When a plan comes together...

The rough tree bark against Johanna’s back was beginning to itch, and with her arms tied in place, the best she could do was squirm in place to try and relieve her discomfort. Her throat was sore, too, but it was beginning to recover. She had given Bone’s “Scream for help until Elara shows up” plan a solid few minutes effort, but with a sore throat and itchy back and uncomfortable limbs, her patience wore thin quickly. Johanna’s current plan was “Wait here until Bone unties me.”

But despite Johanna’s pessimism, it was in fact Elara who eventually dropped down in front of the captive captain, and not Bone. “Johanna!” She exclaimed, a look of worry clear on her face, “Are you okay?”

Johanna looked down at the length of rope fastening her in place against the tree, “I’ve been better, but I’m uninjured, at least.” She paused to double-check that statement, and noticed that her itch had subsided, “So I’m fine, I guess. Are you here to rescue me?”

Elara nodded, and took a step towards Johanna, “Yes, and we need to hurry, before- huh.” Elara stopped in place, a few feet away from Johanna, her feet firmly planted on the ground.

“Something wrong?” Johanna asked, genuine in her concern despite her complacency in Bone’s scheme.

“I can’t move,” Elara answered, simply.

Johanna looked down at Elara’s feet, but apart from the lightly vegetated jungle floor, there didn’t seem to be anything holding her in place. “I’m the one tied up here, Elara. Why can’t you move?”

Elara shifted her weight from one foot to the other, but couldn’t budge. She opened her mouth to answer, but another, deeper voice answered instead, “Snare runes.”

Bone seemed to appear out of the solid trunk of a tree behind Elara, dropping a chunk of wood to the ground as he did so. “One on the back of this tree, one on Johanna’s back. You’re not going anywhere, bitch.”

“Fuck,” Elara said. Her tattoos began to emit a strange light, but Bone quickly approached her from behind and delivered a swift, painful backhand to the back of her head. Elara fell to her knees with a scream of pain, and Johanna winced in sympathy.

“You don’t need to hurt her, Bone,” She said, once more trying to wiggle out of her restraints, “And untie me, already.”

Bone looked across to Johanna, then down to Elara, and sneered at the helpless woman below him. “She spared me no such mercies yesterday,” He stepped in front of Elara, turned to spit on the ground in front of her, then walked towards Johanna, “But you’ve been very helpful, Johanna. I think I can forgive you for your temporary betrayal, now.”

Leaning in, Bone pressed his lips against the captive Johanna briefly, pulling a surprised moan from the bound woman. By the time he pulled away, his deft hands had undone the appropriate knots, and the ropes binding Johanna fell to the ground. Her muscles sore from being restrained for so long, Johanna stumbled forward against Bone’s chest. The pirate wrapped an affectionate arm around Johanna, holding her in place as he turned them back towards Elara, still kneeling on the ground, unable to so much as lift an arm.

“Johanna,” She gasped, looking heartbroken and confused, “Did you, are you… Why?”

“She’s mine,” Bone said, “And soon, you will be too.”

Johanna opened her mouth to voice a dissenting opinion on this claim, but Bone took her open mouth as an invitation for another kiss. His tongue snaked its way into her mouth and Johanna couldn’t help but moan into the kiss, her bare nipples hardening against his chest. Maybe she was his, after all. Bone had other things to do besides make out with Johanna, though, and after thoroughly dominating her mouth, he casually peeled the captain away from his body and allowed her to stumble awkwardly onto her own two feet.

“See, bitch?” Bone bragged, approaching Elara once more. Standing huge and tall above her, Elara didn’t look nearly as impressive as she had yesterday. She was obviously still healthy, toned, naked, and beautiful, but on her knees, staring up at Bone, she seemed very small. Bone produced the stone knife Johanna had crafted yesterday, and ran the blade across his palm with practiced ease. Bending down, he took hold of one of Elara’s limp hands, and did the same with her. The disabled woman hissed in pain.

“Bone!” Johanna gasped, “Don’t!”

“Quiet!” Bone growled, pulling Elara’s palm towards him and dragging his tongue across her wound. His cut was not especially deep, and when he pulled his mouth away, his lips were red but no blood remained on Elara. More surprising, the cut seemed to have already disappeared. Evidently unwilling to leave the helpless woman unbloodied, Bone reached out with his own bloody palm, and placed a sanguine handprint on Elara’s forehead. Elara shivered, coughed, and muttered under her breath, suddenly looking very sick. Bone spoke clearly, his deep voice forming words that were almost painful to listen to, then flicked Elara’s forehead.

“That should do it,” He said, wiping the excess blood on Elara’s torso. He turned to Johanna, “Now, Stern, you wanted us to settle our difference without ****, right?”

This sounded like a trick, but Johanna nodded anyway. “I don’t know exactly what you did to her, but can you put away the knife, at least?”

Bone smiled, and tossed the knife to the side, “Of course. I think Elara and I are going to get along just fine, now...”