I emerged from the restroom to find the man waiting patiently, his posture impeccable. “Thank you for the shades,” I said, giving him a small nod.

“It is my pleasure. Now, if you would allow me…” He gestured with a flourish. “Let me give you a brief tour.”

The tall, slender man proceeded to show me around the establishment, which turned out to be far grander than I’d initially imagined. We toured the impressive auction room, with its tiered seating and elaborate stage, and even got a glimpse of the ridiculously opulent VIP guest lounge. Finally, we arrived at a large, extravagantly furnished meeting room.

“If you would be so kind as to wait here for just a moment,” the man said with a polite bow, “I shall summon our master appraiser.” He then gracefully retreated, leaving me alone in the room.

Rexy popped her head out of my hair, her tiny eyes wide with curiosity. “Arrarrha?” she chirped. “What do you think he wants from us?”

I gently stroked Rexy’s tiny chin, considering the question. “Honestly? I have absolutely no idea,” I admitted with a shrug. “But I have a feeling we are about to get some money.”

Soon, I hear footsteps approaching. "Important? Important?! The gavel falls in two hours! Two! No additions. Absolutely not. Unless… well, let's just see." A booming voice echoes from beyond the door.

"Master Appraiser! Your presence is urgently requested! You simply must examine this," a familiar voice follows, sounding distinctly strained.

The doors burst open, and a truly enormous man fills the doorway. “Well, well, what have we here then?” the man booms. The instant his gaze lands on my fur clothing, his eyes widen, practically glowing. His jaw drops, hanging open wide enough to swallow a dragon’s egg whole. He stares intently.

He lunges forward, but I instinctively scramble back, bumping into the wall. He blinked, recovering his composure with a visible effort.

“Good heavens, where are my manners? My deepest apologies.” The large man executes a surprisingly graceful bow, considering his size. “Theodore Vogue at your service. Theo will do nicely.” He extends a hand for a shake.

“Hello, I’m Val.” I take his hand; his grip is firm but not crushing, thankfully.

“And this, of course, is Wilfred. You’ve met Wilfred, yes?” Theo says, gesturing to the tall, slim man from before. His eyes, however, remain glued to my clothing and bag, practically vibrating with curiosity. “Do have a seat. Comfortable? Excellent. Now then, what wonders have you brought before me today?”

Rexy pokes her head out from my hair, sniffing the air. “Arr?” she chirps, eyeing Theo with cautious curiosity.

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I carefully retrieve the two egg-sized gold vein ores Rexy had provided and place them on the table before Theo. “I was hoping you could tell me how much these might be worth.”

Theo snatches up the ores and begins a close inspection. He holds them up to the light, turns them over in his massive hands, and even sniffs them a couple of times. The more he examines them, however, the more his expression sours. He exchanges a pointed look with Wilfred, a silent conversation passing between them.

“If you’ll permit me,” Theo says, gesturing towards the window with the ores, “I’d like to take a closer look at these… under the natural light. Just a moment.”

“Sure thing,” I reply. Rexy, still perched in my hair.

He pulls Wilfred aside, and as he scrutinizes the ores, he speaks to Wilfred in a hushed tone—a tone, thankfully, not hushed enough to escape my great hearing.

“What’s this? Just… gold? Yes, high purity, I grant you, but… merely gold. Hmm.” Theo muttered to Wilfred.

“I am uncertain, sir.” Wilfred cast a discreet glance back at me, lowering his voice to a near whisper. “It is possible this is a… test. A measure of our integrity in valuation.”

Theo’s eyes widened in realization. “Wilfred! Ten thousand. Special order. And a note for the Boss. Immediately.”

Wilfred nodded quickly and hurried from the room.

Theo returned, beaming at me. “I’ll be frank. You nearly had me there. Almost. But no. These… they’re just gold. Rare for the common folk, perhaps, but for us? Trifles. One, perhaps two thousand each. At most.”

“That’s…” Before I could get a word in, Theo cut me off.

“Come now, we both know you didn’t come here for these. Let’s see the real reason you’re here. Show me what you intend to auction.” Theo said, his eyes still glued to my bag.

Just then, Wilfred returns, placing a sleek, black metallic card on the table in front of me. It has a subtle shimmer to it, like polished obsidian.

“Ten thousand. A small token. A gesture of… goodwill. From the Petralis Auction House. For a… prospective associate.” Theo says, smoothly pushing the card towards me. His smile hasn't faltered for a second.

I pick up the card, turning it over in my fingers. It feels surprisingly light. So, is this like a gift card? A very fancy, very expensive gift card. “Thank you for your generosity,” I say with a polite smile, deciding to play along with this bizarre charade.

Rexy gives a little chirp from my hair, as if agreeing with my assessment.

I grabbed my bag and tossed it onto the table. “Take a look.” I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction to expect, but Theo’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as a cascade of folded hides, teeth, and bones spilled out.

“If I may…?” Theo said, almost drooling onto the table.

I gestured for him to proceed. He eagerly unfolding each piece and laying it out with meticulous care. “Marvelous… Simply marvelous… How… Never mind. Forgive my… enthusiasm.” Theo quickly regained his composure, though a slight tremor remained in his hands.

He pulled out a sleek, tablet-like device and began scanning and recording everything on the table.

“Yes… Three hundred years, undoubtedly. Extraordinary… A tad damp, hasn’t been properly cared for, I see. But… remarkably fresh. Not even a week old. Remarkable… Yes…” Theo muttered, his voice trailing off as he continued his inspection, measuring, and recording with feverish intensity.