Irrawella led Tunio to a small cul-de-sac. It was paved and several buildings around the plaza at the end had doors open. The centre of the plaza had a drain that smelt faintly of flowers.

“That one at the end,” Irrawella said, pointing at an open door.

Tunio took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

“I am not coming with you,” Irrawella said.

“Why not?”

“If you go in there, you won’t see me again.”

“Why?”

“That is a brothel.”

“What about it?”

“If you go in we are done.”

“I am going in to get my father’s sword, nothing else.”

“I don’t believe you.” She folded her arms across her chest.

“If you don’t believe me come in with me and watch.”

“I am not going in.” She stormed off.

“Women,” Tunio muttered. “Confusing.” He walked down to the plaza and then stepped over the threshold of the door and into the brothel.

Behind the door was a silk drapery that enclosed a small space around the door.

“Hello?” he called. He pushed aside the drapery and stepped past. Behind the drapery was a small sitting room with several chairs scattered around. The chairs were covered in soft cushions of various colours. Opposite the door was a long hallway that led to a set of stairs at the end.

“Hello?” he called again and took another step deeper into the brothel. He gripped the sword at his hip.

He walked out of the sitting room and into the hallway. The hallway was flanked with several doors all hanging open. He poked his head into the first on his left and saw a large bed dominating the room covered in silk sheets. Nobody was there. He crossed the hallway to the room on the other side and found a room identical except for the sheets.

He moved down the hallway and came to another set of doors. The one to his left had a room with a circular bed. The one on the right was a kitchen with various chairs and tables.

All the rooms were empty of people.

The sound of running feet bounded across the roof. Tunio looked up and then at the stairs in the far end of the hallway. A young woman came dashing down the stairs and then ran into a room at the end of the hallway.

“Hello?” Tunio called and raced up the hallway. He came to the room that the woman had dashed into. The room was small with several cots lining the rooms. The woman stood in front of a mirror and was naked.

“Hello?” he called again.

The woman turned to look at him. “Can I help you?”

“I am looking for my father’s sword.”

“There are no swords here,” she smiled. “Unless you mean your sword.” She picked up a silk robe and shrugged into it and tied the belt across her front.

“Show me the sword upstairs.”

“Sure,” she said and stepped past him. “Didn’t think you were the type.”

“What?” Tunio’s brow furrowed.

“Never mind,” she giggled. “Too easy.” She led him up the stairs.

Tunio followed the woman up the stairs. He came to another floor that was the reverse of the one down below, a long corridor leading to each side. Women in various states of dress walked around this floor. The women were chatting in small groups and some were drinking out of goblets. Many of the women saw him, gave him a once over and then resumed their previous activities.

“Festival days are so strange,” he muttered.

“Festival days are great. No work, you can do what you want and relax,” the woman leading him down the corridor replied.

“I would think your work is pretty laid back.”

“You would think so,” she replied. She stopped at the door at the end of the corridor. “Here is the room you want.” She eyed him up and down. “Pity,” she said, walking away.

“What is behind this door?”

“The only sword in the building,” she laughed, “except yours.”

Many other women around also chuckled.

“Is this some sort of joke?”

“Yes,” she smiled.

Tunio clenched his teeth and pushed the door open. Inside was a large room with a large double bed pushed to one side, a table and a small chair on the other side weighed down with coins and papers. On the bed were a woman and a man sleeping.

“Who is there?” the man sat up and stared sightlessly about the room.

The woman stirred and rolled over and went back to sleep.

“I know the door opened. Tell me who you are!”

“Anatoli?”

“I am Anatoli,” he looked around the room his eyes unfocused. “Who are you?”

“What happened to you?” Tunio stepped closer and he saw Anatoli’s eyes they were fully white.

“I am asking the questions here, boy.”

Tunio chuckled. “How did you lose your sight?”

“Who are you?” Anatoli asked his voice getting desperate.

“I am Tunio Rosethorn.”

“Brother.”

“My brothers are all dead, I watched them burn in a fire not more than a month ago. You are no brother to me.”

“I am your half-brother. My mother was Mayu, you were there when she died.”

“Where is Father’s sword?”

“That sword is something else.” Anatoli doubled over and gripped his head. “Please make it stop.”

“What is happening?”

“Father’s sword has cursed me.”

“Start from the beginning and tell me what happened.”

“I wanted your sword. I sent my men to go take it from you. They failed, so I sent Ingirid to steal it. She came back with the wrong sword, so I had to go get it myself. I stole it last night and when I drew the sword it blinded me.”

“A sword can’t blind you.”

“Are you telling me that you have never heard it talk to you?”

Tunio remained quiet.

“You must be the bearer.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The sword wants to be returned to its bearer.”

“My sword just keeps telling me a riddle.”

“I stole your sword and it cursed me with blindness. It is here. In the room. When it blinded me I dropped it. Please make it stop,” Anatoli pleaded.

Tunio got up and started to look about the room again.

“I assume that Suzan moved the sword when she came in.”

Tunio found the sword lying propped up against the wall in a corner behind the door. He picked it up and drew the sword out of the scabbard. The words on the blade were there.

“I can see,” Anatoli declared. “Thank you.”

“I did nothing.”

“You removed the curse from me. You must be the blade’s chosen bearer,” Anatoli gushed relief.

The woman on the bed sat up and looked at the men. “Are you boys finished talking? I am trying to sleep.”

“This is not your room. Get out.” Anatoli pointed out the door.

“You would think after the service I gave you, you would be grateful,” she muttered. She stepped off the bed and retrieved her robe from the floor and walked out of the room.

“This is your brothel?”

“For the moment, yes.”

“When did that happen?”

“After I said goodbye to Mother, I discovered how she earnt her money. She worked for the lowlife that ran this brothel.”

“So, you decided to become the lowlife?”

“Hey, none of my women are here because they are forced.”

“I am sure the last guy thought the same thing.”

“You have your sword. Now leave.” Anatoli pointed out the door again. “I am done with you for now. I will not forget what you have done to me. I swear that my family will repay yours in the future when I work out a way to make that sword mine.”

Tunio raised his hands and then walked out the door. He shut the door behind him and walked back through the women all eyeing him, descended the stairs, and walked to the door. Tunio approached Irrawella leaning against a building.

“I thought I would not see you again,” Tunio said.

“I wanted to test you,” she replied. She pushed off the wall and strode across the plaza to him.

“How did I do?” Tunio smiled at her.

“I don’t know. Did you get your father’s sword?”

“Yes,” Tunio said, brandishing his sword.

“Did it require any fighting?”

“No.”

Irrawella let out a breath. “I assume that your mission was successful.”

“Why did you come back?”

“I thought about what you said and what another friend said to me today.”

“What was that?”

“What she said doesn’t matter, what she imparted to me is that there might be people who mean what they say.”

“You doubted my reasons for coming here?”

She nodded.

“Oh.” Tunio turned and looked at the brothel building.

“I have never actually paid for a woman.”

“Why?”

“Never needed to.”

“Have you had much experience?”

“Enough that I don’t need to pay.”

Irrawella’s eyes fell.

“What’s the matter?” Have I hurt her?

Irrawella shook her head. “I am just a simple slave girl, it is nothing.”

“You are my friend, if it matters to you then it matters to me.”

“You wouldn’t be able to solve my problem anyway.

Tunio opened his mouth and then closed it. What does she want from me?

“Come. Let’s leave this area.”

Tunio followed her back to the main road and out of the brothel district. As they entered the market district,Tunio reached out and grabbed her hand.

She stopped and looked back at him.

“Are you hungry? I bet a slave doesn’t get a chance to eat out.”

She smiled at him. “On a festival day I can buy you lunch.”

“Where do you recommend?” He smiled at her.

“I know a great place.”

She pulled him down a side street that opened to a large open square. Many people had set up small fires and were cooking food. She wove through the open area and came to a seller who smiled at her. The seller was an older man with a day’s growth on his face and a red nose and long hair covering his ears. He wore a white apron over brown trousers and had a large pot belly. He had bread cooking on a stove over a small fire.

“Irrawella, you came again,” he smiled.

“Always. Your bread is better than anything else.” She smiled again.

“You brought a friend today.” He waved a hand that held a goblet. “Good for you. I was beginning to wonder if you had any special friends.”

“You are my special friend,” she replied.

He laughed. “You flatter an old man.” The man turned to Tunio. “I am Paulus.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tunio said, extending a hand to Paulus.

“A gentleman,” Paulus chuckled. He moved the spatula from his right hand, wiped it on his apron, and then gripped Tunio’s hand and gave it a quick pump before dropping it.

“Paulus, that is a strange name. Where did you get it from?” Tunio asked.

“My parent,” Paulus laughed. “I am an elf by birth, the name is elven.”

“One of my friends is an elf. She has green skin.”

“Yes, the skin paint is rather hard to get off. It took me years before I finally did get it off.”

“My mother was a dark elf and she had paint that wore off in a day. What is different with your paint?”

“My paint was made from the sap of the mother tree; it took a lot of effort to get it off.”

“Why would you want it off?”

“It makes me stand out. I found that I blend in a little better if people can’t tell I am different.” He bent over the stove and lifted two loaves of bread off the stove and placed them on the table.

Irrawella picked them up, wrapped them up in some cloth from the table, and handed one to Tunio.

“It was nice meeting you, Tunio,” Paulus said.

Irrawella tugged at Tunio’s arm. “Come. He doesn’t like to be reminded he is different.”

Tunio let Irrawella pull him away from Paulus.

“Your friend is an elf and has green skin?”

Tunio nodded.

“Eat quickly, it tastes better while still hot.”

Tunio took a bite. The hot bread was inviting and soft. He finished off his bread in quick fashion. “That was delicious, can we get more?”

“Not really. It would be considered bad form to get seconds from the same vendor.”

“What do you mean?”

“One of the great benefits of a festival day is the free food, it allows food sellers to showcase their food. Offering their food for free, they can attract new buyers after the festival.”

***

Anatoli sat on his bed with his face in his hands and cried. He had come so close to having a memento of his father; it was the sword itself that rebelled against him. That sword should have been his. Maybe if I find the real belt, I can take something that was meant for him and make it mine.

A knock on the door made him sit up.

“Enter,” he called, wiping his face of tears.

Suzan entered the room. The scent of jasmine and lavender wafted in with her.

“Suzan, that man, how did he find me?”

“I am not sure,” she muttered.

“Has Ingirid returned?” He stood and turned. He saw Suzan for the first time. She was plain, her face round and soft, her nose flat and her lips thin. Her body lacked many of the curves that the women who worked for him took for granted. Her dirty blonde hair was tied back with a grey ribbon behind her head. She wore a silk robe of purple tied at the front with a blue sash.

“The girl I sent has not returned. I think that the festival distracted her.”

Anatoli nodded, walked to the cupboard, and pulled out green trousers and a green tunic.

“Ingirid and the girl will return, if not today then tomorrow.”

“That man who came took my sword.”

“I saw.”

“The sword was something different. It was power beyond that of a normal sword.”

“What are you proposing?”

“I need to find out why the sword blinded me and not him.”

“I can help you but not today. Today is the Moon Festival, tomorrow everyone will be more willing to divulge information.”

“How many girls went outside today?”

“It is a festival; everyone normally has the day off.”

“Why are you helping me?” he asked pulling her closer.

“I love you, not like Ingirid does. I am more competent than she is; I will prove it.”