We planned our free time around leaving the brothel together early in the early evening. Thanks to Ceris setting up a meeting with a member of the Silver Cross, we became one step closer to our goals in Juna.

All six of us set out to the Mecera Ward to an abandoned distillery. We were dressed in low cut dresses that have our breasts hanging out. It wasn't too much worse than my robes, but at least it was alive and made wearing it more breathable. We looked like out-of-the-job tavern wenches.

Streetlights and paved roads, cast iron fences into private residences, fountains at every avenue, all of it reminded me of Grathir. It was so nostalgic to be in the heart of human civilization after so long. However warming to my heart it was, an unsteady weight bore on my mind.

This was all at the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of demi-humans beyond inner-Talmora. Ceris' own people were starving while my people grew fat on vain luxury. If I had to choose a place to settle down with Mira, I would be in Vessyra and not in any human-led city.

Though few, there were demi-human slaves chained with collars and shackles. Goblins were used as manservants, orcs made to be forced labor, and centaurs humiliated as pack mules.

It also troubled me to see how many guards and soldiers lingered and patrolled about. After forcing the occupying Juna army in our successful siege to retreat, King Uldrin must be on edge about a counter attack. Parthun was the closest neighboring country, and it was currently swarming with witches.

King Uldrin was also a councillor, the very one whose deciding vote put Edith on the Council. They had to be working together. She wouldn't leave Juna undefended, especially if its fall meant our threat to her was real. Chances were, Edith had a safeguard in this city in place should it be attacked. We had to find out what that was, too.

"I'll say it again, Ceris— I'd be a lot more relieved if you stayed back at the Ladies' Garden," I reminded her.

"Six women in a group is sure to be an awkward sight out here despite the crowds," Mira grumbled.

It was made worse by what we were wearing. Most people in this area dressed in fine clothing with flashy embroidery. Our outfits were not so extravagant. In fact, we had plenty of guards asking where we worked and if we even belonged in Mecera.

Ceris bowed apologetically and glanced back at her two human-disguised bunyip guards. "Bernard wouldn't meet with you unless I was there, and these two refused to leave my side."

We were just passing the marketplace, only another ten minute walk to the distillery, when a couple of guards recognized Io and Mana and started hitting on them. Having guards tail us would ruin our only chance at meeting with the Silver Cross. Mira had us stop by some vendor stalls and pretend to shop.

Apparently, the bunyips were fast becoming favorites in the brothel. Their lack of expression and disinterest were seen as submissively attractive. I learned from Ceris the reason for that was because bunyips were very selective of mates. They had been forcing themselves to play pretend-prostitutes for our sake.

The guards wouldn't stop hounding Io and Mana even after getting the cold shoulder treatment. Mira's patience was waning quickly, and I feared the worst.

"Come on, baby. Madam Gestain is committing highway robbery. You can at least let me have some fun on the house," one guard said to Io.

"You're breaking my heart. I thought I always gave you a good time whenever I visited," another said to Mana.

Both bunyips turned the other cheek.

"Your breath stinks," Io said to her suitor.

"Your penis is small. I fake my orgasms," Mana said to the other.

Mira's hearty laughter drew a crowd within the marketplace. Some began to ask what was going on, others paraphrased what was said about the guards. Unhappy with their embarrassment, they threatened onlookers with jail time if they didn't mind their own business.

They were both equipped with scaled leather bearing the insignia of a horned owl. Aside from a shortsword and buckler, they weren't very armed. A small group of people could easily overwhelm them, which was why they resort to fear instead.

The taller of the two guards stuck a gloved finger a little too close to Mira. I thought she was going to bite it off or start a fight, but she was noticeably indifferent, if not a little giggly.

"Listen, whore, one more laugh out of you and I'll break your ass in." They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

As he turned away to leave, Mira erupted with a very audible and exaggerated, "Ha."

He stomped right back up to Mira, but his companion tugged on his gauntlet. At this point, I was fearful of the guards' lives.

I grabbed Mira's arm and pulled her to the eastern street while apologizing, "We don't mean any offense. Madam Gestain doesn't give us a lot of time, so we'd like to spend it alone!"

Mira rolled her eyes and sighed. It somehow seemed as though I robbed her of a precious belonging.

"Here I was hoping for a fight," she pulled a branch out of her pocket and started chewing on it.

"What is that…?" I hesitated to ask.

"Helps with the withdrawals," she answered, gnawing on the bark.

It had gotten incredibly dark. This side of Mecera wasn't attended to much as evidenced by the broken streetlights, not a soul in sight, and the many trash piles littering the roads. The distillery had all its windows broken, all but the largest equipment had been vacated or stolen.

"This should be the place," Ceris said.

Mira shut her eyes and hijacked Talos' vision. Then she scoffed.

"I didn't expect this to be easy." She leaned back on an empty barrel and crossed her arms.

A second later, three large men emerged from the shadows with blackjacks and hoods to conceal their faces. Ceris, in her naivety of how humans operated, tried to greet them but I pulled her behind me.

"We asked Bernard to introduce us to the Silver Cross. Are you our escorts?" I asked, putting myself between Ceris and the thugs.

"We ain't saying shit. What I wanna know is why a bunch of whores're poking their noses where they shouldn't?" their presumed leader asked.

Mira took a step forward to confront them, but I knew how that would turn out and stopped her. I gave her a knowing look to not use magic, which she quickly realized.

"Right. I almost forgot." Mira pulled out a dagger instead.

"That's just as bad! We want to talk, not hurt them," I scolded her. Mira relented to give me a chance to speak with them. However, none of them sounded particularly interested in talking. Much less reveal anything about the Silver Cross. They were cautious because we were prostitutes at the establishment often visited by King Uldrin's inner circle. That could be used as my advantage. "The Silver Cross is going to be stamped out before you change a damn thing. Within the brothel, we can hurt the King where he wouldn't expect— his own people. Blackmail, kidnapping, you want the patrol routes to Juna's guard captain? We have that, too, and more."

It was hard to tell behind the masks if I'd gotten through to them or not. All I could glean from them were hasty whispers and a hint of fear. If I were in their position, without magic and under the tyranny of King Uldrin, I would be scared too.

"An interesting proposal." A young woman with fiery hair, and only a mask to cover the bottom half of her face, stared down at us from a stack of crates behind the three men. I hadn't noticed her until she spoke. Even Mira was surprised by her sudden appearance. 

"Milady, you shouldn't be out here!" one of the thugs said.

"Oh, shut up. We haven't made any progress in the past three months, and shit's just getting worse around here. I'll take a beggar or whore if they think they can offer help, because I'm at the edge of my nerves," the woman complained.

They didn't seem to realize yet, but the men had revealed who their leader was by calling her 'milady'. If not a leader, then someone high up in the Silver Cross' chain of command. This was a good start.

She studied each of us carefully, but raised an eyebrow looking me up and down.

"The Ladies' Garden, eh? We'll come and find you to, uh… ascertain whether or not you can be trusted," she and the others turned to leave without the courtesy of introductions or farewell. "But if any of you are full of shit, we'll spill your innards into the gutters."

 

The next morning, I woke up to two large bunyips laying on either side of me. These beds were only large enough for two human beings, yet two demi-humans have cramped up what little space it offered. 

Their potions must have worn off. I needed to get them their doses, but as long as I was pinned under here, I couldn't get up no matter how much I tried.

"Io. Mana, I need to get up. Wake up, guys!" I whispered, struggling in hopes to stir them awake.

If Madam Gestain or anyone other than our group walked in, then our plans to upend Juna would be in jeopardy. The whole city would fall into an uproar over witches and demi-humans infiltrating the city.

I needed to think of something. 

The room was a quaint living space, like a slightly upper end tavern room. Even a quiet knock on the wall could be heard from the other side due to the walls being so thin. A wax candle on the night stand had melted to the base since last night.

Nothing short of yelling came to mind.

I was about to give up hope when Io opened her eyes.

"Thank goodness. I need you two to get off so I can give you— h-hey!"

Io licked my cheeks. Her tongue traveled down my neck and to my breasts where she sucked on a nipple. 

"Now's not the time for that…" I tried to push her away with my one free hand, gave up and tried to push Mana off to free my other hand, but they were both far too heavy. Suddenly, the sheets were pulled away from my body. Io eyed my erect penis hungrily. "Uh… oh."