In the corner of the second-rate market, two men with straight teeth and hardly-worn heels spoke gently. The vendors implored the passersby to take a look at their meager offerings. A few dented melons here and batches of over-ripened bananas there.
The taller, dark-haired man broke off from the conversation first and strolled back along the path.
“One piece for an honest game of chance,” said the young dark-skinned girl with a blue hooded-cloak and painted third eye.
“No tricks to be found here.”
The man placed three pieces on the table and the girl frenzily shuffled three cards. She seamlessly flipped the middle card, revealing a black X and returned it to the fold.
A moment later, she placed all three cards on the table and stepped away with her arms folded. The man slapped his greasy finger on the right-most card and smiled. The girl revealed the black X card and sheepishly handed over five more pieces, her entire day’s take.
He strolled away from the market without another glance.
That night, the Nobleman tossed and turned in his sleep with the assassin’s’ blade holstered at his waist and the eight pieces in his purse.
The real world blended with the dream world as he fell through worlds of his mind’s creation. The vortex drove him lower until the void was inescapable. He landed on his bed and sat upright with sweat on his face. A ghostly vision stood before him.
“Do you still stand by your oath to obey the King and defend it from its enemies?”
“I do, great Mystic of the realm. I spend every day in service to the crown.
“But alas, my maids have heard nothing and my own snooping has found only allies. Perhaps, we are searching for something that is not there.”
The Nobleman stared deeply into the blurry visage, attempting to make out a face but the deeper he went, the more he only saw himself.
In a flash, the vision was gone and the nobleman was left alone in his chambers. He rung for the butler and began to change out of his sweat-covered robe.
On the following day, the tall, dark-haired man was noticeably jittery. His fingers reeked of tobacco tar and he half-heartedly looked and the market’s offerings.
He met with the same man in the same corner, but this meeting was brief. They shook hands and as the dark-haired man made his way north, he read the message quickly and placed it into his pocket. He repeated the words over again in his head.
“Artem Arawack was scheduled to see the Physician, but…”
“One piece for an honest game of chance,” said the young girl.
“No tricks to be found here.”
The Nobleman fumbled for the change in his pocket and spilled out another three pieces, even though there was little in the girl’s stash.
“Are we playing?”
The girl shuffled up the cards and once again the man fingered the black X with his greasy paw. He waited with a smile as the little girl fished the remaining bits from the bottom of her purse.
The Nobleman did not attempt to sleep that night. He sat in his bed and repeated the message.
“Artem Arawack was scheduled to see the Physician, but he was never seen arriving.”
A ghostly-vision appeared and he took a second to steady himself before focusing on her gaze.
“The King has some questions about your lack of information. Members of our court are dying every day while you do nothing.”
“Tell my Liege that I have found something, possibly of great importance.
“Artem Arawack was scheduled to see a Physician, but never arrived… My maids overheard a conversation, a heated conversation, he was having with the valiant Sir Conway, who was recently found dead… as of course you know.”
The Mystic hung in the air for another moment before vanishing once again. The Nobleman took a long breath and unconsciously checked for his dagger and the money in his purse.
The following day, the Nobleman looked refreshed. With regained confidence, the smug look on his face made it clear how much more important he was than the peasants at their stalls.
He turned up the alley and barely crept into the darkness.
“I knew he was playing the fool,” he told the companion. “The look on the Knight’s face when he chopped off his head and glitter exploded everywhere was priceless.
“These Blue Dragon are turned in circles. Now is our time to convert another member and bolster our ranks.”
The two men shared gleeful smiles and even shook hands before going their separate ways. The Nobleman strolled through the market and walked right up to the little girl at her table.
“Ahh, my lucky charm,” he said as he threw another three pieces down.
The girl shuffled the cards as fast as she could. She flashed the black X for just a moment and set all three cards down at the same time. He hesitated before selecting the center card and revealing a red circle.
“Seems like you’ve been practicing, little girl. But do not dare cheat me. I am a very powerful man,” he said as he threw down three more pieces.
The girl shuffled with all her might. The black X was merely a blur before she neatly arranged the three cards.
His hand hovered over the right-most card but he kept his gaze on her. His hand slid down the spine of the card before he jumped to the center and flipped over a red diamond.
“I see what you’re doing… One more go, but this time I want to clearly see that X. No more of these games.”
He dropped six pieces on the table and sneered.
“Don’t fail me now, my little lucky charm.”
The little girl was much more deliberate this time. She turned over the black X and held it there until the Nobleman shook his head. She casually shuffled the cards from side-to-side before rotating them around and placing them on the table.
“Hahaha, you silly little girl. You cannot fool me.”
He confidently reached for the center card and flipped it, revealing the symbol of the Blue Dragon.
“Your luck has run out, assassin” whispered the girl.
The incredulous, dark-haired man threw the small table to the ground and drew the dagger from his waist.
The King’s Guard reacted quickly and dragged the man to the ground.
“By order of the Prince, you are to be brought at once to the dungeon,” said the ranking officer. “You will meet the executioner’s axe before the sun rises.”
The young Mystic gathered her pieces from the ground and put them into her purse. A light-haired man knelt beside her and helped gather her things.
He picked up the three cards from the ground and flipped them over, revealing the indigo rose of the Unseen.
