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~Blackbeak~

Tears ran down the face of the old pirate as he sat at his desk, surrounded by treasure.  In his claws, he grasped the sketched portrait of a young female.  Tears blurred his vision as he stared down at her.  She had left him for that measly, little excuse for a blacksmith who could barely feed himself.

The griffon laughed harder, tears streaming down his face, as he imagined them in some run-down shack with a old, leaky roof and thin, holey walls that wouldn't keep out the chill.

How many winters will they survive, he wondered as he sipped his goblet of wine.  It didn't matter to him.  He wiped a tear from his eye as he chuckled again.  He had everything he needed right here, safe and sound aboard his ship.  Let the little bitch freeze with her useless flockmate.  He didn't care...

...he had bigger fish to fry.

Pushing back from his desk, the massive, silver griffon rose from his chair and walked out onto the ship's deck.  His crew cheered as they watched him emerge from his cabin.  The stormy sea rocked the ship mercilessly and rain spat in his face as he looked upon his crew, each eager gaze meeting his.

The griffon captain roared at them to get back to work, a smile creeping across his jet-black beak.  As the crew replied with happy cheers, his first mate approaches him, a mug of mead grasped in his claw.  Handing it to the captain, the first mate asked what their heading might be.  Lighting flashed across the sky as, in a booming voice, the captain answered,

"Tonight we head where there are no rules!  Tonight we make haste towards the accursed land!  We have all the treasure that we need," at this the crew cheered again, raising their claws and weapons into the air, "But...we need the youth!!!"  

The crew's roared drowned out even the sounds of the storm as they cheered, each knowing exactly where they were headed.  Griffons scrambled along the deck as each one of them manned their station.  Quickly the crew hoisted the mainsail, the black, tattered cloth catching the howling winds of the storm.  The ship lurched forward as the crew worked with a will, a old sea shanty sung amongst them as they toiled.

As his crew slaved away, the captain made his way to the helm.  Grasping the wheel in his claws, he felt a grin spread across his face.  His red eyes flashed with an eerie light as lightning streaked across the sky.  Letting loose a howl to the winds, the captain yanked on the wheel, adjusting their current heading.

Satisfied that they were on course, the captain handed off the wheel to his first mate.  Working his way across the deck, the captain weaved between his crew.  Making his way to the bowsprit, he grasped at the ropes, steadying his footing as the ship cut through another nasty wave.  Gazing out across the dark, stormy sea, the captain could feel his spirit soar.

"Tonight we head for glory," he laughed, wind whipping through his feathers and salt stinging at his eyes.  "and no force in all the New World or the Free World can stop us!"  He laughed again as a lightning bolt struck the wave in front of him and thunder ripped through the air.

"You better batten down the hatches, Celestia," he growled, a hunger look flashing across his predatory face.  "Blackbeak is coming for you..."