Fortune

A restless twenty‑one‑year‑old sets out from his native town, driven by the promise of wealth in a distant land. The early morning feels bright and hopeful, and his path is briefly interrupted by a frail beggar whose eyes reflect a life once touched by privilege. Moved by compassion, he parts with a tenth of his modest inheritance, leaving him with nine crowns and a resolve that feels almost ceremonial. With his horse, a weathered sword, and a simple leather jerkin, he heads south, eager to test his fate.

The road first winds through rolling hills dotted with cork trees and sparkling streams, offering brief moments of beauty that echo his hopeful spirit. As the landscape opens, however, the hills give way to an endless, sun‑blasted plain where only scrubby shrubs survive. The relentless heat turns the sky to brass, and each step feels like a battle against a horizon that never changes. Yet the traveler presses on, his youthful vigor and the memory of the beggar’s gratitude sustaining him as he confronts the stark, unforgiving wilderness.