“Let’s go Miss Nokomis; I have a friend not far from here,” I told her taking her hand and leading her into a world foreign to her.
“I’ve always wanted to visit the Pleasure District with all it’s carnal exploitations!” Nokomis blurted out. I turned to her shocked and saw she was blushing.
“Try and remember you are not who you were anymore. Stop acting so shocked,” I reminded. I hoped she had not gathered attention. I looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed.
I led her through the streets, often giving her a gentle yank as she stopped to stare. We neared the border of the Pleasure District and the Lower Market. We neared our destination, and I paused at a street vendor’s booth and bought us food. We each ate several meat rolls, sourdough filled with seasoned meat.
“What is this meat?” Nokomis asked looking at the meat protruding from where she had bitten off a junk.
“Not sure, didn’t ask. Not sure I want to know,” I answered hoping she didn’t ask. Street vendor’s often bought the butcher’s scraps but when those were unavailable meat was often found elsewhere.
“Okay,” she replied and thankfully pushed no further.
“Listen we are almost to the place I am taking you. Please don’t act surprised. Don’t ask any questions. Don’t touch anything and for the sake of my sanity don’t accept anything to drink or eat,” I warned.
“Okay, lead the way Jack,” she said somewhat toos cheerfully. I felt responsible for her, and in some way that I did not understand, I was pleased. I usually enjoyed capable women. Women who were as dangerous as they were beautiful. Nokomis seemed like a child experiencing the world for the first time, yet I wanted to guide and protect her.
We continued down the street, and we stopped at the red painted building I had sought. I took Nokomis’s hand and led her down the side alley to a back entrance. The knocker on the door was a brass head. The back of the head was facing out and the mouth wrapped around a brass phallus. Nokomis giggled as I knocked.
“Reminds me of this morning,” she said blushing. I rolled my eyes, what had I gotten myself involved in?
“Yes, Greycliff has a wild sense of humor. He is also incredibly perverted,” I warned. The door opened to reveal a huge pile of gray flesh that was more muscle than fat. His huge eyes stared down his long thin nose at us.
“Come in,” he said in a voice that sounded like two stones grinding together.
“What in the name of the gods is that?” Nokomis whispered in my ear.
“That is a gray troll, Named Mike. He is the door guard,” I answered smiling. The look of fear and amazement matched most people who laid eyes on him. Mike lead us into the back offices of the brothel to a waiting room. We could hear the sounds of moaning through the door.
“Why are we here?” Nokomis asked wild-eyed as she listened to the sounds from within the office.
“I’m selling you to the brothel house. Not many have had the chance to bed a Princess,” I answered sardonically.
“Jack be serious!” the princess said, her small fist finding my ribs playfully. Sadly I was joking, but the thought had crossed my mind, but only for a second.
“Greycliff is an amazing artificer, at least when it comes to illusions,” I answered, “Now settle down.”
“Okay okay. God, was I this bossy?” Nokomis asked rolling her eyes. She shifted uncomfortably as the crescendo of moans continued.
“Probably worse,” I answered her rhetorical question. “Getting turned on?”
“Well until early this morning I was a virgin,” she answered blushing. I slipped a hand between her legs and felt the heat coming from her groin.
“Want me to release the tension?” I asked playfully. She made to reply but was interrupted by the door opening. Out stepped a very tall tribal woman. Her satisfied grin spread from one ear to the other. I stood and realized she quite dwarfed me. The fur top she wore barely covered her massive breasts and matched the white rabbit loin cloth. She looked at me and smiled with an enticing twinkle in her eye.
“Mike, show Sherna a room. I’ve just hired her,” Greycliff’s voice called from the office. Nokomis gripped my hand and stood as well. “Sherna you start tomorrow, ask Michelle to show you the ropes.”
“Visitors master,” Mike called, his words barely discernible. Greycliff stepped out, and I looked at Nokomis, her jaw hung to the floor. I gently put my hand under her chin and closed her mouth.
“Master Greycliff, a pleasure as always,” I said bowing. Greycliff loved the flattery.
“He is a gnome,” she muttered surprised “you made love to her?” she asked looking in the direction the tribal woman had gone.
“Fucked her. Someone has to see if she is fit for customers,” Greycliff corrected her.
“A job you reluctantly accept as a burden of leadership,” I said smiling broadly.
“Work has its perks. Want to be her first?” Greycliff asked referring to his newest employee.
“Do I ever pay?” I asked and then regretted it. Greycliff and I had met because I had slept with several of his girls when they should have been working. He had sent several beaters to solve the issue. When they didn’t return, we met in person. Since we had developed a working relationship.
“What do you want Jack?” he asked stepping back into his office. I followed with Nokomis in tow. Greycliff sat behind a massive oak desk; all the office necessities knocked to the floor.
“I want a ring,” I told him. “My friend here needs to change her appearance.”
“What’s she running from?” he asked curiously. Nokomis made to answer, and I kicked her shin.
“Her lecherous stepfather decided her mother had been dead long enough. Planned to sell her to Scarlet Rosies until he found out her purity was with a traveling tinkerer. Would have killed her had I not stepped in and relieved him of his burdens,” I replied, and Nokomis turned a dark shade of crimson.
“I’d take her off your hands, Jack. She looks pretty enough,” he offered then turned towards her “Only the one?”
“Just the tinkerer and I are Jack’s, no one else,” she replied with hostility.
“Nokomis calm down,” I said pushing her back into the seat. “Greycliff she has chosen a life of freedom. I can pay.”
“Do the intricacies matter?” he asked turning from her.
“Not particularly to me,” I answered, “Nokomis do you have a preference in what you look like?”
“Um I guess not,” she replied and then stood up and stepped in front of a tall mirror. “Maybe even out my hair, Bigger breast, and wider hips,” she answered cupping her chest.
“Easily accomplished,” Greycliff said watching her.
“Maybe darker lips too. Can you make me taller?” Nokomis asked and turned in the mirror “make my backside a little bigger.” she added. I rolled my eyes.
“I guess the intricacies do matter,” he grumbled. I sighed deeply and pulled a sapphire necklace worth a small fortune from my backpack.
“This should cover it,” I suggested. Nokomis’s eyes grew to the size of platters, and I was surprised she didn’t say anything.
“Quite,” Greycliff answered. “It’ll take a few hours. Where do you want it delivered?”
“You know where I stay,” I answered, and we made our departure.
“You’re a real piece of work. You just happened to be around to save me did you?” she asked her knuckles striking my ribs with a loud crack. “I cannot believe I trusted you!”
“I am not sure why you are angry? I told you I was a thief. Mentioned I was in your rooms. What could you imagine I was doing. Besides had I not saved you I would still be rich, and you would be dead. Does it matter I stole the treasure?” I asked annoyed that she was complaining again, especially being those jewels were going to buy her an incredible piece of magic.
“Just never mind. I doubt someone like you could ever understand. Have you ever worked for anything in your life?” Nokomis asked bitterly. I could not wait to be rid of this mistake.
“Well, you will be glad to know you are almost free of me,” I informed her and continued on my way into the Market District.
“Free of you?” she asked. “What am to do? Where am I to go? Dressed like this?”
“Let’s go then,” I said, and I grabbed her arm and tugged her towards a seamstress shop. Six dresses, boots, pants, blouses, doublets and other necessities later we left. My coin purse incredibly lighter, I needed to visit my fence, Drexel.
“I’ll need a place to stay,” Nokomis said hefting the large backpack she purchased with my gold.
“You can stay with me until we get you out of the city and find a place for you. Also, you might want to think of something to fill your life with,” I said hoping to get her off the topic of buying a home in the city. “Also, you have just about run out of gold to spend.”
“I have a lot more jewelry worth thousands in your pack,” she said walking past me.
“Um, no I have thousands. Do you realize you just spent two-hundred and sixty gold in there? That lady may have believed the story that you are a merchant from far off, but keep spending gold and you are going to get noticed,” I answered angrily.
“Jack, relax. Where are we heading off to now?” she asked, and I gave up on debating lifestyles with her. If she wanted to get, herself killed so be it.
