We found a spot in the market where the high-stakes gamblers gathered, a place where the wealthy traders flaunted their riches in games of chance. Rune set up the table, and I arranged the cards, ensuring everything was in order. Vice positioned herself nearby, her keen eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of trouble. Alice sat at the table, her expression a perfect blend of innocent curiosity and nervous excitement. Once everything was set up, Vice leaned against a nearby tree, and Rune pretended to browse a nearby stall. I started our scam.I called out, "Bold of you, little missy. Care for a game of blackjack? Only 3 gold per game." Alice nodded, "Yes, please." I dealt the cards, naturally rigged with a bit of sleight of hand for my games with Alice. I dealt her the 8 of spades and the 9 of hearts. This gave her a lead of 17 to start. I pretended to act nervous, "17? Do you want to hit?" Alice shook her head, "No, thank you." I sighed, annoyed, "Alright, let's see if I can beat a 17." I dealt my own cards face down and then revealed the 7 of spades and the 5 of clubs. I hit myself once and got the queen of hearts, which put me at 22. I busted. I threw my cards down in fake frustration and spat out, "I busted. You win." I threw down 3 gold coins in front of her.Alice felt around for them and then picked them up. Just like we rehearsed, she went to get up, but I stopped her. I called out, "Whoa there, getting up already? How about one more game, all or nothing for 6 gold?" A few people began watching our game, intrigued. Alice sat back down, "All or nothing." I nodded, pleased, "Right, all or nothing. I won't ask again either." Alice said stoically, "Deal." I reshuffled and dealt the cards out to both of us. I dealt her the queen of spades and the 9 of hearts, giving her a total of 19. I slammed the table, "19? Are you serious? Hit or stand?" Alice smirked at me mockingly, "Stand." I cursed to myself, "Fine, let me hit my own cards." I gave myself the 10 of clubs and the 7 of diamonds. I hit the final card, a 6 of diamonds, which made me bust at 23.I threw my cards down, "Shit, no way I busted!" Alice slyly took the gold I put on the table, "It was fun." She went to stand up, and I made a pathetic last effort, "Wait, missy, one more game, triple or nothing." Alice ignored me and took all the gold on the table. She walked away towards Vice. I tossed my cards down in frustration. The crowd had grown significantly larger by now, murmurs of curiosity and excitement rippling through the onlookers. The wealthy traders and gamblers, who had been observing our game with keen interest, seemed more than eager to try their luck. I looked around, spotting potential marks, and flashed a confident smile.I didn't even need to advertise. The next person came over right away. A burly man with a thick beard and an air of arrogance stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with greed. "I'll play," he said, tossing a heavy pouch of gold onto the table. The clinking sound of the coins drew even more attention. The man grinned, "I saw that little whimper you let out earlier. What do you say to a bigger bet? Think you can afford 10 gold a game?" I pretended to look nervous, "10 gold?" The man smiled confidently, "Think of it as a way to get your money back from that little girl. How about it?" I nodded nervously, "Alright, I will deal." I dealt both of our hands the same way I did for Alice. I dealt the cards in his favor and let him win the first game.The man picked up all 20 coins on the table with a loud laugh, "Today just isn't your day, kid." He went to stand up, but I stopped him in desperation, "W-wait, double or nothing." The man smirked, "In a hurry to lose again? You aren't the brightest young man, but sure, I would love more of your money." He placed 20 gold on the table. The man played with a gold coin cockily, "Deal." I frowned nervously, "Right away."I shuffled the cards, my hands steady despite the supposed nervousness I displayed. I dealt the burly man his cards first—a king of spades and a nine of diamonds, giving him a strong start at nineteen. I dealt myself a seven of hearts and a five of spades, totaling twelve. The man's grin widened as he watched me, confident in his impending victory. "Hit or stand?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly."Stand," the man said, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk.I drew a card for myself—a ten of diamonds. My total now stood at twenty-two. "I bust again," I said, throwing my cards down in frustration. The crowd murmured in sympathy as I pushed the twenty gold coins across the table to the burly man.The man's laughter boomed through the market as he scooped up his winnings. "Looks like you're out of luck today, kid," he said, getting up to leave.Desperation dripped from my voice as I called after him, "Please, sir, one more game. Triple or nothing."The man turned back, a predatory gleam in his eye. "Triple or nothing? You're desperate, aren't you? Fine. Triple or nothing it is." He placed sixty gold coins on the table with a flourish, drawing gasps from the onlookers. I swallowed hard and dealt the cards again. This time, I gave him a pair of tens, making his total twenty. For myself, I dealt a six of clubs and a four of hearts, starting me off at ten. The tension in the air was palpable as I drew my next card, a five of diamonds, bringing my total to fifteen.The man leaned forward, his eyes glinting with greed. "What's it gonna be, kid? You want to hit or stand?"I glanced at my cards, then back at him. "Hit," I said, drawing my final card. I felt Rune pass by me very subtly. I drew the card I needed, the six of spades. "Yes!" I exclaimed, barely containing my excitement. "I won!"The man's face twisted in disbelief and fury as he stared at the cards. "No way! You must have cheated!" he roared, standing up so abruptly that his chair fell over. I looked surprised, "In a game of chance, how do you suppose I did that?" He walked over to me with fury in his eyes, looking ready to kill, "I don't know how, you little shit, but I know you did!" A gun was held up to the back of the man's head faster than anyone could react. Vice had made her way over, leaving Alice alone for a moment. Vice's eyes were cold, and her hand rested on her weapon. "There's no need for accusations," she said calmly but with an edge of menace. "The game was fair." The man blurted out, "Wh-who are you?" Vice snorted, "A good Samaritan. Now release your hands nice and slowly and be on your way." The man grunted and put me down, "Bastards, I'll get you back for this." Vice chuckled, "I think I told you to be on your way. Leave your gold right on the table." The man huffed as he did as he was told.The tension in the air was thick as the burly man reluctantly left the gold on the table, his face contorted with rage and humiliation. He backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, promising retribution. Vice kept her gun trained on him until he was well out of sight, her expression never wavering from its cold, hard mask.Once he was gone, the crowd began to disperse, murmuring among themselves about the dramatic turn of events. I gathered up the gold, "Nice work, Vice." Vice lit up a cigarette and shrugged, "Just following orders." I glanced around for Rune, who was still pretending to browse nearby stalls but was now watching us intently. I caught his eye and gave him a small nod. Everything had gone according to plan. With the man's generous donation, we were now in the ballpark for buying back Jasmine. I wanted at least 40 to 50 more gold for negotiating.Once we had all regrouped, I explained the last part of the plan. "We are still 40-50 gold shy. Rune, do you think you can win about that much at one of the other gambling tables?" Rune confirmed, "Should be able to get that much without being caught if I hop around tables." I smirked, "You catch on quick. Let's get to work then." Rune followed me back to the gambling tables, a new idea in our minds. The plan was in motion, and we were getting closer to our goal. With Rune working the other tables and Vice keeping a watchful eye, we had a real chance of gathering the remaining gold. As the market buzzed around us, I couldn't help but feel a surge of confidence. Jasmine's freedom was within reach, and I knew this was our first step toward a much larger plan for this city.