The ashes before Strife

Episode 10 : Auction after lunch ; 1

He didn't make a sound but it was visible to everyone else that he was in pain with the tears coming down his face. "Now then, I believe you should say the truth. Or else the situation will get harsher for both of us!" I instilled bloodlust in my words making him and his associate think carefully about their next action.

His words were full of horror as he spoke "I'm sorry, your right. It was your order, your not a thief!" I then released my grip and casually walked back to my table where thorn was looking at me with a judging look on his feline face "Weren't you the one who said to play nice?" the rest of the diner resumed while the man was carried out crying by his associate and blue badger.

I sat down nonchalantly with mischief in my voice "My definition of 'playing nice' is rather different to most people's."

The feline wolf smiled at my response "I could tell."

We quickly ate our lunch at the diner leaving a generous tip. Lupra was riding on my shoulder as Thorn laid atop my head as we walked putting on my white trench coat and holstering the redemptions fortunes swords along my back but not yet casting my laughing bird mask as I wandered through the Greek city.

As I walked I finally realized that Thorn being as smart as he is not normal "Say, Thorn, I know this question is a little late but how is it that you already so intelligent?" I can't believe I treated a talking animal as something normal.

The black wolf cat atop my scalp shifted slightly before answering "Hmm I guess it's because while I was technically born yesterday I was trapped in that egg for gods know how long. So obviously I unconsciously taught myself a few things like your language whenever I'd hear people outside as well as learning a bit of common sense unlike Lupra from their conversations." Lupra took audible offense from the snarky cat she tried to right herself saying she learns by making mistakes but infused with Thorn's words I ignored them.

"Huh? That's rather amazing. It's kind of like how a baby learns languages in the womb, yet you were able to teach yourself common sense and knowledge about dragons all while trapped in an egg."

The tiny cat was full of pride as I complimented him "Thank you for admitting how incredible I am demon. Though, the knowledge you instilled on that thing you put in my head helped a bit."

I then stopped realizing that we were now standing right outside the auction house that looked like some sort of mansion with the metal fence around it and a large extravagant door with several high-class dressed guests entering. "Don't you think we're a little underdressed papa?"

jokingly I replied "Nonsense. I put on a shirt and everything." I then puffed out the red collar and cuffs of my crimson red shirt from under my short-sleeved white coat. "No. I'm with Lupra on this one demon. Wearing black trousers with shiny shoes and a red shirt with a white trench coat was a bad idea. You really should have worn a proper suit."

Ignoring their nitpicking I ignited a white flame on my face forging my mask turning my eyes into draconic silver from their normal dark emerald green as I walked forwards heading inside. But adhering to the two's whining I used a bit of alchemy to get rid of all the armor padding making it look like a plain white leather long coat with two dangling chains around the waist. "Good enough I guess demon."

The auction houses inside were extravagant and high class with various statues hanging on the walls. A worker approached me from the side as I realized just how sophisticated this place was "excuse me, sir? Weapons, pets, and masks aren't allowed inside."

He looked young wearing a blue and black tuxedo. I then pulled out the silver invite and black plaque with two golden hammers on it that I got from Torren presenting it in front of the man who was now in shock "oh! My apologies esteemed guest! Excuse my negligence I didn't realize you were a VIP. But, might I ask your name?" He was now acting like an obedient puppy unlike Thorn or Lupra

"It's Incursik. I was invited by the smith guild leader." He then shivered slightly "really is that the case!" He looked at me with the eyes of a predator, "heh, bootlicker." I stopped myself from laughing at Thorn's insult and asked the man to lead the way.

The whole way over he was like a pesky fly as he kept proposing strange things he could do for me like giving me a piggyback ride. Had to commend him for his tenacity though.

We then arrived at a glass room overlooking the auction hall while Torren was sipping from a glass of wine wearing a white shirt and black trousers on a purple velvet chair "here we are Mr. Incursik, the VIP section."

Torren turned her head slightly surprised to see me here "hey Tory, hope you're not getting drunk already." I quickly walked over towards her leaning into her ear "give that man a raise. He's earned it with how much he offered to do for me."

She laughed slightly amused by what I asked "will do. You are dismissed now!" The auction worker promptly vanished from sight as Torren put her wine glass down standing up "I know I gave you the VIP pass and all but do you really need to carry your weapons? Let alone display your pets to everyone?"

Sarcasm filled my voice "And here I was thinking you'd want to have a look at a pair of conductive blades." She then froze as my words left my mouth "here's 10 million." She kneeled down presenting a black card to me majestically, Thorn and I sneered slightly but I took the card from her and handed the swords to her embracing them lovingly "I want those back by the way."

She gave me a thumbs-up not responding and I began to wonder about the large dark orange carpeted room with a bar at the back and a catalog full of all the items on sale. Lupra jumped down heading to the purple sofas alongside Thorn as I asked for a drink.

I turned around with my apple juice in hand to see Torren slicing several things from her void ring with my crimson orange sword one after another leaving a messy pile. "To think I'd actually get to see conductive blades... what's the blades' names?"

"Redemptions fortunes. Don't ask me why, that's just the names engraved on the handles." She then placed it onto a couch peering at it closely as I sat on the armrest of the chair Thorn and Lupra were napping on. "So old yet so powerful. Just how is that? Any other blade would have rusted by now yet neither of them shows any signage of breaking nor aging."

"From an alchemist's standpoint, I believed it was because there's an anti-oxygen agent mixed with someone's use of a time aspect molded into the blades during their forgery." Torren twisted her gaze from the swords for a moment acknowledging my theory contemplating it.

"But the only way to do that during the making of a sword you would need a highly capable alchemist who can make sure the material has covered the entire blade..." she then smirked in realization "so it's to be made with a smith a mage and an alchemist eh?"

She then sheaved the two swords and handed them back to me "thank you for this Incursik. I've learned a lot from my brief time with them." Taking them back from her I said "no, thank you. 10 million numa for letting you look at them for 20 minutes was lucrative for me." I then sucked them into the void rings atop my silver pendants which had caught her eye.

"I never took you for a jewelry man inky." Grasping the pendants looking down at them one a Y shape the other made of three V's I responded full of sadness "I'm not... they're just precious trinkets from my past." Noticing my sudden sorrow Torren quickly changed the subject. "So~. What are you going to do once the two royals show up?"

"I'll probably stay silent and pretend to be your bodyguard in full honesty. It's tiring having to pretend to be nice." I then noticed a black menu on a table and picked it up looking through to see it held the list of items on auction. "Really? I was expecting you to be some savvy bad boy who refused to show respect to royalty."

I then smirked through my mask which she clearly saw "we'll see how things play out then shall we?"

A loud trumpet was then played startling Thorn awake as Lupra continued to slumber "Demon! What was that infernal sound! I demand that you destroy its maker!" I then pushed him down into the soft chair stopping him from moving "relax. It's just a trumpet, it'll be gone shortly."

"All bow to king Midas of Searig and King Welf of Dargon!" The rows of fancifully dressed people below bowed as two men wearing golden crowns walked through the doorway accompanied by the queens and a small group of five children.

Annoyed at the sight of them thorn asked "Who are they demon?"

"The people with power to start a war for no reason. Kings of this world."