My captor stood leaning against the door, smiling wickedly, watching the scene while my eyes, wide with bewilderment, released the parchment from my hands. I looked away and returned to my original spot, taking a seat without saying a word. He chuckled slightly as he walked over to the table and sank into the larger chair on the opposite side. He picked up the jar in front of me and filled a bronze-looking bowl with the brown liquid. He watched me, and I, intrigued by his actions, watched back.
"Would you like some whiskey?" he asked, but I didn't respond. Instead, I just stared at the floor, lowering my head. "No? Maybe some water instead. I'll wager you're thirsty."
He filled the second bowl with water and pushed it toward me. I looked at it, unsure of what to do or whether I should trust it. Unfortunately, he was right—I was desperately in need of it. As a human, I couldn't consume water the way I had been able to as a mer, and I didn't realize how much of it I would need to keep up with the ever-present heat. I cupped the bowl in both of my hands and brought it up to my mouth. After quickly smelling it, I took a sip and then eagerly drank the water.
"Easy there, love. There's plenty more where that came from," he laughed and took a sip of his cup. He then took out an object, and soon the red, yellow, and orange lights I had seen on the day of the explosion were in his hand. He brought it near the white stick, and the light remained there. It was so beautiful, so luminous, and inviting.
It tempted me to reach out and touch it.
"Don't. You'll burn yourself if you touch it. It's called fire, and it's used to light the rooms," he said casually as if he could read my mind.
Fire...
I could see him more clearly now. The curls that had once been wet and clung to his forehead were now dry. They fell slightly into his blue eyes. He was young, quite young to be a captain, and when he smiled, little indents formed on his cheeks, making him look even more childish. But the darkness hidden in those eyes revealed his true intentions. His black shirt was open, revealing a bit of chest hair, and around his neck, he wore a gold necklace with a circular object of some sort.
He continued to gaze at me for a few more moments and then abruptly stood up from the table. The sound of the black objects that concealed his feet against the floor gave off a loud sound with each step. He grabbed a couple of round objects and then walked back over to the table. As he placed them down in front of me, I noticed he had a few silver and gold rings on his fingers. He then sat down again, and took a long drink from the bowl, while removing the top from the object. On the platter, lay colorful items of various sizes and textures.
"You must be hungry. Eat! I have some meat coming, but these are the finest fruits you've ever tasted," he raved and grabbed one of them. He took a bite from the 'fruit,' I watched as the juice slid down his mouth. I crossed my arms and turned to the side, refusing to be swayed by fancy fare. He laughed.
"And here I offer you food, a bath, clothes, and you haven't even thanked me once," he started, pouring more 'whiskey' into his bowl. "Don't you know you can trust me not to hurt—"
"Do not presume to assume that I would ever trust a human, let alone, a pirate," I spat, causing his eyes to widen and sparkle. He was pleased, and I immediately regretted my actions. I had been baited and given him exactly what he wanted. Not only did he now know I could speak and understand him, but also converse.
"I beg your pardon, little mermaid, but have I harmed you? Or have done anything that would dishonor you or myself?" he questioned.
"You dishonor yourself by keeping me prisoner!" I shouted, and he sat back in his chair, smiling.
"I must say, you have the most charming voice I've ever heard."
"Mind yourself, pirate, for you have no idea of the powers I possess. I could make you and your men suffer so greatly that you will regret the day you ever fished me out of the ocean." He didn't respond to my warning, instead, the amused smile slightly dropped from his face as we stared at each other. Abruptly, he pushed himself up from the chair and walked around the table towards me. He leaned down, trying to intimidate me, but I refused to show fear. I kept my gaze forward.
"I believe you when you say you could make me regret capturing you," he began, then suddenly held up my necklace in front of my face. My eyes widened, and I reached out for it, only for him to pull back and make me face him. "But do you want to know what I think? I think that without this necklace here, you don't have any powers, just like you no longer have a tail. I think without this necklace, you are as human as I am."
I turned away from him again, looking slightly downward, a minor defeat. Satisfied by the silence, he returned to his seat. "Now, how about we start with something easy? Like your name."
"How about you return my necklace and let me go?" I countered.
"What's in it for me, little mermaid? You see, on this ship, there's only one way to get something. You gotta give something of equal value. Letting you go would be a bad investment, plus you haven't shown me any favor–"
"If you think I would offer myself to you," I interrupted.
"I don't want your body, though I must say it is quite tempting even in that old ragged dress, but no, that's not what I'm after." I scoffed at him, and he grabbed the piece of parchment I had been holding earlier. "But, information about this... well... that could be very valuable to me."
I looked away from him and the piece of parchment, feeling extremely conflicted by his request. It was treason to reveal any mermaid information to humans, punishable by death. Even in cases like mine, disclosing anything about our world or ourselves could not only lead to exile but possibly result in my death. However, if I didn't tell him about it, I would never be free and would remain trapped on this ship or face an even worse fate.
Still, I had to remain loyal.
"I don't know what that is." My captor let out a laugh and grabbed another piece of fruit from the platter.
"Lying doesn't suit you, mermaid. You ain't have the face for it, too innocent-looking. You want to go home, don't you? Tell me what I want to know, and I'll let you go," he offered, darkening his tone. "But if you lie to me, you won't like the outcome."
"As I said, I don't know what it is." I tried to sound more convincing this time, but judging by the look on his face at the response, I felt that my attempts fell short.
"Really?" he asked shortly, and I nodded. He opened one of the bottom drawers and retrieved an item. When he placed it on the table, I realized what it was.
"My bag!" I shouted, reaching out to grab it, but he pulled it away from me.
"No... no, little mermaid. My bag. Everything and everyone on this ship belongs to me. See that you remember that." I was instantly enraged by that statement. I was not property and I belonged to no one let alone him.
"You know, I find it quite interesting that you say you don't recognize this symbol because," he poured out the contents onto the table, causing two loud thuds to be heard. My heart stopped when I saw them—two stone tablets. "On this here stone, right in the corner, tell me what you see..."
I didn't even have to look; I already knew what was there. I had seen it so many times over the last couple of months. He pushed the stone, sliding it across the table until it stopped right in front of me, then waited. I leaned over, looked, and there it was. He leaned over the table as well, his eyes no longer mischievous but dark once again.
"That symbol on your stone looks exactly like the one," he stopped and grabbed the piece of parchment, "on my parchment."
"Isn't it, your stone, pirate?" I asked darkly, and he responded with an unnerving smile.
"You've got a fire in you, I'll give you that, but I don't see tonight's conversation getting us anywhere. Maybe another night in the brig will loosen your lips a bit and dampen that attitude. Gibbs!" he shouted, and the door flung open. "Put my little mermaid back in her fish bowl."
"No! No, wait, wait please, you have to return my necklace to me and let me go. I must go back, please," I begged, and I was ashamed of it. But time was quickly slipping away, and I needed to reach the Southern Kingdom. I needed to let them know I was alive and ready to take my place as queen. I had to fulfill my duty, and the longer I was away the more I felt the weight of my responsibilities.
"Why?" he asked, but I looked away and remained quiet. He let out a long irritable groan. "You ask much, mermaid, but give nothing..."
"I have nothing—"
"Yes, you do!" he shouted, slamming the table with his fist. I flinched at the sudden change in his voice and temperament. "You have exactly what I want, and that is information. Take this night to reconsider whether or not you want to tell me, but know this mermaid, I only keep people on my ship who are of use and value. In your current human state, you are neither. If that remains, I will take you to the nearest port and sell you to the highest bidder. Mark my words."
"You MONSTER! You disgusting, dirty pirate, damn you!" I screamed, jumping to attack him. He took hold of both my arms and held them back while laughing maniacally.
"Aye, that's the spirit, and such a mouth on a 'lady,' no less. Gibbs! I believe I said, take this sea bitch back to her cell." Mr. Gibbs pulled me away from the captain, and despite my attempt to fight back, he overpowered me.
"Let me go! Damn you all! Damn you!" I shouted, kicked, and screamed, but before I knew it, we were back in the brig. Once again, Mr. Gibbs released his grip, and I hit the floor hard.
I wanted to scream; I was so frustrated. But instead, water once again welled in my eyes, which only made me angrier. I was tired of being human, but even more so, tired of being treated as property. I couldn't escape it at home and I feared that the same fate would be here as well. I stumbled over to my corner and sank to the floor, hopelessness engulfing me once again. Although my current situation was unfavorable, I thought the emblem on the parchment. It was only a scrap, likely ripped from its source, but a piece of my people's history was in that pirate's hands. I wondered if he had any other parchments. If he did, and if I could get my hands on them, perhaps they would contain information that could help save my people. These thoughts brought me a glimmer of hope, something I hadn't felt in days, and eventually led me to sleep.
Three days, or I assumed three days, had passed since I saw my captor. I woke up one morning to the sound of someone shouting, "Wake up, mermaid!"
"What's going on?" I asked groggily, rubbing my eyes. As always, Mr. Gibbs stood at the cell door, but this time it was open, and he held the shackles in his hands, waiting for mine.
"The captain wants to see you. I'll be needin' your arms," he replied. I got up and clumsily walked over to Mr. Gibbs, surprising both of us with my improved coordination. I suppose I was getting the hang of having legs. We made our way back to the pirate's bed chamber. Mr. Gibbs knocked on the door and opened it, revealing my captor and another one of his cronies.
"Sit down, mermaid," my captor commanded. I stood there defiantly, so Mr. Gibbs pulled my chain to the seat and sat me down.
"Captain, Mr. Randall," Mr. Gibbs acknowledged with a nod before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. The new man was dressed in a more elegant attire, unlike the rest of the pirates. His clothing consisted of blues, golds, reds, and whites, adorned with numerous small metals. His long white hair resembled that of an oyster. He stood straight and looked down at me with an air of superiority as if I were beneath him.
As if I weren't of royal blood.
"Well Captain Shelley, here she is. While there has been much talk of the elusive mermaid that only a few have seen, I am disappointed to find her here as... a woman." As he spoke, I heard an accent different from my captor and his crew. It had an air of aristocracy to it. I could tell he was someone of importance, maybe even royal by his snobbery.
"Don't worry, Mr. Randall, she is exactly what we've been looking for. Those stone tablets I showed you earlier came from her," Captain Shelley assured him.
"Alright, girl, tell us about these tablets and the symbol. What does it mean?" Mr. Randall inquired. I crossed my arms and smirked wickedly. This was my moment, an opportunity to negotiate my freedom.
"Well, well, well Mr. Randall. As the pirate so eloquently put the other night, on this ship, if you want to get something, you have to give something of equal value. So, it begs the question, how valuable is this information to you, and what are you willing to give me for it?" I used the pirate's own words against him venomously. However, instead of reveling in the moment, it was quickly soured because my captor actually looked amused.
"You insolent little savage. With whom do you think you are speaking?" he asked, outraged.
"Now, now, Mr. Randall. She's right. That is the rule on my ship. Nothing's for free here," my captor intervened, turning toward me. "Alright, mermaid, I'll make you a deal. You give me what I want, and I'll let you go with your pearl."
"How do I know that you'll keep your word?" I asked, disbelief evident in my voice.
"I promise on, my ship. Help me and I'll free you." I felt the guilt start to weigh on my conscience. I knew better than to reveal more of our existence, but I was so ready to go home that at the moment, I could no longer fight to keep the secrets.
"Fine, it's a deal," I started, "I believe it to be an emblem, the sigil of the Aurai, the first mermaids, or the old ones."
"What does it mean?" the pirate asked.
"I don't know, and that's the truth. It's thousands of years old." He got up and walked over to the large cabinet, opened one of the doors, and pulled out rolled-up parchment. When he got back to the table, he opened it and connected the ripped piece containing the emblem with it. At the bottom, there were words, smeared and smudged from time, almost completely lost, but I was able to make out some.
It was the language of my people.
"Can you read this?" he asked softly, leaning over me. I half expected him to smell the way the rest of the ship smelled, which was quite rancid, but he didn't. It was quite nice and inviting, one that I deeply liked despite it being on him. I leaned a little closer to get a better view.
"Maybe..." I focused on the words that I was able to make out. It wasn't exactly a sentence though, it was a tune. Many of the old ones communicated through song and those of them who truly excelled at it would often lure sailors and pirates to their deaths. "It's not, I can't really–"
"Captain, this spectacle has gone on long enough. It's obvious that your mermaid's knowledge of her history is limited, as is her intelligence. We aren't going to get anything useful from her. Send her back to her cell please," Mr. Randall commented, and I glared at him.
"Mermaid, we are waiting," my captor pressed.
"It doesn't make sense," I explained.
"See, Captain, she's useless–"
"I didn't say that I couldn't translate it, I said it doesn't make sense, Mr. Randall," I spoke through gritted teeth and tried my best to calm myself. "It's a jumble of words. Even with my limited intelligence, I know when things make no sense."
"You better get control of your mermaid captain and quickly."
"Quiet, Randall. What do you mean jumble of words?" Captain Shelley snapped.
"What do you call it when it means something, but you have to decipher what that meaning is?" I asked, and the men looked at me as if I had grown barnacles out of my head.
"Why don't you just say it out loud?" the pirate asked.
"Alright." I sighed and looked at the parchment once again, "a grave... a grave sea where man cannot step... island. This part I can't make out because it's illegible...a woman cries tears of blood... when the sun meets in the middle... and time stills... the truth will be revealed to those who... who..."
"Who what?" Mr. Randall asked exasperatedly.
"I don't know! It's so faded I can't make out the rest of the words," I finished and sat back in my seat. The pirate stared at me for a moment then ran over to the other table, grabbing an even bigger rolled-up parchment. I wondered how many rolled-up parchments one man could have, and what secrets were on them. He opened it to reveal a map of the human world, then started scanning over it while scribbling down what I had just said. My eyes took in the drawing, I couldn't believe that this all existed above me.
"A grave sea where man cannot step. A grave sea, a grave sea," he repeated to himself as if he were in a trance.
"Ah, Captain Shelley, I think I know. Shipwreck Bay, many have perished there. It's been deserted because pirate superstitions believe it is cursed. That's our island," Mr. Randall proclaimed excitedly.
"Aye, maybe, but there's no woman who cries tears of blood though. Maybe if we go and get a better look at it," he responded to Mr. Randall. As the two men conspired, I couldn't help but shake my head at their simplicity, and yet I was called limited in knowledge.
"It's not your Shipwreck Bay," I announced, and both men turned and looked at me. "It didn't say where men will not step, it said where they cannot. Therefore, the island that you seek is a place where men cannot go."
"It's not literal, mermaid, it's all semantics. Besides, it's obvious that this island is Shipwreck Bay, and the more time we waste, Captain Shelley, well my employer's patience will wear quite thin. He does not enjoy being kept waiting," Randall warned.
"With all due respect, Mr. Randall, if a mermaid doesn't want a human to step on our island, we mean it in the most literal way possible."
"And what island is that, love?" the pirate asked softly, causing me to lower my glare as we made eye contact.
"I think, what this is referencing, is... Asherah." The more I spoke, the more I felt the betrayal penetrate my heart, but I couldn't stop now, not when I was so close to getting out.
"Asherah? What is that?" Mr. Randall asked.
"You don't know about Asherah?" I asked with a mocking laugh, growing more amused by his angry reaction. "You humans. Such vacuous and parasitic species. You take from others but know nothing about what it is you have taken, and you are most proud of that."
"Captain—"
"Is Asherah a place?" the pirate asked.
"It could be or have been. I don't know. It's just a story, like one that you'd tell young ones for amusement," I explained, "I don't know if it's real or not, nobody does."
"Tell us the story of Asherah, you know it. I know you do." I didn't fight him but nodded.
"Alright, I'll tell you... thousands of years ago, when the world was still young, humans and the old ones or merfolk lived together in harmony. Humans thought of us divine, gods and goddesses, and worshiped us as deities. One day, the old ones went to the god Poseidon and pleaded for him to create a place in between the realms where humans and merfolk could live together in harmony. The god Poseidon, despite his disinterest in humans, agreed so long as they continued to worship the merfolk... he created Ashera. But the peace did not last forever, and a great war broke out in the sea. The war was said to last decades, and throughout the oceans, the water turned red from the many lives that were slaughtered. Poseidon, angered by both, separated the humans and merfolk. And so he cursed Asherah and made it so no man or merfolk would be able to find it... ever again..."