>>6074412“No one knows what that old bastard is thinking, mostly because his whims change with the tide. Most people in Chalmuth would think so, but if I happen to piss him off on his death bed he’d give the whole kingdom to one of my half-siblings just to spite me.”
She chuckles, “I guess you won’t need to worry about that if you win this contest.”
“Ha, right.” There’s a pause. “I don’t know if you know any of the other champions, but assuming you’re not, let’s work together? I don’t know if you want the throne, and you don’t need to tell me, we can work that out among ourselves if the time comes. But going at this completely alone seems like a sure way to failure.”
She smiles, “I had a feeling you were going to ask that.”
You stop walking, “And?”
“I agree. Bonds formed in childhood are stronger than those formed as adults, I can trust you more than anyone else here, even if we haven’t seen each other in a while.”
“Perfect, it’s decided then. We’ll work together, and do our best to make sure one of us wins whichever challenges we both take part in.”
As you say that, you step out into the Palace square and see a massive crowd of people gathered around a clearing with a large sundial in the center. The dial, and the sun itself, show that it is very nearly midday. In the midst, you can see your fellow champions, standing around the Jester who spoke to you yesterday.
“And the last of our champions has arrived!!” A loud voice booms through a bullhorn, and is echoed by other announcers throughout the crowd. When you join the other champions, there is a tension that was nowhere to be found the night before. You can feel the contemptuous glares of some and the analytic gazes of others, but none of them seem your friend.
“When the dial reaches noonday, the contest will officially commence.” He reaches into a pouch at his waist and then tosses something to both you and Sasha. You each catch them, and find a topaz, the size of an egg-yolk. “A gift to begin your collection.”
As soon as it makes contact with your skin, you can sense that it isn’t an ordinary gemstone. You feel like if you focused just a bit of your will on it, something would happen… maybe something that is best to investigate later. You put it in your pocket and look at the sundial.
You notice that the entire thing is decorated with the Imperial Seal. Written across is a black number: 11.
"As you can see, we have placed a challenge here. In order to commence a challenge, the requisite number of champions simply need touch the Emperor's seal. So if you'd like, you can begin this challenge . . . now." The sundial marks noon.
Trumpets blare over the sound of drums banging and symbols clanging as an announcer roars, "THE EMPEROR'S CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN!"
The Champions all look at one another, as if trying to come to some nonverbal agreement about stepping onto the Sundial challenge.
(Cont.)
