Caldera's market district was easy to find, we just had to follow the smell of roasting meats and spices.

The streets were busy with people, and we passed by several vendors selling wares, from brightly colored fabrics, to exotic foods, to finely crafted weapons and armor. The prices seemed high, I had a few silver coins, but not enough to buy much.

We bought food from a vendor selling roasted mushroom skewers and wandered around, trying to find the card forge. The food was spicy and left a numbness on my lips, but it was delicious.

There were no signs pointing the way to the card forge, so we just had to ask around. Most people gave us strange looks, as if they couldn't understand what we were saying, but eventually, we managed to find someone who spoke the common tongue. She was an elderly sliven woman, her scaled face lined with age. She was dressed in a long flowing robe and held a wooden cane in her clawed hands.

She looked at us suspiciously. "Card forge? What would humans be doing there?"

"We just want to see it," I explained.

I didn't think it was smart to tell her that we had essence to spend.

Her eyes narrowed, but after a moment's hesitation, she pointed up the street, "You will find what you seek at the temple."

We thanked her and headed in the direction she had pointed.

We followed her directions through the strange, dark streets until we came to the Temple District on the edge of the city. The streets were quieter here, and the buildings were more ornate. Many were topped with spires or minarets, and some were covered in intricate carvings. There were a few people milling around, most of them sliven, but the place seemed deserted compared to the rest of the city.

In the center of the district stood an impressive structure made of black stone and gold filigree. The building was massive, reminding me of a gothic cathedral. It towered over the rest of the district. Its black stone walls were covered in intricate carvings of strange symbols and arcane designs. The stained-glass windows were dark, save for a few flickering lights within.

I noticed a cloaked figure watching us from across the road as we approached the building.

"This doesn't make sense," Eliaria said.

"What?" I asked, peering at the imposing structure.

"The forge is meant to be a gift from Teon to the people of Caldera," she said, "so why is it located in Tiamara, the Mother Dragon's temple?"

"Who cares," Flint said, "let's just go check it out."

"We should be careful," I said, "we haven't had much luck with temples lately."

We climbed the obsidian steps leading to the temple doors and paused in front of the huge door. Its dark wood surface was engraved with intricate designs, and the brass handle was shaped like a dragon's head.

"This place gives me the creeps," Flint muttered, his eyes darting around nervously.

Eliaria gripped the amulet she wore around her neck, her eyes locked on the looming building.

"You're not the only one," she said, "something doesn't feel right here."

I pushed against the door, and it swung open easily, revealing a long, shadowy hall beyond. I looked around, seeing the hooded figure still watching us from the street.

We stepped inside, the heavy door closing behind us with a resounding thud.

***

I looked around the dark room, the only light coming from a few flickering candles mounted on the walls. The room was empty, save for a table at the far end.

As we approached the table, I noticed that the entire wall behind it was covered in a giant mural depicting scenes of Tiamara's life.

I spotted one that depicted her as a woman beside a man shrouded in shadows. They both sat on thrones wearing matching crowns. Another showed her in her dragon form fighting a battle against an army of card mages, and finally one showed her consuming the sun, banishing the light from the second floor.

It was strange to see such reverence shown to a monster. Tiamara wasn't a god in the traditional sense, she was just a monster that the people worshiped.

"Welcome travelers," a deep, gravelly voice greeted us.

A tall acolyte and his assistant stepped out from behind the table, their reptilian features reminding me of the scalethorns I'd faced on the genesis floor.

A candle flickered on the table and I glanced down, noticing it was covered with an array of items, from dried herbs, to skulls, to ink, to tools for carving and etching.

The assistant, a young sliven with a long scar down the left side of his face, scowled at us and said something in a language I couldn't understand.

The acolyte, a middle-aged sliven with gray hair and a thin beard, frowned and replied in the same language.

I was starting to get the impression that he wasn't very friendly.

The assistant sneered, revealing a row of sharp teeth, "What do you want here?"

"We're here to see the card forge," Eliaria said.

The two sliven exchanged a look and then the acolyte smiled, "Of course, come with me."

We followed the acolyte deeper into the temple. The halls were narrow and dark, lit by torches mounted on the walls. We passed by a number of rooms, each containing strange and unsettling objects.

"I didn't expect to see Teon's gift in this temple," Eliaria said.

"Teon gift," the acolyte spat the words, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "I didn't mean to offend you.

"Do you wish to offer essence or not?" he asked, his tone growing annoyed.

I nodded, and the acolyte gestured toward a set of stairs at the end of the passage, "What you seek is down below."

***

We followed the sliven down the stairs and into a large, cavernous chamber. Sweat beaded my brow, and the air was heavy with the smell of sulfur. In the center of the room was a pool of molten lava, its surface rippling with heat.

"This is what you seek," the sliven said, his voice echoing off the walls. "Here, you may offer essence to the god."

"Just throw our hard-earned essence into there?" Flint said.

The sliven nodded, "Indeed."

"Seems kind of strange," I said, peering into the molten depths.

The sliven smiled, his lips parting to reveal rows of sharp teeth. "It is," he agreed, he turned to leave, "one last thing, the altar requires some part of yourself."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"A sacrifice," he replied.

"I don't understand."

The sliven shrugged, "Blood, hair, finger nails, toenails, a tooth. Whatever you choose, it must be yours."

I guess that made sense, maybe it helped the forge in deciding what card to craft.

As the acolyte left, we approached the forge. The lava was glowing brightly, its surface rippling and bubbling, emitting heat like a furnace.

"I guess this is it," Eliaria said, "this is not what I expected."

I agreed with her, but clearly this was the right place. I drew my essence pouch from my bag, opening the drawstring and reaching in. My fingers touched the cold and smooth essence shards, and I grabbed a single one, withdrawing it from the pouch.

A pit of lava does not make a forge, so why call it a card forge at all? Why is the forge in a dragon's temple, and why are they treating us like unwanted guests.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"It feels like we are being conned," I said.

Flint shrugged, "Beats me."

Eliaria shook her head but remained quiet.

What choice do we have? If we want to move up the Tower, we have to craft new cards.

I drew my dagger, slicing my finger and letting the blood pool in my palm. I hesitated for a moment, the heat radiating from the forge was intense, making my eyes water.

"Here goes nothing," I said, stretching my hand out over the lava.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a young female voice called from behind us.

I spun to see a hooded figure standing in the entrance of the room. It was the same person I had seen in the yard. She wore no glowing amulets to give her away, and her face was hidden within the shadows of her cloak.

"Who are you?" Flint demanded.

"Someone who doesn't wanna watch you lose your soul," the girl chimed, her voice all silky and steady.

"Our soul?" Eliaria said, her tone skeptical.

"Yip," the girl replied.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

The girl stepped into the light, her movements graceful, and she pulled back her hood, revealing a single horn jutting from her forehead.

She was a zorin, just like the high priest.

Her face was pale gray and delicate, with high cheekbones and a small nose. Red hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves, and she wore a pair of small round glasses with red lenses that looked to be made of oracle glass. But it was her eyes that held my attention, they were like pools of swirling ink, and they stared at me intensely.

"What I'm trying to say," she said, her eyes reflecting the light of the pool, "is that things aren't what they appear to be. The sliven don't care for anyone except their own kind, you'd get it if you were from around here!"

"How do you know we aren't?" Eliaria asked, her voice tense.

The zorin edged nearer, "You stick out like flies on a wedding cake," she teased, tipping her glasses and studying us from below their frame. "Your outfits, your accents, everything shouts 'outsiders' loud and clear."

"So what if we are?" Flint snapped. "What's it to you?"

The zorin held up her hands, "I come in peace, big guy. My name is Miko, and I'm a trader."

"So, trader Miko," said Flint, "What are you saying? Is this the card forge or not?"

Miko smiled playfully, "Let's just say that if you tossed your essence and your blood into there you'd be binding your soul to the dragon, and trust me she does not play nice with humans."

"But why would the acolyte lie to us?" Eliaria asked.

Miko let out a sigh, "Think about it! The cards you make would be super powerful. Why would the sliven want that kind of power with the race that imprisoned their deity?"

I glanced at the pool of lava, realizing how close we had come to… I didn't want to think about it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, "Thanks," I stammered. "You just saved us."

"Are you supposed to be some kind of guardian angel or something?" Flint asked. "Or do you just hang around offering free advice to unsuspecting travelers?"

Miko giggled, her laughter bubbling up, rich and sweet like a melody.

"Not quite," she quipped. "I'm actually here to do business."

"Business?"

She nodded affirmatively, "I'm a trader. I deal in buying and selling spell cards, and I just happened to notice you three heading in the wrong direction. I almost left you to learn a lesson, but then it struck me— you could be potential clients."

"So you are only helping because it could be a business opportunity for you?" Eliaria asked, raising her eyebrows.

Miko shrugged playfully, "Hey, a girl's gotta feed herself, right?"

"And you know where the real card forge is?" I asked.

"Absolutely."

***

The sliven acolyte didn't seem surprised to see us emerge from the lava pit again so quickly. He smiled at us, his scaly lips peeling back to reveal his sharp, yellowed teeth.

"Finished already?" he asked.

"Whoa, not quite yet," Miko grinned, stepping around the corner. "Plans have shifted a bit. Turns out, we won't be handing over our souls to your god after all."

The acolyte's smile faded, and his expression darkened. "You again," he hissed.

"Yep, it's me again," Miko grinned, her smile mischievous. "Hate to burst your bubble, but the humans aren't going to fall for your trick this time around."

The acolyte bared his fangs, hissing at Miko. "What do you know, you lying bitch!"

Flint shot forward, grabbing the acolyte by the robes and yanking his face down. The acolyte cried out in pain as his head struck the wooden surface, and blood began to trickle from his nose.

"Easy there, let's keep it civil," Miko chuckled, stepping past Flint and the acolyte. "Can't expect a snake to suddenly start acting like a kitten, can you?"

Flint released the sliven's robe, and he staggered back, hissing at us.

I held the oracle glass to my eye and studied the sliven.

"Kell Drathkar," I read the acolytes' name, "the next time you try to screw someone over we will find you, and it won't be pretty."

I smiled inwardly. It felt good to add an asshole to my foundation card's potential kill list.

The sliven hissed and scrambled away from us.

With a chuckle, Miko turned around and took the lead, guiding us back out of the temple.

"That was intense," Eliaria said, exhaling.

"Yeah, no kidding," Flint said. "I get a feeling that this is not the last time we're going to have trouble on this floor."

***

The real card forge was located in the Luna Garden’s in the center of Caldera. Unlike the one in the temple, this one was open to the air. It was a majestic structure adorned with intricate runes and sigils.

A platform of onyx encircled the forge, allowing access from all sides. At the forges base lay a shallow, glowing pool filled with what looked like liquid stardust. An almost celestial light bathed the area, giving it a hallowed atmosphere.

Two guards, a human and a zorin, stood watch over the forge, their gazes alert and suspicious. People milled about, some peering at us in curiosity, but most went about their business.

"Well," Miko said. "Here it is, the true card forge."

"It's smaller than I expected," Flint said, looking disappointed.

Eliaria punched him playfully and I smiled.

"So," I said, eyeing the forge warily. "What now?"

"Here's the deal," Miko explained. "You take your essence and pop it into the pool. Thirty-two essence nets you a random common card. Sixty-four gets you an uncommon, but I've got a hunch that might be a bit steep for your budget."

"We have thirty-nine," I said, trying to hide the excitement in my voice.

That didn't include the single essence my mother had given me.

Miko arched her eyebrows. "Well, aren't you something!"

"How do we know that we won't end up with a useless card?" Flint asked, glaring at the pool of stardust.

"Well," Miko replied, "I've been in this card trading game for a while now, and I can assure you, there's no such thing as a useless card. However, you might end up with one that's just a tad less handy than the others."

"Okay," I said. "What's the chance of getting a foundation card?"

Miko's expression soured. "Foundation cards are rare and above, so your chances are zero," she murmured. "That's why there are so few card mages out there. The ones that do exist tend to be passed down through generations, keeping the power within the family line."

"I'm sure many people die with their cards still in their deck," Flint said.

"It's a double-edged sword," Miko confessed. "You can't harvest cards from deceased bodies, which is a good thing– nobody wants to be killed for their cards. But then again, some folks never pass theirs on, and those unique cards are lost forever."

That made me think of Patches and how he’d taken the card from Evelyn.

"Have you ever heard of a card that lets you steal cards from others?" I asked.

Miko's gaze turned serious, her eyes darkening. "Where did you hear about that?"

"Just thought of it," I said, "what do you know?"

Miko averted her gaze. "It's just hearsay, nothing substantial. If such a card did exist, it would have to be a wish card. Those are the only ones potent enough to bend the rules of magic."

I could tell she wasn't comfortable talking about the subject, so I let it drop.

"Okay," I said, leaning forward and studying the pool, "let's get a common card."

"If you don't like what you get," Miko said, "I will buy it from you or trade it for a card of equal or lesser value."

I nodded.

"Alright," I said. "Here goes."

I drew out my essence, holding them tightly in my hand and feeling their smooth, cool texture.

"I hope you've got your lucky underpants on," Miko teased, flashing a grin.

"Always," I replied.

Miko’s eyes widened.

I laughed, "I've only got one pair."

She chuckled softly, "Well, thanks for painting that charming picture."

I took a deep breath, and threw the essence into the pool.

They landed with a soft splash, sinking beneath the surface and disappearing.

For a moment, nothing happened, and then the entire pool began to surge with vibrant light and energy. The shards melded together, forming a solid sphere, which grew and expanded until it reached the size of a card. Suddenly, a burst of light erupts from the pool, swirling and coalescing into a radiant, shimmering card that hovered above the forge, emitting a soft hum.

I reached out, grasping it in my hand, and the stardust seemed to seep into my skin, making my fingers tingle.

"What is it?" Eliaria asked.

I glanced down at the card, with my oracle glass equipped, and couldn't help but smile.

[Candlewick Sprite]

[Summon Affinity] [Rank-1]

[Effect: Summon a miniature fire elemental that can ignite flammable objects, or control tiny flames]

"I don't even know what to say," I said, "it's amazing."

I read out the card description, and Eliaria started laughing, while Flint shook his head in disbelief.

"Well," Miko remarked, "hopefully, you're a pipe smoker or have an unusual fondness for burning leaves; otherwise, you might have just squandered a bit of essence."

"It's not useless," I said, defensively. "From the top of my head, I can think of multiple uses for it."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's not that it's not useful," Miko clarified, "but it's just not as handy as, say, a flaming sword or having a full-grown fire elemental at your beck and call."

"Still," I said, admiring the card, "this is one of the most exciting moments of my life."

I had dreamt of this moment ever since my mother had told me about the card forge. I remembered telling her all about the kind of card mage I would be and the adventures I was going to have when I got my own cards. My mother had laughed and hugged me, telling me that I would make a wonderful card mage one day.

And now, finally, after everything, it had come true. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and I brushed it away, embarrassed.

"So where can we get a drink around here?" Flint asked, patting me on the back.

***