Chapter 23 – Arriving in Neverland
March 18, 1660

"Land ho!" Jasmine called from the nest. I moved forward and examined the indicated direction to see it was indeed land, most likely the eastern edge of the Virgin Islands. I had the helm steer us south to follow the coast, hoping somewhat that we encountered Hook now where the shoreline would limit his ability to maneuver.

Time passed as we followed the shoreline, the crew cycling to allow those on duty to take a break and eat, Colette's succulent meals a high point of the day now. Even Cinderella, whom was now called Ella for the sake of simplicity, was really working out as she daily scrubbed the deck with help from other crew as they rotated through the positions.

Swinging down from overhead, Jasmine landed on the main deck and eyed me curiously before turning to go below and eat. The woman's attitude towards me had grown much warmer in recent days and I'd caught most of the women on board talking and gossiping at one point or another, especially during late evening if I drifted from the helm for any reason.

As the day wore on, it was Jasmine again in the nest that called out a village on the shoreline, my heart skipping a beat that we might be able to cripple Hook's brig at dock. However, as we passed an outcropping of land that blocked my view from the deck of the ship, something Jasmine could see over from her viewpoint, I found the dock empty of a ship then cast my eyes to the village which was more a collection of crude buildings surrounded by gardens, a large purple flowering plant reminiscent of a sunflower field I saw in Idaho once delivering an oversized load dominating the gardens. The gardens were tended by a gaggle of women who ran as they took in my ship before a single woman in a golden dress came to meet us as I docked the Wench.

"I warn you now, leave this place," the woman said as I stepped off the dock, my eyes sweeping the town for threats.

"I'm here for the pirate Hook," I told her as I tried to take an official stance on the issue. "Do you know where he is?"

"He left nigh on a week ago to raid shipping near Saint Martin," the woman told without a hint of fear in her voice. "I expect him back soon."

"Good," I said as I looked the small village over once more. It was primitive, but seemed to be a full town whose residents weren't in right now except for a bunch of women's faces peeking out from doors and around corners. "If I may, miss..."

"Clarion," the woman said as she introduced herself.

"Miss Clarion," I responded, "You don't seem concerned about his return."

"As long as we remain here and don't try to leave, we have nothing to fear," she informed me. "Here we have everything we desire and want...now."

It was something in the way she said now that brought my eyes back to the purple flowered plants. Waist high, thick stalk and familiar…

"Miss Clarion, are those poppy flowers?" I asked as I pointed out the flowering gardens.

"They are," she said as her eyebrows went up and my heart sank. "You know their use?"

"Opium," I growled then looked past her shocked expression to the girls beyond. I hadn't personally seen it used this way, but an author named William W. Johnstone had described it once in a book before he died that opium, when mixed with other certain drugs he didn't name and probably for good reason, had a tendency to make a person compliant even if it went against their nature to make a moldable human toy.

"You smoke it?" I asked her and she nodded.

"We all do," she told me. "Some have tried to do without but..."

"You can't live without it," I filled in as she struggled for words. Clarion nodded her head and I felt a very violent urge to rip Hook apart with my bare hands.

"A few have tried, but it seems to rip you apart inside if we don't constantly keep using it," she told me and I decided to nip that one in the bud.

"Push through the pain and the desire and it's effect will fade," I told her and she looked at me sharply. "That I swear to you, that though it's as addictive as breathing, you can push from it if you so wish though it's a path through Hell to the backside of Heaven."

"I wouldn't know what Heaven looks like anymore," Clarion told me as she turned away and left, going back to a building where she went inside. A look at the darkening sky made me frown but I turned back to my ship.

"What did she say, sir?" Hans asked as I reboarded the Wench.

"Hook is due back any day," I told him to see his face set in grim lines. "He left nigh on a week ago to raid in Saint Martin."

"Orders?" he asked me and I looked again to the sky.

"As Merida can affirm, sailing in the dark near shore is a terrible idea," I told him which relaxed my sailors shoulders somewhat at the idea of staying in for the night. "We'll stay here for the night and leave at first light, maybe catch Hook on his return in somewhat favorable conditions."

"Aye sir," Hans told me as he turned to his men. Looking back to the village I could see the girls flitting between the buildings as they all seemed to be heading to the one Clarion had entered.

"Heave off!" I called to my sailors. "We'll anchor in the harbor to stave off any attack."

"But they're girls," Hans said with a chuckle.

"Oh really," I said as I gave him a devilish grin. "Nala!"

"Sir," she said as she swung down from overhead. I grabbed a soldiers rifle and bayonet and affixed it before passing it to her then pointed at the main mast.

"Treat it like a spear and stick it in the mast," I told her. She nodded then hurled the heavy javelin into the mast where it stuck deep, getting a whistle from the surrounding soldiers.

"Good work," I told her as she eyed Hans wearily.

"If I had a zande I could hit you in the eye from the furthest hut," she told him before turning back to her duties.

"And I can do the same to ye with me musket," Merida said as she began climbing as well, her own musket slung on her back.

"Maybe its best to anchor in the harbor," Hans agreed after swallowing his pride. "But what was that weapon that Nala said she could hurl?"

"Zande," I repeated for him. "Going off intent and knowledge of her culture, probably some form of spear or javelin."

"Right," he said as he watched the sailor retrieve his bayonet from the mast. "Has she done that before?"

"Not on my ship," I told him as the Wench was cast off and piloted away from the dock. "But she always seemed to be an African warrior first and foremost and even the dullest of warriors can wield a spear."

"Then why not give her a spear and forego the abuse of musket and bayonet?" Hans asked of me. I gave him a smirk before responding.

"Where's the shock and awe of that?" I asked him before turning to oversee the moving of the ship. Once anchored in the harbor, I retrieved my guitar and let the crew turn in for the night, but I myself was too wound up to sleep just yet so I began to fingerstyle 'All I Have To Do Is Dream' by the Everly Brothers, an old fifties song that I figured would be safe to sing, before playing 'Sleepwalk' by Santo and Johnny Farina.

"Sir," Timon said as he approached as I quieted the last string. "There's a rowboat approaching."

"Really?" I said as I set the guitar aside in darkness.

"I hope you play more," Ariel said as she joined me at the railing as I brought out my spyglass. "That was lovely to hear."

"Maybe something more lively next time," I commented as I looked over the boat. Inside it were a group of girls with no visible men but that didn't mean they weren't there, hiding in the darkness.

"Sir?" Hans said as he approached. "Orders?"

"Let it approach," I said as I lowered the glass. "It's filled with women."

"A bumboat, sir?" Hans asked to which I nodded.

"More than likely," I said as the boat came closer. I waited by the rail, wanting to get a look at the girls and check for danger before I gave carte blanche to them being aboard.

"Hi," the first one said as she boarded the Wench. She was a blonde with long wavy hair in a silvery colored dress. "I'm Rani."

"A pleasure," I said as I kissed her proffered hand.

"A gentleman," she said with a slight blush in the lantern light.

"This is Chloe," she said as a mousy haired woman climbed aboard in a red dress. A thin and bony blond identified as Ivy was next followed by another brown haired girl named Tabby. A cinnamon haired woman named Scarlett followed, the name suiting her, then a strawberry blond named Sera I pegged for Irish with her accent. Last one up was a petite black haired woman with soft asian features called Sil, but her English was perfect which told me she spent most of her time among native speakers.

"Ladies," I said once we were all introduced. "I assume you are here to make yourselves merry with the men aboard?"

"For a price," Sil told me with a smile, taking charge of the group and her position at the small craft's rudder telling me she was also the one in charge, even if she weren't the first aboard. "Miss Clarion gave us leave to sell ourselves to the men aboard."

"Provided you get leave from the ship's commander," I said with a smile of my own that only made Silvermist smile all the friendlier.

"I assume this can be...settled," she said as she pressed herself against me, her leg raising to rub against my hardening rod.

"Charge my men all you want," I said as I laid out my terms. "But you are mine to claim, free of charge."

"Agreed," she said as we shook on it.

"Welcome aboard the Buxom Wench, ladies," I said as Sil slid to my side and looped her arm in mine.

"You girls know what we're here for," Sil said, the words getting a whoop from the girls and surrounding soldiers. I led Sil to my cabin where she slipped her dress off her shoulders to pool underfoot, pausing for a moment to let me enjoy the view.

"Such a petite thing you are," I said as I moved up behind her, kissing her neck as I put my arms around her. She tilted her head and turned slightly so I could kiss her on her lips, getting a gasp before my lips found hers and stifled her moans as my fingers rubbed her hairless mound.

"Not so inexperienced yourself," she said when our lips separated.

"I try to satisfy," I said as she turned in my arms to press her barely existent chest to me.

"But you're overdressed," she said as she began to undo my uniform jacket. She undid the buttons and slid the jacket off my shoulders and set it and her own dress aside on a hook.

Sil then quickly helped me undress, putting all my clothes on the wall hook before pulling me to the bed where she pushed me to lay back on the bed. What followed next was the best blowjob I had ever gotten, my hard cannon never leaving her mouth as she sucked it mercilessly until I blew my load in her mouth where she swallowed it, never spilling a drop as she finally pulled her mouth free.

"Did you enjoy that, sweetie?" she asked as she sat back on her heels.

"Immensely," I said as I propped myself up on my elbows then reached out and pulled her forward on top of me. She giggled as I rolled over and put her beneath me, spreading her legs to allow my cannon to against her cradle as I situated her on the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked me as I started to slide myself down her front.

"Here," I said as I put my head between her legs and began eating her out. The moment my tongue touched her feminine bits, she began to buck and moan, her hands grabbing at my hair as I ate her out. I kept going, her thighs wrapped firmly around my head as I continued on, not stopping until I made the petite little thing cum on my face.

"I hope you didn't wear yourself out," she said once she caught her breath.

"Which way do you prefer," I asked her as I positioned myself over her again.

"This way," she said as she wedged a leg between us and pushed me over. I allowed myself to be flipped where Sil quickly positioned herself over me, her hand guiding my large cannon into her carriage.

"God that thing is huge," she moaned as I slid inside her tight hole, bucking her hips to settle it into her being as she began to ride me. I put my hands around her waist as I guided her up and down as she bounced merrily away on top of me, her tight hole milking me for all it was worth. It didn't seem like it took long before I shot my cannon off in her belly where it seemed she pressed it against her womb as I blew shot after shot into her I emptied my personal powder kegs.

"Never knew a woman to accept a man's seed so readily before," I said as she laid her head on my chest as she recovered herself. "Aren't you afraid of getting pregnant?"

"I get paid a hundred gold if I have a son," she told me as she lay there and I stroked her hair.

"Then why didn't the others come out as well?" I asked her.

"Clarion wouldn't let us all go," she told me as she snuggled in and made herself comfortable as she pulled the cover over us. "I'm just glad I got lucky my name was drawn from the cup tonight."

"Are you…?" I asked her and she made a small mhmm sound as she lay there. The knowledge that I had just sewn a child in her belly was heady, but I tempered that with the knowledge she was drugged up and forced into this lifestyle and would likely produce a child that was born addicted to opium and probably wouldn't survive its first year unless it was kept dosed somehow.

My thoughts were rattled when someone began pounding on my door and after seeing Sil and I were covered up, allowed them to enter to find it was Jasmine who opened the door. Behind her were Aladdin, Merida, Ariel and Melody, the four had their hammocks with them over their shoulder.

"Problem?" I asked them as Ella, Colette and Linguini came in as well, the latter two with their hammocks as Ella usually slept with me in my bed.

"Do you know what is going on below?" Jasmine demanded as she came to a stop as she took in Sil on the bed with me and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," I drawled as it dawned on me that everyone was sleeping on one deck and the orlop deck in the bottom was full of food with no room to hang a hammock. With six other women aboard and a deck full of soldiers, I had just angered almost every woman aboard as the deck was filled with fornication and no privacy.

"So where are we supposed to sleep!" Jasmine demanded. I looked around the spacious cabin and shrugged.

"Feel free to hang in here," I told them and Jasmine sighed.

"Are you at least finished?"

"Wilted and defeated," I said as I acquiesced for the sake of peace aboard the Wench. Hammocks were quickly strung, Jasmine and Aladdin stringing their hammocks over the bed from the rafters with Ariel and Melody beside me and Colette and Linguini on the other side of the bed where there was the most space. Merida strung her hammock over the desk, using my chair to crawl up and in while Ella slid under the cover and stripped down herself.

With peace restored aboard the Wench for the night at least, we all went to sleep.