World Sphere - 169 - The Auction

Chapter 169 The Auction

We were dressed formally; my new clothes from Aelyn looked nice but were starchy and itchy.  I used my thermostatic aura spell to cool the air around me and constantly cast my cleanliness spell to stay comfortable while I got used to the new material.   Aelyn had said it was some expensive wool sourced from the local dungeon’s yaks, and it was in fashion.  I could do without fashion as long as it was comfortable.

Captain Delilah was also in formal dress, her armor polished and her tabard holding the crest of King Nirhaan.  We were headed to the large Adventurer’s Hall near the large dungeon.  When we reached the Adventurer’s Hall, it was a multicolored building using all the different stones found in the dungeon.

The color scheme looked half-hazard and more like a child’s playhouse than an Adventurer’s Guild.  It was a massive building, easily over two hundred feet in height. The Captain took us past the guards around back to a VIP entrance.  We climbed the back stairs all the way to the fifth floor, where we found a large bar and chefs waiting to take orders and cook meals.

We had arrived early, and Aelyn was shocked, “How big is this place?”

Captain Delilah answered her, “The Auction House is on the back side of the Adventuer’s Hall. The Auction House also hosts concerts and exhibitions. The common auctions are held weekly. Monthly auctions are all held, well, monthly. Tonight is the monthly auction, and the minimum value of each item is one thousand gold. There is an annual Auction as well, but that was held recently. It does in hundreds from the surrounding region.”

A young elf woman in a pale green dress approached our group, “Captain, will these patrons be observing or participating in the auction?”

The Captain looked to my group, and I answered, “Only I will be participating.”

“Very good. How much do you wish to secure for your bidding?” The young elf inquired. My confused expression had the patient elf explain. “You need to show proof of capability to bid. If you exceed your limit, your bid will not be recognized. You can always add to the amount during the auction.”

“One million gold then,” I said, and the elf didn’t bat an eye at the sum.

“Very good. If you follow me.” She turned, and I followed her through a large ornate door. Inside were four guards and a large desk with a gnome seated behind it. He looked up from his ledger.

“You are unfamiliar to me. Do you have an aventurer’s badge?” The gnome inquired. I pulled out both my copper badges and placed them on his table. He took each and briefly inspected it before focusing on the captain’s badge. “Storme Hardlight.” After writing my details into his ledger, he slid the badge back to me. “This is your first auction, I assume. This will be your bidding token.” He pulled a small black orb with the number seven hundred and seven inscribed on it. “If you wish to bid on an item, just squeeze the token and speak into it. How much do you wish to secure as your limit?”

I thought about it and decided to put all the mithril, platinum, and adamantine on the table. I removed coins and bars rapidly to create a pile. The gnome patiently waited but was also not impressed with my wealth. I thought I was a high roller, but I already knew there were three skyships in this auction, and each of them should go for hundreds of thousands of gold.

The gnome seemed to be using a spell on the stacks of precious metals to count the total. He started over twice and then took the ledger, “Two million, seven thousand, five hundred gold. Give or take four gold. Your metals are extremely pure, much more so than we normally see. Do you accept this appraisal?”

“That sounds about right.” The adamantine coins had added eight hundred thousand to my total. Once I gave the communication rings to King Nirhaan, I would get two more adamantine coins. I just couldn’t fathom spending this much coin at the auction, and I needed to remind myself I needed the adamantine for the aether cannons.

With my bidding power set, I was free to return to my companions after retrieving my coin. The common room had added a few new patrons when I returned. Captain Delilah escorted us to King Nirhaan’s box. The doorway leading to it had two guards in the King’s colors on either side. The box had three long couches and six chairs and looked down on the stage. There was common seating below and dozens of other boxes.

Some of the boxes had people already seated, and the thousands of seats below had hundreds of potential bidders already seated. “How long do we have to wait until it starts?” An impatient Aelyn asked.

“About two hours,” Delilah replied. “This is a networking and social event as well. The common room will see a lot of gold change hands as deals are made and adventuring guilds secure requests for materials.”

Bleiz groaned, “Two hours? I am going to step out then. Storme, I am going to go and get my adventurers guild badge. Aeyln, are you coming?”

“I think I will sample the food. I was never enamored with chasing the pips on an adventurer’s card.” She left, and Remy followed in their quest for food. Bleiz was heading to another part of the building to get his Adventurer’s Card. They were now offered in Skyholme, but he hadn’t seen the need to get one until now.

Delilah stood at the back of the box as I sat and people-watched. There were obviously a large number of adventurers below by their dress and physiques. I figure stood out below, towering over almost everyone. Gareth was walking among the crowd, socializing. He was talking to a raven-haired elf in a red dress. The elf woman seemed interested in what he had to say. I decided not to draw attention to myself. Gareth was his own person; maybe it was better that he was not interacting with the city’s King up here. I know he had been trying to recruit members to his delve team over the last few days, but finding experienced adventurers who wanted to return to Skyholme’s medical dungeons had been a challenge for him.

The door opened, and King Nirhaan said, “Storme! Glad to see you could make it!” He entered with three attendants, and Delilah exited the box.

I approached, shook wrists with the King, and produced a small silver box in the other. He smiled and took the box, eagerly opening it. The paired communication rings were inside. “It was my first time working with messaging runes, but I think they came out well.”

The king took each ring and made certain the sizes were correct. “Fantastic work!” I will confirm their functionality during the auction and have your payment delivered in case you require the funds for a purchase.”

“That works for me,” I responded gratefully. I hoped I would not need it, though.

“Is there anything particular you are looking to purchase at tonight’s auction?” The King asked while handing off the rings to an attendant to be tested.

“The dungeon essences mostly. I am looking for a spell matrix enhancer for my sister, and a friend was interested in a tier-three essence in the auction.” I told the King, thinking he could help.

“The tier three essences will not go up until the end of the auction, maybe in nine or ten hours,” King Nirhaan replied. “I have not looked at the auction registry, but matrix enhancers are usually for sale. Do you have a copy of the registry?”

“I do not have a copy of the registry. What do you mean nine or ten hours?” I asked, shocked.

The King laughed at me, “Your first auction? The event lasts about twelve hours, sometimes a little longer, sometimes a little shorter. You can have my copy,” he said, producing a thick pamphlet. “I am only planning on selling at this auction. Unfortunately, I recently spent more than twice my monthly allowance on a master artificer,” he said jokingly.

The King soon excused himself to go and socialize and work the crowd, as he put it. I started studying the auction registry. Aelyn brought me some food but was having a good time mingling in the common room. Apparently, there were four common rooms that serviced the boxes, one on each floor. We were on the premier floor and had the best cooks.

Remy stopped in and was also having a blast and asked for twenty thousand gold to purchase some unique beverages for the Shiny Platinum. He also lamented not selling the Frost Mead he had brought to the Adventurer’s Guild. He thought he could have gotten much more here than he did from the high-end inn in the city. I gave him the coin he requested, and he rushed off to spend it in the common lobby.

I was studying the listings when the auction started. The auctioneer had a broadcasting device, and his voice was clear even as high up as I was. The first hour of the auction was the lots. The lots were cases of potions, expensive dungeon harvests, and finished goods. These items individually fell below the minimal threshold for the monthly auction, so they needed to be sold in lots.

As the lots were sold, it was a quick announcement with a massive illusion projected above the stage of items up for bid. The auctioneer then announced the starting bid and read off bids as they came in. He waited about twelve seconds before announcing the winner when the bidding slowed. The winner was anonymous, but the final purchase price was not.

I was still paging through the items up for offer. Fortunately, most of the items had a short description. I paused when I reached a page with something called beast essence. I had never heard of beast essences. I had ignored my companions and the King as the auction had proceeded but found the King sipping wine and watching the show below in a plush chair.

“King Nirhaan, do you know what a beast essence is? There are three for sale in this auction.” I asked, not caring about revealing my ignorance.

The King looked at me before speaking, “It is another type of essence found in dungeons, but it is tailored for beast cores. If you consumed it, it would change your physiology to give you a beast trait. At least, that is what my teachers told me. Not many people consume them as it change your appearance and tends to end your ability to have children. Thinking of getting them for your phantom cats?”

“Perhaps,” I muttered as I read the description of the three beast essences being auctioned.

Clarity of Sight, Tier 2 Beast Essence This beast essence improves the creature’s ability see aether weaves. Makes your beast mount, pet, or companion able to pierce tier-two or lower illusion magic. Note: If not used on a beast core, the consumer’s eyes will turn milky white. It will not affect your vision. Starting bid: 10,000 gold

Electric Field, Tier 3 Beast Essence This beast essence allows a creature to stun its prey with an electrical discharge and gives minimal resistance to electrical attacks. It is not suggested to be used on mounts. Note: If not used on a beast core, your skin will hold a charge, and your eyes will flicker with sparks. It is not suggested if you plan to be intimate with others. Starting bid: 50,000 gold

Primal Strength, Tier 2 Beast Essence This beast essence greatly increases a creature’s strength. Note: If not used on a beast, it will cause fur growth all over the body. The fur will usually match the cranial hair color—but not always. Starting bid: 15,000 gold

I remembered Wynna talking about these now. She told us never to consume them as they change your physiology so much it actually changed your race, and you could never have children. “King Nirhaan, do you know if consuming the beast’s essence prevents a beast from having children?”

King Nirhaan was watching some spectacle below. It sounded like a bidding war, not the first of the evening. He answered me as he watched, “No. If I remember my lessons, the beast essence is the dungeon experimenting with variations of different creatures. Sometimes, the trait is even passed on to the offspring of the beast, giving rise to an entirely new variant.”

I marked the page and would consider bidding on them when they came up. I reached the normal dungeon essences in the pamphlet. I quickly located the nine that affected the imbiber’s aether spell matrix. Three were tier-two essences that increased the size of the mage’s core by percentage, similar to the one that Sana gave Talia. If I could safely consume another dungeon essence, I would have bought one of these for myself.

The other six essences increased a fixed amount. Tier one increased five, tier two increased ten, and tier three increased twenty. Getting twenty spell slots was huge for a mage.

There were three-tier one, two-tier two, and one-tier three. All would probably go for astronomical prices.

Aether Spell Matrix Enhancer, Tier One Dungeon Essence, CERTIFIED, Increases an aether spell matrix by five points. Starting bid: 5,000 gold

Aether Spell Matrix Enhancer, Tier Two Dungeon Essence, CERTIFIED, Increases an aether spell matrix by ten points. Starting bid: 10,000 gold

Aether Spell Matrix Enhancer, Tier Three Dungeon Essence, CERTIFIED, Increases an aether spell matrix by twenty-one points. Starting bid: 50,000 gold

The tier-three essence was even slightly stronger than a normal enhancer, certified to give twenty-one additional spell slots instead of just twenty. If the starting bid was 50,000, then I could see it going for hundreds of thousands. Twenty-one spell slots were more than most mages had.

As I was paging further through the book, the first beast essence came up for bid. The auctioneer announced it, “Item #442 is Tier 2 Beast Essence. Clarity of Sight! Make sure your furry friend can see that scary monster trying to hide!! An invaluable skill and worth every gold coin! Bidding opens at 10,000!! We have 12,000…15,000…20,000…21,000…” The price quickly rose and started going up in thousand-coin increments.

I picked up my bidding stone and squeezed it until I felt it go warm. I whispered into it, “30,000.” The auctioneer, in his next breath, went from 25,000 to 30,000. “King Nirhaan, how do I know if my thirty thousand coins are the winning bid?”

“Your stone will remain warm,” he said, looking back at me with a twinkle in his eye. My stone suddenly went cold as the auctioneer announced a bid of 31,000.

“35,000,” I said, squeezing the stone.

My stone remained warm as the auctioneer continued, “We have a bid for 35,000. We only see this essence two or three times a year! Don’t let this one slip through your fingers!” He continued for ten seconds, trying to raise the bid before announcing, “35,000 is the winner!! But we still have more beast essences!!” My bidding token throbbed in my hand before going still again.

The Primal Strength was the next beast essence to be auctioned. I watched as it quickly rose to 50,000 before slowing. I could feel my adrenaline surging as the excitement of participating in the auction got to me. I entered my first bid at 60,000. King Nirhaan turned around, “Beast strength essences are extremely popular for mounts and combat beasts. You might have to pay as much as 100,000 if you really want it.”

I jumped the bidding to 80,000 and thought I had it when someone bid 82,000. I replied with 85,000. Just when I thought I one the bidding jumped to 86,000. Whoever I was going against was waiting till the last possible moment to counter.

I bid 92,000, thinking it would end the bidding. 94,000 was bid against me. I called 97,000 next and waited to up my bid. There was no counter, though, and my token throbbed in my hand, indicating I had won. The King had been right. One hundred thousand seemed to be around the value of the tier-two beast strength essence.

The third beast essence, the tier-three electric field, was next. “How high will this tier three essence go?” I asked the King.

“It is pretty rare but not the first I have seen at the auction. Maybe one hundred thousand? Could be a lot less unless more than one person is here looking specifically for it,” He replied. He was correct as the bidding slowed at seventy thousand. I was torn about whether to bid. I didn’t even know if a creature could consume more than one beast essence.

“Can a creature utilize more than one beast essence?” I asked the King.

King Nirhaan didn’t know, “It is not my specialty. I don’t know. I could call on an expert in the subject, but the auction will end in a few minutes.”

“75,000,” I bid into the device, entering the slow bidding war. I ended up winning the tier-three essence for 79,000. I had just spent 211,000 on something I didn’t know I needed. The King looked amused at the consternation on my face.

“Master Artificer, if you want to give me eleven thousand gold, I will have my attendant retrieve your prizes,” he motioned one of the attendants forward. I gave him enough platinum to cover the costs. The King stood, “I think I will be taking my leave tonight. Before you leave the city, please visit me in the palace, Master Artificer.” We shook wrists, and he departed.

Ten minutes later, the three beast essences were delivered in an elaborate wooden box. I moved the essences into my dimensional closet and wondered which one I would give to each cat. The auction continued without the King, and Aelyn looked bored. Bleiz suddenly appeared on my right, “The secret core is next to be auctioned.”

After the first one had been going for hours, a new auctioneer had taken over. It was an elegant elven woman, “We have one of the prizes of this month’s auction next! A tier three essence called secret core! It helps mask you from devices. Useful in delving into everyday life! Never be targeted by low-tier spells again! Never be tracked by spies or….” She went on for a good two minutes, talking up the tier-three essence.

She finally opened the bidding at ten-thousand gold. I immediately raised the price to two hundred thousand, spoiling the other’s games of slowly raising the price. The jump in price had gotten the entire hall to go silent.

“Well, two hundred thousand! Someone is certainly interested in this today!” I immediately bid 250,000. “We have a counter already, 250,000!  She announced. I had just bid against myself and was happy it had been accepted. I was trying to fool the crowd into thinking two powerful bidders were already going after the essence. My ploy worked as the auctioneer’s mental timer ran out, and she announced the winner, “Two hundred and fifty thousand is our winner!”

Bleiz, standing on my hip, spoke down to me, “Thank you. I will repay every coin, High Mage.”

“Bleiz, helping you helps me,” I nodded to him. If he paid me back, I would be fine with it. “Tomorrow, go into the city and see if you can find a Beast Master. I need to know if Adrial and Kiara can consume more than one beast essence.”

I turned back to the auction as they had reached the spell matrix enhancers. The three tier-ones sold for 21,000, 23,000 and 27,000. I needed to decide if I was going to try for the tier three for Freya or just settle on the tier-two essence. Unfortunately, the tier twos were being auctioned first. I entered the bidding on the first one, dropping out at 105,000. It eventually sold for 155,000. On the second tier two essence, I stayed with the bidding and won it at 170,000. I groaned as I probably could have secured the first one for less.

Aelyn looked back at me, smiling, “Did you just buy me a present?”

“No, but if you want, you can work it off,” I smiled back at her. “It is for Freya, but I am going to try for the tier three essence as well.”

Remy looked slightly upset, “There are many trade opportunities in Myththorme, Storme. We should focus on trade and doubling your capital for the next auction.”

“We might not return here.” I picked up the stone and spoke into it, “300,000.” I was the first to bid on the tier-three enhancer. The opening bid had been 50,000, but I had set a maximum of 350,000 for this essence. If it passed that mark, I would not bid again.

“A man and his coin are soon parted!” Aelyn said in jest, and Remy just groaned, seeing all the coin leaving my coffers.

My bid had shocked the crowd again, and this time, many people in the general seats were scanning the boxes, trying to figure out who was bidding. Someone countered with 305,000, and I responded with 340,000, ready to stop at 350,000. A counterbid never materialized, though. I breathed a sigh of relief. Freya would get the core enhancer.

I turned to Aelyn, “if you want the tier two enhancer, it is yours. If not, I know a number of Wolfsguard that could...”

“I will take it!” She lunged at me, kissing me.

When the appreciation finished, I said, “We better go before the dungeon spellbooks start. If we remain, I may end up completely broke.” As we exited the box, Captain Delilah fell in step we us.

“I have called for five of the King’s guards to escort you to your ship, Master Artificer.”

“Wouldn’t that just draw more attention to me?” I inquired as I was directed toward picking up the essences I had just purchased.

“It is not unusual. Many valuable objects have been purchased tonight. You just were a little more flashy about it.  Even though the Adventurer’s Hall says it is anonymous, it rarely is,” she replied calmly.

“Then I appreciate your forethought, Captain.” I completed the transaction for 510,000 gold. It did hurt pulling out all mithril and platinum to pay it, but I still felt good about the purchase. The goal was to give Freya enough spell slots to be a powerful mage.

We arrived back at the Maelstrom safely, and Aelyn was very enthusiastic in starting to repay me.