The tavern fell completely silent as the first cards were dealt.
Kaizen, with his confident posture, stared at the other two players around the table. The dark elves and dwarves maintained serious expressions, but a glimmer of excitement shone in their eyes.
Valthorn was the first to examine his cards. He sketched a cunning smile as he mentally calculated the possibilities. "Well done, stranger. Let's see what you have to offer."
Kaizen, for his part, also studied his own cards with an impassive gaze. On the other hand, Talfor, the dwarf, showed clear frustration.
The first round began with cautious glances. The players exchanged intense glances as they decided who they would challenge to an exchange of cards. Kaizen, mentally choosing Valthorn as his first opponent, said:
"Elf..."
Valthorn, with a subtle smile, showed his hand of six cards, which were all face down to Kaizen, and the outsider chose one from his own hand to deal in return. The tension in the room increased as the cards passed from hand to hand, each player trying to discern the other's intentions.
Back at the table, Valthorn discarded a card and placed it on the table, looking confident. "Your turn, outsider. Show us what you've got."
The outsider, Kaizen, studied the hand of cards before him with an inscrutable expression. His eyes, deep and mysterious, travelled slowly over each card, assessing the strategic possibilities. Valthorn watched intently, a slight air of confidence in his elven posture. Talfor, the dwarf, scratched his grey beard as he followed the exchange of cards with an expression of persistent suspicion.
In the third round, the game reached its climax. Talfor, the dwarf, was determined to win. He chose Kaizen as his opponent for the card exchange, as Kaizen was the biggest threat to his victory at the moment, and the two players exchanged an intense look. The cards changed hands, the moves calculated like a dance of cunning and strategy.
The Valthorn elf, still without points, studied his cards with a serious expression. His cunning eyes searched for the opportunity for a surprising turn. Meanwhile, the Night Sword stood imposingly on the table, casting an enigmatic shadow over the game.
Kaizen's turn finally came, and he chose Valthorn as his opponent. As the round progressed, the players' expressions reflected the complexity of the game.
Talfor, the dwarf, was aware that he needed to maintain his lead in order to secure his victory. He chose Kaizen as his opponent again, determined to dismantle any strategy the outsider might have. The exchange of cards happened quickly, and the tension reached its peak as the players waited to see who would emerge victorious.
The round continued with daring moves, each player trying to outdo the other. Valthorn, now on the scoreboard, gained confidence, while Kaizen maintained his enigmatic aura. The cards danced between the players' hands, creating a symphony of strategies and unexpected twists.
The third round continued with a series of secret twists. Each player was determined to outwit the other, and the strategy unfolded in a dance of cards. The audience in the tavern was completely involved in this spectacle of skill and cunning.
The contest culminated in an electrifying climax when Kaizen finally revealed his last move. With a subtle smile, he placed a sequence of cards on the table, forming not just a three of a kind, but a sequence again.
Talfor, frustrated, placed the cards on the table face up, showing that he hadn't managed to win, no matter how much he had focussed on disrupting Kaizen.
Valthorn raised his head, looked at his opponents and, for a moment, it seemed as if he had won, because a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, but his satisfied expression quickly turned to frustration. He stood up, threw the cards on the table, drew his sword and pointed it at Kaizen.
"You cheated! I know it! Oh, I know it! You and the dwarf arranged everything!"