A scene for Elm.

“As a young future pirate, you’re most likely wondering how I’m to be married to Elm!” Scene quietly exclaimed atop the highest tree in the kingdom. Holding a freshly picked mango that his only friend, an annoyed macaw, was eyeing as it swung back and forth in its historically known clumsy captors' hands. “Well, you see, Drippy, I saved her.”

Drippy took his eye off of the fruit, stared at his feeder and swayed his head back and forth.

Scene huffed “You don’t know what you’re talking about, she noticed me.”

Drippy’s feathers fluttered as he puffed out his chest and held his beak high.

In between the boy’s stiffed laughter, he managed to choke out “Yeah buddy, you have all the Tweedledee birds after your good looks.”

The bird lifted one wing and swung it through the air, brushing the child off.

“How do you get your feathers so fresh?”

Drippy thought back to this morning. In his single nest carefully slicing off a sliver of coconut inner-eds and adding it to the mist defuser, Scene had made him a year ago.

“Elm, look at her.” Though the brightly colored flowers and lush trees was a spec of lilac in the market. The pair rushed to see more, not without protests from spectators as Scene leaped his way though houses, grabbing scraps where ever there was some lose.

On closer inspection, the lilac blob danced her way into a stunning display of window shopping. She pondered the bread, holding it next to her gills and softly cracking the shell. The owner looked on with a pleased smile, placing loves into the arms of a taller woman apologizing behind her.

“Elm, what are you doing?” She hurriedly whispered while trying to balance a banquet meal in her arms.

The girl giggled, swiped some strands of rogue long curly black hair out of her face and admired a basket weaver. “Would this hold up on the mountain?”

The taller woman heaved the food into one of the bigger baskets. With a thud, shut the lid.

Startled, Elm turned toward her.

“Shen didn’t ask father here for a trek up the volcano!”

Elm shook her head. “I know sister. He’s going to marry one of us and I won’t let it be me.”

Her sister rolled her eyes, whorled around and trudged off. Scene turned to Drippy. “Did you hear that! Elm wants to go up the mountain! I bet Tyas and the others would take us!”

Drippy dropped the mango from his beak as he watched Scene run towards the Grogg.

Grogg was a barely put together seafood bar. No one with money traversed it’s surprisingly comfortable net seating for the crabs though. Nor the fish that occasionally swam across the sunken floor, although they did give amazing feet massages with all the dead skin gone!

The owner, Silas thought travelers came to see the wondrous roofing he did all by himself. If one were a bird, like Drippy, and flew to the top they’d see it was just an old ship this shack was wearing as a hat.

What everyone knew, except apparently Silas was that his staff were the most notorious paid adventurers out there. Rumored to be chosen by the dragon of chaos, Dra, himself.

The leader, Tyas, a seven-foot-tall bull of a man ran the bar. His right hand, a fiery woman named Keahi, cooked the food which always had a kick. The twins, Egy and Dab, as different as cats and dogs, fished the banks and dug up dirty treasure. Choosing your orders was Psy, that woman could read your soul desire like a map. Finally busing tables, Aine turned the crooked to stone with a glance.

Fortunately for Scene and Drippy, the crew was getting restless and had a soft spot for the owner’s wondrous son. Tyas agreed to meet the woman his unofficial scout couldn’t keep his eyes off of, bad for profit he’d often say. Now, all Scene had to do was talk to Elm.

Scene searched the crowed market stalls, saying hi to the ones he’d known all his life, helping out a few trying to make a hard sell. “Croyied here has the best fishing poles! Handcrafted right from the tree next to your hut. Besides where in this place are you gonna find another person selling fishing poles?” “When I become the next pirate, I’m only gonna get my knifes from Flank. Actually, I’ve been meaning to pitch an idea I have… knives but the sharp bit is longer and both sides of the steal part, cuts the sharpening time to just once a year! One side goes dull the other is ready!”

His search was made harder the closer he got to the royal stage. Climbing though someone’s house to the top of the tree, he got a better look. Drippy crashed into him after the flourish of horns messed up his landing, at least that’s what he blamed it on.

The King of Thilrun, Shen, held up his hand to stop the scattered applause to his arrival. His smile beamed as he introduced the squid man standing next to him as King Squillington from the kingdom on the island, Kyellona. He has brought his two daughters for the tradition, that Shen no doubtingly made up, of choosing a wife. The tall lady who was with Elm earlier stepped out. Her inky hair brushed the top of a Kyellonin wedding dress. A younger version with way longer hair and exact same dress followed. The seaweed clung to the new one’s body, highlighting her natural curves.

Scene thought he wouldn’t mind, oh my Dra that’s Elm!

Drippy nudged Scene and cawed out a mating call in a lower tone then normal.

“Don’t you dare say that about Elm!” He couldn’t scrape his gaze away from her.

Even when the woman, who’s roof he was on, pulled him down exclaiming how he could have gotten hurt. When he didn’t try to grab something from her house, she looked concerned and pushed a flower into his hands while she left him on her doorstep.

He dropped the flower, hung his head and repeatedly said “She’ll be picked as queen for sure.” as he walked back to Grogg.

Using the flower as an ice breaker, Drippy flew to the castle and found one window agape. Elm sickeningly removed shells from her hair. While telling a servant girl what to put in a letter to a King.

“To which majesty you’d like this to be delivered?” The girl asked before screeching and running out when Drippy fell into the room.

Elm stared at the bird, the bird stared back. Neither moving, Elm blinked and Drippy looked to the window then back at Elm before dropping the flower. He backed up to where the pencil and paper had landed. When Elm reached for the flower, he clawed the pencil and started to write. Elegant handwriting was produced:

My fair lady, I have flown to you upon request from my handier. A man willing to take you up the mountain to start anew. His only payment is that you consider him. Although, if you decide to choose me, I assure you he wouldn’t mind. He has already gathered a group of adventurers and a waits for you at Grogg. May I tell him of your joining?

Elm read the note with a playful yet mischievous smile. She nodded but added a request that the man would meet her first, in order to be considered.

Drippy wrote once more:

He shall be notified and, on his way, promptly, I’m sure.