The Voyage of the Silken Siren (The Corsair and Xanaphia)

Aurelia’s eyes narrowed as Yusef prepared to negotiate for more money. Oh, she knew him to be shrewd, at least from their game last night, purposefully wiping her out so she’d offer up her body. Oh, how things might have turned out, for him to think he won a night between her thighs with his cheating, only to wake up the morning after and find himself more or less breaking even. Nevertheless, his companions accepted her offer, before he could try and wring more out of her.

Nishi presented the terms with Senzang, enumerating each clause and Safia pulled her aside. “So, this your asshole?”

“Huh?” Aurelia gaped, while Safia gave her a knowing look. “How do you−“

“The ship is small, cap’n,” Safia explain, stealing a sidelong gaze at Yusef and snickering, “You always did have a weakness for bad boys. Ever since−“

“That’s enough,” Aurelia snapped, her voice cutting through the whispers of the kahvesiri. With all the attention on her anyways, she cleared her throat. “Come by the Silken Siren, and your free company can sign the contracts. Regardless, we leave tomorrow, first light.” She turned on her heels with that, before she got the urge to slap Yusef again (or kiss him).

Safia laughed as she followed her out, “And I thought I was hotheaded. He must have really gotten under your skin.” Even Nishi chuckled at that.

“I’m done talking about this. We still need to get restocked and ready to sail tomorrow, and I don’t need your stupid gossiping getting in the way,” Aurelia snarled, not helping her situation any, clearly. Briskly, she headed into the marketplace.

“20 dinars says they are fucking again by the end of the month,” Nishi proposed to Safia, as they followed several paces behind. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Thought you didn’t gamble?”

“From what I just saw, it really isn’t a gamble.”

Safia chortled, before catching her breath, “I’ll take that action. 20 says they kill each other before the moon turns.”
 
"The Silken Siren?" Kaarim asked, sounding both surprised and pleased. "Well, this is looking up!" Despite the heat of the day he had a long cloak wrapped around him, the hood drawn up to cover his long, flowing hair and deceptively elegant features. He was a hunted man after all, and had no desire to be easily spotted as the band made its way through the souk to the docks. In his mind, the sooner they signed the contracts and departed, the better.

"That's what our new employer said," Fayette answered. "Why? Do you know it?"

"I'd considered visiting it, three days ago," Kaarim answered, remembering. "The ship is a brothel, a high-class one, catering to sophisticated and discerning tastes."

"Hardly surprising you decided against it, then," Muhyddeen laughed, even as he watched the alleys the band passed.

"You wound me," Kaarim answered dryly. "Deeply. Besides, why pay for what you are offered freely?"

"To keep out of the ill graces of the prince?" Fayette answered.

"Had I but known those two women were the princess and her daughter, I would have..."

"You'd have hit it anyway," she interrupted.

Kaarim fell silent for a moment. "True. Very true."

Muhyddeen gestured towards the front of the little line, pointing at Yusef. "But you say the Captain did?"

"Did what?" Fayette said, slightly confused.

"Visit the Sire."

"Siren," she corrected. "It's the Silken Siren. And no, I don't think he did. But you remember the state he was in when he got back to the inn last night?"

"Yeah." Everyone did. It was rare, after all, for Yusef to arrive late at night shirtless and covered with scratches and bites and reeking of sex. Generally, if he had a night like that, he tended to show up the next day after bathing.

"That was her. Our new employer. He clearly laid her good and hard, and equally clearly didn't know it was her."

"Fuck me," Muhyddeen grumbled.

"You wish," both Kaarim and Fayette responded.

"No, seriously. This is bad. Fucking the boss is bad. Gets everything all crazy weird." He stopped at a stall, trading a few bronze coins for a mass of dough sweetened with honey and almond paste. "This'll all end in blood and tears, you mark my words."

Fayette tore a chunk of dough from his purchase without bothering to ask. "You always say that."

He grabbed at the pilfered pastry, and Fayette jerked it away from his hand. "And I'm usually right, aren't I?"

"If the lot of you are done," Yusef snapped, "we're here."

The Silken Siren proved to be a lateen-rigged, single-masted dhow, small enough to be handled by a crew of perhaps twelve but large enough to accommodate a crew two or three times that size. Even from a distance it was clearly well-maintained - the decks holystoned clean and the sides freshly scraped and tarred and painted. The mercenary band, all experienced sailors, could easily note the signs of repaired battle damage as well. A brothel it might be, but the ship had clearly seen action as well.

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"Color me impressed," Muhyddeen declared, nodding approval.
 
There wasn’t a formal gathering for the crew of the Silken Siren to meet the member of the Free company Aurelia had hired. Still, most of them were on the deck, ready to greet them, eager to lay eyes on the man who had had the Captain the night before. A man who could get a free lay out of her was a rare man indeed.

Gwynn stood at the end of the gangplank, acknowledging each member of the free company as they arrived on board. “Gwynn Gibby, and I am in charge when Captain Aurelia isn’t around.” The red head was dressed in a manner that revealed vast expanses of skin, and half a dozen throwing knives. Icy grey eyes took in their new arrivals, her loveliness interrupted (or enhanced, depending on one’s perspective) by the single deep scar that ran done her left eye.

“That’s Phedra,” She pointed to the brunette on the edge of the ship, lazily stroking her lyre, dressed loose, flowing peach gown. Phedra responded with a wink and strummed a chord, before tuning it a touch. Beside her was almond skinned woman in a thin silk robe, tied loosely enough to hint at what lay underneath. The paper umbrella she held at her side gave no hint to the steel that hid within. “And beside her is Namiko.”

“Hajimemashite,” a voice like freshly spun silk introduced, bowing just low enough the fabric of her robe shifted, just threatening to expose her.

“Delinda, Amira and Lita,” Gwynn named off, at three women sitting on crates. The first had fair skin and dark hair and eyes, the second had caramel skin and numerous henna tattoos decorating her exposed skin. The last was blonde with green eyes and a playful smile. Lita and Delinda had long thin blades at their side, while Amira had a short khukri. Each woman nodded in time.

One last threesome braced against the wall enclosing the quarters. Dark skinned curvy woman, with thick brown hair tied back in braids, waved, “Ayanna.” A slender fair skinned woman adorned in many pieces of golden jewelry who looked on with bored curiosity, “Amaravati.” And a thin man with a wild mass of curly auburn hair and a silver streak. “Oliviero”

“Mei, Qitarah, Nehime and Seith will have to introduce themselves when they return,” Gwynn finished, “And I do believe you have already met Safia and Nishi, as well as the Captain.” This last remark drew a smattering of hushed giggles and snickers from the gathered women. Gwynn glared at the offending parties, who quieted themselves and looked away.

One thing that was immediate clear about the crew of the Silken Siren was that nearly everyone was armed with weapons that had seen some action. They may have presented themselves as available, but they was little doubt there was danger behind the beauty.

“Would you like a tour?” Gwynn offered, “Or did you want to get settled?”
 
Yusef eyed each of the women in turn - pruriently and professionally - and was annoyed to discover that he was mentally comparing and contrasting them to Aurelia. To crazy bitch thief Aurelia, he insisted to himself. This one was too pale, that one too narrow in the hips, that other one had a smile that looked a little false, and on and on. Not that he'd kick any of them out of bed, mind, but... well, he was going to annoy himself at this rate. “Mei, Qitarah, Nehime and Seith will have to introduce themselves when they return,” Gwynn finished, “And I do believe you have already met Safia and Nishi, as well as the Captain.”

Gwynn's comments brought snickers and giggles from the women, and snorts of amusement from the Free Company. Yusef stoically ignored them. "And my crew," he said. "This delicate vessel of femininity..." he indicated the one woman in the group, "is my... what are you doing, Fayette?"

She was busy turning slowly, examining the gangplank behind her with an air of studied confusion. "Looking for the 'delicate vessel of femininity'," she answered, rolling her eyes. "Kaarim, maybe?"

"I was trying not to..." Yusef sighed.

"Because I know you weren't talking about me, Captain."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "She is a little.. intense. Do excuse her. This is my chiurgeon and barrister, Senzangakona Ulwazi." The bald, iron-bearded man nodded. "What a world we live in, where an honest free company requires a barrister to review contracts, hm? Now, these two..." he continued, gesturing to a tattooed man with honey-colored skin and almond eyes, and then to a hulking brute of a man with tattoos and dreadlocks, "are my brute squad: Ban Eitoku and Igama Nkosinhle."

"Brute squad?" Igama grumbled, sounding offended. "I am a poet and a painter, hardly a brute."

"But you get paid to break legs and skulls," Yusef pointed out reasonably. "And so, you are the brute squad."

Igama snorted. "Can't we call what I do enforcement services? Surely Muhyddeen is the brute squad." He pointed at a colorfully dressed, hard-faced man covered with knives and short swords.

"First," Yusef said with a pained expression, "can we not do this in front of the client? And second, you know as well as I do that Muhyddeen is a poor choce for, ah, enforcement services. Because dead people don't pay. Now where's..." He looked around, only to find the last member of his crew - a slim, rakish man of youthful appearance - busy bowing and kissing Gwynn's hand.

"Gwynn," he murmured, giving her an adoring smile. "It means white, or holy, does it not? In the language of the northlands? It suits you, o divine vision of beauty. My name is Kaarim Saeed al'Farha, and should I be so blessed as to hear my name spoken but once by your angelic voice, I shall die a-AIIEE! Gods of Hell, woman! What are you doing?" The last was directed to Fayette, who had grabbed a fistfull of his flowing hair and jerked him backwards.

Yusef sighed. "That, then, is Kaarim."

"We're trying to make a good impression!" Fayette snarled in the background.

"And I assure you, I was making a good impression!" was Kaarim's testy response.

“Would you like a tour?” Gwynn offered, “Or did you want to get settled?”

"A tour," Yusef decided, trying to ignore the bickering behind him. "We'll need to be familiar with the layout of the ship, after all. And you can show us where we're bunking, while you're at it."
 
Ayanna turned to Oliviero as the free company headed down below deck. “Be nice to have some men around here,” she teased, smirking as she passed around a bottle of rum.

“Mmmm, tell me about it,” he answered wistfully, swirling his cup “Think any of them are sly?”

“Well,” Phedra butted in, taking the rum bottle from Ayanna now, “I understand that most of them are sailors, among other things, so surely at one point or another…” She gestured and winked at Oliviero. “Anyways, back to that story you were telling, before."

“As you know, Prince al-Fhasir retains my services whenever we come to port, and his wife is not so happy about our little arrangement. As I understand it, apparently she got some payback, bedding a young man who turned around and bedded their daughter as well!”

“Yeah, I heard about that,” a demon-descended woman called as she came aboard, carrying a new dress over one arm. Horns curled out of her head, etched with intricate patterns of swirls, and her eyes were a muted red, diluted by three generations of human breeding. “They said a pretty boy was responsible for it, and I half worried it was someone on here. But you’re too gay, Nishi’s too prudent, and Seith’s too gruff.” A man with long dreads walking behind her and carrying a chest grunted, seemingly proving her point.

“We should try to find him, before the prince does,” a woman with piercing violet eyes concluded, carrying a dress on her arm as well, “Seems we could use someone like him on crew. Edana knows there are plenty of noblewomen looking to step out on their husbands. Discreetly, of course.”

“We could run for two for one adultery specials!” Nehime joked, coming up the rear “Spice up your marriage with mutual affairs!” Laughter filled the deck.

“I serious. We should try to find him. Clearly he has a taste for beautiful women, so it shouldn’t be that hard. I think he name Rakeem? Not that’s not it…” She leaned against the mast to think about it for a moment.

“Kaarim Saeed al'Farha?” Delinda asked, mimicking his flourish and tone.

“That’s it, yes! But how did you know?”

“Seems we have already recruited him, among others,” Delinda chuckled.

“Qitarah, we missed them!” she complained with an exaggerated pout.

“They are still here Mei,” Ayanna confirmed, pointing below deck, “Gwynn is showing them around.”

“Well then, I simply must put this dress on a hanger right away!” Mei insisted, pushing her way down the stairs. Seith put the chest down and joined the circle, taking a tug off the bottle being passed around.

“So, was it the pretty boy the Captain was with? This Kaarim?” he asked, handing it off to Amaravati, who declined. Lita took it instead.

“No, she doesn’t go for the pretty boys,” Phedra insisted, “I think it was their Captain. The gruffly handsome one. Looks like she bit a chunk out of him.” She then demonstrated playful on Lita, who spat out her drink.

“Dammit Phedra!” she managed, once she stopped choking. The brunette hid herself behind Seith.

“Are you all going to stand around all day, or is someone going to help me load the supplies?” Aurelia called from the cart on the docks,” And where is Gwynn?”

“Just showing the free company around the boat, Cap’n,” Amira piped up, making her way to assist with the supplies.

“They’re here?” She asked, caught off guard, before nodding. “Well good. Means we can leave off first thing tomorrow. So that means you all need to be in early tonight. And I should uh…I should check on them.” Aurelia asserted, carrying a crate down under the deck.
 
The tour didn't take long. The Silken Siren was a mid-sized sailing ship after all, and even with some of the cargo space converted into living quarters it was still easy to see everything. The captain's cabin, the galkey, weapons lockers, and so on. The cargo areas were telling. Even with extensive refit and modification, and with thorough cleaning, he could see andsmell certain telltale signs.

The ship had once been a slaver.

"You'll need to bunk down here," Gwynn announced, showing a row ofcloset-sized rooms. "Room for a hammock and some personal effects, really. Not much ventilation, I'm afraid, but you can sleep on deck in good weather." She shrugged, and everyone admired the effext the motion had on her exposed flesh. "A lot of us do - even the middle decks are stuffy."

"Right, dibs on this one!" Fayette declared, slinging her bag into the door closest the stairs.

"That would be the noisy room," Eitoku observed.

"Maybe," Fayette commented. "But it'll have the best breeze."

Yusef laughed as the rest of his crew squabbled in goid humor over their rooms, then turned to Gwynn. "Tell me more about the ship," he said. "And our duties. I presume we pitch in, help sail?"
 
“Yeah. We handle the ship well enough, but with you all we can have a bit more breathing room,” Gwynn explained, leaning against wall. Taking stock of the free company. They seemed capable, if ragtag, though really, considering the crew of the Silken Siren, she wasn’t in a place to talk.


Admittedly she was most interested in this Yusef. The “asshole” the Captain fucked, if the gossip among the crew was true. It wasn’t often that Gwynn, (or anyone else for that matter) had a chance to see what kind of man the Captain would choose for herself. She was intensely private, a tremendous feat considering the close quarters of the ship. It was know she took most of her lovers off ship, whether for pay or pleasure, and was usually happiest when she didn’t have to see them again. Gwynn understood why Aurelia didn’t want anyone getting too close well enough, but she wondered how she was going to handle having this man in such close contact

“Protection and enforcement, mostly. Most of us can handle ourselves fairly well, but having someone there to watch our backs couldn’t hurt, ya know? Make sure the clients are playing nicely, and paying the agreed upon fees. Phedra and Qitarah in particular tend to attract…extra attention, so they need to be watched. Some clients come to the ship, but others prefer a more intimate setting, so you may be accompanying one of our crew on these jaunts.”

“As for the ship, well,” Gwynn started, trying to decide the best way to sum up its history, until she heard boots padding down the stairs.

“It’s been my ship for five years,” Aurelia interjected, before she came into view. “Before that it was a slaver ship, The Sinner’s Delight. We uh, had some disagreements with the former captain, and after some aggressive negotiations it was decided we should set up an independent enterprise, and I should take over duties as Captain.” She met Yusef’s eyes for just a moment, for taking time to personally introduce herself to the rest of his men.

“I intend on setting out first light tomorrow, so I am requesting that you all make an early night of it, tonight.”
 
"The Sinner's Delight?" Yusef repeated, sounding slightly impressed. He'd heard rumors of that ship among the Brotherhood, a slaver whose cargo had broken their bonds and torn the crew apart. Some stiries said it was a ghost ship now, hunting others who traded in flesh. Others told that it had turned pirate, or been burned, or scuttled in sacrifice to the Ten Thousand. If Aurelia had been involved in that uprising, then she was something more than a good lay.

Well, mire than just a good lay, to be more accurate.

"I intend on setting out first light tomorrow," she said after introducing herself. "SoI am requesting that you all make an early night of it, tonight."

"Fine by me," Yusef agreed.

"Should be," Muhyddeen deadpanned. "Seems like you were up most of last night."

Yusef glared at him, and glared harder at the chorus of ribald laughter that followed the comments. "Right. Are we done impressing our new employer?"

"For most of the day, I'd say," Muhyddeen cackled.

Yusef sighed. "They really are good at what they do," he grimaced.

"The best," Kaarim chimed in.

"Yeah," Yusef agreed. "You won't find a finer troop of fools and mummers anywhere in the archipelago."
 
Aurelia kept a steady expression as the group mocked Yusef, for the night they had shared, managing a smirk there at the end. “If there is nothing else, I will finish unloading the supplies. Gwynn?” With that the captain and her first mate made their way back to the deck.

“He doesn’t seem like an asshole,” She remarked, once they were out of earshot. She was able to see the grimace on Aurelia’s face, despite the captain having her back to her.

“You have no idea.”



“I thought we were having an early night, tonight?” Amira asked, tying a wrapped skirt over her hips.

“Because I want to leave early tomorrow. And the reason I want to leave early tomorrow is the same reason why we are leaving late tonight,” Aurelia explained, adjusting her top, finding the right balance between cleavage and support. She frowned at the fading purple bruises that lingered there, reminders of Yusef, and the way he made her feel…Dammit this wasn’t the time for that!

“I thought we just hired a handful of strapping bodyguards. Why aren’t they joining us for this?” Safia asked, picking through the veils for one that matched her outfit.

“Because that isn’t what I am paying them for,” Aurelia explained, tying Lita’s veil on, “Besides, this isn’t their fight.”

“So, maybe we see if they will accept other forms of payment, to assist. I bet your mercenary captain would walk over hot coals at the chance to have you again,” Ayanna teased, running her fingers up Aurelia’s exposed spine.

“It’s going to look rather hypocritical of me to offer up my body to him after I made a point of discouraging that very thing, on grounds of employment.” Aurelia protested. In her own mind, she was equally afraid that he would, or wouldn’t.

“I bet if you asked him in that outfit, you wouldn’t even have to offer. Just bat your lashes at him,” Lita demonstrated, putting on a demure, innocent look, at odds with the revealing clothing she was wearing.

Amaravati sat her down, to put on her makeup. “No talking.”

“Seith is supposed to be selling six slaves to the Son of the Scorpions, how is it going to look if those six slaves each turn up with their own bodyguard?” the captain reasoned out, applying kohl to her eyes.

“No, but if Seith is a success slaver, it makes sense for him to have a bodyguard or two. Especially if he is transporting cargo through the city, to meet with a low level gang. Hell, just to ensure the Sons aren’t going to try and screw him out of payment.” Amira reasoned, crossing her arms. Even Aurelia had to admit, she had a point. With a sigh, she wrapped herself up in a coat, concealing the revealing slave girl outfit she was wearing, though leaving her thighs bare, with only a dangling piece of cloth to cover her.

She made her way down stairs, where they were settling in for the evening. “If any of you are interested, I might have a job for one of you. This would be extra, so there will be a small bonus on completion,” She advertised, hugging her coat tight against her body.
 
"Check in six," Eitoku declared, moving his elephant forward.

Fayette stared at the shah board, scrutinizing it as if it held hidden mysteries. "Bullshit. You're bluffing."

"I never bluff," Eitoku declared.

"Again, bullshit." She studied the board a minute longer. "Six endubis says you're wrong."

The bare'chested man shrugged. "I hate taking money from fools."

"More bullshit," she sneered, moving a piece. "Footman to Shah's six."

The rest of the mercenaries clustered around the board, jabbering excitedly and making side-wagers. All of them shared a passion for the ancient strategy game, and were loudly critiquing and commenting when their employer came below with her offer.

"A bonus?" Yusef said, turning away from te board in disgust at having lost his wager. "I'll go." He managed to keep a straight face as he added "I seem to be broke, after last night." With that he buckled on his swordbelt and followed her back up the narrow stairs, appreciating the glimpses of dark calf and thigh as she moved.

"What is the job?" he asked as he emerged onto the deck, taking in the sight of several other women in similar (lack of) dress. "Looks like some kind of show. Dancing, perhaps? Or do you have a client that just likes to watch?"
 
"I'll go." He managed to keep a straight face as he added "I seem to be broke, after last night."

“Gambling is a nasty habit,” Aurelia retorted, to hide her annoyance at Yusef volunteering to join them tonight. Was it just because he needed the coin? It was her fault, after all, that he was broke. Or was he trying to remain close? She pushed the vanity down. He wasn’t doing this for her. Why would he?

As she joined the rest of the women in her cabin, she hung up her coat, her nearly naked body exposed to him once more. The marks her left on her, reminders of what they shared. And all the women chuckled softly to themselves, as they entered together.

"What is the job? Looks like some kind of show. Dancing, perhaps? Or do you have a client that just likes to watch?"

“Walking over hot coals, apparently,” Ayanna smirked, closing her eyes to let Amaravati work her magic.

“Ignore her,” Aurelia snapped, shooting Ayanna a fierce look that she couldn’t even see while her make-up was being applied. But the rest of the women got the hint. “I should come clean, and admit that to our side business, since it is half the reason we hired on your crew for extra protection.”

“We don’t like competition,” Amira started, “how is an honest working girl supposed to compete with slave market prices?”

“Sure, we provide better service,” Lita interjected, “Healthy, enthusiastic men and women who are well versed in the arts of pleasure. But the presence of slaves really devalues the work we do.”

“So we eliminate it,” Aurelia finished the explanation, tying on her veil. “Tonight we are meeting with the Sons of the Scorpions under the pretense of us being sold to them. The idea is to ambush them, kill off enough to send our message, and free the slaves they currently employ.”

“It’s risky, I know. Which is why I am not making you do this. We have all done this many times before, and know how to handle ourselves. As for payment, well, we are being purchased for 200 enubis. You perform well, you can have half of it. The rest will be added to the general funds for the ship.

“Usually Seith plays the role of slaver, but really, it might be better to change it up, so we don’t establish a pattern. Surprise is our main advantage here. It could be a benefit to us if you played the role of face.”
 
It was a struggle, but Yusef managed to ignore the flesh on display, focusing instead on the explanations offered by Aurelia and her soldiers. Because that's what they were. Soldiers. And despite the protests that they did it to cut into the competition, he could see that it was more than that. There was a fire in the eyes of these women, smouldering hatred that burned deep and strong. They were on a mission.

But they paid well, and as long as he and his crew were welk paid he didn't care who he was paid to kill. "The face?" he releated. "So, I'd present myself as the dealer, then. Yeah, I can do that. Especialky for a hundred endubis. Tell me about weapons, though - there's only so many I can carry, after all."

"Oh, no fear about that," Lita laughed musically. "We'll have the chains, after all, and we've all been trained in unarmed fighting styles."

Yusef eyed her approvingly, admiring the exotic pale skin and honey hair of the northern woman. "I'll wager you're quite skilled in close quarters," he said. He glanced back at his employer, faintly irritated to find that despite the scrapes and bruises - hells, because of them, because she bore them as proof if his lust - she was still the most desirable woman in the room. "Should I dress up, tryto look like a successful dealer?" he asked. "Or are they expecting someone rougher, more piratical?"
 
“You’re fine,” she explained, caught by his eyes locked onto the mark he had given her. She pushed against the distraction, against the memory of desire and passion, “You already look like the kind of low life who would sell slaves.” A few of the women exchanged knowing looks, but no one spoke.

“Are we ready?” Seith asked, dressed is a loose shirt and tight pants. A sabre was hooked on his side and his long dreads were tied behind his head.

“Yusef is joining us. He will be the slaver, and you’ll be his bodyguard,” Aurelia explained, as the women finished attaching the chains to the hands.

Seith did a once over of the mercenary captain, and nodded, “That works.” So the group made their way through the city, the clinking of iron distressing familiar. Aurelia would never have those three years back, but every slaving son of a bitch she killed felt like it was reclaiming her lost time. So she crystallized the pain, just the same way she did when she first found the courage to fight against the masters.

The meet took place in an open, airy building. Eight men were gathered around on cushions, hookah pipes and bottles of wine being passed around liberally. From the second floor, crude sounds of sex wafted down.

“Welcome, friend, welcome! I am Omar,” One man called, standing to greet Yusef. He wore a dusty turban on his head, a olive green matching his vest, which he wore without a shirt. His left eye was missing, not even covered by an eyepatch, just a gnarled pit of scar tissue. “Let me see what you brought with you.”

Aurelia, Safia, Ayanna, Lita, Amira, and Amaravati lined up along one wall, With Yusef on one end and Seith on the other. Omar made his way down the line of women, inspecting them like livestock. Running fingers through Lita’s golden hair, palming Safia’s full behind, holding Amaravati by the chin so he could move her head in different angles. The women knew the drill. They knew better than to react, to object or defy. Some lessons were not so easily forgotten.

“Very nice, well trained. Though, that is half the fun,” he remarked, to laughter from his men. “So, what did we agree on? 150 enubis?”
 
Yusef helped himself to a bottle of wine, taking a deep swig and pointedly ignoring the men as they examined the Siren's crew. When Omar asked the terms of the sale, he wiped wine from his lios and laughed. "Oh, aye," he chuckled.. "A hundred and fifty endubis." Omar's triumphant grin faded as he added "Apiece."

"Are you mad?" Omar roared, grabbing for his saber as his fellows surged to their feet. "No slave is worth so much!"

Yusef remained calm, shrugging and drinking more wine. "And we both know what I was offered. So if you're going to fuck with me, I'll fuck with you." He lifted the bottle in mock salute. "Or you can pay me what was agreed," he slapped Aurellia's ass, "and we can fuck something more pleasant."

"Two hundred is too much," Omar said, jerking Aurelia forward by her collar. "Look. This one is damaged."

"Only bruising," Yusef countered. "I had to... tame that one. And she's not yet fully broke. Think how much you could sell her for." He grinned nastily. "Some wealthy men enjoy disciplining recalcitrant slaves."

"More do not," Omar countered. "Two hundred is too much."

Yusef took a swig and appeared to think. "Well," he began, and then his scimitar screamed as he slashed. Omar's head struck the ground, bidy toppling backwards in a rush of gore. "I could take a little off the top."
 
Aurelia show no reaction to Yusef’s hand on her ass, other than to perhaps swallow hard. He did play the role well, as he negotiated terms with Omar. Equally well when he ended the man’s life with a swift slice from his sword. Aurelia ducked as the rest of Omar’s men rushed Yusef. She pulled Omar’s sword off his dead body, driving it into the gut of a charging henchmen. Raising the sword as she rose from the floor, the man’s chest opened with an explosion of viscera.

Amira grabbed a wine bottle, smashing it over the head of another man. Shards of glass and dark burgundy liquid cascaded down his body. As he raised his weapon to retaliate, Amaravati was behind him, a delicate hand on his back. “Burn,” her dark voice spoke, almost disembody and ethereal. Radiating from her palm was a burning touch, catching on his wine soaked skin. He crumpled under the unexpected assault, his scimitar clattering on the floor as his flesh cooked. Amira took it, defending their mage from another man trying to get revenge for his fallen comrade.

Seith ended up exchanging blows with couple of Omar’s men. He handled himself well, out-numbered two to one, but could gain no ground under their unrelenting assault. That was until chains looped around one man’s neck, Lita jumping on the man’s back. The man’s eyes bulged as she struggled against the slender woman, and the distraction proved long enough for Seith to slit the throat of the other man. Lita’s victim’s fell to his knees before finally succumbing to suffocation.

Safia blocked a wide swing from a sabre with one of her manacles, breaking it in the process. Using the cuff still attached to her wrist she used the chain as an improvised whip, she smacked the busted and jagged manacles cuff against her aggressors face. She advanced on him now, the whipping of the chain keeping his blade at bay. Managing to strike his hand, she disarmed him. She was on him before he could react, thumbs pushing into his eyes as she slammed his head into the wall behind them. Three slams later there was a moist crunch, and his body slumped to the floor.

Ayanna ducked under her own blow, bringing her knee to her assailant’s groin as she rose. A quick headbutt followed her assault, leaving the man disoriented. She grabbed his hand and spun, as someone else sought to strike her from the side, just deflecting the swipe in time. She pushed the men into each other, ripping the weapon out of the hands of the first man. With a feral scream she plunged into the back of the top man, feeling it pierce into the second. Trapped under the dead weight of his ally, the bottom could only squirm against the blade in his gut. Safia ended his suffering as she turned his head against his neck.

Aurelia searched Omar’s possessions, tossing a ring of keys to Amaravati, “Amira, Vati, free the slaves upstairs.” Two bags of coins were tossed to Yusef, and two more she kept herself. The rest of her crew got to picking off anything useful they could get off the dead men. They happened upon a crate of unopened wine, and it was added to the loot they liberated from the slavers. A small chest was recovered as well, filled with silver and bronze coins, with the occasional golden piece mixed in. The crew looked to Aurelia, to see if they were taking it as well.

At the same time as Aurelia was contemplating taking the money, four women stumbled down the stairs, the treatment they received from the slavers written on their malnourished bodies. Terrified eyes met Aurelia’s, as one managed to speak, “Do we belong to you now?”

“No, okht,” Aurelia murmured, smiling gently at the women, “you belong to yourselves, now.” She kicked the chest over to the women, who looked at her, puzzled. “I believe you’ve earned that. Use it, start new lives, and lay low, for the meantime. If you need, the temple of Edana should be able to provide sanctuary for you.”

Amaravati approached one of the blank walls brushing fingers in mimicry of elegant calligraphy. Flame moved in their wake, burning its message into the brick.

Do sinners find delight in hell?​

“Let’s go,” Aurelia commanded, “ I want to be far away before anyone comes upon this.”
 
For the next few minutes, everything was chaos. Screaming and burning and blood, and Yusef was too busy to take in the details of anythingbut the colossal ebon-skinned eunich with a curved two-handed blade that tried to split him in half. Because, by the sorrows, he was fast! Nearly seven feet tall, with heavy muscle beneath rolls of fat, and he handled his monster of a blade as if it were a twig! Five feet of razor-edged steel spun and dancec and forced him back and back.

Well, right until Yusef threw the botttle in his face. The glass didn't shatter when it struck, it just crushed the man's nose and staggered him backwards. The mercenary followed up with a blow that nearly severed the eunich's forearm, then drove the point of his sword deep into the man's chest. The giant toppled backwards, crashing to the floor.

By then, the fight was over. Yusef snatched his payment from the air and tucked it into his belt, watching with interest as the women methodically looted the warehouse. And, despite the fact that theycould easily have been part of the loot, he found he wasn't surprised when Aurellia freed the slaves. As they gaped at her and the chest of coins, he kicked a dagger in their direction. "Arm yourselves as well," he suggested. "The dead don't need them, and it's to your advantage for people to think you did all this."

"Let's go," Aurelia continued. "I want to be far away before anyone comes upon this."

Yusef nodded agreement, taking one end of the crate of wine and helping Seith carry it. "This is a dangerous game you play," he observed as they emerged onto the street. "One survivor is all it would take to make the Silken Siren a target."

"We know," Seith grunted.

"Have you considered, then, the dozen or so survivors you've left behind?"

"What?" Seith looked back at him. "What survivors?"

"The brothel slaves." Yusef shrugged. "I doubt they'd sell you out, but the Sons of the Scorpions will torture any and all of them to death to find out who did this. You've just declared war on an archipelago-spanning devil cult."

From his tone of voice, he might have been discussing the weather.
 
Aurelia frowned as Yusef brought up the fact that the slaves who had just been freed may very well be tortured into revealing who it was that freed them. It wasn’t the first time she had that fear, but hearing the words come from his mouth made it feel real. As if it weren’t just a nagging thought in the back of her mind. But what else could she do? Kill them? That thought turned her stomach.

“It’s all risky,” Aurelia retorted, “We could sail into a massive storm and never again touch dry land. A massive fleet could come upon us and take everything we hold dears. The Gods could descend from the heavens and decide they are disappointed that we’ve let demons rule us, instead of relying on their guidance and grace from afar. At least this way, I…”She trailed off and sighed. At least this way I can live with myself. “Whatever happens, we will face it then. We’ve made it this far.”

They had made it back to the ship by then, the night still dark. It was about the same time she had returned last night; when she thought she’d never have to see Yusef again. And here they were, about set sail together. Confined to the same ship for the next couple weeks. It was certainly too late to change her mind. To make him leave or get off or go away. Truthfully though, she didn’t want him to go away.

“We survived,” Aurelia declared, as they brought their loot on board. Cracking into the wine case, she opened one, taking a healthy swig before passing it around, “we live to sail another day.”Aurelia retired to her room to change and the rest women took off their veils and chains, collecting the clothes they had left behind.

“You were pretty impressive,” Ayanna admitted to Yusef, as the most of the rest of the crew head below deck. Lita remained nearby as well. “There is something incredibly sexy about a man who can kill and quip with ease.”

“You and Captain aren’t together, right?” Lita asked form behind, pressing her nearly naked body against his. “I mean, we all know you had her, but it was just a onetime thing, wasn’t it?”

“Bloodlust and adrenaline just gets me pumped,” Ayanna admitted, running hands over his shoulders, “and I just need a little something to help me fall asleep. Or perhaps a big something, based on how the Captain staggered back last night.”
 
"No," Yusef laughed, "we aren't together." Pay no attention to how hard just the memory of the madwoman made him. We've made it this far, she'd said. That was madness. But she paid well. And fucked well. And...

Scowling a little, he gripped Ayanna's generous hips and jerked her close. She yelped a little as he pressed his hard length against her. "I've got something big," he leered, "but what makes you think you'll sleep?"

Lita's body molded against his back, the thin fabric of her scant gown not concealing anything. "Oh, it's not just her. Thinknyou can handle bith of us?"

"Oh?" Yusef laughed. "Blood and adrenaline get you pumped, too?"

She nipped at his shoulder as her hands worked down his chest and abdomen, and she made a low whistle of approval as her hands closed around his cock. "Yes, but those aren't the only things I want pumping me tonight."

Ayanna joined in, skilled fingers unfastening his belt and undoing his breeches. "Me first," she demanded, stroking the upper half of his shaft while Lita worked the base. "I want you to fuck me with this thing."

Buoth women squawjed in surprise as Yusef turned, grippingbtheir hair and shoving them to their knees. He pivoted a little, letting his meat slap against Lita's chin and Ayanna's lips, marking them with sticky drops of precum. "Not yet," he growled, staring down at them with hunger. "Show me how much you want it, first. Show me how much you want this thick cock."
 
“Oh? Like this?” Ayanna asked teasing the head with her tongue, leaving it ringed with her spit as she maintained eye contact with him.

“Or like this?” Lita asked as her tongue slid along the veins and bulges near the base of his meat. Her hands cradled and played with his testicles while Ayanna caressed his abs. They began licking him in tandem, traversing the length of his shaft with soft wet tongues, before Ayanna swallowed his head. She bobbed up and down his cock a few strokes before coming off to let Lita do the same.


Giggling and squawking from outside her quarters caught Aurelia’s attention, as she peeked out the porthole of her door. Ayanna, Lita and Yusef. She snickered. It wasn’t even a full day, and he was already working his way through her crew. She should go out there. Make them stop. Make them go to bed, so they can get the hell out of the city they had killed eight men in.

But she could hear them now. Who are you, our mom? Or worse, What, are you jealous? She scoffed at the thought. Jealous. Of some asshole she fucked. She fucked plenty of men; she’d never have time to do anything else if she spent her time jealous of all the women they fucked since then. Still, she watched, watched the two of them take turns sucking him off. On their knees, dressed as slaves. It was degrading. And an insult to her authority.

Ignore them, she decided, slipping out of her outfit. She needed to sleep, even if her heart was still pounding after the kill. Even as she wished she had come on to him first, or tested Ayanna’s theory that he came out with them tonight to impress her. Dammit woman, have some dignity. So she grabbed a bottle of wine and took a huge swig, hoping to drink enough to drown out their cries.



Lita took him in her throat, straining with the effort. Her jaw ached with being stretched around his meat, and her pussy ached in envy. Pulling off to breath, Lita started working herself out of her barely there dress, freeing perky pale breasts from her top. Ayanna was already on him, swallowing him to the base, so Lita helped her too, exposing her fuller bust to the brisk sea air as well.

“We were hoping one of us could ride your cock, while the other one rides your face,” Lita explained, standing to meet his face. She pulled him into a kiss, while Ayanna stopped deep-throating, and smothering his length in full, heavy breasts. Using the saliva they had coated him in while the sucked, she moved her tats up and down his cock. “Unless you have another idea…”
 
Yusef stared hungrily down at the two women, glancing frequently at the captain's door. She 'frequently discouraged' this, did she? Well, let her come out here. He'd have her on her back, fucking her before her whole crew! Wringing cries of animal pleasure from her before filling her cunt with his seed. Fuck, why hadn't that stuck-up bitch lingered? He could be balls deep in...

"We were hoping one of us could ride your cock, while the other one rides your face," Lita said, kissing him while Ayanna's soft tits fucked his cock. "Unless you have another idea..."

Letting you both lick your stuck-up captain's cunt while she cums hard on my dick, he thought. "None," he husked, kicking off his boots and stepping out of his pants. He sank to his knees on the polished deck, alternately kissing and nipping at each woman in turn, hands exploring their naked flesh. He let them push hum back, watching momentarily as Ayanna ground the slick lips of her cunt along his thick shaft until Lita's thighs blocked his vision an her soaking mound pressed against his lips.

He grabbed a double handfull of Lita's soft ass, listening to her moan like the whore she was as his tongue lapped at her slit and wirked deep into her. As he did he felt Ayanna's cunt part around his head, felt her drip down his length as she slowly tried to take him in. With agonizing slowness she sank down him until - with a sound of mingled pleasure and discomfort - he was buried completely in her.
 
“You sure you can take that much cock?” Lita teased, eyes rolling back into her head as Yusef tongued her clit. Ayanna hadn’t started moving yet, just letting his pulsing meat stretch her. Swaying back and, building herself into a rhythm to fuck him. Lita provided a bit more motivation, leaning forward to toy with Ayanna’s clit and grope at her breast.

“Come on, fuck him. I want a turn too,” Lita groaned, his tongue working magic within her.

“I think he might break me,” Ayanna whined, bouncing along his length. High pitched whimpers accompanied her motions, pushing her slit to its limits. “I know he’s going to break you.”

“Then let me break my pussy off on that cock!” Lita growled, clenching around Yusef’s brilliant tongue. “We got…fuck…a couple weeks…uh…UH..before…” Whatever she was going to say was lost to her orgasm, gushing against Yusef’s lips. “before we reach Garabahad. I could spend it recovering in my bunk.” She recovered in quick pants, leaning forward to kiss Ayanna now. Ayanna went harder down his cock, her fat ass smacking his thighs in tempo to her cries.

“Cap’n gonna have Qitarah whip you if you think you can spend two weeks recovering from a broken pussy you didn’t even get paid for,” Ayanna giggled, taking his entire length now. Lita’s nimble finger drew her closer to the edge.

“You know how much people pay for that privilege?” Lita joked, holding Ayanna soft tits in place while she fucked herself wild on Yusef’s cock. She nipped at her breast, sucking greedily at the massive mounds.

Ayanna’s rapid, shallow panting meant she wasn’t going to last much longer, Her head thrown back as her inner walls gripped him like a fist. “FUCK!” She screamed out, leaving him soaked in her bliss.



Gods of Hell, did they have to be so fucking loud? Aurelia laid in her hammock, wet heat building between her thighs at the sound of sex occurring not far from her door. She brought the wine bottle back to her lips, pissed now to discover it was empty, and she was no closer to sleep. Fucking hell, the rest of the alcohol was still on deck, and there was no way she could grab some more with alerting the trio to her presence.

Angry, still feeling the effects of the evening’s excitement in her blood, (and the effects of last evening’s excitement throbbing on her shoulder) she knew she was going to have to do something if she hoped to get any sleep tonight. Within arm’s length, as it always was, was a fine wooden box, with a simple latch. Lined with velvet, it contained a finely blown glass phallus. Aurelia’s secret for making long voyages without giving into the urge to fuck her crew.
 
Yusef drove himself up, deep into Ayanna's clenching cunt as she screamed out her orgasm on his cock. She rippled and tughtened on his length, a silken vise that would have driven any man wild. But he found it... lacking. Found himself wanting an aggressive, demanding woman astride him, taking his cock as a challenge as she fucked him as hard as he fucked her. A woman like Aureli who'd fought his every demand and foreced her own back against him...

Snarling with irritation he rolled, shoving both women off him. Before either could protest he seized Lita by the hair and pushed her across Ayanna's body. "I'm not finished,"he growled, forcing his meat deep into Lita's gapimg cunt. "You want to be broken? You want me to wreck this tight pussy with this dick?" His abdomen slammed into her ass as he battered her depths, heavy balls slapping against Ayanna's soaked mound on every thrust.

She made little whimpering sounds as he used her, sounds that could have been pleasure or pain or both. He didn't know, and he didn't care. "You wanted this," he sneered, pulling back on her long blonde hair, forcing her body nack so he could whisper in her ear. "You wanted this thick cock, wrecking your whore's cunt. Didn't you. Didn't you!"

Suddenlyhe released her, shoving her forward so he could grip her hips. Wuththe improved leverage, his cock pistoned faster and harder into her slit. "Now you're getting it! And I'm going to use you as my personal fucktoy till I fill you to the brim with cum!" Fight me, whore! his mind demanded. Make me work for it! "Tell me!" he roared, the air full of her cries and the wet sounds of flesh on flesh. "Tell me you're my fucktoy!"
 
"You wanted this thick cock, wrecking your whore's cunt. Didn't you? Didn't you?!"

Yes, Aurelia groaned into her closed mouth, fucking herself hard with her toy. Eyes closed, as she imagined Yusef over her, fucking that dense rod into her. Imagined moving her own hips against his, clenching legs pulling him into her.

The toy she used wasn’t as big as him. But it was made of glass, so it was hard, with absolutely no give as she drove it into her depths. Still somewhat tender from what they had done last night, she’d be damned if she let him get the better of her. Even though he had little to do with this, with her fantasies of taking him again, while she pleasured herself.

"Now you're getting it! And I'm going to use you as my personal fucktoy till I fill you to the brim with cum!"

It was hard not to moan, to cry out as her juices coated the glass phallus. And they were being so loud out on the deck she could hear it clear as day in here. As if he were calling the words to her, as he filled her full of cock.

"Tell me you're my fucktoy!"

Make me! Her mind growled, bicep flexing as her pounded herself harder, watching her toy disappear within her. Make me want it! But she did want it. Want him, fucking her the way he was fucking them.

Yusef! She bit her lower lip to stop herself from screaming his name as climax took her, the metallic fluid seeping in her mouth and against her tongue as her body quivered.



Lita gasped and whimpered as Yusef fucked her hard, testing her limits and skill. Fuck she had wanted it, but now she felt like she was getting used. She really was going to need to recover after this night. Ayanna pulled her into a kiss, as Yusef drove into her, offering some passion to offset his aggression. She was a professional, of course, and could take it. Slick from her orgasm helped, even as she was helpless against his ferocity.

“I’m…yours…your fucktoy…yours.”
 
It really wasn't what he wanted to hear. He wanted fire, defiance, a struggle for dominance that would make the carnal act that much hotter. But he was close, and if he couldn't have mind-blowing then he'd settle for release. But still, he couldn't help compare Lita and her surrender to the spunk and aggression that Aurellua had shown the night before, and couldn't stop imagining coffee skin and raven hair as he plowed the pale blonde whore beneath him.

With a powerful thrust that drove Lita down upon Ayanna's body, Ysef drove his meag deep into her body once more. His head tossed back as his orgasm found him, and his hips slamedinto her ass with bruising force as spurts of hot cum lashed her inner walls. Then he pulled out, driving his slick rod between the two women, coating them both with his seed as he pumped the last of his pleasure onto their skin.

He remained like that for a long minute afterwards, hands braced in Lita's shoulders as his chest heaved and he caught his breath. He should be satisfied, he knew. Both of these women were hot as the brazen streets of the City of Fire, and biyh knew how to pleasure a man. But neither compared to Aurelia, and...

He shook his head, angrily. Clearly, he nreded to fuck more. "Move," he growled, slapping Lita's ass. "Clean each other off, while I give her some if what you just had!" And with that, he drove his still hard shaft into Ayanna with a single thrust. If he had to fuck all night, he'd get that crazy bitch thief of an employer out of his head!
 
Orgasm had done little to ease Aurelia’s mind. She still craved Yusef. His body and his hands and his mouth and his magnificent cock. And therein laid the problem. She could masturbate away physical urges, but there was little to satisfy that longing. So she rested there, in the throes of her release, feeling unfulfilled and lonely. Feelings that deepened as she heard the guttural cry of his release. She stood now, tying her coat over her body, leaving thighs bare, but it didn’t matter. She would scatter the lascivious group, and grab another bottle of wine that would finally put her to sleep, (and give her a nasty hangover, but that was a problem for tomorrow).

Maybe she’d lecture Yusef. Yell at him for disregarding her words from just this morning. Get right in his face, and tempt him into fighting with her. Tempt him into ripping off her coat, so she could throw him down on the deck, and show him who was really in charge here. Make him beg for her, and release.

Standing at the door to the deck, with fantasies of fucking him for the rest of the night pumping her up, she looked through the porthole, seeing Ayanna and Lita painted in his pearly climax. She was pushing the door open, as Yusef spoke again.

"Move," he growled, slapping Lita's ass. "Clean each other off, while I give her some if what you just had!"

And then he was fucking Ayanna again, while Lita straddled her face. Emotions she wouldn’t label as envy or regret (but most would) lashed through her, but she would only allow herself anger. Seething, that of course he preferred the easy women, women that would have let him do anything to them. Just like any other man. Sighing, she leaned against the door, hoping it would be over soon. Whether she meant the fucking happening on the deck, or the budding fixation on Yusef, Aurelia couldn’t say for certain.



Ayanna moaned into Lita’s cunt, once more feeling herself get fucked on Yusef’s cock. And, despite having taken him once this evening, it still felt as if he was stretching and filling her to the brim. It was different this time, him fucking her instead of her fucking him, rougher that she thought she would have liked. But Lita’s skilled tongue worked her clit, and it was easier to take the dense dick plowing her slit.
 
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