---Cain's POV---
Anger coursed through my veins as I was forced to walk to the edge of the brig. These yellow-bellied cowards, these landlubbers were preening like a peacock now for having me in irons, Aye. Drugging my pint of rum, even bribing some of my crew to go against me and let these bilge rats get their hands on me.
My nostrils flared as I felt the slight jab in my back, the trickle of blood soon following. Almost instantly, the large fin that had been circling in the distance turned sharply, as if eager for a taste.
"Time to take a swim, Captain. To think that the great Captain Cain, Death's messenger, will end up as shark bait." I heard him spat at my feet and cured my lip in suppressed anger. "Wouldn't have expected more from a negro." The man behind me roared with sickening laughter, his gaggle of a crew chortling along as they prodded me further off the ship.
'T was true that they called me Death's messenger, amongst other things. Slave used to be one of them but that was before my mother had slit our so called Master's throat when he tried to force himself onto my sister. May the lord have mercy on her soul.
Over the years I had fought for our survival, earned respect amongst other man despite them being fair skinned. They quickly learned not to mess with the Angel of Death. And these slugs with blubber for brains would learn soon enough.
As one of them went for another stab, I managed to turn around on my feet and grasped his dagger before plunging it in his own gut. The man bared his yellowed teeth in pain or shock, eyes focusing on my hands as I shoved the blade deeper before ripping it out.
My ears rang with several curses and slurs, the half intoxicated crew rushing forwards in an attempt to overwhelm me. Dodging a slice for my chest, I managed to swirl around one of my captors, moving the blade behind me to slit his throat as I spun around.
I would've easily stand my ground against this band of misfits, but I noticed Vernon grabbing for his daggers and decided against fighting.
The bilge rat was exceptional with his throwing knives, especially in close quarters. So knowing I had more chance to escape my chains before ending up in a watery grave, I stepped backwards and off the ship, making sure to throw my borrowed weapon straight into one of the traitors' forehead.
And then I was engulfed by the cold saltness of the sea. Instantly the weights pulled me down as I tried to reach down and force these shackles from my legs. I had hoped that they'd used cheap material that had rusted over the years but it seemed that the good Lady fortune wasn't smiling upon me.
My eyes burned as I forced them to open, wanting to see the daylight before I perished. So this was it huh? Betrayed by mutineers and forced to an early meeting with the creators. To be crushed by the depts of the sea...
But as I noticed a massive blur heading my way, I soon realized that my death wouldn't be so peaceful. Another Angel of Death was gliding my way effortlessly through the water, its mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.
Air bubbled out of my mouth as I glared at the beast, unwilling to admit my defeat. Surprisingly, the beast seemed to pause, hesitant . Yet it continued its path, those jaws opening wide to show a set of teeth that could rip me apart.
A rush of water forced me to spin around, bubbles floating up towards the darkening surface as a cloud of red burst free and muddled the water. I could see fins churning up the water above me before I blinked, struggling against my bonds. My lungs were protesting quickly, ears popping as I was dropping lower and lower.
The water grew colder by the second, my surroundings darkening until I halted with a jerk. Suddenly I was freed from the weights on my feet and arms, able to kick and swim on my own. But that was also the moment I spotted a blur heading my way.
I reacted on instinct, reaching for the hidden knife in my boot before managing to slash the creature. My lungs were screaming for air but i doubted I would be getting anything soon as the blur darted around, too quick for me to follow and latched onto my neck.
Teeth sank into my skin, a cloud of blood sallying the water while I roared in anger and pain, jamming the knife back. I was glad I could see a tail disappearing in the distance, a trail of blood following it but I was more focused on the thing that had managed to latch on.
And just as quickly as the predator latched on, it released me. But due to all the struggling and shouting, I had lost my precious air; instincts made my body spasm and gasp for air, lungs filling with cold liquid, drowning.
Only...I wasn't?
Taking a few deep breaths, somehow my lungs didn't scream for air anymore yet accepted the water as a new supplier. My eyes widened in shock as I felt my bare chest before reaching for the bloody mark on my throat.
It had to be the bite, there was no other explanation. But how? I spun around in the water, ready to defend myself against my attacker...and then I froze.
This was not possible. And yet I was staring at a gorgeous creature that was supposed to be myth. One of the Merpeople. Fluke twitching the slightest bit to keep him adrift as he reached back to pry the dagger out of his shoulder with a pained hiss.
This...this must be what a true Angel of Death looks like. Lethal yet gorgeous at the same time.
I held my breath for a moment, feeling my body react to this Angelic being as he scowled slightly before looking at me closely. While I enjoyed his appraisal, I myself was more interested in observing him. How his dark curls tangled and swayed in the water, how his piercing gaze burned on my skin like a mark of ownership...
My eyes lingered on his bare chest, the incline of muscles clear underneath his skin as they flexed with each motion of his fluke. How his scales seemed to fuse together with his skin, blending perfectly so you wouldn't know where his skin started.
As I watched, his scales flared to a dark blue, the red highlights burning brilliantly in violent flashes ranging from a dull orange to a fluorescent red before he seemed to calm down...
Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.
And only mine.
They said that every Pirate would come across that one treasure he could not resist. I had always laughed at that, thinking it impossible. Yet, as I stared at the man in front of me, able to breathe in water as if it was air, I realized I found my one Treasure.
"What are you doing? What happened to you human?"
Ah, his voice... Though he wasn't anything like the slender boys that fought for attention, I had thought his voice to be soft, feminine. Instead it was clearly muscular, a rasp and certain huskiness that made me shiver to the bone.
Instead of replying instantly, I glanced back up at the ship, noticing it was sailing away quickly, reminding me of my old anger. "Part of my old crew, dumped me in the middle of the ocean to die obviously. Didn't count on a Merman saving me."
The man made an amused sound. "Merman? Oh no, not at all. If I were one of the merfolk, you'd be dead. I'm a Siren."
---Orion's POV---
The strong male seemed to think for a moment, seemingly sunken in thought as I watched him. I wondered why I wasn't stressing out; this was the first human who saw me in true form. But surely nothing could go wrong, seeing how calmly he reacted.
True, he did defend himself when I had to bite him, releasing my hormones into his blood so he could breathe underwater. But that was to be expected. I tilted my head as I noticed him observing me closely, a glint in his eyes that quickly disappeared as he shook his head.
Swishing with my tail, I moved forwards, circling the man slightly before glancing at the fleeing ship. "You said part of your crew... you're a Captain?" I asked curiously, getting captured in the intense expression of his eyes.
They were such a light color, I could've sworn he was anything but human. They were a very light green hazel, making you shiver at all the emotions that were swirling inside. His skin seemed to have the same deep color as that rare, slightly bitter sweet...chocolate if I recall correctly.
My eyes flicked back up as I noticed I was staring at how his shirt clung to his chest, how his breeches seemed seconds away from ripping off of his thighs. My fluke swirled through the water as I got a bit closer to the human, wondering where he came from.
I was glad that my bite had managed to settle but it wouldn't last forever. My curiosity would have to wait for after he got to safety, especially since I didn't know for sure if that Great White would return or not.
"I am." The male nodded while eying the fleeing ship. "Though not of that vessel, it seems that I've been...abducted." I blinked, tilting my head as I watched the boat leave quickly, trailed by several sharks as if they knew there was food waiting on the surface.
"Pirates?"
The man shrugged, eyes taking me in with interest before he looked at the surface. Even though he seemed to be treading water with ease, I didn't want to exhaust him so I swam closer and grabbed a hold of his arm.
"Do you have any idea where your vessel might be?"
He seemed to think about it, eyes calculated as he eyed me before glancing at the surface above us. "I have an educated guess, yes. In case of emergencies, my crew knows where to lower the anchor and wait for instructions."
He licked his lips for a moment, almost hesitant before he spoke with a sarcastic smile, "Do you happen to know the whereabouts of what we call Isla Muertos?"
I blinked before frowning but nodded in response. "But, don't you humans fear that place? According to your rumors, its frequented by pirates and others." He snorted and rolled his eyes while giving me a pointed look.
"And it's said to be the home of numerous beings such as yourself. Is that the truth?" He inquired, upon which I shook my head. There were no sirens anywhere near that place, because it was far too close to the borders of the Merpeople.
The mermen liked a good chase and a Siren was their ultimate prey. They wouldn't let us go that easily.
"Scared of a little folklore?" The man asked, resulting in a flare of colors along my scales, to show my anger. Within seconds I had grabbed onto him and with a few pumps of my tail, we were heading for our destination.
If I hadn't been so worried about the possibility of mermen, I would have realized something was off about the man's explanation. As it was, I was far more worried about a dangerous apex predator than a single human being.
What harm could a human do?