Herc was feeling a little nervous. He'd never done anything like this before, going to a Courtesan. But it may have been his only chance to fulfil certain... desires.
And he'd heard rather glowing reports about a certain Courtesan by the people who pointed him in the direction of a particular brothel,
The Sinner's Absolution
.
A rather poetic name, but supposedly because those that ran it believed none should suppress their urges, and that there be a place for them to indulge. Provided they part with the necessary compensation.
He was willing to do that, worrying a bag of coin in his pocket with his hand, making sure it did not 'disappear' on him when he wasn't looking, though looking around this part of town, he didn't think the chances were high.
Solemn Rest was something of an ironic name for the prosperous town. It was once a mere outpost, a waystation of sorts for those making the crossing over Goller's Pass, once the only way through the Amben Mountain Range. So named because Goller's Pass was treacherous, and often people did not survive the journey, leaving those that did to rest in grim circumstances. Then a route was discovered after a rock face gave way after a violent storm; Hopeful's Way. It was a small gully, practically, cutting right through the range, never before known until that rock wall came down. The gully's sides were stable, however, covered in woody brambles and scrub that held the soil and the rock together, and rockfalls from further up the mountains on either side were infrequent. It was a
much
safer route, and though several times the length of Goller's Pass, the easier terrain and fewer hazards only made it take twice the time. But most important of all, it created a route through the mountains that more were willing to take.
Solemn Rest grew from a simple waystation, to a vital trade and travel hub, servicing merchants and travellers that came from beyond the Amben Range, on their way to many locations further afield.
It was halfway between a town and a city, and its wealth showed; most of its residents led comfortable lives, with well crafted wooden buildings and slate shingle roofs, and stone walls for the wealthier.
The taverns were all quite classy places, though most still catered to the tastes of the commoner, like Herc himself, as Solemn Rest was led by people that saw the value in diversifying the town's economic sources, such that it would not suffer severely should something cut the flow of travellers and traders.
He himself was a carpenter, either crafting furniture or wagon parts for locals or merchant caravans, or carving simple but appealing decorative elements, for the same clientele.
There were farms a little further out from Solemn Rest, where the soil was a little more fertile, but they were nevertheless inseparably linked to the town.
Thus, Solemn Rest's prosperity was secure, leading to a lot of rather classy places meant for a more exclusive clientele.
The Gilded District, where he was now, was where much of that was focused.
Here traders sold finer and more expensive wares, as well as inns for those with more refined tastes to eat and sleep at. The roads were paved cobblestone, the buildings were either stone or brick, or quality wooden construction, and labourers were paid a nice sum to keep the streets cleaner than the rest of the town. Lampposts lined the road, and signs hung out in front of every inn or shop, with eye-catching designs painted and carved on them, all to attract potential customers. It was home to many businesses where all manner of curios could be acquired.
It was also home to one of three brothels in town, though rumour had it all three were being run behind the scenes by a single person or persons.
It would explain why even
The Red Touch
, the place for clients of a more 'common' sort with coin to match, was still a well-run establishment.
Above all, all of the women at the brothels were there by choice, something that the Matrons that ran them made very clear, and that they were not desperate for money, but doing something they
wanted
to do.
And they did not suffer hostility or abuse lightly.
It gave Herc some confidence that his time will be a wondrous one. But
The Red Touch
was not where he was going.
The Sinner's Absolution
was the brothel at the top of the hierarchy of the three. It was for those looking for exotic tastes and experiences, and boasted a few non-human courtesans.
He was going to see one such courtesan.
He eventually found the building, and felt his nerves grow a little more shaky.
It was by no means enormous, akin to some of the larger inns in town, and they weren't terribly big compared to some from the cities. But it exuded a forbidden feel, crafted of dark wood that seemed to have a slight red tinge if one looked at it in the right light. It was a two floor building, with the lower floor possessing a verandah that encircled the entire structure, the floor above overhanging it and serving as the awning. The pillars that ran the perimeter of the verandah, supporting the floor above, were a more obvious shade of red, polished to a gleam. Black and red curtains obscured the windows, and two lanterns flanked an intricately carved wooden door -- two flowers, one upright, the other upside down, their stems intertwined -- burning with a red light.
He gulped lightly as he looked at the door, but steeled himself; as much as this was a first for him, he likely would never see his fantasies fulfilled if he didn't take the plunge.
Exhaling to calm himself, he walked up the handful of steps onto the verandah, and then to the door. He noticed a bell just above the handle, blending in and hard to spot from the road out front.
He rang the bell, the metal dinging resulting in a prompt response, footsteps audible from within.
The door opened, and he was met with an older woman, middle aged, but still beautiful.
She had a welcoming smile, and her blue, vaguely cloudy eyes were calming, but she carried herself with an air of authority, happy to make all comers to the brothel welcome, but exuding a sense of class. She wore a black dress made of silk and quality cotton, carefully wrapped around her, a silver brooch depicting the same twin flowers from the door holding the folds together. She had dark shoes cut at the ankle, with gold bangles around them and her wrists.
Her hair was half white, half black, and her lips gleamed with a simple oily gloss, shadow covering her eyelids. She had a few wrinkles, but they were not pronounced, and few in number, the woman possessing a mature beauty that appealed even to Herc, and no doubt to more than a few younger gentlemen.
"I am Madame Glay," she introduced with a small, courteous bob of her head. "I welcome you to
The Sinner's Absolution.
May I have your name?"
"Uh, Herc Gernson," he replied with a nod of his own. "I, uh, I'm here to see a particular girl."
Madame Glay smiled, and beckoned him to follow her.
"This way please, and I will see what we can do for you, Sir."
She got to walking, and Herc followed.
The décor inside was dark but lavish, though not to the point of excess.
The first few feet of carpet inside the entrance hall was a rough, scratchy material, no doubt to scrape dirt and filth from the boots of customers, but the rest of it was a soft, thin material, woven with maroon and grey patterns of diamonds and leaves weaving about each other, chaotic but pleasing to the eye.
The dark wooden walls and ceilings were fairly plain, but here and there hung pots of vines and flowers that gave off a rather alluring scent, along with brass sconces with lamps on their ends that glowed with a pale light.
There were portraits along the walls, depicting women and men in the nude, though their 'shame' was covered by silks of various colours.
The paintings were erotic by nature, risque and titillating without showing too much, but they were exquisitely crafted, genuine works of art.
Small tables hugged the walls intermittently, sometimes holding a potted plant, or candles, or decorative objects of all sorts.
And then they came to something of a foyer, a counter in the middle beneath a brass chandelier, a handful of glass crystals hanging from the centre lamp which lit the area.
To the left and right were more hallways leading to the wings of the establishment, whilst black doors behind the counter led further in, perhaps to areas forbidden to clients like himself.
Madame Glay folded her arms atop of the counter, and fixed Herc a look.
"You say you are after a particular girl. Who might that be?" she inquired.
"Uh, I'm told her name is... Seja? Seju?"
"Ah, Seja~" the matron said with a knowing tone. "I see you are after a particular experience, then?"
"Y-yes," Herc remarked bashfully, feeling a little embarrassed, but the matron only raised a hand.
"Do not worry yourself, sir. Many come through our doors feeling the nerves pulling on them. But here, what feelings they think shame them, will be validated. Because there is no shame in having desires. And Seja is free right now, so you need only provide payment, and I will lead you to her room. Seven Gold Marks, five silver."
Herc reached into his pocket and fished out the purse of coins, loosening the string that bound the neck closed, and produced the requested sum of money.
Madame Glay took the coins with a practised sweep of her hands, placing them into a metal box -- judging by the clinking sound Herc heard -- nestled behind the counter.
"Thank you, Sir." She stepped out behind the counter, and beckoned him to follow her, gesturing to the hall to the left. "Right this way."
It was oddly quiet, which unnerved Herc; even this place was noted to be busy, but he heard nothing, no girlish laughter, no raunchy moans, or even the telltale thumping through the floors and walls. Even as he passed by doors leading to various rooms -- the spacing between doors showing the rooms were few in number but fairly spacious -- he heard nothing, or saw anything notable that indicated if any of the rooms were 'in use'.
Either he'd arrived at a lull in business, or they had ways of suppressing the sound.
As Herc followed the Matron, he noted that the paintings and décor had changed; now the portraits showed full nudity, and there were sculptures of men and women baring all, and their poses were more provocative, more directly enticing.
There was a flight of stairs at the end of the hall, as well as a turn to the right, leading down a narrow corridor, but he was led up the flight of stairs. It twisted around until they were going back the way they came, relatively speaking, only on the floor above.
