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Another collab with IncredibleIntruder ! This time featuring Soukya the lamia from Genie's Navel in her own story!

A quick recap, she was introduced in Genie's Navel chapter 4. You can read it here:

www.deviantart.com/deviation/e…

My patreon page:
www.patreon.com/navellunatic

Check out IncredibleIntruder 's patreon page if you wanna see more of this kinda stories!:
www.patreon.com/incredibleintr…

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Soukya was still shaken by what she had seen.

She was in her own private part of the tunnel complex, her own quarters as she looked at the mirror-puddle upon the floor. Her reflection was there, showing her awestruck expression to what she had been a witness to, something that had never been seen before. Just an hour ago, a sorceress by the name of Naphenee had come to their home with demands, accompanied by her own servant. They had all thought her to be full of fake venom, of a lack of tail muscle, unable to back up her claims with actual power and yet she had invoked flames as told by those who fought her. Her own supplicant and slave, in fact, had the power to create water, a gift she gave to him and was demonstrated as it had been followed by something sordid yet sensual, delirious yet delightful: that there were people known as navel cleaners on the surface. The sorceress of dunes, as she had been called, had tasked him to demonstrate and he went on his knees, obedient and worshipful as all eyes were set on him...including hers.

She looked at her midriff, revisiting the scene as that tongue and those lips of his just went on to praise without word but through acts. Circling around, cleaning with saliva and obviously rejoicing at his position, a submissive to an incredible woman whose fury they had quelled with emeralds and food. They were all eating right now, yet Soukya could not help herself but feel still flustered about all of this. Her hand hovered on her belly, her digits caressing her flesh as one finger temptingly circled around her belly button. The sensation felt somewhat taboo, thus perhaps why it was so tantalizing as she pictured someone acting the same way toward her, adoring her navel with such fervor and glee. To have someone like this slave at her beck and call, cleaning and rejoicing at the opportunity felt like a lifelong goal, though one that had been sparked less than an hour ago as without truly being aware of it she had begun to slip her finger inside her tender navel, pressing and spinning as if it were a tongue. A low hiss escaped her lips as she knew not why she was doing this, the purpose of such a fantasy and yet it felt like her horizons had been broadened, the world beginning to feel much stranger and wonderful than the caves and eating mushrooms, fish or spiders. She had ever wanted to seek her own goals, to find something bigger than herself and she had found it.

She would become Naphenee's apprentice and turn into a great lamia sorceress of her own.

This gave her strength and courage, a determination out of this world as she rummaged through things given to her by the huntress who sought food, treasure and prey above where the sun was up and the sand was hot. She had been asking for such things, granted them despite the chieftain's claim that her place was below the ground at her side, perhaps replacing the older lamia someday...but Soukya wanted more. Adventure, discovery, a larger environment in which to thrive as she searched through many effects to create something that she figured might just be traditional “vestments” from above. Long gloves with fingers holes, a top carved with silk made not from spiders but something unknown, a long skirt and a sash around her hips, bangles made of a metal known as “brass” and so forth. She knew not if she looked good or not, though she hoped to perhaps find better pieces above when she'd gain enough power to be fearsome, all thanks to the sorceress of dunes. She couldn't wait to offer her services and to become her apprentice in due time.

And then she learned that Naphenee was simply gone.

While Soukya was taken aback by how quickly it had gone by, her own preparations making her miss it all including the escort out of their tribal grounds and tunnels, she had missed several other little mentions as well. She hadn't been the sole one struck wildly by the vision of navel worship and she hadn't noticed how the chieftain was simply glad that this woman and her servant were gone, two things that might have altered her own initiative, but she was acting on impulse here. She needed this, to find her destiny, to meet her fate and any possible excuse she could have to just do as she pleases and finally meet the outside world under her own terms. She slithered away, climbed across jagged rocks and used her tail along with her knowledge of this old cavern to get further than she had ever been. Fear of missing out fueled her, making her go as fast as she could as she began to hear chatter from beyond. Half-recognizing the voice of the sorceress of dunes herself, she picked up the pace, breathing so fast that her own exhales came out as hisses somehow. Then she got to them as they were ready to exit she went on to shout as loudly as possible, hoping to catch her attention.

“Mistress Naphenee! Great sorceress of dunes!” she began with, aware that she ought to be respectful if she was to be granted this privilege. She bowed as she saw her inane servant and the powerful woman herself give her the time of the day, both surprised by her sudden appearance. “Please take me with you and make me your apprentice!”

What followed next had been something awkward, though Soukya had been accepted after a discussion between Naphenee and her servant. Why exactly she needed his opinion she couldn't say, but then again it was not her place to question her motives and actions. She figured he was mostly jealous, perhaps indignant of someone else that he'd end up serving, something that made Soukya smirk as she expected her journey to be a grand adventure, one in which she would learn her place and true power. It was a trip alright and as she went out of the sun and put on a shawl and veil on her head to protect her skin from the rays of the terrible sun...everything she saw made concerns grow within her thoughts. Omar just wasn't a very good servant it seemed and it made it so Soukya felt the need to warn her teacher if he was to be useful to her.

“Why isn't he carrying you around along with the bags and goods?”

“Your belly is sweaty because of the sun. Shouldn't he be doing his job?”

“Mine is too. Would you like, little slave, to clean it for me?”

Yet every time she had a complain, Naphenee had a perfect comeback and seemed to be annoyed most of the time. It made Soukya feel self-conscious as they had to take multiple breaks, which the sorceress of dunes allowed as she seemed to almost be...kind to her servant? It showed a different side of hers, to be sure, but one that clashed with the vision the lamia had of this great and potent magic-user. Unable to assume properly that she did have a certain craving to have Omar indeed clean her navel, for curiosity's sake she told herself, she merely suggested it but every instances seemed to fall on deaf ears. Perhaps Naphenee did not want to share him or Soukya hadn't yet earned this privilege as she sometimes eyed her midriff and toyed with it by using her finger, a gesture she did for very brief periods of time as if it was a dirty, lewd and private thing. One further instance of her whining about Omar did lead to something she hadn't been prepared for, a glare from the servant himself as Soukya told him how ashamed he ought to be and that she was sure he would be punished for this transgression, only for Naphenee to go on and protect him in a way that was full of anger.

“He is not your slave to command, but rather mine. He has absolutely no obligation to obey you whatsoever,” she began to say and this particular reaction, those words, were tinted by power and authority, making Soukya fear for her life as the sorceress of dunes would probably not tolerate any undermining of her authority or mishandling of her possessions. “Besides, a slave is a precious thing, someone who serves. To mistreat them, giving them impossible tasks and to ever reduce them shows a complete lack of understanding and is only weakness on the master or mistress part. It shifts the blame to others and that is completely shameful.”

It seemed she had a lot to learn as the intricacies of Naphenee's relationship with her servant and her own ideas about how things would work were deeply challenged. As a break had been called and a pool of water had been created, she plunged in it to cool her cold blood that had been put in this intense warmth for far too long. As she saw them converse out of hearsay, or so they thought, she could barely understand what they said despite her having keen senses. Something about why Naphenee took on Soukya, a role to play...it was nebulous, but thankfully she had cooled and calmed down as she went on to offer an apology not to Omar but to Naphenee only. She had indeed acted due to her own prejudice and this had been a bad start to their entire mistress and apprentice bond. However, what occurred next was indeed sudden and yet straight-to-the-point as Omar asked a question worth a mountain of emeralds.

“Why have you decided to follow her?”

On instinct she had placed her hand close to her navel as this was a hard and serious question, one that she barely thought about despite this being her life goal to see and experience the outside world. “I have always wanted to explore outside like the huntress and traders in our tribe. They go outside, live out adventure and danger and return with the most sumptuous of things along with new stuff to eat!” was her immediate answer, something simple and truthful, yet that ignored several observations and facts, some of them which she wasn't even aware of herself. “I do not know how to fight, so I know my survival outside the caves would be down to luck...and even then. But you came and have shown me such incredible sights and things! A slave who creates water! A woman who throws balls of flame bursting like the sun! New ideas and brightness as I knew that if I became your disciple, if I learned your magic and your ways, then I'd be able to have wonderful adventures and perhaps become a worthy matriarch for my own tribe down the line! “

Yet did she really want to be a matriarch? Did she want to return below? Would she even be allowed after basically running away without telling a soul about it? That answer felt like an automatism, what she was expected to say in terms of explanation and while she was indeed excited, this reply not being entirely false, it also didn't quite seem like the truth to her. As she was confused and had bared her soul to Naphenee, the sorceress went on to approach and then did the unthinkable...she hugged her.

“You are so brave, my little scaly one. Really, you are...So full of dreams and aspirations, I find it charming beyond words,” the sorceress said, her tone so gentle and sincere, a complete clash of the authoritarian and powerful figure that she had been for the last few hours. It was a kind gesture, something warm though not in the sense which made her feel dry but rather...appreciated? Soukya did not know how to react, dumbfounded as Naphenee dropped a figurative boulder on her head with another revelation. “I'm afraid we've been lying to you and your tribe, however, and for that I must apologize. I'm not really a sorceress at all...and Omar is not my slave, but rather a very, very precious companion.”

A lie. A complete fabrication. They explained all of it and as much as Soukya tried to understand there was a part of her which felt crumbled, grit to dust and sand as if her own dream was but a farce, life itself toying with her expectations. Something about Naphenee being a genie, an ex-slave of Omar, traveling together, having adventures, that she couldn't teach magic because it was innate. A whole spectrum of emotions went through her head, from fury as she almost wished she could coil and crush them both. Shame because of how she basically treated Omar and had been a little brat ever since she had gotten out of the caves. Confusion as to why Naphenee just went along with it for so long. In the end, however, the greatest one that won over everything else was disappointment of the most profound kind.

“I can only apologize again for the trickery...but our lives were in danger and I had to think of something. I'm sorry if your actions were unfairly motivated, Soukya,” Naphenee said, showing that she was indeed a good person at heart, truly apologetic which only made Soukya feel worse somehow despite the attempts at consolation. “If you wish for us to return to the mines so that you can be with your people again, to wait for a truthful and better opportunity for your dream to be made real, then we'll make reparations right this instant.”

Did she really want to return there, to explain herself, to apologize and to act as if all of this hadn't happened? Could she just discard her dream for another time now that she was literally on the surface? She didn't know. She truly couldn't say what was the best course of action anymore. She barely listened anymore, lost in her own head as she left those two alone for the time being though followed in order not to be utterly on her lonesome. She had made a stupid move, but was it better to assume it and follow through or simply cut her losses now? The offer was there but she didn't really feel it as being the best. Yet what was exactly that, the better choice? Eventually, the sun came down and the temperature agreed more with her as a fire was set, food was eaten and she got closer so that she wouldn't freeze to death as Naphenee announced what Omar and her would be doing.

“We'll probably reach the city of Teldrabad by tomorrow...so if you want to make a decision on what to do next, the next morning will probably be the best time to do so,” the genie went on to explain, showing the kindness of once more offering a way out of this absurd and sudden life-decision the lamia took. As they ate from the lamia's own rations, a gesture of good faith to at least be more like Naphenee in terms of amiability, the lamia herself could not stop herself from asking a question that had been on the forefront of her mind for the entire duration of their voyage.

“So...what was that whole navel cleaning, worship and kissing all about then?” the lamia directly asked as her own finger once again headed to her navel, though she stopped in time not to embarrass herself in front of those two. “I mean...that was just a silly act, I suppose? I mean, who'd be really into that kind of thing, right?“

And yet came a long explanation on how that was an actual thing, establishments being created for that purpose, a trade of some sort for meals, drinks and navel interaction with pretty gals. It sounded far-fetched, her credulity a bit strained given how they had both lied to her and yet both Omar and Naphenee were adamant that this existed. There was something about Omar wishing to access Naphenee's navel at any time, a magic wish, about indulgence and a lot of stuff as Soukya felt flabbergasted that this was an actual thing. Yet as she asked why, Omar came up with an answer that sounded much too sincere despite the small amount of restraint there was to him on this most personal of matter.

“To me it's...sensual. It's a touch of intimacy and trust when done with...the right person, you know? A belly is a soft and sometimes ticklish thing, it's vulnerable, especially the navel part. When someone lets you kiss there, clean it up, worship it and so forth...I think it's an incredibly beautiful thing, you know?”

She chided him, not necessarily doubting his sincerity more than being aware that this wasn't the whole truth as she did not press further onto the matter while Omar tried to change the subject in the most obvious and unsubtle manner possible. Granting him some reprieve, those words nevertheless resonated with her as she needed to find the right person...but was there such a being to begin with? As she curled up to sleep, moving away from the fire as she did not want to move her tail willy-nilly during her sleep and get burns all over her scales, not to mention the high temperatures, she went on to try and get some rest...yet the sound of both Omar and Naphenee conversing went on to distract her as she wondered just what exactly they were doing...and it was a ludicrous and yet amazing sight to behold.

Omar worshiping that navel of hers and yet with a tenderness and hunger that rivaled the moment in her own home tunnels.

She had seen the beginning, that little gaze of desire, that silent offer which spoke of intimacy as Omar went on to kiss and lick that midriff and that glorious belly button with an adoration that made Soukya blush more than she could ever expect. This was voyeurism, this was bad but then again the spectacle was so sexy that she could not miss out on this, that she dared not to avert her eyes as Omar was almost crawling against the floor, as if slithering on the sand while Naphenee was vaulted backward, sitting down and letting him do as he please. The cover of darkness was not an element that could conceal them from her own sight, accustomed to the low light of the tunnels. Not only that, but her innate serpentine qualities to her sense of sight that made darkness no obstacle meant that she saw everything and it aroused her to no end.

Omar was somewhat in a trance, deeper than even any lamia hypnotist could put him in as Naphenee seemed all too content, a smile on her face as if this was pleasurable for her too. That expression of satisfaction and of delight spoke more eloquently than any words ever could...the both of them actually. Her finger went back to her navel again and this time she let it go wild. Each little flicker of her finger she imagined it as a tongue of a delightful lover, a fetishist who would join her and she did not know whom she was more jealous of...Omar or Naphenee? Her forked tongue tasted the air and yet flickered as if trying to reach the genie's midriff too, the beautiful and gentle being more than deserving of this treatment. Yet to lick and explore such a little crevice of tender flesh, to bask in natural aroma and light sweat, to bury one's face in such supple skin...it was a lot to partake in.

The shame of continuing to invade that moment of intimacy fueled that desire to keep on looking as her own navel playing grew a little more intense. It felt sensitive, almost needy, awakening to hunger that she never knew how to identify and yet this was illumination. Could she be a fetishist as well, crazy about navels? It seemed sordid, absurd, nonsensical...and yet this made her feel alive, aroused, warm in all kinds of ways despite the chill of the night as she felt trepidation of the most blissful kind and then something went on to escape from her lips.

Hisssssssss~

That unfortunate and literal slip of the tongue made both Omar and Naphenee aware that they were being observed as they got closer to Soukya. She expected them to be angry, to be offended and to cast her away yet once again Naphenee was akin to a personification of goodness as she asked if that was Soukya was the one observing her as if it was clear already, giving her an out. Omar, however, was much more direct in his question as he went on to once again show wisdom and asked the right question.

“Wait...do you have a navel fetish?”

That inquisitive and somewhat sharp mind was putting Soukya's action to the forefront, demanding for her to look deeply inside and acknowledge something that she hadn't been certain yet now was pretty obvious in its existence. Yes, she had a thing for navels. Looking at them both, envying them, pleasuring herself with her midriff...it had been something she never experienced before and that awakened a new side of her, something that could be explored yet she did not know how. This moment of trust and answers came with her sharing her thoughts, of how she had wished for Omar to do the same with her but then that she would never steal from Naphenee or force him to betray her. She wasn't comfortable openly discussing that fetish even though they were all on the same page about its existence, but as the conversation got going Omar once again had the solution to this dilemma as to how she might get to explore that side of hers.

“But I think I might have a plan for you to learn all about it...and perhaps have a whole kind of adventure on your own away from your home.”

In the city in which they were headed, Teldrabad, there was a place called the Belly Tavern. There would be people paying tribute in gold, offerings so that they would be able to gaze, touch and even kiss navels of pretty girls. The food was supposed to be glorious there and it could be the best place to really delve into that curious new passion of hers. They knew the manager, whatever that was, and thus they could possibly make her start working there to accumulate riches, experience and perhaps even more. As uncertain as she had been prior, Soukya saw this like fate, the next step in her journey which had seen twists and turns which she hadn't expected. Like tales told of old, though perhaps with an angle that she hadn't expected, navels, this nevertheless made her decide on what to do next.

As she followed Omar and Naphenee to Teldrabad.

Description

Another collab with IncredibleIntruder ! This time featuring Soukya the lamia from Genie's Navel in her own story!

A quick recap, she was introduced in Genie's Navel chapter 4. You can read it here:

www.deviantart.com/deviation/e…

My patreon page:
www.patreon.com/navellunatic

Check out IncredibleIntruder 's patreon page if you wanna see more of this kinda stories!:
www.patreon.com/incredibleintr…

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Soukya was still shaken by what she had seen.

She was in her own private part of the tunnel complex, her own quarters as she looked at the mirror-puddle upon the floor. Her reflection was there, showing her awestruck expression to what she had been a witness to, something that had never been seen before. Just an hour ago, a sorceress by the name of Naphenee had come to their home with demands, accompanied by her own servant. They had all thought her to be full of fake venom, of a lack of tail muscle, unable to back up her claims with actual power and yet she had invoked flames as told by those who fought her. Her own supplicant and slave, in fact, had the power to create water, a gift she gave to him and was demonstrated as it had been followed by something sordid yet sensual, delirious yet delightful: that there were people known as navel cleaners on the surface. The sorceress of dunes, as she had been called, had tasked him to demonstrate and he went on his knees, obedient and worshipful as all eyes were set on him...including hers.

She looked at her midriff, revisiting the scene as that tongue and those lips of his just went on to praise without word but through acts. Circling around, cleaning with saliva and obviously rejoicing at his position, a submissive to an incredible woman whose fury they had quelled with emeralds and food. They were all eating right now, yet Soukya could not help herself but feel still flustered about all of this. Her hand hovered on her belly, her digits caressing her flesh as one finger temptingly circled around her belly button. The sensation felt somewhat taboo, thus perhaps why it was so tantalizing as she pictured someone acting the same way toward her, adoring her navel with such fervor and glee. To have someone like this slave at her beck and call, cleaning and rejoicing at the opportunity felt like a lifelong goal, though one that had been sparked less than an hour ago as without truly being aware of it she had begun to slip her finger inside her tender navel, pressing and spinning as if it were a tongue. A low hiss escaped her lips as she knew not why she was doing this, the purpose of such a fantasy and yet it felt like her horizons had been broadened, the world beginning to feel much stranger and wonderful than the caves and eating mushrooms, fish or spiders. She had ever wanted to seek her own goals, to find something bigger than herself and she had found it.

She would become Naphenee's apprentice and turn into a great lamia sorceress of her own.

This gave her strength and courage, a determination out of this world as she rummaged through things given to her by the huntress who sought food, treasure and prey above where the sun was up and the sand was hot. She had been asking for such things, granted them despite the chieftain's claim that her place was below the ground at her side, perhaps replacing the older lamia someday...but Soukya wanted more. Adventure, discovery, a larger environment in which to thrive as she searched through many effects to create something that she figured might just be traditional “vestments” from above. Long gloves with fingers holes, a top carved with silk made not from spiders but something unknown, a long skirt and a sash around her hips, bangles made of a metal known as “brass” and so forth. She knew not if she looked good or not, though she hoped to perhaps find better pieces above when she'd gain enough power to be fearsome, all thanks to the sorceress of dunes. She couldn't wait to offer her services and to become her apprentice in due time.

And then she learned that Naphenee was simply gone.

While Soukya was taken aback by how quickly it had gone by, her own preparations making her miss it all including the escort out of their tribal grounds and tunnels, she had missed several other little mentions as well. She hadn't been the sole one struck wildly by the vision of navel worship and she hadn't noticed how the chieftain was simply glad that this woman and her servant were gone, two things that might have altered her own initiative, but she was acting on impulse here. She needed this, to find her destiny, to meet her fate and any possible excuse she could have to just do as she pleases and finally meet the outside world under her own terms. She slithered away, climbed across jagged rocks and used her tail along with her knowledge of this old cavern to get further than she had ever been. Fear of missing out fueled her, making her go as fast as she could as she began to hear chatter from beyond. Half-recognizing the voice of the sorceress of dunes herself, she picked up the pace, breathing so fast that her own exhales came out as hisses somehow. Then she got to them as they were ready to exit she went on to shout as loudly as possible, hoping to catch her attention.

“Mistress Naphenee! Great sorceress of dunes!” she began with, aware that she ought to be respectful if she was to be granted this privilege. She bowed as she saw her inane servant and the powerful woman herself give her the time of the day, both surprised by her sudden appearance. “Please take me with you and make me your apprentice!”

What followed next had been something awkward, though Soukya had been accepted after a discussion between Naphenee and her servant. Why exactly she needed his opinion she couldn't say, but then again it was not her place to question her motives and actions. She figured he was mostly jealous, perhaps indignant of someone else that he'd end up serving, something that made Soukya smirk as she expected her journey to be a grand adventure, one in which she would learn her place and true power. It was a trip alright and as she went out of the sun and put on a shawl and veil on her head to protect her skin from the rays of the terrible sun...everything she saw made concerns grow within her thoughts. Omar just wasn't a very good servant it seemed and it made it so Soukya felt the need to warn her teacher if he was to be useful to her.

“Why isn't he carrying you around along with the bags and goods?”

“Your belly is sweaty because of the sun. Shouldn't he be doing his job?”

“Mine is too. Would you like, little slave, to clean it for me?”

Yet every time she had a complain, Naphenee had a perfect comeback and seemed to be annoyed most of the time. It made Soukya feel self-conscious as they had to take multiple breaks, which the sorceress of dunes allowed as she seemed to almost be...kind to her servant? It showed a different side of hers, to be sure, but one that clashed with the vision the lamia had of this great and potent magic-user. Unable to assume properly that she did have a certain craving to have Omar indeed clean her navel, for curiosity's sake she told herself, she merely suggested it but every instances seemed to fall on deaf ears. Perhaps Naphenee did not want to share him or Soukya hadn't yet earned this privilege as she sometimes eyed her midriff and toyed with it by using her finger, a gesture she did for very brief periods of time as if it was a dirty, lewd and private thing. One further instance of her whining about Omar did lead to something she hadn't been prepared for, a glare from the servant himself as Soukya told him how ashamed he ought to be and that she was sure he would be punished for this transgression, only for Naphenee to go on and protect him in a way that was full of anger.

“He is not your slave to command, but rather mine. He has absolutely no obligation to obey you whatsoever,” she began to say and this particular reaction, those words, were tinted by power and authority, making Soukya fear for her life as the sorceress of dunes would probably not tolerate any undermining of her authority or mishandling of her possessions. “Besides, a slave is a precious thing, someone who serves. To mistreat them, giving them impossible tasks and to ever reduce them shows a complete lack of understanding and is only weakness on the master or mistress part. It shifts the blame to others and that is completely shameful.”

It seemed she had a lot to learn as the intricacies of Naphenee's relationship with her servant and her own ideas about how things would work were deeply challenged. As a break had been called and a pool of water had been created, she plunged in it to cool her cold blood that had been put in this intense warmth for far too long. As she saw them converse out of hearsay, or so they thought, she could barely understand what they said despite her having keen senses. Something about why Naphenee took on Soukya, a role to play...it was nebulous, but thankfully she had cooled and calmed down as she went on to offer an apology not to Omar but to Naphenee only. She had indeed acted due to her own prejudice and this had been a bad start to their entire mistress and apprentice bond. However, what occurred next was indeed sudden and yet straight-to-the-point as Omar asked a question worth a mountain of emeralds.

“Why have you decided to follow her?”

On instinct she had placed her hand close to her navel as this was a hard and serious question, one that she barely thought about despite this being her life goal to see and experience the outside world. “I have always wanted to explore outside like the huntress and traders in our tribe. They go outside, live out adventure and danger and return with the most sumptuous of things along with new stuff to eat!” was her immediate answer, something simple and truthful, yet that ignored several observations and facts, some of them which she wasn't even aware of herself. “I do not know how to fight, so I know my survival outside the caves would be down to luck...and even then. But you came and have shown me such incredible sights and things! A slave who creates water! A woman who throws balls of flame bursting like the sun! New ideas and brightness as I knew that if I became your disciple, if I learned your magic and your ways, then I'd be able to have wonderful adventures and perhaps become a worthy matriarch for my own tribe down the line! “

Yet did she really want to be a matriarch? Did she want to return below? Would she even be allowed after basically running away without telling a soul about it? That answer felt like an automatism, what she was expected to say in terms of explanation and while she was indeed excited, this reply not being entirely false, it also didn't quite seem like the truth to her. As she was confused and had bared her soul to Naphenee, the sorceress went on to approach and then did the unthinkable...she hugged her.

“You are so brave, my little scaly one. Really, you are...So full of dreams and aspirations, I find it charming beyond words,” the sorceress said, her tone so gentle and sincere, a complete clash of the authoritarian and powerful figure that she had been for the last few hours. It was a kind gesture, something warm though not in the sense which made her feel dry but rather...appreciated? Soukya did not know how to react, dumbfounded as Naphenee dropped a figurative boulder on her head with another revelation. “I'm afraid we've been lying to you and your tribe, however, and for that I must apologize. I'm not really a sorceress at all...and Omar is not my slave, but rather a very, very precious companion.”

A lie. A complete fabrication. They explained all of it and as much as Soukya tried to understand there was a part of her which felt crumbled, grit to dust and sand as if her own dream was but a farce, life itself toying with her expectations. Something about Naphenee being a genie, an ex-slave of Omar, traveling together, having adventures, that she couldn't teach magic because it was innate. A whole spectrum of emotions went through her head, from fury as she almost wished she could coil and crush them both. Shame because of how she basically treated Omar and had been a little brat ever since she had gotten out of the caves. Confusion as to why Naphenee just went along with it for so long. In the end, however, the greatest one that won over everything else was disappointment of the most profound kind.

“I can only apologize again for the trickery...but our lives were in danger and I had to think of something. I'm sorry if your actions were unfairly motivated, Soukya,” Naphenee said, showing that she was indeed a good person at heart, truly apologetic which only made Soukya feel worse somehow despite the attempts at consolation. “If you wish for us to return to the mines so that you can be with your people again, to wait for a truthful and better opportunity for your dream to be made real, then we'll make reparations right this instant.”

Did she really want to return there, to explain herself, to apologize and to act as if all of this hadn't happened? Could she just discard her dream for another time now that she was literally on the surface? She didn't know. She truly couldn't say what was the best course of action anymore. She barely listened anymore, lost in her own head as she left those two alone for the time being though followed in order not to be utterly on her lonesome. She had made a stupid move, but was it better to assume it and follow through or simply cut her losses now? The offer was there but she didn't really feel it as being the best. Yet what was exactly that, the better choice? Eventually, the sun came down and the temperature agreed more with her as a fire was set, food was eaten and she got closer so that she wouldn't freeze to death as Naphenee announced what Omar and her would be doing.

“We'll probably reach the city of Teldrabad by tomorrow...so if you want to make a decision on what to do next, the next morning will probably be the best time to do so,” the genie went on to explain, showing the kindness of once more offering a way out of this absurd and sudden life-decision the lamia took. As they ate from the lamia's own rations, a gesture of good faith to at least be more like Naphenee in terms of amiability, the lamia herself could not stop herself from asking a question that had been on the forefront of her mind for the entire duration of their voyage.

“So...what was that whole navel cleaning, worship and kissing all about then?” the lamia directly asked as her own finger once again headed to her navel, though she stopped in time not to embarrass herself in front of those two. “I mean...that was just a silly act, I suppose? I mean, who'd be really into that kind of thing, right?“

And yet came a long explanation on how that was an actual thing, establishments being created for that purpose, a trade of some sort for meals, drinks and navel interaction with pretty gals. It sounded far-fetched, her credulity a bit strained given how they had both lied to her and yet both Omar and Naphenee were adamant that this existed. There was something about Omar wishing to access Naphenee's navel at any time, a magic wish, about indulgence and a lot of stuff as Soukya felt flabbergasted that this was an actual thing. Yet as she asked why, Omar came up with an answer that sounded much too sincere despite the small amount of restraint there was to him on this most personal of matter.

“To me it's...sensual. It's a touch of intimacy and trust when done with...the right person, you know? A belly is a soft and sometimes ticklish thing, it's vulnerable, especially the navel part. When someone lets you kiss there, clean it up, worship it and so forth...I think it's an incredibly beautiful thing, you know?”

She chided him, not necessarily doubting his sincerity more than being aware that this wasn't the whole truth as she did not press further onto the matter while Omar tried to change the subject in the most obvious and unsubtle manner possible. Granting him some reprieve, those words nevertheless resonated with her as she needed to find the right person...but was there such a being to begin with? As she curled up to sleep, moving away from the fire as she did not want to move her tail willy-nilly during her sleep and get burns all over her scales, not to mention the high temperatures, she went on to try and get some rest...yet the sound of both Omar and Naphenee conversing went on to distract her as she wondered just what exactly they were doing...and it was a ludicrous and yet amazing sight to behold.

Omar worshiping that navel of hers and yet with a tenderness and hunger that rivaled the moment in her own home tunnels.

She had seen the beginning, that little gaze of desire, that silent offer which spoke of intimacy as Omar went on to kiss and lick that midriff and that glorious belly button with an adoration that made Soukya blush more than she could ever expect. This was voyeurism, this was bad but then again the spectacle was so sexy that she could not miss out on this, that she dared not to avert her eyes as Omar was almost crawling against the floor, as if slithering on the sand while Naphenee was vaulted backward, sitting down and letting him do as he please. The cover of darkness was not an element that could conceal them from her own sight, accustomed to the low light of the tunnels. Not only that, but her innate serpentine qualities to her sense of sight that made darkness no obstacle meant that she saw everything and it aroused her to no end.

Omar was somewhat in a trance, deeper than even any lamia hypnotist could put him in as Naphenee seemed all too content, a smile on her face as if this was pleasurable for her too. That expression of satisfaction and of delight spoke more eloquently than any words ever could...the both of them actually. Her finger went back to her navel again and this time she let it go wild. Each little flicker of her finger she imagined it as a tongue of a delightful lover, a fetishist who would join her and she did not know whom she was more jealous of...Omar or Naphenee? Her forked tongue tasted the air and yet flickered as if trying to reach the genie's midriff too, the beautiful and gentle being more than deserving of this treatment. Yet to lick and explore such a little crevice of tender flesh, to bask in natural aroma and light sweat, to bury one's face in such supple skin...it was a lot to partake in.

The shame of continuing to invade that moment of intimacy fueled that desire to keep on looking as her own navel playing grew a little more intense. It felt sensitive, almost needy, awakening to hunger that she never knew how to identify and yet this was illumination. Could she be a fetishist as well, crazy about navels? It seemed sordid, absurd, nonsensical...and yet this made her feel alive, aroused, warm in all kinds of ways despite the chill of the night as she felt trepidation of the most blissful kind and then something went on to escape from her lips.

Hisssssssss~

That unfortunate and literal slip of the tongue made both Omar and Naphenee aware that they were being observed as they got closer to Soukya. She expected them to be angry, to be offended and to cast her away yet once again Naphenee was akin to a personification of goodness as she asked if that was Soukya was the one observing her as if it was clear already, giving her an out. Omar, however, was much more direct in his question as he went on to once again show wisdom and asked the right question.

“Wait...do you have a navel fetish?”

That inquisitive and somewhat sharp mind was putting Soukya's action to the forefront, demanding for her to look deeply inside and acknowledge something that she hadn't been certain yet now was pretty obvious in its existence. Yes, she had a thing for navels. Looking at them both, envying them, pleasuring herself with her midriff...it had been something she never experienced before and that awakened a new side of her, something that could be explored yet she did not know how. This moment of trust and answers came with her sharing her thoughts, of how she had wished for Omar to do the same with her but then that she would never steal from Naphenee or force him to betray her. She wasn't comfortable openly discussing that fetish even though they were all on the same page about its existence, but as the conversation got going Omar once again had the solution to this dilemma as to how she might get to explore that side of hers.

“But I think I might have a plan for you to learn all about it...and perhaps have a whole kind of adventure on your own away from your home.”

In the city in which they were headed, Teldrabad, there was a place called the Belly Tavern. There would be people paying tribute in gold, offerings so that they would be able to gaze, touch and even kiss navels of pretty girls. The food was supposed to be glorious there and it could be the best place to really delve into that curious new passion of hers. They knew the manager, whatever that was, and thus they could possibly make her start working there to accumulate riches, experience and perhaps even more. As uncertain as she had been prior, Soukya saw this like fate, the next step in her journey which had seen twists and turns which she hadn't expected. Like tales told of old, though perhaps with an angle that she hadn't expected, navels, this nevertheless made her decide on what to do next.

As she followed Omar and Naphenee to Teldrabad.