Oceanbound

by lindam2254

Will Turner has his first ever brush with the supernatural. Oneshot, pre Curse of the Black Pearl.

Young William Turner hung from the rigging as he gazed at his surroundings. Staring back at the blinding sun from under his raised hand in between glancing about the vast ocean opening in front of him, before his eyes were cast down to look over his shoulder at the numerous crew members walking about the ship's deck. Kept busy by their duties, where the but a few months ago hired cabin boy was content to loiter about the cordage high above the main deck like whenever he'd managed to sneak away from his own despite of the ever watchful eyes of the Captain or the First Mate of the Sea Shepherd. The boy who'd dreamed of following his father's footsteps all his life as long as he could remember finding it much more fascinating to simply gaze at the never ending horizon of the glimmering blue than to spend his time in fulfilling the puny tasks that awaited him back on deck, when he'd signed on to become part of the crew of Captain Phillips him to have expected to be given more to do than to be a mere gofer of the other sailors, someone who took care of all the small jobs that no one else did...Like scrubbing the decks from day to night till his hands were all chafed and full of blisters. Just like his mum had made him do many times while still back at England...

Will's heart lurched at the painful recollection of her mother. Of her face and voice. Her smile and the sad thought of how his life had been not but a five short months ago when he'd still been living with her, happily...All until the illness that had taken her from him. In one night, without a warning her to have simply drifted into sleep and never woken again, the boy to have found her from her bed the following morning although but a few hours prior he'd been within that same room bidding her a good night. And now, she was no more. Amelia Turner was gone. And finally, at the end of two whole years of struggling with her affliction had left her son all alone in the world after many years of continuing to raise him all on her own...After her husband had vanished without a trace, abandoning them. To have departed to one of the voyages out at the sea aboard the merchant ship he'd worked aboard without a single note left behind, never to return back home.

For seven years after his father's disappearance Will had ached to grow up, faster by each passing year that brought him closer to eventual adulthood, so that he would finally be old enough to go to sea himself. To leave home and go search for his father, who hadn't sent a single letter to them during the time that he was away to inform them of his well being or whereabouts, his fate remaining thus a total mystery to the Turner family as long as they were left living on their own, just the two of them. His mother to have made the eventual decision of leaving the small town in Glasgow where Will had been born and moving to England where they had found themselves a new place to settle in, Amelia managing to support them with the little money she got from working as an embroiderer at a local linen weaving mill. But as had been proven not long after Will had turned eleven years old, her health started to get worse, and by time led to her death regardless of the treatment her son had tried to arrange for her with the scarce earnings he himself had been able to make by running errands for the doctor of the town, who in exchange had overseen Amelia's treatment in form of some needed remedies they'd been able to afford. But sadly nothing had saved her from succumbing to the disease, and even after so much time Will still couldn't stop blaming himself over her passing. He should've done more for her, helped her more around the house instead of simply living a life of a carefree little boy when his mother had exhausted herself in working in expense of her own health...And now she would never come back. Just like his father hadn't...Just because he had hated to pay heed to his mum's little requests of doing chores, such as mopping the floors.

But as unheard of as it was, there had been a silver lining to Will's mother's death. Despite of how miserable and alone it had left the lad, her mother wasn't with him any more, and therefore couldn't have further stopped him from following after his father in order to go find him from the wide world the woman had for years regarded as too terrifying for the young Will to face. It had deprived her of a husband after all, and Amelia hadn't been able to bear the thought of allowing her son to walk out of her door, only to be claimed by the perils of the sea and never to be seen again by her like his father before him. But now as her dead and laying buried far away in a tiny cemetery in England, Will had been given the unavoidable freedom to choose for himself, and after an unexpected letter had finally arrived not but a short week after his mother's burial bearing his father's name and encasing a strange gold medallion, the overjoyed boy had taken it as a sign for him to finally leave the safety of his home to go search not only for William Turner senior, but answers. After he'd waited four more weeks for a response to his own letter in which he'd informed of his father of Amelia's death without however receiving one, he'd packed the little belongings he'd had and secretly left the house of their neigbour Mrs. Balthazar in middle of the night, who'd taken him under her care at the time and ran off. Signing up to the first ship he's stumbled upon at the docks and which he'd learned to sail to the Caribbean, from where he knew his father's letter to have been sent from by the little information found in the few written lines Mr. Turner had provided his son with in addition to the petition of keeping the included, skull decorated locket safe for him...As well as the request of making sure the medallion wouldn't come near the Caribbean waters through Will trying to find him. But naturally the grieving son had not either cared for the warnings written into the note, and his father's pleads to stay away from the seas had but encouraged the lad to set out to begin his search of him...not however knowing at the time that such decision to leave everything he knew and loved behind marked as the definitive beginning of a lifelong adventure.

"Turner!"

Will flinched as the givenly aggravated voice of the First Mate sounded from below him. The boy slowly looking down to see the indeed vexed Mr. Gallagher to be staring at him with a displeased frown, his arms securely folded across his bare chest as he then nodded the boy to come down. Will, who'd in a way learned to respect the man through plain fear he indeed aspired to rouse amongst the crewmen, swallowing as he obediently climbed the shroud down and set foot onto the deck again. Standing in front of the possibly terrifying man who was known to even go as far as throw a negligent sailor overboard (or so the other crewmembers claimed to young William, after sailing with the man for years), Mr. Gallagher sizing the lad up for a moment until his arms went behind his back, the man's gaze turning into a glare and caused shivers to run down Will's spine, Mr. Gallagher taking hold of the lapels of his jacket as brought him slightly closer. Angry.

"And what were you up to now up in there yet again, eh boy? I believe I made myself clear what would happen if I ever found you loitering about again", the man murmured, Will simply returning his hard stare without a word, as quite honestly didn't come up with any excuses to save himself from the bad tempered First Mate's hatred. Him simply looking down meekly, at the glimpse of his medallion him quickly only pushing it back into hiding under his shirt collar before said the only thing there was to say to have the man's vice like grip release him and have him leave the boy about his business again.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Apparently not sorry enough, since this is exactly what you said to me the last time I caught you assuming the duties of a loafer. Do you want to be keelhauled, lad?"

"No, sir."

"And yet, I think that might be just what you need to make yourself more a man of your word the next time you speak to me..."

"Mr. Gallagher, sir", one of the crewmembers now cut in, Mr. Cummings, a considerably younger man in his thirties, and who was rather new to sailing himself after but a year of serving in Captain Phillips' crew. Him striding over to them before discreetly freed Will from the peeved First Mate's hold by bringing the lad behind him upon facing Mr. Gallagher, Cummings flashing him a soothing smile as beckoned towards Will dismissively. "All is well sir, he's but a boy. His first time at sea, it is given that the lad is inquisitive and mesmerized by its wonders, as were we all upon setting sail for the very first time...You remember your first journey, now don't you Gallagher?"

Mr. Gallagher pouted a bit in distaste, but yielded with a single leer given to Will. "And despite of your perhaps intelligible attempt to save this young man from given punishment, I content myself to simply warn each of you that our Captain suffers no loiterers aboard The Sea Sheperd...And I even less. Keep an eye on lad, because if I find him evading work one more time, it is you Mr. Cummings who shall be made responsible."

Cummings said nothing and simply smiled after the First Mate who then stalked across the deck, eventually vanishing somewhere below, and giving the other man a chance to turn around to face grinning William. However instead of returning the boy's innocent simper slapping him gently on the back of his head, Will looking down briefly ashamed.

"Honestly now, you have to start behaving yourself. It's been over five months now lad, and I cannot keep looking after you till eternity...In this line of work you have to grow up quicker than boys like you usually would", Cummings stated, casting a castigating look down at Will who answered with an understanding nod. Cummings then simply sighing before broke into an eventual smile, spotting the mop and the bucket the boy had previously abandoned by the gunwale and shoved the utensil into his less than eager hands. Beckoning towards the floorboards before walked away himself, to return to his own post. "Lively now Will. Make your mum proud by cleaning this deck squeaky clean like she would've, and you may earn yourself a cup of grog for later tonight..."

Suddenly much more motivated Will sent the man off with an enthusiastic smile, with one more fleeting thought of his mother and father him placing a hand on top of the covered medallion before dropped the mop into the bucket. As urged resuming his task of swabbing the deck like he did every day, everything returning back to the usual course when everyone remained occupied in their own tasks, soon enough Captain Phillips emerging from his quarters and ascended up to the quarterdeck after enjoying his usual afternoon nap before tea time. Will listening to the man giving orders to the crew before he was lost to his own musings again, them mostly circling around that mysterious medallion his father had sent him.

Will had never seen anything like it, the beautifully crafted, but somewhat terrifying engraved skull adorning the locket intriguing him as much as unsettling him deep within. The medallion having to be a part of some treasure his father had stumbled upon during his adventures at sea, as what else could such a peculiar necklace be? Will knew little of people of upper class, as his mum and him hadn't had many chances to familiarize themselves with the higher circles taken how in fact poor they'd been during his time of growing up, but Will couldn't imagine any woman of a rich background to be seen anywhere wearing such a medallion. Leaving but the only conclusion that it must've originated from a treasure, but what the boy couldn't understand was why it seemed to be so important to his father...Important enough to be sent all the way to England to his long since estranged son, even Will hadn't heard a single word about the man till the day the letter had arrived to the Turner house...Leaving him to wonder what was it about that odd medallion that had driven his father to part from it, and to ask Will to keep it safe, exactly the meaning of that particular request not making sense to the lad. But Will was determined to do just the opposite of what Mr. Turner had asked and find him, wherever he was...and ask him himself. But taken what his father's enigmatic words written into the letter about the medallion had made him feel, he had to make sure no one aboard this ship would catch a glimpse of it...Also because it couldn't be denied how much it reminded of an item a certain type of a sordid, unlawful individual all men sailing in these waters feared would have on their person...Also Will to have considered the possibility of the locked to have once belonged to an actual pirate, which wouldn't make him get to the better side of the First Mate any more than he already had. Not to mention the crew, who most likely would all wish to hang him then and there, thinking him to be a pirate too.

Ever since receiving that medallion Will had however always bypassed the frightening possibility of his father to have met his end in the hands of possible buccabeers, if this locket that was to be kept safe had ended up in his possession, meaning that the individuals from whom Will had been tasked to guard the necklace from were exactly the ones his father had gotten it from...From some pirates with whom his father had met with some time in his life, and because of whom he had suddenly reached out to his son after years of not staying out of his life, Will not being able to deny that although his father's fate did scare him a little, he was also interested to learn what Mr. Turner's tie to this medallion was...As much as he wanted to hear what the man had been up to all these years...But most of all why he had left him and his mother. And now showed up again after such a long time. As it couldn't be just a coincidence. Will was sure about that as he now dragged the mop across the weathered boards, thirst of an adventure once more running strong in him with his blood and he was filled with determination, the highly likely fact that he may never find his father from this unknown place he'd never traveled nor been before diminishing when he courageously decided to never give up. That would it take one, five or even ten years or more he would find his father. Knowing that he was alive, somewhere...waiting for him.

"Captain, there's something in the water!"

Will snapped his head up to look at the sailor stationed in the crow's nest, seeing him to be pointing to starboard for the surprise of all who'd heard his previous announcement, and who were then lured to gaze over the railing because of it. Men gathering around to see whatever the scout had spotted down in the waves, but as Will also then left the mop on the deck to run over to the crewmen currently scouring the water with their eyes, he neither saw anything. Just the foam that hedged on top of the surfs which the large hull of the vessel created while pushing forward in the abruptly risen breeze, Will raising his hand too late to prevent his hat from ending up swept by the wind and it fell into the sea, after searching the ocean himself for a brief moment Captain Phillips peering up to the sailor on the lookout questionably.

"There's nothing there. Just tricks of the eyes caused by the sun", he hollered in response, the ensuing murmur of the crewmen speaking of the same perception, as everyone saw nothing in the water. A moment passing as the men took another instant to let their eyes scan the ocean in wonder, but just as Captain Phillips begun to order the sailors to get back to their stations, Will heard Mr. Cummings to release a deep breath of utmost dismay by his side. The lad first looking up to him and saw the man to be staring somewhere behind them with wide, shock-ridden eyes before he observed several other men to as well turn around and start to point to something in the port side that caused an utter silence to fall over the deck next. After more and more bewildered gazes were cast to the direction Mr. Cummings was staring at, Will finally turning on his heels himself, finding himself utterly petrified when he came to share his fellow crewmen's awe when his eyes now set upon the cause of the spread outrage. Not believing them.

On top of the gunwale, completely nude and with the most alluring smile on her lips, sat a woman. Her long, wet locks draping around her shoulders and cascading along her back and chest, puddling into her lap and all the way to the deck in small coils as in her hand she hold a hat. Will's hat, that just a moment before had been swept away by the breeze and dropped into the sea, the woman inclining her head at the gawking men who couldn't turn their eyes away from her. Too mesmerized by her divine beauty that was out of this world, everything about her captivating each and every one of the sailors who were currently staring at the lovely creature perched on top of the railing, too enthralling to look at for any of the men to even consider where exactly had she appeared from in middle of the ocean with no mainland or islands nearby. Not anyone coming to question why she was suddenly sitting there, naked with not any kind of proper clothing in her person, only Will finding himself wondering about the woman's appearance enough to level a quizzical look to her way. Just as he noticed Mr. Cummings to swallow and take a pace towards the golden haired goddess who was eyeing at the men curiously, even seductively. Her smile that never ceased possibly beguiling as it attracted the undivided attention of the crew, not only Mr. Cummings but several others also now discovering themselves to be approaching this mystery woman who said not a word. Simply tilted her head to the other side as Mr. Gallagher was the first to get over his daze enough to walk over to the woman, with one more look given to her bare limbs covered but by her soaked tresses the man stretching out a hand to receive the hat the woman was offering to him, only to take hold of her wrist with an indeed spellbound grin as measured the woman with glazed eyes. Will watching how she shied not away from him nor his too friendly hands that now moved on her arms, to bring her closer, their stare not breaking, when it seemed to Will the First Mate to be totally entranced by the look of the woman's sea blue eyes. As if bewitched.

"Who are you?" Mr. Gallagher asked, his voice as much as his expression signifying his state of utter rapture while at the presence of this woman, Will letting out an astounded breath himself as he as well as the other men then observed many other women to pop out from behind the gunwale. Each even more beautiful than the previous, and all causing the same effect amongst the crewmen, not one man discovering themselves having enough self-control not to near these enchanting ladies, despite of the fact that all of them had just indeed emerged from nowhere other than the ocean. Out of all the people aboard only Will starting to direct this time around confused looks at the women who all managed to lure the men over to the railing, as if put under a spell, and as Mr. Cummings finally also made a move to go to one of the gorgeous creatures currently locking gazes with him, Will took hold of his shirt. To stop him from approaching, suddenly having a bad inkling about the situation as the First Mate continued to talk to the first appeared woman, returning her gaze as she eyed at him somewhat oddly now. Like an animal looked at a pray, not that any of them would've noticed due to their daze, while her fingers rose to touch the rough surface of his bearded cheeks. Smoothing them, deepening the enchantment.

"What's your name?" Mr. Gallagher asked again, his voice possibly breathless, laced by temptation to lean closer to claim those positively compelling lips of the woman whose gaze now fell. Her hands retreating, settling onto the man's shoulders and eventually drifting down to his arms, Will watching her irises then to snap up to his. Somewhat hungrily, full of threat.

"A monster."

A breath of utmost horror then erupted from the lips of everyone as in the same moment the woman spoke she opened her mouth as if to be the first to pull the First Mate into a kiss, instead however her eyes flashing before her blue irises turned lose to white. Instead of perfect set of teeth fangs pushing out of her gums and Will saw her delicate fingernails to turn into actual claws, her moment ago so lovely features of utter beauty not even Goddess Aphrodite couldn't have possessed now distorted into a monstrous grimace of a unholy creature as a bloodcurdling hiss erupted from her mouth. Followed by several other equally terrifying inhuman noises that left from the lips of the other women who at the exact same moment changed shape and turned into similar type of monsters in a blink of an eye, too swiftly for the truth to sink into the minds of the captivated sailors until it was too late. Will and the other crewmen who'd stayed farther away from the women now watching in fear as the first to appear woman now yanked the First Mate's head to the side, only to inflict upon the onlookers nightmares to last for years by sinking her teeth into his flesh before wrapping her arms around the screaming man and plunged into the sea with him. Another, but a single beat of a heart lasting silence befalling over the men as a few other sailors were then as well dragged to their demise, Captain Phillips standing in middle of the deck of his ship in utter shock until he also came to understand what these being were. His trembling voice reflecting utter terror as it voiced out the regrettable thoughts of all of his men, skeptical.

"Mermaids!"

The implausible word echoed in Will's mind in disbelief. In dismay, as he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that mythical creatures such as mermaids were actually real, but he didn't have to as he then witnessed those commonly in stories regarded deadly creatures to start to wreak havoc aboard the Sea Shepherd. The lad filling with dread of his own as in an utter daze followed the mermaids to jump at the defenseless men in unnatural speed from as far as straight from the ocean before using their claws or teeth to incapacitate their prey, where some men were simply hauled over the railing by the strange vine like appendages that shot out of the creatures' hands to apprehend the sailors trying to escape. Terror spreading in an instant as no man was left guessing what these creature were and what they could do, every seaman to have heard the legends of mermaids well and knowing to fear these beings from the bottom of their hearts. It however proving hopeless for anyone to even try to run, as after the first shock had subsided and a handful of men had been deprived of their lives, more and more mermaids started to leap out of the water around them and attacked the unsuspecting sailors from behind.

Screams of pain and dread filled the air, but got swiftly overpowered by the unnatural screech of the mermaids as Will was forced to run about the ship in a frenzy along with his fellow crewmembers. His eyes darting about the vessel in panic, all that he was able to hear being the monstrous utterances of the mermaids as he observed these sirens to continue to crawl onto the deck over the gunwale before lunging at the men in unison. Rendering them defenseless, and not any pistol or sword was fast enough to deal a deadly blow in self-defense before their wielders were proven mostly inferior to the fangs of these monsters, Will's heart feeling like leaping out of his chest as he watched the mermaids to practically pray on the sailors right there on the deck and taking actual bites out of them before eventually dragging them into the ocean to be completely devoured by these man eating beings. No place proving safe enough to run, but still Will raced across the blood stained deck, trying to steer clear of the creatures that seemed like infesting the ship from prow to stern, the lad feeling the Sea Shepherd to start to swerve as he now witnessed several of those appendages to latch onto the railings, possibly to bring the ship down in order for the rest of the mermaids to be able to have their share of the evident pray Will now finally understood the crew to have become. Nothing comparing to the horror he was now under as he avoided the claws of the creatures that scraped his clothes when he hurtled across the deck, upon dodging one of the appendages shooting across the air to capture him, Will crashing against the railing. Only to direct a quick look over it and seeing the sea below to be completely swarming with dozens and dozens of more bloodthirsty mermaids hungry for some human flesh, Will having time but to swallow as the significant screech that then emanated from in front of him alarmed the lad and he twirled around. Only to have his eyes widen as he saw another mermaid to drag herself over the railing, her predator eyes fixating onto him, and he didn't have time to react or even plan to flee when he then saw the creature to prepare to strike. But just before the mermaid's weapon like appendage lashed at him and wrapped around his torso to yank him straight into her deadly claws, Mr. Cummings dashed from amongst the still alive men struggling against the invading mermaids. Pushing Will back with a cry that ordered the boy to run, just before Will saw the man to be captured in his stead, but Mr. Cummings' decision to sacrifice himself for him did little to save him, as in the same moment the man darted in front of Will to shield him, he accidentally bumped the boy. Causing Will to lose his balance just as the ship made a radical tilt to starboard and he felt his shoes skid across the slippery become deck, not but one terrified thought later Will plunging straight into the ocean and right in middle of the hunting mermaids. Will feeling himself crashing into the surging waves and started to flounder in panic, dread filling him as he instantly imagined to feel clawed hands to wrap around his ankles and legs to drag him further under, to drown, or to face fate much worse.

But when he finally dared to open his eyes to see the creatures that were surrounding the Sea Shepherd, he wasn't faced by several of them, but just one. As Will found himself sinking for a moment due to the fear that paralyzed him, him discovering himself to be approached by but one mermaid, but after mere one terrified gasp of air later he realized her to be not like the others. Considerably younger than the full grown mermaids currently tearing apart the ship, mere a child in his eyes not much older than he was probably, and who despite of Will's fears didn't attack him. or so he thought, as but a blink of an eye later Will witnessed her eyes to turn over and she now looked as much like a beast as the rest of her kid attacking the vessel, the lad flailing upward even more fiercely to get away from her once he saw her fangs draw out and she lunged at him her arms out. With but a single, strong flap of her tail later reaching his sinking body struggling to reach the surface, Will ladling and kicking helplessly as he dodged the mermaid's ssaults as it besieged him, its claws and teeth tearing his clothes and eventually depriving him of his jacket as it continued to come at him time and time again while encircling him amongst its endless dashes. Due to some miracle Will however managing to scramble back to the surface and drew in a greedy breath upon breaking through. Nevertheless him practically sensing the monster at his tail coming and before he could prepare Will could feel himself to be grabbed by those strong hands with inhuman strength and he was flung out of the water with a twirl, startled scream escaping the lad's lips as he saw the flash of a tail of the diving mermaid from the corner of his eye before found himself crashing on top of a piece of drift wood the other creatures' appendages had managed to rip apart from the ship's hull. As he coughed out the water he had swallowed and twirled on his back in panic, he had time but to draw in a scared breath as in the exact same moment the mermaid shot out of the water and the same monstrous screech filled the air as it came at him. About to kill him.

In his desperation Will's hands fumbled his vicinity, coming upon another piece of detached wood that once had been part of the gunwale and thwarted the mermaid's attack by ramming it against the creature, despite of her claws swinging at him ferociously with another hiss the mermaid plunged back into the water. Only to submerge yet again and again in an attempt to drag Will back under to be eaten, Will fighting courageously against her and succeeding in keeping himself alive long enough until the unexpected salvation came in a form of his medallion that currently was dangling in open view on his chest. After gaining but several small cuts and some bigger gashes during the struggle for his utmost surprise the mermaid then springing from the water once more quicker than he expected, however upon grasping the medallion in an attempt to draw the boy close enough for her to finally finish the struggling human off, Will heard another but this time clearly agonized screech to erupt the mermaid's lips as her fingers wrapped around the golden piece. As fast as the mermaid had jumped out of the ocean Will now watching how the creature immediately retreated, him seeing but her eyes return back to humane again before she dove into the waves again. Will releasing a terrified breath as instantly drew the greatly splintered wooden piece in between him and the sea in front of him, expecting another attack, but it didn't come.

After a few seconds of him simply listening to the throbbing of his fearful heart and taking in the claw marks adorning his floating device and his skin, Will finally saw the head of the creature to re-emerge. But not in a manner that would've encouraged the boy to raise his weapon to strike down the mermaid however, as for his following confusion Will saw her to simply appear from the water without attacking. Him returning the mermaid's stare, whose features weren't anymore contorted by the true monstrous form of her kind as the creature with a girl's face simply gazed back at him, as astounding as it was to the boy somewhat curiously even, although Will then saw her then direct a slight fearful look at his medallion before he watched her tail sweep past the water's surface behind her. Its scales shimmering in hues of green in the sun as much as Will was able to gather in that initially terrifying moment when he was faced with that mythical being, flinching back next as she now even further surprisingly rose from the water again, only to lean forward with no apparent further intent of killing him. Most likely in similar interest to Will's once his panic subsided a little and he was left to eye at the mermaid in utter wonder now as she also took him in with her pale irises, bemusing the moment ago utterly frightened boy even more by then tilting an inquisitive head at him before the mermaid's eyes then expressed caution. Proving that although just she had been about to eat him, in truth she was equally frightened of him as he was of her as much as interested, for this reason probably the mermaid next exerting further out of the waves to lean as close as to Will's face. The boy of undeniable 14 years of age not helping but in fact blushing when that absolutely gorgeous looking creature examined him, riveting him to his place so that even if she would've indeed ripped his throat open here and there he couldn't have been able to escape. But despite of what would've been logical to Will, he was then left to watch as the mermaid suddenly raised a hand, him not being sure had he actually seen real hesitation in the creature's eyes as her features now rendered back to dark and givenly threatening.

For some reason however Will still knew himself not to be in danger as against all reason he let himself to be examined by those pale, slick fingers...Their touch causing goosebumps to rise on his skin, unsettling him, but also intriguing tracing his features that undoubtedly were very similar and to a certain point identical to hers, even he should've taken this chance to kill the creature to save himself, Will still not helping but coming to think that perhaps this was what appeared to be a very young mermaid's first time encountering someone like him. A human. Gazing upon his kind for the very first time in his life just like he did her. Him however not finding his voice to speak as like the men previously up on the deck before this nightmare had begun, he discovered himself somewhat mesmerized by this mermaid he either couldn't now deny to be absolutely beautiful to look at. Her beauty however not removing the fact that she was downright deadly, and as she continued her subtle examination of him, Will then spotted a few other mermaids to have noticed them and to be making their way towards them. In fast speed, the mermaid in front of him seeing the same, and all Will heard then was a low hiss that sounded like a warning as it turned around to confront her fellow mermaids, just as Will made a startled jerk backwards and the piece of the hull capsized. Numerous ravenous screeches filling his ears even underwater as Will tried to take hold of the edge of the drift wood, breathing in notable amount of water due to the scare that the hands that now indeed grabbed him caused. Will's natural reaction to being dragged into his watery demise being to call for help as the mermaids started to pull him deeper and deeper into the depths despite of his tries to free himself from their powrfule grips, him feeling himself very much like a helpless worm on a hook which was soon to be devoured, and but a few few flounders later his eyes widened as he saw a third mermaid to appear. Eyes glowing, full of hunger as she dashed towards him, to finally kill him.

But just when Will closed his eyes to prevent himself from witnessing how the creature bit into him, he felt his legs to be abruptly freed, something whizzing past him in great speed from both sides and causing him to make a slight roll as his eyes snapped back open. To hazily take in the familiar greenish tail that flapped past his vision in a swift arch the mermaid ade as she apparently chased away the rest of the bloodthirsty beings from Will's vicinity. The lad's relief however being but short-lived as it was then that he realized to continue sinking and not to be able to breath, and like before he started to desperately swim towards the surface. However finding it impossible, as by the time he'd gotten over his fear of getting mauled by the mermaids currently swirling but a little farther away from him his limbs had already lost their strength due to the lack of oxygen, and his hands now wrapped around his neck. His vision blurring as his lungs started to fill with more water with each attempt to draw air to ease the irritating burning of them. But on the brink of losing consciousness Will could feel sharp teeth to in fact sink into his arm and in the following instant he was whisked back to the surface, the ingested water coming out in violent gusts as he was then thrown back onto a piece of drift wood. As exhausted Will tried to take support from it he turned around to face his apparent savior, only to be taken aback completely when the young mermaid followed him out of the water and pressed him down, digging her nails into his chest, but just like before not to follow through with killing him. Will realizing what the mermaid's actions were for as he spied the three other mermaids who'd attempted to claim him as their prey to pop out of the waves as well to witness how the not yet full grown member of their herd brought her head down. Against Will's beliefs only supposedly feeding off of him by lightly sinking her teeth into him, and the meaning to the bite she'd inflicted upon him while underwater was explained to the lad then, him however losing strength to keep his head up that supported nicely the illusion of him getting eaten alive.

Will's eyes closed briefly, him feeling himself somewhat faint due to the exhaustion that suddenly took over him, but he managed to crack his eyes open long enough again to behold how the mermaid now drew apart from him. Locking serious gazes with him, appearing the most humane so far regardless of that blood that dripped down her jaw as exchanged a long, remarkable stare with him. The mermaid however next but shocking the boy again as her hand that had risen to his chest again retreated, to reveal the apparent scar that had been left on her skin by its previous contact with the golden medallion for Will's bemusement, but what dismayed him then was the way the mermaid leaned forth once more and actually landed her lips on his. Once again momentarily stupefied the about to faint lad simply laying there thunderstruck until after but a brief moment the mermaid drew away, her hand sliding off of him, the look in her eyes this time but hard as for the first time ever since first coming upon him, she spoke. Her current demeanor however signaling that regardless of the fact that she was letting him go, she was however very reluctant to do so.

"Live."

Will didn't neither have the chance nor willpower to respond, to ask why on earth had she kissed him and was saying that to him, and most importantly why wasn't she planning on feasting upon him like the rest of the mermaids had on the other crew members, as he could but barely see how in the following instant the mermaid retreated back into the water. However in that exact same moment all screeching of the other creatures and the still echoing screams of the dying sailors quieting down as unexpected blast of a cannon cut the air. Scaring the mermaids off and them to plunge into the safe waters of the ocean once the hull of the Sea Shepherd was now pierced by the just fired ammunition from this mystery ship that Will fathomed to have come upon theirs. Perhaps to aid them, Will knew not. Him only knowing then that the girl, mermaid he'd just shared his first ever kiss with followed after her sisters and at the sound of the first blast disappeared into the sea as fast as had appeared, not to be seen again. But one more abashed thought of the kiss later the lad letting his head flop back down onto the hard surface of the drift wood after witnessing all of the several dozens of mermaids to scatter and vanish, just before he turned his gaze to his right and saw indeed a ship to be heading towards them. A ship with most unorthodox, black sails...Flying not colors any Empire or country recognized...Another kind of fear creeping over him at the sight of the unmistakable pirate flag fluttering in the wind before he blacked out, too tired from his previous endeavors to stay alive to remain awake to face this new in its own right equally frightening danger lurking just by the Sea Shepherd...About to claim them as well like those imaginary creatures from before and just as suddenly...Only that Will had just laid witness to the fact of mermaids not to be imaginary...But real. And it was his very first time ever meeting one. Proving that not all legends were just stories.