Siren

Close call

---Orion's POV---

The temperature changes of the water warned me that I was heading deeper into dangerous territories. So far, I had been lucky enough to avoid contact with any of the merfolk, yet I felt the fear gnaw at my heart each time I caught a glimpse of movement in the ocean.

My behavior even made the human slightly wary, as he had been looking around as well. Though at times, I felt as if he was actually looking for something instead of looking out for us. Shaking my head slightly, I pumped my tail faster, trying to remain as quiet as possible.

Just because I didn't see any Mermen didn't mean that they weren't around. I've only heard of their hunting tactics, trying to lure their prey in a false sense of security while they darted closer. The only moment when you saw a Merman, was when you were within its striking distance.

Being close to Mer-territories made me nervous as hell and it showed in my scales. The normal flashing of colors was absent, instead my scales were a dull bluish green in an attempt to merge completely with the surroundings.

It was a pity that the human wasn't capable of doing the same. As it was, he stood out incredibly with his dark skin. Nonetheless, I kept a vigil eye on our surroundings while trying to stick close enough to the surface.

So far, there wasn't a single boat in sight but I trusted this human knew where his crew would go. An odd place to meet but then again, it made sense to pick a spot people feared. At least that meant that nobody would risk their lives trying to get close.

Carrying the man was straining my muscles slowly but surely. Usually I could take a break when I was swimming, even choose to go on land and stretch my legs but now was not the time.

"How well can you see underwater?"

I blinked, looking at the human before glancing back at our surroundings. "Pretty well, I guess? I don't really know how to compare it to human sight but...I'm assuming its better." I frowned, looking at the surface but so far no ship in sight.

"Are you sure they would head here?" I asked, trying to keep my mind off of my sore muscles and more towards our destination. As soon as I had dropped the human off, I could get out of here and rest up.

He hummed, seemingly deep in thought before nodding. "Yeah, it's our usual gathering point. I'm quite certain that they'll be there, especially with my absence." He looked around the ocean before glancing at the surface, shaking his head.

"To be honest, I'll be glad if I can touch solid ground once more, or at least the deck of my ship. Being able to breathe underwater is... unnerving." He admitted, narrowing his eyes at me as if daring me to laugh.

I didn't. There was nothing hilarious about his situation and I could understand how he felt. Trying to put him at ease, I smiled and spoke, "I can understand, I felt the same way the first time I went to the surface."

He turned to me then, eyes curious as their caramel depths seemed to suck me in. "You've been to the surface? As in actual land?"

Nodding, I slowed down a bit to preserve my energy. "Yes, I can walk on land just fine. It takes only a few moments to get used to it but walking comes just as natural as swimming." I shrugged, shaking my head. "It took a few times before I got the hang of it and didn't panic."

"Interesting." The man nodded, his lip curving slightly as if he was repressing a smile. I tilted my head curiously at him but he didn't explain his behavior and eventually I shrugged and ignored it. Squinting my eyes, I did my best to search the surface for any ships, hoping I'd find it soon.