1.38 Cultural Appreciation
A goblin brothel, once one stooped through the low entrance and a set of magically warded double doors, was as a human experience as it was inhuman.
Vicktor wondered if he had technically been inside a brothel before. Money had been exchanged, but it had been for access to the facilities, not for the specific time of anyone one individual inside the facilities except perhaps the playthings.
That arrangement seemed to be of a far different sort than what the four assembled mages saw.
It was oddly conservative in nature, magically illuminated stones covered the large open room in soft green. The hue seemed to darken the greens of the goblins skin where it was visible, and it was not visible in the traditional places that humans normally tried to accentuate.
The courtesans regardless of gender wore their exceptionally long hair the same. Always over the left shoulder regardless of if the hair was beaded or dyed. They were covered nearly from head to toe in a fabric that reminded Vicktor of the moss that grows on the north side of trees and rocks.
All had hair that reached down past their knees, almost always gliding right above the tile floor.
The only skin that was visible was on the right forearm, and the right quadrant of the face. The goblins high cheekbones, long sharp ear and a golden eye were all that was visible. The rest was concealed by their long flowing garments, seeming tailored to frame the form without exposing any part of it.
There really was only a marginal difference between the male and female courtesans. The tightly fitted outfits revealed almost no difference, in the three foot tall beings.
The assorted goblins paid the tall mages little mind as they watched the assorted goblins mingle, someone regularly clothed and some clothed in the strange long green garb.
"Come! Drink a little!" Re'tai said, reaching up and dragging the sleeve of Alar's robe and pulling him towards a bar. He had to duck so his beak didn't strike a crossbeam.
The rest followed, trying to avoid the same vertical obstruction.
"A fresh cask and six cups, thanks Arak-tek!"
The bartender nodded, turned to grab a small cask from the shelf, revealing a round green ear. Half their hair was dyed all the colors of the rainbow and the other half was beaded using only wood.
Arak-tek set the cups and cask on a bar the height of Vicktor's groin. They seemed to gaze over the four sets of hips before looking up into their faces, nodding again before grabbing an ornate metal hook.
The small metal hook effortlessly popped the cork and the goblin began to pour each cup to Re'tai, who directed the first cup to the flagbearer. The drinks then passed upwards to Master Tosk, then Nora, then Alar then Vicktor, before taking the final wooden cup. It was a solid portion for a goblin perhaps, but it seemed small to Vicktor.
I think that was the first bit of metal we've seen here', Vicktor thought to himself.
Their guide raised a filled wooden cup.
"Soju, distilled rice liquor, sometimes is flavored with spices and herbs, but here we drink it aged. Most only for seven years, but enough culture. The only rule is to never spill a drop. Our parents harvested this rice and we must appreciate the fruit of their labor."
Re'tai downed their cup without spilling a drop and placed it back on the bar.
"To their hard word, and to ours!"
There was a clatter, others around seemed to echo the words, but a few patrons notably added "and for those who come after."
The five cups rose to five sets of lips. It was a lovely sweetness with a flavor that only comes from aging in hardwood. They all drained their vessels. All except Alar, who got almost all of it, but the geometry of his beak prevented a full sip, a small drop fell down his feathered chin.
Like a snake, Re'tai darted towards the avaian’s face and before he could respond, licked up the drop from his small feathers and smiled, "not a drop!"
Alar's face went red as the soju exacerbated his flush. A few chuckles went around the room from both patrons and courtesans.
"Classic," a goblin joked from behind the veil.
Nora's face was a little pink as she asked, "how old are you again?"
"I'm twenty-seven in our years," the goblin huffed.
Nora giggled a little, "you should've seen the crushes I had when I was nine! Ten years later and I'm still barely letting myself off the hook."
The goblin huffed a little more.
"Another round," Master Tosk called, trying to ease the tension. Arak-tek quickly refilled the cups.
As one they cheered, "to their hard work and to ours!"
They drank, this time everyone succeeded in finishing their cups without a drop spilled. It was a simple flavor, but the sweetness made it far easier to drink than the distilled wheat spirits in Allium.
"Who was this foolish crush of yours? Where are they now?" Asked Re'tai, it was an obvious dig for information about humans, but Nora relented without a fuss.
"Which one! There was the insect breeder, the hopeless romantic and an artist that always wanted to draw me. I actually let her a few times but she kept drawing us together holding hands and asking me if we could." Nora trailed off.
"Where is she now, what do human artists do?" Re'tai and the flagbearer were clearly buzzed.
Nora ran a hand through her hair, "I think she's doing custom embroidery now, I think I see some of her work around Allium, but it'll feel awkward to stop someone to ask. Also what if it's someone else's work?"
"Bah! You might get a pretty robe out of it!"
"Let me show you to your rooms, then we will go find dinner."
The four humans explored the rooms, despite being for presumably multiple people, these beds were not much larger than Selia’s had been. Each human had their own room and was situated on the second floor and at the end of a hallway of doors. The beds were made of little lumpy grains and smelled slightly of fermentation.
Nora asked a question after they had examined their rooms.
"How do we pay? We have none of your money?"
"Re'at will pay the bill for all food and drink. Anything else you will have to barter for. Speaking of which, let's grab dinner. Yellow woodfowl taste excellent when roasted with sunflower oil and dried sumac."
"Lead the way", Master Tosk said. A slight green flush visible on his face.
It was three goblin-sized blocks to a series of colorful stands, the smell wafted before the sight. Smoke, citrus, and roast fat permeated the air. Spits of roasted birds were cooking over a brick firepit, some beaded goblins worked the stall, the birds seemed to be three-fourths the size of the goblins. Small wooden coins were exchanged for a bowl, which consisted of red meat and cooked greens over brown rice.
They waited their turn in line, trying to ignore the stares they got from everyone, especially the children.
The four humans got double portions and they ate while standing, enjoying the citrus notes of the sumac and looking around at the different buildings. Vicktor didn't have to use his earth sense to notice that they had some sort of plumbing and sewage network, but it seemed to be made of grown wood instead of cast metal.
The six drank greedily from casks of water that had been put out, the food was a little salty.
A young goblin in a white shawl with dyed hair appeared and began to yell in a harsh nasally tone.
"Humans! Your kin are not welcome!" The young goblin woman drew a stone knife from her belt and presented it. "You have imprisoned my husband using trickery and deceit!"
The woman raised her hands together, placing the knife into her palm.
"I swear by my hair and blood!" She moved the knife, red blood began to course down her hand, "I swear on my ancestors bones!" The blood reached past her elbow, draining into her robes, "With all my energy and for the rest of my days, I will bring about your end!"
The woman threw the bloody knife at them, blood splashing the ground. Quick as a snake, Master Tosk brought up the wooden bowl he had just been eating from and caught the tip of the knife in the wood. The woman began to treat her injury with a roll of white fabric that seemed treated with a green-ish yellow ichor, grimacing at seemingly both the pain as well as the humans.
Nobody moved.
"Vicktor, legs." Master Tosk hissed and pulled the knife from the bowl. Vicktor had already been on it, but didn't want to escalate.
The woman shrieked as she fell, the red roll of bandages on her hand quickly turned a dark red. She only fell a foot and a half, but that was enough to trap her up to her waist in soil. Blood dripped onto the soil from her stained clothes.
"Trickery! I knew it! I'll–" A green hand appeared on her shoulder and spoke in a grandfatherly tone.
"Now, these are guests. I guess we'll have to add you to the ritual of the vanquished. No matter."
The two goblins disappeared for a moment, then only the older one reappeared. The soil caved in to where the woman had been.
The old goblin sauntered over to the mages like he owned the place, waving to various goblins as they returned to their business. He was middle-aged, looking perhaps like a small green fifth-five year old man. Some of his hair had grayed, but he wore it in long looping braids of beads. The strands looped perhaps five times and then came to rest just above the ground.
The mature goblin smiled as they got within comfortable speaking distance, "It's been a while, Tosk, I know you came here for another reason, but it really would make all our lives easier if you just killed the kid."
Vicktor did not like this man very much. He glanced at Nora and Alar, who seemed lost. It was a good sign.
"Re'at, you've added another loop!" Master Tosk's voice softened, "It has been discussed, as of now, the positives outweigh the negatives. Although, only time will tell. Sometime before the frost melts at the latest."
Neither of the two men had looked in his direction, so either it was a test or they were genuinely talking about some other 'kid' who was dangerous.
The man closed his eyes and stopped a few paces from them. Vicktor thought he felt something, but whatever the something was disappeared as soon as it began.
"That's good. I look forward to finding out how that turns out. Humans are dangerous allies after all." Chief Re'at took time to stare into the eyes of each one of the apprentices. He still had a warm smile, but his eyes had a piercing coldness to them. Vicktor met his smile with a nod, his eyes locked with the man's until the goblin looked away, back towards Master Tosk.
"Information will be sent along with caravans, the bridge will need to be repaired and maintained for that to happen though." Master Tosk continued the smile and seemed to not notice the stare.
"Are you amenable to talking now? I had hoped to host our negotiations when you were fresh and rested, but now might be easier. The longer we delay our diplomacy, the likelier our holding cells will be overflowing before we can properly punish them."
"I can, Re'at. My apprentices will remain unharmed." Master Tosk seemed serious.
"It shall be done. Re'tai, please escort these three to the mage hall. Have them play with soot."
"Yes, Chief Re'at!"
Vicktor did not like Chief Re'at of Toa-Ti-Cua, but followed Re'tai as they ushered them away from the gawking goblins.