SERAVEL ROVODIA IS A REBEL WITH A WARRANT. As the head of the Daily Embers, a chronicle criticizing the tyranny of the current ruler, Seravel gained significant enemies who preferred to keep the truth in the dark. When a number of small accidents st...
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2412, Rab 27, Velpa
The volcano's acidic fumes assaulted Sera's nose and the back of it, but it's not like he could run off. Not now, when the game's slowly becoming more interesting. His hand was becoming stronger with each draw, and he couldn't wait for the time he'd have to call for a shoot. These cowards kept chiming even though all the higher cards from each house were now distributed among them.
Never in Sera's wildest dreams did he imagine he'd end up playing poserne with a bunch of prison guards at the base of a volcano. Said volcano also had a caldera full of bubbling lava, and here he was, focusing on strengthening his hand for a chance to ask the guards something he's been curious about.
He also never imagined being back in Gaimouth in such a short amount of time, but circumstances called for it. When they went out for fieldwork, gathering information about the volcano prison, the fires, and how they connected to each other, no one had gotten more than a transcript of nonsense and baseless rumors.
Mentioning Desara was another dead end. Apart from the people lambasting the water sprite territory because of how worse they did economically, no one could contribute anything beyond that. His message to Nelnifa also came unanswered. Maybe his friend was occupied by something else, and he couldn't blame her for it. Between the two of them, Nifa was more of a royal than Sera would ever be.
Finally, when they have been driven up too many walls, Sera decided he'd risk another journey to Gaimouth and learn more secrets on his own, straight from the source. Of course, he met a strain of resistance, but he had every confidence the other writers along with Darmer could keep the press floating for a couple more days. This was the information mine of the century. No way Sera would pass this story up.
That's how he arrived at Gaimouth's base and found not one but three guards waiting on the lone table beneath the spire. This time, though, he didn't bother going up to the prison and meeting the warden. He came specifically for a game of poserne, or at least that's what he told the guards when they asked. Bored out of their living embers, they looked for any source of entertainment to pass the time, and Sera was more than happy to oblige. Of course, in exchange for the information he's looking for.
He hasn't even played poserne in so long. The only thing he remembered were the cards from each houses taking up random occupations in the island. Cards ranged from the High Queen, the Priestess, the Crown Princess, the Marshal, the Potentate, to the lower ranks such as the Scholar, the Jeweler, the Sailor, the Tinker, the Tailor, and other sorts he couldn't come up with at the top of his head.
It was only when the guards explained the rules again that his memory sparked. Of course, that's how one played this somewhat complicated game. And since then, he was locked in a four-round game where his chance of asking a question the guards wouldn't be able to refuse to answer hung in the balance.
He snuck a glance at his hand. All from different houses, so a current worthy of shooting was beyond his reach. The next thing he could think of was to get a nest or a catch. But the two High Queens were already thrown down, discarded just to sabotage the chances of ever getting the strongest hand when a shoot would happen. These guys looked like they played poserne for a living with how harsh their plays were.
