Chapter 7: Hot Commodity

Not long after being cleaned up and dressed, Naomi was brought to a small room with simple furnishings. There wasn’t much more than a bed, wardrobe, and a wooden stool. A guard escorted her in and then shut the door behind her back. She heard the sound of a latch being locked on the other side.

The bed was comfy and the sheets were soft. She couldn’t help but feel thankful that she was at least given somewhere more comfortable than a cramped cage in a dark space. One of the same maids as before even brought her a meal. Naomi had never tasted anything like it. So many different flavors and all of them were so good! It almost made her forget for a moment that she was still a prisoner.

After her meal, there wasn’t anything else for Naomi to do besides sleep. It felt strange sleeping in a bed rather than a den, but she had to admit that it was comfy. She expected to be too restless to sleep, but that wasn’t the case. Maybe it was because she was too tired, or maybe just because the mattress was so soft, but either way Naomi drifted off surprisingly easily.

The next day when the sun had reached its peak, Naomi was taken from the room by another pair of guards. One of them used a set of manacles to bind her wrists behind her back, then kept a hand on her shoulder as he steered her towards the main hall. Even before they reached it, she could hear a din and sensed that the place was busier than it had been the day before.

When she emerged from the corridor into the main hall, the auction was already underway. The decorations had been changed for the event. Hanging tapestries and red carpets gave the space a more regal vibe. One side of the hall had tables covered by white tablecloths and set with fancy silverware and vases. Servants busily shuffled from place to place to bring fine food and wine to the guests. Even the guests themselves were noticeably different. There had been the occasional novae riche flaunting their wealth the previous day, but now everyone was dressed up in their finest for the event.

At the front of the hall was a raised stage where an auctioneer stood behind a lectern. He wore a fine purple robe and a white ruff around his neck. The sleeves were puffy and had frills. It looked silly to Naomi, but the man held his chin high and didn't seem bothered by the outfit.

"We'll start the bidding at 20 gold for this orc male."

He pointed to the same muscled gray-skinned creature she had seen the day before. There were some who bid, but most stayed silent. It seemed that they were more interested in the later parts of the auction.

"Going once... Going twice... Sold to the gentleman in the red coat!"

Naomi was brought to the side of the stage as the auction continued. The slaves were paraded up one after another. Each one had their special abilities and features announced if they had any, and then the auctioneer would call for bids. Every once in a while, the bidding would heat up. The more unusual and rare races always drew a lot of attention.

The auction seemed to go on for hours. Naomi wasn't really sure how long it had been, but her feet were starting to get sore from standing in one spot for so long. Eventually, the moment came when she was presented.

"Next we have an exotic beastkin female from the Isle of Amber. She's a shapeshifter with the ability to transform into a fox. Docile temperament, easy to train, but don't be fooled by her innocent appearance. A fiery redhead like this will make you the envy of your peers. Perfect for entertaining guests, serving customers, or just used for your own pleasure."

When she was led up onto the stage, the crowd looked her way with interest. She was pushed to stand in the center where she became the focus of every pair of eyes in the room. Suddenly, Naomi felt very exposed. She could see the hunger in the gaze of most of the men and even some of the women.

She hadn't thought much of it before, but now she realized just how provocative her gown was. The slit running up her long legs left much of her pale skin exposed. Even the waistband of the lacy panties she wore was left teasingly peeking out. At the thought of this, Naomi grew shy and brought her legs together until her knees touched. This did nothing to abate the lustful air around the audience. If anything, she only stoked the fire to burn even more intense by making herself seem so vulnerable.

"Starting bid will be 100 gold."

Several of the guests immediately jumped in, eager to be the first to bid on such a tempting prize.

"One-twenty."

"One-forty."

"Two hundred!"

The bids came in rapid fire. The auctioneer continued to call out the bids as the price continued to rise. Naomi's tail swished back and forth nervously. She didn't know what everyone was shouting. All she knew was that she was the center of attention right now.

After the rapid early rise of the bids, a few guests stood out as the most determined to get their hands on her. The first was an obese merchant with a bulbous nose. His stomach practically spilled out of his fine tailored clothes. There were already two collared slaves on leashes standing at his side hanging their heads low with dispirited looks. This man was Horatio ‘the Ample’. He was notorious in the upper circles of Emeropolis for his debauched and gluttonous lifestyle. Even though many found him revolting, they still did not hesitate to curry his favor because he owned a fleet of trade ships.

The next was a middle-aged woman with a sharp gaze. Her lips were painted a deep red and her cheeks were heavily powdered. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun and she wore dangling jeweled earrings. The dress she wore was the finest silk. It was even more provocative than the one that Naomi was given. She had several young and beautiful girls with her who all seemed to hang onto her every word. Her name was Madam Aelia. She was the proprietress of the Scarlet Kiss, a famous brothel in the city.

"Three-fifty. Madam Aelia, your fine establishment already has so many lovely ladies. Surely you can afford to spare this one and give me some face."

"Four hundred. Hah, nice try. As if I would pass on a gold mine right in front of me. You must think me a fool."

The two had already gone back and forth against each other several times. Madam Aelia smirked as she gave the swine-like merchant a provocative gaze. 

When Horatio saw the look she gave him, he couldn't help but grind his teeth thinking of the way this bitch hiked up the price so much already. Four hundred gold was not unaffordable for him, but it was no small sum to spend on a mere pleasure slave.

It seemed that the two would soon be at each other's throats ready to fight over the foxgirl. But before either could continue, a new bidder entered the fray.

"Four-fifty."

Everyone's attention was drawn towards the new bidder. The auction hall grew abuzz with murmurs. It wasn't often that this much money was thrown around even at highroller events. 

The bidder was a younger man who looked no older than 25. He had black hair that was cut short and neatly trimmed. His face was handsome and he wore a set of spectacles that gave him a scholarly air. However, when the crowd started to recognize his identity, the atmosphere grew silent and uncomfortable.

This man was Lucian Nocturus. He was the young heir to one of the Six Great Houses, the most powerful noble clans in Emeropolis. His father was an influential member of the senate, and Lucian was being groomed to be a future scholar and politician.

However the reason for the crowd's silence was not just because he was from a prominent background, but because of his reputation. There were rumors that he had some 'eccentric' hobbies. Despite House Nocturus' best efforts to keep things hidden, some former servants of the house had leaked that the young heir was fond of torturing young girls. These stories had never been confirmed, of course. Even if they were, although such a thing was considered degenerate and shameful, if it was done to slaves it wasn't technically illegal either. Even so, it was enough to make the crowd uneasy.

All this while, Naomi could do nothing except fidget in place. Even the auctioneer sighed when he glanced at the girl. Becoming the plaything of a ugly bastard, forced to satisfy dozens of customers in a brothel, or tortured for a spoiled brat's amusement. No matter which of these three eventually won, it seemed that she was destined for a pitiful life. One couldn't help but wonder if the poor girl had somehow earned the ire of Lady Fortune herself. He felt sympathy for her, but such was the way of things. If it was not Naomi, another girl would simply take her place. Besides, he was not about to stick his neck out for a stranger.

The auctioneer cleared his throat. "Four-fifty. Anyone? Going once… going twice…”

Just as it seemed that the girl’s fate had been sealed, yet one more voice called out.

“Five hundred gold for the foxgirl.”

The crowd’s attention was drawn to the back of the auction hall. Naomi lifted her eyes as well and found the one who spoke. 

The bidder was a man with a masculine face and a strong build. He stood about 6 feet tall and his arms were muscular. There were a few faint scars on his face, but rather than mar his good looks, they added a certain appeal. The expression he wore was stoic, betraying nothing of his thoughts as countless other guests murmured to each other about his identity. It seemed that he was not well known. If one were to go purely off his looks and temperament however, he gave off the vibe of a battle-hardened killer.

When his gaze met with Naomi’s from across the room, he flashed a charming smile that oozed confidence. At that moment, the dangerous outer appearance melted into an amicable and reliable gentleman. 

Naomi felt a strange fluttery feeling in her belly that made her squirm. She felt something similar whenever someone had roamed their eyes over her body, but this time it wasn’t quite the same. She couldn’t say exactly if it was better or worse, just ‘different’.

The auctioneer glanced back towards the Nocturus heir to see if he planned to contest. As expected, the young man bit his lip before giving a slight bow to signal his concession. Frankly speaking, 500 gold was an absurd amount to pay for a slave. Even the rare instances where a mage from a rival nation was captured they seldom sold for that much.

“Five hundred going once… Five hundred going twice… Sold!”

Like this, the kitsune’s new owner had been decided. There were some huffs of discontent from some of the others who had their eye on the girl, but ultimately it was an unknown newcomer who had staked his claim over her. 

Naomi was brought down from the stage and taken away to a private chamber. She was made to wait there for a few minutes. It wasn’t long before she heard the appraiser from the day before talking with the same voice that called out during her sale.

“Please do not hesitate to visit us again, Cassius sir. You’ll be treated as a VIP at any of the Silver Tongue’s affiliated businesses as well.”

The appraiser was practically grinning from ear to ear while the man just gave him a faint smile. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Naomi heard one of them walk away. For a moment she thought she would be made to wait longer yet, but the curtain in the doorway was suddenly pushed aside. She came face to face with him for the first time.

At first, neither of them spoke. The man stepped in closer until he stood right before her. He towered over her, being almost a full foot taller. It wasn’t apparent when she was on stage and he was across the room, but now their size difference was impossible to ignore. 

He raised up a hand and traced it gently up her neck. Running his fingers under her chin, he made Naomi tip her head back and meet his eyes. At the same time, he lightly brushed his thumb across her lips. She shivered from the touch. His voice was smooth and deep, as he spoke to her with a gentle tone.

“Hello there, little fox. From now on, I’ll be your master.”