— Three Months Ago —
The betting house stank of cheap alcohol and desperation.
Krell tossed another stack of spirit stones onto the table, watching them clatter against the pile already growing in the center. Five hundred mid-grade stones. A month's worth of plunder from that convoy raid back when they could still operate freely.
"Call," he said, leaning back in his chair.
Across from him, Vex—scarred face, missing two fingers on his left hand—glanced at his cards and grimaced. "Fold."
The other three pirates at the table did the same. Krell swept the pile toward himself with a grin that showed too many gold teeth.
"That's the third hand you've won in an hour," Vex muttered, pouring himself another drink from the bottle sitting between them. "You're either cheating or I'm getting rusty."
"You're getting rusty." Krell sorted the spirit stones by grade, stacking them with practiced efficiency. "Happens when you sit on your ass for two months doing nothing."
