Dong! The bell rang.
The arguments and protests continued.
"Order… order…" The scribe's feeble voice was drowned out by the ruckus.
Dong! Dong! The bell rang again and again.
But the noise refuses to die down.
The giantess woman sat in her seat and watched quietly.
Oof! Oof! Punches were thrown.
Men with wooden sticks rushed forward to calm the crowd.
The mysterious figure ducked and left the halls quietly amidst the chaos.
…
It was past evening.
The mysterious figure snuck out onto the streets.
The high streets of Kalaris were brightly lit with luminous plants growing all along the walls and buildings.
Nobles in their fine outfits and dresses sparsely lined the streets, enjoying the evening atmosphere.
Dancing to light ukulele music. Taking sips at their glasses.
The mysterious figure reached an establishment. A guard stood in his path.
An imposing praetorian of the high street.
Well polished armour. Fine tapestry draped over his shoulder.
A sword that has never been drawn since the blacksmith last sharpened it.
Behind him, two slayers. Masses of metal and steel that would stop a wyvern.
Tall Towers on either side overlooking the street.
Manned with guards and mounted scorpions.
A full volley of cannons would not create a dent in them.
The guard's glare shifted as the mysterious figure approached.
He kept quiet as the latter stopped in front of him.
The mysterious figure held up a glittering token.
The guard nods and steps aside.
The mysterious figure made their way into the establishment.
Music. Fluttering pieces of silk. A dancing troop on stage.
The crowd watched on. Whirls of colorful petals in the dimly lit chamber.
The mysterious figure takes their seat by the bar table.
It was fortunate that there was an empty spot.
The bartender leans towards the figure.
"The usual?"
The mysterious figure nods.
The bartender prepares the base. He grabs some herbs and shakes the mix.
A glass was pushed in front of him. The bartender nips a glowing blue fruit from dry storage and drops it into his drink.
The water around it froze. The bartender pokes the ice with a chisel.
The mysterious figure took a seep at the chilled thick liquid.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcement came through a megaphone.
A well dressed man took center stage as the dancers left.
"Well come to tonight's auction! We have an exciting line up tonight! Buckle up! Stay in your seats and try not to fall flat onto the one in front of you!"
A troop of girls appeared. A huge rectangular glass case covered in cloth was rolled center stage. The announcer grabbed the cloth and yanked it off, tossing it away energetically.
A glittering jewel in a glass case. The crowd gasped and cheered politely.
"The crystal that is said to refract sunlight into a thousand colors. It is not mined from the ground but produced by a very special tree in the royal gardens once every decade. Dozens of gardeners tend to it everyday. Specialized fertilizers. Some shipped in from lands afar to cultivate what could only be described as the jewel of the decade. Mages and magic towers across the lands want them as the center piece of their laboratories."
A round of applause as the announcer bowed.
The glass case was paraded down the central aisle.
The crystal refracted light in all directions. Many leaned sideways on their chairs to get a closer look.
"Be patient, be patient. Once all the items had been presented, the bidding would begin!"
The glass case disappeared out the back.
"Now for our next item. I present to you, making its appearance for the first time, a legendary blade straight from the workshops of the spire city."
Pillars around the stage lit up with a runic glow. Sparks
A glass case covered in cloth, twice the height of the first.
The object within the glass case emitted an aura that makes the mysterious figure's hair stand.
The cloth was unveiled. The crowd gasped politely.
"Feast your eyes on the fine silver of this exquisite weapon. Dozens of its cousins were produced every year. But the defects in the runes prevented them from realizing their full potential. Half of them were discarded. But tonight, we witnessed a diamond in the dirt. The one blade that survived all of its trials. No defects, all of its runes in perfect harmony! The twenty rune master crafted storm bane cleaver!"
The crowd gasped.
The sword sits vertically in the glass case.
Two columns of runes burn bright blue.
It's mana coating the silver with perfect consistency. Not a stray arc of power.
The crowd applauded politely at the display as it was paraded along the central aisle.
"Don't need to be afraid. The glass case was specially designed to contain its mana! If anyone throws up their drink, the establishment will pay for it!"
The display case was paraded out the back.
"Now for our next spectacle. An object of pure elegance that needs no introduction. It is said to have come from the goddess Herda herself."
The audience sat upright.
A tall stand appeared onto the stage. At its head, a tiny display case compared to the earlier.
Soothing music was played. Singing voices. Tapestries of luminous plants draped over the side.
The crowd watched in anticipation as a beautiful woman in robes walked to the case.
She lifted the cloth off. A tiny jewel barely larger than a pair of earrings.
The back rows of the audience stood up to see its gentle but brilliant sparkle. Gasping and speechless at its beauty.
"The most sacred treasure of the garden city. The aptly named tears of Herda. A divine fruit that could heal any disease and bring the most hardy knights back from the brink of death. It presents the concept of life itself."
The audience stood up and funneled itself to the front to get a better look.
"Calm down. Calm down. I am most pleased with your enthusiasm. But everyone will get a good look."
The glass case was paraded up and down the central aisle. The crowd squeezed close to the elevated walkway.
The mysterious figure stood up and made their way back to the bar.
The bartender was cleaning the glasses with a cloth.
He leaned to the mysterious figure.
"Another?"
The mysterious figure nods.
Plop. The freezing fruit was dropped into the glass.
The sound of chiseling ice.
The mysterious figure drank.
In the background, the tears of Herda were being paraded. The tears of Herda drawing the full attention of the crowd.
The mysterious figure finished the drink.
They signaled for the bar tender.
He leaned on the counter.
The figure whispers.
"Cherry blossoms?" The bartender asked.
The mysterious figure nods.
The bartender opens another compartment. He takes out a fruit and dices it into cubes.
Shaved ice first. The fruit cubes. Some herbs.
He takes out his shaker. A light shake. A rough mix.
The glass slides in front of his usual customer. Pink petals sprinkled on top.
The mysterious figure drinks.
The bartender leans in while wiping his glass.
Clink. The mysterious figure puts down his glass.
The bartender looks at him.
The mysterious figure nods.
…
The door creaked open. The mysterious figure treaded the dimly lit corridor.
The figure reached a cellar. Barrels of wine on either side.
The stone ground was a far cry from the marbled floor of the senate. But there was little dust.
The room was dry. No smell of decaying fungus. Suspiciously clean.
A cellar boy greeted him. A plain tunic. He was clean, neat and well shaven. Cleaner than what would be expected of most cellar boys.
The cellar boy left the room to the mysterious figure.
The mysterious figure paced around the room, counting the barrels.
Turning a tap briefly, drips of wine came out.
Turn another tap, the same response.
Turn a third. Nothing came out.
Turn it further. The tap had more resistance.
Turn it to the end and let go.
A brief creaking sound.
A passageway opens.
The mysterious figure enters.