Auction of Souls: Fantasy GameLit RPG Series (Pixel Dust Book 3)

by David Petrie

  Corvin stepped in as soon as Kegan got settled, swatting him in the face with his tail in the process. Eventually all three of them were snug in the crate and Kenzie dragged the lid over.

  “Everybody comfy?” She didn’t wait for an answer before setting the top over their heads and pushing it into place.

  Kegan couldn’t help but smirk as both Piper and Corvin clasped their hands over their foxlike ears to keep them from being pinched. He hugged his knees to his chest and tried to take up as little space as possible. Though that didn’t stop Piper from elbowing him anyway.

  “Ouch, you’re on my tail.”

  “Sorry.” He leaned to the other side.

  “Ah, now you’re on my tail.” Corvin winced.

  “Damn it, why did you both have to make reynard characters?”

  “Because they’re cool,” they both answered in unison before falling silent.

  Suddenly a knock came at the lid.

  “Hey, shut up in there. Have you guys ever heard of stealth?”

  “Sorry,” they all answered together.

  Then Kegan sat, with nothing but the sound of breathing surrounding him.

  Good thing none of us are claustrophobic, like Kira. The fairy had seemed pretty shaken after squeezing through a small space to clear a dungeon over a year ago. It was hard to believe how much time had passed since then. Especially after so much had happened.

  Suddenly a masculine voice spoke from outside the create.

  “Shit, Kenzie, another one?”

  “What? I don’t hear you complaining about the payoff.”

  “True, but it’s going to get crowded up there.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.” Corvin whispered.

  “Neither do I,” added Piper.

  “At least you two agree on something.” Kegan rubbed his forehead against his knees.

  The crate began to move. Whistling could be heard from outside as the familiar motion of an elevator jostled Kegan’s stomach. Eventually, the lift came to a stop and the crate began to move again. A new voice came from outside, this time sounding confused.

  “Another one? Don’t we have enough food for the night already?”

  “Ahh, just this one crate left, I think,” the voice of Kenzie’s accomplice answered nervously. “Should be enough after this.”

  Kegan held his breath along with the others.

  “Whatever,” said the new voice as everyone in the crate released a collective sigh.

  Finally, the ride came to an end and Kenzie’s accomplice knocked on the lid. “Wait thirty seconds and then get out of there. You’re on your own after that.”

  Kegan knocked back in understanding. He didn’t bother counting off the seconds, figuring that Corvin already had that covered. As expected, the Blade tapped on his knee in time.

  “Okay, that’s thirty.”

  “Thank god.” Kegan shoved off the lid and stood up, forgetting that the crate was still sitting on a cart with wheels. Apparently Piper had forgotten as well because she sprang up beside him. The cart veered to one side with the sudden movement, sending the two of them tumbling in different directions.

  “Woah–” Kegan hit the floor face first.

  Corvin yelped from behind him.

  Rubbing at his nose, Kegan stood back up finding the Blade frozen in place with Piper in his arms. She stared daggers at him as she pushed herself off.

  That’s getting old fast. Kegan shook his head at the two of them yet again.

  Corvin exited the crate last, stopping halfway as he took in the room. “Uh oh.”

  “That’s not good, is it?” Piper pointed out across the room at four other empty crates, each with their lids haphazardly laying to the side.

  “No.” Kegan folded his arms, noticing a dagger sitting at the bottom of one of the containers. “I don’t think that it is.”

  Suddenly, a door swung open and a man in black leather slipped into the room, looking back over his shoulder to talk to someone standing behind him.

  “Sorry, I think I dropped my dagger…” His voice trailed off as soon as his eyes met Kegan’s. Surprise fell across his dumb face.

  Looking past him, Kegan saw a large man in a helmet holding a spear and four more smaller men all dressed in black, waiting in the hall beyond.

  Corvin’s hand crept toward the space where his sword would have been if he hadn’t stowed it before getting in the crate. Everyone froze as each of the stowaways began to realize they weren’t alone.

  “Well, Kenzie has been busy.” Kegan shrugged. “Some people never change.”

  Chapter Four

  Seven ducked her head as she exited the transport and set foot on the Night Queen’s landing platform. Polished wood stretched across the deck beneath her feet. The bow, where she stood, sat a few levels higher than the main deck, with ornate staircases leading down from one walkway to another before reaching an open space below.

  Beyond the main deck, structures spread across the rear of the ship like a miniature city, each merging together to create a seamless expanse of intricate architecture. It looked like it could offer just about any entertainment that Seven could imagine, all nestled between the craft’s four massive wings.

  A glass-encased section sat on top like a crown, high above the rest. Seven assumed it was the bridge, as its panoramic windows would give the crew a view of the ship’s entire surroundings. Hundreds of lanterns hung across the deck from a canopy of ropes that stretched from the top of the bow to the structures below. They swayed gently with the ship’s movement and illuminated the scene with a romantic ambiance that matched the stars above.

  It was breathtaking.

  Ruby hopped up to Seven’s shoulder from where he had perched on her forearm, forcing her to stand at an unnatural angle. She wished the dumb bird would find somewhere else to sit.

  “Oh well, let’s get going.”

  Seven walked down the stairs as the transport she’d arrived in abandoned her. Its engines released a blast of air that ruffled Ruby’s feathers as it took off. Seven watched the small ship vanish into the night sky. She would have stayed there staring off into space, but another ship seemed to need the landing platform. Several more circled overhead.

  Must be the auction’s other attendees.

  She turned away from the sky and checked the time on her stat-sleeve.

  One minute late! Seven let out a sudden squeak and hastened her pace. No wonder Leftwitch had rushed her out.

  An escort met her at the bottom of the stairs and led her across the main deck to an opulent set of doors that sat at the Night Queen’s heart. A pair of tough-looking men stood guard outside, though one kept checking a page in his journal as if he was bored. Neither seemed like they were paying much attention.

  I guess good help is hard to find when you hire players to act as security.

  That was when a clean-cut elf in a formal waistcoat slipped through the door to approach her. Unlike the others, he carried no weapon, just a book.

  “Welcome to the Auction of Souls.” His demeanor was quite professional as he inclined his head.

  “Sorry I’m late. It’s been a hectic night so far.” Seven gave an apologetic bow on reflex.

  “Oh, that’s quite alright, you’re the first to arrive anyway.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, expecting player types to be on time for an event always seems to be asking a lot.” His nose turned up as he continued. “Now if I were a dungeon boss, that might be different, but unfortunately proper business ventures don’t rank highly on their priorities.”

  Seven suppressed a smile at his words. He hadn’t been kind. Actually, he was a little rude, but even that reassured her. He was her people. All business. A bit of the tension she’d been carrying in her neck faded.

  “I’m glad I could be somewhat punctual then.”

  “Indeed.” He opened his book and glanced down at it. “Now, what house would you be representing?”

  “The Sil
ver Tongues.”

  “Lady Leftwitch will not be attending?” His eyes flicked up to her.

  “Sorry, no. I’m one of her assistants. I was sent in her place.”

  He glanced at Ruby hanging on her shoulder. “And I assume that pet is supposed to be proof of the arrangement.”

  “Yes.” Seven took out the invitation she had been given and shoved it in the bird’s face, getting a squawk in her ear in return. Ink spread across the paper as it had before and she held it out for the man to see. He lowered his book to examine it.

  “That certainly is a creative use of Noctem’s pet system. We didn’t realize that they could trigger a private letter for their master like that.” He sighed and looked back to his book. “But rules are rules, and you do have a valid invitation. My name is Grindstone.” He reached into his item pouch and produced several wooden tiles, each about the size of a credit card. He sorted through them, selecting one.

  “This will be your auction tile, simply hold it up if you wish to bid on anything. It will also serve as proof that you are an authorized guest. If you need to leave the auction house at any time, just show it to the guards and they will let you back in. It will also notify you of any changes in the schedule through written text that will appear on the reverse side.” He placed it in her hand as a countdown appeared on the back. Each number appeared to burn itself into the wood in real time. “There will be an opening round of items up for bid at the top of the hour. We added a buffer into the starting times to account for any latecomers.”

  Forty-five minutes from now. Seven noted the wait time before turning the piece of wood over, where a large number seven was burned into the surface. She glanced back up at him questioningly.

  He gave her a smile. “Normally we would assign you number one since you’re the first to arrive, but this seemed more appropriate with your designation.” He took a step back and opened the door for her. “I hope you enjoy your experience with us at the Auction of Souls.”

  Seven pocketed the bidding tile and headed inside. Grindstone closed the door the instant she was through. She jumped as the door closing startled her.

  Then she jumped again.

  “Welcome, welcome!” Grindstone suddenly rushed up to her from inside the room. “That’s one magnificent bird you have there!”

  Seven’s mind crashed to a halt as she spun back to the door, wondering how the elf had gotten inside and in front of her so fast.

  “I’m so glad you could make it, miss…?” He leaned toward her expectantly.

  “Umm, didn’t we just meet?” She backed up as Ruby fluttered his wings and tightened his grip on her shoulder.

  “Oh no.” He let out a chuckle. “That was my associate Grindstone. I’m Dalliance.” He slapped a hand to his forehead. “Sorry, we use the same avatar design. I told him it would be confusing, but he thought it would paint us as uniformed professionals.”

  “I see.” Seven leaned away from the excitable elf. He moved closer.

  “And you are…?” He circled his hands around each other as if trying to draw a name out of her.

  “Oh, I’m Seven. From the House of Silver Tongues. I’m here at Lady Leftwitch’s request.”

  “Ah, perfect. I thought I recognized Ruby here. Pity Lady Leftwitch couldn’t make it. But no matter. As Grindstone might say, money is money, it doesn’t matter who gives it to you.”

  “Thank you for understand–”

  “Follow me.” He spun before she finished talking and raced through the theater lobby.

  Seven followed him across the extravagant room, passing a wide bar that sat at the center of the space like some kind of concession stand. Velvet ropes were set up in front to form a standard queue line. It was actually comforting. Seven liked the organized structure of it all. A part of her could almost forget that she was standing aboard a fantasy airship.

  Almost.

  “This will be where you’ll be spending the majority of the night.” A door opened and a curtain parted magically as Dalliance approached. “We’ve rented out the Night Queen’s largest theater, and we’ve done our best to make sure you have a pleasant time.”

  Seven gasped at the elegance of the temporary auction house. Velvet curtains hung across a brilliant stage while a wide balcony hung over head. Gold leaf covered the box seats that lined the walls above. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, bearing glowing crystals to illuminate the space. An impressive buffet table sat down by the stage, out of place in a theater, but just as extravagant.

  “I know, right?” Dalliance grinned, prompting Seven to close her mouth when she realized it was hanging open.

  “Yes, it’s beautiful.”

  “It made sense to hold the auction somewhere mobile so that we could secure the location easily. I’m just glad we were able to find a venue so fitting.” He leaned over to her. “Grindstone thought the Night Queen was too expensive and flashy, but I thought the aesthetics were worth it.”

  “I see.” Seven nodded without actually agreeing.

  “Anyway, enjoy the buffet and relax. I have more guests to greet.”

  She gave him a polite bow and he spun off toward the door. Letting out a sigh, she made her way toward the stage where she went about minding her own business. Ruby did the same, taking flight to perch on the back of a nearby chair.

  Good riddance. Seven rubbed her shoulder as she turned her attention to the buffet table.

  Normally she would have ignored the food altogether, but she had always been a nervous eater. There would be no pleasure gained from it, but at least it would pass the time and keep her calm. She politely claimed a piece of bread as the blandest option she could find. A tingle ran through her mind as she took a bite and, despite her nature, she found herself smiling.

  How?

  She pulled the bread away and examined it as memory of her childhood flooded back to her. Somehow it tasted exactly like the fresh-baked bread her mother used to make for Sunday dinners.

  It even smelled the same.

  Seven had read that the system that ran Noctem sometimes called upon the memories of its users to create a more immersive experience. Supposedly, it could fill in the gaps where its information fell short. She wondered for a moment how much of her mind the system could access? How much it could recreate from her memories?

  She took another bite, the taste giving her a bittersweet ache in her chest. She hadn’t thought of her mother’s cooking for years. Not since cleaning out her parents’ house after they’d both passed.

  Shaking off the thought, she stole another two pieces of bread and stored them in her inventory for later and moved away from the buffet table to hide near one wall. Taking food from the table for later wasn’t the most professional thing to do, but no one was looking and she was bound to feel nervous again before the night was done.

  Ah, speaking of being nervous, she thought just as the rest of the attendees began to arrive. From the curtained doors at the entrance, Dalliance led a well-dressed elf into the theater. It took Seven a few seconds to place a name to the face.

  Dartmouth.

  The elf strode down the aisle with an air of superiority, bracketed by a pair of players. In preparation for her new job, she had watched a number of interviews conducted by Leftwitch. Dartmouth had appeared on the Late Knight show back when he’d taken over as Lord of the House of Serpents six months ago.

  There was a lot of ill will toward his house thanks to his predecessor’s attempted conquest of Noctem. Though, since then, Dartmouth seemed focused on rebuilding the Serpents’ reputation more than anything else. He’d even gone public with his real-world identity, a political science major at Dartmouth University. Seven suppressed a judgmental smirk at the egotistical nature of naming his character after his university.

  Before Seven had a chance to make any more assumptions about the elf, the curtain split open again. This time, a man stomped into the room. He tipped back a drinking horn as he walked, while another pair of players followed him
in. He was a huge, lumbering man. Again, she suppressed a smirk, recognizing him from one of the most viewed videos ever recorded in Noctem.

  His name was Tusker, the Lord of House Boar and ruler of the city of Torn. Three months ago, he had been executed in his own throne room by a member of House Lockheart. Seven had read on the boards earlier that night that House Boar had been recruiting new members aggressively. It made sense, considering a player named Farnsworth had killed him so fast that the difference in power had been absurd. It was like squishing an insect. He must have been looking to prevent something like that from happening again.

  The strange thing about him being killed before was that Lockheart didn’t even claim his throne afterward. Seven shuddered as the video flashed through her head. House Lockheart’s gunslinger, a terrifying player calling himself MaxDamage24, had stared straight into the eyes of the player recording the video. It was downright chilling, like he was looking through the player at the viewers at home while issuing a threat to someone named Nix. His eyes had been so… angry.

  If there was one thing Seven was sure of, it was that she wanted nothing to do with the man, or anyone from House Lockheart for that matter.

  Tusker and his Boars, on the other hand, seemed friendly enough, taking seats near the middle of the room and throwing their feet up on the chairs in front of them. They seemed to be putting in effort to act like they belonged there. Seven relaxed a little, feeling she could relate. A moment later she tensed right back up.

  Amelia, Lady of the Winter Moon appeared at the back of the room. Her violent reputation had preceded her. Especially since she had been involved in that ridiculous heist half a year ago. It would have been hard not to recognize her. She held an unreasonably long saber sheathed at her side like she was ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

  A tall man, Klaxon, if Seven remembered the name right, followed Amelia. Apparently all houses needed an Archmage, and he was hers. The other required position, First Knight, was held by the player beside him, Kashka. Seven’s eyes widened to take in the enormous woman, the horns of a ram protruding from the sides of her head.