FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A canoe was paddled swiftly by a single oar in hand. The calm waters were easy to traverse, and the partly cloudy sky promised even easier weather conditions. Matteo had his sights set on the small neighboring island facing the small port town he lived in. The warm weather was pleasant and calm, a perfect day to cross the short distance of water.

'Almost to shore!' He felt the current helping him along. The salty smell of the sea brought an invigorating chill into his bones. He had landed on the island several times before and thoroughly searched for any signs of activity, but the area remained almost entirely pristine without any signs of disturbance. Aside from himself, no one else set foot on the little land.

At first the old tales of a certain treasure being buried on the island drew the human to its quiet beaches. However, after combing over the land several times, he lost interest in the fabled treasure and grew appreciation for the secluded scenery. It was a peaceful place to escape the monotony of daily life and enjoy some solitude.

The shallow water remained dark and murky from tiny waves as he paddled to shore. There was a brief shudder as the canoe struck the beach. The wet sand softly crunched beneath his steps as he pulled the canoe onto shore and left it by a large boulder. Safe from high tide or an unusually large wave, the human went inland.

The gentle lapping of waves behind him quickly diminished as he walked into the forest proper. Matteo smiled and strolled along oak seedlings, ferns, mossy rocks, and thick roots. Wandering through the trees and dense undergrowth always felt peaceful. The chattering of birds from land and sea echoed all around him.

“I don't think there were any turtle nests along the East beach-." His voice faded as a sudden noise from up ahead startled him. Matteo stopped and glanced around the tall trees and brush. He started to doubt what he had heard only for the sound of a stick snapping to penetrate the air from a short distance away.

'Uh oh!' He quickly hid behind a large oak tree bordered by a thicket of thorn bushes. It was more than enough room to hide and then quietly escape if needed. The sound of distant voices persisted, piquing his curiosity.

'Is someone else here?' He had never seen anyone remotely near the island, unless passing by in a small boat to fish. It wasn't entirely unheard of for a group of rowdy adolescents to venture out to the island, but that hadn't happened in well over a year. A minute slowly ticked by and the human kept a vigilant watch before seeing a trio of figures emerge from the underbrush.

A badger, wolverine, and jaguar were mulling around a small clearing in the island's forest. They were talking, but they were just too far away to hear clearly. He could see them fairly enough; the jaguar's spots were obvious, and the other two had stockier builds. The wolverine wore a pair of pants torn roughly at the knees, but it was difficult to tell what the other two wore as they leaned in and out of unobstructed viewing.

'They're not from town. They must be pirates or smugglers if they're on this uninhabited island.' Matteo deduced. Piracy was well known across the seas, but the small port town he hailed from never saw anything outside of a stray smuggler or two. The lack of commercial activity never drew the attention or greed of those seeking plunder; governmental or criminal. He safely watched the three from the cover of the dense underbrush and the large tree; but the discovery made him uneasy.

“These aren't ordinary pirates…" He realized and watched with a mixture of fear and intrigue. Matteo wasn't sure if what he saw was a hallucination of some kind. However, blinking several times didn't change what his eyes were seeing. The jaguar wasn't wearing more than a leather belt from which a short sword hung against a naked hip. The spotted feline was also armed with a machete. When the figure fully turned around in full view, his jaw nearly dropped.

He could see the line of her sex, plain as day when she turned around. Matteo blinked several times and rubbed his eyes from what he was seeing, but he really wasn't imagining it. Bare white furred spotted breasts with pink nipples were visible as well.

'They're all women!?' He looked on in shock as the naturally bulkier badger and wolverine were also female. Their small breasts were bare as well, and visible from a distance, but none of them seemed to care. The fact he was watching pirates was shocking enough, but the blatant nudity of several armed females stunned him as well.

'I can't believe this…' His eyes watched closely as they looked along the ground and then the trees themselves. He remained still as sharp gazes nearly met his own. He had heard rumors of a pirate group consisting only of ladies, but if true they could hardly be considered “lady-like" in any sense. They had a rough reputation, but rumors always sounded worse than the actual truth. Much like tales of sea serpents and giants, Matteo assumed it was simply tall tales being passed around. One thing was certain, he wanted nothing to do with the fierce pirate women.

'I need to get out of here.' He feared what could happen if he actually crossed paths with them. The human turned around to leave only to feel cold metal touch his side. He held his breath and glanced over his shoulder as a sense of dread crept over him. His core tightened as he found himself face to face with a female puma. Her golden feline eyes cut right through him like a predator eyeing its prey.

“A spy, huh?" Her voice whispered into his ear causing a chill to run up the human's back. His mind raced, but not a single thought could form with fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins. The color drained from his face as he was marched with the blade of a knife prodding him every step. Once he and the puma emerged from the thicket, all eyes from the other three female pirates lifted towards them. Their gazes felt like more sets of knives and daggers pointing at him.

“We've got a local lurking around." The puma behind him spoke up.

“Well, well, look at that ladies, a peeping Tom." The jaguar smirked. Matteo swallowed nervously as the puma brought him before the trio of tough pirate ladies.

“Looks like Gaia found herself a husband." The wolverine half grinned at her own joke.

“Pff! Ridiculous!" She hissed in agitation. The jaguar stepped up towards the young man. The spotted lady was the same height as him, but she certainly wasn't a pushover. Her arms and torso were slim but strong, and small cuts were evident all over her naked body.

“So who exactly are you and why are you snooping around this empty island?" Her golden eyed gaze cut right through him.

“I-I… um." Matteo opened his mouth, but his jaw quivered as he failed to make a complete sound. He started to sweat too.

“He's a shy one, Gaia." The jaguar glanced over at the puma standing by. She promptly shrugged.

“So what was he doing?" The badger asked the puma with a half uninterested gaze. She was hardly impressed by the human's presence.

“Standing behind a tree, watching you three very closely." Gaia explained.

“Sound suspicious." The jaguar rubbed her chin and glared at the terrified human under her golden eyed gaze.

“I would suggest letting him go. He'd only give us trouble while we are searching." The wolverine spoke. Matteo felt a wave of relief wash over him at the prospect of being let go, but the thought of running back to his canoe was immediately dashed upon the rocks like a ship.

“I'm not so sure about that." The badger spoke up.

“What do you think, Lily?" The jaguar turned to the badger who was patiently observing.

“I'll walk him to the ship if you don't mind, Augusta." The badger stepped forward and firmly took ahold of his arm. “You never know what valuable information a local may have." The human's heart sank. The stocky badger, true to her species, was strong and durably built. Even her claws appeared thick and menacing. She only wore a modest pair of short torn just above the knees with a cutlass fashioned along her hip. The badger had little in terms of jewelry aside from a pair of wooden bracelets. Her breasts were small, but her stout nipples poked ahead adventurously. Although, the last thing on the human's mind was making a pass at touching one or complimenting her. She hooked her arm around his own as if they were going to stroll through town together.

“Do you think he will have anything to tell us?" The jaguar remained skeptical. “There's only a small coastal town past this island."

“His lips are sealed like a clam's right now, but I think we can open him up to retrieve a hidden pearl." She happily stated, terrifying the human at her side.

“I don't know anything! Please let me go!" Matteo blurted out to their surprise. “I was going to leave!"

“See? He's already starting to talk." Lily happily pointed out. The wolverine rolled her eyes as the puma half grinned.

“That's fine. Be sure to let everyone still on deck know." Augusta told her.

“Will do." Lily nodded before giving the human a gentle nudge. Matteo walked alongside the badger as they left the small clearing together. The jaguar, wolverine, and cougar all resumed whatever they were doing as they disappeared back into the foliage.

Lily the badger wasn't in any rush and took all the time she wanted. They had to occasionally duck and walk by twigs and sticks poking and prodding them alike. Matteo glanced around their surroundings hoping to break free, but her arm's strength dwarfed his own. He tested the strength of her arm when they climbed over a fallen tree, desperately hoping she would slip up, only to find her muscles felt as strong as iron.

“Careful. I don't want you to trip." She advised, but the human remained silent.

'She's taking me to the southeast part of the island.' He realized what direction they were going. The trees soon thinned out just before they reached a shoreline mixed of sand and some pebbles. Matteo noticed plenty of footsteps in the sand and soft soil where they walked.

'Oh wow.' His eyes widened at an impressive ship anchored just beyond the shallow waters. Its sails were drawn up as the entire vessel sat idle in the calm ocean. It made sense why he never noticed the pirates' presence on the island until midway through the forest. East and south on the island faced the open ocean, but remained hidden from the mainland.

Further ahead on the beach two figures were standing by a pair of small dinghies; but a third was walking along the edge of the marram grasses and trees. Matteo could see that the first was a spotted hyena and the second a fennec vixen. The hyena waved only to pause as they finally neared.

'They're women too?' Matteo couldn't believe it. The spotted hyena had a scar on her chin and jawline. She also wore a red bandana around her forehead, shaggy pants, and an open vest that shamelessly bared her medium sized light brown furred breasts. He noticed a pistol hanging by her side as well. The well endowed fennec had small earrings in her large ears, which made up for her naturally short stature. The vulpine wore a loincloth styled garment rather than pants. A wide strip of leather resembling a belt had three pouches, and a dagger tied securely around her waistline. The third figure at the top of the shore, a flat chested Doberman, ran up to see what was going on. Her perky ears bore a single large earring. She didn't possess any scars like the fennec.

“Hey!" Lily kindly called out.

“What happened?" The spotted hyena asked.

“And who is this?" The fennec eyed the human with a confused expression. The flat chested Doberman glared at him.

“Yeah. Who is he?" She placed her hands on her hips.

“A local who was spying on us in the woods." The badger pointed over her shoulder. The three ladies looked back at her with intrigue at the news.

“Really? He doesn't look very threatening." The fennec pointed out.

“Spies aren't supposed to look threatening, Fleur." The hyena lightly elbowed the busty fox.

“I'm taking him onto our ship to question him."

“Okay." She gave a nonchalant shrug. “Is Augusta and the others still in the forest?"

“Yeah. They will return in a while." Lily informed them. “Wanna help me row back?"

“Sure." The fennec vixen and Doberman quickly offered.

“I'll wait here for them. You three go on ahead." The spotted hyena returned to watch over the lone dinghy. The Doberman and fennec pushed the tiny boat into the salty water, and then splashed into the ocean knee deep before jumping in. Matteo was tugged along by the badger at his side, and they splashed into the ocean.

To his surprise, Lily hauled him into the boat without releasing her grip, but only then did she loosen her grip and let him go. Matteo felt his arm and sat at the front facing the three ladies on board with him. The badger and fennec began to row as the boat rocked from the little waves in the shallow waters. The ocean breeze ruffled his hair and their fur alike, giving them all a messier windswept appearance.

“Where are you from?" The Doberman gal asked, but Matteo kept his head down and stared at the bottom of the tiny boat.

“Hey, can't you talk?" She gave him a funny look, but he ignored her.

“Don't waste your breath, Theodora." Lily advised with a little grin. “He's the shy and silent type."

“Oh." The canine frowned and rubbed an ear.

“Strip him naked to see if he enjoys staring at us." The fennec suggested.

“That wouldn't be very lady-like or hospitable of us." Lily said in a proper voice making them laugh.

“It would be funny though." The Doberman chuckled.

'These ladies are crazy.' Matteo kept quiet to himself. He glanced at the water and wondered if he could dive off the dinghy and swim to shore only to see the hyena waiting on the beach.

'Even if I could out swim them all, the hyena could easily catch me.' He worried that he wouldn't get another chance at escaping, but the timing wasn't right. He remained calm enough to not do anything brash.

“So what's the reason for bringing him aboard?" The busty fennec asked. “Is he helping us locate the pink moon treasure?" Matteo's eyes widened from what she had said.

'The treasure is real?' He was shocked to hear them talk about it. However, he had already scoured the island many times over with no luck. Maybe the treasure actually existed?

“Do you think he knows where it is buried?" The Doberman wondered.

“Maybe, or maybe not." The badger didn't seem too concerned. “But I'll see what I can get him to tell us." Her words chilled the human despite the kind tone of her voice.

'What are they going to do to me?' His heart and mind alike raced fearfully. Simply not knowing was excruciatingly difficult on his mind.

“Ahoy!" The badger called out once they reached the side of the ship. Matteo lifted his gaze and saw a head briefly appear over the top on deck before tossing down a few rope ends. Lily and the other two pirates quickly began typing the ropes to various points on the dinghy.

“Ready!" Lily pulled one rope. Matteo nearly fell over as the dingy was suddenly lifted out of the water using a pulley system. He held onto the sides as the wooden boat was lifted up to the height of the deck above them. The Doberman and fennec quickly jumped out but the human hesitated as the little vessel wobbled.

“Jump out!" Lily pushed him forward. Spurned forward, Matteo leapt onto the pirate ship's deck and barely managed to land on his hands and knees. The burly badger landed with ease beside him. Matteo rose up and found himself in the company of more than half a dozen ladies. A mixture of different gazes surrounded him; a husky, raccoon, red wolf, Darwin's fox, German shepherd, cattle dog, dhole, and a genet. All of them were female, and the human felt as if he had stepped onto another nation from another era.

“Who is this?"

“Why is this man here?"

“Lily, pushed him off the boat."

“Is he a fisherman?" Their voices were somewhat hushed as they were equally confused by Matteo's presence. A heavy breasted dhole took issue with the human's presence, and stepped forward.

“You're bringing a young man on board, Lily?" The dhole gave the badger and the human a distrustful glare. “What is this, a whorehouse?" The mature dhole had a motherly appearance: wide hips, a somewhat pudgy build and breasts that sagged; but there were enough plainly visible signs that she wasn't a nurturing sweetheart. A large x shaped scar above one breast was matched by several cuts along a forearm and her side.

'Did she fight her entire life?' He wondered.

“As if I'd break the rules like that, Rishi." Lily frowned.

“Then why bring him here?"

“He was caught spying on us while we were starting our search of the island." Lily explained. Matteo tensed up as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The human couldn't help but notice her thick claws harmlessly grazing his skin.

“Sounds like a peeping Tom to me." The dhole pointed out. Another topless crew member nodded in agreement.

“That's true, but I believe he may hold some information about the treasure we are seeking." She informed them. All of the ladies' eyes widened noticeably, and with great interest.

“So he has treasure buried on that island?" The Darwin's Fox presumed.

“I'd like to see it." Another piped up.

“So what can you tell us about the pink moon treasure?" Lily asked.

“I have no idea if it even exists." Matteo firmly spoke.

“Ah, so you do know about it." The badger hummed approvingly. The others seemed pleased to hear his confirmation, and bombarded the human with questions.

“Where is it buried?"

“What's inside the treasure chest?"

“Diamonds and doubloons?" Theodora guessed.

“Easy ladies." The mature dhole held them off.

“He isn't very forthcoming or talkative." Lily informed them.

“How are you going to make him talk?" One of the other lady pirates asked.

“I'm sure he will be generous enough to tell us, but it may take a little persuading." The badger reasoned. “Get some rope ready for me." She took ahold of his arm. Matteo was walked across the deck with an entourage of naked and half naked pirate women. Glancing around his surroundings, the ship wasn't simply a peaceful vessel containing several dangerous maidens. Cannons were readily placed along various points on the deck. Cannonballs and grapeshot were located close by as well. Most of the female pirates around him were armed too with cutlasses, daggers, knives, pistols, and even a crossbow.

'This is a real pirate ship.' He noted the danger he was in. A black flag was flying overhead that he hadn't noticed before, but he couldn't see the pattern clearly. The human was brought to the main mast of the ship. Matteo grimaced at the rope that Fleur the buxom fennec held up, and the small chain that a genet had on hand as well.

“Step back and keep your arms by your sides." A topless cattle dog with small breasts and a pudgy stomach stepped up to his left while a German shepherd appeared at his right. He was handled roughly by the women at his sides as they pinned him to the mast.

“Careful, Bianca." Lily warned the cattle dog. Matteo was tied to the main mast of the ship with sturdy rope and a chain for good measure. He didn't struggle or put up a fight to avoid being treated more roughly.

“So what did you have in mind, Lily?" Bianca the cattle dog inquired.

“I need to talk to Chita first. We can let him stay here for now." Lily suggested.

“That's fine." Rishi nodded in agreement. The women gradually disbanded and left him alone to his thoughts. Matteo kept a level head and breathed steadily despite his predicament.

'Don't panic.' He told himself and fight back the fear that had taken ahold of him. 'That's what they want.' Matteo knew any quick decision made under stress would end poorly for him on a private vessel. All he could do while tied up was observe the ladies around him and think of a way home. It only took a few glances to see that an escape from the ship was impossible. There were a few barrels to hide behind, but even if he managed to reach a dinghy or try to jump overboard, someone would've caught him.

'It's a large crew too.' He counted at least fourteen unique members performing daily chores or merely passing by. None of them so far covered their chests in any meaningful way, and instead purposefully bared their breasts. Matteo didn't know what to make of the naked and half naked women on deck. However, they behaved no differently than he would've otherwise noted.

A red wolf was rubbing Fleur the busty fennec's shoulder while she sat on a barrel.

“Rowing aggravated my shoulder again." She complained but sighed with relief from the canine rubbing her.

“Aye, that's what happens when you row too much over the years." The red wolf spoke.

“I suppose…" She agreed and winced. At the other side of the deck, a husky was cleaning her sword. There was also someone sleeping in a hammock. Closer to him, a busty raccoon wearing only an eyepatch was hanging up laundry onto a clothesline. He couldn't help but find her naked figure attractive while she performed the boring task of laundry. The human had a perfect side view of her breasts when she bent down and then stood back up.

“Don't forget to pin them to the line!" Someone called out to the raccoon.

“I wont!" She yelled over her shoulder only to roll her eyes and resume putting up the rest of the clothes.

'Don't lower your guard.' He looked away and warned himself. 'Even though they're topless women, they're still pirates.' The human reminded himself, wondering if their topless antics were part of a larger strategy or tactic of some kind. At the very least, it was distracting. The ladies on deck kept their distance from the tied up human for a while, but their curiosity was plainly evident. Like hungry sharks, they gradually closed in to take a closer look.

A naked Darwin's Fox slowly passed by the tied human and closely looked at him. She had a slightly pudgy torso and small breasts lacking any significant scars. Once their gazes accidentally met, she turned away and walked over to the eye patch raccoon doing laundry.

“He looked right at me but didn't say a word." The fox mentioned with a quick glance over her shoulder.

“Doesn't that make you think he's hiding something?" The raccoon mentioned. Matteo ignored what they gossiped about and looked away.

However, a rough looking husky approached him with a sword in hand. She wore an open vest, allowing her heavy breasts and pink nipples to rest in the sunshine freely. The canine wore nothing else in terms of clothing. White downy fur concealed her sex well enough though. A bracelet of wooden beads clacked as she stood before the immobile human. Matteo dared to glance up and saw her fluffy white fur partially concealed a long scar that trailed down on her stomach.

“What's your name?" The husky boldly asked.

“Uh…" He roughly swallowed. “It's Matteo."

“Matteo, huh?" She cocked her head to the side.

“I'm Niki." The canine lady introduced herself. “Now what's in this treasure that you know so much about?" She asked.

“I don't know anything about it." He answered.

“Don't lie to me." She growled and stabbed the wooden mast of the ship beside his cheek. The sharp blade made a dull thud sound that the human felt as much as he heard. Matteo froze in fear and looked at her, unsure what to say.

“Give it up. He ain't much of a talker, Niki." The raccoon called out from the clothesline.

“I can tell!" She called over her shoulder back at the raccoon. “But that's doesn't mean there aren't ways of making you talk." Niki looked back down at the bound human.

'What is she going to do?' He remained still as she pulled her sword out of the wooden mast.

“Tell me what's in the treasure."

“I have no idea." His answer only made her huff in agitation.

“Then tell me where it is buried, so the rest of us can take a look."

“I-I don't know!" He pleaded for her to understand.

“Really? I don't mind handing out scars as big as the one I've gotten." She gestured to herself. Matteo felt himself swallow roughly as the husky pointed the tip of the sword at his lower chest. The human felt the color drain from his face as the tip of her sharp blade nearly touched his skin. After a tense moment the canine muttered a few curse words and sheathed the blade. Niki suddenly gave up and walked back across the deck, leaving the human alone. Matteo breathed an internal sigh of relief and hung his head.

'She's persistent and dangerous.' He thought to himself, and was glad that she finally left him alone. The human managed to find some peace until he heard a pair of footsteps approaching him once again.

'What now?' Matteo looked up only to blink and find the naked raccoon kneeling before him. The lovely lass had a healthy grey furred perky bust, and didn't seem to care in the slightest that she was naked before a strange man. The Darwin's Fox from earlier was standing behind her, carrying an empty basket at her side.

“W-What?" He was scared to ask.

“Nothing. I just wanted to make sure she didn't cut you by accident." She looked him over closely with her single eye. “Niki can leave a nasty scar on someone if she gets angry…"

“Has she done that before?" Matteo asked.

“Mmhm." The fox behind her nodded.

“She's gotten in trouble for it too." The raccoon acknowledged. Her breasts gave a subtle bounce as she quickly stood back up. She gave him a brief grin before leaving with the vixen. This time the human was left in relative piece for a good while. The occasional cry of a seagull broke the mostly quiet atmosphere on deck.

'I wish I was a bird right now.' He thought about flying back to his canoe. Crew members passed by without saying much of a word towards him. He observed one heartily built Samoyed lady sharpening the blade to a bayonet while a spotted rat wearing large earring talked to her. The flat chested Doberman named Theodora was busily swabbing part of the deck while someone else lounged peacefully in a hammock. The scenes were typical and somewhat mundane for life on the sea.

'It's that badger again.' He noticed the huskily built lady observing him from across the deck while talking to the female husky named Niki. Matteo quickly averted his gaze to avoid provoking her. However, less than a minute ticked by when a shadow fell over him. He looked up and found the badger looming over him, although the angle gave him quite the view.

“Eyes up here." She quietly spoke and knelt down to his level. “And up here." She grinned before winking at him.

“What do you want with me?"

“You really aren't much of a talker." She reached by his side and fiddled with his bindings. He half expected her to tighten the ropes only to feel them loosen instead. She untied them anll and removed the chains as well.

“You are coming with me." She pulled the human up to his feet.

“Eh-what?" He didn't know what to make of her suddenly freeing him.

“I know how to get sensitive information out of you." She dusted off his front before taking ahold of his hand. Matteo was pulled along to an opening in the ship that led below deck. Lily led him down a series of steps and then a turn. The human blinked repeatedly hoping to adjust his eyes to the ship's darker interior. He felt the wall to avoid bumping into anything.

'Is she going to torture me?' He felt weak kneed at the unfortunate prospect. Nightmarish images of being flogged, beaten, and various other means of torture flashed through his mind. His skin crawled at what might happen to him. The captive human half expected to see other prisoners in worse predicaments than him, but surprisingly found no one stowed away anywhere.

“Wh-Where are you taking me?" He managed to ask.

“Our sleeping quarters." She happily answered.

“Sleeping quarters?" He didn't understand. They entered a space partially illuminated by open shutters. The subtle sounds of the ocean quietly reached them; from a random seagull to the soft sound of water lapping at the ship's hull. The room itself housed a few bunk beds to sleep in, a row along each wall with enough space for two or three to walk down the middle. The beds were not walled off in any sense, but some lower bunks had linen fashioned to the frames as makeshift curtains to provide a hint of privacy at night. There was enough room provided for about one dozen crew members to sleep.

Pleasantly surprised with the normal atmosphere, Matteo found something else noteworthy. The walls and wooden frames of the beds had papers nailed onto them. A few were news articles, but many pages were something he hadn't expected to see.

'Wanted posters?' He wasn't entirely surprised the pirates were wanted criminals, but they all seemed proud to display their naked busts on paper. The poses each member made ranged from calm stares to aggressive toothy grins. Bounties were also listed as well as hand written descriptions in more than one language.

The first he looked over was Augusta the jaguar stoically posed while wearing nothing more than a leather belt and a strap that ran between her modest relaxed breasts. A turtle shell acted as a shoulder pad or piece of decorative armor, and a toothed necklace hung around her neck.

'Dangerous and strong with an equally terrifying bite!' Was written on he paper. He felt a subtle chill reading the phrase 'dead or alive' on the page.

'Two hundred and five pounds.' The bounty was nothing to ignore. The other posters he glimpsed were of various crew members: a wolverine named April with a bounty of 130 pounds; a spotted rat named Mabel with a bounty of 156 pounds; and Rishi, the heavy breasted mature dhole was even portrayed with a bounty of 65 pounds. The next poster caught his eye and attention.

“Gaia…" He recognized the cougar who had originally found him on the island. She was aggressively growling while holding up a customized black and white flag. His eyes widened at the flag's design of bare breasts and crossed bones. The ladies certainly weren't shy about their trademark toplessness.

“Gaia is something else, isn't she?" Lily placed a hand on his shoulder, reminding him that she was still there.

“Uh… Yeah." He wasn't sure what to say and felt the badger's front lightly touch his back.

“Yep, we're pretty proud… and just plain pretty." Lily couldn't help but make a joke. “But the whole crew is proud of their bounties, including me."

“I can tell."

“Her bounty is forty four pounds." Lily tapped a thick claw on the monetary amount of the poster. “Not bad for a young wily woman who has been on board with us for a mere seven months. You could say she was quick to tear her shirt off and go topless like the rest of us." Lily chuckled. “Don't you want to see my poster?" She coyly asked.

“I don't know…" His slightly fearful tone made her laugh. He wondered what her bounty was, but didn't want to ask.

“I was hoping you'd like it." Her hands started rubbing his shoulders and upper arms. The badger's touch felt very intimate as her leathery palmed hands caressed him.

“What are you up to-?" He turned around and blocked her arm only to see that Lily was no longer wearing any pants. Matteo blinked and realized that she was completely naked, her pants having been tossed aside a while ago.

“If you let go, I'll scream." She whispered with a pleasant grin across her face. The human's eyes widened at the odd threat, but it gave the sneaky pirate enough time to make a move. A furry leg hooked behind the human, causing him to grab ahold of her to not lose balance.

“Hey-!" With his hands holding onto Lily, she hooked her thumbs under the hem of his pants and undergarment. With a quick tug, they fell to the floor. Matteo bent over to pull them back up, but the badger was faster despite her size. Lily placed a foot on his removed pants and undergarment.

“Get off-!" Matteo tried moving her foot only to feel her grasp ahold of his waist. “Hey! Stop!" He cried out only to be carefully tossed onto the bed. Loose fur on the sheets was knocked into the air like dust. The strong heavyset badger climbed on top of him causing the wood to groan and creak threateningly. For a bed only made for one, they were testing its limits. Matteo attempted to climb out, but a strong pair of arms pulled him back from slipping away so easily.

“Get off me!" He grabbed her waistline and tried pushing Lily off, but there was no budging her. The badger gently took ahold of his hands, and leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

“Look. Just relax and enjoy it. I'm not going to harm you." She calmly told him, but the faint grin along her lips didn't reassure him.

“R-relax?!" He scoffed at the idea. “How can I relax when I've been captured by pirates?" The human made a valid point. The badger's shoulders slouched as she blew a discontented sigh.

“I felt bad letting you sit chained on deck." She informed him. “And I kinda think you're cute." Her final admission only made him feel confused.

“What? Cute?"

“Men can be so dense. How's this sound?" She playfully thought aloud. “I'll let you go if you can guess my bounty."

“Go?" His eyes widened at the prospect.

“Yes, and I mean go back onto the island and leave. How's that sound?" She clarified. The human blinked and looked at the badger looming atop him suspiciously; but couldn't let the chance of freedom slip away even if it was only offered by word of mouth from a pirate!

“However," she noticed his sudden interest, “if you guess incorrectly, then you'll follow my lead." Lily winked at him. The sudden promise of freedom made Matteo's heart race, even if it was a pirate's deal. His eyes darted around hoping to see her bounty poster, wherever it could be. However, the badger was quick to catch on.

“Ah, no cheating." She grinned and very gently covered his eyes with a hand. With his vision almost completely darkened, he groped the air around her arm only to land on her soft furry front. Matteo quickly retracted his hands after hearing a hum of approval from Lily.

'What is her bounty?' He started to sweat, but Lily didn't remain idle for him to think without a little playful interference. The human felt a claw on her other hand draw devious circles below his navel, close to his nethers. Matteo started to squirm underneath the badger. Even in his current predicament, he couldn't deny how good her touches felt.

'Gaia's was forty four and Augusta's was two hundred and five.' Matteo thought of the two posters he had looked at closely, but wished he had seen more.

“Take your time." Lily cooed from above. His entire body twitched as her hand wandered along his inner thighs, carelessly brushing her furry fingers against more sensitive places. He felt a hint of arousal creep forward. Unable to take any more of her teasing, the human thought of a good enough answer.

“Fi-Fifty nine pounds?" He finally guessed. Lily paused before uncovering his eyes. Matteo blinked at found the badger looking at him in mild surprise. The human felt his heart nearly stop awaiting an answer.

“That's not correct." She curtly shook her head. “But you are close. It's sixty two pounds." The let down crashed his hopes and soured his emotions.

“You could've lied to me anyway, no matter what answer I gave." Matteo exhaled and gritted his teeth as a mixture of anger and regret flared inside him. He realized that she had tricked him while he was hot and bothered. It was a pirate's deal after all. Lily did not speak and frowned at him for the first time.

“Well then…" Her friendly and welcoming tone briefly faded from her voice. She sat back and reached out of the bunk bed. The human watched as she pulled a piece of paper hanging from the bed above.

“I never cheat." She held up a piece of paper in front of his eyes to clearly see.

“Lily…" His jaw slackened at the wanted poster of the female badger. Her name was in all capital letters. The strong stocky badger was posed wearing a toothy grin. One hand rested on her hip and she carried a cutlass in the other while flexing. She only wore a pair of pants and a modest belt holding a pistol. She was completely topless otherwise with both small white furred breasts on display to the naked eye. She didn't have a terrifying or intimidating appearance like Augusta or Gaia, but the badger possessed enough strength to make reconsider double crossing her.

“Sixty two pounds… dead or alive." He quietly read the amount.

“That's right." She set the paper aside and looked closely at him. “You didn't think I would uphold my end of the bargain since I am a pirate, did you?"

“No." He admitted. “Sorry."

“Well…" Her ears wiggled at his apology, and then demeanor softened noticeably. “Will you uphold your end of the bargain for me?" Matteo sighed and looked up at the naked badger straddling his bare hips. Her brown eyes didn't cut through him like the golden eyes of Gaia or Augusta. They were much softer and warmer than he had expected.

'It can't be worse than torture.' He told himself.

“Well?" She harmlessly drew a claw down the center of his chest. Matteo never would've imagined making love to a pirate before, then again, he didn't know there were female pirates to make love to!

“Fine." He relented and upheld their little 'agreement.' “Just don't… be too rough with me." Matteo felt his face turn a subtle shade of red.

“You've got it." She nodded with a happy smile. “But I'm a pirate. I like sailing across a rough sea." Lily winked and traced her hands down his front. Matteo drew in a hasty breath as she slowed down over his groin. Matteo tensed reactively as she eyed his manhood, and placed his hands on her arms.

'She's really strong.' He combed through the grey fur covering her arms, but he felt the strength resting underneath more than the softness on the outside.

“Don't worry. I know when to use my strength, and when not to." She teased and coddled his entire manhood with one hand and began petting his flaccid length. It didn't take much for her warm leathery fingertips to stimulate his flesh. Matteo felt a pulse and twitch as she gave a gentle twisting stroke. But then the tricky pirate did a trick he wasn't expecting. Matteo silenced a moan as she rubbed his growing length across her soft downy fur.

“Nnughh. Your fur is so soft." He watched his length as she tended to him.

“Just wait till you're inside me." She cooed aggressively causing his now erect length to throb in need. Matteo gulped and squeezed her rump in affirmation.

“You better find all of my curves with those curious hands." She wiggled her upper body suggestively causing her small breasts to noticeably jiggle and shake. A pair of breasts hanging over him was attractive no matter their size or shape. Reaching up, he cupped both little handfuls and gave a soft squeeze before tenderly rubbing them. His fingers were quick to pinch and rub the hard pink nipples poking adventurously out at him.

“Mmm. Just like that." She breathed a relaxed sigh and bit her lip. Lily released his length and rose up just enough to brush her womanhood over his tip. The burly badger looked over him and wiggled her read before guiding herself onto him. She was already softly breathing through her mouth from his tender touches.

“I've only made love to two men before in my entire life, so I want this to feel incredible." She told him. Matteo took a deep breath as she guided him inside and quickly took him to the hilt.

“Mmm…" Lily hummed and rubbed his front liberally with her leather and furry hands. The sensations resembled red hot iron touching cold water all over his excited skin. Matteo didn't cease giving her breasts and nipples plenty of close attention; making her twitch and give tiny hips of approval. He had his hands and lap full, but the badger had only just started slowly grinding her hips. The badger's gentle gyrations already had him squirming and breathing heavier. It felt far too good to be real, but the there was a sudden change in tempo from Mother Nature herself; just like a sudden storm at sea.

“Hold on tight." Lily barely gave him a warning before quickly gyrating her hips at a different angle. Matteo arched his back as the badger woman bounced in his lap at a steady but quick pace. Matteo felt his length sliding in and out of her wet womanhood with every slick bounce. Out of instinct he starting matching her movements despite being pinned under her. The human keenly eyed her chest as their hips slapped together. Her breasts as small as they were still shook and bounced from the force of his quick upward thrusts.

“Slow down!" He gasped and held onto her powerful legs as she humped him with fervor. Muffled wet slaps sang out between them every second. Matteo could only hold her and try to meet her motions with thrusts of his own. Lily softly snarled and grabbed the sheets beside him, riding him passionately. Her rocking hips and thighs wouldn't stop, threatening to pound the life out of him in the most pleasurable way possible.

“Ohh…ohhh!" Lily suddenly shuddered once and sat up as much as she could in the small bed.

“Uuugghgh!!" The badger raised her head and happily moaned until she tapped the bottom side of the top bunk. The bed squeaked and groaned along with them. Lily slowed down and strained her arms and legs. Matteo could see and feel her abs tending just as much. He slowed down only to receive a sharp prod from her claw.

“Keep… keep going!" She growled lustily at him. He obliged and continued pounding her from below. Her eyes were closed, but her groans increased in volume and frequency. She was a burly badger singing like a crooning harpy for orgasmic joy; but even during the heat of the moment, Matteo could tell that she was holding back for his sake.

“I'm close!" He warned her. The slick warmth of her sex felt too good.

“Go! Just fih… finish!" She gasped and moaned all at once. The human gladly obliged and felt himself to over the edge.

“Aah! AH!" Her eyes and jaws snapped wide open. Matteo felt her entire body go rigid as he came with a final push. He closed his eyes as her sex squeezed around his length, nearly milking out each spurt he filled her with. The end of their combined climax left them both in a haze of thick pleasure leaving loose fur clinging to his skin. She was panting above him with a pleasured look etched onto her face. Matteo mirrored a similar expression below her.

“Ooh. That was… wow. Good. It was good." She sighed contently. “Thank you for that." Matteo didn't have the breath to say anything back to her. As strange as it felt, the human felt a little pride and satisfaction knowing that she had been brought to so much pleasure.

Lily laid down halfway on top of Matteo and snuggled up to him closely. A leg hooked over his own and a hand rubbed his shoulder. A damp nose nuzzled up into his other shoulder. She was surprisingly tender with the human. He simply laid under the badger lady and caught his breath while she cuddled with him.

“So… do you mind telling me about this pink moon treasure?" She traced a thick claw harmlessly down the center of his chest. “I've already shared my pink treasure with you." Her raunchy comment made his cheeks flare red and heart skip a beat. He gulped before speaking.

“I already told you… I have no idea if it is even real." He managed to say. Lily wiggled her nose, but her expression didn't change.

“Hmm…" She hummed aloud lazily. “Something tells me you're only half telling the truth." The badger saw right through his words. “But it doesn't matter." The human gave her a peculiar look.

“Doesn't matter? You're holding me prisoner for that reason."

“True." She admitted. “But if I can do this with you every night then I don't need any treasure to dig up. I've got you." Lily smiled at him. Matteo didn't know what to make of her words.

'She likes me?' He found it odd that a lady pirate would care for him.

“My legs are getting sore. How about you lay on me instead?" She suggested, but Matteo wasn't in much of a position to argue.

“Sure." He sat up and the two managed to roll around in unison until they swapped positions. The badger took up just about all of the bed's room. He wasn't sure where to lay down with the naked beauty, but all modesty had been tossed out already.

“Lay your head right here." She patter one of her breasts and winked. Matteo obliged and rested on top of her. Lily's breast was a comfy makeshift pillow. All of her soft fur and body heat kept him warm and cozy as well. Lily sighed and placed her warm hands on his lower back contently. Matteo felt her fingers tapping his skin for a moment as she hummed a little tune. But resting in her arms was far more pleasant than spending the evening tied to the main mast of the ship, or locked in a cage below deck.

Matteo's eyes started to close as he laid on her. He was just plain tired, and started to doze off when the sound of approaching footsteps stirred him back awake. A female canine approached the bunk they were laying in.

“Oh, wow." The cattle dog looked at the pair in subtle surprise.

“What?" Lily eyed the nosy canine.

“I should've guessed you'd take him down here." She rubbed her head and looked away.

“I'm not the first to bring a man on board." She pointed out.

“It's not a common occurrence." Bianca retorted.

“Then why did you come down here?" The badger propped her head up with a hand, but kept her other arm wrapped securely around Matteo.

“Dinner is about to be served up on deck." She pointed over her shoulder. “Come and get it if you aren't too busy down here." The canine turned and left. Her footsteps quietly echoed as she returned up to the deck.

“Hmm. I am hungry." Lily hummed aloud. The badger eased away and stood up before smoothing out her facial fur. Matteo watched her while laying down, unsure if she wanted him to go with her.

“I know you probably don't want to eat with everyone else on deck. You can eat down here if you'd like." Lily offered. “I'll send someone with a serving of food."

“Thanks." He appreciated the freedom to do so. “I appreciate it."

“Of course. You're welcome." She flashed him a grin. “Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be back after a while." The badger said before leaving him alone in the pirates' sleeping quarters.

'I can't believe I made love to a woman who's also a pirate.' He laid sail for a moment. Matteo rose out of bed and gathered his clothes crumpled on the floor. All of the ladies on the ship were naked or half naked already, so being dressed didn't matter that much anymore. He walked over to the open shutters and already felt a little preemptive soreness in his legs. Matteo gazed out at the scenic forested island with the sun setting behind it. The clouds were cast in brilliant oranges and golden yellow hues. The scenery felt surreal in a way.

He had been drawn to the island in search of a fabled treasure, but gave up to enjoy the natural solitude the small land mass offered. Now he was aboard a pirate ship, a prisoner for the most part. Matteo had no clue if the Pink Moon treasure actually existed, but they seemed to think so.

'I have to think of a way outta here.' He thought to himself. 'If I don't I might go mad, or she will likely break my hips.' He worried about the second possibility more than the first. The human also feared being taken far away from home with little hope of returning, no matter how they treated him.

He tore himself away from the window after a prolonged sigh. Matteo dressed himself before wandering around a little. Curiosity nagged at him, so he glanced around the wanted posters again.

“There are so many crew members, unless some are former members or deceased." He murmured at the numerous papers. He looked at a wanted poster of a German shepherd leaning again a railing. She wore pants, a belt, and a captain's coat; however, the coat was left open, and her small breasts were bared proudly for the poster. She wore a tongue lolling grin and held up a pistol in hand.

“Holly." He read the canine's name. “One hundred and twenty two pounds, wanted dead or alive." Matteo looked around the edges of the paper next.

'Her bite is worse than her bark.' Was handwritten on the poster.

'I wonder why hers is nearly double Lily's bounty.' Matteo thought and looked at a few others. There was a spotted rat named Alexandra; a wolverine named April; and a cattle dog named Bianca to name a few. All were topless regardless of how much other clothing they wore or not. Scars and weapons were far more common than not. It was entirely bizarre for the human to look at a bunch of wanted posters of female pirates, but there he was.

The sound of steps coming down from the deck made him pause. Turning around, a naked Darwin's Fox approached him with a bowl of porridge along with a plate of hard tack, a small piece of cod, raisins, and a slice of yellow watermelon.

“Lily requested that you get the same meal as her." The pretty vixen told him.

“Thank you." He accepted the food.

“You're welcome." She was quick to speak and left him alone.

“Hmm…" Matteo looked around and found the vulpine's wanted poster tacked along one of the bunk beds frames. She was standing complete naked and carrying a cutlass over her shoulder while carrying some rope of the other. Her small breasts were void of any scars, and the grin she wore was subtle yet sweet. Her pose was starkly different from most of the other posters.

“Her name is Jessie and her bounty is ninety nine pounds." Matteo whispered aloud. “What did she do to earn that high of a bounty?" He preferred not to know. Like the others she was wanted dead or alive and the handwritten note 'reserved but feisty in combat' gave him a clue. He walked away with his food in hand.

“Might as well eat." Matteo told himself and found a barrel close to the shutters to set the food on. The fish was hot and so was the porridge. The hard tack was a bland filler, and the raisins were sweetly fruity. The melon was meaty and not too sweet. It was a great meal for a captive. The human ate in relative peace and quiet with a beautiful view of the island. At this time, he would have returned back home for a meal.

Once he finished, the sound of footsteps approaching caught his attention again. Looking over his shoulder, Lily had returned, but she was still completely naked.

“I hope you ate well."

“I did."

“You got dressed too." Lily noticed and stood beside him.

“Yeah, I'm not like you all. I prefer staying dressed."

“Don't sound so harsh. I know a man would never turn down seeing a naked woman." Lily teased. Matteo couldn't exactly argue with her reasoning either.

“So Niki told me that your name is Matteo." The badger began as if they were on an arranged date. “And you're from the fishing village just beyond the island here."

“Yes, that's correct."

“Matteo is a nice name." She mentioned. “You already know my name is Lily."

“I don't think I will ever forget your name." He admitted.

“Hehe, well, I understand that." The badger became a little bashful. “It's not like I can find someone any day who finds me attractive."

“I never said that I found you attractive." He stated.

“I know." Lily gave a nod. “But you rose up to the challenge fairly fast when we were in bed together." She grinned and winked causing him to blush.

“Well…" He tried thinking of a witty comeback.

“Don't feel shy or ashamed about it. I know a man enjoys pleasure, and I enjoyed it too." She wasn't shy about it at all. Matteo rubbed the back of his head and looked around not sure what to say about it.

“Can I ask you some questions?" He didn't want to talk about the intimacy they had just shared.

“Sure, ask away." Lily smiled.

“Why is your bounty higher than Gaia's?" He asked. “She looks fiercer than you."

“She's only been our crew mate for seven months." Lily explained. “And she's not quite as strong as me." She gave him a playful nudge. “More importantly, bounties are determined by reputation. She hasn't had enough time to develop a good reputation, er a bad reputation to the governments."

“How did you end up becoming a pirate? You're kind of terrifying," he admitted, “but not that terrifying." She grinned at his words. “You remind me more of a tough innkeeper." He added. Lily was quiet for a moment which led him to take a guess.

“Does it involve cheating?" He asked only to receive a stern glare from her normally soft eyes.

“No, it doesn't." She mumbled. Matteo didn't say anything in response, perfectly fine leaving the conversation there, but she slowly opened up.

“I was mostly raised by my uncle until I was a teenager. I think I was sixteen or seventeen when he kicked me out, and I had to live on my own with the help of my cousin for a few years. I did plenty of odd jobs to make enough, but it was just enough. I remember working on a dock one day when I was approached by Augusta, the jaguar you saw on the island with me."

“She just offered you to join?"

“Yea." She nodded. “And I accepted. I even got my cousin April to join with me. She's the wolverine who was on the island with us when Gaia caught you peeping on us." She winked and nudged the human's side.

“I wasn't… whatever." He mumbled causing her to giggle.

“It's a much better life than I would've had otherwise. Of course, I thought having a bare chest was odd at first, but I quickly got used to it, especially with plenty of the other ladies also being naked or half naked. When I grew up, women and girls bathed together so it was not that different. We regularly offer women to join, and some have already heard of us before we reach an area since our reputation has grown."

“Hmm. I thought I had heard stories about a female only pirate group, but I thought they were just wild tales from fishermen and sailors."

“No, we are real pirate crew." She smiled. “And some women are eager to join us, and rip their tops off."

“But why do all of you walk around nude or topless?"

“I don't remember the full story, but the founding members of this pirate group years ago didn't like the laws in most places requiring to cover up when men didn't have to, and it was a way to distinguish themselves among other pirates who roamed the seas." She told him as footsteps were heard coming below deck.

“Hehe, I never would've thought of that!" A female voice giggled as another laughed.

“I know, right?" Theodora and a red wolf approached a bunk bed.

“Oh, Lily's right there with that man like you said she'd be." A third and fourth crew mate entered the room.

“I guess it's about time for bed." Lily remarked as more ladies entered the sleeping quarters.

“Yeah. You're right." He looked outside the shutters a final time at the fading light, but a pair of footsteps approached them. Looking over his shoulder, he found a familiar strong jaguar standing before them.

“What is it Augusta?" Lily spoke up.

“Chita wishes to talk to you and him together." She glanced at the human. Matteo glanced at the badger, but she didn't seem worried despite a few looks from the other ladies.

“Alright." Lily didn't complain and took Matteo by the hand. He received a few stares as he brushed by the naked and undressing ladies by the beds, and those coming down from the deck.

“I think they like each other." Matteo heard the fennec whisper to another woman. They climbed the stairs and emerged to the darkening late evening. The deck was quiet save for a trio of females passing around a pipe with an empty lantern and a half full wine bottle between them. Another crew mate was cleaning up around an empty hammock. They didn't receive more than a brief glance from the lingering ladies as they approached a large arched doorway.

“Knock knock." Lily tapped on the sturdy wooden door.

“Come in!" A muffled voice answered. Matteo and Lily stepped inside a nicely sized room brightly lit with several lanterns and a few candles. Matteo and Lily were greeted by a striped feline wearing a tricorn hat, long pants, and a captain's coat that was left open, revealing her bare chest and torso. Her large white furred breasts were barely touched by her black stripes. She had a pair of pistols and a cutlass on her hips where a scar was faintly visible. The captain's golden predatory gaze scared him, and the glowing light gave the already intimidating tigress a spooky appearance.

“Welcome aboard our lovely ship, Matt. Lily has taken good care of you from what I've heard." She offered a polite grin and outstretched her hand.

“Um, yes she has." He shook her hand.

“Excellent. My name is Chita, and I'm the captain of these extraordinary women." The tigress proudly spoke. “I also heard that you were caught on this island watching my crew mates in the forest." She stepped back and sat on the wooden desk.

“It happened by accident." Matteo insisted.

“It doesn't bother me at all." She waved a hand. “But what does interest me is what you may or may not know about something on the island that we are looking for."

“The young man has some knowledge about the pink moon treasure, but he won't say anything to me." Lily slapped his back, causing Matteo to stumble forward two steps.

“Oh?" The captain looked at him with intrigued eyes. “I'm listening." She smiled and gave him her full attention. Matteo swallowed nervously.

“I looked all over the island for more than a year. I have searched for the treasure, but I never found anything. I'm not even sure if it's real outside of some tall tales. I gave up looking for it and paddled out to the island to enjoy the scenery, and that's when I ran into some of your crew mates." He glanced at Lily who grinned at him.

“Well, I have a journal and an important document that gives me a strong indication that something is buried on this little wooded island." Chita tapped the desk she was sitting on with a sharp claw.

“How does this sound, Matteo?" She sounded more like a businessman than a pirate captain.

“Another pirate's deal?" He thought back to Lily's offer when she had him pinned to the bed.

“This is a bargain as well." She grinned. “I'll give you a cut of any treasure we find thanks to you, just like any crew member." The tigress's offer wasn't bad in the slightest. He couldn't exactly trust her either, but he was in a poor position to refuse.

“Is that a deal?" Chita asked and extended a hand. Matteo was afraid that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

“All I can do is take you to where I think the treasure is buried." He answered and shook.

“Thank you." She gratefully shook his hand and smiled. “I'm looking forward to it tomorrow morning. Anything else you'd like to add, Lily?" Chita looked at the badger.

“No. He's been great company." She placed a hand on the human's shoulder.

“Glad to hear it." She softly grinned. “Although you know we don't want men on board our ship for very long." Chits reminded her.

“Yes, I understand." She nodded.

“Alrighty then. If there's nothing else to add then I hope you two have a nice sleep."

“Thanks. We won't stay up late tonight." She winked and nudged Matteo's side.

“Thank you." He spoke up much to the captain's amusement before they left. Once the heavier door was closed behind them, Matteo exhaled softly as if a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders. However, he had set himself up for a difficult scenario tomorrow morning.

'How will I pull this off?' He worried. His body was still jittery, but the day's events were quickly catching up to him. A very tired yawn from the human broke the silence between them.

“Tired?" Lily guessed.

“Yeah, I'm exhausted."

“I'm pretty tired too, thanks to you." She grinned and nudged his side as they walked back across the deck.

“That wore me out too." He said only making her giggle. Noticeably, there was no one else on deck anymore when they reached the stairs.

“I can guarantee they're going to ask what Chita told us." Lily told him as they went below deck. Matteo stayed close to her as a glow was visible around the corner.

“I think I heard her talking about-." A voice stopped as Lily and Matteo entered the room. They were met with several curious gazes illuminated in the lantern lit quarters. Several ladies were reclined in bed, but others were sitting on bedsides gossiping. The ladies who normally half dressed were disrobing. Swords and other weapons or belongings were put away. Bare bodies occasionally brushed past one another due to the tight space as they prepared themselves for bed.

“So what did the captain tell you?" One of the ladies reclining in bed asked.

“You'll find out tomorrow." Lily reassured them.

“Was it about the treasure?" Theodora the flat chested Doberman asked.

“What did I just say?" The badger snapped. Her fellow pirate fell silent after a grumbling word of agitation.

“Is he sleeping with us?" A canine removing her open vest looked at Matteo with disapproval.

“No, he's sleeping with me." Lily retorted causing two or three laughs before she led Matteo through a gauntlet of women. The human felt plenty of gazes on him as he brushed past the naked pirates. Two beds pulled their curtains closed after he passed by. The badger climbed into her bed first while Matteo waited.

“What's it like sleeping in a room with a bunch of naked women, human?" A wolverine on the bed above Lily leaned over and asked.

“Terrifying." His answer made several of them laugh.

“Don't mind them." Lily rolled onto her side and patted the small space beside her. He laid down with his back her, but knew sleep wouldn't come easily to him for the night. A strong furry arm rested over his chest giving him a little reassurance.

'I wish she was an innkeeper in town.' He silently thought to himself, feeling safe in her arms.

“Lights out below deck!" Someone called out from the top of the stairway. Two women walked over and began blowing out the lanterns until darkness enshrouded the entire quarters. He heard bed frames creaked subtly and whispering as some makeshift curtains closed.

“I have to watch above deck for half of the night."

“Yell if a sea serpent snatches you."

“Very funny…"

“Sleep well." Lily whispered and pulled him nice and snug up against her bare front.

Matteo felt a warm leathery hand tenderly pat his chest as their body heat mingled. As cozy and nice as Lily felt against his back, his mind worried about tomorrow.

'I have no idea where that treasure is buried.' He thought too himself. There was no guilt in his mind that he had lied to a pirate captain, but would they discover his lie before there was a chance to escape?

The soft sounds of ocean waves lapping alongside the ship's hull very subtly rocked the wooden vessel anchored just off shore of the tiny island. A lone seagull remained silent on his perch as the far end of a railing. Matteo stood in a dinghy with several other ladies ready to be lowered once the others on deck were in order.

The cool morning air chilled his skin, but toughened his nerves for what was to come. Lily was not at his side either. He had managed to sleep through the night well enough despite laying in the arms of a friendly female badger, and possibly half an entire pirate crew. All of the breasts and outright nudity around him didn't faze him nearly as much as the previous day. A lot was on his mind after all.

“Lower us down!" A voice called out. Three dinghies were lowered into the ocean below, one at a time, and he was on the first one. Lily was in the third boat, and he hadn't said anything to her since they woke up together. Five other pirates were with him, including the captain Chita, but the other two boats had plenty of other crew members including tools to dig with. In total, he was outnumbered twelve to one. The odds weren't in his favor, but his determination and planning would have to fill that wide gap.

'I just need to get away from them.' He reminded himself. The human knew the island very well, and his female captors did not. That was his advantage, and he would need to fully utilize it if he had any hope of escaping. The women rowed with ease over the calm ocean, but Matteo felt a subtle sickness from his nerves.

They all hopped out of the small boat and onto the sandy shore with a gentle foaming wave tumbling at their feet. All of them gathered onto the beach as the other two small boats landed. A pick axe, three shovels, and a couple of large flour sacks were brought out.

“Alright." The tigress captain looked at the human. “Show us which way to go."

“This way." He led the dozen pirates up the beach and into the forest. They marched behind him and followed in a single file line. Matteo felt a little more at ease with the noisy birds and trees towering around him. He already felt like he was home, but freedom was just out of his reach. There was little chatter behind him, save for what to do depending on what kind of treasure was found.

“Just a little further." He looked over his shoulder at Chita. The tigress gave a nod of approval and waved to everyone behind her to keep walking. Matteo took them deeper into the island's forest all the way to a small clearing, similar to the one he had first seen the pirates at.

“Is this the spot?" One of them asked as they emerged from the foliage one by one.

“Yes, I believe it is buried in this area." Matteo nodded and pointed around the whole bare ground.

“This saved us days of scouring the entire island." Fleur the fennec vixen smiled.

“Yeah, don't want those heavy breasts of yours swaying too much from hiking around here." Theodora teased.

“We should try digging the middle first." Augusta suggested. “It should be furthest away from the tree roots." She spied into the canopy at the surrounding large oaks.

“Alright ladies, let's get digging!" Chita grabbed a shovel for herself. All of the pirates gathered around the space and started clearing the leaf litter away with their tools.

“Move back." The spotted hyena with the scar on her jaw pushed the human aside.

“Aren't you going to make him dig?" The wolverine asked and grabbed a shovel.

“He'd only get in my way." She remarked and they started digging into the mixed sand and soil. The pirates worked well as a group and dirt began to pile up as they dug. Others began to move the excess by hand all while Matteo keenly, but nervously watched them. He didn't know how long they'd dig before realizing something was wrong. His heart began to pound faster and his palms became sweaty as a clock in his mind began quickly ticking. Matteo took a slow step back, and then a second as everyone else was preoccupied.

“Careful where you throw that dirt!" Bianca the cattle dog barked.

“Then come here and help us." Theodora shot back.

“Maybe we could dig right here as well?" A red wolf cleared some leaf litter with a paw.

“It wouldn't hurt since this clearing has some space." The fennec vixen beside her agreed. Matteo glanced from the corner of his eye, and made sure no one was watching him. The human stepped back further until he reached the edge of a thicket and a tall oak tree. He reached out and touched the bark. His mouth dried as he realized how clammy his hands had become. Matteo watched them furiously dig and clenched his teeth and held his breath. His eyes scanned the entire dozen female pirates right before sidestepped behind the tree. In mid stride he saw the corner of Lily's eye right as he disappeared from view entirely.

'Did she see me?' He didn't know, but it was too late to turn back now. Heart pounding a second passed without any change. The sounds of idle chatter and digging continued all the same.

'Now!' His heart raced as adrenaline pumped through his body. Matteo dropped low to the ground and crept away under the shadow of the towering tree. The leaves were almost silent beneath him, but every step was painfully audible to his ears. If he ran too early then they would easily hear him over the sounds of digging. He carefully crept away unseen and rounded a second tree. Every inch he crept away was another put between him and the pirate crew.

“Aaahh!" A shout from one of the pirates nearly made time stop for one instant, but spurred the human to action. Matteo didn't know who shouted or even why, but in that one second he leapt into a full sprint. More yells erupted from behind him, but he didn't hear them. His heart raced within his chest and pounded inside his ears as he tore through the low branches, ferns, and saplings with no regard. A thorn bush cut his leg leaving a rough scrape, but he felt none of the pain. All that mattered was reaching his canoe and returning home.

'Uh oh!' The crashing sound of someone swiftly running through leaves scared him. Matteo took a sharp turn and took cover behind the base of a tree where a saplings wall of leaves helped conceal his presence. His chest rose and fell quickly as he silenced his breathing.

'They're coming!' He heard the crashing of leaves and footsteps approach before slowing down altogether. Matteo turned his head just enough to peek through a gap in the leaves. He recognized Jessie the Darwin's Fox, and the slightly pudgy bellied cattle dog.

“Did you see him?" The canine asked.

“I thought I heard someone running this way." The vixen panted and pointed around the area. The cattle dog walked around a small circle and her eyes passed dangerously close to where he was hiding.

'If they walk this way I'll have to run.' He kept completely still but remained ready to run for his life if necessary. A distant echo caught their attention.

“Let's go this way!" Jessie waved and hurried in another direction. The canine glanced up at the trees before following after her. Matteo watched as her tail disappeared from view last.

'Goodness…' His eyes started to water at how close he had come to being discovered. With shaky knees, he resumed running in his original direction. There were no more yells nearby, only echos from far away. His legs nearly stumbled over a fallen branch but he didn't slow down. He dared to give a quick glance over his shoulder and was ecstatic that no one was behind him. There wasn't much farther to go.

'I don't see anybod-!' Matteo jumped into a small clearing and hit a soft yet firm body in full stride. He was stopped in an instance. The human thought he had hit a tree, but was stunned to find the badger standing before him. Lily stumbled back a little and Matteo coughed as he was winded.

“That's the second time you took my breath out of me." She huffed and gathered herself.

“You saw me escape, didn't you?" He realized and stared at her wild eyed. To his surprise, the badger shrugged.

“Maybe." She didn't tell him one way or the other. “Why don't you stay with me instead of run off?" Lily offered.

“Stay with you?" Matteo blinked and thought he had misheard.

“Look, you can't be a crew member since you're not like us, but I can promise to treat you fairly." She offered. “We'd sail the seas, visit coastal towns, do a little pirating, and when I have enough to quit we can buy up a lot of land somewhere nice." The human didn't know what to make of her calm proposition as his heart thundered in his ear drums.

“Just get out of-!" Noise of the others yelling from not very far away echoed by them. Matteo glanced around but kept his eyes on the sneaky badger, unsure of what she'd do. He only had seconds to decide. The rustling sound of leaves was fast approaching!

“Make up your mind in two days." Lily offered with a seductive grin. “I'll be waiting right here for you." She quickly handed him a folded up piece of paper and pushed him away. Matteo needed no further instruction. The human quickly dove for cover and hid in the dense foliage. He calmed his breathing enough to stay silent and remain still. A naked jaguar and topless red wolf emerged from the thicket where he was standing a moment ago.

'That's Augusta…' He instantly recognized the stoic and intimidating jaguar. A second chill ran up his spine when he looked at the dagger in the red wolf's hand.

He watched skeptically as the other two female pirates approached the badger. Brief words were shared that he could not hear due to the deafening pounding of his heart. He watched Lily for any subtle cues to make his getaway. The badger shrugged and shook her head. The jaguar said a few salty words before storming away through the forest with the red wolf quickly following.

'Are they really gone?' Matteo expected them to return, but quietness returned to the section of forest for the most part. Lily walked the same path, but the badger paused just before leaving and looked over her shoulder. Their eyes met a final time before she grinned and disappeared from view. Matteo waited a couple of seconds as the distant voices fell silent. No one else was around.

Adrenaline still pumping, Matteo scurried out of the dense thicket and tore through leaves and saplings alike. Trampling over the lush ferns and other greenery caused plenty of noise, none of which reached his ears. He duck and dove, keeping a close watch to his left and right before the dappled light up ahead grew stronger. Matteo burst out of the forest and emerged onto the western beach. He slid to a halt in the sand, and spun around to reorient himself. The gentle sound of lapping water almost made him feel lost.

'My canoe!' He ran over and found the little wooden vessel still tied to a large boulder along the sandy shore. Matteo felt relief wash over him as he untied the rope and dragged the small vessel into the water. He checked over his shoulder many times but no one emerged from the forest to capture him. With a final burst of energy he plunged into the shallow water before climbing into the canoe. He paddled against the tiny waves into deeper waters. His muscles and lungs burned and ached from the effort he had expended, but there was more than enough distance between him and the shoreline of the wooded island.

'I made it.' He did not say the words out of an abundance of caution. The human started to relax once he was closer to shore. The humble fishing village had never looked so beautiful to him before. Glancing over his shoulder, he was a safe enough distance away that even if they had spotted him, it would make no difference. He caught his breath and counted his blessings.

“I can't believe it…" His eyes watered as he thought about everything that had happened to him in a mere day's time. The peaceful walk in the woods, discovering the pirates, being captured, taken away onto a ship, and then Lily herself.

“I definitely owe Lily for letting me escape." He thought fondly of the strong badger pirate despite everything he had endured. After all, they had slept together, and she wasn't forceful compared to the other pirates. The salty air felt cooler against his skin than her bare fur. He wiped his forehead when a crinkling sound caught his attention.

'The paper!' He remembered what she had given him. Reaching into the hem of his pants, Matteo pulled out the folded piece of paper and unraveled it. The human blinked in surprise. It was the badger's wanted poster!

“Lily…" He whispered her name and looked back over his shoulder at the island before returning his gaze to the paper. It showed the badger woman Topless in the same pose as before; a hand on her hip and another flexing while wielding a cutlass. It was a lovely display of her strength, but also her feminine traits. The phrases 'strong and tenacious' were written along a corner. 'Can fight any man with equal strength' was also written by her description.

“Sixty two pounds, dead or alive." He whispered her bounty. Matteo quietly folded up her wanted poster and kept it safe in his clothes. Tired hands grabbed the oar and slowly paddled back home. Thoughts of meeting her again swarmed his mind, but only time would tell when fate would bring them together again. The human was oblivious while a hidden pair of longing eyes watched him from the bushes on the island's shore.