I stood outside of the Crow's Cohort, and admired its exterior opulence. It stood impressively even against the already sizable buildings around it, and on the second and third floor balconies I could see various noteables conversing amongst themselves. Quiet chatter and polite laughter filled the air, drifting towards me from above.

A small group of gentlemen walked around me, raucous laughter erupting between them at a joke one of them told. Their necks were very slightly flushed, and I suspected it wasn't from the cold.

The thought caused me to shiver as it reminded me of its presence, chilling me even through the fur lining of my coat. I set my gait leisurely behind them, entering the main pavilion moments after they did. Immediately I was enveloped by blessed warmth, and the faint voices from outside gave way to far louder commotion. Triumphant cheers, wailing cries, merriment and sorrow and music.

All of it curled my lips upwards into a smile, and I inhaled the distinct musk of expensive alcohol, exquisite desperation, and hapless greed.

Indeed, the home of avarice was where I belonged.

The interior was grander than the inn I had found myself staying in. The decor was impeccable, lavish artwork depicting grandeur and glory set into golden frames, semi-private booths filled with gentlemen and ladies of repute, and sparkling crystal chandeliers, all somehow the least eye-catching pieces in the gambling house.

No, what drew my eye were the tables.

Onyx and ebony with golden marbling, plushly cushioned seats… and more importantly, people. People dressed in subtle finery that whispered wealth rather than screamed it, as the house did.

And all of this was only on the first floor.

"Excuse me Sir, may I take your coat?" I heard a voice ask to my right, and I turned my attention to an attendant I hadn't noticed. They were neatly groomed, their face clean shaven, and their uniform elegant in its dark simplicity.

I smiled, unburdening my coat of the three hundred Yan hidden inside of my breast pocket before passing it onto the attendant's waiting arm.

"Where might I exchange my coin?" I asked him, and he smoothed my coat over his arm while gesturing with a hand.

"Our private lenders would be more than happy to exchange your currency." He informed me, and I followed his gesture to see a small line formed next to the bar, where a stout man was counting coin and passing over what looked to be squared discs of varying color.

I nodded to the man, who bowed before turning and walking away. I took my place in the line, and was pleased that I only had to wait a few moments before I was seen.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" The man asked, and a thick but well kempt mustache upon his lip moving upwards stiffly while he talked. I brought my available wealth to bear, a total of four hundred and twenty Yan, and laid their loops on the counter in two neat rows.

"I would like this exchanged, if you would be so kind." I said, before glancing over my shoulder towards the steps at the far end of the grand hall that led towards the upper floors. The guards posted on either side did not escape my attention, and there were very few people traveling up or down the stairs. I turned back to the lender, who had already assorted a number of those discs I had seen before, and placed them in columns separated by color into a box in front of me.

"Here you are sir, your total of four hundred and twenty Yan has been converted into chits." He stated, pushing the box of discs towards me. I glanced at them for just a moment, and to his credit the man was sharp enough to notice the curiosity in my expression. He went down the rows of color, beginning from green. "These are worth fifty Yan, these are twenty, ten, and five."

I nodded gratefully, taking the box and tucking it snugly beneath my arm. "Thank you. Now if I may ask, what is the requirement to reach the second and third floors of this establishment?"

He studied for a few moments of time and, clearly satisfied with the quality of my attire, smiled slightly. "Well sir, there are two ways you may reach the second floor. The first is to either present or win five thousand Yan, and the second is to be personally invited by a member of high standing with our house. However, this is only the second floor. You will know when and if you are permitted to enter the third."

He gave me a knowing look with the last sentence, and I nodded thoughtfully before stepping to the side. I had of course been to gambling houses with invitation only areas. But they were typically only tables, or perhaps even a room. But an entire floor?

Interesting. Interesting indeed.

I readjusted my hold on my box of chits, and made my way to the floor. I weaved my way through socialites and patricians, listening to the conversations flowing around me and attempting to find one that piqued my interest. I wasn't hopeful for such on the first floor of this establishment, but there was always the chance.

While I listened, I looked around at the various games on display. There were some I recognized, utilizing fifty-two playing cards or six sided dice systems. There were more I didn't, involving ivory balls being rolled into holes or carved stones being traded between each player.

One in particular caught my eye, and I shuffled to a large table that had similarly garnered the attention of quite a crowd. The onlookers around me were laughing amongst themselves, shouting advice to the main players or whispering to one another. I looked at the members of the table, and then at the actual game they were playing.

There were three players in total, it seemed, the house dealer and two challengers. The challengers were furiously shaking cups in their hands, while the dealer was smoothly tossing his from side to side. Over the crowd I could hear a clatter coming from inside of the cups, and after a few more moments all three players emptied the contents onto the table in front of them.

Six dice spilled onto the table, and the patrons very quickly began to pick at them, setting some aside and scooping others into a cup. Two of them groaned, and added their chits to a large pile, while the house dealer smiled to himself and silently selected a few pieces from the pile to add to his own chits.

Each player then scooped their dice back into their cups, and began shaking them vigorously again.

I turned to a gentleman to my side, a handsome man with a neatly trimmed beard and a suave, if simplistic, layered fur robe. "Excuse me Sir, what is this game called?" I asked, and he tore his gaze away from the betting to look at me.

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His eyes were kindly, and they crinkled with his smile. "You have never heard of Klubaka?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"Regrettably no. My name is Inan, and I've just arrived from Vaznir." I greeted, extending a hand in the same gesture the stall owner, Yuong, had done. The man took it readily, our thumbs touching before he pulled his hand away.

"Well met Inan. I am Caihon, it is a pleasure to meet you." He said, before turning back to the game and pointing towards the dice that were once again spilled out onto the table. "Klubaka, "Army of 200", is played with six dice and a cup per person. The goal of the game is to reach two hundred points. Once you do so, you win the pot."

I nodded along as he continued to explain, and while he did so a small army of attendants approached the onlooking crowd, carrying trays of various alcohol. My newfound friend and mentor took one, and I did so as well out of courtesy.

I listened to Caihon's explanation while taking occasional sips from my drink. I enjoyed the way it burned sweetly on my palate, the liquor holding a faintly wheaty aftertaste. It was not quite brandy, but the profile was similar.

The game was simple enough. Money was placed into the pot, and then players made additional bets every round. The results of these bets were determined by the amount of points you earned that round, which was what the dice was for. Six dice that could be rolled into an arrangement of doubles, three-kind, four-kind, etc., and straights. I knew I would understand the game far better once I was playing it.

Caihan, after finishing his explanation, seemed to find himself engrossed in the game, and I knew why. It had come to a head between one of the players and the dealer. The other had lost his fortune in an ill-fated war with his fellow, and now the other's fate was left to the dice.

They both slowly raised their cups, and tallied their points.

"One hundred and ninety five." The patron sighed, and the dealer nodded.

"Two hundred ten."

A collective groan rose from the crowd as the patron's shoulders slumped in defeat. Caihan himself shook his head, before confidently striding through the group to take the seat the man vacated. I tapped my cane against the ground in thought, testing the heft of my box of chits, and strode forward as well.

Surprise flitted along Caihan's features as I took the seat next to him, and I laid my box of chits to my right, opening them and setting them out by stack.

"Jumping in?" He asked, and I nodded as I laid my cane to my side.

"Testing the waters, more like." I answered easily, then studied the other patrons as they filed into the vacant seats around the table.

There were seven in total, counting myself and the dealer. Some of the previous crowd had drifted away, but a good chunk remained to watch as the dealer passed each of us our own sets of dice and cups. A few others began doing test tosses with their dice, and seemingly satisfied, pushed the betting amount of fifty Yan towards the center of the table.

Caihon touched each of his dice with a finger, before glancing towards me as he pushed his own chits forward. "I know you're new to this friend, so do not worry if you lose your money on the first few turns." He assured me, and I smiled. I laughed, nodding amicably.

"Of course. Thank you for the encouraging words." I hummed, and when the dealer confirmed the pot was square, he spoke.

"Alright gentlemen, we will begin the side bet with a sum of twenty Yan." He stated, placing one green chit in front of him. All followed suit, and he scooped his dice into his cup. "Then let us play."

I slid my cup over my dice, and totaled the amount of Yan I would need to pass to the second floor. The pot was worth three hundred and fifty, but during the game I had observed it had swelled to more than seven hundred. Not counting the additional money some had earned during the wars, it was a little less than a seventh of the required amount.

I had thought to present false modesty during this game, but if I wished to proceed to the second floor with enough time to form connections, I would need to aggregate my wealth quickly.

I peeked underneath my cup, and confirmed my total. Once all patrons had done so, the dealer gestured towards the man to his left.

The man placed an additional twenty Yan down, and his eyes scanned six opponents. Until they landed on me.

"I challenge number 6 to a war." He declared, and I hummed slightly before leaning over to Caihon.

"What does that mean again?" I whispered, and Caihon chuckled.

"You may choose to accept, or fold. If you accept, you must match or raise his bid. Once all players have decided if they would like to wage war, either joining yours or challenging others, we all reveal our dice to the table."

I pondered this for a few moments, tapping my finger on the table before adding twenty Yan to my earlier bid.

"I accept the challenge." I said, and he smirked to himself. Caihon raised a brow, and I shrugged. "I'm an easily provoked man. It's a flaw of mine."

The man who challenged me nodded, before waving a hand. Then, beginning clockwise, each other person challenged someone else or abstained. One joined myself and my opponent's war, while another challenged my compatriot. Then, at a signal from the dealer, we raised our cups.

I revealed two three kinds, and a couple of people whistled. Caihon had a four-kind, and his challenger groaned as he revealed a three-kind and a double. My own challenger revealed a five straight, grinning wolfishly, while the man who'd joined our war sighed as he revealed a four-straight.

"You've got thirty points, he's got thirty five." Caihon whispered, patting me on the shoulder consolingly. "Unlucky, I would have taken that wager as well."

I shook my head and lamented my misfortune, pushing my chits towards the man as the second challenger did as well, and Caihon collected his winnings from his war.

Once all funds had been collected and distributed accordingly, the dealer spoke again. "Next round the side bet shall raise to thirty Yan." He said, and after a round of nods, he placed twenty Yan in front of him.

I continued to play, winning some and losing more, but settling into the rhythm of the Klubaka. And, not a trace of guilt to be spied upon my features, I began to cheat.

I did not load my dice, or introduce any external factors. My cheating was impeccable, untraceable, due to one simple fact.

I held a Mark.

Obain bore the Mark of the Scout, and Huanen bore the Mark of the Rogue. Both were valued highly, and sought after in a retainer. However, as great as the abilities granted to them were, my own was one that had led my brother to attempt my assassination several times throughout my childhood. A power so wondrous that even now, spies of the Lysaran Dynasty ensured at every moment that no traces of my bloodline existed outside of the royal family.

Mine was the Mark of the Prophet.

None outside those who bore it knew quite the effect it held. And indeed, externally it didn't appear very impressive. I had seen men perform extraordinary feats of strength. I had witnessed women run faster than the wind could whisper. I had witnessed Obain locate an assassin only by the rustle of their clothing a room over.

It came in visions, sometimes. A flash of a possible future, should I choose to accept it. However, far more often it presented itself only as a feeling. An inclination to do, or don't. And I had, at a young age, found that it made me quite the wondrous gambler.

As I saw one of the patrons happily take the first pot, standing to cash out several hundred worth of Yan, I took account of my own wealth. From four hundred and twenty Yan, whittled down to a mere one hundred thirty. Barely enough to stay in the next game.

"You lost a small fortune there, friend." Caihon said sympathetically, looking at me with slight worry in his gaze. He had gained a small amount of wealth in these last few rounds, but only to the effect that he had not lost any of his initial Yan. "I know I said not to take it to heart, but are you well?"

I laughed easily, nodding as several patrons exchanged with each other to play the next game. I took fifty Yan from my box, and slid it to the pot. "I am very well. I have a feeling my luck will turn during this game." I said, winking, and he nodded warily.

"Well, so long as you know what you're doing. I will stay in this game then." He said, joining the game by throwing in his own fifty Yan. I felt slightly sorry for my new friend, for he knew not what was coming.

I was going to show the Crow's Cohort why I had been placed onto a no-entry list for every gambling house in Vaznir.