Endless Adventure

The Merman's Target - Valerie Michelle (part 2)

[The Ship]

So perfect was the merman's vision, that he spotted a ship’s shadow to the northeast of him from over two miles away. He swam with purpose. The long swish of his powerful tail created

ripples far below, so that he might use the forward momentum of inertia to emerge at the surface nearly undetected.

Avaris could smell the ship before he saw it, for it held the unmistakable stench of men clustered together under the sun for far too long. Many, many men. Even the freshness of salt in the breeze could not cover their sweltering stink.

This must be it, he thought, for this was no dinghy. Aboard the craft was the largest group of men he had come across in many years.

Dipping back under the veil of the murky water, the merman swam towards the massive hull. The closer he came, Avaris noted an attached metal plank of sorts on the keel of the hull from bow to amidship. A veneer of shiny material, much like the pointed and explosive weaponry of the landwalkers, seemingly protected the typical wood of the ship underneath. It still showed the barnacles and rust of its age, but not a plaster of repair could be found. The Disenchantment showed no sign of defeat. Quite a remarkable feat for these turbulent waters.

So unique the Man-O’-War was that Avaris had to stop and contemplate the meaning of such construction. Surely, this was no ordinary pirate vessel. Its owner had a means and cleverness that Avaris had not encountered before. A fact which the merman filed away for the adventure ahead.

Avaris made his way towards the aft of the impressive ship. His fingernails like spikes, drove into the wooden sternpost near the hinged rudder, and he began his ascent. His enormous biceps strained with the effort of climbing up from the heft of his gargantuan tail, which he kept steadfast, so he did not disturb the water.

It helped that the schooner was becalmed, maintaining a slow speed as the merman climbed. What aided his climb even more was the particular magic granted to him. As his waist was lifted out of the waves, he felt the pain of an incision, splitting his tail in two. Solid sapphire scales gave way to the leathery, tanned hide of a hard man.

While on his lonely island, he cared nothing about his nakedness. Although, Avaris knew better amongst humans. Pants, which he had once stolen, were wrapped around the spear that slung across his broad back. Hanging with one hand embedded into the ship, he tugged them on quickly. It mattered not how the seams threatened to burst against the thickness of his muscular thighs. Avaris continued upwards.

He avoided the closed shutter of the stern chasers, where light cannons were encased. And around the whipstaff steering, he climbed higher. Then, he maneuvered carefully over the staff quarters, for you never knew who might be peering out of the ship or when. Finally, he reached his destination; the captain’s cabin at the stern of the ship.

Avaris would not put down the menacing Pirate King today. That was not his careful process. What if he attacked the wrong person and killed a lowly crew member instead of his intended target? The chaos of that mistake would mean either his capture or chasing his target to the ends of the ocean. Not to mention the further discovery of his kind. That was not a mistake he made twice.

No, this day was meant for observation only. He needed to lay eyes on Gregor Calvado. Watch the way the man moved. Note his swagger, his stature, and especially his missteps. See the type of connection he had with his crew. Memorize the anatomy of the vessel. Do all the things that would allow Avaris to later assassinate the King without a soul aboard ever knowing he’d been there.

Hanging like a lizard on the exterior of the Disenchantment, Avaris scanned inside for his prized target.

Gregor Calvado should be grotesque from decades of hard fought battles at sea. Perhaps even plump around the middle as he would have gotten lazy, relying on his deckhands to carry the real load of hard work. Avaris expected a pock-marked man with more gray in his beard than not. That was why the merman nearly fell from his perch when he peered through the window of the captain’s cabin and spied the lovely body inside.

She was a beauty beyond reckoning. The young woman sat in front of a silver looking-glass, brushing her long, golden locks. The slender, delicate fingers danced as rhythmically through her hair as the tide itself, rolling back and forth. Avaris found himself mesmerized, swaying his head with her movements.

One more minute and he would look away, he promised himself. A solemn vow that vanished in the salty breeze the moment their eyes met in the mirror. His silver orbs grew as wide as her green…

Seafoam green, Avaris thought. Her eyes were the color of the sea. More importantly, while they should have held alarm at seeing a giant of a man outside her window, Avaris only saw sadness reflect back at him. A despair he once saw in Carry when the bird had been caught in a man’s net that washed up on the island. She was a bird in a cage, no more free from her kind than he was.

He did not want to startle her, but curiosity begged his attention. With his enhanced abilities, Avaris used his peripheral vision to take in her surroundings without withdrawing from her gaze. A bed with strewn, tattered blankets furnished one side. Weaponry which hung proudly on the wall decorated the other side. A large desk with scattered papers, a telescope, and a golden sextant took up the remainder of the room in the center.

The most dangerous item of all also lay on that desk. A map of Avaris’ world was held open by several pineapples at the corners, which threatened to roll inward and keep their illustrated

secrets hidden. He noticed, still using his peripheral eyeline, that key gathering spots of the underwater realm were marked with X’s on open water. The Pirate King was aware of the populated areas in which to search for mermaids. Even more alarming, was the outline of Avaris’ own private desert island, and a label over the drawing that he did not fully understand: Base of Operations.

Yet, nothing besides the brush in her graceful hand belonged to that of a woman.

The movement of her setting her brush down caught his focus, and again she was all he could see. How many moments passed that they simply stared at one another, he knew not. Avaris was only sure of two things. This gorgeous creature needed to escape. And he wanted to be that for her; a hero.

From far too close, Avaris heard a rough man’s voice outside her door, which caused her pupils to grow like a pufferfish at incoming danger.

“Gimmie a break, boatswain. Imma gonna crack Jenny’s teacup, if ‘ye know what I mean.” A gross laugh was heard, then he added, “Show a leg, me lass!”

Too many things began to rapidly change at once. The cabin door burst open with a thunderous bang that shook the window Avaris peered through. The young woman jumped at the sound, then hunched her shoulders, cowering in fear as the captain entered. He was still laughing as she backed herself against the wall opposite the bed. Somehow the wall covered in swords, guns, and cat o’ nine tails seemed safer to her.

The lurid expression Gregor Calvado wore as he stalked his prey of feminine beauty, unleashed a fury inside the merman’s chest that was unrivaled. A shiver traveled to Avaris' spine, and the beauty’s eyes ticked back to him for just a moment.

Then, a raucous from above distracted them all.

“Blimey! What now ‘ye bastards?” The Pirate King spat out to no one as he threw his hands up.

Avaris’ breath suddenly stuck in his throat from the sudden loss of so much; her eyes, his heart, and his footholds from the stirring of the vessel. The trusty spear strapped to his back shifted as he faltered, then it fell to the waves below with a splash.

Carry, the albatross, swooped down towards him in aid, having been discreetly soaring as a lookout nearby. Yet, the sight of the great bird in flight was caught by a pirate who called out the sailor’s perilous omen to the others. Since the beginning, ancient mariners cowered in the presence of an albatross. This day was no different.

Shouting and the ringing of bells grew louder. Gregor roared at the intrusion of work when clearly he had a sick pleasure on his mind. And soon harpoons were being shot at Carry.

Though, they were not launched very accurately, for it was considered bad luck to actually kill the great seabird. Avaris needed to move or risk being spotted.

When the King huffed and exited the open door, the merman locked onto the girl again. Where sadness previously reigned in her eyes, now a question was found. Was Avaris a friend or foe?

Avaris had no choice. It went against his precise nature to act without more planning, but with Carry as a distraction, this was probably his best chance at rescuing the girl and killing the Pirate King. Thus, he swung the window open and clambered inside the cabin.

She took one cautious step towards him, and Avaris took the rest, closing their distance. His hand reached to cup her cheek, swiping away the tears that fell from her watery eyes with his thumb. As they made contact for the first time, Avaris felt a stirring. The grogginess of hibernation in his soul was lifting, and something new colored his world. Something that he had been missing his entire life; devotion.

Such a thing that the magnitude of change made his heart want to swell out of his chest and commit himself to something beyond his petty greed. To be dedicated to something he cared for would give his life a purpose he could be proud of. And the only thing more beautiful than her appearance, was her innocence. Alvaris was devoted to keeping it intact.

The girl whose name he still didn’t know, reciprocated his affection by placing her own hand on his. How amazing it seemed that such a simple act between two beings could seal their fates.

Maybe, Avaris thought, just maybe I do not have to live alone. I could trade the sea forever, and yet still find it in her eyes.

With a voice even more perfect than her face, she murmured. “Please, sir. Take me with you. Anywhere, but here.”

Avaris raised his brow at her. He assumed she had been kidnapped. Did she truly have no other place to return to? Was she as alone in the world as himself?

“I have nothing to offer you in return. But… somehow I feel you are not the man who would ask such things. There is a kindness - a reckoning in you - that I have never known before. I trust you,” she admitted. Avaris gave a tight nod of agreement before she responded, “Whatever you were looking for, I will help you find it.”

For the second time in his life, Avaris decided to speak to another soul who lived above the waters. If she could trust him with her life, then he should return the favor by trusting her with his honesty. “Whatever I was looking for, was always you.”

She probably would have shed more tears at his sentiment, but the unmistakable sound of irritated footsteps reached them first. Someone was quickly approaching. While Avaris wanted

to kill the intruder, his priorities were now jumbled with considering the safety of another above all else.

That is the only reason he allowed the woman to shuffle him into a hidden passageway that the captain had most likely built into the ship for his own escape and survival if his vessel was ever scuttled. No doubt it led to an escape hatch through a cannon slat, but Avaris did not follow its path. He waited in the cramped space, and listened.

Gregor hurriedly grabbed the girl's upper arm, dragging her with him to the upper deck. "Women are ill luck on boats after all."

With the room empty, Avaris rushed out through the window, diving cleanly into the water below. Magic threatened to take control of him, but he acted in such haste before his tail had time to fully fuse and scale over. They may see his identity revealed in mid-shift, but it was a risk he was willing to take. For he had to reach his target on board. Too many lives were now at stake.

Whistling to Carry, the massive bird came. It clutched talons into Avaris' shoulders, lifting him with a near supernatural strength, then depositing him over the railing of the starboard deck. Confusion amongst the crew was rampant and Avaris counted himself lucky for their distraction.

If only he had more luck than the first mate who called attention to the merman whose two legs were blue and scaled over still. In moments, several blunderbusses were aimed at Avaris.

Gregor sauntered over to his new prisoner with vile victory etching his smile. "I dunno what 'ye be aft'r, but I dun reckon I care much. It’s time to dance with Jack Ketch, ‘ye filthy scallywag! Once ‘ye hang, Imma put your head on the bowsprit. A fittin' place of distinction for any seawitch. And ye’ scales will pretty up me ship as I destroy all ye’ kind. I be the Pirate King. I own the waters now.”

Avaris felt the rumble of pirate laughter through the deck. But then he also felt the change in the air as Carry soared towards the merman, doing what the bird did best. In its talons, the mighty albatross carried Avaris’ spear, which had previously been lost to the sea. The weapon fell into his hands with flawless execution.

Time for an execution of my own, Avaris thought, picturing the freedom of his people, and most importantly, himself.

The smile died on the merman’s face as he looked up from the spear. Before him still stood the Pirate King, but Gregor’s hands clasped around a cutlass. A short-sword that was held to the porcelain throat of his golden haired beauty. Her arm stretched out to him in a last ditch attempt at hope of escape. And for the first time in Avaris’ adult life, he hesitated.

“Oh, would ‘ye look at that, lads?” the Pirate King laughed to his cronies. “It seems the siren has fallen for a song this time! How weak ‘ye are, mermaid. To fall for the pathetic call of love from a pretty face.”

The pirate’s insult struck an ill chord. That was exactly what Avaris was doing; falling victim to love. This intense emotion was a spell as powerful as any siren’s call - maybe even more so to bind around a powerful merman's heart. Love was the human’s version of luring men into breeding and stealing their soul; a life of servitude until ultimate death.

As he looked at his fragile little human, Avaris saw mocking. Not from her, but from every female he had ever known before her. How could he trust that she could be any different?

Words his mother spoke to him as a boy before his banishment harkened back with a stale freshness. For who could ever truly love you?

Madness coursed through him. Avaris had spent his entire life under the thumb of the feminine kind. Where her lovely seafoam green eyes once held his clarity, now they were clouded with his animosity. He would no longer be used by females. He would no longer give his freedom to another. He would not choose duty or love. For the first time ever, Avaris chose himself.

In this rash decision, he lifted the spear an inch higher and drew back his right arm until his muscles were taunt. As he launched it forward, he poured fury through the rod. Anger of being cast out. Anger at being used again and again. Anger at years of forced loneliness.

Yet, as his wrist gave the final flick of release, sending that spear hurtling towards its mark with perfect accuracy, the word echoed through him.

Loneliness.

The word bounced off the walls of his mind.

Loneliness. Loneliness. Loneliness…

It reverberated through every extremity with a hiss.

Lo-ne-li-nessSSS…

The feeling cracked through the dam around his heart.

LONELINESS!

And out of that word poured out the realization of what his future actually held. The very reason he chose himself was to punish the past from forcing such crippling solitude upon him. However, all this choice was about to accomplish was to punish his future by bringing more of the same.

Avaris had just erased hope, both hers and his. In craving power to control his own life, he released the chance of love’s power to heal him. As he watched the spear propel through the air, he wished for it to miss and sail to the right overboard, harmlessly into the water. He wished with all his heart that he would not puncture hers.

But the assassin was an expert in spear handling, with a magical strength only one was given in a generation. So, the spear hit with a wet thunk. It sliced through the woman’s body and straight to the chest of the Pirate King holding her, finding its target with disappointing precision.

After all, Avaris had perfect vision. And now, forever, he had perfect hindsight.

***

By Valerie Michelle

Want to read the full novella, The Merman’s Target, with a new magical ending? It’s coming soon to Dreame! Add it now!

Other titles by this author include: The Luna’s Alliance (Dreame)

Cabin Affairs (Dreame)

Cabin Affairs: Revisited (Dreame)

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