Source & Soul: A Deckbuilding LitRPG

I was halfway through my third bowl of stew in the Mess Hall when I looked up and saw Ticosi sitting directly across from me. His patchwork leather coat hung still behind the bench and he had a toothpick in his mouth; his shaven head gleamed in the elemental lamplight. The way he was lounging at his ease, he might as well have been there all day. I choked and coughed, spraying bits of meat and vegetable everywhere. I hadn’t seen or heard him approach; he was just there. We were alone in the Mess Hall; with so few competitors left – and most of those nobles who’d rather eat at fancy restaurants instead of rub shoulders with me at the long tables – I had the place pretty much to myself, and I liked that just fine. I should have heard him approach. This bastard is a sneaky one.

A quiet, wise, calculating part of me said, That’s how you want him, isn’t it? You’re going to ask him to kill your father, and that’s no walk in the park. It’s good that he’s a scary bit of work.

“Been looking for you,” I grunted, wiping my face with a clean napkin.

“That’s what my sweet Harker tells me,” he said, smiling. “She said you tracked her down near the entrance and strong-armed her into summoning me. Be careful with that one; she doesn’t like you.”

I felt my lip curl. “She can hate me all she wants.” Harker had gone back and forth between threatening me with a beating and complaining of being too busy when I’d asked her to track down the Big Man for me; only when I’d finally mentioned that he’d be displeased if I lost my next match because of her that she finally got off her ass and went after him.

He tutted at me. “You’re going to be working with her, young man. She’s been in my service a long time. Regardless, I’d have come to find you anyway; I’ve been busy as a bee since your last match, and I wanted a moment to confer with you before you step back into the ring.”

“That’s the whole point,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I don’t think I can win this next match with the cards I have right now.”

His eyes gleamed, and he cocked his head, considering me deeply. “Agreed. I’m glad you see it. The Hintal boy is a surprise. Despite his decent ranking coming in, I thought him a weakling that was sure to be weeded out early. Instead, he has adapted and flourished.”

I nodded, feeling a painful mix of guilt and pride when I thought of Basil. He was more than I’d thought him at first – his thoughtful kindness was a strength, not a drawback, and even though I’d only known him a few days, I had the feeling that he was starting to come into his own. What better marker could there be of understanding oneself than elevating their soul?

“But before we get into that,” Ticosi said, “let’s take a moment to celebrate your success.” He pulled a metal flask from his coat, snagged my pewter cup, and dashed the water in it to the floor. He poured a long splash of amber liquid in and handed it to me. “You’ve done everything I’ve asked and exceeded all my expectations.” He raised the flask in a toast to me. “Here’s to the beginning of a very fruitful enterprise.”

I sniffed the cup. It had a sharp smell, but I liked it, so I took a sip. It tasted sweet, spicy, and smoky all at once, and it burned all the way down, leaving my tongue and lips tingling. I gasped and coughed, then immediately had some more.

Ticosi laughed. “Charbond makes a good whiskey. Each sip tastes a little different, and there’s no better way to become aware of the moment you are in. I’m glad to see you appreciate it.”

I cleared my throat. “I have done everything you asked.”

He nodded. “I will live up to my promises. The Nether cards are yours. I need someone in the War Camp, and the closer to the King, the better.”

I felt a hysterical little laugh bubble up in my throat and suppressed it hard. He doesn’t know. You can’t get any closer to the King than I am. I wondered how and when exactly he’d known my mother. It made the most sense that it had been after she’d been thrown out of court, but either Ticosi hadn’t had the power and contacts back then to know the goings-on of the high and mighty or else I had my timeline wrong and she’d spent time in the slums before Hestorus knocked a baby into her. I wanted very much to ask, but I didn’t dare let myself forget that Ticosi was a snake. The less information he had about me the better, and even in asking questions I was likely to give something away. “You said I could ask a favor.”

He arched an eyebrow. “You should be very thoughtful about that. Favors from the powerful are better than gold. Better than cards. What’s more, an unspent favor can carry more weight than any item calling in the favor might net you.”

I looked around the room. It was empty. “I want you to kill the King.”

He went very still, and his hooded eyes bored into me, an amber so light they were almost yellow, the whites of his eyes unnervingly bloodshot as always. “And why might you want such a thing?”

“Because he’s a bad king,” I said, the words pouring out of me like the whiskey had poured in. I’d had a long, long time to consider this, and everything I’d learned since coming to the Rising Stars Tournament had only solidified it. “I think he might be mad. He hurts his people and doesn’t care, he treats the people closest to him like shit, and he thinks he’s a god.”

“He’s Legendary,” Ticosi said, spreading his hands. “It’s the next best thing.”

“He lets the Lows stay poor and dirty and violent,” I countered. “He wants it that way; he said as much at the dinner last night. He lets the rich folk snatch up all the cards and use them for their shops and businesses so that people without can’t even find work. Who’s going to hire an apprentice when you’ve got an expert you can summon at any time who you never have to pay, never have to feed, and can’t even complain about it unless you take them to Rare? It’s killing people, and it’s wrong.”

Ticosi stroked his chin and regarded me thoughtfully. “I take care of the Lows. You’re going to help me.”

“You keep the Lows in line,” I corrected him, feeling reckless. Whatever that whiskey was, it had loosened my tongue. “And you wanted to kill me until yesterday.”

He waved my argument away. “You don’t know what it takes to be in charge, not yet. A certain amount of brutality actually improves the overall conditions for everyone. Suffering is a given; we’ve just learned to put it to use. Whatever his other faults, the King understands this.”

My face stiffened and my hands clenched. “You won’t do it?” Did I chain myself to this beast for nothing?

Ticosi quirked a smile. “Oh, I assure you that the King will die. I find myself amazed that our goals are so aligned without any effort whatsoever. Plans are already in motion. Why do you think I want you to get close to him? It’s not so I can figure out what to buy him for his birthday.”

It was hard to breathe all of a sudden. “How are you going to do it? When?”

He held up a slender hand. “Patience. It’s best if you don’t know everything, especially if you’re going to spend time in his company. You see, Hull, I want you to win this tournament if you can. I want you to be the darling of the court. If I knew how to make you Hestorus’s cupbearer, I’d do it. I want you to be as close to him as his own son.”

I tried to make my face a mask. “Why?”

“Information,” Ticosi said. “The more, the better. Turbulent times are coming, and I have friends who are poised to change things drastically. They would benefit from as much knowledge of the King’s plans as possible, especially as they relate to the War Camp. You don’t like life under Hestorus? Life in the Lows? Just wait. Better times are coming – more equal times.”

It sounded better than I could have hoped for. “How long?”

“A year,” he said. “Possibly even less.”

I’d have liked it better if he’d said a week, but even in my impatience I realized that on the grand scale Ticosi was talking about, a year was soon. “I’ve wasted my favor. You were already going to do it.”

“Oh, no,” he said. “If anything, this request of yours endears me to you even more. I’d been worrying about how to keep some of this from you, not knowing how you’d take it. Now I can bring you in fully, and that’s nothing but good for you.”

I nodded, feeling a deep hollow inside of me. If Basil and Esmi could see me right now, they’d be ashamed. It wasn’t enough to shake my conviction, but it made me a little sad. “I need to keep winning, then.”

“Indeed,” Ticsosi said briskly. “I’ve been scrambling around the city all morning calling in favors and twisting thumbs on your behalf, and I’m glad to say it’s been time well-spent.” He gave me one of his lopsided, humorless smiles. “I have rather more resources than the average citizen when it comes to getting my hands on hard-to-find cards.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small stack of cards. “The first of many gifts to cement our partnership. May they bring you victory.” He set the cards on the table, but when I reached for them, his hand stayed firmly in place on top of them. He eyed me carefully, weighing me. His gaze was cold as a winter gale. “I am willing to let you keep the Nether cards and the Relics, as I’ve said, but you do still work for me. You have two other Epics you have won that you cannot use. Surrender them.”

Sighing, I fished the Revenant Lord out of my pocket and laid it face up next to his stack of cards. I’d suspected as much when I’d asked to meet with him.

“Here,” I said. It felt like cutting off my own finger. “Take it.”

His hand stayed where it was. “And the Air Spell.”

I schooled my face again. “It’s hidden in my room. It doesn’t feel safe to carry everything with me – I’ve spent too long on the streets. I’ll fetch it for you later.”

He said nothing and merely examined me.

“I promise,” I told him, heart beating fast. I didn’t know what he’d do when he found out I’d given it away, but it wasn’t going to be pretty, and right now I needed those cards under his hand. “I swear it on my mother.”

One of his eyes twitched, and another faint smile ghosted across his face. He let go of the cards and let me pick them up. “You have a talent for saying just the right thing. I want that Microburst by the end of the day, you understand?”

I nodded, eyes drinking in the cards he’d handed me.

“There were a few other Nethers I could have acquired,” he said casually, “but after watching you play, these seemed best suited to plugging the most glaring holes in your deck.”

“Do you like them?” Ticosi asked.

I smoothed my hands over them one by one. I especially liked the Spell Drinker. He was right; they were exactly what I needed. Ticosi was obviously a good duelist himself to be able to see what I was lacking: removal. I imagined using Unstable Rift to take out an opposing Soul with both my Sucking Void and Talisman of Spite in play. It was a beautiful thought. “Perfect. Thank you.”

He beamed at me, perhaps the first genuine emotion I’d ever seen from him. “You do remind me of her sometimes.” He hesitated and then pulled a pouch from under his shirt. It was hanging on a cord around his neck. “I wasn’t sure if I should do this, but the moment speaks to me.”

He drew out another card and held it out. “Your mother left this with me many years ago. I don’t think she ever meant to give it to me; it felt more like insurance that she would return at some point. Nevertheless, it is dear to me. She valued strength and mastery more than anything, so I think she would approve of it passing to you now. Another heavy hitter never goes amiss.”

My hands trembled as I took it. This was hers. I imagined those soft hands I could only vaguely remember holding this card in a duel, and my heart twisted. I hated her. I missed her. I didn’t even know her. “What was she like?” I whispered.

“I was rather hoping you could tell me,” Ticosi said ruefully. “I imagine you had more time with her than I did.”

I shook my head, not daring to look at him. “I can’t remember anything before she left.”

He tsked. “A shame. She was an enigma. Beautiful, powerful, driven. She gave me the seeds of the plans we will bring to culmination now. It’s poetic, really.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. We sat in silence and I looked at her card. My card, now.

Ticosi stood abruptly. “I look forward to watching you duel again. I hear that the Hintal boy has taken a shine to you. Cultivate that if you can, but don’t forget that he’s part of the whole structure we’re going to destroy. Use him, but don’t be persuaded by his soft noble ways. His gentility is built on the backs of boys like you.”

He held out his hand to shake, and by reflex I took it. I was surprised when he gripped it hard and pulled me to my feet. He stared at me as if he wanted to look all the way down into my soul.

“We are bound together now, Hull. Bound by secrets, by intent, by memories, and by gifts. Do not forget it.”

It was similar enough to what Basil had said the night before that I couldn’t help but squirm. “I won’t.”

“Good.” He clapped me on the shoulder and strode away. “Because if you do, I’ll kill you.”