The streak of darkness nobody could brighten

The battle

I can't bring myself to face Jackson anymore, but somehow I feel desperate and exposed now that I'm usually alone.
Of course usually is an overstatement.

Tyler is somehow always there, making me laugh or telling me stories, he is charming and keeps my mind busy.
I feel like I'm taking advantage of him, not that there was any jealous girls on the ship.......
There was jealous men though.

It had been over a week since Jackson's big "study plan" went into action, and I'm starting to believe it was all junk from the start.
Now, it's only a matter of time before I'm exposed, and I know Jackson is waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

I can't say I haven't grown close to the men, but, I have.
I've met them all, every single one, and apparently they all seem to like me.
They appreciate my bluntness and are readily challenging me to see if they can best me in a sword fight.
Nobody has.
They invite me to sit with them and I've gotten halfway drunk with the lot.
I've been with them for around two weeks and they're already better company then my family ever was.

Sometimes when I'm way past sane I wonder if I'm a Navigator or a Pirate.

Like I said, way past sane.

What keeps up my mind is Tyler though.
No it's not the lovey dovey day dreams.
It's suspicion.

Tyler is to nice and perfect for his own good.
And yes I'm saying that as a bad thing.
He doesn't fight with the men, doesn't insult or say anything rude.
He isn't selfish and often won't take portions from my plate when I don't want the chopped liver.
Of course, Liam the giant always does.
He reminds me of something, or someone.
Something I can't quite put my finger on.

"Huntin' time!" Someone yells on the eighteenth day I've been with them, when I come up from below deck I see men beginning to remove their shirts.
Tyler comes from behind me and brings his hands over my eyes "not a pretty view" he tells me and I snicker "thanks for the heads up. Why are they removing their clothes anyways?". I hear splashes of people diving into the water, "every month or so the lads get to show their Atlantean side and go hunting for fish in the water" Tyler says to me. "Sadly they have to remove their clothing first", I smirk "is baby boo uncomfortable around man parts?" I joke and I can practically see him roll his eyes.
"I'm in the water, hurry up we leave in five minutes, captains orders" and the hands are removed from my eyes as a splash is heard behind me.
I feel like I'm going to throw up when he says this.
Was he naked behind me!?!

I quickly run down under the deck and back into my cell, I pry open the floor board and grab the golden cream among my clothes. I quickly take off my clothing and apply the gold substance to my bare legs praying I've put it in the right spot.
I run back up the creaking stairs with a towel just as someone shouts "anchors are down ".
I look around the empty deck and lay the towel by the side of the deck so when I come up I can take it.

Finally before I fall from the ship into the water I let myself shift into my Atlantean form and drop head first, my arms by my sides.
When I hit the water I push my wrists down against the sides of my tail and the water responds, pushing me down quickly so I graze the sea bed.
I'm aloud to show some talent now because I've been training in the water with Tyler over the past couple weeks.
I swim back up to the men who are all talking or shoving or seeing who has the biggest chest.
I smirk at them all.
Men.

"Ace" Tyler calls and I swim over to him, he nods "your a natural, getting better every day". I smile "thanks".
"Come on, you get half an hour to bring back as many fish as you can carry!" Captain Richard yells and everyone gets ready to dart off. "The highest amount of fish someone's carried is forty-seven, everyone's taken this as a race since Jackson brought that amount" Will explains. Something thick goes up my throat at his name.
"Has anyone bet him?" I asked and Will shook his head.
Tyler swung a slow arm around my shoulder due to the fact we where underwater "that's about to change when Team Tyler come back". I give him a look "team Tyler? Really?" I say and he grins "took my a while to come up with that one".
I smirked.

All the men zoom off going much quicker then I anticipated, but even so I don't budge at all.
Tyler has made it a meter before he realizes I'm not following and turns back to me. "Come on Ace they're going to grab all the good stuff!" He exclaims urging me to hurry up.
"We'll get more then they'll ever dream of getting" I say smirking.
"You know how I wound up on this boat?" I ask him and he groans "not to be rude but can we save this for another time?". "I came in that fishing net" I say pointing at the small fishing net that just dips into the water from the side of the boat.
Richard didn't say how we could catch the fish.
That meant no rules.
Tyler grinned when he realized what I meant. "We're gonna use the fishing net to catch the fish" he confirmed and I grinned. "You're such a good sidekick" I snort "you're lucky I stuck around this long, now come on I've got a plan".

"And you're the sidekick!".