The walk toward the city helped.
True, he had kept a brisk pace for a while, worried that something might pop out of the woods and chase him. But once he was far enough from the shaded greenery–and once he felt he could make it if he sprinted toward the traffic nearing the city–he felt secure enough to slow down and relax.
He breathed deep, enjoying the scents brought by the gentle breeze. All around, the fields of still green wheat swayed, and he could finally really start processing what was going on.
Frank glanced down at the road he was walking on then looked toward the city in the distance. It still felt like a dream, to have all this newfound energy–and none of the joint-pain. And that elation might have been the only reason Frank wasn’t feeling too overwhelmed.
Where was he? What’s the deal with these Trials? And most importantly, there was the realization he had back when he thought he was about to die.
If he was here… If he was getting a second chance at life, was everybody else?
Frank sighed, then forced a smile on his own face. “Alright. One thing at a time.”
Worrying about where he was and what was happening wouldn’t do him any good. And it’s not like he could get much done here. On the road, in the middle of nowhere. No, for now, he should appreciate this new chance. And look forward to everything he lost as he had grown old.
How long has it been since he’d had a good meal and a nice drink? A fresh, still warm pastry?
The thought of a buttery croissant paired with a cup of coffee didn’t fully drown out his concerns, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. That and surviving the Wild Climbers. Nothing better than barely escaping death to put things in perspective.
As he got closer, he could see the city better. Grey stone walls encompassed the town, and Frank could see a couple of armored guards over the gates behind a small rampart, watching the line of carts and travelers that waited in front of the gates. A couple of white and red-tiled roofs peeked from behind the walls, and considering the height of the walls and Frank’s position, those buildings were high. Not skyscraper high, of course. But high nonetheless.
Frank couldn’t wait to see what those buildings were. Considering the horses and the mule-drawn carts, as well as the guards in metallic armor, he guessed that this place might be at the pre-industrialization stage. When it came to technology and engineering and whatnot.
Maybe. Frank didn’t have much to go on to back that assumption. It was just the easiest guess he could make from what he knew. But magic was a thing in this place. What could be done with magic? What kind of society and architecture would you get when magic was real?
A soft ping rang in his ears, and a new message popped on the right-side.
“That’s new.” He didn’t remember the previous messages making noise. Maybe it knew he was safe? Or maybe it’s a specific type of message?
Frank shrugged. He was planning to go through the notifications before reaching the gates anyway, so this was good timing.
Bringing up the notification menu, he saw achievements, levels and card selections waiting to be opened, recognizable by their very helpful subject lines. The first one in the queue though–and what he assumed was the most recent–was new. And maybe it was the one that had made the noise?
You made it to safety! And you survived the pack by climbing up a tree. You should have been born a Squirrelfolk. You’d fit right in with us.
Anyways, here’s your reward. FYI, Rusty allowed the upgrade of your rewards. It is still a Silver-rank quest, but Initiation quests are supposed to be on the low end of Silver. Maybe even high Bronze. The fact that you dealt with a mid-grade Silver threat as a complete novice should be rewarded. Quite a few treasures were lost from those betting on your death.
Congrats! Getting a Gold-pack on the first day is pretty rare. You’re only the 19th to do so since the beginning of the Trials.
PS: Bird-brain’s fuming. He even got a warning. Soon he might be able to pile them up and make a nest out of them.
— Sylverfur
Reward:
- 5 gold coins Upgraded to: 15 gold coins
- 1x Silver-pack Upgraded to: 1x Gold-pack
- 2 AP Upgraded to: 5 AP
Frank excitedly pumped his fist. He didn’t really know what was worth what yet, but this seemed like a sizable upgrade from what he had been promised initially.
Part of that message was disturbing, but he elected to not let it show on his face. People were betting on Champions? Were they still watching? And who’s Rusty? He looked at his older messages, and found a transcript of the first message he had ever gotten since waking up and quickly read it.
“Well. Ain’t that something,” he said as he stood still for a moment.
He finished reading the transcript and took a moment to digest it. Everything had happened so fast when he had woken up, and some things had slipped his mind, considering what had happened. But now that his life wasn’t in danger…
Basically, he had been picked up from his deathbed. Got put back into shape, then entered in some sort of Olympics that literal gods were watching. And they were betting on it too.
Was it only the gods who spectated? Or was this some sort of Olympics that anybody with their equivalent of a TV–if that existed–was watching?
Frank hummed. That explains the mention of the two pantheons from Earth. Hermes and Toth. And this Sylverfur person could be from a third pantheon?
Did this mean that Earth’s old mythology was based on a real thing?
Frank could feel a headache coming, and decided to shelf that for another time. He had more messages to look through.
Growth factor? I guess this is another question to the future guide I’ll have to find.
Frank glanced up. Up ahead, he could start picking up details about the locals. He saw drivers in travel cloaks, waiting for their turn while the city guards inspected their cargo. To his right, under an isolated tree was a group of farmers, sitting down with their tools around while they ate. He saw their heads swivel as they followed him, and he smiled and waved to them. They didn’t react, but Frank didn’t dwell on that and he turned back to his task. He would rather finish checking his notifications before getting to the gates.
Not wasting any time, he started with the
A book to help him make sense of magic and its rules felt like the better choice.
[The Little Mage's Spellcasting Primer] has been added to the Deck of Fates.
The sooner I learn about this magic stuff the better. But this title though…
He shook his head, a small smile on his lips.
Turning his attention to the
Then there was still the Gold-pack. His expectations were high, to say the least. And if the chaos from the couple of hours has taught him anything, it was that cards were important. Card made the difference between getting away with your life or ending up in some predator’s stomach.
And on that note, he clicked the Milestone Selection message.
Pick two from the following three rewards:
[Viper’s Fang]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Armament
Effect: Enchanted sickle. Channeling mana into the weapon causes the edge to produce paralytic toxin. The toxin's potency depends on the user's mana.
Or
[Quick Step]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Empowerment
Effect: Your steps take you further. When this body enhancement is active, you can make your next step be almost instantaneous.
Or
1x Growth Factor of your choice.
As soon as he saw the first option, Frank confirmed that whoever the organizers of these trials were, they knew things about his life. Which might explain the second announcer’s hostility.
He nodded at the second option, imagining scenarios where it would be useful, especially in concert with the sickle. Then frowned at the last option. When he focused on it, he got a list of the possible Growth Factors he could pick from, and it helped give him an idea of what they were. Or more like what their nature was, but not the full extent of what they were for exactly. But it was a step in the right direction.
The options were Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Endurance, Spirit, and Perception.
Strength was straightforward. You punch harder. You jump higher.
Dexterity. Reflexes, general coordination and speed of reaction. Something he liked very much.
Constitution made it so if one was strong enough to punch through a wall, their fist or shoulder wouldn’t fall off from their shoulder. They would also be less prone to diseases, poisons, etc.
Endurance was for both physical and mental fatigue. How long could you march without rest and without collapsing. Endurance also contributed as a side effect to mana capacity, and it was the main factor that controlled how much mana he could use up before he needed to recover. Magic was taxing, and a high Endurance would allow him to push through the fatigue–physical or magical–for longer.
Perception was not just good eyesight. It was all sense, and if pushed high enough, it touched on magic perception unaided by spells.
And finally, the last attribute, which he leaned toward as soon as he read its description.
Spirit: The Spirit attribute dictates mana regeneration and mana capacity. It also affects resistances to spells and magics, as well as control and power of the casting. A high spirit attribute also allows the user to handle more cards from the Deck of Fates in their Hand.
Frank glanced and saw that the line had stalled a short distance away. Even though he had been walking slowly, he decided to sit down by the road and think this through.
He wanted all three options and he could only pick two, and it felt like whatever choice he made, he was losing out on something game-changing.
----------------------------------------
A lifetime ago–a period Frank didn’t like to recall–bladed weapons were considered a side weapon. An emergency weapon. The proper weapon was stealth. Never being seen or found. But when that failed, then firearms were the response.
The point is, there were countless scenarios where a knife should be used. But almost all of them were last resorts.
That had always been the case for Frank. Until the day he had found himself in a life-or-death situation, no firearms, no knives. Only a mountaineering sickle—which had been closer to being a sharp hammer than a sickle. But it had saved his life, and it had felt better in his hand than a knife ever did.
He decided then to hire a martial artist specialized in sickles–that he paid for himself, as his quartermaster refused to provide one. Which was fair. Frank’s interest was more of a hobby and was never meant to be used in the field. A knife was still better. Easier to hide and wield. But sickles were just…fun.
They were unpredictable. Decent defensive capabilities and light enough to allow for good mobility. And with their increased range–compared to knives–they allowed for interesting surprising angles and disarming strikes.
Frank glanced again at the card. A bright, silver curved blade with a greenish reflection, connected to an elegantly shaped wooden handle through an engraved golden guard.
But this world didn’t have firearms. Should he look into something safer? A spear? Bow and arrow?
He shook his hand. Any of those would require some training. Definitely something to consider, but not right at this moment.
He glanced at the card in his interface for a moment. He was reaching a decision, but another thought intruded on his mind.
Sickles could also double as gardening tools. And that made him wonder. What sort of plants did this world have? Were there magical plants? And what would those look like? What would they do?
Frank reeled his mind back to the task at hand. But not before he resolved to find some sort of botanical field guide soon. Maybe there’s a library around? He could figure that out along with any other details about this place.
And a notebook. There were many things he needed to remember to look into. Questions to answer that were continuing to pile up. For now though, it was time to decide.
So. First things first. The sickle. It might have been useful against something like the Wild Climbers. Especially if the toxin was potent and quick-acting enough. But if there were more beasts and monsters to be fought, he needed to figure out some… safer solutions.
Which was where [Quick Step] would come in. The combination of a paralytic agent and an ability that would allow him to get away quickly and maintain some sort of distance from his assailant was too good to pass on.
Getting close and personal to danger wasn’t something that Frank wanted to make a habit out of. Not getting hit was a rule he always tried to follow. It didn’t matter how safe or solid a plan was. A good punch or a bullet would see it crumble and fail.
So he needed something with more range. And if he had to use the sickle, he had to be fast. Get in range, strike, and get out before whatever he fought could retaliate, then wait until the poison took effect.
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He needed range. And speed. This card would give him the best tool for survival he’d seen this far.
So [Quick Step] is a lock. I’m dropping the Growth Factor, or I’m dropping the sickle.
And as he thought that… he knew he wasn’t getting the Growth Factors. They seemed amazing. And he will prioritize them as much as he could–after learning more of their effects and limitations, if any–but the combination of the paralytic sickle and a movement ability were just too good.
[Viper’s Fang] has been added to the Deck of Fates.
[Quick Step] has been added to the Deck of Fates.
Hopefully, that wasn’t a mistake. Then he looked at the last notification waiting for him.
[Grasping Grass] - Level 2 achieved.
[[Twin Grasp]] variant unlocked.
Frank saw the card lit up in his interface. It shone for a moment before two notches appeared on the top right side of the card. Glancing at them, he instinctively knew they were like buttons, each for a variant. And he only had to push on them to activate the specific version of the spell.
So this was possible too? That might open a lot of options… Can all cards level? Why didn’t [Force Missile] level as well?
As he wondered and replayed the events, a possibility quickly came up… [Grasping Grass] had been pivotal and allowed him to kill the large Wild Climber. It had saved his life. Maybe that had weight on the level up?
Though if that was the case, the axe had killed close to a dozen beasts. So why didn’t it level as well?
Another question added to the list. And the Gold-pack will have to wait.
Frank was now sitting close enough to the gates that he began to notice a few things. And as he did, his frown got deeper.
Cracks were visible in the wall. Some sections of the rampart at the top were chipped, while others had been patched with stones that didn’t even match and that made the surface uneven. Which contrasted severely with the polished and maintained equipment of the city guards.
Polished helms, clean and well cared for gloves and boots. He could see a shining metallic badge on the leather strap that went across their chest, but he couldn’t make out the motif from this far. And they all seemed to wear some sort of leather armor that protected their chest and stomach, visible under the gray and white tabard.
And as he took them in, they seemed to do the same, some quickly reacting with frowns, shouts, and–to his alarm–multiple hands reached for their truncheons and shortswords.
Frank glanced down at himself.
He looked like he’d just finished a shift at the slaughterhouse. So it completely made sense when he found himself quickly surrounded.
----------------------------------------
A small crowd quickly formed, with heads bobbing up and down to get a good view of the scene that was currently unfolding. Frank watched the tense guards approach and couldn’t help but notice the two archers up on the wall, specifically the bows in their hands. Thankfully, they were not aiming those things just yet, but he could see the telltale glitter of a knocked arrow.
He raised his hands as he stood up. Probably best to not tempt fate. With all the Wild Climber pack business, he probably looked like he’d just walked out of a massacre. He needed to communicate to these people that this was not human blood.
“Halt,” one guard bellowed as they stood a few meters away from him. Four guards spread in a semicircle.
Frank was already still. He kept his expression pleasant and said nothing. Those archers up there might be twitchy, and he didn’t need to get shot for no reason. Though the guards arrayed in front of him seemed tense, they still seemed too relaxed confronting someone that might as well have been dunked in blood.
Are they not going to unsheathe any of those weapons?
He was glad they didn’t, of course. But it was sort of unexpected.
“State your name, rank, your business in Tinecea and the reason you’re covered in blood. If you do not, you will be arrested. If you lie, you will be arrested. If you attack, try to run, or try to cast anything, you will be put down. Speak.”
The guard–who he assumed to be the leader–was a tall, well-built man that wore no helmet. He was the second one doing so, along with the man to his right. He wore a similar bracelet to Frank’s, although his was thinner. And while Frank’s had a bronze sheen to it, the guard’s seemed to be silver, and it shone against his dark skin. The other helmetless guard had a silver bracelet as well, while the rest of the guards shared the same color as Frank’s, while having the small format of the rest of the guards.
Frank nodded. “My name is Frank. I do not know what my rank is. I just woke up in a forest and I immediately had to run from a pack of um–Wild Climbers? That’s where the blood is from. I was able to cut them down when they attached themselves to the tree I climbed. With an axe that I got…from a card,” Frank added, hoping the card thing didn’t make him sound insane. The guards looked at each other, while the one who had addressed him raised his brows. He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I got a message about a trial. Would you know anything about that?”
The leader seemed to think for a moment. “Do you have proof that you’re part of the Trials?”
Frank blinked and wondered how he’d have to explain this. “I got the message in the interface–”
“Just show us the bracelet,” cut the second man without a helmet. This one had more of a Mediterranean look, with olive-skin and short brown hair.
Frank’s eyes turned to what he assumed to be the leader, who gave him the smallest head tilt and an even stare that appeared to be telling him to get on with it.
Frank rolled up his sleeve, until the bracelet was fully visible to the guards.
A second later, a prompt popped into his vision. It had his face, a bunch of general details about his person, and over it, a smaller box appeared that was quickly blocked by a third prompt.
Two identities have been used in your previous life. Please input the name you wish to continue using.
Frank considered his given name, and the one he had worn in the latter part of his life. After a second of thought, he came to a decision. Using the awkward inputting system of typing up letters by gesturing at the letters that appeared over thin air, he validated his new name, and the prompt disappeared to let him see the one the guards were waiting for.
Share information with Captain Omiros - City Watch of Tinecea?
Information to be shared:
* Name: Frank Calloway
* Portrait
* Occupation: Champion - Celestial Trials ( Current )
Accept | Refuse
Frank clicked on Accept. He was glad they didn’t ask too many other questions. But that should be enough to prove his status.
Captain Omiros nodded, but Frank noticed the tension entering his posture. “Lieutenant Tasos stays. The rest of you, back to your stations.”
Some guards shared a look, but they quickly left quietly. The captain rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning again to Tasos, who–to Frank’s discomfort–was staring at his bracelet. His stare lingered for a moment before he turned away toward the gates. “Make sure to report the Wild Climbers on your way to the mansion. They shouldn’t be this far east,” said the captain as he pulled a small notebook and what looked like a stubby, worn-down pencil.
The lieutenant didn’t react for a moment. Then he spoke. “Sure.” Frank saw the captain's eye twitch as he scribbled in his notebook. It was awkwardly quiet for a moment, and Frank kept to himself, unsure of what was happening. What’s this about a mansion? And isn’t the captain supposed to be the superior here?
He wondered if he should just walk away from both of them when the captain finally spoke again, putting an end to the longest five seconds Frank had endured in recent memory. The man turned to him, with a worryingly forced smile on his face. “Lieutenant Tasos will escort you to the mayor’s mansion. After helping you get a change of clothes or finding you a washing service. And I would like to thank you as captain of the city of Tinecea for taking care of those Wild Climbers. They are still dangerous, and not all travelers are well enough equipped to deal with them.” He put his notebook and pen in a hidden pocket and adjusted his scabbard for a moment before adding. “I’d also recommend you do some research on the dangerous areas before you leave the city. That forest wasn’t supposed to–have that sort of threat… but you never know. You’re lucky you made it out.”
He pulled a small parchment, glanced at it for a few seconds, then looked up.
“In any case, welcome to Tinecea, Champion. We will be waiving away the entrance fee to the city. Enjoy your stay, and good luck.”
And on that, the captain left, leaving the lieutenant, who did the same a moment later. Frank felt tempted to let him go, then make his own way into the city, but the lieutenant turned back after a few steps. “Come on, Seedworlder. What are you waiting for? We don’t have all day.”
Frank followed the lieutenant as he sauntered forward. Why did he have to go to this mayor again?
The lieutenant half-turned, without fully looking back. “Change of clothes or a wash?”
Frank glanced down at his clothes. A change of clothes would be nice, but he’d rather keep his own clothes if that was an option. “A wash would be nice.”
Tasos nodded. “I know the place. They opened the shop recently, probably intending on capitalizing on the business brought by the Trials. Like everybody else,” Tasos said the last part almost to himself. “Alright, keep up.”
The words seemed friendly to Frank, but there was some odd tension underneath that just bothered him. Couldn’t Frank just…leave? Maybe after this spot he mentioned. It should be easier to lose him within the city.
Ahead, the guard watching the gates snapped to attention as the lieutenant waved to them, and Frank caught a couple of travelers eying the man with recognition and suspicion. Even hostility from a couple. But none of them waved or said anything.
Frank eyed the man, then shook his head.
No matter. Frank didn’t need to engage with him outside of this escort. Instead, he observed his surroundings. With Tasos leading the way, they got through the large raised gates within seconds after the latter had a quick word with the guards stationed there. And once they passed the crowd that was also trying to get in the city, Frank got his first view of the main thoroughfare, and he completely forgot about the lieutenant.
A wide and busy stone road stretched far ahead, with carts slowly making their way up and down its length, careful not to knock down any of the many stands that lined the edges of the road or injure the patrons that stopped, traded, or haggled.
Smoke rose into the clear midmorning sky from the countless food stands that sprawled all the way down the thoroughfare. And as he got a closer look, he noticed they weren’t all selling food. Signs and panels were being automatically translated in front of his eyes. Inns, taverns, alchemists. Further down he could see a painted anvil on a large wooden sign, overlaid with a sword and an arm, and it wasn’t hard to guess what it was for. Still, the interface translated the odd script, and it now said Zakir’s Magnificent Arms.
Frank chuckled.
Though the main road seemed messy at first, he quickly noticed that with every three or four stands, enough space was left empty, giving pedestrians access to the sidewalk and the many stores that had permanent storefronts.
Then Frank saw something that ground his thoughts to a screeching halt.
Among the people browsing the street market, a figure towered above the surrounding people. They almost towered over the stands themselves. Thick and sturdy leather armor covered furred and massive arms, and a pair of curved horns jutted out of the top of their bovine head. Frank’s eyes followed them as they bobbed back and forth as the Minotaur boisterously laughed with the merchant.
There were Minotaurs in this world. And they were around eight-feet tall.
And now that he knew humans weren’t the only specie around, he noticed more non-humans. A group of short and stocky humanoids made him immediately think of classic fantasy Dwarves. More species like the Minotaurs–a humanoid mix of human-like features and beast. There were even–
Two fingers snapped in front of him, and Frank startled.
“You Seedworlders are so easy to impress. Come on. You’ll have time to stare later,” he said, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Frank caught the man’s eye lingering on the outline of his bracelet over the sweater’s fabric for an instant before he nodded forward, then continued walking.
Frank took a deep breath. He should have refused the escort. Why didn't I say anything back out there? And why did he keep calling Frank that? A Seedworlder? What does that mean?
And what did he keep staring at the bracelet?
He would not let this man–however unnerving he was–ruin this experience for him. He just came back to life, for god’s sake. And look at the marvels of this place. Beings Frank had only heard about in stories and myths. Merchants selling all sorts of wares. From fruits and vegetables, potions and even weapons. A couple of merchants tried to attract his attention before their eyes landed on the Tasos and they decided that there was someone more interesting behind Frank.
He kept looking around, head on a swivel. Then he did a double take, though this time, he didn’t stop. No need to give him another reason to speak with me.
Ahead and to the left, a massive ten-foot tall statue was walking. A sculpted humanoid made of stone. The thing was walking behind a richly-dressed woman, while 4 armored figures walked ahead and behind her, spears in hand.
Frank looked back at the golem as it ambled its way forward, rotating its head slowly left and right. When the entourage of the woman stopped, it froze mid-step while continuing to examine the perimeter with its head.
What even is that?
The woman and her escort stopped as she gestured to a merchant to bring his wares closer. Her escort wore armor and capes that didn’t match the colors of the Watch and instead had capes of white and gold, which matched her flowing robes. Jewelry shone around her neck, in her ears… but none on her wrists.
Checking back her bodyguards, their arms were also free from bracelets.
He glanced at the man escorting him. He was striding forward, parting the crowd ahead just by his presence and right above his opening and closing fist, Frank saw the silver bracelet snugly fit in an indentation of the armguard.
Was that a Deck? He remembered when he had tried to remove his bracelet, he had gotten a message saying “The Deck cannot be removed”, or something to that effect. He could see the engravings on Tasos’ bracelet. They seemed more sparse compared to his own, but he could see them.
Looking back toward the group, he reached a conclusion. Whoever that woman was, he seriously doubted that she did not have access to the Deck. And the same went for her bodyguards. Which meant… not all decks were bracelets.
That seemed like a safe assumption.
And both Tasos and his captain had identical bracelets, both fitted to their armguards, while the rest of the guards that had surrounded him didn’t.
Which could mean… many things.
Maybe they were expensive to get. Maybe not everybody was allowed to have a Deck or maybe it came with the position?
That was something he needed to look more into. And he would have certainly written it down in a notebook, if he had one.
He looked around as he walked, paying attention to all and any jewelry he could see, and he noticed that most of those he could find wore bracelets–often coppery, occasionally silver. But they were a minority. Approximately one in three wore a bracelet, and occasionally, he would see a silver or copper necklace. Or earrings.
Frank brought back his focus to his general surroundings and stopped staring at strangers’ jewelry as he started noticing the stares. People who noticed him either dropped whatever they were doing to point at him, or spared a glance and went back to their business.
Reminded of the state of his clothes, he hoped they were getting close to their destination. After a couple of minutes, once they were past the bustle of the market, the lieutenant slowed down to let Frank catchup, then spoke.
“So. Did you get anything good from killing those Wild Climbers?”
Frank glanced sideways as Tasos came to a stop and leaned over a stand of fruits. Frank considered saying that he didn’t look yet, but that might be hard to believe, and if this guard thought he was lying to his face, it might sour the mood even more. “I got a couple of interesting ones. I hope they’ll be a good addition for whatever's coming.”
Tasos hummed as he examined the apples, then he picked up one before flipping out a coin to the merchant who fumbled to catch it. “Any rare cards? I can get you a good price on those. You’re just starting. Not every card is a good fit.”
Ah. A side hustle? Or was this guy just casing him? Well, Frank wasn’t about to divulge anything important. And this might be a chance to get some information.
“I assume a Silver-pack would have one of those? I got one of those from the Wild Climbers.”
The man paused, mouth open for an instant before he looked away, shaking his head and for an instant, Frank saw something in the dark look in the man’s eyes, and in the tight line his mouth had formed.
Resentment–no. Envy.
The lieutenant chuckled, but there was no mirth in it. “Must be nice. And yes. A Silver-pack would have at least one rare. What’s the card?”
Tasos was trying to make his question sound casual, but Frank couldn’t ignore the undercurrent of tension now that he knew what it was.
Explains the looks at the bracelet. And if a Silver-pack got him this riled up, then I’m glad I didn’t mention it had been upgraded to Gold.
Frank put on a contrite smile. “I haven’t had the chance to check yet. But I am in a tight spot and could use the money.”
Tasos snorted. He looked down at his barely eaten apple and threw into the alley with a bit too much force. It flew in a straight line until it disappeared into the darkness. “Poor you. Trust me, you’ll be swimming in gold soon enough.”
The guard picked up the pace, movements quick and sharp, and Frank was almost sure of his hunch.
He really wanted to be in this competition.
Frank needed all the help he could get. But he also didn’t forget about the captain’s odd behavior around his supposed subordinate. About how the locals interacted little with Lieutenant Tasos. Frank had a feeling this man had a bad side, and he didn’t want to get on it this early.
“How much would a rare card go for? And what can I offer you to facilitate such a transaction?”
The brusk pace slowed down a bit, and Frank’s lip twitched. Tasos was quiet for a moment, then he glanced sideways to Frank before looking ahead. “I have contacts, so 40%. Rare cards should start at 5 gold. I give you one gold in advance, and when I sell it, you get your share.”
Now that’s insulting.
What kind of terms were these? And 40%? If he had proposed something reasonable, then Frank might have given the man a chance. But this just sounded like he wanted to rip him off.
40%.
Frank coughed to hide the amusement from his face.
At least he got some information. So five gold for a rare card was the absolute minimum. Probably a bit higher, depending on the card, he assumed. There must be crappy cards that would be worth five gold, and there must be great cards that would cost significantly more, while still rare.
“That’s good to know. Thank you. I will come see you once I wash up and get some rest. Should I ask for you back at the gates?”
After a brief pause, the guard shrugged, and an odd smile showed on his lips. “Sure.”
Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of that.
Frank glanced around. Why is he smiling? Am I about to be ambushed? What if–
“Or you can give it to me now. You might be busy with the Mayor. We’re stopping here first.”
Frank looked at where the guard was looking, expecting to see other guards, or some cloaked figures waiting to rob him blind. Instead, he saw an old, well-polished wood counter, and beyond it, one of the beings Frank had seen earlier. This one he could only describe as a humanoid-dog. Or jackal?
The being was slightly taller than they were. Dark fur, striking yellow eyes that matched the gold piercings on sharp, triangular ears. They wore long robes, and if they had a bracelet–or if their Deck was in the earrings–he couldn’t tell.
“Hmm.”
The dog-person scratched under their chin–or their snout, Frank supposed–while they examined Frank.
“Will you be leaving your clothes here, or do you wish for fast service?” The voice was rumbly, with an extra emphasis on the Rs. Definitely female. Probably.
Maybe.
Frank realized he’d been staring for a few seconds too much. He coughed. “Fast. Fast service. Please.”
“2 silvers,” the cleaner said, then a dark green cloth appeared in their hand, which she used to cover her nose and mouth.
“How do I–,” he started, turning to the guard, when the prompt popped to the side of his viewpoint.
Confirm Transaction :
* Fast service - Khaa’s Cleaning Paw - City of Tinecea
Amount to be paid: 2 silvers.
Remaining balance: 14 gold and 8 silvers.
Accept | Refuse
Frank accepted, and the being named Khaa finally straightened up. She raised the counter, stepped out a couple of steps, and stood a step away from Frank.
She was too close.
A slow paw lifted and pointed at a spot a couple of steps behind. “Stand there, please.”
Behind him, there was a small circle engraved at the edge of the sidewalk. Frank stepped away, then placed himself in the indicated spot.
“Do not step away from the mark.”
A circle of magical writing appeared in front of the cleaner. The air rippled, and a moment later, it was as if that circle had become a hole connected to the bottom of a river.
A thick jet of water shot out toward Frank, and before he could understand what was happening, he was submerged all the way up to his neck in surprisingly warm water that gently swirled around him.
Frank felt like he was sitting in a jacuzzi, and he felt the soreness from climbing and running slowly get washed away, along with the blood and grime. From the corner of his eyes, Frank saw the cleaner mumble something and gesture, and a green hue permeated the water, until the whole current that wrapped around Frank was green.
It wasn’t green for long.
As soon as the green substance touched the blood, the latter instantly dissolved away, turning the water brown for a moment, until fresh water replaced it.
“You should wash your face,” said Khaa, in the same neutral tone.
Frank happily obeyed. Soon enough, his face was clean and so were his clothes.
He wondered how common this sort of service was. He could get used to it.