Maneely’s shop. From outside it looked like a normal clothes shop, with a big glass window showcasing well dressed mannequins, with exuberant dresses, shoes and hats.
Velvet looked at a green gala dress, with a long, fluttery skirt, white gloves and a hat with feathers.
“Oh, this one looks so pretty!” She got closer, looking at the price.
550 auris.
“... Now that I look at it better, it’s not that pretty.” She took a step back from the glass, and entered the shop.
Before asking the owner for the gathering, she took a trip inside, watching the clothes being sold.
I need new gloves, I only own a pair, and they are starting to look damaged… Huh, I hope there is a new member’s discount, I really like those…
“Hello, how may I help you?” A voice sounded next to Velvet.
“Oh, I was just looking… Wait, actually no, someone gave me this.” She gave the owner the piece of paper with Vibora’s message. “I was invited to a gathering, I think…”
The figure looked at the paper for a while, checking its authenticity. “Please, follow me.” Not waiting for Velvet, they entered a door at the shop’s back.
Velvet followed suit, not really concerned since Udulluay was watching as always.
After walking for a narrow passage, they arrived at another room, this one with its walls free from products, beige and sad, with a bunch of tables making an open circle, mages sitting down behind them.
The figure that brought her here walked to a mage, leaning to their ears and whispering something, before signaling Velvet to come there and sit next to them.
Velvet did so, claiming the empty seat to herself, before turning to the mage. “So, are you the one I caused to start an intimate relationship with the wall, or the gathering’s boss?”
“Can’t I be both?”
“If the boss of an organization is fighting on the Arena’s lower levels, and gets beaten by a novice, you better pack your things, because you’re not made for this.”
Vibora laughed, Velvet was sure it was her now, clicking her tongue. “No need to be so hostile, I barely did anything to you, and if you’re here, you didn’t really care about what I did to that guy.”
“True, but I’m not the kind that considers the enemies of my enemies my friends, well, actually I am, but I also am not. You understand, right?”
“Of course. Friends with benefits, with the benefits part meaning actual benefits.”
“Exactly! So, in what way does your gathering bring benefits to its members?” Velvet looked around, staring at the conversing mages.
“Hm, think of it as a way to sell or obtain things that would be difficult to obtain in normal shops. Or accept rewarding commissions.”
“Like?”
“Wait and see, you’re free to bid or try a commission.”
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Velvet didn’t answer or continue the conversation, choosing to wait instead. After half an hour, the voices died out, and something covered with a cloth got dragged to the center of the circle by two figures.
A third figure walked in front of them, clearing their throat.
“Welcome to the monthly gathering. I can smell some new faces, so I hope whoever invited them explained how things go here. Now, starting the bids.”
The other two figures removed the cloth, showcasing an enormous cylindrical glass container with transparent liquid and something else inside.
It looked like a very hairy monkey with four arms and six opened red eyes. The head was separated from the body, as if the monkey had met its end by beheading.
“First, a full specimen of a six eyed swamp chimpanzee. An ambush predator with a petrifying gaze, belonging to the Creep Paradigm. Along with a delicious brain, its eyes can be used for a long list of potions, not to speak of its claws, hands and bones.”
“There’s been some damage to the spinal cord due to the beheading. Initial price, 500 auris.”
“550”
“700”
That went on for a while, the final price being 1025 auris. Velvet didn’t bother to try, not really needing anything from the monkey.
The two attendants took the monkey to the side, showcasing the next product. This time it was another cylindrical glass container, but way smaller.
“A pair of mage’s eyes and brain, from the Knowledge Paradigm, one Esca. Starting price, 5000 auris.”
“Hm, he is bringing out the big guns already?” Vibora said beside her. “That means there’s something better waiting.”
Velvet contained an ugly laugh. “Like what? A demon?” She was already expecting mage parts to be sold, T’s warning was for something, after all. Still, the mage in question sharing paradigms with her was a feeling she didn’t like.
“Perhaps.”
“6000.”
“8000.”
The mage eyes ended up selling at 15000 auris.
“Is everything that costly? Fighting novices in the Arena can’t be your main job, right?”
Vibora laughed. “He first showcases a few high quality goods to get the mood going, just wait to be half done to buy something.”
“Okay, okay. So, since you also can’t afford anything for now, let’s talk. You called me something that day. An Ophidia. Explain.”
“Aren’t you being too overconfident? Speaking to me in that tone.” She didn’t sound annoyed, maybe because there was a concealment spell in effect.
“Losers can’t be beggars. Do better next time.” She knew she was provoking her, but didn’t really care.
“Didn’t you ask that guy?”
“Yes, he said it referred to the first demon you ate. Since you called me a fellow Ophidia, I guess snakes were our first snack.”
“Indeed.”
“What made you know? I didn’t feel anything like that towards you.”
“My Paradigm is the one that allowed me to know, so of course you felt nothing.”
“Oh, that sucks, but I’ll survive. So, what do I get by being an Ophidia?” She had noticed her pupils getting sharper, same thing with her fangs.
“In a few months, you will grow some scales. Usually in the stomach, neck or thighs.”
Velvet grimaced upon hearing that. “Some actually useful effects?”
Vibora chuckled. “You don’t seem happy.”
“I like my actual body and appearance very much.”
“Well, maybe the next part changes your opinion. Depending on the Paradigm of the devoured demon, you can gain some passive effects. Like, if you eat a wrath demon, your physical strength will grow, a knowledge demon would make your memory much better, a gambler demon might lead you to encounter interesting scenarios, a lust demon would allow you to know how someone feels towards your actions, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.”
She said interesting scenarios, not lucky encounters… Remembering Alrai’s luck with pissing off the wrong people, she almost laughed.
Vibora left her to bid over a dried two headed snake. She won, with 320 auris spent.
Velvet bid over a bottle of soul-sucking leeches, interested in making figurines with them, but gave up around the 200 auris.
The auction part of the gathering was coming to a close, the better thing waiting that Vibora mentioned coming to the stage.
A reinforced cage, with chains keeping something contained inside that was shaking the whole floor with each struggle.
“From the depths of the Unnamed forest of the Mergifari, where only expert mages can set foot and it’s rumored that a gate to the deepest part of hell remains hidden inside.”
“We’ve been gifted with the chance of selling a whole wandering demon.” The lights in the room shined over the thing in the cage.
Around five meters long, grayish green in color, a reptilian thing was suspended in the middle of the cage by thick chains. It had so many chains keeping it sealed that Velvet could barely see it. If she had to guess, a strange crocodile would be her choice.
“Of the Envy Paradigm, this demon can-”
“A million and half.” Someone interrupted.
“Two million.”
The gathering’s holder chuckled, walking around the cage to fire up the bidders more.
Clack.
The demon twisted in a strange way, and a chain gave up, breaking. No one had time to react, the wandering demon’s mouth free.
Opening its mouth wide, it managed to catch the figure in front, biting down.
Like beating a watermelon, a crunching sound was made, the head getting brutally crushed, brain matter, blood and bone shards falling on the ground. A headless body fell to the floor, the concealment spell removed after death.
Clack. Another chain broke, the demon’s upper half falling to the ground.