Prologue

Smoke from the cigar spiralled up to the wooden roof.

A card fell on the table, its edge discoloured and worn. "Aha!"

The man smoking the cigar looked at his companion whose pensive gaze was hidden by the wide-brimmed hat he wore. "How long must you play this thing, huh?"

"Can't a man have fun?" his companion said, smiling. He rubbed his beard in thought. "Lady Luck is smiling on you, ain't she?"

The ragged old man opposite them grinned, his teeth all black but for one, its gold gleaming softly in the inn's firelight. "Damn right she is." He spat on the floor, his blob of saliva joining one of the many dark stains on the wooden planks. "Hah!" He slammed another card on the table.

"Get it over with already."

"Not fond of card games, are we, Mr. Graves?"

Graves sighed, a few drops of ale dotting his moustache. "Not with you, damn swindler."

"Swindler?" The old man jerked up in alarm, both of his hands clutching his cards.

"No, no, no, my friend is jesting, of course." Graves' rather honest companion played another card, its paper glowing at the touch of his tattooed fingers. "Shall we bring this game to an end?"

The old man's eyes were shining with hope and confidence. He studied the two of them, somewhat perplexed, yet then showed all his hand. "Me wins I think, yes?"

"Looks like you'll have me hitting the trail in tears."

"Damn it, T.F., what's the point of playing when there's even nothing to win? Look at him." Graves waved towards the old man who was grinning widely. "What's he got?"

"Just the fun of the game," Twisted Fate said, the cards in his hands glowing softly, though his opponent didn't notice. He showed his hand. Much to Graves' surprise, it was a losing one. "You got me there."

"Hah!" The old man threw his hands in the air.

"Ten silver coins, as promised." Twisted Fate flicked the coins onto the table, the winner quickly seizing them one by one.

Graves gawked at him. "You lost?"

Twisted Fate covered his mouth. "You know me. Never lost a fair game..."

Graves looked at the gold tooth between his friend's fingers. "Or played one." Graves laughed. "Damn swindler." He turned his gaze to the old man who was leaving with the coins he had won. "Will he notice?"

"Probably." The cards close to Twisted Fate shook and hummed imperceptibly, though Graves had learnt over time to notice such things too.

"I reckon they noticed." Graves nodded towards the other side of the inn, prompting Twisted Fate to turn sideways. A pair of muscular men was approaching them, their eyes filled with malice, their sharpened daggers jingling at their side along with some tiny purple vials. They both had black tunics and various scars on their bodies. One of them had an empty bottle of glass in his hand while the other was making it quite evident that he planned to use his fists on the very same innocent-looking gambler sitting at the table, a fact that both Graves and Twisted Fate had already immediately suspected. "You're on your own here." Graves put out his cigar, gulped down his ale and stood up.

"You're in this too, old man." One of the thugs pulled out his dagger.

"Are you sure you want me in this, lad?" Graves' double-barrelled shotgun appeared before their very eyes, its steel shining ominously. "Or do you need Destiny to do some straightening out?"

"My beloved friends." Twisted Fate extended his arms to welcome them. "What brings you to such a charming place?" he said just as a man vomited in a corner which was quickly followed by the innkeeper's shouts.

"You cheated us," the other thug said, though both of their confidence had waned, a fact emphasised by how they had recoiled at the sight of Graves' shotgun. "You owe us. Give us back our money."

Twisted Fate was in utter disbelief. "Me? A cheater? How, my friends, have I cheated you?" He smiled warmly. "Truly, you must be mistaken. We played a fair game of Krakenhand, didn't we?"

"You cheated us, don't lie," the thug with the empty bottle replied. "We don't know how, but we know you did."

"Do you hear that, Mr. Graves?" Twisted Fate said, both puzzled and amused by their claims. "What is the world coming to? Me? A cheater?"

Graves' eyes hadn't left them. "I am just as shocked, believe me."

"You won't get away with this."

Graves' finger went to his shotgun's trigger as they dared step closer. "Are you feelin' lucky today, lads? Because Destiny may not be so inclined to agree with that."

The thugs' hands hovered over their purple vials and weapons. With the gleaming barrels aimed at them they huffed and cursed. As they turned their backs and left, Graves lowered his shotgun and slapped Twisted Fate's hat off his head.

"Not the hat."

"You damn fool, always getting into trouble." Graves dragged his gambling friend outside, though not before the latter could grab his hat back. "Did you see what those idiots had?" he said as they stood outside, a briny breeze blowing against them.

Twisted Fate adjusted his hat. "Empty pockets?"

"Goddamnit, Tobias," Graves said. He lit up another cigar, swept his gaze left and right and spoke more quietly. "Those guys had shimmer. They reeked of it. You saw those purple vials. You've heard what it does to people."

"Makes them dumber?"

Smoke trailed up from Graves' cigar. "Makes them reckless...and deadlier, you fool. Had one of those thugs used a...heftier dose...he would've opened you in half just with his bare hands. I've seen it with my own eyes. I'm sure you've heard of the stories in Piltover too."

"I can take care of myself, Malcom." He spun a glowing card on his finger. "And you know, I'm a lucky man."

"Lady Luck won't always smile on you, my friend, remember that." Graves leaned against the white wall of the building next to the inn. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, a trail of smoke escaping his lips. "Silco's influence is spreading here too."

"Understandably." Tobias leaned against one of the inn's pillars, away from the windows and close to his friend. "He's a man who knows his thing."

"And a murderer." Graves spat. "Damn Vander, at least there was some decency and honour in that place when he was still there. This shimmer business is no good." Just then a man walked past them, his hand holding a device to breathe the purple drug. "Bilgewater has seen it too."

"Business, of course." Twisted Fate fooled around with another glowing card. "That old captain won't let Silco's too close though."

"Fortunately." Graves exhaled more smoke. "I must say Gangplank isn't that much of an improvement either, but he manages to keep things together...one way or another."

"I'm not sure the bodies at the bottom of the sea would call that keeping it together."

Graves moved away from the wall and tapped his friend's shoulder. "Don't go back there. He'll kill you."

"He can try." A third card whirled in the air.

"He will, trust me." Graves waved as he walked away, his shotgun hidden beneath his red cape. "Remember, only I can kill you."

Glowing cards danced in the air until they all fell one by one in his hand. Twisted Fate then tipped his hat. "As if I could forget."

"Sooner or later this gambling of yours will come biting you in the ass," was the last thing Graves said before leaving. As his heavy footsteps grew distant, Tobias Felix, also known as Twisted Fate, breathed in the cool air, his cards disappearing inside his long coat. He pushed himself off the inn's wall and set off across the battered street. Just then two familiar faces caught his attention. One of them imbibed the purple liquid in one of his vials and fell to his knees. His eyes suddenly glowed purple, his muscles grew and his whole body became covered in glowing veins. The thug, now taller and bigger, huffed loudly, his glowing eyes fixed on Twisted Fate himself.

"Well, if it ain't luck..."