image [https://i.imgur.com/PVQZiJI.png]
“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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/haaIWU2.png]
image [https://i.imgur.com/2h1JvIx.png]
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 – they usually wanted nothing to do with me, and I was glad to return the favor – 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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/O61lgXZ.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/8Ucjgbq.png]
image [https://i.imgur.com/uF5E3U7.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/tPYdeno.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/2gMMExo.png]
image [https://i.imgur.com/uF5E3U7.png]
“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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/2h1JvIx.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/haaIWU2.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/z01MFjv.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/scuRudr.png]
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 – she’s digging for something. Devoting them all, she brought out a new Soul.
image [https://i.imgur.com/XesWq02.png]
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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/haaIWU2.png]
Another layer of starlight armor formed around me.
Lustra’s eyes widened, and she started to laugh. “Oh, you little shit – 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 – 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.
image [https://i.imgur.com/2h1JvIx.png]
“Take good care of him,” she said ruefully, looking at the card that had been hers. “He’s a handful – 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 – 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 – 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–!”
“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 – 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.