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Teaching the Ropes

"I still wish you would reconsider." Ilorek said as he looked up at the nearly complete barge. "You were certainly a fine addition to the Storm of the Rift. Don't think I'll be able to find another quite like you."

Both Ilorek and Pariah were standing together, looking out over the pier in north Balico while a team of eager, skilled workers all worked on creating a brand new, small ship for Pariah. Not too long prior, Pariah had experienced a rather traumatizing event that had made her reconsider the life of a pirate. While she still adored life on the high seas, she felt it was time to go out on her own, quit the life of piracy, plunder, and most importantly rape. No, it was time for her to do something more legitimate.

As a professional chef, she was quite capable of making something of herself, but when she told Captain Ilorek and Quartermaster Valencia about her desire and need to do something else, they caught onto her hesitation and did all they could to convince her not to quit a life on the ocean. That's when she got the idea to not open a restaurant, but to create her own little food ship!

Her new goal, after brainstorming with the two of them was to create a ship that would travel from port to port, cooking for crews of pirate ships and navy alike to give them a proper send-off before heading out on their journeys. Everyone knew that food at port was generally better than the wilted, potentially rotten stuff they'd eat after a week or two at sea. She was a professional chef, stuck using lackluster equipment and subpar, low quality ingredients, so she never got to do what was best for her.

What made her such a good cook was her two very different palates. Pariah was a chimera, with elements of snake, dragon, and goat, so by default she had eclectic tastes, but as a chimera she also had a tail with a mind of its own. Literally. In fact, she had two distinct personalities on either side of herself. Her normal head - the goat and dragon head - stood atop her shoulders and was titled Hearth, while the tail head - the one connected to a snake body at the base of her spine - was named Eschar. Two tongues, two noses, and two distinct palates ensured that she would have a very unique advantage over any other cook.

After nearly a month of preparation, discussion, and a surprising amount of support from her crew mates - especially Arnika and Mikhail - she had everything she needed right in front of her. The ship that she was having made for her was a wide-berthed barge, meant for stability with only one mast and two keels. The deck was simple, with a two layer setup differing between the operations deck on the bottom and the helm up top. It was built in such a way that she could turn some cranks to erect the sail, and go out completely on her own, or hire a single helper if need be.

Pariah laughed at Ilorek, patting him on the lower back. "Oh Ilorek, I know you'll never find a proper replacement for me, that's why I'm not leaving you yet!" She was referring to the fact that she wasn't quite ready. Despite her years of service, she still had a lot to learn about sailing, magic use, and dealing with sailors of all walks of life.

"Oh, don't tease me like that. I know that the end is coming sooner rather than later. Maybe I'll just forego any more training, force your dependence on me, which will result in you having to stay on the ship and cook me all the most delicious meals!" He patted her on the shoulder, using his other hand to adjust his red and gold coat.

His face went a bit more serious as he looked down the dock at the workers putting the finishing touches on her new vessel. "Your ship will be perfectly equipped to handle everything you need, Pariah. Wide for stability, we've already stocked you up with huge stoves built right into the hull, with fire and water proof containers to ensure that your ingredients don't spoil and the rest of the ship doesn't catch fire. Some of the best pots, pans, and accessories that money can buy, not to mention a nice big amount of storage for all the best ingredients."

She slowly nodded, glancing up at him. Ilorek was much taller than she was, almost a full meter. "And I thank you and the rest of the crew for it. It was entirely too generous for you all to pitch in on funding this for me. If it's any consolation, you will always, always get free food if you ever catch me at sea."

"You're damn right we do! And if you see the Ademane's Venomous Wrath or Spirit of Dalonia, they get free stuff, too! Ceylon and Luero both pitched in large amounts too. This equipment and the custom design of the ship itself were not cheap." He chirped and whirred at her with a soft smile as his golden eyes locked with hers.

Pariah grabbed his arm and hugged it close, a chirping growl escaping her deep gullet. Eschar the snake tail came up and rested her chin on Pariah's shoulders, getting in between the two of them. "And thank you, Ilorek. Seriously. I know it doesn't come up much, but without you we wouldn't be where we are." Eschar said, heart on her shoulder. "But, we really could use the help with the magics. In the past month, we've gotten better but we're not what I'd call particularly adept."

The mention of magic made Ilorek's eyes light up as he pulled away from her. "That's right! I won't have a whole lot of time to teach you, with me behind the helm all the time, but I can give you a bit of a boost. One moment." He smacked her rump and hopped away, his massive talons digging into the wood of the pier and scratching it up due to how much of a rush he was in.

She watched as he slipped between people and made it back to the Storm of the Rift, which was docked a few over from hers, which wasn't yet named. Though she was confused, she couldn't leave her spot since someone needed to keep watch of the workers who were applying the sail and putting some finishing touches on the hull's ornamental symbols and carvings. A few moments later, she saw him coming back, head tall above the dispersed crowd.

As he returned, she saw he was carrying a decently sized trunk close to his feathered chest. It was made of black wood and golden fittings and straps keeping it together; to him it seemed kind of small, but there was no way she'd be able to carry it. When he got close, he put it down in front of her and knelt behind it, caressing the lid. "Now, my dear, I bring to you a gift. I think it's very important for you to have these, but also it's a great ship-tending offer for your first voyage."

"Oh, and what is it?" Pariah asked as she got down to her knees on the opposite side of it.

Ilorek smiled and reached over the trunk to undo the lock, slowly opening it to reveal what was inside. The first thing she saw was a massive folded bit of fabric that almost entirely filled the top half of the trunk. When he grabbed it by the corners and lifted it out, it revealed itself to be a flag. The design was that of a saucer and a soup bowl in the middle, with a spoon and fork crossed over the one side and a knife across the bottom with goat or dragon horns for handles. Above the bowl of soup was a stylized snake that looked like rising steam coming out of the bowl of food.

It was the perfect rendition of everything she wanted and needed in a flag. She had purchased a single blue and green flag for simplicity's sake - the colors of Ilorek's ship's flag - but this was much, much nicer. As the happiness bubbled up in her, she bounded over the trunk to tackle hug Ilorek, squeezing her arms around his waist with the flag falling and draping over her. When she let go, Ilorek gently folded the flag back up. As she pulled away, she saw that the trunk was full of what appeared to be suitcases, each as wide and tall as the trunk with a little handle on top.

"And that's just the beginning. You mentioned magic, so I got you a little something special that will help you with your first....half a year or so depending on weather." He grabbed one of the handles and pulled it up, sliding out a drawer upwards. It was a soft, felt bed with a few dozen tiny little vials held in by leather pouches, each one with a tiny cork keeping them sealed. When he pulled the whole thing out, he showed that the slip section actually was covered in these little vials on both sides, so there had to be fifty on each side, a hundred per slip cover. There were four slips in the trunk.

She leaned in to grab one of the vials, daintily pulling it out of the leather pouch to hold it in her hand. What she saw was a swirling teal and black liquid inside. A potion. "And what exactly is this?" She asked, holding it up close to her face, then letting Escher see it as well.

"That, my dear, is a potion concocted from a combination of my own ademane mixed with a bit of Valencia's. It's a special brew made to enhance your natural skills and give you temporary command of the wind. Each of these vials will last for about ten hours or so, and assuming you use one per day, it'll be enough to last you nearly a year. It also has a bit of fire and force in there. I've been teaching you natural physical magics, which are good for pushing attackers back or putting some distance between you and anything else, and I added a bit of a boost to that. Mix that with power over wind, and you'll be safe on the open seas from any attacks. Oh, and there's a few vials over here that Val and I concocted together. I'll let you find out what they do on your own time." He winked and grinned, knowing full well she was the curious and experimental type.

Rather than jump for joy or pounce him again, she simply stared at the vial in her hand with blank eyes. She was reflecting on her last year with Ilorek on the Storm of the Rift, and how much fun she'd had. She remembered that time they met up with the Spirit of Dalonia and partied for a full day on the open seas until they were all too drunk to make it back to port. That time they got lost on an island without any magic, and that time they were pursued by the Javelins - a group of pirate assassins hired to take them out by an unknown antagonist. Things always ended up fine for the crew, and every adventure strengthened their bonds.

The memories welled up in the form of tears, making her close her eyes and shake them off. She wiped her cheek off and smiled at Ilorek, gingerly putting the vial back. "Th-thanks for this, Ilorek. For everything. You have no idea how much this truly means to me, dear. I wouldn't be the people I am without you."

Escher snaked her way up so that she was resting on the edge of the trunk, looking up at Hearth. "Why are you crying? Isn't this a good thing?" She flicked her tongue then looked over at Ilorek, who was simply smiling and letting Pariah have her moment. "And why do you have to let her be so sappy? We're supposed to be piratessss, right?" She finished up with a gentle hiss.

Hearth pushed Escher off to the side, dismissing her. "Oh shush, it's hard, okay? Lots can happen in a year and a half. Or two years. Or four. How long have I been with you?"

"Nearly three years now, dear. Come on." He extended a hand to her to help her to her feet, but was interrupted by a nolse worker wiping off his hands.

"Captains, the ship appears to be done. I just finished the last of the carvings, and I don't think any more work needs to be done on the artistic elements of the ship." Nolse were sea mammals with gils and teeth like a shark, perfect amphibious blokes tho were also known to be quite adept artists, which is why Pariah hired a couple of them to work on the ornamental aspects of the hull and bow.

Pariah sniffled a bit, then regained her composure and stood up straight. "I trust your judgment. Can't wait to get it on the go." She turned to Ilorek. "Well, my captain, I am honored to have been in your crew, but now I think it may be time for this ship to hit the high seas. Would you care to join me on its maiden voyage?"

Ilorek slowly closed the trunk with his massive black-fleshed claw, keeping his knee up to look like a true captain. "I would be honored to join you. Come on, let's go!" He was uncharacteristically excitable as he grabbed the trunk and carried it off down the dock. Pariah followed, and the two of them made it onto the the ship together while Ilorek tossed a bag of coin to the lead artist. "You are dismissed! Let's go!"

She clopped over to the helm, lightly dragging her hands over the dark wood of the bannister as she went. When she made it to the helm, she caressed the wheel as if it were a lover, holding her chest to it as her coat billowed out behind her in the light wind. Even Escher came around to nuzzle at the handles, wrapping herself around them to squeeze tight as they came to feel the ship for the first time. They'd been on deck once, but not when it was this close to completion, and the anticipation of going out to sea was growing too eager, and she knew she couldn't hold off much longer. "Ilorek, I think it's time to go!"

"Yes captain!" He said with a wide, gape-grin. It was strange to have him refer to her as that, but it pleased him either way and made her feel like a king. Or a captain. With that said, he raised his hand towards the deck, a teal glow emanating from his digits as the mooring lines came alive, untying themselves from the mooring anchors on the wharf, pulling themselves up back onto the vessel. They coiled themselves in little circular patterns on the floor, neatly carrying themselves in place as Ilorek's other hand reached up towards the mast, remotely making the flag fly its way up and attach itself. His telekinetic abilities were quite impressive, and he'd been teaching her how to do it but she wasn't learning too quickly.

She raised a fist to the sky and twisted the wheel, allowing the boat to gently slide back away from the dock, turning quickly to aim itself out towards the open seas. When she was facing north, Ilorek raised his hand to the sails and started opening them as he'd been remotely manipulating the mooring lines and the flag. Within less than a minute, the sail had caught a gust and the ship lurched forward, sending them off over the semi-clear blue-green ocean!

This was it, she was doing it. After many years of waiting and a month of anxious desire, she was out on the seas in her own ship. Though Ilorek had put on some theatrics, the whole ordeal seemed a little anticlimactic. Excitement was one thing, but within minutes, she'd gone from casually eager to already propelling herself through the water, leaving a wide wake behind her. She could have enjoyed more pomp and circumstance, to perhaps celebrate or enjoy ceremony, but her eagerness had pushed her too quick.

But the moment she felt the cool mist of a cresting wave wash over her, that worry was all but gone. She was at the helm of her ship and heading out to the open seas. Her ship, to the open seas.

Her ship.

Nothing else mattered, and that truly was the crux of all things that made the pirate life appealing. Well, the goal of the Nautical Liberation Force. The NLF wasn't just a band of pirates, it was a band of pirates that had cooperated to fight against the oppression of the royal navies on behalf of sailors and merchants across the globe. She would remain part of that alliance, even though she intended to sell her wares to others. Truly, the definition of freedom included selling to everyone.

"It's something else, isn't it?" Ilorek asked as he picked up the trunk of potions, hauling it across the deck to leave it next to the base of the helm. He was much taller than she was, to the point where he was standing on the lower deck and yet was still at her eye's height. "The cool breeze on your feathers - erm, fur and scales - with the power of the ship in your hands. It's up to you, turn the wheel starboard, you head back to the Ijimulian to meet thousands of other ships that are going along that trade route. Or, you can turn portside, and return to the Yelfritian nation, or go farther and brave the waters of the Enolian Ocean. Probably a lot of traffic there, too."

Pariah couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. The freedom was taking her, imprisoning her with its breadth and she was faced with a literal world of possibility that left her not knowing what to do next. He was right, she could go anywhere now, and she had the food and supplies to feed herself for months, and the skills and coin to make a living for herself anywhere. She was as free as she ever would be or ever had been.

The last time she felt this happy was when she boarded the Storm of the Rift for the first time at behest of Valencia. She'd been a chef for the Royal Balican Family, and she was miserable there. All that family ever wanted was sausage, steak, and stew; all great foods, but not the best for creativity or freedom. With Ilorek and the rest of the crew, the situation wasn't much different since there were other restrictions that she had to abide by, but it was never client restricted, just space limitations. The difference in being told no and being told to go wild but with limited supplies worked in an odd way that helped bolster her creativity, meaning she had to work extra hard to make something great twice a day.

It was a challenge, but it was the right kind of challenge. The kind of hardship that she grew from rather than feeling like she was having her essence siphoned from her. Now, she got the best of both worlds. Not only did she had the freedom of her own vessel, but she also had the added benefits of a fully decked out kitchen at her disposal.

As she looked around the deck, seeing only the mooring line, Ilorek, and the trunk, she began to realize that something key was missing. Another crew member. She couldn't keep Ilorek, of course, he had his own ship to captain every day other than this one. Who could she hire to help do prep work while she was sailing? Who would she hire to help with sailing and deck work? She'd heard of the costs involved with travelling food merchants on land, she could only imagine that the costs to maintain a ship would be considerably higher. Something she wasn't familiar with but was eager to find out more from Ilorek.

"Hey, he'sss talking to you, Hearth." Escher hissed up at the other head, jerking her from her passive daze. "Says you could go-"

"I heard what he said." She assured her backside, then turned to Ilorek. "I don't think I want to go west, less chance I'll see you and the Spirit. Naw, I think for my first season I'll definitely stick to the Ijimulian, travel between the surrounding nations. Waverthe, Balico, Koluma, Ijimu, Saff'Rald, Viokenic, and Kaidu all have port cities I'm familiar with, so I think I'll just go clockwise around the shores there. Plus, I can get the best produce in Saff'Rald and Koluma and..." She paused a moment to think about the vastness of the ocean, realizing real quick that the farther from shore she got, the less chance she'd have of seeing another ship. The closer to shore they were, the less chance they'd need food, but the farther out, the greater distance between ships. The logistics of the situation were quickly catching up to her.

Ilorek leaned over the helm and smiled at her. "Finally putting it all together, aren't you? It's fascinating how, after a month of preparation and anticipation, a single minute will draw forth questions you never thought of. That's life." He kept a gape-grin towards her, resting lower beak on his crossed arms over the helm.

She glanced back to shore, noticing she could still see the mountains stabbing up off the horizon, but not see much detail of the port city. For that brief moment she seriously considered turning back and quitting right then and there, going back to shore and selling the restaurant barge and going back to work with Ilorek. "What do I do now?"

"That's entirely up to you." Ilorek advised with a gentle nod. "Literally anything."

Escher snaked her way up onto Hearth's shoulder, flicking her tongue near her cheek scales. "You know, we could start by...eating? Or prepping? I dunno, I can't quite look into your mind or anything, but I get the impression you didn't really think this through before heading out. The kitchen is stocked, but nothing is prepped. Let's be honest here, I don't think you're gonna be doing any businesss."

Hearth smiled, cradling the snake's chin before twisting her head to give a kiss. "You're right. For now, let's just go sailing. I'm still on vacation for another week or so, lots of food and money to handle myself, perhaps we'll just sail wherever we want, come back when I'm good and ready."

Ilorek tapped his claws on the dark wood of the helm. "Probably not the best idea, for me anyway. I kinda have to get back to my ship tomorrow if we're to depart. I really don't intend to go AWOL on my crew; set's a very bad example."

"Of course, of course. I was just being silly. But you are my crew today, so in the mean time, I do think I have a lot of bossing around to do if I am to get proper work out of you!" She grinned and poked him on the beak. "And my first act as captain over you is, to tell you to take that chest down into my quarters. I will need it for later, I'm sure." She knew he was aware of the layout, since he helped design and build the ship's frame.

A brief moment passed while Ilorek only stared into her eyes with a devious grin before he pulled away, gave a salute, and picked up the trunk. "Aye-aye." He confirmed, then quickly ran the cargo down below deck to where it would stay for the duration of her trip. Those potions were going to be quite fun, and if she knew Valencia as well as she thought she did, the other potions would be great for when she invited a male suitor on board.

Suddenly, another wave of self-realization washed over her. Problem was, she didn't realize what it was she was realizing. Like, all of a sudden she felt like something was wrong or wasn't going to work out. Something felt off and she couldn't put a finger to it; was it the challenging prospect of finding clients on the open seas? Was it her relative lack of experience commanding a ship? Ilorek had been the one commanding her for the past three years or so and she was great at taking orders but not good at giving them.

"You'll be fine. You'll never know what you can do if you don't try." Escher assured her.

When Ilorek came back up from below deck, Pariah immediately asked him. "Ilorek, tell me honestly, do you think this will work? And, if it doesn't, can I come back to the Storm of the Rift? I mean, like, you know. You've got my back, right?"

Her inquiry stopped Ilorek in his tracks for a moment, coaxing a gentle chuckle from him. "Well I hope it doesn't come to that, for sure."

"You mean you don't want me back?"

"What? That's not what I said. I just mean like, I don't want you to fail, for your sake. Honestly, a small part of me does want you to fail so I can have you back, but I'm not that petty in the slightest and I'd never wish failure on anyone but my enemies, and you certainly are no enemy to me; No, Pariah, you will always have a place aboard the Storm of the Rift." He then rubbed the back of his head, folding his ears up to his spine. "But let's put aside some of that mushy crap. Your barge is too short, I had to hunch over and I still hit my head on one of the beams."

She paused before letting go of the wheel to tackle-pounce him. She rubbed her cheeks to his plumage and swallowed a few sobs that threatened to manifest as she held him close. "Th-thanks Ilorek. It means a lot to me." Her words got lost in his chest feathers, but he got the message.

"It's really no problem, Pari. I told you the day you asked for your release that I'd support you in whatever your endeavor was, as long as it didn't involve defecting to the Coastal Discipline Authority. This is perfect, and I wouldn't have it any other way. No promises that I won't follow you around the seas, trying to get some of that delicious food every few days."

Again, she mumbled her appreciation into his chest through the thin white blouse, but it was Escher who decided to make a move, idly flipping down and around between Pariah's legs to rub her snake cheek up Ilorek's inner thigh. Pariah didn't realize what was happening, since Escher often acted on her own without her input.

As Ilorek noticed the delicate caress of snake scales tickling the short hair on his inner thigh, his natural stallion instincts seemed to be triggered. "Well, I wasn't expecting this, but I'm not complaining." He chirped at her with a grin.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Pariah asked, until she looked down and saw Escher sticking out from under her short dress to poke and prod at Ilorek under his kilt. Instantly, the scales on her cheek flushed with a pink undercoat as she didn't quite know what to do. Apparently she was flirting with Ilorek and hadn't even known it, or Escher was pulling another prank on her. Well, prank wasn't the word, more like 'pulled a fast one'. That snake end of hers was always getting them in a bit of trouble, but it was rarely the bad kind. "O-oh, well then."

With them both still on the lower deck and the wheel gently rocking from side to side in her absence, Pariah quickly turned and hopped back to the helm, grabbing the handles to keep a proper control of the vessel as the waves and wind were quickly taking over. When she was in place, Ilorek suavely walked towards Pariah, stepping up behind the chimera to stay as close as he could without actually touching her.

There was a brief moment of nervousness on Pariah, who wasn't sure if she wanted to do anything physical with him or not. Thing was, she was in a needy mood, and Escher seemed to be as well since she was rarely this direct unless the essence of estrus was flowing. So, while she tightened up in nervousness and solidarity when Ilorek got close, she didn't stop Escher from hissing and slithering her way up Ilorek's kilt.

The most interesting thing about Pariah was that she could feel everything that happened in Esher's snake body, and Escher could feel everything that happened in Hearth's half; they were a sort of symbiote, with two minds but one body. Acting in unison was hard to collaborate, so Hearth did most of the mobility unless Escher wanted to take over the legs, which often resulted in a power struggle. But this time, Pariah was happy to let the tail of hers use that mind of its own to get her something she kinda wanted.

Problem was, she didn't know she wanted it at first, which brought up flashbacks and visions to the bandit party that had their way with her before she decided to call it quits on the pirate life.

With hands still on the knobs of the wheel she meekly looked back at Ilorek, then blushed again as her eyes caught his. This was her captain, not some random bandit. She'd been with him before on multiple occasions, and it was always pleasant, plus this was a cause for celebration. She wasn't the sluttiest, but she certainly had needs same as anyone else.

As she stared at him over her shoulder, she nodded seductively and bit her bottom lip, showing off her teeth. At the same time, Escher opened her maw underneath his kilt to give a gentle nibble, right above his knee. At this point she was just teasing him, knowing full well that she was in control of the situation, which was important to her.

However, the second he felt the sharp snake teeth biting on his upper leg, he leaned in close, pressing his hips to hers so that the bulge under his kilt was resting comfortably between her rump cheeks and under Escher's belly. He leaned in heavily, squeezing Pariah in between himself and the ship's wheel as he took a hold of one of the handles. "So, if yer gonna be sailin' the seas, make sure to always have complete control of the rudder." As he instructed her, he brought his hand up to give a gentle squeeze of her rump cheek.

Escher then coiled around his wrist, holding him there as Hearth looked back over her shoulder. "And what happens if I lose control? I don't suppose anyone will be there to take over for me, will there?" She felt somewhat silly saying something like that, but at the same time she also couldn't help but play along with his instruction fantasy. Ilorek was a professor at the Klyneth University before taking up arms on the Storm of the Rift, so she knew he had a bit of an insatiable desire to teach as well as personally instruct. She wanted to take advantage of that.

This was cause for celebration!

Ilorek leaned in a bit closer until his chest was pressed to Pariah's back, his beak just up and over her head. "Well, I guess you might end up getting lost at sea, and we can't have that, can we?" His breath was hot on her neck and his powerful arm muscles tensed as he forced the wheel to turn, steering the boat into a large wave that blew mist over the vessel.

Pariah shuddered as she exhaled, lower jaw quivering. While she glanced back, a blush formed on her cheek scales, which told her she was needier than she had initially expected or thought. The warmth of his breath and the pressure of his bulge against her rump was making her wet to the point she couldn't help but arch her back against him. "Well, quartermaster, maybe I'll get some help finding my way back to shore?" As she spoke, she reached back with her free arm to grab at his kilt, bunching it up in her fist to pull it up and expose him.

Escher unraveled from his wrist to nuzzle and coil at his balls, cradling them in segments of her body as her snout pressed against the soft velvet flesh. Her touch made Ilorek shudder in delight as a gentle scratching sound could be heard from below; his talons were curling against the wood of the ship's deck.

"H-hey, don't scratch up my deck, maggot!" She commanded him, trying her best to fill the role of oppressive captain.

But Ilorek leaned in close and preened at the fur below her ears. "I thought we were initiating the craft together." He whispered to her as his hand shifted from her rump to down her thigh and under her skirt. His fingertips tickled her upper leg until he found her moist folds, then proceeded to part those lips and slip his middle finger into her.

All Pariah could do was nod slowly, her chest pressed to the wheel thanks to Ilorek's body weight pushing against her. She kept her hand on the wheel's knob next to Ilorek's, but it wasn't the best point of stability since it turned with ease and the gentle waves of the open seas were crashing into the hull every few seconds. Still, the chimera parted her legs and planted both hooves on the deck, only to stomp a few times in pleasure.

"H-hey, be careful!" Ilorek grunted. When he looked down, he saw Escher nuzzling and nibbling at his ball sack, and even biting at the wrinkled folds of his sheath; his cock was still mostly inside still, since he was trying to hold back a bit. "Just...you know, be careful with the teeth, Esch."

The snake smiled and nodded, hissing gently as she flicked her tongue out to absorb as much of his musk as she could. "Aye aye, captain." She said with a tip of her head, then immediately pressed her snout right into his moist folds. Her dexterous body allowed her entire form to squeeze and massage every bit of him from balls to belly, and that mixed with the gentle tickle of her tongue flicking on his soft flesh coaxed his member from hiding.

Still, he kept one hand on the wheel, and the other up between Pariah's legs, caressing her folds and passionately slipping two fingers in and out of her eager depths. Since he was so much larger than her, the two fingers really spread her open a bit, and her pussy's desire kept her soft and loose enough that a bit of air got sucked into her, followed by a gentle whelp of flesh and fluid pushing out. Ilorek knew he'd pressed a button, so he rotated his wrist and pressed down, roughly caressing her depths just inside her, walking two fingertips inwards while sliding his digits over her most sensitive parts.

As if on instinct, Pariah leaned back and tried to grind against him, only to find that he was too tall for her relatively short stubby legs. Her moist undercarriage merely pressed to his upper thigh, squeezing his hand in between them.

Ilorek took the hint and pulled his fingers from her, flipping her skirt up over her back and around the snake's body as his member unfolded against Escher's cheek. Within a few seconds, the thick shaft of meat was dangling down onto her rump, resting on her lower back while a gentle stream of precum dribbled onto some of the scales there.

"Yesss..." Escher hissed before she leaned in to plant a series of kisses up and down his length, ending by nuzzling up into the soft, velvety tip. Her tongue flicked out, lapping at his fluids and gently penetrating his cock's opening. The sensations made his member throb and twitch to full firmness, eventually coming to erect itself just above her haunches.

Hearth - and Pariah for the most part - turned away to let Escher and Ilorek have their time together. She kept both hands on the wheel, with chin pressed up between handles as she widened her stance. Her pussy was throbbing in need and desire, and she could feel the muscles tensing in anticipation for his member to force its way into her. All the worries about finding a place in the world, stability, and the abstract horror of entrepreneurial endeavors melted away from her as she felt his warmth emanating against her moist lips.

Meanwhile, Ilorek found his confidence and assurance that Pariah was ready, thanks to Escher's hunger and eagerness. He let go of the wheel to grab at the base of the snake's body, using tha thand for grip while his other aimed his cock tip downward to prod at her slick lips. Thanks to a wave that rocked the boat, he found himself leaning into her with one easy motion, his cock forcing itself into her and burying itself past the median ring.

Escher started twitching and pressing out with her entire body, slithering in place against Ilorek's lower abs as the pleasure overtook her. Though she didn't directly feel the penetration as the rest of Pariah had, she did feel the deep, residual throbs of happiness coursing through her form. The shocks of pleasure shot up her spine to buzz in her jaw bones, an odd place to feel an orgasm, but it felt great regardless. The overwhelming sensations blew Escher into an oddly hypnotic series of motions as she whipped her body down and around Ilorek's sack to open her maw wide, wrapping those malleable jaws of her around one of his balls.

There was a noticeable twitch in Ilorek's body as he felt the teeth clamp down on his nether regions, but the warmth and moisture of her depths massaged a sensationin him that shifted any pain - like the dozen needle-point teeth clamping down around his balls - into a sharp feeling more akin to pleasure. The little stabby points of the snake's teeth felt great in an odd way, and that urged him to lean into her, slowly forcing every bit of his cock length into her until he felt her rump cheeks on his thighs.

"Ooooh, oh, awh, ah, Oh!" Hearth shuddered with a whimper as she felt his cock part her flesh and fill her to the womb. The girth of it was quite cumbersome, stretching her lips a bit wider than was immediately comfortable, but like him the warmth of her partner's flesh against her dulled and converted the throbbing pain into a tingling pleasure in her nethers. She clenched her canal down tight against him and idly started motioning back and forth, angling her hips so that his cock tip would rub her g-spot before popping out of her.

Her mindless moaning and whimpering were all she could say, though, as she couldn't quite form coherent sentences. It wasn't that she was in unending pleasure and was mounted senseless, but the combination of pleasure and the focus on the ship ensured that there wasn't enough brain power to also give him encouragement. Instead, she just kept rocking back and forth against him, grinding her hips to his every time she felt her thighs press to him and his engorged cock tip slam against her depths.

While he aided her, he grabbed at her hips for added leverage, bucking harder and harder into her every time, testing her limits. After a few motions, another heavy wave hit the hull, causing the ship to rock heavily to the side. He was in mid thrust, so he lost his balance and sidestepped, his cock popping out of her at once, leaving a glistening trail of precum and lubricants spraying out to splatter on the deck. When he got his footing again, he chuckled to himself and rubbed the mess into the wood. "I guess I've taken the ship's virginity."

All Pariah could do was nod with a gaped paw and lolling tongue. In her time as a member of his crew, she's learned to keep her clothes on while mating on deck, but this time she was alone and didn't care, so she unbuttoned her shirt with one hand - the other remaining on the wheel - before briskly pulling it up off her chest and tossing it to the side with her coat all at once. Her exposed breasts were already a bit wet from the ocean spray, but that was part of the appeal.

Ilorek leaned back into her and hooked his finger over her skirt, gently tugging it down over her thighs. When it passed her knees, she stepped out of it and kicked it to the side, with Ilorek pressing his cock up over her haunches while also slipping out of his coat and shirt, leaving only his Kilt and hat on. He undid his kilt buckle and let it slide over his cock, leaving the firm member to bounce back up when the waistband fell off him, landing with a splat in the crook between cheek and snake body.

"Yesssss!" Escher hissed excitedly at him, quickly wrapping a few coils around his member and constricting. The soft texture of her scales blended with the copious amount of fluid he'd acquired from her pussy and his own precum made it feel like the most pleasant manual stimulation he'd ever felt. In the times they'd played together, Escher hadn't ever done that before; she usually just poked and prodded at his belly or balls while he was having a go at Pariah's backside.

When he pulled away, the snake squeezed especially tight with one coil right up around the rim of his flare, guiding - nay, forcing - him to aim down at her plump, drooling lips. A wave struck the boat again, and he was knocked off balance with his member plunging into that velvety cunt below Escher. The snake's body slid down his shaft to the base, crumpling up near the sheath to be forcefully spread out and off his shaft.

Pariah grunted against his weight and girth, then let go of the wheel to slip her hand up between her legs, rubbing at her clit in sensual cycles. As her digits caressed the engorged flesh there, her walls contracted and she made a bleating groan of pleasure. Excited and curious to see if she could do it, she curled her fingers in against Ilorek's cock, slipping them in next to him and parting her passage wide, an acute gape forming between knuckles and dick.

The deep, guttural squelching accented the throbbing of her walls for a brief moment before Escher explored around underneath his length, nuzzling her snout into her cunt next to Ilorek's cock. At first, he paused a moment to see if that was really happening, but Pariah's grabby hands grasping at his belly fur said it was fine to go on, so he leaned in as far as he could, the tapered nature of his sheath half slowly spreading her further with the snake's body squeezed upside down between his member and her clit. He could feel Escher's subtle muscle contractions and belly waves caressing his cock as he thrust, the pleasure unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

His legs were parted so his hips were as low as hers, but he found she was grinding down farther and farther, until she let go of the wheel entirely to fall on her chest with rump up and snake tail curved around his cock to penetrate into her next to him. The ship did a powerful and sudden turn now that nobody was controlling the rudder, so Ilorek grabbed it as he leaned forward over her. The motion made him bury every bit of his length into her, to the point her lips were kissing his sheath and his balls were slapping against the snake that was writhing and undulating against him.

"Is...is she going to be alright?" He asked in between hushed grunts.

Pariah nodded slowly with a laugh and a grin. "She's a durable serpent, I'm sure she's fine, and don't stop, the scales are..." She trailed off as she felt Escher tense up her whole body at once, increasing girth and stiffness between the two. Every motion of the ocean - literally - made him shift inside her, massive girth sliding deeper and shallower while also rotating ever so slightly. Her balance wasn't the best, so she let him do most of the work, but the pummeling she was victim to was entirely pleasant to her.

Another wave crashed into the boat, this time splashing a rather copious amount of seawater onto the deck. The slipperiness mixed with the lack of traction on her hooves made her kick wildly at the ground, breasts and Ilorek the only thing keeping her in place.

However, the sudden and intense extra pressure of her flexing muscles forced Escher out in one gooey plop, leaving the snake to back-slither until she was coiled up on her rump. The resulting softness and clenching blended with Ilorek's increasing vigor to have her twitch into an orgasmic mess. The pressure was just right on her most tender spots, her lips sore and swollen with pleasure and bloodflow alongside his pounding member. Her eyes curled up into her skull as she grasped at the helm's stand, eager to regain some control.

"C-careful..." Ilorek cautioned, only to have the combined factors of her nether region mixed with the sea breeze that tickled his feathers combine into the ultimate pleasure. He reared his head back and gaped his beak open in a wrenching screech that got swallowed up in the open seas around them as he bucked in as hard and deep as he could. His cock flared out against her womb, stretching her depths to their limits as a series of loin-constricting pulsations shot wave after wave of seed into her, the mess of it filling her and coating her walls between his flesh and hers.

Another brief and erratic thrust slid his member in and out only a touch, the pressure forcing a gooey mess to ooze out from her swollen, tenderized lips. While he was still partially hard, he pulled out and left her gaping as his thumbs pried her apart. For a brief moment, he glanced down at the destruction he had brought into her, then was shocked to see Escher shift her body into a striking pose against him.

Pariah glanced back and giggled, knowing what was coming next but not wanting to say anything. Truth be told, she'd not likely have been able to enunciate anything more than nonsense anyway, so she laid with her chest down on the deck, breasts squished to the moist surface while Escher gently angled herself with maw open to wrap her lips around Ilorek's cock.

"Hu-ah!" He panicked a bit, trying to pull back only to have her sharp teeth dig into his flesh. Then, when he realized what was happening, he just clenched up a bit and shivered in a combination of lingering pleasure and a dash of fear. A snake was literally chomping down on his cum-soaked cock, and that was not the kind of thing he was used to.

As he watched, she gaped open her maw and angled her head to the side, teeth stepping forth down his length to pull more of his semi-flaccid member down her gullet. Back and forth, side to side with distended jaws, she slowly enveloped over half of this cock, the distinct semi-flared shape bulging out halfway down her length.

To his shock and surprise, her flesh seemed to be gliding and sliding up and down over his cock, rotating as she gulped down more and more of it until he felt his arousal bubble back up. Another brief wave of panic came over him as he wondered if a firming member would press out against her teeth and result in blood, but at this point he had no real ability to do anything about it, stop it, slow it down, or resist it, so he let it happen.

While he remained holding onto the wheel, tentatively guiding the vessel in a nondescript 'forward' path, he curled his toe talons against the wood of her deck, shocked at how much the snake's throat was manipulating him. Her spine was bending in tight zigs and zags, her flexible skull wrapped around near the base of his cock to lock her in place. She slithered back and forth in tight, controlled motions while also making a gulping motion with her throat muscles, creating a sort of rhythmic massage blended with a more traditional thrusting sensation. Despite her maw staying in place, the rest of her slid in such a way that it actually shifted her flesh around and over his cock, emulating gentle thrusts without any input from him.

He grunted and gabbed at the wheel with his hand, doing his best to stay in place as he felt his pleasure building a second time, the flare at the end of his cock bulging out in a very distinct shape about half way down Escher's gullet. Her flesh, though stretchy and loose, was also incredibly snug and constricting thanks to the muscles that squeezed him to hold his length in place. The power of her muscles even kept his flare from fully forming, clenching around it to restrict its girth, a particularly precise way to maintain the highest levels of pleasure in an equine.

Before long he was doubling over in pleasure again, tail flicking up and down as he bucked and tugged at the snake's stuffed mouth. It didn't seem to matter what he did, it just built up more and the pressure kept him from erupting into her stomach. Then, when the pressure grew too much, she clenched all of her muscles and gaped open her maw in a nearly perfect wide angle, regurgitating every bit of him until his flare popped out of her in a gooey mess comprised of creamy precum and thick viscous saliva. She bit down on the flare, keeping her gullet gaped as his seed erupted into it, and she swallowed every drop.

She didn't let go until he'd grown weak and limp, the flare deflating back into a normal sized cock tip, the bulge of his member dipping between sheath and her maw. As she peeled her many rows of teeth off his member, a few tiny drops of blood formed around each of the holes, but she licked them up and swallowed the mess before meekly coiling back up on Pariah's raised rump.

Hearth had plenty of time to pause and wait for Ilorek to have his fun with her backside before flopping onto the wet deck in a puddle of their combined mess. She curled up into a ball and giggled a bit. "Been a long time since I had that much fun." She said to herself, watching with partial detachment as she saw Ilorek fall onto his rump, semi-erect cock glistening in the midday sun as it flopped onto his lap.

He smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, can't say I was expecting that." The hippogryph paused to glance down at his cock and the tiny specks of blood on it with a bit of apprehension. It was obvious by the look on his face that he wasn't all too keen on having a snake bite him down there, but two orgasms in such rapid succession was quite a feat. Usually he had his way with his partner, then gave himself at least a few minutes to do anything else.

Though they could have just stayed there, soaking in the aftershocks of pleasure that were coursing through their systems, Pariah felt she had to get to her feet and take control of the vessel again, since nobody was holding the wheel and the whole ship was rocking and turning into and away from every minor swell. Her legs were a bit weakened from her orgasm, but she had the strength and resolve to lunge forward to the hull, where she grabbed tight and glanced back to Ilorek. "Get up, son. We have work to do!"

The two shared a laugh as Ilorek got to his feet, slowly redressing in his black and gold jacket, white shirt, and black kilt. All the while his hat never came off. "Aye-aye, captain. Your wish is my command. So, uh, what is it you wish for me to do?"

Hearth took in a long and deep breath as she scanned the horizon, looking for land again. She quickly found a few tiny silhouettes of mountains to the south, and decided to turn the boat back to shore. "Just, stick with me for now, captain." She said, eyes going dull.

"I'm not captain on this boat, Pari." He corrected her.

She paused, still turning the wheel to return to shore. She had a lot on her head, and now that her mind was cleared of the desire for companionship, compassion, and intimacy, she was finding that she was having serious regrets and hesitations regarding her status as a potential captain on her own ship. In retrospect, she should have known that her hormones were quite messed up when the two of them hit estrus at the same time, leading to some intensely stupid ideas that came through her. Usually, a good mating would relieve her of those unwise thoughts, but after the forceful rape of the bandits in the Koluman International Trade Annex, she'd not had any fun with any other crew members until she unceremoniously decided to call it quits.

Her mind wasn't in the right place, it wasn't then but it was now. She leaned away from the wheel and turned to Ilorek. "Hey, can you take the helm for a moment, I have to get dressed."

"Sure, no problem, captain. Everything okay?" He asked as he took over for her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just have a lot to think about. Take us back to shore, please. I'm going to go get a nap." She collected her clothes and tossed them over her shoulder before heading below deck.

Ilorek stopped her. "Wait, I thought you said you were just getting dressed." He clarified.

"I am, but I also need a nap, you kind of took a lot out of me." She faked a smile, then disappeared into her chambers while he did as commanded and sailed them back to shore with the aid of some magic.

In her hour or so alone in her quarters, Pariah had a lot to think about. Her dream was to have her own ship, her own business, and her own utter and complete freedom to be bought with the treasures and goodies she'd acquired in her time aboard the Storm of the Rift. She was happy, she was fulfilled, and she was, above all else, free.

Yet she felt in that very moment more constrained than she ever had before. The responsibilities were piling up quickly, the pressure of business ownership was looming, and she still didn't feel fully safe alone on the open ocean, especially if some rambunctious pirates who didn't adhere to the rules of the NLF came along and ransacked her stock. She had a lot of valuable things on deck and certainly wouldn't be able to do that on her own.

Once docked, Ilorek tied the ship up and came to visit her in her chambers. When he say on the foot of her bed, he joked that even then his head was nearly hitting the roof. It was a very short room. The two of them shared some conversations about her reservations, her worries, hopes, and dreams. When it all came down to the final word, she admitted that she wasn't ready to go out on her own.

Pariah, though intelligent and eager to help others, wasn't the kind to ask for help so she knew she wouldn't be able to hire anyone to aid on her restaurant barge. She had watched Ilorek piloting his ship for years now, and she had a good idea of how to run a ship, but the loneliness wasn't really something she was prepared to deal with.

Throughout her long and well-rehearsed speech about her needs, wants, and fears, Ilorek stayed watching, nodding his head inquisitively while agreeing with everything she said. When she was done, he made sure she was done before saying his piece.

As it turned out, he was as much the understanding and kind a captain as his reputation would dictate, but he wasn't prepared to let the last month of his life go to waste. He wasn't happy that she got to sail once, then decide she wasn't interested anymore. Had she just up and left, then decided to come back, he would easily have welcomed her with open arms. However, this was not what happened.

Ilorek had painstakingly took a month of his life to extract the ademane needed to create custom potions for her out of his own body, accumulate coin, assist in the creation of a custom-built barge with all the amenities of a full fledged, ten spell restaurant, a month's worth of supplies, and one on one training in magic use and self defense. The potions alone, from someone as adept as he, would be worth a fortune on the open market, and he didn't appreciate how she'd just up and changed her mind.

After a breakdown, they came to a compromise. A fair one.

In the end, Pariah agreed that she was going to stay with Ilorek and the crew, but she would be sailing her own vessel close behind with the help of Mikhail and Arnika for as long as she needed their aid. She would tail them everywhere they went, ensuring she was never alone and that she'd always have clients for her wares. Doing so ensured she would get the experience needed to be a captain, command crew, cook on the open ocean, and eventually leave to do it on her own when she was good and ready.

In return, Ilorek's crew would get free meals twice a day, would provide all the protection needed to keep her safe, and would ensure she didn't die of loneliness. It was a great way to bolster her confidence in lieu of her fear and worry. Everyone ended up with what they wanted, nobody lost anything, and Ilorek got free high quality food on the side!

When the terms had been negotiated, Ilorek gave her a kiss, and when he got up to leave, paused at the door. "You know, for all that worry and talk of inadequacy, I have to say I actually was expecting this to happen all along. I figured you'd follow for a few months regardless, so don't worry about it, I look forward to our collaboration!"