“Now for our next item,” Midas called out as the infusion engraved in his sternum reignited with a bright light. “Please give me one moment.”

Midas wandered backstage and disappeared behind the curtains.

Hey, Galina, Cili said.

Yes. Is there any reason you’re talking to me privately? Galina asked.

I just wanted to tell you, I saw Xavier in the crowd, and he keeps staring at you occasionally. I know he didn’t see us, so I don't know why. I figured he might stop during the second half, but he’s doing it more now.

Well, it’s alright. It’s not like I’m doing much of anything. If everything goes according to Ace’s plan, I won’t need to lift a finger, Galina said.

Yeah, just thought you might like to know.

I appreciate it.

Suddenly, Kai felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a pale hand—each finger adorned with a golden ring—holding a locket.

“Does this belong to you?” A voice from behind asked.

“Holy shit!” Kai snatched the locket from the hand. He didn’t bother waiting to steady his shaky hands before he opened the locket. A massive sigh of relief left his body as he saw his parent’s note still inside.

“Thank,” Kai turned around and stared directly at Arthur Ward, “you.”

“No worries,” Arthur said with a warm and gentle smile. “Is the seat next to you taken?”

“Yeah, my girlfriend is sitting there,” Kai replied, saying the first thing that came to mind. “She’s in the bathroom right now.”

“Oh, I was looking for those during the break. Impossible to find. Wait, I thought we weren’t allowed to leave during the auction?”

“They made an exception.”

“That’s awfully kind,” Arthur said. “I’m glad I could return that locket to you. I had intended to find you after the auction, but the voice in my head told me this was the last opportunity I was going to have.”

“Yeah, sure,” Kai stammered. “Thank you, again.”

“You’re welcome.”

Midas walked back on stage. Conversations erupted upon seeing that despite the delay, Midas had nothing on their person.

“Settle down everyone. The next item needed to be prepared for entrance. We’ve had grand beasts from all across Fable, from frostbitten basilisks to phoenixes, but this is something different entirely.”

Midas clapped their hands together, and a large section of the stadium slid open. Rising from the opening was a metal cage; inside the cage, chained down and unconscious, was a male dragon hybrid with white scales and horns.

“No!” Cili exclaimed, instantly putting one hand over her mouth. Fortunately, her cry was drowned out by a sea of gasping.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kai noticed Cili grab her mouth. Cili what’s wrong?

I know him. Cili’s voice sounded like she was drowning on all the tears she held back.

“For our next item, we have a dragon hybrid who after some testing, has been confirmed to be three-quarters white dragon! Bidding will start at 1,000 gold!”

Before anybody could speak, from the front row, an arm littered with multicolored scales shot up. “10,000!” Osiris called out.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Osiris turned to the voice. Sitting next to him was a muscular man with dark skin and long thick black dreadlocks wearing a white toga robe.

“Shut up, Gideon,” Osiris said, his thinly veiled anger seeping into every word. “That kid is from my tribe. If I have to burn this place to ashes to get him back, then we are all going up in flames.”

“You can’t use the money we were given—”

“He’s not,” Vivyan said. “It’s his personal funds. Let him do what he wants.”

“Hate to interrupt your conversation,” Midas said, leaning over the edge of the stage as the infusion on his chest dimmed. “I understand after seeing a bidding war it gets you fired up. I mean I don’t have skin and I even got chills, but would you mind lowering your bid, at least to start? There needs to be some back and forth to get things going.”

“Yeah Osiris, give the skeleton his back and forth,” Vivyan said.

“Fine,” Osiris sighed. “1,000!”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“There we go!” Midas’ infusion flared up. “1,000 gold! Can I get 1,100?”

A silence overwhelmed the crowd for a few moments, as Osiris's previous bid still hung overhead.

“1,100!” A voice called out after a while.

“10,000!” Osiris shouted without a second thought.

Midas turned to Osiris with as disappointed a look they could manage—which wasn’t much of anything given their head was a skull. “10,000 gold,” they said defeatedly. “Going once. Going twice. Sold!”

Osiris shot out from his chair, and leaped onto the stage, a burst of wind rushing out from underneath his feet.

“I suppose I should’ve been more specific when I said back and forth,” Midas joked, ungloving his gilded hand.

“How much to tell me where you got the hybrid from?” Osiris asked.

“I don’t give away information like that,” Midas said.

“Bullshit, everything has a price to you.”

“Hmm.” Midas scratched his skull with his golden hand.

Before Midas could answer, his attention shifted to the sudden sound of footsteps from the other side of the stage. A cacophony of whispers erupted as a figure ascended onto the stage.

“Salutations!” Arthur called out, loud enough to echo through the entire theater. Arthur started to pull off the rings from his right hand as he marched toward Midas and Osiris.

Midas turned to face Arthur. “Is there prob—”

“It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining; birds are chirping; flowers are blooming; children are playing; memories are being made. Today is a weightless day. On days like these, a kid like this should be outside, laughing. And as for people like you …”

Arthur opened his left hand. The rings he held cascaded to the ground. The instant the rings touched the stage floor, the wooden floorboards shattered under the immense weight; a geyser of splinters erupted in the middle of the stage.

“… well, the gods made hell for a reason.”

Midas looked at Arthur, whose smile was as unflinching as Midas’.

“[Dash].” In the blink of an eye, Arthur appeared directly between Midas and Osiris. “[Flurry].” In an instant, Arthur struck at both with his right hand—now freed from the weight of his rings.

The impact of the blow was so great it shattered the infusion on Midas’ sternum, rendering him mute, and sending him flying backstage. Osiris barely managed to get his arm in the way of the blow, before he was flung into the massive stage curtains.

Osiris looked down at his arm which trembled like an earthquake; it was riddled with shattered scales that oozed blood.

“Osiris!” Cili cried out. She leaped out of her seat and took flight, bolting toward the stage as fast as she could.

“Damn it,” Galina said. She immediately stood up on her seat and levitated it off the ground, then started flying toward Cili.

A sudden blur of red and black flashed in Galina’s peripheral vision.

“Begone, from my sight, by my hand”—Galina turned to her left, and met Xavier’s venomous gaze—”[Push]!”

A force, magnitudes stronger than gravity, ripped Galina off the chair she controlled and toward the right wall of the theater. Galina crashed through the wall of the theater, sending her tumbling into a hall.

“Stay the hell away from Cili, you genocidal bitch!” Xavier screamed. “Full speed ahead, [Pull].”

Xavier propelled himself directly in the direction he had sent Galina flying, disappearing into the hole she had left in the wall.

Riven’s eyes darted around the theater. People shoved others down to propel themselves up out of their seats. As Riven scanned the room her eyes fell upon a bow. She tried to suppress all the memories that violently bubbled to the surface.

“Artemis,” Riven muttered under her breath.

The bow, and the person who carried it, vanished behind one of the doors.

Sorry, I have to take care of something. Riven rushed out of the theater and after Artemis.

Zeke turned to the members of the Free Few that surrounded him. “We got what we wanted. Let’s go.”

The moment he stood up from his seat, Queen immediately followed suit.

Draxl, Queen just got up, Kai said.

I know. I’ll follow them, just to make sure they get back safe.

I’m coming too.

I’m fine.

That Queen looks familiar.

You think she might be related to Atlas?

Yeah.

Alright, let’s go.

Draxl and Kai both followed behind Zeke.

“Gods damn it, Osiris!” Gideon exclaimed. He turned to address Vivyan, but noticed she had completely vanished from her seat. “Where the fuck did she go?”

Gideon shot out of his chair, but before he took a step toward the stage, Halvor darted past him. Gideon’s mind went blank, and in the same instant, filled with rage. He grabbed the back of Halvor’s collar.

“Huh?” Halvor said as he felt his collar catch against his throat, stopping him in his tracks.

“[Catapult] X [Enlarge].” Gideon’s body rapidly grew in size, and so too did his strength. He lifted Halvor above his head, then hurled him toward the left wall of the theater.

Halvor shifted his skin to stone, bracing for impact. The wall crumbled as Halvor crashed through it like a meteor.

“Halvor!” Gideon screamed, running toward the crater in the wall.

The rubble from both Galina and Halvor flying through the walls crashed into the ground with a thunderous boom, the backdrop to the screams of the audience—which now resembled a mob more than anything—which could be heard throughout the entire plane of existence.

“Everybody should be rushing out into the lobby, but nobody’s here. Maybe Arthur’s punches destabilized this plane of existence? If that’s the case everybody who goes through those doors is going to end up in some random hall. Ah, they’ll all find their way here eventually.

“If anything, that’s perfect, because it gives us enough time to have a little chat. Now doesn’t that sound lovely?”

Vivyan stared at Ace, a slight grin forming at the corner of her lips.

“Yeah,” Ace said with a laugh. One of his hands rested on the handle that stuck out from the scabbard on his back; his other hand hovered just above the holster at his waist, clutching a bright red gemstone. “Talking sounds nice.”