Their destination was close, but one last obstacle stood in their way. A wandering Cursed blocked Cee and Mary from their destination. Mary had taken the initiative and took any fight that they couldn’t avoid, but the last fight was hers since Mary pointed out, “how you gonna learn if you don’t try?” She had watched Mary’s fights before trying to analyze the art of the duel between decks but this time, she had to be sure until she experienced it for herself since Mary planned to depart the moment she reached the Hub.

“You think you got the looks, let me show you something?”

The Cursed NPC was a woman dressed in outlandish clothing, feathered scarf, tight boots and ebony skin that shone like the shell of an Egyptian scarab. The challenge was a battle of looks, and their tools were their walks and moves she demonstrated as she walked down the walkway like a runway of a fashion show. As she walked, Cee spotted a card above her head beneath a window of the challenge.

[ Runway (Lv.1) Challenge

Challenger Draws:

9 of Hearts ]

She strutted like a peacock across the sidewalk, taking 9 steps forward each step causing hearts to appear with every step and twinkle of her eye, until she finally stopped on her 9th step and stuck a pose. Hearts exploded from every corner of the alley like, bathing her in red blush and satin like a perfectly wrapped valentine’s gift. As the illusion vanished, she turned around and looked into Cee’s eyes with a cold and snarky stare.

“Let’s see what you got, stick figure.”

She strutted down the sideway in the same manner as the deck of fate above her head shuffled and drew the next card.

[ (Red) Joker !

SPECIAL MOVE,

SEQUENCE START!]

Cee’s body started moving on its own, pock and locking her body in several poses like a Vogue model. She headlined her long pale legs, her bulky arms but slender hands, staring with her large red eyes batting them like a fan. In her 11th step she jumped in the air and landed on the ground with both fists hitting the ground like an anvil. A card appeared above her head revealing the...

[ Ace of Spades ]

She reached into the ground and pulled out a large spear, with the head like a large shovel head. Her body took charge as it planted the spear directly into the ground creating a pole in the middle of the sidewalk. She began to dance around the pole like a dance, stretching her feet and hands and twirling around back and forth 11 times until finally she slid down and flipped to the ground from her hands to her feet. The pole disappeared as the Cursed NPC starred in utter shock and awe.

[ Opponent Loses -2 Luck Points. ]

[ Cee wins the Runway Challenge. ]

“Aw, dang!”

POOF! She disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the area. In her place was a small trinket that looked like the shape of the heart, tarnished in black but with a noticeable glimmer of silver underneath.

“Not bad Lil’ Cee, glad to see your luck hasn’t run out on ya yet. You even got a charm to boot.” Mary said, clapping her hands.

“Is that good?”

“Well, that depends really.” She said pick the object up in her stout pudgy hands. “Jinxes like their name implies don’t usually give good luck except for maybe giving ya some scratch like KP, LP, even G$. Yet, 1 in 10 times you’ll maybe get a trinket like this, and it has a rather useful effect if you know how to use it. Just take a look.”

Cee looked at the dark head in hand and noticed an information window next to it appeared as she analyzed it with her eyes.

[ Heart Charm (Cursed)

Can be converted into 10 KP, 1 LP or G$1,000.

At the cost of 10 KP, 1 LP or G$1,000. ]

“If you can get that curse removed you can just get the prize, but that would require someone who knows a thing or two about curse removal. It’s usually more than the thing is worth, so most folks just discard and save them until they find a way for that.”

Without warning Mary tossed the charm in the air toward Cee and she quickly caught it.

“A charms a charm right. Never know when you might need it.”

“Uh, thanks, I guess.” She saw palming the trinket. It vanished in her hand and reappeared in her personal inventory. A box below her information of items listed in her personal stats and current resources.

[ Name: C-Note

Luck Points: 5

Karma Points: 10

G$: 27,163

(1) Heart Charm (Cursed) ]

“Well, we best get a scooting, the Hub is just around the corner and I don’t see any Jinxes about. Best going while the getting is good.”

They continued along the sidewalk and came upon a large golden statue upon a pedestal. She recognizes the frog spirit leaping in front of her. It stood around the giant plaza of glass and steel like hands in an hourglass, and in front of the building was a large dragon that coiled like a snap around the whole building. A series of rail-lines leading in every direction passed the great collection of status from the dragon’s plaza. Cee recognized the structure from the intro video but never realized how grand it was until she saw it in her own virtual eyes.

They walked through the doors and into the station, and looked upon the collection of many gamers, the hoard of many lockers and NPCs managing ticket lines, locker rentals, and other facilities one would find at a train or airport. At the center of it all, near the fountain was an information booth manned by a friendly looking NPC with orange makeup and skin that glimmered like a goldfish. She assisted many players with a pleasant smile in her tourist guide outfit, nodding her head and chatting and greeting everyone who passed by.

“Well, Lil’ Cee, this is where we part ways. Look me up sometime if you’re ever in the South-east district, but don’t get your hopes up because I tend to travel a lot.”

“Wait, I don’t even know where to find a map around here.” She said as Mary casually walked away toward the ticket lines.

“Don’t worry, you get all sorts of information around her. Just ask the nice lady at the counter.” Then she vanished, disappearing in the crowd of players passing by.

She turned her head back to the information booth and walked toward the booth as soon as another player walked away. The booth lady had a mark of four-leafed clover embedded on her hand as she held her hands together and smiled like a long time friend. She noticed a name-tag on her tour-guide vest that gave her name as “Mina.”

“Greetings player, how may I be of assistance to you this morning?” She said with a pleasant demeanor.

“Listen, um, Mina, I’m looking for Wei's Pawn but I don’t know where it is.”

“There are many shops in the city, but I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that one. Perhaps you might try asking the spirits to guide your way. All you need to do is toss an offering in the fountain and ask you a question.”

“Gee, thanks a lot.” She said, rolling her eyes.

“You’re welcome, please come again.” She simply smiled.

While the information was vague and somewhat irrelevant she could see that this information booth was more designed to get players to interact with the environment instead of getting direct answers. Either that it was a scam meant to rob players of what little money they have by tossing it in the fountain. Either way, her next course was clear, as she walked to the large found at the center of the hub and looked before it.

It looked ordinary enough, except for the engravings of the 9 spirits etched upon the basin in ornate fashion. An written in a brass plaque on the spout of the found were these words:

Give the spirits an offering and they might answer your questions. Warning, offer at your own risks, for questions may not be answered exactly how you expected.

Instructions:

Recite the words, “I offer” followed by the amount you wish to make, a coin with manifest, toss the coin in the fountain, then recite your question.

Minimum 1 LP, 10 KP or G$100 per question.

Cee thought about it for a second, but seeing as how it was only a minute amount of money, she didn’t see any harm in trying. Still, given that there was risk involved she wasn’t entirely sure it was safe. Given the circumstances on the line and having spent too much time in this game already, she decided she needed to get this over with and fast. She stretched her hand out in front of the fountain to begin.

“I offer 100 Sand Dollars.”

A light appeared in her hand as she reached out and grabbed it. The moment she grabbed it, she felt something solid and metallic in the palm of her hand. She opened her hand to find a small copper coin with a seashell emblem on one side and word Fortuna inscribed on the other. She placed the coin on the top of her thumb and was ready to start.

“Where can I find Wei’s Pawn?”

With a flick of her thumb, the coin flew into the air and landed in a pool of water in front of her. The coin disintegrated as the pool turned in a bright shade of gold. From out of that golden pool she saw two sets of red ruby eyes appeared in the pool. The next thing she saw was a splash coming out of the pool as something leapt from out the fountain and appeared right behind her.

She turned around and saw a gold frog land on the floor and started hopping forward. Nobody else seemed to notice the frog, as it leapt forward leaving a trail of golden pawn water behind it.

“Okay, what kind of game is this?” She tried to get near the frog but it kept leaping one step forward just out of her reach. “Am I supposed to catch this thing or what?”

She followed the frog, as it hopped further and further into the crowds. She almost lost track of the golden amphibian a couple of times, but the gold pond water trail kept her on the right track. Just as soon as she lost it for the third time, she found not a speck of gold on the ground, or even croaked to where the creature had gone. It was then a voice called out for her to hear!

“For the best prices in the central district, please come on down to Wei’s Pawn!”

She turned her head to where the voice originated, the mouth of Nubian players twirling a large sign with the symbol of dragon etched upon it. He was muscular and athletic but stout, with large ears that had been pierced with large disks and a set of pierces on his lower lip that looked like a set of tusks. He wore tribal tattoos on his body, but wore clothes in the manner of a vagabond, giving the impression of elephant or an orc for lack of green skin.

“Wei’s Pawn, if you want the goods, I know the way!” He laughed as he continued to twirl and move his sign.

“Okay, I get it, it’s a sign.” She said turning her head upward at the poetic turn of phrase of finding her destination.

The nature of the phrase, “questions may not be answered exactly how you expected,” suddenly made sense. She walked onward toward the performer, who placed his sign down spotting a new customer.

“Well, hello there froggy. What brings you around here?”

“What’s with everyone calling me, froggy?”

“Oh, you must be new, no wandering, you're wandering around all aimless.” The man said. “I’ll give you this one for free, you see these ears?” He pulled on the disk of his lope.

“What about them?”

“It’s called a tell.”

“I know, you’re the one who’s telling me.”

“No, not a tale, a tell, like in poke, you know like batting an eye or a turn of smile. In FS, it’s more of a feature that everyone has when they get your character. Like these tusks.” He pointed to his mouth piercings. “They show that my patron spirit is the elephant, you’re got great legs, classic tell of the frog spirit. Not to mention the eyes, it’s all in the eyes.” He put his finger on one of his cheeks to show his large amber like an elephant.

“Who are you?” She asked, not amused by his clownish antics.

“Name’s Guy, as in Fun-guy, and in case you’re wandering, I haven’t seen the movie.”

“What movie?”

“Exactly, my point.” He nodded. “Now, I assume you didn’t come here to ask me a simple question like that, so assume you want the grand tour. You know, my motto, you want the goods, I know the way? What are you looking for purified charms? Luck gems? Karma tokens? Other accessories. I guaranteed everything at least 10 percent above market value.”

“Not interested.” She held up her hand asking him to stop. “I just need to know where Wei’s Pawn is.”

“Cryptic, but not uncommon. Here let's show ya.”

He put down his sign behind his back and pulled out a small pendant with a map etched on it. One tap and the coin reveal a large map of the city, as a large circle of 8 districts surrounded a large central structure of the Hub at the center. As he instructed, Guy pointed at each point of interest drawing a line with his finger to create a highlighted trail upon the map.

“See you’re here at the hub you want to head south toward the Beetle district, it’s right along the outskirts of the Dragon district. Although you might have some trouble since there's been a lot of Jinxes this time of the day. What’s your L/K count?“ It took Cee a moment to realize what he was talking about.

“...Oh, you mean my resources?” She said as she opened her personal window to recheck.

“5..Luck Points and...10 Karma Points?”

“Might not be enough to get there unless you have an escort or know your way around.”

“Let me guess, you know your way around?” She could tell what he was angling for by the sly smirk in his manners.

“Actually, I do.” He said, lugging his sign over her shoulders. “Normally I’d charge 20K for one of the other, but for you 20K I’ll give the full package for just 20K. That’s 20,000 G$ just so you know, dust only, no L/K equivalent please. Care to shake on it?”

It was a steep price but considering that she needed to get to her destination quickly she didn’t see the harm since she recently had the money to spare. Together they shook hands and a window appeared between the two to confirm the transaction.

[ - G$ 20,000 has been deducted from your account.]

“Alright froggy, let’s get to hopping because we have a long way to go.”

Cee followed Guy through the crowd of players bunched up in the hub. Although Guy seemed confident in where he was going, even having a skip in his step and twirling his sign as he led the way. What neither of them saw was a set of golden eyes watching them from across the hallway. A shadow of man in a large trench coat, fedora, and white gloves mingling in with the crowds. He tipped his hat as he walked behind them, watching them closely but not so close to be noticed. As they made their way down the streets, he played with a small coin in his hand shining in the light of the twilight skies above.