My eyes were met by the harsh judgement of the afternoon glare. I felt more than a pang of guilt over the length of time it'd taken for us to vacate the inn, not only for the hassle it'd undoubtedly have caused the innkeeper, but also the unnecessary complications it now caused for my party's travelling plans.
Our next destination would be the Freehaven of Blackrose, the infamous port named after the corsair's ship that first landed there. Seen as invaders and raiders rather than stricken seafarers, the crew of the Blackrose found themselves quickly surrounded by hostile inhabitants in what was then a young and fragile kingdom. But rather than pillage their way back to a working ship, they eyed another opportunity. Swearing their fealty to the local lord, the glittering Blackrose became their base of operations.
An adventurer's hub. A smuggler's refuge. A gambling den. And the largest red light district outside of the capital.
It was both a luxury resort for the wealthy and a safe haven for the corrupt, with rich and poor sharing the same streets and all the violence that this entailed. But where there was violence, there was also spilled purses. And those willing to pay for them back.
I doubted if our time in Blackrose would be glamorous. It didn't have to be. It was an ends to a means. But the aversion of most ordained heroes to set foot there would mean there would likely be opportunity to help people genuinely in need.
In the end, we'd take what we could. Coin was not the end goal, but no heroes ever defeated a Demon King on charity alone.
As much as towns like Coral endeared itself to us, we were ultimately surplus to the Royal Army, and our pay reflected that. As a Freehaven, Blackrose employed its own militia, and the eyes of the Blackrose Watch were known to see only what they were explicitly paid to.
My decision was agreed with little fuss, although I hadn't expected any arguments from my companions over it. They trusted my judgement over where and how best our services could be utilised. It was both a relief and a burden. One weight sliding off and another dropping back on. But we were past clearing taverns of drunken layabouts. We'd defeated a Demon of Lust. And while the enemy's minions were unlikely to be raiding so far south, we'd undoubtedly be fighting demons of another kind there.
"There been a plague or what?" said Magnus, eyeing the market stalls around us with an unimpressed look. "Everything left looks so cheap it makes my eyes water."
Iris pursed her lips, looking offended on behalf of every honest merchant still peddling their wares at this time.
"Coral is a small town," she said. "The hours for the merchants to conduct business are limited, particularly as many travel directly to the nearby villages for trade. If you wish to purchase anything, it needs to be now and whatever's available. We're behind schedule as it is."
"Nothing's available," he grunted.
"It's past midday. Significantly past midday. If you cared about perusing the wares in the market, you would have woken up with the rest of the town."
The man raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely slighted for a change.
"How the fuck was I meant to wake up earlier? Earlier I was–"
"Your complaints won't bring the trinkets back to the stalls. If you wanted to buy souvenirs for your time here, you should have done so any time during our stay."
Magnus shrugged.
"Couldn't."
"And why ever not?"
"Didn't know which whore I wanted to leave a gift for until now."
Iris's mouth fell open, her arms dangling by her sides. The look on her face dared him to continue.
Naturally, he obliged.
"What?" said Magnus, holding his hands out in mock innocence. "You think I'm buying one for everyone? Only Cindy was worth the time. Or maybe Bella. Not as good, but she didn't charge by the minute for going over."
Iris, to her credit, recovered quickly. Or as much as putting her hands over her face looked like recovering.
"I cannot believe you purchase … leaving gifts for your nightly associates."
"Why not? Whores work hard. Especially Renne, now that I think about it. Yeah, she should get something. Didn't even know it was possible for someone to bend that way. Not gonna say it felt amazing, but it was definitely new."
"You've barely stumbled out of bed," said Iris, lowering her hands to reveal her distaste. "How do you manage to still be so filthy?"
Magnus chuckled. He probably could say any number of things to that. Not least of which is that no matter how filthy Magnus was in the morning, he wasn't alone in it.
Immediately, I struggled to fight back against the flush of heat within me as I pictured Iris's figure in the morning light of Magnus's window, and what she did beneath it.
"The company I keep," Magnus opted to say, then grinned as he proceeded to place a hand on my shoulder. "Ain't that right, leader?"
I brushed his hand from my shoulder, though not without effort.
"Don't make me out to be your bad influence," I said. "The first time time I met you was in a … nightly associate's house."
Magnus laughed as the memories of that terrible, terrible night came back to him. I still only remembered half of it. And that's the way I liked it.
Especially as he looked oddly nostalgic. That was worrying.
"Yeah, you got me there. But you ever tell Iris why you were there, too?"
I made sure the look I wore said I didn't appreciate an obvious attempt to throw me under.
"She knows the story," I answered simply.
"I know the story," she also replied, clearing wishing she didn't. "In any event, I am not disagreeing with the notion of providing additional dues for services rendered, but please do not discuss your debauchery where innocents can hear."
Magnus looked pointedly at Iris. It was impossible to miss the meaning behind his fixed stare.
"Yeah, don't see anyone innocent here."
Iris dismissively flicked her long, golden hair over her shoulders, then proceeded to completely ignore what he said by turning to me instead. Her smile bloomed as her expression immediately softened.
"Did the oaf say something?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey. "I think my ears have become deafened from the sound of him belligerently throwing coins at every nightly associate to enter his vision."
Apparently, 'nightly associate' is what we were going to call whores from now on.
I smiled ruefully. As usual, I was seized without hesitation and thrown between these two. Not that I minded. It was part of our back and forth, and one of the reasons we somehow managed to function as a party.
"Jealous, huh?" said Magnus, enjoying the flames he fanned. "Well, don't have much, but I suppose I can spare you something. Go on, pick something here and I'll–"
And so came the response.
Iris's hand clenched into a small fist, then landed with an audible thud against Magnus's abdomen.
Against any normal person, a strike by the Sword Princess would have knocked them clean off their feet and counting the stars. But against Magnus and his hardened body, it was as effectual as punching a brick wall.
Still, the message was delivered all the same.
It's just a shame that Magnus wasn't inclined to read his mail.
"Of course, if you don't want me spending my coin on whores, you're going to have to offer me a cheaper way to spend my time."
For a heartbeat of a second, I didn't know whether to expect a flicker of light magic to form in Iris's hands, doing what physical strength couldn't.
It was an obvious bait by Magnus. He knew the two of us felt uncomfortable when he started alluding to things … although the discomfort I felt was almost certain to be different to the type Iris did.
Which is why, when Iris uncurled her fist and instead allowed her palm rest to softly against Magnus's stomach, all I could feel was shock. Her fingertips gently raked against where his clothes were sticking to his muscles, as though admiring the chiselled strength.
Iris wore a beautiful smile, her eyes narrowing playfully.
I felt my breath get taken away.
Suddenly, it wasn't the Sword Princess beside us. It was the girl who'd spent the morning and night in this other man's bed. Even Magnus was stunned, his smile giving way to blank confusion. He knew this look better than anyone.
Maybe even me.
"Oh?" she said, her husky voice barely audible in the busy market, yet clear in my disbelieving ears. "I believe I can assist with that."
Magnus's disgusting grin came back in full. His eyes immediately flickered without pretence from Iris's glossy lips to the bust that her tunic failed to hide. Everything else was utterly forgotten.
"Yeah? What do you have in mind?"
Iris leaned closer, fingertips digging into Magnus's dark shirt and eyelashes fluttering in the sunlight.
All of a sudden, I was aware of the rapid beating of my heart.
It was impossible. Somewhere, mixed with my disbelief, was a spike of jealousy too severe to comprehend. Try as I might, I couldn't stop the reaction below any more than I could the sudden dryness in my mouth.
I was seeing it for the first time in the flesh. Iris with her eyes fixed on someone other than me. That sultry smile reserved exclusively for someone she enjoyed pleasing.
A smile for me. And now for Magnus.
"It's a simple offer," she said, leaning close enough for her scent to reach the other man. "Something if you don't feel like spending coin. It's not necessary to take it."
Magnus bit his lip, looking lecherously over the girl casually going over the muscles of his abdomen.
"Got a feeling I will," he replied easily.
Iris gave a wink.
The same wink that Magnus claimed he hated. And yet the sudden intake of breath told me it wasn't something he objected to entirely.
"Then, the next time you desire to spend above your means, come to me, and I will happily beat Deinz Falgord's The Economics of Adventuring, 2nd edition over your oafish head, until the simple mathematics of being unable to afford tossing away coins you do not possess sinks into your misbegotten brain."
Magnus blinked.
"Hm?"
Iris brusquely leaned away, but not before the same hand that had been gently caressing his stomach now roughly flicked at a piece of fluff that'd also gotten on his shirt. She then fixed her hair, a tiny glance my direction allowing me to catch a glimpse of her smile.
Suddenly, I was breathing again. And I realised yet again how amazing Iris was.
After all, how many girls could toy so easily with not one, but two guys at the same time?