He watches as the dragon breathes fire and smirks; this was exactly what he had wanted. He wanted people to see what he had done. What he had found.
A dragon, an absolutely terrifying dragon.
And terrifying it was, he could see it in their faces, as their faces are lit by the flames, showing clearly the look of horror and pure panic on their faces. But none react, not until it was too late.
Or it would've been, if not for the magical barrier he had put around the cage, the fire hits the barrier and rages against it powerfully, but after a minute it dies down and stops, the dragon folds up its wings again as it goes back on all fours and grunts.
He had kept it asleep until right before it was to be presented, precisely for this affected, he wanted it to be fresh and raging as it was presented to the audience.
The audience is still silent, but the manager less so, as he already knew about the dragon. He takes this moment, the calm before the storm, to announce the starting bid for the dragon.
"100 billion gold coins." The words reverberate from his mouth, but no one looks even remotely shocked at the price. But some shake themselves out of their daze, and a confused expression falls onto their face.
He grins again, of course they're confused. What's the point of bringing the dragon to auction if no one can buy it?
And he was right, no one could buy it. There are no offers that are given. Only very few people in the kingdom could afford it, it consisted of the Guild leader, a few royals, and himself.
The Guild leader knew of the dragon, and he would never buy it from him, and he was very careful to not leak information about the dragon so that no royals would show up and spoil the show.
Because that was what the auction had been turned into, a show. He had made it into an opportunity to show off his newly acquired dragon.
And he meant his, he had been searching for a companion for a long time, having been alone for so long. And here he was, the beast in that cage would slowly be moulded into a perfect companion for him.
He was a perfectionist after all, and what pet would be better than the same species that King Caelan had fought against? What was more perfect for him, the frontrunner of the Obsidian Syndicate, to take over the kingdom with?
The royals would recognise this soon, but they wouldn't move against him as having a dragon was hardly any proof. No, they could do nothing until he did something. And he would do something, and this dragon would be by his side. Wreaking havoc.
The grin is wiped from his face as he floats down to the stage, all eyes turn onto him, as usual, as he slowly flies down. Once he reaches the stage, he turns to the audience.
"I'm sure you're aware of who I am, and I'm sure you're aware that I'm the one who captured these beasts." He pauses, looking out at the crowd, their scared faces had transformed to one of awe, but their eyes still darted behind him warily
"This… beast." He gestures an arm behind him toward the dragon without looking, the dragon looking more subdued now, "Is mine. I wanted to show it at auction because I thought it might encourage people to grasp for more power. Really, it's the perfect venue for such a thing. Everyone here is powerful and ambitious enough to not be deterred by him, but instead spurned on, and desperate to grasp such a power that you could capture it yourself." He lied.
This was the story he had come up with, something that would paint him as a powerful and righteous figure, but really, he just wanted to watch their faces as they basked in his display of power.
With that, he clenches his fist. And both man and dragon disappear.
The crowd goes wild, the unintentional held breaths of the crowd exhaling all together as if on command, and everyone starts chattering away in excitement.
The end of the auction is announced, and everyone slowly starts heading home, no one is in a rush. About a third of the auction goers head to the back, where they will receive what they had bought, two notably powerful small groups of people hurry – the ones who had bought the fox and the Pegasus.
He is waiting in the back with the beasts, casually sitting, each beast was now out of it's cage, and all wait motionlessly at his side, the dragon nowhere to be seen.
The few people who have managed to acquire a beast from him are ushered into the large, private room he waits in.
Their excited chatter dies down completely at the sight of him, and with as little words as possible he hands over each beast. Soon, he is left alone in the room again.
But his morose thoughts quickly turn into a grin again, as he walks to the exit, he can hear the screams of people outside, not the fanatical screams of fans, but the scared screams of civilians.
He walks out of the exit, everyone outside who had been there previously are now screaming, but now there are no eyes on him, all their eyes are glued to the roof, where a hulking figure awaits me, breathing fire into the air.