The crew celebrated the first mate, Ashish. If not for his presence in the crow’s nest, the leviathan would have caught the vessel unaware. Since its body was twice as long as the barge and its head constituted a third of its length, Diya was sure it could’ve destroyed the barge within seconds. The entire crew would end up dragged to the sixth floor’s depths. Fortunately, his sparrow soul and the mole card upgrading it sharpened his sight and hearing to superhuman levels.

“We got lucky,” the skinny man said, looking away from Gwyneth and the men gathered around him. His ears reddened as his eyes scanned the bloody waters around the boat. “I don’t know why the creature didn’t dive. If it got under us… Well, we’d be fish food.”

“That’s because it’s young,” Jagdish said. He sat on a crate, wrapping a blanket around his shivering form. His body shrank underneath the covering, and his face lost its simian accents. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re the first vessel it's ever encountered. Specimens as young as it don’t venture far from the depths.”

“Do you think something bigger and badder forced it out of its territory?” Diya asked.

Jagdish shrugged. “I saw no scars or recent injuries on the corpse. It could be an especially violent storm or the Montagus overfishing around its hunting grounds. Things in the second interval are far more unpredictable. Even when things are pleasant, we expect the worst. That’s how we survive.”

“My father would like you.” Diya chuckled, but his eyes remained focused on the leviathan’s floating remains and the glowing cards.

Jagdish divided the crew into three teams. The first cleaned the barge and swiftly patched whatever damage it had suffered. The second attended to the wounded and dove to find the trio that had disappeared during the attack. Everyone thought them dead, but Jagdish wanted to return their bodies to whatever family they had remaining. Finally, the last team collected the monster's cards and valuable body parts.

While the crew worked, Gwyneth grabbed Diya by the hand and dragged him out of their way. She took him to where the healer’s toiled and used Healer’s Cantae. The light emitting from Seeker’s Lantern switched from the characteristic violent blue to a warm gold. The aches and pains plaguing Diya’s body faded within moments. Gwyneth pulled up his shirt without asking and checked the bandages.

“You weren’t supposed to get involved in the fight.” She sighed. “Jagdish’s orders couldn’t be clearer.”

“He told me to stay out of melees,” Diya replied, wincing as she loosened the bandages and peeked under them. “I didn’t try to fight the monster up close and stayed away from the harpoons, too. Casting spells doesn’t take much effort.”

“That’s just semantics,” Gwyneth said. “The spirit of the order couldn’t be clearer.” She paused. “I heard you yelling for me. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate your concern. I really do. But you need to understand your limits. That injury of yours…was nasty. Any deeper, and your organs would’ve suffered. Just give yourself time. Alright?”

“I am.” Diya sighed. “What’s the point of experimenting with Cardsmith if I can’t test my spells?”

Gwyneth wrapped her arms around Diya and pulled him into a hug. He froze for a second but then melted into the embrace. The comfort he felt in Gwyneth’s arms was something new. Something different from embracing Neer, Baba, Alexander, or his handful of past amorous partners. The young woman’s presence made him comfortable. Calm.

Smiles dominated the pair’s faces when they pulled away from one another. Passing crew members side-eyed and grinned, but no one said a word. The barge’s carpenter pushed past them as he hurriedly started work on the damaged wings. His assistants followed, holding materials for replacement railings. It amazed Diya how Jagdish had found individuals with supposedly junk plant and tool souls and given them meaningful work.

While Gwyneth helped with the injured, Diya made his way back to Jagdish. One of his younger crewmen had just finished gathering the cards dropped by the leviathan. After seeing the creature manipulate water, Diya couldn’t wait to find out what the beast had to offer.

“Can I help you, Diya?” Jagdish asked after he finished yelling at a pair of idle crewmen in Hindi.

“I was hoping to find out what cards the leviathan dropped. If any of them suit my soul, I’d like to trade the Hyene Matriarch’s card for it.”

“Given how I saved your life and am providing transport for your party, I could claim the card as payment.” Jagdish’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Diya. Bruises covered the left side of his body from where the leviathan had thrashed him against the deck. Bits of his face had swollen, turning purple. Altogether, it gave the otherwise jolly man a sinister appearance.

“Then I’ll cease making cards for your crew and helping in the kitchen. Gwyneth won’t advise them on developing their souls. And we’ll end our relationship on a cold, professional note.”

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“You don’t pull any punches, do you, Diya?” Jagdish chuckled. Someone brought him a steaming mug of a brackish brew and he consumed it hungrily. “I’m just pulling your leg. You and Gwyneth have worked off the cost of our aid and then some.” He laid out three cards on the box next to him. “I’ve already let Ashish and a couple of other deserving crewmen claim a couple of spells. These aren’t any good to us.”

Both spell cards were tier-two. Aqueous Arms featured a man with arms encased in watery tentacles. Meanwhile, the artwork for Aqueous Armor displayed a woman holding a shield similar to the leviathan’s watery scales.

“The spell demands a water source but has short range,” Jagdish explained. “We prefer ending our battles from afar.”

Diya’s eyes lit up when he saw the monster card. Unlike the spells, it had a big three in the top left corner and came with three keywords: Aqueous Armaments, Diver’s Lungs, and Read the Currents. Diya couldn’t start to fathom what the last meant, but the first felt perfect for Explorer’s Fountain Pen.

“Will you accept the Hyene Matriarch’s card for it?” Diya asked, studying the artwork on Glrrg, the Fledgling Of The Endless Depths. The displayed creature lacked the original creature’s tentacles, leaving him to wonder whether the appendages were products of Aqueous Armaments, too. “I don’t know how compatible it is with my soul, but I’d like to find out.”

“I don’t know.” Jagdish’s bruised face made it impossible to read his expressions. “Diver’s Lungs could help with my sonic attack. Perhaps Read the Currents will make me a better navigator, too.”

“Gorillas hate water, Jagdish,” Diya said. He didn't know whether it was a genuine fact or a tale someone whipped up. But it sounded convincing and true. “Besides, Manic Cackle could help your sonic attack, too. You’ll probably get some form of attack from Explosive Drool—”

“I want you to make me a coat similar to yours,” Jagdish said, interrupting him. “It needs to be tier-three. One of those and Kakil’s card will suffice.”

“Deal. It will lack the ability to harden on command, though. The power isn’t a product of any keywords—”

“All that is unnecessary. My augmentation multiplies my strength and durability. I don’t need armour.”

“Making a tier-three coat will be difficult, then.”

“Fine. I’ll settle for a tier-two.” Jagdish sighed. “Now, get out of my face. I need to prepare the vessel and get moving. All the blood and meat in the water is bound to attract something bigger or worse.”

“Got it.”

Even though Diya wanted to watch the crew extract bones and undamaged hide from the leviathan, he rushed below deck. Much to his relief, the bindings had held and the barrel of blood hadn’t tipped over. The chilling runes scribed into the container’s side appeared undamaged, too. It kept the fluid from fouling and also contained the smell. Diya refilled Explorer’s Fountain Pen before replacing the lid. He made sure to seal it. After all, the crew didn’t like the idea of loose blood close to their sleeping quarters.

Before starting, Diya took inventory of all the runes and keywords he had gathered thus far. It was far more than the measly four that came with his soul.

* Seek

* Beast

* Prime

* Seek Prime Beast

* Repel Beast

* Fire

* Smoke

* Haste

* Silence

* Harden

* Soften

* Relax

* Merge With Shadows

* Dark Passage

* Shadow

* Ink

* Bolt

* Frost

* Blade

* Pierce

* Chill

* Cold

* Warm

* Frost Aura

* Piercing Cold

* Exploding

* Ball

There were more that manifested on the cards for his gauntlet and coat, but he still failed to identify or differentiate between symbols for the garments. He didn’t deem it vital or necessary. After all, his artwork helped fill in the gaps. Designing a powerful card that would satisfy Jagdish would require more experimentation and patience, and Diya attacked the task with excitement.

Cardsmith had felt daunting at first. But now, Diya couldn’t imagine climbing without it. Designing his arsenal felt like a vital part of the journey. Now that he was getting the hang of the process, the challenge of making a specific card for someone intrigued him. He dove into his work and blocked out the world around him.