THE FORTUNIST

28. Leurayssa

“Xri's blade takes the form of a dagger.”

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Leurayssa can feel the noble's eyes boring into her back. "I get that you're mad that I let him take my place. It is definitely right that you should go in when he's through."

The fair noble looks away with a huff, "No need."

"Every need! All need! The entirety of every single thing that encompasses the concept of need," Leurayssa smiles through gritted teeth causing her expression to look like a grimace. "I insist." She does not wait for his answer before slipping behind him to face the broad muscles of his back.

She is terrified. A little while from now and her teeth would be knocking together. She wants to put off entering the test room as long as that woman is in there. She also wants the worst that can possibly happen to be that when she is found out to be an impostor and disgracefully carried off, there would be no one out here to see her shame.

"How did you do it?"

"How did I do what?"

"Back in the High Garden. Everywhere was congested but you had like this — wide space around you that nobody dared to intrude upon. Is it some sort of uh… cryfix magic trick?"

The noble scoffs. "Ciara, you are truly different from any commoner I've met."

"Really? How you figure?"

"For one, you don't seem to know your place and you think you can talk to me," he whirls round to face her and towers over her intimidatingly. "You are different," he lets the words fly over the top of her head, "but not in a refreshing way."

The door abruptly opens and the woman Leurayssa is avoiding shoots out of it, purposefully heading out of the Dome building. The noble's attention is also diverted.

"Looks like it's my turn, HEY!"

Leurayssa pushes him aside and he stumbles nearly losing his balance. She grabs the knob of the door. The woman is gone and Leurayssa has an awful feeling that she would soon be back. It would only take one minute to be in and out before the woman returns.

The offended noble glares at her. "They haven't called next yet. And you said I could go next."

"I'm sorry my young lord but I've learnt that in this life, you've gotta do whatever it takes to survive." Okay, maybe that was a bit overdramatic. She does not wait for his response before sliding through the door and shutting it behind her. "I'm next. What have I got to do?"

The four panelists in the room are assessing her. The dark haired guy she had shoved in to take her place glances at her, but there is no hatefulness. Just… is it wonder?

"You entered out of turn," the only woman in the panel states the obvious fact. There is no backing down for Leurayssa who knows that her emotionless interviewer could come back anytime and set her hawk eyes on her. She strides till she is abreast of the dark haired guy.

"Do I have to put my hands on this machine? Wow, a hundred percent. Congratulations, I'm really proud of you." She grins at the boy who continues to just stare at her in acute amazement.

"What's your name girl?" A man  holding a large book before him asks.

"Leu… Ciara Mulden. That's right, Ci-ara, Mul-den. Mulden is Albenian in Muladeen, it means 'mules of puller'," Leurayssa winces, "I'm going to stop talking."

"You were among the first to buy a token in this year's window."

"Definitely, um… yes of course. I'm so excited."