Chapter – 59 - The Auction Begins

The other Uncles too had some things they wanted to put up for the auction. Once they were all done, they headed over to a large silver-blue metal door guarded by two ferocious looking cultivators. Their faces and bodies were riddled with deep and scary looking scars. One of them had a scar on his abdomen, running all across from bottom left to top right, ending almost near his heart. Either the stitches were not well done, or he had suffered for too long before aid arrived, but either way the flesh was slightly upturned around the scar, having turned a dark purple hue with time. It looked quite ghastly and added an extra layer of ferocity to the guard.

Rihanna was pretty sure these people had been specifically placed here to scare the guests entering the auction house so they would all toe the line and not create any unnecessary trouble while inside, and would also not try to cheat on their biddings or payments.

The doors slid open from the center like a well oiled machine. This was the first time Rihanna saw something which vaguely resembled an operated door. She couldn't help wondering if the process of technology and machines were also known to the people of this world. Observing both the door panels with her keen sight she could not find anything remotely machine related. Perhaps they too were operated by some kind of runes.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she moved on to enter the brad and tall passage leading up to the main auction hall. This passage was really wide but short, as it also served as a space for all guests to wait and rest till the main doors of the auction hall opened.

Thick large pillars, placed at regular intervals were half embedded into the walls on both sides of the passage, joining at the top in two semi-arcs. The wall panels in between the pillars were grooved, with the core etched out in different carvings. Some of the panels had colorful and massive paintings, whilst others had patterns of runes carved deep into them, though she couldn't figure out even from the surrounding people's minds what those runes stood for.

The floor was embedded with large slate gray metal tiles. At the center of the floor was a huge runic pattern in the shape of a flower, with tendrils and leaves springing out from below. Each petal was carved with some ancient looking words, and at the core of the flower were three circles, one inside the other. Of the entire pattern, only the circles in the center were aglow with elemental lights.

Against the wall, low benches were placed on both sides, and Rihanna was dragged by Uncle He and shoved onto one of the benches. Rihanna felt like she was the baby of the group. This feeling brought back memories....she was also the baby of the group at her company. Even her boss loved to drag her along wherever she went, always rebuking her for her tardiness or lack of competitiveness.....but she was also the one to blindly believe whatever she told her and fight for her rights whenever someone tried to bully her.

In such a short time so much had happened. The faces of those friends who always stood up for her, were slowly getting blurred. She could no longer clearly remember those places they had travelled together, the food fights and crying bitterly after failed romances, drinking away all night just to feel they were still young. Getting all riled up at petty corporate politics, but still knowing what they wanted from life and going about their own paths to reach their goals.....all of it seemed so far....like a fantasy.

And this fantasy world now seemed more and more real everyday! Rihanna breathed out loudly to get out of her sudden hangover, and caught a glimpse of the ceiling.

Woah! It was like a giant hanging garden!

The ceiling of the passage was made out like a stone framework, with large empty tile like gaps. And through all these gaps numerous creepers, plants with broad colorful leaves, hanging vines covered in tiny flowers. There was even a tree at the center tile, with its roots spreading across the ceiling, each root tightly wrapped around the stone frames. The tree itself resembled a weeping willow, and all the braches hung down towards the ground, covered in tiny green, white and mauve colored leaves, drooping down like a dense curtain of innumerable thin branches.

This was like a beautiful garden.....turned upside down! Remarkable and breathtaking! Rihanna couldn't stop the tiny smile turning the corners of her lips upwards.

With a loud grating sound, the large golden stone door at the end of the passage opened, with the entire door sliding upwards and disappearing inside a cavity in the upper frame of the panel. Instantly a thick purple mist billowed out and covered the entire passage floor. Getting up to line up and move to the auction hall, Rihanna felt like she was taking a walk in the clouds, on her way to dreamland. Some of the methods of this world.....she truly loved them!

In contrast, the hall itself was very dimly lit, where at most you could see up to a few feet before you. The line moved slowly but systematically. Was this another method to ensure security? Rihanna could only trudge along at the snails speed of the line, till finally they reached a line of empty seats, and the entire group quickly huddled down before someone else snatched away these seats. Unfortunately the system of numbering the seats and allotting them separately did not exist. However, no one dared to put up a fight under the watchful eyes of a whole line of vicious looking guards standing in the middle of the hall.

Eventually the entire line dispersed as all the guests found seats for themselves and settled down. The hall was filled with low chattering and discussions. Most were used to the methods of the Underworld Abyss and people settled down quickly, knowing that the auction was about to begin. Rihanna heard the loud grating noise once more and instinctively looked around. The large doors were sliding down once more.

The audience was in.....doors were closed.....didn't that mean that the main show was about to begin. Rihanna snuggled into her stone carved seat. It was not really very comfortable....but then who here had come for comfort? She felt both anxious and expectant of what was to come.

Far above their head, a bright white light suddenly appeared, glowing like the sun. And then it shattered into a zillion stars, showering down upon the audience like a meteor shower, sparkling and glowing, as each star landed on the floor or wall surrounding them. And then the entire hall burst out in a dazzling brightness, burning through everyone's eyes, till it slowly ebbed, turning into tiny sparkling dots floating over small golden stands embedded into the floor or onto the walls.

Rihanna observed the floating lights around her and understood that these were actually lamp stands. The light sparkles were shaped like blooming flowers, rotating slowly on their base. What a spectacular way to light up all the lamps in the hall simultaneously! Elemental powers truly had their own grandeur. She felt like Harry Potter in Hogwarts!

The structure of the auction hall was very similar to the fighting arenas. There was small elevated stage at the center, with the audience seated all around it in a large circular audience stand. There were narrow paths in between the audience stands from where the people could access their seats.

The audience seating area was separated from the stage by a blue lake, with shining silver light rippling across its surface. In the middle of this lake was a smaller, floating silver-black platform, with a dark red array inscribed on it. As the array glowed, it felt like blood pouring out through each inscription line, creating a sinister yet thrilling sensation.

In the middle of the stage was a frail looking column, made of some silverish-white stone. The column spread out at the top like a three tiered fountain head - the lowest one being broadest while the top tier was the tiniest. The thick purple mist was rolling out from these three layers. Judging from the sandy smoke in the restaurant, Rihanna was sure this mist too had its own purpose, probably to make the bidders more relaxed and carefree, so they would create less trouble, and also bid higher.

Rihanna was aware that such spectacles were also possible on earth with the help of machines. But so much detailing was required with electrical connections, motors, smoke machines, connecting and patching so everything would work simultaneously. And just how many smoke machines would be needed to flood a hall of this size with smoke? See, just a simple three tiered fountain here was doing the job all on its own! All it needed were some rune stones, inscriptions, spiritual power.....and bam, it was ready!

Above the top layer of the column, floating a little above it, was a half red moon, in the shape of a tipped arc. It looked the image of a crescent moon. She was wondering why there was a column and moon in the center of the stage, when a loud yet gentle voice spoke up from somewhere, filling up the entire space of the hall, and immediately everyone quieted down. Judging from the reactions, Rihanna was sure that this was the main auctioneer, and that the auction was finally beginning. But....where was this person whose voice they could hear, but could not see the person?!

"Welcome, all guests to the Underworld Abyss, to our second day of the Shino Monte Paradun! Today is also the second day of our fifteen day auction. You all know the rules - no fighting within the auction house premises; no quarrelling over bidding; no discourtesy towards any of the staff of the Green Dragon Auction House; all bidding has to be within the limits of what you are already carrying with you. Once the auctions for the day is over, the successful bidders will immediately be invited to chamber at the back to complete the transactions, check their items and leave the premises. If anyone is found to lack in any amount or item they professed during the bidding, they will be severely punished according to the Underworld Abyss laws. If anyone comes back later to claim item defect and ask for reimbursement, they will be punished according to Underworld Abyss laws. If anyone creates trouble within the premises or tries to cheat, smuggle out items, or go against the staff, they will be punished according to the Underworld Abyss laws. And all such persons will henceforth be banned from ever entering any of the bases of Underworld Abyss.

So please, without further delay, let us begin the auction for today!"