The room was filled with a soft, ethereal glow as Selene's healing magic worked its wonders on Aurora. We watched in awe as her wounds slowly began to close and her breathing steadied. The air was thick with a mixture of hope and tension, every breath we took synchronized with the rise and fall of Aurora's chest.
Selene's focus never wavered, her hands moving with practiced precision. After what felt like an eternity, the glow faded, and she stepped back, wiping sweat from her brow.
"She'll be okay."
A collective sigh of relief filled the room. I stepped forward, my voice choked with gratitude. "Thank you, Selene. You have no idea how much this means to us."
Selene offered a tired but genuine smile. "It's what I do. I'm just glad I could help."
Vice, always the pragmatic one, asked, "Is there anything we should watch out for? Any care instructions?"
Selene nodded. "Keep her hydrated and let her rest as much as possible. Change her bandages daily, and make sure her wounds stay clean. I'll come by tomorrow to check on her."
I reached into my pouch, pulling out a handful of coins. "How much do we owe you?"
Selene shook her head. "Keep your money. Helping people is why I became a healer. Just promise me you'll take better care of her. I am not sure how this happened, and I won't ask, but she was on the verge of death."
I choked back my emotions. "You deserve to at least know. She was a slave."
Selene grew pale. "A slave? She was beaten this badly?"
I sighed. "By her former master. I am not sure why, but he whipped her into this shape. We rescued her, but we were too late."
Selene gave a pensive look. "Is she still?"
I shook my head. "No, she is no longer a slave as of today. That much I promise you."
Selene nodded understandingly. "I understand. If I thought you were a danger to her, I would have called the guards. I can see that you aren't bad people, so I will look the other way this time. Should you need help again, don't hesitate to find me."
She packed her supplies, giving Aurora one last, concerned glance. "Take care of her," she added before turning to leave.
We watched her go, the door closing softly behind her. The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of the night's events settling over us. Vice, always the first to break the tension, spoke up.
"We need a plan. We can't let Leroy Hamilton get away with this."
Rune added, "Damn right! That bastard—I can't believe he would treat people like this."
I bit my nails, anger consuming me. "No. This goes deeper than Hamilton. This entire city is rotten. Change of plans. We rescue your sister today. I want to rid this city of its slave traders. I think leaving your sister in a slaver's care even one more day would put her at risk. Forget the auction—we'll need to negotiate directly."
Vice's eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and admiration. "You sure about this, Key? This is a big move."
I nodded, my resolve hardening. "I'm sure. We can't wait for the auction. We won't risk stealing her outright. We'll buy her fair and square. After that, we'll deal with the rest of the slaves."
Rune questioned, "Buy her? How? I mean, she is going to be auctioned off, right?"
I nodded. "We need more money. I have 105 gold on hand. She was expected to sell for about 125 gold. In order to buy her straight out, we need at least 180 gold and a lot of haggling."
Vice chimed in, "I mean, I have 75 gold myself. Wouldn't that be just enough?"
I frowned. "No, that is money I owe you. I appreciate the offer, but I want to do this myself."
Rune asked, "So what's the plan?"
I looked at Alice, who had been silently listening to us talk. I remembered back to the card game we had last night. She won a lot more than I expected. Gambling is a risk, though, and honestly, I wanted to avoid risks. However, a flash of inspiration hit me all at once. What if we cheated? I vowed to never involve innocents in my scams, but what if we scammed at the slave market? Those people are far from spotless. I think I could scam them. The cogs of my scam began to take shape, and I realized that I had all the pieces of a good scam.
I began explaining, "The plan is simple. We are going to play a card game in the slave market. The game will be Blackjack. Alice, you will be a player. Keep your poker face and pretend you are winning lots of gold. I will explain the rules to you on the way over. It's a very easy game. Rune, you will use sleight of hand to subtly shift the game in our favor. I will provide you with a series of card swaps. Your job is to ensure they always bust. Vice, you'll be our lookout. If anyone looks suspicious, make sure they stay out of our way. I will be the dealer. I will always stop at 14-17. I need to make it seem fair. If I go too low, I will only draw suspicion."
Alice was the first to smile a bit. "Good plan. I will make money."
I patted her head. "Once again, you'll be the lead actress here."
Alice puffed out her chest with pride. "Lead actress."
Rune grinned a little, our moods shifting. "I'll make sure those greedy bastards never know what hit them. Today I will win back my sister."
Vice cracked her knuckles. "And I'll be ready to handle any trouble."
I continued, "Here's how it will work. Alice, you'll sit at the table and play like a novice who keeps winning. I'll deal the cards, but I'll keep my bets low on purpose, making it look like I'm losing to you. The key is to make it seem like a fair game, so I'll keep the opponents' hands looking good until the last minute."
Rune chimed in, "That's where I come in. I'll be close by, ready to swap their cards just before they reveal them. They'll always bust, thinking they just had bad luck."
I nodded. "Exactly. Vice, you'll mingle with the crowd, keeping things lively and watching for any signs of suspicion. If anyone gets too curious or confrontational, you step in."
Vice smirked. "I'll make sure they think twice before causing trouble."
I continued, "We'll need to find a busy spot in the slave market where high-stakes gambling is common. Set up the table, and start drawing in the wealthy traders and patrons. The goal is to make them think they can win big, but we'll always ensure they lose in the end."
Rune asked, "What about cashing out? How do we end it without raising suspicion?"
I replied, "Once we've accumulated enough gold, we'll let them win a few rounds to keep them from getting too suspicious. Then, we'll gradually disengage from the table, making it look like a natural end to the game."
Everyone nodded, understanding their roles. I looked to the bed. "We'll let Aurora rest; she needs it."
We headed out of the inn. The day was still young, and I decided to buy a small wooden table from a nearby marketplace. It was cheap, only a few gold. Rune, with his superior strength, carried the large wooden table. I explained the game to Alice as we walked towards the market.
I explained, "The goal of the game is to get as close as you can to a total card value of 21. Anything over 21 is a bust. Both the dealer and the player get two cards to start. You, as the player, have to decide when you want another card. Saying 'hit me' means you want another card, and saying 'stand' means you are done adding cards."
Alice nodded. "Hit me, and stand?"
I patted her small shoulder. "Exactly. I will call out the card values for you. The game is an addition game. So if you get a 7 and a 5 to start, you'll be at 12. You have to decide if the hit is worth the risk. I will be the dealer, so I will reveal my hand after you have either hit 21 or decided to keep your hand. The game we will be playing will be rigged. I will hit until I bust every game. This will make me seem like an amateur. Alice, it is up to you to sell our fake game of Blackjack."
Alice smiled, seemingly understanding what I was suggesting. She grabbed my hand. "I will be a good actress."
I smiled. "Thank you, Alice. I know you will."
With the table in tow and our roles clearly defined, we made our way to the bustling slave market. The atmosphere was a mix of tension and excitement, and the high-stakes gambling tables were already drawing crowds. We set up our table in a prominent spot, ensuring it was visible to those who might be interested in a game. And with that, we began our preparations, ready to play our parts in a game where the stakes were far higher than mere gold.