Arcane: Winds of Change

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Chapter 36: The Man with the Cards

Following Phil's gaze, Jinx noticed a tall, thin man wearing an awkwardly wide-brimmed hat with odd tattoos on the back of his hands. At that moment, he was shuffling three cards with a peculiar technique, a roguish smile playing at the corners of his mouth. 

"Don't mess with me, Phil. I'm not stopping you from looking. Of course, ignoring the facts, I might believe that someone who's lived in Zaun like you would have a friend who's a gambler from Bilgewater." Jinx shrugged. 

"Not really friends, just acquaintances. Let's go check it out, see how the game is going." With that, Phil led Jinx toward the gambling table. 

Approaching the table, Phil observed the people seated around it. There was an alluring dealer dealing the cards online, a few women vying for tips from the winner, and three gamblers. Their clothing varied greatly. The acquaintance Phil mentioned wore a khaki suit with a metallic vest, though it seemed a bit worn-out. Opposite him sat a man with a face full of hostility, brows furrowed, appearing to be on the brink of an outburst. 

On the other side, a corpulent man sat at the end of the table, flanked by two burly guards. His fingers bore eight jade rings. His face appeared somewhat naive, but everyone knew that no good person could sit at this table. 

"May I join?" Phil asked with a smile. "Get lost, brat," the man with a hostile face finally found an outlet for his frustration. 

"I really dislike those who judge by appearances, but it's fine." Phil took out proof of his wealth. Jinx, having been annoyed by the man's words, found herself rummaging through her bag, remembering Phil's warning. She eventually pulled out two mini-mini zapper grenades. These grenades were ten times smaller than her usual bombs, packed with highly concentrated explosives, not powerful, but enough to send someone flying. 

"You can, but you'll have to wait until next time," the corpulent man spoke. 

"No problem, I'll just watch," Phil replied agreeably. 

This round, the irate gorilla—as Jinx dubbed him—won. 

"Okay, this time I'm betting everything on this gentleman here. I bet he'll win." Phil pulled out a bag of gold coins, weighing about five or six pounds. He'd come prepared with money. Phil could tell it was the man named Trist, wanting the aggressive fellow to win, or perhaps now he was going by Tobias? Felix. 

However, this should be the killing round. Phil felt it, though, even if he lost, it wouldn't be too bad. After all, a bet that's a sure win isn't really a gamble. 

"Are you sure? The cards haven't been dealt yet," the corpulent man asked. "It's okay, I trust my instincts." 

Trist looked at him with an unusual gaze, already contemplating how to make his exit. Soon enough, three cards were dealt. The expressions of all three players present seemed confident, making it difficult to read. 

"All in, this round is mine, hahaha." The aggressive fellow laughed heartily, pushing all his coins to the center of the table. 

"Not so sure, my hand's pretty good too." The corpulent man chuckled, pushing his coins forward. 

"Let's make this interesting, gentlemen. How about we double it?" Tobias bent the cards, a faint glow seemed to flow over them. His gaze fixed intently on the corpulent man, barely glancing at the man who'd just gone all in. 

"Hey? Aren't you reconsidering? I went all in, and my hand's great." The man who'd laughed earlier now had cold sweat trickling down his face; it was the captain's money he'd sneaked out to gamble. If he could repay it, all would be well. If not, he feared he might find himself at the bottom of the sea tomorrow—at least that would be an honorable death. 

Seeing the corpulent man's gaze sharpen, he responded, "Want to play big? Good, kid, but don't lose your shorts here." With that, he called over his aide, and a small chest of gold coins was dropped onto the table. Tobias, as if performing a magic trick, also produced a large bag of gold coins from his cloak.

"Alright, let's reveal the hand," he said, gracefully removing his hat before speaking. The man who had been eliminated due to insufficient funds cursed as his cards were revealed: AAK. Seeing the two Aces, a corpulent man sighed in relief and smiled at Tobias, "You've lost, boy." He flipped his cards, revealing three Kings. With two Aces already on the table, this was the strongest hand possible.

"Sorry, but I won," Tobias replied as he elegantly turned his cards over, revealing 2, 3, 5—the weakest hand, yet under the rules, it could trump three of a kind. He put his hat back on, a mocking smile appearing in the shadow of the brim. "They're cheating with that kid! They must be!" yelled the irate man, hoping for a turn of events as he stood up angrily.

As he spoke, he approached Phil and the others, seemingly ready for a confrontation. "Boom!" An explosion erupted on his person, but the casino remained generally unmoved, with everyone minding their own business. The dealer and a few women at the table, however, decided to leave.

"This angry little gorilla can go star-gazing now," Jinx scoffed, having reached her patience limit long ago. "Alright, let's check on our friend; we might lose him in all this," Phil suggested. As people turned back toward the noise, the mountain of gold coins was gone, and so was the man with the hat. "Catch those two!" the corpulent man barked in anger when he realized Tobias and his money had vanished. But capturing Phil and Jinx proved futile.

Phil and Jinx sped away, using a grappling hook to swing through a window, disappearing into the buildings without a trace. "Hey, isn't there something you've forgotten?" Phil crouched on a beam, moonlight casting his silhouette. Counting his money, Tobias froze momentarily, then smiled slightly, "Apologies, my friend. You should take what you earned." As he spoke, he divided some of the gold from the pile. Phil didn't immediately grab it, not wanting to appear too eager.

"Where's Graves?" he asked, feigning casual conversation. This question raised Tobias's guard. He and Graves had just recently hit it off, causing quite the ruckus in Bilgewater, even planning a big heist in Piltover, though uncertain circumstances put that plan on hold.