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Chapter 05 - Fun Interrupted

Nib was not a shy donkey. He had never held back from enjoying the company of the princess or any other mares that came his way. However, on the Gem of the Ijimulian he was a subordinate, a blacksmith and architect who was tasked with maintaining the hull and keeping the various gemstones charged and managed so that the protective shield didn't go down. That's why he waited for an invitation before making a move on his exposed captains.

Vaulix remained on his back, propped up by his wings and the chest next to the flag. His cock was still fully erect between Talba's legs, his length smearing fluid all over her. She was exhausted and a little tender, though. So he positioned himself in a way that allowed his cock to bob and weave, aiming towards Nib. "You know, Talba might be a little sore. She's not the only one who has a thing for stallion cocks." He hinted, spreading his legs under his co-captain.

"I see. Well, I definitely won't say no to exploring a new port." He shuffled forward on his knees, holding his semi-erect stallion cock in his hand, stroking it to full mast. He was exceptionally long and average thickness, so he had no problem reaching either of them from his position. Talba was laying on Vaulix's belly, both of their knees up and both of their loins aimed at Nib. He had a choice of her pussy, her tail hole, or his slit next to his cock. He sidled up and was about to press his flare against Vaulix's cock slit when the captain stopped him.

"That's not what I meant." He purred, then wrenched his cock tip down so that it was aimed right at Nib's face. Talba reached down to cradle his rippled head and pry open his urethral opening, stretching and gaping it with the same ease she'd part her own lips.

Nib's eyes went wide. "Not what I had in mind but that sounds like a lot of fun." He took Vaulix's length from Talba, pushing it down so the tip was at his level. By letting his own cock rest on the captain's, he was able to compare girths and get a good idea of what to expect. While it was clear that Vaulix was considerably larger, he was also a full meter taller and the largest bloke on the ship, so Nib was fine with that.

Curious, he cradled the underside of Vaulix's member, rubbing the ridges along his head while using his thumbs to pry and probe his opening. It was clear from the expression he gave that Nib was a little surprised at just how easily the cockatrice's flesh distended.

Vaulix took a bit of a more passive role, comfortably remaining in place with his knees up and his length aimed between them at Nib. Talba decided to crawl over onto her belly so that she was straddling Vaulix's hips, sharing a sultry gaze between them. This ensured her tail and pussy were resting heavily right on her partner's lower belly, that way her plump lips were available to Nib whenever he wanted them. She even kept her tail flagged and the top drooping off to the side so that none of the fibers got in the way.

While Nib definitely preferred more active partners, he was happy to mostly witness and observe as Talba and Vaulix returned to nuzzling one another, grabbing each other's haunches and running fingers through chest plumage.

Nib leaned in and pressed his lips to Talba's pucker, giving a bit of a suck and a tonguing to let her know he wasn't going to forget about her. The lingering flavour of Vaulix coating his lips as the combined fluids and lubricants from both partners soaked him. He didn't want to linger too long even though he enjoyed the scent and flavour, so he returned to kneeling between the captain's legs on the flag. While he was a little bit worried about finding the right angle, he knew the pair well enough to not hesitate too much. They were pretty adventurous.

"Go on." Vaulix urged with a friendly growl. He flexed his loins so that his cock bobbed a bit and slapped back down in Nib's hands. "Have your fun, enjoy your prize."

"Okay, okay. Just working it out, is all." He leaned away and pressed his cock tip right against Vaulix's urethral opening, the spongy tip squishing and squeezing to fit as he applied pressure. His member was fully erect but bowed a bit as he tried to ease himself into Vaulix. But then, just as he was about to alleviate the pressure and try again from a different angle, he felt the familiar, subtle lurch as things shifted into place and the cock hole found its malleability. With just a bit more pressure, his head popped into Vaulix, the flare expanding against the snug urethral walls.

He was shocked at just how gentle the cock's passage was. It was of course tight, but not in a way that resisted his shaft's rigidity in any way. Vaulix's member swelled to show off the definition of Nib's cock features from inside, especially showing a distinct bulge where his head passed through. The first thing he did was try to stroke himself through Vaulix's girth, but it didn't do much for him. He felt the pressure but none of the friction. At least, not until Vaulix clenched tight and his walls rippled around the equine's cock, teasing and tugging at the head, median ring, and every vein in between.

"Nice." He said to himself, decidedly maintaining attention at the tunnel he found himself in. Slowly, he leaned into Vaulix until the cockatrice's tip touched the base of Nib's cock, his member fully swallowed by the member. Nib could feel his cock head just beyond Vaulix's base, swelling within his torso. It was an odd sensation, one that was more about the thought of what was happening than the feel of it. He couldn't help but start idly thrusting, hands wrapped around the captain's member to hold it in place as his length pumped in and out, churning the slimy goop inside.

Vaulix growled in pleasure, then returned to bury his beak in Talba's neck plumage. He huffed and bucked back, clenching his loins to tense up his shaft, nearly forcing Nib's length to get pushed out. However, he knew enough to hold back at the last second, allowing the bent equine shaft to straighten back out and plunge all the way back in. As he was doing this, playing with Nib with his cock, he was grabbing, tugging, and prying open Talba's cheeks, gaping her pussy so that everything was easily seen.

Not only that, Talba started playing along as well, reaching back to rub her pucker and tug at her flesh, exposing the bright red inside while moaning and winking her clit. This ensured that Nib not only got to bury his cock in Vaulix's, but also got a good look at mare pussy calling out to him with a series of guttural squelches and whorls.

Nib cradled the cockatrice's length on his thighs as he brought his knees in close, his own cock buried to the hilt within Vaulix's. There, he offered only the faintest of thrusts, bucking into the urethral passage while leaning forth and pressing his lips to Talba's spread vulva. His tongue explored her depths as his member explored Vaulix, both twisting and plunging as deep as they could go. He cradled her clit with his tongue, brushed his chin fuzz against her vulva fuzz, and even gave her rump a bit of a kiss in between the action.

Before long, he had built up to a place where he felt like he was about to burst, so he went to pull out and get a breather when Vaulix's legs wrapped around him, holding him in position. This distraction did its job and his flare exploded inside Vaulix, just beyond the base of the cockatrice's length, where the passage opened up a bit. Nib's length clenched and pulsated, his balls tugging up and squeezing his seed deep into Vaulix. He gritted his teeth while his snout was still nuzzling under Talba's tail, his every muscle clenching up to facilitate a full deposit.

"There ya go!" Vaulix cooed at him, slowly releasing his grip on the donkey's waist. He relaxed himself, allowing his cock to release its grip on Nib's flare. He kept both hands on Talba's rump, giving her a squeeze and massage to play with her plump, peachy lips.

Spent, Nib collapsed forward, his muzzle smearing against Talba's vulva while his cock went limp. As his length folded up, retreating to its sheath, he felt a familiar tug as his partially inflated flare yanked on Vaulix's passage from inside. He huffed a bit as he pulled away from Talba. "You two never fail to surprise me." He marvelled. As he spoke, his cock tip burst from Vaulix's with a juicy pop followed by a slimy gurgle that made all three of them laugh.

It seemed he was done with his quick little experience, but that's when Talba rolled onto her back again, remaining atop her co-captain's belly. "Excuse me, you're not going to just ignore me, are you?" She rubbed her clit, prying her lips apart to show just how plump and tender she was inside. "I know we had some fun before but I can't be boring."

"Oh skies above, no. Not boring, just-" Nib paused to glance down at his cock, which was almost entirely limp and drooped over his balls, a gooey tendril of cum dribbling out the tip of his deflated head. "That."

"Oh, that's not a big deal. You're equine, I know you've got stamina. Here." Talba reached down and cradled his chin and neck with her hand, then grabbed him by the mane and rubbed his face between her legs. She ground down against him, gyrating her hips to smear as much of her pussy juices all over his muzzle as she could, winking and spurting it down his snout. She had a look of knowing deviance about her, grinning happily while her scent soaked into him.

As expected, his member almost immediately began to grow again, unfolding from his sheath to nearly touch the ground before stiffening up and raising to full attention. He wrapped both hands around her thighs and lipped her clit, tugging gently in between hungry probing of her depths with his tongue. He loved how she tasted and the subtle, velvety sensation of her flesh on his muzzle. So much so that he couldn't help but lean into her and keep going, licking and plucking her flesh with his lips.

From there, he leaned in farther, curling his arms around her hips to really get a better, deeper taste of what she had to offer. He didn't even bother being dignified. Instead, he just slobbered all over, licking every bit of flesh he could find from the tip of her clit all the way down to the plump, round flesh of her pucker. She loved every second of it, so the more ravenous he grew the harder she'd push back into him, grinding against his face so much so that her lips actually dilated and parted enough to wrap around his snout.

Nib was not quite ready for this level of intimacy, so he did pull back to focus more on tongue-lashing her clit. But once he did that, she just grabbed him again and shoved his face right back into her, grinding her clit against the ridge of his muzzle.

Before that could go on too long, Vaulix's member swelled back up to its full mast and poked Nib in the chin, smearing fluids against the donkey's goatee and easing its way towards Talba's pucker. He grabbed his member and guided it up a bit higher as he bucked his hips, the rounded tip displacing Nib's snout to slip into Talba's swollen passage.

"H-hey!" Nib protested. Fortunately, he felt comfortable enough with them to wrench Vaulix's cock from the captain's hand and aim it right at his own snout. He pressed his lips to the opening and buried his tongue down the entrance, once again shocked at how easily he penetrated the cockatrice's urethral passage.

But Vaulix knew what he wanted. He grabbed his cock back from Nib and aimed it back at Talba, bucking up so that it lurched into her, parting her lips and sliding past her almost to the hilt, his every scale and ridge swelling and pulsating as her flesh enveloped him. He glanced down over Talba's chest like he was issuing a challenge towards Nib, who had pulled back.

Nib knew he wasn't going to compete with that, so rather than try to separate the pair of them, he just leaned back into Talba to focus on her clit, lipping her vulva and tonguing her as best he could while Vaulix kept thrusting into her. The pair of them made for a great team, with Vaulix's massive cock plunging in and out of Talba, lurching with each thrust as the thickest bulge in the middle found its way though her opening on either trip, and Nib using his lips and mouth to fixate on her clit.

She was in a state of bliss, both pressure points internally and externally triggered. Her walls twitched and constricted in waves, tugging on the cock inside her while also pushing out rivulets of her feminine fluids down the underside of his shaft to soak Nib's face and trickle down onto the donkey's cock. She kept grinding down, gyrating her hips and winking her clit to get the most out of every move.

While Nib was happy to please her this way, he couldn't help himself once he'd regained full arousal, his member as stiff as it could go. He got up onto his hooves and squatted down, the only way to get at the right height given the captains' sizes; Vaulix was too big to reach Talba when Nib was on his knees, but standing up straight was too tall. So he squatted, thighs tensed up to keep at the right height as he aimed his cock tip up in the tiny crook between the urethral bulge of Vaulix's length and Talba's clit.

He had to push into her with all his might, a hand wrapped around his shaft with his thumb pressed down on the back of his cock to ensure it squeezed in, but thanks to Vaulix's squishy member, he was able to force his way in.

Despite the cockatrice's girth being softer than most erect cocks, it was still pretty firm, so much so that it didn't give Nib very much in terms of room alongside him. He did, however, manage to ease his way in almost to the hilt, his head making it just a bit farther than the end of Vaulix's tip. It was nice to know he was longer than the captain, even if Vaulix was much thicker.

It took him a moment to find the right balance and angle, but once he managed to get the leverage he needed, he found himself bent over Talba, his muzzle on her breast and nuzzling into her plumage while he wrapped his arms around her hips and bucked into her.

She nibbled him on one side of his neck while Vaulix reached around her to do the same on the other side, biting down on Nib's shoulders to encourage him. Both Vaulix and Nib took turns thrusting into Talba, a sensation that proved to be quite pleasant for both males due to the swelling girth of the donkey's huge flare expanding against both Talba's walls and Vaulix's cock.

Just like the first round, Nib didn't last long at all. He was eternally on the cusp of climax - both a blessing and a curse as an equine - so it wasn't long before he found himself collapsing on her, his loins tensing up and squeezing with all his might as his balls pumped shot after shot of his second seed into her. At the same time, he could feel both Talba's passage twitching in delight alongside a series of clit winks as well as Vaulix's member matching his every pulsation, pumping the essence Nib had deposited in him into Talba alongside his second load.

With both males making a mess in her, combining all that Nib had to offer through both rounds as well as whatever Vaulix was adding to the mix, all three of them eventually collapsed on the flag, all huffing and breathing heavily. Both Vaulix and Nib's cocks softened up and retreated to their respective sheathes and slits, leaving Talba gaping and leaking their mess all over the sandy flag they all laid upon while winking and twitching in their absence.

They were satisfied, exhausted, and rightly deserving of a break. But that's when Nib saw the egg that had been passed from Vaulix to Talba already. He reached out, scooped it up, and spat on it to remove all the sand that coated its thick shell. The other two just laughed at him, and Talba even went so far as to slide down off Vaulix's chest and spin around so she was in a doggystyle position, her knees on the flag and her chest on Vaulix's groin. She hiked her tail up and widened her stance, pussy gaping and ready for whatever it was Nib had in mind.

He grinned and collected some of the mess oozing out of her, a mixture of her natural lubricant as well as Vaulix's mess and the gooey slime of his own seed. Once he had a palm full, he slathered it all over the egg and coated it almost completely, ensuring only the base remained dry so he had grip.

But then, as he pressed the tapered end to Talba's opening, a deafening explosion rocked the beach, sending ripples over the surface of the water and resonating against the leaves and grass.

All three of them immediately got to their feet, scrambling to see the source of the noise. It didn't take much at all to see that it was a ship shooting a cannon blast towards their ship. A rather large one, a mercenary vessel with a dozen cannons lining the hull. It was headed right towards the Gem of the Ijimulian. Worse, upon a second glance, they saw two more ships sailing in from the other side.

"Farshores!" Talba roared as she quickly stepped into her clothes and got her jacket on.

Vaulix growled as well, rushing just as quickly to get to the skiff while flipping his jacket on. "They must have followed us, or maybe they had a map, too!"

Nib followed, but out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. Another ship, this one much closer and hidden behind an island with a cliff. It was aimed at the Gem of the Ijimulian, but that meant its flank was aimed at them. Before he could get out a warning, a half-dozen cannons exploded, shooting at the beach near them.

By some grace of the skies above, not one of them actually made contact as four of the rounds went over their heads and burst into the treeline, blasting through trunks and exploding with leaves everywhere. The other two hit the beach, one blasting through the chest of gold and treasure to make it explode in a cascade of coins and gemstones while the other hit the surf, creating a blast wave that knocked all three of them back onto their tails.

Vaulix was the first to get back to his feet while the crew was readying the next volley. Once he was stable, he stood in front of both Nib and Talba, his wings spread wide and his stature at full height. Usually he was somewhat hunched over like a raptor, but as he stood his ground he was a full three meters tall, head and shoulders above both Nib and Talba. A teal glow started swirling around him, then the ship fired its second volley.

Another six cannonballs blasted over the water, this time aimed with better precision and all six looked like they were going to destroy the three of them. But, just as they got close, the teal mist around Vaulix flashed and five of the cannonballs diverted course and went of in all different directions. This left only one stopped dead in its tracks, hovering in front of Vaulix just over the surf.

He glanced back, his eyes glowing an intense golden yellow, like fire erupting from them. "Stay down." He commanded, his voice suddenly much deeper and more authoritative.

Nib had experience in combat and knew how to wield a weapon but there wasn't much he could do, so he remained down on one knee, eyes to the horizon in all directions to search for other ships.

Vaulix used some physical magic to keep the cannonball in place. Then with another flash of energy he blasted it back at the ship, missing the hull but blasting through the center mast, bringing down the sails in the process. At the exact same time, a third round came blasting back with a series of six more cannonballs. Like the time before, Vaulix deflected them all so that they didn't endanger them. Unfortunately, one of them was knocked off to the side and knocked the skiff over itself. "Nib, investigate that. Make sure it's still seaworthy!"

He did as commanded, leaping over and flipping the skiff. A quick examination showed no damage, at least none that he could see. "Looks fine, captain."

"Good. I'll teach these fools to mess with the Gem of the Ijimulian." He grabbed the bow of the boat, tossed it into the surf ahead of him, and leapt onto it. The momentum took him just far enough away from the shore that he had to carefully balance. "Get on!" He commanded to the pair of them.

Talba and Nib hopped onto the boat behind him, crouched down for protection. His wings remained outstretched, something that should have thrown the balance of the skiff off, but actually seemed to maintain its stability.

"What's the plan?" Talba asked, then glanced back at the pile of treasure that had been left where the chest used to be. "And what are we doing with that?"

"Leave it for now, we need to take care of the assailants first." Vaulix motioned towards the Gem of the Ijimulian, which had three ships all shooting at it from different directions. The gemstone protective spell did protect them but it was only a matter of time before the energy ran out and the hull was susceptible to damage. "It looks like the crew has the ship taken care of. We're going to have to deal with this one. Their sail is destroyed, it's dead in the water, but still a danger to us."

He then crouched down, extended a hand forward to aim the skiff, and Talba reached into the water to conjure up some magic of her own. This propelled the skiff towards the ship at a brisk pace.

Another volley of cannonballs shot out over the water but with the help of Vaulix were redirected, creating a series of splashes around them. They had to navigate the resulting waves and geysers of water, but it didn't take long at all before they were closer to the ship than they were the shore. Vaulix kept his hand up, using the magic he'd conjured to keep them protected. "When we arrive, let me go first. I'm the most experienced and I can take a hit or two if needed. Only once I've established myself and gotten their attention will you two follow. Understood?"

Talba and Nib both nodded. "Yes captain." Even Talba was listening to what he was saying, despite being of equal standing to him in the hierarchy. She was more about the interpersonal relations and ship morale, while he was the combat specialist and apparently quite the incredible mage. Nib had heard of Vaulix's battlefield prowess but had never seen it in person. Seeing him erect a barrier while protecting them and returning fire was quite impressive. What he didn't expect was Talba's contribution to the situation. She apparently had skill that he hadn't known. In the back of his mind, Nib couldn't help but wonder why she didn't use this skill instead of having him paddle them to the island.

All the while, the boat kept sputtering over the waves, avoiding every incoming round. When they got up close enough, Vaulix simply leapt up in the sky and spread his wings, flapping once to get enough height to crest the banister of the side of the ship. He twisted in midair, landed heavily on the deck surrounded by two dozen pirates, each one wrapped in a bandanna with a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. The crew had no discernible race to speak of, there were saurossins and errov and cien and jysar and humans alike. Even a couple nolse, the shark-dolphin hybrids - were on deck. This was the sort of information he had to gleam from them in case it was strategically important.

The first one, a gray-scaled kobold, extended his pistol to shoot but Vaulix used the same physical magic he'd utilized to protect them on the beach to stop the flint from igniting. He then leapt forward, grabbed the pistol, brandished his sword, and made quick work of them all.

He shot the first kobold with his own pistol, lobbed the arm of the next closest human, stabbed three more one right after the other, and stopped each incoming shot with his magic. He missed one, which clipped him on the shoulder with an explosion of feathers and scales. This only enraged him farther. He healed up the wound and went right for the wolf that shot him. Anyone close enough to him slashed at him only to get flustered by his wings. Some feathers erupted in all directions as the tips were cut, but those grew back and Vaulix had no worries about that.

The ship's mast and sail had fallen, resulting in the canvas covering and obscuring much of the deck, the many ropes and wires creating a mess for him to navigate as he leapt and kicked and slashed his way from one end of the deck to another. He had no mercy and no time to hesitate.

While he was using his blade to cut his way through the crew, Nib and Talba scaled the side of the ship to join him. The image they got of him swirling around, blade and feathers a vortex of colours and glinting metal, was awe-inspiring. So distracting that Talba didn't even see when another of the female feline pirates saw her and slashed at her, cutting her chest open and leaving a red streak that began to quickly bleed down her plumage.

Nib returned the favour by stabbing the assailant through the neck. With a twist of his blade, he severed her neck and she fell over the side and into the water, where a cloud of red blood billowed out. He turned to Talba. "Are you alright?"

She coughed up some blood but then held her hand to her chest, stopping the bleeding. She nodded in affirmation. It didn't seal the wound, but it did stop it from getting any worse. Once she was established, the pair of them stood back to back, fighting off the pirates in a series of clanging blades and pistol explosions that somehow all missed their mark.

The pair of them were not on the same level as Vaulix. The captain himself was shoulder-tackling pirates off the side, slicing them down the middle, stabbing them right in the chest, taking a series of hits of his own that never seemed to pierce through his thick scales or protective plumage. Eventually, once he got to what he presumed was the captain, he flutter-hopped up over the wheel, grabbed the pirate with his foot talons, and pinned him to the ground with two claws pressed tight against his jugular, threatening to end him. "Call your crew off." He demanded, casually swiping his blade to the side to deflect a series of attacks. The movement and rocking of the ship threw him just a bit off balance, so his claws punctured the skin and left two trails of blood.

"No." The captain retorted. So Vaulix clenched and tore his entire chest out.

The onlookers backed away at the gruesome image. This was a side to Vaulix even Talba wasn't familiar with. He was a general prior to marrying Talba, so it made sense he had a vicious streak. It actually shocked Talba and Nib in equal measure; Vaulix was usually pretty calm and well-tempered.

Vaulix stepped off the captain's corpse, wiping his foot on the wood. "Talba, Nib, get some rope. Tie up the crew. We have to take it back to the Gem of the Ijimilian. Lots of valuables on here we could plunder back from these filthy pirates." He then took his place at the wheel, staring down and of the pirate crew to see if any dared threaten his authority.

Talba and Nib then grabbed as much rope and strips of broken fabric as they could, using it to tie up the remaining crew. Once they were certain the below-deck layers were empty, they escorted them to the cells. Only a few pirates remained. Of the two dozen on board, less than a quarter of them survived Vaulix's onslaught.

Once they were sealed away in the cells with Nib keeping watch, Talba rejoined Vaulix at the helm. The corpse had been tossed overboard, leaving the bloodstain at the base of the wheel. "Was it necessary to do that to the captain? I thought you were more merciful than that."

He nodded with a solemn sigh. "In war, yes. Most of the time there are rules, concessions. Gentlemanly agreements between powers. You know, don't attack the healers, don't kill children. These are pirates. They operate by their own code that only applies to their own kind. They will do anything to get what they want, and they can be cutthroat." He spoke with authority. This was not something that was just coming up on a whim. "In all my time, in all the battles I've won and lost, no adversary is more dangerous than a pirate. Trust me, this was a necessary evil."

She shook her head, not comfortable with what happened. Still, she deferred to him in battle. "I understand. So what's next?"

"We have to find a way to get that ship back to the Gem of the Ijimulian without its full sails. Might take a while, but if you use your water magic it should help a bit." Vaulix suggested. While the main sail was toppled, the foremast and mizzenmast were both still erect. He pointed towards the pulleys that would widen the sails and propel them. They were behind the cliffs and couldn't see the Gem of the Ijimulian yet, so they needed to be quick.

Talba offered a salute and did what she could to give them as much wind as possible before heading down to the back of the ship, where she used what she had to get them moving.

The ship crested around the cliff to reveal to Vaulix that the battle with the Ijimulian seemed to be over, and that the three ships that once surrounded it were all sailing away. He felt pride when he saw the crew weren't giving chase or shooting ahead in payback.

Once they were in range of the cannons, Vaulix insisted that Talba take the wheel while he stood at the bow, his wings spread so that Zean could see that it was him commanding the vessel. From there, the Gem of the Ijimulian saw what was happening and diverted course to meet the pirate ship.

Lethias was the first to greet them, as Storm remained behind the wheel. Vaulix nearly collapsed the moment he stepped talon on the deck of his own ship, having used up much of his energy on the physical magic that protected them. Talba and Nib were in similar situations. Fortunately, Lethias was happy to carry both of them to their quarters, where he was able to give a report of what happened.

Soon after the other two skiffs had returned from their treasure hunting on the island, the first of three ships arrived and started sailing in a zig-zag pattern, getting their attention. From there, the other two ships flanked them and went on the attack. The gemstone shield protected them until they could return fire, and they showed enough strength to dissuade them from going much farther. The three pirate ships did try to board but quickly learned that the Gem of the Ijimulian was too much for them so they escaped. Storm wanted to give chase, to end them before they were able to hurt others, but Lethias was able to keep control and ensure they didn't leave until Talba and Vaulix and nib returned.

Vaulix was happy with how things went. And aside from some chipped wood and a few holes in one of the sails, the ship was still mostly in pristine condition. Sadly, he was too tired to head the investigation party and thus opted to sleep after commanding the crew to not board the pirate ship.

Before they left the island, they were going to get as much information from that ship and its crew as possible. There were supplies and knowledge to be had, and he wanted to get as much as he could. Yet, despite this plan he was too tired to enact it so he took Talba below deck and the pair of them got some much needed rest to restore their energy.

While they slept, Chiryn and Nib returned to the island to get as much of the treasure as they could muster. The largest chest was destroyed and most of the gold blasted into the water, but they were able to salvage a respectable portion of what was there.

Chapter 06 - The First Day of their New Lives

In spite of all that had happened and the stress that came with it, Vaulix and Talba both slept comfortably and woke up feeling refreshed. The rocking of the ship soothed them into a place of rest and kept them there until the following day's sunrise. Far later than planned, but good for them. They needed it after spending so much energy on magical combat and self-healing.

While they were asleep, Lethias and Storm did their job by keeping the ship under control and maintaining order. Most crew members were well-balanced and not into drama so most simply remained on board, playing board games or casually engaging in the same sort of stress-relief sex that the ship was readily facilitating. Few things kept the spirits raised as high as a good, below-deck orgy.

Talba woke first. Her wounds were slightly more severe but she wasn't the one who used all the magic up to restore herself. Vaulix used his restorative skills to patch them both up before bed; mixed with his use of physical magic and he was completely spent. So, with her the first to wake, she trudged out of her chambers and right to the kitchen, where she met up with Dunstan. "Whatever meat you have, I need it." She said as she slumped over the counter. She was still tired even if mostly refreshed. An odd balance where she felt like she could physically do anything but was mentally drained.

Dunstan didn't have much for her. He just scooped out a bowl of the forever soup and slid it across the deck at her with a spoon in hand. "Sorry, captain, just woke up the stove. Nothing's cooked yet aside from the soup."

"That's fine." She took it and ate it in silence. Not sure how to address things. She felt somewhat foolish. She knew what she was getting into when she decided to travel east and get involved with the situation, yet the reality of the violence she experienced was having a profound effect on her. Not the violence of the pirates, but of Vaulix. She expected those with a reputation for rape and pillage to be cruel, she wasn't prepared to see Vaulix stomp a person into mush then use his talons to rip them open. He was a warrior, a general back in Arrenthen; he knew how to fight but had a reputation for mercy and kindness. In one particularly bloody battle he approached the enemy soldiers - at that time, Arrenthen soldiers, as he was actually the general in the opposing army prior to their marriage - and healed them so nobody had to go home injured.

He was kind, he was caring. Yet on that ship he showed no mercy. This was something Talba would need to discuss with him at his earliest convenience. He gave a very brisk explanation of 'he had to' but she wasn't sure that was the whole story. No, she needed to get to the bottom of that. But for now, she just wanted to enjoy her soup, and see what happened next.

Once she was done, she gave Dunstan the bowl back and silently left without a word. He could tell something was on her mind but didn't want to pry. He just wanted to cook and to make sure everyone in the ship felt as warm and comfortable as they could. He also understood discretion.

Talba emerged onto the deck to see that they had been sailing all night. For some reason she thought the ship was anchored near the island and that was that. She was wrong. Upon emerging, she addressed Lethias behind the helm of the ship. "Where are we?"

Lethias motioned for Storm to take the wheel. Once he was relieved, he pulled out a scroll from his coat pocket, the same scroll that held the map. "Here. Well, that's where we're headed. Vaulix woke up in the middle of the night for a bit and told us where we were planning on going. So it looks like we're going to do all we can to find our way to the NLF headquarters. It will be hard, since this region is a maze of islands, but we've got Zean and Storm and myself all taking turns flying to get our bearings from an aerial view. We're here." He pointed to the map, what looked to be about a day's travel from the volcanic island that supposedly housed the NLF.

She asked for the map, which Lethias happily gave her. "So you've been sailing? All this time?"

"Most of it." Lethias confirmed. "We were anchored until Vaulix gave us the approval to make progress. We were going to wait for you to wake to head out, but this works better."

Storm added. "Progress is great. And we've not seen any pirates all night. We did see one merchant ship but they were small and no threat to us. Plus they weren't awake. Not everyone has the night vision we do and thus not all ships can navigate the archipelago as well as us."

"Even if the ship is gargantuan." Lethias said with a bit of a subtle grin. He liked things big.

Talba rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Lethias. "Sure. Lots of room in between, though. Anyway, what happened ashore? There was some, uh, violence and mess to take care of."

Storm answered. "We ravaged that ship for all it was worth. We looted every chest, all their materials, tore up what we could for potential future repairs on our own ship, and then let the resulting mess adrift at sea. The sails were destroyed and the hostages were helpless so we assumed they could have some time to think about what they did. They won't be sailing much with a broken mast but the food should give them some time to flag down some fellow mercenaries or generous merchants."

"We commandeered their weapons, but left them with enough food to last a couple weeks." Lethias added, shooting Storm a glance of disapproval. "He wanted to execute them. I convinced him to spare them and give them a chance for redemption. Maybe they'd join the crew, learn the error of their ways and leave."

"Good decision." Talba approved. "Though execution may have been viable. I'll have to talk to Vaulix about that."

"Yeah, we saw the bloodstains. What happened?" Storm asked. "I assumed execution might be the right decision since leaving them to slowly die may be more cruel. Either way, we found balance."

"A mess happened. No mercy happened. I'll share more as soon as I've discussed it with him. Alas, you did well with the ship and its inhabitants. What about the bounty ashore? What happened?"

It was actually Katsumi and Hida who came in to answer that. They had been listening in. Katsumi hopped up onto the banister in front of the wheel with Hida on her head. She chirped at Talba, "We got all of it. Or most of it. We even hid a small pouch of it on the pirates!"

"So many shinies." Hida added. "But yes, shared the wealth."

"And why exactly would you have done that?" Talba asked, then pondered for a moment before answering her question. "Actually, that's a good idea. Yeah, theft was what got them to the bad place they're in, but if they do manage to seek out a merchant vessel they would need to barter their way aboard. Teach them we're merciful and kind, it might help. Good decisions all around."

Storm kept a firm grip on the wheel. "If you want to continue to sleep, that would be fine. Lethias, Zean, and I have the ship under control for now. If the map is accurate - which it has been so far - there isn't much between us and our destination. And, with a good tailwind, we might get there in half a day. We command the ship until then, we wake you upon arrival, and then you can do whatever it is you need to do. And, if I might ask, what exactly are the plans?"

"Right now we're sort of making things up as we go." Talba admitted. "But the goal is to figure out what the NLF have learned, work from there, and perhaps form an alliance. That ship full of goodies and that rather powerful gemstone does not bode well for peace in the Ijimulian. We need to figure out what it is, what it can do, and what the NLF was planning with it."

Lethias seemed concerned. "Are you sure they were planning anything?"

"No. Can't be sure, but it's a fair assumption. Vaulix mentioned that the gemstone was incredibly well-stocked with magic power, but that he didn't know much beyond that. Right now, the best thing we can do is buckle down, relax, and sail east. I'll take my leave and you carry on with what you were doing. Wake us when we arrive or we'll wake and relieve you of your post."

"Aye, captain." Both Lethias and Storm said with a salute.

She headed back down below deck and had some time to herself in her chambers. Vaulix was still asleep so she opted not to bother him again. She did slip into the bed with him, cuddling him a bit, but she didn't wake him. Instead, she just laid there with her heart aflutter and her feathers on end. She was nervous. She felt like she got in over her head. She was beginning to regret this adventure.

But only slightly. As she lay in bed wrapped around Vaulix, her mind kept swapping back and forth, internally arguing the pros and cons of the situation. The cons were pretty obvious. Danger and a general sense that she didn't belong. She lived in Arrenthen, waiting to be crowned queen of the nation. She wasn't a sailor, and definitely wasn't a captain. She was great at interpersonal relationships, though. That was something she brought to this ship. As for the benefits, there wasn't much to speak of. She did feel like she was doing the right thing by offering her services, helping out, and serving as a peace keeper on the high seas. Sure, part of it was narcissism; she thought it would be fun and that the danger would be incidental. She appeared to be wrong. The farshores were more violent and better equipped than she initially expected.

All of a sudden she felt like she might be in danger, if not for the vast amount of money and magic she and Vaulix put into the Gem of the Ijimulian.

Of course, part of her also resented her past self. In retrospect she really should have stayed home. Not only was the situation fraught with danger, it wasn't even her place to be. She had no stake in the Ijimulian as an ocean or the archipelago. She didn't need the riches that were clearly found here. She was just interjecting herself into a conflict she had no stake in and nothing to gain from. She was meddling, something she hated doing.

But on the flip side, those farshores were absolutely dangerous. All the pre-launch reports told her that there were pirates and treasure hunters and that there were conflicts arising; it turns out the truth of the matter was more volatile and more nuanced than that. Before she could make any decision - be it one to decide to stay or leave, first and foremost - she needed to speak with the NLF to see if they wanted or needed help.

Then, like someone was reading her mind, a knock came at her chamber door. Two tones, high and low. "Yes, what is it? Come in." She said while rolling off of the bed. She was nude, but everyone had seen her naked so she didn't even bother grabbing for a towel. She just sat there on the edge of the bed with a mangled mane and twisted plumage on her chest as Foxifly slipped inside.

The hybrid had to walk on the wooden floor, unable to hover due to the rocking of the boat. Had she floated with her insect-like wings, the world around her would have swayed and bumped into her from either side. "Captain, I have news from the Spirit of Dalonia."

"Already? Hasn't it only been a few days?" Talba asked, trying to reflect on how long it had been since they found the ship ashore and requested her to send a message. The nights and days had begun to bleed into one another.

"Indeed. Honestly I'm somewhat surprised that it took this long." Foxifly said. "Do you have the map of the Ijimlulan? From the chest we retrieved?"

She had to think about that but then realized where it was. "No, Lethias has it. I do have a map, though. Will it work?" She pointed to the desk in the middle of the room. It was nailed down so it wouldn't shift even when in hostile waters. On it, a canvas map was nailed down, one showing the entirety of the Ijumulian with a rudimentary but accurate rendition of the larger islands of the area.

Foxifly hopped over and took a look, leaning over the desk with her wings flickering out behind her. "It's not perfect but it will do. Ceylon has requested a meeting, here." She pointed to the western shores of an island that was not far from where they currently were. "There's a merchant village there. Quite the active hub for mercenaries and pirates and everything in between. Ceylon wants to meet you there to discuss your discovery and involvement, but I cannot speak beyond that point. They expect to be there by nightfall."

"Seems simple enough. Any idea how far away it would be for us? Based on my calculations - and by that I mean gross estimations - we should be about right here." Talba pointed to the far side of a nearby island relative to the meeting point. "So we should be there within about a half day or so if the wind persists. Which puts us there right at dusk. Perfect. Anything else I need to know?"

"Bring the gemstone." Foxifly said simply. "And don't worry, Ceylon's not gonna steal it."

"They better not." Talba huffed. "I'd have to put a beatdown on them."

Foxifly just stared, blinking her compound eyes. "Sure."

"What? We have history." Talba explained. "Anyway, I'll have to go let Lethias and Storm know. We might still be in bed by then. Actually, can you give the orders to them? They know you're a sort of in-between. And I'm all of a sudden super tired again. Mid-morning fatigue."

"It's probably all the healing." Foxifly said, then nodded in agreement. "I'll go ahead and let them know. We shall be on our way!" She pumped her smaller fist to the air in celebration then headed out, leaving Talba to flop back on the bed.

"Smart." Vaulix mumbled, half asleep. He must have been listening in. "To not let us come to the headquarters. That could have been bad, what with all our meddling."

Talba rolled over so she was looking up at his brilliant eyes from his chest. "Yeah. Smart. But, uh, Vaulix, since you're up, do you mind telling me what was up with that pirate you destroyed?"

He huffed a bit and looked away. "I let my emotions get the better of me. They upset me and I was in a situation in which I was unfamiliar. Normally I'm more reserved than that, but I didn't know the appropriate way to deal with someone in his position so I let my more, uh, feral side out." He refused to make eye contact during his explanation. Something Talba took note of.

"Ah." She acknowledged. "Nothing I need to worry about? You're not gonna go mad and, like, murder a whole crew or anything?" She nervously laughed, mostly joking but somewhat sincere.

Vaulix stroked her mane and smiled down at her, able to make eye contact again. "Nothing you need to worry about, no. I just need time, I'll figure this out."

It wasn't the best answer but Talba felt she had to accept it, at least for now. There was something he wasn't saying, something he was keeping to himself. She had no way of knowing what that thing was but also had seen enough of him to know he would share when he was ready. His explanation did alleviate her concern a bit, lessening her worries even if she wasn't entirely sure it was enough. For now, however, she just needed more sleep and so did he.

She trusted him and he'd never let her down before. She just needed to give him time.

They were woken by the sound of Lethias at their door. "Captains, it appears we've arrived at our destination but we may not be welcome."

"Oh, come in, come in." Talba said, her speech slurred and half-grumbly.

Lethias opened up the door to see both Talba and Vaulix on the bed, fully exposed. He averted his eyes by turning around and maintaining a professional stance with his hands behind his back. "My apologies, I didn't realize you weren't dressed."

"It's fine." Vaulix assured him while both he and Talba got up and slipped on their captains jackets and pants. Once they were both equipped, they followed Lethias above deck where they were greeted with a rather peculiar image.

In addition to the orange reflections of the setting sun on the water, they were surrounded on all sides by flaming ballistas. They were in a cove, a perfectly round inlet surrounded on all sides but one by beaches, village, and high cliffs. The only place they weren't surrounded was the entrance to the cove, also their only exit should the many ballista turrets around them chose to not shoot.

Storm was at the wheel, with Zean high in the crow's nest. Katsumi and Hida were running up and down the rigging to keep people informed. Storm had a look of determination on his face. "I hope they don't shoot us, it would be a shame to put an end to this entire settlement."

"We're not ending any settlements." Vaulix cautioned. "Our ship has the fire resistance in the gemstone mesh, worst thing they can do is tear through the fabric of the sails or break a few boards."

"As long as they don't attack us, of course." Storm warned. "If they do before we have an opportunity to have talks, then that's on them. I'd much rather speak with them before firing."

Talba huffed before leaping to the side, waving at the nearest ballista. "Hey! What's all this about?" She shouted but they were too far away to hear.

But before anyone else could answer, another ship came casually gliding past them. A much smaller ship with peculiar-looking mossy wood lining the hull and a sail that looked like it was covered in seaweed. A ship that looked like it was dredged up after being sunk and restored only to be left alone to sail the seas. And it flew a flag of a familiar black and white three-bladed glaive. The moment this ship appeared, all the ballistas lowered and snuffed out their flames.

And that's when it became clear that Talba and Vaulix were aware of the Spirit of Dalonia but had never actually seen it before. That was Ceylon's ship, one that it seemed everyone in the ballista turrets recognized and immediately withdrew their attack formation.

Vaulix recognized what was going on and motioned for the crew to give them just a bit of sail so they could propel themselves, following Ceylon. It took a bit, but the massive Gem of the Ijimulian found her place at port, anchored in place within the cove with the sun finally going down over the cliffs that surrounded the village. The Spirit of Dalonia was docked at the same pier.

The village itself was nestled in between the beaches of the crescent-moon-shaped cove and the cliffs that encapsulated it all. It was well hidden, for sure. No way anyone would randomly come across it unless they were looking for it and knew it was there. The opening to the cove was fairly narrow, only enough for two ships the size of the Gem of the Ijimulian to slip through at once. Very tight.

Once they were fully docked, Talba and Vaulix hopped down off the ship to land on the pier. They had commanded the rest of the crew to stay on board for now. They had no idea if they would be safe or not, even if they were absolutely planning on spending a tonne of coin ashore.

At least that was the plan until Ceylon hopped off their ship to meet up with Vaulix and Talba. The black and white, bipedal wingless gryphon was between the size of Vaulix and Talba, right in the middle in terms of height. They wore ragged trousers, a bandolier with potions and gemstones in the many slots, two cutlass scabbards, and a bandana that had a little flap to cover their eye. Ceylon was neither male nor female. Or both. Or whichever they preferred at the time. They reached out with open arms. "Talbs! Vaulicks! Long time no see! You can let your prisoners out, they're safe here. I think."

"You think?" Talba sought to clarify. That didn't sound all that comforting. Still, she trusted Ceylon enough to motion Storm to call out and declare that it was safe to go ashore.

At the same time, most of the Gem's crew and a handful of the Spirit's crew hopped off their respective ships and headed into the lamp-lit village, intermingling along the way. It was not quiet; a pirate port city like this was expected to be bustling with activity day and night. There were parties, bombast, shouting, singing, and plenty of brash public sex over every third barrel. A true place of class and dignity. Exactly where Talba wanted to be to let off some steam.

The last ones to leave were the two Foxifly. The one from Talba's ship was gray and blue furred, while the one from Ceylon's looked a bit more insectoid, with white fur, red stripes, and thick mandible cheekbones. Very different, but very similar. When they met up on the pier, their antennae touched and they both hovered away, levitating with their insect wings above the many buildings of the village.

Ceylon laughed as their respective crews dispersed into the settlement. "Yeah, they're fine. Folks here don't care much for outsiders, and you're about as outside as you can be. Coming all the way from Arrenthen. You know, nobody likes being meddled with. But people like bein' raped and plundered even less. Come on, we apparently have some things to discuss." They motioned for Talba and Vaulix to follow, so the three of them headed into the village with the rest of the crew.

The gryphon guided them to the biggest tavern in town, a multi-story stilt building with at least three layers on top of each other connected by rickety rafters and walkways. It was sturdy, but it looked unsafe as could be - especially from the viewpoint of Talba, who was used to castles and stone buildings. Inside, they made it to the back corner without being hassled, as it seemed many of the patrons knew Ceylon and didn't want to get in the gryphon's way.

Once say down, Ceylon wasted no time. "Alright, so you got yourself in a bit of a mess, didn't you? Did you bring the gemstone?"

Vaulix reached into his pouch to reveal it but didn't pull it out. The teal glow illuminated the corner table. "Yeah, we have it. What exactly is it? And what were you planning with it?" Vaulix was fairly skilled with this sort of thing but Ceylon was even better.

The gryphon saw that Vaulix wasn't just going to hand it over. "Smart. Good stuff, you know you have something of value and that will serve you well." They started, then leaned back, their chest plumage fluffed out. "Okay, so from what my Foxifly told me, you found our shipment, or at least the ship that it was on. Farshores got to it and took the many, many potions on board. That's bad. Those potions were high-grade ademane. Taken from Leera and I directly over the last few months. Unenchanted but very high potential. And there were three gemstones of equal side. Pure. Like, the most pure you could conceive. Again, made by me."

"Okay, so what makes them so special aside from the purity?" Talba asked, not as familiar with the potion-making process or the gemstone refinement process. Vaulix, however, was sitting in place with his eyes wide and his plumage on end. He knew.

Ceylon continued. "They're unenchanted in that they don't have fire or ice or shock or wind magic in them. But they are, uh, altered. I was messing around with an amplification spell. Basically, it gives anyone who has it godlike power. You get a potion, enchant it with a 'heal' spell, drink it, and you're virtually invulnerable for a full day. All wounds heal instantly. Limbs regrow, virtually immortal. Enchant one of the gems with ice, you could freeze an entire lake. Enchant it with bolt, you could create a thunder storm unlike any ever seen. A Fire spell could turn a mountain molten and create a volcano." They leaned in close. "Any spell put into it will come back tenfold. And by tenfold I don't mean ten times the strength, I mean a factor of ten. Duplicated ten times up to a thousand or more. A child could enchant it enough to destroy a village. A general could defeat armies."

"And you made thousands of these potions?" Vaulix interjected.

"Nono, I meant the gemstones. My mistake. The potions are only amplified by ten. Still incredibly powerful, but it's the gemstones that are dangerous. And reusable. There are only three of them, and you have one. Keep it. Do not let anyone take it from you under any circumstances. I trust you, I don't trust anyone else. Even that dragon of yours, I know him well enough to know that if he gets a hold of it, well...The creatures of the depths couldn't hope to keep him down. It might be a real problem. But the real problem is that the farshores have one as well. You're aware of the farshores?"

Talba and Vaulix both nodded.

"Yeah, there were two on that boat. I have the third one." They got it out from their bandolier, showing it had the same resonant hum of teal that Vaulix's had. "Immense power. And it seems each team has one. I run with the NLF, you are a royal navy, and the pirates have one. Honestly, I'm glad you got it, though. Anyone else would have needed to be taken out. Either way, things just got volatile, but I think you and your ilk have really stumbled upon something. You and the other royal navy flagships have been scourin' the place, makin' people feel unsettled. That's why you got such a salty reception here. Folks think you're here to police the place." They leaned in close, motioning for Talba and Vaulix to do the same. "And between you an' me, I think you might need to. Here are some coordinates."

Talba took the note Ceylon passed her. On it showed a scribbled map showing the west coast of Saff'Rald, the far north from the archipelago. "What's this?"

"It's the border of Saf'Rald and Viokenic. Word is, a few of the surrounding nations are expecting something a bit more violent than a few random attacks. I don't want the other ships to know I told you this, but I think you'd make a fine addition to their coalition. You know, a naval presence in the land so that the farshores have to keep their violence under wraps a bit. They've killed a lot of good treasure hunters out here, and while we can fight back we need some firepower. Don't tell anyone I told you this, of course. I'll be left on some island to rot."

"So why are you telling us this?" Talba asked. "Shouldn't we just go back home? Stay out of it? Not get involved?" She was getting worried.

Vaulix shook his head. "Can't, not knowing what we now know. We're going to have to do our part to keep the peace, aren't we?"

Ceylon nodded. "We'll all do our part. But if it's any consolation I heard the Northern Frost of Unity - with Yelena and Sanfrit on it - are the ones heading it. They and Keran and Satsierra's ship. I got Ilorek and Valencia's as well as Olfrin's and Luero's sailing with me. They're at the headquarters."

Vaulix had to pause the conversation a bit. "So let me get this straight. We came across a powerful gemstone that could amplify anyone's magic by a thousand? And within that same shipwreck were thousands of potions that have a similar effect, which are all now in the possession of a violent band of dangerous pirates that have been murdering the people of the Ijimuluan?"

"Yup, that's about right." Ceylon confirmed.

"Yeah, I guess we have no choice. Talba, in the morning we sail north for the island between Viokenic and Saff'Rald to offer our support. In the mean time, I think I need some food." Vaulix slammed down the table and got up, heading over to the front counter so he could order some food.

This left Talba and Ceylon in the booth as the other tavern patrons had their fun. "Congratulations." Ceylon crooned. "Tomorrow is the first day of your new lives at sea. I hope you have it in you to keep up, it's going to be a bumpy ride." And with that, Ceylon slipped out as well, leaving Talba to stew in her own thoughts.

The gryphon was right, they were involved now and things would only get more interesting from there. It looked like the beginnings of a three way conflict between pirates, treasure-hunters, and the royal navies looking to keep order.

If nothing else she knew what she had to do. But for now, she needed to relieve some tension. She signalled a waitress to bring her some wine as she settled in. Her new life at sea would be rough.