Bab 111: Sneaking Serpent
"We had a deal, remember?"
The voice of the Gorgon entered behind her ear.
Althea glanced at the bottle of liquor on the table.
They were almost halfway into it when she was tempted by the serpent.
Merely a casual encounter, a one night stand. But it was temptation so sweet that she let the said serpent cuddle her afterwards.
Althea grinned, one that Yazmin couldn't see for she was spooning the spell blade.
"Indeed, but we haven't even made it halfway through the bottle. Look "
"Well, if you didn't seduce me, maybe we would've emptied the bottle by now." Yazmin teased.
The Gorgon's playful timbre got an amused chuckled out of of Yazmin.
"Seduce you!? You're the one that's been hitting on me non-stop!"
"That may well be, but don't you think I deserve some kind of consolation?"
"A consolation for what?"
Yazmin smirked, "For fucking your brains out."
Wanting to rebut, Althea simply laughed. Althea grasped the Gorgon's hands wrapped around her belly.
What was there to lose? Althea had already laid with the Gorgon. Sharing the secret of her sickness could be considered another form intimacy, one rooted in trust. Althea will, but not without teasing the Gorgon first...
"Why do you want to know? If you admit that you can't get enough of me, I might consider telling you."
"You told me earlier that this is nothing more than a one-night stand, if you keep coming onto me like I might just end up courting you."
To make her point, Yazmin's fangs playfully sunk into Althea's bare shoulder. Injecting Althea with a venomous affection.
Althea giggled.
Although she appreciated the flirtiness, their worlds are far apart. One was an assassin by trade, the other was primed to become Elaria's next Guild Master. Assuming Althea survives long enough, that is.
"Fine, I'll tell you." Althea's coy demeanor slowly vanished. "As far as I can remember, Selma has been treating me. Once a year, I always drop by to this city for my check up, followed by and injection up my arm."
"Injecting what?"
"Medicine. Or at least that's what Selma told me. She said I have an affliction that would deteriorate my body if left untreated. A disease on the genetic level. Funny thing is, it boosts my mana capacity, allowing me to cast lightning easily."
"What would happen if you stop your treatment?"
"It's easy enough to guess, I would die."
Moments later...
Before the sun rises, Yazmin used her nimbleness to manuver out of Althea's side.
Gazing at the spell blade one last time, the sleeping spell blade looked so serene, so innocent.
Yazmin even went as far to risk waking her up by her hand caressing Althea's cheek.
Althea's red lips tempted Yazmin for a kiss, but such action was reserved only for lovers. They might have shared a night so passionate, but Yazmin was merely using the spell blade as a pawn.
What Yazmin didn't expect was her willingness to disregard her piece. Could you imagine, an assassin unwilling to use all the tools at her disposal?
With Althea still sound asleep, Yazmin successfully sneaked out of their room.
+++
Yazmin wasn't sure if Melsa's lack of security was simply for show but she didn't dare complain for it made her job much easier.
Ditching her dancer's attire, Yazmin donned her vest and skirt that were teeming with daggers.
Using one of her special daggers and channeling her mana into it, the dagger's blade was heated up, allowing Yazmin to do a circular incision in one of the window's glass.
A hole large enough to fit Yazmin's allowed her to undo the window's lock from the inside, Yazmin entered and found herself to be in Melsa's gaudy living room.
Yazmin needed to act fast, the sun is going to rise soon, so too would the denizens of her mansion.
As soon as Yazmin was about to go up the stairs, a voice rung that froze Yazmin to her core.
"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up."
The 8 foot tall woman blocked the stairs, her relaxed posture belied her predatory nature.
Yazmin stood still, for she was now a serpent under the watchful gaze of a wolf.
"Vicious. The ingrate who abandoned the Guild Mistress." Yazmin drew the daggers in her vest, with one in each hands, she took her stance in anticipation of her foe's sudden movement.
"I'm not that much of an ingrate. Tell you what, I'll let you walk out of here alive if you promise to abandon this contract."
Yazmin chuckled, "I have a better offer, how about I claim your head along Melsa's?"
Suddenly, the alchemist made her appearance, standing alongside Vicious.
"This Gorgon is too full of herself. Put her in her place, Vicious."
"As you wish." Vicious smirked. Her clothes shredding as she took her transformation into a ten foot killing machine.
Yazmin cannot break a run for it, the moment she turned her back on such a deadly opponent, her life is automatically forfeit. She must make a stand here and now!
With animalistic fury, the werewolf snarled as she leapt, descending into the serpent down below.
Yazmin threw her knives, both aimed at the werewolf's head. Vicious' thick arms blocked the projectiles by pure muscle alone. Here the first oddity manifested as Yazmin observed how her daggers were spit out by Vicious' flesh, even healing instantly.
Strafing backwards, Yazmin managed to Evade Vicious' descending claw swipe.
A regenerator. How Vicious came across this ability was something Yazmin had now time to ponder. She must end Vicious now lest she gives Melsa time to flee.
Was it time to use Medusa's gift? No. Her skill as a rogue would suffice in taking down the behemoth in front of her.
As Vicious charged for another claw swipe, Yazmin used her agility to swiftly position behind Vicious. The Gorgon drew her superheated knives, its orange glowing edge was sharp enough to soundlessly cut through metal and glass like butter. Only used for infiltration, Yazmin was forced to make use of it if she wanted her plan to succeed
Using her powerful tail as a spring, Yazmin jumped to reach Vicious' neck. Her knives dug deep into Vicious' skin. With the masterful hands of an assassin, Yazmin rotated them to sever even bone.
In the blink of an eye, Vicious was decapitated. Her massive wolf head rolling onto the floor. With a thud, her body collapsed.
If Yazmin's mask weren't blocking her, she would have spat at the traitor's head. She could regenerate all she wanted, but it's a universal truth that decapitation meant certain death.
Yazmin's gaze returned to the alchemist up above. Something's wrong, how can she remain unfazed at the face of death? Why wasn't she making a break for it now that her werewolf companion is dead?
Maybe it was simply the bravado of a dying person, then by all means, Yazmin would let Melsa depart to the afterlife with haste.
Yazmin started to go up the stairs. The Gorgon hasn't even gone past a quarter of it before her snake hairs all hissed in surprise, making a frightful chill run down Yazmin's spine.
Not time to ponder, Yazmin drew daggers once more, spinning around only to find a werewolf's colossal hand grabbing her face.
With a single throw, Vicious was able to chug Yazmin as if the serpent was weighed no more than feathers, crashing Yazmin into the living room wall. A throw so fervid that it rumbled throughout the entire mansion, and even forming a crater on the wall!
Yazmin's body was hurting all over as she struggled on the floor. Soon, Melsa and Vicious were on top of her.
Was this how her life is supposed to end?
+++
As soon Althea woke up, the one thing sheee immediately noticed was the lack of a Gorgon by her side.
Clothing herself, she rushed outside to find Pelka tending to her kids.
"Ah, Althea, you're awake. Khazan already headed for the hive. But you and your companion can feel free to stay and have breakfast with us."
"My companion, have you seen her leave?"
"Leave, what do you mean? You two shared a room, did you not?"
Althea heaved in anger, even inwardly cursing the serpent that snuck away, likely to confront Melsa and Vicious alone.
(Yazmin, you idiot!)
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone