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Taff smile broadly

"Princess this ship is no ordinary vessel, it was made by dragons for dragons, I assure you even Sendara will be very comfortable and the ship will easily endure the added weight" chuckled Taff lightly at her worry

"As for keeping Sendara occupied and still it is simple enough... dragons love their nests and they keep their most precious treasure in their nests, all I have to do is to pick up the storm seeds, the white, blue, silver and green gems and leave them at the crow's nest. One is precious, four are alluring enough to keep a dragon still, guarding that hoard" smiled Taff

"The harder part will be not getting you killed by hungry men, we may have to cut all sails to stop them climbing and block off the cannons and harpoons" shrugged Taff

"An the even more difficult part is going to be your rider, he is so besotted with you, I doubt he will simply allow you to curl up and be still... for all I know you'll be surfing the seas and skies to death and beyond.. I think he cannot simply help himself, never seen him as satified and proud as when he has his dragon. Look, see for yourself" offered Taff

He came into the room, running the curtains shut and closing the door to create some darkness and silence, then he leaning back onto the bed and summoned a globe, shaking it slightly and watching it glow brighter the more he spoke to the globe, a glowing mist rising within to show images of time and distance.



"Dangoswch fi y ddraig Sendara a'i farchog" which meant "Show me the dragon Sendara and his knight" demanded Taff handing the orb into the princess hands letting Ryiah see the whole event from the moment she turned dragoness till she returned to her human form, waiting for her to see all.

"I grow drained the more magic is used, I have been summoning food to keep tying us over, every now and then, but the rations are not enough to fill up the men to their heart's content. I must use my powers with the last of strength left to help you become a dragon and get the black gem, a rare stone seed that is black and shiny like an onyx stone" mumbled Taff

Ryiah curled her fingers around the globe he gave her, watching with wide eyes her transformation into dragoness, Calico's claiming of her as her rider, and the breathtaking flight which followed. A lump grew in her throat and she pushed away the emotion which welled within her, unsure what it was exactly. Swallowing hard, she handed the orb back to Taff when the scene finished, a hand reaching up to run through her locks as she thought.

Twisting the strands into a braid and tying it up into a knotted bun, she finally stood, turning to the warlock. "Well then. Let us summon Sendara." She said simply, feeling a pang of longing, wishing she could be whole, could know what she did and enjoy the flight. Yet that was a pleasure denied her until she completed her quest. Chin lifting she once again promised herself she would complete it, while still protecting those she was growing to care for.

Hoping not to ruin yet another of her mother's dresses, Ryiah asked Taff to wait outside while she put on a simple shift undergarment, then exited the room to stand just outside where Taff waited. "Let us waste no more time. We need to refuel with food and such as soon as possible. I am ready."

Taff gawked, jaw dropping stunned as she came out to stand quite literally in undergarments, a knot at his throat of sheer embarrassment. His face was bright red and blushed and clearly uncomfortable at the lady before him.

"So... bedding the princess on my watch, are we?" accused Calico as he was coming to state they would not make it to the yet nearest island either.

He frowned at the scene before him, Taff, emerging from the darkened room, with the princess smiling right behind, dressed in naught but thin undergarments, clearly, in their haste to conceal the affair she must have forgotten to put her attire back on after a frisky affair.

What else could it have required her to undress, otherwise, uh? thought out and assumed Calico

"I trust you know such inappropriatedness will not be forgotten easily, and from a royal manservant no less, I need not remind you such unlawful advances carry death penalty of high treason" reminded Calico as if it were not well know already

Taff looked up in horror, wide eyed at his accusations of cavorting with the princess

"You... er.... I.... We... She..." stammered Taff at loss for words swallowing hard to try to focus to concentrate, to try to explain himself yet clearly failing at it.

Between her lack of clothes and his matching assumptions it just got too much for the shy warlock resorting to accepting the guilt and asking forgiveness instead, his mind stunned and blocked to think what to say

"So.. sorry... so ... so.. sorry" mumbled Taff all the more horrified he had dared stare at the under dressed princess, apologising to her though Calico took it as admittance of guilt. The horror of such breach of protocol and good manners making it even worse than before if his face could possibly get any reader or sweatier

"Disgraceful!" scoffed Calico walking off in a stomp to return to his quarters slamming the door shut that the princess had bedded the shy manservant whilst having a manly enough body about, like his, at her disposal for such pleasures

Ryiah, speechless at what had just occured, watching Calico's door slam behind him, looked down at her undergarments in bewilderment, mouth slightly agape. They were modest enough, as undergarments went, covering all the personal things with white slightly frilly cloth. She didn't understand the men's reaction, yet as she glanced back at her dark rooms she began to realize, slowly, what Calico had thought.

"Oh..." she said softly, a long sigh escaping her. "I just didn't want the pretty dresses to be ruined. That infernal pirate should stop jumping to conclusions." She muttered. Feeling a bit angry he would think her so fickle to suddenly bed the warlock. Blushing a bit herself now she sighed again, looking back to Taff. "Let's just get it over with..." she muttered, "then maybe the rogue will see the reason behind my current attire." There isn't room for a dragoness in my quarters or else I wouldn't have left them in this state. With you men's silly reactions you would think I weren't clothed at all." Her muttering held a slightly morose note, a bit grumpy now as well as hungry.

Taff ducked the head to stare at the toes, trying to think "I... can't ... do it... I can't focus... not after this" winced Taff backing away to keep a respectful distance between them both, closeness clearly not about to help the situation, "Your highness must excuse my untoward behaviour, I had no intention to openly gaze or stare at your grace at all" tried to explain Taff, swallowing hard at her scoldings, distracted to the point he backed away so much that he ran out of space on deck, tripping down the steps.

"Sendara...." shouted Taff, trying in vain to grasp the railings for balance to no avail, simply clumsily and awkwardly falling down the stairs and knocking himself unconscious in the process, leaving her... a dragon.

With the change now set in motion Ryiah had no time to check if Taff was okay, her mouth still ajar as the warlock fell, moving a few steps forward, a hand lifting as the change took her, ripping the silly undergarments to shreds as her form flickered and shifted.

Blackness took her for she knew not how long, her conciousness as Ryiah pushed to the far depths, and seemingly chained there as Sendara emerged, scales glinting and claws scratching at the decking as she rose slowly, fighting through the usual confusion resulting from such a change. Plumes of smoke shot from her nostrils as she took in the scene, the shredded garment, the unconscious warlock, and the ship with men now scurrying in sudden fright away from her.

They were right to run. Her eyes glinted angrily as she blamed them for her position here. Had they dared to try and take her captive, had she been somehow put under a spell, only now coming back to herself? A jet of boiling water shot from her jaws to sizzle upon the wooden planks.

There was nothing now to urge her flight up to the crow's nest, no nest of gems there to entice her as Taff had fallen uncontious before finishing his plan, his head too muddled by the recent events.

Sendara moved about the deck, snarling at the men as she moved and shooting jets of vapor and scalding water at any who stared too long at her. She shook her mighty neck, each step causing the boat to shudder despite its being built for such weight. She lifted her head and roared, lifting her wings to prepare to take flight. She would show these silly mortals what she would do, show them she would not tolerate being held in captivity. She would send their ship to the depths.

Calico came out of the quarters annoyed at the unexpected screams and commotion, his anger completely gone by the time his eyes set on the mighty beast.

"Sendara.... Sendara... I thought I wouldn't see you" smiled Calico rushing to the beast, arms wide opened, whether it liked cuddles or not, almost a child who just found his beloved stray pet.

Morgan rushed over the deck, despite the beastly dragon, to rush to tend to Taff, seeing the blood trickling from his head.

"Want to come up the crow's nest? I want to see where is the food and the islands around here, too many days without eating really weaken a man, even a stubborn one like me" admitted Calico not caring Morgan smirked at that confession, casting that to the back of his mind for the next time he held the rogue in the royal dungeons again, soon.

Sendara turned, eyes narrowing as Calico Jack came quickly towards her, arms outstretched. Because he had ridden her previously he was the only one of the bunch she recognized, yet this didn't mean she was ready to allow him on her back once again. No... for some reason, Sendara felt she should be upset with the man. Perhaps this was a leftover feeling from the odd being called Ryiah who kept trying to resurface. The human woman was upset with the man...

Sendara moved back, puffing out a jet of steam to urge caution into Calico, her eyes narrowed still. Have a care.... she said into his mind. She gazed up at the crows nest. Why would I desire to go up there? There is nothing interesting for me there. Nay..
I will drown this ship. These men... they must have somehow taken me on board. I would never have chosen to do so willingly. They must die...

"Come now stop being such a bickering woman... " protested Calico insisting on staying close by the pet, whether it liked the company or not. "We need to find a black storm seed, you like treasure don't you?" quizzed Calico

Calico looked down at Taff horrified to see him wounded.

"Sendara... you're a royal dragon, healing is your greatest power... fix Taff..." asked if demanded Calico

Puffing out another grumpy jet of steam at Calico, Sendara glanced at Taff impassively, yet the command caused her to reluctantly turn to the prone form, a hiss of steam escaping her maw. With a low grumbling growl she lowered her muzzle and touched it to Taff's chest, where a light flashed brightly for a moment before it seemed to sink into him. Then she glanced over his form, puffing out a breath of light which moved to the wound on his head, closing it before their eyes.

Once finised she gave a snort of satisfaction and turned away as if bored. Where is this treasure?" she asked Calico, curious despite herself. She shuffled her wings a bit, eyeing the men around her who looked very hungry, and distrustful as well. One of them had stooped to gather a handful of chains, perhaps thinking to secure her with them. She showed him her fangs, eyes glittering with menace.

"No one touches my dragon else you're good as dead, if she doesn't eat you then I kill you and feed you to the sharks" warned Calico seeing the hungry men looking at Sendara, not at all pleased with that.

Taff woke up after being healed, at first, his reaction was scrambling in fear at finding himself flat on the floor with the beast close enough to appear to be the dragon's meal. Once he rubbed his head, remembering the fall, he smiled relieved to not find the buzzing pain that had made him pass out. "Ahh thank you... for your gift of healing" muttered Taff sheepishly.

Remembering the quest he rushed into Ryiah's quarters, grabbing the pouch of gems and climbed up the rafters all the way up to the crow´s nest.

"My my four precious, unique, shining treasures, for this beautiful nest.... aren't they quite the thing?" asked Taff aloud, taking two in each hand to make sure the sun shone upon them and gave them that sparkling glitter that the storm seeds contained

That was all the urging Sendara needed to take flight, lifting off the deck and away from the hungry, fear filled gazes of the men. Once more in the sky, freedom was hers to claim and she roared with happiness. Circling higher she flew until the crows nest was just beneath her, seeing the glittering treasures there. She snorted a puff of steam, giving Taff the cue to leave her treasure alone.

Thumping down to land her claws clutching the crows nest, she wrapped her body around the spire and settled to lay there, looking quite contented as she nosed the seeds, as if counting them. She kept an eye trained below upon the men which watched her and if any took a step toward the rigging to climb up, she shot a jet of scalding water toward them.

"Oh I'm sorry, didn't know this was your treasure from your nest... I'll just, get down shall I?" half mumbled Taff in a well trained innocent voice, well used to playing ignorant at the palace, putting the gems down inside the crow's nest and carefully getting back down.

He stood on deck watching Calico eye the beast, longingly, unwilling to disturb her happiness at her well guarded treasure yet missing his pet already, considering whether to climb or not. If it thought Calico was coming to steal the gems, he may well be knocked down and surviving that fall would be a feat of its own. Prudence dictated the man contented himself in watching the beast from the floor, and the hours passed and everyone was still awaiting Calico to give orders as to where they should be rowing towards next, in this stillness, the strange mist rose up across the sea and on deck, the sky darkened and the onyx gem showed itself at last.

"Sendara! Look.... treasure" pointed out Calico at the skull rocks closest to the ship that did no longer move, as long as the ship didn't either.

"Go get it girl... go get it..." encouraged Calico leaning on the railing to stare at the black stone which contrasted against the white rock, a skull that stood out among the otherwise sandy desert like islands

Sendara eyed Calico as he called up to her, his gaze for some reason riveted on her. She didn't really blame him, after all she was magnificent. A smug snort emitted from her nostrils as she burrowed deeper into her coil, enjoying the nest atop the lookout. From here she could see the sea stretching out, with islands dotting the landscape. Overhead the sun beat down, though it seemed a mist was rising... how odd.

And then she saw it, the black gem, and her desire grew. Yet, she felt reluctant to leave her cozy nest and she almost decided to stay, opting for guarding her four gems, rather than go for one more. But the call from Calico below urged her to spread her wings. Why was this bond between them so forceful? Why did she fell such an urge to do as his words suggested? She eyed him, a bit confused by it, yet couldn't deny the bond. Taking flight she stretched her wings, giving a glance back at her gems to make sure none were climbing up to steal them. Wheeling she angled her flight to take her to the seed, the mist darkening her surroundings some and making the air seem mysterious as she flew through it, almost as a ghost. Her talons snatched the seed treasure, and her eyes gleamed in triumph. Yet another to add to her hoard, oh yes, this was going very well indeed. As she flew back toward the ship, aiming once more for the crow's nest, the mist began to dissipate, though the heat stayed. She didn't mind the heat, in fact she reveled in it.

Curling once more about the crows nest spire she dropped the black orb with the other's. They were so beautiful... she nosed them affectionately, curling about them tightly and glancing down below at the mortals who were scurrying about, shooting her odd glances. Were they frightened of her still? Probably, and she could at any moment destroy their ship. Yet for now it provided a nice nest. She would just rule them from here.

Calico climbed up the rafters and ropes, up the sails and higher up he went seeking Sendara.
He too wanted to fly and feel the air of freedom brushing past his face.

Prodius was just much too hungry to wait any longer, he grabbed the harpoon and aimed it well at the dragon.

"Food... food... lots of meat... lots of food" shouted the pirate like a madman no longer seeing a dragon but seeing walking giant stakes out of her as he released the long thick arrow.

Calico looked wide eyed as the released dart was making its way to him and his dragon, gliding down the ropes to protect his pet from harm, the arrow embedded into his upper shoulder causing him to loose grip and fall down.

"Nooooo, Sendara.... help Calico...." shouted Taff, the mention of her name in fact causing the transformation to take place.

The sense of impending danger had caused Sendara to look down just before Prodius threw the harpoon, a growl and a jet of steam later she had been on her feet snarling with rage, the scalding water aimed at Prodius even as he loosed the harpoon.

Sendara then noticed Calico on his way up, and another snarl of rage emitted from her as the harpoon hit his shoulder. As the rider bond screamed the danger at her she took flight just before Taff called her name, the magic of his voice starting the shift. She felt it ripple through her, but her dive had already begun, wings folded to give her speed.

Just before she blacked out, the change taking her, she caught Calico in her talons and unfurled her wings, having time only to crash to the deck, protecting him from the fall, then knowing nothing as her body resumed its human form, pain lancing through it.

Morgan took charge of the ship ordering everyone to row to the island, the starvation clearly having set for too long among the crew.

He had Prodius seized and taken to the bilge and gave everyone a task to focus on before coming to help Taff tend to Calico and Ryiah, the princess of course taking priority as he covered her with his cloak and brought her to her chambers.

"I will have your manservant come at once to tend to you" assured Morgan coming to pick up Calico and bring the man to his own quarters too, sitting by the captain and tending to his wound the warrior's way, pulling out the harpoon, and stitching the wound before tightly bandaging the shoulder.

"You are lucky, had you glided quicker it would have pierced your heart..." muttered Morgan leaving Calico laying on the bed.

"The harpoon was rusty too, I have tried to clean up your wound but infection will be inevitable, the fever will set in soon, try to drink..." advised Morgan used to giving sound advice and healing to his men, before taking charge of the helm and gently guiding the ship to the shores to gather food, whatever they happened to find.

Ryiah didn't wake as quickly from her black fog this time around, her body bruised from its fall though the dragon form had taken the brunt of it. When she did wake, she lay on the bed in her room, a cloak wrapped around her. She sat up, head wracked with pain and a hiss escaped her lips, a hand going to touch her forhead.

What had happened. Confusion made moving nearly impossible as she tried to remember... her gaze staring about her room. With a sigh, she slowly and carefully rose, testing her limbs. They seemed to work fine, but ached fiercely, causing her to move very slowly.

At first she wondered why she was naked, cheeks burning as she then wondered who had brought her here. Then realized she had probably had more adventures as Sendara, and blinked. What had happened? Had she been successful in collecting the black seed? Still moving slow and grumbling in frustration at the pain she slipped into a dress and slowly moved to the door, trying twist her hair into a braid as she walked.

Once outside, she blinked to accustome her eyes to the light, and glanced around for Taff or Calico Jack, noticing they were docked at an island, some of the men gone ashore.

Taff looked at Ryiah, bowing lowly and gracefully before the princess.

"I think you should gaze at the orb... see what happened." muttered Taff watching Calico in deep sleep, sweating and shivering as the fever set in

"I could not use my powers to summon enough food and they thought Sendara would make a fine stake until Calico got in the way" explained Taff

"I appreciate Morgan's attempt at healing the man but without food and very little water left at this point... I am not sure if he will recover at all, never mind in time to collect the other seeds..." sighed Taff pursing his lips

"He just likes his dragon too much to let any harm come to it. Fool, bloody fool, dragons don't get hurt with harpoons anyways" winced Taff

Ryiah's moved to stand in Calico's doorway, not wanting to come in unless invited. She watched the man lay on the bed, blinking. Turning to Taff she cocked her head, "well then just change me back into Sendara, and have me heal the man." She was still a bit sore at him for his earlier presumptions, yet she didn't wish to see him suffer.

With a sigh she continued. "I feel useless as Ryiah... perhaps its best if you just leave me as Sendara until we find all the seeds. Calico obviously would appreciate it.." she muttered. Then she glanced toward the island. "Do the men know what fruits to gather? If not, perhaps I should go point some out... I know what many of them look like, as well as some edible tubers. Are there people living here on this island?"