GAMBIT

Quartz Vermillion, a man with a mere age of twenty-four. His eyes are as brilliant as the sun, and his hair is darker than the arrival of dusk. Remarkably, he is a curious and gentle young man with a hobby of reading history books.

His knowledge about the history of his land is profound and genuine. From the Crusades and the religious war to the rise of Benito Mussolini, ask him anything about Rome, and he"ll be glad to respond.

Quartz Vermillion got his attributes from his father, Cypress Q. Vermillion. He is a well-respected gentleman who is fond of collecting antiques. His eyes match the pupils of his son, while his hair is much lighter than his. Surprisingly, even with the age of sixty-three, his father is still in a decent condition.

"Quartz! Quartz!" His father called from the outskirts of his room. During this time, Quartz would most likely be reading another history book at his bed.

"I will be attending the Auction today in the central plaza. Is there anything you"d want from the market or perhaps from the auction itself?" Cypress queried. His voice seeped inside the room, through the keyhole of the white wooden door.

"Anything will probably do." Quartz replied as he flips the page of the book he is currently reading.

"Alright then, your breakfast is downstairs. Do not exchange your health for that mere book you are reading. Remember, history is a figment of the past, it cannot return, it can only be remembered."

"And only through the power of knowledge shall our history prevail. Do not fear father, I will eat my breakfast." Quartz rea.s.sured. His eyes couldn"t take one glimpse of anything besides his book. The blood of men that flows through history astounds his sanity.

Cypress however, isn"t quite fond of reading books. He is mostly known as a collector in the city of Rome. A collector who desires for nothing except for antiques, valuable jewelry, or maybe even stones and pebbles.

Just like what the father has uttered to his son, today another auction shall occur. Of course, an auction is the best place to hunt down antiques and possible worn-out heirlooms. Aside from collecting, Cypress is fond of trading his antiques with other collectors he has met before.

On the central plaza, lies one of Rome"s greatest auditoriums during this century. It may have the looks of an old-fashioned theater house, but at least its seats can deliver comfort to more than a hundred men and women alike.

Dazzling lights, fancy boards, and captivating entertainment, has contributed to the attention-grabbing factor of the auditorium. It has dragged customers and civilians alike, and of course, one of them is no other than Cypress.

Seated on row three, column six, Cypress glanced over the crowd arriving at their respective chairs. He waited patiently for the pinnacle of the auction to strike. This auditorium may have a noisy aroma, but it is worth the exchange for many goodies and heirlooms.

The clock struck ten, and the bell has finally rung. One of Rome"s famous auctioneer has made a debut on the marble stage of the auditorium. Sir Dexter, the same man who bought the abandoned house, and the same man who finds the wooden box as an astounding core for fortune and wealth.

"Good morning citizens of Rome, I am Sir Dexter Lucre, today I bring you three valuable antiques found on one of Rome"s long-abandoned houses." Sir Dexter greeted the crowd with a hoa.r.s.e voice.

Cypress became upset after hearing about the news. "Three antiques only? What happened to the regular amount of ten antiques per weak?!" Cypress complained on his mind with a slight amount of sarcasm.

This is truly a race, but a man like Cypress isn"t greedy at all. From the weekly three antiques per day, now he has to minimize it to one, so that other customers can also have a fair share.

Cypress wasn"t the only one who was frustrated, but as well as the whole crowd, wherein most of them were greedy. The only hope of claiming these antiques is through a high bet.

"The Auction shall now commence!

For the first item of the morning, I give you an old and rustic chandelier. Oh-ho, this isn"t just any chandelier for it dates back to the early 18th century.

The candles can be replaced with light bulbs, all it needs is a little scrub and you"ll be all set!

Alright people, throw me some prices!" Sir Dexter, even with a hoa.r.s.e throat, he uttered with encouragement in order to grab everyone"s attention.

"10,000 Euros!"

"10,000 Euros, anything higher than that?" Sir Dexter questioned.

"I"ll pay 20,000 euros!"

"20,000 Euros, will anyone raise the price?"

"50,000 Euros!"

"50,00 Euros, who could utter a higher price?!" The auditorium was silent for a moment with people staring at each other. Clearly, Cypress wasn"t interested in the chandelier for he has dozens of them back in the attic of his house. Another one will only take-up more storage s.p.a.ce.

"Sold! Sold for 50,000 Euros to the lady with a victorian hat." Sir Dexter whacked the hammer unto the wooden pad, as he proclaims the final price.

Only two items remain, and everyone is starting to get pressured by not only the time, but also by the limited amount of antiques.

"We shall now proceed to the second item! Behold, feast your eyes on this wooden music box crafted from the early eighteenth century.

So far, it is still proficient to use despite its worn-out body." Sir Dexter encouraged as the melody of the music box played. Soothing and gentle, the melody is, it was able to touch everyone"s heart.

"I"ll pay 500 Euros!"

"500 Euros, anyone going higher than 500?"

"800 Euros!"

"800 Euros, is there anyone who is willing to compete with the given price?"

"Me! I"ll definitely pay a total of 2,000 Euros!"

"2,000! That is such a high price, will anyone be willing to exceed the given price?"

"3,000 Euros!"

"Anyone going higher than 3,000?" Sir Dexter questioned. The auditorium filled in with silence once more. Going above the given price is too much for their pockets to bear. Once again, Cypress wasn"t interested in the music box. He stayed loyal to the music box his wife offered to him before dying on a hospital bed. It was due to a tragic event that Cypress tried to forget, and by hearing the melody of the music box from the auction, his memories he had with his wife came flashing back to him.

"Alright sold! Sold to the man wearing a yellow scarf." Sir Dexter whacked the wooden hammer once more, proclaiming the final price.

"As for the final antique... this one will surely turn tranquility into conflict. Feast your eyes on one of the Earth"s oldest chess set. Yes, this was used during the golden eras, and even up till now, it is still in good condition.

The pieces may have scars and dust, but this can be easily undone with the use of paint and wax.

Alright people, throw me some prices!" Sir Dexter encouraged, as he opens the auction for the last item. During these kinds of times, everyone"s greed starts to show off, as they battle with wealth and fortune.

"10, 000 euros!"

"10,000 euros! Anyone willing to go higher than the given price?"

"I"ll pay 30,000 Euros!"

"Woah, that price sure is high! Will anyone be willing to exceed that price?"

For another moment, everybody was lulled. They looked upon each other, wondering who would dare to compete against the price. Meanwhile on Sir Dexter"s mind, the ten-second countdown begins to tick. Once it hits zero, the chess set would be finally sold to the man with a red bowtie.

"Anyone?" Sir Dexter questioned one last time, as his hammer slowly descends to the wooden pad.

"I"ll pay 50,000 Euros!" Cypress raised his hand while beaming with full exuberance. Sweat drooled down, wishing that no one would dare to compete.

"50,000 Euros, will anyone compete with that price?" Sir Dexter questioned with eyes glancing on the crowd. The timer has ticked one last time, until its ninth symphony has been played.

"Alright then! Sold to Mr.Cypress." Sir Dexter proclaimed, as he whacks the hammer unto the wooden pad. A collector like Cypress is known by countless auctioneers, and of one of those is no other than Sir Dexter Lucre. For almost a decade, Cypress has attended countless auctions hosted by the billionaire himself.

Just by hearing the proclamation, Cypress"s heart erupted with euphoria and ecstasy. His body couldn"t resist the urge to have a touch and a full glimpse of the said chess set. He can"t wait to tell his beloved son about the news...