Hao led them into the building. The rose-marble floor and the walls, paneled in a rich golden wood, spoke of luxury. The two golden lanterns affixed to the wall behind the counter easily illuminated the entry room.
“How may I help you?” the woman behind the counter asked. The makeup she wore emphasized her deep blue eyes, and she was wearing an elaborately decorated kimono.
“Warlin,” Hao said. “We are here.”
The woman gave him a gleaming smile. “Of course, sir. If you will give me a moment?” She pulled on a golden cord behind her.
Gregory glanced at the doors that would lead into the massive lounge area, but they didn’t open. It was the single door set on the other side of the room that did.
Five women with different body types came out the door. The one with the most elaborate kimono stepped a single pace forward from the rest.
“Master Warlin, I am Charise, and I will be the one to handle all of your requests. If you will allow me and my friends to take you to the bathing chamber, everything you asked for is ready.”
“Charise, we will follow. It would be good if each of you chose a woman to care for you specifically,” he added to the group.
Gin took the one who closely resembled Inda, without the ears. Adolphus sucked at his teeth for a moment, but took the tallest of the five. There was a gleam in his eye when she walked to his side, putting his head below her chest. Lin glanced at Gregory before selecting the redhead, leaving Gregory with the youngest-looking of the five, someone who might be his age.
“That makes things easier,” Charise smiled. “Ladies, Master Warlin has an open account with us. If they have any requests, the cost will be covered.”
The other four women smiled broadly as they gently took the arm of the man who selected them. Charise took Hao’s arm and led the procession through the single door they had come from.
The room they were taken to was a massive bathing room. There were marble benches and golden fixtures, and in the middle of the room, a giant tub that could easily hold a couple dozen people. The water in the tub was steaming, showing off the warmth it offered.
“If you will strip down and take a seat, we will be happy to scrub you before the bath,” Charise said. “There is wine and tea along the back wall, and we will be happy to serve you as you see fit.”
Hao was the first one to start removing clothing, followed by Gin, Lin, Adolphus, and finally, Gregory. Each of the women also stripped down and stood by a bench, waiting for the men to take their seats. Gregory kept his eyes mostly off his chosen bather, but he didn’t avert his gaze entirely.
Is it just professional women who shave themselves in such a manner? Gregory idly wondered as he took his seat. Does it make things feel better? The feeling of soft hands rubbing soap into his back pulled him from his thoughts.
The cleaning part of the bath was over with quickly, much to Gregory’s relief. Taking his seat in the tub, the young woman sat behind him on the edge of it, massaging his shoulders. Hao was the next one into the tub, a knowing smile on his lips.
“Greg, I’ve been meaning to ask... It feels like you’ve been keeping a secret from Yoo-jin and me.”
Gregory’s muscles tightened up at the question, his mind racing along the lines of Darkness.
“You could just ask,” Gin said.
“I could,” Hao agreed. “I seem to have hit something, but I’ll take pity on you and ask: have you broken your word to me?”
The relief on Gregory’s face was obvious to everyone looking at him. “No, sir. We haven’t broken our promise to you.”
Hao’s lips pursed, as he knew there was something Gregory was holding back.
“Don’t,” Gin said softly. “You have secrets you don’t share, either.”
“That’s true,” Hao sighed.
“We all have secrets,” Lin said, getting into the tub.
“Just as long as Yu is still pure for the wedding,” Hao said. “I was concerned.”
“It’s been difficult at times,” Gregory admitted, relaxing under the skillful hands of his masseuse. “We’ve been lucky to have Jenn beside us. She’s been helping keep us honest.”
“She’s been stopping you?” Adolphus asked, the last to join them in the tub.
“It makes it awkward to be caught kissing, much less anything else,” Gregory admitted. “A time or two, she was the reason we were able to stop.”
“I feel like I’m indebted to you now, Adolphus,” Hao chuckled.
“No. I already can’t repay you for everything.”
“We’ll call it even, then,” Hao said.
The conversation during the bath turned to small talk, mainly focused on the tournament and what the clan had planned for them. After an hour of soaking, Hao finally called the bath to an end.
“Time for food. It’s a little early for dinner, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“If you will all dress and follow me,” Charise said, “the meal should be laid out and waiting for you.”
It took them a bit to get things together, but they were soon walking down the hall again. It wasn’t far to the next room, though only Charise accompanied them. The other four wished them a good day, giving a few disappointed glances that no one had asked for extras.
The dining room was nothing like Gregory expected— the table sat low to the ground, with pillows surrounding it. There was a variety of food and drink laid out, but none of that is what caused Gregory pause. What was unexpected were the four women— eurtiks— who stood in the corners of the room, wearing layers of sheer silk. The last one to enter, Gregory took his seat and wondered what the women were there for.
Charise gave them a smile as she addressed the table. “Your meal is in the Limaz high-feast style. Enjoy.” She bowed before leaving them in the room.
The moment the door closed, the four women with sharply-pointed, black, canine ears stepped away from the corners, and soft music began to fill the room. They started to do a slow dance around them, moving and swaying their hips and torso.
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen this,” Gin chuckled. “Almost twenty years, in fact.”
“The last time I made a deal near the Limaz border,” Hao chuckled. “I remember your fondness for the dance.”
“Uh...” Gregory said as the woman began to circle the table while dancing. “The dance?”
“It’s actually something associated with the Traveler, but has a big appreciation in Limaz,” Hao said. “Don’t focus on them. They’re here to make the meal festive. You can watch and enjoy, but don’t neglect the food. If someone ignores it, the dancers feel bad.”
Gregory looked up at the dancer who was across from him. She gave him a smile as her body swayed, matching the rhythm of the music. The way her body moved was exotic and sensual.
Gregory was unsure of the food, but Gin helped explain it to him. Gregory found he enjoyed the gyro the most; the spiced lamb, pocket bread, and yogurt-cucumber sauce made him smile broadly.
His smile slipped some when he realized that the dancers had been slowly shedding silks. The dancer across from him winked as she pulled a silk from her waist, letting it flutter to the ground while she kept dancing. The removal of that layer gave a hint of what she wasn’t wearing.
Hao chuckled when he saw Gregory’s face. “Yes, the dance does have some peculiarities.”
Gin laughed. “If you stare too hard, you’ll embarrass the poor girl.”
Gregory pulled his eyes off the dancer and put them back on his food, his cheeks burning.
“Many Limaz merchants talk business in places where the dancers are working,” Hao said. “They find that most are too distracted to get the best deal, allowing them to reap a greater profit.”
“Limaz is centered around Mortum,” Gregory said. “So why is a dance associated with the Traveler so popular there?”
“Because Mortum is so entwined with them, they know to find happiness, life, and pleasure everywhere they can,” Gin said. “
It was in Limaz that I met Inda and Indara.”
The image of Inda and her twin sister dancing like the women in the room came to the forefront of Gregory’s mind, and his cheeks burned hotter.
“Not like that,” Gin chuckled, his words a bit thick. “They were fighters. Champions of the arena there, in fact. That was an interesting year.”
“Gin, you might have had enough,” Hao commented. “I think you forgot how potent ouzo can be.”
Gin looked at his glass with suspicion. “Yes, I believe you’re right.”
The dancers were left with only a single sheer silk garment on their waists and across their chests by the time the meal came to an end. Hao thanked them, placing a bag on the table as he stood up.
“Ladies, you are beautiful, wondrous, and delightful. Thank you for entertaining us,” Hao said as everyone got to their feet. “The bag is yours, as the meal has already been paid for.”
The door opened, revealing Charise. “I take it your meal was what you wished?”
“And more,” Hao smiled. “If you will lead us out, I’ll sign the bond.”
“Of course, sir,” Charise said.
~*~*~
Stepping out of the carriage, Gregory took in the front of the building. Nine fluted marble columns held up the large overhang. There was a dark golden sign hanging proudly over the double doors, naming this the Traveler’s Distraction.
“Because the Traveler was known for loving a game of chance,” Hao said. “He’s always been the one god I’ve offered prayers to without fail.”
“A traveling merchant doing so is natural,” Gregory said.
“There’s a lounge inside. If you run out of vela, just wait there for the rest of us,” Hao told the group as they made their way for the doors. “Gin, are you sobering?”
“I stopped with the ouzo when it hit me,” Gin said. “I might be a little impaired, but not enough for it to matter.”
“Didn’t you say that before you started the one tavern brawl in—?” Lin started.
Gin cut him off, “That was years ago.”
“Yeah, but it was ouzo then, too,” Lin snickered. “You and that liquor don’t have a good relationship.”
“I don’t have much vela to be gambling with,” Adolphus said. “I’ll be in the lounge early.”
“Let’s go inside first,” Hao said with a hint of a smile.
The sounds of laughter and conversation were muted when they entered. The front room had a caged-in area with two people behind the bars. Beside that was a door, with two guards watching the group. The other side of the room held a large sitting area with padded chairs, divans, and other places to rest. A small bar took up the far wall, and two women in risqué outfits circulated the room, delivering drinks.
The interior of the gambling hall was richly decorated with marble flooring. There were rugs spread in the lounge area to help break up the cold marble. The lighting in the room was from silver lanterns and chandeliers.
Adolphus shook his head. “It might be best if I just went back to the Stabled Hunger.”
Hao clapped him on the shoulder, gently steering Adolphus to the cage. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”
“Hao, you’ve been a good host, but this—”
“This is all part of the party,” Hao cut him off. Turning to the man behind the bars, Hao pulled out a bond, signed it, sealed it, and slid it to him. “Split five ways, please.”
The man looked the bond over before nodding. “Yes, sir, Mister Warlin.”
“Wait, how much—?” Adolphus began to ask.
“It’s pointless to ask,” Gin sighed. “He’s already signed the bond. He’ll get upset if we don’t at least humor him some.”
“Here you are, sir. We hope you have a good time.” The man pushed five small trays with colored wooden disks toward him.
Hao handed a tray to each of them. “Yours to spend as you want, but I do hope you’ll gamble it and have a good time.”
Adolphus looked at the chips on the tray and his eyes began to widen. “Hao, this is…”
Gregory chuckled and patted Adolphus’ shoulder. “Yeah, their family is a bit generous with their friends. Come with me, Adolphus. We can hit the low-end stuff.”
The two of them were the first ones through the door and into the next room. Tables of chance took up the majority of the first floor. There was a bar on the back wall where even more women in provocative clothing were going back and forth, delivering drinks to tables. Two large staircases dominated the side walls with well-dressed, heavily-muscled men standing at their bases.
“The tables here range from twenty vela to a hundred,” Hao said from behind them. “Second floor from a hundred to a thousand, and the third is a thousand and up.”
“We’ll be down here,” Gregory said.
Adolphus nodded. “Yes, we’ll be here.”
“Very well. Enjoy your time,” Hao smiled. “Gin, third floor?”
“Second to start, I think,” Gin replied. “Should get a feel for the place, first.”
“Gin’s right,” Lin added.
“Fine, the second floor, then,” Hao conceded.
Gregory watched the other three move off before turning to Adolphus. “You don’t play many cards, do you?”
He shook his head. “Dice only, if I gamble.”
“Let’s go find a game,” Gregory said.
~*~*~
Hours passed by as they gambled. Gregory used his foresight occasionally to know if he should stay in a game or get out. After a while, he and Adolphus went to the second floor and had good luck there until Hao, Lin, and Gin found them. They chatted before taking their leave of the gambling hall. Gin and Hao had both gone broke, while Lin had kept his money pretty near even. Adolphus had gotten up a few thousand vela, betting whenever Gregory bet big. Gregory had doubled his starting stake, leaving him with a small fortune by his own view of things.
When he tried to give Hao back the starting stake, Hao adamantly refused it, doing the same when Adolphus tried to, as well. Lin just pocketed the vela and shook his head. With the night over, the carriage took Gregory and Gin back to the academy.
Walking across the moonlit grounds, Gregory felt a sense of peace.
“Tell me, Greg,” Gin asked, “do you have a secret that you fear telling others?”
“Yes,” Gregory replied.
“Have you told Yu?”
“Yes.”
Gin fell silent for a moment. “It must be one that could cause you both great harm.”
“It is,” Gregory said softly.
“She hasn’t mentioned it to Inda, me, or her parents... You’ll be doing your best to keep her safe, won’t you?”
“Everything I can. She’s my heart.”
Gin nodded. “Very well. Hao was asking if I knew what secret you’ve been keeping. I’ll tell him to leave it be for now.”
“Do you know his secret?” Gregory asked.
“I have an idea about it, but I’ve never been flatly told. It’s a family secret, Hao tells me, so I’ll likely never know.”
The two fell silent as they continued walking slowly toward the clan hall.
Chapter Fifty-two
Their next few fights were against mostly unremarkable opponents. Jenn was the one who had the hardest time— though she was the most physically imposing of the three, she felt that, compared to Gregory being able to see into the future and Yukiko being able to come from any shadow, she was the weakest of them.
With just two more days before the final eight, the three friends felt a growing tension. Gregory was concerned for another reason, as well: neither had asked about what the men had done when they separated for Gregory’s bachelor party.
When meditation ended, he glanced at Yukiko and Jenn. “Today and tomorrow left,” he said.
“Makes me wonder who they’re going to pit against us,” Jenn said.
“None of us faced Nick, Jason, or Michelle yet,” Yukiko added, “though Hayworth defeated Miche
lle.”
“Nick, Jason, and Hayworth are the only other ones left undefeated, like us,” Jenn said.
“They might end up pairing us off so they can find a way to stuff others into the final eight,” Gregory said.
“That does seem like a likely outcome,” Yukiko agreed.
Gregory hard-shifted the topic. “Are the two of you okay? You’ve been a little off ever since the parties.”
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