The Land of Flames

The hot air brushes against my face as I looked at the entrance of the building where the auction was to be held.

The building is ostentatious, the wall are thick and are made of some sort of metal that is unfamiliar to me. Probably something that is native to this Musspell.

I could feel the the thick layer of mana shimmering around the building, meaning that this place has quite a number of wards. Which should not have been surprising but nonetheless it was the first one I have seen on this planet.

I glance down at myself, adjusting the cuffs of my suit. The formal attire is uncomfortable, i never could understand how Alex could be comfortable in something like this all the time.

Blending isn't really as hard since I don't stand out as much I do in the normal streets since many other humans are also here although still this place is filled with Formorian or Roxian people.

The invitation from Zeed is tucked inside my pocket, a pass to get me through the doors without question. Zeed had been able to get me in my actual name still don't know how but he got it quick although it was a basic pass.

As I approach the entrance, I spot the guards—two massive figures dressed in sleek black uniforms, eyes sharp and watchful. They’re Formorian, like Orvox, and they scan the crowd with a practiced ease. One of them locks eyes with me for a brief moment, and I force myself to remain calm.

The Formorian guard breaks eye contact and motions me forward with a subtle tilt of his chin. I step up to the entrance, my heart steady but my senses sharp, aware of every lingering glance and whispered conversation around me. Passing through the wards causes me to feel a tingling sense like static electricity.

I pull the invitation from my pocket and hand it over to the second guard, who scrutinizes it for a moment before waving a glowing device over the parchment. After a tense second, the light flashes green, and she gestures for me to move ahead.

"Welcome, Mr. Crowley." She spoke as she pointed to me to the right way.

I nod at the guard as I step through the second ward point and feel it brush pass me like a bunch of Invisible pins hundreds of them. Although a normal person that hadn't trained as a mage wouldn't have noticed any half decent one would have.

It’s clear they’re probing me, subtly searching for something. I don’t flinch, though; my own magical energy simmers beneath the surface, responding instinctively to the sensation, but I keep it suppressed. No need to set off alarms just yet.

The corridor are similarly pompous looking as the outdoor decor. Filled with paintings of Random mountains and one or two armours. To be honest I was already occupied by the wards since It was novel at how different yet similar it was to the one's I was familiar with.

While these wards aren't hidden as they would be on earth, these ones are more harder to actually to break since unlike the earth ones musspell ones aren't as fragile.

Eventually I reached the destination as the hallway opened up into a grand atrium, illuminated by a soft, artificial light that bathed everything in a reddish hue. The room was filled with conversation so much one wouldn't be able to even hear themselves in it.

At the center of the atrium, a towering, glass-like structure hovered in place, rotating slowly. Inside it, was beautiful two handed sword easily longer then my arm. It's blade shined bright filled with a kaleidoscope of colours and it's handle made of fine leather.

People were gathered around the the blade Watching with the same fascination as I was, this was one of those swords that would be considered pay to win yet I would totally buy it in any RPG.

The glimmering sword held my attention for a few moments longer, but I had more pressing matters to deal with. This auction was my best shot at catching him off guard, and I had no intention of wasting it.

I scanned the room, subtly keeping an eye out for anything unusual. The crowd was a mix of Musspell's elite, influential figures from both Formorian and Roxian societies, but no sign of CC yet.

He would stand out in such an environment since he was a human just like me. To be honest there was much I was unsure about things relating to CC such as the reason for his sudden change and why he arrived here or exactly when since no one changed that quickly unless they were being controlled or something.

At that moment a sudden tremor rippled through the floor, subtle at first but unmistakable. I froze, my instincts sharpening, and for a brief moment, my mind raced with possibilities. Was this an attack? A malfunction in the wards?

Since the sheer magnitude was enough to warrant that everyone would be panicking yet from a simple glance around no one paid the shaking any mind. Neither did anything break or show signs of breaking. For moment I thought I was under illusion but a simple check made sure I wasn't and neither had by defences been tampered with.

Before I could react further, a calm voice cut through the surrounding noise.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

I turned to see a man standing beside me, my heart stopped for a moment, he was someone I easily recognised curly brown hair and sky blue eyes. The man I was hunting. CC or Cedric Cale.

“Musspell gets these tremors often,” he continued, offering me a slight smile as he swirled the drink in his hand. “Nothing to worry about.”

I forced myself to relax, exhaling a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “interesting,” I replied, trying to keep my voice casual. "I did my research but didn't get such information."

Cedric chuckled softly yet laughing sounded inhuman. "Happens to all off-worlders their first time. Since the council doesn't want to decrease the number of tourists and since Muspell is on the literal edge of the area where the I.G.A can use their authority so not much is known about this little corner."

I raised an eyebrow but kept silent. He was feeding me information, but I knew better than to trust him too quickly. Instead, I stayed focused, every nerve on high alert for any sudden moves.

Cedric took a sip from his glass and glanced sideways at me, his gaze sharper than before. “You’re a magician, aren’t you?”

The question caught me off guard, but I kept my face impassive. “How did you know?”

He smiled again, this time wider, as if pleased by my response. “You just... look like what one would imagine a magician to be. Like seriously one can't get more nerdy then you of course not counting glasses."

I didn’t react outwardly, but internally, I was analyzing every word. There was something off about him this wasn't how I imagined a normal person turned criminal to act nor did his file have anything mentioning something like this confidence.

Cedric shifted his attention to the hovering glass-like structure at the center of the atrium, the sword inside shimmering in the reddish light. “Dainsleif,” he said, his voice quieter now, almost like hate itself was present. "The cursed sword of legends. They say that Suet used the blade to banish the Abyss itself into another realm."

I followed his gaze to the blade. It was stunning, the complexity of the formula it had. I wanted to steal it and study it yet the only thing holding me back was the law.

Cedric took another sip of his drink, his eyes still fixated on Dainsleif. "It’s strange, isn’t it? Something so dangerous that has killed many is being placed here to be admired."

I shrugged, keeping my tone neutral. “People love dangerous things—makes them feel alive.”

For the first time Cedric didn't have a smile on his face and he was filled with venom. "Hmm, true but imagine those who have lost something to something like this how do they feel?"

"I don't know." I replied forcing myself to calm even though I was on the edge my heart would burst any moment.

“So,” I said, trying to steer the conversation somewhere safer, “how long have you been here?”

Cedric looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head slightly. “A lot longer the you may think young man."

Before I could respond, he straightened up, swirling the last of his drink and downing it in one smooth motion.

“Well, it’s been... enlightening.” He flashed a smile, though this time there was something colder behind it. “But I have other matters to attend to.”

He turned on his heel and began to walk away, but not before throwing one last glance over his shoulder. “Good luck with the auction, Mr. Crowley. I’m sure you’ll find something... interesting.”

As Cedric disappeared into the crowd, I exhaled, tension draining from my shoulders. The conversation had felt like a subtle game of cat and mouse, but I still wasn’t sure who was who. He had revealed enough to make me curious, but not enough to act on.

Before I could think further, a familiar voice broke through my thoughts.

“So, you met your target, then.”

I turned and almost burst out laughing. Zeed stood there in all his bizarre glory, a humanoid owl wearing a perfectly tailored tuxedo. His large, expressive eyes blinked once, and he tilted his head, clearly unbothered by my amusement.

“Nice suit,” I managed to say, biting back a grin.

Zeed fluffed his feathers and straightened his bowtie with a wing. “I aim to please. Now, about your little encounter with Cedric... anything useful?”

"Nothing I would tell a Mafia boss."

Zeed's eyes gleamed mischievously, unfazed by my jab. "You wound me, Mr. Crowley. Information is a currency, and I'd pay well for anything useful." His voice took on a conspiratorial tone. "Besides, I'm sure our mutual interests align in more ways than one."

I shook my head, more to clear my thoughts than anything else. “I’ll let you know if I come across anything... interesting.”

Zeed hummed approvingly. “Good. Keep that sharp mind of yours alert. The auction is about to start, and this place...” He trailed off looking around the room.

Before I could reply, the lights in the grand atrium dimmed, and the conversations around us quieted down. A stage, previously obscured by the crowd, illuminated at the far end of the room. A figure dressed in a richly embroidered robe stepped into view, raising his hands to call for silence.

“The auction is about to begin,” the announcer said in a voice that carried easily over the room. “Prepare your bids.”

Zeed glanced at me one last time before stepping back into the shadows, leaving me to focus on the stage. I straightened my posture, mind racing as I prepared myself for what was to come. Cedric was still out there, watching, and I couldn't afford to lose sight of him or my goal.

As the first item—a rare gem with a swirling, otherworldly glow—was paraded onto the stage, I felt the weight of the moment settle on my shoulders.

The real game was about to begin.