Ewan fidgeted nervously in his seat as Finn leaned in to make their conversation even more private and discreet than it already was.
"You just ran into one of the higher-ups in the organization," Finn explained. "Which is very good for us, if we can stop him tonight."
"So he's someone important?" Ewan asked in a low voice, "And how did you recognized him, from so far away?"
Finn frowned, before taking a quick glance toward the auction stage, where one of the dealers was displaying a small winged creature locked in a cage that was far too narrow for it. The prices were fervently going up and up, increasing the bill for whoever would end up winning it.
"Didn't you smell it?" Asked the military man, a little bewildered.
" Smelled what?" Repeated Ewan, while also looking towards the scene.
Finn then took a deep breath, as if to sniff what was around him, then spoke again.
"I smelled a strong odor of nepenthe," he declared.
A word Ewan did not know. Yet, this same word had been an obvious one for the military man, having allowed him to identify the man although masked and dressed in a way that modified his appearance.
Finn could see that the young man did not understand what he was getting at, and quickly explained himself.
"Nepenthe is the residue from the combustion of mana, after a curse has been cast." He said while continuing to stare at the man who was gesturing wildly on the dais. "The more mana a curse consumes, the stronger the smell of the residue."
The military man then directed his gaze at Ewan, which made the latter uncomfortable. He had the impression of being observed, gauged. As if the man who accompanied him felt a certain distrust towards him. A distrust of which Ewan did not know the cause.
"The people at the head of the Circle are feared and many rumors circulate about them. Those who cross their path, however, always have the same observation about them, when questioned." Continued Finn, as he looked again at the winged creature being sold. "Each individual spoke of a feeling, a sort of chill they felt. Like the air was getting colder around them."
As if the air... was getting colder?
This information made Ewan react. It seemed strange, but also very peculiar. Something almost impossible to miss. And yet...
"I didn't feel any cold sensation, when I bumped into that person..." Ewan remarked aloud.
For all answer, Finn frowned silently, as if he was holding back from saying something.
"Let's move on to the next batch!" Exclaimed the auctioneer dressed in a bright white suit and a wig with long red hair.
The winged creature was led through one of the doors at the back of the room, and a group of humanoids chained together were brought before the audience.
"The next batch are Ferlids from the southeastern part of the continent!" Announced the man in the snake mask. "Their skin is perfect for making beautiful clothing, and the other parts of their bodies can be made into hearty, iron-rich dishes!"
Such a shameless statement pleased many in the audience, with some of the guests beginning to talk excitedly about their future plans for the big cat men.
Yet these humanoids were just as sensitive and dexterous as hairless human beings. They could talk, use tools, hunt, trade, and were even part of a vast independent territory in the south of the continent.
They were equal to humans in many ways, but that didn't stop some of them from being captured and illegally sold to wealthy owners who wanted to have fun with these creatures they considered even less important than their pets.
In Ewan's eyes, they were just as scared and angry as anyone who may have been in the same situation.
They didn't know yet what would happen to them, or if they would survive. The only certainty was that their own lives were completely out of their control.
However, even when faced with the uncertainty of their future, most of the five feline men stood straight and with a fierce stare at the humans in the room. A bit of a defiant gesture and a warning, for those who would dare to bid on them.
But it was a lost cause. Faced with the power of money and human perversity, the will of an individual did not weigh much.
The young hunter felt a hand on his shoulder.
He turned his gaze towards Finn, and saw that this one had a hand hidden in his jacket.
Looking down, Ewan saw a faint blue glow emanating from inside Finn's pocket.
It was the signal to inform them that Carciem and the rest of the troops were finally in position, and that all exits were covered by the military.
To confirm to the man with him that he understood that they would have to get into action in a very short time, Ewan nodded.
In less than five minutes, the entire room and the adjoining galleries would become a battlefield.
At the same time, the individual with the seamless, obsidian-black mask roamed the subterraneans near the auction house, followed closely by his escort.
"Lord Androanni! I didn't think you would leave us so quickly!" Exclaimed a man with a blonde beard and a pair of round glasses.
He sported round earrings and several gemstone rings on his fingers, and his lanky figure made him look more like a corpse than a living being. However, it was indeed a human being who stood between the individual of the Circle and the place where he wished to go. A man who, by his looks and attire, showed that he was extremely wealthy, and didn't care who bought what, as long as he got what was owed to him.
"I can't linger here," Androanni simply replied.
This news displeased the auction house owner.
"But... you haven't bought anything yet, though..." he pleaded. "You're one of our best customers, so I'd really like to know if there's anything you don't like!
Androanni then raised a hand so that the owner would stop talking.
"We won't see each other again, so don't try to contact us." He said in a dry and sharp tone.
The people who escorted him then advanced to push aside in spite of his protests the owner, making room for Androanni to resume his progression in the corridor. Then, his guards quickly followed him.
"Lord Androanni, is something wrong?" asked one of the armed men.
Androanni did not answer. They didn't need to know.
They might not have reacted the same way, knowing what had caused their leader to immediately leave the premises.
Less than an actual clue, and more than a hunch, the brief contact between his body and that of this other person in the wolf mask had sent shivers throughout his body.
A chill that carried a sense of danger.