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New Lives at Sea

Chapter 00 - Pre-Departure Check

Talba sat upon her throne with one leg over the other, beak resting on her palm. She was a little nervous about the Gem of the Ijimulian's maiden voyage. Nervous but also excited. She and her newly knighted husband, Vaulix, were meant to go on their honeymoon in the Ijimulian but things had gone awry. Conflicts had arisen in the region and it was complicating matters. Well, it was making her parents, the king and queen of Arrenthen, nervous. She and Vaulix were excited to go for their own reasons they chose to keep to themselves.

It all started soon after they said their vows and became a mated couple, bringing their respective nations together. She, a young and brash princess of Arrenthen, and he, a respected general of Tehgol. Their nations, once at war, had brokered peace in their lifetimes largely due to their personal dealings. Through a long series of back-and-forth, the two of them formed a romantic bond that helped both of their backing armies to agree to a cease-fire.

Talba foolishly tried to make peace by herself, crossing the border under the cloak of night to speak with the king of Tehgol. She got caught by Vaulix's men and held prisoner in their camp. He wasn't interested in taking prisoners of war and thus personally returned her to her people the following day. This wasn't enough and she was quickly caught again crossing the borders. This time, the men knew who she was and decided they wanted a piece of her before delivering her to General Vaulix. That encounter didn't go too well for Talba. She was a strong princess, one who loved to pick fights and had never shied away from using her sexuality to get what she wanted, but they were not kind to her. She tried to play it off like she was in control, but she was not. For the first time in her life.

Vaulix learned of this and put an end to all three of the men who participated. He did this quietly and away from the sight of others so nobody would know what happened. He covered up the situation with some waved-off tale of the men going AWOL and then being found in a crevasse in the mountains. He was not kind to them, but he was kind to Princess Talba. He tended to her wounds, took care of her, and treated her like the royalty she was until she was healed enough to make the trek home.

Though Vaulix had dealt with his people in a discrete way, word still got around that he was not taking kind to his soldiers being cruel to the enemy outside of established battlefields. Thus, when Talba got captured a third, fourth, and fifth time, she was delivered right to Vaulix's tent. Her repeated escapades and the constant need for both armies to take a break so as not to potentially harm her ensured that the entire war was put on hold for an entire season. Meanwhile, she and Vaulix began to grow ever closer, with her actually crossing the border just to share stories with him.

They were enemies, their nations on opposite sides of a war, yet their romance did eventually bloom. Much to the chagrin of their respective leaders. Her parents, the king and queen of Arrenthen, and his emperor and empress all collectively were increasingly fed up with their shenanigans. But she was the princess and he was their most decorated and valuable general. She was next in line to the throne in a family comprised of a stallion stud and a gryphon hen, so the fertility wasn't there. Her parents couldn't just conceive another. He was a general that had immense healing skills that basically rendered his people immortal as long as they survived the battle. There were no injuries in his army.

So both nations had hinged so much on their survival. So much so that, after a full half year of their back-and-forth, they forced an end to the war. Simple as that. They didn't want to fight, they were falling in love, and with the war on hold due to their trysts, their respective nations were doing better and were at ease. Progress was made, trade was up, and international relations were mending. All because a foolhardy princess thought she was invincible and was arrogant enough to believe she had the skill to talk down the emperor and empress of a nation that wanted her dead.

With the war having concluded, their nations willing to put aside their differences, both Talba Ebonoldty of Arrenthen and Vaulix Arraidama of Tehgol were to be wed. This meant that their navies were no longer needed aside from shipping goods to neighbouring nations or across the oceans. This gave both Talba and Vaulix an idea. For their honeymoon, they wanted to head to the Ijimulian on a month-long vacation, and they would take a crew comprised of naval officers from both nations.

They commissioned the production of the Gem of the Ijimulian, what was to be the biggest recreational vessel ever created and it was to be constructed by parts of various ships that had been damaged but not destroyed, an amalgamation of wood and steel and magic from Arrenthen and Tehgol. A perfect wedding gift to the pair of them from their nations. The perfect way to spend the first months of their union. Just Princess Talba and Prince Vaulix, sailing east to the Ijimulian Archipelago where they would drink and party and seek treasure like the many other adventurers that had been doing the same for years. The Ijimulian was lousy with treasure lost to the ages only to be found by adventurers.

For as long as the war had been going on between Tehgol and Arrenthen, a select group of treasure hunters had been making a living out of sailing the thousand islands of the Ijimulian, finding lost treasure of old countries and long lost relics of ancient times. Enchanted runes and pure ademane gemstones, ripe for the taking and lost somewhere among the seemingly infinite islands of the region. While few had the guts to go on such a long trek without any guarantee of payoff, there were dozens of ships that did this almost exclusively. In reality, there were probably a hundred thousand islands there.

With the war over, Talba and Vaulix had a hunger for adventure they needed to satisfy. There was no conflict in their region anymore and neither of them had anything to do. Talba was still a princess with no political power and no duties within her kingdom aside from talking at engagements and pretending to be posh when she just wanted to party with her people. Vaulix was a healer who had a future in medicine, but with the war over neither nation needed his services. He could heal wounds, he lacked the ability to cure sickness, and with no war the need for healing magic dried up.

Before they even got officially mated, they were already looking for that next adventure. That was why they commissioned the construction of the Gem of the Ijimulian. When they made that decision, the ocean and its islands were a harbour for intrepid adventurers. But between the time they commissioned the ship and the time it was finished, the situation in the Ijimulian had changed.

What was once a harbour for treasure hunters and adventurers had grown into an ongoing, bloody conflict. Most of the folks who sailed those seas and made shore upon those islands lived by a code, where trade was made freely between ships and treasure was given to those who found it first. Shockingly, this worked for years before those without a moral compass started to invade.

The Nautical Liberation Force, or NLF, was the group who loosely coined the code that dictated the moral compass of the treasure hunters adventuring in the Ijimulian. They were a collective that sought to create a 'nation' upon the ocean comprised only of the crew of the vessels that sailed there. And, under their guidance, they were allowed to hunt treasure to their heart's content without the involvement of the navies of the bordering nations. However, this was too much of a good thing and it was only a matter of time before this delicate balance was thrown off by what was known as Farshores.

Ships not flying colours of the NLF or any navy were starting to open fire on vessels, raping and pillaging, burning down settlements on the island, and ignoring the code established by the NLF. The handful of times they were caught and held, nobody recognized the folks there, hence the term of Farshores. Anyone not flying under an NLF or Naval flag was seen as an outsider and treated as hostile.

As expected, it took only a season for this to completely run aground. Months after the arrival of the Farshores, the royal navies of the surrounding nations - namely Saff'Rald, Kaidu, Koluma, Balico, Waverthe, and Viokenic - were starting to get fed up. They couldn't pass trade through the Ijimulian, they occasionally had their outposts attacked, and their people were being killed. Suddenly, the region was not an unsteady alliance between the land and sea, the NLF was no longer seen as a harmless group of adventurers sailing the seas and hunting for treasure.

Suddenly, anyone not flying under a national flag was seen as a pirate and thus treated as such.

This was a volatile situation to be thrusting beak first into. Talba knew it. Vaulix knew it. But despite their advisors begging them not to go to the Ijimulian, their minds were made up. But to them it wasn't about a vacation anymore. This was not an adventure. To them, a pair known for altruism in the case of Vaulix and bull-headed optimism in the case of Talba, they saw this as their duty. They had nothing better in life to do, they had no purpose, so they made this their purpose.

They were going to help bring peace to the Ijimulian. To find a way to help find that peaceful adventure they sought for their honeymoon, and to eradicate the region of those who would do harm to others. Neither of them liked conflict or violence, yet it often found them. This time, they had the opportunity to deal with an issue and keep it under control before it got too bad. And with the backing of two of the richest nations in the world, they had the means to make a positive change.

So what did they do? They commissioned more modifications to the Gem of the Ijimulian, turning it into the biggest warship ever made! They added cannons, they modified a handful of quarters to be space for ammunition, they altered part of the hull to use magical gems that would ensure faster speed, and they made a series of other changes that gave them impressive capacity for battle. They took what was meant to be a vanity project meant to be a recreational vessel and created the largest and most powerful warship the world had ever known.

And, because it was initially comprised as a recreational vessel, the quarters were roomy and the crew were treated like royalty when operating the ship. At least that was the hope.

Content with the construction of the ship, Vaulix and Talba began constructing a crew comprised of the best naval and aerial officers they had in their respective armies and navies. Tehgol was a nation made mostly of saurossins (dragons), cien (canines), and humans (primates). whereas Arrenthen mostly consisted of Oarians (Avians), errov (equines and other hooved folk), and jysar (felines.) As a result, their ships were manned by a whole swath of available crew spanning all races and hybrids and genders.

First and foremost were the quartermasters. Traditionally, a ship has one captain and one quartermaster. The captain is the head honcho, but the quartermaster is second in command and the one put in charge should the captain be put out of commission or sleeping. The Gem of the Ijimulian had two captains and two quartermasters, given the sheer size of the ship. Talba and Vaulix were of course the co-captains, but their respective quartermasters may have stirred up some contention.

Vaulix chose Lethias, an honorable dragon from Tehgol. He was strong, guided by a strict moral code, and held immense strength underneath his scales. He, like Vaulix, was not a violent person but was more than capable of fighting if the situation arose. A perfect companion for Talba and Vaulix both, and not a single crew member contested his inclusion as one of the heads of the ship.

It was Talba who's choice was a bit contentious as she chose Chief Storm. A rather hot-headed, black-feathered gryphon she'd been intimately familiar with early in the war before ever meeting Vaulix. Intimate as in, they were to be wed at one point before she realized that she valued him as an ally and loved him as a sexual partner but had no interest in him, emotionally. He, like Lethias, held immense skill but had a far less strict moral compass and often could be excessively violent. He always got the job done but it wasn't always in an honourable way. He was good at what he did, but what he did wasn't always ideal.

Believe it or not, the issue came down solely to Storm's aggression, not his physical history with Talba. She was always a sexually brash hippogryph mare and even to this day didn't really get the whole appeal of monogamy. She and Vaulix both agreed that being strictly monogamous was untenable early in their relationship, when the war was still ongoing. To the shock of him but not to her, both were comfortable being polygamous. Mated and emotionally connected to one another, but physically liberated and allowed to play with whomever they chose. So, Storm's history as the drake who had Talba before her now husband played no role in people's protests to his promotion.

It wasn't exactly well known, but Vaulix and Storm had gotten intimate since the wedding while Talba watched. They were very open about their sexuality and loved to experiment.

Most just assumed that Storm would try to take over, to push his own personal type of power upon the ship. He had a history of hostile takeovers within the Arrenthen Basin, where his tribes were regularly competing with other locals for dominance. Dominance he often won which came with the prize of many mares and hens and bitches hanging off his wings.

But Talba knew Storm better than that. She knew he was brash, she knew he had a thing about dominance and territory, but she also knew he knew when not to cause a fuss. Storm knew that Vaulix and Lethias were two of the very small pool of adversaries he'd come up against that could match or best him in a fight. And both Vaulix and Lethias were often in sync with one another so it would be foolish for Storm to attempt a coup under those situations. He stood to gain much more by fulfilling a role and doing it well, something he was more than capable of doing.

Furthermore, he and Lethias had come to blows many times on the battlefield, their rivalry growing legendary among their respective teams. They had grown to respect one another even if they were not friends. In the wake of the war, Lethias had outreached a hand in a characteristic display of camaraderie, a hand Storm reluctantly took. They were still not friends, but they had a mutual respect and admiration for one another that had blossomed and took root ever since being approached about the position of quartermaster. They were attempting to be closer, but it was hard given their staunch disagreements about how combat should be handled.

From there, they had a series of other roles to fill as well. Most were just crew members, but there were a handful of roles that were immensely important. The first were the pair of navigators that were to be stationed in the crows nest. They kept an eye on the seas, guided the captain from there, and helped navigate trickier waters. They also kept a keen eye on the horizon for potential threats and allies.

The Gem of the Ijimulian needed four navigators total, but only two were chosen prior to the maiden voyage. The other two would be selected from the pool of crew that would run with the ship.

The first of the two was Zean Lain, a thickly built purple-hued gryphon with tall head plumage and a penchant for eating. He had keen eyes and great skills in the air, but didn't fly too often. He was often weighed down by a meal. Zean had served under Chief Storm in the war and had quite a rapport with him. The second of the two was Red, a smaller wingless gryphon with orange and red feathers. He was very nimble, with a prehensile tail and a very loud call. He had served in the navy for a while as a dedicated navigator and remained a valuable asset to any team he was a part of.

Next came the messengers. With a ship so big, the Gem of the Ijimulian needed a half dozen of these, meant to go above and below deck, convey orders, and communicate long distances between the different crew members. They needed to be nimble, be good at climbing, and equally as good at swimming should they lose their traction and fall overboard.

For the maiden voyage they had hired three, half of the required amount. This was fine, as they would pull from the pool of crew to fill in the gaps like any other role.

The first two were a pairing of Hida, a cute little blue dragon and Katsumi the ocelittle. It's like an ocelot but cuter and smaller. Hida would ride Katsumi around, their petite forms easily adapted for life climbing up masts and ropes with ease. Hida could fly, she could climb anything, between the pair of them there was no place on the ship they couldn't reach and deliver messages. The third was Kori, a larger gal with a history of magic. She wasn't the swiftest, but she could share information and convey messages at a longer range than most.

Nib-Roc, a donkey mage, was a carpenter. The head carpenter, but almost all members of the crew were expected to have the know-how to repair the ship in the event something went wrong. He was the one who managed to modify the ship to include cannons and the required arms to make it battle-ready. He and his crew did great work in adapting the ship and Talba couldn't thank him enough.

Finally, the last of the dedicated roles were the cooks. All four of them. These were the only members of the team not expected to be trained in combat. Three of them were, only one was trained in anything other than chef's duties.

Lexi the otter was an ex-mercenary who had gotten out of the life to do something a bit more stable. She learned to cook for her team, and turned that into a career. The irony was that, in an attempt to get a more stable career, she ended up on a ship that was not likely to spend much time at port. Naturally, she was a swift close-quarters-combat specialist. Her time as a mercenary made her deadly, but not as intense as the food she liked to make.

Next was Dunstan, a bear and the only one one the ship lacking any form of combat experience. He had cooked for most of his life, focusing on that above all else. He also had a history as a blacksmith, working with metal and fixing swords and guns, which was actually what helped to get him a role on the ship above the other potential applicants. That and he was the most experienced cook. Only the best on the Gem of the Ijimulian.

Rex the tiger was another well-known chef that did a lot of travelling throughout Arrenthen. He also had a history protecting farms; like Lexi he had a history in mercenary work and knew a thing or two about construction. He, like both Lexi and Dunstan, had multiple skills that made him a valuable asset to the team, a multi-talented cook that could fight if needed.

Finally was Runa, an understudy to Rex. They were a mage with a history of archery and close quarters combat. They also worked as a mercenary and on farms and ranches, but had taken a liking to cooking at similar times to Rex.

Beyond that, the rest of the crew was made of of a plethora of various men and women, mares and stallions, hens and drakes from both Arrenthen and Tehgol. Many of the more prominent hires were folks that worked in the Arrenthen Castle as maids and cleaners and royal guardsmen.

Included in the Royal Guard were as follows. Chiryn Amaet, a chimera with uncanny strength and a mysterious past. Palusa, a religiously dedicated pegasus mare cleric. Melodion Pangol, a hippogryph mare that wasTalba's adopted half sister and occasional partner of Storm. Eminy Aryn, a thickly built ash mare warrior. Vvilfred, another ashen equine, a stallion that often patrolled as one of the primary guards to the royal family. Therris, a kirin with an uncertain luck enchantment that made things go his way even when they shouldn't.

There were more, but those were the highest ranking of them all. The rest of the crew was staffed by friends and compatriots of the above listed individuals, such as Saestal, Krendius, Arnika, Matilda, Kalie, Sabella, Xaleru, Mikhail, Spitey, Poojawa, Ithilwen, Sachiko, Axial, Oni, Jack, Cynder, and so, so many more. The crew was over one hundred strong and could hold up to twenty more.

With the crew fully staffed, Vaulix and Talba were finally ready to depart. The problem was that, on the eve of the Gem of the Ijimulian's maiden voyage, news came in of a rather bloody battle fought between two friends they knew from a past life.

The Storm of the Rift - the biggest vessel prior to the construction of the Gem of the Ijimulian - had been attacked by a dozen farshore ships, losing a handful of crew members in the battle as well as a wealth of treasure and relics.

Things were looking bad, which was why Vaulix was pacing in the throne room of the embassy in the port city of Aralyptia. They were about to set sail on their custom built ship's maiden voyage, and they were basically going into a trap. Talba was brash and knew this, but Vaulix felt the need to emphasize just how important it was. And, with them in the embassy on the eve of the departure, they had to take the last chance they had to change their minds. This was not their fight, it didn't need to be. Yet, they knew that their personalities would not allow it.

Vaulix knelt on the throne in front of Talba, addressing her with a smile. "You can back away at any time. You're a princess, nobody would question you if you you changed your mind at the last minute. To most, it'd just be seen as the typical, entitled behaviour of a noble." It was a bad argument and the wince in his eyes made it clear he knew that.

Talba did, too. "That's not me and you know it. I would never back down from something like this. How many times was I caught by your people before you just started planning meet-ups instead of risking me getting captured again? I'm the stubborn type, I'm not the impulsive type. Plus, our people likely don't even know about what's going on in the Ijimulian. It would be exceptionally out of character for me to back down after months of construction and planning." She narrowed her eyes at him, her brilliant emerald-hued eyes. "You're not scared, are you?"

"You know I'm not, but I have to be the voice of reason between us since you're a bit more, you." He winked seductively and leaned into her, resting his beak on her knee. He was notably larger than her, as he was a cockatrice and she was a hippogryph, but he still bowed to her. He was an absolute gentleman drake, one who worshipped her as she did him. They made for a cute couple.

"Hmph, you want it as much as I do." She grabbed him and pulled him up so that his belly was resting on her raised thigh, his chin pressed into her chest plumage. They locked eyes, hers a bright emerald and his a royal purple. "So yeah, I think you know my answer." She then raised her leg and put it on his shoulder, pushing him backwards and down a handful of stairs. With him now with his head at her throne level, he could see she wasn't wearing panties under that dress of hers.

The light was very dim in the throne room, lit only by the dancing candles lining the walls and the torch sconces between the doorways. It was midnight and they were the only ones there, so neither were shy about revealing themselves to one another. They'd barely hold back even if there were others in the room, so of course they had no problems when alone.

He kept glancing down at the plumpness of her loins, accented by a subtle glint every time her clit winked and a tiny bead of her arousal trickled down between her pink, equine lips. "I suppose I do. I should have known better than to question you. We ship out at sunrise, but for now-" He interrupted himself and dove up into her, pinning her to the back of the throne with his head between her legs. His beak parted her lips while his tongue explored her depths, lapping up any mess she may have made.

She shifted on the throne and gripped Vaulix's shoulders, tail drooped over the edge of the seat. She grabbed the fluff of his ears and held him there, beak agape as he used his muzzle to please her. And it wasn't just a tongue that slipped into her, as a mare she was plenty roomy for more, so he was able to use his beak to penetrate her and really give her something to feel.

"Oh, don't bother with that, it's late." She scolded him, pulling his head out from under her dress and cradling his cheeks so they locked eyes. "We don't have time for foreplay, I'm excited enough."

Vaulix took the hint and got up to his feet in front of her, hoisting her dress up and grabbing her haunches so that her ankles were wrapped around his waist. He hoisted his ceremonial kilt up to expose himself to her, his bulbous yet tapered tip slipping into her with ease. Given their difference in size, once he was fully hilted he gave her belly a bit of a bulge, one that poked his own belly through her. He grabbed her waist, held her close, and squeezed her chest against his to amplify the pressure on himself.

While there, with her bouncing on him in a standing position, it didn't take long for both of them to come to climax. No time for foreplay, no time to spare, just his thick, ridged member pumping into her hard and deep until her winking clit twitched a thread of her depths gushing all over him.

He knew what this meant and didn't want to get either of their ceremonial robes and garb messy, so he held her close to him with his cock still buried as deep as it could go, sealing her off as he took her to their room. The walk was awkward and they even passed Vvilfred in the hall with her clinging to Vaulix's chest.

The stallion offered a salute and whinnied while Vaulix opened up the door behind himself. In their room, he slammed her down on the bed and bit down on her neck, pounding her so hard their headboard slammed the wall with enough force to knock one of the paintings off the wall.

She could take it. Vaulix was one of the strongest drakes she'd met, but she was also one of the most intense lovers he'd ever met. They truly were perfect for each other. They were so in tune that it took less than five minutes of intense mounting for Vaulix's pleasure to hit its peak, his climax to course through his loins and pump his seed deep into her depths. His ridge swelled in waves, filling her with more and more of his essence until his member softened too much to keep inside. At the same time, the added pressure of his seed within her shot a bolt of pleasure up and down her spine, forcing every feather on her body to stand on end while her clit twitched and winked with all its might.

His length, now shrinking and retreating into his slit, threatened to let loose the torrent of mess that the pair of them had left inside her. With one swift movement as his member burst from her depths, he got down onto his knee and buried his face up under her dress, eagerly lapping at any and all mess he could get. He was a gentleman, after all. He didn't dare let a single drop of their combined fluids stain the dress she would be wearing the next morning.

Talba's depths sputtered a bit as his tongue explored her, gaping as his sticky mess clung to her walls. Before long, and once she was sure he'd gotten most of it, she clenched her loins as another wave of pleasure coursed through her. Once that had died down into a series of sensitive aftershocks, she flopped down onto the bed, exhausted for now. As a mare, she was pretty easy to please but regained her endurance within minutes. Stallions were the same. Still, it was late.

She stroked Vaulix's ear tufts and motioned for him to come join her on the bed. He crawled over her and the two cuddled on their side, fully clothed and ready for a sunrise departure. They didn't need blankets, they were warm enough.

"So when are we gonna stop using sex to relieve tension?" Vaulix asked, whispering in her ear.

"When sex stops being such a great relief." She turned so that her legs were entwined with his, the glint of their eyes shining bright compared to the rest of them. "And I didn't know these things were related. Not this time. I just thought we were horny."

Vaulix stroked her mane, scritching her behind the ear while nuzzling her beak. "You're not scared? We're heading into a warzone and nobody other than us and the crew know."

"Scared of what? We've got the biggest warship ever made under us, crewed by over a hundred of the best naval officers and warriors our nations have to offer. I think it'll be more fun than anything. Don't you worry about me. Come on, sleep well, my dear." She turned back around so her rump was pressed against his groin, where she wiggled a bit to tease him. She could feel the bulge in his garb growing, but she was already half asleep by the time he started to grind back into her.

Talba and Vaulix, a princess and prince setting a course for adventure on their honeymoon. If only they knew just how much work had to go into the Ijimulian and the pirates that resided there. Alas, their next chapter had only just begun. The next morning, they would depart, and they'd not return to Arrenthen for years.

It wasn't all bad, they were taking all their friends with them.

Chapter 01 - Maiden Voyage

The next morning, Talba awoke in a twisted bundle of silken sheets, messy mane hair, and tweaked plumage. This was not the image for a princess, as per parents would repeatedly tell her every chance they got. As she rolled over, she saw that Vaulix was still laying down next to her, curled up around her with perfectly preened feathers and immobile scales. It bugged her a bit that he was always pristine in the morning and she always had to work to maintain her looks, even if appearance wasn't her top priority in any sense of the word. She liked feeling sexy but had her own way of accomplishing it.

Talba never felt obligated to spend much time on her outer appearance, but her parents were very insistent that she look the part before she played the part. She needed to present as a princess before she was to be given any duties. That meant as much as an hour with a crew of maids before she ever left her chambers. They would help preen her, comb her mane, arrange her feathers, and adorn her with all the jewellery needed to make her look fabulously gilded.

But not this morning. It was just her and Vaulix in her bed at the embassy residing within Port Araliptian. There were no maids, no servants, no hired help. She had only herself and her newly crowned prince to force herself through a morning routine. She just didn't care, and for the first time, she didn't have to. Talba simply rolled out of bed, ran her fingers over her head and down her mane to straighten it, adjusted a handful of egregiously messy feathers, and gave up. "Ugh, the second we set sail the ocean breeze is just gonna toss my mane all over the place. What's even the point?" She asked herself while looking in a mirror.

Behind her, Vaulix stirred. "What do you mean? I like looking at you at all times."

"Yeah but you don't care if a few feathers are out of place. We're not at the palace anymore and won't be for a while. Honestly, I'd be completely okay just walking out like this, boarding the ship, and calling it a day. I don't think anyone but my parents care about how I look." She patted down her chest plumage and posed a few times to make sure nothing was sticking out too far. Her tail did need a bit of a brushing but other than that she was happy with herself.

"I like looking at you. And the Gem of the Ijimulian is going to be the most majestic ship to ever sail the seas. It deserves a captain just as majestic." He rolled onto his belly and rested his chin on his palms, feet up and wings splayed out onto the bed. "Though you're right, you're sexy no matter what you do. So I might be biased."

She huffed and clicked her beak at him. "Yeah, I know. Lovey dovey stuff. It's nice and all but it'll be nice to, you know, just be free for a bit! Well, as free as we can be." After clicking her beak a few more times in frustration, she grabbed her wide-brimmed hat and slammed it down on her head, deliberately ensuring it covered as much of her mane and feathers as it could. Wearing only her headwear, she looked like a captain and was pretty proud of herself.

Of course, she couldn't just leave like that. She could, nobody was going to complain about seeing a nude princess cavorting about in town, but that wasn't ladylike. Talba was brash and shameless but she did respect some boundaries. The adults would be fine seeing that, but she didn't need to give the kids an impromptu anatomy lesson. Vaulix could go nude. All his parts were neatly tucked away inside him and the scales and feathers on his body covered up his unmentionables without issue.

Instead, she reached into her armoire and grabbed the two naval outfits she'd gotten fitted for herself and Ilorek. Hers was a gold, red, and brown leather coat that weighed heavily on her shoulders and swept back down to her ankles, the cape behind her split at waist height so her tail could poke through. It was a heavy leather and velvet jacket adorned with her rank of captain on the chest and dozens of pockets for goodies and tools, she didn't want it forcing her tail down tight against her rump.

Vaulix's was similar in shape and form, but he had slits for his wings to nestle into and his was emerald and azure instead of gold and red. The two of them had actually considered getting married in this garb but opted to go a more traditional route with her in a gossamer teal dress and him in a ceremonial general's jacket. It had only been a month and that wedding was already fading.

They had an adventure ahead of them, they couldn't focus on the past.

The moment they exited the embassy with arms wrapped around one another, they were greeted with an audience of a few dozen locals all there to cheer them on. It was a little weird since they had not yet announced their arrival and weren't planning on making their departure some sort of event. All that anyone was supposed to know was that the Gem of the Ijimulian was completed and was going to be heading out on their maiden voyage soon. Nobody was supposed to realize today was the day.

Of course, it didn't take much for folks to put the many available factors together and realize that the royal family would be the ones blessing the maiden voyage and that they'd be residing at the embassy. Knowing this, Talba politely addressed the well-wishers one by one before the pair of them headed down to the pier where they would be greeted by more folks they were not prepared for.

"Why are there so many people here?" She asked, lowering her head so that her wide-brimmed hat covered her face. "It's so early, the sun's barely up? Did someone announce that we were leaving today?" She remained as polite as she could while making her way through the crowd.

Vaulix laughed at her while politely waving to the crowd, motioning for them to part so they could make it through to the pier. "What did you expect? Did you honestly think you'd just slip out in the morning and leave before anyone came to see? The ship has been docked here since day one, the anticipation has been building. Just enjoy it, for now. I know how much you love attention."

"I love attention when I'm awake and alert and not a mess of grogginess and impatience." She took off her hat to smile to the crowd, contentedly trotting through the pathway Vaulix had made with her arm wrapped around his. "Let's just board the ship and call it a day, shall we?"

Vaulix reached down, wrapped his arms around her waist, and hoisted her up so she was sitting on his shoulder. There was a distinct difference in their size so this didn't seem strange or out of the ordinary. He continued walking through the crowd towards the pier. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not sure you are prepared to deal with just how much work this is going to be. You think this is a vacation but you've got to realize, captaining a ship is more work than being a princess."

"I'm aware, I just find it a lot easier to digest if it's something I want to do instead of something I want to do. Lecture me in private, please. Let's just get to the-"

As they emerged past the last row of beachfront businesses and onto the pier, they were greeted their first real look at The Gem of the Ijimulian's massive mast and flanks out at the end of the farthest dock. It was a truly majestic ship, made of deep red wood with golden tips and accents. The mast and sails were azure and emerald, the many cannons a deep jet black while the rest of its details were a blend of all of those colours. This was clearly meant to represent the Arrenthen gold and red while also the Tehgolian blue and green. It was perfect.

Seagulls and compy-drakes flew in circles around all three of its masts, with dozens of workers climbing the rigging and putting the finishing touches on its finer points. It was a solid half kilometer out from the shore due to the length of the dock - it was needed, as the ship was massive and needed to be farther out in the cove to not run aground - and they could see dozens of folks carrying barrels and supplies down the pier towards it.

Talba was already in love. Even Vaulix couldn't help but pause to crack a smile. They'd seen the designs and blueprints but hadn't seen the finished or coloured ship yet. The last they saw of it, The Gem of the Ijimulian was all brown and red, without any paint or sails or details. Now that it was fully finished, it looked even more impressive than the artist's renditions or Nib's initial concept sketches.

All at once the mild irritation of the crowd melted away. Vaulix put Talba back down off his shoulders and the two walked down the lengthy pier, mesmerized at the view that stretched out before them. The closer they got and the farther down the pier they made it, the more impressive it appeared. Their long-range vision was impressive given their raptor eyes, but nothing truly showed the scale of the ship until they were at the edge of the boarding ramp, about to take their first steps.

They had boarded off the dock to ensure no locals followed them. Only the string of crew walking up and down the pier with crates and bags of food and supplies were permitted to follow.

"You ready?" Vaulix asked, politely bowing and motioning for her to go ahead before him.

She took his hand and made her way up the long ramp, tugging him along behind her. Once they emerged on the deck of the ship, the couldn't help but pause and take in the sights. The mast above them, the biggest of the three, was the one in the middle and by far the tallest. It had rigging connecting it to the foremast and the mizzenmast, which in turn anchored to the bowmast - the one stabbing forth above the figurehead - for stability.

The mizzenmast - which was the one to the rear above the captain's quarters - was the one with the rudder for turning, while the foremast - the one out front between the main mast and the bow mast - was just a smaller version of the main one. Wide sails, lots of rigging anchoring it all together, and dozens of ropes and pulleys and embedded gemstones to help with the magical elements that allowed the ship to be sailed with a crew half the size as one without magic.

She ran her fingers down the taffrail - the edge enclosing the deck of the ship - to tickle each and every teal-glowing gemstone that had been carved into the wood and connected by a series of ademane-infused wires. Talba was not naturally gifted when it came to the intricacies of magic but had been doing a lot of research to know what all this meant and how it would influence the various parts of the ship. She had spent a significant portion of the prior month in the palace libraries to acquaint herself with everything she needed to deal with.

Within a minute or two of the pair of them arriving on the deck of the Ijimulian, they were approached by a thickly-built red dragon and an equally muscled black gryphon. Lethias and Storm, respectively. Lethias saluted and bowed with a fist on his chest and his other hand behind him to rest upon his tail base while Storm just grinned and waved casually. These were the two quartermasters, the ones who would be in charge of the ship in the event Talba and Vaulix went ashore or were sleeping or incapacitated for any reason.

"Be respectful." Lethias chastised, his tail whipping around behind to flick the red-wood deck of the ship. He wasn't the aggressive type but still found Storm's behaviour to be disrespectful.

Storm stepped aside so Lethias's tail didn't touch his ankles. "It's fine." He countered, then turned to Vaulix and Talba. "Pleasure to see you two here. Slept in?"

Lethias got out of his bowing position and stood at ease with his feet shoulder length apart, tail raised off the ground and hands folded over his lower back. He didn't feel the need to counter Storm back, not while addressing the captains.

Vaulix patted Lethias on the shoulder. "Storm's right, you don't need to worry about that. I'd say at ease, but I know you too well. Either way, you're our men. Respect is appreciated but in a manner of speaking, you're our equals. You don't need to stand on ceremony with us. Not while we're at sea. Respect, but not formal." He then patted Lethias on the shoulder again then turned to address Storm's inquiry. "Perhaps. This one keeps me up a lot more than in my past life." He then winked and grinned as the three of them glanced over at Talba, who was considerably smaller than them.

Talba stood at only about two meters total, while the other three were closer to three. All of the drakes dwarfed her, something she was acutely aware of. She stood tall and proud, putting her captain's hat back on while looking up at all three of the others. "And I'll keep all of you up, too, if you don't get to work. Scallywags? Is that the term?"

"It's a term, yes." Lethias piped up. "Not sure if it's appropriate for a naval ship, but I approve nonetheless. Welcome to the Gem of the Ijimulian."

Storm took the cue and motioned towards the captain's cabins. "Shall we give you a back-to-front tour? Introduce you to all the crew members? We've been loading the ship up with food and drink and other amenities as well as appropriate weapons and gemstones and ammunition for combat, should the need arise."

"Indeed." Vaulix confirmed. "Lead the way."

And thus began their first top to bottom, front to back tour. They started at the bow - the front - where they leaned over and got a good look at the figurehead, which was that of a nondescript hippogryph with a similar beak and body shape to Talba with thick chest plumage holding up the bow mast. They looked male instead of female, though, so it wasn't Talba. Lethias explained it was the artist's rendition of what they assumed would be a merging of Talba and Vaulix, but neither of them immediately saw the Vaulix influence until they got a closer look.

After that, they met up with a handful of the crew, each of which were travelling back and forth with crates and barrels going up and down to the lower levels. There was a huge steel grate in the deck, right between the main mast and the mizzenmast, which was apparently for hoisting up the results of hunts once the existing supplies ran out. It led to the first layer below deck, where much of the food was stored and where the kitchens resided.

There were two kitchens on the Gem of the Ijimulian. One near the back where the captains cabins resided, and one closer to the front where most of the rest of the crew slept. There were four chimney stacks - two per kitchen - to ensure the smoke never got to be too much and the rain never got below deck. The stern kitchen - the one near the back - was smaller than the one near the bow, since that kitchen was decked out to mostly handle the higher-ranked officers on the ship. This kitchen was specifically made for making gourmet meals for the captains, quartermasters, navigators, and messengers. Of course, there was a lot more to it than that.

The captain's quarters were right below the helm, which housed the wheel. It was a large room with a wall of windows looking out back and a massive table nearby for tactical planning and eating. A bed and dresser along each wall with plenty of chests for supplies lining the walls on either side. Simple, but roomy. A little too roomy for Vaulix and Talba, who felt they didn't really need a huge personal space when there was nearly a hundred crew members on the ship.

But there was a reason for that. The huge table in the middle of the room overlooked by the wall of windows was there for all the higher-ranked officers to discuss strategy and plans while also making sure there was enough room for the messengers to convey information to the crew. The room, though meant as a bedroom for the captains and quartermasters - hence why there were two beds instead of just one, as Talba assumed was for her and Vaulix - was also the war room.

The captains Talba and Vaulix got one bed, Storm got the other. Lethias was also offered a bed in the captain's chambers but had opted to sleep with the crew. Mostly he just didn't want to share quarters with Storm, while Storm was happy to feel special. Beyond that, There also needed to be room for the two navigators, the four messengers, and the four cooks to stand around the circular table.

This was also where they got to meet the entire set of servants and maids they'd imported from the castle. Mikhail, Arnika, Chiryn, Krendius, Saestal, Kalie, and Xaleru - the group that had formed a bit of a bond ever since being offered work as palace servants - had all come together and now were the ones in charge of keeping the entire ship clean. They would pick up trash, organize things, and ensure the vessel remained pristine. Everyone was expected to pitch in on the cleaning, but this was the only part of the crew with no combat experience. Most had some negotiation skills and some history with violence in the past, but none were warriors or adept with guns.

Next, they checked out the kitchens themselves. First, the stern kitchen near the captain's quarters. An otter by the name of Lexi was currently there, sorting through the pots and silverware and shelves to make sure she was well-aquainted with the layout. She wasn't directly assigned to this kitchen in particular, she was just here making sure she was familiar with it prior to returning to the larger, main kitchen. She offered a fist to her chest in salute to the captains before getting back to work.

In the bow kitchen, Dunstan the bear, Runa the tiger, and Rex the tiger were all doing the same thing, acquainting themselves with the layout while making sure they knew what ingredients were available. The food stores were on the level just below them, so they were heading down and up while taking notes to make sure they knew what they had and how they'd go about cooking for a crew of almost a hundred strong.

One thing they were preparing for was a never-ending pot of soup. Basically, while at sea, it could be weeks or months before making port to purchase food or trade for linens or replenish stores, so all food needed to be utilized. Any food that wasn't immediately eaten was tossed in a huge pot hovering over a pile of fire gemstones and embers. Sea water would be used to top up the sludge of mixed meat and vegetables and everything else in between that anyone could take from at any time. The fire gemstones and embers ensured the food never went bad, and the salt of the sea water ensured that there was always plenty of flavour.

Much to the surprise of most who ate it, such a thing was usually pretty tasty. Sure, it didn't have the presentation or the distinct flavours of a roast meal or well-cooked lobster, but it wasn't bad and kept a crew alive. It lacked a distinct flavour, but it was good enough and a fine last resort when the rest of the stores were done with. Plus, any hunting that happened would result in a tonne of meat scraps to be added to the perpetual brew, which the crew loved. At least, that's how it worked according to what Talba had read. It wasn't until she took a moment to talk to Dunstan that she came to realize that these were professionals who would be sure to season and accentuate the pot.

The crew was in good hands, at least in terms of the food that could be served. Once the captains were happy with what they saw, they went down another level to the first layer of crew cabins. The entire ship was five stories tall, with the bottom being a mostly empty bilge, the next level up being for rowing should the situation arise. The next two levels were for storage and crew, and both were for both. Food, ammunition, carpentry and blacksmith materials, etc. The crew quarters and storage spaces were interspersed because there was only so much room and it needed to be conserved.

The Gem of the Ijimulian was by no means for peasants, but it wasn't a luxury ship either. There was lots of room, everyone got a hammock or bed to sleep on and a chest of their own for their personal belongings and clothes, but their shared rooms were piled high with barrels of food and crates of ammunition and anything else that might be needed while sailing.

While down below, Talba and Vaulix were greeted by a face that was quite familiar to them. Foxifly, the fox-moth hybrid that seemed to be everywhere. Anywhere they went, they found Foxifly in one of her dozens of different forms. This one had a thicker, insect-like face with very short, velvety fur all over. Apparently she'd adapted to the needs of a ship and had gone for a thicker skin that would protect her in the case of combat.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to combat, at least not immediately, but it was smart nonetheless.

They offered a salute of respect and headed back to the deck only to see that there were dozens of blokes milling about without anyone still on land. The ramp had been hoisted, and it looked like they were just about ready to leave.

Talba turned to Vaulix, looked over to Lethias and Storm, and then snapped her fingers to summon the ship's messengers. First up was an ocelittle - a smaller, cuter version of an ocelot - with a tinier, cuter blue dragon riding her. This was Katsumi, another friend of Talba and Vaulix's from the palace. Next came a larger, heavy-set floof named Kori, and finally came a stoic hippogryph named Lysandra. Once they were all hovering around the captains, Talba gave the word.

"It's time. Alert the crew, inform the navigators, and let's sail out of this cove!"

A nod of approval later, and all four messengers darted up and down the deck of the ship, with Katsumi climbing up the rigging while calling out to each and every crew member to tell them to prepare for departure. A moment later, a tall, thickly-built purple gryphon came through the crowd next to Storm. It was Zean, one of the navigators. "Captain, I think you may have spoken too soon, we're not in the crow's nest yet. Kinda hard to depart." Next to him was a smaller red and orange gryphon. This was Red, the other navigator.

"Then you'd best get up there. Hope you can climb well, because it looks like Hida and Katsumi are already half way up!" Vaulix insisted, then turned to head towards the Helm. Suddenly, his tone was authoritative, commanding. "Everyone to your positions! Raise the sails, hoist the anchor! We leave immediately and I don't want to see any single one of you dawdling!"

Talba had temporarily forgotten just how sexy he was when in control. She whimpered a bit at the depth of his voice and followed as Lethias and Storm went below deck and everyone else scattered to their various positions. Before long, she was standing next to Vaulix by the wheel at the helm, Red was on the crow's nest atop the mizzenmast, Zean was in the crow's nest on the main mast, and the sails were being hoisted with the help of each and every one of the crew members tugging on the ropes.

Lexi the otter leapt off the flank of the ship and dove into the water, emerging next to the dock to release the thick ropes from the bollards to ensure they wouldn't be tied to the pier. Once she had removed each and every one of them, she dove back in and started climbing the side of the ship, scaling its walls past the many shutters for the cannons before hopping back up onto the deck, covered in sea water. She gave the captains a thumbs up before joining the effort to raise the sails.

Vaulix spun the wheel to catch the wind, the ship slowly creaked and groaned as it started to propel forward, and they aimed the bow towards the entrance to the cove. They had finally set sail and were off on the maiden voyage of The Gem of the Ijimulian. No ceremony, no build up, they just raised the colors, the sails caught the wind, the gulls and compy-drakes circled the masts, and they were off!