Bent World: Chapter 36 Auctioning Off My Virtue (Part I)

Chapter 36

Auctioning Off My Virtue (Part I)

(Salandra Kingston)

The house that Salandra “Sal” Kingston found herself meeting what was to be her future breeding partner was quaint. Yes, that was the word she would use, quaint.

While not ostentatious as many faux and fledgling families claiming newfound wealth and power from her homeland recently claimed. This house was more refined, as if it had withstood the weathering of time and still managed to shine above the rest. Not the largest or most magnificent of abodes, but one that clearly saw its way through time and managed to not just survive, but thrive as well.

This was what Sal also got from the grand retelling of the different rooms and recent upgrades made by the Andry family to their estate.

“Today is such a pleasant day, that we will greet you all out by the patio out back. This is where the reveal of Mr. Andry’s profiling will be staged and observable by all.” The maid stated. As she spoke, Sal looked around to see that one maid had been specially assigned to each family.

Glares.

Already seated were no less than three locals who all emitted killing auras. Normally such actions would not even register on Sal’s radar, but there was an oppressive weight to these glares. Almost what one would dramatically refer to as killing intent, but such things were the writings of legends.

Then again, most of those legends involving the use of killing intent were related to legends surrounding the Pathfinder, which turned out to be real. At least that is what Sal’s mother indicated, meaning it had passed the first initial scrutiny. Not that Sal herself had anyway to disprove the claims, but the entire thing seemed like hogwash. However, most of those claims came from the idea that magic wasn’t real, but that was clearly not the case here.

Yes, Sal was certain that deep down there was a perfectly rational and scientifically provable reason for the effects that this world termed to be magic. But she couldn’t.

In her old world, science had proven that magical rifts would and could be created between two similar planets in alternate dimensions. Thus, her logical mind concluded, if scientists from her world could create rifts to a new planet, then said denizens on that planet could theoretically create rifts back to other worlds. Or as it turns out, the planet itself just happened to be highly susceptible to the creation of rifts in general and thus seemed to attract them from across the different planes of existence.

There was still more to this, but part of her working hypothesis was that some denizens of this world were more capable of detecting the rift point than others, and those would be referred to as Pathfinders.

Then from what she read, there was a huge rebellion, where the Pathfinders and their teams were killed by jealous Queens and Rulers from around the world. Which led to revolts and eventually to the way the world was today. Which seemed oddly similar to the way her own world was, well the way her old world had been a thousand years in the past. However, her home was currently in the process of streamlining the technology from her home world, and repackaging it for use in this world.

No need to rely on electrical converters, when you could have multiple types of casters create nearly every type of energy imaginable nonstop for hours on end. That was the world they lived in, and part of her family’s recent resurgence had been due to conversion technology, that is converting items stolen from her home planet and converting them to work in this world’s unique environments.

As of this moment, their operations have been a success, which is apparently causing problems with the ancient aristocracy that the Kingston clan adheres to. Some say that they are going too far away from their roots, and not adhering to the traditions of the past. All rhetoric designed to showcase how their family was the first to make huge profits from setting up power plants, internet relay nodes, or at least start the framework that all future relay nodes will be handled.

By being the first, they could control the flow of information and how it would be implemented throughout the world. Well throughout what this world considered to be Europe.

This was why Sal as the expendable third daughter could be forced to waste her time on such a backwards notion. If she was able to not only join, but ingratiate herself to the Pathfinder’s party, then her family would be protected from such baseless arguments. With her forming the bridge between that past that this world had to offer via joining a verified Pathfinder party. The only one for the past one thousand years. This would give her older sisters carte blanche to do whatever they wanted to, in regards to revolutionizing the world.

Honestly, Sal was all for the progress that her family was pushing. Even now she could feel the dull lifeless form of her smart crystal in her pocket, one that went dead almost immediately after entering international waters.

Coming here was kind of the equivalent of going on a famed African safari, or what she thought such a safari would feel like.

Even going out and being hosted on a covered patio, despite its grandeur still felt lacking. Then again, this house while large was clearly not meant to host six full houses, their retinue, and retainers at one time. Thus, the need to have an open aired garden.

It was clear that the house spared no expense on their lawn maintenance, as the bushes, trees, and even the grass were well trimmed and maintained. Everything was clean and as precise as one would expect. Even the stones used for the patio were clearly chilled by an ice user who was at the back channeling cold ice energy through tubes that lined the underside of the patio, creating a nice resistance to the slightly above average heat of the day.

The design of the patio with its weather control pipes was not new, but it was well maintained and hard to identify in this setup. Also, it was clear that while ice could be used in the hotter months, fire could be used in the cooler months. Either way, the use of the patio all but ensured a positive and enjoyable experience.

As expected, Sal and her family were selected to set at one of the two areas of honor, right at the center. Thus, it was no surprise when the Asian beauty that was representing the Li family sat next to her. As she sat down, she made respectful eye contact with the Li girl, while proud she did give a respectful nod that Sal returned in kind. Compared to the glares offered by the other girls who all appeared to be multiple years older than her and the Li girl, it seemed odd that these families would be bidding. Especially given the rate of maturity needed for the male.

At least, that is what Sal thought to herself as she tried to understand their motives. Clearly they were threatened by her being here, but did they have such esteem for the local boy? Not that any man could be worth flying half way around the world to meet and breed with. In fact, had it not been for the Profiling Ceremony being conducted by the Pathfinder herself, this entire meeting would have been pointless. These were the thoughts going through Sal’s mind as she saw first the Matron of House Andry come up and introduce herself.

“Good morning, and welcome to my humble abode. I thank you all for coming here today. Not just for your Profiling Ceremonies, but for this next part as well. Know that this is my first born, a male, who against all odds survived despite being empowered by my time on the Doppelganger planet. Know that I killed many enemies during my time, and managed to fully achieve my full potential while in combat.”

At that, Sal felt her muscles tighten as it was her home planet that she was so casually talking about killing people from. Still, she did manage to take a few deep breaths and catch herself before she could say or do anything that might give her true feelings of that doppelganger planet away.

“When I came back, I was relieved to find that not only had I been pregnant the entire time, but my child was exceptionally healthy. And while some might say it is a mark of weakness to have a male be my first born, particularly after such a successful campaign, I will let you all decide how much of a weakness he truly is.”

With that she held up her gloved left hand and gestured for someone to come in. Then in a sight that was both fulfilling and showed the utter barbarity of this backwards country, Sal saw something she had only read about in stories.

For there leading the procession was Dr. Andry, the leader of the House Andry and the person who helped ensure that Sal’s own awakening went on without so much as a hiccup. It was smooth, far smoother than she had expected. Even when she had to drive her spear down into the pinned creatures it was easy. Made even easier by the Pathfinder who took on all the major tasks herself.

As she walked into view, it was clear that she held a smooth cord of some kind, in a gesture similar to the way one might walk a dog, or other prized beast. Yet, what was attached to that cord was a man, well a boy if she was being honest. A large boy that Sal herself had to guess was about the age of a teenager. One who just began hitting puberty, and had already begun to fill out in all the right places.

Despite wearing a tailored tuxedo, the clothes did little to hide the near perfect muscular definition that lay beneath the layer of clothes. Despite being pulled by a cord around his collar, something that Sal instantly understood to be a perverse facsimile of a tie, the boy stood up straight, defiantly resisting the want to bend to the collar. Instead, he just strode forward, keeping perfect pace with Dr. Andry who was doing the sign of dominance.

Instantly, Sal understood the importance and symbolism of the tie. It was a leash that the bidding family could use to control their future servant.

Flash.

For a brief second, her mind blinked, or seemed to provide an overlap. These were Insight Points that her family was well noted for having. A secret gift that her Mother and sisters had already perfected. These vision points were why the family claimed to have such success. Why their family were amongst the first to truly embrace the path of conversion technology. From her understanding it seemed that part of the Li family also had to have similar insights, which was why they also came here. Taking a chance on getting awakened and meeting the Pathfinder.

Overlap flash.

Just thinking about the Pathfinder, Sal’s overactive mind momentarily flash again, this time with more insight. For a moment, her mind placed the larger-than-life form of the Pathfinder directly overtop of the boy being auctioned.

Sal focused on the vision her mind concocted, and for a second, she wanted to believe the similarities. There were a lot, first they were both strong, and had the same general skin coloration. Then again, this was the same skin coloration that Lady and Dr. Andry both held. Finally, it was at that moment that the vision that her mind was trying to point out was obvious.

The Pathfinder was clearly part of the Andry household. Likely an older sister, or someone related to the brother? At that thought, her overactive mind thought about possibilities, and then.

Gasp.

No, it couldn’t be that? Could it? She thought to herself. Twins? She found herself pondering, as the clues finally aligned themselves within her mind. It would make sense, as most families would never dare raise a male child first, despite being born and blessed in a successful rift campaign. Yet, the clues were all there for her.

Then, what sealed the deal were the comments that came next. Comments that all but proved Sal had not only had her first successful interpretation of an Insight Point, but that the link between the Pathfinder and this male were undeniable.

Just when Sal was about to doubt her own thoughts, she got confirmation in possibly the strangest of ways possible.

“House Li and House Kingston, know that we have not been entirely truthful with you.” Lady Andry began, then with a quick tug of her left glove, she revealed a glowing lowercase ‘w’ on her left hand. Signifying that she was also part of the Pathfinder’s party.

Gasps.

There were a number of gasps, but only from the delegations from Sal’s Kingston group, and from the retinue related to House Li. Everyone else remained silent. At that, Sal glanced to her left and right, to see the locals, but they all seemed perfectly calm with the declaration. At that, Sal felt the hairs on the back of her neck shiver again, as she realized this was another key detail that she was to note. But couldn’t for the life of her understand why, at least not until Lady Andry continued.

“House Amherst, House Oteranski, and House Jaupry, will you all also show your partnership to the Pathfinder’s party?”

There was a reluctant sigh, before not only the Matriarchs of those families, but also the three younger females who had been working in harmonious coordination during the profiling ceremony also pulled off their gloves.

Looking around there were no less than six Wayfarers around. Just looking at their markings, it was clear that power all but radiated off of them in waves.

“I do this not to frighten you, or to bully you. But to let you two understand the opportunity that resides in front of you. By your bidding today, you are not just joining with the house that wields the Pathfinder, but you are also entering into a pact that involves the Pathfinder’s party.” Lady Andry continued.

“Ohh.”

Hushed murmurs from Sal’s own group, along with members of the Li delegation could be heard. Meanwhile, it was clear that there was a slight anger to this odd gesture by the local families. As they all but seemed to have been outed.

“That is why, today, I am offering you an incentive for your confidence to come out here and take part in the future bidding rights for my son. For, know that in addition to getting first stud rights to my son,” she stated as she gestured to the proud boy who still stood defiantly, despite his tie-choker being held by Dr. Andry. It wasn’t lost on Sal the way Dr. Andry purposefully held the tie-choker with her revealed right hand.  

“Know that you will also be purchasing a future spot within our group. Within the Pathfinder’s party. That is why this is such an important value. As we are also offering the next party slot of the Pathfinder’s party to the family that offers the highest bidder.”

Astonished cries.

“WHAT?”

There was a pandemonium for a moment as the words were allowed to sink in. Standing there directly in the middle of the chaos, Lady Andry just smiled brightly.

“That’s right, the next family that bids for rights for my son, will also buy a spot for their family to join the Pathfinder’s party. This can be an extra spot for a family wishing to repay a debt, as with House Jaupry, Amherst, and Oteranski. Or it can be for the one who will ultimately take my son’s virtue.” With the part about taking her son’s virtue, she looked directly at Sal and then Ms. Li.

Her comments were clear, since their family was new to the game, the Kingston family would be offered one spot in the Pathfinder’s party in addition to breeding rights to her son.

Hearing the words, Sal couldn’t help but note a shiver of excitement running down her spine.

Mental flash.

Looking down at her own right hand, she could all but swear she saw a magical lowercase ‘w’ appear on her hand.

Gasp.

“What is it?” Lady Kingston, Sal’s mother asked, her own eyes glowing an icy blue as she stared at Sal.

Hearing the question, Sal almost felt embarrassed, but then shook herself as this was the type of thing that her mother told her to look out for.

“It will happen,” Sal replied.

“What will happen?” Her mother pressed.

“It will happen, when we win this, I too will awaken as a Wayfarer,” Sal responded then held up her gloved right hand as if to show where the mark would appear.

There was a look of confusion at first, before her mother paused and looked at the offered hand. Finally, realization struck, “you saw it?”

Sal nodded, unable to say more about the event. But she was certain about this, while her mind had always dismissed most of this world’s magic as scientific theories that have yet to be stated coherently, she could not deny this moment. If there was something called magic, and if it did offer members of her family to see into the future, then this would prove it one way or the other. This was it, her one moment to prove that either visions were real, and her family had more than gut feelings about different event. Or they were just lucky and were able to retroactively claim hard work and dedication towards improvement as visions.

“Okay, then I will bid for you,” her mother declared. Then her eyes flashed ice white as she turned her head to stare at the Li family.

Turning to see where her mother was facing, it was clear that her mother was looking angrily at the Li family’s child. A girl who looked to be about the same age as Sal was, despite being the fifth, or maybe the sixth in line for the Li family?

With that a few members of the two foreign delegation left. The Li family member went off to the right. Meanwhile, Sal watched as her mother gave a crisp nod to one of the undersecretaries that dealt with finance, she exited to the left. As the finance secretary was leaving, Sal noticed how she was already pulling out a new advanced communications crystal from her pocket. These were one of the major prototypes that were meant to connect back to anywhere. Well, anywhere that a base station controller was erected, which in this case would be right back on the Kingston’s main property.

Seeing that call being made, Sal realized that her mother was taking this seriously.

There were conversations. During this time, Sal looked to see that the three local families had put back on their gloves and were apparently huddled together. Seeing that the three families were working together caused a slight note of panic to form within Sal’s gut as she almost wondered if they would collude together to outbid her. Then as if reading her concern, her mother spoke up.

“Don’t worry, if anyone it will be the Li family that we will need to take seriously. Despite this being the seventh daughter, it is clear that they too see the value in this dual purchase bundle.” Sal’s mother stated.

For a moment Sal wanted to speak, to ask more questions, knowing that this was a chance to learn. But she also knew that if she asked anything, then those around could also hear her questions and see just how interested they were in this auction.

Then before she had time to even come up with a question that wouldn’t display her true intentions, the financial secretary came back, walking quickly but determinedly. It was clear that they were excited, but still tried to maintain decorum. As she approached, she shook her rectangular communication crystal and gave an emphatic nod. With that, Sal let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding as it was clear that her family was invested in this task.

However, her relief was short lived as she heard House Andry’s matriarch speaking excitedly.

“Good, I see you all understand the gravity of what is being auctioned off here,” Lady Andry began. As Sal turned forward, she saw that the delegate from the Li family had also returned and was hurriedly rushing towards their own seat as well.

“But before this bidding war begins, perhaps we should show you all what possible powers and affinities my son can awaken within your future family matriarchs.” Lady Andry began.

Then as if choreographed, Dr. Andry used her ungloved right hand to remove the glove on the boy’s right hand. As the hand appeared, he twisted and turned the hand to the audience to show that there was no ‘w’ marking on the right hand. Seeing that, Sal felt a slight note of sadness leave her, as she could have almost sworn he too was part of the Pathfinder’s Party.

Then taking his ungloved hand he reached out to touch the profiling rod. It was the same one that Sal had used earlier in the day to showcase her own potential. As he reached out, Sal felt a chill run down her spine as she almost expected it to shine just as brightly as it had for the Pathfinder.

Of course such thoughts were completely unfounded, as boys could not awaken powers at all.

Yet, for a moment Sal dared to hope, then she saw it, the moment she had been waiting for, a flash of light. Then it happened. . .