Book 2 Chapter 5

“Thank you, Ashish,” Gwyneth said, squeezing Ashish’s arm after they exited the store. “You made that experience a lot less painful than it needed to be.”

“I tried calling out to you when you entered the market but then remembered you were trying to keep low,” he replied, cheeks reddening. “You look like someone that works for a noble house, and Diya carries himself like one, too. Folk around here don’t like the nobility and will try to extract all the money out of you they can.”

“I guess we owe you one—”

“Nonsense!” Ashish interrupted before Diya could finish the sentiment. “Between the soul-nurturing advice and the personalised cards, you’ve done plenty for me already.”

An awkward silence followed. Diya sensed that he wanted an invitation to their party. However, he didn’t feel comfortable sharing their goals with Ashish. He seemed like a decent enough guy and had above-par marksmanship skills. At the same time, he appeared profit-oriented, too. The first mate role paid well, but according to Jagdish, Ashish always pushed for bonuses even when not deserved—although Diya believed the statement carried a fair amount of bias.

His soul’s unideal upgrade had him stuck in the crew. Now that Ashish sees a glimmer of hope, he wants to cut and run. Why didn’t he stay with Jagdish and then move on together?

“What are your plans now?” Ashish asked.

“I’d like to visit an upgrade station, and then we’ll move on from this floor,” Diya answered.

“Do you have the cards to pay your way? The Montagus will demand a tier-two card each.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem for us.”

Another awkward silence followed. Ashish glanced between the two for a moment, focusing primarily on Gwyneth. “Alright, then.” He sighed. “I’ve been stuck on the barge for too long. The tavern calls. You know where to find me, right?”

“Yes. The Weary Urchin.” Gwyneth nodded.

“Good luck, then. You might need it.”

The pair waited until he was long out of sight before continuing. “I feel bad,” Gwyneth said. “He’s a nice guy. We should’ve invited him to join us. At least for a bit.”

“I just don’t get the best feeling off of him,” Diya stated. “He feels like one of those men who always have an unspoken agenda.”

“You came across as one such person when we first met, you know.”

Diya shrugged. “Things were different, then. If it were Jagdish, I wouldn’t say no. With Ashish… I’d just rather not.”

The conversation ended on an abrupt note. Gwyneth and Diya found a secluded alley and donned their cowls. He exposed his face and scruffy stubble while she covered everything but her bright green eyes. Diya donned one of his newer creations: Shadow-Wrapped Slimeskin Coat. The tier-two summon sacrificed chest protection for more Shadow, Haste, and Silence runes. It also benefitted from the Shadow Touched and Merge With The Shadows keywords. The resulting garment lacked the smoothness and gloss of Slimeskin. It resembled a worn coat made of thick charcoal-stained wool. It had a couple of Chill runes inside so Diya wouldn’t get too warm despite the floor’s temperatures.

Gwyneth temporarily made an identical card to her deck’s tier-two. It made them look like poor, struggling climbers—which technically they were. The material and the shade helped them blend in with the locals, too. Diya still worried that a keen eye would know their clothes weren’t made of Grisskin or Sandile hide.

The locals treated the pair significantly better in their new coats and cowls. Diya wasn’t sure whether, now, they resembled locals or smugglers. When buying supplies for the next floor, shopkeepers offered them fresher goods out of the back and sold them well below the advertised prices. However, when Diya tried to sell cards or trade them for merchandise, the shopkeepers turned him away without explaining why. Answers came when the pair finally made it to the upgrade station.

“Tier-two cards or better to access the upgrade station,” the Montagu guard said. His studded leather armour bore the house’s crest over the breast. It was worn but clearly visible. “The same goes for the gate.”

“Each?” Diya asked.

“Yes. Each.” The man’s companion whispered in his ear, and both sets of eyes focused on Gwyneth. “Can’t have covered faces if you want to pass either. We need to know the comings and goings.”

“That’s my wife, sir,” Diya said, thinking on his feet. “Women must cover their modesty around men outside of the family. It is our way.”

“That doesn’t matter—”

“I thought the Montagu house respected the churches and temples.” Diya kept his voice calm but loud enough for everyone around to hear. “Would you rip a turban off a Sikh man’s head? Or demand all crosses, stars, and the like be removed?”

“No, but—” The guard paused when his companion placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes wandered over the many curious faces staring in their direction. He sighed. “Fine. What do you need? Upgrade station or gate?”

“One for the upgrade station and two for the gate,” Diya replied, passing the man three identical Exploding Inkfire Ball cards. He had made half a dozen of them the night before expressly for trading.

“Where did you get these?” The guard asked, raising an eyebrow and inspecting them closely. He held them under the upgrade station’s light.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Diya answered. “Our barge got attacked by giant octopi during the storm a week ago. A dozen of the ugliest creatures I’ve ever seen climbed on board and ripped three men’s faces off. We killed a few, and they dropped these cards.”

“Giant octopus, huh?” The guard glanced at his companion. “Summon the appraiser. She’ll want to see these. If there are new monsters nearby, the house needs to investigate.” The second guard nodded and marched down the line of carts towards where the gateway stood. “She may take a while. I’d suggest you stay close by until she can inspect these.”

When Diya reached for the cards, the guard stepped out of his reach. “The Montagu house doesn’t hire thieves,” he said. “These cards will be returned to you as soon as the appraiser has done their job. She may have some questions for you, though.”

The pair nodded and retreated from the man once Diya saw a seemingly nonchalant group of armoured men talking just past the upgrade station. He didn’t recall seeing them before the second guard departed. They didn’t wander more than a few feet since Gwyneth detected several pairs of eyes on them. Making the house suspicious would only make their life harder.

“We need to slip into one of these alleys and disappear,” Gwyneth whispered, much to Diya’s surprise. He expected her to keep silent, fearing individuals with enhanced hearing nearby. Dragging him out of earshot and then delving into an explanation felt more like her preferred method. “This can only end badly.”

“You don’t believe the house would be interested in a new creature?” Diya asked.

“It’s not that. Some appraisers can detect the origin of a card. If this woman is one of them, they’ll know you’re a cardsmith!”

“Maybe that’s not the worst thing. I could fib about my limitations, bribe them with something simple and slip away.”

“You’re far too naive for someone that grew up in noble houses. Cardsmiths are rare. They don’t just make a lot of money, but also arm the houses with unique cards. What if the Montagus decide to do to you what they did to me? You’d end up their prisoner.”

It wasn’t long before another climber approached the guard. While they discussed payment, Diya and Gwyneth edged away from the guard station. The group behind the man stiffened, but before they could chase, Gwyneth pulled food out of her back and fidgeted with her cowl. People who believed in hiding their faces wouldn’t want to be seen while eating. The pair didn’t stick around to find out whether their ploy worked.

The bulk of the settlement sat under an overhanging rock, making the area look almost cavernous. The gateway grew out of the wall, with the binding and upgrade stations standing a couple of dozen feet away from it. Together they formed a triangle, and the Montagus had cordoned off the entire section with walls and checkpoints. The line of carts and travellers heading towards the gate had several patrols walking up and down its length. Once sufficiently away, Diya scaled a building to get a better look and failed to find any routes to their destination.

“This is my fault,” Diya grumbled. “I shouldn’t have given them cards I made. The crew traded me a few tier-twos.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Gwyneth replied. “It’s generally the dullards that end up on guard duty. Most people in his role would just pocket the cards. At most, they’d push for a bribe.”

“I suppose we better find Jagdish or another vessel. Perhaps we’ll get lucky on another island.”

“I know you get a bad feeling off of him, but Ashish might be able to help. The way he wished us luck. It’s almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I say we join him temporarily. It might save us several days more of travelling, if not weeks.”

“Fine.” Diya sighed. “To the Weary Urchin then.”