Footsteps echoed as Captain Meira made her way through the bowels of her vessel Dracoseir and down to the hold. The moon was high above and her entire crew was beaten and exhausted after the escape from a vicious storm the previous day. By all rights she should be sleeping in her quarters, but the captain still had unfinished business down below.
As she passed the guard standing watch, she told him to grab a bite to eat in the mess and dismissed him. Now she was left alone with the prisoner, a man tied securely to a wooden chair, bolted to the ground. His wrists were bound behind him and while she had ordered her crew to take no liberties with the prisoner, she noted bruises from the previous battle up and down his midriff as well as mild burn marks on his wrists and shoulders. He was clad only in a pair of trousers and before she came in seemed to be passed out in exhaustion.
Captain Meira unlocked and opened the cell door before stepping inside, she closed the door behind her, and the creaking sound seemed to rouse the prisoner to wakefulness. When he looked up, she noticed hazel eyes that seemed to shift from the dimness of exhaustion to the brightness of humor with no delay. A wide grin split on his face despite the situation and she felt confusion creep up on her.
"Greetings Captain, come to discuss your surrender, have you? I'm sorry you felt rushed to deliver it, I would have just as happily accepted it in the morning!"
Meira responded by walking up to her prisoner and giving him a backhand across the face without any real force to it. The prisoner winced but the amusement in his eyes didn't waver. "Ahhh, it seems that I might have misunderstood the situation. But I must warn you, if we're to begin a torrid romance, you should work on your caresses. The front of the hand is gentler you see."
"Cheeky shit." Captain Meira muttered under her breath before pulling a weather worn book out from her jacket pocket and flipping it open. "So…. It says here that you're called… Malark. You know when my crew captured a wizard, I was hoping that the book they found would be full of spells and secrets. Instead I get this pathetic excuse for a journal."
"Do me a favor and forgive the grammar mistakes would you? My seafaring ways seemed to have me shortening words and mixing up syntax like an amateur. I should think you should be thanking me! Spells are boring, and my thoughts are much more interesting."
"You write almost entirely about the weather."
"I'm a weather mage, seems only right yes? Sure, that may be dull to you but I'm certain if you could read my mind I would be proven right. Definitely much more interesting thoughts right now."
Meira raised her eyebrow at the gall of her prisoner. For as she looked as his leering expression, she had no doubt what sort of 'interesting' thoughts he was having. He was looking her up and down slowly like a starving man contemplating his last meal. From the tips of her boots up her admittedly tight breeches and to her loosely laced bodice, the Captain felt exposed in her own ship despite her obvious control over the situation. And for the briefest of moments, she didn't mind it.
But as she regained control, she returned the comment with another backhanded smack with more force than the last one. As he leaned back, she stepped down firmly on the chair in between his legs, with the sharp tip of her boot mere inches from his groin. The threat was clear, though she enhanced it by reaching down and pulled a dagger out of her boot, placing it flat against his cheek at the same spot she had struck him.
"We're now finished with your nonsense and the only sounds I want to hear out of you are the answers to my questions. Whether you live or die today depends on how good of a prisoner you are. Keep being stubborn and I'll use my little friend here to start taking pieces off you."
The notorious pirate could tell that her prisoner's wit had been quelled for now, and his silence spoke volumes (though the spark in his eyes had not quite diminished). Meira felt a flash of respect for the prisoner who showed more spine than some of the sniveling cowards she employed. This wasn't the first time she had noted that as well, the feeling was familiar to her. When she first gained respect for him….
"Tell me what happened during the battle, we had our lines sunk into your ship and the boarding party was about to cross over when the storm hit. The next thing I know you're on my ship and waving your hands like a madman, bleeding from the head and glowing with magic."
She could still picture it now: a raid completely gone awry, a storm putting her whole crew and ship in danger, and a bleeding shirtless nutcase glowing and gesturing as if he was somehow grappling with the storm itself. Meira had the doctor tend to his wound after the battle, as the only other casualties had been from ranged arrows and bolts. The storm had done damage to the ship but hadn't taken a single life on either vessel.
"Yes well…. Ahh I was…. Hmmm… Well embarrassingly enough I was on your vessel because I… fell." Despite her threats and her knife, Meira noted that the prisoner seemed more nervous about admitting he was clumsy than that she would start to cut him. "From the crow's nest of my own ship. The thing is I was up in the nest shouting about the storm when you arrived, and when your crew hooked us, and the storm started blowing our masts and riggings together I was in the middle of a spell before an arrow broke my concentration and my…. Balance. Managed to slow my fall with a rope but took quite a tumble and found myself on the deck with a crew of bloodthirsty scoundrels and one incredibly intimidating beauty."
Despite her insistence that he stow his cheek (and the knife on said cheek), Malark still felt the need to flirt shamelessly. Meira didn't know what to make of him and was startled and curious enough to move her knife away and lean in with more questions.
"Fine then, you're a weather mage, you were yelling about the storm, and your crew was more concerned about dealing with me than following your instructions." Her crew didn't notice the storm either through focus on plunder or incompetence, and sometimes she feared her crew was drifting towards the later. "That still doesn't explain what happened after you fell, it wasn't like any weather magic I've ever seen. And for that matter, why the bloody hell were you preparing to fight a storm shirtless?"
Meira didn't know why she asked that last bit except it was driving her crazy (with curiosity of course). It was rapidly approaching winter and the crew was mostly bundled up whenever possible yet here was this madman throwing ice and thunder around without so much as a damned tunic.
Meira noticed the spark was back in his eyes as he started to tell his story and she heard his wrists strain as he seemed to want to instinctively gesticulate while talking. "Well if you've been on the seas you probably haven't seen much classical training. They mostly focus on the practical applications of pushing or pulling storm systems and clouds as much as possible. It's enough for smaller events but it's unlikely but larger storm breaks still cause casualties, right?"
He continued ranting, not even noticing that as he leaned in, he put himself closer to the knife and her boot, just engrossed in the story despite everything. Meira tried not to find that charming. "So there has to be a better way? Storms are sailors' worst nightmare. Classical training gets you a little closer, and in a way, they treat storms as living breathing things that are channeled and dispersed with a thought. But it's when you combine the two that it gets really interesting!" He trailed off and realized he was going on a bit but didn't move back. "Plus… I've umm…. Always had a way with storms, even as a kid. Drove my mother spare to see me hanging out a window or on a roof when one came by."
"Fine, but what about the-"
"Captain! We need you above!" Meira was perturbed at the interruption, and she knew her prisoner had noticed this. As she left and locked the cell door, she could see the smile on his face that only said one thing "Come back soon."
The second time Meira came down to meet Malark, she was pissed off. Her crew hadn't been responding to her orders quickly and she knew that heading back to port was her only option. She had switched courses just this morning and knew they could be heading into more trouble than this crew of layabouts could handle.
Captain Meira used to have a standout crew, one that was worth their weight in gold, but recent years had led to losses that she couldn't replace as easily. Death, disease and some well-earned retirements had sapped her crew of those she respected and cared for. Now she just had the dregs.
When she walked in on the prisoner, she saw that her crew had followed her instructions for the most part. There were a few fresh bruises, but they had fed him and draped a spare tarp over his shoulders. Of course, as soon as Malark saw her coming, he leaned back and shrugged off the tarp without a second thought. Seeing the cheek once again filled her with a mix of respect and annoyance, tinged with a hint of something warm that she ignored. "My crew is looking for a reason to keep you alive."
"Saving their lives wasn't enough?" Meira scowled at the comment but couldn't dispute the truth.
"So, you were useful, now what? You've made it clear how you feel about joining the crew. There's no reason to waste good food and water on you." Malark had snorted at the suggestion of becoming a pirate but his smile was tinged with worry as she brought up the hard truths her crew had been complaining about. Meira's frustration left her though as she leaned against the prison walls. "Why did you save us all anyway?"
Meira remembered the day clearer than she would like to admit, a shirtless lunatic, glowing with magic, using the power of the storm to separate the two ships. When he realized he couldn't get back safely, the mage opened the way for his crew to sail out of the storm. Initially once they were safe, the wizard dropped the magic and the storm raged harder than ever. Meira remembered calling orders into the distance to leave the man alone and focus on saving the ship. The still glowing wizard seemed resigned to face the sea on his own terms but when he heard the men clambering to save their own lives and the captain shouting orders, his magic resurged and Captain Meira's crew was able to escape with bumps and bruises.
"Well I couldn't just sit there, could I? Not with men about to die and you shouting some orders like a Goddess of War. There's no surrender in you is their captain? I like that."
Meira felt a blush come to her cheeks for the first time in years, something she thought impossible after a lifetime around sailors. The look was back in his eyes, and she should have slapped him again, but she knew that ever since he had grinned at her and shrugged the tarp off his shoulders, she was moving less like a captain and more like a woman who wanted his attention. Her jacket had been left behind and her bodice was looser than before.
"Tell me why you were shirtless."
The smirk he gave her was a mix of sinister suggestion and a longing for freedom. But when he explained, his eyes weren't on her, they were staring at the ceiling, longing for the sky. "My skin is mostly weather-proof and…. There's almost nothing like the feeling. You stand in the wind and the rain and feel the world like no other. It seeps into your skin and you feel one with the sky and sea. It's the ultimate freedom." His eyes met hers, and they were the brightest they'd ever been. She looked down almost imperceptibly and saw clear evidence of his excitement tenting his trousers. He longed to show her what he meant. "You should try it sometimes, and then tell me what you think."
Before she could respond they were interrupted a second time by a desperate sailor, and Meira had never been closer to stabbing her own crew. But unlike last time, this one was truly urgent. A new storm had started to rage, and all hands were on deck. Without any good options, Meira summoned her prisoner down from below deck. She thought she was going to have to remind him to earn his keep, she thought she was going to have to threaten his life to cooperate or bribe him somehow.
One look between them proved her wrong. Malark lifted his hands to the heavens and moved without restraints. He walked along the guard rails and up to where the Captain manned the wheel. As he stood next to her, a fierce storm felt like nothing more than a pleasant mist on a fall day. The path before her ship was opened and her crew managed to pilot the Dracoseir out of the storm and back on course towards port. As she sailed out of danger Malark didn't say a word, just shot her a wink as he put his hands behind his back and allowed his wrists to be bound behind his back.
Later, the crew was abed, and Captain Meira had dried herself off and changed to an oversized sleep tunic. She had intended to just go to bed, but instead she had slipped on her boots, wrapped a belt around her waist and walked outside to check on the Dracoseir. Her vessel had more damage to it and what's worse the crew were lax in their duties that night, she could even hear snoring from the crows nest. The only sailor doing his job was on the wheel and he looked half dead as well.
A light rain started to mist down and after a brief worry that an additional storm was coming, Meira relaxed and enjoyed the light rain for what it was. But as she stood there with her eyes closed, drinking in the moment she couldn't help but think back to her last conversation with Malark.
Her hands acted automatically and almost on instinct, unbuckling her belt and letting it fall before stripping off her tunic and baring herself to the elements. Meira closed her eyes and breathed in deep and felt the same pull that she did whenever her ship rode a tall wave, a feeling of weightlessness. As the wind and rain hit her each inch of her body was alive with sensation with the chill and slick with rain or other fluids.
Before the captain realized it, her feet were carrying her across the empty ship towards the railing, and she leaned forward to accept the spray and the mist of the weather, feeling at one with the sea. After she retreated and turned in circles, swirling along with her energy and feeling each nerve come alive. The moment faded as the mist started to clear, leaving her wet and a bit cold, craving a similar energy. Meira grabbed her tunic and brushed the droplets off her skin. The tunic was too wet to be of much use, but she pulled it over her head, tossing her belt over her shoulder. The captain was clearly not concerned with propriety as the soaked tunic clung to her skin without covering her properly.
Again, she was guided by her instincts, she walked straight into the hold. Had she been more aware, Captain Meira would have been disgusted with the lack of anyone watching enough to notice her and a lack of a guard outside the prisoner's cell. But she wasn't a captain at that moment, and her only focus was on her body, and feeling more of the sensations she was craving.
Malark had been listening for the sounds of her boots and was awake despite the hour when she came into his cell. He noticed her state immediately and rather than turn on his wit, it seemed to render him speechless. The wizard leaned back again and simply said "Captain?"
"Say my name, call me Meira." Came the words out of her mouth and she tried to reach for some sort of element of control from her instincts. That control came when she saw the tarp blanket lying on the floor once again. "I took your advice, and now I need something to dry myself off." She dropped her belt to the side and bent down over his body to pick up the tarp. As she moved slowly, she noted that he was completely enthralled and erect, ready for whatever she had in mind.
But a slow teasing was in order after he did this to her. His stupid smile, irresistible suggestion and deliciously tempting form had her completely carnal and out of her mind. He had to suffer for it. So, the boot once again made its way to the threatening position between his thighs as she dragged the tarp down her dripping wet leg. Then rather than repeating the process, Meira sat on his lap and dragged it down her other leg, bending enticingly and pressing herself back against his straining member.
Meira felt her sleeves cling to her arms and decided not to struggle with them. "Hold this," she instructed, holding the cuff of her tunic against his mouth. Malark obligingly bit down with his teeth as she pulled her arm out of the sleeve and slipped it out from under the cloth, using the angle to pull the tunic up and over her head and other arm. Meira then grabbed the tarp to dry her arms and turned to rub it down her back before she noticed that Malark still held onto her tunic's sleeve in his mouth.
As she tugged it out of his mouth gently, Meira mounted him and the chair. She pressed her still damp chest up against his completely and tried to share the sensation she experienced between them. Her wet hair dangled between them and her mouth was in his ear. Whispering in a breathy voice much different from her commanding tone, Meira let him know "It was amazing, just like you said it would be. I need more."
Malark leaned his mouth in to give her a kiss but she tugged his hair sharply moving his chin up as she ground her bare body on his lap. Meira bit down on his collarbone enough to get a gasp and then trailed kissed down the upper body that she hadn't stopped staring at since he first fell on her boat. She was rough, teasing his nipples and kissing down his abdomen while sinking her entire body down his front and over his legs till her knees hit the floor. She tugged the trousers off in jerking motions, finally freeing Malark's manhood.
The carnal mood was all encompassing and as Meira grabbed the tool she was craving, with one hand, she jerked it up firmly and leaning in to give it a quick peck, whispering with authority "Don't disappoint me." Quick twisting and rubbing hand motions continued as Meira rose up to mount Malark once again. The captain placed her toy right where she wanted it and after a of a teasing rub or two, she sunk Malark inside her waiting wet folds.
The gasp she let out was one of gratitude and release, as she felt close to her peak already. But Malark was not just there sitting idly, as she gasped and arched, his hips bucked roughly, causing her to grab ahold of his hair and start to moan loudly as she moved her hips up and down to match. Meira's body had been on fire since she first stepped out of her cabin though and she sailed over her first edge after barely a minute and had no intention of stopping.
They continued and it wasn't perfect, but every slip led to her reaching down and sliding him back inside with mewling and pleading noises that ensured he stayed ready throughout. Malark's mouth found her nipples as she continued to bounce and arch, and it hurt her pride to admit she was begging for his mouth and his teeth and his hips after they first made contact.
It should have bothered her when his hands found her skin. After all, he was bound to start. But she just felt grateful that she had an easier purchase and found a new craving in his fingers after they traced down her spine deliciously slowly. She found her second release with one of her nipples between his teeth and his hips moving in a slow grinding motion with both hands gripping tightly on her ass.
Eventually his hands made their way to her head and hair, while hers were still firmly in his. He lips craved hers and he pulled her down for another kiss. This one she didn't fight but leaned into eagerly and felt his amorous attack stir more cravings deep inside her. As their kisses deepen, she felt Malark curse into her mouth and his hips quicken their pace. Meira grabbed the back of the chair and rode out his last thrusts as she felt his nails dig into her back and bum and heard her name tumble from his lips like a prayer. "Meira, Meira, fuck Meira."
While she had not quite finished herself, she knew from past experience that they had reached the end of their little tryst, so she was quite surprised when his grip tightened, and his fingers made their way between her legs. Malark's thumb rubbed against her most sensitive spot while he was still inside her, softening slowly. Meira gasped and squirmed but Malark's grip was iron. His mouth and teeth found her nipple and her head fell back in ecstasy, groaning and saying in a near scream "Please, please, please don't stop please." One last cry left her lips as he dragged over the edge by force and she loved every second of it before they both collapsed to the floor below.
Minutes dragged on in silence save for the gasping breaths that they both drew as they attempted to regain control. As Captain Meira returned to her senses, she found that she was making a split-second decision that would change her path in life. Something that wasn't rare for her, and like many of the others, she never second guessed it.
As she rose to her feet Meira grabbed the tarp she had found so handy and tied it around her waist as a makeshift skirt and tightening it with her belt. Her tunic she twisted into bandanna form before wringing it of the remaining water and tying it around her chest for minimal coverage. Malark was busy pulling up his trousers but seemed to hesitate, not knowing what to do next. He still had that look in his eyes while he waited for her to speak.
"If you weren't here, where would you go? Back to where you're from?"
"Definitely not, they don't want me there. My father may have even rewarded the men when they didn't come back with me. I'd go off on an adventure, see if I could do some good."
"Good huh?" Meira smirked at the naïve statement, ignoring the appeal his words left in her chest. She turned back to him and gestured to the chair. "Stay here. Tomorrow night we move."
And so, they did; the following night, Meira left her cabin with a bag full of treasure she kept in her quarters. The port was in site and the longboat was prepared and packed with provisions just in case. She had grown incredibly bored of her incompetent crew and felt no remorse about leaving them behind. However, she would miss her ship, despite the fact it was a battered and bruised old tub at this point.
Malark was ready for her to make her move and despite what must have been serious misgivings, he followed her orders without question. Before long they were lowering the longboat and paddling towards the port town.
Before Meira gave up her captain's title she had one more command. "I need you to burn the name off that boat. Dracoseir isn't theirs." He followed her order and managed to scorch the word without spreading a fire to other parts of the ship and endangering the crew. After months of boring and tedious company, she felt annoyed that the surety and competence was now a turn on. While Malark had been decently treated, she could tell that he hadn't gotten his full strength back so she commanded him to rest as she paddled towards the harbor.
"What's the plan Captain….. Meira?" He changed the appellation after realizing what she wanted but was excited to hear what she had in mind.
"Sleep well, don't bore me. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." She said insincerely with a smile on her face. Malark fell asleep with another wry grin and she noticed that even in his sleep he could still get a rise out of her. She looked forward to the next stage in her life but as she paddled the only things she could think about were checking into a comfortable tavern room and not leaving for the next three days. Malark would need all the rest he could get.