Teddy and Igas stepped into our corner of the maze following Eodyne. The oni stopped upon seeing Isaac trapped in a crystal cube.

"What did he do this time?"

"Unlawful imprisonment," Isaac protested. "I demand my release. Teddy, get me out of here."

"What are the charges?" Teddy said, crossing his arms.

"Minor assault, attempted homicide, as well as public indecency," I started to rattle off. I mime'd a lightbulb pinging behind me and gasped. "Oh and don't forget the horrible crime of being an impulsive asshole."

"Cyrus, that is not a crime," Teddy sighed. Isaac started to cheer but Teddy shook his head. "It's an unfortunate curse. Not even Uncle Brelten could truly break him of it."

"Hey!" Isaac roared.

Celenae dropped the barrier and he landed in a roll. In an instant he slipped into the ground and appeared by my side, arms stretching toward me. I slapped his hand away with my tail and hissed.

"Celanae, put him back in timeout."

"Isaac, behave," she warned.

He growled but ceased the attempt. Like an angry cat he started slinking back and forth while glaring in my direction. Thankfully, Teddy slid between us before the rogue got any smart ideas.

"So Eodyne told us you had a run in with Myol. She gave you something before she left?" he asked.

I held up the box and jiggled it. "Mhmm. Ambushed me completely at the entrance. At least she saved me from Zog."

Teddy frowned. "Did he do something?"

"No. But he looked as obsessed with me as ever."

"Do we think it has something to do with his god?" Sereza asked.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't matter. We're not here to cause fights nor start wars on fronts we are unprepared for. Leave that for another time," Teddy cautioned.

"Well, about that…" I started.

"Cyrus…"

"Will you open it already! Come on, what's in the damn box?" Isaac shouted.

I leaned in close to Teddy's ear without bothering to lower my voice. "Do you know anything about Tripp's melons?"

"Melons… Wait. Maybe? I remember Mother mentioning one dinner while cackling. How did you get it?"

"Myol. She, uh, apparently didn't appreciate being flirted with by a man who had a pregnant wife. Stole it to teach him a lesson I suppose."

All eyes turned to Isaac who continued to pace back and forth. He clawed at the air as tendrils started to rise from his back.

"Just open the damn thing. I need to confirm if it's real!"

I shrugged and fiddled with the enchantments. They were more for persevering whatever it was inside while dampening mana, so I flicked the metal flap open and peeked under the lid.

"A golden egg? That's not a melon at all."

Isaac charged closer and I relented, letting him get a peek. His face shifted through a series of emotions before settling into something new.

"I don't like the way he's looking. Is he in ecstasy? Angry?"

"No, that's his evil face. He's thinking of something evil that brings him great joy," Igas explained.

Isaac sobered and gripped my collar. "Whatever you do, don't give this to my father."

"Woah there. Why not? And Myol told me to use it for the auction if anything."

"You can't!" Isaac blinked a few times and coughed in embarrassment. "I have a better idea."

I plucked his hands free and he continued staring at the box like a certain creature lusting a ring. With that weird mixture of smile and mad cackle, he slipped into the ground and darted off deeper into the estate.

***

With Arturous clearing the way, the mayhem of the partygoers were dissuaded away. A car-sized bear made for a good deterrent from all the arrogant drunks and clumsy socialites.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

We turned the corner and a loud bang echoed to our right. A wall of feathers and shreds of cloth hovered in the air while a masked attendant raised his hand. Inside the haze, a group of women were similarly caught in the skill, left floating in a tangled ball of limbs.

Using his free hand, he carved through the air and created segmented blocks of the mess. The crowd gathered at a safe distance, whispering loudly while others were brazen enough to point and laugh.

Celanae frowned and tugged on Teddy's sleeve. "I thought Cyrus might have been exaggerating knowing how loose people get in these parties, but that's the second guard we've seen. Do you know anything about this?"

"It wasn't this bad when I was collecting information. Nothing beyond the typical," Teddy said.

"What's typical?" I asked.

"Thinly veiled threats and insults masked as questions and compliments."

That sounds about right.

"Could be a coincidence, or someone is stirring up the pot. Not the first time this has happened. Then again, Cyrus did mess around with a lot of the houses' plans. More than a few of the big ones are still reeling from the humility," Celanae said.

"Hey," I protested.

"Merely a speculation. You have to remember that they involved the royal court with their plans. Ajestella alone suffered a massive setback in public regard, as well as many of the minor houses caught in the chaos."

"Let's go, Teddy's parents are waiting. Isaac said he found Khrem, so he'll be there in a few minutes after we settle," Teddy instructed.

I shook my head and turned to follow Arturous' lumbering form. The crowd pushed around our exit, the sober ones scrambling out of the way of the masked attendant carrying those involved in the accident away atop floating platforms made of gold.

I stopped and watched through the haze of feathers. My eyes narrowed, and I caught them. Blazing red eyes stared back, Zog's tusked mouth pressed tight. He mouthed something, but Sereza tugged on my sleeve, pulling me away.

"You okay?" she asked.

I looked back but he was gone.

Shaking my head I patted her shoulder. "Not something I want to be concerned about right now. I'll tell you when we're in the booth."

She looked at me suspiciously but we were already starting to fall behind.

"I'll hold you to it," she said with a shrug.

Making our way through the halls, things were much calmer nearer the actual business end of the property. People stuck together in smaller groups, their whispers muted through clever applications of skills and enchantments. Even the decorations changed, shifting away from the gaudy and extravagant to something more refined and sleek.

Gold continued as the main theme, but expertly placed lights illuminated the rooms well enough to see while casting the appropriate shadows around the smattering of statues and artwork lining the walls.

We approached a grand door, and one of the masked men blocked the entrance.

"Only those granted special approval are allowed access. Please turn back if you lack the proper identification," came a robotic voice.

The man? It could have been a woman, but the shoulders looked broad. The mana from the mask gave nothing away, leaving the attendant's identity a mystery.

Teddy presented his ring.

The attendant motioned to Arturous. "And his?"

"Since when did spirit companions need a separate invite?"

"Change of policy."

Igas crossed his arms. "When was this change made?"

"An hour ago."

"Should we go in and bring back Anastasia?" I asked.

Bingo. I was watching for it, so I caught the faint twitch of the attendant's fingers. It paid to have Teddy's parents have a reputation infamous enough that their names worked as threats to most people.

The attendant held up a hand and touched their ear. The actual activation was in the back of his head, so the motion was probably for show. They tilted their head as if listening for something and then deactivated the link with a light blip of silver mana.

In their hand appeared a metal ring on a chain.

"Please have your companion wear this while inside the emporium."

Teddy accepted the trinket and tapped Arturous' leg. He lifted his paw, and Teddy slid it on, activating the enchantment. The chain stretched and resized, fitting snugly against his limb while the ring remained buried underneath the wall of fur.

The rest of our identifications went off without issues. Once they confirmed our approval for the auction the door slid open and we were ushered inside before it slammed shut.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't a bunch of floating boxes. They hovered before a cliff, while more continued to rotate on a set pattern between each other. Those marked in gold filigree stayed near the top, above the rest.

A large silver stage floated alone before them, brightly lit while the rest of the room remained dim.

"So how do we get up there?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. This is different from before," Teddy said.

A different attendant, one taller with an all-black suit, stepped closer.

"Excuse me, are you looking for a specific block?"

"We're here for the Lightcrests."

They tapped their ear, and I traced the connection upwards. It stretched into one of the gold-marked booths near the center. A few seconds later, she lowered her hand and swiped it through the air. A platform appeared before us, and they gestured toward it.

"This will take you to the desired block. I ask that you keep your feet away from the edge and not push each other while in transit."

"Thank you."

The attendant said nothing, and we loaded onto the surprisingly spacious platform. It lifted into the air smoothly and slowly rose, veering to the correct silver box. The ends of the mana platform elongated, stretching into thin needles that weaved into small circular rings around the box's edges.

When we stepped off, the platform dissolved and the door to the box slid open.

"Mother, father, we've arrived," Teddy announced.

"Unhand you fiend!" Anastasia screamed.

We rushed inside with Teddy leading the charge only to come to a stop at the oddity.

Anastasia and Nathan were near the back, chained to a couch with large ropes of what appeared to be stone and mud. Next to them was a man wearing rusted armor that spiked at odd angles. His hand held the ends of the rope, as he glared at his captives.

Nathan looked up, with big watery eyes. "I'm sorry my boy, but they made us do it."

The door to the box slid into place and metal hands thumped against metal. A series of stomps filled the room as a blue light filled the room.

"Would you two stop being so dramatic? We're only here for a talk."

My spine tensed and I looked to the sky.

If I find out there's a hidden luck stat, I'm going to tear this system down. You hear me?

My shoulders dropped and I groaned before turning in place and coming face to face with the last person I wanted to see.

"We meet again, Strax," Alleron smirked.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.