THE FORTUNIST

45. Lay

“The Winter Solstice and Sun's Chronicle are more or less ceremonial cryfixes that allow it's users to indirectly tap other cryfixes through them. There is no certain way to guage the medium however.”

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"It's Feng. It has to be Feng," Lay is pacing restlessly around Leurayssa's living chambers, a habit of Rayton. He couldn't believe a few hours ago he had been more invested in how to fend off Andrionne's enchantments. His theory had been right that she could only muddle well rested minds. He had somehow gotten more popular among the ledders even though he was apparently fighting for a golder. They thought him a martyr rather. To get away from their fawning praise, he had gone over to Ciara's suite which he knew was always empty.

Perhaps it was divine providence, because he had been there when Ciara received a completely bizarre message.

"Slow down, you're making me dizzy."

He draws to an abrupt halt. Ciara blinks rapidly. "Feng can control animals. He has an affinity score of eighty nine. It all makes sense."

"Let's assume it is indeed Feng. Royal Highness? Banea? Fortunist? Fortune? What are we supposed to make of that?"

"That he's in trouble."

"Trouble?" The look on her face makes it clear that she doubts a person like Feng can ever get in trouble. He sighs.

"You do know Albeny's current ruler is a regent whose title wouldn't be 'Your Majesty' right?"

"Yeah. The queen and princes left the country on a secret mission and left the Lord General in charge. I also heard they're ongoing coronation plans which makes me think the Queen has gone to find them foreign wives."

Lay opens his mouth, for want of words. "That's besides the point. Feng's first words could mean Xihan Dropp, the Royal Highness. Feng might be hinting that he is with the Royal Highness in… in the palace. He moved into the palace."

"Rather farfetched but okay? Suppose Feng is in the Albenian Palace. How do you explain the other three words?"

Lay deadpans. "Isn't it obvious?"

"What is?"

"Xihan must have somehow heard that a banea is in Albenarum. He must have concluded that it's Feng, when it's really you."

"Ee, come of it Lay. Between the two of us, there's no banea at all."

"Xihan attributes most of his success to a fortune he got from a Fortunist when he was younger. The one that told him to have only one child."

"What are you getting at?"

"Xihan must be trying to find the Fortunist again but you don't find the Fortunist, the Fortunist finds you. That's why he needs a banea to summon it for him but after all this while, why now?" Why now that the Alban family is weakened by the misplacement of its cryfixes?

"Not why now, Lay. This might just be the one we know about. If Feng is a banea, what makes you think he'll tell anyone? We want to assume there's no banea here at all but we don't know that. For all we know, the seven baneas are in Albenarum right now."

"That's absurd."

"Everything about this is absurd."

Lay twists his lips. "I'm going to the palace."

"The palace? As in, the Albenian Palace?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that place a fortress on an island? Besides, we can't leave. Our admission here is dependent on us not leaving, remember?"