Adventure of Jax 1

The auction house swells with wool coats, candle smoke, and the sharp smell of oiled leather. Jax stands near the front, his boots planted wide on the flagstones.

On the dais, The Boot Guy lifts a slim gavel over a pair of hand-stitched riding boots, dark calfskin with pale seams and polished toes.

The crowd hushes all at once. Chairs creak. Coin purses still. Every face turns toward Jax as if the room has already chosen him.

A rival bidder in a fur cap lifts two fingers from the back row. The number hangs in the air, and several heads swivel toward Jax.

The room jolts into a louder silence. Heads dip, eyes widen, and the Boot Guy lowers the gavel to stare at Jax’s raised offer.

The rival bidder stays half-risen for a beat, then sinks back into his seat. A few buyers murmur as the gavel cracks once on the block.

Jax moves to the dais as the crowd parts for him. The boots are drawn toward the edge of the stand, their pale seams catching the candlelight.

The Boot Guy reaches down with both hands and presents the riding boots to Jax, waiting for payment while the whole house watches.

Jax places the coins into the Boot Guy’s waiting hands. The seller counts fast, nods once, and lets the boots pass into Jax’s grasp.

The riding boots settle heavy and fine against Jax’s chest, their polished leather catching the candlelight as the crowd watches the handoff.

A clerk at the side table clears his throat and extends a small wax seal toward the dais, ready to mark the purchase.

The room loosens around the sale, but a few heads still turn toward Jax and the boots in his arms.

The clerk dips his seal into wax and leans over the sale record while the room settles into its ordinary clatter.