Bab 128: Divination
Under the guise of important Guild matters regarding the Grand Wizard's connection to the First Fallen cult, Althea and Yulia had secluded themselves in a private room upstairs.
Meanwhile, the two left at the tavern's table casually listened to the bard performing for the patrons.
"I still think we should have accompanied them." Yazmin said.
Trying to finish the rest of her wine, the statement that Magna heard made her head turn towards the masked Gorgon.
"I disagree. They made it perfectly clear that their discussion were strictly matters regarding their guild."
"Even so! Your remark about their closeness, has me worried."
Since an assassin needed to be knowledgeable about their targets, understanding their racial advantage was crucial. Yazmin had read it before, Succubuses can discern how many, who, and what kind of people one had laid with. Yazmin once lauded such skill, it one possessed that ability, a femme fatale assassin's would be through the roof. Now, it was a skill that Yazmin cursed for planting thoughts of inadequacy, does Althea truly want the tiefling more than her?
"I have trust in Yulia. In the year that we have been together, not once had she been unfaithful." Magna praised her lover. It was the bare minimum for a relationship to work, but considering how Yulia like to get around before they met, Magna felt it was praiseworthy. "Spill it, what's the deal with you and miss indecisive?"
"Underneath her mask, Althea formed a bitter smile, "I like Althea, I really do, but I do feel like she's hesitating to be with an assassin like me. Although she had given me 7 days to court her, I'm not really sure if she truly wants me to. I'm not willing to give up who I am just to be with her."
Her skills as an assassin was something Yazmin honed throughout her life, a source of pride not only as a Warijan, but a personal one.
Feeling guilty that her teasing remark dented the Gorgon's confidence, Magna put her wine down for a talking straight from the heart.
"I am a prostitute and Yulia is a paladin. If she wasn't a skilled enforcer of Zariel, she would have been long kicked out because of her association with me."
"What's your point?"
"My point is that we don't always need to sacrifice who we are just to be with another, but we must make adjustments for our significant other if we want our relationship to work. If you want to be with Althea that badly, show it, woo her. Woo her enough that she would finally forget about Yulia." Magna laughed. "Do it for both our sakes."
Woo her? Is it that simple? Maybe it is, maybe Yazmin was simply overcomplicating things due to the fear of rejection.
Yazmin let out an audible giggle, "I was already planning on doing it. I wasn't going to let these 7 days pass without giving it my all but I appreciate the encouragement."
Now that Yazmin's mood was a bit chipper, Magna was ready to offer her specialty.
"While we await out significant others, how about we peer a bit into both of your futures?" Magna laid her tarot cards onto the table.
"Sure, what's there to lose."
Even if Yazmin did not dabble with magic, she could sense the powerful magical energy emanating from Magna's cards. What a powerful taromancer this succubus turned out to be.
Tarot readings are usually done multiple cards, each representing what avenue of a person's life one would like to gaze into. This reading however was simply done for fun, a peek into what awaits Yazmin and Althea.
After shuffling the deck of cards, Magna drew what was on top.
The card speaks to Magna, whispering inside of her consciousness and telling her of what fate awaits the Gorgon.
While Magna listened, Yazmin was a bit unnerved of the image in the card. It depicted someone of unknown humanoid race covered by nothing but bandages from head to toe, suspended by a chain around its ankle. What's even more unsettling was as if the image in the cared gazed deep into her soul.
"The Hanged Man." Magna spoke. "A tribulation will be laid upon you that will measure how much you care about Althea. The outcome of this trial will determine whether you shall have a future with her or not."
Well isn't that just vague generalizations? Yazmin would have pegged Magna for a conwoman, but the power radiating from her cards spoke truth.
"Could you be more specific about this trial?" Yazmin tried to squeeze more details.
"The details the cards give are more than enough, you will know once you are face to face with this tribulation. The cards offer glimpses, not solutions."
"Then I shall hold onto this information and prepare for this tribulation."
"As you should. Now then, let us divine Althea's fate."
The card Magna laid on the table was a womanly figure that wore a majestic black dress while wearing a crown of red flowers, her arms beckoning you for an embrace.The figure was elegant even with one facial features and only blank white eyes. It was as if her skin was the night sky above, twinkling with stars. Representing that she would be present as long as living being exist under the canopy of heavens.
The card laid brought out a different kind of unnerving reaction from Yazmin than the hanged man next to it. One that represented the fate that awaits us all. It was...
"Death."
Magna pronounced. The two locking eyes in dreadful astonishment.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"No, the cards never jest. This is..." Magna was downtrodden. "...this is the fate that awaits her."
Keeping her emotions in check, assuming the card spoke the truth, Yazmin asked the next logical course of action for them.
"The how do I circumvent this fate?"
"Odds are, your fates are entwined, the result of your tribulation shall determine whether Althea's can escape the judgement of the cards."
~~~~
As the couples separated ways.
Yazmin and Althea remained. Althea's back was up against a wall while Yazmin was in front of her.
Almost midnight, the quiet in the streets made the two feel more connected as their were rarely passers by. It was as if the entire street was theirs, awaiting for them to come clean with their feelings for one another.
"This Yulia, you like her, do you not?"
Not wanting to hurt the Gorgon, Althea avoided Yazmin's gaze.
The one you like versus the one who likes you. A dilemma that persisted since days of old. But it wasn't like Althea wasn't attracted to Yazmin, Althea's heart simply pined for the tiefling.
"I do." Althea admitted.
The Gorgon's sharp nails dug into her palms. The pain was akin to a dagger piercing her chest. Was it the end of the line for them? Should she chase Althea if her heart already belonged to another?
No. Yazmin had 5 more days remaining to win Althea's heart.
"I still have 5 more days, am I right? I'm going to show you why I'm a better match for you than that tiefling. You'll see."
The determination in Yazmin's eyes prompted a grin from Althea.
"Well, you're not in relationship, so by virtue of faithfulness, that automatically makes you the better match for me."
Yazmin lifted her mask for what was to come, her hand suddenly laid past Althea's ear, pinning Althea.
"Not yet. But I have a feeling that I'm about to be in one very soon."
The beauty and confidence coming from the Gorgon made Althea's heart aflutter, anticipating Yazmin's oncoming lips.
Althea smirked, "You wish."
"You're damn right I do."
Thus, the two shared their kiss underneath the moonlight.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone