brave_kreyu | OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part Nine

"Much more lively than I did at the end of yesterday," he stretches again - something pops in his upper spine and he grunts in a combination of pleasure and discomfort as he rolls his neck, then pushes himself up into a sitting position at the edge of the bed (sheet draped over his waist - if she's dressed, he'll not 'torment' her with his own nudity just yet) and shrugs his wings slightly. "This is definitely not the body of a teenaged youth."

A smirk.

"Though I seem to believe you prefer the more aged and experienced model."

"That is a relief to my heart," she replies. The worry fades, even though she hears that pop in his upper spine.

She laughs. "I prefer you as you are, my love." The bread isn't quite cool enough to cut into, so she leaves it be for now. "Although I would love any form that you were comfortable in, as it would be YOU."

"Shifting is not my strong suit," he says. "So this is the version you are likely going to endure."

Rising to his feet, he moves to gather a clean towel and a fresh kilt from what they've reorganized and sorted into 'his' chest - at some point or another, it became obvious he needed his own storage space, what with the rate he was going through kilts and acquiring treasures.

This time he does not bother to hide his body from her view. And yes, he can feel her watching him.

"I would wash then join you," he comments, glancing over his shoulder.

"I think you meant enjoy, love," she teases when he makes that comment about enduring.

"That sounds like a good plan," she replies, smiling. "I think the bread will be cool enough to cut into by the time you've washed and dressed."

"It smells delicious," he says. "I am looking forward to it. I will be right back."

Skellig is not one to saunter, especially not in the manner in which she has been known to do. But birds do have a tendency to 'strut', especially when they are trying to show off for their mate. So he might just do that, on his way out of the room as he goes to wash up and then dress himself.

When he returns, he is dressed in one of his simple kilts with a basic belt, and his hair is finger-combed into some semblance (not much) of order. The 'tattoos' she painted on his skin are still holding well, which pleases him.

She's pleased with his praise and she enjoys his strut.

Kreyu is breaking into the bread when he returns. "It seems to have come out well," she tells him. "It takes longer to rise when it is like this, so I have not made proper loaves often."

There is chai too, for breakfast. Plenty of good, nutritious, tasty food to fuel them up for a busy day!

A busy day indeed - hunting for prey is something to be well-prepared for, regardless of the species!

He perches on a chair nearby her at the table, sniffing the air and looking over the spread she has laid out for them. "If I did not know any better, I would suspect you are trying to spoil me, my love." He's teasing, of course, and patiently waits until she's sliced up some of the bread before he reaches for a piece.

"You've figured out my cunning plan," she teases back.

The bread is still warm, soft. It's whole grain too because the technology to make it NOT whole grain does not yet exist.

"Would you like some honey on your bread?"

"Yes please," he says. "It is such a good blend of it... you know I would enjoy it on anything."

Including his dragon.

"And I do not object to being spoiled," he adds. "Because I know you allow me to do the same to you."

She drizzles some honey on his slice of bread AND hers, an unusual move for her.

"I do," she admits. "I quite enjoy it when you spoil me or I spoil you," she confesses in a conspiratorial whisper.

Skellig accepts the bread - and first tears off a chunk that has not been touched by honey, popping that into his mouth. (He wants to try just her efforts first!) From the sound he makes as he chews - that is definitely bread he approves of!

"I do not think I have ever had bread this good," he comments. "The grains give it quite a nice flavor."

The second bite with honey is also good. As is the fruit and the yogurt!

He'll be able to tell that Kreyu is VERY pleased that he likes the food she made. Her wing feathers puff up a bit with pride.

"Thank you. The soil here is not as good for grain as the soil the Mother River brings our village, but the wheat we do grow here has a fine flavor."

"I was thinking of making the trip until we sight them in my dragon shape, for speed," she explains as she serves herself some breakfast. "Especially since we don't know EXACTLY where they are."

Normally Skellig would either wait until she has served herself or offer to serve her; but he is hungry, sometimes instinct takes over (as it does in this instance) and he also knows that she is a fully capable adult and she can fend for herself. They are both predators, both hunters, both able to obtain their own food - be it from a plate on the table or out in the wild.

"I would not mind getting a chance to fly with you," he says. "Even if in your dragon shape it is more as if I am...hitching a ride, so to speak."

He smirks. "We've proven I'm good at sighting our prey from afar. And it would give me a chance to practice bailing off before you move to strike."

Kreyu nods. "A good thing to practice, that maneuver. I think I barely slowed down the first time you needed to get off of me quickly."

To be fair, she was more than a little FERAL at the time.

Once they've cleaned up after breakfast, Kreyu packs a small pack of supplies. She doesn't plan on them being gone too long, and only so much can be readily carried by her Eagle shape.

She starts pulling pins out of her hair, although by this point about half of it has already escaped its confinement.

Skellig's bag of supplies is even smaller - he expects after all to carry both of their bags for at least part of the journey - and it isn't like he needs all that much anyways. He notices her moving to pull down her hair, and moves himself closer.

"Let me help get some of those," he says, as he approaches and stands behind her. "It appears your mane is feeling a bit wild today," he teases gently as he twirls a loose strand around one of his fingers.

She laughs at his comment about her mane feeling wild. "It SHOULD stay up with all those pins in it, but it never does," she huffs.

She's more than happy to let him pull the pins out of her hair while she gets her chiton off by unpinning it.

"Free-spirited, we will call it."

Once he has the pins free and set aside, and she has removed her chiton, he can't resist the urge - it is slight, given that his body is still tired from their previous day's escapades - to allow his hands to fall to her shoulders, rubbing slightly before he smooths them down her back to trace along her spine.

Leaning in, he presses a kiss to her hair near her ear. "We will both fight well today," he says.

She leans into his touch, sighs in pleasure. "We will, my love."

Once they are outside the Lair, she takes her dragon shape and casts the usual spells to carry words, ease their journey and hide them from prying eyes down below.

"Fair wind and clear skies, good hunting weather!" she rumbles as they climb higher into the sky.

Each time that they fly together like this, he is finding it easier to settle in against her scales, brace himself and adapt to her movements, anticipate her motions simply based on how she feels as her muscles (so powerful!) move beneath him.

"Hunting is much more pleasant when it is not in the midst of a raging thunderstorm," he agrees. (Last time they both got MUCH too wet, and there was the whole instance of him getting stabbed...)

Kreyu will be MOST upset if he gets himself stabbed on this outing!

She glides on the thermals, so graceful in the air. "The ship is supposed to have a red lion painted on the sails and on the side of the ship," she explains.

There are ships coming into the port, but no slave trader would DARE dock here, they will be farther out to sea.

He focuses his attention on the ships below them - no red lions to be found - and it is a bit difficult to 'listen' when they are gliding through the air at the speed they are traveling, but he senses something further off the coast line...

"A bit northwest," he offers. "Not sure what it is, but I can hear the energy."

Which is an odd concept in itself. "It may not be the one we are seeking, but there are several pockets of sound at the edges of the horizon." Multiple ships, crews, travelers, slaves...

Kreyu tilts her wings, shifts her flight a bit northwest, toward the energy Skellig has heard.

The first few ships they pass in the northwest direction are fishing boats, but Skellig keeps hearing something just a little farther out.

At last, the Red Lion comes into view, although Skellig might have felt its energy before he sees it. It's not the well of Darkness the last ship was, no ritual sacrifice or dark magic to taint its energy. But less intense despair, misery and suffering have seeped into it just the same, is being added to by the ship's current 'cargo'.

As much as it pains him to do so, he has to put up a 'wall' to avoid being pulled too forcefully by the sadness and the other feelings of misery and despair; if he allowed himself to 'feel' all of it, it might wear on him too quickly.

(Though he knows as soon as they land upon the ship he will likely drop the wall, but he can at least try for now...)

Once their target is 'confirmed', Skellig repositions himself a bit as they circle high above, still out of view and range. "What is your plan?"

"I do not think they are likely to cooperate if we ask nicely," Kreyu rumbles. "I will take my eagle shape and we will both go down. Perhaps once I have picked off one or two in the rigging they will be more inclined to cooperate."

"If you start from the rigging, I would take the bow," he says. "I will fight better on-deck anyways."

Even with his aerial skillset, he is much more of a hand-to-hand fighter (though not as strong or fearsome as she is) when it comes to brawling. And there are captives on this ship, slaves, and they will need help. Like the last ones...

...at least there are no blood sacrifices happening this time.

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