THE FORTUNIST

51. Lay

“Dian's Teardrop is halved to its clasp and its purse.”

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Due to propriety rules, Lay could not stay all night in Ciara's board but they planned to meet as early as 4am the following morning in the arenas where the most ambitious students come to train under the least attentive eyes.

She is waiting for him when he arrives. In the barren third arena where he had had his intriguing duel with Andrionne Sene. From what he had seen, Andrionne would never need to actually fight. A bat of her lashes could compel an army if that isn't too much exaggeration.

Ciara is watching the area intently. It would seem as if she is replaying his match in her head.

"You're here before me."

She snaps her head towards him. "Good morning. Your final duel is next tomorrow."

He quirks a brow at her.

"I just want to say you shouldn't. I would withdraw."

"Don't you dare, Ciara. Please." Lay realises that he might have gone into the tournament unwillingly at first but eventually he had fit in. Not scared of fighting people who did not know his true status enough to be influenced by fear of hurting him.

"Denpo called for me."

"Do you know why?"

She gives him a paperstrip signed with Denpo's name and signature. Lay frowns. "All it says is that you should come to the ninth arena by 4. It sounds fishy."

"She won't do anything. I haven't won."

"And what if she somehow knows that you proclaimed yourself to be a banea?"

Ciara pales, "you think she'd do something bad?"

"I'm not sure but I'll come with you just in case. I'm your champion. Ciara, there's something I didn't tell you about Denpo. Her cryfix affinity enables her to read minds and spot lies."

Ciara's face remains blank. "Does that mean she can tell lies as good too."

"Only liars spot liars."

Ciara's eyes harden. "I figured, commoner though I may be. I know crazy things can happen in a place filled with people who can wield cryfix magic."

"How did you know?"

"When I first met her she told me something that resonated with me. She said 'In a place like this, you'd do well to hide your thoughts '. Maybe she didn't think I would take her seriously but I did. I also did intensive research in the library and found that I should not forfeit a fortune unless I'm tired of life. I don't think I'm tired of life Lay. Besides, there's not going to be a Fortunist at the end of it all."

He stares at her with wonder. Admittedly, she is unpredictable and full of surprises.

"Anyway, I brought the scroll. You said we should meet here to decipher it. I've looked it over a lot Lay and I've got to say it's not a fortune. It's a fucking riddle."

"I know right?" He collects the scroll from her. He had seen other fortune scrolls before. Some of them are displayed in museums across the country. The Fortunist usually just goes straight to the point, not beat around the bush, playing with words.

"A great house shall fall," Ciara pauses. She looks at Lay with anticipation. "A great house could mean one of the seven major houses. Don't all the houses have heirs or is this a matter of disgrace? What do you think?"

"Heirs, disgrace— there's one house that fits both bill."

"Which one?"

Eighteen years ago, the lord of Salem, Ambise Salem died. He had also been captain of the Albenian Bureau. He was slated to be executed by order of the late king Meghren for being the figurehead of a radical cult that believed cryfix magic was only the secondary purpose of the cryfixes. The king rounded up many of the cult members and in a hasty trial found them all guilty of treason. Many of them were beheaded on the spot but the cause of it all, Ambise, the king demanded that an arrow be fired into his heart. The only mercy Meghren would grant Ambise was a final night with his family. When the time came for Ambise to be collected, they found him and his wife dead from sabre wounds. The young daughter was missing. Before the news could reach Meghren, he had died already from a high blood pressure. By the king's death, the national unrest was instantly quelled even as eighteen years later, Salem exists only by name as none of its original bloodline remains.