I learned quite a few things from the soldier whose memory I took, and after cross examining it with Talia, I had gotten a good grasp of the situation I was in, as well as the condition of the world and how much time had passed since my demise as a Primordial.
It had been over 3,000 years since I died, making my body over 5,000 years old. Humanity had gone through several evolutions and instead of being a unified race they had separated and built several civilizations. This was why I couldn't understand their language as well, they had evolved beyond that.
The current nations of the world were now known as the four Great Kingdoms. They were; The Southern Kingdom, The Northern Kingdom, The Eastern Kingdom, and finally, the one I was currently in, The Western Kingdom.
Each of these kingdoms had distinctive features and natures as well as their peculiar currency and language. Since I was new to the world, I had to at least interact with it and get a good look myself.
I saw Talia's tattered appearance, her body was not in the best shape. What kind of master would I be to allow my subject look this bad?
"Let's get you all freshened up first" I told her.
For the first time she noticed her appearance and went flush with embarrassment. She had the look of a teenage girl, about 16 by human standards, though I knew she must've lived far longer than that since she is a Fairy. I looked around the woods for the perfect place for her to bathe and clean herself and found the perfect spot.
"Let's go" I said.
"W-Where?" She said in surprise, already seeing me take my leave.
She followed me hurriedly, not wanting to be left behind.
"Good" I thought to myself.
She's going to make a good pawn.
After tidying Talia up in a nearby stream I found in the woods, I generated a proper attire for her. I took a good look at Talia now. She looked lovely in her black gown. Her flowing dark long hair complimented the dark color of the gown, red ribbons were tied on both sides of her hair. Her pink eyes and pinkish shoes shone with glamor.
All preparations had been made, it was finally time to leave the woods and head towards human settlement. And so, Talia and I ventured out of the forest and took the route which led to the nearest city.
It seemed that this was also the destination of the soldiers who had intended to sell Talia. As for her wings, it had already been taken in advance and would be in the market. A fairy without her wings is a bit shy of useless, so I decided my first goal would be to reacquire her wings. Only then would she able to serve me appropriately.
However, to obtain the wings, a major factor was involved, money.
Needless to say, I was broke. Talia was also broke. The little money we had was as a result of plundering the dead soldiers, not that I liked the idea.
Without wasting much time, we arrived at the city of Artia, one of the trading hubs of the Western Empire. It was a lovely sight to behold. Humans moved up and about the city and I saw countless items for sale. Weapons I had never seen before were being sold, as well as minerals and precious items.
However, I could discern that most of what was being sold was worthless. Call it a special feature or just my ability to notice even the slightest details. Only a few were actually valuable, but I saw buyers purchasing even the non-valuable items for high prices as well.
"Fools" I said to myself with a smile.
In order to obtain the wings I had to look for where the money really was. As a major trading hub, Artia was known for its huge commerce. Even the streets were filled with commodities. However, human nature never changes. There should be a spot where only a select few could have access to, where only the most exquisite goods were sold.
If I was to find my prize, my best bet would be the most secluded and expensive place. That in itself posed a major problem however, MONEY.
"However," I smiled to myself, "money isn't everything."
Now, to deal with my most immediate problem, Talia's chatter.
"Woah. So amazing!!! Look at that dress, it's so pretty. This city is so huge! I've never been to any place as grand as this!!!" She kept saying.
One major thing I had come to learn about Talia was this. She was way too lively. Always making comments on everything, so bouncy and full of energy. To be very honest, I was feeling drained.
"You talk a lot, don't you?" I told her finally when I couldn't take it anymore.
She fell quiet after I said that, and I was relieved thinking she got the idea I was passing across. I couldn't be more wrong.
After a few seconds of silence, she began blabbering again.
"Isn't she a bit too cheerful for someone who just lost her wings?" I asked myself.
This continued for quite some time until I found the place I was looking for.
They call it an auction site, a place meant only for the rich and the specially privileged ones and where goods were sold only to the highest bidder. I saw several but one caught my eye. The most prestigious one which stood above the rest.
"Bingo" I smiled.
According to the information I had obtained, fairies are quite rare during these times. Fairies can prove to be troublesome for humans to deal with, however, a wingless fairy would still be very valuable, especially one as attractive as Talia. Though she was quite a handful, she still looked like a beautiful young lady.
Then there was the issue of fairy wings. Even more valuable than the actual Fairies, the wings were the most coveted. They would sell for a ridiculously high price. The reason for this, other than its attractive nature was the vast energy stored within it.
The wings of a fairy contained the most of their energy. Should a human obtain it and use it appropriately, they could obtain powers akin to that of fairies. Such an item could only be found at the highest level of trade. "All that's left to do is to seal the deal." I said.
"Oh? My wings are there?" Talia asked me with an innocent look in her eyes.
I was tempted not to answer her, but after realizing she would keep pestering me until I gave her a response, I gave it a second thought.
"Not necessarily right now, but they will be soon enough. What we need right now is information." I told her
I approached the building. From my appearance and Talia's, the receptionist assumed we were high class individuals. She greeted us with utmost curtsey which made me smile. Finally, someone treated me right. "Let's get down to business" I said firmly.
The receptionist smiled with respect, though I could tell she was intimidated by my demeanor. If only everyone had her common sense, especially those soldiers, they could have lived.
"Welcome to The Imperius Auction Center, Artia's number one Auction house. What can we do for you sir?" She asked me politely.
"I would like to acquire an item, one with the utmost rarity." I told her.
"Oh, well sir. You have come to the right place. Here at Imperius we only offer the best of the best to our members." She told me.
"Hmmm, Membership?" I said to her.
"Yes sir. Should you so desire, you can become a member and obtain all privileges of The Imperius Auction center" she said.
Here came the tricky part.
"How much?" I asked her, gulping within myself.
"For our basic Membership plan, it's 50,000 Gold Coins, however, seeing as you are a man of high standing and the item you seek is of the rarest quality I would recommend the Premium Membership, the highest form of membership apart from the ones attainable by the Royal family and nobles." She spoke.
I coughed within myself.
How much is that?" I asked her.
"Fifty Million Gold coins" she told me with the brightest smile I had ever seen.
Sweat formed on my face. Calculating all the money we had on us, it was only 30,000 Gold coins. Not even enough for a Basic Membership Plan.
Talia and I exchanged glances. I knew she was thinking the same thing I was.
"Well, damn."