THE FORTUNIST

41. Lay

“People who can tap into Salem's Flower can tweak time, shapeshift or possess any object of choice. Anarella's affinity with it enables her to possess her shadow. Bough Andenad's affinity with it enables him to possess anything glass.”

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When Lay's mother had passed the law that established lead Albenarum admission tokens, Lay had thought that it was really nice of her. A week in Albenarum was all it took to disillusion that perception.

The golders are cruel to ledders who are often bullied, ignored and treated with disregard; curse who ever tried to go against one of the golders. But ledders had their own way of claiming their little victories. This new session, their new little victory that they can rub in the golders' face is Lay Denwin.

Commoner and ledder with just seventeen percent cryfix affinity (it is what he tells anyone who asks), Lay Denwin is as handsome and charismatic as any highborn in their eyes. A first year who had entered the tournament preliminaries and won each and every of his rounds. Rapidly, he is becoming a threat to the golders but they keep their distance.

Many ledders tried to claim friendship with him. They bragged about him as if they knew him. Well, they know nothing. How shocked would they be if they ever find out that he had never entered the tournament and that he is only the pawn of a golder.

Ciara Mulden.

They attend the same lessons. He always feels her gaze on him but he never looks her way. He does not know yet if it is Rayton he should be mad at, or her, or even at the himself. If only Rayton hadn't stolen the Winter Solstice all those years age and sent him on this cat and mouse mission, then he wouldn't be under her thumb, playing by her rules.

She has the drawing. She had shown it to him. Why it was conveniently with her when she hadn't even known that he would come for it was beyond him but he did not intend to make that his problem. His problems are too much already.

The tournament is a matter of two weeks. One week to fight one's heart out and the other the main deal. The entries for the season had been so numerous that a special round had to be invented where everyone just fought until the last forty. Then, the preliminary rounds proceeded in earnest until they were six remaining contestants.

Everyone is gathered in the students hall. The place is very noisy as it is every night the past week when it was time to announce winners. This night, it is Godswood Tai who is to announce the six finalists. Lay is seated smack right in the middle of the ledders being pampered and protected.

The golders who should have been composed by virtue of their varying societal statuses are actually the ones causing most of the ruckus as they shout the name of their champion, a name Lay finds familiar. It is not the name of Feng Lemohn who shows great potential and is heir to a major house. The one who the golders choose over him has equal if not greater skill, also the heir to a major house and has been the tournament's champion three years in a row. His name is Mose.

Mose Zia, son of Merys Zia who is the sister of Eim, his mother.

"Alright, alright quiet your mouths down as I'm about to announce the six contenders who will battle for not only the prize but also the Fortunist's fortune!" The noise instantly quietens at Godswood's proclamation. Godswood opens a decorative paper, he grins. "For this year's finalists, we have six golders."

A hush steals over the ledders' side as the golders' side go up in triumphant screams. Someway somehow, Lay Denwin must have been kicked out or disqualified without them hearing. Lay can feel curious eyes on him however as concerned ledders ask him if he's secretly a golder or if he had indeed been disqualified. He does not answer them. He relaxes into his seat and concentrates on Ciara Mulden's scent. He pinpoints her location to be behind the golders, standing somewhat far off from them.