Jacob "Jake" Kinley Status:

Level 3 Deckbearer (2 pending)

Deckbearer Perks:

Cycle of the Lost and the Lonely Start: +1 Companion Slot

Deckbearer Perk 1: Architect: +1 Building Slot, may buy building card slots for 4 pips per rather than five

Deckbearer Perk 2: Bastion of the Hidden: +2 Building Slots, but all perk-gained building slots must have Shadow typing.

Deckbearer Flaw: Underdeveloped. -1 to Attack and Defense.

Deckbearer Stats:

Cards in Deck: 10

Cards in Hand: 3

Cards in Play: 2

Length of Play: 5 minutes

Specialty Cards: N/A

Type 1 and Power: 1 Shadow

Energy 1 and Power: 1 Death

Personal Perks: Flexible. Will gain new beneficial acquired perks at twice the rate.

Personal Stats:

Health: 20

Attack: 5

Magical Attack [None]: 0

Defense: 5

Magical Defense: 5

#

Jake’s card list

Companion: 1

Machairi

Building: 1

Night Haven

Creatures: 4

Shadow-Tainted Goblin

Shadowling x2

Shadowling Amalgamation

Immediates: 2

Become Shadow x2

Word of Death x1

Persistent: 1

Nyx's Mantle

#

"You're level three?" Dania asked. "How…oh! The deckbearer."

Jake nodded. "I waited to level until I could talk to you," he said. "But Machairi and I have been talking, and I think I should buy another power. As it is, my mantle takes everything I have."

"Makes sense to me," Dania said. "I guess. I don't really know. I'm probably going to have to sit down and do some research…fuck! My computer's at the apartment, and I don't think we should go back there!"

"Machairi grabbed your backpack," Jake said, with a grin and a nod to his companion card. "It's got your tablet in it. Will that work?"

"Uh, yeah. It will. Thanks." Dania nodded at Machairi, who inclined his head and slow-blinked at her like some kind of spooky cat. She rolled her eyes in response and reached out her hand.

Jake put the bag in her hand, and she rifled through it, taking stock of what they'd brought with them. Her wallet, keys, and phone. Her tablet. Some paperwork from the hospital. The day's mail she'd picked up on the way into the building and…

"My narc kit! And my knife!"

"My deckbearer said they would be useful to you," Machairi said. "And I saw you use the knife to good effect already. I appreciate a good knife. It seemed a shameful waste to leave it."

"It would be," Dania said, smiling at Machairi for a second time. "Thanks again. You're more useful than I thought you'd be."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Machairi quirked the corner of his lip upward in a smile and opened his mouth to speak, but Berto called down the stairs, silencing him.

"Dani! Kid! Time to go! I just got a call that shit's going down in Noimoire tonight, and I don't think you two want to be around when it does!"

Dania met Jake's suddenly worried gaze.

"Spend your pips, kiddo," she said. "We might need it on the way out of town."

"Do it in the car," Berto urged, appearing at the top of the stairs. He clattered down to them and hustled up to Dania's IV, where he removed the catheter from her lock, then taped over the lock itself. "We want to get out of town yesterday."

"What's happening?" Dania asked.

"Cobras are making a move against the Grimm family. Don't ask me how I know this, cause I'm not gonna tell you. On your feet, Ellis. We need to move."

Dania willed her cards away and noticed that Jake had done the same. She swung her feet to the floor and let Berto steady her as she stood up, hissing at the sudden pain that flared on the left side of her hip.

"Careful," Berto said. "Don't pop my stitch job."

"Stitches?"

"Just three, and only on your left. The right side wasn't as bad, so I just bandaged you up. Sorry I had to cut your leggings off, though. I brought a pair of cargo pants down earlier for you, if you want them."

Dania looked around, only to see Machairi, of all people, holding up a folded pair of black cargo pants with a belt coiled neatly on top. He also had her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Usefuller and usefuller…even though I'm pretty sure that's not a real word. Dania took the pants and stepped into them, reminding herself that thanks to a couple of shrapnel injuries she'd sustained back in the 'Stan, it wasn't the first time Berto had seen her in her underwear.

The pants were too loose around the waist, but the wide utility belt fixed that problem, and she just tucked the long ends into the boots she typically wore at work.

"Where'd you get these?" she asked as she shoved her feet into them and zipped them closed.

"Grabbed 'em from your apartment. Figured you'd want footwear when you healed up," Berto said. "Ready? Let me get a sling on your arm and then we really need to move."

Berto folded a large scarf into a triangular shape and looped it around her neck to ease the weight of her broken arm. Then he took her hand and guided her carefully up the stairs as Jake and Machairi followed.

Within moments, they were ensconced in his car: a large blue SUV. Dania didn't know the make or model; she'd never been a car chick. As Berto pulled out of his garage and eased onto the street, she pressed her lips together and regretted the quick half-life of morphine. Her arm and sides were starting to throb.

"Want some Percocet?" Berto asked quietly.

"No," Dania said, her voice firm. "I'll take ibuprofen, though, if you've got it."

"Sure thing," Berto said, reaching with one hand into his center console while he palmed the wheel into a turn with the other. He pulled out one of those paper packets that held two 200mg pills and tore it open with his teeth, then handed it to Dania.

She didn't have anything to drink, so she swallowed the pills dry and hoped she'd eaten enough ice cream earlier to keep them from upsetting her stomach. She leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes.

"Jake," she said in an attempt to distract herself. "Talk to me, kiddo. Let's get you leveled."

"Hang on," Jake said, his voice distant. "I'm looking at something—a strategy guide."

"What's it say?" Dania asked, grimacing as the SUV hit a bump in the road.

"Not much useful… but I think I'm going to have to start by purchasing another Shadow power. That will give me a total of three power, and let me play a creature in addition to my mantle, or a simple combination if I don't get my mantle in the first draw."

"Seems reasonable," Dania said.

"Yeah," Jake said. "I just wish I could afford another power right away…but I'll save up for it. My deck doesn't have much in the way of offensive heavy hitters, anyway. Except for Machairi. That's gonna be your job, Mama Bear."

"Always was, kiddo," Dani said. "So that's one pip, what about your other one? Are you going to hang on to it for more power?"

"I don't know…" Jake trailed off, his voice pensive. "Part of me says yes, but there are some benefits I can see from increasing some of these other stats. Like an extra five minutes of play for my cards: since I'm relying on my mantle a lot, it might be smart to extend the time I get to use it before it draws down."

"Wait." Dania opened her eyes and sat up, then slewed around in her seat to stare at Machairi sitting next to Jake like a demented best friend. "How come he hasn't returned to your deck yet?"

"Companions are not affected by time in play," Machairi said, his weirdly echoing tone just a bit smug. "For we are companions, not merely creatures."

"That made zero sense," Dania groused. "But whatever, dude. So is that what you're going to do, Jake? Increase your length of play?"

"Maybe…" Jake swiped a finger up the length of the tablet he held in his lap. Hers, Dania realized. Not that it mattered.

"What else are you thinking about?"

"Hand size. If I pull four cards instead of three every time I swipe my hand, I have a higher chance of getting my mantle the first time, or one of my stronger cards like Become Shadow, or Word of Death."

"Sounds like a solid play to me, kid," Berto put in from the driver's seat. Dania turned her body back to face front and hissed as it pulled at her injured side.

"What do you know about it, Berto?" Dania asked. "No offense, but you're not a deckbearer as far as I know."

"Nope, but I've played a lot of deckbuilding video games," he said, flashing her a grin that said he knew how ridiculous he sounded, but he meant every word. "And I can tell you that while your kid is right about both options being good, the number of cards in hand is more important at lower levels, especially when you really need one particular card. Or even a certain combo."

Dania opened her mouth to argue, but realized that she really didn't have much of a counter. She'd been a deckbearer for all of ten minutes, and so it wasn't like she had more experience than Berto. And whatever else they were, video games were simulations of a sort.

"Fair enough," she said. "It's not my decision anyway. Do whatever feels right in your gut, Jake. We'll figure it out either way."

"Okay. I think… I'm gonna go with hand size, and adding one shadow power."

Jake said the words with finality, but since Dania couldn't see his status sheet, she didn't notice any difference.

"Did it work?" she asked. In answer, Jake touched his chest and pulled his deck. Four cards appeared floating between the front and back seats. With a thought, Dania dismissed the "Deckbearer Jacob Kinley has pulled a deck" notification. Jake met her eyes and grinned.

"Good deal. Why don't you three boys discuss more strategy for a while?" Dania said with a yawn. "I'm gonna try and sleep off some more of this pain. Wake me up when we get there, will ya, Berto?"

"You got it, Dani. Be a couple of hours. Sleep well."