Post by Morec0
(( Honestly, I'm not sure if I'll be able to post Saturday, internet at my house has been dead for weeks now. Not to mention the suspense of waiting two more days to post Page 20 is killing me. So here it is.
Page 19 ))
- As it turned out, the rules of Blackwater Twenty-Five were actually very simple. A chosen dealer would pass a card to anyone who asked for one and the value on that card would be added to their total score, with Prince, Duke, and Pawn cards all equaling ten, and aces equaling either one or eleven. Jesters were removed from the game. The one who got the closest to Twenty-Five without going over was the winner.
- And so Sprixx's and Nilon's match began. A local Bruiser - the closest thing to a neutral party in the room - had been chosen as dealer to prevent any bribing. Nilon and Sprixx were each dealt a card, which they flipped face-side up. His had been a four of Seeker, the Goblin's: an ace of base, which he counted as eleven.
- The Goblin's turn. He tapped his green claws against the table, signallling that he wanted another card. The dealer passed him the card at the top of the deck: a ten of coins.
That gives him a total of twenty-one, Nilon thought. That was high, but not too high. With a little luck he-.
- Before he could even finish his thought Sprixx did something completely unexpected; he asked for another card. The dealer, eyes wide in disbelief, handed it over. Sprixx looked at it, his greedy little grin spreading. Then he placed the card down, face side up.
- It was a three of seeker.
- Nilon's emotions flashed through anger, confusion and even fear. What was he going to do now? With a score of twenty-four the only possible way for him to beat Sprixx was with a perfect twenty-five. And according to Jason - in an unstacked deck - that only came around once in a life time. Nilon's only option seemed to be defeat, and he nearly folded his hand. But then he stopped, he realized that if he surrendered he would lose the game. He would lose the only chance he had to continue his mission.
- He would lose Celen.
- Before he even realized what he was doing he asked the Brusier-dealer for another card.
- The gaurd was almost as shocked as everyone else, but still handed Nilon the next card. It was a prince of seeker, a ten. He asked for another, this time he recived a nine of coins. These two cards - added with his first - gave him a scone of twenty-three.
- Sprixx's grin returned he knew what this meant. It didn't matter how much luck he had now, there was no chance of tying the game, let alone winning. Only three cards in the entire game would keep him from going over the twenty-fire mark and losing.
- And Nilon knew it.
-
Light, he thought in silent prayer,
Forgive me for this. I've failed and cost a dear freind her freedom. He motioned for one last card.
- The dealer picked up the top card, and began to grin wider then Nilon thought possible. He handed the card to the despairing Blood Elf, who began to grin too. He placed it on the table face-up.
- It was a two of Blanks.
- There was an uneasy silence ifor a moment. "Sprixx lost," whispered one sailor. "Sprixx never loses," said another. "What now?" As if in reply Sprixx raised his hands and brought them together in a slow clap. As the moments passed every sailor, adventurer and Bruiser in the bar joined in. Eventually the applause slowed and stopped, then Sprixx spoke up.
- As long as I have lived I've never seen a person that could even come close to beating me," Sprixx said, "especially not a beginner like yourself. After all," he grinned, "I invented the game."
- Nilon looked over at Jason, the warrior smiled knowingly.
- "Now," Sprixx continued, "If I'm not mistaken, I owe two Elves, one Human, one Orc, and one... robed thing each a ticket aboard the Bobbing Blossom. We're running behind schedule as it is, but nothing my ship can't make up for. If we leave immediately that is.
- Nilon nodded. "We have all the supplies we need, just show us to your ship and we're good to go."
- "Then follow me," Sprixx said as he stood and strolled out of the tavern.
- Nilon glanced over at Celen, she was looking back at him, an expression of disgust on her face. Then she snapped her head away in the opposite direction.
- The Blood Elf sighed. She would be giving him the cold shoulder for a while, but he hoped that she would see the reasoning behind his actions and find the heart to forgive him.
-
If she could.