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IDWTBTHQ Chapter 145 - Red Light
🕑 Added 2023-11-27 00:46:00 +0000 UTCMarcus welcomed the sight of the Red Light District's lights, feeling the same relief as a castaway who sighted land on the horizon. The trip in the coach had been a veritable ordeal of awkwardness because of the intrusive thoughts caused by being so close to Yasen in an enclosed space. He had tried to distract himself by looking at the city and having small talk with the captain, but by now he was reaching his limits, and he would rather have literally jumped out of the window rather than stay in the coach for just five more minutes.
“Well, looking at the bright side, at least I managed to endure it this far, which is an improvement over how awkward I used to feel before.” He thought. “And I think that I can tolerate Yasen's company outside of this damn coach. It's just that being inside here with him makes it impossible not to look at his wide shoulders... and all those muscles... and his strong arms...”
He realized with horror where that line of thoughts was leading him and instinctively slapped himself in the face in order to stop it.
“Is everything alright, sir Marcus?” Yasen asked, giving him a puzzled look. “Why did you slap yourself?”
“Yes, yes.” Marcus replied quickly, massaging his aching cheek. He had forgotten just how hard the chitin on his hands was. “Everything is fine. I was just... trying to wake myself up, that's all.”
“Ah, very well then.” The captain nodded, looking perplexed but apparently buying the Vex Queen’s little lie.
“Damn I hate these stupid ass random thoughts!” Marcus silently cursed. “And thank god that at least the Crown prevents them from being broadcasted around. I can't even imagine how it'd be if I didn't have it!”
Then, the coach finally stopped.
“Looks like we've arrived.” Marcus said, jumping off his seat since he was very eager to get out.
However, before he could open the door, Yasen stopped him.
“Wait a moment, sir Marcus!” The captain warned him. “Before we go, there is something we must take care of.”
“What is it?”
“Your appearance.”
“Why? What's wrong with it?” The Vex Queen looked down at himself. He was wearing his usual Castillan uniform, and from what he could see there was nothing out of the ordinary. “Is there a problem with my clothes?”
“No, no. There is nothing wrong.” Yasen shook his head. “Quite the contrary, you look lovely. But you would attract a lot of attention given that Vex Queens are not exactly common in the streets of Rennhafen, and I thought that maybe you would prefer to avoid that.”
“Oh yeah.” Marcus said. He had all but forgotten about the fact that he didn’t look human anymore. “Well, yes, I'd rather not stand out too much, but it's not like I can magically change my appearance or something.”
“You won't need to.” The captain reassured him. “Just give me five minutes, and I’ll be back with something to make you more inconspicuous.”
“Well, if you can do that, then fine, I can wait.” The Vex Queen replied.
“Perfect. I'll be right back.” The Aura Master said, getting out of the coach.
Marcus waited patiently, sitting while looking out of the window. Now that Yasen wasn’t there, staying in the coach wasn’t too bad anymore, and he spent the time trying to relax a bit.
“I can’t wait to see what this famed Red Light District is really like.” He thought. “Hopefully there shouldn’t be anything too graphic happening on the streets. If it’s anything like the night clubs in my world, they probably keep a more or less respectable exterior. Heck, if anything the more anonymous their exterior, the raunchier the stuff that happens inside is!” He smirked, as memories from his past life resurfaced in his mind. “It’s weird what you learn by working as a handyman in those kinds of seedy neighbourhoods. It wasn’t even such a bad job really, certainly better than customer service. Too bad that the pay was too meagre to live off it.”
He then started reminiscing about his days as a minimum wage worker. Though it had been an unambiguously tough time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic about it, since it was still a part of his life that he would never be able to return to. This also allowed him to relax even more, so much so that when Yasen came back a few minutes later the Vex Queen had almost completely shed his previous awkwardness.
“Welcome back, captain.” He greeted the man as he entered the coach carrying a large paper bag with him. “What do you have there?”
“Your disguise.” The Aura Master replied with a smile, handing the bag to Marcus. “I hope it is to your liking.”
The monster girl grabbed the paper bag and examined its content. Inside there was what looked like a short black cloak with a big hood, plus a golden wooden mask that was somehow reminiscent of a scarab.
“What is this?” Marcus asked, a bit perplexed.
“As I said, it's your disguise.” Yasen said. “If you wear it, no one would be able to tell that you’re not human.”
“Well, yes, but... wouldn't wearing this make me even more conspicuous?” The Vex Queen protested. “I mean, going around in public masked like this is pretty suspicious, isn't it?”
“Not in the Red Light District.” The captain replied. “It's actually pretty common for people to wear masks and disguises while visiting it.”
“Oh, and why is that?”
“Mostly to stay anonymous, I think.” Yasen shrugged. “Or at least I think it started for that reason. But over the years it became some sort of tradition to wear disguises and masks when visiting the District. I guess that being unrecognisable helps people feel more relaxed.”
“Hm, yeah, I think I get it.” The monster girl nodded. “However, I still can’t wear this mask.”
“Why not? Is it not to your liking?” Yasen asked. “I could get another one if you want.”
“No it's just that I physically can't wear it.” Marcus said, pointing at the horn on his forehead. “My horn would get in the way.”
“Oh, right.” The captain replied. “No worries, I can fix that. Can you hand me the mask for a second?”
The Vex Queen gave the mask to the Aura Master, who took a small dagger from a crimson sheath at his belt and with a few quick slashes cut a diamond-shaped hole on the mask's forehead before handing it back.
“Here, try it now.”
Marcus grabbed the mask and put it on, finding that his horn fitted perfectly into the hole.
“Yes, it fits.” He said. “Nice work!”
“Thank you.” Yasen replied with a smile, putting the dagger back in its sheath. “Now try the cloak.”
The Vex Queen did as he was told, wearing the green cloak and finding that it was just his size.
“This one fits too.” He said. “So, how do I look now? Can you still tell that I’m not human?”
“It’s pretty hard.” Yasen replied. “But to make it perfect, you should keep your tail down.”
“What?” Marcus said, turning around to see that his tail was indeed making some sort of tent under the cloak.
“Goddammit!” He silently cursed. “I didn’t even notice that it was up! Stand down, dammit!”
With some effort, he managed to lower his tail and put it almost between his legs, after which the captain nodded.
“Now it’s perfect.” He said. “No one would be able to tell that you’re not human.”
“Good. Then I’d say that we can go. The night is young, and we don’t have to spend it all in this coach!”
“Very true.” The Aura Master concurred, opening the door to let the Vex Queen out. “Shall we?”
The duo then stepped out on the cobblestoned streets of Rennhafen. While Yasen talked with the coachman, Marcus took the chance to look around. The street he was in was very large, but also quite crowded, as many coaches were parked on the sides, though most were smaller and less luxurious than the one he had arrived on. On one side of the street were the same big, five and four stories-tall houses he had seen in the rest of the city, but on the other side the buildings were very much different. For starters, they looked older and their size and shape was much more varied, though they were generally just two or three stories-tall, and instead of the large, straight avenues of Rennhafen the streets of that neighbourhood seemed quite chaotic, forming a veritable labyrinth of small alleys and varied-angled corners. All entrances to these alleys were walled off, leaving only one way to enter that area: a large iron gate, lit by numerous red lamps and over which a large sign spelled the words “Old Docks”. Many people came and went through that gate, and the Vex Queen did notice that several of them did indeed wear disguises similar to his own.
Then, Marcus heard the sound of the coachman spurring the horses, and he turned around to see the coach leaving, while Yasen was walking calmly towards him.
“I told the coachman to return to the palace, since we don't know how long we'll stay here.” The Aura Master said. “We can always rent a cab to get back. There are always some here waiting for passengers at all hours.”
“That's fine.” The Vex Queen nodded. Then he pointed at the gate and asked: “Is that the entrance to the Red Light District?”
“Yes.”
“Good. And if I may ask, why does the sign over it says Old Docks?”
“Oh, that's just the official name of the Red Light District.” Yasen explained. “They used to be Rennhafen's actual docks a few centuries ago, but when the city was rebuilt after the Zaru invasion they decided to build new docks on the lake shores so this area was abandoned and eventually became the Red Light District. Everyone calls it that way too, but for some reason on paper its name is still Old Docks.”
“I see.” Marcus said. “I just wanted to make sure that we were at the right place, but the history lesson is appreciated nonetheless.”
Yasen let out a hearty laugh.
“Don't worry.”He reassured him. “The Red Light District is basically my second home, so there is no risk that I’d mistake it for anything else! I bet I could find my way around here even blindfolded!”
“Alright, I’ll trust your knowledge then.” The monster girl said, deciding to gloss over the reasons why the captain was such a regular visitor of the District. “Shall we go then?”
“As you wish.” Yasen bowed slightly. “Follow me.”
He stepped forward and Marcus followed him, finally passing through the gates and finally entering the Red Light District.
The first thing that Marcus noticed were the lights. A kaleidoscope of countless colours hit the Vex Queen's eyes as soon as he stepped into the Red Light District. In addition to the magical street lamps, which were in greater numbers on this street, every single building was almost completely covered in luminous signs and coloured lights, making the night almost as bright as noon. The streets were a never ending succession of shops, pubs, inns and restaurants, with either windows of opaque glass showing the dim shadows of the patrons inside or clear and bright display windows proudly showing off the merchandise. There were also a huge number of stalls, selling everything from food to clothes, and the cold winter air was filled with the smell of food, incense and other less immediately identifiable substances.
People of all kinds crowded the streets. Most of them were humans, usually covered head to toe in heavy clothes to fend off the cold, but there were also many Thulians, who thanks to their own fur could afford to dress more lightly, and a few members of other races, like one of those walking tree people and a group of what looked like a bunch of humanoid teddybears wearing rather luxurious clothes. And then there were a lot of people in disguise, whose exact race was almost impossible to tell. Most of them wore simple cloaks and masks like Marcus, but there were a few who had much more complex and extravagant costumes. However, the most colourful group by far were the street performers. To the Vex Queen's right, a couple of identical Felid twins wearing skimpy jester attires were standing on top of each other, the bottom one balancing herself on a ball while the one on top juggled eight crystal balls. Meanwhile, a few metres to the left a weird creature that looked like a mix between a moth and a monkey sat in a corner, playing a huge instrument similar to a long guitar with far too many strings, using its four arms and prehensile trunk to produce an incredibly complex melody. And there were many others still who performed their arts for the crowd.
Marcus looked at all of this in a daze, like a deer in headlights. He had not expected such a showy display, especially since the countryside seemed so primitive compared to his old world, but this street in particular wouldn’t have lost to any entertainment district on his old Earth. It was like a mix between a carnival, the Las Vegas Strip and a renaissance fair, all combined together.
“Wow.” He said. “I would have never thought that a place like this existed in this world.”
“It's quite impressive indeed.” Yasen concurred. “It's probably one of the biggest entertainment centres in the Empire, after all. I've heard that there are some places like this in Dianisia and Castillar, but I've never seen them myself.”
“That's not exactly what I meant.” The Vex Queen thought. “I was mostly surprised to see such a place in what seemed like a medieval world at first. But maybe it's better if I keep this to myself. Wouldn’t want to offend anyone or seem haughty.”
“Yeah, it's very impressive.” He then said out loud. “Though I must say, I would have expected something a bit more... well, adult-like from a place called the Red Light District. Not that I'm complaining.” He added quickly. “It's just that I got that impression from the name, while all I can see here are just normal pubs and shops.”
“Oh, there are plenty of adult establishments, you just have to know where to look for them.” The captain replied. “The main street is usually kept pretty family friendly. If you want to see the real adult side of the District, you should venture into the alleyways.” He pointed at the dark, narrow alleys that departed from the main road. “You will find all sorts of adult stuff in there. Especially on Midnight Alley, where all the depravity of Medelan is on show for everyone to see!” He smirked. “Personally, I believe that that place is just a tourist trap though, all smoke and no fire. The real hardcore establishments are usually much less showy on the outside.” He paused, seemingly remembering who he was talking to, and suddenly looked embarrassed. “Well… anyway, from what you told me before, I don’t think that you’re interested in seeing them.”
“No thank you.” Marcus immediately replied. “I am perfectly fine with visiting only the tame part of the District.”
“Very well.” Yasen nodded, looking a bit relieved. “In that case, is there any place in particular you wish to visit? Or do you prefer to just sightsee a bit for now?”
“Let's go with the second option for now.” The Vex Queen said. “I'm curious to see more of this place.”
“Very well.” The Aura Master replied. “In that case, I'll just follow you wherever you go.”
They started walking down the street, occasionally stopping to allow Marcus to get a better look at anything that caught his attention. Along the way they picked food from the stalls, mostly grilled meat since it was what most suited the Vex Queen's tastes, and they also entered several shops and watched a few entertainers. By the time they reached the end of the main street, Yasen was carrying several bags full of clothings, a couple of books about the history of the Empire and a few assorted knick-knacks that Marcus had found interesting.
The street ended up in a large square built on the riverside which had a small public park at its centre. There were many different shops and pubs in this plaza, but two things in particular drew the Vex Queen's attention: one was a huge striped tent that could only belong to a circus that was placed in the middle of the park, while the other was what looked like a fairly large church completely covered by green, red and yellow vines, intertwined together to form a complex pattern. Both places also looked quite crowded, even for the standards of the District.
“What's that place?” Marcus asked, pointing at the church.
“That's a temple of Pretheve.” The captain replied. “Their main temple, to be precise.”
“Isn't it a bit weird for a main temple to be in the middle of the Red Light District?”
“Not really.” The Aura Master shrugged. “Pretheve is the goddess of love and fertility after all.”
“Oh, yeah.” The Vex Queen nodded. “I had forgotten about that. Anyway, why is it so crowded? Are there so many religious people here?”
“There might be. The cult of Pretheve is pretty popular in Medelan after all.” Yasen replied. “However, I think that it’s more likely that those people are here to visit the temple’s free hospital.”
“A free hospital? How does it work?”
“Well, as far as I know, the patients are not actually charged anything for the cures they receive, but they are strongly encouraged to leave an offering.” The captain explained. “And though it’s unofficial, it’s pretty much common knowledge that those that do leave substantial offerings receive better treatment.”
“Oh, I see.” Marcus nodded. “That makes sense. I guess the clerics still have to make ends meet in the end, right?”
“Exactly.” Yasen confirmed. “Though to be fair, they do accept non-monetary offerings too. Those who can’t afford to pay anything can still volunteer to help at the temple for better treatment, and even those who are unwilling or unable to offer anything at all would get some treatment sooner or later.”
The Vex Queen nodded again, quite impressed. Though the system that the Aura Master described clearly wasn’t perfect, it was still better than the healthcare offered by a lot of countries in his old world.
“Anyway, this is where the main street ends.” Yasen said. “So, what do you want to do now, sir Marcus? Do you want to visit one of the establishments?”
“Maybe.” The monster girl replied. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Well, there are many different pubs, inns and restaurants if you wish to dine or have a drink.” The captain said. “Alternatively there are a few theatres, and of course the circus here.” He pointed at the tent near them. “And finally, there are a few more unique establishments, like the Arena, the Goldmine or even the House of Dreams, though I don't think you'd be interested in the last one.”
“Why not?”
“Because it's a place where people go to consume drugs and be hypnotized for fun.” The aura master replied. “However you don't seem the type to indulge in such activities.”
“You're right.” Marcus confirmed. “That's definitely not for me. What about the other two places you mentioned then?”
“Well, the Goldmine is a casino, the biggest one in Medelan.” Yasen explained. “As for the Arena, as its name suggests it's a fighting arena, but most of the fights are just for show, though they can still be quite entertaining. Their fighters wear very skimpy and flashy outfits and are usually more like entertainers rather than actual warriors, but they are quite skilled nonetheless, technically speaking at least. Moreover, from time to time there are even real Aura Users who decide to show off in the Arena under a pseudonym, which makes their special events, as they call them, quite the spectacle even for a master like me.”
“Sounds like you like that place.” The Vex Queen noticed.
“I do.” The Aura Master replied. “You could say that I have a professional interest in it. Though I must admit that the main draw for me are the half naked ladies wrestling each other in the ring.”
“That’s quite understandable.” Marcus laughed.
“Thank you. So, do any of these places interest you?”
The Vex Queen thought about it for a moment. He wasn't really in the mood for going to the theatre or to the circus, and he had never been a fan of gambling, since he had always considered it a waste of money. The only place that piqued his curiosity was the Arena, mostly because by Yasen's description it kinda reminded him of wrestling, of which he used to be a fan when he was a kid in his previous life.
“The Arena seems like the funniest place to visit for me.” He said. “Besides, you seem to enjoy it too, so let’s go with it!”
“An excellent choice.” Yasen approved. “I’ve heard that there is a special event tonight, so with any luck we are in for an interesting match.”
“Very good. Make way then.”
“As you wish, sir Marcus.” The captain bowed slightly, and then he started walking, followed by the Vex Queen, leaving the square behind as they entered a secondary road to cut through the Red Light District, heading towards what seemed like a rather bigger building visible in the distance.
Comments
BlackFire13th
Only 8 seconds. Fast on the draw.
