章 58: The Brothel
I honestly didn't know what I was expecting when we had reached Laylia's doors. I had never stepped into a brothel before, let alone seen one so I was a little impressed with how big the building actually was. It was a mansion located atop of a hill just outside the city limits. Stone boulders cemented together formed the outside walls. They looked to have been stained black to give it a dark and creepy edge. The building was as large as seven passenger carts lead by a team of four horses. Bushes had grown out front, and looked to have been recently trimmed. They where neatened into square hedges, no sign of any jutting out branches or leaves.
The entry way was a large stone arch that held to doors shaved down and fitted to the odd shape. Large brass knockers where dawned on each door, a way to signal to the people inside that there where guests. The red paint on the door, seemed to be chipping away with the change of seasons and many days of storms it had to wether. The many windows that lined the buildings, all had black painted shutters and where closed tightly. Not an ounce of light could be seen through them.
An impressively large amount of trees towered over this brothel, giving off an very eerie and creepy edge. No amount of moon light could be filtered through their entangled and knarled branches. Which meant the light glow of the metal lanters that sat on each side of the walk way, was our only guide up to this massive building. Two stories worth of horny men and woman, whose only goal, was ecstasy. If I had felt nervous before, I was definetly at unease now. The only intimacy I ever had was with Nicklos, and now I was being asked to blend in as a prostitute.
I had no experience with flirting with men. My interactions with Nicklos where also limited, so how was I suppose to do this without blowing our cover? I grabbed the shall bright pink, thin shall draped that had been drapped over my shoulders, and tugged them tightly around me. Nervous, wasn't even a word I would describe how I was feeling. I was more or less feeling despair. I was a Knight, not a woman who gave away her dignity to multiple men a night.
"Alliah, you need to relax. They will catch on before we even step into the brothel." Nicklos muttered under his breath as we slowly made our way to the entrance way. You could here the faint sounds of hollering and laughing inside. Moans filtered through the windows, making the quiet night turn hot. My face grew hot at the indecent sounds and I grew even more uncomfortable. They sounded like wild animals in heat.
"That's easy for you to say. You won't be prayed upon by unruly men. I on the other hand, have no experience with flirting, and I have to play along like I know what I am doing. So yes I feel a little nervous." I said as I gripped my fingers tighter around the fabric. It did little to block the chill of the night from my body. The fabric left to much exposed skin to feel comfortable.
"I came here to protect you. I know how dangerous places like this can be. So just follow my lead and let me do that talking. More importantly, you need to stay clinged on to me. The more clingy the more you sell it." I stared up at him, suspicious of his technique. His mouth had been covered by a thick black cloth, obsuring his face and identity. The black leather fabric that he wore, sat tightly against his body, hugging every curve of his muscles. Honestly if I hadn't known who he already was, the mystery of his appearence would make him overly appealing.
"I know, this is just a stop out of the comfort of what I know I can do. I am use to killing things, not blending in." I mumbled once more, throwing a slight childish fit. His golden eyes shift to meet my gaze. With a small sigh, he grabbed my arm lightly and stopped me from walking any further. With his hand he reached up and pulled down his mask, exposing his handsome face.
"Have more faith in yourself Alliah. I have seen how you get when you are determined. Use that stubborn ways to your advantage. Remember, we are here to free Maxwell, and grab any evidence we can find of the Counsel working with Laylia. Keep reminding yourself why we are here if we have to. I know you can do it." His leather gloved hand caressed my cheek, and his thumb gently ran over my lips. I felt the light patter of my heart through my chest. It only quickened as he drew closer to me, a small smile graced upon his lips.
For a brief moment, I could feel my confidence returning, distracted by Nicklos's seductive ways. My unease completely vanished as he gently placed his lips upon mine, closing his eyes in the process. Completely lost in him, I closed my eyes and let my body relax. I pushed myself against him and deepened the kiss, enjoying the warmth he seemed to be giving off. He wrapped an arm around my back, jailing me against him as his tongue lashed with mine. I gripped the collar around his leather jacket, my body turning hot against him, wanting more than just a simple kiss.
"Just like that Alliah, keep up this clingly act and it will go just fine." Nicklos chuckled as he pulled away, panting slightly from our tongue war. I tried hiding my pouting lip as he released his hold on me and pulled away. The warmth from his body faded fast, leaving me more cold than before.
"That wasn't an act and you know it." I mumbled angrily, mad that I couldn't have relished him a little more before entering the brothel. As we walked up to the door, Nicklos draped an arm around my hips, pulling me against him in a posessive way. Awkwardly I wrapped my arms around his torso, trying to make the look intimate, but I think it was coming out more awkward than anything else. Another soft chuckle escaped his lips as he readjusted my arms and stance. Then with a finger he cuped it under my cheek, forcing me to look at him again.
"Stay just like this do you understand. Relax and let me handle the rest." He said with a wink before pulling away once more. The mask he wore covered his face once again, obscuring his face. It was amazing how one piece of cloth could change one's appearence. With a deep breath, and an endless chanting of "It's going to be okay" I mananged to melt against him a little more. Nicklos nodded one his approval before raising his hand to the door. With one knuckle he knocked three times. The movement was so smooth that it seemed natural. I would have to ask him about his behavior later. The last thing I wanted was a fight right before we entered.
Above the screaming and moans that filled the night air, you could here the footsteps that approached the door. I pushed the nervous and edgy feelings rising with every step, and placed my hand on Nicklos's chest and formed myself to him. The door burst open, and a burley man stood at the entrance. White whispy hair dangled down from his head in thin strands, almost seeming translucent. A dark and battered eye batch sat over his left eye. His lips where pressed firm and tight, an unwelcome greeting even in his silence. The wrinkles etched into his face made him look very worn out and tired as he towered over me. A few deep scars covered his face from battles long ago. His style was similar to Nicklos's with his leather attire.
The only difference was, he had many straps around his shoulder, holding a dual sword holster on his back. Another strap sat around his waist, holding a pair of daggers and throwing knives. His stiff stance suggested ex-military. Maybe a rouge militia now being hired by Laylia for her own personal gain. But the weapons he carried screamed assassin. Either he was a jack of all trades, or a different breed of fighting all together. With his old age, I couldn't imagine him being able to do much. More like a glorifed door greeter if you ask me.
With his one good eye, he let it wander over us. It felt like I was being assessed, inspected before we could enter. It anything, I felt disgusted as he let his eyes wander slowly down my bare legs. When he was done his assessment, he gave a grime filled smile and steped away from the door. With an outstretched arm, he quietly let us in. Nicklos gave me a soft squeeze on my hip, and I let out a soft giggle in response. We had gone over different signals on our way up the winding path so we could communicate quietly.
"We appreciate your patronage, younger sir." I felt small bumps prickle my skin as the old man spoke from behind us. It was scratchy and eerie, making my skin crawl as the door closed behind us. Lords above, please watch over me!
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