Chapter 1: Running.

CHAPTER 1: Running.

‘Pigeons are actually pretty cool, you know.

They’re one of the few species of creature that’s evolutionarily adapted to live in a city. 

It’s pure coincidence really.

Rock pigeons they’re called, they evolved to live on cliff-sides, nowadays that means windowsills and rooftops.

They mate for life, make a home, produce milk and they can even tell where home is from anywhere.’

“COO-ROO-OO!” 

“Yeah yeah, you have all that and you’re still begging for scraps, just like me.

The rats of the sky they call you.”

The bluish-grey beggar in question perched herself on my leg, pecking at some seeds I’d found today.

‘I’d eat them, but what would be the point.

I’ve seen some people eat pigeons, plenty around, they make eggs as well.

Y’know I could probably make a pigeon farm instead.

…

Honestly it would be a better idea than what I’m about to do.

…

Why didn’t I think of that earlier, pigeon farming sounds kinda cool.

Steal a few eggs, get ‘em to imprint on me…

Ah, there’s the catch.

I’d get too attached to eat ‘em.’

“Ah! You little shit!”

The pigeon batted my hand that I’d closed absentmindedly with its wing, forcing me to give it my last few seeds.

‘Still a better idea than this.’

From my bench-bed-temporary living quarters that I’d claimed for the last few days, I could see it.

A giant plaza with a very large round fountain.

Behind that was a curved building. 

It has multiple floors with lots of rooms, warm, with food, and people that won’t treat me like a walking corpse. 

‘Probably.

Hopefully.’

It has three towers, one at the center that acts as an entrance, and one on either end of the C-shaped building. 

‘No idea what they’re for, maybe that’s where it lives.

The ruby mage, our city’s mage.

Mages, damn them all to hell.

…

Who am I to judge, I’m the one taking the deal.’

I tried to shoo the bird away, tossing the rest of the seed on the ground at my feet.

It pecked my empty hand then eyed me expectantly.

“COO-OO!”

‘Just another person I’ve disappointed.

Well, bird, not person.’

It left, probably cursing my name if the people around here were anything to go by.

“Sunrise was hours ago.

Time for me to get going I suppose.”

I don’t know why I said it out loud.

What did I expect? 

As if the world was going to shout ‘no! Don’t do it!’

…

I heaved myself off the bench, my unsteady legs threatening to betray me again.

But I managed it. Barely.

Walking like a hungry drunkard, I made my way across the plaza, it was empty this time of the morning, but not for much longer.

“It’s kinda pretty for what it’s worth.

If you ignore the whole ‘we’re mages therefore we own humanity’ thing.”

A sudden shot of excitement put a spring in my step.

“The fountain has Mallards!”

Before I knew it, I’d crossed half the massive plaza and found myself leaning on the edge of the fountain, watching the ducks drinking and bathing in the shade of the massive central column that cascaded water into the pool below.

“Beautiful on the outside, ugly on the inside.”

I started having to squint, the light was bouncing off the water at the worst angle.

‘The sun is killing me.

Honestly, that’s probably more true than I’d like to think.’

Reluctantly tearing my eyes off the juicy water-chickens, I cupped my hands full of water and soaked myself head to toe.

‘Wet clothes don’t really matter at this point.

And I’m not walking in there smelling like a rotting corpse.’

Happy with smelling like pond scum instead, I made my way around the swimming pool sized fountain, watching the mallards as I hobbled my way around the edge.

‘You know, I prefer pigeons. They’re less… proud.

You could probably find a pigeon in a bar after a long day’s hard work, have a chat and share a drink.

A duck wouldn’t be caught dead in a bar.

They’d probably be busy kayaking or skydiving or something else pompously annoying.

Ducks are given everything.

You know what?

Ducks can go to hell too! The lot of ‘em!’

The sun let up on my pasty blistered forehead as I crossed the threshold of the central tower.

‘Well, the archway out front, the outcropping? The overhang? I don’t know.

How should I know the fancy terms for a rich palace.’

“Stop stalling, she’s not coming.”

…

Looking up, I saw a dome that probably cut into the floor above— ‘No, they probably just built down from the center of the underside of the ceiling.’ —Anyway, it’s pretty obvious what the painted pictures on the dome meant.

‘First was man, living peacefully in our endless wars and suffering. 

Everyone trying to desperately turn from pigeons into ducks.

I’m actually kinda proud of that analogy!

Second, the mages came and commanded peace, humanity bowing down to them.

In reality it was more like we lost the war and had to surrender, guns be damned, if we’re ducks and pigeons, then they’re like, wolves.

The analogy still holds, I think.

And third is what makes me laugh. They’re no better than us.

One city for each mage across the world.

The dome doesn’t go into it, but the mages fight just as hard for their territory as we did.

Now we’re like a wolf with a few hundred thousand pet birds, facing down another wolf with a similar amount of birds and whoever wins gets more pet birds to play with.

I think I’ve lost the analogy there.’

The first few carts and vans began to pull up to the palace. 

“7 AM. No more stalling it then, ‘ey.”

I faced the massive door, if you can call it that. It has no handle, no hinges it just looks sort of like a giant arched wooden door.

I knocked and waited.

…

…

The silence was killing me.

“Hah- ha ha…”

For some reason I felt the need to straighten my shirt, pat down my trousers and comb my filthy blackened hair.

“Stupid pride.”

‘I used to be dirty blonde, no pond water is fixing that gunked up mess of sewage juice and bird poop.

The shirt was probably a nice white before it got shredded and soaked in feces. Lucky find.

I wish I had shoes, I remember having shoes.

Good times-‘

I heard the sound of glass shattering, then it all went black.

— — —

‘Light.

Colors.’

My eyes finally managed to focus.

‘A window?’

I found myself standing in front of a stained glass window. 

The glass panes were shifting like they were living sheets of colors and shapes.

‘Hang on, I’m awake!

Where am I!?’

Panic began to trickle through my nerves.

From my peripherals I could tell the window seemed to be at the end of thin dark hallway, but as I twisted to glance behind me, my body snapped back into place, facing my body to face forward!

‘Ok, don’t stress, observe.’

The dancing light filtering through the glass wasn’t very bright.

‘Must be night, then have I been out of it that long?

About 14 hours!?

No, something…

Something feels off. I can’t pinpoint it, It feels wrong.’

…

I looked down at my hands-

‘These are my hands, but they aren’t. It’s my shirt, my trousers-‘

I felt my face and ruffled my hair.

‘I’m eerily similar to myself, but different.’

A pattern in the shifting sheets of the window caught my eye, it started to look human. 

It looked like-

‘No. God no!

It’s me, I-I can feel it.

That’s me trapped in there.

In the glass.’

I looked almost peaceful, I looked clean, serene and sober…

“What am I then?”

Silence.

‘I don’t know why I’m asking myself that like I can answer. I’m this now, whatever and wherever this is.’

I struggled to look around, but couldn’t, it felt wrong, not being in control of my own body.

“Screw you, mage!

Blackmailing me with myself!

Holding me hostage!

…

I came willingly!”

*Crack*

“NOO!!”

The glass shattered, something inside me snapped.

‘It’s gone!

I’m gone!

That-

That was me, not me but…

What?

Why is it gone!’

I slumped to my knees, almost stirred from my shock at the fact I could move my body.

My head whipped over my shoulder, but the muscle in my neck immediately tensed and forced me to stop.

Square in my eye line, amongst the shattered shards of glass, was a ruby colored glass shard.

I was compelled to look.

I gently picked up the rectangular shard.

‘It’s a card. A mages playing card.

The edges are rounded, I always thought it’d be sharp.’

It had a ruby red border, a picture in the top half and writing beneath it. And it felt just like the window.

‘The mages playing cards.

I never thought— I thought they were figurative! Representative!

I never would have come!’

The light reflecting off of the card was blinding me, there was a still glass moon where the window had shattered, shifting and sparkling.

I angled the card away from the light and focused on the details, searing them into my mind.

‘Vagrant of Unnecessary Sacrifice

That’s the name of the card, that’s what the mage thinks of me?!’

Below the name was me — filthy blond hair that looked dark brown, gaunt, pale skin covered in boils and blisters, sunken eyes, dirty clothes and all. I was sat on a bench under the sporadic shade of a tree.

I was letting that pigeon eat the last of my seeds, looking sorrowful, accepting my fate.

I kept reading.

‘Attack 100, Defense 100.

I’m a flat basic.

Thought so.

…

There was a short annotation about me below the picture and my stats.

‘A drunkard vagrant who readily sacrifices everything he has, but refuses to ask for assistance.’

I sat with the feeling.

…

…

‘It pisses me off so much, but it’s right.

There’s no way I could let Sophie-

I’d rather-

…

Well, I’m here.

Kinda stupid in hindsight.’

I moved on to the last part, the important one.

This card declares a Vagrant card. Sacrifice this cards defense to the declared card until it’s destroyed or removed from play.

…

“Haha!

Mwa-HAHA!!

AN ABILITY! AND IT ISN’T TERRIBLE!”

A ghostly female voice murmured from directly over my shoulder. “Read it again. It only works on Vagrant cards.”

“GAH!” I jumped out of my skin! The card flew from my hand and clattered to the ground between us.

A boney, pale woman stood there in white rags, her stringy raven black fringe covering bloodshot eyes.

The glint of metal in her hand shook me into action!

“Ahh!” I jumped back, smacking against the wall.

light from the window suddenly disappeared, darkening the hall.

She stood backlit by wall lamps, looming over me with a long and very sharp kitchen knife! Just the blade was probably longer than the length of my palm, and almost as wide!

“Look- *ahem* Hey!—ah— I-I-I don’t want any trouble! I’ve got no scraps, gave ‘em to a pigeon! I swear!”

Her eyes glanced down the my ruby card, then back at me, her stare was piercing.

“I can see that.” She said, her lips were thin and cracked, her cheeks sunken.

…

‘What does she mean!?

What does she-‘

I spoke my mind.

“Look, what do you want? I don’t have much, clothes? My shirt is decent.

It would be a bit big, but It’d be better than what you’ve got!”

She didn’t move a muscle, her knife limp at her side, flat expression.

‘Give her the damn shirt dumbass!’

I started unbuttoning the shirt, I couldn’t help but sour a little, I liked this shirt.

It reminded me of-

“What are you doing?” She asked, her voice sounded hollow, like she barely existed in her own body.

“Pick it up.

Don’t lose it, she’ll kill you if you lose it.” She didn’t even finish before she turned around and walked away, like she had no energy, nothing to give.

‘Direct, complete apathy, terrifying.

I can’t put a finger on it, but...’

…

I’ll admit, it disarmed me.

“Who will kill me? The mage?” I asked the obvious question.

‘Keep her talking, see what her deal is.

She doesn’t seem hostile yet.’

“Obviously.” She didn’t stop or turn.

‘The wallpaper looks expensive, ornate purple, deliberately cozy and overbearing.

We must really be inside the mages palace!’

I scrambled to my feet, grabbing the card and tucking it into my shirt pocket.

I followed after her, making sure not to run at her.

‘Hey, if the crazy knife lady wants to give me advice, I’m not looking the gift horse in the mouth.’

“Um, where are we? Are we in the palace?” I asked her more questions expecting obvious answers.

“No.

I don’t know.” She stated with even more exhaustion.

“We must be! It looks like a palace, and the window-“

I looked back over my shoulder expecting to see the stained glass window or the glass moon, but all I saw was the end of the hall and a flat wall.

“Where’s the window!?” I swung my head back to knife woman, but she hadn’t stopped to wait for me. She was almost at the end of the hall!

“WAIT! C’mon, I-”

I ran after her, but surprisingly she stopped.

When I caught up she was as staring at me, her expression as empty as ever. 

She nodded towards the door in front of us that sat at the other end of the hall from where the window was.

“How do you know it’s not the palace?”

She didn’t answer, leaving the question in the air, she continued forward.

She gently turned the golden knob, and it slipped open without a sound.

‘Creepy.’

She looked back at me.

‘Crap!’

“It doesn’t fit.” She said, with a slight frown.

‘What doesn’t fit?’

She pushed open the door, and in front of me was-

‘A CITY!?

No, I can see the roof, and a wall close by, this is a room!

One giant room!’

… 

I caught my breath and found the right words- “I can see that.”

— — —

‘Wind is important.

It’s something essential to the atmosphere of a place.

It gives the grand sense of being connected to nature, to the larger world.

It’s special, something that can’t rely be replicated.

Not even through magic, apparently.’

“Where are the birds? It isn’t really a city without nature poking up out of every forgotten corner, is it.”

Still tense and in shock, I reverted back to idle observation as usual.

Distracting myself.

I’d been scouring the roof tops and the alleys as we walked along a route she seemed familiar with.

“Haven’t really had time to notice.” She mumbled, her pace was faster than mine, out here she moved with more purpose than in that hallway.

“Keep up.” She demanded, she sounded more anxious the farther we went, we were basically jogging at this point.

‘Strange, I wouldn’t have been able to do this before, what else has she changed?’

“What’s the rush? Isn’t it safe in here?” From what I’d heard, taking the mages deal was a life sentence, but it wasn’t a bad deal.

‘It couldn’t be.

Could it?’

She stopped.

Whipping her head around, she glared at me with more emotion than I’d seen from her yet, her face twisting, threatening to explode.

Anger, loss, sadness, fear.

Something like that anyway.

“Got it. Not safe. Sorry.”

She spun back around and stormed off.

I only got a short view of the rest of the streets, but they weren’t immediately familiar.

The style of the buildings were salmon colored, two storied boxes with balconies and dark roof shingles for the main streets.

But for the back streets and alleys, the buildings were simple boxes coated in that white weather proofing and bars on the windows.

What stuck out was the lack of shops, restaurants, markets and most of all, people.

“Where is everyone?” I huffed out between breaths, her pace is much faster than I’m used to. 

“Shh. Enough talking.” Is all she managed to say. I could still hear the emotion in her voice.

I kept quiet.

— — —

For what felt like miles we had been dashing through mostly winding back streets and sprinting across the occasional Main Street.

Questions burned on the tip of my tongue, but I’d already made her angry enough, and by the looks of it, my being here was something of a burden to her.

She kept glancing back, chewing at the inside of her cheek, making sure I’d kept up with her pace, or peeking around corners waiting for me to catch up with her big bloodshot eyes.

“We’re here.” She said, relieved.

We turned a corner of a backstreet, no different from the others, and came straight into a large cobblestone plaza.

From the market stalls, to the surrounding shops, to the long rectangular fountain that extended through the plaza, this is where the life of this city styled room was.

‘People, so many in this one place, in this room, are they all cards? 

I don’t recognize them.’

“You’re lucky, she was being nice today.” My quiet guide said, grabbing by forearm and dragging me forward.

‘Human contact.’

It’s pathetic, but the warmth and softness of her skin startled me.

‘How long has it been since someone treated me like a human?

Like I wasn’t going to give them a disease.’

“Safezone. 

Don’t think that they’re this easy to reach.

They’re not… Usually.” She dragged me over to the closest stall that had a peculiarly average looking man smiling like he’d just got done having the time of his life.

“Two.” She demanded, staring him down.

“Certainly” his voice sounded hollow, in a different way than hers.

He brought two packages onto the counter and pushed them towards us. Still smiling absentmindedly.

“What’s up with him?” I leaned in, adjusting the packages under my arm.

“Not real. 

It’s just us I think.

In this room at least.”

She grunted, nodding towards the long water feature away from the crowds of apparently fake people.

“What do you mean fake? Who are they?”

“Simulations, memories, echoes of strangers. Just avoid them when we’re out of the safe zone.”

“Right.” I slumped slightly, disappointed.

We sat on the wall surrounding it, opening the bundle.

“You won’t survive as you are.

Vagrant type.

That’s her name for homeless people that throw themselves at her, I think.

It’s a hard card type to survive.

But you got here, you made it through the window like me, which is more than most can say.

I watched entire groups of people head into this place before I came.

That means she’s decided to keep you, and she was easy on the way here.

She has expectations of us.

And that’s a bad thing.

So for now, you owe me.” She spoke flatly, distant but the last part she said sternly, looking me dead in the eyes.

*sigh*

“Thank you, I know you don’t have to do all this-“

“You’re wrong. 

I do.

She brought you right to the house I was searching.

It’s a sign.

A very bad one.” She stared into the middle distance for a beat, before she quickly took one of the packages, tearing into it.

Red crystals sat clustered inside the cardboard box.

‘Let me guess, rubies?

I’ll just copy what she does.’

I found the same, but focused on the more important conversation at hand.

“Why is that a bad sign?”

“Because- 

… Don’t worry about it. 

Enough talking, there’s no time.” 

She took a hand full of the crystals and

*BANG! Puff!* A red light flashed, making me blink and turn away. 

The red light vanished and a cloud of ruby red dust filtered through her clenched fingers.

She got through her batch as I bewilderingly looked at mine.

“Do yours. I’ll explain another time. 

We have to hurry.” 

She clutched her knife in one hand, adjusting the grip nervously, wiping the dust on the edge of the wall. Her leg began bouncing.

I nodded. ‘That seems to be her preferred method of communication, nods, grunts and short sentences.

Very bird like.

She reminds me of a small corvid, maybe a magpie or a-‘

“Hurry.” She insisted.

“R-Right.” I shook away my wandering train of thought, crushing a few crystals, and like hers, a red light flashed, blinding me for an instant.

I heard her tut.

“The red light is essence. You need it.

You get it from fights, or winning, or trial rewards.

The important thing is that it’s not money, it’s not real power.

It’s her way of judging your worth.

She can take it all away.

Remember that.”

“What does it do then?” I asked, blinking away the wiggly spots on my vision, palming a few more rubies.

*BANG! Puff!* I shielded my eyes this time.

“You need copies to play.” She pointed to my shirt pocket.

“I have two. 

That’s the minimum to survive a real match.

Good cards have at least three, that’s the maximum of you she can summon per match.

You have one.

And it’s almost time for a trial.”

That made me stop and stare, ‘Did I hear her right?’

“Trial!?”

She nodded.

“The palace isn’t all like this.” She gestured to the room.

“This is all for vagrant type cards, this is our room.

There’s one for each type she has.

It’s like one big dorm.” She paused, as if I would understand the rest by my own assumptions.

I pinched my furrowed brow, “ok, wait!

So the palace is a disguised prison, and I need essence.

The more I have the better chances I have?

And I — we actively have something to do with the card process!?

I thought it was all the mage? Doesn’t she make cards based on what you lot— sorry what we say and do?” 

I could think of a specific pair of cards that had an entire set of support cards based around them.

The apprentices.

They were the ruby mages current favorites.

Her knee was bouncing harder now and she bit her lip, her eyes darting to the alleyways.

I followed her gaze, but all I see are people, some actually oddly dressed now I think about it, some guys in suits, some in old fancy clothes, some in various uniforms.

Right, they’re not real, just simulations.

She began to nod, but then shook her head.

“Yes and no.

She pushes us in directions, into specific scenarios.

Like this one.” She gestured between us.

I frowned, sort of catching on to what she was saying, forgetting what I’d asked her for a moment.

“So she wants us to work together.

Why?”

She gave me an incredulous face, seemingly exhausted with my questions.

“Vagrant type.” She said, the acid in her tone made it sound like an insult.

I thought for a second, then pulled my card out of my pocket, reading the ability again.

This card declares a Vagrant card. Sacrifice this cards defense to the declared card until it’s destroyed or removed from play.

“We synergise.” She said before immediately scrunching up her face, looking away.

“How? What does yours say?” 

…

Her knee stopped bouncing.

Her anxious face fell into a death stare.

She leant away from me slightly, closing off her shoulders, gripping the knife tighter.

“I- I sort of have to know, if we’re going to work together.”

“NO!

No, you don’t.” This time it sounded like a threat.

“But-

…

Ok, can’t you tell me something? No specifics, just broadly what it does?

Your stats at least?”

At this point I studied her face deeper, thinking over the ruby mages deck that I know of.

‘I don’t recognize her either.

Even after watching most the mages matches over the last few years, I don’t remember seeing her card turn up.

Is it like mine then? Only useful if another vagrant type is in play?

I wonder how many cards like that she has? Useless one offs that aren’t, well, useful.

If that’s the case, I sort of get why she’s being so curt and demanding with me.

I’m just as important to her survival as she is to mine.

Whether we like it or not, I need to get up to speed.’

She stood up and headed back into the crowd, tossing the empty box into the fountain.

“Just listen to me.

You’ll see.

Or not.”

“HEY! Agh! Do I at least have time for a bath?” 

‘The big long fountain thing seemed perfect for bathing in. And with no authorities in here to kick me out…

I hate that I stink.’

“Don’t bother.” She didn’t stop while responding, resorting to shouting over her shoulder instead of waiting any longer.

‘God, does she really have to be so… ugh!’

“What does that mean!? Wait up!”

I caught up to her, only because she’d stopped at a stall, speaking with a red haired woman dressed like a doctor, or a scientist or something.

I caught the conversation as I got closer.

“—that are on the far side of West Main Street, they’ve barricaded themselves in, If you went now, I’m sure you’d get there just in-“

“Nope.” She left and approached the next stall over.

This time it was a large 6 foot, 300 pound bald man with thin framed glasses wearing a band t-shirt that I didn’t recognize.

“Welcome customers, what can I-“

“Any problems that need killing?” She again said in a monotone, flat way, this was just her going through the motions of it all I guess.

“Well, actually, my dear mother has found herself in a spot of bother as of late.  A peculiar kitty cat seems to have taken up residence in her-“

“RUBY-BOTS… fine, where?”

At the east of central plaza, there’s a quaint little street, a neighborhood, you’ll see the street lights decorated with ribbons-“

She took off running.

I looked at the lab coat woman, and at the odd speaking band t-shirt guy.

“Um, I’m sorry, she does that!” I took off after her.

— — —

Sweat was stinging my eyes, I was still trying to catch my breath from the run, so with a huff and a grunt she slowed down the pace to a walk.

“That cat will be long gone by now.

We’re never getting any essence in before the trials at this speed.

You need to be fitter, faster.

You need copies more than anyone here.

And even worse, your slowing me down too.”

I had a retort to that, but trying to speak was burning my throat.

I managed a grunt and a thumbs up, staggering after her.

We quickly turned into a wider alley, the weaving maze of backstreets were confusing me to no end.

Just then, a flash of red shon from my pocket.

“My cards glowing!?” I slumped to the floor against a wall, pulling it out.

*tsk* “Told you. Trial time.”

On my card, the familiar image and text was gone, instead a grey cobble road with salmon pink and white buildings was showing.

I had to turn the card longways.

‘It’s a picture of the room.’

Red text began to appear.

‘THE TRIAL HAS BEGUN!

Trial match: 2 v 1.

Location: Modern city center.’

The text disappeared and in its stead was the city as before, but the match grid had appeared over it.

“Ok, god. This is… this is real.”

‘You know this layout, don’t panic.

There’s two sides of the field, ours and theirs.

Each has a top and bottom row for cards.

The top row has five spaces for Hero cards, for us.’

The sinking feeling in my stomach was making me dizzy, I’d have fallen if I wasn’t already sat down.

‘Ok, focus.

The bottom row is for support cards, only three. I hope we get some for whatever this is, maybe I can pump my defense for whatever happens.

To the very left is the Field Support card zone. 

It has a card that’s just a full art picture of a city street on it. No text.

And to the very right is the deck.

Great. Just three cards.

She said she has two copies, and I have one…

Shit.’

Suddenly the three cards flew to the bottom half of the image.

‘Our hand.’

I saw mine, the picture was the same as before, but just smaller.

Hers on then other hand where translucent.

On the opposing field, their deck had one card, another five translucent cards flying to their hand.

“Is this the playfield?

How!? 

I didn’t know we got to see this!

I thought it was just the mages and the spectators.”

 I tore my eyes away from the playfield, looking up at the woman in rags standing tall, calm and confident. She was leaning casually against the wall beside me.

“How do you think we know what’s going on!” She muttered, her index finger swiped on the hovering card, moving something.

‘Wait! Her card is floating there by itself!’

“How did you do that!?”

She glanced at me, then at my hands.

“Let go.”

I let go of mine with one hand, and the weight didn’t shift my other hand!

I let go, and it hovered there beside me.

On the field on our side, one of her cards was now in the left most slot of the five upper slots.

‘This is it.

It starts here.

This is where I belong now.’

A faint sense of calm and resignation settled on my chest.

I followed suit, and dragged my card from the deck to the hero slot beside her.

*BZZ!*

My floating card vibrated, and the small card on the playfield flew back to our hand.

I looked up to her, she spoke before I could even ask.

“Typical Hero Match rules. 

Not as many cards as a standard match, 10 rounds, the rest is the same.

One hero per turn.

It’s our turn, We’ll be fine here for few minutes. Get ready..”

She looked away from her glass card, and down to me, examining me.

Her harsh face softened.

She reached out, extending her hand.

“Come on, we need to find him before he finds us.

Or it’s game over.”

I couldn’t help it. A lump formed in my throat. She’s actually here, willing to help.

With a stifled smile I took her hand, she lent back pulling me up.

I shook off the nerves. “Right, god, is this really happening?” 

She grunted. “Keep calm, keep an eye out, he could be anywhere.

No more questions, I need to concentrate.”

And off we went.

All be it at a much slower pace, she took slow purposeful movements, checking each direction before committing to leaving alleys or changing course.

‘Him?

There’s only one card I’ve seen in the mages deck that’s a guy…

No.

No, it couldn’t be…

There’s tonnes of cards here, right?

I’m being stupid, why would the mage pit a Mid card against two basics?

I really should be paying attention to what she’s doing, I’ll need to know this city as well as she does if I’m going to accomplish anything.

It’s odd though.

It’s not based off of the city outside, it’s like an approximation, or a mix of different European cities maybe.

The architecture is all sorts off mixed up depending on what street you go down.

And that’s not even talking about the wildlife.’

My mind began to wander, as it usually does under stress, and I let it.

I didn’t know where we’re going, or what we we’re facing and I wasn’t allowed to ask!

‘Hell, I don’t even know if I can fully trust her yet.

She’s really like a magpie. 

Sneaky, cunning, dark hair, has a knife.

If they could, all magpies would have knives I bet.’

“His turn is over, put yourself in play.” She whispered, crouching by the corner of an alley, staring out into a Main Street.

I looked back over my shoulder, my card was still hovering there beside me, moving as I moved.

I looked to her, and hers was- no… she had a map!

‘That’s how she’s navigating!? She has a map!?

How didn’t I notice that!?

Right, idiot, focus.’

I looked at the playfield, I saw that opposite her card was another translucent card. 

Their hand has one card less now.

‘The enemy, or our opponent at least.

Damn, I wish she’d explain what the hell is going on! My heart is beating out of my damn chest.

Why are their cards blurry?

Is mine blurry for her?’

My finger shaking, I swiped my card in the hand and dragged it to the empty box next to hers.

It shone with a white light, and a ripple warped the city in the background of the grid.

Then I felt it.

A tightness gripping my chest, the same as when I couldn’t look away from the window!

Heavy breaths, my jaw shuddering, I looked to my only source of information desperately.

“Ok.” She sighed. “This is a trial, so we get to act as we like, play the cards however we think.

She’s judging us, seeing what we’re capable of.

So-“ She tore her eyes away from the rooftops and gave me that big eyed, bloodshot death stare again.

“Don’t mess this up for us.

Read your cards ability again.” 

She was back scouring the rooftops as we sat there crouched by the Main Street, I think somewhere near the center of the city, judging by her map.

I looked at my floating card, then back to her.

“Um, how do I-“

“Tap your card in the playfield.

Don’t bother tapping the foggy ones, you won’t see anything unless you defeat them, or until I let you see mine.

In a match, the mages have rules deciding on what we see and how far out.

It depends on the match type.

Focus up. The fight starts now.

Be careful of the rooftops.”

“Ok.” Is all I managed to say.

I didn’t tap the card though, I just stood there. 

‘Rooftops…

Oh god, it could be him!’

It was beginning to feel real now, all that resignation gone.

I grit my teeth. “You stupid god damn idiot!’”

“Hey!” She barked, I snapped to attention.

God knows what I look like right now. Crouched here shaking like a leaf.

“Shut up. 

Tap the card. 

Read what your ability says. 

Listen to what I tell you.”

I did as I was told for once.

‘Maybe, just maybe listening to her will save my worthless life.

Seeing as I’m dumb enough to put myself into this situation, I don’t really trust my own judgment right now.’

Tapping the card on the playfield, my information appeared once again, the glass card turned vertically, and returned to how I’d found it.

I read the ability under my picture.

“Vagrant of Unnecessary Sacrifice”

Attack 100, Defense 100.

This card declares a Vagrant card. Sacrifice this cards defense to the declared card until it’s destroyed or removed from play.”

“Do you understand what that means?” She asked calmly.

“Umm, yes, I have to-“

‘Oh…

I need to die.

IDIOT!

She told you how important it was to get ahold of another copy of your card before the trial!’

My nails were digging into the palms of my hands, my jaw was clenched but still chattering, my eyes were probably red.

“Just defend me. If you see anything coming, tell me or body-block it.

I’ll do the rest.

Come on. Your turns done, it’s his turn now, and I’m sure he’s already here.”

I snapped to my glass card, and sure enough the grid showed the opposing card overlapping the two fields.

‘He’s readying an attack, but for who?’

I snapped back to the rooftops she’d been scouring before.

Nothing, she did the same.

It was nerve wracking.

“Should we move?” I hesitantly asked.

“No, this is as safe as any other alley, and we have a decent view of the entire street from here.” The glint of her knife spinning in her hand caught my eye finally.

‘Come on, get it together you coward!

Be useful!’

I took a deep breath and counted to ten.

‘Look properly, observe everything.

The ceiling is high, the simulated clouds are actually helping disguise it being flat.

The roof tops are all similar on this street, pointed with a chimney, shingles and guttering.’

‘W-what if it’s not him? Could the enemy fly maybe?’

I caught sight of wings! My heart beat skipped!

‘Calm down! It’s just a pigeon.’

It flew from one rooftop far down the street, gliding with one flap of its wings upwards and very clumsily drifting down to the opposite rooftop.

The stress had me thinking about birds again.

‘It’s really grating on me, this mage simulates an entire city just for two people, but she doesn’t even bother to focus on the details that matter.

Like look at that bird, what’s it doing!? It’s just stood there on some weird blob peering over the-‘

A glint of metal shone from the blob.

‘FUCK! It’s Soldier #251?!’

“RUN!” I screamed!

Buts it was too late, I saw it, the long barrel extending from the blob of metal and leaves facing us.

No, the barrel is facing her!

She was looking at me, eyes wide, not understanding.

‘No time!’

I did what she told me to, I did what my card said.

My feet were moving before my mind made sense of it and I jumped in front of her, diving towards her, grabbing her shoulders and facing my back towards the sniper on the roof.

*BANG!!

Thud*

The shot rang out, echoing throughout the street.

I lost my breath!

‘He shot me!

The maniac shot me!’

A scorching heat was instantly coursing through my shoulder as it tore and twisted out of place.

I tumbled mid dive on top of her with the force of the blow, we collided and collapsed in a heap.

My heart was pumping, in a daze I looked at my bloody hand, and felt my shoulder.

“I’m bleeding!”

“Nnghr! GET OFF!” Beneath me, she shoved my torso off of her, crawling down the alley and out of view of the rooftops.

Her face twisted, teeth gritted, she yelled, “GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE, NOW!”

A searing pain ripped through my arm, my back and chest!

I shook my head at her, lip quivering, mind spiraling down.

‘I’m, I’m going to die. 

He won’t let me live!

This is it, I’m really going to die here!’

“FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!” Hopping to her feet, she dashed towards me and pulled on my injured arm, dragging me down the alley, leaving a trail of blood behind me.

“AAAAGH~!”

“Shut up, asshole!

Look!”

She shoved her glass card in my face, on it was my card.

She swiped down and beneath my picture were my stats.

‘Attack 100 Defense 25!‘

“You’re lucky, again! 

That was a non lethal shot.

He has 350 attack.”

Manhandling me, she lifted me and shoved me against the wall, sitting me up right.

“A Mid card! Why a Mid card!?

How are we supposed to beat that maniac!?”

For the first time since I met her, she fully smiled.

Her teeth were deep yellow and slightly crooked, they reminded me of those addicts that stole my shoes.

But her expression wasn’t one of joy, happiness or anything like that.

No, it was resignation.

Self deprecation.

She held up her knife to me, my pale, terrified and blood splattered face reflecting in the long kitchen blade.

Her smile faded, she looked from one of my eyes to the other.

“I’m sorry.”  She said, It sounded remorseful. 

A faint red glow began to leak from around her.

She looked at her card, then back to me.

*tsk* she tutted. 

The words came out mechanical, over-vocalized, hollow. “I love you.”

Before the words registered in my mind, something else occupied it.

The knife, with a flick of her wrist, an instant later.

*CRACK! SQWELCH!* 

A long bloody kitchen knife was embedded in my forehead.

My eyes crossed to look up at it. The reflection of bloody face, my crying, terrified eyes on the weapon actively killing me was a haunting sight.

Even more so was the apathy with which this woman, that I’d just saved, had decided to turn on me — decided to butcher me herself!

I felt my brain and skull move as her grip shifted.

My vision blurred, and my heart beat slowed.

My entire vision was blacking out, and unable to focus on anything visually, I closed my eyes, searching inwards for anything, any distraction from reality.

‘There!’

I felt a connection to the glass card.

Just like the window, this is now my true glass body, connected to my soul.

But I felt the tether weakening, a crack threatening to form, then it stopped.

The crack.

The screams.

The blood.

The twitching.

The sound.

The tears.

The pain.

Everything stopped.

…

…

— — —

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