A Summoner Awakens [A Card-Based GameLit Progression Fantasy]

Chapter 3 [I'll Show You Mine...]

The small door carved beside the heavy wooden gates creaked open slowly. I scanned the top of the wall, where a few guards with bows or crossbows stood staring out into the woodline. One glanced in our direction but returned to his post after a brief inspection.

"Let's see those registrations then, eh?" a grey-haired man poked his head through the small opening and glared toward us. "I don't recognize you lot, and strangers been causing us trouble as of late, they have."

We pulled our registrations from their respective holsters and passed them over. His eyes scanned the information briefly before nodding, "Gates is already closed, and I'm locking up. What purpose do ya have here in Foolshope."

"Rest and a warm meal," I responded. "We'll be hiring a carriage to take us through the forest once morning comes."

"In a hurry, eh?" the old man raised an eye. "You scamps ought to spend some time here gettin' used to things. Ya shouldn't go rushing up."

"We'll keep that in mind," I smiled as he opened the door wider for us to step in. "You mentioned some trouble earlier. Anything we should concern ourselves with?"

The man shut and latched the door behind us before answering, "You'll be finding out soon enough, I reckon. Talk of the town, it is. The inn is just ahead on the right, and I'll have my boy waiting for ya in the morning."

"Only coachman still dumb enough to go out till we know that brat's ascended. At least he'll be with Academy graduates," I could scarcely hear the man grumbling as he stalked away.

I looked around the town. Though it wasn't a great city, the walls wrapped far enough around that I couldn't see the other side. The sun's rays had passed behind the mountains, and only the dancing of torches could be seen in the distance.

Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the ringing of a hammer striking metal, the local blacksmith working late into the night to fill his orders. As I listened, I caught myself subconsciously tracing the patterns on my cane with my thumb. Before long, those sounds gave way to singing, and the savory smell of freshly smoked meat wafted by on the breeze.

"Mmm," Aurora breathed in and excitedly looked around for the source. "Please tell me that's where we're headed."

"Mhmm," I listened half-heartedly as the girl prattled on about her father's cooking. Not that I wasn't interested, but I was busy observing the few citizens who walked the streets. Some looked fearful and gave us a wide berth, while others stared greedily at our Deck Boxes.

This town was a home for the unsavory sort. Small groups similar to the Skull Mercenaries would hide amongst the residents here to prey on oblivious travelers that happened to pass by. No Guilds were based in this place, only delinquents and citizens who didn't wish to pay taxes on the Origin Floor. Many such towns were spread throughout the Tower, but in light of recent events, this one, in particular, captured my attention.

"What do you think of this place, Nathaniel?" I glanced at the young man. Like me, he was only half listening to Aurora's story as his eyes darted from window to window. I was somewhat surprised that Aurora's Precognition wasn't acting up. Recent events must have caused the criminals in this place to be wary.

"We're being watched," Nathaniel spoke softly, but his deep voice still reached my ears. Aurora stopped raving and looked around worriedly. Before she could talk, Nathaniel continued. "Likely something to do with what that doorkeeper mentioned."

Astute as expected, I was satisfied. However, more qualities were needed to ascend than just strength and a sense of battle. Aurora looked between us silently before she, too, became more observant. Very good.

"Presumably," I nodded and gestured toward the building on the corner. The sounds of singing and laughter were now accompanied by the clinking of glasses. "Let's get indoors before they decide we're a problem. We'll take some time in the morning to replenish our rations before departing. Now, how about we fill our bellies?"

"Mhmm," Nathaniel's lips twitched upward, the most emotion he'd shown since successfully slaying that group of Feral Blacks. During that battle, there had been hints of delight in his visage.

"Yes!" Aurora rubbed her stomach. "I'm still not used to not eating regularly. They should have put us through this in the Academy."

"Now, that wouldn't be good for development, would it?" I chuckled. My own growth had likely been stunted by a lack of extra nutrition. It was a shame I hadn't been sent back further in time when the world ended.

We opened the inn's door and ventured inside. The music stopped, and every eye turned toward us. A short, plump woman with orange hair came rushing toward us from behind a long counter.

"Welcome to Foolshope Inn. How can I help you this evening?" She sounded nervous, and I could tell she was more interested in whether or not we would cause her any trouble.

"Good evening, madame. We're just looking for a warm meal and a bed before we take a carriage out in the morning," I answered politely.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief when she heard we planned to leave quickly. She gave us a genuine smile and gestured us in. Like the woman, those closest to the door seemed to calm.

"Come on and have a seat," she walked us toward a nearby table. "What'll you lot be having?"

"A warm cup of tea for me and plates of that fine-smelling meat for all of us," I placed a few Essence on the table we'd gathered that day. "We'll take two rooms as well. Adjacent, if you will."

"I'll take a tea as well... and a bowl of rice, bread, and a potato," Aurora announced. I coughed into my hand and added another few Essence to the small pile. Aurora blushed, "I've been doing most of the work today. I'm famished..."

"Whiskey. No ice," Nathaniel grunted.

The woman pocketed the Essence and rushed off to prepare our orders. I turned to the others, "Aurora, cast your Sphere of Silence around us if you would."

A translucent bubble materialized around our table almost immediately. It would be visible if others looked closely, but it wasn't so blatant that everyone stopped to stare. Finally, the room's noise vanished, leaving the three of them to speak.

"You've done well today, Aurora. I'm sorry for leaning so heavily on you, but I needed you to get accustomed to what we'll be doing as soon as possible," I held up a hand before she could speak. "Save your thoughts till I'm done."

"First, I'd like to discuss our splits," I pulled a small pad and a pen from my pack. "Yesterday was nothing special. We managed to farm a total of 158 Essence before setting camp. Today, we made out better. 762 Essence. It's nothing compared to what we'll achieve on higher Floors, but it's enough to help Level any new Cards we equip."

"If either of you need your cut to Level, ask when we're setting camp, not during the day. We can't afford to get distracted while crossing the Floor," I looked at them both. "Understand?"

"Yes," they both nodded.

"Now, Nathaniel. I have no issues with your weapon draining our Essence," Aurora scrunched her brows, and then they both rose in shock when she understood why I'd said that. I continued, "When we return to the Origin Floor, we'll see about finding you a secondary weapon. You can use it in normal situations and pull out your Living Weapon against major threats. At least until we reach the upper Floors. How about it?"

Nathaniel tapped the table and looked thoughtful. Then, after a few minutes, he nodded, "I'll agree to that. I need a share of Essence to Level my Cards, after all."

"That's settled then," I looked at Aurora. "You've done well today. Very well. I was worried that we'd have to slow our ascent to get you adjusted, but by late this afternoon, you were handling yourself like you'd been hunting for months."

"Now, you need to decide what type of backline fighter you'd like to be so that we can adjust your Deck," I pocketed my notepad. "Wielder's Wonders can front any cost needed to make changes, and you can return the funds in the future with no interest charged. The contents of your Deck are too varied, and even with that being the case, you have almost nothing to protect you at close range."

I gestured toward Nathaniel. "Even with Nathaniel as our defender, strong as he is, there will be Beasts that get by. So you need a method of handling yourself in case I can't get to you in time."

Aurora didn't respond at first. She seemed to choke back what she was going to say and leaned her chin on her fist thoughtfully. I waited patiently for her to mull over what I said before I continued. The next topic of conversation would be a little more personal.

"You're willing to front the cost of me replacing my Deck..." Aurora spoke slowly and hesitated before continuing. "Rowan... Are you... well, you?"

"Am I me?" I blinked a few times and chuckled. Nathaniel perked up and seemed interested in my response. "What an intriguing question. I'm not anyone else, that's for certain... but I'm also not the simple lad you thought was your classmate."

"Well, that's obvious," Aurora scoffed and grumbled something under her breath about my acting as a fool for so many years.

"And yes, I'm willing to do as I said, but you'll need to decide exactly what kind of Wielder you wish to be. You have until our first return to make up your mind," I grinned. "Now, let's get on to the fun bit, eh?"

I concentrated, and an image of my Origin Card appeared in front of me. Usually, only the Wielder who possessed the Card could see it, but with enough concentration, it could be made visible to individuals who shared a link to their soul. In this case, the Party Contract was enough, and there was no worry that anyone other than his two companions could see.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," I laughed again and placed the Card face down on the table. "We should know what each of us is capable of, and I can assist with your builds if you have questions. Of course, some decisions may be odd, and you'll have to trust that I have a plan."

Aurora and Nathaniel exchanged glances and summoned their own Origin Cards. They placed them face down on the table. Aurora looked around nervously while Nathaniel stayed calm.

"We'll flip them together. Make sure your examining skills are active," I grabbed the corner of my own and breathed deeply, looking both of my companions in the eyes. "If you decide to leave after seeing mine, I won't hold it against you. I can help you achieve your goals, but our Party will become a target if we aren't careful."

The others eyed me suspiciously. Then, on an unspoken queue, we all flipped our Cards. With my Appraising Eye, their descriptions immediately floated above them. I read over Nathaniel's first.

[Card Name: Enhancer's Dominance]

[Class: Origin]

[Rank: Origin]

[Level: 3]

[Essence: 21,420/100,000]

[Description: The Wielder gains an increased affinity for Enhancements.]

[Effect 1: Requirements to use Enhancements are reduced by 1 Level.]

[Effect 2: The Effects of all Enhancements are increased by 50%.]

Very interesting... This seems to be similar to mine, yet not quite as potent. Something else that we'll have to keep secret. I wonder if there are lower versions of my own. Aurora's, on the other hand, is much tamer.

[Card Name: Arcanist's Gift]

[Class: Origin]

[Rank: Origin]

[Level: 2]

[Essence: 0/10,000]

[Description: The Wielder gains an increased connection with the metaphysical.]

[Effect 1: Cooldowns for all metaphysical-derived Spells are reduced by 10%.]

[Effect 2: The Effects of all metaphysical style Spells are increased by 10%.]

Hmm... This is something we can work with if she's willing. There is a large selection of crowd-control Cards that are metaphysical in nature. I'm pretty sure there was a defensive Card back at the shop that this would have synergy with. Wait, why's it so quiet?

I looked up from the descriptions to see Aurora and Nathaniel staring at me. Aurora's eyes were wide, and even Nathaniel had his brows raised. Scratching the back of my head, I chuckled and waved my cane beneath their noses.

"Oi! Wake up," I tapped the cane on the table.

"How did you..." Aurora stared at the Card for a moment longer before shaking her head. Her expression became solemn, and she placed both palms on the table. "Our Contract states that we will evenly split the profits from Card drops. Does that mean..?"

She let the question hang in the air, "Yes. The profits of all sales of our sold loot will be evenly distributed. In the future, they may be split further, but never beyond the scope of the Party's size."

"You're right. It will be dangerous," Aurora nodded. "But with that... eventually, the wealth we amass will be... I'm not going anywhere. I need Essence to find my father."

"And you, Nathaniel?" I asked curiously.

"It seems I was right," he waved his hand, and his Card vanished. "I'll follow you. I have no doubt that you'll reach the upper Floors."

"I can't promise we'll manage in record time, but we'll get there," I sat back in my seat. "There are other matters to discuss, but we'll take it slow for now. It looks like our meals are ready."

Aurora's Sphere of Silence popped as the innkeeper walked straight through it. Apparently, her Perception wasn't very high. Two young women walked behind her and distributed the steaming piles of nourishment before us. The smell was delicious, and I caught my mouth watering before I knew it.

"-happened at the pub just down the street."

As the waitstaff walked away, I heard voices traveling over from one of the nearby tables. My interest was piqued. It seemed my timing was right.

"There was only one survivor, and he passed just yesterday," the man tried to whisper, but his drunken words slurred out loud enough for half the inn to hear. "Place was a mess. Blood everywhere."

"Keep your voice down, Charles," another man hissed. "Elizabeth is going to run us out if you keep on. Shouldn't talk about such things anyway. Bad vibes, that is. Not like I mind what the girl done. Those thugs always hassled my wife when she returned from the pickins."

That was the reason I'd come to this place. The Network had information about a slaughter here... information that had been plaguing me since I'd left the cave of darkness on the First Floor. Unfortunately, there wasn't much available, only the fact that it had happened.

"Nothin' but scum," the drunk man spat on the floor. "Shame there weren't more of 'em there. That white-haired bitch could've handled 'em all."

There was a quiet cheer from a nearby table, and nods of agreement followed. I chewed on a chunk of meat and pieced the information together. How did butchering a few deserving thugs lead to the massacre of an entire town?

I frowned as I pictured Zachary. I hadn't been able to help him, but...

Kasamira Vladimir... Just what was it that made you turn.