Book 2 Chapter 3

Even though Jagdish loved wearing coats, Diya had never seen his forearms covered. Most ended at the elbow or cut off at the shoulder. So, he tweaked the original coat’s design to have extra baggy sleeves. Jagdish would have the option to roll them up. He hoped Slimeskin’s elastic nature would accommodate transformations and augmentations, too.

The base shape was the most straightforward element of the project, but Diya spent an entire day on it. After all, it would take a few days before they reached the Crescent Isles. He wanted to take his time to make the best possible coat for Jagdish. It wasn’t just for the trade. He owed the man his life, after all. Jagdish didn’t have to help him or Victoria. He had done so expecting nothing in return. After recovering consciousness, Diya had insisted they pave their way. He knew the man’s earlier threat had been in jest.

Diya didn’t think twice before adding the Haste rune to the card. It had saved his life several times. Outspeeding an opponent could often change the tides of battle. It would make his partial gorilla-like transformation several times more powerful. As he outlined the card, stringing several Hastes and Silences together, the faint number on the top left corner transitioned from a zero to a one. The more challenging task came next. Diya needed to figure out how to improve the card, perhaps by giving it a keyword or two.

Given how Jagdish fought surrounded by his crew most of the time, Frost Aura wouldn’t suit him. He didn’t have much need for stealth, either. Diya found himself at a dead end as he wracked his brain for a solution. Most of his runes were built for offence.

Hold on a moment!

Since Gwyneth spent most of her time above deck, training her martial skills and climbing the mast, Diya held onto their spare cards. The stash included everything they had found, traded, and stolen with Spell Thief so far. He turned to the latter for ideas.

The fourth floor specifically had given him a card he couldn’t yet use but featured two interesting keywords: Merge With The Shadows and Dark Passage. It took a few moments to figure it out, but after a week of making cards non-stop, he successfully identified the string of runes representing each power. Diya tried adding the first keyword to the coat, but for the first time in his Cardsmithing career, the card lost its number, and the artwork blurred.

Does it need something shadow-related first?

Merge With The Shadows appeared to require an obnoxiously long string of runes. Meanwhile, Shadow Touched was significantly shorter. So, he added it to the card, and the artwork solidified straight away. Instead of a big two, the number three materialised in the top left corner. Diya couldn’t test it as a result, but he felt confident in the product. It was tempting to give Jagdish the card straight away, but Diya resisted. Instead, he refilled the pen and set about making more copies.

Gwyneth didn’t check on him as common as the Garuda restarted his journey. She stayed above deck with the crew, and he heard passing sailors talk about her improving martial skills. Diya used the opportunity to restart his sword drills again. When his fingers hurt from perfecting card art or copying precise rune formations, he punctuated with sabre forms. The simpler beginner forms didn’t strain his side too much, and they refreshed his tired mind. Baba often talked about going into a meditative state while practising the blade. Diya never quite understood what the man meant. However, as he focused on nothing else and blocked out everything else, a trance took over. The axe sang as he moved between forms, slicing through the air. Beads of sweat collected on Diya’s skin much sooner than usual, but he played it no mind.

After the first couple of days, when Gwyneth didn’t catch on to Diya’s return to training, he cleared a small area for himself and delved into spear training, too. When fighting hostile climbers or enemies like the hyenas, the axe served better as a backup weapon. It had its place in environments like the second floor, but in all other environments, Diya expected the spear to come out on top.

“I should’ve guessed there’s no stopping you.” Gwyneth’s voice made Diya jump. Focused on skewering an imaginary enemy, he had lost track of time.

“I’ve been taking it slow,” Diya told her. “I can’t afford to lose my touch and let my instincts dull.”

“At least you’ve been taking it slow.” She sighed. Gwyneth moved closer to Diya, running her fingers over his hardened abdominal muscles and the bandages running across his midriff. “You’ve not bled through them,” Gwyneth mumbled, her touch lingering just above his pelvis. “That’s good. I know you’ve not been sitting still, as I requested. We can hear your footwork and breathing exercises up on the deck. The crew get a real laugh out of when you hurt yourself and swear under your breath.” Her delicate fingers untied the knots in the damp bandage and removed them slowly to reveal the wound. The stitching had already started breaking down around the scab. “This is going to leave an ugly scar, you know.”

“Another trophy for the case.” Diya joked, but Gwyneth didn’t laugh. He inhaled deeply when she traced the wound. Pain didn’t pulse from the line as he expected. Now, only an uncomfortable tightness remained. “I know I’ve thanked you a dozen times now, Gwyneth, but I need to again. Thank you. Lady Luck has never been on my side, and I’ve never been one to believe in her. I can’t think of a better explanation for the coincidence that brought us together.”

Gwyneth smiled, looking up into Diya’s eyes. It wasn’t too obvious in the dimly lit cargo hold, but a light red hue coloured her cheeks and ears.

“You’re an excellent friend and climbing partner,” Diya continued. “Thank you for watching my back and standing by me through the drama with Victoria and my recovery. There aren’t many people out there that would do something of the sort for someone they’ve just met.”

“You’re welcome,” Gwyneth said, going stiff. She stepped back from him before turning away. Diya felt a shift in the air, but he couldn’t tell whether it was something he had said or done. “The wound has healed much faster than I expected. You’re not ready for combat yet, but I think we’re okay to leave the boat.”

“We’re another couple of days from Crescent Isle, aren’t we?”

“No. We get there tonight.” Gwyneth exhaled and relaxed her shoulders before facing Diya again. “Thanks to my lightning, they didn’t have to slow down for repairs or to wait for crew members to recover. As a result, we made the journey much quicker than usual. The question is, Diya, are you ready? Things could go south—”

“They won’t,” Diya said, interrupting her. “We can’t afford to think negatively and get in our own heads. The Montagus have no issues with us and aren’t on the hunt.” He fished two tier-two cards out of his pocket. “We’re not  going to sneak through, Gwyn. Let’s find a weak link among their guards and bribe them for passage.”

“You cheeky devil.” Gwyneth grinned, lowering her volume. She inspected the two Exploding Inkfire Ball cards. “Why don’t we just sell these and or trade them for passage?”

“Even though Montagus and De Lawneys don’t have trade relationships and are based in separate intervals, they’re neighbours. They might not work together or share information, but I’ll bet both houses have spies placed in each other’s ranks. If we make a commotion or make ourselves known, the De Lawneys will be able to track us. So, it’s for the best if we keep things quiet.”

“Good thinking,” Gwyneth said. “If we keep quiet, the De Lawneys won’t know where we are. It’s been a bloody week, and they know I’m not one to wait around. If we’re lucky, they might assume we’re higher up in the tower.”

“Or dead,” Diya said. “Either way, we’re going to invest in fresh disguises.”

Gwyneth held the two cards up to the light. “This is amazing. Man-made telltale signs. The cardsmiths can’t resist leaving a signature. Their artwork and runes often have imperfections, too. Your script is so perfect it's near impossible to tell. If someday you decide to stop climbing, you could make a decent living for yourself with just these.”

“Well, that’s too far in the future to think about now,” Diya replied. “We need to fix Alexander first and then figure out what happened to Neer. I reckon finding Explorer will give me answers—or some, at least.”

“Are you sure it’s going to work?” Gwyneth’s face softened as she looked up into Diya’s eyes. “The brain is a complicated thing, Diya. This Omrito of yours might not do the job. Are you prepared for the eventuality?”

“To be honest? No. I’m not.” Diya struggled to maintain eye contact as the thought of losing Alexander weighed on his chest. The young nobleman had filled the hole left by Neer in his life. “For now, I’m holding on to hope and keeping such thoughts out of my mind.”