#arcanerings

Briar left the small card shop, her new card tucked safely into her jacket pocket as she wandered out of the town. She glanced around, soaking in her new surroundings, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the simple card she had just purchased. She pulled it out, turning it over in her hands, staring at the single word: "Rose." Curious and unsure of what it could do, Briar stepped to the side of the road and, with a hesitant breath, called out the card’s name.

“Rose!”

There was a sudden puff of smoke, and Briar waved her hand in front of her face, coughing as the thick cloud surrounded her. She squinted through the haze, expecting a flower, a perfume bottle, or maybe even some kind of effect to emerge from the card. Instead, a boy appeared. Not a monster, not a spell—an actual boy, about her age, though an inch shorter. Briar blinked in confusion, her eyes widening as the smoke cleared and she got a better look at him.

The boy had jet-black hair, peach-colored skin, and gold eyes that gleamed with an almost mischievous excitement. Briar noticed faint scars scattered across his body and clothes that seemed to fit a peasant's style, with a rose motif woven throughout his outfit. He was looking at her as though he’d just met an old friend. Briar, however, was anything but at ease.

“What the…?” she muttered, stepping back instinctively, her heart racing. She was expecting anything but a human figure to pop out of her card.

The boy smiled brightly, as if completely unfazed by her reaction. “It’s been a while since I’ve been outside. The game’s changed a lot,” he said, his voice filled with awe as he glanced around at the world beyond the card.

Briar frowned, backing up further. “Where did you come from?” she asked nervously. “What are you?”

The boy ignored her questions, continuing to take in his surroundings. Briar’s confusion deepened as she considered the possibility that he might be some kind of deity, a powerful being sealed within the card. Her mind raced with the thought of accidentally summoning something beyond her control.

She scrambled backward, trying to crawl away, but before she could get far, the boy appeared in front of her, his expression playful yet determined. “Where are you going?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Away from you!” Briar replied, her voice shaking. “I didn’t sign up for this! I bought a card, not a—whatever you are.”

He chuckled softly, his gold eyes twinkling with amusement. “You bought me,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’m a powerful spell card, and you’re going to need my help.”

Briar shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest. “No, I didn’t. I bought a card that said ‘Rose,’ not a boy. And I definitely don’t need your help.”

The boy only laughed as Briar turned and ran. She sprinted through the small town and out into the wilds of the island, desperate to distance herself from the strange boy who had emerged from her card. Hours passed, and as the sun began to set, Briar found herself at the edge of a dense forest. She set up camp, sitting down to eat a meager meal, trying to calm her frayed nerves.

“I can just buy a new starter card tomorrow,” Briar muttered to herself. “I’ll forget all about this weird ‘Rose’ card.”

But as she took her first bite of food, the scent of her meal attracted unwanted attention. From the shadows, a group of rough-looking duelists emerged. They were older, tougher, and their intentions were clear. Bandits.

“Hand over your money, girl,” one of them growled, pulling out a jagged, rusted knife.

Briar’s heart dropped as she stood up, backing away slowly. “I don’t want any trouble,” she said, her voice shaking. “Just leave me alone.”

But the bandits weren’t interested in talking. One of them lunged forward, trying to snatch Briar’s bag, and she bolted. Her heart raced as she dodged between trees, but the bandits were faster, and soon she was cornered, trapped against the trunk of an enormous oak.

Just as the lead bandit reached out to grab her, a thunderous roar echoed through the forest. Briar looked up in horror as a massive, grotesque beast burst through the underbrush. It was covered in thick, thorny vines, its body twisting and writhing like a monstrous plant. The creature stood at least ten feet tall, its eyes glowing a deep crimson as it let out a menacing snarl. Its body was composed entirely of dark, thorn-covered branches that coiled and snapped like the tails of serpents.

The bandits froze in terror as the creature towered over them. One of them hesitated, their eyes wide with fear, but the leader sneered and drew a sword, its rusted blade glinting in the dying light. "It’s just a monster card," he muttered, trying to sound brave. "We can take it."

With a blood-curdling roar, the beast lunged at the attackers. Its thorny tendrils lashed out, whipping through the air like razors. The bandits barely had time to react as the first of them was slashed across the chest, his armor offering no protection against the razor-sharp vines. He screamed, dropping to the ground as the thorns tore through his clothing and skin. Another bandit tried to strike at the beast with his sword, but the creature's vines wrapped around the weapon, snapping it in two as if it were nothing more than a twig.

The bandits scrambled backward, their bravado crumbling as the beast unleashed its fury. One by one, they turned and fled into the woods, leaving their fallen comrades behind. The thorny creature didn’t give chase. Instead, it stood tall, its crimson eyes scanning the clearing before turning its gaze to Briar.

Panting, Briar tried to climb up a nearby tree, but her foot slipped, and she fell, hitting her head on a low-hanging branch. Dizzy and disoriented, she called out weakly for help, but before she could hit the ground, she was caught in the monster’s thorny arms. Its jagged exterior softened, the vines retracting as the beast began to shrink and transform.

To Briar’s astonishment, the creature’s body shimmered and morphed, until, standing before her once again, was the boy from before. He held her gently, his expression calm and composed as he lowered her to the ground.

“W-What just happened?” Briar stammered, her heart pounding in her chest. “Who… what are you?”

The boy grinned, brushing a hand gently across the bruise on her forehead. Where his fingers touched, small rose buds bloomed, soothing the pain. “You needed saving,” he said simply. “So I saved you.”

Briar blinked in confusion, still trying to process everything that had just happened. “Why? Why are you helping me?”

The boy smiled softly. “Because you’re my summoner now. And I think we’re going to make a great team.”

Briar stared at him, unsure of what to say. He brushed the dirt off her clothes, dusting her off before stepping back. “Your name’s Briar, right? That’s funny, ‘cause guess what?” He grinned wider. “My name’s Thorn.”

Briar’s cheeks flushed slightly as Thorn’s golden eyes twinkled with amusement. He gave her a small, playful bow, his rose-themed outfit swaying in the evening breeze. “I want to be your spiritual companion,” he declared, his voice full of confidence.

Briar hesitated, still unsure of what she had gotten herself into, but something about Thorn made her feel… safe. Maybe, just maybe, this strange boy could be the ally she never knew she needed.

-

Chapter 2: A New Bond

Briar and Thorn made their way to a quieter area of the forest to set up camp. Thorn, ever the gentleman, assisted Briar in walking as she was still sore from her earlier encounter. Briar, still in shock, sat down on a log, her cheeks flushed from both embarrassment and the earlier ordeal. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

“How… how did you wind up in the Rose card?” Briar asked, trying to steady her voice. She glanced up at Thorn, who was busy gathering some fallen branches for their campfire. Thorn’s smile faltered slightly, a shadow of reluctance crossing his face.

“This game can get pretty dangerous,” he replied, his tone evasive. “That’s all I can say.”

Briar’s thoughts drifted back to the thorny beast Thorn had morphed into earlier. “And that thing back there,” she began, her voice trembling slightly, “is that what you become?”

Thorn shrugged nonchalantly, plucking some flowers from his skin and removing the vines from his legs. “I can be. That form is known as the Tenebrose Beast. I told you I was a powerful card,” he said with a wink. He began weaving the flowers together, using the petals to gently wipe the blood and dirt from Briar’s face. Briar was still processing everything, and her confusion was palpable.

“Why… why did you say your name was Thorn?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“That’s right! Thorn Levy!” Thorn announced proudly, a wide grin on his face.

“Th-Thorn… why do you want to be my…” Briar hesitated, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. “Companion?”

Thorn moved closer, gently taking her hands in his. “Because you’re my Rose Princess!” he said with enthusiasm. Then he added more seriously, “Well, I don’t have many options, so I’ll take anyone as my summoner. I just want to be your favorite card, the one you call upon. That way, maybe one day… I can go home.”

Briar’s eyes widened. “Go home?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “Is… is there anything else?”

“No,” Thorn said with a sigh. “I just want to go home. Having a summoner who regards me as a spiritual companion helps.”

Briar swallowed hard, her mind racing with the implications. “Alright, then. If I accept you, will you help me win the game, get cards, duel, and all that?”

“Oh yes! Yes, I will!” Thorn said, standing up enthusiastically before her.

“Alright, what do I have to do?” Briar asked, reaching for her book to check her deck and where to place the card. “Is there a special place for the card?”

“Yes, but there’s something else,” Thorn said, sitting down next to her. He extended his palm, from which a delicate rose began to bloom. He plucked two petals and offered them to her. “If you consume a petal and I consume one, we’ll be bound to each other. This way, I’ll be able to assist you both in and out of battle without you needing to summon my card. I will protect you until the end, and in exchange, I’ll need your help to get home. Sound good?”

Briar hesitated. She didn’t entirely trust Thorn, but he had saved her life, and she was desperate to succeed. “Alright,” she said, “I’ll do it.”

Thorn chuckled softly and ate his petal, and Briar followed suit, swallowing it whole. As soon as she did, she felt a strange sensation. Her black hair began to turn a cloudy white. “What the…? What’s happening?” Briar exclaimed, tugging at her hair in confusion.

Thorn’s hair was changing in a similar fashion, matching hers. “Oh, it’s fine,” he said with a reassuring smile. “It’s just an indication of our bond now.”

Briar looked at him, still bewildered but trying to accept the new reality. “Alright, alright, that’s it, yeah?” she asked nervously. “It… it’ll take some getting used to, but it’s not too bad, I suppose…” She yawned, her exhaustion catching up with her.

Thorn, sensing his summoner’s fatigue, reached out and wrapped her in a blanket made of rose vines. To Briar’s surprise, the blanket was incredibly soft and free of any sharp thorns. “Here you go,” Thorn said gently. “You should get some rest. Don’t worry, I’ll watch over you while you sleep, Rose Princess.”

“H-Hey, don’t call me that,” Briar mumbled as she settled down, her voice barely audible. “It’s just Briar…”