The moonlight poured freely through the open windows on the second floor of the thatched cottage, and Kian stared at the cards in his hand with a satisfied smile.
Today's deal had been a success, and his 300-card deck had added two more Warrior-class beasts, worth far more than any poor farm boy should have.
Sure, he's only seventeen and already in an arranged marriage, but as a farmer, he has nothing else to do once the crops are in, and he's put in more hours in the army than many an Elite Whisperer without realizing it.
One of the better of the new duo was a descendant of the Uminari; even at a young age, it's claws were conspicuously crystalline blue, and it's body was fully grown, like the elongated bodies of a brilliant mantis shrimp or an imperial scorpion, glistening in the moonlight, just off the shiny trading card in Keene's hand known as a Seal.
The scent of summer wafted through the window again, along with the smell of smoke.
It was strange, because in the dry season everyone knew not to make fires unconditionally, and as far as he knew, none of the other children had fire magical creatures.
The strangeness intensified as screams and frantic yells came from the distance, along with the sound of marching feet.
Keene sat up so he could look out the window, but his eyes were locked on Lady Cain, who was being defiled by the heavily armored orc in front of him.