House of the Scarlet Rose

Note: English is not my first language so I hope there aren't many stylistic or grammatical errors.

Anri sank down on the bench and sighed. It was around damn late o´clock on Friday, which meant he was lucky to find himself an empty table. Tired from the entire day spent out in town, he just wanted a quiet drink to help let his mind rest. As he found out, his lifetime worth of working around the countryside didn't help him with finding a job in the city.

Looking up to see the hall filling up with guests and workers alike, he wasted no time and burrowed his face into the menu. He was heading for the alcohol section when his gaze, again, fell upon the selection of drinks of a more '

organic

' nature.

Hmm... Pixie essence, dragonkin elixir, dryad sap... elven milk, holstaur milk, human milk... centaur milk-top, centaur milk-bottom... wait what? Wait... OH!

A shadow covered the paper as a figure sat down opposite of him. She stared at him silently until he raised his head.

"Hi!"

"What´s up Jarill? Bored again?"

"You look a little down. Need some cheering up?"

"Well... Turns out I´m useless," he muttered and put down the menu. "Apparently I can´t do a single practical thing in the entire capital. How the Hell am I going to continue?"

"You worry too much. You're still under the care of my mother. You don't need to have a career right away."

"Yeah? And for how long? How long will your mother tolerate me here? A year? Two?"

"As long as need be. If she sees that you're trying and not simply taking advantage of her kindness she won't throw you out."

"Now that's very comforting," Anri said sarcastically, his mood just about non-existent.

"Back in my village I had my life pretty much laid out in front of me. I had the advantage of having a scribe as a father. Reading is still a pretty common skill, even out on the countryside, but most still can't write legibly, let alone grammatically correct. While I was growing up helping around the farms and on the mill, he taught me everything he knew. All about formal letters and written language, how to get attention of the less educated populace... even counting! But everything I picked up turned out to be a common knowledge around here. And my farming experience isn't much helpful either!"

"If you think you need an education just to get paid in the city, then you think too highly of its citizens."

"Either way the point is everything I have learned from my father is useless. I have no ground to stand on. If I want to accomplish something I must somehow pick up a new set of skills."

"Leave that for later then. How about we get a drink? You've outdone yourself today, you deserve a chance to relax."

"Not at all, Jarill! I haven't achieved anything. I shouldn't even be sitting here, wasting your mother´s money!"

"It´s on me then! You

reeealy

look like you need some stress relief." She leaned across the table and whispered: "I can get an empty booth if you want."

"No mood," he said.

Jarill scowled at him for deflecting her attempts to help and thought. A spark appeared in her eyes as she came up with an idea.

"Ok, get up and come with me!" she exclaimed.

Anri looked at her, confused and protested: "Really Jarill, I don't think I'm in a mood for another one of your surprises. I'll just book it and go to sleep early."

"No way! You seriously need to stop pitying yourself like that! Come on, get up and come!"

She grabbed his hand and dragged him from the table and out of the hall. First she stopped at the reception and asked the girl behind the counter something. She handed her a small hey, like the ones for the rooms, and off they went. They were heading for the staircases leading to all the upper floors of the House. Except instead of going up, Jarill led him further back and

down

the stairs into the lower parts of the brothel. But they were on the ground floor. There were no paintings or tapestries hanging on the walls, nor were they painted pinkish red like most of the hallways in the House he had seen.

"Uh... Jarill? Does this place have a basement? Or is this a dungeon?"

"No, the dungeon is in the northern wing. Or under it, rather. This is something different."

I was joking

, Anri thought, but felt a bit relieved. Although the fact that somewhere in this place was truly a dungeon had him immensely worried. Why would a brothel need a dungeon?

As they descended the air felt increasingly more humid and warm. He could see droplets of water condensate on the ceiling and the walls were becoming less built and more "carved". When they finally reached their destination he forgot how to breathe.

Before him, opened up a vast cavern of natural rock, uneven walls bordering the entire hall like a great dome. Only the floor was artificial, pools of water of various shapes and sizes were built into it, some cold looking, some steaming. He saw people in towels and strange bathing suits swimming or just relaxing in the water. There were statues of white marble and fountains in shapes of people or fantastical sceneries pouring into the pools. Looking at it, most were depicting a suggestive or straight out sexual pose of some kind. There was one of a woman with water pouring out of her nipples or a beastly looking dragon holding a naked girl, dragging tongue across her belly. The whole scenery was illuminated by crystals of magical light, reflecting on the cavern ceiling like constellations.

"Tadaa!" Jarill yelled. "What do you think?"

Anri was out of words. "It's like... it's magical! How have you managed to build this? Was this here the entire time?!"

"Yup. It was a small natural cave hidden under the House. Allegedly, this is the reason they built it here, but no one really knows anymore. Either way, they used the fact it connects with the sea through underwater tunnels and converted it into springs. There's a bunch of natural pools you can swim in and they used the rest of the space for a few freshwater ones. What do you say we get an empty one?"

He didn't exactly answer, but he let her guide him either way. They went to the right through a carved out hallway at the end of the cavern. The tunnels were uneven, with seemingly sporadically placed doors. Every now and then they passed a portion of the natural cave with a common use pool. Some were built, some natural and seemingly bottomless. Anri found it comforting that they were lit by light-crystals even under water, however the notion of what lurked down under was terrifying.

Jarill found a door she deemed suitable, then took out a key and unlocked it. Inside was its own little private pool. Little compared to the rest that is. It was wider in diameter than Anri´s room and that was something to brag about. And though the pool took out most of it, the room itself was bigger than Anri´s old house. There was nothing much to see, except a stone bench and a hanger with towels. A stream of water flowed from a little fountain in the corner, but that was about it. The walls were all natural with a tall conical ceiling. Though the glowing light-crystal-things illuminated the room a bit, most of the light was coming from the pool itself. Looking through the crystal clear surface, he found that even with all the crystals he couldn't see the bottom.

Why did it have to be a natural one?

"So now," Jarill said and started unbuttoning her shirt, "put down your pants!"

"If you want to go for a swim we can do that at an artificial pool. You know, those nice and geometrical?"

"Can't you swim?"

"I can, I just... I think I prefer freshwater to saltwater."

"You've swam in the sea before?"

"No, but after our trip to the harbor, I´d rather I didn't have to."

"That were the dead fish smelling, not the water."

"Either way, I´d..."

"Just get undressed already or I´ll push you in!" Jarill shouted. Judging by the look in her eyes, she totally would have. He quickly took off his boots.

By the time he got rid of his underpants, she was already almost naked, only leaving her bra on. Jarill stepped inside the pool and sat on a small underwater step, waist above water, her legs dangling over the bottomless pit. Anri read from her eyes that she expected him to join her.

He stepped into the pool carefully, trying not to slip from the step-like protrusion and sat next to her. He could feel himself shrink in all sorts of sensitive places from the cold water. Although he had to admit it was warmer then it looked like. He judged that the crystals must have radiated heat as well as light.

He just sort of sat there awkwardly with his hands on his lap, hiding his smaller-then-usual equipment. "It´s, uhh... cool!"

"And you haven't seen anything yet." Jarill reached into her abandoned pants, fishing her wallet from its pocket. She picked up a single golden coin and tossed it into the pool in front of Anri. He watched as it sank into the deep-deep black.

"Was I supposed to catch?" he asked dumbfounded. She simply leaned back against the rock wall in silence.

A minute had passed and Anri was getting bored. He was about to voice his complaints when all of a sudden a head popped up from the water at the far end of the pool. A face of a beautiful woman stared back at him, her expression neutral, but her aquamarine eyes betrayed a certain curiosity. She looked young but mature at the same time. Her face was thin and angelic, her skin white as snow, her hair pale and translucent, almost a tint of blueish gray.

If his feet could touch a solid foundation, he would have jumped up in shock. Instead he tried to back away in his seat but ended up hitting the wall. She watched him silently, tilting her head slightly. As she did, Anri noticed a fin-like shape hidden under her soaked mane where her ear should be. He tried to steal a glance at her lower body, but the water in the pool reflected the room perfectly. The woman sent him a gentle smile and vanished under the surface.

"Wha... what was that?!" he stammered, staring daggers at Jarill as she relaxed in the pool silently. A smirk escaped her while she tried to keep a straight face.

Anri scanned the pool, looking out for any sign of the mysterious woman but saw no movement. There was no trace of anyone else being there until he felt something touch his foot. He panicked and almost climbed out of the water. When he looked down, he saw a pair of bright blue eyes shining out of the darkness.

One heart attack later, the woman´s enchanting features emerged from down under. She smiled at him from the water and he got a good look at her small naked and equally pale breasts. Instead of seeing a pair of naked legs however, he saw what appeared to be a tail and a fin.

She reached out a hand to him and he repeated, trying to touch hers. That turned out to be a mistake, as he left his crotch uncovered. The mermaid quickly reached her other hand to his penis, gently grasping it in her fingers. His shrunk size made him feel very self-conscious. The woman didn't seem to mind though, as she slowly massaged it to its original size.

"At least the little guy seems to like it here," Jarill spoke, tearing Anri out of his trance.

"What is this Jarill? Do you have workers everywhere?"

She ignored him, and threw another coin into the water with one hand, the other working circles between her legs.

Anri looked back at the mermaid and he noticed her face getting closer to his penis. She licked her lips hungrily, which made him stiff witch anticipation. When she opened her mouth, he saw a row of sharp teeth creating a wicked smile. He almost pushed her away, but she already latched herself onto his dick with a powerful suction. His heart raced but he did not dare try and pull out from fear of getting scratched or bitten. In seconds he grew fully erect in her predatory embrace. She smiled around his cock and began to bob her head up and down in rhythmical fashion, all while apparently trying to suck out his soul.

Meanwhile, another mermaid has emerged from the deep and took place in front of Jarill. She eagerly opened up her legs for her and she planted her face in between them. She was obviously quite skilled as shown by Jarill´s blissful expression.

"How come, you don't make that face when I do it?"

"You have a lot to learn." Jarill replied. "Remember that this

is

a prestigious brothel. Our workers are experts."

"So you mean you've been spoiled."

"Ye...ah! Maybe a little. And how are

you

enjoying this little tour?"

"Pretty good. I'm getting a blowjob... from a mermaid.

Underwater!

Can it even be called a blowjob? Or is it a

waterjob

?"

Jarill placed her hand on his and leaned to kiss him. They lost themselves for a moment, fighting with their tongues, their eyes closed in bliss. "Any more worries?" she asked when they broke off, Anri´s head still in clouds.

"Please just tell me they don't bite," he whispered.

Jarill shook her head laughing and splashed him in the face. "You're a lost cause. Just sit back and relax for a bit for once!"

Anri, who found out he didn't like saltwater after all, quietly obliged. They sat there in a pool holding hands, while simultaneously receiving oral. Though Jarill simply leaned back, eyes closed, with her other hand tangled in the mermaid´s flowing hair, Anri decided to observe his partner´s work. She moved back and forth between his legs, her lips tightly sealed around his penis. While he was glad he didn't have to see her teeth in close vicinity of his manhood, it left a lot for his imagination. He could feel her tongue twisting around his length, massaging his most sensitive parts. She was coming down all the way, his tip was reaching deep into her throat and back. She used her entire mouth to pleasure and drain him.

A minute into the act, the mermaid tilted her head, a wild look in her eyes, sliding his dick over the side of her mouth, creating a bulge in her cheek. Anri was enjoying the show until she took him deeper. He could feel a weird sensation, his penis pressing against an orifice he didn't remember normally being in the mouth. She came completely down again and he felt his dick slide through a tight membrane of sorts, cold water suddenly surrounding him. It took him a while to notice the tip coming out behind the fin-shaped object that he now realized was a gill.

Anri, who obviously never seen something like this was completely stunned. The surprise alone almost discouraged him from continuing the act, but despite his best effort to be terrified the pleasure far outweighed the shock. The mermaid continued to bob her head, massaging him with her soft moist orifice. It wasn't as intense as other blowjobs he had experienced since there was little to no suction, but the sight of his cock coming into her mouth and out the side left him breathless.

"J... Jarill? I think I'm getting close!"

"That's fine," she said. "Let it happen."

She leaned to him and kissed him close to his ear. "I want you to cum," she whispered.

The mermaid noticed and let him slide out and back into her mouth. She sucked with renewed vigor, taking him into her throat, lips pressed tight, not letting any water escape on the way back. She tickled and teased him with her tongue, finding his frenulum and abusing its sensitiveness.

He burst into her mouth uncontrollably, cumming like a white volcano. He watched tiny white clouds escape from her gills as she struggled to keep it all in. She pulled back one last time, letting the tip slide out with an inaudible plop silenced by the water.

"Wow...that was... I think I'm done!" Anri said in between heavy breaths, feeling completely spent.

"Hell no!" Jarill exclaimed. "These rooms aren't cheap you know?" She undid her bra and slid from her seat into the deep-deep water. "I want to go for a swim."

Seeing as with Jarill "

I want to

" usually meant "

we are gonna

", Anri reluctantly caught his breath and stumbled into the cold pool. The chill water instantly woke him up and suddenly he felt alert that he couldn't see anything below. Jarill swam towards him and kissed him deeply, making him forget his surroundings for a moment as they embraced each other with their eyes closed. He flinched when something brushed against his leg, until he remembered that there were two other women in the pool with them. He felt another mouth kissing him but this time a bit lower. One of the mermaids was fondling his privates trying to get him back up. The other came around and gave a gentle smack to Jarill´s ass. It rippled in slow motion underwater, which unexpectedly helped the first mermaid in her efforts.

"She wants me to get down with her," Jarill said as the mermaid gently pulled on her legs.

"What? Wait!" Anri yelped when she tried to pull him with her as she submerged. He broke out of her grasp letting her underwater alone. He watched as the mermaid who was previously blowing him emerged from behind her and kissed Jarill on the lips upside down. She moved lower and kissed her between her legs while Jarill´s hands wrapped around the round bump where her ass should be and where her tail started. They floated around as they pleasured each other, hovering in place, unbound by gravity. Anri haven't even realized it and he was hard again, his penis already in the other mermaid´s mouth.

They emerged after a long while, a face of indescribable pleasure decorating Jarill´s face. "You don't know what you´re missing," she said in between heavy breaths.

"I kinda like breathing," he replied.

Jarill just shook her head and thought. "Tell you what," she spoke and grabbed his arm, "come with me."

She literally pulled him out of the mermaid´s mouth as they swam towards the far end of the pool. A surprisingly shallow water with a little beach of small round pebbles awaited there, where Anri could actually see and

feel

the bottom. He almost jumped out of the pool altogether, but then he recalled there were mermaids involved. One of them came swimming by and laid down on the pool floor, hear tail not allowing her to stand straight. She rested her head in the palms of her hands, holding it above the water level. Her peachy-white hair was sticking to her pale face as she smiled at them, silently.

"Do you speak at all?" Anri asked.

The mermaid appeared somewhat taken aback. "Human tongue... is difficult," she whispered back after a moment in a surprisingly low voice.

"You can't speak with human vocal cords underwater," Jarill elaborated. "Neither can you hear with human ears. Mermaids can read lips but it's hard for them to actually speak in our language."

Anri was properly blown away. It made perfect sense when he thought about it, but none of it has ever occurred to him before. He almost asked her for her name, but he realized it would probably not make any sense in his language either. Then again, he doubted any of the workers here used their real names.

"What should I call you?"

Instead of answering, the mermaid pointed at her eye. Anri looked closer. It was bright blue like the other mermaid´s eyes, but a different, more greenish shade. It almost seemed to shine, as it reflected light from the crystals that filled the room.

"Cyan?" he asked. She shook her head and gestured a "T" shape with her hands.

"Teal."

She nodded.

Jarill got out and sat down on the shore. "My boy-toy here is scared of water," she said, "Would you mind coming out here for a moment?"

The mermaid, Teal, emerged from the pool and half-sat-half-laid down on the pebble beach. The silvery scales of her tail glistened in the light of the crystals like little diamonds all the way to the pale orange fin. Her breasts were much bigger than her companion´s. Unlike hers though, they were covered by what seemed like a pair of flat purple starfish. He could see nothing that would keep them on, however. No string, nothing.