Autumn felt like her lungs were going to explode.
Gasping and shaking on fawn-limbs, she staggered up the last of the steps to stand before the Serpent Gate that marked the entrance to the Upper City. Her back was awash with sweat, sticking her tunic unpleasantly to her spine. Her legs burned like fire. Up here, on the edge of heaven, the air was thin and bracing, forcing her to suck down larger gulps of it to alleviate her dizziness.
The trek up the mountain had been grueling. Nethlia had set a punishing pace, pushing Autumn to her physical limits as they ascended the slippery steps and crossed swinging rope bridges. They’d had some close shaves at some of the slicker sections, almost slipping, but they managed to reach the top in only a handful of hours.
Said punishing demoness stopped beside the panting witch, looking visibly fresh, if a little flush from the exercise. A red palm came crashing down on Autumn’s shaking shoulder in a gesture clearly meant to be comforting, but it almost sent the poor girl down as her tired legs weren’t up to the task of holding her up anymore.
“Opps! Sorry about that,” Nethlia blushed as she steadied a shaken Autumn. “But wasn’t that a bracing climb?”
“Kill me now,” Autumn moaned.
“Don’t be like that,” the demoness chuckled. Wrapping an arm around Autumn’s shoulders, she spun the dizzy girl around to look towards the horizon from the peak. “Look at that! Have you ever witnessed a more beautiful sight!”
When Autumn’s eyes stopped spinning, her already labored breath was further stolen away as she took in the stunning vista laid out before her. From so high up, she could see all the way out to the bay to the far south. The emerald waters sparkled underneath the afternoon sun like a sea of gems. Ships like white dots sailed the green waters towards a port on the coast.
Looking closer inland, she spied lazy wisps of smoke drifting up from small villages dotting the land amidst the rolling hills and seemingly endless fields of gray wheat. One of them was Duskmoore, although she couldn’t tell which one it was.
“It’s beautiful.”
Nethlia beamed at Autumn’s whispered words. “Right?!” she said. Just then, an icy breeze swept over the mountainside, chilling Autumn to her bones. She shivered. “Come on! Let’s get inside the city before you catch your death. The city gets cold at night.” Saying that, the demoness placed her hand on Autumn’s back and guided her towards the city gates.
Autumn could believe it. They’d passed through several low-lying clouds on their way up.
Passing through the Serpent Gate was far easier than getting through the gates below, as they only needed a brief checkover up here. Within moments, they were within the Upper City.
Dense, was the word Autumn would use to describe the city. The streets were cramped and crowded. Buildings towered into the sky, looming ten or more stories tall. Crowds darted hither and thither, moving between homes and businesses, filling the air with chatter. Streamers, lanterns, shade-cloths, and cloth signs hung over the streets, swaying in the afternoon breeze in a riot of color.
The buildings were colorful. Their walls were painted in all manner of vibrant hues while the roof tiles were a brilliant soft blue and the exposed wood was a rich red. Most doors were open along the main strip leading from the gatehouse deeper into the city, and the sounds of life and commerce flowed from inside.
Butchers, bakers, tailors, cobblers, merchants, and other craftsmen barked or called from their shops and stalls, urging passersby to browse their wares. Deeper into the city, Autumn could see a marketplace filled with more gaudy stalls and a bustling crowd of shoppers.
However, not all was peaceful within the city. Thieves and pickpockets darted through the teeming crowd like minnows, snatching coin-pouches and purses, before fleeing into tight side-streets when the sharp-eyed watchmen gave chase. Even as she watched, Autumn spotted a hell-child of maybe twelve years doing the same. The sound of alarm and outrage mixed in with the general clamor of city life.
“Best keep an eye on your things,” Nethlia said as she noticed the commotion. The towering demoness slung her warhammer onto her shoulder before striding forward. She broke through the crowd like an icebreaker in arctic waters.
Autumn scampered after her, hiding in her larger friend’s wake.
Thankfully, the sight of a seven-foot tall, statuesque, herculean warrior-demoness put the watching pickpockets off, and the pair were able to walk through the streets unaccosted by their ilk.
Autumn tapped on Nethlia back to get her attention over the low hustle and bustle of the city. “Where to?” she shouted to be heard.
“The bordello is on the western side of the city, in the red-lantern district. To get there, we need to head down main street to the market plaza, then take a left, then head north a few blocks,” Nethlia said. “The guild halls are straight on from here, but we’ll head there later once you’ve sold your stuff.”
“Alright,” Autumn said, nodding in reply.
“Keep close!” Together, they pushed deeper into the city. On the way, Nethlia would point out various landmarks or other interesting locales. “That’s the Dancing Flame Inn! It served a good roast last time I was here! Oh, and that’s the Iron Horns tavern and grill! I love their spicy ribs! And that big pagoda is the Drunken Devil, the best tavern in the city! There isn’t a drink you can’t find there! And if there is, it isn’t worth drinking!”
It was mostly bars, taverns, inns, and other watering holes that the demoness pointed out.
Autumn’s head was on a swivel as she tried to take everything in. The sounds of merriment and carousing washed over her like a wave.
As they entered the market at the end of the main road, she was immediately struck by an overwhelming aroma of spices, cooked meats, and perfumes. The powerful scents caused her nose to tickle and her eyes to water. Every spice imaginable under the sun seemed to be for sale within the market.
Spotting them, merchants of all kinds barked out to the pair, urging them to browse and buy their wares. Autumn ignored them. She dragged a reluctant Nethlia away from the racks and rows of colorful spices to the western side of the market place where the scents were calmer. Here, it was mostly fashion and clothing on sale.
With the state of her attire being incredibly dire, and many centuries out of date, Autumn wanted to soon update her clothing. Once she had more coins, of course.
Browsing the wares as they wandered, she saw that there was a vast range of styles on display. There was everything from conservative Hanfu-style dresses and kimonos to elvish-looking robes to more tunics and pants in all kinds of colors and cuts. There were cowls, hoods, cloaks, shawls, gloves, boots, and anything and everything one might want to attire themselves in.
“You don’t want to buy anything here,” Nethlia said, now dragging a reluctant-to-leave Autumn away. “None of this is sturdy enough to stand up to an adventurer’s lifestyle. I know a place that has some good second-hand stuff that’ll last you a while. We’ll head there after the guild.”
“Okay,” Autumn said, tearing her eyes away from a nice pair of red-leather boots. “It’s a date.”
“Oh?”
Autumn’s face flushed. “N-not a
date
date! But, like, in a ‘I’ll remember it’ kinda way! I wasn’t implying anything!”
“It’s okay,” Nethlia chuckled. “I was just messing with you.”
“You!” Flushing, Autumn pulled ahead of her teasing friend, pushing away from the market toward a tight road on the western side. Nethlia trailed behind her.
The crowd started to thin as they wandered away from the market, and by the time they stopped at the next intersection, it’d thinned out enough that there were only a dozen or so people besides them on the street. Ahead of the pair loomed a massive building, both in height and girth. “What’s that building,” Autumn asked.
Nethlia glanced towards the building. “That’s one of the guild halls. I believe it’s the Guild of Performers. At least it was the last time I was here.”
“Performers?”
“You know; bards, actors, mines, musicians, playwrights. Those kinds of people. There are a bunch of guilds besides the Adventurers’ Guild. We’re just one of the largest and strongest,” Nethlia said. She nodded to the left. “We need to go that way.”
At the demoness’ urging, Autumn headed west along the street towards the west.
“See that big round building up ahead?” Nethlia pointed to a large building to the south of the next intersection. When Autumn looked, she saw a large, circular building that reminded her of an amphitheater or small coliseum. “That’s the arena. Usually, the city holds a tournament there every year, and plays almost all the time.”
“Really? I’d have thought space was at a premium up here? Why waste it on an arena?”
“Entertainment, mostly,” the demoness shrugged. “Don’t want the people to get bored when there aren't many places to go. Plus, the tournaments generate a fair bit of coin for the city.”
“Makes sense.”
Turning away from the arena, the pair wandered north for two blocks, passing by a district called: the Alchemists’ Row. Muffled explosions resounded from the rickety buildings while multiple chimneys belched out columns of colorful smoke and an acrid stench. Autumn eyed the district with no small amount of trepidation. “That’s where you’ll want to sell your goods,” Nethlia helpfully informed her.
However, it was the next street over that had Autumn’s feet halting and her face flushing a bright red.
Red lanterns swayed gently in the evening breeze over the street, bathing both the buildings and it in a sultry vermillion glow. Men and women of various races, both bashful and brass, gathered beneath the red lanterns upon the street. They lingered in front of open doors and viewing windows as alluring figures coquettishly beckoned them into their parlors of soft pillows and softer bodies. The soft sounds of sensual sex and carnal fornication filled the chill air.
It wasn’t just that the courtesans and night maidens wore little that attracted many to their open doors, although some were clad in only slim coverings that left naught to the imagination, but that they wore what they did with seductive grace.
Like a moth to a flame, Autumn couldn’t look away.
She was shocked. Not just by the sensual sight laid out before her, but also by who was plying their trade here and to whom. Contrary to her expectations, it wasn’t just women on display within the pleasure district, but men too, and they didn’t just take women into their embrace. Looking around, she saw that aside from the usual pairings, men were pairing with men, and women were pairing with women to see to their…nightly desires.
Perhaps it was a product of her somewhat still repressed society and upbringing, but Autumn was startled not just at the sight of homosexuality and sex being unabashedly put on display, but also that no one seemed to care.
Grabbing Nethlia’s arm, Autumn hissed at her. “I thought you said it wasn’t just about
sex
!” By now, her face was approaching thermonuclear.
“It’s not!” Nethlia said hurriedly. The demoness’ face was tinged with embarrassment too, although she didn’t avert her eyes from the carnal displays quite as much as Autumn did. “I mean, the bordello isn’t just about fucking, but the rest places here have their own considerations.” Taking Autumn’s clutching hand in her own, she pulled the human girl deeper into the district. “Come on, the bordello is at the end of the street.”
“Of course it is,” Autumn muttered under her breath.
She tried not to stare at all the beautiful, half-dressed women as they strode down the lascivious street with purpose, but there was so much going on that she didn’t know where to look. Sweet perfumes masked the amorous air while playful giggles and fiery moans chased her heels.
Autumn’s fervent desire to get to their destination quickly without being noticed or waylaid was dashed almost as soon as they started walking. The surrounding cocottes and scarlet hostesses easily spotted Nethlia’s imposing height and inciting build peeking over the crowds. Word soon began to spread.
“Nethlia? Is that you~” one called out cheerfully as they passed her window. Other women perked up, glancing toward the muscular demoness. “Has she gotten bigger?” another whispered playfully to her friends. “I wouldn’t mind a night with her~”
Sweat trickled down Nethlia’s neck as her ears flushed hearing all the women, and some men, whispering sweet-nothings about her. Looking back nervously, she saw Autumn giving her an accusing look. She hurriedly clarified. “They just know me from working at the bordello! Honest!”
“So harsh!” one woman laughed. “And you were so good in bed too!”
“Shut up, Inilis!” Nethlia blushed, storming past the giggling demoness.
Still clutching Autumn’s hand, she practically dragged the poor girl in her wake.
And as they passed by the maidens and hostesses, they glanced at Autumn curiously, whispering to each other. “Who’s her friend? What kind of beastkin was she? I didn’t see a tail.” Another tugged on the speaker's ear admonishingly. “That’s not a beastkin. It’s a human!” “A human?! Really?! I thought they were all hairy and had fangs and claws!” the first cried out. Another shook her head. “No, but I heard that all their women have
cocks
!”
“What?! That can’t be true!”
The blush that’d dominated Autumn’s face ever since she’d stepped within sight of the district somehow grew hotter as the whispers behind her became more and more fantastical and farcical with each retelling. However, thankfully, she managed to reach the end of the street with only a few delays.
Autumn’s eyes panned up at the building that Nethlia had brought her to.
A tall wall surrounded a gleaming, whitewashed mansion, separating it from other brothels and bawdyhouses of the district. The bordello was three-stories-tall and wide. Crystalline windows decorated its face and sides, covered internally by rich, velvet curtains of carmine. A twin set of balustrade stairs curved around a garden of vibrant flowers towards a covered landing where a grand set of doors awaited vaunted visitors.
Inside the wall, there was a small stable and coachhouse. There were already a few ornate carriages and litters parked within. Nightmares, the fiery-maned horses, snorted within the stables.
The bordello was pecunious and august. Unlike the rest of the district beyond its courtyard walls, there were no working girls occupying its steps or courtesans beckoning patrons into its regal doors. In fact, the front doors were tightly shut and there was a lone female guard manning the gate keeping watch of the street.
Seeing Autumn’s confused look, Nethlia explained. “It’s a private club. Only those on the approved list can get in.”
“I know what a private club is,” Autumn huffed. “I just didn’t expect to see one here, that’s all. What’s it called?”
“The House of Blooms,” Nethlia said grandly. “It's a sapphic bordello. Those who patronize it are mainly members of the nobility or other influential women. Although, the guest list can also include others of the fair sex who catch the interest of the madam or the girls.”
“Like yourself?”
Nethlia sighed, giving Autumn an exasperated look. “Like I said, I just worked here as a guard between adventures. The girls were my friends, nothing more.”
Embarrassed, Autumn blushed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“That’s alright,” Nethlia reassured her with a smile. “Now, how about we see if we can’t get a meeting with the madam about her taking us on as additional guards. It has been a few years since I’ve been here.”
“What? B-both of us? I don’t have any experience guarding anything, let alone a place like this!”
“You will.”
Autumn could only blink as the towering warrior strode away from her, heading towards the nervous private guard manning the bordello’s front gate. She felt some pity for the emerald-skinned demoness who now had the massive former adventurer looming over her. “H-hello? C-can I help y-you?” the female guard stuttered out.
“Yes!” Nethlia beamed. Her smile caused the other demoness to quail further. “We’re looking to meet with Madam Kharzina Maximovna. I believe I’m still on the approved guest list? The name is Nethlia. N-e-t-h-l-i-a, Nethlia.”
The guard grabbed an ornate scroll from her small guardhouse and unrolled it, rapidly scanning its contents for her name. After a short moment of awkward silence, she relaxed. “Oh, found it! Welcome back, miss Nethlia! I’m sure the girls would be delighted to see you again. And your…guest?”
“She’s with me.”
“R-right,” the guard started at Nethlia’s firm tone. “Let me just get the gate for you.”
Under the gate guard’s guidance, who introduced herself as Yacria, the pair were quickly ushered into the compound. The gate swung shut behind them. “Would you like me to escort you to the entrance, ladies?”
Nethlia shook her head, already making tracks towards the building. “No need – I know the way.”
It was also within eyesight, Autumn mused wryly. Did they really need an escort to walk a couple dozen paces? How privileged were this place’s usual guests that this was expected? Shaking off her amusement, she chased after Nethlia’s long strides, and soon stood nervously before the bordello’s doors.
Before she could say anything, her friend pressed open the doors and swiftly entered the establishment of comely delights.
Autumn panicked. It just occurred to her that she’d be meeting beautiful women inside, and likely even the owner, and she was an absolute mess. Not only was she exhausted and sweaty, but her black hair was a rat’s nest underneath her hat, and she had deep bags beneath her eyes.
However, she had no time to fix anything, and darted into the building before the doors could shut.
Stepping inside, her eyes naturally took in the foyer. It was elegant and well-adorned. A glittering crystal chandelier hung from a high ceiling, spilling magical light down onto a marble floor and gold-gilded walls while velvet couches and cushions offered seductive comfort to the weary. Two curtained doorways led away from the lobby, one to Autumn’s right and other directly in front of her beside a large, extravagant reception desk.
Another demoness stood behind the desk, just now glancing up at their entrance. She was the shortest Inferni that Autumn had met. Granted, she wasn’t much shorter than Autumn herself, maybe by an inch or a half-inch, but when compared to Nethlia, or even just other demons, she was positively tiny.
She had cotton-pink skin, styled short black hair, and sharp features. A pair of slim spectacles perched on her slim nose, framing a pair of orange eyes that took them in with surprise.
The receptionist, for clearly she was one, wore a strange mix of medieval attire styled like a modern business suit. A white blouse clad her slim frame, held tight by a soft-leather vest and a blue button-up coat that fell to her knees. And as she stepped around the desk to wrap Nethlia in a hug, Autumn saw that she wore tight pants tucked into knee-high leather boots.
“Nethlia!” the cotton-pink demoness exclaimed in delight. “You’re back! It’s been so long!”