The wait until my return to Equestria was long, and my longing for Octavia was reaching a level of uncomfortable pain that I found aggravating. I realized that while I could take out my sexual frustrations on any of my slaves- no, they’re indentured servants.

They’re slaves. While I could take my frustrations out on any of my female slaves, I could only think of Octavia. Her smooth grey fur, her powerful earth pony body, her gentle smile when I did something stupid like escape from her room to murder a couple of guards…

“Ugh!” I groaned, rolling from my right side to my left in physical pain radiating from my nethers. Seriously, it felt like something was going to explode if I couldn’t get some wonderful Octavian release.

“Sire?” Georgia knocked on the door a couple times before poking the yellow tip of her beak into the room. Just the beak, nothing else as per my instructions. “Is everything alright?”

“No!” I barked back, shooting up to a seated position. “I’m too cramped up on this ship and I swear my testicles are going to explode if I don’t see Octavia soon!” I complained, uncaring of who else on the ship was within earshot. I could throw them off the side of the ship if they made any kind of remark. It was a long way down and most likely that the perpetrator would die of a heart attack before they died on impact.

“Oh…” Georgia gasped, pulling her beak from the door now. “Uhm… I am capable of… relieving your stress… sire…” Georgia offered as she pushed the door open to enter before closing it to try and tease me by slowly, and quite awkwardly, undress before me.

“Yeah,” I dragged the word out over my tongue. “No.” I held a hoof up to stop Georgia’s clumsy advance. “Thanks for the offer, but i’ve filled my want for interracial sex for quite a while with Vera.” I sighed and dropped onto my back again, completely uncaring about my stallionhood resting full mast against my stomach, or that the only female in the cabin with me was staring at it.

“Something else?” I demanded, turning Georgia's face bright red as she beat a hasty retreat from the room in silence. “Seriously, this fucking sucks.” I mumbled, still in pain but at least the distraction helped to calm me down, if at least a little bit.

Rolling off my bed, I trotted into the shower -a closed unit that recycled a limited amount of water- and cranked the water to as cold as possible before taking a deep breath and stepped in.

“Argg! Holy fucking shit that is cold!” I cried out as the freezing temperatures had the intended effect of making little me crawl back inside for warmth. As soon as it was safely out of view I hopped out and shook as much of the ice water from my coat as I could before taking to a towel to try and warm myself up further.

Dashing from the bathroom I drove into bed and pulled the covers as tightly around my body as I could, shivering intensely.

“My King, are you alright? I heard shouting!” Georgia demanded, bursting into the room with her twin short swords in her grasp and looking furious.

“I- I’m f-fine. J-just f-f-freezing!” I shuddered in reply, curling up as tightly as I could. Georgia was apparently satisfied with this answer as she sheathed her weapons on her hips and entered, pulling the door shut behind her.

Once the room was secure, Georgia began to disrobe again, leaving on the bands of cloth that protected her modesty.

“Georgia, I t-told you already…” I began to protest as Georgia completely ignored me and stepped up to my bedside in what would be equated to some kind of undergarments.

“I know, my lord. This is not that.” Georgia replied as she tentatively pulled the covers back enough that she could pull my shivering body up and against her own. “The best way to warm up safely is to share body heat. If you'll forgive my brash behaviour, sire, I will warm you with my body.”

“You do realize that that's only for when I'm fighting hypothermia, right? A blanket and a warm drink would work just fine right now.” I muttered, though my words did not match my actions as I curled up tighter against Georgia's body.

“I know, my King. But considering you seem to be clinging onto my fur like a newborn, I think you find these accommodations fitting?” Georgia let herself smirk at my foal-like behaviour, despite my silent protesting.

“Whatever…” I grumbled. But to be honest, Georgia's powerful body was quite agreeable. Her fur coarse but not so coarse that it was unpleasant, her feathers freshly washed and thus soft, yet the heartbeat I could hear and feel against my own was strong and steady.

I didn't know anything about griffin physiology but I could figure that her heartbeat suggested she felt absolutely no kind of arousal or physical attraction to me; this was nothing more than a servant warming her master’s body with her own.

I accepted this readily and let myself relax, the shivering in my bones slowly receding into nothing.

“Sire?” Georgia called calmly.

“Mmhmm?” I replied with content. Frankly I was on the verge of falling asleep like this, and I was fine with it. Of course, if anyone found out I’d deny it.

“I think you're warm enough now. You’re no longer shivering.”

“I know.” I replied with a yawn. “Frankly, I'm quite comfortable right now and I haven't actually slept today.”

“Would you like me to stay here till you fall asleep?” Georgia suggested, shifting around to get comfortable.

“Please. Tell anypony about this and I'll filet you myself.” I replied sternly.

“Of course. Then allow me to get myself more comfortable.”

~~~

Waking naturally in my bed, the first thing I thought of was if Georgia was still with me right now. Searching the mattress a little bit on either side of me, I found I slept alone as no female griffin bodies were with me.

In fact, the room itself was empty. My eyes roamed the modestly sized room in the candle light -apparently it had become night and remained as such while I slept and had awoken to darkness- for any signs of life, but found none.

Rolling from my side on the bed to my hooves on the floor, I magically pulled a black and red house coat around myself in silence as I stepped as quietly as I could to the door.

Pulling it open I was quite pleased with my decision to dress as a cold wind rushed in and extinguished the candles in the room, as well as tossing a number of papers and documents about. Climbing the few stairs to the main deck, I had the chance to look at and examine the skeleton crew in their various jobs. I couldn't even begin to imagine what all went into running a vessel like this. Let alone an experimental vessel like this.

“Good morning, Lord Eclissi.” a deck talon nodded in greeting as he tugged on a rope which ascended into the darkness above.

“Any idea what time it is?” I requested calmly as the ship beneath me groaned.

“Just after midnight, your highness. We'll be coming up to Equestrian borders by mid afternoon.” the deck talon replied before disappearing with his rope to go do something else.

“Really? But we should still be a days travel away…” I mumbled to myself. “Just how long did I sleep?”

“Approximately a day and a half, my King.” Georgia reported dutifully behind me. “I expect your getting hungry, yes? I have the messhall staff preparing you breakfast as we speak.”

“Awesome. Should give me enough time for a quick flight around the skies then.” I grinned and spread my wings. “Do join me.”

“Would be my honour.” Georgia bowed and spread her own wings. The two of us took off at a light run, her talons and paws clicking at the wood beneath us as my hooves audibly cracked against the same surface.

Soon our wings caught the air and we were carried upwards off the ship, accelerating ahead of it for a ways before we turned tail in a slow arc and sweet past the ports idea of the ship and its engine keeping it aloft.

Being up this high, the moon was in full view with the primary of the cloud cover shimmering silver beneath us. All around us, lighter puffs of condensation called clouds drifted on the light air currents which equally carried us.

The crisp night air rippled our furs and feathers and tore through my mane and tail, as though threatening to tear them off if I flew any faster.

I suddenly snapped my wings to my side and dropped my nose down, letting my weight accelerate me to terminal velocity before I spread wide and pulled up as hard as I could, using my new momentum to bring me back up again near to where Georgia descended to meet me.

“So? Is the flight everything you hoped it is?” Georgia inquired, shouting over the sound of the wind as we slowed down in order to be able to speak and be heard.

“Definitely. It’s quite beautiful up here at this time, isn’t it?” I grinned, my eyes roaming over the silver lined clouds with the bright white moon watching over all. “Moon’s so big I swear I can almost make out the Lunar Castle.” I joked casually. Georgia chuckled to herself and scanned the skies above us, her eyes roaming over the billions of stars above us.

“What is it like up there? To look down on this planet?” Georgia wondered with a sigh as we mostly glided on whatever updrafts existed up this high and at this time.

“Lonely.” I looked back through my memory and that was the only word I could think of to describe being on the moon; even when mom was there, it was still very lonely. “Lonely and boring. There’s only so much you can do in a barren environment, only so many books you can stand rereading repeatedly before you start to quote them verbatim.”

“But, wouldn’t it be amazing to see this planet from so far away? As far as I know, you and your mother are the only two creatures who’ve ever seen what this planet actually looks like! You can finally answer questions that scientists and philosophers have been asking about the planet for so long!” Georgia insisted, looking at me with wonder.

“Like what?” I looked boredly at the griffon servant as we turned another wide arc back towards the faint lights of the ship.

“Is the planet flat like everypony seems to think? Is Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s magic regarding moving the sun and moon actually necessary? Are there other planets out there or are we the only one? Is there other life out there or are we alone?” Georgia hammered me with questions and I began to realise that the two of us didn’t share a slave/master relationship as we did a relationship of friendship.

“Okay, the planet is round. I’m fairly certain that if the celestial bodies were set up properly, and this is the basis for my plans after I defeat my mother and aunt and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, that the princesses magics can be made useless. I have reason to believe that we’re not the only planet in this system, going off of tracking star movements in the sky. I have no idea if we’re the only form of life in our galaxy, but I choose to believe that there are others out there. If there isn’t then that’s a lot of empty sky.” I replied, trying to remember the specific questions asked of me.

“Could you paint or draw what the planet actually looks like then?” Georgia tilted her head at me as we came in for a guided landing on the ship, small candles lit along the deck as a runway.

“I can’t, no. My mother has had some experiences with painting so she’d be the one to ask.” I shrugged back and shook my body to loosen up some of the fur that had gotten tangled during flight.

I aimed back towards my cabin and for breakfast, following my nose in the process. Smelled like scrambled eggs mixed with some other stuff. Nosing into the cabin I was pleased to find that my nose was correct and that in addition was grilled peppers, green onions and cheese mixed into the eggs.

“Good morning, your highness.” the head server bowed to my entrance before pulling the chair from the table back and poured some hot water into one of my favourite teas. “All your favourites.” The server swept a talon over the spread, showing off the remainder of the table; my favourite fresh fruits and berries mixed into a fruit salad next to a light caesar salad -so I had a strange sense of what kind of food should be eaten for breakfast, sue me- next to the steeping tea with a large bowl of the scrambled egg mixture on top of an empty plate.

“Awesome.” I grinned and took a seat eagerly. “Have you made anything for Georgia?” I inquired, noticing a distinct lack of anything for the griffon guardian set out.

“Uhm, no… sire. I was unaware that your slave would be eating with you.” the server remarked uneasily, switching gazes between a relatively shocked Georgia and a concerned me.

“Yeah, don’t worry about that. I just only now decided she’d eat with me. Have her made something good, something as good as you’d make me.” I demanded and placed a silver tray cover over my own breakfast. “I’ll wait till she has a table.”

“Oh… of… of course…” The server stammered before excusing himself from the room to follow through on my orders.

“Uhm..” Georgia looked at me in concern. “I appreciate the offer to eat with you, sire…”

“But?” I rested against the hoof rests of the chair I was in, occasionally checking the tea.

“But i’m wondering where this newfound concern for my well-being is coming from.” Georgia admitted, pulling up a griffon sized chair across the table from me. “I have to admit, it’s a bit concerning…”

“Uhm, sire?” the server poked his beak back into the room. “If I may speak?”

“You’re seriously going to ask me a stupid question like that? You’re already speaking.” I smirked as the server’s flustering behaviour. “Go ahead, what is it?”

“Uhm, we don’t actually have… anything of good quality for Georgia. We weren’t expecting to feed her like we feed you.” the server remarked, slightly warming up to this nicer version of me.

“Okay, then use whatever reserves we have left for the crew. Maybe throw it into some kind of stew?” I ordered thoughtfully.

“Yeah, about that… See, we only actually have just enough food to feed the entire crew until we land.” the griffon replied matter-of-factly.

“What about the other slaves? When did they last eat?”

“I think they ate the day we launched. They went hungry all yesterday and today was the day we were expected to feed them again.” Georgia replied for the server, turning back to me from her twisted position to pay the server hr attention. “It’s really alright, sire. I ate yesterday so i’ll be fine until we land.”

“No!” I barked, startling both griffons in the room with me. “I will not have me and mine go hungry! We will eat our fill until our bellies burst! Use whatever the slaves are going to eat and ration out the rest! Georgia will eat like a queen! Or like me, whichever comes first!” I demanded angrily. My own hunger was starting to act up, with the rumbling making my fur quiver. “And soon! We’re hungry!”

“Y-yes sire! As you command!” the server quickly responded and ducked out of the room. Within fifteen minutes he’d have a meat and vegetable stew set out before Georgia in one of the ornate bowls that I’d often eat from, by my request of course.

“My lord, I appreciate everything but I cannot willingly take part of this if my fellow brethren are going hungry.” Georgia insisted, refusing to pick up her utensils as I wolfed down my own plate and emptied the cups of tea that seemed to have been enchanted to be never ending.

“You can, and you will!” I insisted with a mouthful of egg. “I went to the trouble of having this prepared for you, so you’ll behave and you’ll eat it!” I ordered. The rumbling in my stomach seemed to agree with this thought even as I continued for fork down the rest of the eggs in the bowl. I dropped all my utensils and began searching for more, the hunger in my stomach as yet unsated.

“Something wrong, sire?” Georgia hesitantly inquired, her filled spoon halfway to her beak.

“Still hungry, need more food.” I mumbled, flipping over bowls in search of crumbs. “Server! Bring me another large bowl of the salad and put more into it!” I shouted to the door.

“Yes sire!” The server’s muffled voice replied quickly before the sound of claws and paws echoed through the door and disappeared.

So… Hungry…

“No kidding…” I mumbled back, working on the tea to try and sate myself for the time being. I was actually trembling at this point.

“What was that?” Georgia asked once she swallowed her mouthful of stew.

“Nothing, never mind!” I barked as my stomach let out a long rumble to protest my words. “Where is my food?” I demanded furiously.

So… Hungry! Must… Eat!

“It’s coming, sire. Please, calm down!” Georgia remarked with worry in her eyes.

“Do not presume you may tell me to calm down! I am fucking starving and you’re all trying to kill me with a lack of food!” I screamed, swiping my hoof over the table to clear everything, though I caught and recovered the tea to drain it down my throat. “Bring me bread, cheese! Anything! Everything!” I screamed, my magic now starting to get worked up as a small wind began to rustle papers around us.

Eat… Everything!

“Sire! Your foods here!” Georgia shouted through the growing storm as a large bowl typically used to mass feed the slaves appeared with a green salad within. The bowl was quickly seized by me and I dove in muzzle first.

Coming up for air and to blow a crouton out of a nostril, I dove back in with my eyes probably looking like a madpony. Or like Discord.

Eat. Eat. Eat! Eat… Fill!

“I’m eating, i’m eating!” I whispered back, munching on a mouthful of salad coasted in the caesar dressing.

Ugh, full… The voice remarked, finally letting me feel full to the point of almost being sick. I dropped the bowl once i’d licked it clean and sat back feeling overly stuffed.

“Sire, do you wish for more?” Georgia inquired, looking quite disturbed with me. I had to agree, I was not quite fond of myself at the moment either.

“No…” I burped, feeling like breakfast was aiming to make a return. “No, i’m good.” I hoped to whatever deities existed that I wasn’t lying. I was not looking forward to regurgitation. “I’ll just need a bit of peace. Leave me, both of you. Please.” I requested, waving both griffons off with a hoof. Georgia collected her own breakfast and nodded compliance as the server refilled my tea and left himself.

We talk? No eat?

“Yeah, we talk. We’re done eating.” I mumbled back in pain, though I almost knew where this new voice was coming from. Hopping down from my chair, I approached the ornate mahogany box which now contained the remaining inactive Sin Stones and flipped the cover open. Within the box, an orange stone slowly pulsed and I could only guess which sin it represented.

No dessert?

“No, no dessert. I couldn’t possibly eat another bite.” I replied, extracting the stone from the box and cradled it like I held an egg. “You must be Gluttony.”

Gluttony. I’m, Gluttony?

“You must be. You made me eat waaay more than i’d ever have been able to stuff into myself under normal circumstances. You’re always hungry, right?” I remarked, settling down on my bed with the stone in my grasp.

I’m… Hungry? Hungry, no, not hungry. Not Gluttony?

“No, you have to be Gluttony. You’re just full right now. Come on, this conversation is getting boring. Do you wish to be absorbed into me or not?” I demanded, quite unimpressed with how basic this Sin seemed to be.

Absorb? Absorb! Join Wrath! Must!

“Yes, yes, wrath’s in here too.” I rolled my eyes and began to work at letting Gluttony invade my body, it’s form seeming into my stomach; a fitting place, no? “Welcome to the party, Gluttony.”

Wrath! Hello!

Ugh, I forgot about you bastard. Leave me alone, you fatass!

Greed, hello!

Yes yes, hello brother. I agree with Wrath, you are the annoying one of us.

Don’t forget about Pride.

Oh right, that little brat…

Author's Note

So next chapter I'm aiming to have Eclissi finally return to Equestria. Will be full of reunions, there will be laughter, there will be tears, there'll be a Sin.

As ever, I do like to read comments and interact with readers. Especially readers who like the story, hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink.