Playing Cards

Chapter 3: Firey Blue

"...We do," I nodded once, "care to put down my knives first?"

There was a moment of silence, then a grim, serious reply. 

"I'll trade you for your card pack."

I was stunned. Truly stunned. I just stood there for a second, was Saphire trying to take my cards? Was she trying to kill me and take my identity? Eventually, I spoke, but my voice didn't come out as strong and carefree as usual. 

"Not happy being Saphire? You were rather handsome as Blade but I think I pull off Moon better than you would... no offence."

She rolled her eyes, I relaxed a little.

"This is serious Moon. What happened isn't normal. Battle Beast cards are only supposed to release one creature, not four." 

My heart fluttered. 

"You stayed. And you're worried about me. Maybe we should get married," I half teased.

"MOON! This is serious damn it. I've never seen anything like that. And I have five cards, so I've seen a lot."

My mouth opened in shock. 

"FIVE?! What! You're like... a thousand moons old!!"

"It's rude to discuss a woman age. Now, hand me your cards."

After a few seconds of shock, I handed her my card pack. I had never handed anyone my card pack. It's a very personal thing, to show someone the essence of who you are and who you used to be, for them to hold in their hands the very thing that gives you life. She opened it and tilted her head, confused by something. 

"Is this a battle beast? It doesn't look like one," she said, pointing to a card.

"No, that was my first card." 

She blinked at me, still confused.

"...What?" I asked.

"I've never seen..."

"Are you saying I'm one of a kind?" I smiled, batting my eyelids.

"Moon I swear to the Cardmaker I will stab you with your own knives." 

"Take my three lives, they are all yours," I winked. 

Before I could even register what was happening, I found myself crouched on the floor.  I looked up, two of my throwing daggers were lodged in the wall behind my head. Again, I found myself grateful for my dexterity stats. I let out a breath and played the action off as Saphire being playful. I know I can be annoying, but I hardly thought it was worth killing me over. Saphire looked at me, her blue eyes cold. 

"I thought you said I could take them," was all she said before looking back at the book. 

I gulped again and thought about pulling my knives from the wall and throwing them back to see what she would do, but I didn't want to hurt her and she seemed deadly serious. Instead, I stood up and brushed myself off, then sat down next to her on the mat, keeping a respectful (and a little fearful) distance between us. I whispered.

"You know... if you came back with me to Menzoberranzan...you could rule as Queen," I muttered, honest and serious. 

Her voice was sharp and annoyed, "why? Just so someone else could stab me in the back when I turned around?" 

I paused. "But... ruling over all that chaos... watching the cunning and clever gain power in a free world..."

She sighed, "there's more to life than just ruling and chaos, Moon. Menzoberranzan isn't free. I don't want to live in a world where I have to fear everyone around me in order to keep power, and where I have to kill everyone around me to get it." 

"But..." 

I couldn't think of a way to finish my sentence. I couldn't understand not wanting to rule, not wanting to live and breathe the Choas of the drow city. I was the only drow I knew who didn't live in a drow city. We all end up there, drawn to the chaos and games of shifting power, drawn to our love of Lolth, the spider goddess. 

She sighed, it was sad but frustrated like she gave up on me but her voice was soft. "It's ok Moon... you're Drow... you wouldn't understand." 

For some reason that made me angry, but she was right, I didn't. She was the only reason I was still in Stolas and not Menzoberranzan. I had received invitations from a few different houses who lived there, but I couldn't leave Saphire, in any of her forms. She closed my book and tied the string before handing it back to me. 

"I think it's your cards."

"What about my cards?" I asked, eyes half-closed.

"I think there's something wrong with you."

I shot up.

"What? Like my cards? Do I need to get a new one?" 

She shook her head. "No, not your cards. You," she pointed to my chest.

I blinked, confused. "But I am my card?"

"Yes, but you have been two different cards. I think your first card is the problem."

"Well, I can't get rid of it. I tried to trade it a few times, it doesn't come out of its slot."

"...yeah, that's not normal. Animals are not supposed to be human. I don't even know how you got the Moon card. Do you remember anything? You're supposed to remember everything from your previous lives."

"Are you asking me if I remember being a cat?!"

"Yes, focus."

I was frustrated and annoyed, but I did as she asked. 

"...fine. Just don't throw any more knives at me."

"No promises," she smirked.

I smiled a little and closed my eyes, concentrating. 

I stayed there, sitting for a few hours, just focusing. 

"I remember something," I said slowly, keeping my eyes shut, "I was on a rooftop... I think it's in Stolas... chasing something... I think it's a card."

"Focus, use that 11 intelligence and 14 wisdom."

"... It's the Moon card. It fell and I touched it... and then..."

"And then...?"

I opened my eyes, "That's it. I just... woke up."

She nodded. 

"Pack your things. I know someone who can help."

"What? Saph, I am not going on some mystical journey to be told that cats can't be Drow."

"A cat must have accomplished something incredible to be rewarded with a card with those stats, aren't you curious?"

"No. It's called the luck of the draw. Some people... or cats... just get lucky."

"Fine," she huffed before pointing a finger at me, "here's the real reason. I tried to protect your ego but you're just too stubborn. You are broken. You are not supposed to exist and you're breaking everyone around you! You affect cards weirdly and you are a threat to life as we know it. If you can do that to a battle beast card, who knows what else you can do. We HAVE to fix you, or else I'll have to kill you."

"...Would you really kill me?" I muttered, frozen and shocked, staring at her fiery eyes.

"To save my home and my people...? Only one way to find out." 

I looked into her eyes and felt nothing but fear. She would kill me, or she would try very hard to. I wouldn't be able to fight back, I know I couldn't hurt her... maybe I was broken. Broken in a way that mattered... not my cards, or how I broke the rules, but me as a person. I had never known a drow to show weakness like this. Any other of my kind would have taken the scimitar in my belt and thrust it through her heart the second she entered my hideout. 

She must have seen my fear, my weakness, because she turned away and looked at the wall, her voice cracked slightly but still held its angry, commanding tone. 

"We are going to the gates of Stolas. We leave first thing tomorrow." 

With that she secured a grappling hook to the window and leapt out, leaving me standing there, rooted to the ground in fear and disbelief.