The Auction of Tallmire [2]

How exactly Noah had found himself in this situation, he wasn't quite sure. It felt like just hours ago when it was really the day prior, that Liora had met with Meira and explained to her, her ideas and wants of the contract.

Liora didn't know how to react at first, she was still as a stone. Were he to liken her to something from his previous life, it would be a robot whose circuitry fizzled and was trying to reboot itself at any given moment. He couldn't right blame her, Meira's sudden appearance was still weighing on him even now as he stood staring up across the dock area of Tallmire.

The city itself was situated close to a river, right on the bank actually. He hadn't seen it coming in what with him being entrapped in the canvas canopy of their carriage but from what he could see, the river was quite large, large enough for at least two freight ships to float past each other with room to spare for a smaller ship in between.

'Suppose this is why this place is a trading hub.' He thought staring down across the murky blue-tinged waters. A few fish swam by, small to medium-sized though nothing larger than his forearm. He leaned over the ledge pondering how he was half expecting for some type of mermonster to burst out and pull him under and have their way with him.

With head shaking he pulled away and turned back to Liora. Her brows furrowed and her lips turned to falling lines at the end staring off into the distance. Ever since meeting Meira she'd been like this, lost in thought, whatever that was, Noah didn't know but somehow from how she'd look at him then quickly look away, he knew it had to do with him.

Swivelling around he searched the crowds for Meira, she was supposed to meet them around here, told so the day prior. Caina had opted to skip out on the day's festivities, she'd much rather stay at the tavern or look for some cheap deals out in the market square now that people were beginning to run low on produce and will to remain in Tallmire.

As he looked for the chocolate coloured merchant, his attention was stolen by a passing carriage. It wasn't like the others, it was larger, longer, and in place of canvas pulled taught over ribbing of wood there was canvas draped over a box of iron bars. He couldn't see inside but he knew exactly what it harboured.

Monsters.

Nothing dangerous, he presumed. Meira had told him and Liora during their discussions that the auction here focused more on the farmstead monsters. Holstaurs and sheepkin for the largest part with a few harpies thrown in here and there if they were lucky, mermaids whose caviar was quite a famed delicacy even. Those were rare, exceedingly so in a place like Tallmire. They did come now and then, that was more because the city was on the river and the fishers would rarely pull up a wandering maid or two. Once a year, Meira said that happened.

Noah followed the carriage, listening as it and a dozen more trailed down deeper to the place where the auction was to be held. He sighed heavily and held the back of his neck so his arm wouldn't hang lazily by his side. It was a small thing, but it at least was a small thing to do as he waited.

"Things have really taken a strange turn, haven't they?" he muttered.

Liora jostled from her thoughts and turned to him confusedly, she followed his gaze then hung her head. "It has, hasn't it?" the weakest laugh escaped her. "Hard to believe not long ago I was drunk off my mind in depression. Feels like it's been ages since then."

Noah's expression tightened up, "I know how you feel." With everything that's happened, it felt like he'd spent a year on the farm, not mere days that barely added up to the whole of a month.

"It's not bad." Liora gently held her arm, the cool breeze was lightening the aching heat that was everpresent on her scar. By then it didn't hurt as much, she'd become accustomed to it, didn't let it hinder her mind. Though it didn't help her fall to sleep in the slightest. Quite the opposite, the warmth kept her awake, not after a full glass of wine though.

Noah knew she was still taking her drink in secret, doing her utmost to keep herself as lucid as possible yet still slightly buzzed enough to calm and push away any dark thoughts that came about here and there. He was tempted to talk to her, stop her, but he knew fully that with her life the way it was it wasn't going to be a simple thing. Fully weaning her off it that is.

The taverns didn't help, they made the perfect excuse for her to enjoy a tankard just before bed with the littlest of recompense. The things she chose, Noah wouldn't say they were high quality, cheapest things with the most proof. It was quite the miracle that she was walking about after a full pint. Noah had taken a single swig and already his ears and cheeks were scarlet and his brain felt like he'd put it through a paper shredder.

"When Harv died everything just… stopped. I gave up on just about everything. Living, getting up in the morning. Gods above," she held her face, "I only had noodles for dinner every day because I didn't feel like cooking."

Noah laughed, he doubted he'd ever be forgetting his first otherworldly meal. "I noticed."

Liora gave him a light knock on his shoulder and huffed her dissatisfaction before turning back to the crowd, watching them as they did their things. "Ever since you came, Life has some worth to it, Noah. Things might not be perfect right now but it wasn't perfect before. I owe you so much, even if you don't think I do."

He shrunk away, the day prior Liora had gone off on him, berating him like a mother berated her child for skipping an opportunity that could forever change their lives. For the better of course. She'd been relentless from the moment the words, 'but it's your land' escaped his mouth and left him no room for arguing. Noah wasn't even sure he'd heard Caina once since their arrival at the merchants guild, that's just how focused the conversation was between Liora and Meira.

"It's just," Noah mulled and searched for proper words, watching as another set of carriage rumbled past, "I don't want to add more onto your worries."

"Noah, you're not a worry at all."

"You've told me that plenty. Still just doesn't feel right doing things like this without your permission."

"For all, I care you can do what you want with the land. Salt it, burn it, turn it into a ranch. Just so long as it's being used I'm happy."

Weak, almost pathetic smiles crept to their faces and the conversation died down with only the soft smell of humidity and the sounds of city life surrounding them. A gust of wind blew past taking with it a lock of Liora's hair. She rose a hand and caught it, drawing Noah's attention for the slightest of moments.

To him, she was like a retired model living a life of nonchalance, who was just as down on her luck. Beautiful even. She had this strange country gal vibe though held herself like a veritable queen. Something she'd learned from her childhood as the daughter of a baroness no doubt.

As she turned to him and met his gaze her expression softened, taking on a nigh entranced hue to it with sparkling eyes that only proved to accentuate her fine and narrow features.

Noah gulped and he could swear she was watching his throat move as the spit trailed down. He knew he had a penchant for the mature but he'd never expected hebe getting so close to one. He could try to hide his attraction but he knew equally as well that he was pathetic at doing so.

A sense of approach pulled his attention away and let his furiously pounding heart quell just a breath. Meira stood opposite the street, looking to have just seen the two of them. Before crossing she waited for a single caravan to pass then took large—small for her—and hasty steps across the street. Noah doing his utmost to ignore the staring he was growing increasingly aware of by the day.

"Pleasurable mornings you two." Meira stopped just before, her dress taking on a more purplish tinge though just as translucent as the day prior. Her hair had also been knotted up, tied into a tight and braided ponytail with a single fringe hanging free to make her forehead seem not as large.

Noah gave his greetings, Liora following suit, though hers were more strained and twitchy as she found herself staring daggers at Meira's almost exposed chest. She was frustratingly young and sexy, she considered.

Meira looked to the sky focusing on the sun then said, "We shouldn't waste away our time. The auction for the first twenty lots starts come noon bells and I'd like to see what's on sale for the day. So I'd very much like to get going." She eyed the streets with pursed almost worried lips. When she turned back to Noah and Liora they calmed considerably.

This was likely to be her first time leading a partner around. Though a contract had yet to be fully signed between the two. It was a sudden want of hers, she'd told them, so she had yet to have the details inscribed on parchment for him to sign.

Liora met with Noah's eyes, and him with hers. It was a nervewracking proposition for them both yet still, they nodded slightly and fell in line with Meira, following her deep into the bowels of Tallmire.

The city itself was bustling, most were now farmers seeking out some simple deals or refilling their stocks of ranch animals, some even there to auction off some monsters of their own. The actual ranchers made up the second-largest swathes of people, they had monsters they were trading in both young and old though mostly old. The young were happenstance mostly. Freak occurrences created through 'accidental' breeding. No less than two of these ranchers were living on their couches. Or this words version of couches.

By far the largest portion were the curious onlookers. The people there just interested in the creatures on display and the action soon to come with the approaching auction. Noah was more than aware how interesting something like that could be, his days of binging Auction Hunters more than enough evidence for that.

It was odd to Noah knowing he was going to be one of the bidders in his very own auction.

***

Okay, so, for the 'Auction of Tallmire' arc I'm going to keep the shorter chapters but once this is finished I'll start working on longer chapters.