One Mesmerizing Performance

The usual calm reigned in the tavern during dusk. Balt kept on singing his medley that functioned nothing more than background music to the insectoids.

"You are interrupting my work. Our meeting time is not until midnight, is it not? I don't need you here." Yazmin bared the displeasure in her tone.

Althea chuckled as she sipped a sweet wine from her mug, "Please, we both know what your real work is. I am here to make sure you won't do anything sketchy."

Since no one spoke common, the two were free to discuss out loud their plans even as they were surrounded by the insectoids.

"I am an assassin, not a thug you need to surveil. Do you think I would do anything that would implicate my mission?"

An ominous hiss from Yazmin against Althea's haughty grin. There was once again tension brewing between the two women.

"See, you're being so defensive for someone claiming she isn't up to no good." Althea swayed her hair to the side, shooting the Gorgon a condemning glare

"I am up to no good but that is a different matter than this! What you fail to understand is am not just an assassin. Dancing is a hobby of mine and you being here sucks the fun out of it."

With luck, Yazmin would land becoming a dancer as part of her cover during a mission. It helps her blend in better since she is as adept in moving her hips as she is deadly with her knives.

Althea does not want to be here either, but her strong sense of duty egged to keep a watchful eye on the Gorgon. All stemming from being her father's unofficial right hand, poised to one day replace her father as the Guild Master of Elaria.

Others can try to compete for the position since the members still needed to vote, but with how popular she is and how undeniably strong she is as a spell blade, her future position as her father's replacement is almost indisputable.

"Wow, you're really hurting my feelings over here." Althea nonchalantly replied.

"Hurting your feelings!? You cut off my hand before! Druids are rare in Warija, it was very expensive to find one and grow them back!"

"You still can't let that go? It's been over a year."

Let it go? How insufferable! If Yazmin wasn't a performer at this tavern, Yazmin would have long walked away from the woman.

In anger, Yazmin averted her gaze, looking to the side as she lets her head cool off.

"Why?" Her tone now calm, Yazmin questioned.

"Why what?"

"Why did you spare me that day?"

Yazmin did try to take the Althea's life, it was only fair for Althea to the same. And since she underestimated the spell blade's agility, the price the Gorgon paid for such blunder was her hand along with her throat being almost slit open. If it wasn't for Althea's merch she would no longer be here to enjoy this hobby of hers.

A sincere question, it would be appropriate for Althea to a answer it with the same sincerity.

"To be honest, I don't like senseless killing. And besides, I found you interesting."

Interesting. It was the only word Althea would describe snakes and her strange fascination for them. Perhaps it was due to her father's strange affinity with them?

Interesting. It was a word that confused Yazmin. She knew that engaging in the relationship with the same sex is not outlawed in Elaria like it is in Warija, but Yazmin never thought that the spell blade would look at her that way.

"Wait a minute." Yazmin suspiciously hissed. "Are you...are you trying to hit on me?"

Althea almost choked on her wine, "Where the hell did you get that idea!?"

"You just called me interesting."

But before Althea could clear up the misunderstanding. The bard's voice called out...

"Paging the stunning Miss Zisha, your presence is needed on stage. It's time to regale us with your dance."

+++

(Music : Irina Akulenko - Justice Bellydance)

All eyes were on Yazmin, such undivided attention is what dancers craved for.

Balt's lute struck a fierce and passionate rhythm, a prelude to the same energy that Yazmin was about to bring.

Now in the zone, Yazmin raised both of her hands up high as if praying to her deity. As the lute's rhythm heightened, Yazmin's hips shimmied to the beat while her praying hands descended. Her red skirt flowing with temptation with every movement.

Yazmin's arms seperated and now laid to side, they snaked with a motion smoother than the waves on an ocean's surface.

Mesmerized, Althea couldn't peel her eyes off the Gorgon's performance. Yazmin's hips, swaying to perfection while her stomach undulated. Her spin, graceful and natural do to her as she was carried by her tail.

For some reason, Althea's heart was trying to match the intense rhythm of the music, as if it wanted to dance together with the woman on stage.

In the stunned crowd that existed to feed her zeal to dance, one stuck out.

Althea.

Hatred and respect was that Yazmin held in heart for the woman. Yet at this moment the former was evaporated by the heat of passion while the latter was replaced with curiosity. What could this spell blade mean by 'interesting'?

Yazmin got off the stage, still continuing the seductive sway of her hips while she waded through the tables on her way to her target.

Lost in the moment, Yazmin's massive coils knocked the table down to give room for her off-stage performance.

Even as Althea felt powerless under Yazmin's golden slit eyes, like a snake-bitten mouse waiting to be devoured, she was still able to voice how dumbfounded she was.

"Yazmin, what is the meaning of this!?"

"It means you should shut up and enjoy the show."

Yazmin's gargantuan tail slithered around the base of Althea's legs, Yazmin's curvy body ending up on Althea's lap.

It didn't matter that Yazmin's face was hidden behind a mask for this dance's purpose was to rouse Althea's ardor. A sultry performance to draw in Althea's heart into the palm of her hand. Frankly, Yazmin thinks she had already done so.

Suddenly, Althea found Yazmin's hands grasping hers, guiding them towards Yazmin's hips. Although reluctant, Althea's hands remained glued, relishing the alluring sway of Yazmin's hips.

The shaking of Yazmin's hips took on a more erotic turn as it moved in a lascivious humping rhythm, but still retaining the sensual grace of a dance.

At this point, Althea was now sweating chunks, her heart pounding like a war drum.

To end Yazmin's performance, her entire tail coiled around Althea, constricting Althea with Yazmin's powerful but gentle coils. Althea could feel Yazmin's tail muscles tighten under her light armor, her thoughts wandered how it would feel like to receive such a dangerous embrace with on her bare skin?

With one final chord from the bard, the dance ended with Althea bound around Yazmin, seemingly lost in each other's eyes.

The usual stoic crowd erupted into cheers, making the two find their way back into reality.

Yazmin undid her coil and seperated, bowing while receiving the ovation for her marvelous performance.

Meanwhile, Althea clutched her chest. The performance ending didn't help to calm her heart beating wildly.

That dance had just awoken something inside of Althea.