concentration; he’d forgotten to move the elf unit.
Without a word, Silverleaf threw fifty gold into the pot and dropped a dragon – the same one he defeated Sir Leslie with – onto the territory with the two elves and two pixies. He didn’t smile smugly like he had when playing Sir Leslie. He scowled, and looked as if he would like to tear Wolf’s throat out.
“Oh, wow,” Wolf said, “You dealt yourself that? That’s a stroke of luck.”
Wolf knew luck had nothing to do with it, but he continued to play the affable fool. The card presented him with a problem, though. The dragon had a movement of three. It could reach his mountain lair when it was able to move next turn. It had an attack rating of ten – the highest of any monster. Moreover, it could breathe fire, which rendered his fungal infestation and his zombies vulnerable to its attacks. Silverleaf was planning to rout Wolf in the second turn. With Wolf’s units cleared, he’d be able to march across the remaining territories unhindered.
The strategy was confirmed when Silverleaf turned his elves and pixies first sideways and then upside down to indicate they were climbing the mountain and had made two moves to do so. On the ambassador’s next turn, all four units and the dragon would be in position to attack.
Wolf quickly added up the defense values of his cards. It would be enough to withstand the initial onslaught. Silverleaf couldn’t get him in the next round, but he could seriously damage Wolf’s position, making the result academic, barring a miracle.
Wolf sensed the Urland-hating elf wouldn’t be able to wait. He was angry. He was going to make sure he got Wolf next turn. Wolf tried to think of all the ways he could do that with the cards available to him. Wolf wasn’t an expert on the game, but he could think of two, maybe three, combinations that would increase the size of the damage the ambassador could inflict. He thought he knew which one he would choose. The easiest way was to play the “gargantuan” card on the dragon, and that was exactly what Silvearleaf had done to defeat Sir Leslie. Off his game, facing an unconventional and irritating opponent, Silverleaf was likely to employ the same, familiar tactic. Either he had the “gargantuan” card in his hand, or he would cheat to draw it next turn.
Silverleaf finished his turn by moving the lone elf card into the forest the others had occupied. Then he glared at Wolf and adopted a smile. This one was not smug; it was cruel.
“I wonder, Mr. Dasher,” he said, “if you’d like to make things a little more interesting.”
“Sure,” Wolf said, as if he couldn’t see what was coming. “What did you have in mind?”
“I feel a very interesting game coming on,” Silverleaf continued. “How about we double our wager?”
The crowd went silent. Every one of them knew what Silverleaf’s bet meant. He thought he had a combination to blow Wolf away in the next turn or so. The hope that this newcomer who played so strangely had a chance to defeat the invincible Sagaius Silverleaf went out of the room.
Wolf understood it. He knew what Silverleaf was going to do. He just didn’t know how to prevent it. He might have overreached.
“So you want us both to ante another five thousand gold?” Wolf said, trying hard to sound as though he wasn’t fazed.
“Precisely.”
Wolf listened for the voice from The Rift. This time it offered him nothing. He swore silently and looked over his cards. Was there any hope the four he had left could overcome the ambassador’s cheat?
To his surprise, he saw that there was. He’d been planning on a long, slogging game where he would draw out Silverleaf’s best cards, outlasting him until he was in position to win. But he saw now he had a chance to turn the upcoming assault on his opponent and end the game quickly.
He counted the cards Silverleaf had left in his hand. The Alfari ambassador played three cards, leaving him with five. He was
Without a word, Silverleaf threw fifty gold into the pot and dropped a dragon – the same one he defeated Sir Leslie with – onto the territory with the two elves and two pixies. He didn’t smile smugly like he had when playing Sir Leslie. He scowled, and looked as if he would like to tear Wolf’s throat out.
“Oh, wow,” Wolf said, “You dealt yourself that? That’s a stroke of luck.”
Wolf knew luck had nothing to do with it, but he continued to play the affable fool. The card presented him with a problem, though. The dragon had a movement of three. It could reach his mountain lair when it was able to move next turn. It had an attack rating of ten – the highest of any monster. Moreover, it could breathe fire, which rendered his fungal infestation and his zombies vulnerable to its attacks. Silverleaf was planning to rout Wolf in the second turn. With Wolf’s units cleared, he’d be able to march across the remaining territories unhindered.
The strategy was confirmed when Silverleaf turned his elves and pixies first sideways and then upside down to indicate they were climbing the mountain and had made two moves to do so. On the ambassador’s next turn, all four units and the dragon would be in position to attack.
Wolf quickly added up the defense values of his cards. It would be enough to withstand the initial onslaught. Silverleaf couldn’t get him in the next round, but he could seriously damage Wolf’s position, making the result academic, barring a miracle.
Wolf sensed the Urland-hating elf wouldn’t be able to wait. He was angry. He was going to make sure he got Wolf next turn. Wolf tried to think of all the ways he could do that with the cards available to him. Wolf wasn’t an expert on the game, but he could think of two, maybe three, combinations that would increase the size of the damage the ambassador could inflict. He thought he knew which one he would choose. The easiest way was to play the “gargantuan” card on the dragon, and that was exactly what Silvearleaf had done to defeat Sir Leslie. Off his game, facing an unconventional and irritating opponent, Silverleaf was likely to employ the same, familiar tactic. Either he had the “gargantuan” card in his hand, or he would cheat to draw it next turn.
Silverleaf finished his turn by moving the lone elf card into the forest the others had occupied. Then he glared at Wolf and adopted a smile. This one was not smug; it was cruel.
“I wonder, Mr. Dasher,” he said, “if you’d like to make things a little more interesting.”
“Sure,” Wolf said, as if he couldn’t see what was coming. “What did you have in mind?”
“I feel a very interesting game coming on,” Silverleaf continued. “How about we double our wager?”
The crowd went silent. Every one of them knew what Silverleaf’s bet meant. He thought he had a combination to blow Wolf away in the next turn or so. The hope that this newcomer who played so strangely had a chance to defeat the invincible Sagaius Silverleaf went out of the room.
Wolf understood it. He knew what Silverleaf was going to do. He just didn’t know how to prevent it. He might have overreached.
“So you want us both to ante another five thousand gold?” Wolf said, trying hard to sound as though he wasn’t fazed.
“Precisely.”
Wolf listened for the voice from The Rift. This time it offered him nothing. He swore silently and looked over his cards. Was there any hope the four he had left could overcome the ambassador’s cheat?
To his surprise, he saw that there was. He’d been planning on a long, slogging game where he would draw out Silverleaf’s best cards, outlasting him until he was in position to win. But he saw now he had a chance to turn the upcoming assault on his opponent and end the game quickly.
He counted the cards Silverleaf had left in his hand. The Alfari ambassador played three cards, leaving him with five. He was
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