{"sf1_id":1167368,"sf2_id":"V1Yo0dxm","title":"Prisoner of Pirates; Pleasure and Pain","author":"Runa","words":32795,"posted_at":"2017-03-30T03:44:07.000Z","tags":["Anal","Anatomically Correct","Avian","Bat","Beak","Bondage","Canine","Cock","Compassion","Dragon","Eastern Dragon","Enchangment","Fantasy","Female","Griffin","Group Sex","Gryphon","Hippogryph","Human","Hybrid","Hypnosis","Interspecies","Kangaroo","Knot","Knotting","Locked up","M/F","Magic","Male","Mind Control","Naga","Neko","Oral","Orgy","Outdoors","Pirate","Pussy","Size Difference","Snake","Straight","Telekinesis","Telepathy","Tie","Tied","Tying","Vaginal","Violence","Viper","Wingless Gryphon","Wings","belly bulge","constrictor","culture","mind reading","nekomimi","prisoner","sizeplay","storm"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1167368-prisoner-of-pirates-pleasure-and-pain","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/V1Yo0dxm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/10/3e/103ee975-2ebc-47be-a6e9-3514ee830878","description":"Art -\n\n[\n\n](/u/foxra)[@foxra](/u/foxra)\n  \nWriting - \n[\n\n](/u/runa)[@runa](/u/runa)\n  \nStorm - \n[@StormGryphon](/u/StormGryphon)\n  \nTzerin - \n[@Tzerin](/u/Tzerin)\n  \nIchaya - \n[@mytagforHalo2](/u/mytagforHalo2)\n  \nRufus - \n[@S0c0m\\_3](/u/S0c0m_3)\n  \nFebii - :Iconfebii:  \nFreia - :iconIchigo-Neko:  \nAnax - \n[\n\n](/u/foxra)[@foxra](/u/foxra)\n  \nCero - \n[\n\n](/u/runa)[@runa](/u/runa)\n216  \nIlorek/Valencia - \n[\n\n](/u/runa)[@runa](/u/runa)\n  \n  \nThis one is a long one, so I'll give you the basics before the cut and the image.   \n  \nIn this story, Storm Gryphon is found on a deserted island in the middle of a dense archipelago south of the Ijimulian Ocean. The crew of The Fortune of the Stone Skipper - a pirate ship - sees him and takes him in to get him out of the danger zone of the oncoming hurricane that would kill him. The only place for safety is South Sanctuary Cove, a pirate haven that the crown has been searching for.   \n  \nOf course, Storm might not be the innocent castaway he seems, so the crew needs to do something about him before he potentially becomes a threat....","content":"Prisoner of Pirates; Pleasure and Pain\n\n \n\n \n\n“Lady Ichaya, tell me, do you see land?\" Captain Tzerin called up to the crow's nest. There, his navigator was using her keen avian eyes to scan the horizon for any islands they could find. There was a hurricane brewing in the north and they needed to outpace it and return to the South Sanctuary Cove, a safe haven for pirates that could be found hidden among the thousand islands of the Ijimulian Archipelago.\n\n \n\nOther ships in the 'Fleet of Freedom' had already left their docks and abandoned port on the mainland in favor of the more welcoming and better protected safe zones. Pirate ships and free-maritime merchant vessels were always in danger at port if there was any naval presence, but were especially prone to attacks during storms when they were weakest.\n\n \n\nEver since the Nautical Liberation Front – the NLF – had formed, there had been a war going on between the pirates of the Ijumulian and the rulers of the land. This conflict bred and cultivated the rise of the Coastal Discipline Authority – The CDA – which was an equal and opposing force comprised of a coalition of navies from around the Ijimulian, created to halt the prosperity of those free from the shackles of land. Kings and Emperors and presidents didn't like the idea that there could be a population not ruled under their iron fists, and retaliated aggressively.\n\n \n\nAs such, the Fortune of the Stone Skipper was struggling to coax as much speed out of its sails as it could muster, eager to outrun the environmental danger that chased them southbound. The ship was a smaller vessel, housing only seven occupants, but it was fast and had an arsenal to rival even the larger ships that allied themselves with the Nautical Liberation Front. For now, all that mattered was that they used every trick they knew to get back to land or they'd end up tossed into the depths of the ocean, never to be seen again.\n\n \n\nThe sky was bright and clear above them with only a few scattered clouds casting shadows over the ocean a stark contrast to the slate-gray storm clouds in the distance who's danger was punctuated by the flash of lightning and the booming thunder that shook the world around them. The storm was catching up to them, so they knew their time was limited. Though the mood on the Stone Skipper was often laid back and relaxed, this was not the time to lack attentiveness or skirt one's position.\n\n \n\nTzerin was the captain of this petite ship, an orange, cream, and brown feathered dragon with antlers and long whiskers to accent his cheeks. He was a kind and jovial young lad who preferred to be pleasant and friendly to all, but knew when to be serious and when to take control. His pirating instincts were outstanding, hence his position as captain of the Stone Skipper, and had brought in plenty of booty in the year he'd been commanding the crew. Others looked up to him and were happy to heed his orders, even if they knew they could tease and prod at him with impunity.\n\n \n\nIchaya was his navigator, an old friend of his he met while he was still in the navy. She had a detail oriented mind that manifested in an aggressive need for control, which meant that she was both trustworthy and attentive in that role, even if she wasn't the most social. As an avian hybrid, she had the deft paws and keen eyes needed to command and pilot the ship from high atop the mast, and she rarely ever steered Tzerin in the wrong direction.\n\n \n\nStanding tall at the bow of the ship was Rufus, a roo from the far west. He was the quartermaster, in charge of keeping the crew disciplined and taking over for Tzerin in the event the captain found himself unable to perform his duties. Known for being relaxed and treating the job like a vacation, he got along with all the other crew members; naturally, he absolutely loved his job, for he rarely had any reason to discipline the crew aside from the rare times they delayed a departure by getting too sloshed.\n\n \n\nThis was never a problem for Freia, for she never drank alcohol. She was a ne-mar – more commonly known as neko – and was in charge of the weaponry aboard the ship. As gunnery master, it was her job to ensure the powder remained dry, the muskets remained in working order, and the cannons were ready to fire at all times. Since she never got drunk, she was the best one to put in charge of the explosives; it helped that she was also an engineer in the navy before joining the Nautical Liberation Front. She, like the others, was pulling on the rigging and adjusting the sails to capture maximum wind.\n\n \n\nOn either side of the mast stood the twin naga sisters Anax and Cero. Their immense strength made them perfect for handling the rudder, helping to steer, or quickly hoisting the sails, with Cero being the stronger of the two. The black and white naga was the ship's carpenter, in charge of repairs, modifications, or alterations in the event the ship itself became damaged. Like Rufus, the pirate life was a game to her, an escape from the tribulations of the land and not the job that it was meant to be. Still, regardless of her carefree nature, she was adept at her job and proved a valuable asset.\n\n \n\nBoth of them were the ship's dedicated mages, as they were both naturally talented in the craft and had honed their skills to a fine point.\n\n \n\nHer sister Anax was equally as valuable, operating as the ship's surgeon and medic. Her skills with alchemy, magic, and medicine allowed her to care for and support her ship mates even in the most dire of situations, and she was even known to aid the enemy in the heat of battle. Though she refused to pick up a gun, handle a sword, or engage in fights, she was feared on the land, for she was a viper and capable of destroying any opponent with one quick bite! A single tag of her fangs could kill a dozen men, even the big ones.\n\n \n\nFinally, the deck-lass Febii was standing next to captain Tzerin, ready to convey orders to the quartermaster or any other crew members if the need arose. This was rarely necessary, since the ship wasn't even twenty meters long and most commands could be heard with ease unless the vessel was caught in a storm. Most of the time, Febii remained a helper to all other crew members, helping with medical aid or ship repairs when needed or just keeping inventory when in between departures. She loved doing this, since her flirty and chipper attitude paired with her role as deck-lass to please every other member of the crew in some way or another, even when she wasn't doing much on her own.\n\n \n\nTogether, they operated the ship with smooth precision, able to navigate through even the trickiest of passages or near shallow waters – hence the title of Stone Skipper.\n\n \n\n“No land on the horizon, captain!\" Ichaya called back down. “But if my navigation serves me correct we should see a shore of some sort within the hour. Looking at that storm cloud chasing us, I worry we may not be able to find South Sanctuary Cove before it catches us. Might I suggest the aid of magic to fill the sails with wind?\"\n\n \n\nTzerin leaned into the wheel, spinning it hard to catch the air that had been blowing out from the storm. “Maybe. I'm not sure if that would be necessary, since we all know how draining it can be to our mages. However, if the two of them agree, I happen to think that some extra push could really save us a lot in the long haul.\" He looked down to Anax, then to Cero, waiting for an answer. “Lasses?\"\n\n \n\nBoth sisters nodded and saluted the captain. “Aye!\" Together, they stepped up either side of the cabin to conjure up some wind. Both were quite adept with magic, and in times of need they would use wind spells to boost the ship's speed. This wasn't common, since too much power could snap the mast, and too little would have no effect on their speed, so they needed to be very careful. Furthermore, expelling too much energy could weaken them and make them useless in the event of an emergency, but it was clear that if they didn't give the ship that extra speed boost, they would be in danger regardless.\n\n \n\n“Ready?\" Cero asked, hands raised.\n\n \n\n“Ready.\" Anax agreed with a nod.\n\n \n\nBoth naga closed their eyes and widened the pose of their arms, a teal glow emanating from their hands to draw in more wind from behind them, filling the sails. Every crew member shifted in place as a sudden acceleration hit the vessel, propelling them forward.\n\n \n\nAll crew members held onto the rigging, barricades, and wheel while Febii held onto Tzerin's leg as the mast strained with the added gust of wind provided by Cero and Anax. The twin naga both were very careful to not conjure up too much wind, because they'd seen a mast snapped in half once when a mage used too much magic to propel the vessel, and they needed to pace themselves. A year of helping the Stone Skipper ensured they knew exactly how much energy to put into their magic to get the maximum speed with minimal risk or fatigue.\n\n \n\n“Good, good! This is perfect!\" Tzerin called out as he pumped a fist to the air. “We've doubled our speed! No way that hurricane will catch us now!\" He looked behind him to the ominous clouds that were rolling out over the open ocean to chase them, raising a middle finger to it before returning to the helm. From there, sailing proved to be a literal breeze, as the conjured wind was propelling them with ease over the water's surface at a speed that put distance between them and the storm.\n\n \n\nAn hour passed before Ichaya called out. “Landfall before us, captain! Forty knots, veer to starboard!\" She leaned over the side of the crow's nest, pointing towards the nearest island, which could be easily seen thanks to the steep gray cliffs that jutted straight up out of the clear blue water.\n\n \n\nTzerin saluted her. “Thanks Ichaya! Good to know. We'll be at Sanctuary Cove within the hour! The seas smile upon us, yo ho!\" Tzerin loved to spout random nautical phrases, especially ones that were common among pirates. He didn't actually know what any of them meant, but it made him feel nice and his crew was on board with his silliness, indulging him and playing along. It wasn't meant to be taken too seriously, since the overall mood of the Stone Skipper was laid back and jovial most of the time, with the rare exception when danger cropped up or an encounter with a naval ship loomed its ugly hull. He was the definition of a leader that believed in speaking softly but carrying a sharp blade.\n\n \n\nSouth of them lie the Ijimulian Archipelago, a massive group of nearly twenty large islands and over one thousand islands of varying size in between, connecting the east of the Koluman shores with the west of SoSemma. Due to the proximity between islands big and small, any enterprising sailor or maritime merchant would have an easy time travelling from one landmass to another, as any one island was within eyeshot of the next. This was great for trade and travel, but formed a nearly impenetrable web of shallows which made traversal through the islands nearly impossible for larger vessels.\n\n \n\nThis is why Tzerin called his ship the Stone Skipper, as its flat and wide berth ensured it was able to effortlessly glide over the shallows with ease, allowing it to navigate the treacherous waters in and around the Ijimulian Archipelago better than virtually any other pirate or navy ship. As a contingency, pirates and free-maritime merchants who were welcome at South Sanctuary Cove were privy to the detailed and complicated map directions needed to guide a larger ship through the maze of shallows that would guide them there. This required precise guidance from a navigator and impeccable control from the captain, if they were to avoid running aground.\n\n \n\nSouth Sanctuary Cove could be found along the southwestern edge of the volcanic island known as the Talon, which was nestled in between the Isle of Gryphons and the Saurian Scar. There were eight total pirate sanctuaries lining the Ijimulian ocean, each one with a different title and compass baring, their locations hidden from the Coastal Discipline Authority. If the coalition of navies knew about the pirate sanctuaries or their locations, a war would soon follow, and that was why each of the hidden locations were well defended and hard to find.\n\n \n\nThe Stone Skipper approached the north end of the Talon after a grueling stretch of magically enhanced sailing, having finally approached their destination. Tzerin commanded the twin naga sisters to halt their aid and take a well-needed break below deck, since the crew needed to focus more on precision than speed and that was mostly Ichaya and Tzerin who would worry about that. The storm could barely be seen over the horizon due to how much distance Anax and Cero had helped to quickly traverse, so they had plenty of time to focus on the minutiae of navigating the islands.\n\n \n\nTzerin consulted Ichaya to steer the vessel around the East ridge of the island, taking the safest route between the Talon and the Saurian Scar Islands. Between the landmasses he sailed, with Rufus, Freia, Febii, and Ichaya all advising him on where the rocks and sand bars obscured the path, More eyes on the seas worked to best ensure the safety of their vessel and the crew; but movement was slow, since they knew they had time and safety was paramount. Before long, the view to the open ocean was obscured by the cliff faces of the dozen islands they passed, leaving them deep in the maze of waterways.\n\n \n\nNavigation was proceeding well, until Ichaya noticed something strange and out of place in the distance.\n\n \n\n“We've got a castaway on the port side, Captain!\" she called down, squawking loudly and pointing towards a small island to the east. Her declaration got the attention of the entire crew - including Anax and Cero - to draw their gaze to the lone inhabitant of the island and the flashes of light that were twinkling in the air above the beach. The source of the flashes was a gryphon, with feathers as black as coal and a beak like honey. He seemed absolutely massive from Ichaya's vantage point, but the ship was too far away to get a proper gauge of his size. “What do you want to do?\" She asked, not wanting to impose her will on the captain.\n\n \n\nTzerin huffed and rubbed at his whiskers, not sure of what the proper action was in a situation like this. “I don't know, Ichaya. We don't know who this bird is, and we really shouldn't risk wasting or losing any time with the storm descending upon us.\" His logic was sound, but his heart wasn't that callous. “If we had more time, I'd not hesitate to help them out.\"\n\n \n\nFebii shook her head. “We can't leave him there, Captain, he will surely perish on that tiny island in a hurricane, there's no caves and no shelter, he'll be swallowed by the sea.\" Good old Febii, serving as Tzerin's wing-angel; she was always the most charitable and kindhearted of the crew. Both her greatest strength and weakness as a pirate.\n\n \n\n“His fate isn't our concern.\" Rufus pointed out. “I know we're not the cutthroat bandits that people like to see us as, but we do have to look out for our own, and he's not our own. Look at that magic he's spewing, who knows what he could do if he proved to be an enemy.\" The roo wasn't wrong, and it was his job as quartermaster to consider the safety and needs of the crew at all times. Like Captain Tzerin, he felt bad admitting this truth but he knew it to be truth nonetheless.\n\n \n\nAll the while, Ichaya remained silent, feeling she didn't have any reason to get involved with this discussion. She saw both sides of the argument and her instincts told her to say something, but she felt this was one time she wasn't going to express her desire for control over her crew members, and would instead concede all decision-making to the captain. Instead, it was Freia who spoke up.\n\n \n\n“We can put him in the brig, keep him there until the storm is over, then find a port to drop him off. Anax and Cero can likely match or nullify his magic, if it comes to that. I just don't think we can leave him there, that would be a death sentence for sure.\" She flicked her ear and glanced over to the captain to gauge his response before continuing. She saw he was indecisive, so she continued. “If not, we might as well kill him now to save him the pain of being torn apart by the storm, that is assuming we're not going to help.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin cradled his whiskers under his chin as he stroked his beard, feathers of his wings and spine standing on end. The clouds were getting close and he could hear the storm fast approaching, so time was growing limited due to their leisurely sailing through the waterways. He had two concerns to consider, the first being the time constraints involved in picking up another passenger, while the other was the potential danger of the castaway himself. He could practically hear the ticking of the clock striking back the seconds, limiting his options and closing doors to alternate paths.\n\n \n\nAfter a full minute of silent contemplation, he took in a deep breath and grabbed the wheel, wrenching it to the side. IIchaya, guide me to that island! Find me a path around the shallows. Rufus, Freia, Febii, Anax, and Cero, prepare a skiff and be prepared for a fight!\" His decision was made, but he had to act fast if he wanted to save the castaway while also protecting his crew.\n\n \n\n“Aye captain!\"\n\n \n\nEach of his team spread out to take care of their tasks, while the captain and navigator focused on piloting the ship as close to shore as it could get while still allowing room to turn and set sail back towards their destination. Once they were close enough, they dropped the skiff into the sea and rowed their way to land, leaving Tzerin and Ichaya behind.\n\n \n\nThe skiff was quite large, perfect not only for boarding crews but also for hauling booty from land to the ship. This was also perfect because the weight of Anax and Cero remained an obstacle for the crew; their snake bodies were not only large, but dense ensuring that they could account for a dozen normal sized crew members.\n\n \n\nAshore, the gryphon stopped waving and launching bolts of lightning into the air when he saw the pirates making their way towards him. He remained stoic with arms crossed, wings partially flared, and beak agape in a smile, naked as the day he hatched. A fine contrast to the light-fitting clothes the crew of the Stone Skipper wore. “Ahoy!\" He called out, waving.\n\n \n\nFreia glanced over to Rufus, gauging his response to see how she should react. She had a musket and a sword in her belt, ready for a fight in case the castaway was unfriendly to pirates. She stood up at the front of the boat, one hand on either weapon to let him know she meant business; this seemed logical at first, until she came to realize that this gryphon was nearly twice her height and bigger even than Anax and Cero. “We see you're in a bit of a predicament, and we'd like to help you seek shelter, fair gryphon.\" She offered, then flinched as a powerful crack of thunder washed over the region. “So if you seek asylum for the storm, come with us now, for time is precious and short.\"\n\n \n\nOther crew members shared glances, carefully surveying the situation; except Febii of course, she just smiled and scooted to the side to give the castaway space to sit.\n\n \n\nThe gryphon nodded. “Yes of course. Would hate to be caught in this, regardless of my strength. I thank you all for your kindness and generosity.\" He acknowledged as he stepped into the boat, tilting it forward before it counterbalanced and leveled out; upon sitting next to Febii, he did his best to fold up his wings and smile at each of the crew members. “Name's Storm, after the weather pattern.\" He joked.\n\n \n\nRufus narrowed his eyes a bit, more than a little cautious regarding a gryphon that seemed to happy to have been marooned in the middle of an island maze. Something didn't sit right in his gut, but he was under captain's orders and he intended to do as he was told while keeping his guard up. He and Freia both had enough firepower to take out a dragon, and the naga sisters had a seemingly endless reserve of emergency magic should a situation arise.\n\n \n\nFebii reached out and grabbed Storm's hand, aggressively shaking it. “Name's Febii! Deck-lass of this fine vessel!\"\n\n \n\n“This little dinghy? Not much of a title, if you ask me!\" Storm countered with a wink.\n\n \n\n“Oh shush you, I mean the ship. Come on, let's get you back on deck, take care of you.\" She slapped his upper thigh and gave a gentle squeeze, fingers trailing along the grooves in between his muscles.\n\n \n\nRufus scoffed. “Quit flirting with him, Febii.\"\n\n \n\n“Awww, come on, look at this guy!\" She shielded her mouth to cover her lips as she leaned in. “And check out that sheath! Bet he's got a cock as long as my thigh!\" She giggled and nodded, biting her lip with an excited grin as she looked up to him, pretending as if he didn't hear her.\n\n \n\nFreia just slowly shook her head and flicked her ear. “You can fantasize all you want, but we have more pressing matters to attend to. Come on, let's row.\"\n\n \n\nAnax and Cero both grabbed the oars and turned the boat around, easily making their way back to the ship. The entire trip back, Febii kept rubbing at Storm and flirting with him while Freia and Rufus kept a close eye on Storm until the group of them were all back up on deck.\n\n \n\nCaptain Tzerin let Cero and Anax hoist up the skiff while he addressed Storm. “My friend, I want you to know that we have no hard feelings towards you at this time, but given the nature of the situation, I feel it's best to put you in the brig until this storm dies down. I don't want you to feel we are treating you as a prisoner, because we do not see it that way, but we do need to keep you there for a few reasons. We'll feed you and-\"\n\n \n\n“Yeah, that's not going to happen.\" Storm countered, shaking his head. “I'm no prisoner.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin stepped forward, chest puffed out to show dominance even as he was a pair of heads shorter than Storm. “You're both right and wrong. You're not a prisoner, but you are going to go into our brig, or we're going to leave you on this island. It's simple as that.\"\n\n \n\nFreia and Rufus both cocked their muskets and aimed them towards Storm, accentuating the point. Behind him, Cero and Anax stood tall.\n\n \n\n“As you can see, you're wholly outnumbered. I want to be civil with you, but aboard my ship you are a guest, and until I can be one hundred percent sure that you're not a danger to myself or my crew, I think it safer to have you somewhere safe. Cero and Anax will escort you and we can talk more when we make port. Understand?\"\n\n \n\nStorm's feathers inflated outward and he lowered his gaze. “Or we can cut out the talk of prisoners and cells, and we can just have a nice, stress-free sail to someplace safe. That works too,\"\n\n \n\nCaptain, quartermaster, and gunner all shared glanced with one another as Tzerin pulled his twin pistols from his waist, cocking them as he aimed from the hip. “Works for you. Doesn't work for me. I'm sure you hate cramped spaces – I'm avian as well so I understand – but this is still my ship.\"\n\n \n\nFrom behind, Anax grabbed one arm and Cero grabbed the other; they were both the same size as he was, but unlike him they were both heavy-bodied and had far greater muscle strength than he did. When he tried to resist, they easily overpowered him and forced him to his knees.\n\n \n\n“Let go of me!\" He hissed, struggling and yanking on their grip in an attempt to fight back. “Take your hands off me or I'll destroy you!\" Above his head, a tiny cloud formed with a swirling arc of lightning crackling as if it was about to explode.\n\n \n\nAnax saw this and outstretched one hand to it, nullifying its effects and dousing Storm's head with the moisture that had gathered around it. “Now now.\" She cooed at him, leaning in close and tight with her maw open in a grin to show her fangs. “I wouldn't struggle too much, I spook easily and nobody is immune to naga viper venom.\"\n\n \n\nStorm halted his struggle to get a good look at the glistening side of her fang, then over to Cero as he wrenched his arm back in a hammerlock. Glancing around, it was clear he was outmatched and he had no chance of outfighting the group of them without weapons and with his magic nullified. Seeing no alternative, he begrudgingly sighed and deflated, hanging his head in shame. “I concede. Take me to the brig, but once I'm out, you and I are going to have a very interesting discussion.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin's demeanor immediately changed as he smiled and stepped back, sheathing both pistols. “Good to hear! Anax, Cero, please take our guest to his quarters, and make sure someone is watching him at all times. We've got a livewire on our paws and we've got very little time to make the rest of our trip.\" He quickly turned and hopped to his helm, once again taking control of the ship as the naga sisters escorted storm to the brig.\n\n \n\nBelow deck, Storm was being quite grumpy about his situation, going so far as to aggressively demand control of his own steps. He hated being forced anywhere, and hated having to be escorted even more. Once he'd calmed down, the twin naga let him go and he willingly walked into the brig, where he then sat down and leaned against the hull. “You know you can't keep me here for long.\" He commented, still frustrated.\n\n \n\n“We don't plan on it.\" Anax confirmed. “Just until the hurricane passes and we can drop you off. In the meantime, we'd all appreciate it if you calmed down and enjoyed some food and drink. No need to be hostile.\"\n\n \n\n“Hostile? This isn't hostile; you wouldn't be able to hold me down if I was hostile.\"\n\n \n\nCero clicked the lock on the brig shut. “Well, too late for that. Your cell's lined by thick conductive metal, so any attempt at magic will more than likely curve back and hit you instead. Oh, and not even a dragon could bend it, so if you did decide to get angry and burn down the ship, you and this cage will both sink to the sea floor to rest with the beasts of the deep.\" She smiled and winked, glancing over at Anax. “Not that I want such a thing to happen, but I get the impression you're not one to do as you're told. Just a fair warning, is all.\" With that, she turned tail and made her way back up the stairs to return to deck, leaving Anax to guard the cell.\n\n \n\nThe rest of the trip to the South Sanctuary Cove was rather uneventful, though the mood had been soured by the time wasted and the knowledge that Storm was proving to be a volatile guest. The crew's spirits had been further dampened by the dark clouds that were rolling over them, threatening to part the skies and dump a torrent of water on them. Still, they were able to make up lost time by taking a few of the shortcuts that only the Stone Skipper and other flat-bottomed ships were able to utilize. After making their way through a dangerous rock formation and looping back around one of the smaller islands, they finally arrived at the southwestern corner of The Talon, their destination.\n\n \n\nBefore them lie the mouth of the cave that led to the South Sanctuary Cove, a simple crack in the cliffside that could have been ignored or mistaken for a rock formation by any eye, even one trained to suss out such oddities. To a casual onlooker, the ten meter wide crevasse looked like little more than the remnants of fallen rocks that had chipped off the mountain to fall in the sea, not the entrance to one of the biggest hidden societies in the realm.\n\n \n\nAs the ship aligned itself to make its way through the passage, the first hints of rain started to patter on the deck as a loud crack of thunder could be heard from around the other side of the island.\n\n \n\nAbsolute shade took over the length of the vessel as it carefully traversed the tight bend of the passage, disappearing into the mountainside. Rain could be seen and heard pouring out into the sea behind them, but they cared only for what lie ahead of them. The bend in crevasse ensured that nobody from outside could see what was inside, as the cavern walls twisted and bent back around before opening up into a massive grotto the size of a small city in the shape of a bowl.\n\n \n\nBeneath the water's calm surface, a glow emanated up from the depths a combination of teal and white, illuminating the ship from below. However, it was the ademane gems that had been implanted in the domed ceiling of the cavern that gave South Sanctuary Cove a look and twilit feel like it was a full moon on a clear night. A cool blue light shone down over the entire grotto, revealing the intricate settlement within.\n\n \n\nThe cavern of South Sanctuary Cove was bowl-shaped like an arena or coliseum, with the bay full of ships in the middle and the urban sprawl of the settlement wrapped around it like a crescent moon. On the lowest level nearest the water were most of the businesses and merchant stands, strategically placed close to the piers to catch the sailors and pirates as soon as they docked their ships, while the next level up and out being a series of inns and brothels; this was a pirate settlement, after all.\n\n \n\nAfter the first two rings around the bay made of merchant stands and places to sleep, the rest of the settlement was comprised of more traditionally placed houses and pathways for the pirates that called this their home when not at sea. Since the altitude was higher the farther away from the water it went, it gave South Sanctuary Cove a homely feel like a village nestled in a valley with the stars in the sky above them at all times. Despite being enclosed by rock and away from the light of the sun, the entire settlement felt quite organic, with grasses, ferns, and trees blanketing and dotting the landscape. As it turned out, persistent light from the ademane gems in the dome roof were supplying vegetation with the nutrients they needed, while the geothermal heat from the volcano kept the air humid at all times.\n\n \n\nThe one thing that stood tall above the bay and the rest of the cove was the temple built into the back wall opposite the entrance, the first thing a sailor would see upon emerging from the narrow crevasse. A monolithic structure, it served both as a place to pray to the gods and - more importantly - a bank for the vast riches that the locals would deposit there for safe keeping. This bank made the pirate settlement one of the richest cities in all the land, and as such was guarded with some of the best defenses any nation - nautical or land-based - could have amassed.\n\n \n\nThis was a place for pirates to feel safe, a place for merchants to be free of tariffs and for anyone who was proven worthy to make a home and a life for themselves.\n\n \n\n\"Ready the mooring line, lower the sails. We make port.\" Captain Tzerin declared as he cranked the wheel, guiding the ship into a dock next to the Storm of the Rift, which was the largest ship in the NLF fleet captained by Ilorek and Valencia. The Stone Skipper seemed utterly dwarfed by the much larger vessel, with enough discrepancy between the two that Tzerin's ship could be the skiff for the Storm of the Rift. The ship slid with ease into its own dock, and the dock-hands helped to tie the ship to the mooring anchor.\n\n \n\nOutside, a sharp crack of thunder exploded in the sky followed by a howling that reverberated through the crevasse; the storm had hit fully and must have been overcoming the island at that exact moment, the same time they were docking.\n\n \n\nBefore the crew all went their separate ways, Captain Tzerin pulled them all below deck to have a meeting, with Storm in the brig behind them. \"Alright folks, The storm is ragin' outside and-\"\n\n \n\n\"No, I'm raging in here, in this cage, like a rat.\" The gryphon huffed.\n\n \n\nFebii leaned up next to him and stroked his arm through the bars, giving his muscles a gentle squeeze as she cooed at him. \"Don't worry, I'll take care of you while you're here!\" Her affection seemed to silence Storm, who glanced sidelong at her before settling down.\n\n \n\n\"Okay, all silliness aside, it's time to head back to our homes but we need two guards to stay in the ship with our guest. Febii, I think you've already volunteered, so I have to ask who else is going to hold back for the duration of the hurricane.\" He rubbed his chin and flicked the end of his whisker-tendrils before realizing that wouldn't work, since storms of this magnitude could last for days. \"Well, not for the duration, but for the first shift. Should last until nightfall.\"\n\n \n\nRufus stepped forward and bowed with a fist on his chest. \"I'll take the first patrol; Anax and Cero need their sleep after draining their magic, and I think my role as quartermaster befits this situation. I'd be happy to help.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin nodded back. \"Glad to hear it. Freia, Ichaya, Cero, and Anax, you're dismissed until the weather dies down. Feel free to relieve Rufus or Febii at will; I trust you will be reasonable.\"\n\n \n\nFreia stepped forth. \"And where can we find you, captain?\"\n\n \n\n\"Oh, Ichaya and I will likely head to the brothel for the night. Anyone joining me?\" He grabbed at his navigator and pulled her in close, nibbling at the back of her ear to make her feathers stand on end. \"If not, that's fine too. Tally ho!\" He turned and hopped up from below deck with Ichaya in his arm, happy to be in the safety of the Sanctuary. She trilled and fluffed her feathers, able to let her more serious and controlling side down now that they were no longer on the open ocean.\n\n \n\n“Well I guess that's that. You two have this?\" Cero asked Rufus and Febii.\n\n \n\n“I got this.\" Purred Febii, who leaned against the bars of the cage, trailing a finger down the metal. “I wouldn't worry too much about this guy, he won't be a problem as long as I'm around.\"\n\n \n\nRufus sighed and rolled his eyes, unsheathing his musket as he sat down opposite the brig. “That's right, Feb; you tell him how you're going to keep him in check. I'm not leaving this spot, so you won't get any privacy, assuming that was your hope.\" He scoffed a bit at her, somewhat exhausted by her persistent chipper behavior.\n\n \n\nThe frills on Storm's head stood on end. “Oh, I don't need privacy to enjoy the company of a lady.\"\n\n \n\n“Good, then I guess I get to watch.\" Rufus declared before turning to the others. “Anax, Cero, Freia, I've got this taken care of, you guys go and rest. I'm sure you'll need it for our departure.\"\n\n \n\n“Sounds like a plan.\" Freia said with a nod before guiding the two naga out from below deck, leaving Storm alone with Rufus and Febii.\n\n \n\nAll three that remained gave each other a glance, with Storm staring directly into the eyes of Rufus while occasionally darting over to Febii. Then, after an extended silence, he looked down at the pistol aimed at him. “Think you can aim that away from me? I don't appreciate being threatened.\"\n\n \n\nThe roo grabbed the hammer and pressed the trigger, gently releasing it from its cocked position. “I don't much care for what you appreciate and what you don't. You're lucky you're not being slammed by a torrential downpour and winds that could kill any gryph dumb enough to fly in it. You're going to sit there and be a good bird for as long as I'm here watching.\"\n\n \n\n“What a grump. I bet you're just the life of every party. Wait, aren't pirates supposed to be a jovial bunch full of booze and quick to have fun of all sorts? Why are you being such a pain?\"\n\n \n\nFebii butted in. “Oh, he's not usually so grumpy. Most of the time he's really fun, like me! But he's been grumpy all day; must be the weather.\"\n\n \n\nRufus nodded, then sighed before responding to Storm and ignoring his crewmate. “Yeah, we like our fun, that's why we refuse to submit to the tyranny of land. But we're also competent sailors and trained as well as any military. We like our freedom, but we're also willing to protect it at any cost, and the second I deem you a threat to that, I will not have any remorse over pulling this trigger. Get me?\" He crossed his legs and leaned over to grab some fruit from a nearby crate. “So play nice and we won't have a problem.\"\n\n \n\n“Oh cut it out Rufus, he's not going to do anything. Besides, even if he does those bars will stop any bolt magic from reaching you, and if he uses fire or ice he'll just destroy the ship and sink to the seafloor. Give it up with your macho posturing, you're not fooling anyone.\" Febii lashed out at him, yet her cute voice ensured that she couldn't be taken too seriously.\n\n \n\nStorm nodded and smiled at Febii before returning back to Rufus' offer. “I see. I see. That seems fair enough. So if I 'play nice' as you say, will you put the gun down? Those things are known for going off at the slightest touch.\" He requested, tone softening enough that he seemed sincere. “And I think I really like Febii here better. She's much more fun to have around.\"\n\n \n\nRufus nodded. “It's not cocked, you're fine. But while you're here, might as well tell me why you were alone on that there island. Forget about her for a bit, you've got me curious.\" He was trying especially hard to act strong like he was in charge, but his outward look was starting to crack as he smiled at Febii's infectious attitude. “Long way from any settlements. Did someone run aground? You the last surviving member of your boat? Where are your clothes? Too many questions, and not enough...Febii! Dammit, cut it out!\"\n\n \n\nShe was reaching through the bars to rub at Storm's inner thigh, biting her lip as she tried her best to reach his massive sheath, fingers pulling at his meaty flesh. When caught, she yanked her hand out and glared back at Rufus. “What? Isn't this what you do with a caged animal?\" Her assessment seemed to upset Storm a bit, but he couldn't be too angry knowing that there was an eager pirate girl practically begging to play with him.\n\n \n\n“Let our guest answer my inquiries without your distractions, Febii. Something doesn't seem right here and I want to know more before I make a judgment call.\" He turned back to Storm, after having scolded her. “So what will it be, mate? Care to let me know why you were alone on that island with no other ships or inhabitants, bereft of your garments?\"\n\n \n\nStorm responded by shrugging. “Not sure what you're getting at here, but what do you think happened? I was travelling from Koluma to SoSemma, just on a trip over the thousand islands! Saw the clouds forming and decided to call for you guys instead of risking another flight. On land I can hunker down and hug a tree to protect myself, can't do that while flying.\"\n\n \n\n“What about your clothes?\" Febii asked, poking her hand in through the doors to cradle his sheath, giving it a gentle tug to expose his cock tip. “Not that I'm complaining.\"\n\n \n\n“I think the real question is, why do you wear those silly, frilly clothes?\" He grunted and shifted in place, angling his hips up to force his cock tip out from the end of his sheath, his steely amber eyes piercing a hole in Febii. “Makes life a lot more fun when you don't have to stop to dress or undress, right?\"\n\n \n\nRufus huffed. “I suppose you're not wrong. Still seems fishy to me.\"\n\n \n\n“Of course it does, not a lot of people make the trek across the thousand islands, but I'm not most people.\"\n\n \n\nFebii licked her lips as she peeled his sheath back, exposing his ridged length. “Indeed you're not. So, uh, Rufus, you wanna give us some privacy? Really don't want to give our guest the impression that he's our prisoner; no harm in showing a little hospitality, right?\" She winked at Storm, grinning broadly.\n\n \n\n“Do whatever you'd like, Febii. I'm not moving, and you're not undoing the lock.\"\n\n \n\n“That's fine, plenty of room between the bars to fit a knot, right Storm?\" As she spoke, she wrapped her fingers around his cock tip, squeezing and pushing down on the sheath to slowly expose every inch of his member, the moist flesh reflecting the pale orange glow of the ademane lanterns.\n\n \n\nWhile watching, Rufus squeezed the grip of his pistol to ensure control. He had no idea if he should be cautious or aroused, since he knew Storm could use his proximity to Febii to use her as a bargaining chip in the event he had devious plans. Of course, maybe he was telling the truth; nobody liked being caged, nobody liked being imprisoned, and Rufus knew that he likely would resist after being told so same as Storm had. Regardless, he had a prisoner to watch and if that meant he was going to witness Febii's insatiable lust, then so be it. He just needed to stay far away because he couldn't risk having that massive gryphon grab a hold of him, if he proved to be hostile.\n\n \n\nFebii kept rubbing at Storm, stroking his cock and giving his shaft a series of squeezes; had she been able to get both arms into the brig without feeling awkward or looking like a fool, she'd have happily fondled those massive black-furred balls of his. After a moment of idle playing, she pulled her hand away and licked at her palm, relishing his musky scent. “You know, this would be much easier if you moved, ya big burd.\"\n\n \n\n“Moved how?\" Storm asked, cocking his head to the side with a sinister grin. “You'll have to be more precise.\"\n\n \n\n“Stand up, come on, the ship's ceiling is high enough. Anax and Cero are just as tall as you are. Let me have some of that, eh?\" She made grabby hands, only to step back when Storm did as requested and stood tall, spreading his wings to posture at the two of them, showing his form.\n\n \n\nFrom that angle, it was clear just how much bigger and more dangerous the gryphon was compared to Febii and Rufus, but the cage and gun both ensured that the scenario remained equal. Rufus' mind didn't immediately go to a dark place, but the more he thought about the situation, the more clear it became that if Storm did wish to grab Febii and use her as leverage in some ill-advised scheme to get out, there wasn't much Rufus could do. The sanctity of South Sanctuary Cove was more valuable than any one inhabitant.\n\n \n\nHe shifted in his seat and uncrossed his legs, only to switch and cross the other way with the pistol still aimed at Storm. Despite the clear implications and his own duties, Rufus just wanted to join in the fun. Storm's body was lean and well defined, huge and thick yet supple with a cock the size of his forearm; so much one could do with a beast like that. Alluring even for Rufus, who greatly preferred the company of females.\n\n \n\nFebii remained on the side of the brig instead of the front, that way if Storm did decide to do something he would be exposed to Rufus' gun. She leaned in and cradled the underside of the gryphon's cock with her forearm, fingers sliding down his shaft to wrap around the bulges of the knot as his member soaked her from wrist to elbow. “There we go.\" She cooed at him, straining to lift his member up so she could give it a gentle suckle.\n\n \n\nStorm reached through the bars with one of his massive hands to grab a tuft of her hair, forcing her lips to slide over his member. His sudden actions were met by Rufus, who readily cocked the weapon as a threat, only to see that Storm wasn't attempting to harm Febii, but was just getting into it. The gryphon raised one eye t glance sidelong at Rufus as he thrust his hips forward, forcing his member to lodge deep in her throat, making her gag. “Don't be so uptight, roo, what kind of pirate are you, anyway? What self respecting seafarer is this uptight?\"\n\n \n\n“One that cares for his mates.\" Rufus replied, once again releasing the hammer to un-cock the pistol. “Just, hurry up and get it over with, I don't wanna be sitting here watching you to go at it for the next hour.\"\n\n \n\n“You poor guy, you don't know a thing about gryphons, do you?\" Storm pulled Febii's maw off his cock and forcefully spun her around. “We knot all night.\"\n\n \n\nHis declaration made Febii whimper in delight and glance back over her shoulders at him, idly grinding her hips back against his cock tip as she gently eased her pants half way down her thighs. Her wings fluttered a bit as her tail lifted high over her lower back, giving Storm access to a good handle. “Well what are you waiting for?\" She cooed at him as she arched her back in an attempt to catch his member between her rump cheeks and the base of her tail, an action that had his shaft sliding up and down in the cradle of her backside before the tip found its way between her plump lips. She was shaking in anticipation of that massive cock, the feel of it already making her weak at the knees despite it only resting between her rump cheeks.\n\n \n\nIn response, Storm grabbed his cock by the knot with one hand and her tail through the bars with the other, forcefully easing himself into her as he pulled her flush against the metal of the brig. He hissed and jammed his beak in between the bars as he bucked his hips, slamming his knot against her pussy lips in a series of brisk yet powerful motions that rocked the boat back and forth against the dock. He kept an eye on Rufus as he fucked his crew-mate, his masculine form moving in waves as his cock slid in and out of Febii's tight little pussy, tugging and tenderizing her flesh. In the distance a sharp crack of thunder could be heard, as if signifying her flesh parting for him.\n\n \n\nFebii was wincing a bit, happy yet clearly not ready for a drake the size of Storm. Every time he pulled at her tail base and slammed his hips against her, she grunted and contorted her expression, only to melt and growl in pleasure as he slowly pulled out. The knot was massive, and it wasn't even fully formed, yet she couldn't help but fantasize about feeling it swell inside her, tying them together on opposite ends of the brig's metal bars.\n\n \n\nOf course, that revelation also made her change her mind about wanting to get too enthusiastic about knotting him. Sexy as it might have been, he had just said that gryphons tie overnight, and they were stuck on either side of a wall of bars; wouldn't have made for a good night. She turned to say something to him about it, but was halted the moment she opened her mouth by Storm as he slid his other hand through the bars to grab at her hip.\n\n \n\nWith one eye still focused on Rufus, Storm let go of Febii's tail and used both his hands to tightly grip her upper thighs, holding her in place as he grew increasingly aggressive against her. His thrusts intensified, going longer and harder as his knot grinded up against her pussy lips, a cocktail of fluids moistening her panties beneath. He angled his head over at Rufus so that the roo could see both his amber eyes, a gaping grin across his beak while he violently forced his knot into Febii.\n\n \n\n“Aaaah!\" She cried out, loud enough that anyone ashore could have heard her, only to have a blast of thunder drown her out. A deep pressure filled her as she attempted to pull away in a panicked fit, only to find that she was too late. The girth of Storm's knot lobes had grown wider than her lips would allow to pass through, meaning her flesh distended and pulled out rather than slid over his member. A whimper escaped her as she clenched her teeth down, regretting her decision.\n\n \n\nStorm, however, had no remorse. He slammed against her again, knot shifting inside her as his hips pressed to her thighs through the bars. Slowly, he let go of her hips and grabbed at the metal between them, letting his cock hold her in place, cock throbbing and pumping gryphon seed deep into her. “Aaah! Now that's what I call nautical hospitality.\"\n\n \n\nRufus sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he watched Storm and Febii, tied together for the immediate future. “Good job, Febs.\" He laughed, “Hope that doesn't get too tiring.\"\n\n \n\nShe lightly shifted from her toes on one paw to the other. “I'm sure I'll be fine.\" She managed to grunt out between light winces of discomfort. “I'm a pirate, after all. What kind of a pirate could I be if I'm that uptight?\"\n\n \n\n \n\nElsewhere, the trio of Cero, Anax, and Freia had left the pier to go and indulge their appetites at one of the local restaurants that overlooked the illuminated water.\n\n \n\nSee Food Parlor, it was called; all you could eat bounty from the sea, with a sushi chef on hand to prepare anything you could conjure up with the ingredients that were in supply. Freia enjoyed a whole sushi roll with various flavors while Anax and Cero both gulped down whole boltfish; they weren't the type to chew or savor their meals. The front of the pub was open, and didn't close at night because there really wasn't any reason to do so. Since South Sanctuary Cove was in a cave wedged in the side of a volcanic mountain, the weather never had any effect on patrons of the settlement. No weather, and no crime.\n\n \n\nIronic, since the entire population was filled with those deemed criminals by the ruling powers.\n\n \n\nNo, in all of The Pirate Sanctuaries crime was practically nonexistent, since these were places of unity and there were strict rules against committing any acts of piracy within the hallowed grounds. The punishment for transgression within the confines of any Sanctuary was death without hesitation, due to the fact that the secrecy of the locations was paramount and any pirate scorned would surely share that information out of spite. No honor among thieves, as the proverb went.\n\n \n\nAfter enjoying their meal, they made their way to the home of Anax and Cero, a tiny shack on the outskirts of the settlement nestled under a rocky overpass. Getting there was quite a task, as the walk took the better part of an hour due to how many steps and inclines they had to climb; The farther away from the bay they went, the higher up they got and the steeper the ground beneath them.\n\n \n\nThe two naga preferred solitude, even among their peers in the relative dark of the Sanctuary. Freia had a home nearby, but she wasn't really in the mood to go be on her own and wasn't really in any rush to join the captain at the brothel, so she joined Anax and Cero to look over them as they recovered post-meal.\n\n \n\nTheir property was small, but very natural looking, with a pair of tall and thick-leaved palm trees growing on either side of the front door and two strips of ferns arching over their walkway. There were a few spots to sit on the front yard, allowing them to look out over the Sanctuary. The entire rest of the settlement was below them, with only the tip of the Temple Bank's monolith above them.\n\n \n\nAnax coiled up in the thick grass, resting her chin on her forearms. “Not sure what I like more, being home or being on the open ocean.\" She said with a sigh, her cobra-cowl folding up flat against her neck. “I mean, it's dark and nice here, but I prefer the group of us all together on the ship. I know you all.\"\n\n \n\nCero flopped down on the ground next to her, eschewing the chairs entirely. “Do you have to get all introspective every time we return to port, Anax? We get it, you hate people, that do-\"\n\n \n\n“I don't hate people, I just prefer my own company to the company of others.\"\n\n \n\nFreia turned and sat on one of the chairs – a throne they'd plucked from the ruins of an old castle. “Oddly enough, I think you picked the right job for that personality. Most of your time spent at sea with a select group, and your time on land can be enjoyed hissing at passerby who are too scared to challenge you back. Peculiar how convenient that is for you.\"\n\n \n\nAnax turned and flicked her tongue over at Freia. “Shush you, I just like being alone with my thoughts, is all. And this is the only city I enjoy being in because everyone here – or at least most people – understand me. I'm in it for the gems and the magic, I don't care about the gold and coin, so I'm nobody's competition. I like that.\"\n\n \n\n“Are you anyone's competition, anywhere?\" Cero sneered, her tail curling up under her chin in a tight coil. The two snake sisters both were tired from their exhausting campaign to use their magic to enhance the ship's sailing speed, and now that their bellies were full of fish, they just wanted to relax and bask in the glory of their own brumation for a while. Atop the rim of South Sanctuary Cove where the walls radiated a warmth due to the volcanic activity nearby, they could do just that.\n\n \n\nFreia saw them slowly descend into sleep so she decided to take care of her blade. The neko girl pulled her ankle up to her other knee and unsheathed her sword, running a sharpening stone along the edge of it while surveying the settlement from afar. The twin glow of the seafloor and the ademane gems in the cavern ceiling kept the place bright enough that even a human could see with ease, but her feline eyes caught everything in the cool pale light. There were dozens of pirates milling about, keeping the pathways between buildings busy. This was far more active than she was used to seeing the pirate port, which made sense given the hurricane.\n\n \n\nPeople watching was something Freia enjoyed, especially from the vantage at the corner of the cave away from the hustle and bustle near the docks. She was able to enjoy the silence, with only the faint creaking and groaning of a dozen ships grinding against the docks to accent her thoughts. Outside, another powerful crash could be heard as a thunderclap echoed in from the chasm to outside. Despite how aggressive the seas would be in a storm such as this, the water of the bay was almost perfectly still, the twisting crevasse acting as a buffer.\n\n \n\nShe wanted to get back out on the sea, since she wasn't the kind to enjoy being at port; her idea of a good time was helping to pilot the ship to an island with some booty on it, that initial view of the stash of treasure was a drug she couldn't get enough of, the only type she did. Unlike other pirates, Freia rarely drank and didn't have any interest in partaking in other recreational activities. In her mind, it made more sense to be sober when piloting what was both a home and a vessel; any wrong move could result in losing everything dear to her.\n\n \n\nOf course, she also had other things on her mind thanks to Storm's presence on the ship. Something about that situation made her feel like something was completely wrong about his presence. Still, she didn't wish to question the wisdom of Captain Tzerin. That was one thing she was keen on, supporting her captain to the best of her abilities.\n\n \n\nRegardless, she felt the need to go check up on the others. She'd enjoyed a meal, escorted the ship's mages to their home and left them to bask in the radiant warmth of their home's region. After sheathing her sword, she bowed to both of her companions and headed back to the crescent of civilization closest to the port where they were docked.\n\n \n\nAlong the way she walked past humans, felines, canines, avians, and equines alike, each of them a little too preoccupied with their hauls and their companionship to worry about what Freia was doing. Some were carrying trunks up the grand staircase from the port to the bank, but not as many as she expected. That was usually the first thing any crew would do upon entering the Sanctury, but it seemed the storm had put a damper on booty acquisition. Today, most just seemed to want to be safe. Made perfect sense.\n\n \n\nLike them, Freia had every intention of being safe, so she opted to return to her ship, to see how Rufus and febii were doing with the 'guest'. She had no idea what was awaiting her as she daintily hopped up the boarding dock and made her way below deck.\n\n \n\n \n\nCaptain Tzerin nuzzled into Ichaya's neck fluff as the two of them sauntered up the grand stairwell that split the settlement in two and led to the Temple Bank. He had his arm around her and was holding her close as he postured to all the other pirates that were walking up and down the stairs around them. “Good day. Good afternoon. How are ya?\"\n\n \n\nIchaya pushed him away and halfheartedly flicked him on the snout. “Would you cut it out? You can't be chipper all the time, who knows who else might have gotten stuck out there in the storm.\"\n\n \n\n“I'm sure a heavy anchor and lowered sails would keep any well trained seafarer safe in a storm. Ship might need repairs, but I'm not too worried about it.\" He smiled and fluffed out with a nod. Tzerin wasn't the callous type, but he wasn't really one to worry too much about other ships; he got his crew to safety in the Sanctuary, that's all he had to worry about. “Lighten up a bit. This can be a blessing in disguise.\"\n\n \n\nIchaya raised an ear and chirped at him, somewhat surprised by his attitude. “How is this a blessing? We've got a prisoner in our brig, there's a horrendous storm outside the confines of the sanctuary, we didn't bring back a haul, and we won't be able to go out and get more shinies for a while. What about this is a blessing?\"\n\n \n\n“The part where I get to spend a few days with you without any worries about the crew or the seas or booty. Well, any booty other than yours.\" He winked and gave her haunches a gentle squeeze. “The hurricane sucks and Storm isn't making anything easier, but being marooned here for the few days the hurricane will last gives us an excuse to indulge ourselves without worry. Let's gorge our bellies full of mead and rum, eat all the best foods, and mate until our feathers fall out!\"\n\n \n\nShe remained a little hesitant to get on board with his enthusiasm, but couldn't help herself from smiling, beak agape and feathers on end. “So that's why we're going to the bank then, is it?\"\n\n \n\nTzerin nodded as he cradled her lower beak with thumb and forefinger. “We've got quite a stash of treasure in there, now's the time to spend some of it.\"\n\n \n\n“Well, okay. I guess I can do that.\" Ichaya agreed with a smile. “So what's on the menu, then? I have a hankering for some sushi.\"\n\n \n\nHe took her hand in his as the two continued up the stairs, making their way to the Temple Bank. “Anything for you, my dear navigator.\"\n\n \n\nInside, they were greeted by a black, blue, and purple lupo-gryph – canine avian hybrid – who helped them get to their personal stash. The Fortune of the Stone Skipper had its own vault full of their hauls from the last year or so, with some of it having been melted down and turned into neat stacks of coins. All of the gold and silver was converted this way and stamped with a counterfeit press that emulated coin of the terrestrial nations, which was the surest way to live comfortably outside of the Pirate Sanctuaries.\n\n \n\nThere was also a special custom coin that the Temple Banks would create, forged of a blend of metals to be unique to the pirate culture. This coin could be spent only on pirate properties, and could be used to indulge in pleasures or business far outside the law, such as taboo sex and criminal contracts. These were to be used sparingly, and each ship was able to make a dozen or less at ay time, and were not easy to come by. The Fortune of the Stone Skipper had only four in their vault, but Tzerin was not here for that.\n\n \n\nInstead, the two filled a coin purse with a few dozen gold and silver, as well as a pair of ademane gems – one enchanted with extreme cold and one with extreme heat.\n\n \n\nWhen they completed their business in the Temple Bank, they saw themselves out and went back to the rings around the docks, heading first to a restaurant that served sushi. Not the See Food Parlor, but a sushi specialty establishment; only the best for the Captain and his navigator. This restaurant had no name – it didn't need one – but served the best sushi in South Sanctuary Cove. Like the See Food Parlor, its storefront was open, exposed to the rest of the cavern and overlooking the pier. While there, they saw Captain Ilorek out of the corner of their eyes walking towards his ship.\n\n \n\n“Oh, hi Captain!\" Ichaya called out, waving to the hippogryph. Her enthusiasm was met with a scowl by Tzerin, who liked to make a joke with her that she was to call him captain and only him. He wasn't serious, but he liked to pretend he was. In response, she blushed and constricted her feathers as tight to her body as she could.\n\n \n\nIlorek saluted back before adjusting his course to come visit them at the sushi restaurant. “Long time no see, Ichaya. Glad to see you made it to port before the storm hit.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin nodded. “Just barely. It hit minutes after we made our way into the cove. Much longer and we would have been pummeled by it. How about you?\"\n\n \n\n“Came in yesterday. Heard reports of it forming along the south Vionetian shores, figured we had the time and the haul, might as well deposit it and spend a few days enjoying all the brothels had to offer.\" He winked and smiled.\n\n \n\n“Sounds good to me. We were thinking of hitting up the Fox and Fruits, see if we can get pampered while we're here.\"\n\n \n\nIlorek laughed, slowly shaking his head. “Oh, you whore. Anyway, I am glad I caught you. Earlier while our crew was unloading some treasure from the ship, we heard a high pitched scream coming from the Stone Skipper. Now, I couldn't quite tell if it was one of pain or pleasure, but it had me a little worried. I didn't investigate because I trust you, but I am a little concerned. Should I be?\"\n\n \n\nTzerin stared for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “Maybe. I hope not.\" He took one final bite and got up to leave, only to be stopped by Ilorek.\n\n \n\n“What is going on, Tzerin?\"\n\n \n\nHe sighed and rolled his eyes. “Some castaway gryphon. We put him in our brig instead of letting him die in the wake of the hurricane; he was a bit of a pain in the tail and I was thinking he might try to escape. Luckily the cell he's in has an enchantment on it that redirects any magic inward, so he probably tried to attack the two ordered to guard him and got hit himself.\"\n\n \n\nIlorek clenched his beak shut as his gaze narrowed. “Black gryphon, right? Beak of amber and a white symbol on his shoulder.\"\n\n \n\n“Yeah, why?\" Ichaya butted in. “Do you know him?\"\n\n \n\n“That's Storm, navigator of the royal flagship, the Gem of the Ijimulian. There's a good chance he's got some ploy about him; did he resist going into your brig?\" Both Tzerin and Ichaya nodded. “Bringing him here was a grave mistake. Come on, let's go deal with this.\" Ilorek commanded, hurriedly rushing back towards the docks with Tzerin and Ichaya in tow.\n\n \n\nCaptain Tzerin wasn't expecting his fortunes to shift so suddenly, since he was mostly just interested in enjoying some sensual pleasures with Ichaya at the Fox and Fruits brothel. Captain Ilorek's statement about a scream coming from the Stone Skipper had Tzerin's heart skipping a beat, and his demeanor had completely changed from the laid back leader he liked to be and into the more serious captain he preferred to keep hidden away.\n\n \n\nScreams coming from his ship was almost certainly a bad thing, with only a few scenarios that might have been anything else. Febii was flirting with Storm, so there was a good chance that she either got to fucking him and was being loud about it, or more likely she tried to flirt and ended up getting grabbed through the bars. Either scenario was equally plausible, but this gryphon apparently had a bit of a reputation or Ilorek wouldn't have been so concerned.\n\n \n\nThe captains both paced down the pathway and returned to the docks with Ichaya in tow behind them, mostly keeping quiet as she surveyed the situation. Unlike Tzerin, she wasn't particularly concerned or worried. She knew and understood how the metal of the brig worked, she knew that there was virtually no way Storm would escape, and if Febii had gotten herself grabbed, then it was her own fault. Such a thought made Ichaya feel guilty, since she had no qualms with Febii, but foolishness was foolishness regardless of the source, and a pirate ship had no room for such behaviour.\n\n \n\nLuckily, they weren't far from the docks and were able to make it to their ship within mere minutes, only to meet up with Freia on deck. No Anax or Cero, though. Made sense, given that the two naga were both recharging from their exertion behind the wind of the sails.\n\n \n\n“Captain.\" Freia said with a bow. “I'm glad to see you here, I think we have a situation brewing with the prisoner. I was about to go in and check but then I heard what I believe to be moaning; not sure how to proceed at this point. Your orders?\" She glanced past Tzerin to see captain Ilorek, but she didn't concede to him as he was not the captain of the Stone Skipper. He was one of the seven Pirate Lords, but she was not subservient to him.\n\n \n\nTzerin glanced over to Ichaya, then to Ilorek, then back to Freia. “Well, we need to survey the situation first, and go from there; can't do that above deck, so let's go in, and keep your pistol ready. Ilorek says Storm could very well be a significant threat, so be on your guard and expect a fight.\"\n\n \n\n“Aye.\" Said Freia as she gently wrapped her fingers around the holster of her musket. “After you, Captain.\" She stepped to the side and let Tzerin pass, with Ichaya next to her and Ilorek behind them. Below deck, they bore witness to an interesting and peculiar scene between Storm, Febii, and Rufus.\n\n \n\nTheir prisoner was still in the cage, pressing his hips up against the bars with his cock extended to tie with Febii, who in turn was grinding her rump against the metal. Both of them were locked together on either sides of the cage, while Rufus was a few meters off to the side, with one leg up on the other and a pistol aimed at Storm.\n\n \n\n“Top of the evenin' to you, Captain.\" Rufus said with a grin, introducing Tzerin and the others to the surreal scene. “Aren't you supposed to be at the brothel with Lady Ichaya?\" At this point, he hadn't turned far enough to see that Ilorek was behind him, still on the stairs and crouching down to get a look at the group of them.\n\n \n\n“I was, yes. However, something happened here and I felt the need to investigate.\" Tzerin explained as he and the two ladies behind him fanned out around Rufus, watching as Storm glared over at them with a smug grin.\n\n \n\nThat confidence somewhat dissipated as Storm got a good look at Ilorek, who was last to step into the room and make himself known. Still, he kept that grin as he angled his body, ensuring everyone got a good look at his massive knot that was tugging at Febii's pussy, distending her lips and pulling them out to nearly touch the metal of the bars. “Couldn't resist the allure of a gryphon, could you Ilorek.\" Sneered Storm as he reached through the bars to tightly grip at Febii's waist.\n\n \n\nWhile most of the crew of the storm Skipper remained back at the opposite end of the room with Rufus, Ilorek stepped forward to nearly touch his beak on the brig's locked door. He wasn't afraid of Storm, but he was a little on edge and ready for anything; this could be seen by the fact that his feathers were standing on end and his ears were lowered against the back of his head. “And what brings you here, Storm?\"\n\n \n\n“They did.\" The gryphon replied, edging his head towards the rest of the crew.\n\n \n\n“Don't be snide with me, Storm. You know what I'm asking. Why are you here? What devious intent to you have for this crew?\"\n\n \n\nStorm looked hurt, then glanced over to Rufus. “Tell him, roo. I'm not here with any devious intent, I just wanna get out of the hurricane and was lucky enough to enjoy some good pussy.\" He turned to stare Ilorek in the face. “Why's it always devious intent with you? It's like you don't trust me or something.\"\n\n \n\nIchaya giggled a bit, breaking up the tension of the room. “Why would anyone trust you? We took you in and you still tried to fight us.\"\n\n \n\nFebii raised her hand meekly, clearly overwhelmed by the pressure in her loins. “I-I trust him. He hasn't hurt me yet and he's had plenty of opportunities to do so....\" She finished her statement with a whimper, acknowledging that such a statement could very well coax him to prove her wrong if he felt like it.\n\n \n\n“That may be true, but I've been sailing opposite Storm for a long while now; I can assure you that as long as you lift your tail to him, he won't hurt you.\" Ilorek explained. “Yet, in all the years we've known each other, I've never known you to accept being caged up. So again I ask, what's brought you here.\" Rather than wait for an answer, Ilorek turned to Rufus with his back to Storm. “Or better yet, why don't you tell me what got you three in this peculiar situation.\"\n\n \n\nRufus glanced over to Tzerin, to check and see if he was permitted to explain. Pirate lord or no, Ilorek was not Rufus's captain, and the roo was very loyal to Tzerin. After getting a gentle nod of approval, he explained. “Well, Febii and I both were the first to take watch of him, making sure he didn't do anything stupid or try to escape. I have been sitting here from the get-go, with my pistol cocked and ready. Febii wanted to be a bit more generous with him, flirting and getting close. I told her to get away, but she couldn't help herself.\"\n\n \n\n“Give me a break, Rufus, he's clearly not dangerous and if he was I knew you had a gun to protect me if he was. What's with you always jumping to the mentality that everyone is out to get us?\"\n\n \n\n“It's my job to protect the crew, Febii. I have to be on high alert, and if I slip from that resolve it could lead us all to be vulnerable.\"\n\n \n\nIlorek waved at them both off to silence them. “Okay, so whatever. Rufus is being cautious, Febii is horny and a little naive. That's okay. However, I think the only way out of this is to silence the Storm, permanently.\" He turned and stared at the gryphon, their amber eyes meeting one another. “Unless he wants to tell me why he's here. Remember, Storm, I can get information out of you if I need to, and I don't think you'd approve of my methods.\"\n\n \n\nThat's when Tzerin stepped up next to Ilorek and tried his best to veto that idea. “I'm really not comfortable killing him, My Lord. I'm sure he's dangerous, but he's in an enchanted cage, and he didn't see how to get here; there's no reason to take such drastic measures.\"\n\n \n\n“Listen to the fuzzdragon.\" Storm sneered in a show of dominance, even though a crack in his facade had shown as his ear twitched. He knew that he was at the mercy of the crew and Ilorek, yet he seemed to have confidence that he was not in any real danger. “Seems the only one on this boat with any sense.\" When Febii whimpered at him, he reached out and stroked her lower back. “Except you, my dear. You know when to lift that tail to a more dominant drake.\"\n\n \n\n“No, if he's here, someone likely followed you or was in some way tracking him, the only way to ensure we discourage that behaviour is to make an example out of him.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin's face contorted as he groaned in disagreement. “I'm sorry Ilorek, I can't execute someone who has done nothing wrong. If we end the lives of all who could or might be a danger, then we'd be no better than the tyrants on land that we seek to distance ourselves from. Just, let me take care of this gryphon. I'll keep him in the cell until we hit land on one of the coasts, then and only then will we let him out to rejoin his people. He will never know the route to South Sanctuary Cove.\"\n\n \n\nFreia, Ichaya, and Febii all agreed, nodding their approval. On the opposite side, Rufus agreed with Ilorek, much as he didn't like the idea of executions.\n\n \n\nIlorek took in a long, deep breath as he glanced at Storm, getting one last long look of the gryphon's whole body – including the knot that was still firmly lodged between the bars and inside Febii – before pushing through the captain and crew of the Stone Skipper. “This is your ship, and in the end it's your decision, but you know the rules of the Pirate Sanctuaries. Exposing us to the danger of an outsider is grounds for permanent dismissal from the culture. I know you're not motivated by malice so I'll keep this tight-beaked for now, but I do have an idea to get to the bottom of this before a judgment is levied. Stay here, all of you. I'll be back within the hour.\"\n\n \n\nWith that, Ilorek bounded up the stairs and stomped his way above deck before disappearing down the docks, leaving the five crew members and Storm all alone in the brig.\n\n \n\n“Any idea what his plan might be?\" Ichaya asked, leaning up into Tzerin. She was trying her best to purr and be comforting, but Tzerin shrugged her off.\n\n \n\n“I have an idea.\" He looked up at Storm, doing his best to ignore the tie he shared with his deck-lass. “And if Ilorek plans on doing what I think he is, this bird may have gotten off easy.\"\n\n \n\nStorm laughed, his chest heaving and his feathers standing on end. “Getting off is always easy for me! No need to be surprised by that!\" Each of the crew members shook their head at him, except Febii, who had a look of bliss on her face with tongue hanging out over her lips thanks to the knot that remained locked in her pussy.\n\n \n\n \n\nThe next hour stretched on while the five members of the Stone Skipper all sat around the brig, each keeping a weather eye on Storm. Eventually, Febii was able to part ways with Storm, freeing her up to get dressed and watch him with the others. However, the soreness in her loins kept her from doing anything other than leaning against the cabin's wall with legs slightly parted, a heated tingle burning deep within her.\n\n \n\nFew words were spoken between any of them, aside from a quick discussion about that night's dinner and the whereabouts of the twin naga sisters. Storm just pulled up his sheath to put his cock away – leaving a rim of musky seed soaking the opening – as he stared menacingly at Captain Tzerin for nearly a full hour. It got so unnerving that the captain did take a moment to start posing in goofy positions with Ichaya and Freia, hoping to break up the tension.\n\n \n\nStorm did laugh, and the mood was on the verge of getting positive when Ilorek returned.\n\n \n\n“How is everyone?\" He asked as he hopped down the stairs from the deck. Behind him came his mate, a bat-winged canine known as Valencia. She wore her hair in braids under a wide-rimmed hat with blue jewels on the end of each braid. Her form was tiny compared even to Febii, putting her at a little over a meter tall.\n\n \n\nIn response to Ilorek's presence, Storm got to his feet and stepped over to the door of his cell, gripping the bars in each hand with his beak poking out between them. “Well if it isn't Captain Valencia Freyens; Lord of Pirates. Long time no see.\" Storm sneered, his voice steeped in a sinister hiss. Given his stature as a full head and shoulders taller than even Ilorek, who was in turn taller than Tzerin and the others by a wide margin, Storm's tone was terrifying. “Can't wait to see what you do to me this time.\"\n\n \n\n“That was nothing, Storm. A playful jest to test you was all.\" Valencia purred at him, completely unafraid of the massive gryphon. Her confidence seemed ironic, given the vast difference in size between her and Storm, respectively the smallest and largest in the room. “Wouldn't be very fair if I just left you alone on that island, drooling and unable to fly.\"\n\n \n\n“I would have been fine.\" Storm stated, as if he were brushing her off. He then turned to Captain Tzerin and eyed each and every other member of the crew as he explained. “In case you were wondering, Valencia here is renowned among the royal fleet – and her fellow pirates, I assume – as being a particularly wily bitch.\"\n\n \n\nIlorek stepped in and flicked at Storm's fingers, urging the gryphon to back off away from the bars of the cage. “Be nice, now. No need to use the b-word.\" He then turned to Tzerin and Ichaya. “But what he means is that Valencia is one of the few who can use hypnosis and telepathy to get into the mind of virtually anyone, she's seen as being wily because she can coax secrets out of the most hardened of generals and commanders, even strong-willed ones like Storm here. That's why I brought her, because this gryphon has secrets that are ripe for plucking.\"\n\n \n\n“Seems a little invasive, isn't it?\" Asked Ichaya, ear flopped down in contemplation.\n\n \n\nStorm hissed. “It is, yeah. And her mucking around in someone's mind leaves them loopy for days, how else would you explain me getting stranded on some deserted island? I'm a gryphon, I can fly for hours with ease over the open ocean, yet I forgot how my wings were supposed to work. Nearly starved.\" He glared down at Valencia, snarling. “How dare you call yourself a fighter for freedom when you're willing to do something like that.\"\n\n \n\nIchaya whimpered a bit hearing Storm's testimony, clearly not comfortable with the way this conversation was heading. “That sounds terrible. Is there no other way to rectify this situation?\" Freia and Febii both seemed to agree.\n\n \n\nBefore anyone else could pitch in their idea, Ilorek interrupted. “It's this or we kill him. Simple as that.\" His words were brisk and straightforward; the decision was made, and the ultimatum laid out.\n\n \n\nTzerin gulped heavily as he looked at each of his crew members one at a time. Freia was stoic, but seemed to faintly nod in approval, Rufus gave a salute, Febii stared longingly towards Storm, and Ichaya seemed visibly upset to the point that Tzerin needed to pull her in close. “Well, do what you have to do, My Lords. I don't want to kill him – that's not how the Stone Skipper operates – but I understand the rules of the Sanctuary.\"\n\n \n\nValencia rolled her eyes and waved the crew's concerns aside. “What's wrong with you people? I'm not scrambling his brains or anything, just probing around in there. He'll be fine tomorrow, like nothing happened. Why are you all getting so mopey about a bit of mind reading?\" She hopped up next to the cage on one of the cross bars, palm up with a teal glow emanating from her fingertips.\n\n \n\nStorm stumbled backwards to get as far away from her as he could, pressing his back against the opposite side of the cell. “Get this bitch away from me.\"\n\n \n\n“See, the reason Storm here doesn't like me is because he really, really doesn't like having anyone prodding around in his mind. It's a personal thing to him, an invasion of privacy. I think the last time I took a dip in that mind-pool of his, I learned that he felt this was akin to rape.\" Valencia explained, gently waving her free finger and thumb, the elongated digits that were connected by membrane and made up her wing folded up against her forearm. “He's just a big baby.\"\n\n \n\nThe taunt worked, and Storm immediately dashed across the cell to reach out and grab at Valencia's neck, coaxing the crew to dive in with an attempt to separate them. Curiously, Ilorek stayed back, as Valencia hopped out of range and the others stood around waiting to see what would happen next. She eventually hopped back up onto the bars of the cage just out of reach of his hand as she reached out with her palm, tentatively hovering her digits near his beak.\n\n \n\nAgain, Storm tumbled back to get away from her and started flailing about, as if someone were literally drilling into his skull. His mass shifted the weight of the boat, with wings flapping and feathers bursting from his avian half to create a mess in and around the cell. The scene was surreal and terrifying for about ten seconds before Storm stopped moving to stand up straight, looking down at them all as they each stepped in closer.\n\n \n\nIf not for the look of concern on Valencia's face and the look of dominance on Storms, it would have been easy to mistake the serenity as a successful commandeering of the gryphon's mind. Instead, Valencia looked almost panicked as she extended her hand out closer, trying to get closer to the much larger avian.\n\n \n\n“What's wrong?\" Asked Ilorek, curious and confused.\n\n \n\nBefore Valencia could respond, Storm answered for her, his demeanor calm and sinister. “She can't do it. Not sure why, but she can't probe my mind.\" He turned his focus to Valencia. “What's the matter? Your little trick not working?\"\n\n \n\n“N-no.\" Valencia stuttered. “It's not, and I have no idea why.\"\n\n \n\nThat's when Ichaya stepped in with one finger raised, to butt in between the others. “Actually, I think I know exactly why you can't do this.\"\n\n \n\nEveryone – Storm included – turned to her and leaned in to wait for an answer with bated breath. “Care to elaborate?\" Ilorek asked.\n\n \n\n“Yeah. The cell is enchanted, it negates virtually all magic cast from within it or towards it. If your mind reading is magic, which I'm sure it is, you won't be able to use it on him as long as he's in this cage. Unless he stuck his head out willingly or we dragged him out, I don't think your mind reading will work, nor will any form of telepathy or mind control. At least I think that's how it work. I enchanted the metal myself so I know it's effective against elemental magics as well as any energy-based spell, but I've never had it used on anything so...nuanced.\"\n\n \n\nA silence hung over the group, only to be broken by the hearty belly-laugh of Storm. “Buahahahha! Oh that's rich! You bring me here and treat me like a dog, hold me in a cage, and then have your own device work against you when you want to invade my mind.\" He paused and leaned in grabbing at the metal bars of the brig. “Tell ya what, we can be diplomatic here. Sail your little boat out to sea, and leave me on some island. I appreciate that you brought me in out of the hurricane, I really do, but I don't appreciate how you've treated me, bringing in your attack dog to violate me.\"\n\n \n\nValencia squeaked at him in an attempt to be aggressive, but it only came across as cute and ineffectual. “You're not going to talk your way out of this, Storm.\"\n\n \n\n“Get out of what? Tell me what I've done wrong here, please!\" Storm demanded, clearly eager to strike a deal while still looking strong. “I just wanted to come in, get away from the bad weather, and maybe make some friends. The kind crew of this here vessel were generous enough to take me in, and though I don't appreciate being caged, I understand it. I'm not one to hold grudges, so there's no reason we can't just forget all this and move on. Honest, I'd even love to go out and get sloshed with you guys, if that's what it took to prove to you that I don't have some devious plot to destroy you all.\"\n\n \n\nIlorek shook his head, beak resting in thumb and forefinger. “No, you're a top ranking officer in the CDA, I can never and will never believe that you have anything but hatred and ill will towards pirate kin.\" He growled a bit and turned to walk away. “Leave him for now, when the storm ends we will get to the bottom of this before releasing him. In the meantime, I expect you all to keep a close eye on this crafty gryphon, because if you're not then he could wreak havoc on us all, one way or another.\" With that, Ilorek disappeared onto the deck, soon followed be a shamed Valencia.\n\n \n\n“Maybe this is why we kill your kind on sight.\" Storm groaned to himself as he leaned against the bars of the cell. He then looked over to Tzerin, Febii, and the others. “You guys are alright, though. Any chance you can get me out of here before Ilorek and his bitch fuck me up again? I'd be greatly appreciative and could likely fetch you each a pardon for your good deeds.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin slowly shook his head. “Sorry, my friend. The Lords have spoken. We will continue to be hospitable to you for the duration of your stay, but you're not leaving this ship without being scanned first. It's nothing personal, but please don't make it difficult. If you're innocent of any intent to harm, then I'm sure you'll be let free without any issues. Otherwise, well, I guess you might have it coming.\" He snapped his fingers, then pointed at Febii and Rufus. “You two, go sleep; you've been here for a few hours and we'll need people for the overnight. I'm going to stay here with Storm for now. Freia, inform Anax and Cero of what's happened here. Ichaya, my dear, you can remain with me, if you wish. Any questions?\"\n\n \n\nThere were none.\n\n \n\n“Good. Carry on, Storm and I have a lot to talk about.\" His statement was accentuated with the distant rumble of thunder, as the crew were dismissed.\n\n \n\nIn his mind, Tzerin couldn't help but think about how much he'd rather be alone with Ichaya, and she felt the same way about him. Regardless, they'd been given a task handed down on high from Lord Ilorek himself, neither were keen on disobeying, especially not after finding out how important their 'hostage' really was.\n\n \n\nThey had a few days to kill, and lots of things to think about.\n\n \n\n \n\nOutside, the hurricane raged with the fury of a thousand storms, battering the volcano that housed South Sanctuary Cove. Such typhoons and cyclones typically lasted two or three days, which meant that the crew of the Stone Skipper – as well as every other vessel in the cove – were stuck there, together for an extended length of time.\n\n \n\nThough the cove was prepared to house up to ten thousand people of varying races, it still felt a little cramped when playing as a safe haven in a storm. The docks were fully populated, with some ships being forced to tie to each other if they wished to keep from floating away; anchors were not permitted in the cove, due to the risk of damaging the bed of glowing gems that lined the sea floor.\n\n \n\nThe crew had split into four different groups, each going their separate ways. Captain Tzerin and Ichaya remained in the brig, watching over Storm as the others all dispersed to various locations within the cove. Febii and Rufus each had their own homes that they spent the night sleeping at, while Anax and Cero shared their shack at the rim of the settlement. Freia also had her own home, but was tasked with conveying information to the naga siblings first.\n\n \n\n“So, what now? It's just you and I, I wouldn't want to waste any more time on silly trivial things.\" Ichaya purred at Tzerin as she nuzzled up against his wing.\n\n \n\nHis long whisker twitched in confusion as he cocked his head to the side. “Not sure what you mean by that; it's not just you and I here, we have a prisoner to watch over and care for.\"\n\n \n\nShe sighed. “I know, but he's not going anywhere. Why don't we head back to our personal quarters and make up for lost time?\" She was, of course, referring to the fact that the two had been planning on indulging themselves and each other at the Fox and Fruits brothel when they met up with Ilorek, thus ruining their plans.\n\n \n\n“Five hours, darling. I'll have one of the sisters and Freia replace us in five hours. In the meantime, I think it's far more important to worry about him.\" He pointed towards Storm.\n\n \n\nThe gryphon was sitting on the ground with his back to the opposite wall and arm resting on his knee. “No, no. Go ahead, have your fun. I don't mind. In fact, I wouldn't mind watching, if you're into that kind of thing.\" As he spoke, he let his head rock back into the bars, a clanging emanating through the room from the impact followed by the faintest gurgling of a hungry belly.\n\n \n\nTzerin gave Ichaya a kiss on the beak as he stood up to walk over near the Cell. He kept a pose of power with his hands on his waist as he thought about what to say next. “Seems you're hungry. What can I get you?\" He asked, not sure what the avian's diet would be like.\n\n \n\n“Anything, really.\"\n\n \n\n“No dietary restrictions? Meat only? Fruits only? Can you eat grains? Any allergies?\" Tzerin wanted to be sure; Storm seemed to be pretty unhappy with the way things were headed, but the captain had no interest in making it any worse. As a result, he wanted to make this gryphon something special. “Got any preferences? Favorite foods?\n\n \n\nStorm huffed a bit. “Right now, just something that isn't rotten would be great. Why? Is this my last meal or something?\" There was a distinct sense of surrender in his voice, which Tzerin felt the need to alleviate.\n\n \n\n“No, no, nothing like that. I just don't like where Ilorek and Valencia took this whole thing. Not too keen on killing, especially not to someone who's done nothing bad to me.\"\n\n \n\n“Some pirate you are.\" Storm laughed.\n\n \n\nTzerin joined in with a chuckle. “I know, I know. Not into the rape and murder things. You'll find a lot of us don't do that, it's just some old relic of a time long past, before we formed our own society. Now we're more about treasure hunting and adventuring away from the rule of queens and emperors. It's all about absolute freedom, killing sailors in the navy was never part of the reason we did this.\"\n\n \n\n“Well there sure seems to be a lot of you who do, so I'm not sure I have any reason to believe your biased words.\"\n\n \n\nA brief hush befell them before Tzerin shrugged. “You're not wrong, and your statement is fair, but try to see the situation from our perspective. Few people like killing regardless of what they do for a living, but sometimes we do need to kill those who would attack us. All we want is to be able to peacefully go about our lives, but we've been branded as dangerous criminals by the crown, and are the target of the entire Coastal Discipline Authority now. I concede, our kind was once as ruthless as you seem to think we are now, but things have changed. Maybe if I can convince you of that, you might be a bit more hesitant to shoot anyone under our flag.\"\n\n \n\nStorm remained silent, not sure how to respond to that.\n\n \n\nAfter an extended period of awkwardness, Ichaya got up and stood next to her captain, cuddling him from behind. “I don't think Storm needs to hear our sob stories, Captain. He's made up his mind about us, I can see it in his eyes. Let's just get him a nice meal and move on with our lives; I don't see any reason to bother with him.\"\n\n \n\n“You have no idea how wrong you are.\" Storm countered.\n\n \n\n“Then why don't you tell us what your intentions are?\" Tzerin pushed. “If you're so innocent of the hatred and malice that Valencia and Ilorek accuse you of, then why don't you just confess, tell us what such a storied and capable gryphon was doing on that island, and we can part ways on amicable terms. Why force us to invade your thoughts when a confession would suffice?\"\n\n \n\nStorm gulped and banged the back of his head back on the bars again. “Because you wouldn't believe me. There's a lot to the story of what brought me here and not all of it would make a lot of sense without the whole picture, and some of that picture does in fact confirm much of what they accuse me of. Given the tension between the CDA and NLF, I don't think anyone can ignore that part of the picture; I know we would give you no quarter even if you were a saint. You're a pirate, therefore you are worthy of death. I am a naval officer, so I too am worthy of death, in your eyes.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin shook his head, refuting Storm. “But that's not true at all. That's not how I feel, and that's not how my crew feels. Sure, Freia and Rufus were willing to end you, but it's their job to make the hard decisions I am occasionally unwilling to make, if that's what's needed to do in order to protect their crewmates. We're a family here, Storm. And family comes first.\" He paused a moment and smiled. “Why do I get the impression that you're not acting quite like yourself, right now? All the stories of how hardened you are, yet here you sit, on the verge of pouring your heart out.\"\n\n \n\n“Ugh.\" Storm grunted as he shook his head. “I'm just hungry. Can we just focus on that for now?\"\n\n \n\n“Of course, sorry. I'll take care of that. Ichaya, make this burd a surf and turf. Garlic shrimp and Steak with pasta and some bread with a marinara sauce. I'll stay here and watch over him. I think he and I might have some things to discuss.\"\n\n \n\n“Yes captain.\" She conceded before hopping out of the brig.\n\n \n\nAlone with the prisoner, Tzerin stepped in close to the cage, within grabbing distance. “So tell me, exactly what is it that has you so vexed. Why are you being so mysterious? What are you hiding? What's your prerogative? It's just you and I now, so there's no reason for you to be coy.\"\n\n \n\nStorm grinned and narrowed his gaze before standing up, towering head and shoulders above Tzerin as he looked down his beak at the Captain. “I've been betrayed, and I'm not so sure I have any loyalty to the Crown anymore.\" He looked like he was about to say more when an audible gurgle came from his belly, signifying just how hungry he had become. “That's all you need to know. I'm not your ally, but I'm not your enemy; I'd appreciate if you could see through my history to help me out, here.\"\n\n \n\n“Sounds familiar.\" Tzerin quipped.\n\n \n\n“Yes it does. Now please, just bring me some fruit or something as an appetizer. I'm starving.\"\n\n \n\n \n\nElsewhere, Freia had reached the outskirts of town to give the news and updates to both Anax and Cero, since they were not privy to the events that had happened aboard the Stone Skipper. The two sisters had both remained curled up in little balls, using their tails as pillows until Freia arrived; their fatigue was so strong that they even hissed and struck at her in confusion before realizing who she was.\n\n \n\nTogether, they had a bit of a chat about what to do next and what the plans were going forward. Depending on the length of the storm, they could be sheltered in the Sanctuary Cove for up to a week – though hurricanes rarely lasted that long – which meant they would need to do a steady rotation between the seven members of the crew. At any given time, at least two would be watching over Storm, feeding him, taking care of his waste bucket, and ensuring he was comfortable enough that he didn't come to hate them.\n\n \n\nGiven the circumstances, Tzerin and Ichaya would be taking the first full watch. This was to gauge Storm's behavior and instruct the next who followed up, Freia theorized. Rufus and Febii had both watched for a couple hours, and somehow had managed to muss it up thoroughly. In that brief period, Rufus had kept a gun pointed at him while Febii had gotten tied to him, eager to mate with the drake. Cero laughed out loud when she heard about Febii, but wasn't surprised at all.\n\n \n\nSoon after the entire story had been told, and both Anax and Cero had volunteered for the next watch, the three were greeted with even more familiar faces. Febii and Rufus both walked up the pathway from the settlement to the outskirts near the cave's warm walls, each with a platter full of food and drink.\n\n \n\n“We thought it was about time to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the drama in the port.\" Said Rufus with a smile. He lifted up his bottle of rum, showing that he'd brought gifts for a bit of a party, and the five crew members took some time to properly enjoy their miniature vacations.\n\n \n\nA table was set up in the front yard, each with a chair to sit on and a place to lay their hats. The platters – full of meat, cheeses, crackers, and other finger food – were perfect for the three mammals, but borderline useless to Cero and Anax. Both of them would enjoy the taste of the food, but didn't get much nutrition out of anything other than meat and other proteins. Most of their energy in between meals came from warmth and sun, as they were exothermic creatures.\n\n \n\n“So that's how it's going down, then?\" Rufus asked, rolling up a bit of deli meat around a stick of cheese to pop it in his maw. As he chewed, he leaned his chair back and rested his boots on the edge of the table. “Gotta say, I'm glad we're not just killing him.\"\n\n \n\nFebii snorted. “Sure, you say that now mr shooty bang bang. Weren't you the one telling us to leave him to die on the island? Wasn't that the first thing you said?\"\n\n \n\n“It may have been, but there's a subtle difference between doing what my heart says to do and doing the right thing by my crew. There's a disconnect between my job and my soul, you guys. Come on.\" He poured himself some rum, tossed a slice of pineapple in it, and drank it all at once. “Nobody likes killin', not anymore.\"\n\n \n\n“Okay, okay. I guess I believe you.\" Febii sighed, before resting her head in her palms, elbows on the table. “He's kind of dreamy; would be a huge waste to have him offed. I bet he'd make a great pirate.\"\n\n \n\nCero smiled and hissed. “You just want him to be your butt-pirate!\"\n\n \n\n“That may be true!\" Febii agreed as she smirked and nodded. “But I actually mean as a crew member. He's big, he's strong, and from what I hear he has a bit of a history as an adversary to Ilorek, or so it seems. Plus, if I heard correctly, he's royal navy and knows his way around a ship. If rumors are to be believed, that drake must be vicious when he wants to be, and I wouldn't want to get in his way. Well, unless I was bent over with tail up.\" Her tiny wings fluttered a bit and she flicked her ear, goofy grin on her lips.\n\n \n\nFreia sighed before enjoying some cheese of her own. “I wouldn't get too close to him. I can't really put my finger on it, but something about him seems off. Have you been taking in his facial expressions? There's a glint in his eye like he could lash out and rip you in half at any moment. It almost scares me, to be honest.\"\n\n \n\n“Uuuuhn...\" Febii whimpered to herself. “Rip me in half? Man, it feels like he almost did with that colossal knot of his. You may have been looking at his facial expressions, but I could feel his passion in me, that wasn't fake.\" AS she finished, she slid her fingers down between her legs before pulling them back up soaked in creamy mess that she licked up.\n\n \n\nAll four of her crew mates winced a bit, twisting faces and fake gagging. Rufus seemed particularly grossed out by it. “Come on, Febii. Why would you do that?\"\n\n \n\n“What? Do you not like the taste of a powerful drake?\" She teased, extending her fingers to him, soaked with saliva but free of any cum. When she leaned back into her chair, she chuckled to herself and licked the last of the mess on her fingers up. “But all jokes aside, he seems like he's gooey on the inside, only hard on the outside. You don't truly know someone until you've mated with them, and he was quite gentle despite how aggressive he looked.\" She paused to recall her memories. “It's the little things like how he gently strokes my lower back or gives just the gentlest of tugs every time his cock throbs to pump more seed into m-\"\n\n \n\nAnax hissed in dismay. “Okay, Febii, we get it. You like cock. We all do – except Rufus, maybe.\" She interjected herself, shutting him down as he raised his hand in protest. “I don't think we need to hear the details at this moment.\"\n\n \n\n“Awr.\" Febii whined.\n\n \n\nFreia smiled and nodded towards her ship-sister. “But I'm impressed that you took him so well. Big guy like that would literally rip me in half if his knot swelled inside me. You're smaller than I am, so I'm impressed.\" She offered a pompous but sincere slow clap.\n\n \n\nFebii faked a bow before grabbing some sliced sausage, cheese, and two crackers, making a mini sandwich. “Oh, that's the glory about being both canine and saurossin. Stretchy skin of dragon kind, and a knot reservoir just inside, made for locking in my lovers.\" She cupped her two hands together, joined at the wrists. “If you can get in past the first little bit, I'm quite roomy.\"\n\n \n\n“Thanks for the anatomy lesson!\" Cero joked, “I'll be sure to keep it in mind when I'm looking to smuggle a bag of coin onto land and can't be bothered to use my tail.\"\n\n \n\nRather than pretend to be offended, Febii nodded in agreement. “I like to keep her nice and ready at all times, so if you got a plug or something I'd be happy to play host to your coin bag!\"\n\n \n\nHer joke got a rousing laugh from all five of them.\n\n \n\nThe laughter was broken up when Freia smirked and glanced around to each of her crew mates. “You know-\" She started, then waited for the laughter to die down before continuing. “You know, this whole day has been quite a wild ride, if I do say so myself. The storm outside, the Storm in our ship, the encounter with Lord Ilorek, and how close we've all come to getting in serious trouble.\"\n\n \n\n“What trouble?\" Anax asked. One part that had been missed in the earlier discussion was about how close their ship was to being banned over bringing an unapproved outsider into the cove.\n\n \n\nFreia was sure to explain. “Storm's presence infuriated Ilorek, who nearly forced us to leave immediately. The gryphon wasn't approved for entry, and the only thing that ensured we still have a place here is the fact that Rufus and Captain Tzerin thought ahead to put Storm in the brig. Had he seen the path to the South Sanctuary Cove, he would be dead and we'd all be exiled.\"\n\n \n\n“You're welcome.\" Rufus declared with a smile and another swig of rum.\n\n \n\n“Thanks for that.\" Freia complimented, then looked around to see that everyone else thought she was being facetious. “I'm serious, guys. Without Rufus protecting us, we might not be here right now. I'm sincere when I say, thank you, Rufus!\" She raised a glass of non-alcoholic juice, while Febii raised a glass of wine and the two naga sisters each raised a glass of water.\n\n \n\n“Aw, you guys are so mushy. I'm just doing my job and doing it well! Come on, the night is still young, let's go have some fun!\" He declared as he stood up, grabbed a hand full of food from the platters, and reached over to grab at Febii's rump. “I've had just about enough of this depressing shit. We can deal with Storm tomorrow.\" He finished by giving her a deep kiss, his powerful tail lightly patting at the soft grass beneath him.\n\n \n\nThe others raised their glasses and drank, with Freia and Febii both following Rufus back to town each in an arm. Anax and Cero remained at their home, still recovering from their exhausting wind spell, only this time they went into their six-room shack. Inside, they went to their separate rooms, each warmed by redirected geothermal energy that would recharge them.\n\n \n\n \n\nOver the next few days, tensions would rise and fall between the crew members of the Stone Skimmer, as they were constantly cycling in their roles as guards for Storm. It was pertinent to keep the gryphon's presence a secret from any other pirates in South Sanctuary Cove, for as long as nobody knew that Storm was there, he was not a threat. Had any of the other pirate lords found out about him, it could result in conflict and strife.\n\n \n\nAfter Captain Tzerin and Ichaya both finished their watch, they opted to keep the bit of information about Storm's potential allegiances to themselves, fearing it could paint him in a confused light. Though there was always a chance it would make the other crew members feel a bit more sympathetic towards him, he also knew that trust was not easy to get from a pirate and might just make the crew more suspicious of him. His final decision was to let each sailor under his flag make their own mind up.\n\n \n\nRufus volunteered alongside Anax as the next set to stand guard while Tzerin and Ichaya both finally went off to enjoy their time at the brothel. Ironically, they just slept instead of indulging their desires. At the ship, Rufus turned his rough and duty-bound exterior back on in order to keep Storm in Line, but found himself quite quickly warming to the gryphon. Anax also found herself quite enamored by Storm's personality.\n\n \n\nSure, the avian was tough and aggressive, but both Rufus and Anax came to like him. Anax had no reason to fear him due to the fact that she had plenty of defense mechanisms, including venom, hard scales, powerful muscles, and advanced magic nullification. Plus, Storm lacked any weapons to penetrate her outer layer of scales, and all weapons were taken out of the brig to be safe. His claws could cut her up, but couldn't go any deeper than that.\n\n \n\nShe was quite analytical of any situation she found herself in and only allowed herself to get close to Storm after careful consideration.\n\n \n\nRufus, on the other paw, just gave up on his gruffness as soon as Anax had come to trust him. He knew that his naga crew mate was not one to trust people easily and always considered things far beyond what he did at any time; as such he would follow her to any situation. Upon allowing himself to open up, he was able to share stories with Storm about their respective rolls as disciplinary figures on their respective ship.\n\n \n\nDuring that conversation, Storm let slip that he was disillusioned with his spot in the royal navy, and didn't feel properly appreciated. This intrigued both Anax and Rufus, but that's when Cero and Febii took over, practically them out in order to take over.\n\n \n\nStorm was naturally quite excited to see Febii again, since he'd enjoyed some pleasant intimacy with her the last time they'd met up. However, she had changed her tone a bit and was trying to find ways to refute his advances. The discussion the prior night about her being slutty had made her realize that she did tend to be a little more lewd than she liked being, but at the same time she was having a very difficult time resisting him.\n\n \n\nProblem was, Cero was something of a devil's advocate, and spent most of their watch urging Febii to go ahead and give into her desires. Cero made jokes about how Storm's cock might even be big enough to pleasure Cero, and that nobody would have to know as long as they didn't tie together. Storm then pitched in with his own declarations of how gentle and kind he would be, what he would do to make her feel like he was 'part of the team', and the benefits of taboo sex.\n\n \n\nEventually, she would give in and fool around with him as she'd done the previous night, memories of his sexual aggression triggering her sexual needs. Once again, Storm would have her through the bars of his cage, only this time she was keen to not let him knot her, since that could last hours, and another group would be coming in soon.\n\n \n\nShe grew to be quite aggressive with him, noisily slamming herself back against the cage as he held his fist around the base of his knot, ensuring that his flesh didn't rub against the enchanted metal bars. Just as Febii was getting into it, Storm bolted forward with his one arm between the bars to grab her by the throat, pulling her up to the cage, like he was about to choke her.\n\n \n\nHis sudden movements got Cero on her feet and ready to strike, but then Storm explained – with fingers still wrapped tight around Febii's throat – that he was only doing this to keep her quiet. The last time she'd howled in pleasure, it attracted Ilorek and Valencia. Both Febii and Cero conceded his point, which was quite comical since Febii was actually lifted off the ground by his cock, and her legs were dangling near the stack of crates that were by the cage.\n\n \n\nThough gryphons usually only climaxed when knotted, a firm grip with his fist around his knot emulated that quite well and he was able to pump her full of his seed. When the two parted ways, Cero's hunger for cock took over and she suckled his member until she got a taste of him, then went over and used her long forked tongue to eat out Febii while the gryphon watched.\n\n \n\nAll three were able to dress up, put their genitals away, and return to a normal sitting position when Freia and Ichaya came back, ready to take over for the night watch. Ichaya was quite well attuned to the scent of gryphon musk, and quickly realized what had happened, but she kept her beak shut since she knew that Freia might either be jealous or act in disdain about it. The neko girl wasn't stuck-up, but she wasn't as keen on Febii's blatant sexuality, often finding it to be a touch gaudy. To be fair, Freia liked sex as much as the next person, she just wasn't as outwardly blatant about it.\n\n \n\nAfter taking over, Ichaya and Freia were a bit more reserved than the prior watchers, as they chose to not interact with Storm very much. Freia wasn't all that interested, since Storm would be leaving soon, and Ichaya was still mulling over some of the things Storm had told her last time they met. She knew of his waning allegiances, but wasn't as confident in his sincerity as Tzerin was.\n\n \n\nThe Captain was a wonderful person, but perhaps a bit too trustworthy. That might get him killed or imprisoned one day, and Ichaya was not looking forward to when that would happen, but she knew she'd be by his side.\n\n \n\nFreia and Ichaya both decided that they would play cards together instead of worrying about talking to Storm too often. They weren't rude, nor did they ignore him, but they didn't actively seek to include him in their conversations. It wasn't until he started tapping his beak on the bars to get their attention that they responded to his presence.\n\n \n\nWhen they answered, he simply asked for something to eat, so Freia went to make him a delicious meal that turned out to not be all that delicious. He still got to eat, though, even jerky was full of protein and nutrients that kept a drake nice and healthy. To finish up, he asked for some rum, which Freia refused him. Ichaya was a bit more generous, so she gave him a bottle and they collectively enjoyed a bit of a drink as the hurricane died down.\n\n \n\nAll during their guarding shifts, the thunder and howling wind were echoing through South Sanctuary Cove, but soon after taking to the bottle all of that disappeared. Mere minutes later, Tzerin came on deck to announce that it was time to pack up and leave alongside the Storm of the Rift.\n\n \n\n \n\nThe crew had returned to the Stone Skipper in their entirety, preparing to raise the sails and depart within the hour. Other ships were also doing the same, but the Stone Skipper needed to get out first before anyone started coming aboard to investigate.\n\n \n\nPirates could be fickle about any ship trying to take booty out of port without permission.\n\n \n\n“Anax, Cero, if you could conjure a light gust to get us going, that would be outstanding!\" Captain Tzerin instructed as he stood at the helm. Ichaya was up in the crow's nest, Febii was below deck with Storm, while both Freia and Rufus were near the bow. In order to keep the peace and ensure that at least two were watching over Storm, Valencia boarded the ship before departure, where she would stay below deck to watch over the Gryphon with Febii.\n\n \n\nThe ship backed up gently, allowing Tzerin to turn it around, carefully maneuvering around the dock to head forward towards the crevasse that would take them to the outside world again. The naga sisters both used their magic to instigate a faint gust, which the sails picked up and used to propel them outside.\n\n \n\n“Glorious day today, Captain.\" Rufus commented as a gentle sea breeze hit his face, the first to feel the embrace of the open ocean. “And nary a royal navy ship in sight. If Storm had a plan, it fell through.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin nodded as he edged the wheel to the side, redirecting the Stone Skipper to pass through the underwater pillars that were used to discourage outsiders from sailing in the area, a last ditch effort to destroy the hull of any ship that went off course and didn't know the exact path to follow. “I've been informed by Lord Ilorek and Lady Valencia what our next step will be. After we're clear of the island, we'll connect the ships and weigh anchor, thus giving Val some time to work her magic. We won't, however, be doing so until later today, as we are to put much of the sea between us and the Sanctuary.\"\n\n \n\nFreia stepped through the crates and piles of rope to join him at the helm. “Do you have a destination in mind? I can think of one, perhaps three hours away from here, that we could do this. It's under a stone archway deeper into the archipelago, so even if he does get out and he tries to flee, he'll be confused and lost.\"\n\n \n\nThe Captain thought this over and nodded, motioning for Ichaya to come down from the nest. “Tell our navigator and she'll guide us as you see fit, with a few extra turns to disorient. Keep it hushed, for I want our path to be tricky and confusing. When you're done telling Ichaya, go below deck and inform Lady Valencia of the same plan. If I am to understand, The Storm of the Rift will be following us at a good pace behind.\"\n\n \n\n“Aye Captain.\" Freia confirmed. When Ichaya made her way to the deck, the two exchanged information about the winding path they would take to get to the location that Freia spoke of. As it turned out, that arch was known as Dynne's Peak, a place for avian kind – especially gryphons and hippogryphs – to be wed overlooking the sea.\n\n \n\nThis location was ideal to release Storm, in multiple ways.\n\n \n\nAfter sharing that information, Freia went below deck to convey that same knowledge with Valencia while Ichaya climbed the rigging to return to her position in the crow's nest.\n\n \n\nAnax turned from her position before the helm, having completed her magic duties to this point. “Captain, would you like for us to help with more wind, or would you rather we use only natural gusts for this trip?\"\n\n \n\n“I think for this, we should raise the rest of the sails, use only natural wind, and focus on maintaining your energy and ademane. I'm in no rush to get to Dynne's Peak, as the storm has cleared the skies and we are no longer under those constraints. I'd rather have us all prepared and ready, in case Storm proves to be far stronger than he's indicated. One of the things Ilorek told me when I was conversing with him was that there was little chance we'd be able to get Storm into that cage unless he let us put him there.\"\n\n \n\nCero turned her long, snakelike neck to hiss at her captain. “Are you sure about that? Anax and I are both quite adept with magic, and one of the most powerful spells she knows is the nullification spell she used to help subdue him. I'm quite certain there's little he could do to either of us, or you for that matter.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin shrugged, not sure how to respond to that; he knew the strengths and weaknesses of his crew, and was very aware of the naga's abilities. “I don't know for certain, I can only speak on behalf of what others have told me. Valencia and Ilorek are two captains and pirate lords I trust completely, and if they say that Storm is that powerful, I believe them.\"\n\n \n\nRufus was about to say something with pistol in hand, when Valencia hopped up from below deck. “Serpents, my dears, I respect your abilities but you haven't seen Storm in battle. I have.\"\n\n \n\n“Tell us more, then, because we're no slouches when we want to fight. Plus, the sun is out and there's nary a cloud in the sky, even if we weren't well rested and warmed, the heat of the day star would fuel our magic.\" Cero declared, proud of her skills.\n\n \n\nAnax raised a finger to pitch in as well. “And nobody is immune to my venom, not even my sister or Lady Leera.\"\n\n \n\nBy this point, the others from the rest of the deck – sans Ichaya, who was still guiding Tzerin through the shallows – started to gather to hear what Valencia had to say about Storm. While they conversed amongst themselves, the captain listened in but was focusing more on steering the ship southbound.\n\n \n\n“I once saw Storm fight off an entire battalion of fifty human soldiers armed with nothing but a single spear and a loincloth. He had no armor, no potions, and couldn't fly because it was during a particularly windy storm – likely one of his own creation used to confuse his enemies. One by one, he ran each of the enemy soldiers through with that spear, lopping heads off and bisecting them from crotch to neck. His reflexes and strength match that of a snake, and he's lived his life as a warrior before joining the navy; he knows how to fight, he knows how to kill, and I'm pretty sure that if he wanted it badly enough, he could tear through that cage you've got him in, enchantments or not.\"\n\n \n\nFreia stepped forth, look of confusion on her face. “But how could you possibly know this unless you were there alongside him as he lived?\" She paused and closed her eyes to think about that for a second before squinting. “You didn't do that, did you?\"\n\n \n\nWith a wave of her hand, Valencia dismissed that idea. “No, I wasn't anywhere near his homeland during his formative years. I did, however, do a real number on his mind when I scanned his memories the last time we met. I was inside his thoughts for hours, digging around and reliving his best experiences one by one to get a proper feel for him as a person and as a character. The extended time I spend with him gave me great insight, but also gave him a crippling fear of any form of invasive telepathy. I can't blame him for hating me, but I can also vouch for his skill. Trust me, if he wants out bad enough, he'll get out, and he may very well kill you all.\"\n\n \n\n“So why didn't you just kill him instead of leaving us alone with him?\" Rufus asked, his tone masking a hint of accusation.\n\n \n\n“In that brief moment I tried to read him, I caught just the faintest glimpses of his heart's intent before the enchantment of the cell blocked me out. I got the impression that he was sincere, but I couldn't dig any deeper or discern the details of his thoughts, so I wasn't prepared to leave him alone. That's why, even though you always had at least two crew members watching, Ilorek and I remained across the dock in our own ship, ready to subdue him if needed.\"\n\n \n\n“Hmph.\" Freia snorted. “We appreciate the vote of confidence.\" She paused a moment, before finishing her thought. “But we appreciate the backup. If this gryphon is as dangerous as you say, then it was likely for the best that you remained close.\"\n\n \n\nValencia noded. “It was the best and safest route. I appreciate your hard work, I appreciate your candor, and I appreciate your willingness to work with Ilorek and myself, but I do feel it's about time we took over from here. Hold on tight, we're all heading to Dynne's Peak.\" She raised her arms high, conjuring up a rapidly intensifying wind that lurched the ship forward between two tall cliff faces and into an open strait, where they paused and waited.\n\n \n\nBehind them, the far larger Storm of the Rift emerged from around the cliffs, dwarfing the Stone Skimmer as it sidled up behind them. Another powerful burst of wind picked up and caught the sails of both ships, pushing them forth together at the same pace. Ichaya guided Tzerin and the Storm of the Rift followed, the two darting in, around, and between dozens of islands in the Ijimulian Archipelago. The trip took the better part of six hours due to all the confusing twists and turns they took, passing through paired cliffs, doing figure eights around smaller islands, and turning back to rethink their path before finally making it to the last realm before Dynne's Peak.\n\n \n\nAll around them, there were dozens of smaller islands and two large ones, each with lush jungle, steep cliffs, some volcanoes, and beaches wrapped around them. Slowly, they floated under the arch, only to have a series of hooks and anchors tossed over the side of the Stone Skipper, pulling the two ships next to each other in what seemed at first glance to be a hostile boarding. Each of the crew members pulled their weapons in preparation, most with guns in one hand and a sword in another, but Freia held a bow, aimed up towards the higher deck of the Storm of the Rift.\n\n \n\n“What's this?\" Tzerin asked with a fiery rage in his eyes. “I thought we-\"\n\n \n\nHe was cut off by Valencia. “We're allies, this is just to keep us close while I do my work. Weigh anchor – the sandbar shouldn't be too far down – and take your crew to the Storm of the Rift.\" As she spoke, a boarding plank was pushed out from a lower level of the ship, resting comfortably on the railing of the Stone Skipper, anchored by hooks. “No damage will be done to your vessel. And we'll return it to you as soon as I'm sure that all is well. Now, relinquish the helm, and take your crew to the Storm of the Rift, please.\"\n\n \n\nThough reluctant, Tzerin knew when he was outclassed. “Alright mates, do as she said. Let's go be guests on Lord Ilorek and Lady Valencia's vessel.\" He paused to look Val in the eye. “You better feed us well.\" He saw that Rufus tossed the anchor below, before stepping forth to prepare for his next orders.\n\n \n\n“Only the best for the guests of my ship.\" She winked and grinned, showing her sharp canine teeth, ear flicking beneath her hat.\n\n \n\nTzerin stayed on the deck as each of his crew walked past him, starting with Anax and Cero, followed by Rufus and Freia, then finally Febii. Ichaya hopped out of her crow's nest to hover over to the deck of the Storm of the rift. Only when all of his crew were aboard the larger ship, Tzerin nodded to Valencia and followed.\n\n \n\n“Alright, time to work my magic.\" She said with a grin, before hopping down over the barrier between helm and deck. The pirate lord adjusted her hat and stepped down the stairs below deck, ready to deal with the prisoner. She pushed the doors open and turned to reveal Storm, still sitting there in the back of his cell. “You ready?\"\n\n \n\n“I'm really not.\" He admitted as he got to his feet. “Can we just eschew this silly invasion of my mind, and just let me go back to my old life? Or better yet, could I just pledge allegiance to you and we can pretend that you took care of the issue?\"\n\n \n\nValencia found it cute how Storm was actually bargaining with her, something he was not known to do unless in the most dire of situations. Ironic, since Val had no intention of harming him, yet her method for getting information was the one thing that scared and bothered the gryphon. “I'm sorry, Storm. I need to make sure you're not going to double cross us, and I need to make sure you've not got some devious plot hidden in the back of your mind.\"\n\n \n\nHe rolled his eyes as he wedged his beak in between the metal bars. “Don't you think that, if I wanted to hurt you, I could have by now? I'd have done the most damage in their Sanctuary, yet here we are in the middle of a thousand islands, and I still haven't done anything to lash out. Isn't that enough?\"\n\n \n\n“Under most circumstances, I'd say yes. However, you're not most circumstances; I know you're smart, I know you're wily, and I have no doubt in my mind based on what I know about you that it's very possible that you'd hold onto a plot for months before executing it to perfection. The only way I can be entirely certain that you're not going to turn on us, or don't have something in your back pocket, is to dig around in your mind a bit.\"\n\n \n\n“Sigh. I know.\"\n\n \n\n“I'll make it quick if you make it easy, deal?\"\n\n \n\nStorm nodded and took in a deep breath. “Just, please don't scramble my mind like last time. I didn't recover from that for nearly a month.\"\n\n \n\n“Promise.\" She agreed, then reached out to undo the lock on the cage and pull the door open. Without any barrier between them and the seal to the enchantment on the cell broken, Storm was free to do whatever he wanted, be it flee or attack or summon a spell. He was more than double her height and leagues stronger than her, yet she didn't fear him; instead she stood tall and looked up at him, catching his gaze. Her maw remained open, threatening to grin at the larger avian, before she extended her wing-arm. “Come on, let's go do this.\"\n\n \n\nAn extended pause befell both Storm and Valencia as they stared at one another. She kept her wing arm out, waiting for him to take it while she stared at him with a glare that dared him to try to run. Then, after what seemed like minutes, Storm nodded and reached out to lay his hand on hers.\n\n \n\n“Well, if we have to, I supposed there's no reason to extend the inevitable.\" He acknowledged.\n\n \n\n“Glad to see you feel that way.\" She turned and pulled him out of the cell, turning her back to him so she could prove her trust. This was rewarded with a surprising amount of obedience as he followed her in step, matching her every motion to follow her above deck.\n\n \n\nStorm shielded his eyes as his pupils constricted, adjusting to the bright midday sun. He had been in a prison cell without access to natural light for days, and the sudden brightness that bathed him left him blind for a moment as he kept pace behind Valencia. In an effort to adjust his eyes, he blinked and squinted until the heavenly light dissipated into a more normal looking midday shine. The first thing he saw and noticed was just how empty the deck of the Stone Skimmer had become in preparation for his release. “Worried I'm going to kill someone, I see!\"\n\n \n\nValencia chuckled, still guiding him to the stack of crates in front of the helm. “Not worried, but cautious. I need not remind you that you're a dangerous antagonist to our kind.\" The intention was to get storm as far away from the enchanted cage as they could go, thus ensuring that it's nullifying properties weren't going to interfere with her telepathy and mind reading abilities. “So, sit there if you could, please.\"\n\n \n\nHe did as commanded, hopping up onto the pile of crates with his wings jutting out for balance as the ship got rocked by a wave. While regaining his balance, he looked up to the looming deck of the Storm of the Rift, noting that there was an audience of about twenty watching him, including the entire crew of the Stone Skipper as well as Ilorek and others from his ship. “I see you've gathered quite an audience. So what do I do now, just sit still while you violate my mind and everyone else watches?\"\n\n \n\n“No.\" She said simply as she grinned at him, exposing her sharp canine fangs. Before he could respond, she grabbed at the clasp of her cloak and unhooked it, letting the garment fall to the ground at her feet. With another fluid motion, she wriggled out of her captain's coat, letting it fall behind her as well before kicking it away. She wore only a short skirt, boots, and her hat, having fully exposed her chest and upper body to him, which clearly confused Storm.\n\n \n\nIn the days between her initial attempt to read his mind and now, Valencia spent much of her time concocting a ploy to get the most out of him while not inciting his rage and anger. She knew that a direct siege on his thoughts would trigger the kind of violence she was trying to avoid, which could be disastrous for the Stone Skipper. This gryphon possessed strength well beyond the average sailor and the Stone Skipper was a small vessel; if Storm grew angry and violent enough, he could easily have snapped the mast in half or inflict massive damage on the deck.\n\n \n\nShe needed to be very careful and deliberate in her probing effort.\n\n \n\nGiven her history with Storm and the Gem of the Ijimulian – the ship that he had navigated in the past and the biggest ship in the royal fleet – Valencia knew what would be best to pacify him: arousal. The one time that Storm lost his edge and grew complacent was when he was aroused or was in the throes of passion, so that's what she'd do. Rather than just dive right into his mindscape, she would broadcast her own mind control techniques to instill him with a sense of desire for her, which could in turn allow her to use that distraction as a means to her desired end.\n\n \n\n“I wasn't expecting you to be so forward with me, Val.\" Storm observed with a chuckle, then leaned down to use his finger-claw to unbuckle the belt that kept her skirt on. “But if you're so keen on rewarding me for my good behavior, then you might as well go all the way.\"\n\n \n\nShe nodded and wagged her tail as a faint teal mist emanated from her eyes and dissipated into the air, signifying the beginning of her spell; the motions and magic helped to loosen her skirt and drop it down over her lower half to expose the rest of her body sans her feet. Without missing a beat, she hopped forward and out of her boots, leaving them on the ground behind her as she scaled his legs to stand over him on the crates. Given their difference in size, she only just barely stood up to meet him eye to eye as she stood on the same crates he sat on. To show at least a bit of dominance, she stepped into him to force her chest up against his, but he didn't budge.\n\n \n\nInstead, he grabbed at her hips and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Quite an odd way to read one's mind, Val. Tell me, have you lost your charm? Out of practice?\" He leaned in close to whisper at her, lightly combing his curved beak tip through her cheek fur as he hissed his words. Part of him knew very well what she was doing, but was finding that he was growing increasingly complacent with her ploy the more the blood pooled in his loins.\n\n \n\n“Not losing my touch at all, my dear.\" She purred at him, forcefully pushing him onto his back as she remained standing over him. “Let's just say I think we both need to...loosen up a bit. If you get me.\" She squatted down and reached behind her to lightly caress at Storm's swelling sheath, gently peeling it back to expose his massive dark mauve member in all its throbbing, glistening glory. Her tongue stuck out as she grinned, happy to see he was so willing to submit himself to her.\n\n \n\nHe hoisted himself up on his elbows as he glanced over to the crowd of onlookers staring over the railing of the Storm of the Rift, making sure they were watching. “Well, if you insist.\" He chuckled, reaching out with one hand to grab at her tiny waist and force her down.\n\n \n\nShe could have resisted or deflected his aggression but this was exactly what Valencia wanted. She fell heavily to her knees and started grinding down against his shaft, rubbing her canine vulva up and down the underside of it in an effort to smear his natural lubricants all over herself, which gummed up her fur and got forced into her. When she pulled away, she saw thick gooey strands of mess bridging the tiny gap between them. “Aw yeah, that's my kind of bird.\" She cooed at him, slowly pressing herself back down to grind up and down his length.\n\n \n\nAs expected, Storm grabbed her with one hand and grabbed his cock with the other, aggressively rubbing the tip of his member up against her loins before finally finding her pussy and forcing it in. He let out a content sigh as he leaned his head back, grabbing at her other hip with his now free hand and pushing her down as his length slid with some resistance into Valencia's depths.\n\n \n\nValencia winced a bit and curled her toes as she felt the thickness of his cock spreading and stretching her wide, the bulge of it grinding up against her hip bones. The only way to alleviate the pressure was to grind and wiggle, slowly inching her way down his shaft one ridge at a time until she felt the bulge of his knot pressed to her lips. “So then, Storm, tell me, why are you here?\" She inquired, catching him mid-thrust with a confused look on his face.\n\n \n\n“Wh-what? Why are you asking me this now? I thought we were going to fool around before you-\" He was silenced by her finger being pressed to his beak, so he froze in place with both his hands on her hips while his hips gently gyrated against her.\n\n \n\nShe purred deeply and smirked, not saying a word as she began to gently push up off him to pull his member out of her pussy, leaving only the tip resting just within her lips. His hands remained on her hips, pushing down as he bucked up into her, but she resisted. Despite her relatively petite body size, she still had strength to nearly match him, allowing her to guide her own motions and dictate the pace.\n\n \n\nOnce it was clear that she was in charge of the situation and Storm wasn't to force her motions, she pressed her hands to his chest and used that to balance as she rocked back and forth, his length gently pumping in and out of her in tune with the rocking of the boat. Each motion was accented with the faintest juicy squelch as another ridge slipped out or pushed in, her lips twitching against him. Her eyes met his, the tell-tale teal mist of her magic lightly cascading over her face as she began the second stage of her spell.\n\n \n\nStorm didn't notice this at all, as he was too focused on her tight lips massaging his member to worry about the subtle shimmer in her eyes. He just thought she was trying to be sexy as she pushed down against him. He also thought that this meant she was ready for something a little more rough, so he slammed his hips up into hers as he grabbed her around the waist and tried to force her down. Though his un-inflated knot didn't slip into her, he still got a sense of accomplishment and extreme self satisfaction as he felt the bulge of his shaft pressing out against her abdominal wall, allowing him to use his thumbs to play around with it.\n\n \n\nLuckily for Valencia, she had spells aplenty needed to keep her loins malleable for him while she remained focused on loosening up both his mind and her pussy. She kept her eyes trained on his as her bouncing pace picked up, her flesh slamming down repeatedly against the partial bulge of his knot, pausing every few to push back and grind against him, hoping that her body loosened up enough to lock him in a tie.\n\n \n\nNo such luck came to her, at least not for a little while. He stared at her with a light hiss escaping his beak as he dug his claws into her belly and thighs for leverage, further grinding and pushing up against her as his knot squeezed and rotated to get the best angle, but it wasn't going in. At least not yet.\n\n \n\nShe kept in her squatting position, with her legs wide on either side of his hips as she bounced and rocked into him, hips twitching to the perfect angle even as his member formed a mini bulge in her abdomen. Though curious to see what that looked like, she needed to keep eye contact if the spell was to work, and it seemed to be doing well so far. Valencia could feel his arousal directly in her mind as though she were experiencing both her pleasure and his at the same time, which meant the spell was working; all she had to do was keep at it, to keep chipping at his mental defenses, until he inevitably cracked and let her have unfettered access to his memories.\n\n \n\nThe key to that was orgasmic bliss, which she was so close from coaxing from him.\n\n \n\nHer enthusiasm kicked into the next gear, and she began aggressively slamming herself down onto him, her form squishing his knot to the opening of his sheath time and time again. The intensified vigor coaxed more aggression out of him, too, as his hissing grew in volume and tone as he squeezed her even harder.\n\n \n\nThen, amidst a random bounce on his knot, Valencia felt the pressure build in a sudden eruption of sensation as his knot popped through her lips and lodged itself just inside her, his cock tip buried deep in her womb as each lobe started to swell and inflate.\n\n \n\nAt first, she wanted to maybe pull off and get one more thrust out of him before locking in, but his knot swelled quickly and their difference in size ensured that they were tied within seconds of that knot slipping into her and beginning to grow. More and more pressure built up within her as she grunted and shirted around to find the proper and most comfortable position to be in.\n\n \n\nThe very moment she found the perfect angle and depth, she felt another swell in her loins as his knot grew to full size, giving her a bulge as her pussy lips distended out as well as the one in her belly from his cock tip prodding at her womb from within. At the same time, she could feel his throbbing member pumping shot after shot of pre-seed into her, preparing her for his deposit as his eyes started to narrow into a squint.\n\n \n\nIt would be potentially disastrous to let him close his eyes, so she leaned in close and pecked at his beak, grabbing his attention even as his toes curled and his wings fluttered beneath him. He started back at her and the two got lost in each others' gaze, his brain distracted by his blossoming climax and allowing Valencia her entry into his mind.\n\n \n\nHer vision blurred around the edges as her perception twisted and her mind probed at his. All around her, wisps and images of jungles and ships and open seas flashed by her as if watching a series of broken projectors each trying to play a different memory on the wall while she zipped through on a mine cart. All were what she called memory visions.\n\n \n\nEvery image shook and swirled into each other until they converged into one all-encompassing vision, surrounding her in such a way that she felt like she was experiencing the morphing scene around her. Since Storm could only remember things from his perspective, she would only and could only pluck his memory in such a way that she was reliving it. Within moments she was able to focus her mind and find herself submerged into a very specific memory.\n\n \n\nShe was in.\n\n \n\n \n\nValencia's first memory vision was likely the most recent one that Storm had, and she felt every emotion as well as every thought that crossed through his mind during it. He was sitting on his rump in the cell as the ship passed through the thousand islands, and his mind was full of opposing emotions concerning his inevitable release, some positive and some negative.\n\n \n\nThe one recurring thought that passed through him was dread, for he was not happy with the prospect of having someone dwelling in his mind ever again, but he was happy to do it if it meant that he would be let go. Of course, his mind also shifted to rage every few minutes when a wave hit the hull and he had to stop himself from banging his head on the bars of his cell; this rage manifested itself as a desire to wreak havoc and kill every one of the crew members above him, but quickly subsided when he remembered that he would be outnumbered and outmatched if Ilorek and Valencia were there. He also felt frustration at the lack of elemental magic he had to suffer through while incarcerated.\n\n \n\nPerhaps most encouragingly, Valencia found that every thought process eventually led back to Storm's desire to do as he was told and make peace with the pirates, maybe even join them. There was a sense of betrayal bubbling up in the back of his mind at all times, but she couldn't decipher where it was guided, only that Storm felt betrayed.\n\n \n\nThat memory was effective at convincing her of his desire to not be a threat, but she had to go deeper and to farther back; she needed to extend to Storm's time before being left on that island.\n\n \n\nScanning a person's memory required time and concentration, two things that Valencia had in surplus thanks to her keen telepathy and the fact that she was knotted to him and likely would be for the coming hours. What she would do is think back to a time as he would, and the memory would manifest itself around her, only she had no way of knowing if it was the right time or not. A person's memory is fluid and not always reliable, so she would have to flip through a few pages of his life back and forth to find what she was looking for, or go back in such short jumps that she might take hours to go back a few days.\n\n \n\nEventually, she did land on a memory of him, alone on an island and naked as he bounded his foot-claw to the beat of a tune he was whistling. From his memory's perspective, Valencia could see his member at full mast and throbbing in the warm sun as he silently hoped for someone to pick him up given the severity of the coming storm.\n\n \n\nNo worries poisoned his mind for the entire duration of this stay, as far as Valencia could see. He knew that if all else failed he could hunker down and protect himself, but that would be a miserable few days and he'd really rather not deal with that if he could avoid it. Mostly, he just really didn't want to waste his energy using magic that would nullify the storm in his immediate vicinity – an ability he had that he hadn't shared with anyone.\n\n \n\nHis laid back attitude while casually pleasuring himself on the island was revealing, but it didn't help with Valencia's inquisition. She flipped forth a few pages and scanned through his thoughts and emotions as each ship passed him, finding that he truly was relieved and happy to see someone coming close only to have his hopes dashed when each ship casually sailed by with out any attention paid to his plight or the little zaps of electricity he was shooting into the sky.\n\n \n\nThat was, until the Storm of the Rift sailed by.\n\n \n\nValencia had to pause for a moment, because sifting through someone's memories always felt particularly odd when that memory overlapped with her own presence from another angle. The memory seemed to blend with her own and she could get confused about who was what unless her subject's memories were strong and clear. Luckily, Storm's memory of this encounter was thoroughly crisp, and it wasn't a pleasant one.\n\n \n\nAs the Storm of the Rift sailed by, Storm waved and called out – having gotten very desperate and a little worried by this point – only to have one of the cannons fire at him. The cannon ball would have blown him in half had he not possessed the strength and reflexes to dodge and deflect it with his palm. The fires of his rage surged so hot that he almost launched a single-gryphon siege on the ship, but he recognized the flag and he knew that both Valencia and Ilorek were aboard, which would have made it hard for him.\n\n \n\nImpressed, Valencia took a moment to relive the moment where Storm deflected a cannon ball with his bare hand a few times before returning to her own memories of that event. She had been on board when that happened and did recall the sound of a cannon fire, but was assured it was a misfire due to someone's spell gone awry. She believed that, too, at least until she saw from Storm's perspective that it was clearly aimed at him.\n\n \n\nShe would have to figure out who did that once this was all over.\n\n \n\nOnce again she flipped forth a few pages until she found Storm's first meeting with the crew of the Stone Skipper, when Febii and Rufus and the others all met up with him for the first time. His memories were all incredibly positive, because literally dozens of ships had bypassed him by that point and the hurricane was mere hours away; he had waited too long to fly away, his flagship wasn't coming for him, and he really didn't want to get stuck in a storm.\n\n \n\nThat part about his flagship not coming back was interesting to Valencia, but it wasn't detailed enough to probe any farther, so she skipped over it to focus in the brief interaction between Storm and the two naga sisters before getting tossed in the brig. His emotions went from relieved, to tentative, to angry, to finally reserved acceptance when he was held down and his magic nullified. In the end, he just wanted to get out of the storm, and his main source of anger was that he was being held in a cage.\n\n \n\nThroughout the ordeal, his mind kept going back to how betrayed he felt, and that the 'plan was off' since the hurricane had rolled in, leaving him stranded and on his own. Of course, his mind did wander to committing a mutiny once he got into the cove, but he didn't bother since he would literally be surrounded by pirates.\n\n \n\nWhat came as a bit of a shock to Valencia was that Storm knew – or at least felt that he knew – that he could have bent or broken the bars of his cage if he felt so inclined, but he didn't. Valencia knew Storm had strength in those muscles, but she didn't realize he had that much confidence in his strength!\n\n \n\nStill, that memory wasn't quite enough. She needed to go back farther, find out what the plan was originally and how it diverged from its original path.\n\n \n\nValencia flipped back a few more pages to scatter around the last year or so of Storm's life until she found one that happened aboard the Gem of the Ijimulian. By filtering out the memories that took place elsewhere, Val was able to pinpoint the final few days he spent on that ship before being marooned. This was the memory she wanted, the one that was so important.\n\n \n\nStorm stood tall with his hands folded over his lower back and wings tucked up tight. He was on deck with a dozen other crew members all working tirelessly to prepare to leave the docks on Ariliptian port. As he listened, Storm's mind drifted to how annoyed he was that Captain Talba was a full head taller than him, since he was used to being the biggest and strongest person around. Vaulix was a shade shorted than Storm, so he wasn't a bother, but Talba's size had always made Storm a little uneasy.\n\n \n\nThis was where the plan was laid out for Valencia to witness in all its glory.\n\n \n\n“Chief Storm, do you understand your task?\" Captain Talba was asking, extending her talon with a smooth purple gem in it.\n\n \n\nStorm nodded and opened his hand to receive the gem. “I do, my Captain. I won't fail; I never do.\" He grinned and straightened his back to get as much height as he was capable, chest feathers puffing out in pride.\n\n \n\n“Then please recite it for me; it's rather complicated and I want to make sure there is no chance for failure. From the top, please.\" She nodded and stepped back to her spot next to the helm.\n\n \n\nStorm rolled his eyes a little, frustrated at how he was being treated; he never failed at his missions and the Captains were treating him as some deck lad in his first years on the open seas. After filtering out all the sarcasm he felt threatening to poison his words, he nodded and explained in detail what his plan was.\n\n \n\n“It is my job to take this gem to the Thousand Islands of the Ijimulian Archipelago, there I will find and befriend one of the many pirate ships that sail those waters in times of strife. I will do this by any means necessary. I do have a plan for this, would you like to hear it?\" Talba shook her head, urging him to carry on. “Then, after gaining the trust of the crew, I am to trigger the magic held within this gem, which will attract the other gems to its location from afar. I am only to do this at the location of the Pirate Sanctuary, in order to plan a siege on their hiding spot.\"\n\n \n\nUpon taking a closer look, Valencia noticed a small shelf behind Talba and Vaulix, each with an equally sized egg-shaped gem standing in holders, one of every primary and secondary color as well as a white and black. The gem that Storm had in his possession was the purple one, leaving Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, and green on the shelf as well as the black and white, presumably each for a different royal flagship.\n\n \n\n“And if something goes wrong, or I'm not able to procure a spot on a ship to find the sanctuary, I trigger the gem's alternate magic and call for help. The hurricane should be here within a week's time, giving me plenty of wiggle room to find what I'm looking for and lure a ship to help me out.\"\n\n \n\nUnder most circumstances, this evidence would be plenty to deem Storm guilty of his most heinous charges, but Valencia had seen enough of his memories and emotions to know there was more to the situation than that. Storm had expressed regret and the feelings of betrayal in virtually every memory that Valencia had scanned over, so there was clearly more there and she knew precisely where to look.\n\n \n\nThe following memories were all jumbled up as Valencia flipped back and forth through the pages of his mind to pick up tiny bits of data and compile them in her own mind. She returned to Storm's time in the brig, his time on the island, and a brief moment in time while he was being dropped off at the nearby Gryphon village in the mountain valley to the west.\n\n \n\nWhat she was able to make from the situation was a story of betrayal – go figure – a change of heart, and a fiery desire to seek retribution.\n\n \n\nStorm's plan to infiltrate a pirate ship got off to a slow start when he first approached a group of pirates at a free port in the north Ijimulian ocean; they didn't like bird kind and couldn't be bothered helping him out even though he was willing to show his usefulness that could manifest in strength or magic. Sensing that 'desperately begging for a ride' wasn't going to work, Storm then tried an alternate approach by starting a bar fight with the captain of the next ship that came in as an attempt to prove his valor in combat. That went even worse, as the crew nearly ran him through with a dozen blades for doing harm to their captain.\n\n \n\nAs it turned out, Pirates didn't follow the strongest, they actually had loyalty to their leaders.\n\n \n\nOnce it became clear that staying at port wasn't helping, Storm took to the wing and flew over the Ijimulian Archipelago with a map and a plan to trick some pirates into some treasure he'd 'stumbled' upon, citing he'd give them a cut if they helped him get it back to the mainland. That worked about as well as one would expect, and the pirates took the treasure and left Storm stranded on an island.\n\n \n\nThis miffed him and ruffled his feathers, as that was his own haul from a pirate ship he'd once commandeered, so he ended up losing thousands of gold worth of treasure for nothing. What was especially enraging is that he – as a royal navy officer – wasn't even allowed to keep treasure recovered from pirates, but he loved his shinies a bit too much to let it go to waste. He never would have let it go if he thought he wasn't getting it back, and didn't pursue the pirates to end them because he didn't need to get a reputation amidst the community as a pirate killer.\n\n \n\nDespite his initial failures to get a spot on a pirate ship, Storm never lost his loyalty to the crown. He did, however, activate the desperation magic on the gem three days before he was eventually picked up. Talba and Melvar showed up on the island he'd been left on, telling him that he wasn't to fail her, and that if he gave up on the mission he would be punished for not meeting his promise. Then, they left him alone on the island and left with him in their wake.\n\n \n\nOf course, this upset Storm to no end, as he had been a loyal servant of the crown for years and had never failed to follow through with a task at hand. Years of flawless service, and he wasn't going to be given a little bit of leeway over one miscalculation?\n\n \n\nTo be clear, they weren't saying he had a deadline for this task, he didn't need to accomplish it without issue before the hurricane hit, only that he wasn't coming back to the navy until he followed through. This simply meant that if he didn't succeed by the time the storm had descended upon him, he was in for a very unpleasant day and the navy would do nothing to help him.\n\n \n\nThe following three days had him angrily pacing on that island, deciding if he was going to give up on the mission or follow through with it. His loyalty had waned, and he was seriously considering defecting to the other side if he wasn't properly compensated for his time and strife. After seeing how loyal pirates were to their captains, Storm came to realize that was his kind of lifestyle and heirarchy. Of course, he wanted to be captain, but he knew that he would have to earn it like any other captain.\n\n \n\nA Task he knew he could accomplish.\n\n \n\nOn the final day of him mucking about and wondering what he was doing on that island, he triggered the distress beacon one final time. Far off in the distance he could feel the storm approaching and he knew he wouldn't be able to complete his task in less than a day and he needed out of danger.\n\n \n\nHe wasn't sure if the gem didn't work, or that perhaps the royal navy was too far away to receive the signal, or maybe they just couldn't be bothered to pick him up or they realized he was in the same spot as they left him, but no ships came. He triggered that gem's distress enchantment for hours, and nobody came.\n\n \n\nWhen it became clear that he was not being saved, Storm angrily threw the gem into the open ocean and tore off his clothes, burying them in a chest on the island. In his mind he had already swapped allegiances and he was no longer a member of the Coastal Discipline Authority, but he needed to allow himself to be reborn – hence the nudity.\n\n \n\nAfter all that, and the many ships that fled the hurricane that bypassed him, Storm was finally picked up by the Fortune of the Stone Skipper, where he was about to explain the whole situation to the crew and ask for a place nest to them when he was aggressively imprisoned and had his magic nullified.\n\n \n\nHad he not been locked in the brig, he would have been taking an oath to a pirate captain, which in his mind was a brotherhood he could offer himself to, since it was guided by freedom, loyalty, and strength over all else. This was a crew he'd be happy to offer himself to.\n\n \n\nThat was plenty for Valencia to be convinced of his sincerity, so she decided she'd get out of his mind before she risked scrambling his memories in with her own.\n\n \n\n \n\nFinally, Valencia averted her gaze from Storm's, breaking the trance and returning both of them to reality on the deck of the Stone Skipper. She was still leaning into his chest with her wing-arms lightly grasping at his white fluff as her loins throbbed against the bulge of his knot. “So that's why you felt I wouldn't believe you...\" She whispered, barely audible.\n\n \n\nHe may have heard her, but hie was still pulling out of the trance so he didn't respond. Within seconds of their minds diverging from one another, Storm shook his head and hissed at her. “Wh-what did you do to me?! What was that?\"\n\n \n\nShe lightly patted his chest and purred to calm him. “Shhh, shh. It's over now. We're done with the procedure and you can rest easy.\"\n\n \n\nHis eye twitched in halted anger as his chest puffed out, his breathing getting deeper and more deliberate. Despite his show of rage, his cock still twitched inside her, pumping bits of his essence into her. After a moment of that, he sighed and looked away, releasing his grip on her hips. “Okay then. That wasn't so bad, I suppose. But...that was pretty strange. Very different from last time.\"\n\n \n\nValencia cracked a half-way smile at him. “It didn't hurt, I hope. Was trying to ease you into it instead of launching an assault on your mind.\" She shifted from foot to foot, gently tugging on his knot as she clenched her vaginal walls to keep him nice and snug. Given his girth and the nature of the knot, he wasn't going anywhere, not for a long while.\n\n \n\n“No, didn't hurt this time. What did you do differently?\" He asked as he returned his hands to her hips, somewhat distracted by the pleasure she was offering him.\n\n \n\n“I helped to ease you into it by triggering your arousal. Figured it would work a whole lot better if your mind – and your blood – was focused elsewhere, giving me a bit of an advantage. Don't worry though, it won't happen again.\" She cooed at him as she leaned in close, caressing his beak as she nibbled at his neck floof. “I saw the truth in your mind, and I know you are no threat or danger to us, so once we part, you're free to go.\"\n\n \n\nFrom up on the Storm of the Rift, Ilorek called out to the members of the Stone Skipper. “Alright, looks like the verdict has been reached! You may return to your ship!\"\n\n \n\nStorm chuckled a bit, remembering that they were all watching the process from arousal to tie, and likely saw the extended period where he was in the trance and Valencia was prodding into his mind. Didn't bother him. He loved an audience and he was happy to show off his prowess.\n\n \n\nBoth Valencia and Storm watched as each of the crew members made their way down the boarding ramp from one ship to the next, each feeling a little awkward given the nature of the scene before them. First was Tzerin, who walked by with a tip of his hat before returning to the helm, ready to go on. Following soon thereafter was Ichaya, who sniffed the air and licked her beak, enjoying what she saw.\n\n \n\nCero and her sister Anax both rolled their eyes and tried their best to ignore the two knotted folks on the deck, opting instead to head to their chambers for a bit of a sleep since they weren't needed. Cero did flick her tongue a bit, smiling at the two. Last came the group of Febii, Freia, and Rufus, all of which fanned out to their places on deck, ready to go onto the next step and sail away, but all waiting for the captain to speak a command.\n\n \n\nValencia and Tzerin locked eyes, waiting to see who spoke first. “You might as well do your thing, Tzerin. Storm and I are going to be here for a while.\" Valencia admitted with a sly grin that showed her fangs. The gryphon turned around and nodded slowly, bucking his hips as he did so.\n\n \n\n“Well I guess that's that.\" Tzerin acknowledged. “So I guess we're stuck here a while, might as well release you all from your tasks. Do whatever you want; go below deck, or-\" He paused mid sentence as Febii practically dove in between Storm's legs, nuzzling into his balls and biting his inner thighs. “Or you can just do that, whatever. I'll come back to that.\" Though he was prepared to disregard the situation, he was surprised to have Ichaya lean in close next to him, chirping lightly in his ear as she pressed her chest against him and wrapped her arm under his wing.\n\n \n\n“You know, in the spirit of the moment, I don't suppose you'd be willing to, uh, join in, would you?\" Ichaya suggested, trailing her finger up Tzerin's chin.\n\n \n\nHe gave her a sidelong glance. “And what has you in such a mood?\"\n\n \n\nShe pecked him on the cheek. “Does it matter?\"\n\n \n\nNo. It did not matter, for Tzerin could feel a stirring in his loins, urging him on with the others. This wasn't the right time to let his carnal urges take over, but his arousal was steadily climbing at an exponential rate and was growing increasingly unbearable with each passing second. Rather than question his first mate any longer, he smiled and turned, leaning back into her as his hand slipped up under her skirt to find her moist slit. “Someone's excited.\"\n\n \n\nIchaya bit at his neck and parted her legs, giving him unfettered access to her slit. “Hhhnmhm!\" She moaned in agreement. “Can't help it, there's something in the air and I need it. Maybe it's Storm's mussssssk!\" Her voice tensed into a hiss as she turned from him, tail raised and skirt folded up over her back to expose herself.\n\n \n\nTzerin couldn't possibly say no to such an invitation, so he fervently unbuckled his belt with fingers fumbling over it before finally releasing it and letting his trousers fall to his knees. He grabbed at the base of her tail with one hand and grabbed his cock with the other before leaning into her, his tip easily finding her lips and plunging into her with one slick motion.\n\n \n\nIchaya gasped as she grabbed at the wheel, using it for balance as she pushed back against her captain's thrust. “Y-yess!\" She quietly chirped, lower body quivering in delight.\n\n \n\nThe captain leaned down, letting his long tendril-whiskers stroke and caress along her lower back, the added sensation coaxing her tiny wings to flutter and shake. Given his increasing libido, he felt the need to grab at her hips like a feral and cover her, chest to back, as he started wildly bucking and thrusting into her.\n\n \n\nOut of the corner of his eye, he saw Freia squatting down on the steps that led to the helm, panties off and in a pile next to her. Rather than ask, he simply tried to get a proper look at her, eager to see what she had planned.\n\n \n\nFreia was also trying her best to keep herself reserved by hiding her exposed pussy, but she was finding that, much like Tzerin, she was growing increasingly aroused as the seconds ticked by. Perhaps it was pheromones in the air, or maybe just the combination of relief that Storm was a potential ally and a week's worth of stress leading up to that revelation. Either way, her loins were swollen and stirring, so she felt the need to pleasure herself.\n\n \n\nAt first, she simply slipped her fingers into her folds, lightly rubbing and thrusting in and out of herself gently, watching Storm and Valencia as she fantasized about being in Valencia's spot. After closing her eyes, she was able to conjure up what she imagined it would feel like having that massive knot inside her, pumping her full of gryphon seed.\n\n \n\nSoon, her fingers weren't enough so she grabbed at her skirt and folded it up on her lap to squeezed up against her G-spot, walking two fingers over it like a bicycle to coax tiny strands of her own fluids into her palm. A brief moment of remorse washed over he as she realized how silly this was to her, but the second she pulled her digits from her depths, another wave of desire enveloped her and she grabbed for the first thing she could find to shove inside herself.\n\n \n\nIt was a bottle, what was once used for either sake or rum, which gave her reservations since she wasn't a drinker. In this moment, it didn't matter what the bottle had once held within it, she used the neck of it to thrust in and out of her with the rim's ridges grinding against her most sensitive spots. The firmness of the bottle was a little uncomfortable to her, but in some way that actually made her even hornier and made her push even harder against it!\n\n \n\nThe more she grinded down and stuffed herself, the more she noticed the little trails of her lubricants running down the length of the bottle and dripping off its bottom to the wood of the ship's deck. For a brief moment, she considered flipping the bottle around and shoving it in backwards with her finger in the mouth of it, but then stopped herself from doing that when she realized how foolish that would be. There's no way that would fit!\n\n \n\nInstead, she simply pushed up the bottleneck as deep as it would go until the bulge of the bottle pressed out against her lips, her other hand lightly rubbing at her clit to make her walls twitch and constrict around the bottle, amplifying her pleasure with each vaginal throb. She even tried to slip her fingers in next to the bottle, but found she was not able to do that, so she settled on using the bottle on her pussy and fingers on her clit.\n\n \n\nShe did notice out of the corner of her eye that Rufus was leaning against the mast while glancing over at Storm and Valencia, idly rubbing himself as he watched.\n\n \n\nRufus felt quite ashamed of his descend into carnal desire. Sure, he loved to pleasure himself as much as the next person, but it was his job as quartermaster to watch over the others and keep them safe, not indulge in self pleasure.\n\n \n\nWhen he first stepped back aboard the Stone Skipper, he had immediately made his way to the bow of the deck, ready and eager to keep an eye out when they finally parted ways with the Storm of the Rift – as was his duty – but he practically spun in place and immediately made his way towards the mast, where he was able to watch Valencia and Storm's passion from a nearby vantage point. He wasn't the most voyeuristic, but he just couldn't help himself!\n\n \n\nAfter leaning up against the mast, he kept his eye trained on the two that had started it all, gently rubbing himself under his pants as his tail wrapped around the pillar of wood. He stood tall even as he widened his stance, trousers slipping down over his thighs to expose his tapered roo cock.\n\n \n\nA single trickle of precum dribbled out the tip as he stroked, his fist squeezing his shaft and forcing more out. Though he felt silly just standing there watching them, he couldn't help but desire a moist hole to bury himself in, and that's when he saw Freia over by the stairs, pleasuring herself. In his mind, it felt wrong to let her deal with herself when he could be a gentleman and help her out, yet he couldn't move from that spot, opting instead to watch as Febii continued licking and nuzzling against Storm's undercarriage.\n\n \n\nShe was getting so excited, lapping like a puppy at Storm's inner thighs, up under Valencia's tail, down to Storm's rump, then back to his balls where she lifted her snout between the orbs to have each one dangle off to the side. While in this position, she closed her eyes and extended her tongue to lap at his rump, struggling with his cheeks to reach it.\n\n \n\nAbove her, Valencia pulled away from Storm's chest to balance precariously on her feet before doing her best to spin in place. As she rotated, Febii could see the bulge in her lower belly shifting and lurching bits at a time as the knot spun within her, eventually getting comfortable as Valencia came to look away from Storm and stare directly at Febii, only to temporary lose her balance when a wave hit the ship. The sudden rocking urged Febii to lean in and start fervently lapping at Valencia's folds, her tongue cleaning up all the mess that accumulated there.\n\n \n\nStorm also caught her and wrapped his hands around her belly to squeeze at the bulge, an action that made him feel his own cock through her abdominal wall. “You're not leaving me, are you?\" He asked with a hiss. “Because I don't think I'm done with you.\"\n\n \n\nValencia glanced down to Febii – who was on her knees with her maw open and panting like a pup waiting for a handout. That's when Valencia sighed and glanced back at Storm. “I might have to, my dear. But don't worry, I'm sure we can find time to fool around again.\" She patted him on the chest as she stared into his eyes again; the distraction from the arousal spell was still lingering so she was able to pacify him just long enough to part ways with him, untying his knot.\n\n \n\nAs it turned out, she never stopped broadcasting that spell to keep him horny and needy – which was tailored to both avian and mammalian kind - so when the rest of the crew came aboard, they were each affected by the spell as well. Well, aside from Anax and Cero, both of which were reptilian and therefore not affected by it. Now that her actions had caused an impromptu orgy under the watchful eye of the crew of the Storm of the Rift, she needed to finish up and move on.\n\n \n\n“Sorry darling.\" She apologized to storm as she stripped the area of the arousal spell, thus releasing each of them from their carnal trances. Within seconds all but Febii had a brief moment of lucidity, as both Captain Tzerin and Ichaya paused mid thrust to abashedly pull apart, Rufus slowly pulled his pants back up, and Freia slipped her panties back on and tossed the lubed up bottle to the side.\n\n \n\nFebii, on the other hand, stayed in place with her maw open, waiting for a taste of Storm's essence. She was panting and smiling on all fours, eagerly anticipating the inevitable squirt once the knot popped out and the pressure was released.\n\n \n\nValencia saw and understood this, so she focused a spell on her own nether regions to allow her body to be thrice as stretchy as was natural, which in turn allowed her to push down on Storm's calves to feel his knot shifting inside her and tugging out. As expected, a burst of gryphon see erupted from her lips and the crack between Storm's knot lobes, a gooey mess that Febii quickly gulped down before diving back in to continue cleaning around Storm's knot as it slipped out of her.\n\n \n\nWith one lurching pop, Storm burst from Valencia's depths, leaving only his shaft still resting inside with a torrent of cum soaking his loins and inner thighs. He sniffed at the air, as the scent of his own musk and seed turned him on beyond what most would be affected, but even he was feeling like maybe now wasn't the time to be focused on sex. Clearly, the spell had worn off him as well despite him being the subject of it. Since the spell had waned, Storm felt himself growing emotional, having finally let his own mind catch up with the situation that had gone around him. The concentrated memories of his betrayal and the emotions that followed left him feeling quite vulnerable, yet he gulped down to keep from letting anyone see he was on the verge of tears.\n\n \n\nValencia saw this, so she tried to pull the focus from him and onto her. “Alright, well I think it's about time we concluded our little stay here.\" Valencia offered as she slowly extended her legs, pulling her body from his monolithic member to let it slide out of her with a juicy guttural pop that left her gaping. A dozen bridges of cum and precum connected her widened lips, all of which convinced Febii to dive back in and clean up.\n\n \n\nThe wolgon eagerly lapped and gulped at both Storm's cock and Valencia's gaping pussy, burying snout between folds and under balls before finally getting both of them completely clean. Once she was done, she licked her lips and whimpered, begging for more.\n\n \n\nBut Valencia was done with the intimate engagement, and she had already compiled her thoughts on the situation, which she was prepared to present. She clenched her pelvic muscles to close her walls up with a juicy squelch before leaping off Storm's lap to flutter and flap her way to the deck. Then, once everyone – sans Storm, who was nude and lacking clothes – was fully clothed and watching her, she grabbed her own garments and addressed the crew of the Stone Skipper.\n\n \n\n“As the judge of Storm's character, I can say with utter certainty that he is not a threat to any of you, and can be freely released at the port of your choosing. Given the nature of the situation and the compassion that Captain Tzerin showed, no action will be taken from the Pirate Lords upon the Stone Skipper. Just, don't do that ever again.\" She turned to walk up the ramp to the taller Storm of the Rift, when Storm called out to her.\n\n \n\n“Stop.\" He said, pulling his sheath up over his cock as he got off the crates. “How can I thank you for...not condemning me to death?\"\n\n \n\nValencia flicked her ear in confusion. “Why would I condemn an innocent person to death? In this instance, your intentions were pure by the time you had any interaction with the crew. Furthermore, we're pirates...if we killed anyone who might be a threat to us, there'd be nobody left to plunder loot from!\" Her joke got a hearty laugh from everyone on both ships except Storm.\n\n \n\nHe still seemed to be holding back a torrent of emotions. “But, you know what I've done in the past, you could easily have condemned me for that and there would be nothing I could do about it. There are two ships worth of hardened pirates, including both you and Ilorek and...and...I know our history.\"\n\n \n\n“People change, Storm. My little excursion through your memory bank proved to me that even someone as reprehensible as you can change. So, you're free to go; stop badgering me unless you really want me to reconsider. I know you don't want me to end your life, you're far too fond of yourself, so quit while you're ahead.\"\n\n \n\nHe nodded and glanced around to each of the Stone Skipper crew, starting with Febii and following past Rufus and Freia and the returning Anax and Cero before looking up to Captain Tzerin and his navigator Ichaya. Having thought about this for a week, he knelt before them and put his fist to his chest. “Then I pledge myself to you, Captain Tzerin. For your kindness and mercy, I wish to offer my considerable skills to the Stone Skipper.\"\n\n \n\nFebii squealed and clap-jumped in joy.\n\n \n\nBut Tzerin wasn't as excited. “I'm really not sure that's an option, Storm.\"\n\n \n\n“Why not?\"\n\n \n\n“Look at the size of this ship, it barely fits the seven of us. Now look at yourself, there's no way you'd be comfortable here, and your presence would only throw the balance of this ship. I'm sorry, Storm, but I can't accept you as a crew member.\" Tzerin's voice was sincerely pained, as he really liked the idea of having a strong, capable gryphon under him and helping on the ship, but it wasn't possible.\n\n \n\nThat's when Ichaya chirped and whispered in his ear, giggling and glancing over to Valencia and Storm back and forth.\n\n \n\n“Good idea!\" Tzerin declared. “How about...you go to the Storm of the Rift?\"\n\n \n\nValencia chuckled a bit. “After the history we've had? Sorry Tzerin, but-\"\n\n \n\nShe got interrupted by Ilorek, who called out. “Wait, Val. Hold up.\" He briskly hopped his way down the ramp over the turbulent waters below to stand next to Valencia on the deck of the Stone Skipper. “That works. We need a navigator who can help and fight. Pluvian's good, but when conflict arises he can't really do much. I think that's a wonderful idea!\"\n\n \n\nShe sighed and growled at him. “Really? After what he tried to do to you last time?\"\n\n \n\n“Oh, that's in the past now. You said yourself that he's sincerely willing to give it a shot, and I trust your judgement!\" Ilorek insisted, patting her on the hat.\n\n \n\n“Yeah, and it's true, but not on our ship.\"\n\n \n\nIlorek grabbed her hat and traced the rim of it. “Who's the captain of the ship, dear?\"\n\n \n\nShe grabbed it back and put it on her head. “We both are, equally.\"\n\n \n\n“Exactly, and pirate law dictates that, in a dispute between captains, it will go to a vote among the other crew members, and I'm pretty sure they'll vote with me.\" He winked towards Storm.\n\n \n\nBut Valencia wasn't swayed. “Actually, pirate law says the captain gets the final say in the event a vote is split down the middle, it doesn't factor in situations like ours with co-captains. You can't just make up rules like that!\"\n\n \n\n“Val, I'm one of the six pirate lords, I can do whatever I want unless I'm outvoted by the others. And since there are no others here, I leave it in the hands of my capable and trustworthy crew. What say you?\" He called up to the deck of the Storm of the Rift, and he got a resounding cheer of approval back. “So you're outvoted. Now go make me a sandwich!\" He smacked her on the ass and pushed her up the ramp.\n\n \n\nShe grumbled and hissed at him, but then chuckled to herself knowing that she'd been bested by her mate. He was the only person in the entire world who could get away with saying any of that to her. “You win this time, but you're gonna make it up to me later, got it?\" She glared and pointed a finger at him.\n\n \n\n“I make it up in you every night and twice a day. Now quit bitching.\" He ignored her reaction and turned to Storm, who just seemed confused and delighted by the exchange going on between Ilorek and Valencia. “Alright, gryphon. If you're truly interested in switching sides, abandoning the crown, and fighting for your freedom on the open seas – with all the booty and treasure your mind could hope for – then I welcome you to my vessel.\" He extended a hand, which Storm happily took and shook.\n\n \n\n“I won't let you down, captain.\" He assured, offering a salute.\n\n \n\nIlorek swatted his hand down and rolled his eyes. “Cut that shit out, Storm. We don't salute pirates, we fist bump or hug or smack on the ass or whatever, just don't salute me. I hate it. That's rule one.\"\n\n \n\n“How many rules are there? I'll have you know that, as a new pirate, I really don't plan on following too many rules.\" Storm joked.\n\n \n\n“A good start. There are some rules on the ship, but I like your attitude. Anyway, I'll meet you on deck by the helm, I get the impression that you've got some goodbyes to attend to.\" He motioned towards the crew of the Stone Skipper before turning and following Valencia up the ramp, leaving Storm there with the others.\n\n \n\nFirst to step forward was Rufus, who extended a hand to shake with Storm. “Look, man, I just want you to know I never wanted to shoot you. That's not who I am, this is supposed to be fun for me, but it's my job to protect the crew, you know?\" He explained slightly worried that Storm may very well hold some resentment for the threats he endured at the opposite end of a pistol.\n\n \n\nStorm grabbed at Rufus' hand and smiled. “No harm no foul. If I were in your situation, I doubt I would have been able to hold back as well as you had. I commend you and would love to see you again some time in the future. Maybe I can finally be accepted in the Sanctuary.\"\n\n \n\n“Maybe, we'll see. I wouldn't count on it.\" Rufus joked, then backed away to let Freia step up.\n\n \n\n“I feel the same way as Rufus, Storm. Want you to know that I harbor no hard feelings and I hope you don't either.\" She shook his hand, but couldn't stop staring at the bulge in his sheath. “And, uh, if we do meet up, I wouldn't mind having a proper go at that now that I've seen it in action.\"\n\n \n\nStorm nodded and grinned at her, beak agape and chest floof out. “I'll save some for you.\"\n\n \n\nFreia stepped back and let Cero and Anax forward. Both shrugged at Storm, not really feeling anything, emotionally, towards him. “We wish you the best in your future endeavors.\" Cero said as Anax shyly nodded her agreement. She felt a bit of remorse, but Cero did not.\n\n \n\n“Aww, nothing about how bad you feel for nullifying my Magic?\" He faux-scoffed.\n\n \n\nCero shook her head. “No, we did what needed to be done. Glad you came to the right side of this, but I am not sure there's anything else that needs to be said. Would love to meet up with you again some time, maybe when I see you next we can be friends!\"\n\n \n\nStorm agreed. “I'd like that.\"\n\n \n\nBefore he could say any more, Febii hopped up and extended a hand, shaking his with one and lightly caressing the bulge of his sheath with the other. Given her past experiences with him, this didn't shock anyone. “Look, sweetie, you know very well that I always treated you well, and if I see you at South Sanctuary Cove, let's just say you won't need to spend any of your coin at the brothel.\" She turned and swayed her hips, grinning back over her shoulder. “So see you soon!\"\n\n \n\nHe laughed, a loud belly chuckle to hide the swelling in his loins. “You got it, Febii!\"\n\n \n\nFinally, both Captain Tzerin and Ichaya stepped up to him as the rest of the crew returned to their places on deck, awaiting further instructions.\n\n \n\n“It would have been a pleasure to have you on deck, Storm.\" Tzerin admitted. “But I think this works a lot better in the end.\"\n\n \n\n“Yeah, plus this other ship is way bigger, suits me well.\" Storm agreed. “So what are you gonna do without me on your little Stone Skipper?\"\n\n \n\nIchaya shrugged and faked confusion, head shaking. “Well, the ship's official title is The Fortune of the Stone Skipper, so maybe we'll just do what we always did and continue collecting booty from all around the Ijimulian?\"\n\n \n\n“Sounds like a plan!\" Storm said as he turned back to look at the larger ship behind him, seeing that Ilorek and Valencia were both waiting atop the ramp. “So I guess this is goodbye for now. Again, I can't say how thankful I am that you took me in. That hurricane would have done me in after the second or third day and a certain other group left me high and dry. So yeah, if there's anything I can do for you in particular, let me know.\"\n\n \n\nTzerin gulped down and extended a hand to fistbump. “Just be a good pirate, be loyal to your crew, and be there for your brothers and sisters on the seas. That's all you can do, and all anyone can ask of you.\"\n\n \n\n“Deal.\" Storm agreed, then gave each member of the Stone Skipper a wave before turning to walk up the ramp to the Storm of the Rift. The first words he said as he set foot on board was to one of the riggers. “Storm of the Rift. You know, I hear this ship is actually named after me! I mean, it just makes too much sense, right?\"\n\n \n\nAs he made his joke, Ilorek and Valencia pulled the ramp back on board and the rest of the crew disconnected the many towing lines that had been tossed overboard, thus parting the two ships.\n\n \n\nMere seconds later, a gust picked up and the sails to the Storm of the Rift opened, thus propelling it away to disappear around the island cliffs. Tzerin stood behind the wheel of his ship and looked down to his crew before issuing his next command. “Pull up the sails, conjure some wind, and let's go find us a fortune!\" \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;"}