Kamen Rider Tarock, Re-Dealt – Reading Ten: Diversions
So Far on Kamen Rider Tarock, Re-Dealt…
Delinquent Liss Decker found herself caught between combatants from a strange alternate world called the Sphere, and afterward found herself with the ability to transform into Tarock, a warrior of awesome powers. Tarock's creator, a mystical immortal being called an Arancum, asked Liss to become a champion for his people, who were being plagued by a resurgence monstrous beings they call the Mythos. Mainly seeing an escape from her oppressive everyday life, Liss agreed.
But as she battled the Mythos and searched for the special cards that were the keys to unlocking each of Tarock's special powers, Liss found her self-righteousness shaken by the gratitude of the beleaguered people of the Sphere. After joining forces with Ven and Donis, two warriors appointed to hunt her down by hostile Arcana, to defeat an exceptionally powerful monster, Liss is injured and taken to the city of Mazones to find help. As Mazones is home to the Arcana most bent on her destruction, she runs a terrible risk…
Author's Note: Before we begin, there isn't going to be much fighting in this chapter. Just to give you a head's up.
It seemed as if Liss had been running across the blasted ruins of the city from the hordes of Mythos forever as she took cover, hoping for just a few minutes of safety to think of a way to escape.
She ran to a barn that was still standing and climbed to the loft to hide. It had all been pointless. All of it. She'd found all of Tarock's special cards, reached the zenith of her powers. When she'd accomplished that she'd been sure she'd be ready for anything the Sphere could throw at her. Oh, how wrong someone could be. They were right behind her, and they were too powerful for anyone, or anything. And she knew deep down inside they'd never stop with the Sphere when they took over the Sphere…
"Here's our little lost sheep!" a mocking voice cackled. Liss swore she'd only blinked, but there right behind her was the woman from the crypt. White dress, white hair, ivory white skin. The only break were those evil red eyes with yellow irises, that seemed to ripple around the edges.
Giant hands thrust through the ceiling of the barn and tore it away. Ten huge Mythos she couldn't recognize against the darkness loomed over Liss and the White Lady. "Come with us, child!" the lady laughed. "You think you're powerful now, that a few victories makes you the bane of my existence? My powers are boundless, my servants without number!"
The Mythos reached into the barn for Liss, and all of a sudden she could see herself from the outside somehow. They weren't grasping for a young woman, strong and defiant. Standing there in the loft of the barn was a wailing seven-year-old girl in pink pajamas, her dark hair up in pigtails.
There was a feeling of cold on Liss shoulder's so intense it seemed to burn and she sat up in alarm expecting to see the ugly faces of a gang of Mythos. Instead she was on a bed in a stone room with a softly glowing lantern sitting on a table next to her. Leaning against the foot of the bed was a girl Liss's age with pale orange hair. She'd been asleep but stirred when Liss jostled the bed from waking up so abruptly, and smiled.
"You're awake!" the girl said. "Thank goodness…we thought for sure Master Mortis would come for you you first."
"Who?" Liss rasped, her throat dry.
"Master Mortis. The one who gathers the souls of the departed." She gave Liss a quizzical look.
"Guess I'm more out of it than I thought," Liss replied, and the girl nodded. "Could I get some water?" The girl nodded and poured Liss some water from a pitcher, which she drank without thinking much on the mild relief it provided.
"You sound familiar," Liss said. "Were you the one who found me after I fell?"
"Yes, that was me and my father," the girl explained. "I'm sorry we had to keep you here. We tried to take you to a treatment center, but as soon as you were stable they said you had to recover somewhere else. Too many people are hurt by Mythos attacks already."
"That's…okay," Liss said. She didn't want to spend much time anywhere with a lot of people around who might be looking for someone matching her description. "I'm Liss." Hadn't she heard that was a pretty common name in the Sphere?
The girl nodded. "That's a pretty name. I'm Rexia."
"Nice to meet you, Rexia," Liss said and tried to climb out of the bed, but her body seized up in pain and she collapsed back down.
"You can't try to move by yourself yet!" Rexia cried. "You'll open the wounds again!"
A few minutes later the pain subsided and Liss was able to breathe normally. "How long was I out?" she gasped as she stared at the ceiling.
"About four days," Rexia answered, biting her lip.
Four days. That was less than Liss had expected, but she was clearly not going to be up for being Tarock again for a while. And hanging around hostile territory too banged up to fight wasn't a prospect she was looking forward to.
What about Jack and Shardak? Had Shift Runner gone to find them and let them know, as best a metal horse could, that she was still alive and where she was? Would Jack come to find her, or would they take the Fate Driver she'd given her mount in order to keep from being caught with it in enemy territory, and find a new Tarock? She had done all the work retrieving all the form cards already…
Which she had sort of expected. Liss wasn't the best at respecting authority or following orders, and she wasn't one of their people. The only reason they'd considered her was they were desperate. If she didn't come back, what would keep them from finding a new Tarock?
But what else? She'd been gone for nearly a week. What if another Mythos had shown up back on Earth? What if they went straight for Paige, since they probably knew who Tarock was? Or had the vampire monster reported back? God, how did it work…?
"Are you all right, Liss?" Rexia interrupted her. "You look troubled."
"There's the understatement of the century," Liss said. "Wondering about what the Mythos are doing."
"They seem braver every time," Rexia sighed. "We're lucky to have Empress Maeve and the other Arcana looking out for us."
So not just Thena and her boss, but a whole bunch of Arcana who wanted to rip her apart. And she was stuck in a place that one of the top two targets for Mythos monsters. "Yeah, lucky," Liss muttered.
Rexia lightly pressed Liss back into the sheets. "Don't worry, you're safe here."
"Just me," Liss said. "Everyone else I know is out there. They probably don't even know Mythos might come for them."
Rexia nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. But what were you doing that got you hurt so badly in the first place?"
"I was…," Liss started then paused, considering how much to reveal. "I was trying to find something I hoped would be an advantage fighting the Mythos. But one of them got me pretty good."
"Oh?" Rexia asked. "Did you find it?"
"I don't really know yet," Liss replied, thinking on what she'd found in that tomb besides the Card of Wands. She'd found a Mythos that'd changed into a giant after his death. She'd found the crystal showing her the White Lady escaping her confinement. And there had been the strange, seemingly alive shape that had made sure she'd found both. What had that been? "I guess I'll get a chance to find out when I can go find it."
Rexia poured another glass of water and left it on Liss's bedside table for her. "Right now, just try to get some rest," she said with a smile. "But call if you need anything." Liss nodded, and shut her eyes.
With a last look back at their guest, Rexia descended the stairs into the house's front room. Her father, Karam, was seated in his favorite chair while he watched another chapter of Mevar's Madness, the image being projected in the air in front of him from the crystal reader. He laughed at the comedy program, which Rexia had never understood the appeal of, but in times like these she supposed a brief escape from the threat of the Mythos was worth a few coins. Rexia walked into the kitchen and turned down the oven, scowling a little. Smelled like he'd let the stew get overdone while watching his recording.
After a bit the show ended and Karam waved his hand in front of the crystal leaned against the wall to switch it off. "Dinner's overdone," Rexia informed, a terse edge to her voice.
"I'm sorry, I got a little distracted," Karam said. "There's no reason to talk like that about it, though."
She sighed and got out a pair of bowls she set on the kitchen table. "I'm just a little tired of spending all day in the house waiting on someone. Our guest woke up by the way," Rexia said, ladling the slightly overcooked stew into a the bowls "She told me her name's Liss."
Her father sat down across from her. "Your mother will be relieved to hear that when she returns from patrol, I'm sure. Did she say anything about how she came to be outside the gates in such a state?" he asked.
"Yes. She said she'd been looking for something she hoped would help fight the Mythos. They got her pretty badly."
Rexia's father shook his head. "There's no need for children your age to go risking your lives so recklessly. Things aren't that different, even now."
That made Rexia grimace. "I'm not a little girl anymore, father."
"Of course you aren't," he said apologetically. "But it's dangerous enough here where we have high walls and strong protectors. Who does going out and walking straight into the Mythos' jaws help?"
"No one, papa."
He patted her on the shoulder. "Besides, it'll probably do you some good to have someone your own age around again. When was the last time you and your friends went out and did anything together?"
"About six attacks ago, papa," Rexia answered.
" 'Six attacks ago'? By the Empress, is that how you're thinking of it now?" Karam sighed. "You're too young to be that jaded! Think about, Rexi. Please."
"I guess you're right, papa," Rexia replied, distantly. As she said it, Rexia couldn't help sparing a glance upward, to where the refugee they'd taken in rested. And thinking of what else this Liss might have to say when she had the strength.
Her alarm hadn't even gone off yet but Sue Gand was already out of the shower and looking halfway presentable. It was a Saturday, but Sue didn't mind not getting to sleep in; she'd found an angle to pursue on the story while waiting for Liss Decker to show her face again, and wasn't going to miss it.
After she polished off her morning coffee Sue flopped onto the bed to wait. She thought about checking the news, but thought otherwise. She was here to report on something huge, and wanted to make sure she stayed focused on that. At least until that night when she'd finished recording what she'd found out during the day.
There was a knock on her door, and she looked through the peephole to see a broad-shouldered black man with a bald head standing outside. "Come on in," Sue said and opened the door, but he stayed outside.
"Naw, got class to teach. We'll talk about whatever you want after that," he said. Then he turned around and walked down the hall without waiting.
Ah yes, she had wanted to see the class he taught to wring anything she could out of him about Decker's past. Do a little research on her sources to determine which ones had the most to tell. Yes, Sue thought as she watched his muscles ripple through the back of his tank top. Research.
He kept waving off any attempts at questioning Sue made while they walked to an old, two-story brick building. Hanging over the double doors in the front was an old light-up sign, currently dark, reading Angelo's Dragon Academy. Hanging in the windows were a few faded posters of Sue's escort in a gi and black belt, with dates of tournaments. The most recent was over a year and a half ago.
"So Mr. Bell-" Sue began.
"Angelo," he interrupted. He unlocked the doors and went inside, and Sue followed. Inside the large front room was a fairly standard-seeming training room, with large tumbling mats leaned against the wall and a pair of punching bags in the far corner. A stack of square foam pads sat beside them. "I need to change, but I'll be back down in a minute. You go ahead and find a good place to sit." He disappeared up a staircase at the back of the room, and Sue could hear a door close and lock.
So Sue sat herself down by one of the walls inspected the room again, seeing nothing different this time. She'd never taken a martial arts class in her life, and had never stuck around when she'd been roped into driving her nephew to his. Even to her this one seemed neglected, almost unhappy. God, if that wasn't a stupid cliché.
A few minutes later a black girl, about fourteen, came down the stairs wearing a gi tied with a yellow belt. She went to the middle of the room and squatted down, staring at the far wall, at the staircase where she'd just come down. The girl gave Sue a sidelong glance, but returned to staring at the wall as the front door opened. Four other kids walked in and took a seat in a row next to the first girl and not saying a word. Within twenty minutes, there were twelve kids squatting in two neat rows. They were all between the ages of ten and fourteen, and none made a peep. In fact, they all sat up ramrod straight when they heard the door at the top of the stairs open and, slowly, footsteps descended them. Angelo appeared at the back of the room, wearing a gi fastened with a black belt.
"Good morning," he bellowed.
"Good morning, sensei," the students chorused.
Angelo turned his back to the class and opened his jacket. A livid scar of three jagged lines ran from his right shoulder, down his back at an angle before disappearing in the waist of his pants. "This is proof there's danger in the world," Angelo said. "I was given these by a giant bat working for a group called Gorgom. They wouldn't settle for anything less than enslaving the entire world. They were powerful, and they were ruthless, but there was someone who had the courage to fight them wherever he found them. He was called the Black Sun.
"And we've all heard about monsters in our town. But there's someone brave enough to go up against them now, too. She was a student of mine once, but maybe Miss Gand here can tell you more than I can about what she's like now," Angelo said, and indicated Sue with a sweep of his arm. Sue couldn't help it, but she blanched. Her understanding had been she'd watch the class, because Angelo wasn't interested in talking to her if she wasn't as dedicated to her craft as he was to his, even if that meant getting up at the crack of dawn and not getting a chance to talk until after his class. Nothing about her being brought in as a guest speaker.
But the kids all turned to face her, looking at her with silent expectation. Sue was used to having time to go over and polish her words before submitting them, but she thought fast.
"She's called Tarock. I don't know all the details yet, I've only been there once, but her powers come from another world, one called the Sphere. The monsters come from there too, and they're called the Mythos.
"The Mythos are strong. Extremely strong. I saw one with my own eyes that was forty feet tall and fought off Tarock and a giant made of stone at the same time. She beat it, but it was close. That's why she's there right now, finding all the special powers she needs to fight more of them. I'm sure it isn't easy, but she doesn't look like the type to back down from anything."
Angelo nodded with a small smile as he put his jacket back on and tied his belt around his waist again. "Think on that, you all. Someone cares about this little town of ours enough to fight monsters for it. Now," he said, all traces of mirth vanishing. "somebody go grab some pads and I'll show you what we'll be practicing today."
So saying, Angelo demonstrated a kick while a student held up a pair of square foam pads for him as a target. After he'd done it a few times the students broke into groups and started practicing the move themselves. Angelo himself came over to watch beside Sue. "Two weeks ago, I only had two kids in my class and one was my daughter," he said, smiling a little proudly.
"And this all happened after Tarock had her first fights," Sue said. "You think that's why attendance is up, huh?"
"I'm hoping that's why attendance is up," he replied. "Humanity's a weird animal. It's so easy for us to slip into being afraid, only looking out for number one. But if we can shake that off, we can do incredible things."
Sue looked him over appraisingly, more deeply than she had when she'd failed to pry answers about Liss Decker from him before. He seemed much as he had then, a man of strength, of a degree of bravery. But now there seemed a quiet conviction about him as well. "And you think Liss Decker's like that?" Sue asked. "Most people I've been asking don't think much of her as a student, or a member of society."
Angelo smirked ever so slightly. "I suppose they were always a straight-A student who never talked back to their parents either. 'Sides, it's hard to keep listening to people in charge when the ones closest to you do something like shut someone out of their lives just because of being something they can't help. That's some pretty astounding ignorance, wouldn't you say, Miss Gand?"
"I'm here to report, not condemn," Sue answered.
He nodded. "That's dedication to your craft."
For another hour and a half the kids practiced a series of moves for a while until Angelo told them to practice something else they'd gone over last session or a new move they hadn't seen. By the time 8:45 had rolled around, Angelo told the class to break for an hour and they gushed out of the building. Sue got up onto her sore legs and walked up to Angelo, hoping for some answers now.
"Kind of early for a kung-fu class to start, isn't it?" she couldn't help making her first question.
"I'm not looking for kids whose moms just want them to be in some kind of activity," Angelo answered. "If seven's too early for them I've got better things to do with my time."
"And once upon a time, seven wasn't too early for Liss Decker, sounds like."
Angelo didn't respond right away. First he stood up, faced away from Sue, and then launched into a series of backflips that took him to the far end of the building. He clenched his fists and winced in pain for a second then turned to Sue. "Once upon a time, yeah. Until about…two years ago, was it? That was when she stopped coming. Before then, she was here every Saturday and three afternoons during the week. I'd be lying if I said she was the brightest prospect I ever saw, but she was on her way when she stopped coming. That was when the problems at home started, I'm to understand."
Sue jotted down a few reminders. "But before that, good enough kid, you'd say?
"Not exactly up for a peace prize, but didn't duck out of school or fight with her folks that I knew. Usually happy to help the other kids practice or help with a move she'd figured out but they were still trying to figure out," Angelo said, folding his arms across his chest. "Good enough kid, I guess."
"I see," Sue said. She tapped her pen against her chin thoughtfully. "But you hadn't seen her at all in all that time, except when those two attacked her and you helped?"
Angelo shook his head. "The dedication has to come from the student. Doesn't mean anything if I go to their house and try to talk 'em into coming back to class. Number one tenet."
"Okay, okay, sorry. But you really think she's fighting for the reasons you told those kids?" Sue asked.
He nodded solemnly at the question. "I'm in the habit of believing the greatest things we can imagine are possible, if we can conquer those impulses of ours. And I don't think Liss Decker would've put on that suit and fought those monsters if she was only thinking of herself. Not if the Liss Decker I knew was totally gone."
"Oh, wow!" Sue chuckled, resting her head against one hand. "A disciplined optimist. Where have you been all my life?"
"I've got two kids, you know," he replied. But for just a second, it looked like Angelo cracked a smirk.
It was good to see the sun again, even if it wasn't the sun she was used to.
A crude wooden crutch braced Liss under her right arm as she tried to walk down to the end of the street where Rexia was waiting for her, ignoring the noise from the car-like vehicles that buzzed by. The pain in her side wasn't as bad as when she'd first woken up in Mazones, but Liss was still clenching her teeth and trying to ignore it as she limped down the street.
How long had it even been since Liss had found herself in Rexia's bedroom? A week? A week and a half? At least she was starting to move again. That was a huge relief, not being stuck in a bed all day and all night, letting her injuries stitch themselves closed. Liss gritted her teeth and tried to just focus on how close she was getting to where Rexia was waiting.
"You're doing great, Liss!" Rexia called, smiling.
"I can't believe I need to learn how to walk all over again," Liss grunted, but a few more steps took her to Rexia's side.
Rexia clapped her on the shoulder. "Maybe that's the risk you run going after the Mythos."
"I'm not scared of them."
"The shape you're in, you should be worried more about small children," Rexia smiled jokingly. "Come on, it's not that much farther to where my father has his shop."
"Your dad, huh?" Liss asked. "What about like, your friends? I'm not keeping you away from them with all the babysitting you're doing, am I?"
Rexia shook her head. "Nobody's really felt like doing anything since the attacks started. I don't suppose I blame them."
Liss shook her head. "Isn't anyone doing anything about this besides me?"
For a while Rexia walked slowly so Liss could keep up, and as they went Liss looked up at the rooftops and the palace that seemed to fill the sky beyond them. Inside, she had no doubt, were the Arcana who oversaw this city. And the ones who most wanted to see her wiped out for something a whole other Tarock had done.
Not having her powers at hand made Liss uneasy, but Mazones would go insane if any trace of Tarock was found. She felt she was pushing her luck far enough staying with Rexia, since Rexia's mother was a city guard. No problems had arisen from that, obviously, and Liss's face wasn't black and blue enough to fool anyone who had a good description of her anymore. Maybe Ven and Donis hadn't managed to get one.
All at once Rexia started walking faster. Liss tried to call out in protest until she saw why. In front of a low building that reminded her a little of her older sister's auto repair place, Rexia's father was being yelled at by a heavyset man in dark shirt, pants and boots. Beside him on the ground were the remains of what looked like a car's axle. Rexia's dad fixed those for a living, she'd said.
"…not paying these kinds of prices for this kind of workmanship!" the heavyset man yelled. "I demand back what I gave you for this!"
"Papa, what's going on?" Rexia asked when she reached her father's side. He patted her calmingly on the shoulders.
"It's all right, sweetie. Mister Gruul's rear axle broke right after I fixed it, and he's a little unhappy about it," Karam explained.
Gruul grimaced. "Unhappy?! It broke clean in half two days later!"
Liss cleared her throat, and the three of them looked over where the remains of part Gruul was complaining about rested. She'd lowered herself and was inspecting the split. "Clean, huh? Looks like-"
"Get away from that!" Gruul snapped and stomped a step closer to Liss, but Karam grabbed his shoulder.
"I hope you're not planning to attack a disabled girl like it looks," Karam growled. "If you are, you can forget about anything you think I owe you." Gruul scowled and jerked away, but stayed where he was.
She glared lightly at them but ran her finger over the shorn edge of the metal on one part. "Look at this. See how the metal's been caved in right next to the split. It's been smashed down by something like a big hammer. Roll those two halves together and I bet you'd find one big dent."
Gruul snarled, and Liss smirked up at him. She made a show of standing up painfully and bracing herself on her crutch. Meanwhile, Rexia's father held the two edges of the snapped axle together and inspected the damage Liss had pointed out. "Well, looks like this had some help breaking, doesn't it?" he announced. "And I might have an idea who that help was, with the way you didn't want anyone taking a close look at the damage…Thank you for your custom, Gruul, but I won't be needing it anymore."
For a second Gruul looked stunned, then pointed his finger and yelled at Karam as he walked back into the shop. "Don't you turn your back on me! You have any idea the kinds of people who owe me favors?!" While he continued to hurl invective at her father, Rexia's throat went dry as she saw Liss actually take a step closer to Gruul and then slowly slip a hand inside his pocket. Liss drew it out again clenching something and surreptitiously put it in her own pocket without Gruul noticing, then limped away.
Rexia ran after her and gasped out, "Are you out of your mind?! He would've smashed you, no matter what my father said!"
"I had to see if I was getting rusty," Liss said, and glanced over her shoulder as a pair of city guards walked up to Karam's shop, and Gruul suddenly turned and walked away in a hurry. Liss went around a corner with Rexia still beside her, and once she was sure there were no guards in sight pulled a handful of coins out of her pocket. "Not bad," she mused.
"Not bad? That has to be at least three hundred diam!" Rexia said.
"I'll take your word for it," Liss said, having no idea what three hundred diam would get her.
It took a minute for Rexia to get completely over the shock of what Liss had done. Once she had, she looked at Liss with a bit of apprehension, then asked, "How much did you get?" Liss handed her the money and Rexia's eyes went wide as she counted them up. "I was wrong. There's not three hundred. Three hundred sixty-eight...by the Empress, where did you learn how to pick pockets?"
"So you're not turning me in?" Liss said, smiling teasingly at her.
Rexia gave her a bemused look, then smiled softly. "Not if you answer my question."
They walked for a while until they got to a quiet street, and Liss quietly said, "It started about a year and a half ago, I guess. I really looked up to my older sister, but then our parents found out she was having a relationship with another girl, and they kicked her out of the family. I just kind of stopped listening to them, and then a while after that I just stopped listening to the rules much. Little stuff, then it got bigger. I haven't lost my touch from lying in bed, looks like."
A few more minutes passed while they walked in silence. There was a distant look in Rexia's eyes as she stared away from Liss. Seemingly out of nowhere Rexia said, "I'm sorry."
Liss looked back at her as they walked, saying nothing for a while. Then she asked, "You want to see how much we can turn this into?"
After dinner Liss and Rexia did a few laps around the house to help Liss practice being on her feet a little more. The pain was a little less intense than it had been that morning, which had Liss trying to get an idea of how soon she might be completely recovered, but also how soon she'd be healed enough just to think about getting out of town. Rexia's mom had joined them for dinner, and while she hadn't acted suspiciously, Liss was doubting her decision to show off her less wholesome skills in front of Rexia. What if she told her mother, a city guard? What if word trickled down about this particular Liss being Public Enemy #1?
But Liss looked over at Rexia, who looked back at her curiously. "Liss?" she asked. "Why did you steal from Gruul right in front of me? You knew my mother's on the guard and how easily you could've gotten arrested."
Liss nodded. "I didn't think you'd mind much since he was trying to rip your dad off. Besides, when I was stuck in the house and you had to take care of me you always seemed kind of annoyed and restless. I figured maybe you were hoping for something more exciting, so I took that little gamble of mine."
Rexia gaped. "Little gamble? You must be used to making pretty big ones if pickpocketing a crazy man like Gruul's little to you!"
"Hey, I was trying to do something about the Mythos when I got like this. That's pretty big, isn't it?" Liss said defensively.
Slowly Rexia smiled. "I guess it is, but the Arcana are here to-"
"They're only defending their cities." Liss interrupted. "But how is that gonna stop the Mythos? They just gonna wait until there's no more monsters to attack them? Or are they maybe gonna try to find where the monsters come from and do something about it?"
Silence fell over them. Liss noticed she had that effect on people when she actually spoke her mind a long time ago. Rexia looked at her in shock before whispering, "You might want to be careful who you say such things to, Liss."
"Stealing's okay, but you gonna turn me in over being unhappy with the job the Arcana are doing?" Liss said, not budging an inch.
"I'm saying there's a great many people in Mazones who'd end your life for speaking out against our ruler and her closest aides," Rexia whispered angrily. "Especially with the Mythos back and attacking us again."
Liss looked her straight in the eye. "And what about you, Rexi? Do you think the Arcana are the only ones who can do a damn thing to protect you? Will you be okay just sitting at home waiting for things to take care of themselves?"
Again, silence. Liss started around the next corner of the house, going faster than Rexia had seen her manage yet. She was even putting a little weight on her sore leg every step. Rexia jogged after her and followed beside her for a few steps and then gave an exasperated sigh. "…maybe I don't see how one girl can do anything against a ravening monster twice her size. And did you call me Rexi? Only my parents did that, when I was a little girl."
"Maybe you should, and maybe I did," Liss replied. "If you don't want me staying at your place anymore, fine."
A hand clamped onto Liss's shoulder and held her in place. She looked around and met Rexia's eyes, which were narrowed in irritation. "I didn't say anything like that, Liss! Do you have to be so sure of yourself you're even putting words in my mouth?"
That got a little laugh out of Liss, and she gently tugged free. "I'm just saying I wouldn't blame you, but think on it, Rexi. About what's happening while everybody's letting the Arcana sit around defending the walls. And we gonna do something with this money or what?"
She looked back at Rexia, who shuffled her feet uncertainly, then looked up at Liss and smiled lightly. There was a reluctance in her eyes, but her posture was steady and upright. Rexia wanted to take that step, Liss was sure, but didn't say anything to push her any closer to a decision. Everyone did that to Liss, she wasn't about to be the one to do it to someone else.
Finally Rexia smiled and said, "Yes. Let's hear your plan."
Jack was still searching for an ideal word to describe his situation, but the one that kept coming to mind was vulnerable. He'd always been sure there were forces powerful enough to claim even the life of an Arcanum, and known it since Knight Duric's death was revealed to the Sphere.
Indeed, the death of an Arcanum was the only reason they knew that Master Mortis existed at all. Jack himself had been observing when Tarock brought Duric down, and the skeletal figure appeared to claim the defeated's soul. And later Mortis had appeared again when Telia had been slain by a Mythos. That had been what had finally fractured the great empire…or had it? So much had happened in the final days of the first uprising of the Mythos…
But he let such thoughts pass. These were dangerous times, but Jack had no intention of dying. He had changed, that was all. Become something new, found a new facet of the never-ending journey of life to explore. And was that not what life was all about, after all?
Jack felt a gathering energy nearby and steadied himself to be able to continue his concentration on his efforts. In the air beside him formed a translucent image of an old, bearded face. "Hello again, my old friend," Jack said. "Come to try to talk me out of it again?"
"I just want you to think about what you're doing," Shardak said. "The plan was always risky to some degree, but this-"
"Has Liss responded to any of your calls, yet?" Jack interrupted.
"No…if she's still alive, she's lost the Fate Driver. I can't find or reach her," Shardak replied.
Jack nodded. "Then we are in need of another envoy and this is our most viable option. Besides, power is worthless if only horded or flaunted. I'm no soldier, but this way I can contribute something more than running back and forth."
There was a momentary tingle telling Jack another of his constructs had been destroyed. His new protégé was going through them more quickly than he'd expected. It indicated either proficiency, or unchecked recklessness. Still, he reminded himself, this was for a good cause and they were, after all, hoping to foster growth in those whose paths they crossed.
He pondered a few new shapes he might try. Gryphons had always been one of Jack's favorite creatures, majestic and powerful at once. The image took shape in his mind, with the lion-like body with the head and wings of a regal, golden-feathered bird. Jack was about to push the spark of life into the image when he felt someone landing from a jump right behind him.
"Looks like I win," he said.
Jack smiled and didn't turn around. "Do you?" Then suddenly a gryphon was between them, rearing on its hind legs and slashing at Jack's assailant with the bird-like talons on its front. "Perhaps after you learn to expect the unexpected."
The gryphon lunged at Jack's attacker, who jumped back and rolled out of the way. It chased after him, stabbing at his heart with its beak and grabbing at him with its claws when he rolled away and got to his feet.
But the gryphon pressed its attack, splaying its wings and launching itself at him. He jumped high out of its way, turned in midair and aimed his weapon at the gryphon's back. "Heart Seeker!" he said, and a glistening silver arrow ripped from the tip and pierced the gryphon. It didn't even cry out before it shattered into pieces.
And to Jack's satisfaction, his looked around for a new threat as he landed in time to see the two-legged white tiger to attack.
The room seemed to spin around her. Rexia had gone over Liss's plan again and again. She knew every contingency, had been given days to understand the implications of what Liss had suggested.
For several days Liss had been up to walking around normally again. She'd gone out every day since she could walk without a crutch, but insisted on going out alone. After the second day, she'd explained what she'd been doing to Rexia, and asked if she'd be interested in helping.
At first Rexia had refused, but Liss hadn't pressed it and left to let her think it over. And as she did, Rexia thought more and more about how she did want to go along with Liss's suggestion, and do something more than sit around waiting for something to happen.
She'd said yes, and they'd started to plan.
"You okay?" Liss asked. She was folding up her coat and riding gloves and left them under the bed. They made her stand out too much and seem too confident, she said, which would ruin their plans. The dark circles from dreams she refused to talk about helped the illusion…
"I'm not sure," Rexia answered her. "I've never done this kind of thing before."
Liss nodded. "And if you don't want to, I'll leave," she said. I'll be all right on my own now."
Quickly, Rexia shook her head. "Anything's better than being stuck in here waiting."
"Anything?" Liss said with a knowing smile
Rexia smiled a little herself. "Well, almost anything. What did you call it…hustling? That doesn't sound as bad as some things."
One of Liss's strong hands clasped her shoulder. "Games are all about tricking and outthinking people. Otherwise it's all random, and you might as well have them stand in a circle and spin a pencil on the ground or some shit to see who wins. There are way, way worse things we could be doing."
A thought crossed Rexia's mind at what Liss had just said, and what she'd done that had gotten her hurt in the first place. "Would you do worse things than trick people in a game?" she asked.
Liss looked at Rexia in surprise for a second, then looked away. "If I really, really had to, maybe."
They kept walking for half an hour until they got to a fairly large square full of shops and market stalls, and people selling things off the backs of trucks. Liss passed it by without paying it any mind, and Rexia followed apprehensively. Her throat tightened as she saw Liss's eyes light up. She'd found what they were looking for: a small group of twenty-something young men squatting in a circle in an alley off the square. They were fixated on a game where they shuffled inscribed stones around. Rexia recognized it; it was called Waira, but she didn't much else besides the name.
As unobtrusively as possible, Liss at Rexia and whispered. "Remember, you let me know if anyone tries anything, right? Or if any guards come. That's it."
"I know," Rexia said, her throat suddenly dry.
Liss nodded, and whispered. "I'm counting on you." Then she walked over to the group and asked, "Hey, guys! Room for one more?"
One of them stood up and smiled. "Hey, Liss! You're finally here to play, huh?"
She held up a large blue coin. The men grinned among themselves, and one waved Liss over. In spite of everything Liss had spent days teaching her about being inconspicuous, Rexia bit her lip nervously.
So it began. For the better part of an hour, Liss sat as part of the group and in turn they'd rearrange the tiles into sequences that that made no sense to Rexia. The other players smiled and laughed as Liss made what appeared to be a good move and collected a small portion of the pot they were playing for. Several times in a row one of the men took a fistful off the pot, but Rexia forced herself to devote most of her attention to noting what went on around them.
None of the other players seemed suspicious of Rexia as she lounged against a wall just outside the alley, or anyone going about their business in the square. Eventually she spotted a pair of armed guards on patrol, and coughed loudly while twirling a lock of her hair, the signal Liss had told her to give. Liss made some excuse, pocketed her winnings and walked briskly to the edge of the alley. Rexia followed and got out a bag Liss had asked her to bring after they'd passed the guards without incident. Liss turned, smiled and emptied her pockets into the bag.
The weight of the bag seemed unreal. Rexia tied it up and handed it to Liss, who heaved it onto her shoulder. "You really won that much?" Rexia asked, still in disbelief at what they'd done.
"I might've been able to get a little more, but they were starting to get suspicious," Liss said, smiling proudly all the same. "Gotta know when to push your luck and when not to."
Rexia nodded, but looked away. "So…is this it, then?"
"I can't wait much longer," Liss said. "Thanks. I'm grateful and everything, but I gotta get back out there. But let me ask you something: you thinking twice about how smart it was being my eyes back there?"
At that, Rexia laughed. Nervously, but it changed to a light, carefree laugh, and she turned to look at Liss with twinkling eyes and a light smile on her lips. "It was…definitely a new experience for me. But that doesn't mean it was a bad one."
"Just because it wasn't a bad one doesn't mean it was a good one," Liss pointed out.
Rexia gave her a playful shove. "It was good, Liss. Thank you for taking me out of comfort zone for a day. Just don't expect me to be your lookout if you rob someone's shop."
With a shake of her head and a playful smile Liss said, "I don't need that kind of practice." They stopped outside Rexia's house, and suddenly Liss thrust the bag with the money into Rexia's hands. "Call up some of your old friends and do something wild."
Rexia sputtered. "Does this mean…?" she asked, not needing to finish. Liss nodded.
"Time for me to go find my little advantage and see if I can do anything about the Mythos with it after all."
Not quite believing what she was hearing, Rexia followed Liss inside the house where she retrieved her coat and gloves. "But…but you're just leaving?" Rexia spluttered.
Liss finished tying off her gloves and stood up. "I'm not just gonna sit on my ass and hope the problem goes away like the Arcana here. It's been cool hanging out with you, but the longer I'm here, well, the longer I'm here not getting things done out there."
Rexia looked away and clutched the bag to her chest as Liss finished getting ready to go. "So you're just going to go out there and fight every single Mythos monster yourself, then, Liss?" she asked quietly.
There was no reply. For a minute Rexia thought Liss was just ignoring the question, but then she looked up and saw Liss leaning against the wall, clutching her left arm and squeezing her eyes shut in pain.
The bag hit the floor and Rexia rushed to Liss's side. "What's wrong?! Did something happen?"
"Yes," Liss gasped. "Something's about to attack."
Rexia stared into her eyes. "How do you know?"
Moments before, a guard standing on the city wall stopped in the middle of his patrol. From over a hill stumbled the figure of a person. They stumbled and fell, but desperately pushed themselves up and ran toward the Mazones perimeter on trembling legs.
The hair on the guard's neck raised in uneasiness. "Halt!" he called. The figure didn't halt. In fact he stopped stumbling and broke into a run. The guard was about to sound the alarm when the intruder produced a gleaming curved knife from inside his clothes, and plunged it into his heart.
He slumped forward dead and a pool of blood seeped out from his body. Thick, black blood. The alarm was just starting to blare when the black pool under the man started to boil upward and harden. Within moments it had vwxinw a monstrous from whose head was as tall as the fifteen foot wall. He had cracked gray-green skin, and a single huge, blood-red eye in his head.
In one giant hand was a bone club that looked like it had come from the back leg of some kind of dinosaur. The Mythos raised his weapon and then brought it down on the wall, on top of the terrified guard who'd seen him.
The entire city seemed to shake every few seconds, but still Liss ran down the stairs. Rexia chased after her and grabbed her by the arm just as she got through the front door. "If a Mythos attacks we're supposed to stay indoors!" Rexia cried.
Liss jerked free and looked up over the rooftops at the Cyclops that was pounding on the walls with his club and had already knocked a hole in it as deep as his waist. She could see blue sparks as the city guard tried to fend him off with their weapons, but the monster was unaffected.
Over his shoulder another Mythos came flying over the wall. It had huge dark wings and a long beak…or was it a nose? It flew in a circle and then a small tornado went ripping through a row of house. Two balls of energy, white and black, came flying into view and attacked the flying Mythos. Ven and Donis were on the scene, but who was dealing with the Cyclops?
Liss shut her eyes and despite all the noise and shaking, she concentrated as hard as she could on five simple words.
Shift Runner, I need you.
Again everything shook from a titanic blow from the Cyclops's club, and the Mythos roared triumphantly.
Next time on Kamen Rider Tarock, Re-Dealt…
Liss: Looks like you'll get to see how I'll stop the Mythos after all.
(Tarock in her Swords Form fights back against the giant Cyclops)
Thena: There's no escape for you this time, Tarock!
(In her Wands Form Tarock battles Thena, Ven and Donis at the same time)
Jack: It seems a new era is dawning…
(A figure in green armor fires a silver arrow at a hulking Mythos)
Narrator: Your fate is in your hands.