It was Kukhi's turn. The sharp-eyed Tributal put down two cards with the same number written at the top, and carefully glanced left and right, keeping a careful glimpse at Ace, who counted something on their fingers.
Rowan breathed heavily, thinking through every possible ploy they could execute in such a simple card game.
The Tributal wasn't necessarily someone who stepped out of their comfort zone, they followed the regulations from above and kept in line. However, this time, things were a little different. For some strange reason, they wanted to win.
Damien didn't care, tapping away at the wooden deck below with a bored expression coating their lips, eyes and thick eyebrows. Sometimes when their turn came, they'd have to snap back out of the song they kept humming to join in on the regulated fun.
However, it wasn't the game's results that Damien longed for. Under that demeanour, lay excitement, which pretty much met what Kukhi entailed, despite the latter showing bits of emotion. Both speculated earlier and now sitting next to each other, whispers ensued, quiet and modest enough that the others wouldn't notice. What was on their minds? Ace and Rowan.
They knew that the Tributal bearing a straw hat would try their best to uncover the ace card hidden under their sleeve. But then again, their key opponent was Rowan, indicated by the fiery glances the two gave each other in complete silence. Rowan wanted to scheme, to be sly, but they wouldn't tolerate Ace's attempts at foiling the game to their advantage.
A few more turns passed, and the two were frozen, paralysed, during an intense stare-off without a word uttered. Kukhi and Damien were, obviously, greatly amused.
"Put down the card, Ace," Rowan uttered, gritting their teeth.
"Are you in a hurry?" the other party asked, fixing their hair with a devious grin, then looking out to the grey, empty seas.
"You're trying to sneak out of losing. Just by looking into your fearful eyes, I can certainly say that the deck you're bearing is full of cards that wouldn't stack. Two left, as well." Rowan uttered, looking at the cards in their hand. Three mathilda flowers, three golden hearts. They furrowed their brows, eagerly waiting for their opponent's next move.
A singular drop of sweat rolled down Ace's cheek, and they stuck their tongue out, using all the energy in their limbs to hesitantly put down one of the two cards they had. Kukhi and Damien inched closer, carefully observing the unorganized orange stack in the middle. The second the thin paper made contact with the clusters below, Ace screamed. "Macau!"
"Damn it." Rowan put down their finger.
"You won't catch me there." Ace shook their head, and Rowan glanced at the card they put down. A crooked smile quickly appeared, which they immediately covered, brushing off and putting their hand behind them.
One swift move later.
"Macau, after Macau!" they yelled, putting both cards down. "HA!" Rowan immediately stood up, in pure joy and awe. "I BEAT YOU TO IT ACE!"
"WHAT?!" Ace shot up, five cards rolling out from beneath their sleeves and dropping to the ground.
"...and you were cheating"!" Rowan yelled, grinning. "It's like killing a demon without a Guardian Demon!"
Ace leapt towards Rowan, pinning them to the ground and thrashing in anger, with a tight, devious smile, while a few cards managed to find their way out of Rowan's jacket.
"They were both cheating." Kukhi was disappointed.
"How could they?" Damien threw the two cards they were hiding in their pocket down to the mess the two Tributals created.
YOU ARE READING
Star Sun Cave
Fantasy[Atlas Grandeur - Book Two] A year after Morio's encounter with Shi Hon, carried by the birds' songs, a temple far in the caves of Errarion is unearthed. In fact, at a point so distant, that for the longest time, it was speculated to be nothing but...
