It wasn’t hard to keep up with her, but I was very cognizant of where I stepped. I was bigger and heavier, and that counted for a lot when sneaking, though if you knew how to control your body, it wasn’t as big a hindrance as some might expect. The bigger issue for myself and Nell as well was our weapons. Her scythe was large, but she moved with a grace that could have only come from a card. Every inch of her aside from her face was covered, so I couldn’t see if she had any cards, but she obviously did. If she was a hunter, then there was no way she wasn’t inked.
All I had was my long stick, but my fresh card skills already compensated. I held it tight against me, but I moved amongst the trees and underbrush without it hitting against anything. Pre-card me might have knocked it against any number of branches, but not anymore. Gods, the number of times these new reflexes and skills would have come in handy . . .
A new round of raucous laughter erupted just ahead. So close. Too close. I could make out the different voices and pitches within that cacophony of hyenic mirth.
Nell stopped in front of me, though not abruptly enough to cause me to trip over her. Good thing too, because as I came to her side and peered over her shoulder, I saw what awaited us.
The forest sloped to the banks of the river where it wasn’t too wide, but it was deep enough and fast enough for a boat or raft to comfortably sail along with the current. And there was a raft there. More of a merchant’s barge, really. Flat and wide, and only slightly inset into the hull to secure the goods while the oarsman stood at the back to guide the raft down river. It was a bit primitive, but also simple and easy to acquire or make, perfect for a bandit or smuggling operation.
Which was what this clearly was. The pack bison was near the center of the encampment, its saddle and pack loaded down with boxes and gear. A small fire blazed nearby, and a few men sat around laughing and drinking.
There were seven men. All wore filthy leathers and dusters and chaps. They had messy hair and torn wide-brimmed hats and dark bandanas around their necks. All of them were armed. I could see a revolver, a rifle, a sword, two clubs, and . . . my bludgel!
The man with my bludgel sat on a wooden box next to a pile of clothes. So many clothes, dozens and dozens of pants, jackets, dusters, vests, shirts, trousers, skirts, and more. And dozens of boots and shoes. He sat next to the pile of obviously stolen clothes, and he stroked my weapon tenderly. Atop his head was my straw hat, and it obscured his face aside from his thick gray beard and the fat black cigar sticking out of his lips.
My hands clenched so tightly on my stick, I thought it might break. The wood groaned, and Nell had to put a hand on my shoulder to reassure me. I calmed. She was right. I couldn’t lose my head.
My vision flashed with info about the card tattoos I could see. Since these men were amongst friends, they were less shy about hiding their advantages.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Card Detected: Blunted Proficiency, Uncommon, Tier 1
Card Detected: Swordsmanship Proficiency, Common, Tier 1
Card Detected: Dead Eye Accuracy, Rare, Tier 1
Card Detected: Quick Fingers, Common, Tier 2
Card Detected: Blunted Proficiency, Common, Tier 2
Card Detected: Axe Proficiency, Common, Tier 1
Card Detected: Monster Taming Proficiency, Uncommon, Tier 1
There were also more domestic cards visible, like [Cooking] and [Sewing], plus some [Strength] cards. The weapon proficiencies were what we needed to worry about. The man with my bludgel had the [Monster Taming] card, which swam across his thick forearm, an inky pattern of chains and whips encircling and entwining around a stylized monster, though I couldn’t see the finer details. I hadn’t even known monster taming was a skill that cards could provide. It must have been rare, even if the card level was [Uncommon]. The ratings denoted the general power of the card more than the abundance. A [Rare] card would obviously be hard to get, but it was also much more powerful than similar cards at the [Common] or [Uncommon] level. On top of that, not all cards of the same level were the same power. The only thing that was set in stone was that higher levels of the same or similar cards were both more powerful and more rare.
[Legendary] cards, on the other hand, were so rare that they had their own individual names and were often unique.
As my eyes scanned the weapons, cards, and their owners, I stiffened. My gaze landed on a large cage to the left of the bandit camp. Inside was a green-furred ape, fat and round, its huge forearms covered in needle-like spines. Those same spines ran down its back, and its wide mouth oozed a sickly pale slime between large, yellowed fangs.
Monster Detected: Green Needleback
Needlebacks are solitary creatures, the bane of the forests they inhabit. You’re lucky if you only find one, as they can multiply quickly. The deadly spines on their arms and backs also allow them to stick to trees. Green Needlebacks in particular produce a pain-inducing toxin that can last for several minutes, during which the Needleback will relish tearing you apart with its immense strength.
“Okay, this isn’t good,” Nell said. “I didn’t know that they had a tamer.”
“What should we do?”
If it was just the seven men, I would have said we ought to take our chances. I had a feeling Nell would be more than a match for these men, and I was sure I could hold my own before getting a proper weapon. But with the Needleback in play and someone to tame it, I didn’t like the odds quite as much. At the very least, the cage had a large lock, so if we kept anyone from opening it, we’d be fine.
“First, I’m going to take out the marksmen,” said Nell. “I don’t like dealing with guns to begin with, but you pair that with a [Rare] level [Dead Eye Accuracy] card? If we don’t get him, we’ll both be dead before this ever starts.”
Her plan sounded good. The sharpshooter was one of the men at the fire. A large skull was tattooed over his right eye and brow, with a bullseye and an X overlaid with the skull. I’d never seen a [Rare] card before, and I didn’t want to be on the receiving end.
“Okay, yeah, him first,” I agreed. “And me?”
Her brow furrowed. A small lock of pink hair fell over her forehead and stuck there with her sweat. “Once the marksman is down, I will draw their attention. The tamer will likely make a run for the cage. I need you to stay low and hidden while I keep them busy, and then make sure he doesn’t open that cage. He also has your weapon, but I don’t think he has a relevant proficiency card, so you should be able to match him.”
I nodded. My heart was hammering in my chest, and my nerves were frayed. We were really doing this. This wasn’t going to be a good ole Badlands bar brawl or street scrap. This was a good ole shootout, and with a monster to boot. I could die here.
But we had to do this. Not just for me, but to keep them from attacking and stealing from other people.
“Understood,” I said. “You can count on me.”
She smiled. “Alright then. Watch and learn.”
And Nell pounced into action.