A/N: I don't like Cheat.
I don't really know why. Maybe a game where the objective is to flout the rules doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's too simplistic. Maybe I have less than fond memories of misunderstanding the rules of the game and losing my first few rou- it couldn't be that.
Regardless of why, Alasdair doesn't play Cheat either. We're playing Hearts instead.
I'll take the west train, just by the side of Amsterdam
Just by my left brain, just by the side of the tin man
Amsterdam - Imagine Dragons
The next morning, we regroup downstairs at the inn as planned. Now that I've started getting used to these early days, Leanna was not required to hammer on my door today, though that may have been because she hadn't stayed at the inn. Regardless of cause, no one had been waiting long for me to show up.
I was, however, greeted by the strange sight of the slightly shorter Amelia grilling Zack and Leanna on whether they are prepared for long distance travel. They are answering correctly to each question, of course, and so Amelia turns up towards me.
"And are you now prepared to begin our journey?"
Her tone isn't hostile, it just… is. She doesn't really doubt anyone present, but is curious to see how much we've thought of this.
I nod as a response, still undergoing preliminary calibrations. I am irritated that I am back to wearing the leather and gambeson, but it is much more covert and offers more protection, especially against blunt trauma.
Amelia smiles.
"Excellent. Then let us depart."
She leads the way out of the inn and back into the quiet city. Remnants of last night's festival litter the ground in a series of petals and general debris. The clean-up crew is hard at work, wearing thick gloves as they unenthusiastically remove the decor and debris.
I wonder how long they've been at work.
Since the festivities continued even after I raised my towel and went to bed, this process could've been happening for hours now. I shudder slightly, not envying their lack of rec drones, but am also proud. I failed to contribute directly to this mess, after all. My crown was placed in a fertilizer bin at the end of the night.
From memory, I begin to hum the music that was playing last night. I don't have a particular reason for this, it just came up in my mind.
"A flame, it burns bright/so let them come now/the friends and the lovers/all those with gall"
Leanna seems to perk up as she hears me, and sings the next bit.
"So walk, you have someone/who cares just enough/perhaps they're a hero/or maybe a heart"
I raise my voice as Leanna signals that we move together.
"A wreath and a right/let fires burn tonight/for all here have nothing to fear. Hearts now will sing on/and heroes shall fawn/in the battles where winners are all…"
Suddenly, I frown.
"I'm fairly certain that we messed up the rhyme somewhere."
"Nope. It didn't rhyme when you first started, either."
"Huh."
It makes sense that I don't remember it perfectly, as it wasn't planned. I may even be remembering a later iteration brought on by the mutation of failing to remember things.
"Guess it wasn't the best job."
"Oh, come on! It was good enough that a few other people picked it up."
"Most of those were clearly drunk."
She shrugs.
"What matters here is that you were having enough fun that you made a song that inspired those people, whose only concern was increasing their fun, to start singing."
"Maybe I was drunk, then."
I think a minute, then shake my head.
"No. I didn't eat much of anything until dinner when we were at the tail end of the dance. Maybe… is there a magical talent that relates to that sort of thing?"
"A few. General auras of positive energy, that sort of stuff. But, they don't see much use in public. Remember when I said some talents are embarrassing or dangerous?"
I nod.
"Yeah."
"Such abilities are typically rooted in the mental manipulation aspects of shadow magic."
"Oh. I see."
We follow Amelia through the twists and turns of the city. The route we are taking is somewhat convoluted, but I write this off as Amelia trying to avoid the places where people who would recognize her would frequent.
I lack a knowledge of the local geography, so I didn't even think of the question which Leanna poses.
"So, Amelia, where are we taking the crystalrail to?"
Hold on. Hold on. CRYSTAL-rail?
"We will be travelling to Bazada. According to my notes, it is closest to where we need to be."
Zack makes a motion of some kind.
"Well, they do say you can find anything there. Bazada would be my first choice for directions, too."
Leanna looks a bit skeptical. I decide to bring up the issue.
"What's so weird about Bazada?"
"It's just closer than I expected."
Amelia blinks her eyes closed for a moment.
"It is somewhat close. But recall that Havengarde was formed after the Second Founding Wars, and as such contains much of the antique territories of the Dal'kana Empire."
I blink. Well, it would be best to get this out of the way now.
"Umm, I haven't heard of those."
Amelia stops, confused.
"Could you repeat that? The Second Founding Wars are an integral part of the history of Havengarde's culture."
I shake my head. She tilts her head a bit, pigtails bobbing as she takes in my cluelessness.
Eh, she'll get used to it.
"Count me as an… interested foreign party."
She appears surprised, but not by too much.
"The Second Founding War, or True Elemental Wars, were fought in the aftermath of the collapse of the Patriarch Alexandros, ruler of the Nixian Celestium and instigator of The First Founding War. The Dal'kana had, like the other civilizations of the time period, brought a number of tribes to its banner as part of the war, and its proximity to the Nixi meant that it fought the first parts of the First Founding War alone."
Her tone was somewhat monotonous, but I could still feel the blood-drenched echoes of history ring in her words. The history of humankind, or perhaps histories now, were like that.
"However, their status as the bordering empire meant that much of the now homogenized Nixi territory was occupied by the Dal'kana. Leaving the old capital in their hands after the destruction of their warmachine and of the Patriarch, the Dal'kana were now in the position of primacy. And while other segments of Esaria were united first by treaty or commerce, in the forms of the Vaneayan Clans and the Aouvant Krezemari respectively, the Dal'kana wished to rule as Alexandros had. Several shifting wars and alliances later, they were finally defeated, and the winners worked together to ensure a unified future, breaking down their tribal allegiances into the modern noble families."
"That's interesting. But why is it relevant?"
"The capital of the Dal'kana Empire was named Oraphros. Or, in the more modern common, Embermyst. Part of the peace agreement, it seems, was that all records of the seat of Dal'kani power must be destroyed. In the modern period, most people don't realize that the legends of Embermyst are actually referring to the very real capital of an empire that caused the formation of Havengarde. Unfortunately for most who do figure it out, those legends are hardly enough for any serious inquiry."
"Unless, of course, you are a professor someone will need to talk to in a few years."
The sarcastic jab at our quarry either landed or went over her head.
"Precisely."
I'm honestly not sure.
Leanna still seems skeptical, but she doesn't push the issue, perhaps because Amelia does seem to know something about Embermyst. I guess we'll find out whether Amelia is right.
We continue the rest of the way in some semblance of silence. After a few minutes, we arrive at a station of some sort.
The place is like a more ornate version of an Earth Inter-city Land Transit Station, aside from the fact that the bullet trains back home aren't open air. The ticket booth is right across from the entrance, in a manner refreshingly similar to home. While they sort out retrieving tickets, I look around. Vendors selling food and trinkets line the perimeter of the enclosed space in a manner less like home, but still quite festive.
The building is quite empty, despite the fact that a train is running. Maybe no one is in a rush to go to Bazada this time of year?
Amelia urges us on after tickets are processed.
"We must hurry if we wish to catch the next crystalrail. It is nearing the platform."
With my ticket placed in hand, we rush down a back hallway which opens up to the platform. Arriving onto the platform is a sleek-looking bullet, porcelain white with windows dotting the sides. It hovers with an easy grace reminiscent of Earth's trains. Between it and the tracks lies the ethereal glow of the power of the winds. Those selfsame winds rustle in my hair, making me smile.
I feel almost giddy as we line up to board.
"This is so damn cool."
Leanna cocks her head a bit.
"Is this not something you're used to?"
"Not exactly. Trains back home are a lot like this, but more utilitarian, and they move using the same force that guns use. Older trains used fossil fuels like coal and diesel and tended to make a lot of smoke."
She looks shocked.
"That 'coal' must be powerful! Moving objects with fire is incredibly challenging, even for the greatest of mages. You're sure that Earth doesn't have magic?"
"Coal isn't magic. It just has plenty of energy, which we used to boil water. That doesn't warp reality!"
"Poooiii…"
Forest eyes the crystals on the train, his mouth open in anticipation. Leanna notices and snatches him up.
"Poi!"
He wriggles at first, but after she gives him a few pats on the head he calms down and grins at her.
We are about to board the train when the attendant stops us.
"Sorry, pangos are not allowed due to equipment that is sensitive to energy absorption."
He consults his manipulator.
"Also, you appear to be a blank, sir. Please avoid the front areas of the rail."
Leanna looks downcast.
"Oh… right."
She gazes sadly at the copse of trees in her arms.
"I'm sorry Forest, but I think this is where we say goodbye."
He blinks back at her in confusion, a worried smile on his face.
"Poi?"
"Be safe, okay?"
She gives Forest a big squeeze before setting him down. Then, she walks onto the train. The pango blinks.
"Poi poi?"
Amelia looks at the pango with an odd curiosity. Forest mimics her.
"Poi."
"I have not known you for long, but you seem friendlier than others of your kind. I will be saddened to see you go, for I may never see an event like the one Leanna described to me."
She nods and then hops onto the train.
Zack has already instinctively gone for his dischargers, protectively curling his thumbs about the stocks.
"Try not to eat anything important."
"Poi poi?"
Forest blinks at his quickly retreating form, and then it is my turn.
"You were fun to have around. I'll miss you, Forest."
I pick him up and give him a little squeeze.
"I'd tell you to go to the academy for food, but you can't understand me."
He fixes me with the same confused stare which was received by the others.
"Poi?"
"Goodbye. Stay out of trouble."
I follow the others onto the train.
While other people board the train, I join the rest of my group. Leanna seems unhappy about having to leave behind the adorable companion creature, but there is more than that. Even Zack seems displeased at the prospect of not being able to observe Forest's antics.
Forest was my first friend when I arrived. His presence encouraged me to explore, and then I found Leanna.
After a moment, we search for our train cabin. We walk through several cars before finding it near the end of the train.
Amelia slides open the door, then shuts it immediately, an expression of terror on her face. I reach for the handle.
"What's wrong?"
"Impossible!"
She pushes away my hand and opens the door again, eyes darting about the interior of the cabin. Inside the cozy area are plush seats, a rack above said seats to hold any luggage, and a rectangular table in the centre.
Amelia sighs in relief as she fails to spot… whatever it was.
"What was that about?"
"I thought I saw-"
Something leaps at Amelia's face and smothers her, causing her to tumble back into the aisle with a startled, sputtering cry. My hand leaps for my sword before I realize something.
The thing that attacked is a round, blue object which makes a very particular sound.
"Poi poi!"
Fortunately for the secrecy that I just realized would be necessary, Leanna reacts, picking the pango off of Amelia's laughing form. At least, I think that's laughter.
"Forest!"
She quickly moves into the cabin and shuts the door as an attendant moves down the aisle.
"Do you need help with something?"
I respond quickly.
"I think we're good, thank you."
He nods, and proceeds to search about. The rest of us, after helping Amelia back onto her feet, proceed into the cabin, revealing that Forest is now ensconced in Leanna's grasp. He squirms a bit as we arrive, perhaps wanting to greet the rest of us, but he still somehow seems comfortable.
I cannot imagine how a non-gelatinous being would fare against her vice-like grip.
When she notices our stares, Leanna clears her throat and sets him back down.
"But how did you even get in here?"
I narrow my eyes.
"Seriously. You made your way into the cabin before we found it. How did that happen?"
He seems to nod towards me a bit.
"Poi!"
After being lifted back up, Amelia has held the exact same expression, her face frozen in time.
"Impossible…"
"I think the pango might've broken Amelia."
Zack, unfazed as always, plops down into one of the seats and leans back.
"Are you all going to stare at that thing all day?"
No. My eyes scan the inside of the cabin again. This time, I notice that the window is opened slightly. Sitting down opposite Zack and next to Leanna, I reach over and shut it, breaking Amelia's stock still stare. Pangos do this sort of thing, I should get used to it.
After I sit down, Forest jumps up into my lap. Amelia finally gathers herself and accepts the remaining spot.
I look down at the small troublemaker in my lap.
"Well, aren't you proving to be an interesting companion, Forest."
I give him a few pats as he chitters happily.
"I have a question, though. I get why he was following me around when I was covered with magic, but why now? Aren't I some 'blank'?"
Amelia takes it upon herself to answer, reassuming her normal upright posture.
"It is because you are blank that the pango likes you."
What?
"Sorry, what? Doesn't that mean Forest gets less magic while around me?"
"Yes, in precisely the same way that being near other pangos will net him less energy. To the pango's eyes, you are more like a giant pango than a human. Blanks absorb energy from their surroundings and consume it passively in a manner similar to their standard abilities, albeit much more slowly."
"Sooo…"
"The pango observes that you eat magical energy, and therefore are not an existential threat. You are also much larger, and therefore capable of defending him from other threats."
"Hold on, could we loop back around to the part where I eat magic?"
Leanna laughs.
"All people with magical talent are blanks to some extent. You were strange because of your age and the degree to which you absorb ambient energy. Most people aren't as abjectly blank in all spectrums as you were during those tests, and those that come close are noticed quickly and begin magical training early in their life."
"So, that means I could be a really good mage, then?"
Amelia clears her throat.
"That is a common misconception. While being blank is a good indicator of the presence of magical talent, being a good mage is considerably more than being black in all spectra. The difference between the standard candidates for training and the levels the academy observed in you is purely theoretical and most likely negligible."
"Okay, so is there anything I can do?"
"Explode."
Leanna goes wide-eyed in shock.
"Amelia!"
"I do not see a problem with sharing vital information such as this. Blanks without training as mages tend to be in considerably more danger around magical hotspots. The human body, unlike that of a pango, is ill-equipped to deal with high energy levels, and the void of energy created by blanks will rapidly draw in energy."
Oh, okay. That must've been what my sword/I was talking about earlier.
"Thank you, Amelia. I will need to be careful around large amounts of energy."
She nods.
As we are talking, I feel the jerk of the train departing and hear the calming hum of the engine. I sink into the seat as the similarity of this and the electromagnetic friction reminds me of home. Both Leanna and Amelia stare out of the window, while Zack crosses his arms and inclines his head. It is impossible to tell if he is asleep.
He might be. As far as I can tell, the guy can sleep anywhere.
My eyes feel a little droopy too. I was up quite late last night, and a lot of stuff happened, so there is no way I had enough sleep. Given that we are currently moving, I doubt anyone would mind if I caught up a little. While it does take a little while, I manage eventually.
When I awaken, everyone else is awake as well, and looking more bored than ever. Only the pango is exempt, as he continues to snooze in my lap.
"How long was I asleep?"
Leanna glances at me.
"Just a few hours."
"How long is this trip?"
Amelia decides to answer that.
"We should be arriving sometime tomorrow."
"Tomorrow."
"Yes."
Marshals, what am I going to do with all this time? I rummage about in my pack for my tablet, forgetting that it wouldn't have a connection even if it did work.
Oh, by the… wait! What else do I have that would work?
Digging about in my bag, I finally produce the stupid deck of cards I taught myself solitare on a few weeks ago. I then triumphantly place it on the table.
Leanna looks over at the small stack of synthetic pasteboard.
"What do you have there?"
"A deck of cards from home."
I cut the deck and begin shuffling. It takes some time, as I am not the best at this, but I eventually get it done.
"Want to play something? There are enough people here for a game called 'Hearts'."
Leanna looks interested, if only because she has been looking for some way to escape the boredom for some time and basically anything works.
"How do you play?"
"Basically, each person plays a card, playing in clockwise fashion from the first person. You play cards that are of the same suit as the first card if you can, and if you can't you can play anything, unless it's the first round, then you can't play hearts."
I look around the table to determine whether everyone is paying attention before I continue.
"A round ends when everyone has played once, and we'll sweep all the cards into a pile for use next game. The person who played the highest card goes first next round, and collects any point cards. Those would be the hearts, which are worth one point each, and the Queen of Spades, which is worth thirteen."
Amelia raises her hand.
"Amelia?"
"Why is the Queen worth thirteen points?"
"I believe that it is to add variety. I also know from another game that it is the Old Maid, so there might be some etymological significance there."
She nods, and I continue.
"Once everyone has played all the cards in their hand, which with four people will happen to everyone simultaneously, the round ends and everyone will tally up the number of points they acquired and add it to their total. The person with the lowest number of points wins the round-"
Zack coughs. I give him a sideways look, then continue.
"-unless a person has managed to acquire all 26 points. If that is the case, then everyone but them gains 26. Then, we shuffle the cards, and the next person deals the cards."
Leanna smiles.
"Sounds like fun. I'll play."
Amelia looks intrigued.
"Although I have not partaken in this game before, it sounds as though it would be a stimulating challenge."
I glance at Zack.
"Are you in? We need four people to make this work properly."
He shakes his head.
"I'll pass."
Leanna frowns a bit.
"Why not? Surely this will be better than nothing."
"It's just not my type of game."
Suddenly, a thought strikes me. If I get this right, I might be able to spark his interest.
"Alright, I can see that. What if we're playing for money?"
Zack sits up and looks at me.
"I thought you didn't have money."
"I do."
I fish into my bag again and produce a wallet, before extracting a few Spark chips. The irregular discs clink as they hit the table, glittering in the sunlight from the anti-forgery strips baked into their plasteel forms.
"I just can't use it without the help of someone who deals in curiosities. As a mercenary, you are equipped to sniff out people who can make these worth something."
Amelia leans in close and peers at the chips. Even Leanna takes an interested glance. Of them, Amelia is the first to speak.
"I fail to recognize this type of currency."
"It's fairly specific to my home region, an economically isolated island off the coast of Esaria."
I do, of course, fail to state that my 'economically isolated island' is off the coast of Terra as well. Amelia stares intently at me for a little while, before returning her gaze to the coins.
"I see."
Zack coughs.
"I think I'll need better than your word that these are more than cheap trinkets."
I offer him one to inspect.
"Have a look for yourself, but be sure to return it."
He turns it up and down in his hands. As he weighs it, he frowns.
"Doesn't feel valuable. What's it made of?"
"A man-made material which is light enough to be carried around in large amounts but tough enough to survive everyday wear and tear."
"I dunno. It feels flimsy."
I meet his eyes in a calm challenge.
"Then break it."
He gazes back at me, searching for some kind of tell that I am lying. Finally, he shrugs, and places his hands to snap the coin in two.
Then, as he begins, grunting suddenly as the thin hull of polypropylene nine fails to register his efforts. He tries harder with no result, while I watch emotionlessly from across the table.
Finally, he withdraws one of his dischargers, tinkering with the weapon before pointing it at the calm heptagon on the table before anyone can react. Then, there is a slight crack and a flash of purple light. He then fiddles with the weapon again, stowing it away, only to sputter in shock at the realization that the chip is still there.
I reach over and collect it, wiping off the smudge of degraded polymer and damaged confirmation alloy. It is mainly cosmetic.
"You really shouldn't shoot at something someone else lends you, Zack. That was in bad form."
"That thing must be gold under all that."
"No, just very stable. I hope I can still get its value back when I return, but it's only 25 subsparks."
Amelia is intrigued.
"May I examine the damaged coin?"
"Of course."
She picks up the item, turning it over in her hands.
"Zack is correct. This 'chip' is incredibly light. Where did your people find the material that they use to make these? It could be very valuable in many situations."
I put on a sarcastic smile.
"At the end of a complex manufacturing process."
"An alloy then. What goes into it?"
"Lots and lots of carbon and hydrogen. Common stuff."
She frowns.
"Then how does it maintain its value?"
"It isn't the material that gives it the value, but what it represents. Nothing on the island is rare enough to produce enough demand for itself alone, while also being common enough to be used as currency. The rarity step comes from making the chips difficult to produce properly."
"Is this substance used in other circumstances?"
I can tell that she is beginning to push the boundaries of my story. For me to properly explain how I interact with everything around us, I still need to explain that my home culture is distant and very different, but if I make it too different one will start to wonder why they haven't heard of it. I think she started doing that back when I produced the chips, but that doesn't mean I can't save it.
"Yes, plenty. But the main drawback is that it can't be fortified to the best of anyone's knowledge. When this isn't enough, we tend to use different materials."
There, done. With the implication that more usual things like enchanted steel would fill those roles, her imagination can go and speculate about other things.
"Interesting."
"Anyway, I'd tell you what these are worth, but they'd count in Sparks and SubSparks, not Crowns and Circlets. They're worth as much as you can sell a rarity for."
Zack raises an eyebrow.
"Which is how much?"
"I suspect that fewer than a couple thousand exist in Esaria."
He frowns.
"I don't know who would buy these, and it could take months to find someone. It's not money I can use, I'm not interested."
Amelia steps in before I can respond.
"I will pay you for his coins."
"I'm listening."
"For each of his coins received by you or anyone else, I will pay for it."
Leanna begins to protest.
"Amelia, you really don't have to do that."
"I am aware."
The two of us look between Zack and Amelia, unsure of what will happen.
"Alright, deal."
Once Zack settles in and Amelia and I work out the exchange rate, I deal out the cards. Zack frowns when he looks at his hand.
"These cards are strange."
"Home-grown pasteboard games. Not sure whether mine came first, or yours did."
I quickly give a rundown on how the cards work, matching them to the various groups I described earlier. While I do so, Amelia stares intently at me. This is getting a little uncomfortable, but it's probably just mind games, so I do my best to ignore it.
"Well, we've seen our cards. Let's have a bet."
We all throw a few coins in the centre. Mine look a little odd next to the greens and golds of local currency.
"Alright, who has the two of clubs?"
We all investigate our hands. In the end, Amelia places the card on the table.
Hooo boy, here we go. I withdraw a card from my stock, placing the Jack of clubs on the table.
"Right. Leanna, your turn."
"Okay…"
She searches her hand with a very neutral expression, producing a ten. Then Zack plays a four.
"Alright, hand goes to me."
I sweep up the cards into a corner and lay down my next go.
"Jack of Spades."
I feel very good about this hand. It has a good number of low cards, and a disproportionate number of sub-Queen spades. If I had a few more hearts, it would be great for impaling someone.
Scanning the table, I notice nothing untoward, although Amelia's attentions have shifted to Leanna. Her face is incredibly stoic as she watches her opposite, and I can tell that this is unnerving Leanna as well.
"Eight."
Zack smiles.
"Queen of Hearts."
Marshals take it!
"Do you really not have any spades?"
He shakes his head. I guess I know where mine came from now.
Amelia, of course, plays some spade that doesn't help me at all. I'm the one with the most experience, and also the one with the first point on the board.
"Alright, guess I win again. Four of Hearts."
In rapid succession, several hearts fall onto the table, and Leanna winces, sweeping up a complete quartet of pain. Then, the next round's card falls.
"Eight of Crystals."
I squint at the card.
"Diamonds."
"Oh, right."
Following a few more turns, I sweep up the silent round. Most of the hearts are already down, so I don't expect too much else. Leanna starts again; a-what.
"Queen of Spades."
Oh bythemarshals did I properly explain what that one did? Other reactions of surprise emanate from around the table, while Leanna grins triumphantly. Zack then places an ace of hearts, Amelia a four of spades, and myself a ten, and her grin fades.
"Damnit, I thought for sure you had the ace, Alasdair."
I do. It's my last card. But it wasn't my only spade.
I shrug, and Leanna collects her cards.
"Two of diamonds."
The last round goes off without a hitch. After all, all the hearts have fallen. The final tally is: two for myself, nineteen for Leanna, three for Zack and two for Amelia.
"Alright, guess we're splitting the pot, Amelia."
"Affirmative."
The next hand is dealt, with Leanna doing a fairly good job shuffling cards. Better than mine, at any rate.
"Alright, two of clubs!"
After everyone searches their hands for a moment, Amelia looks up.
"Zack is in possession of the two."
I blink.
"How can you be so sur-"
Zack produces a card and lays it on the table. While his poker face is unbroken, I can feel a distinct sensation of surprise and annoyance from him.
"Well, um, my question still stands."
"He has poor emotional discipline, and spotted the card before properly moving to produce it."
Oooo-kay. Cards then.
Oh, Marshals. I have a revolutionaries' hand. That one that is just barely isn't stacked enough to go for power; yeah, that one. Ugh.
Amelia plays a five, and I throw down the ace, with Leanna finishing with a four.
Odd. Normally you'd play out your highest for this sort of situation.
Alright. Leanna, as this round's dealer, sweeps up, and I play one of my only low cards: a seven of diamonds.
Low proportionally, okay?
Two rounds of suspicious looks from Amelia spread liberally around the table later, the hearts begin to fall. Amelia starts the round innocently enough.
"Jack of Spades."
I can't play spades, so I decide that a little cheek is in order. It comes in the beautiful form of a-
"Queen of Hearts."
And there we go. The deadliest of my cards out into the world. Zack appears to grow slightly worried, and glances to Leanna. His eyes bulge ever-so-slightly when he sees the smirk on Leanna's face.
"Eight of Hearts."
I can feel it from across the table. That sort of heavy resignation to a predestined fate.
"Queen of Spades."
Yeah, suck em' up! The hammer falls, ya bloody merc!
Ahem, sorry about that.
He sweeps up the first points of the round in front of him, before selecting another card.
"Four."
Amelia responds with a three, I with a king, and Leanna with a seven, all clubs.
Then, it is my turn. Each of them is as impassive as ever as I lay the five of hearts in between them. Leanna plays a six, Zack a seven, and Amelia a two of diamonds. With a certain lack of emotion, Zack sweeps the cards with cursed value back towards him.
Amelia continues to pay attention to the others around her. As Zack is about to play, Forest stirs, and I make sure to set down my hand and give him a few good pats. He yawns softly and seems to turn over, despite being symmetrical. I pet him a little while longer before realizing that it's my turn, quickly playing a three of hearts after analysing the situation. The small blue creature in my lap then hums happily as I return my attention to him.
Two more rounds pass, and I notice something odd. Only one person has a stack in front of him. Counting Zack's pile, (which has been discretely organized to appear much smaller than it is), this mere oddity transcends that to become terrifying. He has twenty-four points.
"Hey, Zack, what's that you got there?"
I point to the stack. Leanna follows my gesture, before gasping in shock. Zack smirks ever so slightly, and plays his next card; a King of Spades.
Amelia seems distant, as if these machinations are beneath her notice. She then plays a low heart, and nods to me. Gazing at my hand, I spot the one card that can save the game, and play it. Zack's face falls.
Leanna plays another inconsequential spade, and I rake my solitary heart towards me. With only the last cards left, Zack absorbs his twenty-fifth point before turning to Amelia.
"How."
Though it is technically a question, it sounds as though Zack has already decided that what Amelia did was impossible.
"After the third round, it became obvious that you were attempting to monopolize the points. You don't normally have tells like that."
"Normally? You've seen me play one game."
"This was sufficient."
"It was the second game! Why would you assume I'd do something so risky?"
"Patterns in play. I had a low hand, and Leanna played low cards when she should've been working on getting rid of high ones. Only you and Alasdair played high-value cards, and you only played them to win points or rounds. Simple, really."
Zack grumbles as he sweeps the cards into a pile.
"Little mind-reading witch…"
Amelia looks… for lack of a better term, smug. A few other hands play out, and on the last one we play for least points overall. As Amelia acclimates to strategy, Zack grows more and more irate, to the point that I offer to switch games.
Overall, Amelia and I came out on top in Hearts, though later games had Leanna catching up as she got better. Zack's deceit never really worked, however.
I smile.
"Looks like no one can escape the sight of the Estelian Panopticon."
Zack throws his last two cards onto the table as his plan collapses again.
"This game is ridiculous! How can anyone play if real strategy is punished?"
I give him a sideways look.
"So, do you want to try something else? Amelia isn't going away."
"Of course."
As he picks his cards, I raise an eyebrow. Leanna and I look at each other and burst out laughing.
At first, Amelia looks at us in bewilderment, but our laughter is so contagious that she breaks into a smile. Zack, on the other hand, grows more impatient with every passing second.
"Are we playing or what?"
We resume the game with a liberal, if slightly uneven, distribution of smiles.
I end up teaching everyone a few other games, and Zack introduces a few Terran games adapted for my Earth deck. We circle back to Hearts a few times, with Amelia's capabilities only becoming more refined with every game. Things became more balanced when Zack finally recognized that he couldn't hide whatever strategy he was trying from Amelia, but overall the Panopticon remains a grave danger in all the games we play.
I actually end up with a fair amount of the local currency as a result of this, so that's nice. Eventually, we decide to get some rest, and sleep through the night.