Demons in the Dark
"But I'm tired." Cale yawned again, stretching.
Come, the night air will do you good.
"That's what you said about waking up for night patrol."
That is because night patrol does you good.
"That's what you say about everything!"
Maybe because everything will do you good? You need more meat on your bones and character in your soul if you hope to survive this coming battle.
"I'd rather sleep," Cale muttered.
"Will you shut up with this crazy routine?" Vyk walloped him on the back of the head. "People are looking."
"What people? I thought you said the entire point of coming out this early was to be alone?" Jazreal had been in a bad mood since she’d woken up. She hadn't liked Vyk before, but now she was ready to kill him. Maybe she wasn't a morning person? She hadn't said two words to him since rousing out of bed.
"We're trying to blend in, in case you hadn't noticed."
"Says you. I look ridiculous." Jazreal gestured to her frilly blouse. Cale thought she looked less like an Indian and more like a normal city girl. But maybe that was why she was upset.
The streets of Uruk were far from deserted. Nightlife brought on another kind of activity. Most deliveries and shipping were done at night so as not to disturb the shopping and pedestrian traffic during the day. Nights were long, hot and loud, with horses and carts rumbling through the cobbled streets and men with burly voices and bare chests shouting orders.
Tonight was especially dangerous as the fog that had plagued them for the better part of a week still refused to leave. More than one horse had died from a traffic accident. It just meant more work for the collectors, who plied their trade gathering horse manure, night soil and the bodies of the dead. Horses were especially valuable; their bodies would be rendered into animal feed, gelatin, epoxy and leather. If a human or two got mixed up in the lot, well, few people would bat an eye.
Cale stuck close, sidestepping traffic as they headed for the grand bathhouse. Just because they weren't as crowded now did not mean there were no people. A line still lingered outside waiting to get in. The guards dealt quite harshly with the few refugees who managed to sneak their way into the city and were caught trying to bathe.
Inside, the grand foyer was a sight to behold. Polished marble walls with statues everywhere, many bearing water fixtures. Tropical plants from Nubia found their homes here in the heat and steam, surrounded by colorful fresco paintings. People walked around in their finest jewelry and most bespoke clothing. This was a place people came to see and be seen. Vyk paid three silver pieces and passed them each a towel.
Vyk walked to the apodyterium. "We can store our things in here."
"Okay," Cale said. Jazreal nodded.
They both followed Vyk into the main room. "No, Jazreal. You go there." Vyk pointed to the other side of the hall.
"Okay," Jazreal said. Cale nodded.
"No, Cale, come back here." Vyk called him back, rolling his eyes. "Just her, not you."
"But we want to stick together." Jazreal took Cale's hand.
"Yeah," Cale agreed. She really didn't want to leave him alone with Vyk for some reason.
"Cale. We bathe naked."
Cale blushed. He looked at Jazreal, who immediately dropped his hand. Her ears were turning a nice shade of crimson, as well.
"Well. Best of luck." Jazreal nodded, heading to the opposite apodyterium.
Cale turned back. Vyk was already inside, stripping off his clothes. Belongings and clothes were placed neatly in small, wicker baskets. There was no one but old men inside, dusty and gray from the work of the day. Cale had to assume some of them were important from the amount of jewelry they were wearing. He pulled his tunic over his head and when he turned around, his eyes nearly fell out of his head. Vyk was naked.
Cale?
"Yes?"
Remember what we talked about when you peeked at Jazreal? The difference between nudity and nakedness, and the dangers of lust? The pitfalls of desiring someone for their body?
"Yes."
Well, there is another pitfall you need to watch out for. Covetousness.
"What's that?"
Wanting what someone else has simply because they have it.
Cale took another glance at Vyk's unclad form. "Oh."
Don't worry, little buddy. You'll grow into it soon enough.
Cale was quite sure Sword was laughing at him, but he couldn't very well have an argument with a talking sword in a room full of naked men. He hurried and finished undressing, trying to catch up with Vyk.
"Is it alright to take you in there with me?"
No one will see me.
Cale was skeptical of that but decided to trust Sword at his word. He wrapped the towel around his waist and followed after Vyk. Inside was a sight that took his breath away.
Polished marble gleamed white, with high vaulted ceilings held aloft by massive carved pillars. Seven baths filled the room, each hotter than the last and each its own color. Steam filled the air, giving everything a murky presence. Spacious potted gardens overflowed with flowers and imported plants, lending to the rainforest appearance. Great cedars inlaid with gold and tortoise shell towered like sentinels in the mist. Above the moon pool the ceiling gave way to a portcullis, letting bathers gaze at the stars and soak in the rain. Birds roosted in the plants, flitting about after pollinating insets. Sconces on the walls held massive oil lamps, ensuring the light never went out. Water fixtures in the shapes of pagan gods and goddesses poured their healing waters into the pools and long-forgotten heroes stood watch atop miniature waterfalls. Bas relief portraits carved into plaster walls depicted scenes of ancient peoples of Ras Shamara bathing, eating or locked in a lover’s embrace. Food vendors walked the promenade, selling their wares from little wooden trays, while mistrals followed behind, performing songs at the behest bathing patrons.
A half wall more than ten feet tall cut through the middle of the entire structure, separating the men from the women. Cale could hear them laughing and talking on the other side. It was somewhat of a relief to know that he wouldn't be entirely separated from Jazreal--they could stare up at the same moon through the same skylight.
Cale looked around for Vyk, but through the steam he could only clearly see the first three pools. He descended the stairs and stepped his foot in the first bath. It was far too cold for his liking.
"Hey!" Cale jerked his foot back at the sound of a woman’s voice. "What do you think you're doing?" A woman approached him with long, blond hair and beautiful legs, wearing sheer red silks about her body. She smelled strongly of floral scents.
"Uh... bathing?" Cale couldn't think of the right answer. This was a bathhouse, wasn't it? Why was she yelling at him? In fact, why was there a woman on the men's side at all?
"Oh, first time here?" She had beautiful blue eyes and a kind smile behind painted lips. She bent low to look him in the eye.
Her eyes are up there, Cale.
Cale meekly nodded at her question. "Well, you need to wash off first. You don't want to get the water all dirty for the other patrons, do you?"
"But I thought it was a bath?"
"The water does circulate and slaves do change it regularly, so you're right. But you are--how do I say this?" She touched his hair, wrinkling her nose. "Scruffier than the other bathers might appreciate."
"Oh."
Don't worry, Cale. You're young. I am sure there will be plenty of girls in your future who will love the way you smell.
"Go to that room on the left." She pointed. "That's the balneae. You can shower off there. The soap is free to use, so be sure to scrub well, okay?"
She smiled at him. It reminded Cale of Regina's smile, tired but patient. She probably wanted to go home and sleep.
"Um…" Cale stopped her from walking off. "What are you--I mean, how--are you here often?"
"Sweetie, if you have to ask, you can't afford me." She winked and sauntered away, hips swaying.
You alright?
"I feel weird."
It's probably the heat.
"Yeah. I hope so." Cale was sweating.
Vyk burst to the surface from the cold pool, gasping for breath. Cale jumped back and let out a Manly Battle Cry.
"What are you doing?!" shrieked Cale.
"I thought she'd never leave." Vyk's hair completely covered his eyes. He looked like a wet sheepdog.
"Who? That lady?"
"Yeah."
"What was she doing here?"
"Don't worry about it. If you have to ask, you can't afford her." Vyk exited the pool without any shame. "In fact, you could say that's why I was hiding. I couldn't afford her, either, so now I owe her fifteen silver. Have you showered off yet?"
"Nuh-uh." Cale shook his head. He had to restrain himself from reaching for Sword. He was far too excitable in this city full of weirdoes.
"Go through that room." Vyk pointed. "Scrub off, then come back here. You can use any pool you want, or all of them. I find it works best if you start at the first and progress your way up. I don't like the later ones--they're too hot for me. If you get hungry, you can get something to eat from the vendors. Here." Vyk handed him a clipped silver coin.
"Um, where were you keeping this?" Cale stared at the coin in his hand.
"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to, kid." Vyk grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist as he walked off.
"Where are you going?"
"Well, I need to look the part if we're going to hunt Phantoms. You've given me a reason to feel like myself again, so I thought I'd treat myself."
"I thought you said you couldn't afford her!" Cale called after him.
"Relax, lad. I just meant a shave and haircut." Vyk spread his hands, vanishing through the mist.
Do you understand anything that just happened?
"No. But I think I just got handed a butt coin."
It is probably for the best. Go wash up. And Cale? I would wash that coin, too, while you are at it.
Cale did as he was told and scrubbed himself off in the shower. He finally understood what everyone was telling him as the water at his feet turned almost black with dirt and grime. It took seven trips to fill the water basin before he was finally clean. Cale felt sorry for the slave boys, lugging water jugs almost as large as they were every time someone wanted a shower. He wasn't supposed to, but he gave them each a copper coin after they were done, change from the food vendor.
The food vendors themselves were professional and courteous, offering all kinds of food and drink as refreshments. No matter which pool you were in, they were never far away. For regular patrons, they offered a line of credit, so as not to bother the bathers with coinage. Cale was not afforded that luxury and spent his silver on a handful of roasted almonds, grilled mushrooms, a date and two pickled quail's eggs. Another vendor was kind enough to offer half a cup of red wine, but that was too strong for his liking.
The pools were spectacular in their splendor. The smallest one was easily larger than Vyk's entire apartment. They ranged in temperature from icy cold to scalding hot, and in color from deep blue to bright pink. Cale avoided the first few baths--he'd swam in enough mountain streams to last a lifetime. But he was quite taken with the warmer baths. The jasmine blue pool was probably the most comfortable, warm to the touch and salty to the taste, but light enough that he could float on it. Cale had once read about islands far to the north with tropical waters and white beaches. He imagined this was what that must be like. The bright pink pool was also salty, with tiny little fish living in it, but so hot Cale could barely stay in. Sword might even have found that one uncomfortable.
His favorite, however, was a very small pool with pale blue waters. When he swam in it, a trail of glow root kicked up in his wake, making the waters shimmer bright blue. Cale thoroughly enjoyed swimming in that one, even if it was a touch chilly. It was just fun to watch the bubbles glow as they popped along the surface.
"What's that?" Cale pointed to a place in the dividing wall. A hole perhaps a foot square, covered with black paper, right at the water's edge.
Oh. That is called a Lovers Hole. It is so men and women may share a bath together while preserving their dignity.
"So if I move this screen aside, the girls on the other side can hear me?"
Yes, that is the point of--Cale, what are you doing?
"Jazreal! Hey, Jazreal!" Cale hollered through the hole. It was just large enough to fit a face through. "Jazreal!"
"What?!" The answer yelled back over the half wall.
"Hey, come here!"
The black screen on the women's side jerked aside, and there was Jazreal. She looked pretty with the water glistening off her, even if he could only see her face and shoulders. "What is this?"
"It's called a Lovers Hole. It's so we can talk back and forth. Isn't it neat?" Cale grinned.
"Yes, very. Where's Vyk?"
"He said he went for a haircut."
"Good. I want to talk to you about--"
"Did you see they have food vendors? Are there some over there? We have some on this side."
"Yes, but I have no money. I need tell you--"
"Here, have these. I was saving them for you." Cale passed her the remaining copper pieces, a pickled quail's egg, and some roasted almonds. He also handed her almost all the wine.
"It's good." Jazreal ate an almond. "Listen, about--"
"Do you have a fish bath on your side? We have one over here with little fishes that nibble at you. They tickle when you swim in it. You should try--"
"Cale, we need to talk about Vyk!" Jazreal yelled.
"Talk about Vyk what?" A melodic voice asked.
Cale turned around. There was a young man standing before him--tall, broad shouldered, clean-shaven, and only thigh deep in the water. Jazreal let out an Eep! and turned absolutely scarlet, quickly ducking away from the Lovers Hole. A single hand reached around to retrieve the cup of wine, replacing it only a moment later, completely empty.
Cale took a closer look at the young man. He certainly sounded like Vyk, but he was far too young, with no beard and a Ranger corps tattoo on his shoulder. His hair was cut short and not greasy at all. More than a few scars covered his muscled body, some from fire, some from steel, with a very nasty one over his left eye.
"Excuse me, sir. Are you Vyk Draco's son?"
"What?" he looked confused. "Cale, it is me. I'm Vyk."
"Whaaat?" Cale covered his mouth. "But you're so young!"
"How old did you think I was?"
"I don't know. Thirty? Forty?"
"What?! Kid, I'm twenty-one!"
"What?!"
The two stared at each other for a moment then burst out laughing. Cale laughed nervously, and even Sword got a chuckle out of it. Vyk must have thought it was hilarious, because he laughed so hard it made Cale even more nervous. Vyk simply slapped him on the back and sat down in the water. Cale rubbed his stinging back with a scowl.
"Why didn't you tell me he wasn't an old man?" Cale whispered.
You are both young to me.
"I said I was going for a shave, didn't I?" Vyk relaxed in the pool.
"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to come back with a new face."
"Oh, trust me," Vyk rubbed his smooth chin. "It's the same old face, same old problems."
"Does your eye work at all?" Cale stared up at his face.
Cale, have a little tact.
"A bit. I can see shapes and shadows, a bit of color. I can generally tell when someone is standing right in front of me. But the light hurts." Vyk put his eye patch back on.
"How did it happen?"
"None of your business, lad."
See? Tact.
Cale went back to swimming, watching the water glow. The pool certainly was comfortable. On his return lap he bumped into Vyk, who jumped with a start.
"Kid, I never thought I'd say this in here, but you had better be poking me with what I hope you're poking me with."
"It's Sword!" Cale recovered quickly.
"That wasn't the right answer." Vyk pinched the bridge of his nose. "Goddess almighty, lad. Have you lost your ever-loving mind?"
"Why? What's wrong?"
"You brought a sword into a bathhouse!" Vyk whisper-shouted. "A sword which, might I remind you, is illegal in the city in the first place. And now you're traipsing it around the bath like a proud peacock! I have half a mind to tan your hide right here, if I didn't want to draw attention to us. What could possibly compel you to bring a sword to a bath?"
"Well, in case we are attacked." Cale looked crestfallen.
"And who, pray tell, is going to attack us here?"
Just then the entire bathhouse shook, as if hit with a projectile. Marble statues fell to the ground and shattered. Plaster and pieces of facade splashed into the bath. One of the pipes bust, spewing a fine mist everywhere. The men yelled and the women screamed, unable to identify what had just happened. Then silence fell as everyone listened to the panting and scratching. Chunks of the marble ceiling cracked and fell away. A hole appeared, not much larger than a Lovers Hole. And like some kind of twisted version of the custom, a face appeared--an elongated face with a muzzle full of needle-like teeth. Dark and twisted, smoke poured from the hole as infernal acidic drool plopped onto the tile far below.
Well, does that answer your question?