A.N.: The updates are going to be fast, so keep up! I'm slapping these chapters together before school starts - that's when updating will become painfully slow.
Chapter 9: A Night at the Auction
"Gonzo, Nudge, stand on either side of me and Link. Mako, Zuko, you're going to make sure no one leaves until I leave," Vaati ordered as they stepped into the mansion that was holding the auction. Niko had been left on the ship.
Link sighed. Such a big deal they were making out of a map that may or may not be useful. He hoped Vaati wasn't going to hurt anybody.
They strode in. It was dark inside as the auction had already begun. There weren't too many people attending, and Link thanked the goddesses for it. Less people standing now meant less people lying on the floor later if Vaati planned to use violence.
A curious man wearing an Eskimo suit was standing on a wooden stage announcing the item on auction. A spritely lady raised her hand and said a figure.
"Four hundred and Fifty eight rupees! Four hundred and Fifty eight rupees for the Joy Pendant! Can anyone raise the figure? No? Going once, going twice, SOLD!" the man boomed. Link wrinkled his nose.
"That much money on a trinket like that?" He didn't get it. The cheap looking pendant shaped like a butterfly seemed to be worth more like ten rupees.
"It's an auction. The prices can get pretty steep," Vaati stated simply.
"I think I know why you said you didn't plan on using any rupees tonight."
"I don't see why you're so worried about stealing. You had no problems with it when you took the potions from that parrot by the Forest Temple."
They stood around waiting for the map in question to come up. Link watched with interest as the town's rich citizens bid incredible prices for more trinkets and jewelry. Vaati yawned as a heart container was placed on auction. Its current price was at One hundred and sixty rupees. "This is dreadfully boring."
Link's jaw dropped when Vaati raised his hand.
"Aha! The gentleman with the dashing purple hat. What is your bid?"
"Seven hundred rupees."
A shush fell through the crowd. There were a couple of murmurs as the auctioneer's voice boomed in the hall. "Seven hundred rupees! Seven hundred rupees for the heart container! The gentleman has a hard price to beat; is anyone willing to pay more?"
"Vaati, what are you doing?" Link whispered in shock.
"Going once!"
"We don't have any money!" the boy continued. The mage ignored him.
"Going twice!"
Link breathed in relief when a burly middle-aged man in refined clothes raised his hand. Vaati grinned.
"See? A figure like that is nothing for these people, Link. Try it next time. We'll have all these fools spending more money than they should."
Link looked exasperated. He disregarded Vaati's comment and continued to watch.
Several hours later and the map still hadn't made its appearance; the advertisement spoke true when it claimed the auction was going to go on all night. The Hero of Time felt himself getting drowsy, and he wondered how the mage, even though he did look bored to death, managed to stay focused the entire time.
It was getting late, and Link was asleep when he felt something shaking his shoulders. "Wake up, boy. It's the map!"
"Ladies and Gentlemen! This final item will have all of you out of your seats, out of your house, and out into the ocean! This," the man held the worn map into the air, "is the map to reach the fabled hidden city! The legendary civilization that disappeared into the watery depths thousands of years ago. Perfect to satiate your adventuring needs. Let the bids begin!"
"All right, Link, make sure you don't look too suspicious by stating a figure that's too high," Vaati warned as someone offered Two hundred and twenty rupees.
Link raised his hand as the auctioneer's countdown began. "Two hundred and forty rupees!" He heard a groan from his right as Vaati put a hand to his head. Link became worried.
"Did I bid too high?"
"No, you fool, you bid way too low. We're playing with imaginary money, boy, be more liberal. I'll take care of this."
"But you just said –"
"The young lady in the blue evening dress! Name a figure please!"
Vaati and Link turned to a woman in her early twenties. She shot a fierce glance towards the two before she gave a number. "Four hundred rupees"
The sorcerer smirked. "That's the kind of number you have to give, boy. Not so low that you look like you're scratching the bottom of your purse, but not so high that you look like you're bluffing." Vaati nodded to the brunette to acknowledge her presence. "She wants a challenge, Link. Let's humor her."
He raised his hand. "Five hundred and fifty rupees."
The woman appeared surprised. Who were these two short…children (was that the right word? The purple one looked too mature to be a child) that were offering so many rupees? But the red-eyed one had a hat with an enormous jewel set in the middle; perhaps they really did have money…
"Six hundred rupees."
"Six hundred and eighty rupees."
The woman glared. The price was rising high enough and yet the one in purple insisted on raising the bids. Vaati noticed her staring at him and winked. Her lower lip trembled.
"Seven hundred rupees."
The crowd was interested now. They waited expectantly for the purple mage to name another figure. Even the auctioneer, who was used to stopping the auction after it had passed three minutes, waited, eager for the possibility of earning more money.
"Seven fifty."
"Seven seventy!"
"Eight hundred."
"Eight…eight hundred and ten!"
"Eight hundred and eleven."
The woman looked flustered. Link sighed and whispered to Vaati. "I think you should finish this up now."
The mage frowned before shaking his head. "Very well. I'll let the dear lady know she doesn't stand a chance if she bids again. It's curious she even bid this high for a map."
"Look who's talking," Link grumbled under his breath so the mage couldn't hear.
"Eight…eight…eight hundred…Wait! I bid Nine hundred!" The woman's face flushed an unattractive shade of red as she spoke the figure with finality. The crowd relaxed and began to clap, sure that the pale bidder wouldn't be able to beat the number.
The woman smiled and gave Vaati a triumphant look. He grinned back and clapped along with the crowd. As soon as the crowd became quiet, he raised his hand again. Both the auctioneer and the woman nearly stumbled over themselves. "Y-yes? Gentleman in the purple?"
"One thousand rupees."
Link thought everyone in the crowd had fainted. He imagined he heard Gonzo stifling a laugh.
"One…one thousand rup-rup-rupees?" The auctioneer was having trouble finding his voice.
"Was I not clear enough? One. Thousand. Rupees." Vaati said with slow deliberation. He looked around at the audience, and finally rested his eyes on the woman who had been willing to pay nine hundred. "I believe no one will challenge my bid? Auctioneer, the map is mine, is it not?"
"Um. Is anyone going to challenge this gentleman? Going once…going twice…" the man was thunderstruck by the amount his bidder was willing to pay for a map, "sold."
The crowd roared in applause. Vaati signaled the pirates to take positions and made Link wait just outside the door. He moved off regally towards the prize, but took a detour by the young woman who was smiling despite her defeat.
"Well done, I did not think you'd force me to offer that much for something so little as an old map," he said as he took her hand bowed his head. She went beet red and looked away.
"I don't know why I was so determined to get it. Perhaps it was because I've always felt a…a…sort of attraction for adventure," she stuttered as Vaati kissed her hand. The mage grinned.
"Now, my dear lady. Adventuring is not as romantic as it sounds. If you insist on going on a trip, however, I may be able to get a hold of another map as exciting as this one to give to you."
He chuckled as she stared after him in shock. Link gagged.
"My good sir! I present to you the map that leads to the lost city. Now, if you would give me the one thousand rupees…" the auctioneer said with a beaming smile as the mage approached.
Vaati's expression turned serious. "I think not. I would give you the one thousand if you would give me the map." He stopped the man mid-protest. "I am offering a price that is hardly reasonable for a simple map such as the one you are holding. I'm sure you're well aware I could have bought something similar for half the price. You would understand if I say I would like to be careful with a sum as large as the one I'm going to pay." His eyes gleamed in the darkness and the auctioneer gulped.
"Yes yes yes, of course, my good master! If you would pay the sum after I hand this to you," the auctioneer wrung his hands together in nervous agitation as Vaati took the map and put it under his arm. He broke out sweating when the sorcerer pivoted away and began to walk down the steps off the stage.
"W-wait! You didn't pay!"
Vaati didn't stop. "I will deposit the money later. Good night." He bumped into Nudge and Gonzo who blocked his path as he had instructed them to.
"Whoa there little buddy. Where do you think you're going? You've got to pay, yeah?" Gonzo asked as he poked Vaati in the chest. Gonzo inwardly flinched when he saw the mage glare at him. Even though he was acting according to a script it was still unnerving.
"It will do you good if you move out of the way," the sorcerer snarled. At this point, Gonzo was trying his hardest not to run away.
"You'll be hurting if you don't follow the rules of the auction, brat," Gonzo retorted weakly. The captain's glaring was scaring him; it looked too real to be only an act.
Mako and Zuko stood around the trio to keep the rest of the crowd from closing in on them too much. Vaati took time to see everything was ready before he flung out his hands. Nudge and Gonzo staggered back and fell down, pretending they were hit by an invisible force. The crowd exclaimed in awe and they hurriedly made way for the mage. If the two muscular men could be felled without the short one touching them, he was obviously not someone they could stop.
Vaati left the hall with his laugh ringing around the walls.
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"Ok Link. Look dazed," Vaati instructed as soon as he was outside. The auction hall was stirring as the crowd began to take in what had happened.
"What?"
"It shouldn't be too hard for you. Come on, boy, give that idiotic look you always have on your face."
"What?"
"Almost there, but not quite. This might help."
Link was knocked off his feet as Vaati sent a powerful gale towards him. Link's hat was sent flying and his cheek grazed the stone pavement. Vaati gave a satisfied nod before he ran off to the ship. "Stay there, Link, and remember to look confused."
"…What? What?"
The door to the auction hall exploded as Gonzo, Nudge, Mako, and Zuko came dashing out with the auctioneer and the crowd following behind. The crowd stopped as they saw Link look at them with utter confusion, dirt on his face and his disheveled hair exposed to the air. Mako was the first to step up.
"Link! What happened to you? Did you try to stop the thief?"
"What?"
"Why, you look like you've taken a beating! Ladies and Gentlemen," Mako turned to the curious crowd dramatically, "this is the adventurer who has conquered the Great Sea. If our thief had been able to defeat him, then surely we stand no chance in stopping him. We must be glad no one was severely injured."
The crowd murmured in agreement. They didn't really have problems with the thief because he hadn't taken any of their belongings. Besides, this was going to be great dinnertime gossip. The only person who appeared irked was the auctioneer. The woman in the evening dress surprisingly looked more fascinated than upset.
Gonzo took Link by the arms. "We'll be on the lookout for the thief, but if any of you do find him, don't confront him, yeah? He's dangerous."
With that, the pirates hurried off to their ship leaving behind a stunned crowd.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Not bad, everyone. Though I might want to have a talk with you later, Gonzo."
"But Captain! I was just following orders!"
"Mmhmm."
"You remember, yeah? You told me specifically to stop you all arrogant like."
"Hm. You are all dismissed. We will see what the map has to show us tomorrow."
Gonzo opened his mouth and then closed it like a gasping fish. He dejectedly followed the rest of the pirates to their quarters. Vaati twirled the Wind Waker around his fingers.
"Well, Link? Do you have a problem?" he asked the boy who was standing with his arms crossed by the door.
"What was up with you and the woman in the blue dress?"
Vaati burst out laughing. "Oh that. She was pretty, wasn't she?"
"So, do you have a number for her? Hobby number seventy two?"
"Interesting you put it like that," the sorcerer mused. "But don't be ridiculous. She was just another safeguard so we can return to this island again without having angry hoards following us."
"How?"
"Did you bother noting her reactions? I don't mean to be so conceited but I completely fascinated her," Vaati looked at Link who had his nose scrunched up in disgust. The mage waved him away, "Hm. You wouldn't understand it yet. No matter, she would be so engrossed in me that she probably wouldn't hesitate to help us out of jail if we are ever stupid enough to land there. I doubt we would ever require her services, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."
Vaati was in a good mood; he had undergone a complete 180 degrees from his previous, dangerous personality. "Brighten up, boy. I even got the entire crew to be the heroes of the town."
Link disapproved, but he had to admit they had done well. They got the map for free and they (with the exception of Vaati) were considered good citizens. Not bad.
Link prayed to the goddesses that the map would prove to be useful. He didn't want another false lead to cause the mage to revert back to his deadly disposition.
OXXXXXXXXXO
Vaati: Must I come back?
fleets: Yup. Poor Link will have to handle everything by himself, then.
H-bomber: Vaati - You can root all you want, but it will be in vain. I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you.
Link - I'd rather avoid a confrontation...
Vaati - That's fine with me as well. In all honesty I could care less what you do with your life, Link, as long as you don't disrupt my plans.
Diablo1123: Vaati - Don't be ridiculous! I'd rather keep my thoughts to myself.
Link - Please keep your thoughts to yourself. You're mind's twisted enough, I don't want to know what goes on in there.
Reily96: Link - Mmm, you might have a point. Vaati's scary enough I suppose.
Vaati - What secret?
Link - Nothing.
Vaati - I didn't hear about this yesterday. What secret?
Link - Put away the Wind Waker, and I'll put away my sword. I don't think you'd be interested to know...nothing important...
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