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What are they doing to him…?
Haru watched the huge ship from behind a rock, confused. It seemed…it seemed like the other humans on the ship, the ones covered in fancy-looking black and blues were pushing the red-haired human onto…a piece of wood? Haru squinted, tilting his head to get a better view. Yes, definitely a piece of wood. Long and narrow, set on the ledge of the ship and facing the ocean.
And right in Haru’s direction, too.
He wanted to swim closer, get a better view, but what he was doing was risky enough already. Ever since he was a child, he’d been warned about the creatures who lived and walked on land, using legs (which Haru thought looked like two arms attached to their lower halves) instead of tails to get around.
Humans.
He’d heard the stories, of course, of humans on huge floating…things that they called ships, throwing nets into the ocean and taking whatever lived in it. Fish, sharks, clam…and occasionally, a merperson, like Haru. Though he’d never seen it happen, he’d heard, and he’d heard from everyone. His late grandmother, his father, his mother… The word was only muttered under people’s breaths, treated as a curse word and never spoken aloud.
Yet…despite everyone’s warnings, Haru found himself coming up to the surface. The first time had been when his grandmother had passed away, when he was thirteen. He hadn’t been planningon going to the surface, but he remembered how suffocated he’d felt when it was announced. He’d tried swimming, fast and far, far away, but it wasn’t enough. And before he knew it, he’d found himself swimming up. Up, up, up until he started seeing this…brightness. He’d felt lighter, too, like the water wasn’t very…strong? Haru wasn’t sure how to describe it.
And he remembered the very moment he’d breached the surface, clear as day. The water had kept getting brighter and…and lighter, until suddenly…he wasn’t in the water anymore. His body was still in the water, but his head…there was no water. It was a strange feeling, breathing in from his nose. And he’d felt so warm, too…
He’d gone up to the surface a few times after that, mostly when he’d felt alone or sad. He’d seen a few of the fabled ships, and he’d seen people on them, who he guessed were humans. He’d never gotten close enough to see them properly, though.
…But in the last eight days, Haru had been swimming up to the surface more than he’d ever done in the past four years. Every day, to be exact. And as he was hiding behind this rock, his tail still hidden in the water, he was closer to a ship; to humans than possibly any merman or mermaid had ever been.
And it was all because of him.
Eight days ago, he’d gone up to the surface for the first time that year, because he knew that it was particularly warm on land at this time of the year, and he liked the contrast from the cold, dark depths of his home. And when he’d seen the ship, he’d been prepared to go back underwater, knowing the risk of being seen.
But then he’d seen him. The human with the red hair.
Haru wasn’t sure what had attracted him to the human. Maybe it was the hair, a dark maroon-red, almost like blood. Or maybe it was the fact that he was dressed differently than the other humans on board (Haru had learned that humans covered their skin with things called clothes, which was somewhat understandable because of the sun rays above the surface). Everyone that Haru could see was wearing dark blue and black, with polished little metal circles on their fronts and…these things on their heads. The red-haired human, though, he was dressed far more simply. His top was covered with clothes that covered his arms in white, and his front with intricate red and gold designs. Well, not really covered, since his whole chest was exposed, bare until a bit above his navel. Haru had to admit, it was somehow…alluring.
And ever since then, Haru had been swimming up to the surface, following the ginormous ship around and staying well-hidden. He’d stealthily encircle the ship, trying to find the side that the redhead was on, going closer and closer every day. He’d notice that there were always two other humans standing on either side of the redhead, looking stern and stiff and prodding him with this long…pole thing at times.
Haru wasn’t sure what was up, but he had a feeling that the other humans on the ship didn’t like the red-haired one.
And today, as he peeked at the ship from behind his rock, close enough to hear the humans, he noticed that they had the redhead tied up, thick ropes wrapped around his whole body. Haru could hear the humans, sure, but he had absolutely no idea what they were saying. Their pitches were deep, far deeper than those of the merpeople. But if Haru had to take a guess, he’d say that they were all…angry? They looked angry, especially the redhead. He was yelling, and the other humans were talking back, not quite yelling, but loud enough for Haru to hear.
Then they started prodding the redhead with that pole again. No, not prodding, pushing him. Pushing him towards the narrow, long piece of wood. And the other humans in the background were…saying something, loud and repetitive, over and over again. Again, Haru couldn’t understand…but it sounded like a chant.
They were pushing the redhead further and further. He was halfway across the plank now. He was still yelling, sounding as angry as he had before, but Haru noticed a new emotion on his face.
Fear.
Some of the other humans had started laughing now, but it wasn’t that joyous, bubbly sound that was usually made while laughing. No, these laughs sounded cold and harsh and empty.
He was nearly at the edge of the plank when it finally hit Haru.
Wait… They’re not going to throw him into the ocean, are they?
No. Haru’s eyes widened in shock, and he felt his stomach clenching into a fist. That’s exactly what they’re planning to do.
Humans didn’t have tails…did that mean they couldn’t swim?
Judging from the laughter and jeering of the other humans and the fear on the redhead’s face as he teetered at the edge of the plank, Haru’s suspicion was right.
And before he had time to think, to swim, to do anything, he heard a loud splash, followed by the sounds of desperate thrashing and even more laughter. Haru peered from behind the rock again, trying to control his escalating heart rate. The red-haired human was struggling to stay above the surface, thrashing and squirming against the ropes, constantly gasping and spitting out mouthfuls of water. The sounds of laughter were slowly dying away as the ship starting sailing in the opposite direction, leaving the struggling redhead in their wake.
…And Haru didn’t know what to do. He wanted to go and swim up to the human, to take him to the nearest shore, but…what if he figured out that Haru was a merman? What would he do? What if he tied him up and put him on display for other humans to see, just like in the stories? It wasn’t safe-
Suddenly, the sounds of gasping and splashing stopped. Haru looked out from behind the rock again, but the redhead was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe…maybe he went under the surface…?
Haru waited for him to resurface. Maybe it was a few seconds, or a few minutes. Haru didn’t know. He kept staring at the spot in the ocean where the redhead had been.
…But he didn’t come back up.
And suddenly, Haru felt afraid. What if the redhead was dead? It would’ve been his fault, for just staying in place and watching him, not doing anything while the human thrashed and struggled.
Without thinking, Haru started swimming. He went back under the surface and into the ocean, away from the heat rays and the humans and the land and back to the cold, wet water, swimming faster than he’d probably ever swum in his entire life. He swam until he saw the human’s body, which was drifting lifelessly, sinking lower, lower…
But somehow, that motivated Haru to swim even faster, willing the water to get him to the redhead on time. He couldn’t be dead, no… Haru wouldn’t believe it.
What must’ve been a few seconds later, Haru had finally reached the redhead. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he started swimming upward, upward, upward…
Until, after what seemed like a dark, scary eternity, the two of them broke to the surface. Haru gasped, trying to catch his breath after the extreme swimming he’d just done. His arms and tail and torso all felt like they were burning.
But still he didn’t let go of the red-haired human. His eyes didn’t open, and he wasn’t gasping for air. Haru felt something heavy weighing down in his stomach, and again his heart rate was climbing. He felt panic tugging at the corners of his mind.
What if he’d dead? What if I’m too late?
No… No. Haru gave his head a firm shake, trying to rid himself of the panic. For now, he had to get the redhead to the nearest shore. He looked around, desperately turning his head in all directions until he spotted something other than the vast blue ocean. He squinted, trying to get a better view.
Yes…definitely land. Quite the swim away, but not impossible. He might’ve been able to get the redhead there in an hour or so, if he swam fast enough.
But after swimming for a few minutes, Haru realized that this was a lot easier said than done. The human wasn’t particularly light, and Haru was having trouble swimming while keeping his arms around the redhead’s waist. He tried carrying him on his back…but that just proved to be even worse of an idea.
Haru sighed, feeling frustration building up in his chest. They’d never reach the shore at this rate. And besides, he didn’t think it was a good idea to keep the human in the water, even if it was just his lower half.
There must be some way…
And that’s when Haru spotted it. The rectangular piece of wood floating a few feet away from them, similar to the one those other humans had made the redhead walk on, but larger.
In other words, it was perfect.
Haru smiled, swimming over to the little raft and hauling the human on top of it. It stayed afloat, thankfully, and now Haru had a chance to look at him properly.
The first thing Haru noticed was that the human was still tied up. Haru stared at the ropes, wondering what would be sharp enough to cut through something so think.
Maybe…
Haru looked doubtfully at his tail, which was still safely hidden underwater. Well, it’s not like he had any other options at the moment.
He tugged at one of his blue scales, flinching at the sharp pain when it came off in his hand. Why he was going to such extents to save a human, and a human who he had no clue about, not even knowing his name, Haru had no idea.
After a few minutes of concentrated sawing, the ropes broke, and Haru gently, very carefully, unwrapped them from the redhead’s body and, with satisfaction, threw them into the ocean.
Cautiously, he moved closer to the human. Was he really alive…? Inching even closer, Haru put his ear near the redhead’s mouth. Labored little breaths, nearly inaudible.
…Yet Haru felt waves of relief washing over him. He’s alive.
But what am I supposed to do now…?
The redhead was alive for now, but would he make it to the shore? Haru doubted it. His breathing was too weak.
What could he do to make the human breathe normally? Haru thought about it for a few seconds, looking intensely at the redhead in front of him before he was struck with an idea.
He kept spitting water out when he was drowning, so what if…?
Haru’s eyes drifted towards the redhead’s mouth. His lips looked almost purple, and they were parted slightly. It was a crazy idea, and Haru knew the chances of it working were pretty low.
…Yet he found himself propping his elbows onto the raft, inching his face closer and closer to the human’s until their noses were touching.
His nose feels cold.
And with that thought, Haru closed the gap between the redhead and his mouths, feeling a warm, tingling sensation in his stomach despite the redhead’s cold lips. He started breathing into the redhead’s mouth, steady but firm breaths, and occasionally pulling away to pump his fists rhythmically against his chest.
After a minute of continuing this cycle over and over again, the redhead finally showed some reaction. A violent shudder ran through his body, making Haru jump away in surprise. Then he was turning to his side- facing Haru- and coughing. Coughing up water.
And to Haru’s surprise, the human’s eyes opened. They were red, a little brighter than the human’s hair, but still a hypnotizing, near-blood shade. They looked glazed and unfocused for a moment, and then- and then they were on him.
Haru jolted backwards, almost by reflex as the redhead’s eyes widened.
“Who…?” The redhead’s single word sounded like a question to Haru. He stayed low, only his head and shoulders above the surface as the redhead tried to get up.
…Which proved to be a bad idea. The redhead immediately gasped, a pained expression crossing his face as he fell back down onto the raft.
When he didn’t show any signs of movement, Haru slowly edged back towards the raft. He sighed in relief when he saw the redhead’s eyes closed.
He’s unconscious again.
But, as he gingerly, cautiously placed his hand on the human’s cheek, feeling the newfound warmth radiating from it, Haru knew that the redhead was alive.
…And why this fact made Haru’s heart swell with happiness and relief, he didn’t know.
~~~~~
“Finally…” Haru muttered, completely out of breath as he pushed the raft (with the now-dry redhead on top of it) onto the warm, white sand. There was absolutely no one except for them on the shore, which was great, as Haru could expose his tail as he pushed the redhead as far away from the water as he could manage. When the human was safely away from the water, Haru gently pulled the raft from beneath him and pushed it back into the ocean.
The redhead was finally safe. He was alive. Haru could see his chest rising and falling in steady motions, almost as if he were peacefully asleep.
…And in that moment, Haru was struck by how…how beautiful the human lying in front of him looked, splayed out on the white sand. His pale skin was glowing in the light of the setting sun, and the shadows being casted across his face made his high cheekbones look even higher, making his whole face look more angular. And his hair, the vivid wine-red hair that had first caught Haru’s eye…well, it looked more magnificent than the orange-red sky itself.
“Pretty…” Haru murmured, and he found himself moving his hand up to the redhead’s face to cup his cheek, very gently stroking it with his thumb. No…those high cheekbones weren’t a trick of light, they really were that high. And his lashes…they were so long…
He knew how risky this was, how absolutely dangerous it was to be lying on land, his tail half-out of the water and right beside a human, too, touching a human…
Yet a small, hopeful part of him wanted to stay here, wanted to keep touching the redhead, wanted to find out the redhead’s name. His skin was so warm and soft under Haru’s fingers. He was far prettier than any merperson that Haru had ever seen.
Suddenly, a low groan escaped the redhead’s lips.
Haru jerked his hand away, startled, and started to slowly edge back into the water, just enough to hide his tail. He half expected the human to fall back into unconsciousness, but no, he was actually stirring this time, face scrunched up as he moved to his side, faced away from Haru this time.
And as the human started to get up, slowly and unsteadily, Haru knew that he had to leave. He was retreating back into the water completely now, trying to be as silent as he possibly could. He went underwater, swimming until he was a safe distance away from the redhead. The he poked his head above the surface, vaguely making out the shape of the redhead sitting on the shore, facing the ocean.
And…and Haru felt a pang of something hitting him hard in the chest. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to go back, to caress the human’s beautiful, warm face again, and to run his fingers through that red hair…
And as Haru went back underwater, swimming further and further away from the shore, from his human, Haru wondered if he’d ever see the human with the blood-red hair again.
~~~~~
“Blimey…” Rin groaned as he struggled to get into sitting position. His head felt heavy, and his temples were throbbing as if he’d had one too many glasses of ale. He looked around, only to see the vast blue ocean in front of him, and an empty white shore behind him. It looked darn familiar, too, but Rin couldn’t quite place his finger on it…
What in Davy’s name happened ‘ere…? Rin wondered, managing to sit up properly, crossing his legs in the sand and facing the sea. How did I...?
The last thing he remembered was…waves. Water, crashing over him in waves as he tried to stay afloat. He’d been unable to swim, but why…?
And that’s when the memories of the past eight days hit him, and they hit him hard. How he’d left his little crew, promising that when he’d be back, they’d be rich beyond their imaginations. How he’d snuck aboard the ship of the famed pirate group, the richest, most regal pirates to ever sail the seven seas. He’d been planning to take a map, the map. The one that would give him and his crew riches beyond anything anyone had ever seen.
…But he’d somehow miscalculated, somehow gotten caught… He growled in frustration at the memory of the uniformed men throwing him into a cell, jeering at him for even trying to rob them. And then… Rin curled his hand into a tight fist, digging it into the sand.
Those bilge rats. Those bastards.
He remembered how they’d tied him up, and how the captain had called their entire crew over to the helm to watch him, their foolish prisoner, walk the plank. Their sneering, their cold, amused laughter, their chanting.
Walk the plank! Walk the plank! Walk the plank!
Rin growled again, burying his fist even deeper into the sand. He’d get revenge on those vermin. Makoto, Nagisa, Rei… They all would.
But…there was something he was forgetting. There was a memory, nagging at the ends of his mind, but his head still felt too foggy to remember.
…And speaking of which, how did he get here…? The nearest shore had been about a mile or so away from where the ship had been, and there was no way he could’ve just “washed up” here. He would’ve been dead a long time ago.
Rin rubbed his eyes with his hands, trying to remember. He…he’d been on a raft. Someone had put him on a raft in the middle of the ocean. Everything was blurry, but…a face was coming to his mind. Someone with a soft face, round cheeks. Black hair falling into very piercing blue eyes. Had it been a lass or a lad…Rin couldn’t have told. Only their face and shoulders had been visible, after all.
It didn’t make sense, though. There’s no way anyone, lass or lad, would be taking a swim that far into the ocean.
A siren…?
Rin shook his head. Those were simply old stories, myths woven and spread by pirates for generations. And besides, sirens lured men in with beautiful singing voices and killed them. This person had saved his life.
Rin sighed, shakily getting up and brushing the sand off his clothes. Well, whoever it was, he owed them his life. He turned his back on the ocean, looking around the shore. There was a town a walk ahead, and Rin grinned when he recognized it.
This was the town where his crew had been planning to go next. Rin wasn’t sure if they were already here, or if they would arrive in a day or two. Well, whatever the case was, it was a stroke of good luck that he’d ended up here.
Before he started walking towards the town, he took one last glance at the sea.
…He wondered if he’d ever get the chance to thank his blue-eyed savior properly.