Chapter 5: Chapter: 5 First Spell Card

I pushed open the front door of the Card Shack and a collection of chimes rang out and filled the shop.

Golden light from a crystal chandelier spilled onto us as we entered the shop and looked around. There were rows of books, garlands of hanging herbs and jars of brightly colored shimmering powders. The whole room felt alive with magic.

I looked around expecting to see an old witch stirring a cauldron but instead, I saw a small goblin dressed in mismatched clothes, knee high socks and scratching his scraggly beard.

“Gabbro?” I asked.

The goblin jammed a finger in its ear and wiggled it about then pulled it out and offered it to me.

“That would be me,” said a deep voice that rolled through the room and reverberated off the walls.

The speaker was a bearded, one armed man. He stood behind a counter and polished a silver dagger.

“Merry Samhain and welcome to the Cardshack,” said Gabbro. “The finest magic emporium in Alhaven.”

“Alhaven,” whispered Ahri. “That's where we are.”

I peered inside of a display case which held a single binding card. The case had a 1 gold price tag on it.

“Is that expensive?” I asked.

 

Ahri tapped the glass leaving her grubby fingerprints all over it and said, “I don't know much about human money.”

 

Gabbro put down the silver dagger and strode over to us.

“1 gold is what an average farming family would earn in a year.”

He gave us a look which said he doubted that we had that kind of money.

“Doesn't everyone get one of these for free on their birthday?” asked Ahri. “They should be common.”

“Aye,” said Gabbro. “And the mayor collects the cards from them as taxes.”

“But that's not fair,” said Ahri.

“I've heard that the king has vaults full of them,” Gabbro continued. “It keeps the powers in check, you see. If there's one thing the nobles fear it’s us common folk getting as powerful as they are. That's why Steamtech has taken off the way it has. Power for the common man without the need of spell cards.”

“The cogs, gears and chimneys of orange smoke?” I asked.

Gabbro nodded.

“Those are the Eternity Flames. They power machines without the need of coal or wood. I’ve heard there are smaller ones that power mechanical monsters and weapons and such.”

“They made a perpetual motion machine?” I asked.

“I don't know that term,” said Gabbro. “Nobody knows what powers the steamtech but it won't be long before the king shuts it down. The rich don't like us commoners rising too near to their lofty heights.”

“Isn't it dangerous for you to be speaking like that?” I asked.

Gabbro laughed.

“The king doesn't care what we say. When you have spell cards that summon dragons it really doesn't matter what some commoners in my shop are speaking about.”

“What about those kids dueling in the playground?” asked Ahri. “If spell cards are so rare how do kids have access to them?”

Gabbro rubbed the stump of his missing arm.

“Ned and Layla. They’re the mayor’s kids, nobody else could afford to give their kids spell cards. They’ll blow someone up with those cards one of these days I tell you.”

“Hopefully themselves,” said Ahri. “Someone really needs to give them a high five to the face with a chair.”

Gabbro chuckled. “I like you folks. I'm willing to give you my friends and family discount on anything you buy or sell, how does that sound?”

It sounded like something a dodgy salesman would say just before charging you double what an item was worth.

I placed the binding card on the counter.

“I was looking to sell this beauty, does half a gold sound fair?”

Gabbro blew out his mustache. “50 silvers. I don't keep that kind of coin on me. Too many strange folk around these days, you can never be too trusting. How about I give you 2 silver coins and a common spell card for it?”

I looked at Ahri and she nodded her head greedily. She had no idea what 1 silver could buy and neither did I.

“How much is a night at the inn with dinner included?” I asked.

I needed to get a feel for how much things were worth or there was no point trying to haggle.

“About 15 coppers," Gabbro said.

“And it's 100 coppers to 1 silver?” I asked.

Gabbro frowned then nodded slowly.

 

“What about throwing in one of those magic bags the mayor’s kids wore on their belts?” I asked.

“A spellbag,” said Gabbro.

“We will give you the binding card for 2 silvers, 1 common card and a spellbag. What do you say?”

I wasn't exactly sure what the spellbags were for but everyone who’d used spell cards had one so there had to be a reason for them.

Gabbro scratched his beard as he walked over to his counter. He picked up the silver dagger and waved it in his hand.

 

“A common card is just a common card,” I said. “But a binding card represents a world of possibilities. You could capture a dragon with it or bind the fires of Hell itself.”

“Or get yourself killed trying to bind them,” replied Gabbro.

He paused for a moment then he put down the silver dagger.

“I can give you a tier 1 spellbag. It only holds ten spell cards though. The rest will be deposited in the vault of the mage guild.”

I nodded sagely as if what he said made perfect sense.

“What exactly does the spellbag do?”

Gabbro scratched the stump of his missing arm.

“Once it’s soulbound to the cardmage it cannot be stolen and no cards can be stolen out of it.”

“How about binding cards?” I asked. “Is there a limit to how many of those I can carry?”

“Nope, they don't seem to impact your carry limit, not like it's been tested much though. Not many folk have more than one binging card on them at a time.”

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Gabbro spun the silver knife on the counter.

“So do we have a deal?”

I looked at Ahri and she nodded again.

“Turn around,” said Gabbro as he spun his finger in the air.

“Really, you think we’re going to rob you?” Ahri asked.

Gabbro glared at Ahri until she turned around.

“This is bullshit,” she moaned.

---

Gabbro’s footsteps crossed the room. He stopped and something creaked open. A wheel turned and gears grated. A door slammed shut and then his footsteps walked back towards us and thumped a large black book onto the counter.

“You can turn around.”

My eyes instantly scanned the walls looking for the secret door but I saw nothing and then my eyes fell on the large book. It had a black chain attached to it and the chain ran the length of the counter and then trailed off into nothingness.

“What is the point of that?” I asked, pointing at the floating chain.

“It's soulbound,” said Gabbro. “It's linked to me, so there's no way the grimoire or any of these spell cards can be stolen.”

“Unless you die,” said Ahri.

Gabbro frowned at her.

“Just saying,” said Ahri.

“Ahri,” I said. “Why don't you get yourself a spell? You’re definitely more powerful than me.”

Ahri shook her head.

“Rule number one of being a goddess. Find someone else to fight your battles. I'm the brain of the operation. You’re my hero, my sword and shield.”

“I'm not fighting your battles. I'm just arming myself so I can defend myself while I find a way back home.”

Gabbro watched our exchange with a curious grin on his face.

“A goddess and a reluctant hero in my small shop in Alhaven.”

The corner of his lip twitching in a smile.

“I assume you are on a quest to save the world?”

Ahri nodded furiously.

“Someone is killing the gods, we are trying to stop them.”

“She is,” I said. “Not me.”

“You know what?” said Gabbro. “I think I'm willing to throw in an extra copper coin for you fine young warriors, to help you fight the brave fight.”

Ahri's face beamed and she nudged me in the ribs.

“People love the gods, you see.”

I couldn't tell if she really didn't get that Gabbro was messing with her or if she was somehow a genius and going along with it to get more money from him. I was pretty sure it was the first one.

“Kind servant of the gods," said Ahri in a voice that was meant to sound mystical but sounded like a line from a B-Rated movie. “Which common spell would do the most damage?”

Gabbro’s face creased in a frown as he thought.

“It's not just the spell card that determines damage. Your level determines your strength, speed and your magic power. A card mage with a high level can destroy a whole village with a basic fire spell.”

“How do you bind spells?” I asked. “Is there a ritual or a sacrifice that must be made or does it need to be done under the full moon?”

 

“Listen here kids,” said Gabbro. “I don't know what’s wrong with you people. You don't seem to know much. Have you been living in a cave?”

“I'm actually from another world,” I said. “Ahri killed me and then she did some voodoo and switched my body with a bunch of dead guys and a baby. It was pretty messed up. I don't know anything about his world. I just want to survive long enough to get home again.”

“Sure kid,” said Gabbro. “You don't have to lie to me. If you really don't know anything about spell cards then here’s the basics. You can only bind consenting allied magical creatures or weakened enemy magical creatures.”

“Wait,” said Ahri. “So they have to agree to be imprisoned?”

“Or you could beat them up and force them,” said Gabbro. “As long as they have let down their defenses they can be bound.”

“So how do you bind a spell like a fireball?” I asked.

“That's a bit trickier. You need to bind the essence of the spell or if you are brave enough you could try to bind a spell as soon as a magical creature casts it.”

“So basically I have to catch the spell in midair?” I asked.

“Sure kid, you could nutshell it like that.”

Ahri opened the grimoire and pointed at a card. It had a picture of a mage laying his hand on a wounded person.

“Heal Other,” I said. “We could use you as a decoy. You absorb the damage while I attack and when you are almost dead I could heal you.”

Ahri pulled a face then flipped to the next page and pointed at another spell. Her eyes lit up as she said, “Thunderwave.”

That one had a picture of a mage blasting a wave of lighting in all directions. Under the card was a brief description and some flavor text.

Spell card: Thunderwave

Deals low area of effect damage and has a stagger effect.

For those who don't like to aim.

“Maybe,” I said. “But this spell hits everyone around it, including you.”

Ahri shook her head and flipped the page again and pointed at the next card without even looking at it properly.

“Ratkin Warrior,” I read. “Really.”

Ahri frowned.

“I don't like rats.”

I flipped the page and there were only two other cards in the file. The first card caught my eye. It had an image of a feather floating in the night sky.

Spell card: Feather Fall

The act of falling slowly.

Turning fatal mistakes into fun times.