Radeon waited for the last rays to die. This was not the first time people had come here claiming the peak as prime land.
It may not be the center most land, but it sat westernmost, and it was the tallest spine of stone in sight.
Traders from the central continent would see it first. Incoming merchants would use it like a landmark.
The crowd grew as minutes passed. Laughter and wagers thickened the air.
Men started betting how long the miners would last. Others came closer, curious where the confidence came from.
Radeon did not care. His eyes stayed on the sun. When the light thinned to a bleeding rim, he raised his voice.
"Ready your torches."
The sound rolled through near a thousand minds. Fay, Good Chip, Spice Cure, and Gauge Point drew out their own joss money.
The paper looked plain. People murmured. Some leaned in. One man, too bold and too curious, pushed close through the bodies.
Radeon met him with a flat look, warning without words. The man ignored it.
