Arek wasn’t exactly sure how long they sat in the darkness. The stream of people from the crowd slowly dropped to a trickle. Somehow, not a single seat near the Happy Sunflowers had been taken. Arek could just barely see a few dark forms shifting around near the stage and at the other end of the room.

“I wonder how many people are actually here,” Arek said quietly. Something about the atmosphere made him want to remain silent. Maybe that was the point. “It’s so hard to see who else is in the crowd that if you told me we were alone, I might have believed you.”

“The room is about half full,” Ming said.

The four of them turned to her in surprise.

“You can see?” Belmont asked.

“A bit. There are faint outlines around people. Some are easier to see than others, though,” Ming said.

“An effect of whatever was done to your eyes, perhaps?” Belmont asked. He shifted in his chair, moving so he could keep an eye on Ming. “Are you noticing any strange feelings or other nonstandard reactions?”

Ming scratched her chin and tilted her head.

“Well, I’m a little hungry,” she said.

“We should contact Magus,” Belmont said, crossing his arms. “Something might be trying to take over Ming’s body.”

“Belmont, if something was really trying to control Ming, I doubt it would give her night vision first. I agree that this is a side affect of that spell, but I don’t think it’s dangerous - unless Ming feels uncomfortable?”

Ming shook her head. When she realized that they could barely make out the motion, she repeated it aloud.

“Then there we go,” Malissa said. “So far, all that spell has done is helped us. That doesn’t mean I trust it, but I don’t think we should drop everything and panic at something like this. Magus is already looking into things. If something was seriously dangerous, he’d find us.”

Belmont drew a breath. Then he let it out and shook his head.

“I suppose you’re right,” Belmont said. “But the moment something feels off, we’re finding Magus immediately.”

A low rumble filled the auction house. The Happy Sunflowers turned to see the massive doors grinding shut behind them. The last traces of the daylight outside winked out, although that didn’t really affect the dark building. The torches around the stage dimmed. Then fire erupted out from them, reaching several feet into the sky. The flames lowered to a more reasonable level, revealing a tall man standing in the center of the stage.

He wore a tall purple top hat with a matching suit. Gold buttons traced down his lapel, and his cuffs were trimmed with shimmering dragons that resembled the ones surrounding the stage. He dropped into a bow so low that his nose nearly touched the ground.

“Good adventurers! Welcome to the Dancing Dragon. For those of you that do not know me, my name is Alfons. I will be your host for tonight. Now, before we begin, I would like to draw your attention to a few ground rules. First, please locate the large wooden button on your right hand side and press it,” the announcer called. His voice was impossibly loud and incredibly slimy. Arek had absolutely no doubt the man could sell a pair of wings to an angel.

Arek reached out and followed Alfons’s instructions, pressing gently on the wooden box. It slid into the chair with an audible click before raising back up to its original position. Alfons waited for a few moments to allow everyone to test out the button before he continued.

“That is how you will bid. Simply state the amount of money you are putting up AFTER you press the button. So long as you don’t scream, nobody else will be able to hear you speaking. However, I will announce the current highest price. You may also notice that, if you are on the first floor, it is impossible to see your fellow adventurers. That is a privilege reserved for the higher floors. This is to ensure your safety and stop would-be robbers from liberating the winners of the auction from their prizes.”

“So the robbers just have to get to one of the higher floors,” Belmont scoffed. “Let me guess - we need to pay to get on the higher floors.”

“I’m sure many of you are wondering how to get on the higher floors,” Alfons continued. “You may reach the second floor by proving you have a sufficient amount of money. We will also run a very basic background check on you. For the floors above that, they are reserved for C rank and higher adventurers. Our special guests and royalty are also entitled to sit upon our highest floor.”

Alfons paused for a moment, as if he were waiting for a response from the crowd. When none came, he just lifted his hat slightly and spread his arms out wide before him.

“Fantastic! You all understand. Now, some of you might also have some goods to put up for auction. If you do, press that big button on your chair now. A small portal will appear in front of you. Simply place your items within the hole. Our associates will review them and, if they are approved, they will be added to the auction. They will also be identified, free of charge. If they are not up to standard, they will be returned. Please keep in mind that you will not receive the full profit from any sale - we will take a cut, as will the city of Riverfall.”

Alfons paused, allowing everyone to shuffle around for whatever goods they wanted to sell.