The Foolhardies 140 The Sponsor

The fairies and humans gathered around the table shared his frustrations. At least to those of us who'd served under the incompetent former commander, this felt like a slap in the face.

Zephyra walked into the room we'd turned into our war room during our stay at her inn and laid out a tray of food for us to munch on.

"Best to eat and get your strength up," she said, turning a sidelong glance at me. "Shall I bring your guest here when they arrive?"

I nodded my head. "Thanks."

After our failed attempt at rescuing Ty, our party along with Thom's party escaped the Wailing House via the catacombs underneath the city. We hooked up with Ashley's group outside of the Gold Quarter.

We returned to the Bone Quarter and to our lodgings in the Nowhere Inn in sour moods and even worse tempers.

The post-mission briefing was especially frustrating as there was very little to be happy about.

Luckily, Ashley reported that there were zero fatalities on her end although a lot of our troops were injured and some of the wounded would be out of commission for the rest of our stay.

"You don't look more frustrated, Dean," Aura noted.

"I'm definitely frustrated… Ty was right there in the same room with us and I still failed to save him," I corrected her. "But, this was never our only plan… we still have a chance."

"It's not?" Luca asked.

"Care to enlighten us then?" Ashley added.

"The auction starts tomorrow on the Night of Samhain which means we've lost our chance to rescue Ty before then," I said. "That leaves us with only one choice… we've got to outbid everyone else and win him at the auction."

"Um, I hate to break it to you, Commander, but we don't have nearly enough in the coffers for an auction like this one," Varda explained.

Everyone turned their gaze on Aura.

"I… I'll need to ask permission from—"

I held up a hand to stop her. "It's okay… we can't keep running to your brother whenever a problem like this crops up."

"Then how do you plan to finance this endeavor?" Aura asked.

For the first time since our earlier failure, I actually managed a smile. "I've found us a financier."

That financier arrived not an hour later.

Zephyra guided Kallista into the war room, her red cloak billowing behind her as she walked in.

"So, it seems you have need of my services yet again," Kallista said smiling at me and Aura, the only two other occupants sitting around the table.

Pleasantries were exchanged, an inquiry to each of our journeys was given, and when we were finally done with the opening act, the real discussion finally began.

I explained our position to Kallista, doing my best to sound like I wasn't up shit's creek without a paddle, and ended with a proposition that I thought would be beneficial to both parties involved.

"In essence, you would like me to sponsor your undertaking to win the auction of your friend, and in exchange," Kallista began.

But I finished for her, "In exchange, we'll give you exclusive trading rights with the Foolhardies for three years plus provide you with space to set up an auction house at Hoodwink tower that'll be excluded from taxes we plan to charge merchants trading in the tower grounds."

"This is assuming you make something out of the tower more than the derelict fort that it currently is," Kallista added with a smile.

"You've seen our capability to make the impossible possible, Kallista," Aura continued, smiling back at the salamander auctioneer. "And you'll also continue receive the favor and patronage of house Trickhaven for more than the year we'd previously agreed on."

Kallista picked up the teacup that Zephyra had left for her and took a sip of elf tea. She spent another minute or so with the cup in her hand, ruminating the deal we'd just given her.

"The investment required to purchase a chosen one would be considerable," she explained.

Both Aura and I agreed.

"That's why we're offering you a three-year exclusivity contract plus a thirty-five percent share of any items we auction through your outfit," I reasoned. "You should see your investment return within that time frame."

"Assuming you fulfill your end of the bargain and rise to the level of a rank close enough to general," Kallista countered.

"Dean will make general in three years," Aura said with a conviction that made me want to blush.

"Indeed," Kallista smiled her merchant's smile. "I have no doubt that your unit is talented, and their commander has shown remarkable growth in the span of months you've been active in the Fayne…" She put down her teacup. "But you offer me promises that may not come to pass. War, after all, is never a straight path."

Inwardly, I couldn't fault her logic. She was right. We were promising her something that may not happen after all. I could very well die tomorrow night.

My brow furrowed due to my brain racking itself for a way to push the conversation where I needed it to go.

"What do you want?" I asked.

Dammit, I didn't want to sound desperate but I was. There was no chance to free Ty after he'd been sold as that would mean going to war with a third party I knew nothing about.

"You wouldn't have come knowing what I would ask if there wasn't something you knew I could give in exchange for your sponsorship," I reasoned.

Kallista laughed, and this time, it was genuine laughter and not the merchant bullshit she gave everyone else.

"You are intelligent, Dean," she said, leaning over the table so that she could peer into my eyes much closer. "There is something I want more than the offers you've given me… I want your fairy gift."

If I was a cartoon character, my eyes would have popped out of my sockets after hearing what I just heard.

"Wait… what?" I asked.

Kallista leaned back on her chair and crossed her chest.

"I want your fairy gift, Dean," she repeated.

"Dean, no," Aura whispered urgently into my ears. "Your gift… it's not like most fairy gifts."

I knew that. We'd talked enough times about the Sense Knights of the old Fairy King for me not to know just how much potential my fairy gift had. But it was Ty we were talking about. I couldn't just abandon him, not if all I needed to do was give an eye. At least, I hope that was all I needed to give.

"How would you take it from me?" I asked.

"Dean…" Aura began, but I turned to her and said the exact same thing I'd been thinking just now.

"Dear spirits, I won't cut out your eyes, boy," Kallista laughed again. "Although it is interesting that you'd think so… No, all I want is for you to bless my talisman with your gift."

Kallista pulled out a rectangular case she'd hidden underneath her well-endowed breasts and dropped the case onto the table.

I reached out and took it, inspecting the wooden case that was roughly the size of an iPhone.

"Open it," she urged.

I did as she asked and separated the two halved of the wooden case. Inside was a blank card that was strangely similar in proportion to the tarot card I often saw in my mind's eye whenever I activated Fool's Insight.

"It's a gift card," Aura breathed. "But those are incredibly difficult to create."

Kallista nodded. "They are indeed hard to procure, but I have my ways."

"Someone clue me in… what is this gift card?" I asked confused.

Aura plucked the card from my fingers and inspected it herself.

"Gift cards are created from maninfused tree bark, which gives them the ability to hold the power of a fairy gift for later use," she answered.

"Wow… that's amazing," I said, plucking the card out of Aura's fingers and inspecting it again.

"But the power stored in them can only be used once and then the card becomes useless," Aura explained. "Creating a single card is very expensive which is why many have deemed gift cards a wasted investment."

"And yet," Kallista interrupted. "With the right gift, such a card would hold great value. Indeed, I imagine a gift of the senses would fetch as high a price as what you'd ask from me for your friend."

I placed the card down on the table.

"I never told you about my gift," I said, raising an eyebrow.

Kallista raised an eyebrow of her own when she replied with, "Is that really so surprising? I make it a point to learn whatever I can of those I choose to have dealings with, especially young human commanders who've shown incredibly speedy growth in the short time since his arrival."

There was a smirk on her face that I couldn't help but copy. I would have done the same in her shoes. In fact, I did do the same which is why I had so much faith in this salamander auctioneer.

"If the gift card is temporary, I assume you won't take all my power from me," I guessed.

Kallista nodded. "A night's worth per card, I believe."

"A night's worth?" I glanced down at the card on the table.

There was only one there, but then I noticed that there were more cards in the case, a total of three.

Both Aura and I glanced at each other. No Fool's Insight for three whole nights with one of those nights being the night of Samhain itself. That was a scary proposition. After all, I'd relied on my fairy gift so much that I'd feel naked without it even for a single night.

Luckily, Aura was quick on the uptake which is exactly why I asked her to stay with me for the meeting. She was the haggler after all.

"If we agree to this, then we'd prefer the trade happens after we rescue Ty and escape the desert," Aura insisted. "Preferably when we're all back at Hoodwink Tower."

Kallista shook her head.

"That simply won't do, princess," Kallista disagreed. "I can agree to a little risk but I would need proof that this investment will not turn sour."

She raised one finger to our eye level.

"One card tonight and we can defer the others once we're all in a friendlier place," Kallista insisted.

Aura and I gave each other another worried glance. But eventually, I had to agree to Kallista's demand. There really wasn't another option.

"Fine…" I picked up the card I'd placed on the table. "How do I use this thing?"

Chapter end