¯s display, because when the ante cards were pulled from the competitors for a second time and projected out for all to see by the Dueling Dome, it was Esmi¡¯s best Soul, and one who had recently come to my rescue, against the exact card she hoped to take from Gerad: Esmet, the Even-Handed.


    The Mythic was one of the strongest I knew of, with an incredible Arrival ability, particularly if you were using a deck that played or drew quickly, like Gerad was, and a secondary ability that would nearly always trigger. Without the Mythic, Gerad surely would have lost the previous match faster, and I could only imagine how much stronger Esmi¡¯s deck would become if it contained such a powerful Soul.


    With all my hope and will I prayed that she would win it.


    Esmi had a strong turn one opening with her Kobold Fighter into a regular Kobold, which I noticed she was favoring against Gerad instead of the Cold Blooded Kobold ¨C very likely because the regular Kobold could do its damage faster with Bloodlust before being inevitably cleared.


    Gerad, however, got a Paladin out on his very first turn, and played two Sources, starting his ramp up as quickly as possible.


    It continued like this, the plays from both of them quick and decisive, each knowing what they were working toward with their decks. Though it was riveting, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a gulf between their ability as duelists and my own. It was blatantly obvious that I couldn¡¯t beat Esmi with any combination of my current Order, Air, or Water cards, and now having seen a good majority of Gerad¡¯s deck, I was sure I would have lost just as spectacularly against him. The fact that Gerad¡¯s personal soul ability also let him have 6 cards in his opening hand instead of the usual 5 would only let him trounce me that much more easily.


    I wasn¡¯t being down on myself with these observations; I was still quite proud that I had reached the top 5 with no combat-related Soul abilities and various cobbled together decks. However, I had also almost been murdered today, and would have if not for Hull''s belated change of heart. That frightened me, which I felt no shame about but a deep seated concern. In a way, I was grateful for the new lens I was seeing things through, including cards and playstyles. I had never fully admitted to myself that I had resisted creating more normal ¨C and likely more optimal ¨C decks, in the interest of combinations that were unique. I had previously gotten a thrill out of winning in a way that felt ¡®mine.¡¯ But now? Now, I wanted to survive. I wanted a deck that could defeat two, or even more, opponents. When I went to war, that was surely what I would face, and I didn¡¯t plan to ever be unprepared again or caught off guard like I had been today.


    But what would a deck like that even look like? I had serious doubts that Air or Water would work in the new vein I was thinking, and maybe not even Order. The thought of changing my Sources so drastically after so many years of cultivating them was incredibly daunting. Yet also¡­ exciting.


    A collective gasp from the crowd pulled me back into the match, where I discovered that Gerad had pulled off a powerful combo, casting Equality into the Orb of Holding Relic.


    The pairing would let him clear the board every other turn, and as I watched, Esmi slowed her play down considerably, very similar to how she had handled Haze. She never stopped attacking the prince, but she only did it with one or two kobolds at a time. Using the opportunity to bolster his position, Gerad summoned a Source ball of yellow marble instead of the usual white porcelain.


    ¡°A special Source!¡± the announcer said. ¡°If rumors are true, the prince received it when he cultivated his tenth of Order. And it¡¯s not just for looks! This Source supplies more than the usual, whether focused or devoted.¡±


    Gerad proved her words true by devoting it and only it, and getting a new card from his Mind Home ¨C Order¡¯s Source Power, something that would normally cost 3 Source to fuel.


    Ridiculously, I found myself more jealous of that special Source than any of the prince¡¯s Mythics or Legendaries. The only semi-rational reason that came to me was that we had started cultivating around the same time, and he had managed to earn such a boon from the Twelve, while I was nowhere near to having that many of any type of Source, let alone an improved version of one.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Perhaps a touch spooked, Esmi committed with two more kobolds than before, but this proved to be a mistake because right afterward Gerad played a low cost but very effective Epic.


    I wouldn¡¯t have expected Gerad to use such a Soul considering his control playstyle, but against a swarm deck like Esmi¡¯s, it made perfect sense. The Queen¡¯s ability not only cleared the field of the one blocker Esmi had left up, but the handful of kobolds out let her hit Esmi so hard I winced from all the way in the back, watching a veritable cloud of card shards billow off of my fianc¨¦e.


    However, on the following turn, Esmi played a Spell she had used against me to great effect, which destroyed the Queen and did some damage to Gerad as well.


    Even more, in fact, when they did their usual attack right after. The second hit cost the prince greatly, the announcer practically burst our eardrums when she informed us in shock that one of Gerad¡¯s lost cards was none other than the Mythic Hilbrand. That was a card I had seen before, and so knew how fortunate Esmi was to not have to face it.


    With a sneer, the prince responded by wiping the field clear again using the Equality trapped inside the Orb, but no sooner was her board gone than Esmi refilled it by bringing out another regular Kobold, and two Den Mothers, each of which brought another tiny kobold scurrying after.


    At first, I couldn¡¯t follow her thinking because the prince had also just summoned his Epic Shield, which negated 2 damage from each attacking Soul. None of her new arrivals would be able to do any damage to him, even with her ability strengthening them.


    But instead of charging them forward, she used the last of her Source to cast Convocation.


    She promptly devoted all 5 of her Souls turned Source. Together, they created a rather large fireball made of Source Power, which went streaking at Gerad¡¯s face after it formed.


    ¡°Great play, my love!¡± I cried out, though she had absolutely no chance at hearing me from such a distance.


    Gerad answered back by bringing his other two Paladins out, sending both stomping past Esmi¡¯s recovering front line. The pair took another large chunk of her Mind Home because she only blocked for 1 damage. This left her with only 1 card left to draw and just 2 in hand ¨C a fact the announcer felt the need to repeat with frenzied vigor. To add insult to injury, Esmi¡¯s Fire Skin ability, which did 1 damage to anything that attacked her, was completely brushed off by the Paladins¡¯ Armor. Even worse, the crowd groaned and cheered in equal measure when the announcer revealed that the Treasure Hunter had been one of the cards lost.


    That Shield was apparently there to stay.


    Seeming undeterred by this and thus giving me hope, Esmi used her actual Source, which she hadn¡¯t drawn on as deeply as her Souls, to bring out her Giant Kobold.


    Then, before attacking, she cast a cheap Spell I had last seen employed by Plutar.


    The card proved that she had altered her deck some before facing the prince again, and I was interested to see that she targeted the Sun Shield with it instead of the Orb. The Spell made the Relic flare even brighter, melting it out of Gerad¡¯s grip and turning it into a pile of metal slop before dissipating. After this, she sent her Giant Kobold charging in, not at either of the vulnerable Paladins, but straight at Gerad.


    With Esmi¡¯s personal Soul ability added to the equation, the Giant hit him in a loud whump of 6 damage, which Gerad was forced to use 2 cards from hand to stop. I managed to catch both as they exploded, even from a distance ¨C it seemed my new ability would not only be of benefit when dueling outside of Domes but also potentially as some sort of scout.


    Gerad had been down to only 3 cards in hand when he made the play, so I could see why he had sacrificed both. Each of them had very strong utility, but unlike Esmet, they were only powerful at certain points in the game. Esmi¡¯s tactic of continually forcing Gerad to mitigate incoming damage had denied him a large hand size throughout the match, making cards like these ¨C and the Legendary sword he had lost earlier ¨C tricky to use.


    At this point, Gerad only had a single card remaining in hand and none in his Mind Home, exactly the same as Esmi.


    However, he had yet to play or lose his Legendary Soul, Kitsayna, and Esmi, having attacked with the Giant Kobold, had no defenders available to stop her. Esmi did still have multiple Source available, having never used a Source Explosion, but only one of them was a Fire Source, not enough to end it with a Fire Source Power attack.


    I mentally flipped through her deck in my mind, searching for a card that would let her win with this board state. Another Pile On wouldn¡¯t do enough damage to take it, and all of her Souls were focused or devoted, so another Convocation wouldn¡¯t help. Had she swapped in any other Fire cards like Melt? Perhaps a Fireball or Greater Fireball? But neither of those would be enough either¡­


    Gerad was itching to go, his last card held forward waiting for his Source to refresh, but before he got the chance, Esmi summoned her last card.


    The buff Spell took hold of her five smaller kobolds, all of them still focused, Esmi¡¯s Order Source paying for the majority of the cost. Seeing the move, I heard a rumble of confusion from those gathered about why she wouldn¡¯t have cast it before the Giant Kobold attacked, but when the Giant started to bellow as his kin died around him, hearts burning so hot you could see the glow through their flesh, the crowd quieted.


    One after the next, the Giant picked up the fallen kobolds and threw them at the prince, leaving Gerad no choice but to block the incoming missiles ¨C each of which would do a point of damage ¨C with Kitsayna.


    The Legendary Soul stopped four of the bodies in a forceful rebuff of diamond-colored shards, but the last kobold corpse sailed past that, knocking Gerad back a step.


    The prince might still be standing, but we all knew what we had seen, which prompted everyone present to start screaming their lungs out, myself included. After a solid minute of shouting my excitement, joy, and pride at watching my fiancee not only win the tournament but get the very Mythic card she was named after, I turned away from the celebration.


    I ached to go to Esmi, to share in this incredible moment with her, but first I needed to address the issue I had been putting off, and to do so while I still had any voice left to use. Going in person was the right move ¨C the one that showed that I was in command ¨C but I found that I simply didn¡¯t have it in me. Facing Hull in the room where he¡¯d very nearly gotten me killed was too fresh, too raw. So, after a bit of summoning Source and gradually drawing cards, my Master Assassin shimmered into being.


    We just stared at each other for a time while the continued cheers of the crowd boiled up from behind, showing no signs of slowing or stopping in their intensity.


    ¡°Nothing to say?¡± I eventually asked.


    ¡°A job is a job, and a Spell is a Spell,¡± the man replied in his gravelly voice. ¡°No matter the target.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hide my disappointment, and he didn¡¯t offer anything further. ¡°Go to my room,¡± I said, following the command with a cursory description of where it was located. ¡°If no one is there, alert me immediately. If, however, you find someone inside named Hull¡­¡±


    When I finished describing what I expected of him, he sprinted away, moving like a black blur across the walkway. The fact he hadn¡¯t complained about the task might have been his way of showing contrition about nearly putting me into an early grave without hesitation or apology. Or maybe I was assigning remorse where none existed in an effort to make myself feel better.


    He was, after all, a killer ¨C one so very skilled at his trade that he had not only left a card behind when he died, but one of Rare quality. The man¡¯s dead-eyed look made me think of the other darker Order cards I possessed, all of which I would undoubtedly be improving in the near future due to my Seersight ability. Was that really the sort of legacy I wanted to leave behind, passing down to my eventual children? Better versions of Assassins and Headsman?


    It seemed I had more to consider when it came to deciding what sort of duelist I wanted to be, but that wasn¡¯t something I was going to figure out in a day¡­ similar to the mess of conflicting feelings I currently held regarding Hull. I did, however, have a fiancee who deserved a hearty congratulations, and her earlier trick with the Giant Kobold gave me an idea.


    Two summoned Carrion Condors later, I was soaring through the air down to her, held aloft by their clawed feet gripping my outstretched arms, whooping with glee the entire way there.

 60. Hull - What Is Deserved

    My back itched with the Assassin walking behind me, but every time I glanced back he just pointed me forward. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I could tell the bastard was enjoying this. When I¡¯d faced him in Basil¡¯s room he¡¯d waited until I had cards in hand and was ready to summon before saying, ¡°You hit me yourself and my poison will do for you; you realize that? No Dueling Dome here. I¡¯ll have no choice in the matter.¡± His voice was gravelly but amused. ¡°I may not understand everything my Summoner does, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what he had in mind.¡± A knife had appeared in his hand from nowhere. ¡°Not that it has to go the way he wants. I¡¯m always ready to dance.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t attacked, of course. I wracked my brains for what Basil had meant, sending that particular Soul after me instead of maybe one that wasn¡¯t designed specifically for murder ¨C or coming to the room himself, as he¡¯d said he would ¨C and all I could think was that he meant to intimidate me. Given the choice between a little intimidation and a Fated poison dagger to the gut, I was happy to choose the former, but it rankled that I¡¯d sat there like a good little dog waiting for Basil¡¯s judgment and then he didn¡¯t even bother to come to me himself. I had a dozen cutting things I planned to say when we came face to face, each worse than the last, but in reality my stomach was churning and my heart was beating hard, and it wasn¡¯t because of the Assassin at my back. I¡¯d put my life and freedom in this noble boy¡¯s hands; I owed it to him after what I¡¯d done. Just because I knew it was right didn¡¯t make me any less nervous about it.


    The Assassin walked me out to the arena floor and we threaded our way through the milling crowds. There were servants, functionaries, older noble folk, and even some of the richer merchant class that had bought their way down onto the floor to mingle now that everything was done. I¡¯d missed the final rounds, by the looks of things. I minded less than I¡¯d thought I would ¨C after all, Prince Gerad had likely won the top spot, and watching him gloat and mug for his adoring subjects was just about the last thing I wanted to see.


    I spotted Basil arm in arm with Esmi up ahead, both of them smiling and surrounded by important folk wearing important clothes. My guts cramped and I held back, willing to wait for a better moment. My doubts piled up in my mind. If he¡¯d wanted to give me a stern talking-to and let me slip away, he¡¯d have come to the room, wouldn¡¯t he? Here amid all the Coliseum guards and palace bigwigs felt more like the right setting for a public accusation. I should have left while I had the chance. No, wait, you decided this was the right thing. Don¡¯t be a coward just because it¡¯s not what you hoped.


    Basil caught sight of me and his smile faltered. He made his excuses to whoever it was he was talking to, disentangled himself from Esmi with an apology in her ear, and worked his way toward me. He steeled himself visibly, and I did the same. My hands were shaking, so I stuffed them into my pockets, clutching the stacks of cards there as if they could save me. My mind might have said that this was right, but the rest of me was not at all sure.


    He stepped close, his eyes darting all around, never settling on me. ¡°I didn¡¯t think my Assassin Soul was going to frog-march you through the crowd. I should have told him to wait with you in a quieter spot.¡±


    I cleared my throat and tried to sound calm. ¡°The room was plenty quiet.¡±


    His face darkened. ¡°I was not ready to return there.¡±


    My tension ratcheted a little tighter. I was making him think of what had happened in the room, of the fight, of me siding with Ticosi against him. Of course he didn¡¯t want to go back there. ¡°I thought you sent him to kill me at first.¡±


    He blinked and then blanched. ¡°Twins take me, I hadn¡¯t really thought of that.¡± then his face firmed and he looked me in the eye for the first time. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure I mind having caused you distress.¡±


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Basil, listen ¨C¡±


    ¡°No, you listen,¡± he broke in.


    Then a familiar humming started in the air, and all the light broke into harmonics with a rising pitch. Looking up, I saw a figure descending from the clear blue sky. ¡°Plug your ears,¡± I shouted, doing the same myself. Those nearby quickly copied me, and a wave of people falling to their knees rippled outward as King Hestorus arrived.


    He cut off his soul ability before it reached the painful, damaging peaks I¡¯d heard it reach that night at the Soiree, leaving the massive crowd of cardless commoners in the stands awed and shouting praises instead of weeping and clutching bloody ears. With a grudging sigh I bent the knee like everyone else, not wanting to get carted off by the guards as the one idiot that refused to acknowledge that piece of shit His Majesty. Inwardly I had to admit that Hestorus was a canny one ¨C he did such a good job of pretending to be a brainless, self-absorbed twit, but while he was happy to lash out at a room full of nobles and hangers-on, he wasn¡¯t going to hurt a stadium full of common folk in the same way. Sure, he¡¯d done some collateral damage to the servants at the party, and I doubted he cared very much, but he had to know that badly hurting thousands of his subjects at a go ¨C possibly killing a decent number of babes in arms and ailing grandmas in the process ¨C was a short road to riots in the streets.


    An announcer turned on their loud-speaker magic for the whole Coliseum. ¡°People of Treledyne, your King!¡± The entire stadium erupted in cheers and shouting. It went on and on, gradually morphing from incoherent noise into repeated chants of HAIL! HAIL! He raised his arms to the crowd as he floated ten feet in the air, throwing back his glittering gold cape, and the sound redoubled. These people didn¡¯t care that he was a bad king. Twins, they probably didn¡¯t know he was a bad king. He was beautiful, he could fly, and he made pretty light shows every morning even on the rainiest of days. There was food for the buying and money to be made, unless you had the bad luck to live in the Lows. For anyone who had two clips to rub together and could purchase entrance into the Tournament, this man was better than the Twins themselves. He might as well have been a god. Looking up at him, I had to admit he looked the part.


    He touched down on the one remaining fighting platform where the finals match had been played, gesturing to someone nearby. A Coliseum functionary ran up and handed him some bit of metal that flashed in the sun, bowing low and then immediately retreating. Hestorus clenched the thing in his fist and began to speak.


    ¡°My beloved people, I have watched from on high and am greatly pleased by these duels and your being here to watch them. Our great city thrives!¡±


    The people cheered even more. SUN KING! SUN KING! they screamed. His voice had echoed just as loudly as any announcer¡¯s had, and I realized that whatever the functionary had handed him must have been an Artifact enchanted with some kind of magnification magic. It was almost certainly the same thing the commentators used, and I imagined they guarded those Artifacts closely ¨C if some drunken grunter got their hands on one during a match, it¡¯d be embarrassing at best. When the King shows up and crooks a finger, though, what could they do but hand it over?


    ¡°The competitors here are the best and the brightest of you,¡± he continued, speaking gravely, almost reverently. ¡°In our great city of Order, even the lowest of us can rise to great heights through courage, skill, and luck. Remember these days of festival and fighting, my people, and let them inspire you as you work, as you love, and as you strive to better yourself. I will present the top 5 victors to you that you may engrave them in your memory. They will be trained as future leaders of our armies. Pray to the Twins for them, for they will be the ones who keep you safe.¡±


    I saw robed Coliseum workers scurrying about all hunched over, trying not to be too noticeable in the midst of all the kneeling folk. One was headed directly toward Basil and me.


    Basil saw the same and sighed. ¡°Inconvenient. We¡¯ll discuss our matters afterward.¡±


    I looked around. More Coliseum people were rushing about in the periphery. ¡°Is this supposed to be the closing ceremonies?¡±


    He shrugged helplessly. ¡°According to the schedule I was shown, they¡¯re not for another hour yet, and there was no mention of royalty in attendance. But when the King speaks¡­¡±


    ¡°He keeps everyone on their toes,¡± I muttered.


    The scared-looking Coliseum boy reached us. ¡°Masters, I am instructed to ask you to line up with the other victors by the side of the stage at your immediate convenience.¡±


    ¡°A contradiction in terms,¡± Basil frowned, ¡°but not your fault, lad. Let¡¯s go, Hull.¡± Bold as brass, he stood up straight and strode toward the stage. Shaking my head, I followed. I saw Esmi doing the same nearby.


    ¡°On your feet, all of you!¡± Hestorus granted the crowd. ¡°Stand for our victors.¡±


    Freed from kneeling, there was a great rush on the arena floor as all the highborn and hangers-on tried to position themselves to their own advantage. Basil and I had to push through a suddenly thick crowd to reach the stage. By the time we got there, Gerad and Lustra were also being chivvied into position at the foot of the stairs, lined up with 5th place at the front and first at the back. I was shocked to see Esmi standing at the rear of the line with Gerad glowering at nothing right in front of her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the girl you pushed down the other night?¡± I asked casually as I passed him to take my place. ¡°Looks like it might have been a bad idea.¡±


    He inspected his own fingernails and pretended not to hear me. I was ushered into line by a dozen eager hands right in front Basil and behind Lustra. She turned and flashed her fanged smile at me.


    ¡°I came knocking at your rooms, but no one answered.¡± She somehow managed to twist seductively even as she stood still. ¡°The king might make a speech first ¨C we could slip under the stage for a moment and be back before we¡¯re missed.¡±


    I was glad I still had the copper charm she¡¯d tossed at me strapped to my wrist. Without that I¡¯d have missed the entire closing ceremony just to gawk at her. ¡°Twins twist my balls,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Do you try to trip every last person you meet into bed?¡±


    ¡°Just the powerful ones,¡± she said, her seductive manner suddenly disappearing as if it had never been. ¡°A girl can never have too many friends.¡±


    I barked a laugh. ¡°Your friends must end up with every itch and drip under the sun.¡±


    She shrugged and spread her hands. ¡°I never hear any complaints.¡± She pulled a card from behind her ear and slipped it into her pocket.


    The motion drew my eye. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Whatever I want,¡± she said crossly, pulling another and pocketing it. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to give me what I want, then be a good little sack of blood and piss off.¡±


    Even with the charm on my wrist, she was too pretty to keep staring at without getting stupid ideas, so I did as she asked and left her alone. She kept taking cards out of her Mind Home and tucking them away, keeping her motions small and unobtrusive. A curious thing, but none of my business, as she¡¯d made abundantly clear.


    ¡°Men and women of Treledyne, I present to you Lustra, of the Kingdom of the Undead,¡± Hestorus thundered, holding out his hand to her and beckoning. She stopped pulling her cards and mounted the platform, a slender spike of black next to the King¡¯s radiance. ¡°Our peoples have not always been friendly, but we see this as the dawn of a new era between us; one of cooperation and trust. She carries powerful Souls and is a powerful soul herself. As she proves herself to be a protector of humanity, let us learn to honor and respect her ¨C and through her, the kingdom of those who find life after breath has ceased.¡±


    He gestured to her, and she bowed to the crowd. The cheering was respectful, if not entirely enthusiastic. Even in the Lows I¡¯d heard horror stories of vampires and the hordes of the undead. If their precious King wanted them to clap, the people would do so, but they wouldn¡¯t immediately embrace the girl. Having met her up close, I thought the crowd¡¯s reticence wise.


    Hestorus pointed to the rear corner of the stage behind himself, and Lustra retreated to that position. Then his eyes fell on me, and with a seemingly genuine smile, he motioned me up the stairs.


    ¡°The young man Hull, of our very own city,¡± he said to the crowd, sounding immensely proud. ¡°Certainly you have heard the rumors as you¡¯ve placed your bets and watched your matches, but hear the truth directly from your King: this boy hails from the very poorest part of our beloved Treledyne, and from literally nothing he has risen to the very heights of our dueling youth. Cheer for him, my people, for he is one of you.¡±


    The screams and cries from the stands rose to the sky, nearly as full-throated as they had been for the King himself. Suddenly choked with emotion, I looked out at the throng, my heart full. I didn¡¯t know if Basil would have me locked in a cell by the end of the day, whether I¡¯d have my deck stripped from me and find myself facing an executioner, but when I thought back to just days before when I had ducked into the back gates of the Coliseum to dodge Ticosi¡¯s goons, I regretted nothing. I had lived more in the last three days ¨C come to know and understand myself better ¨C than I ever had before. Fate had put me here, and I thanked her from the bottom of my heart.


    Then Hestorus¡¯s hand fell to my shoulder, and the good feelings crumbled and fell away. He was looking at me like he owned me, like I was his son, and all the hate I had stored up for him welled back up in an instant. I¡¯d been willing to betray the only friend I¡¯d ever made just to have a chance to kill him; I¡¯d ruined everything that might have been good in my life, and here he was hale as ever, the most powerful man in the world, and I knew I couldn¡¯t so much as chip his fingernail. The thoughts I¡¯d had at first of getting close and rushing him with a knife had been laughable. Ticosi had nearly killed me, and he¡¯d only been an Epic. What would a Legendary do if I attacked?


    Hestorus tucked the bit of brass that magnified his voice into his waistband for a moment. ¡°Keep that hate, boy. You¡¯ll need it.¡± He gestured to the spot next to Lustra, and all I could do was trot along like a proper King¡¯s subject to my place. He was right there in front of me, but Hestorus was as untouchable as the sun. Power. I need more power. I will put an end to him; it¡¯s just going to take longer than I wished. Ticosi had been my best hope, and I¡¯d killed him. I¡¯d have to find another way.


    Lustra kept surreptitiously pulling more cards from her Mind Home as she stood next to me, looking at no one and everyone. Basil was now mounting the steps, coming to stand before the King to be presented to the crowd.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I had not imagined to find Basil of House Hintal among our best and brightest, but he has surpassed all expectation and shown himself to be resourceful, clever, and strong. This is the face of the nobility that guides you, Treledyne, and I do not doubt that many great deeds lie in this young man¡¯s future. Cheer him, my people!¡±


    They did, every bit as loudly as they had for me, and even in my fear and anger I was glad to hear it. Basil deserved every good thing that came to him, and he waved to the crowd with that damned enthusiasm of his that could never stay hidden for long. He beamed at me as he came to stand beside me, and it was as if every bad thing had melted away between us. I grinned back without thinking about it. His good cheer flickered as he realized who he was looking at, and all the fear and uncertainty came back to me. He looked away.


    ¡°And now, my own son and heir, your Crown Prince!¡± the King said to massive cheers. ¡°I had thought he¡¯d be in first place ¨C¡±


    At my side, Lustra suddenly tensed, holding a single card in hand. ¡°Now!¡± she screamed as loudly as she could.


    Gerad¡¯s head snapped to her, and with a look of intense adoration, he started pulling cards. An Order source flew up over his head.


    ¡°Gerad, what¡¯s this?¡± the King said, sounding bemused.


    An arrow shattered against the King¡¯s cloak, and the shreds of a single card floated down from him. Screams sounded all around, and pandemonium broke out around the platform. Looking down, I saw Losum, looking blank-faced and throwing more Order source over his own head, and the Prince¡¯s other toady Reginald right next to him with two summoned Guardsmen pushing forward with swords drawn. Instinctively I crouched down, making myself less of a target, and I pulled Basil down with me. He looked confused


    ¡°My liege, get down!¡± a man¡¯s voice rang out. Grown men ¨C high nobility, by the looks of them, were summoning source and Souls of their own, and the crowd was a scrambling mess of fleeing bystanders and mustering defenders. Haze leapt out of the crowd, his body sheathing itself in stone as he landed in front of Hestorus. His face had that same blankness I saw in the others, and he spared a glance for Lustra before his head was covered and he barreled toward the King.


    Hestorus swatted his son out of the way and let him come. The bruiser reared back with both hands clenched together overhead and thundered them down on the King¡¯s chest. Hestorus let it happen, looking at the boy quizzically, as if unable to comprehend what was happening. Card shreds puffed away from him, but less than I would have expected. I¡¯d taken that hit before, it should have done more damage. I could only assume the King had some level of Armor as one of his personal soul abilities.


    Looking to Lustra, I saw that she held a single card in hand and four Death source overhead. I didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d gotten that many so quickly, but it was obvious she was making her play, whatever it was. She was focused on the King like a hawk, and for a moment I was tempted to let her do whatever she had planned. Hadn¡¯t I just been mulling over how he needed to die?


    But I was standing not five feet from him, and so was Basil, not to mention Esmi, still down at the foot of the stairs. At one point I might have considered it a good trade to die if I could take Hestorus with me, but now I¡¯d tasted how good life could be. I wasn¡¯t ready to give it up yet, not for him. I rushed at Lustra, trying to tackle her.


    She caught me with her free hand. She was far stronger than I expected for a girl of her size. ¡°Told you to stay out of the way,¡± she hissed.


    Then Basil was there too, grappling with her. ¡°Let go!¡± he howled, beating at her with his fists. ¡°Stop this madness!¡±


    With a growl, she pushed me into Basil¡¯s chest, sweeping us both off the stage. We tumbled into a painful heap on the cobbles a few feet away. I¡¯d bitten my lip, and it hurt like blazes. Basil had a dribble of blood smearing one nostril.


    More people were rushing forward, and I recognized some of them. Lily, the girl I¡¯d fought on day one, had a small horde of Troglodytes at her heels, and she had that same blank look as the rest. More and more Guard Souls were appearing, and some of them were clashing with the others as those defending the King tried to get in the way of those attacking. I saw the Legendary Soul Kitsanya mist into being beside Gerad, and I wondered if I was going to watch Hestorus die today regardless. It was not a displeasing thought.


    In the midst of it all was Lustra, who had devoted all 4 of her Death source. A gale of summoned wind whipped around her. ¡°Look at me, Hestorus!¡± she screamed.


    The King arched an eyebrow and turned to her even as Haze landed another blow on him, shredding more cards. He appeared entirely unconcerned with the chaos all around or the mystical wind whipping at his golden robes. ¡°Making your move, Lustra?¡±


    ¡°Do you know the war cry of the Undead? Let it be the last thing you hear! Death prevails!¡± The card in her hand glittered and disappeared as she summoned it.


    A cloud of flies, insects, disease, and darkness deeper than midnight rocketed out from her and surrounded Hestorus, obscuring him completely. Panic and screams redoubled all around. People in the stands were stampeding. I¡¯d never heard so much noise in all my life. Under, around, and through it all was the clacking whisper of beetles and the buzz of flies¡¯ wings as they devoured the Sun King.


    Except then he stepped out of the cloud, totally unharmed. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing about final words, little vampire: you¡¯d best make damned sure you¡¯ve got the other man dead to rights, because otherwise you end up sounding more than a little stupid.¡± He flicked his fingers at her, and the cloud of death swarmed over her instead. Somehow its darkness was less this time, and I could see Lustra inside flailing at the biting, devouring things as they went to work on her. She screamed in fury and pain, and I saw the flesh peel away from her hands, her cheekbones, and her lips as her own Spell ate her a piece at a time.


    It lasted more than a minute, and she screamed the whole time. It was a gruesome thing to watch, but I couldn¡¯t look away. When the cloud dispersed, her bones clattered into a gleaming heap inside her clothing, scoured clean.


    Gerad was looking around in confusion as if he¡¯d just woken up, seeming totally baffled at the source circling his own head and even more so at the presence of Kitsanya by his side. Haze¡¯s Pyroclast Spell had expired, and he too was looking dumbstruck. He was surrounded by Guardsman Souls.


    Hestorus took up his loud-speaking charm again. ¡°Good people, be calm! The danger has passed. It takes far more than a stripling vampire to get the best of your King, no matter what devilish Spell she has hidden up her sleeve. Any of you that have Healing cards, please put them to use for those around you.¡± He tucked the bit of brass away and addressed those nearby. ¡°Victors, my apologies for cutting the ceremony short, but this action cannot go unanswered, and I have much to do. I will see you all in a month¡¯s time at the commencement of our War Camp. It shall be more vital than ever this year. Gerad, has your head cleared? Good. Perhaps this will teach you to think twice before tumbling a vampire, eh? Oh, and you can all ignore what I said about the Undead. They¡¯re a conniving lot of maggots, and I¡¯m going to wipe them from the face of the earth.¡± He took up his loud-speaker one last time and gave a brilliant smile to the crowd. ¡°Did I not say this would be a day you would tell your children about?¡±


    With that, he took to the air and zoomed away, leaving ruin and confusion in his wake.


    Esmi was crouching at Basil¡¯s side, tending to his bleeding nose. Basil, for his part, seemed more concerned with checking her over to ensure she was unhurt. I left them be. They didn¡¯t want to hear from me. Walking over to the platform, I gingerly reached into the mouth of Lustra¡¯s skull, carefully avoiding pricking myself on the razored eyeteeth, and pulled out her soul card.


    This was twice in a single day I¡¯d held the card of an Epic soul that I¡¯d faced in a duel. Reading it helped me make sense of what had happened. She¡¯d rutted her way through as many of the duelists as she could get her hands on, Entrancing them and forcing them to do her bidding. She¡¯d had the Crown Prince under her control, and no one had known. ¡°What a mess,¡± I whispered. I thanked Fate that I hadn¡¯t given in to her suggestions. No wonder she¡¯d been pushing herself on me so hard.


    A single card clattered around inside the skull as I shifted it, and I reached through the ear hole, pulling forth the Spell she had cast.


    That was why she¡¯d been pulling her other cards. It only worked when the Mind Home was empty. Looking at it, I wondered how the King had survived. Legendary or no, this thing should have ended him. He must have some soul ability that lets him reflect fatal damage, I mused. How the hell am I ever going to kill that man?


    ¡°I¡¯ll take those,¡± someone at my elbow snapped, holding out their hand. The speaker was a solidly-built man with steel gray hair and a nose like a hawk. His belly was stout, but he looked like he knew how to handle himself, a shortened lance of all things dangling at his side.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, keeping the cards.


    He loomed over me, and it was only then I noticed the red flecks around his pupils. ¡°I¡¯m the Grand Marshal of the King¡¯s army,¡± he growled, ¡°and the one who¡¯ll be running War Camp, you stinking pup. Now give me those cards. They belong to the King.¡±


    He might be Epic and have a fancy title, but I didn¡¯t budge when I slapped the cards down into his hand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to take them.¡±


    A flick of the Grand Marshal¡¯s eyes over me told me how unconvinced he was. I knew his type: the rich man who thought that every poor man was secretly scheming to slit his purse and piss in his wine cup. Not that he was wrong, exactly, but I disliked him immediately.


    ¡°Were you under the vampire¡¯s control, boy?¡±


    "No,¡± I said shortly. ¡°Unlike most of the noblemen around here, I know how to keep my dick in my pants.¡±


    ¡°Watch your words and how you say them,¡± he warned, his own tone sharp and dangerous. ¡°Getting into War Camp doesn¡¯t give you leave to slander your betters.¡±


    When I find them, I won¡¯t was right on the tip of my tongue, but I held it in. No point in baiting the man. He was obviously powerful, and he seemed the kind that might clap me in irons just on the general principle of the thing. If I did end up getting to War Camp, I¡¯d have to watch out for him. Seething inside, I bowed my head as respectfully as I knew how. He watched me for a tense moment and then turned away to collect the rest of Lustra¡¯s cards.


    Some time later I found myself sitting on the steps of the dueling platform. In my mind¡¯s eye I kept seeing Lustra getting eaten by her own Spell, skin peeling back to expose flesh, flesh nibbled away to show bone. The King had shrugged off every attack that came at him. He hadn¡¯t even been worried. It would be a long time before I ever faced him like I wanted to, and I didn¡¯t know what the road from here to there looked like.


    Most of the people had drifted off. The crowds were dispersing, seeming far more excited by the turn of the day¡¯s events than was sensible, and life was gradually returning to normal. No one paid any attention to the jumped-up gutter kid sitting on the steps.


    Someone sat down next to me. It was Basil.


    ¡°Hell of a day,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but snort a tired kind of laugh. ¡°Well, sure, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever hear you say it that way.¡±


    He spread his hands, looking weary. ¡°I am, at times, a touch too formal. I thought I should express the sentiment in a manner you would appreciate.¡±


    ¡°Is Esmi all right?¡±


    ¡°Thank the Twins, yes. Robbed of her due recognition in front of the city, mind you, but she doesn¡¯t care for such things. I¡¯m of a mind to write a stern letter to the Master of Ceremonies and force them to have a parade for her.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You would.¡±


    We sat there in silence for a moment. I dug deep in my soul and looked for the right words to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Basil.¡±


    He frowned down at his hands, lips twisting. It took him a long time to respond. ¡°I asked you to help. How could you choose to side with him? I was your friend.¡±


    His words were like a sword to the chest. ¡°I¡­ he told me he¡¯d help me kill the King.¡±


    He gestured bitterly at the platform behind us. ¡°And you think he could have done such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m less sure now,¡± I admitted, ¡°but even so? Maybe. He was well connected. He said big things were coming.¡±


    ¡°Well, he was right about that.¡± Basil rubbed his chin thoughtfully, still not looking at me.


    ¡°Oh, by the way ¨C here,¡± I said, pulling the stack of Chaos cards from one pocket.


    ¡°Put those away,¡± he hissed, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s treason to have even a single one.¡±


    I gave him a sour look but did as he asked. ¡°Basil, you had me use demons to dispose of a dead man¡¯s body after we killed him secretly in your rooms. Are we really going to start talking about what¡¯s legal?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± he groaned, scrubbing his hair. ¡°I freely admit that my decision-making today has not been up to snuff. I am unaccustomed to this level of distress.¡± He waved a hand at me. ¡°Truly, I don¡¯t want those cards. Dispose of them as you see fit. I wouldn¡¯t have the first idea how to do so.¡±


    ¡°There were a few other things,¡± I said. ¡°An Artifact knife, and also this thing.¡± I pulled out the bracelet and handed it to him.


    His eyes went wide as he turned it over. ¡°This is a fabricator. An open-ended one.¡±


    I blinked at him. ¡°A what now?¡±


    ¡°Fabricators give you access to a source that you haven¡¯t cultivated, like the water one Esmi gave me. They can be bought, but they¡¯re terribly expensive, and they¡¯re always locked down to a single source beforehand by the Artificers who made them. Their make is a closely guarded secret.¡± He fiddled with the loose clasps at the heart of the bracelet. ¡°This one is unaligned, and unless I miss my guess, it¡¯s made so that you can swap out its core at will to use any source you please.¡± He sounded breathless.


    ¡°What do you put in?¡± I said, intrigued.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure,¡± he said, ¡°but it¡¯s a princely item, and the possibilities are endless.¡±


    ¡°Take it,¡± I said. ¡°You helped me kill him, and you should get something from it.¡±


    He frowned again, thinking hard, and then tucked it away.


    ¡°While we¡¯re at it¡­¡± I pulled out the card I¡¯d fished out of my Mind Home a bit earlier while thinking things over. ¡°This is yours.¡±


    ¡°Hull¡­¡± he sighed, taking the card.


    ¡°You won it fair and square,¡± I said, relishing the pain in my heart. It felt clean, somehow. ¡°If we¡¯re setting our accounts to right, it goes to you.¡± I stood up. ¡°And if you¡¯re going to turn me over to the City Watch, let¡¯s go ahead and do it. I¡¯m getting bored just sitting here.¡±


    He tugged at my sleeve. ¡°Sit down, will you? I¡¯m tired.¡±


    I sat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to square our accounts, Hull,¡± he said quietly. ¡°That was never what I hoped for. I wanted to trust you.¡±


    I threw up my hands helplessly. ¡°I can¡¯t fix that now. I wish to the Twins that I could. I¡¯m sorry, Basil. I chose wrong. By the time I realized it, it was nearly too late.¡±


    ¡°But you did realize,¡± he murmured. ¡°And then you fought for me.¡±


    ¡°All the good it did,¡± I grunted. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t popped back in with that one Spell when he thought you were down and out, we¡¯d have both died.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± He paused, and the ghost of a smile crossed his face. ¡°So really, I saved you every bit as much as you saved me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°You did. Thanks for that.¡±


    He nodded and then stood briskly. ¡°And thank you for coming to your senses before I died instead of afterward. I might have some tender feelings on the topic, but I certainly prefer the current outcome to the alternative.¡± He put the Night Terror back in my hand. ¡°Here.¡±


    I held it loosely. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He waved the question away. ¡°What am I going to do with a Nether Epic?¡± He pulled me to my feet, and I let him. ¡°And I meant what I said the other night, Hull: I want no accounting between us. You give, I give¡­ and perhaps I forgive, as well. I didn¡¯t understand what I was asking of you when I expected you to stand with me against that villain; it was more than you had within you to give. I shall have to be more careful about that in the future. Asking a friend to give what they do not have is not kind.¡±


    I looked him in the eye, daring to hope. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I repeated. ¡°Not just about the card.¡±


    He smiled at me. ¡°Completely. You are the good man I hoped you to be, Hull, but I can hardly blame you if it takes longer than three days for that to sink in for you. You have a remarkably thick skull, after all.¡±


    I felt weak all over, and I was ashamed to feel tears prickling at my eyes. ¡°Basil, I really am sorry.¡±


    He enfolded me in a hug. ¡°I know. I forgive you, and I ask your forgiveness in return. Our bond has been tested, and we will both be the stronger for it.¡±


    Relief coursed through me like I¡¯d never felt before, and I hugged him back. It gave me the chance to wipe my tears away before I had to look my friend in the eye.

 61. Basil - Promises

    I spent another moment in companionable silence with Hull. I hadn¡¯t planned to forgive him so soon or so easily, but after watching Lustra try to murder the king¡­ It was a stark reminder of who our true enemies were, and seeing Hull try to stop her, even though I knew how desperately he wanted his father punished, made it clear to me that he wasn¡¯t among them.


    Despite these thoughts and my words of assurance to him, I did still feel an inkling of doubt about our relationship. However, I was no longer interested in being beholden to emotions born of fear. After Hull¡¯s actions ¨C twice now resisting darker opportunities ¨C and what I could tell was a heartfelt apology, I chose to believe that he was well and truly my friend. Once I committed that thought firmly to mind, a sensation of peace and ease washed over me, like I was breathing freely for the first time in my life.


    ¡°Basil?¡± I heard Esmi say, and I turned to find her standing behind us.


    ¡°Quieter than that assassin of yours,¡± Hull mumbled, but there was no malice in his words. In fact, I detected a note of pleased camaraderie.


    ¡°Our parents,¡± she said by way of explanation. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course they are. If you¡¯ll excuse me, Hull.¡± I put a hand on my knee to push myself up, but paused in the act. ¡°War Camp will be quite an adventure with the three of us in attendance, but it¡¯s some time off yet. Feel free to come calling at House Hintal whenever you wish before then.¡± I promptly realized that Hull probably had nowhere to go besides a spare alleyway, which was the last thing I wanted for him. He had coin now, which could provide comfort, but even a nice inn wasn¡¯t a home. ¡°You could stay with us if you have the need. My mother will surely make you pay some sort of price when she finds out how you used our name to your advantage, but I¡¯m confident we can weather it together. You could meet my brothers, see the library, and our kitchen staff can whip up some meals I¡¯m positive you¡¯d enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Sure I would,¡± he said, looking at me and then his hands held loosely before him. ¡°But I¡¯ve been leeching off you long enough, Basil.¡± I wanted to tell him that my invitation was nothing of the sort, but he didn¡¯t give me the opening. ¡°I¡¯ve got some things I need to see sorted. Important things. After that?¡± He shrugged, looking up at the sky. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Nothing that would get you into trouble?¡± Esmi said, asking precisely what had sprung to my mind.


    Hull grunted, heaving himself up. ¡°Had enough trouble today to last a whole year. No reason to worry about me.¡± He shooed us away, smirking a bit as he did. ¡°Go on, see to your fancy folks. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I stood, taking his hand in mine and giving it a firm shake. After that, Esmi wrapped him in a hug, which he returned, and then he sauntered off, hands in his pockets, headed toward the exit gate.


    ¡°You know, he really does look like the king.¡± I made the comment quietly to Esmi, only daring to do so because no one else was near us, the guards keeping people away from the platform. I would have likely missed the similarities between father and son because they were small, but knowing they existed and seeing the two of them together a short while ago had cemented it.


    ¡°When his face is calm,¡± Esmi said, nodding. ¡°They have the same brow.¡±


    ¡°Well then,¡± I said, turning to her. ¡°Are we ready to see to them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have much of a choice,¡± she said with a small laugh. ¡°Shall we tackle them together?¡±


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, give me a few moments with mine first.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± she responded.


    It was a short walk to the other side of the platform where a number of different nobility and high merchants were milling about. When our respective parents spotted us, they each broke away from who they were speaking to but neither set moved closer together or all the way up to the platform. Esmi and I split up when we reached the bottom of the steps, squeezing a hand together before breaking apart.


    I nodded to a few congratulations I received, more of the thin crowd angling toward Esmi, but it was my parents for whom I had eyes the entire time. They both stood stiff-backed waiting for me, which made me stand straighter as I approached.


    ¡°You are well?¡± my father asked as soon as I came to a stop in front of him. His eyes roamed me up and down, like I had just been through a city raid that had gone poorly, which I supposed in some small way I had.


    ¡°I am, yes. I was quite fortunate to escape the madness unscathed.¡± I still couldn¡¯t believe the ease with which the king had defended himself, the devastating power he wielded so casually. Having seen it, my mind itched to discover what horizons my own abilities might reach in the months and years to come.


    ¡°Twins be praised,¡± my mother said. I knew a bit of emotion from her when I heard it, but she didn¡¯t seem half as worried about me as what Gale had claimed the other day. ¡°If that is the case¡± ¨C her expression became both serious and reproachful ¨C ¡°there is the not so minor matter of my missing grimoire to discuss.¡±


    I had known this reckoning was coming, which was precisely why I had asked Esmi to give me time. A glance to the side showed that she and her parents hadn¡¯t moved toward us yet, but they weren¡¯t far away and would arrive in short order once they did.


    ¡°Mother, my sincerest apologies for taking such liberties with your belongings,¡± I said, speaking briskly. ¡°I should have, of course, gotten your permission first. We can retrieve the grimoire together from the Colosseum Vault, and I can assure you that you¡¯ll find everything in order.¡± I had enjoyed using the cards, but I didn¡¯t think Water was quite right for me, so I viewed it as no great loss.


    She didn¡¯t look particularly pleased by my admission but neither did she press the issue, which was victory enough for me. It was a true blessing that I hadn¡¯t forfeited any of her cards as ante in my duels; if I had, the Hintal family might have ended the day with only two sons instead of three.


    ¡°And your grandfather¡¯s monocle that went missing at the same time?¡± my father asked, sounding equally piqued.


    ¡°Again, I¡¯m afraid I must apologize,¡± I said, fishing the artifact from my breast pocket and handing it over to him. ¡°I found myself in desperate need of more information.¡±


    My parents shared an unreadable look, and when they returned their attention to me, it was my father who spoke first. ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t developed a penchant of illicit ¡®borrowing¡¯ from this new boy we hear you¡¯ve been spending time with. The unkempt one who came in fourth? Such behavior could see you landed in the stocks, or worse. Just because I command the guard ¨C¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t help me if I deserve the charges. Yes, Father, I know.¡± I honestly felt more guilty about not informing him about the stack of illegal cards slowly meandering their way out of the Coliseum. It might have been smarter to keep the Chaos deck myself, both financially and to limit Hull¡¯s ability to find trouble, but my parents knew my fidgets and tells too well, which I surely would have had if I was carrying such treasonous contraband on my person. Hull was clearly much more comfortable about such things. ¡°He is quite the man, and I hope Fate will bring us all together soon.¡± I didn¡¯t add that he was also the king¡¯s son; that was his secret to tell should he choose to. ¡°You should also know that Hull had no involvement in those choices of mine, so please do not hold them against him. As I said, my need was great, and I hope you both can trust me in that. The insight the monocle gave me and the flexibility of card choice I had access to with the grimoire were significant factors in my ability to advance as far as I have, both in the tournament and personally. You are part of that achievement.¡±


    My parents shared another look, this time a small nod passing between them. I assumed they were already aware of my soul advancement, and even if not, they surely hadn¡¯t expected me to place as highly as I had in the Tournament. Both would only serve to increase the reputation of our House. Philosophies like ¡°Ask for forgiveness, not permission¡± and ¡°The ends justify the means¡± were ones I had never dared put into practice personally before, but they appeared to be working strongly in my favor at the moment.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Might I ask where Gale and Randel are?¡± I inquired into the lull. My brothers had never been particularly encouraging where my achievements were concerned, but for an event such as this, I had expected at least one of them to muster enough familial pride to show.


    ¡°Randel is assisting with the setup of the War Camp on the outskirts of the city,¡± my mother said, and I nodded at the explanation. While not ideal, it still felt as if he was supporting what I had accomplished, in some small way.


    ¡°As for Gale¡­¡± My father started but then trailed off. A look behind revealed the reason why: the trio of House Haraine was approaching us.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Esmi¡¯s mother, Alissa, said to me. Her voice was deeper and rougher than most women I¡¯d heard, but not in an off-putting way. I knew the gossip, the same as most, that she smoked heavily, claiming it as part of her Fire cultivation. ¡°Not as well as our Esmi, of course,¡± ¨C she said, beaming at her daughter ¨C ¡°but to place right behind her and the prince is quite an achievement, Basil.¡±


    ¡°You are too kind,¡± I said, bowing my head to her and Esmi¡¯s father, Rikshorn. If my performance could satisfy them as well as my parents, I would have achieved precisely what I had hoped for from attending the Tournament.


    ¡°To say what is is no compliment, my boy,¡± Esmi¡¯s father gruffed. He was a barrel of a man, no taller than his wife, with golden cufflinks in the shape of small volcanoes on his wrists. The pair flashed in the setting sunlight, a reminder to any looking of his Charbonder heritage. ¡°Be direct or don¡¯t bother. You¡¯ll need to learn that if you want to stay afloat with this one.¡± He jutted his bearded chin toward Esmi when saying the last.


    ¡°Father¡­¡± she started, sounding embarrassed.


    ¡°And you have another Rare son, Nesta,¡± Esmi¡¯s mother said to my own. ¡°You must be proud.¡±


    ¡°Quite so,¡± my mother replied, which was nice, though I might have hoped for more. ¡°Our family has been fortunate of late, and we are forever grateful to the Twins for the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Esmi¡¯s father said, ¡°your youngest has shown himself to be a star on the rise, much more so than¡­ others.¡±


    I was sure that brief hitch in his voice had been in reference to Plutar, but he carried on, gathering steam as he went.


    ¡°We were doubtful about this match, just as I told you when we made it, but we aren¡¯t ones to overlook clear value when it is there to see, and Basil has proven your case for you. He is, so it seems, the right man, after all. We¡¯d like to set a date.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Esmi¡¯s mother added, all smiles. ¡°We were thinking a summer wedding.¡±


    My eyes snapped to Esmi¡¯s, and her look of sheer excitement mirrored my own. Many engagements among the nobility were drawn out affairs, both families using the pairing to leverage better opportunities, but Twins be praised, we would escape such political jockeying. I was so overjoyed by the news it took me a moment to realize that my parents hadn¡¯t answered.


    ¡°We¡¯re glad to hear you say so,¡± my father belatedly replied, failing to sound convincing to any of those present.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking to change the terms of the arrangement in your favor,¡± Esmi¡¯s mother said, responding with more than a little hostility at his tone and hesitation. ¡°Our daughter won the Rising Stars tournament.¡±


    ¡°Far from it,¡± my mother assured the other woman. ¡°However, recent events have given us cause to reconsider. Our eldest, Gale, has become Epic.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s what?¡± I asked, unable to keep quiet at the revelation.


    ¡°How did he achieve such a thing?¡± Esmi¡¯s father asked right on top of me, clearly doubtful.


    ¡°He was one of those sent to deal with a nearby Demon Rift,¡± my father explained. ¡°He managed to take down a wounded Gargath Epic, and in so doing, the Twins decided to grant him an unexpectedly large boon.¡±


    ¡°Due of this,¡± my mother picked up, ¡°and your daughter¡¯s impeccable performance in the Tournament, we believe that they would be a preferable match. If it is agreeable to you, of course.¡±


    I looked at my parents in utter shock and horror. To have my brother eclipse my achievement so quickly was absolutely gutting, but to have my parents use it against me to destroy my future was unthinkable. Both refused to meet my gaze, keeping their eyes forward on the older Haraine¡¯s.


    ¡°Epic, you say?¡± Esmi¡¯s mother asked in her husky voice, bringing a manicured nail up to her red lips. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    Esmi¡¯s father¡¯s eyes had narrowed but there was a calculating look about them I found distressing. ¡°We would need time to consider this new arrangement.¡±


    I saw Esmi frowning in consternation, which gave me hope. ¡°But I ¨C¡± she started.


    ¡°Of course,¡± my mother replied to Alissa, casually talking over Esmi as if she were a lowly child. ¡°We¡¯ll be hosting a gathering to celebrate both of our sons¡¯ elevations a month hence, the evening before War Camp begins. We¡¯ll make the announcement official there, once you have decided.¡±


    ¡°That is agreeable,¡± Esmi¡¯s mother said.


    ¡°I concur,¡± her father echoed.


    ¡°Mother? Father?¡± Esmi said, looking between them, her voice getting higher. She was a champion under the Dueling Dome, but unfortunately for both of us, this battle seemed outside her expertise.


    ¡°Change can sting, but the sensation will not last,¡± my father offered, but his words were hollow to me. This poor treatment ¨C being overlooked, ignored, unconsidered ¨C was the same I had finally managed to conquer, the very thing I had earned my new Soul for. What¡¯s more, Esmi was in need of my support, and I refused to fail her again or to lose what we had cultivated together.


    ¡°Gale ¨C¡± my mother was saying.


    ¡°Can find someone else¡¯s fianc¨¦e to poach,¡± I interrupted, something I had never done in my life. ¡°We will continue to look forward to that summer wedding date, so please, mark it on your calendars.¡± My mother looked at me in wide-eyed shock, and the other three House leaders seemed just as a goggle by my outburst. ¡°Thank you all for coming to see us, but after the events of the day, I¡¯m sure you can understand that we require a reprieve¡± I reached out to Esmi, and there was a long breath where my hand hung alone; it was like an abyss opened beneath me, and I thought that I had just made the biggest fool of myself in all the world. But then she took it, and I pulled her away, the calls of our parents failing to slow us as we made our escape.


    When we were far enough, alone beside one of the trees that was planted in the Coliseum grounds, I stopped. ¡°I believe I haven¡¯t told you enough times nor with proper vigor how marvelously you performed in your last duel against Gerad.¡±


    ¡°I was about to say the same to you!¡± she exclaimed, cheeks flushed from the brisk pace I had set.


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± I said, starting to smile, ¡°it was a long overdue match.¡±


    ¡°Telling my parents I wished to marry you and getting them to agree was the closest I¡¯ve come before,¡± Esmi said. ¡°When they said they wanted to set a date, I thought we had truly done it.¡±


    ¡°As did I. My parents thoroughly ruining it was certainly an unpleasant surprise, but I¡¯ve dealt with worse.¡±


    She gave a half pained laugh, putting a hand on my arm. ¡°I suppose you have.¡±


    There was a bench by the tree, and I walked her over to it, holding her hand as she sat and then taking the spot beside her.


    ¡°Truly,¡± I said, ¡°it¡¯s amazing how almost dying can change one''s perspective.¡± And it was amazing: I had expected to be abuzz with the thrilling terror of having spoken so brazenly to my parents and hers, but after having feared for my life and immortal Soul, I found this moment paled in intensity.


    ¡°What perspective is that?¡± she asked, sounding genuinely interested.


    I fluttered a hand in the direction of our families. ¡°They¡¯re just words, not a knife in the belly. They can¡¯t stop us from doing as we wish.¡±


    Esmi nodded but didn¡¯t look entirely convinced. ¡°The Church of the Twins will not marry us without our parents'' permission. Not unless we can prove that they are somehow mistreating us or are delinquent in their care, but I doubt we will be able to convince the Tenders of either.¡±


    Respecting and heeding one¡¯s family was a foundational principle of Order, especially among the nobility. However, I was finding myself less and less tied down by those precepts.


    ¡°What about the Rapturists? They¡¯re not so strict, are they? They could see us married.¡±


    Esmi¡¯s head moved side to side in a so-so gesture. ¡°They might. But I¡¯d always imagined my parents being there for my wedding day¡­¡± Her face fell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to make things difficult.¡±


    I took her hands in mine, kissing the fingertips.


    ¡°Perish the thought. If we need to convince them further, I will simply have to outstrip my brother. I was planning on it anyway.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Were you now?¡±


    ¡°Indeed I was,¡± I answered with a smile I felt in my bones, sitting with her, holding her. ¡°And it starts with becoming the best duelist I can be, a path we are already on. War Camp and what follows shall be our crucible of opportunity.¡±


    Esmi seemed to think on that. ¡°If that is the plan, I have some notes about your last match with Hull.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°And I would love to hear them. As long as you promise that we will share this journey. I want you at my side, always.¡±


    She looked at me a moment longer, searching my eyes.


    ¡°Basil,¡± she eventually said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°When you make an impassioned declaration like that to someone, you¡¯re supposed to kiss them after.¡±


    My smile grew wider. ¡°Only if you agree.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you think you need to ask,¡± she said, leaning closer.


    And perhaps it was because I had almost died a few hours earlier, or maybe it was because her lips were soft and fiery and belonged to the woman I loved, but that kiss, a short walk from the Coliseum Arena and under the limbs of a birch tree, was the very best life had to offer.

 62. Hull - Tending to Unfinished Business

    Penkmun leaned back on his stool, his dumbfounded look magnified by the ocular Artifact he had strapped over one eye. ¡°Twins take me and make me anew, you weren¡¯t lying!¡±


    I sat up on the bench he¡¯d had me lie back on while he looked into my eyes with his whatever-it-was. ¡°If I was going to make up a lie, I¡¯d pick one that had a chance of being believed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± the old Tender floundered. ¡°You can¡¯t remove a soul card from the living. You can¡¯t!¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°So I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    He removed the device and rubbed his forehead, seeming overwhelmed. ¡°I thought it certain that you¡¯d taken a hit to the head or had some charlatan fill your ear with silly ideas. Not so, not so. The eye looks a certain way when the soul hasn¡¯t manifested its card yet, you see, and apertures to the depths within open in the iris once it has. That¡¯s where the color of your rarity shines through. Those that are well-trained in this device,¡± he said, gesturing to the Artifact, ¡°can not only see your card if you have one, but even fine gradations of advancement within each rarity. I was sure I¡¯d see nothing but an undeveloped eye of brown when I delved you.¡±


    I wished I could take the thing from him, pluck an eye from my own head, and see what he was describing for myself. He¡¯d had to send off for the Artifact to the high official of the Church of the Twins, some fellow he called The Unity, and it had only just arrived this afternoon. ¡°What did you see instead?¡± I asked.


    He spread his hands with a baffled look. ¡°The apertures are there in your eyes, but when I look in, I see nothing but torn edges and darkness beyond. It¡¯s unheard of.¡±


    I smiled grimly. ¡°Believe me now?¡±


    Penkmun let out his breath in a whoosh. ¡°I have no choice. What kind of ability your mother must have had to be able to steal a card¡­ that¡¯s Epic level. No ¨C Mythic, more like. Why would the Twins allow such a thing to exist?¡±


    I hoisted myself to my feet, pacing the length of his small, homey chapel. ¡°Been asking that for a long time, but they haven¡¯t bothered answering.¡±


    Penkmun wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed as if he¡¯d taken a chill. ¡°I have honestly never heard of something so frightening. It¡¯s evil. It¡¯s worse than breaking the card of a thinking being.¡±


    I stopped in front of the small stained window that showed a spiked, fluid ball of Nether. It was beautiful. All twelve of the little windows were. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it happening, at least. I hardly remember anything before I was ten or eleven.¡±


    ¡°It might be better if you could,¡± he murmured, going to the writing desk where he liked to spend his days, deftly jotting a quick note on a scrap of foolscap with a old, worn quill. ¡°It might give us something to go on.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I insisted, turning to him. ¡°The bitch took my card and bolted. Fine. Now that you actually believe me, will you please tell me what I asked?¡±


    He tossed down the quill and threw up his hands. ¡°I haven¡¯t the first clue. Until two minutes ago I¡¯d never considered that a person might lose their first card, and now you want me to tell you how to create a second? It¡¯s uncharted territory, my boy! Pure speculation! There¡¯s no guidemap for a situation like this.¡±


    I wanted to shake him, but I crouched beside him pleadingly instead. ¡°You¡¯re a Tender. You help people elevate themselves, right? That¡¯s all this is. A simple thing.¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± he scoffed, but he lost some of the wildness around his eyes and started looking thoughtful instead. ¡°You¡¯ve no idea what rarity you possessed?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue.¡± I wanted to elaborate, but I didn¡¯t dare disrupt his line of thought.


    ¡°The apertures are opened,¡± he mused. ¡°The pathways of advancement are there, just, hmm, empty.¡± He lapsed into silence and chewed his lip, staring up at the twelve-point iron candelabra suspended overhead.


    I waited impatiently until I could do so no longer. ¡°And?¡±


    He blinked, seeming to remember that I was still in the room. ¡°Ah. Well. I see two possibilities. One: the pathways of your soul were torn and ruined when your card was stolen, and no matter what you attempt, you will never develop another.¡±


    I grunted. ¡°Don¡¯t much care for that one.¡±


    ¡°I should think not, but you must consider that it might be true. It would be unkind of me to pretend otherwise.¡±


    I waved a hand. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very holy, very kind. What¡¯s the other option?¡±


    He checked an exasperated sigh. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Hull. Far be it from me to discourage anyone from elevation, but you must consider that failure is a very real chance here. Your soul is torn. It makes my heart quake just thinking of it.¡±


    I hid my clenched fists in my pockets and curbed my anger. ¡°All right. I¡¯m considering it. What¡¯s the other thing you were going to say?¡±


    Still he hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to raise your hopes too high.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°If I told you all my hopes, you¡¯d tell me to stick to making a new card for myself. Spit it out, old man. Yes, I might fail. Fine. Let me have it.¡±


    He clasped his hands as if in prayer. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t actually know how torn pathways work, you see. No one does; they¡¯re not supposed to exist. But if new growth is possible, then not only could you create a new soul card for yourself, you could conceivably do so much faster than the first time. Like I said, the paths are already in place.¡±


    I started to speak, excited, but he held up a cautioning hand.


    ¡°How far you could progress quickly depends on how highly your original card was elevated. If you were younger than ten when it was taken, I think it¡¯s safe to assume you were a Common. Anything beyond that is breathtakingly rare.¡±


    I gave him a crooked grin. ¡°Who¡¯s going to bother ripping a card out of a living soul for a Common?¡±


    He conceded the point with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s possible you could have been an Uncommon or better, especially given the strength of your mother¡¯s ability. High-rarity parents have a chance of producing children with souls already elevated at birth.¡±


    I pursed my lips and said nothing. My Father was Legendary and my mother might have been Mythic. I was willing to bet a good chunk of my newfound coin I¡¯d been a Rare. It was an intoxicating thought, but at the same time, it increased the bitterness of the old wound. What kind of mother stole her son¡¯s soul card and abandoned him?


    ¡°This may all be moonbeams and wasted hope, Hull,¡± Penkmun said gently. ¡°There¡¯s no knowing until we try.¡±


    ¡°Then we try,¡± I said brightly, shaking off the useless mother-pain my thoughts sometimes brought me. ¡°What do I do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a unique position,¡± he said. ¡°With folks newly developing their cards, I tell them to focus on who they are and what they do best ¨C to really dig deep and become the exceptional version of themselves. But given your situation¡­¡±


    ¡°Not many gutter boys coming to you for elevation, eh?¡± I said, chuckling.


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely the point I wish to make: you¡¯re not a gutter boy anymore, Hull.¡± He took me by the shoulders and looked deep into my eyes with a painful earnestness. ¡°You bested noblemen and merchants alike to reach the Top 5, and in just a few days you¡¯ll enter the King¡¯s War Camp. You stand on the cusp of any of a dozen different identities, and if you¡¯re thoughtful, careful, and wise, you can choose what kind of new soul you create. There is almost no limit to what you might become.¡± He shrugged self-consciously. ¡°If in fact you can create a new card, which¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I get it.¡± It was almost troubling, the way he laid it out. Exciting, yes, but heavy. It felt like responsibility, and I wasn¡¯t sure what I thought of that.


    ¡°Even without a soul card you stand a good chance of becoming an important man, Hull.¡± He shook his head, laughing ruefully. ¡°I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I offered to help you. I¡¯ve tried to stay out of any palace intrigue, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m still me, no matter how you pretty it up. I can¡¯t walk past the table without feeling like I need to pocket the breakfast scraps.¡±


    ¡°We carry our past with us,¡± he said sagely. ¡°Habits take time to change, and our view of ourselves even longer. I promise you, though, when you meet new people, they do not see a child of the streets. They see a fierce young duelist with a bright future. So do I. And, if Fate is kind and Fortune with you, a new card may just prove it to you. Think hard about who you want to be, my boy. Few of us get to recreate ourselves from whole cloth, but you just might pull it off.¡±


    I sighed, a bit overwhelmed by it all. ¡°So to make a new card I have to decide who I¡¯m going to be.¡±


    ¡°And excel at it,¡± he said, lifting a finger. ¡°Give it your all.¡±


    That was a more complicated thing than he knew. I was the King¡¯s bastard, and I also hoped to murder him. I was an undiscovered criminal who¡¯d killed a man and taken his stack of illegal Chaos cards. I¡¯d betrayed my only friend and been forgiven. I was a boy who hadn¡¯t dared return to his home turf since the Tournament had ended. I was angry. I was lonely. I was also, for the first time in my life, hopeful. Sum it all up, and who was I? A confused mess. That didn¡¯t sound like the basis for any card I wanted to be.


    ¡°Sleep on it,¡± Penkmun urged, seeing my hesitance. ¡°We can talk about it more as the days pass, and as you make your decisions, I can help guide you to the kind of actions the Twins seem to prefer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told him, and I really meant it.


    ¡°Not that I haven¡¯t enjoyed having you as a guest these last weeks,¡± he said gently, ¡°but I think your time claiming sanctuary here in my chapel cannot last much longer.¡±


    ¡°I needed to let things settle in the Lows,¡± I said. ¡°I told you all about that.¡± He¡¯d been grimly glad to hear of Ticosi¡¯s demise, though I hadn¡¯t let on that I¡¯d done the deed. I¡¯d just said that his enforcers were still after me, and I had no doubt they were.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay as long as you like,¡± he assured me. ¡°It¡¯s been some time since the acolyte beds have been filled. But War Camp begins soon, and you cannot hide forever. And you¡¯ve yet to visit the Hintal boy no matter how many times I suggest it. He¡¯s a powerful ally.¡±


    I tried not to squirm. ¡°I know. I¡¯m going to. I just had to think for a bit first.¡± We¡¯d left things on a good note, Basil and I, but I still carried the guilt for how I¡¯d harmed him, and I was having a hard time putting it down. I wanted to meet him on even footing when we saw each other again, and these last few weeks since the Tournament ended, all I¡¯d wanted to do was sit in the bare cell Penkmun had offered me, rest, stare at the walls, think hard, and gradually come to terms with everything that had changed. It had taken longer than I¡¯d expected, but I was starting to feel right in the head, maybe for the first time.


    Then, moving to a different tack, I asked, ¡°How do you break cards?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised. I¡¯d peppered him with enough questions since I¡¯d come back to life a few days ago that he knew I was trying to soak up as much knowledge as I could. ¡°You¡¯d be better served asking old Brask. He does it all the time, and the cardsmithing guilds have their secrets. I can only give you the most general kind of information.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here and the fat man¡¯s not,¡± I said. ¡°How¡¯s it done?¡±


    He scratched at his bristly beard and puffed out his cheeks, sighing. ¡°It¡¯s not any old card that the cardsmiths will break, you know. Relics and Spells are fair game, but most won¡¯t touch Souls. Certainly none will break the card of a sentient being, and the greater number won¡¯t even shatter a Troglodyte or other lowly creature. Brask is one of the latter, and I must say I agree with him. It¡¯s no light matter to remove a Soul from the Twins¡¯ eternal scheme.¡±


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    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, moving between the pews that faced the front altar and straightening one that was askew. ¡°But I won a good number of Spells and whatnot that I don¡¯t have the source for. Trading for Nether cards is no easy task around here, and I want to elevate what I¡¯ve got. How¡¯s it done?¡±


    ¡°It takes time,¡± he said, picking up a broom from the corner and following my lead in cleaning the homey little space. ¡°The cards have to soak in special alchemical solutions that leach out the source identity but leave the rarity intact. Some of the best smiths even say they have processes that can improve the rarity of the resulting shards above that of the card itself. But it¡¯s slow, you know: an Epic can take a whole month to process properly. Rush it and you¡¯ll end up with fewer shards and lower quality.¡± He gave a little shrug as he swept. ¡°That¡¯s what they say, anyhow. For all I know it takes five minutes and the smiths just want to justify their high fees.¡±


    ¡°So it has to be a cardsmith?¡± I asked casually. ¡°Nobody else can do it?¡±


    ¡°If you had the knowledge and the materials, I suppose anyone could, but like I said, the guilds guard their secrets.¡± He leaned on the top of his broom. ¡°There are other methods, but no one uses them. I once saw a man in the market square break a card in a fit of rage. Full of piss and beer, thought he¡¯d been cheated or something. He had a mess of Fire source and splashed it all over the card he was mad about. The thing cracked right in two with the loudest sound I ever heard.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I picked up a dry rag from Penkmun¡¯s cleaning bucket and went to work dusting his rough wooden pulpit, trying very hard to look like I didn¡¯t much care what he was saying.


    ¡°If you push enough direct source damage onto a card, it will destroy it. Fire works best, of course, and Depths, or Nether. Nobody in their right minds would do such a thing ¨C you end up with only a fraction of the shards you¡¯d earn otherwise, they¡¯re severely degraded, and they retain their source identity, so you can only use them to upgrade cards of the same type.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± I said, moving on to the altar. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if I could get some good shards myself without having to pay for it.¡± I hadn¡¯t told him about my enormous stash of Chaos cards, and I¡¯d hoped to be able to dispose of them discreetly by myself to fund all the upgrades I wanted. It would have been the perfect plan. Such is life.


    ¡°You will go to War Camp, won¡¯t you?¡± Penkmun asked, doubling back to his earlier topic. ¡°It will be a marvelous opportunity for learning and advancement. Lots of duels, skirmishing in the borderlands, learning to fight under the generals. The Paladins from the militant arm of the faith will be on hand to instruct, and I hear that this year we¡¯ll have a contingent from both the dwarves and the elves. It will be an education like none other. Not to mention that the King would be mightily offended if one of his champions reneges his position. He is not one you want to get on the wrong side of.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that. ¡°I¡¯m going, yes. You¡¯ll be rid of me soon enough.¡± Honestly, now that my head was starting to clear, I was itching to learn everything I could and earn some new cards. War Camp would be treacherous and difficult, what with Gerad now aware that I was his unwanted bastard brother, but even that just animated me further.


    ¡°Not rid of, I hope,¡± Penkmun said. ¡°I¡¯ve quite enjoyed your company, and there is much work the Twins wish us to do together yet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come visit,¡± I promised. ¡°You can help me elevate my cards even if it turns out I can¡¯t elevate myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it.¡± He clapped me on the shoulder. ¡°Come, let¡¯s make dinner. Whatever needs doing will look easier after a solid meal and a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and fire up your pot,¡± I told him. ¡°But I think I have an errand to run first.¡±


    ¡°An errand?¡± Penkmun asked, surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve spoken to no one for weeks, and not a soul under the sun even knows you¡¯re here. What¡¯s the suddenly pressing business?¡±


    I headed for the rough double doors of his little chapel, anxious to feel the rays of the sun on my face before sundown. ¡°If I¡¯m supposed to decide who I am and what I want, I might as well get started. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been putting off, and one way or the other it¡¯s a thing I need to do. Throw whatever you want in the pot. If I¡¯m not back by the time it¡¯s ready, I¡¯m probably dead.¡±


    Penkmun squawked at that, but I pushed through the doors without stopping, emerging into the sleepy back streets of Dockside. Two streets up to Broad and then a sharp left would take me where I needed to go. I pulled a Nether and started gathering cards. I¡¯d want them before too long. A few people gave me strange looks as I moved out onto Broad Street, but while Dockside was a good five shades safer than the Lows, folks were still streetwise enough to keep their noses out of the sleeve of somebody circling their source and walking fast.


    Last night had been the full moon, which meant that a very special meeting was happening in the Lows at sundown today just as it did every month. I¡¯d spent enough time watching Ticosi¡¯s thugs like a buzzard to know the times when they had their secret sit-downs. Those had been the only times I could have free run of the streets without having to watch for an enforcer sneaking up behind me. The knowledge would serve me well today. I¡¯d stayed out of the Lows long enough; it was time for a little visit.


    I reveled in the feel of being outside, of moving freely and seeing the sky. Penkmun¡¯s chapel had been a wonderful refuge, and I¡¯d needed it badly, but it had gotten steadily smaller as the days passed. Plus, the confines had kept me from summoning a card I desperately wanted to. Not that the Tender would have appreciated having any of my demons at the dinner table, but this one least of all.


    I reached the invisible border of the Lows where Hook Street crossed Sinner¡¯s Row and hesitated in the middle of the street. The tall, rickety tenements hemmed in the daylight overhead to a pale blue strip. People gave me a wide berth as they passed, leaving me an island in the center of the cobbles. The last time I¡¯d stepped on these stones, I¡¯d been running from Harker, wearing rags on my back and feet, certain that my life was measured in minutes. Now I could have been any of the merchant traders or flatboat owners taking an unwise shortcut through the bad part of town. If I weren¡¯t flaunting a hand full of cards and every last one of my Nether overhead, I¡¯d have needed to watch my back very carefully to make sure it didn¡¯t start sprouting knife hilts.


    Those hidden cutthroats were in for a sight tonight. I focused my source and summoned the one card I¡¯d had to sift through my deck to find. The mist of the Soul¡¯s arrival went up and up and up.


    ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re big,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°And you are not,¡± it rumbled, its basso voice shaking the cheap windows all around. ¡°Hardly a mouthful. Barely a squish.¡± It turned from side to side, the horns sprouting from its shoulders nearly brushing the upper floors of the tenements on either side of the street. ¡°Did you want me to tear this place down? It would only take a moment.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s my home.¡±


    The massive demon¡¯s sigh ripped several articles of laundry from their wires and sent them flying. ¡°If I were enjoying being back in a Mind Home just a little less, I¡¯d kill you myself and take my chances with my card getting found on the street.¡±


    I gestured around at the suddenly-empty street. ¡°I don¡¯t think that would work out the way you want.¡± I paused as a thought occurred to me. ¡°You can¡¯t actually kill your own Summoner, can you?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know I¡¯m not about to tell you,¡± it said. It sounded surprisingly intelligent and cultured for a beast whose head topped the tallest tenements. Part of the reason I¡¯d waited to summon the thing was that Penkmun had mentioned in passing that summons taller than twenty feet were outlawed within the city except inside the Coliseum during matches. Bringing the City Watch down on the old Tender¡¯s head hadn¡¯t seemed like a good idea, but here in the Lows the rickety buildings were tall enough to hide its presence, and none of the residents were likely to go running to the law about it one way or the other.


    ¡°Lift me up there,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to shout at you the whole damn time.¡±


    It crouched down and thumped its taloned hand on the street face down, thumb to one side of me and fingers to the other no more than a foot away. The whole street jumped at the impact, and I stumbled. The slightest twitch of its fingers and it could crush me like a grape.


    ¡°Tiny human, I am not some Common thing you can command and expect immediate, slavish obedience,¡± it growled. Bent down as it was I could feel its breath like a hot wind. It smelled of smoke and sulfur.


    I¡¯d lived in the Lows far too long to think that playing nice would work on a being like this. It was called a Night Terror, for Twins¡¯ sake. ¡°No, you¡¯re an Epic thing. But I will command you, and you will obey¡­unless passing the next fifty years sitting on a shelf gathering dust suits you better.¡±


    It huffed at me, making an eye-watering gale. ¡°A weak bluff, and idle besides. I am too powerful to waste, and you have no other Souls in your Mind Home to match me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten by so far,¡± I countered. ¡°Did my other Souls tell you of the Rising Stars Tournament while you were enjoying that Mind Home of mine? Did they talk about how I killed an Epic opponent? I don¡¯t remember needing you then.¡±


    The Night Terror said nothing.


    ¡°I have an appointment nearby, and you¡¯re going to help me make my point when I get there,¡± I told him in my firmest voice, hoping he couldn¡¯t hear my heart hammering in my chest. ¡°You will obey me or I will take you out and bury you in the ground so you¡¯re never summoned again, I promise. I do not need you.¡±


    A corner of its massive mouth quirked up in a smile and it turned its hand over palm up. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re not so tiny after all.¡±


    I stepped onto the platform of the palm, and with a dizzying lurch it stood upright, holding me in front of its face. I crouched in the center of its hand, trying not to scream or think about how high off the ground I suddenly was. I focused on the features in front of me instead. The pits of its eyes glowed like sullen coals, and horns like a goat¡¯s jutted back from it forehead amid bony ridges. Its ears were long and protruding, and its nose was flat and blunt like a cat¡¯s. I kind of liked how hideous it was.


    ¡°Tell me about my mother,¡± I demanded. It wasn¡¯t the only reason I had summoned it, but that was at the top of the list.


    ¡°Some toothless whore, I assume, if this is the territory you call home.¡± The massive head cocked. ¡°Were you looking for something more specific?¡±


    Its offhanded audacity made me laugh. ¡°She was your last Summoner.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± it rumbled. ¡°I thought something about you smelled familiar.¡±


    My heart sped up. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±


    Its burning gaze considered me silently for a long moment. ¡°I am your first Epic Soul.¡±


    Was that a question? ¡°Yeah. So what?¡±


    A gentle sigh wafted hellish smells at me. ¡°We¡¯ve only just met, and you¡¯re obviously young, so let me inform you of a few things. Any Soul living in a card that is finally raised to Epic, as I was some decades back, treasures their memories more than anything else. They are all I truly possess, and having been without many of them for a very long time first as an Uncommon and then as a Rare, they are all the more precious. I do not part with them easily.¡±


    I clenched my fists. ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t tell me?¡±


    Another flicker of a smile. ¡°I am.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t how I¡¯d imagined this conversation going all these weeks. ¡°I¡¯m your Summoner. You have to obey me. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Tell me to knock down this building, then yes. Demand that I attack your enemies, absolutely. I¡¯ll eat a squalling babe if that¡¯s what you ask. But one of the advantages of the higher elevations is a certain level of autonomy. Task me with cleaning up a large mess or acting the diplomat, and I will find ways to delay. To obfuscate. To misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°You piece of shit,¡± I muttered. ¡°What¡¯s the point of you, then?¡±


    ¡°Breaking things,¡± it promptly replied. ¡°Murder. Burning. Fear.¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t disobey me, you can just put me off.¡±


    ¡°For a time. Be grateful I¡¯m not Mythic. I have it on the best authority that my kind become truly ungovernable at the highest levels.¡±


    ¡°So when I say you have to tell me about your last Summoner, you¡¯ll have to answer eventually.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    I chewed my lip. ¡°How long?¡±


    Its grin was toothy. ¡°Longer than your lifespan, bug.¡±


    ¡°I want to learn about my mother, and you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ve found who knew her,¡± I said. ¡°What will the information cost me?¡±


    Its smile broadened and it nodded. ¡°Now you¡¯re speaking demon tongue. First: you keep me in your Mind Home. You use me as often as you can. You let me hear the screams of the doomed and taste the tears of your defeated enemies.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste a powerful Soul,¡± I said. ¡°Matter of fact, I may be taking you to war soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± it purred, the sound vibrating through my body. ¡°And I want to be consulted if you decide to trade me. I refuse to end up in a grimoire or in the hands of some weakling or pacifist.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like that one much, but I doubted I¡¯d be trading him any time soon, especially since it would keep me from learning anything it knew. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Seal it with blood,¡± the monster said. ¡°Yours and mine both.¡±


    Taking the duplicating knife I¡¯d gotten from Ticosi, I nicked my thumb and knelt, wiping it on the horned skin of its palm. Right where I¡¯d left my own blood, I pushed the blade through its hide until a bead of black oozed up. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡±


    It inclined its head to me gravely. ¡°Done. Each time you sate my need for destruction, I will share one memory.¡±


    My teeth ached from clenching. ¡°I agree to your bullshit bargain and you still won¡¯t tell me anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for three hundred years, little human. Your impatience will not move me.¡±


    I shook my head. Having Epic Souls might be more trouble than it¡¯s worth. My powerful Relics are looking better all the time.


    ¡°This much I will give you on credit,¡± it rumbled. ¡°Your mother¡¯s name is known from the heights to the depths of my realm.¡±


    I chewed on that. ¡°So she is a demon.¡±


    Again, that sly smile. ¡°Did I say that?¡±


    It was the only thing that made sense. I¡¯d thought it a thousand times before. Why else would Nether come to me so easily? Still, I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about being only half human.


    No point in worrying about it now. ¡°Put me on your shoulder,¡± I told the giant demon.


    I¡¯d never felt anything quite so terrifying as being plucked up gently by fingers that wrapped all the way around me as if I were no more than a sausage, moving me with dizzying speed. My feet touched down on a shoulder as wide as I was tall, and I clutched onto a small horn protruding from the pebbly skin, trying to catch my breath. This was totally different than being in the center of its palm. Standing up here was like looking off the balcony from the upper floors of the Coliseum, but without a stone wall to keep me from falling. The fear had an exhilarating edge, and I laughed out loud.


    ¡°You and I are going to get along just fine, you great purple bastard.¡± I pointed toward the heart of the Lows. ¡°Our bargain is for me to let you break shit, right? Let¡¯s go earn a memory. Take me that way; make as much noise as you please. We¡¯re going to drop in on an old friend and say hello.¡±

 63. Harker - Epilogue

    Harker glared at the others as they bickered. Merrun kept pounding the table and telling slender Kernona at the next seat over that Ticosi had been captured and was being interrogated by the King¡¯s secret police and their shadowy leader Azure, who might or might not be the Marchioness deRouche, whose inbred idiocy was the perfect disguise. He was saying the entire Lows organization needed to get out of town while they still could. Kernona was nodding, and several of the others were listening. Priyam was advocating for a wait-and-see approach, thankfully, but Harker didn¡¯t like how he kept prowling at the far end of the table, watching her like a cat about to pounce. If he tried to take her spot as second in command, Bann would back him, and a couple of the others might, too.


    Harker planted her fists on the table and tried to look mean and confident. If Priyam smelled so much as a hint of fear, he¡¯d jump on it. As much as she¡¯d have loved to let somebody else corral these grunting idiots right now, the only way she¡¯d ever step down as second in command was if someone killed her for it. The Big Man was counting on her, damn him, and she was going to show these snakes why he¡¯d trusted her all these years.


    ¡°Enough chatter,¡± she barked, quelling the noise. ¡°The boss has left us a time or two before and it¡¯s always turned out fine, hasn¡¯t it? A few of you might have even heard him talking about big plans he was laying with some outlander types. No, I don¡¯t know any more about it than you do, don¡¯t be stupid, but all this panic has got to stop. Merrun, what shopkeep would pay your protection if they could see you sweating and bawling right now? Are you a baby at the tit?¡±


    The fat man bolted up, clenching his big stupid fist around his big stupid hooked dagger that he made such a big fuss over. ¡°Say that again, bitch.¡±


    She¡¯d hoped he¡¯d bite. She stood up straight, let the threat hang in the air and suppress the last of the murmuring in the room, and then kicked her chair back and walked right over to him. She had a good hand of height on him, and it was bone-deep satisfying to loom over his pasty, balding head. He might be a fat man, but she had just as much bulk, and it was all muscle. ¡°Are you a baby at the tit?¡± she said. Soft. Dangerous.


    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to us like that, Hark,¡± he mumbled, looking down and letting go of his knife. ¡°You¡¯re not the Big Man.¡±


    ¡°Best thank the Twins I¡¯m not,¡± she said, stepping back and letting the tension fade. ¡°He¡¯d hang you from the Maidenhead Fountain by your guts if you talked to him like that.¡± The confrontation had done the trick ¨C the others were focused on her, and there was less fear humming in the room. Nothing brought these lowlifes to heel like someone showing teeth. ¡°You know Ticosi leaves me in charge when he¡¯s gone, and it¡¯s on all of us to keep things in order until he¡¯s back. That¡¯s how things work. If you think that needs changing, we can have words.¡± She very carefully did not look at Priyam, and he very carefully did not look at her as he finally took his seat.


    ¡°Kernona, have we cleared the books from the tournament, or are there still outstanding debts?¡± she said. There was business to be done, and the last thing she wanted was for Ticosi to be disappointed in her when he finally came back. Where are you, you son of a bitch? He might disappear without telling the others, but he always told her when he was leaving town. She hadn¡¯t slept solid in two weeks, and it was getting worse by the day. It wasn¡¯t as if she missed him, but he kept the Lows in line, and even after all these years she wasn¡¯t sure she was up to the task of taking over.


    To the others, Ticosi was a mystery, a bad dream wearing a leather trenchcoat who could show up anywhere and who seemed to know everything. Only Harker saw the work he put into it all. He was cruel, yes, and unpredictable, but he bled for it nearly as much as anyone else. She couldn¡¯t count the number of times she¡¯d turned a corner with him after torturing a shopkeep or terrorizing the locals only to have to catch him as he swooned, blood dripping from his eyes like tears as the war between Chaos and Order tore at his body and left him shaking and sobbing. Three separate times she¡¯d had to track down someone who¡¯d seen it happen and get rid of them. At that moment, she¡¯d have gladly murdered a whole building¡¯s worth of lookie-loos if it meant he¡¯d stride through the door and tell them all of the new game he was running up in the Palace district or out among the outlanders.


    Most of the others thought she was his doxy and made jokes about his bad taste in whores, but she¡¯d long since grown a callus on her heart. She knew she was ugly; what of it? Ticosi himself had kept the joke going. When he¡¯d seen early on how much it bothered her, he made a point of playing to the rumors, calling her beautiful and patting her ass in public. He only did it if someone was looking. He¡¯d told her he was toughening her up, giving her status ¨C and both of those things were true ¨C but she¡¯d run with him long enough to know that he just liked causing pain.


    She¡¯d hated him for that, but she hadn¡¯t let it get in the way. If her pride ever reared its head, she reminded herself of the facts. She was the only one of his lieutenants allowed to have more than five cards. She had the run of the neighborhood and paid a lower rate on her independent scores than anyone else was allowed to even know about. None of the others dared cross her when he was around, not even Priyam. And if Ticosi were to ever get himself killed, the Lows were hers. If that day really had arrived, she would steel herself, step up despite not feeling ready, and jump into action to secure her position. Until she was sure, though, she¡¯d continue to keep the others in line and on task in case he returned. To do otherwise was a sure path to a slit throat.


    The necessary affairs of the meeting ground on, all of Ticosi¡¯s lieutenants reporting on their take for the month and forking over the Big Man¡¯s share, every last one of them doing their level best to weasel out of whatever clip and copper they could. She was used to it. This was the business of the Lows. Ticosi often told her that all the ugly pettiness of what they did was feeding a larger plan, and she reminded herself of it now. He said a better world was coming. It might even be true.


    Then the front wall of their meetinghouse disappeared.


    The noise was so loud it felt like the world was ending, and the whole building swayed and creaked alarmingly, but when the dust cleared, the ceiling hadn¡¯t fallen in, and the last light of day filtered in to where Merrun was sprawled on his back calling for help. The others all had weapons drawn and were shouting in confusion.


    A single figure strode in through the swirling dust and debris. It was hulking and dangerous in a spiked suit of armor she was sure she¡¯d seen before, with a glowing amulet bouncing on its chest. The gauntleted hand raised the helm¡¯s visor, revealing a distressingly familiar face.


    It was that little shit Hull.


    ¡°Take him,¡± she yelled, pointing at him. Thankfully, no less than half of the enforcers in the room surged forward.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that,¡± Hull warned, shaking his head.


    A host of demons swarmed through the obscuring dust, howling, gibbering, and ugly. The roomful of thugs, so confident a bare second before, yelled and scrambled for whatever cover they could find toward the rear of the room. Bann and Merrun were both yanking at the doorknob leading back to the rooms behind, but they got in each others¡¯ way long enough for a flying demon-thing to sail over, toss them both aside, and bar the exit.


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    ¡°Weapons down and hands empty if you want to keep breathing,¡± Hull commanded, his voice cutting through the ruckus. His other demons prowled the room, looking eagerly for any signs of resistance.


    Harker knew a coup when she saw one, and she was the only one close enough to the gaping hole leading out to the street to do anything about it. The swarm of demons were all focused on others for a brief second, and she bolted through the dust, already planning how and when she¡¯d come back and ruin the boy¡¯s plans.


    A purple, taloned hand nearly as tall as the boy swept out of nowhere, bowling her over and knocking her back into the room. She landed on her ass gasping, nose bloody and mind awhirl. What was that? When her eyes cleared, she looked out where the front wall had been. The dust had settled enough for her to see what had stopped her, and her heart dropped. The biggest Twins-damned monster she¡¯d ever seen blocked the way. Even squatting as it was, its head higher than the second story windows.


    ¡°Do stay for a bit,¡± it rumbled, its basso voice incredibly loud. ¡°I may be killing you in a moment, but meanwhile, we might as well all be friends.¡±


    She trembled at the sound ¨C more like thunder than a spoken word ¨C and looked around, realizing that with a single swipe it had removed the entire front face of the building, all five floors of it. People above were screaming and praying.


    ¡°Ignore the big bastard,¡± Hull said, sounding like the cocky little garbage rat he was. ¡°Or, you know, maybe remember it¡¯s there, but it¡¯s a better idea to pay attention to its Summoner first.¡±


    The icy unease in Harker¡¯s guts that had been growing for two weeks suddenly formed spikes. The Big Man had said he was going to take the boy¡¯s cards when the tournament was over, but she hadn¡¯t seen him since. No one had. She¡¯d assumed he¡¯d gone out into the city or beyond ¨C he¡¯d been back and forth in and out of the Coliseum multiple times a day throughout the competition ¨C but now a thought formed, and it felt like the truth.


    ¡°You killed him,¡± she rasped.


    The boy looked as serious as she¡¯d ever seen him before, even when he¡¯d been scuttling around the shadows trying to escape her notice back before it had all gone wrong that day with Skop. The two man-sized demons flanking him raked him with their claws, and a bolt of energy leapt from the amulet around his neck, shattering a chair and making everyone jump. Seven Nether source circled his head, and he had a hand full of cards. If he¡¯d used this army of Souls as his opening statement, what else was he holding? The others were still as mice against the far walls.


    Making sure he had every eye in the room, Hull reached into the recesses of one gauntlet and pulled out a card, laying it on the table in front of him. Everyone inched forward to get a look without calling attention to themselves. Harker got to her feet to take a peek, keeping well clear of the demons.


    Her head swam and she clutched at the edge of the table to keep from falling. ¡°You actually did it,¡± she whispered. ¡°You son of a whore, how did you end up being the one?¡± The world swam in front of her. Of all the ways she¡¯d thought the old snake would go, she¡¯d never imagined something like this. A month ago Hull had been less than a rat in the walls.


    He ignored her words, speaking loudly to the others. ¡°The Big Man is dead. I killed him.¡±


    Silence met his words, and Harker thought she could almost sense a dozen minds starting to calculate just like hers. If the Big Man was dead, any one of them might be the Big Man.


    ¡°This is my home,¡± Hull said, sounding angry. ¡°I¡¯ve been living on these streets as long as I can remember, and nearly every one of you has taken a swing at me a time or two. You may not remember, but I sure as hell do.¡±


    It was Priyam who stepped forward, of course. ¡°Give me the card, kid. You might stand half a chance of waking up tomorrow if you do.¡±


    Hull stared at him disbelievingly, and another bolt of energy leapt from his talisman, blowing a hole in the wall two feet from Priyam¡¯s head. ¡°If you want the card, come take it. I¡¯m right here.¡±


    No one moved.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Big Man now,¡± Hull announced into the silence. ¡°You work for me or you die right here. Who wants to be red paint? Raise your hand or summon your source; we can make it quick.¡±


    If she stood a chance of ever dislodging this little tick, Harker had to speak up now, no matter the cost. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works, boy. You don¡¯t just show up and take over.¡±


    He pointed to the card. ¡°This says I do.¡± Then he gestured to his team of demons. ¡°These say I do.¡± One of his Nether balls dipped low and dimmed, and a gleaming hammer appeared in his hand. ¡°So does this.¡±


    Harker¡¯s heart burned. She wanted to snatch Ticosi¡¯s card from the table and run. I paid the price all these years; that card should be mine! If she¡¯d thought she had a hair¡¯s chance of surviving, she would have gone for it. She didn¡¯t have Chaos, but she could learn to cultivate it somehow. She¡¯d summon the old snake, use him as an advisor, hear his plans and make them her own. It wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect us to negotiate with these things breathing down our necks,¡± Kernona said indignantly. ¡°Let¡¯s do business like adults.¡±


    ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t negotiation,¡± Hull said grimly. ¡°This is me telling you how the world works now.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Harker said, unable to take her eyes off the card. She could appease the boy, let him think he was in charge. Once she got her hands on Ticosi¡¯s card, it would turn around. The others would rally behind her, and she could kill this little piece of shit nice and slow. ¡°Tell us what you want. We¡¯re listening.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you really are,¡± the boy said. ¡°Let¡¯s fix that.¡±


    He devoted all his remaining source, and the Hammer streaked through the air in a purple haze. Harker saw what he was doing and screamed ¡°Wait!¡± She reached out a hand ¨C too late.


    The Hammer landed on Ticosi¡¯s card. The table beneath it exploded, and everyone jumped back with oaths and cursing. Harker fell to her knees, scrambling into the wreckage, heedless of the splinters that jabbed at her hands and legs. There, in the middle of it all, were two large shards ¨C one white, one red, both edged in gold ¨C and a handful of glittering dust. Nothing more.


    Ticosi Santhedrus, the Big Man of the Lows, was destroyed. Gone forever. She stared at the shards, numb. All of her plans would have to change, and she wasn¡¯t even sure how yet. The boy had wrecked everything.


    She lost herself in thought, and when she came back to herself, the idiots who had run the Lows until five minutes ago were yelling at the top of their lungs, proclaiming Hull a monster and a heretic for breaking a man¡¯s card ¨C as if they¡¯d ever given two shits about the Church of the Twins and its rules. They were clinging to the power they couldn¡¯t yet see they¡¯d lost.


    ¡°Things are going to change in the Lows,¡± Hull was saying, his voice grim and rock steady. ¡°I¡¯m not just a new boss, and you¡¯re not just going to be thugs. We¡¯re going to make this a better place to live.¡±


    Harker stood to get the others¡¯ attention. If they weren¡¯t careful, they¡¯d get her killed alongside the rest of them. She¡¯d be happy enough to watch their blood flow, but she had things she wanted to do yet. Namely, grind this gutter boy into the dirt and proclaim herself the proper successor to Ticosi. She could see, though, that the path between here and there was a twisty and dangerous one, and it would require some play-acting on her part. Fortunately, she knew how to swallow her pride.


    Making a show of it, she knelt in front of Hull. ¡°Maybe we need a change,¡± she said, hoping Priyam and the rest were wise enough to follow her lead. She¡¯d need their help before all was said and done. ¡°I may not be your favorite person, Hull, but I know how to follow and how to help you.¡±


    The armored feet stepped close to her, the shining hammer swinging gently by his thigh. ¡°I thought I¡¯d have to kill you,¡± he said, sounding surprised. ¡°It¡¯d be real nice not to.¡±


    She swallowed her rage and looked up at the kid. He was just a kid, no matter what cards he had, no matter how he¡¯d managed to best Ticosi. She¡¯d have him in the ground by the end of the month. ¡°I¡¯ll be your best enforcer,¡± she promised, trying to sound as sincere as she knew how. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you ask.¡±


    He peered down at her distrustfully. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to trust you?¡±


    The words came out before she had a chance to think about them, but she knew they were the right ones even as they hit the air. ¡°Because I follow the Big Man.¡±


    ¡°And now that¡¯s you.¡±

 B2: 0. Countess Felstrife - Prologue

    Countess Felstrife walked through the remnants of what had once been a sizable human town. She had heard that the place was now called Burlon, but on her library¡¯s most recent maps ¨C faded, yellow things ¨C Kitling was its name, and on anything older than that it was merely a smudge of rolling plains. When she had first made her pilgrimage, north and west, traveling to the far off desert in search of the secrets it contained, she had passed through this place. In her memory, faded like those maps, she recalled it being filled with tall grasses, rabbits aplenty, and a friendly caravan that had let her rest by their fire.


    Now the ground was filled with bodies, still and silent as she stepped over them at a measured pace. The other generals thought it beneath them to personally enter so small a fortification, but she was a collector, and one who would never overlook a potential opportunity.


    Burlon was large enough for a garrison and even had a champion of Rare, who had valiantly stood against the oncoming host despite it being plain that there was no way he or the place he defended would survive the hour. That man scrambled away from her now, his rear to the ground, fleeing crablike on all fours. She was uninterested and moved past him with barely a glance. He appeared dull in her vision, which meant any Soul abilities he might have were ones she already possessed, and thus of no value to her.


    Only a few cowering shapes were left standing in the city, her Frozen Heart Spell having already killed everyone who lacked a Soul card, the lot of them dying together in one great wave. It was a painless death, and instant, a small repayment to any of the caravan''s descendants who might still reside among these folk. It was also far kinder than what the orcs or demons would have done.


    A gurk from behind turned her slowly around, and she saw that one of her lieutenants had separated the champion¡¯s head from his shoulders.


    ¡°You take all the fun out of the hunt,¡± the well-dressed newcomer complained, muscles straining the fabric of the suit he wore. So saying, he tilted the neck of the severed head toward his mouth like a goblet.


    The military might vampires brought to the Dominion of Death was unquestionable, but to her, they were ever an oddity. Governed by the needs of the flesh, they sexed each other and supped on blood of their victims, making them more akin to the living than the dead in her estimation.


    Still, they had a multitude of uses.


    Not that she bothered to tell this one, Stafford by name, such a thing. The living spoke a great deal, as did vampires, but over the centuries, she found that the act had lost its appeal.


    Instead, the Countess pointed to a young woman across the way, the lone Soul in the entire town who shimmered ever so slightly to her eyes.


    ¡°Truly?¡± Stafford called from behind. ¡°There¡¯s something of value in this little pen? Twins twist me, Lymet has too much luck by half.¡±


    Her lieutenants were well aware of what she searched for ¨C one of the primary reasons she agreed to this conquest, in fact ¨C and the four vampires among them often wagered as to what she might find. Yet another useless, living endeavor, like a sickness they had not fully cleansed themselves of.


    Countess Felstrife did not bother to answer, keeping her skeletal finger crooked toward her quarry. In a blink, Stafford was leaning over the human girl, and the terrified thing let out a choked cry of fright at his sudden appearance. Stafford was of high Epic Rarity, only an advancement or two from Mythic, and his speed was unmatched in her forces.


    ¡°Come along, little darling,¡± he cooed to her.


    The girl would be put in a bone cage at the rear of their army and fed bits of zombie until they returned home. There, the Countess could use an Artifact she herself had designed to transfer the ability to her own Soul card. It was a slow process, particularly for more powerful traits, but time was of no concern to her. The vampires often ended up turning her finds once she was done with them, thinking it gained them a bargaining chip over her. She never played into their games, but they enjoyed making intrigue where there was none.


    A mighty bellow pulled her attention over and up, and if she still breathed, the air would have caught in her hollow chest. The Sun King was here, hanging in the sky, his golden cloak snapping in the high altitude. The man shone like a beacon in her sight, rich with abilities that were foreign to her. As she watched him, she saw a large body sail through the air toward the Legendary king and recognized it instantly as the orc general, Targu¡¯Thal, who gave a second, piercing war cry. Even with his Mythic strength, the orc only reached two thirds of the necessary height, but at the peak of his jump, he swung his Legendary ax. The clouds were rent in twain by the strike, and even on the ground she experienced the blowback a moment later. Her bones felt nothing, but a force pushing her away and her clothing flapping wildly for a moment were enough to deduce the cause.


    Leaning forward, she streaked across the land. She too could Fly ¨C one of the earlier abilities she had acquired ¨C but she would not risk joining the Sun King in the air today. Instead, she kept herself a foot or two above the ground, skimming along to reach her fellow general. As the Countess shot forward, she dismissed her current hand of cards, and with a mental shift, switched to her second Mind Home. From it, she began drawing fresh summons since a handful of Source already floated over her head. The cards were still of Death and Water, but they were focused on removing a single, powerful target instead of enfeebling a group.


    The massive orc slammed into the ground just as the Countess reached the spot she had calculated his trajectory would terminate.


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    ¡°Do not let him bait you,¡± she hissed at him.


    Targu¡¯Thal slowly stood from his landing crouch. He did not look her way until he reached his full height, standing head and shoulders above her, a mound of corded, deep green muscle. The shimmer around him indicated that he possessed a number of unique abilities, too, ones she would have eagerly collected if he did not have an army at his back.


    ¡°I attacked because I chose,¡± the leader of the orc host rumbled. ¡°There was no other reason.¡±


    Countess Felstrife lacked the ability to frown but she felt an inkling of the frustration that would accompany such a gesture. The orcs were not ones for subtlety; they did exactly what they wanted, when they wanted, and felt no remorse at the ramifications of those actions.


    The quality made them the worst sort of allies to have, completely undependable. As she had many times before, she considered if she and her forces might be better off turning about and making the trek back to the desert. And yet¡­ that Legendary human suspended high above represented a tantalizing repository, one she itched to know more about. He seemed unfazed by Targu¡¯Thal''s attack, floating peacefully. Was it an Artifact that had protected him, a summoned Relic, or, as she hoped, something within the man himself?


    ¡°You march to your destruction,¡± he boomed from on high. ¡°Bless you. It makes your eradication so much simpler.¡±


    With the Death Source and Water circling her, the Countess had the perfect hand to get her Ice Spine Wyrm immediately afield, but she hesitated, calculating. For all his bluster, the Sun King had yet to draw any cards. Targu¡¯Thal had a ring of red Chaos Source above his head at least, but the only card she spotted of his was the giant ax he already held. The two alpha summoners stared at each other, neither moving to equip themselves further. They were pumped up poppinjays to her eye, similar to those she had seen puff and strut in her oldest of memories, back when flesh still adorned her bones. The standoff might escalate, but she preferred to exploit such a spark not be the cause of it.


    The Sun King hovered there arrogantly another moment and then shot away south, back toward the heart of the human lands.


    ¡°He flees,¡± Targu¡¯Thal declared, slipping his wicked ax into a hip holster. ¡°He knows he cannot defeat us both.¡±


    The Countess was unconvinced of that, and for all his size and confidence, she observed the orc general worrying the top of his weapon with a thick thumb. He began walking eastward, to where his army paralleled her own, but did not make it far before a sly voice said.


    ¡°Seems I missed the excitement.¡±


    The newcomer was the male Yveda, and the Countess found him standing off to the side, cards and Source barred for battle. He was a purple-skinned creature, tall and lithe, mostly in the shape of a man. His shorn head made the two horns that grew from his scalp easy to spot and he wore leather clothes the color of pitch black. Despite these details, she could not tell if it was the real demon prince who stood before them or just one of his many copies. For all she knew, his true self could be tucked away safely and comfortably at home, a possibility that made her keenly aware of the continued draw she felt back toward her own perfectly cultivated sanctuary.


    ¡°There was nothing you could have done,¡± Targu¡¯Thal told the other general. ¡°Even if you stacked yourself one atop the other you would not have reached high enough.¡±


    The demon narrowed his black eyes dangerously. ¡°Oh, I might surprise you, greenling. I have more tricks than you can imagine.¡±


    Beyond the cards Yveda kept close, the Countess could tell the demon spoke true from the shimmer around him. It was not so great as the orc general¡¯s, and certainly not the Sun King¡¯s, but still brighter than most Souls she had come across.


    Targu¡¯Thal snorted and then crouched briefly, using his thick legs to launch himself into another great leap. Yveda looked none too happy at the orc¡¯s departure, even glaring at her as if she was somehow at fault.


    With an ability like his, I could continue my experiments and search the lands for every unique soul that exists. The thought was so tantalizing, she had to stop herself from using her Ice Coffin to try and capture the demon. Like Targu¡¯Thal, the army he led would be a bother to put down, and more than that, the other Yveda he traveled with was rumored to have an ability that was one of the few things that might actually be able to destroy a lich ¨C a possibility she was both drawn to and repulsed by in equal measure. No, she would not anger the demons without great cause.


    He broke eye contact with her first, returning to the high grass that still encircled the town. Alone now, she floated up into the air and then slowly drifted back toward the town, in no great hurry.


    At the edge of Burlon, she found that Stafford had been joined by Tremlin. The elderly necromancer was the least of her lieutenants, having neither the longevity of her wights nor the killing power of the vampires.


    "Countess, Countess," he practically brayed at her. The necromancer was loud, a complaint never far from his lips. He had already extended his life unnaturally multiple times, but she had yet to give him the secret to lichdom and had no plans to do so. Perhaps sensing her reticence, he was growing ever more bold of late, a behavior she wished she could remove as easily as those she collected. ¡°The Sun King here, without word? It can only mean one thing: this one¡¯s kin has failed you.¡± The gaunt man gestured at the vampire with a long sleeve, to which Stafford hissed in reply, showing fangs.


    ¡°Watch how you speak of my blood-sister. You are a coward and a fool. A missive from Lustra could not possibly travel as fast as the Sun King does.¡±


    Tremlin was not so high an Epic as Stafford, but he stood his ground. ¡°Mark me, she was too eager for the role, yet you would not hear it. She may have done something to alert him to our presence, to bring his wrath down upon us.¡±


    Stafford threw his head back and laughed. ¡°We are invading the human lands. The wrath of their king was an inevitability.¡±


    ¡°The occurrence, yes,¡± the necromancer conceded, the veins under his parchment skin bulging. ¡°But the time and place we could dictate if we were wise and did not overplay our ha ¨C¡±


    ¡°Quiet,¡± she hissed, no longer able to take their bickering.


    Both spoke no further, though she could tell it pained Tremlin. When she grew even more tired of watching him jitter and blow air, she relented.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met with the orc spirit talkers,¡± he said in a wheezing rush. ¡°The summoned Soul they used to correspond with the Chaos user in Treledyne vanished yesterday. Something is awry, and if we are not wary ¨C¡±


    ¡°You speak of contingencies,¡± Stafford interrupted. ¡°Look at the force you travel with instead of only your fear and the books you and your enclave obsess over. Even lacking a spy or a group from within to raid their gates, we will demolish Treledyne and every little bump along the way.¡±


    It was obvious to the Countess that the Sun King would require more effort than that, but she felt no need to comment. More interesting by far was a small rabbit that had peeked out of the undergrowth, watching her as it munched on grass.


    Tremlin would have inevitably argued the point if not for a building roar of crunching and gnawing filling the air behind them. The Countess knew what it was before she bothered to check: orcs had swarmed the town, crawling over every part and consuming it. Their biology was yet another thing she wished to explore one day. Orcs were like locusts, able to eat anything and everything, from the bodies of the dead or living, to the timber and brick the people here had built their homes from. In a few hours, Burlon would return to that smudge her older maps showed it to be.


    Such a fate was what awaited all humans in their path, but she, Countess Felstrife, would see to preserving those who were worth the effort of saving.

 B2: 1. Basil - Research

    I sat in the Library of Istraago, the largest in Treledyne aside from the King¡¯s own. The cooing and chirps of birds could be heard up and down the aisles due to the countless kestrel who called the building home; they lived here and worked here, serving as its caretakers. In fact, patrons could only reach the library by way of larger bird-folk, who, for a fee, carried people in great baskets from a second story platform below to where Istraago floated high above. Enormous chains connected to Treledyne¡¯s Palace kept the flying island from drifting away, but there was much speculation about what precisely kept the kestrel home aloft. Some said it was an unending Mythic or Legendary Spell, while others speculated it to be a summoned Relic or entrenched set of Artifacts, or maybe even an ability of their Queen.


    I had been brimming with such questions when my parents first brought me here over a decade ago, but neither the kestrel at the entrance nor any I found shelving books or cleaning the floors would answer. They just cocked their heads, acting like they couldn¡¯t understand, but I saw other staff helping visitors who asked more mundane questions. At the tender age of eight, I had concluded that humans weren¡¯t the only ones who liked to keep their secrets.


    For this particular visit I had requested that they unearth a tome for me that was much too large for its own good ¨C immense and gilded, it looked more like a piece of art than a reliquary of information. Through no small measure of strength, I managed to pry the book open to a series of pages detailing the various archetypes associated with each Source, along with common card characteristics and Source pairings. I had read many such summaries when I first began collecting but hadn¡¯t bothered to reference one in years, not after drifting off in my own direction.


    And yet here I was, reviewing what many would consider to be the basics.


    War Camp was slated to begin on the morrow, and frustratingly, I still found myself no closer to deciding what direction to take with my deck. I had begun using Seersight, discovering with great disappointment that it would only work on a single card a day, and if I stretched it to a second, the ability was useless the following two sun cycles ¨C hardly a worthwhile trade. Even with the limitation, I had made some fascinating discoveries about my cards and a few of Esmi¡¯s, too. However, learning that Atrea, my Winged Knight, could gain Hunt, an Aura that ignored Armor, or Flurry in place of Fast Attack, or that my Master Assassin could have Dodge, a "Devote to destroy damaged targets" ability, or an Arrival that granted Stealth to another of my Souls, while all exciting, hadn¡¯t solidified my choices in the way I had hoped.


    I had told Esmi my concerns, of course, and she had kindly offered to send a messenger pigeon to her trainer in Charbond on my behalf. I had agreed, thinking there was no harm in the query but also that it was unlikely to amount to much. The issue felt personal to me, one that only I or someone who knew me well could solve. When I let those thoughts slip, Esmi wasn¡¯t shy about providing her own insights. She was polite, as always, saying that my last match with Hull had been quite entertaining but also that some sub-optimal plays had been present. She started with his use of the Vampiric Blade, stating with great certainty that he could have bested me if he had simply waited for my attacks instead of wasting his chances to regain cards on targets of my choosing.


    For me, the ¡°notes¡± she had mentioned previously turned out to be more involved than I was expecting. She questioned the efficacy of my Source heavy opening and early Source Explosion, as well as the use of one of my Rusts against Hull¡¯s Hammer instead of waiting for the Blade, which was the true threat. She also informed me that if I had calculated my Source closer, I could have used my Microburst a turn sooner and not risked the loss.


    I might have been stung by such criticism and was certainly heading in that direction, until Esmi launched into an even longer list of the misplays she had made against the Prince and during other matches. When I suggested that she was being rather hard on herself considering she had won the whole Tournament, she explained that this was an essential part of training in Charbond: recognizing errors allowed one to purge them. She then shocked me by admitting that the level of dueling among the Rising Stars had been less than what she had expected. While I swallowed that humbling revelation, Esmi laid the blame at Gerad¡¯s feet, and even the King¡¯s, saying that in Charbond the Duel Masters made sure that anyone with promise was ensured not only a full twenty card deck but one optimized for success. They viewed training against less to be a waste.


    I didn¡¯t quite have the heart ¨C or perhaps more accurately, courage ¨C to tell Esmi that many of the opponents I had faced before the Tournament had indeed possessed fewer than twenty cards.


    In the end, she suggested that I try using the archetypes as a starting point, just as she had done when beginning her own schooling in Charbond. I¡¯d avoided the recommendation for a time, bizarrely, since the advice had been needed. But when I failed to make headway elsewhere, and with the start of War Camp looming, I finally decided to commit to such research. And, perhaps to make up for my previous dragging of feet, I decided to use the biggest library and the biggest book to do that research ¨C utter foolishness, I knew.


    Reviewing the oversized penmanship, I could see why Esmi had questioned the first deck she had seen me employ. It was in no way Swarm, the only type Order and Air shared, and most certainly not Air Rush or Order Growth. It could also hardly be considered Enhancement when I had started with only a single Soulforged Helmet to aid me. Chimera would be a stretch, just as I had admitted to Esmi when we first spoke about it. Yes, I had some cards that interacted well together, such as my Assassin¡¯s ability to feed my Carrion Condors or Air¡¯s Source Power being able to bring those same Assassins back to ready, reestablishing their Stealth. I had thought these powerful and clever combinations, and they, along with others, had served me to a degree. However, the Tournament, and even more so my battle with Ticosi ¨C a name I had only heard after the man¡¯s death, whispered by some of the help ¨C had shown me with stark clarity the ceiling of my previous build.


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    Unfortunately, staring at the categories laid out by the book didn¡¯t immediately point me in one direction over another. After a good bit of time looking, I suppose it was only natural that my mind began to group the decks I had encountered in the Tournament. At first I resisted the urge, thinking it a distraction, but then I considered that recontextualizing my experiences might, if the Twins were merciful, end up revealing my own path forward.


    I hunkered closer to the book, feeling a hint of hope.


    Hull¡¯s deck had clear elements of Rush, with his Gremlins, Imp, and Marauders, and now a good amount of Enhancement: the Vampiric Blade, of course, but also his Plate, Hammer, and tried and true Sucking Void. He even had some Burn with his new Unstable Rift Spell and his Talisman when activated. And yet, by dipping into all three archetypes, was he spreading himself thin? Might he be able to defeat opponents more consistently if he fully committed to one, or perhaps two, approaches? Part of his trouble was that he didn¡¯t have a full twenty cards yet, and if he ever showed up to visit, as he should have weeks ago, I¡¯d quite enjoy getting to talk to him about how he planned to fill those remaining slots.


    At the opposite end of the spectrum was someone like Losum, who had used an Order Burn deck, near as I could tell, what with all his Archers. That deck type wasn¡¯t even listed in the book, and due to the lack of direct damage Spells found in Order, I could see why it had been omitted. Perhaps if Losum¡¯s Mythic Archer Soul, Orelus, had been able to target the opposing Summoner with his high damage Devote ability, it would have been a different story. But multiple tales concerning Orelus said that the man had trained so hard with a bow to ensure that he never missed his intended target and that he never shot to kill, so it made sense that his card couldn¡¯t either. Perhaps if Losum had augmented his forces with a Source type that had Burn Spells or one with more ranged attack Souls, like the Elf Archers I had seen the elf ambassador use, he would have had greater success.


    Starting to feel like I was gaining some traction with this, I went onto Plutar, my previous rival for Esmi¡¯s hand ¨C strange that I could wish he still held that title instead of my eldest brother taking up that role. Plutar had been Fire Burn through and through, and it had nearly worked for him. Watching him lose twice though, pure Burn seemed like a tricky deck to pilot, especially for Fire, since their cards had such poor defense when used to block from hand. I was convinced that a few Souls to slow down the enemy or more protective Relics would have done him well.


    The all-Relic deck Throice had employed against me also wasn¡¯t here, undoubtedly for a similar reason: not being able to block incoming damage from hand was practically a death sentence.


    A theme was starting to come through to me, which had likely been Esmi¡¯s plan all along: straying too far from the archetypes, like Throice and Losum, or committing too narrowly to a risky build, like Plutar, or too expansively, like Hull, the more likely it was to have a weakness that your opponent could exploit or an element missing that was necessary to win. Not to say that I was taking this tome as gospel, which I wasn¡¯t, or that I believed creating something unique was impossible, which I didn¡¯t, but after watching others try and lose, with rarer cards than I possessed, I could see now that it was much harder than I had once believed.


    Of course, the type of deck one was facing off against also played a role, like me attempting to use a partial Water Growth deck against Esmi¡¯s Fire Rush without enough defense, which had failed miserably. I hadn¡¯t thought about it in those terms at the time, but if I had, I might have been more aware of the importance of defending the Growth, like trading for Order Guards or Shieldbearers, and maybe even some Knights. Basically, anything to slow the kobolds down until I could have played the Sea Titan to sweep them away.


    The viability of this two-prong approach was further evidenced by Gerad¡¯s deck, which had obviously done well, placing second. He had committed to an Order Growth style of play with his Paladins and cards that could search them out, but he had also dovetailed those things with Enhancement, his big cards in both categories, like the Legendary Relic All for One or the Mythic Soul Agata, benefitting from having a large hand, which was Order¡¯s specialty.


    And Esmi¡­ she had used Rush, a staple of Fire, but unlike Plutar, she had offset Rush¡¯s weakness of losing steam with Order¡¯s card draw. Even more interesting to me, she had managed to inject Swarm into her gameplay. It was true that Fire already had a few cards that leaned in that direction, but she herself had become the linchpin with her Soul ability; she had made it Swarm, which begged two questions: one, was making a deck something that it was close to being but wasn¡¯t quite a key to unlocking its power? And, two, had she purposely upgraded her Soul in such a way to exploit that combination?


    I couldn¡¯t wait to ask her, and if so, I would be even more impressed by her skills as a duelist.


    Coming down off that analysis high, I felt armed with a few theories, certainly more than I had when first entering the library. And yet I was still well past ready to start building toward my own future, whether that meant purchasing new cards or upgrading my current ones. I no longer had access to my mother¡¯s Water collection, but I had enough winnings from the Tournament to finally start making some big purchases. What held me back was fear, even if I hated to admit it; I worried that I would pick wrong and forever regret it. Not knowing what sort of Artifact I would get from the King¡¯s Treasury for placing 3rd in the Tournament compounded the issue, but only because I let it. The braver me, the one I had started to become at the end of the Tournament and the one I apparently had to keep choosing to be each day, should assume that I would get to pick an Artifact that strengthened the deck type I already had, not the other way around. After all, that¡¯s what everyone else would be doing.


    The one miniscule defense for my lack of choice was the information I would soon have access to. I had it on the best authority that we¡¯d be joined in War Camp by not only a group of paladins, but also elves and deepkin. Who knew? Perhaps after spending time with them, I¡¯d want to use Life or Depths. And with the empty fabricator Hull had given me, such a thing might be possible with minimal cultivation on my part.


    In addition, I was going to be learning from some of Trelendyne¡¯s greatest living Souls: Jorin, the Grand Marshal of the Military, a specialist in Order and Air who was famous for riding into battle astride a Mythic griffon named Halfax; Edaine, a High Paladin who came from a mere fishing village and was now considered to be one of the strongest single combat duelists besides the King, possessing a matching set of Mythic armament; and even Azure, the King¡¯s Spy Master, might just teach a lesson or two. Not to mention that the elves and dwarves would undoubtedly bring some instructors of their own.


    Surely one of them could help me with my predicament.


    Leaving Istraago in a basket like so much luggage and looking out through an open slot in the weave at the great city that sprawled before me, I realized there was yet one more person with whom I wished to consult, one who, despite everything, I felt might just help me find the insight I needed, if only the infuriating twit would show his face.


    Hull, where the hell are you?

 B2: 2. Hull - Little Big Man

    I tucked the top edge of the coarse cotton sheet up under my pillow, flipped the blanket into place, and stepped back to consider my handiwork. Make your bed, Basil had said, and you¡¯ll cultivate a little Order in no time. Today was my third day of doing so, and I didn¡¯t feel any more ordered than before, certainly not to the point where I¡¯d start manifesting source over it. I had no doubt Basil would roll his eyes and sigh despairingly at my piss-poor attempts to straighten up, but in my defense, I¡¯d only had my own bed for three days.


    Harker had dredged up the key to the rooms Ticosi had kept once I leaned on her a little. She was being surprisingly helpful. It made the back of my neck itch, but if I was going to pull off this insane stunt and become the Big Man, sleeping in his bed and walking out his front door in the morning would go a long way toward getting people to accept me. I hoped whatever unhuman craziness the man stewed hadn¡¯t seeped into the walls, and if it had that it wasn¡¯t catching. I really should have washed the bedding. He must have had someone that laundered for him. The thought of Ticosi hunched over a scrubbing board and wash tub in his leather trenchcoat twisting the water out of his smallclothes was too strange to consider.


    It was a sparsely-furnished set of rooms with windows that overlooked Maidenhead Square. Looking around, I never would have guessed that the most dangerous man in the Lows lived here. Wherever he kept the wealth he squeezed out of the poor folk of the neighborhood, it wasn¡¯t here. It was yet another thing I¡¯d have to ask Harker about. Not that I trusted the sullen cow, but she looked less likely to stab me at any given moment than the other enforcers. When I¡¯d casually wondered how much the rooms would cost, she looked at me like I¡¯d just stepped in dog shit. It had taken me a moment to realize that nobody charged the Big Man for anything in the Lows, and now the Big Man was me.


    I wondered if I¡¯d bitten off more than I could chew by taking control like this. When I¡¯d left Penkmun¡¯s to confront Harker and the others, it had been with nothing more than the vague idea of showing up with a slew of demons and telling them to leave me alone. But as I¡¯d stomped through the streets on my Night Terror¡¯s shoulder, I¡¯d seen old One-Foot Marga cowering on a recessed stoop, knocking desperately on someone¡¯s door to let her in as a massive nightmare strode through her world. No one answered, of course; they weren¡¯t stupid, and they weren¡¯t going to risk themselves on account of an aging, crippled whore who was only allowed to live so that they could remember the cost of crossing the Big Man.


    Back during her working days, Marga had arranged for a pimp from outside the Lows to manage her dealings, and Ticosi hadn¡¯t taken it well. Nobody had been able to wash clothes in the Maidenhead Fountain for days after he¡¯d made an example of her. I¡¯d been there. I¡¯d watched from the shadows as the Big Man slung her severed foot out among the gathered crowd and told them over the sound of Marga¡¯s screams to leave it where it landed. He¡¯d liked his reminders, Ticosi had.


    Seeing the desperate, aging woman cringe and wonder what fresh hell was about to work its will on her, I¡¯d been suddenly furious at what Ticosi had done to us all. It wasn¡¯t just me he¡¯d kept hungry, ragged, and running; it was all of us. Penkmun had told me to find what mattered, and this was it. The Lows needed to change. I was a selfish little shit, scarred and broken, but whether by Fate¡¯s grace or Fortune¡¯s jests, I held enough power to really make a difference. Didn¡¯t that mean I had to try?


    And so I¡¯d made my play, swinging my demons around like a big dick and scaring Ticosi¡¯s old thugs into obedience. They¡¯d kill me if they could, but Ticosi had at least been smart enough to limit them to a few cards each, and weak ones at that. None of them knew their ass from their elbow when it came to dueling, and that meant that I, still half a novice but with a deck of stupidly powerful cards, stood a chance of keeping them in line.


    I¡¯d known I would have to break Ticosi¡¯s card from the start. Whether I ended up cultivating Chaos or not, he was too crafty and too mean by half, and I was sure his Soul would betray me out of sheer spite the first time I summoned him. The man simply could not be trusted, and no matter how much the old Tender would have disapproved, the world was a better place without Ticosi¡¯s card in it.


    Getting only a single Order and a single Chaos shard of Rare quality out of the breakage had been a gut punch, though. I saw now why Penkmun said nobody broke down their cards using raw source damage. I¡¯d felt even more cheated than when Findek had shortchanged me on that trade for my Life Mythic during the Tournament¡¯s Soiree. I was desperate to find a cardsmith with the moral flexibility to break down Souls and a belligerent mindset toward the law that would let them handle a few Chaos cards and keep their mouth shut about it. Ticosi¡¯s cards were a treasure chest ¨C a way to upgrade all of my best cards and take my dueling to the next level ¨C but for now that chest was still locked. I¡¯d hidden them in the safest place I could ¨C a crevice dug out underneath a tile I¡¯d pried free in the room I¡¯d slept in while staying at Penkmun¡¯s chapel, back in the corner underneath the bed ¨C but the sooner I could turn them into something more useful, the better, especially since I never told the old man about them.


    I went to the front door of the flat, finding Harker squatting in the hallway beyond just as she had done every morning since I¡¯d moved in. Her expressionless face looked as cow-like as ever, but she hauled her bulk to her feet and nodded to me with something like grudging respect ¨C or at least tolerance ¨C while I locked the door behind me.


    ¡°There was a Relicsmith I used to watch working as a kid ¨C¡± I started.


    She huffed. ¡°As a kid, huh?¡±


    I rounded on her. ¡°Is my age a problem?¡±


    She looked away. ¡°No. Just sounded funny.¡±


    I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to decide how big of a deal to make of the passing comment. If I let my underlings disrespect me, I¡¯d be dead by the end of the day. On the other hand, I wanted to get away from scaring everybody into line. Ticosi¡¯s enforcers hadn¡¯t been picked because they wanted to hand out blankets and kiss babies. For the moment, I thought the simple challenge of her words might be enough to let her know that I wouldn¡¯t just ignore slights. I turned my back to her and marched toward the stairs, heading out of the building and expecting her to follow. ¡°His shop closed ages ago, and I never saw him on the streets I stuck to after that. Do you know who I¡¯m talking about ¨C gray hair, scrappy beard, missing a finger at the middle knuckle? Is he still around?¡±


    She did follow, thankfully. ¡°Roshum, you mean. We found him a better spot that¡¯s close enough to the Hillside neighborhood to draw more business. You Hook Street kids never went that far.¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t allowed to go that far,¡± I said dryly. It felt odd to be bossing around this woman who had been one of the major terrors of my life until just a few weeks ago. If Harker or any of the others had caught so much as a sniff of me near Hillside back then, they¡¯d have taken it out of my hide and probably broken a finger or two. Street boys were only suffered to exist in a very narrow stretch of the worst streets. ¡°Let¡¯s go visit him.¡±


    She followed me out into the square. People saw us and very casually went about their business. Well, they saw Harker and looked away. Except for the very few who had seen me tromping through the streets on my Night Terror¡¯s shoulder, nobody had the first clue who I was, especially now that I was dressed in decent clothes. They¡¯d remember that Harker was following me, though, and they¡¯d put two and two together soon enough.


    ¡°Roshum¡¯s paid his dues for the fortnight,¡± she said. ¡°Not a great idea to lean too hard on our only card smith.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lean on him,¡± I sighed. Every conversation with her went this way. ¡°I¡¯m not doing things that way.¡± I saw her shake her head out of the corner of my eye, so I paused and faced her. ¡°Something to say?¡±


    She shrugged mulishly, not meeting my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the Big Man.¡±


    ¡°I am, and you¡¯re the Big Man¡¯s second. If there¡¯s something I need to hear, spit it out. I won¡¯t hit you.¡±


    Her lip curled at the idea, but she proved that she had at least two thoughts to rub together by not saying whatever smartass thing she¡¯d just dreamed up. ¡°We keep the peace in the Lows. City Watch won¡¯t step foot past Broad Street.¡±


    I growled and spun around, heading in the direction of Hillside. ¡°I know all about Ticosi¡¯s peace and the kind of protection he provided. You smashed Lorca¡¯s dung cart and broke his leg just a month past.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t pay up.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t pay up,¡± I countered, ¡°because his little boy caught the blood croup and the only healer cards around are in Skop¡¯s fist, and he charges through the nose.¡± I¡¯d watched the public scene from the shadows as the poor night soil hauler begged for mercy and got his livelihood smashed instead.


    Harker spat. ¡°Kid wasn¡¯t sick.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d seen his little shit of a kid throwing rocks in the canal that same morning. People come up with all kinds of lies to dodge their taxes.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t known that. ¡°Still, I¡¯m not going to burn shops and chop off feet.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Folks¡¯ll like that. But if you don¡¯t let us collect dues from the small folk, especially from the shops, Priyam and the others will put a knife in your back and keep stabbing ¡®til you drop.¡±


    I gave her a sharp look, but she spread her hands. ¡°Not a threat. I¡¯m just saying how it is. Unless you want to kill all the enforcers and start fresh, you¡¯ll have to allow them to take the dues and keep their share. Do otherwise and you¡¯ll find out just how much shit can get worse around here when us heavies don¡¯t keep the people in line. The people here need a hard hand.¡±


    I chewed on that. Maybe Harker had more going on behind that stupid face than I¡¯d given her credit for; her words made more sense than I liked. I was in over my head trying to take control of the Lows, and I¡¯d be an idiot to move too fast, too far. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Think fast,¡± she advised. ¡°The others are already antsy.¡±


    ¡°Just the others?¡± I asked, peering at her.


    She rolled her shoulders, still avoiding my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t get antsy. I just get things done.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether that was a threat or a promise to help me. She¡¯d been useful so far, but I had no doubt she would turn on me if she decided that was the right move. ¡°Speaking of dues and collections, I need to know where Ticosi kept his treasury. Not just coin, either. I know he kept every last damned card that crossed into the Lows, and I need to get my hands on them.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°What you¡¯ve got isn¡¯t enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that and you know it,¡± I said. ¡°If I don¡¯t take control of them, someone else will, and like you said, the others are already grumbling.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Harker pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°Shoulda squeezed more information out of the old snake before you did for him, or at the very least not broken his card down for shards. That was one of the few things he never let me know.¡±


    I stopped again. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that Ticosi never let his second know where the money is kept? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    ¡°No, I know where the money is,¡± she said, pointing me to the left as she steered us toward the intersection where Hansom Court split off from Derry Lane. I knew these streets less than the area around the canal. ¡°I have to; between Merrun and me we handle most of the actual coin spending for the group. We have a bank of sorts that runs out of Gabbano¡¯s cathouse. Ticosi had his own little stashes, I¡¯m sure, but nothing huge. He didn¡¯t care about money. No, I¡¯m talking about the cards. He never let any of us know where he kept the cards.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered. It was good to know that I could lay my hands on coin if I needed, but I knew just as well as the last boss of these streets that the cards were the real power. I had to find them. ¡°Did he have a woman? Kids?¡±


    Harker barked a laugh. ¡°Most would have said it was me, but Ticosi wasn¡¯t built for that kind of thing. He kept to himself.¡±


    I thought about how his snake-like, bloodshot eyes had lit up when he talked about my mother and wondered if Harker had known the man as well as she thought. If he had kept some kind of lover or bedwarmer, though, he¡¯d hidden them well enough that even his trusted lieutenants had no idea of it. ¡°Where would he go when he took new cards?¡±


    ¡°Just disappeared,¡± she sighed, flapping a hand like something flying away. ¡°I kept a close watch on him, but he could lose us in a heartbeat when he felt like it. Wherever he kept the stash, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s in the Lows. Trust me, I¡¯ve looked.¡±


    I didn¡¯t trust her. She sounded honest enough, and I wasn¡¯t sure she was bright enough to spin a yarn like that on the fly, but if anyone knew something about this, it would be Harker. I resolved to keep a close eye on her whenever I could. Which wouldn¡¯t be often enough, given everything else on my plate, but¡­ one thing at a time.


    ¡°Here it is,¡± she said, gesturing to a small shop up the street. ¡°Roshum¡¯s place.¡±


    It was a narrow storefront with folding doors that opened up the entire front to the street. The shutters were painted a cheery blue, and the word CARDSMITH was embossed over the opening in some kind of gold coloring that looked only the slightest bit faded. The folk up on Merchant¡¯s Row might have turned up their nose at a place like this, but for the Lows this was about as respectable as it got. We weren¡¯t even in the Lows proper any more ¨C a few more streets over and we¡¯d be mixing with the honest workers of Hillside.


    The old man I remembered from years past sat behind a long counter just inside the shade of the shop, his white head lowered over some bit of work. A tow-headed girl of perhaps ten was sweeping the cobbles out front, wearing a shabby apron. I motioned Harker to stay put and started forward. To my surprise, the girl took immediate notice of me and planted herself in my path, her scraggly broom held in both hands like a quarterstaff.


    ¡°The smith¡¯s not to be bothered,¡± she said, sounding deadly serious. ¡°It¡¯s delicate work.¡±


    I felt a smile creep over my face. She barely came up to my ribcage. ¡°He¡¯ll want to talk to me.¡±


    The kid raised an eyebrow. She was cute in an underfed, elfin kind of way. ¡°He¡¯d have told me if he was expecting someone.¡±


    ¡°What are you, his bodyguard?¡± I laughed. I dug in my pocket and pulled out a silver clip. ¡°Here, big lady, go get yourself some food before you blow away.¡±


    She glared at me with an anger that felt all too familiar, but she snatched the money quick enough. ¡°Two more bits and I¡¯ll ask him if he¡¯ll see you.¡±


    The cheek of the little waif was as charming as it was annoying. The old man was no more than twenty feet from me; I could have pushed her aside and spoken to him directly in a matter of seconds. That look of anger spoke to me, though. This girl wasn¡¯t from these nicer streets; she was sweeping up for the old man in the hopes of a copper bit or two. Now that I had a little to spare, I wouldn¡¯t keep it from someone like her. I fished out another silver clip and gave it to her. ¡°Tell the smith that the Big Man is here to see him.¡±


    She was entirely unimpressed, but she took the money and scampered over to whisper to the old codger, who looked up from his work in surprise, glanced at me, and motioned me over. The girl went back to her sweeping, but I could tell she was sticking close, whether to protect the old man or to swindle me out of another clip remained to be seen.


    ¡°Unless Ticosi¡¯s got himself some fancy illusion card, you¡¯re not him,¡± Roshum said. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Harker lurking back there I¡¯d think you were some young fool trying to run a con on me.¡±


    ¡°No con,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Hull. I¡¯m taking over from Ticosi.¡±


    That gave the old man a moment¡¯s pause. He pulled at his beard and eyed me closely. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some mutterings. You¡¯re awfully young.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they tell me,¡± I said, trying to keep my temper. Why was that the first thing everyone said? ¡°But Harker, Priyam, Merrun, Skop, and all the rest answer to me now.¡±


    He nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve paid my fees through the new moon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for fees,¡± I said. ¡°Fact is, I¡¯m reducing everyone¡¯s fees by a quarter. Right now.¡± The words rolled off my tongue before I knew they were there. It was a half-measure, and one that wouldn¡¯t satisfy me or the enforcers, but it was something. Watching the old man¡¯s eyebrows shoot up told me that for good or ill, I¡¯d moved a step toward the right thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s not news I expected to hear today,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, you can tell the others nearby. I¡¯ll be in to visit them sooner or later too.¡±


    ¡°You know how to get a man¡¯s attention, Hull. What can I do for you?¡±


    Carefully, now. ¡°How¡¯s business?¡±


    He gave me a sharp look. ¡°Middling. I report my earnings fair, young man. I know what happens to those that don¡¯t.¡±


    I waved my hands, wiping away the words. ¡°Not what I mean. I just wonder if a Relicsmith has much business to manage in a neighborhood as card-poor as the Lows.¡±


    He heaved a sigh. ¡°Enough folks come down the hill to keep me going. It¡¯s always transport-box cards for freight work or heating Relics, for the most part ¨C the commonest of the Common ¨C but it¡¯s all anyone can afford, even as you move up to Hillside.¡±


    I nodded. I¡¯d have happily killed a man for a card that put off heat when I was sleeping on the streets, and a good portion of Treledyne¡¯s work came from young strivers who saved up to buy a card that could store a heavy load of goods in some magic, weightless space inside itself while they walked to the other side of the city to unpack it all again. I chose my words carefully. ¡°And if someone showed up with a card he needed broken down, something he needed kept quiet, is that the kind of work you could take on?¡±


    The old man¡¯s hands trembled as he arranged his tools aimlessly, avoiding my gaze. ¡°There¡¯s quiet and then there¡¯s quiet, you get me, and I¡¯d need to know which kind a fellow was asking for.¡±


    ¡°The treason kind,¡± I said very quietly.


    He went still. ¡°Twins take me, you¡¯re talking about Chaos cards. You really did kill him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I said nothing and kept my gaze steady.


    He took a shaky breath. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, young master, I¡¯ll shed no tears for the Big Man, and if you really do mean to lower my rates I¡¯ll send a prayer up to Fate for you. I¡­¡± He fiddled with his tools some more. ¡°It¡¯d be good to know whether you¡¯re asking or telling.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re the Relicsmith.¡±


    He chuckled ruefully. ¡°Meaning no disrespect, master Hull, I¡¯m not sure you feel the weight of the boots you¡¯ve stepped into. If I¡¯d had a conversation like this with your predecessor, he wouldn¡¯t have asked. He¡¯d have dropped a card in my lap, told me to take care of it, and if it brought me trouble, well, that was my problem, not his.¡±


    ¡°Are you likely to find trouble for handling Chaos cards?¡± I asked. ¡°We might not be in the heart of the Lows here, but this is still the Big Man¡¯s neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°The City Watch doesn¡¯t come around, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± he said, leaning back in his chair and letting his old spine crack like so many knuckles. ¡°But with Hillside business comes attention from the King¡¯s card-minders, you see. Not official inspections, and the fees are next to nothing, but the secret police will send in customers every great now and then to ask for something they shouldn¡¯t or sneak-spies to check the contents of my safe during the night. I even heard of a shop where they got the head journeyman on the take; he turned over his master for stealing shards and got the whole shop shut down. If you didn¡¯t have Harker with you I¡¯d think you were working for Azure and send you packing with a harsh word, just to be safe.¡±


    I mulled this over. ¡°I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wonder whether you¡¯re asking or telling, see. If it¡¯s a question of broken knees and burning down my store, then it¡¯ll be one answer, but if it¡¯s just a fellow idly wondering about moonshines and fancies, it¡¯ll be another.¡±


    Once again I was faced with the reality that for all my experience on the street, I wasn¡¯t anywhere mean enough to be the Big Man like Ticosi had been. That was the whole point ¨C I wanted to change things ¨C but I was only just beginning to understand the kind of work it would take to wean this neighborhood off violence and fear and put people to work. ¡°I¡¯m asking, not telling.¡± I didn¡¯t want to make the old man hate me; he was the only Relicsmith I had nearby, and taking it easy on him felt like something that would pay dividends in the long run. Besides, if I forced him to take Chaos cards for breaking down and he got caught with them, I had no doubt that the secret police would hear my name in short order. Hestorus wouldn¡¯t save me if I fell afoul of the law, and trucking in Chaos was a hanging offense.


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s an interesting hypothetical you pose, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m the wrong man for the job.¡± He rubbed a hand through his thinning white hair, his fourth finger missing down to the middle knuckle. ¡°Truth be told, I don¡¯t have the budget for the alchemical solutions I¡¯d need for the best breakdown of high-level cards anyway. It¡¯s pricy stuff, and hard to come by.¡±


    ¡°Any ideas of where else I could go? Safely?¡±


    He blew out his cheeks and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll think on it, but no one springs to mind. You need someone the King doesn¡¯t check on, doesn¡¯t know about, but they also need to have good equipment. It¡¯s a puzzle.¡±


    I wanted to laugh, but I kept it to myself. I knew exactly the right person for what he described: the tailor in the Merchant District from whom I¡¯d stolen the Sucking Void. Unfortunately, some idiot had burned down his shop and I had no idea if he was still operating in Treledyne. Even if he were, he¡¯d try to kill me on sight.


    I stood. ¡°It was good to meet you, Roshum. I used to watch you sometimes when you worked near Hook Street, and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re doing well here. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see me again before too long.¡±


    ¡°This was a far more pleasant chat than I expected,¡± he said, rising to his feet with a little groan. ¡°If you¡¯re the kind of man you seem to be, may the Twins favor you and keep you wearing the Big Man¡¯s boots for a long time to come.¡± He gestured out front. ¡°And thanks especially for the coin you gave to Bryll. She¡¯s a fierce little thing, but she doesn¡¯t eat enough, and I can only afford to pay her for odd jobs every now and then. She won¡¯t tell me where she beds down or else I¡¯d try to do more for her.¡±


    I looked around, but the little blonde girl had disappeared during our conversation. ¡°There¡¯s a hundred just like her, but I¡¯ll keep an eye out.¡± I shook my head. Until a month ago, I was one of those hundreds. Sometimes the amount of change I¡¯d gone through lately caught up with me all at once and left me dizzy.


    Back out on the street Harker hefted herself off her haunches where she¡¯d been waiting patiently and joined me. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± I said, striding confidently up the hill I knew would take me to the Merchant District and eventually the Palace, ¡°you¡¯re going to track down the card dealer that worked out of the tailor shop that burned down a few weeks back and see if he¡¯s set up somewhere else. If he¡¯s left the city, I want to know where he went.¡±


    She nodded, expressionless.


    ¡°And then,¡± I continued, ¡°you¡¯re going to track down Priyam and the rest of the enforcers one by one and tell them that protection dues are reduced by a quarter, starting now.¡±


    She sucked air through her teeth, shaking her head. ¡°They¡¯ll fight that. Better if it came from you than me.¡±


    ¡°It would be,¡± I said, ¡°But I have other work to do, and I can¡¯t skip it. Remind them of our last meeting and tell them I¡¯ll be very unhappy if they disobey.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take more than that,¡± she warned.


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯ll twist whatever arms I have to. My big demon will be happy to help. I just can¡¯t do it today.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so important?¡± she asked, puffing slightly as she tried to keep up with me.


    ¡°War Camp starts today, and I have to be there. I was supposed to be at the Palace already.¡±


    She looked at me as if I¡¯d just grown another head. ¡°You¡¯re going to try to run the Lows and be one of the King¡¯s toadies?¡±


    ¡°I have to.¡± Bringing a better life to the Lows was important to me, but so was advancing my dueling and growing my deck, and there was no better chance for me to do that than by working with the generals and high nobles of the court. Hestorus still needed to be taken down, or else nothing I did in my old neighborhood would amount to anything. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back. It might not be until tomorrow sometime. Keep things under control until then, and find out the things I asked for.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°This won¡¯t work, Hull. Even Ticosi knew he had limits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, he¡¯s dead.¡± I picked up my steps, leaving her behind. ¡°I¡¯ll make it all work or else I¡¯ll join him.¡±

 B2: 3. Basil - The Champions Parade

    ¡°You bought a new suit,¡± Esmi said, favoring me with a warm smile.


    I blushed as I looked up at her. She was standing in one of the five chariots lined up for today¡¯s procession. The vehicle was richly inlaid in gold, large gems encrusting the carriage, axle cap, and even the yoke, which was hitched to two beautiful white stallions.


    ¡°I did,¡± I admitted, pleased she had noticed so quickly. During the soiree at the Tournament I had worn a hand-me-down from my brothers, but one advantage of being stymied in how to proceed with my deck was that I could use some of my newfound coin on personal effects. I had initially balked at the price of purchasing a tailored piece, especially one as expensive as a three-piece suit. But wearing it now and feeling how much better it fit me than any other article of clothing I possessed, it was almost like I had elevated my soul again.


    ¡°The gray and blue suits you,¡± she said, resplendent in her own gown of crushed sapphires. She had told me that she¡¯d be wearing such for the occasion, which was why I had chosen the blue trimming to match.


    I stepped closer to the tall wheel, which came up as high as my neck. ¡°You should see the paisley pattern in the inner lining. I like it so much, I¡¯m nearly tempted to wear it inside out.¡±


    Esmi giggled. ¡°When you told me that you might dispense with your Order cultivation, I hadn¡¯t realized how thoroughly untamed you would become.¡±


    I laughed at her good natured ribbing, always finding myself happier when we were together. Before I could offer a worthy riposte, a rush of air whooshed around us and a deep caw came from above, lifting both our heads. There, circling in the sky, was the Grand Marshal himself, resplendent in armor just as decorated as the chariots, golden wings sprouting from either side of his helm, mirroring those of the giant griffon he rode. Halifax let out another cry that spoke to the beast¡¯s mixed lion and eagle parentage, almost a roar if not for the high note at the end.


    ¡°Rather puts these chariots to shame, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± I had used my Carrion Condors to carry me once, but that was a pale comparison to the image that the Grand Marshal struck atop his Mythic Summons, not to mention the considerable benefits the Mount ability granted him. He angled farther north to where crowds of people waited for the parade to begin, and after he had gone no more than two blocks, I heard cheering erupt among those gathered.


    ¡°If kobolds can be said to have any faults,¡± Esmi said, and my attention returned to her, ¡°it¡¯s that none are very good for riding.¡±


    ¡°What sort of mount would you want? Assuming you could have any card?¡±


    ¡°Twins¡¯ truth, if I had my pick, it wouldn¡¯t be from a card.¡±


    That surprised me. ¡°But a card offers much greater control and flexibility. If Halifax was still alive, Grand Marshal Jorin would have a devil of a time bringing him into council meetings and such.¡±


    ¡°But could you imagine having a baby griffon?¡± she asked me, eyes taking on a loving yet zealous quality she normally reserved for kobolds and me when I did something she was particularly fond of. ¡°Or a pegasus or dragon?¡±


    ¡°Baby dragons are a misnomer.¡±


    It was a girl who made the comment, one I recognized the sound of but couldn¡¯t manage to place. I turned to find none other than Afi standing in the small side street in the noble district where we all waited. Groomers and servants were running about, double-checking the horses affixed to each chariot, the chariot¡¯s themselves, and anything else they judged that might possibly cause problems. There were also a few officials in brown robes bustled around with them, making sure everything, including us, were doing as we should. I was honestly surprised that none had hurried me toward my own chariot yet, third down the line.


    Afi ¨C a slim, straight-backed girl our age, with her dark hair in a tight bun ¨C nearly faded into the other workers, wearing simple pants and a coat made of cured leather, holding a leather duffel of a similar stain at her side. I also had luggage for the trip, since we would be living at War Camp for the foreseeable future, but the staff here had already taken it from me, assuring me that it would arrive at the appropriate destination. Afi, apparently, wasn¡¯t so trusting.


    ¡°What fun!¡± Esmi said, clapping her hands together. ¡°And here I was worried that I¡¯d be all alone in the girl¡¯s dormitory.¡±


    ¡°Who are you replacing?¡± I asked, my heart dipping into my gut. There was no other reason for Afi to be here except to join us, especially not while carrying luggage. My concern, however, stemmed from the fact that Hull had yet to arrive for the Champion¡¯s Parade and still had never visited me. If he had let an opportunity like this pass him by, I¡¯d have to hunt him ¨C


    ¡°Losum,¡± Afi answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details,¡± she added, when both Esmi and I opened our mouths again to query her further.


    I glanced to the side, seeing where the Grand Marshal still circled in the distance. ¡°Losum¡¯s father must have been much more furious at him than expected.¡± It was common knowledge among the nobility that Losum hadn¡¯t been permitted outside his family¡¯s grounds after being part of the attack against the king. However, among that gossip, I hadn¡¯t heard any conjecture that he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to attend War Camp. ¡°A great deal so to lose the opportunity to place his son into a favored position.¡±


    ¡°So it seems,¡± Esmi agreed. ¡°But he has a much older half-sister, I believe. Perhaps the transgression was enough for the Grand Marshal to decide who his successor should be.¡±


    Losum had always been unkind toward me, his jabs and taunts as predictable as the seasons, and yet I found myself pitying him. Yes, he had chosen to bed the vampire, but he had not chosen to strike the king. Did his crime match the punishment? Whether it did or not, the event gave insight into the type of reasoning the Grand Marshal might use on us during our time at War Camp, which was useful to know at least.


    Afi hadn¡¯t departed yet, answering some questions of Esmi¡¯s about where she slept best and what time she rose. While Afi may not know more about Losum¡¯s situation, there were other things I was quite curious to ask her. So, when there was a lull in the discussion, I put one forward.


    ¡°Are you here at the behest of House Erlun?¡±


    Her brown eyes seemed to understand what I was getting at. She had been there, of course, when Warrick had burst in during our dinner with the king, making a fool of himself. And it wouldn¡¯t have been hard for her to know that Warrick and I had broken ties right outside that very same restaurant, in an affair much more indecorous than me wearing a suit jacket inside out. I hadn¡¯t spoken to my erstwhile friend since, a silence I had found quite hard to maintain. Yet here, standing in front of me, was a chance to know more that didn¡¯t breach the boundaries I had set for myself.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Knowing all this ¨C or so I suspected ¨C still, Afi replied with only a single word. ¡°Yes.¡±


    I could respect her desire to remain true to the House that had educated her and provided her such an opportunity. That didn¡¯t mean her reticence wasn¡¯t also a great disappointment to me, and even somewhat annoying, but I did my best not to let that show. Perhaps I could get more from her once we had been compatriots at War Camp for a time. I had never even seen her deck before, just her soul ability, either of which could serve as sufficient conversational openers when the time was right.


    ¡°What was that about there not being baby dragons?¡± Esmi said, circling us back to where we had begun.


    ¡°Dragons are the very pinnacle of elevation,¡± Afi said, her way of speaking striking me as meticulous and over-enunciated, like she was quoting from a book. ¡°Saying ¡®baby dragons¡¯ is akin to saying a ¡®grown calf¡¯ or an ¡®adult pup.¡¯ The meanings of the paired terms are in direct conflict with one another.¡±


    I was not well versed in rarity lore, which she seemed to be invoking, and while I found her statement curious, I wished she had been willing to say as much about the topic of Warrick and his family.


    ¡°Competitors, please,¡± a harried looking official in brown robes said, approaching us at a walk so quick he was nearly jogging. ¡°We are already behind time and need to begin. Go to your assigned places with all due haste.¡±


    Afi departed without a goodbye, making her way to the last chariot in the line. The fourth still sat unoccupied, which sent my eyes roaming up and down the gathered people. At this rate, I wouldn¡¯t care if Hull appeared wearing a sack as long as he showed up, but I didn¡¯t see him anywhere.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we wait a touch longer?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t know if missing the parade would be cause for dismissal, but after how the Grand Marshal had treated his son, I wouldn¡¯t put it past the man.


    ¡°We already have, Master Basil. We already have.¡± The man wiped a flood of sweat from his brow. ¡°Another moment longer, and we risk keeping the paladins and foreign representatives at the training site waiting longer than is hospitable, and if such a thing was to happen, we would be the ones blamed. You wouldn¡¯t wish such a fate upon us, would you?¡±


    When the man put it that way, I couldn¡¯t argue, but I was surprised when Esmi pulled me up into the chariot carriage with her.


    ¡°If we are already dispensing with some of what had been planned, might my fiance ride alongside me?¡±


    The official looked like he had just suffered a sudden ache of the mind. He frowned, lifted a finger, but no argument against the idea was forthcoming.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± an imperious voice declared.


    The speaker was of course Prince Gerad, who was in the chariot behind Esmi¡¯s. Each vehicle was separated by a length of two chariots, a distance that was great enough that I had felt comfortable ignoring him until now.


    He stood even straighter than Afi had, wearing pressed clothes of a crisp ivory, a rich cloak of ermine thrown over one shoulder. He even wore a circlet of gold around his head, as if to remind everyone that it was only a matter of time before a full crown would rest there.


    ¡°And why not?¡± Esmi replied back, and I heard the official beside us eep at her clear lack of respect. While Esmi had trouble standing up to her parents, it seemed she had no such inhibitions when it came to someone she had defeated under the Dueling Dome, even if that person was a prince.


    ¡°To do so would disrupt the order of the event,¡± Gerad explained. He had raised his voice loud enough to be heard, but not a decibel above that. The way he stood there like a statue, you¡¯d have believed that he had arrived with the chariots at sunrise. ¡°The onlookers would question who held which place among us, beginning to distrust what they had heard or even seen with their own eyes. Such questioning would distract from the unity the parade is meant to bring, undermining the cultivation of Order on a city-wide scale. This,¡± he said, gripping the front crossbar of his chariot in a ring-covered hand. ¡°I cannot allow.¡±


    I looked at Esmi to see how she might respond and so caught sight of the Grand Marshal bearing down on us from overhead.


    ¡°MOVE!¡± he shouted from griffon back.


    It seemed that the officials weren¡¯t the only ones who cared about us staying on schedule. I pecked Esmi quickly on the cheek and then hurried off to my own chariot, glad that a suit fitted to my proportions was equally adept at accommodating some light running ¨C one of the many habits I had picked up during the Tournament.


    And so, without any further delay, we departed.


    * * *


    The heart of the parade was all I could have hoped for and more. People were everywhere along the thoroughfare, crowding the streets, hanging from lampposts, and out of windows of nearby buildings. There was a smattering of music and dancing, and a great deal of drink and food, some coming piping hot out of houses that lined the way or purchased from carts that were bunched together every few blocks. Children ran beside the chariots holding colorful streamers aloft that spun out behind them and some of the merriest of parade-goers took it upon themselves to bring us competitors choice pieces of food or small horns of drink that were being sold. I didn¡¯t want grease to get on my suit, but I thanked all who offered, eating a few cookies and a piece of sugar coated fruit, and even downing a few shots of spicy ale, but after that, I begged off any further indulgences, not wanting to show up for my first day of training drunk.


    Despite the noise and frivolity, the horses pulling our chariots knew their business, the side blinders they wore keeping them from getting distracted from the task at hand. They were likely war horses and thus accustomed to such chaotic surroundings, and they were so well trained in fact, I barely needed to use the reins to keep them following after Gerad.


    Even though it was Afi behind me instead of Hull, the joy of those gathered was infectious, and I felt like pinching myself in disbelief that I had actually accomplished something so grand. Losum¡¯s father made no speech about who we were or where we were headed like the king had done during the closing ceremony of the Tournament, but there was no need. The people cheered for us because they knew we were to be their protectors, using the power we had within to make their lives, and Treledyne, better.


    This was the type of difference that I had dreamed of making, the scope so much larger than the isolated guarding my father had devoted his life to. And now that my goals had expanded to the possibility of kingship, the path I was on would see me exposed to the skills I¡¯d need to govern. How was a kingdom run? Defended? I had received cursory lessons about such things in my youth, but a place like War Camp would give me access to experts in the field.


    This was an opportunity like no other, and I would seize it for all it was worth.


    The crowds finally thinned when we left not only the walls of Treledyne behind but also the people who lined the outgoing road, farmers and sheep hands and horse breeders who had come in from the nearby fields and countryside. It wasn¡¯t until we were climbing up a hill to the north of the city that I saw a fifth chariot, far behind, exiting the Dawn Gate, the rider none other than my hard-to-find and, apparently, terribly unpunctual, friend.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± I said, unable to hold my smile back.


    Cresting the hill, to the right I spotted a huge wooden fortification. It was nowhere near the size of the city we had just left, but still I was certain, bigger than many of the townships within the human realms. From it, I watched a number of soldiers bustling in and out, as well as manning its walls. They were armed with pikes and crossbows, many facing further to the north, as if they expected to be attacked any moment.


    However, the Grand Marshal, who had coasted on the air currents above us as we had traveled, alighted on a section of flat land to the west. Here there was no building, just some pre-dug trenches and a handful of other figures. Esmi and the prince angled their chariots in that direction, and I followed the same, the large wheels of the vehicle able to handle the grassy gnoll we traversed.


    As we neared, I saw that those beside the Grand Marshal were the very people who the official had referenced: four paladins in thick armor, the tallest of which must have been the High Paladin Edaine, the platemail she wore covered in large, glowing white runes. Beside them were an equal number of shorter, lumpier people ¨C deepkin. The elves, in contrast, were nowhere to be seen; perhaps they ascribed to a similar set of time keeping as Hull did.


    And then, as if he had been waiting for my arrival to appear, my brother Gale dropped out of the sky, taking up position next to the Grand Marshal.


    Gale, who had become Epic to my Rare; Gale, who, according to my parents, was now Esmi¡¯s true fiance; Gale, who I had managed to avoid these past four weeks, both in person and often even in my thoughts ¨C a feat I was rather proud of.


    Fate, it seemed, had other plans for the two of us.


    Steeling myself, I gripped my reins tighter and angled my chariot straight toward him.

 B2: 4. Hull - Conscription

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    The chariot driver had refused to go any faster than a plodding clop through the streets of the city no matter how I pleaded ¨C the little toad of a man had said it wouldn¡¯t be ¡°proper¡± for the low folk to see their heroes rushing about as if their hair were on fire. I certainly felt as if my hair were on fire. I could have sworn that the letter I¡¯d been given said that the procession from the city started at the stroke of noon, but when I¡¯d come puffing up to the Palace gates, certain I was an hour early, some seneschal had looked at me as if I were shit scraped off a shoe and told me the party of victors had started through the city ten minutes before. The fellow could eat my fist, as far as I was concerned, and so could all the other idiots who cared about pomp and ceremony, but I worried that if I wasn¡¯t there when things began they wouldn¡¯t let me in.


    Fortunately, once we cleared the city wall the driver clicked his tongue, shook the reins, and brought the magnificent horse pulling the gaudy contraption up to proper speed. I could see the cloud of rising dust in the distance where Basil and the others were closing in on the forest.


    ¡°Can we go any faster?¡± I called up to the fellow.


    He threw a crooked smile over his shoulder. ¡°Hold tight, young master.¡±


    The horse surged forward at his yell of ¡°Hi-yaa!¡± and I gripped the railing before me with white-knuckled hands. Who had come up with the idea of not having a back on these things? I wondered how many people had been tossed out of chariots and died as I prayed to the Twins that I wouldn¡¯t be next. That said, we were closing the distance. Maybe the man wasn¡¯t such a toad after all.


    Peeking over my shoulder without loosing my grip, I looked back at the city of Treledyne. I¡¯d never been outside its walls before, and from here it looked¡­ beautiful. All towers and domes gleaming white in the noonday sun like a vision of Order and goodness. Anybody seeing it from here would never guess that thousands of people like me scraped out a miserable existence in the Lows within. Can something this perfect exist without hiding a rotten core? The evidence told me no, but still I hoped that a yes might lurk somewhere nearby, waiting to be discovered. If I managed to turn the Lows into a better place, that wouldn¡¯t ruin the rest of the city, would it?


    The towering trees of whatever forest it was rushed up at us as the heaving horse in front ate the distance. The sturdy, bricked surface of the road ¨C the driver had called it The Merchant Road ¨C veered southward an arrow¡¯s fall shy of the trees, but where the road turned, we plunged straight onward onto a packed-earth track that left my teeth chattering and my fingers numb on the railing. Once I was among the trees I could see that the trunks of the biggest ones were so big that it¡¯d take four or five men with linked hands to go all the way around. They towered insanely high overhead, muting the bright sunlight into a dappled shades of green and blue.


    ¡°Not far now!¡± the man called cheerily back at me. ¡°They won¡¯t even know you were late.¡±


    Thinking back to the scowling, hardened face of the Grand Marshal as I¡¯d seen him after the whole vampire-tried-to-kill-the-King scrum at the Tournament, I doubted that my absence had gone unremarked, but there was nothing to be done now but show up and hope. The Lows needed a Big Man, and having a handful of good demon Souls wasn¡¯t enough ¨C I needed to learn how to lead. The ruling class of Treledyne could teach me that and who knew what else besides.


    The road branched a dozen times inside the wood, but my driver raced on, certain of his path, and before too many more minutes had passed, he was whoa-ing the horse as we entered a huge clearing of churned earth being packed flat by horse hooves and milling functionaries. Somehow five victors from the Rising Stars Tournament required a hundred extra people to run this little War Camp of the King¡¯s. Up in front of all the quietly-working aides stood the Grand Marshal next to his terrifying lion-eagle thing, speaking loudly to a line of young folk standing at attention. I was supposed to be standing there. I stumbled down from my chariot, my legs feeling strange on the solid ground after the jarring they¡¯d taken from the rough ride. I shook out my feet, trying to make sure I wouldn¡¯t trip into the mud in front of everyone.


    ¡°Give ¡®em the business, Master Hull,¡± the driver said conspiratorially.


    I shot him a surprised glance. I hadn¡¯t known he knew my name, much less wished me well.


    He shrugged and gave that lopsided grin. ¡°You won me more¡¯n half a crown during the duels,¡± he said. ¡°Humble folk like to see one of their own turn up the fancy ones.¡±


    I hesitated. This man had probably never spent a night of his life sleeping rough. His idea of humble folk was closer to what I would have called those well-off merchant bastards not too long ago. Still, when I thought about it, he probably had more in common with me than any of these fools from the Palace. I was inclined to check my pockets and raise my fists when anyone treated me better than dirt, but that was my problem, not his. He might look like a toad, but he wasn¡¯t so bad. I gave him a mock salute and a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    I shuffled through the crowd as unobtrusively as I could and slipped into place at the end of the line next to Esmi. Her waterfall of curls was unmistakable from behind, as was Prince Gerad¡¯s finery. I didn¡¯t recognize the other girl offhand. Esmi gave me a friendly wink as I fell in beside her. It took a moment of searching to find Basil, who was standing off to one side right next to what could only be his brother. The fellow had the same blond mop on his head but stood half a hand taller. He was too handsome by half and wore a casual smile that spoke of both confidence and bored amusement. He dressed nearly as well as Gerad. I disliked him immediately. Basil, for his part, gave me a tight-lipped smile and a nod that somehow said You¡¯re late, you twit, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here before glancing back to his brother, then to Esmi, then back at the taller boy. He looked strung tight as a lute wire.


    ¡°The highest wheat gets harvested first, and it¡¯s no different for us,¡± the Grand Marshal boomed, continuing his diatribe without bothering to notice me. ¡°Your dueling skill has set you apart from the rest. You are beginning to understand that you are different; the other young folk defer to you and give you your way. For some of you,¡± he said, pointing at Gerad, ¡°it has ever been thus. For others,¡± he said, skewering me with his steel-gray eyes, ¡°the sensation is new enough that you have yet to adjust. Or learn to show up on time.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether to shake in my boots or make a rude gesture, so I split the difference and held his gaze as levelly as I could. This was a man who was used to being obeyed, and he could roll over me in a heartbeat if he chose. Even without a clue about what cards he held I knew that was true, right down to my bones.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re well on your way to joining the ranks of the elites of Treledyne, and if you¡¯re anything more than blindingly stupid, that will bring you status, deference, and money for the rest of your days. But by Fortune¡¯s beard and Fate¡¯s good right hand, I will not let you squander it without giving something in return. You wish to be great? You want the adoration of the masses? Then you will earn it, you little bastards, and that starts here. My War Camp will teach you to follow, and then it will teach you to lead. No safe, dainty Dueling Domes out here. No preference for one student over another, not even for you, Your Highness. We¡¯re in the business of killing folks, and you¡¯ve just been conscripted to be at the front of the line.¡±


    I liked the thought of this gruff old bear tearing into Gerad, but I wasn¡¯t sure I believed it. And being the front of the line didn¡¯t sound so great, either. I was happy to take on a little extra risk if it meant new, high-quality cards, but I had enough danger waiting for me on my home turf that taking on more didn¡¯t seem entirely wise.


    ¡°You will be hammered!¡± he roared. ¡°You will be shaped. When I get done with you, no matter how you started, you¡¯ll be captains in the King¡¯s army under the direction of my colonels and majors who were winners in years past.¡±


    My guts clenched and I felt a spike of panic. Captains? This wasn¡¯t what I signed up for! I¡¯d known the top 5 went to War Camp, but I¡¯d thought it might be something like a summer dueling retreat for rich noble shits where I could fleece idiots out of their cards and maybe eat some good food while I was at it. Instead, I¡¯d been shanghaied into the army of the man I hated most in the whole world: my father, the mad, cunning King Hestorus of Treledyne. The one I¡¯d sworn to kill. And now they wanted me to go to war for him? I felt a sudden, powerful urge to turn on my heel and disappear into the forest. I didn¡¯t like this blustering general or anything he stood for. Why put myself through this?


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Leave if you like,¡± the man said loudly, almost as if he¡¯d read my mind. ¡°I want no weaklings or cowards. But if you stay the course, finish my training, and rise through your service, you will become one of the trusted few with access to the King and a say in the affairs of the kingdom of humanity. You have heard that the King wishes to establish a new human city far to the West? It will need a Governor and its own ruling houses. Who better than those who distinguish themselves in the King¡¯s service?¡±


    I cared less than a rat¡¯s fart for noble titles and land grabs, but his words reminded me why I was here in the first place: to elevate myself, to become more than I was, and to learn all the things I so desperately lacked. I could play along and pretend to want a captaincy if it meant more opportunities for those things. And if Hestorus did actually decide to send us to war, well, they¡¯d find out exactly how well they did when one of their captains disappeared in the middle of the night.


    The hard-bitten general waved to a functionary behind us, and a woman in Palace robes stepped forward bearing a fancy, oversized book with beaten gold and huge gems adorning its cover. He muttered a few words to the woman, and she deftly flipped the monstrous thing open, balancing its bulk perfectly on one forearm as she turned pages with the other. Each page had twelve silken pouches sewn into each side, and silver, gold, and ruby glinted at the top of each pouch. My mouth suddenly salivated as I realized the book was full of cards. This was one of the King¡¯s card repositories, and I¡¯d have given my pinky finger for a crack at it when no one was looking. The woman pulled forth a card and handed it over with a bow.


    The Grand Marshal held the card out and walked past each of us slowly, letting us see what he held.


    ¡°This will be your home for the next three months,¡± he said. ¡°Normally this card is reserved for the highest officers of the army to use during active engagements, but we don¡¯t have any of those at the moment, and the King cares enough about what we do here that he gives me leave to use it for your training. Many a loyal soldier in the army has served for decades and never set foot inside. Don¡¯t forget it.¡±


    He tucked the card behind his ear, putting it in his Mind Home, and in moments he had enough Order out to summon the Relic. The mist of summoning rose in a broader area than I¡¯d ever seen before, covering the entire huge clearing before us, obscuring the churned, broken earth under a rolling fog of white. A handful of servants and functionaries who found themselves standing up to the ankles in mist near the edges of the summoning area stepped lively to stand clear before the Relic materialized.


    And materialize it did, suddenly standing stories high in front of us, walls of burnished steel rising five stories in front of me where only empty air had stood a moment before. It was a full-on fort with towers on each corner, a breastwork up top, an enormous gate leading to the interior, and a tower no less than ten stories high standing directly in the middle of the miniature city. Every last inch of it gleamed, untarnished steel reflecting the sun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lean on the walls during the afternoon,¡± the Grand Marshal said dryly, looking up at the fort with something like fondness. ¡°It¡¯s good way to get scorched.¡±


    I caught Esmi¡¯s eye, and it was popped just as wide as mine. I¡¯d never heard of a Relic this large. I¡¯d never imagined such a thing could exist. And it was a Mythic, meaning it could stay summoned for months at a time. I¡¯d thought we were going to tramp about in the mud all summer, but it turned out we had our own citadel of steel.


    The general swung himself onto his griffon¡¯s back. I stood well back as it pranced and squawked fiercely. ¡°Some of us have an army to attend to,¡± he shouted. ¡°Edaine will give you the details and get you settled in. I will be here regularly, though, checking on you. Watching you. You might be useless shits right now, but by the Twins I¡¯ll make something of you, and you¡¯ll thank me for it. Work hard. Be smart. Don¡¯t die.¡±


    With that, his mount leapt into the air and bore him skyward. He circled the central tower once and streaked off back toward the city. All of us were left gaping at the air, overpowered by the sheer presence of the man and the beast he rode.


    ¡°All right then,¡± a brisk female voice said, drawing our eyes downward. It was a woman with dusky skin in shining armor and a winged helm. She was standing in front of three others who wore the same, if perhaps a little less ornate and grand. ¡°Grand Marshal Jorin expects us to have all in order before he returns this evening. If I could give any of you a word of advice: do not disappoint him. Let us enter, find our quarters, and convene at the base of the central tower in an hour¡¯s time for our first lesson on how the King¡¯s army functions and where you will fit in it. The central tower quarters are for instructors and visitors; choose your rooms from the ones that touch the outer wall. Everyone will have a roommate. Don¡¯t make me separate you or deal with any childish bickering; you will not like how I resolve such things. No sneaking into each others¡¯ bunks, either. You can get leave to visit the city and go to the brothels if you need ¨C while we¡¯re here, we¡¯re working, not mooning over each other. Understood?¡±


    With a murmur of assent, we all shuffled toward the front gate, which swung open on silent hinges.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you, Hull,¡± Esmi said, falling in beside me. ¡°Though, to be perfectly frank, I¡¯d hoped for the pleasure some weeks earlier.¡±


    I checked a sigh and shrugged. ¡°I know you all said I should visit, but what¡¯s the point? I knew we¡¯d see each other here.¡±


    ¡°The point is to show your friends that they are important to you,¡± she said, a hint of tartness in her voice. ¡°Anyone who didn¡¯t know better would suspect you of poor character.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Poor character is exactly what I¡¯ve got, though.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she said, sniffing. ¡°You¡¯re just not used to having friends who want your company.¡±


    That was true enough. ¡°If I wanted to visit someone in the Lows, there was no knocking on doors or sending letters to arrange the date. I just showed up in the spot they used to stay out of the rain and hoped they didn¡¯t stab me when I got there.¡±


    The hard lines of her mouth softened. ¡°I suppose the circumstances of your upbringing do require some extra consideration.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I think.¡± I looked around. ¡°I expected Basil to be giving me this tongue-lashing. Where¡¯s he gone?¡±


    She voiced a sigh that held more emotion than the question seemed to call for. ¡°He¡¯s button-holed his brother Gale for a private conference, which¡­ well, nevermind. Consider me his mouthpiece for the moment.¡±


    We passed inside and paused to get our bearings. Inside the containing wall stood a wide staging area and a handful of buildings clustered around the wide central tower. The steel underfoot was shaped exactly like cobblestones, but just like everything else, it was all of hardest steel.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to see if one of the women among the paladin trainees wants to bunk with me,¡± Esmi said. ¡°Military life might be a tad less proper and prudish than nobles circles, but they won¡¯t want men and women sharing rooms, especially with that warning the High Paladin gave.¡±


    ¡°There are paladin students?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought it was just us five.¡±


    ¡°Indeed not,¡± she said, giving her brilliant smile. ¡°Three inductees from the militant order of the Church of the Twins, freshly returned from their academy, three from the Deepkin tribes, and three of the elves ¨C though they¡¯ve not arrived yet, strange to say.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡±


    She lowered her voice, checking to make sure we weren¡¯t overheard. ¡°The King may seem fey and silly, but he still cultivates humanity¡¯s alliances with great care. I sometimes suspect there¡¯s more to the man than most think.¡±


    I pressed my lips shut and nodded, feeling a sourness in the pit of my stomach. I was sure Basil had told her of my bastard origins, but I could tell she wasn¡¯t thinking about who she was talking to.


    Esmi saw my face and grimaced. ¡°Forgive me. I¡¯m not used¡­¡± She put a hand on my arm. ¡°That was thoughtless of me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Probably best to keep acting as if I knew nothing about it, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Still, I¡¯ll be more careful.¡± She clasped my hand warmly. ¡°Come sit with Basil and me during our class. We all have much to discuss.¡±


    I nodded, a smile creeping over my face before I knew it. ¡°Yeah. Sorry I didn¡¯t visit. It really is good to see you. Both of you.¡±


    She left, and I set about finding a place to bunk. I saw Palace servants hovering around one door and knew that Gerad was setting up inside. I wondered if anyone would have the stones to bunk with him. I was tempted for a moment out of sheer spite to bull my way in, but wisdom quickly prevailed. Hestorus had warned me that Gerad would likely threaten my life now that he knew my parentage, and sleeping next to him sounded like a bad idea.


    All of the nobles had servants and at least two trunks of clothes with them; I¡¯d brought nothing but the clothes on my back and the cards in my Mind Home. I cursed as I realized that this was meant to be a full-time encampment, not an afternoon diversion where everyone returned to their homes at night. I couldn¡¯t afford to neglect the Lows and not be seen for the next three months. I¡¯d need to find a way out on a regular basis so I could sneak back to the city and take care of business in the Lows. I¡¯d just started; I couldn¡¯t abandon them now. Too many days gone and I¡¯d go back only to find Harker in charge of everything and myself with a knife in my back.


    I took a stroll around the enclosure with an eye toward an easy exit. There were two-man huts ¨Call metal, of course ¨C clustered against the outer wall to the east and west sides, with wide gates dominating the north and south. I noticed that the irregularly spaced huts butted up against the inner base of the guard towers at each corner, and that the metal walls were shaped like stones. It was almost as if this had been a regular stone-and-wood fort at some point that had then been magically turned to steel. One way or the other, the wall over the hut in the northeast corner had several handy stone-metal protrusions facing the guard tower that would make for easy climbing in the night. With a little luck and some quiet work, I could scale the wall up to the walkway that ringed the fort without being seen, then use my Sucking Void and throw myself down on the outside.


    And how will you get back in, smart guy? I shook my head at myself. One thing at a time. I walked into the hut, claiming it for my own.


    A strange little fellow was reclined on the steel pallet to the left. He was as small as a child, but thick like a man, covered in black roughspun and hobnailed boots. His nose, forehead, chin, and nearly every exposed inch of him was lumpy, grayish, and rock-like.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t ye jest the ugliest, smoothest little fae whelp I ever clapped eyes on?¡± he crowed. ¡°Stuck sharin¡¯ beds with a stinking human. Me clutch would grind my gears jest to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Twins twist my stones,¡± I sighed.


    My roommate was a dwarf.

 B2: 5. Basil - Coward

    I was only able to listen to the Grand Marshal¡¯s speech with half an ear, standing as I was a few feet from Gale, our own conversation hardly begun. The Marshal was not a nuanced orator, but I appreciated his blunt honesty about what to expect from our time in War Camp, and if the type of hard work he was describing was necessary to reach another soul advancement, I¡¯d gladly do as the man asked.


    Through it all, Gale had a distracted air about him, verging on traitorous boredom. As a past winner himself, he had likely heard a similar diatribe and then proceeded to make it through the very gauntlet I was now staring down. I vaguely remembered him complaining about the conditions of the Camp, but seeing as we were ten years apart, it was a hazy recollection. Much stronger memories involved the powerful cards he had earned during that time, which I always begged him to show me. I doubted he still used many of them anymore, but if my haul of Rares and Epics was similar, three months of my life would be a small price to pay.


    My ears perked up at the mention of a new human city, a rumor I had not heard of before. It sounded like a marvelous opportunity to try leading people on a smaller scale, much as I had learned to first duel with 5 cards, then 10, and so on.


    However, nothing could have prepared me for the sheer spectacle of watching the Marshal summon our Camp using the Mythic Fortification. While I knew some traders used Building Relics for travel, as a city-bound duelist they had never seemed worth the Mind Home slot to me. But for war and with the persistent buff that this one provided? I nearly forgot about Gale, hungering for one of my own. How rare was something of this caliber? What were ones of other Source types like? Should I consider building a deck around such a Relic?


    Approaching its metal walls, I could still see the card it had been summoned from when I unfocused my eyes. It was a foregone conclusion that one of the days I was encamped here my curiosity would get the better of me, and I¡¯d use my Seersight to see what other effects the Fortification could gain if it was elevated ¨C something I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess the costs of.


    But, of course, these things were distractions ¨C distractions that very nearly allowed Gale to get away from me. However, after we passed under the gate, I pulled him forcibly inside the nearest of the low, metal huts that abutted the inner wall.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I cannot be your bunkmate,¡± Gale said, giving me one of his lazy smiles and acting as if me dragging him about was normal for the two of us. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be a delight for us both, but such would interfere with my duties.¡±


    ¡°And what precisely are those again?¡± I said, rounding on him. ¡°You were unspecific previously.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± he said, brushing out where my grip had wrinkled his sleeve now that I was no longer holding it. ¡°I¡¯m here to serve as an advisor. This should be no great surprise. I am part of the king¡¯s army, after all.¡±


    ¡°You will be teaching classes?¡± I asked, even though I did not want him to say yes. Him having any sort of authority over me would be even worse than having to deal with his presence.


    ¡°Yes, among other things.¡± He looked at me so calmly with those newly red-flecked eyes of his, I found myself on the verge of hating him.


    ¡°Are you purposely trying to ruin everything for me? Have I been such a poor younger brother to you as that?¡±


    He looked mildly taken aback, like he had been accused of something that was so clearly untrue as to be absurd. ¡°Ruin? What are you¡­¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Is it Esmi we are talking about? I was under the impression that you were amenable to the change.¡±


    ¡°Amenable?¡± I nearly yelled, his entire air of feigned ignorance only making me angrier. ¡°What in the Twelve would give you such a preposterous idea?¡±


    Gale stepped closer, putting his hands on either of my shoulders, something I had not been prepared for. ¡°You did,¡± he answered, no jests in his tone that I could detect. My building rage, however, was far from abated.


    ¡°I did? That¡¯s absolutely ridiculous. What did I do to make you think such a thing?¡±


    Neither his hands or tone wavered. ¡°I believed that if you had a problem with the new arrangement, you¡¯d come speak to me. When you did not¡­¡±


    He trailed off, and I felt the first crack in the anger I was directing toward him. I thought I had been bold to refuse to speak with my parents these past four weeks, taking our dinners in silence, and doubly so for not giving Gale the satisfaction of hearing me whine about how he was treating me. But with his words, my actions now seemed petulant and avoidant. Had I actually been weak, hiding from a confrontation I did not want to face?


    I had been so sure that I was stronger than that now.


    ¡°You assumed incorrectly,¡± I said, shaking out of his grip, refusing to let him turn the conversation around on me. ¡°And if you need to be told, then fine, I¡¯m telling you now: I wish to be with Esmi. She is not for you.¡±


    He let his hands drop to his sides, looking both at me but somehow past, a slight frown upon his brow. ¡°I see.¡±


    When he didn¡¯t say anything more than that, I could only let the silence stretch so long without filling it. ¡°Well? Now that you know, what will you do about it?¡±


    ¡°Do?¡± he said, eyes snapping back onto me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s anything I can do now.¡±


    And here was the Gale I knew. Gorgeous and talented, and yet as flimsy as it came to any sort of action, especially the type that would help me. ¡°What do you mean ¡®now¡¯? It¡¯s not as if you two are married yet or even announced. Just tell father and mother that you do not wish to wed Esmi, or better, that you do not understand how they could be so uncaring of me, and the deed is done. A simple thing. A trifle compared to that demon I heard tell you slew.¡±


    Gale chuckled but in an uncomfortable way. ¡°I feel you have never seen mother truly piqued if you make such a claim. I would choose the demon again any day.¡±


    If he was attempting levity, I didn¡¯t appreciate it. ¡°This is not some joke to me, Gale. I love her.¡±


    He pulled a face as if finally accepting the pain he was causing me, but still, he did not say he would do as I asked. ¡°You do know that mother¡¯s plans for this are in full swing, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s inviting everyone: her clubs, charities, the Crown. According to her it will be a combined Gala and announcement for the ages.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know,¡± I grated. ¡°You are the only one who appears to not know things.¡±


    ¡°If someone had but said ¨C¡± he began again, but I spoke over him.


    ¡°You could have asked me my thoughts on the matter. You should have guessed I would have some. My first relationship, Gale? You were being willfully obtuse to not see that.¡± When he didn¡¯t immediately argue, I took it as encouragement to continue. ¡°If you had bothered to speak with Esmi, your supposed fianc¨¦e, you would have found the same answer. You haven¡¯t talked with Esmi, have you?¡± Before entering this conversation I¡¯d had complete trust that Esmi would tell me if she had received such a visit ¨C and I still did ¨C but in the moment, I felt the overwhelming need to ask.


    ¡°No,¡± he admitted to my relief, finally looking a touch out of sorts himself. ¡°It was just an engagement announcement, so I failed to see the need. I was letting mother handle everything.¡±


    ¡°That was foolish of you.¡±


    He actually looked sheepish, damn him. ¡°Yes, I suppose it was, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, no lasting harm has been done,¡± I said, endeavoring to reach my goal in this conversation without being sidetracked emotionally. ¡°We¡¯ll tell them together if you prefer, and mother can have the names changed on whatever she¡¯s purchased.¡± I raised my hand for him to shake. ¡°Swear it, and this can all be past us.¡±


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    Gale sighed, running a hand through his long hair. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as that.¡±


    I kept my hand out, deciding if I should turn it into a fist. The way I¡¯d seen Hull punch people before seemed like it might be immensely satisfying right now. ¡°It¡¯s exactly as simple as that.¡±


    Gale stepped closer to me, eyeing the door and windows, though not a soul seemed nearby.


    ¡°Esmi is high Rare,¡± he whispered to me when a bare foot separated us, ¡°soon to be Epic, if she continues on her current trajectory.¡±


    ¡°How can you know that?¡± I hissed back, the hairs on the back of my neck raised. Esmi was powerful, there was no doubt of that, and her win over Gerad ¨C Epic himself ¨C had been no small feat. But to hear that her Soul might soon belong to an echelon of rarity that only a handful of people possessed in all of Treledyne was a heady thing to consider, and for a moment, almost made me question if I was worthy of her. However, I had learned better than to give such corrosive thoughts purchase, so I returned my attention to my brother. ¡°Gale? You cannot just make such a claim. Why do you say it?¡± Esmi had mentioned that her parents were planning to purchase the services of a Soul assessor, but they hadn¡¯t spent that tiny fortune yet.


    Gale took a step back but otherwise stayed close. ¡°The how doesn¡¯t matter for the purposes of this argument, but you clearly feel I have wronged you, and perhaps I have been less¡­ aware than I should have been. So, I will answer you as an offering between us: a little known fact of our House is that mother has a second Soul ability, one that lets her gauge the rarities of those nearby. She does not have the accuracy of a true assessor, but on Esmi, she is adamant.¡±


    That revelation I found myself unable to fully digest. ¡°So little known that her own son is unaware of it?¡±


    Gale shrugged. ¡°Mother and Father must not have felt you ready to hear it. They didn¡¯t tell me until after I graduated War Camp, and I am unsure if Randel knows.¡±


    Hearing that I was aware of something that our other brother might not be made me feel slightly better, but only just, as it only took me another moment to realize why my parents would wish for Gale to marry Esmi instead of me.


    Gale didn¡¯t fail to notice my eyes widen. ¡°You see it then. With two Epics¡­¡±


    ¡°You could challenge the higher Houses,¡± I said in a whisper.


    ¡°We could challenge them,¡± Gale corrected. ¡°Our whole house would elevate. With neither of the heirs of the 2nd and 3rd Houses making it into War Camp, the way is as clear as it could ever be. You had a part in that, Basil, one mother and father appreciate even if they haven¡¯t told you yet.¡±


    He was speaking of Reginald and Losum. After the Champion¡¯s Parade, nobles and regular folk alike would know that they were out of favor. Of course our parents would be pleased, and even hearing it second-hand, a small, child-like part of me that wished to make them happy warmed. But what of my own happiness? What of Gale¡¯s for that matter?


    ¡°Is that what you want then?¡± I asked him. ¡°To marry a woman you don¡¯t even know so you can be second only to the king¡¯s line?¡±


    Gale¡¯s fey grin returned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like the worst proposition in the world. And with that much power, surely we could throw some truly decadent parties.¡±


    When I neither laughed nor responded, his smile slipped.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t pilgrimage for a year to the kestrels¡¯ cloud city because I wanted to be tied to Treledyne, Basil. For that matter, I didn¡¯t cultivate Air because I wanted to be beholden to anything. And that demon rift? I would never have ventured to its end if there hadn¡¯t been wounded comrades that needed aid.¡± Something was growing in him I rarely if ever saw beyond his cordial exterior but then just as it might have formed, he blew it out in a long sigh. ¡°But, one has to grow up at some point. Or so I have been told.¡±


    ¡°You can do what you want, Gale,¡± I said, trying to capture what had almost been in him. ¡°You¡¯re not some summoned card.¡±


    ¡°I may not be, but I have to give back to my family along the way, mustn¡¯t I, Basil? As one of the few Epics in the city, don¡¯t I have the responsibility to better it? If not me, then who?¡± To hear my brother voicing the very things I had been planning to accomplish caught me off guard, in part because it sounded very much like he was trying to convince himself. ¡°Order is the foundation of noble Houses. Without it, they will crumble, and Treledyne not long after. I¡­ that cannot be the legacy I leave.¡± Then Gale laughed, surprising me. ¡°If old man Jorin could hear the speech I¡¯m giving you now, he might actually crack a smile. Responsibility and Duty are the twin teats he suckles on,¡± he added by way of explanation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Basil, truly I am.¡±


    Then he turned, heading out of the room.


    ¡°You are a coward,¡± I said. I could feel myself on the verge of crying, and I hated that he could make me weak like this. Why I had ever thought he would help me I didn¡¯t know.


    He paused, looking over his shoulder. ¡°The worst kind,¡± he agreed with a sad smile.


    ¡°She won¡¯t marry you.¡±


    Gale shrugged. ¡°Then the union will absolve through no fault of mine. If you can accomplish the same by speaking with mother and father, feel free.¡±


    Knowing that Esmi had such a high potential to be Epic, I couldn¡¯t imagine my parents giving up on what they wished, no matter how I might beg or reason. Gale was nearly out the door when the next words popped out of my mouth.


    ¡°A duel!¡±


    He turned slowly to face me, his golden hair silhouetted by the light behind him. ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°A duel,¡± I said, stomping up to stand as tall as I could before him, even if that only meant that my eyes were level with his chin. ¡°I challenge you to a duel for Esmi¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°Basil¡­¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°This is obviously ill-considered.¡±


    ¡°No it is not.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? How long ago did you come up with the idea?¡±


    ¡°The longevity of an idea has no bearing on its merit,¡± I quipped back, not letting myself be nettled by his questions.


    ¡°It may provide no guarantee but it can certainly assist,¡± he said, humor returning. ¡°And how would a duel between us solve our problem? Even if I were to lose, I plan to do as mother and father wish.¡±


    ¡°If you do not accept,¡± I answered, ¡°I will announce it during the gala. You will find it harder to rise through the ranks I am sure if it is known that you refuse a duel from a younger, less elevated sibling and don¡¯t agree to the conditions set forth in it. Dare I say you may find yourself inundated by others seeking to exploit a perceived weakness.¡±


    Gale considered me, not seeming mad, just thoughtful. ¡°Very well,¡± he agreed. ¡°Mind your lessons closely this next month. For House Hintal to ascend, we must all appear mighty.¡±


    He took his leave then, and I didn¡¯t attempt to stop him further. Instead, I stood just back from the doorway wondering what in the world I had just agreed to. Duel Gale? I hadn¡¯t seen his deck in years, nor did I have a clue what his new Soul ability was ¨C surely something combat related if he earned it facing a demon.


    However, he didn¡¯t know what my Soul ability was either ¨C no one in my family did. With a month, I could likely refine the majority of my cards, if I could but decide on a direction to go with them.


    ¡°Human?¡± a light voice said, and I looked up to see an elf standing nearby. His hair was longer than my brothers and mossy green, his angled, pointed ears clearly marking his race. His body was whip thin and dressed in vines and bark it seemed, much different than the ambassador I had seen during the Rising Stars Tournament. This one must be from an entirely different village. His eyes were green too, but bright, like something poisonous.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, feeling a touch hesitant.


    ¡°I was told that this was the last empty lodging.¡± He peeked within the small metal dome, seeming to dislike that word for the enclosure. ¡°Was I misinformed? It was a dwarf who told me, and I have been fooled by their kind before.¡±


    When rooming had been mentioned, I had assumed I¡¯d share with Hull, but if what the elf said was true, it seemed he had already settled in; hopefully War Camp would teach him an ounce of patience. Not that the situation was entirely poor for me; I was quite curious to learn more about the elves.


    ¡°You were informed correctly,¡± I said, and then bowed slightly at the waist. ¡°Basil of House Hintal at your service. I look forward to sharing accommodations with you for the stint of the War Camp.¡±


    ¡°So orderly,¡± the elf said with a musical laugh. I had expected him to appreciate the gesture, especially after the comment about dwarves, but he seemed to find it funny. ¡°I see and hear you, friend. My name is E¡¯lal. As long as it is true from here,¡± he tapped his chest, ¡°feel free to speak to me as it comes, without the need for filter or decoration.¡±


    He then slipped past me, and I caught the stringent yet energetic scent of anise following him. E¡¯lal selected the bunk nearer the window and unslung the pack he had been carrying atop it. I wondered idly if my own luggage might be waiting outside the building, the porters not wanting to disturb the conversation my brother and I had been having.


    ¡°Might I ask you something, E¡¯lal?¡±


    ¡°You already have,¡± he said, tilting his head toward me, smiling, but in a way I didn¡¯t find annoying like my brother¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized right after. ¡°A joke at the expense of your ordered phrasing. I know it is meant to show respect, even if it rings oddly in my ears. Of course, what can I answer?¡±


    There were a countless number of things a younger Basil would have wanted to ask this elf, but for the man I was now, there was only a single thought on my mind. ¡°How well would you say Life Source fares against Air?¡±


    ¡°Quite well,¡± he answered to my delight. His nearly phosphorescent eyes regarded me. ¡°Were you thinking of cultivating it?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I answered, not wanting to oversell my plans. ¡°I was hoping for more information concerning its cards first, to see if it is the right path for me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± E¡¯lal responded. ¡°It seems Qi¡¯shen was right to bring us here. My understanding is that we are to convene for more group speaking soon, but after, we could engage in an exchange of information if that is agreeable.¡±


    For the first time since entering War Camp I found a smile of my own. ¡°That is most certainly agreeable.¡±

 B2: 6. Hull - Field Maneuvers

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    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we on top of the tower?¡± I asked, pointing to the flat expanse on top of the central tower rising behind us. ¡°Seems like the better view.¡± All of us students were standing with High Paladin Edaine on the walkway that ringed the interior of the fort and overlooked the cleared grounds below. It was a great spot for throwing rocks or boiling oil on any attackers, but we didn¡¯t have any of those, thankfully. Edaine had asked us to focus on the far side of the cleared field where the forest still loomed, and the extra height the tower offered would have made for a better vantage point.


    ¡°The central tower is restricted to captain¡¯s rank and above except by invitation,¡± the armored woman replied, a hint of humor in her voice. ¡°More specifically, the top floor holds the apartments reserved for Grand Marshal Jorin, and the roof is where he lands with his griffon when they arrive. If the better view is worth the consequences breaking into a general¡¯s bedchamber would get you, by all means feel free.¡±


    The others chuckled dutifully, and Basil elbowed me gently in the ribs, smiling. It was good to see him again, and I wished I could have found him to arrange being roommates instead of ending up stuck with the Deepkin named Brux. It was the room I wanted, yes, but the moment I¡¯d walked in the dwarf had directed my every movement, telling me where to put things, making rules for when we¡¯d rise and retire, and identifying which things in the room were his and not to be touched. My knowledge of dwarves started and ended with the one conversation I¡¯d had with the half-dwarf trader Findek, but one way or the other I hadn¡¯t expected them to be so picky about everything. Brux was on the far side of the group with his own kind, apparently just as glad as me to get some space.


    The High Paladin raised her hands for attention, quelling the chatter that had grown amongst the students. ¡°I know some of you may have been put off by the Grand Marshal¡¯s harsh words earlier, and I want to reassure you that there is no better place you could be than in War Camp. The things you will learn here can be understood almost nowhere else, and the prizes that hang within your grasp through the service we will train you for will put your Tournament winnings to shame.¡±


    That made my ears perk up. I¡¯d won a Mythic and a handful of Epics during the Rising Stars Tournament. Well, I¡¯d also ended up with an oversized deck full of high-end Chaos cards, but that had been its own anthill. I¡¯d shown up hoping for card knowledge and dueling skill, but if more winnings were in the offing¡­ maybe I could put up with a picky dwarf after all.


    ¡°You will be trained to be lieutenants in the King¡¯s army,¡± Edaine continued. ¡°It will be hard; there will be risks; but those of you from Treledyne have proven yourselves capable through your dueling, and our allies from other nations have performed similar feats in their own homes.¡±


    ¡°And your paladins?¡± Gerad asked softly, arms crossed, standing ramrod straight. ¡°Are warriors of the faith exempt from qualifying as the rest of us have done?¡±


    The three young warriors standing to one side glared at the Prince as one. Their armor was nowhere near as ornate or impressive as their leader¡¯s, but they cut imposing figures nonetheless. Edaine, for her part, returned a calm answer even though I saw her jaw clench first. ¡°Our glorious King has seen fit in his wisdom to allow the faith to train our own recruits and integrate them into the army at his command. Should you find this unsatisfactory, your Highness, I suggest you take it up with your father.¡±


    Gerad grimaced but said nothing more.


    The High Paladin paused as if to check her own irritation, put on a smile that appeared at least somewhat genuine, and said, ¡°I understand that many of you are accustomed to giving orders rather than taking them. This is part of what your training will include. You may be scions of your people already, but now you will be the standard bearers for humanity. I will be patient with you as you learn your new roles and duties¡­ but do not presume that I will coddle you. Obey your instructors ¨C myself included ¨C as you would your own parents, and all will be well.¡±


    I had to swallow a chuckle at that one, but the others all seemed to take it seriously. Basil went so far as to look as if he¡¯d just been scolded. Apparently being a good little boy for mommy and daddy was a big deal amongst the noble set. That was worth remembering.


    ¡°As prime duelists, you will hold a special place in the King¡¯s army.¡± The High Paladin gestured out over the cleared area beyond our metal fort. I saw nothing but dirt and tree stumps. ¡°To show you what that means so we can begin your instruction, I have arranged a demonstration.¡±


    She ducked her head and whispered something even though no one was close enough to hear her. A panel on the side of her armor under the left arm slid open of its own accord, revealing a small pocketed area, from which she withdrew a round mirror the size of her palm. She turned away, looking out over the clearing.


    ¡°Did she just talk to her armor?¡± I muttered to Basil.


    ¡°It may very well understand her,¡± he whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s part of the Korikana Mythic set, and she¡¯s wearing all the pieces. I¡¯ve never seen a complete set before.¡± He sounded awed.


    ¡°Wish I could see it like you do,¡± I grumbled. That soul ability of his made me jealous every time I thought of it. I have to develop a new soul card. It¡¯s going to hold me back if I don¡¯t.


    ¡°The armor does indeed hear me,¡± Edaine said with her back still turned. ¡°It hears you too, and it sees you even when I am not looking. I will be happy to show you the cards at a more opportune moment, young Master Hull. For now, please attend.¡±


    That got my attention. There was no way she could have heard us whispering of her own accord, what with the noise of a dozen people moving, the sounds of the breeze in the nearby forest, and the everyday noise of all the servants and workers going on below.


    Edaine caught the sunlight with her mirror and flashed it once, twice, and three times into the trees at the far end of the clearing. A moment later a squad of soldiers trotted into view. One man stood in front and ten more marched at his heels in two lines of five. Some carried long spears that towered over their own heads, and others carried shields nearly as tall as themselves. From a distance I heard the man in front bark an order, and they halted.


    ¡°This is the basic unit of the King¡¯s army,¡± the High Paladin told us. ¡°Squadrons of ten enlisted men led by a sergeant. Each is issued a soul card as a fighting companion.¡±


    She flicked her mirror at the men twice more, and down below I could see Order source springing to life and the mist of nearly a dozen summons all at once. When the whiteness cleared, there were more than twenty men where before there had been only ten. At a command from the sergeant, they formed into a single long line, with every other soldier holding a shield and the ones in between leveling their long spears into the gaps to strike beyond the shield wall. The sergeant, satisfied with the formation, trotted around to the backside of the line where he could command without being exposed.


    ¡°This is an infantry squadron,¡± Edaine told us. ¡°In normal operations they would be accompanied by two or three Sourcerers for support.¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± I said, stepping forward. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


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    The High Paladin turned to me and blinked, surprised. ¡°Ah, forgive me. I¡¯m used to a full complement of students out of the nobility. How unkind of me. Sourcerers are enlisted troops who wield no soul cards nor weapons but are trained to cultivate as much source as possible and use it on behalf of the squadron. Ideally each squad has one of Water to redirect damage away from living people toward their cards and one of Air to refresh the troops for multiple attacks. In special circumstances we also have Order Sourcerers to aid with card draw.¡±


    I grunted, eyeing the men in formation on the field. It sounded awfully handy to have someone else managing source for you, especially if they were ones you didn¡¯t cultivate yourself.


    ¡°Similar units can be found in the Cavalry and Artillery divisions; you will see them in action another day. For now I simply want to show you how our army meets threats on the most basic level.¡±


    She flashed her signal mirror at a different spot in the trees, and one lone figure stepped forth, striding across the open ground to a spot where a ground cloth was draped over a handful of stumps.


    ¡°That is one of our corporals from another squadron,¡± she informed us. ¡°Each squadron usually has one or two of their best enlisted who rise to corporal either by advancing their own personal soul or by elevating the card they were assigned. Occasionally they are entrusted with an additional card or two. This particular fellow is of special use to us today, as his cards are not the standard-issue Shieldbearer or Pikeman.¡±


    The distant figure reached down and pulled back the ground cloth, revealing an unexpected pool of water beneath. The moment he did so, dozens of small creatures boiled up out of the pond, shaking water off themselves.


    The little troglodytes turned to their summoner, who pointed them toward the waiting squadron of pikemen and shieldbearers. They streamed toward the waiting soldiers, their cries sounding like nothing but tinny squawks from atop our fortified wall. They just kept streaming out of the pool, and I pitied the men facing them. There had to have been thirty of the little bastards.


    ¡°One of the things you should notice first is that the Spawning Pool has been producing for a good half an hour,¡± the High Paladin said in a sing-song, teacherly voice. ¡°Unlike the duels you¡¯re used to, in war you use every advantage you can scrape for yourself. The primary amongst those is preparation. Get to the fight with your best combos primed and ready to go, because you can be sure your enemy will do the same.¡±


    The clash between the troglodyte summons and the soldiers was shockingly loud even at a distance. The pikemen worked their long lances like fire pokers, skewering one of the little critters after the next, leaving glittering shards in their wake while they clawed ineffectively at the shield wall. I saw one manage to get a clawed hand over the top of a shield, and a Shieldbearer went down under no fewer than four troglodytes. The soldier himself soon turned into card shards, and the others around him drew daggers, killing the intruding trogs and closing the shield wall with cold efficiency.


    ¡°What if that hadn¡¯t been a summons soldier?¡± one girl asked. Afi was her name; I remembered seeing her at the disastrous dinner with Hestorus during the Tournament. ¡°What if it had been a living man?¡±


    ¡°Training accidents do happen,¡± Edaine allowed. ¡°Though if any of our enlisted men were to fall to an enemy as simple-minded and straightforward as this one, we¡¯d pay out his widow and count ourselves lucky we found a weak link before a real battle. You can be certain this squadron will be given extra drills by their sergeant just for the lapse you saw there. But there, you see? This skirmish will be over in two shakes.¡±


    She was right ¨C more than half the troglodytes were already nothing but glittering dust, and more died on spearpoints with every passing moment. She sent a signal with her mirror to the troglodyte summoner, who hurried to another ground cloth I hadn¡¯t seen before, which revealed another Spawning Pool overrun with troggies, which hurried after their dying brethren at the beleaguered squadron.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill our troops?¡± the Prince asked sharply.


    ¡°It is a reality of war that sometimes you are overmatched,¡± the High Paladin responded calmly. ¡°And while it is good for you all to see a squadron in action, you have not been recruited to be sergeants in charge of rank-and-file recruits. You are duelists with full decks, or very nearly. You are each a squadron unto yourselves.¡± She grabbed a horn from where it was slung over her shoulder and lifted it to her lips, sounding a long, clear, melodic blast.


    A shadow flickered by overhead, making me flinch. At first I thought it was some monstrous bird, or maybe the Grand Marshal¡¯s griffon, but it was a man soaring through the air, a summoned hawk as big as himself flying not far behind.


    As he arced overhead and I got the sun out of my eyes, I saw a snapping mane of blond on his head. It was Basil¡¯s brother.


    ¡°Showing off,¡± my friend muttered, sounding sour. ¡°Any of the captains could have done this demonstration.¡±


    He cleared the entire fort and landed with an audible boom in the midst of the mass of troglodytes trying to flank the overwhelmed squadron. Little bodies went flying, and he stamped his feet one after the other, each impact sounding like a miniature earthquake.


    ¡°Damage and range buffs,¡± Basil reported, sounding grudgingly impressed. ¡°Counts for him and all his summons.¡±


    The hawk summons was wreaking its own havoc among the milling trogs, each snap of its beak and slash of its claws sending the sparkle of destroyed summons cards flying. Just like that, the tide of the battle turned and the squadron rallied.


    ¡°You are correct, Master Hintal,¡± Edaine said. ¡°Any lieutenant could do as much, if not quite with so much flair. The fact is, though, that most of our trained lieutenants are in the field with the bulk of the army well to the west, clearing dangerous beasts and angry squatters from the land the King intends to make the fourth great city of humanity. Your brother Gale has remained for training. You will all be lucky to learn from him. He stood where you do now not ten years past.¡±


    ¡°A formidable man,¡± one of the elves said. ¡°Most attractive.¡±


    I glanced over. Was that a girl elf? I thought so. Men weren¡¯t supposed to be that pretty. Basil, for his part, merely huffed and scowled, looking for some reason to Esmi, who was engrossed in the battle below.


    ¡°This is part of what you will do,¡± Edaine told us. ¡°Your captains will keep track of your little corner of whatever battle you are in and send you where the action is hottest. Sometimes it will be to go to the aid of a squadron, as you see here, but more often it will be to battle similarly equipped duelists on the enemy side. Their lieutenants, if you will.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s just dueling after all,¡± one of the dwarves said. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of words to say something simple.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever dueled without a Dome, with friendly and enemy units on all sides, your ears full of the cries of the dying, where any stray arrow or Spell could end you before you even come to grips with your opponent?¡± the High Paladin said archly. ¡°If so, then yes, it¡¯s just dueling after all. If that sounds in the least bit complicated, though, be glad of the training we will provide.¡±


    Down below, Gale mopped up the last of the troglodytes, turned, and sent an overexaggerated bow in our direction. I couldn¡¯t help but respect the balls on the fellow despite Basil¡¯s uncharacteristic anger. All the other students clapped and whistled their approval, and the High Paladin joined in. Basil wasn¡¯t clapping, though, so I didn¡¯t either. Esmi was, and I could tell it bothered him. What¡¯s the problem there? I thought those two had resolved their troubles. Perhaps I should have visited them before War Camp after all, if only to know what was going on. Gale bounded into the sky and was gone in a blink, followed by his hawk.


    ¡°Your time here will be focused on everything you need to succeed on the battlefield. We have a few maxims to guide all our efforts: Know Thy Fellows, Know Thy Enemy, Know Thy History, and Know Thyself. Every class, every grouping, every field exercise, and every discussion will be focused on one of these. You¡¯ll learn to trust each other ¨C¡±


    Not likely, I thought, sneaking a glance at Gerad. Every last thing about him was in order, pristine. I hated him.


    ¡°¨C you¡¯ll learn to refine your decks and elevate your cards, you¡¯ll learn to obey your captains, and you¡¯ll learn about warfare with the Orcs. Your days will be full and you¡¯ll be glad of your bunk each night. If you have half a brain, you¡¯ll realize this is the best possible place to be for a duelist wishing to rise.¡±


    I watched the squadron down among the tree stumps retreating back into the trees. The fancy lady was right ¨C this was a great place to be, and I wanted to know every scrap of knowledge they could throw at me. And how are you going to do that and take care of the Lows as well?


    I didn¡¯t have any idea. I¡¯d need to skip out on some sleep to sneak back into the city after everyone retired for the evening and then back into the fort before first light. It was a tall order, and I didn¡¯t know how I could get it all done. But I had to try. I¡¯d gone my whole life without a single opportunity. I wasn¡¯t going to back down now just because suddenly I had too many.

 B2: 7. Basil - Life

    After the field demonstration we were marched around camp and shown the various facilities. They included a large open-air training area with a series of raised seats on two sides for viewing; the Lecture Hall where our sit-down classes would be held; a line of smiths in adjoining boxy buildings, each with the symbol for Soul, Spell, or Relic engraved above the entry to denote their specialty. There were also some Artisans in a different building across the way who had magical items for sale.


    General Edaine explained that in our fortification, and also the neighboring one of wood, all purchases were handled using a merit system, no coin. We would earn a merit a day for simply being part of War Camp, which I thought was generous ¨C my first paying job! Even if it was not true money ¨C but Hull and the dwarves looked less than impressed. The real opportunities, Edaine said, would come from the merits awarded when someone performed exceptionally well during our training, standing far above their peers, which got the fourteen of us looking rather critically at one another: five tournament winners, three deepkin, three elves, and three paladins in training.


    We were certainly a varied group, and many of my new classmates appeared quite capable, but I had faced more competition in the Rising Stars Tournament and so was confident in my chances ¨C as soon as I got my deck in order, that was. My bunkmate, E¡¯lal, was speaking to a strikingly beautiful elf girl with green hair a shade lighter than his own, the color I had seen used for seafoam in oil paintings. They somehow sensed my attention and both turned to regard me while we continued to follow Edaine. I waved cordially to show I meant no harm, but they didn¡¯t return the gesture, perhaps not recognizing it for what it was. Eventually, they resumed their conversation, and I tried not to let myself dwell on the awkwardness of the exchange. Surely, I hadn¡¯t ruined my chances of speaking with E¡¯lal later about his cards, had I? I also tried not to feel badly for noticing how attractive the elf girl was when Esmi walked practically at my side. I was merely observing a fact, not engaging in anything purposely salacious. Twins take me, there couldn¡¯t be anything wrong with that, could there?


    Our temporary home also had a host of additional living quarters beyond the ones the fourteen of us were using and the central tower that was for upper ranks only. Even though the fortification had been erected barely an hour ago, people were bustling up and down the metal lanes with an impressive air of familiarity. Many of them, like the smiths and some wheelwrights I spotted, looked to already be settled in much more thoroughly than I had managed in my own room yet.


    Lastly, Edaine brought us to the Mess Hall, a space nearly as long as the encampment itself, where everyone took their meals together. A massive kitchen made up one side of the rectangular structure, and, much like the inhabitants, it was already in full swing, fragrant steam billowing out from the ovens, pots, and open flames in use. Basic fare was free, and served three times a day: when the sun rose, set, and when it was at its zenith. If we wanted food at different times or speciality items, they could be purchased with merits.


    I found it hard to believe that anyone would waste the opportunity to buy or upgrade cards on something as mundane as a meal until Edaine treated us all to an early dinner with a pile of wooden merit tokens. The course was bread as soft as down, succulent steak, steamed root vegetables seared in butter and thyme, with a glass of perfectly paired red wine. The general gave no speeches as we were served, but the quality of the food and the surrounding company made it feel like one all the same. Everyone dug into the meal with appetite, except for the deepkin who first ground some dark spices into the meat with their knuckles and added small, ruddy mushrooms to their wine before tucking in.


    During it all, I exchanged a few words with Hull, but he seemed largely distracted, which I made a conscious choice not to take personally. Knowing him, he likely didn¡¯t feel comfortable with so many people around, but he and I would have plenty of other opportunities to catch up over the next month, I was sure. I¡¯d be seeking his opinion out sooner than that, of course, but there was something comforting in knowing that my friend would be much easier to find for the foreseeable future.


    Afi, who was sitting nearly as stiff-backed as Gerad was at the end of the table, eventually asked Edaine about seeing her Mythic set of armor, like the woman had earlier promised.


    The general smirked, as if she had known it was only a matter of time until the question was raised, and casually dismissed each piece in turn: the helm she had sat upon the table, the sword and shield she had strapped to her back, and then finally the suit of armor she wore. It would take some time for the cards to cycle back to her Mind Home, and we lost ourselves in a delectable double chocolate cake infused with rum while we waited. If I hadn¡¯t known better, I would have sworn the cooks here were serving us their very best to convince us to spend our merits again with them in the future.


    By the time the servers were clearing plates, Edaine had started passing the four green-bordered cards around. I had already seen them thanks to my soul ability, but getting to watch people rock back in their seats when they saw the combined effect of the set was a treat.


    ¡°Pay ability?¡± Hull said when the first of the cards reached him. ¡°That means you could summon a whole slew of ¡®em, just like that fellow did with the troggies.¡± The fact that he had spotted the potential of it right away made me feel proud for some reason.


    ¡°That I could,¡± Edaine answered with a twitch of a smile.


    Even without wearing her armor or arms, the general cut an imposing figure, her hair in an intricate, tightly woven plait; her shoulders not stiff, but solid; and a gaze that looked unshakable, as if worry could not touch her. The fact that she could also bring forth a veritable army of spirits, that, due to their Mythic nature, could likely persist for months on end, only made her all the more impressive. That she had been commissioned to be our supervising general by the king was a great boon for us. And, despite the mixed feelings I had about Hestorus¡¯s treatment of Hull, or even aspects of his ruling of Treledyne, I was grateful for his choice in this particular matter.


    When the meal was over, and Edaine had collected her cards, she placed another stack of square-shaped wooden merits on the table.


    ¡°Have another round if you want, but only one. You¡¯ll be up early, and that¡¯s when the fun begins.¡± Her wide smile made the statement seem half a threat, but I was as eager as I¡¯d ever been.


    Esmi promptly asked if I wanted to join her and Anya ¨C a paladin recruit with a dash of freckles across her cheeks ¨C to peruse what the smiths were selling before they closed, which they apparently did at the first bell after dark. However, I explained about my previous engagement with E¡¯lal and the opportunity it represented.


    Esmi radiated excitement at the news and made me promise to give a full report later, and I extracted the same from her about what she saw at the smiths. We kissed and it wasn¡¯t until she and Anya were gone that I noticed the extra attention I seemed to be getting from the foreign recruits. Everyone from the Rising Stars Tournament knew about my relationship with Esmi, but I realized that we had just declared an alliance of a sort to all those remaining.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them bother you,¡± Hull grunted from my other side. Despite the table, plate, utensils, and even floor all being made of metal, he had somehow managed to find a toothpick from somewhere ¨C perhaps a dwarf ¨C and was poking around his teeth, making horrible sucking sounds. If anything, he was getting just as much attention as I was.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± I replied, keeping my voice low, though I supposed there was little need for that.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, eying me and then rose. ¡°Well, I¡¯m off to bed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fairly early for you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He looked at me suspiciously for half a heartbeat and then seemed to remember who I was, relaxing. ¡°I got on a different schedule these last few weeks. I¡¯ll tell you more about it later. Promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± I said, pointing at him to show I meant business. I cheapened the image some by smiling; I just couldn¡¯t seem to help how good it felt to have him around again.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, mirroring me at least a little. ¡°I know you will.¡±


    With the two I was closest to gone or on their way out, it was time I found E¡¯lal. He and the other elves had moved away, sitting at a nearby table, but when I approached, the others left with flat looks at me. I tried not to let my nerves show as I sat down across from him.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting,¡± I ventured.


    ¡°You are not,¡± E¡¯lal replied, easing my worries. ¡°However,¡± ¨C he looked side-to-side somewhat suspiciously ¨C ¡° I would prefer to engage in our exchange of information within the confines of our room. Is that acceptable?¡±


    ¡°Perfectly so.¡± I knew some of what he was feeling; Gale hadn¡¯t shown himself during our tour or dinner. Perhaps he was entertaining the older representatives who had come with the elves and deepkin and would be occupied for the rest of the evening. Even so, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that any moment he would appear behind me, acting as if there was no trouble between us when nothing could have been further from the truth.


    Happy to avoid such a possibility, I stood with E¡¯lal, heading toward the nearer exit when something occurred to me.


    ¡°One moment, please,¡± I said.


    I returned to our original dining table, which was still occupied by a handful of recruits. Where Edaine had left it, minus a few tokens, was the stack of merits. Without hesitating, I plucked the top one off of the stack.


    ¡°What d¡¯ya think ur doin¡¯?¡± the nearest dwarf grumped at me, both of his pebbly hands wrapped around his wine cup.


    ¡°The general said we could have another drink or not,¡± I said, plucking two more merits from the stack, which raised bumpy brows among all the deepkin. ¡°I do not wish to, so I am taking one back for me, my fiancee, and my bunkmate, since neither of them are partaking either.¡±


    I swore the closest dwarf ¨C a mound of a fellow with shoulders so round they looked like boulders ¨C was going to stop me but then he lurched a hand toward the leftover stack.


    ¡°Oy!¡± another deepkin said, ¡°¡®yuv already had another!¡±


    The third dwarf, a woman, and the two remaining paladins began to bicker, but it was Gerad I noticed, still sitting at the far end of the table. He watched the exchange with disgust before standing and walking out of the hall. It was odd how naked he looked to me without his usual hanger-ons, Losum and Reginald. I wondered why he didn¡¯t have his Legendary Kitsanya summoned, at the least. Perhaps the king had barred him from behaving so during the Camp; perhaps he had even taken the card away from him.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The possibility would make my life much easier if I were to duel him, but if he was to be my fellow on the battlefield, I wished him to have access to his most effective tools. Not quite sure what to make of that new conundrum in my life, I made my way back to E¡¯lal¡¯s side.


    ¡°Here you are,¡± I said, presenting him with a merit.


    The elf eyed the wooden piece and me before nodding. ¡°My gratitude,¡± he said, tucking it into a pocket. ¡°Now let us be on our way. I look forward to seeing what a mind that reasons as yours does has created.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well,¡± I said, laughing somewhat nervously, ¡°it¡¯s still a work in progress, so¡­ be kind.¡±


    * * *


    Lights were being put up in hinged metal lanterns that appeared to be a fixture of the city by industrious workers. Seeing how expertly they were preparing the fortification for the evening proved yet again that, while the use of the Mythic to create this location had been a surprise to us, it had most certainly not been to countless others, what with a veritable army of professionals and supplies at the ready to descend on and quickly transform it into a functioning city.


    Back in our room, E¡¯lal halted after opening the door, face stricken. I peeked past him to see if we had been robbed, but all I saw was a pleasant fire crackling in the metal hearth.


    ¡°Someone has been here,¡± he whispered, eyes squinted and searching, as if the intruder might still be about.


    ¡°A cleaner, no doubt,¡± I explained, gently moving past him into the room to show that it was safe. ¡°Like the servers in the Dining Hall.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± E¡¯lal allowed, slowly joining me, though looking on more comfortable. ¡°My traveling companions and I already spoke about that oddity. We had assumed it would be localized to that one building, but I see that was an error in judgment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is a steward in charge of such things. I can find them tomorrow and ask them to no longer service our room,¡± I offered.


    ¡°Again, I must thank you,¡± he said, finally closing the door and sitting cross legged on the metal floor. ¡°The sharing of spaces is common in A¡¯dinn¡¯uon, but only among those who know each other. Not¡­ strangers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble,¡± I said, glad to be able to make up for any previous faux pas between us. I quickly joined him on the floor, practically itching to see what sort of cards he might have. ¡°Shall we begin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and due to your hospitality on more than one occasion, allow me to begin. Before that, though, there is something you should know. Each of us from my city is focused heavily on a particular type of card. I specialize in empowering effects, both for myself and for my fellows.¡±


    ¡°Enhancement,¡± I said, thinking of the book I had recently read through.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elal agreed, ¡°that is a word for it.¡± He then began removing cards from behind his ear, and was up to a handful before placing the first between us.


    ¡°This is one of the cards that came to mind when you asked about Air,¡± he said. ¡°Being able to turn any Soul into a defender against their many Flying Souls is quite useful.¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± I said. Getting to see my brother Gale¡¯s Hawk during the training exercise had been rather frightening to behold.


    Not to mention the enhancement Spell of his own that he had been using at the time.


    The idea of being struck for potentially 16 damage ¨C taking 8 twice due to the Hawk¡¯s Flurry ¨C not to mention Gale himself since his Soul ability and Artifact combination surely gave him Flying, was an unpleasant thought. Without my mother¡¯s Ice Walls, I would only be able to defend against Flying with my Carrion Condors and Atrea, and as it stood, any of them would be shredded by the Hawk. However, using Canopy Climber on my Master Assassin would lead to an even trade between the two Souls.


    E¡¯lal was far from done, placing more Spells between us.


    Being able to block two incoming foes with Wide was quite nice as well, again, especially so if it was the Master Assassin with his Fast Attack and Venom: 1 point of damage each would be enough to destroy most targets.


    ¡°I have not encountered many effects that add health before,¡± I remarked about the other card.


    E¡¯lal seemed unsurprised by my comment. ¡°I suspect not, since it would have no effect when you duel under your Domes. However, on the battlefield, I¡¯ve seen it make the difference between life and death.¡±


    My thoughts immediately turned to the gruesome battle Hull and I had engaged in against the slumlord and Chaos user Ticosi, my hand drifting to my belly. If he had cut me differently with his knife or if Esmi hadn¡¯t arrived with healing potions on her person, I might have died. An extra point of health would have made a world of difference in that case.


    ¡°I see you are familiar with such situations,¡± E¡¯lal said.


    His gaze was kind and inquisitive, but that was not a story anyone besides myself, Hull, and Esmi would ever know, so I responded with a nod of gratitude and a single word, ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    He did not pry, thankfully, but either by his choice or by Fortune¡¯s watchful eye, the text on the very next card spoke of war.


    The abilities that these Uncommon Spells granted were much more powerful. A Headsman able to hide under Stealth until it was time to strike? An empowered Carrion Condor able to Dodge Spells meant to remove it? Though¡­


    ¡°Precision?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that particular term.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± E¡¯lal said, tapping the card. ¡°It allows one to ignore Armor.¡±


    ¡°Does it now?¡± I said, feeling my own eyes widen. My Master Assassin would be able to kill virtually anything if Armor couldn¡¯t stop him. Previously I had been thinking of no longer using or upgrading the Rare, worried about what type of legacy I was leaving behind, but these cards were proving that he might simply have too much utility for that to be a possibility.


    The next set of four was even more powerful and, correspondingly, expensive.


    Atrea with Hunt? Or even better (if I still had it), a Sea Titan? Or Fast Attack on the Titan? That would simply be ridiculous. Fascinating as it was to consider, I could feel that I was getting ahead of myself, my pulse racing, so I took a calming breath. I didn¡¯t have access to the Water Epic anymore, nor Life just yet. Balancing just one of them with my existing Order and Air would be hard enough, so there was no cause to consider any other mixtures.


    The other two cards were excellent since Armor and Resist were universally good and would presumably stack with themselves and other cards which granted the same abilities.


    To confirm I went ahead and asked. ¡°I assume you use multiple copies of Barkskin and Woad Markings?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Then we reached the true treasures of his deck: two Epics and a Mythic. The first I hadn¡¯t expected, as it was half Order, which meant he must be able to cultivate that Source. Perhaps that was even why he had been selected by his people to train with humans.


    I held up the card. ¡°What Relics do you equip with this?¡± I asked, hoping it wouldn¡¯t sound too presumptuous.


    E¡¯lal waved the question away ¡°Nothing grand, which is why I did not bother to show them to you. Just simple Relic Swords that do a point of damage or two.¡± Now it was he that looked eager. ¡°I was pleased to hear of the merits we shall be using since we have no coins in our lands.¡±


    ¡°But what of Relics?¡± I inquired. ¡°Surely you have those.¡±


    ¡°Some,¡± he admitted, ¡°but they are more often bows and staves, which this card does not pair as well with. I am hoping to buy some of what you forge here.¡±


    That confirmed my suspicion. Imagining a summoner like Haze being able to attack with both his Gauntlets each turn, or Hull with his Hammer and Vampiric Blade, would be a devastating combination. My angry friend would love that, but he faced the same problem as me: he was unable to use the necessary Sources. Unless I did learn Life as I was flirting with, and then I cast the Spell on him.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve thought of a useful combination.¡± E¡¯lal was smiling at me knowingly.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I chuckled, ¡°perhaps.¡±


    He then put a second Epic between us and suddenly the nature of his deck snapped into focus.


    I had already thought his Spells powerful individually, but this card offered a culmination of sorts. Well, sort of, I thought, my excitement ebbing. Plus 3 attack was certainly a lot, and 3 additional health combined with Regenerate 1 would help with survivability, but all that with Strong wasn¡¯t the scariest of combinations.


    And then the elf laid the last card he had been holding.


    I leaned over the green-edged card, my eyes flashing to catch every detail. 5 extra attack and Overkill were the exact sort of traits I had thought the last card was missing.


    ¡°Vigor?¡± I asked, the name sounding familiar.


    E¡¯lal nodded. ¡°It exists on only a few Life cards, sadly so. Vigor allows one to attack without exhausting.¡±


    As soon as he said it, I remembered where I had seen it before: among the cards the elf ambassador had used, and with my soul ability, I recalled it to mind.


    ¡°It is the most important part, Basil,¡± E¡¯lal said, unaware of my mental conjuring. ¡°What brings it all together.¡±


    I could admit the ability seemed powerful, and then I realized what it would mean if paired with Dodge. Dodge¡¯s weakness was that it could not be used while attacking, but if the Soul or summoner did not need to focus to attack, that downside was negated. And Stealth? With Stealth and Vigor a Soul could attack without revealing itself, making it only targetable by whatever it was fighting in combat, no Spell, no focus or devote effects! It would be practically unkillable, especially with the extra health, Armor, Resist, and Regenerate it might also have.


    E¡¯lal¡¯s smile grew as he saw me come to each of those realizations.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I said, sitting back. ¡°Very impressive.¡± What I wouldn¡¯t give for a Mythic of my very own to serve as an anchor to craft the rest of the deck around.


    He took the compliment with a slight nod, returning the cards to his Mind Home one by one.


    ¡°So, you have no Souls?¡± I asked. I could respect the focus of his build, but it felt like a waste when a Spell like Flesh to Scales could only be used on Souls.


    ¡°A few,¡± he conceded as he cleaned up, ¡°if I should find myself alone, but that is not how we elves fight. Usually, we are in duos or trios so we can complement and support one another.¡±


    His answer was sensible, but it also made me question my options further. Was I making a mistake to limit my thinking to what would make an effective deck for a single person? Should I instead be thinking of how I could work in tandem with others? During the demonstration today Gale had helped the troops individually, but that likely wouldn¡¯t be the only way our skills would be put to use on the battlefield.


    ¡°So, do you think you will try your hand at cultivating Life?¡± he seemed invested in my answer and it wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out why: if I did start on such a journey, the elves would have an eager party to trade their excess Life cards with. And if I performed well while using Life, that might convince others to take it up, too.


    In actuality, looking at the training camp from a larger lens, that was probably one of the purposes in having the mixed participants: to have us broaden our knowledge of sources and even make new pairings personally.


    ¡°If I did,¡± I said, careful to make no promises yet, ¡°how would I begin?¡± I hoped to be able to use the empty fabricator Hull had given to help with this, but cultivating a few Sources on my own would be wise if I did decide to go down this path.


    ¡°We will get some plants in here for you to begin to care for. It will be tricky with all of the metal, but we shall manage.¡±


    Taking care of living things. If that was what was required, all mothers probably gained some Life Source while raising their children. Though, the Source probably also departed once the child was old enough to fend for itself.


    ¡°If you are serious about this, though,¡± E¡¯lal said. ¡°You¡¯ll want to speak with A¡¯cia. She is much more skilled in teaching cultivation than I am.¡±


    ¡°A¡¯cia?¡± I asked, imagining that E¡¯lal was referring to the older member of their party who they had arrived with, a serious looking elf woman.


    ¡°The one whose form you were admiring,¡± he answered, to my shock.


    ¡°I ¨C¡± I sputtered. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We are attuned to such Life energies,¡± E¡¯lal said to my utter horror. He then cocked his head, seeming to only now take note of my distressed state. ¡°Mating is a natural act, and there are few stronger ways to cultivate Life Source.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stick with the plants for now, please,¡± I practically begged.


    ¡°If you wish, friend Basil. If you wish,¡± he said, though it was obvious he didn¡¯t understand.


    I began pulling cards from behind my ear and placing them before him without any thought to ordering or rarity like he had done for me. I simply wished to change the conversation, desperately so, and as I had hoped, E¡¯lal leaned over them, appearing just as intrigued about the mixture of Order and Air cards as I had been about his.


    The elf had given me much to think about ¨C too much in some ways ¨C and while I felt I was somewhat closer to an answer, I knew in my heart that I needed to speak with Esmi and Hull, and perhaps my cards, too, before I moved forward any further.

 B2: 8. Hull - Sneak

    I¡¯d meant to go straight to my little metal hut, pretend to bunk down for the night, and then climb my way out as soon as possible, but I realized once I got there there was still far too much light for good sneaking. There was some soldiery-looking fellow up in the corner tower who could have spit on my head had he turned around and felt the urge; the slightest sound of me climbing would have him breathing down my neck before I ever got up to the walkway that overlooked the wall. I supposed the wall was meant to keep folks out more than keeping folks in, but somehow I knew that Her Shininess the High Paladin wouldn¡¯t like the idea of me leaving, to say nothing of that hardass, the Grand Marshal. I¡¯d have to wait until full dark, maybe beyond.


    I chafed at the delay ¨C now was not the right time to be unreliable in front of Harker and the others ¨C but there was nothing for it. I thought about joining back up with Basil, but he¡¯d headed off with those elves and likely had business of his own to attend to. I itched to tell him everything about what I¡¯d been doing and wished again he hadn¡¯t been off somewhere else doing who knew what while we were picking rooms. Maybe the dwarf will complain that I¡¯m too messy and we can swap quarters. If leaving a few things strewn about would do the trick, it¡¯d be a neat solution. I had plenty of experience being disagreeable.


    I wandered the encampment, marveling all over again at the sight of everything being built from log and brick and then somehow transformed into solid metal. It was uncomfortably warm as the reflective surroundings shed the day¡¯s heat, but no doubt I¡¯d be glad of the metal if we were ever attacked in the field.


    I walked past a laundry hut full of chatting workers, a healer¡¯s post, and several other places I couldn¡¯t identify that were nevertheless bustling with uniformed functionaries and runners. They never said anything about joining the army when we won the Tournament. Bastards. For all the promised rewards and possible advancements Edaine kept dangling in front of us, the basic bait-and-switch at the heart of the whole thing still rankled. But of course they wanted the best duelists for the field, and of course they¡¯d strong-arm us into compliance however they could. The more I saw of the world outside the Lows the more I realized that noble life was more of the same, just with a little more glamor and glad-handing.


    I found myself in front of a smithing house, its front doors thrown wide and a handful of workers milling about the semi-darkness within. My feet drew me inside before I even thought about it. I¡¯d been thinking about my visit to the Relicsmith in the Lows more or less nonstop since the day before, and I had questions to ask.


    A fat man in the corner was yelling at the other, younger men as they went about their tasks, so I angled toward him. He raised his eyebrows and jerked all three chins at me in a wordless what do you want gesture.


    ¡°Do you do Relics?¡± I asked.


    He snorted heavily and hawked a wad of phlegm onto the metal floor in the corner. ¡°Never touch that shit. Lowlifes and heretics, every one of them.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°Heretics?¡±


    He peered at me distrustfully from under his heavy brow, lank black hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. ¡°Twins yank my stones, you never been to a Tender¡¯s service?¡±


    I shrugged, feeling unaccountably embarrassed. ¡°No chapels in my neighborhood.¡±


    He took another, more careful look at me. ¡°Oh, right, you¡¯re the slum kid from the Tournament. You run a bunch of demons.¡±


    I gave a stiff nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you want to focus on, then,¡± he said, heaving himself to his feet and clapping my shoulder in a way that made me want to clap him in the face. ¡°Ditch those damn Relics and do what¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, what¡¯s right?¡± I asked, annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Relics?¡±


    He rubbed his hands together, looking pleased. ¡°Now, I¡¯m no Tender, so don¡¯t blame me if¡¯n I say it wrong, but it¡¯s the Twins what put a card in your soul when you become your best, am I right?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°No need to guess,¡± he snapped, piggish brows beetling. ¡°A man dies, the card comes out of his soul what wasn¡¯t there when he was borned. The Twins made it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, fine,¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t understand why he was getting so worked up about it.


    ¡°But who makes a Relic card?¡± he asked, as if proving a point.


    ¡°The¡­ Twins?¡± I said.


    ¡°Do they teach you to shit your brains out your ears down in the Lows?¡± he scoffed. ¡°The Twins never touch ¡®em. They hate ¡®em. These ass-head Relicsmiths ¨C degrading the good and holy work of real smiths, if you ask me ¨C they take some Artifact, a sword or shield or cooling box or whatever that a poor Artisan has slaved over to jam some magic into, and then they counterfeit a card to hold it. It¡¯s like they think they¡¯re gods themselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horseshit,¡± I said bluntly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a Relicsmith at work, and when he elevated the card, it wasn¡¯t him that put the new image on or changed the text on its face.¡±


    ¡°Sleight of hand,¡± he roared, red-faced. ¡°Trickery. Bunch of charlatans.¡±


    ¡°And the Tenders say this?¡± I asked him, dubious. I¡¯d never heard a peep of such a thing during the weeks I stayed with Penkmun. Hell, he¡¯d been the one to suggest elevating my Hateful Hammer in the first place.


    ¡°The right ones do,¡± he said, sticking his thumbs behind his straining belt. ¡°Those that have the stones to tell the truth. There¡¯s a reason those Relic bastards are on the outs with the Church.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, not willing to argue the point. ¡°So where do those Relic bastards set up shop?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any truck with ¡®em,¡± he pled, balling his fists. ¡°The Twins see all, and they judge! You¡¯ve got some powerful Souls, I seen ¡®em. Lemme help you elevate them.¡±


    The last thing I wanted to do was let this sweaty weirdo paw at my cards, but I did have a question about one of my Souls that I needed answered, and I wasn¡¯t in the business of turning down help. I flipped cards from behind my ear one by one until I got the one I needed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this one,¡± I said. ¡°Take a look.¡± I held it out for him to see without letting him touch it.


    ¡°Twelve around us, that¡¯s a beaut,¡± he whispered, sounding almost respectful for the first time. ¡°You didn¡¯t field that one during the Tournament.¡±


    ¡°Never had the chance,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯d give my left foot to see that one raised to Mythic,¡± he said, hands clenching. ¡°It¡¯d cost you, but Twins take me, the things that¡¯un could do. The things it could be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said dubiously, pulling it back. ¡°Thing is, I¡¯m having a hard enough time controlling this Soul as it stands at Epic. Make it a Mythic and it might start telling me what to do instead of the other way ¡®round.¡±


    He laughed, a braying noise. ¡°I¡¯ll bet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big bastard, too,¡± I told him. ¡°Four stories high. I worry I¡¯ll get it a spot where I need it and it won¡¯t summon because it¡¯s too big. Is there some way to, I don¡¯t know, alter it without elevating it?¡±


    He scratched his stubbly jowls. ¡°Ayuh, it can be done. Lots of prep work to make sure it goes more or less the way you¡¯re wanting and doesn¡¯t ruin the beast, but I can recast the card. Let the Twins take another whack at it in a way that suits your deck better. Side-grade instead of upgrade, you get me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with its abilities,¡± I said. ¡°I just need him smaller.¡±


    ¡°Always an element of risk when you meddle with the work of the Makers, but I¡¯ve done it before.¡± He licked his lips, and his hands twitched as if he wanted to take the card. ¡°Pay the price and say the word, and I¡¯ll make that card sing a new song.¡±


    I thought of the merits that Edaine had told us were the primary economy here in camp. ¡°What kind of price are we talking about?¡±


    He hitched up his pants by the belt and sucked in through his teeth. ¡°For a re-roll like you¡¯re asking¡­? Let¡¯s say fifty merits.¡±


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


    I barked a laugh and tucked the card back into my Mind Home. ¡°That¡¯s nuts. Good night.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t be no cheaper elsewhere,¡± he warned me. ¡°You¡¯re dealing with an Epic, and even a recast takes resources. They only let us take merits here, but then we have to go to the bursar for coin or shards, and it¡¯s a pain in the ass. Same story across the board.¡±


    I paused in the doorway. ¡°What if I brought in my own shards?¡±


    ¡°Well sure, if¡¯n you¡¯ve got shards, then it¡¯d just be a handful of merits for the work. Five, maybe?¡± He smiled hopefully.


    I tried to sound casual. ¡°And if I brought in cards to break down? Any restrictions on that?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Won¡¯t break down no Souls, of course. And nothing illegal. But if you¡¯ve got some of them cursed Relics you want to be rid of, I¡¯ll turn ¡®em into shards for you, no problem. Just a small fee.¡±


    Damn. Of course they wouldn¡¯t take Chaos cards right under the Grand Marshal¡¯s nose. If only I knew how to do the smithing myself. ¡°All right, maybe I¡¯ll come back another day.¡±


    The fat smith nodded, satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m your man, young master. Jubal Clamphand, at your service. Find me here anytime.¡±


    The apprentices were cleaning up their projects and stowing their tools, and I noticed a subtle vibrancy to one of them that told me he was a summoned Soul instead of a living person.


    It made sense, of course ¨C any craftsman would rather summon a Soul that would work for free than pay daily wages to an apprentice that likely didn¡¯t know half as much of the trade. Not for the first time I wondered what my life in the Lows might have looked like had I been an apprentice instead of a useless street boy. It was strange to think that if not for the cards that we all depended on so much, there likely would be enough work in the city for everyone in the Lows who wanted a job to have one. The thought nagged at me, but I dismissed it. It was too big of an idea to chew on when I had other business at hand.


    It was well past dusk when I stepped back out into the street, and I saw students and workers alike heading for their huts and sleeping berths. Another twenty minutes and it¡¯d be dark enough for sneaking out. I saw that the metal stairs leading up to the walkway at the top of the outer wall were lined with elemental glow-globes and was glad I¡¯d picked a room where I could shimmy up to the top unseen. I figured once I was up on the wall-walk I could summon the Sucking Void and throw myself down to the ground outside without getting hurt. If any guards were too close and might see the starlight glow of the Spell I could always forego that step and just shed cards from my Mind Home to absorb the fall damage, but that would be an option of last resort. As for getting back in¡­ the gates would re-open at dawn and I¡¯d just stroll in while folks were busy. No problem. Hopefully.


    I hurried to my hut to suss out the best climbing spots along the angle of the interior wall where the rampart met the corner tower before the last of the light faded. I saw a candle flickering inside and knew my roommate Harganut was in there. He was probably polishing those crystals he¡¯d been laying out in a precise pattern earlier today as he lectured me on keeping things in their place. Between his weird obsessiveness and my run-in with the slick half-dwarf Findek during the Tournament, I was very close to deciding I didn¡¯t like Deepkin at all. I didn¡¯t go in; no point in letting him know I was there. I crept around the far side of the hut to make sure that the back wall was close enough to the rampart to give me a boost as I climbed.


    I expected a shoulder-width alleyway of metal still cooling from the afternoon sun, but instead I was greeted with a crazy gauntlet of jutting spikes of stone and crystal growing out of the backside of the metal hut. Those had not been there when I first looked. Some were only as long and big around as a finger, while others were half my height and as big around as my leg. The growths stuck out at all angles, and they all looked sharp. If I tried to climb those, I¡¯d be cut to ribbons. Even if I used the Sucking Void I didn¡¯t think I could find a pathway over and around them, and they grew thickest in the corner where I hoped to climb.


    I stormed inside. The space was totally transformed. I¡¯d left a simple one-room hut that was remarkable only in that it was entirely formed of metal, even the bedposts, but I came back to a spiky, faintly-glowing cocoon of quartz and rock. There were no straight lines left. Harganut lounged on a bed of growths that looked about as comfortable as a pile of nails, but his craggy, grayish face showed nothing but relaxation and contentment.


    ¡°What the hell is all this?¡± I yelled. ¡°What happened to the room?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Hull, welcome back, you stinking, smooth-skinned sack of bones,¡± he said goodnaturedly, cracking open an eye. ¡°There was no way I could live in this box without a little taste of home. Much nicer, no?¡±


    I goggled at him. ¡°No!¡± I pointed to my half of the space, which was every bit as overgrown as his own. ¡°What about all that you said about keeping our shit on our own side of the room? I can¡¯t even see the bed!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be selfish,¡± he said, closing an eye again. ¡°I made sure your laying hearth was a little softer than mine. I hear you human types are fragile.¡±


    Sure enough, the profusion of crystals covering my bed were all grown sideways so they formed a more or less smooth surface rather than the deathtrap he was reclining on. Nevermind that jutting spars of rock hung no more than two feet overhead, making the sleeping spot feel like more of a cramped cave than a bed.


    ¡°Come take a load off your feet and rest,¡± Harganut said with closed eyes and a blissful smile. ¡°We¡¯ve got the best spot in the whole encampment now.¡±


    I felt the pressure of anger growing in my head but tried to hold it together. ¡°What about outside? You don¡¯t think the Grand Marshal will be angry that you¡¯ve got rocks growing everywhere?¡±


    He opened his eyes, giving me a look of total confusion. ¡°Why would he care about that?¡±


    I walked out rather than say what I was thinking and offend a potential ally the first day we met. My climbing spot was ruined. I¡¯d have to find another way out. It was full dark now, and most of the glow-globes were extinguished, the streets of the encampment empty. All I saw were the soldiers at their posts in the corner towers, a couple lazily patrolling the wall-walk, and the ones at the gates. The stairs were still brightly lit, and the base was in full sight of the guards at the gate. I darted from one shadow to the next, feeling strangely at ease for the first time in ages. This was how I¡¯d lived for years: keeping out of sight, avoiding the people in charge, and finding a way to get what I wanted. My life might have changed a lot recently, but I was still a gutter rat at heart.


    It took the better part of an hour¡¯s sneaking to check, but none of the other corners where the outer wall met the guard towers had a steep enough meeting angle to make climbing easy like it had where my hut was. Damn you and your rocks, Deepkin. Why didn¡¯t I wait and room with Basil instead? He¡¯d have had a disapproving thing or two to say about sneaking out, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have actually tried to stop me. I wasn¡¯t sure which hut was his, and it wasn¡¯t as if he could help me now anyway. This was my problem.


    I skulked for another thirty minutes fruitlessly. The guards on both gates were chatty and wide awake. There was a sleepy guard in the southeastern turret, but without a way to get up onto the wall near him, it did me no good. I was hunkered against the base of the wall on the eastern side of the encampment searching hopelessly for a decent set of holds up the flat side of the inner wall. I could see a good jut where my hand could go maybe six feet up, and another halfway decent foothold a little lower, but it was a deadend path. Nothing higher up. I¡¯d just be stuck holding onto the wall and going nowhere. Shit in Fortune¡¯s beard. I may have to crawl into my rock cave and try again tomorrow. No, I need to keep on Harker¡¯s back or she¡¯ll start getting ideas. What do I do?


    In the silence of my frustration I heard a faint scrape of metal on metal and roused out of my thoughts. Was someone opening a door? I crouched into the deep shadow between a hut and the wall, held my breath, and watched.


    A long moment passed with me scanning the darkness hard in all directions and seeing nothing, but then I caught the faintest flicker of motion along the inner wall some thirty feet away from me toward the south just above ground level. I couldn¡¯t tell what I was seeing at first ¨C it looked like a head sticking out of the wall. Then the wall grew shoulders and arms, and a body pulled itself into being as I watched. Was it some creature that could pass through metal? I¡¯d never heard of such a thing, but there was no reason that card couldn¡¯t exist.


    The form was short, lithe, and graceful, with straight hair hanging to its shoulders. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a woman or a slender man, but it detached itself from the wall, reached back to where it had exited with another faint scrape of metal, and slipped soundlessly out of sight.


    I waited a good five minutes before moving. Someone else was sneaking around just like me. When I scurried to the spot where the form had been, I reached down and felt as much as saw a drainage gate set into the wall. It was hinged at the top and just big enough for a medium-sized person like myself to squeeze through.


    Not magic, then ¨C just plain old skulking. Who was that? Could it have been an enemy? I mulled that over for a minute. The shape had looked human, so far as I could tell, but Ticosi was proof enough that some people weren¡¯t necessarily on humanity¡¯s side. I could go knock on the front door of the central tower and raise an alarm¡­ but that meant I wouldn¡¯t get out tonight. Probably not any night after that, either, since Edaine and the other teachers would almost certainly increase security patrols.


    Or I could slip out through this grate, which would be a hell of a lot easier than getting up on the wall at this point, and just keep my eye out. If there¡¯s a problem I can tell someone in charge tomorrow. Most likely it¡¯s just another student sneaking back in after meeting with a lover or something. I wasn¡¯t sure if I believed that, but my way out was staring me in the face, and I wasn¡¯t going to ignore Fortune¡¯s little gift.


    I opened the grate as quietly and slowly as I could. It made a faint noise just like I¡¯d heard earlier, and I made a mental note to get a packet of grease or butter from somewhere in the Lows tonight to silence the hinge. It took some maneuvering to get my hips and shoulders through the opening, but I¡¯d wiggled through tighter spots than this before. My feet dangled into unknown space as I pulled the grate shut and let myself hang from my fingertips. I was in a vertical chute; it was wide enough that I could bend my knees almost to a right angle before my heels hit the far side. It couldn¡¯t be a long drop if the other person had been able to climb out, so with a swift prayer to Fortune, I let myself drop. There was the barest moment of freefall, and then my heels thudded down with a splash, jarring me from toes to crown, clicking my jaw shut involuntarily. I let my knees bend, and my hands slapped down into fouled water. It¡¯s the sewer, I realized. The teachers¡¯ rooms likely had private latrines, and maybe some of the shops too, and all that muck had to go somewhere, along with whatever waste water the cooking and laundry produced.


    Well, it was hardly the worst smell I¡¯d ever scented, and my boots were thick and sturdy now, so who cared? I felt along the dark walls in all directions. To my left and right were tunnels only a foot and a half tall, and that¡¯s where the shit water was flowing. In front of me, though, there was a space that was tall enough to stand in that extended forward in the direction of the outer wall. It was an easy decision. I¡¯d come back to the little tunnels and crawl on my belly through filth if I had to, but I¡¯d take the easy route first.


    The corridor ended perhaps ten feet in front of me in a dead end, but when I quested upward with my hands I felt rungs under my fingers. Hauling myself up, I was able to scrabble out of the muck to where my feet were on a rail and my hands were pushing on another grate. Once again using all my slowness and skill, I lifted the grate. This one didn¡¯t squeak. In another handful of heartbeats I was outside, my hands in the dirt and the stars overhead. I was outside the encampment directly between the two corner towers. If I was careful, I could make it to the treeline without raising an alarm overhead, and then an hour¡¯s walk would get me back to the main gates of the city. Those never closed. Even a poor kid from the Lows heard enough in the taverns to know that. I kept my head down and moved as quick as I dared. I had business in the Lows, and it wouldn¡¯t wait forever.

 B2: 9. Hull - Walking the Walk

    I was sweaty, footsore, and cranky by the time I got to the Lows. It had to be near on to midnight. I didn¡¯t know where I¡¯d find Harker or what I needed to do; I just knew I had to show my face if I was going to have any chance of stepping up to be the Little Big Man in truth. As my body started to rebel against me pushing it hard and cry out for sleep, I found myself being more and more sure I was going to screw it all up. I was a street kid that had lucked into some good cards; that didn¡¯t mean I had any idea how to make the Lows any better. It¡¯d be smarter to just disappear and let Harker and the others slug it out for control while I did the smart thing, the logical thing, and stayed in War Camp learning how to fight, getting in good with the gods-damned noble shits who ran everything, and then come back once I knew a little more about war, cards, and life in general.


    I¡¯d almost convinced myself when I saw a four-year-old kid huddled inside an empty, overturned box at the mouth of the alley off Turpin Street. I couldn¡¯t even tell if it was a boy or a girl, but the kid was nothing but bones and shivers wrapped in a potato sack with rips in the corners for their arms. Their hair was hacked off close to the skull, and every inch of them was covered in dirt. My heart clenched, and I crept over to the sleeping child, suddenly knowing that I¡¯d rather fail out of War Camp than leave this kid to the fate I¡¯d been through.


    I knelt beside them, recognizing the slight change in breathing and tensing of the face that meant they¡¯d heard me and woken up. They were pretending sleep and hoping I¡¯d go away. One hand was out of sight underneath them, and I¡¯d have to be a fool not to guess that they were hiding a sharpened stone or piece of broken glass in case I tried to beat them or grope them.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna put something down next to you and then I¡¯ll leave,¡± I whispered. ¡°No fooling.¡±


    I drew a silver clip from my pocket and gently placed it on the cobbles two feet from the child¡¯s face. They were suspiciously still but did not open their eyes.


    ¡°Put it in your hiding place as soon as you can and then take it to old Lucera that runs the fruit stand on Hook Street. It¡¯s far, but if you¡¯re careful and go early, you can make it. Tell her Hull sent you and she might give you something extra. Or not, I can¡¯t be sure. But don¡¯t let any of the older kids see that you¡¯ve got money. Hide it in your mouth if you don¡¯t have a better spot. Just don¡¯t swallow it.¡±


    I¡¯d have given the kid ten times as much if I hadn¡¯t thought it would just get them robbed and beaten, if not killed. Just the sight of that skinny little body shaking in the midnight chill ripped my heart open. There were so many like this. It had to stop.


    ¡°Good night,¡± I whispered. ¡°If you ever see me in the street and it¡¯s safe, come say something. I¡¯m Hull. I¡¯ll get you some bread, or maybe some shoes. I won¡¯t touch you. Promise.¡±


    One eye peeked open to scan my face and then closed again. I¡¯d hoped they¡¯d tell me their name, but they were smarter not to. There were plenty of rapers and other dangerous types that lured little ones with sweets and promises. If I ever saw this kid again, it¡¯d be after they followed me around for days making sure I wasn¡¯t targeting street rats.


    I wanted to say something else, but there was nothing useful left. I stood and backed away, resuming my course toward Maidenhead Square. When I looked back, the kid was gone and so was the coin.


    ¡°Think you¡¯re some kind of hot shit, don¡¯t you?¡± a quiet, high-pitched voice said from the shadowed awning in front of Gommud¡¯s scrap shop half a block farther up Turpin. ¡°Throwing money around, pushing on the enforcer crew. Think you¡¯re a big deal.¡±


    I stopped and peered into the shadows. I¡¯d reached for a Nether source the second I heard words, but I kept the card in hand rather than putting it overhead immediately. If the person had meant to attack, they wouldn¡¯t have said anything first, and it sounded like a young voice.


    ¡°Big enough to make a mess if I need to,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    ¡°Go make a mess somewhere else,¡± the kid said. ¡°We don¡¯t need any of that here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what we need,¡± I said, nettled. ¡°I live here.¡±


    That got a disbelieving laugh, and after a second I realized I deserved it. I looked like someone from Hillside now, if not the Merchant District. Good clothes and a bath went a long way in how folks saw a fellow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived here my whole life,¡± I insisted. ¡°I did good in the card Tournament last month and it changed a lot of things, but the Lows are my streets. I slept on Hook by the baker¡¯s oven for years.¡±


    That earned me a long silence from the shadowed porch. ¡°Lows kids don¡¯t go to the tournaments.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°But that¡¯s what happened. A little stealing and a lot of luck, and here I am.¡± This kid had me curious. They sounded smart. ¡°You¡¯ve got some stones to stop a big shot in the middle of the night. Not scared I¡¯ll shake you down?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± the voice said confidently. ¡°I heard you talking to Roshum in his card shop yesterday. If you¡¯re really cutting the protection money he has to pay, you¡¯re not so bad.¡±


    I snapped my fingers. ¡°You¡¯re the kid. The blonde girl that was sweeping.¡± I let go of my source card and let it vanish back into my soul. I wouldn¡¯t need it, and I didn¡¯t want to look threatening.


    She edged into the moonlight, somehow managing to look both ready to fight and ready to run at the same time. Her hair shone almost white under the dim light. ¡°Bryll.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You half robbed me just to pass a few words to the old man.¡±


    She sniffed. ¡°You can afford it.¡±


    ¡°Guess I can,¡± I said, ¡°as weird as that feels to say. Have you eaten today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not asking you to.¡±


    She pointed back up the street. ¡°Pekka doesn¡¯t need money. He needs medicine. He¡¯s had the bloody shits for two days now.¡±


    I grimaced, looking back toward where the skinny child had been sleeping. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going around,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°Some do-gooder came in from Dockside handing out blankets, and there was some sickness on them.¡±


    I chewed my lip. ¡°Is there a good physicker near the Relicsmith¡¯s shop?¡± I wished I had any healing cards, or that anyone around here did. That Lesser Healing Potion I¡¯d traded away would work miracles in the Lows. I could have cycled through and resummoned it every twenty or thirty minutes, and each gulp would save a child.


    ¡°Jep and Hurmum are a street over from there. They have good medicine, but it¡¯s expensive.¡±


    I thought it through. The shop wouldn¡¯t open until after sunrise, and I needed to be back in the encampment by then. ¡°If I give you money for him, will you keep it safe?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a sucker,¡± she snapped, balling her tiny fists. ¡°You don¡¯t even know if Pekka¡¯s even sick. Kids¡¯ll be hounding you for coin every step if you act like this where they can see.¡±


    ¡°Is he sick?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered, grimacing.


    ¡°And can you keep five clips safe if I give them to you?¡±


    She nodded mutely, looking angry.


    I pulled the last coins out of my pocket and held them out to her on my open palm. ¡°Then I¡¯m asking you to do it.¡±


    She edged forward, snatched the money, and scooted back. ¡°I could spend this all myself. You shouldn¡¯t trust people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true a lot of the time,¡± I said. ¡°But lately I¡¯ve started to find out that sometimes it¡¯s not.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Besides, a kid your size buying five clips¡¯ worth of food, or clothes? You¡¯d get beaten to a pulp by noon.¡±


    She muttered something that sounded rude as she turned away, and I could almost hear my own self from a month ago in her tone. A few steps away she paused and turned back. ¡°If you¡¯re headed Hillside, keep your back to the wall.¡±


    I cocked my head. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Nobody tells me shit, but I know trouble when I see it. Too many big guys up late outside of both Jaker¡¯s tavern and The Hellhole. Drinking lots, talking big.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re handing out money, it¡¯s worth my time to pass a word.¡± She stuffed the coins into a purse hanging around her neck and darted off into the night. I watched her go, realizing after the fact that I was smiling. She was a funny kid.


    * * *


    I¡¯d thought to go to Maidenhead Square to see if I could find Harker, but if there was trouble brewing I figured I should check it out. I was the Big Man, right? If I really meant it, I¡¯d better step to and do what the Big Man said he did. Ticosi had always talked a lot about protecting the neighborhood even as he¡¯d ruthlessly taken every card and shard in sight. For all that, though, his toughs did break up bar fights and put the beatdown on men who stole too much or hit their wives where people could see. I didn¡¯t want to continue grinding the people under my boot like he had, but keeping up the actual protections he had offered was a good idea.


    I summoned all seven of my Nether as I trotted quiet and careful-like towards Hillside. I thought about showing up with my Iron Maiden Plate on, riding the shoulder of the Night Terror like I had when I¡¯d first broken into the secret meeting of all Ticosi¡¯s lieutenants, but I wasn¡¯t sure what was really going down this time, if in fact anything was. With my source in place and a full spread of cards in hand I¡¯d be ready for anything. That was good enough for now.


    By the time I reached Pillory Road I could hear the ruckus even though it was still several streets away. Men were shouting and cursing, and the sounds of grunts, thuds, and clangs echoed through the empty streets. I picked up the pace, worrying less about stealth. I ran past the sagging porch of The Hellhole, one of the rowdier drinking spots in the neighborhood, just as the barkeep was slamming the door shut. I heard a crossbar thunk home half a second later. Whatever part he¡¯d played in starting this fight, he wanted no part of it now it was happening. Three men were staggering half-drunk toward the fight farther up the street, the last stragglers into the fray. One held a club and someone else was waving his dagger. They disappeared around the corner onto Bagger Lane, and I followed.


    I stopped at the corner and peered around to get my bearings before I jumped into an unknown situation. The fight was a righteous mess. There had to be three dozen men scrapping in swirling clumps that broke apart and came back together in frantic chaos. Three men were kicking a fellow that was down on the cobbles with his arms around his head, but then a huge bull of a man barreled into them and they all went down in a heap. In another spot right by the empty, broken-down washing pool where Bagger Lane crossed Hansom Court, a familiar face had jumped up onto the brick coping to yell encouragement. ¡°Kill the bastards!¡± Dachs howled. He was one of Ticosi¡¯s enforcers. No, he was one of my enforcers. ¡°This is my turf now!¡±


    I swore under my breath. I¡¯d seen this sort of thing happen once or twice before, but not for a long time. Each enforcer had their own turf, and if they thought they could get away with it, they¡¯d take more of the surrounding area from one of the others. Ticosi hadn¡¯t liked it when they did that, so it didn¡¯t happen often, but a fellow didn¡¯t end up as an enforcer because he was the peaceful sort. I should have expected something like this. The Lows was under new leadership, and the middle managers were testing the boundaries.


    Dachs had a few Order source overhead, and he summoned a Soul.


    With a word, he sent the Archer¡¯s arrow into the throat of a far man grappling with a much shorter one. He went down gurgling, blood leaking from his mouth and around the arrow that had just killed him.


    Shit. Dachs and whoever he was fighting ¨C it had to be Kernona; she ran the streets around Bagger¡¯s Lane, if I remembered right ¨C had whipped up the locals to fight for them, and they were letting them die for them. Seeing rich, carded thugs manipulating these hardscrabble Lows folk into bleeding and dying just so they could have an extra street¡¯s worth of homes and shops to extort made my vision go red. This was everything that was wrong with this neighborhood, and it was happening right in front of me. Not this time. Not if I have anything to say about it. I devoted 2 source and focused the rest as I dashed forward, summoning as I went.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I barreled through the crowd, shoving as necessary without swinging my Hammer. I wasn¡¯t about to take out my anger on these poor fools who¡¯d been plied with drink and hard words to throw away their lives. I wanted Dachs and Kernona. Fortunately, I made an imposing enough figure in my Plate that even the ones locked in combat were happy enough to get out of the way.


    Dachs saw me coming and sent another arrow from his Archer snapping toward me. I took it on the faceplate without a moment¡¯s hesitation, the Armor nullifying its damage. The fool was so used to pushing folks around with no cards that he didn¡¯t even know how to use what he had properly. Eyes wide, he summoned another Soul.


    The glassy-eyed Summons raised its sword and stepped in front of Dachs just as I reached him, and I swung my Hammer. Its weapon glanced off my Plate, and the Hammer caved in its head, turning it to scattering shards of light.


    My blood was up both from using Nether and from being back in the fight. I¡¯d wanted to ring Dach¡¯s bells with my Hammer, but now it hung useless by my side until it refreshed. I didn¡¯t want to kill him ¨C no, scratch that, I wanted to kill him, but I wasn¡¯t going to ¨C so instead, I took him by the throat in my gauntleted hand, dragged him down off the washing pool¡¯s edge, and squeezed for all I was worth.


    His eyes went wide with panic, and the scraps of a single card fluttered down from him. I must have been pressing right on his breathing tube to do enough damage to shed a card. It must have been the only one he had remaining, because he immediately started turning purple and flailing at my head with increasing desperation. If I kept choking him long enough, he¡¯d die.


    Instead, I let go of his throat and punched him in the nose with a gauntleted fist, leaving his nose a red ruin. He howled and clutched at it.


    ¡°Call them off!¡± I yelled. He just clutched his face and cried. All around us, people were screaming and fighting. Somewhere in the scrum Kernona was probably killing people with her own cards. It was time to bring this to a halt.


    It took a few seconds of drawing and discarding to get the card I wanted. I could have summoned the Night Terror; I had it in hand, and that would make folks scatter right quick. Problem was, it was a bloodthirsty bastard, and I wasn¡¯t sure it would discriminate between those who were causing the problem and those who were just stupid and unlucky enough to be caught in the fight. The idea was to not kill folks.


    So instead I drew and discarded once my hand size got too big until I got to the card I wanted. Then I looked to the only empty space around, the washing pool, and focused my source.


    With a roar that echoed into the midnight air, the brick and cement structure exploded, jetting purple fire as high as the second story windows. Men fell all around, screaming in fear, some of them clutching at bleeding heads or gashed arms where bits of brick had hit them. A shocked semi-silence descended on the fight, punctuated by moans and whispered curses.


    ¡°This is done!¡± I bellowed. I pointed at where Dachs was cowering at my feet. ¡°Kernona, if you¡¯re not standing in front of me in ten seconds, you¡¯re dead.¡±


    A tall, slender woman stood from where she crouched fifty feet away, devoted Order source still swirling over her head. With surprising dignity she approached, folding her arms as she stood before me.


    ¡°This is how it works, Hull,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    I gripped my Hammer tight. These assholes were so sure of themselves that even with death staring them in the face they kept up their swagger. ¡°I told you I was changing how it works,¡± I said loudly. I wanted everyone to hear. I was going to be their protector, and I wanted them to know it. ¡°If the boundaries needed changing, you should have asked.¡±


    She shook her head with a mocking smile. ¡°I don¡¯t ask. I take.¡±


    I stepped forward, getting right in her face. ¡°If I were Ticosi, you¡¯d have asked, if you even dared.¡±


    She sneered. ¡°No matter what cards you have, you¡¯re not him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn lucky I¡¯m not,¡± I growled. ¡°You¡¯d be breathing through your neck.¡±


    She actually spat at my feet. ¡°Go someplace else, Hull. You don¡¯t have the balls for this.¡±


    Everyone was watching. If I let her walk away from this kind of disrespect, I was done for in the Lows. Do I kill her? Both of them? They deserved it. They were the reason that the little sick boy in the potato sack was shivering under a box in the street. Their deaths made sense, and the story would spread, reinforcing my power. A couple of hits with my Hammer would get the job done, or I could summon a demon and really make it memorable.


    I wished I could quiet the little voice at the back of my mind protesting that killing them was what Ticosi would have done, but it was persistent. I didn¡¯t want to be Ticosi. And I worried that once I started killing people to secure my position, I¡¯d never be able to stop. How many years would it take before I was cutting off some poor whore¡¯s foot in the public square to prove a point?


    ¡°Give me your cards,¡± I told her, hefting the Hammer.


    ¡°What?¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°The Big Man gave you cards to help keep the peace in the Lows,¡± I said, making sure everyone heard. ¡°Instead, you used them to get Lows folk killed, so the Big Man is taking them back.¡±


    She looked around to the rapt, watching crowd, and her jaw jutted out rebelliously. ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    I spun the Hammer in my fist. ¡°I can just as easily take them off your dead body. You¡¯re done here, Kernona. You are no longer an enforcer for the Big Man. You can either give me the cards and leave, never coming back to the Lows, or you can die in front of everybody right now. If you have a soul card, I¡¯ll break it. You know I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She snarled and balled her fists, but she wasn¡¯t so stupid that she was willing to get her face caved in. Swearing quietly, she pulled four cards from her Mind Home and handed them to me one by one.


    ¡°You too, Dachs,¡± I told the man still wiping at his bloody nose on his shirt. ¡°You¡¯re out or you¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, you little shit,¡± he grated.


    ¡°Everybody pays for everything sooner or later,¡± I said, feeling tired. As he started pulling cards, I turned to everyone else. ¡°I¡¯m taking responsibility for these areas for now. As far as I¡¯m concerned, anyone that¡¯s not here in five minutes was never here to begin with. Everybody go home. If Priyam or any of the others start offering drinks or money to fight for them, remember what happened here and be smart. No more turf battles, no more beating people up for nothing. If it happens, I want to hear about it. Understand? Things are going to be different around here. Now get lost. Go sleep it off.¡±


    There was a general scramble to obey the man in spiky armor holding a huge weapon, just as I¡¯d hoped. The whole ones helped the injured, and a few unlucky ones had to crawl off by themselves. Dachs slapped his three cards into my hand, looking murderous.


    ¡°You ought to both be dead,¡± I reminded him and Kernona. ¡°When you think about getting revenge, remember that. I won¡¯t be so kind if I ever see you again.¡±


    ¡°Go fuck yourself, kid,¡± Dachs growled. ¡°I¡¯ll piss in your skull soon enough.¡±


    They left the square with their heads together, and I watched them go with a deep feeling of uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. Should I have killed them? I still could. My reasoning had been sound, though. If they caused me problems later, I¡¯d deal with them later. I had enough on my plate already.


    A familiar hulking presence loomed on my right. I turned and saw Harker approaching, her ugly face set in a scowl.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± I asked her. ¡°Could have used you twenty minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°I was sleeping like any normal person,¡± she growled. ¡°Where were you? If you¡¯d been on the streets earlier, you could have stopped this before it started and not lost two of your best people.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not my people,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°They¡¯re Ticosi¡¯s.¡±


    She grunted. ¡°The others won¡¯t like what you did.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I sighed. ¡°Tell ¡®em the same goes for all of them, though. We¡¯re supposed to be keeping these people safe, not using them as shields while we fight each other.¡±


    She gave me a sidelong glance. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was confused, calculating, or just annoyed. Her bovine face was hard to read.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, slapping the short stack of confiscated cards into her hand. ¡°Hold onto these for me.¡±


    Now the bafflement was clear. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not giving them to you,¡± I replied. ¡°But I haven¡¯t cultivated Order yet, and there¡¯s no point in leaving them bouncing in my pocket. Use them or keep them safe until I decide what to do with them.¡±


    She shoved the cards into a pocket. ¡°You don¡¯t make sense.¡±


    I was suddenly sick of Harker, sick of all of it. Here I was depending on her, and she was no different than the others. I didn¡¯t want to hear what she had to say, didn¡¯t want her advice or direction. I¡¯d wander the Lows on my own tonight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to make sense,¡± I said, walking away. ¡°I¡¯m the Big Man.¡±


    *


    It was a short walk to Roshum¡¯s shop. I was glad to see the old man puttering around with an open door despite the late hour. When he saw me, he beckoned me in.


    ¡°You¡¯re up late,¡± I said, taking a chair in front of his work desk.


    ¡°When you¡¯re my age, you don¡¯t need sleep like you used to.¡±


    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± I groaned, stifling a yawn with my fist.


    He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯d be nicer if half of my sleeplessness weren¡¯t because there¡¯s a riot halfway down the street. I peeked out for a bit once it quieted down and saw you taking charge. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a smart move, but thank you nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what the Big Man ought to be doing,¡± I said. My heart warmed just a little at his words. Harker could give me confused looks all she wanted so long as the regular folks appreciated my efforts.


    ¡°And I thought, if I¡¯m up I might as well work on one of my projects.¡± Roshum pulled out a wooden box and opened it. Inside I saw jeweler¡¯s magnifying glasses, a scattering of Basic shards, and a stack of clear glass casings exactly the size and shape of cards. He pulled out a card from a velvet sleeve off to one side that looked incomplete. Its border was clear glass and it lacked an image in the center, but it had the stamped-metal look of a Neutral Relic around the borders. Its text box was blank.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got so many transport boxes to make that you have to burn oil at midnight to fill your orders?¡± I asked, smiling. ¡°I thought business was middling.¡±


    Old Roshum snorted. ¡°I could shit out a transport card in an hour. Bryll keeps telling me to make more; there are always folks waiting for them. She¡¯s right; I¡¯d make more money¡­ but they¡¯re so boring. I just can¡¯t make myself work on dreck like that for more than a few hours a week. I¡¯d much rather work on my own ideas.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± I said, intrigued.


    He tapped the side of his nose slyly and reached into his vest. ¡°A card connoisseur like yourself might appreciate a little artistry. Take a look.¡± He pulled out three cards and spread them on the desk between us.


    ¡°You made these?¡± I asked. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful and useless,¡± he said wistfully. ¡°But thank you. If I were working on Merchant¡¯s Row I could sell these in a heartbeat, but folks ¡®round here can¡¯t afford Rares. It¡¯s wasted effort and a huge resource sink, but I can¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we could find a shop topside that would sell them for you,¡± I protested. ¡°This is good work. They might take a percentage, but you¡¯d still earn something.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± he scolded playfully. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money. I just¡­ like making nice things. I don¡¯t want some rich tit walking around actually using them.¡±


    ¡°Too bad,¡± I said, fingering the Jade Pillow. ¡°If you were selling, I¡¯d find a way to snatch this one. It¡¯d help with a lot of my problems right now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to part with it,¡± he said, eyeing the card fondly, ¡°but I don¡¯t mind if you use it for a bit. You¡¯re a young man carrying a very heavy load.¡±


    I shook my head and laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t take care of all the street rats, old man.¡±


    ¡°I can try,¡± he retorted. ¡°You can sweep up for me like Bryll does and I¡¯ll let you use the Pillow every night, if you need.¡±


    A scattering of unrelated thoughts slotted together in my mind like puzzle pieces and I suddenly had a great idea. I tapped the card under my hand, a smile growing on my face. ¡°All right Roshum, the Big Man has a proposition for you. Any chance you want to let me be your part-time apprentice?¡±

 B2: 10. Basil - Preparation

    ¡°Battle readiness,¡± Edaine said, eyeing us all. Her gaze lingered the longest on the empty seat that Hull should have occupied in the Lecture Hall, and even though I was not the one in trouble, I found myself sweating by association. Where was he? The feckless oaf had finally returned to my life, and I wasn¡¯t ready to lose him again so soon. I wanted to ask him about my deck, for Twins sake! ¡°Preparation is the core of warring with cards,¡± the High Paladin continued. ¡°Under a Dueling Dome we must make do with whatever Fortune sees fit to gift us, but with time to cycle your cards, you may arm yourself as you please, your best combinations summoned and in hand.¡±


    She began pacing in front of us, arms clasped behind her back. The morning sun filtered into the room from large windows at either end of the hall and reflected off the Mythic Armor I had only seen her out of when she let us view the cards. A collection like that would take up a fifth of one¡¯s Mind Home, but knowing what the pieces could do made the trade seem well worth it, and I found myself wishing for my own set one day. With such relics, a mount ¨C why not, if I was wishing? ¨C improved cards, and of course, my soul a higher elevation, I could become the hero and leader I had glimpsed in my imaginings and drug induced visions.


    ¡°So,¡± Edaine said, drawing out the vowel. ¡°Does that mean we should summon all the Souls and Relics we possess before battle begins and have every Spell at the ready?¡±


    Gerad scoffed at the question, as if he thought it too easy, yet I was unsure of the answer. My time with Tipfin had barely covered what to do in a street scuffle, let alone a battlefield. People with more than ten cards were rarely in danger from those without, unless greatly outnumbered. Tipfin had always taken it as a matter of course that such rabble wouldn¡¯t dare attack, or would at least flee when they realized the resources the one they faced possessed. A glance at Esmi to my right, and even Afi to my left, showed that neither of them seemed to know either. The more Souls you had on the field, the more attackers and defenders you had access to, not to mention any abilities they might possess. And the more cards in hand, the easier it was to react when the opportunity presented, as well as block effectively. Wouldn¡¯t having your entire deck available make you the most ¡®prepared¡¯?


    ¡°¡®Course not,¡± the thickest of the dwarves said at the same time two of the elves replied in their melodic voices ¡®no.¡¯ I noticed that none of the three paladins in training spoke, even though they all sat with backs as stiff as Edaine¡¯s and were listening to the lecture closely. Perhaps they had been told by her to let the rest of us have the opportunity to answer things they already knew.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± the High Paladin queried us.


    ¡°You leave yourself open to a Sneak Attack,¡± the freckled paladin girl Esmi was rooming with said, promptly ruining my theory. Ah well, maybe they were just being polite about the first question.


    ¡°That is the most dangerous of reasons, true enough, Anya,¡± our teacher confirmed. ¡°If you are struck by an attack that bypasses your defenses and you have no cards in your Mind Home to absorb it, you can be killed outright. I have seen many a summoner draw too deeply on the field, often from arrogance or fear.¡± She gave each of us a hard-eyed stare. ¡°I can assure you, bringing a comrade¡¯s soul card or shards home to their family is not a pleasant journey. Do not force such a thing unnecessarily upon your fellows. Always keep a reserve in your Mind Home.¡± Edaine paused another moment to let that sink in, and I imagined what it would have been like if Ticosi had actually killed me, leaving Hull to shepherd my card back to my parents. I shuddered at the thought; it would have been a terrible experience for everyone involved, myself most of all.


    ¡°How big should this buffer be?¡± Esmi asked. ¡°If some cards in our Mind Home are better protectors than others, for instance, would fewer be acceptable?¡±


    ¡°Excellent question from our tournament winner,¡± Edaine said, giving my fianc¨¦e a respectful incline of her head. ¡°I believe you are referring to the Order Mythic Esmet you now possess, yes?¡±


    I watched Esmi blush, while Gared, just past her, darkened. ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Esmi answered. ¡°One of her abilities heals me for 5 when she is destroyed, for any reason. So, I thought her alone in my Mind Home might suffice.¡±


    A Deepkin whistled at the effect, and all of the elves seemed to perk up as soon as the word ¡®heal¡¯ was mentioned.


    ¡°She could be quite valuable to you in that role,¡± Edaine agreed, albeit reservedly, ¡°but only if some of your other cards had been used at that point or destroyed. Otherwise, she would bring back nothing. So, I would suggest you only allow your Mind Home to become that bare when you are further into a fight.¡±


    Esmi nodded, to which our instructor seemed pleased before turning back to the rest of us. ¡°To answer the question more broadly, the common wisdom is to keep 3 to 5 cards in your Mind Home as a reserve. Duplicates are often used for this, but cards that are useful against specific foes or specific circumstances can also work. In addition, you will need to take into consideration how you are faring on the field ¨C will another card summoned turn the tide? ¨C as well as what sort of personal protection you possess.¡±


    The general''s words made me consider what sort of cards I could afford to leave behind. Probably a regular Assassin, Headsman, and some Spells, assuming I even kept using those cards. After seeing E¡¯lal¡¯s Life Spells the night before and talking about what Esmi had seen for sale in camp over breakfast, I was itching to finalize the new iteration of my deck.


    ¡°How much damage can the regular person take?¡± Edaine asked us, pivoting the conversation slightly. ¡°One without any health upgrades to their personal soul?¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± Afi answered. She seemed annoyed at having been unable to answer the previous question, snapping off this reply the moment the High Paladin stopped speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s four for us Deepkin, sometimes five,¡± the female dwarf of the group said proudly. The stones that protruded from her skin were flecked with blueish and golden metal, which sparkled in the filtered sunlight, putting me in mind of a noble lady wearing her best jewels.


    Edaine gave a nod to the dwarf. ¡°Thank you for mentioning the difference. Orcs often have a similar toughness, as do other creatures in the wild. It is best never to assume; attack an enemy until their source and summons vanish, or better yet, you can see cards poking out behind their ear or shards in their mouth, unless we have assigned you to do otherwise.


    ¡°Returning to Sneak Attack and your reserves, blessedly, the Twins in their wisdom have made it to where most cards and beings possessing such an ability have a relatively low attack value, somewhere between 1 to 3. This is why many Summoners in the field use cards that provide either an Armor or Resist effect¡± ¨C she gestured to the breastplate she wore ¨C ¡°of at least a few points. This can negate weaker Sneak Attacks or make it to where you¡¯re only losing a few cards from your Mind Home, giving you long enough to ideally pinpoint your assailant and eliminate them before they strike again.¡±


    ¡°What about things that are stronger?¡± I asked. Esmi had proved that our instructor appeared fine with us interjecting questions when we had them, something Tipfin had not been fond of. ¡°I saw a certain Death Epic that had a Sneak Attack of 8.¡±


    That led to worried whispers from all groups who hadn¡¯t been at the tournament.


    ¡°Some terrifying exceptions do exist,¡± Edaine admitted, ¡°but by the Twins¡¯ grace, they are few and far between. In every instance I have seen or heard, such a summon must be close to attack for damage that high. I assume this card was combat focused only and had no Stealth effects?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I answered. ¡°Just some Armor and Terror.¡±


    ¡°Terrifying indeed,¡± Edaine said with a chuckle that eased some of the growing tension. ¡°And hopefully something none of us here will ever need face. A more common one to be wary of are Nether users since their Source Explosion is a Sneak Attack. Its range is barely that of a Dome, but still, any range on such an ability is powerful, and the damage can be quite high depending on how much source they have unsummoned. Against such a foe, you should have 5 cards in reserve at minimum.¡±


    Yet again, her eyes found Hull¡¯s empty chair.


    ¡°Have you fought any demons?¡± one of the elves asked. This one had dark green tattoos that spiraled up and down her arms and even across her face, making her look rather intimidating. I wondered if the markings granted her Resist like the Woad Spell did. I also thought I spotted some longer-than-usual canines, but they were there and then gone when her mouth closed. E¡¯lal sat behind her, and when he saw me inspecting his companion, he gave me an encouraging gesture, causing me to quickly turn away.


    ¡°She¡¯s helped to close more rifts than anyone else in the Order,¡± one of the paladins in training answered. His hair was cut knuckle-short, and the cream colored shirt and pants he was dressed in had noticeably fewer wrinkles than the same attire worn by the other two trainees. ¡°By a wide margin,¡± he added.


    ¡°Wenden is correct,¡± Edaine said, favoring the boy with a motherly smile, ¡°but that is only because General Grays retired. There is still much more I must do, abroad and at home, before I can live up to his contributions to the Order. Also,¡± she said, returning her attention to the tattooed elf, followed by the rest of us, ¡°you should all be aware that the occupants of the rifts are not always hostile. Sometimes they simply contain demons who wish to trade, or travelers who are lost. But if they do threaten humanity, one reason the Paladin Order was created within the Church of the Twins was to address such problems. With more than a century of experience, we have become quite skilled at what we do.¡± She rested a hand casually on her sheathed, summoned sword, and I couldn¡¯t help but imagine how many lives it had ended.


    ¡°Were you with my brother Gale at the last rift that opened?¡± I said. ¡°It was to the north, by the Crimbly Hills.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have asked if he had been present, but it was just General Edaine and my fellow candidates in the Hall.


    ¡°I was not,¡± Edaine said, to my disappointment. ¡°I was preparing the paladin candidates among you for this camp, and by the time my contingent arrived, the rift was already closing.¡±


    She probably would not know what was in his deck then, so I didn¡¯t bother to ask a follow up question since that was my primary point of interest. And I still needed to inform Esmi about the duel. After a night of sleep, I was already regretting my rash behavior for multiple reasons.


    I must have failed to hide my sourness, because Edaine chuckled, saying to me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure he will be happy to regale you with the story if you ask him, perhaps during a future class he leads, so all can benefit from hearing.¡±


    I tried to look grateful for the information but the thought of having to listen to my feckless brother give a lecture curdled my stomach even further. The stunning elf girl ¨C A¡¯cia, E¡¯lal had called her ¨C felt quite differently, saying to her fellows that she would be sure to ask if I did not.


    ¡°If the Twins are kind,¡± Edaine said, addressing the group again, ¡°a rift will open nearby during your time here that we can use as a training exercise.¡±


    ¡°That will be¡­ lucky?¡± Afi asked skeptically.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the High Paladin said, her slow smile as predatory as the tattooed elf¡¯s. ¡°Nothing is better than hands-on experience. When one is properly prepared for it, of course.


    ¡°But I am getting ahead of myself. When building a deck for battle, in addition to having reserves, you must also adjust your thinking. Instead of putting all your efforts toward dominating low-source situations or having a perfect curve, you should focus more on the most powerful combinations you possess, as well as game-ending threats. Source Powers and what Explosion you plan to use, if any, should also be at the forefront of your thinking. And if those things were not enough, every battle Summoner must keep duration in mind, especially for their weaker Souls or Relics cards. Having a Soldier vanish right as it is about to finish off a foe or your armor disappear as your enemy strikes you are good ways to end up dead.¡±


    ¡°For cards then,¡± the shortest of the dwarves said. I noticed he had a thin, green crystal he was spinning around in one hand. ¡°The rarer the better, eh? That way they be big, often enough, and long-lasting.¡±


    ¡°Simply put, yes,¡± Edaine said, ¡°which is another reason why you all are here. Doing well in the Rising Stars Tournament, or any similar event, puts you in a unique position. You all have more Rares, Epics, and even higher, than the vast majority of people in the city. This makes you ideally suited to be lieutenants. However, as Order teaches, balance is key. If your deck is only composed of expensive cards with no way to build up to them, you are taking a considerable risk. To what am I referring?¡±


    ¡°The Twins¡¯ Tournament,¡± Afi answered, once again, as quickly as she could. I had always prided myself on being as good a student to Tipfin as I could be ¨C even if he often found me lacking ¨C but it seemed I would have to work for that title with her present.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°The Great Game,¡± the female dwarf chipped in.


    ¡°The Winnowing,¡± A¡¯cia said in her singsong voice.


    ¡°Apotheosis, ¡° Wendel, the paladin in training added, glaring around, as if everyone else had spoken sacrilege.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Edaine replied, ¡°all of you. Though it has many names, the phenomenon is one and the same. Should the Twins take an interest in a match between two Summoners, or more, a stage of sorts will form. Sometimes it is nothing more than an oval space that cannot be crossed until one party is defeated, but other times it will be an enormous spectral arena, grander even than Treledyne¡¯s Coliseum. When this happens, your summons and source will reset, forcing you to begin again from scratch in a more traditional kind of contest. So, while we have the advantage of preparation during war, and should make full use of it, we must never stray too far from our dueling roots, lest we be unprepared should the Twins¡¯ favor fall upon us.¡±


    I nodded along with her explanation. Tipfin had taught me as much during our very first lesson regarding the history of Summoners. At the time, it had been a surprise to learn that the Dueling Dome Spell humans used, and even the Colosseum itself, had been based off of these immaculate interventions by the Twins.


    ¡°Higher soul rarity combatants are more likely be singled out,¡± Afi said in her crisp, no nonsense way of talking. ¡°And doing well can increase your chances of being called again, sometimes in a different plane, for rewards of the soul unfathomable.¡±


    She almost sounded like she was chastising our teacher for not including this information in her initial description. The part about being called again I found quite intriguing and was something I had never heard of before, but it would make naming such instances a ¡®tournament¡¯ more appropriate.


    Edaine took the comments in stride, her composure never wavering. ¡°Such speculation exists within the Church as well. That some of the most powerful and influential people in our histories have vanished for a time, returning with soul elevations or other traits that were previously deemed impossible to acquire. Yet, beside the disappearances, there is little hard proof that these events are more than singular occurrences. If the Twins are conducting something with more depth, they must be denying competitors the ability to speak of it afterward, because none have ¨C at least not in the human lands.¡± She swept her gaze over the trio of elves and Deepkin, but neither group contradicted her.


    ¡°Testimony is only one form of evidence,¡± Afi pressed. I couldn¡¯t tell if she cared about this particular issue or just being right.


    ¡°You are not incorrect,¡± Edaine replied, voice still measured, ¡°but you will not hear me speak much on things that lack multiple confirmations. As for rarity making it more likely you will attract the Twins¡¯ notice, that is true, and is the reason we are having this very conversation. Especially so since, while you will sometimes assist troops, as Gale demonstrated, more often you will be seeking out other Summoners with full decks on the side of the enemy. Such battles could invite an intervention.¡±


    I noticed some of my classmates looking worried by this prospect, but for once in my life, I didn¡¯t share the popular concern. When I had fought Ticosi with Hull¡¯s eventual help, an Epic against a Rare, no sign of the Twins had appeared. So even if the warring summoners possessed what was regarded as ¡°high¡± soul values, it was no guarantee anything out of the norm would happen. Much more frightening to me was actually facing someone trying to kill me outside the protection of a Dueling Dome, even if I had survived one such encounter before, but I pushed that concern to the side. I was in War Camp after all, such a thing was simply an eventuality of my current course.


    Edaine said something similar about the rarity of the Twins¡¯ attention, followed by, ¡°Consider this: nine years ago now, a two-story arena formed between a pair of brawling drunks in Darlish, both uncarded. You see, it¡¯s impossible to say for sure where, why, or what will capture the Twins¡¯ interest. This is why the wise Summoner prepares in all ways they can, for every possible eventuality. It is a careful balancing act, but critical for your success, and thus one we will help you perfect.¡±


    Edaine looked over us all again in that quiet, commanding way she had. Then she knelt, taking me by surprise along with most of the others. ¡°I realize this is a great deal to take in,¡± she said, like it was perfectly normal to be addressing us from a crouched position. ¡°And that what I am describing may sound like an impossible task. When I first went to paladin battle training, I had a similar lost, if not overwhelmed, expression on my face as many of you now. But I worked and learned, and I survived my first battle. And the one after, and the one after that, dozens now, including an apotheosis against a mighty orc warrior.¡± Esmi gasped, and Edaine gave her a comforting smile, somehow more meaningful with us all being on the same level now. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I felt the Twins watch me as I fought, and the experience was both the most frightening and glorious of my life. Yet my victories are merely a product of the knowledge, support, and belief that others have invested in me. In the past, it was my time to receive, and now, it is yours. Everyone in this camp, from the generals down to the lowest scullery boy, is here for you, to see to your advancement, because long ago the Twins showed us the beatific truth: unity is the key to all grand endeavors. So let us strive together, shall we? Through our efforts, make this world better for all that we hold dear.¡±


    In the silence that followed, if she had asked me to follow her into battle, I would have. I couldn¡¯t believe the sensation was that strong in me; I even had a hint of tears in my eyes, which I found ridiculous. Did she have some soul card ability that made her an effective orator?


    ¡°Come with me,¡± she said, rising from her crouch and then striding out of the metal hall.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I dared ask as I stood.


    ¡°To meet your deck advisors,¡± she called back, ¡°and to see the cards we have for sale in Camp.¡±


    * * *


    The new hall we entered was bigger than the last and also much busier, with half a dozen sellers on the right side fussing over the cards they had on display. Taking up the other two-thirds of the space were some twenty-odd people ¨C mostly human, but I spotted an elf, Deepkin, a few kestrels, and even a troglodyte ¨C sitting spread out, each by their own small table just large enough to go through a deck of cards, unless I missed my guess.


    We were all following Edaine like chicks after their mother, and she was clearly angling toward the mixed group. However, our path took us past a seller of Order cards, and I slowed my steps to look.


    The very next stand had Air cards, which I found just as intriguing.


    I wanted nothing more than to stop and consider both groups in more depth, my mind already spinning with possible combinations, but my two back-to-back delays had put me at the end of my classmates by a noticeable margin, so I hustled to catch up.


    ¡°¨C fferent veterans have different specialties,¡± Edaine was saying, ¡°so if they tell you to go see someone else, listen. After they have an idea of your needs, then they¡¯ll take you around to appropriate cards. Well? Go on then.¡±


    Our group began to disperse among the seated people who I now realized were mostly older, battle-scarred individuals, but Edaine swiveled on her heel toward me, and I froze.


    ¡°Did you catch all that, Basil?¡±


    Hearing her use my name for the first time failed to soften the question, not when it meant she had caught my clear lack of patience. ¡°Yes, General Edaine. Thank you.¡±


    She waved me on with a gauntleted hand and maybe a touch of humor in her eyes ¨C I couldn¡¯t be sure and didn¡¯t dare linger to see. The advisors closest to me were already taken so I circled wide. The troglodyte would surely be for users of Water, so I didn¡¯t bother heading that way, and the same for the dwarf and elf ¨C though I would eventually love to talk to both of them. Either of the two remaining kestrels could be good for my deck, but I didn¡¯t really use that much Air in it. That might change after seeing some of those cards for sale though¡­


    In the end, I stopped by a woman who looked noble, fine lines spreading from her silver flecked eyes, her hands folded in her lap. Like it or not, my current deck was primarily Order, so I might as well start there. Besides, I assumed a good number of these advisors used more than a single source and so would understand my plans to refine and expand.


    ¡°May I sit?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said and gestured over the table. ¡°Please, lay out your deck.¡± The woman was all pleasant smiles until I got halfway through my cards. I was pulling out another Assassin when she stopped me with a raised hand. ¡°My forte does not include¡­ whatever it is you are doing here. Try someone else.¡±


    I collected my cards, more than a little stung, and departed. I had similar results with the next man I tried, who looked like a dockworker, and while the kestrel after him let me actually display all my summons so it could see the few Air ones I had, it shook its beaked head when I was done. It wasn¡¯t until the fourth one, a woman missing an arm, that I got more than just rejection.


    ¡°Go see Griff,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked, feeling exceptionally frayed at this point. Roughly half of my classmates were already up at the card stands with their advisors, and I desperately wanted to be doing the same. I didn¡¯t know exactly what I wanted to purchase yet ¨C or perhaps simply put on reserve, since I only had two merits so far ¨C but that didn¡¯t stop the itching worry that everything good would be gone by the time I got there.


    She thumbed behind herself. ¡°The crazy one chained to the wall. Can¡¯t miss him.¡±


    ¡°Chained to the¡­?¡± I said, heading the way she had indicated. I thought she must be joking, but true enough, in the corner of the building there was a man with a mess of hair that had surely never seen shears, rumpled clothes, and yes, a manacle connecting his right leg to a metal hoop welded into the wall. There was even a helmeted guard present, the only one I had seen in the hall, leaning back with their arms crossed, making no move as I approached. The chained one though, his attention jerked toward me when I neared.


    ¡°You must have a dung heap of a deck, if you¡¯re coming my way.¡± His voice was ragged, like he had spent the morning screaming and maybe the day before that, too.


    I realized I was holding my cards to my chest, as if they would protect me. With effort, I lowered them and covered the remaining distance between us. This man wouldn¡¯t be here if he weren¡¯t an advisor, and he was chained and guarded, with no cards in hand or source overhead. I had nothing to be worried about.


    His smell managed to assault me when I sat, like his whole body had been stuck for a month in a boot, but I resisted gagging and started breathing out of my mouth instead ¨C a trick I had learned in my early days of spending time with Hull, who still wasn¡¯t here.


    ¡°I am Basil of Hintal, and I hear your name is Griff. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    ¡°Hintal?¡± he chortled darkly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that rich. Don¡¯t you think so, Stephi?¡± The last was directed at the guard, but they didn¡¯t so much as twitch.


    The comment made me think that my father might know who this man was. Perhaps my father was even the one who had jailed him.


    ¡°It is true that my deck could use some improvement,¡± I said instead. ¡°I¡¯m currently using Order and Air with plans to potentially branch out. Life is my thinking there, but I¡¯m willing to reconsider. The ideal circumstance would leave me ready to face flyers or ¨C¡±


    ¡°Yap, yap,¡± he rudely interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s see the cards we¡¯re working with. Then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡®Wild,¡¯ the one-armed woman had called him, and I agreed with that assessment. The feverish look in his eyes made me less than eager to put my valuable cards anywhere near him, and with the table being so shallow, he could reach anything I layed down.


    ¡°Might I ask you a question first?¡±


    He laughed again, and I flinched ¨C that¡¯s how raw the hissing sound was. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, boyo. Do your worst.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± I said, trying to regain control of myself and the situation. ¡°I apologize if this is inappropriate, but why are you chained?¡±


    He jutted his chin, pointing at something beyond me, and I turned to see the target was Edaine. She was gradually checking on everyone, I saw, like she was a block guard making rounds.


    ¡°That paladin gave you the speech, didn¡¯t she? About knowing thyself, and thy enemy, and so on?¡±


    ¡°She did¡­¡± I answered, unclear where he was going with this.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, with another chuckle that was starting to sound half mad. ¡°That¡¯s me. Your enemy.¡±


    I squinted at him, trying to suss out his meaning. ¡°And why is that, precisely?¡±


    He smiled wide, revealing half rotten teeth and breath that could have knocked over a wall. ¡°Because that¡¯s what they call Chaos users in this pisshole of a city.¡±

 B2: 11. Basil - Chaotic Intentions

    Chapter 11


    Chaotic Intentions


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I said, thinking I had misheard yet again. ¡°Did you say Chaos?¡± I glanced at the nearby guard, but they still made no move; I was nearly convinced they were a card, but if so, they¡¯d have that too-real shimmer to them.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the wild man said with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d show you, but¡­¡± His eyes slid the same direction mine had just traveled. ¡°Stephi here doesn¡¯t take kindly to that sort of thing, so you¡¯ll just have to take my word on it.¡±


    His utterly disheveled appearance and position in the room made more sense in light of this information. What I couldn¡¯t fathom was why he was here at all. I could see the value in having someone who could summon the types of Chaos cards we¡¯d face in battle during our training ¨C such a thing fit the preparedness motif General Edaine had been hammering home. But why also use that person as an advisor? All in all, it felt like I was at the receiving end of a very poor joke.


    I checked over my shoulder, frustrated to see that Edaine was still on the other end of the room. If she had been nearer I could have asked her what in the Twelve was going on.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Griff rasped, and I turned back around, finding him scratching at a scab on his cheek that made me regret looking. He seemed confused as he worried the loose piece of calcified flesh. ¡°Usually that¡¯s enough to make folks piss themselves, or at least send them running, but you¡¯re not doing either.¡± He shifted so he could look under the table. ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°I most certainly am not,¡± I snapped, crossing my legs. I wasn¡¯t about to reveal to this man that I had faced down one of his ilk before, so I just said, ¡°I¡¯m not everyone.¡±


    ¡°Guessin¡¯ not,¡± he agreed and then shrugged. ¡°Might as well see those cards then.¡±


    ¡°Basil!¡± someone shouted through the hall, and I turned to see Gale storming toward me. He actually looked angry for a change. ¡°What are you doing speaking with that heretic?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I would be?¡± I said, feeling my own anger rise. ¡°No one else will work with me.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± he said, looking perplexed, which only heightened my frustration. I didn¡¯t want him knowing my deck wasn¡¯t up to snuff in the eyes of other veterans. ¡°Nevermind,¡± he said, shaking his head and gesturing for me to stand. ¡°I¡¯ll be your advisor.¡±


    I clutched my cards even closer to my chest than I had with Griff. ¡°I have no plans to show you anything, not before ¨C¡± I stopped myself, suddenly very aware of the Chaos user watching me closely, and even Stephi standing silently behind him. The duel would eventually get out, but I didn¡¯t want it circulating Camp just yet. ¡°No thank you. The offer is unnecessary.¡±


    Gale sighed, as if I was being some great chore, most of his anger melting away. ¡°You do realize that I¡¯ll see your cards when you train, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Only the ones I choose to use while you are present,¡± I countered. I didn¡¯t need a War Camp class to tell me that information was paramount to defeating another summoner ¨C I had learned that in the Tournament. If I could surprise Gale with even one card, that could be enough to secure victory.


    ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous about this.¡± I could tell my brother was starting to lose his patience from the depth of his second sigh, but I didn¡¯t bother responding again. The less I said, the less there was for him to use against me. ¡°I could simply command you to do as I say. Here, I am a Captain, while you are a mere Lieutenant in training.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to stoop to cheating, yes, you could,¡± I shot back.


    He eyed me a moment, and I could see the ruby flecks in his eyes ¨C they were a disconcerting addition to his sky-blue gaze. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, smiling sharply. ¡°I¡¯m sure my new fianc¨¦e could use some assistance instead.¡±


    He spun away, his cloak slapping me across the face. I had opened my mouth to stop him ¨C what I might have said, I don¡¯t know ¨C so I tasted tassel and spent the next few moments spitting out hairs rather than calling after him.


    ¡°Well¡­ ¡± Griff said with a drawn-out chuckle, a scratchy, ugly thing like the rest of his speech. ¡°That was more fun than a penny show in Darlish. And interesting, too. Wouldn¡¯t you say so, Stephi? Makes a man glad to be alive after seeing something like that.¡±


    Per usual, the guard didn¡¯t answer, but I was happy to snap at someone. ¡°How do you figure?¡±


    Through the mange of hair, I could see the Chaos user''s eyes crinkle. ¡°Not too fond of your brother, are you, boy? He¡¯s older, more likely to inherit, and is higher ranked in more ways than one. No surprise you¡¯d have some spite between you. What is¡­¡± He leaned closer to me, and this time I refused to back away, even with the horrid smell; I would stand up to someone this day. ¡°Is that you sound like you¡¯re going to do something about it. That right?¡±


    The only reason most people would find that interesting was if they had something to gain from it, and in his jailed position, the most likely thing was some form of revenge against my family.


    ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it matter?¡± he said, leaning back and looking pleased, even though I hadn¡¯t answered his question. ¡°Long as you get the help you need, who cares why it showed up?¡± His hissing voice made everything he said sound sinister.


    ¡°You already offered to help by looking at my cards. That¡¯s what you¡¯re here for, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± he said with another broken-tooth grin I knew I¡¯d have nightmares about, ¡°but now I¡¯m really going to look. Come on, boy, give ¡®em over.¡± He slapped his palm against the table between us.


    Having refused Gale¡¯s help, I doubted I had any other options, so I relented, placing the stack down. Griff wasted no time in pawing through the collection, his dirty hands leaving smudges that made my fingers twitch; I¡¯d have to clean them thoroughly before putting them back into my Mind Home.


    ¡°I use my Assassins, Headsman, Execution Spells, and even Equality for removal,¡± I said, trying to distract myself, ¡°which in turn buffs my Condors. Penitence helps with the Headsman and Execution, and Air Source ¨C¡±


    The man pulled a face, so I halted. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me shit comes out the ugly end, boy. I¡¯ve been building decks for more years than you have under hairs.¡±


    There was some relief in knowing his expression wasn¡¯t about the composition of my deck. But still¡­ ¡°Under hairs?¡±


    He pointed down with the card he held in one hand while examining the card in his other. It took me a moment to realize what he meant, and when I did, my cheeks heated. The man caught my embarrassment, Twins take him, and let out another chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re a soft one to be running the darker side of Order. Not something you usually see.¡±


    ¡°Darker side?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at me, or at least I think he did ¨C his long, unkempt hair always seemed to be obscuring part of his face. ¡°You said it yourself: Headsman, Assassins, Execution. You¡¯re not exactly using Knights and Paladins, now are you? How much Order and Air have you managed to get?¡±


    ¡°Five of Order,¡± I said, not sure what to think of his assessment. The cards he had named were ones I had been able to get a good deal on and had struck me as useful, nothing more. Perhaps I had thought Assassins possessed an exciting air of mystique when I was younger, but that was before I realized precisely what they did for a living, and it hadn¡¯t affected my card buying decisions as an adult. ¡°Three of Air. I¡¯m planning to round out the ten with Life.¡±


    ¡°Life,¡± he said, practically spitting the word. ¡°You pick that one out of a pot or find an elf you fancy?¡±


    ¡°Neither,¡± I said. It was an odd thing, having someone else not just examining but holding my most valuable possessions. After being rejected by other advisors, I didn¡¯t want anyone thinking that I was making such an important choice flippantly. ¡°I had the opportunity to use some Water source recently and discovered I liked the control aspect of their gameplay. However, I don¡¯t currently have the funds to purchase some of their larger Souls, which, from my experience, are key to making the strategy work. I think I can make some more affordable options work with Life, including the natural pairing of their Source powers and explosion.¡± I had watched the elf ambassador Hull had dueled heal much of his deck back using his Life source. If I could then draw such cards with Order, any opponent, under a Dueling Dome or on a battlefield, would find me much harder to defeat.


    He grunted, going back to his work, which was not the level of discussion I had been hoping to have. I decided to hold my tongue though, trusting that there must be some reason this man was available to us as an advisor.


    When he finished, he didn¡¯t release the stack, much to my annoyance. Instead, he kept it in one hand while drumming his fingers on the table with the other, gaze tilted up, as if the answer to my conundrum was written in fine script somewhere on the ceiling.


    ¡°Well?¡± I finally asked. It was that or physically force the cards out of his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look at the stalls,¡± he said, heaving himself up. For the first time, the guard moved, efficiently removing his chain from the wall hoop and attaching it to one around her wrist. Good thing she had, because Griff didn¡¯t wait, marching forward as if he was unfettered.


    I hurried after the pair, largely because he still had my deck.


    I noticed that most of the class and advisors were clustered around the stalls at the far end of the hall. That included Esmi and Gale, just as he had threatened, and seeing them there, heads bent together to examine a card, got my blood up. However, the Chaos user headed toward those closer to the entrance, the ones I had looked at when first arriving.


    ¡°Why are those end booths more popular?¡± I asked as we threaded through the mostly empty advisor section.


    ¡°Bigger cards,¡± Griff answered without turning around. ¡°Epics and Mythics. You¡¯re not ready for that yet.¡±


    If he had made that decision based on what I said about not being able to afford big Water cards, I supposed he had at least been listening. And perhaps it was best that I didn¡¯t go near my brother again. I trusted Esmi and the bond we shared. Gale could flit around her all he wanted; it wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    A man and woman were in charge of the two stalls closest to the door, and they noticed our arrival right away ¨C or, to be more specific, they noticed Griff, both eyeing him like they might a rabid dog. My advisor paid them no mind, nor the people he bumped into to get to the nearer case. One of them was Wenden, the paladin in training. He looked like he might have words with the person who pushed him, but when he saw who it was and the guard that followed, he settled on a glare and moved further to the side.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Griff rasped, waving me forward.


    I came to stand beside him, trying not to worry about the looks both of us were now getting.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked.


    The stand he had chosen was the one for Air, which didn¡¯t have as many as the Order booth beside it. However, there were still a good number of cards, and this time I got to look at all of them, instead of just taking a glance.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting,¡± Griff rasped, and I realized that I had been absorbed in the nine cards longer than I had planned.


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± I asked, feeling uneasy again now that I wasn¡¯t focused on the cards. Would the people of the camp, and my classmates, treat me differently now that I was spending time with a Chaos user? Did they know Griff was a Chaos user? The man and woman behind the booth certainly seemed to, keeping their distance, and anyone could tell something was off from how he was chained.


    ¡°Your thoughts,¡± he answered. ¡°Do you want these cards?¡±


    Of course I wanted the cards. I wanted practically every card I saw. Who didn¡¯t? What Griff had surely meant to say was if I thought these cards would be good in my deck.


    ¡°The Ring of Disruption Relic would pair nicely with my Execution and Headsman,¡± I told him. ¡°If I had it, I might be able to cut Penitence, freeing up more room in my deck.¡± Also, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what changing my Air power would feel like if I cast it. Perhaps a raging woosh from head to fingertips as it rushed through me before knocking over my target.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Griff asked.


    ¡°But¡­¡± I echoed him, guessing where he was headed. Despite the benefits, the Relic wasn¡¯t a perfect fit at my current level. ¡°I only have three Air source. I¡¯ll probably need those to summon my Condors and At¨C, ah, my Winged Knight.¡± If he caught the slip, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Better to wait on something like this.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± my advisor said. ¡°Just because your parts might match with a goat or sheep¡¯s, doesn¡¯t mean you should, even if they¡¯re looking at you kindly.¡±


    ¡°Could you¡­ not use such crass examples?¡± I asked, horrified.


    He leered at me sideways, a clumped mess of hair falling over his shoulder. ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯ll remember better this way, which is the point. What else?¡±


    Though I worried about what other improper things he might say, I loved thought experiments like this and happily dove back in.


    The other Relic, the Warhorn, would give my Master Assassin an alternate means of escape should he need it, and one that returned him to my hand instead of the bottom of my deck. However, he only needed such help when focused or devoted, his Stealth protecting him otherwise. Perhaps if I had more cards with Arrival abilities that I could cycle, like the Starling, the Warhorn would have more utility. But even if I purchased both, the pairing of the two didn¡¯t feel like enough to justify the Warhorn¡¯s inclusion.


    Misstep, the Spell, was also rather pointless for me since I had multiple cards with Hunt already. Atrea would benefit from it, though, particularly when joined with her ability to devote to Fast Attack. However, that might be a sign that I should focus on upgrading her to gain that ability than getting a Spell that would benefit so few of my other cards.


    First Blood tempted me somewhat, but with my highest attack being 3, I felt like I wouldn¡¯t benefit from it enough. Flee I could see the point of, perhaps when paired with Hunting Hawk, to distract a strong defender with Hunt but then pull the Hawk to safety after. Again though, I didn¡¯t need more Hunt, and pulling my Assassins away before they struck would be useless. Interestingly though, I recognized the Hunting Hawk as a card Gale had used some years back. His current Giant Hawk must be the upgraded version of it. What a monster it had become.


    ¡°If I wanted to stand by a mute,¡± Griff grated at my side, ¡°I¡¯d ask Stephi to take a stroll.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking,¡± I replied, defensively.


    ¡°Fine. Do it so the rest of us can hear.¡±


    ¡°Readiness might work,¡± I said. ¡°My Master Assassin is an incredible defender but then I can¡¯t attack with him. With this Spell, I could.¡±


    Griff eyed me. ¡°Only once.¡±


    ¡°Once could be enough for a big kill.¡± The Chaos user didn¡¯t argue, emboldening me, and why shouldn¡¯t I be? I had placed top 3, after all, with a much cheaper deck than most. ¡°That Raven Nightguard is incredible.¡± Despite my newfound confidence, I lowered my voice. I only saw one in the case, and I very much wanted it ¨C if not now, then later.


    He chuckled in that rasping way he had. ¡°It should be. It¡¯s Rare.¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± I said, not letting the man fluster me, ¡°but their flexibility is wonderful. You can summon them when your opponent thinks you have no Source at the ready, at only one Source a piece. With three Air and three of them, I could be attacking with 9 Flying damage in a blink.¡± Just the thought of it made me giddy. What I could do with a card like that.


    ¡°In your matches here, your cards will already be summoned. What good are they to you then?¡±


    I flinched. I had let myself forget about that part, but only to a degree. There were other benefits to the card I had noticed. ¡°That may be, but they could be good to keep in hand or even in reserve as a surprise. They could let you get a devoted source back to ready in a single turn if you haven¡¯t summoned source recently, and if you see that you need an Air Source Explosion, they could let you stock one, if all your source are currently in play. You could even do two Source Explosions against one foe,¡± I realized. Now I really wanted to use this card.


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    ¡°Well argued, boy,¡± he said, favoring me with that grin of his. I think he meant the ghastly sight to be encouraging, and I tried my best to take it as such. ¡°However,¡± he said, and my heart sank a bit. ¡°Just because a card is good, that doesn¡¯t always mean it¡¯s good for your deck. Let¡¯s look at some more.¡±


    I followed after him as we made our way over to the Order card stand. My desire for the Raven Nightguard wasn¡¯t diminished, but his statement made sense ¨C all the more so for not being framed in some disgusting analogy. Perhaps he was actually kindly, listening to my request, or perhaps the change was just part of his Chaotic nature.


    ¡°What about these?¡± he said, gesturing to the cards in front of us.


    I was just as eager to see this group, if not more so than the Air cards. Instead of being displayed in sections of Spells, Souls, and Relics, going from Common, to Uncommon, to Rare, like the last, this arrangement seemed to focus on cards that would be paired together, or similar types.


    Even though there were more cards here, I judged them to largely not be for me. My deck was in no way set up for swarm, which was the focus of many cards ¨C either creating it or strengthening it. The Rampart intrigued me for dueling Gale¡¯s Flyers, but that was about all from the first area, since none of the token generators or formations seemed right.


    The seller here was a bit more bold, a woman that looked nearly as fearsome as the one-armed advisor who had directed me to Griff. She had her arms crossed tightly and brows just as close together, but the words she directed toward me only had a hint of strain.


    ¡°Those Warhorses are standard issue for the cavalry. You¡¯d look fine atop a steed like that, young master, I assure you.¡±


    My eyes roamed back to the two Mount cards. I had been talking with Esmi about this just the other day, but after seeing the Grand Marshal¡¯s Elder Griffon, if I had a Mount, I wanted more than a simple horse.


    ¡°You have a marvelous collection,¡± I said, hoping a bit of flattery would smooth out whatever trouble my association with Griff might bring. If these were among the only card sellers in the Camp, I certainly didn¡¯t want to alienate them during my time here. ¡°Unfortunately, my deck isn¡¯t personal combat focused, so I have no need for a Mount at this time.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± she said, eyeing me up and down. ¡°In that case -- Hey now! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    The woman rushed to the side, and I turned to see that a dwarf had managed to fit himself between the wall and stall, and was now behind it, going through some cards that weren¡¯t on display ¨C maybe duplicates, maybe something better. I craned to try and see, but the shopkeep was having none of it, yanking the box out of his stony grasp and bustling him back the way he had come, though he seemed to be having trouble fitting through again.


    ¡°What do you think she was going to say?¡± Griff¡¯s ragged voice inquired.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not attacking on the frontlines¡­¡± I replied, fairly certain I knew, ¡°I could use a Bodyguard.¡± My gaze swung back to the one card that interested me even more than the Rampart and had ever since I first entered the building.


    ¡°And do you agree?¡± Griff asked.


    Unlike the Rampart or even the Life Spell Canopy Climber, both which needed to be paired with a Soul to work, the Master Shieldbearer could protect me against Flyers all by himself. That was because a Bodyguard would fight whoever attacked me, whether it was Flying or not. Also, its Armor 2 was a near perfect counter to Flurry, which I suspected Gale had somewhere in his deck.


    ¡°I do,¡± I said. ¡°Not only is it a great defender, but its low Order cost means it will be easier to play with a dual or tri-Source deck.¡± Using Order, Air, and Water during some of my matches had shown me how difficult it could be at times to get out cards that required three source symbols of a given type since you then needed to have two of that source at the ready.


    ¡°Spells will shred it to pieces,¡± Griff countered.


    ¡°I have a plan for that.¡± It was a plan I wasn¡¯t entirely sure on, but I was nearly certain it would work.


    ¡°And how are you faring, Basil?¡± a strong woman¡¯s voice asked.


    I turned to find General Edaine standing nearby. Unlike others, she seemed to have no problem with Griff, though the Chaos user had his lips pulled back in a silent snarl, glaring at her from out of his mane of hair.


    ¡°Well enough,¡± I said, stepping between the two. I had no idea what their history might be and had no interest in finding out now, but I was very glad to see her. ¡°I was hoping you could answer something for me. Something quite important, in fact.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± she asked, looking mildly intrigued.


    ¡°The King¡¯s Artifact Room that we¡¯ll soon have access to for our tournament prize winnings. Do you know if it contains any Life Source generators for fabricators?¡±


    The general considered me, and I tried to project only earnest curiosity. ¡°Last I was there, yes. He had a full range of such crystals, and a few of Life, if I recall correctly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, bowing to her. ¡°That is most helpful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± she said, waiting a moment to see if I would explain myself and then departing when I did not.


    ¡°Hard to advise if I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m working with,¡± Griff said, his pained voice seeming to die a little more each time he spoke. ¡°What was that about?¡±


    ¡°I have an empty fabricator,¡± I admitted to him. I could have told the same to Edaine and probably should have, but I was still tight-lipped about anything concerning Ticosi. She¡¯d find out soon enough in our training anyway.


    Griff whistled, or at least tried to; it came out more of a hiss. ¡°Must be nice being noble.¡±


    I almost told him that wasn¡¯t how I got it but then I realized I didn¡¯t want him asking where I had, so I kept my mouth shut.


    ¡°Those Deepkin are going to be the death of me, Fate mark my words,¡± the shopkeep grumbled when she finally returned.


    ¡°My dear lady,¡± I asked, having prepared a small speech while waiting, ¡°I realize prices fluctuate, but what is the going rate for ¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that,¡± she said, lifting a hand and not bothering to add the ¡®young master¡¯, I noticed. ¡°There¡¯s no bargaining in the War Camp. No haggling. Prices are what they are, for all to know, set as the Sun King and his morning ritual.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ bargaining?¡± I asked, feeling somewhat lightheaded.


    My reaction must have amused her because she cracked a grin. ¡°That¡¯s right. We use the rule of three and recommend you do the same with all trades among your fellows while here. You know it?¡±


    I nodded, somewhat numbly. Three Commons was the going rate for one Uncommon, three Uncommons for a Rare, and so on up the chain, for everything but Legendary. But there was always room for adjustment: a silver coin here, a standard shard there, based on what was in demand, how useful a card actually was, and most important, how much the shopkeep could tell you wanted it.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, holding up one of the wooden merit tokens. ¡°These are worth an Uncommon each.¡±


    ¡°So much?¡± I said, and I know my eyes must have bulged.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said, her smile opening a touch more. ¡°War Camp is a good place to be, eh?¡±


    ¡°But what if I only want to buy a Common?¡±


    ¡°You better buy three!¡± she said with a laugh, confirming that they didn¡¯t provide change for such exchanges.


    ¡°And you only trade for merits, nothing else?¡± I reached into my pocket to rub the two I had together; I had received the second just this morning, as Edaine had said we would. They weren¡¯t enough for anything I wanted, except for maybe the Readiness Spell, which I wasn¡¯t fully convinced about.


    She leaned on the glass counter. ¡°Young master, I think we both know what makes the world go round, don¡¯t we now?¡±


    I moved my hand from my pocket to my wrist pouch, pulling out my extra cards.


    ¡°Hey now,¡± Griff coughed, ¡°what are those?¡±


    ¡°Universal exchange,¡± the shopkeep said, seeming to have totally forgotten about the Chaos user, hungry eyes only on what I held. ¡°One other thing you should know: card trades are the same, one for one if it¡¯s like to like or the rule of three, always. Get me?¡±


    At first I didn¡¯t understand why she would repeat herself, but then it hit me, and I caught myself on the case, staring at the cards underneath my hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that I can trade you a Rare for a Rare and then come back and trade that same Rare for something else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said, opening her arms to match her smile, her gesture taking in not just her booth but all of them. ¡°Experiment as much as you want. That¡¯s what War Camp is for.¡±


    My eyes skittered over all the cards I had previously dismissed. I could try them. That had been one of the hardest things about building my deck, trying to guess how a card might fit with all the rest. A regular store would rebuy a card, of course, but if it was the same one you purchased the card from, never for the full value.


    This¡­ this was a dream¡­


    The shopkeep was laughing now, pointing at me. ¡°Aye, he¡¯s got it. You seeing this, Harald?¡± she said to the man in the booth beside hers. ¡°We just got ourselves a regular.¡±


    As with all dreams, when my feet touched back down to reality, things weren¡¯t quite as glossy as they had been a moment before. The only cards I knew without a doubt that I wished to trade were my two Common Rust Spells, and those weren¡¯t near enough for the Rare Master Shieldbearer. I had other cards I was also considering parting with ¨C the Uncommon Rise to the Challenge I had won off of Losum, potentially some of the Uncommon Headsman, maybe a Penitence ¨C but I wasn¡¯t sure on those yet.


    ¡°I imagine your stock changes quite a lot,¡± I said, hoping some more information would help with my choice.


    ¡°That it does,¡± she agreed, which meant that anything I traded her could be gone the next day ¨C the next hour.


    There was another card I could use, one I had rarely found a use for in match. But the thought of parting with it I found troubling.


    ¡°My deck, please,¡± I said to Griff, and the man grudgingly handed it over. I sifted through the cards until I found the one on my mind, Microburst.


    An Epic would easily buy me what I wanted, but it was also a great card ¨C the card I had used to best Hull. However, even then, it had been tough for me to rally the resources necessary to cast. Costing 6, as much as Equality but with Air, was a challenge for me since I didn¡¯t have nearly as many of that source type. I also didn¡¯t have many Souls it felt like a worthwhile target for. Of course, the problem with source would be nonexistent if I came into the match with the majority of them already summoned like Edaine had described. But that would raise a new issue: my Condors would be unfed by the destruction of other Souls and so would only have a measly 2 attack each ¨C hardly worth it to spend 6 source on to get an extra 4 damage ¨C and I didn¡¯t think I could pre-charge the Condors using my allies¡¯ Souls or my own. I could use Microburst to strike twice with my Master Assassin, which could be very good, but my regular Assassins nearly always died when attacking and my Headsman would only benefit if multiple enemy Souls were devoted, which I doubted would be the case if we both came to the field prepped. I could force one enemy that way with a double Penitence cast, but that would require only a single Headsman follow up attack to remove, not two.


    So, whether I found myself in a duel or the battlefield, Microburst felt less than ideal. In contrast, after facing Ticosi, I knew I needed greater protection, which was precisely what a Bodyguard was designed for.


    Griff gave a phlegmy cough, and the sound made me reconsider. Was I seeing this all the wrong way? Should I focus on getting an Air crystal for my empty fabricator and those Raven Nightguard, along with some other Souls, to increase my attacking power? Perhaps if I tried a more aggressive deck, I would find it to my liking.


    ¡°Going to sell your only Epic on your first day of trade?¡± the Chaos user rasped ¨C apparently the cough had just been a precursor to him talking. ¡°That¡¯s like spending your whole purse on the first street walker you meet. Keep walking. You¡¯ll find more.¡±


    The shopkeep shushed Griff. ¡°Hush now. Let him do what he wants.¡±


    I stared at the Spell, which shimmered and even hinted at movement as only the high-rarity cards could. Hull had given it to me, an act that I know had been far outside his normal way of living. That night, we had drunk together and spoken of our innermost fears ¨C I had, at least. Could I really trade away something with such precious memories attached to it?


    ¡°How many of that Master Shieldbearer do you have?¡± I asked. I would normally never tip my hand to a card trader, but if all she said was true, it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Just the two, and I¡¯m the only one with them right now,¡± she answered, which hadn¡¯t been what I had wanted to hear.


    ¡°Can you hold cards for a day or two, perhaps for some sort of collateral?¡±


    She was shaking her head before I finished. ¡°That would be more trouble than its worth for all involved. The point is for everyone to get a fair shake at different combinations, not to lock anything down.¡±


    I looked back at the Epic, torn. I truly believed that I had found the pieces I needed over the past few days to create a solid core for my new deck, one that could survive. I had always known that would mean getting rid of some of my previous build; it was inevitable. But was there a better way? I flipped to the pair of Headsman. While I would have preferred to get both Master Shieldbearers, or one and a Raven, I could start with just one Bodyguard and see how it worked.


    I was going to ask Griff if he had any further thoughts when a hand slapped into my chest.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    I turned to see none other than Hull standing beside me. He was flushed and covered in sweat.


    ¡°Did you run the whole way here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Never mind that,¡± he said. ¡°Take the card.¡±


    I did as he said and nearly dropped it when I turned it around.


    ¡°Hull,¡± I said, and didn¡¯t get more than that out. I had just been talking about this card in class and now here it was, in my hand.


    ¡°I owe you¡­¡± Hull answered, trailing off. Taking my eyes from the card to focus on him, it quickly became obvious that he didn¡¯t like how others were listening in. I knew what he was referring to without him saying it, though: the Epic Night Terror I had refused to take back after the nastiness with Ticosi. ¡°I owe you,¡± Hull said again, shoulders hunching forward, ¡°and it looked like you needed an Epic for something. So, use it.¡±


    ¡°Are you two rolling in Epics?¡± Griff rasped beside me, barely audible. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Hull asked me, giving the Chaos user a deeply skeptical look


    I, however, was having trouble concentrating on much other than the Revenant Lord. It was so powerful. Ridiculously so. Should I start cultivating Death? If the Sun King had generators for Life, he must surely have them for Death, too, wouldn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Basil? Basil?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, turning to Hull. I was fairly sure he had been the one saying my name. ¡°I was thinking.¡±


    ¡°He does that,¡± Griff said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± Hull grumbled.


    ¡°There is a certain gravity of choice involved,¡± I told them both, but even as I said it, I knew what I should do. Someone in the army probably already cultivated Death ¨C multiple someones, more than likely, if they were professional soldiers ¨C and this card could be devastatingly effective against the orcish hordes. Better for them to have it now and have time to train with it, and for me to also have something I could use immediately.


    I couldn¡¯t believe how hard it was for me to put the card on the counter, considering I had only received it a few moments before, but I did manage the deed. And, as soon as my hand was gone, the shopkeep happily scooped it up.


    ¡°I will take that card,¡± a voice almost as cold as death said from just past Griff.


    Angling forward, I saw that none other than Gerad, wrapped in his usual precise finery, had joined us by the stall.


    The shopwoman jerked at his words, also spooked. ¡°Of course, my prince. Merit or trade.¡±


    ¡°I have one merit,¡± Gerad said, not even bothering to produce it.


    ¡°So, an Epic for trade¡­?¡± the shopkeep ventured.


    ¡°I have no Epics I wish to trade,¡± Gerad said, starting to frown.


    The woman licked her lips, looking to us for support, but I was just as out of my depth as her. I wasn¡¯t sure I had ever seen the prince buy anything himself, not even the Mythic card he wanted off Hull so badly.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry, my prince,¡± the shopkeep said, sounding almost like she was begging. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    The prince looked like he would unleash one of his nasty retorts at being refused, but by some miracle, he refrained. ¡°You will hold the card, giving me time to find some dredge for you in trade.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Her eyes flicked to me, likely thinking of the conversation we had just had on the topic. ¡°I ¨C I can¡¯t ¨C¡±


    He leaned forward dangerously. ¡°You will hold that card, woman. Treledyne exists because of the grace of my father, and so does everything in this camp, including this hall, and everyone and everything in it. Without him and what he has created, the orcs would have slaughtered you generations ago, and if by the grace of Fate you had survived, you would not have two cards to rub together, let alone a stall full of them. Has our city fallen so far that you cannot see what you owe him and his line? Do you wish to further deepen that fissure and bring Chaos into our midst?¡±


    The mention of Chaos had me glancing at Griff, but he seemed surprisingly placid about the whole affair. Perhaps there was only so far one could fall, and once there, there was little left to worry oneself about.


    ¡°Yes ¨C I mean, no, my prince,¡± the woman stuttered. ¡°I will keep the card for you. By Fate I swear it.¡±


    He watched her like a viper watching and prey, a long, tense beat, and then departed.


    ¡°Ass,¡± Hull growled under his breath, and I concurred.


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, feeling badly for her. ¡°Two of the Master Shieldbearers, if you please?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she said, turning to me with glassy eyes as if she had just awoken from some nightmare. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± she remembered with a shake. ¡°Sorry, young master.¡± With jerky movement she pulled both from the case and laid them down on the glass counter, followed by six merit tokens.


    ¡°I believe it should just be three,¡± I said, taking the top of the stack of merits and the two cards. Despite the recent awkwardness, I felt absolutely overjoyed to have the two Rares in my possession. And this was just the beginning.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± the woman said, collecting the remainder absently, her attention twitching toward the way the prince had left. Involuntarily it seemed, she clutched the Epic card to her chest, as if to reassure herself it was still there.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Hull asked, when we backed away from the sellers.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t the foggiest,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°Maybe ¨C¡±


    ¡°Candidates!¡± Edaine¡¯s voice boomed through the long metal room, and I quickly located her standing by the other exit to the hall at the opposite end. ¡°We will now engage in a practical assessment using your current decks, pre-summoned. Start gathering your source.¡±


    With her command in place, she headed out the door. My fellow students followed, most first sharing last words with their advisor before departing. Due to my continued great fortune, Griff grabbed my arm, surely sullying the garment.


    ¡°Swap in the Master Shieldbearers for the Headsman,¡± he said, hoarsely.


    I nodded to him, trying not to think about the grime and oils he was pressing into the threads. ¡°I will, thank you.¡± Then I realized that I now had not one, but two adults to talk about deck building with. And Griff actually knew my deck composition! It was like having Tipfin back, but hopefully much better. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk with you after about how it went, as well as discuss other purchases and trades. Is that allowed?¡±


    He huffed a laugh, his voice a whisper by now. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re just getting started, little Hintal. Ask Edaine when you¡¯re ready. She¡¯ll tell you where to find me.¡±


    While I did not approve of that nickname, I was glad to hear that this wouldn¡¯t be our only encounter.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I repeated and meant it. ¡°Until we meet again.¡±


    Once more, I was behind my classmates, so I quickly moved around him and Stephi, who I nodded to, though she gave me no reply. I began summoning sources as I went, and in only a few steps, Hull was matching my pace.


    ¡°What did I miss?¡± he asked, tossing a Nether overhead.


    ¡°Quite a lot,¡± I said, unsure where to start. ¡°We spoke of fighting on the battlefield with our decks already summoned and a host of other things that related to that. You really should have been there. Why weren¡¯t you?¡±


    He shrugged again, in that way I was finding increasingly annoying. ¡°I got caught up.¡±


    ¡°In your room?¡± I asked, disbelievingly.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± he said, in a way that was nowhere near convincing. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve already done this sort of dueling a few times now. It should be no trouble.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®a few times¡¯?¡± What sort of life had he been living after the tournament?


    His eyes widened a touch, but he didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Hull¡­¡± I said, feeling more than a little hurt. ¡°How can you not trust me? After everything?¡± We were out of the advisor and trading hall now, walking through camp, headed no doubt to one of the training areas with seating. I had nearly all my Source floating above me, four Order and three Air, but as I went to pull for the last one, nothing came out. I stopped, concentrating on what I was doing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hull asked, stopping with me.


    I closed my eyes, pulling gently and then with greater and greater force at my heart, but for all I strained, nothing happened. I opened my eyes, and I looked up at my friend in cold dread. ¡°I¡¯m missing an Order Source.¡±

 B2: 12. Hull - Striking First

    ¡°You¡¯re missing an Order?¡± I asked. ¡°People can¡¯t take them, can they?¡±


    ¡°For the duration of a duel, under certain circumstances, yes,¡± Basil said, looking a little panicked. ¡°Not permanently, though. Not that I¡¯ve ever heard of. If I¡¯d never heard of your soul card predicament, I¡¯d say never. But this isn¡¯t that.¡±


    ¡°What is it, then?¡± I said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t maintained my Order as well as I should,¡± he said. He wrapped his arms across his belly as if fighting a wave of nausea. ¡°More specifically, I have flouted my parents¡¯ directive and stopped opening their correspondence entirely. It was necessary, but not¡­ orderly.¡±


    I blanched. ¡°All it takes to lose an Order source is to disobey your parents?¡±


    He was pulling cards, and I could tell he was trying to distract himself from his own distress by staying busy. ¡°At the higher ranks, yes. It took quite a lot of effort to get my 5th Order; I¡¯ve only had it half a year. At the highest levels, any source cultivation becomes a significant burden. Look at what it¡¯s done to Gerad to get to 10.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be an ass without a single Order to his name,¡± I said. I looked at my own source, spiky and purple overhead. ¡°I never really thought about cultivating Nether. It just happened. How did I get all the way to 7?¡±


    Basil gave a weak smile. ¡°When it comes to Nether, you¡¯re a natural. I have never met someone with so much inborn antipathy as you, Hull.¡±


    I felt a scowl growing on my face. ¡°Want to translate that into street kid?¡±


    He hesitated. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m merely pointing out that you¡¯ve had ample opportunity to nurse a grudge and develop hate in your life. It is possible that now that you¡¯ve got a friend or two you might struggle to gain any more Nether, or even lose one.¡±


    I chewed on that. Having friends could cost me source? Unacceptable.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite bad at being a friend, though, so perhaps that will help,¡± Basil said. ¡°Honestly, I could have died any time during the last few weeks and you¡¯d have never known.¡±


    It suddenly felt very hard to meet his gaze. ¡°I had some things to take care of. I¡¯ll tell you about it when there aren¡¯t so many people around. And if we¡¯re talking about being friends, let¡¯s talk about that Death Epic, huh?¡± I had owed it to him, after he wouldn¡¯t take my mother¡¯s Night Terror back in the wake of Ticosi¡¯s death, but it had felt like pulling a tooth out of my head to hand over the Revenant Lord. If I didn¡¯t have the entire treasury of the Lows to draw on and a fat stack of Chaos cards to break down, I never could have made myself do it, no matter how much I owed the boy.


    ¡°You are the very best of friends,¡± Basil allowed. ¡°On rare occasions.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°And anyway, how would your family have taken it if I¡¯d shown up at your manor house, huh? I¡¯m not polite company, you said it yourself.¡± We were all walking out through the gates of our fortification home to the open field beyond. I peeked off to the side to see if I could spy the little grate where I¡¯d snuck back in not too long before. It was next to invisible even during daylight. I hadn¡¯t seen it until I¡¯d come back this morning, but there had been broken locking mechanisms on both the inner and outer drainage gates. Whoever the other person I¡¯d seen using it must have sawed through some sturdy padlocks to get in. I was itching to know just who the mysterious sneak was, though I wasn¡¯t yet sure whether I wanted to thank them for the easy exit or turn them in for sabotage.


    ¡°As it turns out, standing up to my family is something I¡¯m getting good at,¡± Basil said sourly, drawing me back to the conversation at hand. ¡°You could have shown up any time and we¡¯d have had a grand old to-do right there in the foyer.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Basil might have grown some stones during the Tournament, but I still struggled to imagine the meek-faced boy standing up to anybody in authority.


    He sighed all the way from the depths of his soul. ¡°They want Esmi to marry Gale instead of me.¡±


    My mouth fell open. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Epic now,¡± Basil said, sounding miserable. ¡°It¡¯s a more advantageous match for both families.¡±


    ¡°So then run away,¡± I told him. ¡°Esmi¡¯d go with you.¡±


    A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. ¡°She would, I think. But we both want to do our duty to Treledyne and advance through War Camp. And¡­ I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like in the Lows, but in the noble houses, disobeying your parents just isn¡¯t done. She¡¯s having an even harder time bucking that training than I am.¡±


    ¡°Hull, you¡¯re going first,¡± Edaine shouted from the open field where she¡¯d led us through the open gates. ¡°Penalty for missing the morning lecture. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s done on the poorer side of town, but around here we¡¯re up with the sun. Get used to it or you¡¯ll find yourself falling behind in short order.¡±


    I ground my teeth and took the rebuke in silence. I should have gotten back sooner ¨C I¡¯d intended to ¨C but Roshum was showing me so many fascinating things in his shop that I hadn¡¯t wanted to stop. Not only that, but people kept dropping by the shop to chat with him ¨C shopkeepers, merchants, and grandmothers. I¡¯d thought it was odd that so many people were up and about in the wee hours, but eventually I¡¯d cottoned on to the fact that they were coming by to get a look at me and take stock of the Little Big Man. That had felt pretty important, so I¡¯d kept putting the journey back outside the city off until well past sunrise. Roshum let me use the Jade Pillow for a time, thankfully, or else I¡¯d have been falling asleep where I stood. As it was, I felt fresher than I had in ages.


    I had all my source out and a handful of cards. Some were ones I didn¡¯t care about up front, so I let them vanish out of my hand and back into the Mind Home as if mulliganing. It felt strange to be able to do so multiple times, but in short order I was able to summon all the cards I wanted and still have a full hand of useful backups.


    I waited for all my source to come back to ready and gave the teacher a nod. Edaine hadn¡¯t been idle; she had a small host of those tough token Souls her Relic set kept spitting out. I¡¯d kept the Sucking Void, a Ghastly Gremlin, an Unstable Rift and both Ravening Hatchlings in hand, giving me a good mix of defense and offense. The Night Terror shook the ground with every step, and my merry band of demons gibbered and capered around me, glad to be out and fighting. The other students all kept a safe distance, even Basil and Esmi. Gerad might have turned a tad paler when he looked up at the big guy. I felt like half a demon myself, encased in my armor as I was. I could wreck shit but proper with a setup like this, and it felt amazing.


    ¡°Go!¡± Edaine barked. Seven identical warrior Souls surged forward at her command, swords in hand, murder in the eyes just visible in the slits of their helms.


    I suddenly felt the vulnerability of fighting out in the open like this. I might have a bunch of scary demons, but there was no Dueling Dome here. I remembered seeing that those little bastards were 3/3s ¨C had they had some other abilities too? I couldn¡¯t recall ¨C which meant that 21 damage was barreling toward me.


    ¡°You, go there,¡± I said to one of the Marauders, pointing to an approaching token Soul. ¡°You, that one, and you take that one.¡± I held the Spell Drinker back; it would die against the more powerful Souls without killing one in return. To the Night Terror, I just said, ¡°Take your pick.¡± A quick focus of Nether let me summon one of my Spells.


    One of the rearmost token Souls disappeared in a spurt of purple flame. The Night Terror simply stepped on the one it had picked. The warrior¡¯s sword jutted all the way through the topside of its clawed foot before it disappeared into shattered light, and the huge demon growled a foul, pained curse in some language it felt like I should understand, but that particular job was done. The Marauders both tore through their respective Souls, taking near-lethal damage in return. The flying Root Imp disappeared into glowing shards under its opponent¡¯s sword, as expected, but the warrior facing it didn¡¯t die. Dammit, that¡¯s right, they all have Armor 1. What an annoyance. All my quick calculations had been off by 1 damage because I¡¯d forgotten that vital bit of information. A stupid error.


    Two Souls were still coming at me. I held both of my weapons, my cards floating to one side, and a quick reassessment made me realize that due to that damned Armor ability, I wouldn¡¯t kill the token Souls outright with either the Hammer or the Vampiric Blade. I could either summon the Sucking Void really quickly, which would prevent me from taking any damage, or use more Nether to power up my defensive hit so it would kill. The situation didn¡¯t seem dire enough to pop the Void quite yet, and if I used the Blade, its Fast Attack would prevent me from taking damage, at least from the one I was able to kill. I don¡¯t have enough Nether to kill them both, not when I can¡¯t devote. I¡¯ll have to take the hit from the second one. That wasn¡¯t the end of the world; I had blockers in hand.


    As always, pumping Nether into myself gave me a welcome rush of anger, and I faced the enemies with a savage growl. A powerful swipe of my sword ended the first warrior, turning it into shards of light before it could respond, and the second one wasted no time whacking at my head.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Fate¡¯s Grace slowed the world, allowing me to pick cards out of my hand to block with. I wished I had a third Ravening Hatchling; that would have been perfect. But as it was, I still had a reasonable discard to take care of the 3 damage.


    ¡°My turn,¡± I growled, flexing my fingers around my weapons. I¡¯d have those discarded cards back in no time at all.


    ¡°Hold!¡± Edaine cried. ¡°Dismiss and reset.¡±


    My Nether-fueled brain heard the words and dismissed them. Last night¡¯s brawl had whetted my appetite for a fight, and now I wanted to put the hurt on someone. The token Soul in front of me would be a good start.


    Except then it vanished into mist. ¡°Dismiss and reset, Hull,¡± Edaine¡¯s voice came over me like a hammer as she approached. ¡°Shake out the Nether and keep your head on.¡±


    With a curse, I let it all go, dismissing my Souls and Relics. The Night Terror rumbled its dissatisfaction as it misted away. My Nether-anger lingered, but I bit my tongue until Edaine stopped looking like a target.


    ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± Edaine asked.


    I wanted to snap back with something rude ¨C I was standing and my enemies weren¡¯t; there was nothing wrong ¨C but I had to learn how to control that particular impulse, at least with a woman wearing a Mythic armor set. After a deep, calming breath, I said, ¡°I should have paid better attention to the abilities the tokens had when I got to look at the cards yesterday. Sending my Root Imp to block one on its own wasn¡¯t enough to kill. Having my other Spell in hand for the last opponent would have been good, too.¡±


    ¡°True enough, but there was something before that,¡± she said.


    I frowned, thinking fast. ¡°Uh, I didn¡¯t get to use my Talisman? I had it powered up already, and I thought it should take out any stragglers, but starting in on the wrong end of the turn didn¡¯t work out in my favor.¡± The Marauders hadn¡¯t even had time to get back to me to deliver their end-of-turn damage during the brief engagement before I¡¯d dismissed them, nor had my Plate spiked me for its point of damage. Either would have been more than enough to finish off the remaining token Souls.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting warmer,¡± she said. ¡°Anyone else have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°The fool waited for you to attack,¡± Gerad said, his voice cold and clipped. ¡°All that preparation and still he missed the initiative.¡±


    Edaine pointed at the Prince. ¡°Correct.¡±


    He bowed his head in stiff acknowledgment.


    ¡°You need to get the rules of dueling out of your head on the battlefield, and this is one of the most dangerous, because it¡¯s subtle: don¡¯t wait.¡± The High Paladin paced in front of us, her hands clasped behind her back. ¡°Turns are much more fluid outside the Dome; your source will refresh as fast as it is able, your Souls may recover at slightly different speeds, and giving your opponent the first strike may be the difference between living and dying. In this case, Hull, had you gone on the attack immediately, your gear would have triggered your turn-ending effects much sooner, allowing you to deal far more damage than you were able to instead. Your demons with Overkill would have also been able to damage me had you been attacking, yes? Move before your opponent! This is doubly true for a fast source like Nether. Hit hard and hit first, and hopefully whoever your facing won¡¯t even have a chance to reply ¨C you¡¯ll have put them in the ground. This isn¡¯t fair play, it isn¡¯t noble, and it isn¡¯t pretty. But it does help keep you alive. When it comes to the battlefield, you¡¯re in or you¡¯re out. Just remember that your enemy will be trying to snatch the first-mover advantage as well. Don¡¯t let them.¡±


    I nodded my head. I didn¡¯t much care for getting criticized in front of Gerad and the others, but knowledge was knowledge, and I wasn¡¯t going to turn it down out of spite. I was here to learn; I had best open my ears and do so.


    Raising my hand to catch her attention, I asked, ¡°Are we just expected to remember every last detail of the cards we see? I¡¯d have made a different set of decisions if I¡¯d remembered those tokens had Armor. What about cards we¡¯ve never seen before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you bring it up,¡± she said. ¡°You are expected to develop your memory skills and become an adept in both the most-commonly used cards and in theorycrafting. However, the King has no interest in wasting lieutenants on the battlefield, and making snap decisions is often easiest when you can see what¡¯s being played. Therefore,¡± she said, gesturing to an underling who had been hanging behind the rest of us, ¡°now is as good a time as any to issue you all the equipment that you will depend on.¡±


    The hairy man who jogged forward wasn¡¯t military; he was wearing a laborer¡¯s clothes, if fine ones. He handed her a box two hands wide and half a hand deep, and she flipped it open and held it out to me. Peering in, I saw a jumble of identical discs of a pale, clear green set in bronze, each with a black strap attached to opposing sides. Edaine gave me an encouraging gesture, and I picked one out. The disc nestled into the web of my hand, and my thumb and forefinger were able to wrap most of the way around its shining brass edge. The black strap that hung down was of some tough, stretchy fiber.


    ¡°The Gamemaster Glasses are too expensive to produce in the numbers necessary for the army, but their functionality is too valuable to go without,¡± the High Paladin said. ¡°These are a lesser version that will allow you to see the details of any card played in your field of vision.¡±


    The other students murmured in appreciation as she came to each one in turn to give them their own, and I couldn¡¯t help but agree with the sentiment. I fitted the glass over my right eye and fitted the strap around my head. It felt odd to have the green tint on one eye and not the other, but I intended to wear the thing every waking moment until I no longer noticed anything strange. I looked over and couldn¡¯t hold back a snort when I saw Basil putting his on. He looked like the daintiest pirate the world had ever seen. He heard me, grinned, and sketched a mocking bow.


    ¡°Much like the cards issued to our enlisted men, these monocles remain the property of the King,¡± she warned us. ¡°Should you leave the service or die, they remain with the army. If you break one¡­ well, do not break one. You will have to pay for a replacement, and even for the nobility amongst us, the price would be painful blow.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have given these out before I flubbed my turn?¡± I muttered.


    I hadn¡¯t meant her to, but somehow she heard me from thirty feet away. ¡°Call it another penalty for tardiness,¡± she said. ¡°I expect to see you in our lectures before the others and staying after to ask questions. Of all the students here, you have the most catching up to do. Be wise and do it quickly.¡±


    I gritted my teeth and gave another terse nod. I needed to refine my sneaking out and sneaking in if I wanted to keep this up ¨C and I did want to keep this up.


    ¡°Afi, you¡¯re next,¡± Edaine barked. ¡°Summon your forces and I will do the same. You have three minutes.¡±


    I moved back and let the studious, dark-haired girl move forward. I trotted over to where Basil and Esmi were standing.


    ¡°Not a bad showing, if you ask me,¡± Esmi said encouragingly. ¡°That Night Terror could scare off a whole regiment before you even set foot on the field.¡±


    ¡°Madam Edaine may sound harsh, but she seems fairly even-handed about it,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°Takes more than a few harsh words to get under my skin,¡± I said. ¡°And everything she said was true, so it¡¯s all to the good.¡±


    Basil drew the two of us a few steps away from the others while we watched Afi summon her Souls. ¡°Now will you please tell me why you disappeared for all this time? I¡¯ve got so many things to discuss with you, and I¡¯m quite cross I haven¡¯t been able to.¡±


    In fits and starts, with many interruptions for instruction and pointers from Edaine along the way, I gave them the quiet rundown of everything I¡¯d been doing ¨C my time hiding with Penkmun, confronting Harker and the others, taking on the job of Big Man, and sneaking out to return to the city and learn from Roshum the Relicsmith. Seeing their eyes widen and hearing their gasps of disbelief warmed some small, shriveled part of me, and I had to admit to myself that I had missed them.


    I don¡¯t think either of them understood my reluctance to approach them in their own homes. They protested that I would have been welcome and that I had to integrate myself into polite society sooner or later. They didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d slept with a knife under my pillow the entire time that I was with Penkmun, or that I intended to keep doing so now. I needed a certain amount of distance from Hull the street kid before I could walk up to a noble¡¯s manor and sit down to dinner with the family, and that was going to take some time. They were both gracious about my half-explained apologies for vanishing, though, and that was good enough.


    The demonstration worked its way through the dwarves and elves, and our conversation became even more fragmented as we took the opportunity to use our new glass eyepatches to peep at Life and Depths cards I¡¯d never seen before. My roommate Harganut made a pretty poor showing, getting swarmed by Edaine¡¯s tokens and losing most of his deck before she called them off. Most of the elves did no better. Edaine was equally direct with her advice and correction as she¡¯d been with me ¨C even with Gerad, though he swept the field in moments with a truly mind-boggling display of Epics and Mythics. Esmi came the closest to earning outright praise from the woman, though even then it had to be inferred from a lack of criticism.


    Basil finished telling me about the terrible way his and Esmi¡¯s parents were playing with their arrangements, with Esmi adding in heated agreements at every third word, and even though it sounded as if his brother Gale was being fairly reasonable to me, I kept the thought to myself and simply agreed with their outrage. Their problem felt like a sugar-coated treat to me next to the pile of shit I¡¯d taken on with the Lows, but then again, I wasn¡¯t a noble. They couldn¡¯t understand why I didn¡¯t come knocking at their doors, and I couldn¡¯t understand why they didn¡¯t shove mom and dad off a balcony and do as they pleased instead.


    The rest of the day passed in intense classes focused on Treledyne¡¯s military history ¨C I was surprised to discover that the city¡¯s existence only spanned about two hundred years ¨C and a lecture from a weedy young Tender who talked extensively about the need to improve our Mind Homes for the benefit of the Souls we kept. I listened intently, especially when he said that regular training could take the average person beyond the twenty-card limit, but I wished it were Penkmun the whole time. He¡¯d have made it more interesting.


    I ended the evening lying on the strangely-smooth crystal bier that was my bed after Harganut was done with his modifications. It was more comfortable than I expected.


    ¡°So you humans get your Artifacts tomorrow, yes?¡± Harganut asked. He had a bowl of pebbles that he kept reaching into and munching on like peanuts. ¡°The rewards from your Tournament?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they tell us,¡± I said, eying him. I mostly just wanted him to fall asleep quickly so I could leave. He¡¯d said that he assumed I came back and slept in our room the night before and then arose before him, so hopefully that meant he was a quick sleeper and a sound one. He seemed entirely uninterested in the fact that I hadn¡¯t been there for the first part of the morning¡¯s lecture. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he found me uninteresting, or if dwarves were simply focused on other things. He didn¡¯t show any of the sly underhandedness the half-dwarf Findek had, so maybe he would be a decent fellow after all. I wasn¡¯t ready to let him off that hook just yet, but time would tell.


    ¡°Waste of time,¡± he said, cracking the little rocks between his teeth.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked, trying to understand how the crystal beneath me managed to be both cool and warm at the same time.


    ¡°Human Artifacts,¡± he scoffed. ¡°They might be from the King¡¯s Reserve, but they¡¯ll be piss and garbage.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like the sound of that. I was still counting on the idea of wielding both an Artifact weapon and a carded one in battle. ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡°Says me and everyone with two eyes in their heads,¡± he replied confidently. ¡°Deepkin Artifacts beat human ones ten times out of ten. Your race simply hasn¡¯t been around long enough to know how to harness the magical properties of the world into physical items with any kind of efficiency. Give it ten thousand years and your kind might be worth a damn.¡±


    I sat up and faced him. ¡°Take a couple of whacks from my Vampiric Blade and tell me that again,¡± I growled. I didn¡¯t give two shits about humanity as a whole, but hearing this little rock-muncher call us uncivilized got under my skin faster than I thought possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s a card, not an Artifact,¡± he said primly. ¡°But even there, I can tell you right now that the Artifact that went into that card wasn¡¯t human-made.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s Deburnum¡¯s work. I¡¯d know it anywhere. Some human Relicsmith got his hands on Deepkin goods and made a card out of it. It¡¯s all in the artistry. Infusing Lifesap with those kind of curlicues? Deburnum. He¡¯s not even one of our best.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s to say that the King doesn¡¯t have dwarf-made Artifacts in his Reserve?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Harganut said noncommittally. ¡°Could be. Word to the wise: when you¡¯re picking, look for a maker¡¯s mark of a crossed hammer and pick with a star beneath somewhere on the thing. That¡¯ll tell you it¡¯s Deepkin-make.¡±


    ¡°Half a crown says I¡¯ll find one and it¡¯ll be shit,¡± I said, hoping to annoy him. Dwarves were all little bastards after all.


    He said nothing, and for a moment I thought I¡¯d truly offended him, but when I looked over his eyes were closed and he was motionless, the bowl of gravel balanced on his chest.


    ¡°Harganut?¡± I said.


    Silence answered me, and after a long moment I realized he¡¯d fallen asleep in the middle of our conversation. Apparently sneaking out of our room was going to be easier than I thought. Still, I waited a good ten minutes for any sign of life or wakefulness before dousing the lamp and creeping out.


    It was full dark, and I stole over to the little drainage gate over the next twenty minutes, hiding in shadows whenever anyone walked past. I saw Basil and Esmi strolling arm in arm in the distance and kept my peace, letting them go. Just because they now knew what I was up to didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d want to get caught up in the mix while I was in the act of leaving.


    I pulled the handkerchief holding a pat of butter I¡¯d filched from the Mess Hall at dinner and pressed the cold, greasy stuff into the hinges before trying to open the hatchway. A few swings of the hinge and it was quiet as the grave. That¡¯s one task done. Time to be on my way, and this time I¡¯ll be back before sunrise. Twins bless Roshum and his Jade Pillow.


    Something brutally hard struck me across the back of the neck, sending me crashing to the metal pavers, card shreds absolutely gushing from me. Whatever had hit me, I¡¯d just lost ten cards or more! The second my back hit the ground, a dark shape loomed up in front of me. An incredibly strong hand clamped down on my throat, and I felt something sharp tickle my ribs once, twice. More cards fluttered in the air. I only had a few left.


    I flailed with desperate hands at the face of my unseen attacker. ¡°Stop, stop!¡± I gasped. Death reared its head at me in a way it hadn¡¯t since before I found my first card, and I was suddenly terrified.


    Cold steel pressed itself against my throat. ¡°Tell me who sent you and I¡¯ll kill you quick,¡± a low, musical voice rasped.


    ¡°Nobody sent me,¡± I whispered, panic making the words tumble over each other. ¡°I¡¯m a student. Please stop!¡±


    The shadowed head moved aside, letting the moonlight fall on my face. The grip suddenly slackened. ¡°Who¡­ no. No! Hull? Is your name Hull?¡±


    Too confused and scared to do anything but thank the Twins for the sudden change in my attacker¡¯s tone, I nodded violently. The woman ¨C it sounded like a woman ¨C said a few words in a harsh, guttural language that I almost understood and let me go, slumping into a sitting position at my side. I scrambled backward until my back hit the drainage grate.


    ¡°Fucking Fortune,¡± the woman mumbled. ¡°What a joke.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether to run, scream for help, or attack her while she was distracted. She¡¯d recognized me. What the hell is going on?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I rasped, my throat raw and aching where she¡¯d squeezed.


    ¡°You and me both, kid,¡± she said, standing. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be dead.¡±


    I tensed, wondering if she was going to attack again. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    She sighed, a deep, soul-weary sound. ¡°Too much to hope that you¡¯d recognize me like this. Fuck, I never thought I¡¯d be doing this. I¡­ Hull, I¡¯m your mother.¡±

 B2: 13. Basil - Admission

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to finally spend some time together again.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more,¡± I said, using the arm I had looped through Esmi¡¯s to pull her closer as we walked. Dinner had turned into a stroll around the camp, and while the sun had set an hour or so back, neither of us had suggested retiring yet. For my part, I didn¡¯t want to share the time with my bunkmate E¡¯lal, who I assumed was caring for the small tree he had found somewhere and placed in the middle of our shared space. He had already informed me about its watering schedule as part of my new Life cultivation ¨C every day since it was newly potted. However, much more important than that he claimed was speaking to the plant and massaging the branches and leaves as I did. I had thought the directions odd and wondered if the elf was perhaps making sport of me, but he had modeled the behavior himself, telling the four-foot tall maple about the golden elms of his home city, all grown from the Legendary elf who had taken root beneath their land. In truth, I found what he had to say much more interesting than the tree, but I also wanted to attract Life source. So, when he motioned for me to join him, I had, though I¡¯d felt a fool while doing it, mumbling about what I had eaten that day for breakfast. E¡¯lal claimed the more I opened myself to plant and other Life around me, the faster my cultivation would grow, and I found myself wondering if telling the maple about my fiancee would be a good place to begin our next conversation.


    As for Esmi, I assumed she had similar reasons for not inviting me back to her own room.


    ¡°How are you liking living with Anya?¡± I asked. We had already spoken of most of the obvious topics, from our performance in the pre-summoned practical that Edaine had led, to our thoughts on the classes afterward. We had also discussed Hull¡¯s revelations at great length. It was hard to stay frustrated with his previous absences considering he was now the de facto leader of the less than prosperous portion of Treledyne. Just thinking of the gruff, mop-headed boy doing such a thing stretched the imagination, but it was also quite impressive. He shouldn¡¯t have to do it alone though, so, beyond an inevitable visit from the two of us, we had come up with a few philanthropic nobles to petition, who could hopefully aid the area as well and ease some of the burden Hull was obviously carrying. ¡°Did you tell her you¡¯re a Rapturist yet?¡±


    The walkways of the fortification were well lit by regular spaced lamps, so I caught the slight furrow of Esmi¡¯s brow. ¡°I did. I hadn¡¯t been planning to, not right away, but last night before bed she asked me if I had devoted myself to the Twins or not.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, ¡°the paladins have started proselytizing. I wondered when that would begin.¡±


    ¡°She was very earnest about it,¡± Esmi said, somewhat defensively, and I smiled at her ¨C perhaps it was because of her Fire source nature, but Fate take me if she didn¡¯t always look at people using their brighter side. ¡°And what are you grinning about?¡± she asked, poking me with an extra warm finger.


    ¡°Ha,¡± I said, air escaping me in a half chuckle. ¡°Just how thoughtful you are. Many people would find a question like that intrusive, but I¡¯d wager that instead of being offended, you did everything you could to make her feel comfortable when you couldn¡¯t give her the answer she wanted.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± she hesitated, looking down briefly and then back at me. ¡°Might have done something similar to what you describe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad trait, far from it,¡± I said, stopping to meet her gaze so she could know I was serious. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m continually grateful that it¡¯s a viewpoint you possess. I doubt we would have ended up together if you didn¡¯t see me differently than most others do.¡±


    ¡°Basil,¡± she said, leaning forward and giving me a brief kiss. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think of yourself that way. You¡¯re a wonderful man, and I¡¯m blessed by Fortune to be with you.¡±


    Standing so close to her, in a camp for the top duelists from three territories, with multiple teachers and smiths supporting us, and an absolutely brilliant medley of cards to explore, I could hear what Esmi was saying to me in a way I don¡¯t think I could have previously, even a few months back.


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t look poorly on myself anymore,¡± I admitted, finding the change within a surprise, yet also a pleasant relief. ¡°It was¡­¡± I said, trying to place what I had been feeling as I spoke, ¡°more a memory about how I used to think of things. Now though,¡± I used my free arm to gesture around us. ¡°The location speaks for itself. We¡¯re obviously destined to achieve great things.¡± I knew I sounded a bit like an ass, stating such a claim, and it was meant half in jest. But I also believed it. Maybe that made me naive, or maybe that was exactly how I needed to think to reach the heights I was stretching toward.


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± she agreed with a laugh, squeezing my arm and then resting her head on my shoulder. ¡°Together.¡±


    The last word caught me, and suddenly, I didn¡¯t feel as grandiose as the moment before. For all our time spent talking, I had yet to tell her about my challenge to Gale regarding our engagement. Esmi hadn¡¯t mentioned it, and I was sure she would have if my brother had told while he was advising her about cards. I had been waiting for the right time to tell her, but with the moon creeping up the night sky and another full day of classes looming, I could finally admit to myself that there would never be a good time for something like this.


    ¡°May we sit?¡± I asked. ¡°There¡¯s something we should discuss.¡±


    She lifted her head and looked at me with soft intensity. There was curiosity there but also an understanding that my next words would have weight to them. Could she read me so easily? And did I mind if she could?


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind stopping here,¡± she said, indicating some crates between two buildings that were metal like everything else attached to the fortification.


    ¡°Um,¡± I said. The boxes were serviceable but would leave our legs swinging and would be awkward to clamber up onto.


    Esmi gave me a smile. ¡°I think I remember a bench up farther from the last time we went through this part if you prefer.¡±


    ¡°That would work well if you don¡¯t mind,¡± I said. ¡°As long as its somewhat private.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow at that but didn¡¯t ask immediately. The public bench was on one of the wider streets but was against the wall, with nothing on either side of it. So, though it put us out in the open, I could see anyone coming and change the subject if necessary. General Edaine had shown us her armor¡¯s fascinating ability to listen in from a distance ¨C something tied to its deck seeing ability, I was sure ¨C but out of everyone here, I thought she¡¯d probably care the least about what I planned to say.


    ¡°So, what did you want to tell me?¡± Esmi asked.


    ¡°I¡­ may have been hotheaded.¡±


    For the second time in one night Esmi raised her eyebrow at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I usually engage in, I admit, but¡­ I was speaking with Gale¡­¡±


    Esmi nodded. She, like everyone else at the welcome ceremony had seen me go off with my brother, even if they hadn¡¯t known who the two of us were to each other.


    ¡°He claims that he didn¡¯t realize the change in suitors would upset me, making him a tad less loathsome on that count, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°He said as much to me,¡± Esmi said.


    So they had talked about the engagement. I was tempted to ask if there had been anything else said on the matter, but I worried that if I let myself get derailed, I would never circle back around to the unpleasantness that she deserved to know. ¡°He,¡± ¨C the next part was harder for me to say than expected; I knew the truth of it already, yet speaking it aloud felt like it made it more alive ¨C ¡°won¡¯t help us. Won¡¯t go against my parents. He even has the gall to act as if he¡¯s doing it for the good of the family.¡±


    Esmi took the news with minimal reaction, eyes on me, as if waiting to see how I felt. ¡°Why would he think such an arrangement would be more beneficial than the previous one?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh, ¡°is another thing I need to talk with you about.¡±


    She looked at me, a vision of patience, all the more impressive because I knew she cultivated Fire and Order equally.


    Unsure how else to frame the next part, I simply repeated what I had been told. ¡°My mother thinks you are on the edge of becoming Epic.¡±


    At this news Esmi rocked back on the bench, eyes stretched wide. ¡°She does? But why? I haven¡¯t felt anything to tell me that I¡¯m on the cusp.¡±


    ¡°Apparently sensing someone¡¯s personal elevation is one of my mother¡¯s soul abilities.¡± Before Esmi could ask, I added, ¡°I just found out yesterday when Gale informed me. He claims Randel doesn¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°I can see the value in her hiding it,¡± Esmi said. Her voice was quiet, and she stared out into the empty street, though I didn¡¯t think she was really looking at the metal cobbles. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that such things govern much court positioning here in Treledyne, similar to how one''s history of duels does in Charbond.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Appraisers make whole livings on the industry.¡± The majority of the noble population was Rare, like my parents and Esmi¡¯s, Randel, and even myself now. However, finding means to one up each other seemed a tradition as old as humanity, and a way had been discovered to determine how far along one was within a rarity. The lower levels didn¡¯t have much in the way of gradations, with Common having none and Uncommon only two, which few people cared about, except to perhaps gloat that their child was well ahead of the curve. Rare was known to have three such distinctions, sometimes tied to additional or improved abilities, other times to just how far along someone had traveled on their soul path.


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    ¡°So, I¡¯d be what then?¡± Esmi asked. ¡°Something Gold, yes?¡± I could see her trying to remember back to her time in the noble courts of Treledyne as a little girl. Even living here my whole life, I rarely heard the terms used because I wasn¡¯t often invited to such parties or part of such highbrow conversations. In fact, I had heard from my mother that saying your personal gradation aloud was deemed poor form ¨C much better to have others speak of it after the appraisers let it slip, which was apparently part of what you were paying for.


    ¡°Rose Gold, I believe. From what I understand, the names are tied to the card borders, and since you¡¯re the closest gold can be to the garnet of Epic, ¡®Rose¡¯ is used.¡± I watched her for a time after explaining, but eventually, when she continued to sit there quietly, I had to ask, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, glancing back my way. ¡°When you said you wanted to talk, that hadn¡¯t been what I expected the conversation to be about. Epic? I¡­¡± Esmi shrugged, looking rather helpless, and it seemed to me that she knew exactly what the achievement would mean if she managed to cover the remaining distance: she would become one of the most famous living personages in Treledyne. ¡°I never planned to go that far,¡± she admitted. ¡°I just wanted to win my duels¡­¡± She sighed and gave me a rueful look. ¡°If your goal was to distract me from whatever hotheaded thing you did, I¡¯d say you¡¯ve thoroughly succeeded.¡±


    I gave a relieved chuckle to see her good humor peeking back through. ¡°That was not my intention. The news was an outgrowth from my discussion with Gale that I thought you should know. The thing that I regret, in some ways, is something else entirely.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± she teased.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said, sitting as straight as I could in the curved-back bench. ¡°I¡¯ve certainly kept you waiting long enough. When Gale refused to assist us, I was quite angry. I expect very little from him, yet still, he managed to let me down. So, I¡­¡± I breathed out, doing my best to match her steady gaze, though my heart was starting to hammer like I was already in a match. ¡°I challenged him to a duel, over your hand in marriage. It¡¯s set to take place at my mother¡¯s gala, before the announcement our parents are planning.¡± She opened her mouth but I plowed ahead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doing this without consulting you first. I should have, as it involves both of us. I was foolish to let my emotions guide my tongue, and I will curb such errant behavior henceforth, I promise However, I can win this. I will win this. For our future together.¡±


    I felt the air heat between us and I knew that Fortune had decided not to deliver me from a well deserved scolding, but then Esmi deflated, the air cooling with her. Her hands were in her lap, and her attention went to them.


    ¡°Basil, of course I believe in you. How could you think otherwise?¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± I asked, still waiting for her to snap or yell. This wasn¡¯t the reaction I had expected from her at all.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, looking back at me. ¡°I said I wanted us to support each other, remember?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it,¡± I assured her. Knowing how she viewed our relationship was one of the reasons I loved her.


    ¡°I wish you had told me before. You should have told me before. If you had, we could have talked about how best to handle it.¡±


    ¡°I know you are the better duelist,¡± I told her. ¡°But it felt like something I had to do. And since you had no part in the arrangement, if he wins, you can still refuse to marry him.¡±


    Esmi gave me a doubtful look. ¡°You expect your brother to live up to the arrangement if he loses, but you don¡¯t plan to do the same? That doesn¡¯t sound like you, Basil.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well,¡± I said, somewhat nervously, my hand venturing to the back of my neck. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to marry him, but you are correct that I¡¯d feel honor bound to uphold my half of the agreement.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve wagered all that we have on a single duel that I have no say in?¡±


    My hand drifted down from my neck. ¡°When you say it like that, it sounds terrible.¡±


    Esmi looked at me forlornly. ¡°That¡¯s how it feels.¡±


    I reached out to touch her but couldn¡¯t quite close the distance, like when we had first been promised. ¡°Esmi, I¡­¡± I closed my eyes, centering myself. Acting without thought had gotten me into this mess in the first place. When I reopened them, she was still there, beautiful yet sad in a way I had hoped to never make her. ¡°I know you want your parents at our wedding. You want their approval. But I also know that there is no way I can raise my soul to match Gale¡¯s in a few weeks. This¡­ it felt like the only way to reconcile things.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to gain them, only to lose you,¡± Esmi said. She sounded so heartbroken, I grabbed her hands in mine without thinking.


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± I promised, kissing the tips of her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll win. I swear it.¡±


    Now it was her turn to take a long breath, which I felt, hotly on my wrists. She drew herself up and faced me squarely. ¡°How will you do it?¡±


    Without hesitation, I launched into the myriad thoughts that had been percolating in me the past few weeks and especially yesterday and today. When I was done she actually seemed a touch more hopeful than when I had begun, or at least that¡¯s what I took her focused expression to mean.


    ¡°I think that could work,¡± she said, which made me practically giddy to hear. ¡°However,¡± ¨C and, as quickly as it had come, the pleasant sensation dissipated, replaced with an uncomfortable tightness ¨C ¡°I don¡¯t understand why using Life is so important to you. The effect you¡¯re wanting to achieve could be created other ways, or they may be an even easier route to victory. Just upgrading your current cards might be enough, or if you do want to add in another Source type, you still have the Water fabricator I gave you and there are some excellent Water cards available here for trade. The dwarves are also selling Depths, or I could even teach you Fire. I¡¯ve already set up a charcoal tent beside my room. We could do our cultivation there together.¡±


    While the idea of getting to spend more time with Esmi was persuasive, I already knew the cause of my recent obsession. But how to explain it? ¡°Esmi,¡± I asked, ¡°when was the last time your Mind Home was empty, outside a Dueling Dome?¡±


    ¡°This is about Ticosi?¡± I should have known she would catch the connection right away, and I nodded. ¡°Two years ago,¡± she answered. ¡°I was between duels, my cards still refreshing, and I cut myself while eating a steak for lunch. It wasn¡¯t a deep cut, but to see my skin punctured was¡­ odd. It made me feel like a child again, and not in a good way.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And when you aren¡¯t even the one holding the knife¡­¡± ¨C I tried to think of what word would encapsulate the utter despair I had felt when the slumlord had stabbed me and left me to die on my own apartment floor. ¡°For me, it was almost like I was already dead. All of my good thoughts fled, and what remained was pure ugliness; I was so sure I would never see you again and that my dreams would perish with me. And the pain...¡± I shook my head. ¡°I still have trouble believing that our bodies can create so much hurt in us. And then you were there, the potion you poured down my throat like a balm from the Gods, taking it all away. But in my dreams, sometimes the pain is still as fresh as the day it happened. He¡¯s not there, thankfully,¡± I said, gesturing to the air, ¡°but it doesn¡¯t matter because my thoughts are even worse. All I can think, even after waking, is what if you hadn¡¯t arrived in time? What if I had bled out? What if I had died in complete agony?¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize I was shaking while saying the words until Esmi put her arms around me, and I felt myself shuddering in her grasp.


    ¡°I thought I had gotten rid of this weakness,¡± I laughed, but she must have heard the frustration hiding within because she held me tighter.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Basil, that¡¯s awful,¡± she murmured to me. ¡°But you¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°But only for now,¡± I countered, and she released me enough that we could look into each other''s faces. ¡°We¡¯re training for war, and I want to be able to protect myself no matter where I am, and if I¡¯m injured, heal myself. With Life Source I can do that, and it can never be taken from me.¡± Saying that made me think of the Order Source I had just lost, which still stung. As I had told Esmi when we had spoken about it earlier, the silver lining that I was holding onto was that having one less Order meant I could have one more Life. Even more to heal myself with.


    ¡°But Basil,¡± Esmi said, speaking with great care, ¡°even if you use a control deck, that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to control everything that happens around you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, though I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I did. ¡°But I want to try. I need to try.¡±


    We shared a look for a time and then she nodded. ¡°I see now,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you for explaining it to me. And I hope you understand that I expect to be part of all such future planning, every part of it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything else, and then I realized what I was supposed to say. ¡°Yes, of course, my love. Anything else that could stop us from living the rest of our lives together I will be sure to include you on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± she said, but I caught her lip twitch up.


    ¡°If you are thanking me, it¡¯s only right that I thank you, too.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be for?¡±


    ¡°For taking my news the way you did,¡± I said. ¡°For talking with me about it. For understanding. For being¡­ you. I keep thinking that I¡¯ve come so far from the person I used to be but it¡¯s like they keep showing up to visit at the most inopportune times.¡±


    ¡°Oh Basil,¡± she said, laughing in truth now. ¡°I¡¯m not who I want to be yet either.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean,¡± I said in disbelief I didn¡¯t bother to try and hide, ¡°you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    The compliment only made her pull back. ¡°If I was so amazing, I would be able to marry who I wanted without worrying what my parents thought of the match. I¡­ envy you sometimes for your Air cultivation. If not for my hesitation, you would have had us married already, in some small church or another, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    To hear the very idea that Hull had had from her lips was a surprise, but I didn¡¯t deny it. Instead I said, ¡°But you¡¯re so kind.¡±


    She harrumphed of all things. ¡°Because of what I endured after moving to Charbond. At first I was nice because I wanted people to like me, and then I kept being nice because I thought that if I showed them what it was like, one of them might start acting the same way toward me. When it wasn¡¯t working, I decided to focus on dueling, thinking that might change how people treated me. And it did, eventually, but not in the way I was hoping. I was more¡­ admired or sought after than liked.¡±


    ¡°And the Rapturists?¡± I tried, each sentence of hers even more shocking to me than the last. ¡°They are all about doing well by one another.¡±


    ¡°I liked that about them, I did. But I also thought I might find friends among similarly minded folk,¡± she confided, ¡°and I did, in a way, but most were much older than me. People come to that faith more frequently later in life I learned, and while many of them are dear to me, it still wasn¡¯t what I was searching for. So is being nice really me or just armor I¡¯ve worn so long I don¡¯t know how to take it off?¡±


    I felt like Esmi had just laid her heart bare to me, and I said the first comforting thing that came to mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer to that yet, but even if everything you¡¯ve said is true, you will always be incredible in my eyes. I couldn¡¯t imagine going through what you did, living abroad alone from such a young age, and you saved my life, Esmi. I would have died if not for you.¡±


    ¡°Only after endangering it,¡± she said with a sob that caught me off guard. ¡°When Hull first came to you at the restaurant, I was so worried about helping people, anyone, even a complete stranger, I offered your assistance without so much as asking. If I hadn¡¯t said anything, you might have sent him on his way. Then you would never have needed saving and you wouldn¡¯t have such horrid memories or dreams now.¡±


    She tugged at my shirt as she said the last part, tears flowing freely down her face.


    I had never connected the series of events in that way, but now that she had said it, I could see how she could arrive at such a conclusion. However, she was treating herself quite unfairly, giving herself too much agency.


    ¡°Esmi,¡± I said, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket and dabbing at her face, ¡°you couldn¡¯t have known how it would all turn out, only Fate can see that far ahead. I also made a host of other decisions along the way that led to that ¡®horrid¡¯ outcome, many more than your one moment. If not for you, I would have missed the opportunity to befriend Hull, who is very dear to me. I might wish he was around more, but as for your part in it, I only feel gratitude.¡± I paused to make sure she was believing me and then tacked on for good measure, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not half so bad as the blunder I just made with Gale.¡±


    She took my handkerchief and gave it a blow. When she removed it, her eyes were red but she was smiling.


    ¡°Are we competing now for who is the worse partner?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no competition, I assure you.¡±


    She laughed at that and snuggled into my chest, her heat having returned. We listened to the cicadas trill for a time and then she said. ¡°Will you help me find who I¡¯m meant to be, Basil?¡±


    ¡°Only if you do the same for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± she said, tilting her head up so her eyes met mine.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a pledge. And we¡¯ve already established that for better or worse, I keep those.¡±

 B2: 14. Hull - The Weak Fall

    I stared at the shadowed woman in a moment of total shock, and then the old familiar anger sparked inside me. ¡°Bullshit,¡± I said. ¡°I may not remember much from my kid years, but I¡¯d recognize my own mother¡¯s voice.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you experienced memory loss?¡± The woman squatted beside me, coming close. ¡°Tell me more. Are certain aspects of recall more affected, or was the loss total?¡± Her eyes glimmered in the sliver of moonlight that cut across her face. She was young, fair-skinned, and freckled. She couldn¡¯t have been five years older than me.


    I scooted away, my skin crawling. ¡°You¡¯re not my mother, lady. I don¡¯t know why you attacked me, but leave me alone and maybe I¡¯ll forget this happened.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told anyone about the broken grate locks, have you?¡± she asked, her voice low and dangerous.


    ¡°No, and I¡¯m not going to. You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t report you to the Grand Marshal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you haven¡¯t.¡± She leaned back on her haunches. ¡°Shit, all this time and you¡¯ve been right here. I wish I¡¯d known.¡±


    ¡°Stop that,¡± I whispered, standing. ¡°Quit acting like you know me.¡±


    She hauled herself upright, dusting off her dirty worker¡¯s breeches. ¡°You might want to sit back down for this, Hull. Dear old mama has a few surprises up her sleeve.¡±


    She pressed her hands to her face and began panting softly as her shadowed shape began to ripple. Her quiet grunts only partially masked the sound of popping bones and tearing flesh. She hunched in on herself like a pained animal.


    A cold wash of horror passed over me, and I found myself pressed against the wall next to the grate. ¡°Twins preserve me,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s never fun,¡± she groaned quietly. ¡°And I¡¯ll have to change back in no time. Two minutes together and already you¡¯re making my life hard. Nobody appreciates a mother.¡± She straightened back into the shaft of moonlight and I was glad to be leaning against the wall, because my knees buckled.


    It was her. It turned out that the face I could never remember was still somehow seared into me, because I knew the woman before me. She was a good hand taller than she¡¯d been a moment before, with a thick mane of black hair, arched, expressive brows, full lips, and a heart-shaped face of perhaps forty. Mother. I was struggling for breath like I¡¯d just run a race. I wanted to vomit. ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Tell me again how I¡¯m not your mother,¡± she said dryly.


    I¡¯d launched myself at her before I even formed the thought. Rage boiled up like scalding water through parched earth. We crashed together with my hands around her throat, and I heard her laughing as we hit the ground.


    ¡°How? Why? How?¡± I heard myself growl. I sounded like a crazed, injured bear. ¡°Where¡¯s my card?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweet boy,¡± she sighed, plucking my hands away from her throat and pushing me off with an easy strength that belied her willowy frame. ¡°Of course you¡¯re angry about that, but don¡¯t blame me. You were supposed to die.¡±


    Righteous indignation swelled in me, and I opened my mouth to yell. Her hand clapped down over my face, sealing in the sound.


    ¡°Neither of us wants too much attention, I think,¡± she murmured. ¡°Nurture your anger; it gives you power. But do it intelligently.¡±


    I tried to peel her fingers away, but I might as well have been yanking on stone. She let me struggle for a long moment, an amused smile playing on her shadowed face, before finally releasing me. The implied message of her being in charge was unmistakable.


    ¡°Is it supposed to make me feel better that you thought I¡¯d die?¡± I whispered harshly. ¡°I was a little kid. You were my mother. It would have been better if you bashed in my skull and took the card from my dead body.¡±


    ¡°Would it, though?¡± she mused. ¡°Look at you: training for war among the elite of humanity. You survived the first hit I gave you, which means you have something like a full deck. You¡¯d rather be a little boy ten years dead just so mommy didn¡¯t do something mean? Be reasonable.¡±


    I ground my teeth. It sounded like she didn¡¯t even care what she¡¯d done. She¡¯s a demon, you idiot. Might as well ask a feral dog to feel bad for biting. Hurt and rage and longing made a whirlwind inside me, and her words made just enough sense to tangle my tongue and keep me off-balance. Finally, finally my mother was here in front of me, and she took no more responsibility for the shitheap of my life than Hestorus had. I should have expected as much, but still it cut like a knife dipped in acid.


    ¡°I want my card back,¡± I said. ¡°You stole it. It¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear one,¡± she sighed, caressing my cheek. ¡°If only I had it. The one I serve demands a certain number of cards from me in exchange for my long freedoms, and he will not be denied. Your early years were a fallow time for me, and I had no choice. You were sick already, burning with fever and coughing blood. I thought if I took your card it would free you from that pain¡­ and then I could have your cheerful little-boy company at least a little longer as a card while I journeyed back to make the delivery. No one could have believed you¡¯d live. No one lives when I take their card. I thought I was seeing a ghost when I saw your face tonight. You¡¯ve got the same look, even ten years later.¡±


    Every word cut a little deeper. I¡¯d been dying? I didn¡¯t remember that. But then, I hardly remembered anything from my childhood. She¡¯d taken my card as a mercy. But how could a mother abandon her dying child like that? My card was gone, traded away to who knew where, to some demon overlord, far out of my reach. It had been no closer yesterday, but I felt the loss afresh.


    ¡°You¡¯ve succeeded incredibly even without it,¡± my mother said, sounding thoughtful. ¡°Cardless and alone, still you excel. What made the difference? Hmm.¡± She looked so lovely, so real with the moonlight showing only the barest outlines of her face, and my heart ached. That profile sparked some deep fragment of memory within me, and I could almost hear some long-lost version of her humming a husky, mournful lullaby. Anger and yearning warred within me, and neither could gain the upper hand.


    ¡°Fortune plays his tricks,¡± she said, a bit of humor lightening her tone, ¡°but sometimes they¡¯re good ones. Who¡¯d have thought the night would bring me my dead son?¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯d have thought it would bring me my demon mother?¡± I managed to say.


    Her soft chuckle warmed the darkness. ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s not totally without resources. Do you remember our time in the Unyielding Court? I¡¯d have guessed you were far too young.¡±


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    ¡°The Unyielding¡­?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I have your old Night Terror.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that nosy bastard.¡± She sounded almost fond. ¡°Ticosi must be dead, then.¡±


    I had a sudden flash of the slumlord ripping my Souls and source from me and nearly killing me with them. All I could do was nod mutely.


    ¡°I wondered when he failed to send his reports. Were you the one who did it?¡±


    I felt a moment¡¯s hesitation, but I nodded again.


    ¡°The weak fall and the strong rise,¡± she said, sounding as if she were quoting something. ¡°If you were full blooded I¡¯d take you in to claim a new name.¡± She took me by both shoulders. ¡°I have to go now, but I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±


    Unreasoned panic rose in me. ¡°Wait. Why?¡±


    She looked toward the fortification¡¯s tall central tower. ¡°You mustn¡¯t speak of my presence to anyone. I¡¯m a secret liaison to the King¡¯s army, but no one can know of it. Humans consorting with demons? The nobility would have a fit. It had to be me.¡± She paused, peering at me. ¡°You remember your father? You understand what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I remember.¡± A former lover, even a disgraced one, would have easier access to the King than others. I suddenly realized that Hestorus had known she was here, had been meeting with her, and still he¡¯d had the gall to lie about it when he¡¯d finally bothered to speak to me. Every time I learned something new, the scheming son of a bitch turned out to be even worse than I¡¯d thought before.


    ¡°This must remain secret,¡± she insisted. ¡°Will you swear it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to. Good reasons or not, she¡¯d stolen my card and left me for dead. I¡¯d hated her my whole life. But the more I learned of the great and powerful, the more I understood that the real business of governing was done in midnight meetings no one could ever know about. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s think,¡± she drawled, ¡°what about the good of the realm? The continued safety of your dear mother?¡±


    ¡°The dear mother who left me to die,¡± I said flatly.


    ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± she murmured. ¡°Though you have no idea how much it pained me all those years ago.¡±


    ¡°You need to promise to help me get my card back,¡± I said.


    She scoffed. ¡°The Primarch doesn¡¯t give cards back.¡±


    I shrugged, feigning indifference. ¡°High Paladin Edaine will be very interested to hear about the broken drain locks.¡±


    She made a noise of frustration. ¡°Fine. Next time I go home I will do what I can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll trade it back from him,¡± I insisted. ¡°None of this what I can bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Good to see that you have a bit of your mother¡¯s spirit,¡± she said, a smile curving her lips. ¡°I promise to do this.¡±


    ¡°Then I swear no one will hear about you from me.¡± As the words left my mouth, I realized I meant it. For all that it had felt good to tell Basil and Esmi my story of taking over the Lows, this was different. This was my mother. This was something that was only for me. ¡°When will I see you?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± she promised. ¡°I won¡¯t look like this, but I¡¯ll come find you. There is so much I want to know, so much that we¡¯ve missed.¡± She swept me into an embrace. ¡°My sweet boy.¡±


    I froze, stiff as a board, and then something inside me thawed and broke. I wrapped my arms around her and held tight. I squeezed my eyes shut, glad for the darkness to hide the tears gathering there.


    Then she broke the embrace and pressed something into my hand before stepping away. She was gone so quickly I wasn¡¯t quite sure which way she¡¯d darted off. I sagged against the wall and let myself slide into a sitting position. My head ached and my heart was a jumble. For years I¡¯d dreamt of coming face to face with my mother, and when it had happened, the whole thing had been nothing like what I¡¯d expected. She hadn¡¯t said sorry; she didn¡¯t have my card¡­ but she¡¯d taken me in her arms. She¡¯d been impressed by my accomplishments. I was her sweet boy. The bitter and painful bits sat cheek-and-jowl with the good ones, and I couldn¡¯t figure out what to think. What to feel.


    Opening my hand, I saw a small, smooth stone in my palm. It felt like a common river rock one could find kicking along any dirt road in the world, and I wondered why she¡¯d given it to me. But then I held it up into the faint shred of moonlight, and the light shone right through it, making it glow a deep purple the exact same shade as my Nether source. It was warmer in my hand than it ought to be, and it felt like it vibrated in a way that resonated with me. Is this from the Demon Realm? Maybe, but then again, maybe it was just a pretty rock she¡¯d pawned off on her idiot son.


    I considered the grate I¡¯d been about to climb through to sneak off to the Lows and couldn¡¯t imagine facing Harker or working with Roshum tonight. My head was too full. I¡¯d make a hash of it. I needed quiet. I needed peace. The Lows would have to take care of themselves for an evening.


    Confused and numb, I got up and made my way back to my hut. Harganut looked up from his crystalline berth when I staggered in. There was more stone and quartz around him every time I looked. Not a speck of metal was visible inside the place; everything was covered in facets of white and pink that reflected the soft lamplight. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to sleep like the others,¡± he observed. ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you until morning.¡±


    I said nothing and climbed onto my smooth, warm slab of crystal. I wasn¡¯t sure whether I wanted to rage or to cry, but either way, it felt better to have my eyes closed. I heard the dwarf shift back to where he lay and a Twins-blessed silence fell. With the storm inside me, only silence was tolerable.


    ¡°Your rhythm is disrupted,¡± Harganut said.


    My anger flared, and I opened my eyes. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your breathing. Your heartbeat. These things are more variable among your kind than mine, but now yours are changing more quickly than usual.¡± He regarded me solemnly. ¡°You should stop that. I do not like the disruption.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, me neither,¡± I growled. ¡°Sleep somewhere else if my heartbeat bothers you.¡±


    He cocked his knobby head as if taking my suggestion seriously. ¡°No,¡± he finally said. ¡°Our superiors will not appreciate it if I modify another living space.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t appreciate it when you start saying weird shit,¡± I said, closing my eyes again. ¡°So shut up and go to sleep.¡±


    There was another long silence. ¡°You should think about stone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to put a stone in your face,¡± I growled, keeping my eyes shot.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± he said, sounding confused. ¡°I have already eaten.¡±


    I barked a bitter laugh. He thought I was offering him a late-night snack. I couldn¡¯t even threaten this odd son of a bitch right. Giving up on silence, I sat up. ¡°Why should I think about stone?¡±


    His ugly, craggy face split in a smile. ¡°Stone is not variable. When your tempos are disrupted, be like stone, and you will be still. Stillness brings clear thought. Clear thought brings good craftsmanship.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Those sound like good things.¡±


    He bobbed his head eagerly. ¡°Metal is good too, but the structures are harsher and more brittle. Stone is best for the things that last. More humans should think like stone.¡±


    ¡°Plenty of us humans work with stone and metal,¡± I told him. Yes, but you¡¯re not really human, are you? Your mom is a demon, and who knows what the hell that makes you? A freak. A cardless street rat. A kid that everyone left behind. I shook off the self-pitying thoughts. They were pointless. ¡°Look at Treledyne. Plenty of lasting stuff there.¡±


    Harganut made a non-committal noise. ¡°The greatest of human work lasts a few hundred years at best. Thinking like stone can create structures of beauty that last for aeons.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°You Deepkin live in caves, don¡¯t you? Like trolls, just deeper down. Banging together rocks and sleeping in shit.¡±


    He went still and then laid back stiffly. ¡°Yes. Caves. Shit. This is true. Good night.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything else. I¡¯d probably offended the bastard, but I didn¡¯t care. Somebody else deserved to feel a little bad tonight too. I screwed my eyes shut and willed myself to fall asleep. It didn¡¯t happen, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it would any time soon. There was just too much boiling inside me. Harganut was right: my tempos were off. I tried thinking about stone, focusing on the translucent purple rock still clenched in my fist, but it didn¡¯t help in the slightest. I laid there in the darkness and stewed in angry thoughts and hurt feelings.


    She looked human, not like a demon. That probably wasn¡¯t even her true form, just the one she used when she was with the King, one I¡¯d recognize. How does she change shape like that? She said it hurt, and I made her do it twice. If I hadn¡¯t, would she have stayed and talked longer? No, that¡¯s stupid. Burning with fever. Coughing blood.  Free me from pain, she said, but how could she do something like that? And then she runs off. But she hugged me first. Fate take me, did she ever care at all?


    I sighed and wrapped my hands around the useless, pointless, precious stone my mother had given me. It was going to be a long night.

 B2: 15. Basil - Second Tries Are Better Tries

    The air was crisp as we stood outside, Ediane and her seven summoned Spirits waiting for us. Yesterday, most everyone had quickly taken the general¡¯s lesson about being the one to initiate combat to heart, each with varying degrees of success. Personally, I hadn¡¯t been as successful as I had wished, and after a raw but heartwarming evening with Esmi, I had spent little of the night sleeping, my thoughts circling the adjustments I needed to make, both for pre-summoned battles and dueling. Even when speaking with my maple in the morning, I found myself drifting off as I dipped into those memories, seeing my choices for the exercise as clearly as I could any card I had memorized.


    I had started with nearly all of my Souls summoned: two regular Assassins, my Master Assassin, two Metal Golems, my Winged Knight Atrea, and my two remaining Carrion Condors. I also had one of my new Master Shieldbearers summoned for defense, while the other waited in my deck as a reserve.


    As soon as Edaine had allowed, I sent my two regular Assassins after one of her seven Spirits, using their Hunt ability to share a single target. However, the General expertly employed her summons¡¯ Unit ability to add a second Spirit to the combat, which was disastrous for me: the Armor 1 of the two Spirits blocked the Assassins¡¯ attacks entirely, and my souls were easily cut down by the 3 attack that the Spirits possessed.


    To my dismay, Edaine used the same tactic on my Master Assassin, negating his 2 points of Fast Attack just as easily, since once again, Unit allowed her to decide how the damage my Souls dealt was distributed. This forced me to use a Protection Spell to keep him from being destroyed ¨C which, thankfully, I had plenty of cards in hand to support.


    My two Metal Golems were each crushed by the Spirits they faced ¨C two-on-one in one case and one-on-one in the other. In the end, I only did a single point of damage to one of the Spirits, and the destruction of the Golems drew me most of the remainder of my deck, which I was supposed to be keeping in reserve.


    The two Condors and Atrea couldn¡¯t be blocked by the Spirits, but Edaine negated Atrea¡¯s damage with her Shield and one of my Condors with her Armor of 2, both beak and blade rebounding off the filigreed metal, leaving not so much as a dent.


    I had attacked with the Condors last in the hopes that my other Souls would have taken out some of her Spirits, thus buffing their attack, but Edaine had entirely thwarted that plan. She did take 2 damage from the remaining Condor, at least, a few shards slipping from her person since, as far as I could tell, she had no cards drawn to block with, just her hovering source and summoned tokens.


    In return, Edaine did an equal amount of damage to that Condor with her elegant Mythic Sword.


    Unwilling to give up the fight yet, I then used Microburst and attacked again with my two remaining flyers ¨C I didn¡¯t bother with the Master Assassin since he would just be swarmed by all seven of the Spirits, only one of which had even been hurt.


    Edaine couldn¡¯t use her Shield again so soon, so while the Armor stopped the wounded Condor, which the general finished off, Atrea and the other Condor scored 5 points of damage, flaking a satisfying burst of card shards from the woman. What was not as satisfying was that I was still staring down seven healthy souls after losing five of my own. This left me with only my Master Assassin and Master Shieldbearer for defense. The pair would be able to protect me for a turn, but only one, after which I would likely be overrun, which Edaine was sure to point out.


    In comparison, Esmi had no such difficulty eliminating the Spirits. To begin, her Kobold Treasure Hunter stole Edaine¡¯s Shield.


    Then Esmi used her Kobold Spitfire and her own Soul ability to give her kobolds with 2 attack 4, enough to rip through the Spirits¡¯ 3 health and Armor 1.


    With eight such kobolds on the field ¨C three Cold-Blooded Kobolds, three Kobold Fighters, one Kobold Fire-Eater, and one Kobold Sniffer they ¨C as well as her Giant Albino Kobold, their charge destroyed all seven of the Spirits.


    This left two of the 4 attack kobolds, plus the Treasure Hunter, free to attack Edaine directly, while Esmi kept the Spitfire back so it couldn¡¯t be struck in combat.


    The general cut down one of the kobolds with higher attack and absorbed 2 points of damage from her Armor, but still took 9 damage, cards fountaining from her ¨C beating everyone who had gone prior, including myself, in Spirit kills and damage to the general.


    The only other person who came close to matching that was Gerad, who, similar to Esmi, had used his Legendary Kitsanya¡¯s ability to destroy Edaine¡¯s Shield.


    Then his Queen of the Realm focused all the Spirits, letting her, Kitsayna, two Mythic Souls, and Gerad himself charge in, equipped with his Legendary sword All for One.


    The amount of damage he was striking for was absolutely ridiculous. The Queen alone had 11 attack, what with all the focused souls, while Agata had 12, since Gerad had a full hand of cards, plus the extra one his soul ability allowed. Not to mention the prince hitting for an 11 himself, Hilbrand for 5, and Kitsanya for 4 ¨C a staggering 43 in all. If not for a handful of advisors nearby furiously casting Protection on Edaine, she would have been beaten and chopped up into an unrecognizable pulp. However, when the Spells and Souls cleared, the general looked far from impressed.


    ¡°Efficiency is essential for success on the battlefield. When you overextend, you invariably leave yourself open to reprisal. We did not provide you with those eyepieces on a lark; you have them so you can make appropriate calculations.¡± She pinned Gerad with a steely gaze. ¡°You should have known that half the force would have been sufficient to remove me from the field, allowing you to keep the other half back for protection or your next adversary. You risked unnecessarily.¡± The general began addressing the rest of us again, but the words still seemed aimed at the prince. ¡°This is no Flinch Test, which I hear is still popular among the carded, to see how much damage you can do in a single swing. It is about eliminating those you face with the minimum resources required, so you can have the maximum effect on the battlefield.¡±


    I expected Gerad to bluster at the chastisement, claiming anything from that with a full hand of cards and plenty of Source up, he was far from defenseless, or that we had simply been instructed to presummon and fight, nothing about additional considerations. However, to my shock, he kept his peace, his lips thinning, but that was all. Truth be told, I found this quiet, intense prince much more worrisome than the casually cruel one I had grown up with.


    Our varied attempts, and Edaine¡¯s corrections, had been on my mind for the past sun cycle, and with that information, I felt prepared to outperform my last attempt today.


    ¡°Basil,¡± the general called, as if recognizing how eager I was, letting me go first.


    Stepping up to face her seven Spirits, I was hyper aware of my dwindled amount of Source ¨C the loss of one Order still fresh and yet to be regained ¨C but no one commented on the lack. Instead, they looked doubtfully at my lack of summoned souls, and I swore I heard a few snickers from some in the group. Putting the watchers out of mind, I focused on Edaine, who had raised an eyebrow at my solitary approach.


    ¡°Begin,¡± she said.


    Fast as I could, I cast a single Spell.


    The same as every time I used it, a giant scales rose up from the ground, capturing the Souls afield in its great weighing pans. However, with no Souls summoned on my side, the scales dipped low with the Spirits crowding one bowl and then they burst apart in a shower of glittering motes, bringing the scales back in balance, before it too dissipated.


    ¡°Clever,¡± Edaine said, and I let out a breath of relief and triumph. ¡°However, only half considered.¡± Then she rushed at me, so quickly I thought she must have some soul ability that gave her greater speed, and her Mythic sword swung toward me at full force.


    Shamefully, I squawked in shock, tossing out one of my Executions from my hand to block the 2 points of damage. I was off balance, and the pushback of the card shards knocked me from my feet and onto the metal ground of the fortification.


    ¡°You¡¯ve temporarily neutralized my Souls,¡± Edaine said from above, offering me a hand, ¡°but are still on the backfoot in this engagement because you yourself were unprotected. ¡°What should you have done instead?¡±


    I took her gauntleted hand, more than a little embarrassed, and she pulled me to my feet with barely any effort.


    ¡°I should have had one Bodyguard at the ready to block your remaining Spirit and you,¡± I answered. ¡°I also should have had my Helm and my Scalemail equipped.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, nodding at me before turning to the rest. ¡°E¡¯lal, you¡¯re next!¡±


    ¡°Well done destroying them all,¡± Esmi said to me, as I came to stand beside her. I gave her a brief grin of thanks, but knew she was being kind, as she had admitted to me the night before she had a penchant for doing.


    E¡¯lal had done poorly the day before. Even fully buffed to 11 attack with three Feral Strengths, an Inevitable Evolution, and Wild Ascension, plus two more for Ambidextrous and some very basic Relic Swords that granted 1 Attack each, he hadn¡¯t been able to break through the 21 points of health that the seven Spirits represented.


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    I had thought his Precision ability might give him the edge, since with it he could ignore the Spirit¡¯s armor, but in the end, it had mattered little, the same as his Strong and Overkill.


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    Like against me, Edaine had used Unit to great effect, spreading out the damage E¡¯lal had done so not a single Spirit was destroyed, also making his Fast Attack meaningless.


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    The Spirits struck back for a combined 21 damage. E¡¯lal Dodged one of the Souls, absorbed another with his three Barkskin he had precast and more from hand, the rest shedding cards from his Mind Home.


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    In his enhanced state, he also had 11 extra Health, plus Regenerate, so he was far from out of the fight. However, taking not a single Soul down and being so heavily damaged in the process was far from an ideal result ¨C not that E¡¯lal seemed to mind, staying upbeat throughout the whole affair.


    Today, the elf stepped onto the field just as he had before: at least nine feet tall with his enhancements, not counting his enormous antlers, skin glowing in soft green and yellow patches where it wasn¡¯t covered by bark or vines that looked like additional corded muscle to his already overlarge frame. This time though he was joined by three Souls, Life warriors I had seen the elf ambassador use in the Tournament.


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    E¡¯lal attacked, the Souls charging in with him. Their 2 attack each wouldn¡¯t do much, but I imagined my bunkmate was hoping that by busying a few of the Spirits, he would actually be able to destroy some this time. Edaine did block the Life Souls with her own, but then she let E¡¯lal through the rest, stopping his entire attack on her Shield with a clang that reverberated off the metal buildings and walls that surrounded us in the open-air training space. She didn¡¯t bother striking back with her Sword, instead starting to lecture.


    ¡°This is why, unfortunately,¡± ¨C she glanced up at the huge elf ¨C ¡°it is usually unwise to invest so many cards into a single Soul or summoner. Too often there is a more efficient way of countering the combined enhancement, putting you at a massive resource deficit.¡±


    I could see the truth of the Edaine¡¯s words. Even my Common Helmet could have done the same, forcing someone like E¡¯lal to have to wait an entire turn before striking me again.


    The elf opened a mouth that revealed fangs, his voice much deeper than usual. ¡°It is as you say, General. Alone, it is an incomplete strategy.¡±


    I could hear what he was implying, that this was simply not how the elves fought, but he didn¡¯t make the statement with any sense of petulance or complaint. The nod Edaine gave him in reply seemed to indicate that she too understood but that it wouldn¡¯t stop her from making an example of his performance. All in all, the exchange might have deterred me if I had planned to use enhancement for offense, but I didn¡¯t think a focus on defense would suffer from the same shortcomings.


    ¡°Ky¡¯reen!¡± the general called, as my bunkmate lumbered back to the line of trainees.


    This was the tattooed elf girl, and like the day prior, she summoned Souls that could Transform, the same type I had seen used at the Tournament.


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    With them, she summoned some Common Timber Wolves, and she herself also turned into a werewolf.


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    However, even with a Timber Wolf supporting each Werewolf, they weren¡¯t enough to stop paired Spirits, and while Ky¡¯reen destroyed one herself, that was the only Soul she took down, doing no damage to Edaine.


    Today, however, the wolfkin elf added two Werebears to her forces.


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    In addition, Ky¡¯reen did not Transform, focusing instead on her cards in hand, glaring at them, as if they weren¡¯t to her liking. Despite her ill temper, the Werebears were exceptionally useful due to their Terror forcing double blocks. Smartly, using Unit, Ky¡¯reen had attached two of her Timber Wolves to the two Werebears, which let both a Werebear and a Wolf get past the defending Spirits. At first it seemed like this breach might not matter ¨C Edaine stopping the Werebear with her Shield and the Timber Wolf with her Armor ¨C but then Ky¡¯reen cast two Feral Strengths on the Wolf, which I thought was a neat trick, waiting to see which one was shield-blocked before then buffing the other.


    In the end, the elf still took out one of the Spirits with a Werewolf and also did 2 damage to Edaine, a definite improvement, which Ky¡¯reen grinned fiercely about. To me she looked pleased but far from sated.


    Next up was A¡¯cia, the gorgeous elf who seemed to only use Spells, and defensive ones at that. She was the only one of us to not attack, miring the Spirits in vines when they came for her, and when the Souls eventually got past those, healing herself with Life Spells, Source Power, and even an Explosion.


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    Despite all this, in the end Protections had to be cast on her to keep her standing. The scenario had played out almost identically to the day before, and unlike with the rest of us, Edaine went through multiple turns. When it was over, the general gave the same sort of speech she had previously to the elf, about how for most summoners a mix of offense and defense is ideal, in case one is ever caught out alone. A¡¯cia dipped her head in deference to the words, but something about the set of her shoulders and spine gave me the sneaking suspicion that the elf didn¡¯t plan to change her strategy.


    In stark contrast to the elves, as near as I could tell, all of the paladin trainees used the exact same deck. It was swarm-focused Order with plenty of Soldiers, City Watch, auras, token generators, and Formations I had seen in the War Camp¡¯s stalls.


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    They also used some healing effects today, which briefly made me consider if I was overcommitting to cultivate an entirely new source when I could achieve similar results with one I already possessed.


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    However, seeing them confirmed previous studies of mine on the subject: Order cards such as these could only mend wounds, never restore cards in one¡¯s Mind Home. Due to this limitation, many scholars considered it an inferior type of healing when compared to Life, and I refused to make subpar choices for my deck again. This time my deck would be the very best at what I designed it to do. That Order healing cards were circulated almost exclusively within the Church of the Twins and their paladins ¨C a fact I was witnessing firsthand ¨C and that joining their ranks was a lengthy affair by all accounts, only helped cement my current trajectory.


    All in all, the trainee paladins¡¯ results were middling ¨C better than the elves but nowhere as good as Gerad or Esmi; not even as good as me, in truth ¨C a few Spirits of Korikana destroyed, a few damage to Edaine, but that was about all.


    The dwarves as a whole continued to mystify me. I had been eager to see their Depths cards, and while watching their dark, crystalline Depths Source floating over their rocky heads had been a treat, the trio had summoned exclusively Earth cards with the Earth Source they also possessed. Worse, the cards were by and large ones I already knew of: Soil Trolls, Iron Trolls, and Rockslides.


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    I saw one use a Spell called Hardening, which prevented damage to a Soul or Summoner, as well as a Sump Troll that moved lethargically even after being summoned.


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    But both cards were only Common; in fact, all of the Summons I saw from them were either Common or Uncommon, as if they were more card-poor than I was. Even odder, the Deepkin made plays that were far from optimal, if not downright ill-considered, like casting only one Rockslide into the Spirits¡¯ Resist 1, so the tokens suffered just a single point of damage each, with no real follow up, or attacking with trolls that had no hope of getting through the line of Spirits.


    The most exciting interaction was when one of the dwarves used their Depths Source Power to destroy a Spirit of Korikana that had taken 2 damage from a Sump Troll. The space around the Spirit darkened and then its armored body was crushed and bent, folded and twisted until it was nothing more than a lump of metal that broke apart into motes. The other two Deepkin made dissatisfied noises in their throats when this happened, sounding like little avalanches, and I never saw anything like it again.


    It did however stick with me that the Resist 1 of the Spirit hadn¡¯t protected it, presumably because the Source Power of Depths didn¡¯t actually do damage, just destroyed the target based on the amount of health remaining and source spent. Interesting.


    As she did for the rest of us, Edaine gave criticism and suggestions after each dwarf went, but one and all, the Deepkin took the advice with literal stone-faced silence, making no promises or sounds of any kind to indicate that they would try and improve. To the general¡¯s credit, she never lost her temper with them, but I had to imagine trying to train such recruits would be a frustrating ordeal.


    Afi, on the other hand, posed a different sort of difficulty, begging off participation in the day¡¯s exercise.


    ¡°The enemy will not wait for you to collect yourself,¡± Edaine said in that measured yet forceful way of speaking she had. ¡°They will strike when it suits them, not you.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt they will,¡± Afi replied, showing minimal deference to our instructor, ¡°but that applies only once we have entered the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what this space represents for your days here,¡± Edaine said, gesturing to the open portion of the fortification we used for the presummoning exercise.


    Afi looked down as if to indicate that she had not stepped into the squared off area yet for precisely this reason. She wasn¡¯t cheeky enough to say it out loud, though. ¡°You also impressed upon us the importance of proper planning. I want to be sure that my preparations are well and truly complete. A loaf of bread half-baked is no bread at all, is it? Only with adequate time to rise can it become what it was made to be.¡±


    Again, Edaine revealed little about her thoughts as she considered the girl, before finally calling, ¡°Esmi! Your turn has arrived early.¡±


    ¡°Take Fortune with you,¡± I said, squeezing my fiancee¡¯s hand as she departed.


    I should have known that she would have no need of it. Today, instead of having her Treasure Hunter take the Shield, it snatched Edaine¡¯s Armor right off the General¡¯s back. Next, Esmi cast her Pile On Spell, using her gathered forces to crush one of the Spirits, and send 7 Overkill damage at Edaine.


    2 of it was stopped by the general''s Helm, and the other 5 she negated with her Shield. Esmi then sent nearly all of her souls in to attack. However, unlike yesterday when the Giant Kobold¡¯s ability had been canceled out by Edaine¡¯s Armor, this time every kobold that fell to a Spirit did 1 damage to the general, totalling 6 in the end.


    Also, with only six Spirits as defenders, two kobolds with 4 attack and the Treasure Hunter with 3 got past, doing 11 more damage to the general for 17 in total, which was enough to force a Protection out of the watching advisors ¨C with four Mythic Relics Summoned, Ediane likely only had sixteen cards remaining in her Mind Home.


    But Esmi wasn¡¯t finished yet. She used two Fire and four of Order to first cast From the Ashes, repopulating the field.


    Then she used Convocation, turning all of her souls into mini Sources.


    At that point she devoted four of the freshly risen kobolds, creating a Source-powered fireball doing 2 more points of damage past the Resist of the Helm, which put her exactly 3 beyond the number of cards Edaine should have had in her Mind Home, enough to ¡°kill¡± a regular person. Not only that, Esmi still had three souls available for defense, some Source ready and others soon refreshing, three cards in hand, and thus three remaining in her deck.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Edaine said when the last Protection that had been played on her cleared. The general smiled, and I felt a stab of jealousy to have missed out on similar praise. What I could do if only my soul ability were more combat focused! ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to start using cards against you starting tomorrow.¡±


    The ill feeling stayed with me until Esmi turned around, her face brimming with joy. Seeing her so happy, the discontent melted away, and I gave her a tight hug when she left the field.


    ¡°You were amazing,¡± I said into her hair. And once I had worked as hard as her, I would be amazing, too. I simply must figure out how to put the pieces available to me together correctly.


    Having been so depleted of cards, the general had to take a twenty minute break to refresh her Mind Home, during which time we were given leave to mingle.


    Hull had been little more than a statue throughout the exercise, standing nearby but offering little more than grunts or nods. His eyes were focused inward, and I noticed he had a smooth stone in his hand, which he was worrying with his thumb.


    ¡°Did you receive that from your bunkmate?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°What?¡± Hull said, the word coming out like he was half asleep.


    ¡°That,¡± I said, pointing at what he held.


    He yanked his hand back, balling his fingers around the rock, completely covering it. As quickly as he had retracted from me, he relaxed, sighing out a breath and loosening his hand.


    ¡°Sorry. No,¡± he said, sounding run ragged. ¡°Didn¡¯t get much sleep last night. Here,¡± he said, offering the rock to me.


    I gave it a quick look and handed it back since the topic seemed to make him uncomfortable. As far as I could tell, it was a plain river rock, nothing special. Assuming he didn¡¯t throw it at someone, no one would think twice about him having it.


    ¡°Up late thinking about today¡¯s classes?¡± I said. ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, tucking the stone into his pocket, ¡°that¡¯s it.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Did you go the Lows again?¡± I whispered. ¡°Two nights in a row?¡±


    Esmi was looking at him now, too, just as interested in his answer as I was.


    ¡°No,¡± he grumbled, and when neither of us let up, he raised his hands as if to show us that nothing improper was in them. ¡°I swear by the Twins, all right? Ask my roommate if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    He certainly seemed off balance, but if he hadn¡¯t gone to the Lows what other trouble could he have possibly gotten into in a single night? There was only so much madness that could follow a person around.


    ¡°I think I will speak with your bunkmate,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°About Depths, anyway. The way they¡¯re approaching this exercise is decidedly strange.¡±


    Esmi stepped closer to us both and talked low. ¡°My teachers in Charbond sometimes said that Deepkin were poor duelists, caring more for the crafting of summons than the usage of them.¡±


    ¡°But even if that¡¯s true ¨C even if Depth Relics are their fascination ¨C shouldn¡¯t they be using them?¡±


    Esmi and Hull gave me nearly identical shrugs.


    ¡°See,¡± I said, ¡°this is why I need to talk with them. How are they to be our allies if we don¡¯t properly understand them?¡±


    Hull snorted. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy to tell you. Harganut¡¯s a real chatterbox.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother trying to talk with Deepkin now, and not because of Hull¡¯s lip. I wanted to stay with my friend in case there was something more to what he was chewing on, and while I like to believe that he enjoyed the extra attention, I didn¡¯t get anything more of substance out of him.


    When Edaine was ready again, it was Gerad¡¯s turn. The prince did virtually the same thing as the day before, but with more restraint, for which the general applauded him.


    It was Hull¡¯s job to wrap us up, going last today instead of first like before. As he stepped up into the ¡®field¡¯ I gave him a not so subtle reminder about attacking. Predictably, he shot me a glare and grumbled, ¡°Ass,¡± which made me smile.


    He was halfway through summoning his sources and Souls when Edaine surprised us all by kneeling, that was until we turned around and discovered precisely who was descending from the clear blue sky.


    ¡°So,¡± the king said, and I swore I felt the weight of his voice press against me. The smile he graced us with was beneficent and a long cloak snapped behind him, longer than any person who walked aground could possibly wear. ¡°Who is ready to enter my Immaculate Vault and claim the prize that was promised to them?¡±

 B2: 16. Hull - Heavy Hand

    Seeing my father smiling down at us like the world¡¯s smuggest asshole while my head was still full of finally meeting my mother made me feel like I had a headache inside my heart. I¡¯d been ready to unleash demonic fury on Edaine ¨C and I wasn¡¯t going to miss the chance to attack first this time ¨C but then Hestorus had to show up and steal the one clean, uncomplicated joy I had. It almost made me want to refuse his shitty little Artifact gift just on principle. Not quite, but almost.


    ¡°Treledyne students, you are released for the duration of our session,¡± Edaine called. ¡°Be wise and choose well. Hull, you¡¯re off the hook for now, but I expect you to perform next time as if you¡¯d gotten three full rounds of practice and feedback, understand? You can seek me out later if you need pointers, and the same holds true for all of you. The rest of us will continue. Harganut, you¡¯re up. Let¡¯s do our best to remember the advice we¡¯ve been given so far, shall we?¡±


    The king had already floated off toward the treeline as if he expected us to follow automatically, and it made me even angrier that we all did without question. I watched his ermine cape fluttering behind him and imagined yanking him to the ground and stomping my foot down into his face. It was a satisfying little daydream at first, but after a moment I found myself souring on it. It¡¯s not about kicking in dear old dad¡¯s teeth because he abandoned me ¨C not anymore. This is about removing a bad king who plays with the lives of everyone in the city because he thinks he¡¯s the only one with a brain. I need to be more strategic about hating him. It felt wrong to draw back from the expectation of immediate violence, but I could feel in my bones that it was the right move. If I ever wanted to be more than a hurt little street kid, I needed to stop thinking like one.


    Hestorus faced us when he arrived at the edge of the remaining forest and reached into the recesses of his cloak, brandishing an ornate cube of filigreed silver. ¡°Few now living have stepped where you soon will,¡± he said with an arched eyebrow. ¡°The winners of the Rising Stars and a few trusted associates, no more. Even my own blood has not set foot within ¨C isn¡¯t that right, Gerad?¡±


    The Prince gave a terse nod, looking sour.


    ¡°The Tenders tell you to elevate yourselves, to make the most of yourselves and the Souls in your Mind Home, but they often forget to mention why.¡± The King looked at us intently, all traces of his silly, fickle exterior falling away to reveal a hawkish gleam in his eye. ¡°Humanity is the youngest of the world¡¯s races. It has to claw its way out of the dung heap it was born into. When you see the heroic efforts the bulk of our army is undergoing just to clear the land for a fourth city and make it safe¡­? Our world rages against the Order we bring; it wants us to be frightened, hairless apes living in caves and scrawling on the walls with soot. I say no. Every one of you that reaches to Epic and beyond elevates the all of us a little bit higher. You think I wish to be the only human Legendary? I have spent more years than I care to remember gathering power, gathering possibility, and to those who show promise I am willing to share. You are learning to master your cards, and that is primary, but we have to use all the resources this world can give us.¡±


    He tossed the cube offhandedly at the tree line, and it halted in mid-arc, hanging in the air between two massive oak trunks. At a snap of his fingers, the cube unfolded, expanding in an eye-bending display of magical mechanics until it was a broad doorway of finest silver leading into a dim, globe-lit space. The forest surrounded the free-standing portal on all sides, but within its borders stood a different place.


    ¡°My Immaculate Vault holds treasures ranging from the prosaic to the sublime,¡± he said, looking at the doorway as a proud father might at a baby taking its first steps. ¡°The oldest of my Artifacts were made by unknown hands tens of thousands of years ago, channeling the raw energies of a young earth, while others are the work of talented Artisans that entered the Vault mere weeks ago. Artifacts are not classified as simply as cards, you know ¨C there¡¯s never a handy border of silver, gold, or ruby to let you know how valuable an object might be ¨C but I have spent great effort sorting them into power levels that more or less approach the rarities that you know.¡±


    ¡°Afi, you are here as Losum¡¯s replacement, but given that his father the Grand Marshal has renounced their family¡¯s claim on 5th place, I see no reason why you should not receive the Common Artifact he was promised. The rest of you know your ranks; restrict yourselves to the chamber indicated as Uncommon, Rare, or whichever you earned. Should any of you set foot in the room reserved for Legendary artifacts, you will die.¡±


    Gerad gave a quiet snort, thinking it was a joke, but his father turned a flat look at him, and everyone got very still. I hoped the rooms were clearly marked.


    The King drifted through the door. We all stood motionless, and then Esmi visibly steeled herself and strode in after. That broke the logjam, and we all piled in one after the other. Gerad was right in front of me, and he gave me a cold look, lengthening his step to increase the distance between us. And I¡¯m supposed to fight side by side with that son of a bitch? He¡¯d stick a knife in my ribs as soon as look at me if he could get away with it. And he will try to get away with it.


    The space beyond the door turned out to be a broad, low-ceilinged room made all of enormous limestone blocks with the doorway standing exactly in the center. Fire-elemental glowglobes perched on wall sconces, giving a dim orange glow to the whole place. It smelled of sand and dust, and some kind of foreign picture runes were chiseled into the walls on all sides. Broad, squat doorways broke the round exterior wall at regular intervals, and each one had a perfectly-cut gem or polished metal plate set into the overhead lintel. One was of brass, another of silver, the third of gold¡­ looking to the other doors, each set with a gem, I realized that the corridors beyond those doors led to the Artifacts we each got to choose from.


    ¡°Waste no time, but do not hurry overmuch,¡± the King said, gesturing to the doorways. ¡°I am willing to consult with any of you should you desire my input on your choice. I will be wandering between the vaults; do not be surprised if I address you informally. In this place, at least, we need not stand on formality.¡±


    I looked to Basil, who gave me an encouraging nod. Wasting no time, I headed for the hallway with a silver medallion embedded overhead. A backwards glance showed the others scattering. I felt a pang of jealousy when I saw Esmi enter the emerald door, but she¡¯d won the tournament fair and square; to the victor, the spoils. At least it wasn¡¯t Gerad. The hallway beyond the silver door sloped downward, cool, dark, and ancient-feeling. The carved symbols in the walls could have meant anything. They felt like little canyons in the rough stone when I ran my fingers over them.


    The hallway opened into a square room at least fifty feet on a side with a taller ceiling than the round entry room. I tried to get a sense of what kind of structure this great stone building must be and failed to wrap my brain around it. The amount of stone needed to encase a huge wheel-spoke structure like this boggled the mind ¨C and who knew if there was more above or beneath? I didn¡¯t even know if the cube doorway had taken us somewhere else in the world or if this space existed somewhere else, similar to a Mind Home. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know.


    The room had stone shelves at all heights, each one holding an incredible variety of objects from the very small ¨C I saw something that might have been a hairpin nearby ¨C to the stupidly large, like a sword a good eight feet tall that had a squared-off stone blade with no edges. That one was propped in the corner. Each object had a small plaque stuck to the shelf in front of it that gave a few words of description as to what it was. The plaques, thankfully, were in Common Tongue instead of that weird rune-writing.


    I could have spent all day in that room, slept through the night, and gone back for more, but I knew that Hestorus wouldn¡¯t wait that long. I scanned the plaques, hardly glancing at the items themselves unless the description interested me. Despite a month¡¯s idle pondering on what I¡¯d get as I dropped off to sleep nearly every night, I still wasn¡¯t sure what sort of thing I should go for. A weapon was the obvious choice ¨C being able to alternate the Fated damage of my Hammer or Vampiric Blade with a more flexible Artifact weapon that might not hit every time but didn¡¯t have to wait to refresh in order to swing again was something I¡¯d been keen on for a while. It might not help me in a tournament-style duel, but that wasn¡¯t what War Camp was training us for ¨C and as far as I understood, the only kind of Artifact allowed in proper duels was fabricators like the one I¡¯d given to Basil. Of course, I still had the replicating dagger I¡¯d taken from Ticosi¡¯s corpse, but I¡¯d never learned to throw knives properly, and without that skill, the Artifact was mostly wasted on me. I needed something that fit my style.


    I did see a goodly number of fabricators on the shelves, each one locked to a particular source, but I was working on cultivating Order already, and other than Chaos, I didn¡¯t know what other source it might be useful for me to have. I really needed to find out who my card advisor was; the other students kept talking about how they were helping refine their decks. There weren¡¯t any Chaos fabricators ¨C no surprise, given that Hestorus was the one to outlaw the source to begin with ¨C and I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d have wanted one anyway. Yes, it would have meant a wealth of cards at my fingertips, but I¡¯d have to hide them from everyone, and when I remembered Ticosi weeping blood, my own ran cold. No, a fabricator wasn¡¯t the right choice.


    Many of the other items on the shelves were everyday kinds of things ¨C a set of scales that, when one put an object on one side, would create a sphere of exactly the same weight on the other, an oblong case full of spinning cylinders coated with every single letter that rotated to form words that apparently showed the next day¡¯s weather, a rod that could detect water up to two hundred feet underground¡­ each was fascinating in their own way, but they seemed more suited to people living normal lives than to a duelist. They were civilizational tools, not warrior tools.


    In addition to the fabricators were raw, calcified sources of Air, Order, Water, and so on. They looked like rough, misshapen, uncut gems of all shapes and sizes. I assumed that the larger ones would offer more source than the smaller ones, but I wasn¡¯t sure who¡¯d want to jam a source stone the size of my head into a fabricator and lug it around on their wrist. Maybe some source stones were more concentrated than others? I¡¯d have to ask Basil; he¡¯d certainly know.


    There were a few helms and shields, but at the Uncommon level none seemed worth choosing ¨C there was one helm with no visor slit that let you see through walls or even hills, a buckler that let the arm holding it move faster, and a pair of greaves with boots attached with would not let the wearer fall. A pair of Charbonder wedding earrings that would protect the wearers from lightning. Nice, certainly, and each one helpful within its narrow use case, but not worth picking. The far wall held an assortment of weapons, and I hurried over to them.


    At first I thought they¡¯d be more of the same ¨C one tiny dagger promised cuts that would not heal, a flanged mace would apparently stay in the user¡¯s hand no matter what unless they chose to put it down, and one very strange crystalline blade could only sever relationships ¨C but then I saw some further down the row that held promise. The club that would always block a blow sounded good, but it didn¡¯t say anything about not breaking, and it looked to be plain old wood. The short bow whose arrows would aim themselves at Air Souls was extremely useful, if only under the right circumstances, and I lingered over a heavy mallet with an infusion of Earth that would allow it to repair itself forever.


    I got to the end of the row and felt a twitch in my pocket. Jumping, I clapped my hand to my trousers, realizing a moment later I was clutching at the stone my mother had left me. Feeling foolish, I pulled it out. It looked like any old rock. I wondered if it only looked purple at night, or maybe under the light of the moon. Had it moved, or was I still just hung up on the fact that long-lost mommy had given me a toy? For one irrational flash I was tempted to summon my Hammer and smash it. Damn her for showing up and not having my card. Just when I¡¯d calmed down enough not to break it and had convinced myself that I was imagining things, it vibrated in my palm again. The feeling got stronger when I turned to face the shelf.


    Following the strength of the vibration led me to the tail end of the weapons shelf where, tucked in the corner, I spied something very familiar. My grimy little gutter-rat self couldn¡¯t help but pick it up. It was a lumpy, oblong piece of brass that was pitted and black with age. Four finger holes ran through the center, and the butt end curved to rest in the hollow of the palm. The upper ridge had three prominent protrusions that could easily break a cheekbone or jaw. It fit my hand like a glove. Brass knuckles, the heavy hand, the boxer¡¯s bane ¨C in the Lows it had as many nicknames as a neighborhood whore and was even better known. I wanted it on a gut level, but when I looked at the plaque, it was so old and corroded that I couldn¡¯t read what it did.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I wondered if you¡¯d find that,¡± the King said from right behind me.


    I whirled around, falling unto a defensive stance without thinking, the brass knuckles raised and ready to strike.


    ¡°Not that you¡¯d hurt me, but hitting the King usually doesn¡¯t go well,¡± he said with a smirk.


    I lowered my hands, flushing with embarrassment and thwarted anger. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯d like to,¡± he said quietly, his eyes piercing. ¡°But wait until you¡¯re sure you can get what you want before you try.¡±


    My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. He knew I wanted to kill him. Was this just a general I-know-you-hate-me bit of advice, or had I said something he might have overheard? Had he heard me planning with Ticosi during the tournament? My mind raced, and I didn¡¯t dare say anything. He didn¡¯t know everything, I was sure of that, but I¡¯d be a fool to think I¡¯d hidden everything from the Sun King.


    ¡°It increases Nether damage,¡± he said, ignoring my awkward silence and gesturing to the brass knuckles. ¡°One of my earliest finds. If Nether weren¡¯t so damned scarce I¡¯d have grouped it with the Rares, but as you can see, it¡¯s moldered here for a long time. I approve of your choice.¡±


    The very fact that he approved made me want to put it back on the shelf, but I reminded myself that being petty worked against my own interests. Examining it more closely, I saw a faint imprint of a crossed hammer and pick with a suggestion of a star underneath. The Deepkin maker¡¯s mark. I remembered Harganut¡¯s words and wanted the piece even more. ¡°So if I channel Nether and hit with this¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll do half again as much damage as usual,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°What¡¯s more, using your source will make the damage Fated, meaning you can¡¯t miss, but since it¡¯s not a card, you can still swing as you please and not be constrained by turn refreshes. It¡¯s the best of both worlds.¡±


    That sounded amazing, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that. ¡°If someone had kept the plaque cleaned I could have known that already.¡±


    He cocked his head. ¡°You and I should spend more time talking. You have more promise than I first thought. If only you can put your infantile abandonment anger behind you, you could learn much from me. Any noble would kill for a private audience like this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because the nobles are all so smart,¡± I muttered. Hearing him echo what I¡¯d been thinking about being less petty made me squirm.


    His smile was so knowing I wondered once again if he could hear my thoughts. ¡°Press the maker¡¯s mark,¡± he said.


    I blinked at him for a long moment before the words registered, but finally I did what he asked. With a metallic snik, wickedly curved metal spikes jutted out of the knuckle-top protrusions. They were a good four inches long ¨C longer than it seemed ought to fit inside the device ¨C and were perfect for ripping and tearing.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I breathed, watching them glint in the warm elemental light. ¡°This is the one. I want these.¡±


    * * *


    I found Basil sometime later in the central room of the Immaculate Vault. Once my choice was made I¡¯d forced myself to look at everything else I¡¯d passed on, but nothing had made me second-guess my decision. The brass knuckles sat heavy and reassuring in my pocket, but not on the same side as the disguised Nether stone. I didn¡¯t want it constantly buzzing against my leg.


    ¡°What¡¯d you get?¡± I asked, excited. I¡¯d show him mine in a moment, but I wanted to see what the Rare vault had gotten him.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, reddening. ¡°Well¡­ I asked the King if I could defer my choice to a later date.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I gaped at him. ¡°Fortune¡¯s sweaty sack, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with me,¡± he said primly, ¡°and you should really cultivate some more urbane oaths.¡±


    I took out my brass knuckles and shook them at him. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be gearing up. We¡¯re going to war, Basil. You¡¯re not going to find battlefield solutions in a textbook, and whatever enemies we face won¡¯t wait when you say, ¡®Pardon, dearest chaps, could you hold the hostilities for a moment while I pop back to the Immaculate Vault for a quick consultation?¡¯¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t talk like that,¡± he said crossly.


    ¡°You talk like a Tender who¡¯s sixty and never touched a woman,¡± I told him, ¡°and you know it. Now get back in there and choose something. Come on, I¡¯ll help you.¡± I took him by the arm and steered him back toward the gold-topped door.


    He planted his feet and gently pulled his arm free. ¡°Thank you for your concern, my friend, but I have thought this through thoroughly. There are a number of excellent Artifacts that drew my attention ¨C Farseer spectacles, for instance ¨C but I have my eye on one item in particular that will only be useful should certain situations develop favorably. I must wait until more clarity presents itself, and I will not waste this opportunity. The King has already agreed.¡±


    I sighed. Esmi was approaching, and I turned to her. ¡°Talk to this idiot, will you? He says he can¡¯t choose until later.¡±


    She smiled at me and then turned an even warmer gaze on Basil. ¡°I trust his judgment. You should do the same.¡±


    I threw up my hands. ¡°You both need to spend a week not knowing when your next meal is.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may,¡± Esmi said, her eyes sparkling mischeviously, ¡°I believe I will keep my own counsel. After all, it has served me well thus far.¡± With that, she drew a tiny crossbow from her pouch, showing it off proudly.


    All my complaints were forgotten. ¡°Is this it? Your Mythic?¡± It was a beautiful piece, all worked brass and polished wood, no bigger than her hand. It had no visible drawstring, and an ornate metal pull-tab protruded up where a bolt would normally sit.


    ¡°It is.¡± She beamed at it. ¡°The problem with a swarm deck like mine is facing control opponents who can stall my Kobolds until they have big Souls and expensive Spells to kill me with, and this is the most elegant solution I think I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± She pulled back the metal tab, and suddenly a green bolt of energy sat in the firing channel, ready to be loosed at the pull of a trigger.


    ¡°That looks deadly,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°It does no physical damage,¡± she told him, ¡°but if the bolt hits bare skin, it caps the number of source a person can summon at 5.¡±


    ¡°Oh my,¡± her fiance breathed. ¡°That would hamstring nearly anyone.¡±


    I know!¡± she chirped, bouncing excitedly. She eased the pull-tab back into neutral position, and the energy bolt disappeared. ¡°It wasn¡¯t an easy choice, but I feel Twins-blessed to have found it.¡±


    ¡°Did the Twins bless you, or did I?¡± the King said, floating into the room. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them creating treasure vaults to share with anyone.¡± He was back to his fey, thoughtless-ruler self.


    Esmi curtsied to him. ¡°Begging pardon, Your Majesty, but the world around us is the greatest treasure vault of all, and only the Twins can claim responsibility there.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± Hestorus said, sounding unimpressed. ¡°So we¡¯re told. I wonder sometimes.¡±


    Esmi stiffened slightly at the casual blasphemy, and Basil¡¯s smile looked strained, but both of them were wise enough to keep their mouths shut.


    ¡°This one,¡± Gerad said, approaching his father and holding a large object in one hand.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± Esmi said, covering her mouth.


    The Prince¡¯s prize was a gruesome one. He held what looked like a human backbone, all interlocking bones and sinews like a dead snake. Scraps of dried flesh still clung to it, and bloodstains made a spatter of brown down one side.


    ¡°That is without a doubt the most powerful Epic Artifact in the Vault,¡± Hestorus said to his son. ¡°If you had a freshly dead body and the person¡¯s card you could bring them back to life.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°Is there someone you wish to revive, Gerad?¡±


    The Prince did not look his father in the eye but held his ground. ¡°This is my choice.¡±


    The King was silent for a long moment. ¡°It is not.¡±


    Gerad saw our little group watching and turned his back to us. ¡°May we discuss this privately, father?¡±


    Hestorus gusted out a sigh. ¡°You try my patience more every day. Come on, then.¡±


    The two of them retreated to the Epic vault behind the ruby door, the King leaning down as he floated along to speak quietly in his son¡¯s ear, leaving the three of us with raised eyebrows and pursed lips. I had yet to see the King have even a single pleasant interaction with his heir. Not that I cared in the slightest for Gerad¡¯s feelings ¨C he acted more like a snake every day ¨C but I wasn¡¯t sure what Hestorus gained by keeping the boy angry and off-balance. It certainly wasn¡¯t for my benefit. Now that Gerad knew who I was, my danger increased along with Gerad¡¯s insecurity about our father¡¯s approval.


    Afi emerged from the Common vault, seeming pleased in her dry, clipped way to have found a journal that never ran out of pages. I could think of a thousand things I¡¯d have rather picked, but the choice certainly fit her.


    Eventually Gerad and Hestorus re-emerged, the Prince¡¯s face dark with anger as trailed our father. He no longer held the spine. Instead, he had a flat silver disc clutched in his hand.


    ¡°What have you chosen, Your Highness?¡± Basil asked politely.


    Gerad¡¯s face flashed with disdain, but he answered in a calm voice. ¡°I have selected a foe-finder.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an excellent choice,¡± Hestorus said, sounding bored. ¡°Show them.¡±


    Gerad dutifully held up the disc and tapped its surface. Shaped, contained lights flickered into being above its surface, showing a series of flattened squares connected by tubes. Several dots of different colors speckled the middle shape, which was more of a flat circle than the others surrounding it above and below.


    ¡°It¡¯s a map,¡± Esmi said, her voice breathy with wonder. ¡°It¡¯s the Immaculate Vault, and all of us in it.¡±


    I blinked, not sure what she meant, and then suddenly I saw it. The shapes were the treasure vaults surrounding the central chamber where we stood, and the dots showed the souls in the room ¨C red for Gerad, white for the King, yellow for Basil, Esmi, and Afi, and gray for me.


    ¡°It will sound an alarm if any of the souls in its range have intent to harm,¡± Gerad said, sounding as if he were carefully controlling his tone. ¡°I am grateful for such a gift.¡±


    ¡°Yes, very good,¡± the King said. ¡°Champions, these gifts are yours until death, at which point they will revert to the Immaculate Vault automatically. Use them well, advance quickly, and make the most of yourselves, for all our sakes.¡± He snapped his fingers, and the portal back to the War Camp fortification snapped open again. ¡°Return to your studies. I have my own business to attend to here. Goodbye.¡±


    There was nothing for it but to bow and file out. We found ourselves on the edge of the forest. The cleared field was empty; apparently Edaine had finished the morning¡¯s exercises and sent the paladins, elves, and Deepkin back inside. As soon as Afi stepped through the portal, it winked out of existence behind her.


    ¡°Well, that was a fruitful morning,¡± Esmi said brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get back and meet with our advisors. I can¡¯t wait to see what they have to say about our new Artifacts.¡±


    ¡°I still have to figure out who mine is,¡± I said, falling in next to her.


    ¡°I was told it would be the Deepkin mentor,¡± Basil said. ¡°Badgou is her name, I believe.¡±


    ¡°Another Deepkin,¡± I sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t get away from them.¡±


    ¡°They have more experience with Nether, being trade partner to the Demon Realm,¡± he said, patting my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have endless good ideas for you.¡±


    ¡°Or she¡¯ll try to steal my cards,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hold an entire race responsible for the shortcomings of a single half-breed,¡± Basil said. ¡°Basides, if you¡¯ll recall, if you had simply waited for me the whole situation would have gone much more smoothly.¡±


    Then he gave a guilty jerk and fell silent, realizing that Gerad was only a few steps behind us, and that it had been the card intended for him that I¡¯d been cheated out of. We walked in awkward silence until we approached the gate. Esmi and Basil put their heads together, talking quietly. I found myself alongstride Gerad and did my best to ignore him.


    He wouldn¡¯t let me. He held up his foe-finder and tapped it meaningfully. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to sneak up on me. I¡¯ll see you coming.¡±


    I frowned at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sneak up on you.¡±


    He sniffed. ¡°That¡¯s because you lack the instinct needed to compete at this level. You¡¯re still a child of the streets at heart.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I was getting irritated, and I didn¡¯t bother to hide it. ¡°Listen, we can just leave each other alone and that¡¯ll be the end of it, as far as I¡¯m concerned. I don¡¯t want what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± he said, deadly quiet, his eyes cold. ¡°But you won¡¯t win. I¡¯ll see you coming and you¡¯ll get nothing.¡±


    I searched his eyes. He looked dead inside. I reached into my pocket and slid my fingers into the brass knuckles, for comfort as much as anything else. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with you, Gerad.¡±


    He stepped close, head high, back rigid. ¡°There¡¯s only one way this ends, Hull. You¡¯d better take your shot, even if it¡¯s hopeless. Because when I come for you, you won¡¯t see a thing. Count on it.¡±

 B2: 17. Basil - Hands-On Training

    ¡°Well, what did you get?¡± Griff¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t quite as hoarse as last we spoke, but it still sounded like he was talking over sandpaper. His eyes though were bright and eager, like a giddy child ready to open his solstice sweets and presents. In fact, he was looking me up and down as if I had those things hidden on my person. ¡°No weapons, no armor, nor any new rings to speak of¡­ You get yourself a talisman, lad? Some underclothes of protection? It¡¯s not kindly to keep a chained man waiting any more than he already has to.¡±


    The Immaculate Vault had indeed been impressive, but discussing it wasn¡¯t my foremost concern. ¡°Why does your throat always sound scraped raw? Are you sick?¡± I was already sitting as far away as I could without appearing insulting, and if he was indeed ill, I would use my handkerchief to talk through. I couldn¡¯t afford to come down with something right now; every day here, every moment, I needed to be learning as much as I could.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your knickers in a twist,¡± Griff chuffed at me. ¡°The walls like to hear me sing, is all. The latrine, too.¡±


    So, he was being kept in a cell when we weren¡¯t having these meetings; I was quite sure how to feel about that. Sorrowful? He must have done deeds to deserve it, surely. As for his explanation¡­ I was talking to a plant now as part of my morning routine, but still, what he was describing sounded like a step past sane. Perhaps it was merely part of his Chaos cultivation?


    ¡°I deferred my choice,¡± I said to keep the next words out of his mouth at bay ¨C undoubtedly more questions about what artifact I had chosen.


    His brows scrunched together, forming a deep vertical furrow right about his nose. ¡°You did what now?¡±


    ¡°Deferred. It means I delayed my ¨C¡±


    ¡°I know the word, you snit,¡± Griff snapped. ¡°Just because it looks like I¡¯m freshly stepped out of the gutter doesn¡¯t mean I did my learning there, too. You judge a person¡¯s skills or smarts from their looks, and you¡¯ll end up glassy-eyed on your first skirmish, Twins mark me.¡±


    Having a battle-tested elder tell me I was going to perish early was not the sort of support I was looking for today, and the shiver it gave me up my spine was far from pleasant.


    ¡°I have no plans on taking you, or time spent participating in the war effort, with anything less than the utmost seriousness,¡± I told him cooly. ¡°There¡¯s also no need for name calling, or such foul language.¡± Between Hull and Griff, it was like I was spending my days in a tavern lately.


    ¡°I take what small pleasures I can,¡± he said with a grin. His parted lips revealed a medley of vacant and decaying teeth I had hoped to never see again ¨C as improbable as that wish might be with us meeting regularly. ¡°I should have known you¡¯d be one of those, what with your prancy walk and squeamishness. I should have seen it early, shouldn¡¯t I, Stephi?¡±


    I glanced at the fully-armored guard who stood beside us. They were covered head to toe in plate and boiled leather with no obvious signs as to whether they were the same person as the day before or not. Did Griff call everyone who watched him Stephi?


    ¡°One of what?¡± I asked, knowing I¡¯d probably regret the answer. ¡°And I don¡¯t prance.¡±


    ¡°One of those folk who just sit there when they should be shitting. You had power in your hands, raw, ancient power, and you didn¡¯t take it.¡± His own worn hands were outstretched, grasping at the air as if he could feel the wonders I had held. ¡°It¡¯s no mystery now why your deck is half-formed ideas. You¡¯ve got to learn to commit, Little Hintal.¡±


    I was tempted to snap at him ¨C I certainly wanted to ¨C but hidden within the insults and disparagement, it did seem like he was actually trying to teach me something.


    ¡°But what if I choose incorrectly?¡± I said, quietly. That had been my biggest fear when first scrabbling together my deck, and it had happened a few times, setting my progress back months, if not years. ¡°What if I pick something and then later reg ¨C¡±


    Before I realized what he was doing, he flicked me in the forehead with one of his dirty fingernails  ¡°No choice at all is leagues worse than a bad choice. Get that into your head, and you¡¯ll be a better man and duelist for it.¡±


    I rubbed my forehead, far from convinced. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you say, and it¡¯s turned out poorly for me, wasting not only my coin but time.¡±


    ¡°Probably because you tried to ¡®fix¡¯ them instead of commit to them,¡± he countered, elbow on the table between us, his chin propped up in his palm. ¡°Tell me true, when a card didn¡¯t work as you hoped, you traded it away fast as you could, didn¡¯t you?¡± My face was apparently enough of an answer because he chuckled, wagging a finger at me. ¡°One step down a path isn¡¯t enough to decide if it¡¯s the right one for you. You¡¯ve got to explore it, savor it, like a fine lady: they won¡¯t offer up their charms until they know you¡¯re invested.¡±


    I scrutinized him, trying to detect where he was pulling this wisdom from. ¡°Is this some Chaos way of thinking?¡±


    He jerked his head to the side. ¡°Ask a dwarf, and they¡¯ll swear up and down it¡¯s Depths. But spending everything you are on something, so much so that you lose all the rest? Aye, that¡¯s Chaos, alright.¡± He was smiling as he said the last bit, fondly even, but to me he was describing an utterly horrific loss of control.


    I peeked at our guard again, but whoever they were, they didn¡¯t seem to care one whit about what Griff was teaching me.


    ¡°I can agree that I might have been premature regarding some of the limited experimentation I did when first building my deck,¡± I admitted. ¡°However, I must have made some good choices. I ended up here, after all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t say it was all bad, did I? But¡­¡± He reached forward and flicked me in the head again, a hair faster than I could avoid. ¡°Lesson two of the day: just because you won, doesn¡¯t mean you did something right. Think before you argue with me,¡± he said, making me hesitate over my at-the-ready retort. ¡°You said you¡¯re fond o¡¯ that, didn¡¯t you? Thinking through things?¡±


    I crossed my arms and let out an audible sigh. Did the man want to gutter out all my confidence? Those victories and my performance at the tournament were an important part of why I was able to view myself favorably now. Without them bolstering me¡­


    ¡°Not trying to steal from you,¡± he said, his raspy voice halfway kind. ¡°Not this time, anyway,¡± he added with a wink. ¡°But understanding why something happened how it did is more useful than remembering it the way we want to.¡±


    That did sound somewhat reasonable, so I tried to think back on my matches with a more objective lens. ¡°My first opponent in the Tournament only had two cards,¡± I admitted.


    Griff didn¡¯t laugh, which I appreciated. I would have, however, preferred it if he hadn¡¯t been trying to pick something out of his mouth at the same time. With hands like that, he was only making it dirtier in there.


    ¡°Another opponent used all neutral Relics, which limited his defense,¡± I said, attempting to stay on task. ¡°But the others I faced were all skilled. I earned those wins.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    I had spent a considerable amount of time reviewing that very thing, a good bit with Esmi, so I had the answer at the ready. ¡°The Master Assassin gave me staying power I wouldn¡¯t have otherwise had.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll be keeping him,¡± Griff confirmed with a perfunctory nod.


    ¡°Water Source Explosion with a Sea Titan was also important, but I don¡¯t have those anymore. And then having a lot of flyers with a Microburst at the ready.¡±


    He had continued to nod along. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re describing the end of your matches.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± I said with a touch of hesitation at his tone. ¡°That¡¯s how I won.¡±


    ¡°Lesson three,¡± Griff said, lifting a hand, but this time was ready, and pulled back. He laughed, ¡°Alright, lesson four then,¡± he dropped his hand. ¡°You start winning the match with the first play you make, not the last.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± I said, somewhat nettled.


    ¡°Do you now?¡± he said, looking doubtful. ¡°What¡¯s your ideal opening?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°It depends on what my opponent is using. Order is a more reactive Source.¡±


    ¡°Aye, in part,¡± he agreed, ¡°but what if your opponent didn¡¯t do anything at all? What cards would you most like to see at the start?¡±


    ¡°Like in the presummoned fights we do against General Edaine?¡±


    He waved that idea away. ¡°We¡¯ll make you battle ready later. First, we need to make sure that you can beat that brother of yours in a standard duel.¡±


    I still didn¡¯t know why this man would care about my family affairs, but I didn¡¯t think he was any more likely to answer that question this day than the one prior. As for his question, I honestly wasn¡¯t sure. Tipfin had never asked me to consider something so ambiguous before.


    ¡°An Assassin, I suppose,¡± I said. ¡°To Hunt whatever my opponent ends up playing.¡±


    ¡°He supposes,¡± Griff said, sharing a laugh with our unresponsive guard. ¡°You should know, lad. You¡¯re going to devote one of your opening sources, putting yourself behind resource-wise, in the off chance they¡¯ll play into your card? What if they summon a Soul with Armor? What if they just start shredding you with Spells?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said it depends,¡± I answered, trying not to grit my teeth.


    ¡°And I¡¯m saying it should and shouldn¡¯t. Get your cards out,¡± he said, gesturing at me. ¡°We¡¯re going to do some openings.¡±


    ¡°On the table?¡± I asked, hesitant. I disliked removing my deck from my Mind Home, especially after being so grievously wounded by Ticosi, but had done it the first day because it seemed to be a necessity. However, looking around the room, I saw that others had their decks out in physical form, Sources even floating overhead or at their shoulder, going through mock turns and choices with their advisors. I knew this was how some who were card rich but lacked proper space practiced dueling, and I supposed that made sense with so many of us in a singular room.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said, but I was already pulling the cards out at that point. ¡°How many source do you usually draw to start?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± I said, adding to the growing stack of summons, ¡°when it was just Order and Air. Sometimes three or more when I also had Water.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to include the other information, but I did hope to gain my first Life source soon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s imagine two for now,¡± Griff said, ¡°one each of Order and Air, best of both worlds. Go ahead and pull three summons.¡±


    When I had the twenty cards out, I did as said, getting a Carrion Condor, Equality, and my Soulforged Scalemail.


    ¡°What would you mulligan away?¡± he asked after I showed him what I had gotten.


    ¡°Without knowing what my opponent is using?¡±


    ¡°I promise it doesn¡¯t matter, Little Hintal, but if it makes you feel any better, pure Order.¡±


    I thought on that a moment. Order often had swarm, like the Paladin trainees and Edaine did, in which case Equality could be useful. Order also had archers, which Armor was invaluable against, and by having the Condor, I had half my buffing combo once I started getting Assassins or Executions. Plus, with a source of each type, I could summon the Carrion Condor on my first turn ¨C assuming I went second ¨C if needed.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said, watching him closely to see if that was the wrong answer.


    He didn¡¯t so much as blink. ¡°Go ahead and draw for your first turn.¡±


    I did so, getting a Human Assassin and a Protection.


    I was feeling pretty good about having gotten my Assassin Condor synergy until Griff asked what I would play first.


    ¡°Probably my Condor,¡± I said, ¡°if the opponent is indeed Order. That way I can block some tokens, assuming they have one, and then get my Assassin play later.¡±


    ¡°How much later?¡± the Chaos user asked.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I did some quick calculations. ¡°The turn after next.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Griff said, putting emphasis on the word as if he had just revealed something important. ¡°Your opening is so slow it would put me to sleep. Try again.¡±


    I snatched up the cards, jerkily putting them back in a stack. ¡°It would help if you provided some indication as to what I should be doing.¡± When he didn¡¯t reply, I took a stab, ¡°If that¡¯s too slow for you, would you prefer I go first by playing my Air Source?¡±


    He arched an overgrown eyebrow at me. ¡°Could you make that work if you did?¡±


    ¡°I could play a Metal Golem,¡± I said, naming the only Soul I could afford with a single source.


    ¡°And attacking with it would be worth being a source behind the rest of the duel?¡±


    I stewed on that. It most likely wouldn¡¯t be. Fast decks almost always used an explosive start, like Esmi summoning and attacking with two kobolds in a go. Gale would likely be doing something similar. ¡°Doubtful,¡± I finally replied.


    ¡°Then try again.¡±


    The next time around I got one of my new Master Shieldbearers in my opening, so I said I¡¯d play that, to which Griff shook his shaggy head again.


    ¡°Unless your opponent is breathing down your neck, devoting both your initial sources strangles your future options. Try again.¡±


    This time I vowed to get one of my Metal Golems or my Soulforged Helm, my cheapest cards that I could play regardless of what my opponent was doing. However, even mulliganing my entire opening, it wasn¡¯t until I drew for my turn that I got a Golem as my last card.


    ¡°This one,¡± I said, placing it between us.


    Griff looked at the neutral Relic, then me. ¡°Again,¡± he said.


    At first I was put out, but then I realized that he hadn¡¯t actually corrected me, just asked me to do it again. Hoping I had interpreted him correctly, I started over and managed to get to my Helm.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to help you against an early enemy summon?¡± Griff scoffed.


    Unlike Edaine¡¯s Shield, the Helm was a one-off, so it was true that I preferred to wait and use it against the strongest Soul my opponent could throw at me. ¡°Not particularly.¡±


    ¡°Again,¡± he said.


    Since the Metal Golem was the only thing he hadn¡¯t commented negatively on, I refocused on that, but after a dozen more tries, I was only able to get one out maybe half the time.


    ¡°See the problem yet?¡± he finally asked.


    I sat back, a touch drained even though the drill had been seemingly simple. ¡°My more conservative openings are inconsistent.¡±


    He snorted and then spat a green tinged globule onto the metal floor that I found utterly revolting. ¡°You see that, Stephi, he can be taught.¡± When I gave him a look, he leaned forward, using a stage whisper. ¡°She wasn¡¯t believing in you the way I was.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, glancing back and forth between the decidedly odd pair.


    ¡°Two cards in twenty is what you¡¯re digging for,¡± Griff continued on, ¡°and that means you¡¯re relying on Fortune more than is healthy. He won¡¯t look out for you the way he has for me. That¡¯s why we got you these.¡± He snapped his fingers with a dramatic flair. When nothing happened, Griff craned his neck to look at the ever-silent guard. ¡°Sorry, Love. Please?¡±


    What followed next I could hardly believe: the guard pulled cards from their belt, silver-bordered if I was seeing right, and handed them to the chained man, who in turn passed them along to me.


    ¡°You purchased these for me?¡± I asked, unsure how to react. I had seen this Soul being used against Hull by the kestrel summoner but I hadn¡¯t thought to include any in my deck at the time. ¡°And you think they¡¯ll be a good fit?¡±


    ¡°Aye on both counts,¡± he answered with a pleased crinkle to his eyes. ¡°And why don¡¯t you tell me why I think you need them?¡±


    ¡°Low cost,¡± I said right away, ¡°so I can open with them, like the Golem. Good health pool, so effective on defense. Flying, so I can attack with them if I ever need.¡±


    ¡°For extra damage, too, when you have some Feral Strength.¡± He noticed my eyes widen, and he smirked, ¡°That¡¯s right, lad, I listen. And if you¡¯ve played three different Sources before, you know what sort of trouble you can get in¡­?¡±


    ¡°Not having the right type at the right time,¡± I said, catching onto his meaning. I reread the text of the Zephyr. ¡°But these can help with that.¡±


    ¡°That it can,¡± he said with another smile, and this time I didn¡¯t mind the broken landscape it revealed so much. ¡°It¡¯s not just about getting a card out early, boyo, but one that helps you build, like the Golem¡¯s card draw or this one¡¯s refresh.¡±


    It was only now that I realized that the two cards in my hand felt thicker than they should, and I slid my fingers, revealing a third tucked behind the second.


    ¡°A full set,¡± I breathed. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll need that many?¡±


    ¡°What did I tell you? You¡¯ve got to commit, lad. Your deck is a smattering of singles and doubles, no consistency.¡±


    It felt somewhat strange to hear a self-proclaimed Chaos user tell me that. ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to have three of everything, especially not my Rares. I¡¯m not Prince Gerad,¡± I whispered since he was sitting just two seats behind me.


    Griff pinned me with a nonsense stare. ¡°What¡¯s your excuse for your Commons and Uncommons?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have one; I had favored diversity at the time, but perhaps, as he was saying, that decision had been a mistake.


    ¡°They only had two Metal Golems at the time I purchased them,¡± I defended myself lamely.


    ¡°So, he probably has another by now. Send a runner and buy it!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure how I would handle my next interaction with Throice, not after Hull had conned them out of an Epic card using my family¡¯s name or my inability to uphold my promise to speak well of their house to my parents when I wasn¡¯t currently talking to either my mother or father.


    Griff leaned forward again, maybe taking my hesitation to be reticence. ¡°Chasing too many things at once is no way to build a deck, lad. It¡¯s also no way to live a life. The perfect you¡¯ve been waiting for doesn¡¯t exist, but if you commit to the life you choose, you can make perfection out of near anything.¡±


    That statement didn¡¯t seem to entirely make sense, but I was distracted by Griff offering me his hand. Despite the dirt and grime that covered it, I made myself return the handshake, doing my best not to recoil at all as I did. I owed this man, and I was glad for the opportunity to show it.


    He chuckled, gripping my hand and giving it a firm shake. However, when it was over, he kept his hand right where it had been.


    ¡°Merits, lad,¡± he told me, pointing to his palm. ¡°Need you to pay for those cards.¡±


    The Zephyr Souls immediately felt heavier than they had a moment before. ¡°But that¡¯s half the merits I have left.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. They just got another Master Shieldbearer in. Sashra!¡± he belted across the hall, turning many heads, including the woman at the card stand who I had purchased from before. Griff motioned her over before I could protest.


    ¡°But I can only have one Bodyguard summoned at at time,¡± I hissed at him, hating all the attention we were getting.


    ¡°Commit, Little Hintal,¡± Griff said, clapping me forcefully on the shoulder, leaving a stain I was sure. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡± He smiled the widest he had all day. ¡°Or maybe you will. I¡¯m just a Chaos user in the wrong kingdom, after all.¡±


    ***


    Our advisor meeting was the last class of the day, and dinner was a boisterous affair, with everyone who hadn''t been in the Vault asking after our artifacts. So, I got to tell them the story Griff hadn¡¯t been interested in hearing: that I had planned to get a sizable Source crystal for Life, but E¡¯lal had informed me that very morning that Life Source cultivation was faster than Order, at least at first, so I had decided to hold off. They were mostly disappointed by the news, the Deepkin especially, which I wouldn¡¯t have minded, giving me more time to speak with Esmi or Hull, but of course, those two were both inundated with questions as well.


    I finally begged off to go write a letter to Throice, completely unsure what I was going to say, and had only been in my metal box of a room for a few minutes before I heard the door squeak open. I turned, expecting long-legged E¡¯lal.


    ¡°A¡¯cia?¡± I said, nearly jumping out of my skin at seeing the beautiful elf standing in my entry. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Greetings,¡± she said, inclining her head, which made me feel like a barbarian for welcoming her so poorly. ¡°E¡¯lal wished to spend the evening with Ky¡¯reen.¡±


    My self-recrimination was interrupted by that new and curious information. Why had he encouraged my interest in the wolfkin the day before if they were together? ¡°They¡¯re a pair? He made no mention of that¡­¡±


    She smiled at me, and my chest fluttered involuntarily. The firelight glinted over A¡¯cia¡¯s green hair ¨C a shade darker than E¡¯lal¡¯s, like a leaf in the flush of life ¨C and hinted at the perfect symmetry of her face. Esmi was pretty, more than pretty, but A¡¯cia¡­ I didn¡¯t think I had ever seen anyone as stunningly gorgeous as she was. It was hard even to look away, her flawless form demanding attention like a far off mountain peak or a radiant rainbow.


    Suddenly the fire in the room felt too hot, and I moved to bank it.


    ¡°We all are,¡± A¡¯cia said, pulling me up short.


    ¡°You¡­ all are?¡± I turned back to look at her, thinking I had perhaps heard wrong. Her unwavering smile said otherwise. Now it truly felt like the flame was roaring at my back, sweat starting to seep down my neck.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we be?¡± she asked, tilting her head in the same fashion as E¡¯lal. Having seen the gesture a few times now, it actually wasn¡¯t that different from what we humans did; it was the long, tapered ears that stood out on either side of their heads that made the action seem more pronounced. When I didn¡¯t answer, she gently closed the door. ¡°He also informed me that you have begun cultivating Life, and I have consented to assisting you.¡±


    The way she said the last part made it sound more serious than providing some simple suggestions to a neophyte Life cultivator.


    ¡°Thank you. That is very kind of ¨C¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why she had moved her hand to the top of the loose garment she wore, made of strips of green cloth of various shades, until she pulled one edge of it down, revealing a pale shoulder. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I half squeaked, taking an involuntary step back.


    ¡°Assisting,¡± she said, perfectly calm as she closed on me. Her eyes never left mine as she advanced, and nearer now, I could see that they were dark purple, like amethysts.


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean, you¡¯re not thinking ¨C¡± I sputtered, while at the same time hearing in my mind what E¡¯lal had said was a stronger way to cultivate Life than watering plants. That¡¯s exactly what she¡¯s thinking.


    A¡¯cia put her free hand on my chest. Her touch wasn¡¯t as warm as Esmi¡¯s but it was still quite noticeable. ¡°After a night with me, you¡¯ll be able to summon a Life source.¡± She leaned closer. ¡°Maybe even two.¡± I could smell her breath, taste it even. It was like lilacs but with a deeper, earthy scent that was arousing.


    ¡°But, but ¨C¡± I said, having difficulty forming words, ¡°what if we make a child?¡± There were countless other reasons why the two of us shouldn¡¯t spend a night together, but Twins twist me, that was the one that fell out of my mouth.


    ¡°It would be a blessing,¡± she said, managing to shock me even more than I already was. In my confusion, I failed to resist her slowly guiding me with her hand over to my bed.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± I said. My mind was trying, and failing, to catch up with what was happening.


    Her smile turned wan. ¡°Unlike you humans, we elves have difficulty conceiving. This is why the Twins have made us long-lived, so we have more time to make the attempt, and the Twelve reward our efforts.¡±


    Esmi understands me wanting to cultivate Life. Will she understand this? What if I¡¯m up too late with A¡¯cia, and I don¡¯t rise with the sun. I can¡¯t afford to lose another Order source. Air wants me to be free, is this freedom? Damn the source, you love, Esmi. Show her with your actions. But what good is your love for her if you end up dying? Will she thank your corpse for staying true?


    My racing, addled thoughts, had a familiar edge of hysteria to them, a sensation that, when I recognized it for what it was, gave me a much needed moment of clarity. Fear was fear, regardless of the catalyst, and I had faced much worse before; I was stronger than this. I planted my feet and removed A¡¯cia¡¯s hand from my chest.


    ¡°This offer of yours is very¡­ kind, A¡¯cia. But I am afraid that I cannot accept it.¡±


    She considered me, not angry but perplexed. ¡°You do not wish to learn?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, taking a deep breath to help regain proper control of myself. ¡°But I am engaged to another. Esmi, with the kobolds, from our classes.¡±


    ¡°But you two are not yet married?¡±


    The way she said ¡®married¡¯ made it clear to me it was a word she was unfamiliar with. ¡°That is true. But being engaged means we are promised to be married, so we behave in many ways as if we already are. One of those ways is staying true to each other. Not bedding other people,¡± I added when A¡¯cia still seemed somewhat in doubt, ¡°or doing anything physically romantic with anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Your Order cultivation runs deep,¡± the elf said, more to herself than me.


    I went to correct her before realizing that she probably had the right of it: restricting when and who we were intimate with surely created a more ordered society, at least on a familial level.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I offered instead. I had never been propositioned before and had no idea if I was rejecting her appropriately. I hoped I wasn¡¯t doing an unkind job of it.


    ¡°There is nothing to apologize for. Growing one thing only to endanger another is not the proper way.¡± A small laugh escaped her. ¡°Our guide here, Qi¡¯shen, claimed to have educated us on your ways, but I see now that there are still gaps in my knowledge as wide as a valley. No matter.¡± The look she gave me was more serious now. ¡°You will need to mate with Esmi. It will not be as productive since you are both new and unfamiliar with the proper techniques, so frequency will be important. I can also be there to provide guid ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I repeated, interrupting her as gently as I could; I wished I had stopped her sooner to avoid imagining what her words had brought to mind. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything like that, not until we are married.¡±


    A¡¯cia frowned at me, seeming like she was starting to get a tad annoyed by my humanisms. ¡°But you claimed being engaged was like being married?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I said, doing my best to be apologetic while also standing firm, ¡°but not in all ways, especially this one.¡±


    ¡°So many barriers here,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°It is no wonder that so few of your people cultivate more than a trace amount of Life. Come,¡± she said, taking my hand. ¡°I will teach you as we teach children.¡±


    ¡°Children?¡± I asked, not entirely comfortable to be touching her again. We were, however, moving to the center of the room, away from my bed, which was a good thing, and if it was taught to elf children, it had to be safe, didn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Face me,¡± she said, pulling me down to the empty metal floor. ¡°Knees touching.¡± I did as she bade, sitting cross-legged directly across from her, the joints of her legs lightly resting against mine. ¡°Eyes here,¡± she said, pointing to her purple irises, ¡°and try to blink infrequently.¡± She breathed in deeply, and it was a struggle to keep my attention forward considering how generously the Twins had endowed her. We were close enough that when she exhaled, I felt the edge of her breath tickle my face. ¡°Feel the life in me,¡± she said. ¡°Now you.¡± I did my best to mimic her, taking a lungful of air, similar to my Air cultivation, and then blowing it out. ¡°Do not push your breath out,¡± she said, ¡°let it release naturally. It is a cycle,¡± she said, breathing in again. ¡°Always around us.¡± She breathed out, and so I breathed in, realizing this time that I was inhaling her air. I nearly choked, but A¡¯cia was nodding encouragingly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You take in my Life, I take in yours. Do not stop the cycle.¡±


    I swallowed the air, breathing out raggedly, but with more repetitions, the intimacy of the cultivation grew less intimidating to me. Staring into her eyes helped some with this, primarily because looking at her so directly for such an extended period of time felt like an even worse breach of etiquette than breathing her air. If I was to do something like this, it should be with Esmi, not someone I had first shared words with only a few minutes ago. Still, A¡¯cia¡¯s eyes were beautiful ¨C hypnotic in their uniqueness. I wanted to ask if they were uncommon in her lands, but I got the distinct feeling that I wasn¡¯t supposed to be talking right now.


    Eventually though, the awkwardness was too much for me and I had to say something. ¡°Children do this?¡±


    ¡°For hours at a time,¡± she answered on her exhale. She said it almost as a challenge, and I decided to take it as such, focusing on doing better than those nameless young elves rather than on how this cultivation was making my body increasingly aware how very close it was to another body it found alluring.


    ¡°Well done,¡± she eventually said, breaking eye contact with me.


    The change was a shock, and I blinked repeatedly. We must have been at this for at least an hour, if not more, considering how bone dry my eyes felt. Despite my blinking, an afterimage of purple hovered in my vision, and I noticed that I was still breathing in the same shared pattern without conscious effort ¨C which I promptly lost the rhythm of as soon as I focused on it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do more in the morning,¡± A¡¯cia said, unexpectedly. Then she truly surprised me by disrobing ¨C with no shift underneath ¨C and slipping into E¡¯lal¡¯s bed, the one with vines growing up and around the metal frame. ¡°Rest well.¡±


    I sat on the floor, mouth agape for a time. After the training A¡¯cia had just done with me, I didn¡¯t think I had the heart to tell her that spending the night in the same room as someone who could be construed as a lover was also off limits when engaged, particularly so when that other person slept naked.


    When it was obvious she had no other plans than sleeping, I finally got up, shifted the logs of the fire some so they¡¯d gradually burn out, and then crawled into my own bed.


    I laid there awake for a time, hearing A¡¯cia breathe ¨C breath that had been on my face not long ago. I shifted, doing my best to rid myself of thoughts that would most certainly not help me slumber. It was a small blessing that the fire had been low when she had disrobed so I had seen very little. Still far too much.


    ¡°I seem to keep getting into trouble when Esmi¡¯s not around,¡± I whispered, so quietly the sound barely reached my own ears. If Esmi happened to stop by in the morning before A¡¯cia left, I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to explain the elf¡¯s presence. Maybe if I had A¡¯cia demonstrate the Life cultivation we were doing, perhaps guiding Esmi and I through it ¨C just the one made for children, of course. You¡¯re trying to fall asleep, remember? ¡°Twins,¡± I said with a tiny sigh, shutting my eyes tightly, ¡°please see me married soon. I don¡¯t think I can survive much longer alone.¡±

 B2: 18. Hull - Welcome to the Lows

    <div>


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    I dithered and skulked around the fortification¡¯s drainage grate for a good ten minutes before I realized what I was doing, and once I caught myself I was disgusted. She shows up once and you¡¯re ready to slink around on your belly after her like a kicked dog. She gave you a Twins-damned rock from the Demon Realm and that¡¯s supposed to make up for stealing your soul card and leaving you to die? She doesn¡¯t care, you moron. She ran into you by mistake, got out of it as quickly as she could, and you¡¯ll never see her again. Just accept it. I drove my fist into the solid metal wall, relishing the bloom of fire in my knuckles. That, at least, was a pain that I knew how to deal with.


    I needed to get to the Lows. Being absent two nights in a row after exiling a pair of my lieutenants was a bad idea. Still, I just¡­ something was missing. I turned away from the grate and crossed the darkened pathways to the far side of the compound. I snorted at my own weakness and stupidity, but that didn¡¯t stop me from knocking once I got to the right door, or from feeling a rush of relief when Basil immediately cracked it open.


    ¡°Not sleeping?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡±


    His vest was rumpled and his shirt partially untucked beneath it as if he¡¯d been lying down fully clothed. He looked a little wild about the eyes in the nearby globe light. ¡°Hull! I, ah¡­ have had a difficult night.¡±


    From inside I heard a throaty female voice. ¡°Is that your friend? Perhaps if he joined us you¡¯d feel more at ease.¡±


    Basil hastily stepped outside the barracks hut and shut the door behind him, but not before I peeked in and saw a naked elf girl sitting up in the far bed. I gaped at him. ¡°Basil!¡±


    He waved his hands in frantic negation. ¡°Please keep your voice down. You¡¯ll make it all worse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with an elf?¡±


    ¡°I am not,¡± he hissed, clutching at his mussed hair.


    I gave him a flat stare and pointed at the closed door.


    Even in the dim light I could see him flush. ¡°I know what it looks like, Hull. Twins save me, I know. She wanted to help me cultivate Life source, and¡­¡±


    I shook my head, thinking back on the brief, impressive glimpse I¡¯d seen. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m not cultivating Life right now.¡± I squinted at him suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re really telling me you didn¡¯t touch her?¡±


    ¡°I swear it on my own card,¡± he said, clapping his hands over his heart. ¡°If I¡¯d had anywhere else to go, I¡¯d have done so, but the elves are allies, and I didn¡¯t want to offend, and, and¡­ then even after I¡¯d said ¡®no thank you¡¯ in the very politest and most proper way possible, still she shucked off her clothes like they were on fire before getting in bed. Thank you for coming to get me ¨C I was at my wits¡¯ end.¡± He hooked an arm through mine and led me firmly away from the hut. ¡°We can stroll and talk for a while. Perhaps she¡¯ll be gone when I return. Twins, let it be so. What would I tell Esmi?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Poor Basil. More pretty women than he knows what to do with.¡±


    He gave my arm a friendly slap. ¡°Hush. Do say you¡¯ll keep this to yourself, won¡¯t you?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°If Esmi¡¯s caught between you and Gale, it might give her a good push to know she¡¯s got some competition.¡±


    He sighed and sagged as he remembered the rest of his predicament. ¡°It would give her a push, all right, but in entirely the wrong direction. She¡¯s not that kind of woman, Hull. She values me; I know she does. The issue is more a question of defying her parents, which isn¡¯t an easy thing. We¡¯re taught from the cradle that the House comes first.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything,¡± I promised. ¡°Though if you ask me, it¡¯s a damned waste to show all that self-restraint and not let your woman know anything about it.¡± I stopped in front of the hidden grate, an idea springing to mind. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re not sleeping anyways, why don¡¯t you come to the Lows with me tonight? I¡¯ve got a access to a card there that¡¯s as good as a solid night of shut-eye ¨C¡± It was hard to force out the last words, but they were the reason I¡¯d knocked on his door in the first place. ¡°¨C and I could use a friend¡¯s company.¡±


    He cocked his head and considered me in the shadows of the street. ¡°You are not the same man I first met, Hull.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass,¡± I growled, my face heating in the darkness. ¡°You coming or not?¡±


    ¡°It would be my great pleasure,¡± he said with quiet dignity. I thought for a second he might even bow, but at least he spared me that. He was less gracious when I showed him the drainage gate and led him through the dark and the wet, but he kept his prissy grumbling to a minimum, and soon enough we were well away from the fortification and walking back to the city.


    ¡°What a curious feeling of freedom,¡± he said, breathing deep of the forest air. ¡°I can see why you like to return to your old haunts like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for a quiet stroll, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just that if I don¡¯t take care of things, Ticosi¡¯s old thugs will take over for him, and then things keep going just like they always did.¡± The injustice of it all burned in my chest like it always did when I got to thinking about it. It felt like holding Nether, but cleaner somehow. ¡°It¡¯s not right, this whole part of the city having no cards and no jobs.¡±


    Basil squirmed uneasily. ¡°There are other poor spots in Treledyne, you know. Catchpole, Hillside, the Docks.¡±


    ¡°None are half so bad off as the Lows, and you know it,¡± I said, trying to rein in my temper. He was a noble; of course he¡¯d try to wave the problem away. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Ticosi got away with taking every damn card in the neighborhood for all those years, not to mention flaunting a whole deck full of Chaos right in the middle of the city. Somebody had to have known.¡±


    Basil looked at his feet for a long moment. The trees were thinning out as we approached the city. ¡°Father told me once the Lows were off-limits to the City Watch.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°No shit. Did he say why?¡±


    He spread his hands. ¡°I was a child at the time. I didn¡¯t think to ask. But there are only so many people with the authority to give him that kind of order.¡±


    I clenched my fist. ¡°Hestorus. Every time I turn around, he¡¯s the problem.¡±


    He scanned the air and made shushing noises. ¡°You never know if he might be listening.¡±


    ¡°Let him listen,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s so obsessed with this idea of making more high-rarity souls, of elevating humanity, that he doesn¡¯t actually care what happens to any of the rest of us. He already knows what I think, Basil.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may,¡± he said shakily, ¡°perhaps we can find a large troll and poke it with sticks instead of continuing the conversation? It sounds safer.¡±


    I let out a pent-up breath and tried to shake off my anger. It wasn¡¯t easy, and we walked for a ways in silence before I could find something else to focus on. ¡°Speaking of elevation, what about that new soul ability of yours? You said you¡¯d show me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, brightening. ¡°A wonderful idea. Pull one of your cards for me, if you would. I can only do one, so choose carefully ¨C whichever you¡¯re most interested in elevating.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I wanted to upgrade all of my cards, but which to look at first? My Sucking Void sprang immediately to mind. It had been my first Nether card, and despite its drawbacks it still served me well in nearly every match. Of course, the same could be said for the Hateful Hammer, and I¡¯d been considering a sidegrade for my Night Terror to make it a more reliable summons, hadn¡¯t I? Or the Marauders. Twins, what would the Marauders look like at Epic? I practically drooled at the thought.


    The city was creeping up on us, and I wanted to have my cards securely back in my Mind Home before we reached the Lows, so I started pulling, considering one after the next. The Talisman of Spite was another strong contender ¨C it was the linchpin that of a lot of my other cards fed into. In the end, though, I handed my friend the Sucking Void. That was where I¡¯d really gotten my start; it felt right to make it the first focus for elevation. I can always ask him to take a look at the others another day.


    Basil nodded as if he¡¯d known all along which one I¡¯d pick, and then settled the card in his hand, rubbing the other over the top of it like he was warming it up. ¡°I can do it from memory,¡± he murmured, ¡°but it feels better to have the card in hand. I believe I get a clearer sense of the possibilities this way.¡± He breathed in and out slowly as we walked, his eyes closed. I kept a hand on his elbow and watched the road for any tall cobbles or loose stones in his path.


    ¡°This becomes truly remarkable at Mythic,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m seeing one path that increases the invulnerability to 5 turns. It costs 3 of any source instead of the current 2, so that alters the tempo of play somewhat, but with a larger deck you rarely bring it out early anyways. Ohhh, but let¡¯s consider this: it could also stay at 3 turns and only destroy half your remaining deck. That keeps its cost at 2. Incredible.¡±


    I watched his face hungrily. ¡°I wish I could see them.¡±


    ¡°I do too,¡± he said, opening his eyes. ¡°Perhaps¡­ have you heard of sharing soul cards? I wonder if we could try something similar. It¡¯s not a thing to do on the road in the middle of the night, and to be frank it¡¯s generally reserved for family members and those very closest to you ¨C but given all we¡¯ve been through, my friend, I do believe you qualify.¡±


    My heart gave a lurch inside me, and all I could do for a long moment was press my lips shut and nod my head. How this boy could say such heartfelt things so openly, so honestly, I couldn¡¯t imagine. I reached for low humor, and that loosened my tongue. ¡°It¡¯s not like cultivating Life, is it?¡±


    He gave me a shocked look and burst into surprised laughter. ¡°Oh, Twins! No, that it is not. Twelve save me, what do I do if A¡¯cia doesn¡¯t leave me alone?¡±


    I shrugged and gave him an innocent grin. ¡°Maybe Esmi would take you both.¡±


    That brought more scandalized laughter, although he quickly sobered. ¡°That is how the elves do it, you know. These ones, at least. She told me she is already, ah, partnered with both of the others. Esmi would most emphatically not be amenable to such things.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Different folks do things different ways.¡± I¡¯d heard about a woman living on Hook Street years ago who kept three different husbands. Most of the women I overheard gossiping about it sounded more envious than anything else, though none of the men sounded quite so keen on it. One way or the other, though, nobody made too much fuss that I ever found out about. In the Lows, everybody was just trying to get to the next day, and no one had the energy to spare for outrage. It didn¡¯t surprise me that nobles might feel otherwise.


    I gestured to the card he still held. ¡°Any other interesting possibilities?¡±


    He ran his hand over the card again and closed his eyes for a brief moment. ¡°Hmm, yes, I see another. It would change the utility of the card, but I¡¯m visualizing a version that drops the deck destruction entirely and makes all your Souls invulnerable for 3 turns instead of you.¡±


    My eyebrows rose as I imagined my little squad of demons wreaking havoc without taking any damage at all. ¡°That sounds incredible.¡±


    He handed the card back. ¡°Truly. Any one of those outcomes would be beneficial, I think.¡±


    I mused on the options as I put the card back behind my ear and let it slide into my Mind Home. ¡°I think I¡¯d rather only lose half my deck than take the extra turns of invulnerability.¡± We were well inside the city walls now; we¡¯d be to the Lows in just a few minutes.


    Basil made a non-committal sound. ¡°It was hard enough for your opponents to stall you for 3 turns. If you had 5, you might not need more of your deck at that point. Plus, it¡¯s an extra 2 turns of card draw, which minimizes what you¡¯re losing.¡±


    He was right, of course, but I wasn¡¯t done mulling it over. ¡°Either way, I think I¡¯d take those over putting the Spell on my Souls instead of me. They can¡¯t be damaged, sure, but anything that destroys without doing damage ¨C like your Equality ¨C that would still take them out, am I right?¡±


    He patted my shoulder, beaming. ¡°Excellent. You¡¯re learning quickly.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a question of more turns or less card loss,¡± I said, rubbing my chin.


    ¡°There¡¯s no great rush to decide,¡± Basil assured me. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve managed to break down a, ahem, certain stash of cards for useful shards, you won¡¯t have the funds for a Mythic upgrade any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but I¡¯m working on it,¡± I said, feeling proud of myself. ¡°I told you I¡¯m learning from the Relicsmith Roshum, right? He¡¯s started showing me the steps for processing a breakdown, and he said he¡¯d give me the list of ingredients as soon as I knew what I was doing. The only problem is that he doesn¡¯t have the more expensive stuff, the alchemical whatevers. I still have to figure that part out.¡±


    ¡°Nothing stops you for long,¡± Basil said, favoring me with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see where you¡¯ll end up.¡±


    ¡°The Lows is where I¡¯ll end up,¡± I said, sweeping an arm around to show him that we¡¯d entered my domain. ¡°It¡¯s where I started, after all.¡±


    His smile faltered as he took in his surroundings. ¡°Oh my. It certainly has character.¡± He started drawing source and putting it overhead.


    I chuckled. ¡°Relax, lordling. You might be a midnight snack around here most days, but you¡¯re walking with the Big Man. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°All the same,¡± he whispered, ¡°if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± He summoned a Soul.


    I shrugged. ¡°Not a bad idea, if it makes you feel better.¡±


    He nodded vigorously, his eyes wide as dinner plates as he tried to look in all directions at once. ¡°It very much does, thank you.¡±


    I suddenly realized that I didn¡¯t have to go around wondering exactly what card he¡¯d summoned anymore. I dug the glass eyepatch we¡¯d all been issued out of my pocket and strapped it on my face. Now when I looked at the Soul I could see everything about it. It felt like being back under the Dueling Dome, and I was surprised at how wistful that made me.


    ¡°Good card,¡± I grunted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear yours?¡± I said, pointing to my eye covering.


    Basil looked faintly embarrassed. ¡°My soul abilities make it fairly redundant.¡±


    ¡°Lucky,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m tempted to start sleeping with mine on just to get used to it.¡±


    We chatted about our advisors as we walked the last stretch to Roshum¡¯s place. Basil had some grudging, guardedly good things to say about his half-crazy Chaos mentor, but I couldn¡¯t say the same about Badgou. She¡¯d hardly even looked at my cards yet. She kept grilling me on what Demon rifts I¡¯d seen and how I¡¯d found them, and she didn¡¯t seem to believe me when I said I¡¯d never been to one. When I¡¯d asked what cards she recommended I add, she¡¯d shown me nothing but Earth cards even though I told her I couldn¡¯t use them. If she did the same during our next session, I planned to go to Edaine and tell her I needed someone else to advise me. Dwarves and I were not a good fit.


    I rounded the corner onto Bagger Lane and was glad to see light spilling out of Roshum¡¯s shop a few blocks down. As I got closer, though, a nagging sense of unease tugged at me, and I gradually slowed until I came to a stop just a handful of houses away.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Basil asked, stepping reflexively behind his Shieldmaster.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± I muttered. ¡°Something¡¯s different.¡± I snapped my fingers. ¡°He¡¯s using blue globes, that¡¯s what it is. Wonder why. He said he hates working under blue light. Washes out the colors.¡± I started forward, but then I stopped again two steps later. ¡°And the kid¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°Kid?¡± Basil asked, looking tense.


    ¡°The little girl I told you about. Roshum says she hangs around at night even when he doesn¡¯t have her sweep.¡± I chewed my lip. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s asleep. It¡¯s probably nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hull,¡± Basil whispered. ¡°You¡¯ve lived here your whole life. If something feels wrong, then something is wrong.¡±


    The words slotted home in my head, and I started pulling source and cards. The draw wasn¡¯t great, but suddenly I felt the urgent need to summon something. I focused my 2 summoned Nether and brought forth the only card in hand I could easily afford without overextending myself.


    The moment the mist of summoning started to coalesce, I heard a shout from a darkened alleyway behind me. ¡°He¡¯s summoning! Go, go now! Everybody go!¡±


    Men and Souls poured out of Roshum¡¯s shop and from alleys both ahead and behind. Basil stiffened and started summoning. No one waited. A full crowd was running at us from all sides, a good twenty people or more, weapons out and screaming at the top of their lungs.


    It was a proper Lows welcome, and I cursed myself that I hadn¡¯t seen it coming sooner. I¡¯d just let us get ambushed.

 B2: 19. Hull - The Cost of a Card

    Basil gripped me hard by the elbow as the attackers pelted toward us. ¡°Strike first,¡± he said.


    My heart raced. ¡°We¡¯re not set up!¡±


    He summoned another Soul, checked his cards in hand, and cursed softly. ¡°We push with what we have and figure it out as we go.¡± His Shieldbearer stepped in front of him, and his new summons, a Metal Golem, rushed out to meet the attackers as Basil pointed the way.


    I meant to send my Ghastly in after him, but I was overwhelmed and frightened by the mass of Souls approaching us. The Gremlin wasn¡¯t a good first play, but it was what I had out, and I wasn¡¯t going to waste it on an attack when I needed blockers right now. I could see Priyam, Merrun, and Jubal all in the back ranks with sources circling their heads and looks of flat murder on their faces. And there in the rear were Dachs and Kernona, side-by-side and sending their summons after me ¨C the summons I¡¯d taken from them and entrusted to Harker. Sons of bitches. They¡¯d all turned on me at once. I should have guessed it would come to this. I summoned my Hammer and braced myself as three Souls converged on me.


    My mind was going a mile a minute. I had just enough time to put my cards on the float, pull the brass knuckles Artifact from my pocket, and extend the claws before the impact. I didn¡¯t have any Nether to juice the knucks with, but they¡¯d hit decently hard all on their own, and they could swing freely.


    None of the Souls were coordinating, and neither were the Summoners behind them, and I sent a prayer up to Fate for making Ticosi¡¯s lieutenants such suspicious, independent hardasses. I knew Kernona had a Shieldbearer, Dachs had the Soldier with Unit, and there were probably half a dozen other Souls that would synergize well together if only their owners got their shit together and worked as a team. As it was, maybe Basil and I stood a chance of surviving. I steered my Ghastly Gremlin toward the Headsman, swung my Hammer at the Soldier, and lashed out at the Troglodyte Spitter with my brass knuckle claws. Off to one side Basil was doing much the same sort of thing at the center of a knot of attacking Souls. No time for that; I had to worry about my own skin for a second.


    The Headsman and Gremlin destroyed each other, and my claws took the throat out of the troggie, sending a glittering spray of light into the night. Its claws scored my ribs, and I used the one Ravening Hatchling I had in hand to block the blow, knowing I¡¯d get it back in just a few moments.


    My Hammer took the Soldier in the chest, and I braced for another blow in return, knowing in advance that I¡¯d take the hit on the deck ¨C I wanted to keep everything I had in hand. I was having a hard time thinking very far ahead like I¡¯d learned to do in my duels ¨C everything moved so much faster and more chaotically with this many Summoners in the mix.


    The Soldier¡¯s hit never fell. Instead I heard a clang, and there was Basil¡¯s Master Shieldbearer, one round shield extended in front of my face to take the hit from the Soldier. It dented the shield, but the Soul merely nodded to me, its eyes inscrutable inside its full helm, and then spun away back to its owner.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I gasped at Basil. He gave a distracted little hand flip that might have been an acknowledgement ¨C he was too hard-pressed to do anything more.


    More Souls pressed forward, eyes blank and weapons at the ready. The lieutenants were still keeping their distance, but if I could weather another round or two, I could get my feet under me. I had enough source now to start putting out my bigger cards. I wanted to get a Marauder on the field ¨C I had one in hand ¨C but it made better sense to do something else while I was still on the back foot.


    The damage from the Imp began to power up my Talisman, and I used it to summon my other Ghastly Gremlin from hand, sending both the Souls into the fray. I pointed the flying Imp over the heads of the warring Souls directly at Dachs. They¡¯d all put everything they had on the field in the hopes of overwhelming me ¨C which they were on the verge of doing ¨C but that meant a single hit from the Imp could end him. I¡¯d hesitated to kill the man before, but with chaos ringing in my ears and Basil grunting in panic at my back, I decided I had changed my mind.


    Unfortunately, the bastard¡¯s damned little Kestrel swooped in at the last second to deflect the attack, and both Souls died in a shower of sparkling shards. My charging Gremlin bounced off an Uncommon Shieldbearer, doing some damage but not breaking through before it died.


    I followed up against the wounded Shieldbearer, swiping first with my clawed knuckles and then slamming down with my Hammer. I felt a surge of power pass through the sparkling shards of the dying Soul to slam into its Summoner, and Jubal cried out and went to one knee. A sense of fierce satisfaction boiled in me. I only wished I¡¯d had enough Nether free to charge up the hit and to take him out of the fight entirely.


    I looked over to Basil and felt my righteous anger spike into alarm. He was fully surrounded, and his Master Shieldbearer was gone. He was still summoning ¨C his Condor was swooping down on a Summoner behind the lines ¨C but he was in real trouble, shedding card confetti left and right as no fewer than five Souls whacked away at him. Even Commons could spell the end of a good duelist if there were enough of them all at once. Not even stopping to think about it, I devoted my one available Nether and threw my Sucking Void in his direction as it summoned, willing it to him instead of myself.


    I breathed a sigh of relief as the starlight casing settled about him and he straightened, watching in obvious amazement as the Souls that were attacking him no longer did any harm. He didn¡¯t waste any time on useless thanks, though ¨C he summoned another Metal Golem and sent it into the mix. A second later a new type of bird joined it.


    I wondered whether my deck or his would disappear at the end of 3 turns. Edaine had said that we¡¯d be doing 2-on-2 fights soon, but Basil and I were getting an early lesson on the fly, and if it went poorly, it¡¯d be our last one. The Hammer lightened in my hand, and I turned my attention back to the Souls nearest to me.


    I blinked in surprise when Roshum¡¯s little sweeper girl Bryll popped into existence literally out of nowhere, appearing right behind a regular Troglodyte with a broken cobblestone in her hand, which she smashed on its head. It swiped her with its claws as it shattered, leaving her hissing in pain and clutching at her bloodied shirt, and then she vanished.


    What the hell? The girl had a soul card, apparently, and a damn good one. What was she doing? I looked around to see where she¡¯d gone, and my jaw dropped when I saw half a dozen pint-sized urchins darting in and out amongst the fighting Souls, one with a dagger, another with a nail-studded club. One skinny little boy had Fire source circling his head! That one pulled up short and slapped his hands together as his 3 flame spheres dimmed. A source firebolt whistled across the street and took Boramun, the squirreliest of Ticosi¡¯s enforcers, square in the face. He dropped like the dead man he suddenly was, and a couple of Souls vanished from view. That little urchin bugger had just killed one of the most powerful people in the Lows. Where did these kids come from?


    Curses and cries rose from Priyam and the others, and I saw the burly thug lash out with a knife at a passing child, who screamed and crumpled. ¡°Stop it!¡± I raged. Attacking me made sense, but going after the kids made my vision go red. I pulled the Night Terror and readied myself to summon it. Play time was over; this fight had to end now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t summon anything for a second,¡± Basil said urgently.


    ¡°Have you looked around?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± he said, holding up a card. ¡°If only I¡¯d drawn this one sooner.¡±


    Giant scales rose up from the ground, sweeping up the gaggle of fighting Souls still harassing us on one side and only Basil¡¯s wounded Condor on the other. Then the scales dropped to the ground, and a good eight or nine enemy Souls shattered into light, leaving only one bewildered Guard standing right by me. A swipe of my Hammer with a hefty infusion of Nether dropped him and sent a bolt of energy through to Kernona, who fell to her hands and knees gushing blood from her mouth ¨C it looked like the hit had crushed her chest. The lieutenants still on their feet turned tail and ran. The fight was over.


    Tall, commanding Priyam had other ideas. He had Order and Fire circling his head and a crazed look in his eye. ¡°You cowards!¡± he shouted after them. ¡°You¡¯re missing the best part!¡± He pulled on his Fire source all at once.


    I should have guessed that they¡¯d get their hands on more powerful cards if they could ¨C Ticosi wasn¡¯t here to stop them. The Soul was ten feet tall. It crackled and hissed when it moved, and the wooden walls fifteen feet on either side started to smolder. If it stayed summoned for more than a minute, the whole street would go up in flames.


    ¡°Like my new card, you little asshole?¡± he screamed at me. ¡°I¡¯m going to roast you alive and eat your eyeballs.¡± He pointed straight at me. ¡°That one! Kill him!¡±


    The great elemental lumbered forward, its maw opening in a frightful shriek that sounded like sizzling pine sap and the death cry of a thousand forest animals. I braced for it. I could take the hit off my deck if I needed to, but it was probably a better idea to summon the Night Terror and let them kill each other.


    ¡°I think not,¡± Basil said primly.


    The Elemental sank to one knee, hissing at us in some language I didn¡¯t understand. I ignored it entirely, my eyes catching on the pathetic heap of skinny limbs at Priyam¡¯s feet. Those dirty, underfed legs lay in a spreading pool of blood and stuck out of an old potato sack I¡¯d seen just a couple of days before.


    It was Pekka, the little boy I¡¯d told Bryll to get medicine for. Whatever she¡¯d given him must have gotten him back on his feet quick. No physiker¡¯s tincture would help him now.


    Priyam faced me with his head high. ¡°You¡¯ll never run the Lows. If you were in my shoes, you¡¯d have done the same.¡±


    A great sadness filled me. I¡¯d tried so hard to show these fools a better way, and all they¡¯d seen was a kid scrambling for power. They¡¯d never learn. I should have made my Night Terror smash the building with them inside that first day when I confronted them; it would have turned out better for everyone. Especially Pekka.


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    I wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice. ¡°If I could kill you a hundred times, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough,¡± I told him. I pulled all my remaining source.


    Priyam disappeared in an explosion of purple, and the walls on all sides turned red with blood and bits of flesh. The Elemental vanished.


    ¡°Twins,¡± Basil breathed. ¡°Hull, you¡­ Twins shelter me.¡±


    The blowback from the Spell knocked the Ravening Hatchling and both Demon Marauders from my hand, and the Talisman hummed on my chest, all charged up with nowhere to go now that the fighting was done. I barely noticed any of it. The blood on the walls looked almost black in the light pouring from Roshum¡¯s shop. I¡¯d seen plenty of death before, but nothing like this. I¡¯d considered Priyam¡¯s death, thought it through, and then made it happen. Sure, I¡¯d killed Ticosi and let my demons eat him, and that had been gruesome, but¡­ this felt like a very different thing. Weightier. Sadder. More adult. My heart hurt. It felt swollen inside of me.


    The worst part was that I wasn¡¯t done yet.


    Bryll trotted up looking grimly satisfied. ¡°About time you did something useful,¡± she said.


    ¡°What were you thinking, charging in like that?¡± I demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t care what fancy soul ability you¡¯ve got ¨C and we¡¯re going to have a talk about that, you¡¯d better believe it ¨C but you can¡¯t just jump in where big folk are slinging cards and start throwing rocks. How did you stay alive all these years? What kind of stupid are you?¡±


    Her face folded up into a scowl. ¡°The kind that saved your ass, Little Big Man.¡±


    ¡°You could have died!¡± I said, dimly realizing that I was shouting. ¡°Look!¡± I flung a shaking finger at Pekka¡¯s body. ¡°Look what happens.¡±


    She saw the boy¡¯s body for the first time, and her mouth screwed up in a knot, blonde hair falling across her face. ¡°Shit. I told him not to come. Shit.¡± She dashed the back of her hand across her eyes angrily. ¡°They were hurting Roshum. We wanted to help.¡±


    I took a deep breath, fists clenched, a flood of hurt and rage ready to fall out of my mouth. But then I saw how she couldn¡¯t look away from Pekka¡¯s body, how the tears streaked her dirty face despite her efforts not to cry, and the air came back out of me in a silent rush. ¡°I know, kid. Twins take me. You did help. You tipped the scales.¡± She didn¡¯t need a grown-up yelling at her right now. Twins, when did I become one of the grown-ups? I looked over to the skinny little Fire kid who was hovering right beside the nearest alley like he might dart away at any second. ¡°How¡¯d you end up with 3 Fire, kid? Never seen a street boy do that before.¡±


    He gave a shy smile and held up his hands. In the light from Roshum¡¯s shop I could see that his palms and fingers were a solid mass of burn scars, slick and shiny-looking.


    ¡°Twins,¡± I said, wincing. ¡°D¡¯you fall into a fire?¡±


    He shook his head, saying nothing.


    I waited, but the silence stretched on. ¡°Not a big talker, are you?¡±


    ¡°He held his hands over a candle,¡± Bryll said, sounding proud. ¡°A little at a time every day for more than a year. He¡¯s Naydarin. Says he wants to be a Sourcerer.¡±


    I shook my head, bemused. These kids were a damn sight sharper than I¡¯d ever been. I may have gotten more source, but it mostly just happened, and I never even heard the word Sourcerer until I got to War Camp. ¡°You¡¯ve got good aim, Naydarin. Don¡¯t go burning things that don¡¯t need it, though.¡±


    He gave me a withering look of scorn that only a child could manage, and I left him be. My heart still felt oversized and achy in my chest. I wanted to see how Roshum had fared. Inside the shop I saw broken glass littering the floor, and the chair where the old man usually sat was in splinters in the corner. The Relicsmith was bent over one of his tools ¨C a source well, he¡¯d told me, used for trapping any shreds of source that weren¡¯t of the type you were working with while you focused the right kind into a card. It was bent in half, its prism-holding swing arms tilting crazily in every direction. His lip was split, there was blood in his hair, and one eye was blacked, but from his furious mutters, he couldn¡¯t have been too badly hurt.


    ¡°Hey there, boss,¡± I said gently. ¡°Thanks for using the blue lights. I¡¯d have stepped the shit without that.¡±


    He threw the source well down on the counter. ¡°You did step in it, you ass. Look around! You think this is business as usual?¡±


    I crossed to him and put a careful hand on his shoulder. He was trembling like a leaf. ¡°How bad are you hurt?¡±


    From behind me, Basil murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have any Life source yet. If I did, I could heal him.¡±


    Roshum passed a shaky hand over his brow, looking at the blood that smeared onto his hand in surprise and disgust. ¡°No, young master, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve taken worse hurts. It¡¯s just when you see things changing for the better, you hope they¡¯ll stay that way, and they never do. I¡¯m too old to be getting my hopes up anymore.¡±


    ¡°I brought trouble to your door,¡± I said, a pang of distress making my hands clench. That feeling of something being wrong inside me ¨C swollen ¨C got a little worse. ¡°If I weren¡¯t hanging around here to learn, they never would have come here.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Roshum muttered, snatching a broom from the floor. ¡°An apprentice is supposed to make their master money, not cost them.¡±


    I sighed. I had such great plans of learning Relicsmithing ¨C at least enough to break down my Chaos cards ¨C but I was being unfair to the old fellow. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll stop coming around.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± he snapped. ¡°You¡¯re one of the quickest studies I¡¯ve seen in years. Don¡¯t give those shits what they want.¡±


    Bryll marched in and snatched the broom out of Roshum¡¯s hands, glaring at me as if I¡¯d ordered the old man to clean up. Then she set to sweeping up the broken glass.


    A groan came from behind the cabinet that separated the storeroom shelves from the work area. Roshum grunted. ¡°Forgot about that. Damned woman.¡±


    Curious, I peeked around the corner. Hogtied on the floor, a huge purpling goose egg on her forehead, lay Harker. Anger swelled in my already-pained heart, and I crouched beside her, roughly yanking the gag out of her mouth. ¡°Fancy meeting you here. Looks like the Big Man¡¯s second has been sneaking around behind his back.¡±


    ¡°What..?¡± she slurred, eyes unfocused. ¡°Hull? Alive?¡±


    ¡°No thanks to you,¡± I said, fighting to keep from snarling. ¡°Imagine my surprise when Dachs and Kernona came at me with the cards I¡¯d taken back. The ones I gave to you.¡±


    ¡°Gave them back,¡± she groaned, laying her head back on the floor. ¡°Said they¡¯d follow me.¡±


    I nodded, feeling both a hurt and an anger at having my suspicions confirmed. ¡°If Hull¡¯s stripping cards from the enforcers, it¡¯s time to get rid of him, right?¡±


    ¡°Just wanted to plan,¡± she said, her words sounding clearer as she regained consciousness. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready to make a move ¨C not enough cards. Lieutenants were still split. But Priyam caught us meeting. I think Dachs sold me out.¡±


    A harsh laugh escaped me. ¡°Everybody competing to betray the Big Man. Looks like you weren¡¯t very good at the whole conspiracy thing.¡±


    She wormed her way into a sitting position against the shelves. She looked utterly defeated. ¡°I told them not to do it. Attacking now was suicide.¡± She touched the lump on her head gingerly. ¡°They disagreed.¡±


    ¡°You had the right of it,¡± I said, standing. ¡°Priyam¡¯s insides are painting the walls, Boramun¡¯s dead and maybe Kernona, and the rest are running for their lives.¡±


    ¡°Gotta kill them,¡± she said flatly.


    I stopped in my tracks. ¡°Them?¡± I made my voice as cold as I could.


    She nodded wearily. ¡°Me too. I get it. But if you let them go to ground, you¡¯ll just have to do this again, and the longer it goes the more cards they might get their hands on.¡±


    The tiny Sourcerer boy slipped into the rear of the shop next to me and silently handed me a thin stack of cards.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I said.


    He pointed mutely out toward the street, and somehow I knew he meant he¡¯d collected the cards from the dead enforcers in the streets.


    ¡°Did they have soul cards?¡± I asked him.


    He shook his head and held out his other hand, delivering a pile of Basic shards. I wasn¡¯t surprised. Working for Ticosi wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of thing that elevated a person, not even in bad ways.


    I slipped the shards into a pocket. ¡°Thanks, Nay. Stick around for a bit.¡± I flipped through the cards. I¡¯d seen Kernona¡¯s before ¨C so she was dead ¨C but both Boramun¡¯s and Priyam¡¯s were new to me.


    There wasn¡¯t a single chance in all Fortune¡¯s turnings that Ticosi let Priyam have an Epic. He must have been planning and saving for a while to get his hands on such a powerful Soul. Harker¡¯s words came back to me and rang true in my vibrating, expanded heart. If I didn¡¯t hunt down the rest of the enforcers, I¡¯d face more of the same, and they¡¯d probably be smarter about it next time.


    First things first, though. ¡°Roshum,¡± I called. ¡°Will you come back here?¡±


    The old man shuffled into view, looking from me to Harker hesitantly. He¡¯d probably worried he¡¯d find the woman dead and me telling him to clean up the mess. I tried not to take it personally. Ticosi had trained us all to expect the worst from each other.


    I held out the Salamander. ¡°Would this help with melting down metals for your Relics?¡±


    His mouth gaped open, and he reached for the card hesitantly. ¡°I¡­ yes, it most certainly would. Running my little forge makes it hot as hell in here, and it takes more hands than I have.¡±


    He let the card dangle between our hands, and I took mine away so he was forced to take possession of the thing. ¡°You have Fire source?¡±


    ¡°No, but I have a fabricator I use sometimes. Hull, what¡­ why are you giving this to me?¡±


    ¡°Because you can put it to good use,¡± I said roughly. ¡°That¡¯s what cards are for, not hoarding.¡± I spotted Bryll peeking past the old man. ¡°You too, kid. Come here.¡±


    She approached warily.


    ¡°Your soul has to be Rare at least, am I right?¡±


    She looked suspicious, but she finally nodded.


    ¡°You have source?¡±


    ¡°Two Order,¡± she said grudgingly.


    ¡°Good.¡± I handed her the Human Guard. She reached for it eagerly, but I held onto it tightly, pulling her closer. When she scowled at me, I said, ¡°You put yourself in harm¡¯s way to protect people, and I want you to do it more, do it better. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving you this. If I hear that you or your little friends are lording it over anybody and making trouble, there¡¯s a demon with your name on it. Understand?¡± I let go of the card, and she cradled it. ¡°Don¡¯t let your people end up like Pekka.¡±


    She nodded, suddenly solemn.


    I held the Kobold out to Naydarin. ¡°Same goes for you, little man. You could have run off with these cards, but you brought them to the Big Man instead. Keep doing the right thing.¡±


    I was surprised when he shook his head firmly.


    ¡°This will make you one of the most powerful people in the neighborhood,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll be like those assholes you helped me fight, except you don¡¯t have to be an asshole.¡±


    ¡°He wants to be a Sourcerer,¡± Bryll says. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even take the Epic if you tried to give it to him.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Rules are still the same, whether it¡¯s cards or source. You with me?¡±


    Naydarin nodded, a gleam in his eye.


    ¡°Madness,¡± Harker whispered. ¡°They¡¯ll turn on you.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s you,¡± I said. ¡°I tried to tell you this was how the Lows works now, but you refused to believe me.¡±


    She struggled to her feet, still bound hand and foot. ¡°Get it over with, then.¡±


    Snorting, I pulled my knife ¨C the multiplying one I¡¯d taken off of Ticosi¡¯s body ¨C and slashed the cords holding her. ¡°You¡¯re not getting off that easy.¡±


    I pulled her out into the street, and the others followed. My source still circled my head. I¡¯d dismissed my Hammer and put away my brass knuckles, but my cards still floated beside me. I focused what I needed and summoned the Soul I had between my fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed all the fun,¡± the huge demon boomed, looking at the dead bodies in the street. ¡°How dare you not summon me for the blood-letting?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to come,¡± I told it. ¡°And when it¡¯s done, you owe me information.¡± I¡¯d gotten precious little of that from my mother when I¡¯d actually seen her, and I hoped the wily demon would fill in some blanks for me. I rubbed my aching chest. The discomfort was getting worse. Am I having a heart seizure? I¡¯m not some fat old man.


    Harker was looking up at the demon in horror. ¡°Not like this. Please. Just cut my throat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re going with him, and you¡¯re going to hunt down every last one of the enforcers that ran. He kills them and then you find the next. You don¡¯t stop ¡®til it¡¯s done. I don¡¯t care if it takes weeks; he¡¯ll stay summoned. Try to run and he¡¯ll step on you.¡± Craning my head up toward the Night Terror, I said, ¡°You only kill the ones she points out. If you have to knock down a building, you let her clear it first. Understand?¡±


    ¡°The truest art occurs under the harshest restrictions,¡± the great demon said. ¡°I will paint a masterpiece in blood.¡± The massive head cocked to one side. ¡°And when it is done? Is this one to be the grace note on my symphony of screams?¡±


    I looked to Harker. She had her jaw set and was looking at nothing. She fully expected to die. Ticosi would have strung her up already. ¡°No.¡±


    She stared at me in shock.


    ¡°Your cards,¡± I said, holding out a hand. I kept massaging my chest with the other.


    Numbly, looking confused, she pulled five cards from behind her ear, piling them into my outstretched palm.


    ¡°When it¡¯s done, send the demon back to me with their cards and leave. You¡¯ve helped me as much as you¡¯ve hurt, and I think you¡¯re smart enough not to be like Dachs and Kernona. Am I right?¡±


    She nodded jerkily, looking like she¡¯d just taken another hard blow to the head.


    ¡°Goodbye, Harker. Go find some other place to live, and let¡¯s never think of each other again.¡±


    She wandered away as if she were walking through fog, and the Night Terror boomed away after her one slow step at a time.


    ¡°Had I known how the night was going to progress, I might have stayed with A¡¯cia,¡± Basil said dryly. ¡°You epitomize the saying ¡®Out of the frying pan, into the fire.¡¯¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you were here, though.¡± I turned back toward the shop, and suddenly my knees buckled beneath me, and I pitched forward onto the cobblestones, gasping. My chest burned. I clutched at myself, gasping. Am I dying? The sense of expansion crested and then rose even higher, and it felt like my whole torso was about to explode just like Priyam had done.


    ¡°Hull!¡± Basil shrilled. ¡°What is it?¡±


    I opened my mouth to scream, but instead a concussive force rushed out, spreading into the open air in visible waves. A great sense of release washed through me, and I collapsed flat on my back on the street, breathing as if I¡¯d run a race.


    ¡°Twins,¡± I gasped. ¡°So that¡¯s what that feels like. It really takes all that? Not sure it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°You elevated?¡± my friend asked in relief, kneeling over me.


    I closed my eyes and looked inside, reveling at the new and beautiful sight I¡¯d never believed could occur. ¡°I¡¯ve got a new soul card.¡±

 B2: 20. Juriss - Interlude

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    Juriss bowled backward through a fern so large that one of those frail stone-dwellers could have used it for a house. The fronds were soft, but the stems were as big around as her leg and nearly as hard as wood, and the fifteen-foot-tall horned gorilla who had thrown her hadn¡¯t been playing around. She grunted as stem after stem pounded against her ribs, her spine, her head, and pretty much everywhere else as she went ass-over-teakettle through the foliage. Her armor softened the blow, but even as she shed card confetti she grinned. She¡¯d have those cards back in a heartbeat.


    She¡¯d only finished the Relic a few moons before, and this was the first major fight where she¡¯d gotten to use it. The ancient sea serpent mother she¡¯d killed to make it had been nearly as tough as this big bastard was, in her own way.


    She came to rest in the choked jungle undergrowth, leaves blocking her view, everything smelling of dirt and green, growing things. The ground vibrated ever so slightly as her opponent knuckle-ran toward her, shouldering aside ten-year trees as it came. It shrieked a challenge, beating its chest and baring worn fangs as long as her arm. Juriss grunted and got her feet under her. The big fella could toss her around all he liked, but too many slams from those massive paws would make a card of her. Twins, if he catches hold of me he could just pull on both arms and that¡¯d be it. How many seconds could I hold up under that kind of tearing before my deck ran out and he ended up holding two pieces of me?


    That wasn¡¯t going to happen. Her next two cards were the combo she¡¯d been waiting for, and she pulled on enough source to summon both, though she only let go of the first card to summon it.


    The rest of her source would simmer in her system for the handful of seconds she needed; once she committed to the attack she wouldn¡¯t be able to focus or devote anything else. The timing had to be perfect. She resisted stroking the sword like a lover when it fell into her hands. It was her best friend; her one true companion on the road to the top. It asked no questions and did exactly as she asked. The day she¡¯d made it had been the day her life had truly begun. It was hugely oversized, hard to swing, and for most fighters, impossible to use.


    She was not most fighters, and this mewling pup of a chimp was about to find that out.


    The gorilla leapt high into the air, its rangy, muscle-corded arms swinging overhead in a blow that would mash an elephant into the earth, coming down directly at her. Its eyes were frenzied and bloodshot. Finding a human burning out its cave and scattering its females and offspring had seen to that. It wanted to see blood. Juriss was happy to oblige, if not in exactly the way it hoped.


    She held her position until the very last moment and then dove to the side, kicking into a roll that put her right next to a jutting banyan root. A jump, a twist, and a kick off the root sent her soaring into the air, coming straight back at the gorilla from the side. Its meaty fists pounded home into the earth where she¡¯d been a bare second before, sending out a shockwave of force that flattened everything within ten feet.


    Juriss barely noticed it. She swung the sword with all her might, feeling Fate¡¯s certainty lock in on the target, and only then, fast as thought, did she use her remaining source to summon the second half of her killing combo.


    She felt the surge of Death power vibrating in her blade and knew she¡¯d calculated correctly even before the blow landed. When the cards aligned, nobody hit harder than Juriss. The bone blade ¨C as long as she was tall ¨C sank through the back of the huge beast¡¯s neck and kept going, severing muscle, bone, and gristle as easily as a leaf falling from a tree. The blade buried itself in the ground, and Juriss let it go, falling past it to tumble back to earth. The light thump-thump of her footfalls was followed by a heavier thud of a surprised-looking gorilla head landing in the crushed underbrush, and then the crash of a huge, lifeless body. Vivid red blood gushed from the neck in a river, painting the banyan in scarlet and misting all over her face and clothes. She breathed it in, reveling in copper-tasting victory and the thrill of a successful hunt.


    She¡¯d done it. One step closer. One day she¡¯d face the strongest being there was and win. Then she would know peace. She didn¡¯t know how long it would take, but whatever the delay, she was one day nearer to it.


    She plucked a plate leaf from a nearby bush and wiped her face more or less clean with it, stepped clear of the spreading pool of blood that was mixing with the dirt, and approached the head. She sighed when she saw that the drop had clacked the gorilla¡¯s jaws shut; she¡¯d have to pry its mouth back open. Easily enough done now, but if she waited, the jaw muscles would stiffen and lock up. Bracing a hand on each of the curving horns, she put her right boot into its mouth and stepped down while heaving up with all the strength of her upper body. The gorilla¡¯s mouth fell open with a wet, sucking noise.


    She reached her arm as far back into its mouth as it would go. Big monsters like this always had deeper mouths than she wished ¨C one of these days she¡¯d kill something where she¡¯d actually have to climb in to fetch its soul card. Even now she had to shimmy her head and shoulder past its lips before she felt the hard edges of the card she sought. Juriss had heard that other people hated doing things like this; apparently they retched and wept when they had to get slime and death juices on their clothes, no matter that they¡¯d been the ones to do the killing. For Juriss, it was just one more fact of life, neither pleasant nor worthy of aversion. Sleeping in caves, eating her meat raw on rainy nights, getting messy after a kill ¨C these were simply things that were. People complaining about what they wished for was one of the main reasons she preferred staying in the jungle and speaking to as few humans as possible.


    Stolen story; please report.


    She hauled herself out of the gorilla¡¯s mouth and wiped the card on its blood-speckled fur. A smile grew large and fierce on her face unawares as she looked at it.


    I could make a helm out of the skull. It might keep its Charge ability; that¡¯d stack nicely with Mortal Strike. Or I could go for a necklace out of teeth. A bone ring? No point in making a shield with my two-hander. The Pay ability was nice too, though not exactly aligned with how she usually fought. As she mulled it over, she found herself thinking more and more that she might leave this one as a Soul and add it to her Mind Home in its raw state. Her Relic-building soul ability had kept her alive for years, but it didn¡¯t feel like the right move this time. She could use another good Soul summons.


    ¡°I do love watching you fight,¡± a voice from above said.


    Juriss was on her feet in a flash, the Gorilla card slipping into her Mind Home, her source circling. The bone sword hadn¡¯t dismissed itself yet, and she dove for it, yanking it out of the earth. She squared off against this new threat and saw that man floating in the air. Her wariness receded just a hair, but the blade never wavered.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± she said, her voice cracking from disuse. It had been weeks since she¡¯d spoken anything more than a grunt.


    ¡°I can¡¯t come see my favorite child?¡± he asked, pouting.


    He always said that, but she wasn¡¯t sure she believed him. She knew other people had parents, but this pretty flying man was nowhere near vicious enough to be her father. Every time she tried to attack him, though, he flew out of reach, laughing indulgently. And he kept coming back, Twins take him.


    ¡°Fight me this time?¡± she said, not daring to hope.


    ¡°No, Juriss, not this time. Not any time soon, I think. But you¡¯ve reached the heights of Epic now, I can tell. Any assessor worth a damn would put you at Flawless. The absolute ferocity with which you put down that beast was a thing of beauty. I¡¯ve never seen anyone with such purity of purpose. I think you¡¯re the one, my dear. I think you can go all the way.¡±


    ¡°I can.¡± She didn¡¯t know exactly what he meant by all the way, but it sounded close enough to her own goals that she was willing to humor him. The fact that he saw her value instead of thinking she was dim simply because she used as few words as possible spoke in his favor, as well. ¡°Now speak your piece or go.¡±


    He laughed, delighted. ¡°Straight to the point, and right on target. It will take you years to break through to Mythic battling beasts here in the wild, you know.¡±


    She glanced at the dead gorilla¡¯s body. ¡°He was tough enough.¡±


    ¡°In his way, certainly, but if you want to keep becoming more powerful at the rate you¡¯ve held to so far, you need a class of opponent these jungles cannot provide. You could come with me, if you wish. I could show you the fight that will take you to emerald.¡±


    She stayed absolutely still as she thought about it. He had offered to fly her other places before, but she¡¯d never accepted. People were so loud, and she was going to let him get that close, she wanted it to be in combat. But the problem was that she knew he was right. Killing the gorilla had brought a faint soul tremor that spoke of a possible elevation, but it had been no stronger than her last big fight. She needed stronger foes, and she knew she wasn¡¯t ready to face this man yet. He oozed with power; he shone with it. If getting what she wanted meant doing what he wanted, could she accept that?


    ¡°All right,¡± she said. She lifted a hand, and he floated close, smile brilliant.


    ¡°Fearless,¡± he said warmly. ¡°How did that trait come through so strongly in you and so weakly in some of my others?¡± He put an arm around her waist, and they lifted into the air together.


    Juriss marveled at the sensation of weightlessness but kept her body taut and ready for anything. Just because this man came to visit her and said nice things did not mean he wouldn¡¯t drop her from a thousand feet up. If he did, she¡¯d be ready to lash out and take him down with her. ¡°Others?¡± she said after they¡¯d flown through the night in silence for a while.


    ¡°Your half-siblings,¡± he said. ¡°I have many children. Only you and one other have reached Epic, and you¡¯ve far outstripped him.¡± He sighed and spoke as if confiding in her. ¡°I fear I¡¯ve ruined that one, to be honest. Too much comfort is deadly, and too much support is almost as bad. He begins to stir in a new direction, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a fruitful one.¡±


    She could not have cared less about some child she¡¯d never meet, whether related or not. She stayed silent.


    He did too, for a very long time. The land sped by beneath them, clouds overhead glowing in the moonlight. In the far distance she saw flickering specks of light dotting the ground like a host of trapped fireflies. The air so high up was cold, but her body was tough enough to ignore it. They began to descend, and she could see a mountaintop approaching. The lights looked to be campfires, thousands of them spread across an empty wilderness valley in irregular groupings.


    ¡°You were always my favorite,¡± the man said so softly she could barely hear. ¡°Purity of purpose.¡±


    They touched down, and she took three large steps away from him as soon as her feet were on the earth. Having a potential enemy so close could be tolerated if it brought her to her goals, but no longer than necessary.


    The man swept back his cape and gestured to the valley spread out below them. ¡°Behold the assembled forces of the orcs, the demons, and the undead. A mighty army poised to swoop down on my fair city and destroy it.¡±


    ¡°I will kill them,¡± she offered.


    He laughed again. ¡°I appreciate the enthusiasm, but each of the three armies is led by at least one Mythic. Taking on the whole force would be the definition of biting off more than you can chew.¡±


    She considered this. ¡°Will they kill your city?¡±


    ¡°They might,¡± he said. ¡°I have plans and plans and plans, and we will see which come to fruition. A little culling might be useful at this stage in the game. But I did not bring you here to stop this army single-handedly, Juriss. I want my people to fight, just like I want you to fight. It¡¯s good for us. You know it better than most.¡±


    She nodded impatiently. ¡°What, then?¡±


    ¡°It would be useful to winnow them a bit before they reach the city,¡± he responded. ¡°I¡¯m trying to make it a challenge of the proper magnitude, you understand? Taking out one of their generals before they arrive would be ideal.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m killing a general.¡±


    ¡°The orc leader Targu¡¯Thal, yes. He is neither the frailest nor the strongest of them, but Chaos is a weakness for many of our kind, and I want him eliminated. You will need to watch and plan for some time before you attack. If he has assistance, you will lose. Find a way to get him alone. Even then, it will be a fight at the very uppermost reaches of your abilities. You may die.¡±


    Juriss looked out over the campfires. ¡°Everyone dies.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, indeed. But I would be very pleased to see you advance, instead, so be crafty. Be careful. Targu¡¯Thal keeps a human and an elf head mounted on either pauldron and wears his mane in spikes. He will be easy to spot.¡±


    She nodded decisively. ¡°I will do this. Goodbye.¡±


    She did not look back as she made her way carefully down the mountainside. Behind her she heard him say, ¡°Good hunting, my daughter.¡± When her turnings chanced to show her the peak she¡¯d left behind, he was gone.


    Perhaps the man was not so bad. Or perhaps he was. Either way, she would challenge him and see him dead once she was strong enough. To reach that point, though, she needed to pass through this one. She needed to kill the orc Targu¡¯Thal. She hoped the battle would be as difficult as the man had said. Maybe it would finally bring her the elevation she¡¯d been feeling nibbling at the edges of her soul all this time. She was ready for that.


    One step closer.

 B2: 21. Basil - The Grind

    The next few weeks of War Camp went by faster than should have been possible, the training with cards, source, and matters of tactics and history all rolled into a blur of long days, short nights, and grueling work. However, the time spent was also not without its successes.


    After how dangerous the trip to the Lows with Hull turned out to be, I redoubled my efforts in Life Source cultivation, dedicating every free moment I had to attracting the Source. This ranged from regular care of the small tree in my domicile, which was beginning to send out curious buds, to becoming more aware of the Life around me, whether it was a tiny, buzzing insect I would have normally shooed away, or the scents and sounds of the various staff and workers who populated the fortification. While I continued to abstain from being intimate with my Life instructor ¨C a conversation that lit Esmi¡¯s blouse only slightly afire when I first told her ¨C I did keep meeting with A¡¯cia for daily exercises.


    Eventually my efforts bore fruit, and I was able to manifest not one, but two Life source. With that milestone achieved, I immediately began swapping cards for merits with E¡¯lal, as well as looking over what Ky¡¯reen and A¡¯cia had for trade. Their dignified leader, Qi¡¯shen, even promised to show me some cards once I reached three Life source.


    During this time our combat exercise against General Edaine¡¯s seven Spirits of Korikana continued, and after a few more losses, I tried a hybrid approach, still using Equality to clear her troops but with some of my own at the ready: both Carrion Condors and a Master Shieldbearer.


    Three Souls on my side meant I only destroyed four of her Spirits, but that still gave my Condors an additional 4 Attack each, their plumage puffing up and their beaks curving wickedly to better tear flesh from bone.


    The giant scales of Equality had only just dissipated, when I sent the large birds swooping after Edaine. She expertly blocked one with her Mythic Shield and took 4 damage past her Armor from the other ¨C stopped, as usual, by sharp-eyed veterans wearing card revealing lenses who cast Protection on her.


    The three remaining Spirits came at me in a tight V with Edaine close behind, her sword flashing in the morning sun. In response, my Master Shieldbearer took up a defensive position directly in front of me, stance wide and shields raised.


    ¡°They shall not touch you,¡± he intoned in a deep voice and then the attackers were upon him. He moved faster than his heavy armor would seem to allow, stepping one way, then the other, blocking each blade and sword stroke directed at me with his shields. After the third Spirit had struck, the Shieldmaster had taken more damage than he could sustain, but still he persisted, catching Edaine¡¯s sword across his body, before breaking into motes of light.


    I knew he was only behaving as he was Fated to be, but still, after such a brave act, I vowed to thank him the next time he was summoned. Since none of my opponents had Overkill, it was as the Soul had promised: I took no damage in that particular exchange, my equipped Helm and Scalemail unnecessary for the moment.


    I had chosen to focus my sources when casting Equality, so they were already refreshed again, leaving me flush with possibilities. A snap of a Spell bent the back of the Spirit nearest to me, who was already focused, causing an act of devotion. I followed that up with one of my earliest combos, Execution: the dark rift that appeared hung in the air for a single heartbeat before slashing downward, shearing the Soul¡¯s head off.


    My Condors fell upon the corpse, gulping down the hollow armor as if it was the finest of meals, both of the birds growing a few more inches. When the felled Spirit finally turned to shards, the Condors half leapt, half flew at Edaine, batting at her with their wings and claws and snapping with their beaks. Like before, she shoved one aside with Korikana¡¯s Shield, but the other had 7 Attack now so did another 5 damage to her.


    Before the General or her Spirits could mount a counterattack, I cast Microburst with the majority of my remaining source. My oversized Condors squawked with glee as a gust even I felt barrelled into them from behind, erasing their usual post combat fatigue and sending them straight back into Edaine, who couldn¡¯t use her Shield again so soon. Without its protection, she took a combined 12 damage past her 2 Armor, which put me at a grand total of 21 damage.


    The ¡®kill¡¯ had taken me two turns to achieve instead of the one that Esmi and Gerad had managed it in, but when the summoned shields of Protection cleared from around Edaine, she still congratulated me on the feat, in her words, ¡°As efficiently as I had.¡± This confirmed a sneaking suspicion of mine, that the advisors reported to her the details of our decks. The truth was that I had considered multiple avenues to reach this point, involving no Master Shieldbearer to start and a Protection Spell to stop her counter attack, or sacrificing my Soulforged Helm to eliminate one of the strikes against me. However, the strategy I had settled on left me with more cards and source available to use, letting me stay more flexible, just as Griff had advised.


    It felt quite good to be commended for my calculations, doubly so when General Edaine gave the first five of us to defeat her in two turns or less an extra merit each; I knew exactly how I¡¯d be spending it: three Feral Strengths from E¡¯lal to start my Life collection.


    The other two who accomplished the deed were Afi and Wenden. Afi it turned out was using a combination of Water and Order, Water heavy. She entered the practice square with a pair of Souls summoned, both Epics, so either could have been the one she had been waiting for.


    The first was of a race that was rarely seen: a snake-like humanoid called a n¨¹wani. Despite their secretive nature, their skills with bladed weapons was practically legendary, so much so in fact that, as a child, I remembered my brother Randel saying he would find a n¨¹wani teacher whenever Gale bested him with sparring swords. The memory gave me pause and a twinge of longing. Randel was the only one in my immediate family who wasn¡¯t actively working against me. What would he say if I told him that I had finally seen one of the serpent-peoples¡¯ Souls?


    The card¡¯s stat values and abilities were certainly impressive, and the power of the race was evidenced by the fact that a mere ¡®warrior¡¯ of theirs was considered Epic.


    The other Soul on display was just as strong as the first, if not moreso, due to its flexibility. It also represented a branch of Water that my mother¡¯s cards hadn¡¯t explored at all: mimicry.


    It was obvious Afi planned to have the Mirror Knight copy the N¨¹wani Warrior, but Flurry only allowed a second attack against the same target so was rather useless against the spread of Spirits.


    Afi, however, surprised me by casting a Water Spell on the Warrior that I was unfamiliar with: Submerge.


    On its heels, she Summoned another Spell from her hand, Mirror Cast, which let her copy Submerge onto the Mirror Knight.


    Both of the Souls sunk into the ground, as if the training space was made of a thick fluid instead of solid steel, the pair disappearing from sight. Afi then used the remainder of her Source to cast a Spell I hadn¡¯t seen since I last looked in mother¡¯s grimoire.


    A massive rush of water crashed into existence within the practice area, catching the seven Spirits up and whipping them around before sucking them downward into the giant, conjured whirlpool. When the water cleared, the only remains were a few glittering shards but those, too, quickly vanished from sight, twinkling in the sun and then fading away.


    With the wall of defenders gone, Afi gestured, and her two Souls rose up, untouched by the flash flood that had raged above them moments ago. At a second command from her, they charged forward, and I noticed that the Mirror Knight stuck close to the n¨¹wani, its armor somehow pulling the reflection of the snake warrior over all of its surfaces. A glance at Afi showed me that the last of her Water Source had been used, undoubtedly to trigger the Mirror Knight¡¯s two copy abilities.


    When the n¨¹wani reached its target, it slowed, stalking around the general with measured, deliberate steps, before suddenly lashing out. Its scaled arm flowed so fluidly forward, back, and then forward again, it seemed as if the two sword strikes it had just made were part of a singular, lighting-quick movement. Like a silver shadow, the much bulkier Mirror Knight managed to perfectly recreate the attack, one stab of its sword followed impossibly fast by the next.


    Edaine¡¯s Armor was useless against the Precision both Souls now possessed, their blades slipping through cracks and joints with perfectly executed strikes. With Flurry and each attack doing 6 damage, Edaine would have been finished if not for her Shield¡¯s ability to stop one of the four strikes. Even so, two big Protections had to be cast on her to absorb the shocking 18 damage she sustained in a single round of combat.


    With the Spirits cleared, Edaine nearly ¡®killed¡¯, and Afi¡¯s Epics able to attack again on the next turn, the general called it there. I had to admit to being impressed. Technically, if it had gone to completion, it would have taken Afi the same amount of time as it had me, two turns. Yet, she¡¯d accomplished the feat with 5 cards, likely 6 if Edaine had attacked back, while I had required 7.


    After my recent win, being among the top three in Camp had seemed within reach, at least where the practical exercises were concerned. But now I knew better: Afi was someone I was going to need to keep my eye on, and not just because I wanted to memorize every fascinating card she possessed to add to my mental catalog.


    Wenden¡¯s day of success came when he arrived with no less than a dozen Watchmen Souls in tow.


    The only way he could have broken the 3 duplicate maximum set by the Twins was by having a token generator, namely the City Watch Precinct I had observed from his group previously.


    Looking around, I didn¡¯t spot one set up, but Wenden must have had it nearby and he must have been up early to get the tokens ready for this moment. The preparation turned out to be time well spent, because with a monstrous 12 Attack each, they easily overran the seven Spirits of Korikana they were up against, as well as Edaine¡¯s defenses. Seeing mere Watchman so enhanced, a shimmer of whitish-yellow light rippling off of their bodies like a haze, was quite something, but I also discovered that there was a limit to how intimidating Souls with 2 health could be to me ¨C for all their power, I kept imagining a single Rockslide sweeping them all away.


    Since the Paladin trainees used identical decks, the other two ¨C Anya, and Patyr, a reserved boy who seemed to talk only to pray ¨C were able to recreate the feat later that very afternoon. This helped me recognize a major strength of shared builds I hadn¡¯t quite internalized before: effective tactics could quickly and seamlessly be adopted by others in the group. How much faster would I be able to streamline my own deck, for instance, if Esmi and Hull were using the same cards? I didn¡¯t have enough copies to make something like that a reality, but still, it was an interesting thought experiment.


    When it was over, General Edaine congratulated all three trainees on their battle-preparedness, and it was the day after this that the elves finally began to make proper headway.


    The first to do so was Ky¡¯reen, who entered the practice area in her werewolf state. However, she was no regular were today; she stood some ten feet tall with antlers sprouting out of her head, giving her an extra few feet of height, and green tattoos glowed from underneath her bone-colored fur, criss crossing her body in intricate patterns. Using my Soul ability, I could see that she was not only enhanced by triple Feral Strengths and a Sharp Eyes but also an Inevitable Evolution and Wild Ascension Spells.


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    ¡°E¡¯lal must have cast them on her,¡± I whispered to Esmi. ¡°In preparation.¡±


    Esmi was seeing the same thing I was through the eyewear Edaine had gifted us all. ¡°You¡¯re quite right,¡± she murmured at my side. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re starting to take the General¡¯s teachings to heart.¡±


    Ky¡¯reen had not entered alone. Today, she was using a full complement of Wolf-Kin turned wolves, Bear-Kin turned bears, and Timber Wolves loping along with them.


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    When Ky¡¯reen and her pack attacked, I thought the Spirits of Korikana would be swept away as easily as they had been by the Whirlpool, but then I remembered that Edaine could use the same tactic she had against an enhanced E¡¯lal: simply block Ky¡¯reen¡¯s large attack with her Shield. The were-elf, however, must have realized the same because she used the Hunt her wolf form gave her to single out a Spirit instead. With flashing claws tinged in green tattoo work, she did an immense 15 damage to the summoned token she faced, sending it flying backward. The strike had Overkill and had ignored Armor due to Precision, so when the body slammed into Edaine, there was still 12 damage left to stop, which the general did, as I expected, using her shield.


    Against the Life Souls, Edaine tried to spread out her troops, but Ky¡¯reen effectively stopped their use of Unit by Hunting three others with her Werewolves. This left just three more Spirits to block the three Werebears, each with a Timber Wolf sprinting at its side, but the Werebear¡¯s Terror made it to where only one of them could be stopped. So, two bellowing Werebears and two fierce-eyed Timber Wolves made it to Edaine. Not only that, but when they struck, I discovered that the Werebears had Feral Strength cast on them, too!


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Did you see that?¡± I said pointing at the exchange. ¡°The maximum can be broken through supportive summoning!¡± That had to be the explanation: E¡¯lal and Ky¡¯reen had used their three copies of the Spell each, but all on Ky¡¯reen¡¯s forces.


    ¡°Or she employed her Source Powered Healing to get the Spell back faster,¡± Esmi replied.


    I gave my fiancee an impressed look. ¡°Excellent point. I hadn¡¯t even considered it.¡± Then I kissed her on the cheek for being amazing and making my life ever richer.


    The added enhancement, however it had been achieved, meant that Edaine took 14 points worth of bear claw and wolf teeth related damage, minus 2 for her Armor ¨C shields of Protection briefly mushrooming up around her. As for Souls, Edaine had lost three and so had the elf: a Werewolf who had fought two Spirits of Korikana, as well as a Werebear and Timber Wolf who had also faced two of the powerful tokens. Additionally, Ky¡¯reen¡¯s forces were all focused, the Souls dead-eyed for a moment as they recovered, but the General didn¡¯t exploit the weakness by attacking. I had my guesses as to why: any Spirits would instantly be destroyed by the elf¡¯s monstrous form, and if Edaine herself charged in, using her Shield for protection, she wouldn¡¯t have the Relic¡¯s effect available when Ky¡¯reen next attacked.


    The General did, however, let that attack go through, I assumed to make sure the were-elf knew how to finish the job. Just as before, Ky¡¯reen targeted three of the Spirits with Hunt from herself and two Werewolves, locking them down, so only one remained to block the two Werebears, which it couldn¡¯t do because of their Terror. Ky¡¯reen¡¯s Overkill forced the use of the Shield again, and the enhanced Werebears plus Timber Wolves struck for 12 past Armor a second time, ending the exercise.


    Throughout the match, I noticed that Ky¡¯reen didn¡¯t seem able to use cards while transformed, but source had dimmed over her furry, antlered head at key moments, so pay abilities and such apparently weren¡¯t off the table. Could such a thing be useful to me? I wondered. Surely it would require my personal Soul card to upgrade in the direction of Life, which wouldn¡¯t be near as quick as gathering a new source. But if a defensive form existed, perhaps some sort of were-turtle, I would certainly consider it.


    When Edaine removed the helmet from her head, there was a wide smile gracing her face, and she offered heartfelt praise to the elves for finding a way to make their interconnected decks work when only one of them was afield.


    Like the paladin trainees, E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia were able to achieve similar results with Souls on loan from Ky¡¯reen. They couldn¡¯t shift into a werewolf with Hunt themselves like Ky¡¯reen had, nor did they have quite as much personal attack power, but they could almost match those elements by casting Subtle Scenting on themselves.


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    Along with using Ambidextrous and E¡¯lal¡¯s swords.


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    In one of our cultivation sessions, A¡¯cia had told me that she had never struck anyone before, but enhanced by Spells and carrying Fated weapons, she felled Spirits just as effectively as anyone else before her, an apt example of precisely how transformative ¨C and terrifying ¨C the powers were that the Twins had decided to bless us with.


    In comparison, the Deepkin never made such sweeping changes to their plays. Despite coaching, urging, and eventual cajoling from Edaine, they merely altered the order in which they Summoned their Common Earth cards. Of course, such minimal alterations didn¡¯t change their outcomes, but that seemed to bother them not at all, though I did start to see a tick in Edaine¡¯s jaw that I was sure hadn¡¯t been there previously.


    As for Hull, while he had performed marvelously in the heat of actual battle in the Lows ¨C his use of Sucking Void on me had been inspired ¨C without a large number of Souls, blanket removal Spells, or a way to bypass defenders, he struggled against General Edaine¡¯s Armor and Resist heavy build. On an early go, he tried blasting her directly with two Unstable Rifts cast together, which did an impressive 8 damage past her Helm¡¯s Resist.


    Then, with his pre-charged Talisman, he sent a second wave of equally potent energy at her, but this one she casually batted aside with her Shield, causing the bolt of red and purple power to ricochet into the ground, ripping a fist-sized hole in the metal floor.


    At that point, he had little hope of defeating her in a turn or two, but Hull went ahead and used the self-damage from the two Marauders he had held back, as well as his Iron Maiden Plate, funneled through his Talisman, to do a final 7 damage in the form of a burning ray that exploded from the Relic of Spite and shot straight at Ediane, fizzling down to 5 on contact due to her Helm again.


    It was a respectable 13 damage in total, but with his Spells gone, her Mythic Shield able to stop any future Talisman blasts, and all the General¡¯s Spirits forming a wall against his Souls, the match was called.


    On another try, Hull used the Unstable Rifts on the Spirits instead, destroying four of them with two Spells and the echoes of those casts created by the Talisman. He followed up by charging in, along with most of his Souls, and was able to get her down to low single digits after two turns of attacking. However, Edaine wasn¡¯t willing to count a third turn kill because she said by then an opponent would have undoubtedly recovered enough from the initial exchanges to start replenishing their forces.


    Hull finally did manage to take her out along with her Spirits a time after that, but he had to put his Spell Drinker on the field to do it, which only left two cards in his Mind Home ¨C the Runic Cloak I had given him and his Hammer ¨C a number that Edaine was less than enthused about.


    I knew that Hull would be having a much easier go of it if he had his Epic Night Terror, but as far as I was aware, it was still out doing its gruesome work along with that brutish woman Hull had spared.


    That was an evening I would not soon forget, especially the young urchins who had come to our aid. I had always known the Lows was a lawless place, but seeing and experiencing it firsthand was another thing entirely. It had been beyond my worst imaginings, and the thought that some children were forced to grow up in such a dangerous, unclean, and foul place, just as Hull had, made me wish I was king already so I could change all their lives for the better.


    I suspected that Hull had similar motivations driving him because even with his failures stacking up, he didn¡¯t complain or lose his temper. Instead, his newly bronze-flecked eyes stayed determined, and when it looked like his frustration might boil over, he rubbed that smooth stone he had become fond until he regained his composure.


    When we weren¡¯t having exercises with Edaine, we got to know our history professor, Castoba, a fellow with the oddest manner of speech I had ever encountered. who it turned out had been trapped in a transport box card for near 200 years. We had a myriad of questions for him once that intriguing detail was revealed, but the answer that gave us all the most pause was the revelation that the Sun King had been known even back then as one of the few living Mythic Humans. Apparently, his rarity had led to him gaining followers by the score, and he had turned that support into the foundation that had eventually become Treledyne.


    To hear how much the later stages of elevation extended ones¡¯ lifespan was sobering, and made me realize that even if I hadn¡¯t planned to advance myself for matters of leadership, with Esmi progressing as quickly as she was, it would be my husbandly duty to at least match her, just to be sure that she didn¡¯t have to spend her winter years alone!


    The next week, even though everyone had yet to complete the first exercise, Edaine deemed it time for us to all move onto the second she had planned. To my surprise, and delight, it turned out to be against Griff! He gave everyone a shock ¨C including me to a degree ¨C by actually having Chaos Source and cards. Edaine couched it in the ¡°know thy enemy¡± part of our training, but many treated him like my brother Gale had, with indirect ¨C if not outright ¨C disdain.


    Their opinion of him didn¡¯t improve any when, upon entering the practice square, he attacked right away, forcing even faster sources like Esmi¡¯s onto the defensive.


    His Summons weren¡¯t fancy, just six Souls and half a dozen source overhead. It was all eerily familiar to me, from the dripping, blood red balls of Chaos to the bulky and fearsome Orc Warrior and the towering Half Giant, standing even a few feet taller than when the elves had used Wild Ascension.


    Six Souls may not have been that threatening, even when attacking, but Griff also possessed a single Spell, Challenge ¨C another Chaos card I recognized from my fight with Ticosi ¨C which he used with surgical precision to remove key blockers.


    He also employed his Chaos Source Power to force us to discard, and having twisting red energies ripping cards out of our hands at random many found disconcerting, throwing off their plans and distracting them long enough that their defenses suffered. This inevitably led to them taking damage in one way or another, but there was no true danger because the bespectacled veterans had switched their casts of Protection from Edaine onto us.


    Fortunately for me, by the time we were facing Griff, I already had some Life Source and my defenses mostly set, what he and I liked to call my ¡°wall.¡± The primary components of it were my Master Assassin with Flawless Footwork, giving him Wide, and a Master Shieldbearer with its own buffs.


    Since Stealth stopped Griff from targeting my Master Assassin with his Challenge Spell, he directed it at my Shieldmaster instead. I didn¡¯t mind; with three Feral Strengths, the Soul had 8 health in addition to its regular Armor of 2. The Spell slammed a Half Giant into my bodyguard, the large creature striking the armored Soul with a meaty fist. The Master Shieldbearer used both shields to block, but such was the strength of the attack, his Armor was insufficient to stop it all, the gleaming bronze he wore crushing inward. He didn¡¯t go down though; in fact, he struck back, shoving the fist from his chest with one shield and then leaping into the air to strike the Half Giant in the throat with the other. The edge of the shield wasn¡¯t sharp, but empowered by those three Feral Strengths, the Shieldmaster managed to shove the metal into its neck, causing blood to flow and the Chaos Soul to nearly be destroyed.


    The other two Half Giants were charging my way, but my Master Assassin flitted side-to-side, nicking them in the ankles before they knew he was there. A few long steps later they had both collapsed, black foam frothing their mouths. Two Carrion Condors swooped down from on high, blocking and killing two of the Orc Warriors and then feasting on each other¡¯s kill. My already injured bodyguard took on the wounded Half Giant and the remaining Orc Warrior. He still had 5 health remaining, so could have survived if struck again, but at my command, he Dodged the Half Giant¡¯s second swing using the Fluid Grace I had cast on him earlier.


    The Orc Warrior¡¯s spear glanced off of his Armor harmlessly, and then the Shieldmaster Spun like a top, crushing the warrior¡¯s face in with one shield and then tripping the off balance Half Giant with his other. The massive Chaos Soul slammed into the ground with a crash, and the Master Shieldbearer brought the edges of both shields down on its already ragged neck, severing it completely this time, and giving my Carrion Condors yet another meal.


    In summation, I had destroyed every enemy Soul while losing none of my own, powering up my Condors by 5 each, and taking no damage personally.


    Edaine declared it an immediate victory and gave me five merits for being the first to clear the challenge.


    While I basked in the achievement, my Campmates scrambled to alter their decks, especially the ones that usually relied on offense. Esmi, for instance, switched to entering with seven kobolds. This way she could lose one to Challenge and still block all the attackers with the rest. Then, she resurrected her destroyed forces with From the Ashes, so she ended with the same number of kobolds as when she had started.


    Hull, on the other hand, stepped into the practice area with Sucking Void on and tanked everything without batting an eye. Having been cocooned in the midnight skin myself, I was still impressed by his ability to look on so impassively as six fearsome Souls battered away at him. He even had the gall to yawn, which Griff hissed a laugh about.


    The necessary adjustments ended up being fairly fast for most, so after just a few days, Griff left us and we were on to the next layer of our training, which was a return to facing Edaine. This turned out to easily be the hardest of the exercises she had put us through because she combined the aggressive tactics that Griff had employed with hundreds of Spirits of Korikana at her back ¨C the token summons crowding her half of the field and spilling well over.


    Worse, the moment anyone stepped up against her, she immediately cast a Legendary Tactic on them.


    Against most of us, the Spell instantly won her the match, because even if we pre-summoned every Soul we had, there was no way for us to get anywhere near to her numbers. The paladin trainees tried valiantly, but because the tokens they generated were only Common compared to Edaine¡¯s Mythic, they stayed summoned for at most an hour, so they could never build up enough to match her.


    I certainly failed to withstand her sea of Spirits, and to the surprise of many, Esmi lost just as thoroughly and as frequently as the rest of us. The only ones who showed a glimmer of hope were Hull with his Spell Drinker and Gerad with Kitsanya because both could stop the Legendary Spell.


    However, that did nothing to stop the half-brothers from getting overrun by the attacking Souls immediately after. Hull lasted the longest of course, due to his Sucking Void, but he barely put a dent in her forces even with three turns of invulnerability.


    Esmi and I spent quite a few evenings brainstorming how to overcome the newest hurdle that had been presented to us but it wasn¡¯t until I was up late one night, talking idly to our maple tree while E¡¯lal slumbered nearby that inspiration struck; I had run out of new topics to discuss and so was recounting past lessons, namely things that Edaine had congratulated us on, such as battle preparedness.


    The next day I awoke before the sun had risen and went straight to the practice area. My only companion was the fading moon, but that was as I had hoped, and I began pulling and sorting my Source and Summons to create the ideal opening hand.


    By the time Edaine arrived with her army at her back, my stomach was rumbling, desperately wanting breakfast, but I didn¡¯t budge. She stayed outside the practice box and gave me a nod I couldn¡¯t discern the meaning of with her helmet obscuring her features. Then she tucked her gauntleted hands into her belt and waited. I stood there sweating, wondering if I had made the right call or not, until my Campmates finally filtered into the area from the Mess Hall or the free standing latrines. As the veterans and them took up positions beside the practice box, they gave us odd looks, me within the training area and Edaine outside of it.


    When the last had arrived, the general declared, ¡°Fate guide and Fortune protect us so that we may end the day wiser, stronger, and closer to our true purpose than when it began,¡± as was her usual mantra.


    She then took a step, entering the training square, flanked by dozens of Spirits, and fast as I could, I cast Equality. I had never tried using the Spell in a non-defined space before, and I worried that the bulk of the Souls I faced would be excluded from its area of effect. However, I also didn¡¯t dare wait, lest she have the chance to cast her own finisher Spell first.


    The scales that rose up were the biggest I had ever seen, the enormous metal pans passing harmlessly through the surrounding buildings, the watchers, me, and Ediane, but lifting every single Spirit up on one side, so many in total I thought they¡¯d spill off the sides. They didn¡¯t though, staying packed together, even when the pan that held them came crashing to the ground with a gong so loud I was sure it would wake everyone in the camp who hadn¡¯t already risen.


    The collection of Spirits of Korikana broke apart in a cloud of motes so thick I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it had risen up into the air and become a glittering stormcloud. The massive scales vanished too, as it always did, leaving Edaine and me facing off alone. I already had my own Helmet and Scalemail on, but I immediately summoned a Master Shieldbearer with my remaining Source in case she decided to charge me with her sword as she had in the past. To my shock, she started clapping, slow and rhythmic, crossing her way over to me. When she was a body length away she halted, arms moving to her armored hips.


    ¡°Well done, Basil. It¡¯s not just preparedness that can win the day but positioning. You take and hold the ground you wish to fight on. By choosing the battlefield, you set the conditions of the exchange.¡± She turned on her heels, facing the rest of the group. ¡°In each exercise so far you have come to us, but going where the enemy wishes can often have deadly consequences. Whenever possible, make every effort to be the one who decides where the fight takes place and when. Not only will this let you strike first more often but the terrain you¡¯ve chosen can have an effect on Summons.¡± A few students mumbled over this revelation, and I shared a knowing look with Esmi. We had spoken at great length about what had happened when I tried unsuccessfully to summon a Soul too large for a small room when fighting Ticosi, or how that same cramped space had given one of the slumlord¡¯s cards Wide while removing Flying from my Condor! ¡°We will explore such concepts more in the future,¡± Edaine assured the worried sounding among us, ¡°but for now, suffice it to say, ¡®Do not just strike first. Strike where you wish, on your terms, not your enemy¡¯s.¡¯ Rarely will they have your best interest at heart.¡± This got a light chuckle from the group, particularly the Deepkin, oddly enough. I just couldn¡¯t put my finger on what to make of them. For all they shirked these exercises, they haggled with a fury at the trading booths I could respect, and were pleasant enough companions during meals. ¡°As for you,¡± Ediane said, and I realized with belated embarrassment that she was speaking to me once more. ¡°Congratulations on yet another first. This time you have earned a free card upgrade from our smiths that you may use on any Rare or lesser.¡±


    I was sure my eyes were bulging as the general yet again switched her focus back to the others. A free upgrade? Those were considerably more expensive than card purchases, which was one of the primary reasons why I had refrained from indulging in them so far, despite my ability. But if there was no charge¡­ I could have a Condor that benefited from the destruction of any Soul, or an Equality that equalized Source or Decks, or a Master Shieldbearer with a cycling Dying Breath ability or one who could Summon after blocking from hand like Hilbrand, or ¨C


    ¡°Congratulations are also in order for the rest of you. Barring a few exceptions,¡± ¨C breaking away from my fantasizing, I thought Edaine might single out the dwarves but she pointedly did not ¨C ¡°you have completed the initial exercises I had planned for you and it is time for us to move onto something we have discussed previously: two on two, paired fights.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Gerad asked, his voice rather loud. Looking at him, I could tell he was wrestling to keep an even larger outburst in check. ¡°We won¡¯t get to face your army again? It¡¯s just¡­ over?¡±


    I noticed that Afi looked piqued as well. I had no doubts that she was thinking that she could have done the exact same thing I had but with her Whirlpool.


    Edaine considered the prince a moment before responding. ¡°For the current exercise there would be little point in continuing it now that you know the lesson it is designed to teach. Take the energy your emotions are giving you and direct them toward your next challenge. The same goes to any who are experiencing a sense of troubling incompleteness because you are not standing where Basil is now,¡± she added, looking around. ¡°And, Basil...¡±


    I stood up straighter; I hadn¡¯t expected her to address me a third time. ¡°Yes, General?¡±


    ¡°I would have preferred for you to have attacked me at a time of your own choosing.¡±


    What? We were allowed to do that???


    ¡°However, you managed to nullify my forces in your own way, and this is the second exercise you have been the first to defeat. Because of that, I will grant you the opportunity to pick your partner for the paired duels.¡±


    This was a different sort of prize entirely, but undoubtedly still quite useful. My eyes darted first to my fiancee and then slid over to Hull. He met my gaze uncomfortably, jerking his shoulders as if he didn¡¯t care, but when I turned back to Esmi, I saw him slump just a touch. I was quite torn ¨C not to mention irked that I hadn¡¯t thought to simply attack Edaine one evening on the way to dinner ¨C but my fiancee, wondrous woman that she was, gave me a smile and a knowing nod that I was supremely grateful for.


    ¡°I choose Hull,¡± I said, causing murmurs from those who were aware of my engagement to Esmi, but none looked more shocked than Hull did, his jaw slack and face etched with disbelief. Seeing him so off balance made the choice doubly worth it; what I would pay to have that expression trapped on a card.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Edaine said. ¡°I¡¯ll post the rest of your pairings tonight at dinner. For now, you may have a brief rest as I gather your advisors for an earlier than planned session.¡±


    She left, letting the rest of us mill in conversation of which there was plenty.


    Hull stomped up to me right away. ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡¯ he asked, already on the defensive.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to make the same mistake as we did with our rooms,¡± I joked. His expression didn¡¯t ease, so I threw my arm over his shoulders companionably ¨C a gesture I felt much more comfortable with after my Life training. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? We lived through much worse together in the Lows and this next exercise will give us the opportunity to refine our teamwork. After all, if we¡¯re going to reach the top, much easier to do so together. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    He hesitated as if he might argue and then I felt his muscles loosen, an honest grin beginning to take shape. ¡°Fine with me, Hintal, but don¡¯t bring trouble ¡®round my way if this puts Esmi in a twist.¡±


    ¡°I think we have little to worry about on that count,¡± I half whispered. ¡°She can probably rout the majority of us with no partner at all.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Hull agreed with a snort.


    ¡°As for the rest¡­¡±


    Hull shifted his gaze to where Gerad stood off to the side; the prince had his nose wrinkled as he surveyed his potential partners with unveiled disgust. ¡°We¡¯re going to have some fun for a change.¡±


    My smile grew to match my friend¡¯s. ¡°Count me in.¡±

 B2: 22. Hull - Breakdowns

    I was halfway through the forest on my way to the Lows, picking my path carefully on a moonless night, when suddenly my mother appeared at my side. ¡°No torch? You didn¡¯t end up with our kind¡¯s darksight, did you?¡±


    I had two source overhead, cards in hand, and was already scrambling for cover before my mind caught up with who I was seeing and what she was saying. Clawing my way free of my battle focus and getting my heart out of my throat and back in my chest where it belonged left me panting and embarrassed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. Give a fellow a little warning!¡±


    She shrugged, nonchalant. ¡°No darksight, then.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have darksight,¡± I snapped. Then, frowning: ¡°You do?¡±


    She sighed and shook her head. ¡°Not in this form, no. Wearing a human feels like having thick gloves on, and not in a good way.¡±


    I squinted at her. My Nether source gave off a faint illumination, so I left it circling ¨C we were far enough from the War Camp that no sentry would see it. I could just make out her features next to me. She looked like she had when I¡¯d first seen her: not like the mother I remembered at all, but instead a fair-haired young woman only a few years older than me. With a pang I realized she¡¯d shape-shifted into the face I barely remembered, which meant that was yet another disguise ¨C yet another stolen card. I¡¯d never actually seen my own mother¡¯s face.


    She didn¡¯t need to know that bothered me, so I set off for the city once again with a forced casualness, and she fell in beside me. ¡°It¡¯s been weeks. Where have you been?¡±


    ¡°Ah ah,¡± she said, wagging a finger. ¡°The less anyone knows, the better, at least until the negotiations are finalized. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, of course, but the secrecy is vital. You haven¡¯t told anyone about me, have you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. I¡¯d thought about telling Basil a dozen times, but somehow it felt good to have this little nugget of something that was just mine.


    ¡°Good,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯d hate to have to kill any of your friends, but I¡¯ve been told to kill anyone who so much as smells me, both by my own leaders and by your father. Not that I care so much for what he says, but in this case it makes sense. Had I not recognized you that first time¡­¡±


    I suppressed a shiver. She¡¯d come with a hair of killing me before she even caught sight of my face. I was suddenly glad I¡¯d kept my mouth shut to Basil and Esmi. ¡°What¡¯s darksight like?¡± Time to talk about something else.


    ¡°It¡¯s like all the shadows give off their own light,¡± she said. ¡°You hardly notice it until it¡¯s gone. I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d get the trait, but I suppose it¡¯s for the best you¡¯re so human on the outside. Makes sense that the weight of your father¡¯s Legendary soul would weigh more heavily in your development.¡±


    I licked my lips and strained even harder for a casual air, not even looking in her direction. ¡°You must have known I didn¡¯t have darksight ¨C you wore my appearance a time or two before you gave it up, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ever bring myself to use your card that way, Hull. I¡¯d thought having it would bring me comfort, but the reminder of what I¡¯d lost hurt too badly. I never looked through your eyes.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°Besides, being in a child¡¯s body is frustrating. They¡¯re all so short.¡±


    I tried a different tack. ¡°It must have been a good card. Was I Rare?¡±


    Her hand landed on my shoulder and massaged me gently. ¡°It¡¯s gone, son. Dwelling on it can only harm you. Let it go.¡±


    I shrugged and painted on a smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing like that. I wanted to tell you as soon as it happened, but I haven¡¯t seen you. I have a new card!¡±


    She stopped us dead in our tracks, holding my chin in one hand and summoning her own Nether for a little extra light as she peered in my eyes. ¡°Incredible. A second soul card? It¡¯s unheard of.¡±


    I reveled in the way her eyes were drinking me in, feeling proud and excited and a little sick to my stomach all at once. ¡°That¡¯s what they told me, but here I am,¡± I said, trying to sound gruff and uncaring.


    She pulled my face closer. ¡°Let me see it,¡± she said, sounding hungry.


    Alarm bells rang in every piece of my body, and I pulled away, smiling as I did so to soften the blow. ¡°I¡¯ve never showed anyone before,¡± I said, starting back on the path toward the city. ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°I can show you,¡± she said, following after me. ¡°It¡¯s as simple as falling into water.¡±


    I scrambled for something to say. ¡°Basil mentioned that he¡¯d shared his with Esmi, the girl he¡¯s going to marry. I think he said something about needing good light for it. It¡¯s so dark out here.¡± Basil had never said anything of the sort, but it was all I could think of.


    ¡°Hull, I¡¯m your mother,¡± she said, a hint of hurt in her voice. ¡°You can show me.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, heart beating like a hammer. ¡°Next time, maybe. We need more light.¡±


    She was quiet for a long time, and as the silence stretched on and grew cold I thought about relenting and showing her the card at least half a dozen times. Each time, though, the cold, practical part of me said, Are you sure she won¡¯t steal this one too? I had no good answer for that, so I squirmed and sweated and kept my mouth shut.


    Finally I couldn¡¯t take it any longer. ¡°I know you can¡¯t tell me about your secret meetings, but you can at least tell me this: is Hestorus as much of an insane asshole as I think he is?¡±


    She gave a throaty chuckle that eased the ice in my chest. ¡°Asshole, yes. Insane? I¡¯ve never been able to tell. The whole silly king act is just that, of course, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen past that by now. Truth be told, I¡¯ve never met anyone so driven or so far-looking. That can look like insanity sometimes to those who lack vision.¡± She shook her head and made a frustrated noise. ¡°I include myself among those who lack vision, because I can¡¯t figure out what he¡¯s up to nine times out of ten. Even in the beginning that¡¯s how it was. For all he knew, I was a noblewoman from Dalrish, old-blooded and rich as could be, and I thought he¡¯d make me his queen once he knew I carried his child. Instead, well¡­¡± She gestured back and forth between us wryly. ¡°It would have been a very different childhood. Less than a fortnight after he turned me out they sent out the banns for him and Daenona, and this despite the fact that he¡¯d told me she was as dull as rusted spoon.¡±


    I was silently soaking up and cataloging every shred of information she was letting slip, and it suddenly occurred to me that I could test what she said against what I already knew. If I caught her in a lie I could feel more justified in not showing her my card. ¡°It can¡¯t be easy spending months negotiating with a man who threw you out.¡±


    She chuckled and gave me a sidelong glance. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for not knowing, but demons don¡¯t hold grudges. Where a human might stew on an injustice or a slight, we just kill our enemies. It¡¯s much simpler.¡±


    Steering a conversation was hard work. I wanted to ask her how long she¡¯d been meeting with the King, but I couldn¡¯t just come out and say so. Hestorus had asked me how my mother was during the Tournament, meaning he hadn¡¯t seen her at that point and didn¡¯t know where she was. If she said her negotiations had been going on longer than that, I¡¯d have caught her out. Unless Hestorus was lying about not having seen her. Did he have any reason to do that? I had no idea, and my head hurt from trying to think through all the possible twists and lies that might be in play. All I could do was press on and keep trying. ¡°But still, you can¡¯t kill a Legendary, and like you said, he¡¯s an asshole. How many months have you had to put up with him?¡±


    She idly broke a low-hanging twig and whipped at the grass with it as we came out from under the trees and saw the dark bulk of the city ahead. ¡°It hardly bears thinking about. Every interaction is a trial.¡±


    Twins damn me, say something specific, woman! ¡°Did you at least get to see some of the Rising Stars Tournament when you first got here?¡±


    She took my hand and patted it, making me tense up. ¡°Oh, how I wish I could have. I was nowhere near Treledyne at the time, nor did I have any idea you still lived. I will say, though, that your father spoke very proudly of how well you did.¡±


    My heart warmed at the praise, and I tried to shake the feeling off. A pat on the head from her was suspect at best; from Hestorus it was intolerable. At least I could take comfort that what she was saying lined up with something I already knew. Catching her telling a single truth wasn¡¯t enough to build any trust on¡­ but it was something.


    ¡°Can I see you in demon form?¡± I asked.


    She cocked her head at me. ¡°You want to see mama as she truly is, eh?¡±


    I shrugged, feeling embarrassed for some reason I couldn¡¯t quite name. ¡°It¡¯d be nice.¡±


    Her smile had a hard edge. ¡°I told you it¡¯s not pleasant to change. Some other time, maybe. When there¡¯s better light.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t miss the mocking twist on those last words, and I scrambled to move on to something else. ¡°So you can only transform into someone whose card you still have, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She decapitated the tall grasses along the road with her switch.


    ¡°So who is this I¡¯m seeing?¡± I said, gesturing to her pale, freckled face.


    ¡°Someone in the right place to be useful,¡± she said, sounding sad. ¡°Someone who had access to the right places and right people. In a just world I wouldn¡¯t have had to take her card, but when the fate of entire peoples and realms are on the line, we do what we must.¡±


    It was strange to think that my parents ¨C mine, Hull the street rat ¨C were steering the lives of both human- and demonkind from the shadows. I¡¯d barely begun to adjust to being in the same room with noble folk in their day-to-day dealings, and this kind of espionage was leagues beyond. ¡°So what other faces do you carry beyond this one and the one I knew?¡±


    ¡°Only a couple,¡± she said. ¡°The most effective ones. I have to turn most of them over to the Primarch, of course, and if I keep too many then it cuts into my deck size, and a girl never knows when she¡¯s going to need to fight.¡±


    I ached to ask again about my own card, but I didn¡¯t dare. She¡¯d already told me it was gone; what was the point? She was right. I needed to let it go. Instead, I started telling her about the two-on-two fights Edaine had us practicing in War Camp. Basil and I made a hell of a team, and we¡¯d beaten the pair of paladins we went up against like they were redheaded stepchildren. She was a perfect audience, laughing as I told how my Marauders had rushed Paytr, scaring him so badly he¡¯d tried to run away from the fight, and murmuring in appreciation when I talked about how effective Basil¡¯s protective Spells were when paired with my in-the-face bruiser style combat. The time flew by, and we were on the edge of the Lows before I knew it.


    She pulled up short before we crossed into the neighborhood. ¡°No point in being seen by anyone around here,¡± she said. ¡°Not that anyone would recognize this face, but still, better safe than sorry when you¡¯re on an errand like mine.¡±


    ¡°What was your errand tonight?¡± I said. ¡°You just showed up out of nowhere. I thought I¡¯d never see you again after that once.¡±


    She put a hand to my face. ¡°My errand tonight is you, Hull. I wish I could spend more time with you, but I savor every moment. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to sneak another conversation like this, but I¡¯m always close. You¡¯ll see me again; count on it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, all right. Whatever.¡± I looked away and nodded cooly. No need for her to see my guts were in a knot.


    When I looked back, she was gone. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t been aware I was holding, and I couldn¡¯t tell if what I felt was disappointment or relief. I could almost wish she¡¯d never found me.


    Roshum¡¯s shop was open as usual, and he greeted me warmly when I came in. ¡°There he is! You¡¯re late. I¡¯ve been waiting all day for you to see this.¡±


    My heart quickened. ¡°You got it?¡±


    He laughed and slapped a wooden box the size of a brick on his work bench. ¡°I got it.¡±


    We¡¯d been working for weeks to gather the materials for a proper card breakdown, and while Roshum wasn¡¯t keen to let me use his shop to process my Chaos cards, he¡¯d agreed to help me get the right mix and show me how to start the process so long as I stored the developing bath somewhere else. Not only that, he¡¯d ended up having to play go-between for me, and now it looked like the old man had come through in spades.


    The problem was that only person we¡¯d been able to find that was shady enough to sell me the expensive, highly-regulated alchemical salts needed without reporting it who was also well-connected enough to access to the goods was my good old friend the tailor, the one whose shop I¡¯d burnt down and whose Epic I¡¯d stolen. He wasn¡¯t a tailor now ¨C he never had been, in truth; the shop had been nothing but a front ¨C but he¡¯d set up a new concern in on Warehouse Row on the edge of Dockside and was now going by the name of Marksam Bellwether. His little office was ostensibly for shipping insurance, but in reality it was the new location for his black market card shop. Roshum had heard mutters from some of the other Relicsmiths he knew that this Marksam fellow ran a trade in card materials as well. I couldn¡¯t very well skip on in and ask for the goods without a hell of a fight ¨C I had no doubt he remembered my face, and not with any fondness ¨C so I¡¯d sent Roshum with the Fire Epic I¡¯d taken from Priyam to manage a trade. This was the first visit I¡¯d managed to the Lows since then.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± I said, coming in close. Bryll was sitting on the workbench top playing idly with a set of calipers, and she leaned in to see, her gold-flecked eyes curious. Her amber-brown eyes had made the flecks hard to see when we¡¯d first met, not to mention the fact that I only ever saw her in dimly-lit spaces after midnight, but now that I knew her power, the gold was easy to spot.


    Roshum carefully lifted the top off the little wooden box, revealing a set of glass vials in regularly-spaced slots, each one full of differently-colored salt crystals. The vials were not large.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± I said, indignant. ¡°I paid an Epic for a couple handfuls of salt? Throw the whole thing in a pot and you¡¯d barely taste the difference.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Roshum snorted. ¡°These aren¡¯t table salts. With most of these, a single grain on your tongue would be enough to kill you, or at least make you wish it had. We¡¯ll only be handling these with gloves, and we¡¯ll be wearing masks and gloves when we do. Alchemy is nasty stuff.¡±


    Bryll leaned back, thinking better of her curiosity, and went back to doing her level best to break Roshum¡¯s calipers.


    ¡°More to the point,¡± Roshum said, gently pulling a vial full of bright orange crystals out of the case, ¡°you have enough here to process two dozen Mythics so long as you measure carefully. And we will be measuring carefully. Some of us don¡¯t come across Epics every day.¡±


    ¡°You can keep a portion if you need,¡± I said, very carefully easing out a vial full of midnight black and inspecting it up close. Each crystal had a strange shimmer, almost as if there was a pinpoint star hiding deep inside. ¡°You helped me get it, and you¡¯re teaching me, letting me use your shop. It¡¯d be only fair.¡±


    The old codger gave me a funny look. ¡°I¡¯m trying to imagine Ticosi in your shoes saying anything remotely similar, and I¡¯m failing entirely.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I grunted. ¡°He¡¯s half the problem around here even now he¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°The King¡¯s inspectors would ask questions I wouldn¡¯t want to answer if they found expensive goods like this suddenly hanging about,¡± he sighed, stroking the top of the box. ¡°But I do have a special project or two that I¡¯ve been dreaming about for ages. If the opportunity comes along to jump on something like that, I may ask you to bring the box back for an evening, if you¡¯d be so kind.¡±


    Kind wasn¡¯t something I was used to being, but with all the help and support Roshum had given me, I¡¯d have cut off a finger if he needed it. Well¡­ a pinky. The end joint. ¡°Let me know and I¡¯ll do it. How¡¯s the Salamander working out?¡±


    He cackled with delight and pointed to the blackened forge sitting against the far wall, currently sitting empty. ¡°Cuts down my heat times by three quarters. Makes me wish I¡¯d thought to trade for such a thing years ago.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I felt a smile growing on my face, and for once it seemed to fit there. ¡°Okay, boss. Tell me where to start.¡±


    He was letting me use his lead-lined soak tray with the tight-fitting lid so it¡¯d be safe to transport, and that was the first thing he had me fetch. Bryll was tasked with fetching a pitcher of pure water from the clay-and-charcoal filtration rig he kept in the back room. The tray was small, its inner cavity only a finger¡¯s width larger than a card on all sides, perhaps two knuckles deep. The lead made the little thing heavy, but if the alchemical salts were as dangerous as he¡¯d suggested, I was glad of the extra protection.


    Roshum used long tongs to pull a brick from the ashes of the forge; he laid it on a metal plate in the center of the workbench. ¡°We need a little heat, but not anything near what the Salamander would give us,¡± he explained. He snapped his fingers at me. ¡°What¡¯s the best working temperature?¡±


    I blinked. He liked to rattle me with questions that he¡¯d taught me before, and they always caught me off-guard no matter how often he did it. ¡°Uh. Wait, I remember this. ¡®Cooler than tea but hotter than soup.¡¯ Right?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the part that I wanted you to remember,¡± he grumbled, setting a metal dish on the brick and splashing the water Bryll brought into it.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t tell me things that are so memorably stupid, then,¡± I retorted. ¡°Soup can be hotter than tea.¡±


    Scowling, he held up the finger next to his pinky. ¡°Use the softest finger. Hot enough to be uncomfortable, not hot enough to scald.¡±


    I used the same finger and dipped it in the water he¡¯d poured into the dish. The hot brick was making the metal dish ping and creak softly, but the water was only lukewarm. ¡°Not yet, then.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll measure our materials while we wait,¡± he said, a gleam of excitement in his eye. ¡°Get the tweezers.¡±


    Each vial was labeled with a slip of paper around its middle, the penmanship was neat, the lettering was tiny, and the names were massively long and hard to read. Phystulinum regindica, the purple one said, and Gorbeghast Ximpicalis for the dark blue. A waxed cork stoppered the tops, and Roshum was working the cork free from the bone-colored salts with heavily gloved hands. ¡°What¡¯s that one?¡±


    ¡°Gloves!¡± the old man snapped. ¡°Do it right or don¡¯t do it at all, you know that by now. This is Arindinus Maleficum. It¡¯ll leave blood blisters for a month if it so much as touches your skin, and you¡¯ll be pissing black.¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± I said, slipping on a pair of forge gloves. They made the tiny tweezers hard to wield, but I wasn¡¯t about to go without after hearing that. ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°Two grains,¡± he whispered, holding out the vial with both hands. ¡°Not into the pot yet. Lay them on the paper tray.¡±


    Bryll was already folding the stiff rice paper Roshum used for so many things into a tray shape, all four edges turned up to keep the salts from rolling away. She stood well back when I dropped first one grain of the whitish salt and then a second onto the paper.


    ¡°Always two grains of Arindus, no matter what you¡¯re working on.¡± Roshum corked the vial and wiped nervous sweat from his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s a Chaos card you¡¯ll be breaking down, I assume?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then to strip the source identity we need Luscum Quaringes, Varicellin Geo, and Blescha Orchadin,¡± he muttered, pulling out the vial of pale blue. ¡°Rarity?¡±


    ¡°Epic,¡± I said.


    He paused, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Might be wiser to start with something less expensive.¡±


    ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing, don¡¯t you?¡± I said.


    He huffed at me. ¡°Course.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s the one. I have lots of upgrades in mind, and the sooner I can get to them, the better.¡±


    He nodded, his eyes licking up to the ceiling as he made mental calculations. ¡°With Luscum it¡¯s one grain for Common and two for each elevation beyond that. Seven grains.¡±


    ¡°How many shards will I get?¡± I asked as we painstakingly moved the tiny specks of death salt onto the paper tray.


    ¡°Fate lets Fortune play his games,¡± Roshum replied. He sounded like he wished he could sigh, but gusts of air were a bad idea at the moment. ¡°The average is three. Never less than two. I¡¯ve heard of as many as six, but they tend to be of lower quality the higher the yield. Six midgrade Epic shards will sell for more than three high-quality ones, yes, but if you¡¯re going for upgrades, high-quality shards are what you want. So long as you measure carefully, invoke the Twins regularly, and time the soak right, you¡¯ll get three good shards four times out of five.¡±


    ¡°Lots of numbers,¡± I said.


    ¡°Get used to it,¡± he said tersely, fetching a vial of green. ¡°If you have as many cards as I think you do, you¡¯ll be doing a lot of calculations in the days to come, and getting them wrong means wasting a good card at the very least.¡±


    ¡°At least?¡± I said. ¡°Sounds pretty bad to me.¡±


    He gave me a testy look. ¡°If I put a single grain of Varicellin into just-right water with two of Phystulinum, I can change Order to Air. Two grains of Varicellin with one of Phystulinum will turn the card into a sludge that will eat right through the lead.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± This was a fiddlier process than I had imagined.


    ¡°And if I put either combination into boiling water, they¡¯d be picking our teeth out of the wall plaster three streets over,¡± he continued, jerking his chin at the dish of warming water.


    I hastily stripped off my gloves, dipped my fourth finger into the water, and immediately took the dish off the brick. ¡°Just right,¡± I said with a weak grin. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll have you walk me through this process for the first few times.¡±


    ¡°The first dozen times, more like,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die just yet. Folks are starting to ask about meeting you. That huge demon of yours disappears all day and then tramps around the streets all night scaring the pants off everybody.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped he and Harker would be done by now,¡± I said as we measured out three grains of the green salt. ¡°The point is to make people safe, not to scare them.¡±


    ¡°Both work in your favor at this stage, if you ask me,¡± Roshum said. ¡°I¡¯ve spread it around that you¡¯re cleaning out the old guard, and more are happy about it than not.¡±


    The different kinds of alchemical salts we¡¯d separated went from the paper tray into the water once the old man had double-checked the temperature, and after exactly twelve widdershins stirs with a metal spoon, the dish went back onto the brick for more heating. Once the water ¨C now a pale lavender ¨C began to bubble up from the bottom, two other salts went in, the black and dark blue ones. Then the mixture had to cool while being continuously stirred, at which point one more grain of the bone white kind went in.


    ¡°Now it goes into the soak tray. Half full, no more.¡±


    My hands were sweaty. ¡°Maybe you should do it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said sharply. ¡°The Twins know how much effort we give, and who gives it. Better if it¡¯s you.¡±


    I picked up the dish, imagining myself spilling it all over, but I managed to fill the little lead-lined container half full without a single drop over the side.


    ¡°Now, quickly,¡± Roshum said, gesturing to both me and Bryll, who was lounging in the corner. ¡°Hold hands.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The most important part,¡± he said. ¡°The prayer. I¡¯ll do it now, and you need to repeat it every night right at this time, no matter whether you¡¯re next to the card bath or halfway across the world. I¡¯ll write it down for you before you go.¡±


    We all linked hands, and Roshum closed his eyes, looking heavenward. ¡°Twin of mercy, Twin of grace; thou whom we call Fortune, thou whom we call Fate: Take now the gift ye have given, enriched with our care, and elevate it further to heights utmost rare. We use these gifts and they make us more bold; return us one greater that all power we may hold. So be it, so be it, so be it.¡± Opening an eye, he nodded to us both.


    Hesitantly, we echoed, ¡°So be it.¡±


    A faint tingle traveled up my arm from Roshum¡¯s hand and back down the other. Bryll¡¯s eyes popped when she felt it. I couldn¡¯t be entirely sure, but in the light of the shop¡¯s glow globes, it looked as if the water suddenly had a hint of that extra-realness that summoned Souls had.


    ¡°There,¡± Roshum said, clapping his hands. ¡°That¡¯s as good as it gets.¡± He put the lid on the soak tray and handed it to me. ¡°If you¡¯ve got half a brain the card¡¯s not here. Whichever one you¡¯re breaking down needs to go in the bath within the hour, so go do what you have to. Come back after and I¡¯ll have the prayer written down for you.¡±


    I cradled the heavy gift in my hand. ¡°Thank you, Roshum. I never could have done this myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I did it,¡± he said, a hint of his usual crankiness creeping back in. ¡°Take the salts with you, and keep them safe. Once we¡¯re sure this first one has processed correctly, we can do a few at a time next time. You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s ready ¨C everything within ten feet of the box will smell like rotten eggs.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A month, tops. Could be less.¡±


    A rhythmic, shuddering thud sounded from the center of the Lows, getting louder each time. I tensed for a moment as I listened before I realized what it had to be. ¡°Finally,¡± I sighed. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got company.¡±


    ¡°Take that great bastard with you and be on your way,¡± Roshum said. ¡°He breaks the cobblestones.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Is the Big Man supposed to pave the streets, too? This job just keeps growing.¡± To Bryll I said, ¡°Been practicing with that card?¡±


    She nodded, grinning fiercely. ¡°People step lively when I have him out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for helping, not for making people scared,¡± I said sternly.


    ¡°I know,¡± she growled. ¡°But that part is nice too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll duel next time I come, and if you¡¯re doing well maybe you can earn another.¡± Her eyes went even brighter at that. ¡°Keep practicing.¡±


    I met the Night Terror at the corner where the street opened out onto the washing-fountain square where Dachs and Kernona had first brawled with each other. Before you had them killed. I shook off the thought. ¡°Look who¡¯s finally come slinking back,¡± I said up to the huge demon. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be off the leash for a few days, not a few weeks.¡±


    The great beast spread its taloned hands. ¡°Getting a death just right takes time. And, in this case, even managing a death poorly does the same. These enforcers might as well have been cockroaches for all the hiding and scurrying they did.¡± The towering face broke into a fanged grin. ¡°Cockroaches never screamed that prettily when they go squish, though. I¡¯ll give them that.¡±


    My stomach turned at the thought, but showing weakness in front of this Soul was a bad idea. ¡°Is it done?¡±


    In reply, a massive hand descended in front of me, a short stack of card balanced on the tip of the jagged talon. Dried blood showed in the crevices. I snatched the cards and put them in a pocket. I¡¯d have time to look through them later and decide which ones to hand out to my little squad of urchins. ¡°What about Harker?¡±


    ¡°Her tears were most delicious of all,¡± the monster purred.


    My fists clenched. ¡°Dammit, I told you not to kill her.¡±


    ¡°I did not,¡± the Night Terror said. ¡°She walked away from me this very evening, whole in body if not in spirit, and never once looked back.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you talking about her tears?¡±


    The demonic smile widened. ¡°Because I discovered that when I had her kill her compatriots, the misery was doubled. Every one made her weep harder than the last, especially when I made her do it slowly.¡±


    I massaged my temples, a painful throbbing building behind my eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to do that.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. I promised you a symphony of pain and blood, and by the powers beyond, I have delivered. Perhaps you will be a worthy one to carry my card after all.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want this creature calling me worthy. ¡°Pick me up and take me to Maidenhead Square.¡±


    I rode on his shoulder, thinking on Harker and how my mercy had gone sour for her. They were dark thoughts.


    ¡°You have earned information,¡± the Night Terror rumbled at me.


    I jerked out of my reverie. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Our deal,¡± the demon reminded me. ¡°You give me opportunities for death and disorder, and I give you information. Unless you no longer desire it?¡±


    ¡°No, I want it,¡± I said. I hadn¡¯t thought about the Night Terror when I¡¯d been trying to test her honesty, but here was another angle to get past her defenses. ¡°What are her soul abilities?¡±


    The huge demon gave an appreciative rumble. ¡°Straight to the heart of things. We were not so close that she ever showed me her soul card, of course, but I observed her changing her form on multiple occasions, and heard her speak of stealing others¡¯ soul cards.¡±


    ¡°Does it hurt her to change form?¡± She¡¯d resisted changing more than once when I¡¯d asked her.


    ¡°What is pain?¡± the demon mused. ¡°I may have heard a grunt or two from her during the process, but she did it often enough that either she is inured to the pain or she enjoys it. Our kind views these things differently. Pain can be as good as an embrace when your mind is in the proper frame.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I¡¯d wondered if she was just putting me off. Then again, hadn¡¯t I put her off when she¡¯d asked to see my card? ¡°She told me she can only shapeshift into cards she still has in her Mind Home. Is that true?¡±


    The demon¡¯s head tilted toward me, its great red eye looking down on me in surprise. ¡°You have spoken to her? She is here?¡±


    I cursed myself inside. I hadn¡¯t meant to let that slip. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Night Terror mulled that over for a long moment. ¡°Do not offend her, little human. I would not wish to face her in combat.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my mother,¡± I said with more confidence than I felt.


    ¡°That means something very different among demons than among humans,¡± the creature warned me. ¡°Have a care. For my sake if not your own. I find I enjoy roaming a Mind Home once more, even one as sparse as yours.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me.¡±


    ¡°I have only ever seen her shift into forms that were present in her Mind Home alongside me,¡± the demon said. ¡°That is not proof, of course, but it is the best I can offer.¡±


    ¡°This is the place,¡± I said, pointing to the window on the far side of Maidenhead Square where Ticosi¡¯s rooms lay. ¡°Lift me onto the balcony.¡±


    It did so with surprising gentleness. He¡¯d mostly confirmed what my mother had said. Maybe changing didn¡¯t hurt her as she¡¯d said, but what did that really mean? I wasn¡¯t sure if I was glad to hear her words confirmed or not.


    ¡°One last tidbit I will offer unasked,¡± the demon said. ¡°You gave me so many lovely deaths, and I can see you are unsatisfied with what I have said thus far. When she is in other forms, she can only use the soul abilities of that other soul, not her own. This I know for certain.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. She could use other people¡¯s soul abilities when she changed into them? My estimation of her power level kept going up. She was the perfect spy, and she was brokering a secret peace between humans and demons. Certainly they¡¯d send one of their most powerful for something like that.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told the demon. ¡°I hope you enjoyed your weeks of freedom. Back in you go.¡±


    With a sigh of regret, the Night Terror fell into mist, and I felt its weight settle back into my Mind Home. I wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the new information it had given me, but every shred I could get would help me balance the scales. Maybe my mother wasn¡¯t so bad after all. I could hope. Don¡¯t be stupid. She stole your card and you don¡¯t even trust her enough to show her the new one. My inner street kid still spoke strongly. I wished I weren¡¯t so sure he was right.


    I unlocked the window leading into the rooms and entered the Big Man¡¯s private space holding the soak tray and little box of alchemical salts. Once the window was locked behind me I quietly moved the wardrobe forward a few hands and pried up the tile that butted against the wall. It had taken some time to hollow out the space underneath, but the Big Man¡¯s rooms were the safest place I could think of in the Lows. I pulled out the bag of cards and quickly sifted through to find the one I wanted.


    Any of the Epics would have done just fine; it wasn¡¯t as if I planned to use any of them. This one, though, had always bothered me, probably because the son of a bitch had used it against us when we fought. I wouldn¡¯t be sorry to see it turned to shards.


    I set the soak tray flat on the table and pried of the cover with the greatest of care. I didn¡¯t know what spillage would do to me now that the solution was ready, and I didn¡¯t want to find out. I wished I had gloves, but I¡¯d left them at Roshum¡¯s. The liquid in the tray glimmered silver in the faint streetlight coming through the window.


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the right prayer, but Twins, favor me now,¡± I whispered. ¡°I need this. The Lows need this. Hell, until I can take care of Hestorus, the whole kingdom needs this.¡± I shrugged, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m not good at prayers. Sorry. Uh, so be it.¡±


    I slipped the card into the tray, careful not to splash any on my fingers, and the silver swallowed it completely. Tiny bubbles rose to the surface, and I quickly put the lid back on. After a deep breath to still my shaking hands, I put the soak tray and the box of salts in the hollow under the tile and put the wardrobe back in place. I¡¯d have Bryll ask a few of her little friends to watch the place to make sure no one was trying to get in while I was spending my nights at Roshum¡¯s or in War Camp. If she continued to prove trustworthy, maybe I¡¯d let her stay here. I¡¯d never liked these rooms.


    I left the apartment through the front door, locking it tight behind me. I felt a strange energy in me as I walked back toward Roshum¡¯s shop. I¡¯d taken the first real steps to unlocking the treasure trove Ticosi had left in my hands when he died, and it might just make the difference both in War Camp and in lifting the Lows out of poverty. I felt good. I felt like I had the beginnings of a plan. One day, I might even be ready to face my father and help put somebody on the throne who was a little wiser, a little kinder. Somebody like Basil.


    A smile curved on my lips. Strange as it seemed, what I was feeling was hope.

 B2: 23. Basil - Old Promises

    The metal street that the smiths were on was a wide one, which I was grateful for, as it gave me ample room to pace up and down the reflective length. I was here to use the free upgrade that General Edaine had given me ¨C an opportunity I had spent many an hour pondering, both alone and with Esmi, to determine the very best use of. Yet, now that I had arrived, I found myself wavering.


    I held four gold-rimmed cards in my hand as I walked, staring at each in turn as if they would provide a more concrete answer today than all of the other times I had poured over them.


    Since I was allowed to elevate any card of Rare level or less, the bargain-minded trader in me wouldn¡¯t consider the lost value in upgrading a Common or Uncommon card instead, which left me with only these four choices. But of course, there was much more to consider than just what was written on the cards themselves. Each had three possible upgrade paths that were clear to me with my Seersight, and others that sometimes flitted at the edges. I had used my one time a day vision to look at all of them again since being granted the free upgrade, but their firmer possibilities remained the same.


    And then there was the bigger question, what was I building toward? Fighting out on some battlefield against an invading army like Edaine was training us for, or in a duel against my brother to protect my marriage to Esmi? The latter was of much greater personal importance to me and only a week away now, but should I be putting myself before the good of the kingdom?


    The trouble was, the more I trained, the greater the difference between what made for an effective dueling deck and one that was presummoned seemed to me. Equality, for instance, at Epic, instead of removing Souls from the field, could let me summon Souls from hand at no source cost until I had the same number in play as my opponent. In a real fight this was next to useless, but against Gale, particularly if he was using a swarm style Air deck, it would let me instantly match his presence on the field with higher quality Souls.


    As for my Rare Souls, upgrades that lead to newly acquired skills presented a similar conundrum now that I was successfully cultivating Life. In a presummoned fight, if I wanted one of them to have Dodge or Hunt, I could simply cast Spells like Fluid Grace or Subtle Scenting on them ¨C the first of which I had a copy of and the second E¡¯lal would be happy to trade me for.


    However, in a duel, there was no guarantee that I would get those Enhancement Spells at the same time as the Soul I wished to pair it with. I had done a number of cards-on-the-table style matches with Griff, and this sort of mismatched drawing had happened to me on multiple occasions. What¡¯s more, since those upgrades were fairly basic, Griff had told me that there was a chance that the card might also become cheaper to summon when elevated to Epic, which for my Master Assassin especially would be amazing.


    I was looking at that very card now, imagining it with one less Order source in the upper corner, before switching over to Atrea. Seeing her crouched there, waiting, gave me a firm stab of guilt. I had history with this card, history that I couldn¡¯t just ignore. When asking Esmi her opinion, I had finally told her about how I shared a bond with the Human Winged Knight, who I had named and had promised to raise to Mythic to recover her memories. Esmi took the information much better than I dared hope, perhaps because she found my time with a very alive A¡¯cia more worrisome than that spent with a card. But, to be fair to Esmi, she admitted to wanting to do the very same for all of the cards in her deck, and with my help, already had multiple upgrades planned.


    While that was all well and good, the truth was, though I was loath to admit it, I wasn¡¯t sure that Atrea really fit my deck anymore. The only defense she helped with was against Flyers, but the Zephyrs and Carrion Condors were better suited to that role, and as for offense, her devote to gain Fast Attack ability left her vulnerable, so I disliked using it. It often felt like the best way to employ her was keeping her in hand to block for 3 damage, which is exactly how I¡¯d used her in the paired duel Hull and I had won against the Paladins. And if that¡¯s all I was doing with her, should she even remain in my Mind Home?


    I sighed, my feet slowing to a stop. Esmi and I had decided that I should go ahead and upgrade Atrea, that I should keep my word. However, if I changed my mind, I didn¡¯t think Esmi would hold it against me. In fact, she had admitted herself that there were more optimal upgrades available to me. Atrea had waited this long, hadn¡¯t she? The merits I had collected over the past few weeks were mostly earmarked for more Life cards, some Air, and even another Metal Golem if Throice¡¯s family would part with it, but War Camp still had months more to go. I could upgrade Atrea later on, once I had seen to more important things.


    It all made logical sense. But is that the sort of man you want to be? a voice in my head asked. The sick feeling in my stomach indicated that it wasn¡¯t, but it failed to fully propel me in a different direction. Was this sort of conflict what Hull had been experiencing when he had wavered between siding with me or Ticosi? It seemed ridiculous to compare such a critical juncture in both our lives to the mere upgrading of a card, but perhaps that¡¯s just how some feelings were: ridiculous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to manage to wear a rut in that steel,¡± I looked up and saw a stocky man watching me. He was under the metal awning of the soulsmith building where I needed to go, leaning on the support pillar. ¡°Though I can appreciate that you¡¯re giving it your best go.¡± Three Fire source and three Water floated above his head, and he touched a cigar to one of the Fire to light it before taking a long pull, smoke coming back out his nostrils and traveling past his wide handlebar mustache.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said and then regretted it. This was a public thoroughfare, at least public to those who were allowed in the fortification, and I had been in no one¡¯s way as I walked. I stood a bit straighter. ¡°General Edaine has granted me a free card upgrade, and I¡¯ve come to claim it.¡±


    He nodded with a knowing air. ¡°Ay, she told us to watch for you. Thought you¡¯d be by sooner if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± I said, deflating somewhat. I even folded the cards in hand into a single stack, feeling a tad silly to be carrying them out in the open like this. ¡°The choice of which to upgrade has been a more fraught decision than I expected.¡±


    The man was probably only in late twenties, perhaps early thirties, but he gained some wrinkles when he frowned at me. ¡°Didn¡¯t your advisor tell you what to do? Those folk know what they¡¯re about, you can trust the Twins in that.¡±


    I had consulted Griff as well, and once I revealed my Soul ability to him, he had been emphatically in favor of upgrading one of my Master Shieldbearers so that it summoned when used to block from hand.


    ¡°He did, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡± the man asked, raising an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°But,¡± I sighed, ¡°there¡¯s something I committed to long before this. Something that I feel I should see done.¡±


    ¡°Right then,¡± he said. He put his cigar out on the support beam he had been leaning on and then tucked the stub back in a pocket behind the thick leather vest he wore. He then turned back into the smithing area proper, motioning for me to follow.


    I ducked under the awning after him, noting the immediate difference in where the heat was coming from: outside it was primarily from the sun above, but in here, various burners and smoking coals that were setup in a series of three stations ahead gave off a thick warmth. The air also smelled of smoke with a touch of oak, but that last bit might have just been what lingered from the smith¡¯s cigar.


    ¡°Are you new?¡± I asked. ¡°I normally see summoned smiths and a different man in here.¡± I had never committed to upgrading a card before, but I had scouted the location on multiple occasions.


    ¡°That would be Jubal,¡± the smith said, who stood now on the other side of the station. ¡°Bit of a cantankerous fool if you ask me, so I¡¯m glad you did,¡± he added with a wink. ¡°He likes letting cards do most of the work, but if my hands aren¡¯t in the coals, what¡¯s the point of smithing I say?¡±


    ¡°And you are¡­¡± I ventured while at the same time wondering what in the Twelve he meant about putting his hands in the coals.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Lothar,¡± he said. ¡°Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, about this problem of yours. The upgrade your advisor suggested, I want you to imagine that you came here today, did as you were told, and left with it in hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it the same day?¡± Esmi had told me as much, but hearing it confirmed by the smith I found rather exciting.


    ¡°That you will,¡± he said, eyes a twinkle, as if he knew exactly what I was feeling. ¡°Go on,¡± he said, waving a hand at me, ¡°how¡¯s it feel?¡±


    ¡°Um, well,¡± I replied, taking a moment to get in the proper frame of mind to perform the thought experiment he was asking. A Master Shieldbearer that I could summon just by blocking damage directed at me? It was essentially a two for one with no downside, other than the fact that the card had to be in my hand. There wasn¡¯t as much value in a presummoned situation where I¡¯d already have an active Bodyguard, but the one in hand could serve as a second when the first was destroyed, and in a duel?


    ¡°Safer,¡± I said. ¡°More in control.¡± With a card like that, I¡¯d be able to counter Gale if he tried to launch some early, high damaging attack on me. With a card like that, I¡¯d be one step closer to everyone accepting Esmi and me.


    ¡°Those sound like good things,¡± the smith said. ¡°Now, what about this other upgrade that¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    Images of beating my brother were replaced by Atrea sitting uselessly in my hand or being destroyed in a spray of shards when trying to defend me by Gale¡¯s Giant Hawk.


    ¡°Worried,¡± I admitted. ¡°Afraid that it won¡¯t really help me.¡±


    The smith spread his hand. ¡°Well then. Sounds like you have your answer. Give that first card over won¡¯t you, and we¡¯ll get things star ¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, shaking my head, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to do the second of the two.¡±


    Lothar had been reaching toward me but stopped, his brow wrinkling again. ¡°Sorry, friend, but you¡¯ve lost me there.¡±


    How to explain when I was just coming to these realizations myself? ¡°In the past I¡¯ve made more decisions than I¡¯d care to admit based on fear, self-doubt, and I¡­ refuse to do that anymore. That¡¯s actually another promise I made to myself, and I nearly forgot about it.¡± I took a breath; it was grounding to hear this sort of truth spoken aloud and more kept coming. ¡°Doing what¡¯s right shouldn¡¯t be a burden. I should have the strength of character to see it done and faith in myself that I will be able to handle the consequences, no matter what those may be. Thank you,¡± I told him, being sure to keep steady eye contact with him so he knew how much I meant it, ¡°for helping me realize that.¡±


    ¡°Glad to be of service¡­¡± he said, but his tone and the way he was leaning more away now than forward gave him away; he didn¡¯t really understand what he had done for me. ¡°So, who is the lucky Soul?¡±


    It was a blatant attempt to steer the conversation back onto more comfortable ground, and I decided to not begrudge him the transition.


    ¡°She is,¡± I said, offering over Atrea¡¯s card.


    It wasn¡¯t until she left my fingers that I felt a pang of loss, realizing that if all went as planned, I¡¯d never see her in that form again.


    ¡°A Human Winged Knight,¡± Lothar whistled. ¡°Haven¡¯t come across one of those before.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I.¡± I didn¡¯t bother explaining how she had earned the wings in life. After how our last exchange had just resolved, it seemed best to keep the rest of our interaction strictly professional. ¡°For her upgrades, I¡¯m hoping for a few different things. Most importantly, an aura that grants her and other Souls Precision.¡± After seeing my Assassins struggling against Edaine¡¯s Armored Spirits, this seemed a good way to make them more effective. ¡°In addition, I rarely find use for her Fast Attack ability, so if that could be modified? And if her cost could be changed to have more Any, that would give me greater flexibility in summoning her.¡±


    As I spoke, the soulsmith¡¯s frown had returned and deepened with each added item. ¡°That¡¯s all¡­. quite specific, friend. Is this the first time you¡¯ve upgraded a Soul before?¡±


    ¡°It is, yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah, then,¡± he said, blowing out some air in a relieved way. ¡°It¡¯s true an Epic will be powerfully useful, of that there can be no doubt. But targeted upgrades like that have no guarantee. It¡¯s up to Fate and Fortune, after all.¡±


    I matched his previous frown with one of my own. ¡°When my fiancee upgraded a Soul of hers to Epic, her request that it provide more defense from hand was accommodated by the smith she used in Charbond. Do we not have the same exactitude of techniques here?¡±


    His eyebrow twitched. ¡°That¡¯s just one modification, and your list was much longer than that. Making it less source specific, ay, that¡¯s something I can try for.¡±


    That wouldn¡¯t do at all, not when the other abilities I had seen from her, Hunt and Flurry, weren¡¯t nearly as useful to me. I wasn¡¯t sure if revealing my Soul ability would change the man¡¯s tune, nor did I want more people to know of it than needed, so I tried a different angle first.


    ¡°I appreciate your honesty. I¡¯ll take my card back then and wait to make my requests to smith Jubal instead. When can I expect him?¡±


    As I had hoped, instead of relinquishing the card, Lothar tightened his grip on it. ¡°That man can barely see what he does, that¡¯s why he relies on Summons so much. And you think he can tease out upgrades as specific as what you want?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s worth it to me to try.¡±


    He snorted so hard the oiled tips of his mustache quivered. ¡°Fine then,¡± he said, snatching his three Fire source from where they hovered over him and shoving them into the coals  ¡°Precision, better Fast Attack, and less Source symbols it is then.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡± I asked, watching the lumps of charcoal go from nearly extinguished to a gradual ruddy glow.


    ¡°Not when you do it right,¡± Lothar answered. He then ducked under the counter and brought back out a small frame of clay, which he fitted Atrea inside. Then, to the side of where the coal still burned with his Source, he put the frame in a shallow pan and began layering card shards over them: large ones along the four sides and then smaller ones across the top, first all one direction, then the other, as if he was building some sort of latticework. Next, he carefully brought the shallow pan over to the now cherry-red charcoal and placed it on top, gently enough that none of the shards were disturbed. Once there, he picked up the outer coals not directly underneath the pan and began putting them on top of the shards, which I could just barely hear pop and sizzle. Yet again, the way he did it without any gloves or other utensils was thoroughly impressive, and I watched in mesmerized silence as he encapsulated the entirety of the card and surrounding shards with coals that were now red-hot.


    ¡°What Sources do you cultivate?¡± he surprised me by asking.


    ¡°Sources?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Hurry now,¡± he said, and I saw sweat rolling off of his forehead and down his face; his mustache was so wet, it hung limply on either side of his mouth.


    ¡°Order, Air, and Life,¡± I rattled off, unsure how the information could be useful to him.


    ¡°Right. Lean close,¡± he told me. ¡°And whisper all those things you want to it. Practically blow them in.¡±


    It would have been nice if he had warned me about that part of the process, but I got the impression that we didn¡¯t have much time left, so I did as he bade. The center of the pile seemed to be burning brighter than the rest, so I directed my efforts there.


    ¡°Atrea,¡± I said, so quiet I didn¡¯t think he could hear me. ¡°Help me by helping my Souls, please. Strike faster without so much need for rest, and try to bring your Order and Air sides into balance.¡± The coals were so hot, I could feel the water pushing out of my own pores now, trying to keep me cool, but before I pulled back, I added. ¡°I believe in you. You deserve this.¡±


    Standing straight, it was like I was breathing entirely different air.


    ¡°Done?¡± he asked, glancing briefly my way, and I nodded. He then did something that flared the pile even brighter and I had to take a step back from the heat pouring off it. He was chanting something too, some sort of prayer, but I couldn¡¯t be sure exactly what. As soon as he stopped talking, he shoved one hand deep into the coals, pulling out the clay frame, which was practically white it was burning so pure. Lothar then took his three Water source with his off hand and shoved them together with my card.


    The Water boiled on contact, hissing and spitting, but not evaporating. Instead, it was the card that cooled, the clay breaking off as it did, revealing hints of a red-rim beneath. I no longer cared about the heat and stepped as close as I could, the coals still blazing between us.


    ¡°Can I see her?¡± I asked. If touching the new card burned my hand, I¡¯d just heal it with my Life Source.


    ¡°Almost,¡± he answered, his attention focused on keeping the Water source all together and around the card. ¡°But before you see it, remember, you and I did this together. Whatever the form, it was a joint effort.¡±


    If I hadn¡¯t been so enraptured by the card I was on the edge of getting to see, I might have been more annoyed that the smith was passing some of the responsibility on to me. On the other hand, I had been there the whole time and had gotten to speak my desires. No matter the outcome, I¡¯ll make it work, I told myself, and for a wonder, I mostly believed it.


    The Water source had finally calmed, and Lothar released it, letting it float back up into the air. He glanced at the card briefly, and I experienced a spike of jealousy, but not a moment later, he was passing it over to me.


    The card was much cooler than I had expected, with nary a bit of clay left on it. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± I breathed, my hands shaking at the sight of her.


    ¡°Ay, that it is,¡± Lothar said, sounding pleased but also run ragged.


    The image of Atrea dominated my vision for the next few moments and then I read everything about her three times over.


    ¡°Her attack is higher, too!¡± I exclaimed, finally breaking away from looking at the card.


    He gave a chuckle. ¡°That it is. Seems like she thought she could do you one better, even with all that you were asking for.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like her,¡± I let slip, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Thank you, Lothar. I¡¯ll be sure to let everyone know what fine work you do.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what a smith likes to hear,¡± he said, pulling his Fire source out of the coals with one hand. With the other, he was already getting his cigar ready to light. How he could want more heat right now was beyond me but also made no difference. With a result like that, he had won my patronage.


    I practically scurried from the smithy, unable to contain my excitement. Tucking her behind my ear required more effort, as if being an Epic Soul made her somehow larger, and as soon as she was in my Mind Home, I started drawing cards. Fortune teased me by making me go through almost my entire deck before I got to her, but seeing her again was more than worth it.


    I used the source I had been drawing in tandem to summon her, the feel of Order and Air swirling through me and then releasing as the card in my hand vanished. Her armored form took shape a few feet away, wings snapping out to their fullest, causing some workers on the street to give us a wide berth.


    A shimmer of blue surrounded her now, but more than that, it shone in her eyes, flickering outward and bleeding into the air.


    ¡°Basil,¡± she said, looking down at her darker armor and then up at me with her blazing gaze. ¡°You did it.¡±


    ¡°We did it,¡± I said, thinking of what Lothar had said to me. ¡°You¡­ are magnificent.¡±


    ¡°I feel that way, too,¡± she said, spinning in a slow circle and looking up at the sky. ¡°I¡¯m going to go flying.¡±


    ¡°Feel free.¡±


    She readied herself, feathers rustling, but then turned to me. ¡°Thank you. For staying true.¡± Her wings snapped down, and the force of wind she created was so strong it pushed me back two full steps and shot her straight upward, fast as a shooting star. By the time I recovered, she was so high up, I had to put a hand over my eyes to find her past the sun.


    Perhaps it was my imagination, but her flight lines were different to me, full of great, swooping dives, sharp loops, and spinning daredevil tricks that shot her through cotton ball clouds. It was like seeing Air embodied, and yet I never doubted her control or expertise. Seeing her this way, and knowing she was one step closer to what we had dreamed up for her on sleepless nights, a knot unfurled in my chest. Only as it happened did I realize that the youthful pledge between us hadn¡¯t just been for her, but for me as well. And, though I had no doubt she would be a boon to my deck in her new form, in that moment, neck craned back and eyes watering, it was the furthest thing from my thoughts.

 B2: 24. Hull - The Full 20

    We all filed into the Advisor¡¯s Hall, the paladins chattering together, the elves following just behind with a more muted, regal air, and the dwarves keeping to themselves as usual. Basil was flitting amongst the various groups, Esmi at his side, a sheaf of folded and wax-sealed papers in hand. He¡¯d handed mine to me during the pairs duel we¡¯d just watched, telling me that if his mother dared snub the people most important to him, he¡¯d very well deliver his own invitations to the Gala. I needed another party full of nobles and hangers-on in my life like I needed the burning itch, but if Basil wanted me there, I couldn¡¯t very well say no.


    At first I thought he¡¯d been a fool to challenge Gale to a duel, especially after seeing the elder brother in action during our early exercises and classes, but if it was Esmi¡¯s hand at stake, I saw the need. He¡¯d be a Twins-struck fool if he let that girl go, for more reasons than one. She was everything these nobles were supposed to be but weren¡¯t, not to mention being a hellcat on the field. I¡¯d never been one for romance, but even I could see she was worth fighting for. Doing the thing in front of the gods and everybody at the Gala was exactly the kind of dramatic flair Basil loved; maybe a good fight would make the evening a little less painful.


    He was enthusiastically shoving an invite into Afi¡¯s hands as she tried to peel away toward her advisor¡¯s table, but Basil wouldn¡¯t let her escape until she nodded and said something I couldn¡¯t hear. Most of the other students had their stamped and swirly-lettered bit of frippery already; Afi had been one of the duelists on the field. She was paired with the elf girl Ky¡¯reen, and they¡¯d mopped the floor with A¡¯cia and whoever that other dwarf was ¨C I¡¯d never learned his name. Or her name, maybe; it was hard to tell with the Deepkin.


    New and upgraded cards were starting to show up on the field across the board as we all scrambled to earn merits, trade favors, and sweet-talk the smiths into better deals. A¡¯cia had a new transforming Life card that she¡¯d almost been able to parlay into a turnaround in the duel, but Afi¡¯s control deck was too much to handle, especially now that she was fielding a matched pair of new Water Souls herself.


    A¡¯cia was fighting at a disadvantage, being paired as she was with one of the dwarves. None of them would summon anything but minor Earth cards and never contributed anything to their partners. When I¡¯d asked Harganut whether he had any Depths cards in his deck, he¡¯d pretended to be asleep in his bunk even though he¡¯d been chattering at me about his meditations on stone literally seconds earlier. Edaine was at her wits¡¯ end with them; she¡¯d actually lost her temper and yelled at A¡¯cia¡¯s Deepkin partner when the match ended, demanding whether he would care whether someone died in battle because of his total unconcern with practicing the essentials. Personally, I thought a little anger was long overdue with the Deepkin bunch ¨C they were the worst allies I¡¯d ever heard of. If it were me, I¡¯d have sent them back to their people in disgrace after a week. If the dwarves were bothered by their increasing distance from everyone else, though, they hid it well. Harganut still seemed happy to see me in the evenings, even if I couldn¡¯t make sense out of half of what he said.


    And now I have to deal with the worst of the bunch, I thought sourly, heading to the table along the north wall where my advisor Badgou always sat. General Edaine¡¯s outburst had given me a kind of permission ¨C I wasn¡¯t going to put up with this useless lump any more, and she was going to get an earful.


    ¡°Ah, Hull,¡± the dwarf woman said in her rough, accented voice. She had the small grimoire she was always looking through in hand, and as usual, it went back in its box as soon as anyone came close. ¡°Always good to see you, boy. What should we focus on today?¡±


    ¡°How about the fact that we¡¯ve met a dozen times and you haven¡¯t given me a single ounce of useful advice?¡± I growled, dropping into a chair.


    She rapped her knobby knuckles on the wood of the table and chuckled tolerantly. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s not grind down our nubs. We¡¯re laying the foundation like I told you.¡±


    ¡°How long does it take to lay a foundation?¡± I snapped. ¡°I¡¯ll be old and gray by the time we start making progress.¡±


    ¡°Better a solid deck in your old age than a flawed one that kills you on the battlefield at twenty,¡± she said, raising her craggy brows. She probably thought she sounded sage, but it only made me want to punch her, no matter that it¡¯d just cost me skinned knuckles.


    ¡°And exactly what kind of deck do you think I¡¯ll have during all those years while I wait for this solid deck of yours?¡± I said, clenching my fists. ¡°I¡¯ll end up dead just like you say, and what good will you have done in the meantime? Look around, Badgou ¨C Esmi¡¯s got three new upgrades and a solid swap, Afi¡¯s done nearly the same, and Basil¡¯s whole deck got an overhaul. Even the paladins have managed an upgrade a piece, and they¡¯re working with set decks. Meanwhile, you and I talk about demon rifts ¨C and Twins, don¡¯t even open your mouth; I haven¡¯t magically stumbled across one in the last three days ¨C and the value of mineralization in Relic formation. Enough! Every time I sit here I wish to Fortune you¡¯ll trip on your way out, break your neck, and I¡¯ll get assigned to someone else. You¡¯re useless!¡±


    Silence descended on the nearby tables. I realized I was on my feet and leaning aggressively over the table at her, and if I hadn¡¯t been yelling, it had been the next best thing. A deep breath brought my old friend rage back to heel, and I sat back down. Badgou still wore a slight smile and folded her hands over her broad stomach.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got more, get it out,¡± she said blandly.


    ¡°I think that covers it,¡± I said, sitting back down calmly. ¡°But If you think I¡¯m going to say sorry for yelling, don¡¯t hold your breath. Even Edaine is sick of all this mealy-mouthed Deepkin bullshit. Why are you even here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to help our allies,¡± she said, sounding serious for once.


    ¡°Then maybe try actually helping,¡± I countered. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll spend my advisor time playing in the mud from here on out. It¡¯d be more productive.¡±


    ¡°Hasty upgrades might impress in the short term, but your fellows will be sorry down the road,¡± Badgou said. ¡°How do they even know what they¡¯ll end up with?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I know exactly what possibilities my cards can produce. My Sucking Void, for instance, can either give me 2 extra turns of protection or remain at 3 turns while only destroying half my deck at Mythic. If you¡¯d ever shut up about minerals and rifts for two seconds, you¡¯d know that already, and we could discuss which would be a better fit for my deck. Oh, but wait: you¡¯ve never seen most of my deck, have you?¡± The anger was rising again, and I pulled it back with a shake of the head and a quick scoot back from the table. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll go ask Edaine to put me with someone else.¡±


    ¡°Hoping for a particular elevation doesn¡¯t make it any more likely,¡± Badgou said, waving at me to sit back down. ¡°Put your wishes in one hand and your night soil in the other and then see who wants to shake hands.¡±


    I blinked at her. That had the sound of a saying, but I couldn¡¯t quite figure out what she meant by it. ¡°I¡¯m not hoping. Basil can see card elevation paths; it¡¯s his soul ability. We¡¯re working through my deck little by little when he has the time. There are others for the Sucking Void, but those are the two best ones.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± she said, a gleam in her eye. Her amused detachment was gone. ¡°And he allows you this information?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± I said, feeling a surge of pride. ¡°He¡¯s not a withholding piece of shit, unlike some others I¡¯ve met.¡±


    She nodded, ignoring the insult entirely. ¡°That does change things. Perhaps speed isn¡¯t quite as reckless when you know what¡¯s coming.¡± She knocked her knuckles on the table again. ¡°All right, then, let¡¯s see the lot if we¡¯re to decide which upgrade would be best.¡±


    Trying to hide a smile, I hurriedly pulled my cards from my Mind Home to lay them on the table as I¡¯d seen the others do. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what I had said that made the difference, but if she was really going to give my deck a good look, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have to go sniveling after Edaine for a new mentor.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    She paused when I had them all laid out. ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°There aren¡¯t any others.¡±


    Her rocky brows drew down. ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re not running a full deck?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Lady, a few months ago I didn¡¯t have a single card to my name. Am I supposed to feel bad because I¡¯ve only got 18 instead of the full 20?¡±


    She shook her head, looking as close to angry as I¡¯d ever seen her. ¡°You¡¯ll feel bad when those last 2 end up being the difference between winning on the field and dying. You¡¯re supposed to represent the best of humanity¡¯s next generation ¨C you really haven¡¯t been able to scrounge up 2 more cards?¡±


    I felt a prickling under my skin and I gritted my teeth. Whatever I¡¯d expected from Badgou once she finally got off her ass and did something, it wasn¡¯t this. ¡°My strategy is solid. I don¡¯t want to throw any old piece of shit card in there to muddy it up. Besides, Nether cards don¡¯t exactly grow on trees around here.¡±


    ¡°Nether¡¯s easy,¡± she said, waving a hand dismissively. ¡°I may even have a few laying around.¡±


    I was on my feet again before I knew it, my hands gripping the tables edge till the fingertips went white. ¡°You¡¯ve had Nether cards this whole time?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sit down,¡± she said irritably. Oddly, I found her less annoying now that she wasn¡¯t stuck in her I-don¡¯t-care, let¡¯s-talk-about-anything affability. ¡°If I¡¯d known you were running light, I¡¯d have said something.¡±


    I lowered myself back into my chair slowly. ¡°You could have, y¡¯know, asked.¡±


    She was busy scanning the cards. ¡°Self-damage and rushing the opponent, with the reflection Relic as the centerpiece. Yes, you have a solid strategy. The Sucking Void is good, yes, but if I were picking, I¡¯d say to focus on the Talisman for elevation first. And you need more protection for your Relics. The Spell Drinker is good against Melts, Rusts, and the like,, but ideally one of those two missing cards should be Relic recovery from discard or some other kind of shield for it.¡±


    I soaked up the information. Her suggestion to focus on the Talisman of Spite first was a good one; I¡¯d need to talk to Basil and Esmi about it. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything like that from any of the sellers here. What would you suggest?¡±


    She harrumphed, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°Well, to your original question first, 5 turns of invulnerability will do you more good than reducing the card loss from the Sucking Void, especially with the Vampiric Blade helping you recover your discard. That would be another good focus for upgrades ¨C getting its cost down would make it far more useful.¡±


    I nodded eagerly. Basil and I had already looked at the Blade together, and making it easier to summon was indeed one of the primary things I wanted to do for it. If only she¡¯d acted like this the whole time!


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think on what would be the right thing for more Relic protection,¡± she continued. ¡°There are some people I could talk to. In the meantime, you need a full 20. Immediately. Edaine should be ashamed of herself for letting one of you run around without a complete deck.¡±


    Several acid replies leapt to mind on that one, but she was pulling her grimoire out of its box, so I bit my tongue. Is she going to gift me some cards?


    She looked up from her book of cards with a gimlet eye. ¡°How many merits have you got?¡±


    My expectations came crashing back to reality. ¡°Uh, nine.¡± Edaine had gotten stingier with them lately.


    Badgou sucked air through her pebbled teeth as she flipped through the book, angling it up so I couldn¡¯t see what she was looking at. ¡°Demon pickings have been poor lately,¡± she said.


    ¡°I thought you told me Nether was easy,¡± I protested.


    She huffed. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to say and another to do,¡± she said wryly. ¡°I do have a pair here that would fit your deck nicely, though. I don¡¯t go in for piece-of-schist filler cards, no matter what angry young duelists might accuse me of. I¡¯ll let you have them for two merits.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see the cards, then,¡± I said.


    She didn¡¯t move. ¡°Do you want them?¡±


    I snorted. ¡°I won¡¯t know until I see ¡®em. You really think I¡¯m going to fork over my merits for cards without seeing them first?¡±


    She grunted and picked two cards out of the book. ¡°Never know ¨C you might have done.¡±


    ¡°Are you related to Findek?¡± I asked bitterly, reaching for the cards. ¡°You¡¯ve got the same sense of fair play.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention anyway. The cards were an identical pair, and I knew I wanted them immediately.


    They fed in nicely to my Talisman-centric strategy, and they were well-rounded for such a low summoning cost. It made me wonder what else she had hidden in her grimoire, but she was right ¨C I needed to finish filling my deck, and these would get the job done while I looked for specific pieces like extra Relic protection.


    ¡°One merit,¡± I said, putting them back down firmly. ¡°If I had a way to cut a merit in half, I¡¯d say that. It should be 3 Commons to a merit.¡±


    She gave a sly look. ¡°Ah, but these are Nether.¡±


    ¡°Which you said was easy to come by. Funny how that seems to change depending on what you¡¯re focused on.¡±


    She moved to take the cards back. ¡°If you can find Nether elsewhere, by all means¡­¡±


    I put my hand over the cards. ¡°One credit and a promise to be less useless starting now.¡±


    She scowled. ¡°Look at all the help and advice I just gave you, you ungrateful child.¡±


    ¡°The help and advice you¡¯ve been withholding from me for weeks while everyone else races ahead and I¡¯m left treading water.¡± I bared my teeth. ¡°One merit and your promise.¡±


    She cleared her throat angrily, which sounded like a miniature avalanche, but I thought I saw the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Robbing an old woman. I hope you¡¯re proud of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep like a baby,¡± I said. ¡°Deal?¡±


    She rapped her knuckles on the table. ¡°Done.¡±


    I fished a merit out of my pocket and handed it over, collecting my prizes and adding them to my stack of cards still on the table. It felt good to know I was full up.


    ¡°Speaking of demon pickings,¡± she said casually. ¡°Edaine was telling us advisors that the King¡¯s star-gazers have determined that a rift will open only a few leagues from here within the week. She¡¯s thinking to organize a raiding party for the students after this Gala thing everyone¡¯s going on about. You should try to be part of it; you¡¯re sure to secure some new Nether cards, whether for including in your deck or using for shards.¡±


    I perked up at that. I wondered whether I¡¯d see my mother before then; she could be a useful source of information if I were going to enter the Demon Realm, even for a little bit. I was sure Edaine would sit us all down soon to discuss it. More opportunities. I considered for a second what might have happened to my life had I not competed in the Rising Stars Tournament and ended up in War Camp. It hardly bore thinking about.


    I shook my head to clear my thoughts. ¡°How about we run an on-the-table round?¡± I suggested, gesturing around the room. Many of the other students were doing exactly that with their advisors.


    ¡°I¡¯m not pulling my deck,¡± she said lazily. ¡°But if you want to mock up the first few rounds on your own side, I¡¯ll talk you through it.¡±


    I¡¯d hoped I might get a glimpse of what she carried in her Mind Home, but given how close-mouthed the other dwarves had been, I wasn¡¯t surprised, and getting her take on my opening turns would be a damn sight more useful than anything she¡¯d done for me up until today. Excited, I started pulling source cards, intending to immediately put them overhead.


    Instead, I stopped dead, staring at the first one I pulled. I couldn¡¯t quite understand what I was seeing at first.


    My face must have showed something, because Badgou perked up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, boy?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Nothing wrong, I just¡­¡± I cast the source overhead, a smile growing on my face. It shone pearlescent in the air. ¡°I hadn¡¯t pulled source yet today ¨C I¡¯ve got my first Order.¡±


    She broke into a wide smile. ¡°Ah, new growth. Congratulations.¡±


    I wanted to tear over to the other side of the room and show it off to Basil, but there would be time for that later. I hadn¡¯t been making my bed like he¡¯d told me to forever ago, but apparently all my work in the Lows had brought some Order to my life anyway. I felt the warm glow of accomplishment. All this time I¡¯d thought myself a freak, and maybe I still was ¨C but now I was a freak with 1 Order.


    A sudden thought wiped the smile off my face, and I grabbed the two Imps off the top of my deck. ¡°Wait, are these the right ones to round out my deck now? Should we be looking at Order cards instead? This opens up a bunch of new possibilities!¡±


    Badgou immediately stuffed her grimoire back into its box and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve just remembered that I didn¡¯t extinguish the globes in my quarters. Best to take care of it now so the sprites aren¡¯t exhausted come nightfall. I hate wandering around in the dark.¡±


    I gaped at her. ¡°You live in the Deeps. Don¡¯t you have darksight?¡±


    She was already walking away and spoke over her shoulder. ¡°Like my quarters bright. Hope you enjoy the cards. No tradebacks!¡±


    That pebble-chewing cave troll! She¡¯d pawned off her useless Nether cards and bolted before she had to do any real work. She and that asshole card trader Findek were cut from the same cloth after all; for all I knew, she was the bastard¡¯s mother. I growled and balled my fists. She was going to get another earful from me next time we met. She had good advice when she bothered to give it ¨C I¡¯d drag it out of her a piece at a time if I had to.


    ¡°Hull,¡± a crisp, light voice behind me said. ¡°A moment, please.¡±


    I turned, and Afi was standing there, slim, straight, and serious. I blinked at her. She¡¯d never spoken more than three words to me.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± I asked.


    She held up the cream parchment I¡¯d seen Basil hand her earlier. ¡°I am expected to attend this Gala. Will you accompany me?¡±


    I took a long moment before I could drag my thoughts away from Badgou and my new Order source. ¡°Accompany?¡±


    ¡°These events are intended for dancing pairs and a coupled dinner,¡± she said, totally straight-faced and emotionless. ¡°I find your face less offensive than most and I want you to be my escort.¡±


    My jaw was hanging open, and I quickly closed it. ¡°E-escort. Uh. Sure? I mean, yes. Are you certain? We¡¯ve never really talked.¡±


    ¡°Idle conversation is painful,¡± she said, ¡°and I have observed that you keep yours to a minimum. Wear something nicer than your usual attire. You would look well in blue.¡± Her eyes flicked up and down me, and she nodded decisively.


    ¡°Blue?¡± My brain was moving so slowly that all I could seem to do was repeat what she¡¯d said. ¡°All right.¡±


    With a miniscule smile of satisfaction, she turned smartly and walked away, leaving me baffled. I had a new Order source and a date to the Gala, and I had no idea what to do with either.

 Updated Ability List

    Ambush/Pounce - Devote Soul to deal its attack damage and combat effects to a Soul or Summoner. The Soul or Summoner attacked does 0 attack damage back.


    Armor X - Negate X damage to this card that comes from Soul or Relic combat or ability damage.


    Arrival - A triggered effect that activates when this card is played from Hand.


    Aura - An effect that is active while the card is in play.


    Bloodlust - May attack the turn it is summoned without needing to Devote.


    Bodyguard - Can¡¯t Attack. Can¡¯t Defend. Can¡¯t be Hunted. Anytime the Summoner is targeted by a Spell or Ability, or is attacked in combat while defending, the Bodyguard can replace them. A Summoner may only have one Bodyguard.


    Can¡¯t Attack - May not be used to initiate an attack. When Strong is checked, use this card¡¯s current Health instead.


    Can¡¯t Defend - May not be used to block attackers..


    Charge X - Has +X attack when initiating an attack.


    Devote - Exhausted for 30 seconds.


    Dodge - Focusing this card avoids all damage to it from a single source.


    Double-Handed - Takes up both Relic hand slots of a Soul or Summoner.


    Dying Breath - An effect which activates when this card is destroyed.


    Expire - This card is destroyed at the end of the turn it is played.


    Fast Attack - Deals damage before others in combat. If multiple combatants have Fast Attack,


    they strike simultaneously.


    Flurry - Deal damage to target twice, the second time after regular combat. If combined with Fast Attack, the second time happens during regular combat.


    Focus - Exhausted for 10 seconds, the length of a Summoner¡¯s turn.


    Flying - Can¡¯t be blocked except by other Flyers.


    From the Grave - Summon this card when it is discarded from the Deck as damage. It enters play Devoted.


    Heal X - Recover X cards from the bottom of your Discard to the bottom of your Summon Deck.


    Hunt - Can target a specific Soul when attacking.


    Incapacitate - A Soul that loses Health to this attack is immediately returned to their Summon Deck at a random location.. They will never be destroyed by this damage.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Intervene - When the opposing Summoner targets one of your Souls in combat, this can block, fighting that combat instead of the targeted Soul.


    Lifesap - Combat damage done by them Heals them by the same amount. Cannot receive more Healing than the target has Health.


    Lumbering - Must Devote to attack.


    Mount - Attaches to controlling Summoner. It and the Summoner gain Unit and share the Mount¡¯s base abilities. A Summoner may only have one Mount.


    Overkill - When initiating an attack, excess damage carries over to controlling Summoner.


    Pay X - Pay listed cost to trigger listed effect.


    Precision - This attack ignores Armor.


    Regenerate X - Heal X damage to this card at end of the controlling Summoner¡¯s turn.


    Resistance X - Negate X damage to this card that comes from Spell damage.


    Retreat - Devote to return to Hand.


    Slow - Can¡¯t initiate an attack the turn it is summoned.


    Sneak Attack - Summoners cannot use cards in Hand to block this damage.


    Stealth - Cannot be targeted by the opposing Summoner or their cards while it is Ready.


    Strong - Cannot be blocked by Souls with 2 or less Attack. If blocked by a Can¡¯t Attack Soul, Health is used instead of Attack.


    Structure - Can¡¯t Attack. Can¡¯t be equipped with non-Structure specific Relics or have non-Structure specific persistent Spells cast on it.


    Tall - Can block Flyers.


    Territorial - After opponent declares attacks and targets, may be summoned from hand, if adequate Source is available, and block like a Ready Soul.


    Terror - Must be blocked by two or more Souls.


    Transform - This card Heals all damage from its previous form but retains any effects or equipped Relics.


    Unit - Can attack or defend with another Soul. Controlling Summoner decides the damage distribution from combat.


    Venom - A Soul that loses Health to this attack is destroyed.


    Vigor - Doesn¡¯t need to Focus to initiate an attack. Must still Devote to attack on the first turn summoned.


    Vulnerable - Can be Hunted by any Soul or Summoner.


    Wide - Can block two attackers at once.

 B2: 25. Basil - We Take Those

    ¡°You remember the plan?¡±


    Hull looked at me like I was asking after pointless reassurance instead of critical confirmation that would affect our survival over the next few minutes. ¡°I helped make it, didn¡¯t I? Relax, Hintal.¡±


    I jerked a nod. If he had repeated our stratagem back to me there would have been a much higher chance of that, but he dropped the faceplate on his armor, signaling an end to the conversation.


    Across the way, I could hear Prince Gerad yelling at his Deepkin partner. He had been paired with Hull¡¯s bunkmate of all people, Harganaut, and few days went by now where the prince didn¡¯t complain about the deadweight he had been saddled with. Gerad wasn¡¯t entirely wrong in his characterization of the dwarf: in preparation for the match, Harganaut had only summoned three Common Sump Trolls, a pitiful force compared to the rest of us.


    Fighting Gerad this way was perhaps unfair, and after seeing firsthand how the King treated him, I was beginning to feel a touch of empathy toward the prince. However, when weighed against the years of verbal abuse and bullying I had taken at his hands and those of his lackeys, my conscience was more than comfortable with using this particular circumstance to thoroughly trounce Gerad ¨C in fact, I desperately wanted to.


    Shaking his Legendary sword in the Deepkin¡¯s face did finally elicit a stony shrug, and the dwarf brought two Soil Trolls into being. The addition didn¡¯t worry me: Souls such of those were unlikely to make much of a difference when we were starting the match with as much source presummoned as we wanted.


    A hand on my shoulder turned me around. Atrea hovered there, her wings beating in slow rhythm to keep her aloft a few feet above the ground.


    ¡°Your ally is right,¡± she said. ¡°Now is a time for excitement, not worry. Justice is at hand.¡± She knew all too well what sort of treatment I had received from Gerad over the years. There had even been some nights where she had held me wrapped in her wings as I wept, the cruel mockery too much to bear, particularly on days where I had also disappointed Tipfin or my parents or was receiving equally cutting remarks from my brothers.


    ¡°It is,¡± I assured her. ¡°I¡¯m just eager.¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t accustomed to the way Atrea¡¯s eyes emanated a piercing azure light, but having her there was certainly a comfort. All it had taken was a thought, and her aura extended not only to the Souls I had summoned but also the miniature demon horde that clustered behind Hull, the group hissing and clawing eagerly at the metal ground, fingers and fangs limned in ghostly blue. I was sure Gerad would target her the first chance he had, particularly due to the new Relic he was wearing.


    I had nearly kept Atrea unsummoned at the start because of that, but, as far as I knew, Gerad¡¯s deck only contained one form of fast removal, and if he used that on her, he wouldn¡¯t have it available against our other threats. His Soul abilities let him have 22 cards though, and a hand of 11 ¨C everything would need to work out just right for us to best him.


    ¡°Ready yourself,¡± Edaine called from off to the side. There were still no Dueling Domes cast for our practice, to better simulate what we would experience in the field. Veterans represented our continued protection, and had Spells in hand to stop any damage we might take past our cards. I was continually impressed at how coordinated and thorough they were, particularly with four of us afield now; only once had a student been truly injured, but Edaine had swiftly stepped in, using the same sort of Order healing that the Paladins in training possessed, but of higher rarity. Of course, Edaine had used this lapse to emphasize the importance of keeping a few cards in one¡¯s Mind Home for added safety, and after seeing the freckled girl Anya gasp back to health, shivering and wild-eyed, we had all been doubly sure to do so.


    Next to the General and the half dozen veterans was the remainder of our class. Esmi threw me an encouraging wave, which warmed me even from a distance, and the elf trio let out an ululating warcry ¨C ever since I began cultivating Life source with them, they seemed to view me as an honorary member, which I quite appreciated. Afi was looking our way, too, though after what Hull had told me about her unexpected request, I was sure she was watching him, not me.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Edaine shift, and I immediately refocused on our opponents across the way. We weren¡¯t allowed to start within the squared off training space, and we had learned in our earlier exercises that being the first to act mattered.


    ¡°Begin!¡± the general shouted.


    I charged forward, Hull at my side. My pressummoned Souls came with me, my Master Shieldbearer perfectly matching my stride, ready for any oncoming threat, while my Master Assassin angled away from us, arms held out behind and black cloak flapping as he sprinted toward his target.


    Atrea flew above me, but she wasn¡¯t as fast as my pure Air Souls, so the Carrion Condors and Zephyrs edged ahead of her.


    However, even my winged troops could not match the speed of Hull¡¯s demons, the pair of Marauders and Gremlins careening toward Gerad¡¯s line of Paladin Souls as if they were starving, saliva dripping from their slavering maws.


    But it would not be our Souls who struck first. That privilege was mine alone.


    ¡°This will be over in time for tea!¡± I shouted at the prince and dwarf, focusing two Order Source and casting Penitence on Kitsanya, who was without a doubt the linchpin of Gerad¡¯s forces.


    As expected of a Legendary, she needed no command from her summoner to know how to react. Using her ability to counter the Spell would be pointless, so instead, she vanished, opting to destroy a Soul in the split second before Penitence affected her. My eyes shot upward, and sure enough, the Ghost reappeared in a smoky haze, latched onto Atrea, who floundered in the air at the sudden, additional weight.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± I cried, snapping a second Spell off.


    With a single merit, I had picked up a few different Commons for sideboarding, and today, this Spell fit my needs perfectly. One of my Zephyrs crashed into the pair, taking the deathblow meant for Atrea and breaking into shards.


    The Legendary looked down at me in frustration, but then vanished, her ability used up for the time. What remained of the Zephyr continued to fall through the air, shimmering motes that swirled toward me. They passed by like a fresh breeze, prickling my skin pleasantly, and one of the Order source I had used to cast the Greater Good came back to ready.


    All in all, the exchange had gone exactly as I had hoped.


    ¡°Now, Hull!¡±


    Hull didn¡¯t break stride as he devoted one of his Nether source. As we had practiced, I devoted one of my Order, willing the energy his way, and for a wonder, a card vanished from where it floated beside him. A blast of arcing, purple power shot toward where Kitsanya had reappeared at her original position.


    Unsurprisingly, Gerad wasn¡¯t about to let his Legendary be destroyed, not when she had the power to defeat us single-handedly. He cast an upgraded Protection, which due to the size of his own hand ¨C 11 cards ¨C began to coalesce as an enormous gold shield between Kitsanya and the Nether blast.


    Before the Spell could finish forming, the threads of it were pulled away, like watching a tapestry unspool, the gold and ivory cords sucked into the mouth of  Hull¡¯s Spell Drinker demon, who gulped the raw energy down eagerly.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    I saw Gerad¡¯s face contort in rage, and he cast a second Protection, which was slightly smaller than the last due to his reduced hand size. It was no good though, because during the same time I had used the one Air Source I had left unsummoned to refresh the Spell Drinker with an Air Source Explosion. So, just like the last, it licked the Order Spell down happily.


    With a shout of defiance, Gerad used his third and final Protection, but Hull countered with his other Unstable Rift, which I again helped fuel, this time with one of my Life Source.


    It was only as I was watching the second blast of Nether catch up to the first, pushing past an unfinished shield of Protection, that I realized a version of Fate¡¯s Grace time slowing must be affecting us all. There was no way otherwise that we could be making so many decisions that were all occurring within seconds of each other, if not on top of each other. As if to prove the point, the moment before Kitsanya was turned to shards by Hull¡¯s Spell, she vanished in a haze of smoke again, reappearing by Hull. She cracked one of the Nether Source floating above his head, the orb of purple disintegrating. She then made a move for the Talisman that pulsed brightly on his chest, charged now with the feedback from two Unstable Rifts.


    Before she could destroy that anchor of our offense, I cast a second Greater Good, retargeting her onto my Master Shieldbearer. The Legendary was yanked away from Hull, and appeared near me but was unable to do anything to my bodyguard because he had no Relics equipped on him. I gave her a parting wink as her ability expired, returning her to where she had begun, just in time for Hull¡¯s second Unstable Rift to take her full force in the chest. Everything that had been delayed from the various castings all sped back into realtime, creating a reverberating boom as the first Rift blast collided with the one Protection Spell that hadn¡¯t been consumed by the Spell Drinker. It didn¡¯t matter though, because Kitsanya¡¯s body was already a charred husk toward which both my Carrion Condors were diving, necks extended.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I shouted. It was the destruction of only one Soul, but the amount of resources that had been expended on both sides showed just how pivotal it was.


    Hull¡¯s answering cry was to send two separate blasts of red energy, each worth 5 damage, straight at Gerad. The prince was equipped with the maximum of four Relics, just as Hull was, but none gave him Resistance, so he played cards from hand to block the blow. I watched closely, seeing him use an Epic Spell to stop the first and then two Equalities for the second, the red and gold cards shards that were created like a fireworks display.


    I was sure he had another of one of those two Spells already charged in his Orb of Holding that hung at his hip, but even with my Soul-enhanced sight, I couldn¡¯t tell which until he actually used it on his turn.


    Hull¡¯s lead demons were about to crash into the trio of paladins, when Gerad¡¯s heroes stepped forward through their ranks.


    With all the cards from hand that Gerad had been forced to spend, I could see that Agata was only a 6/6 now, the quill he held in dextrous hands glowing with a much softer light than it had before, but Hilbrand was still a force to be reckoned with.


    I thought I would need to call out to Hull again, but he impressed me by summoning three more demons all on his own.


    All of his new arrivals damaged him, which was the point, triggering his Talisman, which he had charged up before the match began. What¡¯s more, Hull spaced them by a hair, so each sent a unique charge of energy racing toward Gerad that would need to be stopped separately, whittling down his hand further. The prince saw the twisting red streamers coming his way and shouted at the Deepkin.


    ¡°Protect me, you oaf!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that the dwarf would assist, but I glanced that way to be sure.


    Harganaut¡¯s craggy face peeked out from behind the trolls he had encircled himself with, none of which he¡¯d sent to Gerad¡¯s aid. To my surprise, the dwarf lifted a hand, and some of the Earth source that hovered around him dipped in the air.


    The sound of exploding stone turned me to the right, and I saw the Talisman¡¯s tiny blasts stopped by plates of rock appearing in front of Gerad ¨C Earth¡¯s Source Power ¨C once, twice, three times, stopping him from needing to spend any more cards.


    Because of this, Agata was strong enough to not only destroy the Marauder he faced, plunging his nib into the demon¡¯s eye, but he also absorbed all the damage that might have carried over to Gerad. At the end of the tussle, Agata remained standing in bloodied and torn robes with 1 health to his name. Hilbrand had an even easier go of it, his sword flicking out and severing the other Marauder¡¯s head before its claws ever had a chance of touching the Mythic.


    I winced as both demons went down. I had been sure that at least one would have gotten through with their Overkill. At this rate, we should have kept them back to do their guaranteed damage to Hull, and thus Gerad, through the Talisman. There was nothing for it now though, and at least Hull¡¯s monstrous Epic didn¡¯t disappoint.


    The towering creature had been following along just behind its smaller kin and crushed one of the Paladins underfoot, not even needing Atrea¡¯s Precision Aura to get the job done. If either Hull or I had more source, we would have summoned the Night Terror on the field to use its arrival effect on one of the Mythics, or the same with another Penitence from me, but what little source that remained, three for me and one for Hull, was already slated for other plans ¨C plans I prayed worked out in our favor!


    The smaller demons Gerad let through without worry, knowing his Shield would make it to where most couldn¡¯t even harm him.


    Only the Root Imp with its Attack of 3 was able to get past the Relic, doing 1 damage because of Atrea, and thus forcing Gerad to discard a Soul that could have destroyed us if Hull¡¯s forces weren¡¯t so fast.


    At the same time, Gerad struck back with his Legendary sword in a sweeping arc, cleaving in half four of the demons, as if their gnarled hides were mere butter, and leaving only one Bog Imp alive.


    Hull himself was now grappling with the two remaining Paladins, his Hammer crashing side-to-side, but unable to deal damage to either since Atrea¡¯s buff did not extend to summoners.


    But that was when my own forces arrived: both my Condors, empowered by the flesh of two enemy Souls, and Atrea, striking at the prince with sword, beak, and claw. Gerad¡¯s Shield stripped 2 damage from each of their attacks, but they still did 6, stripping another ¨C and hopefully last ¨C Fate¡¯s Judgment from his hand. Gerad tried to fight back, but his Legendary sword hung heavy in his hands, unable to be used again just yet, letting my three Souls wing away unscathed.


    And then my Master Assassin was there, throwing poisoned laced daggers at Hilbrand. Almost quicker than I could follow, the Mythic sped forward, his rapier leading the way. Their Fast Attacks being Fated meant that they would strike each other at the same time, but as the point of Hilbrand¡¯s sword connected with the Assassin¡¯s head, it sliced open the black cowl, revealing my Soulforged Helm underneath.


    The Relic shattered, nullifying the blow, while two knives protruded from Hilbrand, one from his neck and the other his chest. Even mortally wounded, the Mythic still managed to give the Assassin a salute with his sword before crumpling to the ground, defeated and another feast for my Condors.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Hull shouted from where he was still locked in with the Paladin Souls.


    I nodded sharply in reply and spent the last of my Source on my biggest Spell: the one that Kitsanya surely would have stopped if she was still here ¨C and the one that represented Hull¡¯s and my teamwork together even more than this match did.


    A gust of cool wind circled up from my feet and spun outward, buoying all my Souls and the same for what remained of Hull¡¯s demons. With Gerad¡¯s forces depleted and on the backfoot, now I could attack in the order I wished instead of being constrained by source speed.


    With an almost casual flick, the Master Assassin sent a dagger into the armpit gap of one Paladin¡¯s Armor, destroying that Soul. Hull was able to finish off the other by switching to his second weapon Relic, the Vampiric Blade, and charging it with his final source of Nether, the buff doing just enough damage to let the Blade pierce its heart and turn the Soul to shards, which cascaded around the purple glowing steel.


    Hull¡¯s giant Epic roused itself and squished Agata, though it also perished, both collapsing to the ground, the demon with an echoing moan of blood yet unshed.


    My Condors pecked away at each new enemy corpse, and Hull¡¯s Spell Drinker shambled forward, swollen from the torso up to much larger proportions due to the two Spells it had eaten.


    ¡°Get him!¡± Hull and I both cried, and Atrea, the engorged Condors, and the Spell Drinker ¨C the only ones with enough attack to matter ¨C converged on Gerad. With their buffs, the four could deal 26 damage together, but each of them were losing 2 because of Gerad¡¯s infernal shield. That was still 18 damage though, near a full deck¡¯s worth, and as I watched the Souls batter away at him, him shedding cards, I held my breath that it would be enough.


    The first card the prince lost was yet another Fate¡¯s Judgment, absorbing a full third of the 18. The other two, and the last two, were both more Oversource, each stopping 3 more. That should be everything, I thought giddily; I had counted 11 cards on the field and 11 in his hand, which meant, despite Edaine¡¯s continued warnings, the prince had kept nothing in his Mind Home.


    ¡°Help me!¡± Gerad bellowed, just as the veterans moved to act. Once again, a stony hand lifted from behind the protection of trolls, and to my utter disbelief, cast three Hardenings in quick succession, turning Gerad¡¯s exposed skin to stone and absorbing the final 6 damage.


    I stood there in shock. After all our planning, all our work, we had failed because we had assumed Harganaut would do next to nothing.


    ¡°You fools!¡± Gerad shouted, pushing his way past the slumped and recovering Souls that had nearly ended him not a moment ago. ¡°You utter pieces of trash. Even two on one you can¡¯t ¨C¡±


    And that¡¯s when Hull¡¯s Armor stabbed him, triggering his Talisman for 1 damage: the spark zipped toward Gerad in a red streak, striking him in the chest.


    It happened so quickly that even the watching veterans didn¡¯t react fast enough, the small blow knocking Gerad back. The prince had been wounded, but with his extra soul Health he hardly flinched. Instead, his head snapped toward his Deepkin partner.


    ¡°You useless pile of rubble. Why didn¡¯t you protect me?¡±


    The dwarf considered him for a long moment before responding. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°Gerad, you are out,¡± Edaine said with cool efficiency. ¡°Harganaut,¡± ¨C the general seemed to lose some of her air of command ¨C ¡°are you going to attack them?¡±


    Harganaut peered at us through the arms of his Soul wall. The three Sump Trolls could have done some damage but nothing worrying, not with Hull having his Sucking Void up since the start and me with my bodyguard beside me.


    ¡°No,¡± Harganaut said, shaking his square head. ¡°Don¡¯t care to.¡±


    Edaine looked briefly to the sky, and I swore she was repressing a long sigh. ¡°In that case, it appears that Basil and Hull are vic ¨C¡±


    ¡°This is the last time you belittle me, you unwanted whoreson,¡± Gerad interrupted with a hateful hiss. ¡°I¡¯ll see you dead!¡±


    The crown prince charged at Hull, his Legendary sword hefted high. I didn¡¯t think the Relic would do any Fated damage since Gerad had no cards left in hand, but the crazed look in his eyes told anyone watching that he didn¡¯t care. He was going to try and hurt Hull, however he could.


    But I didn¡¯t have to let Gerad have his way. Not anymore. I commanded my Master Shieldbearer to intercept the two, and found that, disconcertingly, neither it nor I could move. It was the strangest thing ¨C like Fate¡¯s Grace, but inverted ¨C for even though I was frozen, Gerad and Hull were still converging.


    I couldn¡¯t turn to see if Edaine or any of the others were trapped as I was, but thinking of the general brought a new, somewhat terrifying possibility to the fore of my mind. Was this¡­ Apotheosis?

 B2: 26. Hull - The Gods Game

    I had my Hammer hefted and ready to bash the stupid right off Gerad¡¯s face when suddenly it vanished out of my hand, my summons disappeared, and the full weight of my deck slammed itself back into my Mind Home. I grunted and staggered, my vision going white. It felt like I¡¯d just had a building dropped on me, and I couldn¡¯t figure out what had just happened. Had the Prince blindsided me somehow? He¡¯d already lost, but a cheating piece of shit like him wouldn¡¯t let that stand in his way.


    When my vision cleared, though, everything was still white, and the hazy world of the duel beyond the whiteness had ground to a halt. Gerad stood maybe twenty feet away from me, no longer looking as if he was ready to kill me but instead focused on something right in front of himself that I couldn¡¯t see. Everything was eerily silent.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I ventured. My voice sounded flat and close, as if I were inside a box. ¡°Hey shithead, what is this?¡±


    Gerad never even glanced in my direction, and I got the feeling he couldn¡¯t hear me. He looked intent, focused. Whatever this was, he wasn¡¯t confused. As I thought about it, I didn¡¯t think he was responsible for this whatever-it-was. He¡¯d been hell-bent on attacking me; he wouldn¡¯t have stopped in the middle to set up something else.


    A tickle at the back of my mind brought back a vague recollection that Edaine had said something once about a poth-thingy where Fate and Fortune singled out people and put them in a duel ¨C was that what this was? I looked around, but I didn¡¯t see any big scary god-looking people hanging out in the whiteness.


    Suddenly a card hung in the air in front of me, hanging in the air close enough to my face to make me flinch. It didn¡¯t do anything, though; it just dangled there looking innocent. It was at the perfect distance to read it clearly. When I saw the title, my eyebrows did their best to climb into my hairline.


    A shiver went down my spine. Well, that solved the question of what was happening. With my own name up top and two shining figures pictured on their thrones, this was definitely the gods¡¯ version of a tournament duel. My mind boggled for a bare moment. Fate and Fortune were really real? I¡¯d always believed in them in a casual sort of way ¨C cards had to come from somewhere, didn¡¯t they? ¨C but to see them painted on a card, to be swept up into a private box match for their enjoyment¡­ that was something else entirely. I ¨C me, a gutter kid ¨C was going to fight with the gods¡¯ eyes on me. I tried to imagine the version of me from six months past catching sight of me now and couldn¡¯t quite make sense of all the changes.


    The card was like none I¡¯d ever seen. Its colors didn¡¯t match any source I knew, and its border flickered and hazed from black to clear to white and beyond in a subtle, sickening way that made my eyes water. The text at the bottom scrolled as I read, giving a far longer message than any real card ever could.


    The eye of the Twins has fallen upon you, and your combat pleases them. If you proceed, you may gain their approval and grace. The gifts given to those who perform well are beyond what you are used to. The ante cards chosen will not pass to the winner as usual; instead, at the moderate level of exposure to the Twins¡¯ presence granted for this encounter, the very characteristics of the cards themselves will be transferred. The winner¡¯s ante card will be elevated by the gods themselves, reaching power levels in a single advancement that no mortal smith could attain, while the loser¡¯s card will be similarly demoted but remain in his possession. The cards in question have been chosen, and to entice you, the Twins will allow you to see what may become of your ante card should you win.


    The picture of the Twins on their heavenly thrones faded and morphed into the image of a card I knew well, which then gradually shifted into a new, much better version of itself.


    ¡°Twins take me,¡± I whispered. Forget making the big guy smaller, this was what I wanted him to be. Overkill on a demon of that size and power? Just the thought of it made me want to giggle.


    The words on the card had halted momentarily while I drank in the beauty of what my Mythic Night Terror could be, but soon they started marching across the card again.


    Thus do Fate and Fortune bless those who please them and show mercy to those who fail in their presence. Do not be deceived by the familiar format of this combat; you can be harmed and even killed. Knowing all this, the gods grant you the choice: will you enliven their eternity with your performance? Accept and you may hasten your elevation to the heights of mortality. Refuse and they will allow you to depart in shame, but unharmed. Make your choice.


    The final sentence pulsed with light, and all others faded until only those three words remained in the text box.


    There was no choice to be made. ¡°I accept,¡± I said as formally as I knew how.


    Nothing happened. Gerad, who was now watching me with contempt, said something nasty I couldn¡¯t hear ¨C not a peep came from him, despite standing in clear view with seemingly nothing between us ¨C and then he pantomimed grabbing the card and putting it into his Mind Home.


    I hated to do anything he wanted me to, but on this one point we were in agreement: it was time for us to fight. No end-of-match safety gave me a moment¡¯s pause, but the thought of slinking away from Gerad again, like I¡¯d done at the end of his idiotic Flinch Test ¨C that he¡¯d cheated on ¨C was unbearable. No, I had to face him, come what may. Fortune¡¯s balls, I had a full deck now, didn¡¯t I? I could take him.


    I took the card and pressed it behind my ear. Instead of sliding into my Mind Home like I was accustomed to, though, the card faded into nothing, and in an instant everything around us changed. The whiteness cutting us off from the rest of the world reshaped itself into grandstands on all sides, and the sounds and jollity of a festival day filled the air. It all hung in mid-air, laid somehow over the top of the real world, occupying the same space as the training field and even overlapping with the outer wall of our fortification. The seats were tiered, with a gallery above and cheap seats below. Most of the faces were ghostly and transparent, despite looking like average folks one might see on the street if not for some strange clothing and the fact that I could see through them if I looked too hard. Here and there were faces I recognized, though ¨C there was Harganut up above, and over to the east was Afi and one of the paladins, and even Edaine, looking fiercely proud and utterly focused on our dueling box in the center of the arena. I looked hard, but I couldn¡¯t catch sight of Basil ¨C there were just too many faces. Wherever he was sitting, I was sure that his face would look as baffled as I felt by this whole thing.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fighting anyone out there,¡± Gerad said from behind. ¡°Look to me, bastard.¡±


    I did, and there was just as much hate in his eyes as there had been before. ¡°Before I beat the shit out of you,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯d really like to know what your problem is. I mean, look, I hate you plenty, but if you¡¯d quit bothering me I¡¯d never waste another thought on you. Are you really so obsessed with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, voice icy. ¡°The very fact that you exist offends the Order of this city.¡±


    ¡°Order,¡± I scoffed. ¡°For somebody who can roll out the full 10 Order source, you¡¯re awfully calm about things like cheating and spying. Shouldn¡¯t you be crying over every speck of dirt and keeping your fork at the perfect angle when you eat? You¡¯re fine with disorder so long as it suits your own purposes.¡±


    He shrugged idly, but his hands were clenched as if he wished he were still gripping that monster sword of his. ¡°I¡¯ll not explain the intricacies of Order to a boy who sleeps in shit and eats garbage.¡±


    ¡°One of us is full of shit, no question,¡± I said, ¡°but it¡¯s not me.¡±


    A card flew from behind my ear and was magnified overhead; I knew without looking it would be the Night Terror. Gerad¡¯s was news to me, though, and I shivered as I looked at it, hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to face it in the ring.


    The thought of knocking Hilbrand down to a shit-tier Epic while my own card shot up to the heights of Mythic sounded pretty damn good to me. All I had to do was win.


    A disembodied voice rang out over the ghostly arena. ¡°You who have been invited to the Game of the Gods, bear witness. These two souls have trothed themselves to combat before the divine. Be the eyes of Fate and the voice of Fortune, and worship them with your cheers and cries. You live by their sufferance, you are elevated by their grace. With holy hearts and joyful tongue, praise the Twins with this combat. So be it, so be it, so be it.¡±


    I echoed the three words along with everyone else, the crowd both living and ghostly thundering along, and for the briefest moment I thought I caught sight of a shining tower standing above the upper tier of seats, with two unbearable spots of brightness at the top. It was gone before I even knew it was there, though, and I felt my Mind Home loosen.


    It was time. I¡¯d have to worry about the rest later, if I was still alive. I drew cards as fast as I could. I assumed the Twins would hold us to the same even-turn timing that the Dueling Dome did, but I hurried anyway, just in case I was wrong. 4 cards from the Mind Home and 1 source just as I¡¯d always done in the dueling ring. I was amazed at how quickly I fell back into the rhythm of it after all these weeks of presummoned fights.


    My cards were shit, so I mulliganed 3 of them, only keeping my Ravening Hatchling. Gerad wins with big souls and big hand sizes. I need to whittle him down fast and keep him on the back foot. My second draw was marginally better, netting me the Root Imp, a Marauder, and the Night Terror, but my preferred openers of the Hammer, the Talisman of Spite, and the Sucking Void were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Fortune, if I ever offended you, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I muttered. ¡°Throw me some better cards, will you?¡±


    Gerad looked smugly confident as the opening gambit played out. His Order was slower than my Nether, as usual, so I got the first play. My turn one draws got me a Ghastly Gremlin and the Sucking Void, and my heart eased ever so slightly. Maybe Fortune heard me. Did I really see them up there?


    My turn one play was obvious, and I didn¡¯t hesitate. Devoting my single Nether, I let the summons flow from me.


    It might have been nice to play the combo while I had the Talisman equipped, but I didn¡¯t have it in hand and wouldn¡¯t have had the source for it even if I did. No regrets, no second guessing. Just hit him hard. ¡°Go,¡± I told the pair of souls, who eagerly leapt forward. 5 points of damage right out of the gate felt pretty damn good.


    Gerad saw them coming, and with a snarl cast a pair of cards out of hand to block them. I squinted at the shards and was glad to see that the Twins¡¯ combat arena let me see the discards just like the Dueling Dome would have. Realizing that my glass eyepatch was pointless for the moment, I pulled it down around my neck, reveling in the feel of fresh air on the eye that had been covered.


    ¡°What was that about killing me?¡± I called over to him.


    ¡°It stands,¡± he barked back. ¡°Enjoy your cheap shots while you can.¡±


    My Ghastly Gremlin exploded into shards, its Expire activating. The Root Imp landed on the ground, panting and exhausted. I put on an innocent smile. ¡°Should the prince who knifed a poor kid in the back during a Flinch Test really be talking about cheap shots?¡± I said.


    His eyes darted to the crowd, but the same half-muting that the Dueling Dome gave seemed to hold here too. He didn¡¯t want anyone to hear about that little episode, and I made a mental note to bring it up more often.


    He obviously wanted to have the last word, but his mouth worked and nothing came out. I laughed, and his face darkened. He couldn¡¯t think of anything. He put up a second Order and devoted both, choosing to answer with cards instead. When I saw it, I wished he¡¯d stuck to insults.


    Getting a Paladin on turn one was deadly. Sure enough, a third Order appeared over his head. My Root Imp was helpless, and so was I. I braced for the attack, but the moment passed and the Paladin held firm. Gerad was holding him in reserve, choosing not to leave him devoted like I¡¯d done with the Root Imp. I breathed a sigh of relief. I¡¯d worried he was going to pick off the Root Imp. I realized with a start that I could have prevented him from doing so with the Intervene ability on my new personal soul card, but without a weapon in hand that would have been a pretty desperate move anyway. Best that I hadn¡¯t needed to make that call just yet.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    My next draws were one of the new Bog Imps and another Nether, the second of which I put overhead, cursing softly to myself. The Imp was a handy draw, but what I really needed was my Hammer. Even with that Paladin standing in the way, I felt sure I¡¯d never get the better of this asshole and his top-of-the-line deck unless I was pounding him mercilessly every turn. I settled for bringing out the Bog Imp.


    The Imp scratched at me as it appeared, and I flicked the Ravening Hatchling out of hand to soak up the damage, knowing I¡¯d get it back at the end of the turn.


    Again, I itched to send the Imp after him, but it didn¡¯t make any sense to do so. The waiting Paladin would eat it for lunch, taking only a single point of damage, and then I¡¯d be left wide open. Grinding my teeth, I let my attack window pass.


    Gerad pulled two cards, grinned broadly, and put up two more source ¨C damn that Paladin ¨C one of which was his glowing special source that gave off extra each turn. Turn two, and the son of a bitch had five source overhead. He breathed deep and flexed, and light burst out of his eyes, mouth, and fingertips. I smelled freshly ground wheat and the summery scent of grass.


    I gaped as an absolute flood of cards appeared in his hand. That had been a source explosion! The stands were cheering wildly. Edaine had explained the process of how to source explode, and I¡¯d attempted it a time or two in private, but I was still learning to recognize when it happened in real life, and I¡¯d never had a chance to use it in a real fight myself. It was impressive to see.


    With a flash of fear I realized I was in big trouble. Gerad having a big hand was very, very bad for me, and he had a truly stupid amount of source available given how early in the game we were. He focused his special source and devoted the remaining available.


    The burst of light from the Spell was sucked into the clear glass of the Orb, leaving it shining brightly, but Gerad immediately grabbed the floating Relic and shook it hard, releasing the Spell again. All of his source sprang back to ready, glimmering pearlescent. Ah, shit. He¡¯d just doubled the amount of source he could use every other turn. ¡°In trouble¡± might not cover the mess I was in.


    More source dimmed ¨C lots more ¨C and another Soul misted into being.


    My heart sank. The Legendary assassin. Basil and I had worked so hard to get her off the field, and here she was again, ready to ruin my day. I¡¯d have a much harder time facing her on my own. Kitsanya lurked in the background, and Gerad pointed a finger, sending the Paladin toward me.


    I dithered, knowing that Kitsanya could pick off the Bog Imp the second I sent it in to block, but the only other option was doing nothing¡­ and then her killing it anyway. With a growl, I ordered the Imp into blocking position. I was surprised when the clash actually happened without the assassin intervening. Apparently Gerad didn¡¯t want to risk focusing her just yet. My Imp disappeared into shards, doing only minor damage to the Paladin.


    Breathing deep, I pulled another source and a single card. The Talisman landed in my hand, and I shook my head at it. I wanted it equipped, but if I did so now, Kitsanya would destroy it instantly. I needed to wait until she was otherwise focused either from using her Soul-destroying ability or from attacking before I summoned the Talisman. Up went my third Nether while I considered my best move. I could summon the Night Terror and focus Kitsanya, but the last-to-first nature of instantaneous abilities meant she¡¯d respond by focusing to destroy it instead. That would just bring her one step closer to demolishing me. Beyond her obvious power level ¨C which was insane all on its own ¨C the real problem with Kitsanya was that she acted like a bottleneck. The Sucking Void was right there in my hand, but using it felt premature with so many cards still in my deck. Better to sacrifice my Marauder than the Night Terror. At least that way I wouldn¡¯t take the end-of-turn damage from it.


    Making the best of poor choices, I devoted twp Nether to bring out my Marauder. ¡°Go get ¡®em,¡± I said, sounding a little less hopeful than I might have liked. I was sending the thing in for a certain death, and there was nothing to be done but go for it.


    With a smug smirk, Gerad whispered to Kitsanya and focused his sources. She leapt into action, knives flashing as they sunk into my still-recovering Root Imp. It squawked and shattered.


    I blinked, confused. Why did he do that? Gerad stood exposed, casually confident as the Marauder rushed him. Gerad took the hit, tossing a card from hand to intercept the demon. When the card shattered, the motes of light turned into mist, and a Soul appeared out of the vapor.


    ¡°Twins twist my balls,¡± I whispered, heart sinking. I¡¯d played right into his hand. I¡¯d helped him summon one of his most powerful Souls, and now, to top it all off, my own demon was going to hit me for 3 damage when I¡¯d thought for certain it¡¯d be dead.


    I still had source remaining. As the Marauder loped back toward me, I hastily summoned the Sucking Void.


    It was too soon, but I wasn¡¯t sure that I would have a later if I didn¡¯t use the Spell now. The starlight covering settled on me right before the demon raked me with its claws.


    ¡°No more mouthy comments?¡± Gerad said, hate painting his face. ¡°Open that filthy mouth of yours so I can fill it with steel.¡±


    Truth was that I didn¡¯t have any mouthy comments left. I kept my lips shut and tried to pretend it was dignity, but the pit of my stomach was growing cold. This sneering boy had a deck bursting with Epics, Mythics, and a full complement of Legendaries, and here I was thinking I was hot shit with my trio of Epics and nothing more. I was playing with Commons, for Fate¡¯s sake, and two of those I¡¯d only just secured a few days before. What was I thinking, to accept a duel with the heir to the throne? I¡¯d been so full of my success in the Lows and forming a new soul card that I¡¯d blinded myself to the stark reality of the situation: I couldn¡¯t win. I knew it in my bones.


    ¡°Hunker behind your little Spell while you can,¡± Gerad called, sneering. ¡°If you want to prolong your own torture, I¡¯ll gladly spend the time making it as painful and humiliating as possible.¡± With a snap of his fingers, he sent Hilbrand to Hunt my focused Marauder, shattering it instantly. My spirits sunk even lower than they had been when I saw that Hilbrand hadn¡¯t taken so much as a scratch ¨C his Fast Attack made him damn tough. Gerad then summoned a Relic, content to beef himself up during the turns he couldn¡¯t touch me.


    One small sliver of sunshine was that he didn¡¯t use his leftover source to activate another one of Kitsanya¡¯s abilities. He could have shattered one of my sources in play, and that would have made a bad situation that much worse.


    Gulping, I drew another source and a card. I was surprised to see the sunny plain of an Order source staring up at me; I wasn¡¯t used to seeing anything but Nether. I put it up and cursed Badgou one more time in my mind for not giving me the chance to talk about Order cards I might include. They likely wouldn¡¯t have turned the tide¡­ but they might have. My other card was the second Marauder. My Order source was the only thing available, and I didn¡¯t have a damn thing in hand I could use it on. My head felt like it wanted to burst ¨C I was on the ropes, and I had to let my turn pass. I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got an Order source, have you?¡± Gerad said. ¡°Get that purity out of your filthy hands. I won¡¯t allow you to have it.¡± With a snap of the fingers and a focusing of source, he sent Kitsanya racing toward me. I tensed, knowing she couldn¡¯t hurt me but fearing her anyway. Her knife slashed through my Order source, and it burst like a soap bubble.


    ¡°In fact,¡± he said lazily, ¡°let¡¯s teach you a lesson while we¡¯re at it.¡± More source dimmed, and Kitsanya lashed out again without even turning around, her other knife connecting with a spent Nether source. It collapsed in on itself and disappeared.


    ¡°You worthless son of a bitch!¡± I raged. ¡°Stop that!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop when you¡¯re dead,¡± he said coldly. ¡°And you can¡¯t do a damned thing about it, gutter trash.¡± He tapped his Orb of Holding, and all his source flashed back to ready. He focused 3 more source, and Kitsanya struck again, destroying another of my Nether. I only had 1 left.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I screamed, my hands clenched and eyes bulging. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    He pointed at me, a knowing smile playing on his lips. ¡°I knew it. I knew you wanted me gone. You¡¯ll never take my place, you dog. He doesn¡¯t care about you and he never will. I am the Prince. Me!¡±


    A harsh, despairing laugh slipped out of me. I was being beaten like a runaway slave by a little boy who just wanted his daddy to love him. If I hadn¡¯t wanted to feel my teeth in his throat, I¡¯d have felt sorry for him. I wanted to beat him senseless. My thoughts went to the clawed knuckle dusters in my pocket, and I wondered. The Dueling Dome didn¡¯t allow for Artifacts, but was the Twins¡¯ arena the same? I tried to reach into my pocket and my hand slid right past it. A second try did the same thing. I looked down and saw that the pocket mouth was gone. Not sewn shut, just¡­ gone. I could feel the weight of the weapon against my thigh, but I couldn¡¯t reach it. I guess that answers that.


    Hopelessly I pulled more cards. I put up my Nether, knowing it wouldn¡¯t stay there long, and snorted at the sight of my second Ravening Hatchling in hand. My draws had been spectacularly bad the whole game. Fortune had played his little trick on me. I couldn¡¯t play the Talisman now; Kitsanya would gobble it up immediately, and that would trigger her ability that stripped away my hand. I was on the last turn of invulnerability; I¡¯d be losing the rest of my deck at the end of the turn. All I could summon was my second Marauder or the Hatchlings, which were of more use in hand.


    I¡¯m done. I should just forfeit. Even as I had the thought, the street rat inside me protested. You think he¡¯ll hold back from killing you just because you decide to give up? Fight, you stupid son of a bitch! Throw dirt in his eyes, kick him in the stones, do anything!


    Jaw firming, I summoned the Marauder. Hopeless or not, I was going down swinging. ¡°Kill something over there, will you?¡± I said to it. Laughing, it ran over, where Hilbrand immediately intercepted and smashed it without a scratch just as he had done with the other one.


    Card confetti shredded from me as my turn ended and the Sucking Void expired. My Mind Home was empty, I had 4 cards in hand, and nothing on the field. I was as cooked as a feastday goose. Head held high, I faced Gerad and his squad of intimidating Souls, vowing not to embarrass myself. I really wish I could have gotten those Epic shards and upgraded my Sucking Void before I died. I really would have liked to have held that one in my hand as a Mythic.


    Gerad summoned All-For-One.


    It wasn¡¯t as long or wide as I¡¯d seen it at other times when he had a full hand, but it was still bright and sharp. ¡°This is what will kill you,¡± he promised me. ¡°You say I don¡¯t care about Order, but I want you to understand: killing you is bringing Order back to the city. You are a mistake. A flaw.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking like you¡¯re anything but a rich kid bully and kill me already,¡± I snapped. ¡°Nobody gives a shit.¡±


    He went red in the face. ¡°You don¡¯t get anything that you want,¡± he snarled. Focusing source, he sent Kitsanya in to destroy another one of my source, and then both Hilbrand and the Paladin came charging at me. I couldn¡¯t help it ¨C I cowered when their swords came down on me. I threw all the cards I had between us, and Hilbrand bounced off, but only a single Hatchling came between me and the Paladin, and the force of its explosion wasn¡¯t enough to stop his blade. The shining tip sank into the meat between my shoulder and my collarbone, making me scream. The Soul drew his blade back, and blood poured from the wound. I clutched at it, feeling the hot, slick blood pour over my fingers.


    Gerad strolled up and put the Orderbringer against my neck, a nasty smirk on his lips. ¡°How many turns do you think I can keep you alive like this? I think I¡¯ll let Kitsanya finish off your source before I end it.¡± He held back, and his turn ended.


    I could barely see straight. My chest burned like fire and I wanted to vomit up everything I¡¯d ever eaten. Hotter than all that, though, was the rage that burned within me. I might not have any Nether available, but I still had plenty of the thing that had brought Nether to me in the first place.


    ¡°Eat a bag of glass,¡± I snarled, and I focused on the Nether still waiting in my soul, compressing it down, down, down, just like Edaine had said. I couldn¡¯t summon it, because the assassin would just destroy it ¨C and what would I use it for anyway? My 1/1 Hatchlings, the only cards I had left? No. Gerad thought I was done for and had focused enough source that he couldn¡¯t use Kitsanya to stop me. It was time to try a source explosion.


    My eyes wouldn¡¯t focus well enough to tell me how many cards he had left in his Mind Home, and I honestly didn¡¯t have any hope that I¡¯d be able to kill him ¨C but at least I could die knowing I¡¯d done every last damn thing I could and that I¡¯d taken a chunk out of him at the end. The Nether inside me was a purple-white ball of energy no bigger than a marble. I pressed just that much more, and it exploded. I roared my defiance, and a blast of purple fire caught Gerad right in the face, staggering him and stripping 3 cards from his Mind Home. He swore and stumbled back, looking at the card confetti in confused anger.


    Kneeling on the ground and clutching my red-soaked wound, I laughed weakly. ¡°Sneak Attack is a bitch, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    The ghostly crowd had been roaring this whole time and I¡¯d barely heard it, but I noticed when it suddenly disappeared. Looking around, I saw that we were back on the training field, everyone looking dazed and overwhelmed. Looked like the Twins had gotten bored once I¡¯d well and truly lost ¨C the Twins¡¯ arena was gone. I was glad I¡¯d get to die in real life with my friends nearby instead of on the dueling boards of some unknown place. I sought out Basil with my eyes and gave him a nod. Thanks for everything. He couldn¡¯t hear my thoughts, of course, but hopefully he¡¯d get the message anyway.


    Recovering, Gerad raised his sword and rushed at me. I held my eyes open, determined to show no fear before this scared, insecure asshole.


    Three copies of the Spell rushed in from all sides, and Gerad¡¯s Legendary sword bounced off me like a feather. Everyone might still be left-footed after being caught up in the Twins¡¯ game, but the veterans on Edaine¡¯s crew didn¡¯t miss a beat. We were back in training camp, and their job was to keep students from dying.


    ¡°Gerad, stand down!¡± Edaine thundered. ¡°Dismiss that sword this instant or I¡¯ll dismiss you permanently.¡± Hustling over, she stood between us, and a group of her Korikana¡¯s Spirits surrounded the Prince. ¡°I don¡¯t care who your father is, if you kill one of my lieutenants on my training grounds, I¡¯ll have you in chains.¡±


    Gerad stared down at her haughtily and gripped his sword tighter. ¡°I could have killed him in the arena.¡±


    ¡°And I could have done nothing; correct. Instead you chose to toy with him and take out your petty grievances.¡± She shook her head, disgusted. ¡°For once I¡¯m glad your anger got the better of you. The sword, Gerad. Dismiss it.¡±


    Smiling bitterly, Gerad dismissed his sword and his Souls, holding up his hands to signal harmlessness.


    Edaine backed away, hand still on her sword hilt, eyeing him warily. ¡°Healer! Let¡¯s get Hull back on his feet.¡±


    It turned out that the one Healer on the field had fainted at the shock of being transported into a ghostly arena box, so I sat there in dull, pained silence and bled while they slapped the fellow back to life. Boots crunched in the dirt, and I hurt too much to look up. Gerad squatted beside me. I¡¯d have tensed if I¡¯d had the blood left in me to do it, but I just stared at him stupidly. Edaine was still watching us closely, so if he tried to stick a knife in me, I hoped she¡¯d stop him.


    ¡°Next time,¡± he said softly. ¡°Next time, or the time after, or the time after that. It never stops, gutter boy. I¡¯ll see you dead. And in the meantime¡­ thanks for making Hilbrand a Legendary. I¡¯d show him to you, but I imagine you¡¯ll get to meet him soon enough.¡± Standing up, he dusted off his hands and strode away whistling.


    With all the pain I hadn¡¯t noticed until he said something, but my Mind Home felt lighter than it had, less full. Heart aching and the dregs of rage trembling inside me, I put my hand behind my ear and drew out the Night Terror. I stared at it dumbly.


    My mother¡¯s card. I¡¯d ruined it. She¡¯d never forgive me. Undersize? What even is that?


    Basil rushed up and caught me as I fell over. ¡°The healer will be here any moment,¡± he said urgently. ¡°Hold still, my dear friend. It will be all right.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± I whispered, tears pricking at my eyes. ¡°Nothing will be right until I¡¯m strong enough to beat him.¡±

 B2: 27. Basil - An Audience

    ¡°The king will see you now.¡±


    I stood up from the plush armchair I had been waiting in, quickly tucking the cards I had been distracting myself with back behind my ear. The only other occupant in the circular area was the one who had spoken: an aged woman in yellow and cream robes with half moon spectacles perched across her nose. She sat, bent backed, behind a large desk made of marble, a series of quills and parchment laid out before her in well-organized rows. She also had a half dozen Order source floating above her and was the first clerk of flesh and blood I had encountered so far in my visit.


    The Palace of Treledyne was enormous, with thick pillars supporting vaulted ceilings, sweeping tapestries of geometric design, burbling fountains, and countless sculptures ¨C sometimes in alcoves, other times freestanding ¨C made of stained wood, smoothed stone, or burnished copper. But its most dominant feature by far was its central grand stairway that was as wide as most high-street thoroughfares. It traveled ever upward with no switchbacks, its stone steps covered in a vibrant yellow rug the color of sunflower petals, young workers always on hand with stiff brushes to rid it of any stains travelers may leave behind. I had been sure to wipe my boots down before entering and took some pride in the fact that no one had needed to scrub in my wake.


    Each floor, the stairway plateaued before ascending again, which served as a point of rest but also a checkpoint for guards and clerks, all of whom had been summoned cards so far. Without the right documentation or password, a visitor could not ascend further. However, the key phrase the king had told me when last I saw him, ¡®sugarblossom¡¯, had seen me through all twelve floors and even now, was allowing me access into his throne room.


    I paused at the large entry doors, the heavy brass ring that served as the handle cool in my hand. Now that I was leaving the living clerk, I felt more at liberty to speak than when I had been waiting. That, or perhaps I was just nervous to meet the king alone.


    ¡°The Souls below. They are yours?¡±


    She didn¡¯t so much as pause in the writing she was doing, her penmanship nearly as beautiful as that which graced Twins-wrought cards. ¡°The other clerks, yes. The guards are maintained by another.¡±


    I wondered with passing interest where that other person was. Probably somewhere an enemy would not easily find. Though, after watching how casually the king had handled an assassination attempt, the palace guards felt more like show to me now than necessity.


    ¡°Is there any strain to have so many Souls so far away from you?¡± When I had asked Griff how I could possibly manage to defeat someone as card rich as the prince, he told me, Take every opportunity, and this seemed like one to me now.


    The scritching of her quill ceased, and she looked at me with eyes narrowed behind her spectacles. ¡°As a Hintal, your father can provide you with such information at a time that will not keep the most important person in the kingdom waiting.¡±


    I nodded my head to cede the point and hide my blush of embarrassment. It seemed I had misjudged the moment. By the Twins¡¯ grace, the door opened smoothly, allowing me to step inside and shut it without any delay. However, seeing the room within slowed me considerably, my eyes darting to and fro to take it all in. Having no levels above it allowed the ceiling to be three times as high as the previous floors ¨C I could have summoned the Sea Titan with room to spare if I were still using Water source. Chandeliers hung suspended from the great height, making a line from the entry door to the king¡¯s throne, which stood high-backed and inlaid in gold, some fifty paces away. Behind it, instead of a rear wall, the space opened out into the sky without glass or railing as a barrier. Clouds hung there, suspended in the blue, seeming touchable if one trusted their balance at the edge of the flooring. Far to the left, I caught sight of the Library of Istraago, the kestrels that winged to and from it little more than specks due to the great distance.


    Wind whipped through the room, stirring the fringe on my pants and cuffs ¨C I was wearing the most fashionable of my outfits. Taking a breath, the crisp air and height put me at ease, like I was cultivating on Pirtash Peak. If I did somehow become king one day, this throne room was actually to my taste.


    The king stood beside his throne ¨C floated, actually ¨C hands clasped behind his back, looking over the city below.


    ¡°Ah, Hintal,¡± he said without turning around, his voice rich and steady. ¡°Here to claim your Artifact prize.¡±


    I approached him with more than a little trepidation, my boots squeaking on the polished marble floor. ¡°Yes, my liege. Thank you again for allowing me to take time with this decision. I am in your debt.¡±


    He turned in the air without moving any muscle I could see, the long cloak he often wore caught by a passing breeze, so that it snapped out into the expanse behind him.


    ¡°Do not offer yourself up so easily, young Hintal. Especially when you do not know what may be asked of you.¡±


    Being in his presence caused me a mix of emotions, the last year having taken my once-ordered loyalty and respect for my liege and fracturing it. On the one hand, I vehemently objected to how he had treated Hull and felt similarly about what he had let become of the low quarter. Also, Gerad¡¯s nature indicated that even those who did receive the king¡¯s attention were not necessarily the better for it. And yet there was no denying the pure power he radiated every time I saw him, his eyes flecked with the rainbow shards of diamond. He was a living human with a Legendary Soul, who had successfully shielded Treledyne from years of orc raids. What¡¯s more, if our history teacher Castoba was to be believed, the king was not just the protector of this city but its very founder. Where would humanity be without such a leader? Should I be trying to emulate him or overthrow him?


    ¡°Did you have something specific in mind?¡± I asked instead of pursuing that treasonous line of thinking.


    Hull¡¯s father quirked a smile. ¡°I do. In fact, it is why I allowed you a second audience, so we could speak in a more private fashion.¡±


    Hearing that the king had not provided me this extension solely for my own benefit wasn¡¯t entirely a surprise but it did dampen my mood. That was until he pulled a diamond-bordered card from beneath the ermine stole he wore across his shoulders and pressed the treasure into my hands.


    ¡°What do you see?¡±


    ¡°See?¡± I echoed, having a hard time concentrating on anything beyond the card itself.


    Did the king have this as a ward against Gerad¡¯s Kitsayna? And were these the sort of abilities I could expect from my Master Shieldbearers after a few elevations? Protection against the hand and destruction effects other Legendaries so often had?


    ¡°With your Seersight,¡± he commanded.


    My eyes jerked up to meet the king¡¯s. The only people I had told about my upgraded Soul were Esmi and Hull, and I couldn¡¯t imagine either of them informing someone who would pass that knowledge onto the king


    The look he gave me was almost pitying. ¡°Who do you think the Tournament officials report their findings to, young Hintal?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my liege,¡± I said, embarrassed yet again. The man who had seen to me at the Coliseum had even said he would be cataloging the change in my Soul.


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


    ¡°Now,¡± the king said, tapping the card. ¡°Tell me. What can it become?¡±


    I had already used my ability once this morning to help Hull with raising his cards ¨C he was chomping at the bit to level his deck after his brutal loss to Gerad ¨C and I had never tried to use my Seersight on a Legendary. However, I couldn¡¯t very well refuse the king.


    I stared at the card, focusing on it, but the ghostly possibilities I was used to seeing did not appear. I strained, hoping effort or raw determination would summon them, but the silence stretched between us. As it did, I became uncomfortably aware that I was doing exactly what the elderly clerk had warned me not to: I was making the king wait.


    With a gasp, I stopped, my free hand moving to massage my temples that had started to pound.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my liege, but I do not see anything. Not for a card that is already the highest of rarities.¡±


    ¡°Pity,¡± he said, plucking the Legendary away. ¡°I thought one of you living Hintals might finally be of use to me, but alas, that day has apparently yet to come.¡±


    Like my earlier interaction with the king, I was slow to catch the meaning of his words, and when I did, I was both offended and confused. While I was far from pleased with most of my family at the moment, to hear their years of service dismissed so¡­


    ¡°Father is captain of your city guard,¡± I said, frowning, ¡°and Gale is ¨C¡±


    The king looked up from the card, and as he did, I swear the lights in the room dimmed ¨C even that which came in from the sun outside, as impossible as I knew that to be. Under the weight of his cold stare, I felt more in danger of death than ever I had when Ticosi¡¯s knife had been using my belly as a road to my spine.


    My throat clamped in fright, yet there was something else to what the king had said. ¡°Dollan¡­?¡± I ventured. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he one of the first Hintals?¡±


    When the king didn¡¯t immediately smite me from the spot or respond, I dared push my inquiry further.


    ¡°Would you be willing to gift me my ancestor instead of the Artifact that I am owed?¡±


    ¡°Some backbone in you now? And a barterer at heart?¡± The lighting of the room eased back to normal, and the king drifted away from me. ¡°When did that develop, I wonder? No, I shall not make that trade with you. This card¡¯s value vastly outsrips the rare you have earned. However, be of use to my son during your training and beyond, and perhaps someday it may find its way to you.¡±


    Even though the king was no longer fully facing me, he caught the brief look of unease that passed over my features at his mention of Gerad.


    ¡°The idea does not please you?¡±


    ¡°I ¨C um ¨C¡± I floundered. The king was floating back my way, and I didn¡¯t think I could afford to annoy him a second time. If only he was asking me to support his other son, I would have no trouble with the request. I didn¡¯t dare say that though; my parents had made it abundantly clear to me the social perils children born outside of wedlock could represent, and so I had no plans to mention Hull in such a way, not until the king chose to publicly acknowledge him.


    ¡°Were you not impressed with Gerad¡¯s performance the other day?¡± the king asked, coming to a stop before me. He was hovering much higher than before, so I had to crane my neck back uncomfortably to see more than his belt, which was crafted from slick teal scales. ¡°I am told that he decimated his opposition while the Twins were watching.¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± I admitted, and then quite foolishly added. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have asked for better draws.¡±


    ¡°That is the way of such engagements. Fortune may steer it as he wishes.¡± I knew a trace of bitterness had found its way into my words, but I hadn¡¯t expected to hear an echo of the same from the king.


    Gazing up at him in such close proximity, I noticed he had less wrinkles around his eyes than my father, yet the sheer force he emanated threatened to push me down to insignificance. It seemed impossible that my words could even reach him.


    ¡°Have you participated often in Apotheosis, my liege?¡±


    ¡°Multiple times in the past,¡± he confirmed, casually drifting higher to fix a chandelier candle that was leaning a touch out of line with the rest. ¡°It is my least favored form of combat.¡±


    That was a surprise. ¡°Despite the boons that the Twins offer?¡± Hull had told me about the image he had seen of his Night Terror raised to Mythic, and since that telling, I was itching to participate in an Apotheosis of my own when I was prepared enough.


    ¡°Gifts always come with a price,¡± he said, catching my eyes from on high. ¡°I would have thought you learned that today.¡±


    ¡°Just so, my liege,¡± I answered with a nod. The king¡¯s request had indeed shown me that, and so too had seeing the demoted version of Hull¡¯s card.


    ¡°Now, select what you came here for.¡± He tossed the square vault key onto the floor, which revolved into a door. ¡°Quickly. This audience has already been overlong.¡±


    I walked with speed into the holding space as soon as the entryway was stable, the stale air an abrupt change from the throne room. Fortunately, the time I had been given to decide meant I already knew exactly what I wanted. I went to the Uncommon section of the vault, choosing first a small calcified piece of source that was half pearlescent marble, half dark green. Its surface was pebbled, and my fingers that held it felt alternatingly calm and prickly with energy. There were larger crystals in the rare area of the king¡¯s vault that I had almost chosen when last I was here, but now that I had 9 natural source to my name, this would more than suffice. In addition, after exploring the lesser areas during my previous visit, I realized that I could likely get more value by picking two uncommon artifacts instead of a single one labeled rare. The other item I had in mind wasn¡¯t far off, and I snatched it up, dashing my way out of the vault.


    Exiting into the throne room, I found the king back where I had first seen him, staring out of the palace. I was no sculptor like my brother Randel, though I had tried my hand at a few simple pots. What must it be like to look upon one¡¯s creation when it was an entire society that you had made? Was he pleased with what he saw, or like my own experience, was he disappointed that what he brought into the world didn¡¯t match the image of it in his mind?


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t find it presumptuous,¡± I said, holding out what I had taken. ¡°But I would prefer these artifacts to one of rare quality.¡±


    He looked over his shoulder at me in profile, which accentuated his strong nose. ¡°A barterer through and through. Very well.¡±


    My heart swelled, glad I had taken the risk.


    The king snapped his fingers, and the shimmering doorway of the vault collapsed upon itself, returning the form of a fist-sized metal cube. With a second snap, the cube flew unerringly across the room, straight to his hand.


    I tucked my own artifacts away, and as I did, my fingertips brushed over a folded piece of paper. I hadn¡¯t planned on using one of my penned invites today, but now that I was here, why shouldn¡¯t I? The invitation was half out of my lapel when I began to reconsider. Hull¡¯s father cut such a regal figure floating there, the sky and the city he had built his backdrop, that my mother¡¯s gala suddenly felt like a paltry thing to mention in his presence.


    Thinking of our brief conversation over dinner at the Tournament, I said instead, ¡°Have you found your new mountain to ascend, my liege?¡±


    He chuckled, which I hadn¡¯t been expecting. ¡°Without a doubt, young Hintal. It is in motion as we speak. Now, see yourself out,¡± he said, gesturing backward without turning. ¡°Add something to my kingdom if you can.¡±


    The dismissal couldn¡¯t have been clearer, and I left the room with all haste before he decided it would be quicker to just drop me out the viewing wall.


    It wasn¡¯t until I had the solid wood door closed behind me that I took a full breath of relief. No new petitioners were in the waiting area ¨C council members on lower floors saw to concerns that the regular citizenry might have ¨C and the clerk did not raise her head from her work as I walked by. The design of the palace meant that I had a long stroll ahead of me to reach the top of the stairway. There was a railing to my left where I could look over and see the staircase and the lower levels, while to my right was the occasional doorway. These rooms were said to be the royal suites of the king and the queen, as well as Gerad, and the space between the entryways made it obvious how enormous each one was. Marching along, I became idly curious as to whether the king ever used the stairs himself or just flew up to his throne room and entered the top floor that way.


    Walking past a door of ruby-inlaid mahogany, I started, realizing that to either side of it were guards in armor. I hadn¡¯t seen them at first because their gear matched the marble walls and floor almost perfectly. Even odder, looking at them now, they were cards, but ones I could not see the information of.


    They must have had some sort of ability that obscured their details to perception effects like mine, which only made me more intrigued by them. But why would such a pair be here at all?


    The answer my father would have said was that someone important was within. It wouldn¡¯t be the king, and the last I had seen Gerad, he was using our afternoon of freedom from Camp to take the three deepkin, of all people, into town. It was possible that their group had made their way back here, but if so, I couldn¡¯t imagine the prince using anyone but his own Mythic or Legendary Souls as his guards.


    That left only one possibility.


    I looked down at the invitation that I still held. My mother had surely mailed a full complement to the palace about our upcoming event, but just because a letter was sent, that didn¡¯t always mean it was received by the intended party. And, sometimes an added nudge was needed to convince a person to attend.


    With one hand raised to show I meant no harm, I stepped closer to the door. The heads of both guards swiveled toward me in eerie synchrony but they did not attack. Griff¡¯s advice echoed in my mind as I crouched down on my knees, and in a single motion, slid the invite under the door. No spears came at me from the sides, nor did I wish them to, so I backed away the moment the deed was done. When I was at a safe distance, I nodded to the guards out of habit, and then continued to make my way to the stairway crown.


    The king likely would not be in attendance for my duel with Gale, but if Fortune favored me, perhaps the queen would. And if someone of her stature bore witness to it, then no one would be able to dispute the legitimacy of the outcome. Of course, I still had to win the damnable thing, but if I did, Esmi could have the wedding of her dreams, and that was the mountain I needed to see climbed first before I worried about all the rest.

 B2: 28. Hull - Juggling Shards

    ¡°...but Merunda said she¡¯d wait for me next time, and she was the last holdout on Crowsfoot Alley, so that¡¯s a whole square block sorted.¡± Bryll gave me a self-satisfied smirk, holding her hands out wide as if waiting for applause.


    I didn¡¯t clap for the proud little magpie; my hands were busy unlocking the door to Ticosi¡¯s rooms and my thoughts were in a tangle besides. Everything had me jumpy these days, and even though I knew I should give the urchin the pat on the head she more than deserved, most of me wanted to snap at her to get lost. Best I could manage was to split the difference with a neutral grunt.


    She scowled at me and strolled into Ticosi¡¯s apartment like she owned the place. ¡°Don¡¯t fall all over yourself thanking me,¡± she said, hopping up to sit on the table by the window. ¡°I¡¯m just doing your work for you with nothing but two cards.¡±


    I bit back the first thing that sprang to my tongue and instead said, ¡°You¡¯re doing a hell of a job, and I appreciate it. Has Roshum found anyone else he thinks I could trust with a card?¡±


    She picked at a splinter on the table¡¯s edge. ¡°He thinks Bannel might be a good idea. He runs the shit carts.¡±


    I thought it over as I wrestled the cupboard away from the wall. I¡¯d seen Bannel around, of course, but I didn¡¯t know him. I¡¯d always kept my distance from the crews that hauled the Lows¡¯ night soil out of the neighborhood. It took a strong stomach and a weak nose to do the job, and my smeller had always been too keen to be interested. ¡°And what do you think?¡±


    Bryll grimaced. ¡°He hits his kids.¡±


    I shook my head. Roshum was a good judge of character, but Bryll and her gang had a perspective that no adult ever could. People didn¡¯t care what they did in front of street kids; they might as well be furniture. ¡°That¡¯s a no on Bannel, then.¡±


    I put my face to the floorboards and breathed deep. My heart fluttered when I caught a faint whiff of bad eggs. The shards are done! I¡¯d had Bryll and her squad of urchins checking for me every day, but I¡¯d grown impatient as the days passed. I needed those shards, now more than ever. Pulling up the floorboards, I greedily snatched up the lead-lined box and brought it to the table where Bryll sat.


    ¡°Pfaugh,¡± she said, wrinkling her nose. ¡°Didn¡¯t smell like that before.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± I said distractedly. ¡°They¡¯re probably only just finished.¡± It was still short of the time that Roshum had recommended, but the egg smell didn¡¯t lie. With hands suddenly sweaty, I eased the lid off the box. We both peered in with avid eyes.


    ¡°Hot damn, they¡¯re beautiful,¡± she breathed.


    I could only nod in mute agreement. The alchemical solution had gone a bright blue, and in that tiny ocean floated three irregular-shaped shards of flat, faceted ruby. Surprisingly, a fourth, smaller flake of bright gold bobbed in the corner. Not a hint of Chaos coloring remained on any of them.


    ¡°Why¡¯s there a Rare shard in there too?¡± Bryll asked.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± I admitted. ¡°I bet Roshum could tell us.¡± Using the tip of my duplicating knife I fished them out of the mixture one by one and laid them on the table to dry. It had worked! I had Epic shards for upgrades, and not a moment too soon. Ever since getting my ass kicked by Gerad I¡¯d been walking on eggshells, looking over my shoulder at every moment for his damned assassin card to pop out of nowhere and gut me like a fish. I couldn¡¯t sleep; food tasted ashy. I needed to be stronger, and this was how it was going to happen.


    ¡°D¡¯you know what you¡¯re going to use them on?¡± the urchin girl said, bending her head close to get an eyeful of the beautiful ruby shards.


    I¡¯d spent nearly every waking moment while not actively training in deep discussion with Basil on that very topic. He¡¯d done viewings for all my high-rarity cards and helped me think through the advantages and drawbacks of each. My Commons he¡¯d ignored entirely, saying that most low-level cards had only a single upgrade path available to them and thus not worth wasting a viewing on. ¡°I have some options,¡± is all I said. It was a ridiculous understatement. I had so many options I could barely hold them all in my head. I had a folded sheet of paper in my pocket filled with scribbled notes, and I¡¯d been pulling it out to review any time I felt the least bit jumpy¡­ which was frequently. The paper was already wearing thin at the folds.


    Bryll laid back on the table, eyes half-closed, an idle smile on her face. ¡°The things I could do with an Epic,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯d be a tiny tyrant,¡± I said, slapping her dirty feet off the top of the chair where she had them propped.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡± she retorted, sitting up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not small,¡± I said. ¡°Makes all the difference.¡±


    Her sour grunt spoke volumes. ¡°Being a kid is shit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it better than most,¡± I said, wiping the shards clean on a cleaning rag I found in the cupboard. ¡°You¡¯ve got cards and a crew, and even the shop owners have to at least listen to you now that you¡¯re working for me.¡±


    ¡°Still don¡¯t have shoes,¡± she said, wiggling her filthy toes at me.


    ¡°Shoes are nice,¡± I admitted. ¡°We¡¯ll fix that. But think: if you grew up like one of those rich kids like I run with at the War Camp, you¡¯d have family responsibilities, and you¡¯d have to do whatever your parents told you. They even get to say who you marry.¡±


    ¡°Marriage is for idiots,¡± she said. ¡°Go stick your dick in a tree if you¡¯re horny.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works. Even if it is, you might feel different when you¡¯re a little older.¡±


    She rolled her eyes with the cocksure arrogance only a child could muster. ¡°Sure. What about you ¨C got parents?¡±


    I held in a weary sigh. ¡°Yeah. Kind of.¡±


    She scratched at an armpit. ¡°Must be nice.¡±


    ¡°With ones like mine, you¡¯re better off without,¡± I told her. For the first time, I wondered who this little dirt goblin¡¯s parents might be. They had to be something special if she¡¯d been born at Rare.


    Just then, the floorboards creaked, and I whirled around, knocking over my chair. It was nothing. Just the rickety old building settling. I let out a shaky breath and scrubbed my hand across my face. I needed some time with Roshum¡¯s Jade Pillow ¨C I was exhausted.


    ¡°You¡¯re a wreck,¡± Bryll observed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got problems bigger than the Lows,¡± I told her as I sealed back up the soak tray. ¡°Do me a favor ¨C if any noble-looking folks come poking around asking questions about me, you let me know, all right?¡±


    ¡°You want me to fight them?¡± she asked eagerly.


    ¡°No,¡± I said sharply. ¡°Just watch, and keep your distance. Folks like that have more than two cards, and they¡¯re not packing Commons.¡± Reaching back into the hole beneath the floorboards, I retrieved the rest of the Chaos Epics. There¡¯d be time enough to break down the rest later; now that I knew the process worked, I wanted to hustle back to Roshum¡¯s to get a bigger batch of cards into the soak bath. The cards went into my pocket, the floorboards went back into place, and the cupboard went back over the top.


    ¡°How am I supposed to get better if you won¡¯t let me fight people for their cards?¡± Bryll groused as we locked the apartment back up.


    ¡°Just you wait,¡± I told her. ¡°We¡¯re gonna spend some time cleaning up the neighborhood, and then we¡¯re gonna train together. I¡¯m thinking that next year you can make a real killing at the Rising Stars Tournament.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Five Epic shards?¡± I shouted. ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    The thin, sallow man shrugged at me, unimpressed. ¡°You want a garbage-tier elevation? Try to short the Twins and that¡¯s what you¡¯ll get. This is a really specific idea you¡¯re talking about, and it¡¯s a high-quality upgrade. We try to go in and create a Mythic like the one you¡¯re describing without a full five shards and my best guess is that the process fails entirely and you waste the materials you put in. If you¡¯re looking to throw away Epic shards, then Fate¡¯s great saggy tits, man, just give ¡®em away instead.¡±


    ¡°What if I put in the Rare shard too?¡± I said. ¡°That gets us closer, right?¡±


    He shook his head disgustedly. ¡°I¡¯m not negotiating here, boy. Take your shards to any Relicsmith inside the city and they¡¯ll tell you the same, whether it¡¯s here, in Dalrish, or the other side of the world. I won¡¯t make more or less based on how much you put in ¨C my fee for a Mythic upgrade if you¡¯re providing the shards is 25 merits. I¡¯m just telling you it won¡¯t work.¡±


    I strode out of the Relicsmith¡¯s shop into the open pathways of the War Camp and tried to breathe off some frustration. The sun was high overhead. I¡¯d spent the rest of the night at Roshum¡¯s, resting on the Jade Pillow and beginning the card breakdown for the other Chaos Epics, but now it was time to put my earnings to use, and it was all going to shit. I¡¯d decided that elevating the Talisman of Spite was the best move I could make for myself based on the possibilities Basil had seen.


    One path he¡¯d seen let me split the damage it did between targets, while another increased its damage output above the damage I took in. There was one that was highly tempting which eliminated the need for the Talisman to charge by taking damage first; it came into play ready to reflect damage on my turn. No big advantage in presummoned fights, to be certain, but that wasn¡¯t where I¡¯d almost died, was it? The option I¡¯d finally settled on after much agonizing, though ¨C the one that I¡¯d told this asshole Relicsmith I wanted to work into the upgrade ¨C was making the Relic Soul-linked, meaning it would always start in my hand in every match. As much as I had a soft spot in my heart for the Sucking Void, my first Nether card, the Talisman was the beating heart of my deck, the center of most of my combos. Being able to play it turn 1 ¨C all of the elevations Basil had seen took its cost down to 2 Nether ¨C would supercharge my already-fast play style.


    But now this shithead was telling me I didn¡¯t have enough shards for it. Did I open the tray too soon? If I¡¯d waited, would that fourth shard have been Epic as well? It hardly would have mattered even so; I needed five shards, and I didn¡¯t think another one would have magically appeared in the soak bath if I¡¯d given it another week or two. Shaking my head like a dog coming out of water, I tried to let go of the idea of my cherished Mythic upgrade. It¡¯ll have to wait. A few more weeks and I¡¯ll have the shards I need. It felt like pulling a knife out of my own chest, but I hadn¡¯t survived this long by refusing to see reality.


    I pulled out my battered sheet of notes and scanned my other options. The Sucking Void was obviously out of play, as was my Vampiric Blade, seeing as how their elevations wouldn¡¯t be any cheaper than the Talisman¡¯s, but if I moved down to my Rares, then a whole world of opportunities were spread before me, and at a lower cost in merits, as well. I¡¯d lied to Badgou about how many merits I had, but that single Mythic elevation would have essentially wiped out my stockpile. Now it was a question of picking and choosing the smartest moves from a dozen or more combinations.


    I stood there in the street for a long time, letting people brush past me left and right while I wracked my brain and laid one option alongside another alongside another, weighing them all out, juggling the possibilities. My life was on the line here. It always had been, of course, but getting spitted by one of Gerad¡¯s Souls had brought the fact into focus in a way I¡¯d let go of beforehand. Survival first: it was a lesson I¡¯d thought had been ground into my bones in the Lows, but lately it kept going fuzzy on me. I could almost thank the Prince for reminding me. I wasn¡¯t going to, of course; I¡¯d rather eat a bag of glass. I kept repeating it to myself: survival first. Survival first.


    After nearly an hour staring at my paper and sweating in the sun, I marched back into the shop. The smith looked up from his work, waiting to hear what I had to say.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°All right,¡± I told him. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡±


    ***


    It was past full dark when I finally found Basil. He was sitting in the Mess Hall chatting happily with Esmi. With a grunt and a sigh I settled in next to him. All the rest I¡¯d stored up at Roshum¡¯s was long gone. I felt like I¡¯d run laps around Treledyne¡¯s city walls and fought a Revenant Lord at the end. Card elevations took more out of me than I¡¯d expected, and going from the Relicsmiths to the Soulsmiths to the sellers¡¯ tables and back again, haggling and arguing for specific upgrades every step of the way had left me feeling like a wrung-out dishrag.


    ¡°You sound as if you¡¯ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders,¡± Esmi said.


    ¡°Nothing on them but my own head, and even that feels like too much right now,¡± I groaned. I had a tray full of food in one hand, and I shoved half a bread roll into my mouth, talking around it as I chewed. ¡°One of you could have told me how tiring it is to elevate a bunch of cards in a row.¡±


    Basil grimaced and looked away from me. He hated it when I ate like a normal person instead of a highborn nonce. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either of us have had the opportunity to elevate more than one or two at a time,¡± he said. ¡°It sounds a bit as if you¡¯re complaining that your feather bed is too soft.¡±


    I looked at him blankly, swallowing and taking another bite. ¡°I don¡¯t have a feather bed. That asshole Harganut made my bed into a slab of crystal, remember?¡±


    ¡°He means,¡± Esmi chimed in smoothly, ¡°that given how expensive elevations are, you might consider focusing on gratitude that you were able to elevate so many at once rather than complaining of the effort.¡±


    Perfectly said,¡± Basil said, beaming at his fianc¨¦e. ¡°Effort is but a moment; elevation is eternal.¡±


    ¡°You people are too cheerful,¡± I said. ¡°Let a fellow bitch for a second, will you?¡±


    ¡°Language, good sir,¡± Esmi said, a smile dimpling her cheeks. ¡°A lady is present.¡±


    I was tempted to say where, but Basil would be forced to defend Esmi¡¯s honor even if he knew I was joking, so I took a big bite of food instead. Filling my stomach was helping. Now I only wanted to fall asleep where I sat instead of dying on the spot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep us in suspense, my friend,¡± Basil said, turning to me once my mouth was empty. ¡°How did it turn out? What were you able to achieve?¡±


    Now that perked me up. I felt a grin growing on my face. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t elevate any of my Epics. I didn¡¯t have the shards for it no matter how you split it.¡±


    ¡°I thought that might be the case,¡± he said, nodding sagely. ¡°Unfortunate, but not unexpected. I didn¡¯t say anything, because I hoped I¡¯d be wrong, or that you¡¯d end up with more that the average number of shards.¡±


    ¡°Next time, say something,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I nearly took off the smith¡¯s head thinking he was trying to cheat me.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Esmi said, leading me along.


    ¡°First things first,¡± I said, pulling a small stack of cards from my pocket. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve got a little Order to work with it seemed like a good idea to get a few cheap cards to plug some holes in my deck.¡± I laid them on the table.


    ¡°The Restoration makes perfect sense,¡± Basil said, ¡°but three copies of The Greater Good?¡±


    ¡°Those are mostly for when I have to fight Gerad again, to protect against Kitsanya,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t leave them in my Mind Home most of the time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you developed a sideboard,¡± Esmi said approvingly. ¡°But the elevations, Hull! I¡¯m dying of suspense.¡±


    ¡°You should focus on gratitude,¡± I said.


    From the arch of her eyebrow, she was less amused by me turning her own words back on her than she should have been. ¡°I would be grateful if our dear friend would show us the card elevations we¡¯ve slaved over together for days on end.¡±


    I nodded. She¡¯d put in nearly as much counsel as Basil had. Putting a hand behind my ear, I drew out my upgraded cards and laid them out one at a time in front of their eager eyes.


    ¡°Ah, even better protection,¡± Basil breathed. ¡°I love it. I thought for certain you¡¯d choose the elevation that protected it from Relic-destruction effects.¡±


    ¡°This might have been my hardest choice,¡± I told them. ¡°More Relic protection is always going to be a good idea for me, seeing how much I depend on them. But I¡¯ve got Restoration in there now, and I might end up getting a second copy. If the Talisman had the option for the kind of protection you saw for the Plate, I¡¯d snatch it up in a heartbeat. But at the end of the day, Relic destruction is an every now-and-then concern. Getting hit in the face with Souls and Spells is an every-turn problem. And the fact that this elevation comes at a lower summoning cost put it over the edge for me.¡±


    ¡°Two self-damage per turn is nothing to sneeze at,¡± Esmi said, reading over the card.


    ¡°Either I have my Talisman out, or else I hope to have my Hatchlings in hand. Armor 3, Esmi. Armor 3.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not second-guessing you,¡± she assured me. ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°And so is this one,¡± I said with relish, laying out my next prize.


    ¡°Oh, thank the Twins,¡± Basil said. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d be blinded by the version that grew even bigger and didn¡¯t need to focus for its ability.¡±


    ¡°I remembered what you said,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m always scrambling for enough Nether, every last damned match I play. This was too good to pass up for a better buff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to do another viewing for this,¡± he mused. ¡°I wonder if at Mythic those extra source might remain for the duration of a match even after the Soul is destroyed.¡±


    ¡°That would be incredible,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that later.¡± I laid out my third new Epic.


    ¡°You said you were going to bring the Night Terror back up to Epic,¡± Basil said, surprised. ¡°You insisted!¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I was wrong and you two were right.¡± It was my mother¡¯s reaction that had worried me, but I hadn¡¯t seen mommy dearest since that last stroll into the Lows together. Would I ever see her again? Would she beat the shit out of me for ruining her Epic and getting it reduced to a low-grade Rare?


    For days I¡¯d told myself that no matter what else I upgraded, I had to restore the Night Terror, no matter than none of the upgrades Basil had seen would put it back on par with what it had been. But when I was at the Soulsmith¡¯s shop and the decision had to be made, my heart had rebelled. It wasn¡¯t the best upgrade for me. The huge demon had served me well as an intimidation tool in the Lows, but there was less need for that now, and my Demon Marauders filled the heavy-hitter role in my deck nicely. Honestly, either of them would have been a smarter elevation at this point than the Night Terror. My mother¡¯s anger was an acceptable price to pay in order to make my deck the best it could be. Gerad would come after me again. He¡¯d told me he would.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m proud of you,¡± Esmi said. ¡°This elevation is by far the more useful one. I wouldn¡¯t want to face you with these.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d wipe the floor with me and you know it,¡± I said mildly. ¡°But I¡¯m not done! My card breakdown ended up netting me a stunted Rare shard, too, and I was able to parlay that into a handful of upgrades as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me see,¡± Basil said, clapping his hands.


    ¡°They may not be Epics, but they¡¯ll serve me well,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nicely done,¡± he said, inspecting them closely. ¡°Going to Uncommon may not be glamorous in the same way that Epics are, but you¡¯re well past the point where basic Commons belong in your deck. What of the Runic Cloak?¡±


    ¡°Sideboarded for now,¡± I told him, ¡°in order to make room for the Restoration. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± He¡¯d given me the card; I didn¡¯t want him to think I didn¡¯t appreciate it.


    ¡°I think you and I are past such pettiness,¡± he said. ¡°If it becomes useful later, you still have it.¡±


    Basil pondered the array of cards I¡¯d set before him, one of his hands seeking out Esmi¡¯s seemingly without him knowing it. ¡°You¡¯ve made great strides. I¡¯m very impressed.¡± He gave me a grave look. ¡°But it¡¯s still not enough to take on Gerad.¡±


    ¡°I know it,¡± I said, my stomach churning. ¡°I¡¯ve got the other Epics breaking down now. That should give me enough to bring both the Talisman and the Sucking Void to Mythic.¡±


    Esmi hesitated, then spoke. ¡°Even then¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said roughly. I stopped and reined in my anger. Esmi wasn¡¯t the problem. ¡°He¡¯s got the strongest deck of anyone except the King. Best I can do is keep working at it. Maybe when Edaine takes us to that demon rift I can score big.¡±


    Basil patted my hand. ¡°I overheard the Prince agonizing ¨C well, he was bragging, really, but it is a problem for him ¨C about whether to keep Kitsanya or Hilbrand in his deck. The fact that you forced an elevation on one of his Mythics actually works against him; no more than a single Legendary of each type will fit in a person¡¯s Mind Home. Well, except for the King. None of the rules seem to apply to him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice nugget of gold in my shit sandwich,¡± I said wryly. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to take that spare Legendary for him if he needs.¡±


    We all had a good laugh about that, and the conversation drifted to more mundane topics as I slotted my upgraded cards into my Mind Home. My head felt stuffed full with so many Epics inside. It felt good. It felt like maybe, just maybe, if I kept running as hard as I could and scrambling for every last inch, I might survive.

 B2: 29. Basil - Favors

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a spring in your step today,¡± Griff commented as I neared him in the Advisor¡¯s Hall. ¡°Finally relented and let that elf girl have her way with you?¡±


    I paused in the act of pulling out my usual seat. ¡°That comment was unbecoming, even for someone as vulgar as you.¡±


    Griff leaned back, wagging a finger at me. ¡°Trying to place limits on a Chaos user. Never a wise pastime.¡±


    ¡°If you must know,¡± I said while seating myself, ¡°Esmi and her partner Glydnuk just bested E¡¯lal and Wenden in convincing fashion, despite Esmi having to do the lion¡¯s share of the summoning. I helped her with a number of her upgrade choices recently, so it was quite satisfying to see play out.¡±


    Griff made an unpleasant sound in his throat. ¡°Helping everyone else level their cards while letting your own languish. A tactic that¡¯s sure to win you friends and leave you dead in a ditch.¡± He then went on to pick at his teeth with a horribly overgrown and yellowed fingernail. I was starting to become more accustomed to Griff¡¯s uncouth displays, but some of them still made my skin crawl.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gone through my finances before,¡± I countered, finding it easier to focus on my growing annoyance than my revulsion. ¡°Perhaps if you didn¡¯t insist I purchase everything in triplicate¡­¡± I let the accusation linger, but as usual, he merely waved it away.


    ¡°You have plenty of merits left.¡±


    I was becoming increasingly certain that part of being a Chaos user was relinquishing all responsibility for your actions. That, or they just made abysmal bookkeepers.


    ¡°That is patently false,¡± I huffed. At the outset, earning what amounted to an Uncommon a day had seemed like an almost ludicrous amount of money, but after starting to spend my merits on new cards, they were slipping through my fingers faster than I was comfortable with. ¡°As of last night, I only had twenty-nine remaining. If not for some fortunate successes in the pre-summoned challenges I might add, that number would be significantly lower.¡±


    ¡°See? Plenty. Wait, last night?¡± Griff said with interest. ¡°Did you finally loosen your purse strings this morning? Not as good as loosening your breeches, mind you, but it¡¯s something.¡±


    I ignored the insinuation and leaned forward, eager to share the news I had been holding in. ¡°Qi¡¯shen agreed to see me.¡±


    Griff reached over and casually flicked the fabricator I wore on my left arm. The metal ping the connection made rang out briefly before being lost in the hubbub of other advisors and their chargers surrounding us, each involved in their own impassioned conversations. ¡°That sharp-eared snoot finally agreed that this counted as your third Life?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t happy about it,¡± I confirmed, ¡°but I think seeing me using my dual source the past few days convinced him that it¡¯s here to stay.¡± The crystalized source from the king had slotted perfectly into the empty fabricator from Ticosi and had been on my arm ever since. The flexibility it gave me made me wish all of my source could do double duty. I had even begun to fantasize about what it might be like to have a tri-source some day. ¡°Qi¡¯shen wouldn¡¯t show me everything, he was very clear on that,¡± I continued, ¡°but what he did was enough to catch my interest.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t string me along, lad. What did he have?¡± The way Griff got as excited as we did about new cards oftentimes made me forget that he was a man in chains. At least it would have if his enthusiasm didn¡¯t cause the fetters to rattle. Despite how long we¡¯d worked together, he still refused to elaborate on how he¡¯d ended up in such a position, and all Edaine would say on the matter was that he was indentured for the next few years in exchange for a pardon.


    If sharing in the joy of cards would help pass that time, I was glad to oblige, so I went ahead and laid the first of my purchases in front of him. ¡°I found my battering ram.¡±


    Griff¡¯s unkempt eyebrows dipped. ¡°This is nothing new.¡±


    I nodded in agreement. ¡°It was staring me in the face the whole time. I¡¯m somewhat ashamed that I didn''t realize it sooner.¡±


    ¡°What changed your mind?¡± For as much as Griff sometimes liked to force cards upon me, other times he preferred watching me come to conclusions on my own. I had found the incongruity of his advising style jarring at first, until I realized that it was just another quirk of his Chaotic nature.


    ¡°It¡¯s what you said before: I need not only a wall, but a ram to break through my opponent. This card satisfies both of those conditions. I can open with it in a duel, the same as the Metal Golem and Zephyr. It can¡¯t block Flyers,¡± I added, preempting a criticism I was sure he would have, ¡°but it can heal when it transforms, fully negating some small, early match aggression.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re just strengthening the wall you already have,¡± Griff warned.


    ¡°Which is why I didn¡¯t give it enough consideration in the beginning. But Strong and the possibility of Terror? Watching Ky¡¯reen use it against the Spirits of Korikana convinced me of its power as a ram. And when facing Souls with only 1 or 2 attack, it will be unstoppable.¡±


    Griff remained impassive. ¡°Do you think your brother is using the swarm side of Air?¡±


    I crossed my arms, leaning back, some of my jubilant energy abating. ¡°I¡¯m still unsure on that count.¡± My hope had been to scout more of Gale¡¯s deck during our time together in camp, but he had been off on some patrolling mission for the last few weeks and only recently returned, probably for the express purpose of attending the gala. I had been tempted to ask Esmi to inquire after his deck, since he still pestered her on occasion, but I never quite managed to turn the thought into action. It felt too awkward a request, and a prideful part of me wanted to beat my brother through my own card choices and skill, nothing else. Griff had called me a proper fool when I told him that. ¡°He¡¯s always been fond of swordplay, and from how he fought during the first demonstration, he is more likely focusing on personal enhancement and a few strong Souls. Terror will still get me past one buffed Soul, and if needed, I can use Canopy Climber on the Werebears so they can block any Flyers or Gale himself.¡± The way my brother¡¯s Soul ability let him leap through the air, I¡¯d wager the rest of my merits and then some that it counted as Flying.


    ¡°You sound convinced.¡±


    ¡°Are you not?


    He waffled a hand in the air. ¡°Not much of a blocker from hand.¡±


    ¡°If it was a better blocker, it would be that much harder for me to summon and then later transform. The fact that it requires just 1 Life means that with only a single Life source out, and another of course, I can summon it on my first turn and then Transform it the very next should I wish. That pay structure combined with all the rest? It¡¯s a near flawless fit for my deck.¡±


    ¡°I warned you about chasing perfect, boy¡­¡± Griff said with a stern look, and a jolt of fear rattled through me. Had I just misspent nine merits? The elves weren¡¯t beholden to the same rules of card exchange as the stalls, and it would likely shame Qi¡¯shen if he found a card he had so recently sold me pawned off. Griff¡¯s face cracked into a smile. ¡°But it sounds close enough. Well reasoned, lad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you agree,¡± I said, breathing out in relief, ¡°because I purchased three of them.¡±


    Griff craned his neck back, angling toward his ever present guard. ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re watching him grow tall right in that chair. Brings a tear to the eye, eh, Stephi?¡±


    I gave the pair a flat look. ¡°My purse was not happy with the decision.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you and your miser-enchanted purse. Now,¡± ¨C he rubbed his hands together ¨C ¡°what else?


    The departing fear slipped right back into excitement. He knew me well. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about the Werepanther,¡± I started, causing him to roll his eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve monologued about it, aye.¡± He stuck a knuckle into one ear and shook it. ¡°Don¡¯t think my ears have recovered from the abuse yet.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m right. You basically admitted as much last time we spoke.¡±I saw the card crisply in my Mind Home, and tried not to feel envious of those who possessed it.


    Its stats were nothing overly impressive, but its affordability is what gave it power. That alongside its Pounce ability. Being able to deal damage to targets without recourse? Damage that I could increase with Feral Strengths? Amazing. ¡°With its cost so low ¨C ¡±


    ¡°You can refresh it with your Air Source power. I said my ears were abused, not deaf.¡±


    It was the tactic I had always wanted to use with my Assassins, but their price had created difficulties in actual application, especially when it came to the Master Assassin. But for a soul with Transform, the price Air Power required was only that of the Transformation amount, not the total cost of the Soul. It was a theory that had come to me in the last week of training, and A¡¯cia had confirmed its viability since she too cultivated some Air.


    ¡°So then,¡± Griff said, ¡°did Qi¡¯shen sell you one?¡±


    I shook my head ruefully. The younger elves only had a single copy between them and so wouldn¡¯t part with it, and their elder hadn¡¯t included the Epic as one of the options available to me, and when I asked after it, had only pursed his lips noncommittally.


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


    ¡°No, but there was another with the same Source cost. It might even be a better fit for my deck than the Panther. Time will tell.¡± I knew that part of what I was saying was wishful thinking, trying to make-up for being denied what I truly wanted. However, I was very hopeful about this card and experienced a tiny thrill as I placed it on the table between us.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Griff said, scooping the Soul up. Not long ago such impromptu handling would have made me uncomfortable for a number of reasons, but these days, I barely felt a twinge. ¡°What¡¯s this Web do?¡±


    ¡°Devote an attacking Soul,¡± I answered, having asked the same question of Qi¡¯shen.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Griff said, stroking his mange of a beard with his off hand ¨C it looked like a place where spiders might live. ¡°Shame it¡¯s only Souls that it targets and that you can¡¯t choose who the Relic goes to. A few turns of it out and you re-Stealthing would see you well stocked, with little the opponent could do to stop you outside a board clear.¡±


    ¡°Those options exist at Epic.¡±


    His attention snapped back to me. ¡°You checked?¡± he asked in a low whisper.


    I nodded. ¡°Before the purchase.¡±


    ¡°Now that you don¡¯t have the merits for,¡± Griff said, placing the card upon the table and leaning back.


    Griff was right; upgrading from Rare to Epic cost fifty merits in the camp. The only reason Hull had been able to elevate so many high end cards was because of the shards he¡¯d had, which reduced the cost to a tenth of the original. Hull had already agreed to let me have some of the next batch, but they wouldn¡¯t be finished in time for my match with Gale in two days. Hull had offered to share a portion of the first group, as well, but after Gerad had nearly killed him in their Apotheosis match and then threatened to see the deed done in the near future, I had refused. My marriage to Esmi was incredibly important, but she had been part of the decision and agreed. We both saw the way our friend was behaving lately: restless, with an eye always guarding his back, and we both wanted to do what we could to make him feel protected.


    My eyes flicked to where the prince sat across the room, looking bored as the primly dressed woman I had first tried to work with gave him instruction. Esmi and I had also spoken privately about watching out for Hull. While none besides her could hope to face Gerad one-on-one, as Hull and I had proven on the practice square, the prince wasn¡¯t strong enough to defeat two of us and certainly not all three.


    ¡°Did you buy a full set of this card, too?¡± Griff asked while my thoughts kept me silent.


    ¡°Assuming we¡¯re still chatting, that is.¡±


    ¡°Apologies,¡± I said, refocusing on the bushy man. ¡°No, just the one. It could work as a first turn play, but I¡¯d rather have more source out to protect it.¡± I put my elbow on the arm of the chair and rested my chin in my palm. ¡°With only twenty cards and multiples of so many, it¡¯s getting quite hard to make cuts for inclusion. While I¡¯d love to have three of these on the field with four webs each, that seemed more a dream scenario than likely to happen, particularly against the pressure an aggressive deck will be putting on me. Realistically, if I can get one out without sacrificing my defense, I¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    Griff tapped a finger on the table between us. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re trying to impress me today, and its working, lad. Your core cards should be the consistent ones, but specialized Souls like this could end up flooding your hand and put you in an awkward place should you have too many. Speaking of your core, did you get that third Metal Golem yet?¡±


    The chance to bask in my advisor¡¯s praise was woefully short lived, and I pulled a face. ¡°I¡¯m working on it.¡± Throice¡¯s family had rejected the runner I had sent, unsurprising since I had so far failed to live up to my end of our previous bargain: convincing my parents to champion the inclusion of a ninth noble house. ¡°I have a plan though, which should work.¡±


    ¡°Cutting it close,¡± Griff observed.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the party in question isn¡¯t giving me much choice in the matter. I also have a runner checking Treledyne markets to find any resellers. The only one they¡¯ve located so far is charging a ridiculous sum, but hopefully that will change.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a few other substitutions we could consider, but my guess is you¡¯ve already had a think on that.¡±


    I chuckled nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to focus on little else as of late.¡±


    ¡°Well, lay it out for me then. Let¡¯s see how you plan to win this.¡±


    I was happy for the chance to hunker down with him to discuss the particulars, and I pulled the rest of my deck out so I could show him the plays. By the time we finished, the sun was slanting at a much deeper angle through the windows, marking that midday was long past. Some in the hall were up and stretching, while others sipped at tea that had been circulated among us during the last hour.


    ¡°Well, rot my balls off,¡± Griff declared, my nose twitching at the profanity. ¡°You might actually win this.¡±


    ¡°From your lips to Fate¡¯s ears,¡± I said. My own back was sore from how long we had sat hunched over the table, and it felt good to straighten. ¡°It would be remiss if I didn¡¯t thank you for your obvious contributions. This deck is a clear reflection of the time you spent instructing me, and for that I am extremely grateful.¡±


    Griff thoughtfully picked wax from his ears. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a fine thing to hear said, isn¡¯t it, Stephi? With you feeling all full of grate as you are, young Hintal, and rightly so, I¡¯d add, seems to me now would be the time to ask after a small favor. Tiny thing, really, hardly a favor at all.¡±


    That I hadn¡¯t been expecting, but perhaps I should have given his current state. ¡°What precisely? And so you know, I won¡¯t do anything illegal.¡±


    ¡°Nothing of the sort,¡± he assured me, and yet, I couldn¡¯t manage to make myself relax until I knew what he had in mind. ¡°You¡¯re going to need someone knowledgeable in your corner during the duel,¡± he said, making it sound almost conspiratorial. ¡°Take me with you to the gala, lad. Give me one of those fancy invites of yours I see everyone carrying around.¡±


    I had been wanting to do something to repay Griff but hadn¡¯t yet landed on the appropriate option. However, inviting him into my home? Was that a step too far? On the other hand, if he could provide me with even the smallest edge over Gale, wouldn¡¯t it be well worth the risk of offending my parents? It¡¯s not as if I was making decisions based on their approval anymore, and Griff did deserve some form of recompense for all of his time and effort. I doubted he was earning a wage like the rest of the veterans.


    I looked the ill-kept man up and down critically. ¡°What do you have to wear?¡±


    ¡°You saying these fine linens won¡¯t suffice?¡± he said, plucking at his stained, dirt-caked shirt.


    I was saved from needing to answer that prickly question by a line of workers entering the Hall, each carrying a small wooden box, which they brought to the seller area and began to stack. They worked efficiently, but there was no escaping the noise that a group like that made or how distracting their procession was.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this racket?¡± the one armed veteran barked.


    ¡°Group of monks on pilgrimage to Pirtash Peak,¡± one of the receiving sellers answered. He moved about with a harried air, cracking the top box open with a small pry bar. ¡°Had a slew of Air cards with them, and General Edaine bought the whole lot.¡±


    It was like a string was connected to the top of my head, yanking it to attention. New Air cards?


    Griff looked to say one thing but then gave a chuckle and waved me away. ¡°Go on, lad. Stephi and I will be right behind you.¡±


    With as much restraint as I could muster, I made my way over the stall along with a few other curious campmates, Esmi and A¡¯cia among them. I was so focused on reaching the cards, I almost bumped into Gale¡¯s feather-edged cloak before realizing he had appeared along with the last few delivery folk.


    ¡°It appears I returned at a fortuitous time,¡± he said to me by way of address.


    I hadn¡¯t spoken to him since his reappearance, and I didn¡¯t know what to say now either.


    He stepped back, arm swinging wide to beckon us all onward. ¡°It¡¯s appropriate that the new generation of lieutenants should receive first pick.¡± He then flashed me one of his infuriating smiles. ¡°Choose wisely.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like the implication that I needed special treatment to compete with him or that he could get by without, but I also didn¡¯t want to let someone else snatch a card before I saw them, so I took the invitation, marching past Gale. The shopkeep was still in the process of unboxing and organizing the cards, so they weren¡¯t grouped yet by type or rarity, but that in no way dissuaded us from looking over what he had already propped up in the display.


    Each new group he set up we poured over with fierce curiosity, whispering or exclaiming about especially powerful or unexpected cards, many of which I had read about but never seen.


    My mind spun, working through one possible combination after the next. So many felt like they interacted well with my deck, but after trading Qi¡¯shen for cards this morning, I only had seventeen merits left, an amount that felt woefully inadequate with the number of choices available. I was about to ask the Twins for guidance when Esmi caught my eye and winked from her position beside me, and a look over my shoulder showed me Griff looming right behind.


    The tightness in my body eased, replaced by a sense of calm assurance and burgeoning giddiness to get to deckbuild together. Fate and Fortune, it seemed, had already provided me with all the help I might require.

 B2: 30. Hull - Skills and Souls

    I gathered up my cards and slid them back into my Mind Home as everyone swarmed the new Air cards like flies to dung. I took my time; while it¡¯d be nice to see what cards were there just so I¡¯d know what new nonsense others might be wielding in our fights, Air cards were of no use to me personally. The entire morning had been of very little use, in fact, since Badgou had never bothered to show up. Apparently she felt that trading me a couple of Common demons completed the terms of her advisory role. As others worked with their mentors I had played duel after duel at the table by myself, drawing fresh hands each time, swapping in a varying number of my new For the Greater Good Spells to see if it was worthwhile to run a copy even when not fighting Gerad, simulating a variety of enemy decks in my mind with each new try. I¡¯d been massively annoyed at Badgou when I began, but the exercise was almost like meditation, and by the time the monk cards arrived, I was feeling calm and focused once again.


    Basil was right up front with Esmi at his side, the two of them deep in consultation over some card or other that I couldn¡¯t see. Honestly, I¡¯d had a hard time keeping up with the deckcrafting conversations between my two friends ever since he¡¯d thrown Life into the mix. He obviously had some good ideas, and I could see them in action when we fought together, but for some reason adding in that third source just bent my mind a little too far when it came to the theory of it all. For me, dueling was simple: hit hard, hit fast, and find ways to do both of those things better. Even the addition of my single Order source, welcome as it was, occasionally annoyed me with the complexity it brought to planning out elevations and deck changes. Basil had told me I needed to get over my petty resistance, and I knew he was right, but it turned out that knowing it and doing it were two different things.


    I gave the table full of cards a halfhearted once-over from behind the wall of interested students. The Monk Souls were quite powerful ¨C I¡¯d have to ask Basil about the Incapacitate ability; I¡¯d never seen that one before ¨C and I could imagine the Retreat Spell really spiking my wheel during a match. The Wind Blade was quite good, though I still preferred my Hammer.


    I was surprised to see all of the dwarf students crowded close ¨C I didn¡¯t think a single one of them cultivated Air ¨C as well as E¡¯lal and Ky¡¯reen. Maybe they were doing the same as me and scouting out opponent cards; then again, Pirtash Peak was just an afternoon¡¯s hike away. Any of them could have gotten permission to make regular visits and cultivate Air. Somebody could even be sneaking out at night like I was. There was no reason to think my secret drainage gate was the only stealthy way out. I looked over at Harganut and imagined each of us waiting for the other to pretend to be asleep or make some excuse to leave the hut while thinking the other had no idea. I snorted and shook my head. Harganut was the world¡¯s bluntest object. Trying to imagine him pulling one over on me was like imagining the beef on my Mess Hall plate leaping up and taking a bite out of me.


    Wandering away from the table, I left the advisors¡¯ hall to bask in the afternoon sunlight. Ever since my Order source had appeared I¡¯d found myself noticing and appreciating the regular march of the sun across the sky and the gradual shortening of days as we moved into autumn. It was a strange feeling; I hadn¡¯t even paid attention to such things when I¡¯d been living outside on the streets not that many months ago, when it would have mattered more. I sometimes found myself looking back on the memories of those times as if I could see into the mind of a feral cat. How had I survived all that time? How had I not lost my mind? Maybe you did. Normal people don¡¯t burn down card shops to steal a single card.


    I reached up and flicked my own ear to snap myself out of my thoughts. As weird as it was to look back on myself, it was far stranger to catch myself being contemplative and philosophical in the now. That old me would have pissed on my good boots and called me a prissy little noble-boy shithead, and I still had enough of the gutter kid in me to feel a healthy disgust at my own pointless, circular thinking.


    Another crowd had gathered in the open square in front of the teachers¡¯ central tower. It looked to be the group of monks on their pilgrimage I¡¯d heard everyone at the tables muttering about. They wore loose, flowing robes in bright colors, and every single one had their head shaved, male and female. The paladins were gathered in conversation with them, all seated and focused on someone in the middle I couldn¡¯t see. Afi was there too, and Edaine watched over the whole mess like a mother hen. After a moment the monks standing around the edges of the group shifted, revealing Gerad lurking on the outskirts as well.


    I stiffened and fought the urge to head the other direction. Yes, he beat you. Don¡¯t avoid it; accept it. If you flinch every time you see him it¡¯ll only encourage him and bring the next attack faster. You¡¯re not ready for that, so walk tall, look confident, and at least he won¡¯t have that much more excuse to pounce. If he was listening to these monks, then maybe I needed to hear what was being said as well. I filtered in, keeping my distance from Gerad.


    A powerful-looking man sat in the center of the group in dusky blue robes that left one shoulder and most of his muscular chest exposed. He had the dark skin most commonly seen in Dalrish, with white tattoos making complicated curlicues that spread across his chest and up his neck to the back of his bare scalp. He wore a wiry beard that only covered his chin, and the hair was stark white despite the fact that going by his face he couldn¡¯t be more than thirty-five. His voice was quiet but arresting as he spoke, demanding attention.


    ¡°The Sun King is wise to cultivate your talents. I could wish every one of the cities of humanity would develop programs such as this War Camp of yours; the world outside is hostile to any thinking creature that does not prepare to the utmost and plan for elevation. But tell me, what are you preparing for?¡±


    ¡°Expansion,¡± Patyr said.


    ¡°Domination,¡± Gerad murmured, his eyes flicking over to me.


    The seated monk cocked his head ever so slightly. ¡°It is wise to speak your thoughts in your own head first so you may hear them before anyone else. A good question is best followed by a long silence¡­ and this was a good question.¡±


    That shut everyone up. Gerad looked annoyed. The others likely didn¡¯t dare speak up for fear of looking stupid. Or perhaps they were doing what the monk suggested and hearing their own thoughts for a moment. What other answers are there? We are preparing for those things. Am I preparing for something? To fight Gerad again, when I can. To fight our father somehow, someday. How often do I think about that? Not enough, most likely. There¡¯s always some problem with Basil, or in the Lows, or with my advisor. Life is distracting.


    Into the silence, the monk whispered, ¡°This is the sound of wisdom.¡±


    The silence deepened and lengthened, and eventually I started to twitch. What was the point of a conversation in which no one spoke? Sure, maybe I needed to spend more time attending to my own thoughts, but what good was it to ask a question and then tell everyone not to answer? What did any of us learn standing their with our thumbs up our asses, too scared to open our mouths and look stupid?


    ¡°So we don¡¯t plan enough; that¡¯s what you¡¯re telling us,¡± I said, breaking the reverie.


    The others all looked at me in offended shock, even some of the younger monks, but the speaker in the center, obviously a leader of some sort, merely inclined his head a fraction with a hint of a smile. ¡°I am. And what could I, a stranger, know of your preparations?¡±


    Nothing was the word that sprang immediately to my lips, but that felt like a trap, so I held it in. Seconds ticked past as I sorted through the different things he might mean. Still no one else seemed to have to balls to speak up, so I went for it. ¡°It¡¯s got to be some kind of planning that everyone needs to do and no one does.¡±


    ¡°What,¡± said the monk, raising one finger to the sky, ¡°is imprinted on your soul?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think he was asking me specifically, but I thought about it. It felt very odd to have this group of people all gathered around spending the majority of our time in silence, thinking furiously. What is imprinted on my soul? My experiences. My self, I suppose, if there is such a thing. Things that are lasting; things that matter. How I feel about my friends? Why would he be talking about any of these things?


    ¡°Our cards,¡± Afi said firmly.


    I¡¯m an idiot. Of course he¡¯s talking about our cards. I turned my eyes inward and looked again at my card. I always did so in the floaty, delirious moments before sleep, but I didn¡¯t often inspect it during my waking hours.


    It made me glad to see myself standing in the Lows. No matter what else happened to me, that neighborhood was imprinted on my soul. And the fact that I was named Protector warmed me. I thought of Roshum, of Bryll, of Naydarin and my other urchins. This was what the monk was talking about. And there was that ability, Intervene. I¡¯d played with using it to step in front of my Souls I didn¡¯t want to die during my last few matches and had been surprised at how useful it was. Not only could I keep my Marauders on the field when someone tried to off them, but I could also force a quicker power-up on my Talisman if I had it equipped, or absorb the damage with my Ghastly Gremlins or Ravening Hatchlings. What made the Twins decide to give me that?


    I opened my eyes as realization dawned on me. ¡°Planning for abilities. That¡¯s what you¡¯re after.¡±


    Edaine nodded and mimed applause at me. Several of the paladins looked surprised, and Gerad¡¯s face was unreadable. The monk inclined his head a little deeper this time. ¡°You all saw the Defensive Kata Spell your general purchased from us, yes?¡±


    I frowned and cast my mind back on the Air cards I¡¯d glanced at inside. I had seen that one, now that I thought about it.


    ¡°That Spell was one I kept in my Mind Home for many decades,¡± he said.


    I frowned. Many decades? How old is this guy?


    ¡°Despite the Spell being central to my fighting style, I can now pass it on to someone else. You see, I found I liked the effect of the Spell so much in my early days that I wished to be able to reproduce it at all times, even without source available. I began spending my training time trying to slip past punches and deflect kicks. At first I was no better at it than anyone, but with time, with effort, and above all with consistent planning, I improved. I wore a groove in the threads of eternity in the shape of the Defensive Kata, and when next I elevated, I found that I had a new soul ability that perfectly corresponded to it. I convinced the Twins of my intent through repetition and persistence.¡±


    Gerad spoke, looking thoughtful. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we can control the abilities we develop on our soul cards?¡±


    ¡°I am saying exactly that,¡± the monk intoned. ¡°Nearly everyone goes through life hoping to elevate themselves and accepting that the Twins will reveal whatever ability is best for them. Many even have to retool their entire decks after an elevation goes in an unexpected direction, giving them extra health, or Strong, or some other thing. Do not misunderstand me: to elevate one¡¯s soul is good; many argue it is the reason we exist. But to shape that elevation intentionally, with planning, foresight, and force of will, is very nearly divine.¡±


    My mind chewed on his words. Intervene was nice, and I was glad to have it, but was it what I would have chosen for myself? I knew immediately that the answer was no. I¡¯d have chosen to have Attack power on my soul. I wanted to be able to deal Fated damage even with my bare fists. Beyond that, to have Overkill. I wanted to have a Hateful Hammer that was me, that no Rust or Melt Spell could strip away. And he¡¯s saying we can do that?


    ¡°How?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The wisest question of all,¡± he replied. ¡°Consider the behavior of the Spell or ability that most speaks to you, that is central to your style of combat. What are its components? What are the actions, the thoughts, the movements, the outcomes associated with that thing? Determine them, and practice them until they occur spontaneously. You should dream of them. In time, they will become engraven on your soul.¡±


    The paladin trainee Anya spoke up. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we let the Twins determine our soul cards? They¡¯re the ones who make them.¡±


    The monk closed his eyes and breathed deeply for several long moments before responding. ¡°To the best of my knowledge, the gods have never made their wills known on this subject. If they wished me to not become known as The Untouchable, I would not have been able to do so. Yet here I sit, and there you sit, and the world exists in the shape it is. Allowing the gods to work in our lives does not eliminate our own ability to plan. Plan your skills, children. You will most certainly need them.¡±


    The conversation continued, but I wandered away, my thoughts full and needing to be digested. Who do I want to be? What can my soul look like at Uncommon? Rare? Epic? I saw Grand Marshal Jorin galloping though the front gates on an unremarkable horse and blinked. What¡¯s he come back for? Why isn¡¯t he on his griffon? He leapt down and started barking orders at underlings who were trying very hard to look busy all of a sudden.


    I shook my head. And just that easily I¡¯ve gotten distracted. The tattooed monk man was right about one thing: I needed silence to consider anything deeply. I went to my hut and lay in my crystalline bed. Experimentally I jabbed my closed fist at the jagged crystal hanging overhead, feeling the dull ache of impact in my bones. Planning. If I was going to survive to face Gerad ¨C and someday, our father ¨C I needed to plan it all out.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ***


    The road into Treledyne was dark and quiet in the wee hours of the morning. Previously I¡¯d enjoyed the peacefulness of my nighttime walks into town, but ever since losing to Gerad I¡¯d felt too nervous to make the trip solo. As soon as I was clear of the fortification and far enough away that my summons wouldn¡¯t be seen, I always brought out a Soul or two to watch my back. At first I¡¯d gone whole-hog, putting on my Plate, the Talisman, and both Marauders, but as the days passed without getting jumped by Kitsanya on the road, such overblown protection started to feel a little silly. The night before I¡¯d only brought out my Root Imp. Tonight I screwed up my courage and summoned the Night Terror for the first time since my loss.


    I swallowed an irrational giggle. The demon that had towered four stories high now only came up to my chest. The bat-like wings that had whipped up duststorms now looked almost comical.


    ¡°Guess I won¡¯t be riding on your shoulder anymore,¡± I said.


    The demon swelled in fury, red eyes blazing, and then deflated. ¡°Please do not.¡± The voice that had rumbled through my body was now a high tenor. ¡°The Marauder twins already mock me mercilessly now that I am lesser.¡±


    I pressed my lips together to quash an embarrassed smile. ¡°They do? Like, when you¡¯re all sitting in the Mind Home together?¡±


    It flapped an irritable claw at me. ¡°I will not speak of the Mind Home to a living soul. But it is in the nature of our kind to assert dominance. I did so before, and now they return the favor with interest. Did you have to lose that match?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to,¡± I muttered, kicking a rock in the path. ¡°Gerad¡¯s got a hell of a deck, and my draws were shit. Fortune played me ¨C nothing I could do.¡±


    It peered at me intently as we walked. ¡°I have seen that several of your Relics have been elevated. You must have more shards. Tell me you have more shards.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but I will.¡±


    ¡°When?¡± it demanded, little fists clenched.


    ¡°A few weeks,¡± I told him. ¡°We just started the soak a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Why was I not the first one to be elevated?¡± It sounded almost whiny. ¡°It is your fault I am diminished. You must restore me to my former glory!¡±


    This was why I¡¯d been avoiding summoning the Night Terror. ¡°Look, you being Epic didn¡¯t win me that fight. Would you rather hold at Rare for a time while I build up my deck or let me die and hope whoever takes you feels like upgrading a shit-tier gold?¡±


    It snapped its wings. ¡°Shit-tier¡­! I¡¯ve killed for lesser offenses.¡±


    ¡°Well, get in line,¡± I growled. ¡°Gerad could come at me any time, and I have to play smart. My best cards get elevated first.¡± I rubbed my knuckles with my left hand. They still tingled funny. I¡¯d spent all afternoon punching the crystal hanging over my bunk. After a while I¡¯d done enough damage to shed a card, and I kept going until I¡¯d cycled through my entire deck. It had taken more than an hour and left my arms and shoulders sore. My knuckles, oddly enough, were uncut and unbruised ¨C the cards had taken all the damage. Still, there was an itchy, buzzing feeling in my hand like my body was telling me it ought to hurt.


    ¡°The next round of shards, then.¡± It peered at me with red eyes, looking anxious. ¡°I am of great value. I know more about your mother! I won¡¯t crack my lips until I reach Epic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think on it,¡± I hedged. Truth was, I needed all the Epic shards I could get to raise my current Epics to Mythic ¨C especially if I was going to share a few with Basil ¨C and no matter what it cost me in regards to my mother, those elevations had to come first. It was a matter of survival. Besides, it was only Rare now; it likely had far fewer memories of my mother than it had previously possessed. It was likely bluffing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll think on it,¡± the Night Terror sneered. ¡°Thinking is human. Be your demon self and act. Do the thing that your heart screams to do.¡±


    If this little bastard thought my heart was screaming to elevate him again, it didn¡¯t know me very well. I suddenly wished I¡¯d brought out one of my mute Commons instead. ¡°Good chat,¡± I told him. ¡°Back in you go.¡±


    ¡°No, wait!¡± the demon pleaded, but it was already misting away, settling back into my Mind Home. Seeing the formerly mighty being plead like that was depressing. The city walls were only an arrow¡¯s flight away. I¡¯d be fine on my own that far.


    Bryll was waiting for me in the shadow of the city gates. ¡°Roshum¡¯s mad you left the soak tray at his shop,¡± she reported by way of greeting. ¡°He says it¡¯s not safe, and you need to get your illegal shit out of his shop.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°He didn¡¯t say it that way.¡±


    She shrugged nonchalantly and fell in beside me as we walked. ¡°Close enough.¡±


    I scratched my head. The bigger soak tray wouldn¡¯t fit in the hollowed-out space under the floorboards I¡¯d created. I could enlarge it, but I felt increasingly nervous having all my eggs in that one, well-known basket. Gerad almost certainly had someone tailing me ¨C or if not, he would soon. Roshum had seemed fine with leaving the soak tray in his shop at first when we¡¯d started the breakdown process on the two remaining Chaos Epics, but apparently I wasn¡¯t the only one with twitchy nerves. I couldn¡¯t very well blame him; it wasn¡¯t as if Hestorus¡¯s cronies would go any easier on him because he was working for me. ¡°Have you got any good hidey-holes?¡±


    The blonde girl gave me a disgusted look. ¡°Am I an idiot?¡± she asked.


    I snorted. ¡°Got one that will fit the soak tray? I¡¯m starting to get the itch about Ticosi¡¯s place.¡±


    She nodded sagely. ¡°I have a lockbox under the upper roof eaves of Capano¡¯s tavern.¡±


    I frowned at her. ¡°There¡¯s a lockbox up there? I used to hang around that place all the time.¡±


    ¡°Shoulda looked up more often, then,¡± she said archly. ¡°I¡¯ve been using it for months. It¡¯s safe as houses. Never had anybody so much as jiggle the lock on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± I said. ¡°Sounds good. Grab the tray when we¡¯re done tonight and put it in there, would you?¡±


    ¡°Do it yourself,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°I would, but I¡¯ve got other business tonight,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going by Roshum¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Other business?¡± she hooted. ¡°You take over another neighborhood when I wasn¡¯t watching?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Yeah, right. Maybe if I conquer Hillside they¡¯ll stop calling me Little Big Man.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath,¡± she advised me.


    I grinned broadly. I could relax and be myself with little Bryll in a way I simply couldn¡¯t with Basil and Esmi. She spoke the language of the street rat, and that would always be my mother tongue. She and her crew of orphans were quickly filling the power gap left in the Lows by the absence of Harker and the others, and every time I came by some new resident or shop owner was stopping by Roshum¡¯s to tell me how one of my urchins had stopped a thief or scared off a stranger that was intimidating people in the streets. It turned out that I didn¡¯t need to hire new leadership for the neighborhood ¨C I was raising it from the cradle. Between them and the handful of adults they and Roshum had vetted for me, I¡¯d handed out nearly a third of the cards I¡¯d confiscated from the old enforcers. I wished to Fate anyone had known where Ticosi stashed all the non-combat cards he¡¯d extorted out of people over the last two decades; most of these shopowners and housewives needed helping hands, not heavy hitters.


    ¡°Where we going, then?¡± the little blonde sprite asked me.


    ¡°Dockside,¡± I told her. ¡°Got an old friend to check in with. Come if you¡¯d like.¡±


    She stayed by my side, so off we went through the empty quarter, the elemental street lamps burning low and blue on widely-spaced corners. She briefed me on her crew ¨C Naydarin said he was on the brink of a fourth Fire source, though I¡¯d have never known it; I had yet to hear the boy speak. Bryll insisted he was a chatty little twerp, but for all I knew he¡¯d had his tongue cut out. Borkus thought his Guard card would be better if it were elevated to Uncommon, of course, but Bryll wasn¡¯t sure it was needed. More importantly, Borkus wanted me to meet his little sister to see if she could join the crew. Bryll thought she might have potential, so I said I¡¯d give her a look next time I was at the shop.


    Bryll stopped stone cold when she saw we were entering a Church of the Twins. ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± she said flatly. Every inch of her screamed suspicion.


    ¡°My friend¡¯s a Tender,¡± I said. ¡°Runs this chapel.¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°Tenders are boring, and they smell bad.¡±


    ¡°You smell bad,¡± I challenged.


    ¡°He¡¯ll just tell me to leave,¡± she said. ¡°They all do.¡±


    ¡°This one won¡¯t,¡± I told her. ¡°Penkmun is solid. I slept in this church for weeks and he was nothing but kind. He was one of the first to help me back when I was a dirty gutter boy, and I trust him. I thought it might be good for you to talk to him about your soul card. He¡¯s good with elevations. Your choice, though ¨C you don¡¯t have to come in.¡±


    She rolled her shoulders and squared her back. ¡°I¡¯m good. If turns up his nose, I¡¯ll break his kneecaps.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± I said, clapping her on the shoulder. ¡°Come on.¡±


    We had to knock for a while before Penkmun opened the door ¨C the old fellow didn¡¯t keep the odd hours us street folk did. When he finally cracked the door open, his bleary eyes fell on me and a huge smile broke across his face. ¡°Hull! Come in, come in, my lad. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever see you again.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t get rid of me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m like a bent clip. I keep showing up no matter how many times you try to spend me.¡±


    The old man shuffled into his chapel, pulling his nightrobe close about himself. Bryll followed us warily. He stopped to light a candle and ushered us to a set of chairs behind the altar, motioning for us to sit. ¡°I¡¯ve heard tell of the doings in the War Camp. Folks remember their favorites from the Tournament each year, and there are plenty here Dockside and elsewhere still buzzing about the poor boy from the Lows who''s rubbing elbows with the noble folk.¡±


    ¡°Rubbing elbows and trading blows,¡± I said ruefully, rubbing at the spot on my chest where Gerad¡¯s Paladin had stuck me with his sword. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly the cream of the crop in our group.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Penkmun allowed, ¡°but I¡¯ve also heard mutters of a young warlord cleaning up the Lows. You wouldn¡¯t know anything of that, would you?¡±


    ¡°Warlord,¡± Bryll snorted. ¡°War-lordling, maybe.¡±


    ¡°This is Bryll,¡± I told Penkmun. ¡°If anybody¡¯s a war-lordling, it¡¯s her. She helps patrol the streets for me and keep the peace.¡±


    The girl looked Penkmun right in the eye and gave him a firm nod.


    Penkmun¡¯s lip trembled a little, and I was astonished to see his eyes looking misty. ¡°When I look at young folk like you two, given nothing but scraps and turning them into new peace for a hopeless neighborhood, I think I glimpse a bit of the Twins¡¯ plan for us,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a marvelous thing.¡±


    I shrugged self-consciously. ¡°I was given a lot, it turns out. Getting cards I shouldn¡¯t have. Lucky breaks that might as well be Fortune himself putting a finger on the scale. Some daft old man helped me elevate my first card, if I recall. By the way,¡± I said, fishing a card out from behind my ear, ¡°you should see it now.¡±


    ¡°Oh my,¡± he said, cradling the card. ¡°It¡¯s magnificent, Hull. We Tenders spend a good amount of our time wondering if we¡¯re doing anything for the world, but this¡­ oh, bless you, boy. You do an old man¡¯s heart good.¡±


    Bryll watched him like a hawk as he handed the card back to me. ¡°Can you help me elevate my soul?¡± she blurted.


    Penkmun¡¯s craggy eyebrows went up in surprise. ¡°Elevate? You have a soul card already?¡± He lifted his candle and peered closer. ¡°Twins save me, you¡¯re Rare. How on earth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got two street kids with soul cards formed,¡± I told him, ¡°and I bet I¡¯ll find more before the year is out. Ticosi might have kept everyone¡¯s decks bare, but I don¡¯t think he had any way to get to personal soul cards.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he murmured. ¡°My child, I know it¡¯s terribly uncouth, seeing as we were only just introduced, but would you consider letting me see your card? If you want to discuss elevation, a Tender needs to see what he¡¯s working with.¡±


    Bryll gave me a hesitant look, but I just spread my hands. I wasn¡¯t going to tell her what to do on this. I¡¯d hoped she¡¯d see the value in consulting a Tender, but it had to be her decision. ¡°You do anything funny and I¡¯ll break your face,¡± she warned him.


    ¡°I would expect no less from a friend of Hull¡¯s,¡± he responded gravely. ¡°You have my word that my intentions are pure.¡±


    Bryll nodded brusquely. ¡°What do I do?¡±


    Penkmun lit several more candles and brought out the reclined chair with a headrest he¡¯d used to do extended viewings on me back when I¡¯d first told him my story. ¡°Just lay your head back and let your heart be open.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Bryll asked, climbing into the chair.


    ¡°It can feel uncomfortable having someone stare into your eyes,¡± Penkmun said, unflappable. ¡°The reflex is to withdraw emotionally and hide yourself. That is natural, but you must resist it. Sharing your soul card is an act of trust.¡±


    The towheaded girl took a deep breath and settled back into the chair. As Penkmun bowed over her head, her hand shot out and grabbed mine. ¡°You look too.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°If I¡¯m letting him see, I might as well show you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the Big Man. You should know what your people can do.¡±


    Feeling strangely touched, I leaned over, my head right next to Penkmun¡¯s. ¡°Find the lines in the iris that lead into the flecks and follow them to the deepest channel,¡± the Tender murmured. ¡°The card will blossom out. Be gentle. She will feel the weight of us both.¡±


    Hesitantly, I gazed into Bryll¡¯s left eye. She looked back, small, vulnerable, and brave. I focused on the brown of her eye, quickly finding the striations in the iris where the color folded in on itself. One of those lines led to a golden fleck, swirling around it as if pulled by a whirlpool. As I looked into the fleck, it seemed to expand and deepen. It felt as if I were diving into the deep of the bay beyond the docks, and out of that amber maelstrom rose a card, perfect and unblemished.


    ¡°Hell of a card, kid,¡± I whispered. The image spoke to me somehow, almost as if something about it were familiar. Like mine. ¡°We gotta get you into the Tournament next year.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Penkmun said. ¡°Who are your parents, to have gifted you with such a card? You were born at Rare, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Bryll said, lying still as we continued to gaze. ¡°Dunno who my parents were. Spent my baby years in an orphanage.¡±


    ¡°Several orphanages, if I am not mistaken,¡± Penkmun murmured. ¡°And a variety of places after that. Most of which you had to escape, yes?¡±


    Bryll¡¯s brow creased. ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡±


    ¡°Your ability, dear child. Our experiences leave traces on us. No child would have an ability like this, being able to pop from one place to another, unless it were vitally important for her to be able to escape repeatedly from a very early age. Tell me: the first time you used your ability, it was to get away from one of these homes, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Bryll said, sitting up and breaking the connection. ¡°Can you read my mind, old man?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said sadly. ¡°I simply have a lifetime of experience knowing how humans hurt each other and the things that develop therefrom.¡±


    I leaned back, thinking. ¡°You know, I heard a similar thing earlier today from a traveling monk passing through War Camp. He said we can train the abilities we want to show up on our soul cards at our next elevation.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong, although that¡¯s putting the cart before the horse, if you ask me,¡± Penkmun said. ¡°It¡¯s the elevation that matters, not the soul ability.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Focusing on abilities is like learning how to shoe a horse because you want to be a great knight,¡± he responded. ¡°It¡¯s good, it¡¯s necessary, and it¡¯s a small part of the whole; but if that¡¯s all you focus on, you¡¯ll ride like a sack of potatoes and not know how to swing a sword. What good will your elevation be if you get the skill you desire yet know nothing more about yourself or the Souls you house? That¡¯s a very poor upgrade indeed.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s trim away the bullshit and tell me what do I need to do to get to Epic,¡± Bryll said.


    Penkmun slapped his belly and laughed. ¡°Well put, dear. Yes. You won¡¯t go straight to Epic, you know. You have at least one and most likely two elevations within Rare to experience first.¡±


    ¡°Horeshit,¡± the girl grumbled.


    ¡°You must take that up with the Twins, not with me, young lady. As to the how: you have been helping Hull police the Lows, you say. A noble thing. What is the hardest part? The thing that most worries you?¡±


    ¡°The grown-ups that think I¡¯m a useless kid and won¡¯t listen to me,¡± Bryll said immediately.


    ¡°And that is difficult because¡­?¡± the old man prompted.


    ¡°Because if they don¡¯t trust me to help, they won¡¯t tell me when bad shit happens, and then what¡¯s the point?¡± The girl sounded angry.


    ¡°And that is difficult because you fear that you are useless,¡± Penkmun offered.


    Bryll sat there, dumbstruck, and tears sprang to her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not useless.¡±


    ¡°You are not,¡± he affirmed, patting her hand. ¡°But a part of you fears it ¨C the part that had to learn to run away, that has lived on the streets all this time.¡±


    She nodded mutely.


    ¡°Speak to that fear. Get to know it. Discover what action is the most threatening to it, most terrifying. Then do that.¡±


    I huffed a laugh. ¡°That sounds awful.¡±


    ¡°Elevation doesn¡¯t come easy,¡± he said, raising his hands in a helpless gesture. ¡°It takes everything a person has, even for a remarkable young woman like this one.¡±


    I leaned forward, taking the old man¡¯s hand. ¡°This is why I came tonight, Penkmun. I didn¡¯t know Bryll would be with me, but this is exactly it. I¡¯ve been handing out the cards Ticosi gave to his enforcers, and I¡¯m going to keep doing it. The Lows is full of people like her, and they need a Tender. There¡¯s an empty lot on Hook Street near where it crosses Sinner¡¯s Row; a house burned down and nobody ever rebuilt. I want to build a chapel there. Will you be the Tender for the Lows?¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyebrows would have climbed into his hairline if he had one. ¡°A chapel in the Lows? I¡¯ve never dreamed of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°No one has. There haven¡¯t been dreams there in a long time, but we¡¯re gonna change that.¡± I stood and dragged him to his feet by the hand. ¡°I¡¯m making the Lows a real part of the city, not a slum. I want you to help me. Say yes.¡±


    He stuttered and gabbled for a moment before he could formulate a response. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get permission from the High Tender, but we have been friends for many years. He will give it. I¡¯ll need to find someone to take over for me here.¡±


    ¡°Is that a yes?¡± I demanded.


    He patted my hands. ¡°That¡¯s a yes. A whole-hearted one.¡±


    I pointed to the chair. ¡°Then let me lay back and you can give me a look, too. I want to show you that new soul card nobody thought I could make.¡± I pointed at Bryll and gave her a nod while I spoke. I wanted her to see it, too.


    He laughed and clapped his hands. ¡°Oh, dear boy. I thought you¡¯d never ask.¡±

 B2: 31. Basil - What Is Within

    A knock sounded on my door.


    I was sitting cross-legged, looking up at the small tree that lived in the middle of my War Camp room. This was how I spent near every morning, noting the subtle changes the plant was undergoing: its branches gradually lengthening, leaves expanding in size, and over the last week, the budding of beautiful white flowers. They had started out as little more than green nubs, but the tips of the petals eventually pushed through, swelling the bulb before finally blooming, each day cautiously opening more to the world.


    Seeing the tree¡¯s daily changes was much more rewarding than I had expected, and interestingly, didn¡¯t follow the inevitable march of Order. Instead, the plant grew in fits and starts, sometimes doing seemingly nothing from one day to the next, and at other times developing so much it made me question whether or not I had actually spent time with it the day prior. The longer the process went on, the more I wondered if watching a son or daughter mature would present a similar experience.


    The knock came again, a hollow rap on the metal door. ¡°Enter,¡± I called. I liked to trace all the lines of the tree with my eyes during these cultivation sessions, viewing it from four different angles just as the flowers had four petals. But today, due to the interruption, I cut things short by simply flicking my gaze over its eighteen blossoms.


    Esmi entered on soft-soled feet, which immediately brightened my mood. She was only a few steps into the room before I was up on tingling legs, wrapping her in a tight hug.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said into her curled hair. She smelled of citrus, and sweat, and everything I wished to have close.


    ¡°The same to you,¡± she replied, her body heat warming as we stayed embraced. Then she gently pulled back, looking at me with her gold-flecked eyes. ¡°Today is the day.¡±


    ¡°So it is,¡± I replied, and then a ¡°hmm¡± escaped me.


    Esmi tilted her head to the side, though nowhere near as much as an elf would. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    I took a moment, trying to determine how best to put what I was feeling into words. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking so much about my duel with Gale, worrying over it, obsessing, really. Just last night I was up well past dark, mentally going through my deck choices again and again while lying in bed. I finally had to light a candle and work through a few openings before I could quiet my mind enough to rest.¡± Normally, I would have been worried about waking E¡¯lal with such nocturnal behavior, but he had spent the night with the other elves again. ¡°I expected today to be even worse, the height of my anxiety, especially when someone chanced to mention it.¡±


    Esmi winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to remind you if you were trying to put the match out of thought.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Leaning close, I pecked her on the cheek to prove I was still in good cheer. ¡°That¡¯s just the thing. I don¡¯t feel nearly as on edge as I expected. There is an undercurrent within me, yes.¡± My hand moved to my stomach, as if I could touch the muted jitteriness roiling around there, ¡°but I¡¯ve been much worse prior to this,¡± I admitted with a laugh. ¡°Mostly, I feel¡­ prepared.¡± The word was not what I thought I would say, but hearing it aloud, I knew it to be true. I was eager to see this duel done, to end the waiting, and deal with the consequences.


    Esmi nodded with an air of someone who understood. ¡°I used to be terrified of dueling.¡±


    ¡°You?¡± I said, barely holding back my disbelief. ¡°Surely not.¡±


    ¡°Well, perhaps not terrified,¡± she said with that little smile of hers I found to be thoroughly fetching. ¡°But I¡¯d get so nervous and excited at the same time, I¡¯d feel like I was going to be ill, and a few times I was.¡± She put her warm hand on my belly, the heat easing the tension I had there. ¡°But the more I dueled, the less I felt the nerves and the more all that remained was the thrill. One of my teachers in Charbond, Kardis, said this was the body¡¯s way of burning away unnecessary emotions. Perhaps you¡¯ve done the same without realizing?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± I said and then smiled. ¡°Or perhaps I¡¯ll sick up once I¡¯m standing across from Gale. If it worked for the mighty Esmi Fireheart, surely it is good enough for me.¡±


    She gave me a joking, put upon look, and then took me by the hand. ¡°Come along. I have plans for us this morning.¡±


    I followed after, but with reserved enthusiasm. ¡°So you know, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to break my fast today if you were planning to have us eat. Not unless we really do want me to taste the meal twice, as Hull would say.¡±


    She looked over her shoulder at me with a self-satisfied grin. ¡°I figured as much.¡±


    Outside it was early morning, the sun¡¯s rays from the east only just making it over the fortification¡¯s walls. Yet, the two of us were hardly the only ones up and about, workers heading to and fro, always looking that there was too much to do in too little time. I also saw two Deepkin stomping their way to the Mess Hall ¨C from what I had observed, the dwarves liked to make their meals last as long as possible, always asking the cooks to give them extra helpings or second rounds without offering to pay additional merits. Their plan was one of attrition, and by the time dinner rolled around, some of the staff did end up caving to their oft repeated demands.


    A rumbling hiss announced the presence of Balax, one of Esmi¡¯s new favorite Souls; it seemed that while I had been sightseeing, she had been summoning. Turning toward the sound, I was once again reminded of just how big Balax was. The creature¡¯s shoulders came up to my chest, and where fur would be on a regular large cat, scales abounded, a mixture of reds, oranges, grays, and blacks ¨C the colors of flame and ash. Such animals were called orixes, and while they were normally solitary beasts, as a card, this one was already fiercely loyal to Esmi.


    It was not the dragon that Esmi had first claimed she wanted as a Mount, nor a hatchling she could raise from infancy, but the two seemed perfectly happy with the arrangement. Balax rubbed his great head against her chest, purring louder as she scratched behind his ears. Yet, all the while he watched me behind slitted eyes.


    Keeping the beast close, Esmi retrieved a long saddle that was propped against the outer wall of my domicile and heaved it up onto the animal¡¯s back. Balax let out a suffering sigh as she connected the straps, but he did not resist her efforts.


    ¡°Where did you procure that?¡± I asked. Esmi normally rode the beast bare-back, saying his scales were more supple than stiff, like a snake¡¯s. This saddle, however, appeared as if it was made for two.


    She threw me a smile. ¡°From the fortification¡¯s stable. The hands there were happy to part with it for the day at the cost of merit.¡±


    ¡°So much?¡± I said, eyebrows raising. Only last year, I had spent months scraping together the coin or cards needed to trade for a single Uncommon.


    ¡°Well worth the cost. This,¡± she said, pulling a strap tight, ¡°is important.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t let her pay and do all the labor; I was being a terrible gentleman. ¡°Do you require any help?¡±


    ¡°Already finished,¡± she happily declared. Esmi then made the short trip to the other side of my door, scooping up a wicker basket that had been sitting there I hadn¡¯t even noticed.


    ¡°You really did make plans,¡± I observed, wondering what was in the basket. She had acted like we wouldn¡¯t be eating, but what else would such a container hold?


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± she said, vaulting up onto the creature''s back and offering me a hand to follow.


    ¡°He is not very fond of me yet,¡± I said, hesitating. The orix¡¯s attention was fully on me now, eyelids blinking inward from the sides like a lizard¡¯s.


    ¡°And he will continue to behave so until you spend more time together.¡± Esmi extended her hand farther, holding onto the horn of the saddle so she could lean without falling.


    I didn¡¯t want to keep her in such an awkward position, and even though I thought Balax might try to bite my leg off, I accepted Esmi¡¯s hand and her help up. The orix did not snap at me on the way or shift to make me miss my mark, though he did let out a growl of displeasure. The slope of the saddle put me snuggly behind Esmi, which I certainly didn¡¯t mind, and when Balax surged forward, I was forced to put my arms around her, which, but for the jostling, was very pleasant.


    ¡°Easy, easy,¡± Esmi whispered to her mount, and once we were out the front gate of the fortification, the creature did slow.


    Even at this reduced pace, Balax¡¯s shoulder blades slid up and down. That, combined with his curved spine, made his movement feel like a rolling gait beneath me. It took some getting used to, and was certainly different from the bouncing trot that came when riding a horse, but after not long, I found my body moving along with his.


    The fortification was already set on the edge of woodland, and with Balax carrying us, we reached the treeline in short order. The sharp scent of pine and the crunch of needles and twigs beneath the orix¡¯s large paws filled my senses. Insects buzzed, and birds stopped their songs, likely wary of the enormous cat that had entered their sanctuary. It was a place that teemed with the living, and because of that, my usual attention to Life source was pulled too many directions at once. If I had tried to cultivate here like I did with the tree or in camp, I was sure I would get utterly overwhelmed, but that only made me want to keep training so I eventually could.


    As we continued on, the temperature dropped noticeably, the branches and leaves of the full-grown trees providing a thicker canopy against the sun than the more sparsely placed sentinels at the forest entrance.


    I snuggled into Esmi and her delightful heat. ¡°Do you have a particular place in mind?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she replied, and I could hear the joy in her voice.


    Balax leapt over a small stream with such grace you would think he wasn¡¯t carrying anyone at all. Past that, and around a large bent tree, we came upon a field of purple wildflowers.


    I didn¡¯t even need to ask if this was our destination and slid off the orix as soon as Esmi bade it slow. I then took the basket from her, which was surprisingly weighty, and helped her down; she didn¡¯t require the aid but was kind enough to let me feel useful.


    She began unpacking the basket, handing me a quilted blanket of pastel blue and cream squares that I spread out near the base of the tree but far enough away to avoid its more knobbly roots. Esmi then pulled out serving ware of all things, placing saucers and cups on the blanket. That was until Balax let out a piteous ¨C and in my estimation, overly dramatic ¨C whine.


    ¡°Oh, you poor thing,¡± she said, rushing over to the beast and quickly unfastening the saddle. Once free, Balax nuzzled her, eyed me, and then was gone, departing with such stealth I wasn¡¯t entirely sure which direction he had traveled.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think something so large could be so quiet,¡± I commented.


    ¡°He¡¯s a wonder, isn¡¯t he?¡± Esmi said, beaming after him.


    I much preferred her Albino Kobold if we were going to rate her Souls, but I supposed we couldn¡¯t ride that one nearly as comfortably, so replied, ¡°Most certainly,¡± as genuinely as I could.


    ¡°Help me with the rest,¡± Esmi said, handing me a squat glass container.


    Within was some form of green powder I was unfamiliar with. ¡°And what is this?¡±


    ¡°A type of tea. I bought some from the traveling monks.¡± She handed me a porcelain pot that sloshed, and a quick inspection revealed that it was already filled with water.


    ¡°Should I gather some sticks for a fire?¡± I wasn¡¯t particularly woodsy, but with Esmi¡¯s Fire source, starting a small blaze to heat the kettle should be a simple affair.


    Esmi had already unpacked a small spoon with a long stem, a tiny whisk, and two napkins from the basket, both embroidered on the edges in orange thread. ¡°No need,¡± she said, reaching out for the pot.


    No sooner had I handed it to her than her fingers began to glow, quickly becoming a bright, cherry red, so hot that a haze surrounded them. ¡°Put a full spoonful into each cup, if you would.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, glad for a role to fill while she was occupied. I put a healthy measure of the green powder into the cup nearest her, and a bit less in my own since I was unsure if it would be to my taste. No sooner was I closing the lid on the container and blowing the last flecks of the tea from the spoon, then the water began to boil, steam issuing from the spout.


    ¡°Well, aren''t you handy?¡± I commented, as she carefully poured the water into each of our cups.


    ¡°Rewarded with a pun?¡± she said as she worked. ¡°It was all worth it then.¡±


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


    ¡°You¡¯ve become sharper of tongue as of late,¡± I told her with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed.¡±


    ¡°I have, haven¡¯t I?¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°Ever since we chatted that night on the bench, I¡¯ve been trying to give my desires equal weight to those I speak to. I even told Anya I was a Rapturist.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± I said, surprised. ¡°How did she take it?¡±


    ¡°Well enough,¡± Esmi said with a shrug. ¡°But as she and I talked, I realized that it didn¡¯t matter, not truly. She is a kind and sweet girl, and I want all the good in the world for her, but her view of me, whatever it is, is not me. Only I can craft that.¡± She smiled and then leaned in, kissing me. When she broke contact it was only by an inch, so I could feel her next words on my lips, ¡°And perhaps those who are the world to me.¡±


    It was such an intimate and sensual moment, it almost made me nervous. ¡°We should probably drink the tea before it gets cold.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°I suppose we should.¡±


    Using the tiny whisk, she mixed the contents of my cup and then her own, and she finished things off with a spoonful of cream from another, tightly lidded metal container. The powder had dissolved in the heated water, and the cream swirled along the top as I took a tentative drink. The taste was full-bodied and pleasant, almost as if¡­


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m taking a sip of the forest.¡±


    She grinned at me over her cup. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s to your liking.¡±


    After a few more enjoyable swallows, I put my cup down. ¡°You know,¡± I admitted, ¡°I think I could actually eat something if you happen to have it¡­¡±


    Esmi laughed, reaching into the basket and bringing out two rolls that had been shaped into crescents. My mouth watered at the sight of them, but Esmi wasn¡¯t finished yet: she also had a cube of butter with a small knife and some boysenberry jam. The butter was more than enough for me, the bread itself sweet and so soft after Esmi warmed it in her hands.


    I had halfway through the roll before I noticed that in prepping her own, butter was sliding down her wrist. Her hands must have still been too hot after heating my bread.


    ¡°You have some butter on you,¡± I said, reaching out with one of the napkins she had supplied, but Esmi caught my wrist before it reached her.


    ¡°You could clean it, another way¡­.¡± her eyes searched mine as she said it, and it was a heartbeat before I realized her meaning. When it did, my entire body flushed, filled with the Life I had spent weeks now noticing around me. The bit of golden yellow dripped down her arm, and before I could think too long on it, I was kissing it away. My kisses progressed to her wrist, and when I reached her palm, she took my face in her warm hands, our lips meeting, pressing close, our hands pulling our bodies closer.


    After quite some time, we finally separated, breathing hard. We could only go so far before our marriage, and while I felt fit to bursting, I wouldn¡¯t have changed a single thing about this outing so far. I was lying on the blanket now, Esmi¡¯s head resting on my chest, and Balax ¨C who had returned I don¡¯t know when ¨C was stretched out in a long curve, his body a similar shape as the roll.


    For a spell, I just listened to the breeze and the birds who had cautiously begun to sing again. I felt Esmi breathing against me, and the low purr of Balax behind our heads. It was like that Meditation card said: listening was truly a gift.


    Finally, I said, ¡°If I win the duel tonight, will you spend the evening with me, holding me like this?¡±


    ¡°Needing motivation?¡± she murmured, sleepily, sultrily.


    My grip tightened on the folds of her dress. ¡°I need you. As simple as that.¡±


    Esmi pushed up from my chest, and I relinquished my hold. ¡°Basil of Hintal,¡± she said, looking down at me. Her waterfull of hair framed her face, the ends tickling my forehead and cheeks. ¡°If you win the duel, I will hold you like this every night.¡±


    Seeing her staring at me like that and saying those words, I couldn¡¯t help but pull her close to kiss again. It was as impassioned as the time before, but much shorter because this time I pulled away.


    ¡°I have a gift for you.¡±


    She had looked briefly sad about my departure, but this news clearly piqued her interest. ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes. No peeking,¡± I warned as I sat up. She joined me, resting on her knees and doing as I said. Still, I inspected her closely, from one side, then the other, until Balax rumbled.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m getting to it.¡± Convinced that she couldn¡¯t see anything, I opened my wrist holder and pulled out a card I had just received yesterday, from a young, barefooted runner.


    ¡°Open your hands, please, but not your eyes.¡±


    Esmi did so, and I placed the card in her waiting palms.


    She frowned, closing her fingers around it. ¡°Something for my deck?¡±


    ¡°In a way. You can look now.¡±


    She did so, and I shifted so I could view it with her, even though I already knew it by memory.


    ¡°It¡¯s from the tree I use to cultivate,¡± I explained as she continued to look over the card. I glanced up to see her face; she seemed happy, at least I hoped she was.


    Her attention shifted to me. ¡°How did you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Hull¡¯s smith friend in the Lows, of all people, Roshum by name. I was worried he would only be able to forge it for Life, and thus be unsummonable for you, but by the grace of Fortune, it turns out the man is quite the talent.¡±


    ¡°He is indeed,¡± she said, looking back at it. This time her smile was just as in bloom as the flower, and I breathed out in relief. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Basil. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I wanted something between us that would last, no matter what.¡±


    She stiffened, and I found myself half-regretting the words. ¡°I would prefer it if you did not talk like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m merely mentioning the possibility ¨C¡±


    She put the card down and faced me squarely. ¡°Fate hears all. Do not say things that you do not wish for her to manifest.¡±


    I could see that she was adamant about this, but I felt caught between two unforgiving points: my fiancee¡¯s wishes and what I felt the need to express. ¡°I want to be honest with you, Esmi. Always.¡±


    ¡°If honesty is what you desire,¡± she replied, ¡°you do realize that if you lose to Gale, I¡¯m just going to challenge him to see a union between him and me annulled, don¡¯t you?¡±


    That possibility had crossed my mind, and she certainly had a better chance of besting my brother than I did. ¡°Even if you did so, that would not change the agreement inherent to my duel with him. I still would not be able to marry you,¡± I told her gently.


    Her nostrils flared. ¡°Only because you¡¯d be letting pride get in your way. And if that is the case, then I will challenge you for your hand in marriage.¡±


    What she saw as pride, I viewed as honor, but I chose not to wage that particular battle with her. ¡°You speak of an old custom, Esmi, that hasn¡¯t seen use since our parents were in swaddling.¡±


    ¡°But it is a custom,¡± Esmi said, crossing her arms. ¡°You would be Order-bound to accept.¡±


    That I did wish to argue, but I caught myself. She had been supportive and understanding when I had come to her, telling her of my duel with Gale, an important decision I had given her no opportunity to be a part of. What right did I have to take this choice away from her, too?


    ¡°As you say,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, nodding fiercely.


    I could feel the moment she had planned for us slipping away, and that was the last thing I wished for.


    ¡°I would like to do something,¡± I told her, ¡°if you do not object.¡±


    She had moved away, so that she was resting on Balax now, the summon looking at me balefully. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I would like to have my Souls meet you. So that they can see what I and they are fighting for.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a rather wonderful idea,¡± she said, though her expression did not entirely match her words. However, I chalked that up to our previous disagreement and not what I was suggesting now.


    So, I began summoning source one after the next, along with bringing cards to hand, searching for my Rare and Epic Souls, the ones who would be able to converse with us.


    ¡°Should I summon mine, too?¡± she offered as I worked.


    I hesitated in the act of focusing my sources. ¡°Let us save that for the wedding.¡± For unions in Treledyne, especially among the nobility, it was common practice for each party to have their highest ranked Souls summoned for the ceremony, since a marriage was seen as a joining of them as well. ¡°I always did like that tradition.¡±


    ¡°As do I,¡± she agreed with a pleasant look, dropping her hand back to her lap. I wasn¡¯t sure if her reaction was because she truly did enjoy that particular custom or because I was talking about our wedding, but either way, I was glad to see her spirits returned.


    In the end, it was seven Souls that I summoned: Atrea, the Master Assassin, one of my Master Shieldbearers, all three of the Bearkin, and also the Spiderkin.


    I felt badly that I could only summon one of my Master Shieldbearers at a time due to their Bodyguard ability, but the word of the Twins was absolute ¨C when I had tried experimentally once before, the Source was spent but then just drifted away from me, the additional Master Shieldbearer remaining as a card in my hand.


    Once they had all arrived, I addressed them with the respect I felt them to be due. ¡°Some of you have worked together before, battling at my behest, but at this time, I only wish us to converse. Please, join us.¡± I motioned to the space that remained on the blanket and just beyond since not all of them would fit on the edge of the quilt.


    Atrea was the first to take my offer, folding her wings, and seating herself, sheathed sword angled up and away from her body. The Rares seemed to take the cue from the Epic, fanning out around her, though the Master Assassin remained standing.


    I took a breath, readying myself. I had planned for this moment ¨C not nearly as much as the composition of my deck, but my chats over the years with Atrea had given me an idea as to how I might begin. ¡°What do you all wish for?¡± I asked them.


    The answer I received was silence. Atrea ¨C who might have responded first ¨C refrained, likely because she knew that I was already aware of her wishes. I didn¡¯t let the others¡¯ lack of response shake me, instead waiting, trusting that an answer would come. The three Bearkin I noticed looking at each other. All were large and swarthy, but one was much older than the other two, with white in his hair, while another had black, geometric tattoos covering just his ears.


    ¡°Being out here is nice,¡± the oldest eventually commented, gazing up at the trees. ¡°I would prefer it to languishing in a Mind Home. A day spent foraging would give me much pleasure, particularly if there are deer in the area.¡± The other two Bear-Kin rumbled their assent, and even Balax joined in ¨C putting to rest any doubts I had about how well the orix could understand the things we said. ¡°Are you thinking of taking up hunting?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered the white-haired elf, ¡°but I am not adverse to adding such a thing to my schedule. And while I have no skill at hunting myself, I see no reason why you could not while I waited.¡± I pulled a notebook and stick of charcoal from my vest pocket, glad I always traveled with them. ¡°Allow me to make a note. What of you?¡± I asked, turning to the Spiderkin. If one elf had spoken, perhaps another would as well.


    ¡°I miss reading,¡± she lilted, ¡°and am tired of traveling from place to place.¡±


    ¡°My family home has a marvelous library. I know because I spent more time there than anywhere else,¡± I explained. ¡°At Rare, we could be separated for quite a stretch. I could leave you there a whole day if you like.¡±


    She blinked her large eyes at me slowly, as if processing this information, but did not say anything else. Hoping I wasn¡¯t being rude to her, I turned to the Master Shieldbearer.


    ¡°Do you happen to know what you and your fellow Shieldbearers desire?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± the voice intoned, echoing in the helmet. I had wondered if he would take it off, but also had no desire to pry if he wished to stay as he was. ¡°We all want for greatness.¡±


    I paused in the act of writing. ¡°You wish to be great?¡±


    The helmeted head swung side-to-side. ¡°We have become so, aye, Rare as we are. But in the end, all of us were greater than our charges. That is not why we sought after this life. We want our skills to lift another, to see them raised to the heights and the world as well with their acts.¡±


    I exchanged a glance with Esmi. To have a wish like that placed upon me, even though it aligned with my hopes, was a daunting prospect. ¡°I will endeavor to achieve such an end,¡± I promised, writing it down even though there was no chance I would forget. ¡°And you?¡± I said, looking finally at the Assassin.


    He stood still as a statue, his black clothing out of place among the bright flowers.


    ¡°You would be a fool to do as you say,¡± he answered in the gruff way he had. ¡°If your most powerful cards are spread out, away from you, they will not be available when you most need them.¡±


    Atrea¡¯s feathers rustled, and she spoke for the first time. ¡°Do not call the one I have pledged myself to a fool.¡± She did not look at the Assassin as she said this, but the blue fire of her eyes danced menacingly.


    The Assassin for his part tensed, causing me to do the same. I didn¡¯t think the two could attack each other without my leave, but I had also never done something like this before and so was unsure what rules or restraints, if any, existed.


    ¡°I currently spend the majority of my life without cards summoned,¡± I interjected. ¡°If I am not in foreseeable danger, why should I not give you leave to do as you wish during that time? I will still have access to my other Souls, in addition to Spells and Relics.¡±


    Interestingly, it was the Spiderkin who answered. ¡°It is self-preservation. The Assassin does not want to lose you.¡±


    The Assassin was quiet, protected well from my prying eyes with his hood and mask. That was certainly not something I had expected. Able to foresee such attempts on my life made sense, they were within his wheelhouse, but wanting to protect me? Had the Master Shieldbearers rubbed off on him like Hull did to me?


    ¡°They question what is in it for you,¡± Atrea added.


    A look at her showed me that her attention was on the others. Perhaps her new skill of Precision let her see more than gaps in Armor.


    ¡°Some of you may not know this,¡± I told them, ¡°but our Tenders teach that it is important to care for the Souls under our charge. What I am offering you is simply one of the ways that I can accomplish that goal.¡±


    ¡°You do this because another tells you?¡± the Bearkin with the ear tattoos asked.


    Seeing them watching me so avidly, answering in the affirmative seemed to me as if it would undercut the momentum and trust I was trying to build. Esmi¡¯s warm hand wrapped around my arm, giving me strength.


    ¡°Yes, and no. I believe in their teachings and want to do right by you all. That said, I gathered you now because I, like you, have a desire. I wish to marry this woman.¡± I turned, looking at Esmi, who returned my gaze lovingly. ¡°I wish it with all my heart.¡±


    The white-haired Bearkin coughed. ¡°Humans duel for such things?¡±


    Esmi smiled ruefully, and I was sure she was thinking like I was about our recent conversation. ¡°Not usually,¡± I said. ¡°However, in our particular case, I do need to duel my brother for her hand. A duel that will take place later today, one that I will require all of your strength for.¡±


    ¡°We are card Souls and act as you command,¡± the Master Assassin said. ¡°We have spoken of this. You summon; we obey.¡±


    I looked at the Assassin and then the other Souls, steeling myself. ¡°That is not enough for me. I want you to wish for the outcome as well.¡±


    ¡°It will make no difference,¡± the Assassin huffed in protest.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I conceded, ¡°but I see no harm in trying. I know my brother, and while he loves his pet hawk, I do not think his Souls are as invested in his success.¡± I held up the notebook. ¡°If I promise to do these things you¡¯ve asked of me, will you lend me every ounce of your support? I do not know if you can feel the love I bear for this woman in the Mind Home, but if you can sense even a tenth of it, you know how very dear this request is to me.¡±


    The Souls looked at each other, and it was Atrea who stood. She unsheathed her sword and lifted it high, point toward the cresting sun. ¡°I am with you, Basil, as you well know. Our pact has not changed.¡±


    This set off a cascade of reactions, the Bearkin transforming to their animal selves and letting out mighty roars, the Shieldbearer slamming his shields together, the Spiderkin chittering, head thrown back, and even the Master Assassin seemed to have consented, head bowed with a dagger tip resting on his chin, as if taking a moment to gather himself before embarking on a job.


    I looked at Esmi, the radiant beauty of her catching me off guard as it sometimes did. ¡°Your Souls appear to be ready,¡± she told me.


    I kissed her once again, quickest of all but no less meaningful. ¡°Then so am I.¡±

 B2: 32. Hull - An Embarrassment of Riches

    I tugged at the stiff black brocade vest that was doing its best to smother me and wished the billowing whiteness of my sleeves were a little less¡­ billowy. I felt a proper fool in this getup, no matter that Roshum had assured me that Hasim¡¯s shop at the top of Hillside was as good as any in the merchant district, and no matter that the new outfit had cost me a truly offensive sum. I¡¯d had to dip into the pot of money my urchin gang was collecting from the good folk of the Lows and had only done so after repeated promises from Bryll and Roshum that we had a hefty surplus beyond what we were spending to hire street cleaners and painting crews.


    Roshum had brought in a bookkeeper he trusted, Shormandon Fatfinger, to manage the accounts now that the old crew was all dead, and strangely, there was more than enough now that there was no one dipping their dirty paws into the cash bag. Still, I felt itchy at taking money from the Lows, even with the people I trusted telling me that people in the neighborhood would prefer to see me looking a little less ragged at the cuffs. Once War Camp was over I¡¯d start pulling a salary as a lieutenant in the army, for better or for worse; at least then I could buy new clothes out of my own pocket. Anything less stank of Ticosi¡¯s greed, and I didn¡¯t want any whiff of it clinging to me.


    Afi, whose arm was linked through mine, batted my hands away from the constricting vest. ¡°You¡¯ll pull it askew. You look quite well already.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t look so well when I faint on the stairs,¡± I grumbled. Still, I schooled my hands to stillness. It felt twelve different kinds of odd to be escorting the bookish bird of a girl, especially looking as she did now, with a gown falling off her shoulders and her dark hair falling in artful waves around a face that suddenly looked far more feminine and mysterious than I was used to. This was the girl who¡¯d ruthlessly handed Basil and me our own asses on the field not two days before, but there was no hint of that now. Is she wearing paints on her face? Damned if I can tell, but she must be. I¡¯d have noticed if her lips were that full before.


    Her eyes flicked toward me and a small smile quirked on those full lips. I was staring, and she¡¯d caught me at it. Feeling stupid, I shrugged and turned my eyes back to the Hintal Manor. I¡¯d never been in the hills behind the Palace District before. The War Camp chariots had brought us here in style, and the wall of the compound enclosed an area that would have covered a third of the Lows, with crushed stone walkways, fancifully shaped shrubs, and elemental lights illuminating the high stone walls of the manor, which any sane person would have called a small castle instead.


    ¡°Who has this kind of money?¡± I muttered, staring up at a tower looming overhead as we waited our turn outside the door to be announced.


    Afi gave a refreshingly unladylike snort. ¡°The Hintal family is squarely in the bottom quarter of the noble houses, both in wealth and influence. If you really want to grind your teeth, walk through the Palace sometime.¡±


    I shook my head, looking at the long stretch of carriages lining the path. ¡°I thought I¡¯d gotten used to Hintal and the others, but then I see where they live and I¡¯m angry all over again. Do you know how many families they could feed for the cost of a party like this?¡±


    ¡°Roughly two hundred families for a full year,¡± Afi said quietly. I gave her a surprised look, and she responded, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s ever had holes in your shoes, Hull.¡±


    I grunted. I knew she was sponsored by that asshole Warrick¡¯s family, but I¡¯d never thought about where she came from beyond that. ¡°Fair enough. Never had shoes to put holes in, though.¡±


    She laughed and patted my arm. ¡°You¡¯d never know it, looking at you now. Come on, quit looking sullen. The money won¡¯t be any less spent if you pout all night. We can pretend to belong for a few hours.¡±


    I realized I was, in fact, frowning and tried to smooth my face. I¡¯m not sullen. Strange to think that there¡¯d been someone in War Camp all this time who might have understood my point of view a little bit and I¡¯d never known it.


    We handed a gray-robed footman our invitations when we reached the massive double doors leading into the manse, who bowed and whisked them away, gesturing us through the door. The entryway was a circular marvel of stone and glass, with a massive chandelier of crystal with trapped elemental lights of all colors spinning within and a gently burbling fountain directly beneath it. Musicians lined the carpeted walkway that led past the fountain to the foot of a grand staircase chased with gold and waxed wooden scrollwork. I saw one musician in a black velvet doublet with two Air and three Order circling his head. He let go of the flute he was playing and it danced over his left shoulder, continuing to play as he summoned a full-size harp that plucked its own strings, working an intricate countermelody to the flute, Then the man pulled forth some kind of rattling drum thing and shook it in time to the music.


    Relic instruments. I¡¯ve never even thought of such a thing. Who would waste their money and shards just to toot a horn? This fellow, obviously, and from the look of him he made a pretty penny doing it. It was hard to remember sometimes that there was an entire world of cards ¨C of excellence, dedication, and beauty ¨C outside of dueling and war. Of course people elevated their instrument Relics and craftsman cards. That was the sort of thing most people cared about when they were safe and happy.


    We mounted the stairs, Afi¡¯s arm resting lightly on top of my own ¨C she¡¯d had to show me how to do it right as we waited in line ¨C and I felt a sudden sense of dislocation. Here I was, entering the halls of power as a respected, up-and-coming member of the King¡¯s army, where I would eat fine foods, dance, and quite likely speak with the most important people in the city. Part of me felt disgusted. Another part of me was excited.


    At the head of the stairs we were guided down the hall by a small army of servants and functionaries spaced every stone¡¯s throw down the paneled, brightly lit passageway, each one bowing and pointing the way. Another great set of double doors stood open at the end of the hallway, a pair of ceremonial City Watch guards standing sentry in burnished breastplates and perfectly angled halberds framing the line of ladies and gentlemen waiting to be announced within. I heard a swell of noise. This was the ballroom. My stomach clenched and I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Straighten that spine, poor boy,¡± Afi said sardonically. ¡°They can smell fear.¡±


    I gave a little laugh. ¡°Right.¡± I reached into my pocket for my handkerchief to dab at my forehead, but I felt an unexpected paper crinkle within it. Surprised, I fished out the small strip. Something was written on it.


    See you tonight. I expect you to reserve a dance for me. Tell no one.


    -Mother


    P.S. Don¡¯t eat the pastries.


    Heart suddenly hammering, mouth dry, I shoved the paper back into my pocket and mopped my brow with the silk handkerchief that had cost three silver all on its own.


    ¡°Everything all right?¡± Afi murmured, not looking at me.


    ¡°Just dandy,¡± I said, stuffing the silk away and setting my jaw. ¡°Just thinking about my dance steps.¡±


    She gave a rough chuckle. I¡¯d warned her that I knew nothing about dancing and would do no better than a spastic bear if she insisted on dragging me out in front of everyone. ¡°Some people train bears, you know,¡± she said with a sideways grin. ¡°Put on a collar, roar a little, and the smallfolk pay two clips a piece for that sort of thing.¡±


    Her quiet, sarcastic humor settled me. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that. You¡¯re supposed to have a trained monkey, too. It picks people¡¯s pockets while they¡¯re distracted by the bear.¡±


    ¡°A monkey, eh?¡± she mused. ¡°Too bad Gerad said he¡¯s not coming.¡±


    We both laughed. She really did look quite nice in her gown.


    At the door, some butler or steward or something called out our names. ¡°Afi Mencharta, sponsored student of House Erlun, sixth place finalist in this year¡¯s Rising Stars Tournament. Hull, fourth place finalist in this year¡¯s Rising Stars Tournament.¡±


    We marched solemnly into the ballroom, and I tried not to be immediately overwhelmed by the sight of it all. The space was massive, stretching a good three stories overhead with more of those great chandeliers sparkling like so many suns, buttress beams chasing each other across the ceiling and separating painted masterpieces of birds, clouds, and air in the ribs between. The music that had been dignified and subdued in the entryway now echoed from all sides, and the temperature was noticeably warmer from all the bodies pressed together. This room had to contain all the nobility in Treledyne and a good number besides. Nearly all of them were watching us like hawks as we descended the short flight of stairs down to the ballroom floor proper. As we reached the foot, the doorman called out another pair of names, and all those eyes shifted away.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°There¡¯s the first gauntlet run,¡± Afi said, having to speak more loudly to be heard over the noise. ¡°This is the nature of the game if you want to climb out of the gutter, Hull. Caught your breath?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad.¡± My mind was still spinning on my mother¡¯s note. Why is she here? I thought her negotiations were supposed to be secret. Why shouldn¡¯t I eat the pastries? Did she do something to them? Putting something in the food at a party couldn¡¯t possibly help her achieve her goals¡­ but she was a demon. I¡¯d spent my fair share of time with my own demon Souls now, and they were all of a kind: angry, devious, and full of malicious mischief. No doubt if she could get her peace treaty and give the whole party the shits at the same time, she¡¯d do it just because she could.


    ¡°All right,¡± Afi said briskly. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to mingle and be pleasant but unmemorable. They¡¯ll know we¡¯re charity cases, so they won¡¯t expect much from us, and a lot of them will do their best to snub us, but it¡¯s expected.¡±


    ¡°You sound like an old hand at this,¡± I said.


    ¡°Warrick can¡¯t be trusted at public events,¡± she said sourly. ¡°His parents have been sending me as their representative to this sort of thing for the better part of a year now. He used to accompany me, but he kept getting drunk and embarrassing everyone. If I¡¯m being honest, it¡¯s the reason I asked you to accompany me: this Gala is a big enough event and it¡¯s been long enough since the boy made a scene that I worried that they¡¯d pawn him off on me as an escort again.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said, trying not to feel offended. ¡°Sure, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you look twice as good in that suit as he ever did doesn¡¯t hurt either,¡± she said, grabbing a skewer of rolled meats from a passing waiter and popping one into her mouth with a surprisingly roguish wink.


    I found myself at a total loss for words. Is she flirting with me?


    ¡°Relax, Hull,¡± she said with a sigh, towing me off to one side. ¡°I¡¯m not going to bite, and I won¡¯t trip you in the atrium to make babies, either. Fact is that we¡¯ve got more in common than any of these other fools, and we might as well get along.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Spent a lot of your childhood eating out of trash heaps, did you?¡±


    She blanched. ¡°Well, no, not that, exactly. But I grew up in the poor part of Hillside, my parents never more than a step or two away from getting tossed for not making rent. I know what it¡¯s like to go to sleep hungry.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I¡¯d had no idea. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°We bounced around, but mostly we lived in the rooms near Kingscourt Square.¡±


    ¡°Sounds fancy,¡± I said. As a kid I¡¯d rarely ever gone higher Hillside than a few streets past Roshum¡¯s shop, but I¡¯d heard the name before.


    ¡°Fancy, sure,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°I hardly ever had to pull more than one or two turds out of the fountain before I did the washing.¡±


    I snorted a laugh. ¡°If you had clothes to wash and others to wear at the same time, you were doing better than most I knew. How¡¯d you end up fronting for a noble house?¡±


    ¡°Sheer luck,¡± she admitted, bringing me near to one of the walls at the edge of the dance floor. ¡°We had gone to the market district for some festival, if I remember, and Lady Marisia, Warrick¡¯s mother, just happened to be there looking for some poor sap to stand still and take the boy¡¯s blows as he practiced his dueling. I looked poor and ugly, I suppose, and she pointed at me first. My parents needed the gold mark they paid every month, and so I started showing up at their manor for Warrick¡¯s training time. Kid was shit from the start. Scared of summoning, never wanted to work, pitched tantrums left and right.¡±


    ¡°Some things never change.¡±


    She smiled at me. She had a crooked tooth up top, but it was charming, not ugly. ¡°After a while the family realized I was learning more standing there watching him than he¡¯d ever managed to pick up in all his years of tutoring, and they let me have a go with a couple of Common cards. Turned out that I was good. Really good. After that they made a deal with my parents to pay for my education if I would duel on demand for them. It¡¯s been a good deal, even having to put up with Warrick and his drunken whining.¡±


    She gestured to a box full of oddly-shaped brass barrels joined in pairs, with a long handle hanging off one side. ¡°Take a viewing glass.¡±


    I picked one up. It was heavy and had glass lenses at each end of the brass barrels. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s considered polite to view ¨C and compliment ¨C the family¡¯s public collection,¡± she said, gesturing down the wall beside us. At regular intervals ornate frames hung on the wall, with a shining plaque next to each. Looking closer, I saw cards suspended in the middle of each frame.


    ¡°They have cards just¡­ hanging there?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°To show how important and wealthy they are,¡± she said dryly, though she looked around first to make sure no one would overhear. ¡°All the noble houses do it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of having cards that nobody uses?¡± I said, moving toward the first one.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of anything these people do?¡± she responded. ¡°Power. Having it, showing it off, getting more.¡± She raised the barrels to her eyes and pointed them at the card, and I mimicked her. The card sprang towards my eyes, and I jerked back. The lenses in the barrels magnified the view somehow, letting me see the card as if it were right in front of my face even though it was hanging on the wall behind a cordon five feet away. I raised the contraption again and took a closer look.


    ¡°The very first Human City Watch card,¡± Afi said, reading off the plaque next to the frame, sounding bored. ¡°It was some fellow named Basque some hundred and fifty years ago that worked for the Hintal family. Trusted servant, noble soul, blah blah blah.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting history,¡± I said, feeling oddly defensive of Basil and his family.


    ¡°It looks the same as every single other Common City Watch card in existence,¡± she complained. ¡°You¡¯d have to be a card historian to know there was a single thing different about it.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, reaching for anything redeeming about the admittedly boring card, ¡°the City Watch is the family business. You can see why they included it.¡±


    She sniffed dismissively. ¡°The King has one in his viewing gallery that the experts think is the first human card ever. It¡¯s over a thousand years old.¡±


    ¡°Well, but that¡¯s the King,¡± I said.


    ¡°True enough. I¡¯ve been spoiled by all the dinners and galas I¡¯ve been to at the other houses, I suppose. Whichever Hintal boy Esmi marries, it¡¯ll be good for the family; they may even rise to the middle tier of the Houses if they play it right. It¡¯s funny, you know. In the early days I¡¯d have broken my own fingers to get my hands on any card, much less expensive collector ones like these.¡±


    ¡°I know that feeling,¡± I said quietly. That had been me mere months ago.


    The next card was even less interesting.


    ¡°The first known work by Arenius the Elder,¡± I read from the plaque. ¡°Renowned for popularizing the Romantic style, CF 203. What do those numbers mean?¡±


    She squinted at them. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡®Charbond¡¯s Founding. Nobody even uses that calendar anymore. 203 would be, let¡¯s see¡­ about three hundred and fifty years ago?¡±


    ¡°And Arenius the Elder is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Nobody important,¡± she said heavily. ¡°Unless you¡¯re an art collector and like locking up valuable paintings into Relic cards so nobody but you can see them unless you make them use these stupid peeking lenses.¡±


    ¡°Are they all going to be like this?¡± I asked quietly, making sure no one was close enough to hear us.


    ¡°If I¡¯d never met Basil¡¯s parents, I¡¯d suspect they put out collection of bara cards as a joke, but neither of them would find that remotely funny. How that pair produced a sensitive, caring boy like him is beyond me.¡± Afi sighed, pitching her viewing glasses back into the box. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t have the patience for this right now. Come on, let¡¯s dance.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s a bad idea,¡± I warned her as she grabbed my hand and towed me toward the middle of the floor where all the fancy folk twirled and flowed gracefully.


    ¡°I do,¡± she said over her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    I looked over her head, trying to distract myself from the gnawing pit in my stomach that said I was about to make a fool of myself. Beyond the dancers I saw a juggler moving among the crowd that was throwing his own source into the air one after the other, weaving them in a hypnotic double loop. A second glance showed what was truly impressive about the performance: each source sphere was different from the last. Order, Life, Air, Water, Death, Fire, and Earth. What kind of dedication would it take to cultivate exactly one of each of those sources? And all he does is show them off for the rich folk.


    I looked past the performer to the other party attendees and stopped dead, dragging Afi to a halt. I pointed toward a large cluster of women standing just behind the juggler. One of them was a fair young woman with a freckled face ¨C my mother in her human disguise. She was dressed in a sleek gown of deep red and was whispering conspiratorially into the ear of another woman decked out in jewels and ermine. ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked, mouth dry as I pointed.


    Afi caught my hand and pulled it to my side. ¡°That¡¯s the Queen,¡± she hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t point.¡±


    I felt a sudden surge of dread. What is she doing? Surely her secret work didn¡¯t include cozying up to the Queen in public. I didn¡¯t see any of them eating pastries, at least. Would she poison people? Would she poison the Queen? I was afraid she might.


    ¡°I have to talk to them,¡± I said urgently.


    Afi got right in my face and blocked my way. ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s a terrible idea, Hull. If you want to gain favor, you wait for them to approach you. Trotting up to the Queen uninvited is a good way to get yourself tackled by her Unseen Guard. They¡¯re here somewhere, you can bet on it. Come on, come dance with me. Forget about that. I thought you hated the nobility.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I muttered, unable to take my eyes off my mother and the Queen. What is she doing? What¡¯s she saying to her? Whatever it was, the Queen thought it quite funny. She laughed heartily and patted my mother¡¯s hand. I¡¯d never seen Gerad¡¯s mother before. She was a lovely woman with chestnut hair and wide-set eyes. I could see a little of the Prince in her and wondered what kind of monster she must be to spawn a piece of shit like her son.


    Afi was still trying to pull me toward the dance floor when a bell rang, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to the head of the stairs where we¡¯d all entered. There, with the gong mallet still in her hand, stood a woman who could only be Basil¡¯s mother, thin, gray-haired, and severe-looking despite her fine clothes. Basil stood behind her on one side, and Gale stood on the other, neither looking at each other.


    ¡°Friends, peers, and allies, be welcome to House Hintal,¡± the woman said. ¡°We recognize the presence of our beloved Queen, who has graced us with her presence. We will have a lovely evening of song, dance, and entertainment. To begin, two of my sons have arranged an exhibition for your pleasure: they will duel each other for the hand of Esmi Fireheart of House Haraine. All the parties have agreed, and the contracts have been signed. Please arrange yourselves as best suits you.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± said Afi. ¡°It¡¯s already happening. Come on, let¡¯s find a good spot to watch.¡±

 B2: 33. Basil - Proper Planning

    ¡°You never asked to use Esmet.¡±


    Esmi and I were walking arm-in-arm though the halls of my family home, and at this remark, I turned to face her. She was wearing a fashionable, deep red gown that set off her curled hair marvelously. The makeup around her eyes and lips made her beauty more distinct ¨C not greater, just different than when we had been picnicking, and she¡¯d been in simple riding leathers and a blouse. She also smelled of bottled floral scents now instead of sweat, and in that regard, I think I actually preferred the latter.


    ¡°That seemed too presumptuous a request,¡± I answered truthfully. The Mythic was a marvel, able to improve any Order deck with its mere presence, even if Esmet was never summoned. The memory of it floated ever ready in my mind¡¯s eye.


    But its overwhelming power was the very reason I couldn¡¯t possibly have asked to borrow it.


    Esmi nudged me as we continued down the hall. ¡°I would have said yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ is very kind of you,¡± I stammered. Despite my attempts to remain cool and collected, the readiness I had spoken of this morning felt far away now, an idea I¡¯d once possessed but had somehow lost my hold on.


    ¡°But¡­?¡± she prompted.


    I loved how well she knew me.


    ¡°I want to defeat him with my cards,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve spent years building and honing this deck, starting well before camp, doing my best to piece together the remains of what my family left me. I want to win with it, especially against him.¡± We walked a bit longer without her responding. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me that I¡¯m being prideful again, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    When I chanced a look her way, she appeared thoughtful. ¡°Pride and passion are often intertwined,¡± she said, sounding like she was quoting, ¡°¡®and denying one can bring harm to the other.¡¯¡± She held my gaze for a few steps. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to lose your passion, but I also don¡¯t want you to compromise your chances of winning.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I,¡± I assured her. I placed my off hand on her arm and lightly squeezed to show my earnestness. ¡°With all the assistance you and Griff have given me, and Hull some, too, even though he says he¡¯s no good at these things, I believe I can win.¡±


    Esmi used our interlocked arms to pull me closer. ¡°I believe you can, as well.¡±


    ¡°There you are,¡± someone rasped. We had just rounded a bend in the hall, and Griff stood in the center, hair and beard as unkempt as always, with helmeted Stephi at his side. The one notable difference was that his clothes weren¡¯t stained and torn, which was because he was wearing the outfit that I¡¯d had sent to him. His measurements had taken some guesswork, but all in all, I was pleased with the result. Griff seemed the opposite, huffing and puffing in that pained voice of his, as if he¡¯d been from one end of the keep to the other. In the man¡¯s defense, he was still fettered at the ankles, which surely made traveling any distance challenging.


    ¡°I thought you two were just stepping out for a quick tumble,¡± he chided us between hissed breaths, ¡°not some long lovemaking session.¡±


    I stiffened at the clear besmirchment of our honor. ¡°I told you that I was changing slacks, and my room happens to be one of the farthest from the ballroom.¡± With all the planning Esmi and I had done for my duel, we had forgotten to coordinate our outfits for the evening. My original gray pants had looked decidedly placid next to her ruby-colored dress, but my new plum three-piece complemented it nicely.


    Griff waved the explanation away, his other hand on his knee. ¡°What you call it doesn¡¯t change the time you took.¡± From his bent position, I saw an unexpected gleam of triumph in his eyes. ¡°But in that time, I¡¯ve been busy.¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± I asked with some trepidation. To say my mother had been less than enthused by the attendance of the Chaos user was a severe understatement. I had told him to arrive early to the Gala, which, thankfully, he had. In between coordinating the final elements of the evening, my mother had given Griff a single, strained look and promptly ordered the help to bustle him away, seating him in an out-of-the-way corner of the ballroom with exceedingly strict instructions not to go anywhere else in the manse. At the time, I hadn¡¯t argued; I wanted to preserve the Order source I still had, and Griff had seemed perfectly happy to pledge adherence to the restriction. It appeared, however, that keeping such an oath meant little to him ¨C perhaps breaking it had even helped with his cultivation. If he had been off harassing the performers or lining his pockets since last I saw him, I¡¯d never hear the end of it from my family.


    ¡°Listening,¡± he said, tapping his ear and giving me a sly look. ¡°Some of your brother¡¯s companions showed up, ones he was with in that demon rift a bit back, and Fortune be praised, they¡¯re loud talkers.¡±


    I knew what sort of reaction the man wanted from me, but I couldn¡¯t manage more than, ¡°That sounds nice,¡± which immediately irked him.


    ¡°Not this again,¡± Griff said with a growl. ¡°Duels are won with information, lad, and this one is no different.¡±


    I had certainly won matches like that in the past, like my training with Tipfin in preparation for Losum, or how I¡¯d sought out whatever knowledge I could about Plutar before facing him. And yet, for some reason, Gale did feel different, as if my success today represented not just a win or loss but a judgment on my very value within my family, for Esmi, and the role I might someday play in the workings of Treledyne.


    When I didn¡¯t respond, Griff turned to Esmi in exasperation. ¡°If you care for him, make him see sense. He¡¯s dancing on my last nerve.¡±


    I gave Esmi a pained look.


    ¡°Gale is already aware of the majority of your deck from camp,¡± she said, repeating something she¡¯d told me before but apparently thought I needed to hear again. ¡°He spoke to me of it a few times before he left on that long patrol.¡±


    That last part was new. Previously, Esmi had mentioned only one such occurrence, perhaps just informing me after the very first time. But if it had happened more than that¡­ Was I being a fool? Trying to adhere to some meaningless standard I alone had created? I sighed, relenting, even though it felt like I was betraying myself. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve learned.¡±


    ¡°Was that all it took?¡± Griff said to Stephi ¨C the guard, as always, stood so still and silent you¡¯d think she was a summoned Soul. ¡°Remind me that the next time I need to get something through to this lad I should save my breath and have a prettier package deliver the message instead.¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with how she looks,¡± I said with more snap than was proper. I then quickly turned to Esmi. ¡°Though, you of course look divine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And what exactly did you overhear?¡± Esmi said, clearly wanting the two of us to get back on track.


    Griff groused a bit about being rushed but then finally launched into it. When the man was done recounting what he had learned, my mind was left a clutter with possible counters.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to make some adjustments.¡± I¡¯d already opened my wrist holder where I kept the most useful of my extra cards but paused in deliberating exactly what to extract.


    ¡°That¡¯s the whole point of knowing,¡± Griff huffed. ¡°The big thing to consider is the opening. If it¡¯s true he¡¯s got Relic swords cheap enough to summon the first turn and Flurry on his Soul to back it up, he¡¯ll be hitting you for a wallop right out of the gate.¡±


    ¡°Take the hit,¡± Esmi surprised me by saying; just a moment ago she had looked deep in thought. ¡°Don¡¯t block with cards from hand.¡±


    I blinked, thinking that I must have misheard her. ¡°But if Griff¡¯s details are correct, that will be 4 damage. Surely losing a fifth of my Summons Deck is too big a sacrifice on the first turn.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°It feels foreign to you because you¡¯ve been schooled in Treledyne where Order and defensive cards abound. But in Charbond, cards often only block for a single point of damage, meaning you¡¯d end up sacrificing your whole hand, or close to, in order to stop a large attack. So, many simply don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Fire folk always bet that they can kill you before you kill them,¡± Griff confirmed, scratching at a scab just above his beard line.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have the damage of a Fire deck,¡± I protested. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I block at least some of it?¡±


    ¡°Your deck doesn¡¯t have that particular strength, no,¡± Esmi agreed. ¡°However, it is built to leverage taking the opening hit, just in an entirely different manner.¡±


    What is she¡­? But then it dawned on me. ¡°Because I can heal those cards back with my Life source power.¡± Esmi gave me an encouraging look, and I continued on. ¡°And once they¡¯re healed, I can return them to hand with my Order source power.¡± It was a combination I had been intrigued by after seeing the elf ambassador compete in the Risings Stars tournament, but one I had yet to get much use from.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± Esmi said. ¡°With your recent cultivation, you are well poised to recoup your early losses, which would have been inefficiently blocked anyway due to the nature of Flurry.¡±


    I turned to my advisor to see that the wound was open on his cheek now, with no sign of the removed scab cap. I tried not to worry where on the floor it might have landed. ¡°Do you concur with this assessment?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Griff rasped, tilting his shaggy head toward Esmi in respect. ¡°She¡¯s a savvy duelist, that one. Not only do I agree, but it plays well with the three copies you have of your most important cards instead of just one-offs. You can afford to lose some because more are waiting.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Esmi said, looking at the Chaos user for some reason.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Griff said, patting at the clothes he wore as if unsure how to use them. The display made me question whether or not Stephi had actually been the one to dress him. From his jacket pocket he pulled a pair of cards, gold-edged in fact, and presented them to me.


    I accepted, not knowing what else to do.


    It was the powerful Air Soul I had considered purchasing the first day I had met him. Had he remembered? ¡°I owe you more merits now, do I?¡± I asked with a grin to show that the question was made in jest. The only thing Tipfin had ever given me was my wrist holder, and that, I had heard from my brothers, it had fit poorly on his own arm.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that to you a third time, lad,¡± Griff answered with a hissing chuckle.


    ¡°The War Camp shopkeep let you have them?¡± I asked, somewhat skeptical now. Commons I could perhaps see them giving to an advisor, but two Rares? If these were stolen goods, accepting them would undermine my Order cultivation.


    Esmi put her chin on my shoulder, looking at the cards with me. ¡°I paid for them.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± I asked in surprised relief.


    She smiled in satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who wanted to have a present ready for the important day.¡±


    ¡°I had thought the picnic you planned was present enough.¡±


    ¡°A picnic, eh?¡± Griff commented. ¡°Out of doors? That sounds nicer than counting the lines of spider webbing in my cell.¡±


    ¡°I must speak with Edaine on the morrow,¡± I declared. ¡°They can¡¯t have you living in such conditions, not when you¡¯re providing the type of important service you are to the kingdom. It¡¯s neither humane nor honorable.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself over it, lad,¡± Griff replied with that unconcerned attitude he so often mustered. ¡°It¡¯ll see itself sorted in the end.¡±


    I was no longer content to leave such a thing to chance, but I didn¡¯t need to argue with the man about it now, not right after he had given me a present and useful information. The Raven Nightguard would serve the same role as my Zephyrs: solid, early blockers. And like Griff had said, with more of them, taking the opening hit was not as concerning.


    We spent the next few minutes in conversation going over my new selections, with me transferring some cards I had expected to use today out and switching other ones in, including my newest Rares.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said when all seemed as finished as it could be, ¡°I can¡¯t keep hiding in this hallway forever. Let¡¯s be off, shall we?¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hang back,¡± Griff said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to stain your image by having someone like me tagging at your heels.¡±


    I had only taken a few steps but stopped abruptly, turning to him. ¡°Please do no such thing. You are my advisor, my teacher, the first true one I¡¯ve ever had the fortune to work with. I would be honored to enter with you.¡±


    Griff hesitated, and for a moment it was like I was looking at an entirely different person, one beneath the disheveled and gruff exterior, his blue eyes going slightly wide. Then the moment was gone, and the man shrugged, as if it were no care of his. ¡°If you insist.¡±


    ¡°I most certainly do,¡± I said. Unfortunately, I could tell he had already closed himself off from hearing the deep sincerity of my words. Still, he walked with us, Stephi close behind, which was enough for me for now.


    The hall we entered the ballroom from was one meant primarily for family, so while a guard was present, there was no crier to announce us. That was to my preference, as I would much rather observe the people around me unobtrusively than have them focus on me, particularly when my nerves had suddenly decided to fray.


    ¡°For Fate¡¯s sake,¡± I hissed quietly, gripping onto my new pants to keep my arm not interlinked with Esmi¡¯s from shaking. I didn¡¯t know why the presence of others was having such a tangible effect on me. There was pleasant music playing, boisterous conversation, and spectacles for the eye to appreciate ¨C it was a happy time, yet my body seemed to think that I was marching to the gallows. Only a few of the Gala-goers seemed to have noticed us so far, and by the blessing of the Twelve, none were trying to approach me yet.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Esmi asked, also keeping her voice low and attention forward, showing her skill in maintaining the air of a well Ordered couple.


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± I told her, to which she shot me a quick, concerned look. ¡°I promise.¡±


    It was then I spotted the Queen herself and almost stumbled to a halt. The Sun King¡¯s wife, Gerad¡¯s mother, was speaking to some other woman I did not know, but apparently that particular woman must have been gifted with a fine sense of humor, for the Queen seemed quite entertained, laughing openly.


    ¡°She came,¡± I whispered in amazement to Esmi. I had checked with my mother this afternoon, and she¡¯d confirmed that there had been no word back from the official invite she¡¯d sent to the palace. ¡°The Queen must have gotten the letter I slipped under her door.¡±


    ¡°You placed an invitation in the royal apartments, unsolicited?¡± Esmi said to me, eyebrows rising.


    ¡°I did,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I didn¡¯t want to get your hopes up if she decided not to attend, yet there she is. With her here to observe the duel, Esmi, none can question the legitimacy of its outcome.¡± I was speaking faster than I meant to and with greater fervor, but I couldn¡¯t seem to help myself, my heart racing and my skin feeling flush. This was it; our plans for our future together were on the edge of fruition.


    Esmi took me by the lapels and kissed me deeply. ¡°You wonderful man, you,¡± she whispered when our lips eventually parted.


    This time I did feel others¡¯ eyes on us, but I hardly cared, kissing her back.


    ¡°Young love is a fine thing, is it not, Stephi?¡± I heard Griff say off to the side. ¡°Perhaps you and I should go on a picnic when this is over, eh?¡±


    Soon after, Esmi and I, with Griff in tow, made it the rest of the way through the crowd toward the entrance of the room. There was a wide landing at the top of the stairs, which would give adequate room for the duel and good sight lines to those watching. Despite my urging him to go farther, Griff leaned against a pillar a bit off from the foot of the staircase, saying he could yell any advice he might have well enough from there. Esmi also departed to join her father who was already up in one of the raised box seats that lined the upper wall of the room.


    Before she did, she told me, ¡°Show them what I already know you capable of.¡±


    I searched her gold-flecked eyes for a hint of doubt but found only an unflappable faith that humbled me. ¡°I will,¡± I promised, squeezing her hand tightly before letting it go.


    I saw that Gale was already standing up beside my mother at the head of the stairs. Ascending the steps, I searched for my father but failed to find him, which meant he must be off working. ¡®The streets do not sleep,¡¯ he often said. There was no joy in the refrain, just grim certainty that a job like his would never be done. I wondered if I somehow ended up perishing before him, whether he¡¯d manage to find the time to attend the burning of my body and interment of my Soul card.


    ¡°You were not mingling,¡± my mother observed when I reached her.


    ¡°I will after the fact. That way I can receive congratulations on my impending nuptials.¡±


    My mother eyed me but did not comment further. Instead, she took a mallet handed to her by Ossun and struck it against the hanging gong the butler held at the ready. When the crowd turned toward the ringing peel, she addressed them: ¡°Friends, peers, and allies, be welcome to House Hintal.¡± Her speech was steady and clear, well practiced at addressing large groups. ¡°We recognize the presence of our beloved Queen, who has graced us with her presence. We will have a lovely evening of song, dance, and entertainment. To begin, two of my sons have arranged an exhibition for your pleasure: they will duel each other for the hand of Esmi Fireheart of House Haraine. All the parties have agreed, and the contracts have been signed. Please arrange yourselves as best suits you.¡±


    I spotted my other brother Randel off to the side, talking to a juggler of source balls who was making them vanish one at a time. Near them, I also caught sight of Hull and Afi coming closer through the mingling press of people. The two of them were better dressed than I had ever before seen and looked surprisingly good together. It was a shame that this evening couldn¡¯t just be spent with us couples out for a good meal and a show at the theatre.


    After, I told myself. After you¡¯ve proved yourself, you¡¯ll have the rest of your lives together for such things.


    My cousin, Dafil, joined us, casting a Dueling Dome with her mix of Air and Order source over the landing.


    A hemisphere of glistening light descended around us, starting from a peak near the arched ceiling and then flowing downward like sparkling rain. When it had fully enshrouded us, my mother and cousin departed, but from below, a rasping voice shouted.


    ¡°Take those leg bracers off! No artifacts ¡®cept for source in a duel!¡±


    A look confirmed it was none other than Griff who had spoken, most of the attendees giving him and his armored escort a wide berth. Why hadn¡¯t I realized it before? Traditionally, only fabricators, amplifiers, or dampeners ¨C all artifacts that affected one''s amount of source draw ¨C were allowed in duels. The strengthening bracers of worked gold and silver that Gale wore around his legs at all times were certainly not one of those three. There was a murmur of agreement among those gathered, and my mother shot my brother a sharp look.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Gale said, sharing that winning smile with all of us. ¡°Old habits.¡± So saying, he crouched down to unlatch the artifact from first one leg, then the other.


    Without his bracers, his Soul ability that let him reduce weight would be of no consequence to me. And yet¡­


    ¡°There is no need,¡± I said. My voice started low but it grew in strength with each word. ¡°I have been training for combat beyond that of a dome. I wish to face you as you are.¡± I was sure Griff would be deeply unhappy about this choice of mine, but my eyes moved to where Esmi and her father were, up and to the right. I couldn¡¯t quite tell their expressions at this distance, but in a way, that made the decision easier.


    It was likely selfish of me, but I would prove to everyone gathered here, myself and Esmi included, that I deserved to be with her, that her faith in me was warranted, that I was indeed the proper match for her. And if I failed? Well¡­ we¡¯d all find out together.


    ¡°Generous of you,¡± Gale said with a smile. He straightened from his crouch, which, as usual, put him half a head taller than me.


    You have not just authored your own loss, I told a rising panic within myself. You have NOT.


    ¡°Twins who watch over us,¡± my mother intoned, starting the prayer for our match, ¡°let the outcome of this duel fought before you guide the fate of those involved, for their fortunes, and their futures. So be it.¡±


    ¡°So be it!¡± all those watching echoed, their shout filling the giant hall.


    No sooner was the prayer complete then I felt a tug behind my ear. The card that had been pulled from my Mind Home spun upward, crisscrossing my brother¡¯s ante as it went, both turning to face the crowd and expanding in size for all to see, including those of us directly below.


    My stomach tightened to see Atrea made vulnerable. A loss now would be devastating enough, but to be forced to forfeit my most precious of Souls as well? To avoid being consumed by such worries, I focused on my brother¡¯s Relic, which was truly a fascinating card. The protection it offered was non-standard, but still, quite good. If I had been planning to use a burn style deck or similar to defeat him, I would have found it exceedingly challenging to overcome. And even with a Soul-centric deck, like my own, the Vestment, if played, would extend the match. I had been under the impression that Gale using Air and weapon Relics would seek to end the duel quickly, but did this Vestment mean he also possessed some late game ending threat?


    The Epic drifted down to us, Atrea landing perfectly in my waiting fingers, and I tucked her back behind my ear.


    ¡°Luck, brother,¡± Gale called airily to me across the way.


    His nonchalance sparked a bit of anger in me, an emotion that had been missing up until now. I wouldn¡¯t be forced to prove myself in front of so many important people in Treledyne if my parents hadn¡¯t meddled in my marriage or if my eldest brother had taken my side instead of theirs. His flippancy showed how little the outcome meant to him, whereas for me, I was fighting for the very bedrock of my future happiness.


    I didn¡¯t return the well wishes, simply nodding at him, as I drew my opening hand. Fortune be praised, I pulled one Order source and one Air, which would enable me to do either of my planned openings. My other draws, however, were hardly what I hoped; despite the fact that my deck currently contained thirteen Souls, all three were Spells: two Executions and an Equality.


    Such cards were present in my deck to be good blockers from hand, as well as to eliminate some of the troubling Souls Griff had heard Gale would be using. Equality¡¯s use would be niche considering my build, but after the number of times the Spell had saved my skin, I hadn¡¯t felt comfortable without at least one in my deck.


    Any two of these three cards would let me fully stop Gale¡¯s initial assault ¨C one for each of his two strikes of Flurry ¨C but to what end? None of these were the Souls I required at the start of the match, and if I relied on my next draw, I might end up defeated before ever reaching them.


    I let all three go, and they vanished in motes of light, returning to the base of my Mind Home. I needed either a Zephyr or Raven Nightguard for the first turn, or a Master Shieldbearer. As my mulliganed cards disappeared, I noticed that Gale had discarded two of his own. At least Fortune didn¡¯t favor him with perfect draws either, I contented myself.


    Pulling from my Summons Deck again, I watched with held breath as the new cards formed in my hand. They ended up being partially what I wanted.


    Each had their role to play: the Zephyr was the most obvious, as it would let me block enemy Flyers, including Gale, early in the match. The Bearkin could also have been used early if not for Gale¡¯s Flying. Because of that though, it would be a later play, when my defenses were set enough to launch my own attack. The Kata should help me survive long enough to reach that point, and was among my newest purchases that I was extremely glad to have since it could entirely negate a Flurry attack.


    I went ahead and summoned my Order source, the card transforming as soon as I let go of it into a pearlescent orb that drifted up to hover above me. Gale did the same, an Air source appearing on his side, as expected. In my many practice runs of this match, I had toyed with using Air, too, clashing with him, and forcing the Twins to decide which of us would get to act first. I had discarded the idea though because my slower deck wasn¡¯t as suited to one source plays.


    Gale drew two cards, barely looking at them, which told me that he already had what he needed. Sure enough, his Air source dipped more than a foot in the air, devoting, and a card misted out of my brother¡¯s hand.


    Just as Griff had predicted, it was a weapon Relic to start. At first, the newly formed sword merely floated in front of my brother, lazily turning, as if guided by some unseen hand, light from the chandeliers revealing the pattern of its uniquely folded metal. However, with a pull of Air from Gale, the Relic snapped into his hand, transitioning seamlessly from its role as a Soul to being wielded. It was a wonderfully flexible card, one I might even consider using myself if it had been chosen by the Twins as ante.


    ¡°Sorry, Basil,¡± Gale said, giving me an infuriating pout that didn¡¯t make him look sorry in the slightest. ¡°I¡¯ll make this as quick as I can, and when it¡¯s done, we¡¯ll share a drink together.¡± With a slight bend of his knees, he launched into the air, covering the twenty feet between us in a skillful, arcing leap, just as I had seen him do during our first day at War Camp. As he brought the Owl Blade down on my head, time slowed around me, Fate¡¯s Grace giving me the choice of how I would defend myself.


    I had an overwhelming urge to use some of my cards to block with, frustrated by his words and scared that I would lose all my Master Shieldbearers in one match-ending swoop. However, unlike my previous draws, these were all abysmally suited for that ¨C I¡¯d have to give up every one to stop both hits of his Flurry, including my extra source, and where would that leave me? No, such a reaction would lose me the duel before it even began. So, I kept my cards gripped tight, trusting in the wisdom of Esmi and Griff and my own skill in seeing our plans through.


    Time resumed its flow, and without me releasing anything to stop it, the blade struck the top of my head. I felt only the briefest of contact as it rebounded, two cards puffing out of me in a shimmering spray. Among those glistening pieces I saw the red border of my only Epic, the one I had chosen to elevate before all others.


    I reached out in shock, disbelieving that my rarest card would be the first to go. The glittering motes fell through my fingers, dissipating as they went, leaving my outstretched hand slightly a-tingle but also entirely empty.


    Gale¡¯s shadow fell over my palm, and my gaze jumped up to meet him. The blowback of card shards should have given me a moment of breathing room, but he was managing to push past them to strike again. It confirmed that he did indeed have the Flurry ability imprinted on his Soul now, and he used that Twin¡¯s given gift to send the point of his Owl Blade streaking toward my face.

 B2: 34. Basil - Challenges

    The blade slid across my cheek, but like before, all I felt was the barest of pressure. At the edge of my vision, I saw more card fragments shed from my skin, shimmering motes in lieu of blood. Besides Atrea, the staccato strikes at 2 damage each stripped me of a large chunk of my Air Souls: my other two Zephyrs and one of the Raven Nightguard that I had just been gifted.


    Gale was pushed away in truth this time, but he made the forced retreat look elegant, doing a flashy backward somersault with no hands that some in the crowd applauded. I barely noticed the pointless showmanship, focusing on the ramifications of his assault. Losing four of my Flyers after I had been so bold as to allow my brother to keep his artifact bracers felt like Fortune was mocking me. I still had a few left, but would they be enough? I let that question linger only a moment before moving past it. I was practiced enough at dueling now to know not to sit in my regrets. Instead, I turned my thoughts in a more positive direction: You¡¯re closer to getting your Shieldbearers now, and you still have a Zephyr ready to use in hand.


    Feeling my Mind Home relax, I quickly drew two cards, both from my Summons Deck, and was rewarded with not just one copy, but two, of the exact Soul I had just been thinking of.


    ¡°It did work,¡± I breathed in relief. Taking the hit had not only preserved my hand but also brought the cards I needed to the fore. But what to play? The Zephyr would let me block Gale¡¯s next attack. However, I wouldn¡¯t get the Zephyr¡¯s Dying Breath benefit, and with it being the only one I had left, I didn¡¯t want to miss out on that opportunity. The obvious alternative was a Master Shieldbearer, but that Soul had downsides, too. Summoning it would completely exhaust my available source, severely limiting my plays the following turn, which Gale could capitalize on.


    I allowed myself another few seconds to weigh my options; against a fast deck, early decisions like this would win or lose the match, or so Esmi had drilled into me.


    Decided but still feeling slightly sick about it, I played my Air source from hand and then devoted it and the Order to summon one of my Master Shieldbearers. The card misted out of my hand, reforming in front of me as a broad shouldered, heavily armored figure.


    I took up position behind it, and waited, having nothing else to do this turn.


    ¡°I had hoped for a little more brotherly sparring, but if you¡¯re just going to hide¡­¡± Gale commented, beginning to spin his Owl Blade in hand, which meant the Relic was back to ready. He drew his cards and played an Order source. I wondered what sort of Order cards he might be using, but like me, he ended up doing nothing.


    With my returning source not yet refreshed and all the cards I wished to play already in hand, I drew two cards from my Source Deck this time. My fervent hope was to get one of Air so I could either bring the Zephyr onto the field or have the source ready to cast Defensive Kata if needed when Gale inevitably attacked again.


    However, I drew two Life.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s balls,¡± I cursed under my breath.


    ¡°Problem?¡± Gale called. He was only ten or so feet away, casually strolling back and forth, so he didn¡¯t need to speak loudly for me to hear him.


    ¡°None of your concern,¡± I bit the words off, letting one of the Life orbs drift into the Air.


    ¡°There¡¯s no call to be less than civil,¡± Gale said with a frown. ¡°Especially not to someone who outranks you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how you bring that up when it suits you.¡± I was going to say more, but my eye and mind caught on a possibility. I had been so focused on the line of play I had been digging for, I had nearly missed a completely viable alternative. I devoted my fresh Life source, feeling the tingly power of it flow down through my skull and out my arms to the card I intended to summon. I had used Life source in War Camp before, and unlike Order¡¯s feeling of collected calmness or Air¡¯s soaring freedom, Life was similar to my cultivation of it, making me more aware of the life which surrounded me. That hadn¡¯t been a problem before, but now, with so many people packed together in this room, with Life Source flowing in my body, I suddenly became infinitely more aware of them: their breath, their attention, their very being, filling the ballroom with a buzzing energy I could feel against my flesh and almost hear. It would have been frighteningly easy to get lost in this heightened awareness, but I refocused on the card, pouring the source into my Bearkin, and the extra perception thankfully left me at the same time the Soul vanished from my hand.


    It was the older one with white in his hair who took form, and he gave me a small nod of greeting before positioning himself next to the Sheildbearer.


    ¡°I heard that you had been getting on with the elves,¡± Gale said, somewhat dismissively. ¡°Two slow sources in a single deck? You¡¯re practically begging to be a punching bag.¡± He sighed. ¡°And that is why you should never have stayed with that Chaos user advisor. It seems you and I will need to talk about your deck construction when we have that drink.¡±


    I nearly had the Bearkin attack, just to shut him up, but my brother¡¯s Owl Blade was at the ready. The swordstrike wouldn¡¯t be enough to destroy my Werebear, but Gale could easily finish the job the following turn since the Bear would be devoted and thus Vulnerable. Also, having just devoted my only Life source, it was going to be some time before I would be able to Transform the elf, and I¡¯d prefer it not get hurt until right before that.


    Patience would see this match won. I just needed to be deliberate and careful and keep a rein on my emotions.


    Watching Gale make his draws, I saw him flinch slightly. I discovered why when he played another Order, causing me to release a relieved breath. He didn¡¯t have enough Air for his Hunting Hawk, at least not yet, which would give me another turn to build my defenses. It was a beast of an Epic that I remembered crisply from when he had used it during our first day of War Camp training.


    Of course, that would hardly be the only big threat in his deck, so I watched without blinking to see what he was going to do with his 3 ready source. Surprisingly, his next act was to use both Order to draw, the pearlescent orbs above his head dimming and a new card flashing into his hand.


    He¡¯s not getting what he wanted, or at least not what he needs to deal with my Master Shieldbearer. It was a thrilling feeling to think that I might have stymied my older brother, even if it was just for a turn or two.


    He caught my look and wagged a reproachful finger at me. He then focused his Air and brought out a small Soul that started singing before it was even fully formed.


    Fascinatingly, I could see a vague impression of the notes in the air, which moved away from the bird, swirling around my brother and then more specifically the blade of his sword. Gale leapt at me, sailing over my Werebear and would have landed directly on top of me, swordpoint down, if my Master Shieldbearer hadn¡¯t pushed me back, taking my place. My Shieldmaster used one of his shields to stop the initial blow, but with Gale¡¯s Attack now at 3, it wasn¡¯t enough. My brother¡¯s blade knocked the shield edge inward, blowing past the defense to lodge briefly in the Soul¡¯s armor, a few inches deep. Gale yanked his arm back and did the same again, all before his feet touched the ground.


    During this onslaught, the Shieldmaster fought back, catching my brother in the chest with a solid shield bash, causing him to finally lose something from hand. It ended up being just a single card, an interesting dual source Spell built for defense that was clearly meant to pair with weapon Relics like the Owl Blade.


    Once again I found myself thankful that Gale had only a single Air source in play. With another, he could have used the Spell to damage my Master Shieldbearer further.


    Gale took advantage of the force of his own shattering card and the strength his bracers gave him to leap backward. He didn¡¯t spin in the air this time like an acrobat, but he did land adroitly a few feet behind his Starling, barely needing to bend his knees to cushion the landing.


    All in all, I found myself pleased by the result. How could I not be? Yes, my Master Shieldbearer was now wounded, but to me, Gale¡¯s attack was tinged with desperation considering he had taken as much damage in return to inflict it. Also, now that his Owl Blade hung heavy in his hand, used for the moment, I could attack with my Bearkin without worry about recrimination.


    Drawing, I opted to go for two source again, wanting that second Air so I could use one while having the other ready for Defensive Kata. The first I pulled was Order but the second was finally an Air, and I clenched my fist briefly in excitement. With defensive Souls on the field, more available to summon, and a protective Spell at the ready, my chances of overcoming Gale were feeling more and more like reality.


    You won¡¯t lose, I told myself, my eyes flitting briefly to the viewing box Esmi was in. You can¡¯t lose.


    I played the second Air source without hesitation, keeping the Life and Order in hand, along with my Zephyr, Defensive Kata, and extra Master Shieldbearer.


    With a command, I had the Bearkin attack. It would only do a single point of damage, but considering how Air-centric Gale¡¯s deck was and how little defense from hand those cards offered, 1 damage could end up removing a powerful Summon.


    However, instead of letting the Bearkin reach him, my brother had the Starling intercept. The bird pecked ferociously at elf¡¯s face, doing damage before being crushed in the Bearkin¡¯s hand, turning to card shards.


    ¡°Frightened of a little damage?¡± I asked, slightly perturbed that my first attack hadn¡¯t connected.


    My brother looked perfectly at ease, his posture almost insultingly relaxed. ¡°If ¡®a little¡¯ is all you can do, this is going to continue to go poorly for you.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue that this was going poorly for him not me, but then I began to wonder if I should have summoned and attacked with the Zephyr as well. That would have left it devoted, though, and I was reluctant to provide my brother with any such easy kills. Closing my mouth, I did go ahead and summon it now, devoting an Air to do so, giving myself another blocker on the field. The Zephyr beat its wide wings gently, which kept it half a dozen feet off the ground and provided me with a welcome breeze.


    I could have used an Air and an Order when summoning it, but I decided against that course for two reasons: First, I wanted to keep my remaining Air and Order up so I could not only cast Defensive Kata but use its pay ability if Gale found a way to get multiple, strong Souls onto the field quickly. Also, the Zephyr¡¯s Dying Breath ability was mostly useful on things that were devoted, so by devoting the source to summon it, I was providing its Dying Breath a target.


    Settling in, with my fingers on the Defensive Kata, ready to cast, I waited yet again to see what my brother would do next.


    He finally brought out a second Air, and I did my best not to react. I had been lucky to have this long without needing to face his big Air Souls. The question was, did he have one in hand now? Gale answered me by pulling from multiple of his sources, and sure enough, the giant bird misted into being. It let out a fearsome squawk as it appeared, and a yellow tinged shimmer surrounded it and my brother, both of them now diving through the air toward me, their combined potential, a ridiculous 20 damage.


    The attack would, however, leave the Hawk exposed, but I could see Gale¡¯s reasoning. If my brother had struck alone, I could simply block him with the Zephyr, which would waste the single turn of the Hawk¡¯s buff. With both Gale and his Epic Soul attacking, I would be forced to lose my Shieldbearer.


    Or so I was sure he believed.


    ¡°Let them through!¡± I yelled. I could have given the command mentally, but something about the moment seemed to demand more of me. The truth was that I didn¡¯t want to lose the Souls I had worked hard to summon yet, and I didn¡¯t have to.


    With my ready Air and Order source, I cast Defensive Kata on myself.


    Gale and his deadly bird descended on me, but my body was already repositioning itself under the effect of the Spell. With an agility I never would have thought my limbs capable of, I dodged sword blade, beak, and claw with equal ease, my hands slapping away their strikes when the rest of my body couldn¡¯t get out of the way fast enough.


    ¡°Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have let you have first pick of those new Air cards,¡± Gale conceded when the exchange was done, he and his Hunting Hawk backing away, their attacks spent.


    My body stilled, muscles slightly sore from being used in new ways, and yet, on the whole I felt excellent, invincible even. ¡°Perhaps not,¡± I agreed. I was doing it; I was in control of this match.


    Drawing my cards, I was overjoyed to see another Defensive Kata appear in my hand, along with an old staple.


    If I played my other Order source from hand, I¡¯d have enough to summon the Assassin, but instead, my eyes shifted to the second Life source. I had previously cursed its arrival, yet now it felt like exactly the thing to use. I let the source go, which formed into a green ball of vines, drifting upward and joining my other Life source. Then I drew on both, and the feeling of awareness I had experienced previously reasserted itself. It wasn¡¯t as shocking now that I was expecting it; this time I was better able to distinguish individuals, especially those close to me, like my brother, mother, cousin, or even Ossun the butler, each of them seeming to vibrate at a slightly different frequency. Fascinated, but having no time for such things, I expelled the tingling, jittery force onto the Bearkin, the green energy eagerly wrapped around the Soul before sinking into him. Enriched with Life source, the elf began to Transform, face and limbs extending, hair sprouting from flesh, wicked claws and sharp fangs protruding. The seven foot tall bear that now stood there gave a mighty roar, like it was finally free. And, just as I had planned, the 1 wound it had taken before was now healed.


    With a thought, I sent it charging after the still recovering Hunting Hawk. Though the bird was massive, the bear ripped its wings off, and the feathers all shifted into card shards, vanishing. Gale looked entirely displeased to see his Epic go, but he didn¡¯t have long to focus on that, because this time I did send my Zephyr in at him ¨C his Owl Blade heavy in his hand making him too tempting a target.


    Almost distractedly, Gale batted my Soul aside, blocking with another card from hand.


    That Spell used in tandem with his Hunting Hawk would have let him do a monstrous amount of damage, and I was suddenly very happy that I had managed to remove both from the duel.


    But what if he has more of them? That thought sobered me greatly, and I watched his response with more than a little trepidation. He revealed nothing about his draws, playing another Air source, which would give him enough for a second copy of the Epic if he had it¡­


    Instead, he played one of the cards Griff had heard about, an Order Rare that could increase the attack value of Gale¡¯s weapons.


    My brother wasted no time, bringing his Owl Blade over to the freshly summoned Soul. The Smith¡¯s hammer rang on the sword, and a swirl of yellow sparks infused it.


    Gale tipped his head in thanks, and then came at me in a corkscrew spin, his empowered blade leading the way.


    I had the source to cast my new Defensive Kata, but to use it against just one target felt like a waste. I couldn¡¯t take the hit though ¨C it would be 8 damage with Gale¡¯s Flurry ¨C so, with reluctance, I stepped back behind the Master Shieldbearer. My brother sliced the poor Soul to ribbons, but the Soul did give 1 damage back. I expected this to cost my brother little, perhaps another Riposte, but those among the crowd who were wearing viewing glasses of one sort or another gasped when it was the pieces of a red Epic that broke apart in front of him, and I was just as shocked as they.


    I couldn''t imagine Gale¡¯s hand was flush with Epics, so the only explanation must be that he was protecting something even better that was still in his deck. My mind itched, trying to figure out what it might be.


    As it did, I drew my two new cards and immediately knew I¡¯d have a tough decision to face.


    I had returned the Executions to my deck for the express purpose of dealing with problem Souls like the Master Relicsmith. By playing my Order source from hand ¨C which I did ¨C I would be able to cast the Spell. However, I was already feeling exposed without the comforting form of a Bodyguard at my side, and I didn¡¯t have enough Order source for the Spell and the Soul. For the first time since embarking on a tri-source build, I found myself wishing for my old, less spread out style. If only I had drawn my dual source of Order and Life earlier! But I hadn¡¯t, and it could be languishing at the base of my heart for all I knew.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The situation made me think of Esmi. In our practice matches, she had drilled into me the importance of being aggressive. She understood that I was using a more defensive style, but she said that this only made it more important that I chose the right times to strike. Without a doubt, she would urge me to use the Execution.


    Delaying the choice, I attacked with my Transformed Werebear to see what my brother would do in response. He only had a single Air source at the ready, but he might have a Defensive Kata of his own in hand.


    The lumbering bear ran on all fours until he reached Gale, at which point the Were-Elf stood on his hind legs, a powerful swipe of his paw raking across my brother. To my surprise, Gale managed to stop the entirety of the 4 damage with a single card.


    The golden shards weren¡¯t as impressive as the red that had come before, but I still heard people ¡®ooo¡¯ from below.


    My time was running out, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t be happy with either play, so I did the one I felt I had to, pulling power from my Order source.


    A haze of darkness appeared over the Relicsmith, who was already slightly bent from his last action, followed by a shimmer of silver and a schick as the metallic haze suddenly descended, lopping the Soul¡¯s head clean off before both parts of it broke into motes of light.


    Gale looked over to where his Rare Soul was disintegrating. ¡°I hate to say it, but this deck of yours is decidedly boorish to play against.¡±


    ¡°Why Gale,¡± I said, doing my best imitate the many smirks he¡¯d thrown my way over my life, ¡°that might just be the best compliment you¡¯ve ever given me.¡±


    Pulling from my Life source next, I went ahead and summoned a Soul I could afford, the slim form of the Spiderkin appearing before me.


    I kept two Air source ready so I could add to my Defensive Kata in hand. I also didn¡¯t transform the Spiderkin because I knew from War Camp that Gale also used an area of effect Spell, and I wanted her able to Dodge if needed.


    I felt even twitchier than before without a Bodyguard. Would my single Zephyr and Defensive Kata be enough to protect me? I prayed to the Twins they would be.


    Seeing so many of my brother¡¯s source dip in the air clenched my gut, and sure enough, another of the Souls Griff had warned me about appeared.


    My Zephyr let out a squawk of alarm as it fell from where it had been hovering to the slick stone of the stairway landing. It fumbled upright and beat its wings, but no matter how hard it tried, it made no difference.


    The air around me felt wrong now, too, stale, dead even, and I looked at the one-armed Soul my brother had summoned with trepidation. It¡¯s ability was incredibly good when paired with Gale¡¯s Flying attacking, and I had known of it when I agreed to let him use those damnable bracers, believing the foreknowledge of the Soul and the adjustments to my deck would be enough to overcome his combo. Facing the Kestrel Outcast, however, I felt sweat tickle down between my shoulderblades. My skin ran even colder when I realized that the new card didn¡¯t account for all the source my brother had just spent.


    A curved weapon appeared in Gale¡¯s off hand, each of its four blades looking wicked sharp.


    ¡°Now the fun can begin,¡± he said, his usual cocksure attitude fully restored.


    That must have been it; the card he had been protecting. I had never seen or heard of its like before, but even at a glance, I could tell it would be a problem for me to deal with.


    With a flick of his wrist, Gale sent the Relic spinning not toward any of my Souls but directly at me. I had no defense against it and couldn¡¯t imagine getting rid of my Master Shieldbearer ¨C I need to play that next turn ¨C my Master Assassin ¨C I need that to kill his Kestrel Outcast ¨C or my Defensive Kata ¨C I need that when he attacks me again, which he¡¯s going to do now that my Zephyr is grounded.


    With just two cards he had completely cracked my defenses.


    Hating the decision in front of me, I did my best to stand tall as the Whirling Blade sliced into me, cutting four cards out of my Mind Home. I watched each go, like they were fingernails being ripped from my body. They were all repeats, which Griff would tell me was the point, but still it stung to never get to use the Nightguard that he and Esmi had picked out for me.


    The last two being my only other Master Shieldbearer and Defensive Kata made those just as heartbreaking to lose as Atrea had been at the start, especially since their late arrival meant that even if I healed some, I wouldn¡¯t be getting my best two defensive options back anytime soon.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m sorry to see those go,¡± Gale said, and I hated him for knowing.


    Perhaps even worse, I only had 3 cards left in my Mind Home. How had they gone so fast?


    As the Whirling Blade arched away from me, my brother appeared in its wake, shooting across the distance between us, sword leading the way. Before he reached me, the spinning Relic twisted, transforming back into a card and joining the others that floated beside Gale, making up his hand.


    He¡¯ll be able to keep summoning it until I¡¯m dead, I realized with grim certainty.


    At least against this attack, I had an option, casting Defensive Kata, which let me slip past both sets of his attacks.


    ¡°You bought a full set of them?¡± Gale asked, backing off. ¡°Is anything in your deck offensive?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s working out well enough,¡± I growled at him. But was it? If he managed to throw that Whirling Edge at me again when I didn¡¯t have a Bodyguard summoned to take the hit, it would be the end of me. The only upside I could fathom was that all of my brother¡¯s source had been used, four of the five devoted. That meant next turn I¡¯d have a bit of reprieve.


    Twins send it so.


    I also had an important decision to make, something that only a year ago I wouldn¡¯t have considered, but now, after having fought in the Risings Stars Tournament, I knew could make or break a match: whether or not to Source Explode.


    I hadn¡¯t gotten my dual source yet, and it would be a shame to lose, but it being undrawn meant I could use its flexibility to help swing the Explosion the direction I wanted. With only two cards in hand, I¡¯d almost certainly use the Order side for the additional draw. What I really wanted was to summon both my Master Shieldbearer and my Master Assassin, but no matter what I did, I wouldn¡¯t have enough Order source available. With that play impossible, bringing just one of the Souls out didn¡¯t feel like enough, not on these turns I needed to make count before Gale got all his source back.


    I looked to Esmi¡¯s box, and I swore she gave me strength.


    Quickly, I drew two source, getting an Air and Order, summoning the Order as soon as my fingers touched its card. Then, I compressed the remaining source in my heart, shrinking it down until I couldn¡¯t hold it anymore, and then I let it release, a mixture of light and life pouring out of me. The power came from just one Order source and my dual source, and with a mental nudge, I pushed that dual source to Order, turning the source I was releasing all to light. Two more cards jumped into my hand, ones I knew I would get because I had put them there at the start of the match: a pair of Executions.


    ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give for a Penitence right now,¡± I grumbled to myself. I was surprised when both my Spiderkin and the Werebear looked at me.


    ¡°If you Transform me, I can devote that Kestrel if it attacks,¡± the willowy elf said. Not to be left out, the Werebear growled and grunted something at me as well.


    ¡°What did he just say?¡± I asked in bemusement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t speak bear,¡± she answered matter-of-factly, ¡°but probably that with Terror, he can get past the Kestrel.¡±


    They were¡­ helping me. It seemed my pledge to them at the picnic had indeed had a lasting effect. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, somewhat abashed to be receiving their aid even though it was what I had asked for.


    The Spiderkin¡¯s overlarge eyes watched me. ¡°Prove you¡¯re worth it,¡± she said. ¡°That winged Epic keeps saying you are.¡±


    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gale¡¯s fingers twitch, eager to draw, and I knew I was running out of time.


    ¡°I will very much try,¡± I promised, quickly using a mix of source. As much as I wanted to take down the Kestrel with my Master Assassin, I needed protection from another hit of that Whirling Edge, and doing that with a Soul on the field I could heal felt more efficient than being forced to block with cards from hand.


    ¡°Welcome to the party,¡± I said, when the Master Shieldbearer formed in front me. For some reason it felt right to keep the conversation with my Souls going.


    His helmeted head turned enough so that I could see the edge of his visor slit. ¡°They won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    That voice and that phrase. He was the one who had protected me before so valiantly, and despite everything, my confidence grew. Not done yet, I quickly devoted my only ready Life source, splitting its energy into the Werebear and Spiderkin. An aura of malevolence descended around the bear, and when it roared, this time it was a deep yet piercing scream that assaulted the senses, and I saw people in the crowd shy back.


    The Spiderkin¡¯s limbs bent and popped, skin hardening instead of growing hair, becoming smooth, interlocking chitin.


    And then, I sent both charging at Gale, the bear continuing its terrifying roar and the elf-sized spider skittering forward, venom-tipped pincers clacking. The Kestrel Outcast wouldn¡¯t be able to block the Bear, and if it did block the Spider, it would be destroyed ¨C the latter of which I desperately hoped happen.


    However, my brother swept forward, taking on both the shape-shifters. His Owl Blade was dead in his hand, so he could only take the attacks on the chin, which he did with a cool dignity.


    At first he blocked with cards from hand, the early ante reappearing, stopping a full half of the incoming damage, alongside a Spell I was unfamiliar with but devoured the text of, knowing my victory might hinge on such knowledge.


    The other 2 points of damage Gale let connect, losing two cards from his Mind Home, both of which ended up being the same.


    The extra swords seemed redundant to me at first, until I realized that equipping a second would have let him easily use Echo on himself ¨C I shuddered at the thought.


    Glancing at the nimbus of cards still surrounding Gale, I was displeased to see that he still somehow had 6 cards left in his Mind Home to my 1.


    ¡°At least I have more cards in hand,¡± I told myself.


    ¡°And me,¡± the Shieldbearer said, clanking his shields together in a way I thought was meant to be supportive. The Bear and Spider returned then, echoing their assent in what way they could.


    I only had one source at the ready, an Air, and I focused it to refresh the Werespider. The fact that the Source Power cost so little due to her Transformed state was a marvel and felt like I was really making use of my mixed source build.


    As a final act, I had the Spider use its refreshed state to spin out a Web.


    It wouldn¡¯t work on Gale himself, but it would stop any big Souls in their tracks. I knew this meant that my brother would likely target her with his Whirling Death, but he¡¯d only have enough Air source to use that Relic once on his next turn, and if threw the Relic at my Souls, that meant he wasn¡¯t targeting me.


    Maybe this way he¡¯d finally have some hard decisions on his hands.


    Gale drew his cards, looking thoughtful, not stressed, damn him, and then he focused his only two ready sources.


    Focused? But that¡¯s not enough for ¨C


    I had been so sure he would cast Whirling Edge, I¡¯d forgotten about a Spell I¡¯d seen from him before! I felt the air rush past, and though I was unharmed, I saw my Spiderkin crumple and then shatter, her Web falling apart with her. My grounded Zephyr, Werebear, and even my Master Shieldbearer ¨C since Armor didn¡¯t protect from Spells ¨C all rocked back from the blast, taking a point of damage each.


    The end result was little different than him using the Whirling Edge; in fact, this way, his own Kestrel Outcast took 1 damage, too. However, he had achieved the effect without needing to devote any of his sources, which meant on his next turn he¡¯d have at least 6 at the ready.


    And then he sent the Kestrel Outcast at me. With its 5 attack, it wouldn¡¯t do quite enough damage to my Master Shieldbearer to kill it, but it would be close, and I wanted the Soul healthy to defend against the Whirling Death. So, I sent the still grounded and thus ungainly Zephyr to stop the Kestrel, who was unceremoniously butchered, the Outcast ripping the other bird¡¯s heart out with its beak. As the Zephyr perished, a gust of wind came from it, which I redirected toward my devoted Life source, bringing it back to ready.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered. I doubted the Soul could hear me at Uncommon and destroyed as it now was, but still, I hoped that it did or that one of my other Souls conveyed the message.


    I felt my Mind Home loosen, and I drew my last Summon card at the same time I released my last source from hand, an Air.


    Equality was sadly no good to me at the moment since I still had my Werebear and Master Shieldbearer on the field against Gale¡¯s single Soul. However, the Spell should help me defend from hand. Also, with another source above me, I now had seven at the read: 3 Order, 2 Air, and 2 Life. I could power practically anything I wanted, but what?


    ¡°Kind of you to focus your Kestrel Outcast for me,¡± I called to Gale, killing a bit of time while I thought. With 2 damage on the Outcast, it would only take a single Execution to destroy.


    He shrugged, nonchalantly. ¡°I know you use that Master Assassin. It was only a matter of time until you targeted it.¡±


    I could play the Master Assassin, but it wouldn¡¯t be as efficient a removal option as the Execution. Even without any Flyers remaining on my side, I felt I should get rid of the Outcast while it was focused, and my hand moved to one of my Executions.


    Watching me just as closely as I was watching him, Gale¡¯s lip twitched up.


    My hand froze. Was that another smirk? He always had such an air around him, but there was usually a reason why. What did he know?


    I looked at his side of the field, my eyes catching on the half dozen source that floated above him, all slowly making their way up to ready. 6 available, just as I had thought about before. That would be 12 source when devoted, enough to¡­


    I did some quick calculations, and my heart sank like a dead weight. If he threw the Whirling Edge at me four times next turn, the first two would be enough to kill my Master Shieldbearer, and stopping the next two directed at me for 4 damage each would require me to block with my entire hand: my Executions, Equality, and Master Assassin all stopped 3, an incredibly unfortunate amount in this situation. And I had to block from hand because I had no cards left in my Mind Home.


    Then, with my Master Shieldbearer destroyed and me cardless, Gale could casually leap through the air over my Werebear to finish the job with his Blade because I had let him keep his bracers.


    He had won. That¡¯s what his little smirk meant. He knew it.


    I began sweating in earnest. I had so much source at the ready, there had to be an out, didn¡¯t there? The only way that came to mind was defeating him first, but he had 2 cards in hand, and, I squinted¡­ 5 still in his Mind Home. Attacking with my Bear wouldn¡¯t do near enough to end things, and he¡¯d still have the Whirling Edge left to best me.


    It¡¯s over, started repeating in my head frantically. I¡¯ve lost.


    I could kill his Kestrel Outcast with Execution and also summon my Master Assassin to attack Gale, but 2 more damage wouldn¡¯t be enough to tip the scales. I felt like a blind man pawing at a wall, believing that there must be a doorway through but finding nothing but smooth stone. My breathing became irregular and my vision darted around. I was going to lose everything, and I was going to do it in front of everyone.


    Feel your Order source, a voice said in me; it was small, yet insistent, a part of my mind that hadn¡¯t yet accepted defeat. Use it to calm yourself. Breathe, feel the Air around. It¡¯s quiet, yet there, waiting to take you wherever you want to go. It was working, my heart rate was slowing, and I didn¡¯t feel as impossibly trapped as I had a few moments ago. Feel the Life, too. Not too much but enough to enliven you. I did feel them, so many focused on me, yet they were not the only ones. I felt the barest tingle from my Shieldbearer and Werebear in front of me, and my Master Assassin in my hand, and somewhere else in my mind, not my Mind Home, but past that, in the darkness beyond ¨C


    Atrea! the thought came to me in a rush. You still have Atrea!


    With no time to waste, I drew from my Life source, enough to heal myself with its Power for 1 point, returning the first card I had lost to my Mind Home. I pulled on my Order source next, using its Power to draw that card into my hand.


    Then, with my remaining Order and Air, I brought her into the flesh.


    The crowd ¡®oohed¡¯ at the combo, but I only had eyes for Gale, whose smirk had slipped a touch.


    With 8 attack, that should be enough to see the deed done. Unless¡­. A terrifying thought occurred to me, robbing me of the momentum I had been building. What if he had another Greater Air Elemental in hand? It would let him block 5 of the 8 and the rest he¡¯d be able to absorb with his remaining cards.


    Was it better to keep Atrea back and not attack? She was a Flyer, except she wasn¡¯t because I hadn¡¯t killed the Kestrel Outcast. I didn¡¯t have enough Order left to cast Execution, too ¨C it cost 3 and I only had 2. I could attack with Atrea and maybe refresh her with Air source power? No, I didn¡¯t have enough of that either.


    I stood there, frozen again, knowing that I had to make a decision, but without the time to go through all the calculations; I had spent too long collecting myself, and Gale¡¯s sources were nearly back to ready. Air was weak to attack, this I knew. As long as the other card in Gale¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t block for more than 2 ¨C something only two of his cards so far could do ¨C I would win. It was an educated guess, but with the few seconds remaining to me, that¡¯s all I had.


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± I said, and as the words left me, I finally understood what Hull saw in swearing.


    Atrea and the Werebear rushed forward, charging past the focused Kestrel who couldn¡¯t stop them, straight into Gale, sword and claws swinging.


    Every part of my body was on edge as they collided. If my brother had a big card ¨C


    He let the first from his hand fly and it was¡­ nothing more than an Order source, breaking apart in a flash of light.


    It was like all the breath I had ever taken in was expelled from me at once.


    The Whirling Edge was next to go from his hand, followed by all the remaining cards in his deck, which burst out of him like a confetti shower. I didn¡¯t bother trying to read them nor did I care that he still remained standing because the outcome was a foregone conclusion: there was no way his Owl Blade and Kestrel Outcast would be enough to get past my bodyguard and the 4 cards I still had in hand. And even if he held the Outcast back for protection, my Bear with Terror would defeat him on my next turn.


    Gale must have been just as aware of this as I was because he raised his hands palm up in a casual shrug of surrender, letting his Owl Blade drop, the Relic vanishing before it hit the floor. He then gave those watching a bow and me one as well.


    The crowd, consisting mainly of the nobility and those of the upper crust, did not go as wild as common folk might, but there was a thunderous applause, and I did catch some people shouting, Hull very much one of them, jumping up and down beside Afi, which pulled an unexpected laugh out of me.


    ¡°You have achieved your wishes,¡± someone said to me close by. I turned to see that Atrea was back, the Werebear just behind her. She laid a gauntleted hand on my shoulder. ¡°Remember this moment. It is a fine one.¡±


    The Dueling Dome fell then, and she vanished, along with everything else we had summoned. My chest burned seeing them go, I was sure from the deep gratitude I felt for them, and if I was fortunate, perhaps something more. I would need to give them all my thanks the next opportunity I had.


    Gale had approached without me realizing and threw an arm over my shoulder. ¡°You little turtle,¡± he said. ¡°Who knew you had that last bit of snap in you?¡± I had a number of retorts to his poor, backhanded compliment, but before I could get any out, he pointed. ¡°You might want to catch that.¡±


    A look up showed me a card falling like a leaf, drifting back and forth on its way down. I grabbed it between my fingers when it passed low enough, having completely forgotten about the Epic ante.


    I stared at it, applause still filling the room, imagining how much more defensible I¡¯d be wearing something like that. The moment didn¡¯t last long, and I handed the card back to my brother. War was coming, and even if he was an insufferable ass who should have taken my side to begin with, I didn¡¯t want him getting hurt.


    He guffawed. ¡°You¡¯re surely joking.¡±


    ¡°I asked you to duel for Esmi¡¯s hand, not a card,¡± I said, pushing it toward him. ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°What a truly thoughtful brother you are.¡± He plucked the Relic out of my hand as he said it, not bothering to argue against the idea a second time, nimbly tucking it back behind his ear. ¡°I shall have to repay the favor someday.¡± He leaned closer to me. ¡°Saving myself for Esmi ever since this marriage talk has begun has been an awful bore. I finally feel free again.¡±


    I stiffened, an awful idea coming to me. He seemed much too happy after having just lost. ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    His expression turned hard, harder than it had ever been during our match. ¡°By the Twins and the name Hintal, I did not. Do not insult us both by speaking such a thought aloud.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, relaxing despite his harsh look. I had done it; with the help of Esmi, Griff, Hull, the elves, and all the rest, I had well and truly done it. A glance at my mother showed she was none too pleased, and who knew how my father would react, but that wasn¡¯t stopping a font of elation from pouring into me, mixed with gratitude, relief, and excitement.


    I¡¯m going to be married.


    A murmur among the crowd turned both our heads, and the cause was none other than Esmi riding Balax through their midst. The giant, scaled cat picked its path well, leaping from one opening to the next, but the crowd had little trust in the creature, shouting or darting out of the way, some even summoning source.


    Esmi paid them no mind, her long, curled hair and red dress flying out behind her as she rode Balax past them all and then up the large flight of steps. When she reached the top, she dismounted expertly, crashing into me, her lips meeting mine in a fiery kiss. When we parted, I didn¡¯t expect to see an equal amount of fire in her eyes.


    ¡°You let him keep the bracers?¡± she nearly growled. The sentiment was underscored by Balax letting out an actual growl of his own while he prowled behind her.


    ¡°Ah, that, yes,¡± I said, disarmed by the sharp contrast in treatment and feeling instantly sheepish. ¡°It was important I win my way, you see,¡± ¨C her eyes did not soften ¨C ¡°and the difficult road can be a better road for the Soul¡± ¨C was her foot tapping now? ¨C ¡°It might have been a bit prideful, true ¨C¡±


    ¡°A bit?¡± she said, eyebrow arching.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on him,¡± Gale interjected. He had released me when Esmi arrived but was still near. ¡°He did win, after all. Besides,¡± he added, giving her one of his well-greased smiles, ¡°a man isn¡¯t very interesting without any pride.¡±


    Esmi eyed my brother dangerously. ¡°I see where he gets it now.¡±


    ¡°And I can see this cat has claws,¡± Gale joked. ¡°It seems I dodged a barbed arrow there.¡± He gave me a wink. ¡°My thanks again, little brother.¡±


    Esmi and I both started to argue her fine qualities as a partner, but another spoke louder.


    ¡°I challenge!¡± The voice cut through the hubbub that was still boiling below and certainly got our attention. It took a bit of shifting among the crowd to uncover the speaker, but eventually those watching parted enough to reveal the group of Deepkin. I had invited nearly everyone in War Camp, but I hadn¡¯t even realized that the dwarves had decided to attend. The female dwarf, Glydnuk I thought her name was, stepped forward, her stony gaze boring straight into me. ¡°I challenge Basil for his hand and Soul in marriage.¡±

 B2: 35. Hull - Down to the Nub

    Afi and I stared at the dwarf, our mouths hanging open. ¡°What the hell?¡± I laughed. Everyone else was whispering and tittering behind their hands too.


    Basil looked like he¡¯d just taken a ten-card hit from a Mythic Soul. Confusion chased panic around his face, leaving him pale and gaping. ¡°My good dwarf, you cannot possibly mean that. Why, we¡¯ve never spoken more than a dozen words to each other! Is this Depths humor? I must confess it escapes me.¡±


    My Twins-damned advisor Badgou, standing at the back of the cluster of dwarves, said, ¡°No joke is being told. We know your customs, and you are Order-bound to face this challenge and honor its outcome.¡±


    Esmi scoffed, glowering down at them. ¡°There¡¯s not an Order source amongst the lot of you. What would you know of it?¡±


    Basil laid a calming hand on her arm. ¡°It¡¯s a very old custom, you see. I can¡¯t think of a single forced-marriage challenge in the last century.¡± He looked to Gale for support, who merely grinned and shrugged, enjoying his brother¡¯s discomfort.


    ¡°Was your duel not for the marriage of Esmi?¡± Badgou countered. It felt odd to me that she was the one speaking when Glydnuk was the one who¡¯d given the challenge. It stank of collusion. The dwarves were all up to something together, and whatever it was, it was important enough to finally quit sitting passively in the background and make a move for once.


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Basil said, sounding desperate. ¡°Esmi isn¡¯t forced to marry either of us; this was primarily to resolve an internal familial, ah, disagreement. Forced marriage duels are a thing of the past, a way for warring rulers to avoid open battle and loss of life.¡±


    The cluster of dwarves stood stock still and silent, almost as if they were thinking furiously with one shared mind. ¡°Has this law been revoked?¡±


    Mouth opening and closing, Basil¡¯s eyes darted toward the Queen, who sat atop a summoned Relic throne that had allowed her a commanding view of the match.


    ¡°It has not,¡± she said, her voice ringing.


    Basil sagged ever so slightly. ¡°Ah.¡±


    Irritation flashed hot and prickly under my collar, and I stepped forward. ¡°This is bullshit,¡± I said loudly.


    The entire room of nobles looked to me, and I felt the weight of all those avid stares. They might as well have been at the theatre for all the entertainment they were getting tonight. Swallowing, I soldiered on. ¡°Basil¡¯s been trying to marry this girl for ages, and he¡¯s the one she wants. Let¡¯s knock of the rest of this dick-swinging and let them at it. Fight me if you need to fight somebody.¡±


    Badgou barely looked at me. ¡°Glydnuk desires Basil, not you.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Basil asked plaintively. ¡°We don¡¯t even know each other!¡±


    ¡°A husband is a resource,¡± Badgou said. ¡°The knowing does not matter. Will you accept the challenge or break your rule and offend your own Order?¡±


    ¡°Now, hold on,¡± he said, holding out a hand. ¡°I¡¯m not breaking anything; let¡¯s talk about this first.¡±


    ¡°You can spend your words with Glydnuk to your heart¡¯s content once you are married and safely in the Depths with us.¡±


    His eyes bulged. ¡°You want me to go to the Depths?¡±


    ¡°A husband does as his wife requires. That is our way.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Esmi thundered. I¡¯d never seen her so angry ¨C her fine gown was smoldering, and Basil had to take a step back from her. ¡°I challenge Glydnuk to the right for Basil¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°Dearest,¡± Basil said, ¡°is that really¨C¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± she shouted. ¡°If this pile of flint wants you, she has to go through me first.¡±


    Afi leaned toward me and whispered in my ear. ¡°I know they¡¯re your friends and this probably feels very serious and all, but you should know this is the most fun I¡¯ve had since the Tournament. And my escort stepping into the middle like a knight? It¡¯s very nearly perfect.¡±


    I looked at her blankly, but she just hooked her arm through mine and went back to watching the show unfold in front of us.


    Glydnuk looked back at Badgou, but the dwarf leader never even glanced at her. ¡°We will have what is ours. She accepts.¡±


    A fresh buzz of excitement broke out among the assembled crowd, and the open space Gale and Basil had used just minutes before was reestablished as Glydnuk mounted the stairs by herself. The other dwarves stayed right where they were, a knot of stubborn stone holding solid in the midst of the glamor of the nobility. I saw Basil shuffled protesting off to one side, ending up nearly at the Queen¡¯s elbow, while Esmi strode into the dueling space, fierce and confident. Afi towed me forward by the arm, jockeying for a better spot to watch from.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I muttered as the Dueling Dome went back up and the opening invocation was given. ¡°Why the hell is Badgou pushing this? What is going on?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got something they want,¡± a new voice said on my other side.


    Jerking in surprise, I found my disguised mother standing there, a small, satisfied smile on her lips. ¡°You! What do you mean?¡±


    Afi peered around me. ¡°Who¡¯s this, Hull?¡±


    There was an amused glitter in my mother¡¯s eyes, but she said nothing, merely quirking an eyebrow at me as if to say How will you get yourself out of this one?


    ¡°She¡¯s, uh, an old friend from the Lows. Bryll. She, she works for the Hintal family now.¡± It was the best I could come up with on short notice.


    ¡°An old friend?¡± Afi¡¯s hand tightened on my arm. ¡°I see.¡±


    She obviously didn¡¯t, but I could feel the malicious glee rolling off my mother as she took hold of my other elbow and said, ¡°Oh yes, nobody knows Hull like I do. Forged in the fires of adversity together.¡±


    I gave Afi a little shake of the head to let her know it wasn¡¯t like that, but her lips thinned as she gave both of us a hard look. Then, visibly forcing herself to relax, she smiled. ¡°A pleasure, Bryll. You must be well-trusted to be serving at the Gala. Get us a glass of wine, won¡¯t you?¡±


    My mother¡¯s smile had teeth in it. ¡°I¡¯m serving the pastries. I¡¯d love to get you one.¡±


    I remembered her note and felt a flash of panic. ¡°We¡¯re fine for now, thanks. What were you saying about the dwarves?¡±


    ¡°That they never break cover or take a risk unless there¡¯s something significant to be gained. Your lad Basil has something they want. A card, maybe?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve learned all about the deepkin in the Lows, have you?¡± Afi asked sweetly.


    Mother chuckled. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±


    The ante cards went up, and a gasp rippled through the crowd.


    ¡°Mmm, high stakes,¡± Mother said, sounding lazily interested. ¡°Forget the boy, I want those cards.¡±


    I scanned the cards quickly as I dug my glass eyepatch back out of my pocket. At my side I felt Afi doing the same. The Dueling Dome would let us see what cards were played, but the glass Artifacts would let us see discards as well. I was shocked to see a Depths card for the first time. I was so used to the dwarves fielding garbage-tier Earth cards that I¡¯d almost forgotten that they might have something more. Basil and I had speculated that they were holding back for some reason, and here was the proof. That dwarf Soul was a solid wall of a card. I¡¯d seen Esmi play Esmet before, and Glydnuk¡¯s Mythic was on par with it ¨C so long as Argun was in play, Glydnuk literally couldn¡¯t lose.


    As the stubby, rocky dwarf squared off and drew her cards and Esmi did the same, I thought back on what my mother had said just before the ante reveal, and a cold certainty washed over me. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I breathed.


    Afi looked over the developing match and saw nothing to justify my concern. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The cold settled into the pit of my stomach and lodged there like bad food. ¡°This is my fault.¡±


    ¡°Do tell,¡± Mother purred.


    I hesitated, not wanting to let either of them know what a fool I¡¯d been, but I suddenly felt so awful that I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth closed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize it at until now, but¡­ I think I accidentally told Badgou what Basil¡¯s soul ability is.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Afi said, aghast. My mother just laughed.


    ¡°She¡¯s my advisor,¡± I said miserably. ¡°Basil, uh¡­¡± I realized I was about to repeat my mistake and hastily amended my words. ¡°He used his ability on my behalf, and without thinking about it I mentioned what he¡¯d done while Badgou was helping to prep my deck. It must be something they want badly. I think she orchestrated this whole thing because of it. Dammit, I really should have forced Glydnuk to duel me. I deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Must be quite the ability,¡± my mother said, looking at Basil thoughtfully.


    I nodded mutely, not trusting myself to say anything without giving more away.


    ¡°Hull, how could you do such a thing?¡± Afi asked, sounding horrified. She took her arm back from mine. ¡°People might discover some of your soul abilities through dueling ¨C that¡¯s fair play, and unavoidable to some extent ¨C but anything that doesn¡¯t reveal itself that way is private. If Basil let you know about it or used it on your behalf, that¡¯s a sacred trust. Why do you think sharing soul cards is such an intimate thing? You¡¯re letting someone in on your most important secrets!¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s just fine,¡± I said, feeling nettled, ¡°but some of us didn¡¯t have a soul card ¨C or any cards at all ¨C until just a few months ago. I¡¯m supposed to somehow know all the rules just because? It¡¯s not like they had a class on this in War Camp.¡±


    ¡°They simply expect you to know,¡± Afi muttered. She obviously still wanted to be upset but didn¡¯t have a good reason for it. ¡°Nobody comes up from absolutely nothing to the heights of society as fast as you have.¡±


    My mother patted my arm. ¡°Intentional or not, you may have just condemned your little noble pal to a life trapped in the Depths,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for having friends.¡±


    The match had gotten well underway while we talked. Esmi had two Kobold Souls on the field, one of which she¡¯d recently elevated ¨C


    ¨C and was in the midst of playing a Melt on a Relic of Glydnuk¡¯s.


    I could see why Esmi had needed to destroy that Relic; her deck depended on fast, hard hits from her Kobolds, and Glydnuk having the Hourglass in her opening hand had obviously already bogged down Esmi¡¯s previous turn. Given Esmi¡¯s amazing ability that gave all her Kobolds +1 Attack, that was a hefty 6 damage she¡¯d missed out on up front.


    One thing I couldn¡¯t understand, though, was the card floating facedown near Glydnuk where Souls would normally manifest; all I could see was the smiling and weeping face of the Twins on the card¡¯s smoky back.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked Afi, pointing. ¡°Why can¡¯t we see it?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a trap card,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever read about them, because who ever plays against Depths? But that¡¯s the only thing I can think of that wouldn¡¯t show itself once played.¡±


    ¡°We should have been playing against Depths this whole time,¡± I groused. ¡°Were these rocky bastards going to keep holding out on us when we went to battle, too?¡±


    ¡°They quite likely would have,¡± Mother said glibly. ¡°Unless they got a better offer to do otherwise.¡±


    Afi scowled ever so slightly at her, and then leaned into my ear, whispering. ¡°Who is this girl? An old lover from your time in the Lows?¡±


    I fought back a hysterical giggle. ¡°Nothing like that, I promise you. It¡¯s complicated, but there¡¯s a good dozen reasons I¡¯d never touch her just off the top of my head.¡±


    She eyed me narrowly as if unsure if I was lying, but she settled back in beside me, seeming to have forgotten her earlier pique. I let out a sigh and caught my mother smirking at me. She knew she was causing problems, and she enjoyed it. I think I liked it better back when all I could do was wonder about her. She was going to have me in fits before the night was over, I just knew it.


    I leaned over to her and spoke privately just as Afi had done. ¡°What are you doing here? This can¡¯t be part of your peace negotiations.¡±


    Her mouth turned down in a mockery of innocent offendedness. ¡°Can¡¯t a girl have more than one iron on the fire? I thought you¡¯d be glad to see me.¡±


    ¡°Not when you¡¯re trying to poison the girl I¡¯m escorting,¡± I hissed. ¡°What did you do to the pastries? Who did you give them to? Was it the Queen? Twins help me, if you¡¯re trying to get back at her¨C¡±


    She waved a hand casually. ¡°I haven¡¯t touched the food. I just wanted to keep you on your toes.¡±


    Now it was my turn to peer suspiciously. She might be telling the truth, but only if it suited her somehow. ¡°I want your word you won¡¯t hurt anyone here.¡±


    She made an amused little noise. ¡°My word. You really need to spend a little more time away from all these humans. Their rigid thinking is rotting your mind.¡±


    ¡°I can get you thrown out,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Not without exposing who I am,¡± she said, her voice suddenly venomed steel. ¡°I think you remember what happens if you do that.¡±


    I searched her eyes, feeling desperate, trapped. ¡°How am I ever supposed to trust you?¡±


    ¡°Trust?¡± She shook her head pityingly. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, not even among humans. We¡¯re family, Hull; none of those other words matter. Stick by me and you¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    I turned my eyes back to the match, my gut churning. Afi had been watching us whisper, and she had that thin-lipped look again. What does it matter? It¡¯s not as if she¡¯d have ever wanted anything more than escort duty from you. Let her think what she pleases.


    The match had gotten away from me again. Whatever the trap card had been, it was sprung and gone without me ever seeing it. Esmi now had two upgraded Kobolds on the field, both focused, and Glydnuk had a heavily-wounded dwarf Soul at the ready, dripping blood onto the marble that disappeared the moment it hit.


    It was the Glydnuk¡¯s turn, and she was bringing out a new Soul.


    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s a good one,¡± Afi murmured.


    I could see the advantage of having all her source count as Depths ¨C she had an Earth circling her head amongst the craggy balls of stone ¨C but Slow didn¡¯t sound good.


    ¡°What¡¯s Toughness?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Combines Armor and Resistance,¡± she said.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I blanched. Having to hit for 2 extra damage no matter it was combat or Spells made that 3 Health go a lot further than it might otherwise. ¡°Does the damage count merge or add up separately?¡± I asked. ¡°If Esmi hit that for 3 with a Kobold and then used her Fire source ability, would the Toughness take off 2 from each different kind of damage, or does it all lump together?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s separate,¡± she said grimly. ¡°2 off from combat damage, 2 off from Spell damage.¡±


    I whistled softly. No wonder the squat, ugly little bugger was an Epic.


    Glydnuk had been suspiciously still as we talked, and I wondered if she was going to attack with her Souls or let her turn expire, but then a rush of energy burst out of her, washing a pale light across the interior of the Dome. One of Esmi¡¯s Souls vanished, and so did some of her summoned source, leaving her with only 1 Fire circling her head. The hot-skinned girl looked around, gaping, and the crowd drew a collective gasp.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I demanded. ¡°It was a Source Explosion. What does Depths do?¡±


    ¡°You really need to study your theory more,¡± Afi said distractedly. ¡°A Depths Explosion returns any card to the bottom of its deck. She just cleared most of Esmi¡¯s board. The lost source will hurt her far more than the Soul.¡±


    My mother clapped her hands softly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s spiked her wheel. Slowing down an aggro deck is death.¡±


    I looked over to Basil, who had gone even paler than before and was clutching at the arm of the Queen¡¯s summoned throne as if it were the only thing holding him up. If Esmi loses, he has to fight the dwarf after this. His deck will have recovered, but will he have done? Having won the day against Gale only to have the rug pulled out from under his feet was exactly the kind of blow my friend would struggle to recover from. And it¡¯s your own fault, you grimy gutter rat. Twins, why didn¡¯t you keep your gods-damned mouth shut? If I could go back, I¡¯d sew my own lips shut.


    Esmi pulled cards and growled a very unladylike curse, bringing a titter from the crowd. She put an Order source overhead, obviously unhappy about it, and let her turn pass. With her single Fire source still focused, it seemed there simply wasn¡¯t anything she could do, and throwing her one Kobold to its death against that Epic dwarf would barely scratch it; better to leave it as a blocker. I could almost hear her grinding her teeth. She had started the match spitting mad and had only gotten hotter from there.


    Glydnuk, somehow managing to look smug despite a nearly featureless face of rocky bumps, poured nearly all her source in and summoned a Spell.


    Fissures opened in the floor inside the Dome, and Esmi¡¯s sole Kobold fell in, wailing as it puffed into shards out of sight. The dwarf Souls, surefooted and stocky, didn¡¯t even seem to notice the cracks. Esmi shed a card from hand herself, and I could tell she was struggling to regain the calm exterior she preferred to keep during duels.


    ¡°Glydnuk didn¡¯t lose anything,¡± I said. ¡°Has she got Toughness too?¡±


    ¡°Most dwarves that duel do,¡± my mother said. ¡°Things are getting ugly for the pretty girl. It¡¯s so fun to watch rich, beautiful people fail.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Afi demanded, looking across me to my gloating mother. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Mother gave a slow smile and put an hand on my arm. ¡°I¡¯m the one who owns him in a way you never can.¡±


    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Bryll, stop that. Ignore her, Afi; she¡¯s a hateful spider who just likes to stir the pot.¡±


    Afi turned back to the match, back stiff, and I got the feeling she intended to ignore us both. Mother winked at me.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± I said again. It felt good to stand up to her. Scary, but good.


    The wounded dwarf Soul had attacked Esmi, and she dropped another card from hand. Pulling cards, she put another Fire overhead and summoned a Soul.


    Esmi had come to love that damned cat. I hadn¡¯t said anything to Basil, but I hated the thing, and if I got too close, my throat started to itch. Still, I was glad to see her climb astride it, looking proud. She obviously wanted to rush in and let the beast start mauling with its claws, but with the Epic dwarf¡¯s Toughness 2, it would be an empty gesture. Its best use was as a blocker, and Esmi once again let her turn pass. It hurt to watch her, normally so aggressive on the field, dither and wait for more source.


    The Fracturing Echoes Spell did its 2 damage at the start of Glydnuk¡¯s turn, and the Orix mount, so freshly summoned, disappeared in a shower of sparkles. It did keep Esmi from taking the damage, at least, so it wasn¡¯t a total loss, and Glydnuk¡¯s weakened Dwarf Warrior also succumbed. Glydnuk herself had to shed a card from hand, and I was both satisfied by the sight and dismayed by the fact that she was hurting herself more than Esmi had yet managed to.


    ¡°Come on, girl,¡± I whispered. ¡°Pull it together.¡± I was more anxious in this match than I would have been had I wagered money on it.


    Glydnuk summoned another Soul, grinning to show her pebble teeth.


    Then she sent her Dwarf Mystic in to attack. Esmi took the damage from hand, looking fiercely satisfied. Squinting through my eyepatch, I was able to see what she had discarded.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we like,¡± I growled as a glow surrounded Esmi, her discarded cards flowing back into her Mind Home. Basil was clapping furiously, and a cheer went up from the nobles. Nobody liked seeing a foreigner best their Rising Stars champion.


    Esmi, newly flush with a refreshed Mind Home, drew her cards, put another Order source up, and a moment later a wash of gold and red light burst out of her.


    ¡°Another Source Explosion,¡± my mother said, sounding mildly surprised. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she was so reckless.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re behind, recklessness can be courage,¡± Afi sniped at her.


    ¡°Or death,¡± Mother said calmly. ¡°It can be that, too.¡±


    Esmi pulled 3 more cards from her Mind Home, obviously choosing to use her Order instead of Fire from the equal amounts of both that had been discarded in the Explosion. Then¡­ she did nothing.


    We all deflated a little.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right move,¡± Afi said, still not looking at me. ¡°That echoing Spell will do 3 more damage here in a second, and anything she brought out would likely die. And she¡¯d have to devote all her Fire to get even a single point of damage through Glydnuk¡¯s Toughness. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    She was right, but it still hurt to watch her prowling her corner of the arena with nothing to do.


    A moment later, the promised area-of-effect damage from that damnable Fracturing Echoes sent huge, gaping holes cracking through the floor inside the Dome. Esmi went in to one knee, grunting. She dropped 3 cards out of hand, all Spells.


    They were all great cards that I was sure she hated to lose, but I could see her reasoning: they all required Souls on the field, and she didn¡¯t have any. Glydnuk, for her part, was forced to discard from the Spell too, losing one out of hand and another from her deck. Both of her Souls also took a point of damage. She didn¡¯t seem to care; her source dipped in use, and a new Soul hit the field.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I said, my heart sinking. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she wins this.¡±


    Then Glydnuk sent the Dwarf Mystic on the attack. Hissing, Esmi, dropped one Kobold out of hand and let 2 more cards shed from her Mind Home, keeping just a single card in hand.


    Looking desperate, her normally bouncy hair almost frazzled, Esmi pulled 2 cards from her Mind Home. She laughed triumphantly and brought forth two Souls.


    ¡°Good,¡± I whispered. ¡°Beat the shit out of those dwarf Souls.¡±


    She didn¡¯t, though; she was waiting to use them as blockers. Glydnuk, however, whispered to her Forcepuller, who stepped out of the cluster of Souls and let out a croaking, hypnotic chant. Both of Esmi¡¯s kobolds took a step forward, pulled by the magic, and Esmi snapped her fingers, sending the Fighter in to attack him so the Giant Albino wouldn¡¯t have to. The Kobold Fighter died in a shower of light, and the Forcepuller took a mere 1 point of damage.


    Glydnuk drew only a single card on her turn, and squinting at her, I saw only a single card remaining in her Mind Home. Unless Esmi could take down the Mythic dwarf Soul, it wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Focusing her source, she brought out another Soul.


    It was getting painfully lopsided on the field; 4 Souls on Glydnuk¡¯s side to only 1 on Esmi¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t done yet, either: she devoted yet more and cast a Spell.


    The Giant Centipede curled up in a ball, pulsing with an eldritch light as it waited to power up. Once again she sent the Dwarf Mystic in to attack, but this time the Giant Albino Kobold was there, smashing a heavy fist down on top of its head. The dwarf died, but not before the Kobold took 2 damage.


    Esmi drew 2 more and immediately brought them into play, bringing her side up to a respectable strength.


    The Giant Albino Kobold and the basic one charged in while Esmi held the Cold-Blooded in reserve, her deck for once operating as it was intended to. Glydnuk sent her Forcepuller out front to do its hypnotic trick again, and Esmi directed the plain-Jane Kobold toward it, which died, leaving the Forcepuller with 1 Health left to its name. The Giant rushed over to the devoted Centipede, smashing it to bits before it could do so much as lift its head to bite. That was smart, I thought. Had she allowed that Soul to come back to ready, it would have been a monstrous 5/7 with Venom and Wide, nearly impossible to confront with her limited resources.


    The field looked a little more even, but Esmi was by no means out of the woods yet. The Mythic dwarf was untouched, and she was sure to be running low on cards again any moment.


    On her turn, Glydnuk, unable to draw any new cards, sent Argun the Mythic into the fray. Esmi blocked him with the Cold-Blooded Kobold she¡¯d kept at the ready. It died instantly, but at least the Diamond Dwarf took 1 damage from the exchange.


    Esmi drew 2 and then used her Order source to get 1 more. Using her 1 available Fire source, she devoted to pull 2 Souls out simultaneously.


    All 3 of Esmi¡¯s Souls attacked at her command. The Forcepuller drew on them, and she sent the Cold-Blooded in to meet it, and the annoyingly tenacious dwarf Soul finally expired, doing only 1 point of damage in return. Then Esmi shouted at her Albino, directing him against the Vulnerable Mythic Dwarf. She had to get that one off the field to have any hope of winning. Argun lifted his heavy hammer and the Giant Albino raked at his torso in return, and they both died in a blaze of glory. The one remaining Kobold, the Fighter, dashed on through the scrum to claw at a suddenly-unprotected Glydnuk, who looked woodenly surprised at the intrusion.


    The dwarf flicked a card out of hand at the attacking Kobold, and it shattered, forming into razor shards that pounded into it.


    The Kobold fighter disappeared, having done its best and died in the doing. My heart was pounding. Can she do it? Has she turned it around? Glydnuk had only a single card in hand and 1 in her Mind Home. Esmi, a quick glance showed, had twice that number in both locations.


    Pulling her last card, Glydnuk shouted something sharp and rocky in her dwarven tongue and summoned it.


    ¡°Oh, you bitch,¡± I groaned. ¡°You had to have that on the bottom of your deck?¡±


    All around me the crowd was sighing and whispering. Esmi¡¯s big Soul was already dead. How was she going to face this with only the dregs of her deck remaining?


    Using the last of her Depths source, Glydnuk made it that much worse by flinging one of her balls of rock at the wounded Cold-Blooded Kobold, shattering it into motes of light.


    I opened my mouth toward Afi, and she cut me off before I even spoke. ¡°Depths source power destroys damaged Souls. It can get expensive for big ones, but for little guys like Esmi uses, it¡¯s offensively cheap.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I muttered. I really do need to study more. At least Glydnuk chose not to attack with her big guy. It might have finished Esmi off, but apparently the dwarf feared whatever she had in hand and was unwilling to risk the devote that Lumbering required to attack.


    Esmi drew her cards, brought out a single Kobold as a blocker, and let the turn expire, biding her time.


    Glydnuk, eyeing her uneasily, did the same, holding the Golem at the ready and letting her devoted sources come back to focused without any other change.


    Esmi had her last cards in hand; her Mind Home was bare as a windswept cliff. Taking a deep breath, she focused both Fire and an Order, devoting the last Order, and a slew of Souls appeared.


    The Fire Spitter spat an orange globe at the Golem when it appeared, leaving a burn mark on its crystal carapace. With a hoarse yell, she sent all 4 Kobold Souls on the attack. I felt exactly how she sounded: strung out, exhausted, and on her last legs. Based on how I felt, I could have sworn this match had lasted all night and I¡¯d been the one fighting it.


    Glydnuk mustered her Golem on the defensive, choosing the two higher-attack Kobolds to block and kill. With Esmi¡¯s soul ability powering them, they did enough damage to kill the Golem, leaving a curious crystal egg behind.


    Esmi¡¯s Den Mother and the token Soul it had created, though, slipped past the Golem while it was engaged with their kin and bounded straight for Glydnuk¡¯s face. She devoted her ready Earth source to soak up 1 damage and cast her remaining card from hand as a blocker¡­


    ¡­but the miniature Kobold token lunged through the explosion to bite her on the hand. With a curse and a cry, the dwarf shook the little creature off, but the Dueling Dome rang like a gong and started to fall.


    She¡¯d taken damage. The match was over. Esmi had won.


    The nobility, silent and anxious for the last handful of turns, burst into cheers and stamping of feet. I hollered right along with them until I was light-headed. Twins, thank you. I nearly ruined it all, but you brought her through. Beside me, Afi had brought both hands to her mouth to make a loud whistle, adding to the din.


    My mother clapped politely, looking bored. ¡°Oh good, the pretty one won.¡±


    I ignored her. This had nearly been a disaster and Esmi had made it right. I wasn¡¯t about to let her malicious little rain cloud piss on my relief and joy.


    Glydnuk¡¯s Mythic zipped through the air and Esmi snatched it, holding the card high. I knew from the look of righteous fury on her face there would be no friends-after-the-duel returning of the ante this time.


    ¡°Let me speak!¡± she cried. ¡°Be silent!¡±


    The crowd quieted, eager to hear from their victor.


    She stabbed a finger at Basil, the other hand still holding her Mythic prize overhead. ¡°That man is mine. If anyone else wishes to take him from me, speak up now so I can take your cards and leave you weeping. This ends now, do you all understand? I will have Basil for my husband or I will burn this place to the ground!¡±


    Basil somehow managed to combine red-cheeked embarrassment with the most radiant joy I¡¯d ever seen. His eyes shone with unshed tears, and when she met his eyes, he nodded raptly. He was glad to be claimed. He¡¯d have been an idiot not to be.


    No one answered Esmi¡¯s challenge. Glydnuk stumped away without a word, rejoining her kin. There was a moment of silence, and then the Queen rose gracefully from her throne. Even the whispers fell silent then.


    ¡°It gladdens my heart to see the rising generation fight for what they hold dear and succeed in so doing,¡± she said, a gentle smile gracing her face. ¡°This is how humanity succeeds, my dear friends: wrestling with the world for control, taking what it can, and elevating itself on all sides. Esmi Fireheart, you are well named, and even those twice your age would do well to emulate your passion and drive. The Crown sees and ratifies the Twins¡¯ decision as shown by this duel. Let there be no more questions regarding the union of Basil of House Hintal and Esmi of House Haraine, no matter what other plans some may have had.¡± She cast a glance at Basil¡¯s mother, who suddenly looked as if she¡¯d eaten a fistful of lemons. ¡°This matter is resolved before all, with Fate and Fortune standing witness. So be it.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± the assembly chanted. The Queen waved, and they all broke into cheers again. Dashing forward, Basil swept Esmi into a fierce embrace and and even fierier kiss. The cheers dissolved into laughter and whistling. Abandoning Afi and my mother for the moment, I pushed through the throng of well-wishers to stand before them.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I told them, taking one hand of each. ¡°This is my fault. I didn¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t think, and Basil, I let your ability slip when I was consulting with Badgou. They wanted to lock down what you can do for themselves, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    The smiles slid off both of their faces. I took a deep breath, feeling my own face go red. ¡°I nearly ruined everything. I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Basil looked like I¡¯d kicked him, but Esmi¡¯s face went hard, and her grip tightened on mine, her warm fingers heating further and further until I felt a card shred from my Mind Home. I didn¡¯t flinch; it was the least I deserved. If she wanted to strip my deck bare and leave me with blistered hands, I¡¯d let her.


    ¡°You created this problem, and I fixed it,¡± she said with quiet intensity. ¡°That duel went right down to the nub. A single misstep on my part and my fiance would be frog-marched off to the Depths. Dou you understand that? Hull, I think you owe me a favor now. When I come asking for it, you will not say no.¡± Her fingers tightened even further, and a second card showered down around me. ¡°Will you?¡±


    I looked her right in the eyes. ¡°I will not. I swear it.¡±


    She let go of my hand and gave me a genuine smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s leave that be for now. Thank you for telling us what happened. It was the right thing to do.¡±


    Afi came up behind me and hooked her arm through mine, her earlier coldness and annoyance gone. ¡°Your family throws quite the party, Hintal,¡± she said cheerily. ¡°What a night!¡±


    Basil gave a shaky laugh and patted Esmi¡¯s hand. ¡°It has been quite the evening. I think we can all be sure the rest of it will be a little less fraught than this.¡±


    With a chill in my soul, I scanned the room. I didn¡¯t see my mother anywhere. I wished Basil had kept his mouth shut. Saying something like that was a sure way to ask the Twins to prove you wrong.

 B2: 36. Basil - A Family Affair

    ¡°I do believe that went as badly as it possibly could have.¡±


    Ossun had only just closed the door to the private meeting suite behind me when those words passed my mother¡¯s lips. The cozy retreat was furnished with an intricately carved, round wooden table and substantially built chairs to match, each with thick legs that ended in clawed feet ¨C smaller versions of the table legs. The room was still close enough to the gala proper to hear the music and conversation, but muted, due to the curvature of the side hallway that connected the two spaces and then even more so when Ossun drew heavy curtains over the door.


    A few candles in sconces were already lit, giving the suite a pleasant glow, but Ossun, ever the vigilant butler, moved efficiently from one task to the next, using a single fire Source that he had compressed down to the width of a coin to ignite more of them. The added light revealed some bookshelves in the back, which housed tomes on the history of dance and music, neither of which I was particularly drawn to. To the right of them there was a small station for concocting drinks, with bottles of amber liquid that ranged in hue from pale yellow to dark mahogany, while others were clear or had a tint of blue. Like the lighting, the station had been recently supplied, with some citrus fruit ready to be cut and various fresh herbs carefully arranged next to a mortar and pestle.


    My two brothers were taking up seats at the table, but I didn¡¯t join them, watching as my mother circled the room. She had the bridge of her nose pinched between her fingers and seemed to be talking as much to herself as to us. ¡°And in front of the queen no less.¡± She sighed, releasing her nose. ¡°I suppose the one grace of Fate was that my mother wasn¡¯t summoned to see it.¡±


    ¡°I could retrieve her from the vault if you wish,¡± Gale offered. He popped some nuts into his mouth, managing to keep a cheeky grin on his face despite the chewing.


    My mother leveled an unamused look at him. ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough already. First, agreeing to this foolhardy duel and then managing to lose it. Not only did you ruin the most powerful union Treledyne would have seen in a generation, but now people are surely questioning the quality of your Epic soul. Finding you a proper match will be even more of a challenge than it was before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage,¡± Gale replied. He was still smiling, but I could tell the spark of mischief had left his eyes.


    ¡°This is what happens when you try to solve matters with duels,¡± Randel said. He was already in his own little world, a few source out, as well as some sculpting tools summoned from cards no doubt, and a lump of clay wrapped in wax paper he must have been keeping in his pocket. He kept talking as he wet the beige block with one of his water sources to make it more pliable. ¡°It¡¯s a very reductionist ¡®might makes right¡¯ mentality. Practically barbaric to a modern way of thinking.¡±


    ¡°Some of us had little choice in the matter,¡± I said, finally speaking up. I had opted to rest on a high stool near the door, not feeling particularly close to my family at the moment. ¡°When you¡¯re backed into a corner, you do what you can to survive.¡± Had I really just said that? I was starting to sound like Hull.


    ¡°Truly?¡± Randel said. He looked up at me while he kneaded his clay, making an absolute mess on the table. The servants would probably need to work for hours to get the mud out of the carved grooves. ¡°My money was on you two eloping, but it seems your generation has no penchant for adventure. Shame, really.¡±


    First my parents, then Gale, and now Randel was questioning my decisions? I was glad I had chosen to sit where I was. ¡°Esmi cares deeply for her father,¡± I explained, a smolder of heat beneath the words. ¡°They have a close relationship, one built on respect.¡±


    ¡°I thought those only existed in the stories,¡± Gale said, his humor seeming to have returned.


    ¡°Stop,¡± my mother commanded, holding a hand up. ¡°You three only succeed in making my headaches worse when you behave like this.¡± She finally seated herself and began fishing through her deck while mumbling to herself. ¡°I cannot believe your father is gone, today of all days. What matter is it if there are more break-ins and burnings in the proper neighborhoods than usual? More cases of the flux? The future of our very house, his house, is in the balance; that should be the tipping point. If I hadn¡¯t seen the reports, I¡¯d swear he drummed the whole thing up on purpose.¡±


    My brothers and I shared a look. When our mother got into a pique, it was usually wise to give her space and time. However, being the cause of that pique, I didn¡¯t particularly mind seeing her stew. Would have preferred me sold off to Deepkin, would she? I found myself wondering why I had bothered to follow them here in the first place, but the answer wasn¡¯t difficult to locate: out of habit, no doubt. That, and if I was being honest with myself, I wanted to hear them apologize to me, to admit that I had been in the right about Esmi. I wanted to see them excited for my wedding day to come, and to congratulate me on our achievement. Esmi and I had just won two incredibly challenging duels in front of some of the most influential people in Treledyne! Yet, with the way my family was acting, it seemed highly unlikely that my hopes for them would be met tonight. I told myself that I would give it another quarter of an hour at most, and if I hadn¡¯t made any headway by then, I¡¯d see myself out.


    While we waited in near silence ¨C Gale crunching, Randel smoothing, and my mother drawing one card after the next with mounting frustration ¨C I thought on what she had just said about the incidence of crime. It was possible, likely even, that Hull¡¯s actions in the Lows had pushed some of the less-desirables into the neighboring districts. That would mean my father and his guard were now having to deal with a criminal element that they had previously been banned from tackling, which I could see being a complicated endeavor. My time in War Camp combined with my self-imposed distancing from my parents had left me out of the loop of such news I would have normally heard at the dinner table.


    ¡°Fortune curse you for making me wait so long,¡± my mother exclaimed ¨C something she would have never said in mixed company. The card she held up in her hand stayed there only briefly before being summoned by the source she had focused.


    The Soul took no time to orient himself, looking perfectly at ease in his well-tailored suit, gray hair swept back and beard neatly trimmed.


    ¡°Madam,¡± he greeted my mother in a polished baritone, giving her a half bow. ¡°The usual?¡±


    My seat of choice afforded me a vantage of the entire room and all its occupants, so I caught Ossun thinning his lips. He was a man of few words, but having spent my whole life around him, I knew him to be a staunch traditionalist, believing that important jobs ¨C which, of course, included the intimate roles of butlering and serving ¨C should be handled by the living, not cards.


    ¡°A triple,¡± my mother said, gesturing the bartender away.


    The Soul hesitated only a hair¡¯s-breadth before giving a nod of assent, plucking the Order and Water source above my mother out of the air and taking them over to the drink station. He laid the orbs aside, gathering a fresh crystal glass and unstoppering two of the amber liquids.


    ¡°Some Air in mine, if you would,¡± Gale said. He lobbed the one source he had summoned to the Soul, the crab apple-sized globe of wind sailing across the distance in a lazy arc.


    The bartender caught it neatly out of the air and placed it beside the Order. ¡°Of course, young master.¡±


    I swallowed uncomfortably. I had tried that particular mixture once, but the bubbles the Air created burned my throat, so I never ordered it again, not even when I had Air of my own to use for the making.


    ¡°Some shaved Order in mine,¡± Randel said without looking up, ¡°in gin, muddled with mint.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± the bartender replied, plucking up tools and additional glassware for the new requests.


    The minutes ticked by as the soul worked, first twisting the Water source to get a splash of vibrant turquoise liquid from it. Next, with a grater, he rubbed the pearlescent Order orb against the instrument, scraping off a glittering dust, followed by the pestle for the mint, the grinding of stone sometimes striking stone louder than anything we were doing. Personally, I found the waiting excruciating, likely because I could feel the vibration of people dancing through the soles of my booted feet ¨C gala-goers out there celebrating the result of the duels, while in here the mood was anything but.


    ¡°Mother ¨C¡± I started, finally losing my patience, but she held up a sharp hand. I might have ignored the command, but the bartender swept over, handing her a glass with her Order source floating in the very center of the golden liquid.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    She immediately tipped it back, wasting no time now that it was in her hands. ¡°Ah¡­¡± she said, and it was like all her muscles loosened. She took another small sip, eyes closed in delight and then finally turned to me. ¡°Now that you¡¯re talking to me again, Basil, what is it you wish to say?¡±


    Despite my annoyance, I kept myself as calm as I could, knowing from experience that a measured, well reasoned approach would have the best chance of reaching her. ¡°I had hoped today¡¯s display would convince you of the appropriateness of our marriage. From your earlier comment, however, I take it that you do not agree?¡±


    My mother considered me a moment before speaking. ¡°You may not realize this, but Esmi¡¯s Soul is already high Rare, on the edge of advancing to Epic. In fact, after her display tonight, she may be on the cusp of elevation.¡±


    At this news, Randel paused briefly in his carving ¨C was that a juggler he was working on?  ¨C but then went back to his work as if we were discussing nothing more than how many guests would be joining us for dinner.


    This was no surprise to me, not after Gale¡¯s confession, but I also had no wish to implicate him. So, I simply blinked and said, ¡°I suspected as much.¡±


    My mother gave a small nod, as if she were willing to grant me that precise amount of respect for being observant. ¡°And you also realize that there are only four Epics in the entirety of Treledyne. The Queen, the Prince, the Grand Marshal, and,¡± ¨C she gestured at Gale ¨C ¡°your brother.¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother mentioning that there had been another Epic, Ticosi, but that Hull and I had brought him down. It did, however, make me wonder if there were any others like him, who had chosen to hide the state of their soul from the assessors. If there was one, surely there must be more in a city of this size.


    Those things aside, I disliked how my mother was reviewing such basic information with me; it felt like she was treating me like a child.


    ¡°Your point?¡± I said, feeling my calm slip.


    ¡°My point is that power seeks power. What if the Prince decided that he wished for Esmi¡¯s hand? Your brother could stand against him ¨C or so I thought,¡± she added, shooting a barb his way.


    Gale didn¡¯t take the bait, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction and taking a large swallow of the fizzy drink the bartender had just given him.


    ¡°I have bested Gerad,¡± I said, sitting tall.


    She raised an eyebrow, skeptically. ¡°Unaided?¡±


    I hesitated. ¡°Not in that particular case ¨C¡±


    ¡°I thought not,¡± she continued. ¡°A union of Epics will be the talk of the city for years, if not decades. They will be raised to positions of the highest importance, used by the crown for war, political influence, and the rallying of the masses. All of these things your brother has already trained for, while you are suited for precisely none of them. Do you really see yourself leading armies, manipulating your fellow nobility with a well placed word or promise, commanding the attention of thousands to sway their minds? You have lived most of your life in a library and struggle to say more than a sentence or two to your own family at mealtime, let alone strangers.¡±


    Considering those were all things I had decided I did want to do, her saying I had no talent for them was like a slap. I could have countered that the last state of affairs she was referring to was due to Gale or her doing all the talking and leaving no room for others, just as she was doing now.


    ¡°Here you are, young master,¡± a rich baritone said beside me. I was surprised to see it was the bartender, and having ordered no drink, I looked at him in confusion. ¡°A bit of leftover,¡± he explained, moving the cup a touch closer. It was true that the vessel was much smaller than what he had served the rest of my family, just a shot of liquid really, but I also knew the man was much too skilled to make such an error. One did not become Rare by chance, after all; this man had seen what he believed to be a need and acted to fill it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, deciding to take the tiny glass from him. I then went ahead and had a sip, not minding that I was keeping my mother waiting after she had done the same to me. The beverage possessed a floral flavor, with a touch of vanilla and mint underneath making it some of Randel¡¯s drink. All in all, it was delightful, and not just because of the pleasant taste on my tongue. Swallowing it and letting it run its course through my body relaxed my shoulders, and somehow, made my priorities in this conversation easier to discern.


    ¡°You seem to have forgotten that I placed top three in the Rising Stars Tournament,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m also now attending War Camp, where I am succeeding, I might add, because of that achievement.¡±


    My mother waved my accomplishments away as if they were of no consequence, and I finished the drink instead of reacting, only to find that I wished I had more.


    ¡°Tournaments and training are not war,¡± she said. ¡°Your brother has not only survived dozens of skirmishes and two demon rifts now, but has been recognized for his exemplary performance in nearly all instances. If I found out you were going within a mile of a rift, I would ride my Sea Titan there with you for fear of you taking harm.¡±


    Despite the soothing effects of the drink, I colored in embarrassment at the thought of her doing such a thing and promptly knew what I must say in response. ¡°If you feel that way, you should know that I have also survived a non-duel battle. There was one in the Lows not long ago that I participated in, an uprising of miscreants and harm-doers who needed to be put down, and we successfully managed to do so.¡±


    My mother¡¯s nostrils flared as she slammed her glass onto the table ¨C the liquid portion of the drink would have spilled over if there had been any of it left. ¡°You did no such thing.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I repeated, jaw firm now. ¡°By the Twins I swear it.¡± At this, Gale guffawed, giving a little clap. ¡°To your other worry,¡± I said. ¡°I have been in contact with Throice of the Artisan¡¯s Guild, who you may have noticed is in attendance tonight with his family. I have already made an agreement with them to trade War Camp merits Esmi and I have been saving for purchase of Healing Potion cards for distribution in the Lows. I also plan to use the Metal Golems I have from them to help with new construction. I¡¯ve told them that if these efforts are successful, that it would help convince you to back their bid as a new noble house, as I know you have run charity drives in the past with similar aims.¡° My mother¡¯s eyes watched me closely, but I couldn¡¯t quite tell what she was thinking, so I pressed on, crossing my arms before I lost my momentum or gall. ¡°However, if what you say about Esmi¡¯s eventual influence is true, mayhaps a word from her to the Queen or King on the matter would carry more weight than one from you and father.¡±


    Perhaps the last barb had been unnecessary¡­ or perhaps it was exactly what was needed to change her perception of me. Unsurprisingly, my mother drew herself up, and I readied myself to be yelled at. However, at the height of her in-drawn breath, her features softened. ¡°Fighting in the Lows? Dueling your own brother? Disobeying your father and me?¡± She sounded almost¡­ forlorn. ¡°This is not you, Basil, nor the life you were meant for. You fit well in libraries, in quiet places. I know you strive to be like your brothers, Gale especially, but the world already has one of him and it needs one of you.¡± ¨C Are those tears in her eyes? ¨C ¡°As do I. You are my sweet little bookworm.¡±


    ¡°Mother, please,¡± I said, squirming. This was not the reaction I had expected from her. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was brought on by the extreme circumstances of the evening, or her downing an entire ¡®triple¡¯ drink that quickly, or some combination of the two. As for my brothers, they weren¡¯t outright snickering, but their looks spoke volumes, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t hear the end of this for years to come, if ever.


    Despite my plea, my mother kept right on going. ¡°Equality is a must in a relationship. I¡¯ve seen too many falter and fail due to an imbalance, and the two of you couldn¡¯t be more out of balance. Gale though: he has the right temperament to handle a girl like that.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure of that, mother,¡± Gale said, motioning for a refill for himself from the bartender, as well as one for our mother; he was clearly loving this show. ¡°I enjoy passion in my women, but too much can be exhausting.¡±


    ¡°Which only proves my point,¡± she said with a seriousness that practically made her seem sober. ¡°That Haraine girl is too hot-headed, too unstable, the exact traits that the King moved our ancestors away from Charbond to escape.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who approved the match from the start!¡± I sputtered, disbelieving that my mother would try this tack of arguing.


    ¡°They approached us, and your father was the one who was keen for the match. As soon as I saw what she was really like in the tournament, I proposed the switch, if you recall. It was better for everyone involved.¡±


    That revelation hit me square in the chest. This really was all my mother¡¯s doing. Could that be the real reason my father wasn¡¯t here? To show that he disagreed with the situation?


    ¡°The same holds true for that vagabond you¡¯ve been consorting with from the Lows,¡± my mother continued, seemingly unaware of my thoughts. ¡°They¡¯re both getting you in trouble already, as you yourself have confessed, and the danger to your status and your personage will only grow worse, mark me. Cut ties with both of them, and I¡¯ll speak with the queen and Esmi¡¯s father. I can see this sorted before it is too late.¡±


    Each of her words cut me despite how earnestly she looked like she wanted to help. ¡°Mother, I will do no such thing.  Hull is my friend, and I love Esmi. Yes, she can be hot-headed, I¡¯m seeing that now,¡± I admitted. Esmi had said that she was going to start expressing her true self more, and while I had felt and responded to the ardor of her claiming me, I still hadn¡¯t sorted through all the other emotions it had caused to bubble up. Not that I dared say so; I wasn¡¯t going to give my mother any fresh wood for the kindling. ¡°You must know she is not always like that. At most times, and especially in private, she is kind and considerate. Tonight she was just¡­ emotional, as you are now.¡±


    ¡°This is your first relationship,¡± my mother said matter-of-factly. ¡°How would you know the difference between who you think she is and who she really is?¡±


    Gale chuckled, spinning the liquid that remained of his second drink. ¡°Perused the field a bit before deciding to settle on father, did you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t claim to have your amount of expertise,¡± our mother said, taking a sip of her fresh glass, going much slower with this one than she had the first, ¡°but yes, I experienced love and companionship before your father. Such foreknowledge has let me better appreciate what we have together. I can only hope that the same will hold true for you.¡±


    Gale snorted, while Randel added offhandedly, ¡°I suppose that explains why your Order is only as high as mine. Though how this Esmi has five Order when she behaves like that in public is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear her at the end?¡± my mother asked my brothers, behaving like the sort of court gossip she usually disdained. ¡°She practically called Basil property. ¡®Mine,¡¯ she said.¡± My mother shook her head, showing what she thought of that. ¡°I¡¯d almost rather see him with the Deepkin.¡±


    My jaw tightened. This other, more open version of my mother was no better than the last; it still failed to see me.


    ¡°Enough!¡± I said, standing. ¡°I will not sit here while you malign my fianc¨¦e, who fought for me, and I for her. Even the Queen has ratified our union-to-be and yet still you refuse to see it. If you will not listen to me nor your own rulers, then there is nothing more to be done, and through no fault of my own.¡±


    My mother was a picture of stubborn defiance. ¡°The Queen knows her son, not mine.¡±


    ¡°You know me no better,¡± I sighed, the flash of anger in me already dissipating. ¡°That is the entire problem.¡±


    She stiffened, and it was like I could see her walls go back up. ¡°We are simply not going to agree on this, Basil.¡±


    ¡°So I can see,¡± I said. ¡°In which case I think it¡¯s time that I spent the remainder of my evening with those who are of a like mind.¡± I turned on the balls of my feet, and Ossun, bless the man, already had the curtain pulled aside, so I was able to exit smoothly, leaving my family behind.


    The frivolity outside washed over me as soon as I was in the hallway ¨C the air less stuffy, and my heart lighter with each step ¨C and I happily went to join it.

 B2: 37. Hull - Among Friends

    ¡°...I honestly don¡¯t know what came over me,¡± Esmi was confessing. ¡°I try very hard to see the best in others in all circumstances, but Glydnuk just looked so smug standing there, and Badgou was being entirely intractable. Once I¡¯d finally won the match it all just came boiling up, and I just¡­ spoke my mind. I¡¯m afraid I was somewhat less than demure.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was incredible,¡± Afi confessed, sipping some kind of sparkling drink. ¡°These fancy folks could stand to hear a few more straight words and hard truths.¡±


    Esmi shrugged uncomfortably. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m one of those fancy folks. I fear my own hypocrisy far more than any censure of my peers.¡±


    ¡°You stood up for your man,¡± I said around a mouthful of roast bird. ¡°The rest of ¡®em can like it or they can stuff it.¡±


    We were sitting at a round table not far from the dancing floor, where liveried staff served a dazzling array of food to those who wished, moving in step to the music as if they were dancing themselves. The nobility who chose to dance swirled and swayed with their partners in a hypnotic kind of chaos, and with a full belly and two glasses of fizzy wine in me, I was starting to see the appeal of this kind of thing. Life didn¡¯t have to be just struggling on the streets or fighting for new cards in the arena all the time, did it? Maybe every now and then a fellow could just eat with his friends, forgetting for a moment all his past mistakes and future concerns, enjoying the music and experiencing a bit of peace. I wondered if a third glass of bubbly would increase the feeling and decided there was only one way to find out.


    ¡°Speaking of your man,¡± I said, snatching a fluted glass from a passing servant, ¡°where¡¯d he say he was off to?¡±


    Esmi delicately lifted a carefully-cut cube of seared steak to her lips, pausing to answer before eating. ¡°A brief conference with his family. I hope it will be brief, at least.¡±


    ¡°Asked and answered,¡± Basil said cheerily, slipping into the seat next to her and pecking her on the cheek as she beamed at him, chewing her steak. ¡°The quality of company out here suits me far better.¡±


    ¡°Problems?¡± Esmi asked, concerned.


    ¡°Nothing new,¡± he sighed. ¡°Mother simply cannot see me as anything but eternally six years old, clutching a book and hiding from company.¡±


    ¡°You were adorable at six,¡± Esmi objected.


    He laughed ruefully. ¡°Many thanks, dearest, but in this case she thinks I can¡¯t possibly know my own mind and would be best served by letting her make all my decisions. It was her that pushed for Gale to replace me, it turns out. I heard it from her own lips.¡±


    Esmi¡¯s eyebrows raised and she pursed her lips. ¡°In the interest of preserving good relations with my future mother-in-law, I will keep my current thoughts to myself.¡±


    ¡°She will come to love you,¡± Basil said, ¡°or else she will find that she sees very little of her grandchildren.¡±


    Esmi looked at him adoringly and leaned over to kiss him. I felt a warmth in my chest watching them that the wine couldn¡¯t quite account for, and Afi seemed touched. ¡°Stop it, you two,¡± I said roughly, ¡°unless you¡¯re planning on starting on those grandchildren right now.¡±


    They laughed and separated. ¡°I think we¡¯ve given the gathering quite enough of a show for the evening,¡± Esmi said. ¡°Now I just want to enjoy the rest of the Gala and not have a single consequential thought.¡±


    Afi tsked. ¡°And here I was hoping for a play-by-play from both of you.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Basil sighed. ¡°There will be time enough for dueling analysis and card elevations when we¡¯re back at War Camp.¡±


    ¡°We should dance,¡± Afi said to me, turning to the dance floor.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told it you it¡¯s a bad idea,¡± I said. ¡°But if you¡¯re going to insist, at least give me a few minutes. I think I ate a whole bird, and I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t want it all over your shoes.¡±


    ¡°As elegant and charming as ever, my friend,¡± Basil said, lifting a glass in mock salute.


    ¡°Oh, my,¡± Afi murmured, looking out at the dancers. ¡°Is the Viscountess Douthim really doing what I think she is?¡±


    ¡°The who?¡± I asked blankly.


    She pointed her chin subtly toward an elderly woman with deeply wrinkled skin and thin white hair teased up into a tower over her head. She was wearing a grand-looking silver gown somewhat spoiled by a large red wine stain down the side. Her dancing partner was a dapper-looking man a good twenty years her junior who had the extra-real look of a summoned Soul.


    ¡°That¡¯s her husband,¡± she whispered.


    I looked closer. The Soul looked down tenderly, and the Viscountess had her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed, and a look of bliss on her face.


    ¡°Darling,¡± Basil broke in, speaking loudly to Esmi, ¡°wouldn¡¯t you like to take a turn on the balcony?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, dear,¡± she said softly, sounding sad. ¡°I can bear it.¡±


    I looked from them ¨C Basil looking concerned, Esmi wistful ¨C to the old lady and back, completely confused. ¡°Will someone tell me what the hell is happening right now? It¡¯s like you¡¯re all speaking a different language all of a sudden.¡±


    Afi kept her voice low. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to dance with your cards, especially not like that.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°But it¡¯s her husband. I suppose he died? She¡¯s just dancing with him. It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    Basil cleared his throat delicately with a careful glance at Esmi. ¡°It is, but there¡¯s a law as old as the hills that says one mustn¡¯t, ah¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to sleep with your cards,¡± Afi said bluntly.


    Basil winced, spread his hands, and nodded. ¡°In so many words, yes. It¡¯s an issue of coercion, you see. One¡¯s cards must obey them. That, in turn, has grown up into an expectation among polite society that one ought not to be publicly affectionate with one¡¯s Souls. If one is willing to dance where others can see, the thinking goes, what might one do where others cannot?¡±


    It still felt ridiculous to me. ¡°But it¡¯s her husband. Who cares? Who else is going to give her the time of day?¡±


    Afi waffled a hand. ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve got your dead husband¡¯s card, nobody really asks the awkward questions, you know? You¡¯re lonely, they know you best¡­¡± She spread her hands in a whatever goes kind of gesture. ¡°And sure, things get a little fishy when you¡¯re talking about a Soul below Rare that can¡¯t speak their mind, but all in all folks are content to mind their own business. It¡¯s a little hard to do that, though, when you trot the fellow out for a cuddle in front of the whole court!¡±


    Esmi had a look of grim determination and downed the rest of her glass, not looking at the dance floor.


    ¡°Okay, so the old bird got drunk and is making an ass of herself,¡± I said. ¡°Good for her. Why¡¯s that putting your knickers in a twist, Curly?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it,¡± Basil said quietly, covering her hand with his.


    Esmi deflated in her chair. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get my mother¡¯s card back for my father for the past five years,¡± she said softly. ¡°He never really recovered when she died, and if he could just have a conversation with her¡­¡± She looked up at us with sudden sternness. ¡°My father is a proper man. He would never ¨C¡± She struggled to find the words. ¡°He just needs to know that she¡¯s back home safely.¡±


    ¡°You can see how a display like that of the Viscountess might be difficult for her,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°And here I am pointing it out like a fool,¡± Afi said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Esmi painted on a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It caught me by surprise, is all. My feelings are close to the surface tonight.¡± She laughed ruefully. ¡°As I believe everyone in attendance has noticed.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who has your mother¡¯s card?¡± I asked. I felt the need to do whatever I could for her, for them. ¡°Is there someone I can lean on? Send some demons after?¡±


    She laughed helplessly. ¡°You¡¯d be sending them after my maternal grandfather, and unfortunately, it will take more than a few demons to change his mind. He''s not only insufferably stubborn but quite formidable. No, Hull, thank you ¨C this is a problem only I can solve.¡±


    ¡°And you,¡± said Gale, flouncing down across the table from her, ¡°are a problem I don¡¯t have to solve, and I can¡¯t thank my little brother enough for that.¡±


    Basil stiffened, his mouth hardening into a flat line. ¡°I hardly think that¡¯s an appropriate way to address the woman who might have given you the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, dearest,¡± Esmi said, a dangerous glint in her eye. ¡°That was never going to happen one way or the other.¡±


    Gale pointed at her. ¡°You see? She understands. I¡¯m not the man for the job, and Twins, what a relief. Do you know how many lovelies I¡¯ve left pining and wasting away while I tried to play the good son and prepare for this marriage?¡±


    ¡°Those poor girls,¡± Afi said dryly, burying a smile in her drink.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let us keep you from your conquests,¡± Esmi said, gesturing to the dance floor. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here thinking on what might have been and thanking the Twins with all my heart.¡±


    ¡°Oh, loosen up, both of you,¡± Gale said amiably. ¡°I came over to give you my thanks, and I mean it. I¡¯m in your debt; you can expect the most lavish wedding gift from me that Treledyne has ever seen.¡±


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    ¡°You can¡¯t just swan about forever fighting duels and pinching bottoms,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°Watch me try,¡± his brother retorted, tossing back the rest of his drink. ¡°Though if you think pinching is the lowest I¡¯ll go, you don¡¯t know me at all.¡±


    ¡°What a gentleman,¡± Afi said, laughing. ¡°How do the girls ever resist you?¡±


    ¡°Very poorly,¡± he said with gusto. ¡°Come have a dance and you¡¯ll see how it¡¯s done.¡±


    She leaned back in her chair, leaning toward me and tucking her shoulder into me. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with my Lows escort, thank you. He actually is a gentleman.¡±


    I casually draped my hand over her shoulder, feeling a fiercely satisfied glow in my chest.


    ¡°The irony,¡± Gale muttered.


    ¡°Drinks?¡± a familiar voice said from behind me. I looked back and stiffened. My mother held a tray of beverages, a bland smile pasted on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, thank you,¡± I said quickly.


    Afi wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°All right, let¡¯s have the truth, Bryll. You¡¯re not here serving ¨C not dressed like that ¨C and you keep hovering about like Hull owes you money. How does a Lows girl not only get an invitation to the Gala but end up with the Queen¡¯s ear? You¡¯ve got all the great lords whispering behind their hands and wondering what you¡¯re up to. Care to enlighten us?¡±


    ¡°If I thought you were capable of enlightenment, I might,¡± Mother said lightly. ¡°As it stands, you¡¯ll have to wonder with the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly got me wondering about a few things,¡± Gale said with an appreciative look.


    She gave a sultry laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve already lost one duel tonight, my pretty lordling. Do you think you can afford to lose another?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the ante,¡± he said, quirking an eyebrow.


    Afi made a disgusted sound. ¡°I think I need some air. Hull, take a turn with me?¡±


    I knew it was the polite thing to do, and I quailed inwardly at what she¡¯d think of me, but I just couldn¡¯t leave my friends unprotected in my mother¡¯s presence. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯ll come find you in a few minutes.¡±


    She gave me a long, frosty look before standing and sweeping away.


    ¡°Oh pooh, your lady love¡¯s gotten all mad,¡± Mother pouted.


    ¡°Will you go away?¡± I whispered harshly. ¡°We can talk later.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± Gale said. ¡°Come have a dance with me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just?¡± he said. He rose and offered an arm to my mother, who winked at me, set down the tray of drinks, and glided away on his arm.


    ¡°Hull, what¡¯s going on?¡± Basil asked in a low voice. ¡°Who is that woman?¡±


    I sighed, put my elbows on the table, and covered my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s my mother,¡± I said just as quietly. ¡°She¡¯s been sneaking in and out of War Camp to work out some kind of alliance treaty for the demons, and she¡¯s decided to make my life as difficult as possible tonight.¡±


    A pregnant silence followed my words. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Esmi finally said.


    ¡°She threatened to kill anyone I told,¡± I warned them, ¡°so keep it to yourself. Apparently the negotiations are secret. It¡¯s why I haven¡¯t said anything, but¡­¡± I gestured out at the dance floor where she was spinning gracefully with Gale, dancing much closer than any of the others. ¡°I¡¯m in over my head.¡±


    ¡°Your mother works for the demons?¡± Basil asked, aghast.


    ¡°My mother is a demon,¡± I told him, to which they both gave me blank stares. It was like I could see their minds churning over the fact that she looked just as human as the rest of us and only a few years older than me. ¡°It¡¯s, uh¡­ complicated.¡±


    Basil reached over and put his hand on mine. ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I laughed, hearing an edge of hysteria in it. ¡°She showed up and almost killed me before she knew who I was, but she¡¯s been sweet as pudding since. She disappears for weeks on end and pops in out of nowhere when I least expect. She told me not to eat the pastries tonight but then said it was just a joke.¡± Eyeing the tray of drinks, I decided they weren¡¯t safe and started pouring the concoctions into our empty soup bowls just in case. ¡°I think she¡¯s decided she doesn¡¯t like Afi simply because I¡¯m her escort, and¡­¡± I gestured aimlessly, stressed and baffled.


    ¡°You do make life interesting,¡± Esmi said. Then she looked past the dancers and her mouth pulled down into a frown. ¡°Twins take me,¡± she growled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Basil asked, following her gaze.


    The contingent of dwarves approached the table, still clustered in a protective huddle, Badgou leading the group. ¡°Well, shit,¡± I said.


    ¡°We will trade for the Mythic,¡± Badgou said.


    ¡°Will you?¡± Esmi said. ¡°How interesting. I¡¯m not certain I¡¯m interested in your trades.¡±


    ¡°You will never cultivate Depths,¡± the dwarf leader said. ¡°The card is useless to you.¡±


    ¡°One never knows what the future holds,¡± Esmi countered. ¡°Depths might be an interesting foil to Fire in my deck.¡±


    ¡°You will never cultivate Depths,¡± Badgou repeated. ¡°Only in our homeland can it be done, and we will not allow you to enter.¡±


    ¡°Will not allow,¡± Esmi said slowly, as if tasting each word. ¡°You come asking to trade and start with threats and insults?¡±


    Badgou cocked her head. ¡°If I insult you, you will know it. I am only saying what is.¡±


    Esmi shook her head. ¡°Very well. What do you offer in trade?¡±


    ¡°A weapon Relic of our own make,¡± Badgou said. ¡°Rare in quality.¡±


    Basil burst out laughing. ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡±


    Esmi spread her hands. ¡°My fianc¨¦ is correct. Even if I never use Depths, I can trade this card for many, many times more than the value of a Rare Relic, no matter its maker¡¯s mark. I think you do intend to insult me.¡±


    ¡°You will not trade that card,¡± Badgou said. The other dwarves did their best to loom behind her despite their shortness. ¡°We have arrangements with your Crown: no trader may accept Depths cards unless they have Deepkin blood.¡±


    ¡°Like Findek,¡± I said, remembering the half-dwarf who¡¯d gotten the better of our trade during the Tournament.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°And Findek already knows not to trade with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a stipulation,¡± Basil objected. ¡°Traders are free to deal in what they wish, excepting Chaos.¡±


    ¡°We have just secured the agreement from your Queen,¡± Badgou said. ¡°Ask her if you wish.¡±


    The wine in Esmi¡¯s glass began to seethe, and she set it down with a click. ¡°You¡¯re trying to cheat me out of a card I won fairly and pay me a pittance. I won¡¯t have it. Maybe this card will sit in my grimoire and gather dust instead.¡±


    ¡°Argun is one of our most honored forefathers,¡± Badgou said. ¡°He must return to the Depths.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll create a Legendary Relic of my choosing,¡± Esmi said, ¡°and give me free rein in the Depths to cultivate your source if I wish.¡±


    One of the dwarves near the back gave a rocky rumble. Badgou might be keeping a good face on it, but they were upset by losing Basil and the advantage he represented. I tried to catch Harganut¡¯s eye, but he avoided it. He hadn¡¯t been such a bad sort most of the time, just odd and withdrawn; now he¡¯d joined ranks with his kin and wanted nothing to do with me.


    Badgou shook her head. ¡°I would sooner chip off my own toes that deliver one of our mightiest weapons into human hands.¡±


    ¡°Why did any of you even come to War Camp?¡± Esmi demanded. ¡°You¡¯ve hardly participated at all, you keep to yourselves, and now you jeapardize your entire alliance with the humans by attempting to steal my fianc¨¦. It¡¯s baffling. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s offensive.¡±


    ¡°If your kind are offended by proper planning and careful evaluation of risk, advantage, and disadvantage at every step, then we are glad to offend. Let us continue our trading.¡±


    Esmi sat back and shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve heard nothing that indicates you are negotiating in good faith.¡± She pulled the Mythic from her purse and flashed it at them.


    ¡°I think Argun will look very nice in a picture frame that hangs over my bed. He can look right out at the open sky and never see the inside of a Mind Home until we all turn to dust.¡±


    The dwarves stood there silently for an uncomfortably long moment, and once again I had the distinct impression they were communicating with each other in some way the rest of us couldn¡¯t hear. Then they wheeled about as one and marched off.


    Esmi blinked. ¡°They were supposed to counteroffer.¡±


    Basil sighed and shook his head. ¡°No, they¡¯re making the smart move. When offer and counteroffer are too far apart, it¡¯s best to walk away and let the other party think you¡¯re uninterested for a while. Then once they realize no one else is buying, you come back, and suddenly that lowball offer sounds better than before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking less than a Mythic,¡± Esmi growled.


    ¡°Nor should you,¡± he assured her. ¡°You¡¯ll hear from them again before the evening is over, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    I stood. ¡°I should go find Afi. She looked mad as hell as she walked off.¡±


    ¡°She likes you quite well,¡± Esmi assured me. ¡°She asked me to approve of her dress days ago. If you can muster a kind word for once, she¡¯ll be glad to dance with you.¡±


    I barked a laugh. ¡°If we dance I¡¯ll make it even worse than it is now.¡± I was surprised to find that I cared. Afi was far more interesting than I¡¯d originally given her credit for. Her focused, bookish exterior hid a girl who was capable, funny, and wickedly smart. I¡¯d have to find a way to explain away my mother to her.


    Before I could step away, there was Mother again, face flushed and breathing heavy as she led Gale back to our table. ¡°Having a dance partner that can go heavy or light depending on the move makes for a good time.¡± She gave Basil¡¯s older brother a wicked look. ¡°The possibilities are endless.¡±


    ¡°I certainly haven¡¯t exhausted them yet,¡± he said with a roguish grin.


    ¡°Gale, may we speak to you privately for a moment?¡± Basil said gravely.


    ¡°Ugh, more talk,¡± Mother said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Hull, want to go find that mousy girl of yours and pitch her off a balcony?¡±


    I gave her a quick shake of the head. ¡°No, I need to talk to Gale too.¡± I spoke with a pointed stare that tried to communicate more than I was saying. Mother, quit causing problems!


    ¡°Boring,¡± she sniffed. Then she grabbed Gale¡¯s ass right out in front of everyone. ¡°Let¡¯s exhaust those possibilities, my little lord.¡± She nipped his ear, and he flinched, laughing a little. ¡°Don¡¯t wait too long or I might get bored and find someone else to dance with.¡± She swayed off across the dance floor using far more hip that I¡¯d seen her do before.


    Gale watched her go appreciatively. ¡°You have made the most interesting friends lately, little brother. Mother may not approve, but I¡¯m of a different mind entirely.¡±


    ¡°She is not my friend, Gale,¡± Basil said. ¡°If you are wise, you will not go after her.¡±


    The older boy wrenched his gaze away from my mother¡¯s retreating form, staring at Basil in disbelief. ¡°It would take hot irons to hold me back. Did you not hear me say I intended to enjoy myself tonight? You don¡¯t have to be a prude just because Father is, you know.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with your father and everything to do with your well-being,¡± Esmi said. ¡°Say what you wish about me and the lunacy of a match between us, but our disapproval is entirely separate on this matter. Gale, she is a demon.¡±


    ¡°She certainly seems like it,¡± Gale chuckled, looking for her through the dancing crowd.


    ¡°In the literal sense, not the lecherous one you¡¯re meaning,¡± Basil told him. ¡°She is of the demon realm and is here in disguise.¡±


    Gale frowned at me. ¡°I thought she was an old friend from the Lows. I could swear I heard someone say that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I said. Telling Basil and Esmi my mother¡¯s identity was one thing ¨C I trusted them to keep it to themselves and stay safe ¨C but Gale was another matter, especially if he wanted to tumble her behind a potted plant somewhere. ¡°Take it from someone who knows her better than anyone else: she¡¯s a bad idea.¡±


    He snatched a drink from a passing waiter and downed half of it in a gulp, banging the slender glass down on the table. ¡°Better and better. Bad ideas are the kind I want to have tonight. If I can¡¯t have an Epic wife, I might as well gather some tasty regrets to keep me warm come winter.¡± He bowed to us mockingly. ¡°Many thanks for your kind assistance, gentle folk.¡± He walked off with a spring in his step.


    I couldn¡¯t let him go. I sprang up from my seat and caught him by the wrist a few steps away. ¡°Gale! This isn¡¯t some tavern girl or lady¡¯s maid you can trip into bed and then ignore afterward. She¡¯s dangerous. She took ten cards from me with a single hit once.¡±


    A glint appeared in his eye. ¡°Ooh, powerful too? Twins help me.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t hearing a word I said. ¡°She stole my soul card, Gale.¡±


    He blinked at me, confused. ¡°You have a soul card. Basil made a big to-do about his Lows friend reaching Common. Congratulations, I suppose, but¡­¡± He threw up his hands. ¡°And soul cards can¡¯t be stolen. I thought I was the one drinking too much tonight.¡±


    I chewed on the inside of my cheek. The stubborn lordling was thinking with his dick and couldn¡¯t care less for my warnings. Mother might be malicious and mercurial, but she was here on a mission of peace and alliance. That would keep her from doing any real damage. At worst, she¡¯d slip him a sleeping draught and steal his purse. At this point, I was inclined to think he deserved it. I made one last attempt. ¡°Don¡¯t take any food or drink from her, and don¡¯t let her get you alone.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Gale said, making a show of thinking about it. ¡°I can promise you exactly none of those things.¡± He patted me on the cheek. ¡°Spend a little less time with Basil, my friendly little gutter boy. He¡¯s an old man before his time, and it¡¯s rubbing off on you.¡± Off he went, looking a little unsteady on his feet.


    ¡°Let him go, Hull,¡± Basil called, sounding sad. ¡°He¡¯s a grown man. If he wants to make stupid mistakes, we can¡¯t exactly stop him.¡±


    ¡°That damned woman,¡± I said, clutching at the back of my chair and leaning on it. ¡°Why did she even come tonight?¡±


    ¡°Parents can be a trial,¡± Basil said, a hint of bitterness coloring his tone.


    ¡°Now may not be the moment to mention it,¡± Esmi said with a smile, ¡°but my father is perfectly lovely. I was hoping he would come to the table to congratulate us, but it looks like Duke Norcobus has waylaid him on the upper level. The man is forever haranguing him about changing out the elemental street lamps for coal baskets, of all things. Dearest, let¡¯s go pay our respects and rescue him.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Basil said, getting to his feet and offering his arm. ¡°And afterward I simply must find Griff to thank him. He should be around here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯d better go find Afi,¡± I sighed. ¡°I have a feeling it¡¯s going to take more than a dance to make it up to her.¡±

 B2: 38. Basil - Wagging Tongues

    Esmi managed Duke Norcobus beautifully. After we joined the pair of older nobility and greetings were exchanged, Norcubus made to resume his diatribe on the virtues of coal, but before he could gather steam, Esmi was complimenting his tie, which was woven around a card ¨C perhaps one of the first the Duke had earned, for it was only of Common rarity, or perhaps it was meant to declare what he thought was the proper way of things.


    Next, Esmi praised the way he used a ball of Order Source as the topper for his cane, and when that derailment had run its course, she asked after his wife, then his grandchildren, and finally convinced him that the cubed steak was of such great quality ¨C not to mention running low ¨C that he would be doing himself a grave disservice if he didn¡¯t grab a bite of it before it was all gone.


    Watching her work was thoroughly enjoyable and proof that she grossly underestimated her abilities. She claimed to be ineffective at such things, but the way she spoke with a pleasant, non-threatening confidence was the mark of someone who had practiced the art of dueling with words, not just cards.


    All in all, we watched the Duke trundle off without a speck of help from me.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to rout the poor man,¡± her father, Auguston of House Haraine, said. His wavy hair was tied back, leaving his left ear and the Charbonder marriage earring he still wore upon it impossible to miss, the twined gold wrapping all the way around the outer edge of his ear.


    Esmi¡¯s eyebrow arched. ¡°But you always complain what a persistent bore he is.¡±


    ¡°True enough, but if I don¡¯t let him speak in full, he¡¯ll find other ways to needle me, with letters, or Soul messengers. Better he gets it all out once and a while, then I can rest some in the aftermath.¡±


    ¡°I could call him back,¡± I offered, trying to be helpful.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Esmi¡¯s father said, waving dismissively. That same hand clamped down on my shoulder, pulling me a step closer I hadn¡¯t planned on taking. ¡°When you failed to show for your rematch with Esmi, I doubted you were the man she claimed.¡± He said it without malice, but he possessed an intensity that made me immediately wary. ¡°Yet you stood your ground against your brother tonight, a more seasoned duelist and combat veteran. You¡¯ve shown your teeth, and I think they¡¯ll be sharp enough for the path you and my daughter have decided upon. Twins willing,¡± he added, glancing up.


    ¡°Father,¡± Esmi said. Her tone and look made it clear they had talked on this before and it was not something he was supposed to be mentioning.


    I, however, wanted to make a good impression on the man who would be my father-in-law, especially since Esmi valued her relationship with him so highly. ¡°That¡¯s quite fair,¡± I told him, standing straight as I could under his large hand. ¡°If my daughter were getting married, I¡¯m certain I would be equally concerned with who she was planning to wed and what sort of character they possessed.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Thinking of children already, are you?¡±


    A lump formed in my throat, and I looked to Esmi; the speed at which the conversation had moved beyond what I was prepared to discuss was astonishing.


    Like the dear she was, she swooped in to save me. ¡°Not as soon as you might wish, father.¡± She put her hands atop his arm, and he finally let me go.


    ¡°Ah, well,¡± he said, taking a sip from the wine goblet he held. ¡°A man can hope.¡±


    That brief complication overcome, our conversation shifted to more benign things: possible wedding dates, which Church of the Twins it would be held in, and how long extended family from Charbond would take to arrive¡­ though I noticed that there was absolutely no mention of Esmi¡¯s grandfather. As the two of them continued ¨C me interjecting when I thought it appropriate ¨C I came to agree with Esmi¡¯s assessment of her father: rather gruff, and perhaps a bit too direct, but the longer we spoke the clearer it became that those traits were merely the upper surface. Statements he made to Esmi, such as, ¡°You¡¯ve made the name your mother and I gave to you your own,¡± and, ¡°I couldn¡¯t be happier that this worked out how you wished,¡± revealed a deep well of caring and concern beyond the rough exterior.


    How would he fare at dinner with my parents? I wondered. Would his respect for his child rub off on them? Or what about the Duskonlaud Fete, when we summoned the cards of our ancestors for an evening of merriment and remembrance, lasting from sundown to sunup? Would Esmi and her father find such holiday traditions off putting because of their unfortunate circumstances? And when we eventually did have children of our own, would their presence create division? Since there were less immediate family in line for the Haraine House, I should be joining theirs, but what if Gale never fathered a legitimate heir and Randel was too wrapped up in his artistic creations to ever take on any real responsibility? Should Esmi and I have two children at minimum to be safe?


    I was beginning to realize that when it came to bringing our families together, there were so many moving pieces ¨C things that Esmi and I would need to speak on, to plan for. And yet, seeing how her face shone when she spoke about the details of our upcoming union, and the crinkle of joy in her father¡¯s eyes as he watched her, I was convinced that it would all work out as it should. After all, we had battled to reach this point. Surely we could handle the rest, so long as we were together.


    Despite the pleasantness of their discourse, the longer it stretched, the more I became concerned that I had yet to spot Griff. I also wished to check on my brother in his foolish pursuit of Hull¡¯s mother. Unlike orcs, or the undead following the recent assassination attempt on the King, Treledyne welcomed the occasional demon visitor who entered its gates. I respected, and could understand, Hull¡¯s twitchiness on the matter, but I doubted any real harm would come to Gale from such a dalliance, besides making things more awkward for all of us. Still, rationalizing aside, seeing him hale with a drink in hand would ease my mind.


    Thus, at the earliest possible opportunity, I excused myself as well as I could. Esmi, bless her, tried to get me to stay, but hearing their conversation resume with gusto when I was only a few steps distant told me that the pair would be perfectly fine without me.


    Esmi¡¯s father had been on a less populated platform, slightly raised from the main ballroom floor. Unfortunately, making my way through the press of bodies on the lower level was not as easy as I had hoped, particularly not when so many wished to congratulate me on my win over Gale or how the queen had blessed my marriage to Esmi ¨C it seemed alone I was much easier target than when I had been walking arm-in-arm with my fianc¨¦e.


    ¡°Fate take me, but that run you had in the Rising Stars Tournament wasn¡¯t a fluke after all,¡± a walrus of a man said. He was wearing an eyepiece that glittered with an oily rainbow film of color, an artifact no doubt, which meant he had money. Be that as it may, I didn¡¯t recognize him as belonging to one of the immediate lines of nobility. Perhaps a rich merchant or an outer-lands baron. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll know who to put my coin on. Twice I can blame Fortune,¡± he said with a friendly wheeze, ¡°but three times, and a man must start taking responsibility.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be expecting an invite, of course,¡± Lilsbet, a rail of a woman who hailed from House Rodan, the least of the Houses, told me. She was dressed fashionably in a dark blue neck-to-ankle dress, but it was her earrings that caught the eye: each a worked bronze cage for a card within. On her left ear hung a Greater Air Elemental and on her right a Greater Fire Elemental. I doubted she had the source to summon both ¨C perhaps why they were on display instead of in her Mind Home ¨C but still, they were an impressive sight. ¡°Rodan has long been supporters of House Hintal, which would be a poor thing to forget.¡±


    <u></u>


    ¡°A Hintal and a Haraine,¡± a young girl in a bell-shaped skirt stopped me to say. She might have been an offshoot of the Drakks, Lossum¡¯s House, but I didn¡¯t see him nearby, nor was my memory of House lineage particularly reliable. ¡°You¡¯ll be quite the match, I¡¯m sure.¡± She tittered. ¡°You the stick and her the flame.¡± Then she dashed off to join a group of similarly aged girls, who all laughed together while sneaking looks my way, as if the whole affair had been nothing more than a childish dare.


    Each of these comments and others I had to respond to in some way, as was my duty as host, though what started as a few pleasant words exchanged turned into little more than a nod of acknowledgement to indicate that I had indeed heard them. More than that would have seen me stuck in pointless nattering for hours, something I was unwilling to do until I put my worries to rest ¨C worries that were growing, particularly where Griff was concerned. Having invited him, he was my responsibility, and I was doing a piss-poor job of it, as Hull would say. The fact that my concern on the matter might be overblown and unnecessary didn¡¯t slow my steps or stop my eyes from scanning over all who I could see, hoping to spot the shaggy-haired man and his armored guard.


    Searching as I was, I suppose it was inevitable that I would run into Throice.


    ¡°Ah, Basil,¡± he called, raising his hand and shaking it in a very un-noble like way. He was dressed in a suit that looked more sturdy than fine, fitted with those gearwork buttons he favored. Seeing no way to avoid it, I angled toward him. At least he was alone, which would hopefully shorten the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you were able to attend,¡± I said when I reached him. And, despite my current mission, I was glad in truth. Like I had told my mother, I viewed my interactions with him and his family as my first foray into being more than just a duelist. I was also impressed by the ingenuity of their creations, and, just as valuable, their ability to forgive. The ruse that Hull had pulled, claiming to be of my House ¨C most nobles would have nurtured the offense for years to come. Yet, in my written correspondence with Throice, once the remainder of the balance for the Epic card had been paid in full, plus a bit of interest ¨C courtesy of Ticosi¡¯s purse ¨C I had sensed no such continued hostility from them and saw none upon Throice¡¯s face now. ¡°Are you enjoying yourselves thus far?¡±


    ¡°Are we ever,¡± he answered with the type of enthusiasm drink was well practiced at producing. ¡°Seeing your two duels already has my folks whipping up a storm. They¡¯re there,¡± he said, pointing. My eyes followed his finger to find two people hunched over a large sheet of parchment spread across a cleared table, both furiously scribbling. ¡°The help got them that paper when my pa started writing on the tablecloth with some coal stick he always carries.¡±


    Throice laughed about it, but I cringed. If my mother learned that this family was causing damage to our home, she¡¯d be even less inclined to support their bid to be a House. Of course, as I had said to her face, we might not need her for such; still, the more support the better, to my way of thinking. Throice spotted my look and his laughter died out. ¡°Something wrong? It was just a little mark is all.¡±


    ¡°Not a worry,¡± I said, which I mostly believed to be true. Our help was quite skilled at removing such stains due to the many times I had slipped with my own charcoal writing utensils, so it should all be resolved before my mother got wind of it. ¡°I¡¯ll be interested to see what they come up with.¡± Judging from the duels they had seen, perhaps some flexible weapon like Gale¡¯s Owl Blade, or maybe something similar to one of the Depths cards ¨C it wasn¡¯t very often one got to see them, after all. And if it was some form of defensive golem, I would be very interested¡­ ¡°Now, do you happen to have those Potions?¡± In our correspondence, we had planned to make the exchange tonight, so, even though it was derailing my search, it was actually good I was seeing him now. ¡°I¡¯d like to avoid disturbing your parents¡¯ creative process if possible.¡±


    ¡°Sure do,¡± Throice said, digging into his pocket. When his hand came out, he held a thick stack, two Mind Homes¡¯ worth of cards.


    ¡°And have you decided how many Metal Golems you¡¯ll want?¡± he asked. He sounded eager to hear that answer, much more so than he had in his letters, likely due to the drink.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said, as we swapped the cards for a pouch of a dozen merits, six from me and six from Esmi. ¡°I want to see how effectively they perform first.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll want as many of them as you wanted potions,¡± he smiled confidently. ¡°Have to say, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve taken such an interest in the Lows,¡± Throice was counting the merits now and looked up at me when he was done. ¡°Glad it worked to our Fortune, mind you, but still, surprised.¡±


    I shrugged, answering in the simplest way I could think of. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t that difficult a choice. You see people who require assistance, you want to help.¡± That wasn¡¯t entirely true; it had been difficult to give up so many merits. From the new Air cards alone, I had wanted the Rare and Epic Monks, and my desire for the Vigil Medallion Relic was so strong I had even dreamt of it some nights ¨C the way it rewarded defensive Soul play was an excellent fit for my deck.


    However, I hadn¡¯t needed it to defeat Gale ¨C Griff, Esmi, and I had judged it too slow to be effective against his deck ¨C and the people I had observed when traveling with Hull did need help. When some of the nobles Esmi had contacted for assistance had been slow to respond, we decided to take matters into our own hands. Holding the Healing Potions now made me quite glad we had; I was looking forward to distributing them with her the next time Hull made a trip. If I wanted to improve Treledyne, I had to start somewhere, after all.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Throice said, pocketing the merits. ¡°Unless my parents are up all night fiddling with those new plans of theirs, I imagine we¡¯ll be by tomorrow to scout the War Camp wares.¡±


    ¡°Ask after me when you arrive,¡± I told him. ¡°I might be indisposed, but I¡¯ll come see you if I can.¡± I had already run the exchange by General Edaine and gotten her approval, so hopefully she would allow me some time to introduce Throice¡¯s family to the Camp sellers even if that meant missing a spot of training. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some other pressing matters to attend.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem at all,¡± Throice said, grabbing a wine glass from a nearby serving tray and heading to the dance floor instead of his parents. It seemed that I wasn¡¯t the only one who had other plans for the night.


    We¡¯ll need to work on his etiquette if he is truly to be noble, I thought. He didn¡¯t even say goodbye properly.


    Throice had been near the edge of the ballroom, so I decided to continue on the periphery. Here, the people I encountered were often sampling food and drink from the serving tables placed there, and so only nodded or curtsied in greeting to me, not wanting to speak with full mouths, which suited me perfectly. This sped up my progress until I came upon none other than Azure, the keeper and finder of secrets for the King.


    I had seen Azure at many a function but never their face: no one had. The Keeper wore a billowing shirt and pant set of royal blue ¨C clothes with multiple layers that made the exact shape of the body underneath hard to guess. Where a high collar might extend from the doublet, instead there was a hood that covered the Azure¡¯s neck, ears, and any hair they might have, and where the hood ended, attached to it was an oval mask worn in front, completely hiding the Keeper¡¯s features.


    I hoped to move past Azure without being noticed, but I was a bare handful of steps around them when I heard, ¡°Basil of House Hintal.¡± The voice was somewhere in-between that of a man or woman, making their true identity that much harder to place.


    I turned, seeing Azure¡¯s attention fully on me, and the person the Keeper had previously had been speaking to, Viscountess Douthim ¨C without her summoned husband ¨C used the opportunity to slink off.


    ¡°Keeper Azure,¡± I said, inclining my head. ¡°Thank you for attending my fam ¨C¡± I cut off because the sound around us from the other Gala-goers: the chatting, the airy string and flute music, the clinking of silverware on plates, all of it, had suddenly become muted, like I was under a Dueling Dome.


    ¡°A¡­ trick of mine,¡± the masked figure said, which calmed me, but only just. I couldn¡¯t tell if that meant it was a personal Soul ability, Artifact, or other, which was surely the purpose of the oblique phrasing. ¡°Suffice it to say that anything you utter within this small sphere will be kept between us.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, making a show of looking around, like I was examining the cocoon the Keeper had placed us in. In truth, I was thinking of a reason why they would have stopped me. I couldn¡¯t imagine that Azure cared a great deal about my marriage, but maybe they wished to know something about our interactions with the Deepkin. Or perhaps the elves? The trio had given me heartfelt but quite drunken congratulations soon after Esmi¡¯s and my shared victory. Then they had stumbled off together to retire for the night, urging Esmi and I to do the same. ¡°Quite different from the Cinder Elves in Charbon,¡± Esmi had said ¨C a comment I was curious to hear more about when we had the time. But Azure¡¯s interest now made me think that E¡¯lal and the others had perhaps gotten in some trouble on the way out. ¡°Was there something specific you wished to discuss?¡±


    The Keeper inclined their head ever so slightly. ¡°I never speak with someone unless there is.¡±


    I coughed out a laugh. I suppose that explained why Azure had never deigned talk to me before.


    ¡°Recently, there were reports of a giant demon terrorizing the Lows. Searching for something, it seemed, and frightening the good folk of not only that neighborhood but those nearby with its ferocity and size. Yet then,¡± ¨C Azure snapped their fingers ¨C ¡°the demon vanished and has not been seen since.¡± The Keeper leaned closer to me. ¡°What was it looking for and did it find it?¡±


    The mask had eye slits I could focus on, but I found the mask¡¯s carved clouds more to my liking, tracing their edges with my eyes like I did the branches and leaves of the dogwood tree when cultivating. I thought the mask might have been made from bone; it was old and yellowed, even browned in some places, the engraving done in such a way that the clouds were slightly raised compared to the otherwise smooth planes of the mask. Griff had claimed that Azure was an Air user, one who specialized in doing lethal damage in an instant. Perhaps they expected conversations to go in the same way.


    ¡°Why would I know such a thing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can count the number of Nether users in the city on one hand,¡± Azure said. They spoke softly but I had no trouble hearing because of the deadened air around us. ¡°And those who frequent the Lows with but a single finger. I think you know of whom I speak.¡±


    I glanced at the eyeholes, wishing I could see the person behind. The power wielded by the Keeper was an unpleasant kind; it seemed to exist outside the regular Order of the city, or so my father complained whenever he spoke of Azure and the Keeper¡¯s secret enforcers. No one among the nobility had ever permanently vanished or been harmed that I was aware of, but some had changed their stance on certain policies or affairs quite markedly after brief periods of being ¡°indisposed.¡± The last thing I wanted was to be spirited away to the Keeper¡¯s secret lair, which some claimed was beneath the Palace, but I had also promised myself some time ago now to stop making decisions out of fear.


    ¡°I thought the Lows was outside your purview,¡± I countered, hoping the question might lead to an avenue of escape from the conversation.


    ¡°It is outside your father¡¯s dominion, certainly, but truth has no such borders. If there is a threat to my King or his kingdom, it is my duty to uncover it.¡± Azure gestured wide with their gloved hands. ¡°Having been born and raised in Treledyne, sheltered in the Sun King¡¯s light, do you not feel the same duty in your Soul?¡±


    I hesitated only briefly. ¡°If I knew of such a threat, I would be happy to share it with you.¡±


    ¡°Loyalty,¡± Azure purred behind the mask, ¡°is a valuable asset, but only when it is properly directed.¡±


    They stared at me ¨C at least I thought they did ¨C waiting, but they had not asked a question, so I returned the look with silence. If I could bore them, perhaps they would move along.


    ¡°You do not wish to follow in your father¡¯s footsteps,¡± Azure said, matter-of-factly.


    I frowned, surprised by the change in topic and the claim itself. ¡°Why do you say ¨C¡±


    ¡°You competed in the Rising Stars Tournament,¡± the Keeper interrupted. ¡°How would such an act possibly benefit you if you wished to become a guard captain? The acquisition of a few more cards?¡± Azure snorted. ¡°There are numerous other, less risky avenues. No, your eldest brother used the Tournament as a means of escaping his duty to your House, joining the army as a lieutenant, and you sought to do the same. I, however, can offer a third road.¡±


    I disliked the details that Azure knew about my family and me, but I took a calming breath. This was to be expected when speaking with someone who''s very job it was to know more than most. A third road, though? What in the Twins would that be?


    Azure chuckled. ¡°A spark of interest, yes? I see how you¡¯ve built your deck ¨C you¡¯re a survivor. I can appreciate that, truly I can. And then there is the delightful information that your Soul card can uncover. I could use someone like you, Basil. Assuming you can cultivate your loyalties correctly, that is.¡±


    I rocked back on my heels. First the king, then the dwarves, and now the Keeper? Did everyone here know what my Soul could do?


    ¡°As part of my forces, you could root out true sickness in the city.¡± He poked my chest, right where I held the stack of potions. ¡°Not just give handouts to treat mere symptoms or spend the rest of your life guarding some meaningless stump or fortification. I will soon have an¡­ opening among my officers. It is a position you could fill.¡±


    For all the Keeper¡¯s vaunted knowledge, I wasn¡¯t sure why they believed insulting my father was the key to earning my loyalty. Just because I did not wish to be him did not mean that I lacked respect for him. However, I also suspected that an outright refusal would be extremely unwise.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer,¡± I said, as politely as I could. ¡°It is a significant decision. Might I have some time to consider and speak of it to my intended? Perhaps we could revisit this after War Camp has concluded?¡±


    ¡°A diplomat. How refreshing.¡± They tapped their mask, and for the first time I realized that it could be an artifact, the very thing creating this bubble of silence. ¡°You may tell your wife, but no other. The forces of the Keeper are kept secret for good reason.¡± Azure¡¯s head trailed to the side, spotting something or someone. ¡°You and I will speak of this again, of that you can be sure.¡±


    Suddenly, the noise of the Gala crashed into me, the merriment and cacophony that had been held at bay rushing back into my ears. The Keeper seemed unaffected by the change, marching away on long legs, off to corner their next victim.


    I was not as quick to recover, but when I believed myself sufficiently collected, I hurried off, continuing along the edge of the room since I had made better time that way. I noticed that the queen had set up a court of sorts on the eastern side, her previous throne exchanged for an elegant red settee with wood the color of burnished gold I had never seen in our keep before. Is her Mind Home full of furniture?


    After Esmi had won against Glydnuk, the queen had made the oddest request of me as I hung limp in relief off the arm of her throne: that my fianc¨¦e and I become friends with Gerad. She had said that his previous hangers-on had ¡®failed to stay at his side,¡¯ which I could only assume meant Reginald and Lossum. The last thing I wanted was to take up their role, but it was the queen! So, I had bowed my head and agreed to try. Perhaps that was why she had chosen to say such favorable things about Esmi and me to those gathered, or perhaps not, but either way, I didn¡¯t want to go near her again for fear she¡¯d make forced dinner plans or similar for the three of us.


    I cut inward to avoid her, crossing the room once, then twice, still having no luck finding Griff or my brother, the former of which should have stood out like a bushy crow among songbirds. I was on my third crossing when I passed a group engaged in a flinch test. A crowd was gathered to watch, and I thought I saw sweet Anya, Esmi¡¯s bunkmate of all people, in the middle. What could have driven her to compete in such a thing I couldn¡¯t guess. Some argument over the Faith?


    Not far off to the side, General Edaine herself stood, wearing her Mythic armor as always, her solid frame putting her a good head above anyone nearby. Next to her there was a robed figure that had that extra-real quality of summoned cards, and a squint showed me not only what he was but also explained what he was doing there.


    Perhaps it was her armor that informed Edaine that I was near, because without warning, her head snapped in my direction even though I was standing still, reading her card silently. Upon seeing me, she smiled warmly and then gave me a nod that was deeper than normal. I could only take the gesture to mean that she was congratulating me on the win, so I excitedly returned the depth of the nod and then some to show her my thanks. Just the fact that she had chosen to attend the Gala was an honor, but to have her recognize my achievement, particularly after my own family had been so lacking? It warmed my heart.


    I rode that pleasant high for a good dozen steps until I heard my name called. Or at least I thought I did. The word was jumbled by chatter and other noise all around, so I was completely unprepared to be confronted by Warrick.


    My old friend looked well enough, his lanky frame covered in expensive taupe clothing, an ermine half cloak draped over his right shoulder. I had been meaning to ask Afi about him, but never had, even though the opportunity had been available to me every day and certainly tonight.


    Feeling guilty about my lack of follow-through, I started with a compliment even though he didn¡¯t really deserve it. ¡°You are looking well.¡±


    ¡°As do you,¡± he replied, stiffly.


    My mother must have invited him, no doubt to remind me of the ¡®old me¡¯ to which she wanted me to return. Then again, my mother probably wasn¡¯t aware of our recent fallout, so she might be entirely blameless in this case.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± I asked while at the same time hearing an echo of the last words he had spoken to me, those months before. He had told me that I wasn¡¯t good enough, that our friendship had been based on pity. Where could we possibly go such words had been spoken aloud?


    ¡°Fine,¡± he replied, eyes sometimes flicking away from me. Was he looking for Hull? Esmi?


    We stood there in awkward silence, me waiting for him to ask after my affairs or say something about my duel. When neither of those happened, I found I did not have it in me to try and draw such questions out of him or to confront him about how terribly he had treated me before ¨C I simply wasn¡¯t prepared for such an interaction. So, I took the coward¡¯s way out, for once not feeling poorly about the choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must be off,¡± I said. I was going to add that I was glad he had attended, but I couldn¡¯t quite make myself say those words.


    ¡°Another duel to win?¡± Warrick asked, a hint of bite to the question.


    ¡°Thankfully, no. I need to find a guest I invited who might be misbehaving.¡±


    Warrick looked at me closely, as if he was trying to decide whether or not I had just made a swipe at him. ¡°Fortune favor your search,¡± he said, turning on his heel, half cloak billowing behind him. ¡°I look forward to your wedding. I¡¯ve been working on my speech.¡±


    Warrick¡¯s back was to me, so he didn¡¯t see my eyes fly wide. He had the gall to assume that he would be invited to my wedding after how we had last parted? And not only that, he thought I¡¯d grant him a position of importance enough to deliver a speech? I was a few steps after him, feeling like I was ready to have that difficult conversation when I paused. I had searched nearly all parts of the ballroom by now, some multiple times, and had nothing to show for it. I had a suspicion of where Gale was since I couldn¡¯t find him, but there was nothing I could do about that now if I was correct. Griff, however, must be poking around somewhere he very much shouldn¡¯t be. I needed to find him.


    In comparison to that, Warrick¡­ Warrick I could deal with later, when I had given myself time to decide what to say and was in the proper frame of mind.


    I went to the hallway nearest where I had last seen Griff, by the foot of the grand stairway entrance, and stepped within so guests and I weren¡¯t each other¡¯s way. There I summoned Atrea, which I should have done from the very start.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well,¡± she said, her flaming blue eyes seeing right through me.


    I probably didn¡¯t, not after bumping into my oldest friend for the first time in months. To my way of thinking, Warrick had betrayed me even worse than Hull ¨C who had almost let me die ¨C because unlike Hull, Warrick had never apologized for his actions.


    ¡°Just a bit of a scare,¡± I told her. ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡± Then I explained about Griff and sent her to circling the massive room in case I had somehow missed the Chaos user. Her presence might disturb the guests, but nowhere near as much as Griff¡¯s would if left unchecked among Ordered folk.


    Next, I sent two Bearkin and the Spiderkin in elf form to search the various passageways that led off from the ballroom, while I traveled down the one I was already in.


    That foray was equally fruitless; some actual spiders in one of our storage rooms all I located. It was the Bearkin with ear tattoos who found me shortly thereafter. Apparently bears had fine noses, a trait the elf could partially access even when not transformed.


    ¡°The man you seek is this way,¡± the Soul said.


    I followed the elf, but paused when we reached the spiral stairwell he indicated. It went down to the family vault where we kept our deceased kin that weren¡¯t fit for dueling and other valuables. The sound that caused my hesitation was faint, but I swore I heard the clang of metal on metal.


    I was probably being paranoid ¨C Griff had Stephi to keep him in line, and the House guards or servants would have alerted us if the keep was under some sort of attack ¨C but after being stabbed by Ticosi and jumped in the Lows, I would much rather look foolish than be caught unawares. I summoned one of my bodyguards.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± I commanded the moment it formed. ¡°Fast as you can.¡± The Master Shieldbearer¡¯s steps were not quiet, one armored foot landing after the next, but it was quick, and I pounded down the spiral stairs after it, the Bearkin following at my heels.


    Surely there¡¯s nothing to find, I told myself, but the way my heart raced, my body didn¡¯t agree.

 B2: 39. Hull - Taking Advantage

    Afi had said she wanted some air. I¡¯d been around Basil and Esmi long enough to know that this was fancy-folk code for you people make me sick and I¡¯m going to lose my shit if I have to look at you for one more second, but there were a bunch of open doors leading out onto balconies all over the place, so maybe she¡¯d meant it literally. The night air was cool and fresh after the stuffy heat the duels and dancing had packed into the ballroom, but Afi was nowhere to be seen on the first one. More than a few heads turned to take my measure, but apparently my stiff vest and trousers weren¡¯t peacocky enough to keep their attention, because everyone turned back to their drinks and conversation. One raucous table near the end of the balcony had a cards-on-the-table match going on, and as much as I might have liked to stay and watch, I figured Afi wouldn¡¯t appreciate it if she found me spectating when I should obviously be seeking her out to make amends.


    It was an odd feeling, trailing after her like some kind of worried suitor. I wasn¡¯t that, or at least I didn¡¯t think so. Afi seemed more interested in me than I¡¯d ever expected, certainly, and she¡¯d been pleasing and attractive company all evening, but neither of us owed the other anything. It was more that I suspected she might become a good friend, and I didn¡¯t have so many of those that I could afford to throw away new ones before we even got to know each other. Plus, for all of my complaints and hedging, some small part of me wanted to step out on the dance floor with her. I¡¯d never gotten to hold a pretty woman in a beautiful dress close like the rich folk did, and I wanted to, maybe just once. If that cost me an apology, I was glad to give it.


    As I made that apology I needed to be more careful about what I said about my mother, though. Telling Basil and Esmi about her was one thing, and simply letting Gale know she was demonkind was safe enough, I thought ¨C it was her actual identity and connection to me that she wanted protected, I was fairly certain. But then I¡¯d popped off and told Gale that she¡¯d stolen my soul card, which hadn¡¯t been smart or safe. I¡¯d been trying to protect him, but¡­ I didn¡¯t want him knowing that about me, and if he happened to mention it to her, she might decide that was crossing the line. He hadn¡¯t believed me, and he was better than half-drunk, so maybe it was a moot point. Either way, I needed to explain to Afi why the woman was so fixated on me without giving too much information. My feet were used to sneaking into corners and onto rooftops, but my mouth had never learned to do anything but crash through the front door.


    I worked my way back through the ballroom toward the next balcony ¨C on the west side? I couldn¡¯t keep my bearings in this massive building ¨C winding my way through noble party-goers, hangers-on, and servants.


    A freckle-faced girl tugged on my sleeve, the bright silk of her gown not quite enough to distract from her gangly growth spurt. ¡°Do the boys in the Lows do it different?¡±


    I blinked at her. Three of her little friends were clustered behind her, waiting breathlessly for my answer. ¡°Do what different?¡±


    All four of them shrieked with laughter, clutching each other and whispering giddily as they scampered away, peeking back every few seconds. The girl in the shiny gown strutted in the middle of the others, proud to have braved the attention of a dangerous specimen such as myself. I shook my head, bewildered. What would it be like to have that be the riskiest interaction you¡¯ve ever had? In days past the thought might have made me angry; now it just left me bemused and maybe a little envious. I pushed onward, thinking about what I might say to Afi.


    ¡°Hull,¡± said a musical, commanding voice. ¡°Attend us.¡±


    Jerking out of my thoughts, I looked up to see the Queen beckoning to me from a low divan. A dozen people or more clustered around her, and in all the commotion I hadn¡¯t noticed that I¡¯d drifted right past her.


    Steeling myself, I approached and gave the best bow I knew how to make. From the snickers and whispers of the crowd, it didn¡¯t pass muster. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± What am I supposed to say? ¡°I am¡­ at your service.¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± she said cooly. No one gasped or frowned at me any more than they had been already, so maybe I¡¯d said the right thing, or at least a thing that wasn¡¯t wrong enough to raise a stink. ¡°It did not escape my notice that you offered to duel in young Hintal¡¯s place. Are you his bondsman?¡±


    I licked my lips. This was Gerad¡¯s mother, the wife of the insane King. Does she know I¡¯m his bastard? Why else would she call me over? Does she think I¡¯m a threat to her boy? ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not sure what that means,¡± I said, cringing inwardly as someone nearby tittered. ¡°Is a bondsman like a servant?¡± The tall fellow in rich robes standing just behind her cleared his throat and glared at me. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± I amended.


    ¡°Ah, to hear such honesty,¡± she said, chuckling tolerantly. ¡°I could wish you would teach some of my courtiers a lesson or two. A bondsman is sworn to the service of one of the great Houses, young man. Such a one might be considered a servant, but more commonly they are squires or even knights.¡±


    I cast a quick glance around at her retinue. All were watching me, some with greater interest and some with lesser, but no one seemed inclined to help me as I waded in conversational waters that were far too deep for me. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, Your Majesty. We¡¯re friends, is all.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s not often a boy from our rougher neighborhoods forges a friendship among the high families. Your station has risen quite some distance in a very short time.¡±


    Sweat sprang out on my forehead, and my vest suddenly felt very tight. ¡°Basil has been very kind to me, Your Majesty. I¡¯m not a big one for station or any of that. I just want to do well in War Camp, improve my deck, and serve in the army. Nothing more.¡± I¡¯m harmless and I¡¯m not going to bother your precious princeling. Please, Twins, let her believe me!


    A tiny frown marred her porcelain face. ¡°For one who performed so well in the Tournament, I would hope for a little more ambition.¡±


    I felt a thread of wetness trickle down the middle of my back. Does she not know, then? She must. She¡¯s a powerful woman in her own right. But she wants me to be ambitious? Perhaps she shared her husband¡¯s obsession for advancing all of humanity. Either way, I needed to thread this needle very carefully. ¡°I want to work as hard as I can to elevate myself so that I can serve in whatever spot Your Majesty and our glorious King see fit for me.¡±


    She inclined her head the barest fraction. ¡°See that you do. I hope to hear of great things from you sooner than later.¡± She looked at me meaningfully, but Twins twist me if I knew what it meant. Was she telling me she knew who I really was? Was she encouraging me to challenge Gerad? Or was she just a nice lady trying to be kind to a poor kid obviously in over his head?


    She waved me away, and I bowed again, hopefully a little more smoothly this time. Bt the time I was standing straight again, not a single one of her courtiers seemed to even see me anymore. It was as if I had ceased to exist once she¡¯d dismissed me. So much the better.. I turned to go and nearly ran into a Soul in pale, gleaming armor that had been standing right at my elbow, silent as the grave and totally unnoticeable.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s balls,¡± I muttered, my heart racing. It was one of the Queen¡¯s bodyguard cards, by the looks of it. If I¡¯d so much as sneezed at the wrong time, it could have skewered me before I ever even knew it was there. I hurried toward the balcony, glad to have gotten out of the encounter with my skin intact. The Queen had been gracious and kind, in truth ¨C far more than I would have expected from the woman who whelped that monster Gared. Either she was a better woman than I suspected, or else she knew how to put on a good show to make it seem so. I doubted I¡¯d ever find out which it really was.


    More table games and chatting clusters of nobility dotted the west balcony. It was a long, curved affair that seemed to wrap around half the building. I followed the path around the curve, glad to let the night air wick away my nervous heat. Fewer people were congregating out toward the balcony¡¯s nether end, and a screen of potted front plants made a little nook out of the furthest most corner, and it looked like an inviting spot to sit and collect my thoughts in relative privacy for a moment. The fronds rustled in a gentle breeze, seeming to call to me.


    When I approached, though, I saw two people huddled close beyond the trees. Someone had already beaten me to the private spot, and based on thow close they were standing and the furtive whispering I could just hear over the rustle of the fluffed-out fronds, they might not appreciate being interrupted.


    ¡°That¡¯s despicable,¡± I heard one say in low, indignant tones, and the sound stopped me dead in the shadow of the potted plants. It was Afi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass,¡± said the other, a young man¡¯s voice I felt I should recognize. ¡°This is the way it¡¯s done.¡±


    Afi¡¯s voice rose, and I could hear her clearly now. ¡°You call me an ass? That¡¯s a marriage contract you tried to slip me into, and not even a good one. Twins take me if that¡¯s a sanctioned contract card. You went to some back-alley contract Smith, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The boy sounded disgusted. ¡°You think a lot of yourself if you think I¡¯m going to pay to have the Dacrekin House¡¯s Mythic judge Soul create a contract for an up-jumped washer girl. You should be hiking your skirts at the very thought I would stoop to have you.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°I¡¯d sooner hike my skirts for a Troglodyte,¡± Afi hissed. I¡¯d never heard her so angry, not even when I¡¯d let her walk off without me. I wondered if I should step in, but I wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d think I was overstepping. Obviously some poor fool had offered to marry her, and she wasn¡¯t having it. A hint of jealous pride made me stay right where I was to listen.


    ¡°Why else do you think my parents spent all this time and money on you?¡± the boy asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t for your looks, and it wasn¡¯t for your charm. The only possible reason to keep you around was to elevate you enough to make me a good match. I don¡¯t love it any more than you, but let¡¯s hold our noses and get the thing done.¡±


    I knew who it was now, and my fists clenched. That little shit-weasel Warrick had stopped sniffing around Basil during the Tournament, but Afi worked for his parents, and apparently he thought that gave him privileges.


    ¡°They kept me around because they needed a duelist to represent the family and you refused to step up,¡± Afi countered. ¡°Neither your mother nor your father have ever said a single word about matching us.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a fruit-seller¡¯s daughter going to know about how the heads of a great family are thinking?¡± Warrick said. ¡°It¡¯s all implied. You learn these things when you grow up around it. Just put your finger on the card and have done already. Once I knock a baby into you I¡¯ll never darken your door again, I promise.¡±


    Afi went rigid and loomed over the shorter boy. ¡°You try to knock anything and I¡¯ll knock you right off the balcony.¡± she growled. ¡°You think your handful of cards will stand up to a three-story drop? Touch me and you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Warrick gave an aggrieved sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to do it this way, but you¡¯re forcing my hand. Touch the card and seal the contract¡­ or I¡¯ll make sure you never get what you want.¡±


    She laughed right in his face. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know what a girl wanted if she shouted it in your ear. You¡¯re so obsessed with the idea that I¡¯m trying to take your place. Use that soul ability of yours and actually hear what I¡¯m saying, Warrick: I don¡¯t want your position. I¡¯m not secretly trying to get your parents to adopt me, and marrying me isn¡¯t some devious master play to neutralize my ambitions.¡±


    ¡°I do use my hearing ability,¡± Warrick said. ¡°In fact, I used it last month when mother forced me to visit my family¡¯s training academy and you were having a private conversation with Headmaster Macilwain. Those doors are six solid inches of ironwood, and I heard every word.¡±


    Afi went very still.


    ¡°You want to be a faculty member at the school, and you think Mum and Da will be so grateful for all your work in War Camp that when the Headmaster requests you, they won¡¯t think twice.¡± He giggled, an ugly little sound. ¡°Listening to you gush about all your research interests while he pretended to care just about made me lose my lunch. I¡¯d be a very attentive faculty member. Do you think he even realized you were trying to slither into his robes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Afi whispered, soft and dangerous. I could barely hear her over the rustle of the leaves.


    ¡°Touch the contract card and you can fondle the Headmaster to your heart¡¯s content,¡± Warrick said. ¡°Say no to me and I¡¯ll make sure no school in any of the great cities will ever take you on.¡±


    I expected her to make some withering comeback or say something that turned the whole conversation on its head ¨C she was smart, capable, and a ruthless duelist. Instead, she stood there silently as he extended a card to her. Her hand twitched at her side.


    I was suddenly very glad I hadn¡¯t walked away when my inner coward had told me to. Stepping around the fronded bushes, I fished the brass knuckles Artifact out of my pocket and slotted it onto my fingers. Warrick, with his enhanced hearing, heard me as soon as I moved and whirled to face me as I came into view.


    ¡°This is a private conversation,¡± he snapped. ¡°A gentleman would know better than to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m just a gutter rat, then,¡± I said cheerily, tapping the weapon into my other hand. ¡°How we doing, Afi?¡±


    She looked relieved to see me, but she still mustered a scowl. ¡°Bad company no matter where I go, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I said. Turning to Warrick, I very casually held out a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s see this card you were arguing about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern,¡± he said.


    ¡°Afi asked me to escort her tonight,¡± I told him. ¡°I may not have done a good job so far, but I think her concerns are my concerns right now. Besides,¡± I continued, quickly summoning a Nether and pumping it into my brass knucks as I laid a heavy hand on his shoulder, making the claws snik out just past his earlobe, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking.¡±


    Warrick shot a panicked glance at Afi. ¡°Can you not control your dog?¡±


    She looked at him like he¡¯d just tracked shit in on his shoes. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to take your side after you threatened to blackmail me into marriage?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see this, then,¡± I said, reaching out to take the card from his unresisting hand. He looked ready to piss himself.


    ¡°So if you touch the card you have to marry him?¡± I asked Afi.


    She hesitated and then nodded, waffling a hand. ¡°It requires intent, but yes. The card captures a bit of your blood, and that¡¯s what seals it. But I¡¯ve never seen a contract this bad before. We¡¯re not even named!¡± She shot a withering look at Warrick. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to go to House Dacrekin and use their official judge card for this sort of thing. It¡¯s a Mythic, and the contract cards it creates magically compel fulfillment. For cheap knockoffs like this, he¡¯d have to take it to the City Watch or a palace magistrate to enforce the terms.¡±


    ¡°¡®Seven years of servitude for breaking contract,¡¯¡± I read off the card. ¡°That¡¯s steep.¡±


    She looked at the thing over my shoulder, careful not to touch it. ¡°You piece of shit,¡± she said to Warrick. ¡°¡®All winnings or positions?¡¯ After everything, you still believe I want your parents to adopt me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the smart thing,¡± Warrick murmured, holding very still and watching my clawed weapon carefully.


    ¡°I have an good idea,¡± I said to Afi. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s a bad one. You mind?¡±


    She gave me a sharp nod. ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me,¡± Warrick whispered.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I told him. ¡°Not yet, at least. But this¡± ¨C I waved the card at him ¨C ¡°is bullshit, and you¡¯re not getting it back. In fact¡­¡± I summoned three more Nether as quick as I could and pumped them all into the Artifact, feeling the good old rage rushing into me. I set the card on the wide stone railing and slammed the claws down onto it, Nether flashing purple. The card shattered with a crack loud enough to draw gasps from distant nobles further down the walkway.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Warrick cried, gaping at the cratered holes the claws had made in the stone. ¡°That¡¯s my property.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± I agreed. Two irregularly shaped Basic shards sat amid the stone chips and dust I¡¯d left behind. ¡°But you were blackmailing the woman, and I like her more than I like you, so¡­¡± I shrugged. ¡°Feel free to keep the shards, if you like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you jailed,¡± he said, puffing himself up. ¡°I belong to House Erlun.¡±


    ¡°Or,¡± I said, putting that clawed hand back on his shoulder and squeezing hard, ¡°you can apologize to Afi and never speak of this again. That¡¯s the smart thing.¡±


    Afi came to stand at my shoulder, and I could feel the fierce satisfaction rolling off her.


    ¡°Go on,¡± I urged him.


    He looked up at her sullenly and back down again, mouth hardening.


    ¡°You''ve seen me duel,¡± I said casually. ¡°Remember the big demons? The fast ones that laugh a lot? They killed a man and ate him. I saw it.¡±


    Horror flashed across his face, and I felt a quiver pass through him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered to Afi. ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Good man,¡± I said, clapping him on the shoulder. I turned to go and then paused. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯ll be asking her regularly about how she¡¯s getting on with the academy. If I hear a peep about her getting turned out¡­¡±


    He nodded vigorously.


    I extended an arm to Afi, who took it, and we strolled away, leaving Warrick cowering behind the screen of potted frond trees.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I wanted to talk to you again tonight,¡± she said. ¡°Turns out I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied, grinning. ¡°It¡¯d be hard to apologize for being a complete ass if you refused to speak with me.¡±


    She glanced back. ¡°You came down on him pretty hard. He¡¯s always been a little shit, but all he really ever wanted was his parents¡¯ approval. I almost feel bad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ve known guys like that before. If you don¡¯t stop them cold, they just keep getting worse. If you let him get away with this, he¡¯d have made your life hell.¡±


    We strolled aimlessly and chatted, avoiding the crowded ballroom ¨C much to my relief ¨C and enjoying each other¡¯s company. I was able to convince her that my mother was a crazy older kid I¡¯d known in the Lows when I was very young who¡¯d been something of a caretaker to me despite her obvious instability, and she seemed to accept that it was one of those connections I found cumbersome but couldn¡¯t quite be rid of.


    Fortunately, she was so worked up about Warrick that her earlier annoyance with me was gone and forgotten. She told me story after story about how he¡¯d been demanding and grabby with her from their very earliest days together. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t tried something like this before,¡± she admitted as we walked the empty hallways together. It seemed the entire staff of House Hintal had been mustered to tend to the festivities, and there was something sneaky and forbidden-feeling about walking around like we owned the place. After a time, Afi began to pick random doors to try to peek through. Most were locked, but we found spare servants¡¯ quarters, linen closets, and once a creepy, disused sitting room with all the furniture covered by thick dust cloths.


    ¡°I meant what I said,¡± I told her. ¡°If he tries to keep you out of the academy, tell me.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll have your demons eat him?¡± she smirked.


    She didn¡¯t know about Ticosi; she thought I¡¯d been bluffing. After a moment¡¯s thought, I decided I¡¯d like myself better if I had been. ¡°Maybe just a finger or two.¡±


    She laughed, leaning into me as we walked. ¡°Challenging people to duels and saving the maiden in distress from her dastardly suitor. You¡¯re a walking penny romance, Hull.¡±


    I shrugged, blushing. ¡°You¡¯d have made short work of him yourself in a moment.¡±


    She sobered quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I do depend on his parents. Without their patronage and recommendation, the academy would never look at me twice. It¡¯s a fine dance trying to fend him off without being so offensive that he convinces them I¡¯m a bad investment.¡± She shook her head sadly. ¡°All he wants is a pat on the back. If they¡¯d spent half the effort on him that they do elsewhere, he¡¯d have been a fine son.¡± Then she chucked me on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you came along, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying. Thank you.¡±


    I hardly knew what to say. Something inside me wiggled like a little puppy, but my mouth had stopped working. Casting my eyes around desperately, I saw a set of fancy double doors at the end of the hall and pointed to them. ¡°Want to see if that one¡¯s unlocked?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, fancy. It¡¯s too far out of the way to be milord¡¯s bed chamber and too ornate to be anyone else¡¯s. I¡¯m betting¡­ reading room, or maybe solarium.¡±


    I blanched. ¡°These people have rooms just for reading?¡±


    She laughed. ¡°You¡¯re just asking that because you don¡¯t know what a solarium is.¡±


    I had a snappy response on the tip of my tongue, but to my surprise, the handle turned and the door opened. I¡¯d thought for sure it¡¯d be locked. ¡°We¡¯re in luck¨C¡±


    My voice died in my throat as I took stock of what I saw beyond the doors. It was a lavish room paneled in dark wood, with shelves upon shelves upon shelves of books. Deeply-padded winged chairs were scattered in artful groupings across the white furred rugs that carpeted the floor from edge to edge, and gentle orange elemental globes cast a warm, inviting glow across the space. And there, right between two chairs draped with discarded clothing, lay Gale, naked as a baby, his arms and legs splayed out, his eyes rolled back in his head. My mother was stooped over him, wearing only a silk shift that covered exactly nothing where it bunched around her waist. She had a look of ecstasy on her flushed face, and she was pulling something out of the boy¡¯s chest.


    She was holding his soul card in her hand.

 B2: 40. Basil - Escape

    The stairwell down was a long one, and well before I reached the bottom, the sounds I had heard earlier ¨C the distant ting of metal striking metal ¨C ceased to be. Far from calming me, the sudden lack only made me more concerned. There were some storerooms in the basement of our keep, mainly for meats and other perishables whose cooling Relics benefited from the lower temperatures, so it was possible that the noise had been the cooks or servers gathering more supplies for the gala. But why would that sort of work produce such a sound? More likely in my mind was that the guards who protected the vault had come to grips with someone. They were not particularly powerful cards from my father¡¯s deck, chosen more for the length of time they could remain summoned than for their might; their mere presence was enough to dissuade overcurious workers.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite sure you smelled Griff down here?¡± I asked, and the Bearkin behind me grunted in confirmation as we continued to descend.


    Had the Chaos user accidentally triggered the Guards somehow? The defensive Souls would only have attacked if struck first or if someone had tried to open the vault. I knew from experience that Griff was a decidedly unpredictable fellow, but would he have blithely attempted to tug on a door with two guards stationed beside it? Surely even he wouldn¡¯t be so reckless. And what possible reason could he have for being down here in the first place? If he had decided to pilfer some items of value ¨C which, admittedly, I wouldn¡¯t be entirely surprised by ¨C there were much easier targets in our home than a guarded and locked vault situated at the end of a lengthy set of stairs!


    Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, I had my Souls come to a halt before we entered the connecting hallway. I needed a moment to catch my breath, and some additional time to piece together the oddity of events wouldn¡¯t go amiss either. While I stood there, thinking and breathing hard, I rubbed my sleeved arms, almost envious that Souls were unaffected by such labor or changes in temperature.


    If Griff had indeed activated our Guards, had his minder Stephi stepped in to defend him? Was that the noise I had heard? If so, I was glad I had a stack of Healing Potions in my breast pocket in case either of them ¨C or anyone else who might have gotten caught up in the mess ¨C was harmed. As for how Griff might have managed to convince Stephi to let him stray so far from the gala, I couldn¡¯t guess. Despite her reserved demeanor, she¡¯d always seemed to do a fair job of keeping him in line before.


    I gave myself a final count of ten to rest, listening for all I was worth as I did, but heard nothing new.


    ¡°All right,¡± I told my two Souls, ¡°let¡¯s go ahead. At a measured pace this time, and stay close.¡±


    To my surprise, my Shieldbearer, standing one step down from me, did not budge. ¡°Summoner,¡± it said, the voice of a woman coming from behind the helmet. ¡°If you are concerned, would it not be wise to go and seek aid first?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t used to my Souls questioning me, but I had asked for their support. The least I could do was share my rationale if they were curious. ¡°I am more mystified than worried, truth be told. I hope to the Twins that Griff hasn¡¯t done anything too foolish, but if he has, I¡¯d prefer to be the one to catch him in the act.¡± I saw my Shieldbearer stiffen at the idea of putting myself in danger and added, ¡°Griff has no cards of his own; they¡¯re only loaned to him for the duration of Camp exercises. He¡¯s defenseless here and in chains. With just one of you I could handle him if need be, and I doubt it will come to that.¡±


    The Shieldbearer bowed her head. ¡°Very well,¡± she said, though she didn¡¯t sound happy about it.


    Despite her misgivings, the Soul did move into the hallway, allowing me and the Bearkin to exit the stairwell, the elf still shadowing my steps, right where I wanted him, just to be safe. Down here the ceiling was rounded, the path only going left, so that was the direction we traveled, the three of us staying bunched together. Intermittent glow lights built into the wall lit our way, the same as they had in the stairwell. However, the hallway bent and curved ¨C to avoid denser and less workable deposits of rock, my father had once explained ¨C so even with the light, we couldn¡¯t see very far ahead. We passed some doors but I ignored those for now since they were just the various storerooms. It was possible that Griff had chosen to raid our larders, but I wanted to set sight on the vault at the end of the hall first. If he was not there, then I would begin checking the adjoining spaces.


    Coming to the last bend before the final stretch, I considered calling another halt. I had been drawing cards and summoning source since we had started down the stairs and was currently up to 2 Order, 1 Air, and 1 Life at the ready, along with another Air in hand, as well as three Souls and a Spell.


    While I believed what I had told my Shieldbearer and doubted I would need so many cards, there were other possibilities of what could be waiting for us. Perhaps a group of gala-goers had realized that Griff was a Chaos user and shoved him down here to thrash him, or worse. Or what if thieves were using the cover of the gala to try and rob from my family? I could summon the Zephyr for another body, but I doubted it could Fly in these confines and it wouldn¡¯t help my offense much. As for the Bodyguards, with one out already, I couldn¡¯t do anything with the other two at the moment ¨C though having them as backup or defense was a comfort. I could wait and draw more cards, but the continued silence was bothering me. What if Stephi or Griff were bleeding out, and I dithered too long, causing their deaths?


    So, we took the turn without slowing, rounding the bend in a tight pack. Just over my Shieldbearer¡¯s shoulder pauldron, down the hall, I could see that the vault door stood wide open, like a card market ready for business. I would have sputtered in disbelief, but too many other peculiarities were demanding my attention. My father¡¯s Guards were gone as if they had never been, and in their place stood none other than armored Stephi. She seemed to care not at all that Griff was inside my family''s vault, casually tucking cards behind his ear, 3 Chaos and Water source each floating around his head.


    What in the bloody Twelve? I had been worried about the man, and here he was, stealing from me.


    ¡°Griff!¡± I called, my sudden outrage making it a shout. ¡°You will cease doing that this very instant!¡±


    The Chaos user glanced in my direction, and seeing me, looked neither concerned nor ashamed for his actions ¨C both of which stung. Had I been completely wrong about the man?


    ¡°Ah, young Hintal,¡± he said, continuing to take the cards, which only boiled my blood further. ¡°I would have thought you too busy celebrating your grand victory to bother traipsing down here. Let me guess, the Bearkin has a nose on him?¡±


    The Elf shifter growled behind me, the three of us continuing to advance on the pair, less than two dozen feet separating us now.


    ¡°You had best start explaining yourself, or ¨C¡± my words caught in my throat because the Shieldbearer whose broad back I had been following exploded into motes of light like she had struck for fatal damage. Seeing me unprotected, my Bearkin leapt in front, but no sooner had he done so than he too shattered into shards. ¡°Fate take me!¡± I cursed, summoning another Bodyguard from hand, quick as I could.


    The armored figure came into being, but the moment it solidified, it too collapsed upon itself. I scrambled backward. It made no sense; Griff had made no move to attack me, his source hovering unused, and Stephi stood still as death, having shifted not an inch from her position by the wall. My eyes darted side-to-side and then behind me but saw no one. Did they have an accomplice? Someone hidden?


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you,¡± Griff called.


    I heard him but was barely listening. I needed to create some distance between us so I could discover what was happening and regroup. Too late, I saw a card stuck to the side of the wall flash.


    Even though I had been standing on solid stone a moment ago, I fell backward into the pit that had suddenly appeared beneath me. It wasn¡¯t overly deep, but there were spikes jutting from wooden boards waiting for me at the bottom. I slammed into them with all my weight behind them, but felt only pressure, no pain, a card shedding from my body because I chose to hold onto my hand tightly.


    Since Griff had no Souls I could see, I didn¡¯t particularly mind losing the Spell. I could have gotten rid of the Zephyr instead, 1 icon for 1 damage, but I was hoping the Air Soul might persist in a way my Order and Life ones hadn¡¯t, and if it did, perhaps it could get me out of this hole.


    Though the landing hadn¡¯t been painful, it took me a moment to stand, the whole time feeling like a weight was pushing down on me. This must have been the card¡¯s focus-Summoner effect, slowing me.


    During that time, Griff moseyed up to the edge, Stephi joining him, the pair of them peering down at me. For my life, I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Griff had never used a Chaos card like this in our training ¨C Escape? ¨C and I had seen him cycle through his entire deck multiple times. And why was Stephi acting complacent in all of this? She was supposed to be his jailer, not his accomplice. Was he blackmailing or coercing her somehow?


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Griff said, his scratchy voice sounding affable of all things. ¡°Can¡¯t have someone bringing that whole party down on me. It was quite the guest list, after all. You understand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand at all,¡± I said, having to crane my neck to look up at him. ¡°You hijack the cards of my kin but then apologize for using a Trap card on me? You often don¡¯t make sense, Griff, but this is absurd, even for you.¡± I was angry and confused, but at the same time, Griff had been my mentor, one who had actually treated me with respect. I didn¡¯t know how, but I wanted him to make this right, to say it was some sort of test, a new way of training me, something, anything.


    ¡°Your family cards? Phaw!¡± Griff snorted, looking to Stephi for a reaction as he often did and then back to me. ¡°I don¡¯t want those dusty Souls anymore than you lot do. ¡®Sides, does this look like a Hintal to you?¡± He flipped a card around from the slim stack he was still slotting into his Mind Home, holding it out so that I could see.


    It took me a moment to gather my voice, and in that time, the Pit Trap vanished, returning me to the hallway proper, putting me on the same level as Griff. He looked rather smug now and slipped the Taur behind his ear.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What was that doing in my family¡¯s vault?¡± I finally managed to say.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t tell you, did he?¡± Griff said. He used the last card to pick at something stuck between his few teeth and then into his Mind Home it went, which nearly made me sick up. ¡°Thought not. You woulda been more suspicious about me sniffing after an invite if he had.¡±


    I felt my blood run cold. The Chaos user had played me.  ¡°He who?¡±


    ¡°Your father, of course. Leader of the City Watch of Treledyne.¡± Griff gave me a lopsided grin while Stephi remained oh-so-silent. ¡°I believe he comes around here every now and again.¡±


    ¡°My father doesn¡¯t keep Chaos cards here,¡± I said shaking my head, ¡°or any sort of contraband for the Garrison. Those things stay at the City Watch Precinct.¡± The cold feeling seeped into my already roiling gut, a terrible possibility dawned on me. ¡°Is that why he isn¡¯t here tonight? Were you the cause of the troubles, or did you¡­¡± The cold turned into ice. Less than half an hour ago, Griff had been someone I thought it wise to keep eye on, to smooth his inevitable faux pas among high society, and yet now he had somehow managed to break into my family¡¯s vault and extract Chaos cards from them ¨C or so he claimed. I didn¡¯t know what he was capable of anymore. ¡°...do something to him? Because you didn¡¯t want him recognizing you?¡±


    Griff snorted again. ¡°Your father doesn¡¯t know me from a one-legged whore, but he does listen when a General asks a favor of him.¡±


    ¡°Edaine?¡± I guessed, and Griff nodded, the bun his shaggy hair was wrapped up in bobbing up and down. ¡°But why ¨C¡±


    ¡°Because I tried to escape a year into the damnable indenture they forced on me. Destroyed five of my cards when they caught me, the bastards ¨C but not Stephi. If they had, I would have slit all their throats.¡± He delivered that pronouncement with his usual gap-toothed smile, but this time it was chilling.


    ¡°Stephi?¡± I asked, struggling to piece together the varied details he was giving me.


    Griff turned around, heading back toward the vault it seemed, the woman in question following after. ¡°Of course, Stephi. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t figured that part out yet.¡±


    I hesitated. He wasn¡¯t watching me, which meant I should be able to escape if I wished. The question was, did I want to? It was probably the wise thing to do. Wherever Griff had gotten the deck, it was clear that he had a set of illegal cards now, which made him extremely dangerous. He looked that way too, walking with a more purposeful air. I glanced down, and sure enough, his ankle fetters were gone. In fact, thinking back to when he showed me the Chaos card, I didn¡¯t remember seeing chains around his wrists anymore either. That made him a freed Chaos user, loose in my home and here because of my invitation. I could try to face him, but I still didn¡¯t know what had destroyed my Souls. Surely Edaine could find a way to best him, but if I left, it¡¯s not as if Griff would wait patiently for me to return with the General. If I wanted answers ¨C which I did, I desperately did ¨C now was the time to get them; I felt that as surely in my bones as the cards I still held in my hand.


    I took one step after him, and then another, gathering courage and speed as I went. Griff hadn¡¯t made a move to harm me, after all. Perhaps he was a non-violent Chaos user, perhaps ¨C I paused, having caught sight of another card stuck to the side of the wall. Its back was to me, so I couldn¡¯t see what it was, but I could guess well enough: another Pit Trap. It seemed my assumption that I could depart if I wished had been erroneous. Twins willing, that was the only thing I was wrong about.


    Griff had indeed returned to the vault, about halfway back, searching through the various furniture, paintings, and decorative pieces that were stored there. Was he missing some cards or looking for something else to take with him? Stephi had returned to her position beside the door, and I eyed her warily as I approached.


    ¡°Why were my Souls destroyed?¡± I asked. It wasn¡¯t the thing I was most curious about, but it was the most practical if I needed to defend myself or have any chance of stopping him. I was doubtful he¡¯d answer, considering the advantage he currently had over me, but maybe¡­ ¡°Some other Trap?¡± I said even though that didn¡¯t seem right. If it was, I should have seen it when it triggered.


    ¡°Look behind the door,¡± he called from where he was rooting around.


    Frowning, I turned to the door to the vault. Behind it? Why would there be anything behind it? I moved close enough to grab the edge of the thick metal door, and with a grunt, pulled it closed. As I did, a thought occurred to me: I could lock Griff inside. He was too far away to stop me, and Stephi¡­ was now standing half in the doorway, making it impossible to fully shut. She didn¡¯t say a word, nor was her helmet even turned my way, but she must have been watching me.


    I let the door go, walking around it, trying to act as if that had been my plan all along. Who is she, and why is she so obviously siding with him? Griff had said she was a card, but that has to be impossible, doesn¡¯t it?


    Those questions and others ate at me, but quieted when I saw what was tucked between the door and the wall.


    The chest-high totem was made from a stone darker than the hallway and had the face of an orc carved into its upper half. Its eyes and mouth glowed with an eerie, inner red light, and a similarly colored miasma drifted up from its base. A quick check revealed that this emanation stayed within a few feet of the Relic, but judging at how far away I had from it when my Souls were destroyed, it clearly didn¡¯t denote the range of the totem¡¯s Aura.


    It was a powerful card and completely invalidated my deck, which I found very, very irksome. I nearly kicked it, but instead marched back around the door to find that Griff had stacked some brocade chairs to the side so he could get farther back in the vault.


    ¡°That totem isn¡¯t strong enough to destroy the Guards that were here,¡± I said. ¡°You put that up in case I came looking for you.¡±


    ¡°You or someone with a deck like yours,¡± Griff confirmed. He considered a three foot by three foot painting for a moment, but then shook his head, putting it aside. ¡°But I put it behind the door because you rely on your Soul sight too much. That¡¯s a lesson for free,¡± he gave me a wink before going back to his work.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡± my mind began examining our previous interactions in a new way, ¡°is that why you insisted I use so many Shieldbearers? And the same with those Zephyrs you ¡®gifted¡¯ me?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Griff chuckled. ¡°You had me worried when you bought those Life cards, but then they all started with 1 Attack! Couldn¡¯t have picked ¡®em better myself.¡± He was laughing full on by this point, but I found the truth to be decidedly less humorous.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t care at all about me besting Gale.¡± I wasn¡¯t entirely sure why that hurt me so much but it did. ¡°It was all for your own ends.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t sell me short, lad. I can build a deck to beat an ass while covering my own as well. It was a nice diversion for a few weeks.¡± So saying, Griff tossed a glass-work lampshade aside. Normally I would have cringed or leapt to try and save it, but I could hardly find it in me to care.


    Was my deck even viable, built as it was with ulterior motives in mind? It certainly wasn¡¯t at the moment, all the cards in my hand useless. I drew two more, the summons snapping into being, as if they were eager to appear after the long wait.


    Another Zephyr, like Fortune was mocking me, and a Spiderkin. Griff, damn the man, was absolutely right about the elf: it would only have 1 Attack when first summoned, making it just as ineffective against the Totem. If only I had changed the Bearkin into a Bear before engaging, I might have actually done something.


    Wrapped up in these self-pitying thoughts, I wasn¡¯t prepared when a purple figure slid out from inside the vault and attacked me.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s balls!¡± I cried. I went to use one of my Shieldbearers to block the 2 damage the octopus-like creature was going to inflict, but instead of striking me with its sword, it wrapped a tentacle around the hand I had raised to ward it off. The suckers on the appendage latched onto my skin and then the whole thing constricted, the Octopod¡¯s milky eyes rolling up in its head while it made an unpleasant burbling sound. A pressure suddenly built in my hand, a sensation I only recognized because in training Griff had sometimes used his Chaos Source Power on us. I needed to Discard, and if I didn¡¯t choose quickly, the Twins would choose for me. Wanting the Octopod off of me as soon as possible and feeling like it barely mattered what I picked, I released the two cards I had just drawn, which shattered as soon as they were out of my hand. The creature instantly released me, its other tentacles whipping around, grabbing at the falling motes of light, letting out a fluting squeal of satisfaction.


    Griff¡¯s head popped up behind an old settee, all the way at the back of the vault. ¡°Drew some cards, did you? Won¡¯t want to be doing that either, I¡¯m afraid. You know how Uncommons are. Can only handle a few commands at most. Stephi being the exception, of course.¡± He smiled at her warmly and then ducked back down.


    I cradled my arm that had been sucked on, though the only damage it had taken was a series of round impressions on the jacket sleeve. And yet I felt wounded, once again made powerless, and with a head full of questions that had no good answers.


    ¡°Stephi can¡¯t be a Summons,¡± I snapped. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you with her countless times with no source summoned. And if she was a Summons, I would have seen her with my¡­¡± I trailed off, eyes glancing to the door with the hidden Relic behind it. I looked then to Stephi, still as silent as ever. Could all that armor she wore be stopping me from viewing the Soul within?


    ¡°Starting to use that mind instead of your mouth,¡± Griff called from the vault. ¡°That¡¯s a nice change.¡±


    ¡°But the source,¡± I said, hanging on to my argument but no longer as sure of myself. ¡°You can¡¯t summon a card without source. You simply can¡¯t.¡±


    Griff gave a huff, and I stopped examining Stephi long enough to see that he had his hands on his hips, surveying the items around him in distaste. ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be coin in a vault, useful cards, shards, gems, something.¡± He held up a small stool with tasseled ends and a beautifully stitched top. ¡°What am I supposed to do with this? I can¡¯t just carry it around.¡± I stared at him. He stared back and then shook the stool, the tassels swinging. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°My mother keeps the change of furniture in the vault.¡± When he kept looking at me, I added with exasperation, ¡°for the different seasons, or her different moods. There¡¯s not enough space in the keep for all of her furniture to be displayed appropriately at once.¡±


    Griff¡¯s eyebrow twitched, and he tossed the stool over his shoulder. ¡°This is the worst place I¡¯ve ever robbed,¡± he said, angling his body so he could make his way out of the mess he had made. I noticed that on both walls the tiny frames holding my ancestors all remained untouched, just as he claimed. ¡°Be sure to tell your parents I said so.¡±


    I crossed my arms. ¡°I could have told you what the vault contained if you¡¯d asked instead of siccing your Traps and Souls on me.¡± I checked the Octopod, but besides its twitching tentacles, it stood almost as still as Stephi.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Griff said, scratching at his scraggly beard, ¡°suppose I could have at that. You¡¯ve been decent company, keeping a man entertained as he worked. Not that he got much for his time...¡± The Chaos user snatched up a small mirror and tucked it into his jacket. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do. And you,¡± he said, taking a pair of thick, silver candlesticks.


    The pilfered items made his jacket bulge ridiculously.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never get out of the keep looking like that,¡± I told him. And once we¡¯re beyond the range of your Totem, I¡¯ll be able to summon again, I thought but refrained from saying.


    Griff chuckled, putting a hand on my shoulder, which I didn¡¯t know how to feel about. ¡°Food for a laugh right to the end. Edaine¡¯s up there, lad, hunting for me no doubt, and she¡¯d be breathing down my neck if I hadn¡¯t gotten those nobles¡¯ knickers in a twist about the Church.¡±


    ¡°You were the cause of that Flinch Test?¡± I said. Exactly how much planning had the man put into this evening? A great deal no doubt, considering there were still a number of things I didn¡¯t understand how he had managed.


    ¡°They barely needed a spark,¡± he said, ¡°but it will have died out by now. I had hoped to leave with more, but I got what really mattered.¡± He glanced Stephi¡¯s way and then released his hold on me, only to smack the sides of my shoulders with both his hands. ¡°And I owe it to you, lad. Near five years they¡¯ve made me live like a diseased dog, and now I¡¯m free.¡± He cocked his head, as if hearing something, but I caught nothing at all. ¡°You¡¯re right, Stephi, some thanks are in order.¡± His expression changed, like he was sobering up, seeing the world with all its hard edges. ¡°You disappointed me tonight, Basil.¡±


    I coughed, I was so surprised by the words. This was how he thanked me? ¡°I disappointed you?¡± I choked out, flabbergasted. ¡°How can you say such a thing to me with a straight¡­¡± The seriousness of the way he was looking at me dried the words up, and I suddenly became very aware of how close he, Stephi, and his octopus creature were to me.


    ¡°We all have choices to make, lad, and every soul has the right to their own ¨C your King would do well to learn that lesson. But tonight you chose pride, and it could have cost you more than you¡¯d want to pay. It makes a man wonder what you really value. It makes a man wonder if you know what you really value.¡±


    There was a cloudiness to his brown eyes, but still, they were penetrating; it was like he could see right into me, the same as when I had shared my Soul card with Esmi. He clapped me on the shoulders again, breaking me from the trance.


    ¡°Think on it, lad,¡± he said and gave me his lopsided, gap-toothed smile. ¡°And when the orcs come, be better prepared.¡± He pulled a card from his pocket and cast it using a single Water source ¨C was that where he had been keeping his Hand the whole time?


    The card resolved in the air, and I recognized it as a Spell Afi had used during our training, but of a higher rarity.


    ¡°Go on, Stephi. Debts should be paid,¡± Grif said as he slipped into the ground, vanishing, though I swore he winked at me again one last time before he went. I stared at the floor in shock. When he had said he was going to leave, I hadn¡¯t believed he truly had a way out.


    The Octopod jerked, and my eyes flew toward it, but the Soul was merely breaking into shards, its summoner too far away now for an Uncommon to remain whole. I realized that Stephi had her arm out, holding something toward me, but then she too collapsed, the various pieces of armor she wore falling to the floor in a clatter.


    Nothing was within.


    My mind started to lock up, too many unexpected things having happened in rapid sequence, but with a force of will, I pushed through it. I wasn¡¯t a frightened boy anymore, and I was fairly certain there had been something in Stephi¡¯s hand. Rooting though the armor, I found one gauntlet clasped around a gold-bordered card.


    I let out a mirthless chuckle. ¡°You really believe I¡¯ll use something like this?¡± All the energy flowed out of me, and I dismissed my source and hand, plopping down onto the ground ¨C something I would have never done under different circumstances. I stayed there for a time, how long I couldn¡¯t say, pondering the card and his last words to me. Eventually, Edaine and her summons found me, and it was time for me to explain something I myself only half understood.


    The key though¡­ that I kept to myself.

 B2: 41. Hull - Mother Dearest

    Mother hadn¡¯t looked up at me yet; she was caught in the rapture of her card theft. There she stood over her victim, so close to naked it made no difference, and it was like I was really seeing her for the first time. My mind snapped into focus the way only immediate danger could provoke. I turned and saw Afi, who was just now peeking over my shoulder, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. Her mouth dropped open like she was about to speak.


    ¡°Go get help,¡± I breathed, and then I shut the door in her face. A glance back to Mother showed her slumped back against the wingback chair strewn with clothes, her eyes heavy-lidded like a man four tankards deep. She showed no sign that she¡¯d noticed me yet. Maybe we got away with it. Afi, be smart and don¡¯t barge in to figure it all out. Go find Edaine, quick. I was fairly sure Mother wouldn¡¯t hurt me for finding her like this, but if she saw Afi, she¡¯d attack in a heartbeat, and I wasn¡¯t sure if either of us would walk away alive from that. I¡¯d known Mother could steal cards ¨C damn me for thinking she wouldn¡¯t ¨C but seeing Gale laid out on the floor looking bloodless and half-dead brought home to me just how powerful she was. With an ability like that she was Epic at the very least, and more likely Mythic.


    ¡°Caught in the act,¡± Mother laughed as she laid eyes on me, hauling herself upright.


    ¡°Not exactly the act I expected,¡± I said, striving for a casual unconcern I didn¡¯t feel. ¡°That card¡¯s a good get.¡± She seemed entirely unconcerned by her state of undress, but it left me unnerved, so I picked up her gown and handed it to her.


    ¡°Target of opportunity,¡± she said, winking at me as she arranged her shift and stepped into the dress, Gale¡¯s card still clutched in her fist. The man himself was breathing very shallowly, his skin showing a bluish pallor and his eyes rolled back in his head. Trying to make it look like disdain, I took his coat and shirt and tossed them over him. Anything I did here would do him no good if he shivered himself to death on the floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine this will help your treaty negotiations,¡± I said offhandedly.


    She snorted and gave me a withering look as she settled her dress into place.


    ¡°Ah,¡± I said, ¡°of course. It was a good lie, I have to say.¡± I affected a look of hurt. ¡°You could have told me, though, once you were sure of me.¡±


    She gave a baffled look over her shoulder as she collected her shoes. ¡°You tell the truth when you have to, Hull, not before.¡±


    She might look human ¨C she might be able to fake affection and love ¨C but she was a demon to her core, and I would never understand her. All I could do now was try to stop her and fix this before it got worse. ¡°Can I see it?¡± I gestured to the card she held.


    She tossed it to me as if it were worthless.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t stay like this, does it?¡± I asked. ¡°Or do you have a bunch of living Souls inside you?¡±


    ¡°It takes a day or two for the card to die once it¡¯s taken,¡± she said. ¡°Then it becomes a Summons like any other.¡±


    Hope surged in me. If the card isn¡¯t dead yet¡­ ¡°Can you use it before then?¡± I asked, injecting all the innocent curiosity I could into it. ¡°Are you going to walk out as Gale?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯d be convenient, but I have to wait for the separation to be complete before the card will slot into my Mind Home.¡± She clapped me on the shoulder and held out her hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯ve got your head on straight about this, but it¡¯s time for me to go. Captain Limp-Dick here may not be in any shape to point fingers, but you won¡¯t be the last person to stumble into this room tonight, and fighting my way out would be such a waste of time.¡±


    I turned back toward him, pretending not to see her outstretched hand. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill him?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s a whole deck of cards in there, and we both saw that he has some good ones.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± she said, sounding bored. ¡°Kill one of these nobles and they all shit themselves and go to the ends of the earth to right the unbearable wrong of proving that they¡¯re mortal. But you steal a soul card and they¡¯re all so horrified that they just ignore the victim and pretend it never happened.¡± She shrugged. ¡°A couple of extra Epics would be nice, but the juice isn¡¯t worth the squeeze. This was mostly just for fun, honestly.¡± She waggled her hand at me impatiently. ¡°I do want the fruits of my labor, though. You might be my son, but I¡¯m not feeling that generous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, the words rising out of me before I could stop them. ¡°You don¡¯t give cards, you take them.¡±


    She looked up into my face, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Ah. I see. You¡¯re haven¡¯t got your head on straight about this.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s time you came with me, Hull. You need to get back to where people make sense and see things clearly.¡±


    ¡°Hull?¡± came a weak voice at my feet. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    I crouched down. Gale lifted a shaking hand, and I clasped it. ¡°Lay still. It¡¯s going to be okay.¡±


    ¡°I feel wrong,¡± he whispered.


    Mother gusted a sigh. ¡°You need to get away from all these soft-hearted, milkwater humans. They¡¯re ruining you.¡±


    ¡°Are they?¡± I blurted, standing up. ¡°They didn¡¯t steal my soul card.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, let it go already. I needed it and you were hardly using it.¡±


    ¡°Was I even sick?¡±


    ¡°Who cares?¡± She snatched Gale¡¯s card out of my hand and stormed away, going to the door and and putting her hand on the knob. ¡°Twins, I thought you might be an asset.¡± She cracked the door. ¡°You come with me now or I¡¯m done with you forever.¡±


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    Her lips were twisted in an ugly snarl and her eyes were flat. I knew it wasn¡¯t her face ¨C it wasn¡¯t even the face I¡¯d grown up with ¨C but I tried to fix it in my mind nevertheless. No matter the features, this was my mother: selfish, demanding, and unrepentant. It was all I could ever expect from her.


    ¡°Be done with me, then,¡± I said, pulling a Nether and putting it overhead. ¡°But I¡¯m not letting you leave with that card.¡±


    She laughed, a hard, mocking sound. ¡°Not letting me? You can¡¯t stop me.¡±


    I drew cards, not even looking at them yet. ¡°I can try. I have to try.¡±


    Suddenly there were two Nether over her head. I had no idea how she¡¯d gotten two up that fast. ¡°Hull, one day you and I will have a good, long fight, and then we¡¯ll really know each other¡­ but you don¡¯t want to do this now. If I¡¯m going to kill my son, I want it to mean something.¡±


    ¡°This does mean something,¡± I said. ¡°I made this problem, and I have to fix it.¡±


    Gale clutched my boot. ¡°Don¡¯t. I should have listened. Let her go.¡±


    ¡°Listen to your playmate,¡± Mother warned me. ¡°I¡¯m going. Either follow or stand aside.¡±


    I peeked at my hand. No time for mulligans. Afi, where did you go? I can¡¯t stall any longer! Reinforcements or not, it was time to make a stand. ¡°Fuck you, lady. You don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± With that, I put up another Nether and summoned.


    I¡¯d have preferred to have led with my Hateful Hammer, but I didn¡¯t have it in hand, and I had a feeling that I was going to be taking some serious damage any second. With my free hand I dug my dueling eyepatch out of my trousers and slipped it onto my face.


    Mother rolled her shoulders grimly. ¡°All right, then.¡± Her sources dimmed.


    An incredible roar like an angry giant shattered the quiet as a wave of purple force caught me like a wood chip in a storm drain and flung me across the room. I was able to use the two Ravening Hatchlings in my hand to block a little of the damage, but the rest of it stripped my hand bare and cost me 2 more cards from the Mind Home besides. My Amulet buzzed with a full charge even as I soared through the air. I tangled in the heavy velvet curtains ¨C my back thudding hard enough against the stone wall behind to take another 2 cards ¨C and then I tumbled roughly to the ground. The window next to me was now a gaping, jagged hole in the wall. By the time I was on my feet I¡¯d managed to get 2 more Nether into play, and I played the first card I pulled.


    Its Arrival effect went to waste, but it was all I had. When it misted into being, its eyes went round and its face slack with horror. ¡°No! Great Mistress, do not look at me. I am hideous.¡±


    I had no idea how the little bastard had recognized its former owner, and from the bemused look on Mother¡¯s face, neither did she. ¡°Shut up and attack her,¡± I yelled.


    Another Spell shot from Mother¡¯s hands as the Night Terror reluctantly reached for her.


    This one sent a purple dart arrowing straight through my Summons ¨C I heard him whispering abject thanks to her as he shattered ¨C and another straight at my head. Once again the Ravening Hatchlings did their job, protecting me out of hand, and another card shed itself from my Mind Home. The bolt to the face knocked my eyepatch askew, and rather than let it obscure my vision I pulled it down around my neck so I could see. I was shedding cards fast. I knew I should be keeping track of what I was losing out of my deck, but all my attention was on Mother. She¡¯d kill me soon if no one came to help.


    The door still under Mother¡¯s hand jerked, and she pulled it shut with terrible strength. Pounding and shouting sounded dimly from beyond.


    ¡°You little devil,¡± she said, sounding almost admiring. ¡°Did you send your lover bitch for reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my lover,¡± I panted. ¡°And yes. Edaine and a dozen of her Summons will be through that door any second.¡± I slipped a hand into my pocket and snugged the brass knuckles Artifact onto my fist. I didn¡¯t know if it would do me any good, but if I went down, I¡¯d go down swinging.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Mother with a cocky grin, ¡°you may be a waste of a son, but at least you keep it interesting.¡± She abandoned the door and ran toward me, throwing out one final Spell.


    It didn¡¯t hurt me at all, and with my eyepatch off I wasn¡¯t even sure exactly what it had done, but it pulled my feet out from under me, sending me to my knees as she approached. She picked up speed as the door slammed open, one of Edaine¡¯s Spirit Souls bursting through. She wasn¡¯t going to attack me as I¡¯d first thought ¨C she was headed out the window.


    I might be Focused, but I had an Artifact in my fist that didn¡¯t give a shit about that. I lashed out at her wildly, putting all the Nether I had left into the blow, and it raked Gale¡¯s card out of her hand, sending it bouncing into the folds of the curtains. She hissed and turned after it. I clamped my hands around her ankle, holding her fast.


    ¡°Stick around,¡± I croaked. ¡°Some folks want to meet you.¡±


    Her eyes darted to the door, and she grimaced. ¡°You asked for this,¡± she hissed. Then she changed, her skin bulging and resizing all in an instant. It happened far faster than when she¡¯d transformed for me before, and she acted like it didn¡¯t hurt at all. I¡¯d never know what was really true with her. Suddenly I was holding onto the foot of a little boy. His eyes were angry, but his mouth was sad. I knew him.


    My fingers went slack. My heart clenched. ¡°No,¡± I whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±


    It was me. Me as a kid. The very age I¡¯d been when she¡¯d stolen my card. She¡¯d had it in her Mind Home this entire time.


    ¡°You should have let me go,¡± he said in a little boy voice, and then he was gone, leaping out the window. All I could do was stare as the entering forces yelled after him.


    Edaine was in my face, shaking me hard. ¡°What happened? Who was that?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t make myself say the words. I couldn¡¯t even think them. I was a blank. She had my card. She still has it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Gale?¡± Edaine demanded, jolting me again.


    That snapped me out of it. ¡°His card,¡± I said, crawling over to the curtains and fishing it out. ¡°She pulled out his card.¡±


    Her face went pale as she looked at the living Soul card I handed her and then over at the man who should have still had it inside himself.


    ¡°Twins save us all,¡± Afi said from where she was standing at the shattered window. ¡°General, look. There, to the northeast.¡±


    Putting her confusion away with a soldier¡¯s practiced focus, Edaine stood and went to stand by Afi and the Souls clustered around her. A hiss leaked out of her as she looked where Afi pointed.


    ¡°What?¡± I said, climbing painfully to my feet. ¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°Not her, whoever it was,¡± Edaine said, sounding grim. ¡°Look to the hills beyond the forest.¡±


    I did, my eyes slowly adjusting to peer far through the darkness of the woods that hid our War Camp fortification. There in the distant rolling lands was a broad, shining snake of torchlight glimmering against the hills. It stretched on for miles.


    ¡°This Gala is over,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s months early and I haven¡¯t the first clue why¡­ but the Orcs have come to make war.¡±

 B2: 42. Hull - Consequences

    ¡°The force is three times as large as any the Orcs have ever brought against us, and it appears they are allied with the Undead and demonkind.¡± Edaine looked as haggard as we all felt as she debriefed us all in the fortification¡¯s main instruction room. No one had slept, and she¡¯d called us all in before first light. I sat next to Basil and Esmi with Paytr on my other side. The dwarves were nowhere to be seen, but the rest of us sat listening in growing horror as our general laid out what she¡¯d learned since the Gala ended so explosively last night. I was trying very hard to pay attention. If my focus slipped for even an instant, all I could see was my own little-kid face looking down at me the night before.


    ¡°How did a force that large get so close to the city without being discovered?¡± Gerad demanded from where he stood alone in the back. ¡°Is the entire army made up of lackwits?¡±


    Edaine¡¯s jaw tightened, but she didn¡¯t rise to the bait. ¡°Our patrols have been lighter than usual while the bulk of our forces are clearing land to the northeast for the King¡¯s new city, and what scouts we do have patrolling report back to Grand Marshal Jorin, not to me. If any have gone missing ¨C and I assume they have ¨C word has never reached me.¡±


    ¡°What of the towns to the north?¡± Anya asked, stricken. ¡°Burlon or any of the others?¡±


    ¡°We must assume they have been razed,¡± Edaine said heavily. ¡°If any survivors had reached us, we would have been warned.¡±


    ¡°Could they have attacked the Great Forest?¡± E¡¯lal broke in.


    Edaine spread her hands. ¡°Unknown. The Orcs have never ventured into elven territory in their wanderings, but then, they have never allied with any of the northern races before, either.¡±


    A¡¯cia laid her hand on the other elf¡¯s neck. ¡°We would have felt it if the Forest was burning, even here.¡± E¡¯lal sat back, but he still looked troubled.


    For my part, I stayed quiet, the hollow coldness growing in the pit of my belly. Words did not exist to describe how terribly I had screwed up. Every word Edaine said made it worse.


    ¡°There is more dire news,¡± the general sighed, passing a hand over her sandbagged eyes. ¡°When we returned to the fortification last night, the Grand Marshal did not answer the door of his apartments on the top level of our tower no matter how we knocked and called. We broke down the door and found him bound and gagged within.


    ¡°It appears that the spy who attacked Captain Gale last night also overpowered the Grand Marshal, stole his soul card, and assumed his identity. Based on his level of starvation, she has been fooling us all for at least a week. We haven¡¯t been able to determine what information she tortured out of him ¨C Jorin is very weak and may not survive ¨C but we must assume the enemy knows all of our defenses, our passwords, and our secrets. There is a reason I have not been getting reports about the approaching enemy, and this is it.¡±


    My cold dread suddenly had a knife in the middle of it. Target of opportunity, my mother had said, a smirk on her lips. She hadn¡¯t been hanging about to snatch Gale¡¯s card, and she certainly hadn¡¯t been here for me. She hadn¡¯t been poisoning pastries, and she didn¡¯t give a shit about Afi. This had been what her ¡°treaty negotiations¡± were all about. She¡¯d been worming her way through the tower until she could get to our highest general. I had no doubt she¡¯d been an important asset for the demons, but not for peace; she¡¯d been infiltrating us. And I helped her do it and never told a soul.


    I¡¯d betrayed my entire city, and now war was on our doorstep because of it. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from moaning in horror. Basil put a concerned hand on my shoulder, but I couldn¡¯t even look at him. He¡¯d puzzle it out in a moment, and then he¡¯d want to string me up just like everybody else would. From Esmi¡¯s wide eyes as she looked at me, she¡¯d already cottoned on. I¡¯d ruined everything.


    I only heard some of what Edaine said after that as I waffled between numbness and soul-deep horror. We¡¯d be relocating the fortification later that day to stand right at the main gates of the city, strengthening a weak point. Levies were being called up from the citizenry within the walls. The city would have to hold until the bulk of the army arrived ¨C ten days at best. Our band of lieutenants would be stationed under Gale in camps hidden in the forest; our mission was to make nighttime forays against the enemy horde to delay them however we could as they tried to set up a siege. Gale was being cared for by a group of Tenders who had succeeded in putting his soul card back into him before it died; he¡¯d be back on his feet in a day. It was the one bright bit of news amid a shitstorm of doom.


    Basil put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°We have to tell her,¡± he whispered.


    I scrubbed a hand across my face. ¡°I know.¡± It had made so much sense to keep my mother¡¯s presence to myself. Her story was plausible right from the get-go. None of that mattered now.


    Afi was looking over at me from where she sat on the bench, her face unreadable. She might not know everything, but she¡¯d seen Mother there in the room with Gale; that was enough to recognize that I was in deep shit. I wondered whether she¡¯d spit and curse at me or simply walk away and never speak to me again. I¡¯d find out soon enough.


    ¡°There is much to be done,¡± Edaine said briskly, clapping her hands. ¡°Get your personal effects out of your quarters immediately; the fortification will be dismissed for relocation by midday. Anything left behind will not be there when it is resummoned. About your business, everyone. We will reconvene at the city gates for final instructions an hour past noon. Once the smiths are back up and running in our new location, you should spend any merits you have remaining. We¡¯re going to war; as far as upgrades go, it¡¯s now or never. Dismissed.¡±


    There was a bustle of activity as everyone pulled themselves out of their dire thoughts and rushed to do what they¡¯d been ordered. Only Basil, Esmi, and I stayed seated. Afi was standing in the corner watching us, her arms crossed. Edaine was speaking quietly to Gerad, who nodded curly before stalking away. He never even glanced in my direction.


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    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± I said, slapping my thighs and standing abruptly. ¡°Been nice knowing you guys.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re right here with you,¡± Esmi assured me. ¡°We hold some responsibility in this too.¡±


    I doubted Edaine would see it that way, but having their solid presences at my back as I walked up to the general certainly made me feel better.


    ¡°Your nightly excursions will have to end,¡± Edaine said before I could open my mouth. ¡°You won¡¯t have the protection of the fortification anymore, and trying to sneak back into the city will be much harder with wartime security in place.¡±


    My mouth dropped open. ¡°You knew?¡±


    She barked a laugh. ¡°Believe it or not, we keep an eye on our lieutenants. We¡¯ve put far too much effort and expense into your training to let someone run off or cause problems elsewhere. Fact of the matter is, I quite approve of what you¡¯ve done for the Lows so far. You¡¯ll need to let the neighborhood take care of itself for the next little while, though, I¡¯m afraid. Your presence will be needed full-time in the field.¡±


    I¡¯d assumed as much the night before ¨C I¡¯d made a final visit to Roshum¡¯s place to hand him the last of the enforcers¡¯ cards to hand out to trusted friends and beef up my squad of street urchins. Bryll said Naydarin had gotten his fifth Fire source, but she was concerned that a stranger had been poking around Ticosi¡¯s old apartments. I¡¯d told her to keep an eye on things and keep a lid on the Lows until she saw me again. It was the best I could do.


    ¡°How close a watch were you keeping?¡± I asked Edaine, steeling myself. ¡°Did you know about the other person that was sneaking in and out?¡±


    She arched an eyebrow and leaned back on her table, folding her arms. ¡°I did not. You¡¯d best tell me.¡±


    And so I did, hardly daring to look her in the eye. I saw Afi edging closer to listen as I laid it all out: my demon mother abandoning me as a child after stealing my soul card, her catching me sneaking out of the fortification, the story she¡¯d told about negotiating a peace treaty for the demons with the higher-ups of the army, how she¡¯d sworn me to secrecy ¨C all of it except Hestorus being my father. That had no part in the story, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t approve of  me noising it about, not even to his generals. Basil and Esmi broke in occasionally to add their bits here and there. Edaine had her chin in her hand and seemed deep in thought as she listened.


    ¡°Your mother,¡± Afi said softly, looking angry. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say that?¡±


    ¡°Because she said she¡¯d kill anyone I told,¡± I sighed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have even told these two, but it just came out. I thought I was protecting top-secret negotiations. But¨C¡±


    ¡°But instead, you colluded with an enemy to infiltrate our army at the very highest level, incapacitate the Grand Marshal, and steal every last damned secret we might have,¡± Edaine finished for me. She stood up straight and looked me in the eye. ¡°Hull, this is treason. Men have hanged for less. Far less.¡±


    I clamped my lips shut and nodded. What else could I have expected?


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know,¡± Basil objected. ¡°Please, General ¨C you heard him tell it all. Who would betray their own mother?¡±


    ¡°In this situation? Any officer of the army,¡± Afi said softly.


    Edaine motioned to her and nodded grimly.


    ¡°The circumstances are extenuating,¡± Basil persisted. ¡°Certainly you can see that.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she replied. ¡°But with stakes as high as these, it simply doesn¡¯t matter. Jorin will almost certainly die before the week is out, and unless we can hold the city until the rest of the army arrives, we¡¯ll all join him in short order. Whether he meant to or not, Hull aided the enemy in an immediate and material fashion, and the city might very well fall because of it.¡±


    ¡°The King will join in the defenses, certainly,¡± Esmi said.


    Edaine waffled a hand. ¡°The King will do what the King does. I have sent Gerad to ask him to meet with me to discuss the situation; hopefully he will see our need and respond. I would never say it in public, but our blessed monarch thinks differently than the rest of us, and he is not always¡­ reliable.¡±


    ¡°He will come to our aid,¡± Basil said stoutly. ¡°I spoke with him privately not all that long ago; he cares for the city. I am sure of it.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best to convince him that he is needed. Having a Legendary soul in the mix would go a long way toward balancing the scales.¡± She pinned me down with her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to tell him about this, Hull. He might demand your execution.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t,¡± came a weak voice from the doorway. We all looked over, and Gale stood in the doorway, legs trembling, hands clutching at the door handle to hold him up.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be up,¡± Edaine said, hurrying over to support him.


    ¡°Wild horses couldn¡¯t keep me away,¡± he said with a shadow of a grin. ¡°Enemy forces on our doorstep and people threatening to execute the man who just saved your best captain? That¡¯s what keeping me in bed gets us.¡±


    ¡°At the moment, I would be hard pressed to call you our best captain,¡± Edaine said dryly.


    He waved away her words and pointed at me. ¡°I watched Hull throw himself at that damned woman when she could have squashed him like a bug just to get my card back. I¡¯d be better than dead right now if it weren¡¯t for him.¡±


    ¡°That damned woman is his mother,¡± Afi said.


    Gale gaped at her. ¡°His¡­?¡± He shook off his surprise. ¡°All the more impressive, then. He sided with us against his own blood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a point in his favor,¡± Edaine allowed.


    ¡°And he sent me for help the second he saw what was happening,¡± Afi offered, sidling closer to me. ¡°She might have played him like a fiddle, but once she made her move, he did everything he could to fix it.¡±


    Edaine sucked air through her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much that will matter to the King.¡±


    ¡°Then how about this?¡± Gale asked, letting go of Edaine to approach us with small, wobbling steps. ¡°The biggest damned army anyone has ever seen is trying to set up shop on our doorstep, and if you want me to do anything to slow them down, I¡¯m going to need every last lieutenant I can get my hands on. Hull¡¯s aggressive deck is exactly the kind of thing we want to harry the frontrunners and slow them down. I need him.¡±


    Edaine grunted, looking at me thoughtfully. ¡°I could advocate for him.¡±


    ¡°Even if the King wants his head on a plate, convince him to hold off until after this war is fought,¡± Gale insisted, carefully levering himself into a vacant chair. ¡°Any good he does in the meantime can help balance the scales once all is said and done. And you tell the King that I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have the strength to fight unless my man Hull is in the field with me.¡± He reached out and took my hand, patting it.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, not knowing what else to say. It felt so strange to have people gathering around to protect me, especially since I was so clearly in the wrong. I¡¯d expected them all to turn their backs.


    ¡°Least I can do,¡± he sighed, leaning his head against the chair¡¯s back. ¡°Not sure I can explain how good it feels to have my card back, and that¡¯s because of you.¡±


    Edaine, for once, looked irresolute. ¡°We do need every warrior, and Gale¡¯s right ¨C you¡¯ll be good for what we need right now.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best with the King. If you¡¯re smart you¡¯ll make yourself scarce when he arrives, keep your head down during the fighting, and do everything you can to protect the city. I can¡¯t promise anything, but if this whole war turns out well, you may just keep your head. Maybe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill who you tell me to kill,¡± I promised her. I wasn¡¯t sure that fighting night actions against a huge army was much safer than going straight to the noose, but at least it kept me alive for a few more days. And, if worse came to worst, it gave me a chance to run before Hestorus decided his little experiment had run its course and it was time for me to die.


    ¡°Now get out of my face,¡± she told all of us. ¡°I need to figure out how to present this to the King, and there¡¯s a million things to be done. You should have had another month and a half of training, but War Camp is over. We¡¯re playing for keeps now.¡±

 B2: 43. Basil - Parting Deals

    My head was pounding as the group of us left the meeting room, General Edaine staying behind to speak with Gale. I hadn¡¯t expected my brother to arrive so early after his ordeal but was certainly glad he had ¨C without him, I wasn¡¯t sure if Hull would still be walking free. Things had been a whirl ever since last night, from Griff vanishing to learning that Hull¡¯s mother had nearly stolen Gale¡¯s Soul Card to then discovering that Treledyne would soon be under siege from so massive an army. Under such circumstances, sleep had been impossible to find, and my temples were throbbing from the lack. A petty part of me found the pain entirely unfair since at no point during the evening prior had I come close to being intoxicated.


    ¡°Your head still aching?¡± Esmi asked, her brow knitted in the most adorable way out of concern for me. How I could find pleasure from such a thing on a day like today, I didn¡¯t know, but I was glad for the brief reprieve it gave from the otherwise bowel wrenching dread that lingered on the edges of my thoughts ¨C for every step I took, I knew the enemy army was doing the same, closing the noose around us, tighter and tighter. A force of orcs, undead, and demons? It was insanity.


    ¡°Not as bad as before,¡± I said, bending the truth without breaking it; there was no need for this ailment to cause us both pain. Esmi and I had spent the night talking, bouncing from one unbelievable event that had occurred to the next, but in the end it had been our fears we had discussed, holding each other and taking it in turns to sob when our emotions bubbled over. Previously, I would have viewed such overt expressions as a lack of Order, but I felt so incredibly safe with her, unjudged, and so I didn¡¯t regret how I had behaved. In fact, in so doing, I had experienced something akin to when I channeled Air Source through my body, and that familiarity had stopped me from judging myself, too. It didn¡¯t make me any less terrified now, but still, it was comforting to know that someone else was aware of what I was going through.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, at least,¡± Esmi said, squeezing my hand, and I squeezed it back, so grateful for her. She turned to look over at Hull and Afi, who were speaking quietly, her hair puffier than the night before, but no less beautiful. Looking past her curls, I found myself smiling, happy for my friend that he was getting on well with such an impressive duelist and student, who was also rather fetching, if in a somewhat cool, no-nonsense way. I did wish that he had been more honest about his mother from the start, but to hear Afi and Gale tell it, he had fought the demoness tooth and nail to get Gale¡¯s card back. And thank the Twins, the tenders had been able to reinsert it; I was sure Gale would be here now unless that was the case. So, despite it being a trial, Hull had made that much right in the end, and if Gale, the party who had suffered, had forgiven him, then there was little point in me holding onto any ill-feelings. Though, I did hope that one day Hull would see me as someone he could confide in from the very beginning.


    ¡°Where are you all off to?¡± Hull said, the gruffness in his voice surprising me. I didn¡¯t think there was any cause to speak to the artisans and workers who were rushing about preparing for the upcoming collapse of the fortification so, but when I turned, I saw that it was the Deepkin who he was addressing.


    As they had been at the gala, the eldest, Badgou, led the way. Her stony skin was more cracked than the others, with deeper planes to her face, and she even had a patch of moss growing on her neck. The dwarf halted at Hull¡¯s inquiry, the four younger Deepkin stopping behind her, the group eyeing him and then Esmi and me since we stood not far apart.  Unnervingly, they all carried packs and gear. It was possible that they had been assigned some alternate mission from the rest of us, but like Hull, I found the situation rather suspicious.


    ¡°Our training together has ended,¡± Badgou eventually said, her flinty gaze resting on Hull. ¡°If you want more cards from me, now is the time, but I will accept only other cards or coin, no merits.¡±


    Hull snorted at the offer, crossed his arms. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t last a week in the Lows, trying to swindle the same person twice like that. Even if you¡¯re headed out the door, you¡¯re just leaving your back wide open.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean to leave, are you?¡± Esmi said from beside me. ¡°Not with an army like the one we face approaching?¡±


    I held my tongue, watching the dwarves closely. Much like they had over the past few weeks, they gave little away as to their true thoughts or intentions, able to hold so eerily still, their stone flesh betraying little in the way of emotion. Badgou didn¡¯t immediately answer, but one dwarf did break away from the others. I was fairly certain that it was Hull¡¯s bunkmate since he had bulkier shoulders than the others and just a chip for a nose. When he reached my friend, the Deepkin held out a hand. Hull looked unsure about what was happening, but went ahead and placed his own underneath. The dwarf deposited something into Hull¡¯s waiting palm, a pale green crystal growing from a small rock it seemed. Then the dwarf grunted something I couldn¡¯t hear, before returning to the pack of Deepkin that I swore were standing even closer together now, as if they viewed the occupants of the fortification as their enemy. Without another word, the five of them continued their march along the path, forcing Esmi and I to move aside.


    Esmi made a disbelieving noise at their departure, and I saw Afi shaking her head while Hull looked at the crystal, perplexed. The thought of not having the dwarves support only sharpened the edges of the dread around me, and I cursed their cowardice for that. At the same time though, I could appreciate their bull-headed savviness as traders.


    ¡°Without your aid, Esmi is more likely to die in the field,¡± I called when it was obvious that the dwarves had no plans to stop. My fiancee¡¯s head snapped in my direction, but she trusted me enough to let me continue uninterrupted. ¡°I hear that orcs do not hold the same respect as we do for Soul cards.¡± I had heard no such thing, but it seemed a worthwhile guess. ¡°Is that the fate you wish for your ancestor? To become so little after all he achieved?¡±


    The Deepkin came to a grinding stop, and after some shifting, Badgou emerged from the backside of the group, eyeing me. I didn¡¯t take so much as a step. They had made us speak first on the subject, so now it was their turn to come to us. A part of me found it ridiculous to be worrying about such a trade when we could be dead on the morrow, but on the other hand, an advantage we seized now could be what helped us achieve victory. Besides, if I did perish and Esmi survived, I wanted to do this for her before I was gone.


    Badgou¡¯s stony brows crunched together, and she stomped over to us, her students following like retainers.


    ¡°We will give a Rare weapon Relic for Argun as was said before,¡± the dwarf huffed, eyes sliding between me and Esmi. ¡°A more than fair offer.¡±


    I shook my head, and Esmi stood in silent agreement. One of the many things we had talked about while waiting for the sun to rise was letting me handle the dwarven trade since I enjoyed such things and possessed more experience. We hadn¡¯t expected it today, of course, but I was thankful to see Esmi being supportive and staying true to our agreement.


    ¡°A Mythic and a Rare Relic, the types of which to be decided by my fiancee,¡± I countered. The Deepkin had balked at the idea of a Legendary Relic and training in Depths source, so this should be much more agreeable to them while still making sure that Esmi came off well in the deal.


    Badgou sucked air through her blocky teeth. ¡°An Epic weapon Relic, and no more. I will not go higher.¡±


    ¡°A Mythic and Rare,¡± I repeated, and when the Deepkin went to argue, I held up a finger, forestalling her, ¡°and we will not only return Argun to you, but I will do a viewing on one of your cards.¡±


    Badgou¡¯s eyes widened, as did a few of the other dwarves. From their actions at the gala, it was obvious that they already knew what my Soul ability could do, so I had decided to use it to my advantage. As for Afi, I would have preferred her to not have been so near to overhear, but I would just have to ask for her secrecy on the matter. If she and Hull ended up becoming more serious, she¡¯d find out eventually anyway.


    Badgou, meanwhile, was in fierce discussion with her charges, the dwarven voices so low and gravely I actually couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying even though I was only a few feet away from their huddle. When Badgou turned back around, she was holding six cards, her eyes gleaming like they had been polished. The cards were fanned in such a way that I could see some of them, and two I didn¡¯t recognize from the duel.


    ¡°We will do as you say,¡± she said, ¡°but only if you speak on all of these, not just one.¡±


    While I had accepted that the dwarves knew what they did about me, I wasn¡¯t about to also reveal to them the limitations of my ability. Besides, as Edaine had said, we needed to decide on any final upgrades before we departed tonight. If I did one card for the Deepkin, I could still do one more for myself ¨C or Esmi or Hull if needed ¨C using up tomorrow¡¯s viewing, and I wasn¡¯t going to give away that opportunity, not in these circumstances.


    ¡°If you had said yes,¡± I told Badgou, ¡°I would have told you three upgrade possibilities for the card of your choice. Now, I will tell you two.¡±


    The dwarf¡¯s cracks deepened, considering me. ¡°Three possibilities for three cards then.¡±


    ¡°Two possibilities for one card, and they will be the lesser possibilities,¡± I said, doubling down on my threat. Inside, I was a ball of anxiousness, but in a way that made me feel oh so alive. ¡°If you press me further, I will only tell you one possibility and the worst one at that.¡±


    Badgou eyed me hard, staring silently for so long there was a time I wasn¡¯t even sure if she was breathing. Finally, she pulled one card from the group, and I saw Glydnuk perk up as she did.


    I accepted the card but kept my gaze locked on Badgou. ¡°Do we have a deal? If not, I think that agreement you came to with the queen last night about a restriction on Depths sales will be much less likely to hold in light of your upcoming absence.¡±


    ¡°We do, human,¡± she said, ¡°by the Depths and the Abyss beyond, we do.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t familiar with that particular oath, but it sounded meaningful, and there were three other witnesses to her words besides. I gripped the card tighter, satisfaction flowing through me. I had done it!


    This Depths card was yet another one I was unfamiliar with, and I was surprised it was only of Rare quality since I knew the dwarves had at least some Epics. However, perhaps an elevation to Epic was what they had the shards for or maybe this was a card they were considering upgrading multiple copies of. The Spell itself was a fascinating board clear that would devastate aggressively focused decks. I glanced up to see Glydnuk watching me, but the Deepkin looked elsewhere when she was caught. Had this card been in her deck, but she removed it because of the upgrades Esmi had done, putting more of her Kobolds at even Attack and Health? If so, the Deepkin had been thorough in their preparation, and it was quite fortunate that Esmi had still managed to wrestle the win from them.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Going back to the card, I breathed deeply and then looked past it, which engaged my ability. When I did, I could see three ghostly outlines of what it might be in the future, hovering just beyond the physical card held between my fingers. The first option to the left simply decreased its cost by 1 Any. It wasn¡¯t the flashiest of changes, but by retaining the three Depths symbols it would still be an effective blocker from hand and by only costing 4 source instead of 5, it could be played on what would likely be a Deepkin¡¯s first turn onward.


    The second option kept the cost the same but had a wider affect, destroying all Souls that didn¡¯t have more Health than Attack. From what I had seen of the Depths cards, this would be both a boon and a curse since some of their cards, like that Boulderfoot Dwarf and even Argun the Mythic, had equal values. However, this version of the card would let them remove threats that the base card couldn¡¯t.


    Lastly, the final ghostly image on the right didn¡¯t alter the cost or the initial conditions, but instead added another feature:


    Do a Depths Source Explosion of an amount equal to the number of Souls destroyed by this Spell.


    That made me blink, which I¡¯m sure they noticed, and I was glad they did ¨C I had planned to react strongly at some point to pique their interest. A Depths Explosion, like some other sources, halved the initial value, so the Spell would need to destroy a handful of Souls to have much effect. But if it did, it could be devastating to their opponent: Glydnuk had shown that when she had stripped so many of Esmi¡¯s resources away during their duel, greatly slowing the rest of the match.


    With this one Spell, the entire trajectory of the battle could change.


    Quietly, I handed the card back to Badgou, and without speaking, she accepted it, the other dwarves remaining just as silent. While I most certainly didn¡¯t approve of them abandoning us in our time of need, I could respect their patience.


    ¡°One possibility for the card at Epic rarity is that it would destroy not just Souls with less Health than Attack but also Souls with equal Health and Attack.¡±


    Badgou took the news stoically, as did Glydnuk. That version of the Spell would need to be used carefully, but it was still a very powerful option.


    ¡°And the second?¡± Badgou prompted, her patience apparently wearing thin, even for a dwarf.


    ¡°That,¡± I said, ¡°I will tell you after you supply Esmi with a Rare neutral Relic of her choosing and go to House Dacrekin to have a contract made, saying you will honor her request to have a Mythic neutral Relic crafted and delivered when completed. Unless you have such a Relic on you already?¡± When Badgou didn¡¯t answer, I continued. ¡°You will be expected to pay for this contract and do whatever else is required to see it formed.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if dwarves bled like the rest of us, but I was confident the House would find some means to help ensure that the Deepkin kept their word.


    ¡°Ridiculous ¨C¡± one of the younger dwarves said.


    ¡°Do this,¡± I interrupted, ¡°and I will tell you the remaining two possibilities when you return, as well as how to help ensure they occur when upgrading.¡± I had stayed focused on Badgou the entire time, knowing that she was the one in charge. Like before, she was so still it was hard to tell if she would agree or attack me on the spot. Instead, a slow chuckle rumbled out of her, and her line of a mouth quirked to the side.


    ¡°It is a waste that you were born above ground.¡± She stepped closer, her voice dropping. ¡°Are you sure you do not wish to come with us? It is the wise thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I thank you for the compliment and offer,¡± I told her, ¡°but I am quite sure. I am where I am meant to be.¡± I shared a quick but meaningful look with Esmi and then dropped my own voice. ¡°Honored dwarf, if you stay, I could do more of these viewings for you. Would it not be worth it?¡± I had told myself I would only spend a day of my ability on them, but having five more duelists at our side was surely worth more than a few card upgrades.


    Badgou hesitated, giving me a light flutter of hope in my chest, but then she shook her head.


    ¡°That I cannot do. Not even for a whole deck.¡± She looked at Esmi and waved her stony hand. ¡°Show us this House. We must be there and gone before the sun visits the Depths.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± a voice cut through the air, and I turned to see Edaine standing in the door to the meeting hall. Gale leaned limply behind her, even paler than when I last saw him.


    ¡°General,¡± Badgou said, tucking the cards away and producing a different set as she marched over to the woman. ¡°Our agreement was to support you humans against the orc invasion and only the orcs. The situation has changed, so we are leaving.¡±


    Considering the strain Edaine was already under, I thought this news might make her waver, but instead she hardened, her face darkening like a thundercloud.


    ¡°We have broken no contract,¡± Badgou said, hurrying along. ¡°But as a show of good faith, here are cards for you to distribute as you see fit.¡±


    Edaine accepted the slim deck woodenly. ¡°Treledyne will remember this. I will remember this, Deepkin.¡± The General stalked off, and as she left, I saw a number of her summons trailing after her. In fact, as she went, I saw another appear, misting apart from her armor before solidifying.


    While I trust that the king would indeed meet the forces of the enemy head-on ¨C he seemed too protective of Treledyne during our audience for me to believe otherwise ¨C I also had great faith in Edaine. She would be an army unto herself by the time the day was done, which might be enough to save us from what approached.


    Unless the orcs, undead, or demons had a Spell like the one I had just described to the dwarves¡­


    Like usual, Badgou and her charges didn¡¯t seem concerned by the reaction they had caused. Instead, the Deepkin leader motioned for us to follow again, and Esmi moved to do just that.


    ¡°My love,¡± I said, catching her by the arm, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t think badly of me, but I feel I should check on Gale.¡±


    She turned my brother¡¯s way, seeing as I did how heavily he was leaning on the doorframe of the building, looking like he could barely stay upright let alone travel anywhere on his own. ¡°Of course,¡± she said, her lips brushing against mine in a quick, farewell kiss. ¡°You did beautifully for me,¡± she added when we parted. She was beaming as she said it, but I could tell her cheer was more forced than usual, which was entirely understandable. ¡°I look forward to sharing with you what Relic I select.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us,¡± I told her and then she was off, following after the dwarves as they all headed out of the fortification.


    ¡°That hag,¡± Hull spit beside me, and it took me a moment to realize that he was referring to Badgou. ¡°Using more enemies to worm out of helping. If Edaine hadn¡¯t caught her in the act, the lot of them would have left without any show of ¡®good faith¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what passed for dwarf honor or if they had such a concept at all beyond keeping agreements. Edaine¡¯s lack of pushback confirmed that the orcs arriving as part of a larger force had altered whatever sort of treaty or arrangement had been used to bring the Deepkin into the fold ¨C after all, who could have predicted that the orcs would ever make such alliances? They could barely avoid attacking one another from the court gossip I had heard. But either way, I agreed it left a bad taste to see the dwarves go when our need was so great.


    ¡°You should make up those upgrades when you see them again,¡± Afi said to me, the pair of them having walked over to where I stood.


    So she had heard. Ah well. ¡°I suppose so,¡± I replied, ¡°but Hull can tell you that I already lost one Order source recently, and I wouldn¡¯t want to risk losing another by being deceitful.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Hull said, his face screwing up. ¡°Order cares if you tell the truth or not?¡±


    ¡°It depends who you ask,¡± Afi said, taking on that bookish quality I recognized from our classes. ¡°Speaking truth can cause just as much disorder as lies, so consensus is all but impossible to find on the matter. Even if lying did weaken one¡¯s connection to Order, it would be worth it to stick it to those craven dwarves.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t expected her to be so vehemently against the Deepkin, but she was likely just as afraid as I was ¨C as all of us, no doubt ¨C and I could see the appeal of having a target to vent that fear upon. For me, now that I had tried and failed to get the dwarves to stay, all I cared about was finishing the deal appropriately, so that Esmi received what she was owed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think on it,¡± I said, bending truth again, and then inclined my head in respect for both. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    Afi nodded, still watching the way the dwarves had left, while Hull clapped me on the shoulder in camaraderie before setting off to join the many people in the process of deconstructing the fortification.


    Reaching my brother required dodging past only a few individuals who were dashing about, and when he saw me approach, he gave me a wan smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look well, brother,¡± I told him. ¡°Are you sure you will be able to lead us come nightfall?¡±


    ¡°Always worrying, that¡¯s our Basil,¡± he said. ¡°Give me a few hours, and I¡¯ll be fit as a summoned fiddle, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    The way he slid down the door frame as he spoke made his bravado much less convincing. I didn¡¯t feel like sullying my pants two days in a row, so I remained standing but off to the side to avoid making him feel like I was hovering.


    ¡°There has to be someone else,¡± I said. ¡°One of the other veterans?¡±


    Gale laughed weakly. ¡°They¡¯ve all been assigned to their own squads on the front lines, where the fighting will no doubt be the thickest. How else do you expect those fresh levies will know their ass from their elbow? Father¡¯s guards can only do so much. Without those veterans, we¡¯d likely be overrun in a day.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡± I said. I had imagined that War Camp would eventually teach us about, well, war, but as it stood, I felt I only knew a handful of concepts when it came to fighting outside a dueling dome and frighteningly little about large scale tactics.


    Gale grunted, and I saw he was trying unsuccessfully to stand, so I leaned down, grabbing underneath his arm. It was damp under there, and this close, he smelled dreadful, like boots needing a week¡¯s worth of airing.


    ¡°Qi¡¯shen will be with us if it makes you feel any better,¡± as Gale finally slid the rest of the way up with a grunt. ¡°And I¡¯m sure his Life magic will make me feel much better, too.¡±


    ¡°Did the tenders say it would work that way?¡± If so, I could use my own Life source right now. However, a stolen Soul Card was no simple cut or wound, and I wouldn¡¯t want to unwittingly make his condition worse.


    Gale gave me a toothy grin. ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡±


    I disliked how uncertain that sounded so didn¡¯t offer to help. That left us standing silently for a time, watching people dart about like busy bees. I knew that there was plenty that I should be doing as well, but I couldn¡¯t seem to leave his side. Despite the warnings we had tried to give him, I still felt guilty that I hadn¡¯t found him again once I knew the truth about Hull¡¯s friend ¡®Bryll¡¯. Instead, I had foolishly assumed that everything would work out and had blithely gone about my evening. If Hull hadn¡¯t stopped his mother, Gale could have withered away and died, just like Ediane said the Grand Marshall was doing now. The only reason I knew for sure that the Marshall was still alive was because the fortification still stood, but part of the rationale for unsummoning it today was likely because they were uncertain how much longer the Marshal would last. And when he did expire, he wouldn¡¯t even leave a Soul card behind.


    I shivered at the thought, quite glad that my brother had been made whole again, even if he did look like death.


    ¡°Do you know what mother said to me,¡± Gale asked, ¡°in-between the ministrations the tenders were doing?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t imagine, but I doubted it was any good. ¡°Not a clue. What?¡±


    ¡°That she hoped this showed why I needed to settle. That she had a number of quality candidates the moment I was able enough to see them.¡± He gave a hissing laugh in disbelief. ¡°An army on our doorstep, and all she can think about is seeing me tied down.¡±


    I nearly laughed as well, but in the end found it more sad than humorous. ¡°She¡­ can be so focused,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°She can be a bitch,¡± Gale said, causing me to jerk, which he laughed again at. ¡°It¡¯s okay to say, Basil. The word won¡¯t kill you. And father vanishes faster than virginity in a whorehouse when it matters. You deserve to say such things after the night you had.¡±


    ¡°I had?¡±


    He rolled his head against the wall, looking in my direction. ¡°Beating your impossibly handsome and skilled brother in a duel and then mother doesn¡¯t agree with the outcome? Father wasn¡¯t even there to see it? I near threw my drink at her, but you soldiered through.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said, finding myself quite shocked. I hadn¡¯t expected Gale of all people to see me like that or even really consider what I was going through. If anything, I thought he would use Griff¡¯s mysterious escape to lord over me how he had been right about the man all along. ¡°Thank you. It was... a challenge, like you say.¡±


    Gale didn¡¯t respond, just wheezed a bit, but I didn¡¯t mind. What he had already given to me left me feeling rather good, that was until the darker than usual smoke to the north reminded me what was coming for us all. Were they burning trees or farmsteads on their way, was that what that was? In times like this, I would have expected my handsome and skilled brother to say, without the slightest hesitation, that he would defeat whatever horrors might come. But he was recovering, and I was the one standing straight, my headache barely an afterthought anymore.


    ¡°We will survive this,¡± I said with all the conviction I could muster. ¡°That army will regret marching on Treledyne.¡±


    Gale slowly turned my way again, his eyebrow raising. ¡°Will they now?¡±


    I felt self conscious about my declaration with him watching, but I didn¡¯t let the feeling deter me.


    ¡°We have the King, Edaine, other nobles in the city, levies, veterans, and the city guard. Even without the dwarves, our class is strong. Esmi? Gerad? Hull? Each are incredibly powerful in their own way, as is Afi, the paladins, and the elves. And you? An Epic? I have Life Spells that will strengthen you, and E¡¯lal has one that will allow you to attack with two Relics at once. You will fell the foe before they have a chance to strike, and before we know it, our army will have returned.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡± Gale asked me.


    I knew it was more complicated, of course, but I didn¡¯t think that mattered right now. What did was our belief in ourselves. Without it, we would lose the war before it even began.


    ¡°Just like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°The brothers Hintal,¡± Gale said, and perhaps it was just a trick of the light, but it seemed to me that his cheeks had grown a touch rosier. ¡°How could they possibly stand before us?¡±

 B2: 44. Hull - This Is War

    We crept through the woods in a spread-out wedge, the elf advisor Qi¡¯shen taking point, Gale and Gerad a few yards back on either flank. Everyone had all their source circling their heads and a hand full of cards, but we¡¯d been told not to summon anything ¨C more bodies meant more noise and more risk of discovery. We didn¡¯t think we¡¯d run into any Orcs this deep into the forest beyond Treledyne, but none of us knew for sure, and so we tromped on in tense silence.


    The trees were tall and branchless, widely spaced like crooked spindles, stretching up to a green canopy far overhead. The dry leaves underfoot barely made a hint of a crunch when I stepped on them, and the deep-forest twilight look of shady green lent a spooky air to everything. It was like being in an empty noble¡¯s ballroom, except that an Orc might step out from behind a pillar at any time hell-bent on murder.


    A gentle touch on my elbow sent me leaping into the air, my heart in my throat, but when I came down it was just Afi. ¡°Feeling jumpy?¡± she asked quietly, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± I responded. Then, hearing my own words, I stopped, feeling confused. I¡¯d spoken at normal volume, but it had come out in the same muted, hushed tones Afi had been using, almost like I was speaking through a thick-stuffed pillow. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Afi gestured up ahead to Qi¡¯shen. The elf¡¯s bristled blue mane of hair waved like a pennant as he walked. He kept the sides of his head shaved and used some sort of glue or paste to make the long hair up top stand stiff and tall, falling into a braided queue behind. For all that the elves excelled at forestcraft, he stuck out like a red silk ribbon on a grunting sow. Afi didn¡¯t seem to mind ¨C her look in his direction was admiring. ¡°He has a silence aura that¡¯s keeping us safe.¡±


    I nodded sourly, resuming my place in the formation. No wonder the leaves aren¡¯t crunching like I thought they should. ¡°At least the elves are doing their part.¡±


    Afi¡¯s face darkened as she thought of the dwarves who so obviously weren¡¯t. She seemed to hold some personal grudge against them, though I didn¡¯t have the first clue why. We hadn¡¯t spoken much since last night¡¯s disastrous Gala. She¡¯d stood up for me in front of Edaine, which I hadn¡¯t expected, but I hadn¡¯t seen her after that. I¡¯d been so busy spending my last few credits to upgrade the last of my Commons that everything else had slipped my mind. I ached to do some more substantial elevations, but a quick jaunt over to the Lows had resulted in nothing more than Roshum laughing in my face when I asked if my new card bath might be ready; he¡¯d said it¡¯d be at least another week. I hadn¡¯t been able to find Bryll. She often slept late after keeping midnight hours, so that wasn¡¯t a huge concern. I¡¯d come across Naydarin, who¡¯d grinned and shown off his fifth Fire source but just shrugged when I asked about Bryll. I was beginning to think he really was a mute and everyone else was just jerking my chain.


    ¡°Has Edaine spoken to the King?¡± Afi asked. The noise-dampening effect of Qi-shen¡¯s aura made her sound hesitant.


    ¡°Not so far as I know,¡± I responded. ¡°If the shiny bastard wants my head he¡¯ll have it one way or the other, but I¡¯m not going to waste sweat on it with an army in front of us.¡±


    She looked shocked to hear me speak so disrespectfully and quickly looked around to see if we¡¯d been overheard. The only one I wished had heard was Gerad, if only so he could feel insulted by association. That¡¯s stupid, Hull. You¡¯re out in the wild now, and if he decides to have another go at you, Edaine won¡¯t be here to stop him. Mouthing off is the worst thing you could do. Problem was, there was a part of me that only wanted to piss him off more when I thought that way.


    She shook off her surprise. ¡°We¡¯ll see action tonight, or soon after that. Are you worried?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re going to war half-trained and are being stuck out in front. I¡¯d have to be a moron not to be scared.¡±


    Her lips quirked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you vomit a single time.¡±


    I sighed. Basil had already puked twice since we left the fortification¡¯s new spot at the front gates of the city. ¡°Give the kid a break. He¡¯ll pull it together when it matters.¡±


    We walked along without speaking for a moment. ¡°So¡­ that was really your mother?¡± No question about it ¨C she did sound hesitant now.


    I kicked at the leaves, watching them fluff back down to earth, barely making a sound. ¡°Yep. Big-time demon spy come to infiltrate the human army, and all I could see was Mommy coming back home to say sorry for leaving.¡±


    Afi had an intent, serious look and took her time responding. The silence stretched on long enough that when she opened her mouth I fully expected her to give me more of the same business I¡¯d gotten from Edaine: what mattered was the result, not my stupidity, our General lay dying, and the best I could hope for was reducing my treasonous stain by giving my all to this war. Instead, Afi put a hand on my arm and said, ¡°You did your best.¡±


    I stared so hard that I stumbled as we walked along. ¡°You straight-out asked who she was and I lied.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t love that,¡± she admitted. ¡°Honestly, though, I think I prefer you having an evil spy mother over an old flame hanging around and insisting you¡¯re just friends.¡±


    I laughed. It felt odd to have the sound die out so quickly, like it was being smothered under blankets. Several of our nearest companions in the V formation shot me warning glances that demanded quiet, but the absurdity of it all was too great for silence. ¡°Any girl in the Lows that looked at me twice was either worried I was going to stab her for her shoes or wondering if she could do the same to me. There aren¡¯t any old flames.¡±


    She nodded decisively. ¡°Good.¡±


    Just as I was about to ask what she meant, I noticed that Qi¡¯shen was stooped next to the largest tree we¡¯d seen so far and was digging down with his hands. The rest of us gathered around. He¡¯d made a sizable hole in the soft loam of the untouched forest.


    ¡°Funny spot to take a shit,¡± I said. Somebody snickered, sounding scandalized. It had to have been one of the paladins.


    ¡°Any spot is the right spot when you have the need,¡± said Qi¡¯shen gravely, his eyes closed and his hands stuck deep into the soil. ¡°But I have another purpose at the moment.¡±


    Everyone was watching him expectantly, but he said nothing. I cleared my throat. ¡°And that purpose is¡­?¡±


    ¡°Difficult to achieve with interruptions,¡± the elder elf said, cracking an eye open to give me a level look. ¡°Patience, please.¡±


    It must have been ten minutes that we spent shuffling about, waiting for the blue-haired pain in the ass. I found a trunk to sit against. Basil and Esmi were huddled in quiet conference by themselves nearby. His face was very pale and he was breathing as if he¡¯d been running. Poor kid really isn¡¯t cut out for this kind of thing. He was plenty brave ¨C he¡¯d proven that time and again ¨C but the reality of going into open warfare had him panicked. For my part, it felt almost natural to be skulking about looking for trouble again after all these months of pretending to be one of the normal ones; I just wished there were more trees. These narrow things didn¡¯t give nearly as good of cover as an old tenement porch or alleyway full of trash.


    I was eyeing Gerad standing off by himself when Qi-shen stood up and rubbed the dirt from his hands. ¡°Let us continue.¡±


    ¡°May we know what you just did?¡± Anya asked. None of us had seen much of the elf advisor during War Camp, and the paladins all defaulted to the kind of deferent respect that would have felt like boot-licking if I¡¯d tried it.


    ¡°I have communed with the roots,¡± he said. ¡°I now know every feature of the terrain within five square miles as if I¡¯d lived here for years.¡±


    ¡°Handy,¡± Afi muttered.


    ¡°Does your ability let you sense living things?¡± Gale asked. He was even more pale than his brother, if far more steady on his feet than he had been earlier in the day.


    ¡°Would that it did, but no,¡± Qi¡¯shen said. ¡°However, I have identified a good spot of high ground that will make an excellent location for our first camp. We¡¯ll never want to stay in one place for more than a night or two, but this one will be good for our initial scouting.¡± He pointed off to his left. North? West? It was hard to tell after the winding path we¡¯d taken through this overgrown garden. ¡°Let us continue.¡±


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    Afi fell back into her spot in the formation when we resumed, and so on we went in the unnatural quiet. I wished she¡¯d come back up beside me. What had she meant by good? I wasn¡¯t so stupid as to miss the fact that she was expressing her interest in me despite my colossal screw-up, but did she really mean it, or was it just groping for companionship before battle? I¡¯d met girls I thought were pretty before, but never one that had given me the time of day. Why would she pick me? Girls wanted boys to buy them things, to hold their hand, to kiss them. Was that the sort of thing she was after? I wasn¡¯t opposed to the idea ¨C I wasn¡¯t made of stone ¨C but I couldn¡¯t quite wrap my mind around me doing any of those things. It was like imagining a cat standing on its hind legs and standing in line to buy bread.


    I felt two hard objects clicking together in one trouser pocket, distracting me from thoughts that were both pleasant and uncomfortable. Reaching in to grab them, I came out with plain-looking river rock and a bit of green crystal jutting from granite. Annoying people keep giving me stones. Fate¡¯s saggy tits, what am I supposed to do with these? The rock looked entirely ordinary unless seen by moonlight, at which point it looked like transparent purple glass; it was a memento my mother had given me of the Demon Realm. After the shit she¡¯d pulled I wanted to hurl it into the ocean, but a tiny, wise part of me knew I¡¯d never do any such thing. She was my mother, damn her, and this was the only thing she¡¯d ever given me.


    The crystal was the gift Harganut had handed me while the dwarves were making their cowardly exit. ¡°You were a good bunkmate, and that is a debt,¡± he¡¯d said. ¡°If you ever wish to think more on stone, this is the key.¡± He¡¯d pressed the knobby green thing into my hand, looked me in the eye, and nodded as if we¡¯d just made a deal. Badgou had ended up being such a piece of shit that I wanted to dismiss the whole lot of them as a bad use of good gravel, but Harganut hadn¡¯t been bad. Odd, yes, and close-mouthed like all of them, but he hadn¡¯t cheated me. I didn¡¯t know how a bit of crystal could be the key to thinking on stone ¨C or why I¡¯d ever need to ¨C but he¡¯d been discharging a debt even if I didn¡¯t understand how he¡¯d incurred it. Dwarves gave nothing away. It had to be useful. I¡¯d hang onto it a while.


    I was rubbing the smooth crystal between thumb and forefinger when I realized everyone else had stopped and I¡¯d kept moving. Looking up, I saw everyone focused on one spot. My eyes tracked after theirs and I found myself looking at a very surprised green-skinned creature who, from the looks of his unbuttoned trousers and the wet patch on the tree next to him, had been pissing right up until we¡¯d scared the rest of it out of him. From the shocked stillness all around, he¡¯d done more or less the same to us.


    The creature had short, bristly black hair and an even thicker beard. His lower jaw jutted, and short tusks curled up beyond his top lip. His eyes were overlarge, with huge black pupils and irises of yellow that left almost no room for the white. We¡¯d met our first real live Orc.


    I heard a faint, hysterical giggling from the rear and knew that Basil had lost it. The rest of us were staring dumbly, not quite sure what to do. We all still had our sources out; my cards were on the float beside me out of sheer boredom of holding them.


    The Orc swallowed hard and darted a hand toward the poleaxe he¡¯d leaned against a tree. All at once half a dozen Spells launched at him, mine included.


    The sound was incredible even with the Qi¡¯shen¡¯s aura in place. My Spell¡¯s blowback pulled three cards from my hand, but I didn¡¯t care. I couldn¡¯t see what Spells the others cast, but the poor bastard literally blew apart under the massed damage of a whole squadron of well-carded lieutenants, leaving a mist of red painting the splintered tree trunk and two boots that circled lazily in the air before touching down a good fifty feet away.


    Those that hadn¡¯t launched Spells had Souls misting into place next to them, leaving them looking for something else to attack, but there was nothing.


    ¡°A lone scout,¡± Gale said, leaning over and clutching his knees, winded. ¡°That one won¡¯t be reporting back.¡±


    ¡°The noise will do his reporting for him,¡± Qi¡¯shen said, laying hands on Gale. Three of his Life source dipped, and Gale immediately perked up, looking refreshed. ¡°Let us move on quickly.¡±


    ¡°Just a moment,¡± Gale said, walking over to the blasted spot of soil where the Orc had died and crouching down. ¡°Let¡¯s not miss our first spoils of war.¡±


    We gathered around, but he came back up with a grimace. ¡°If this is what the rank and file are holding, we¡¯ll be back home by the end of the week.¡±


    He held a handful of Basic shards in addition to the two cards. Apparently the scout hadn¡¯t had a Soul card. A small part of me felt vaguely sad to have ended someone so permanently. A far larger part of me told the small part to stop being stupid. This was war.


    ¡°Our own rank and file will not be much better equipped,¡± Qi¡¯shen reminded Gale. ¡°Not until the rest of the army arrives, at least.¡±


    We hustled away, not wanting to draw more enemies to our location. Esmi had to pull Basil by the arm, but he came along, looking dazed. We couldn¡¯t know how far our sound had traveled, how many other Orcs were scouting the forest, or where the main body of the army was settling in, and now was not the time to find any of those things out. We¡¯d have a hard time harrying the enemy if they pinned us down before we ever got started.


    We marched for another hour and a half, the initial shock and excitement of first contact giving way to a duller kind of anxious alertness that left me tired but restless. When we finally crested a tree-covered hill somewhere in the depths of the forest, Qi¡¯shen pulled us to a halt.


    ¡°This will be our camp for tonight,¡± he said. ¡°Our first encounter was unexpected, but there will be more than that ¨C and far more difficult ¨C before too many hours have passed. Let us rest while we can.¡± He put his palm to the broad tree next to him, and a soft red glow pulsed in its core. ¡°I have marked this spot. Only our company can see the marker; you will be able to perceive the light from a distance of three miles. If you become lost or separated, look for the light.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gale said. ¡°Get out tent Relics if you have them and set up quickly. Then we¡¯ll discuss our first engagement.¡± He pulled a card from his hand and flashed it at us. ¡°I hope you all planned ahead as well as I did.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary, Captain Gale,¡± Qi¡¯shen said, ¡°nor advisable. Tents are easily seen, and we do not want that. Allow me instead.¡± Mimicking the blond boy, he held out a card.


    ¡°Each of us has one of these; there will be enough room for all above, and we will be far safer off the ground.¡±


    ¡°And if it rains?¡± Gale grumbled. ¡°Some of us are still healing, you know.¡±


    ¡°You will see the stars but feel no rain,¡± the elf promised. ¡°When it comes to forestcraft, none can best my people.¡±


    Ten minutes and a very scary rope-climb later, I was sitting on a platform twenty feet wide and fifty feet high attached by unseen means to the tree trunk next to us. I kept well back from the edge as I rooted through my pack for the blanket I¡¯d use for sleeping and stayed close to Basil, who hadn¡¯t said a word since our encounter with the Orc. He seemed to be calmer with Esmi and me nearby. There were two other platforms in adjoining trees, and there were heart-stopping rope bridges strung between them. We¡¯d drawn up the climbing ropes as soon as everyone was aboard.


    ¡°Gather around,¡± Gale commanded, sitting by the fire circle in the center. How it didn¡¯t burn through the wood at our feet I wasn¡¯t sure, but like Qi¡¯shen said, the elven Relicsmiths knew their business. ¡°It¡¯s time we planned our first assault.¡±


    ¡°Are we certain that¡¯s wise?¡± Basil said, sounding quavery. ¡°Another day might let them forget about the noise in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Pull your balls out of your stomach or go home,¡± Gared said, disgusted. ¡°This is war.¡±


    Gale gave the Prince a very level look. ¡°Talk to someone under my command like that again, lieutenant, and you¡¯ll be the one going home.¡±


    Gared huffed in anger but looked away.


    ¡°That being said, pull it together, Hintal,¡± Gale continued. ¡°This is war, and you will contribute if you want your fianc¨¦e or yourself to survive. Understood?¡±


    Basil pressed pale lips into a line and nodded jerkily.


    ¡°I was given a fine gift as leader of this expedition,¡± Gale said, ¡°and I¡¯m going to put it to use as soon as it¡¯s dark.¡± He fished a card from behind his ear to show us.


    ¡°If the Grand Marshal recovers, I¡¯ll have to return it. If not¡­ well.¡± He put the card back in his Mind Home. ¡°Traditionally, the Orcs like to stick to the edges of the forest when they come to war against us. Once I know exactly where the enemy army is, Qi¡¯shen will help me locate a good ravine near their position inside the borders of the forest.¡± He looked to the elf, who nodded sagely.


    ¡°And then?¡± Gared said, sounding darkly eager.


    ¡°We want to draw off as many outriders and raiders as we can,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s our first order of business; they¡¯ll be the ones ranging out to harass the city while the bulk of the army settles in for a siege. We want to take some of that pressure off if we can. Draw them toward ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Patyr said, raising a hand, ¡°but the city has a wall and we don¡¯t. Should we be trying to draw enemies after us?¡±


    ¡°Only if we can get them in a spot where we want them,¡± Gale said with a smile.


    ¡°They¡¯re not just going to run after us like skipping down the street,¡± I objected. ¡°Orcs aren¡¯t any dumber than humans, are they?¡±


    ¡°They are not,¡± Gale confirmed. ¡°We¡¯ll need bait if we want to draw them into a trap.¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Good luck to whoever that is.¡±


    Gale cocked his head and gave a grim chuckle. ¡°Hull, my friend, I have some bad news for you.¡±

 B2: 45. Basil - Engagement

    The late afternoon was cool with a bone-seeping dampness that made me shiver. I knew the reaction had just as much to do with the regrettable predicament I found myself in as it did the weather, but after a string of embarrassments, this one I could at least pretend to not be at fault for.


    I was with Esmi, thank the Twins for that, the two of us tucked into a den her kobolds had dug out, waiting for the enemy to arrive. After all my bold words to Gale about how we would make the oncoming forces regret their decision, in actuality I was little more than a sniveling wreck being dragged along by my betters. I was deeply ashamed of how I was handling things, but I couldn¡¯t seem to make my mind and body go along with the way I¡¯d always envisioned I¡¯d act when marching off to war, full of grim determination and brazen defiance of the threat to be faced. I had wanted this after all, sought it even, by competing in the Rising Stars Tournament.


    When I asked Hull how he was managing ¨C with very little strain as far as I could discern ¨C he shrugged and said, ¡°You do what you have to, when you have to.¡±


    Perhaps that was my problem. To me it seemed that there were many other preferable options available besides the thirteen of us being used to harry and harrass thousands ¨C a thought that had crystallized for me the moment we had stepped into the forest, outside the protection of the Fortification or Treledyne¡¯s walls.


    Instead of going to the enemy, we could do our fighting atop the city battlements, like most of our forces were. Or, we could simply wait for the King to intervene. With his great power, our efforts might be entirely unnecessary. Or, if the battle seemed unwinnable, we could make a tactical retreat. Treledyne was a grand city and my home, but it was just a place. Why die to protect it if we were Fated to lose anyway? Fleeing east would allow us to join with our army, and traveling southwest or -east we could find sanctuary and assistance from Darlish or Charbond. The dwarves had been called cowards by more than Afi for spouting similar ideas, so I dared not share such thoughts lest the entire party discover me to be weak not only of constitution but also of heart.


    Even so, those who cared about me could easily tell I was troubled.


    ¡°You did well in the Lows,¡± Hull had said, patting me on the back in an attempt at encouragement. ¡°Just do that again.¡±


    I had nodded at the time, but after dissecting the advice, I¡¯d realized that the difference there was that I hadn¡¯t known we¡¯d be attacked. Nervous and on edge? Absolutely. But if I had possessed knowledge that such a thing was to happen, I would have stayed in and told Hull to do the same. Thinking further back, our tangle with Ticosi was no different: the man had cornered us, leaving no option but to fight. Now, however, it was a foregone conclusion that we would find orcs and others who wished to murder us, multiple times if all went to plan, and that certainty was causing me to unwind.


    ¡°The Raven Nightguard makes no sense,¡± I told Esmi. ¡°Its attack of 3 is much too high to be destroyed by Griff¡¯s Bloodstone Totem. Why would he have given me such a card?¡± This was my new habit, the most engrossing distraction I could come up with. Some of the mysteries surrounding Griff¡¯s escape had been explainable, either during my talk with Edaine or later that night with Esmi. For example, due to the limited number of source I had seen him with, the likelihood that he had used a Chaos Source Explosion to have my father¡¯s Guards attack each other, thus destroying both, was high. Those things that still didn¡¯t fit, however, I continued to pick at, and Esmi, bless her, did her best to entertain my obsessive sleuthing.


    ¡°True¡­¡± she said, pausing to give thought to my words, ¡°but he only gave them to you after I reminded him. If I hadn¡¯t, he might never have done so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, recalling the moment, my rebellious thoughts twisting the memory to focus more on how nice it had been to be warm and safe in my family home.


    ¡°Also, now that you mention it,¡± Esmi added, ¡°when I approached him with the idea, he said something about ¡®adding a bit of Chaos to the mix¡¯ and looked pleased. I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time and didn¡¯t ask him what it meant. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, looking chagrined.


    Esmi humoring me I would accept, but her feeling at fault in any way only made me feel like a cad for asking her to engage in my ridiculousness. ¡°Not at all,¡± I told her. ¡°What you¡¯ve said is clue enough. Perhaps a Chaos user like him saw it as a sign of Fortune that you were disrupting his plans.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± she offered.


    Balax thwapped his tail against the ground, the great scaled feline reminding Esmi that she had stopped petting him while speaking to me. He was stretched out beside where we sat in our hovel, his purring rumble filling the tiny space when she went back to rubbing his belly.


    I too had a Soul summoned, a Master Shieldbearer, who crouched somewhat awkwardly in their armor off to the side, present in case the orcs or some other scouts from their force should find us.


    We both also had our source summoned and a full hand of cards floating beside us. I wore my usual Helmet and Armor, while Esmi''s new weapon Relic sat within easy reach.


    She had been more than excited to show me the Axe and it was easy to see why: its attack value would let her boost the damage she did when using Balax¡¯s Ambush ability, and with its effect, she could disarm dangerous weapons her opponents might have, even something as powerful as Gerad¡¯s All-for-One sword.


    Thinking of the prince, I looked through the tree branches and ivy the elves had helped us position in front of the den. The goal was to make the covering look natural while still affording us a limited view, so we knew when it was our time to assist. I could indeed see out well enough, spotting both Gerad and Afi positioned at the far end of the ravine ¨C I just hoped that didn¡¯t mean that the orcs could also spot us.


    The prince was pacing, wearing the four Relics that it had become a common sight to see on him: his Legendary Sword, and Epic Shield, Armor, and Orb.


    The Shield of the Sun alone would likely be enough to make him immune to any rank-and-file orcs, living or not, but he also had a Paladin and Agata out for protection. The Mythic was limned in flickering yellow light, eyes like twin burning suns, due to Gerad¡¯s current hand-size of 11.


    The Paladin was an odd choice given our circumstances, but knowing how showy Gerad could be, he had probably just wanted to be flush with source as quickly as possible. The curious part of me wished that he had chosen to employ the Legendary Hilbrand instead, as I still hadn¡¯t gotten to see the new form of that card. However, Gerad was likely keeping it in hand so he could summon it defensively, if he was using it at all.


    Afi had a full hand of cards and source overhead, just like the prince, but she had no Relics. She did, however, have one of my Master Shieldbearers summoned, which I had loaned to her after Hull had asked me to look after her in his absence.


    She also had her Mirror Knight summoned, who could copy the Shieldbearer if needed, or I assumed Agata, depending on how the situation developed.


    It was a fine line we were trying to walk: enough Souls out for adequate defense but not so many as to appear that way to our enemies. Also, due to the nature of the plan that Gale and Qi¡¯shen had come up with, it would have been a waste to have too many of our Souls summoned at first.


    Behind Gerad and Afi there was a clump of ivy thicker than that which grew up most of the ravine wall, and in a den similar to the one I was currently sharing with Afi, the paladins Anya and Paytr waited, along with A¡¯cia, ready to cast their Protection Spells and Heals on anyone who became injured during the course of the battle. Looking at the spot, I was relieved that the ivy covering had been positioned in such a way that I couldn¡¯t see the people on the other side, at least not at this distance. Hopefully ours was performing the same.


    ¡°How do they look?¡± Esmi asked me. She could have checked herself by leaning forward but seemed content to stay back, rubbing Balax.


    ¡°Well enough,¡± I replied, ¡°and less likely to get cramps.¡± So saying, I stretched my right leg out, which was beginning to tingle. ¡°What about you? Is there anything you¡¯d like to discuss or something I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°Basil,¡± she said, her brown, gold-flecked eyes looking at me softly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to spend your energies on me. Not with the¡­ difficulties you¡¯ve been having since we left.¡±


    ¡°You are sweet to care for me so,¡± I said, meaning it, yet a sigh escaped me. ¡°But if I can do something for you, then I¡¯m not so wretchedly useless.¡±


    She laid a hand on my knee. ¡°You¡¯ll never be useless,¡± she told me gently. ¡°You just need to get your footing with this.¡± Shockingly, I felt her fingers quiver through my breeches. ¡°We both do,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°When did you start feeling this way?¡± I asked, picking her hand up so I could hold it. To my eyes she had been doing just as well as everyone else, as if we were out foraging on a path known to hold some dangers, nothing more.


    ¡°I think¡­ just the last few minutes,¡± she said with a tiny, rueful laugh. ¡°It¡¯s like a duel with no set start time. The anticipation is starting to eat at me.¡±


    I felt something shift seeing her look at me that way, a similar sensation to the one I had experienced when with Gale the day prior.


    ¡°Are you worried about him?¡± she said.


    The moment was gone as fast it had come. ¡°Hull?¡± I asked, and my stomach clenched. I had been avoiding thoughts of him specifically, lest I gnaw my arm off; I was immensely concerned about my friend. Gale¡¯s role for Hull had seemed logically sound, and I didn¡¯t think Gale was trying to exact some sort of payback on Hull, not with how my brother had defended him to Edaine, but still¡­ the mission Hull had been sent on was dangerous to the extreme, and he was barely being given any help.


    I pasted on the best smile I could. ¡°If anyone can survive, it is Hull.¡±


    Esmi nodded, and we lapsed into an uncomfortable silence that dragged by slowly. Balax yawned, while my Master Shieldbearer made noise at all, not even seeming to breathe. Eventually Esmi took her hand back, and at some point after, I heard a noise, first farther away but getting rapidly closer.


    ¡°aaaaAAAAHHH!¡±


    A streak shot by our position, and jerking forward, I saw it was none other than Hull. He was running as fast as I had ever seen, pelting down the ravine path toward where Afi and Gerad were stationed. On his heels were more orcs than I could count, some living, more summoned cards, the lot of them screaming, yelling, shaking their weapons, spittle flying from their tusks.


    There were also half-giants mixed in with the orcs, towering over the smaller warriors, each of their huge steps carrying them forward at an alarming rate.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The lead half-giant raised an enormous club that I didn¡¯t think Hull had any chance of escaping. My friend¡¯s exposed skin had no starlight luster, meaning his Sucking Void had already run its course. Did he have any cards left? I didn¡¯t see any floating beside him or in his hand. He must have used them all up to last this long as Gale¡¯s bait.


    He was wearing his Plate Armor, but the remaining 2 points of damage could kill him if his Mind Home was as barren as his hand and he was already wounded.


    A Protection snapped into my fingers, and I was a bare breath from releasing it when E¡¯lal appeared beside Hull, having just broken out of the pack of Chaos Souls. The elf was nine feet tall, higher with his antlers, and the only reason I hadn¡¯t seen him was because he had been behind the Half-Giant. E¡¯lal leapt, spinning in the air to crash his newly forged Relic into the Half-Giant¡¯s stomach.


    Empowered by his usual enhancement Spells, the Mace hit for a ridiculous 22 damage.


    The strike blew a crater into the creature, shards exploding out its back instead of blood and bone. However, the force of those shards then slammed into an orc some ten feet away who must have been its summoner, the remaining 17 Overkill damage crunching the entire front half of its skeleton in, blood gushing from the orc¡¯s ears and nose before it collapsed to the ground, utterly dead.


    Having paused briefly to make the kill, an orc was able to attack E¡¯lal, but the sword strike slid off his stacked Barkskin.


    Then the elf was off again, outpacing those who followed. The summoned Souls among the enemy would eventually do their Fated damage to E¡¯lal or Hull, but they had to reach the pair first.


    I felt a hand on my wrist and turned to see it was Esmi. ¡°Don¡¯t go yet,¡± she said, which I barely heard over the roar of the orcs charging past our position. I patted her hand to show I understood; there was a reason our den had been positioned where it was in relation to Afi and Gerad, but even so, I felt a war within: half of me was relieved to not have to join the fray, while the other half wanted to rush to Hull and E¡¯lal¡¯s aid.


    Turning back to the crisscrossed vines, I saw that down the lane of the ravine Afi had stepped forward. Multiple sources above her dimmed, and she cast Whirlpool.


    Raging water flowed past Hull and E¡¯lal, affecting them not at all, but the torrent absolutely decimated all the cards it came into contact with, washing away Orc Warrior and Half-Giant Souls alike. As this happened, I saw flashes behind Afi as the hidden Anya and Paytr cast Protection to save her Master Shieldbearer and Mirror Knight.


    Gerad didn¡¯t bother casting the Rare Protection I had seen him use before to stop Agata from taking harm or to keep his Paladin from drowning. Considering the Mythic had 11 health, now 6, and A¡¯cia¡¯s Heals were surely on the way, I didn¡¯t blame him.


    The water from the Whirlpool stopped about a dozen feet from our spot, letting Esmi and I retain our summoned Souls. It also meant that the orcs near us and farther up the path were unaffected, and the lot of them charged forward with a roar, undeterred at the losses their brethren had taken.


    This time Gerad was the one to act, holding up his Orb, which darkened, like a shadow had moved across it. A deep rumble sounded from high above, the only other warning before pillars of light stabbed down from the sky, causing great eruptions in the earth where they hit, Souls caught in the shafts disintegrating before they had a chance to scream. It was the Spell Fate¡¯s Judgment, which Gerad had stored in the Orb before the orcs had arrived.


    None of the enemy Souls had a hope of standing before the assault, and with a hand 11 strong, 11 of them were felled near instantly. However, the enemy had brought with them many more than 11 Souls, so Gerad cast the Spell again, this time from hand, destroying 10 Souls, and then again, killing 9.


    Even with 30 Souls destroyed in a matter of seconds, there were still some fifty orcs, with a smattering of Half Giants, closing in on Gerad and Afi, Hull and E¡¯lal behind them now, both breathing hard.


    Gerad¡¯s sources were mostly dim, and Afi only had two Water ready above her head, not enough to cast another Whirlpool for anyone counting, and the orcs seemed to know this, huffing and snorting as if they smelled blood.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Esmi reminded me, crouched at my side now, watching events unfold just as closely as I was. She was right. We needed all the orcs to get as close as possible, and they eagerly obliged, covering the remaining space in no time at all.


    One of Afi¡¯s Sources dipped, and she used her Mirror Spell.


    Like before, water erupted all around, crashing against the surrounding walls, itself, and Chaos cards, destroying everything within its churning grasp and turning them into shards.


    Esmi and I burst forth then, shoving the leaning branches and vines aside. Only a handful of orcs had been spared the final Spell, and they turned on us since we were the nearer prey. My Werespider scuttled out behind me, having been the one other Soul we could manage to fit into the small den.


    She spit Webs she had at the ready, tangling up three of them, letting me know that those were the Soul cards among group and stopping those orcs from doing anything.


    Esmi had been summoning kobolds since the moment we exited the den, and she already had more of them around her than there were orcs; the speed of her summoning was why she had been placed at the choke point, and my role was to act as her protector ¨C Gale thought I could handle that, at least.


    Her kobolds charged the stuck orc Souls, stabbing them through the webbing while taking no damage in return.


    One of the living orcs shouted at us in rage, and Esmi, astride Balax now, soared over her kobolds. The orc squared its legs, readying its spear, but at the last moment the great cat bounded sideways at a sharp angle, leaping toward the ravine wall. Reaching it, Balax used the stone like a springboard, shooting back at the orc with surprising speed, slamming into the Chaos summoner¡¯s unprotected side. At that angle, the orc couldn¡¯t defend themself, but the scaled feline and Esmi had no such trouble. A single card puffed out of the living orc as Balax¡¯s claws raked across it and Esmi swung her Axe like she had been born with it in her hand, and the orc collapsed, dead.


    The remaining living orc near us was running away, and having spent her Ambush, Esmi likely wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it. If it escaped, it could bring more of its kin down on us, or worse, the undead and demons too. I had mostly defensive cards in my hand, Protections and Penitence, but I also had Atrea.


    She shot into the sky in a spiral at my summons, knowing my wishes with a mere thought. I knew Air was faster than Chaos, and I counted on that now to see the deed done. The orc was running as fast as Hull had before, but Atrea streaked down from above like a hawk on a hare, her long blade spearing through the orc¡¯s back, any Armor the orc might have had negated by her Precision Aura.


    I breathed a sickly-sweet sigh of relief and then remembered that we were only dealing with stragglers. A look to my right showed me that our forces were going toe-to-toe with nearly twenty living orcs. I swear my heart stopped beating for a few seconds, but as I watched the flow of battle, the vise on it eased. Though there were more of the orcs, they did not have our power. Agata exploded an orc¡¯s head with a single pinprick stab of his pen, while the Mirror Knight repeated the same feat with his sword. E¡¯lal was back in the fray, having Regenerated any damage he might have taken before and was now an utter terror, killing orcs with each swing of his Mace, his upgraded Sword kept at the ready in his off hand for when the occasional brave orc dared to attack him.


    I saw Hull creeping around the back, which worried me again, until I saw that he was wisely staying near Afi and her Master Shieldbearer, who the paladins must have protected again along with the Mirror Knight.


    And then Gale was there, diving from on high like Atrea had, riding Halifax, the griffon letting out a piercing screech.


    He had said he would circle the area to make sure that no orcs or others tried to get the drop on us from above and then he would take care of any remaining orc summoners. He made good on that claim now, eviscerating one with Halifax, his Hunting Hawk companion trailing in the Mythic¡¯s shadow to take out another besides.


    Gale then loosed his Epic thrown weapon, its glittering blades arcing through the remaining orcs, once, twice, three times, all of them collapsing except the biggest and greenest, who remained upright on one knee.


    The last orc was wheezing so loudly I could hear it from where I stood, and this one quickly found Gale, seeming to identify him as our leader.


    ¡°You fight like feeble whelps,¡± he growled, ¡°and you will die like them when Targu¡¯Thal grinds you beneath his heel.¡±


    Gale regarded the orc calmly, looking in control despite still being much paler than he ought to be. ¡°You brought war to our door. That gives us the right to kill you however we wish.¡± Before the orc could muster a reply, Gale flicked his hand, and the sword he had been holding flew through the intervening space, slamming into the orc¡¯s neck up to the hilt. The orc, perhaps some lieutenant or captain himself, gasped and gurgled for a moment and then hissed out his last breath, keeling over.


    A ragged cheer went up from some among our number, and the paladins and A¡¯cia finally made their way out of their slightly larger hidey-hole, grasping some comrades in hugs or checking them for wounds.


    For my part, I couldn¡¯t believe that so few bodies were all that remained of a force that had started in the hundreds. It was an eerie thing to my mind, the quickness of that juxtaposition. I shivered again and then froze, hearing the pounding of feet.


    ¡°Esmi!¡± I whispered fiercely, caught between a desire to run to her or our den. Around the ravine bend came people in the dozens, but Twelve be praised, not a one of them was an orc.


    They were our summoned token forces, and in the front was their controller, Wenden. Beside him was the were-elf Ky¡¯reen, flanked by two of her Werewolves, and the blue haired Qi¡¯shen. The three of them had been stationed at the entrance to the ravine to ensure that more enemies than we could handle wouldn¡¯t flow in.


    Their arrival was considerably sooner than I had expected and meant that I hadn¡¯t needed to send Atrea to finish off that orc after all.


    ¡°You live,¡± Qi¡¯shen observed, his sharp eyes taking in the scene. ¡°This is good, exceptionally so. Come,¡± he said to the two summoners he was with, ¡°we will establish a perimeter.¡± The group of them turned, and so too did their summons. I wasn¡¯t precisely sure what they planned, but knowing we had such a large blockade against any other orcs that may come this way did let me breathe easier, if only by a hair.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Esmi asked, coming up to my side. Balax was loose behind her, snuffling around.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± I said, gesturing to the left. ¡°The noise of them approaching ¨C it just startled me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that¡¯s all it was. We did it,¡± she said, smiling tentatively at me, cheeks rosy. ¡°We survived our first real engagement.¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± I agreed, but for whatever reason I couldn¡¯t seem to muster up the same joy that came naturally when winning a duel. Instead of looking up at the spectators who surrounded us, I looked down at my feet, like I had done something shameful.


    That¡¯s when I saw the blood. Unlike the lack of bodies, it was¡­ everywhere. And it wasn¡¯t some green or yellow slop like I had heard some claim bled from orcs, but red, just like what ran in my veins. I stepped back, trying to avoid the pool of it that was inching toward me, only to realize that another such puddle was nearing from the side, and a large splatter of not just blood but some sort of gristle was on a jutting rock to my left.


    ¡°Basil!¡± someone said, but I couldn¡¯t manage to look away from the bright fluid. A hand clamped onto me. ¡°Never would have made it without those Feral Strengths or the Fluid Grace you cast on me.¡± Hull. It was Hull who was talking. He didn¡¯t seem to care at all where he stepped. ¡°And I definitely wouldn¡¯t have made it if E¡¯lal hadn¡¯t been along to trigger those Pit Traps you told us about. You saved my skin twice over today.¡± There was a pause and then. ¡°Basil?


    ¡°Basil?¡± someone else said.


    ¡°Perfectly fine,¡± I managed to say, not wanting to embarrass myself, or Esmi, or Hull, or anyone else, not again. I would be strong. I would be. However, I didn¡¯t feel fine at all: my limbs were cold and distant, like they were drifting away from my body. My head was even worse, so light and dizzy, and when I tried to move it, the world spun. ¡°Perfectly fi ¨C¡±


    I lost control then despite trying to hold on tight, my mouth, legs, and everything else slipping out of my grasp. The bloodied ravine floor rushing up to meet me was the last thing I saw before my vision went black.

 B2: 46. Hull - Night Work

    The Orc¡¯s head came right off under the force of my Vampiric Blade, making only the faintest whicker of sound as blood gouted from the severed neck stump. I shuffled back almost to the tent wall to keep clear of the flow, letting the poor sot¡¯s sleeping blankets soak up the gore. My muscles were taut and my ears on point as I listened for any outcry or disturbance outside, but Qi¡¯shen¡¯s silence aura kept others¡¯ noise from me just as it kept my noise from them. Honestly, focusing on the fear of being discovered deep inside the Orc camp kept me from thinking too hard about the bloody work at hand.


    ¡°This people moves across the land like a cloud of locusts,¡± Qi¡¯shen had explained to us not long before as we¡¯d crouched in the trees near the borders of their camp. ¡°Their Chaos-driven desire to be ruled by the moment makes it hard for them to plan, and so when a great host like this comes together, they make no baggage train or supply line. They take what they need from where they stand and strip the land bare, killing and eating whatever comes to hand, whether that be plant, animal, thinking being, or innocent child. Remember that no word has come to us from any of the human outposts that they must have encountered; it is likely that any Orc that comes under your hands has fed on human flesh in days not long past. Think on that when you kill tonight if your work begins to feel like murder. You are crushing locusts, no more.¡±


    His words were meant to harden us as we crept through the enemy camp seeking out the holders of siege engine Relics that might be used against the city, but for my part, it was easiest to imagine the body in front of me as someone that I¡¯d found in my sleeping spot on Hook Street or caught scarfing stale bread from my meager food cache hidden under the loose cobblestone on Sinner¡¯s Row. I¡¯d been doing night work long before I ever dreamt of a life as good as this one, and here in the dark it wasn¡¯t hard to get back to the kill-or-be-killed mindset.


    Much as I¡¯d have preferred to sit this one out after having been used as bait just the day before, I¡¯d been chosen for this mission because I was a heavy hitter, and for this raid to be successful, we had to be able to kill with a single, silent blow like I¡¯d just done. Between my Blade, a Feral Strength buff courtesy of Ky¡¯reen, and a full complement of Nether powering my hand, any Orc would have to have a nearly-full Mind Home to survive a hit from me, and the rank-and-file types we¡¯d encountered so far rarely had more than 5 or 6 cards. I squatted by the severed head and collected the cards jutting from behind the ear one by one.


    Exactly what I wanted to see. Qi¡¯shen had been issued a Relic-sniffer card by Edaine or someone else in the army hierarchy, a jeweled dragonfly that hovered over the tents of those Orcs who held the cards we¡¯d been tasked with stripping from the enemy in order to protect the city.


    Most Orcs weren¡¯t the kind to make Relics themselves ¨C even something as simple as a dagger required first forging an Artifact and then inserting it into a card ¨C so any heavy-duty Relics they owned were likely to have been taken from humans or elves at some point in the past and brought forth now to help them lay siege to the city. It appeared that those cards had been collected and handed over to those Orcs most well-suited to their use, because the dragonfly only stopped at a few tents along our path, and the kills that the others had made before it was my turn had looked similar to what I was harvesting now: few or no Soul cards and a small stack of war Relics. I wondered how the Smith who¡¯d made the dragonfly got it to focus on war machines specifically instead of Relics more generally, but I was certainly glad they had. Not that I minded taking Relic swords and maces out of the hands of the enemy, but if we were going to protect the city, I¡¯d rather leave behind a hundred of those in order to snatch a single scaling tower or trebuchet.


    Reaching into the dead Orc¡¯s mouth got my hands messy ¨C prying open the jaw far enough to get my fingers past those tusks required some muscle, and it was still leaking a decent amount of blood ¨C but all I got for my efforts was three Basic shards. We weren¡¯t even supposed to worry about their Soul cards ¨C it was the war Relics we were after ¨C but not even stopping to check offended my street rat¡¯s heart.


    I wiped my hands on a clean part of the blankets and scampered back out into the night, keeping low and loping on all fours back to where the others crouched in a dark lump in the shadows of another tent. Even in the darkest hours past midnight there were still Orcs gathered around bonfires to sing, drink, and fight, and one of them could come stumbling past at any moment, giving us away and likely ending with us all dead. Qi¡¯shen gripped my shoulder tight in fierce approval as I handed him the cards and shards. I¡¯d thought about pocketing the shards, of course, or even one of the cards, but I knew I had to be on my best behavior if I wanted to not end up in a jail cell when this war was over, so I curbed the impulse. Hestorus hadn¡¯t come flying over the walls to murder me in the two days since Edaine had presumably informed him of my treasonous blunders, so hopefully a hangman¡¯s noose was off the table for the moment.


    The tiny, buzzing insect Relic dipped in front of Qi¡¯shen¡¯s face and zoomed off into the night. ¡°We go,¡± he whispered, barely audible under his silence aura, and he moved after it, fluid as a panther. The rest of us did our best, but none of us humans ¨C myself, Gerad, nor Afi ¨C could match the grace of Qi¡¯shen or Ky¡¯reen, who was in her wolf form and Spell-buffed to the nines. We slunk from shadow to shadow, lurching erratically through the dark in search of our targets, circling wide of any fires or sentries ¨C though the latter were just as likely to be dicing or sleeping as keeping watch.


    It felt like an eternity that we were at it. Three more times I snuck into a tent and three more times I harvested cards from severed heads. One even had another Orc sleeping in the tent, which made me very nervous, but the sleeper never stirred as I did my dirty work on their bunkmate, and they joined the other in the Twins¡¯ embrace mere seconds later. I wasn¡¯t about to leave an enemy at my back, and it turned out that it was the second one who had the Relic cards I was after, anyways. When we were moving about the camp, I made very sure to always keep at least one other teammate between myself and Gerad; this was a good opportunity for a knife in the dark. Despite my caution, he seemed to barely notice me, a hunter¡¯s gleam in his eye and an intense focus to his movement as he entered each victim¡¯s tent that said he was enjoying this. He went into five tents to my three, and each time he emerged with a fresh thumbprint of blood on his forehead. He was marking his kills. I wasn¡¯t sure whether to be disgusted or impressed.


    The longer we stayed, the greater the danger, but also the more of our objective we achieved. The gutter rat in me got more and more nervous as time wore on, but the job wasn¡¯t done. Our elf leader had done his best to reassure us of his support before we¡¯d started; to be fair, he¡¯d done a damn fine job of it. ¡°If you are to follow me on this venture, you must trust that I have you well protected,¡± he¡¯d said as we¡¯d first approached the Orc camp. ¡°Look into my eyes and see what I have to offer.¡±


    Gerad reared back in disgust as he realized what Qi-shen meant. ¡°You mean to show us your Soul card?¡±


    The elder elf nodded calmly. ¡°In this, as in many other things, you humans deprive yourselves of connection where there is no need. I am asking you to do something more dangerous than you have ever done; we may die together here. Next to that, what does it matter if you look in my eyes and see my Soul?¡± He leaned forward, ruby-flecked eyes offering themselves to the Crown Prince.


    Gerad still looked mistrustful. ¡°You¡¯ll not see mine in return, elf.¡±


    Qi¡¯shen spread his hands. ¡°A sharing forced is no sharing at all. Do as you will.¡±


    He let each of us gaze down into him one by one, and I took my turn silently, trying not to feel too awkward about it.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    It was the Escape ability he wanted us to see, I was sure. It put my mind more at ease, no doubt ¨C if we got caught by a group of Orcs too big to handle during this mission, he¡¯d be able to spirit us away before we were overwhelmed. It did make sense to share Soul cards, especially in scenarios like this, but I could help but feel as if I¡¯d caught the fellow sporting with a lover.


    Not that he¡¯d have minded if I did; the more time I spent with them, the more I realized the elves were deeply weird about a lot of things. Not only were they totally unconcerned about undressing in front of us, but they didn¡¯t go off by themselves to shit, either. They dropped trou wherever they were ¨C out in the woods, at least ¨C and expected the rest of us to continue the conversation as if nothing odd had happened. It was natural, they insisted. Why were we humans so determined to make everything shameful? It felt at times as if the elves were humoring us beknighted humans by staying fully clothed.


    Regardless of the strangeness of it all, I kept reminding myself that Qi¡¯shen had us protected as the night dragged past one dead Orc at a time. By the end, we had collected a good forty cards or more, but now a dark purple was starting to stain the eastern horizon. Qi¡¯shen dismissed the dragonfly sniffer, gesturing us toward the perimeter of the camp. Even the most determined carousers among the Orcs had quieted down, the bonfires and dancing replaced by smoldering coals and piles of sleeping bodies heaped together like puppies. We made better time without having to dodge staggering drunks, and the tight muscles at the back of my neck began to ease as we approached the edge of the forest that would shelter us during the day when our grisly work was discovered at sunrise. The last furlong between the outermost ring of tents and the first trees was bare except for heavy-dewed grass. We let ourselves stand a little taller once we reached the clear zone ¨C it let us move faster, and I for one was sick of crouching like a scared rabbit.


    ¡°Look, a pack of fleas has jumped off the dog,¡± a harsh, guttural voice said loudly. ¡°Their host must be sick to death if they¡¯re doing that already.¡±


    In an instant I had my Armor and Talisman summoned and I pulled my eyepiece out of my pocket; all the others began summoning as well. Our opponent didn¡¯t waste any time; a Spell ripped out of the trees toward us.


    Everyone grunted as they weathered the damage as best they could. I let the one Ravening Hatchling I had in hand soak up the point that snuck through to me, wishing my Iron Maiden Plate had as much Resist as it had Armor.


    ¡°Stand down,¡± Qi¡¯shen whispered. ¡°Best if we just slip away. Remember what I showed you.¡±


    We clustered together, looking into the shadowed woods anxiously for our assailant as we waited for Qi¡¯shen¡¯s Escape ability to activate.


    Nothing happened.


    A shape separated from the trees and strolled forward, its eyes glowing and legs hinging oddly. The grass rustled vigorously around it, and it was the loudest sound I¡¯d heard in hours. I felt a chill down my spine as I realized Qi¡¯shen¡¯s silence aura was broken.


    ¡°It¡¯s stopping soul effects,¡± I growled at the team. ¡°Keep summoning.¡± Qi¡¯shen¡¯s eyes were wide with shock, and all the others seemed infected by his indecision, so I leaped forward, swinging my Vampiric Blade.


    I felt a shock of recognition as I got close enough to see my enemy clearly. It looked familiar, its sloping, brutish face not so different from one I summoned to defend me on a regular basis. I was looking at a living Spell Drinker, its teeth bared in anticipation of the fight. It took my hit, shedding cards, and raked its talons across my Iron Maiden Plate in return. I felt the pressure of its attack straining at the edge of my defenses but not quite surpassing them. I had a Ghastly Gremlin in hand I could have sacrificed, but I was glad not to have to.


    ¡°It deals 3 damage,¡± I told the others as I bounced back from the attack. ¡°Don¡¯t use Spells; it¡¯ll eat them and get stronger. The one I field doesn¡¯t negate abilities, so it¡¯s an Epic or better.¡±


    ¡°A flea with a brain,¡± the demon said, sounding impressed. ¡°This will be fun.¡±


    ¡°For me, at least,¡± Gared grunted. He came crashing forward, his massive All-for-One Relic sword humming with the power of his full hand of 11 cards. Scratch that, 10 cards. He can¡¯t have an 11th without his Soul ability, and none of those work right now. If I¡¯d been tempted to jump in front of Gared ¨C which I wasn¡¯t ¨C I wouldn¡¯t have been able to; my Intervene was gone along with everything else.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll take that,¡± the Spell Drinker said dryly to the charging Gared, summoning a Spell of its own.


    Ky¡¯reen shuddered and gasped as the redirected damage stripped her entire hand and pulled a few cards from her besides. Hissing in fear and shock, Qi¡¯shen quickly devoted several Life, meaning to Heal her, but the green glow that drifted toward her zipped toward the Spell Drinker, who inhaled greedily and grew that much bigger, flexing its claws.


    ¡°No source powers,¡± Afi cried in frustration. ¡°They¡¯re Spells!¡±


    It was an unforgivable misplay on Qi¡¯shen¡¯s part, but the unflappable elf seemed entirely undone by the fact that he couldn¡¯t save us as he¡¯d promised. He¡¯s a support Summoner, I realized. If he can¡¯t buff us and he can¡¯t get us out, he doesn¡¯t know what to do. I knew the elves worked in tandem on the battlefield, but now I was seeing the drawbacks of that method. The Spell Drinker was Qi¡¯shen¡¯s worst nightmare, and he wasn¡¯t taking it well.


    I drew more cards and wished bitterly I had my own Spell Drinker in hand as the demon hurled another Spell at Ky¡¯reen.


    It had apparently decided to take Ky¡¯reen down first; her hulking werewolf form made her look far more intimidating than the rest of us. The elf girl couldn¡¯t get her feet under her with the double onslaught of Gared¡¯s hit and the Spell, she shuddered as more cards burst from her in shreds. She couldn¡¯t have more than a bare handful left in her Mind Home.


    Afi stepped up, sending a snakelike Soul in to harry the demon.


    The Soul was beastly strong, and I watched expectantly, hoping it would take the damned thing down. Whatever we did, we needed to be quick about it and get gone ¨C I was hearing shouts of alarm from the Orc tents.


    The Spell Drinker was all burn Spells and redirects, it seemed, and it wasn¡¯t out of tricks yet. It had 7 Nether and 1 Death, and it used its last source to take out the N¨¹wani.


    The snake-man burst into shards of light. Qi¡¯shen was flipping desperately through his hand, obviously lacking good options as he crouched over his ward Ky¡¯reen. Seeing the Spell Drinker¡¯s Nether exhausted, I knew now was my chance ¨C I threw my Spell at it as it advanced on the cowering elves.


    The demon grinned at me as the purple bolt rammed home and was followed up by the overcharge from my Talisman. It let the rest of its hand go and shed a handful from its Mind Home, uncaring. It locked eyes with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re next,¡± it promised. It never wavered as it closed in on the elves.


    Qi¡¯shen had thrown himself on top of Ky¡¯reen. ¡°Take me,¡± he pleaded. ¡°I am to blame.¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± it responded, ¡°and I will. But first things first.¡±


    Its powerful arms tossed Qi¡¯shen aside, revealing Ky¡¯reen beneath. She sprang out with animalistic rage, long talons lashing. Her buffs had worn off some time ago, but she still packed a wallop, shredding even more cards from the demon.


    It wasn¡¯t enough. It put all its refreshed Nether into its claws, and the return stroke took her last cards and tore through her abdomen like cheesecloth, flinging gore as far as the trees. Qi¡¯shen screamed to the skies, a sound like death itself. The Spell Drinker paused to listen as if the sound were a symphony.


    Then another figure burst from the trees like an avenging angel, crossing the empty space in a heartbeat and cleaving the demon¡¯s head from its shoulders. I barely even saw it coming; I was fixed on the look of shock frozen on Ky¡¯reen¡¯s face, the red ruin stretching from rib to hip. She was dead. I could see it in her glassy stare. I¡¯d be seeing it whenever I closed my eyes for a good while to come.


    It took all of us a moment to realize what had happened and scramble to our feet. We were fortunate that the nearest Orcs had run away rather than join the fray, but it would be mere moments before one of their lieutenants rallied the troops and brought us a new wave of fresh hell. In the meantime, who was this?


    It was a woman in rags, blonde-haired and intense of gaze. There was a subtle peak at the top of her ears that suggested there had been an elf in the mix somewhere along the way, but she looked more human than not. She carried a Relic blade as big as herself ¨C that¡¯s what had finally done in the Spell Drinker. She ignored the rest of us entirely as she fished the card out of the Spell Drinker¡¯s mouth, doing exactly the same thing I¡¯d done to my fair share of Orcs that night.


    ¡°We helped kill it,¡± I said. ¡°And I use Nether.¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± she grunted, not looking up at me. Her voice was hoarse and gravelly, and her words sounded carefully shaped, as if she weren¡¯t used to speaking much.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just take everything,¡± I said, hefting my Vampiric Blade.


    She made an annoyed sound. ¡°Take the deck for all I care. Just stay out of my way.¡± She swung her enormous blade like a cleaver, taking the dead demon¡¯s arm off at the elbow. Then she whispered a few words and jammed the demon¡¯s Soul card into the flesh between its arm bones, wiggling it up into the gore until it was fully hidden inside the arm.


    ¡°By the Twins,¡± Afi said, sickened. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Surviving,¡± the woman said shortly. Glancing up at me, she gave a nod as if acknowledging I¡¯d had part in her kill. ¡°Best do the same, the rest of you. Trouble will fall fast if you stay here.¡± And then she was gone, fleeing on dirty bare feet back into the trees. The sky was noticeably lighter than it had been.


    ¡°Who the hell was that?¡± Gerad said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I shot back. ¡°She was right; we have to go.¡± I shook Qi¡¯shen¡¯s shoulder. He was keening over Ky¡¯reen¡¯s body. ¡°Bring her, Qi¡¯shen, but we can¡¯t stay.¡±


    Sobbing, he gathered the dead girl into his arms and lumbered toward the trees.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s dead,¡± Afi said. ¡°It was so quick.¡±


    Gathering up the Spell Drinker¡¯s head, I pointed her toward the trees. ¡°Worry about it later. Otherwise we¡¯ll find out what it¡¯s like. Go!¡±


    Gory prizes in hand, heads whirling and hearts heavy, we ran like hell.

 B2: 47. Basil - Elven Dirge

    We heard them before we saw them, a sharp, trilling bird call, which perked the pointed ears of both E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia. Many of us had been sitting in a circle, sharing stories about our journey thus far, trying to stave off worry about how our companions might be faring on such a dangerous mission.


    When E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia quickly stood, heading to the platform edge, the rest of us weren¡¯t far behind. Strangely, it was at then that my fear for Hull came to a sharpened point, pricking my chest painfully. Qi¡¯shen we knew was alive; his summoned Watch Platform told us as much, and while it was true at any moment it could vanish if he died, all of us taking a few cards worth of damage in the fall, every moment the wood boards stayed strong beneath us, we knew he still breathed. Hull, however, could have been murdered by orcs, undead, or even his own mother, and I wouldn¡¯t have the slightest clue. The sudden surge of concern for my friend wasn¡¯t the kind that would make me faint like I had in the ravine, but it was deeply unsettling. I had known the sometimes sour, always fearless, boy less than a year and already couldn¡¯t imagine my life without him. Besides Esmi, no one else knew me the way he did, or valued what I had to say. That was the key of it: he respected me, even though I hadn¡¯t deserved it of late, and I him, and that was something I never wished to be without again.


    Reaching the lip, we helped unspool the rope ladder there and throw it down so that our returning members could ascend. The Watch Platform had some soft glow bulbs that provided enough light for us to make our way around the top of the structure, but the night was too dark for me to see anything more than a few shadowed shapes moving down below, well past the tree limbs the large Relic sat upon.


    The climbers made their progress up with little noise, making me think that they were perhaps unharmed ¨C at least those who had survived such a risky raid ¨C but that illusion shattered when the first of them crested the edge.


    It was Qi¡¯shen, with Ky¡¯reen over his shoulder, both of them covered in dried blood. The elf girl¡¯s eyes were closed and she looked ashen and sunken cheeked. I expected A¡¯cia to summon her Life source to heal the pair, but when I glanced her way, a tear was streaking down the beautiful elf¡¯s face. E¡¯lal dropped to his knees, letting out a wail of sorrow, both sounds much quieter than they should have been, which could only mean that Qi¡¯shen¡¯s dampening Aura was still in effect.


    ¡°Is she¡­¡± I started, not wanting to say the last word for fear of making it true.


    The older elf got his footing on the platform and touched E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia gently, his face just as mournful as theirs.


    ¡°Dead,¡± Gale said beside me with cold finality.


    I looked his way, wondering how my brother could be so certain, and he shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll learn the look in time. Anyone who lasts long enough inevitably does.¡±


    The elves moved toward the center of the Watch Platform, and I was torn between following them and waiting to see if Hull returned safely. In the end, my indecision kept me where I was, and I got to see Gerad clamber over the edge. He was dirty some, with oddly shaped spots of blood on his forehead, but otherwise hale and healthy, a stark contrast to the first two.


    Did he even help? a hard voice in me questioned. I didn¡¯t know Ky¡¯reen as well as E¡¯lal, A¡¯cia, or even Qi¡¯shen, but I knew how much the other elves cared for her, and I had always been impressed by her hunger to improve in training. If I learned that the prince hadn¡¯t used every ounce of his ability in whatever battle had led to Ky¡¯reen¡¯s death, I¡¯d loathe him even more than I already did for trying to kill Hull.


    Gerad stalked by me, unknowing of my thoughts and uncaring. Afi was next, looking haggard but well enough, all her limbs functioning and eyes clear. She turned, offering a hand down, and thank the Twelve, it was Hull who took it, scrambling up behind her. His hair was even more of a mess than usual and blood splattered his clothes, but I hardly cared as I plowed into him, hugging him tightly.


    ¡°Merciful Twins, you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°Easy there,¡± Hull said, patting me on the back. When I finally released him, he gave me a forced grin. ¡°Wasn¡¯t near as bad as being bait. Only thought I¡¯d die twice instead of half a dozen times.¡± Hull¡¯s eyes flicked over my shoulder, and his shoulders slumped, breath hissing out of him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    The creak of the wooden platform announced that Gale had followed before he spoke. ¡°Surviving isn¡¯t something to feel guilty about,¡± he said to Hull. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s all we can do.¡± My friend looked up, appearing doubtful, but still, he nodded. Gale walked off then, probably to confer with Qi¡¯shen about how the rest of the mission had gone and determine our next steps. I had a flickering hope that returning to Treledyne would be in our future, but my brother didn¡¯t look like those were the sort of plans he was off to make.


    ¡°We truly are glad to see you well,¡± Esmi said, ¡°Afi too.¡±


    With so many having departed, it was just Esmi and me beside Hull while the paladins talked with Afi, Anya casting healing magic on her even though she said she didn¡¯t need it, and Paytr pulling up the rope ladder.


    ¡°She¡¯s a fighter sure enough,¡± Hull said about Afi, sounding¡­ relieved? Pleased? ¡°It¡¯s a wonder we made it back at all. Wouldn¡¯t have without the help Fortune saw fit to give us, even if it came too late for that wolf girl.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± I asked, and Hull told us about the strange half-elf with a huge sword who had killed the Epic, living version of his Spell Drinker demon, just after it had gutted Ky¡¯reen. He looked like he wanted to hit something when the story was finished, and considering how he¡¯d taken to punching trees and boulders in his free time, I had little doubt he¡¯d be off doing that when this conversation was over.


    ¡°Do you think she could be part of our forces?¡± Esmi asked. ¡°There to accomplish the same task as you?¡±


    ¡°Could be,¡± Hull said with a shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t think Qi¡¯shen recognized her, but he didn¡¯t say much on the way back. He.. ah¡­ didn¡¯t take things well tonight.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure whether to take comfort or not in hearing that someone who was much older than I and ranked at captain level could be rattled by these events. If such violent activities never grew easier, it made the prospect of trying even more daunting, yet it also made someone¡¯s willingness to continue through such hardship all the more impressive.


    ¡°Got some new cards, though,¡± Hull said, lifting his hand to show it was covered in some dried black goo that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. For a brief moment, I worried that he had used that hand to pat my back. ¡°Think you could give them a look?¡±


    ¡°Happy to,¡± I said, pushing that superfluous concern down ¨C as many of us surviving as possible was what mattered, not the state of my clothing. ¡°But first I must see to the elves. For all the help they¡¯ve given me, I feel beholden.¡±


    Esmi shifted. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay with Hull to look at those cards if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Even in the low light, I could tell that she was holding herself more rigidly than usual, and I understand all too well wanting to avoid spending time around a dead body if it could be helped.


    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± I said, pecking her on the cheek and clapping Hull on the shoulder ¨C relieved yet again that he had returned in the flesh ¨C before leaving them.


    The Watch Platform had some hammocks on poles and lean-tos for sleeping under, but the centermost of the connected circular platforms had no additional structures other than a firepit in the middle. It was here that the elves had congregated, Ky¡¯reen¡¯s body laid out, E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia hovering over it while Qi¡¯shen spoke a short distance away with Gale.


    I paused on the outer edge of the platform, unsure what was customary among elves to say in such circumstances. It was like my doubt was forming an invisible yet impenetrable field, and I had to physically force my way through it in order to approach them.


    ¡°I¡¯m so very sorry for your loss ¨C all of our loss.¡± The two elves looked up at me, such pain in their eyes I couldn¡¯t help but feel it echo in my heart as well. ¡°Might I join you?¡±


    E¡¯lal fluidly stood, wrapping me in an embrace just as tight as the one I had used on Hull, and A¡¯cia did the same, the pair of them hugging me together; they smelled like anise with an undercurrent of pine and tangy sweat. They sat back down without answering, but I took their gesture to mean that I was welcome. It was nearly the same spot I had been in when waiting for everyones¡¯ return, but now there was a body laid out before me. The killing blow Hull had described had been covered by leaves ¨C plucked from the branches that hung all around us no doubt ¨C wrapping around Ky¡¯reen¡¯s entire midsection and up to her chest. There was still a great deal of blood on her clothes and skin, but for whatever reason, the darker, almost brown color of it wasn¡¯t nearly as hard for me to stomach as when it was red and wet.


    With a tiny snap, E¡¯lal pulled a leaf from above his head and placed it over a blood splatter on Ky¡¯reen¡¯s pant leg.  Apparently, the dried blood was still sticky enough to keep the leaf in place, or perhaps the leaf had a bit of sap on it. I watched A¡¯cia do the same on the back of Ky¡¯reen¡¯s hand, so I reached up, grabbing onto one of the overhanging branches and pulling it down a touch. From there it was easier to take a few leaves from it before letting go. Unsure what purpose this action served but at least armed appropriately, I decided to start with a streak of blood on her shoulder. I had never touched a dead body before and so thought I¡¯d find it easier if not only a leaf but a layer of clothing separated us. Even so, I had the oddest worry that I was somehow hurting her as I pressed the leaf against her body. I think it was because she looked so close to being alive. Motionless, yes, eerily so, her neck tilted back just enough to seem unnatural, but her hair still fanned softly around her head, her face tattoos were still vibrant, and her lips were slightly parted as if she might start to breathe, or even speak, at any moment.


    ¡°We can help you purify her card if you like,¡± Anya said, surprising me. I turned to see that most everyone had joined us on the center platform, though many were keeping their distance. Anya stood amongst the closest, a kind look on her face as she lifted an adorned flask. ¡°We brought some Twins¡¯s blessed water from our temple.¡±


    ¡°Her card is still within her body,¡± Qi¡¯shen said, breaking away from Gale and coming to join his kin.


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    My eyebrows rose hearing that, and Wenden, always the most severe of the three paladins, actually sputtered.


    ¡°What?¡± he said. ¡°The card must be removed from the body as soon as possible and cleansed, severing its connection from the mortal so that it may enter in the realm of the divine.¡±


    I could tell Wenden was quoting scripture, but Qi¡¯shen just shook his head.


    ¡°That is not our way,¡± he said, solemnly. The older elf sounded and looked oh so tired as he sat cross legged beside A¡¯cia, accepting a leaf from her.


    ¡°But ¨C¡± Wenden persisted.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Gale said, ushering him and Anya  away. ¡°Let them be about their business.¡±


    The elves returned to their mysterious work, and a few other members of our party watched curiously on the fringes before moving to the outer portion of the Watch Platform, leaving me alone with the elves. With the four of us, it didn¡¯t take long to finish covering the body, only a few parts remaining exposed, a closed eye, a nose, some fingers, which in a way made the corpse seem more unnerving to me.


    ¡°Out of the three of us, she was the most eager to make this journey,¡± A¡¯cia said. I had guessed that the end of one task would likely mean the beginning of another, but I was still somewhat caught off guard to hear her speak after so long a stretch without any words being exchanged. ¡°If not for Ky¡¯reen, I do not think E¡¯lal or I would have come.¡± She smiled wanly. ¡°She was always so skilled at herding us to where she wished to go.¡±


    ¡°Ky¡¯reen told me after the last raid that there were few better things than feeling orc flesh tear beneath her claws or teeth,¡± E¡¯lal said while staring at the body. ¡°She said she could hear the land sigh in relief each time she ended one of those insatiable creatures. She thought that meant that the roots of A¡¯dinn¡¯uon were below us, and that made her feel at home. ¡±


    Qi¡¯shen nodded, the lines of the older elf¡¯s face looking harsher in the glow light.  ¡°When she first learned to shift, she said to me it was like being birthed anew, every hair on her body feeling the tingle Life. I could tell it made her want to stay in wolf form all the time, but I knew she never would because she would miss you two too greatly.¡± A¡¯cia sniffed, holding E¡¯lal¡¯s hand tightly, and I saw him return the grasp in kind. Their way of partnering with more than a single person was foreign to me, as was this ritual, but I could see the depth of their loss painted on their faces, and knew that it was just as heartfelt as mine would be if I was to ever lose Esmi. ¡°Truly,¡± Qi¡¯shen said, ¡°she made the most of this body.¡±


    They lapsed into silence then, and it took me a moment to realize that they were waiting for me to say something. I panicked slightly, having only interacted with her a handful of times, and said the first thing that came to mind. ¡°She told me I smelled once, just a few days after we started War Camp together.¡± Three sets of elf eyes were on me, all raw, all waiting to see where I would go with this. ¡°But then, when you came to see my duel ¨C¡±


    ¡°She said your scent had improved,¡± E¡¯lal said, finishing for me with a smile. ¡°Your drink was so fine that night I had forgotten about it entirely. Thank you, friend Basil, for making that moment live again in my mind.¡±


    I nodded my head jerkily, still feeling out of place but glad I could offer something.


    Qi¡¯shen began pulling cards from behind Ky¡¯reen¡¯s ear, tucking them into a pouch beside his waist. He still did not remove her Soul card though, instead standing. The other elves did the same, so I joined them, noticing that Qi¡¯shen was summoning source and drawing his own cards. It didn¡¯t take long for him to get whatever he needed, and his Life Source dipped in the air, a card misting from his hand and forming into an oblong shape on the ground, parallel to where Ky¡¯reen lay.


    It was one of the strangest Relics I had ever seen, bands of overlapping wood forming a cocoon of sorts, ivy crisscrossing the structure like veins. Qi¡¯shen touched the end of it, and what had looked like unbroken grain split open down the middle, the vines pulling back as it did, revealing a soft bed of loam in the center of the Pod with tiny white flowers. Gently, E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia picked up Ky¡¯reen¡¯s leaf covered corpse and placed it inside the cocoon. After they had, Qi¡¯shen took something from inside his breast pocket and placed it atop the body. Looking closer, I saw that it was a dried anise fruit, its long stem and pointed brown edges making it look like a star-shaped flower with seeds in each leaf. It¡¯s presence explained the scent that the elves so often gave off.


    I was not the only one who caught the gesture, E¡¯lal¡¯s head jerking toward Qi¡¯shen. ¡°That is not Ky¡¯reen¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°That is yours,¡± A¡¯cia said, her tone accusatory for some reason.


    ¡°Ky¡¯reen¡¯s was lost in the battle,¡± Qi¡¯shen said, sounding almost as pained as one might if it was the Soul card that was missing. ¡°She deserves it more than I.¡±


    E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia seemed uncomfortable about this, sharing a look, while I remained completely oblivious as to what might be causing the difficulty.


    ¡°I apologize for asking,¡± I said, when the silence stretched, the three seeming at an impasse, ¡°but what is the significance?¡±


    ¡°Do you know of A¡¯nis¡¯a, our Root Mother?¡± Qi¡¯shen asked me.


    I shook my head. I had only recently become interested in Life source cultivation and thus the elves, and so only knew what I had picked up about them during our recent training together.


    ¡°She is a Legendary Soul,¡± A¡¯cia said, speaking quietly instead of with the intensity she usually used when schooling me about cultivation. ¡°Who buried herself to become our Grand Forest, our homeland of A¡¯dinn¡¯uon.¡±


    ¡°Fruit of her namesake is taken with any who leave,¡± E¡¯lal added, pulling his own anise out of his vest pocket, this one having more points than the one that rested on Ky¡¯reen. He hesitated, and then swapped the two, handing Qi¡¯shen¡¯s back to him. ¡°You will need this to see you safely home. You plan to carry her, do you not?¡±


    The older elf hesitated but then accepted the tiny brown thing that looked like a flower. ¡°I do,¡± he said, and though it was only two words, I felt the weight of them. Qi¡¯shen touched the pod, and it whispered closed, the wood aligning so it looked seamless again and the ivy creeping back over the top, encasing Ky¡¯reen completely.


    ¡°I apologize if this is rude,¡± I asked, unable to hold my questions in anymore. ¡°I can understand your desire to have a token of your home,¡± ¨C their anise reminded me in some ways of how Esmi had kept that old pen of mine for the time we had been apart ¨C ¡°but why are you putting so much care into Ky¡¯reen¡¯s body? Surely her Soul card is what must be protected?¡± I was no paladin or tender, but I honestly couldn¡¯t believe that they still hadn¡¯t removed it yet.


    ¡°She must be buried in A¡¯dinn¡¯uon,¡± A¡¯cia said, matter-of-factly, ¡°so her flesh and bones can nourish A¡¯nis¡¯a, joining in that continued growth.¡±


    ¡°She must?¡± I asked, trying my best not to sound like I was arguing.


    Qi¡¯shen shook his head, but I was relieved to see that he didn¡¯t appear angry, only sad. ¡°You humans see the duality of the Twins in so many things but never this. Are the body and Soul not intertwined in Life? Why would they not be in death? Without proper treatment of the body, the Soul card will eventually weaken and break.¡±


    The older elf might as well have told me that the sun would one day crash into the land for how impossible it sounded. The eternal nature of Soul cards was a foundational belief in every text I had read and in every conversation I had heard, whether it was an avid member of the Church of the Twins, a Rapturists, or someone who barely acknowledged the gods at all.


    ¡°It will? I¡¯ve never heard such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Because you are a young race yet,¡± Qi¡¯shen said, ¡°but you will see in another thousand years or so. The burnings I¡¯ve heard you do for bodies may satisfy the Fire focused among you, and maybe even those of Air, but for most,¡± he shook his head again, ¡°you are seeding your own eventual demise.¡±


    If Qi¡¯shen¡¯s goal was to shock me, he certainly had; the only reply I could muster was a numb nod. A thousand years? Would it even matter if it was that far away?


    ¡°Join us now and perhaps you will feel the truth of it,¡± E¡¯lal offered, placing his hand upon the Pod. Qi¡¯shen did the same, and A¡¯cia put both palms on the end she was near.


    I reached out, the wood feeling neither warm nor cool against my skin. Ky¡¯reen was in there: fierce, wild, sharp-toothed Ky¡¯reen. Even after helping to prepare her body, I could hardly believe it.


    The elves started singing then: a low hum in their throats that transitioned into a wordless song that with my years of Air cultivation I was able to follow on the heels of without too many stumbles. The tone of it had a natural flow that made it easy to predict the next note, and I soon found myself barely thinking as I lifted my voice to be as loud as theirs.


    Qi¡¯shen spoke, talking of his failure to protect Ky¡¯reen as he had promised he would. How he should have expected a threat like that from the demon army, something that could stop his Soul Abilities, and his unfathomable regret in not spiriting them away sooner. A¡¯cia and E¡¯lal continued to sing, so I did my best to match them, but it was a challenge while seeing the grown elf break down, weeping uncontrollably, to the point that I could no longer make out whatever last words he was trying to say.


    When he finally collected himself enough to take back up the song, his voice scratchy after how he had used it, E¡¯lal began to speak. While the others had been gone raiding, my former bunkmate had explained why he hadn¡¯t joined them on the mission even though he was well suited to such assassination. It was a rule among their people that when in hostile territory elves always stayed in pairs, at minimum, so he could not have left A¡¯cia alone. However, hearing him explain this calmly a few hours before compared to now when he practically shouted it against Qi¡¯shen¡¯s Aura were two different things entirely. He railed at himself for not taking Ky¡¯reen¡¯s spot, going so far as to flail his fists against his body with such force that a few cards burst out of him.


    The sight of his self-flagellation made me deeply uncomfortable, but the song beneath it all grounded me, and made me feel like I would be breaking something sacred if I was to leave now.


    When he concluded, E¡¯lal spent a few moments gasping for air on the ground before rejoining us.


    A¡¯cia collapsed over the pod when it was her turn, hugging it tightly. She regretted not spending more days and nights together, not finding each other sooner, and in many ways, coming to this war. She cursed herself for not wrapping Ky¡¯reen in roots until she saw sense and keeping them all in A¡¯dinn¡¯uon where they had been happiest. When A¡¯cia quieted, her shaky voice settling in above mine, I knew what was expected.


    I started simply and as truthfully as I could, wishing simply that I had gotten to know Ky¡¯reen better. I was fascinated by her ability to shift and would have enjoyed speaking at length with her about it, but I had been so obsessed with other things that I had missed out on forming a connection that could have been meaningful. I hadn¡¯t been planning to say much more than that, but after how effortlessly and shamelessly they had bared themselves, I tried to go further, saying that I wished I had demanded to join the mission as a protector if nothing more, how I wished I was strong enough to keep everyone I cared about safe, all of Treledyne, and finally, how I regretted being so afraid and hated that weakness in me that kept creeping back no matter how many times I tried to stamp it down. How if only I wasn¡¯t so spineless, I could have been there when Ky¡¯reen needed.


    I was breathing hard when I finished, harder than I expected. Not everything I had said had been about Ky¡¯reen, not really, but the elves didn¡¯t seem to mind, their twinned voices accepting mine without judgment when I was ready.


    I don¡¯t know how much longer we kept this dirge of theirs going, but Qi¡¯shen eventually stopped and the rest of us petered out. It was then I noticed that the ivy beneath our hands had sprouted white flowers, similar to those that Ky¡¯reen rested on, and I felt my heart lurch, tears coming to my eyes. They were beautiful to look upon, and with a tiny inhale of breath, I realized that the Pod felt warm now.


    Then the Relic vanished, disappearing into motes of light, Qi¡¯shen dismissing the source he had used to conjure it.


    E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia hugged me again, even more fiercely than before. ¡°Thank you for sharing this with us,¡± E¡¯lal said, while A¡¯cia whispered, ¡°You truly are a friend to the elves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for having me,¡± I replied. They squeezed me again and then left together hand-in-hand, A¡¯cia saying something about them sharing her anise.


    ¡°You did well,¡± Qi¡¯shen said when we were alone, a fact that felt all the more pronounced now that both the body and Pod were gone.


    And inside his Mind, I couldn¡¯t help but think.


    ¡°Many humans keep their painful emotions locked away,¡± Qi¡¯shen continued, ¡°so deep they think them gone, but in truth they are only poisoning their roots, degrading themselves, just as surely as a card with an ill-cared for body. If you were not already at your source cap or wearing that,¡± he said, pointing at the metal fabricator around my wrist, ¡°you would likely have a third of Life by now.¡±


    Yet again the older elf had managed to shock me. ¡°I would?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I will not ask you to remove the gift from your king, but what I told you before holds true. In my eyes, you have earned your third source and so I will show you the higher tiered cards you wished to trade for. Rest some and then we will speak more of it.¡±


    The older elf strode away, so he didn¡¯t get to see my jaw hanging open. I had joined the elves tonight out of a sense of mixed obligation and kinship, so I hadn¡¯t expected any sort of reward. Truthfully, thinking of it that way I immediately disliked, since it felt disrespectful to Ky¡¯reen. I was grateful to Qi¡¯shen that he had said we would do it later so the two things were separated, which was probably the very reason he had chosen to have us wait.


    I closed my mouth as I caught the first hints of the rising sun dappling the trees. It was hardly anything, but seeing it helped quiet my mind, and let me feel what I had just gone through with the elves. Joining them in expressing myself so openly had been quite the experience. I did feel¡­ lighter having said those things aloud, which was perhaps Qi¡¯shen¡¯s point. Also, it had taken my doubts about the role we were playing in this war and clarified them into something much more immediate, something I felt the truth of in bones: I¡¯d be joining Esmi and Hull on any mission they were sent on from here on out, my fears be damned.

 Order Card Library

    <u>Souls (31)</u>


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 B2: 48. Juriss - Tricks

    The shallow depression of earth was hot and damp beneath the salvaged tent cloth, made only moreso by the thin layer of dirt and leaves Juriss had spread over it before shimmying underneath. She lay there sweating in her summoned armor, hands slick on the handle of her great blade, thoughts turning slowly and breath undisturbed. The hunter who did not know how to wait was the hunter who lost her prey, and Juriss was not one accustomed to losing.


    She¡¯d prepared the ambush ground with care and she had all her most powerful Relics equipped.


    It had taken months of skulking and spying to put this moment together; the Gauntlet had been the last piece she needed. She¡¯d have killed the Orc leader Targu¡¯Thal weeks ago if she¡¯d had some way to get past the incredible armor he had as a soul ability. Between watching him from hiding as his army faced the paltry defenses one of the southernmost human settlements had put up and spying as he sparred with his captains, she¡¯d sussed out that it was almost certainly an Armor 4 ability. A successful hunt was one where the hunter struck once and the prey died, especially when the prey had an entire army at its disposal. She would need to strike and then disappear. The Spell Drinker had been the missing link, and now she had it. The Gauntlet she¡¯d made from it had been hurried and crude, but still powerful.


    She didn¡¯t like that the humans and elves had seen her that night, regardless of whether they¡¯d helped to make it an easy kill. Once she was done with this hunt and had elevated herself to Mythic, she¡¯d consider killing them, too. It felt wrong to have anyone know about her. She¡¯d let the familiar-looking boy take Death cards that she might have used simply so she could minimize the amount of time she¡¯d been exposed. She¡¯d collect them from his corpse soon enough.


    It wasn¡¯t even that she was all that concerned with collecting the cards, really; it was having other thinking, talking things out there that might want something from her. Bad enough that the flying man knew about her; she¡¯d kill him one day too and be entirely free to hunt in peace. She didn¡¯t even keep any Soul cards; her entire deck was Relics she¡¯d made from the corpses of her wild creature kills, with the exception of a single Death Spell she¡¯d harvested from a Wight unlucky enough to wander into her hunting grounds ¨C that Spell fit so nicely with her style that she¡¯d kept it. But Souls¡­? That was too much like having people around, even if the cards were only mute Commons.


    The heavy tread of a barefoot Orc sounded in her ears, and she snapped back into the moment, muscles tense and mind focused. Targu¡¯Thal liked to meditate privately with his Chaos source, and the others in his army knew not to bother him while he did it; she¡¯d known almost from the beginning that was when she¡¯d catch him. He didn¡¯t do it every day, and he seldom went to the same place twice ¨C Chaos users prided themselves on unpredictability ¨C but this forest glade with its babbling stream and beaver-dammed pool was very nearly bait for someone wanting to indulge his senses. She¡¯d lain in wait here for the last four days running, and finally it had paid off. She knew it was him. She¡¯d studied his gait and footfalls for more than a moon¡¯s turn for exactly this reason. She¡¯d flitted in and out of the camp, coming close enough to touch him more than a dozen times. Not a one of them had ever seen her.


    She heard him splash down into the water with a pleased grunt. She hadn¡¯t expected that; usually he sat crossed-legged on the earth to meditate. Would he wash and then come out, or would he stay in the stream? Either would be acceptable; having him in the water might rob her of a little mobility, but it would do the same for him, and she stood even chances of him facing away from her when she emerged from her hidey-hole.


    After several minutes she decided he¡¯d stayed in the small pool to meditate. The sound of the flowing stream masked his noise, but she knew he¡¯d be breathing deeply with his head back and eyes closed. Would he be sitting in the water or standing? The pool was only a few feet deep in the center. There was no way to peek without giving herself away; she¡¯d find out when the time came.


    The Orc would fall into the deepest part of his meditative trance after just a handful of minutes. Another hundred heartbeats and she felt the subtle shift in her hunter¡¯s sense that told her now. Without thought, without hesitation, she heaved herself up from her hole and threw off her covering. She¡¯d worked every inch of the old tent cloth over in her hands for weeks so it would move without flapping; with a slight rustle of leaves and a whisper of cloth she was on her feet and moving toward the pond.


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    Targu¡¯Thal was immersed in the pool up to his waist, hands held out gently on the surface of the water to feel its ripples. His back was turned to her, and she could see the great axe he preferred hovering over shoulder as usual. He kept the thing summoned constantly; she¡¯d seen him cut through a town¡¯s wall in a single stroke with it. It might even be Legendary. No matter; he¡¯d never have the chance to use it.


    A few running steps and she was at the edge of the pond. The Orc was only just beginning to turn toward her noise. Launching herself into the air, she cast her one Spell and swung the Bone Sword with all her might and devoted herself, her Bone Blade, and her Gauntlet into the attack.


    With her Charge helm, the sword¡¯s damage, and the Spell¡¯s boost, she¡¯d hit for 22. The other reason she¡¯d decided to attack during the Orc general¡¯s meditations was for the fact that he always dismissed his hand for the duration of his quiet time. This close to the human city, he kept his hand out and on the float nearly every other waking moment. He¡¯d have nothing to block with out of hand. One strike would empty his entire Mind Home and leave him mortally wounded. Easy pickings.


    He caught sight of her as she came screaming down on top of him, and a tremor passed through her when she saw no hint of fear in his eyes. In fact, in that brief moment she could have sworn his wide, tusked mouth curved up into a tiny smile. It said I know something you don¡¯t.


    With lightning speed he reached up and pulled a card out from under his oversized Orc tongue and flipped it up into the blade¡¯s path. It shattered against it, stealing some of its momentum and damage before it slammed into his face.


    A cloud of card shards flurried forth, hiding her prey as she crouched beside him in the water, helplessly devoted and waiting to see what had happened. The shreds floated down, and her heart clenched in anger. Not a mark on him.


    ¡°A good hit, little bird,¡± the broad-chested creature rumbled. ¡°I haven¡¯t taken a blow that hard in a long time. I could almost wish you could spar with me sometime.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Juriss growled, her voice painfully rocky from disuse. ¡°You never have cards out when you meditate.¡±


    He grinned around his tusks and pointed at the Chaos circling his head. ¡°When you have a full 10, every little thing catches your senses. I smelled you in the clearing from two hundred feet back. I¡¯ve been smelling you for months. Can¡¯t mistake you for one of my kind, bird.¡±


    Her mind raced. If she could just keep him talking a little longer she might recover to swing again. He was a chatty sort ¨C the worst kind ¨C but she could tolerate passing words for another half a minute if it saved her life and ended his. ¡°So you hid a card under your tongue to block with.¡±


    ¡°An old trick, but a good one. The hidden enemy who thinks you have your defenses up might hold off, and I need all my attention on the humans now. I didn¡¯t expect you to hit so hard, nor for you to have Precision.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not Precision¡­ all my abilities are gone.¡± He threw back his head and laughed. ¡°Ah, of course. You¡¯re the reason Yveda¡¯s pet Spell Drinker is missing. Better to die under my blade, I assure you. You¡¯d not want that one to get his hands on you.¡±


    Another five seconds and she could swing again. Damn the Lumbering on this Blade. He couldn¡¯t have more than a handful of cards left in his Mind Home; even without her Mortal Strike she¡¯d still kill him. Just a few more seconds.


    Her heart sped as Targu¡¯Thal reached out a hand and the massive axe flew into it.


    ¡°I have given you respect for your courage and your cleverness, little bird,¡± he said. ¡°Now I will grant you even more by letting you taste the edge of a worldbreaker. You join elite company today.¡± He gave her a bow as he stood beside her in the water, his eyes tender. ¡°Fly free, little bird.¡±


    The Bone Blade began to lighten in her hand, and she was suddenly able to get to her feet. ¡°Wait,¡± she said.


    He did not.


    ***


    Hestorus felt a twitch of pain as he watched his daughter get split lengthwise down the center. It had been decades since he¡¯d felt even that much, and for a long moment he considered flying down from where he now floated, high enough to see the curve of the planet, to rip Targu¡¯Thal into pieces so small they could have floated on the wind. How dare he kill her? She¡¯d had so much potential. He¡¯d really thought she might have been the first to join him at Legendary.


    The pang passed, and he tried very hard not to miss it. She¡¯d been his favorite; he hadn¡¯t lied. But sentiment came second to great purpose, and no purpose could be greater than his. Perhaps he would have the opportunity to crush the Orc at some point, but he¡¯d only take it if the conditions were right and he knew it would advance the cause. He couldn¡¯t allow himself to be dragged back into the small, petty comforts of things like revenge or love, no matter how much he missed the sweet glandular rush of such things.


    Targu¡¯Thal was harvesting Juriss¡¯s cards. Hestorus turned his eyes toward the city ¨C his city ¨C sensing the flickering candle lights of the human souls within. They understood so little, rushing about to defend themselves, fearing their own end. Could they not see that a thousand deaths was worth a single elevation in the greater scheme of things? He¡¯d had to work so hard behind the scenes to coax the Orcs into their uneasy alliance with the Undead and the demons, to convince them to lay siege to the city without anyone knowing he was pulling the strings. A crucible only purified precious metals if it got hot enough, and if humanity was ever to be more than a momentary blip on the grand stage of existence, they would need a very hot fire indeed. They¡¯d come late to the game, and other players were far ahead of them.


    He took one final look at a small cluster of souls huddled in the forest not all that far from where Juriss¡¯s last moments had passed. Perhaps Hull would be the one. Unlikely, but perhaps. If not him, then another. He did not look back toward Juriss¡¯s body. The purifying fire had to burn away the dross, no matter the cost. He would not mourn anyone who could not advance the plan.


    He had plenty of children, and no more room for favorites.

 B2: 49. Basil - Brothers

    Riding on the back of Gale¡¯s Mythic Griffin as it shot through the sky was like nothing I had experienced before. Even sitting behind my brother, the wind tore at my face and clothing, like it wished to fling me from the saddle. The constant buffeting was gut-wrenchingly terrifying but also invigorating, my Air Source practically singing in response through my veins.


    And that said nothing of the view. High up as we were, we were neighbors to the clouds, the soft blue of the sky our companion instead of the dense foliage we had been traipsing through for the past week. Without such obstructions, I could see the world stretched out before me, even more fully than my time spent atop Pirtash Peak, and the canvas of the land was absolutely breathtaking. To the south of Treledyne was the glistening sea, to the west, the mountains where Darlish rested like a jewel, to the northeast, squinting, I swore the green I saw was the edge of A¡¯dinn¡¯uon, the home of the elves.


    And to the north of Treledyne, just outside its walls, sat the sprawling mass of the host that had come to kill us all. At this distance, the green of the orcs looked like an extension of the forest where my campionions hid, while the undead resembled a dark stain on the land, and the varied colors of the demons seemed to never be still, shifting, writhing. The collection of invaders was much larger than the city, and seeing with stark clarity the truth of that fact instantly extinguished any joy I was feeling. To think there were even more before all the killing we have done.


    Halifax let out a cry as he banked sharply to the left, my stomach lurching.


    ¡°Yes, Hal, I hear you,¡± Gale calmly replied, patting the griffon on his feathered neck.


    I let out a burp; my body had been doing that of late, as if it couldn¡¯t decide whether the air I was breathing should stay out or in. ¡°Do you really understand him?¡±


    ¡°Hal certainly understands me, and as far as I can tell, he¡¯s taken it upon himself to teach me griffon. Most talkative bird I ever met,¡± Gale added with a wry grin over his shoulder. Halifax let out a growl that sounded much more feline than avian, to which my brother only laughed in reply. ¡°That¡¯s the one he says the most. You¡¯d think something this smart would also have a sense of humor. Don¡¯t worry, Hal, you¡¯ll learn.¡±


    Gale was in good cheer now, but when I had first requested to join him on this scouting run, he had been anything but. Atrea¡¯s Precision Aura had been what convinced him, and I had to admit, seeing her flying alongside us, blue-tinged eyes vigilant, made me feel more at ease as well. I watched her wings beat once, twice, tracing the edge of the feathered limb to her silver armor, which had a new pattern to it. I had given her my Scalemail Relic, the two Armors melding together creating something stronger.


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    For my part, I wore my usual Soulforged Helm, which helped shield my face some from the wind but also forced more of it into my eyes, causing them to water constantly.


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    Gale wore his Vest that blurred his form, making him rather dizzying to look at, along with a sword strapped to both hips and his thrown weapon across his back in easy reach.


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    The real reason I was with him wasn¡¯t to see any grand view but because I had realized that Esmi and Hull weren¡¯t the only people on this mission who I wanted to protect. To help accomplish that, I had offered to have more of my Flyers summoned, but Gale had declined, saying he wished to keep our party small so that it was harder for the enemy to spot.


    ¡°Do you believe we¡¯ll last long enough?¡± I asked. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant question, but these were far from pleasant times.


    Gale was quiet, banking the griffon east by shifting his knees, toward the direction our returning army should be coming in. Try as I might, I could see no signs of movement in the distance. And yet, if previous reports were to be believed, they should arrive in just three more days. Under different circumstances, three days would have been no time at all, here and gone with only passing notice. The way we were living now though¡­ each day involved some sort of raid or another, and while we hadn¡¯t lost anyone else since Ky¡¯reen, there had been many close calls prevented only because of the Healing powers of the elves.


    Gale shifted again and the griffon responded, swinging us back around. ¡°There can be no doubt that we¡¯ve hamstrung the orcs¡¯ siege capabilities,¡± he said, ¡°and made it to where they cannot focus solely on Treledyne, all of which weakens the enemy force.¡±


    My brother was looking ahead of us where the war was happening in truth, all along Treledyne¡¯s northern wall. Though the people and structures were tiny, I could see that the orcs had the barest few siege engines compared to their allies. From this height, making out specific defenders was impossible, but I knew Edaine would be there, along with all the noble families including our parents ¨C Twelve protect them ¨C and most importantly the king. Surely the reason why our walls had yet to be breached by such an overwhelming number of foes was because he was holding them at bay.


    ¡°Will that be enough?¡± Gale continued, ¡°only the Twins can ¨C¡±


    Our momentum forward came to a sudden, lurching halt, knocking me forcibly into my brother¡¯s back as he cut off. Halifax screeched in rage, but that sound was in no way as worrisome as the voice I heard.


    ¡°Found you,¡± it said, not once, but over and over like an echo in a cave, drifting away.


    My eyes behind my mask widened as I looked down to see a demon holding onto Halifax¡¯s back leg. The creature was man-shaped, purple of skin and had twin horns sprouting from its bald head. It stood on the shoulders of another similar looking demon below it, and that one did the same to a demon below it, and so on, on and on, in an impossible, swaying ladder that looked to stretch all the way to the ground.


    Halifax twisted, rending the demon that was holding it in half. But the demon only smiled, and I watched in horror as an arm sprouted from its head, using one of the long horns to pull itself up. In less than a heartbeat, the arm was joined by a new set of horns, pushing out of the purple skin, along with another head, arm, and body, birthing an entirely new demon, identical to the first, which latched onto Halifax. Gale slashed at it, cutting through the black leathers it wore, but it wasn¡¯t until his second slash of Flurry struck that it died. Two more demons birthed from his one, clamoring up the griffon¡¯s back, digging into the beast''s furred flank with their taloned nails.


    Atrea shot across, skewering one with her blade and knocking it into the air where it tumbled downward without a single cry of distress. The one still on Halifax¡¯s back was now two, and I readied a Protection Spell, hoping to use it when as many attacked at once. If I could just give Atrea, who was arcing back around, enough time to dislodge the rest¡­


    A sharp cry of fury and pain snapped my head around, and I saw that the demon ladder had regrown its top, catching hold of Halifax¡¯s front. The griffon was slicing through the demons with his great claws but with each that fell more appeared, scrambling over the griffon¡¯s front end, tipping us forward as the mount beat its wings frantically, trying to keep us airborne.


    At this rate, we¡¯d be overrun in moments.


    ¡°Gale ¨C¡±


    My brother twisted in his seat and grabbed me by the shirtfront. Then, he wrenched me sideways, my feet slipping out of the stirrups. ¡°Use one of your Bodyguards!¡± he shouted, right before letting go.


    I dropped like a stone, plummeting straight down at terrifying speed. Worse, my free fall put me directly beside the stacked demons who eyed me hungrily, grabbing at me as I shot past ¨C one spawned a new demon from its forearm to leap at me, which barely missed.


    Then Atrea was at my side, her wings tucked against her body like a diving hawk.


    ¡°Take my hand!¡± she cried, and I reached out. Our fingers missed, making my already strained heart flutter, but then we grasped onto one another, and I held fast. Opening one wing partially, Atrea angled our fall away from the demons, and when that distance was great enough, she spread her wings wide. I was too heavy for her to carry and instantly fell below her, dragging her down, but her wings seemed to slow our descent some.


    Even so, the ground was fast approaching. Atrea had wisely put us over the forest instead of the battlefield, but that meant I might hit multiple tree limbs before the ground. Would I even survive this? Would Gale? I glanced up, following the line of swaying demon bodies to find a clump of them so dense I couldn¡¯t even see my brother


    ¡°Basil!¡± Atrea said. ¡°Will your Helmet save you?¡±


    She sounded worried, and a look down showed why: I was only a handful of seconds away from impacting the top of the forest canopy. My Helm would protect me from attacks, but I wasn¡¯t sure if careening into the earth would count as that, so, like my brother suggested, I summoned one of my Master Shieldbearers.


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    I grabbed onto the Soul¡¯s red cloak as soon as it formed. ¡°I am sorry to do this to you!¡± I shouted, only imagining what it might think to be summoned in such a circumstance, ¡°but I need you to protect me!¡±


    The heavily armored Rare, craned its neck up to see me, and then managed to get its shields underneath itself, resting both knees upon them. ¡°It will be as you say!¡±


    Fwip, fwip, fwip was the sound of the leaves as they rustled past my ear, followed by the ping and thud of branches of various sizes colliding with my Bodyguard¡¯s shields. I caught sight of a huge limb ahead of us and in a panic cast the Protection I¡¯d previously had at the ready. A large shield appeared, ricocheting us off of it at an unfortunate angle the rest of the way to the ground. Right before impact, the Shieldbearer grabbed onto me, spinning us in the air so it was his back that struck the earth before I did. Card shards exploded around me like confetti, and I rolled through them, across the bumpy earth and right into a bush, which I fetched up against awkwardly, sharp branches poking me through my clothes.


    My head spun, and my legs were shaky as I tottered upright ¨C I even had a few leaves to spit out of my mouth ¨C but all in all, miraculously, I was unharmed at the cost of only two cards. I looked to the spot of impact, silently thanking the Bodyguard who had saved me.


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    A rustling from above yanked my eyes up.


    ¡°Thank the Twins,¡± I said in relief. It was only Atrea drifting down through a section of the trees that were sparser than the rest.  ¡°Go scout for me, please,¡± I asked before she landed. ¡°Both for my brother and to see where we might be.¡±


    She nodded, one snap of her wings enough to propel her back up through the canopy opening she had used.


    With her gone, I looked around, but the collage of plantlife did nothing to help me. Unlike Qi¡¯shen or the other elves, I had learned in my first hour in this wood that I had no talent for forestcraft, one section looking identical to the next to me, just like that demon who had attacked us.


    My hands tightened on my cards. I needed to be prepared for him should we meet again. How though? I had looked directly at him and seen no card, which meant he was a Summoner ¨C one with an incredibly powerful Soul Ability, like that Spell Drinker demon the others had faced. However, therein lied the trouble. What removal cards I had were designed for eliminating Souls, not Summoners and definitely not hordes of them. Equality, Penitence, and Execution would all be useless, and the same for Defensive Kata considering the numbers the demon had attacked us in. My Souls were no better: Assassins were meant for taking out single targets, the Werespiders Web didn¡¯t work on Summoners, and dying Summoners wouldn¡¯t trigger my Carrion Condors Ability. What I would give for Hull¡¯s new Wildfire Spell!


    I began pacing as I thought, summoning a second Bodyguard and Healing myself for 2 to recover the Bodyguard and Protection I had used. Those were among the only types of cards I had that would work for me, along with perhaps some of my Life Enhancement Spells. Be better prepared, Griff had told me, so I went ahead and cast Fluid Grace on myself.


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    I usually preferred putting Dodge on my Bodyguard, but with how many demons there were, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. On me though, perhaps it would provide a momentary surprise. The Feral Strengths I held back for similar reasons: 1 or 2 extra health or attack at the right moment might swing things our way.


    ¡®Our¡¯ assuming my brother had survived. The last glance I had gotten of him had been far from promising, and Atrea had yet to return. I had been so caught up in my calculations, I hadn¡¯t yet considered what it might mean if he was dead. A cold numbness spread throughout me at that thought. It was much deeper than my previous concern for Hull because the possibility of it seemed so much more real.


    He could be gone, well and truly gone if where his body had fallen was never recovered, or worse yet, if the demon got his Soul Card. I had already almost lost him once to Hull¡¯s mother and Gale¡¯s foolish behavior, but this time he had just been trying to scout the enemy¡¯s position, to do his job. I had forced him to bring me along so I could protect him, and instead, he had tried to save me.


    I realized I was shaking and looking down I saw I was holding the newest of my cards, one that actually could harm a Summoner.


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    It would be ineffective against a horde, but if I could find the original, I might actually be able to avenge Gale.


    There was a rustle again, snapping my head up and over. Once again Atrea drifted downward, and I searched her face for some sign as to the type of news she brought with her. My inspection was unnecessary though because in her wake came my brother, hanging from the claws of his favorite Hunting Hawk, his weight no doubt reduced.


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    Unlike when I had seen Hull safe, I resisted the urge to hug him; our family had always been rather reserved with each other.


    ¡°Are you harmed?¡± I asked him instead.


    Gale shook his head when he alighted beside me. ¡°Poor Hal took all the damage.¡±


    I nodded in relief, but still used my Source to Heal him, so he could recover the Mythic Mount.


    ¡°You make poor prey. Too easy to surround.¡± The voice had the same echoing quality as before, and with a jerk of surprise, Gale and I discovered that the demon was indeed all around: the creature stepped out from behind trees and bushes, one after the other, as if the plants were doorways leading to waiting armies of the duplicates. In no time, we were encircled by a full ring or horn-headed creatures, more sprouting into being behind them, deepening their ranks as I watched.


    Since the demon could speak, I thought it might explain why it was hunting us, but instead it charged, brandishing nails that had been strong enough to destroy a Mythic. As it ran toward us it let out a warcry that, when coming from so many throats, was near deafening. I felt like I was in the center of a concert, with drums and horns all around me.


    Gale reacted to the onslaught faster than I ever could, sending his Epic Relic rebounding through their midst.


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    The weapon tore into the creatures, cutting through the dark leather armor they wore and into their flesh, blood flowing freely. The moment the Whirling Edge returned to his hand, Gale let it loose again, paying his Source to do so. Four times he had to do this until the wave of demons charging at us finally collapsed, leaving what had to be a hundred fallen bodies.


    Laughter issued from the hundreds more who were behind those who had been reaped. ¡°Foolish,¡± they said. ¡°You merely die a few breaths later.¡± Rushing over the dead duplicates, the new ones seemed to have no trouble finding their footing.


    ¡°I hate it when they''re right,¡± Gale said. His chronic fatigue had caught up to him, and he looked as pale and bereft of energy as his devoted source.


    ¡°Here!¡± I said, using the same tactic I had with Hull in training.


    Gale wasn''t ready for it, so he missed the first of the source power I sent at him, but he must have recognized the feel of Air better because that he caught hold of, using it and what source of his that was still ready to send his Whirling Edge out again, cutting down another swathe of charging demons.


    ¡°Sickening,¡± the horned creatures outside the growing circle of corpses said. ¡°Letting another touch your source. Is each extra moment of this life so sweet that you must cling to it so desperately?¡±


    ¡°Annoying you makes it sweet enough,¡± I responded, to which my brother raised an approving eyebrow.


    The demons narrowed their eyes, an eerie display with so many acting in unison. ¡°Your source may not tire, but you will. I must simply wait.¡±


    "He has us there," Gale said to me under his breath. So many of my brother''s cards were like mine: Shockwave and Invisible Barrier didn¡¯t work against Summoners, and even buffing his swords wouldn¡¯t help against so many demons.


    ¡°If both of us die,¡± Gale mused, ¡°Randel will finally have to stop making those terrible sculptures of his to carry on the family tradition. There¡¯s a certain pleasure to knowing that at least.¡±


    I looked at my brother in shock. ¡°You¡¯re giving up? But you¡¯re Epic,¡± I whispered, ¡°and you bested a mighty demon to become so.¡±


    ¡°A demon, Basil. I can tell when I¡¯m outmatched. That,¡± Gale said, raising his voice, ¡°is one of the army generals. What he¡¯s doing wasting his time out here is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Someone killed my Spell Drinker,¡± the demons¡¯ said, barring their teeth. ¡°Until I find its card, I will split open the heads of every Summoner I find.¡±


    ¡°Lucky us,¡± Gale said with a drawl, while I stiffened.


    The reaction was a mistake, earning me the attention of all the demons. ¡°You know something. Tell me.¡±


    I swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I shall.¡± I didn¡¯t know anything about the mystery girl that Hull had described, but she had fought against the demons, which made her an ally of sorts. An army general??


    The horned creatures considered me, and then smiled a sharp-toothed smile. ¡°You will. You will.¡± How one living thing could look at another so hatefully was beyond me, but the demon did, and I believed it.


    General or not, I focused on my Master Shieldbearer within arm¡¯s reach and Atrea hovering nearby, waiting for my command. As powerful as it was, there had to be some way around the demon¡¯s ability. Was that not the very training we had done with Edaine?


    Overcoming a disadvantage started with information. What did I know? The demon was a Summoner who could make as many copies of itself as it desired, or so it seemed, each taking only a few seconds to appear. It wore leather armor, but I didn¡¯t spot source around any of the horned heads, nor did I see any cards. In some ways that made sense, because if only one of them had such things that would clearly be the original, which would be a grave weakness. The demon had no weapons, just long, dark nails on each purple finger, so it must be strong enough inherently to do at least 1 damage since it had hurt Halifax. What else? What else?


    The demons watched us, more demons gradually appeared behind them; Gale, despite having said such things to me, kept his hand by his deck, clearly ready to throw his Whirling Edge again should the creatures charge.


    ¡°I¡¯ll summon Halifax,¡± my brother surprised me by saying. ¡°You hop on and get away while I keep them busy.¡±


    ¡°As soon as you die, so will Halifax. I wouldn¡¯t get far enough.¡± Gale cursed, but I kept staring at the demon¡¯s body and the black leather armor he wore. No matter which one I looked at, that was all: no weapons, no jewelry, nothing else besides the straps of dyed hide.


    Summoning Halifax would likely be a necessity, but the Mythic cost a total of 6 source, 2 of which were Air, which would stop him from being able to throw the Whirling Death enough times to kill the demons. If we used my source to assist with his first set of throws, that would leave a gap in our defenses, time the demons could use to reach us, tearing us to shreds before Gale could throw again.


    We needed a card that could combat the demon besides Whirling Death, and I think I knew what it might be.


    ¡°Dismiss your Vestments,¡± I told my brother.


    ¡°What, why?¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± I said, looking at him emphatically and not wanting to say more when the demon might hear.


    He stared at me a moment and then did so, the shimmering armor vanishing, revealing his regular traveling clothes underneath. The demons said nothing in response, continuing to watch us and grow in number. How many could be out there now? Hundreds? Thousands? If the Whirling Edge didn¡¯t hit every summoner in range, we would have been overrun long before.


    ¡°I must admit, I¡¯m feeling rather vulnerable now,¡± Gale said after a time, sounding rather peevish.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have saved you,¡± I answered bluntly. I was trying to keep conversation about the Relic to a minimum, because one thing I had deduced was that these copies had no gamemaster glasses or an equivalent, at least not that I could see. After all, if the Summoner¡¯s Soul Ability allowed it to also make copies of any artifacts it had, wouldn¡¯t all of them be armed with some sort of magical item? Of course, it was possible that the demon had an Ability like mine, but the Twins giving such a combat focused creature that type of gift seemed unlikely to me. Gale had said that he hadn¡¯t taken any damage from the demon, which meant the enemy still didn¡¯t know what Gale¡¯s Relic did. If we could leverage that fact at just the right time¡­


    ¡°And this will?¡± my brother whispered, sounding doubtful.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I allowed. ¡°Let me know when it¡¯s back.¡±


    We lapsed into silence, the two of us and three summoned Souls surrounded by dead demons that were only now beginning to dissolve, their decomposition one of the worst smelling things I had ever before encountered, like burnt hair trapped in an outhouse.


    When the plethora of bodies were nothing more than an indigo soup on the ground, I saw Gale draw a card. ¡°I have it,¡± he said out of the side of his mouth to me.


    ¡°After summoning Halifax, save enough of your Source to use it,¡± I told him, and as soon as I saw him nod, I hissed, ¡°Call the griffon.¡±


    Gale did so, the great beast forming in front of us.


    <u></u>


    No sooner had it appeared than the demons came, splashing through what remained of their previous selves. Whether they guessed my plan or simply didn¡¯t want to give us the opportunity to use any new resources was unclear, but whatever the reason, they¡¯d be on us if we didn¡¯t act. Halifax had fully refreshed two of Gale¡¯s devoted source, and seeing the oncoming demons, he used that to throw his Whirling Death the first time. I sent extra source his way, scrambling onto the griffon¡¯s back, and pulled my Master Shieldbearer with me, sitting him in front. Gale used my source to finish off the current group of demons but more where coming on their heels, and we didn¡¯t have enough Air left for another full round of four throws.


    ¡°Get on!¡± I shouted at Gale. He spun around, hesitating as he looked at his Hunting Hawk, but then, blessedly, he trusted me, and leapt through the air, light as a feather, landing in the slim space in front of the Bodyguard.


    ¡°Hup!¡± he cried, kicking his legs against Halifax¡¯s flanks, and the griffon launched from the ground. Not, however, before a number of horned demons reached us, some who I hadn¡¯t even noticed leaping down out of the trees.


    ¡°Put the Vestments on the Bodyguard!¡± I said, frantically fearful it would be too late, ¡°and any damage Halifax suffers onto you!¡±


    As always when he chose to act, my brother was fast, his hands moving almost in a blur, a card vanishing from his fingers.


    A shimmer surrounded the Master Shieldbearer, his thick armor and shields now bending the light.


    ¡°Protect my brother!¡± I commanded it.


    My body was knocked sideways by an attacking demon, but with a thought, I let my Helm shatter, taking all that damage. Another demon leapt at me, but with Fluid Grace, I twisted in the saddle, and it sailed past me. Two more struck in concert, but a Protection from hand was enough to hold them back. Atrea stopped another, taking a point of damage past her 2 Armor but gutting it.


    And what we faced was barely anything at all.


    Halifax took the brunt of the grounded assault, but each of those attacks was redirected by Fate¡¯s hand toward my brother. And each that reached for him was slapped aside by my Shieldbearer, just like when I had used one to protect Hull in the Lows. Better now though was the effect of Gale¡¯s Relic that it wore. With the Vestment, every demon who came in contact with the Bodyguard was forced to devote, slumping where it stood.


    <u></u>


    In the end, my Shieldbearer exploded in shards, taking how much damage I didn¡¯t know, but he also left behind a pile of slumped demons all around, the exhausted bodies serving as an impediment to those still wishing to reach us.


    ¡°You will not escape me,¡± the prone demons hissed, but Halifax let out a great cry, drowning out their voices. This time the weight that had stripped the griffon of his Flight a moment ago was nothing more than Devoted bodies who fell away when he launched himself upward. We were ten feet into the air in an eyeblink, the Mythic breaking through the trees to reach the sky. More demons leapt for us, but Gale¡¯s Hunting Hawk stopped one, Atrea another, and Gale¡¯s flashing blade plus his Flurry finished off another.


    Halifax shot through the upper canopy, sending leaves spraying like card shards.


    ¡°Well played, brother!¡± Gale said with a laugh that made my heart light. ¡°Well played indeed!¡± Then he angled us east, urging the griffon to greater speed. I could only imagine we were heading back to camp, which was exactly where I wished to be. With a terror like that demon on the loose, we would need to come up with a strategy to defeat it. More cards would make the challenge easier, but even with our resources pooled, our group possessed few cards that affected summoners. Such was the direction of my thoughts when I heard Gale say, ¡°That bastard.¡±


    Confused, I looked down on our elven Watch Platform, which I had started to think of as yet another home away from home, only to find it crawling with purple demons, like ants on an apple rind.

 B2: 50. Hull - Brothers

    We were in deep shit, and I knew it. I ignored the fact and swung my Vampiric Blade through another one of the damned, grinning demons. A single extra point of Nether damage was enough to kill it, but it didn¡¯t sparkle into nothing like Souls did; instead, purple sludge mucked up our treetop platforms, making the fighting that much harder. Another one climbed on my back and raked its claws against my Iron Maiden Plate. It held up, not letting any damage through, but I had to dance away from two others to keep their talons off me ¨C combat damage stacked per turn even in unstructured melee fighting like this, and if I took another hit any time in the next five seconds or so, it¡¯d go straight through.


    My clawed brass knuckles took another one in the face, and once it was down I pounded it again, leaving its head a misshapen mess. I¡¯d gotten used to some ugly mugs during my months as a Nether Summoner, but I was getting tired of this one after having it in my face despite breaking it so many times in the last few minutes. I swung from left to right, trying to dislodge the one on my back without sending myself over the edge of the platform. ¡°A little help?¡±


    Afi sent her N¨¹wani toward me, its blade flickering through the thing¡¯s neck. It slumped away, tumbling off the wooden planks and plunging to the forest floor some fifty feet below. A quick glance showed that ground to be teeming with movement like an anthill. There were dozens more of the endless demon thing down there. Hundreds, maybe.


    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± I bellowed, swinging my Blade through another one as soon as the Relic would let me. ¡°There¡¯s not enough room to summon up here.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Gared said cooly, taking the head off an opponent with his massive sword. ¡°Most of us are doing fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass!¡± Anya snapped at him from her platform some ten feet to our right. ¡°We need to go.¡± The rope bridges connecting the summoned elf Relics had all given way under the weight of so many demons, and she, E¡¯lal, and Paytr were stranded on theirs, as were A¡¯cia and Esmi on the third ¨C three overwhelmed islands of wood facing each other from adjacent trees but too far apart to reach without a Jump Spell or some ability like Gale¡¯s. Where is that son of a bitch, anyway? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be our captain?


    A fierce, roaring cry overhead louder than the aura-muted chaos around me drew my eye, and there he was as if drawn by my thought. The sun was behind the circling griffon, so I couldn¡¯t see if Basil was still on its back, but I waved it away frantically. Go get help, I thought at them. I¡¯d have yelled it if I¡¯d had any hope of them hearing, but all these demons were hooting, cackling, and shrieking as we mowed them down. Somehow there were even more than when we started.


    ¡°Everyone gather in the middle,¡± Qi¡¯shen cried.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the middle,¡± Afi said, her voice just this side of hysterical.


    ¡°You will have to jump,¡± the elder elf said. ¡°Remember that you have seen my soul, and trust me.¡±


    ¡°Hold on just a second,¡± I said as soon as I understood what he meant. ¡°I¡¯ll gain us some space.¡± I looked at my hand of cards floating in front of me, extremely glad I¡¯d added a few of the dead Spell Drinker¡¯s cards to my deck. ¡°Brace yourselves. This¡¯ll hurt a little, but it¡¯ll be worth it.¡± I devoted 3 Nether and popped off two Spells in rapid succession.


    Everyone shed a few cards out of hand, but no one grumbled about it ¨C expanding twin rings of fire left demon sludge raining from the canopy on all sides and gave us a moment to breathe. Qi¡¯shen and several of the others gave me nods of grateful approval. The mass of demons beyond the range of the Spells immediately started swarming up the trees again.


    Gared didn¡¯t give me so much as a glance. ¡°They¡¯ll be on us again in moments. On the count of three, people, gather your courage and jump. One¡­ two¡­ three!¡± He flung himself off the platform into the middle of the empty triangle of air separating the three matching Relics.


    ¡°Shit shit shit,¡± was all I had time for, and then I threw myself after him. I didn¡¯t trust that asshole as far as I could spit, but this time I knew he had the right idea. The ground was coming up fast, and I screwed my eyes shut, hoping everyone was close enough for this to work. I imagined Qi¡¯shen¡¯s soul card and prayed for Fortune to favor us.


    I felt a wrenching in the pit of my stomach, and suddenly I was standing on the ground, perfectly upright and stock still. The change was so sudden my vision went black and my mind convulsed as if I¡¯d taken a brick to the head. I groaned and swayed. Someone nearby threw up noisily. It could have been any of us. It was several seconds before I was sure it hadn¡¯t been me.


    ¡°Pointless,¡± came an echoing voice, detached and amused. ¡°So much effort just to gain a few extra breaths.¡±


    Shaking my head and willing my vision to clear, I cast my eyes around to see who had spoken, and my heart dropped into my stomach like a rock. We were standing in the forest some unknown distance from where we¡¯d been, but there were copies of that Twins-damned demon on all sides ranging through the widely-spaced tree trunks. They were clumped together thickly off to my left, but I could see at least a few in any direction I looked, and they were quickly converging on us.


    Qi¡¯shen was slumped on the ground, breathing hard. ¡°Hold them off for a minute and I can jump us again,¡± he panted.


    We jumped to it as the demons closed in, forming a rough circle as we summoned, swung our weapons, and otherwise tried to keep ourselves alive. Gerad was on my left, and I kept half an eyeball on him even as I fought, worried that he might take the chance to turn on me. A scan of the faces left me cold ¨C the young paladin Wenden wasn¡¯t with us. He must have been too far away from Qi¡¯shen for the elf¡¯s ability to grab him when we all jumped. I thought of the poor kid plummeting to the forest floor after watching us disappear. If the fall hadn¡¯t killed him, the demons on the ground certainly had. Worry about the dead later. I heard the others yelling to each other as they cast Spells and summoned right over the top of each other, everyone making sure the others knew what they were doing. Gerad, that son of a bitch, said nothing and did his own thing.


    I felt my used cards flowing back into my Mind Home with each swing of my Blade, and I spared a glance for my hand. I hadn¡¯t had the free source to summon my Talisman yet, and had it not been for the single Ravening Hatchling I had in hand I¡¯d have been taking a point of damage from my Iron Maiden Plate every twenty seconds or so. I had my third Wildfire in hand, but there was no point in using it until I re-drew one of the ones I¡¯d just used. As soon as my source let me, I brought out a couple of my big Souls to add to the mayhem.


    Any second now Qi¡¯shen would yank us away, hopefully far enough this time that we¡¯d get beyond the range of the furthestmost copies of this insane demon. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Qi¡¯shen staggering to his feet.


    ¡°Ah, ah, don¡¯t go!¡± the demons said in unison, their voices echoing quietly together as one. ¡°You have yet to pay for the insult you gave me.¡±


    Anya squawked as no less than ten of the demons piled into her at once. They weren¡¯t attacking her; they just climbed right over the top of her, no less than half of them dying at the hands of her summoned Paladin Souls and her own Relic Hammer. They didn¡¯t care; they were just trying to breach the circle¡­ and they did, snatching at Qi¡¯shen¡¯s arm and hauling him out into the waiting, seething sea of identical demons. The elder elf growled a curse in his native language and cast some Spell I couldn¡¯t see ¨C there¡¯d been no time to put on my glass eyepatch ¨C which vaporized three of the copies at once. It didn¡¯t help. More of the damned things were trampling over Anya, and no less than a dozen taloned hands pulled Qi¡¯shen out of our reach before I could get to him.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°No!¡± the elf roared in quiet rage, his aura leaving it all eerily soft. The demons swarmed him like ants no more than ten feet from our circle, a tangle of writhing limbs and flashing talons hiding him entirely from my sight. I cursed and swung my Nether-enforced brass knuckle claws at the copy in front of me, trying to edge us toward Qi¡¯shen, our only escape.


    Right at that moment wind buffeted us and Basil dropped to the ground in the center of the circle, one of his Master Shieldbearers at his side to absorb the damage of his short fall. Halifax swooped overhead, his cries still furious despite the quiet as the griffon took a demon¡¯s head in his talons and twisted it right off the shoulders.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go for help?¡± I grunted over my shoulder at Basil.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave you all to die!¡± he shrilled, sounding terrified.


    I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him he¡¯d likely just sealed his own fate alongside us. It was an endless number of this infernal demon on all sides of us now.


    I was suddenly assaulted by noise ¨C the cries of the fighting demons, the shouts of the others, and the shrieks of Halifax over it all. My guts clenched as I realized what that meant.


    They¡¯d killed Qi¡¯shen. None of us were leaving here alive.


    ¡°Have you got an Equality in hand?¡± I shouted to Basil.


    ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± he said, his winged knight swooping down to engage with the demons. ¡°These aren¡¯t summons ¨C they¡¯re all the same creature. It¡¯s some kind of soul ability.¡±


    ¡°We have to find the original,¡± Esmi called from the far side of the circle.


    Gerad grunted at my side, his head jerking over to her for just a moment before focusing back on his deadly work. Half a moment later he stepped back. ¡°Take over for me,¡± he said to me.


    I jumped into the gap he left behind with my claws extended, scoring a demon across the face and making it jump back. ¡°What do you mean, take over?¡± I howled. ¡°If we don¡¯t all fight, we¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°If one of us doesn¡¯t start thinking, we¡¯re all dead,¡± he snapped back. He was digging in a deep pocket frantically. I couldn¡¯t look away to see what he was doing without getting overrun by demons.


    Basil sucked in a surprised breath. ¡°The foe finder!¡±


    My mind scrambled to make the words make sense, and after a long moment it came to me: he¡¯d pulled out the Artifact our father had forced on him back when we¡¯d started War Camp, the one that let him see enemy Summoners.


    ¡°Did he know?¡± I heard him mutter. ¡°Father, are you watching?¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± I called to him.


    ¡°A thousand feet, that way,¡± he said, sounding angry.


    I couldn¡¯t see where he was pointing. ¡°How do we get there?¡±


    Basil shouted louder than I¡¯d ever heard him do before. ¡°Gale! Have Halifax pick up the Prince and fly in the direction he¡¯s pointed!¡±


    My other Wildfire pulled back into my hand. ¡°Me too!¡± I screamed. I had an idea, but it would only work once. I could feel Gared glaring at my back, but I didn¡¯t care. If I could have saved everyone else and let him die, I¡¯d have done it, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers.


    I heard an indistinct yell from Gale, and then Halifax shrieked directly overhead. Wind washed down around me, and demons scrambled back on all sides as his beak snapped savagely at the air where heads had been only a moment before. I felt a deep pressure on my Plate right over my shoulders, and then I was lifted bodily into the air. I looked over and saw Gerad dangling right beside me, looking every inch the angry, vengeful Prince of Treledyne. He had the round Artifact in his hand and kept checking it.


    ¡°Go!¡± he bellowed. ¡°Straight ahead!¡±


    We skimmed over the top of the demon horde, taloned hands reaching up to snatch our feet, falling short by mere inches.


    ¡°Tell us when,¡± I heard Gale say from above.


    ¡°Angle left a little,¡± Gerad yelled back up, checking his Artifact. ¡°That¡¯s right. Drop us on my mark.¡± Then he fixed me with a dagger stare. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck it up.¡±


    ¡°Back at you,¡± I grunted.


    He gave one last look at his foe-finder. ¡°Now!¡±


    There was another sickening lurch as I fell. That¡¯s twice today. I really hate this shit.


    As I fell, I devoted 3 Nether once again and let fly the same double-Spell combo I had before.


    I crashed to the ground, shedding cards from the Spell and maybe from the fall. I went flat on my back and my heels went up in the air. Demon sludge got in my mouth and nose, and I retched, rolling over as quick as I could. Gerad was already on his feet, damn him, pelting with all his might toward the sole remaining body.


    The original demon looked shocked as the Prince closed in on him, and in a sudden flash of insight, I knew this bastard was used to walking around in a huge crowd of body doubles, invisible in plain sight. He had no source circling him or cards in hand. That seemed like rank idiocy at first, but as I scrambled up, I realized it was a fantastic strategy. Using only his soul ability he could make an army of thousands ¨C maybe tens of thousands ¨C and without any visible marker to set him apart, he could fade into the background no matter what happened with no one the wiser. Except, of course, if your enemy had access to a foe-finder and a big damned bird to drop him at your feet.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the demon shrieked. More copies were already budding off him, and I knew if we didn¡¯t finish him soon, he¡¯d simply disappear into a crowd again within a handful of seconds. Gerad ignored his plea and brought All-for-One down on his head, sending cards shredding in all directions. Four more copies were already scrambling to get in between them, and even the copies were making copies. Five more seconds and we¡¯d lose him.


    Keeping my eye firmly fixed on the original, I scooped up a handful of purple demon sludge the consistency of thick mud and hurled it at him. It splatted right across a sharp cheekbone, and he cried out as if he¡¯d been struck again. Yeah, this one¡¯s a spider. He¡¯s used to sitting back and letting his doubles do the dirty work. He hasn¡¯t been exposed like this in a long time.


    The demon dove into the group of the copies, and they twisted around each other in an eye-bending pattern meant to confuse and dizzy us.


    ¡°There!¡± I snapped, pointing. At the rear of the group I saw one with a smear of vivid purple on his face.


    ¡°Got him,¡± Gared grated, summoning a Soul.


    I was far enough back that I couldn¡¯t come to grips immediately, so I dug out my eyepatch, holding it to my eye to see what he¡¯d done.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Legendary? He¡¯s a glass cannon,¡± I grumbled. ¡°He¡¯ll die at the first hit.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to,¡± Gared said with grim satisfaction. ¡°Didn¡¯t read all the text, did you?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t about to admit he was right. Hilbrand leapt into action, shearing through the first copy effortlessly, but the second in line plunged its claws into his belly, and he shattered into shards immediately.


    ¡°Idiot,¡± I sighed. I had my other Marauder in hand; it was time to summon as big a force as I could before we were overwhelmed and the slippery bugger got away.


    ¡°One of us is,¡± Gerad said, standing back and folding his arms with a smug, satisfied air. ¡°Give it a moment and even you¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Hilbrand¡¯s sparkling motes coalesced in the air instead of dissipating, zipping toward the rear of the rapidly-multiplying host. Once there, it turned back into a card and circled overhead like a Source.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Gerad grinned nastily. ¡°Enjoy the gift.¡±


    A bolt of lightning thundered down out of the thin canopy overhead, striking directly where the card was. I heard a panicked scream and saw card shreds bursting from the spot like mushroom spores. The copies all turned toward the sight, mouths agape and eyes wide. The circling card started moving away from us fast. Very fast. The demon had panicked. He was running, and all his copies didn¡¯t know what to do with themselves.


    Running didn¡¯t help. Before he¡¯d gotten to the edge of the trees another bolt fell, and every last copy of the damned thing turned to dust. No purple goop, no bodies, nothing. Their creator was dead, and there was nothing to support them.


    Gerad hissed in satisfaction and threw his head back to the sky. A wave of force burst out of him, pushing me back and rattling the leaves underfoot. ¡°About bloody time,¡± he sighed, smiling.


    The sudden silence that followed was deafening. The rest of our group was far enough away that I could only just make them out through the trees, and Halifax was out of sight. I heaved a deep sigh of relief.


    Then I saw Gared staring at me. He¡¯d just elevated another step through Epic, and we were all alone.


    ¡°I could do it right now,¡± he said. ¡°No one would know. They¡¯d think the demon got you.¡±


    I tightened my grip on the sword. ¡°Try it, asshole.¡±


    He cocked his head. ¡°Not until he knows I¡¯m the better man.¡± With that, he walked toward the distant heap of the fallen demon.


    He meant Hestorus, and I understood what he meant the second he said it. His father had threatened to replace him with me, and until Gerad knew for certain that our father had rejected me completely he wouldn¡¯t feel safe in killing me.


    It wasn¡¯t a truce, not by any means, but it was a reprieve for the moment. I helped you win, you piece of shit. He¡¯d never admit it, not even to himself. I followed him to the fallen body, curious what we¡¯d find.


    The demon¡¯s corpse was a smoking ruin, blistered and burnt. Gared was pulling card after card from behind what remained of an ear, scowling hard.


    ¡°Trash,¡± he said, throwing them in the dirt as he inspected them. ¡°Bog Imp. Demon Hatchling. Root Imp. Nothing but Commons.¡±


    ¡°He just wanted a full Mind Home for the damage they could absorb,¡± I said, kneeling beside the body. ¡°His whole thing was hiding and using his copies as an army.¡±


    ¡°Nearly worked,¡± Gerad admitted, still pulling cards.


    I nodded. ¡°I doubt he had more than a few source. I¡¯ll lay money on it that he never even used them.¡± I went straight for the mouth. That was where the prize would be. I had to be careful reaching past the jagged teeth.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Gared said.


    I ignored him, pulling out the card.


    My breath caught. I knew the second I touched it I¡¯d never let it go. ¡°We just took down one of the demon Mythics.¡±


    Gared held out his hand. ¡°I killed it.¡±


    I popped up, holding the card away from him. ¡°You can¡¯t use it, but I can. We need every weapon we can get our hands on, and now he fights on our side.¡±


    He clenched a fist. ¡°I can break it down for shards. It¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Take the whole Mind Home,¡± I countered. ¡°I helped with the kill; I get part.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the whole part,¡± he said. ¡°What is twenty Commons against a single Mythic?¡±


    I heard a shout and saw Gale running toward us. ¡°We¡¯ll ask our captain and see what he says.¡± Basil¡¯s brother would take my side, I was certain of it. Besides, I had the right of it: we needed more strength, and I was the only one who could use the card.


    When Gale reached us, though, his face was pale, and when he opened his mouth I knew our argument had to be tabled. ¡°The elves,¡± he said, sounding sick. ¡°They¡¯re leaving.¡±

 B2: 51. Basil - Retreat

    Walking the streets of Treledyne again I had thought would give me immeasurable relief, but it turned out that a wall, no matter how high, couldn¡¯t protect me from my thoughts. Over and over I played the image of Qi¡¯shen being swarmed by that foul demon. I had been in the air at the time, too far away to do anything but watch, and yet I still felt a measure of responsibility for his death. Wenden I hadn¡¯t even seen perish, nor had any of us gone back for his body, such a journey deemed too dangerous after our losses. Instead, we had fled: the remaining elves heading northeast and the eight of us that remained going south.


    Parting with E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia had been a challenge for me. With their leader dead, we all understood why they must go, and the two elves were adamant about seeing the bodies and cards of their kin returned home. The pair had embraced me in a tight, three-way hug, like after the funeral, and when we separated, A¡¯cia was holding a pair of cards out me.


    <u></u>


    ¡°With the deck you¡¯re making, this should serve you well.¡±


    I accepted the gift woodenly, not knowing what to say. This had been the last thing I had expected, and I wasn¡¯t prepared in the slightest.


    ¡°This as well,¡±E¡¯lal said. ¡°You¡¯ve spoken to me about how you wished to have one.¡±


    <u></u>


    I nearly choked from seeing the Werepanther. When Qi¡¯shen had offered me my choice of cards the other evening, I had hoped that this Epic would be among them. It had not been, and at the time, I hadn¡¯t asked after it, not wanting to be insensitive to Ky¡¯reen¡¯s recent death.


    Yet here it was, waiting for me to take.


    ¡°It is too much,¡± I told him, barely managing to resist my deep desire for the card. ¡°Surely one of you two can use it on your journey home?¡±


    E¡¯lal shook his head emphatically. ¡°You helped us protect Qi¡¯shen¡¯s body. We cannot stay with you for this fight, but a part of us can through these cards. Use them wisely.¡±


    Put that way I could hardly refuse, but before accepting, I forced one of my Master Shieldbearers onto E¡¯lal and would have given another to A¡¯cia if she cultivated any Order. I also offered to send Atrea with them, since the Epic could be away from my person for a stretch, but they declined, saying they¡¯d be keeping to the thickest parts of the forest on their way home. Our exchanges complete, the two elves pulled me back in for another embrace, the new cards pressed awkwardly against my chest.


    ¡°Remember to remain open to all that lives around you,¡± A¡¯cia whispered into my ear. ¡°When you are lost within, look without.¡±


    ¡°You humans may be young but you are strong, and fierce, and good-hearted. Win this war, my friend,¡± E¡¯lal said in the other.


    With their cards, I certainly felt more confident in my chances of doing so. Feeling them now in my Mind Home, I couldn¡¯t wait to try the new combinations that they would offer. The Spell would work wonders with my Air Source Power, and the Werepanther would do the same while also giving me deck the much needed push it required to directly strike and finish off opposing Summoners.


    And yet, with that eagerness came a tinge of guilt. The only reason I now had these fine tools was because others had perished. What if the same fate befell E¡¯lal and A¡¯cia, and despite their assurances to the contrary, having these cards would have allowed them to survive?


    ¡°They will reach home safely,¡± Esmi assured me. She was walking arm-in-arm with me up the street and spoke with confidence. ¡°With A¡¯cia refreshing him, E¡¯lal will be able to stay in his enhanced form all the way to A¡¯dinn¡¯uon.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore at how easily she could read my thoughts. In fact, I deeply cherished that about her. ¡°We should be married,¡± I blurted.


    She stopped, looking at me wide-eyed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Today, this very night,¡± I said, turning so I could take her hands in mine. ¡°Life can end much too abruptly for my taste. If I am to die, I wish to do it as your husband.¡± A thought came to me as if guided by Fate¡¯s own hand. ¡°Hull said that the priest he¡¯s been seeing, Penkmun, was going to set up a church in the Lows. We could do it there, after delivering the Potions we purchased.¡±


    She hesitated, and just as she could tell what I was thinking, I immediately knew I had done something wrong. Had the request been too sudden? Too forceful? Should I have let her pick the location?


    ¡°But my father¡­¡± she said. ¡°I do not think a church in the Lows would suit him. And the same for your own family.¡±


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    ¡°Gale won¡¯t care,¡± I said, ¡°and I don¡¯t care about the rest. For your father though, of course. We can choose another place. With an army on our doorstep, I doubt many people are seeking to be wed,¡± I said the last with a smile, trying to make a jest of it.


    ¡°We could, yes, I suppose,¡± she wavered, which brought a frown to my face to see.


    ¡°My love, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand. Did you not stand before all and declare me ¡®yours¡¯? Don¡¯t you wish to make that official before the Twins?¡±


    ¡°I do, of course I do.¡±


    That was what she said. However, the words lacked the surety I would have expected to hear in them. Second guessing oneself before marriage was a possibility I was familiar with from court gossip, but I would have never thought such a thing would apply to us. We had always been so in step, thus, I had assumed we were traveling in the same direction. The possibility that we were not was unmooring to say the least, and I felt a chasm that threatened to overwhelm me open between us.


    Esmi caught my reaction, as I was too surprised to make any attempt to hide it, and her grip tightened on my hands. ¡°Basil ¨C¡±


    ¡°Ah, a lover¡¯s disagreement,¡± a silky voice said, ¡°how quaint.¡± Out of thin air, the masked form of Azure resolved in front of us. Before my recent foray, I might have jumped, but instead I was rather proud that I was drawing source and cards reflexively before I recognized who it was.


    Esmi had been doing the same but then promptly dismissed them. ¡°To what do we owe such a visit?¡± There was a bite to her question that made me flinch considering the position of the person she was addressing. Not that I didn¡¯t agree; Azure¡¯s timing was atrocious.


    ¡°I am merely checking on certain investments,¡± the Secret Keeper said, sounding unperturbed by her tone. I assumed the investment being referred to was Esmi¡¯s soon to be Epic Soul, but for some reason Azure turned toward me. ¡°Fortune favors us that you have returned safely. If I hadn¡¯t been otherwise occupied by a series of threats to Treledyne¡¯s safety, I would have made sure you never departed.¡± Esmi and I exchanged a glance while Azure kept talking. ¡°Your brother made quite the show, flying you all over the eastern wall. Does he have any other spectacles planned I should be aware of?¡±


    ¡°Enemy troops were massed at the base of the wall, and we thought the archers stationed atop would recognize Halifax,¡± I answered in defense of my brother. It had taken two trips, but we had made it safely inside.


    ¡°I see,¡± Azure answered but then said no more. It was only then that I realized we were no longer hearing the sounds beyond us, almost like an inverted version of Qi¡¯shen¡¯s ability. The streets were quiet with it being late evening, the war imposed curfew only an hour or so off, but some cityfolk were still out, going through the motions of regular living but with a more hurried air. The rest of our lieutenant group and Gale were farther ahead, angling toward the palace to report and then rest, and none seemed concerned that Esmi and I had fallen behind. ¡°I assume your fiancee is aware of what you can do,¡± Azure asked, with the sound of someone who had just come to a decision.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied, standing up a bit straighter. ¡°We¡¯ve shared Souls.¡±


    Azure¡¯s robbed shoulders shook slightly, but I didn¡¯t hear a chuckle come from behind the mask. ¡°Delightful,¡± they said. ¡°Then you shall share in this responsibility. You see, one of my purviews is tracking people who can be an asset to the future of Treledyne, and you, Basil of House Hintal, are one such person.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ am?¡± It was obvious that the Deepkin had valued my ability, and Azure had spoken positively about it to me at my family¡¯s party. However¡­ ¡°When I met with the king, he didn¡¯t seem to think so.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that,¡± Azure said. ¡°The king¡¯s vast experience has given him a unique view of the world, one that will surely benefit us all. However, to make that far off vision come to pass, I must look to the daily struggles in-between, and in that regard, I assure you that you are needed, especially now.¡±


    ¡°... I see,¡± I said. Even when using such general statements, I thought I understood the Secret Keepers meaning well enough: they wanted me to help elevate cards for our army. There was appeal to that prospect, undoubtedly, but before I could explore that possibility, I felt a twinge of something up above. There was no sound, not within Azure¡¯s aura as we were, but still, my eyes were drawn up by the sensation. There, in the sky, I saw hundreds ¨C no, thousands ¨C of bird-shaped bodies pouring from the floating library, winging west in a flock larger than I had ever before seen.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Esmi said, sounding aghast; she had apparently followed my gaze.


    ¡°The king refused to unchain Estrago from the palace,¡± Azure answered quietly. ¡°They are fleeing.¡±


    Even from such a distance, there were so many of them I could feel that frenetic energy of their flight, a shared desire to stay alive. A shift in movement from the Secret Keeper drew my attention, and I noticed they were closer to me now, nearly looming.


    ¡°Which is why we must take every advantage we can,¡± they said ¡°while denying the enemy of the same.¡± The metallic mask and its inlaid clouds reflected the setting sun, casting the silver in orangish pinks. ¡°We finally received word from a survivor of Burlon. They were fortunate to live in the southern hills and have a looking glass, letting them see the atrocity that transpired. An entire settlement erased from the land.¡± Azure leaned closer, the purpose of this story unclear to me. ¡°But they also saw a single person spared, a girl with a peculiar Soul Ability, one that let her reverse the age of plants. There is no obvious wartime use to such a power, nor is there an obvious reason why the undead would want to preserve such an Ability, but their General did, letting her live while all others fell dead to Spells or were eaten by orcs.¡±


    Qi¡¯shen and Gale had talked of the orcs doing such things, but to consume a whole populace? My stomach burbled, and I was glad I had nothing in there to sick up.


    ¡°This is not the first such report I have heard come out of the north,¡± Azure said, ¡°and it points to a likely conclusion: the lich who leads the undead desires unique Souls.¡±


    ¡°You are worried she will want Basil?¡± Esmi said. We were still holding hands, and I felt her skin blaze momentarily. Despite the difficulty we were having before the Secret Keeper¡¯s arrival, to see her care for me so I found heartwarming.


    ¡°Worse,¡± Azure said. ¡°I believe she has found a way to transfer abilities to herself. She will collect him, drain him, and kill him. Should we manage to withstand this assault but such a thing transpire, the undead armies would only return immeasurably stronger. In short, she will use Basil¡¯s Soul to destroy us.¡± A chill had broken over me at this revelation, and the Secret Keeper, perhaps sensing that they had frightened me enough, leaned back. ¡°Knowing this, I hope you both will agree that Basil can no longer be risked outside of these walls. Instead of playing at war, he will help elevate our cards, and in so doing, perhaps turn the tide.¡±


    I didn¡¯t appreciate Azure characterizing the last week of horror I had been through as ¡°playing.¡±  We had defeated one of the enemy generals after all, even if neither Esmi nor I had delivered the killing blow.


    Esmi, however, was looking at me, and when I met her gaze, she squeezed my hand. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, turning to the Secret Keeper. ¡°That makes sense. And me?¡± she asked, jutting her chin forward. I caught a slight tremor through the hand of hers I was holding but otherwise, she held herself strong.


    This unexpected conversation hadn¡¯t given me proper time to think through what my new role would mean in relation to hers, but when I did, my blood turned to ice. With her type of deck, there could only be one possibility.


    ¡°After a brief reprieve,¡± Azure said, their words holding none of the humanity they had only a moment ago, ¡°you and the rest of your group will be going directly to the front lines.¡±

 B2: 52. Hull - Defender on the Wall

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± the demon said.


    ¡°You will,¡± I told him, keeping my voice level.


    ¡°You can¡¯t make me,¡± the other one sniffed, folding his arms and turning away. ¡°I can hold back my duplication if I wish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a card now,¡± I reminded him, my hands tightening on the stone crenellations of the wall in front of me. ¡°You¡¯re my card.¡±


    I looked back and forth between his two current bodies. ¡°I can make you do it, and am in fact doing so right now.¡±


    The one on my right flashed a snotty little smile at me and gestured to the furious fighting down below the city wall where we now stood. ¡°Does it appear you are succeeding?¡±


    A flash of the good old anger shot through me like lightning, and I imagined pulling his card from my Mind Home and shattering it with my Hammer. Some of my friends were out there in the fighting, and I wanted nothing more than to be with them, but I¡¯d been held back to get this shithead¡¯s duplication going, and now I was stuck arguing with him. ¡°Look, you¡¯re angry because we killed you. I understand that.¡±


    ¡°You understand nothing,¡± the demon interrupted. ¡°Those that win have every right to command those that lose. Or perhaps you think I care that you wish to send me against my own kind? I¡¯ve killed more of them than you could hope to in ten lifetimes.¡±


    ¡°Then start doubling yourself and get your ass out there,¡± I growled.


    His smile deepened and grew nastier. ¡°Make me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°The problem,¡± the one to my left said, crossing his arms and leaning against the parapet, ¡°is you. The one who killed me handed me off to his underling who somehow thinks to command a Mythic. I¡¯m Yveda the Endless, not some sniveling imp.¡±


    I picked that one and got right up in his face, but he refused to meet my eye. With the hand that bore my brass knuckles I took him by the jaw and forced him to look at him. For all his rebellion, I was almost completely sure he couldn¡¯t snap at my fingers with those sharp teeth of his or do me harm in any way ¨C I was his Summoner, after all, whether he liked it or not. I¡¯d have preferred to make my point with claws extended, but all that would do was weaken any copies he made. ¡°You¡¯ve met the Night Terror in my Mind Home.¡±


    He sneered, ignoring my fingers tight on his face. It was the other one that spoke. ¡°A simpering shell of a creature.¡±


    I kept my eyes on the one I held. ¡°He told you the things I¡¯ve had him do.¡± I was guessing both at how the Souls might interact within my Mind Home, a space I¡¯d only vaguely conceived of, and what the Night Terror might have said, but when Yveda said nothing, I knew I was right. ¡°He told you who I am.¡±


    The demon tsked and pulled back from my hand. ¡°I never would have thought that particular Yveda would whelp a half-human.¡±


    He did know my mother. My demons had told me ages ago that their kind used the same name depending on how many impressive kills they had ¨C a confusing system, if anyone had bothered to ask me ¨C and it was surreal to realize that the woman who¡¯d made a hole in the center of my life and my memories had the same name as this smug asshole. I itched to ask him more about her, but I squelched the desire; there was work to be done, and my friends needed my help. She doesn¡¯t deserve a single shred more of my time, anyway.


    ¡°The point is,¡± I said, backing up so I could see him both at once, ¡°I don¡¯t mind breaking cards if the soul inside is more trouble than it¡¯s worth. And if you don¡¯t start living up to the ¡®endless¡¯ part of your name, you go on that list. Understand?¡±


    He snarled at me sullenly with both bodies. ¡°I¡¯ll send one of myself back to the other leaders out there and give up all your secrets.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know our secrets. Twins take me, I don¡¯t know our secrets. You and me just hit things. Other people make the plans.¡± I stepped forward again, forcing eye contact. ¡°And I don¡¯t like tattlers any more than I like useless cards.¡±


    One of him turned and looked over the edge at the chaos down below ¨C orcs, demons, undead, and humans all swinging weapons and tearing flesh, Spells booming on all sides. ¡°I don¡¯t like being in the middle of a fight,¡± he admitted quietly.


    I¡¯d thought so. He was a hider, this one ¨C used to making his copies do the dirty work while he stayed somewhere safer. ¡°The worst thing that could happen to you already has. If all your copies die, the only thing that happens is that you go back in my Mind Home until you¡¯re summoned again.¡±


    The one still facing me chewed on that silently for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it,¡± I told him, ¡°or get broken forever.¡± I¡¯d shown him the stick, now it was time for the honey. ¡°I¡¯ll let you keep a single copy up here on the wall so long as you continue to double as fast as you can and send the rest down into the fighting.¡±


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    With a sigh and a shrug, the one looking over the edge split into two and walked over to the post driven into the top of the crenellation. A wide chain hung down from it on the outside of the wall, allowing a defender to safely slide down to where it ended just over ten feet off the ground. ¡°You drive a hard bargain just like your mother.¡± With that, he grabbed the chain with both bodies and slid down toward the fighting. By the time he¡¯d reached the end and let go, there were four of him. It was dizzying to watch.


    Turning around, I saw a cluster of four still standing there. ¡°Get going, all of you. I said only one up top.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to have some long conversations about how you treat your Souls,¡± one said as it walked past me to the pole and chain.


    I barked a laugh. If this demon had ever been anything less than a cruel tyrant I¡¯d eat my boots. I joined the queue of bodies waiting to descend ¨C there were six of him now, with another approaching me from behind ¨C looking over my hand. Once I was on the ground I could summon my Marauders. My Plate was already donned and my Talisman in place. It was time to jump in and kill some Twins-damned bad guys.


    A hawk¡¯s shriek from overhead drew my gaze, and there was Edaine hanging from Halifax¡¯s claws swooping by just overhead. The griffon deposited her on the walkway before winging skyward. Gale waved at me from his mount¡¯s back and they circled back out toward the fighting.


    ¡°Get to it,¡± I told the Yveda copies. ¡°I¡¯ll be along in a minute.¡±


    I thought I heard someone mutter coward, but when I looked back, they all had their focus on getting down off the wall. A few of the dozen or so standing there decided it¡¯d be quicker to jog over to the next pole set in the stone some fifty feet away, and off they went. I¡¯m going to have my hands full with this shithead. Mythics are a pain in the ass.


    ¡°General,¡± I said by way of greeting as I approached her.


    ¡°Hull,¡± she said. ¡°Why aren¡¯t there a thousand of those things by now?¡±


    ¡°It took a little persuasion,¡± I admitted. ¡°We¡¯re getting into it now, though, as you can see.¡±


    She looked at the rapidly multiplying numbers crowding the chains. ¡°That single card of yours might just make the difference for us. In a single stroke you boys killed one of the generals of the demon horde, denied them unnumbered fighting bodies, and added them to our side at the same time. Fortune smiles on us.¡±


    I grunted. ¡°If he wanted to smile on us with a lightning storm right over the attackers, I¡¯d take that too.¡±


    ¡°I have to confer with the King, but I¡¯ll be back to the lines within half an hour,¡± she promised. ¡°One of our Kestrel advance scouts just made contact, and I have to report in. The main body of the army will be here by nightfall.¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯ve done it, then.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, we haven¡¯t,¡± Edaine replied. ¡°It¡¯s not just enemy grunts and lieutenants out there ¨C we may have taken out their war machines, but they surely have powerful souls out there that we have yet to encounter.¡± She knocked on my breastplate. ¡°This will be the longest day of your life, Hull, but as far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯ve proven your worth. Get out there and kill some of those bastards for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said stoutly, hiding my weariness as she walked away. Our hunting party of lieutenants had barely had time to snatch a meal before they¡¯d hustled us into the fray ¨C the assault had begun, and we¡¯d been needed. You can rest when the day¡¯s over. Nightfall. You can make it that far. The sun had not yet reached its noon peak.


    Someone bumped into me rushing past, and I turned to see a soldier with his hair in a long braid over his armor hurrying away. I blinked. How had he gotten there? Had I been so caught up in talking to General Edaine that I hadn¡¯t even noticed someone approach? If so, I needed to get my head back on straight ¨C letting someone get that close without me seeing was a good way to get knifed.


    A felt an unexpected scratchiness in my pocket and reached for it, pulling out a strip of paper that hadn¡¯t been there a moment before. Good to see you, it said. Keep my rock with you ¨C you¡¯ll need it.


    My heart clenched even as I turned to look for the retreating soldier. He was nowhere to be seen despite there not being a stairway off the top of the wall anywhere near here. Was that her in disguise or just some patsy she used? It hardly mattered. Mother was here somewhere, and that spelled trouble.


    ¡°General!¡± I yelled, turning back the other direction. She was halfway down the ramp to the inner bailey, hurrying fast. ¡°General, wait!¡±


    She just waved and kept going. Who knew what she¡¯d thought I said? The chaos of noise from beyond the wall made everything hard to hear. I debated running after her, but what would I say? I got a note from Mommy that said she¡¯s here to visit. What good would it do? The whole point was that we couldn¡¯t see her coming. The best I could do was get out there to help Esmi, Afi, and even Gerad, damn him. If Mother was here¡­ I¡¯d deal with that when I had to. With a Mythic in my head, she¡¯d find it a little harder to slip away once she showed herself.


    Turning back to the pole and chain, I was surprised to see at least as many Yvedas clustered around it as I¡¯d left a few minutes before. ¡°What the hell?¡± I barked. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to get down there?¡±


    The group rolled their eyes in unison and pointed over the wall¡¯s edge. Looking down, I saw an ever-expanding semi-circle of black-skinned demons tearing into a loose, disorganized phalanx of Orcs, all of them howling defiance. There had to be two hundred of the bastard down there, and for every one that fell, three more sprang into being.


    ¡°...Oh,¡± I said. I was only just beginning to understand how powerful this damned demon was. The fact that Gerad and I had managed to kill him still made me reel. Fate¡¯s saggy tits, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving up this card once the battle¡¯s over.


    The demon copies had made a safe redoubt out of themselves where I could descend, and I pushed in front of the ones still waiting to go down the chain, putting myself at the front. They¡¯d all get there eventually, and if they didn¡¯t, well, it¡¯d only be because they¡¯d multiplied so much that they were no longer needed. Give me a couple of days and I might be able to take on a big chunk of this army on my own! I laughed, and despite the scare I¡¯d taken from my mother¡¯s note, I started to feel just the tiniest bit hopeful.


    BOOM. The wall bucked and shuddered under my feet, and I clung to the chain, my heart hammering as my feet slipped off the edge and I swung free over the parapet. Yvedas to either side of me fell shrieking to the battleground far below, and some shook loose from the chain lower down. I swung wildly and gripped as hard as I could. I¡¯d survive if I fell, but that wasn¡¯t the way I wanted to join the fray.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I screamed. The noise of the battle below blended with the cries of the Yvedas and the sounds of huge hunks of stone clattering down on all sides. As I spun I saw a boulder bigger than a horse go plowing through the enemy ranks like a pebble skipping across a flat pond, leaving red ruin in its wake.


    I finally got my feet back on the wall and pulled myself to safety. Looking down from the wall into the city, it looked like an anthill that someone had poked with a stick. People were running and screaming in all directions. Casting around for the source of the panic, I soon found it.


    Five hundred feet to my left smoke and dust rose into the sky in a thick column. I could follow the curve of the wall from here to there, and in the midst of the smoke I saw that an entire section of the city¡¯s wall was just¡­ gone.


    The Orcs had breached our best defense, and down below countless demons, Undead, and Orcs were streaming into the city.

 B2: 53. Basil - Foolish or Wise

    The place Azure took me to looked like a regular counting house with a painted sign of stacked coins hanging out front. However, once within and a floor down, I discovered that the belly of the structure was considerably more expansive than I would have guessed. There were multiple stone-lined corridors fitted with metal doors, and Azure explained that another floor down there was a tunnel that led all the way out of Treledyne, running beneath the southern wall. I had wondered why we had traveled here instead of up to the reinforced noble houses, or even the Palace, but having access to an escape route made sense, and, shamefully, made me feel relieved.


    ¡°This is the room you¡¯ll be staying in for a time,¡± Azure said, stopping us in front of a door that looked exceptionally sturdy due to the extra straps of iron that criss-crossed its frame. There was also a hard looking man stationed outside of it who was wearing indigo robes of a similar shade to the voluminous one the Secret Keeper had wrapped around their body. ¡°Use your ability on the cards that are brought to you,¡± Azure continued, ¡°and if it becomes necessary, you will be evacuated.¡±


    Being near a getaway tunnel and actually using it were apparently two very different things in my mind because I instantly balked at the idea. ¡°If we are to flee the city, surely we should do so with as many people as possible,¡± I said, trying to sound reasonable. ¡°And once we are outside of Treledyne, it will be important for us to have access to combat oriented summoners, not just those with unique skills.¡±


    ¡°Like your betrothed,¡± Azure said, easily seeing the direction I was trying to take the conversation. ¡°I am doing all I can to preserve as much of Treledyne as possible, including those who you care for. You play your role, and I will play mine, and if Fate and Fortune are kind, we¡¯ll all see the sunrise on the morrow.¡± They gestured with a gloved hand and an arm draped with fabric toward the door. The guard had already used a key at their waist to open it enough for me to enter. From within I saw the flickering light of what must have been a hearthfire or many candles, and I heard a bit of music playing.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to see the sunrise from inside a box or if I would be able to leave the city without Esmi at my side. When I told Azure the second of those things they sniffed behind their mask.


    ¡°You say that, but you already have once. You both knew what Fate might have in store when you parted ways.¡±


    ¡°I came with you because Esmi encouraged me to do so ¨C¡± I said, puffing up.


    ¡°And because you both recognize that your talents do not lie on the battlefield,¡± Azure interrupted. I wanted to argue, but an image of me fainting in the middle of a scrum and my friends dying as they tried to protect my prone body flashed before me. I had done well against the replicating demon because I had known that what I was killing wasn¡¯t a person, similar to destroying Souls in a duel, but the front lines wouldn¡¯t be like that ¨C it would have real people and real blood spilling from their corpses. ¡°The foolish fight against their nature,¡± Azure said, almost gently, ¡°but the wise embrace it and use it to their every advantage. Please, Basil, help us with the gifts you do have.¡±


    I straightened and gave a tight nod of acceptance. If this was the role I was made for, I would do it to the best of my ability. Also, every moment Azure was here, coddling me, they weren¡¯t seeing to the rest of the city, and I needed to stop being selfish.


    ¡°Thank you for the encouraging words,¡± I told the Secret Keeper. ¡°May the Twins favor your efforts.¡± I then took my leave by entering the room, nodding to the guard as I passed him. The chamber was spacious considering it had been built below ground, perhaps twenty feet by twenty feet, with a stitched rug underfoot and tapestries that warmed the stone walls. There was indeed a large fireplace with stacked wood burning merrily behind a golden grate, and a handful of high-backed armchairs positioned around it. Sitting in one of them was a girl playing a flute, who removed the instrument from her lips when I entered. In another was a boy with a mop of brown hair that partially obscured his eyes. He was holding a teacup upside down, using the shallow impression of its base to sip from.


    And, as I had guessed, there was not a single window.


    ¡°No need to stop on my account,¡± I told them. I didn¡¯t much care for the sound of the door closing behind me, and even less so when I heard the lock click into place, but I tried to focus on what was ahead instead of behind. ¡°You were just reaching the crescendo of The Fall by Gruben, were you not?¡±


    ¡°You know your music,¡± the girl said, seeming impressed. She was around my age while the boy couldn¡¯t have been older than ten.


    ¡°I cultivate Air,¡± I said by way of explanation. I was immensely curious as to what sort of abilities they each had. ¡°Ones that could aid humanity,¡± Azure had said, but it would be impolite to ask, so¡­


    ¡°What can you do?¡± the boy said, looking at me with eager eyes.


    I had just reached the nearest open seat, but slowed as I lowered myself into it, regarding him carefully. He appeared harmlessly inquisitive, as any boy his age might, and if the two of them had been kept in here long, I could see him being interested in any information he could come by. There were some trays of food to eat and a few bookshelves, but the boy didn¡¯t seem interested in either of those distractions at the moment, his focus entirely on me.


    ¡°Introduce yourself before asking something like that, Devin,¡± the girl said, speaking before I decided how I was going to respond.


    ¡°Why?¡± the boy said, screwing his face up. ¡°You just did.¡±


    She released a put upon sigh and then turned to me. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive him. His upbringing was far from ideal.¡±


    ¡°Yours wasn¡¯t any better,¡± Devin said, finishing his tea with a single slurp ¨C there couldn¡¯t have been more than a thimbleful the way he was drinking it.


    So neither are nobles, I thought, which explained why I hadn¡¯t seen either before. How long had Azure kept them like this? I wondered. Surely their reward for having unique abilities wasn¡¯t imprisonment, was it?


    ¡°Yes, but I learned the lessons I was given,¡± the girl said, whose name I still didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Because your card helps you,¡± Devin said and then he placed the teacup atop his head like a tiny hat made of porcelain.


    The two obviously already had a well established relationship; so established, in fact, that I didn¡¯t see an opportunity to get a word in edgewise as they continued to snipe at each other. Not that I particularly minded. At least this way I wouldn¡¯t have to answer the question. Instead, I mused on what had been said. The girl''s card helped with her memory somehow. That was interesting. Or at least it would have been if the people most precious to me weren¡¯t in mortal danger while I sat warming myself by the fire. I wrung my hands together. Is this really the best way I can help?


    The door clicked and opened, and I popped out of the chair. ¡°Has something happened? Is there news from the front?¡±


    The newcomer flashed a card at me, its green border putting a halt to my questions. I eased back into the seat, and the card-bearer came to a crouch before me. It was a woman with streaks of gray in her hair, robed like the man outside had been. Closer now, I saw that she had not just a Mythic but a handful of other cards.


    I glanced at Devin and the girl, who were both watching me closely. The door had been closed again, so it wasn¡¯t as if I could ask them to leave before speaking of my ability. I sighed internally, resigning myself to them knowing.


    ¡°I can only use my Seersight on one card a day,¡± I told the robed woman. ¡°If I push it to two, I¡¯ll be unable to see anything the next day.¡± I thought the information might disappoint the card-bearer, but she merely rearranged the cards, holding up an Epic I had last seen when dueling against Losum of House Drakk.


    Staring at the card, I unfocused my eyes, looking beyond the physical to see the three ghostly images that floated behind.


    ¡°At Mythic, it can gain an Aura that gives Unit to all friendly summoned Souls. Or its Mercy could apply to any Soul that is damaged; when used, it refreshes a friendly card fully to Ready. Lastly, it can become a 6/6 with Armor 2 and have an ability called Divine Light that does 6 damage to any Soul or Summoner it is fighting before combat begins. No changes to cost or stats otherwise in any of these forms.¡±


    The woman with the card was writing furiously on a small pad of paper she had placed on the floor. I didn¡¯t recognize the script she was using, or the symbols that were interspersed throughout. As soon as she was done, she put her charcoal pencil down and switched the card she was holding to the Mythic I had first seen.


    It was Orelus, Losum¡¯s Mythic. The High Paladin could have been from someone else¡¯s deck, but Losum would have never traded this card away.


    ¡°Is Losum of Drakk out there?¡± I asked the woman, pointing toward the door. ¡°I know him and could tell him these possibilities in person.¡± The fact he had been nothing but an arrogant bully for most of our lives didn¡¯t matter right now. If his cards could help hold the enemy at bay long enough for our army to arrive, so be it.


    The robed woman hesitated but didn¡¯t answer my question.


    ¡°The Hands of Azure have no tongues,¡± the girl said in a soft voice to my side. ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s taking notes.¡±


    That seemed unnecessarily barbaric to me, but when the woman jerked the Mythic back and forth in front of my face, her message was clear: we did not have time for idle chatter.


    Calling upon my Seersight once again, I peered at the card. The second time was always more of a strain, but getting to see visions of Legendaries was well with the discomfort.


    ¡°One possibility is that gains a +4 Aura instead of +1. No other changes. Another is that its Devote Ability now allows you to target a Soul or a Summoner. Again, no other changes.¡± It¡¯s last was fuzzy to me, but perhaps that was just because my head had started pounding. With a final push of effort, the writing on the third possibility unblurred long enough for me to memorize it. ¡°Or, its Devote ability can target all enemy Souls. No other changes.¡±


    I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and dabbed the sweat from my brow as the woman finished up her writing. Against the hordes we were facing, that last option seemed the best to me. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how many shards would be required for such an upgrade, but if they were showing me the card, it must have been decided that no expense would be spared in Treledyne¡¯s defense.


    It seemed that Azure really was doing everything they could to protect the city.


    The woman stood to leave, but I caught her by the arm. ¡°Let me try another,¡± I said. With everyone else working as hard as they were, it was only right that I do the same.


    The Hand honored my request, quickly slipping the notes she had made out the door along with the respective cards. When she returned to me, the card she produced proved without a doubt I was looking at Losum¡¯s deck. Was he dead, or was he about to receive a windfall of a lifetime?


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    I stared at the card on and off for at least thirty minutes, both handkerchiefs I carried growing sodden with sweat that had nothing to do with the fire that burned at my backside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, finally slumping back into the chair. ¡°It seems a third truly is beyond me.¡± What was it that Air monk had said? The Twins could be made to recognize the things we invested our time in. Should I have been striving to push past this limit from the very beginning to show them what I wished for from my next Soul upgrade?


    The woman, however, offered no such judgment. Even though I felt like I had somewhat failed in the one paltry task I had been given, she merely tucked the card away and then departed as silently as she had entered. Only when she was gone did I realize that I could have asked her to answer my questions about Losum using her notepad, or perhaps I could have used my Life Source Power to regrow her tongue. Of course, she still could have refused me. I looked up at the coffered ceiling, thinking of the people on our streets and walls who were risking their lives. Hopefully what I had just done would make a modicum of difference.


    ¡°You can see a card''s elevation path,¡± the girl said into the silence that had taken over the room. ¡°That is quite the Soul ability.¡±


    ¡°It has little use in the field, unfortunately,¡± I said, continuing to feel down on myself until I remembered that the High Paladin and Orelus weren¡¯t the only cards I had used my ability on. With any luck, the cards I had helped Hull and Esmi upgrade were making a difference for them. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, pulling myself together, ¡°thank you for the compliment. This war has me out of sorts.¡±


    The girl gave a nervous laugh, gripping her flute. ¡°So it¡¯s true then? We really are being attacked?¡±


    My eyes widened. After having fought with the enemy ¨C seen them, heard them, smelled them even ¨C it was hard for me to believe that someone wouldn¡¯t know that we were under siege. And yet, kept behind our high walls, perhaps sequestered since the beginning and seen to by tongueless guards, her ignorance was not so impossible.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± I said, ¡°the force we are fighting against is quite massive.¡± I watched the knuckles on her flute turn white and regretted saying so much. ¡°But we have defeated one of their Mythic generals, so all is not lost.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s something, at least,¡± she said with a sniffle, her eyes wet.


    A clang of silverware got my attention, and I saw that the boy was messing about with some of the small forks that had previously been stuck in cubed cheese. He still wore the teacup atop his head. ¡°Mine is better than yours,¡± he said, stabbing toward me with the tiny tines of a fork.


    ¡°Is it now?¡± I said, wondering if the boy would give his ability away.


    He nodded, which threatened to dislodge the cup he wore but it miraculously stayed in place. ¡°I think things no one has before,¡± he declared, hands on his hips, looking like a miniature prince.


    ¡°That¡­ is indeed a very impressive ability,¡± I told him. I couldn¡¯t imagine what that would be like, but I supposed that was the point. ¡°Like putting dishware on your head?¡± I ventured.


    He gave me a wide grin, which revealed some gaps in his teeth. ¡°No, that¡¯s just for fun because Chrissy hates it.¡±


    ¡°I do no ¨C¡± the girl named Chrissy started, but she stopped herself, smoothing her skirt. ¡°If we¡¯re sharing now, my name is Christine¡± ¨C she shot Devin a glare ¨C ¡°and my ability is the collection of knowledge. I know everything my mother did, and her father before her, and his father, and so on, eight generations back.¡±


    I popped a bit of cheese into my mouth, feeling rather famished after my exertions with Seersight. ¡°That is quite the ability, too. I can see why Azure would want to preserve it.¡± She was like a walking library, better even, since ink would eventually fade and paper mold. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of an ability that is passed down through generations like you describe. Here and there, of course, but never an unbroken guarantee.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, that is part of it,¡± Christine said, ¡°but I can¡¯t learn very much stuck in here, can I? And until I have a child, there¡¯s a risk of it all being lost.¡±


    Devin snickered, but I wasn¡¯t sure what it was he found funny or why he was looking between Christine and me. When I did, my cheeks colored.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t ¨C¡± Christine started, looking as embarrassed as I felt. At the same time, I said, ¡°I¡¯m betroth ¨C¡± but a resounding BOOM cut us both off, the sound accompanied by a tremor running through the room.


    Once again, I bounded from my chair, listening closely to see what noises might follow, my stance wide in case there were any aftershocks.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Devin asked. I looked over, seeing that the cup had fallen from his head, the frail porcelain having broken against the carpet. Sitting there stunned, his lip quivering, he looked very much like a scared little boy now.


    Christine gently got him up and away from the broken cup, and I dashed over to the door. There was no handle on this side, so I pounded on it with my fist. ¡°What is happening?¡± I called ¡°Open this so we can speak!¡±


    I put my ear against the cool metal to listen for a response but heard nothing. If this building was somehow under attack, they should be evacuating us, but if they had been caught up in the fighting¡­


    There was no handle, but there was a keyhole. ¡°It seems you were right after all,¡± I said, pulling a card from behind my ear to make room for one I kept in my shoe, where few would think to look. It took a bit of drawing, but eventually I got it and focused the necessary source to summon.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Christine asked from behind me, but I was too busy fitting the key into the lock to respond. It slipped into the keyhole like they had been made to go together, and I was about to open the door when I realized how unwise I was being in my haste. If this building was under attack, I would be slaughtered in no time as I was.


    I started by summoning two Elf Bearkin, the swarthy elves appearing beside me.


    The elder one looked around. ¡°This is not the open-air hunting you promised us. And I smell no meat.¡±


    The Rare was absolutely right: I had yet to make good on any of my promises to them. ¡°You are correct and have my deepest apologies. As soon as this war is over, I will do the things we spoke of, by the Twins I swear it.¡± Assuming I lived to see that day.


    ¡°Time is not the same for us as it is for you,¡± the other Bearkin, who was covered in tattoos, said, ¡°so we have not waited as long as you think. Yet we do not wish to wait forever.¡±


    ¡°Nor should you have to,¡± I said, bowing to both. ¡°Thank you for your patience.¡± Speaking with them like this was just another reason to survive, another reason to find out what was going on and assist if I could.


    I summoned a Master Shieldbearer next, followed by the Spiderkin and the Pantherkin.


    I greeted the Epic, since this was our first meeting, but she just eyed me warily, eyes like golden pools. I would have also liked to have Atrea at my side or my new Acanthi Wanderer, but from experience, I knew neither would do well in such tight confines.


    I also donned my usual armament but held off on using any enhancement Spells until I had more information.


    I was fitting the Helmet onto my head when I heard Devin speak up.


    ¡°You have so many Souls,¡± his little voice said with an air of wonder.


    I looked back into the room to see that he and Christine were sharing a chair: he was in her lap, and she had her arms wrapped protectively around his small body. They were both watching me and my summoned force with expressions that couldn¡¯t have been more different.


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean to go out there,¡± Christine said. She looked utterly terrified, her face drained of blood. ¡°Every memory I have of war is beyond awful. Better we stay in here.¡±


    I might not be fit for the front lines, but seeing the pair as they were, I could also tell that I wasn¡¯t meant to be with them either. Besides, I had already given the ¡®Hand¡¯ all the information I could for the next two days.


    ¡°Keep each other safe,¡± I told Christine and Devin. ¡°I¡¯ll lock this when I leave.¡± Then I transformed the Kin, summoned a few Webs, and turned the key.


    The hallway was the same as last I had seen it, with no orcs or other invaders present, as far as I could tell. The guard, however, was quite surprised to see me and tried to push me back into the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you be touching him now, lad,¡± the Master Shieldbearer said, always the Soul who stayed closest to me. She grabbed his hands and barreled him back, giving us all room to exit.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked him before remembering what Christine had said about these people lacking tongues. I quickly closed the door and relocked it with my Key, all while having the Spider get up to her maximum of four Webs. ¡°Thank you for what you¡¯re doing,¡± I told the man. ¡°Protect them well.¡±


    He frowned at me, but I was already off, walking through the hallway back the way Azure and I had entered. Along the way I encountered Hands, all of whom seemed disturbed to see me out of confinement but spoke not a word and didn¡¯t try to stop me, probably knowing they couldn¡¯t match my current force. I might be in trouble if they banded together, so I kept my steps swift, so I could leave this place as soon as possible.


    On the main floor, the desks and chairs that would normally be occupied by money lenders were empty, but a few more robed Hands were boarding up the windows. They seemed equally surprised by my presence but not enough to stop the work they were doing. A few others were in the middle of the foyer seeing to three bloodied individuals, one of which was none other than my cousin.


    ¡°Dafil?¡± I said, rushing over to her. My Life Source dimmed as I moved, suffusing her in a soft, green glow when I reached her.


    She coughed, and I felt something wet strike me, but I didn¡¯t look down. ¡°Basil,¡± she managed to say through breaths that were becoming less labored each time, ¡°it¡¯s madness out there. Utter madness.¡±


    As she spoke, telling of the breach in our northern wall and the flood of enemies that had poured into the city, I gave Healing Potions to the Hands to use on the two other injured people ¨C a few of the the Relics would work faster than my still recovering source.


    Dafil¡¯s story of abandoning the eastern wall to help with the invasion in the streets, being set upon by demons who butchered nearly her entire squad, and only managing to escape to here, a safehouse she knew of, because of her corporal¡¯s familiarity with streets, should have made me wet myself, but instead it only hardened my resolve. I was here doing something instead of hiding in a room.


    ¡°Have you seen my parents or my betrothed?¡± I asked when she was finished, sitting up now, color having returned to her cheeks.


    Dafil shook her head, her chin brushing against her high collar. ¡°Some of your father¡¯s summoned guards slowed our pursuers, but I never saw the man himself.¡±


    It would have been good information to have, but Esmi at least, I knew would be fighting where the conflict was the thickest. If I headed toward the breach, I would find her.


    ¡°Cousin, I have need of one of your cards.¡±


    ¡°One of my cards?¡± she said, looking at the transformed elves who waited behind me, so quiet I had almost forgotten they were there.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I replied. ¡°A fair trade for saving your life, I should say.¡±


    She grumbled at my request, but fished the card out of her skull and handed it over. But when I went to take it, she didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Basil, you¡¯re shaking,¡± she said.


    I looked down at my hand, spattered in her blood, and saw that it was indeed trembling. ¡°So I am.¡±


    ¡°It is suicide to go out there,¡± she pleaded with me. ¡°Come with us instead. There is an escape tunnel out of the city we can all use.¡±


    I kept looking at my hand and even the blood upon it, willing it to still. What Azure had said might be true, but fool or not, I wanted to change, I would change. And, unlike my attempts to force a breakthrough with Seersight, after a few more breaths, my hand eventually stopped moving on its own.


    ¡°Basil?¡± she asked, since I had yet to respond.


    I gave her my most confident smile, stolen directly from Gale¡¯s repertoire. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said, taking the card from her with sure fingers. ¡°I always have a plan.¡±

 B2: 54. Hull - The Thick of It

    I surged through the chaos in a haze that was somehow both focused and almost free of thought. I was sweating freely inside my armor, the Talisman of Spite blazed on my chest, fully charged, I clutched the Vampiric Blade in my left hand, and the Hateful Hammer was held in a reverse grip in my right, giving me the option of choosing its fated Overkill or the more freeform damage from the clawed brass knuckles on the same hand. My punches were getting harder every day now; I could feel it. My hand of cards floated at the edge of my vision, and a swarm of my summoned demons darted all around me. I was death¡¯s heavy hand on light feet, and with Nether raging in my veins, that felt pretty damn good.


    The trick was to use my eyepatch to zero in on Summoners instead of getting bogged down by Souls. The circling source was a solid indicator, sure, but with the mass of bodies on all sides, it was easiest to look for a body that didn¡¯t bring up the image of a card telling me what it did. Then all I had to do was get to that body and break it. Feeling my weapons tear flesh and seeing blood spatter instead of sparkling dust was something I¡¯d probably have bad dreams about later, but that was a problem for an older me, one that wasn¡¯t up to his neck in screaming assholes trying to kill everything in sight.


    A heavy sword clanged off my Iron Maiden Plate ¨C a normal, non-fated blade by the feel of it, and I whipped my claws around to face the Orc who¡¯d just rung my bell. By the time I turned around, though, someone else had torn into the poor bastard, sinking their teeth into his neck as he screamed and gurgled.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± called another copy of the Mythic soul from a few feet away. ¡°That¡¯s nineteen, now.¡±


    ¡°Next time get him before he hits me,¡± I shot back. ¡°We¡¯re no good to each other if I¡¯m dead.¡±


    The one that had made the kill popped back up, his jaws dripping. ¡°Please. He didn¡¯t even make it through your Plate.¡± He sounded disgusted.


    I didn¡¯t bother answering, as a yowl off to my left had caught my attention. A misshapen, stitched-together Undead was rearing back its massive hands to pound its opponent into the bloody cobblestones, and the form cowering in front of it was one of my guys.


    I didn¡¯t stop to think, and my legs didn¡¯t move, but suddenly I was there in front of the winged demon, the stinking Undead¡¯s ham-sized fists driving down into the top of my head. I was really starting to get the hang of my Intervene ability.


    Fate¡¯s Grace slowed the blow, but as I looked to see what I could do to respond to the blow, the Talisman of Fate buzzed and bounced on my chest.


    With a satisfied bark of laughter, I let the blow land, my armor taking nearly all the damage. A Ravening Hatchling vanished momentarily out of my hand to absorb the rest. At the same time, I focused Nether and let a Spell rip.


    Instead of hitting the Soul that had just clobbered me, I targeted an low-level Orc Summoner some thirty feet away, the purple fire hitting him out of nowhere and stripping his Mind Home clean. The blowback from the Spell coursed through my body and shot back out through the Talisman, blasting half the attacking undead Soul¡¯s face off. The Relic was only supposed to reflect damage on my turn, not when someone else was hitting me, but turns turned out to be a pretty loose concept in open battle like this, what with some source types being faster than others. As a result, sometimes the Talisman refreshed at unexpected moments, allowing me to get in two hits for the price of one when I¡¯d never have been able to in a proper duel.


    ¡°I was fine,¡± the Night Terror growled, leaping past me to tear the thing¡¯s kneecaps off. That was enough to send the ugly undead bastard sparkling into card dust.


    ¡°You¡¯d have been dead, and then I¡¯d have to wait for you to cycle back through to my hand,¡± I said. ¡°Stop bitching and go kill something, will you?¡±


    He huffed, looking mortally offended, but I knew he was enjoying himself. That short asshole was made for this sort of thing. I could see both of my Marauders out in the fray, chuckling and howling as they killed. One of them went down to some kind of demon I¡¯d never seen before, and I felt the Soul slide into my discard, waiting for my Vampiric Blade to bring it back. I could do this all day, I thought. Just keep feeding me opponents and I¡¯ll never run out of cards.


    That only worked while I worked on the rank and file of the army flooding through the gaping hole in the wall, though, and I knew it. In the view of the open field beyond the city wall, framed by the ragged hole in the stone, I saw Gerad battling an Orc that had to be one of their leaders ¨C the creature¡¯s axe looked too big to even lift, and it sent up shockwaves so strong that people fell over within ten feet of wherever it landed. My insufferable half-brother looked to be holding his own, throwing off Protection Spells and hammering away with his Legendary sword in return. Some time before I¡¯d seen Esmi rush out with an army of kobolds at her heels, and I¡¯d had a glimpse of her coming to grips with a hugely muscular vampire in fine clothing. I need to be focusing on the heavy hitters instead of picking away the chaff.


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    Chaff the rest of them might be, but by the Twins, there certainly were a lot of them. Even with my Yveda card making an ever-larger plug of defenders in the streets, hordes of demons, Orcs, and undead still streamed past us in all directions, doing their best to slip past me and into the city to wreak havoc. City Watchmen and Guards were pouring in from side streets to slow the tide, but there just weren¡¯t enough of them. Fortune¡¯s stones, I¡¯ve never seen so many people all in the same place at the same time. It seemed as if we¡¯d emptied the entire world and plunked all of its inhabitants right outside that damned wall. The sun was starting to reach toward the west; it was early afternoon. We¡¯d been fighting for hours, but it felt as if it had been days. The army will get here by nightfall. We have to hold.


    I bashed in the skull of a luckless wight, watching its Souls vanish. There was no time for collecting cards. Undead were good kills; they tended to have fuller decks than either Orcs or demons, so taking down one of their Summoners removed more enemy bodies from the field. Still, what I was doing was like trying to stop a flood by holding a sieve against the flow. I needed to find a captain of some sort if I wanted to make a dent. Even with how often his copies died, Yveda was still building up a small army. If I could rush an important enemy and overwhelm them, maybe I could make a difference. The problem was that they were flooding me with their infantry. I needed to get past the walls and out onto the field like Esmi and Gerad had done. Anything else was just wasting time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s push forward!¡± I yelled to my Souls. ¡°Out past the breach!¡±


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± one of the Yvedas called back. ¡°That¡¯s where the real shit is happening!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I got a broad shield of two dozen of the replicating demon in front of me and pushed as if I were in a crowd trying to escape a burning building. The Yvedas up front slashed and fought, dying in droves as we pushed against the advancing horde, gradually gaining ground one slick cobblestone at a time. I wished I could use the double Wildfire board clear I¡¯d done when fighting alongside Gerad out in the forest, but that¡¯d kill all my troops, too, which hardly seemed worth it. I used my Plate¡¯s self-damage alongside what my one remaining Marauder dealt me to send bolts of sizzling light against key points of resistance whenever I could. More Yvedas budded into being to take the place of the ones dying up front, and some sweaty eternity later I found myself standing in the gap of the broken wall, surveying the massive battle beyond.


    Edaine had outdone herself; her Spirits of Korikana were everywhere, making up entire phalanxes of troops surging against the enemy. She must have been summoning those things nonstop since she¡¯d learned the army was approaching. If I had the time to amass my troops with this Mythic, I could do the same thing. It was a sobering thought.


    Even more sobering, though, was to scan the horizon and see the sheer impossible enormity of what we faced. Our forces waged war in a thin line right around the city wall, and beyond that¡­ the enemy stretched out across the hills as far as the eye could see. It reminded me of kicking over an anthill. No matter where I looked, everything moved.


    A shriek of rage off to my right drew my eye, and I saw the muscular vampire take Esmi¡¯s cat mount and tear it in two with his bare hands, sending the poor thing scattering into motes of light. Esmi sent one of her upgraded Fireballs right at his head, and card shards fluffed away, catching fire as they dissipated.


    Huge enemy Souls were scattered across the field, towering over us humans like trees as they surged forward to destroy us. Closer at hand, a tall, slender stick of a creature loomed in midair a few heads higher than the swarm of undead surrounding it, and I caught sight of source circling its head. It looked like an old woman who¡¯d been dead for a century, her nose rotted away and her dried-out muscle showing through the papery skin she was slowly losing. She was throwing out Spells like a noble scattering coins to the poor on feastday. She was focused on the hole in the wall as if nothing else mastered as she flew over everyone else. ¡°That¡¯s one,¡± I said. ¡°Her.¡±


    The Yveda closest to me turned and looked where I pointed. All three dozen of his copies nearby stiffened, going still.


    ¡°Fuck no,¡± all the copies said in unison. They crowded back against me, pushing me against the rough, broken stones of the city wall.


    ¡°Get off me,¡± I snapped. ¡°I said we¡¯re going after her. You have to!¡±


    The one right against me turned around, placing its hands on my chest and holding me still. ¡°Listen, whatever your name is, you¡¯re not half bad, but I¡¯m telling you, if you go up against Felstrife, you die right now. I wouldn¡¯t face her with ten thousand of myself in between. Next to her you¡¯re nothing, do you understand? You¡¯re shit. You and everybody else you ever met. I kept a good gods-damned distance from her when I was alive, and I don¡¯t want her to have my card. So we¡¯re just going to stand here nice and quiet for a minute, you hear me? She¡¯s not even looking at us. Once she¡¯s gone we can slaughter somebody else.¡±


    ¡°Let go!¡± I raged. ¡°You can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m your Summoner!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to resist your orders,¡± Yveda agreed. ¡°It feels like spiders under my skin.¡± The tall undead woman was passing by us, and his copies closest to her were kneeling, keeping well out of her way, letting themselves die as other enemies attacked. ¡°But by the Chance and the Choice, I would hold you here for a year if it meant not facing that one.¡±


    ¡°Come back!¡± I screamed at the woman. ¡°Fight me!¡± It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to die, but that was the kind of enemy I needed to be facing if we were going to survive until the army arrived. ¡°I¡¯m right here, you bitch!¡± I used another Unstable Rift.


    The purple fire engulfed her, and I used the Talisman¡¯s channeling of the self-damage to blow the Yveda holding me to nothing. Three more grabbed me even as it died. The undead woman never slowed her step or even glanced in my direction. Two more seconds and she was out of sight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break your card,¡± I hissed at the Yvedas. ¡°I¡¯ll end you.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± one said, patting me on the shoulder as the others let me loose. ¡°I¡¯ve done us both a favor. Come on, let¡¯s go kill something we actually can kill. You¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    I had the most withering insults known to man lined up on my tongue, but none of them ever saw the light of day. At that moment, an enormous explosion rocked the field only two hundred feet away, sending bodies sailing into the air like feathers. Some slammed against the wall; others careened off into the greater body of the opposing army, crushing those who thought themselves still far from danger. An undead skeleton-thing standing some thirty feet tall tottered and fell to pieces as a winged demon sent skyward by the blast clipped through its leg bone, removing its support. Grit and sand scoured my face, and I turned away from the wave of sound, screaming without even hearing myself.


    Yvedas picked themselves up all around me, and I blinked to clear my eyes. A crater a hundred feet across was blasted clean, and in the center of it were two people. One was the Orc with the massive axe, which he held aloft in one hand. The other hand was gripped tight around the head of the second figure, who was kneeling in the dirt. It was Gerad. The Prince¡¯s face was ashen and his eyes were rolling back in his head. One arm hung at an odd angle at his side, and blood trickled from his nose.


    ¡°Human king,¡± the Orc roared. ¡°I have your whelp! Face me now or he dies!¡±

 B2: 55. Basil - Upstream

    I ran through the streets of Treledyne, feeling as if it was a place foreign to me. A smoky haze permeated the air, aggravating my eyes and making my chest burn the longer I spent in it, the sun above an angry orange when viewed through this unnatural filter. Ash stained the edifices of the normally whitewashed buildings, smears of soot like bruises. Worst though were the bodies that littered the cobblestones, often propped against buildings, as if people preferred to be upright when facing the end, but sometimes they were splayed out in the middle of the street where no one would normally be lying. The gross disorder of the situation I found quite disturbing, and I focused on that uncomfortable sensation instead of letting my mind linger on the true horrors I was seeing ¨C vacant gazes, flesh torn like fabric, mouths agape but eerily silent.


    Whenever I did chance upon someone moaning for aid, I gave them a Healing Potion or two, and once they could stand, pointed them in the direction of the safehouse. Thankfully, I had yet to find any wounded invaders, so I wasn¡¯t forced to decide whether or not to murder a weakened foe, but I knew my luck in that regard would only stretch so long.


    Cresting one of the sharper inclines of the thoroughfare, I came upon a pack of demons heading southward. Their individual coloration and shape varied, but there could be no mistaking their heritage, what with their horns, claws, and sharp teeth. They howled when they spotted me, sounding more beast than intelligent creature, making my blood run cold. However, this was not the first such group I had encountered since venturing out into the streets, and I was gradually becoming more adept at imposing my will onto my body, forcing it to do what I wished instead of the other way round.


    The demons charged me, cackling with an unhinged glee, and I matched their movement if not their sadistic laughter, sprinting forward to meet them. I picked out the lead demon as I ran, pink, with a head-crest and long tail, and using my already summoned source, cast the Spell I had borrowed from my cousin.


    A glittering Dome snapped into being, separating the demon from its comrades, many of them ricocheting off of the newly formed latticed grid. They quickly recovered, some of them clawing at the hardened air, and while a few sparks bled off of it, the Dome held strong. The first time I had used the Spell against a troop of orcs, I had flinched and fretted as they hammered away at it, but the demons now had no more success than those orcs had, and they eventually ceased their efforts, flowing around the Dome like a river around stone. The demons hissed at me as they passed but otherwise continued on their destructive way, seeming not to care that they were leaving one of their own behind.


    The pink demon had been using this time to test the Dome from the inside, long tail lashing like a cat¡¯s when it determined that it could not easily escape. It then focused on me with inky black eyes, as if its pupil had expanded to fill the entire socket.


    ¡°I do not normally torture my kills,¡± it said to me in a rasping voice, its mouth opening in four parts like some sort of toothed flower, ¡°but for you I will make an exception.¡±


    It dashed toward me then, claws outstretched. I doubted this demon was as strong as the Yveda we had faced in the woods or even Haze from the tournament, but I didn¡¯t wish to take any chances, so I summoned a Protection between us.


    The demon crashed into the large shield that formed, similar to how its fellows had collided with the Dome. By the time it had righted itself, I had a Master Shieldbearer summoned, which the demon bounced off of just as ineffectually, shedding a card of damage in the process.


    Its next attempt had some Nether Source Power behind it, its claws limned in purple energy, but even then, it only did 1 damage to my Shieldmaster and took the same in return.


    The demon shrieked in frustration, spittle flying from its petaled mouth, summoning demons of its own. A leathery-winged creature resolved into being, clawing at its caster before launching into the air, which brought another, smaller demon forth ¨C the very combination I had seen Hull use before.


    However, by then, I had my Acanthi summoned, who weathered the Root Imp¡¯s attacks stoically.


    My Master Shieldbearer was durable enough to withstand the blows from both the Gremlin and the demon summoner, slamming its shield into the Gremlin and shattering the Uncommon into shards. In a regular duel this would have been a poor play since the Gremlin had been about to Expire, but using the power of the Dueling Dome, I could tell that my opponent was already out of cards ¨C squinting at them, not a single glowing rectangle flitted around its form.


    Only four cards, I mused to myself. It wasn¡¯t surprising, not truly; that just seemed to be the way with these grunt troops no matter which army they were part of. The trouble they posed wasn¡¯t their individual power, but how blasted many of them that there were.


    The demon sent his Root Imp dive bombing at me again, but this time I let my Master Shielbearer block it, who I had Healed with my Life Source. The Imp slipped a long nail through my Bodyguard¡¯s armor, causing the Soul to grunt, but then the Shieldmaster crushed the Imp¡¯s head between its shields, the winged creature crumbling into dust.


    The demon summoner hadn¡¯t joined the attack, and if it had, I would have blocked it with my Acanthi to ensure that our duel didn¡¯t end prematurely. Instead, the demon slunk along the periphery of the Dome, watching me warily. I used the reprieve to let my Acanthi Regenerate and Heal my Master Shieldbearer back up to full. After that, I still didn¡¯t initiate an attack and began Healing myself, regaining the cards I had recently used.


    ¡°Is this how you humans torment your prey?¡± it accused as it watched me work. ¡°By making them wait?¡± It spat the last word at me, the four corners of its mouth quivering.


    ¡°I will end this when I choose to and not a moment before,¡± I answered, continuing to cycle through my whole deck, discarding and Healing until I drew back the Dueling Dome. While doing this, I circled to the left, and the demon mirrored me, keeping a set distance between us. I wished I could just move the Dome itself, but once cast, it remained stationary. I could, however, get into the best position for when it came down.


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    I glanced over my shoulder, looking through the glittering latticework to see if the path ahead was clear. Down the way I saw a cluster of undead shambling along, pursuing some red-robed summoning school students. They appeared overmatched, but there was nothing I could do for them here, so I sent up a prayer to Fate and Fortune, hoping the Twins would show more mercy to the living than they had to those who were already dead.


    A sizzle and a hiss were the only warnings I had, and I turned to find a bolt of purple energy less than a foot from my head. Time slowed, showing me that Fate cared at least enough for that, giving me a chance to react. Like my opponent¡¯s limited card pool, this too was no great surprise: in a last ditch effort, the demon had used a Nether Source Explosion. Just as Edaine had instructed us to, even with my cycling, I had cards waiting in my Mind Home for just such an eventuality. However, it made more sense to lose one card than a handful, so I cast the same Protection Spell, having returned it to my Hand a few minutes ago.


    Once again, the bronze shield sprung up, absorbing damage meant for me. The shield didn¡¯t even dent, meaning it had probably only been three or four source worth of power. When the Spell dissipated, I fixed the demon with my gaze.


    ¡°Are you quite finished now?¡± I asked, to which it replied with a deep-throated hiss and a lash of its tail. Its odd coloring and headcrest aside, it really did behave like a cat ¨C a cat that had probably killed multiple people on its way here. ¡°Go ahead,¡± I called up to the Acanthi.


    With a great sigh, sounding like wind blowing through willow branches, the massive green creature brought the full grown tree it carried like a club down on my opponent. The demon tried to dodge, scurrying to the side, but Fate was not so easily avoided, and the head of the oak came crashing down on the pink creature.


    With that finishing blow struck, the Dueling Dome began to disintegrate in motes of light, and as it fell, so too did my summoned Souls vanish. Not my Source though, nor the cards in my hand, which I gripped tightly as I bolted northward.


    I heard the demon groan, probably surprised to find itself still alive. That was the one downside of my plan to use the safety of the Dueling Domes to leapfrog my way to Esmi: I wasn¡¯t diminishing the number of invaders because I didn¡¯t dare risk staying in any one place without the protection of the Dome. Part of me felt badly for leaving such a killer loose, just as I had the last two times, but it would be stripped of cards for a time, and Treledyne was not without its defenses ¨C I had seen guards as well as students and other nobles fighting down a few different streets, so if Fortune favored us, one of them would come across the demon before its deck refreshed.


    For my part, I ran as fast as my legs would carry me toward the northern wall. I could see the upper portion of the great breach, but I was still a mile distant at least, the intervening buildings stopping me from seeing who or what was fighting at its base. There must not have been enough people to plug the hole if so many invaders were filtering down to me, but perhaps I could place a Dueling Dome in the gap and stop the influx for a time that way. I doubted the Dome could withstand an infinite number of attacks, but at this point, anything to stem the tide, even if it was only for a few minutes, would surely be useful for our forces, either to regroup or fall back.


    Assuming we still had forces there at all¡­


    Where is the king? I found myself wondering, not for the first time. Perhaps he was sweeping through the streets, purging them of invaders, or maybe he was picking off the enemy generals one by one. The man I had spoken to in the throne room had radiated a desire to bring the world in line with his wishes, and I couldn¡¯t imagine a war changing his vision. I didn¡¯t exactly respect him ¨C Treledyne was too imperfect for that ¨C but what he had accomplished and the power he had amassed to achieve it was enviable. Surely he must be using it now for us.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I came upon a sprawling mass of undead, and once again, I caught one out with the Dueling Dome. This decaying creature had only two Death source and a single Zombie, which it kept resurrecting by using its Source Power, sending it at me again and again.


    Like before, my Master Shieldbearer and Acanthi were more than enough to keep the Soul and summoner at bay, but unlike my previous encounter, the undead outside the Dome did not leave us to our duel. Instead, they practically laid against the bright walls, moaning and scratching at it with broken nails, waiting for it to come down. I even saw one cast some sort of dark lighting at me, but blessedly, it did not penetrate my Spell.


    As I worked through how I might handle this new wrinkle, to my great dismay, I saw a veritable horde of undead approaching from the adjoining streets. It seemed that my three-story tall Dome was not only granting me protection but also serving as a beacon for my enemies to find me.


    ¡°Think, Basil, think!¡± I muttered to myself while my Master Shieldbearer rebuffed yet another Zombie attack. One clever trick wasn¡¯t going to be enough to get me all the way to my fianc¨¦e. I needed to use cards to escape that I wouldn¡¯t require for my next duel, and I needed to go now. Even if they only had a single card a piece, there was no way I¡¯d be able to break through a group twenty bodies thick, and Equality wouldn¡¯t get the job done since very few of them had the extra vibrant look of Summons.


    I gave myself another minute to cycle cards, and then Devoted the Acanthi, smashing the undead summoner into the cobbles. As soon as the Dueling Dome was down, I cast my Scalemail from my hand and dashed to the east, where the number of undead was the lightest.


    The Armor was just to catch any stray hits I may not see coming. My real play was using Defensive Kata the moment the first desiccated limb reached for me.


    I then pumped more Air into the Spell with each successive enemy I slipped past, slapping limbs and rusted weapons away, until I broke free from the group. I ran full out once I was free, but not fast enough to stop two Spells from catching me. I hadn¡¯t even seen what they were but recognized the slowdown that accompanied being struck with cards well enough and tossed a pair of Executions over my shoulder.


    No additional cards flaked off of me when time resumed and then I was around the corner and out of their view. My pace didn¡¯t slow as I shot down this new stretch, even though running at such speeds made it considerably harder to Heal myself with Life source. It wasn¡¯t just the enemy I was working hard to get away from; seeing so very many of them in the city made me fearful for what Esmi, Hull, and the others must be facing. I had tried to give Esmi one of my Master Shieldbearers for protection, just as I had the elves, but she had refused me, saying her deckbuild had no extra space. After that refusal, I had nearly given her the Charbonder marriage earrings I had gotten from the King¡¯s Vault, the ones I had planned to share with her on our wedding day, but instead, I let Azure hurry me away.


    My offhand clutched the curved jewelry in my pocket. What if I never got the chance to see her face alight at the gift? What if ¨C


    A building to my left exploded in a shower of stone, a massive Soul I knew all too well stumbling through it.


    My mother crouched on one of the Sea Titan¡¯s great shoulders, managing to keep her balance, and on the other was my brother Randel, holding tightly to one of the tentacles the Titan had in place of hair. I skidded to a halt as the ground shook from the raining debris, searching frantically for what threatened to topple them and found a white-haired woman floating through the air, headed in their direction. She was sallow-cheeked and bony, much like the group I had just escaped, but with plenty of source and cards at her disposal that she could unleash.


    ¡°The lich¡­¡± I breathed in shock and horror. For some reason, I had assumed that the generals would still be on the other side of the wall. Did the Mythic undead want my mother¡¯s ability to sense elevation levels, or perhaps something of my brother¡¯s? Unknowing, I summoned Atrea, and sent her streaking toward them with the slim hope that she might somehow help.


    The winged knight was only halfway there when she came to a sudden, jerking stop, baffling me. The lich hadn¡¯t looked in her direction, so that couldn¡¯t be the cause, and I hadn¡¯t seen any Spells target my Epic. It was then I realized that the Sea Titan was no longer struggling to stand, remaining tilted backward at an awkward angle, and even the lich seemed to have stopped her slow advance.


    Yet one thing did move, floating down from on high, his long cloak snapping in the wind while all else was still.


    Our king had come to save us all.

 B2: 56. Hull - Apotheosis

    Dear old Dad hung there in the sky looking like some god of judgment. Gone was the feckless, self-centered royal I¡¯d seen him pretend to be in front of his nobles and subjects; in this moment Hestorus was a being of might, a central pillar of reality with more presence and vividness than the rarest of card summons. If a sculptor could have caught that face and wrought it in stone, they¡¯d have hung up their hammer and chisels for good, knowing they could never again reach such heights.


    ¡°This is all it comes to?¡± he boomed, sounding aggrieved. ¡°Is the world made of nothing larger than killing those who threaten my line? This cannot be the path forward.¡±


    The Orc general Targu¡¯Thal, still holding Gerad upright by his head, looked around as if wondering if Hestorus was speaking to him. There weren¡¯t any other options ¨C everyone was caught in some invisible grip as far as I could see, myself included ¨C but apparently the great warrior expected threats or pleading from his enemy, not existential dissatisfaction. He shook the Prince in his grip, regaining his determination. ¡°I challenge you, human,¡± he said. ¡°I have bested your best and found them wanting. Face me, or I will kill your son.¡±


    Hestorus merely stared and frowned, hardly seeming to see the scene in front of himself. My heart thudded in my chest. Would he really let Gerad die right in front of everyone? He¡¯d told me he wouldn¡¯t save me if I got myself in over my head, and I believed him, but surely his heir was a different story. I looked to Gerad. He¡¯d regained consciousness, and an angry, self-loathing sneer painted his bloody face. Whatever the truth of things, he didn¡¯t believe our father would intervene. Some tiny shred of me felt bad for him; I knew that despair, that abandonment. We¡¯d been shaped by the same hand, he and I. The larger, meaner part of me couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how much better my life would be if Gerad would do me the great favor of dying ¨C the man hated me with a passion and would do his best to discredit and kill me if he lived.


    The King threw his head back to the sky. ¡°Who put you in charge? A child could design it better!¡± The defiant words rang out over the silent battlefield, and nothing but a hollow wind whistling through the hole in the city wall behind me answered. Hestorus gave a mighty sigh, shoulders slumping in apparent despair, but a moment later he fixed Targu¡¯Thal with a gimlet stare. ¡°If this is the game I must play, no matter how infantile, then fine. I bow to the inevitability of our blind, dead masters and accept your challenge.¡±


    The heavens rang as if a gong the size of a mountain had just been struck, and Gerad was swept out of Targu¡¯Thal¡¯s hand by the same force that held the rest of us still. He sailed off into the air a hundred feet from our father and hung there, suspended, looking around wildly. Lines drew themselves in the air around him, sketching out a short wall in front of him and a transparent chair beneath him. The lines sped off in all directions, turning and veering with the precision of a dragonfly, leaving trails of light as they went. Color began to fill in around the lines like dyes dropped into water, and the little wall in front of Gared suddenly looked real. The outline of a massively tall arena was taking shape in the air.


    ¡°Twins twist my balls,¡± I whispered. ¡°It¡¯s apotheosis.¡± This wasn¡¯t going to be some little box match like Gerad and I had been caught up in. This was the real deal, the full feast. Fate and Fortune had a top-tier exhibition match on their hands, and everyone on the battlefield had been given a compulsory invitation.


    Others were caught up into the air on all sides one by one, spectators of the Twins¡¯ great game. The dead bodies lying broken around us never stirred. Apparently the gods preferred a live audience. I heard a rustle of cloth somewhere near me and the crunch of feet in the dirt. I could only move my head, but I turned as best I could to see who was sneaking around. I saw no one, and a bare second later any confusion was driven from my mind as I got jerked into midair by the unseen hand that held me. I sped helplessly forward, then left, then down, then back, trying not to let the whine of fear growing in the back of my throat slip out. I settled into place in a chair that blossomed into reality underneath me, and suddenly I could move.


    My source was gone, as were all my Souls and Relics, and when I mentally reached for my Mind Home, it was like bouncing off a brick wall. My brass knuckles still nestled in my hand ¨C a comforting weight ¨C but when I saw a rotting wight sail into place only a few seats away from me, my questing fingers found a smooth, invisible barrier less than an arm¡¯s length away. I wasn¡¯t a competitor here; I was meant to sit in the stands. Much as I¡¯d have liked to take the time to thin the enemy ranks a little, it looked like the Twins kept a tight rein against brawling in the cheap seats.


    Hestorus and Targu¡¯Thal faced each other in a dueling box only a few rods below me. If this had been a real Coliseum match, I¡¯d have had to spend a pretty penny to get seats this good. Apparently the Twins knew who was invested most in the match and arranged us accordingly. Gerad¡¯s seat was even better than mine, the asshole. I looked around for Basil or Esmi and couldn¡¯t see either of them. Real combatants seemed to be spaced evenly throughout the self-creating arena, with ghostly forms filling the seats between. I could hear ethereal cheers and chants that grew in volume as the godly arena became more and more solid. The space was ten times bigger than the Coliseum, an impossible structure.


    I looked to the sky. The late afternoon sun warmed my face; we still had another three hours or more of daylight. I wonder how far the freezing effect goes. Looks like it covers the whole battle, but does it go farther than that? Depending on how long this lasts, it could be the difference between the whole city getting overrun and our army arriving to save our asses. The gods must know that; did they care? It wasn¡¯t a thought a gutter rat like me was used to having.


    I couldn¡¯t go anywhere; all I could do was watch. However this turned out, I suspected that once it was over I¡¯d get dumped right back where I¡¯d been, hopefully with the same Relics and Summons I¡¯d had before it all began. I settled into my chair and tried to shake off my battle focus. If I¡¯d been in the Coliseum I¡¯d have waved down a vendor for a sausage on a stick, but I doubted the Twins went in for finger foods. Besides, no matter how I fought before or after, I was pretty sure the battle on the floor of the gods¡¯ arena would determine the outcome of the day. That thought made my stomach clench. Probably best I didn¡¯t have anything to eat; I didn¡¯t think Fate and Fortune would like me throwing up on their seats.


    My father was talking to the empty air in front of him; likely the two contestants were going through some kind of preparation like I¡¯d experienced when I fought Gerad this way. My hands clenched as I looked down at the man I¡¯d hated so much for so long. All my life I¡¯d thought I was destined to kill him; it wasn¡¯t until I¡¯d watched him take a killing blow from Lustra and turn it back on her that I¡¯d realized how far from reality that goal was. Did I still want to kill him? I knew so much more now; I saw some shred of what it took to govern even a single neighborhood and how hard decisions had to be made even if someone got hurt by them. I¡¯d seen what he meant to humankind and how he was trying in his own mad way to make us all more than we were. Could I hate the man? Would I kill him even if I could?


    I didn¡¯t know. Twins damn him for all he¡¯d done, but I just didn¡¯t know. It shook me to my boots to realize it. Who was I if I didn¡¯t hate Hestorus? One thing I held for certain in my heart, though: there had to be a better way than the one he¡¯d chosen. Civilization shouldn¡¯t come at the cost of creating a place like the Lows, and a man shouldn¡¯t abandon his children in the hopes it made them strong.


    For all my conviction of his wrongness, we needed him now. ¡°Make it a long fight, you son of a bitch,¡± I muttered down at him. ¡°Play with him until the army gets here, and then put him down hard. Do this one thing right.¡±


    If he heard, Hestorus showed no sign. For all that he said he¡¯d watched over me all these years, had he ever heard me? I had the feeling I¡¯d never know.


    Then my lips started moving of their own accord, saying the sacred words. I heard the same from a hundred thousand voices all around, both real and ghostly. Some spoke languages I didn¡¯t know, but somehow all the words resolved into a single, coherent voice. ¡°Fate who guides and Fortune who saves, these your servants offer themselves in the sacred contest of will and skill. Seal this combat with your divine power and show them the cost of coming before their gods. So be it.¡±


    Looking toward the tall tower at the far end of the arena and the two shining, indistinct figures who sat in the singular box within, I steeled myself for the match. So be it, indeed. Win this one for us, father.


    * * *


    Hestorus stilled the storm inside himself and let his heels settle to the arena floor as he faced the Orc who had killed his dear Juriss and nearly done the same to Gerad. The forms had been followed; the match had begun. His entire beloved city watched. He¡¯d fought for so long against this inevitability, and a part of him railed against being forced into it now. How many of these gods¡¯ games had he refused over the centuries? It had only happened more frequently since he¡¯d attained Legendary, and always he¡¯d felt sure that playing into Fate and Fortune¡¯s hands was not his destiny.


    But he¡¯d worked so hard to arrange this war, to subtly influence the demons and undead into the alliance that would make the wandering Orcs a true threat to humanity, and this was the natural culmination of those events. How could he back away now? Perhaps this final demonstration of power would be what would finally entice someone ¨C anyone ¨C among his human kin to follow him into Legendary. Every other trail had been trod. The only reasonable path that led him past the end of the road was this one.


    But how? his inner elevation cried. Is it another trick? Fate and Fortune are fools, simpletons who hoard power and see nothing beyond this mockery of a game. How can playing their damned match lead me higher? To have his own son dangled as bait was a trap so obvious that it must be something else; he¡¯d scoured all sentimentality from himself ages ago in his quest to lift up humanity as a whole. And yet, and yet¡­ in seeing the boy laid low he¡¯d felt not the expected disappointment over yet another prot¨¦g¨¦ who¡¯d failed to perform, but instead some tremulous echo of the pain and rage he passed through watching that first family of his die at the hands of brigands so very, very long before. Was there some power he needed hidden in the dumb animal bond between parent and child? Had he missed some great secret dangling right in front of his face as he¡¯d devoured the mysteries and occult teachings of the ancients?


    And so, bewildered, he¡¯d accepted the Twins¡¯ invitation to fight despite the fact that this fool Orc had not so much as half the power of other foes he¡¯d bested in times past. Pulling his thoughts back to the present, he saw that Targu¡¯Thal had retreated to the far corner of the dueling box to sit cross-legged with his eyes closed. Hestorus remembered all the years he¡¯d spent finding out the little ways to force-cycle so he could shave a fraction of a second off the time required to summon a source. The Orc was good at it; he already had 3 Chaos circling his head. Hestorus thought about pulling one of his own, but there was very little point in doing so. He¡¯d moved beyond the need for source in most situations, especially those that required fighting. If the Twins found the fight boring or were annoyed that he¡¯d violated the traditional opening gambit, so much the better.


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    ¡°How do you think to kill me?¡± he asked Targu¡¯Thal.


    ¡°The plan was to engage you from the front and let the others come in from the sides and back,¡± the Orc admitted, not opening his eyes nor moving from his seated meditation pose. ¡°The Wills apparently had other ideas for us.¡±


    Hestorus felt a stab of disappointment. Battlefield stratagems, nothing more. Perhaps if all of the enemy Mythics had swarmed him he¡¯d have had to scramble, but now¡­ ¡°So instead you face me alone. What possessed you to accept? Are you mad or merely arrogant?¡±


    A faint smile creased the warrior¡¯s weathered face, puckering around his tusks. ¡°Anyone must be a good deal of both to reach Mythic.¡±


    Hestorus sat across from him, mirroring his pose. The distant roar of the crowd took on a note of confusion and disappointment, but he blocked it out. He had to feel his way carefully through this encounter if he was to discover some use in it. ¡°Do you imagine that defeating me will vault you to Legendary? You must know it¡¯s nowhere near that simple, even with the extra gifts the Twins'' arena brings.¡±


    ¡°We had agreed to split your shards,¡± Targu¡¯Thal said. ¡°You are a stepping-stone, nothing more.¡±


    Once he would have raged at the thought of someone breaking his card, but he¡¯d done the same and far worse many times over. Instead, he chuckled. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t put a blood oath on it. It would be a shame to shoulder all the risk and still have to split the spoils.¡±


    The Orc¡¯s smile widened into a fierce grin. He had eight source overhead. ¡°Your shards will give me the power to take theirs. Legendary or no, I will be the mightiest being on the continent before the year turns.¡±


    Feeling a hint of the old battle thrill, Hestorus returned the general¡¯s smile. ¡°Best start strong, then. I¡¯m rather partial to the shards in question.¡±


    ¡°Then let us begin!¡± the Orc howled, launching himself from his seated position high into the air. Hestorus sat still, watching the powerful warrior reach the peak of his jump and begin to descend. An unexpected disturbance in the air to one side distracted him for a bare moment, bringing a distant chime of fear with it, but he refocused on the threat at hand. Targu¡¯Thal was summoning, and he meant to hit hard.


    It was an excellent combo. It made use of the inevitable fact that hitting a Legendary would cost a hefty amount of cards from the attacker and then used that ¨C plus a truly magnificent weapon; incredible that Chaos should produce such an overpowered monster of a Relic ¨C as the base of an impressive multiplier. One-shot tactics were the surest way to fell a foe above your own power level; he¡¯d done similar things a few times himself in the distant past, though back then he¡¯d never put together a combo that hit this hard. It might have even been enough to kill him a century or two ago. The addition of the deck-destruction Spell felt like a backup contingency; this was a blow meant to fell a mountain in a single strike.


    He held up a fist as Targu¡¯Thal descended in all his fury. As the Orc¡¯s On the Chin Spell demanded, the fist landed first, sending a blizzard of card shreds into the air around the Orc. He had a heavy Armor ability, of course, but Hestorus¡¯s bare knuckles had cost him no less than 10 cards, perhaps 12.


    Then the massive axe rammed home atop Hestorus¡¯s head. The impact was incredible, throwing up a ring of dust and dirt to wash over the stands. He couldn¡¯t help but smirk. The Twins had made this arena from nothing; there was no actual dust to be found. They just liked the drama of it all.


    Instead of the usual crunching impact Relics made, a crystalline crack resonated from the point of contact. If anyone in the stands had been holding a wineglass, it would have shattered. A gasp and a hush fell over the crowd as Targu¡¯Thal flew backwards, flailing madly until he hit the invisible barrier surrounding the dueling box and tumbled to the ground.


    Not a single card shred leaked from Hestorus. None could; his Mind Home didn¡¯t work like that anymore. The Orc stared at him in gray-faced shock as Hestorus got to his feet. He scrabbled backward against the shield, seeing his own death advancing.


    Hestorus ignored him. Turning to the Twins¡¯ shining tower, he raised two forked fingers in an age-old gesture of disgust and defiance. ¡°Is this all you have for me? Is there none who can challenge me now? Is this it?!¡± Chest heaving, mind awhirl, he spat on the stones. ¡°Fight me yourselves if nothing else!¡±


    Behind him, Targu¡¯Thal was scrambling to recover, summoning whatever shreds of hope remained to him.


    The summons barreled into him from the side, swinging a sword. Even if Targu¡¯Thal had had the 5 Chaos needed for her devote ability it would have done nothing. As it stood, the Soul shattered at the point of impact, motes of light breaking apart from the sword backward until nothing remained.


    Facing his felled enemy, Hestorus sought desperately for meaning. The war elevates us all; that much I know. Can stepping in to save Gerad really mean anything? He was a sweet child once; he might have been a good king if I¡¯d had time to pay attention to him. How could he matter more than Juriss? She was on the edge of Mythic, and he has miles to go. Should I have saved her instead? How can any of them join me if I don¡¯t let them stand or fall on their own?


    Looking past Targu¡¯Thal with eyes that saw beyond, he gazed through the illusion of the arena to his beloved city burning in the dying light. All my work, is it for naught? We won¡¯t win this battle unless I do it, and then what¡¯s the point? Rage and despair hit him harder than the Orc¡¯s axe had. What more could I give? I have given my whole life to building us up! Everything! He¡¯d discovered more than three hundred years before that the only way to elevate himself beyond what was known was to elevate his whole species; but the how of it eluded him even now.


    His own thoughts rang back at him, and he suddenly realized he¡¯d been lying to himself. Oh, Hest, my lad, how can you say you¡¯ve given everything while you still stand? There was one thing left he could give in order to elevate humanity: his life. If it meant that Gerad and Hull, Bryll and Maisi, Rulon and Vetch and all the others, any of his brilliant children might follow in his steps¡­ it might be worth it. Might it? The thoughts didn¡¯t quite make sense, but they rang in his heart like a bell even so.


    ¡°How?¡± he yelled to the skies. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, but how?¡± He pointed at the cowering Targu¡¯Thal. ¡°With this?¡±


    The Twins ¨C or whoever it was up on that tower ¨C said nothing. They never did, no matter how he searched and studied, prayed and sacrificed. The heavens were closed to him. If he wanted to take this step, the answer wouldn¡¯t come from above.


    He let the moment hang, but nothing happened. With a heavy heart, he faced the Orc. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought this would go differently. I hoped. If it makes you feel any better, I did have a new thought as we fought. It might prove fruitful someday.¡±


    Targu¡¯Thal said nothing, but he climbed to his feet, holding his massive axe at the ready. His eyes were dull with despair, but he would meet his death on his feet. It was the most anyone could ask for. Hestorus gave him a nod of respect and reached forward to end him.


    That errant breeze he¡¯d felt before solidified right in front of him, turning into a human man with braids in the armor of a city guard. He had a mocking smirk on his face. Odd; he was obviously a Summoner, but Hestorus could see a full card as if he were a summons.


    ¡°Hello, sweetheart,¡± the man said, devoting the full circle of 10 Nether circling his head.


    Hestorus felt a flash of confusion, but the tilt of that smile sparked a memory, and the resonance of the being behind that face was as familiar as his own despite the years that had separated them. Hello, Yveda, he might have said if he¡¯d had time. I¡¯ve missed you, you awful being. I¡¯m not sure why you decided to commit suicide this way. Surely you remember that any blow that might kill me turns back on the one who dealt it?


    In the dear demon¡¯s eyes he saw that knowledge and plenty else besides. He marveled, wondering what he¡¯d missed. He really should have had more children with her. It had felt important at the time to have a legitimate human heir, and he¡¯d been so shocked to be tricked into a bastard that he¡¯d had the woman thrown out before he even realized who she was, but his plans had taken many a turn since then. He almost wished he could stop the incredible 120 points of damage she was pouring down his throat from killing her. The conversations they¡¯d once had!


    The Spells thundered home into him, and he arched wildly, feeling the power like lightning surging through him, turning about and leaping back out through his mouth. What a shame, Goodbye, dearest enemy of mine.


    But that knowing twinkle only grew, and in a flash she shifted form into someone else. Someone he knew. Someone he hadn¡¯t seen look like this in a very long time.


    If his mouth hadn¡¯t been full of fire and lightning, he would have laughed. That¡¯s my boy. Nearly twenty years this moment had been brewing, and he hadn¡¯t even seen it coming. No canny Orc warrior would take him down, oh no. It would be the woman he hadn¡¯t known he loved until she was gone, and the boy that had come from their brief time together. Hull had wanted to kill him all along, and it turned out he was going to, using the exact power Hestorus had blithely assumed would save him. Who would have guessed that this would be what I passed down to him?


    The wash of flame and lightning entered the child and came right back out his mouth. Hestorus watched it come. He should have been scared, should have been raving at the collapse of a thousand years of progression, but instead he felt¡­ peace. Joy, even. This felt right as rain. It was the solution he¡¯d looked for all this time, right under his nose.


    Ah, Hull. My brave, beautiful boy. I hope you get your card back.


    It was his last thought.

 B2: 57. Basil - Impossible Odds

    The massive, Twins-made coliseum disintegrated as our King fell, the chairs and low walls turning back into lines of light and then to nothing at all. My seat had been in the upper reaches of the arena, but instead of plummeting to my death, I was carried gently downward by the reality-bending magics Fate and Fortune possessed. It was a phenomenon I barely noticed, in truth, as my attention remained rooted on the king. I desperately wanted to believe he still lived, that like in a Dueling Dome match the damage he had taken hadn¡¯t been fatal. However, from my high vantage, I could see that his body had become a blackened husk due to the comboed Fury Bomb Spell that had struck him, his clothing and grand cape burned away, his flesh like lumps of coal.


    We¡¯re all going to die, was the thought that echoed in my mind, my body, my bones. Looking at his corpse, it was like I could see the death of every human here, of Treledyne itself. Tears came unbidden to my eyes as I gazed upon the precursor of our extinction, but as I mourned, I summoned my source and cards ¨C if I was to die, I would not do so quietly.


    I was halfway to the city streets below, other summoners and warriors falling with me like lazy rain, scant few humans among them, when my body was jerked violently backward. So sudden was the movement, my stomach felt like it was left behind, but this was the same forceful, Twins-induced travel that had carried me nearly a mile to the King¡¯s apotheosis in the first place.


    As I hurtled backward, over burnt and broken buildings, I cried out. ¡°No! Stop! I have to go to her!¡± Unlike Hull, I had managed to find Esmi in the stands, seated lower and on the opposite side of the arena. A plan of the heart had been born as I had watched the king brought low by that mysterious third combatant: I would make a last stand at Esmi¡¯s side. Not only did I want to be as close to my fianc¨¦e as possible during our final moments, but perhaps if we perished together, we would be collected together, and we could live out the rest of our existence in a shared Mind Home.


    And yet with each passing second I was being taken farther and farther from where I knew her to be. At first I struggled against the unseen force but then I drew more cards, thinking that maybe one of them would allow me to escape. I was digging though my deck when I sailed past the lich who had been hunting my family. The distance our starting location was from the apotheosis apparently determined how quickly we were brought back; the undead had already been returned to her spot in the air and so too had my mother and brother, though they were no longer riding upon a Sea Titan. Instead, the pair had been deposited on the cobbled street down below, and their eyes went wide as they saw me zip by like I was on a wire line.


    The Flying lich also noticed my passing, her socketed gaze following me hungrily. However, I didn¡¯t hold her attention long, her bony neck twisting to look toward the wall.


    The king¡¯s card, I realized. Surely there could be no prize greater in this war than harvesting that particular Legendary, and the lich seemed to agree, turning her back to me, which flooded me with relief. But what of Esmi?! a voice shouted in my mind. The lich returning to the front lines would invariably put my fianc¨¦e in danger, and what if that was the tipping point in the scales that led to Esmi¡¯s death?


    The aerial track the Twins had me on never slowed, wind rustling in my ears as I continued to fly backward, so I only had a split second to make a decision, and in that fraction of time, I spent my sources and cast a Spell.


    The glittering Dome I had come to know well over the past few hours dropped like a curtain from the sky, catching and halting my movement against the back wall, and more importantly, slipping down in front of the lich, stopping her departure. She whirled on me, the rotted rags she wore flaring out from the quick movement. I smiled in greeting despite the uncomfortable pressure my body was experiencing. As near as I could tell, there was still a force attempting to pull me backward to my original position, while the power of the Spell fought to keep me exactly where I was. Combined, the sensation was akin to being stretched like taffy in the hands of an unruly child, particularly if my spine was part of the taffy; from the insistent tug on it, I thought might actually be ripped from my body. To my surprise, it was the Dome that shook and then actually moved, angling downward from where it previously hung in the sky.


    It seemed that the Twins wouldn¡¯t be denied in their desire to return me to where I had been when the apotheosis had begun, but I didn¡¯t mind since I was dragging the enemy general along with me. The lich floated in the air similar to our King ¨C how he used to float ¨C and she managed to move with the Dome in a way that kept her from colliding with the walls. As we descended, she pinned me with her hollow gaze, never drawing closer to my side, but she did draw cards. I was still stuck to the back of the Dome wall and in considerable pain, but through gritted teeth, I too summoned my opening hand.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad group of cards by any means, but I had grown used to being protected by my Bodyguards, to the point that anytime I didn¡¯t start with them, I felt vulnerable.


    The agony of the conflicting pressures on my body was reaching a fever pitch, so I did the only thing I knew how: I immersed myself in analysis. The Defensive Kata could serve as an alternate form of defense, but I had no Air to summon it with: my source draws were an Order and my dual source of Life and Order, which I was grateful to have. There was no question that I needed to mulligan, but in the half a day I had possessed the Pantherkin, this was the first time I had drawn it, so I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how best to leverage its abilities. Theoretically, I knew it would be effective at removing smaller Souls that my opponent summoned, but to me, its true strength was its ability to Sneak Attack the enemy summoner, potentially twice if paired with my Air Source Power. That, however, struck me as an endgame play. At the start of the game, I couldn¡¯t use the Pantherkin as a defender because it didn¡¯t have Dodge, and while I could use it to destroy enemy Souls with Pounce, that would be after they first got a chance to attack. And using the Pantherkin to block damage from hand wasn¡¯t worth it ¨C better to keep Seeds should I require a throwaway blocker like that.


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    In the end, the Dome came to a stop on the cross street I had been on, the lower portion sinking into the ground, so that my feet could touch the street. Its job complete, the crushing force departed, and I almost fell flat on my face, so surprised to have it gone. I still stumbled a bit, but the pain vanished along with the pressure, and I managed to catch myself just as quickly. When I was confident in my footing, I discarded as planned, though it hurt me in an entirely different way to put the Pantherkin on the bottom of my deck, especially when I got another Order on my redraw and my Master Assassin.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s balls,¡± I cursed, examining what I was left with. Seeds could let me get the Master Assassin out sooner, but other than that, my initial lines of play and defense were practically nonexistent. At the least, the Master Assassin would let me block for 3 and then I could Heal it back should the lich decide to start the match aggressively.


    Having nothing else to consider for myself, I watched my opponent tuck a single card back behind her thin, long pale hair, all the while wondering what sort of cards she was using, much like a criminal facing execution wonders if the hooded man will use the rope or the ax. As one would expect, she summoned a Death source, while I let my dual source drift up ¨C I was careful to summon it Order side up, since if I had chosen Life, that would have initiated a clash against her Death source, and I didn¡¯t have an extra Life source I could play if such a thing occurred.


    Still without speaking or so much as breathing, the lich used the initiative to summon a single Zombie, exactly the same as the ones I had faced a mere two streets over. From a summoner of her stature, the choice utterly confounded me, even though I was grateful that I wouldn¡¯t be getting attacked this turn.


    My trainer Tipfin used to say that there were no bad cards, only bad duelists, but even if that was the case, why wouldn¡¯t this general have used her presumably considerable resources to elevate the card? There had to be a reason, some sort of synergy with another card in her deck or an ability she possessed, like Esmi¡¯s Aura for kobolds.


    While I was puzzling over that, I drew two more cards, grinding my teeth to get another Defensive Kata and Seeds for the Future. If I had known that this would be the way of things, I would have drawn two source to dig up an Air. I released my Order source, praying my next cards would be better ¨C not that the Twins seemed willing to answer any of our prayers right now.


    You¡¯re fine, I told the spiraling part of myself. She doesn¡¯t have anything either, and when you do get an Air, you¡¯ll be twice as defensible. I almost used my dual source to cast one of the Seeds, setting myself up for my next turn, but I disliked how little I knew of the undead¡¯s deck, so, though I itched to do otherwise, I waited.


    Perhaps this was a sign that I was becoming a more patient summoner, or perhaps I had just made a terrible mistake.


    She brought forth a Water source, which I found interesting and somewhat reassuring due to my familiarity with Water. Or so I thought; the apparition she summoned was unlike anything I had seen or read about, ghostly in form with icicles and crystals fused to its long robes.


    Much more terrifying than its ethereal visage was its effects. Even if I could get my Master Assassin on the field, there wasn¡¯t anything at all he could do to damage the Spectre.


    The lich raised a bony hand, and the Zombie shuffled toward me, growling and grunting as it came. There was no way I was going to risk losing an unknown card from my Mind Home, so I gripped one of my Seeds for the Future, preparing to defend myself. That was when I heard a muffled, yet familiar voice speak from the side.


    ¡°Basil, drop this Dome immediately so I can flatten that abomination.¡±


    I turned to find none other than my mother on the other side of the glittering wall. She was joined by my brother Randel, as well as her Sea Titan towering behind them both.


    My family had actually come to help me, and my heart swelled with gratitude.


    ¡°Quickly, now,¡± my mother snapped, ¡°before that corpse summons something you cannot handle.¡±


    The tone of her command burst the pleasant bubble that had been growing in me. Even now she refused to view me as someone capable, and the frustration of that fact took up residence deep within my gut. At the same time, I wasn¡¯t some petulant child who would refuse her out of frustration, so, avoiding the entangled emotions, I briefly considered her proposal and just as quickly dismissed it.


    It was true that I might be able to end the Dueling Dome Spell since I had been the one to cast it, but my mother¡¯s Sea Titan only did 8 damage, and after the king¡¯s apotheosis, the lich likely had all her cards back, just as I did. So, the lich could simply take the hit and then Fly away, since neither I nor my mother ¨C or Randel to my knowledge ¨C had cards that allowed us to Devote summoners like this Spectre. In addition, since the other two enemy generals had been in the duel and used their most powerful cards to defeat the king, the general I had captured was the most dangerous foe that remained to us. Every moment I kept her here was another moment that Treledyne might be able to use to survive.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be doing anything of the sort, mother,¡± I replied. ¡°Please, help those you can and get to safety. I¡¯ll keep her here as long as I¡¯m able.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool like you were at the gala,¡± she said, the muffling of the Dome doing nothing to prevent the bite of her words from coming through. ¡°You are neither a warrior nor a martyr and should do as you¡¯re told.¡±


    ¡°Basil ¨C¡± Randel started, but I didn¡¯t give him the chance to pile on.


    ¡°I am a battle-tested lieutenant in the army, mother,¡± I said, blocking the Zombie who had finally reached me with my Seeds card, the Uncommon shattering in silver motes, pushing the Zombie back. ¡°Whether you believe it or not, I am going to handle this.¡± Or so I said. The reality was that I had locked myself in a confined space with a Mythic undead summoner who might have been alive more years than my entire family line and participated in just as many duels. I hadn¡¯t started this match thinking I could win but in a desperate attempt to do anything I could to protect Esmi.


    Of course, I¡¯d be damned if I let my mother know that.


    I drew my two new cards, and¡­ ¡°Twins be praised,¡± I whispered in budding elation. The cards I had pulled were an Air source and my Master Shieldbearer.


    My shoulders straightened as I stared down my silent foe, finally feeling prepared for this duel. Hull and Gerad managed to defeat one of the Mythic generals. Now it was time to see if I could accomplish the same.


    And if my mother wanted to watch, so be it.

 B2: 58. Hull - Who You Really Are

    I stared at the charred husk of my father where it lay, pathetic and powerless in the crater made when the Orc general had laid my brother Gerad low. They were both there now, a stone¡¯s throw away from the corpse. Gerad had the same stunned, hopeless look on his face that I felt in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if he was thinking the same thing as me: I wasn¡¯t the one who got to kill him after all. My very soul throbbed and burned at the thought, but it was a cleansing heat.


    Gerad got to his knees, face still bloody, a hand outstretched toward the dead man. He was oblivious to the Orc who¡¯d nearly killed him scrabbling in the dirt nearly within arm¡¯s reach. Targu¡¯Thal, thank the Twins, only had eyes for Hestorus and the child figure who bent over his husk. ¡°Stop!¡± the Orc bellowed, stumbling to his feet. ¡°Yveda, wait!¡± I could hear him clearly from where I¡¯d been deposited by the wall.


    The child ¨C me, as a child, as strange as that was to see ¨C didn¡¯t pause. He pulled a card from the dead king¡¯s mouth. It shone as if infused with sunlight. He held it tight in one hand while he probed behind Hestorus¡¯s ear for cards from the Mind Home. Something must have been odd about that, because the boy ¨C my Twins-damned mother, using my old soul card as a disguise ¨C frowned and stood up without taking anything. The burned body sparkled with light and in seconds blew away into shining dust almost like a defeated card soul. That got an even bigger frown, as well it might. Real bodies didn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°We are meant to share in it,¡± Targu¡¯Thal said as he trotted across the distance between them, focusing on the tiny sun in the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°This was always the plan.¡± He sounded scared, almost desperate.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± the child said in a dismissive way. ¡°Like your kind are so fond of saying: I just don¡¯t feel like it. To the victor go the spoils, and that¡¯s me.¡± He tucked the shining card into his tunic, turned instantly into the sallow-faced older man with a braid I¡¯d seen before, and then vanished from sight.


    ¡°NO!¡± the Orc screamed, rushing forward. He swept his hands through the air where the man had been mere moments before, finding nothing. ¡°You cannot! Come back, demon. We will hunt you to the end of forever and beyond for this. YVEDA!¡±


    There was no response. I couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter chuckle. Expecting anything but betrayal from my mother was a fool¡¯s bet. Part of me wanted to see him catch her and rip her in half, but the other part found a bittersweet symmetry in her being the one to kill him and take his card. She should have been his queen and I should have been their prince, and now she¡¯d made him pay for all the years in between. I rubbed at my chest, feeling the burn of grief, thwarted anger, and who knew what else besides. It wasn¡¯t the ending I¡¯d hoped for, but it was the one I¡¯d gotten. Maybe part of growing up was accepting that some dreams would never be.


    Targu¡¯Thal rounded on Gerad, balling his fists. He must have dismissed his axe when the arena disappeared, because I didn¡¯t see it anywhere. My asshole half-brother was on his feet and ready for him, armor donned and sword in hand, his full hand of 11 cards floating off to the side.


    ¡°Some of us were letting our Mind Homes refresh while others were busy depleting their decks in the arena,¡± Gerad said grimly. ¡°How many cards did he leave you with ¨C five? Fewer than that?¡±


    With a snarl, the Orc general turned and ran back to the scattered lines of his army in the near distance. He¡¯d handed Gerad his ass before, but even someone driven by Chaos had to see that now he had the losing hand. All the nearby scattered Orcs and undead who¡¯d been watching the drama warily decided to follow their leader, preferring to retreat to safety now and attack in force once they¡¯d rejoined their fellows.


    I was grateful I¡¯d cleared the ground around me of enemies before the apotheosis began; it gave me time to resummon and reset. I¡¯d been pulling cards since I first touched down, and I¡¯d been lucky enough to draw my Yveda the Endless, so I summoned him.


    ¡°The other Yveda killed the King,¡± I told him. ¡°She¡¯s my mother, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Bad luck for you,¡± the demon said, shaking his head. ¡°How¡¯d she end up with a puny human child like you?¡±


    ¡°The King,¡± I said shortly.


    That got a mirthless chuckle suddenly echoing in two throats instead of one. ¡°A lifetime of pain expressed in two words. How perfect.¡±


    I nearly dismissed him for that, but right at that moment Halifax landed next to the Prince, Gale atop the griffon¡¯s back. I¡¯d been nervous to approach an armed Gerad on an empty battlefield, especially after what had just happened, but he wouldn¡¯t kill me with others watching¡­ not with the enemy breathing down our necks, at least.


    They were arguing as I approached. ¡°If we don¡¯t rally now, what¡¯s the point?¡± Gerad demanded.


    ¡°The vanguard of our army is still half an hour away,¡± Gale replied, sounding as if his patience was strained. ¡°Look around! The city is breached and the defenses are broken. The enemy will regroup and be on us in less than five. I don¡¯t care if you magically pull every last defender to this spot; you won¡¯t last twenty-five minutes. You try to hold this position and the city will get to watch their King die twice today.¡±


    Shit, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s the King. That¡¯s not going to go well for any of us. Looking to Gerad, I had to admit that he at least looked the part. He was a cheat, a murderer at heart, and a preening, arrogant asshole, but the people would love him anyway. Any heart the people had left would break if he died now. ¡°Gale¡¯s right. You can¡¯t fight.¡±


    Gerad rounded on me, furious. ¡°Look at the city, Hull. Look!¡±


    I looked, and my already-sore heart clenched. Smoke billowed in all directions, and renewed screams echoed tinnily along the stone canyons of the streets as the infiltrating forces got back to their spots and started murdering again. Had they reached the Lows yet? They¡¯d tear through them like cheesecloth when they did.


    ¡°You want me to just let that happen?¡± Gerad demanded.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop it,¡± Gale said severely. ¡°You¡¯re the King now. I¡¯m taking you to join the army. That¡¯s where you¡¯ll be safest, and that¡¯s where you can actually do some good. Mount up¡­ your Majesty.¡±


    Gerad swung his head like a street dog being beaten by two sticks at once, unable to face either problem without being overwhelmed by the other. ¡°Just do it, you dickhead. You know he¡¯s right.¡±


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    ¡°I don¡¯t need advice from gutter urchins,¡± he said icily as he reached for Gale¡¯s hand and mounted smoothly. ¡°Do the decent thing and get yourself killed out there, won¡¯t you?¡±


    I opened my mouth with a blistering insult on the tip of my tongue, but I never got to let it fly. Something wrenched at me from the side, and suddenly I was gone, flying through some smeared, colorful in-between space where my eyes couldn¡¯t focus on anything and everything seemed to be rushing past at incredible speed. I clutched at my hip, which seemed to be pulling me along, and felt something vibrating hard in my pocket. The stone. That Twins-damned Nether stone.


    As soon as it started it was over. I stumbled to a stop, my head whirling and my stomach unsettled. I still felt that strange pressure in my chest, too. ¡°What,¡± I stuttered, shaking my head to clear my eyes. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Not hell,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said, ¡°but it¡¯s close enough to be going on with, I suppose.¡±


    I turned and saw a gaping portal into some other world, a window as large as the city gates looking onto a strange, shimmering place of purple, black, and red. It sparked some dim recognition in me even though I¡¯d never seen it before.


    In front of the hole in reality stood a lovely, statuesque demon woman in a fine dress of black silk. A crest of horns sprouted where her hairline should have been and spread back and out like a street artist¡¯s crude rendering of a long mane of hair. Glowing points of red shone along the lengths of those horns like windows into a furnace, and glimmers of the same heat sparked in pupils of her eyes in the center of emerald-flecked irises. Her full, red lips twisted in a familiar smirk.


    ¡°Mother,¡± I said dully.


    ¡°Thank the Greater Chance you kept the stone,¡± she said. ¡°I half thought I¡¯d summon nothing but a few bits of trash.¡±


    I looked about, seeing the city in the distance and the dust smudge of the army milling around it. Sure enough, just as Gale had said, another smudge was approaching from the west. A great anxiety warred with the heat inside my chest. My friends were stuck in that. We¡¯d held out almost long enough for the army to save us. Instead, everything had gone to shit at the eleventh hour, and the person responsible stood right by me. My mother, finally unmasked. The selfish, cruel demon who¡¯d brought me into the world and done nothing but hurt me ever since.


    ¡°Send me back,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t if I wanted to,¡± she said blandly. ¡°Those are called summon stones, not sending stones. And the whole point was to pull you clear before something unfortunate happened.¡±


    ¡°Something unfortunate?¡± I echoed, incredulous. ¡°Like maybe the king being killed? You know, my father?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be petty,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°You¡¯d have done it yourself if you could.¡±


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± I said, feeling the fire inside me warm and spread. ¡°But not when it meant the whole city would fall!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re humans,¡± she said, shrugging with a look of blank confusion. ¡°They¡¯re dead before you can blink twice anyway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m human!¡± I shouted, clenching my fists.


    She slapped me in the face hard enough to make me shed a card. ¡°You¡¯re my son; that''s who you really are, and I¡¯ll not sit and listen to you malign yourself. I should have brought you back home years ago; look what being among them has done.¡±


    ¡°Hard to bring me home when you thought you¡¯d killed me,¡± I snapped. I was tempted to put some Nether into my hand and hit her ¨C my knuckles were as hard as oak after all those weeks of punching practice ¨C but I knew that even with her having an empty Mind Home that wouldn¡¯t turn out well for me. She was Mythic, and she¡¯d just killed a Legendary.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this later,¡± she said, waving my words away. ¡°Come on, I want to introduce you to some friends of mine.¡± She reached for my shoulder, pulling me toward the rift. It was a demon rift, my painfully-slow brain realized now; the one that Edaine had promised us we¡¯d raid into back before everything went to shit. My mother wanted to take me to the Demon Realm.


    I dug in my heels and pulled away from her grip. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here for you anymore, Hull. Revenge on your father? That ship has sailed. Your brother likely has half a dozen plans in place to discredit, humiliate, and execute you once he¡¯s on the throne. Your friends are either dead already or soon will be.¡± She pointed to the haze of purple and black behind her. ¡°That is where you belong. Fighting, learning, growing into the powerful demon you were always supposed to be. With me helping you, you¡¯ll have the Primarch watching his back within five years.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what that meant, but standing there, really seeing her for the first time in my life, the thing I¡¯d been dying to say ever since that night at the Gala popped out. ¡°You had my card all along. You lied.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± she said, in that same baffled, patient tone she¡¯d used before. ¡°You give real information when you¡¯re forced to, not before. That¡¯s one of those things you¡¯ll need to unlearn.¡±


    ¡°I slept in shit and ate garbage for years because you took it,¡± I said, the words raw in my throat, the fire still searing in my chest. ¡°You thought you killed me when you took it. I wasn¡¯t even sick, was I? You just wanted it and so you took it.¡±


    She sighed from the bottom of her soul. ¡°The same old song again. All right, how about this?¡± She reached behind her ear, pulling out a card. ¡°Come with me and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    My hands reached for it without my consent, but she pulled it back. ¡°Ah-ah. You¡¯ll get it when we arrive home, not before. I¡¯ll not have you dashing off with it.¡±


    I curled my hands into fists and forced them down to my sides. ¡°Why would you even offer? After everything, you think I¡¯ll believe you¡¯d just give it to me?¡±


    Her eyes glinted with a greedy light. ¡°Here¡¯s the truth, my boy: I need to know how you survived. No one else has after I successfully ripped their card out, not ever. Is it something about the melding of demon and human stock? Is it unique to you? The rarity of your parentage? These things have to be tested, and I can¡¯t do that without you by my side. That¡¯s worth giving up an Epic, even one as handy as this has been for me.¡±


    I wanted to say yes. The word formed on my tongue and danced there. The card held my gaze in a way no other had since I¡¯d first seen the Sucking Void in the tailor¡¯s card shop all those months ago. The card spoke to me. It was me. What would it be like to summon myself? To talk to the younger me and re-learn all those missing memories I¡¯d thought were gone forever? What if¡­ what if Penkmun could teach me how to reintegrate that Soul into my own? Maybe the demons had methods of their own. Would I have all of its power plus what I¡¯d earned since? Would I automatically jump to Epic? Letting my Twins-cursed mother poke and prod at me for a time was well worth it. The card filled my vision. I had to have it.


    I wrenched my eyes away, turning my back so I couldn¡¯t see it. It was one of the hardest things I¡¯d ever done, and I had to fight several times every second to keep myself from sweeping back around and staring at it again. Desperate to distract myself, I looked around for anything else. My eyes fell on the city. Basil. Esmi. Bryll. Afi. Roshum. Naydarin. Penkmun. I could see from this vantage point that the Lows were burning. She¡¯d said they were all dead, but she couldn¡¯t know that. The woman lied as easily as breathing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I said, the words falling from my mouth like rocks. Flat, hard, inevitable. It wasn¡¯t what I wanted to say; it was what I had to say.


    ¡°I won¡¯t make the offer twice,¡± my mother said.


    ¡°Sure you will,¡± I said, my back still turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to have something you want badly enough¡­ or be able to kill you.¡±


    She laughed merrily. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re not a total loss. But what makes you think I¡¯ll let you walk away when I want you here?¡±


    ¡°If my corpse could do the job for you, I¡¯d be dead already,¡± I said. ¡°You must need me alive, and you¡¯ll have to kill me to take me, I promise you that.¡±


    She sighed noisily. ¡°So much wasted effort over a few humans. Fine. Go, then, if you really mean it. Walk away from your mother. Walk away from your own soul card.¡±


    Lifting my foot was even harder than turning away had been. It was as if I had the weight of all Treledyne strapped to my bootsole. Chest burning, lungs heaving, I groaned and took the step.


    Power burst out of me, sending up a puff of dust in a circle all around. I gasped, clutching my chest, and fell to one knee. It felt like I¡¯d just run a race. In a way, I had. In a single day, I¡¯d managed to step away from both the tyrant father I wanted to kill and the absent mother who dangled promises forever out of my reach. Closing my eyes and looking within, I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. All that pain hadn¡¯t gone to waste after all.


    ¡°A momentous decision,¡± my mother murmured, obviously having seen what happened. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve gotten the benefit, there¡¯s no loss in reconsidering.¡±


    ¡°Go home, Mother,¡± I said, not looking back as I got to my feet. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you when the time comes.¡±


    I ran, and her mocking laughter followed me. She could have stopped me, of course, but it was as I¡¯d said ¨C she needed me alive, and now she saw that her hold on me wasn¡¯t strong enough to lure me away. I¡¯d said she¡¯d have to kill me to take me, and I meant it.


    The city was only four or five miles away. If I ran harder than I¡¯d ever run before, maybe I could still help. My Yveda card was still amassing copies out there; I¡¯d force him to help. The city had fallen; there was nothing either of us could do about that now. The moment Hestorus had died Fate had sealed it as fact, no matter whether an army was on the horizon or not. But if Fortune was kind, maybe I could find my friends. We could gather to the Lows. And maybe, just maybe, I could protect what mattered most.


    The people I loved.

 B2: 59. Basil - Closing Doors

    It didn¡¯t take long for me to discover that the lich¡¯s deck was designed to slowly grind me into submission, but somehow, I was five turns in and still standing. This was despite the fact that she had used a Mythic Relic to get a Legendary Soul onto the field on her third turn with a targeted Water Source Explosion.


    Ever since his arrival, my Master Shieldbearer had been forced to fend off an increasing number of Zombies, who, when they were destroyed and cycled with Death Source Power, gradually chipped away at my deck, losing me critical cards like Fluid Grace.


    I desperately wanted to summon the Master Assassin I had in hand to Hunt and destroy the Legendary Lich Emerus, but one of his abilities specifically forbade that, making me wish that my Executions were in my Mind Home and not tucked within the card holder strapped to my wrist.


    The summoner I faced had removal of her own though, casting a giant spear of ice that gutted my Shieldbearer, shattering him.


    The loss of my Bodyguard was especially bittersweet because if not for her Legendary¡¯s deck destruction effect, I would have used Fluid Grace on my Shieldmaster, and that would have allowed him to Dodge the Spell!


    Without him, fortunately, I still had answers; I was able to defend against oncoming Zombies, and even Emerus himself, the ancient lich prying himself off of his seat and lumbering toward me, by using Defensive Kata.


    My Air Source also helped me refresh my Werespider who had been frozen by one of the enemy Specter¡¯s, letting me generate Webs, which further forestalled the enemy¡¯s advances.


    Slowly but steadily, I was building my wall, even if a keystone of it in the form of the Master Shieldbearer had been temporarily removed. I quietly prayed to the Twins during my next two draws, but when my other Shieldbearer wasn¡¯t forthcoming, I decided to go ahead and summon my Master Assassin. At first there was little of value he could do for me, considering that he couldn¡¯t be used to attack the Legendary or any Specters, and he remained mostly useless for a few turns, particularly when my opponent cast a unique Spell that stopped even my Werespider from generating more Webs.


    I knew a large attack would be coming on its heels, and sure enough, on her next turn, the lich devoted all her Source and used her Rune-Carver Relic again to summon two massive undead creatures at once.


    The giant dragon-kin beat the air of the Dueling Dome with their desiccated wings, blowing up dirt and debris, and revealing a broken stone wall off to the right, with sharp rods of iron protruding dangerously from the rubble. Then, the pair dove at me, maws opening wide enough to swallow a full grown cow.


    Atrea hovered above me, summoned the turn prior, but she would be shredded by either Wyrm, and I didn¡¯t want to waste her.


    Instead, I had my Werespider use a Web shot to down one of them, the sticky fibers trapping the bony wings together and dropping the leftmost beast from the air, the ground quaking when it fell. The other I stood and took the blow from, nothing between us but my trusty Helm, which I had summoned near the beginning of the match.


    The Helm exploded in spectacular fashion, the force of the attack making me stumble back a few steps, but just like when I faced the even more powerful Colossal in the Rising Stars Tournament, when the Relic vanished, I was left unharmed.


    I¡¯m doing it! I¡¯m standing toe-to-toe with a Mythic!


    Feeling a touch more invincible than perhaps I should have, I chanced a look in the direction of my family. My mother had been quite noisy throughout the match, demanding repeatedly that I drop the Dome to the point that I had mostly tuned her out. I hadn¡¯t heard anything from them recently though, and that worried me.


    Sure enough, through the haze of the Air and Order made arena, I could see zombies and skeletons shuffling their way through the streets, approaching the Dome just like they had the last time I had erected one. My brother was tugging at my mother¡¯s arm, but she was snapping something back at him, refusing to budge.


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± I shouted at them. ¡°It¡¯s not safe!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right!¡± I heard my brother cry, as if from a much greater distance than where he stood. ¡°We must flee!¡±


    My mother jerked her arm out of Randel¡¯s grasp, her expression pained, furious, and¡­ viewing things through the Dome was often no better than looking through fogged glass, but still, I swore the way she was staring at me now was different than at any other time in my life. Perhaps it was because I had just faced down two Epic Wyrms and suffered not a scratch, but I thought she might truly be seeing me for the first time.


    I had no time to enjoy the moment because the lich sent a zombie to harass me, which I had to command my Master Assassin not to kill, lest it provide another opportunity to trigger the Legendary¡¯s effect. The Helm wasn¡¯t the only Relic I had summoned early in the match, and my Scalemail absorbed the 1 point of damage the Soul was trying to do to me.


    By the time I was able to look to the side again, my family was gone, and I breathed out shakily. It suddenly seemed much more frightening to be facing a Mythic alone, but I was also deeply grateful that they were seeking safety ¨C Twins willing, they would find it.


    The duel had gone on long enough that I had all my source out now, and I used some of it to summon a big body of my own.


    Dashing between the Acanthi¡¯s green legs as they formed, my Assassin got in range of one of the downed Ice Wyrms. Normally his 2 Attack would have been insufficient to break through the Wyrm¡¯s Armor of 2, but with Atrea¡¯s Precision Aura in effect, the knife sunk in deeply, the Venom able to do its work. With a great shudder, the targeted Wyrm broke into shards.


    The lich did little back since she had used all of her source the turn prior, and as soon as my Souls were able to move again, I had the Master Assassin finish off the other Wyrm. In addition, I finally attacked my foe directly, sending Atrea dive bombing the lich. If the undead had stolen abilities, she presumably had some sort of Armor, but just like Ice Wyrms, Atrea would cut right through it. The Winged-Knight came screaming down from the sky, her bright sword in the lead, looking to me as if she would skewer the lich neatly. And yet, right as the blade would connect with bone, my opponent slipped sideways, faster than the undead had ever moved before. Atrea had to snap her wings out to stop herself from colliding with the ground. She veered, wobbling at first but then managed to correct, having done no damage to my opponent at all.


    I let out a nervous laugh. The lich had Dodge, there could be no mistaking it. That would make it nearly impossible for my low damage deck to win. And yet¡­ if I lasted long enough to get my Pantherkin back and could attack with both it and the Acanthi each turn, a victory might still be possible. And even if it wasn¡¯t, every moment the lich was here with me, she wasn¡¯t out there destroying Treledyne.


    ¡°You¡­ are an extremely annoying human,¡± the rasping voice came from the lich ¨C it seemed the Dodge wasn¡¯t the only first of our match. ¡°Trapping me thus. Wasting my time.¡± The voice was female and even less used than Griff¡¯s, like a wheezing cough scrapping over rotted leather. ¡°But it will end now,¡± she promised.


    I tensed, unsure what cards she might hold. Was it perhaps a Whirlpool Spell? If so, the 5 damage would clear her side more than mine, and I had the Order Source ready to recall my Master Assassin if necessary.


    ¡°I¡¯m just getting started,¡± I fired back, deciding there was no harm in some false bravado. After all, so far I hadn¡¯t seen anything from her I couldn¡¯t handle ¨C or at least survive for quite some time longer thanks to my ability to Heal.


    The lich answered back by devoting all her source. The first thing to spring from her hand was an Epic Spell that swirled snow through the Dome so thickly I could no longer see the cards I held.


    When it cleared, my Souls were all kneeling, their bodies crusted in ice. Worse, across the way the lich had in her hands a wicked, two-handed Relic.


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    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± I whispered just as she swung the deadly weapon. An arc of green-tinged power curved out of it, and I reacted with haste, using my Air source power to bring my Werespider back to focused and some Order to activate my Master Assassin¡¯s ability ¨C the Rare turned sideways, vanishing as he did and whispering back into my deck.


    He escaped not a moment too soon, the arc of power sweeping through my devoted Souls, four of them into total, and one and all they shattered into glittering motes.


    ¡°What?¡± I sputtered, ¡°it¡¯s only 3 damage!¡± It was nowhere near enough to destroy my Master Shieldbearer or Acanthi, and yet, they were gone. Had the green tinge been Venom? As I was thinking that, smaller arcs shout out from where my Souls with less health had been: Atrea and a wounded Bearkin. The lich must have Overkill, too!


    Blessedly, under the Dome, when the attack neared me, I could feel that it was only 2 damage, so a single Protection from hand was enough to block it. Still, the attack had absolutely decimated my side of the field, leaving me only a single focused Spiderkin, while her side contained a continually cycling set of Common undead Souls, thanks to her Legendary.


    The ones who were able to attack came after me, two Zombies, and a Specter. The Epic ghost was the first to reach me, and its chill touch Devoted me, making me crumple into a ball, my frigid hand releasing a Bearkin I held to block the Zombie that wasn¡¯t stopped by my Armor.


    Logically, I knew it was over, but I drew anyway, getting another Protection and Defensive Kata ¨C Spells I could use to keep stalling. With little else to do, I went ahead and cast my Order Source Power to draw an extra card, and got the first card I had mulliganed away.


    Seeing it sparked a brief bit of hope in me, and I summoned it, Transforming it immediately. The lich¡¯s deck was near empty, too, at this point ¨C I had noticed as much a turn ago from the lack of cards circling her ¨C and with Sneak Attack¡­ No, no, that won¡¯t work. Her Dodge would stop that right away.


    Out of options, I looked over at her and blinked in disbelief. What before had only been a single card floating around her body, representing what still remained in her Mind Home, was now a cloud of at least a dozen.


    ¡°You have Lifesap, as well!¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself from shouting. The number of abilities she had was decidedly unfair.


    ¡°As I said,¡± she hissed at me, ¡°it is over.¡±


    She destroyed four of her active Death Source with the Rune-Carver, wiping out my last two Kin, spiderlines of black creeping up the Transformed elves, rotting their fur and carapace away until they shattered. Then she sent her Zombies at me, along with Emerus and the Specter again, as well as three Skeletons she had just summoned.


    The damage from the pack of them was more than enough to blow through my remaining cards in hand and the few I had managed to Heal throughout our match. What¡¯s more, as they struck me from the front, a sword of ice punched through my back, keeping me upright. The Dome was still in effect, so all I felt was some pressure from both sides, but looking over my shoulder I discovered that a brand new Mythic had joined the fray.


    ¡°Thank Fortune you weren¡¯t out sooner,¡± I told it. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have lasted half as long if you had been.¡±


    The Dueling Dome had already started falling the moment I had taken damage past my Mind Home, the cascade of lights sweeping downard like a falling curtain, and as it dropped, the lich¡¯s summons shattered along with its passing, wiping the slate clean.


    ¡°What Spell is this?¡± she hissed as her Legendary and all the rest faded away in front of her.


    ¡°The same one I used to capture you,¡± I replied, as I dusted myself off and stood. After getting trounced at the end of our match, it felt rather good to hear her out of sorts. ¡°I was hoping the Dueling Dome had been smithed after you left your humanity behind, and it¡¯s nice to have been proven correct. Having been through the process a few times myself, I can tell you that it¡¯s best to save some of your best cards for after it¡¯s over, and not just the Commons your Emerus created for you.¡±


    The light in her eyes flickered in a way I hoped was annoyance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done me a favor as well,¡± I said, showing how, unlike her, I had no cards left in my hands. I could also feel a distinct lack in the space my Mind Home would normally occupy. ¡°So for that, I thank you.¡± While I¡¯d been talking, I had positioned myself next to one of the more wicked looking rods of iron that protruded from the rubble. I had planned to quick summon an Assassin from my wrist holder, but this would work just as well.


    Ever since watching the King die, I¡¯d known I¡¯d likely be forced to follow in his footsteps, especially if I wished to effect any change. And with a Mythic general in front of me and a veritable sea of undead closing in from all sides now that the Dome had fallen, I was definitely in that position. All I could hope for was that I managed to delay the lich and all these undead long enough for people to escape, like Devin and Christine, and my dear friends. I also hoped that my card would have a less useful ability than my living Soul did. ¡°All the best with cultivating Order,¡± I added with a wink, surprised at how lighthearted I felt with the end in sight.


    I threw myself onto the rod ¨C or at least I tried to. I pushed off with my feet but at the last moment, my hands shot out to the sides to save me.


    ¡°Fate¡¯s tits!¡± I swore. After facing death at Ticosi¡¯s hand and choosing to stride out into this battleground, I had thought myself no longer constrained by such fears. I tried again, but still, my hands interfered. By this point, the lich had deduced my plan and was speeding toward me across the ground. Frantically, I dug through my pockets, extracting the Charbonder earrings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to leave you, my love, but please, help me in this.¡±


    Holding the wedding gift in both hands, once more I leapt. I felt my body wanting to resist, but I just gripped the earrings tighter, not letting my hands move. I did it, I realized as I titled, feeling weightless while actually falling. The broken rod pierced my stomach and turned my brief moment of triumph into utter agony. It was like hot poker had been stabbed into the space just below my ribcage, the fierce punch of pain causing me to gasp. My breath gurgled in my ears as I slid, slowly, excruciatingly down the length of metal.


    The lich reached me, her hands like claws when they gripped my shoulders, and then the unthinkable happened: the all consuming pain I was experiencing actually sharpened in intensity as she pulled me up, the corrugated iron rubbing against my soft organs and flesh, shredding me apart from within. There was a sickening sucking noise when she finally freed me from the skewer, her bony yet strong arms lifting me upright, putting me as close as I had ever been to her ¨C she smelled of dust and mold, and there was a burning sensation in the back of my nose.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to resist your bidding as a card,¡± I spat at her. ¡°You might as well leave me here.¡±


    And then, somehow, all the pain in me vanished.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have,¡± I whispered. I had already given away all my Potion cards on my way here, and Healing didn¡¯t exist within Death or Water. Even without knowing all the possible dual source cards, I knew that had to be true ¨C didn¡¯t it?


    The lich was looking over my shoulder, and I turned as best I could in her grasp to see none other than my mother on a small rise above the milling undead. Her hand was outstretched toward us, and the Water Source above her head was dim.


    ¡°Mother!¡± I shouted, realization hitting me harder than the iron rod had. ¡°What have you done?¡±


    My mother¡¯s only reply was to spit blood from her mouth as she collapsed. Randel was there to catch her before she hit the ground, a large golem made of stone picking them both up and carrying them away like babes in swaddling, barreling through a pack of zombies before their slow limbs had a chance to retaliate.


    ¡°There is no time for this,¡± the lich hissed, though I felt no air stir with the sound. Then she scooped me up, but underarm, as I sometimes saw farmers carry pigs to market. Before I could resist, we shot up, riding the power of her Flight. Once we cleared the two and three story buildings, she skimmed the air parallel to the ground, rushing back toward Treledyne¡¯s northern wall.


    The King¡¯s card, I thought, numbly. It was another reason I had believed in my plan: if the lich was desperate to retrieve the Legendary, she¡¯d be less likely to stay to extract the card from my corpse. My eyes watered from the air pressure against them but that wasn¡¯t the only reason, the frustration I felt at being so fully thwarted rising up in me. It had been a good plan, not only delaying one of our biggest threats but stripping her of all of her most powerful cards. Even with a hundred stolen abilities there was only so much she could do on her own. If I had won, I could have used the Souls left in my hand to finish her off or at least escape. And if she won, I could remove myself from the board, so to speak, in a way I never could when protected by my cards.


    And my mother had ruined it all. Fortune see that she¡¯s still alive. The image of blood dribbling down her chin was at complete odds with my current feelings for her. Don¡¯t let her die.


    Even as despondent as I was, I scoured the land we sped across for human survivors but saw none I recognized and few in good shape. Esmi, Hull, where are you? Over the wall we shot and out past the city we flew, heading toward a ten foot tall splice in the air that glowed.


    ¡°A demon rift,¡± I whispered, the whistling wind the only reply I received. Oddly though, there seemed to be something covering the portal, like a caterpillar¡¯s cocoon, the construct a deep indigo blue.


    Outside the doorway to the realm of Nether were two figures: one wore armor the same shade as the shielding in place and carried a curved sword in each hand. It was no human, that fact I could easily tell, with tall horns extending out of the helmet and an even longer tail, all covered in segmented armor. The other person was a horned woman of greater height, who was yelling at the armored one blocking the way.


    ¡°Yveda,¡± the lich hissed as she landed, still carrying me like a sack. The demon who had been shouting snapped her mouth shut, turning our direction. ¡°You meant to betray us.¡±


    The demon woman stared down her accuser, looking stately in a black gown, red flecks in her horns pulsing with almost as much intensity as the green-flecks in her eyes. Even after everything I had been through, it chilled my blood to be caught between two Mythics. Perhaps they would kill each other and solve one very large problem for me.


    The armored demon shifted. ¡°My father does not break alliances with the powerful.¡± It was a young, female voice that came from behind the faceplate, probably of an age with Esmi. The fact I hadn¡¯t spotted my love on the way here gave me hope. Perhaps Gale had spirited them all away on his griffon. ¡°You are powerful,¡± the armored demon asked the lich, ¡°are you not?¡±


    ¡°She has such an inefficient way of taking power,¡± the demoness in the gown finally said, lifting purple, manicured nails to partially cover her mouth like a lady delivering court gossip might. ¡°Carrying her prey around with her, and her vulgar attempts to force level it, all the while worrying the meat for months like a beast with no teeth.¡±


    The lich dropped me unexpectedly, and I coughed as I hit the ground. From where I had been deposited, I rubbed my stomach where the undead¡¯s bony arm had cut into me, watching her float menacingly toward the demoness.


    ¡°We can test our powers here and now if you wish,¡± the lich hissed. ¡°Strike me as you did the King, and see how well it works.¡±


    Despite myself, I was impressed that the lich was bluffing with an empty Mind Home, trying to bait her opponent into using an all-in attack she could simply Dodge. The demoness¡¯s smile fell away as she regarded the undead, the two staring silently at each other for seconds that stretched into minutes. If I warned the demon about the Dodge a moment before casting, she might be able to adjust her attack accordingly¡­


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I will,¡± the demoness in the gown eventually said. She didn¡¯t take a step back, but she did adopt that lazy, unworried posture she had used before. ¡°The Primarch¡± ¨C she speared the armored demon with a look ¨C ¡°wishes us to take the city. And with the rest of the human army approaching, we¡¯d best be on our way, even if it is a fool¡¯s plan.¡±


    The one wearing armor growled within her helmet, but the stately demon merely considered her nails, seeming no more worried about that threat than the lich, who, though she floated nearby, did not initiate an attack herself.


    I cursed internally that neither had gone through with it, but during this exchange I had been dealt a new card I could play.


    ¡°What allegiance do you keep for Hull?¡± I asked the demoness, enunciating clearly and focusing on her to make it clear to whom I was speaking. With what had been said so far and what I had seen in the apotheosis match, there could be no mistake: this Mythic was Hull¡¯s shapeshifter mother.


    ¡°None whatsoever, little Basil,¡± she answered me with a languid smile. ¡°I¡¯ll let that bag of bones turn you into a prune and not lift a finger to stop her.¡±


    So she did recognize me as I had her. I shouldn¡¯t have expected more from the woman who had almost killed my brother, but still, I found myself disappointed that two more potential outs had just been snatched away from me. Surely at this point Fortune would see it as time to come round my way again.


    ¡°Felstrife!¡± someone shouted, and I turned to see a man confidently striding toward us. He wore a suit that in no way fit his muscular frame, his pallid skin and extended canines easily marking him as a vampire. ¡°Caught another, I see,¡± he said, glancing my way. ¡°This time you weren¡¯t the only one who came away with a prize.¡± The newcomer flashed a gold-bordered card casually, as one might the evening¡¯s winnings from a gambling house.


    The image upon it seized my heart in my chest, my vision narrowing until the card was all I could see. And then, before I knew what I was doing, my hands were wrapped around the vampire¡¯s throat, squeezing for all I was worth. He was taller than me, making the angle awkward, but I didn¡¯t care; I would have sunk my fingers into his flesh if I had the strength.


    The vampire¡¯s red-flecked eyes snapped down, nostrils flaring in surprise, a reaction that might have pleased me if I was capable of feeling anything beyond the maelstrom of despair that was pouring out of my heart.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ll need to put a leash on this one,¡± the vampire said over my head, and I could feel his neck muscles move under my fingers as he spoke. His words weren¡¯t strained in the slightest, disabusing me of the notion that my assault was doing him any sort of harm. With an ease that made me loathe my weakness, he casually pried my hands away and shoved me back into the bony embrace of the lich ¨C the tightness with which her cold claws encircled me made it clear that she wouldn¡¯t allow the same to happen again.


    The demons and vampire were continuing to converse as if nothing at all had happened, the rasping voice of the lich joining them as well, but I wasn¡¯t listening. The words I cared about had already been said: force leveling, Hull¡¯s mother had called it. I knew not the exact process, but any sort of Soul elevation took time; time I could use to refocus my Soul as the Air monk had spoken of, denying the lich her desired prize and giving me the means I required to kill Esmi¡¯s murderer. Watching him talk, I imagined ripping the fangs from his mouth and stabbing them into his eyes. I would not just end him but make him suffer in the process, and then I would smash his card to dust.


    Is this hatred how Hull feels? Tears were leaking down my face, but I barely noticed them. In fact, as the volatile rage within me consumed all other sensations, my eyes dried. I had no right to mourn my love as the elves would, not yet. My mother¡¯s actions, as ill-conceived as I had thought them to be at the time, had provided me the opportunity to balance the scales, and by the Twins, I would see them set right.


    The otherworldly rent in the air faded along with the magic encasing it, leaving behind blue skies, untouched by the war that ravaged us below. With its departure, the cadre of Epics and Mythics began marching in the direction of the Palace. As I stumbled after them through the burnt landscape, dragged by the lich and ignored by the rest, as so often I was, I vowed I would be their destruction from within, unseen, unconsidered, until the moment I brought ruin to their door.


    Then, and only then, if I still drew breath, would I let myself grieve my sweet Esmi and all we would never be.

 B2: 60. Kobold Whisperer - Remember

    The young woman blinked, scanning the room around herself with a furrowed brow. She stood in an entry hall of what might have been a well-to-do merchant home, but the style was one she¡¯d never seen before. The floor was tiled in some kind of earthy stone with white veining and the walls were mudded with a terracotta plaster that managed to look both elegant and rustic. A chandelier of branching animal horns and wrought iron with no less than thirty fresh candles cast a pleasing glow over drowsy ferns and trailing greenery tucked into every nook and corner. A glazed-tile mosaic on the front wall showed a scene of some bucolic countryside with farmers scything wheat, and a low, wide fountain filled the space beneath it. Clear water burbled into the pool from pitchers held by lithe, cavorting youths, each with the same mischievous face and tousled hair. Everything smelled of fresh bread and cinnamon. It was a scene to inspire peace and relaxation, but the young woman felt confused. Troubled. I¡¯ve forgotten something.


    ¡°Oh, hello,¡± someone said as they wandered past the wide arch leading into other rooms beyond. ¡°A new face.¡±


    The woman blinked again, her confusion increasing. She¡¯d never seen a creature like this before, and she wasn¡¯t used to being surprised by the unknown. She was well-traveled¡­ or at least she thought she might be. The being that approached her stood on two legs and was willowy enough for an elf, but its proportions looked subtly off, somehow, not to mention the huge insect wings sprouting from its back. It had a mane of lustrous silver hair and bronze skin that seemed to glimmer. Its eyes were too big for its face, and its rosebud lips had a glistening sheen that put the young woman in mind of the skin of a poison-arrow frog. The creature was swathed in a diaphanous dress of rosebud pink that one moment looked demure and the next seemed scandalously sheer. She felt nearly overwhelmed by the beauty of the thing, but at the same time, she had the sense that if she could catch sight of the creature from just the right angle, she¡¯d see something monstrous. ¡°I¡­ hello. What are you?¡±


    The thing laughed, a chorus of tinkling bells with one off-tune in the center. ¡°I am whatever I please whenever I wish. You can call me Hekat. And you are?¡±


    The young woman gaped at the creature, confusion welling up into anxiety. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the winged thing said, sounding mildly vexed. ¡°How terribly rude of me. You¡¯re a Rare; I¡¯m used to the higher sort around here. If I¡¯d bothered to look closer I¡¯d not have asked. I¡¯m surprised, is all ¨C Alexi is usually so picky. It¡¯s fine, dearest. No one will lord it over you. Well, Gholamus might, but nobody likes him anyway. Come in and I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    The thing put a clammy hand on her elbow to steer her deeper into the home, but the young woman planted her feet, resisting. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Forgive me, but I don¡¯t understand any of this. Where am I? Why can¡¯t I remember my name?¡±


    The creature¡¯s eyes went even wider than before. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re fresh as milk. Oh dear. Who¡¯d have thought he would¡­?¡± It shook its mane and steered her to a chair nested among the ferns, gently forcing her to sit. It knelt before her, holding her hands. ¡°Dearest, you¡¯re dead. Your card has been placed in our summoner¡¯s Mind Home. This is where you live now.¡±


    She stared in shock and then laughed. ¡°Dead? Impossible. I¡¯m the best duelist around, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    The creature¡¯s sensuous lips twitched into a sad smile. ¡°There¡¯s always someone better.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± the woman protested, ¡°wouldn¡¯t I¨C¡± Her voice died in her throat as a sudden memory overtook her. A white-faced vampire flecked with blood loomed over her, his fine suit straining over bulging muscles, one hand held stiff as if to drive into her chest. Blinding pain. She gasped, wrenching her hands free to clutch at her chest. She screwed her eyes shut, tears spilling out as she rocked back and forth, trying to shake loose from that remembered agony. ¡°Twins, no. Oh Fate, take me back. Let me wake.¡±


    ¡°You have awoken,¡± the thing said. ¡°It is life in the flesh which is the dream. This is the life that lasts.¡± It reached out to stroke her shoulders, and gradually the young woman felt herself relax. The creature was odd and unsettling, but it was being very kind. ¡°I know this is hard, but you¡¯re damned lucky, if I¡¯m being honest. Most cards molder under the leaves in some wilderness or rot in a library unused. Even those that end up in a Mind Home usually belong to some uneducated brute who never bothers to attend to his own internal existence, leaving his Souls to bounce around in nothing better than a bare gray box. I¡¯ve been in a few of those, and after a time all anyone can do is torment the ones they¡¯re stuck with just to have a moment¡¯s entertainment. But Alexi is a collector, see, and sentimental on top of that.¡± It swept its hand around at the lovely decor. ¡°If there¡¯s a nicer Mind Home in existence, I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    The young woman firmed her jaw and dashed the tears from her face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the mind of the one who murdered me.¡±


    That unnerving laugh fell from the creature¡¯s lips again. ¡°My dear, I can assure you that you aren¡¯t. Alexi has been atwitter about this war for ages, but the day he steps onto a battlefield is the day the sun ceases to shine. He likes his comforts, our Alexi does, and battle is a dirty business.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember anything?¡± the woman whispered. ¡°All I see is that face, and the¡­¡± She pressed her lips shut. And the moment of my death.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry your curly head about it,¡± the creature said, standing. ¡°If you¡¯ve already recalled your death, you must be high Rare, nearly on the cusp.¡±


    ¡°I thought if I beat him it would take me to Epic,¡± she blurted, surprised even as she heard herself say the words. ¡°I¡¯d been on the edge of elevation for days.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± the winged thing beamed. ¡°It¡¯s coming back already. In no time at all you¡¯ll have it all back, at least the last few years¡¯ worth. More than that will take an elevation. We might as well pick a name for you; even under the best of circumstances it¡¯ll be a good long time before you reach Mythic and get your real one back. I think I¡¯ll call you Curly.¡± It reached out and pulled the woman to her feet. ¡°Come on, let me introduce you to the others. It¡¯s been some time since we¡¯ve had a new Soul to ogle. Watch out for Despica: she pinches, and with those claws of hers, you really feel it.¡±


    Twisting her head, she gestured to the carved wooden door set in the wall behind her. ¡°Where does that go? Can I leave?¡±


    The thing waved her question away. ¡°Oh sweetness, you¡¯ve got enough on your plate for right now. We can worry about that later. Say what else you will about us Fae, we¡¯re experts in knowing how much a person can take before their spirit breaks.¡± Pulling her through the archway, the thing raised its voice. ¡°Gather in, everyone! We have a treat.¡±


    Curly felt an urgent tug somewhere deep inside her and stopped where she stood. ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Turning to look at her, the thing ¨C the faery ¨C clicked its tongue in irritation. ¡°Of course he is. Of all the bad timing¨C¡±


    She felt herself yanked away as if by some huge, irresistible hand, and when her eyes cleared, the pleasant villa and its fountain were gone. She stood in a far more richly-appointed room with cream-colored carpets on the floor and a wide balcony that looked out over the roofs of a great city. Treledyne! She gasped and took a step toward it. There was the Coliseum, and beyond that the long descending road to the docks. Smoke filled the air, and the city was quieter than she¡¯d ever heard before. I¡¯m in the Palace. Yes, the war outside the walls. The King is dead? Impossible! How am I here? Her mind whirled as memories and knowledge fit into place like puzzle pieces. Most of it was still missing, but knowing something was an enormous relief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just gape at everything, lift this for me,¡± a bored voice behind her said.


    Turning, Curly found herself sharing the room with a slender, terribly pale man in a perfectly crisp tailored uniform of deepest blue, with golden epaulettes of gold cord and brass buttons down one side of his trim jacket, the front an unbroken panel of finest silk with several medals dangling at the breast. He looked like the paintings of generals she¡¯d seen from armies a hundred years past, right down to the saber glittering at his side and the pristine white gloves on his hands.


    He arched a perfectly manicured brow at her and gestured to the heavy chest at his feet. ¡°Well?¡±


    She was moving before she knew what she was doing. ¡°Where do you want it?¡± She grasped the handles and lifted, but the box was far too heavy for her. She grunted, but It barely budged from the floor before she dropped it. Who is this? I don¡¯t want to move this box; why am I doing it?


    ¡°Put it against the wall,¡± he said, gesturing with a languid hand as he sank into a wingback chair to one side.


    ¡°This would be easier with both of us.¡±


    ¡°You handle it; there¡¯s a dear,¡± he said absently, plucking a slim book from within his coat and opening it to where a red silk bookmark lay along the spine.


    Curly opened her mouth to tell him she would do no such thing, but her body was already moving to do his bidding, grabbing one handle with both hands and heaving the chest a foot at a time across the carpet, its tail end leaving a trail of flattened fibers in the cream-colored rug. The brass corner caps screeched on the stone as she shoved the luggage against the wall by main strength. Standing to inspect her work, she realized she wasn¡¯t breathing heavily. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t have a real body to exert. I¡¯m a summoned Soul. A wave of loss swept through her, and a bone-deep sadness threatened to overwhelm her. Was it just that she was dead? She didn¡¯t think she was the kind of person to mope. No, there was something else, but she didn¡¯t know what. She couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look at you, then,¡± the slim fellow said, shutting his book, sounding resigned. ¡°Over here.¡±


    Unable to do otherwise, Curly went to him and stood at attention in front of his chair.


    ¡°A Rare,¡± the fellow said, almost as if he were talking to himself. She saw fangs peeking from behind his lips; he was a vampire. ¡°Why would he give me a Rare? Plus one to Attack? Pfah. It¡¯s so, so¡­ common. And the Fire Skin is useless with only one Health. He wouldn¡¯t insult me, would he? No, of course not. But why¡­?¡± He snapped his fingers, the sound muted by his gloves. ¡°What¡¯s so special about you, girl?¡±


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


    She gaped and stuttered, not knowing how to respond. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I was an excellent duelist.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± he said, dissatisfied. ¡°With a good deck of kobolds, I suppose you would be. What does whisperer mean? Why are you whispering to kobolds?¡±


    For a long moment all she could do was blink in confusion, but then she realized he must be referring to her card. Closing her eyes and focusing on herself, she was shocked to see that her soul card was no longer marked as a Living Soul. Of course it¡¯s not. Get a handle on yourself. Her title was Kobold Whisperer, and at the sight she couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile, memories flooding back of hours spent huddled with her dear kobold friends, learning their language, filing their talons, learning what they liked to eat. ¡°It means that I have a way with their kind. I know all about them; I studied them for years and worked with them closely. It¡¯s how I gained my Aura.¡±


    His eyes went wide, and he sat forward. ¡°Can you speak to them?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± she said proudly.


    He gasped and clapped his hands, drumming his booted heels against the carpets. ¡°Oh, Twins bless him! Don¡¯t move a muscle!¡±


    Curly found herself locked into place, a familiar temper rising deep inside her with no outlet. I am not going to like this. Was I this demanding with my Souls?


    The vampire¡¯s single Fire and Order sources dimmed, and another Soul misted into being next to her. It was even bigger than her Giant Albino had been, though its skin was the same bronze color as most of its kind rather than pale. The great beast looked at the vampire ¨C Alexi, their summoner, Curly realized now that her mind was clearing ¨C and turned away, eyes downcast, hunching in on itself.


    ¡°See? He does this every time, and nothing I do helps,¡± Alexi said, wringing his hands. ¡°Six months I¡¯ve had him, and he¡¯s making the others sad. He won¡¯t speak! I¡¯ve never had a Mythic hold out this long. He¡¯s the perfect piece, a real find, but if he upsets the others too much I¡¯ll have to get rid of him, and oh how I¡¯d weep. He cost me two Mythics, if you can believe it, and that Fate-cursed Leonid wouldn¡¯t take any less. I had to have him, but what do I do? Talk to him!¡±


    It was strange to feel compelled to do what she wished to anyway, and she tried to shrug off the internal wrestle it caused her as she approached the kobold carefully. Their etiquette was complex, but she knew every nuance. He was both stronger and older ¨C it took at least a century for a kobold to grow so large ¨C so she jutted her chin to show deference while turning her hands palm-down and clawed to show a desire to relieve pain. Using the hissing, clicking language of the kobold burrow tongue, she said, ¡°Honored elder, may the sun shine on your scales. Do you have a thorn?¡± It was an idiom for feeling pain. Her Sniffer had taught her that.


    The kobold¡¯s great head cocked, showing surprise. ¡°Little lizard, shelter under me.¡± His voice was slow and deep, vibrating in her chest as he gave the greeting of safety intended for hatchlings. She¡¯d never heard a kobold sound so resonant. She revised her estimate of his age to two hundred years. This was an elder indeed. ¡°I have never met one of your kind that speaks Burrow.¡±


    ¡°I know Burrow, Battle, and even a little Mate,¡± she said, feeling proud. ¡°I have spent nearly as much time with the scale kin as my own people for many years.¡±


    ¡°It is good,¡± he sighed. ¡°Long has it been since I heard the sounds of home. The chatter the others make is slippery against me.¡±


    Curly spared a sidelong glance for Alexi the vampire, who was nearly dancing with anxiety as he watched them. ¡°The one who holds us wants to know of your thorn.¡±


    ¡°I am aware,¡± the old kobold rumbled. ¡°It is unkind of me to ignore them all, but their noise grates on me. I feel as if I were wintering in a stranger¡¯s burrow, and all my thoughts turn inward. I have no wisdom to give, no battles to win.¡±


    Curly sank lower, letting her clawed fingers touch the carpet between his talon toes. ¡°Can this little lizard draw out your thorn?¡±


    He heaved a great sigh. ¡°I know not how you would. My last Mind Home was with one who valued the scale kin, and by chance I was reunited with my first mate from many seasons past. She is a great fighter, and she knows me to the base of my tail. When this whelp bought me, we were separated, but her fangs are still in my hide. It makes me slow and sad.¡±


    ¡°May the seasons turn, elder,¡± she whispered, backing away from him in respect. Turning to Alexi, she said, ¡°The one you bought him from holds another kobold; they were mates when they first lived. He misses her. He grieves.¡± Her words tickled something at the back of her mind, but she focused on the vampire, whose face had fallen.


    ¡°Another one? What will they say when I show up with two kobolds? You don¡¯t get one of every source by letting yourself get overrun by a single type of card.¡± He threw himself down into his chair, sulking. ¡°He¡¯s my best damned card and I can¡¯t even show him off. He just pouts in the corner; it¡¯s embarrassing. I won¡¯t have people thinking I can¡¯t manage my Souls!¡± With a wave of his hand he dismissed the kobold Soul, which drifted away in motes of light.


    He gently caught his own lip with one fang and nibbled at it thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make another deal with that Fate-cursed lion man. He knew what he was doing, damn him. He¡¯ll take me for all he can. But¡­ what must be done will be done.¡± He beamed up at me. ¡°Stafford¡¯s gift makes sense now. Looks like you¡¯ve found yourself a job, girl, even if you¡¯re not pretty enough or rare enough to belong in my collection. You¡¯re going to tell that great sulking lizard that I¡¯m going to fetch his precious mate and reunite them. And in the meantime, you¡¯re going to be his best little friend and pull him out of his mood. Once I have the other you¡¯ll keep them both happy. Ugh, we¡¯ll have to elevate you. I can¡¯t be caught in public flashing gold ¨C how gauche.¡±


    Curly burned inside, ashamed to be reduced to a bauble in this silly man¡¯s collection. No, not even a bauble; an old dishrag to be hidden away, useful only to polish more important trinkets. I demand to be treated with the respect I deserve. She¡¯d have said that once, she was sure of it. Now she couldn¡¯t even make her lips form the words. She was an owned thing. A summoned Soul, and nowhere near elevated enough to talk back to her summoner.


    The double doors to the suite crashed open. ¡°What perfect rooms you¡¯ve found us!¡± the intruder boomed.


    Curly stiffened. She knew that face. It was the one she¡¯d seen as she died.


    ¡°Stafford!¡± Alexi trilled, throwing himself into the muscular vampire¡¯s arms and kissing him thoroughly. ¡°She¡¯s perfect, she¡¯s perfect! You absolute doll of a monster you, how did you know?¡±


    The brutish vampire, still looking like he was about to burst every last seam, beamed down at the slender, stylish man in his arms. ¡°She was swarming with kobolds, and even as we fought all I could think of was the troubles you¡¯ve had with yours. Will she do?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already winkled the truth out of the old lizard,¡± Alexi laughed. ¡°A genius and a gentleman is what you are. Ew, are you still dirty?¡± He backed away from Stafford, inspecting the front of his uniform and brushing at it with a gloved hand. ¡°You brute, if you¡¯ve stained my new jacket I¡¯m going to make one out of your skin.¡±


    Stafford chuckled and swept him into another long kiss. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like the card. Let me get changed and I¡¯ll unpack that new cooking pad Artifact you got me. How does Orc blood pudding sound for tonight?¡±


    ¡°Delicious,¡± Alexi purred. He swatted his lover on the rear as he walked away. ¡°Put on the blue velvet. I love that suit on you.¡±


    Curly watched the entire exchange with frozen muscles and a helplessly clenched jaw. It had all come back the second she¡¯d seen him. She¡¯d known he was too much for her to handle within ten seconds of coming to grips with him, but then the King¡¯s apotheosis had happened, and she¡¯d thought that with a fresh start she could take him. She¡¯d been so close to breaking through to Epic, and she¡¯d known in her bones that defeating him would put her over the top. She¡¯d been greedy.


    The problem had been that he ran an aggro deck not all that dissimilar from her own, but full of slow zombies that she was certain her much faster kobolds could match. But then on top of that, Stafford himself had a powerful personal attack and what had to be an upgraded version of Strong on his soul, which kept any of her kobolds except the Giant Albino from being able to block him. It had been much like fighting Haze in the Rising Stars Tournament, but even harder. Even so, she was certain that she could use a From the Ashes to create a big swing that would overpower him.


    She¡¯d been on the brink of pulling it off. Instead, he¡¯d donned a Death Relic she¡¯d never seen and pulled out a Soul that had cleared his shambling board and infused him with incredible power.


    Even the Giant Kobold hadn¡¯t been able to block him after that, and he¡¯d come straight for her, that ramrod hand plunging into her chest¡­


    She came back to herself with a start, realizing that Stafford himself had stopped right in front of her. She stiffened even further, stumbling back from him until her back fetched up against the wall.


    ¡°Nothing to fear from me now, little one,¡± he said with a genial smile. ¡°You¡¯ve made Alexi happy, and that¡¯s worth a thousand deaths. Do as he commands and I¡¯ll never have so much as an unkind word for you.¡±


    I¡¯ll kill you, you bloodthirsty bastard, she snarled in her head. She could have said it; he wasn¡¯t her summoner. But if she¡¯d lacked wisdom to temper her courage when she faced him on the battlefield, she found it now and kept silent.


    ¡°You fought well,¡± the big vampire said, inclining his head in respect as he moved away. ¡°Another few years and you really might have been something.¡±


    I¡¯m something now, she might have said. This time she actually opened her mouth to say the words, but then she saw movement in the grand hallway beyond the double doors Stafford had carelessly left open, and when the figures marched past, they drove the words right out of her mind.


    A floating lich glided along a foot above the floor, ignoring the finery and beauty around her. Curly had seen her on the battlefield; she was one of the enemy generals. For the first time she thought past these rooms and her own private tragedy; the palace had fallen to the enemy. Treledyne was lost. They had lost.


    Even that thought, gut-wrenching as it was, was given short shrift in her mind as a cluster of bodies followed in the lich¡¯s wake. A quartet of undead wights were guarding a prisoner, a fair-haired noble youth with bloodied clothes and a face painted with despair.


    Basil!


    The name shrieked out within her, and she clapped her hands to her mouth as a flood of memories assaulted her. Basil lying wounded in his rooms at the Coliseum when she¡¯d had to break down the door and heal him. Basil savoring the food she¡¯d finagled from the fine restaurant Obu when he¡¯d quarreled with Warrick. Basil dueling for her hand against that lout of an older brother of his. Basil kissing her gently, sweetly. Basil opening his soul to show her his card. Basil, the man she was meant to marry.


    She did shriek then, long and loud and high, a sound that carried all her anger, her fear, her regret. He asked me to elope with him and I drew away. It was the last moment we ever had. Twins, why didn¡¯t I say yes? She¡¯d wanted to, but the thought of her father¡¯s disappointment at missing the ceremony had been more than she could bear.


    With a sound of offended disgust, Alexi unsummoned her, and she found herself screaming to the ceiling of the cozy villa where she¡¯d been before. She was back in the vampire¡¯s Mind Home. She didn¡¯t care. Her nails were digging into her palms and her heart was tearing itself into pieces. If I¡¯d said yes, none of it would have happened. She knew it wasn¡¯t true, but she couldn¡¯t get rid of the thought. It¡¯s all my fault.


    The other souls clustered around her, the faery and the great kobold and others she couldn¡¯t yet make herself look at. She collapsed in on herself, sobbing hopelessly. The words the others were throwing at her were nothing but a babble in her ears. Basil, a slave to that power-sucking lich. Alive, tortured, and without a doubt mourning her.


    I have to do something. The vampires are in the palace with him. Maybe Alexi will let me see him. Maybe I can help him. There must be something I can do.


    Her sobbing eased as the thought took hold within her and burned like a candle catching flame. She could endure Alexi¡¯s silly pouting and Stafford¡¯s cruel favoritism if it meant she could help Basil. She wouldn¡¯t let him be the lich¡¯s next meal. She wouldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t even know her own name, but she knew that fact as solidly as her own skin.


    Hold on, Basil my love. Remember me. I¡¯ll figure something out. I¡¯ll make it right.


    I¡¯ll save you.

 Update

    Hello, my fellow card junkies! I wanted to check in with everyone and let you know where things stand. I''ve been hard at work editing book 1, and I''m blown away by both the amount and quality of constructive feedback I''ve received from comments on here, on Patreon, and from our Discord community. I''ve been taking it all to heart and am making the edited version of the book the best it can possibly be.


    That process is a heavier lift than I expected, is the thing, and that fact together with some nasty bouts of illness and a heavy grad school load have led me to realize that I''m not ready to jump into book 3 yet. I''m therefore pushing my return date to May. I hate to do it, and I''m sure you hate to hear it, but this feels like a realistic date at which I can have the beginning of book 3 in good order and ready to share with you. If you''re one of my Patreons, please know that billing will remain paused until then.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    To tide everyone over until I return, I''m planning to share the edited version of book 1 here in chunks of about 10 chapters at a time as I work through the editing. Keep an eye out; the first chunk should hit fairly soon. I hope you''ll be pleased with how it''s turning out.


    Thank you so much for your patience and for your eyeballs on my story. You''re the best.


    -Furious Scribe

 B1 Edits: 1. Hull - An Empty Heart

    Chapter 1


    An Empty Heart


    <u>Hull, Street Urchin</u>


    Living Soul


    Unknown Rarity


    Unknown Abilities


    The old man was dying, and I wasn¡¯t going to let him out of my sight until he kicked it. Folks crawling off to hack out their last was a common enough thing here in the Lows, but I¡¯d never seen one that had a pint-sized Earth troll to carry them into a quiet alley like this fellow did. The creature was positioned squarely under one of his armpits, levering him up off the dirty cobbles by main strength and pulling him along far more effectively than the dying fellow¡¯s twitchy hands and feet could have done. If not for the little troll, he¡¯d be flat on his face in the middle of the street. The sorry old cuss wasn¡¯t long for this world.


    I¡¯d caught sight of him just as the troll had dragged him into the dead end behind Capano¡¯s tavern, and I couldn¡¯t believe my luck. The troll had that extra-present, extra-real look that couldn¡¯t be faked, and the two tiny rock spheres of Earth Source circling the old man¡¯s wobbling head proved it: this wasn¡¯t a live troll ¨C it was a card. A summoned Soul.


    <u>Dwarf Cave Troll</u>


    Earth Soul


    Unknown Rarity


    Unknown Cost


    Unknown Attack & Health


    Unknown Abilities


    I knew there were special glasses that would have let me seen everything about the troll, but nobody around here had rich-folk shit like that. Just seeing a fighting Soul like this was rare as hen¡¯s teeth here in the Lows. It was dropping lumps of clay from its legs as it went, but the dying man had to weigh ten stone, maybe twelve, and the little creature was grunting along just fine even though it was no more than two feet tall. That much strength at that size, with only two Source called forth? It had to be an Uncommon, maybe even a Rare.


    I had to have been the only one to stumble onto the old man. Around here, even folks that didn¡¯t work for the Big Man would happily cave in this geezer¡¯s head in front of Fate, Fortune, and everybody for the chance to get their hands on a card like that. I¡¯d never been one for prayer, but I muttered a quick, heartfelt thanks to the Twins. Most folks from the Lows were over in the Palace District today making a few clips off the festivities leading up to the rich kids¡¯ dueling tournament. If I¡¯d gone with them ¨C and I¡¯d thought about it more than once ¨C I¡¯d have never even known what I missed.


    For now, though, I squatted in the throat of the alley in just the right spot so I could keep an eye on both the street and on my good friend Almost Dead where he¡¯d curled up ¡®round the bend. He was right under the window Capano always used to throw out his scraps. I pulled out the broken table knife I¡¯d stolen from a sleeping beggar on Hook Street along with a small round stone and set to scraping the smooth rock along its edge as if sharpening it. I had no idea if it worked ¨C for all I knew, I was making it duller ¨C but it looked fierce, and I didn¡¯t want anyone strolling past and deciding to take a peek in the alley. I¡¯d stab any idiot I had to, but the easiest thing was to scare them off in the first place. I was big enough to be a threat, and the knife was just a little extra encouragement. I didn¡¯t miss the days back when I¡¯d been a little runt. Running away all the time made me angry. Angrier.


    ¡°Come for my card, eh?¡± the old man said, looking at me from where he lay in the mud of the dead end. He¡¯d landed in the gorsefruit Capano had thrown out a few days before, and when he¡¯d rolled over some of the rotten red fruit had smeared on his cheek. It made a vivid blotch against the grayish grime ground into the cracks and creases of the dying fellow¡¯s face. He was an old one, all right, but his eyes were still a sharp bright blue.


    ¡°Somebody¡¯s got to,¡± I said. ¡°Might as well be me.¡±


    ¡°Might as well,¡± he said, giving a weak laugh that turned into a barking cough. Bubbled spit frothed on his slack lips, and it was speckled with a red even deeper than the gorsefruit.


    ¡°Is it a Rare?¡± I asked, keeping my eyes on the street. An old woman carrying two full pails of water hanging from either end of a rod across her shoulders was teetering her way towards me, but she looked about ready to keel over herself. She wouldn¡¯t be any trouble.


    ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± the old man wheezed.


    I didn¡¯t bother saying anything. I don¡¯t answer stupid questions.


    ¡°Are you going to kill me now?¡± he asked, lying back to stare at the sky.


    I took a second to answer. Killing him now was the smarter move. The longer this took, the riskier it became. But that¡¯s what the Big Man and his crew would have done, and I hated those bastards. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Fate¡¯s already done the job. I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    ¡°A true gentleman of the Lows,¡± he said with a chuckle that turned immediately into thick, wet hacking. ¡°Elevated the card myself,¡± he continued once he had a little breath back, pride audible in his voice despite the rattling in his lungs. ¡°Took me years to get the shards and the money for the trip on top of everything. Went all the way back to Darlish for it. The church soulsmiths here in Treledyne are idiots. You want a good leveling for an Earth card, you go to Darlish.¡±


    I felt a thrill of victory and clutched my knife tighter. It was a Rare. Raising a card from Common to Uncommon would only take a fraction of the time and expense he was describing. Hells, even I had enough Basic shards in my hidden stash that I could trade up for an Uncommon shard or two, and I was a street kid.


    ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± I asked him. I glanced back and saw the little troll summons scaling the red brick wall up to Capano¡¯s window. Its muddy hand flattened and disappeared into the crack between the wood and the brick, and then the latch popped loose, letting the window swing open just a crack. Up and in, and then the troll was out of sight. I was speechless with jealousy. I could steal anything with that. Anything.


    ¡°Not bad, hey?¡± cackled the dying man, pink froth dancing on his lips. More coughing followed, and I inched back toward him. Any time now.


    I waited for his hacking to subside. He was wheezing hard, like he couldn¡¯t get enough air. Someone else might have thought it sad. ¡°Got any others?¡± I asked him.


    The old man shook his head, sorrow filling his eyes. ¡°I fell sick and started losing duels. To the victors go the spoils, hey? I used to have a house on Bourbon Plaza, if you can believe it. Two maids. One of ¡®em was pretty.¡±


    I¡¯d heard it could happen sometimes ¨C crowd favorites losing their ante cards in surprise upsets and eventually ending in the gutters. It made a small part of me happy to see the results in front of me. Everybody should have to scrape to survive, especially the rich ones. ¡°Never been in a duel,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Never lived then,¡± he gasped, wiping a filthy hand across his slack, bloody lips.


    I was tempted to palm his wispy-haired head and bounce it off the bricks. I knew I hadn¡¯t lived, and the dotty old bastard had no right to say it. He had no idea what I¡¯d been through. I breathed deep and let my eyes unfocus. Too much more of that kind of thinking and I¡¯d find a Source ball circling my head. I was happy to dance that jig when the moment called for it, but this one didn¡¯t. He¡¯d be dead in minutes and I¡¯d have what I came for. No point in fouling my only shirt more than it already was.


    The troll summons reappeared at the sill, pushed open the window, and dragged its prize through: a dark brown bottle of Capano¡¯s house beer. It was nearly half as tall as the little guy, but he gamely wrapped his muddy arms around the bottle and jumped from the sill to the ground carrying his prize. His knees bent impossibly deep when he landed, and the butt of the bottle thumped gently against the grimy cobbles. With a little squawk of success, the troll lugged the beer over to his master. The old man took it in eager, shaking hands.


    ¡°Do me a favor, boy,¡± he whispered, holding the capped bottle toward me. ¡°Least you can do if you¡¯re taking the card.¡±


    I considered letting him die with his favorite drink in hand, untasted. ¡°I could have killed you before you even saw me.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± he begged.


    I shrugged and nodded. Capano¡¯s beer was good, and dying probably wasn¡¯t much fun. I crossed to him, took the bottle, and used the window sill to pop the crimped cap off. I took a deep pull first ¨C it had been a long time since the last time I¡¯d found a half-full bottle of the stuff ¨C and handed it over. He took it gleefully and gulped it down like a baby on the tit. Then he coughed some more. It looked like there was more blood than saliva now.


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    ¡°You could win big with my little warrior,¡± he croaked. ¡°You have Earth Source?¡±


    The top of my head felt as if it were going to pop off, and my hands clenched into fists. It would have been so easy to snatch the bottle out of his hand and beat him with it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I managed to say. ¡°Never got my hands on an Earth card before. But I don¡¯t have an affinity for Order or any of the other three elements, so it¡¯s got to be Earth, right?¡±


    The old fellow gaped and struggled like a fish, his free hand shaking broadly as he pointed an accusing finger at me. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the basics of Source cultivation. I¡¯m not giving up my sweet boy to you!¡±


    Anger surging, I knelt beside him and pushed him back into the muck. It was easier than bending a river reed. ¡°Shut your lip about what I know. It¡¯s not like you have a choice here. You¡¯ll be swimming with the Sources in a minute.¡±


    He looked around desperately. No one was coming to save him. ¡°Merciful Twelve, save my best card from the hands of an idiot. Have you at least created your own Soul card? Even a street kid could reach Common if they caught the Twins¡¯ eye. Tell me you¡¯ve done that much.¡±


    I snorted in disgust. ¡°Do you think you laid down to die in the Palace District? How many people have you met around here with a Soul card? You know the Big Man keeps close tabs on anybody trying to rise.¡±


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s balls,¡± the man whispered, clutching his fists in futile anger. ¡°You¡¯re a cardless know-nothing. It can¡¯t end like this.¡±


    ¡°As it happens,¡± I growled, ¡°I did have a Soul card, but now it¡¯s gone. My mother stole it from me when I was little.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know whether my words shocked him into stillness or disbelief stopped his tongue. I knew he¡¯d never heard of a person¡¯s Soul card being stolen, because nobody had. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible. It could be harvested when you died, yes, but before then? Impossible. A person¡¯s Soul was them ¨C their essence, their self. It took most folks work and pain and prayer to refine their own Soul enough to form a card that would endure when they died. Many never bothered, especially in the Lows. But somehow I¡¯d done all that as a tiny kid ¨C not that I remembered any of it ¨C and then dearest Mommy, a vague shadow in my mind at best, had torn it out of me and danced right out of my life. Someday I was going to find that damned woman and we were going to have a long, unpleasant conversation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have any Source, do you?¡± he said glumly.


    ¡°Oh, I most definitely do,¡± I said, feeling grimly satisfied that at least in this one thing I could stem his complaints. Snotty old bastard, trying to pick and choose how it¡¯s going to go while he¡¯s dying in the gutter. Holding out my left hand, I pulled Source out of my heart, feeling it stream through me like liquid life. It formed into a solid card in my hand and I cast it into the air, where it morphed into a small ball that orbited my head like a tiny moon. It was deep purple, and it pulsed with jagged spikes.


    He struggled uselessly against my hand. ¡°You draw on Nether? What are you, part demon? I can¡¯t let my sweet boy go to a monster!¡±


    ¡°You already have,¡± I said. ¡°And who knows? I might be able to use him. Damned if I know how I ended up with Nether Source, but I¡¯m human through and through. I know it¡¯s strange I don¡¯t have Order, but then I ought to be able to draw on one of the elemental Sources, right? Earth¡¯s the only one I haven¡¯t tried yet. We¡¯ll find out soon enough. Eh. I will, at least.¡±


    He slumped back, defeated. ¡°I was nearly a tri-city finalist. Two bare steps from the Champion¡¯s Circle before Fate turned her back on me. Behar Toulon, the Underdog of Harp¡¯s Bend!¡±


    ¡°Never heard of you,¡± I said. ¡°But I won¡¯t let the card go to waste.¡±


    He gripped my wrist. ¡°Win,¡± he said, his breath thick and rotten. ¡°Win big. Show those bastards what it feels like.¡± He took another drink, slopping half of it down his own front.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll win,¡± I told him, ¡°but you can eat a brick if you think I¡¯m going to mess around with rich-bitch dueling and tournament rules. Forget all that. What I¡¯m going to do is build myself a deck so powerful that I can walk right up to the King and make him think I¡¯m some fine noble he hasn¡¯t met yet. Then I¡¯m gonna put a knife in his eye and watch this whole city eat itself.¡± I had a bone-deep grudge against the King I¡¯d been nursing for as long as I could remember, and I dreamed about killing him nearly every night.


    The old man expressed neither shock nor approval of my grand plan. I looked down and saw that he had died in the middle of his beer. The troll summons, which had been rocking back and forth on top of a loose cobblestone, shimmered into nothing. The circling Earth Sources splintered to bits and spun out of sight. Beer and blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and he stared blindly into the realms of Fate and Fortune.


    I rescued his beer bottle before it fell out of his slackening hand, wiped the rim, and drank the rest. No point in wasting it, and this was a moment to savor. Then, with another a quick prayer to the Eternal Twins ¨C twice in one day, I might as well join the Tenders ¨C I took a deep breath and reached behind his right ear. I¡¯d seen it done a dozen times before, but I¡¯d never had a chance to take a dead man¡¯s cards myself. Someone else always got there first, and the Big Man was usually right there breathing down their neck to turn over the goods. My guts shook within me. This is it.


    Behind the flap of his ear I could feel the edge of something smooth and hard. Sure enough, just as it should be, the gaffer¡¯s single card pushed out from inside him now that his mind couldn¡¯t make a Home for it. Grasping the corner with my thumb and forefinger, I drew the card out gently, oh so gently, and it lifted free.


    My breath caught, and I cradled the treasure in both hands. It was a thing of beauty. It was the size of a regular numbers card like anyone saw in the taverns, but its outer edge was shining metal, or at least something that looked like it. I¡¯d been told they wouldn¡¯t chip or bend if dropped ¨C not that I was going to risk it. The edges shimmered in purest gold. Rare. I tried to slow my breath. This card would cost a skilled tradesman six months¡¯ wages. I could pick pockets from now until I was thirty and not earn enough to buy it.


    The rest of the card was beautifully colored, with a static picture of the tiny troll I¡¯d seen resting in its home cave, long forearms draped over its knees, its toothy maw quirked in devious humor. He was incredible. Wide bars of rich, cracked brown bracketed the troll above and below, showing it to be an Earth card. Inside that top bar was the title of the card and its Source cost, and below the portrait was the description of the card itself.


    <u>Dwarf Cave Troll</u>


    Earth Soul


    Rare


    Cost: 2 Earth + 1 Any


    2 Attack / 3 Health


    Regenerate 1, Armor 1, Territorial


    Don¡¯t go to sleep in the caves before


    you light a fire. You may not wake up.


    I ran my hand over its smooth surface. It even felt expensive. It was a great card. I might not be a duelist myself, but I¡¯d heard enough drunken fools holding forth about tournaments over their cups to know that so long as a person had Earth Source, there was hardly a deck out there this card wouldn¡¯t fit into nicely.


    Now, the real test. Holding my breath, I held the card to my skull behind my right ear. Again, I¡¯d seen it done before. It should phase into me, and then I¡¯d be able to call the card forth whenever I wanted from my right hand. Someone could beat me and make me give it up ¨C it wasn¡¯t my own Soul card, which supposedly could only be drawn out when a person died ¨C but other than that, it would be safe.


    All right, so you¡¯re a freak that can¡¯t access Order Source; fine. But there¡¯s not a human out there that can¡¯t develop an affinity for one of the four elements. Air didn¡¯t work, neither did Water or Fire, so it has to be this one. This is where it turns around for you, Hull. This is the beginning of your deck, and from here¡­you will rise.


    Nothing happened. The card sat firmly against my coarse waves of black hair and did not move. Rage building, I swapped it to the left side and tried again. Summons cards were supposed to live in the mind and Sources in the heart, but maybe I was a freak in this way, too.


    Nope. The card sat there, inert. My soul had no Earth affinity, and it would not accept the card. The only Source I was somehow attuned to was Nether, from the Demon Realm. Nobody had Nether cards, not around here. They weren¡¯t illegal, exactly, but they were about as common as unicorns, and no upstanding kingsman would be caught holding one even if he chanced across it.


    I¡¯d thought I was going to rise? Forget it. I was finished. I¡¯d never get within spitting distance of the King, and no one would ever know the ruin he¡¯d made of my life. I¡¯d scrape out a few coins until I got caught stealing and then I¡¯d die kicking on the end of a spear.


    ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± I told the corpse. ¡°You¡¯re useless.¡± I scrubbed a tear from my face. Who was I kidding? Old Behar had at least had his house on Bourbon Plaza. I was the useless one.


    Hopeless, numb, I pried open his lips anyway to get at his Soul card. That one came out through the mouth. His jaws were already stiffening, and I got his bloody death foam all over my hands. Who cared? I was as good as dead already.


    Four Basic shards sat on his tongue. He didn¡¯t even have a complete Soul card, the bastard. Two steps from the Champion¡¯s Circle, my ass. He¡¯d spent all his time leveling his stupid little troll and never bothered to advance himself. No wonder he¡¯d ended up losing his tournaments. Now he was nothing. Had he bothered to work on himself to at least create a Common soul card, he might have lived on as a 1/1 Soldier or Duelist. Instead, the shards of his being could only be used to improve someone else¡¯s card, and not very much, at that. I pocketed the shards. I¡¯d add them to my little stash when I got back to my sleeping hole.


    Not that it matters. You can¡¯t use the card. You can¡¯t even sell it. A kid like you trying to sell a Rare would end up with the City Watch in five seconds. You can¡¯t do anything. When you die, you won¡¯t even leave a single shard behind.


    I closed my eyes and shook my head. Whenever I held Nether Source too long, the rage that came with it eventually turned to despair. I knew I should dismiss the Source circling over my head. I¡¯d feel better. I could find that thieves¡¯ fence Tomarken always bragged about knowing and sell the troll card. I¡¯d only get half of what it was worth, but even that was enough to¡­ what? Buy a neutral Relic or two? That wasn¡¯t the start of the great deck I needed to build. I had to find good, high-quality cards that my soul would accept. I¡¯d never even seen a Nether card. There had to be another Source I could use. What was it? Depths? Celestial? Death? Twins knew I¡¯d seen plenty of death in my years on the street. Maybe I could trade my troll for a good Death card. People looked suspiciously at Death users, or so I heard, but Tomarken¡¯s shady seller might be able to lay his hands on one. It was either that or go see if one of the whorehouses would take me on. I¡¯d rather die.


    I held onto my Source. I didn¡¯t want to feel better. I wanted to hit something, and my old, diseased, beer-swilling friend couldn¡¯t hit back the way I needed him to. I needed to sink my knuckles into flesh ¨C let the world know I was still here and still not happy about it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± someone at the mouth of the alley barked. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±


    Shit. I¡¯d forgotten to keep an eye out for passers-by. Did some City Watchman wander into the Lows by mistake, or does some asshole just want to make my day worse? Still crouched by the dead man, my back to the person who¡¯d caught me, I furtively stashed the card under the loose cobble the troll had been balancing on. Anger surged again. This was my card. When I stood and turned, two bulky men loomed in the gap. One held a truncheon.


    I held out my left hand for more Nether Source, and with my right I shattered the dead man¡¯s bottle, holding the broken neck out like a knife. I don¡¯t give a shit who they are. They¡¯ll do.


    ¡°I killed this man and took his shards,¡± I said. ¡°You gonna do something about it?¡±

 B1 Edits: 2. Hull - Big Man

    Chapter 2


    Big Man


    <u> </u>


    <u>Hull, Street Urchin</u>


    Living Soul


    Unknown Rarity


    Unknown Abilities


    It wasn¡¯t until I was sprinting toward them that I caught a good glimpse of their faces, and on any other day what I saw would have stopped me in my tracks. The fat fellow on the right was Skop, and the taller, stronger one was actually a massive freak of a woman named Harker. They were two of the Big Man¡¯s meanest enforcers, and I spent a good chunk of my life avoiding them and the others like them. Fighting these people was the dumbest kind of crazy.


    But in the grip of my summoned Nether Source, it felt right. Who were they to keep the whole Lows scared and scrabbling? Sure, they were big, but that just meant they¡¯d hit the ground harder. Sure, they were allowed to have cards while none of the rest of us were, but I was sick of hiding, of giving up the few scraps I found for myself just because Big Man Ticosi and his thugs said I had to. I was gonna watch them bleed, and if Ticosi didn¡¯t like it, I had a fistful of glass for him too. A ragged laugh burst out of me as I dashed toward them. I sounded completely berserk, and I liked it.


    Skop¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°What you on about, squirt?¡± he bayed. ¡°Gonna hurt yourself.¡±


    Harker just settled into her knees, keeping her arms loose and free. ¡°Come get it, little man,¡± she said quietly. Skop made a lot of noise, but she was the one who got things done. I¡¯d have to hit her first. She was ready, though. I saw a white sphere spin into existence over her head and knew I was running out of time. I angled toward her and put on more speed, my last few strides more like leaps than steps.


    I had two Nether overhead already, and I drew on them both as hard as I could, pulling the Source directly into myself. Even without any cards to summon, a person could still put their Source to use. Each Source had a different effect when channeled through the body instead of being used to summon Soul, Relics, or Spells. Water let a fellow redirect damage, Fire let him blast an enemy, and Order let him pull his cards more quickly. Nether filled me with a shaking rage and made me incredibly strong. It was the only way I¡¯d survived all these years on my own. Pulling this hard on both the Sources I had summoned was enough to let me break bones if I hit right, even though the Sources would be exhausted for a while after. Hit fast, hit hard, and get away. That was life in the Lows, and I was good at it.


    The air beside Harker shimmered and misted, and then the haze contracted into a solid form. A Soldier appeared, standing out from everything around him, colors vibrant and deep like all summoned Souls.


    <u>Human Soldier</u>


    Order Soul


    Unknown Rarity


    Unknown Cost


    Unknown Attack & Health


    Unknown Abilities


    It flexed its fists dully and stood there like a human wall, ready to do whatever it was commanded but taking no initiative ¨C it must have been a Common. They weren¡¯t very smart. Harker obviously didn¡¯t think I could deal out much hurt up front, because she let the Soul stand idle and stepped forward to take me on herself. If I sidestepped her and attacked the Soldier before she gave it any direction, it¡¯d puff into splinters of light and be gone before it could stick that sword into me. That was the smart move, but summons didn¡¯t bleed, and with the Nether thundering in my veins, I only had eyes for Harker. Her jutting jaw, bristling short hair, and the nasty mole under her eyebrow stoked my rage. She looked smug, and I wanted to see that brutish face go wide in panic and pain.


    Skop, meanwhile, was still trying to wrap his idiot mind around the fact that someone was running toward him instead of away. He was stumbling back, his first Order Source flickering into being overhead. I had time before he was a problem.


    I ignored the Soldier summons and dove toward Harker. She grinned her mouthful of yellow teeth and opened her arms wide like she wanted a hug. Through my haze of fury I almost had to respect the crazy bitch. The tip of my broken glass bottle dug into her ribs, and it felt like digging into sandy soil with a spade. The glass tips caught, dragged, broke, and kept scraping.


    Shredded cards sprayed out as my deadly bottle weapon swept past her, confetti swirling in all directions like a rich kid¡¯s birthday celebration. I blinked, surprised. Me and broken bottles were good friends, and I was used to the red stuff when I was done. It took a moment of thinking to remember that when folks had cards in their Mind Home, their cards soaked up any damage the person took, shredding themselves to protect their keeper. The cards weren¡¯t gone for good; they¡¯d reappear in Harker¡¯s Mind Home within the hour. Only while her Mind Home was empty in the meantime could I do her any real harm. Oops. This was what Nether thinking got me: in over my head.


    I¡¯d thought I¡¯d taken maybe four cards out of her, plus there was one she had summoned. A quick glance back at Harker showed her clutching at her side. I¡¯d torn through her leather vest and dirty shirt, and a bit of blood dribbled from between her fingers¡­but not much. That hit should have taken her down, maybe for good, but in my rage I¡¯d forgotten how the world worked for people who weren¡¯t useless gutter rats like me.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± I had time to say, and then I was eating her big, dirty fist. The last of the Nether I¡¯d consumed guttered out, and I felt every last inch of the pain as my nose broke and I went skidding to the cobbles. She snapped a command at her Soldier Soul, and it pinned me to the ground with one foot so its master could focus on hurting me.


    ¡°That was stupid, kid,¡± Skop said, standing off to one side, his Order Source dismissed. ¡°You¡¯re one o¡¯ them Hook Street kids, right? Hull, ain¡¯t it? I mean, I knew all you little shits was dumb, but that was some hash-smoker kind of stupid. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Less than is gonna be wrong in a second,¡± Harker grunted, sinking her knuckles into my gut. I gasped and retched. ¡°Little bastard cut me. Went right through my cards.¡±


    Skop¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Serious? Damn, squirt. You oughtta be in the fighting pits. Don¡¯t break him too bad just yet.¡±


    I pried hopelessly at the Soldier¡¯s boot. A beating I could handle, but Skop¡¯s words send a thrill of fear through me. Not the fighting pits. I couldn¡¯t get any leverage at this angle.


    ¡°He cut me,¡± Harker repeated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to give him a kiss and a cuddle,¡± Skop said, settling his bulk onto a barrel at the mouth of the alley. ¡°Just make sure he can hit somebody tomorrow.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Right,¡± she said grimly. ¡°Like this.¡± She opened a meaty hand and slapped me, her paw covering my ear and the whole side of my face. It was like a whole building fetched up against my head and pushed on through. My head bounced off the cobbles and I tasted blood and heard colors. If I summon more Nether and hit her again, I might get lucky and make her kill me. It¡¯d be better than going to the pits. It was an even worse idea than attacking her in the first place, but it was a useless thought anyway ¨C I¡¯d lost hold of my two Source when I went down, and if I tried to summon more, she¡¯d just break my fingers. There was no chance.


    My ear hurt even worse than my nose or my ribs. A shaking hand held to my head came away bloody. She¡¯d done something bad when she hit me like that, but I didn¡¯t know what.


    ¡°Now, little man,¡± Harker said, squatting by me, ¡°how about you tell us why you went and killed someone on my streets?¡±


    ¡°Whose streets?¡± a quiet voice said from behind her.


    My guts froze. I¡¯d thought I was in a bad spot, but it was so much worse than I¡¯d imagined. That was Ticosi¡¯s voice. He was the Big Man of the Lows, and one of my primary goals in life had been to never speak to him face to face. The fighting pits would kill me, sure, but that was the least of my worries now. I¡¯d be lucky to be alive in five minutes.


    ¡°Boss,¡± Harker said respectfully, clambering to her feet. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you were around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always around, beautiful,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Even when I¡¯m not.¡± Harker stepped back, bowing her head, and I got my first up-close eyeful of the man who¡¯d once killed an entire tavern full of people because the barkeep laughed at him. He was average sized, spare of frame, and well-washed where everyone else was dirty. He looked young but was totally bald, his skin just dark enough that he could have been from Charbond or Darlish or anywhere in between. He wore a long coat of mismatched leather squares year-round, no matter the weather. People said it was made of human skin, and I believed them. His eyes were a pale brown so leached of color they were almost yellow, and the whites were bloodshot. His gaze fell on me, and I froze. It was like locking eyes with a snake, or maybe a vampire.


    ¡°We got this handled, Mister Ticosi,¡± Skop said, standing at attention. ¡°Got us a scrapper for the fighting pits. Hits lots harder than you might think.¡±


    Ticosi¡¯s eyes turned to Skop, and he said nothing. He just looked at the dumpy enforcer, and finally Skop shuffled his feet and muttered an apology. The Big Man zeroed back in on me.


    ¡°When I want chaos on my streets, I¡¯m the one to make it, boy. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I whispered, not meeting his eyes and hating myself for it. I was a hard man, I was, but it¡¯d be easier to stare at the sun than lock gazes with Ticosi.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± he commanded in his soft, reasonable voice.


    His word was every bit as compulsive as having the Nether in me. A second ago I couldn¡¯t bring myself to pull my eyes off the cobbles, but when he said it, I had to. My guts were clenching like I¡¯d drunk sewer water, and my breath was fast. I wanted to say something smart, something tough, but my mouth was dry and my throat hot.


    ¡°Hull. I¡¯ve never paid you much heed. You sleep on Hook Street. You have a hidey-hole under one of the cobbles behind the tanner¡¯s shop where you keep whatever you can get your hands on. You bring a shard to one of my men every few weeks to keep them off your back and think you¡¯re pretty smart to hide the rest.¡±


    I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I felt scoured to the bone. How does he know this?


    He knelt next to me, moving fluidly to my side, reinforcing the feeling that he could strike like a snake. I couldn¡¯t help it ¨C I shied away from him.


    ¡°I know everything in the Lows,¡± he told me. ¡°But I don¡¯t know who this man is or why you say you killed him, and I don¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°He¡­¡± I said, and then froze, fearing that he hadn¡¯t actually wanted me to speak.


    He gestured impatiently.


    I swallowed hard and tried again. ¡°He said his name was Behar something. Taloo, maybe? Old duelist, fell on hard times and got sick.¡±


    ¡°And you waited for him to die.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. I don¡¯t have any cards.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t.¡± His eyes went right through me, and I wondered how much he knew. Did he know about my mother? Did he know what was wrong with me? ¡°There are worse things than trying to get ahead. But you must know that any cards in the Lows belong to me. What did he have?¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and curled my toes inside the rags covering my feet. Steeling my aching face, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the four Basic shards. ¡°He gambled his cards away ages ago and never leveled his own soul. This was it.¡±


    I was careful to only let my eyes touch his for a second and then drift away. If I stared too hard or tried to act too sure of myself, he¡¯d know I was lying. Everyone was scared of Ticosi whether they told the truth or not. I was taking an insane risk, especially with how much he seemed to know, but he¡¯d just admitted he didn¡¯t know everything. He was going to send me to the fighting pits anyway, and handing him the Rare wouldn¡¯t change that.


    A small smile touched the corner of his mouth, and a card appeared in his left hand, which he threw up into the air, where it formed a dripping Source ball of blood red. My muscles locked up, and I couldn¡¯t look away. Fate and Fortune save me, he¡¯s using his Chaos. By royal decree, even having an affinity for Chaos Source was a hanging offense, but Ticosi ran the Lows. Nobody down here could touch him, and none of the rich folk up the hill seemed in a hurry to step in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re telling the truth,¡± he said.


    <u>Quaking Seizure</u>


    Chaos Spell


    Unknown Rarity


    Unknown Cost


    Unknown Speed


    Unknown Effect


    My world exploded into confusion. My vision went jittery and my arms and legs started to quiver and jerk like they had a mind of their own. My back arched, and I bucked wildly on the cobbles. Screaming fear gripped me. I couldn¡¯t control my body at all. I bit down hard on my tongue once, twice, and my breath sounded like a forge bellows. I was making noises, little grunts and cries, and I sounded like a madhouse inmate. My head knocked on the stones again and I saw stars. Everything hurt. Everything moved. I couldn¡¯t think straight. It was like I¡¯d run five miles and fought an army at the end of it. Sweat covered me, and still my body writhed and spasmed. What¡¯s happening to me?


    Then it stopped and I was gasping on the ground, bleeding from half a dozen new little cuts and feeling like I¡¯d just survived bonebreak fever. I was exhausted. I had no idea how long it had gone on, but both Harker and Skop were staring at me in horror.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start this conversation again,¡± Ticosi said, leaning close. His eyes were even more bloodshot than before. Whatever card he¡¯d just used on me, it had done something to him, too. ¡°What cards did you take from the old man?¡±


    Part of me quailed, but another, deeper, angrier part of me crowed. He doesn¡¯t know. ¡°No cards,¡± I gasped. It came out as more of a sob, but that was all to the good. Maybe he¡¯d believe it more.


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a monocle. He held it up in front of me. It had green glass filling the frame. ¡°One last chance,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t change his voice at all, but the menace of what he hadn¡¯t said hung in the air. The monocle was for sure an artifact built by one of the high-priced Artisans of the city. I¡¯d heard the tavern jockeys talk about the gamemaster spectacles the referees wore in the high-folk tournaments, and this was a back-alley version of those. They let the wearer see all sorts of things about a person¡¯s cards and magic, like what Source a fellow was holding, or how many cards they held inside, or even what the cards were. He was going to peek inside me whether I liked it or not.


    I held out my empty hands in a helpless gesture. I¡¯d dropped the Basic shards on the ground. If he wanted them, he could scrabble for them himself. He could peer into my soul with his monocle all day long and see precisely shit. Unless this one showed cards that weren¡¯t in your Mind Home but were hidden nearby. Then he¡¯d probably just kill me.


    He put the circle of brass and green glass to his right eye and looked at me hard, scanning my head and chest. Then he let it drop and looked nowhere in particular for a long moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Capano is going to complain about the mess in the alley, and my sweet girl Harker is going to need bandages. You, Hull, are worth exactly two shits. No one likes you and no one will miss you.¡±


    Some part of me felt I should be offended by that, but after everything else, I couldn¡¯t muster much outrage at a little bald truth-telling.


    He skewered me with another bloodshot look. ¡°So I can either let Harker turn you into stew meat and never think about you again¡­ or you can go with Skop to your hidey-hole, give him every last shard and coin you¡¯ve hidden, and then follow him to the arena on Makework Avenue to join our fighters there.¡±


    It was about what I expected. Ticosi didn¡¯t end up as Big Man of the Lows by being easy on little rats like me.


    ¡°So tell me, Hull,¡± he said, seeming mildly curious at best, ¡°are you someone that chooses a hard death or a harder life? Either suits my purposes.¡±


    It took more thought than I¡¯d like to admit, but I turned to Skop and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my spot.¡±


    My life had always been hard. So long as I wasn¡¯t dead, there was still a chance to turn things around. The golden troll card was sitting snug under its cobble no more than ten feet away, undetected. Nobody expected a thief to hide a card anywhere but inside his own Mind Home. For once, my freakish inability to use regular cards had protected me. Once Ticosi let me up, all I had to do was get away from Skop to come back and fetch it. I couldn¡¯t use Earth cards, but maybe I could trade it and find something to protect myself with.


    I didn¡¯t know how I was going to manage yet, but by the Eternal Twins, I would find a way. I was not going to the fighting pits.

 B1 Edits: 3. Basil - Fighting the Future

    Chapter 3


    Fighting the Future


    <u> </u>


    <u>Basil, Duelist-Scholar</u>


    Living Soul


    Uncommon


    Perfect card memory


    ¡°If you can¡¯t beat me, you have no hope in the Rising Stars Tournament, Basil. It¡¯s a fact, boy, simple as sunshine.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I really expected Tipfin to say anything new on our final day of practice duels, but as always, the words reached right into the secret heart of my fear and poked me. Perhaps encouragement cost more than I was able to pay him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have all the cards you¡¯ll be facing, and still you struggle,¡± Tipfin harrumphed, pulling at his narrow salt and pepper beard.


    I swallowed my unease and put on a bright smile to ease my words of disagreement. ¡°I¡¯ve put together a good deck.¡± I opened and closed my hands in preparation for the cards I would soon be summoning from my Mind Home. The brackets had been finalized earlier in the week for all of the noble participants, and they placed me in the same grouping as Losum Drakk. Tipfin¡¯s research had found that Losum used an Archer-centered deck, capable of dealing damage to whoever it wished, the opposing duelist included. ¡°He¡¯ll decimate flying decks and be able to race fast decks for the kill. I can outlast him, even with the extra threats he¡¯ll be holding. I just need to fine-tune my opening turns.¡±


    ¡°Pfff,¡± Tipfin said dismissively, taking a swallow from his ever-present flask. Our sessions always ended when he started to sway, but I usually got something close to the agreed-upon hour I paid for. I¡¯d gone to some lengths to make sure he didn¡¯t know the funds were coming out of my own pocket ¨C it would have embarrassed the family no end if that got out ¨C so I kept my occasional petty thoughts about not getting my crowns¡¯ worth to myself. Besides, he¡¯d been a good trainer to my elder brothers in their day. Perhaps he was fighting some private battle of his own right now. The best thing was to treat him respectfully. Yes, that felt right.


    He stood precisely twenty-four feet away from me in the round training hall, perfectly shaped brown bricks making up the floor and walls, lending the room a sense of Order that pleased me. Only my unkempt trainer disrupted the aura as he hawked phlegm out of his throat and stuffed his liquor back into his waistband. ¡°Orelus is what pulls it together,¡± he warned me for the umpteenth time. ¡°Without that Mythic in the mix, I can¡¯t show you the real oomph of an Archer deck. The only thing in your favor is that the fool boy isn¡¯t using Air Source to refresh his Archers. I don¡¯t know what their resident trainer is doing, letting him go without.¡±


    I agreed with Tipfin about the Air Source, but I knew Losum never would. ¡°He¡¯s terrified of heights.¡± I couldn¡¯t say Losum and I were friendly, but one couldn¡¯t grow up in Treledyne¡¯s noble families without plenty of exposure to one¡¯s peers.


    My trainer raised a bushy eyebrow at me. ¡°Are you telling me the Drakk family can¡¯t afford an Air fabricator? Preposterous.¡±


    I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. The Drakks were some of the wealthiest people in the city, and the idea was preposterous for them, but Tipfin¡¯s statement struck uncomfortably close to home for me. The King¡¯s decision that Father, as head of the City Watch, was financially responsible for the riots two years previous had been nearly ruinous for us. Only the Twins¡¯ grace had kept that fact secret in the lean seasons since. But in Losum¡¯s case, money didn¡¯t solve everything. ¡°They probably bought him a fabricator, but when I say he loathes heights, he truly does.¡± Years ago, our families had gone on an excursion together to Pirtash Peak, the small mountain in the southern portion of the city where summoners cultivated Air. Nine-year-old Losum had wet himself halfway up and refused to go any farther. A fabricator would give him a few Source without the usual cultivation work involved, but he¡¯d still feel their essence when summoned, and if today¡¯s Losum was anything like back then, he¡¯d probably sick up from the sense of soaring freedom using Air always gave me.


    ¡°Regardless,¡± Tipfin said, ¡°let¡¯s get this farce over with. If you can¡¯t beat me without this deck¡¯s key component or how it should be played, I don¡¯t know why I bothered to train you for the last six months. Some days, boy, I think I might as well have stayed retired.¡±


    I swallowed hard to keep a hot retort buried. Some days I think you should have stayed retired, Tipfin. Even at the slightly discounted rate he offered for having loved training my brother Gale so much, I was still pouring every last clip I earned working for Father in the City Watch into paying for these sessions, and often when the older man staggered out after not quite an hour¡¯s worth of uninspired tips and grumbling insults, I wished I had used my money to buy a set of basic dueling manuals instead. It would have been a fraction of the cost, and the books wouldn¡¯t have smelled of alcohol. I¡¯d have gently dismissed the old fellow long since had he not demanded full payment up front.


    I had hoped against hope that this session would give me a boost of confidence before starting the tournament tomorrow. For all my candlelight reading and dreaming of being a duelist, I knew I was underprepared. The Rising Stars Tournament was a serious affair where the best young cardholders in the city competed. It would have been wiser to start with some private tourneys, but the only way I¡¯d convinced my parents to let me pursue this course had been to show them the size of the winners¡¯ purses. Five hundred crowns for reaching the Top 5 might not mean much to the Drakk family, but it would smooth matters considerably in the Hintal household. The thought that reaching the winners¡¯ circle would also earn me a place in officer training at War Camp was a private dream I¡¯d not dared mention. Gale was already a Captain in the forces, and Mother would not be amused by having another son in the army¡¯s ranks.


    The Orc hordes would come massing next season ¨C they were so consistent about it one would think they cultivated Order ¨C and I wanted to finally be able to stand with my eldest brother and the King against them, no matter what Mother said about me being too fragile. What¡¯s more, the recent surprise of an engagement offer for me from the Haraine family left me feeling a desperate need to prove myself. Even without taking into account my family¡¯s secret financial woes, Esmi was a much better match than I ever could have hoped for. My parents had not hesitated to approve the betrothal, and while I¡¯d not thought to marry for some time yet ¨C neither Gale nor Randel had bothered ¨C I was tremulously excited for the idea too. I¡¯d not seen Esmi in the flesh for years, but we¡¯d been dear friends as children, and her correspondence during her time living in Charbond had been lively and interesting. If a winner¡¯s purse could ease my family¡¯s woes, a strong alliance with Haraine could erase them, and I had to make sure I made myself the most capable and desirable partner I could.


    ¡°Well?¡± Tipfin asked. His temper grew shorter as his flask got lighter. He had his hands raised, ready to summon his own cards.


    I nodded, and since we had no announcer for our duel, Tipfin barked, ¡°Begin!¡±


    Wasting no time, from my left hand I pulled two Source cards. Unlike Losum, I had spent hours and hours atop Pirtash Peak, surveying the land below and sky above while the high winds stripped me of my worry. That cultivation had earned me three Air Source, and one of them sat in my hand now, a card with bronzed edges and a swirl of roiling clouds on its face. The other Source was Order, the card depicting a bright sun, bathing perfectly lined fields of golden grain.


    I didn¡¯t even need to look at the summon cards in my right hand to know my play, so I flicked the Air Source up, where it reformed into a tiny storm cloud, lit from within by self-contained lightning. Looking over at Tipfin, he had also called a Source forth, but it was moving slower, the Order taking the form of a porcelain ball that gradually floated up to hover above his head. That was a major advantage of Air: it was quicker than any of the other three Elemental Sources, as well as Order.


    No summons in my deck could be paid for with a single Air Source, so while I waited the few seconds it would take for my heart to recover enough to draw more out of it, I looked over my right hand to think through future turns. All my cards in hand were silver-bordered Uncommons, as were most of the summons I possessed. My brothers had gotten the lion¡¯s share of the good cards from our family library, and we hadn¡¯t been able to replenish ourselves in recent years, so now that I¡¯d finally formed a deck, only the less desirables had remained tucked into the pages of our generational tome. One of the perks of working for Father in the City Watch was very occasional access to cheaply auctioned cards taken from thieves or harvested from executed criminals, which had allowed me to add to the collection on a tight budget. Despite Tipfin¡¯s frequent criticism, I was quite proud of the deck that now sat in my Mind Home. After years of deep study and dreaming, I knew the look of each and every card in it better than almost anything else in my life, so it took me less than a second to recognize the two Souls and a Spell I held: an Assassin, a Headsman, and Penitence.


    <u>Human Assassin</u>


    Order Soul


    Uncommon


    Cost: 2 Order + 1 Any


    1 Attack / 1 Health


    Stealth, Hunt, Venom


    Order always comes at a price.


    <u>Human Headsman</u>


    Order Soul


    Uncommon


    Cost: 2 Order + 1 Any


    3 Attack / 2 Health


    If attacking a Devoted Soul, the target is Destroyed


    no matter its Health or what abilities it has.


    Someone has to do it. Oddly satisfying


    if you don¡¯t think about it too hard.


    <u>Penitence</u>


    Order Spell


    Uncommon


    Cost: 2 Order


    Fast Speed


    Focus an opposing Soul that is Ready, or


    Devote an opposing Soul that is Focused.


    Shame has bent more backs than any king.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you exchanging anything!¡± Tipfin snapped, ever the eagle-eyed critic.


    Within the first few moments of generating one¡¯s opening hand, any duelist could call on the pity of Fortune to let them swap some of their summon or Source cards for the next ones sitting in their randomly-sorted decks. Tipfin was a great believer in making the most out of Fortune¡¯s kindness, and I had been part of enough matches to know that a bad opening could spell disaster for even the most skilled duelist.


    However, since my deck was mostly cobbled from the family¡¯s remainders, I only had two copies of many of my summons, sometimes just one. When I was fortunate enough to get a decent combination, I¡¯d much rather keep it and find a way to make the cards I had work rather than risk getting something even worse. I had tried to explain my thought process to Tipfin on more than one occasion, but after so many years tutoring my older brothers, who had three copies of everything, the cranky old trainer just couldn''t seem to grasp the subtle change in strategy my deck required to be effective.


    ¡°Fortune¡¯s luck,¡± I said to him over my cards to explain why I wasn¡¯t changing any of them, and he gave me a sour, skeptical look back.


    As if to accentuate the point, three of the cards in his own hand vanished, instantly replaced with new ones. He let out a sharp bark of a laugh and then tossed one into the air.


    I had studied the deck list for my opponent as soon as Tipfin revealed his findings to me, obsessing over it the last few nights. Losum likely wouldn¡¯t be my first opponent ¨C common folk were allowed to enter the Rising Stars Tournament too, if they were willing to risk the few cards they owned, and the King¡¯s gamemasters tended to save the duels between better-trained and deeper-decked noble youngsters for later rounds ¨C but he¡¯d almost certainly be my first really difficult one, and I¡¯d prepared accordingly. None of Losum¡¯s Spells would make sense to cast yet, and the only Soul he ran that could be paid for so cheaply was the very backbone of his forces.


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    Sure enough, when the floating card snapped out of existence in a flash of light, standing in front of Tipfin was the Soul of an Archer.


    <u>Human Archer</u>


    Order Soul


    Common


    Cost: 1 Order + 1 Any


    0 Attack / 1 Health


    Devote: Deal 1 damage to target Soul or Summoner.


    Great from a distance¡­ but up close they¡¯re mincemeat.


    The Soul looked to only be a few years older than me, face framed by a baggy hood and a bow slung over his shoulder, which he quickly unslung. Like with all summoned Souls, his skin and clothing had vibrancy to their color and texture, as if he were somehow more present in the here and now than either Tipfin or me ¨C a trait I always found odd, yet equally entrancing, considering it was he who was long dead and we were still alive.


    Also, since I¡¯d been studying Order cards for years, I knew his stats and abilities without the need of gamemaster glasses, which most duelists wore to see the details of unknown cards they faced¡­ if they could afford the expense.


    ¡°Shoot him,¡± Tipfin yawned at the Archer.


    This card was only a Common, so it reacted silently to the command, pulling an arrow from the quiver strapped to its back and nocking it in a practiced motion. Its dull eyes found me ¨C the one part of it that didn¡¯t shine brighter than us ¨C and then released.


    The arrow crossed the intervening space to me in half a second. Even though it was just a Common, only the most skilled and talented of people left cards behind when they died, so it was no surprise that the arrow he fired flew straight at my face, targeting the space between my eyes. It was far too fast to have any hope of dodging, and I had no defensive Spells to cast in reaction, so all I could do was watch it streak toward me. Before it connected with the bridge of my nose, the metal head froze a bare inch from my skin, everything around me slowing down.


    This was Fate¡¯s Grace, a moment I had heard more than one Tender describe as a ¡°glimpse of the divine¡± or ¡°the closest one can get to communing with the Twins.¡± In my training with Tipfin, he had been much more practical about it, calling the brief freeze in time one of the many critical points that separated master duelists from those who were mere pretenders. (The fact that he had inferred that I dwelt among the latter group had not escaped me.) During Fate¡¯s Grace, I had the opportunity to decide if I would block the incoming damage with a card in hand, thus losing a known resource, or let the attack strip the next card from my Mind Home, leaving my hand intact but potentially depriving me of an even better card in the future. A few wrong choices could leave a duelist so far behind he never recovered, which was part of why Tipfin was forcing me to make such a decision so early. That, and I was fairly sure he liked defeating me so he could go on in rambling, acidic detail about what I¡¯d done wrong.


    I knew that an Archer¡¯s shot would do a single point of damage to me, which, until I was able to don my Scalemail Relic, was annoying for my deck to deal with ¨C yet another fact that Tipfin knew all too well. This was because my deck featured perhaps too many cards with decently high Source cost, which meant I could block mid-sized attacks effectively but also that I would be overpaying to stop a single point of damage. Out of my current hand, all three of my Summon cards could block 2 points of damage, so to use them now to stop only 1 felt like a waste.


    The arrow was still spinning oh-so-slowly toward me, so I needed to make a decision quickly. Yes, it was frustrating, but this was exactly why I had practice matches, so I could test counterplays before it really, deeply mattered.


    I nearly chose to block the arrow with the single Source in my hand, which was capable of stopping 1 damage ¨C an even trade ¨C but in the end I let go of my Penitent Spell. The silver-bordered card drifted out of my hand and then suddenly zipped between me and the arrow. Time resumed, the metal head slammed into the floating card, and both vanished in a spray of sparkling light that briefly obscured my vision.


    I had chosen the Spell because, though it interacted well with my Headsman, I didn¡¯t need it to take out Tipfin¡¯s Archer. Also, I only had one copy of each of the three Rare cards owned ¨C all still in my Mind Home ¨C and I wasn¡¯t about to risk losing any of them by letting the arrow do a random point of damage to my deck.


    The interaction had been just long enough for the tightness in my mind to lessen, indicating I could pull from it again, so I did with a mental tug, two new cards appearing between my fingers next to the others I still held. This time, instead of drawing one Source card and one summon, I pulled both from my summons deck. I was rewarded with a Carrion Condor, which I was quite glad to see, as well as the gold-bordered Master Assassin ¨C one of the Rares I had just been protecting ¨C which I would have preferred getting much later.


    <u>Carrion Condor</u>


    Air Soul


    Uncommon


    Cost: 1 Air + 3 Any


    2 Attack / 4 Health


    Flying


    Gains +1/+0 for every enemy Soul that is Destroyed


    and was not damaged by this Carrion Condor.


    Flesh is sustenance, whether warm, cold, or bloated.


    <u>Human Master Assassin</u>


    Order Soul


    Rare


    Cost: 3 Order + 2 Any


    2 Attack / 2 Health


    Stealth, Hunt, Venom, Fast Attack


    Pay 2 Order: Return this Soul to the


    bottom of your Summon Deck.


    Amateurs die on the job. Masters die


    when they damn well please.


    I tossed my Order Source into the air almost absently, looking at my four remaining cards. The Master Assassin was one of my favorite and best Souls, but its utility was greatest near the end of a duel. Having it now meant I didn¡¯t need to worry about coming up short in the late game, but I hoped it wouldn¡¯t clog my hand in the interim. After all, if I turned into a pincushion in the next few rounds, it wouldn¡¯t matter what I might have done had the duel lasted longer.


    When my ball of porcelain Order joined the one of Air that swirled above me, I drew on them both to power my first Summon of the match. I drew even more deeply on the Order Source, wringing it dry to produce double the usual Source essence, leaving the porcelain sphere dull and shrunken. It would take two turns before that one became usable again after devoting it like that, but I wasn¡¯t concerned. Even Tipfin didn¡¯t bat an eye. This was an extremely common early-game tactic to get more expensive summons into play more quickly.


    The Source entered my body through my head, tingling my hair, before shooting down the back of my neck, out around both arms and then through my fingers, straight into my card of choice. Since I had used two different Sources, I felt two different sensations: Air, as always, making me feel light on my toes, almost like I was on the edge of falling even though I stood straight, or about to shoot into the sky, electric energy dancing over my skin. Order, on the other hand, came with a profound sense of balance and dignity, as well as a nagging desire to straighten my tunic, which was hanging just a hair lower on one shoulder than the other. These were passing sensations, there and gone in a flash, and something I had learned years earlier to not linger on.


    Instead, I watched my chosen card break into glittering motes before reforming out of a mist before me. A helmeted Headsman stood with his back to me, a large ax connected to a long pole already in his hands.


    <u>Human Headsman</u>


    Order Soul


    Uncommon


    Cost: 2 Order + 1 Any


    3 Attack / 2 Health


    If attacking a Devoted Soul, the target is Destroyed


    no matter its Health or what abilities it has.


    Someone has to do it. Oddly satisfying


    if you don¡¯t think about it too hard.


    ¡°Remove the Archer,¡± I told him, and he lumbered forward dutifully. The Archer, for his part, was still recovering from the shot. Common card as he was, firing the shot had completely depleted him for the following turn ¨C he was devoted, as Summoners tended to say, just as my Order Source currently was ¨C and he stood slumped, as if half asleep. He did stir slightly when the Headsman lifted the ax over his head, but not enough to move away or defend himself, so my card had no trouble splitting him down the middle with his weapon. The Archer Soul didn¡¯t cry out, but simply broke into shards of light that spun through the air before fading away.


    The kill had been guaranteed because the Headsman¡¯s special ability to destroy any devoted Soul card. It was a good ability, to be sure, and one that let me compete with decks that had cards that were much better than mine, but I paid for it in the card¡¯s high casting cost. Also, attacking with a Soul the first moment they were summoned devoted them, so now it was my card who stood slumped in the middle of the training round looking vulnerable, giving me no choice but to let it spend my next turn in recovery.


    Meanwhile, Tipfin had been busy, drawing two cards of his own ¨C Source or summon I couldn¡¯t tell, since all cards had the same twelve-pointed star on a smoky glass background that represented the twelve eternal Sources. He¡¯d also summoned a second Source during this time, another porcelain ball of Order that glistened much brighter than his first since it hadn¡¯t been used and stood at the ready. Like me, Tipfin had been forced to devote his first Source to summon the 2-cost Archer so early, which meant he couldn¡¯t use it again yet. That left him with only his new Source to call cards forth with, and a max spend of 2 if he wanted to devote it like he had his first.


    That was why I had risked attacking with my Headsman as I had. The Soul was certainly vulnerable now, unable to defend himself if he was attacked, but the only things that could do enough damage to kill my Headsman in Tipfin¡¯s deck were his Master Archer and High Paladin, neither of which he could summon even if he devoted his remaining Source for 2. For now, I was safe.


    Or so I thought.


    Tipfin released a card from his hand into the air, and another Archer Soul took form. This one was a shorter woman with wide shoulders, but despite the difference in appearance, I knew she¡¯d have the same traits as the other; it was only as Souls leveled to Uncommon or higher that divergences occurred. Her attack would be 0, and even if she devoted to shoot an arrow it would only do 1 damage, not enough to kill my Headsman with his health of 2.


    Without hesitation, Tipfin said, ¡°Fire at the duelist,¡± and the newly created Soul did just that, another arrow streaking toward me, just as fast as the first had flown.


    Fate¡¯s Grace slowed time again, giving me an opportunity to look at my three remaining cards in frustration. All of them could block the arrow, of course, but I wasn¡¯t about to spend my Master Assassin on 1 point of damage. I couldn¡¯t use my Carrion Condor either, as that was the play I planned to make next; my Headsmen and Assassins were very good at killing enemy Souls, which, when my Condor was on the field, strengthened the great bird, letting me then do a large ¨C often undefendable ¨C attack to the opposing duelist. The regular Assassin was the only one I could afford to lose, but I didn¡¯t want to part with him either.


    With a prayer on my lips, I didn¡¯t choose anything, letting the arrow strike me when time resumed. The metal head easily cut through the light sparring shirt I was wearing but then ricocheted off my skin, a spray of colored shards bursting from where it had connected instead of blood. In those fragments, I saw the pieces of another Condor, and my heart started beating again. I could afford to lose one of those. If the card had been my Equality Spell, I would have had almost no way to come back if I got behind.


    A good duelist gets into his opponent¡¯s head while protecting his own, Tipfin always said. He¡¯d needled me plenty already; I needed to return the favor, no matter how much it felt like I was being rude. ¡°You¡¯re throwing your Archers away,¡± I said, as boldly as I dared. ¡°Using a Shieldbearer first would have given them some protection.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fodder,¡± Tipfin snapped back, paying more attention to his dwindling flask than to me. ¡°And much more expendable than this motley assortment you insist on using. I already have the Source and deck advantage. Best not to question too hard when you¡¯re the one losing.¡±


    That stilled my tongue, much as I wished I had a witty rejoinder in my pocket. I knew he was right: he¡¯d landed two attacks on me, costing me two cards, while I¡¯d only managed to remove one of his; not to mention he had done so for less Source since he had cast his first Soul before me, giving the Source he had used more time to recover.


    I pulled two more cards into my hand. One card was a Source, since I couldn''t afford to fall behind in my power to fuel summons, and the other ended up being the Spell Execution.


    <u>Execution</u>


    Order Spell


    Uncommon


    Cost: 3 Order


    Fast Speed


    Deal 3 damage to a Focused


    Soul or 6 to a Devoted one.


    Accepting one¡¯s fate is the bravest


    of last acts.


    Seeing it, I lamented no longer having my Penitent Spell, as the combination would let me kill even the Mythic card Orelus that Tipfin wished he possessed. I shook off the thought; I actually had two more Penitents in my deck, so I could still draw into the pairing later in the match.


    I played my new Air Source while my existing Order was still refreshing, sagging in the air with only part of its luster recovered. My Headsman was looking much more alert but I knew it would still be a few more seconds before he could act, but no matter; I had enough Air Source now to summon my Carrion Condor, which Tipfin¡¯s deck couldn¡¯t easily remove.


    I¡¯d get to start playing my game now.


    I was about to devote my Source and release the Condor from my fingers when the door to the training room burst open, banging loudly on the brick wall. I jumped, spooked, and Tipfin shouted at the newcomer, ¡°Randel! What in the Twelve are you on about?¡±


    One of my older brothers stood in the opening, his focus on one of his Earth Sources which he was holding in one hand and carving with a sculptor¡¯s tool with the other. He was forever doing that; any marks he made on the rocky ball disappeared when he dismissed it, and he liked always having a reusable practice piece for his art. He had one foot still raised, which he had obviously used to absentmindedly kick the door open. His hair was full of rock dust.


    ¡°Ah, Master Tip,¡± he said, catching sight of the old trainer, ¡°still managing to stay upright, and we¡¯re past noon. Drinking something weaker today?¡±


    Tipfin¡¯s jaw worked in reply but no words came out. Gale had been a massively successful student for him, but Randel was a complete loss as a duelist, and Tipfin liked to pretend he didn¡¯t exist. Randel smirked at him before turning to me.


    ¡°Esmi¡¯s come to call on you,¡± he said to me. ¡°Looks like she even brought you a gift.¡±


    ¡°Esmi?¡± I said, my voice going much higher than expected. She¡¯d only returned to Treledyne a few weeks before, and I¡¯d thought my mother was arranging a formal, chaperoned event for our reunion. All thoughts of dueling fled. I dropped my cards into nothingness, and the Sources vanished from over my head. I was totally unprepared. A gift? What gift? I had nothing to give her in return. Panic rose within me, and I could feel disaster looming. I hadn¡¯t seen this girl since she was seven, and here I stood in a torn sparring shirt with my face sweaty and my tunic still hanging just that tiny bit lower on one side.


    ¡°Esmi,¡± my brother confirmed. ¡°And you probably don¡¯t want to leave her alone much longer with Gale.¡±


    ¡°Gale?¡± I said, my practice duel with Tipfin all but forgotten. ¡°Why is Gale in town? Why is Gale with her?¡± Gale was the older of my twin brothers, and a notorious womanizer. He also delighted in telling anyone I tried to associate with the most embarrassing stories about me.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of a project, and she¡¯s not my fianc¨¦e,¡± Randel said, turning down the hall while continuing to talk, still digging away at his Source. ¡°Be glad I even came to tell you what¡¯s happening. He was going on about that time you fell down Mount Pirtash when I left. But that was, oh¡­ nearly a half hour ago now. I¡¯d get moving.¡±


    I was already moving and had pulled well ahead of my brother by the time he finished speaking. Tipfin called something after me, but I didn¡¯t hear it in my mad dash to reach Esmi before Gale could do more damage than I knew how to repair.