<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body">Just a quick reminder about slavery:<br/>https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=210179.msg10327213#msg10327213<br/>It's not especially cruel or brutal being a slave, it's more akin to being the lowest class, and slaves have most of the same 'rights' as normal citizens.  It's not like slavery in pre-civil war America.  That's not to say the sisters haven't seen much of it before coming here, small viliages and towns likely have none, but any major city would see slaves.  Laelith however has a very high population of them.  However being a slave in Laelith is also possibly the best place to be a slave.  Slaves were integral in the re-founding of the city, and of it's defense, so as such there is a societal bit of respect built in for any long term resident of the city towards them.<br/><br/>Also, glow effect used in the post below just to denote the three different speakers. </div></div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/dCSJbmk.jpg)</div><br/>The two sensual sisters found their trek through the city rather pleasant.  The rain storm that had broken while they preformed their morning routine had faded before they left D'nai's Rest, and the streets had begun to bake off any lingering puddles.  As the day inched slowly towards noon, the heat began to come back in full force, though today there was an intermittent breeze from the sea.  It was warm, moist, and salty, but it was refreshing, especially when it blew across skin dampened by sweat or water from the cities multitude of fountains.  Those fountains were especially refreshing, fed from a portal to the plane of elemental water, the water that flowed from the spout was very cool, and almost impossibly clear and fresh.  The water in the basin of the fountains was a bit warmer, being heated by the sun and the stones that held it.  The sisters were not the only ones taking advantage of the fountains, and it seemed that were it not for the continuous supply of fresh water, they might be fouled by so many people using them constantly.  At each fountain they stopped at, they drew gazes, though truthfully most people were too busy about their own business to hassle the girls with more than a friendly smile and greeting, and an overlong lingering gaze.  This was one of the busier parts of the day, when people tried to complete morning chores and errands before the full heat of the day settled in with oppressive force.<br/><br/>They did however have one rather useful encounter.  When standing in front of a brothel, one woman obviously a prostitute of somewhat plain looks, came out and noticed them.<strong>"Sorry madam's asleep, an' I don't think she's lookin for new girls."</strong>Then after a second look up and down added,<strong>"Plus I don't know if she could afford to hire you on."</strong>After a brief conversation, the woman confirmed that she did know of Kirin's Cat house, the brothel owned by the eros mage.  She said however they were in the wrong part of town for it.<strong>"You have to go up hill, to the nicest part of town, near the Acadamey.  Should be able to find it fairly easy.  It's pretty well known, and even those that say they don't visit it, at least know where it is."</strong><br/><br/>The girls thanked the prostitute and gave her a coin for her advice, which she seemed to accept with a nonchalance that suggested that she was rather used to getting paid for advice as well as carnal services.  Then the sisters were back on their way.  Arriving at the tavern in good time.  The waitress with the hint of the dwarvish brogue seemed to accept their suggestion to let Rohan sleep with a secretive smile.<strong>"Aye, and that's all well and good.  I'd rather not wake him anyways.  He can be a bit prickly in the mornings, though I imagine he'll have a light step and a grin on his face after the ruckus you three made last night.  From what I heard anyways, I only just got in a little bit ago."</strong><br/><br/>She turned and gestured for the sisters to follow,<strong>"This way, an I suggest ya watch yerself with Master Flint.  He'll try ta ply ya with strong drink.  But just keep yer head, he's a sucker for a pretty face, like his gran'da."</strong>She turned and led past the bar into the hallway that they'd gone down last night to the private booths.  But this time turned the other direction and went into a different hall.  Stopping at the first door she came too, just beyond she gestured at a  door with a foaming mug carving hanging on it.  "Right on down there then, an watch yer step on the stairs.  His office is at the bottom."  The waitress stepped back in the hall, giving the sisters room to enter.<br/><br/>It pushed open on hinges that squeaked softly and as they entered they found not in an office, but at the top of a flight of stairs.  A dim light below and a rustling noise said that someone was below, moving about in some small way.  But they sensed no deception nor danger from these people yet, so they walked down the stone stairs, feeling the temperature drop to a nice cool and pleasant air.  It wasn't cold, just cool, the way you'd expect a basement to feel in the summer.  A part of it spoke to their heritage, those days growing up in the cool shaded forests.  That mixture of earth and life, so too did the air have that quality to it in a sense.  While the feel of the forest was gone, replaced instead by cool stone, there was a vibrancy here as well, and a sense of age.  Many of the buildings above ground had been rebuilt from ruins, but not this basement.  No these stones were old, having been laid over a millennium before.<br/><br/>In any regard, at the bottom of the stairs they found a metal gate, unlocked but closed, and off to their right an archway that led into a small office.  There, by the light of a single candle sat a dwarven man, long black  beard wearing a robe and a holy symbol about his neck.  He had a quill in his hands and a journal in front of him as if he were busy writing something.  No doubt this was Flint.<strong>"Ahhhh come in, come in,"</strong>he said in a voice that was a bit gruff and if they weren't mistaken, still laced with the faintest traces of sleep, could he have been dozing on the job?<strong> "I can only guess that you're the sisters I heard about last night that made such an impression on young Jax.  I see you got my request to come down and visit, and I'm so glad that you did, for now that I see you in the flesh, I understand the commotion.  Have a seat." </strong>He gestured at the wooden chairs in front of his desks, which were piled with books, maps, charts, notes, and more than one beer stein.  Though Stephanie noticed that even as he gestured at the chairs with one hand, his other was resting on his lap, and lightly rubbed one leg.  Subconscious gesture?   Maybe, though she could be reading more into it than it actually was.  Dwarves were notorious for being more stoic sexually than other races.<strong>  "Care for a late morning brew?  We've just gotten in a fantastic vintage from Ar Kanton,"  sniffing the air with a large nose he said, "Deepbloom stout, expertly crafted, only the slightest hints of the spiced mushrooms they used, just enough to put a tingle on the tongue.  Care for a mug?  Make yourself comfortable and tell me why it is that you've graced our fair city, and more importantly our fine guild.  We're always accepting new explorers, and pardon my assumption, but working girls who choose to comfort those explorers if that's more your bent."</strong>