The market here was neat.

There weren't many stalls here, with the place opting to use actual buildings and storefronts instead, but there were these carts being pulled around by people that had products upon them. Most had simple items, like hats or clothes, but a few had more unique items like the one Sirva and I were currently browsing.

"Does it hurt?" Sivra whispered as we both studied the little needle that would be used to pierce the earlobe as to hang a piece of jewelry upon it.

"It only hurts the first time! Then it heals up and doesn't hurt at all, like so!" one of the women who was trying her best to get us to buy some of the jewelry pieces leaned closer, to display her right ear. A huge earring hung from it, one that was far too big for my taste but I knew it was because she was a walking advertisement basically. She had a different earring hanging from her other ear, and it was equally too big and gaudy to be comfortable.

Though as ugly as it was… I could indeed clearly see the tiny hole the earring hung in. It was rather obvious since the thing was heavy, and was pulling upon her lobe. It looked a little red, likely from constant wear and movement, but I didn't see any blood or scabs.

Sivra though didn't like what she saw. She grimaced and hurriedly put the jewelry piece back onto the little rack she had plucked it from. She shook her head quickly. "Not going to happen," she whispered stiffly.

Although I agreed the idea of puncturing a piece of my body just to display jewelry was odd… I found myself a little interested all the same.

After all, I didn't care much for my human ears. So what if they got a little hurt or even ruined…? I didn't use them. If anything my lack of care for them made the idea of using them to adorn jewelry made it all the more interesting and acceptable.

Plus it wasn't as if I wouldn't heal quickly, and likely wouldn't be too bothered by the prick of the needle. Even if it looked… long and thick.

"You're both really pretty, I bet any of them would look good on you!" the woman continued to try and sell us as I crossed my arms and wondered if I should ask Vim his opinion.

Would he find such a thing pretty? He enjoyed it when I wore clothes I usually didn't, so maybe he would? Or would he find the idea of me hurting my own self just to wear something ridiculous and scoff at me for even considering it?

"Please don't Renn, I think I'd pass out if you poked a hole even in your ears," Sivra whispered as she grabbed my arm, as if to pull me away.

She didn't actually tug me away, but I pretended that she did as I smiled apologetically to the saleswoman. She didn't seem too bothered though, since another woman stepped up to take the spot we'd just been in. A new customer, one who was already wearing a set of smaller earrings.

"I can't believe they actually poke holes in themselves. Humans are crazy," Sivra mumbled worriedly as we headed farther into the market, passing other carts as we did.

None of the other nearby carts looked to have anything as unique as those earrings, so I paid most of them no mind as I smiled at my new friend.

"Some of them tattoo themselves too. They put ink into their skin, making artwork pieces. Some of them can actually be very pretty," I said.

"Ink…? Into the skin?" Sivra shivered as she mumbled under her breath. She had believed me, but couldn't imagine the how.

I didn't make fun of her for her lack of knowing, since I knew I had just gone through the same thing. With those earrings.

Many of the women in this town were wearing them. And although I'd never really noticed or thought about it… I could now recall a few moments in memory of other people with similar things. Notably down south, at Landi's. Many of the people down there, women and men, had stuff hanging on their ears too. Why hadn't I noticed more of that? Why hadn't I found it odd or noteworthy…?

Maybe it was because most of theirs had been dull. Little black stones and stuff. Not the intricate and pretty pieces of jewelry that was common here.

I wonder if it was just regional thing that determined what people found fashionable or not.

"Is that tasty?" Sivra then asked, pointing at a nearby shop.

"Let's find out," I happily said, agreeing it did smell good. The shop was one of those smaller ones, where it didn't have a door to enter but instead an open window where one could speak to the worker within it. They had racks of what looked, and smelled, like cooked vegetables. They were steaming on hooks not far behind the open window counter, and as we stepped up to speak to a portly woman I noted the smell of meat.

"Welcome! Just finished up a batch of filled peppers, if you're interested!" the woman greeted us happily.

I see. I smiled and nodded, licking my lips as I dug into a pocket to pull out some coins.

"What's a pepper…?" Sivra mumbled as I paid for several. We were given a small basket, one that looked hastily made and cheap, but it did the job. It held half a dozen peppers that had been stuffed with cooked meat and other tasty smelling stuff.

"Thank ye' and come again!" the woman bid us farewell as we stepped out of the way. A group of younger men had stepped up to buy some too.

"What are they, Renn?" Sivra asked with her quiet voice as we went to stand near the building. In a spot that was somewhat out of the way of the street and crowd. There was nowhere to sit around us, which made me wonder why they didn't have a few tables and chairs out here.

Also they hadn't offered anything to drink. Which will be an issue in a moment… I looked around for a place to sit and eat, and get drinks, and found none nearby. Where had I seen the last pub or dinning place, I wonder?

"They're peppers filled with stuff. They're good, Vim's made these before," I said as I went ahead and handed her one. They were the perfect size to eat with a single hand, which was likely why there was no tables or chairs nearby. One didn't need them with these.

"Hm…" Sivra took a bite, carefully, and after a few moments coughed and nodded. "Hot," she said.

"They're still steaming," I noted as I took a bite of one myself. It tasted good, but a little dry on the inside for some reason.

Enjoying the snack, Sivra and I continued to head deeper into the market. This city was mostly wood buildings, other than the noble's section, but they weren't shacks or rundown buildings found in smaller towns throughout the world. The buildings here were finely made, and some were even painted and had designs carved into them. It was actually fun to just… look around and stuff, even if one disregarded the actual products being sold.

Vim was nearby, though I'd not seen him for a long moment. He had been letting Sivra and I to just… enjoy our time, really. He had wanted to see how she would act when surrounded by humans. Judging by the way she was happily stuffing her face and enjoying all the shops with me, it was clear there was nothing to worry about.

She was a little unsure of herself, spoke softly to the point most humans didn't hear her clearly, and was obviously not very worldly… but she didn't seem scared of humans or bothered by them.

She'd be fine at Telmik or Lumen, or any other location with humans. Though I'd like to think, and would likely suggest to her and Vim, she go somewhere where she won't be too alone. Somewhere like Lumen, where those there could keep an eye on her for awhile to make sure she assimilated safely.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Odds are once Vim had realized she was going to be fine he had stepped away, though I kind of hoped he'd show back up soon. I was in the mood to sit down now and have a proper meal, plus I was thirsty and…

"Renn, look at that," Sivra grabbed one of my sleeves as we both watched a small dog walk by. It was on a leash, and the woman walking it didn't even notice us as she walked past.

It was cute. But it ignored us completely as it happily trotted along. Sivra though looked completely enamored by it, she was even blushing.

"You like cute animals?" I asked, glad to know. I felt a lot of people could be judged in how they treated lesser creatures. People like her who found such things adorable were usually the types to be gentle and cute themselves.

"I… guess I do? What was that? It was adorable. Can I get one?" Sivra asked, speaking a little louder than she's done all day.

"A dog…? I don't see why not. A lot of our members have pets," I said. If not dogs then cats, not to mention horses or farm animals too.

"That was a dog!? But it was so tiny!" Sivra didn't seem to believe it, and I realized what was wrong.

To her a dog was likely something big. Like a wolf.

"Most are bigger, yes. But a few are small like that. I don't know why, though," I said.

"Huh… I can get one? Where?" Sivra asked, and I wondered if I was going to have to find where to buy a dog for her. She looked serious about it.

Would Vim be okay with it…? I mean, it wasn't that big a deal… but…

Though others have asked for pets too. Those at the Crypt had asked for dogs once too.

"We'll find you one. I uh… don't honestly know where to get them, actually. Let's find Vim and ask him," I said.

"Oh! Okay!" Sivra then turned and hurried away.

A little stunned, I felt my heart flutter in worry as she actually left me behind. Was she going to actually run around looking for him…!? Without me?

Yet before I could fully process and panic about her actions, she came to a stop in front of Vim. She was far enough now that I could just barely hear her voice as she quickly said something to Vim, but thanks to the noisy street and my ears being under a hat, I wasn't able to make out her exact words.

Vim's frown after she spoke though, and the way he glanced at me and then behind himself as to likely look for the dog in question, told me exactly what she had said.

Stepping forward, I rejoined Sivra and sighed at her. "Hey Vim," I greeted him gently.

"Hm… here Sivra. When we get back to the inn swap your bags with this one, it's sturdier," Vim said as he handed her a leather backpack.

She took it, blinking a little wildly as she did and nodded at him. "Okay…? Thank you…" she mumbled, seemingly a little stunned. Likely because he had just ignored her earlier request.

"She wants a puppy," I said to him.

"She does," he said simply.

"I'll take good care of it! I swear!" Sivra spoke up quickly, speaking almost as loud as I normally did.

Smiling at her childish outburst, I felt a little sorry for her.

For her to be so serious about this told me a lot. Her life until now must have been rather dull, like she hinted at, for her to be so excited over the mere prospect of a pet.

Though… maybe this was just her being indulgent for once. Since to her Vim was the protector. A man who was supposed to do all he could to make her safe and happy.

"I'm sure you would. First though you need to find a home. It's cruel to force an animal to live without proper shelter, you know?" Vim told her.

"Oh…! Right…" Sivra slowly nodded as she took his statement to heart. She squeezed her empty pack close as she began to ponder his words.

"Want the last one Vim?" I asked him as I lifted the small basket. Now that it was mostly empty, the thing was starting to crumble. It was made of some kind of thin strips of wood. Too thin to be properly used. It felt like it was about to crumble at any moment.

"I'm fine thank you."

Like usual Vim never indulged in the food I offered him when we weren't alone.

"You sure?" I asked. He nodded, saying nothing.

Hm… I nodded and offered it to Sivra, who blinked and then took it carefully. She smiled softly as she took a bite from it, seemingly happy again.

As she ate I wondered what to do with the basket. It really did look wobbly and cheap now that it was fully empty.

"There's a place for refuse up around the bend Renn. Places like this build them at the intersections," Vim said.

Oh…! Right.

I turned to go find it. Sivra kept pace with me, and Vim stayed back a bit as we neared the end of the road.

"How long do dogs live anyway?" Sivra asked.

"Not very long," I said as I remembered the few I've known over the years.

"About a decade give or take," Vim answered.

"Oh… that's sad," Sivra whispered as we found the trash bin. It was already almost full.

While I tossed the worn down basket away, I smelled something odd. At first I thought it was the bin full of trash, but a small wind made it clear it was coming from a different direction. I turned a little, peering past Sivra, and saw a large building. A stone one amongst wood.

One with two huge windows on the bottom floor. Windows that revealed what looked like a bunch of couches and tables. Ones that people were… wait…

"What's that?" I asked as I pointed at the shop. It almost looked like the women in it were all dressed far too fancily for this place. A few even looked like they were wearing nightgowns.

Sivra turned, and I heard her make an odd noise at the sight of it. "What…? Even I know what that is, Renn."

"You do?" I asked. Sivra did? The woman who's never been to a human town before?

Vim chuckled, at me, and reached over to pat me on the back. "That's a brothel, Renn."

Oh.

Of course it was.

"Um… out in the open? Near the market?" I asked. In fact we were basically still in the market. There weren't any carts near here, but there were plenty of shops and people walking around.

"Yeah?" Sivra seemed off-put by my question.

"This region doesn't outlaw prostitution, Renn. Not like the northern ones, or the southern ones that keep it all secretive. Here it's not seen as something negative. Many of those women are likely working there because they want to. I bet if you waited until they ended their shifts and went home, and followed them, you'd find them going home to happy families. Many with husbands and children," Vim explained.

Huh…! "Really!" I was amazed at that. I of course knew what a brothel was, but I also knew what usually happened to those who not only worked them but partook in them. Lujic himself had arrested and executed men who had owned and frequented one a long time ago. He had to explain to me what they were. He, and everyone at the time, had seen them and the people who partook in their services as scum. Evil. As if criminals.

For the people here, a seemingly well situated culture with great commerce and numbers, to have such a different perspective on it…

"Your wife is a little odd, Vim," Sivra mumbled.

"You have no idea. But I find it adorable, so it's okay," he teased me as he responded.

Huffing at them, I pointed at the building. "Can I go into it?" I asked.

Sivra shifted, squeezing her backpack again as Vim frowned at me.

"You… want to go into the brothel?" he asked me carefully.

I nodded. "Can't I? Look, they're all just sitting and talking. There's men and women, there. I want to talk to them," I said as I gestured to the windows.

Vim sighed at me. "If you're planning on saving them or something Renn, cease now. This nation, these people, genuinely don't see a problem with it. It's not against their religion or their morals. You'd just be causing problems," he said.

I smiled at him. I liked how his first assumption was that I wanted to save them. "I figured, you can see they all look fine and healthy, Vim. I just want to talk to them. I'm interested in meeting a woman who lives such a lifestyle," I explained.

"Why…? It's gross," Sivra said.

Shifting a little, I wondered what to say to that.

Vim though simply dug out some coins from his pocket. He handed them to me, and I smiled happily at the glimmering silver and gold. "Thanks Vim! Though… I don't actually want to hire one, you know? I just want to talk to them," I said as I counted the coins in my hand. I had a similar amount in my pocket, but he likely thought Sirva and I had already spent it all.

He chuckled at me. "I'd hope so. But you'll have to pay for that privilege anyway, Renn. That's kind of their thing, their wares are their time. Their companionship. Even if you just want to exchange words, you still need to pay for it. Go on then, have fun. Down the road there looks like a restaurant. We'll be over there. Just shout if you need me," Vim said as he gestured lightly past me, down the road.

I followed his gesture, and noted the place he spoke of. It had tables and chairs outside, half of which were empty. I nodded happily and then grinned at him. "Not going to join me?" I asked.

His eye twitched at me. "No."

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