Pirate AU

The entire crew gathered around the Captain as he shouted his victories. Priscilla, joining late to the party, stood in the back of the crowd at the edge of the quarterdeck. Despite her time on with the crew, and earning a positive recognition from even Captain Zallithan himself, she was still labelled a newbie and an outsider to the energies around her.

Captain Zallithan waved his sword tauntingly at the creature that was strung up in a net for all on deck to see. It hissed when the tip of the blade got too close, or did it actually nick the creature? She couldn’t tell from here. 

A bane of his existence finally under the Captain’s thumb and blade. The crew cheered, and a smile spread across Priscilla’s lips. She didn’t have her own personal encounters, but she was at least witness to the effects it had on everyone. Her fellow crewmates had shared an assortment of tales of just how much trouble this thing had caused them and their captain.

“I don’t know which was worse,” Cale, a young redheaded crewmate and navigator recounted during one supper below deck, “When he followed us to port and serenaded my maiden away from me, or when he poked holes in the ship one entire voyage and Captain made me fix them all.” His spoon paused in the air while he silently deliberated. “Naw, it’s that voice of his,” he settled on.

Priscilla leaned back against the wood of the ship. Maybe it was because she wasn’t up close to the thing in the net, but from here she couldn’t imagine the creature causing too much destruction against the crew or the ship. When she thinks of sea creatures, she imagines things more along the lines of a Kraken. Large monstrosities with a past time of sinking ships. But this? This didn’t seem any bigger than a man. She could have even mistaken it for a man. Well, if it weren’t for the giant fish like tail and unnatural eyes.

It squirmed inside the net, shifting positions and gazing out into the crowd, seemingly ignoring Captain Zallithan’s words and taunts now. It looked annoyed for the most part. Like this was all just an inconvenience. Surely it had to have known Zallithan had intentions of turning it into the kind of trophy that doesn’t breathe.

The eye contact stopped Priscilla’s thoughts up short. Out of everyone in the crowd, the creature’s eyes locked with hers. She couldn’t read any kind of expression from back here, but a hollowness started to form in her stomach.

“What are you doing here, woman?” a voice seethed at her, breaking her gaze away. Zero, a big, brooding, and particularly superstitious sailor, was already pushing her onward. “Get out of sight before it knows you’re here!”

Priscilla wanted to protest, but going against Zero was like trying to move a brick wall. When he’s particularly agitated, he doesn’t always remember to keep his strength in check, and Priscilla stumbled over her own feet after a notably forceful shove. In the time it took for her to regain herself, Zero was already shutting the door on the entryway to the cabins and captains quarters.

She smacked the palms of her hands against the door. “Asshole,” she muttered.

This particular ship had two cabins leading up to the captain’s quarters, and technically one of them was hers. She would have just retreated to the room, but she was locked out.

Her actions and skill during her first raid after joining the crew impressed the Captain enough to change his indifference to interest towards her. Presented as a kindness, the space away from the crass and vulgar members of the crew was to be hers, and only hers. Except was it? The Captain kept the key to himself. Typically, there were no issues against gaining access. Other times, the Captain requested her company in his own quarters instead. She told herself she didn’t mind, it was no big deal. The Captain can be pretty charming. Sometimes.

She gazed down the hall at the door to the Captain’s room. He’ll want her company tonight for sure. She rubbed the back of her neck. Maybe she can convince him to keep drinking until he passes out beforehand.

Pirates tend to hold their liquor, annoyingly so. At least the drink made it quick.

It was like a warm embrace that lifted Priscilla out of bed, took her by the hand, and led her out the door. It was a sweet sound that elicited comfort, the warmth of praise, and the promise of safety. It took her to a place of calm and innocence in her mind. Her movements were dream-like, and she couldn’t recall the last time she slept this good.

Except, she wasn’t sleeping, was she?

“This isn’t real,” she whispered to herself.

The eyes that were looking back at her seemed surprised at her statement. As silence fell around her, the dreamy warmth melted away. Her mind pulled itself out of a fog, and she slowly started to register she wasn’t in the Captain’s quarters anymore.

“What isn’t?” a voice asked her.

She focused on the creature in front of her, “What?” She was far below deck, standing before a tank that was not long enough for the siren to lay in comfortably. There was only a few inches of water, too. Zallithan really spared no thought to its comfort.

It gave a crooked bemused smile, “I’m not really used to women speaking through the spell unprompted.”

“Mother always did say I have a disrespectful mouth,”  she replied.

“I see you’ve fallen into the appropriate crowd, then. Might I have your name?”

“No?” She took a step back, “They say you're not supposed to just give your name. I won't let you own it.”

The creature blinked. “You’re thinking of fairies, my dear.” It erupted with laughter, “Knowing your name will not pass ownership to me.”

Having it laugh at her somehow made embarrassment warm her cheeks. “Give me your name first.”

“Nero,” it said with no hesitation.

She wasn’t quite sure what kind of gotcha she was hoping for. It quite literally just explained she was under the wrong impression with what she was dealing with. “Nero,” she tested.

“Yes. And your name?”

She crossed her arms, still not feeling safe to say her name. “Why’d you use a spell on me, Nero?”

The siren shifted inside the tank, “Because I want to escape, obviously.”

“And you think I would just help you?”

“Well, no. Not willingly. Hence the spell.”

“So it’s real? You can just sing and control people?”

It hummed in confirmation, and Pricilla’s mind immediately clouded over and she leaned forward. She blinked hard and shook her head, “Stop that!” She turned away and rubbed her temples, “Shit, now I owe Zero money.”

“You’re kind of interesting, you know that?” Nero said.

“Yeah, actually.” She faced the tank again, “You’d be lucky to know me.”

“Love to know your name,” it smiled.

She returned a disingenuous smile, “I should leave.”

“Wait, you haven’t let me out yet.”

“I’m not gonna do that.”

It feigned consideration, “You don’t have a choice.”

“If I free you, I’ll be tossed overboard.”

“At least I’d be there to catch you,” it winked.

“Wh-” Priscilla sputtered. Was this thing flirting with her? “You won’t be catching anything when Captain mounts your scales on a wall.”

“He’ll have to capture me again.”

Priscilla knew she needed to stop talking to the siren and go stuff cotton into her ears. If the Captain knew she was this close to it, he would reprimand her in ways she avoided thinking about. Why anyone would want to pursue being on that man’s bad side was beyond her. So, she had to ask, “Why the Captain?”

“‘Fraid I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’ve been a nuisance to the Captain and crew long before I got here. He’s not a very forgiving or merciful man. The sea is so vast, why continuously involve yourself with this one particular guy?”

“Suppose I could ask you the same thing. Maidens aren’t exactly common at sea. But ol’ Zallithan’s crew? This ship? Why this captain?”

Priscilla pursed her lips, but refused to break eye contact.

An uncomfortable amount of time passed before Nero spoke again. The creature just smiled, “It’s pretty fun, I think. Ruining the life of a bully.” It suddenly turned its head, “Hey so, about getting me out of here…”

Priscilla shook her head. “No. We’ll be pulling into Glalor tomorrow, and, well… it was nice meeting you.”

“Glalor?” Nero looked at her again, “I thought they wanted to arrest Zallithan.”

“That’s what I said!” She leaned in as if she were sharing gossip. “I guess some other poor schmuck got to take his place.”

“Hm. Lucky.” It turned its head again. “Listen, I’d love to continue chatting, but I really need to get going. Are you going to let me out?”

“No.”

“Wrong answer,” Nero said before singing a sweet melody.