Captain Wendy felt really out of place within the establishment. Right before her eyes, scantily dressed women moved from room to room providing their many services. Their perfume mixed with a heavy musk lingered in the air, a smell she could never get used to. Drunken men, wearing nothing but their underwear, stumbled back and forth until they reached their overpriced playpens. There were also men with square pectorals, arms sculpted out of stone, and lower bulges big enough to give horses envy for any patron with enough coin. Normally Wendy would never have entered such a place, but wherever Stiggs went she would follow.

"What type of service would you like? May I suggest a flying wheelbarrow popper for the lord and maybe a tickle tuner for the lady?" a red lace covered woman with a thin veil offered with a seductive smile.

Stiggs still in full silver armor replied, "We aren't here for pleasure. Take me to Worpwood."

The woman immediately dropped all pretenses to bow and lead the two toward the back of the brothel. She tapped twice, paused, and then tapped three more times on a back panel one would normally see as a wall. Opening in a slow almost dramatic fashion, the panel swung out revealing a room on the other side, larger in size than the entire brothel before it. Stepping inside, sunlight layered in from symmetrical slits rooted in the ceiling with delicately carved pillars lining the room in a rectangular pattern. At the very center sitting in a velvet bean bag chair, a lean shirtless man with grey baggy pants smoked a long tubular shaped pipe with one hand and ate an apple with the other.

"Greetings Stiggs, I never figured you for a lustful man," the man said with rolling eyes.

Stiggs grunted. "I'm looking for a boy Worpwood."

"Oh my, that is going to cost extra."

Worpwood giggled lightly, playfully revolving the apple in his hand. Wendy cringed at the implication, but quickly regained her composure.

"White hair, black eyes, wearing brown rags, and around sixteen cycles old."

Captain Wendy knew Stiggs would not play Worpwood's humorless games.

"Like I said before, it's going to cost extra."

"Name your price."

"A favor, one I intend to collect. That or the beautiful woman standing behind you."

Looking her up and down, Worpwood started eye raping Wendy, lingering longer on certain parts.

"I am not for sale," Wendy growled, clenching her fists into a ball behind her back, pushing back the desire to punch the man.

Taking a moment to blow a few rings of smoke, Worpwood said, "What a shame... We could have went to wonderland together...”

Previously scowling, Wendy's face went flush red. She had no idea where wonderland was, but she was smart enough to know it wasn't anything proper.

"One favor and I want the information by next week," Stiggs said.

"You're no fun, but.... we have a deal, my good man. You may enjoy the many pleasures my brothel has to offer at my expense until I get you your information. Especially you, my dear lady. Believe me when I say an orgy is more than cock and tit." Worpwood licked his lips and then took another long puff from his pipe.

"What do you know about the red shirt bandits raiding the Sparrow Kingdom," Stiggs asked before leaving.

"Becareful Stiggs, many men fall into debt with me. Lucky for you, I cannot answer that. Only know that war is coming to the western border."

"You have information about a possible war and you do nothing to stop it?"

Wendy noticed Stiggs was getting visibly irritated. A sign usually pointing to future dead bodies.

"Listen here Stiggs. I deal in whores and information, both of which profit from war. It is your station to do something about it, not mine."

Stiggs grunted again and quickly marched out with Wendy in tow. The Empire was already locked in a one hundred year war on the eastern front. Another war on the western front would surely tip the balance against them.

0---0

*Slap* *Slap* *SLAP*

"WAKE UP ESRIED IT'S ALREADY PAST SUNRISE!"

Panic fully covered Moon's face. It was her first day with a partner at camp, and she didn't want to be late. She never really knew why nobody wanted to pair up with her, but today that would change. She was going to show them all that she was a great partner, one they would regret to have passed up.

As if the spirit herself wanted to make things difficult for her, Esried would not get up from his bed. In fact, it was a bit disturbing to see him with a twisted smile when she slapped him.

"If you don't get up within the next few seconds, I’m going to tell my mom she brought you here for nothing."

Moon knew how scary her mother could be. It was one of the only things they shared in common.

With renewed energy, Esried shot up and hustled off toward the bathroom. Minutes later he reappeared in elven clothes, dripping wet like a fool. A little odd but a nice change from his previously disgusting rags. If he didn't look so uncomfortable, Moon might have thought he was a little handsome.

Walking out toward the instruction fields, Moon scanned for her objective. She spotted several of her classmates and Quickstream, her teacher, sitting in a circle by the edge of camp. Looking back to make sure the lazy boy Ezried was with her, she pulled him by the hand lest he fall behind.

"Hello Moon and Esried. Please have a seat and cycle your mana. We are still waiting for Flora and Stillrock," Quickstream greeted with a calm voice.

Quickstream was much like the various other elves in every feature, the only difference being his grandly warm demeanor. It was as if each word he spoke wrapped you in a relaxing breeze. Moon couldn't ask for a better teacher; there were others that took training down more vicious paths.

"Errr... How do you cycle your mana?" Esried asked.

Hearing the question, Moon crumbled a little. He doesn't even know how to cycle his mana? Quickstream waved his open hand toward Moon.

"Moon will show you. She is a bit of an expert when it comes to that."

A few other classmates rolled their eyes to which Moon mostly ignored and turned to Esried. Both of them sat facing each other criss cross about a quarter foot away from each other. Putting her serious face on, Moon raised her right hand in between them.

"Hold my hand. I am going to show you what to do."

Complying, Esried interlocked his left hand with her right. Mana was gently poured from Moon into Esried sending a visual of her soul to him. Her mana lines were refined and tight like canals which connected to a bright silver core. She started slow as an adult would show to a child, better teach him right, or she'll be blamed. A gentle push and the flow moved faster slightly spilling mana into her muscles and bones. Eventually, Moon pushed harder and harder until there was visible strain on her mana canals. Her body tissues hungerly drank the mana that spilled over causing them to contract. She then cut off the connection to Esried, completing her demonstration.

"Now you try," said Moon with a big smile.

Esried closed his eyes even though he was never instructed to and not even a few seconds later he started coughing up blood.

"Slowly! It's your first time. There is a balance between pushing hard enough to spill as much mana as you can and pushing softly enough as to not rupture your mana canals." Moon was trying really hard to keep a straight face despite the other classmates giggling at their failure.

Esried took a moment to think and then closed his eyes again for another try. Again, not a few moments later does Ezried start coughing up blood.

"It's ok Esried. Try again tomorrow. Too much pressure can leave permanent damage in the body." Quickstream interjected before Esried tried again.

Moon turned her back to Esried, giving him the cold shoulder. This was way too embarrassing; My partner can't even cycle his mana.

If he can’t even get through today, how in the spirit’s name was he going to get through the rest of his life.