DESTINY;DIVINE

# Chapter 5: Auction House

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“Now we can get you your first believers before stopping by the Ivy Clans greenhouse,” Rhea said with a bright smile.

“Right, I was wondering about that. You can just buy people?” I asked, confused about the ethics.

Rhea let out a hearty, musical laugh. “No, no, little brother Aeon. We won’t be trading any slaves. We will be acquiring origin sources. With a bit of nourishment from your energy, they’ll be born as native inhabitants of your soul realm.”

“Oh! That makes way more sense,” I said, thinking of the phoenix and dragon origin sources I already had.

“Yes, yes. Now, let me handle the haggling. Mercurius can be a little shifty.” Rhea explained as we entered another store.

“Welcome, welcome sister Rhea and new friend! How may I assist?” 

A short, older god with a glass eye greeted us, wearing a long, tan kurta and with his hair tied in a large braid that trailed on the ground. His scale sigil was on his golden left forearm. 

“Hello, hello, Mercurius, this is brother Aeon, and we are searching for mortal sources, particularly magical creatures if you have any,” Rhea responded in a sweet, honey-like voice.

Mercurius reached beneath the front counter and retrieved four distinct colored balls resting on a white pillow. 

“You are in for a treat, my friend. This week, we have an assortment of elemental spirits. Sylphs, undines, salamanders, and gnomes—the whole nine yards.”

“What about valkyries?” I blurted out, needlessly loud. 

“No valkyries, unfortunately. The holy and angelic races, especially the battle-oriented, are pretty rare. The big clans like to gobble them up. Valkyries in particular are a favorite of the Brunte’s.”

“But I do have about a thousand of each elemental spirit, so what will it be?” Mercurius looked back up at us, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. 

I glanced over at Rhea, feeling a bit flustered. I didn’t want to be rude and ask for too much, but I also didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity.

It was a shame about the valkyries, but elemental spirits would fit perfectly with my elemental aspects and my new matter concept. 

I just didn’t know which type to choose or how many.

“We’ll take them all,” Rhea said with a massive grin.

My jaw dropped. “Are you sure? I mean, thank you so much, but this is a lot.”

“Of course, of course. Don’t worry about it. It’s just an investment in your potential.” She responded with a dismissive wave.

Mercurius grinned and rubbed his hands together. “Excellent! For you, my good friend.. Hmm.. Bulk order—100,000 faith crystals. You won’t find cheaper anywhere else!”

“35,” Rhea replied sweetly.

“Sister Rhea.. Now you are my dear, dear friend. But this is a business and I have mouths to feed. 75, no lower!” He rebutted, attempting to hold his smile.

“Interesting,” Rhea said, tapping her lip. “No lower he says. The man who came to me, desperate for relief after an accidental encounter with a hired succubus in a demonic realm..” She trailed off. 

“Alright, alright, alright! It’s 65,000, and that’s my final offer!” He shouted.

“50 and I’ll offer you a free treatment the next time you find yourself in a precarious situation involving a malicious demonic vagina,” she said with a composed demeanor. 

“Yip..”

I froze when I heard a soft cry come from the back.

It sounded exactly like Aoife, but it couldn’t be. There was no way she was alive, there was no way she was here.

“What was that?” I breathed, scanning for the source.

Mercurius glanced towards the back of the store. “It’s nothing, just a stupid fox kit I caught sneaking through my wares during my recent run. I’m going to sell it to some beast traders.”

“Can.. Can I see it?” I asked with anxious eagerness.

He squinted his eyes and shrugged. “Sure, but it’s just a random, low-level divine beast.” He said, walking to the back.

He returned with a small cage containing an adorable three-tailed fox kit, as long as my forearm. 

My breath caught in my throat.

Her eyes, multihued opals shone brightly and darted around the shop. Her fur was pristine white, except for the very tips of her ears and tails, which were an inky black.

I approached the cage cautiously, extending my hand. 

The fox sniffed my fingers curiously before giving them a gentle lick. My heart melted and I reached between her fluffy ears, scratching the back of her neck, eliciting contented yips.

“65 and the treatment if you throw in the fox,” Rhea said, watching me intently.

“Huh?” I snapped out of my reverie, blinking away tears. “No, no. It’s too much. I can’t ask you for anything more.” 

“Deal! No refunds. It’s been great doing business with you, sister Rhea, and brother Aeon. Let me just wrap these up for you. Oh, and you can keep the cage.” Mercurius interrupted.

I kept glancing at Rhea for any signs of regret. 

“Stop, stop! Don’t look at me like that. It’s done, and you both clearly chose each other.” She said, gently rubbing the kit with her index finger. 

“What are you going to name her?”

I gazed into the fox’s eyes, and she gazed back sniffing my face. 

The soft, mesmerizing colors of her eyes danced and swirled languidly, reminding me of the light from the dual moons back in the forest realm.

“Luna,” I uttered without much deliberation.

“Lovely,” Rhea exclaimed, continuing to gently rub Luna’s head. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” 

“I.. Uh.” I placed Luna on the counter. “Thank you so much. For everything. Just thank you.” I bowed deeply at the waist.

“You’re welcome, little brother Aeon. Quickly reach Tier 1 and make your big sister Rhea proud.” She said, smiling cheerfully.

Mercurius placed all the sources into an ornate, padded box before holding up a clear transfer stone, to which Rhea held up her purple transfer stone in return.

Both stones glowed for a moment before they were separated.

It was set. I now had a thousand of each type of elemental spirit and a divine fox kit. 

I didn’t believe she could replace Aoife, but her little bark and adorable face absolutely destroyed my heart. 

With Luna and the origin sources securely stored in my soul keeping Pandora and Eve company, Rhea and I continued our shopping journey.

A short distance from Artisan Lane, standing alone on the far side of Beacon Street stood an incredible greenhouse.

Constructed entirely of glass and towering three stories high, it had a unique half-slanted and half-polygon rooftop that created an enchanting illusion of a dense jungle of vegetation within.

As Rhea pushed open the door, a warm, humid air escaped, enveloping us in a mysterious fog. The sweet scent of blooming flowers and the earthy aroma of damp soil filled the air, creating an ambiance of tranquility. 

Contrary to the view from outside the glass windows; the inside presented a divine oasis nestled amidst an opulent rainforest. 

Light streaming through the outer glass refracted through the mist, creating a soft, supernatural ambiance. 

Serene sounds of buzzing insects, babbling brooks, and chirping birds blended into a soothing melody. Gnarled trees and propagating vines encircled descending rock ponds, forming short waterfalls.

The largest section was a secluded, veritable paradise of fruits and vegetables, including several I had never seen before.

Further inside, a medley of vibrantly colored flowers and even more unidentified plants assaulted the eye. A kaleidoscope of pinks, purples, whites, yellows, reds, and oranges dazzled the senses. 

“**Elder Amaranth**!” Rhea called out loudly, causing a small flock of birds to take flight. 

In a flash of divine lime green light, a petite red-haired woman materialized before us. Standing at five foot nothing, she wore a simple green dress crafted from intricately woven gossamer strands. 

Her bob-cut hair was parted to the side and reached to her collarbone. Her divine sigil was a solid red tree in the center of her forehead.

With several quick flashes of lime green light in her eyes, she assessed me, causing my third eye to throw a fit and give me a slight headache. 

“Afternoon, clan daughter.” She said, still gazing at me.

“Um, Hi. My name is Aeon.” I awkwardly introduced myself, trying to understand what was happening.

She smiled in response. “Is it now?”

Rhea rolled her eyes. “Can you not?”

Elder Amaranth scoffed and turned to walk away. “Disrespectful as ever, I see. What do you want? And stop scaring my birds.”

We followed her, desperately trying to keep up. 

“Sure, sure. I want a tree spirit some bodhi fruit seeds, I want my charge to have the best.” 

Elder Amaranth turned her head back to me. “Yeah, I bet,” she said before looking forward again. “You know where everything is. Why did you call me, really?” 

“Well, venerable Elder Amaranth, I request another divination reading,” Rhea spoke in a sickly sweet voice.

Divination? Was this the person everyone kept mentioning before? She seemed like a simple old gardener, but she could see the future of gods.

Elder Amaranth snorted in response. “No.”

Rhea stomped her foot impetuously. “What?! Why not?” 

“Assuming you’re requesting on behalf of this handsome young deity here, I already told you everything I could. Proximity won’t change anything.” 

Elder Amaranth materialized a long, gleaming jade pipe and took a deep inhale. 

“Heavenly karma. Chosen, blessed, cursed—choose your own reason; he’s influenced by a dao far beyond my own, but as I said before, I can see that he will be a great benefit to the Ivy clan in the future especially you in particular. So your new infatuation is fine.”

Now I understood why Rhea was so quick to help and sponsor me. This old goddess sent her my way. 

I wasn’t sure if it felt disingenuous or not, but they had both helped me immensely and still hadn’t exactly asked me for anything in return.

Could I honestly be upset?

“Supreme?” Rhea asked, raising an eyebrow. “And I wouldn’t exactly call it infatuation, especially not in front of him.” She murmured. 

Elder Amaranth puffed on her pipe once more. “Well, I suppose it’s possible. Either way, my plants won’t be able to decipher his fortune or fate.”

“It’s the person who placed me in that forest, isn’t it!?” I asked urgently, feeling like an actor in someone else’s play. 

“Put you in a forest?” Elder Amaranth questioned. 

“Nothing, nothing. Thank you, Elder,” Rhea interrupted. 

“Alright fine, don’t tell me. How could an old lady possibly help anyway? Get what you need and leave.” She scoffed. 

“Is this how an esteemed elder of the Ivy clan treats her clan daughter?” Rhea remarked playfully.

“Yes.” Elder Amaranth suddenly vanished in a burst of vibrant green light.

“And call your mother. She worries.” Her disembodied voice continued.

“Auntie Zhinu said have tea with her soon!” Rhea shouted before walking off.

As she gathered plants and seeds, I found myself deeply engrossed in the concepts of karma and fate.

She snapped me out of my thoughts by handing me a dense, prismatic seed that was heavy with divine energy. It was warm to the touch with a slight pulsing heartbeat.

“This is a world tree spirit seed. They’re noncombatant denizens, but instrumental in managing and maintaining life in soul realms. They’re also staples of Ivy clan faith gods.“ She said excitedly.

“Oh, thank you. I’m sure this will be a lot of help.” I said, storing the seed in my soul.

Even while contemplating her intentions, she was still helping me.

***

“Alright, alright, the last thing I want to do today is to visit the auction house, they often have rare treasures at very good prices as long as no one attempts to outbid you,” Rhea said, taking me to hopefully the last stop for the day.

Even apotheosized, I was just tired of shopping. So much had happened in such a short time, that I was having a difficult time keeping up.

Towards the center of the main street, we approached a three-story pagoda, where each layer was slightly smaller than the last, creating a tapered silhouette. 

The golden tiled roof tilted upward at the edges, drawing the eye to the intricate carvings on the white stone walls. 

Dragons, unicorns, titans, phoenixes, and various other mythological creatures seemed to move along the side of the building, forming a harmonious live mosaic.

Inside, we were led to a private booth with a table and two chairs overlooking an auditorium. 

A stage stood to the far left, and several covered pedestals lined the back wall.

We were served drinks, and Rhea prompted me to share more about my time in the forest.

Before I could finish recounting the incident where Aoife adopted a scorched earth policy against all birds, the auction commenced.

A wide array of items were up for bidding, ranging from ornate lockboxes, sacred scrolls, and locations of secret realms, to divine beasts, seals, armor, and clothing imbued with mystical properties, and various types of weapons.

However, the last item sent shivers down my spine and my third eye went into overload.

“Our final item today is a unique one. An anonymous backer recently donated it to us, with a special request that we refrain from advertising it and auction it today only.” Said the bunny-eared presenter, building excitement.

“Blessed by a supreme deity and kissed by fate, we are honored to present Hyperion, an extraordinary divine staff.”

She pulled back the cloth revealing the staff, my third eye immediately flooded me with complex impressions too quickly for me to comprehend, causing a splitting headache.

“Are you alright?” Rhea asked, noticing my discomfort.

“Uh, yeah. I’m just experiencing a strange sensation in my third eye. It’s never happened to me before, something about that staff is calling to me.” I replied, halfheartedly, completely captivated by Hyperion. 

The bunny-eared presenter continued, “This masterwork, forged with divine quasar energy in a supermassive black hole, boasts its mesmerizing glittering-black coloring from a never before seen metal-mineral alloy composed of umbraniobium and nano stardiamonds.

“Umbraniobium is a divine, prismatic black metal renowned for its unparalleled hardness, is believed to be unbreakable, and is even harder than the famed adamant.”

“Stardiamonds are formed from crystalized stellar cores and are said to hold the secrets of the cosmos. They’re also celebrated for their energy-balancing and amplifying properties.”

“The pearlescent white, embrapalladium inlays you see aren’t merely decorative. They are divine runes, embodying numerous noble principles and source laws.”

“As you’re all aware, mythril is renowned for its unmatched energy conductivity and focusing abilities, well, embrapalladium is a step above even mythril.”

“Hyperion, measuring eight feet in length and two inches in diameter, is meticulously balanced with stardiamond caps fused to both ends.”

“This magnificent armament will not only elevate your divine cultivation but may also begin a cultivation journey of its own.” She said then paused, allowing the laughter from the crowd to subside. 

I was completely engrossed in the breathtaking spectacle staff before me. 

It emanated a pulsating, soft white light as if it were breathing. The intricate rune inlays along the shaft radiated an aura of divine comprehension that resonated deeply with my third eye. 

I could witness them shifting and flowing in intricate patterns.

I felt an immediate and deep connection with the staff, and it seemed to be communicating directly with my third eye.

“We will commence the bidding at 500 thousand,” the auctioneer’s voice snapped me back to reality. 

I looked up and shook my head. There was no way I could afford that, and I couldn’t ask Rhea for anymore.

“I have 500 from number A31. Do I have 750? 750 from number U26. Is there a million out there?” The auctioneer pressed on.

“One million.” 

I heard Xane’s snobbish voice echo from somewhere in the room.

Great. Not only could I not afford it, but that jerk would get it. 

“One million room 2, do I have 1.25?” The auctioneer asked.

Rhea raised her placard, but quickly I reached over and attempted to pull her hand back down. 

“What are you doing?” I whispered urgently.

“Room 6 with 1.25. Do I have 1.5? 1.5 million anyone?” The bunny-eared auctioneer barreled along.

“You stared at it for just half a second and nearly had an epiphany all over your pants. The Ivy clan doesn’t ignore divinations, but this will be a personal gift from me to you. We’re getting you that staff.” She said amused. 

“I..” 

“No, no, don’t worry so much. I’m sure I can figure out a way for you to pay me back.” She silenced me with a wink.

“1.5 million from room 2. Do I have 2 million anywhere?” The auctioneer inquired.

Rhea raised her placard once more, nearly making me fall out of my seat. 

“Elder maiden of the Ivy clan, I implore you to save face and permit me to secure this treasure for the Bronte. You wouldn’t want to be perceived as bullying the younger generation in public, would you?” Xane shouted, his voice laced with disdain.

“I’m confident that my face will be fine, young scion of the Bronte clan. This treasure is a gift for my esteemed disciple, a member of the younger generation.” Rhea responded calmly. 

“The charity trash? You might as well give the treasure to a crippled servant.” Xane scoffed.

I couldn’t wait to punch that guy in the face.

“We’re still at 2 million. Is there a 2.5 million somewhere?” The auctioneer interjected.

“2 million and 5 hundred thousand,” Xane boasted. 

“Alright, 2.5 for room 2. Do we..”

“5 million.” Rhea interrupted.

“Elder maiden, your jest has gone on far enough. Surely, the Ivy clan doesn’t want any issues with the Bronte clan,” Xane said, grinding his teeth.

“I assure you, there’s no jest here. I don’t believe the Bronte clan’s issues are any of the Ivy clan’s concern.” Rhea said, unperturbed. 

“7.5 million. Zane spat.” 

“Alright, 7.5 from..” The auctioneer attempted. 

“10 million.” Rhea persisted. 

“15!” Xane screamed across the entire auditorium.

“25 million,” Rhea responded effortlessly.

We were suddenly hit with the sound of a glass breaking and thunder booming in the distance. 

“25 million from room 6, going once.. Twice.. Sold. Congratulations.” The bunny-eared auctioneer regained control of the room, closing the bidding. 

I stared at Rhea in absolute bewilderment.

“Fun, fun!” She said, smiling breezily.