by Ajax Lygan
“Yeah, I’ll go put down my things and then I will.”
Samara nodded as she backpedaled toward the quarterdeck and began shouting orders to prepare for departure.
Tempest made his way toward the Captain’s quarters and heard Riika’s snoring before he opened the door. When he did, papers began spilling out, drawing Ella’s ire.
“Grab those, please, don’t let any out,” she said. Tempest nudged the papers back into the room with his foot as he made his way inside. Riika was fast asleep on the bed, while Ella was sitting at the Captain’s table surrounded by enough pieces of parchment to fill the room.
“What’s all this?” Tempest asked.
“This is just about every piece of parchment we could find in The Cessation’s fortress. That fortress was their headquarters and contained everything from historical records, membership records, how they moved their money… it’s everything we’ll need to destroy this organization, completely. With the hydra’s help, there will be no recovering from this.
Tempest nodded slowly as he wrapped his wet clothes on the strings of his hammock. “That’s good…that’s really good…” he said, his mind trailing elsewhere.
“What’s wrong?” Ella asked, standing by the table.
“Oh, hmm, nothing.”
Ella moved from the table, kicking up papers everywhere as she brought her hands up to the sides of Tempest’s face. “Talk to me,” she said, her crystal blue eyes contrasting the ferocity that he saw hours ago. He closed his eyes and brought his hands onto Ella’s before wrapping her into his arms.
“Is this really all there is for us?”
“What do you mean?”
“All this pain and suffering?” When Ella pulled her head back up and looked at him, he knew she could see the red in his face. “I don’t know what it was about today. We’ve been in battle after battle, but this time…it was different. These were people like you and me.” Tempest pulled away from her and leaned into the back of the door. He looked down at his shaking hands and rubbed them together, trying to remove the shake. “We killed hundreds today.”
“What about them is so different from all the others that we’ve killed? We’ve fought people before, like The Ravenous.”
“I don’t know,” Tempest said, shaking his head. “I don’t know if that was because it was my first fight, but I saw the Ravenous as monsters who needed slaying. Just like everything, until tonight, we’ve been fighting monsters.”
He shuddered. “Even during today’s encounter, I let my anger get me by. But there was something about when we retreated into the courtyard. When they had us completely surrounded. The seconds we stood there, just waiting for either us or them to make a move, something hit me.”
Tempest looked up at Ella, meeting her gaze squarely. “You were right about the woman in the bedroom.”
“And that’s why you hesitated?” she asked.
Tempest looked down and slowly nodded. “When Sophia killed that woman, I saw her eyes glass over as she fell. When we were in the courtyard and everyone was running at us, it was all I could see. All of their faces were replaced with hers. I couldn’t move.”
He slowly bowed his head. “If Saïgra hadn’t cast that spell, I-I don’t know what would have happened.” Tempest looked down at his hands, which were shaking again. He shook them quickly before tucking them under his arms.
Ella slowly walked toward him, slid her arms around him and looked up into his eyes.
“That will never go away,” she said softly. “It gets easier for some and harder for others, but they will always weigh on you, Tempest, because you have a good heart. I’ve never told anyone this, but I want to share something with you because it may help.”
Tempest straightened as he looked into Ella’s compassionate eyes.
She took a great breath before she began. “When Ella and I left Halairim for the first time, we were traveling on the road with Crux. We were ambushed by a group of goblins being led by a hobgoblin. They spooked Crux, and I was thrown from his back into a ditch. I don’t know if they just weren’t paying attention, or I just looked like a coat on the back of Riika’s massive frame, but they didn’t see me. Riika was defending herself fine, but she didn’t see the hobgoblin on her back. He snuck around her back flank. There was a moment there when I froze.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know how, but Riika sensed he was behind her. She swung her hatchet around, catching him right in the face with the bottom point and slammed his body to the ground.” Ella rubbed Tempest’s arms up and down as she continued.
“So, I know what you’re going through. I would imagine every one of us on this ship has, and only you will be able to deal with that and move on. However, everyone around you is here for you just as you would be for us. So, if there is anything that I can do for you, you let me know.”
Tempest nodded, and Ella leaned in to kiss him on the cheek before returning to the desk.
Tempest stood there a moment, letting Ella’s words batter around in his brain. Her words helped, and he felt like he was in a much better mental position than when he’d boarded the ship. When he was ready, he turned and headed for the door, but not before catching a wink from Ella as Riika snored in the background.
As he made his way toward the front of the ship, he could hear the crew celebrating below deck with a few songs and heavy drinking. He turned and caught a salute from Killer, who was currently helming the ship.
Tempest grabbed the nearest shroud as he made his way up toward the crow’s nest. He peeked his head over the wooden barrel to see Sophia sprawled out, finishing off one of the bottles of wine she had brought with her.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she looked over at Tempest. When she locked eyes with him, her arms fanned out like a child suddenly remembering their parents told them to clean their room, and they’d just arrived to check up on them.
“Uh, hi,” she said, wrapping herself in Tempest’s cloak.
“Hey,” Tempest said, smiling. “Captain Helmrunner told me you came up here, and I wanted to check in on you.”
Sophia belched before slapping her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, uh, yeah I-I’m good.”
“No need to be sorry,” Tempest said, chuckling. “You should hear Riika. She sounds like a runaway wagon when she belches. The two shared a chuckle, each falling quiet with their thoughts.
After a moment of silence, Tempest smiled and tapped on the top of the crow’s nest. “Well, I don’t want to be a bother, let me know if you need anything.” As Tempest turned and slid his foot to the next rope foothold, Sophia called out.
“Wait!” she shouted and then immediately retreated back into herself. She frantically looked around and grabbed an unopened wine bottle that had rolled near her feet. “Do you want to join me for a drink?”
“Yeah, that would be great,” Tempest said as he climbed up the remaining shroud and lifted his legs over the edge of the bucket.
Sophia pulled the empty bottle from under his feet and slid it next to her.
The crow’s nest, though a decent size for one person, was cramped with two people. With Sophia’s wingspan it was a snug fit. Tempest took his time as he lowered himself, making sure not to sit on Sophia’s legs. They were shoulder to shoulder and their legs had nowhere to go other than on top of each other as Tempest settled in.
Sophia wasted little time popping the cork off the bottle and after taking a few large gulps, handed it over to Tempest.
He could smell the fruity aroma on her breath before he brought the bottle to his lips. It had a strong citrus acidity with a full body flavor. After such an eventful night, he was hoping for something a bit more refreshing and crisper. He took one drink before handing the bottle back to Sophia.
“Did you not like it?” she asked, tilting her head, maintaining strong eye contact.
“No, it’s not that,” Tempest said, smiling. “It’s just heavy after a long night.”
“Oh, I cou
ld get us something else if you’d like?”
“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t come up here for the wine, I came up here to check on you.” Sophia’s face went red as she stared into Tempest’s eyes. She furrowed her brow and looked away, shooting quick glances at him as she spoke.
“I guess I should thank you for saving me.”
“Well, I think I owed you one after grabbing you out of the air and tying you up back in Ashwreath.”
“That’s right, you asshole,” Sophia said in jest. “I think you owe me big time for that one.”
“Well,” Tempest said, grabbing the bottle from her. “Just let me know what I can do to help.”
“Well,” she said, shifting her body toward Tempest, “it has been a while.”
Tempest watched as the cloak slid open, revealing Sophia’s naked body. He swallowed as he looked at her smug face.
“Been a while for what?”
“You know.”
Tempest watched as her gaze traveled down his body, stopping below his belt before popping back up, staring at him with nefarious intent. Her demeanor quickly changed as she pulled back, scrunched her nose around and then let out a sneeze that sounded like a whistle.
“You okay?” Tempest asked, knowing full well what was happening.
“Yeah, do you smell that, though? It smells fantastic, like freshly brewed coffee.”
“Yeah, it’s me,” Tempest said, his cheeks warming as he looked away. Sophia leaned in and smelled near Tempest’s neck. Her eyes were wide as she pulled back.
“Holy fuck, it is you.” Sophia bit her lip as she stared at Tempest.
He looked down as he felt her legs begin to slide over his own.
Sophia grabbed his chin and turned it towards her. Her bottom lip was completely in her mouth as she all but bounced up and down. “Are we going to do this or what?”
“Uh, are you sure this is really what you want? I remember our conversation in Ashwreath when you specifically said…”
She cut his words short as she grabbed his hair and pulled him forward. “Stop talking and fuck me.”
Tempest didn’t hesitate after the command. He pressed his lips to Sophia’s as he gripped the feathers behind her head, pulling her to him with the same strength as she did. Their lips folded on top of one another, their tongues massaging each other with the expertise of a trained masseuse.
Their heated breath pressed through their nostrils as they refrained from pulling away. With his left arm, Tempest grabbed a handful of Sophia’s ass and lifted her onto his groin in an effort to pull her closer. Sophia’s small size made it effortless to move her to wherever he saw fit. With her now in his lap, he could begin his work.
He started with her breasts, slowly cupping them, applying a little pressure as he mimicked the massage with the movements of his tongue. With her nipples hard, he rotated his thumb slowly around her areola, teasing them to his heart’s content. He wasn’t the only one playing dirty, though, as Sophia fought back as best she could.
She shifted her hips from side to side, applying pressure with each of her cheeks as Tempest’s erection grew. The two smiled in their kiss, recognizing each other’s intentions. In a moment of sensuality, Tempest pulled away ever so slightly, kissing her cheek, slowly pecking as he moved down her neck.
Her feathers ruffled as little prickled dots grew on her exposed skin. This move gave him an opportunity to shift Sophia’s back toward his chest, allowing him full control. He distracted her, softly biting into her neck as he grabbed both breasts while, in quick succession, he slid his legs underneath her own. The movement of bringing his knees upward pushed her legs apart.
She gasped as Tempest slid his hand down to her wet slit, drenching his hand in her fluids. He played her like a lamellophone, plucking at her clit with his fingers. Once he rotated through them all, he grabbed her plump, soaked peach with the palm of his hand, slowly sliding his hand up and down, taking a special note to slide his middle finger between her wet lips.
Her moans brought a mischievous smile to his face as her body reacted with each stroke. Remembering what she had said earlier, Tempest started with just a finger curling around the top of her opening. He squeezed her ass with his other hand and applied pressure at the top of her insides. He knew little about the anatomical differences between species, but his guess was on the money, judging from her reaction. He began a rhythm, sliding his hand in and out as he massaged her body with his other hand. It wasn’t long before Sophia fell back on Tempest’s shoulder, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as her body spasmed with pleasure.
“FFFfuck!” she whimpered as her legs closed and opened with each pulse of her orgasm. She turned her head and nibbled on Tempest’s neck, waiting for the peak of her sensations to subside. She slid her hand along Tempest’s face, giving him a soft kiss before she whispered, “My turn.”
Sophia leaned forward, reached down between her legs, and pulled Tempest’s hard cock out from the top of his trousers. She pressed his cock against her clit and began to spread her warm fluids along the entirety of his shaft as she slid it between her lips. The wet warmth of Sophia’s juices put Tempest in a pregame state of bliss. When Sophia had finished lathering his base, she grabbed his tip, swirling it around her opening before she pressed down.
The two gasped as Sophia slowly lowered herself onto his cock, letting Tempest fill her completely.
To Tempest, Sophia was the tightest he had ever felt, out of all the girls he had been with. Yet, surprisingly, based on her frame, she took every inch of him. He felt Sophia’s thighs shake once more once he was all the way inside of her. Once she had regained a bit of her composure, he watched her reach out toward the sides of the crow’s nest, sit up on her feet, and begin sliding along his stiff rod.
The cool sea air provided a fun sensation, it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, every time Sophia pressed down on him. He used the opportunity to grab Sophia’s ass with two large handfuls. Her squats began to pick up speed as she began to get used to the stretch.
Tempest did everything he could to help her impale herself on him until he knew he was getting close. He looked deep into her eyes as she looked back at him, returning his gaze with longing eyes as he let himself go.
She bit her lip as she pounded him in rapid succession, edging toward his release and her reward.
Tempest let out a guttural moan as his seed exploded inside her. He let out painful laughter as Sophia pumped him a few more times before wiggling around his base. She left him inside her and leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder, panting.
“Oh, my gods, I needed that.” she said, sliding the back of her clawed hand along the side of Tempest’s cheek.
“Yeah, me too,” Tempest said, looking over at her. The two turned toward each other and concluded their passion by sharing a long passionate kiss. They stayed together that night, speaking no further words, just holding onto one another as they stared into the night sky.
15
The Infinity Mirrors
Thankfully, Halairim was no longer in the same burning, anarchic state they’d left it earlier that week. The burned buildings were nothing but smoldering reminders of the recklessness of a city without order. However, there was a good reason for that.
The hydra repositioned the entire Halairim army at strategic points close to the kingdom’s center. With an iron fist, the army swept in and put anyone who was taking part in reckless criminal acts to the sword. With martial law strictly enforced, the city felt more like a ghost town with its empty streets and abandoned public trade areas.
When Tempest and his companions attempted to leave the docks, they ran into a snag. Sophia currently looked more like a working girl rather than a lead investigator, thanks to the temporary clothes provided by Captain Helmrunner. They were necessary, not only due to her lack of clothing, but the physical growth she encountered by receiving Tempest’s gift. Her arms and legs thickened from the increase muscle mass. The brown
feathers that lined her body were now edged in gold, creating a radiant glow as the sun shined upon her. The claws on her hands and feet were even sharper allowing her to slice through hardened steel. Her improved eyesight gave her an inhuman ability to read micro expressions, something that would be beneficial given her line of work.
The guard stopped and questioned them immediately, not believing she was who she said she was. They waited until someone from the city’s guard with enough authority could validate her identity. After they’d validated her credentials, she coordinated with the dock’s garrison to take their captives to Halairim’s dungeons and to provide quick transport for them and their supplies to the castle.
With the group splitting up, Tempest turned toward Captain Helmrunner and the rest of the crew to say their goodbyes.
“Well, your Eminence, looks like this is the time where we split ways,” Samara said, extending her arm.
“What’s next for the crew of The Amnesty?” Tempest asked, reaching out and clasping her forearm.
“Well, with the city still on lock down, we’ll need to find somewhere to offload these goods. We were thinking somewhere warm and tropical. I may treat these knuckleheads to a vacation in Belaphama.”
Cheers erupted from the crew when they heard the Captain’s announcement.
“You all deserve it. I wish you well in your future travels.”
“Same to you, my friend. Make sure to take care of those girls of yours, especially my lucky charm,” she said, leaning over and winking at Saïgra.
“I most certainly will.” The two shook hands once more before the Captain headed back toward the ship. When Tempest turned, he heard a last call from Samara.
“If you ever need further assistance from The Amnesty, I’m sure you’ll know how to find us.” He watched the crew board the ship before he climbed into one of the prepared carriages.
The ride through the city was a grim contrast from their previous entry. Soldiers gathered at every major crossroad, while troops marched openly through the city streets. Most of the businesses were open once more, yet few dared to travel out in the open.
