Memories (solo)

[Cards of Fate]

Drinking in the dark had long since become a pastime of Vincent Cain. The dreary darkness of his office had long stopped being an ominous presence, and had become more of a dear friend. Living in a complex underground structure had a habit of doing that to you. It also had a habit of making the days blend by. Without a sun or moon, time had no real meaning, an abstract concept that seemed so far removed from the House of Cards it was almost comical. Yet it was fitting for a group that seemed to just jump from era to era, taking long hibernations for centuries only to pop up when it was needed.

But we’re digressing from the point.

Alcohol had never been Vincent’s thing back on Earth. He was a sweet drink type of boy, drowning himself in sodas and energy drinks. Turning to the bottle had never been a conscious choice for him to make, but more of a necessity of his current reality. It seemed so long ago for only a matter of years, but it might as well had been a lifetime ago. Leona had found a much different young man back in Skara Brae, a green boy barely out of his teenage years who had barely seen the truth of his own much gentler world.

Althanas was a different beast.

Before he only had rent and his asshole stepfather to worry about. Sure he had never even so much of had been kissed before, nor did he have much of a social life, but those weren’t important in the grand scheme of things. In the larger picture he had it rather well, living a comfortable life with nary a car ein the world. Now things were different, he had purpose for once. He had traded that comfort to drive, something to do, but at great cost.

Once lost, innocence never returns.

As he took another sip of the ale before him, not really tasting the drink, he mused about his station. He’d found a family beneath the cursed Red Forest’s roots, purpose, and perhaps even happiness. He stopped for a moment and chewed over the thought. Not perhaps, he had found happiness down with the Tarot. He’d seen untold horrors, but had also viewed the beauty of the world. He’d felt soul crushing sadness, and uplifting joy.

He’d felt blood curdling fear, and heart pounding exhilaration. He chewed his lips and took another swig, draining his glass. Swirling the amber liquid before him, the Emperor decided that perhaps it was time to take a bit of a walk down memory lane…

[Cards of Fate]

“This is the House of Cards, Vincent.”

The young man stared in awe through messy blonde locks that obscured his face, not at the stairs before him, but the towering leaf golem that seemed to float feet before them.

“And that?” The youth asked pointing to the writhing mass of leaves.

“The guardian.” Leona Stevains quipped back looking over her shoulders, halfway down the marble steps descending from the verdant clearing deep into the ground below. The scholar seemed to be frozen in place, struck by the sheer awe of the creature before him.

“Does it have a name?” He asked, his voice cracking a little bit from fear.

“Why would it need a name Vincent?” Leona asked turning around. Both of her hands found her hips, and she ended up striking an impatient stance. They did not have time for this right now, the young man had a tour to take.

“If it’s protecting us like a guard dog it should have a name like any other good guard dog.” Vince quipped eyeing the mass of leaves once more, his sapphire eyes fixed tightly.

“Like Fido?” Leona asked cocking her head to the side. “Or Killer?”

“Nah,” Vince breathed, and then caught himself. “Ma’am.” He added, after all he was talking to his boss. “Something different, more effeminate maybe. She seems like a…”

“She?” Leona asked raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, she.” Vince added. “It’s kinda like all ships are women, all leaf golems from this point on are female.” The seer gave the young man an annoyed glance that snapped him out of his trance. “She needs a strong name thought…something like…”

“Hurry up Vince, I’m just going to wait at the bottom while you pick through baby names for your new pet.” Leona grunted as she turned back down the stairs. She already knew where this was going.

“Bertha!” The young man exclaimed excitedly. “Her name is Big Bertha!”

[Cards of Fate]

The inside of the House of Cards was nowhere near what Vincent was expecting. Perhaps videogames had ruined him for a realistic expectation of what a proper magical secret base was supposed to look like. He was expecting Hogwarts, not some random dusty hole in the ground that barely passed for a cellar. It was dark, and incredibly dusty. The floor seemed like it was made of wood paneling at one point, but the planks had long since faded to splinters. The acrid stench of dust made Vince feel like Indiana Jones in some lost tomb, so that was something at least.

Leona had strode ahead, her hair swishing side to side with each step. “Hurry up Vince.” She called out behind her. “I can show you your room in a minute, but you need to see your office first!” She exclaimed.

“My office?” The scholar asked looking up from the floor for a moment. A fatal mistake as he would come to find out. His foot caught a stay board and down he tumbled like a felled tree with half the grace. His arms flailed out in some attempt to fly away. The ground rushed up to meet him, and the scholar could only turn to one side just in time to slam his shoulder into the cold stone, narrowly avoiding a busted chin.

“Watch you step!” Leona called out. “There’s not union, you don’t get workers comp or insurance.”

Gritting his teeth, the scholar let out a few choice swears before raising to his feet. He looked up to find Leona standing at the end of the hall, in front of two massive oak doors that looked much too nice and majestic for this hole in the ground.

“Are you coming?” She called out annoyed.

“Sorry, I must have tripped over the corpse of the other employees you’ve lost in this hellhole.” Vince quipped annoyed. With that he was moving forward, kicking several shards of wood out of his way. “So what’s this about an office?” Without speaking the seer pushed the door open and the scholar let out a whistle.

Before them was a massive library, something that would make Hogwarts look like shit in comparison. There had to be at least ten thousand bookshelves, probably more. They rose from floor to ceiling, towering far overhead. The whole thing had to be impossible, there was no way there was that much room between them and the surface of the forest, and all the scholar could do was stand in awe.

“This,” Leona paused turning back to the scholar, “Is your duty. You need to learn everything there is to learn in this library.” The young man’s jaw dropped.

“There’s gotta be at least…” The scholar trailed off. “At least forty million books in here!” His hands flailed about for a moment.

“Probably closer to fifty million.” Leona quipped back. “You’ll make surprisingly quick work of it.”

“I doubt it…” Vince breathed, both hands on his head. “I barely passed history in Highschool…”

“This will peak your interest, I swear.”

[Cards of Fate]

The inside of the House of Cards was nowhere near what Vincent was expecting. Perhaps videogames had ruined him for a realistic expectation of what a proper magical secret base was supposed to look like. He was expecting Hogwarts, not some random dusty hole in the ground that barely passed for a cellar. It was dark, and incredibly dusty. The floor seemed like it was made of wood paneling at one point, but the planks had long since faded to splinters. The acrid stench of dust made Vince feel like Indiana Jones in some lost tomb, so that was something at least.

Leona had strode ahead, her hair swishing side to side with each step. “Hurry up Vince.” She called out behind her. “I can show you your room in a minute, but you need to see your office first!” She exclaimed.

“My office?” The scholar asked looking up from the floor for a moment. A fatal mistake as he would come to find out. His foot caught a stay board and down he tumbled like a felled tree with half the grace. His arms flailed out in some attempt to fly away. The ground rushed up to meet him, and the scholar could only turn to one side just in time to slam his shoulder into the cold stone, narrowly avoiding a busted chin.

“Watch you step!” Leona called out. “There’s not union, you don’t get workers comp or insurance.”

Gritting his teeth, the scholar let out a few choice swears before raising to his feet. He looked up to find Leona standing at the end of the hall, in front of two massive oak doors that looked much too nice and majestic for this hole in the ground.

“Are you coming?” She called out annoyed.

“Sorry, I must have tripped over the corpse of the other employees you’ve lost in this hellhole.” Vince quipped annoyed. With that he was moving forward, kicking several shards of wood out of his way. “So what’s this about an office?” Without speaking the seer pushed the door open and the scholar let out a whistle.

Before them was a massive library, something that would make Hogwarts look like shit in comparison. There had to be at least ten thousand bookshelves, probably more. They rose from floor to ceiling, towering far overhead. The whole thing had to be impossible, there was no way there was that much room between them and the surface of the forest, and all the scholar could do was stand in awe.

“This,” Leona paused turning back to the scholar, “Is your duty. You need to learn everything there is to learn in this library.” The young man’s jaw dropped.

“There’s gotta be at least…” The scholar trailed off. “At least forty million books in here!” His hands flailed about for a moment.

“Probably closer to fifty million.” Leona quipped back. “You’ll make surprisingly quick work of it.”

“I doubt it…” Vince breathed, both hands on his head. “I barely passed history in Highschool…”

“This will peak your interest, I swear.”

[Cards of Fate]

The memory of his first time in the House of Cards brought a smile to the scholars face. He couldn’t believe how stupid he had been. Perhaps it was the fact that he was sixty million books in. The number had astounded him. It had only taken him a year and a half, something about this world had accelerated his ability to learn. His mind was sharper than any blade he had ever wielded, and he could read at an otherworldly pace. He was the epitome of a Scholar, and for a year he had served as the Hierophant, the smartest member of this ancient order of Fate.

Yet somehow he couldn’t help but remember the bitter moments as well. He took another swig and closed his eyes, letting the horror wash over him.

[Cards of Fate]

He couldn’t breathe. Searing pain flared out from his throat as the man’s hands gripped his throat in a vice like grip. Panic filled the scholar’s mind, his very being as his own hands stuggled to free himself. One clawed desperately at his attackers face, his nails digging in and finding purchase in soft flesh and drawing blood. The man seemed to ignore this gnarly attack and kept his assault on.

I’m going to die…

The though filled the young man with dread as his free hand pounded desperately at the dirt to his right. Somewhere he had a knife, something to free himself from his pursuer. Each desperate slap at the dirt yielded nothing, each scratch seemed to accomplish nothing. Blood dripped down from the man’s face into the scholars eyes, stinging them. Squinting the scholar could barely make out anything. His lungs worked desperately to try and pull air through his closed windpipe, his mouth making airless gagging motions, like a fish out of water. He couldn’t breathe, he was going to die.

His hand slapped at the dirt desperately, with renewed fervor. I’m going to die. HE clawed at the mans face with increased ferocity. I’m going to die. The sentence became a mantra as the scholar struggled for dear life. Finally, he felt something at his fingertips.

The knife.

Without thinking the scholar rolled desperately, grabbing the knife and shaking his opponent off of him slightly. Just enough. His fingers wrapped around the knife and without thinking the scholar stabbed out blindly. He felt a jolt as the blade struck home, sliding jaggedly into the throat of his attacker, spraying the scholar with a shower of crimson. The death grip released on his throat, and the scholar could breathe once more. Air filled his lungs as he let out a deep gasp. He pushed his foe off and yanked his knife out from its flesh sheathe. Roaring, he plunged the blade forward again and again, stabbing wildly at the man on top of him, blood gushing wildly from each wound. He’d almost died. Every fiber of his body was filled with inhuman rage as he went on a fury. A hand reached out to stop him, and the scholar turned his head up to see the Seraphim Ioder standing over him.

“Vince!” The angel called out. “Enough, he’s dead!” The scholars eyes widened and he turned back to the man he was now on top of. His eyes were wide open and lifeless, blood was everywhere. The scholar trembled.

What had he done.

[Cards of Fate]

“Rayleigh!”

The elevator was beginning to stir as the scholar stared on in horror. The mechanic struggled with ancient controls for a moment, before passing out from smoke inhalation. All around ancient alarms blared loudly, and fires began to ignite and fill the room with smoke. Without thinking the scholar dashed from the platform and sprinted towards the mechanic with well-placed steps. Bits of debre began to fall from the ceiling, adding in more to the shit show that was this adventure. He slide by the mechanics side and hefted her onto his shoulder, wincing as pain trailed up his recovered leg. He dashed forward with speed that he didn’t know he was even capable of, leaping over bits of burning rubble whilst carrying his friend on his shoulders.

The platform was rising.

Without thinking the scholar threw the mechanic with all the force he could. He watched her sail through the air and land roughly on the rising platform. He sprinted with all his might and watched as it rose overhead, out of his reach.

At least she was safe. A rumble filled the room and a large chunk of the ceiling collapsed, leaving a mass of large stones mere feet from the scholar. Wincing, he looked up to watch the dust settle. Once again, without thinking, he dashed forward and scaled a smaller rock. Once on top he scanned about and found another, larger one and leapt to it. Using the rubble as a natural stair case the scholar leapt once more and found the platform within his reach. Grunting he hefted himself onto the elevator alongside the unconscious mechanic.

Panting he turned and tried to get back to his feet, but the force of the rising elevator made it hard to stand. He settled on crawling towards Ray instead, and quickly began to go about his work checking her vitals. To his dismay she wasn’t breathing, and he couldn’t find a pulse. He froze for a moment, lost in panic.

She’s dead.

“NO!” He grunted slapping his face. “She will be though it we don’t do something!” His hands went to work rolling her on her back. Once braced her head as the other lifter her chin opening her airway. He paused for a moment, hesistating. He needed to give her CPR, which involved mouth to mouth.

His first kiss, and she was dying.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, exhaling and watching her chest rise to make sure it was working. Sure enough it was. He pulled back, took another deep breath and slowly breathed life back into her.

Or so he hoped.

After two breaths he pulled back and stared at her chest, dreading the awkward moment where her didn’t want to seem like he was fondling her while she was in dire need. Then it struck him that she was dying, and he went about chest compressions. After thirty compressions he went back to her lips and went administered two more breaths once more. After a cycle of three the elevator had reached the surface, and the scholar found himself in open air. He paused, and stared blankly into thin air for a moment, as if he had been looking at something… and then he went back to CPR. Within minutes the mechanic was sputtering and coughing, hurt but back alive once more…

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent frowned at that last memory, something seemed to be missing. It was like he’d forgotten something, or his thoughts had been written over. He strained his mind for a moment, running the events over in his head. Something felt off, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. His eyes went to his desk and found several mission reports waiting to be reviewed. He debated setting his drink down and returning to work, but instead he found his mind wandering elsewhere.

[Cards of Fate]

“Hey Vince.” The scholar looked up from his desk to see Joseph standing there with a grin on his face and an envelope in hand. “Guess what I have?” he asked cocking his head to one side.

“Is that Envelope proof that Salvarian Cotton is in fact a real thing and that I should stop busting your balls over it?” The scholar shot the merchant a shit eating grin as he shuffled several papers about on his desk.

“Hah,” Joseph groaned slamming the envelope down. “Read it and weep man! This changes everything.” The scholar looked over the envelope for any traps before carefully breaking the seal and pulling out a white piece of paper. After scanning it over, the scholar looked up with a grin on his face.

“We got the deal?” He asked in confirmation.

“We got the deal!” Joseph exclaimed jumping. “We’re gonna be the first western company recognized by the Dehlosian trade princes! We’re gonna be rich!” The scholar rose from his chair and pulled Joseph into a massive bear hug, a grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Good job!” Vince exclaimed shaking the merchant. “We’re going to make more money than you can shake a stick at!”

“Hell yeah!” Joseph replied between gritted teeth as he was being crushed. “More money than that Trump guy you keep talking about.” Vincent grinned.

“With it, we’re going to make Raiaera great again.”

[Cards of Fate]

“You hit the hammer like this, Vince.” John chided taking the massive metal mallet out the of the scholar’s hands. He gently bumped him out of the way and took a stance by the anvil. Raising the hammer high above his head, he brought it down in a decisive strike, the blow thundering throughout the entire sublevel of the House of Cards. “Firmly, and decisively.”

Vincent nodded and took the hammer back from the giant and planted his feet by the anvil, wiping sweat from his eyes as he glared down at the glowing metal. He raised the heavy hammer up high and brought it down once more, sparks flying as thunder filled the air once more.

“Good,” The giant grunted patting the scholar on the shoulder. Sweat seemed to drip off the two in rivers, and the room was exceptionally hot. Almost unbearably so. “Give me about fifty more of those and we might be getting somewhere.” The scholar looked up at the giant, defeat in his eyes.

“Jesus Christ…” he muttered raising the hammer once more. Bringing it down he let out a grunt. “How the fuck do you do this all the time?” he asked bringing another strike down. He’d long since discarded the apron and gloves for protection, shedding his shirt to leave his skin bare. Sparks danced through the air, causing the scholar to wince every time the splashed against his skin and hissed. His entire body was slick with sweat, but he wouldn’t yield. This was important.

Another strike rang like lightning.

“Good.” John grunted again, rubbing his chin as he watched. “This is shaping up nicely.” The scholar wiped damp locks of hair stained brown from his face and glared at the glowing metal. He brought another strike down, then another. Soon the air was filled with a steady rhythm of strikes, punctuated occasionally by bouts of silence filled with heavy panting and another “good,” from John.

Each strike brought Vince closer to being done, closer to having met his goal. He was going to make a blade, even if it was shit. He was going to carry that piece of shit around as proof of his labor, proof that he’d managed to get his feet wet in the craft. Clang. Proof that he wasn’t just some fancy pants magician. Clang. Proof that he wasn’t going to be reliant on the skills of his magical blood. CLANG.

Proof that he wasn’t that stupid kid that first met Tobias Stalt in that fire.

“Good.” John added once more, still sounding like a broken record. It was as if he was leaving the scholar to his thoughts, only letting out commentary to spur him forward. Blow after blow rained down, filling the room with sparks. Finally a gloved hand signaled the scholar to stop. Glancing down, Vince was astounded to see how much progress he had made at flattening the blade. Picking the metal up with his titanium gauntlets, John looked it over carefully.

“Not bad.” He mused aloud. “This would be something I’d let be sold…” he added raising an eyebrow and gesturing towards Vince. Without ceremony he plunged it into a nearby trough of water, filling the room with a screaming hiss and a cloud of steam. “We have a few steps to go, but the hard part is over now.”