NEMO: Into The Depths

Chapter 30: Unethical Sourcing

The Lower District, just like the city it mirrored, was filled with areas dedicated to specific workforces. An area that was a forge the size of a volcano, the warehouses filled with companies that worked tirelessly to transport anything they were asked to. There was a district where people like Elyza and her partner worked, the bank district which was close to the heart of the city, the adventure's blocks filled with little locally owned shops to help support the Guild's patrons. However, while all of them interested Elyza in a way or another, be it simply how they worked, the legacy companies that operated within them, and especially the cultures that occupied, built around, and the restaurants in them, she had never deeply delved into the history of the 'Pandemos' square.

The area was characterised by the use of red lanterns, which were used to smooth out and hide any blemishes of skin, almost as if the blood moon was perpetually shining upon them. As she followed her partner through the various passageways, she had to squeeze the persuasive smell of perfumes and flowery artificial oils out from her nose. Her eyes strained to see through the crowds of workers, ears overwhelmed with the music of the various brothels and the beckoning calls of those within, Alex took the lead, carving a way through. The fact that he was immune to the invitations of them all, even giving a few friendly waves did not surprise her, here was a man who had slept with goddesses, yet it still seemed to stir up some annoyance within her.

But as his pace slowed down, and the crowd became more pompous, she soon spotted their goal. A four storied building that managed to dwarf the others around it even when it was restricted by an entire city above. Its arches, walls, and almost storey spanning windows were of a similar design to the Guild building, but not from marble, forged from a mix of stained wood and interlocking stone bricks, its windows covered by purple curtains. The lower level was open to all, allowing them to walk into the belly of the brothel without crossing any doors, customers streaming into the area through the archways. A bar was nestled between two stairs leading upwards, the corners of the floor filled with sofas where various parties were happening, served by hosts and hostesses. The middle of the room was a kid's dream, mounds of pillows littering the area, surrounding hookahs that streamed out smoke from their nozzles.

A quick glance around and Elyza already spotted a dragon in human form, an incubus, various bakenekos, lamias, kobolds–both western and eastern, a pair of drow and elf twins, dwarves and what appeared to be three goblins in a trench coat being dragged out by some guards. Alex snapped his fingers in front of her, stealing her focus, "This isn't your first time in a brothel, right?"

She was actually offended, narrowing her eyes, "Of course not, but you seem to have been visiting them for too long."

He flashed a grin at her, replying with a chuckle, "Alright, alright, just making sure I don't have to tiptoe around you..." He looked around the room, his eyes snapping between every single face in their view, searching for something before they turned around towards the bar, holding for a second before remarking, "You want a drink while we're here?"

"Is it not the middle of the day?" She questioned, studying the bartender as she did.

"Technically..." He pulled out his pocket watch, adding, "It's currently dusk up there."

She sighed, inadvertently smiling at his act as she yielded, "I would like a drink."

"Why am I not surprised," Alex remarked, quickly moving away from her swatting reach, forcing her to follow him to the barstool, which was attended by an almost translucent humanoid made from slime. Her mind fell back a week to their encounter with the Eudaimorphs, but, even without spotting that it was wearing physical clothes, its head was lacking the apparatus that contained the soul of the monsters she had met before.