The Gilded Exchange was easily one of the fanciest buildings Chloe had ever seen, at least by this world’s standards. The building was all made of gold and white stone, with super shiny glass panels. Sculpted wings framed the entrance, and carved birds perched along the arches above the doors.
Raenof stopped beside her,. “Remarkable… the craftsmanship alone must have taken decades."
“Come, as lovely as the exterior is, the real value lies inside.” Iris said, glancing back before walking ahead.
As they all went inside, Chloe saw how the floors were so polished that she could see her own reflection in them, which was fun. Tall pillars lined the hall, each carved imagery of birds in flight.
And the crowd here was just crazy. There were avians everywhere, dressed in fine clothes and shimmering accessories, but Chloe also spotted humans in suits, a handful of elves standing tall and elegant, and even a few luphians scattered around the edges of the room. The luphians stood a little apart though, like there was some invisible line kept them from mixing too closely with the avians.
Chloe noticed it and frowned. “Wow, even here, they can’t help themselves.”
Raenof sighed softly. “Old habits die hard, but at least they are not being openly harassed.”
“I… I feel a little nervous." Sierra said.
Chloe bumped her gently with her elbow. “Hey. It’s gonna be okay. We’ve handled way worse than fancy jerks in a shiny building.”
Sierra tensed for a moment, but then nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you're right."
After cheering Sierra up, Chloe was just about to ask Iris where they were supposed to go when a familiar, booming voice cut through the hall. “Ahhh! My most dazzling, most indestructible, most delightfully unpredictable associate!”
Chloe knew that voice. In fact, she knew it a little too well, in the way you knew a song you never wanted stuck in your head again. Her shoulders tensed before she even turned around.
Baron Willy rushed towards her. His arms spread wide to the whole room, like everyone should feel honored just to see him.
“Chloe! To encounter you here, in this temple of wealth and whispered greed, is nothing short of fate itself taking a bow!”
Out of all the people she has met, Baron Willy firmly ranked in the "just okay" part of Chloe's memory. He wasn't terrible by any means, but not necessarily someone she enjoyed being with. Still, it was nice to know that he seems to be doing well.
Chloe leaned back a little without thinking. “Whoa, funny seeing you here Baron Willy. How are you doing?"
Baron William placed a hand over his heart, clearly delighted, like the question itself had fed him. “Better than ever. Partnering with my brother was the greatest decision of my illustrious life. The profits alone have soared! We’ve expanded operations, diversified into ventures I…"
Chloe’s eyes slowly glazed over as he kept talking. She nodded once, then again, her mind drifting despite her best efforts. His voice blurred into a steady stream of fancy words and self-praise, and before she knew it, memories started poking at her instead.
In hindsight, it was pretty funny that one of the first people she met as a zombie was Baron Willy. And Chloe still wasn't entirely sure why she didn't eat his brains on the spot back then, which was also rather miraculous the more she thought about it.
With her head a little clearer now, the Baron’s speeches were honestly even harder to sit through. The words just kept going and going, almost like they were looping back on themselves. Chloe felt herself starting to drift, her eyes glazing over, when Iris thankfully stepped in.
“As touching as this reunion is, we do have an auction to attend,” Iris said.
“Ah! Of course, of course,” Baron Willy said, clapping his hands together. “Duty calls, and coin waits for no man, or baron.”
He turned toward Iris, straightening just enough to sound sincere. “Lady Iris, my deepest thanks for your assistance in getting me here."
Then his attention snapped back to Chloe. “And you, I must thank you as well, for all your previous help, as I wouldn't have made it this far if you never rescued me from my little accident oh so long ago."
“Uh, you’re welcome,” Chloe said, smiling politely while very deliberately not making a face.
Baron Willy tipped his hat and shifted his gaze to Sierra and Raenof,. “And a pleasure to meet the rest of your distinguished companions, I do hope our paths cross again under equally profitable circumstances.”
And just like that, he swept off into the crowd, already chasing his next conversation. Chloe watched him go, then shook her head slowly.
“Wow,” she muttered. “I almost forgot how much he talks."
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Sierra covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. “Is he always like that?”
“He is certainly memorable." Raenof said aloud.
“Yeah,” Chloe said with a snort. “It's kinda hard to forget someone like him."
Iris didn’t comment on that. She simply gestured toward the inner doors of the exchange and started walking. “As entertaining as that was, let us focus on why we are here.”
As they walked, two staff members in matching uniforms greeted them right away. One of the staff members inclined his head. “Welcome to the Gilded Spire Exchange, seating is open this evening. First come, first served.”
The other staff member smiled and gestured down the wide hallway. “We recommend finding your places promptly. The central rows tend to fill quickly once the auction begins.”
“Oh wow,” Chloe said, glancing around. “No assigned seats or anything?”
“Correct, it is part of the Exchange’s tradition. We wish you all the best of luck.”
With that, the staff moved on, already greeting the next group. Chloe watched them go, then leaned closer to Iris and lowered her voice. “Free seating? I thought places like this would need reservations and paperwork."
“Normally, yes, however, the Exchange follows an older custom.”
Raenof tilted his head slightly. “What kind? I don't think I'm familiar."
“When the Exchange was first established, the Avians believed that fortune should favor those with ambition. If you wanted a good view, you arrived early and claimed it yourself."
Chloe snorted. "I think I should make some kind of early bird joke after hearing all that."
"Just be sure to not make those kind of jokes in front of an Avian directly. For your own sake."
"What? I don't get the big deal."
Iris Chuckled. "Best if you don't find out."
"Hmph, lame, but okay."
After that, they walked on until the hallway opened into the main auditorium. The space was enormous, shaped like a wide bowl, with tiered rows of seats curving around a central stage. The ceiling arched high overhead, painted with golden birds.
People were already filing in, dressed in elegant clothes and quiet confidence. Some leaned in to whisper to each other. Others stared straight ahead like nothing here impressed them. Chloe decided she disliked all of them a little bit because they all looked like snobs.
Of course, she lived a comfortable life before being a zombie, but she was pretty sure she wasn't a snob. Mom raised her with a good head on her shoulders after all.
They moved down the steps and spotted some seats near the middle of the auditorium. As Chloe was about to sit down, something beside her caught her eye. A slender glowing rod rested in a small holder next to the seat, glowing a golden light.
She picked it up and turned it over in her hand. “Uh, Iris?” Chloe asked, twisting around in her seat. “What’s this stick thing? Am I supposed to bonk someone with it?”
“That is your bidding focus, when the announcer opens the floor, raising it will signal your intent to bid. You will then state your offer.” Iris explained.
“Oh,” Chloe said, nodding. “Okay. Less bonking than expected.”
“Indeed, and you should know that each item will be presented one at a time. The auctioneer will describe it, then open the floor.”
“And then people start yelling numbers?”
“More or less, the bids will likely continue to rise until no one challenges the final offer.”
“So whoever talks last… wins?”
"Whoever talks last and gives the highest bid, yes."
“That sounds easy enough,” Chloe said, twirling the rod once before placing it back. “You just yell a number and hope no one yells louder.”
Raenof’s voice drifted over from another row. “The difficulty is not bidding, it is knowing how much something is actually worth, so you do not overpay.”
“That won’t be a problem, I have more than enough funds.” Iris said.
“How much is ‘enough’?”
“Enough,” Iris said, then continued before he could press further. “There are three items I intend to acquire. I would like each of you to assist and bid separately to avoid drawing attention. Do not concern yourselves with the cost. If you are unsure, raise the current bid by roughly ten percent.”
Chloe shrugged. "Okay, but what are we actually bidding on?”
“A compass, a broken sword, and a black box.”
“Wow. That’s… super vague.”
Sierra fidgeted a bit before speaking. "Um, I agree with Chloe."
“Don't worry, the auction itinerary will be presented shortly, and I have already reviewed it. Trust me. When the time comes, you will recognize these items." Iris said. “Now, spread out a bit more. Remember, we are only here for those items and nothing else.”
Everyone shifted to their assigned spots after that, spreading out through different seats as best they could. Chloe slid into a chair between a tall elf and some burly Luphian guy, and immediately got comfortable, leaning back and stretching her legs a little.
Soon, a staff member moved down the row and stopped beside her, offering a thin booklet with a polite nod. Chloe took it and flipped it open right away. The itinerary was printed in fancy lettering with little feather designs in the corners, because of course it was.
The compass was listed as the first item, specifically, it was called the Astral Wayfinder Compass. According to the description, it pointed to wherever you wanted to go. You just had to focus on the destination, and it would guide you there.
Chloe’s eyebrows shot up. Okay, that’s actually super cool, I could’ve used that, like, a dozen times.
She was still skimming the itinerary when the room changed around her. The lights dimmed slowly, and a bell-like chime rang out across the auditorium. All conversation died after that.
A well-dressed announcer stepped onto the stage and his voice echoed loudly as he welcomed everyone to the Gilded Exchange. Chloe only half-listened, her focus already locked on the stage as she got ready to bid.
Then the announcer smiled.“And now, we shall begin with our first item: the Astral Wayfinder Compass!"
The lights focused on a single pedestal as an attendant stepped forward. A velvet cloth was pulled away, revealing a compass resting on a cushion.
It looked old, its metal case softly shining with carved markings. Chloe wasn't sure if this really was the Astral Wayfinder Compass because of how rather unimpressive it looked. But hey, she wasn't bidding with her money, so she figured even if this compass turned out to be a dud, at least it wouldn't be her problem.