~ Chapter One: Welcome to the Crew ~
Come here child, let me tell you a story – a story of long, long ago, in a faraway land known as 'Elrios'. This bountiful land was surrounded by endless drops of water, hiding many beautiful secrets deep in its abyss.
One of these secrets were delicate creatures of water, servants of the holy Salvatore Denif. With silvery white hair, shining dreamily like a full moon on a misty evening, and colorful, scaled tails in place of long legs, these enchanting mistresses were known amongst the other races as mermaids – the maidens of the eternal blue sea.
Many of these maidens yearned for life on land – to walk with legs upon the solid earth, to see the greens, reds, yellows of the forests and cities, and, most of all, to feel the embrace of other human-like beings. Feeling sympathetic for these lonely mermaids, Salvatore Denif ventured out into the world, gathering every last one of them and offering them a choice:
"Those who wish to live their lives on land, please follow me. Those who wish to return to the depths of the seas may do so, knowing that you will not receive another chance."
And so, the mermaids were split up into two groups – those who exchanged their colorful fins for human legs and their gills for lungs, and those who did not. With the Master of Water's blessings, the legged mermaids set out to venture the earthen realms. Some settled with humans, some settled with Elves, and some, were unfortunate enough to never experience joys on land.
The mermaids who settled with humans were loved for their beauty and curious innocence, and most importantly, their unusual, shining white hair. Many were captured or sold, destined to live forever as an object to their owners. Those who were lucky enough to find love lived happily with their human families, satisfied with their choice.
Many of these mermaids gave birth, passing on their traits to their offspring, both male and female. But once every few centuries, a child is born with light-colored hair, and colorful fins instead of legs. These children mature with their original hair color and human legs, but once they make contact with a large amount of water, they reveal their mermaid origins. These poor children were, like their mothers, often given away for large sums of money, held captive in large fish tanks and adorned with all sorts of dresses and crowns.
This, my child, is a story of one of these children – a young boy born with hair the color of fresh snow on a wintery morning – the child known as the rarest mermaid in Elrios...
"Main the entrances! Don't let anyone enter or escape!"
Endless cries of various soldiers rang throughout the noble's house. A wave of footsteps accompanied these cries – half barricading the building against the intruding bandits; the other half searching for their employer's missing treasure.
"My lord! Please evacuate immediately!"
The elderly man pushed his guard aside, his eyes wide with despair – not at his damaged property, but the loss of his beloved doll.
"No… Find him! Bring him back to me! I don't care what you do, bring back the mermaid!"
"Haa… Ha…"
A young boy ran down the empty hallway, not daring to even slow down. His small, bare feet slapped the cold floor harshly, but he ignored the burning pain, and continued to run. Colorful jewels and artificial flowers of all shapes and sizes fell as the boy tore off his accessories – the crown, the veil, earrings, necklace, bracelets, all thrown away without a single glance. He slowed down, allowing himself to catch his breath. Seeing no one in sight, he dropped his simple, beige-colored cloak and started to tear his beautiful white dress, not even caring about the rare and expensive materials used to make it. He tore off the laces, the layered ruffles on the skirt, and all the adorning gems until his once-beautiful gown looked like a simple commoner's dress. He then hastily picked up his cloak and started to run again, making sure to cover his messy, wet hair with his hood.
The boy soon arrived at a balcony, leading to the clear night sky. Hearing footsteps, he quickly ran outside, hiding himself behind the tall, white marble doors and vibrant red curtains. A cluster of soldiers ran by, without even glancing at the open balcony window. As the footsteps disappeared into silence, the small boy stepped out of his hiding spot, peeking his head into the now-empty corridor. He breathed deeply. With the guards distracted by the bandits, he would be able to finally sneak out and run away. He took another deep breath, a faint smile forming on his thin lips, his blue eyes shining with ever-flowing hope. This was his perfect chance. He would not allow himself to be caught again.
Double-checking to make sure no one was in sight, the boy quickly ran back into the hallway, only to collide with another person. But before he could react, the boy felt an arm wrap around his fragile waist, and his feet lift off the ground. He felt strong winds throw back his hood and tousle his messy blond hair, quickly scattering the remaining water droplets into the colorful world below. He glanced around and noticed the balcony he was standing on mere moments ago shrink and fade from his sight. He let out a weak cry, feeling slightly panicked. Unable to see his attacker's face, he glanced at their broad back, covered with hard, black leather.
The winds then stopped, and the boy heard quiet footsteps on metal. A loud, childish voice was heard, calling out to the young boy's attacker.
"Welcome back Raven! What's that you got there?"
The boy bit his lower lip, glancing his eyes down, frustrated that he was caught so quickly. His attacker walked forwards, his grip on the small boy still strong and firm. He replied casually, his voice mature and low.
"He was hiding from the guards."
"His dress is made of an expensive, fine silk; clearly, he is clearly no ordinary person."
A third voice, belonging to a female, monotonous, but with a hint of curiosity. More footsteps. Then, the first voice.
"Heh~. I wonder if he's the mermaid we've heard about."
The boy furrowed his brows and bit down harder on his lip, drawing a small amount of blood. The childish voice continued,
"Hey Aisha! Mind bringing some water over?"
The young boy felt his attacker's grip loosen slightly, as he was lifted up and laid gently on the cold, dark metal floor. He grabbed his cloak closer, lowering his gaze and avoiding any eye contact. He saw a pair of black boots approach, and the first, childish voice call out – to him this time.
"Hey, mind if I pour some water on ya?"
The boy lifted his head, but before he could even open his mouth to respond, a large bucket of water was dumped on his head. He gasped, feeling his legs give way and his body fall. He quickly moved his arms to stop his fall, resting them on the ground and propping himself up. He hung his dripping head, a lock of shining, white hair falling from his shoulders, glistening in the dark, moonless night like a small torchlight. He curled his fish tail inwards, bringing it closer to his body in shame.
"A mermaid…"
"Wow! Nice catch Raven! Though I think it's more of a 'merman' than a 'mermaid'."
The childish voice laughed.
Through his long bangs, the boy saw a hand extended to him. He raised his head, meeting with a smiling face and warm, crimson eyes and hair of the same hue. The red-haired boy laughed.
"Sorry about that. My name's Elsword, what's yours?"
The white-haired boy averted his gaze, mumbling out his response.
"…Chung."
"Chung huh? Nice to meet—"
"Lacher, Josephine, Aria, Rose, Timo, Sapphire, Kia, Ahnri, Snow, Crystal, Bijou, Antoine, Baron, Jacob, Styx…"
The blue-eyed boy trailed off, watching in amusement as the boy named Elsword fumbled over his many names.
"That many…?" He grumbled. "Do you have one you like the most?"
The boy shook his head, earning an exasperated groan from the fiery redhead. He chuckled lightly, quickly closing his mouth as he remembered that these people were thieves of sorts. And they had already found out his secret… He frowned, hoping that they didn't plan on selling him off anytime soon.
"Geez, Elsword, you shouldn't just leave him like that. What if he catches a cold?"
A new voice, and more footsteps.
"Huh? Can mermaids even catch colds?"
"Dunno. You should ask Eve sometime."
The boy raised his head slightly, flinching harshly as he felt a large towel and a pair of hands touch his head. He clenched his eyes shut as the hands proceeded to dry his hair. The hands let go, leaving the towel on his damp head. He raised his head, meeting with an outstretched hand and beautiful blue eyes – like the sea and sky merged into one.
"Here, let me help you up."
The boy looked away, refusing the hand. He pushed himself up, bringing his tail forwards and under the larger towel. Raising his head fully, he glanced around, taking in his surroundings. They were on a large metal ship, surrounded by not water, but endless waves of cloud and sky. He looked at his kidnappers – there were seven in total – two males and five females. He glanced at the blue-eyed lady near him, the one who offered him her assistance.
Long, flowing, cream-colored hair accompanied by pale, rosy skin and large, kind blue eyes, dressed in a flamboyant scarlet suit. 'She's so pretty…' The boy quickly looked away, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He heard a laugh.
"Looks like you caught yourself another fanboy Pally!" The voice named Elsword teased.
"Oh, shut up Elsword." The lady named Pally retorted. "It's not my fault I look a lot like a girl…"
The white-haired boy raised his head to look at the blue-eyed person, examining their features with his curious blue eyes. He tilted his head innocently, feeling slightly confused.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Pally noticed the young boy staring at him, most likely trying to figure out his real gender. He chuckled lightly, crouching down on one knee to face the boy. He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his arm.
"Hiya. Um… I might look a lot like a girl, but… I'm actually a guy."
The smaller boy continued to stare, wondering if it was even possible for someone to be so beautiful. Pally laughed again, snapping the white-haired boy out of his trance.
"What about you? Are you a boy or a girl?"
The boy huffed childishly and averted his gaze, replying with a slightly more confident voice than before.
"A boy, of course."
"So what should we call you?" The feminine boy asked, a broad smile still pasted on his face.
"…There's no need for me to tell you my name." The small boy replied coldly. He furrowed his brows, a painful lingering sense of betrayal forming as tears in the corners of his eyes. He blinked quickly, supressing the tears. He continued to speak, but with a quieter voice.
"After all, you're just going to sell me off to a rich person, just like everyone else does…"
Silence filled the airship, with only the engines working away quietly. After a few brief moments of uncomfortable shuffling, Elsword quickly ran into the Captain's Quarters, exiting with a fistful of crimson red and black clothes. He slowed to a stop beside his blonde friend, and thrust the clothes in front of the small boy.
"Here! Put these on! From now on, you're officially a member of our crew!" The redhead smiled brightly, unfazed by the boy's shocked face. He frowned.
"What's wrong? Don't you know how to dress yourself?"
The boy fumbled with his tongue, unsure of how to reply.
"B-But, we just met! And… And you're thieves aren't you?" His voice fell. "Aren't you going to… …Send me away?"
Silence.
The redheaded boy suddenly laughed, surprising the mermaid boy.
"Of course not! Treating humans like objects is just wrong! And plus," He smiled. "If you find something rare, you would keep it, right?"
Elsword laughed heartily as his crewmates face palmed or shook their heads. The mermaid boy stared in amazement at their carefree nature. 'Maybe they really will let me stay…' He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts, not wanting to raise any false hopes.
The mermaid boy quickly dried himself, the thieves watching with amazement as his colorful scales faded away and revealed two, thin, long legs. He took the clothes from the redhead's hands, clutching them tightly in his arms as he glanced around uncomfortably.
"Um… Is there a room where I can change in?"
Elsword laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head with his right hand. "…Oh. Right. Heheh…" He glanced around, noticing the menacing auras his crewmates gave off, as if they were saying, 'Don't you dare let him even step into my room'. He lowered his hand and pointed to the door he just came from, sighing dejectedly. "I guess you can use my room, it's the one just over there. Just don't touch anything okay?"
The mermaid boy nodded his head and obediently walked to the door, tightly clutching his clothes, cloak, and towel. Without even glancing behind him, the boy opened the door and quickly slipped inside.
He sat down, back leaning against the door, and examined the clothes he was given, completely ignoring the rest of the messy room. A black tank top with a vibrant red short-sleeved jacket, paired with similarly shaded pants and fingerless gloves, and thick, black boots – much like the uniform the lady—no, the pretty male was wearing. The boy quickly changed, surprised that the clothes were an almost perfect fit.
As he picked up his former clothes and towel, the boy opened the door slightly, just wide enough to peek through. He was immediately noticed by the feisty redheaded boy, however.
"Hey, you done changing? Come on out then!" The redhead waved his hand, beckoning the shy boy closer.
Hesitantly, the young boy stepped out onto the deck, covering most of his front with the loose cloths he held. He wasn't unused to being stared at, but this sort of situation was completely new to him. 'What should I do now…?' The boy thought wistfully to himself.
As if he had read the boy's mind, Elsword called out cheerfully, a broad smile still planted on his face.
"Come on, over here!"
The boy followed quietly, walking over to the redhead's side with a slow, meek stride. He glanced around, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.
Elsword then grabbed the boy's shoulders, earning a harsh flinch from the boy. He locked eyes onto the boy's cerulean orbs, smiling cheekily like an impatient child in front of a toy store.
"Alrighty! I know you've probably got a million and one names, but now that you're part of our crew, we need something to call you." He removed his hands, placing them haughtily on his hips. "Hey, since you look like Pally's long lost brother, how about we call you 'Pally number 2'?" He laughed, earning an irritated groan from the blond male.
"How about we let him decide what he wants to be called?" Pally suggested, placing his right hand on his hip nonchalantly.
Elsword stopped laughing, staring at his blond companion with a look of un-amusement and dissatisfaction.
"But he doesn't have a favorite name – he even said so himself! How would he decide?"
"I would suggest using the name given by a parent or guardian, if you have one."
The monotonous voice from before – belonging to an elegantly looking female, with shoulder-length silver hair and emotionless amber eyes – answered the redhead's question, walking over to the small group with a moderately paced, dainty stride. Upon closer inspection, she was wearing the same uniform as the other two shipmates, just slightly different – black shoulder-less shirt with puffy white sleeves, black shorts instead of pants, and open-toed, sandal-like boots with crossing ribbons up to her knees.
Elsword turned towards their new crewmate, furrowing his brows slightly with worry as he asked,
"So, do you have a name that your mom or dad gave you? Or maybe from another relative?"
The shy boy blinked multiple times, slightly taken aback. After all, this was the first time someone asked for his name, after finding out his aquatic origins. Should he trust them…?
"…Chaser."
"Huh? What was that?"
The boy spoke slightly louder, raising his head to meet with Elsword's fiery red eyes.
"Chaser. That is the name my mother gave me; a chaser of dreams, adventure, life…" He trailed off and looked away quickly, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I-I know it's a little cheesy and—"
"Chaser… …I like it!" The boy looked at the redhead, slightly surprised at his response. Completely unfazed, the redhead continued to speak.
"The name's Elsword, and I'm the captain here. Though I'd be pretty upset if you had already forgotten my name." The redhead extended his right arm. "Welcome to the Elgang, Chaser!"
The young boy extended his hand to meet the redhead's, parting quickly after a short handshake. He watched the captain intensely, never noticing a single hidden expression or hesitation in his words or actions. Maybe he could trust the captain? Deep down, the boy knew that he wanted to – and everyone else on the ship as well. But the question remained, would they abandon him someday? The young boy truly hoped not, but he did not know for certain their thoughts and desires.
"Hey guys! Come over here!" With exaggerated hand motions, Elsword called the remaining crew members over. Facing the shy boy, he gestured to the blond male on his right.
"This here's Pally, our, uh, attacker person. He's the guy who either barges in to create distraction for the rest of us, or watches our backs and knocks out anyone who tries to follow us. He also manages the cannons on this ship." He laughed cheerfully, earning an exasperated groan from said person.
"Geez, can't you just say I'm like a bodyguard or cannon wielder or something?"
"But that doesn't sound as awesome!" He laughed again, earning another groan from the blond male.
Disregarding the blond's incoherent mumbling, Elsword gestured to the silver-haired female nearby.
"That's Eve! She's our mechanic, you know, the person who works with machines and stuff to make sure the ship works." Said mechanic nodded her head in a greeting, in which Chaser nodded back in reply, stumbling all the while.
Next, Elsword pointed at Chaser's kidnapper – a tall male with short black hair and sharp golden eyes, wearing the same male uniform, save for a black jacket and dark brown pants.
"That's Raven; he's like Pally – an awesome attacker person – just not as awesome as me. He's also like a ninja, always appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, so we send him out as a scout every once in a while." He laughed, though the older male held no reaction.
Looking past the shy boy, the redheaded captain pointed to two female members standing on a ledge. Gesturing to a short girl with lavender colored pigtails, wearing the crew's uniform – with the exception of a white jacket and blue shorts – Elsword spoke with a teasing tone.
"That's Aisha, our navigator. She's your generic mage who studied the elements and will forever remain short and flat-chested."
"H-Hey! Shut up Elbaka!" With her face beet red, the purple-haired mage fired a small fireball at the captain, though he easily dodged it, laughing all the while.
"Next to her is Rena, our nurse." He pointed to an elven lady with light-green hair, tied with multiple black ribbons into a high ponytail. Unlike the other members, she wore a dark green, sleeveless shirt with a low neck cut, and matching shorts. Like the other females, she wore boots which covered up to her knees. Rena waved, smiling cheerfully.
"Don't think I can't fight though~, my kicks hurt a thousand times more than a cannonball blast~!"
Chaser felt a chill run down his spine. Though the nurse looked perfectly sweet and innocent, he had no difficulty believing her words, making a mental note to never upset her.
"...Hey, where'd Ara go?" Pally glanced around the ship, not even seeing a sign of the girl anywhere. He placed his hand on his chin, furrowing his brows slightly. "Weird, she was here just a moment ago…"
As if on cue, a young girl dressed similarly to the other females – save for a white jacket and brown shorts – burst out onto the main deck, apologizing furiously, her long, ebony-black hair flying everywhere with each deep bow.
"I'm sorry! I found a mouse on board so I tried to catch it but then it got away and—"
She was cut off by laughter.
"No worries, no worries!" The redhead captain turned to the silent Chaser.
"This here's Ara, our scout. She's got this awesome ability to like, feel the flow of energy in life and all that sorts. Plus, she's got really great eyes!" Another hearty laugh.
Chaser gazed at the small number of people around him. They were all smiling brightly – except for Eve and Raven – and all seemed very welcoming to the young boy. He smiled, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks, and bowed politely.
"N-Nice to meet all of you. My name is Chaser, p-please take good care of me!"
The others laughed lightly, and cheered for their new member,
"Welcome to the crew, Chaser!"
~ A.N. ~
This story was originally intended to be a oneshot, but I think I'll separate it into multiple chapters, just so there's more detail going into the character's backgrounds~.
Also, three words: Expect. Slow. Updates.
My mind is like, darting through three different story worlds, so I'll most likely be working on the other two stories at the same time as this one (I probably won't upload those ones just yet though).
I'm not sure just yet where this story's heading though, sorry~, but it's rated 'T' just in case. It'll most likely be just little adventures with the crew. Also, IP and DC are in this story because, well:
1. My head-cannon of DC's personality is perfect for the mermaid role.
2. I wanted to have a complete Elgang already.
3. Having TT and DC but no IP is just weird for me. It needs to be IP and DC, or all three of them. :3 /shot
Also, if you were unsure, here are their classes:
Elsword - Rune Slayer
Aisha - Elemental Master
Rena - Wind Sneaker
Raven - Blade Master
Eve - Code Nemesis
Ara - Sakra Devanam
IP and DC are fairly obvious, at least, I'd hope they are. And everyone's wearing the Pirate Costume set thingy from the Item/Cash Mall. 'Cept for Ara, whose outfit I made up, since, she doesn't have one, from what I know.
So! Now that I've rambled on long enough, hope you enjoyed this little chapter! Feedback of any sorts is always welcome, and I hope you're excited for the next chapter (whenever it's uploaded)!