A Pirate in Time (Completed)

18

My instincts screamed for me to stay within the vicinity of the ship. I was afraid of what would happen if I left. Would I be able to find it again? Would the sirens turn on me as soon as they had me disoriented? Did they even intend to bring me to Neptune's palace?

The scarlet tailed mermaid watched my internal battle with an equal mix of curiosity and irritation. After deducting my concerns, she helpfully pointed out that without strong wind or current, the ship would not be going anywhere anytime soon. I begrudgingly had to agree with her, and after watching Jay's motionless body regain its life after being hauled back to the surface, I followed her.

Swimming with my new tail felt anything but natural. After spending the majority of my life swimming with two legs, this felt completely and utterly foreign. It was as if my legs were bound together by rope. They were no longer separate, but an entity all their own.

My movements, jerked and sloppy as compared to the agile grace of the others, surprised me with an unexpected power. A single swipe of my tail had enough thrust to propel me several yards forward. This, I thought to myself, Could be a very efficient means of travel if I ever took the time to perfect it.

I could tell the red tailed mermaid and the entourage that had elected to come with were purposefully slowing down for me. I was grateful for it, but couldn't help but feel I was being perceived as weak.

I didn't like that feeling.

The siren to my left had a forest green tail that glinted a subtle gold with her movements. Her hair was rich and chocolaty, and billowed as the water curled through it. To my right was a sky blue and silver tailed woman, her hair the palest shade of blonde I'd ever laid eyes on. The whole lot of them were a plethora of colors. One mermaid had a tail of ivory, and another had a tail of coppery bronze.

The red tailed mermaid slowed her pace to swim beside me. She shot glances my way every few seconds, as if she were studying me, and it made me a bit self conscious. I wondered what she thought of me. I wasn't exactly the prettiest girl in the book, by any means, and having this godly creature evaluating me drove the urge to curl in on myself and disappear.

"What do they call you?" She finally spoke.

"My name?" I clarified and continued when she nodded. "Elizabeth. Yours?"

"Your Highness?" One of the others asked in a silent question. The red tailed mermaid waved her away and turned back to me.

"I am Princess Cecilia Baroque of the Avernak Kingdom. It's a pleasure to finally meet a Shift such as yourself, Elizabeth."

She's a freaking princess? A mermaid princess?

"What's a Shift?"

The mermaid to my left decided to answer me. "It is what we call those who can both walk on land and swim the sea. Full Mers can only be on land for a few hours at a time before the sun sickens and weakens us. Most die when exposed too long."

"So that means my legs do come back?" I clarified. "This isn't permanent?"

"I suspect you will be able to transform at will after today," Princess Cecilia answered.

I glanced down at the lavender scales encasing my legs. They glinted a dark, shadowy grey when I moved, and I came to the conclusion that most mermaid tails were a translucent mix between two colors.

"Where did my pants go?" I asked the question that had been bothering me since I'd first transformed.

"The same place as your legs," the princess supplied unhelpfully. That only confused me more.

"I see," I replied even though I didn't. "How far is Neptune's palace?"

"Not much farther," Cecelia offered. Everyone was silent after that, and I became consumed in my thoughts. Today seemed as confusing and impossible as my first day aboard Jay's ship.

Something Cecilia had mentioned to me earlier stuck out in my mind.

"You're a princess," I voiced my thoughts, "and Neptune is your king. Does that mean-"

"My father is one of seven Mer Kings who rule over seven Mer kingdoms. King Neptune rules the whole sea, along with all manner of sea creatures that inhabit it."

"So they're Kings that rule under a King?"

"Precisely."

Neptune. Neptune was Salacia's husband. Maybe she'd be there too. Somehow, knowing that I could have at least one ally on this adventure helped calm my nerves.

Cecelia was swimming ahead of us again. She seemed to feel a need to lead the group, though she was royalty. Leading was in her blood.

I watched the smooth, confident strokes of her crimson tail, and did my best to imitate it.

In truth, I was starting to grow a bit tired. My nonexistent abs were not used to this sort of workout. We'd probably gone a few miles already, and I was hoping there weren't many more left.

When the sirens finally began to slow, I looked around, expecting to see some sort of underwater castle. Instead, Cecelia swam downwards, towards the coral beneath us, to a cavern lingering just under an overhang.

It was impossible to see into, but the Princess swam in without hesitation.

The green tailed mermaid followed shortly after, and then the ivory one.

The girl with a tail the color of the sky approached me and took hold of my arm, "I will guide you through the tunnels."

I nodded, glad that I wouldn't be going in on my own. After taking a deep lungful of water, I nodded to her. Together, we plunged into the dark abyss.