Mature Content Warning: The buying and selling of happy people.

Author's Note: So... here we go.

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Chapter 57.2: Blood Tracker

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Two hours passed, and the crowd had grown larger with each passing moment. The slave auction was an even that drew people from all over Eizen and from points even further away. Some of the strangest people had appeared during that time.

Finally, after the moon had risen high in the sky, the trader stepped onto the stage once more to begin to festivities. “Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we have our premium slave auction. I hope that you brought your money, because this time we have a few truly unique items for sale!”

“Items?” asked Scott in a snarky manner. He knew what the man had meant by that and did not appreciate it much.

Rhea reached over and quietly took his hand. It was a small show of solidarity, but a welcome one.

The crowd cheered lustily when a busty woman was led on stage. She wore a simple, sheer, gown that left little to the imagination. She smiled and waved happily to the crowd. “Hello, potential masters!”

Several people in the crowd cheered once more. The curvaceous woman waved to each of the louder sections happily before she spoke again. “My name is Maria. I am trained in the arts of song and dance... Won’t you let me please you?”

“Hell yeah!” shouted a man with the head of a crocodile. “Please me first!”

Several people in the crowd laughed at the overly excited walking handbag. None of them really blamed him.

The show continued by having Maria sing and dance on stage. She writhed around in the most scandalous of ways before accidentally causing her gown to slip slightly down along the shoulder. She exposed a great bit of her breasts and acted as though she was greatly embarrassed. However, just before the bidding started she turned back and winked at the crowd.

“We’ll start the bidding at one hundred thousand Fayth. One hundred thousand to stake a claim on this lovely creature.” called out the trader.

Crocodile-head immediately raised his hand and shouted out his bid. The trader did not even get a chance to ask for other bids before another man on the far side of the crowd called out a bid of his own. Soon, dozens of people called out their own bids. Maria’s price rose to over three million Fayth in the blink of an eye.

“Alright, we have three million five hundred fourteen thousand...” said the trader.

“Going once...” he continued.

“Going twice...” he said after no one responded.

Gambol called out. “Three-point six million!”

Crocodile raised it immediately to three-point-seven. Gambol countered with four million.

Maria’s eyes danced back and forth as she saw two men arguing over the right to own her. The trader kept taking bids and soon pointed to Gambol. “For the price of four-point-three million Fayth, we have a winner! Come collect your property, sir.”

Scott stared at Gambol for a moment, but the man did nothing but flash him a cheeky grin, before he wandered off to the side to pay for his purchase.

Rhea chuckled softly. “Well, Gambol certainly has some explaining to do to my sister.”

“Are they really together?” asked Scott. He could not fathom a man buying a woman at auction, much less buying someone when he already has a girl that he wanted to be with.

“They’re weird. I doubt Theta will care much; she’s sort of a free spirit like that. I do wonder why Gambol bought her, though.” said Rhea.

“Can I buy someone?” asked Ero cutely.

“No.” said Scott and Rhea at the same time.

“Aww.” said Ero in disappointment.

Crocodile-head glared hotly at the stage. He had wanted to be pleased, but had to watch the ninja master receive a sexy hug from the dancer.

The next slave up for sale was male, and a dwarf. The trader spoke highly of his craftsmanship skills. The dwarf berated the crowd and told them that they were all pathetic. However, when a beautiful heiress purchased him, the dwarf calmed down and actually giggled like an idiot. Somehow, he seemed happy with his new mistress.

Gambol returned by the time the next slave went on sale. This one was a male Minotaur. He was cited as a powerful warrior capable of crushing even the toughest monster with his war hammer. The minotaur eyed the people in the crowd then said, “A woman should buy me.”

“Why’s that?” called out an older woman who wore far more make-up that clothing.

“Woman, a beast isn’t the only thing I can smash with my war hammer.” The minotaur whipped his hammer out and showed it to the crowd. The head was massive, about the same size as his torso.

“Sold!” cried the older woman to the enjoyment of the crowd.

The trader laughed merrily then waved her off. “The bidding starts at eighty thousand Fayth.”

The minotaur’s bid-rate was fast and furious for several minutes and he ended up being sold for a little over six-million Fayth. The older woman had won the bidding and then ran up to pay for her new purchase. As soon as she paid, her new slave reached over and pulled her toward him. “Prepare yourself.”

“Unhand me you muscular brute!” cried the woman, though she smiled the entire time.

“I’ll use my hands any way I like...” He slung her over his shoulder then slapped her on the ass.

The older woman laughed merrily then pointed the way home. She was ready to see what special skills he possessed in the usage of a mighty war hammer.

The festivities continued well into the night. Dozens of premium slaves, actually players looking for a unique start in the world, were sold off to the highest bidder. Most of them went the innocent girl or beastly male route, but many of them also blatantly cited their sexuality. No mermaids were shown, so it seemed that Gambol was correct.

Speaking of Gambol, he purchased four different female players during the festivities. They clung to him in an overly slutty manner, and he did not seem the least bit upset by that fact. Rhea could not stand it anymore, so she asked him what was going on.

Gambol grinned at her. “Well, if you must know... I’ve never had a girlfriend... and well... Theta wants to know that I have a certain level of experience before she allows me to embarrass myself.”

Scott blinked at the ninja master. “You’re saying that she wanted you to go practice that?”

“Ain’t love great?” asked the ninja master.

Rhea rolled her eyes. “Only in my family... I swear...”

“Oh?” asked Scott. His single syllable question opened up a flood gate of responses from Rhea.

“Well, my mother is a goddess of love and fertility... she really stresses the fertility part. All of my sisters have this weird desire to make certain that any man they end up with can prove their manhood. Even Shara got caught up in it, and she’s not even biologically related to our mother.” said Rhea.

“Yeah, Rhea’s the black sheep of her family.” said Gambol with a grin.

Rhea snorted then looked down. “I can’t help that... I took after dad.”

Scott squeezed her hand then smiled. “Why look so down about it? I can try to be extra special fertile just for you.”

Rhea blinked then shook her head. “So stupid...” she said, before she turned and kissed him gently on the cheek.”

“Aww, master... look.” said Maria before she snuggled closer to Gambol.

“I can be fairy fertile for you too!” exclaimed Ero before she fluttered over to stand on Rhea’s shoulder.

“Gee, thanks Ero.” said Rhea lightly.

Scott laughed softly. “I just had the image of both of you pregnant in my head. I would end up even more outnumbered. I just know it.”

Rhea and Ero both reddened slightly in the face. Even Ero, the constant seeker of interesting things had been slightly embarrassed by the thought.

“Scott’s thinking about getting me pregnant? I’m going to have a little girl?” asked Ero softly. Her eyes shimmered softly and she giggled in a sweet and gentle manner. “I wonder what her name will be?”

“I’m still so young, but if it’s with Scott...” said Rhea. The light danced and shimmered in her eyes as well.

Scott took an involuntary step back from the two overly happy girls. He had been joking, just joking!

He looked to Gambol for something resembling masculine support, but the ninja master was busy with his newly purchased harem. He had special skills to learn that had nothing to do with lore crystals.

“Oh... damn.” said Scott as Rhea and Ero both looked at him at the same time.

“Wait! Wait! It was a joke?” Scott flailed his hands around rapidly.

Several seconds passed after that while Scott fended off the giggly advances of the girls in his life. The trader said, “Going once... Going Twice...”

“Sold, to the legendary blue haired boyfriend!” called out the trader.

“Wha-?” asked Scott.

Everyone in the crowd was looking toward him. On stage a wolf-like man with blood red fur glared resentfully at Scott.

“So, you’re my master? Feh!”

“Master?” asked Scott stupidly.

“You can pay for your purchase at the podium! You won’t be sorry. A blood tracker is one of the finest hunters in the world, though why a man would want to deal with one is beyond me.” said the trader.

Scott continued to stare at the blood red wolf-man for a moment. “Well damn.” he said. This was an utter surprise.