Card Fighter: A Deckbuilding Progression Fantasy, page 35
Even without the man’s height, Dax might have recognized him from the face alone. It was a lumpy, misshapen amalgamation of features, but while Valaris had an arrogant look and Gorval appeared angry, this man had a surprisingly friendly disposition.
“Hey, Gorn!” called the heavyset man. “This masked man here says he’s your opponent. You wanna meet him?”
Dax felt the huge man’s gaze upon him. “Sure. Let them through.”
That was all it took to get the heavyset man to stand aside.
As Dax passed him by, with Jynn sticking close to his side, the heavyset man said, “Well, you’ve got some balls on you, I’ll give you that.”
Then Dax held out his hand for Gorn to shake.
The huge man did so, his massive fist engulfing Dax’s own. His grip was strong, but not too strong, as if he was aware that he might accidentally crush those who were more delicately built and had trained himself to be gentle.
Dax had to look up quite a way to look the man in the eye. “I’m Dax,” he said. “I’ve watched you fight before.”
“Dax,” Gorn said. “My name is Gorn, but I guess you know that already.” He let Dax’s hand go. “So you’re the one who came out of nowhere and beat Rorke.”
The big man’s voice rumbled, yet there was no threat within it. Gorn was clearly not the type to care too much about the type of gamesmanship that other fighters often employed.
“I am,” Dax said.
“And now you’re set to face me.”
There was a measure of curiosity in the big man’s gaze, and Dax decided that he liked this oversized fighter.
“Looks like it.”
“Well, I’m pleased to meet you,” Gorn said. “Even if you’re keeping your face hidden. It’s been a while since I’ve had a really good fight.”
“Really? Why is that?”
It seemed as if Gorn hadn’t expected the question. He thought for a moment. “Well, I guess it’s because I’m known to be a brawler, and I’ve been at this for a while. Most of those who have been fighting as long as I have – well, I’ve already faced them. Lost to Valaris and a few others, so they don’t want to fight me again. Which means I usually end up against those who want to make a name for themselves but don’t have the Cards to back it up.”
He studied Dax for a moment, as if wondering if he was just another of those.
“I beat Rorke,” Dax reminded him, and Gorn laughed.
“So you did,” he said. “And from what I heard, it was impressively done. Not just some trick Card that Rorke had no defense against. So I guess we’ll see if you can do the same against me.”
Dax nodded. “I guess we will.”
“Well, good luck, kid. The fight will start in just a few minutes.”
Dax had one more question before leaving. “Where is the organizer?” he asked. “I haven’t yet told him that I am here.”
The amiable giant pointed Dax towards a thin man with stiff-looking shoulders and a pronounced hawk-like nose.
Dax approached the man, who merely grunted to acknowledge his presence. “Second bell is in just a few minutes,” he said. “Be close to the stage when your name is called.”
Dax and Jynn did as instructed, and Dax was starting to wonder where Mira and Torald might be when an old woman with a cane approached him.
“You are Dax, the replacement fighter,” she said.
“I am,” he said. It wasn’t hard to figure out who he was. There weren’t many others there wearing masks.
The old woman had a pair of coal-black eyes that seemed to be able to look right through him. It was as if she was looking for some recognition on Dax’s behalf, and when she didn’t get that, she gave a small nod and a grunt.
“My name is Lauria. I am the local Warden for the Stone Serpent faction. The fighter you have replaced for this match was one of mine.”
Dax was immediately on guard. There was something about the way this Lauria spoke that made her words sound like an accusation.
Nor was the elderly woman alone, as she had seemed to be at first. She had people with her, a number of them, all standing far enough away to give the Warden space, but close enough to intervene if necessary.
All of them wore the insignia of the Stone Serpents.
“Is that so?” Dax asked, guardedly.
“It is,” the elderly woman responded. “You might be interested to know that the fighter you replaced was murdered and had his Card stolen. Nor is it the first time that has happened to a fighter of mine in recent days. The first time, it was a fighter named Kragen.”
Dax’s usual smile was nowhere in sight. “And you’re telling me this because?” he asked.
The woman’s hard black eyes never seemed to blink. “I’m telling you this because there seems to be a link between these two events. I’m telling you this because some of my people witnessed your fight against Rorke. Not only were you able to conjure the same types of Vines that were used against Kragen, but you now seem to have a support Card that once belonged to him. I’m wondering if you also now possess the Card that the fighter you replaced once owned.”
Dax heard the accusations and unspoken threats.
Beside him, it seemed to Dax as if Jynn wanted to say something. Dax put his hand out to stop him. His heart was pounding. How could this woman have put it together? Mira had broken the Vines into nothing before they’d left. And surely she was only guessing about the Level Up Card? He wasn’t the only one in the Fringe to have one.
It didn’t make any sense.
The old woman hadn’t finished. “You do not appear to be associated with any of the Factions that operate in the Fringe,” she said. “You are, by all accounts, an independent.”
She tilted her head to one side in an expression meant to convey curiosity. “Tell me, do you think it wise to go after fighters who do have a Faction behind them?” she asked.
Dax was aware that his fight was just a few minutes away. He wondered why the old woman had chosen now to confront him.
Or maybe she didn’t have a choice. Maybe, despite the things she apparently did know, she still didn’t know who he actually was.
Either way, he had to deal with this before it got out of hand. And that might prove problematic, because he, Jynn, Mira, and Torald were absolutely responsible for Kragen’s death.
But maybe there were some things this Warden didn’t know.
“Tell me,” Dax said. “As warden of the Stone Serpent Faction here in the Fringe, do your people act with honor?”
The old woman’s eyes flashed. “What are you saying?” she demanded.
Some of Dax’s smile was able to return. The old woman’s reaction told him volumes.
“I don’t know much about Factions. I’ve done my best to avoid them all my life. But what I do know is that there are some that act with honor, and some that do not.”
“My Faction is an honorable one,” the old woman said in a tone that dared him to argue.
“Is it now?” Dax asked. Then, before the Warden could respond, he continued. “There was a fight just a few weeks ago, in the Basement arena. I’m sure you know the one. Did you know that members of the Stone Serpent Faction were waiting in ambush for the loser of that match? That they intended to take her Card by force? Or does this surprise you?”
Dax thought he saw doubt in the old woman’s eyes.
“If such an accusation is true, then no, I was not aware of it. Nor does it fit within our concept of honor.”
Dax nodded. “As you say, I’m an independent fighter. I grew up in the Fringe, so my understanding of honor is perhaps less strict than yours. But in my mind, if someone set a trap like that, then the intended victim would be well within their rights to return the favor. Wouldn’t you agree?” he asked.
The old woman’s eyes softened a little. “I might at that,” she said. Then they hardened again. “But that’s where it would stop. A second such attack would be akin to a declaration of war.”
Dax nodded in agreement. He decided to speak plainly. “I had nothing to do with your fighter for this match. I have no idea who he is, or what happened to him. If someone took his Card, it wasn’t me.”
He deliberately didn’t say anything about Kragen one way or the other.
The elderly Warden seemed to be thinking.
“I believe you,” she said. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It seems there might be a third party in this story.”
Abruptly, she came to a decision. “I will take no action against you for the moment,” she said. “But be aware that you are now known to us. I would be cautious about taking any further actions that work against our interests.”
She paused for a moment. “Your fight is about to begin,” she said. “I will be watching.”
With that, she turned and left. Dax found himself breathing hard, and his heart was pounding like it did when he was engaged in a fight. He turned to Jynn, who was still at his side, his face having gone as white as a sheet.
“Why do I feel like I’ve just been talking with an actual serpent?” Dax asked.
“I don’t know. But I have to say, I don’t like that she knows what happened to Kragen,” Jynn said.
Dax had to agree.
Chapter fifty-nine
In the distance, the second afternoon bell started to ring, and Dax knew that it was time.
The previous fighters had finished their match, with one man, bloodied and bruised from the melee, having achieved victory. The stage was empty, and in moments, an announcer would take his place.
Dax looked around the crowd one last time and saw Mira and Torald approaching nearby. The sight of the pair brought his grin back in full force. He’d been worried that they would be late, or worse, that the elderly Warden had gotten to them as well.
But all was right in the world, and now Dax could enter the ring without that particular worry in mind.
This time, the announcer was a different person from the fight organizer. Instead of the slim man with a hooked nose, a heavy-set woman strode out to the middle of the raised platform.
As other announcers had done in the past, this woman — who reminded Dax oddly of Lena, the food vendor – raised her hands for silence.
“Good people!” she called out in a clear, clarion voice. “We all know why we are here, so without further ado, please welcome today’s combatants! Put your hands together for the Berserker himself, Gorn Fendral!”
The crowd dutifully applauded as the huge man took to the stage. Gorn waved at the crowd, his expression almost friendly, before stripping off his robe.
Where others might have worn tunics, Gorn’s massive torso was bare. The effect of his disrobing was electric.
The crowd’s applause at least doubled in volume, and Dax found himself joining in. Gorn was massively muscled, looking strong enough to break rocks with his bare hands without the aid of any Card.
But as impressive as his musculature was, he was also covered in scars.
Old and new, they formed a lattice across his torso, a testament to his durability. In battles gone by, the man had taken significant punishment and was still up and walking.
It was beyond impressive.
“And up against the Berserker, we have a newcomer in the Card fighting scene. With just one fight to his credit, you might think that this is a mismatch. But that one fight was against a powerful rising star in the form of Rorke and his Crimson Warg!”
The announcer paused, letting her words have impact. And they did. As well as a round of applause, Dax heard murmurs as people expressed their thoughts to each other.
“Good people, that fight has already become legend, and who knows what this young fighter might bring! Let’s hear it for the newcomer, the masked fighter, Dax!”
The crowd roared again, and this time, Dax knew it was truly for him. He was already grinning as he climbed up onto the stage, and he took a moment to breathe it all in.
Only once before had he experienced anything like this, but it was already starting to feel familiar.
This was what he lived for: the applause, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the air of excitement mixed with danger.
Dax knew he could lose this fight. He knew how strong an opponent Gorn was. But right at that moment, all that mattered to him was that he was there, fulfilling his dream.
He also knew that he looked comparatively puny standing next to Gorn. If this had been a match without Cards, there would have been no doubt about the outcome, even before the first punch was thrown.
Dax had no illusions. He knew that even with Mira’s training, he couldn’t possibly stand up against the sheer power of someone like Gorn.
But that didn’t matter. Because there were Cards involved, and even though Gorn had held his far longer, and they were powerful as well, Dax’s was special.
“Gorn and Dax, standard rules apply. The fight will continue until one or the other of you is either unable to continue or chooses to yield. You are to stay within the confines of the stage at all times, and please, do your best not to injure anyone in the crowd. Do each of you understand?” the announcer asked.
Dax had barely been listening. He’d heard the same general statement more times than he could count. But he nodded regardless, and saw that Gorn did as well.
The heavyset woman gave a broad grin of her own. “Then what are we waiting for? You may begin!”
Dax didn’t wait for the woman to scurry to the edge of the stage and off. His Wild Card had already produced the Gift he wanted, and all that was necessary now was to activate it. It was time to hit the go button again.
Before he did that, there was one thing he had to do.
“Activate Level Up!”
As soon as the support Card was active, he hit the start button for his Ogre Gift. At the same time, Gorn was activating his own Cards.
“Activate Iron Skin! Activate Crimson Fury!”
Dax was surprised. It had been a while since he’d watched Gorn in the ring, so perhaps he had simply forgotten the name of his Card.
But now that he heard the man activate it, he recognized it as the very same one Rorke had used to give his Crimson Warg greater size, strength, and, of course, fury as well.
It seemed that Gorn had a duplicate of that Card, although the Gift it gave him manifested in a different way.
Gorn didn’t conjure a monster to do his fighting for him. He did all that himself. So when he activated his Crimson Fury Card, he grew another foot taller, became even more muscular, and his skin turned a shade of crimson.
He seemed to be giving off some significant heat.
In addition, his expression went from lumpy but friendly to one of mind-bending rage.
Gorn launched himself toward Dax as if driven by vengeance.
It was all Dax could do to respond with the defensive techniques Mira had taught him. He blocked a sequence of punches, ducking beneath those that he could, and twisting and stepping away from the others.
If he had been his usual self, Dax wouldn’t have lasted more than a heartbeat. But while he was fighting an eight-foot, hulking brute of a man, Dax was now an Ogre.
If anything, he was taller than Gorn, and had the strength and durability to match. He took each blow Gorn delivered on his forearms, his hip, and his shoulders, if he couldn’t dodge them completely.
And while he had the skin and flesh of an Ogre and had once punched a wall made of stone to no ill effects, Gorn’s attacks had impact.
He felt the man’s heavy blows and had to step back, aware that the crowd was roaring in excitement.
He really could lose this fight, Dax thought. For as well as Gorn’s sheer size and strength, he had fury on his side as well, and he pummeled the Ogre that was Dax again and again.
It was as if he had no intention of letting up, as if he intended to keep pounding until Dax had no choice but to yield.
But through Gorn’s first, furious onslaught, Dax’s grin never faded.
After his experience in the Pit, this was just the sort of fight he was looking for. There would be nothing fancy. No surprise maneuvers reflecting his own attack back on him.
This would be strength against strength, brutality against brutality, a war of durability and power from which there would be just a single victor.
And Dax was loving every moment of it.
Gorn punctuated his attacks with roars that seemed to shake the heavens themselves, and at first, all Dax could do was defend.
But after more time had passed than Dax wanted to believe, Gorn slowed down just a fraction. It was enough. Dax matched the Berserker’s roar with one of his own and began to use the Face of Aggression in addition to the Face of the Fortress.
He lashed out with his feet and his fists, enjoying the heavy impact they made against Gorn’s own flesh. And when the Berserker got too close, Dax lashed out with his elbow as well, connecting with stunning force to the side of Gorn’s head.
Iron Skin or not, the impact of such a blow wasn’t something even Gorn could shake off easily. He staggered back, shook his head, and stared at Dax with something akin to surprise.
Then he roared to the heavens once more and attacked again.
The crowd was going wild. Gorn fought with strength and fury, and Dax countered with the same, but with an extra layer of technique on top, giving him an advantage.
Gorn was able to batter his way through Dax’s defense only every now and then, bruising his ribs, back, and face.
In contrast, Dax used his knees, elbows, and even his head with comparative efficiency, battering Gorn’s own hard flesh again and again, making the Berserker stumble back, and even wobbling him on his feet more than once.
But the outcome of the fight was far from certain. Gorn had one more trick up his sleeve. Dax had just delivered a pair of brutal knees to the man’s midsection, doubling him over, before straightening him back out with a solid knee to the face that left the Berserker stunned.
But before Dax could step in and punish him some more, Gorn staggered back. He shook his head as if to clear it once more, then instead of simply roaring and charging in again, he did something else.
