Only a Game

Before the game

Inej's eyes flew open, her senses taking everything in. She had no idea where she was except that wherever she was, it was dark out, and she was on some sort of island. She scanned the endless sea in front of her and a sand underneath her feet. Behind her was an expanse of trees that gave no indication as to what lie beyond. The last thing she remembered was seaspray on her cheeks and a dark storm cloud above her ship as she tried to steer her crew to safety. Then...darkness. She wracked her mind, trying to piece what had made her pass out like that. A splitting pain erupted in her left temple. She gasped slightly before the pain cleared.

"Ah yes. Try not to think too hard about the strange circumstances that landed you here. It'll just be...unpleasant."

Inej spun around almost wildly, startled by the sudden high-pitched voice that seemed to come from every angle. How hadn't she heard them coming?

A humorless laugh sounded as a girl materialized out of thin air, bedecked in an outfit with so many bells and whistles that it could only be described as strange.

Inej instinctively reached for a knife, only to find that her set had vanished. Slight panic rose in the back of her head at the loss of her beloved weapons. She quickly checked to see if she still possessed her rubber slippers. Relieved by the familiar feel of the soles on her feet, Inej refocused her attention on the woman in front of her, slipping into a fighting stance.

"No need for violence, dear. I come with glad tidings and a message." The young woman brandished a surprisingly shiny envelope.

Inej gestured for the strange lady to hand over the letter, grabbing it swiftly. She took her eyes off the woman to inspect the seal depicting a circus tent.

"What is this?" Inej demanded, looking up and waving the letter.

The woman was gone. Damn it. She was supposed to be a spy. She was losing her touch if she couldn't keep track of one very noticeable person literally covered in bells.

She gritted her teeth and broke the scarlet seal of the letter.

-----

Kaz Brekker was pissed. He'd woken up on the floor of some strange clockwork shop, with absolutely no recollection of how he'd gotten there. He'd spent the first 10 minutes after waking up, trying to get a sense of where he was. There was a notable absence of a front door and he was completely alone. His cane was gone, along with his gloves. For whatever reason, his lockpicking kit was still inside his coat pocket. After inspecting the store and calculating all possible ways to escape a building with no visible doors or windows, he'd sat down in an armchair in the backroom. He leaned back and shut his eyes, running an ungloved hand over his face.

A creak sounded somewhere in the store and Kaz sprung from his chair, his senses also springing to attention. But what caught his eye was a shiny silver envelope resting on a small table that hadn't been there seconds before. Cautiously, Kaz picked up the sealed letter and inspected it. The envelope reflected the dimly lit oil lamps around the room. The crimson seal bore a taunting image of a striped tent.

And when Kaz Brekker broke the red seal and read the message within, his eyes glinted dangerously with both amusement and determination.

-----

Jesper had no idea where he was, but it was not good. He could have sworn that he'd gone to bed with Wylan, shut his eyes, and opened them a few seconds later to find he was no longer in his bed or with Wylan, but instead in a bustling town that looked nothing like the crime-ridden streets of Ketterdam. He stared a the golden ring on his finger, hoping that his fiancé was safe. He'd tried to stop numerous passersby to ask them where the hell he was but had no luck. Either everyone in this town was very unfriendly or somehow unable to notice him. He guessed it was the latter.