Psycho Slinger has Conceded.

Aimee Smith, Silentblade, aka Quiet.

Psycho Points: 6

The total subtracted, the numbers ticking down.

Psycho Points: 3

She had been docked for three Psycho Points.

Aimee was on her knees, her eyes tuned into her interface in dismay.

Not only that, but her deck fluttered over her gauntlet and appeared before Richard, laid out in a grid.

“It says I get to take five of her cards,” Richard said. He looked at her deck in wonder. Then he gestured at Walt. “What do you think? What do you think I should take?”

Battleboard Barrier Closing…

The blue grid disappeared. The duel was officially over.

No longer a Battleboard Zone…

Walt walked past where the grid wall had been and joined Richard. He went to examine the cards but noticed the bag on Aimee’s back. A blue glow leaked out of the bag.

He held out his hand. “Hand over the bag.”

Aimee made eye contact with him and then looked away in disgust. Down-trodden. She angrily removed the bag from her shoulder and tossed it at him.

Walt caught the bag. He opened it and the blue light shined on his face. He just stared at the object inside.

[Examine]

[Slaynami Card Forge]

Slaynami Card Forge. A device straight from the Slaynami smithy, designed to give duelists the power to upgrade pre-existing cards and to create completely new ones. It’s the only device that can disenchant a Slaystone card into Vigor Dust. Vigor Dust is the key element in creating cards. Because the devices are limited in number, the card forge can easily be a duelist’s most prized possession! Consider yourself fortunate for finding one!

It was about the size of a toolbox and almost had the shape of a miniature dollhouse. Its body was a rectangle but it had a triangular top. It seemed to be made out of a mysterious alloy that radiated a mystical blue glow. There were ornate markings and patterns on each surface. The designs evoked the font and art style also shared on the cards. The Slaynami logo was stamped on the bottom.

There was an opening, almost like a hearth, where blue flames flickered. There were two slots on the base. It looked like one could insert cards there, or that cards would eject out of the slots.

“It’s the card forge, isn’t it?” Richard said.

Walt held the open bag in his direction so he could see.

Richard peered in, looking at the forge in wonder. “Let’s fucking go!”

It was funny hearing that phrase from an old man. But Walt didn’t kid himself. He was just as excited to play and experiment with the forge as well.

He closed the bag and went to looking at Aimee’s Silentblade deck. “Can you use cards from her deck?”

“Seems like there’s a lot I can use,” Richard said. “We’re both martial classes so it appears there’s some crossover.”

Walt wondered if that would make Richard like a Steelclad or Silentblade hybrid. Though he couldn’t Stealth. He looked for cards that might have synergy with the Steelclad playstyle. A few cards caught his attention.

[Examine]

[Wolverton, Thief of Impossible Objects]

Wolverton, Thief of Impossible Objects. Minion. Set: The Thieves Guild. Rarity: Legendary. The infamous cat burglar who specializes in stealing the arcane, the mysterious and the occult.

Whenever this minion attacks, add a random card to your hand from your opponent.

Stealth

Punch: 6 Attack, Cooldown: 5 seconds

Health Points: 6

Cost: 3 Vigor Stones

“This card might be broken,” Walt said. “It’s got card generation. If it’s able to attack.”

Richard stroked his chin, considering it. “It’s a Legendary, too. I think I’ll take it.”

Aimee watched the card fly into his gauntlet. It looked like she wanted to scream.

“Just be glad it’s not your whole deck,” Richard said. “Your life is more valuable than cards, isn’t it?”

Aimee spat and looked down, muttering something.

“What was that?” Richard said.

“Doesn’t make it any easier to watch,” Aimee said.

“No, I suppose it doesn’t.”

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

Walt found another card.

[Examine]

[Cloak of Night]

Cloak of Shadows. Object. Set: The Shadowed Blade. Rarity: Rare. Woven from the night herself, this magical cloak makes darkness your ally.

Gain Stealth for 1 Turn.

Cost: 1 Vigor Stone

“For one Vigor Stone,” Walt said, pointing at the card, “this one’s a steal. If it were me that would for sure be in my deck.”

Richard’s eyes sparkled. He grunted in agreement. “It’s a good one. An old man like myself? I could use a little stealth.”

He added the card to his deck.

[Examine]

[Swiftleaf Tea]

Swiftleaf Tea. Object. Set: Madam Snowstroke’s Magical Refreshments. Rarity: Epic. This tasty tea is excellent with a cube of sugar and is said to bring good fortune!

Draw a card. Add 2 extra copies of it to your hand.

Cost: 6 Vigor Stones

“Check this one out,” Walt said. “It’s six Vigor Stones, but if you’re going for the long game you can potentially get some great value out of this card.”

“I do enjoy a good tea,” Richard said. He took the card.

Then Richard chose Blackdew Ichor and Shred, the two cards Aimee had used against him, as his last two choices. “Poison and extra attacks? My sword could put these to good use.”

Aimee looked up at him, sneering. “Now what? Can I go now?”

“Not just yet,” Walt said. “We have a few questions for you.”

#

They had moved Aimee over to one of the picnic tables that was still upright. Walt had summoned his Mouthy Succubus, who stood over Aimee’s shoulder, her barbed tail hovering in the air, intimidating.

Richard was chewing on jerky. He held one out to the defeated Silentblade but she shook her head, refusing.

“You can make this easy,” Walt said. “Or you can make it hard. Your choice.”

“What are you gonna do?” Aimee said. “Torture me?”

She gestured at the Mouthy Succubus. Walt’s plan was to have the succubus charm her if she resisted too much. It would make her amenable and perhaps she’d answer the questions with no resistance. But he wanted to give her a chance to answer without being bewitched.

“We’d prefer not to,” Richard said. “Don’t you think enough blood has been drawn tonight?”

She didn’t argue with him. Her face softened a little. It seemed like she just wanted to get out of here.

“What’s in the competition for you?” Walt said.

“Assuming they have a choice,” Richard said.

“But why duel at all?” Walt said. “You die if you lose. What’s worth risking death for?”

Aimee shook her head, bitter. “You don’t understand.”

Walt kneeled next to her so that they were face to face. “Help me understand. All of you can’t be evil. Or is that just what your world is like?”

“A society where everyone is sadistic and cruel?” Richard said.

Aimee stared at the ground, her hair hanging in front of her face. She didn’t respond.

“Is it for fame and glory?” Walt said.

“Money?” Richard said.

“What exactly is Slaynami offering you all when the stakes are life and death?” Walt said.

Aimee shifted then. This comment seemed to touch a nerve.

“I shouldn’t be talking about this,” she said.

“Why not?” Walt said.

“They’re always watching,” Aimee said. She was trembling. “They’re always listening.”

“Who?” Richard said.

“Slaynami?” Walt said.

She nodded.

“What can they do to you that’s worse than this fucked up competition?” Walt said.

“Anything they want,” Aimee said. Her voice low, cracking with fear. “To whomever they want. Not just me. But my family.”

Walt and Richard shared a look, then. So all wasn’t sunshine and roses back in her world. She had a family she was concerned about. And seeing how she was a competitor, she was willing to die to protect them. But there was also probably the desire to ultimately live so she could see them again.

Walt could use this. But he’d have to be careful.

“If we let you go,” Walt said, “Will you start answering our questions?”

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing. “Are you going to kill me? That’s against the rules. You’ll be out of the tournament, too.”

“Is that so bad?” Walt said.

“If you care about surviving this, you’ll want to be in the tournament,” Aimee said.

“Why?” Richard said. “Why not just hide? Bunker down and wait this all out?”

“The only chance you have at protecting your people is the power that gauntlet brings, the power your cards bring and the favor Slaynami brings you,” she said. “Your weapons here aren’t advanced enough to do anything against us except irritate us. And when your cities and governments start crumbling underneath the new order, the new society the duelists bring, you’ll wish you’d be able to fight back.”

Walt processed this.

“I didn’t mention anything about killing you,” Walt said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t keep you captive. And if you’re captive, how are you going to earn enough Psycho Points to make it to the next phase?”

Richard saw what Walt was doing. “And you just lost three Psycho Points. You might not be dead when that gauntlet turns into a bomb, but you’ll be out of the tournament.”

Walt could see Aimee’s mind was racing, looking for a way out of her predicament. Her eyes darted back and forth, her face pale and beaded with sweat. A rat deciding if it wanted to gnaw its own leg off to get out of the trap.

“Now, you’re not solely to blame for anything you tell us,” Walt said. “You were just trying to survive. So you could help your family.”

Aimee cursed. Then she sighed. “How do I know you’ll let me go?”

“A man is only as good as his word,” Richard said.

“You’ll just have to trust us,” Walt said.

She brushed the strings of sweat-soaked hair out of her face and took a deep breath. “We compete to climb the class and social ranks.”

Walt and Richard exchanged a look. Now they were getting somewhere.

“My world,” Aimee said, then paused. She seemed to be figuring out how to explain without saying too much. “The entire population lives in a few mega-cities. The world outside the walls is too…uninhabitable.”

“Uninhabitable how?” Walt said.

“Too cold,” Aimee said. “Too barren, too frozen.”

“But not in the mega-cities?” Richard said.

“The climate of the cities is manufactured,” Aimee said. “Controlled. And my city is split into districts. Some are poorer than the others. Like, a lot poorer.”

“So, how does Slaystone and Slaynami tie into this?” Walt said.

“You have to understand that Slaynami runs everything,” Aimee said. “And Slaystone? It’s the national pasttime. Everyone is obsessed with it and the tournaments. It’s our favorite thing to watch. On every corner, there are mega-screens playing Slaystone footage, commentary and shows twenty-four seven. Your favorite soda? You drink it because your favorite duelist endorses it. Preferred brand of cigarette? You only smoke that brand because your favorite duelist prefers it.”

“The tournaments offer a way for the poor to gain some wealth?” Richard said.

“Not just that,” Aimee said. “If you and your family live in one of the poor districts, its nearly impossible to move out. These districts have less resources. They’re dirtier, crime is rampant. Disease and sickness is rampant. They are hell holes. Ranking in a tournament can grant you and your family rights to move to a better district.”

Walt stared at her. It was all starting to make sense now.

“So, if you’re poor,” Richard said, “it’s literally an opportunity for survival. Why wouldn’t you risk your life to compete if you can change everything about your life with a few wins?”

Aimee nodded. She brushed the hair out of her face again. “The top players are worshipped. They get to live in the best districts. They get the best endorsement deals and sponsorships. They’re celebrities. But even for someone like me, who is mid at the game at best, I can get my family into a better district.”

“Slaynami runs the cities?” Walt said.

“The corporations control the mega-cities,” Aimee said. “Slaynami is one of them.”

“This is why I’ve always been skeptical of corporate power,” Richard said. “Allowed to run rampant, of course corporate hegemony would create a dystopia!”

“It gets worse,” Aimee said.

Walt and Richard turned to look at her.

“If the collective duelists from a district do poorly in a tournament, their entire district is punished.”

“Punished how?” Walt said.

“Their citizens are cast out of the city walls, into the eternal winter.”

“Slaystone is a form of population control,” Richard said.