“Oh come on, you can’t be serious?” Casper raises his eyebrows, and watches in horror as Alex nods her confirmation.

“It’s true, I was quite the diva.”

“You are a cruel woman.” Casper shakes his head in disappointment.

“I have been called many things, but I think this is the first time I’ve been called cruel.”

“I find that shocking.” Casper makes his way to the liquor cabinet secured to the western wall of the captain's quarters and once again pours a glass from the now nearly empty bottle.

“Perhaps given your upbringing’s standards, where I come from it was considered merciful.”

“If that’s your idea of mercy I pray I never get on your bad side.”

“You keep pouring me drinks and I doubt you will.” Alex winks and extends her own glass, which Casper happily tops off.

“I had no idea alcohol was all it took to smooth the edges of your dangerous personality.”

“Dangerous? Hardly.”

“I’ve never met a tongue so sharp in my life.”

“It can’t be that sharp, If I recall you looked to enjoy the softer side of it quite a bit.”

Casper chuckles and shakes his head, trying his best to hide the shade of red appearing on his cheeks.

“I had no idea alcohol was all it took to fluster you.” Alex teases.

“It isn’t, but it’s safe to say that the alcohol isn’t the only thing causing me to lose my own edge.”

Casper once again finds his eyes following the shape of Alex’s body, the woman had lost her male disguise mostly, in favor of a low cut top, that revealed a good deal of her chest, while also being rather short enough to provide a provocative window to her stomach. All of this was made more alluring for her low waisted baggy pants, which seemed a small tug away from showing the world everything.

When Casper had fumbled through the words enough to ask her the purpose of the outfit, she had mentioned that keeping her chest bound was becoming tiresome, and she needed a moment to let her body breathe.

A moment she all too happily took inside the captain's quarters Casper just so happened to be occupying.

“This is all it takes?” Alex asks, looking down at her own body, examining her stomach, which had taken on a little more muscle since their training with Rathiel began.

“You say that like it isn’t intoxicating.”

“Comparing me to ale?”

“More like, a fine barrel aged whisky”

“I’m aged?” Alex gives an innocent half smile.

“Not what I meant and you know it.”

“What did you mean then?” Alex sips her drink and leans forward, cocking her head like a confused puppy.

Casper laughs and runs his fingers through his hair, buying critical seconds to find a way to salvage this.

The door to the cabin slams open with a resounding THUD, causing some of the bottles against the wall to shake from the force.

Alex quickly moves to cover her chest, but upon seeing who darkens the doorway, she instead doesn’t bother.

“Rude, I was taking my turn.” Alex pouts, looking at a panting Annabelle with narrowed eyes.

“Another round, let's go.” Annabelle demands, her attention entirely on Casper.

“Excuse me! I believe Casper is otherwise indisposed. Besides he is hardly in any condition-”

“It’s alright, sorry Alex, we will have to postpone the rest of this conversation.” Casper narrows his eyes at Annabelle, who matches his ferocity in kind.

“You two will kill each other if you aren’t careful.” Alex sighs, leaning back to rest on her hands as she lets her head fall backwards to look at the ceiling.

“Ha! Like He could ever get a clean strike against me.” Annabelle’s face twists in a challenging smile, one that makes the growing fire inside Casper burn even brighter.

“Bold, coming from the woman who has yet to get a victory.”

“Then fight me again! Unless you’re scared?”

“Of you? Never.” Casper quickly tucks his shirt into his pants and grabs hold of his blade as he storms from the captain's quarters.

“Knock before you enter next!” Alex calls out as Casper closes the door behind him.

Following the larger woman out, it’s clear that while her focus was on Casper, she hadn’t failed to notice Alex either.

“You two seemed to be getting cozy.” Annabelle challenges as the two stomp their way to the main deck.

“She needed a breather is all.”

“Quite the breather she was getting.” Annabelle looks down to her own chest.

“I’m sure you of all people would understand keeping them bound all the time.”

“Hah! She is just weak. You think I let these things just flop around while I’m in armor? Of course not, I’ve had to bind my chest far longer than she. She is just trying to get a leg up on me.”

“And that isn’t the same as these sparring matches?”

“Not in the slightest, these are because we need to train hard if we are meant to be helping Rathiel. Training is for the good of the group. Alex is just trying to get in bed with you.”

“Right, right.” Casper notes her disposition, smelling the traces of a lie in her tone. “Your timing just so happens to line up when Alex invites me to talk?”

“A pure coincidence.” Annabelle insists, squaring off against Casper by raising her own blade.

“How about this then.” Casper raises his own blade. “We fight for some stakes this time.”

“Hahaha! You must be itching to lose then.”

“I’m itching to stop the squabbling between you and Alex.” Casper admits.

“Fine, you wish for stakes, how about this then. If I win, you mustn't interact with Alex for at least 3 days.”

“And if I win?”

“If you win, then I swear not to interrupt you and Alex any more.”

“So you admit that's what you were doing?”

“I never said anything of the sort.” Annabelle shrugs, and levels her sword at Casper.

“Uh huh.” Casper smiles and rolls his shoulders out.

Annabelle rushes Casper, closing the distance between them with resounding speed.

The wind follows her and rushes up to blow Casper's hair from his face. A streak of silver carves a path through the air towards his head from above.

“So predictable.” Casper taunts, bringing his own blade up to block the strike.

Her greatsword collides with his shorter blade but only for a moment before he redirects it away from his body, and sidesteps to position himself at her flank.

Another flash of movement, and her fist connects with his stomach as she allows her sword to carve into the deck, and instead of attempting to recover, pivots on her anchor foot to further drive her weight into the blow.

The air in Casper's lungs threatens to explode out from him, but he manages to flex the muscles in his abdomen to avoid losing all of his air.

Still caught off guard, Casper quickly brings his sword around to swipe at the extended arm in his stomach, but she's already pulled it back, and his strike hits open air.

“Not so predictable any more!” Annabelle laughs, and brings her sword upwards from the ground. The strike is shallow, but with Casper arm overextended in his attempt to counter it leaves him off balanced and exposed.

She was routing him, the damn clever bandit.

Forced onto the backfoot, Casper attempts to back off, but finds her eyes already hungrily staring down the new opening he had just created.

Casper clicks his tongue, and rebounds instead, fainting his follow through in the retreat and instead ducks down under her next blade swing.

Annabelle, not anticipating the sudden shift, misses wide overhead, leaving her own stomach exposed.

One of Annabelle’s problems was she was used to fighting big men, who weren’t nearly as quick as Casper. She had been trying to train that habit out of herself but when she saw red and swung the victory, the training fell away.

“Just a little.” Casper laughs and throws himself into her midsection.

The force of Casper tackling her mid swing is equivalent to her running head first into a brick wall. She gasps for breath as her grip loosens on her weapon and her head whips forward.

Casper drives his palm into her elbow, forcing her grip to falter with her dominant hand.

Following up on the opening, Casper finishes the tackle, sending her to the deck with a resounding CRACK.

Casper moves his leg to finish disarming her, but finds he is a little too late.

Annabelle must have been prepping the grapple mid fall because instead of her arm, he finds his own leg quickly bound in her powerful thighs.

“Shit.” Casper spits the words as Annabelle smiles at him.

In one smooth motion Annabelle bucks her hips and launches Casper into the air, just enough for her to spin and drive Casper onto his back, reversing their positions on the deck.

Annabelle's head comes down hard, primed to strike him clean in the face.

“Shit” Casper quickly channels the mark, and strengthens his body enough to slip his arm free from her grapple, and locks it around her neck instead just as her head is about to make contact.

Casper twists, locking up her neck in his arm and throws her onto her back.

The sound of the larger woman's body smacking into the deck is his indication to press the attack. Maneuvering around he once again positions himself on top of her, channeling more of the mark to move faster than she can handle.

Annabelle is about to once again buck her hips, but Casper stands slightly, planting his feet on the ground so instead of bucking him, she bucks the open air where he used to be.

Using the gap, Casper throws one leg under her, and places it on top. Locking his ankles together, and squeezes around her stomach and hips until her grunts turn to faint cries of pain.

“Yield!”

Annabelle responds by slamming a fist down into Casper’s own stomach, driving the air from his lungs with success this time.

“Fuck you!” Annabelle laughs, and drives another fist down, this time grabbing his shirt, and hauling him up and over.

Casper has to quickly release his lock on her stomach as the force of her lifting threatens to break his leg trapped under her.

She arches her back to let his leg come free, and slams Casper down into the deck.

“So that's what this is about?” Casper teases, rolling on his back as her sword comes down next to his head.

“Don’t try to distract me now!” Annabelle laughs, ripping her sword from the deck and re-grabbing it in both of her hands as Casper scrambles to get back up.

“Never!” Casper smiles. It was his turn to open.

Rushing in, Casper jabs with his short sword one, two three times aimed high, middle and then low, watching all the while as Annabelle expertly parries the rapid strikes.

Driving with his feet he presses her back further with another combination, low low, high.

Further, he keeps on moving her, positioning her with his flurry, switching the patterns, the targets, forcing her to focus on the parries instead of where she was.

One more push, Casper enhances his speed to keep the pressure on as she bumps into the railing of the ship and nearly takes a dive as her back arches over it.

“Gotcha!” Casper moves in to finish the fight, but finds his sword instead meets open air as Annabelle falls overboard.

“Oh shit!” Casper quickly pulls his blade backwards as he looks over the ledge to see where she fell.

Casper sees only stars instead, as Annabelle launches herself up from her hold on the side of the ship, and cracks her skull into Casper's.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Casper stumbles backwards, half falls to the ground, eyes white, world spinning.

He tries to reorient himself but Annabelle is already on him, her greatsword coming down to carve him up.

“You’re mind! Finally!” Annabelle cackles

Channeling the mark once more, Casper heals the damage in his head to see her more clearly, and quickly spins his legs, kicking the sword on its flat side and knocking it far out of the way. In the same motion, he throws himself to his feet and springs up at her like a coiled snake, driving every ounce of strength plus a little help from the mark into his next attack.

Annabelle tries to shout something again, but her voice is cut off as Casper presses one hand to her mouth, and drives his sword upwards, stopping it as it nics her chin.

“Gotcha.” Casper smiles as he presses her back against the railing, holding her there, staring into her wide eyes as her greatsword dangles nearly limp in one hand.

Annabelle’s eyes narrow at first, a faint bit of rage bubbling over.

“Oh come on, don’t be a sore loser!” Casper mocks, pulling the blade away slightly, allowing the blood to trickle down her neck.

Annabelle grabs at his wrist, pulling his hand away from her mouth.

It’s then that Casper notices a faint bit of moisture gathering at the corner of her eyes.

“Did I hurt you too badly?” Casper asks.

Annabelle struggles against him, her arms straining to unpin herself from her current position.

It’s then that Casper realizes he is still channeling the mark, making it impossible for her to free herself.

Dropping the power of the mark. Annabelle tears herself free, the tears gathering more as her jaw works uncomfortably back and forth.

“Son of a bitch” Annabelle spits the words and forces herself through Casper, sending him to the side, as she lets her sword fall to the ground.

“Annabelle?” Casper tries to call after her, but she is already to the stairway, vanishing into the belly of the ship before he can say anything more.

Looking around, it appeared as though Elisayra was once again watching them, this time joined by Zesstra. A few of the crew had also stopped what they were doing to observe their little bout.

It had become something of a pastime for a few of the others. With how often Casper, Annabelle, and Alex all trained with Rathiel and Peter, they had acquired something of a fanbase. Casper was even aware of the betting pool the ship’s crew had made.

Perhaps he had embarrassed her? Or she was simply upset over losing yet again. There was really only so many losses a person could take before it got to them he figured.

Sighing, Casper grabs her sword from the ground and brings it back to the captain's quarters.

Opening the door, he is greeted to the sounds of moans coming from the bed. For a brief moment, the nightmarish vision of the captain and the slime returns to him.

Luckily, that isn’t the case again. Unluckily. Alex makes eye contact with him as she plunges the entire length of a fake male member between her sopping wet legs.

“I said knock!” Alex suddenly gasps, throwing a blanket over herself before Casper can fully comprehend the actions taking place.

“Sorry!” Casper drops the weapons off and quickly closes the door. His mind filled with the image of her arching back, sweaty skin, red cheeks, messy short hair and perfect womanhood.

Where exactly was she hiding that while they were talking? It absolutely wasn’t in her pockets…

His hand lingers on the door, listening to the sounds of her continued pleasure, and considers for a moment coming back in.

Shaking his head free of the mark, he thinks better of it. Adjusting his own member within his pants to avoid pitching a tent for the whole ship to see, he sighs and leaves Alex to her important business.

He should probably find Annabelle, she was clearly very upset, and as much as it pained Casper to leave Alex all alone to manage her own needs, it would be all around worse to let this thing with Annabelle simmer.

Casper works his way through the decks, following the sounds and scents to locate Annabelle, who had placed herself in the storage area.

“The hells?” Casper makes his way to the entrance, Annabelle’s name on his lips, but stops himself as his senses pick up the sound of something like a cry, or perhaps a grunt, followed by a heavy thud.

Pausing for a moment, Casper observes the woman as she drives a bloody fist into a sack of grains positioned atop a few boxes, her strike she gives it comes with another half cry, half rage fueled roar.

Shit, he didn’t expect her to be this broken up about losing. It seemed extreme.

Another punch leaves a red stain on the burlap, another grunt with the words. “Useless.” slipped in between.

Was it better to let her work this out? Or talk to her?

Another punch, and she lets her fist linger, another cry working through her back.

He definitely needed to talk to her…

Stepping into the room, he makes his presence known by intentionally shuffling his feet against the wood floor, but Annabelle doesn’t stop.

Another punch, another red stain.

“Annabelle?”

Another punch, another red stain.

“Annabelle.”

Another punch, another red stain.

“Annabelle!”

Another punch, another red stain.

Casper closes the distance as she punches the sack several more times, before he eventually grabs hold of her wrist as it flies through the air to strike the bag again.

Her muscles tense around his hand, straining for a moment to try and continue the blow, but under the raw power of Casper's mark enhanced body it’s fruitless. Instead she lets her arm go limp, though she doesn’t turn to look at him.

“Annabelle. I’m… sorry.” Casper tries. But his words don’t land. They bounce off her as if she were made of cold steel.

“We don't have to abide by the stakes, it was mostly a joke, I swear I-”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is?” Annabelle asks coldly, catching Casper off guard.

“We all lose sometimes-”

“Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is?”

“Annabelle…”

“Don’t.” Annabelle pulls her hand away from Casper's grip, though she continues to stare ahead at the red stained burlap in front of her.

Casper stays quiet then, and takes a step back, waiting for her to continue.

“Do you know what it’s like, needing to constantly prove yourself? No matter how capable I am, no matter how much I train, no matter the merit of my actions, I am still just a bandit, just a woman.”

“...”

“Every time I lose, I see the way they look at me. I see how they see me. Just some fucking concubine to powerful men. A squire to the real swordsmen? A piece of fucking eye candy to look at while wielding a sword?”

“Annabelle you know as well as I do that you’re an incredible fighter-”

“But never quite good enough, am I?” Annabelle turns to look Casper in the eyes, her own red and puffy, filled with tears.

“It isn’t fair to compare yourself…”

“To men? Rathiel I understand, Peter I understand, they are more than human, they are powerful beings, I will never compare to them. By you?”

The frustration and anger and spite in her eyes surprises Casper then. So much vitriol directed at him he can almost taste the vinegar in her tone.

“You are just a human. Same as me. I’ve been practicing with swords longer than you. Using them longer than you. Fighting other people, to the death. To survive. Real, actual fights while you trained and yet I can’t fucking beat you.” She spits the words.

Casper understands the anger isn’t directed at him, not specifically, so he lets it slide off of him even though it stings just a little.

He felt bad, honestly. He had needed to use the mark in order to get the edge over her. Without it he would have surely lost, but it wasn't as though he could explain that right now. He had thought using it would be helpful, steel sharpens steel and the more she fought against stronger opponents the stronger she would get, or so Casper thought.

As it turned out, he had failed to consider the details of perceptual losses for someone like her.

“I am fucking stuck as being lesser. I know that’s how the world is meant to work but damn the world for saying I can’t. I hope you know Casper than I am going to make you fucking yield-” her voice catches then, and the tears flow more freely from her eyes.

Annabelle sucks in a breath, and forces the sob to stay inside, as her eyes harden looking into Casper's own.

“I am going to make you yield, you hear me?” She grinds the words out.

“I know you will. It was a damn close fight…”

“Bullshit. You are just too strong for me. When you grabbed my mouth? I put every ounce of strength I had into getting you off me. All of it. And you didn’t budge.”

Casper frowns, and for a brief moment considers explaining everything to her just to help the poor woman feel better. That wasn't human strength. It was the mark…

“Don’t patronize me, please. And don’t you dare think about letting me win.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Annabelle stares Casper down for a moment, before her attention turns to her bloodied knuckles.

“Want me to call Nephinae or Rathiel for you?”

“No.” Annabelle rubs her thumb into the palm of her hand, working the muscles with a wince. “Go back to Alex, I’m sure she is waiting for you.”

Casper frowns and sits down on one of the many crates, watching Annabelle as she shakes her head.

“Sorry, that was unfair…”

“Alex is occupied.” Casper informs her with a half smile.

“Of course she is, you’d think Elisayra or Laihal would be the most active in our group, but Alex turned out to be quite the deviant.” Annabelle teases. "She did pick up a lot of those toys..."

“She really did. Though you’re no innocent little angel either. Wearing that harness.”

“You like it that much?” Annabelle raises an eyebrow.

“Very much.”

“I should wear it more then.”

“I wouldn’t complain.”

“I know you wouldn’t.” Annabelle shakes her head and leans up against the wall, relieved for Casper's attempt to cut the tension between them.

“Alex and you both mentioned taking multiple partners, but you both also seem rather disappointed at the notion as well.”

“Hmph…” Annabelle crosses her arms and looks away. “It’s not that I would dislike it, I said before I want to be the first, but beyond that, despite being close with the others I think it's safe to say I am the least close to Alex.

“Really? You look like you are friends.”

“More like acquaintances. She is too… how should I put this gently?”

“By not putting it gently, just speak your mind.”

“She is privileged. Far beyond anyone else in our company. She is entitled, a diva, a sadist, manipulative, and worst of all she is beautiful in all the ways a woman should be.” Annabelle looks down at herself. “She is everything I wished I could have been when I was a girl, and I have to both compete with and eventually live with that.”

“You make it sound like being with the both of you at the same time is written in stone…” Casper gives a nervous laugh.

Annabelle just looks at Casper.

“It… it’s possible I don’t pick both of you, after all being with more than one woman is strange to me…”

“...”

“It’s not as though I've confirmed my interest in either of you honestly! Maybe I will end up being with Nephinae or someone…”

“You’d sooner end up with Rathiel.’ Annabelle teases.

“He is rather handsome…”

“So now I have to compete with him as well? I'm truly doomed.”

“That's not the point! What makes you so sure I want this?”

“Because you are a man… and I see the way you look at them.”

“I assure you I do not look at Rathiel like that…”

“I meant Alex.”

“Oh… right.” Casper rubs his head a little. But looking at them does not qualify my interest in spending my life with them.”

“Who else would you spend your life with?”

“Why must I decide now?”

“Because if you wait too long, some of us might die before we get the chance to experience anything together.”

“Rather morbid, what makes you say you will die before I choose?”

“Casper, there is a reason Rathiel and his party are legendary. Many adventurers try, and many fail before they can make even the slightest difference. We are already approaching the edge of the cliff. The probability that we all live to see the end of whatever this is, is low.”

“I highly doubt that, and I highly doubt that the others think that way as well.”

“Casper.” Annabelle stands, looking him harder in the eyes. “Pray tell, why is it that adventurers and those in dangerous professions are willing to break the cultural taboo of sex before wedlock? It's damn near a crime unless it’s a brothel. It's a very very strong taboo among men and women in villages and towns. Why is that?”

“Because the culture of this kingdom is as arbitrary and nonsensical as a toddlers bedtime story?”

“Because there is an expectation that a man and a woman, or a man and multiple women have a duty to the kingdom to build a strong family. Strong families strengthen the crown. You cannot have a strong family, if you have men getting women pregnant before they are ready and running off to avoid the responsibility. You cannot have strong, loyal bloodlines if everyone is fucking day in and day out whoever they please with no anchor to a household or lands or family name.”

“Perhaps that's less arbitrary than I was thinking….”

“Exactly my point. Now tell me. Why do you think that culture doesn’t exist for adventurers? Why is it that everyone who travels around, especially people in this ship, are so willing to throw those norms out the window?”

“Because it’s dangerous.” Casper responds solemnly.

“Exactly, because there is an expectation that we will die soon. And better to die having experienced the pleasures of the flesh, and shared in those moments than to die having saved yourself for a day that will never come.”

“You’re saying the fear of death is what makes everyone so damn horny?”

“No, Casper. I am saying that the expectation of a short life has many people, especially many women, worried we will die without ever having been close to someone. Hell many women fear dying married to someone they aren’t close to. Duty to country comes before a woman's preferences. That is just how the kingdom works. That is how we, all of us women, have lived our entire lives. Now we find ourselves in this strange position, with you, and you wonder why we are all so desperately invested to be with you so soon?”

“I hadn’t ever considered that…”

“I know you haven’t but that is why I am explaining it to you.” Annabelle offers a smile and sits down next to Casper. “I know we may come on fairly strong, but it isn’t without reason. I don’t want to place any pressure on you, or expectations, but I’d ask you to please consider our position in all of this as well. If you wish to be with only one of us, I can make peace with that, though honestly it would hurt a hell of alot.”

So much for no pressure, Casper thought with a sigh. “No, you are right. I should have been considering the deeper reasons, I apologize for being selfish.”

“You were simply ignorant…”

“Still, that is no excuse.”

Annabelle stays quiet then, her mind drifting elsewhere for a time.

“If it helps, I think perhaps you have the wrong opinion about Alex.”

“I am a fairly good judge of character, I doubt I'm terribly incorrect in my estimations.

“No, maybe not entirely but much like me perhaps you are ignorant to the deeper reasoning behind her actions.”

“Using my own logic against me?”

“Only when necessary, which isn’t often but I believe she is due the same respect and patience as I am. Assuming I do eventually, maybe in the future decide to be with the both of you, don’t you agree it would be worth trying to understand her better?”

“You are correct.” Annabelle sighs. “Maybe seeing her as a rival in this blinded me slightly.”

“Perhaps… maybe we can arrange something for the both of you? To help clear the air.”

“Just the two of us? I doubt that would go over well.”

“I can be there if you’d like.”

“No a chance. That would only make us more competitive.”

“Then maybe a mediator? An un-invested 3rd party.”

“Elisayra will side with me, Laihal will side with Alex.”

“Nephinae can be objective. Trust me.”

“Hmmm, I am open to the possibility.”

“Good, I will see what I can do then. I think it would be good for the both of you to hash out your differences.”

“If things go poorly I can always kill her and ensure I have you to myself.” Annabelle winks.

“True, though I think my opinion of you would probably lessen.”

“But I'd still have you?”

“I suppose you would.”

“I can live with that.”

“I would prefer you not.” Casper laughs.

“Hmmm… I will attempt restraint.” Annabelle winks again.

Casper slaps his legs and stands, turning to face Annabelle. “I am sorry for embarrassing you. I swear I meant no offense during our bout.”

“I know, I apologize for acting childishly…”

“No no, it wasn’t childish, given everything you told me your anger was reasonable. If it is any consolation at all, I want you to know that I don’t see you as just some bandit, or just a woman, or a squire. You are, and I mean this with all of my heart, the single most impressive swordsman I have ever seen. Rathiel supplements his swordplay with his strength and power, Peter uses his abilities to gain the edge. You may have lost to me but I in turn have never lost to anyone. I can say with confidence that you are perhaps the best technically skilled swordsman I have ever seen.”

Annabelle blushes slightly, smiles, and stands. “Truly?”

“Yes, absolutely. I supplement my swordplay with my strength as well, you are nearly all technique, and that is much harder to train that strength. Lift some more heavy objects and I'm sure you will overtake me in no time.”

“Lift heavy objects you say?”

“That is in fact what-”

In a flash, Annabelle steps in close the distance to Casper, half pinning him against the wall, half lifting him up.

Annabelle's body presses hard into his, holding him there, one arm locked behind his own to keep him in place, the other pinning his left to his side.

“Shit!”

“I thought you said you liked dominant women.” Annabelle tests, her breath hot against Casper's face.

“I am quite the fan… yes.”

“Good.” Annabelle presses her lips to Casper's, sending his head spinning and his eyes filling with blinding light as if she had just headbutt him.

Her lips work at his own, fighting him, biting at them, forcing them to part for her greedy tongue to enter his mouth.

Unable to stop himself from smiling, Casper fights back, his own tongue tangles with hers, his lips work to counter her own hungry assault on his mouth.

The salty sweet taste of her overwhelms him, the tears fresh on her cheeks mingle with the sweat of their bout, all writhing around him along with her own body.

Casper tries to fight her, to get her to drop him but she slams him hard against the wall again, strengthening her grip, pinning him there.

He continues to fight her with his own mouth, a constant push and pull, to consume and be consumed. Their breaths quicken, Casper’s own heart pounds in his chest in time with her own as she plants a hand against his chest, her fingers working down lower and lower, her fingers breaching through the waistline of his pants.

Casper works his arm free, has his hand kneading at her breast above the clothes, fumbling desperately to get under her shirt to feel her skin.

“I don’t mean to interrupt.” A voice coughs from the doorway to the storage room.

Casper doesn’t care, his hands still work to get at Annabelle, but Annabelle isn’t nearly as on board.

At the sound of Rathiel's arrival, she breaks the kiss and drops Casper. Her hands come to cover herself despite nothing showing while another hand wipes at the drool coming from her mouth.

“What's the problem?” Casper asks, trying desperately to catch his own breath and hide his erection.

“A hunter.” Rathiel scowls.

“Big one?”

“Very… we need everyone ready to fight, it’s headed directly towards us.”

“Fucking Engee..” Annabelle curses under her breath.

“Shit, alright. Let's get moving. We can… continue this later?” Casper tries.

“If we survive… I told you we should have done something sooner.” Annabelle clicks her tongue.

“If we survive, I will make up for the lost time.”

“Good.” Annabelle and Casper join Rathiel as they make their way to the upper decks, past the sprinting bodies of crew members rushing to man the cannons.

“Was Peter exaggerating his story?” Casper asks as they trade the cool, dark interior of the ship for the saturated purples of the setting sun.

About a half mile away from their ship, the very ocean itself appears to move towards them. A lone, isolated wave bulges from the depths, rising higher and higher with the sound of rolling thunder.

At this distance, it appeared to be several hundred feet long at minimum, a size that only grows as it carves a path through the depths closer towards them.

“I guess not…”