Researchers from the Guild had checked the card, and their findings were similar to what Jes had told Pos in the dungeon. The card was a storage item of some kind, and it currently held an item that could change a person’s species.
So, this auction wasn’t for one item from the Lord of Cards, but for two. The card, and the item stored within. Two divine items from a new god that could change someone into a creature that looked like a man-cat.
Silence permeated the building for a moment as everyone digest what the host said. Then, murmurs started to reverberate across the auction hall. Some in excitement, some in fear, and Pos understood both reactions.
“Silence please,” the host’s commanding voice caused the murmurs to slowly cease. Only when it stopped did she continued. “The bidding starts at two hundred and fifty gold.”
There was silence. Everyone looked at each other, not wanting to be the first to bid. The items were divine, but no one knew anything about the new god. What if he has enemies? What if the other gods take offence at his arrival? Do they wish to take a chance on that?
Fear grew within Pos as the silence continued. Then, a shout.
“Two hundred and fifty.”
A bid came from the ground floor. Everyone turned and saw that the bid came from an ordinary looking elf. Pos did not know why the elf wanted the card, and he did not care. He just felt a sense of relief someone wanted the item.
A second bid came soon after. Then a third. The bids were tentative, as if the bidders were wondering if they should be doing this, but the bids did continue. Soon, the bid rose to five hundred gold where it slowed to a crawl. Pos could tell it wasn’t to go much higher, and it didn’t. The card sold for seven hundred and seventy-five gold. Less than the strange sword from the dungeon. Pos prayed to Diamond that the new god would not take offence at the low price of his treasure.
“If I may have your attention,” the host said after the sale of the card. “This is our last item of the day, and the final chance for you to get something for the day. Please take a look.”
The host waved at the side of the stage again, and an attendant walked onto the stage carrying an open box. The attendant turned and showed off the item inside the box to the audience. It was a book.
[Storyteller]: Come Into My World.
He knew this was coming but still felt a surge of fear and excitement at the reveal. Pos took a deep breath to calm himself as he eyed the book. Bran Steelmaker’s party, The Forevers, had recovered the book from the dungeon and when they took it out, the book created a firestorm.
This was another divine item. No one had ever written this book. No scholar or priest. It was a new book granted to the dungeon by Gressian, a Goddess of the Hearth and the Matron of Warmth. It was a book written by a Goddess!
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
The religious aspect of the book got everyone’s attention, but even without it, the details of how powerful [Storyteller] was at the higher levels would have done the job. Before the book, most thought [Storyteller] was a useless class. Now, people were making pilgrimages to the few Shrines of Gressian in the hope of being granted the class. Rumors were that one lucky bastard was even successful.
Rumors of the success got people thinking of ways to please the Matron of Warmth, and it was said that the Goddess would look kindly on the person who bring the book back to her. Pos did not believe the rumour but many did. Why would the Goddess want the book back when she gave it to the dungeon?
Still, the rumors added spice to the auction. The bidding for this book would be fierce.
“Silence please. I do not believe I need to explain the origin and importance of this book. The bidding starts at four hundred gold.”
“Four hundred!”
The host had barely finished speaking when the young Baggio shouted the first bid. However, no one was giving way on this item.
“Four hundred and fifty!”
“Five hundred!”
“Six hundred!”
“One thousand!”
The bids came thick, and fast as various factions reached into their pockets for a chance at a goddess’ favour. Unlike Carda, Gessian was a known goddess, and no one fear the other gods taking offence at them getting her item.
In the blink of an eye, the bids went past a thousand gold, and it kept on going. At three thousand, Pos’ jaw dropped in amazement. It was the first time he had seen such amounts of gold being thrown around.
And it was still going up!
“It can’t be worth that much.” An incredulous Umdar whispered when the bid went to four thousand gold.
“It’s not,” Jes whispered backcas another bid came in, “the book is a proxy.”
“A what?” Nog turned to the [Scholar] in surprise.
Jes tossed his head upwards towards the floor above them. “All the bids are coming from the second floor, and all the surviving bidders are wearing their family heraldry. They are not here for the book, at least not totally, but to stake their claim on the dungeon.”
“Politics.” Pos cursed.
“Yeah. Politics.” Vorma agreed, with more than a note of admiration.
As the bids rose further, the air within the auction house changed. The air of excitement became one of danger as the rest of the bidders slowly dropped out, and only the from Manfredis and the Baggios remind. When the young Baggio finally won the book at six thousand, five hundred gold, there was a sense that things had become personal betweem the two families.
“Let’s get our gold and get out of here quickly.” Pos said as he quickly stood.
“They are not going to try anything here.”
Pos turned to Vorma with a frown. “You really want to take the chance to get involve in a family feud?”
That settled it for everyone. Dwarven feuds were generational matters that last centuries. No sane dwarf wanted to get involved in feud, even a human one. The party quickly went to the back of the auction house, took their gold and got out. They weren’t the only ones who wished to be away from the scene of the crime as the street outside the building was almost cleared of people.
The party were walking along the street when they heard a loud strange sound from behind. Everyone turned, and Pos saw something he never expected to see on the World Above.
A carriage.
Not one that was pulled by horses, or a magical one propelled by magic, but one glowing in runes and with the unmistakable sound of an engine. It was the sound of a magitech engine, within a magitech carriage.
The carriage stopped before the party, and Pos quickly saw why. The driver was a dwarf, a female dwarf who looked less than pleased.
“Why are there no signs? Isn’t this a dungeon town?” She loudly grumbled before turning toward the party. “Hey! Dungeon Supplier on a delivery. Follow dwarves, which way is it to the stupid dungeon?”