[WIP] Loving Affection, Mingled in Aphrodisia

Loving Affection, Mingled in Aphrodisia
[lamia x barmaid, lesbian, stripping, WIP]
More to come.



	Autumn had not been good. The days were growing longer, and the nights colder.  The harvest had been great, so the festivals were plentiful and lengthy and loud. The Alchemists' Guild had marketed a new, incredibly effective rat poison.  No, Autumn had not been good; not for Azzie.  People meant watching eyes.  Cold meant sleepless, panicked nights.  Dead rats meant scarce food.

        No, autumn had not been good for Azzie. But winter had come, and winter was far worse.

        Winter brought snow and killed food.

        Winter brought snow and made people bitter.

        Winter brought snow and cold and sleet and snow and ice and winter brought snow.

        It was snowing, and that, along with everything else winter brought with it, made Azzie desperate. It made her decide to ask for help. Three inches, maybe two and a half.  A light snow, she had heard someone call it.  A mild first fall, early in the season.  Azzie did not have a choice, she knew that.

        Azzie had seen the men before, here and there, viewed through holes in walls and from shadowed alleys. Always at a distance, though.  There were five of them, five men muck like any other collection of the poor and homeless in the city.  Clad in tattered jackets and old woolen blankets marked in the open hand of Talmae, donated by the Church for attending service, they worked when there was work to be found and begged when there was not.  They drank, but not as much as many others, even when they could afford it.  Usually, they seemed quite amiable and content, at least with each other. But what stood them out from the rest, what brought Azzie to spy on them from behind a barrel, working up her courage was fire.  Large enough to keep a half dozen men from freezing, but not so large as to draw too much attention, it was perfect.  She could smell the charring fish, even from her hiding spot.

        As much as she wanted the fire, as much as she needed it, Azzie still found it difficult to take that final step, so to speak.  Experience was a harsh instructor, and it had taught her caution, that staying hidden was safer, smarter. But, she asked herself, what harm could there be in simply asking for a spot by the fire fora  few minutes?  And then maybe a few more?

        What harm? another part of her would counter.  Anything, everything.

        "Who's there?"

        Well, so much for second thoughts.

        Azzie rose up from behind the barrel she was using as cover.  One of them men, the one that had spoken, was now standing, but neither he nor any of the others seemed particularly alarmed. Or even that interested, for that matter.  Good, she thought.  Apathy is much preferred over hostility.

        "Hello," she said in a small voice, proud to have kept from stuttering.  "My name is Azzie."  She gave a little bow in introduction.  She heard one of them say, "A girl?" Another shrugged.

        "Hello, Azzie," said the standing man bemusedly.  "I'm Karl."  The others, all seemingly quite amused by the formality of it all, smiled and chuckled.  Karl grinned, too.  "These are Stink, Boots, Edgar, and Ralf."  Each man lifted a hand in a halfhearted wave as his name was called.  "What can we do for you on this fine evening?"

        She wrung her hands and glanced over her shoulder, making sure the way back was still clear.  "Well," she said, "I was wondering if, just for a little bit, you might, only for a few minutes, let me sit by your fire? Just for a little?"  Her hands, covered in thick leather gloves so old they were starting to rot in places, soon shifted from their wringing into rubbing together for warm.  Two green eyes peaked out from the folds of cloth and rough fabrics she had covered herself in, pleading silently for a little compassion.

        Karl stood there for a moment, blinking.  Then he let out a full belly laugh and sat back down heavily, patting the log next to him and waving her closer.  "Sure, sure, come on over," he said.  "Only Edgar here bits, and we already fed him!"

        Edgar kicked him in the leg lightly. "He's joking, missy."

        "Yeah," said Boots.  "We haven't eaten yet."

        Laughing, they went back to their previous conversation. After several seconds, they realized Azzie had not come any closer.

        "Is something wrong?"  Karl's eyebrow rose as he spoke, but he remained seated.

        "I-I just don't want you to be alarmed," she said.

        "Alarmed by what?" asked Edgar.  There, in his eyes, she saw it.  That look.  The little voice in the back of her head told her to simply turn around and leave.

        With her hands as chilled as they were, it was difficult to stop rubbing them together, but somehow she managed to pull them apart and hold them in front of her, palms up.

        "Just, just don't be afraid, okay?"  This was her only chance, she had to make it work.  "I-I won't hurt you."

        Now they all had that look, suspicion mingled with the spark of fear.  More than one hand covertly reached for a hidden blade or handy stone.  A young girl that believes she can hurt you is hardly something to ignore, not in this day and age.

        "What are you talking about, kid?"  Karl, at least, still seemed to be giving her the benefit of the doubt.  He was on his feet facing her, but his hands were empty.

        "I-I'm not dangerous, or anything," she said.  "But I'm not a... um, I'm a... well- well, just look."  Words failed her, so action would have to do.  Azzie slid, rather than stepped, out from behind the barrel.  She did this because she lacked any legs or feet to step with, instead using her long, snake-like lower body.  To combat the cold, she had tied ratty blankets, old sailcloth, and any scavenged sackcloth she could find around herself.  She looked very much like a young girl attached to an ugly, brown, coiled log. Or rather, in her layered jackets and shirts, like a badly made rag doll glued to a stick.

        Silence greeted her as the rest of Azzie's body came into view.  It often took humans several seconds to fully register exactly what it was they were seeing.  Azzie's kind, the lamia species of demi-humans, was rare this far north.  Their thin, almost hairless upper bodies and scaly, snakelike lower bodies made them infinitely more comfortable, and common, in the southern climes, areas they were far more suited too.

        These particular humans took a bit longer than usual to react, staying silent for well over half a minute.  Azzie chose to interpret this a good sign, inching a bit closer.

        Several things then happened at once.  Karl, still standing, yelped and hoped backwards, tripping over his log seat and all but into the fire.  Boots and Edgar, each seeming to try and shout louder than the other, pulled daggers from under their blankets and leapt to their feet.  Stink went white as the snow and twisted away. Boots tumbled over him and both hit the ground hard, clawing at each other.  Only Ralf remained seated as he looked around and tried to puzzle out what was happening.

        Azzie stopped and was shacking, and not from the cold.  Her long tail and lower body, several meteres in length, coiled inwards behind her.  The young lamia kept her hands in place, still clinging to the hope that they would calm.  Then a stone struck her temple.

        The blow took her unawares and she reeled back on her coils, rising high into the air with her hands pressed against her forehead.  All five of the men cried out in fear at the sight and started heaving anything that came to hand in her direction.  Pieces of rock and wood and random detritus around and against her body, both the human and serpentine sections.  Azzie lost traction in the slick, dirty snow and fell to the ground, striking the back of her head against the barrel she'd used as cover only minutes before.  Her lower body, long and well muscled despite her emaciated condition, flailed about, throwing up sheets of blackened snow and garbage in every direction.

        Azzie felt the tip of her tail clip something large and soft, knocking it back, and realized she had hit one of the men.  "Kill it!" she heard one of them shriek, and then suddenly blows were crashing down against her from all around.  Between the ample padding of her outfit and thick scales, the blows against her snakelike extremities barely registered, but a heavy boot crashing into the side of her human belly knocked the wind out of her.  Young and frightened, Azzie pulled her coils around herself in a defensive ball.

        A voice cried out, incredibly loud even above the sounds of the assault taking place.  "BEGONE!" it said.

        The men surrounding Azzie slowed the pace of their stomping, then stopped completely.  She felt the ground near her tremble a little as one of their bodies crashed down against it.  Eyes closed as she huddled into herself trembling, Azzie could do little more than listen.

        "What the hells-" Edgar began before his voice cut off with a muffled crump.

        "I said, BEGONE!"

        "But why're you helpin-"

        "NOW!" The voice rose another octave and Azzie heard the men scramble away.

        Azzie heard them gather up their unconscious friends and patter off into the distance. Sorrow and regret welled in her stomach.  If she had not been so weak, had not tried to find help, those men would have done nothing too her.  They would have spent the night joking and telling stories and being peaceful.  Not for the first time she wished she could rip the scales from her body and walk away from everything.

        "Disgusting."  The deafening voice from earlier was much quieter now, but the sound still sent Azzie into a fresh fit of shivers. "Absolutely disgusting," it repeated.  Heavy footfalls closed in on her and the lamia tightened her coils. They stopped a pace or two short, then the person crouched low.  "Is this what charity has been reduced to?  Attacking a lone woman that begged for nothing more than a little warmth?"

        A large hand pressed against her and Azzie flinched, biting the inside of her cheek.

        "Are you okay, girly?"

        She said nothing.

        "It's okay, they're gone."  The voice was gruff, but kind.  It sounded like the heel of a boot grinding into  a gravel road.  Something about it, though, made her open her eyes and ease her tail away so she could see. Azzie's rescuer was a burly beast of a man with an unkempt beard of black and deep brown eyes. His big nose was bright red in the chill air. The clothes he wore looked almost as poor as Azzie's rags, an ensemble quilt of restitched fabrics of different hues and material, each of lower quality than the last. There was only one item of finery on his entire body, a tiny pin of immaculately fashioned silver in the form of hand help palm up as though eternally offering what  kindness is needed.

        "My name is Bors," he said. "I'm here to help."

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        “This is the last of the beef,” said Boris as he pushed the plate in her direction.  “So tuck in and enjoy.”

        The man, Bors, had stopped Azzie from speaking. He told her there would be time enough for that latter, that now they had to leave before someone else came to find out what the noise was. When she told him she did not think she could keep up, he simply reached down and lifted her into his arms. Her long tail had made the going awkward at first, but once he had her curl it over his shoulder to keep it off the ground they made fairly good speed.

        Bors took her deeper into the city than she had ever gone, away from the river and the walls and into a block that, if not exactly wealthy, at least seemed well on its feet.  The looks they received on their way made her nervous, but he simply laughed away her fears.

        "No one is going to bother a servant of Talmae on a mission of mercy," he said.

        Azzie found the experience to be... comforting.  Lamia are, by their nature, rather large creatures and though she was slight for her age, it had been years since she was truly small enough to be carried.  But Bors lifted her with an easy confidence that left her feeling safe for the first time in months.  She buried her face in his warm shoulder, breathing in the scents of fresh pine and burning oak.

        They arrived at the inn and she awoke with a start, amazed that she had fallen asleep on the way.

        Though the food was rather simple, the plates the bar maid brought to their table were packed high.  Rough cuts of beef and thick wheat bread sat next to a small pot of potato and pork soup.  Boris encouraged her to pour the thick gravy over everything, claiming it to be the best in the city.  She could hardly argue with him, no meal in her memory could come close to topping it. He looked almost too big for his chair, but the fine oak held his weight nonetheless. Having always found most human furniture rather uncomfortable, Azzie had opted to "stand," coiling her lower body into a spiraled nest and leaning back against herself.

        She started slow, nervous at the attention and suspicious of the friendly smiles everyone there gave her.  Scowls and fear were familiar, and the change frightened her.  But it did not take long for the aromas from the table to set her mouth watering, and when he threatened to eat it all himself, she attacked it with all the pent up starvation three months had engendered her with.

        After making sure the bar maid knew to get Azzie anything she needed and telling her not to eat too quickly, Bors excused himself from the table and went to something he called "the washroom" to change and bath.  Left alone in a forest of watching eyes, she felt suddenly very vulnerable. Again she felt as though the smiles were thin facades holding back distilled pools of resentment. If something were to happen, any sort of repeat with Karl and his group, things would go very badly indeed.

        Azzie found herself measuring the distance to the door and windows.  Each time someone entered or left, a little bell pinned to the threshold would jingle cheerfully and she would shoot a panicked glance in that direction, fighting off an overwhelming need to duck under the table.

        One of the barmaids, hardly failing to notice the nervous, flinching snake lady in the middle of the tavern floor, made her way to Azzie's table and placed a glass of strong wine next to her.

        "This one's on me," she said gently.  "You look like you need it."

        Azzie stared down at the dark red liquid and then up at the one that delivered it.  The barmaid was a bit older than Azzie and tall for her age.  A face of smooth, light brown skin and almond eyes smiled down at her. Just being around her made the air taste like olives. Azzie's mouth fell open.

        "You're an Imarian, aren't you?" Azzie asked, before coloring in embarrassment for asking such a question out loud.

        To her surprise, the barmaid's smile deepened and she chuckled.  "I suppose a lamia would catch that pretty quick."

        They shared a look as the serving girl's mocha skin colored a shade darker as well.  After a few awkward seconds, they each fell into a fit of giggles that drew the attention of everyone in the room.  Fortunately, business was slow and no one seemed to mind.  The bartender even agreed to give the girl a short break so they could talk.

        "I'm sorry," said the girl, introducing herself as Siva Siara. "It's been so long since I've been home, I just didn't think before talking. I haven't seen one of your people since I was a little girl."  Her voice was melodious and surprisingly heavy, for a girl her age.  It hung in the air and eased past the ears softly.

        "Oh, no offense taken."  Azzie was excited to be talking to someone from so close to her own homeland.  The Kingdom of Imara shared a border with the Lamiad Tribal Lands and relations had been fairly smooth for generations.  "Besides, I did the same thing first."

        Together they shared their histories as only two women can do in a short amount of time.  Both were born in their peoples' homelands, but had been moved northward by their parents; Siva's to be closer to distant cousins in the north, and Azzie because her mother was part of a trade caravan.  Neither could actually recall much of the south, but agreed that the cold weather was abominable. Siva's fortunes had taken a turn for the worse once her mother died and her father took to the drink, leaving her the family breadwinner.  The lamia tried to change the topic, but their conversation petered out even worse after Azzie complemented Siva on her fine dress and matching bodice... which only drew more attention to her own ratty attire.  Thankfully, both were saved further embarrassment by the return of Bors.

        "Wow," said Siva as she spotted the big man walking towards their table.

        Bors had taken his time and used it well, washing the grime from his body and giving himself a well-needed shave and haircut.  No longer a burly looking beast, his strong jaw and wide face was actually rather handsome.  His having changed out of his traveling coat and into a simple tunic of rough spun wool helped his image to no end. Azzie could still taste pine as he neared, she noticed with a mild smile. Only the Hand of Talmae Bors wore on his breast had remained in place.

        "Make yourself a friend, little missy?" he asked as he took his seat.  Bors's hand engulfed Azzie's as he gave it a little squeeze.  "I'm glad," he said, and the young lamia found herself amazed at how genuine he sounded, and how much that meant to her.  "Have you gotten enough to eat?"

        Azzie glanced at the table and the ruinous remains of her meal and blushed. Bors had ordered what he thought was more than enough for the both of them, but there was little left aside from the plates and cutlery. Thinking back, she could not recall him actually eating any of it.

        She nodded.

        "Good," he said. "Siva, dear, would you mind showing our friend Azzie here to the washroom?"  He favored her with a smile.  "I'm sure she'd appreciate a good hot bath."

        His words made her realize, for the first time in weeks, just how uncomfortable she was.  Night after night simply trying to stay warm enough to survive had made her forget about little things like smelling of sewer rat or itching worse than a leper colony.  Even as the thoughts crossed her mind she felt her entire scaly lower body erupt  scratchy itches that made her feel like her skin was coming off.

        "Yes, please," she whispered.

        "Good, now you two get going. And burn those rags when you're done, I'm going to go find you some real clothes."

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        Before Azzie could protest, Bors shooed her and Siva towards the stairs and started to clear the table.  The barmaid guided her down the stone steps, waiting patiently for the lamia to work her way down.  Azzie hated stairs to begin with, the corners always cut into her muscled underbelly painfully, but with her thick cocoon of rags, she struggled to simply stay upright.  She took Siva's offered hand thankfully and they reached the bottom.

        They passed through a doorway and her eyes grew wide.  "Amazing," she said, taking in the scenery."  The entirety of the room was covered in a blue and pastel colored mosaic of the night sky, polished smooth to a dull shine.  Twin baths filled with steaming water rested against the far wall and several wooden benches sat in rows in between the them and the door. One wall was home to a shelf stuffed with jars and boxes of soaps and oils and sweet scents.

        "They say this place is one of the oldest buildings in the city," Siva told her, guiding her to the closest bench. "A few of the older places have these baths, where the new settlers built over the ruins of an ancient city.  I've only seen one other, but this one is particularly special because most of the decorations are intact."  Her smile was infectious and Azzie found herself grinning and looking everywhere at once, wide eyed in childlike wonder.   "All the water comes from a natural hotspring, and the waste goes out through that hole into the sewer."

        Azzie nodded, thinking back. "One time I spent a few nights atop a pipe down there that was extra warm, before the ratcatchers chased me away," she said. "I thought it smelled a bit like sulfur."  Realizing what she just admitted to, Azzie's hands shot to her mouth and she looked away.

        "Azzie," Siva said, slowly.  "It's okay.  All of that is over now."  She took a seat at her side and placed on arm over the lamia's shoulder. "Now let's get you all cleaned up, okay?"  Nodding and covertly wiping away a stray tear, Azzie let her pull the ragged cap from her head. "You have such pretty red hair," she said, a tad enviously.

        The lamia turned and slanted yellow eyes met those round and almond brown.  "Thank you."

        Together, they pulled off Azzie's rags and tossed them in a growing heap by the door.  As her coats and shirts and scraps slid from her shoulders and onto the floor, her pale white skin was revealed. Several fresh bruises marred the creamy, porcelain smoothness, but not even the patina of dirt and grime could fully deny the gentle curve of her back or the tall, delicate neck atop slender shoulders.  The last of the rags fell away from her  human-like upper body and her hands slid self consciously over her budding breasts.  Though not large, they were certainly bigger than the last time she had seen them, each one now easily capable of filling one of her hands. Pink nipples hinted between her fingers.

        Azzie's attention was drawn from her now unfamiliar figure as Siva tugged at her waist, trying to untie the knot of cords she had been using as a belt. She let her hand slid down her chest and stomach and over the barmaid's warm hand.

        "I think we might need a knife to get that off," she said.

        Siva wiped her forehead with one hand and patted at her bodice with the other, "I think you're right."  She produced a slight but sharp penknife from a hidden sheath, shrugging at Azzie's raised eyebrow. "Dangerous line of work," she said with a grin.

        Nodding and returning the grin, Azzie stuck her thumbs into her waistline and pulled them apart to give Siva  an easy cut. Looking down, with the way she standing, it really looked like she could be a human wearing a too tight dress.  She felt herself blush as the blade drew near her navel.  Siva's hand cut quick and true and a large swath of grimy cloth split and fell away. For the first time in a long time Azzie caught sight of her scales.

        Pale and papery, several lengths of dead scales pulled away with the rags.  She let out a hollow moan and Siva froze, clearly thinking that she had caused her pain.

        "No," Azzie said. "Please keep going."

        Nodding but visibly nervous, Siva went back to work.  She cut into the rags all the from Azzie's waist to the floor, where she moved to the side and inched across her flank.  Soon the lamia stopped her, telling her that she could do the rest, and she was directed to hold onto the bit of just below the small of Azzie's back.

        Once she was sure the barmaid had a firm grip, Azzie put her mind to sliding out of her imprisoning cocoon. She had grown so used to moving by coiling her body up and springing forward in small spurts that it took a moment for her to get the feel for pulling herself along with her stomach muscles. It was slower going, but she had always liked the way it tickled her.  It would be good to feel that again.

        She closed her eyes and pushed, feeling the rough fabrics pull and scratch at her skin as she slid gently out of it. Azzie was reminded of a time when, as a child, she had stormed through a thicket during a game of tag, her whole world had become an oppressive mess of itching scratches, but getting through and feeling the wind on her flesh had been simply wonderful. Her muscles worked slowly at first, as though they had forgotten what it was like to be used properly, but they soon build up speed.  She wriggled her lower body around as she moved, throwing off a little cloud of dust and making it difficult for Siva to hold on.

        And then she was free, stripped to skin and sliding across the glass like floor of the little bathhouse and enjoying the way its cool surface sent shivering sparks up her spine.  She hurried over to the nearest bath, snatching up a handy bucket on the way, and dunked it into the steaming water.  Azzie drew it over her head and poured it out over her body, drawing in a tight breath as the heat crashed against her chilled body. A sigh of pleasure swept past her lips and she leaned back, letting the vapors wisp off her body. Her whole body felt tense, but in a way she had not felt in a very, very long time.

        She glanced over her shoulder and saw Siva staring at her lengthy tail.

        She frowned.

        "Oh, dear."

        Although freed of her tattered rags, her lower body was still covered in an awkward patchwork of flaying, paper like skin. Siva seemed to sense her notice and glanced away, making Azzie feel even more embarrassed. It was hard for her to believe she had been lost so long she had missed a shedding.  Blushing, she shifted her weight awkwardly, sending ripples down her scaly tail.

        Movement caught her eye and she saw Siva moving away. Azzie felt a sudden pang of fear that her state had disgusted the human and drove away someone she was already starting to consider a friend.  The barmaid stopped by the shelf of bathing oils and took down a large jar.  She turned and Azzie saw that she still had an easy smile on her face.

        "I think this will work best," she said, holding the jar in front of her.  Inside, an opaque oil with a distinctly green caste  sloshed around as it moved.

        "Work best for what?"

        "To help make you good as new, Azzie."  She nodded towards her tail.  "I hear that can be really uncomfortable, so I thought a little olive oil might smooth the process."

        "Yes," Azzie said, feeling tears well in her eyes, "I think it will, too."

        "Then come over here so we can get started," said the barmaid. As Azzie drew near, still relishing the smoothness of the floor, Siva began to unbutton her bodice.

        Seeing the dark skinned girl starting to undress, it finally registered to Azzie that she was completely naked. She looked down and saw that the water she had poured over herself had all but dried in the cool air and had left her pale skin rosy pink against her chest. The attention made her realize the chill had left her nippled hard and rigid and she gave a squeak of suprise as her hand shot up to cover them. Siva glanced up with a curious look on her face and grinned at Azzie's obvious discomforture despite her best efforts.

        She had managed her buttons well enough, but she was sruggling to loosen the thicket of laces on her back.

        "Azzie," she called. "Can you give me a hand here?"

        The lamia slid over and around behind her, though her tail was so long most of it was still to the barmaid's front. Her hands worked quick and deftly, despite the cold, and in moments they had pulled the bodice from Siva's chest and she was breathing deep.

        "Gods above it feels good to breathe," she sighed. Already her hands were moving to unlace the necking of her dress.

        "Um, Siva?" Azzie asked timidly.

        "Yes?" Though the garmet was mostly loose, the tiny neck kept getting caught as Siva tried to pull it over her head.

        "Why are you undressing?"

        She stopped trying to wrestle with the dress and turned to look Azzie in the eye. "Have you ever tried getting olive oil stains out of cotton?"

        "No..." Azzie admitted.

        "Well I have," Siva said.  "Would you please help me lift this thing off?"

        Silent, not trusting her own voice, Azzie simply leaned forward and grabbed the hem of Siva's dress. Her tiny hands were shaking and kept bumping against the barmaid's ankles. Seeming not to notice, Siva raised her arms above her head and told her to lift.

        For Azzie, time appeared to move at a fraction of its normal pace. As the cotton fabric rose, exposing more and more of Siva's body, she found herself straining to study every detail.  First a pair of small, black leather boots gave way white stalkings that clung to her thighs as though painted on. Azzie followed the delicate curve of of her long legs until the bronzed skin, appearing all the darker against her pale leggings. She felt herself growing nervous, the hem of Siva's dress had caught on an ample, soft bulge just above her thighs.

                Azzie gulped, feeling the heat of Siva’s legs in her palms.  She held them there for a moment before gathering up the dress and pulling upwards again.  Her hands slowed as they reached the barmaid’s hips.  A nod from Siva kept them moving, and as the fabric lifted the ample flesh of Siva’s creamy gold skin came into view. The lamia’s eyes grew wide as she saw each of Siva’s cheeks sway and move as she shifted her stance.  She swallowed again, then used her powerful lower body to raise herself up along with the dress.

        Siva’s lower back was revealed, her generous hips tightening in on a much thinner waist. Her skin was completely free of blemishes and the arc of her spine dared Azzie to keep going.  She found herself going slower again, somehow trying to savor the moment.  Inch by meticulous inch, the dress rose higher and higher.  Azzie could see the shape of her ribs and, soon after, the movement of her shoulder blades beneath warm skin.

        By the time Azzie pulled the trailing edge of Siva’s dress over the barmaid’s head, her head was only a few feet below the ceiling.  Long and well muscled, her lower half was more than capable of keeping her up there for as long as she wished, though sometimes balance could be an issue.

        When Siva turned around she was face to face with the lamia’s navel.  She glanced up and smiled.  “You’re actually pretty tall when you want to be, aren’t you?”

        Azzie blushed beet red and let herself fall back down to Siva's height, perhaps a bit lower.  Though she tried to avert her eyes, it was impossible not to take in the barmaid's ample cleavage, her lithe figure, or the tantalizingly foreign tuft of curly black hairs between her legs. Before she could stare any more, Siva turned and placed a boot against the bench to better reach the laces.

        As her fingers worked, Azzie watched in fascination at the way her swiveled up at the hip, displacing little folds of skin and hinting at Siva being very flexible.  Her eyes followed the curve of Siva's buttock and the way it changed shape as her leg moved.  Once one boot was off, the barmaid switched feet.  This time, the leg she lifted was the one nearer the curious lamia.  Again, she caught sight of well trimmed hairs, but now that she could study it more clearly... her eyes went lower.

        Oblivious to the lamia, Siva went on untying laces while Azzie found herself lowering nearer and nearer to the floor in order to get a better look. There was... something between the human's legs, and it was nothing like the gash near the end of her tail.  When Siva finished up and turned, she gave a start at seeing all but lying on the floor and looking up at her with wide eyes.

        "What are you doing?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips like a disappointment school teacher.

        Azzie's face shot around to stare directly at the floor.

        "Y-you were almost ready, so I thought I-I'd just l-lie down here.  You know, to make it easier."  As she spoke she stretched out her lower body so it was as straight as she could get it in the somewhat cramped space.

        The Imarian flashed her a knowing grin, but let the matter drop.  Instead, she picked up the jar of oil and popped the top, gently tipping it on its side and walking along the line of Azzie's body as it poured out. The lamia snatched her hair aside just in time.

        Trickles of cool oils started just below her neck and traced her spine as it went.  Azzie let out a squeak, followed by a low moan as she felt it pass down her back and onto her tail without slowing. Even as Siva poured, little lines of oil broke from the main course and trickled sideways down the slope of her flesh, following the most direct course to the ground.

        "That felt amazing," she breathed once Siva was finished.

        Walking back towards Azzie's upper body, she crouched low and crawled on her knees by the time she reach her human half. Leaning closer, she brushed aside Azzie's red hair and whispered into delicately pointed ear.  "You haven't felt anything, yet." She reached behind her and lifted a fluffy towel from a nearby stack and slid it under the prone lamia's chin, who pulled it close and pressed her face against it.

        Without waiting for the lamia to speak, Siva straddled her and pressed both hands against her back. The warmth of her palms seeped into her flesh and Azzie let out a sigh of pleasure.  Siva's hands were firm but gentle as they eased the tension from her shoulders and back while kneading the oil into her skin.  As the barmaid's hand reached her hips and tickled against the first of her scales, Azzie's back arched and she moaned out, "Please keep going," with batted breaths.

        Siva worked methodically and fast, her fingers digging into knots of tension and gently slipping under peeling patches of loose skin.  As they graced against the fresh scales beneath and parted the old outward and away, Azzie had to bite down on her towel to keep from squealing in delight.

        Being freed of old skin during a shedding, to Azzie, always felt like being born again. Her scales would tingle with sensitivity and she would go dance and roll amongst the soft grasses. This, this was on a completely different level. Siva's diligent hands and the now warm oils seemed to seep all the way down to her bones.  As the dead flakes would peel away, after so long, was simply intoxicating.  Never at she felt quite so sensitive or hot, like a furnace was steadily pumping more and more wildly inside of her.

        By the time Siva reached the end of her tail, Azzie's head was swimming and her panting breaths echoed across the room.  The Imarian's fingers tweaked the scaly tip and her tail and Azzie yelped out loudly.  Siva giggled at her reaction and told her to spin around she she could take care for the front.

        "T-the front?" Azzie said, her voice a squeaky whisper.

        Siva nodded and twisted the tail in her hands until Azzie obliged, though her hands were quick to cover her eyes. This time the barmaid worked from the bottom upwards, keeping the tail pinned between her legs once Azzie started twisting and fidgeting beneath her.  The massage went as quickly as before, but the lamia was twisting and panting visibly more as she worked her way along her underbelly.

        "And, ah, I-I thought, ah, y-your back was, s-soft," Siva said, breathless.

        Azzie glanced between her fingers at the dark skinned barmaid straddling her scaly lower body.  Her eyes were distant and her breathing had become almost as labored as the lamia's.  As her fingers probed deeper into Azzies soft underbelly, the lamia was unconsciously bucking up against her, pressing up between her legs and slicking against her groin.

        "I-I can finish the rest re-" Azzie began.

        "NO!" Siva shouted, taking a second to wipe a hand across her lips and stared Azzie right in the eye.  "I-I'm almost done," she said, much quieter.  Something in her eyes made Azzie bite back an insistence. Something inside her had told her to stay quiet, as well.

        Watching her work, it soon became clear to Azzie that the barmaid was beginning to grind against her by herself, without waiting for the lamia to buck.  She too found herself pressing upwards, almost desperate to feel the intense heat emanating from between the human's legs against her own flesh. A meter or so before her tail ended, Azzie's body had a slight gash between two scales, marking the place between her lower body and true tail.  As Siva inched back towards her human segment, Azzie felt an intense burning well up between those scales of her gash. She felt her true tail curl up and around, gathering up a little puddle of spent oils at its base then lathering itself in the olive-smelling concoction.

        Tentatively, she swished it across the gash and gasped. Siva paused for a second, then kept moving. Azzie touched herself again and bit her lip to keep quiet. Warm liquids were bubbling out from deep inside her and the feeling was making her head go numb. The tip of her tail flicked back and forth over the opening as a wall of pink flesh was exposed.

        Siva's oil slick hands slid over the last of Azzie's scales and back to her fleshy hips. The sensation caught the lamia by surprise and the shock sent the tip of her tail deep into the turgid flesh of her insides.  Both girls gasped as spasms rocked up and down Azzie's long body, trembling up hard between Siva's legs. Both cried out and felt their bodies wriggle out of their control, though somehow the barmaid managed to stay on top of the flailing lamia.

        They looked each other in the eyes and both seemed equally intrigued to find Siva's deft fingers probing upwards from Azzie's belly to the base of her chest.  A shared spark crossed between them and they smiled. By unspoken mutual assent, Siva's deep copper hands continued to slide upwards over Azzie's pert breasts.  Her fingers closed around the perking, pink nipples and they giggled.

        "I've never done anything like this before," Azzie whispered.  Siva's groin was roughly aligned where her own would be, were she human, and was still sliding up and down her smooth underbelly. The barmaid had leaned low as though losing strength, but kept kneading with her hands. Azzie too had not stopped working her tail into herself. If anything, it was wriggling even more frantically.

        Siva's face came even closer to Azzie's and they each felt the soft wind of each others' breath against their cheeks.  "Neither have I," she admitted.  The two of them felt drawn towards each other and their lips touched, briefly, in a tender kiss.

        "You taste like summer," Azzie said, grinning shyly.

	The barmaid shoved her face back down and pressed their lips together again and again, kissing Azzie's mouth and everything around it.  Azzie's  mouth opened in surprise and Siva took the opportunity to wedge it open with her tongue, squeezing down on the lamia's breasts until they began to hurt.

	Taken back for a second, Azzie wrapped an arm around Siva's head and pulled her closer, loving the feel of their hot breaths mingling in her mouth. Her other hand whipped out and struck the girl on her side, eliciting a loud THWACK that caused both of them to flinch, before redoubling their efforts. She squeezed the human's thigh and slid her hand upwards until she reach her armpit, then pulled it around front and took her heavy breast in hand. Finding the erect nipple, she pinched down on it, twisting a little.

	Siva pulled away with a little moan and then fell forward, pressing their chests together and rested her head on the lamia's shoulder, trying to catch her breath. Azzie could feel warm juices trickling down the sides of her scaly body, knowing they came from between the girl's legs. Still twitching from having the tip of her tail enter her own body, Azzie eased it out slowly, feeling each and every grove and scale in such clarity that she could  picture it in her mind.

	Above her, the barmaid's hand had slide from the lamia's breast and down between them until it reached her pelvis. She starting grinding against Azzie's belly again, but was now rubbing gently, but with gradually increasing pace, right above where their bodies met.  Feeling the need building inside her new friend, Azzie started to "walk."  The muscles right below her pelvis were not as easy to use as those of the rest of her underbelly, but they still worked.  She pressed up and pushed, the folds of her soft scales pulling and tugging at Siva's flesh as they came in steady waves.

	"Please don't stop," Siva begged.

	Azzie pulled her head closer and gently kissed her on the lips, running a hand through Siva's thick, black hair. With her other hand she hugged the barmaid close to her and closed her eyes. What came next would require concentration.

	Slowly, as not to warm Siva, Azzie curled her tail up and around, guiding the tip towards the two of them.  Siva was too engrossed in the rippled waves sweeping between her legs to notice the lamia's body twisting as she moved.  Azzie took a moment to make sure the back of her lower body snuggly placed, then eased the tip of the tail closer and closer. When she was as near as she could get, Azzie flicked it against Siva's rear, aiming between her legs. But she had misjudged the barmaid's pace and caught her against a cheek as she pulled back to grind down again.

	Yelping, Siva frantically tried to twist to see what was there, but Azzie pulled her back down with both arms and kissed her on the cheek.  "Lift up a bit," she whispered.

	The Imarian girl hesitated for a moment, then did as she was told.  As her groin lifted from Azzie's belly it trailed strands of wetness between them, the quivering of her body made Azzie hug her even tighter.

	Azzie's tail tapped against Siva's buttock again, causing her to flinch. It was hard for the lamia to steer without seeing, so it swished and slid across the girl's brown backside for several seconds, teasing here and there randomly. Eventually, it wedged against an entrance and Azzie prepared to push inside.

	"Wait!" Siva's voice was almost frantic with panic. "Not there, just let me..."  Slipping an arm out from under Azzie's grip, she reached back and gathered the tail tip in her fingers.  She pulled it away from her and re-positioned it a bit lower.  Azzie felt hot, lip lick folds of moist flesh well on each side of her tail. "There," she breathed.  "Just go gently."

	Smiling with a nod and pecking the human's cheek with a light kiss, Azzie eased her tail between her labia and deep into her body. With each successive centimeter than slid into her, Siva quivered and gasped more strongly.  When Azzie paused in concern, she used her hand to shove it in as far as it could go.

	"You're amazing," she said.

	The words poured into Azzie's heart and it was as though she melted inside. To hide the tears streaming down her face, she pressed it against against Siva's and held them together as she started to flick her tail this way and that as she had inside her own body. Siva jerked and twisted so hard in her arms that Azzie thought she might break away and flail into one of the benches.  One of her hands slid down the Imarian's slender back and grasped a full handful of her buttock to hold it in place.

	If Siva said anything more, Azzie could not hear it over the sounds of their combined panting and the wet sloshing that came from their mingling bodies. The barmaid bit her ear, gently, and the startled lamia's tail twisted around like a hook inside her.  Siva mouth opened and an ecstatic cry poured out and across the room as her oil-slicked body spasmed out of Azzie's arms and to the ground next to her.  Curled into a ball, she twitched huffed as she tried to get herself back under control.

	They lay there, breathing deeply and enjoying the closeness of their tired bodies, for a long while. For Azzie, whose sense of smell and taste were as one, it was as though Siva was consuming her from the inside out. Olives and salty sweat wafted across her in waves, crashing against the new intoxicating scents, tangy and delightfully foreign, that came from between the girl's legs.  Overcome with need, she drew her tail up to her face and eased her lips over the tip, filling her mouth with Siva's taste as it filled her mind.  Her tongue danged against the its tip and sent little sparks of pleasure down her long body and back up to spine.

	She felt Siva stir and tasted the girl's lips on her tongue as she too leaned in to kiss that which had given her so much pleasure.  Together they cleaned the scales, licking it and each other's lips and tongues whenever they came near.  When they were done, Azzie used it to flick aside her hair so they could look each other in the eyes.

	"Thank you," she began to say.

	"Oi!" called a voice at the door, accompanied by several loud bangs. "You ladies done in there? It's getting time to tuck in!"  At the sound of Bors's baritone call, both of them froze.

	"N-note quite," called Siva.

	"Well, I'll be up in the room. I'm leaving something for Azzie to wear on the door handle."  They heard him stomp back up the stairs and let out a deep breath they had not realized they were holding.

	"I-I guess we should clean up," Azzie said, folding her hands over her breasts and suddenly going crimson.

	"Y-yeah," Siva agreed.

	It was as if a spell had been broken.  Both girls blushed and looked away as they rose, suddenly shy beyond reason.  Several times they tried to speak, but overrode each other and went silent again. Together they washed the oil from their bodies and, after donning towels, Siva helped Azzie shampoo her hair.

	They slipped into different tubs, gingerly entering the steaming water and blushing at the though that the other's body had felt far hotter.  Back to back, they watched the wall in silence.

	Eventually, Siva eased out of the bath and padded to her stacked clothes.  She dried herself quickly and without a word.  Then she began to dress, pulling on her stalkings, lacing her boots, pulling the dress back over her head, and slipping into the bodice.

	Though she tried not to watch, Azzie had not been able to resist sneaking peaks in Siva's direction; nor had she missed seeing the barmaid glance over her shoulder in turn, causing them both to look away quickly and blush.

	It soon became clear that Siva was having as much difficulty putting her bodice back on that she had had taking it off. Azzie bit her lip and slithered out of the water, moving up behind her.  Siva glanced back and reddened, but turned to let the lamia lace her up. Their task complete, the barmaid took a step towards the door.

	At the last second, as her hand nearly touched the brass handle, she spun quickly back around and dashed to Azzie, pecking her quickly on the cheek before bolting out of the room as fast as her feet would take her.

	Azzie's hand went to her cheek, and she smiled.