Chapter 12: The Willows Brothel Part 2?

This time, Lina noted that she was standing on a rooftop. She felt slightly woozy before her brain registered that she was at a new location.

“Oh, mon dieu,” Lina remarked as she put her hand to her forehead.

“You’re all right,” Aritaaku said. She put her hand on her to check that she was doing okay.

“I have her,” Helsing remarked. “Focus on the environment and keep an eye out.”

Lina shook it off before she looked around. There was still a hint of the setting sun in the distance. All around them was the Vatican City. The older buildings marked a historical landmark of Italy’s glory. However, the hotel was easily one that still stood out, being somewhat new when compared to the other buildings.

“No interference,” the hare goddess remarked.

“It’s most likely possible that our teleport will warrant a response,” Helsing commented. “Stay alert. If we are attacked, we teleport away immediately.”

“I understand.”

The three proceeded to the nearby alcove. It was a roof hatchway that the three were looking for. It didn’t take long before they found it. With a simple heave, Aritaaku lifted the hatch before she lowered her head in. Her long ears were tuned to all the noises going on inside the building.

“I hear activity,” Aritaaku said. She lowered her hand and flicked her wrist. A ball of light allowed it to serve as a mirror for her to see into the interior.

“I see one ogre in the hallway,” she added before she flicked her hand and waved the magic away. “What do you think?”

“We are bound to find ogres,” Helsing said. “Behind me. I will confront it. Lina, hold onto me.”

“Umm...,” she replied. Lina could feel Helsing pick her up. She was as light as a feather, hoisted by the man’s apparent strength. Within seconds, she could see Helsing carry her to the edge of the hatchway. In seconds, the man leaped downward, taking her with him. They landed perfectly in the interior with a quiet thud before he put Lina down on the floor.

Aritaaku was next. She leaped behind and landed with an even quieter thud. Her digitigrade legs served as perfect springs for her to land gracefully.

“Wow,” Lina remarked. She stood by Helsing before he neatly wrapped Lina’s arm around his. The three stood in a hotel hallway. It was actually quite clean. The pleasant scents filled the air, and the temperatures felt good. Even Lina’s feet pressed against a delicate carpet that felt quite comfortable. However, there were hints of numerous doors that lined the hallways, all leading to separate rooms.

“HEY!” the ogre at the other side of the hallway yelled. “What you here for!?”

“Remain calm,” Helsing calmly said. He slowly walked forward as the ogre lumbered forward. He pulled out a large machete. However, Helsing held his hand up as a gesture for him that he wanted to talk. Lina could feel herself grow nervous. She was unarmed and unable to defend herself against such a potentially savage foe. However, she did note that the ogre was somewhat well dressed in the form of a green and black coat and pants. It was almost as if he was a bouncer of some sort. The anger on the ogre’s face was present.

“I’ve come with an offering for Galanthis,” Helsing announced. “Is she present?”

“Umm ... ehh...?” the pale ogre replied in his deep, stupefied voice. He was about a mere fifteen feet away. “You have presents?”

“I’m looking for Galanthis and to speak with her. Is she here?”

“Ehmm,” the ogre took the tip of his blade and scratched his forehead. “Boss wasn’t expecting visitors ... you come from roof?”

“Yes, may we speak with her?”

“Oh! You have presents for Galanthis! Hmm ... I get. Ha!” the ogre gave a light laugh. He gave a nod to Lina. The insidious smile from the ogre sickened Lina. However, the ogre wasn’t just looking at her but Aritaaku as well.

“Hmmm ... hmmm,” the ogre seemed to be thinking. “Brandune, wasn’t expecting visitors from roof. This be a boom-boom hotel. Boss is nice ... told me to guard hall ... make sure no intruders as everyone go boom boom. But ... you two ... might be good for boom boom. Boss always needs more. Follow Brandune!”

Helsing’s brow lifted as the ogre turned around and lumbered forward while the three followed behind him. So far, so good. Even Lina wasn’t expecting this sort of response. The ogre was ... for the most part, friendly, even if he was somewhat crude. However, he lowered his guard and even sheaved his machete, all signs that they weren’t in completely hostile territory, at least not yet.

As they walked past the numerous doors, Lina could hear moaning. Most of it consisted of women’s voices, but others did consist of the random deep ogre voice. Sometimes it would be a laugh. Sometimes, it would be grunting. Occasionally, the floor would shake by a tiny amount.

“Ugh...,” Lina remarked. The look of disgust on her face was present. However, Helsing’s other hand pressed against her hand. She calmed down a little bit as they continued their walk.

The ogre reached the nearby elevator and pressed a button. There was a short delay as the ogre seemed to be humming something to himself.

“So ... like,” the ogre asked. “You plan on giving both to the boss?”

“You’ll find out,” Helsing replied.

“Hmmm...,” the ogre looked over at Lina before nodding again.

“You work at this establishment?”

“Yeah, boss is great. I work for her, and ... she let me go boom boom with her workers when I’m off. The workers are always nice to Brandune. It’s the ogre good life!”

“I see...”

The elevator pinged as the doors opened. Lina watched as a large female ogre walked out of it. She was dressed in odd skins. On her right shoulder was a male human. The person was dressed in a leotard only. His bare skin and muscular complexion were all swallowed up by the muscle tone of the ogress.

“Heh, heh,” the ogress cackled as she walked past Brandune and the three without even as much as a glance. “Vendre is getting some good boom boom tonight!”

“Hey!” Brandune yelled at her. “Be good to worker. You hurt him. I chop your arm off!”

“Ehhh!” the ogress waved him off and continued down the hallway with her human in hand. Lina looked at the man. He had to be in his twenties. For a brief moment, the two eyes met, and he looked confused at her and the other two mythics.

All three stepped into the elevator. The ogre pressed the button, where the door closed and began to go down.

“Du, dun, dun ... du ... dun, dun,” the ogre was humming away to the elevator music. Helsing glanced at the ogre. Even Lina knew that the ogre’s minds were always off in some way.

The elevator dinged as it came to a stop. The doors revealed the ground floor to be much more active than the top floor. Helsing remained composed as Lina held tightly to his arm. Aritaaku also maintained close proximity as she walked beside him.

The scene consisted of a large lobby filled with various ogres. Most of them were in a line that came from outside. A human receptionist was working at the counter. There were also other “bouncers” that were like Brandune, armed with swords or clubs. A few of the ogres’ eyes befell Helsing and the team, but mostly snarled and looked away.

“I can’t believe this,” Lina whispered to Helsing. “Humans being sold ... as sex slaves.”

“It is the inevitable reality of humanity,” Helsing whispered back. “Including ogres. Lesser instincts overcome basic ones. Eventually, they all must find a route ... but Galanthis has done remarkably well in creating this establishment. She always does...”

It was somewhat of a nightmare for Lina. If this was what was going to happen to her, death might have been preferable, but her trust befell Helsing. The group walked through the large lobby. One male ogre was looking at a group of five human women, all scantily dressed. A few were even topless. There were big smiles on their faces, but Lina didn’t know if they were voluntary or forced. The ogre had his hand feeling the thin chest of one of the women.

However, it wasn’t as if it was utterly nightmarish either. For a ... brothel, it was very orderly. The pleasant scents conflicted with the foul odors of the ogres, but even then, the scent won out. For a second, Lina almost forgot that some of the ogres stank under the lack of showers they made. However, even Brandune had no smell, almost as if he bathed. At the same time, the supposed array of prostitutes, a few of them were actually ogres. One of them was a male dressed in a leotard. He was in good physical shape. In another time period, Lina might have looked twice at this ogre. The few others were ogresses, seemingly proud to offer themselves for the sex business. They were also in good shape, being dressed in stretchable bikinis to fit their large bodies.

“Ehh ... what these three?” another male ogre asked Brandune. It seemed to be a bouncer that quickly approached him.

“This ... umm ... what’s your name?” Brandune asked, ashamed that he forgot to ask the man’s name.

“Doctor Helsing,” the man replied.

“Yeah ... yeah ... Helsing ... umm ... wanted to talk with the boss. He has a present for her.”

“Hmmm, boss lady is busy. Dealing with a customer! After that ... you can talk to her.”

Lina could see at the corner of the hotel lobby a large lavish seat by a grand table. A pair of additional bouncers could be seen guarding what looked like an anthro weasel. It was clearly a ‘she’ because of the apparent observation of her toplessness. She wore a gold leaf crown on her head that was wrapped over her tied-up blond hair. Her body was covered in orange and brown fur, with her torso having white fur. She had a large, fluffy tail, digitigrade legs, and a short, pointed snout. There appeared to be a book in her hand that she was busy reading. Meanwhile, a disgruntled male ogre stood by the table, yelling away his frustrations at her. The doctor quietly commented, seeing the person he needed to talk to.

“There she is,” Helsing remarked.

“That’s Galanthis?” Lina asked in surprise.

“Yes, she is. She hasn’t changed one bit.”

The three approached. Lina noted that underneath the table was a blond, naked human woman. She was ... much to Lina’s surprise, giving oral sex to the weasel woman. The blond woman’s lips were pressed deeply to Galanthis’s vaginal folds, her tongue doing its magic to please her boss. However, Galanthis, oddly, seemed unphased by the pleasure being given to her. Instead, her attention seemed focused on the book in her hand. The male ogre complaining was persistent, banging his fist on the table like a drum.

“I demand my money back!” the ogre yelled in a lighter male voice. “That woman didn’t give me no blowjob. I’m not happy!”

“What are the other issues?” Galanthis replied. Her tone was that of boredom or disinterest. Her accent was Greek. She was reading her book, almost as if she were ignoring the ogre.

“Umm ... how dare you ignore me! I demand more time with your prostitutes ... maybe three!”

“Turpentine, that’s your name, correct?” Her tone still remained disturbingly calm.

“Yeah! Like the drink!”

“Yeah ... your time is up. Arianna was promised to you for three hours. You took three hours and ten minutes of her time ... ten minutes more than you should have.”

“Because she didn’t give me blowjob! We just boom boomed!”

Galanthis flipped the page of her book. “In other words, she served you, and you denied the next set of customers their time to enjoy her. Is that correct?”

“Yeah! ... Oh,” the ogre knew immediately that he was caught in her word trap.

“Turpentine, I’m going to say this once,” Galanthis explained. “Get your ass out of my cathouse. A complaint about your disorderly conduct is being sent to your chief. You’ve been given a strike. One more, and you will be banned from ever entering this establishment to hound my workers. Or you can take the next punishment of losing something that you hold dear. Branbune, get this dung heap out of my cathouse.”

“Heh! Heh!” Branbune laughed as he walked away from the three. “With pleasure, boss.”

“Ergh!” the other ogre complained. He waved his hands in the air in raw frustration. Defeated, he turned around and began to head away from her table. This left Helsing, Aritaaku, and Lina to face the weasel woman. Her attention seemed somewhat distracted.

“Vitorria,” Galanthis calmly addressed the woman, pleasuring her. “Your technique is completely flawed. You’re like a puppy dog desperately trying to lick a sour apple.”

“I’m sorry, Galanthis,” the naked woman below her said in a dainty voice. She stopped licking her vaginal entrance. “My mouth is worn out from this morning,” Lina noted that she was seemingly exhausted.

“That’s no excuse,” the weasel replied. “You expect to be able to pleasure ogres on a daily basis? Not with that type of mouth, you won’t. Remember how I trained you? Use a large dildo for hours at a time and push it to your esophagus. Eliminate that gag reflex. Apply light amounts of sulfur onto the edge handle so you can adjust to their smells. Remember broad strokes of the tongue since the ogresses tend to have larger labia. Now ... leave me be.”

Lina watched nervously as the naked woman inched out from underneath the table. She walked off as if she had been scolded. Lina noted that Galanthis was seemingly terrifying, almost as if she made herself into a mob boss in enemy territory.

“Boss,” another ogre bouncer called out. “We have guests.”

Galanthis almost seemed to ignore the three. Even in her nakedness, she didn’t care as she flipped the next page of her book.

“Helsing...,” the weasel replied with a sigh. “I wondered how long before a member of the Coalition of Deities or...,” she waved her hand. “Mythics ... whatever you call yourselves, would eventually show up at my doorstep.”

“I would say the same with you,” Helsing remarked. “You should be arrested for abandoning the Coalition.”

“You come here and start making noises. Don’t try to annoy me.”

Helsing nodded his head. “Of course, yet here you are in another one of your fine establishments.”

“What is it that you want? You and your...” Galanthis paused. She glanced to her side and could see Lina. However, she looked at Aritaaku for a short while. Even if her emotions were neutrally calm, her face and eyesight said it all.

“Who are you?” Galanthis asked the hare.

“I’m Aritaaku,” she replied to her.

“I’m not familiar with that name...” the weasel almost closed her book. “Whom do you come from?”

“My mother is Goddess Unut.”

“Unut? She has no living daughters ... none that survived Cataclysm, including herself.”

“My mother survived. I was among many of her kin recovered in Libya quite recently.”

“Unut is alive ... how interesting. Your mother has a way of being annoying even when she desperately tries not to.”

There was a hint of anger in Aritaaku’s face. However, it quickly dissipated. Galanthis showed no care, and she resumed reading her book.

“So, what brings you here, Helsing?” the weasel continued. “I somehow doubt you came here to enjoy many of my fine women or ... perhaps you do. You always had a way of ... repressing your sexual desires.”

“I came here for the same reason as any mythic would,” Helsing explained. “I came here for information.”

“Hmmm...,” she flipped the page. “That hasn’t been requested from me in quite some time. Here, I would have thought that the gods would have given up ... now that the ogres are conquering the planet. They do what any good mythic does when trouble happens ... they sit by and do nothing.”

“They aren’t doing nothing.”

“Oh? Is that right? It doesn’t take much to see that they let their underlings do the work. Aritaaku might as well be a novice in a room full of wolves.”

“I’m more than you think,” the hare replied.

“That’s what they all say ... but it doesn’t matter. You came here for information. It’s so important that it drove you here.”

“Yes,” Helsing said.

“In that case ... you know that any information from me comes with a price. The more important the information..., the higher the cost. I don’t adhere to you or the Coalition anymore, so my price doubles.”

“I’m prepared to meet that price.”

“Do you? You don’t even know what my price may be.”

“I will offer my own alternative to meet yours.”

Galanthis closed the book enough before slamming it to the table. Her gaze went to him. The same look on her face remained.

“What information do you seek?” the weasel asked.

“Who’s responsible for the ogre outbreak?” Helsing asked her. “Any and all information that you have.”

“It’s quite a lot to ask for. What do you offer me?”

“She knows,” Aritaaku remarked. “We should summon every Coalition...”

Snap! ... Galanthis snapped her fingers. The ogre bouncers unsheathed their weapons. The look of anger on their faces was apparent. They were ready to fight the three.

“Aritaaku!” Helsing addressed her, telling her to stand down. The man held his hand in a display of calm. For a second, Lina really wondered if the entire brothel was going to turn on them.

Galanthis snapped her fingers again, and the ogres nodded. They put away their weapons. The simple display of power was enough to drive home how much this woman controlled this area. Lina breathed a sigh of relief as Aritaaku calmed down.

“She doesn’t know her place,” Galanthis remarked. “Youth ... I remember your mother was smarter than that at her age. So, I will ask again, Helsing. What do you offer me?”

“I offer her...,” Helsing said, gesturing his hand to the human woman. “She is quite capable of pleasuring any of your clients, work around the place, and so forth.”

“What is your name, human?”

“My name is Lina,” the human replied.

“I hear the French accent in your voice ... with the hint of the Algerian flex. How are your skills in bed?”

“Very good,” Lina swallowed hard. “I know enough...”

Galanthis opened her book again and began to read. “Do you? How much do you know him?” Gesturing to the doctor.

“B ... Barely,” she mumbled. The weasel caught the stumbling of her words. There was a hint of a sigh from the naked boss.

“They offer you to me ... like so many human toys ... done so easily that it’s almost ... too convenient. Show me your hands.”

Lina did as she was told. She extended her palms for her to see. The weasel glanced, noting it.

“Now turn around ... so I can inspect you,” she ordered.

Lina spun around. She knew that Galanthis was briefly inspecting her. Her eyes went to Helsing, but his glasses made it hard to measure his emotions and inflections. She felt somewhat alone before she turned to look at Galanthis.

“If you are to work for me,” the weasel explained. “Then you have to know how to pleasure all that come your way. Your body is forfeit to the throws of sex and passion. Are you prepared for that life?”

“Yes,” Lina answered.

Galanthis gestured with a wave of her hand. “Then you must pleasure me. Do it in front of them. Prove what you just told me.”

Lina’s heart skipped a beat. She did her best to remain calm, but the idea was insane. Her breathing intensified. She never did it with a woman, and she didn’t consider herself a lesbian or bisexual by any means.

But, this was a necessity. Galanthis held the key to humanity’s future. She held the potential knowledge that could bring her brother back. Sheer willpower brought her foot forward. She took one step and another and another. The weasel said nothing, focused on her books. Even if Helsing was there, he might as well have been thousands of miles away. She was on her own.

She lowered herself to her knees. Her gaze was underneath the table before she crawled her way to Galanthis’s legs. The vaginal slit of the weasel woman was damp, made wet by the previous prostitute. The one thing that Lina did note was the level of privacy ordered by the table. With the exception of those more spaced away, those that were in closer proximity wouldn’t see it. However, the fact that the weasel did this constantly made it a mundane event. Unless she did a lot to draw attention to herself, then few would care.

Regardless, Lina knew what had to be done. She crawled close enough that her hands pressed against Galanthis’s fur. She was remarkably soft. The fur traveled through every part of her body, down to her pawed feet. Lina pressed her hands to the weasel’s legs.

Please ... Lina’s mind whispered. I have to close out the horrors. I must see my cousin again...

Finally, she closed out her mind and drew her head to Galanthis’s crotch. She brought her lips to her vaginal crevice. Her nose could sniff a rather pleasant scent. It appeared that the weasel did her best to keep herself tidy and clean. The aroma was that of red roses mixed with lilac. It was calming enough to Lina’s mind to press her lips. Her tongue extended, and she began to lick.

The warmth and fur combined made it almost like a pillow for her head to fall into. However, each time she drew her tongue, it was utterly difficult. Her resistance to commit such an action was difficult. Her labia could be felt as she moved her lips around before making the slowest strokes of her tongue.

“And ... stop,” Galanthis said calmly.

Lina’s mind raced as she pulled away. Her mouth had a small amount of the weasel’s vaginal fluids. She quickly wiped her mouth, repulsed by what had just happened. However, Galanthis didn’t see it due to the table being away.

“Come and sit beside me, Lina,” Galanthis calmly ordered.

Lina’s mind was everywhere. Had she failed to impress her? How could she have performed such an act?

Frustrated, the human woman pulled out from underneath the table. Like a broken dog, she sat beside Galanthis, silent but firm. The human could see Helsing looking. In an act of respect, his head and hat were lowered, an act to give Lina her privacy during the entire act. Aritaaku, on the other hand, had her lupus eyes looking away. However, when Lina sat beside Galanthis, Helsing resumed looking at the two.

The weasel continued to read her book. “Do you know why I do that?” Galanthis asked.

“Because ... you enjoy it,” Lina said.

“No. I test all my workers, and from there, I can correct them. However, in my lifetime, I only learn so much about them. Sex isn’t just an action of needs and desires. It’s a measurement of the human soul, your personality. I can read so much about you and how poorly you performed in the action you just did now.”

“I’m ... sorry,” Lina mumbled.

“Don’t be. It’s the truth and nothing more.” She flicked her hand to the next page. “Do you know the story about me, Lina?”

“I don’t.”

“Do you know why I dislike them so much?”

“I don’t.”

“Then Helsing has failed you. You did so much for him, and yet he failed to give you an inkling about my existence. Although, I can’t entirely blame him. He’s a pawn in the game, just as I was. Helping another can only gain you so much. Do you know why?”

“I don’t,” Lina placated her.

“Long ago, during the time of the Greeks, I witnessed the miracle of life, the first birth, a human babe born from the mother, Alcmene. What I didn’t know was that Zeus had impregnated her. From there, his jealous wife, Hera, plotted to stop the birth by forcing Alcmene’s legs shut.”

“Oh, mon Dieu.”

“Of course, I see what is happening. Me, being the innocent girl, not knowing what was happening, tried to attack Hera, trying to force her away. I succeeded. In moments, the child would come forth, the baby’s name, Heracles. I saved the mother and baby, but at a terrible cost. Hera, angered by my actions, used her magic. She transformed me into a little ... tiny ... weasel.”

“Why?”

“Why do the gods perform such actions? Because they only care about themselves. By mercy, Alcmene allowed me to tend and stay at her home, but the damage was done. I was cursed to live this way forever. For thousands of years, until I found Reynard the Fox. From there, part of my form was restored to what you see now. However, after Cataclysm, I decided to embrace a new path: prostitution. In the end, I would control the sex trade, the industry, and information gathering for the Coalition.”

“It sounded like things worked out for you to make it this far.”

“Hmmm ... no. I was the bridge between the mythics and mortals. For hundreds of years, I squeezed information. Sex calms the mind, makes the individual more susceptible to revealing their deepest secrets. In the 1800s, though, I was faced with a new dilemma. A God named Makt, son of Heqet started to make regular visits to my brothel. Every time, he would create a ruckus in my establishment, sometimes wrecking and harming my workers. The amount of damage was ten-fold ... so I decided to take his estate ... by force.” Galanthis looked at Lina. “Do you read stories, Lina?”

“Yes, I do,” Lina answered.

“Then maybe the story should be somewhat familiar or, perhaps, not the way that you think. Humanity has a way of changing the events. Regardless, that toad had what he deserved until he lied to Moritagus. The badger attacked my little army, and Makt got his estate back, but not after I trashed it. I go by many names.” She briefly looked at her guards. “What do they call me?”

“Boss lady!” one of the ogres said.

“Chief!” another said.

“Yes ... chief,” Galanthis smiled briefly upon hearing it. “Of course, there is one little problem in that story...,” the weasel looked at Helsing. “Guess who was there to mediate between me and that stupid toad.”

Lina looked over at Helsing. He remained neutral as Galanthis gave an annoyed look at him.

“That’s right,” Galanthis continued. “Helsing disregarded both our arguments, and we had to pay each other compensation for the damages.”

“You didn’t go to the Coalition of Deities to dispute your claims,” Helsing replied. “Instead, you took the law into your own hands.”

“Yes ... and as I recall, you also had to spend some time away from your beloved wife ... the only wife you ever had.”

Lina could see that Galanthis was clearly mocking him. Within a short discussion, Lina could understand the potentially bad blood between the two characters. She had been caught in the middle.

“Yes...,” Helsing replied.

“Ha ... ha,” Galanthis lightly chuckled. “Poor Lina. The curse of immortality. You live long enough for the deepest of grudges to fester ... just like herpes.”

Lina had a moment of disgust upon hearing that. However, Galanthis leaned forward onto the table while keeping her attention on Helsing.

“You poor excuse of a half-breed,” Galanthis told him. “I see how you were when you weren’t married. You look at my prostitutes. I could see it in your eyes that you wanted them before you would walk away. I was tempted to even lend my prostitutes to you for free ... help coax something from you. But, you learn many things, including the way this mortal tried to pleasure me.”

“I don’t ... understand,” Lina said.

The weasel looked at Lina. “I wasn’t testing you; I was testing him.” She smiled at Helsing briefly. “He flinched. Well, I have a message for you, Helsing. Lina didn’t like it ... because she wanted someone else ... perhaps someone that can sweep her off her feet and fly her away from this world.”

Lina had to acknowledge that Galanthis was good at manipulation while driving a knife into a person’s heart at the same time. Helsing remained composed, but even her words started digging into him like needles.

“What do you want?” Helsing asked Galanthis.

“I got something,” Galanthis said, leaning back in her seat. “You’ve met some of my price, just to see your ... reaction.”

“Then I will ask again,” the man pressed his question. “Who was responsible for all this?”

Galanthis gave a questioning look at Helsing. “I wonder ... why is this question so important? You go and fight this person or ... group, but it won’t undo this...”

“Just answer...”

The weasel seemed to think about it. “Unless ... ahh ... your bovine companion is going to try again, isn’t she? Go back and ... change the timeline.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm ... now there lies a new problem ... one that will increase the price. You see? If I do that and help you, and she does her little time jump, my brothel will be lost.”

“You can’t be serious,” Lina remarked.

“Do you know how difficult it was for me to make this?” She pointed at the scenery. “Quite difficult. Hundreds of hungry ogres ready to be serviced while maintaining order. I built this establishment with my bare hands, and now you’re going to tear it down.”

“We have to do this, Galanthis,” Helsing explained. “This was done by a mythic. No human could have done what he or she did to this world.”

“You’re making noises...,” the weasel shifted her furry tail in aggravation.

“Please,” Lina interjected. “We worked so hard to find you. You hold the key to saving the human race. All you have to do is...”