Omen: 1, 3

  “Damn,” Adam whispered. He was gd he hadn’t bet on Stone Sword, especially not after almost dying to the Noskan. The Noskan seemed retively unhurt even after fag one of the top four warriors of the greatest segment.

  The audienderstood Stone Sword was no slouch, they had watched every fight, some of which he had struggled, but that was only expected sihey were all within the final stage. However, Fisher Bck, who was native to East Port, had the same showing as the rest of the great warriainst the monster known as Raging Bull.

  Thankfully, Kitool and Adam had warmed them up to such great upsets, and the crowd went wild for the ridiculousness which was shown even during the st day of the tour.

  With the tour over, the winners of the various segments were announced stantly throughout the day. Adam and the others rexed at the guild. The tour had burnt Adam out, but there was something greater burning in his pockets.

  The farmers and the porters spent time in their rooms, trying to uand what was happening. They had, at first, bet thirty gold on each of the fights. Then they increased the bets, before they finally bet three hundred on Adam’s fight against Vasera. They hadn’t lost a bet thanks to them never betting against Adam’s intuition. If they, who were betting servatively, had mao earn a thousand gold, then what about the likes of the Iyrmen? Or, more scarily, Adam?

  ‘I should buy new clothes,’ Adam thought, staring up at the ceiling within his own room. ‘My trousers will rip if I carry all this gold around with me.’

  The Iyrmen gathered together in a private room to eat and drink. The teens remaiogether at one half of the room, holding their own versation.

  “You should have fought too,” Amokan said, p his cousin some wine. “You would pced iop ten of yment.”

  “The gifts given to me are not to be used lightly,” Ilyakan replied, taking a sip of her wihere was no need for me to fight iour with so many of we Iyrmen already participating. You and Naqokan have brought much glory to our family.”

  Amokan didn’t press her. Ilyakan followed the pair near silently, and though he did not like the fact that his cousin didn’t seem to want to espouse her own opinions, he was gd she assisted them in whatever ridiculous nonsehey wao partake in.

  Jaygak and Kitool shared drinks and food together. “Katool is going to be so happy. Sed p your first tour, and you would have beat Jurot if you had used Tigerstaff.”

  “That is not certain,” Kitool replied.

  “Nothing is certain with Adam,” Jaygak agreed, but she brought up a cup to Kitool’s lips, “except that you would have won.”

  “Why did you sacrifice it?” Timojin asked, iongue.

  “I had no need for it,” Kitool replied. “If I did beat Jurot with Seekerstaff, then my story would have beeer.”

  “Did you hold back during the fight?”

  “No.”

  Timojin just replied with a bow of his head, tinuing to drink and pick at the fruit.

  Jurot crossed his arms, thinking about how he hadn’t won ly. If Kitool had fought him with all her strength, he would have lost. There was no doubt in his mind that this win had been gifted to him.

  “I will send Inakan my winnings,” Amokan said. “She should enjoy herself with the winnings.”

  “Will you return home to see her?” Jurot asked.

  “No. I will tio adventure. I will return to marry, and request to leave again.” Amokan poured Jurot a drink. “Third pce is not enough.”

  “We may fight again in aour.”

  “I will face you with my all again.”

  The pair raised their cups, before drinking their wihe pair had grown up beside one another since young, and though it seemed obvious that the pair would fight for the position of Chief, Jurot had decided against it when he was young. That did not, however, mean the pair did not see each other as rivals still. Iure, when one would speak of the Paragons in the Iyr, they would mention Amokan and Jurot in the same breath.

  Amokan, the potential future Chief, and the nephew of the Front Iyr Elder. Jurot, the Gold Rank Adventurer, and the grandson of Jarot, the one who the Iyr could barely tain. Timojin, too would be mentioned as the potential future Chief. Kitool also could be mentioned, but then there was a st hough he was no Iyrman.

  Laygak stared at the wihin his cup. Laygak, who had learnt the way of his family, hadn’t done poorly iour. No, it was more that he had dooo well. Managing to rank quite high iop ten, it was something he’d have never expected. He gnced aside to Nirot. He would be ranked among her as an equal peer. Him? Laygak, son of Kaygak? With Nirot, daughter of Mirot?

  ‘How ridiculous.’

  “It is our fortuhat we pced well,” Faool said, uanding the thoughts which appeared on Laygak’s fabsp;

  “Top ten,” Laygak said.

  “Taygak, Saygak, and Tavgak, will be proud.”

  Laygak held up his cup, and silently drank down the wine. He would be able to return home to a proud pair of siblings. He could feel something seize his heart, the same thing which had seized the heart of Naqokan first. “You have a little sister now too, Faool.”

  “Yes,” Faool replied, but he said no more, busy falling into thought about his younger sister.

  ‘Third pce,’ Bavin thought. ‘Nice.’

  Uwajin fell asleep half way through the gathering, leaving Naqokan to her thoughts. She thought of the twins, and her you sister. ‘Sed pce?’ She frowned. ‘Sed pce.’

  Omen: 8, 20

  “Whoa,” Adam whispered. The arena’s inner walls had disappeared, and the inner octagon lit, spreading atop the outer walls of the arena, leaving the tre bare. ‘Damn!’ It was only seeing the arena like that that Adam realised he the arena was. It was rger than any football pitch he had seen, and seemed to be an even bigger draw sidering the nearby roads were full of people waiting around the arena. The roads were all clear, with dozens of guards patrolling, some even riding horses.

  The top ten of each segment and range were brought up, starting from the you range, before moving along to the older ranges.

  “Sponsored by Sir Landon,” and “of Fate’s Golden,” was said so often that one would have thought Adam had spent thousands of gold for the marketing.

  ‘Nice.’

  Nobby, Uwajin, Naqokan, Nirot, Faool, Laygak, Bavin, had takeop seven spots of the top ten rankings. During the statements, the Iyrmen responded about as expected. They thahe Iyr and their families, as well as Fate’s Golden.

  “Thank you, mister bosses,” Nobby said, before falling silent.

  Moments passed.

  The crowd cheered for their statements, including the brief, almost fettable statement by Nobby.

  “I’d like to thank Sir Landon fivihe opportunity to partake in this great tour,” Adam began. “I will never fet the grace the good sir has showo see Fate’s Golden, a group formed by my brother and I and our best friends reach such a height, it fills me with great pride.”

  Adam gnced across the thousands of people watg him. “I want to thank the business, United Kindom, for providing the magical ons which have assisted the members of Fate’s Golden. As aive of the business, I hope that you all have seen the quality of the magical items provided, and will keep the name United Kindom in mind if you have need of magical items. Thank you.”

  As Adam stepped out into the back, he was swarmed by his panions.

  “Are you okay, Adam?” Jaygak asked, grabbing his head to see if his head was hot.

  “What?”

  “You didn’t say anything ge!” Jaygak stated. “You didn’t mention your sister or your children!”

  Adam turned up his her words. “Showing off for ing in third pce? The ime I fight in a tour, I’m going to e first pce, and then I’ll be sure to embarrass the kids properly.”

  The Iyrmen, however, were far more eager to show off their pg, mentioning their families by name during their speeches.

  The crowd tio whisper about how it was rather ridiculous that one group domihe tour so handily. Fate’s Golden pced high, and so had almost every Iyrman. Save for Jaygak, who had dropped out, everyone else had mao domihe top ten spots.

  Adam noted Sir Karra and Sir Roseia gring at him from nearby as he waited with all the others who pced high from the bottom twes. He waited for Jurot and the others. Apparently they o wait in order for some of the o want to meet with them ohe ceremony was over.

  ‘At least they know how to have fun,’ Adam thought, noting all the magic between the ceremonies. He mostly ig all, instead kig it with the Golden Savages and Fate’s Golden.

  Adam didn't mention his children in his speebsp;