Chapter 10 THE PRIZE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
Xyra smiled in delight as she shoveled yet another fork full of food into her mouth, sighing in pure bliss as the sweet taste flooded her senses. She couldn't remember a time when she had been able to eat like this. There were tons of different breakfast foods laid out before her—meat, eggs, breads, berries—and she was trying everything. She had to take advantage of this, because there was no telling how long this type of luxury would last. Right now, she is completely content. She had not a single regret about following after Magnus. If she'd been able to eat food as good as this on a regular basis, then the danger was all worth it. For the first time in a long time, she was able to eat until she was ready to burst.
Darren, her current companion and escort for the time being, could do nothing but watch, shocked into a stupor at the way she was eating. The girl was practically inhaling her meal, acting as if she hadn't eaten well in days, even though she showed no signs of being starved or even malnourished. Perhaps her meals just hadn't been this good before.
"Don't you ever get full?" he asked. Xyra had already eaten two plates worth of food. Where does it all go?
"I haven't had food like this in a long time," she explained, "so I want to make sure I fill up."
This girl's insane. He had never seen a woman eat like this before. Most minded their manners and only ate as much as they thought was necessary, especially the upper crest. It's not like the two of them were at an extravagant restaurant, but it wasn't just some walk-in place either. None of that seemed to matter to Xyra though. It looked like she planned on eating until she was stuffed. She was in so much bliss that she didn't even seem to care that a few people were watching her, scowling at the way she shoved food into her mouth.
She obviously wasn't like most women, and it wasn't just her eating habits. She styled her hair sloppily and dressed in clothing that didn't suit her slim figure at all. For a girl with such a pretty face, she looked like a peasant. Her garments were all a bit old and ragged, but she didn't seem to mind in the least. The only thing she owned that could possibly have some sort of value was the sword hanging at her side. Other than that, there was nothing that separated her from the street urchins. She must come from a poor family.
"Are you done already?" she asked him, snapping him from his thoughts. He just looked at his plate, realizing that he really hadn't eaten that much. Despite the fact that Magnus had given them enough money to feed the whole city, he hadn't used much on himself. Most of it had gone towards Xyra's ten-course meal. She probably wouldn't eat even a fourth of it. Her eyes were obviously bigger than her stomach.
Darren smiled a bit as he took his eyes off Xyra and began looking around the room. Quite a few people had gathered there, which was a little surprising. A great deal of Drester's population was off pursuing the rumors of Albus, seeing how most of the locals were bounty hunters and demon hunters. In some ways, he was happy that so many of the men in town were gone. This meant that the majority of the residents still left were women. In fact, the restaurant they were in consisted mainly of girls.
Darren smirked a bit as he caught the eyes of a few young women sitting at a table across the room. He gave them a charming smile and a small wave, watching as they giggled amongst themselves, blushing at the attention. Oh, how he loved doing that. He had a way with women, or at least he liked to think he did. In his mind, there was only one thing that rivaled his hunting skill, and that was his looks. Perhaps he would have to try using some of his charm on his current companion…
The door to the restaurant opened, letting off a small chime. Both Xyra and Darren looked over, watching as Magnus walked in. He was looking around, most likely trying to spot them.
"Over here," Xyra called, waving to the lost sorcerer. His eyes quickly met hers, and a smile spread across his face as the tension finally dissolved from his body. His female companion seemed to be fine. Her escort had obviously behaved himself.
Magnus walked over and took a seat next to them. It didn't take him long to notice the rather large assortment of food that littered the table. It looked like they had ordered for ten people, not two.
"Why so much?" he asked them both.
"Don't look at me," said Darren as he leaned back in his chair. "Most of it's Xyra's."
"You can have some though," she told Magnus as she shoved a plate towards him. "I can't eat all this by myself."
Magnus smiled, picking up a fork. He really was a bit hungry, and now that he was pretty sure that nothing strange had taken place between his two companions, he could feel at ease. He did watch though as Darren smiled and waved to as many women as he possibly could. The hunter was obviously enjoying himself, perhaps just a bit too much. There was an air of confidence surrounding the man, one that was reflected in his brazen actions and appearance. He was sitting casually with his arms crossed, and his legs extended under the table, slouching in his chair. Even though it radiated differently, his confidence was on par with Magnus's own. In some ways, that was natural. It was a common quality amongst hunters.
Just as Magnus was about to start eating, the door to the restaurant was shoved open. A short man carrying a load of paper walked in. He stopped in the doorway, holding up his many handwritten papers. They appeared to be announcements of some kind.
"Attention!" he shouted, drawing the eyes of just about everybody. "At the stadium, tomorrow night, we will be holding our annual sorcerer's contest! Sorcerers from around the world are coming to participate, and this year we will be allowing late entries, so make sure to sign up! For those without magic, please be sure to join us! Anyone can be a spectator—it's free! This paper here explains everything! Take however many you want!"
A huge group of people rushed up to the man and began getting announcements from him, wanting to know more about what was going on. Xyra, Magnus, and Darren just watched as nearly all of them were snatched up by the curious people in the restaurant, even though none of them appeared to be sorcerers.
"You should enter," said Xyra, putting another forkful of food into her mouth.
"Me?" Magnus questioned, sounding just a little confused. "Why would I do that?"
"Because it's a sorcerer's contest, and you are a sorcerer."
Magnus just smiled and went back to eating.
"It's no big deal. I'm not that great, and the prize probably isn't worth the trouble."
"Attention!" the short man with the flyers shouted again. "Please don't hesitate to register. We have a number of different prizes this year. Third, receive a large sum of money."
"Already have enough," mumbled Magnus. Xyra and Darren just looked at him in disappointment. They really seemed to want him to enter. It would give them all something to do.
"Second is an enchanted pendant."
"Have one." He took another bite of his food. "The grand prize will probably be a weapon or a title claiming that they're the 'greatest sorcerer in the world' or something."
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Darren, a smirk crossing his face. "Take it from a passing local. The grand prize is always big."
"It can't be all that great…"
"And the grand prize," the man began, "is a Lazufeer talisman."