Anthro Adventure (1F Tournament Round)

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

Charles paced around his confines nervously, scratching at the walls of his cage trying to find a way out perhaps. His friend was nearby but he couldn't see him. It had been frightening for him since they had been captured by pirates. For most of their time there he had been curled up in fear in a corner of the small room they had put him in but now he was feeling at least secure enough to pace while he didn't think anyone else was around. Really he felt so bad because it was his fault that they had been captured in the first place. All of it was his fault, just because he had wanted to stay close to his friend. Softly he whimpered, going to the wall closest to his friend and leaning up against it. He sniffled and rested his ear against the wall, listening hard for the sound of his friend moving around too.

“I-I'm sorry that I got you into this mess,” he called to his friend through the wall, “You wouldn't have been captured if it wasn't for me.” He sighed, pressing his forehead against the wall before going back to his pacing. His fur and feathers stood on end from his nervousness. Part of his nervousness came from the fact they were on a boat. Felines like him didn't do well with water. Sitting on his hindquarters the young male licked his paws, using it to wash behind his ears worriedly. It had been his friend's idea to embark on this adventure but he couldn't stand being without the other male worrying he might die at sea. Now they were stuck here imprisoned by his own foolishness. “I shouldn't have come and slowed you down.”

Pressing the soft feathery wings down against his back Charles whimpered nervously. His sensitive nose could smell the salt water so close, his ears pressing against his head. Settling down on top of his four paws his tail wrapped around his body as he watched the door. “Do you hate me for getting you into this mess?” he asked his friend, calling loudly to be heard through the wooden walls and over the crashing of the waves against the boat. Hearing something crashing against the side of the ship he jumped, letting out a nervous whine as his wings fluffed up around him. Whimpering more he tried to smooth them down, twisting his feline body around so he could lick the feathers to make them lay down again. Only his desire to stay with his friend and keep him close would make him come on this crazy adventure. If they got out of this and went home he would never get on a boat again.

Softly the pirate captain sighed, his bushy auburn tail flicking back and forth as he looked around the fancy room they were keeping him. His ship was safely hidden away in a cove nearby; or at least he hoped so since otherwise they would have no use for him here anymore. The only reason he was still alive was because they wanted the two brats back. Absently he curled his tail around and studied the white tip, letting it twitch slightly as he watched. Really if they wanted to bore him to death it would be a horrible death. He hated having nothing to do for such a long time. It was why he had become a pirate.

Letting out a yawn he looked up at his captor, regarding him with vague disinterest in his emerald eyes. “Well, are you going to ask me questions or just let me sit here till I rot from boredom? I'm certainly not going to tell you something if I don't know what you want. Still, I'm fairly certain I have some idea of what you are looking for. Probably that kid that I've got locked up on my ship. Adorable little thing. I'm sure that we could sell him for a good price down in the south. His friend is even cuter. I might keep him as my own little pet.” The captain grinned, baring his sharp teeth and letting the skin on the top of his nose wrinkle slightly.

“So, what shall it be? Are you going to let me go or keep me here till I die of boredom? I certainly don't wish to stay here any longer. After all, I have a cute little kitten waiting for me back at my ship.” He laughed, tipping his head back while keeping a watch on the other male. His ears twitched, their white tips flicking slightly as he waited for a reaction to his harsh and insensitive words. Perhaps if he provoked the man enough he would get a reply. After all, he really didn't want to stay here any longer than he had already.  

[Capricious Dreams]

Skimbleshankx

What was it about the sea that drove one mad? Could it have been its overwhelming vastness that engulfed ones mind in the mysteries of what lied ahead if not willing to dare venture so far as to find out, or was it the soothing lullaby it whispered in ones dreams, twisting around its elegant finger the curiosity and mystic wants of an adolescent and wise alike. Perhaps the mixture of the two stroked the chords of a creature's existence, twisting it to the tune it wished to hear and playing the same rhythm till the chord would eventually snap. That was the thrill a boy desperately reached out for. From the cradle, he watched the sea as it flickered mockery on its glistening caps, but as he grew older, more capable and well trusted, the sea began to beckon him with a thousand winks that drew him nearer with each moon. The tales he was told were splendorous, a life he imagined for himself one day but, what he did not expect from this adventurous web was the situation he was in, only having just barely brushed the very tips of the long soft fibers that coated his monstrous figure.

A whisker upon the large mass's muzzle flicked as the idle air began to stir. At first the being did not move, seeming to be concentrated on other things, but the other creature's anxiety began to rub off. “Would you quit. You are making me nervous.” The canine-like head lifted from the white golden tipped fluff that seemed to swallow it, as well as much of the creature's upper body, a lip snarled over its large cuspids. Strife was not one to show weakness so easily, but he did worry for his friend that seemed to be quite the opposite. He shouldn't have dragged him along. All he wanted was a little fun; however, he should have known his friend could not handle such misfortunes, though the fact that only a few layers of wood separated them from the water might have contributed to that. Strife, himself, had a bit of feline coursing his veins, to be noted by his colossal lion figure, but for one reason or another; he loved water. The sea was his sanctuary and with that came the liquid his companion had a great distaste for.

Grating of wood cut the stale atmosphere of the confinement they were both forced to endure. “My thoughts exactly.” He remarked in a tease to the feline that scrapped at the walls that enclosed him, hoping he could hear him as it was proving a challenge on his side. Thin long antlers of a considerable size rubbed at the wood work of the walls and of the roofing of the cage as the creature within it shifted from its originally lounged position to all four of its limbs. Shaking the discomfort from his golden fur, Strife gave a thoughtful glance to the door before him with large cerulean irises that glistened in what little light peeked through cracks above him. “I hardly think that is a worry at the moment.” He laughed, cutting through his own tenseness with humor, sour, but humor nonetheless. “I don't blame you though, if you must know. I am the one that dragged you along away.” The piliferous heap neared the door and placed his monstrous paw upon it, testing it in a way. “I wouldn't hate you even if you were to blame. I mean, we have been in some pretty messy situations before so, what makes this any different?” Of course a lot of things made their current predicament very different from those in the past, worse really, far worse, but he couldn't bring himself to say that...He seemed panicked enough already, why torture the poor soul any further. “I will get us out of here, just you watch.”

A sudden dramatic shift in the ship toppled the being on its side, becoming a rolling mountain of fur as it attempted to regain its footing, efforts resembling that of a turtle flipped on its back. By instinct, Strife's throat rumbled with a low growl, his aggression starting to boil. He needed to get out of there. He had to get out and run. He was not meant to be cooped up like a criminal. “I won't make you come with me anymore once we get out.” He informed Charles with a grunt as he pressed his forehead to the door, to where his antlers were flat against it, and placed as much pressure as he could on it. “Charles, what you bet I get this door down?” Strife inquired, taking a step from the door with his head still in place. It would be a challenge for sure, but that's what he liked.

Tolerance was key in a king, or at least it seemed that one had to be to keep some grasp around ones sanity; even if it were loose. Nowadays it seemed the Prince had a better handle of such things than he, himself, as King. It was shameful really. The behemoth's snout twitched in his muse as the overlarge paws padded across the floor in a short pace from the wall, only moving from it a short distance, drawn back towards it by an unknown force each time he drew himself from it. Barely visible ears protruded from the mane that swallowed him just as it did his son, twitching and turning as the captive man spoke. A lip lifting ever so slightly as if humored by the creature. Certainly he would allow this man to simply rot away if he was not harboring information he direly needed. For a moment longer he would keep his vow of silence, but kept an open ear to the pirate.

Amidst heavy pacing, the king halted in front of the wall with his head hung low. The words slipped off the pirate's tongue as a a viper's fangs would puncture it's prey's flesh, injecting the venom that caused much anguish. He wanted his son back. The tail that flicked subconsciously became idle, even tense, as he continued to listen intently to each syllable.

The blood boiled beneath all the fur and flesh that sheltered it. Slamming a front appendage into the wall that again compelled him, the king dug his claws into the castle's polished stone and hauled himself on his hind legs to instinctively intimidate by size, only to swing his front paws back down firmly, shaking the ground beneath them with his weight. “Bite your tongue vermin!” The beast roared fiercely to draw the man's sentence to a close.”Boredom may not be the least of your worries.” Keeping a steady watch on the other, he lifted his lip up in a snarl of disgust. These were children he was talking about, the king was disgusted, repulsed by the thoughts spoken aloud with the purpose of him to hear. How could anyone become so revolting, he wondered. Did his own son, the heir to the throne and a boy of strict royal blood, want to become like this man that was before him? Was this the fate of the child he thought he knew so well. A flicker of pain glazed the yellow irises, but were blinked away by his agitation; aggression. “Whether you get out or not is not the weight of the situation right now!” He growled impatiently at the man as he neared him, placing a rough paw down brutally on the marble flooring just inches from the other creature. “I will not tolerate your words any longer! All I want to hear from you is where your ship is! Nothing more and nothing less! Now out with it you wretched being!” The muscles squirmed beneath the skin and fur as he forced himself to remain still with what little self control he had left in his aged bones. If the two boys were not at risk, there would be no clemency. “One off breath from what I want. “ He narrowed his gaze. “That's all I need.” The threat was backed by a rumbling in the king's chest, folds of skin wrinkling his snout as he displayed the rows of slightly worn, but still just as lethal, teeth.  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

Charles nuzzled his head against the wall worriedly, trying to calm himself with the sound of the other male's voice. "Sorry, I can't help it," he murmured as he was told to stop worrying. He pressed his broad paw against the wooden wall separating them. Just on the other side his best friend was moving about though he couldn't hear him that well. Strife was always better than him at this kind of thing. His friend was the strong one, the brave one, while he was the fraidy cat who always worried and tagged along though he was scared. Even in this his friend stood strong while he quivered in a corner with his tawny and black striped fur fluffed and his speckled brown wings held close. Perhaps he was just not built for such adventures like his friend was. Such a proud creature like his friend could stand strong in the face of anything. Sometimes he was even a bit frightened by the other male but he always remembered his friend was there and cared about him.

Gently the large winged feline rested his head against the wall, smiling as his friend teased him about trying to claw at the wall. He let out a purr as he heard his friend's antlers rubbing against the wall in return. Hearing his friend made him relax more, as he thought of his larger form moving around behind the wall. "That doesn't mean that I will stop worrying about it," he said, letting his claws dig into the wood as he listened to the other male. His tail curled around his feet as he sat, lightly sighing. "I chose to come with you, to be with you. You're my best friend, I couldn't let you just leave me behind to worry. Really I would never blame you for getting us into this. I'm the one that got us captured in the first place."

Softly the young male smiled as he heard his friend reassure him that he would get them out of their predicament. "I know you will. I trust you. I'm sure if someone can get us out it will be you," Charles said, trying to curl up and reassure himself. When the ship toppled he yelped, slamming against the wall between him and Strife with a soft whimper. Carefully he pulled himself up onto his feet, quivering all over as he whimpered softly. His right wing hurt now and felt like he might have injured himself sliding roughly against the wall as the ship tossed. He heard his friend growling and reared, placing his forepaws on the wall between the two of them.

"I bet you my half of the treasure that you can," Charles called back, his tail swishing back and forth as he waited for his friend to come to the rescue for him again. The feline pressed his head against the wall, rubbing his head against it as he focused on hoping the other male could get them free. "Don't say that Strife, we're best friends. I might be scared now but I could never leave you behind or let you leave me behind either. Who else would you save from this kind of thing?" he asked teasingly. Really while it was his fault they were in this mess he was the one who had found the pirate treasure in the first place.

The pirate captain sighed, pretending he wasn't impressed by the large creature in front of him. He had little patience and being tied up made it harder for him to resist being bored. Softly he sighed watching the other male in front of him, his tail around his body flicking back and forth slightly. The man smiled, seeing the way the king paced with his head low from the words he had spoken. Obviously he had touched a nerve somewhere among his words. Most likely about the selling of his son.

Playfully he stuck his tongue between his teeth and crossed his eyes at the other male. He sighed and retracted his tongue before he was forced to bite it or something. His ears tilted slightly as he watched the man in front of him, sighing and lifting his chin slightly. "Make up your mind if you want me to talk or not. I certainly can't let you know what you want without talking. Now, I'm certainly not all that worried you will kill me. If my first mate doesn't have me back within a few days he'll leave and you'll never find that kid again."

"Why don't we make a deal? Hm? You let me go and I get you your kid back. I might even let you have the little furball too, cutie though he is. Then me and my crew can leave your happy little kingdom and just sail off free. We both get what we want though we might not be happy. Hey, I could have gotten a good ransom for your kid if you hadn't caught me. Maybe send you a bit of his fur to show I've got him and if you still don't believe me I could start cutting off places that bleed." The pirate captain chuckled and tossed his head, wanting to make the king angrier so that he might mess up or give him something to allow him to escape.  

[Capricious Dreams]

Skimbleshankx

Strife's companion may have not been so mentally, or physically, disciplined as he was, but he had to have some bravery in him to have decided to adventure off from the homeland with him; idiocy maybe. Charles had always been the only one to keep by his side through thick and thin, probably his only friend at this point, he had scared the rest away one way or another; antics mostly. He had to admit he could give the wrong impression easily, coming off cruel or intimidating. He didn't try to though, he was just naturally a creature of gargantuan proportions; much like his father. Perhaps the others just needed to grow a bit, he shouldn't have to shrink to their size or stoop so low as them just for a little friendship that still had rough chances of lasting. The Prince actually thought his size would be to some advantage for other creatures, he could protect them from anything, he could reach objects much too high with ease, sure most could just climb, but he could stand on his hind legs and easily reach the starting of high foliage. Others just didn't see it the way he did, they just assumed he was just as monstrous as his size, but that wasn't the case, hardly the case at all. Charles seemed to see it though, why else would he be in this mess with him?

“I take it you will be harder to shake off. Thought this would have been enough!” The beast teased lightly, patting his paws on the floor as though itching uncomfortably under his weight. It was a terrible thing to know his friend was so close, yet still he could not fulfill his duty as his friend, or at least the duty he placed upon himself; to protect him. Small ears fell into the endless aggregation of tuft, trying to muffle out the already quiet cries of the feline on the other side of the wall that separated the enclosures. It hurt. Hearing the mixture of pain and fear, but being so helpless in the situation himself.

His head was still lowered vertically parallel to the door. He was going to get them out. Coming into light contact with the door again, he applied small amounts of pressure to see how much it would just take to get it to bow, even slightly. “That's it?” Strife grunted at the slight pain in his antlers as he continued to press against the door, but attempted to mask it over with his own weak laughter. “That's all I will get for my heroics?” The pressure was released and once more he stepped from the object that stood in his way. “I'm starting to feel like this isn't worth the heavy breath it will take to tear this ship apart.” He proclaimed boldly, but not without his natural sarcasm. The broad beast couldn't bring himself to outwardly express his own doubts in himself, not in a straight forward manner that the other male would catch, or hoped he wouldn't catch. The door was awfully sturdy, reenforced maybe, didn't matter what it was made of, it was hard to bow nonetheless. Running into it would be an awful headache but, he had to try.

Solid sharp nails cut into the wood beneath the large creature as the heavy mass was hauled forcibly out of place, charging the short distance it had to work with. Bone and wood gritted against each other as all the weight the beast had was forced at the door, focused in the antlers that protruded from its skull. This came to no avail. Gritting his teeth as he still tried to keep his weight on the door, Strife eventually admitted defeat and became a mound of fluff before it; however, he wasn't done, defeat would be temporary, or a least he would try to make it temporary. I have to get up. A groan slipped past him as he swayed back onto all fours, pausing in place as a pulse of pain struck him in the head and tangled his spine. Spots obscured the world, but a moment taken to shake it away was all it took to take care of the momentary blindness. “I...” He hesitated briefly. “I almost have it! All it needs is a little encouragement.” Which was a lie of course, but he couldn't give his friend any reason to doubt him, not yet. He wanted Charles to have hope and he wasn't going to let that hope go to waste. Strife was going to get that door down, he convinced himself he was, and normally that would be enough.

Rearing himself up on his hind legs, the behemoth crashed its paws upon the door. The frame work rattled, nothing more. Again he pounded the door, putting his all into it and more. A crunching of the frame was encouragement enough for him to continue the vigorous battle between animate and inanimate. “I was thinking myself! Perhaps a damsel in distress from a far off land!” Strife howled through a worn and muggy breath. “I suppose-” briefly he stood still to catch his breath, paws acting as his support against the wood work door. “- I suppose you will suffice though.” The male teased, pressing his head to his opposition.

The King's fur stood on end as the Pirate fooled around with his facial expressions, half tempted to rip out the man's tongue if he didn't need it for the king's use in finding his son. Snapping his jaw at the criminal that persisted in testing the royal's temper despite being bound, he provided a space between them, though avoiding the wall that he had abused only moments before. “I did not forbid you from speaking, simply restricted what you could say.” The canine feature lifted a nose to the air as it slid its tongue along his teeth. “What you have given me so far is not what I want to hear. I was very specific in saying I wanted your ship's location. All I have been hearing is rubbish thus far.” The canine's nose wrinkled again as he growled and lunged himself at the other male, swiping him to the cold marble and pressing his skull against the floor with a large paw that was perfectly sized to overwhelm the man's head in proportion. “ I don't partake in deals with paltry like you that speaks so grotesquely about my son, or any adolescent for that matter! These are children!” He applied a bit more pressure on the man's skull. “You are lucky to have lived this long with the words that continue to pour from you! Such disgusting lowly men don't deserve to continue breathing, and yet you do, though for how long is the question for you. If not me, then another, I imagine it to be soon.” The creatures head bowed to see the eyes of the man bearing his paw's weight, or what weight he had upon it. “Just tell me where your ship is.”  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

"Of course I'm hard to shake off. You haven't gotten rid of me yet," Charles replied, "I don't think you'll get rid of me for a long time yet either." He chuckled softly, trying to keep his spirits up my listening to his friend on the other side of the wall. He had to believe they would get out or he would start to panic and worry again. His friend would save him, he always did. They would get out alright, he just had to trust the other male to see them through. If he lost hope his friend would too. Then they would both be miserable and frightened. More than anything he didn't want to make his friend give up by giving up on him. What kind of friend would he be if he did that.

Pressing his feline ears against the wall he could hear Strife doing something and grunting in pain. His body quivered from the thought of his friend hurting himself to get them out but he knew he couldn't say anything. It was his fault they were trapped here and the other male was trying to hide how little he really could do to keep him from despairing. "Well, if you want something else in return for getting us out I guess I could make you a present," he said teasingly, rubbing against the wall with his head. "What do you think would be appropriate as a reward for taking this ship apart to get us out then?" he asked, knowing that it was unlikely that even his friend could get them out.

Hearing the other male slam into the door made Charles squeak slightly, listening worriedly as he heard the other groan. "Strife?" he called, putting his paws on the wall between them and trying to hear more or push his way through some how. "Strife! I know you can do it but don't hurt yourself too much. When you get out I don't want to have to take care of you. Okay? I know you will get us out," he called, worried the other male would hurt himself trying to get through the door that was holding him in the room.

The feline's wings fluffed slightly as he heard his friend slam into the door again, rattling both the rooms. "Hey, you're saying a damsel in distress would be more fun than me on adventures? That's not fair. Besides, what kind of damsel would you find? Surely you don't think you would find a damsel that could be more fun than me," he called back, purring as his friend said he would do for now. "What about me? You think I could get a damsel in distress?" he asked, trying to distract his friend from the pain he was probably feeling from trying to break the door down. Even as strong as Strife was the doors were rather strong from what he could hear of his friend banging against them.

Unable to stand just standing there while his friend was hurting himself the feline started scratching at the door to his own cell, trying to pry some of the wood loose or something. He whimpered as he got a splinter in his paw, pulling back to bite at it and lick the wound before trying again. "Hey, what do you bet your dad's going to try to kick me out for getting you into this mess?" he asked, slightly worried that his friend's father would get him thrown out of the kingdom or something. "Maybe for our next adventure we should go someplace without pirates. Or if you get us free we could become pirates by taking over the ship," he said, digging his claws into the wood of the door and tugging. His claws were starting to bleed but at least he was trying to help.

The pirate captain lifted his head slightly as the king snapped at him, trying to keep from getting his neck bitten in half. Softly he sighed as the king started to get angry at him, tilting his head slightly and letting his ears swivel slightly as he watched the larger male before him. "Well I'm not going to give you the location am I? If I do I'm of no use to you and you will kill me." The man tilted his head slightly and groaned as the larger male roughly lunged at him, pressing him to the floor and crushing his head slightly. "Yes, I know they are children," he replied, "That's what I often sell. Don't yell at me like I"m a fool." He whimpered slightly as more pressure was applied to his head, closing his eyes in pain. "You need me alive to tell you where they are. Once I tell you I'm dead. What guarantee do I have that I won't be dead once I tell you where your brat is? If you kill me before I tell you then you may never see that kid again."  

[Capricious Dreams]

Strife rubbed his head along the object that stood firmly in his way, the object obscuring his goals and dreams, the natural crevices in his antlers catching at the rough wood work as it grazed upon it. It would give way, he knew it would, he had worked too hard for it not to. Slowly the canine head and fluff was drawn from the door, examining the structure in the dimness of the enclosure. As he measured the door by his own units, the ends of his mouth drew back, tightening his lip to reveal small glimpses of teeth, this was his means of smiling. “Good.” He mused airily to himself , knowing his partner in crime more than likely couldn't hear him through the wall that he gave a thoughtful glance to. What would he do if he did happen to to manage to scare Charles off? He would have no friends; no one to talk to, no one to hang with, no one to share his stories with, and definitely no one to encourage him to be as tough as tried so desperately to be everyday for Charles. Really, Charles made up what all Strife was. If Charles did indeed decide that Strife was more trouble than he was worth and did leave him to pursue his own ideals that he knew the other male had stored away, the large beast would probably be reverted back to solely being the prince of the kingdom his father lay rule over. That's not the Strife he wanted to be though, he wanted to be a wanderer, he wanted to travel and see more of the world that could easily become within his grasp, but he didn't want to do it alone. Strife hated to be alone, to be allowed to lay in his own self loathing, certainly he would go mad; however, what said wasn't 'mad' as he stood already.

Placing pressure on its paws, the beast pushed off the door to be brought away from it; however, the parting would be brief. Stumbling about a bit on his hind legs as the ship swayed, the boy took in a sharp breath and brought overbearing power upon the door. The opposition retorted with a hollowed groan as the weight of the attack snapped away little of what frame work also supported it. The creature's claws screamed as they were taken down the still standing door, catching at the notches of the material; either tearing through the notches edge or finding a way to slide out. Finally his paws met the floor with an unpleasant 'thud'. “I'll decide what you owe me once we get out.” The male stepped from the door, but did not examine it like he did before. “I will make sure that the gift will be a struggle in itself to manage. Be your own little adventure.” A loud purring arose from his chest as he teased his friend. In all reality, he didn't want anything from the other male. All Strife wanted was for him to be free from this confinement, to be free from this burden and worry, and to be happy again. “You best prepare yourself for the for the worst when we get out of here.” He added with a playful growl.

The sway of the ship sent him into a short peaceful trance as the large individual rested back on his posterior to gather what energy he had left. He may have been gargantuan, but with his size, his body consumed energy faster than he could produce it much of the time.” I was hoping for a sweet gal that liked adventurin' as much I did. One that would see past my intimidating size and my title as prince.” The behemoth let out a hardy laugh at the thought and shook his head, despite the fact that no one could see him. “No damsel could possibly be like that though. Such a dreamer I am.” Shaking away the unsettling feeling beneath his fur, the beast stood once more to attempt the great feat as he did before, perhaps go about it differently this time. “You, on the other side, could get yourself a mighty fine gal, I know you could. As far as saving the poor damsel, I would get her hopes up like.” He spoke in a way that it seemed the maiden was already in existence. “I would back you up though. I would tear each man apart that stood in your way of that damsel and would let you sweep her off her paws.” A simple conversation, that's all this was, but it did so much to get him ready to go at the solid working again with power that could possibly equal that of before.

Eyes glazed with confidence, the beast crouched into a stance that would normally be used for living prey rather than a door that could hardly be considered a fine meal. “I wouldn't settle your mind too much on my father. I'll deal with him” The beast's tail flicked about in the air as its body itched with readiness. “Just hope he isn't too sore about me leaving him like I did. I might need this ship for a grand escape from him.” With joking aside, he grew quiet, readying to pounce, but also listening. Telling me not to hurt myself. The male scoffed, closing his eyes and tilting his ears to try to hear the other male. Just wait a moment longer. I will get you out. Don't go and kill yourself trying to get free by your own means. With a sigh, the canine's ears flattened out along his head, warmed by the long fibers that hid them away. This was his last chance. Conjuring the energy, he lunged at the door, but instead of taking it head on he twisted his body so that his shoulder region would take the full impact. A grotesque cracking echoed through the ship.

The large male growled, the pirate's logic making him wary, but he had to admit himself that he didn't know whether the pirate would live past this or not. “Only a fool would lay a paw on my son!” He hissed in the man's ear. “So it seems well suiting of you, doesn't it?” He did not ease up on the man, not even in the slightest. Certainly he would not wish to kill someone, he actually dreaded the idea, but if he was compelled to, he certainly would without a skipped beat of his heart. “I may need you alive, but my son is stronger than you think. I don't doubt that he doesn't need my old bones around any longer to simply deal with vermin like yourself. If he finds a reason, all he needs is one, he will tear your ship apart board by board.” A chuckle protruded through the skin and fur, shaking and quivering his very muscles. It seemed almost menacing if it weren't for the man's good nature. “Think of it as keeping your crew alive, not just you, for my son can be hastier than myself.”  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

The feline could hear the sound of the door in his friend's cell creaking and groaning under the other male's assault. The thud from the other room worried him though, making him stop and turn his attention back to the other room. "Strife?" he called, licking his bloody paws gently to try to get rid off the pain from his paws. Softly he sighed as the other male said he would decide what he owed when they got out, making him smile softly. "Yeah, I'm sure you will. I'll make you help with my adventure somehow though I'm sure," he replied, rubbing against the wall with his head and neck. The soft purring from his friend reassured him, making him sigh and curl up slightly to clean his sore paws. "Of course. It always is worse before it gets better. Remember the time that you got me out of that pit of mud and I fell into the ant hill? Man that was horrible. It hurt and itched so bad," he said, grinning slightly as he remembered what they had done together when they were younger.

Softly Charles whimpered as he felt the ship sway, getting up to start digging at the door again. Sure he wasn't getting anywhere but it was better than sitting there doing nothing. "Well, maybe you'll find what you're looking for someday. We just have to keep adventuring I guess," the feline teased, beating his wings slightly as he got his claws into the wood. The fur on his ears prickled slightly as the other male said he would help him to get a girl if he found a damsel he really cared about. "You know I would do the same for you if you found a damsel like you want from your dreams." The feline was staring to feel a bit tired and dizzy from the blood loss, pulling back to lick the painful and bloody paws again.

Hearing Strife tell him not to worry he smiled, knowing that his friend and his father didn't always see eye to eye. "He can't be too mad at you. after all, you are his son," he replied, sucking and licking his paws. Softly he chuckled as the other male said they might have to use the ship to get away from his father, shaking his head slightly. He yelped softly as he heard the loud cracking from the other male's room, rearing up and trying to find a way to look into the other room to check on his friend. "Strife? Are you alright? Strife?" he called, scrambling around trying to find any hole in the wall he could use to look through to the other boy. "I can't see you. Did you hurt yourself?"

The feline scrambled around, sniffing at the wall to see if he could pick up on his friend's condition. Mostly all Charles could smell was his own blood and fear. His blood was getting trailed all over the wall as he tried to find a way through to his friend. Spreading his wings slightly he lifted himself up to scale the wall, just to be sure he couldn't find a way to look through. "Strife?" he called again, worried about his friend before he fell back onto the floor with a slight thump. Softly he whimpered as his paws hurt, curling up on his side to try to lick the wounds clean again to make them stop bleeding. He hurt and was tired, afraid he had caused his friend to break something or worse, kill himself.

The pirate captain groaned softly as the larger male hissed in his ear, the white tip flicking slightly as the sensitive hairs were agitated. "Perhaps I am a fool, but I am not so foolish as to let you kill me after I tell you what you want to know." He looked up at the other male, twitching his ears slightly as the man said that his son would be able to escape and kill his crew. "So, do you think that my crew and I would be better off trusting you? Perhaps. Well, I suppose it would be easiest to show you rather than trying to explain the kind of place my ship is anchored at. After all, I wouldn't want you getting lost."  

[Capricious Dreams]

Skimbleshankx

Strife kept a vow of silence, more forced upon him rather than by his own will, as his head withdrew into the sea of soft mane to provide him with something to grip his teeth on. Soft whimpers tickled the fibers around his muzzle, the door had more to complain about though, but it could not feel like a living organism. Actually, if it were living, it would not be for much longer. Most of its framing had either come to a clatter on the floor or cracked to the point where it could hardly bear the door it was made for, much of the door itself had splintered apart in the middle and imbedded itself in the beast's shoulder; however, the outer area of it still stood, hardly a threat now, but it seemed to be the same for the injured boy. He was seeing spots again, these ones bright and nearly unbearable to look at, but no matter how tightly he squeezed his lids together they were there accompanied by a light buzzing that blocked out most other noise.

It took a considerable amount of time for the male to regain himself, the frantic padding of paws from the other side of the wall bringing him to a semi-conscious state. “Charles?” He groaned with a tone that was shrouded with uncertainty, like he wasn't all there. After having released his own skin and fur from his mouth, he brought his nose up and took in the scents that clung to the air. “Charles?” The creature uttered again catching the aroma of his feline friend, but many other things that attempted to hide the boy away from him. The sea's salt water clung hard to his snout, but he could fight past it easily with how often he already did so, what concerned him immediately though, was the heavy iron that lingered. The wood that had punctured his own skin had went in clean, so the scent was not coming from him; however, he had wished it were him.

With a slight flinch, the large lion-like mass placed a paw, the one with the injured shoulder attached to it, firmly on the flooring of the cell and gradually lifted itself up enough to relieve its weight on the other limb that was trapped beneath. Having slid the newly freed paw from under his body, Strife painfully hauled himself up, trembling from a sudden wave of agony; head lifting and dropping as it passed through. The pain was not in mind anymore, it was all focused on the blood he had caught whiff of that weighed his mind heavily. Had his friend been injured while he wallowed in his own sufferings? He wouldn't be able to forgive himself for being so weak if that was the case. Frightened, the beast's eyes flickered open, but the obscurity of his vision made his body sway, blurred objects and dancing orbs aiding in his ravelment. As he wanted to speak words of reassurance to his friend, his jaw wired shut with the stiffening pain in his shoulder. Swearing to himself, Strife stood before the aperture, trying to get a good focus on the damage he had done on the door.

Triumphant! That was the first feeling that washed over him as his vision swung into focus on the gaping hole in the door where his shoulder had, at one time, been completely through it. He had triumphed, there was nothing keeping him in his confinement anymore! Looking over it once more he figured he could just push it over with some power put into it; however, he couldn't afford to do that in his condition. Instead, the male stuck his paw through the gap and bared his claws into the wood, grimacing as the splinters of wood punctured his hide. Strife tore the door apart piece by piece, with little physical struggle, until he found the latch that had held the door firmly shut. It only took a swipe of the tip of the creature's claw to undo the latch and release the door.

Having retracted his paw through the hole, Strife nudged the door with his nose and watched as the thing as a whole clattered on the floor, though he was not yet satisfied with himself. “Charles.” The Prince breathed heavily as he managed to reach his friend's imprisonment and unlatched the entryway with his teeth. Please be alright. He pleaded before daring to peer in.

The stench was horrendous. Iron flooded his senses as he brushed the door open with his snout, some even smudging off the door and onto the lion's mane. It was everywhere, tracked across the floor and dragged along the walls; what had happened? Finally, moving past the sight of his companion's blood, he settled his sights on the other male that tended to the wounds that appeared to be on his paws. “What the hell did you do?!” The larger male growled, scolding the smaller feline. Carefully the prince paced to his friend's side, nudging at the boy's neck to move him slightly. “You are a mess!” The beast observed, forgetting about his own wounds that pained his shoulder and bled out his front limb.

The King withdrew his head from the pirate's ear and let it settle flat against his mane, flattening his ears just the same. “I know you and your crew are better off under my word than under the ticking temper of the prince.” He informed the male with confidence. “He may have tolerance that surpasses even myself, but I will assure you that if anyone other than himself is at risk; there is no mercy.” Eventually finding the will to release the man from his paw's pressure, taking his bindings in his teeth to get the pirate from the ground. “I'm sure that is your main concern.” The beast remarked sarcastically, letting go of the binds. “You are a sly one, I am certain of that, so lets say I get there with your assistance, what is to say that I will get the two back safely and without struggle? Or what is to say you won't lead me else where?” He knew if he took the man with him there was much at risk, but at least same time, if he didn't, how could he be certain the location given was the right one? He'd get free eventually, but he couldn't risk the pirate getting loose in his absence, it seemed talking him would be a must.

Sighing the King hauled the man to his feet, but hooked his claw in his binds and sat for good measure. “Do not consider this a friendly deal, but, “ The man paused briefly to reconsider his decision. “if you show me to the ship you have hidden away and I have the boys, that is plural, both the boys, then I will guarantee your crew's safe departure along with you. My men will be called off from your ship as it sets off...You will get away with your lives, I will have my boy and his friend back; that will be that.” The worn stare of the tired king focused intently on the pirate, his head tilted quizzically as he awaited a response, though not without adding a few words in. “This is granting that your crew is even still in existence.”  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

Charles listened worriedly to see if he could hear Strife moving around. Nervously he started to feverishly scratch at the door, wanting to get through to his friend to see if he was hurt. Last thing he wanted was for his friend to die on this adventure because of him. His determination to get to the other male allowed him to keep going even though he was just hurting himself more. The other boy needed him and he couldn't let him down. When he heard his friend calling for him he stopped, his ears perking as he threw himself at the wall between them. "Strife! I'm here!" he called back, relieved that the other was still okay. Listening for his friend he moved along the wall, trying to find someplace he could hear the other male.

Hearing the other moving around made the feline sigh in relief. It sounded like the other was tearing his way through the door of his own cell, meaning they could both be free soon enough. Once his own cell door was open the feline hurried toward his friend, nuzzling against him and letting out a soft noise as he saw the piece of the door lodged in his friend's shoulder. "I just scraped my paws a bit. I'm fine but you're the one who's a mess," he said, licking the wound on his friend's body. Gently he slid under the other male's body and pressed up against the injured side of his friend's body to support him. "Let me help you Strife," he said, resting his head against the other male's neck.

His paws were bleeding but his friend had half a wooden plank in his shoulder. Who was he to complain about injuries? "I'd take the wood out of your shoulder but I think it would make you worse. Just lean on me till we get out of here. We'll get out together." He panted softly as he tried to help the other male out of his cell. He was hardly strong enough to carry his friend but he wanted to do what he could to help the other male. It was his fault that they were both a mess, particularly his own injuries since he had been the one to inflict them on himself.

"Come on Strife, let's go slowly. Just lean on me as much as you need to so you don't get hurt any more than you already are," Charles murmured, gently licking his friend's face. "How about we go to that beach you liked when we get out of here? The one with the crystals for rocks out in the water? We could go lay on the beach and relax, just the two of us while we recover. I don't think your dad would mind if it helped us get better." He let out a soft whimper as his sore wing was pressed against his friend's underside but he kept going.

The pirate captain sighed, watching the king from his position on the floor. "Perhaps you are right since that other brat is in there with him. I'm sure that he would do as you said to protect the little pet." Softly the man sighed as he was picked up in the king's teeth by his bindings. "What would I have to gain by taking you there only to turn on you? If your son is strong enough to get free you are surely stronger. I'd rather not risk my neck and my crew's lives for two brats." He scowled and let his tail flick back and forth in irritation. "It's bad enough that I'll be losing what ever money I could have made off those two brats I don't want to loose my life and my crew as well."

As he was pulled to his feet the captain regarded the king, smirking slightly as the man offered to allow his crew and himself to leave safely. "That sounds like a good deal. I want to take care of my crew. They're good men and women, at least by my own standards. Let's go then, and hope your son hasn't killed them all somehow." With that the pirate wriggled out of the ropes holding him and let his bushy tail flick the bindings away. "Come on, we don't have all day," he said, darting off out the front door with his tail waving in the air.  

[Capricious Dreams]

Skimbleshankx

A rough chuckling shook the beast's chest as the smaller feline expressed his concerns for his friend, licking lightly at the wound. Strife resisted the urge to flinch at the touch and instead reached his neck out to drag his tongue along the other boy's head, leaving a mess of hair to stick up from their originally flat position. “This?” He inquired in note to his banged up shoulder, laughing a bit to himself. “It's just a little scratch, nothing too much for me to handle.” Joking was Strife's way of coping, coping with the pain, coping with his own fears, and coping with the truth. Perhaps he could have went about getting them out a bit differently, maybe in a way that wouldn't have lodged splintered wood in his shoulder, but that was Strife; act first, think later. It didn't matter at the moment whether he was injured or not, he just wanted to get them out safe, or at least his friend, he knew he's be fine after the fact, he always was. “You, however, are getting to be a paw full.” He teased, growling at the pain as his friend slipped underneath him to prop his injured leg from the floor.

“I'm fine really.” He insisted, not going to just relieve his weight on the other male, but not depriving him of some pride in assisting in the situation. Strife didn't want his friend walking either though, his paws were pretty damaged and from what he could feel, his friend's wing had something wrong with it too. Hearing the small stifled cry of the other, the larger male let off his weight quite a bit, but he had to admit it was nice to have some aid in his effort to walk to the exit of the holding area of the ship. “We are going to feel like hell tomorrow.” To say the least. At least now he had no doubts that they were going to be freed of this ship and what made it even better was the fact that he was doing this all on his own, with his friend of course, but he had no need for any interference from his father and in a situation like this one he had sincere doubts he was strong enough to handle it; mentally or physically. Charles was to thank though, he would have probably sulked in his cell until something happened to provoke him or someone came to his aid, if there were to be one. Was his father even worried about his sudden disappearance, did he even know? Surely he would at least be informed of his absence.

Head stooped to keep an eye on his already ginger steps, the prince purred at the friendly lick that was placed upon his facial features. “That would be nice.” He cooed. “Once we get ourselves checked out and bandaged, that's what we will do. We can lay there for however long we want, days if we'd like.” Strife tilted his head a bit to see his friend passed what wall of fur stood in his way, chuckling airily at himself. “I might not want to get back up.” Thinking, he spoke once more in reference to the present he mentioned long before he had gotten through the door. “That's it. That will be the present you owe me. You will have to sit at the beach with me and you can't leave; it's final!”

They came to a short set of steps, small and somewhat steep for the two to go up together. Carefully the prince removed himself from the winged feline and stared up to the door at the top of the steps. The door didn't look like much, probably could get through it if he hit it hard enough and he was able to just jump the steps with his size, but he needed to resolve this as peacefully as possible; finally thinking clearly rather than hastily. Without a word, the behemoth snatched the small feline by the nape of his neck, not to harm him, but to carry him, then took tot he steps with patient steps, no matter what trouble his friend may give him. He put all his weight into his good paw and with the other he tried to use to open the door, fiddling carefully with the sliding latch, trying to use his claw to hook it. “Come on you stupid...” He swore into his friend's neck as his paw slid over the latch a few times without any avail of getting the door unlocked. The large male always had troubles with doors, even in his own castle he could hardly manage. Finally the claw snagged the latch and slid it out of their way, flicking his paw to open the door. A growl rose from his throat as he gently placed his friend back on his feet, keeping him close, practically tucked under his chest, as he stared out at the crew that seemed to be doing their own thing at the time, but he was not going to let his guard down here.


The king may have regarded the pirate as a fool, but he was not the absolute idiot he had once thought him to be, he seemed to genuinely value his crew and, of course, his own life. “You would be surprised how many captive's logic worked. Not to their favor as you can tell.” He didn't like to brag, but he could not deny his strength in comparison to his son's, he was getting older though and losing his touch, but he was not going to admit to that, not even when his son takes over his throne and he is settled comfortably on his deathbed. That was if his son took the throne, maybe this incident will scare the boy into coming back to his royal blood, no more of his traveling and child's play. “You should count yourself lucky that I am not exposing you, I'm sure someone could collect a fair price for whatever is on your head.” He should, after getting his son back, announce the pirate's whereabouts for all the greedy bounty hunters that he knew roamed his kingdom, but he would keep to his word as a noble man and let the man set sail without complications, he would get caught someday anyway, maybe. It was hard enough to get him this time.

Looking to the ropes in bewilderment, but instead of sitting there and watching the man escape, he brushed the ropes to the side and began after the man, leaving the castle to be attended by his guards and servants. “I do hope we are not too late for your crew.” The man called out as he bounded to clear the distance that had grown between him and his captive, well, what used to be his captive. As uncomfortable as it was without his men at his side, he knew he couldn't give the pirate's whereabouts to anyone else or, even with his own protest, there would be hell brought upon the captain and his crew, so he excused them when they shared a concerned sway in their passing. It was tough keeping up as they hastily made for the ship, he did not run much in his years so easily he grew tired as his heavier build dropped with his paws, pounding them against the ground brutally as he hauled himself forward.  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

Hearing the chuckle from Strife soothed Charles's frazzled nerves, knowing that his friend would be okay. He let out a soft sound of disgust and irritation as he was licked, his fur being groomed the wrong way. The feline pouted and tried to get his fur flat again as he regarded the other male. His friend must be hurting a lot but trying to hold back how much it was bothering him by joking about it. Softly he sighed, returning the favor by licking the fur on his friend's jaw the wrong way. "Well your scratch has a big stick in it," he replied, ignoring the pained growl his friend let out. "Me? I'm fine. You're the paw full here," he teased.

Softly the feline snorted, doing his best to help his friend to the exit. He could tell that the other male was holding back his weight but he was supporting enough to hopefully take away some of the effort and pain the movement caused. His friend's heavy and warm body pressed against his back, from shoulder to tail, overlapping his smaller form. "Yes, we're going to feel like more than hell tomorrow. Probably more like a scorpion hit you in the shoulder and pumped you full of poison while I walked over hot lava or something." Together they would be fine, so long as they had each other. He and his friend always got through everything alright. Through everything they stuck together.

Strife's purrs calmed Charles's fears more, his head nuzzling against the softness of the other male's neck. "Sounds like a good plan. Hopefully it won't turn into some kind of convoluted adventure again hm?" he said, grinning playfully as he heard his friend say that his present for being freed would be to sit on the beach with his best friend. "Alright it's a deal. You make this so easy for me," he teased, shifting to take as much of his friend's weight as he could as they headed to the steps. It would probably hurt his friend more for him to try to stay under him so he let the other move off of his back. "Hey," he protested as he was picked up by the nape of his neck like when he was a kitten. "I can walk Strife, you big oaf. Put me down," he said, struggling slightly but trying not to cause his friend to hurt himself.

His ears laid down slightly as his friend called him stupid, the words muffled by the fur of his neck. The feline batted at the door to get it open for his friend, unable to do much in his current position. Once he was put down he lightly thumped his shoulder against the other male's chest, licking the underside of his friend's jaw before pressing a bit lower to the wood of the deck as his friend surveyed the crew moving around. He was so glad that no one had seen them yet since he didn't think they were in any condition to take them on by themselves. Charles pressed gently up against his friend's sore side, trying to support him again. His head pressed up against the other male's neck, his body practically engulfed by his friend's larger body. It made him feel a bit like when he was little, when his friend would protect him like this from the bullies or whatever mess he had gotten them into that time.

Softly the pirate captain chuckled as the king said he would be surprised by how a captive's mind worked. "Perhaps, but it often makes those who aren't used to being captive afraid or frightened. Frightened people make mistakes, getting sloppy and often not remembering they can do things that they normally can do." He sighed as he was told that he could be turned in for the bounty on his head, pouting playfully at the larger male. "I'm sure you could if you wanted. None of them have caught me yet and I intend to keep from being caught by the likes of those."

Seeing the bewildered look on the king's face made the pirate captain chuckled, waiting for the man to catch up to him. "I do too since I'd rather not replace them," he replied, hurrying ahead as the other male started to close the distance between them. The pirate ran swiftly, his red fur ruffled by the air as his soft paws ground against the rocks and dirt. "Keep up old man," the pirate called, making his way along a route not often taken to the small cove where his ship was docked. He was partially out of breath when they got there, his claws and paws scrambling against the rocks that lined the water. "There isn't any dingy here so we'll need another way across to the ship. We could swim across I suppose but that would be somewhat silly wouldn't it?"  

[Capricious Dreams]

Skimbleshankx

Only, if only, he had the energy to fight, this would be theirs, the whole ship. Maybe, with some will, he could still manage the feat, to bat each of the crew off the ship and claim it under their names. For a split second the thought crossed him, making his body sway forward as though to charge, but a paw slid out to stop himself and keep his balance. The risk was too great. “I could make you take over the ship all by yourself as a gift to me if you think that I am too lenient.” Of course he would never really suggest something dangerous for his friend, especially something such as that, but it was fun to tease the smaller male; it became a hobby for him. It was an interesting thought though, having his friend step up and defend himself, surely he could do it if he had no other choice, but it was unlikely if he could handle himself if the crew caught wind of feline by himself. Maybe one day; however, not right then.

Routine was all this was. To keep safe guard of his friend, it seemed to just be a natural occurrence now; however, at some point in time it was much different. Strife could remember, faintly, a time when he hesitated to rush to the boy’s aid, or even further back when it merely brushed his thoughts and never was put into action. He couldn't imagine doing that now, never, he could barely stand the sight of a small cut or a thorn causing Charles pain. The condition he was in now was unbearable, hardly pleased with the thought of the feline walking on his own, he was going to get blood for what they had done. The pirate's themselves did not physically harm his friend, not to his knowledge, but if they had just let them go, take back their treasure and just leave them be, then none of this mental and physical strain would have been placed upon his smaller companion. It was unforgivable.

A tremble shook the prince's muscles as a pulsing pain passed through him, feeling his heart pumping heavily in his wounds, the throbbing in his shoulder contracting his muscles and releasing them in an almost rhythmic manner. The risk only growing greater, he realized. “Heard salt water was great for those kind of pains.” he muttered softly, gesturing for the side of the boat that was nearest to them. Whether or not Strife could swim at this point was questionable though, he hopes he could manage whatever distance they may need to bear. “If we keep quiet, I'm sure they won't even realize we jumped ship and hightailed it for land. The idea of swimming didn't seem all too far fetched as he observed their surroundings.

From above, a woman watched the two curiously, only acting upon the escapees when Strife's head lifted and caught sight of her and her stare. At first the woman only cracked a grin, showing off her sharp pearly whites. Unsettled by the crew member's acknowledgment of Charles and himself, Strife whipped himself around to face the woman that continued to observe them over the railing that separated them from her. The male's injured paw folded up under Charles to lift the feline and carry him along with his own movements, keeping his friend secure to him as he backed to the edge of the ship to keep from having a two front battle if it were to come to that.”Oh how grand!” The sleek creature cooed, her large dark brown eyes twinkling with a combination of amusement and genuine joy. The male was not so overjoyed as she was. ”Our guests decided to join us!” Of course that would draw attention to two boys, though not before the gazes pried to the feminine otter, sliding down her arm and flicking off her pointed paw. All eyes were on them now.

Strife held the other boy close, more for his own security than his friend's, and stepped ever nearer to the edge of the ship. They were caught. What's wrong? Scared? One cackled from a region out of sight. Aw! One of them has a boo-boo! Another called out, a rather shaggy cow-like creature, looking to be some sort of yak, stepping forward from the rigging that it relieved itself of. Maybe we should check that out for you. It said with a nose that jerked upward in order to move the long wavy hair that blocked its vision. Mixed calls and coos came from the crew that still was scattered around the ship, some more concerned about the two than other. Strife could only manage to growl as he contemplated his actions. Fight or flight.

“I could relieve you of that burden, actually, I would be glad to.” The king informed the man that ran just ahead of him in regards to replacing his crew, though he did not mean that he would gladly replace the crew if it would come to it, but really he meant he would simply kill the man off if his crew was to be foolish enough to provoke the boy. He had no problem in doing so, but to do so he would need the permission of the pirate, which for some reason he doubt that would happen. This was only to keep his conscious clean of course.

Keeping pace, despite the internal struggle to continue on, he tailed the captain to the best of his ability, a watchful eye steady on him as he guided the king to where he hoped his son would be. “I am still within sight aren't I?” The beast growled, whether it was a stern growl or a playful one was hard to tell. “Just keep moving!” They were both in a hurry, so pointless blabbering was not necessary, though it did keep the king rather entertained.

The large male envied the smaller, more elegant, creature that maneuvered with light padding across the ground, seeming to glide across the dirt as he propelled himself forward with frailly structured paws. It may have seemed just as rough to some, but in comparison to the mass that shook the ground beneath him with even the lightest stroke across the ground, it seemed like the critter was lighter than a feather. Grunting each time his paws clashed with the earth that stirred under his weight, he could feel his bones rattling on impact. Keep up he says. Bah!. The king scoffed at the slight insult.

Coming upon the water's edge, he came to an abrupt stop on the rocks, looking out only briefly before laying a curious eye on the captain. He was panting from the run, worn down by the ground that rejected his own steps, but did not show any slack in his authoritative posture. “Silly?” The king questioned with a light chuckle, removing himself from the rocks and bounding back with new found energy, swiping the man with his underbelly in attempt to assist him into the water as he leaped over the pirate into the bone chilling waters below. “If you find it silly, then find a way yourself!” The king roared as he broke the surface of the water and immediately commenced a hasty doggy paddle, panicked and quick at first, but settling on a brisk pace. The water was cold, freezing even with all the fur that hid away the beast's bare skin. Crystal clear liquid made way for the powerful body that forced through it, threading through the individual fibers that coated the creature.  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

It wasn't the first time that Charles wished he was as strong as his friend, able to take care of the larger male as he himself was taken care of. His smaller body timidly pressed against his friend's belly as he was hidden from the crew moving about on deck. Softly he chuckled as his friend teased that he could make him take over the ship on his own as a gift. "You think I could? I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult," he replied softly, licking some blood from his friend's injured leg. There was no way he could take them on just with his own strength but maybe he could trick them into thinking he was stronger than he really was. That way he could make them scared enough not to try to hurt him or his friend. The feline slunk forward slightly, his head peeking out between his friend's massive front legs as he looked around the deck.

Since they had first become friends Strife was always having to come save him. Sure, when they were little the other male was sort of hesitant and generally annoyed with him but they soon grew closer together since they were each others' only friends. The prince had a rough time with the other cubs their age, always being treated as the prince first and a playmate second. The winged feline was the only one who couldn't care less about his friend's birthright so long as he was fun. Now they both cared about the other to the point that harm to the other hurt them. He knew that his injured paws were driving his friend crazy as he worried about the pain his friend must be feeling in his shoulder. They were almost like twins now, feeling the other male's pain as their own in their imagination and mind.

Hearing the other's words about the salt water made Charles shiver, knowing that their only way off the ship may be to swim. "I-I could do it if you're with me, but it would hurt you a lot," he murmured, knowing that his friend would be struggling with pain every stroke of the way back to shore. He nodded slightly and rubbed against the other male's chest, giving him a lick again before shifting his body toward the closest side of the ship. As his friend whirled around the feline let out a startled squeak, letting his body pull down against the deck again. The feline softly mewled as he was picked up,quivering as he was sure his friend was hurting worse for trying to hold him like that.

Seeing the crew's eyes on them the feline shivered, staying still in his friend's hold. A mixture of calls from around them made him feel angry, wanting to yell back at them but too frightened. His friend had busted out of a thick wooden cell that most of them would have never attempted to break out of and they were calling his friend names and talking to him like he was a cub. Tilting his head up the feline licked his friend's paw. "I'm ready for whatever you think is best," he said softly, meaning he was ready to try to fight at his friend's side or to swim to shore if his friend wanted to try to get away.

Charles glanced at the shore before looking again, surprised to see the king and the pirate captain headed toward the ship. "Strife, your father is here," he murmured, sliding out of his friend's paw so the other could move more. He pressed down against the wood of the ship under his friend's belly to stay somewhat hidden and protected as the others on the ship started to realize what was going on in the water. Gently the feline rubbed his face against the other male's leg, twisting to lick against the blood on the male's leg from the wound.

The pirate captain chuckled as the king said he could relieve him of the burden of worry, probably by killing him and his crew. His bushy red tail whipped upwards as the beast followed him, playfully keeping just out of reach of the older male. He had been keeping himself and his crew safe as well as he could while captured in the castle so why the other thought he would give up now was beyond his understanding. Of course, it could have something to do with his worry that the younger male would be killing the crew anyway.

"Ha, just barely," the captain replied as the king said he was still keeping up with him. Really he was surprised the old male was keeping up so well since he was setting a hard and painful pace. Even as young and fit as he was it would be difficult to keep up that pace for long. Only his worry that the younger male had already killed his crew kept him going at that pace, racing at top speed to the cove.

Softly the fox like creature panted as they reached the water, shaking himself slightly as he regarded how far it was between them and the ship. He turned back to the king as the man commented on how if he thought it was silly he should find a way to his own ship. The pirate rolled his eyes slightly, jumping as far as he could over the water before landing with a loud splash. Irritated by the cool water against his body the captain paddled to the ship, not exactly the most elegant swimmer particularly compared to his first mate. Then again, she was more suited to swimming since her body was built for it.

Once he reached the ship the captain pulled himself up onto the ship, jumping up onto the deck and shaking the water off his fur. "Alright crew. We've got to get these brats off ship and get going before the big bear of a prince tears our ship apart plank by plank. You kits are in luck. I value my crew more than the money I could get from selling you two. Or even how much I would love to play with you, my cute little kitten." The captain chuckled, lightly smacking one of his crew across the muzzle as he tried to sneak closer to the two young ones. "I'm in charge here so do what I tell you now!" he shouted, getting a result finally as they scrambled around to do as he told them.  

[Capricious Dreams]

Skimbleshankx

Fight, his body told him. That was his natural response to everything, just fight it through and everything will be alright, but his mind, the part of him that actually stopped to run over the scenario, told him to jump. Jump over the raining of the ship that trapped lowly grounded items and get Charles out of harms way, that was the prime thought. “I'd manage.” Strife breathed softly, still lost in the struggle for dominance between the instinct of fight or flight. “I know you don't like water though.” It wouldn't be so much of a problem if the poor boy's wing didn't seem bent out of shape. He didn't know much about winged critters, but from being around his companion for so long, he figured that wings were mighty sensitive at times. Maybe that was the reason his friend had some trouble standing up for himself, those things were in the way. Strife had always admired them from afar, but how much of a burden were they; if a burden at all? He supposed they were just as his antlers were, hardly a burden to the one they adorned, being accustomed to shifting actions to accommodate them. It was like rolling around, every being had their own way of going about it. Strife had to carefully place his neck to avoid scraping his antlers along the ground, so Charles had to do it a bit differently himself with the feathered appendages protruding from his upper back. The beast lacking such appendages could only wonder how it felt to have something so strange.

Strife's head shifted slightly to look to the smaller feline that licked at his wound, keeping himself conscious of the others around through the corner of his eye. Pressed against him, he could feel his friend's slight shivers that brushed against his own fur. Fear? Or was it anger? “I don't know.” He admitted shamefully. He certainly wasn't going to allow his friend to fight if he, himself, had to, but he also didn't wish to make him endure the clammy waters that he knew he so deeply loathed; this was not to mention, the prince also didn't want to enter the waters. Returning his gaze to he horned creature in front of him, the yak, he lifted his lip in a snarl, giving fair warning that he would not tolerate the being if he were to get any closer. What was the final verdict going to be? He hated to choose, there was always the risk of being wrong and that was one thing Strife did not take kindly to. Perhaps, with a stroke of luck, he would not have to choose.

Startled by the sudden absence of the other male, the prince flexed the newly vacant paw as to grasp the emptiness, then flicked his gaze from the crew without taking in the consequences it might have. “What?” He inquired with a sharp breath. Hastily he moved to get a better look out from the ship, lifting his chest and gut as to not disturb the boy that was under him. Surely enough he could see the white mass that he identified as his father in the water, powering through the density of the liquid to get to the ship. How was he to react? Was he supposed to be overjoyed that the king, his own father, was coming to his aid or was he supposed to be terrified, cowering and pleading for the man to be of his imagination? Maybe he would be spared by the much larger male than himself, perhaps he need not fear what was to come. “Father.” He breathed quietly, chest tightening to the word spoken. “We are gong to be murdered.” The boy whined, dropping his head, meeting his gaze with the other that licked at his wound. Strife always felt his most vulnerable in the presence of the king.

The king was a particularly good swimmer in comparison to many other things he had a rough time with, such as running. In water he was much lighter, or at least he liked to think he was, and there was no rattling of old bones in water; that he liked. Behind him came a rejecting sounds, one of water attempting to fight off an object that it stood no chance against. “So, you decided to join me?” The beast laughed, reaching his paws out in long strokes against the water a few layers deep. Again it seemed that the smaller creature had a slight advantage over him, surely not so graceful, but he proved to be a quick one about it.

Nearing the ship, the king circled briefly as the pirate made his way up to the deck of the ship, needing some extra assistance until the small male. To his own surprise he acquired such assistance from one of the crew members, she was a small thing, but was just enough to get him aboard. “Much obliged.” The king said with a gracious bow of his head, though it felt odd to do so to a pirate, but he still had his honor and he could not deprive a young lady of well deserved gratitude. Don't get used to it. The otter hissed with a flick of her thick tail as she flounced off elsewhere, dragging a small claw across the male fox's shoulder in her passing. The snowy creature was puzzled by the retort, his mouth slightly ajar.

It took a moment to realize what he had gotten on the ship for in the first place, but when he did, his snout was snapped quickly in the direction of the largest target on deck; the Prince. “Where is your friend?” The man growled, searching frantically around his son for the smaller being, catching the sight of small paws and the tip of a wing. The worn man sighed in relief.

Strife's ears flicked back and flattened out against his head as his father spoke to him in question of Charles' whereabouts, though he was clearly right there. Letting out a rugged breath, the boy's head rose to an authoritative height, but he was suddenly startled by the captain as he too spoke. Disregarding his father's presence, Strife's snout wrinkled in disgust at the words the man spoke, only then acting upon them as the fox spoke sickly about his smaller friend. A blur of gold revealed the small feline and darted for the captain with a booming roar breaking at the barrier of thick salty air that stood between the Prince and the Pirate. He was out for blood.  

[Skimbleshankx]

Capricious Dreams

The feline could feel the trembling of Strife's body against his body, knowing that his friend was conflicted. Even he wasn't sure which his friend would fight or get out. It always surprised him when his friend decided his safety was more important than getting back at whatever hurt him. He knew that the other male was always wanting to fight, just choosing not to when Charles himself was in trouble or needed to be gotten to safety. Softly he chuckled as the other male said that the feline didn't like water. "I'd manage," he replied, gently licking the other male's leg again. If it wasn't for the ship rolling unexpectedly earlier he would be fine to fly. With his wings working he wouldn't be such a burden for the other male. The feathered appendages were fragile enough that he wouldn't willingly pick a fight. His wings were often more of a burden than a gift until he wanted to show off by flying.

Gently Charles nuzzled his head against his friend reassuringly though he was afraid. His ears pressed against his head worriedly, not wanting to have his friend fight in his current condition or swim to shore with his shoulder hurt like that. He was so glad the king showed up to get them out of this before his friend had to make an impossible decision, his soft ears flicking against the other male's chest as he watched the larger form of the older male approaching. "At least we won't be drowned right?" he teased, gently nuzzling against the other male's muzzle gently as his friend let his head droop. The only time he ever felt braver than the other male was when he was facing the king. Even as big and intimidating as the king was to the feline the king was his friend's father first and his sovereign second.

The pirate captain chuckled as the king teased him for trying to avoid the water but swimming anyway. "Oh, I was going to have to do this anyway," he replied, much more agile out of the water than in it. Softly he growled as the otter clawed his shoulder, shaking his head slightly and lightly kicking her side as she passed. It was only enough to make her stumble slightly and swipe at him again. He oversaw his crew preparing a small boat to get the prince, his friend, and the king off his ship so they could get away without being caught by the authorities or being killed by the king.

Charles slid out from under his friend's belly slightly as the king asked about him, bowing his head slightly. He mewled in surprise as Strife attacked the pirate captain, not expecting it though he should have. If anything would have prompted his friend to attack it would have been the man about him in such a lewd manner. The small feline hurried to his friend side, staying on the other male's wounded side.

The pirate flipped as Strife charged him, going to attack the prince's wounded shoulder but twisting away from the younger males as Charles hissed and snapped his jaws at the captain's paw. The captain sighed, settling onto the railing of the ship. "Feisty cubs are you? Take your brats and go king before I see how well they do against steel and fire," the man said, making the feline shiver and press lightly against his friend's side. "Strife," he murmured, licking the other male's shoulder. "I'm okay. We should go." Gently he rubbed his nose against the other male's side, smelling his friend's comforting scent mixed with blood. The other male's movements were only hurting him more.