HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

39. A Chest Filled With Booty

The Houshou Pirates? You think to yourself as you enter a binding contract with the woman who had just possibly risked her own station and neck to keep an innocent child from being shot in the street. Now where have I heard that name before? No one we talked to today mentioned that crew by name at all. So why does it sound so familiar? Maybe it'll come back to me, I got other things to worry about right now!

"It's good to meet you, Roxy." You say as you release the woman's firm hand and step out of the way slightly to introduce the rest of your group. "This is Nene, Pomu, and Kiara."

Sorry Sylph, Undine. I'd introduce you both too, but I think I'll try keeping the fact that I'm a summoner more under wraps as long as I can. At least I'll be able to keep ONE promise to Flare today.

"And if the one with the bear hands is anything to go off of, I'm guessin' there's more to your little group than meets the eye. Wait a tick though." Roxy's eyes narrow as she looks over at Kiara, and then her face lights up with recollection. "I remember that one. She was getting the typical merchant treatment round here just yesterday. I'm surprised she wasn't the first of you lot itching for some payback."

"Oh trust me, I've wanted to, but unlike some people, I know how to control myself." Kiara says with no shortage of snark pointed in your direction.

"Yeah yeah, I get it." You groan over your shoulder. "But it's working out anyway, since now we have an in to where all the prisoners are being held! So, what's this plan of yours, Roxy?"

As the woman opens her mouth to explain, she is interrupted by the hurried footsteps and grunts of several voices approaching your vicinity.

"Shit! We're out of time." Roxy begins to panic, and then she looks at you with desperation in her eyes. "Look, this is gonna sound nuts, but you gotta trust me on this. Turn around and let me bind your hands."

"Wha?" You ask, dumbfounded.

"This is gonna be our only shot to do this without the wrong people asking too many questions. I promise I'll get ya on that island where all those people are being put to work. Quick! Before the others see us talkin' like we're old friends. Your friends also gotta disappear, like now!"

"Woah hold on! We're not going to leave Anon alone." Pomu protests, almost as panicked as Roxy is.

"The other pirates ain't gonna buy that I was able to beat all of ya down! So it's gotta be just one of ye. You said you needed to free the people Blackfin has before takin' on the big lug himself, right? If I take you in, I can put you right where the person I need you to find is, and I can even make sure you don't stay locked up. If you're serious about this, I'm the best shot you got. You ain't getting onto Blackfin's island without a fight if he ain't expecting ya." Roxy continues to make her case as quickly as she can. Her head constantly looks down each way of the street block, and her unrest only gets worse as she spots some likely familiar faces heading your way. "So what's it gonna be? You're welcome to try and fight your way through yourselves, but I promise you that the rest won't be pushovers like the thugs you just cleaned the streets with."

Damn, I really wish I didn't have to make a decision like this so quickly. On the one hand, Roxy seems trustworthy enough. She did stop that one guy from firing a gun at an innocent little girl, but who knows if that was just so she wouldn't be next to deal with Nene and I. It doesn't help that I haven't heard anything about the crew she is apparently from, but at least I can tell that she isn't part of any of the others I've heard about so far. Now she wants me to just surrender myself essentially?

If I may, summoner. Undine's voice cuts in on your internal monologue and you give her a mental go ahead to continue. Even should this Roxy person not be fully trustworthy, you will have the support of myself and my sister wherever you go. Even if she intends to lock you up indefinitely, Sylph can simply phase through whatever holdings you are in, and free you from the other side. Then we shall be where we need to, and ready to do what we must.

You got a good point, and besides, if I can't trust that other people want to change things for the better, how can I expect others to have that same kind of belief in me?

That's right, summoner! Be the change you wanna see! I say we give this girlie a chance and see what happens. If nothing else, it might be fun! Sylph chimes in next, more than eager to see how things play out.

Easy for you to say. You won't have a very worried and pissed off half-elf to answer to. Oh well. I did tell her I'd do what I have to.

"Alright, fine, but if things get too hairy or out of your control, I'm gonna start doing things my own way from there. So you've been warned." You accept the pirate's offer and turn to your friends. Pomu and Nene look worried, and rightfully so if you're being honest. There isn't a lot of time though, so you'll need to make this goodbye quick.

"Here, take this back with you, Nene." You start as you hand her your spell book. She looks at you slightly confused, so you continue to explain yourself. "If you keep this, I can always find my way back to you. You'll keep it safe for me, right?"

"Nene understands. She keep husband's special book safe. Then husband will come back to Nene with mama's people." The bubbly blond nods and holds your spell book close to her chest.

"Thanks Nene. Look after that little girl too. Get her back home safely." You smile and look down at the small Shallahan girl who has apparently taken a quick liking to Nene, hovering close behind her.

"Anon, are you really sure about this?" Pomu asks with a moderate amount of concern, she doesn't quite look ready to separate like this, but it very well might be the best course of action.

"Not entirely." You shake your head. "That's never stopped me before though. It might not be a bad idea if I take the fall for this in a sense. If the fleet thinks I'm the only one here starting trouble, and they have me behind bars, they won't come looking for you. At least for a little bit. Don't worry, I got this. You do trust me to take care of myself though, don't you?"

"Well duh, you're the summoner. I think you can handle anything…but…" Pomu looks away, trying to find a way to put what she feels into words. "These pirates are dangerous, and cruel. What if something happens to you? What the hell am I gonna tell Flare!?"

"Tell her I did something stupid, just like she knew I would." You chuckle as you give Pomu a quick hug. "Don't worry. Sylph can spring me out of any jail easily. I'll be back by sundown." You whisper, and you feel the fae relax a little into your embrace. Pomu nods into your shoulder and you separate. Guess it's time.

"Alright. You lot get outta here, now!" Roxy commands in a hushed whisper.

"Keep everyone safe, Kiara." You wave off to the orange warrior who sighs at the situation. She then shakes her head as she ushers Pomu, and Nene, who now carries the little girl on her back, down a nearby alleyway. You are then suddenly spun around by Roxy's firm hand on your shoulder, and you stumble slightly.

"Sorry mate." Roxy utters as she places your wrists on top of one another and begins to tie them together with some thick twine. She pulls the knot tightly, making the coarse rope grind and itch your skin. "That's one thing down. Now just play along and try not to talk too much. Oh! And one more thing."

You are turned around to face the pirate girl who stands just a few inches shorter than you. She looks over your face intently, then without so much as a warning, she brings her hand across your cheeks hard, once on each side.

"Ow! What the fuck?!" You hiss, the burning sting on your cheeks igniting your temper as you struggle against your bindings in reflex.

"Shut it dickhead!" Roxy shouts at you, her voice purposely raising as her eyes shift to your right.

Without moving your head, you look to see a group of five large crocodile beastkin, all wearing loose britches and corsairs that stay unbuttoned to reveal their tan underbellies. The one in the middle is a mountain of a man, garbed in a dark brown captain's pea coat, pitch black boots, and a wide brimmed black hat that is befitting of a pirate captain.

"You thought you could just show up and start disrespectin' how things work round here?! Eh?!" Roxy continues as she gives your toe a hard stomp through your boot, making you inhale through your nose in pain. You give her a defiant glare, practically ready to call this whole thing off, but you temper those desires for now. You open your mouth to retort, but one of the approaching crocs interrupts yours

"We overheard some scallywag was giving those antique hunters a thrashing." The supposed captain, a swamp green colored crocodile beastkin, chuckles as he taps the barrel of the intimidatingly long blunderbuss he carries against his shoulder. "Looks like we missed out on the fun though mateys. The Houshou runt managed to actually be useful for once."

Roxy glares at the approaching group and her hands tighten into fists at her sides. Her anger only shows for a split second before her expression softens slightly to a minor annoyed look meant for you.

"This punk seems to be new round here, so now he's gonna pay." The Houshou pirate crosses her arms and resumes her acting.

"One little human did all that?" Another crocodile, this one brown scaled and slightly chubby, asks as he walks to inspect the damage done to the nearby building where you and Nene used the bodies of two of the Sunflower pirates to make slight renovations to.

"Ah don't think I've seen his face before." A second crewmember says as he brings his long snout close, his beady black eyes blink slowly from the sides, making you cringe slightly is discomfort. "A little swordsman?"

"Hard to believe he took down all those wimps by himself." The captain says skeptically before he directs his gaze at you and Roxy, his one eye larger than the other, either by some mutation or accident, either way, it's a little off putting.

"Want to get a free demonstration?" You growl.

"If the runt who does the laundry was able to get the jump on ye." Then swamp colored croc sneers as he flips his rifle and pulls your chin upward by the lip of its muzzle. "You ain't lastin' three seconds against me."

Anger starts to bubble within you. There is nothing you'd like more than to kick this smarmy reptile's teeth in, break your binds and give them all an express trip into the ocean, but you temper yourself. You suppose this is the part where you "play along". It's easily a blow to your pride to have to act like you were actually bested by one of these lowlifes, but for the sake of Shallah, you'll endure it…for now.

"Still! It's about time this one started pulling her weight." He then laughs as he removes his weapon from your face and lets it rest across his shoulders. "Blackfin is always lookin' for more 'volunteers', preferably the kind who ain't afraid of an honest day's work."

"That's just where I was gonna bring him." Roxy cuts in. "Now if the SeaKroc Pirates are finished gawking, I'll be on my way."

"With what boat?" A dark green scaled subordinate demands almost sarcastically.

The question was meant as more than an inquiry, since something about it made Roxy's forehead pulse slightly in rage, and was that a flash of sadness in her eyes just now? Committed to her role to play, the woman recomposes herself with anyone else being the wiser, and responds.

"The next shipment of supplies should be leaving soon. Seeing how this kid is basically a tool to Blackfin now, I was thinking I'd pack him in with the nails and boards."

"Aye. The Harpy's Gale will be shoving off soon, so ya better get going." The SeaKroc captain confirms the facts to himself and then his long jaw curves to a sharp fanged smile. "But before ye go, I'd like to do ya a small kindness. Just think of it as a token of good will from Ol' Cappin Krol to the…Houshou Pirates."

From the inside of his coat, Krol pulls out a pair of black, metal handcuffs. Your eyes widen at the recollection of what exactly they might be, but you keep your frustrated expression from transforming into worry. Don't just stay quiet. You need to say anything you can to keep those cuffs from locking around your wrists.

"Seems like a lousy gift. My hands already aren't going anywhere." You scoff, and Roxy's eyes ping pong between you and Krol.

"And with these, we'll be doubly sure. Ye may be just a human, but no pirate worth their salt sails into unfamiliar seas unprepared." Krol says with a cocky toothed grin while twirling the cuffs around one of his taloned fingers. With a light flick of his finger, he tosses the magical suppressors to Roxy who catches them, her face unflinching to this sudden change of plans. Without arousing any suspicion, she then proceeds to lock the metal rings around your already bound wrists, and locks their teeth into place.

Already you can see Sylph's and Undine's intangible forms shimmer in the corner of your eye, their tether to this world being blocked by the bindings that cut off your natural flow of mana. Curiously though, they do not fully disappear. They are a part of you after all, so it might stand to reason that they cannot be forced back into their own realms so easily. You'll just have to hope that Sylph can still materialize on the other side of your promised jail cell.

"Guess we won't expect any more surprises from you then eh?" Roxy taunts, laying on the captor role a little thick to your liking. "I appreciate the gesture Krol. I was fine to haul him in as is, but now I don't gotta worry about him doing anything stupid."

"We may sail under different flags, but we all want what Blackfin has promised us; a new era of plundering and wealth. Only makes sense that we try to play nice for the time being, even if your captain doesn't quite agree."

"My senchou just needs time. She'll come around." Roxy says, devoid of any emotion, and the statement just makes all the members of the SeaKroc pirates bellow in laughter.

"Well you're the only one who seems to think so." One of the brown scaled flunkies manages to get out between breaths.

"You're probably the only one left in your 'crew' that calls that softie that." Another snickers.

"Now boys. *snrk* Just because the current captain of the once notorious Houshous doesn't live up to her predecessors, don't mean her crew can't try to stay loyal. In fact…" Krol remarks as he bends his front forward and inspects Roxy very intently. "Ah reckon that's why this spitfire even bothered gettin' involved with the little scuffle with the Sunflower wimps. Ain't that right?"

Again, Roxy's composure doesn't even flinch. You're pretty sure that her captain was being mocked right to her face, but all she wears is a moderate stare of annoyance. She looks the crocodile beastkin dead in his beady eyes.

"Everyone knows Blackfin has been lookin' for new blood to do the hard labor. This upstarts my ticket to his good side. From the way he made short work of the guys earlier, I'd say he's got the strength of five to six good men." The Houshou pirate replies.

Where Roxy's acting begins and ends, you can't say for certain, which troubles you. Did you really just surrender yourself willingly to someone who has no real intention of helping you? Still, acting as the scapegoat might be a preferable alternative to having the fleet looking for Nene and the others. You'll find a way out of this no matter how it goes. That's what you tell yourself anyway.

"Aye, he might be a good haul if he behaves." Krol nods as he seems to have gotten enough amusement out of this interaction for now, and he waves for his crew mates to follow him forward. "Ye better get mov in' if you want to catch that boat, and give my regards to the Ol' Harpy for me."

Roxy merely clicks her tongue and takes you by the arm to begin leading you along. There's a lot to unpack from that entire conversation, but out in the open is certainly not the place to have it, so you hold your tongue for now. You silently resign to your hopefully brief fate as a captive and look out to sea, overcast clouds look to be slowly encroaching from the horizon…how nice.

"Well, he's screwed." Kiara says matter of factly after Anon is seen being taken away by the pirate girl that promised him a safe way to the prisoners.

"What ya talking about? Anon is gonna be fine." Pomu tries to convince her friend. "Once he's in jail, Lady Sylph will just let him out, and then he'll-"

"Not with those fancy new bracelets he won't. He will be lucky to manage even a flicker of magic with those on, and without full use of his own mana, Sylph can't enter our world physically." The orange warrior corrects the fae. "He is screwed with a capital S."

Pomu's eyes widen slightly when she takes in the severity of her old friend's words. She looks over her shoulder at Nene who is occupied asking the little girl they saved earlier about herself. It's probably better she doesn't hear this part anyway. There is likely little the forest fairy could do to stop Nene from charging to Anon's rescue if she thought he was in real danger.

"S-So what should we do? Should we go back and-" Pomu starts to say, quickly spiraling into a mild panic.

"We should leave." Kiara says flatly.

"Oh, like get back to the others?" Pomu tilts her head slightly, and then her eyes light up with relief. "Oh duh! We should stick to our own plan. I gotcha. You were just playing with me, Kiwawa. I knew you believed in Anon."

"No. Pomu…" Kiara sighs as she places a friendly hand on the fairy's shoulder. She looks at those eyes with a mix of concern, and regret. "I mean we should leave. This country. We shouldn't be here."

"Wha-What do you mean? We can't leave Shallah."' Pomu utters, torn between being offended, and confused over how this might be some bad joke. "We have a job to do here. We gotta help these people."

"We don't have to do anything." Kiara says more sternly. "All this, all this nonsense with pirates, their politics, what country attacks who, none of it is any of our business. We shouldn't be risking our own necks like this."

"But how can we just sit and do nothing after all we've seen? Why would we not be heroes for these people?!" Pomu argues, slowly growing more agitated.

"Just because some newbie summoner said you should risk your life for a bunch of strangers, doesn't mean you should. You don't owe that little shit with the hero complex anything. You don't need to be involved with any of this. Just because he made a pact with Sylph, that doesn't mean he gets to run your life. You don't have to help him out of the messes he puts himself in." Kiara barks back.

"You think I want to help these people just because Anon said I should? Just because he's the summoner? How dare you!" Pomu snaps, taking a small step forward and poking Kiara's upper chest twice with a firm finger. "I want to help Anon because he wants to do the right thing! Lady Sylph wants the right thing too! I trust Anon. He has never asked me to do something that was wrong for me. Even when I gave him reasons to doubt me, he believed in me! I want to help because that's what heroes do! They help because they have the power to change things."

"Yeah, I know. I've been there, remember? I did the whole wandering hero schtick for years, and you know what I got for it? Jack. Shit. No matter how much I did, or how many people I helped, it was always the same old sad story someplace else, or even worse, the same story in the same place just a year later. Mortals, especially humans and elves, are dumb, greedy, and petty. It's not our place to clean up their messes. It's not the summoner's job either!"

"Not all of them are bad!" Pomu huffs, her balled fists shooting down at her sides. "Are those old people and little kids you helped feed yesterday bad?! Huh!? What the hell happened to you, Kiara? The girl I remember telling me all those fun stories in my forest would jump at the chance to fight pirates."

"What happened to me?! What the hell happened to you?! The little Pomu Rainpuff I remember would rather read about fights, not get into them herself." Kiara fires back, ignoring the initial accusation.

"You wanna know what happened to Pomu Rainpuff?" The fairy asks in a harsh voice as she steps up to Kiara and looks up slightly to make full eye contact. "I'll tell ya what happened. A witch. Grendel. And most importantly, my friends."

The mention of the demonic beast and the strife he has caused the fae and her kin hits Kiara especially hard. She averts her gaze and her shoulders droop slightly. Pomu had told the orange warrior last night about her recent struggles, and while she deeply expressed how she was sorry she wasn't there for her when she needed her most, the forest fairy merely hummed and told her things happened as they were supposed to. Still, this did little to ease her own regrets.

"Yeah I was scared, and I'm even scared now, but you know what? I'm still gonna do something! That's the fairy I wanna be! One that gets shit done and saves the day. A girl you can always count on to make gray skies go away. That's the person Anon thinks I am, and I'm not gonna let him down." Pomu continues, her resolve growing fiercer, not even noticing that Nene and the little girl are now watching the two offspring of the great spirits having a heated spat.

"Anon taught me that even though I'm scared, I can be really brave and help tons of people if I put my mind to it, so this is me putting my mind to it! I'm gonna go get Anon's back, and I'll make sure his plan works." The fae nods in certainty, her face still slightly angry at her friend, but it now has the passionate fire of determination instead of hurt and anger.

"Hold your wings! You're not going anywhere." Kiara practically demands, swinging her own arm to the side as an outlet for her own rising emotions. "I'm not about to let you fly off to fight pirates!"

"Good thing I won't be fighting right away then." Pomu retorts rebelliously. Then, in a sparkle of green magic, Pomu shrinks down to her mini form, wings and all. Now being small enough to fit in one's palm, she turns and flutters in front of the bubbly blond's face. "Nene, tell Flare I'm doing something stupid too, but I'll be back with Anon."

"Small fairy will watch over husband, very good! She good at sneaking this way!" Nene gives the fae a cherry thumbs up.

"And you…do whatever you want…leave, stay. I don't care." Pomu says coldly to Kiara before flying off past her, set on her mission to help Anon escape indefinite captivity.

"P-Pomu! Pomu!" Kiara shrieks, but the fairy has already left the small alleyway they used to observe Anon's situation. The daughter of Aska huffs and crosses her arms. "Stupid summoner…"

"Should we head back to beach where friends are now?" Nene asks, not really picking up on how irritated Kiara is right now.

"You should. I'm going literally anywhere else." Kiara says as she stomps further down the alleyway. "Just keep that kid and the summoner's stupid book safe like he told you."

"Nene was already doing that, yes." Nene answers plainly, and then looks to her small new friend and smiles. "Nene bring you to friends now. Do you like cats?"

Most of your walk was made in tense silence. While Roxy ushered you through the port with a firm hand on the top of your back while the other held your cuffed hands in place behind you, many eyes; both of pirates and civilians, watched you with great interest. More than a couple times do members of the more prominent pirate crews make snide remarks about how Roxy with a prisoner must be a sign of the sea drying up. She merely rolled her eyes at the remarks and told you not to pay them any mind. Just who are the Houshou Pirates? Why do they seem to be the butt of every joke that gets told by the other crews?

The questions you ask yourself are put on hold when you are jerked to the side to walk down one of the long wooden docks where a large, extravagantly decorated ship is currently anchored. It has the general build of a ship that is designed to handle even the roughest waters, but also some aspects that makes it truly unique and stand out from the rest. A sizable crow's nest rests near the top of each of the three masts, and the tops of the pillars themselves have a pair of branches that shoot from to both sides of the ship, creating an ideal perch for any gulls or other birds. Where you would normally expect a gun deck lined with cannons, you see the shape of a furled wing fashion that runs almost the full length of the ship, fashioned expertly from a light kind of wood and painted a pale white. The golden ornament just below the bowsprit depicts a fierce and intimidating naked woman with feathered wings for arms that lay flat against her figure.

Roxy urges you along and steps onto the loading ramp to the ship's main deck, and brings her head inconspicuously close to yours. "Once we're on, there's no turnin' back. I'm sorry about the cuffs, but I'll try to get them off ye when the coast is clear. Now don't run your mouth so much with this crew. Yer lucky Krol didn't take your bait earlier."

"More like he was the lucky one." You scoff, which is answered by an exasperated sigh from your "captor" and she pushes you forward up the docking ramp. About halfway up a voice that sounds akin to a harsh bird's squawk commands you to halt. You look up, and from the three crow's nests, jump three shapes, their arms extending outward as what looks to be feathered wings along their length catch the wind and allow them to swiftly glide down to land in front of you. Three demi-humans, a kind of which you've never seen before, block your path.

Tight and form fitting bodysuits cover each of the women from their chests down to their ankles, two of which showcasing a light gray shade, while the one in the middle, likely someone a higher station, has hers dyed a deep blue. Long, yellow hands with talons that look to be just as sharp as any sword, glint in the afternoon sunlight, and match the clawed feet that are worthy to a bird of prey. Along their forearms, a long sliver looks to be cut within the fabric of their suits to allow the roots of their apparent wings to fully be able to breathe the fresh air. Their faces are about as narrow as your typical elf's and they have the pointed ears to go with them, but these creatures have their own unique flavor of beauty; a type of dangerous attraction that might lead many a man to their untimely death if they took these women lightly.

"Ahoy there! If it isn't one of the Houshou's." The avian demi-human in the middle of the three speaks, with a mature lower voice, but it still carries the sharp vibrato that a bird might have. She brings one of her pointed nails up to tip the side of her captain's hat that is colored a deep blue, and feathers of aquamarine, sky blue, and seafoam green point upward from its one back corner. She looks at Roxy with a sharp and smug smile. "Well THE Houshou. But what's this? She's got a companion today. Would ye look at that girls! Unlike their captain, this one can actually bag a man! Imagine that!"

"I caught this punk pushin' around some of the Sunflowers. I take it you won't mind us hitching a ride with today's deliveries." Roxy responds, not even acknowledging the obvious dig at her crew and captain. A part of you actually feels sorry for her. Constantly being the target of ridicule by who are supposed to be her peers. Man, you've been there, once upon a time.

"You can just leave the new set of arms with us." One of the flanking pirates proposes as she takes a long strut towards you, eyeing you up and down with a look of approval across her face. "We'll take good care of him."

"Normally I wouldn't care, but it's no secret that men under your wing don't last very long. This one has the bones to do a fair amount of work." The Houshou pirate neutrally states.

"Oh he looks like he's got some bones alright!" The second almost caws as she joins her friend to get a better look at you. She plants the flat of her claws that look big enough to palm your face with room to spare against her hips, and your eyes are drawn to the dark verdant feathers that make up her wings. She then catches you staring and her smile widens. "First time seeing a harpy in the flesh, little human?"

"I don't think I need to remind you that Blackfin would be pretty sore if he lost a strong working back like this one." Roxy says more sternly as she shoots a glare at both feathered demi-humans who almost circle you like prey.

"How can he lose what he didn't know he had?" The captain of this group states almost as an absolute, and you very much don't like that hungry look in her eyes. "I've been in the market for a new cabin boy. What ya say, handsome? If you got a strong back like your jailer says, I think we could have quite a bit of fun~"

"Captain Krol knows I'm bringing him in too…so I'd decide if you really want to run the risk just for a few rolls in the sheets, Captain Alvina." Roxy sighs, and the knowledge of a potential information stream back to their fleet captain makes the winged girls heads and eyes droop, but their leader merely clicks her tongue and presents herself more professionally.

"Scaly sod would rat us out for just trying to have a good time." Alvina declares as she nods her head to her two subordinates and they walk back up the ramp to their ship. "Fine. You better come along for the ride. He's your prize after all."

Breathing a silent relief, Roxy nods and ushers you up the loading ramp and onto the Harpy's Gale. Your current role as a prisoner puts a damper on what should be an exciting first for you. You are actually aboard a real life pirate ship! All aboard the main deck, other feather-armed demi-humans are preparing the ship to disembark. Roxy has to practically drag you to the side where neither of you will be in the way of the crew.

"Stop looking like you don't hate being here." Roxy whispers to you. "These gals got sharp eyes, Captain Alvina sharper than others. They'll think somethings up, or worse. They'll think you're happy to see them."

You shiver slightly at the idea that gives you minor flashbacks to when Koyori had you in her clutches. The pirate next to you is right, you need to draw less attention to yourself, and that means not being so damn eager to take in all the sights around you. Sighing, you turn around and look out towards the ocean. At least the sound of the anchor being raised means things will move along and you can stop pretending to be so helpless…if only it was ALL pretending though. You can't wait to get these cuffs off. Hopefully Roxy really is good to her word…hopefully.

The sway of the massive wooden ship atop the waves does well to ease your nerves somewhat. Once the ship is set on a smooth cruise to its destination, most of the crew begins to relax and busy themselves with smaller tasks or breaks. After shooing a few of the avian girls away they stopped to inspect their newest piece of cargo, Roxy sighs and leans against the ship's railing. She unsheathes your sword that she had to remove from your person and looks it over briefly before clicking it back into its holding place.

"You'll get it back." She huffs when she sees you giving her a likely displeased stare. "It's just a sword. I don't know what you're so put off about."

"I'm aboard a ship filled with dangerous, in more ways than one mind you, pirate women, my hands are restrained, I can't use my magic, and I'm on my way to jail. So yes, I'm a little 'put off'. You doing what you want with Shining Comet doesn't make this trip much better…" You huff, but are still fully aware that you brought this upon yourself.

"You named yer sword?" Roxy almost chuckles. "Seems a little silly, no?"

"Pirates name their ships. My sword is just as important to me as your ship is to you." You shrug. "By the way, what is yours called? Where is it anyway?"

"I'd rather not talk about it…" The woman says, the wind completely pulled out from her own sails as she looks out towards sea with a forlorn expression.

"Then tell me about your captain. He or she? Must be pretty important to you. Where are they?" You try to change the topic somewhat, but still want to find out more about this woman and her pirate group.

"Senchou is everything to me. She's why I'm even still alive." Roxy says, and the degree of pride she puts in the word "Senchou" makes the connection in your hair that it must mean "Captain" among her crew, and perhaps something more. She looks further out at sea, her eyes dancing with the replays of memories past, likely better days by how her lips curve to a subtle smile. That happiness is short lived however, and her brow furrows, and her frown reappears.

"She's where we're heading." She speaks again. "With your help, I'll see her again soon. Things can go back to how they used to be. There's no other choice for us at this point."

"Is she the person you wanted me to come back with?" You ask, hoping to get more of the specifics to your agreement.

Roxy looks at you with a hesitant glance, seemingly torn between two sides of herself. Before you can press her again for an answer, a shrill shriek comes from one of the overhanging crow's nests.

"All claws on deck! We be dockin' soon! Get your asses to work and get this shipment ready for unloading." One of the harpy pirates yells from above, spurring the entire ship into a flurry of action.

All across the main deck, the bird-like demi-humans race to bring wooden crate after crate to where the disembark ramp will eventually connect this ship to land. You take the chance to look towards your destination from over the side of the railing. That very island you pointed out before while standing at one of the port's piers, is quickly approaching. The landmass is much, much larger up close, and can already see how Blackfin's encroachment upon the land that rightfully belongs to the lioness pack is influencing it.

Under the overcast clouds, the build of a forbidding, but sturdy ship dock becomes more visible with each wade against the ocean's surface. Several wooden structures that resemble simple barracks lie just beyond the wooden pier, but what surrounds them causes a twinge of anger to shoot through your entire body. What was likely a lush and exotic forest, was now a graveyard, the stumps of the once mighty trees acting as their own headstones. The deforestation looks to go on for a few miles in all directions further inland.

Your stomach drops a little. Using the bounty of nature for survival and progress is one thing, but you can feel how much this land is being disrespected. They weren't just taking what they needed to build, they were removing nature entirely. Some stumps had been forcibly pulled from their deep seated roots, and left on their sides on the ground, while you have to imagine some were tossed into the ocean.

"What the hell happened to this place?" You ask no one in particular, your wrists attempt to pull themselves apart slightly, the struggle against your steel binds acts as a small outlet for your building frustration.

"Blackfin felt that he deserved much more than some villa on the Shallah mainland." Roxy decides to answer, likely due to the neutral nature of the question. "He set his eyes on this place a few months ago. Can ya believe the dock used to only be a quarter of the size it is now? The things you can accomplish with unpaid labor…if you don't like the idea of that though, it only gets worse from here."

"Alrighty! Get everything that's stayin' here off the ship!" Captain Alvina commands, and her crew immediately starts to unload the ship's deliveries down the extended ramp that now connects the ship to the boardwalk of the island dock. The harpy captain then jumps upward, and glides down gently thanks to her feathered arms to land in front of you and Roxy. "Care for a brief escort? Captain Blackfin won't be expectin' ye today, so how's about comin' with me while I give him the rundown of today's shipment."

"And what would I owe such a courtesy for?" Roxy raises an eyebrow.

"I won't give ya any guff or tailfeathers about all this junk about all us havin' to get along. I just want to see what the Fleet Captain wants to do with yer prize here." The harpy captain smirks. "More importantly…I wanna be the first to know what your reward is."

Roxy's eyes turn to you, then back to Alvina. You can't help but feel you're missing something very important here.

"What? So he pays you for finding new slaves?" You say defensively.

"I'm not interested in money. Now c'mon." Roxy shoots down your question and tugs the long end of the twine that connects to your double bound wrists to lead you along behind her.

The restless waves slap against the wooden supports of the docks as you walk along its length. Where the mainland begins, you spot several common workers helping to move and transport the heavy crates to the various single floor buildings that sprout up across the shoreline. A few look at you with mild intrigue, which quickly turns to pity. You guess this isn't the first time they have welcomed newcomers to their illustrious careers as Blackfin's labor men.

Once your boots touch the sandy shore that has clumps of grass sprouting every couple feet or so within it, Roxy begins to lead you impatiently down a manmade road of wooden boards that leads deeper into the island. More than once does the Houshou pirate tug at your string like it were the reins of a horse to keep you from lagging too far behind while you would get distracted by the sight of the new ecosystem, as well as the anger in seeing some of it defiled for the pirate crew's own selfish greed. Seeing trees, brushes, and even the natural rock formations displaced and mistreated, begins to make your blood boil.

The road eventually leads to what you have to assume is the center of the island. A collection of tall mountains rise upward in the distance, their plateaus scaling high above the mighty trees that thankfully still retain their life and splendor. You relax slightly. At least some parts of Botan's home are still intact. Your relief is short lived however when you behold the massive homebase to the Blackfin pirates in the middle of the large clearing.

A group of five buildings spaced evenly apart, form a semicircle atop the worn down dirt. At the head of this collection of architecture masoned from a combination of stone, wood, and even brick, is a massive five story tall mansion. It dwarfs the other four buildings both in size, and extravagance. Long banners depicting the front profile of what looks to be a whale with its jaw slightly open to reveal pointed teeth and crossed bones to complete this Jolly Roger, are unrolled and hanging proudly on both sides of the lead building's front walls. As if the general high end build and square footage of the abode wasn't enough, the roof looks to be fashioned in the style of a ship deck, where you can barely make out the shapes of tables, umbrellas, and even…a pool?

The four smaller buildings, easily only two or three floors tall and probably a quarter the width, showcase the insignias of other prominent crews under the fleet's command; The SeaKroc Pirates, BlueGale Pirates, MoonClaw Pirates, and FindersFortune Pirates. You recognize each distinct emblem and the reputation that comes with it. More of the information you gathered today is also confirmed when you observe the residents of this invasive piece of civilization. Gathered around each crew house, was a sizable number of pirates, all drinking, laughing, and playing music to further empower their partying. The loudest of them all is coming from the main mansion, which you have to assume is the headquarters of the Blackfin pirates.

"This be your first time at one of Blackfin's ragers?" Captain Alvina poses the question to Roxy, who only nods in response. "Hopefully it won't be yer last either then. C'mon, let's drop this one off. I want to get the work out of the way so I can unwind, and with any luck…our newest friend can keep me company for a bit."

The way the avian demi-human winks at you during that last part makes your skin crawl. You give your bindings a quick tug to direct Roxy's attention your way so you can give her a very stern, but pleading look. While out in the open at least, the Houshou pirate can only shrug and offer a non telling glance, but you desperately hope she will not leave you at the mercy of this thirsty bird. Her gaze then hardens at the sight of the mansion, and then as you are brought closer to its front doors, they suddenly swing open and you come face to face with a man who is nothing short of intimidating.

Standing likely eight feet tall, a man wearing a plush coat made from a light gray fur jaunts toward you. The skin of his face is tanned from the strong sun in this region, and his face is darkened further by the heavy shadow of his emerging facial hair. The hair on his head also looks recently shaven down; the light fade of slowly emerging black follicles giving the top of his dome a darker hue. Thick black britches cover his legs and are rolled up at the cuffs of the brown loafers that practically indent the ground with every step this behemoth takes.

"Alvina!" He cheers drunkenly. "You're just in time! We started the party an hour ago!"

As the man outstretched his arms in greeting, one hand carries a wooden mug that spills over with wine, and the other holds the brim of a well decorated black bicorn hat that is accessorized with two black and white feathers plugged into the left, a skull and crossbone pattern stitched into its brim, and finally, what looks to be the brush from a lion's tail, hanging casually over the black brim. Thoughts race in your head about where he got that particular piece, but then the coat that covered his front is opened like a curtain, and reveals something that makes your eyes widen and makes you question just what you think you see.

The man's large but thick belly is white like the purest snow, and the skin that covers his bulky arms are pitch black. Flesh in the shape of fins protrude along his forearms, and his eyes, you just now notice the small patch of white skin around each of his eye sockets, driving home just what variant of demi-human this man is.

"An orca…demi-human?" You mouth silently as your eyes catch what you are pretty sure is a big dorsal fin jutting out from the middle of his back.

"Just an hour ago? Good. That means you won't be too smashed to see the surprise I brought along today." Alvina chuckles as she steps aside to allow you and Roxy to come into view. "The Houshou caught this stranger letting a few from the Sunflowers have it. It's about time she started showing some guts. Eh Blackfin?"

At the utterance of that name and the sight of who it belongs to, things begin to click into place. Chloe's disgust with pirates in general, her desire to gut the captain of the new regime herself, even her the way she approved of your quest in her own way. One of her own people, was part of the slave trade and robbing so many innocents of their normal freedoms.

"Now that is a surprise!" Blackfin bellows as he eyes you and Roxy down with a cocky grin, the dark pupils of his eyes made ever more visible due to the white that surrounds their sockets. "Tell me more."

"This punk doesn't seem to like how things are run around here, so he took it up with a couple of the Sunflowers. The boy managed to beat seven of them before he let his guard down, sir." Roxy begins to explain.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." The fleet captain crosses his black arms after placing his hat on top of his head. "Well, boy, do ye got anything to say for yerself? Ye went and injured some of me loyal followers. All unprovoked I reckon?"

"If you don't call robbing little kids a crime, then sure. It was completely…unprovoked." You say through your teeth.

"Glad we're on the same page then." The orca demi-human sneers with confidence. "I suppose you've earned a proper introduction from your soon to be, permanent host. You may call me"

"I already know who you are, you blowhard." You spit, your anger rising. "What I don't know is why someone like yourself would ever be fine putting people into servitude. After all you're own people have been through already."

"Oh? Because I be an orca? Is that it?" Blackfin asks with sarcasm. "I couldn't give a flying fuck over the past. Sure. I was a slave, but I focus on what my future is gonna be, not my past. So how about we talk about your future."

The way Blackfin's teeth mold to create a deplorable and slimy smile makes your blood boil. If you didn't have these handcuffs on, you'd throttle him right now, fleet be damned.

"A man who can beat seven on his own is worth his weight in hard labor." The orca captain chuckles. "And to the lass who captured him, worth quite a sum. Tell me though, what makes the last holdout finally change her tune?"

Roxy's expression hardens as the question is lobbed to her, as if she is preparing to seize the moment. Her eyes flash with determination and she steps forward.

"I want a chance to see my captain. I can convince her that your way of doing things is the future." Roxy says clearly. "The boy has a clear control of his magic, and has a rare kind I haven't seen before at that."

"Rare magic, huh?" Blackfin thinks the request over. "I suppose I could grant ya a small audience with your old captain, or I could give you something better. How's about your own station?

"Wha?!" You gasp, taken by surprise by how the plan has suddenly changed. "I'm not some bargaining chip! This wasn't what we agreed on!"

"And you were a gullible idiot for believing me." Roxy says coldly and with a small smirk. "We're pirates. Of course I dupped you."

The two captains around you start to snicker and laugh, your rage builds further, then without realizing it, a spark of your own starlight mana flickers from within your clenched fists. Blackfin notices this and his grin widens.

"Now THAT is some rare magic!" He exclaims. "I know a certain organization that might pay any price for this one. Perhaps he's even worth enough to put me in their good graces."

Your stomach drops, and your magic fizzles out in an instant. He doesn't mean…He can't possibly mean who you think. From the corner of your eye you see a Sylph desperately try to materialize, but to no avail. Wait a minute. You know HoloX and these pirates aren't on good terms anymore. Maybe you can use that.

"How do you know I wasn't sent by HoloX to take you out?" You lie through your teeth. The idea seems to run through the orca's head for a second, but his cocky grin quickly reforms.

"Because they would have sent that poor excuse for an orca after me first." Blackfin retorts as he gives your chest a firm poke with one of his fingers, causing a minor twinge of pain at the point of pressure. "Not that she would last three minutes against me. I'd keep her alive at least. Girls like her can rake in a fortune."

"Chloe would destroy you. If it weren't for her orders, she would be here, and you'd be dead in the ground." You breathe, your eyes narrowing on the pirate captain who just erupts into laughter at your threat, causing even more onlookers to glue their eyes to your exchange.

"Sure boy, sure." Blackfin continues to snicker. "Somebody take this one to the 'special' holding cell. It'll be the last days of peace he'll ever know. I don't want to think about what that genius lunatic gets up to with live people."

"A shame he might not stick around a while. The girls and I were hoping to have a little fun with him." Captain Alvina sighs.

"If ye promise to watch him, I'll grant ye unlimited visiting hours. Just make sure he stays alive. I'm guessin' he's worth a lot less dead." Blackfin offers, clearly thinking he is a saint of generosity.

"R-Roxy!" You yelp as your situation continues to get worse. Two of the feather-armed women of Alvina's crew pick you up by your underarms, lifting your feet off the ground. The Houshou pirate turns her head to the side to slightly meet your eyes, her expression is cold, resolved, and there is even a twinge of pity in those hazel pools of hers. The girl simply folded to her opposition, and was just fine making you the payment. Your fear turns to anger, and you flex your arms, prompting the large talons that restrain you to tighten, the tips of their sharp nails starting to dig and tear into the fabric of your clothes, but you don't care.

"I didn't think the Houshous were big cowards!" You bark, which causes Roxy to glare in her own flash of anger towards you. "It's no wonder I haven't heard jack shit about your crew. At least creeps like Blackfin are proud of how dishonorable they are. You, and probably your captain too, you're cowards. If you want to elevate yourself, at least have the guts to fight for it. Is your captain waiting in some hole for you? Waiting for whatever it is you're trading me in for? Huh!?"

"Shut your mouth." Roxy hisses as she steps to face you, her teeth barred, and her expression pushed to fully show her seething. "You will NOT call my senchou a coward in front of me. She is braver than any pirate here and dares to do what others won't. You don't know her at all."

"If you've been following her example, I hope I never meet her." You retort, almost expecting to start a brawl with this girl right here. Even with your hands bound, you'll give her a few bruises to be ashamed of. You want that so badly right now.

That seemed to be the last straw. Roxy begins to unsheath the cutlass at her waist, all while your eyes never leave hers. The defiance and resentment between your gazes would be creating sparks and crackles in the air if given physical form. Then, you feel a hard impact on the back of your skull, and consciousness slowly begins to trail away from you.

"You…bitch…" You manage to get out before all strength leaves your muscles, and your head hangs forward.

"While you were in your right, I can't have ye guttin' the newest merchandise. This is also supposed to be a party! Come! Drink! And we'll discuss that new station I mentioned. I got more than a few ships that'll need someone cutthroat at the helm." You barely hear Blackfin utter as the world starts to fade from your senses.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at the old ship. It's been a while." Roxy replies, and then everything goes completely black.

—-

Your eyes slowly open as you are met with a damp and cold sensation against your ear and shoulder. As you blink to regain focus, you register the damp natural stone walls in front of you, and with some effort, you roll yourself over to be met with iron bars on the other side.

"Great…jail again." You mutter to yourself. "This is really starting to get old. I think I've only been conscious of being put behind bars once so far."

After sitting upright you inspect yourself and your surroundings. Nothing about you seems injured, out of place, and possibly most important; violated. The handcuffs that still restrict most of your magic are still tight around your wrists, but you'd be worried if they weren't. The room you are in seems to be part of the inner workings of a cave, likely underground if the moist smell in the air is anything to go by. You have also been graciously gifted a bucket in which to do your business in, and a worn mattress in the corner to sleep on. Well, that's actually an upgrade from other holdings you've been in.

Rising to your feet, you walk over and inspect your possible exit. Iron bars connect the metal frame that runs along the stone ground to the natural ceiling overhead. A simple gate door that likely opens outward if unlocked is placed in the center. The bars are actually wide enough apart for you to fit both your hands through, but not much else.

"Where are Undine and Sylph?" You mutter to yourself as you rub the back of your head where you feel a small bump. When you try to focus you can faintly feel their presence still, but you can't quite hone in on where. As more of mental faculties return to normal, the severity of your situation makes its way to the forefront.

"Dammit…I can't believe I was so stupid." You chastise yourself as you half heartedly, absolutely ashamed you did something so incredibly stupid. "And now I'm all alone in a dank cave, who knows where, on a remote island…"

"Awww. Don't be sad, we'll keep ya company~" A crass, shrill, and unfortunately familiar voice echoes from just a little beyond the bars of your cell. You follow a calling whistle over to a small wooden table where two of the harpy pirates you ogled you earlier are seated. The one with blown back brunette hair flashes a hearty grin as she gets up and saunters toward you.

"Glad yer finally awake. We was getting worried we wouldn't get to have some fun till the captain showed up." She says with a dangerous look in her eyes.

Yup. Getting some real Koyori flashbacks. Oh gods.

"My crewmate said we should just get things started, and that would wake ya right up." The second pirate assigned to be your guard gets up next. Her hair was a pale white that parts to the one side to fall elegantly down past her shoulder. "Me? It's more fun to me when everyone is having fun? You agree, right?"

"Yup! Totally!" You nod feverishly as you take a few cautionary steps back from the cell door. "But now that you mention it, I'm feeling kinda bushed, so I might take a nap if that's alright?"

"Nah." The brunette harpy says flatly as she inserts a large iron key into the keyhole of your prison and turns it quickly, the click of the latches unlocking feels like thunder booming through your entire body.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuckkkkk. This is so much worse than what happened with Koyori. There's TWO of them. I'm not gonna be able to avoid them for long, especially with handcuffs on…Okay Anon. Time to see if for once, you can talk your way out of something.

"S-So…what kind of fun did you have in mind? W-We don't really know each that well yet, so how about I list off some things I find fun. Then we can compare?" You start to stammer as both avian demi-humans step into your cell, the blond making sure to stay near the door so you don't get any bright ideas about making a run for it. "Right! I like sword fighting, visiting new places, walks on the beach…and"

"My turn." The harpy says as she takes a commanding step toward you, the sight of her large taloned hands makes you gulp involuntarily. You get the feeling she might not be gentle with them. "I like sailing the seas, getting my feathers pruned, and most of all." She lists off before reaching forward and grabbing your wrist to pull herself nose to nose with you. "Making tough guys like you squeal."

Yup. Definitely not the gentle lover type. Plan B…what the hell is Plan B?! I wasn't even able to talk my way out of this with Koyori. Her and her stupid pink and fluffy tail….Anon get a grip! Stop thinking about those ears too! And what it might be like to help a bird girl prune her feathers….Crap I'm hopeless, but maybe…maybe I'm trying to avoid this in the wrong way. Words and simple "No"s don't seem to work with demi-humans, so I should try appealing to their animal side!

"And while I'm in no position to argue." You try to take a step back, but the woman's grip holds you tightly in place. "Is this really where you'd want to do this? That beaten up mattress doesn't look all that comfortable. We'd break that thing in less than an hour."

"And you think you're man enough to break it?" The harpy eyes you mockingly.

"You are certainly woman enough to." You try to lay the charm on as thick as you can. "A grungy mattress on a dank cave floor isn't fitting for a fine pair of birds like yourselves. Wouldn't you agree?"

"He makes a good point." The blond remarks from her leaning position against the cell bars. "That thing would break wayyyy before he might."

"I think he's all talk." The brunette scoffs. "You saw the blood leave his face when he saw what we were coming for. I bet he's never even had a woman, which I have to say, sounds pretty tasty."

"Nope. Not a virgin. Sorry." You shake your head pridefully. Damn that feels good to say out loud. You can't wait for Koyori to hear that too someday. Oh that would piss her off good. Focus. "I actually have a thing for demi-humans. They're much more…alluring. If I seemed hesitant earlier it was because…because…" You struggle to come up with a decent excuse, the harpy's gaze narrows and threatens to break your composure and expose you. Just as you might be about to break, inspiration strikes. "Because I was hoping to get the full harpy experience! I've heard? I've read! That women of your heritage give a brand new meaning to the phrase 'Love Nest'. If I'm gonna be sold off, maybe you'll consider it a last wish of mine?"

"You wanna get ridden in a nest?" The brunette asks skeptically.

"Only if that's what's comfortable for you." You assure her with a small smile. "And you wouldn't be doing all the work hopefully. I'm apparently not the selfish type."

"Just what are you up to, human?" The harpy raises an eyebrow as you and slightly closes her grip around your wrist more.

"Hopefully just making the best of my time." You shrug and smile sheepishly.

"We should do it!" The blond chirps. "It's been ages since we had a proper romp like that! We probably got at least an hour or two before the captain comes by. You know how drunk she'll be. Even if the lad is as cool as he thinks, she'll wreck him before long. I say we pamper ourselves a little. We've been working our asses off."

"Gah! Fine!" The brown haired harpy snaps as she lets you go, causing you to stumble back slightly. "You watch him. If we're doing this, we're doing it right. I'll be back."

As the first of your guards stomps out of the jail cell, her blond crewmate takes one long step to put herself between you and the door. You hear the door lock behind her as she gives you a flirtatious smile. Well, you managed to reduce your assailants from two to one. That's a start, not to mention a little time.

"C'mere." The blond harpy coos as she struts toward you, and before you utter any sort of verbal or physical response, she takes you by the hand and pulls you to the old mattress to then sit you both down upon it. You're actually already glad you convinced them that a different "sleeping" arrangement is in order. The springs on this thing feel like they're on their last legs. You have a whopping one night of full on sexual experience under your belt, but you're pretty sure you could actually break this old spring cushion if you tried. At least, that's what your ego is telling you.

"Ya don't meet many boys who want to indulge a lady's comforts too often on the high seas." The woman remarks as she runs one of her nails through your hair, which actually feels kind of soothing. "It's almost a shame that ya gotta be sold away."

"I don't have to be sold, you know." You offer, seeing a potential chance to give your guile another flex. "You could take these cuffs off me, and we could just run away. You. Me. Your friend. Maybe make a more…permanent nest somewhere. Like you said, it might be hours before anyone even knows we're gone."

"And you're funny to boot!" The harpy lets out a giggle that is more akin to a cackle, but actually cute in its own way. "Afraid it's too early to tell if you're worth mutiny, little man. But…"

With a gentle nudge, you are already flat on your back, with the impressive but slightly unnerving form of the feathered demi-human lurching over you. Her eyes look down at you half hooded, and a sultry curve dons her lips.

"How about you show me if you're worth breaking my vow to my captain." She coos as she begins to lower herself down, controlling every inch of her descent. You can only raise your cuffed hands to your chest in meager defense, but you might truly be at fate's mercy now.

Just as your lips are about to touch, the sound of several objects falling echoes throughout the cave. The harpy turns her head and looks out of the cell, but doesn't seem to see anything. She decides that whatever the noise was, wasn't worth investigating, at least not now. The woman shrugs and looks back down at you, unwilling to let her hunger go unsated any longer. Your heart begins to pound. To be compromised, to be used in the way she wants, does not sit well with you in the slightest. Can you really fight back through? Gods. Where the hell are Undine and Sylph!?

Another noise, this time a harsh grunt breaks the silence. The blond harpy straightens herself upright and huffs in annoyance. She gets off you and marches to the cell door. You don't dare utter a single thing. Whatever is going on, it bought you precious seconds as you inhale to regain your breath.

"Hey! You alright out there!?" She calls, expecting to hear her comrade's reply. When nothing but silence answers her, she clicks her tongue and reluctantly opens the gate to leave. "I'll be right back~" She sing songs as she locks your cage and leaves to investigate.

With a possible few minutes unwatched, you sit yourself up and begin to frantically attempt to urge your mana to the surface.

"Come on! Work!" You grunt as you attempt to make something, anything out of your starlight magic. Only a few dim sparks flicker and burn out between your fingertips. "Shit! I'm too wound up! Gotta calm down and focus, Anon. One good burst, and hopefully I can short these things like I did with Chloe's."

You inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale through your mouth to recenter yourself. Already you hear the sounds of someone's weight being pressed against the stone ground. You urge your mana to heed your call, and the glow of silver-white light begins to form and stabilize within your palms. Someone's presence alerts you to look at your cell's exit again, where you see the blond pirate harpy walk back towards you with a confused look on her face. You quickly turn your body so that your one side faces her so that you can attempt to hide your glowing hands behind the other. You try your best to look happy to see her, but you can't be sure of how convincing you are.

"Must be a nasty wind blowin' through. I was hearing all sorts of noises. No sign of our number three yet though, which is kinda alright with me." She says, half to herself, half to you. "That gives us more time to get to know each other. Now hows about I come back in, and you show me something worth running away with."

You don't respond with any sort of verbal answer, having accepted the fact that nothing you say can get you out of this mess, but just when your hope is fading, a small dash of movement is caught by your eye from behind the tall avian woman. You can only watch in shock as the form of a person quickly enlarges and familiar arms in black stockings wrap around the harpy's neck, and begin to wrestle the air from her windpipe. The woman struggles, but the grip around her combined with more oxygen leaving her lungs by the second, is too overwhelming. Her claw slaps against the arm that restrains her, but becomes weaker with every hit. A few seconds later, her eyes flutter to stay open, then, her body stills. Now limp and unconscious, a winged figure sets her down and steps up to the iron bars of your cell.

"Kept you waiting, huh?" Pomu grins as she greets you proudly in a deep grizzled male voice; your puzzled face has her continue normally "Sorry! One of my stories had a scenario like this, and I didn't want to waste the chance."

"Of course it did…" You let out a relieved chuckle when it sinks in that the fae has actually come to your rescue. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Pomu. What are you even doing here? How? Is Nene here too? Oh gods! Is she fighting Blackfin or something already?"

"Slow down there operative. Let's get you out of that box and out of those pesky accessories first." The forest fairy silences you with a firm air of command, which is out of the ordinary to say the least. Even when Pomu is playing one of her pretend roles, she has never sounded this confident.

Stepping back, you let the fae go to work. She brings the head of an iron key she already had on her person to the keyhole of your cell, and quickly turns it to free you from your prison. When you step out, you try to look further around the cave, but Pomu jerks your hands over to her and begins inspecting your handcuffs.

"Would you hold still?" She snaps. "I don't think either of the girls I put down for a nap have the key to these things."

"Either? You took the other one down too?" You ask, curious, but impressed.

"Well duh! Can't hatch an escape unless the guards are all out of the way. Crap. I don't know if I can get these off for you, Anon. I'm not great at making mana coats yet, and my wind magic isn't as sharp as Flare's." The fairy says, her frustration over not being able to remove your bindings clear in her voice.

"I think I can hopefully do something about that. Now that I have time to focus. Here, just give me a minute." You assure the fae and pull your hands back slightly, prompting her to release you.

"Okay, but you might wanna hurry. This is the first time I've ever knocked people out before. I don't know how long they'll stay asleep." Pomu says in an anxious whisper. She then turns and quietly skips to the natural mouthed doorway that leads further through the natural prison and peeks around its corner.

Nodding, you take a deep breath and recenter yourself. You gather all your feelings that fuel your celestial magic and mentally push through the wall that your handcuffs have built to keep you from using your gifts. A bright blow of silver-white pulses atop your index finger. You allow the small ball of light to leave your digit and float calmly on the air in front of you, and through strained effort, you repeat the process until enough are in place to create the Leo constellation. Using your newest spell for the second time, you absorb its light and feel yourself erupt with vigor and pride. Starlight begins to envelope your hands, its radiance shaking and rattling the metal chained bracelets around your wrists. Then with a deep exhale, you yank your arms apart as you let the inner soul of your magic roar with the strength of a lion. The chainlinks of your bindings snap, and the rings shatter under the force of your explosive mana. Then, like a dam breaking, you feel yourself nearly overwhelmed by the force of your own magic being allowed to flow freely throughout you again.

A lot of strong, rageful thoughts and feelings start to bubble and boil within you. The sight of the passed out harpy on the ground makes the magical light around your hand begin to shift and crackle as it changes its shape without you consciously willing it to do so. You are brought back to the helplessness you felt when you were in Koyori's clutches. A moment you had thought you had gotten over. No. This time wasn't any different. Again you were seconds away from being violated, unable to help yourself.

You should use your power to make sure they can't try to hurt anyone like that again. A voice, your own, speaks out internally. One strike from your mighty fist will be enough. Show them you are not to be taken advantage of. Make them feel as helpless as they made you-

"Anon? You alright in there, buddy?" Pomu's words come and cut the voice off, bringing you back to your senses. The fae looks at you nervously with those big ruby eyes of hers. "Those skeevy birds didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I'm…I'm alright now. Thanks, Pomu." You say shakily as you let the spell fade entirely from your body, and with it, the weight of your pride and anger vanishes. "I only got a small bump on my head from when they knocked me out, but other than that I'm fine. I was thankfully able to buy myself some time before you showed up, which by the way…why are you here?"

"Because I'm your wingfairy!" Pomu chirps matter of factly, her knuckles proudly placed against her hips. "When I saw that girl put those scary handcuffs on you, I knew I had to do something. So I shrunk down to my mini size and flew here. It was so cool! I was landing on a remote island for a rescue mission."

"How did you find me though? This place is a lot bigger than it looks."

"We helped with that!" Sylph's voice chimes in, and both her and Undine come phasing in through the smooth ceiling. "Sorry if you thought we left ya hanging, summoner!" The wind spirit waves with an apology. "We knew we couldn't do much while you were conked out, so Big Sis and I did a little scouting."

"It wasn't long before Sylph sensed Pomu nearby, and we gave her directions to where you had been taken." Undine continues to put events into place.

"From there, I went full stealth Pomu! I slipped inside this cave and snuck around while in my mini form. I caught the other harpy coming back with a bundle of sticks and stuff. She had no idea I was comin'." Pomu then gives a rasp chuckle, likely replaying the acts of her infiltration in her head. The forest fairy then brings herself back to the moment at hand, and looks at you curiously. "What was she gonna do with all that stuff anyway? Seems like a random time to be collecting flowers and things, and that's saying something coming from a fairy!"

"I maybe sorta kinda convinced my guards that they should make a small nest in my cell?" You answer, embarrassed by your own brutal honesty, but Pomu deserved at least that much from you today.

"A nest? Like actual birds do?" Pomu raises her eyebrow, completely befuddled by the idea.

"Harpies like to breed in them." Sylph decides to clear the air, much to your own discomfort. "They like getting frisky in a self made nest. I gotta say, quick thinkin' summoner!" The wind spirit then gives you a hearty thumbs up, although you kinda feel like slinking under a rock and dying at the moment.

"I was flying by the seat of my pants so that they wouldn't come off." You sigh, and try to shake off the embarrassment. "I'm just glad I was able to talk my way into separating them. You guys really came through for me, and…I'm sorry."

"What ya sorry for?" Pomu tilts her head. "You were the one tossed into jail and almost became a plaything. Though given the context…it doesn't sound all too bad."

"I'm sorry for being so stupid." You blurt out. "I shouldn't have trusted Roxy like that…she sold me right up the river, and I not only put myself in danger, I endangered all three of you too. I just feel so dumb! How could I just walk into a trap like this!? I-I-"

Pomu's hand then quickly travels over your face, stinging your senses and ending your shameful rant right there. You hold up a hand to the spot her palm struck, still slightly tender and throbbing, and look at the fae who gives you a scolding stare. Satisfied that you'll stay quiet, her usual whimsical smile returns.

"So it didn't turn out exactly like we planned, but when we have each other's backs, it never needs to." Pomu begins to say, and you instantly begin to feel a little less disappointed in yourself. "You believed that girl really wanted to change things for the better, and to help you do it. It's your decision to put your trust in people, and it's their choice to prove you wrong. Besides…"

Pomu then removes your hand from your face and replaces it with her own, her gentle caress makes you look deep into her eyes. There, you can already see how she feels.

"Because you're just that trusting, good, and strong guy…you gave me a chance. I would never want that part of you to change, it's part of what makes you shine. It's part of why I'm glad we're friends. I'll always be your wingfairy, Anon. Through thick and thin, we're there for each other, so you can do all the reckless, crazy, and dangerous stuff you want. Whenever you get in a jam, I'll be there to help. That's a Rainpuff promise!"

The burning resolve and declaration of the trust you two share overwhelms your emotions and even makes you feel like crying, but you do your best to hold that in for now. Unable to find the right words to respond, you simply wrap your arms around your fairy and hug her close.

"Thanks, Pomu. How did I get so lucky?" You chuckle and choke down a small amount of mucus that formed from your repressed outburst.

"You helped put down an ancient demon for good. That's how." Pomu jokes as she returns the hug and pats your back. "And I just happen to like ya, so you are pretty lucky actually."

"Two of my favorite mortals getting along so well…it *sniff* makes my heart just soar." Sylph wipes a tear from her cheek. "Don't you just live for moments like this?"

"And since I would prefer to live to see more moments like this, how about we get out of here and complete our mission?" You say as you separate from Pomu and feel more like your normal self again. "You said you snuck here on your own? What about Nene and Kiara? Where are they?"

"Nene should be back with the rest of our friends by now. Don't worry! I told Nene to tell everyone I would be back with you! So they probably aren't too worried." The forest fairy says with a sure smile, but you can detect the tinge of unease she wears. Is she afraid of what the others, specifically Flare and Polka will do when they find out? No. That's not it.

"What about Kiara?" You ask, curious to why the overprotective sun warrior left Pomu to her own devices like this. YOU certainly trust Pomu to handle herself, but Kiara has only seemed confused and surprised that the fae was willingly going along on this quest with you.

"What about her?" Pomu asks back, a little defensively, her warm cheer exchanged for cold indifference.

"She didn't try to come with you? Or even stop you?" You follow up.

"No, and yes." The forest fairy almost reluctantly responds, she crosses her arms and looks away, clearly not wanting to divulge the truth, but ever vigilant in her vow to always tell you the truth. "Look. It doesn't matter what Kiara is doing, or where she even is right now. We have a job to do. Now do you wanna spring some prisoners and start this party? I am itching to give these jerks some fairy justice."

"Same here." You say with your resolve burning like a blazing forge, and you give your fairy companion a loud high five. "Which way, Big Boss?"

"We can't go out the way we came, you're way too big. You'll be seen. I think this cave goes on for a while though, we should look for another exit." Pomu proposes, and Undine gives her a small nod in agreement.

"I believe we saw the two who brought our summoner here go further into the tunnels with his sword. It is likely they have left it along with possible belongings of other prisoners." Undine adds.

"Alright, let's get moving, but first." You say as you squat down and take the unconscious harpy by her arms, and drag her back into the holding cell. You lay her with her back facing the bars on top of the old mattress and do your best to position her arms so that her feathers cannot be clearly seen. Satisfied that you've done all you can, you leave and close the door behind you, after which you turn that key that was still lodged in its hole to lock it. Pomu looks at you questioningly, but also with a small smile.

"A clean scene can buy you precious minutes." You remember the good advice you learned from a certain masked girl. The memory of escaping what you consider to be "wrongful arrest" with the cleaner of HoloX lifts your spirits somewhat, but at the same time it further hardens your resolve. "A friend taught me that."

Friend? Did I just call Chloe my friend? Weird. We're enemies but, for some reason, I would call her my friend. Come to think of it, I told that creep Blackfin that Chloe would take him down no problem…and at the same time…I REALLY wanna take him down for her. Bah! I'll unpack this later, or never hopefully. This is confusing.

"Nice!" Is all Pomu says as you have a brief moment of self reflection. "I already hid the first one away, so no one will come across her right away if they come looking. Let's find your sword, find some prisoners, and get outta here!"

More than happy to leave, you follow Pomu's lead through the plain cave system that your jail was a part of. You bank an immediate left at the open mouthed doorway and briskly walk down the natural stone hallway. Sparsely placed torches offer just enough light to see that the tunnel continues to stretch further, but not much else. Soon you see a small offshoot to the right, and you all immediately slow your pace. Pomu nods and you make a silent agreement. In a small glitter of magic, she shrinks down and zips to the upcoming turn. A few seconds later she reappears and grows back to her usual size, indicating that the coast is clear.

You hurry to meet her with both your spirits floating behind you. When you turn the corner, you see a simple wooden door bolted into the stone wall at the end of the short hallway. You take the lead and approach it cautiously, silently ready to conjure an offensive water spell should the need arise. You grip the simple brass doorknob and turn it slowly as you push the entryway open to reveal whatever is on the other side.

A steady creak escapes the door's hinges when you take in the setting of a simple storage room. A few simple square standing tables rest against the far left wall, where a few scattered coins, necklaces, and what looks to be a folded red outfit of some kind. While that would have been appealing on its own, since you are in desperate need of some money, what sits in the middle of the room is easily ten times more interesting.

"Anon! An actual treasure chest!" Pomu exclaims, giddy with girlish excitement, her wings flutter to bring her feet several inches off the ground.

"And Shining Comet!" You gasp as you throw caution to the wind and rush to reunite with your treasured blade resting against the side of the plain brown treasure chest. Placing your hands gingerly on its sheath and handle, you pull your gleaming blade out just enough to confirm and admire its sheen. A massive wave of relief washes over you, and you can physically feel your shoulder and back muscles loosen. "I'm never gonna let anyone take you like that again. Next time, I'll leave you with Nene and the book." Your heartfelt, but probably questionable outspoken affection for an inanimate object is cut short when you feel slightly concerned gazes bearing down upon you.

After scrambling to secure your sword at its rightful place at your hip, you clear your throat and recompose yourself. "Sooooo who wants to see what's in the box?"

"Me! Me! I wanna open it!" Pomu raises her hand and flutters even higher into the air, almost touching the ceiling with the tips of her teal bow.

You graciously bow and step to the side as you present your savior of the day her prize. Pomu's light feet land harshly against the stone ground with an audible flap from her shoes. Her legs skip up and down, her knees practically reaching her breast as she anticipates being able to do something she has only read in books. The forest fairy gets down on her knees and wiggles her fingers in anticipation, before placing them under the metal faceplate of the trunk. She lifts it up slowly, savoring every second, and she brings her face poke to peek inside.

A girlish squeal escapes her throat that ignites your own excitement. You bring your head down over her shoulder and try to see what has the fae so excited. Pomu then flips the entire top half of the chest backward, revealing its contents. Glittering, shining, magnificent coins of gold and silver, fill this simple wooden box almost halfway up.

"Anon! It's actual pirate booty! And it's ours!" Pomu cheers, scooping some of the metallic currency and letting it overflow off her hands.

"Holy crap! And they just left it here for anyone to find it! There's gotta be at least fifty, or maybe even seventy gold in here! This is so awesome!" You can't keep yourself from laughing. This is every adventurer's dream! Finding actual treasure in a box. You quickly take a few coins and inspect them. "Yup! These look like the real deal! And think about it, if they left this much in a dank dungeon cave."

"Think of how much more they got stashed away somewhere else!" Pomu turns to you and finishes your thought.

"Damn…how do we carry this much back with us? We don't have Polka's endless hat bag with us." You say as the realization you can't carry all this loot in just your pockets takes some of the wind out of your sails.

"Well it's not like we won't be back here. The lion pack lives on this island, remember? We should take a few coins for the road, and come back for the rest later." The forest fairy brings up a good point, but you still have a small worry that she must pick up on, as her cheeks widen with the look of mischief.

"Here, Anon. Take a pocketful, and let your pal, Pomu ensure that nobody is touching our booty while we're gone." The fae instructs you, to which you happily reach back into the chest and take a generous handful of coins. Not having an actual coin purse is a bit of an inconvenience, but now you can just buy one. Funny how that works.

"Now! Watch me work my magic!" Pomu says as she laces her fingers together and cracks her knuckles. The fae furrows her brow in focus, and all three sets of eyes fall upon her, curious to what her act will entail. She stands at her full height over the open treasure chest, and raises her hands high into the air, and you can see the small light of her mana begin to adorn her fingertips. A dramatic swing of her arms places her hands above the glittering collection, and releases a veil of green light that blankets over them. As the sparkles from her magic begin to fade, so does the appearance of the coins. In seconds, it looks as though the treasure chest is completely empty.

You reach forward to confirm if the small haul had really vanished, but before you reach the chest's brim, you are stopped by Pomu.

"Nuh uh. No touchy." She winks. "My spell only makes it look like it's empty. If anything comes into contact with it, it could undo the spell."

"Ahhh. I gotcha!" You smile at the fae's cleverness. "If anyone happens to come by, they'll just see an empty chest and not bother. That's kinda brilliant."

"I know right!?" Pomu rhetorically remarks, loving the praise. "Let's go find more!"

"We'll either find that or the prisoners we need to rescue. So I'm game!" You happily agree, and just like that, you both exit the small storage room.

"This is rather fun. I don't think I've ever been treasure hunting before." Undine says as she and Sylph float behind you, likely becoming infected with your excitement.

"Just wait till we get to fight some pirates! That'll really make this a story book adventure!" Sylph adds as she twirls through the air.

After making a right at the end of the hallway you used to get to your reserved cache, you head further into the cave's inner workings. It seems that no one seems any the wiser to your escape. There are no noises or indications that anyone at all is looking for you. That's good. You'll want this to last as long as you can.

The air quickly becomes thick with moisture, and flames from the passing torching have been brought down to a meager few inches tall, their light barely casting a shadow along the walls. At the end of the current tunnel however, you spot the glow of natural light. The smell of fresh air hits your nostrils and your pace slightly increases. It's always a treat to see the light of the great outdoors after being forced into captivity, even if it was only for a few hours.

You pass through a natural archway to find yourself in a serene and spacious room. There are no torches, or furniture, but you see the light from the moon falling through a wide hole in the ceiling that leads to the surface. In the far corner from your entry point, is another natural exit, leading to what looks to be a wooden climb ladder. That can wait though, in the room's center, with the cool illuminance from the surface world shining a spotlight upon it, is another…

"Treasure chest spotted!" Pomu shouts in glee, pointing to the box in question. "Just look at that one, Anon! It's like the universe is begging us to open it! Let's go! This one's even bigger than the last one."

You nod, eager to find more riches, but also tempering yourself so that you keep your guard up. There's no telling how crafty the pirates really are, and this could very well be a trap. As a cautionary measure, you keep your hand gripped around the hilt of your sword, ready to draw it at a second's notice.

While you approach the glimmering treasure box, you notice how this one is visually unique to almost a curious degree. The box's exterior looks to be made of pure silver, the patterns of creeping and exotic vines are etched into its surface, which is a fitting match to the natural thorny roses that creep and entangle around the box's shape. The case alone might be worth a small fortune, especially with that diamond shaped ruby decorating its top latch.

"It's so pretty." Pomu remarks in awe, almost not wanting to disturb this work of art.

"Pretty doesn't even begin to cut it. This thing is a masterpiece! Everything about it seems flawless. Look at how detailed the molding is, and how flush the two halves close together. I bet the key to this chest is also gorgeous." You start letting yourself rant, almost completely forgetting that you are here for what's inside the box.

"You really geek out a little over craftsmanship, don't ya?" Pomu giggles, but asks the question genuinely.

"I guess I do." You scoff with a smile. "My whole life my dad has been able to make so many cool things. I always kinda wished I would follow in his footsteps…but I have absolutely no talent for smithing, wood working, masonry, or even detailing."

"I might just be a tiny bit biased, but I'm kinda glad you found your own thing." The forest fairy says.

"I am quite glad as well that you found your own unique calling. The life we lead together suits you." Undine adds to further enforce how who you are is exactly who you were supposed to be.

"That makes three of us!" Sylph, never one to be left out, joins in. "Now let's get lootin'! I think we need a key for this one, huh?"

"Maybe it'll just open. Give it a pull, Anon. I opened the last one. This one's all you." Pomu gives you the go ahead, but even so.

"That's a little easier said than done." You remark as you observe the thorny rose vines that form almost a protective embrace around the front of the chest. "Well, I don't wanna hurt the little things, they're just living the only way they know how. Thriving underground like this is also amazing. I'll try not to cut any of them if I can help it."

Both fairies nod very appreciatively at your gesture. It can almost be easy to forget how empathetic to plant life and nature both of them are. Not like you're much better in that regard.

You take a careful step closer to the chest, and the sound of something dragging across the ground makes you freeze. You look around, tense, expecting to find enemies, but it is still only you and your three companions in this moonlit room. Shrugging off the sudden spike to your nerves, you begin to approach the box once more, and now you see the source of the previous noise. The vines that entangle the decorated storage chest are actually moving! The thorned tendrils seem to recede themselves to allow you safe access to your prize. Strange, but you don't feel anything off about this plant life. It actually feels…welcoming? Appreciative? Friendly?

After giving a silent thanks to the flowers that opened the way for you, you place your hands along the front face of the chest. You lift upward, but it doesn't budge.

"Darn. I guess we do need a key for this one." You say as you kneel down and inspect the small keyhole that has the shape of a heart etched around it. "There's probably something really good inside."

"Sit tight! I'll take a look around." Pomu says as she quickly starts to circle around the room, looking for the possible key to this treasure. Sylph and Undine help the forest fairy look as well, checking every nook and cranny of this natural cave space.

While they search, you just stare at the mystical silver box. The craftsmanship and metal alone is probably worth hundreds. Maybe you should just take it with you? There might not even be a key to this.

Bending your knees, you get into position to try and lift the chest. The second you try to ascend, you are surprised by the sheer weight of the object. You grit your teeth, flex your muscles, take in a deep breath through your nose, and lift again. You barely manage to move the box a few inches off the ground, your arms and legs buckle, and you are forced to let it drop, and it hits the ground with a loud thud. As the box titters from back to front, you hear something from within thump against its walls.

You decide to investigate further, kneeling down and bringing your face right up to the keyhole. You close one of your eyes and attempt to look inside, but can't make anything out. The faint sound of what might be a heartbeat thundering within one's chest then reaches your ears and you pull back your head in disbelief. Putting a hand over your own heart, you compare the pace of your own against the one you thought you heard. Something can't honestly be living in there. Can they?

"Anon! We found it!" Pomu's voice breaks you out of your internal questioning, and you turn to see the fairy skipping towards you, holding a large silver key in her hand. "It was just laying around near the stairs at the exit!"

The fae comes and hands you the key gingerly, and gives you an expectant look. You take the smooth opener and run your thumb across its shaft, the texture of etchings identical to those on the box tickle your senses slightly. Apprehension holds you back slightly for an instant, not sure of what you should expect to find anymore, but at the same time…

"Thanks guys. Now let's see what's inside!" You say, throwing caution to the wind.

Carefully, you line the head of the key with the hole it was made for. It slides in effortlessly, and you gently push to insert it further, inch by inch, letting the inner workings of the lock caress and click with the shape of your key. When you have gone as far as you can, you take a small breath and begin to turn ever so slowly. Metal latch over latch unhinges and is undone by the tool you hold. A final click from the chest indicates that you hit the sweet spot, and the spoils are ready for your enjoyment.

Rising to your feet in building excitement, you place your hands on the treasure box's lid and begin to pull upward. Your smile widens as it begins to open with barely any effort. What could possibly be inside such an extravagant and alluring box? Gems? Enchanted weapons? Maybe even enchanted armor? Oh you hope it's armor. You could really use a new fashion statement that will also help you battle.

Not wanting to wait anymore, you flip the topside over, and glue your eyes to whatever might be inside. The interior of this treasure chest is lined with expertly stitched velvet, to better cushion and provide comfort for…a woman?

There, laying down at the bottom of the box, is a girl with hair of a bold garnet hue whose length runs well past her waist, unbrushed and misshapen. A simple cloth rag that is coming apart at the seams attempts to cover her front and backside, the meager knots at the middle spot just above her hips looks like it could come undone at any second. Iron shackles are clasped around her wrists, where a chain connects them to the floor casing. A black leather choker with a heart shaped keyring is fastened around her neck, leading to two outward traveling straps that drape over her ample bosom and act as a loose garter around her upper body, but don't seem to serve a real purpose due to the loose rag she wears.

Heterochromic eyes; one a piercing yellow, the other a garnet to match the owner's hair, open and look at you. You kneel down to get a closer look as you continue to stare dumbfounded. The woman's face contorts to something resembling elated excitement, and something…unsavory. Then, taking advantage of your confused stupor, the woman rises to her knees, and drapes her hands over your head, her shackled wrists keeping you intertwined with her. You begin to panic and reach for your sword, but the woman purses her lips, and with a delighted, lust filled glee, she slams her face against yours.

"Woah…Hot dog!" Pomu exclaims from behind as you get orally assaulted. You try to scream for her to stop gawking and help you, but your cries are muffled by the ravenous girl whose tongue is already practically plunging itself down your throat. Every spastic struggle you release, the harder the barely clothed woman presses into you, and the way her chest is squishing into your own, you're starting not to have misgivings.

Having had enough, you manage to place your hands firmly on the girl's bare shoulders, and shove her backward. This finally separates your lips and gives you a chance to breathe some much needed air, but what you didn't consider was how her shackled together hands were hooked behind your neck, so your forceful displacement just makes you travel along with her. You stumble forward and your face lands right into her natural valley, which earns an elicit moan to escape her lips that brings your body to full alarm.

"S-Sorry!" You stammer without thinking as you slink your body downward to free yourself from her hold. When your brain stops working out of reflex, your shame is replaced with annoyance. "Wait! I shouldn't be apologizing, you should be!" You point an accusatory finger at the woman who sits on her knees and looks away from you bashfully, her hands brought up to hide her mouth from you.

"You should be sorry for trying to steal this young maiden's purity." A voice that is clearly trying to sound cute and innocent, while unable to mask the obvious matured age comes from the woman's guarded mouth. "What a brute…a devilishly handsome brute…"

"Wha?" You raise your eyebrow as your mouth hangs agape. "You can't be serious."

"You've opened my box and freed me!" She then exclaims in a dramatic fashion, jerking her body to turn slightly away from you. "You've found a treasure richer than doubloons, and now you wish to use my body…fine! Do whatever you want, but please promise me you won't lock me back in!"

"Lady, I'm not going to do that…" You try to keep yourself cool in a situation that keeps rising without any real rhyme or reason.

"You're going to have your way with me and lock me up after you're done and I'm a quivering mess?!" The woman snaps her head to face you, and brings her arms straight across her front as she moves her elbows closer together, further showcasing and propping up her breasts. "Fine! I suppose to be free, even for a short while, it's worth it…"

"I'm not going to do that either!" You snap, your voice raising to levels that might alert anyone close by to your presence. "That's disgusting!"

"Hey! Any man would be begging to be in your shoes right now!" The woman's voice suddenly deepens slightly with her own anger, and she waves an accusatory finger of her own at you.

"I don't even know what I stepped into!" You fire back. "Pomu? Please tell me you're hearing this?"

"You opened a treasure box that had a girl inside who wants to thank you for freeing her. Seems pretty cut and dry to me." The fae shrugs.

You bring your hand so hard to your face that an audible slap echoes in the chamber. "Just…let's just do something about this…"

"And now you're BOTH going to take turns before shutting me away?! I…I…I can take it. Just give me time to breathe every once in a while." The woman instantly goes back voicing whatever degenerate things she expects of you.

"Okay! That's it!" You yell, having had enough of this redhead's imagination. You take a harsh step toward the girl who sits in her silver prison and begin to unsheathe your sword.

"Wait! Stop! WaitWaitWaitWait!" The woman's eyes go wide with fear, and her voice quickly becomes hoarse and frantic. When you don't half your advance she turns away and shuts her eyes, her shackled hands acting as her only means of defense.

The sound of metal meeting one another slices through the air, followed by the pitter of fragments falling against the plush cushioned interior of the treasure box. Only when the sound of your sword returning to its sheathe reaches the girl's ears, does she open her tear stained eyes and look around, as if surprised to still be here. Next she looks down at her hands, where the chain that tethered her to her confinement was shattered and broken. She looks up at you, almost as if for the first time. Small pools of water form under her heterochromic eyes, and a quivering smile that doesn't actually sleeve you out appears on her face.

"There, and before you say a damn thing or even think it. No. I'm not going to do anything to you. I'm just freeing you. That's all." You say very clearly.

The woman opens her mouth to say something, something incriminating and degenerate by the look on her face, but she then sighs and slumps down slightly. "You're not from any of the crews around here? Are you?" She then asks.

"Nope. In fact, I bet before long they're going to be looking all over this island for me." You say a bit too proudly. "Hey, I actually thought of something you can do for me in exchange for cutting you free."

"I knew it! I knew the chivalry was just an act!" The girl pretends to act offended, putting on that lighter tone on her voice again. "I suppose I don't HAVE to give you anything now that my chains are broken, but maybe I could be convinced~"

"Tell me where the other prisoners are or don't. I don't really care. We can find them by ourselves anyway." You sigh, more than ready to cease all interaction with this girl and move on.

"Oh…fine." She sulks. "They're being held near that big mountain. Why? What are you gonna do?"

"Free them, get them off this island and back their homes and loved ones." You answer matter of factly.

"Eh?! You picking' a fight with Blackfin?! With the whole fleet?!" She begins to babble, her composure shattered.

"Damn right! I got more than a few bones to pick with that disgrace of an orca. Not to mention a score to settle with a girl from the Houshou pirates. She's the reason I was almost harpy food." You answer with building resolve.

"Who?! Who you got a problem with from the Houshou pirates?!" The girl asks, getting so fired up that she actually steps out of the box that must have been her home for who knows how long.

"Some girl named Roxy. She actually made me think there were some good, honest pirates out there." You spit, even the name makes your blood boil.

"There are! Not all pirates want to be what Blackfin's ideal is." The girl begins to argue, almost looking ready to fight.

"That's what I thought too! But that girl just flat out lied to me! Just so she could use me as some stepping stone to a higher rank or something." You fire back again.

"Houshous, TRUE Houshous don't lie! And Roxy is as true a Houshou as they come!" The garnet haired girl roars, stepping further to bring herself right up to you. She may need to look up to meet your gaze, easily being a head shorter than you are, but that doesn't intimidate her in the slightest.

"Yeah?! And what makes you the expert?!"

"I'm Roxy's captain! I am Marine Houshou of the Houshou Pirates!" Marine screams, the sheer volume of her voice is like thunder in your chest.

"Well….and if you're down here… and not up there with the others…then…sheesh…" You are taken aback as you work through everything you've heard today about the Houshou's presumably "shunned" captain.

"I feel like there's a bit we need to work through. Every healthy relationship starts with clear and honest communication." Pomu, of all people, comes to mediate. "Maybe we can work things out along the way? Those two birds I knocked out earlier are probably gonna wake up soon, and when they find out Anon escaped, they won't be too happy."

"You're really looking to go to war with Blackfin?" Marine asks, which you guess is a question whose answer will determine what her next move will be.

"Not only that, but I'm gonna kick him out of this land for good. The people of Shallah will be free to run their own land and seas again. Is that gonna be a problem with you?" You answer, still unsure if you'll need to keep this girl quiet or not.

"Not if you could somehow win, but you'd be going up against an entire fleet…including my old crew…." Marine says, quickly becoming downcast at the mention of the seafarers she was responsible for. "Not to mention, each of the leading captains are ruthless fighters, there's no way you can take them all on."

"It's a good thing I'm not alone then!" You beam as you look at Pomu, and then your two spirits. "And I got even more friends waiting on the mainland, ready to help me kick ass."

"Do more of them float like the beautiful blue one right there?" Marine asks as she points past your shoulder at Undine, which surprises both you and the water spirit. The pirate captain shouldn't be able to see Undine, not while she's in her spiritual form and you both haven't expressed an agreement to make it so.

"Wait, you can see Undine?" You ask.

"Undine? EHHHH! THE UNDINE!? MISTRESS OF THE TIDES? THE MATRON OF THE WAVES? THE RULER OF THE WATERS!?" Marine begins to hyperventilate, causing you to jump in shock as well.

"Wait! You actually know who she is!?" You grab the woman's shoulders in an effort to ground and calm her, and she feverishly nods.

"Any real captain knows who she is! She's the reason any of us could set sail in the first place! Stories about her have been passed down generation through generation in my family. We've sailed the seas since well…probably forever. I just never thought I'd ever have the chance to meet her!" The Houshou captain answers, a little starstruck as she stares off at the stoic spirit floating behind you.

"Okay okay! I want to hear all about the traditions and stuff passed down in your family about her. You see, Undine doesn't have all her memories. It's kinda complicated but we're on this journey together and-"

"Anon. Not that I definitely don't think we should talk about this, but maybe we save it for later? Angry bird women? Gonna wake up soon? Probably going to alert the entire island you escaped? Ring any bells?" Pomu remarks to slow you down.

"Right right." You take a deep breath to calm yourself. "I guess it's time for a proper introduction." You then say as you extend a hand to Marine. "Alright, I don't really know what your story is, or why Blackfin put you in that box, but if you wanna get rid of him, we'll need to work together. My name's Anon. So what do ya say? Are you gonna help me? Or not?"

"I'll help ya. What Blackfin is doing is insane, and he needs to be stopped. But I have just one condition though." Marine's expression hardens as she looks to be digging deep for something within, the way those different colored eyes of hers burn with an intense fire, makes you increasingly sure that you might actually be able to put your faith in this one.

"As long as it doesn't involve anything…anything like all that stuff you were raving about before." You nervously state.

"Two conditions then." Marine puts on a playful grin.

"I guess I have to at least hear them out before I say no." You sigh. "Go ahead."

"One. You let me talk to Roxy first. If she really lied and betrayed you, I need to know why. She's my crew, so I'm responsible for what she does." The captain in rags holds up a finger as she delivers her first condition.

"Fine. Fair enough. What's your second condition? Although I'm almost afraid to ask."

"Two. When this is all over, you have to have a drink with me." Marine flips up a second finger next as she grins with a smile that raises some alarms in your head. You've seen enough looks like that from strange women for one day, but all things considered….

"Fine. I can give you that. JUST a drink though." You make sure to set some expectations and offer your hand to the woman again. "So, allies?"

"Yup!" Marine chirps as she takes your hand and shakes it enthusiastically. "Welcome to the Houshou Pirates, Anon."