Chapter 199 – Floor 25: Part 1
Floor 25 – Blood and Neon in the Crimson Quarter.
The famed ‘Crimson Quarter’ of Harborview, where sailors and traders from all over the continent would stop to visit the many Taverns, Restaurants and Brothels of the Boardwalk Promenade. A place where the alcohol flows freely, the foods is heavenly and women as lovely as the moon.
Recently, Harborview has encountered a problem. Men have been found dead each morning, whether in their beds or lying face down in the alley come sunrise. Fingers have been pointed at the five Brothels of the Crimson Quarter and there is plenty of accusations being levied.
An investigation has led to no suspects and no answer, leading the detectives to suspect a more supernatural cause.
The god of Ubiquitous Transaction, Patron of the Crimson Quarter, has procured your services to investigate the culprit. A succubus has concealed herself amongst the courtesans.
Goal: Find the culprit amongst the Five Brothels of the Crimson Quarter and eliminate it.
Reward: Word of Power: Shield
Form a barrier of Celestial Energy around you, protecting you from most mundane attacks. More focused, magical or enhanced attacks will require direct intervention from the Speaker, timed at the moment of impact.
Page Break
“Gods damn it Jorin, how many times have I told you not to blow smoke in my face! Stand downwind if you’re going to smoke.”
“You know, Mira, you were so much easier to be around before you quit. Now you’re nothing but a ball of stress. You need to learn how to relax or you’re going to have a heart attack.” Jorin responded, his lips still wrapped around the cigarette in his mouth.
“What I need is for this guy to show up already. Six murders in as many nights, and I don’t want to make it seven.” Mira replied.
The pair were detectives assigned to the Crimson Quarter murders. So far, things had been pretty quiet with only a few people making the connection with the Brothels. Most blamed drugs for the deaths, but the more bodies they found, they more this thing would blow up.
Jorin reached up and pulled the cigarette from his mouth and gave it a flick to remove the ash from the end.
Tall and grizzled, he was a veteran detective who had been on the force for decades. With a permanent five o’clock shadow, a creased shirt with necktie askew and a long trench coat that had seen as many years of service as he had, Jorin Blackwood was a legend.
His partner, on the other hand, was nearly the exact opposite. Mira Kincaid was short, impeccably dressed and severe. Her hair was pulled tightly into a bun, which was as tightly wound as the woman’s nerves.
Where Jorin relied on intuition and ‘gut feelings,’ Mira did everything by the book.
The pair were waiting on the edge of the Crimson Quarter, near the entrance by the docks. The wooden promenade was already filling with people, foreigners and locals alike. Harborview was one of the busiest towns on the eastern seaboard, a trader’s paradise that connected the United Territories to Europa.
The neon lights were already burning brightly, driving away the creeping darkness of twilight. The water had gone from a bright blue to an inky black, its presence only known by the lapping waves hitting the wharf.
The Crimson Quarter brought in nearly as much money in tax revenue as the docks themselves, and the higher ups didn’t want anything disrupting that. Death and murder were bad for business, and they had been pressuring Jorin and Mira to catch the culprit as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the pair had zero leads.
Each of the victims had been regulars at all the Brothels, not to mention the copious bars and taverns. For liberal users of opiates and narcotics, it was difficult to narrow down what exactly killed them. The coroner had listed organ failure and heart attacks, but it didn’t match the ages or physical conditions of the victims.
Young men didn’t just go around dying in alleys and in their beds for no reason.
“What do you know about this guy, anyway?” Mira asked as she pulled her black coat tighter around her. There was a chill in the air as the sun set, an indication that summer was ending and fall would be arriving soon.
“Nothing. But I know the type. Mystic, experts on the occult and the supernatural. I had dealings with them in the past. You better watch yourself, they’re all eccentric and don’t take kindly to questions.” Jorin replied.
Finishing his smoke, Jorin flicked the butt into the water.
“From that thing a few years ago? I heard some rumours about it.” Mira inquired, curious about why Jorin had to work with a Mystic.
“Yeah, it wasn’t pretty. Boat came into the harbour, no one on board. Searched it from stem to stern, and we couldn’t find a single clue as to what happened. It looked like the whole crew just up and left it to drift.”
“It wasn’t until the replacement crew started going missing that we knew something wasn’t right.” Jorin explained as he pulled another cigarette out of the case in his pocket and lit it.
“What was the cause?” Mira asked curiously, absent mindedly waving off the smoke that drifted her way.
“I’m not sure. The Mystic went in for a while and we all pulled back and let her do her work. She came out covered in blood and told us it was safe. That was it.” Jorin replied with a shrug of his shoulder, as if he didn’t care to learn the cause.
“How do you even know she did anything?” Mira questioned, and Jorin cocked his head to the side and looked at her.
“No one else went missing after that. Case closed, and everyone was happy. Hold on, here’s our guy.” Jorin said as he placed the cigarette back in his mouth and gestured to the end of the street, where someone was walking slowly toward them.
It was a young man in jeans and a black jacket. He walked with a pronounced limp in his right leg, practically dragging it down the street. There was something about him that unsettled Mira, an insight from her years of police work.
This young man was incredibly dangerous.
“That’s him.” Jorin said, and Mira turned to look at him.
“How can you tell?” Neither of the detectives had been informed of the Mystics identity, only that someone would meet them in the Crimson Quarter shortly.
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“He has that same look as the other Mystic I met.” Jorin replied. He was unwilling to go into further explanation as he walked forward and stopped in front of the young man. The Mystic's eyes locked onto Jorin’s, and the detective felt a shiver go down his spine.
There was something unsettling about Mystics, as if they were barely human.
“I’m here to meet some detectives. Are you them?” The young man asked. Jorin nodded and then proceeded to introduce himself and Mira.
“I’m Mathew. The Tower sent me. I heard you have a succubus in one of the Brothels?” Mathew said, sticking out his hand to shake both of theirs, starting with Jorin.
“The Tower?” Mira asked. Her voice overlapped with Jorin as he said, “Succubus?”
“The Tower is where the Mystics come from.” Jorin explained to Mira before Mathew continued.
“Yeah, I don’t know much about what a Succubus is. I’ve read that it’s a demon in human form that feeds on its lovers. I suppose a Brothel is the perfect spot for one.” Mathew explained nonchalantly, as if talking about demons were everyday occurrences.
Perhaps it was for the young man. Mira hadn’t heard a single thing about Mystics or the Tower before tonight, their briefing with the chief of police having just said that an expert would be arriving soon to assist them with the investigation.
“Do you want to get started?” Mathew asked the detectives. He thought it was better to have the pair show him around first before trying to find the succubus. They led him into the Crimson Quarter, but Mira was disappointed to see Mathew not react to the sights around him.
There were entertainment establishments everywhere. People performed on the streets, while others were advertising their services. There were scantly clad women walking in pairs, with only the burning braziers and heating lamps keeping them warm in the cold.
While they walked, Mathew’s eyes scanned the crowd like someone expecting to be attacked at any moment.
“Why don’t you tell me about the Brothels?” Mathew asked.
“Well, we didn’t know that they were the source of the problems. A lot of people get into trouble here, especially if they go looking for it. Each of the victims were regulars at the Big Five, but they were also drug addicts and drunks. You’re sure it was a demon that did this?” Mira asked, her voice going soft at the word ‘demon’ so that no one around them could hear.
“Yeah, the Tower doesn’t lie about things like that. If it says it’s a demon, then that’s what it is. We can ignore everywhere else apart from the Brothels.” Mathew explained. Mira was about to argue when Jorin shook his head.
“It’s just like last time. If the Mystic says it's in the Brothel, that’s where we look.” Jorin interjected, and Mira reluctantly nodded.
“Fine. What do you want to know about them?” Mira asked before giving a brief rundown of each.
The Gilded Lily was the most luxurious of the five, catering to those who sought high-class entertainment. They hired only the most beautiful and sophisticated ladies for their guests pleasure.
“Alright, cream of the crop type of place. Got it.” Mathew responded, to which Jiran added.
“That one will be the most trouble to investigate; Madame is well connected.”
Mathew seemed unconcerned about it, indicating to Mira that she should continue her explanation.
The Sapphire Veil valued their client's discretion to the point that everyone, even the staff, was required to wear masks inside. It was said that they would die before revealing their guest's identity.
“That’s a good place to start.” Mathew said.
The Moonshadow Lounge was the premier entertainment venue, having theatre performances every night along with the finest musicians in the country.
The Whispering Rose valued romantic encounters and a relaxing atmosphere. It combined a Brothel with a spa and promised to leave its guests relaxed beyond measure when they left.
Finally, there was The Amber Elysium. It appealed to those looking for the exotic. Foreign beauties, wines and food.
“We’ll start with the Veil place first. Sounds perfect for a demon looking to feed discretely. Were any of the victims high class or have a lot of money?” Mathew asked, and Mira shook her head.
“Not especially. Several were above average, and you have to visit the Brothels every night, but none of them were extremely wealthy.”
“Then we can rule out the rich place for now. After the Sapphire Veil, we’ll visit the Amber Elysium. It could be that our Demon is from far away and is taking advantage of a new location. If neither of those pan out, we’ll knock the rest off.” Mathew ordered.
The Sapphire Veil was a massive four-story structure that took up a large section of the Promenade. Masked and veiled guests enjoyed wine and food on the open balconies above while the detectives could hear the sound of conversation, laughter and music.
“The Madame here values discretion and only goes by Lady Fox.” Jorin warned as the trio entered. Immediately, the detectives attracted the attention of the staff. In only a few moments, an older woman wearing a blue dress and a white fox mask seductively sashayed towards them.
“Detectives. How may I assist you this evening.” Lady Fox said in a tone that said she was anything but pleased by their presence. She kept her voice soft, and her body blocked them from the guests behind her.
Limping forward, Mathew spoke.
“I need all your guests to leave. Have all your girls line up here; I want to talk to them all. Don’t try to leave anyone out, that will just make things harder and I don’t like wasting my time.”
Lady Fox froze for a moment at Mathew’s harsh tone, and the detectives could tell he had crossed a line with the Madame.
“How dare you! Do you understand the type of clientele I have here? I can have you-”
Mathew responded in an odd way. He slowly raised his hand and pointed at a statue behind her. It was of a nude woman, beautifully carved from marble, and, if Jorin was correct, depicted as Madame herself from her youth.
“Break.” The statue crumbled. It was as if whatever was holding the individual grains of stone inside it released their grip. Marble pieces spilled onto the ground as the detectives, the Madame and several of the guests watched in amazement.
“Gather the ladies and disperse your guests, or I’ll tear this whole godsdamned building apart.” Mathew threatened, his voice soft and filled with steel.
In short order, the Madame was hurrying guests out of the door while the Ladies of the Brothel gathered in the main floor. After only a few minutes, the doors to the Sapphire Veil were closed, and Madame breathlessly assured Mathew that no one was missing.
Mathew had a commanding presence despite the fact that he was standing in front of the finely dressed women who were all wearing masks of different animals or fantastical creatures or veils of different colours, and he was wearing jeans and a black jacket.
His voice echoed loudly off the walls as his boots crunched over the remains of the marble statue.
“I’m here to hunt a demon. A succubus that lives off the life energy of her victims, and I’m sure that she is hiding in one of the Brothels here.” Mathew explained, his eyes scanning over the crowd.
“Excuse me, Mathew. Perhaps we should separate them and ask them some questions while Jorin searches the premises?” Mira asked, referring to the procedure they would normally use for their investigations.
Mathew looked over to her and smiled.
“Normally, that would be perfect. But I have a better way. I’m going to say a single word to these Ladies, and if the demon is here, we’ll know.” Mathew assured them. Turning back to the gathered women, Mathew raised his hand as he had done before and spoke.
“Fear”
The air thrummed with a strange power, and an unearthly wail erupted from all directions. Everyone gathered saw the young man in front of them shift and morph. He grew taller, his skin reddened, and two large, batlike wings burst from his shoulder blades. Horns grew from his forehead, and a baleful aura exploded from him.
Mathew had transformed into a devil.
There were screams and cries as people began to run in every direction, desperate to leave. Mira felt her legs give out, and she collapsed onto the ground while Jorin began fumbling for his gun, his nervous fingers unable to grip the weapon to draw it from its holster.
“Ah, there you are.” The Devilish Mathew said, his voice malevolent, and fire spilled from his lips. His eyes were locked on a single, beautiful woman who seemed to be unaffected by him. She was standing and staring at him in hatred.
Not waiting, Mathew raised a hand that had turned into a cloven hoof in Mira’s eyes and pointed it at the Succubus.
“Burst.”
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“How did you do that?” Mira asked as the trio were outside in the fresh night air. She had recovered a bit from the terror Mathew had inspired in her.
The Succubus was dead; its head exploded in a geyser of blood and flesh. With her death, Mathew had reverted to his original form as if nothing had happened.
“Do what?” Mathew asked as he took a bite of a hotdog he had Jorin buy from a nearby vendor. Washing it down with a soda, the young man looked nothing like the devil they had just witnessed.
“Transform! Is that your true body?! Are you a demon!?” Mira asked, her voice breathless and hoarse. Mathew laughed loudly at the comment.
“Transform? No, I didn’t transform. That Word of Power just makes you see something terrifying. If I could transform into a giant demon, do you think I would have bothered even talking to that Madame? I would have just marched in and scared the hell out of everyone.” Mathew explained.
Finishing his hot dog and soda, he threw the trash in a bin and stood up.
“Well, it’s been fun. Both of you take care.”
And with that, he disappeared in a flash of light. The detectives looked at where he had just been before Jorin spoke.
“You’re good with doing the paperwork, right?”