The scent of salt and rum filled the air as I flitted through the streets of Najma, my wings shimmering under the golden lanterns that swayed in the evening breeze. This port city was a den of rogues and misfits, where narrow alleys twisted like a labyrinth and the buildings leaned together as if whispering secrets. The docks bustled with sailors unloading crates of exotic goods—spices from the East, rare silks, glittering trinkets that had been stolen and sold a dozen times over. Barmaids shouted drunken men out of taverns with flickering signs, their laughter mixing with the distant strains of a fiddle. The thrill of the unknown made my heart beat faster. It had taken me days of constant travel, dodging storms and avoiding pesky giants, to reach this place.
I weaved between the towering figures of humans, careful to stay out of their line of sight. Most wouldn’t think twice about swatting away a pixie if they caught one snooping around their pockets. But I wasn’t just any pixie—I was Shea, the greatest thief of my clan. I had slipped past vigilant guards, plucked jewels from noblewomen’s wrists, and pilfered gold from under the noses of the greediest merchants. My fingers were quick, my wings silent as moonlight. No one ever saw me coming. That was, until I saw her.
She stood at the edge of the docks, laughing with a group of sailors, her voice rich and husky like aged whiskey. Her skin was the color of warm earth, kissed by the sun and wind, and her wild red hair tumbled past her shoulders in thick waves, catching the glow of the lanterns. She had the body of a warrior—lean muscle beneath her open, gold-embroidered coat. Beneath it, a white blouse clung to her frame, tucked into high-waisted black breeches that accentuated her curves. A thick leather belt wrapped around her waist, securing a gleaming cutlass and a few pistols. She moved with an effortless grace, like the sea itself, unpredictable and dangerous.
But it wasn’t just her beauty that held me captive—it was the necklace around her neck.
A deep blue stone, almost black, set in gold. It pulsed with an energy that made my wings tremble. It wasn’t an ordinary gemstone; I could feel the magic within it, thrumming like a heartbeat. I didn’t know why, but I had to have it.
A plan formed in my mind as I hovered closer, the noise of the bustling dockside providing perfect cover. I would dart in, unclip the necklace, and disappear into the night before she even noticed. I had done this a hundred times before. This would be no different. I made my move.
The moment my tiny hands grasped the clasp, a strong hand shot up and closed around me. Panic surged through me as I found myself trapped in a firm but surprisingly gentle grip. I twisted and thrashed, but her fingers held me with ease. I looked up into deep brown eyes filled with amusement—and something else, something sharp and knowing.
“Well, well,” she mused, bringing me up to eye level. “Didn’t expect seeing a pixie around these parts.”
I struggled harder, my wings buzzing frantically. “Let me go!” I squeaked.
She smirked. “Why would I do that, thief?”
I swallowed hard. “I-I wasn’t stealing! I was just… admiring!”
She arched a brow. “From my neck?”
I winced. “I can explain—”
“Oh, I’m sure you can.”
She curled her fingers around me, her warmth seeping into my skin, and turned away from the docks. I yelped in protest, kicking against her palm, but she simply ignored me. Her grip never tightened, never hurt me, but it was unyielding. She carried me through the dimly lit streets with the ease of someone who knew every shadow of Najma. I had spent years sneaking through alleys, mapping the rooftops, but she moved as though the city itself bent to her will.
She pushed open the door of a tavern, its wooden sign creaking overhead. The scent of spiced rum and sea brine filled the air, and drunken laughter rumbled from the lower level. The room was dimly lit by hanging lanterns, their glow reflecting off the brass fittings of the bar. The walls were lined with faded maps and old weapons—cutlasses, harpoons, pistols long out of use. A few sailors glanced up from their drinks as she passed, some nodding in recognition, others quickly averting their eyes. Whoever she was, she commanded respect.
Without hesitation, she strode up a set of narrow stairs. The wooden steps creaked under her boots, and I craned my neck to see where she was taking me. A private room? A secret lair? My mind raced with possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. I had no idea who she was or what she planned to do with me, but one thing was clear.
I wriggled frantically. “L-Look, we can talk about this! Maybe we can make a deal?”
She chuckled. “Oh, you’ll pay for trying to rob me, pixie. That much is certain.”
I paled as she entered a candlelit room and shut the door behind her. The lock clicked into place. This wasn’t going according to plan at all.
Desperation clawed at me. "Please! It was just a mistake! I didn’t mean any harm!"
Reya’s expression darkened. "A mistake?" She moved swiftly, grabbing a length of rope from the corner of the room. The walls were lined with maps, weapons, and trinkets from across the seas, giving the place the feel of a pirate's private treasure hoard. Before I could react, she had me bound tightly, my wings pinned against my back. I squirmed, but the knots were secure.
She stepped back, arms crossed, her fingers tapping against the hilt of her cutlass. Her brown eyes burned with something deeper than simple anger. "Pixie kind doesn’t earn my mercy. Not after what your people did."
I froze. "W-what do you mean?"
Her jaw clenched. "Your kind helped the Sawfan Republic during the war. The same war that left thousands dead." She took a sharp breath, her voice tight with pain. "Including my parents."
Guilt and fear knotted in my stomach. "I-I had nothing to do with that! I was just a child when the war happened!"
"That doesn’t change what was done," she said coldly. "You’ll earn no mercy from me, little thief."
Before I could protest further, her fingers tightened around me once more.
The pressure was firm, squeezing just enough to make me feel like my bones would shatter as I let out a sharp shriek, wings fluttering uselessly against my bindings. "Stop! Please! You're hurting me!"
Reya held me there for a moment, watching my frantic writhing with a look of cruel satisfaction before she finally relaxed her grip. I gasped for air, trembling as she examined me like a predator toying with its prey.
"Hurting you?" she mused, tilting her head. "No, I think you deserve something more fitting."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully, as if considering my fate. Then, a faint gurgle echoed from her stomach. The sound was quiet, but in the silence of the room, it was impossible to ignore.
A slow, wicked grin spread across her lips.
"Ah," she murmured, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Now there's an idea."
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. "W-what do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Reya chuckled and leaned back slightly, her hands resting on her hips. "I have a special punishment for thieves like you," she said, her voice dripping with mischief.
"I-I don't understand." I uttered, a sense of dread started to creep on me.
She lifted me higher, letting me dangle in front of her as her grin widened. "You wanted something of mine, little thief. Well, now, it seems I'm going to take something from you."
Then, with deliberate slowness, she unfastened the buttons of her coat and pulled it open, revealing the toned plane of her stomach. Her skin was a deep, sun-kissed bronze, smooth yet marked by the faintest silvered scars—proof of battles fought and won. The candlelight traced the subtle definition of her abdominal muscles, the gentle curve of her waist leading down to the strong lines of her hips. A few faint freckles dotted her skin, and a single tattoo curled at her side, half-hidden in shadow. Her stomach tensed slightly as she stretched, a display of quiet strength, as if daring me to defy her further.
She lifted me higher, just above her face, and her expression darkened with amusement. Slowly, she parted her lips, revealing sharp white teeth and a deep, dark cavern beyond. Her breath was warm, tinged with the scent of spiced rum. The flickering candlelight cast shadows against the inside of her mouth, illuminating the curve of her tongue and the glistening moisture lining her cheeks. Her grin widened as she held me there, savoring my helplessness.
I whimpered, kicking my legs weakly. "P-please, Reya! You don't have to do this!"
The pirate did not reply, instead she pinned me against her bare stomach. I felt the warmth radiating from her body as I was brushed against the soft skin of her belly. I let out a sharp gasp at the sudden warmth, my tiny body sinking slightly against her smooth skin. The heat of her body radiated against me, and beneath the surface, I could feel the faint rise and fall of her breathing. Her skin was marked with the faintest of scars—reminders of battles fought long before I ever set foot in this wretched city.
"P-please," I stammered, my voice barely more than a squeak. "I—I didn’t mean anything by it! Just let me go, and you’ll never see me again!"
Reya’s golden eyes locked onto me, unreadable yet unrelenting. "You think a few pretty words will erase what your kind has done?" she said, her voice low and edged with steel. "I told you, pixie—I have no mercy for you."
I struggled, my wings twitching uselessly against her fingers. “I—I was wrong!” I choked out. “I shouldn’t have—”
She let out a slow, thoughtful hum, the vibrations rumbling against me. Then, she lifted me effortlessly, bringing me closer to her face. My heart pounded as I found myself staring directly into her eyes, those golden irises glinting with something unreadable.
But the pirate merely laughed, her fingers tightening slightly around me. “It’s time. Little thief” She purred.
Then she parted her lips. My heart sank as I saw her tongue extend as if to welcome a guest. Her teeth gleamed in the dim candlelight, sharp canines catching the flickering glow. Her breath, tinged with salt and spice, washed over me as she opened her mouth wider, revealing the dark cavern beyond.
I thrashed wildly. "No—wait! Please!"
And then—she let go.
I plummeted downward, straight into the warmth of her waiting mouth. I tried getting my bearings and fluttered my wings, but it was too late.
The moment I landed on her tongue, the slick heat engulfed me, her tongue moved inside, and her lips were shut sealed, I was trapped inside her, hidden from the outside world. The air was humid, thick with the scent of wine and honey. The soft, wet muscle beneath me shifted, pressing me against the roof of her mouth. I squirmed, screaming, but my voice was muffled by the enclosing flesh. Her tongue curled, tossing me slightly, coating me in warm saliva. Panic clawed at my chest as I thrashed, feeling the powerful muscles of her mouth moving around me.
I sobbed, choking on the slickness that seeped into my skin. My tiny body trembled as the walls around me flexed, teasing, savoring. The overwhelming heat, the crushing wetness—I was drowning in it, swallowed by something far greater than myself.
The fleshy floor shifted as I felt my body slide down into the abyss that was her throat. I was pinned against the floor of her mouth and shot back, my body brushed against her dangling uvula until a sound reverberated across the mouth and felt it deep in my bones.
GLURK!
I tried to flight it, but my puny body was no match for the might of the pirate’s gargantuan body. I tried moving my wings in a last ditch effort, but to no avail. I felt immense pressure as the oesophagus pressed on my tiny form from all directions, pushing me down, I was unable to move, unable to cry for help, and I wasn’t even able to think because of it all. The pressure and the sounds of her body overwhelmed every bit of my senses.
Finally, I felt my body slid down a tight opening and then fell unceremoniously into her waiting stomach with a wet plop. My wings lightly lit the chamber that I was in. The atmosphere was humid, oppressive, and the scent of rum filled my nostrils. I was surrounded by undulating walls and the sounds my Reya’s body drowned my ears.
Then the realization sank in. I had been swallowed whole. Consumed. No different than a piece of carrot cake or a gulp of beer. I had been reduced to nothing more than sustenance for some pirate, my life now nothing but a passing pleasure for someone who likely wouldn't even remember my existence come morning. Reya had completely and utterly reduced me into nothings, and I cannot do anything about it but wait my doom.
Terror clawed at my mind as the acidic pool at my feet began to sting. My delicate skin burned as the corrosive fluids lapped at my legs, the tingling sensation quickly escalating to unbearable pain. I screamed, my cries bouncing uselessly against the glistening walls, lost amidst the ceaseless sounds of digestion. I tried to scramble away, but there was nowhere to run. The chamber was alive, moving, shifting, eager to break me down and make me part of it. I pressed my hands against the writhing walls, but they were slick and unyielding, pushing me back toward the pit of churning acid that eagerly awaited my inevitable collapse.
I fell to my knees, my strength spent, my spirit shattered. There was no way out. No rescue. No second chances. My life as Shea, the once-proud pixie, had come to an end. I was nothing more than a morsel, a fleeting indulgence that would soon be forgotten. My vision blurred, my senses dulled, and the last thing I saw was the fading glow of my wings as the darkness swallowed me whole.
And then... there was nothing.