THE MOMENT
"Zombie Horde, I already have...," Bailey slipped the card back under the deck and drew another one from the top. She stood at one of the many wooden stalls in the bazaar across from an old, silver-bearded merchant. He smiled as she looked at the new card; it showed a necromancer, shrouded in dark robes standing in a summoning circle.
"Soul Harvest, it grants Bonus Resources for each Player or NPC killed, good luck," he gave her a toothy smile.
"Dirge can do that better...," Bailey decided it wouldn't be worth the space in her deck and returned the card to the bottom. She drew one off the top again and glanced at it. A gathering of ghouls stood around a spectral banquet table filled with indistinguishable, eerie food. "Ghoul's Feast, I already have...," she mumbled to herself as the merchant remained silent. She drew another after replacing it. "Bone Barrier, I already have...," She sighed and set the deck down.
"Can I see the Fantasy deck please?"
"Of course, of course!" he picked up a green and gold-backed deck and handed it to her. "Starlight Serenade...," he said as she lifted the first card. It depicted a night sky with twinkling stars and a crescent moon casting a soft blue light over a calm lake. "..it regenerates Major MP over 1/4 track, good luck" the merchant grinned.
"Ehhh, maybe...," Bailey set the card aside and drew another one. A unicorn grazed alone among lush rolling hills. "Enchanted Meadow, I already have...,"
"You're Bailey, right?" She was startled out of her thoughts by a deep voice. She turned to see a tall young man that looked vaguely familiar; but, she couldn't place him right away. "I'm Foley, Britt's brother," he said. "We met when-,"
"No we didn't," she shook her head once she placed him. "Britt showed you up in front of your gang and you took off before we met," she replied. "What's up?" she asked.
"Ah, so you do remember me," he smirked playfully. "I was just browsing and saw you and thought I'd say hi," he said. "So, you're a Cardmage, huh?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "But, so far there's not really much that's useful." She drew another card while she answered him. A circle of unicorns, fairies, and forest spirits sang to the purple sky with a sun setting behind them.
"Harmony Chorus, it levels up an Aura for one lap, good luck," the merchant said. "Meh..," she mumbled to herself as she put it on the bottom.
"Why isn't that useful?" Foley asked. He stepped closer to her as he asked.
"It's alright; but, not enough. I have to keep my deck slim and we already have someone that can augment Auras."
"Wouldn't it be helpful if that teammate went down?" he asked. Bailey shook her head.
"It's more likely to get in the way when I need a different card," she said. Don't you have a Cardmage on your team?" she asked.
"We don't; but, we're always on the lookout for more members," he said. "If you ever want to join up, I think we can make space for you."
"Thanks, no," she said. Foley chuckled.
"Are you always this serious, or am I special?" he asked.
"After watching Britt embarrass you, I can definitely say you're not special," Bailey replied with a shadow of a smirk as she drew another card. She glanced at it, then slid it under the deck while the merchant stayed silent.
"Whoa, ouch," Foley replied with a heartier laugh. "I saw that smile though," he said. "Seriously though, we're always on the lookout for more members, and we're definitely missing a Cardmage. Maybe you can give me some pointers on what I should be looking for in prospective members? Lunch is on me," he said.
"I've gotta practice with the team in a few," Bailey answered. She hesitated for a silent moment with her hand ready to reveal the next card. "We don't have practice tomorrow though," she added.
"Luckily, my offer is still valid for tomorrow too," he said. Unsure what to say next, Bailey finally drew the next card. It showed an angelic person playing a lyre with white wings extended out across the card.
“The Celestial Song, it brings the nearest roaming deity to this world, good luck," the merchant said. Bailey shrugged and slid it back to the bottom.
"That sounds useful!" Foley said.
"Not really," Bailey shook her head. "Between Jenny, Dirge, and your sister being Celestials, half our team qualifies as 'Deities'. It's really only useful for teams that don't have a Celestial Unique on the roster." She set the deck down and picked up the card she set aside. "I'll take this one," she said.
'Thank you, good luck," The NPC merchant replied as she turned back to Foley.
"Headed to practice now," she said. She waved and began walking away. "I'll explain more to you tomorrow."
