8 Rex's First Party Member

"Rex, you will sleep on the floor, while I sleep on my bed," Mai says as she lays down blankets and a pillow for Rex. "Don't look at me like that, Mr. Fish made us live together. I don't like this any better than you do." Mai climbs into her bed, shutting off the lights and bundling up in her blanket. "Night," Rex says without getting a reply.

Rex fixes his blankets and pillow to better his sleeping position. He lays on his back, annoyed at the events that led up to this situation.

I denied Mr. Fish, saying that I did not want to be in a party, but he threatened putting me in debt equal to the amount of gold my life was. I kind of don't want to be sent to the Mines so it was practically impossible to refuse. I even asked for some of the gold, but the only reply I got from Mr. Fish was, "There is two things I love in this world, money and men, and I like money way more." He took all the money after saying this, leaving me with the money I had in my bag.

Mr. Fish also gave me shaded glasses to hide the fact that I am a white eye. It was clear to see on the inside but dark on the outside.

I at least was able to make my bank account and put my 20,000 gold in the bank. I kept 1,000 gold on me for spending. Then I had to go around town with Mai, I met some new people such as Carl the Blacksmith, Tyler the shopkeeper, and Kylee the Casino Owner. I don't know why, but when I was talking to Carl he seemed to be a bit different from anyone I ever met. Mai reassured me that he was just like that.

After meeting new people and finally Kylee, she brought me to the Casino to gamble with her. We played a dungeon special gambling card game, I read about it in books, but I never played it before. Apparently Mai is an expert in the game and through me playing with her, I found out the hard way that she loves gambling.

[REX'S GOLD ON HAND: 1,000]

"We are going to play a one-on-one, the first game will be free so you can learn how to play the game. The name of the game is Lakto, all you have to do to win is by calling Lakto on someone with the Joker card."

Mai uses a regular 52 card deck with two Jokers in the deck. She shuffles the deck several times, placing it at the center of the small table. "How do you want to get your cards, one at a time, several at a time or all at once?"

Rex is still amazed at how she can do all of this while still having her eyes closed, that he stutters on the reply. "I'll take it all at once." Mai picks up 10 cards from the deck, giving it all to Rex. He hesitates at looking at them as he watches Mai pick up the next 10 cards for herself. "You can look at them," she tells him relieving some of his stress.

I haven't played a card game in years, plus she is supposed to be an expert, can I even beat her?

Rex scans his cards, making sure Mai cannot see them. Mai does the same, making sure Rex does not see her cards.

Two Queens, three 3s, an ace, a 4, and three 6s. No Joker.

Rex looks up at Mai who has already placed her cards faced down on the table.

"Now there are three ways to go through a round. One, you can draw, by saying draw you can draw a card from the top of deck. Two, you can pass, you do not draw any cards. Three, you switch, switch out the last card you picked up with another card from the top of the deck. Your last card will become discarded meaning that it cannot be used anymore. However your opponent can switch out any card from their hand to the top card on the deck. You got that?"

Rex nods, switching is what will determine the game huh. Its a gamble when you go for a switch. "Alright, I'll draw," Rex grabs the top of the deck, no joker.

"I will draw too," Mai says.

"I guess I will draw again," Rex says, drawing another card. No joker.

"I'll draw now," Mai says.

"Me too," Rex says.

This repeats until the deck is completely gone, with only drawing, Rex realizes that he does not have a single Joker card. When it is his turn he calls Lakto on Mai, who smiles at Rex, showing her cards to him.

"You had both Jokers! For how long?"

"Since the beginning of the game, how unlucky of me," Mai says, awkwardly laughing. "That is only one round, how about round two?"

Mai gathers the cards and shuffles them. "You know, now that we are a party we have to get used to each other. Become friends and all, but the most important thing I think we need. Is to be prepared for anything." Mai lays down the deck giving ten cards to Rex and ten to herself.

"Draw." Rex says confidently, No Joker.

"Rex, bosses will be difficult. You may be able to beat someone or even a boss off of chance. But what happens when the boss pulls something out of nowhere. Like a Soul," Mai says touching the top of the deck with her soul.

"Hey! That's cheating, what the hell are you doing," Rex exclaims startling the surrounding casino goers. Soon however they begin to start laughing, a spectator retorts back at Rex, "She's an expert you know!"

"I never told you what type of cards we were using did I? This deck is my own personalized deck. They are magic items that respond to Soul Mana. There are only a few weapons in the world that can respond to Soul Mana."

The top card glows blue as she draws the card and shows it to Rex.

'The next card drawn will be a Joker.' is written on the card, after Rex reads it out loud it disperses in the air.

"This is not fair at all," Rex says.

"I know it may seem insane, but that is what we have to expect when we are against these bosses," Mai says, packing up the cards from Rex and herself along with the deck.

"We will pick back up on this game on another day. We're going back to my house, tomorrow you will be training your control over your Soul."