Chapter Text
The dark waters of the Unterzee churned slowly, signalling an approaching storm. Shiro looked out past the green tide through his window, twirling a quill between his fingers. His captain's quarters shook slightly from the upset waves, and his various trinkets and peculiarities shuddered in response. He had sent his first mate, Keith, on a very important mission over a week ago. Although Keith was incredibly skilled with both the blade and agility, Shiro couldn't help but worry. He placed the quill down and grasped a large cup from his desk, bringing it to his lips. The extremely strong scent of earth and mint burnt his nose and mouth, but he swallowed it anyway. A tincture from his cook and diviner, Hunk. It was designed to soothe his frequent episodes of stress and anxiety. Running a ship in the Unterzee isn't easy, and Shiro needed to keep his cool.
"Captain! Captain!"
A frantic knocking at his door caused Shiro to quickly sit up and respond with a loud,
"Come in!"
Hunk burst in, his large brimmed hat askew and covered in seawater, no doubt from the storm brewing outside. He adjusted himself for a brief instant before he resumed speaking.
"Keith is back! We're bringing him up in the dinghy now!"
Shiro stood up without a word and ran out the door, almost toppling Hunk in the process. The storm was definitely picking up strength now. Shiro could see the huge thunderheads rolling towards them ever so slowly. He strode to his men who were attempting to haul the small dinghy out of the water, but little progress was being made.
"Come on, men, pull!"
Shiro said as he grabbed one of the ropes and gave an almighty pull, bringing the the dinghy up to the ship with every tug. As the small boat became flush with the ship's edge, he could see Keith bracing against the side to keep from falling into the water. His weight was placed on a large burlap sack on the boat's floor, making his balance even more unsteady.
"Hurry up, Shiro! I haven't got all day!"
He yelled, his voice quieted by the wind.
"I'm hurrying, Keith! Patience!"
One more tug and a few twists of the rope and the dinghy was secured.
"Be careful with the cargo! It's a bit... feisty."
Keith said as he stepped on the ship and gestured at the bag, which appeared to be squirming. Shiro brought Keith close and began talking to him in a hushed whisper.
"Did you get what I asked?"
"What do you think, dumbass?"
Keith whispered back, not breaking eye contact with the bag as if he was afraid it would stand up and walk into the sea. He held up his arm, showing Shiro a very large but seemingly thin scratch that ran from his forearm to his wrist.
"But he gave me a very nasty scratch, he did."
Shiro was a bit confused.
"He?"
Keith shrugged.
"What, I bet you wanted a pretty lady, huh?"
His voice was no longer a hushed whisper.
"Captain's a bit horny, huh? Wanted a nice dinner date with a merrow, right?"
Some of the men snickered as they handled the squirming bag onto the deck, causing Shiro to blush ever so slightly.
"I just thought... they were all female?"
"I was very clear on the gender ratio of merrow, captain."
Hunk had appeared behind the two men, as if my by magic (which, given that it was Hunk, was very possible).
"Although most merrow are female, males do exist. However, they usually hide in undersea caves while the females hunt. It's strange that Keith was able to catch one so easily."
Keith whirled on Hunk in an instant.
"It. Was not. Easy."
He hissed, making Shiro step between the two. Keith turned away again, knowing Shiro wouldn't let him skin the diviner alive.
"I had to track that bastard for three days straight, and then when I finally caught up to him, well..."
He nodded to the gash on his arm. Hunk lightly touched the scratch, ignoring Keith's snarl.
"Remind me to give you a salve for that, merrow infections are not pleasant."
Keith rolled his eyes but said nothing. He walked to the bag and placed a booted foot on it, causing the squirming to stop.
"Well, what are waiting for? Let me show you our new friend."
He deftly untied the bag and rolled it forward, sending someone tumbling out of it. The creature looked like a thin boy, around Keith's age. He had long brown hair that was tousled and matted, and large bits of seaweed and coral stuck out of it in many directions. His skin was incredibly pale, and patches of it were covered in light blue scales. His wrists and ankles were secured with large manacles and chains, and he was clothed in very simple cotton peasant clothing. He blinked many times, as if to clear his vision, and looked around in panic. The gill-like slits on his neck began flaring, and his deep blue eyes searched the ship quickly, as if looking for an exit. Keith began talking, ignoring the merrow in front of him.
"Isn't he a beauty? Look at those scales. Worth every hour I spent sitting in fetid water. It was kind of hard to get clothes on him, but-"
Upon hearing Keith's voice, the merrow's ears lowered and he spun around, hissing and snarling. He seemed to remember his experience with the first mate.
"Hey!"
Keith said, pulling a knife from the holster on his back and pointing it at the boy.
"Don't make me do something you'll regret."
The merrow turned back, looking at Hunk and Shiro. The rest of the deck crew returned to their business, not deeming the creature a threat.
"So..."
Shiro said, looking at Hunk.
"How do I...?"
Hunk started, realizing he was needed.
"Oh, yes! Grab him by the gills, but be very gentle. He's probably extremely fragile right now."
Shiro unsteadily walked to the boy, who backed up as much as he could without provoking Keith. A loud hiss and the baring of his large incisors made Shiro look at Hunk for directions.
"Just grab him, captain. The gills are too sensitive for him to put up a fight."
"Um..."
Shiro shrugged.
"Okay."
He dove at the merrow, who managed to rip his captain's jacket before hooking his fingers underneath his gills. Instantly, the hissing stopped and a loud choking sound replaced it. The creature grasped at Shiro's hands, trying to pry his hands off the gills. He slowly rose, lifting the boy with him, who continued to sputter and and struggle.
"Okay, that's great captain! Let's get him to the alchemy room immediately."
Shiro marched the boy in front of him, following Hunk down the aft of the ship and through a flight of stairs to the alchemy room. Keith followed, curious to see the fruits of his labor. Once they reached the room, Hunk immediately began concocting a potion, throwing various herbs and items into the large pot in the center of the room. He paused and waved frantically at Shiro.
"You can let him go now, Captain!"
Shiro had become immune to the spluttering sounds from the merrow, and he quickly released him in realization.
"Oh, sorry."
The merrow dropped to the ground and massaged his gills, glaring at the captain.
"You don't have to apologize to him, he can't understand you."
Keith said, walking down the flight of steps.
"Stupid animal."
"Actually,"
Hunk said, stirring his concoction with a large spoon.
"He understood you just fine. Merrow speak English."
He lifted the spoon out of the pot, examining the frothing contents.
"But unfortunately, they have difficulty speaking out of the water. It mostly sounds like hisses and bubbles."
As if on cue, the merrow hissed from the floor.
"Yes, yes, we know."
Hunk said matter-of-factly. He tipped the spoon into a glass vial and stepped to the boy on the floor, holding it to his face.
"Drink up, now. It'll help with the soreness. And you'll be able to talk easier here on the ship."
The boy stared at the vial with distrust until Shiro nudged him with his boot.
"Hurry up."
Another loud snarl and the boy begrudgingly sipped from the potion, but stopped when he recoiled from the bitter taste. Another nudge from Shiro, harder this time.
"All of it, now."
As the merrow was trapped between Shiro's legs, he had no choice but to finish the potion. A loud cough signalled that he was done, and Shiro knelt down to the merrow's level.
"Now... are you ready to speak?"
A smaller cough came from the boy, then he spoke with a raspy, yet melodic voice.
"No."