ningyo 人魚 blue eye samurai

Chapter Twelve: Formosa

Instinctively, Sogo reached out, bringing her chin back up to see those beautiful spheres again. "Don't hide your gaze."

Mizu's steel blue eyes fell on Sogo's hand on her face. They trailed up her wrist. Those bite marks were still there. They layered over each other, old and new, like red kisses.

Deflecting, she found a bit of sardonic humor. "Funny. The last person who told me those words... tried to poison me."

Sogo's brows pulled together at her words. She shook her head, trailing her hand up further Mizu's cheek until it reached her ears. The samurai's eyes widened at her face being caressed so lovingly, like she was not a strong swordsman at all, but a delicate child.

"Mizu... I would never hurt you."

Those words outweighed her touch. Mizu's brows knitted together as if wanting to believe her. A tender part of her that wanted to trust again. Her desire to fall into her feminine side suffocated under the burden of being a man.

Some things, Mizu thought, are too risky to attempt again.

"Don't you believe me?" Sogo whispered, concerned by Mizu's silence. She always wondered what was going on in her mind. The samurai was incredibly hard to read. She admired the stoicness but was also so so frustrated and anxious because of it.

"...I believe that you believe it," Mizu answered, turning her cheek away as Sogo's hand fell from it.

"No!" Sogo grabbed her face, turning her back to hers with a firm grip. "What kind of an answer is that?! I—If this is our last day together, th—then I can't let us part without you fully understanding my heart. I would never hurt—"

Mizu slapped her hands away. In an instant, both her wrists were held together in her right clenching hand, peering out from her samurai cloak.

She glared down at Sogo. Her icy blue eyes were silver like bullets in those yellow lenses.

"Don't forget yourself," Mizu hissed, speaking clearly. "I am not yours. You are not mine. We split the bounty and go our separate ways."

Her grip turned Sogo's wrists, and she leered over her closer. She was in full control of her with just one hand. Sogo had forgotten just how strong Mizu was when she wanted to be.

"Is that clear?" Although framed as a question, it was much more of an order, calling for her submission.

Sogo furrowed her brows, saying nothing. After a moment of stubborn silence, Mizu released her wrists and walked away.

S-so mean, she thought, holding back her tears. It was a mixture of anger and sadness. Injured pride and an unwavering heart.

Mizu... you really are so mean.

*

Formosa was a beautiful island, and the scorching August sun put all the Dutch settlers, Asian traders, and native citizens in short, colorful, wind-catching clothing. They looked like butterflies prancing around the dynamic beach bustling with trade. The island was a melting pot of East Asian and European cultures combined.

When Mizu tied her ship to the dock, she noticed just how many other sailors were there, too. She felt calm knowing she gagged Fowler earlier that morning, well before the sun rose.

It's for your own good. You're a wanted man by the shogunate, you know. If you start screaming, who knows if the Dutch will hand you in to profit off the bounty?