Night fell like a velvet curtain over Amsterdam. Arthur, Firfel, and Vivienne emerged from their hotel shrouded in elegant hooded robes, following an enchanted flying letter that glowed with runic script.
The magical missive led them through winding cobblestone streets to an unremarkable tavern door.
A gruff dwarf doorkeeper examined their credentials before ushering them inside. The narrow hallway opened into a vast chamber filled with hooded figures - the world's elite gathered in anonymous anticipation.
Before Arthur could fully process the gathering, brilliant light erupted from the center stage. An elder elf materialized, his silver hair cascading over robes that shimmered with old ages of magical wisdom.
"Distinguished guests," his voice carried effortlessly through the chamber, "prepare yourselves for translation to the auction grounds."
The air crackled with arcane energy as an enormous portal manifested, its edges wreathed in shifting prismatic light.
The crowd gasped collectively as the gateway stabilized, revealing glimpses of an otherworldly realm beyond.
"Please proceed in orderly fashion," the elf instructed, gesturing toward the portal. "Mind your step - dimensional transitions can be disorienting for the uninitiated."
Arthur and his companions joined the procession through the portal.
The passage felt like stepping through a curtain of cool mist, followed by a momentary sensation of weightlessness. When reality solidified around them, they found themselves in a massive amphitheater carved directly into an old forest.
Massive trees with trunks wider than castle towers formed natural columns around the space. Their canopy stretched hundreds of feet overhead, their leaves seeming to glow with their own inner light.
The stage itself appeared to be a perfectly circular clearing, its grass shimmering with protective enchantments.
Tiered seating made of living wood spiraled upward around the central space, offering perfect views while maintaining the natural harmony of the forest. The air itself felt different here - charged with old magic and possibilities.
"A pocket dimension," Arthur breathed, recognizing the telltale signs of a completely separate reality. "They created an entire realm just for these auctions."
Firfel and Shafel exchanged subtle glances at the magnificent pocket dimension surrounding them. As members of Roses Kingdom's elite, they recognized the handiwork of the Alicorn Auction House - a joint venture between elven mystics and dwarven engineers that had somehow preserved the lost art of dimensional crafting.
Though both women knew the truth behind this ethereal space, they maintained expressions of wonder for Arthur's benefit. Their pretense, however, didn't fool him.
A princess whose true identity remains hidden from the public, Arthur mused, observing Firfel's carefully measured reactions. His gaze shifted to her companion. And Shafel - far more than the simple actress she pretends to be.
Arthur had done his research on Shafel as well. Her acting career might have fooled the public, but deeper investigation revealed layers of complexity that went far beyond the stage.
Thanks to Sylwen's revelation, Arthur now saw through the carefully constructed personas before him. Speaking of Sylwen - he caught a glimpse of her lurking in the shadows nearby, her conflicted gaze fixed on her sister. The weight of their unspoken history hung heavy in the air between them. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novel⸺fire.net
The assembled crowd's murmurs faded as a regal figure appeared on the crystalline stage. Her beauty carried the timeless quality unique to elven royalty, commanding attention without effort.
"Welcome, distinguished guests." Her voice rang clear as mountain springs. "I am Delaney Roses, Queen of Roses Kingdom. Today, I have the honor of presenting our finest companion beasts to the world's most discerning buyers."
A ripple of surprise passed through the audience. Arthur's eyebrows rose slightly - even he hadn't expected the queen herself to oversee the proceedings. Glancing at Firfel, he noticed genuine shock in her expression. Clearly, some secrets remained closely guarded even within royal families.
"This centennial gathering holds special significance," Delaney continued, her smile knowing. "Many among you carry ancient bloodlines, and I see in your eyes the dream that has drawn you here - the possibility of claiming a dragon as your companion."
Excited whispers and appreciative laughter rippled through the crowd. Arthur leaned forward slightly, his attention completely focused on the stage.
The auction began with lesser creatures - though "lesser" seemed almost insulting given their magnificence.
Unicorns with coats like starlight, shadowmares that seemed woven from twilight itself, and griffin cubs that already showed signs of noble bearing.
When the bidding opened on a particularly striking unicorn, Arthur's hand rose immediately. "Four thousand dollars," he called out, his bid intentionally modest enough to avoid drawing undue attention. The strategy worked - the unicorn was his with minimal fuss.
"A unicorn?" Firfel's surprise carried a hint of amusement. "What could you possibly want with one?"
Arthur chuckled warmly. "It's for you, obviously."
"I've told you before - I don't need such gifts." Her protest lacked conviction, her eyes already drawn to the creature's ethereal beauty.
As massive wyverns were led onto the stage, their scales gleaming like polished armor, Shafel studied Arthur's unnaturally still expression. "You're being unusually quiet," she observed. "Not interested in these magnificent specimens?"
"I came for dragons alone," Arthur replied to Shafel with quiet intensity. "Wyverns I could acquire easily enough, if I wished."
The auction proceeded through increasingly remarkable specimens. A pride of shadow panthers prowled their enclosure, their pelts rippling between solid and incorporeal.
Storm drakes with lightning crackling between their horns. Frost wyrms whose very presence created swirling patterns of ice in the air around them.
Even the mighty hippogriffs, with their eagle eyes and proud bearing, drew passionate bidding from the assembled nobility.
Then Delaney's voice took on a resonance that commanded absolute attention. "Distinguished guests, we come now to the moment you've all been awaiting." Her pause held perfect dramatic weight. "For the first time in over a century, the Alicorn Auction House presents not one, not two, but three young dragons for your consideration."
The crowd's collective intake of breath was drowned out by the arrival of three massive cages, each wrapped in chains inscribed with ancient runes of containment. Inside, creatures of legend shifted restlessly.
The first dragon radiated heat like a living forge, its scales the deep crimson of sunset bleeding into burnished gold. Eyes like molten copper surveyed the crowd with unmistakable intelligence. When it roared, the sound carried centuries of proud lineage.
Beside it, a dragon of midnight blue flexed wings that seemed to hold fragments of the night sky. Silver markings adorned its scales like constellations, and its eyes gleamed with the cold light of distant stars. Its cry echoed like thunder across mountain peaks.
The third cage contained what appeared to be living lightning. White-gold scales sparked with internal energy, and eyes the color of storm clouds fixed upon the assembled buyers with ancient wisdom. When it joined its brethren in roaring, static electricity crackled through the air.
"Magnificent..." someone breathed.
"Worth every coin of my family's fortune," another voice declared.
"By the gods, look at their power - even as juveniles!"
Shafel and Firfel stood transfixed, their practiced composure cracking in the face of such majesty. Beside them, Arthur's fingers dug into his armrest with enough force to splinter the enchanted wood, though none nearby noticed - their attention completely captured by the dragons' display.
Not far away, Azazel leaned forward in his seat, desire burning in his eyes. Despite his experience with a dragon during his time in the Nether Realm and Eden Region, these specimens represented something different - purer, more primal in their power. Each possessed unique characteristics that marked them as potentially legendary companions.
Apollonia clutched her brother's arm, her voice barely a whisper. "The blue one, brother - did you see how its wings mirror the night itself?"
The dragons roared in unison, their combined voice shaking the very foundations of the pocket dimension.
The runic chains on their cages groaned ominously, magical containment struggling against raw draconic might. Even as juveniles, their power threatened to overwhelm the magical wards.
"These dragons represent three distinct ancient bloodlines," Delaney continued, her voice carrying authority born of deep knowledge. "The Crimson Drake of the Eternal Flame, the Astral Wyrm of the Midnight Sky, and the Storm Drake of the Lightning Crown. Each possesses power that would humble most kingdoms. These containment cages merely suppress their magical power - without such precautions, their raw power would shatter this pocket dimension."
Her expression grew grave as she surveyed the eager crowd. "However, I must issue a stern warning. Dragon blood pacts are not mere business transactions. These juvenile dragons, though not yet fully grown, already possess power equivalent to the rulers of minor kingdoms. Attempting a blood pact without matching their strength..." She let the words hang ominously. "Your body would literally tear itself apart from the magical backlash."
Apollonia felt her dreams crumbling. She had come to the auction full of hope, seeing a dragon companion as her escape from an unwanted arranged marriage.
Her parents' words echoed mockingly in her memory - their promise of freedom if she could tame a dragon now revealed as an impossible challenge.
A warm hand settled on her shoulder. She looked up to find Azazel's reassuring smile.
"Don't lose heart," he said softly. "I'll secure one of them myself, then help you form your own bond."
"But how?" Apollonia's voice carried both hope and skepticism. "Didn't you hear what she said about the power requirements?"
As if in answer to her question, Delaney's voice rose again. "There exists one alternative path to dragon companionship for those of insufficient personal power. A stronger individual may first establish the blood pact themselves, then later transfer the bond to another. The dragon, already tamed and accepting of the pact, offers far less resistance to such a transfer. This method has historically enabled younger members of powerful bloodlines to inherit dragon companions."
Hope flickered back to life in Apollonia's eyes. She turned to her brother, who squeezed her shoulder gently.
"See?" Azazel's confidence never wavered. "First, I'll form the initial bond - my time in the Nether Realm has given me more than enough power to match these young ones. Then, once the dragon accepts me, we can transfer the pact to you. You'll have your freedom, little sister."
The ancient dragons roared again, as if acknowledging the siblings' pact. Around them, other powerful figures began whispering among themselves, clearly reconsidering their bidding strategies in light of Delaney's warnings.