Perubia

Day of Orgaladhad

The sun blazed down upon the city of Perubia.

The proximity of the Thedmulm-Orhek Dwarf-Lands border and Euthoria as the capital had made the western part of the country prosperous, cultured, and favored. In contrast, the southeastern Perubia was considered a remote outskirt. It was a port city with a much hotter climate than Euthoria, and it had its own unique culture and customs. Here, tündes called themselves "elves" without any pejorative undertones, perhaps because the many different races arriving at the port also referred to them this way. As the temperature rose, so did the degradation of morals: in the bustling squares, courtesans flaunted themselves in off-the-shoulder dresses, and in secluded corners, shady deals were made among bandits whose noses wrinkled with distrust.

The elf girl, whose light hair nearly reached her waist, sat huddled in the corner of the bed with her knees drawn up, arms wrapped around her legs. The room she had been forced to live in recently was far from bright, with only a small window letting in a sliver of light. She stared motionlessly, with quiet dread, at the wallpaper rippled from dampness, marred by an unsightly yellow stain of unknown origin. Since she had arrived, she had often glanced at this stain, her mind repeatedly wondering how it got there, though she suspected it was better not to know.

A tall, red-haired prostitute flounced into the room through the open door, stopped by the mirror with a sway of her hips, and began to comb her hair. A few people passed by the door, and another woman, with a bare upper body, fought her way through the crowded room between the bed and the mirror to the wardrobe. The red-haired woman grimaced as she watched until the other woman, her breasts shaking, slipped out of the room again.

The girl on the bed quietly observed the scene, seeing the envy in the red-haired woman's eyes and feeling some sort of aversion to the other woman's nakedness. Where she came from, women didn't display themselves, not even in front of each other. "What day is it today?" she asked into the air.

"Orgaladhad," came the reply from the red-haired woman, who had tied her hair into a ponytail on top of her head and then lowered the neckline of her dress. "So, how do I look?"

"Sure, perfect," replied the girl on the bed without looking at her. The red-haired woman didn't look at her either, continued preening for a while, then turned on her heel and left the room.

The girl in the corner sighed and buried her face in her hands. She knew she should be getting ready similarly, but she just couldn't bring herself to start.

Suddenly, she stood up and approached the leather-covered door leading to the central corridor. Before her hand touched the handle, she stopped. She took a deep breath, knocked, then pushed the door ajar and peeked inside.

"Harod, can we talk, please?"

The peculiar creature named Harod wore his dark, almost black hair cut short, and his thick eyebrows and large brown eyes were quite unlike what one would expect from an elf. It was evident that his ancestry included various races, likely human, elf, and dwarf. He sat at an ornate, lion-pawed mahogany desk, counting a stack of money over some parchments. Nearby, two burly men in brown vests stood guard, both with their legs slightly apart and arms folded behind their backs.

The half-breed stood up, revealing his short, stockier build. He approached with an artificial smile. "What is it, Dina, my little one?"

Unlike him, Dina was clearly a purebred elf, with light, straight hair, a small, delicate frame, and a gentle yet now very sorrowful expression.

"Harod, I don't feel well. I'd like to stay in my room this afternoon." As she said it, she could almost feel the man's reproachful gaze on her. She didn't look up but heard him stop in front of her.

"Poor thing." The pity in his voice reminded her of actors' lofty recitations. "I think I should be seriously concerned about your health, given that you were feeling the same way last time. During work hours."

The girl stared at the floor, but the man suddenly grabbed her chin and lifted it. His rough touch was in stark contrast to his words, which were meant to sound gentle. Dina swallowed hard.

"You know the other girls wouldn't like that. Nobody likes to carry someone else's burden," the man nodded seriously. "And the truth is, I don't really like it either. You've been with us for a week now; you had your first client. It's time for you to catch up with the others, so to speak. I don't want to see that sad little face of yours anymore; you should look desirable and fresh, understand, darling?" He flicked her cheeks on both sides. She said nothing.

Of course, Harod. You don't know that the first client, a man was so drunk he slept through the night, and I escaped from him early. But how long can this go on? She thought about how any stranger could touch her, and...

"Stop making faces!" the man raised his voice. "You're in a privileged place, an exceptionally good brothel. Maybe you don't think so? This exceptional team is counting on you. What's more, I'm counting on you, sweetie."

She didn't even have time to defend herself; it couldn't really be called a kiss when Harod suddenly leaned down to her neck and pressed his dry tongue against her skin. Dina tried to hide how deeply disgusted she felt and tried not to be too rejecting, but still managed to pull away slightly. She swallowed the sound caused by her fear and looked back at Harod with a mix of shame and dread.

"Please."

"I can allow you to stay in until nightfall; you don't have to go out to the street. But after that, you'll get ready and head to the tavern. Adventurers are arriving tonight, and the innkeeper has hired you, as is customary. You'll be assigned, sweetheart. And you will show your best self to whoever you get. Understood?"

She remained silent. The news crushed her.

In the few days she had experienced what it was like to loiter in front of the brothel, with the expectation of seductively attracting the passing men, Dina had somehow figured out how to send glances that didn't make her desirable at all. She mostly kept her head down or pretended not to notice the eyes watching her.

But ordered to the tavern, she was trapped.

She nodded quietly. I need to find out something.

"Now go to your room and stay there. I don't want to see you in the hallway this afternoon, strutting around in front of the others just because you got a little concession!"

"I wouldn't do that anyway."

Harod shushed her.

Dina turned away from him, but the man's loud voice... "You forgot something."

"What?"

"You should be grateful. And you should show that you are."

Dina thought it best to mutter a quick and quiet "thank you" before Harod asked for gratitude in another form, then hurriedly closed the door behind her.