Chapter 88: To See Through The Veil

  Alabaster

  “Oh dammit!” Said Denderra in a tone rich with irritation. “You can just see me all the time now huh? Well marvellous, good for you.”

  Alley suspected a part of her aggression was a sort of defensive play against the shock she was feeling right now. For his part Alley was pretty shocked too, you didn’t usually just get to see ghosts, even one that was connected to him.

  After spotting her spying on the diner Alley had brought lead Denderra outside the little inn so they could talk without him seeming like a crazy person or having to explain what was happening to the old inn matron.

  For a town so down on its luck Rak Town was fairly alive around them, staying on the inn’s porch he could see people hunting crabs and crayfish out in the swamp, down the street a tavern was doing brisk business, and in front of several homes, Alley had noticed what he could only assume was the local version of a cookout. It had made him smile to see a community pulling together through hard times, and reminded him of the monthly barbecue Valeton had only ever put off during a blizzard.

  “So it's not because of the Resonance Crystals?”

  The ghostly maiden looked at him like he was stupid before letting out a long sigh. “Your eyes glow purple every time you look at me, so no I don’t think it’s because of the Crystals.”

  “What?!” Alley exclaimed. “ Why would they do that? Is this because of those Resonance beams?”

  “How do you keep beating these people without knowing anything?” she said quietly, a little smile crossing the white-haired girl’s lips. “That pirate fellow was actually pretty good.”

  Alley blinked a few times and did his best not to be offended. “I might be a bit of a country bumpkin, but I do know how to play well.” He said, the words coming out more defensively than he had intended.

  “Can’t argue with that I guess.” She muttered before finally explaining further. “You must have been looking for me a lot lately, or looking for Undead in general I guess as that's how your body grew when you became an Emboldened. Pretty common among people who use Undeath decks, they tend to develop some sort of ghost-tracking ability early on.”

  Alley didn’t respond right away, instead leaning on the railing of the little porch. It was interesting news and while he was glad to receive it Alley had to change his vision of the future a little bit. He had always assumed the first ability granted to him from his Deck would be the same one his mother had gotten. Hook manipulation; As good as Alley was with the bladed hook and chain, his mother had always put him to shame with it because she could pretty much tell the hook what to do and have it obey.

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  In the long run….and maybe even in the short term, the ability to see ghosts might prove more useful than an unnatural level of hook control. Especially as he still needed to replace eleven Cards that he pretty much couldn’t play. Alley started as the full implication of his own growth struck him. He would heal faster now, his endurance would last longer, and with any luck, his reflexes and physical strength would have improved. Though truth be told he hadn’t really noticed a difference yet.

  All of that was nothing compared to the fact that his Vials had doubled. His Vials had doubled! Aware that he was in the company of a centuries-old ghost wearing a dress that showed more leg than he was strictly comfortable with, Alley didn’t whoop or pump his fist in the air. He was still extremely excited about the prospect of being able to use more Cards per Challenge than cost him vials, not to mention he could afford to play some of the stronger Cards in his Deck now.

  Resolving to go over his collection again before bed, Alley snapped his mind back to the moment. For whatever reason Denderra seemed fairly willing to talk right now and he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity to question her if he could.

  “So do you know exactly how it works? Are there rules or limitations I should watch out for?” The ghostly girl shrugged in response. “Everyone grows a little differently, but generally the way it works for people who can see ghosts is when you look at one something triggers and you start to consume a very small amount of the Resonance inside you, which will technically slow down the speed that you heal and fill Vials. It won’t be enough that you notice it though.”

  Alley had never thought about it before, but while he understood Denderra perfectly her voice was thickly accented in a manner Alley didn’t recognize. He would have to ask Darius if he knew where it was from at some point.

  “So am I going to see ghosts all over the place now?”

  Again the girl shrugged, before offering a little smirk that was more charming than arrogant. “ I live in a Card that has been buried underground for so long the geography has changed.”

  Alley let out a little laugh, but internally he made another note. ‘She lives in a Card? One of the Blank ones maybe?’ “Alright fair point, I can’t expect you to know much about the world as it is, but you do know about that Linked Item The Dead Man’s Hand. I have already tried to pull it out of the Dealer and inspect it, but I think you are stopping me.”

  The girl bit her lip but didn’t say anything. “I want us to be a team, but you have to understand this is my Deck now. I need to know how my Cards and Items work, hell if you could confirm for me exactly why this cloak keeps trying to drink my blood I’d appreciate that too.”

  He half expected Denderra to flee, to storm off inside, or vanish back into his Dealer where he couldn’t reach her. The girl stayed silent for an uncomfortably long period of time but didn’t leave. Eventually after examining the old wooden boards of the porch for far longer than could possibly have been stimulating she looked up and met his apparently purple-glowing eyes with her own pale ones.

  “What you should be asking me about is how to stop my brother from taking your body.”

  Alley has a new power from ranking up! Darius has one too, but it might be a little bit before you see that one.