Gorgon

There were no guards stationed inside Queen Zorla's throne room. The queen ordered it so, the primal might she wielded was enough to deal with any who would attempt to claim her life.

The huge door opened and an ominous hissing sound could be heard as a green scaled snake woman slithered towards the queen sitting on her throne.

Her hair was made out of miniature snakes, each moving on their own volition. It is what differentiated them from nagas and announced that they are of a higher breed, A gorgon.

She wore a brassiere breastplate and a skirt with two scimitars on each hip.

The most important part of her feature was the white marble mask, it was meant to control their gift. The dark elf royals had their shadow armor, the lizard folk the ability to breathe fire, while high elves were a race beloved by mana, making them fearsome spellcasters. The gift bestowed by their patron Goddess to the Gorgons? The ability to turn their enemies into stone, instant death through petrification.

The gorgon would kneel if she had the knee; she opted instead to lower her coils and bow, "Hissss. Greetings, Your highness."

Queen Zorla was judging if the snake woman in front of her was up to the task. She glanced at her emerald ouroboros necklace.

"Rise.Tell me your name, snake." Queen Zorla decreed.

The tone of Zorla when she said snake was derogatory, naturally this would have made her snap back. But the gorgon was a honed killer, with her instinct she can quickly profile if the one before her was prey. Queen Zorla made her feel like she was on thin ice and the queen was a gargantuan sea monster swimming beneath. The Gorgon's instinct told her that the Queen is not someone she wants to cross unless the gorgon wants to be ripped asunder.

"It is Zisha, your highness."

The Queen threw Zisha a scroll that she was able to catch with one hand. Upon opening, it had the portrait of a dark elf woman wearing an eye-patch.

"That is my good-for-nothing daughter. Find her and you will find the Amazon." A sinister smile was plastered on Queen Zorla's lips. "I want you to murder the Amazon in front of her, make it as agonizing as you can and once you're done, tell her it was me who hired you."

Queen Zorla threw a bag of gold coins amounting to 50. The info on their guild board said that Zisha would get the additional 50 after the job is done.

"As you wish, your highness. Hisss."

With another bow, Zisha hurried to get out of the throne room, she couldn't stand to be under the dark elf queen's overwhelming presence a second longer.

The Gorgon had left the room but Zorla's sinister smile remained. She could not contain herself from the excitement, the thought of her daughter losing her beloved slave fills her with malignant bliss.

Queen Zorla had only hoped that the time she had allotted for them to spend together made them grow ever closer. The final form of the shadow armor provided immeasurable strength, but in order to acquire it the user must first experience immeasurable pain. A fair trade by Lolth's twisted standard.

If the assassin succeeds, Ellamir would no doubt return, filled with seething anger directed at her. Their battle would be so intense that one of them might even perish.

Queen Zorla's maddened cackle echoed throughout the entire throne room.

(I shall wait for you, My daughter. Bless me with the ultimate thrill.)

+++

The sun has set, inside Moon world the patrons are as lively as ever. Our mishmash group of adventurers are now celebrating their first successful quest together.

"Why are you drinking ale?" Stefano was referring to Yulia who didn't even bat an eye at the cleric's condemning gaze.

Yulia swilled her drink, grinning at Stefano right after. "Well, why aren't you?"

"Because I am a holy man, a true adherent of Mithra's teaching. You're a paladin, by default you're a holy woman as well."

"Hahahaha! Me, holy?" Yulia knew that Stefano was serious but she really couldn't help but laugh at his assessment. "I already told you, the only things my deity expects from me are to judge the wicked and make sure that I am at my peak strength when I die."

As long as they don't turn into the wicked ones that they pass judgement to, Zariel has no qualms with her followers indulging in a few vices. Yulia, however, was rife with them. Gambling, women, drinking. Maybe zariel was turning a blind eye in order not lose a delectable morsel like Yulia? Her soul would greatly aid Zariel in her eternal crusade against the demons in hell.

"That's preposterous! Garreth was an immaculate paladin, It is so hard to believe that you were once his squire!"

Yulia has nothing but reverence for Garreth. She couldn't really refute what Stefano was saying, Garreth was a true paladin's paladin. That may be so, Yulia is her own person and she is quite proud of it, "He trained me but that doesn't mean I want to be an exact copy of him. Come to think about it, I'm also pretty immaculate myself. Immaculate at kicking ass!"

"Why do I even bother?" Stefano groaned, expressing his disbelief for his profane mentor.

Yulia's stare then fell onto the giggling couple sitting in front who appeared to be lost in their own little world.

"Ehem." The tiefling's fake cough got their attention.

"Sorry, we were just discussing something. What were you talking about?" Antani apologized. It is not proper etiquette to just ignore your friends while you get cozy with your significant other, Ellamir's a bad influence.

"Stefano here was telling me how I was the most awesome paladin he ever knew." Yulia puffed up with pride.

"Is that so?" The amazon took a swig of ale from her mug.

"I most certainly was not!"

Now that Ellamir's attention wasn't on Antani, she decided it was finally time to address the elephant in the room, or rather the mermaid in the room.

"What's that fish woman doing here?" Ellamir narrowed her eyes towards Gloria who was preoccupied.

The mermaid appeared to be scribbling something in a parchment. Once she noticed that everyone's gaze was upon her, she beamed a bright smile.

"She's learning our language." Yulia referred to the adorable mermaid sitting next to her.

"I mean why is she with us? I bet it's because of Antani. I'm starting to sympathize with her but she really needs to let go of her obsession with her dead lover."

Antani sighed, "Ellamir, the day you earn the right to lecture someone over their obsession is the day the sky falls and crushes us all. But seriously, Yulia, why is Gloria with us?"

"The guild master said he's bored with the dungeon he created since we cleared it so easily, now Gloria is unemployed and he suggested that we take her in. Even Gloria approved of it."

Having had enough of studying, Gloria stretched her arms followed by drinking about half of her own mug of ale. As soon as her mug hit the table, she gave Antani a dreamy stare, but Ellamir was there to intercept it.

"Eyes to yourself, you overgrown fish." Ellamir knew the mermaid wouldn't understand, but her glare would be enough to send the message across.

Gloria was undaunted by Ellamir glaring daggers at her, even going as far as to glare back and stick her tongue out to mock Ellamir.

"Why you stupid fish!" Any shred of sympathy that Ellamir felt for the mermaid had now vanished.

Antani laughed at their antics, "Don't be so fragile, Ellamir. Come on, we're here to drink and have fun."

"Speaking of Gloria, why don't we all chip in and buy her a wheelchair? Because I am not going to carry her every time she needs to go out!" The anger in Stefano's voice was apparent, he wasn't adverse to the mermaid being in their group but even with her slim figure, the mermaid wasn't exactly light.

"There's no need, I'll take care of it. My blacksmith will to be precise." Yulia announced to the group, rousing Antani's suspicion.

"You're awfully doting on Gloria, what if Myrene gets jealous? In fact, is she coming tonight?" Antani wasn't accusing Yulia of anything, but if she was Myrene then it would be no doubt that Yulia would be getting a mouthful. From how Yulia cracked one liners as she carried her back at the dungeon to now paying for the expenses of Gloria's wheelchair.

Yulia found Gloria attractive but she had no ulterior motive or whatnot, she just had a soft spot for wayward women with no place to call home. She was once like that, so she can't help but extend her hand to them.

"Myrene's not coming. She and I…we're not together anymore." Sadness prevailed in Yulia's face for a moment, but she was able to shake it off quickly and return to her usual upbeat behavior.

"Why?" Ellamir was truly curious at the sudden revelation, but at the same time she wanted to take pointers on how to not fuck things up.

With the alcohol working its magic Yulia could feel her tongue loosening up, besides, they've only been together for a few days but she could feel a certain camaraderie with them.

"She asked me, 'what am I to you'? From the way she worded it I guess she wanted our relationship to become a serious one. I can't, I don't want to. I told her that it would be better to cut things off, because things only get worse once you've been asked that question and you're not ready to commit." Yulia was of course speaking from experience.

"And when will you be ready to commit?" Antani let a bit of irritation slip out. Myrene seemed like an honest woman but at the same time it was Yulia's life, she didn't want to lecture her on her private affairs.

A self deprecating smile appeared on Yulia's lips, "Never."

+++

A few more drinks later and both Yulia and Antani were starting to slur, even Gloria was starting to get tipsy. Stefano on the other hand was wondering why he even went there.

"You know, Yulia, you're a dumbass for what you did. Myrene was a pretty gal, and she seemed kind too! If I were you I wouldn't have left her hanging just like that. *hic* It's not too late, you can still get back together!" Antani's face was flushed red, Ellamir only gave her a pass for her comment on myrene because of her drunkenness.

"Antani, stop drinking. You've had enough." Ellamir's voice was stern and filled with worry.

"Yeah? Well, what are you going to do about it?" Antani made sure to lock eyes with Ellamir before she tauntingly took a sip from her mug.

Both of them grinned, Ellamir tried to grab the mug from Antani's hand but even in her inebriated state she proved to be too fast for Ellamir.

"*Hic* Too slow!"

Ellamir tried to grab it again but it remained out of reach as Antani pulled it close to her.

Again, and again.

When Ellamir finally caught the mug, there was only an inch that separated them. With coquettish eyes Antani bit her lip, she was sure Ellamir could feel it too, their heart urging for them to kiss.

Their lips are now about to meet.

Until an angry tiefling stopped them.

"Way to rub it in that I'm now single! Save it when you get home, Lovebirds!"

"No! Don't save it for when you get home, in fact, don't save it at all!" Stefano protested.

+++

It had been way past midnight when the group had finished drinking.

"I'm just going to crash upstairs, I will see you all tomorrow. Bye!" Yulia yawned before she separated.

"I am not going to carry Gloria back to the apartment, I carried her over here, it's time one of you volunteers." Stefano was stepping his foot down on who's going to carry the passed out mermaid.

Antani would have volunteered, but she was in no shape to carry Gloria, the best she could do right now is prevent herself from stumbling over. "Ellamir, can you please carry, Gloria?"

"No! I refuse to carry this overgrown fish!"

"Come on, do it for me, please?"

Ellamir looked like she was deliberating it but ultimately gave in, "Ugh,the things I do for you." With a swift motion Ellamir carried Gloria into her arms.

On their way back home, Gloria was surprised to wake up in Ellamir's arms.

"What, you got a problem?" Ellamir knew that the mermaid didn't understand but she didn't really care and just spoke what she felt.

The mermaid understood why the Eye-patch woman was mad at her. Hell, she would be livid too if she learned that someone tried to seduce her lover. Gloria knew that Antani was just a look alike, but she can't help but pine for the one she lost. One day she would be able to speak their language and clear up any misunderstandings. Until then, The Eye-patch woman carrying her would just have to lengthen her patience.

Gloria just offered her a weak smile, as she snuggled on Ellamir's shoulder while the three walked.