"Can you describe the plant you are looking for, young man?"
"It has a slender stem with a silver color, and its leaves are a vibrant emerald green. It grows in a cold climate," Zeke explained for the third time today.
The keeper of the treasury fell into deep thought. After a while, he vanished into the warehouse to retrieve something. However, Zeke didn't have high hopes. This wasn't the first time he had described the plant he looked for.
Zeke, Aisha, and Priya were now standing before the third treasury. This was the deepest and last of the storage facilities of the Treasure Pavillion. It held the rarest and most precious pieces in their collection. Accordingly, it was where Zeke had the best chance of finding what he was looking for.
However, the look on the keeper's face just now had been anything but confident. It seemed to Zeke that he was merely retrieving something to avoid losing face in front of Priya. This had been the same for the other two keepers as well. The first one hadn't even bothered to hide his ploy, as he presented a herb that had almost nothing in common with Zeke's description.
The second keeper had tried his best, bringing out several plants similar to his description. But ultimately, he had to surrender as well, as none were a perfect fit. Even so, Zeke liked the man's honest and diligent nature.
After a while, the third keeper returned. Following behind him were three servants, each carrying a wooden container. The man beckoned the first one forward. The servant approached and delicately placed the box down in front of Zeke and the two women and opened it slowly.
"This is a plant called Emerald Leaf," the keeper announced proudly. "It only grows in the Elven forests, and its leaves can be brewed into a tea that prolongs the life of any who drinks it by up to a decade."
Zeke stared at the man in disbelief. The plant might have emerald-colored leaves, but that was where the similarities to his description ended. Its stalk was a dark green instead of silver. Also, he had just admitted that it grew in the Elven Forests, a place that was also called the forest of eternal spring.
Instead of responding, Zeke turned to Priya with accusing eyes. She had reassured him that the third treasury would be much more impressive than the others. However, if this was the keeper's first pick, he didn't need to see the other two.
Upon noticing his gaze, Priya looked away in shame. She hadn't known that the keeper of the third treasury was such a man, trying to bamboozle them with an expensive plant instead of trying to fulfill the request honestly. Thinking about how highly she had praised him earlier stoked a fire of anger within her. He had thoroughly embarrassed her with his actions.
Her eyes grew sharp when they landed on the keeper. "Is this really the best you can do?"
The man noticed the displeasure in her eyes and immediately beckoned the other two servants forward. However, they didn't fit the description any better. The only thing the three plants had in common was the incredibly high price tag.
Zeke shook his head and began to walk away without a word, and Aisha followed behind. Priya shot the keeper one last glare before running after them.
"Wait, Blood Dragon," she called, "it's not over yet!"
Zeke sighed and continued walking. "I am thankful for your assistance, Miss Varun, but you no longer need to pretend. I know this was the last of your treasuries."
Priya caught up and stood before Zeke, blocking his path with her body. "You are wrong. There is still one last place."
Zeke looked at her with clear doubt in his eyes. He had lost all enthusiasm and trust after the repeated failures. Priya bit her lip. "If you don't find what you are looking for at this place, then I will give up without a complaint. I promise."
Zeke saw the confidence in her eyes. It seemed she wasn't just spouting nonsense in order not to lose the challenge but had actual faith in this last place. "Fine. Where to?"
"Follow me," Priya said, leading the way down a different corridor. This time, they were stopped and inspected along the way. Even Priya's status wasn't enough to make the guards back off. Zeke grew increasingly curious about their destination.
"Where are we headed?" Zeke asked after they were inspected for the second time.
"Are you familiar with the Grand Auction?"
Zeke nodded. "It's an event hosted by the Treasure Pavillion that occurs every decade."
"That's right," Priya said. "And as it happens, the next auction draws near."
"Then the place we are going is…" Zeke murmured as realization dawned on him.
"Yes, we are going to the place where the treasures for the auction are stored," Priya confirmed. "My family does not stay idle during the years between auctions. All that time is spent accumulating the most valuable and rare treasures from all across the world. If we can't find your plant there, I suggest giving up."
Zeke nodded, a bit of hope returning to his eyes. He might indeed find what he was looking for if they were going to such a place.
After one last inspection, they passed through the final checkpoint and entered a large hall. Unlike his expectations, there were many people here, busily going about their tasks. The scene was utterly chaotic. Instead of neatly organized areas, the objects seemed to be placed randomly. The constant inflow of products must have overwhelmed whoever was in charge of organizing this place.
Zeke saw boxes of minerals, metals, and plants piled into a hill, with people crawling all over it in an attempt to restore it to a semblance of order. He found a few cages in another corner containing rare monsters and Chimeroi slaves. On the other end of the hall, a man was shouting orders at the army of servants. Despite the overall chaos, he seemed to be in good spirits.
Priya approached the man with a smile on her face. "Uncle!"
The man turned, and his eyes went wide when he saw her. "Priya? You shouldn't be down here."
"I know, uncle, but I had no other choice," Priya said in a pitiful voice. She then explained their situation and described Zeke as a VVIP customer willing to pay whatever the price to find what he was looking for.
Her uncle's initially harsh face softened after Priya repeatedly begged him. It seemed the elders in her family were pampering her quite a bit. "Hah, fine. Manish, come here!" Her uncle called out to a man who was busy organizing another section.
"Your orders, lord?"
"I want you to help this foolish girl find whatever she needs," her uncle instructed.
"Very well," Manish said with a bow. "Please follow me."
Zeke and his group followed the man to a quiet part of the hall. Here, a couple of servants were busy cataloging every incoming product. Their guide took the clipboard from one of the servants and turned to them. "Please tell me what you are looking for."
"I am looking for a plant with a slender, silver stem. Its leaves are a vibrant emerald green."
Manish nodded and started to go through the list. His brows were furrowed in concentration, and pages flew by. Just as Zeke began losing hope, the man's finger stopped. His eyes grew brighter the more he read. "This might be it. Please follow me."
Manish led them to a section close to the cages. As they walked by, Zeke peeked inside, interested in learning what kind of slaves would be valuable enough to be sold at such a prestigious auction. However, he was disappointed in what he found.
Instead of fighters, the cages were filled with young women from all races. They were all beautiful, but most had scared looks on their faces. Zeke averted his eyes. Though he felt bad for them, there was little he could do. Even If he were willing to buy their freedom, it would most likely cost him thousands of gold. For that price, he could save a hundred times their number from starvation.
Zeke put the girls out of his mind as Manish stopped before a small pile of boxes. The man checked the labels before choosing one. He placed the container on a nearby table and checked its contents.
"This is it," he said as he presented Zeke with the box.
Zeke inspected the plant with great interest. At first glance, it seemed to match the description quite well. "What do you think, Dragon?"
Zeke felt a presence in his mind move. After a moment of silence, he heard the Dragon sigh. "It looks very similar, but that's not it. The one you need has round leaves with jagged etches. Also, the stalk should have a sheen to it."
Zeke relayed the Dragon's words, causing Manish to frown. He looked over the list again but eventually shook his head. "I'm afraid we don't have such a plant."
Zeke nodded with a composed expression. However, inwardly, he felt devastated. If even this place didn't have the plant, then what chance did he have? After all, they had been accumulating treasures for the past decade.
Just as he was about to thank the man, a soft voice interrupted him. "Does the plant smell like mint and grow on ice?"
"Who said that?" The Dragon asked in a hurry. Zeke turned toward the voice. It had come from inside the cage.
"Quick, find that girl," the Dragon urged. "She knows the plant!"
"Shut up!" Manish roared, striking the bars of the cage with a rod. The girls backed off in fright, huddling together at the back of the cage.
Zeke quickly motioned for the man to calm down. He stepped before the cage and spoke to the group of terrified women with the softest voice he could muster. "Can the one who just spoke please step forward?"
None of the girls moved.
"Don't worry. I merely want to ask a few questions."
After a moment of silence, a girl emerged from their midst. She had snow-white hair and cat-like ears but appeared fully human otherwise. Zeke was momentarily stunned by the young woman's looks. Even though her face still carried slight traces of immaturity, her features seemed to have been sculpted by a master. She would clearly grow up to be a peerless beauty.
Zeke saw the anxiety in her eyes, but even more so, he saw a stubborn determination. She clearly hadn't surrendered herself to despair yet and still held out hope.
"How do you know about the plant?"
"It grows near my home," she said. Her voice was soft and melodic.
"And where is your home?"
Instead of answering, the girl hesitated. She licked her lips nervously before shaking her head. "I won't tell."
"Why not?" Zeke asked, careful to keep his voice as non-threatening as possible.
"Why should I?" She asked.
Zeke had to agree. The girl had no reason to help him. However, she wasn't done. "…but I am willing to show you the way if you get me out of here."
"Aren't you afraid I will use that knowledge to attack your tribe?"
The young woman smirked. "My tribe is quite powerful. I would never have been captured if I hadn't wandered off."
Zeke nodded and asked his final question. "What's your name?"
The girl hesitated momentarily but still answered in the end. "My papa calls me Snow."
Without another word, Zeke turned toward Manish. "How much for her?"
The man looked at Priya with a troubled expression. Priya also wasn't looking too well. "I'm afraid we can't sell her like that."
Zeke frowned. "What do you mean?"
"We could sell it to you at a premium if it were a herb or a metal, but slaves are a different story," she explained. "If somebody fancies her, there is no telling how high the price would go."
Zeke's frown deepened. "So, what are you suggesting I do?"
"Easy," Priya said. "You will have to win her in the auction."