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Pampered Ashore

Months of planning, preparation, and work finally came to this. The Gem of the Ijimulian was almost ready to set sail on its maiden voyage, and Port Aralyptian was gearing up for quite the party. Chiryn was already exhausted and ready to just go sleep the night away. He wasn't the type to drink or indulge too heartily in potions or dive headfirst into an orgy. Chiryn was a healer, a chimera who used his hands to help people out. He worked in Castle Arrenthen and his job was to pamper the prince, princess, and the steeds that filled the stables. A masseuse. He helped people recover after parties, not encourage them to get so drunk that they need help the following morning.

Alas, he still had work to do. Princess Talba and Prince Vaulix would be arriving some time that evening and knowing them they'd probably disappear for the night and set sail at the crack of dawn before anyone could really wake up. Chiryn needed to ensure that all the supplies were below deck and that everything was ready. He wasn't the primary organizer, but given his relationship with the royal family, he was one of the most trusted personnel that would be sailing on this fine vessel.

Most of the preparation was spearheaded by Nib, the architect of the ship and the one who was in charge of installing the ademane gems that lined the hull, the namesake of the Gem of the Ijumulian. This ship in particular was going to have a magical field lining its hull, connecting thousands of gemstones all enchanted specifically to amplify magic on board and to protect the ship in the event of a hostile takeover. Since The Gem of the Ijimulian was specifically designed to be the largest and most powerful ship in the region - perhaps ever - it was inevitable that pirates would attempt to take it.

Which was precisely why Princess Talba and Prince Vaulix - the twin captains of the vessel - had hired some of the best warriors and mages and operators to protect it. Chiryn was none of those things. He knew some magic but he couldn't really use it for combat; his skills mostly resolved around electric charges for therapeutic purposes or some blend of hot and cold to work on tissue and muscle. He also possessed some incredible healing magic, but for the most part it only applied to his own body; he could transfer that to his clients through his finger tips but it wasn't the same intensity or power.

He was a specialist; this meant he was very good at what he did, but not great at much else. He was a healer who trained under two of the best healers his nation had ever known. Prince Vaulix was a war general and one of the greatest magical healers of his time prior to marrying Princess Talba and ending the war. Lethias was a healer same as Chiryn before the war. He, like Chiryn, preferred healing to harming and quickly went back to being a physical healer after the war. That was, until he was once again enlisted to help as the Gem of the Ijimulian's quartermaster.

Chiryn had taken tips and pointers from both ends of the spectrum, learning how to use his magic from Vaulix and learning the physical attributes of healing from Lethias. He wasn't as strong magically or physically as either of them, but he blended the two disciplines in a way that made him sought after by any and all who heard of his prowess. In some cases his expert fingers helped with diplomacy by giving some dragons a massage so good they didn't want to go to war.

Of course, that was many years prior. That war was more than a decade in the past, which was why Talba and Vaulix were now heading off on this endeavour. Rather than stay in Arrenthen, preparing to eventually take over the duties of Princess Talba's parents, Queen Otille and King Aurelia, they decided to get involved in the simmering conflict in the Ijimulian.

Far east from the shores of Port Aralyptian - where their ship was built and docked prior to its maiden voyage - was the great Ijimulian Ocean. Dotting the entire southern half of this ocean was an archipelago of over ten thousand islands, ranging in size from only a few hundred meters squared to as big as a small nation. Hidden among these islands was said to be vast reserves of treasure hidden by the gods and titans centuries prior. When the first chest was found, filled with gold coins and gemstones and relics of old, news got out and now every merchant and treasure hunter and pirate was out there looking to make a fortune.

And it was working. That many islands housed seemingly infinite locations to hide treasure, and it seemed almost everyone who set sail for the Ijimulian made a fortune if they searched long enough. The region became so prolific that a group of merchants and treasure hunters unified to form something called the Nautical Liberation Front - more colloquially known as the NLF - with the intention of forming an off-shore nation free from the laws of the land.

The NLF was actually quite good at self-regulating without the need for intervention. They didn't attack other ships, they didn't rape and pillage any settlements ashore, and they actually did quite an amazing job co-existing with the royal navies of Koluma, Waverthe, Viokenic, Saff'Rald, and Kaidu. It was a truce nobody thought could survive long, but against all odds they managed to succeed. Which was, of course, suspicious. Nothing like that could survive forever.

So, with there being reports of pirates attacking some ships and plundering the booty of merchant vessels, Talba and Vaulix decided they were going to get involved. They apparently had some diplomatic history with a handful of the leaders of the NLF and wanted to help out the best they could. If this meant using their considerable wealth and resources to investigate and put a stop to the pirate attacks, then that's what they'd do. If it meant they had to form an alliance with the other royal navies to put a stop to the free-for-all nature of the Ijimulian, that's what they'd do.

Chiryn thought it all a bit silly. There was no real reason for the royal family of Arrenthen to get involved in a nautical conflict halfway across the world, at least not as far as Chiryn could tell. He only knew what he was told, and he was nowhere near highly-ranked enough to understand the more subtle nuances of their motivation. All he knew was that they had spent months designing and building the biggest ship he'd ever seen to go out on an adventure in a faraway land.

The fact this all happened mere months after their wedding made Chiryn think this was just some sort of elaborate honeymoon getaway, an excuse to take all their favourite people from the castle and go on a personal cruise ship. Why they chose to go to a place with a budding conflict wasn't clear. Maybe it was to get the treasure. Talba did have a love for shiny things. Come to think of it, Vaulix did, too. Both of them had a lust for treasure matched only by their love for each other.

After an afternoon of lugging boxes and crates and satchels of food and salt and other supplies, Chiryn was exhausted. He and many of the other crew members had been loading the ship up since sunrise and it wasn't until the sun began to set over the western mountains that they felt that their work was done. There may have been a few more crates in the warehouse, but he didn't care. It was time to rest for the night. He had a lot more strength than his lithe body may have indicated, but he was tired.

He called out to the other muscle and told them it was time to disperse. Palusa the pegasus mare was the biggest and strongest, she was first to go. Soon to follow was Eminy, an ash mare, and Melodion, a hippogryph mare. Chiryn chuckled to himself, seeing the pattern unfold in front of him. He dealt with a lot of mares in his time. It was a heavily equine and avian nation, after all.

Each of them gave him a wave before dispersing into the main stretch of Port Aralyptian. The city had two main streets, one running north to south, parallel to the eastern shore that housed the port that gave the city its namesake, and one branching off from that street perpendicular that headed across the mountain range right to Castle Arrenthen. Both of these streets were filled with vendors selling wares to the thousands of guests that had come to party.

The maiden voyage of the Gem of the Ijimulian was apparently a good excuse to have street parties. Vendors were open far later than they would be, normally. Lit up with extra-bright lanterns and fireworks and streamers. Food was being sold, drinks and potions were being sold even faster. People were playing music and dancing and getting in friendly fights and generally causing a ruckus.

And Chiryn wanted nothing to do with it. The moment he stepped away from the ship with the royal guard watching the boardwalk, he immediately felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety. The strip was just on the other side of the buildings that lined the beach and he could hear and see it all through the alleys that cut between them. There was shouting and singing and the sounds of potion vials and casks being shattered. It was like a pirate village already and they hadn't even left. It was too much.

But he unfortunately had to pass through the party just to get to his room. He was not looking forward to that. Rather than just dive headfirst into the crowd, he walked down the boardwalk to the edge of the party, hoping to go around instead. He passed through one of the alleys and stepped onto the main street, immediately feeling the warmth of the body heat washing over him like a wave.

He winced to himself and crossed the road, only to stop when he noticed something peculiar between him and the outer reaches of the party. It was a rather large, ashen hippogryph with gray and black feathers and fur. Female, from what he could tell based on their stance and build. She wore only a pair of saddle bags over her haunches, they looked almost empty. Her tail was curled up tightly around her flank, her wings were flat against her sides, and her ears were down low, nearly pressed against the back of her head. She was not comfortable at all, she didn't fit here.

Curious, Chiryn resisted his urge to keep his distance from the party and walked down the pathway to approach her. When he got close enough, she turned to him and lowered her head a bit, her eyes narrowed and her neck plumage inflated. "Whoa, it's alright." He said to her, hands up as he took a step back. It was a strange reaction, but then he noticed her beautiful, intensely golden eyes were trained on his chest, fixated on the medal he wore on his breast pocket. "What can I do for you?"

She paused and flicked her ear, then chattered her beak. "For me?"

"Oh, good. You can speak. Was worried you were one of the mounts escaped from the stables for a second there." He kept his distance, sensing she was still uneasy.

The hippogryph lowered her head a bit, not quite in submission but it looked like she was doing so out of habit. Then, after a moment, she lifted her head up. "No, not a steed."

Chiryn nodded. "Okay, we have that established. So what's going on here? You seem lost. If there's anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to do so."

"Lost, yeah. You could say that." She shifted on her hooves and talons, growing agitated. "I'm just passing through, really. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this." She tilted her head towards the party raging behind her.

"Not a fan of crowds? Yeah, makes sense. Not a lot of hippogryphs I know do. So do you have a goal in mind? I don't know the city all too well but I could probably help you find what you're looking for without having to to through all that mess." Despite wanting to reach out to her, he kept his distance and ensured he didn't spook her. She was no feral, this was clear, but something seemed off with her. Something made him worry there was something worthy of concern. He didn't know this hippogryph, yet he still wanted to help. All of a sudden, his goal was not to return to his room for the night, but to find out what she needed.

She shook her head. "No destination, just passing through. Honestly, I just need to sleep. It's been a long few days and every inn and motel I've seen is booked solid. I mean I guess I could just curl up in an alley somewhere but-" she stopped and took in a long breath, not wanting to finish.

He was no psychic, but he was naturally empathetic - could feel emotions but not thoughts - and he was increasingly certain that this hippogryph needed help. Heck, even if he wasn't empathetic he'd be able to tell something was wrong. "I might be able to help you with that. Finding a bed for the night, I mean. Would you like to talk away from all this noise?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I suppose. You're not going to-" she paused, then shook her head. "Nevermind. Yes, I'd like to get away from all this noise. I have coin, if you'd like. I can pay for my room, I'm happy to pay my way, you know." She reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a single golden tablet, worth one hundred gold coins.

Chiryn's eyes went wide. "Put that away! You're likely to get mugged showing that much coin!"

She did as commanded, then lowered her head in submission. "Sorry, I didn't think."

"It's fine. This city isn't bad for crime but on a night like tonight, anything's possible. Come on, I'll get you a nice place to sleep, but you have to promise me you'll head out first thing in the morning. You don't even have to pay, but there's a pretty strict sun-up deadline." He motioned for her to follow before slipping back into the alleyway he came from. She kept pace, her hooves clacking on the wood of the boardwalk every step of the way.

He continued to lead her to the pier the Gem of the Ijimulian was docked at. The two royal guards - a pair of huge stallions decked out in royal gear - were playing some dice game and drinking casks of ale. Chiryn was going to take her up onto the ship, but she held back. Instead, he stayed back with her and led her to a nearby pile of netted crates and barrels. There, he hopped up onto one of the barrels with his legs crossed and tail coiled around it, woven into the net to ensure he didn't fall. "What's the matter? I was going to take you up onto the ship. There's plenty of room in the sleeping quarters, but we're leaving in the morning. That's why you'd have to be up and out by sunrise."

"Nothing's the matter, I just...Nevermind. Don't worry about it. If you want, I can still pay you. I have coin. I know it's not a proper inn or anything, but a bed is a bed, right?" She motioned that she was going to reach back and grab a coin, waiting for his approval.

He shook his head. "Not needed. Trust me. Tell you what, if you wanna earn your keep for the night, just talk to me. Keep me company." He extended his hand to her. "My name's Chiryn. You?"

She took his hand and shook it like a paw, her talon making his hand look tiny. "Lysandra."

"Pleasure to meet you, Lysandra." He leaned back, giving her space. "So what really brings you to Port Aralyptian? There's always more to the story, everyone's got a tale to tell. Where are you from?"

"Honestly, nothing in particular. I'm just passing through. And I'm from the past. Heading towards the future." She sat up straight, head high and form perfectly kept. She looked like a well-trained hippogryph steed.

"So you're a nomad, then? Nice. I like it. No goal, the past is behind you, anything goes. I work for the royal navy. Well, I did work in the castle, but apparently my job got migrated to this ship here." He thumbed back at the hull of the Gem of the Ijimulian, the many gemstones glowing in the dim, evening light. "Now I'm part of the crew, takin' care of the captains."

Her eyes widened in surprise, her beak agape. "Oh, that sounds lovely! Far better than me."

As she said that, one of the two members of the royal guard shouted and threw his ale across the docks. He shouted something about cheating and headed off between two buildings to join the party. The other one remained at his post but then kicked his hooves up and laid back, relaxing.

Chiryn took this as his moment. "You wanna head up onto the ship? The gemstones act as a sort of sound buffer towards the outside world. If we go below deck you won't hear any of this ruckus unless we open up one of the ports."

"Sure." She agreed with a nod. "But do we have to sneak past the guard?"

"No. Don't worry." He hopped down off the barrel and guided her to where the guard was watching the ramp that led to the ship. "Hey, I'm gonna go on board." He explained.

"Who's this?" The guard asked, pointing to Lysandra.

"Lysandra." Chiryn answered without hesitation.

That response didn't explain anything to the guard, but he didn't seem worried. "Alright. See ya in the morning." He grinned as he looked up and down the hippogryph's body. It was clear he thought Chiryn was taking someone aboard for some pre-departure celebrations.

Once the pair of them made it up the ramp and onto the deck, Lysandra whispered to him. "Wow, you can do that? Are you going to be in trouble?"

"I'm one of the operators of this ship. I bring people on to investigate all the time. He trusts me, as he should. I'm not his boss, but I do work for his boss. I think he thinks we're going to get physical."

"Oh." She went silent, her neck feathers inflating from cheeks to chest.

"Don't worry, I don't want anything like that. I just want to help. Follow me." He motioned for her to keep up as he slipped down below deck. He ignited a few of the gemstones to light the way, heading down the stairs all the way down three levels. Past the main crew and the operational levels and onto the more private quarters. He led her down a hallway and around the masts that speared through the ship's layers all the way too the hull and opened a door to a small room with two beds. One was large and one was normal-sized. Piled up in between the beds were chests and barrels and sacks.

"These are my quarters. I share with a friend but they are going to be busy for the night. Sorry about all the piles of cargo. Like I said, we leave in the morning and we're expecting to be sailing for a few weeks before we can make port again. Got a crew of more than fifty we gotta feed for as much as a month. Means lots of cargo. You are free to sleep here if you want. Sorry it's not more private, it's all I can offer at this time. But remember, Sun up. If you'd like, I can-"

"It's alright, I appreciate it." She crawled up onto the bed, flopped down on her belly, and laid her head down on the pillow. The second she felt her chest sink into the mattress, a deep rumbling came from within, her wings slowly spreading to drape over either side of the bed. "Beds are nice." She muttered to herself, squirming a bit as she found her comfort zone. As she shifted her position, she eventually came to wrap both of her talons around the pillow, propping it up with her chin resting upon it. The rest of her body was gently curled around herself, tail flopping over the side. Before she got fully comfortable, she used her beak to peel off her satchel and toss it at the foot of the bed, the coins making a satisfying noise as they landed.

Chiryn nodded his approval and turned to leave her. "I'll give you privacy. I actually do have a room at the inn, you just have to make sure you're gone before we depart. Okay?"

"You don't have to leave. I don't mind. I'm used to sharing quarters with others. I've never really had a space to myself." She insisted, coddling the pillow between her legs and beak.

This was the final hint to Chiryn that something was amiss here. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "It is now, yeah. At least for tonight."

"I mean in general. You seemed spooked to see me, you were worried about me trying to snatch you, you didn't realize that holding out a golden tab would maybe attract the wrong kind of attention, and you are showing a tonne of small signs that you're being chased or were abused. I don't mean to pry and I apologize if I've crossed the line, but I'm very good at identifying this sort of thing and you've been giving me red flags all night. So I ask again, is everything okay?"

Lysandra paused and blinked, her gaze losing focus as her eyes darted around the room. Her chest began to heave rapidly; she was on the verge of a panic attack. Then, after a few seconds of that, she calmed down and took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and regulating herself. "It is now. It wasn't before. But things are getting better and you offering me this room has helped a lot. Thank you."

He kept his distance and sat cross-legged on his own bed, the smaller of the beds. "Do you mind talking about it? Not sure I can help, but if I can I will do what I can tonight. Is someone out to get you or are you in danger? Do I need to enlist the royal guard to defend the ship overnight?"

She cracked a weak smile and nodded. "No, no. Nothing like that. I'm not in danger. Nobody is chasing me. I'm fine, I just needed to get away. As far away as I possibly could." She paused and chuckled to herself. "Sorry, my apologies. I'm not trying to be cryptic, I just don't know how to speak to my past without sounding dramatic."

"That's okay." He curled up his ankles as tight as they could get, then removed his officer's jacket and tossed it to the side; normally that would be grounds for punishment, treating his uniform like that, but he only wanted to help Lysandra. "Start from the top."

"Are you sure? It's been quite a story." She waited for him to stop her, but when he just nodded to encourage her she continued. "Oh. Well then I guess, actually now that I think about it. I suppose it's not all that complicated. I just, you see, I'm quad. Feral. Four-legged. Where I come from, that means you get treated like an animal. I can speak, same as you or anyone else, yet I had to sleep in the stables alongside the horses and the cows. The stables always smelled, and my masters only got me out to deliver messages or help with hunting or riding. It wasn't hell, they weren't nasty to me, but it wasn't a life worth living. I had no life, really. So I left."

Chiryn slowly nodded in understanding. "I get the nomad part, now. You left, and now without your master guiding you, you're having a hard time finding yourself. Finding your purpose?"

She shook her head. "No, not that. I just haven't found my place. I'm pretty strong so I was able to make some good coin doing odd jobs along the coast - that big golden tab was gifted to me by one of the friends I made along the way - but I don't stay in one place for long. I don't know where I belong and I don't know where I'm going. I just know where I've been and I'd like to keep moving. I'm not some beast, you know. You're the only person I've met in the months since departing that hasn't looked at me and thought I was useful, someone to be exploited." She spread her wings. "Being able to fly makes me very useful, but only if I submit to a master."

"I can relate." He mused. "I serve a master, too, but it sounds pretty different. I have a job, I like doing it. My clients are my friends, my bosses are my allies. I was honestly considering offering you a job on the ship, but hearing all that I don't feel like it'd be appropriate."

"Why not?" She asked, her eyes wide and beak agape. She was relaxed, opening up.

He huffed and cracked a half-grin. "Honestly? It sounds like it's just the same thing you're running from. We're looking for a messenger to run the ship, conveying orders between the captains, navigators, and crew. You know, fly around while we're sailing, telling everyone what to do and conveying plans. Take orders, but also give orders. Feels pretty insensitive to wanna put you to work considering your past."

"Oh skies above it's not like that. I do enjoy work! I love having purpose! I want to help and I want to make a difference, but I want to do it on my terms. I want to be me, not just some livestock. I'm a person, not property." Her feathers stood on end, inflating and fluffing up as she grinned. "I am not just some steed to be used for my work."

Chiryn nodded again. "I understand. Well, if morning comes and you're still seeking purpose, I'd be more than happy to put in a good word for you prior to departure. It is hard work though. It'll keep you busy all day or night, depending on what shift you get. Lots of running, flying around the masts, going below deck, and lots of memory tasks. You would have to remember a lot of little details and convey them accurately. So do keep that in mind."

"Of course. That does make sense. I'm not sure if I want to commit to that, but I'll keep it in mind. What's this ship, do, anyway? It sounds quite important, with all the shinies on the hull."

"Honestly, I don't know what I'd classify this ship as. It's got weapons and everyone's prepared for fighting, but it's also got a heavy emphasis on merchant endeavours and diplomacy. It's a royal flagship for the Arrenthenian army. Princess Talba and Prince Vaulix will be serving as the captains. We're headed out east to the Ijimulian to investigate some rising tension out there."

She shuffled in place, happily fluffing the pillow under her chin. "Sounds like an adventure. So tell me a bit about you, then? What do you do on the ship?"

He wasn't entirely prepared to move on from her past, but he also understood when it was time to let things go and let her go at her own pace. He swelled up with pride, tail tip flicking over the edge of the bed. "Well, I'm...actually I don't know how to describe it. Back at the castle, I was basically a massage therapist. I was a general helper who specialized in massages. Using my hands to make people feel better. To help them be their best selves. I'm sure you know how sore your muscles can get working all day, my job is to rejuvenate those muscles and keep them limber and prepared for the next day. I just pamper people and make them feel good. But on the ship, I don't know. The same, I think?"

"Oh, I do know about being sore and stiff. That's actually one of the reasons I left my old life. Worked to the bone; I'd wake up sore then push through it to till the fields or pull the carts. If I was lucky I got to lay in the hay before it was time to sleep." She stretched out one wing and extended one of her hind legs, stretching and tensing up the muscle to emphasize. Her muscle definition could be seen through her flanks. "It was never-ending; I'm still sore now, but I've been travelling for a while so I'm doing a bit better, now. I take time to stretch and to relax in between tasks."

"I could help with that, you know." Chiryn slid forward on the bed and stopped half way there, not wanting to invade her space. His hands were out towards her haunch. "If you're feeling stiff, I could help you out. Of course I'd not insist if I didn't have confidence in my skills."

She pulled her leg back in up underneath herself while folding her wing back to her flank. "I'm not so sure that's necessary." She gulped, then slowly relaxed her leg again, allowing her hoof to dangle over the side of the bed. "But I suppose if you're offering. I do still have coin, if you get paid for that."

He gently shook his head. "You don't have to worry about that. I get paid a salary, a daily wage. It sounds like you need it and to be honest I don't really want to engage with anyone out there at this time. Partying like that really isn't the sort of thing that makes me feel comfortable or content. No, I enjoy helping others. If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to help you find what works for you."

Lysandra paused for a bit, taking in a few deep breaths before saying anything. It was clear she was unsure, but the subtle flush of her neck plumage showed Chiryn that she was appreciative. Even if she wasn't prepared to open up entirely. After a moment of contemplation passed, she nodded. "If you insist. I can still pay you, if you require the coin. I don't want to take advantage."

"I can assure you, you're not taking advantage. If I wanted coin I'd ask for it. Now come on, roll onto your belly. It's easier for me to find your stiff points if you're not on your side." He got up and stood over her, smiling gently with his hand out.

"Like this?" She shifted in place, twisting her body so that her beak end was at the headboard of the bed and her hooves were stretched out towards the foot board. Her wings were pressed tight against her flank and her talons were still folded underneath her head, the pillow resting upon them. She had experience taking commands, so she had no problems finding the right position.

He nodded. "Exactly. Now, if something happens I accidentally hurt you or if you feel at all uncomfortable at any time, please do not hesitate to tell me so. Massage can in fact be quite physical, and can be unpleasant in the moment, but the end result is positive." He rubbed his hands together, focusing some of his magical power to heat his palms and energize his fingertips.

She fluttered her wings a bit while she got comfortable, then laid her head down flat on the pillow once more. "I am pretty sure there's nothing you can do to hurt me. You don't have any whips or crops or switches."

Chiryn winced at the thought. "No, of course not. How cruel. Alas, I'm going to palpate you, use my fingers to knead every muscle from your neck to the base of your tail. The goal is to find which muscles are stiff and rigid, and massage them until they are no longer stiff. The pressure can be intense but you will feel so much stronger and more relaxed, assuming I finish the job. Understood?"

She nodded, her breaths still somewhat brisk to show her nervousness.

He saw her nod and leaned over her, pressing his fingers to the base of her neck, massaging through her feathers to reach the surface of her skin. By surging just a tiny bit of energy to his palms and finger tips, he was able to use her feathers and body as a conduit to see what part of her needed attention. As expected, she was stiff all over. Not a single muscle from the base of her skull to her shoulders could be dismissed. He knew instantly that he'd be there for a while. "Hm, yes. You have been one hard working...mare? Hen? What term do you prefer?"

With a flick of her ear, she said, "Mare, if possible. Or just Lysandra. Or hen. Actually, all of them work, I never put much thought into it. I was just 'horse-bird' for so long." She winced a bit as Chiryn clamped his hand around the base of her neck, his thumb and forefinger kneading a muscle. "Do you have a preferred term? I'm not actually sure what to call you, either."

Chiryn kept working, leaning into her and slowly passing his thumbs and palms across her body to knead out the knots in her muscles. "Well, I'm a chimera. A little bit of everything, so every term is at least partially correct. Drake, stud, cock, bull, it all works. I usually go by drake, though. As far as I can tell, saurossin is the most prevalent part of me."

"As far as you can tell? What were were parents?" She asked, stifling a grunt as he worked a particularly stiff knot on her shoulder.

"I don't recall. A few years back, I woke upon these very shores and was taken in by the royal family of Arrenthen to work in their castle. I don't remember anything from before that time. I don't remember my past, I don't remember my family, I don't remember where I came from or what I did. Complete amnesia. They had a psychic come and see if they could help me unearth some of that, but even they weren't able to uncover memories locked within my mind."

Lysandra kept quiet. It was clear she wanted to say something, to support him or assure him in some way, but the words wouldn't come so she remained silent.

He noticed her slight discomfort, so he kept going as he worked his way down her body. "It's fine. Honestly, it's kind of nice, not having that baggage. I have only my future to worry about. I have my friends Arnika and Mikhael, both of which will be joining me on the Gem of the Ijimulian. It piques my curiosity but it's not something that stresses me out. Like I said, it's peaceful this way." As he spoke, he kneaded his way down past her shoulders to find the base of her wings. Shockingly, her wings weren't stiff like the rest of her. He gave them the attention they needed but that meant he didn't linger.

"You're not going to rub my wings a bit more?" She asked, then immediately looked away in shame. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be greedy."

Chiryn chuckled a bit, then worked his way back up to her wings. "My apologies. It seems your wings are quite relaxed, compared to the rest of your body. I didn't feel they needed as much attention, but I'm happy to give it if you like it."

"My sincerest apologies. I didn't mean to insist." She nuzzled back into the pillow, looking away. "But I don't fly often. Most of the work I do is hard labor. Carrying things. Pulling things. Tilling fields and digging. I use my hooves and my talons, my wings are not used very often. I'd like to, more, but it will require some effort. Flying is very difficult with such a heavy body."

"Indeed. Flight does require a lot of extra energy. And with a body like yours I can certainly understand the plight." He pressed both palms on either side of her far wing, squeezing her joint between his hands. There, he gently kneaded in circles while coursing some energy through her, loosening her up with ease. "I can't promise an immediate change, but try that."

When he pulled away, she stretched out her wing and gave a bit of a flap. Then she did the same for her other one, the wing Chiryn had yet to work upon. "Oh wow, it does feel so much better. There's no resistance, my wing feels like it has no weight at all!" She flapped a few more times, emphasizing just hos different they were to each other.

He leaned in and cradled the wing closer to him, stretching it out and wrapping his hands around her joints to do the same. Up and down the wing he went, using his palm energy to amplify the pressure and speed up the process a bit. Within less than a minute she felt the same relief in that wing she felt in her other one, so he pulled back and let her flex them.

"Wow!" she said as she stretched out each of her wings as high as they could go. She was going to spread them outward, but the bed was too close to the wall and she didn't have the room.

"Try standing here." Chiryn suggested as he motioned towards the floor between the two beds. "Stand up straight, and stretch out as far as you can. You'll really be able to feel the difference."

She did as he insisted, rolling off the bed and landing on all fours. Once there, she positioned herself as close to the center of the room and stretched her wings out as wide as she could, gently flapping them to create tiny little gusts that cycled around the pair of them. Content and even a little ecstatic, she threw her head back and twisted her neck from side to side, shocked at just how much extra range she'd earned in such a short time. She flexed her front legs, stretching each one out individually before bowing down and bending back on herself. She was testing the full range of motion he'd given her, but didn't do much with her tail or hindquarters.

Chiryn hasn't yet gotten there. He stepped up to Lysandra, his chest at her rump height. "Okay, I can see you're doing much better. Do you mind if I help with your hips and tail?"

Lysandra paused a moment to think as she folded her wings back up against her flank. "Sure." Was all she said, not certain how to elaborate.

He could tell there was more to this story, so he gently pressed his hands down near the base of her tail and paused before continuing. "Are you sure? I know some folks are very sensitive in their back end, and we don't have to go to the very end if you're not comfortable with it."

She swayed from side to side, nearly knocking Chiryn over as her hip pressed against his chest. Her hooves clacked gently on the wood floor while a creaking groan of the ship shifting in the water filled the silence. "It's fine. I've just never had anyone give me this sort of attention before. None at all, but especially not there."

"Really? That's the part that needs it the most! Your hips do all the hard work, pushing and digging into the ground. If any part of you needed some attention, it's your haunches." He tapped her on one side to get her to shift her weight towards him. There, he grabbed a small crate with his tail and placed it beside her so he had some leverage over her hindquarters. "But I also know this area is particularly sensitive so I'm going to take a bit more time. Can't rush it."

"Okay." She said with a nod. She then lowered her tail, allowing it to rest comfortably between her rump cheeks. This ensured it wasn't in Chiryn's way.

He kept at her, diligently working her muscles. He trailed up and down her spine, using his finger tips and palms to apply pressure and pump bits of energy into her. Once he was satisfied with that, he slipped down either of her flanks to wrap his hands around her thighs, giving a bit of attention all the way down to her knees. He tried to go lower, but pretty much everything from her knees to hooves was tendon and sinew, not as much muscle tissue to work upon. So, once he was done with that, he headed back up and got right into the base of her tail, kneading her thick haunches from there.

Without further prompting, her ears went down and her tail flagged up against his touch. Doing so released a lightly aroused scent to waft up around him. He'd worked with mares a lot in the past and was very familiar with the scent an estrus or otherwise turned-on mare. However, he was a professional and deliberately avoided reacting to it at all. He just kept working and maintaining a conversation with her, ensuring he was being cordial and helpful. "So, right here is very tight." He said, tapping her on each of her rump cheeks where tail met her spine. "Obviously, with as much heavy labour as you're doing, this part of you is exceptionally stiff and might require a bit more effort, if you don't mind."

"I don't." She answered, her voice a bit quieter and more reserved. Chiryn may not have been responding to her arousal but she clearly was aware of it. "Carry on. Do what you need to."

He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see. "As always, if you ever feel uncomfortable, do not hesitate to say so." He slid around to behind her and wrapped both hands around one leg, one palm on the inner thigh with one palm on her haunch. This created an energy field between his palms that helped to tickle her muscles and caress her flesh with the aid of the pressure he put upon her. While he was there, with her tail up, he was greeted with the sight of a dark patch of moisture lining her vulva and a steady drip of fluids trickling down her slit. That was the source of the powerful scent. Naturally, he did what he could to ignore it while he kept working. He never imposed upon anyone in that way.

So Chiryn kept working, taking a bit of extra time to caress her haunches and knead her thighs. He even took a moment to rummage through some of his stuff to find a brush to help groom her hair and feathers. He took a bit of extra time to brush the feathering around her ankles, then even trimmed her hooves a bit to make her feel pretty and dainty.

When he finally got back to her haunches, where he was ready to focus on her tail - the last stop on his full-bodied pampering - he was greeted with a familiar sight. Her tail hiked up and flopped to the side while her clitoris winked, squeezing out a bead of natural lubricant down between her legs. He had to step back so that it didn't accidentally land on his leg. He tapped her on the tail. "Hey, you don't need to hold it up that high. You can let your tail rest in my hands while I take care of you." He was trying to be casual, without bringing up the fact that she was slowly losing herself to arousal.

She lowered her head again while glancing back. "Oh, sorry. I didn't do it on purpose."

"It's fine, you did say you'd never had someone give you this sort of attention before. And it is a very sensitive area. Don't worry about it." He kept stroking her with the brush, deliberately avoiding touching any areas that were moist with her fluids.

Then, to his surprise, she shifted her weight and pushed back into him, her tail still flagged and flopped over her side in a traditional mating pose. She didn't say anything, at least not verbally. But her body language was speaking volumes.

Chiryn maintained his posture and professionalism but assumed it was time to address it. "You know, if you wanted, I could help you out with that. The principles are similar if a bit more gentle and sensual instead of firm and strong."

She fluttered her wings a bit and stood up tall, assuming a regal position while ensuring her tail remained flagged, her lips still exposed while her clit winked. "That's up to you. I wouldn't even begin to know how to ask for such a thing, but here we are. I can't help it, your touch is so calming, it feels-" She trailed off as a full-bodied shudder overtook her ending in another clitoral wink that spurted a tiny little bit of her fluids onto his hand.

"I think I understand." He slid his hands away from her tail base and began to caress and knead her rump cheeks right next to her lips. "You said you've never been given this type of attention. I thought you meant a massage but I'm going to assume you mean intimacy, too?"

Lysandra shook her head. "Never. I was a work horse-bird. Can't breed except with other hippogryphs so master felt there was no need for that. The closest I got was idly rubbing myself on a post to 'scratch an itch'. I hope you don't mind. I hope I'm not a mess." Her neck plumage inflated, flushed with a hint of embarrassment. "And with work keeping me so busy, I never bothered trying. No point in having that sort of fun unless I had time to get more emotionally attached, you know?"

He patted her on the haunches while keeping his other palm pressed against her inner rump cheek near her clit, teasing her a bit without actually taking action. "It's fine. I promise. Like I said, I have experience tending to quads as well and if you need a release I'd be happy to serve you. But only if you request it. I'd not dare impose."

She shuffled on her hind legs, hooves scraping the wood of the floor with anxiety. "Do you think it will help? With my stiffness, I mean."

"It won't hurt you, that's for sure." He eased his hand in closer, just barely caressing her lips with the side of his pinkie finger. "There's never a good reason not to offer yourself a bit of release. If you're pent up, you hold that tension in your muscles and it won't go away. A massage is nice, but if you're in need of some release, then it'll just come back quicker. So, yeah, I think it will help. And even if it doesn't, hopefully it will at least feel nice. The only real reason not to is if you're uncomfortable."

"I suppose there's no way to know until I try." She shuffled again, this time spurting a single strand of her slick fluid down his forearm. She didn't even realize this so she leaned back into him. "And if you say it will help, I trust you."

He nodded and leaned in close so that his chest was pressed up against her one thigh. Even standing at full height his chin was just barely able to rest upon her rump, so he kept as much contact with her body as he could. This was a nice way to ensure that she felt connected to him and could better anticipate anything he'd do. If he moved his arm, she'd feel it through his body. But moreso than that, in the event he accidentally startled her and she kicked, he wouldn't be impacted as hard. He'd worked with enough quadrupeds to learn that lesson.

Once he was confident being that close, he slid his hand between her hind leg while his other hand wrapped around her haunch to ensure her tail remained hoisted up; she has long fur on her tail and the last thing he wanted was for it to get in the way. "Okay, well I'm going to give you a bit of a rub, to see what you like. If you ever feel like slowing down or stopping, just scrape your hoof on the wood. IT's easier than speaking, sometimes."

"I understand." She said, slowly moving over so that her upper body was on the large bed, chest pressed down against the mattress while her rump end was hoisted up against Chiryn. "But do be gentle with me. Please."

"I promise." He assured her. Once he was sure she was relaxed enough, he slid his hand up between her leg so that his wrist was pressed up against her clit. Everything under her tail resembled that of a mare, anatomy he was quite well versed in tending to. Princess Talba was a hippogryph as well with similar - albeit much larger - vulva and tail hole. He knew exactly what would make her curl her talons. At least, he knew where to start.

She took a moment to relax, so Chiryn started off nice and slow. He used the back of his hand to rub against her clit, ending by allowing her meaty nub to slide between his fingers. She was soaking wet with arousal so he had no difficulty grinding his knuckles in between her clit and lips. She did jump a bit, her muscles twitching as she felt his touch, but she relaxed when he curled a single finger under her clit while slipping a thumb into her.

Her voice fluttered, whimpering a bit. "Okay, yeah. I see what you mean."

"Everything okay?" He paused to ask, gently sliding his finger in and out of her, shocked at how tight she felt. For a mare so thick, she was very snug under the tail.

She just nodded. "Yeah, great. Don't stop."

That was the approval he needed. He had to start slow, to make sure she was comfortable before continuing. Knowing she was at the very least enjoying it and not overcome with discomfort, he was able to comfortably increase the pressure and enthusiasm. He let go of her clit and used his hand to gently rub up and down her slit, sneakily allowing a finger or two to slide into her as he moved. She twitched again, but every time she did so her tail flagged just a little bit higher, her hips angling just a little bit wider to ensure he had a bit more room to work.

While on the bed she grabbed the pillow and nestled into it, resting it on her talons and her beak upon it. She didn't speak, only a series of cute chirps and chatters came from her. Aside from the subtle noises that came from her backside as her walls tensed and pushed out bits of air that Chiryn had allowed inside her with his fingers.

He was, of course, a strict professional. He started with only one or two fingers, gliding them up and down her inner walls to tease her up one side and down the other, pausing at her anterior wall to rub a few circles around her clit then again along her posterior wall to tug upwards, like a knot. Each of these actions elicited a subtle wink as her lips loosened up just a little bit more. It was clear she was quite capable of handling more than a few fingers, she just needed to relax.

So he kept going. Up and down he'd stroke her, pushing just a little bit harder each time until he managed to slip four fingers into her, parting her lips to reveal the bright pink of her insides contrasting the jet black of her outer lips. Her inner folds were glistening with her natural fluids, reflecting the glimmer of the lantern gemstones that lined the room. As he stared into her, she winked once more, forcing a bead of fluid out and over her clit.

In a brief moment of unprofessional instinct, he immediately leaned in and extended his tongue to catch it, wrapping his lips around her clit and sucking once before immediately pulling away with a juicy smack, his flesh leaving hers. He paused and gulped, assuming he'd crossed a boundary. He waited for her to scrape her hoof on the ground or kick or say something. Instead, her hindquarters shuddered and she raised her one leg, like she was going to kick or push away. But then, she stomped.

He backed off. He couldn't be sure if this series of her responses was that of resistance or sexual need. It could have gone either way. Usually he'd assume positively, bu he didn't know Lysandra all that well and she may not have been as receptive. "Everything okay?" He asked, having stepped back with only a single hand on her hip.

"Oh, yes. Yes, everything is fine. Do that again?" It was sort of a suggestion, but also a pretty strong insistence. As she said it, her tail pumped down and flagged right back up again, exposing herself fully. "Please don't stop, that was-" She trailed off, waiting for him to act.

With this request in mind, he did as commanded, leaning back into her with both of his hands on either side of her haunches. He pressed his lips to hers, using his snout to nuzzle her flesh while his tongue gently probed into her, tasting her equine delight. All the while, he kept kneading her rump cheeks, tickling her flank, and squeezing her thighs, his hands wandering and exploring her while his mouth gave her lips the attention they deserved.

Before long his muzzle was entirely soaked with her arousal, all the way down to where his crest met his eyes. He had no problem pushing into her, the hippogryph's hind quarters easily smothering him, her clit cradling his chin as she winked and shuddered in delight.

To his positive delight, he was noticing that she was growing increasingly relaxed, allowing more and more of himself into her depths. At first her lips would barely let a couple of fingers in her, even if she was so much larger than him. But then, after she'd found her comfort zone, her walls relaxed and offered little in terms of resistance. Chiryn knew this meant she needed more than his tongue and fingers could offer.

After enjoying a few facial thrusts under her tail, he pulled out of her, licked his lips and then her clit, then leaned over to address her. "Hey Lysandra?"

She shuddered as she looked back, every muscle in her loins twitching as a strand of her fluids bridged from her clit to his chin. "Y-yes?"

"I'm wondering if maybe you'd be okay with me helping out a bit deeper. I can sense you want or need a bit more than what I've been giving you." As he spoke, he brought his thick, powerful tail up to have the last bit of it rest upon his shoulder where she could see it. While he hadn't used it much, his tail was prehensile and acted more like a tentacle than a tail. Most of the time it was held out behind him for balance, but it had its uses. He was making it clear he intended to use it on her.

Her eyes went wide, but then she smiled. "If you think it will help. I think that could be fun." She pressed her chest down heavily against the bed, the creak of it accented by the idle creaks of the ship around them. She scraped her hoof on the floor, but it was clear this was not a message of discomfort but an act of balance. The room was constantly shifting ever so slightly against the waves.

Chiryn nodded and pressed his muzzle to her rump cheek, gently biting it while deliberately avoiding bringing his lips up to hers. His tail snaked its way over his shoulder, using that as leverage to press the tips up against her slit. To his delight, his tail eased into her with little to no resistance, parting her lips and stretching her flesh around him as more and more of his length disappeared into her.

She let out a bit of a gasp, but then clenched down hard, her clit winking and spurting a few dribbles of her lubricant down the underside of his tail. A bit of extra lube he used to his advantage.

With a twisting motion accented by a thrust, he managed to ease more of his tail into her, then pull it out almost completely. His tail was lined with thick nubs along the spine, each one made of bone but rounded and softened by years of use. As he twisted his tail inside her, he felt each and every one of these bony nubs grinding against her most sensitive spots, resulting in her twitching and shuddering in delight, her walls quivering around him. She struggled to not push him out, but also managed to loosen up a bit more each time, gradually leaving her both tender and snug while also being relaxed.

"Still enjoying yourself?" He asked, his tail still twisting inside her.

She could only meekly nod, her face half-buried in the pillow.

He pushed his tail in a bit deeper, as deep as it could comfortably go, twisting the entire way in. She shuddered again, he clenched up his muscles to keep his limb nice and firm and in control, but more importantly he noticed that he'd made it to the end of her passage. Inside her, he could feel the end of her vaginal canal and the firm round of flesh that led to her womb. He couldn't possibly go any deeper without hurting her. Had she been in heat, that opening would have been gaped, easily penetrated. But it wasn't. She was this aroused and this needy even out of season.

While he was as deep as he could go, he offered a few more gentle grinding twists before pulling out entirely, leaving her winking and shuddering in his absence. He held up his tail to his hand and noticed that he got about as much into her as was the length of his forearm up to his finger tips, with the thickest part being about the same girth as his forearm. So this gave him an idea. Once more, he pressed his fingers up to her much more relaxed flesh and then pressed his thumb up against them.

"I'm going to try something new, but trust me, I think you'll like it." He assured her, his palm cupped around her clit and his other hand gripping the base of her tail. His chest remained pressed against her haunches to once again maintain contact with her as much as possible.

She chirped and whinnied at him, a cute combination of avian and equine sounds. More chirp than whinny, though; her vocal chords were avian, after all. She just waggled her hips and pushed into him as best she could without reversing off the bed.

He converged all four fingers and his thumb into one point, forming a wedge-shape with his fist as he pushed into her, grinding and twisting his knuckles against her lips. She was soaked with natural lubricant so he had no problems popping into her, his entire fist bursting through her opening to rest just inside her. Only then did he ball his fingers up into a proper fist, then curled his wrist so that his knuckles were pressed against her anterior wall. The most sensitive part inside a mare.

Her knees went weak and she stumbled in place, widening her stance while arching her back and fluttering her wings. She clearly was trying to talk, to ask questions or clarify things, but the sensation was quite intense. So much so that her eyes began darting around the room, her lower beak chattering and her deep, guttural churring emanating from her throat.

Chiryn stopped moving, gradually opening his hand inside her to press his palm against her wall, the same interior wall that allowed him to squeeze up against his other palm resting against her hip. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." He assured her, using his strength to apply pressure and his magic to course energy through her.

"I know, I just-" she paused to regain herself, stabilizing her body. "It's a lot. Honestly, maybe a little too much." She raised one leg, the tension in her hip muscles clenching against his fist inside her in a way that forced his wrist to grind against her opposite wall.

He gently slid his hand mostly out of her, allowing it to glide along her anterior wall so that his wrist was resting on her clit from within. "That's okay, I don't have to give you as much inside as I do outside. It's a far more sensitive region in there, though it requires just as much attention." He was about to allow his hand to flop out of her like a flaccid stallion cock post mating, when she leaned back into him and winked again, her contraction locking around his wrist and holding him inside. "Or we can keep going if you insist."

She nodded rapidly, shifting her weight from one hind leg to the other. She didn't speak but instead arched her back in a way that actually forced herself onto his arm, nearly swallowing him all the way to the elbow. Lysandra remained snug, yet it was clear her muscles were relaxed enough to allow him to thrust without much in terms of resistance. At least, that was until she felt an unfamiliar, involuntary contraction in her entire backside that squeezed him so tight that it nearly forced him to be ejected from under her tail.

Chiryn knew this was about the apex of the internal massage, so he resisted her as best he could and started alternately balling up his fist and splaying out his fingers, ensuring that his tips caressed her walls in rhythmic, cyclical motions. He tickled her depths in a way that was both intense but gentle in equal measure, magic coursing through his digits to connect to his other hand through her haunches.

Lysandra tried her best to regain her composure but something about those dancing fingers inside her tickling her wall mixed with the unfamiliarity of it all threw her over the edge. As a wave of pleasure brought on by his fist and fingers coursed through her lower body, she clenched her loins, tensed up her haunches, actually leapt up and nearly kicked him, stopping herself mid buck with what little self-control she still had. The climax hit her, making every muscle in her lower half spasm in a way that nearly forced Chiryn back.

The sudden jerking motion did make Chiryn pause a moment, backing away just in case he was to be kicked again. This left his fist resting just inside her, the hippogryph lips clenching around his wrist with every wink. He paused and gulped, assessing the situation before slowly easing back into her, balling his fist up and grinding against her walls to keep the orgasm maintained. Mares were known to enjoy extended climaxes, and as long as he kept pressure on her for a bit, she'd keep at it.

But Lysandra got distracted pretty easily by her outburst. She felt terrible for nearly kicking him after all he'd done to help relieve her tension. She slowly eased forward onto her chest, front talons folded up in front of her as she used her wings to cover her beak in shame. "S-Sorry!" She chirped.

"It's okay, it's okay. You're a good girl." He cooed approvingly as he slowly pulled his hand out of her, grinding his knuckles against her anterior wall one last time to give her another jolt of pleasure before opening his palm and letting his hand slide over her clit. She twitched, he patted her haunches, and then he stepped back, giving her space. His work was done, she needed some time to recover. "It can be pretty intense. That said, I think it might be time for you to go to bed, okay? Relax, sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning. I'll find a place to sleep so you can have your privacy." He leaned over, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and then waited for her response.

It was clear she didn't want him to leave, but she didn't know how to respond to all that. She slowly collapsed onto her belly, tail descending between her cheeks to seal up her rump end. She opened her beak to speak, but then clamped it shut and covered her face with her wing. All she could mutter between the feathers was, "Thanks."

Satisfied, Chiryn took a small bow and gave her haunches a gentle pat before getting up. He gave her one last chance to ask him to stay - he assumed she'd want someone to cuddle with after - but she couldn't find the words and he wasn't one for imposing. In his time as a caretaker he learned that assuming his desires over that of those he cared for could lead to misunderstandings. Communication was key, as it often was. When she didn't actively reach out to him or ask for his companionship, he smiled and slipped out of the room. "If you need me I'll be up on deck. Sleep well." He said on his departure.

Once he left the bedroom, he finally had the freedom to notice that he had swelled within his groin, his cock threatening to burst from its depths. He was aroused, but still a consummate professional. He couldn't dare take advantage of someone like that. He walked around a bit, idly rubbing himself while sniffing and licking his hand, which was covered in her juices and soaked in her pleasant aromas. This sort of stimulation was hard to deal with.

After meandering below deck for a bit, he headed up top with his cock out fully, precum dribbling down his length. The moon reflected off the rippling waves and the orange glow of the party ashore was still throbbing as the steady beat of singing and dancing continued.

More immediately, the mare guard from before was still posted, alert and apparently just as horny. She must have heard what happened inside when Lysandra cried out in delight prior to kicking him away, becuse she was splayed out with one hand between her legs.

The mare motioned towards him to come. "Hey, you need any help?" She offered, lifting her armored dress to reveal she wasn't wearing greaves underneath. Chiryn was tempted. With the taste of mare still on his snout and the scent of mare completely inundating his senses, it was hard to not take her up on her offer.

He nodded and headed down the ramp to join her. He didn't know what would come of it but he knew it would be a fun if brisk time.