Where The Dead Ones Go Book 2 -Republic-

Chapter 7

"The next item is Phidoch Knuckles. Made of extinct monster leather and studded with diamonds. Since this in the third of the last three items in our monarch collection, we will start the bidding at One Hundred Million Drachmas!"

"One Hundred Thirty!"

"One Hundred Thirty for the Phidoch Knuckles!"

"One Hundred Fifty!"

"One Hundred Seventy!"

"Give them Three Hundred, Morris. Kairos is getting restless already," I told my cousin in our minds as I glanced at our companion, who is biting his lower lip excitedly in anticipation.

"Wouldn't want our guard waiting. Three Hundred it is, Vivet."

He then raised his hand a little and announced our bid, "Three Hundred Million for Iris Delivery Service!"

We heard loud gasps of disbelief as the auctioneer quickly closed the deal when no one dared to counter our offer.

"Just how much disposable assets Iris Delivery Service has?"

"It is just a ubiquitous company, and I thought their operations are rather small."

"Small? My dear, they are so ubiquitous, they have branches even beyond the mountain ranges of the union!"

"My associate, who is Hermes's son, told me that his father said a while ago that he is thankful that Iris' line of business is different from what his own company offers because if not, he will be bankrupted by now."

"But they charged so cheaply for small-time deliveries. How can Irene Iridis earn so much by only bringing in a few coins?"

"If your scope of business is located at just about every city, towns, villages, and settlements, those few coins from each transaction can turn into a torrent of nearly endless coins."

"They are just laying low these past few years. What made her bring the company into the spotlight?"

"She is a valued customer of my advertising company. Before, she is just content on placing a few ads on random cheap billboards on each city's outskirts. Now she is requesting me to do a full-blown public relations offensive."

"That, and she has the demiurges of the Thanatos and Elpis at her disposal. My children studying at the Hellenic Citadel told me that the two firstborns are always wearing their nameplates, stating that they are the Corporate Ambassadors of the Iris Delivery Service."

"Talk about coming out of the woodwork. Irene's company is a private one and already beating the public companies by sheer assets and cash inflows. I never know that Iris is a goddess of anything related to commerce."

"Well, she is the goddess of rainbows. You cannot expect when or where she will appear and surprise us all with her colors or, in this case, financial might."

"I just hope that Iris Delivery Service will let us get something tonight. It is not every century that the Republic of Anoixi will open its fabled vaults and let us own at least a few Golden Age era items they have safeguarded since ancient times."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention, please! I now present you all the second to the last item from our monarch collection! Behold, the Zymethian Box! Said to be containing records of the lost age's show business' past. Bidding price starts at One Hundred Million Drachmas!"

Morris and I let them bid knowing full well that we will win anyways and instead turn our attention to Kairos, gingerly touching the knuckles that we got.

"Pride and viciousness. Enough said."

"Fit for our impatient friend, no doubt," I said quickly as my cousin nodded in agreement.

"Can't imagine anyone else trying that on other than her," he then returned at the edge. He watched the ongoing bidding wars, "It's already at One Hundred Eighty, Vivet."

"Two Hundred."

He nodded and raised his hand to get the auctioneer's attention, "Two Hundred Million Drachmas for Iris Delivery Service!"

"Two Hundred Million Drachmas for the Zymethian Box! Going once, going twice! Sold to the Iris Delivery Service!"

We waited for the box to be delivered where we are and let Khronos' son get a hold of it.

"What to expect from something that came from the limelight? It exudes the feeling of grandeur and amusement."

"Just like a flower, eh, Vivet?"

"Just like a flower, Morris," I repeated meaningfully as the auctioneer raised an old plane toy that I saw in the past with my friends.

"This is the last of the monarch collection. An old toy they called an airplane. Said to be a replica of the real thing that once flies over our continent's skies before. Since the Iris Delivery Service has bid successfully on the rest of the collection. The house is offering it to the company for One Hundred Million Drachmas."

"Vivet?"

"How can we refuse, Morris?"

"The Iris Delivery Company will take it," my cousin replied. Everyone clapped their hands as the auctioneer brought down the hammer and let the valet bring us the collection's final piece.

"Oh, this one is something else," Kairos explained as he gazes upon the toy in his right hand, "I can just feel the dreams and fulfillment on this one."

"No one else has fulfilled their dreams on our friends other than him, Vivet."

"Too true, Morris. Besides, this just fits someone like him nicely, don't you think?"

My cousin nodded as he took his seat and take a rest from bidding as we let the other bidders get something.

I wouldn't want to antagonize them and give the company of Ms Irene a lousy reputation.

"Are we done here?"

We looked at Kairos, who resumed standing beside me and observing the ongoing bidding wars.

"The night is still young, and there are a lot of things to be auctioned later. Might as well stick around and get some more for our friends."

Morris just nodded as he took a bite out of his kutsinta and slightly relaxed like a king as Kairos took a bite out of the buko pie I offered him.

"We keep on hearing the voice of Morris constantly outbidding other guests here. We are beginning to wonder if you will just take home everything they have for auction here."

We looked behind us and saw Gala beaming at us with Eonia and a serene-looking woman standing between them.

"Eonia, Gala! How good to see you two here!" I exclaimed as I stood up and looked at our class president and vice-president wearing beautiful gowns that suit their style, gray for my close friend, red for our esteemed leader, "What brings you two here? And who is this prestigious looking woman?"

The woman laughed a little as she raised her hands and began to touch mine. Morris' faces softly as if she is memorizing its shape and contours, "Ah, so this is what Elpis and Thanatos look like. Truly there is beauty in hope and death."

"My Lady..."

She inclined a little and me, and my cousin gasped when we saw her eyes.

It is the same as the ones of the Sibyl back at the temple of Apollo.

Hazy, faded, and unseeing.

"Where are my manners? I am Lunalla Senella, daughter of Selene, goddess of the moon, and the foster mother of Taurei. Too bad Atomo got you, I would have loved to have the complete set of my son's classmates, but, alas, that man messed up with my plans again."

"But, your eyes..."

Morris mentioned it without thinking as she nodded sadly, "I have heard from Syna that you visited Dodona. If my eyes caught your attention, it is only logical to say that you have received your prophecy?"

"We did, my Lady," I answered respectfully as Gala and Eonia quietly watched our exchange, "But, why do you have eyes like the Sibyl?"

"I was once a Sibyl myself before, but alas, my future is not confined within the temple. Back at Apollo's temple, I was shown a vision giving birth to a firebrand girl born of the god of forge and, curiously, a peacock chick. I was let go of my duties as the unseeing seer and then subsequently have my daughter and her father indeed brought a beautiful and precious chick home for me to take care of."

"Wait, so Taurei was a chick when he was little?"

Ms Lunalla nodded at Morris' question, "And a rather cute one at that. It was not until the chick was around three years old when it transformed into an adorable boy with beautiful cyan eyes. But as you all know, someone of his esteemed lineage is not easily accepted by mere mortals. If you have been into the Parelthon Glaciers, you have already known what he had been through."

"But at least, he has found out who he really is," Morris answered that made the mother smile at him.

"Indeed. But enough of my chick and more about you two. I suppose Kairos here is not being as unbearable as he is to his parent?"

We looked at the silent son of the god of time and shook our heads quickly, "The opposite, Ms Lunalla. He has been helpful and understanding the whole time."

"Oh, you don't say. Why don't I introduce him to my lovely escorts for tonight?" she said as she pulled my two classmates closer, "Kairos, these two are Vivet and Morris' class leaders. Eonia Thrones, daughter of Hephaestus and sister to my daughter, class president. The other is the daughter of Athena and her second. Girls, the dashing young man in a crisp black suit and shades in front of you is none other than why our nation beat the magistracy in terms of working habits. Kairos Paron, foster son of Atomo Axiopisto and son of Khronos, the god of time."

To my surprise, the two giggled and looked meaningfully at each other before winking at me, "You forgot to say Ms Lunalla that he is also the suitor of our classmate here."

"Wait a minute, Gala. He is not!" I retorted in embarrassment, but Eonia snickered with Morris and shook her head slowly.

"Fling perhaps, Vivet?"

"No, Eonia! Look, I don't know what Syden has told you all, but we are not like that, okay?"

The daughter of the goddess of wisdom just waved her hand at me dismissively, "Whatever you say, Vivet. Anyways, it looks like you got a good haul tonight, Morris."

"The whole monarch collection of the republic no less," the child of the god of forge said appreciatively as she carefully lifted the small box containing the brooch, "Will your foster mother display them in your company or her home?"

It is the mother of Taurei who answered as my cousin graciously offered his seat to her, which she accepted gratefully, "I doubt it. Irene is not a patron of artifacts or any kind of art at all. I bet she just wanted you two to bid and use as much money as possible so that her company's name will be in front of the business broadsheet by tomorrow, am I right?"

"That's what exactly she wanted us to do, Ms Lunalla," I answered in amazement as she seemed to really know Ms Irene personally, "If I can make an educated guess, you too, like the president and Syden's mother was a classmate of our foster mother back at the Hellenic Citadel?"

She nodded and looked at Morris and me, "Yes, I am. But your aura suggests that you want to know something that I am not willing to share even if you threaten me with violence. As Syna has always said, I am not the right woman to tell what you want to hear. Try another."

My cousin and I groaned, and she just chuckled a little as Kairos motioned Morris to come closer to him as the auctioneer began auctioning the third to the last item. We all gasped when we saw what it is.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this small contraption is what was called a cell phone. A technological marvel of the Golden Age, it is said to do many things for its owner in the touch of a finger. Found at the outskirts of the Almorican Desert bordering the republic, the starting price is Four Hundred Million Drachmas!"

"That is Morris' smartphone, right?!" Gala exclaimed as she and Eonia ran towards the balcony to get a better look, "I can't forget that thing that you are always tapping!"

"Maybe you dropped it during our last stand in the past, and it got swallowed by the sands?" Eonia asked as Morris just look at it as if his life depends on it, and I know precisely why.

My mind now is being flooded by memories of him using it and how important it is for him.

It contains not just what he cherishes in the past but also the precious and priceless memories he holds most dear.

"Vivet, I..."

"Six Hundred Million and raise it if anybody dares to outbid you, Morris."

"Six Hundred Million Drachmas for Iris Delivery Service!"

The auctioneer looked up and smiled at our direction, "It looks like this particular item caught the attention of Iris Delivery Service representatives. Any counteroffers? None? Then going once, going twice! Sold to Iris Delivery Service!"

We all waited for the valet to bring our classmate's smartphone to us that is encased in a glass box.

Morris quickly take it out and hold it carefully in his hands before shedding a tear of sadness, "Who am I kidding? Of course, it is already not working anymore. It has been too long. What am I thinking?"

We all fell silent for a minute until our class president stepped forward and looked at our grieving classmate.

"Can I have it, Morris?"

My cousin looked up at her, and he nodded before handing it to Eonia, "Yes. You can keep it. It is not like I can use it anyways. What a letdown."

I swore I heard Hephaestus's daughter muttered, "Not if I can do something about it, that is."

Thankfully, Morris became distracted that he didn't catch what I heard. Kairos pointed to the staff that is being auctioned right now.

"Queen Hera's Lotus Staff was gifted to the last priest of her temple at the height of the Golden Age. Bidding price starts at Seven Hundred Million Drachmas!"

"I think Avesa will like that one, Morris," Gala said as she nudged the son of Thanatos, who is suddenly paying attention to our vice-president, "She mentioned that the temple of her mother had lost a staff ages ago. Why not use this opportunity to score some serious points?"

My cousin glanced back at me, and I just raised an eyebrow, "Our foster mother said that she doesn't care if we throw, give away or sell what we get here as long as we bid as much money as we can."

"Eight Hundred Million Drachmas for Iris Delivery Service!"