After breakfast had been sorted out, the four closed up the shop and made their way to the center of the city. Even stepping outside, there was already a huge amount of beastkin in the streets so early in the morning.
Chatting as they leisurely walked to the auction house, Ember complained to the couple. "I don't know how I'll survive without eating your delicious food! May you please teach this hungry dragon how to cook?"
Using her best whelpdragon eyes while clasping her hands, Velnarra and Wurino both rolled their eyes in sync. "You know...we have offered to teach you several times in the past. But you always came up with one excuse after another so you'll just have to wither away."
Grabbing Noxtis by the shoulders and offering him as tribute, Ember shyly smiled. "Well, I was busy training. On second thought, why not teach Noxtis? He LOVES to cook, even made all the meals for himself and his Grandma."
Velnarra just looked at Noxtis with a cocked eyebrow, wondering if this was just another silly scheme by her dear niece. "Is that so? I remember that ol' turtle has quite the picky taste, always used to cook her own meals even when we traveled together. Took a long while before I managed to make stuff she enjoyed. Probably one of the biggest reasons for my skills today."
Noxtis just chuckled awkwardly as he also remembered the 'training' he had to go through when he was old enough to handle cooking equipment. Although he is happy to know how to cook pretty decently with anything he could kill and forage but back then it was another kind of hell.
"Yeah, I lived with Grandma Reah for a while and she taught me how to forage herbs and veggies from the forest and how to cook various beast meat and the like. Although she never taught me anything about desserts. I would love to learn from the best if you don't mind Mr. Wurino."
A twinkle lit up in Wurino's eyes as he hurridly grasps Noxtis' hands. "Really?!"
*cough* "Ahem, honey...don't you think that you're making a scene?"
Wurino looked around at all the beastkin who were stopping to look at the weird scene of a cold-looking Frost Wolf holding a young beastkin hostage. Even some old ladies passing by were giggling in hushed tones. Hurridly letting go of Noxtis and standing beside Velnarra with his cold demeanor once again on his face, the slight blush gave away his embarrassment.
With that, Ember and Velnarra couldn't help but burst out laughing which only deepened the blush on Wurino's face.
Wiping off a tear of laughter, Velnarra finally found a moment to breathe and responded to Noxtis. "Believe it or not, not many people really wish to become chefs. Or at least not many that also have the ability to hunt for rare ingredients like Demonic Beasts and other ingredients in more dangerous parts of the world.
And the ones that do ask us are usually money-grubbers who want to steal our recipes, not that they'd be able to make them even if they had the recipes. But considering that you will be cooking for our dear niece, I guess we don't mind showing you a thing or two."
Brushing Noxtis aside with a gleam in her eyes, Ember chatted happily with Velnarra while Noxtis and Wurino sighed together as their significant others didn't even bother asking their opinion. Looking at one another knowingly, they continued their journey to the Red Drake Auction House.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Entering the large trading center of the city, it was still a sight to see even having seen it once before. It was a clear separation from the sectioned-off city area controlled by the four large tribes, a sizable chunk of the center for free trade for many different types of merchants.
Surprisingly, the group saw a familiar Elder holding a clipboard and directing many different groups of people. Both guards and merchants came to chat with her and she was quick to mete out directions.
Not wanting to bother her, the group made their way past but happened to catch her eye and she walked on over. "Hello, how is everything going at the Essence? Are your injuries recovering Noxtis? And nice to see you Miss Embervesent."
All of them bowed slightly and greeted her back.
"Doing well, we came to check out any new ingredients that might be up for auction."
"I'm doing better than before, thank you for your concern."
"Hello Elder, how are things going on here?"
Elder Nancy just rubbed her temples and sighed deeply. "It's such a pain. With the caravans mostly being stripped of their resources and other troublemakers acting up just before the auction, I haven't had much time to do much else despite wanting to study the Demon Hearts.
We've had to beef up security around the marketplace and auction house and there are new security measures in place for those wishing to enter the Red Drake Auction House. Oh, that reminds me." Handing the group each a medal with the Crimson Scale Insignia, they each looked at them curiously.
"This will give you access to the auction house without much trouble, you can ask the guards to direct you to your booth. As for bidding for your desired items, you can just ask Velnarra and Wurino, as they have attended auctions before. If you don't mind me joining you, I just finished up around here and need to check in with the Crimson Scale's auction items."
Beginning to walk away, Elder Nancy paused as if remembering something and came to remind the young pantherkin. "Remember, be careful around the members of the Merchant Council. Some of them are going to attend the auction this time and ever since the Great Cleansing, they are still quite bitter about it. If they notice that you and Ember are going to take part in the auction, they might try and make things difficult.
"Great Cleansing? What happened that require a cleansing?"
Thinking for a moment, Elder Nancy shrugged. "While it's really only known to the higher-ups of the business world, there's no real reason to keep the information hidden. It is more of a deterrent for the merchant businesses that get powerful or a tribe that is looking to become more influential.
It started back when the previous Crimson Scale Tribe Leader had been discovered to have died while trying to ascend to the Bronze Throne stage and ended up failing. After morning the loss of their Tribe Leader, the Crimson Scale needed to find a suitable replacement. So when the Crimson Scale Tribe needed to elect a new leader, Tribe Leader Flint took the mantle after he was the only one to have passed a series of challenges.
Tribe Leader Flint was still very young when compared to other Tribe Leaders in the past. Because of that, there were many who questioned his ability as their leader.
After catching wind of the change in leaders, many of the Merchant Council Heads began to talk about replacing him with someone under their control. While the Merchant Council hadn't done such a thing before, the idea had taken root in their minds. Plans began to be formed and the Merchant Council even roped in a couple of 'opportunistic' tribes to support their plans.
No one really knows how he got his information or from whom, but Tribe Leader Flint was able to find out about these plans for a coup and thus began what is now called The Great Cleansing."
Picking up on what was being said, Fortis asked. "So did he just kill the ones who were conspiring against him? While he was young, I'm sure the Crimson Scale Clan was still one of the strongest tribes in the continent, and he was still their leader at that point."
Chuckling, Elder nancy just shook her head. "Then the story wouldn't be nearly as frightening to the business world if it was just a strong cultivator flexing his strength. Rather, it was the ferocious, cunning, and decisiveness of Tribe Leader Flint that struck fear into their hearts.
While you may think that he was underestimated by the Trade Council Heads, and I'm sure that played some part, such intelligent business beastkin that they were would never move unless they were certain of success. So their plans were ruthless and used most of their forces and wealth to mete out their dirty work."