[I apologize so much for what happened to the text. I have updated it and hopefully that should fix whatever issues were with it. When I checked this morning it was just fine OTL]
Cyrus expected to learn a great many things upon the ship for merchants, but never would he have thought the ship was actually a pirate ship. The moment they were clear of shore, those who were meant to be taken as prisoners were grabbed and brought down below deck. Cyrus was one of them, or rather had been. The pirates found a use for Cyrus, recording their tales, and keeping track of their finances. Apparently, one of their former crew members was underhanded and never gave anyone the proper amount. He was sure the bit of dried blood against the wood near where he currently sat was from his predecessor.
The rocking of the boat was something to get used to, but he had certainly become accustomed to it. The cabin he was now in was the quarters of his predecessor, who left him a makeshift desk, cloth hammock, and a few other essentials for bookkeeping. There was a window he could open if he wanted some fresh air and didn't want to venture above, but the port had been closed along with locking his door earlier that morning. The cap'n had found their next target and didn't need a scholar to get in the way, nor did he want an enemy making their way down here either. While Cyrus certainly appreciated the notion, he could hold his own in battle if need be, though he supposed a fireball was a little out of the question on a wooden vessel such as this one. Still, the battle sounded rough as Cyrus was left to wait. Only when there were jovial cheers and the pounding feet had faded, did Cyrus hear the lock to his room be undone and that was a few hours ago.
"Ya'know, it's kinda strange yer not afrai' of us or nothing," the ship's cabin boy said as he leaned against the frame of the doorway, bringing Cyrus out of his thoughts.
"Why should I be, Peter? I get to travel and your captain lets me go ashore when I need to. Not to mention you have tales that need to be written down."
Most would quake in their boots, he knew that and yet, the excitement about being on a pirate ship without the worry about being cut down meant he could fully enjoy their company instead. Already he filled two volumes full of stories, though he wondered if a few of them were rather flourished with nonsense if only to get more attention.
"Yer a strange one, prof." Peter left an apple on the makeshift desk Cyrus. "Speakin' of strange, they say there was something pretty special on the last ship we boarded. Thought to let you know before the cap'n tells us no one can get near it."
"It?"
Now that did hold some promise.
"Yeah, though not really sure what 'it' is."
"I see. Is it on deck?" Cyrus asked as he blew on the drying ink of his newest tome.
"Fer now."
With the information passed along, Peter shrugged and went back up on deck, not wanting to get yelled at for shirking his duties.
Cyrus waited only long enough for the ink to dry so as not to smudge if left alone. Gathering the rest of his supplies, lest the crew think it funny to steal and stash it everywhere, Cyrus put them away. There was certainly a commotion up on deck from sounds of muffled voices and shouts from none other than the cap'n himself. Making his way up, Cyrus used the wall to keep balance, the apple in the other hand.
The fresh sea air felt cool against his face as the sunshine made the scholar squint. When was the last time he had been up on deck? A few days perhaps? Peter had been bringing him meals every so often. As if on cue, his stomach growled. Cryus munched on the apple, spotting a familiar face among the crowd.
"Olberic, what is all the commotion about?" Cyrus asked, standing near the larger man. How he ended up as a pirate Cyrus had yet to find out, but he figured it would be a tale he would never hear with how quiet the man was about his past.
"We seem to have found a mer-...man?" Olberic pointed to the object capturing everyone's attention that was brought upon deck. "Apparently it was in the captain's quarters of the ship we boarded earlier today. The most valuable thing on the ship, or so the captain says."
A bitter tone laced Olberic's words, meaning the man had been at odds with the cap'n yet again. The two always seemed to be arguing, but when it counted, the two would protect each other and the ship. Cyrus had seen it all before countless times since having come aboard the ship. Yet, this was the first time such a query had come about. The object in question, was wooden on three sides, with a third side made entirely of what looked to be glass. It was wider than it was tall, but it was filled quiet highly with water, a bit murky, but there was no mistaking what was in the water.
"Olberic, whatever you have against the cap'n, you really should address it."
A grunt was his response. One, Cyrus had already seen coming. Whatever past those two shared that Cyrus was not privy to, let the two bicker and stay at each other's throat without seeming to deal too much damage to their friendship. Still, he disliked it when the two were at odds, it meant trying to follow orders would be difficult.
Cyrus took that as his queue to move forward, getting a better look at what exactly a merman was supposed to be. He had never heard of such a thing before except in old fairy tales, and yet he was curious. There in the tank swam a man with pale skin and silvery hair that shone in the sunlight. Cyrus could hardly help staring at the creature- no, the person in front of him. Where his hips were meant to join to legs, were scales of a lilac shade that only grew deeper in colour the further down the tail it went. Some scales seemed to even glow as the man shifted in the water. The metallic contrast of chains cut through the purple colour, revealing scars from the shackles around his wrists and tail, where scales had been rubbed raw. Sharp green eyes caught Cyrus's attention as they glared in his direction as if the merman's predicament was Cyrus's own doing.
"Alright, everyone stand clear. We're not exactly sure what it's capable of."
Everyone did as they were bade as Erhart stepped forward, blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Olberic hummed, having stepped up behind Cyrus, breaking whatever hold the merman had on the scholar.
"What is that supposed to be mean, Erhardt?" Olberic asked.
"Olberic, it's captain. And what I mean is I'm not sure if it's really just a mermaid or a siren. I've heard tale of a male siren." Erhardt wandered up close to the tank, only to receive the same glare Cyrus had gotten. "No one is to be left alone with it until we are certain it's not a threat to us. We have a ways to go before we get someplace to sell it."
The captain turned to face his crew, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes played on his lips. It was one that Cyrus had learned to let go instead of asking further questions. Olberic, on the other hand, seemed to shift his weight a little nervously.
"Might I have a word with you, Erhardt?" Olberic asked sternly, not letting their captain refuse.
"Olberic, you know while we're on the ship my title is captain, right?" Erhardt smiled but complied to his old friend. "What is it?"
"If I'm to understand this properly, you not only haphazardly decided to go after this ship, but you also just took something on board that could potentially be dangerous? Are you out of your mind?" Olberic towered over the captain, who hardly seemed phased by this fact.
"Olberic, my good man, of course, I took the safety of the crew in mind. Besides, we haven't had any good bounties the last month. We need-"
"Gods so help me, if that does anything dangerous to the crew I will personally throw him back into the ocean and you along with him." Olberic knew there was just no reasoning with Erhardt when he thought he was in the right.
"Might I interrupt for just a moment?" Cyrus asked, eyes having found themselves watching the merman's movements. "I'd like to study him if that's alright with you? That way there is someone always with him and I can help determine if he is truly just part of the merfolk, or rather something more sinister like a siren as you seem to think Olberic."
Erhardt blinked before his grin grew wider. "Yes! What a wonderful notion. Olberic, surely you wouldn't take away the scholar's new study?"
Taken aback, Olberic relented with a sigh. "Fine, but one wrong move and I swear all three of you are going overboard."
Erhardt clapped Olberic on the back, clearly glad to have his friend on board. "Though Cyrus, I must reiterate, we are going to sell him, so you'll only get to study him until then."
Cyrus nodded, already lost in studying the new creature he thought was a myth.
"I'll bring him to your room, but I want Peter to stay with you. I don't trust him alone with you, Cyrus." Olberic motioned for Peter to follow him. It was clear Cyrus had not heard him as he ran off to make room in the cabin he had been given.
It took all of an hour to get the tank comfortably in the room and another hammock for Peter, who didn't protest much about being moved into the room. While Peter still had his duties, he had grown fond of Cyrus. Not to mention with the new creature on board, everyone suddenly wanted a peak and used the scholar's position as leverage. Neither Olberic nor Peter particularly liked that fact, but Peter was good at keeping people at bay. And those who didn't listen to Peter, where quickly warded off by Olberic, who still didn't seem to like the idea of having the creature aboard.
Cyrus settled at his desk, green piercing eyes glared at him, but Cyrus paid no mind to the merman, who undoubtedly hated being moved. Peter opened the port, letting the cool breeze into the cabin, but had since left the two to stand guard outside. If anything were to happen, Cyrus was supposed to call for Peter, apparently direct orders from Olberic, the worrywart.
While the scholar certainly wanted to ask several questions, he kept them on the tip of his tongue. He had yet to see the merman actually speak or otherwise do anything but glare. Perhaps he didn't know their language? Or was it simply that the merfolk did not speak? That would be fascinating to learn, or maybe the man simply didn't wish to speak with his next captors. Either way, Cyrus wanted him to feel a bit more comfortable, and so left him alone for the time being. He had tales to transcribe, and books still to translate. Not to mention Olberic had asked him if it was at all possible to chart a map, one more detailed than what they currently had. While cartography was not necessarily a skill he had studied in excess himself, he did his best to oblige the quartermaster. His afternoon was filled, and if it weren't for the sounds of the water lapping at the edges of the tank, or the merman shifting in the water, Cyrus might have forgotten the merman was even there.
Well into the evening Peter brought down dinner for himself and Cyrus, but nothing for the merman.
"Peter, do you think there is some extra fish? I doubt he's eaten much today or if they even fed him on the previous ship,." Cyrus asked. He had yet to touch his own meal.
"I can ask," Peter said. He scarfed down the rest of his food before heading back to the kitchens.
"You do eat fish, don't you?" Cyrus asked the merman, who had taken up quarters at the back corner of the small tank. A glare was his response. "Right then. I'll just have to assume that you do. I believe I read it somewhere that you did? Or perhaps I'm mixing it up with something else that roams into the sea. Hmm….I think perhaps in the next port I should see if they have any books on merfolk, though-"
"Got some. The cook looked at me like I was crazy, wanting to feed the thing."
Peter came back with a few fish wrapped in what looked to be leather, perhaps that was all they had on hand, or the cook didn't care who the fish was for. Cyrus ignored the latter part of his commentary, not exactly want to encourage such talk, but he knew the crew was scared of the creature.
"D-Do I just give it to 'im?" Peter asked, green eyes now on him.
"Best I do it before you lose a finger or something." Cyrus said with a chuckle. "I am slightly taller."
Thanks to his heeled boots at least.
Cyrus took one of the fish and opened the top of the tank to toss the merman the fish. At first he didn't move, only eyeing the fish has it slowly sunk further to the bottom of the tank until suddenly the merman lunged forward. Sadly, the chains brought him just out of reach of the fish. The glare was back on Cyrus as if he had done so on purpose.
"Right, we really should take care of those chains." Cyrus took off his boots much to Peter's protest.
"Sir, I really don't thin' you should be doing what I think you're abou' to do." Peter looked frantically to the door and then back at Cyrus.
"Nonsense, Peter. I'll be fine, I just have to touch the chains to get them to come undone, though I think we should see about fashioning a key to get them completely off of him." Cyrus took off his mantle and then his vest, leaving him in soft cotton pants and his usual blouse. "Now, be a lad and help me up."
Peter relented, knowing that if he got Olberic now, Cyrus would somehow manage to get into the tank anyway. Better now where he could still pull the scholar out if need be. Bringing over the chair from Cyrus's desk, Peter stood on top of it and then cupped his hands.
"Come on then."
Cyrus boosted himself up and into the fish tank, only for the merman to scramble away into the corner, tail fanned out as if it was going to offer protection. "Don't hurt him, I don't think he understands that we don't mean to hurt him. But you best get the rest of that fish prepared to throw in it as well."
Taking a deep breath, Cryus lowered himself into the water. It was certainly salt water when the scholar opened his eyes to try and get a bearing of where the chains were and they started stinging. Finding the chain furthest from the merman, Cyrus muttered the words to the spell into the water, watching at the water heated slightly where the fireball formed and started to melt the chain. The merman, stayed in the corner, watching as the chains slowly melted through. Upon the last chain, closest to where the merman stayed, Cyrus couldn't react in time thanks to the water. He felt a stinging on his cheek and saw droplets of blood soon spread out into the water. The merman had attacked him, but it was only a scratch as he darted towards the fish.
Once the fish was obtained, the merman went back into his corner and started devouring the fish as if that had been the first thing he had gotten to eat in days. Had the previous ship not fed him? Or did they even think to bother with that sort of thing? Eyes softening, Cyrus came back up to the surface, catching his breath.
"Toss another one in," Cyrus said, hoisting himself out of the tank and onto the solid wood. "I think we'll leave it at that for now though. We don't want him to get sick."
Peter wrapped up the remaining fish and brought it back to the cook. Cyrus on the other hand, changed out of his wet clothes, left them to dry by the port window and began to study the merman. "Look, I'm not exactly sure if you can understand me, or if you even want to, but no one will hurt you on the ship, siren or not. You're safe here in my cabin."
The sound of crunching bones was all the answer Cyrus got. Peter was a chatter with how he thought Cyrus was brave for going into the water, but the scholar was only partially happy with the results. The chains were still there. Perhaps Olberic might oblige him and hold the merman down a bit so that Cyrus could take the chains off properly, or perhaps they had someone who could pick the locks easily enough? The two shared a few rounds of cards as the merman seemed to settle down for the night.
It had been a long and exhausting day and while there was certainly excitement that day, it was enough for him. Cyrus was lulled to sleep by the sounds of the water lapping in the tank as the ship gently swayed this way and that. When he decided to leave this ship, would he ever get to sleep without the sound of the ocean? Mostly asleep, he could not be sure he heard a soft song being hummed in the room or where it belonged. Both Peter and himself slept peacefully that night, without worry of nightmares.