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As with larger towns and great cities, there are many types of people that gather. Most people who work hard want to be able to relax and there are about as many ways to do that as there are people in the city. Of course, there is always that one part of town that will do its best to lure in anyone that is willing to look towards it. The most modest, of course, tend to shy away, but even they turn a blind eye towards the happenings in those areas, even if it is legal. Holom City, an industrious capital city, is one of those cities.Holom City has been in a state of flux for a number of years. After the death of the king and queen, their advisers had been doing their best to keep the status quo for when the only princess of the country would be of proper age to assume the throne as the rightful queen. However, even that was still a few years away. On the surface, it didn't much matter to most of the people. Their lives hadn't been impacted much and it gave them all something to look forward to since the princess had been kept from the public view for her entire life. Many liked to tell stories and others fantasized about how she might look, but overall, the daily life of the citizens of Holom was the same for everyone. But for the few advisors keeping the country going, many had become corrupt and were finding more and more ways to fill their pockets with the nation's wealth. Where else would they find the best money but the legal, yet not quite savory activities?The "black district" as it has been sometimes called, as those businesses were always keeping their accounting ledgers in the black, started as a narrow alleyway in the eastern part of Holom City. It wasn't far from the lower income homes in the south but far enough from the wealthiest nobles in the north to keep them out of suspicion. The homes on this alley were small and if you entered one, you would find a different activity in each room of each house. There were card games, games of chance, and plenty of women and men willing to satisfy anyone's particular needs. It was an alley that everyone knew about but few managed to dare visit. As the years progressed, the narrow alleyway expanded to what was now an entire block where no one bothered to be discreet and shady low key buildings were becoming elaborately decorated and trying to stand out more than the neighbor's business.The clientele had an expectation of anonymity, although it was becoming well known that people close to and including the advisory staff were frequent visitors to the black district. What many of the people didn't notice or pay attention to was how they essentially owned it. Much of that area was owned by nobility and the rent gradually increased while the district expanded, making the owners even more profitable. But it wasn't just the nobility and the advisory staff that were frequent visitors. Both of the major religions had a number of ranking members as frequent visitors. It pleased a number of the relaxation houses, as there were often requests for a priest or priestess or some sort of church leader to aid in some of their clients' fantasies. Occasionally, the request was for a priest to encourage the god of fertility as a couple desperately tried to conceive a child.In the southwestern part of Holom City, a decent sized office took requests for the Biyeho priests and priestesses. Most requests were fairly typical in nature. There were plenty of weddings and funerals to tend to, but requests from the black district were restricted to very few priests and priestesses and they were well aware of what those requests often entailed.Loke, a young, freshly appointed High Priestess was looking through the pile of requests that were for higher level and experienced priests when the receptionist let out a frustrated sigh. "Is something wrong?"The receptionist looked at Loke and paused for a moment. "No, nothing really. Just a cancellation, but we'll find someone to do the job, no problem."The other receptionist glanced at the job that another priestess had cancelled and paled, but did her best to smile and agree with her coworker. "It isn't a job you need to concern yourself over."For a moment, Loke shrugged it off and flipped through the request cards, but eventually she paused and went over to the desk. "What's the job, I'll do it. I'm not too proud to do menial tasks.""Really, you don't need to worry about it." The first receptionist was getting even more worried and nervous.Loke reached over the desk and grabbed the card. She looked it over and smiled. "An offering for the god of fertility? I used to do those all the time for newly pledged couples. This shouldn't be a problem." She pocketed the card and started towards the door."We need to stop her and tell her," the second receptionist pleaded to the first one."You tell her. She agreed to it. And it isn't like the other high priests don't take these jobs sometimes."On the way to the job, Loke started to feel uneasy. She hadn't been to this particular area of the city often, though she had heard plenty of things about it. When she read the address earlier, she didn't realize it was in the center of the black district. The address led to a brightly lit and had extremely gaudy decorations outside of the entrance. She stood nervously at the front desk, her ceremonial supplies and clothing in a bag that hung at her side."I can't say that I've seen you here before. First time?"Loke blinked at the receptionist briefly, then shook her head and greeted him formally. "It's my first time here, yes. I'm actually supposed to meet a couple here. This is their request." She handed the card to the receptionist.After reading the card, he grinned and stepped out from behind the desk. "They have been here quite regularly to try and conceive. They have yet to arrive, but I can show you to the room we have reserved for them."Loke did her best to not look around as she was led up a flight of stairs. When she did peer at her surroundings, she wasn't sure what it was, but it made her incredibly uncomfortable. Inside the room, it had no windows and once the receptionist lit them, there were only a few candles to keep it from being pitch black. He showed her to a side room that was set up for cleaning oneself and before he left, she swore she saw him grin as he wished her luck. It was a grin that made her feel the most uncomfortable.It wasn't long before Loke heard the door open once again. She had started to set up her portable set up and was quick to her feet to greet the couple. "It's a pleasure to try and help you today. I'm High Priestess L---"She was cut off abruptly by the man. "We don't want to know. We just want you to do what you need to do while we try and make this baby."Many thoughts rushed through Loke's mind while she tried to understand the situation and without consciously thinking about it, she muttered her thoughts. "…while trying… so, that means…. As they…"The woman tried to offer a smile. "Yes, we would like you to perform the ceremony for us while we make love. Is that a problem?""We're not going to ask you to participate. We already tried that route." The man was starting to become disappointed at this supposed high priestess and her not understanding of the situation. Why else would they even be at a place like this?I'm a high priestess. I have to be able to do something like this. Right? It was all Loke could think of to try and push an answer out of herself. "I will do my best to compel the gods to listen to your request." She bowed gently but her eyes were wide open with the terror of not knowing what she was getting involved in."Great!" the woman clapped her hands together. "You can set up your little table thing next to the mat, since over here is way too far away. And save the best part of the ritual for his climax, won't you?"Loke had been blissfully unaware of the activities of man and woman beyond what she had read, and everything had been quite mechanical in description. She understood the concepts and mechanisms, but having the entire scene playing in front of her caused her body to be hot, yet prickly cold at the same time. She swallowed a lot of pride that night as she waited for them to tell her when to begin.She could still hear them from the cleaning room as she washed the oils from her hands and changed back into her regular clothing. It was an incredibly private event, why would they want someone in the room, and so close at the same time. She stared at the hands that she hoped would help bring fertility to the woman, but she could still feel the woman's body as it moved from her husband's thrusts. She shook her head and scrubbed her hands again as she quickly packed up and slipped out of the room.The receptionist tried to address her as she rushed towards the entrance to get home as fast as possible. She wanted nothing to do with district ever again. It was certainly no place for a priestess, and certainly not one of her age. She was nearly sprinting when she realized she was at the corner of her block and she leaned against the side of business that had closed down and for now, nothing was in it, so she didn't care that she was using it to catch her breath. She stared at her hands once again until a voice pulled her out of her daze."Priestess, it was you! Did something happen?" It was the second receptionist from the office.Loke was too tired mentally and physically to get angry. But that didn't mean she couldn't be irritated. "Did you know about that request? What it entailed?"The receptionist glanced away without a word at first, but before Loke could ask again, she spoke up. "I wanted to tell you. I'm still in training, so I asked my supervisor, but she said that it's well known what goes on in that area, so if you were fine with it, then it wasn't anything to worry about. She said only certain priests take those requests, but I never saw you take one like that before."Loke had no idea they were getting requests along those lines. "Are these common?"The receptionist shrugged. "I guess? I mean, there's a whole folder for those. And many of them actually ask for the priest to get involved.""The guy mentioned something like that. He started to touch my hair at one point, but the woman pulled his hand away from me." Loke slid down the wall and leaned against the building while seated. "This is a terrible line of requests and I don't see how any of it is relevant to asking for blessings and I don't even know what people are offering here." She was mostly struggling with the evening's activities to herself."I'm really sorry, priestess. I'll make sure you don't get anything from that file again and I'll properly talk to my trainers. I am really sorry this happened to you. If I may, can I ask how old you are?"It didn't ever bother Loke to give her age. She was used to people being surprised she was at her level at her age, but it didn't really bother her much. "Sixteen.""Sixteen! Are you kidding?!""No, not at all.""I thought you were at least nineteen. My apologies! I have a daughter about your age! If I would have realized you were her age, I would have pushed even harder for answers. It would mortify me to send my daughter to the black district for any reason! I'm so sorry priestess!"Loke took a good look at the woman. She wondered if her mother would look similar to her if she were still alive. She was so young when she last saw her parents, she sometimes worried she would forget their faces. "What's done is done. I just want to forget all of this even happened. In regards to tonight's job, I guess if I was so desperate to conceive, I can't rule out doing something outside the norm."The receptionist never really thought about it before, but she couldn't help but ask. "Can priestesses have families of their own?""Sure. Not many do, as there's a lot of work for us, so we don't often have the time to devote to a family, but there are some that retire or take on a lot less than usual. Occasionally a priest and a priestess will get together since they're aware of what the other is going through." While the receptionist processed her new education, Loke pulled herself up and dusted herself off. "I'm going home. I'll come pick up my fees tomorrow, but I'm taking the rest of the week off. If you could put that in the schedule book, I would appreciate it.""Of course!" The receptionist bowed deeply as Loke hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and walked down the street.