Excerpt From My Upcoming Space Western Short Story

This is an excerpt from an upcoming Space Western short story/novella I'm writing. It is part of a project I agreed to be a part of. I will give more details about it in the months ahead. But I hope you enjoy this!

Rayzm Korda appraised the twelve metallic slivers in his gray hand, confident with the green symbols engraved into their upper right corners. The middle-aged Icerr allowed himself a smile before returning his black pupil-less gaze to his opponent.
 
“You think they’re that good, huh?” the younger human male replied, running a hand through his scruffy black hair as he looked up from his own slivers. “My collection is sharper than the stinger on your tail, old man.”
 
Without looking back, Rayzm shoved his tail towards the wall. A brief thump and squeal followed. Then the Icerr lifted up his tail, revealing the plump rodent he had just impaled to death.
 
“You sure about that, boy?” Rayzm said with a thin smile.
The human yawned, unimpressed. “You kill it, you cook it,” he said. “Reveal.”
 
The Icerr lowered all his slivers onto the table, their symbols in full view.
 
“The Queen’s Dagger,” he boasted. “Beat that, Jivan!”
“Okay,” Jivan replied with a defiant grin. He showed his slivers to Rayzm. “The Assassin’s Metal Wire.”
 
Rayzm’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened. “Sword of Omens, that’s a good hand!” he whispered.
“That’s right. So, you take the next landing and I track the target this time...right?”
 
Rayzm scowled at him in silence for several seconds.
 
“Fine. I did offer that if I lost,” he finally said. “But I will...advise you.”
“Fair enough.”