Auction

The sound of a knock on the inn door echoed down the hallway again.

When I opened it, an employee bowed silently and held out a letter with both hands.

The rolled parchment was sealed with red wax.

The seal bore the emblem of a lion with its mane spread wide.

Lyle, sitting at the table, curled his lips into a grin.

"Is that the last one?"

I broke the wax seal with my thumb and unrolled the parchment.

My eyes followed the flowing handwriting, and my lips curled into a smile.

"Yes. It's from the Golden Lion Corps."

The letter contained a single, concise sentence...