After a brief stop to say goodbye to Dieter, Marcus and Yasen finally left the Arena behind and returned to the streets of the Red Light District, where Alya was waiting for them.

  Once again, the Vex Queen felt grateful from the bottom of his heart for the cloak and the mask that covered him completely, because otherwise being in the company of the two Aura Masters would have been almost unbearable. But somehow his disguise made him feel detached and hidden from the world, so the awkwardness he felt was more or less within acceptable levels.

  “Man, that was a nice fight all things considered, but holding back so much makes me crave something more.” Alya said to Yasen. “By any chance, would you be interested in a quick bout? Just a small duel to warm ourselves up a bit?”

  “I'm sorry Alya, but I'm busy this evening.” The Captain replied with a smirk. “I have the duty to accompany sir Marcus, and it wouldn't be proper for me to get distracted with a sparring match with you. However, if you'd happen to show up at the training grounds of the Royal Guards one of these days, I think I could oblige you then.”

  “I'll take you up on that offer if I'll stay a bit longer in Rennhafen.” The wolfwoman said in a rather disappointed tone. “But honestly I really want to get to the Northlands as soon as possible. I only stopped here because I felt that I was getting a bit too rusty and I needed some exercise. Luckily Dieter managed to get a match for me, but as I said that's not nearly enough.” She shrugged. “Anyway, since I can't do anything for my thirst for battle, the least I can do is to slake my actual thirst. Let's go get something to drink.”

  “Of course.” Yasen nodded. “So, where should we head to then? I'd highly suggest the Broken Wheel tavern, personally. It's quite close and the beer is excellent.”

  “Nah, I already have another place to go.” Alya replied.

  “Oh, and where would it be?” The captain asked.

  “Madam Sevre's Serrai.”

  Yasen froze for a moment after hearing that.

  “Wait, what?” He said, sounding completely dumbfounded. “Why would you want to go there?”

  “Because it's the best tavern in Rennhafen.” The wolfwoman answered in a matter of fact tone. “Also it's where I am currently lodged so I won't have to worry about losing my way in these damn alleys when I'm drunk.”

  “Those are good points, but...” The captain hesitated, glancing at the Vex Queen beside him. “Well, I don't know if sir Marcus would be fine with it.”

  “Why wouldn't I be fine with it?” Marcus asked.

  “Well...” The man looked a bit embarrassed. “While the Serrai is indeed one of the best drinking establishments here in Rennhafen, it's main service is...” He hesitated. “Well, it's adult entertainment.”

  “What?” The Vex Queen asked, failing to connect the dots.

  “It's a brothel.” Alya chimed in helpfully. “One that specialises in exotic species. But that's not why we're going there tonight though. As I said, it's also one of the best taverns here in Rennhafen. It's nice, quiet, clean and it has good music, food and an exceptional selection of liquors. It's a bit pricey, but it's totally worth it.”

  “Ah... I see.” Marcus muttered automatically, as his brain had kind of shut down at the thought of visiting a brothel with the two Aura Masters.

  “In any case, we don't have to go there if you don't want to, sir Marcus.” Yasen said, picking up the Vex Queen's discomfort. “There are plenty of other establishments to choose from.”

  As soon as Marcus's mind resumed working, his first, instinctive response was to do as the captain had suggested and immediately veto the hell out of Alya's proposal. However, just as he was about to speak, he remembered his resolution not to let his embarrassment dictate his actions.

  “I am an adult, not a kid!” He thought angrily. “I shouldn't be scared of visiting a brothel or whatever! There shouldn't be anything that I haven't seen already! Heck, in my past life I even worked as a barman in a nightclub, so it's nothing new at all for me!”

  “Is everything alright, sir Marcus?” Yasen then asked, interrupting his mental self pep talk. “You've been silent for a while.”

  “Yes, yes.” He replied quickly. “Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts for a bit.” He hesitated for another moment, and then asked: “Anyway, does this Serrai keep its different businesses separated? Because I mean... well, I admit that it would be rather... uncomfortable if we're visiting a tavern while everyone around us is... using it as a brothel, if you know what I mean.”

  “Visiting something like a nightclub would be fine, but to stand there while people are screwing around us would be too much.” He thought.

  “Oh, don't worry.” Yasen replied. “People would have to go to private rooms if they want to use the brothel's services. The common rooms are not going to have anything more risqué than a few waitresses and dancers in skimpy clothes.”

  “Hm... ok, that doesn't sound too bad. Not any worse than the night club I used to work at.”

  So, after taking a deep breath and gathering his resolve, the Vex Queen finally gave his answer.

  “Well, in that case I can't see why we shouldn't go there if this place is as nice as Alya says it is.”

  “Oh, it is.” The captain nodded. “In all honesty, it's probably the best establishment in all of Brettholz. I often go there to have a drink and relax when I’m on my leave.”

  “That's splendid.” The Vex Queen said. “Let's go then.”

  “Are you really sure?” Yasen asked once again. “Because as I told you before, going somewhere else is not a problem if you're not comfortable.”

  “Don't worry.” Marcus stubbornly replied. “I'm not a kid any more. I can certainly visit an establishment like this Serrai. Moreovery, the way you talk about it makes it seem like an interesting place.”

  “Very well then.” The Aura Master nodded. “As you wish then. Let's go to the Serrai.”

  Alya and Yasen led Marcus away from the main streets and into a veritable labyrinth of small, dimly lit alleys. This part of the District was much less crowded and the shops and establishments were considerably less flashy, often consisting of just a luminous sign and a door. There were a few exceptions though, such as a place which had some huge glass windows from which some almost naked ladies peered and waved seductively at passersby, or what looked like a casino whose entrance was decorated with statues of people engaged in rather... extreme sexual activities.

  All the while, Marcus did his best to ignore his growing discomfort, making an heroic effort to keep calm and talk nonchalantly with the two Aura Masters, hoping that the conversation would help him keep his embarrassment at bay.

  Somehow it worked, and by the time they finally reached their destination the Vex Queen felt reasonably fine, except for a mild knot in his stomach.

  “Here we are.” Alya announced, pointing at a large but otherwise anonymous two stories tall building which had no windows at the ground floor. A large, reinforced wooden door seemed like the only entrance, with a rather small sign hanging above it with the words “The Serrai” written on it.

  “Uhm... are you sure this is the right place?” Marcus asked. “It looks a tad anonymous for what's supposed to be the best tavern in town.”

  “Oh, that's actually on purpose.” Yasen said. “Madame Sevre likes to keep a plain exterior in order to better select her clientele. This way, there are less troublemakers wandering inside the Serrai.”

  “I see.”

  They approached the door, and Alya grabbed a string that was dangling from the wall beside it and pulled it, causing a bell to ring inside. A few seconds later, a slit suddenly opened in the door, revealing a small peephole, and after whoever was inside had inspected the newcomers the door opened to grant them passage.

  Alya immediately walked in without hesitation, followed by a decidedly less confident Marcus, with Yasen closing the line. The trio then found themselves in what looked like a rather spacious lobby, with a large wooden desk on one side of the room and a middle aged woman sitting behind it. The one who had opened the door was a huge, black furred minotaur dressed in an immaculate butler uniform.

  “Greetings and welcome to the Serrai.” The woman said, studying the new arrivals. Then, after a moment, she added: “Welcome back, miss Vilka. And it's a pleasure to see you again, captain Harp.”

  “It's a pleasure to see you too, Doris.” Yasen replied.

  “Could you tell me who your companion is?” The woman added, as her eyes shifted towards the Vex Queen. “You know the procedure. We have to check the customers' identity before granting them access.”

  “Of course.” The Aura Master nodded. “This is sir Marcus Vitali, the Queen of the Vex, and recently elevated to the rank of Countess.” He turned to the monster girl and said: “Please, remove your mask so that you can be identified, sir Marcus. I assure you that this is merely a formality, and that in any case your visit here will be kept strictly confidential.”

  Marcus hesitated a moment, still feeling a bit embarrassed, but then did as he was told, lowering his hood and sliding the mask away from his horn to show his face. The woman, Doris, looked a little bit surprised by his appearance but didn’t show any other reaction.

  “Very well.” She said. “If captain Harp vouch for you, then you're free to enter. Do you want to leave your cloaks here?”

  “Er... is it a problem if I keep mine on?” Marcus asked. “I'd... rather not attract too much attention.”

  “Oh, don't worry about that.” Alya smirked. “This might be the one and only place in this kingdom where you would blend right in.”

  “Alya is right.” Yasen confirmed. “There are some people here whose look is even more peculiar than yours. Besides, both the clientele and the staff are extremely discreet, so you won't have to worry about being bothered.”

  The Vex Queen still felt reluctant about leaving his disguise behind, since it had helped him soothe his discomfort so far, but then again he couldn't deny that trying to drink and enjoying himself while wearing a mask would also be rather awkward, so he did as he was suggested and gave his cloak, surcoat and mask to Doris.

  “Thank you.” The woman said, taking the clothes. “Enjoy your stay.”

  The minotaur then opened a door for them, and the trio went down a flight of stairs, descending for at least ten metres before finding themselves in front of yet another door. Once they crossed this one as well, they finally entered the main hall of the Serrai.

  Marcus' first impression was that he had somehow gotten outside in some kind of garden, but after a moment he realized that he was still indoors. The tall ceiling was simply painted like a night starry sky, and many potted plants and even trees were scattered everywhere, creating the illusion of a forest area. Several luminous orbs of various colours dangling from the ceiling provided a dim, nocturnal light, and at the centre of the room there was a large pond filled with water lilies with a stage that emerged from the centre of it like a small island. As he walked inside, the Vex Queen also noticed more details. The room itself was square shaped and very, very big, surrounded by a gallery that was separated from the rest of the hall by a line of sandstone columns. Instead of tables and chairs, there were about sixteen conversation pits dug into the stone floor, each of them filled with pillows and carpets, and placed so that each pit had a clear view of the stage but was isolated from the others by a wall of potted plants.

  All in all, Marcus had to admit that this place looked every bit as nice as it had been described to him. In fact, it was probably the most gorgeous establishment he had ever been at in both of his lives. However, the most striking feature of the hall were definitely the people inside.

  Though the clients in the conversation pits were hard to see due to the plants obstructing the view, the staff walking around were perfectly visible thanks to Marcus's night vision and they were the most heterogeneous group he had ever seen. There were many waitresses —though maybe some were waiters, since their gender was sometimes hard to tell— of all shapes and forms, all dressed in rather skimpy clothes tailored for their specific form. The Vex Queen recognized a handful of species, like a female goblin who was serving drinks or one of those tree people that he had already seen on the streets of Rennhafen, but most of them were completely new to him. There was a serpentine creature with a humanoid torso that slithered on the floor, an incredibly tall and thin grey humanoid with four arms that carried a tray in each of its hands, a creature that was a mix between a frog and a cricket mixed together in the shape of an ape sitting in a corner that somehow was singing in a beautiful, pristine female voice, and finally a female reptilian humanoid with green skin and a huge flower bud growing out of her head that was dancing on the stage in the middle of the room. And many more shapes were only partially visible from across the room, some of which looked even less human.

  As Marcus gawked at all these different creatures, one of the waitresses approached his group. It was a tall and lithe white furred humanoid with features that resembled those of both rabbits and kangaroos, dressed in a skimpy maid outfit and moving with the elegant grace of a deer prancing through a meadow. She had very long and muscular digitigrade legs that ended up in huge, clawed paws which seemed specifically designed to kick people’s heads off, and she had a stern and prideful expression on her face that seemed to indicate that she wouldn’t hesitate to do so if she had reason to.

  “Welcome to the Serrai.” She greeted them with a squeaky voice that contrasted with her serious demeanour. “Do you have a reservation?”

  “No.” Alya replied. “We just want a table for three.”

  “Alright.” The rabbit girl nodded. Then, after she studied them for a second, she suddenly noticed the Vex Queen and her demeanour changed instantly. Her ears went flat against the back of her head, and she opened her mouth and let out a feral hiss.

  Marcus blinked in surprise at that unexpected, hostile reaction.

  “Is… everything alright?” He asked.

  The rabbit girl didn’t respond right away, and kept staring at him for a few more seconds, her whole body visibly tensing up and her right leg beginning to twitch, as if she was getting ready to kick. Meanwhile, both Alya and Yasen noticed her hostility and protectively put themselves in front of the Vex Queen. However, before things could escalate, the waitress seemed to regain control of herself.

  “Sorry, I… I need to go somewhere.” She said while still staring at Marcus. “Wait here please.”

  She then quickly walked away, leaving them there dumbfounded.

  “What was that?” Marcus asked.

  “Judging by the fact that she seemed ready to attack you, I’d say that she had some problem with you.” Alya said.

  “But why? I have never even met her before!”

  “Maybe she had something against your species in general.” The wolfwoman shrugged.

  “Well… that could be it.” Marcus nodded. “But I thought that the Vex were previously undiscovered, so how could that rabbit Thulian know about my species?”

  “There is no such a thing as a rabbit Thulian.” Alya corrected him.

  “Then what was she?”

  “Beats me.”

  “She is a Carbanog.” A sultry voice chimed in.

  Marcus turned and found himself facing a young human girl —or at least, that’s what she looked like at first glance. She was pale, thin and short, barely any taller than the Vex Queen himself, with long, flowing blue hair that reached her waist and dressed in a long, form-fitting dark blue dress with golden trimmings. Her facial features, however, were subtly different from those of a human, being uncannily doll-like, and her eyes especially were like nothing Marcus had ever seen before. They were huge and canted, with pupils so unnaturally large that they left barely any space for the iris and the sclera, and they had an unfathomable depth about them, like pits opening over a bottomless chasm.

  Alya and Yasen, upon noticing her, slightly bowed their heads to greet her.

  “Madame.” They both said respectfully.

  “Good evening Alya. Good evening, captain.” The girl greeted them back. “It’s good to see you again. And I see you brought a friend with you.”

  “This is Sir Marcus, Queen of the Vex.” Yasen introduced him. Then he turned towards the Vex Queen and added: “Sir Marcus, this is Madame Sevre, owner of this establishment.”

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Marcus said, bowing slightly.

  “Likewise, sir Marcus.” Sevre replied with a soft smile, bowing much more deeply. “I apologize for how rudely Tawlee treated you, by the way. I assure you that it was nothing personal, it’s just that sometimes her racial instincts can get the better of her.”

  “I can relate to that.” Marcus replied honestly. “And she did nothing too bad, so don’t worry. May I ask why what kind of instinct made her so hostile to me though?”

  “Carbanogs have the ability to sense predators, and they tend to react quite violently when they do.” Sevre replied. “Luckily Tawlee has learned how to suppress this urge, but it seems that your presence was especially… vexing for her, if you can forgive the pun.” The woman smirked. “You must belong to a very predatory species to trigger her to this extent though, considering that Tawlee can deal with Temnosians without showing any discomfort.”

  Marcus couldn’t really disagree with the fact that the Vex were predatory. After all, while he was in the forest, he had used his drones to basically hunt down everything he could.

  “Well, I guess that’s about right.” He said. “Glad we could clear that up.” He paused for a moment and then asked: “Does that mean that we have to go to another place? I really don’t want to cause a disturbance with my presence…”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “Oh, no no no no!” The Madame shook her head. “What kind of service would I be running if I started kicking out guests who did nothing wrong? It’s our fault, and we are the ones that should make amends for it. I’ll just make sure that Tawlee won’t come close to your table. Moreover, for tonight food and drinks are on the house for you, should you decide to stay.” She paused and added in a rather mischievous tone: “I’m even willing to throw in a discount for other services from my staff if you want.”

  “Ehm… thank you, but… just food and drinks are fine.” The Vex Queen replied, blushing a bit.

  “Splendid!” Sevre said. “In that case, let me guide you to your table.”

  The girl led them to one of the conversation pits, one which had a clear view of the stage where the lizard girl was dancing, and made them sit down. She then called one of the waitresses, the multi-armed girl, to make her take their orders. Alya and Yasen both ordered a steak accompanied by whiskey, while Marcus, after reading the menu, went for a tartare and coffee flavoured liqueur called the Hangover, which he hoped would help him calm down since sitting between the two Aura Masters was still a straining experience for him.

  “Do you mind if I sit with you?” Sevre asked as they were ordering. “I’d love to converse a bit, if that doesn’t bother you.”

  Marcus thought about it for a second, and he found out that he actually liked the idea of having another person with them. After all, being alone with his current companions was getting a bit too much for him after getting rid of his disguise.

  “As long as Alya and Yasen are fine with it, I don’t mind.” He replied.

  “Yeah, no problem.” The wolfwoman said.

  “I have no objection either, madame.” The captain said.

  “Marvellous!” Sevre clapped her hands to gain the multi-armed girl’s attention. “In that case, bring a light meal for me as well, Kuris. I’ll dine with our guests.”

  She then sat down in the conversation pit right next to Marcus, laying on the pillows like a cat.

  “May I ask to what do we owe the pleasure of your company, madame?” Yasen asked. “Not that I’m complaining, of course, but it’s rare to see you dine with customers.”

  “Unless you are paid for it.” Alya added with a smirk.

  “Well, I am still a courtesan after all.” Sevre confirmed with a soft laugh. “Anyway, the reason I decided to join you is actually because I’d like to talk a bit with sir Marcus.”

  “Well… sure.” The Vex Queen nodded. “But why though? Is there something you have to tell me?”

  “If I can be honest, I just would like to know more about you and the Vex in general, if that doesn’t bother you.” The girl replied. “As you might have guessed by looking at my establishment, I do have a certain interest in exotic species, so I could hardly pass up the opportunity to get some first hand experience of a newly discovered one.”

  “Eh, it’s understandable.” Marcus nodded. “You’re not the first to be curious about the Vex, so feel free to ask any question you want.”

  “Thank you very much.” Sevre said. “Though I have to say that I wouldn’t be opposed to getting some more physical experience, if you’d like to share it with me. I would even be willing to do so for free, just this once.”

  The Vex Queen froze, feeling somewhat glad that he wasn’t drinking at the moment, because otherwise he would have spat out everything.

  “W-what!?!” He stammered.

  “Oh, don’t worry. I was merely jesting.” The girl let out a mischievous laugh. “However I would lie if I said that I’m not interested in knowing more about how you work under the sheets. Call it a professional curiosity, if you will. After all, you look like you would make an excellent addition to my menagerie —at least if your mating habits are compatible with humans. I hardly need another girl who tries to devour clients after servicing them.”

  “Ehm…” Marcus blushed even harder. “I’m sorry but… well, I’m not exactly comfortable talking about… that specific subject yet. So could you please talk about something else?”

  Sevre studied him for a moment, and then nodded with a knowing smile on her face.

  “Ah, I see.” She said, her tone losing the teasing note and becoming much more gentle. “Quite the shy one, are you? Very well, I won’t push you further, and I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. Let’s just move to less delicate subjects, shall we?”

  She then started asking questions about the Vex species and Marcus tried to reply to the best of his ability. The blue haired girl turned out to be a brilliant conversationalist, making very poignant questions and intelligent observations with few jokes sparkled in between, and she also seemed to possess a great knowledge of biology, sometimes pointing out things about the Vex species that not even the Vex Queen had noticed. Much to his own surprise, Marcus found himself actually enjoying the conversation and he started to feel much more relaxed —especially after two glasses of coffee-flavoured liqueur.

  “Mmmh. You Vex sure are interesting.” Sevre said after they finished dining. “I know several other eusocial species, like the Roks, the Rantul or the Vepian, but you are unique even compared to them. Not to mention your ability to absorb and copy the characteristics of other creatures, which is quite unique indeed.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Marcus replied. “I mean, the goblins also have the ability to copy the traits of other species. And from what I’ve been told the Rantul hybrids also retain some characteristics from the host they have parasitized.”

  “They do.” Sevre agreed. “But even so, they don’t go nearly as far as you Vex do. Being able to pick the traits of other species and mix them freely is something almost completely unheard of. I know of just one other species that can do something like that.” The girl paused, and for the briefest of moments her smile seemed to wane a bit. However, she immediately recovered and resumed the conversation, changing the subject: “Anyway, yours seems like a fascinating species, one with infinite potential for evolution! Honestly, I’d love to have the chance to study you and your kin firsthand!”

  “You’d have to get in line.” Marcus joked. “There are at least three scholars who asked me the same thing. Though I must say that you sound more knowledgeable than they are, at least about biology. Are you sure you’re not a scholar as well?”

  “Hardly. The study of other species is a hobby of mine.” Sevre shrugged. “Besides, this kind of knowledge comes quite in handy when taking care of my employees.”

  “You’re being far too humble, Sevre.” Yasen chimed in. “You’re by far one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve ever met in my life, not to mention one of the most skilled healers.”

  “I can’t really take much credit for either of those things.” The blue haired woman replied. “Anyone would learn a thing or two if they happened to live as long as I have, and as for my healing skills that’s something I was born with.”

  “That doesn’t change anything.” The captain insisted, a fiery light flashing for a moment in his eyes. “Those talents are still yours, no matter how you gained them.”

  “Well, if you put it like that, I guess that you’re technically correct.” Sevre said in a gentle tone. “Though sadly there are many who would disagree with you, especially considering my heritage.” She made a sad smile towards the Aura Master. “I guess we have that in common, captain.”

  Yasen didn’t reply, but his face became hard for a moment.

  Meanwhile, Marcus had looked at that exchange with puzzlement, not really understanding what was going on. He definitely lacked some context behind those comments, but one thing was for sure: whatever the subject was, it was a sore spot for the captain. So, wanting to improve the mood, he tried to change the subject.

  “Madame, what did you mean with your heritage?” He asked. “Does that have something to do with the fact that you look… well, a bit different from other humans?”

  “You could certainly say so.” The woman replied cheerfully. “I am a half-elf, after all.”

  Marcus remained silent after hearing this—mostly because this answer had left him with even more questions.

  “Half-elf?” He thought. “Like… elves? The pointy eared creatures of legends? Is she pulling a prank on me?”

  He studied Sevre for a moment, but she seemed completely serious, and neither Alya nor Yasen had reacted as if it was a joke. Moreover, now that he was paying attention to it, the girl did kinda look like what an elf from a fairytale book would look like. Her ears were hidden under her blue hair, so he couldn’t tell if they were pointy or not, but her other features were definitely elf-y enough.

  Noticing his puzzlement, Sevre spoke to him.

  “Oh right, you just recently settled in the Empire, so maybe you don’t know about elves and half-elves.” She said.

  “Well… I have read something about elves.” He said. “In fantasy books from my past life.” He added mentally. “But honestly I know basically nothing about them, apart from the fact that they should have pointy ears… and I don’t even know if that is actually true or not.”

  “It is.” Sevre said with a smile, and with one hand she pulled her hair to the side to reveal a long, decidedly pointy ear.

  “Wow.” Marcus muttered, a bit at a loss for words. For some reason, despite already having met orcs, goblins and even dragons, the notion that elves were real in this world still felt surprising. “That’s… really neat. By the way, does this mean that one of your parents was an elf?”

  Sevre let out a genuinely amused laugh.

  “Heavens forbid!” She replied. “Both of my parents were half-elves. Humans and elves can’t naturally breed with each other, nor can either of them breed with half-elves. For all intent and purposes, we are all completely separate races.”

  “Wait… but if that’s so, how did half elves happen to begin with?” The Vex Queen asked. “I mean, if neither species can breed with the other…”

  “Oh, that’s simple. The first half-elves weren’t born naturally, but were actually artificially created by the elves.”

  “Really?” Marcus said. “But how did they do that? And why?”

  “To answer your first question, elves possess extraordinary biomantic powers that allow them to manipulate living tissue like clay and shape it however they like.” Sevre replied. “In fact, they are probably better than you Vex in that regard. They used these abilities to create all sorts of hybrid species, including half-elves and Thulians.” She gestured towards Alya. “That’s also the origin of my talents as a healer, by the way. Half-elves inherited a small part of the elven abilities, and that makes us naturally skilled healers. And as for why they did create us, that’s quite simple. They needed slaves and they thought that lesser copies of themselves were the best they could possibly get.”

  “Slaves?” The Vex Queen asked, frowning at the notion.

  “Yes, sadly.” The half-elf confirmed. “All the elves' creations were made specifically to serve their needs, whatever they would be.”

  “Some had it better than others though.” Alya chimed in. “Half-elves were the favourite pets of their masters, while us Thulians were essentially just cattle.”

  “And some were treated even worse, like the Chimeras.” Sevre replied calmly. “But ultimately everyone was just a disposable tool to the elves. Even though half-elves were generally treated better, that didn’t make them any less slaves than the Thulians.”

  “Fair enough.” The wolfwoman replied, drinking another shot of her whisky.

  “I hope I’m not jumping to conclusions too fast, but these elves certainly do sound like total jerks.” He paused for a moment and then turned to Sevre. “No offense, of course.”

  “None taken. After all, I’m not an elf, just a half-elf.” She replied. “Besides, that’s just the truth. Elves were indeed total jerks, as you put it.”

  “Yeah, about the only good thing you could say about them is that they are almost completely gone.” Alya said.

  “So there are still elves around?” The Vex Queen asked. Though he mostly made this question out of idle curiosity, a small part of himself was actually rather interested in the elves’ powers, and wondered if he could absorb them by consuming some of their DNA.

  “Some of them are definitely still alive, hiding somewhere in the north.” The wolfwoman replied. “They cause trouble from time to time, raiding the coasts and abducting people. But luckily that’s pretty rare. Last time it happened it was when I was young.”

  Marcus was about to ask more about the elves, but then all of a sudden the lights in the room grew dimmer. Artificial fog started pouring out of the pond, while several spotlights shone on the stage at the centre of the room, where a metal pole suddenly started emerging from the floor and reached up to the ceiling. Meanwhile, the frog-cricket creature in the corner started singing a new song —though singing was not the right term, since the weird creature was somehow managing to produce the sound of multiple instruments in addition to the lyrics. The lizard girl on stage started dancing to the beat, incorporating the pole into her performance with several acrobatic pole dancing moves.

  It was an impressive show for sure, but that wasn’t what surprised Marcus the most. No, what really had shocked him was that he recognized the song that was being played. It had some differences from the one it knew and it was being sung in the Imperial language rather than English, but it was unmistakably Toxic by Britney Spears.

  “What the hell?” He wondered, utterly dumbfounded.

  “Are you alright?” Sevre asked, noticing his confusion. “Is there something wrong?”

  “Uh… oh, no, there is nothing wrong.” The Vex Queen replied. “I just wondered… what is this music?”

  “Oh, this? It’s an ancient ballad.” The half elf said. “It was very popular a few centuries ago and it has become a mainstay of brothel music since then. Why do you ask?”

  “No, it’s just… I think I’ve heard this song before.” Marcus said. “In my past life in another world.” He added mentally.

  “That’s not surprising. It is quite a classic after all.” Sevre said.

  “Do you know who wrote this song?” The Vex Queen asked.

  “I don’t, sorry.” The half-elf shook her head. “Back then there were a lot of new songs like this being played around the Empire, but the original author was never known for sure. The only thing I know is that most of them seem to have come from Robur after the Zaru invasion.”

  “I see.” Marcus said. “Thank you anyway.”

  He then remained silent for a while after that, lost in his thoughts. Hearing a song from Earth in this world had left him quite rattled, and he was trying to find an explanation for how that was possible.

  “They say that a bunch of monkeys could write Shakespeare if given enough time, but this is just a bit too much of a coincidence.” He told himself. “I think someone else must have been reincarnated in this world five centuries ago, and they must have shared this song with the locals. But then why does no one here know about my world then? Did my predecessor keep their origin a secret? I mean, I was also told not to make it publicly known, so maybe that’s the case.”

  As he kept thinking he poured himself another glass of liqueur, just to clear his head a bit of course. As the aftertaste of coffee lingered in his mouth he felt his tension start to melt away and he decided that another shot or two wouldn’t hurt. After all it was just flavoured liqueur, and the coffee in it should be watered down with alcohol, to which he was completely immune. He could probably gulp down the entire bottle and still be fine.

  Three and a half glasses later he started to think that maybe he had been underestimating the liqueur. However, by that time he was also far too buzzed to really care.

  “Maaaaan… why wasn’t I supposed to get drunk? It feels fantastic!” He giggled. “Not that I’m drunk yet… just a little bit tipsy. I think I have room for one more glass before I really get drunk.” He poured himself another glass and instead of gulping it down in one go he started sipping it slowly to enjoy it to its fullest. “Now, what was I thinking about again? Oh right… the music. It was Toxic by Britney Spears, was it?” He turned his attention to the music but by now there was another song being played, one he didn’t recognize. “Oh well, it’s not as if it’s an urgent matter. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll ask Yasen if he knows about a music expert. Tonight, I just wanna have fun!”

  He slouched back on his pillows, feeling the most relaxed he had been in months, as if all of his worries had melted away like snow in the summer sun. The new song that was being played was actually pretty catchy, and so he found himself bobbing his head to the beat and his eyes turned towards the stage. The flower-lizard girl was still dancing, and now that he was paying attention to her Marcus noticed that she was actually very good. He had seen his fair share of pole dancers back when he worked in the night club in his previous life and yet she was in a league of her own. She climbed up and down the pole with natural grace, swinging around, twisting her body and turning upside down without apparent effort while perfectly following the rhythm of the music. Moreover, he was pretty sure that a few of the moves she performed would have been impossible for a normal human.

  “Wow.” The Vex Queen commented out loud, pointing at the lizard girl who was doing a flagpole using just one hand. “How can she even do that? Her grip strength must be insane!”

  His companions immediately turned towards him and then looked at what he was pointing at.

  “Oh, Eelaa belongs to an arboreal species, so she has some impressive natural climbing skills.” Sevre replied with a rather proud . “She is by far my best pole dancer, and there are many who come here specifically to see her performances.” She made a sultry smile. “She probably earns more money through her dances than with her other activities, though she’s one of my best girls in that field too.”

  “Now that I find it hard to believe!” Marcus giggled. “Though maybe you have a point. After all, any girl can be good for a tumble in the sheets, but pole dancers this good are hard to come by. I have seen many pole dancers back when I worked in a nightclub, but no one came close to her.”

  “You worked in a nightclub?” Sevre asked.

  “Oh yeah, in my previous life.” The Vex Queen confirmed.

  “Your… previous life?” The half elf raised an eyebrow in puzzlement at this statement. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Exactly what I said.” Marcus giggled again. “I used to have a normal life, but then I died and I woke up in this weird body here.” He pointed at himself. “Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh right, the nightclub. Unfortunately, I only worked there for a short while but I really liked it, though the pay was nothing to write home about. I even dated one of the dancers while I was there.” His tone became nostalgic. “She was the best dancer in the club, and she really liked pole dancing. Like, really, really liked it. She kind of practiced it as a sport too and she taught it in gyms and stuff.” He giggled again. “ She even gave me a couple lessons, and I must admit that it was surprisingly fun.”

  He interrupted his blabbering to take another sip of his drink, giving the others a chance to speak.

  “That’s interesting.” Sevre commented. “And I must say that it makes quite a lot of sense. Your mannerism is indeed very much human, more than I’d expect from someone who had only recently started living in a human society.”

  “Thank you.” Marcus replied, feeling rather good about this comment.

  “It wasn’t exactly a compliment, but you’re welcome anyway.” Sevre said with a smile.

  “Eh, I’m actually rather more interested in the fact that she can pole dance.” Alya chimed in with a smirk on her face. “You’ve got to show it to me sometimes, sir Marcus.”

  Normally, such a proposal would have immediately sent Marcus into a panic, but right now he was inebriated enough to actually find it rather appealing.

  “Why not?” He said. “I only know the basics, but I’ve been training a lot since I got in Brettholz, and this body is much more flexible than my past one. Oh, and also I think that having a tail would be somewhat helpful.” He grabbed the tip of his tail and put it forward to show the others. “It has grown a bit more nimble in the last year, so I think I could use it to grab onto the pole or something.”

  “I look forward to it then.” The wolfwoman replied, her smile getting wider as she looked at the Vex Queen like a lioness might stare at a young gazelle.

  For some reason, Marcus found that gaze rather hot, to the point that he felt himself blushing a bit. He tried to mask his reaction by finishing the rest of his drink, gulping down the remainder of the liqueur in one go.

  This stratagem had mixed results. As the caffeine started rushing to his head, he certainly did feel the embarrassment disappear, but at the same time his arousal shot up a notch, and by now he was just drunk enough to act up on it.

  “Hmmmm… why wait though?” He asked with a giggle, pointing at the stage. “I mean, there is a pole right there!”

  He stood up, ready to walk up to the stage, but before he could get far Yasen reached him and gently but firmly grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

  “I’m sorry, but I believe you are a bit too drunk to get on stage.” He said.

  “Oh, come on! I’m not that drunk!” The Vex Queen protested.

  “You clearly are.” The captain replied. “Besides, drunk or not, there is a rule against letting customers on stage here in the Serrai.”

  “I’m afraid the good captain is right.” Sevre confirmed. “We like to avoid any possible accident.”

  “Party poopers.” Marcus pouted, sitting back down with his arms crossed.

  He sulked like this for a few moments, and then decided to wash his irritation away with another glass of liqueur. However, as he was pouring it, Yasen gave him a disapproving look.

  “Haven’t you had enough to drink for the evening, sir Marcus?” The captain said.

  “Oh, let the girl have her fun!” Alya chimed in. “If she wants to get drunk, why shouldn’t she?”

  “Because she does get a bit wild when drunk, and I’d rather avoid having her make a scene in here.” Yasen replied. “Besides, I’m pretty sure that sir Marcus herself would want me to stop her if she was sober.”

  Meanwhile, the Vex Queen had stopped in his tracks, giving the captain the stink eye. Though the part of him that was still sober and rational was telling him that the Aura Master was completely right, his drunken and more emotional part felt extremely irritated.

  “What is he, my freakin’ nanny or something? Ordering me around like a child!” He thought angrily. “You know what? If they are going to treat me like a drunken mess no matter what then I should actually become a drunken mess! That’ll teach them for sure!”

  Once again, his sober side told him that this was a horrible idea that would certainly backfire, but unfortunately for him his drunken side currently held a much greater sway. So, before the captain could stop him, the monster girl quickly lifted the whole bottle and started drinking directly from it.

  “Sir Marcus! Wait! What are you doing?” Yasen cried.

  But by then it was too late. The Vex Queen had already gulped down every last drop of liqueur, and she laid down the bottle on the table with a satisfied sigh.

  “Aaaaaah! That hit the spot!” He said as a wave of caffeine washed over his mind, wiping away the last vestiges of his sobriety. He then turned towards Yasen and mockingly stuck out his tongue at him. “Bleeeeh! Now I really got drunk! How do you like that, uh? Hic!” He hiccupped. “Damn, I think I drank a bit too fast… hic!”

  “Why in Qierra’s name did you do that?” The captain said in an exasperated tone.

  “Because if you treat me like a drunk, then… hic! Then you are going to get a drunk.” Marcus explained in a slurry voice, with a smug grin on his face.

  “She’s quite petty, isn’t she?” Alya laughed. “I like it.”

  “Glad that… hic! Glad to make a good impression!” Marcus nodded towards the wolfwoman. “Now… What can we do? Oh right, if I can’t dance on stage, I think I can at least dance on the… hic! On the table! It can work as a stage, does it?”

  He tried to stand up and get on the table, but he wobbled wildly and would have fallen if Yasen hadn’t grabbed him.

  “Alright, I think that’s enough.” The captain said sternly, holding the Vex Queen in his arms. He turned to Sevre and asked: “Do you have a free room where sir Marcus could stay until she sobers up?”

  “I should have one on the first floor.” The half elf replied.

  “Good, then I shall take her there before she really starts making a scene.”

  “Hey, I don’t want to go! I want to stay here!” The Vex Queen protested, trying to free himself from the Aura Master. However, this time the captain didn’t let go and instead lifted him up, gently holding him in his arms.

  “I’m sorry, but you clearly are not in control of yourself at the moment, so as your bodyguard it’s up to me to act in your best interest in your stead.” He said.

  “So are you… hic! Are you going to take me away by force? Using your big, strong arms to lift me and carry me to a room where it’s going to be just the two of us?” Marcus paused and licked his lips. “Uh… you know, that doesn’t sound too bad actually.” He turned towards Alya: “Hey, do you want to come too? I would like… hic! I would like it if you were with me tonight too!”

  “Now that’s an interesting idea.” The wolfwoman commented, her smile growing even larger.

  “Forget about it Alya.” Yasen admonished her. “You’re not going to share a bed with sir Marcus tonight.”

  “Why not?” The Thulian asked. “Do you want her all for yourself?”

  “Of course not.” The captain replied quickly. “I’m currently her bodyguard, and it would be terribly unprofessional of me to have an affair with my charge while I’m on duty. Nor can I allow others to do so while she’s clearly inebriated.”

  “Alright.” Alya conceded. “Then I’ll just try either when she’s sober or you’re not around.”

  “Fair enough.” Yasen replied. He then turned to Sevre: “Madame, could you show me the room where I can leave sir Marcus, please?”

  “Of course.” The half elf said. “Follow me.”

  She guided the Aura Master out of the hall while he carried Marcus. The Vex Queen still tried to protest, but by this point he had started to feel sleepy and his attempts to cause trouble were rather weak. By the time they reached the bedroom he had already blacked out, so all Yasen had to do was to gently put him into bed, tuck his sheets and leave him for the night.