Seafaring Romance

Author's Note: Warangel88 requested a mermaid story so here it is! I hope it's alright.

Chapter 1- Ship Wrecked!

Anchored in the middle of the Great Calbian Sea was The Sea Bird, a majestic white ship with golden masts and silken sails. Why was such a proud ship anchored when it had an important duty to do in Iphingburg? Because the captain was elsewhere.

"Good luck, Saupheri," Captain Link laughed, as walked on to the deck. All the crew members spilled out of the one door leading below deck and dispersed among themselves. The captain was the last to leave with the guest of honor, second in command, Sir Saupheri.

"Thanks," said Saupheri. "And thanks for throwing me such a wonderful bachelor's party."

"You deserve it," Captain Link insisted. "You know, I hate to see you go."

Saupheri sighed. "Yeah. We've known each other ever since we were swabbies. I'll miss this ship." He rested his hand against a post. "But Luzet is waiting for me."

"Yeah," Link remembered.

"Link, when will you get married?" Saupheri inquired.

Link shrugged and tossed his golden hair. "When the right girl comes along. But no more talk, we have a wedding to go to!" Then he turned and yelled to his navigator, "Pull up anchor and set course for Iphingburg!"

And so the voyage began; with Captain Link standing at the head of the massive ship and his crew working hastily to make sure the cruise was successful.

Captain Link was a young man about twenty years of age. He had sandy blonde hair of medium length which flowed gently in the breeze. He had been captain of The Sea Bird since he was seventeen and had grown attached to the noble ship. He had grown accustomed to the fresh salty sea air and the lull of the waves that he felt strange on land.

His first mate Sir Saupheri was the total opposite. Though he had also served on The Sea Bird for many years, he preferred land. When the ship had made a trip to Iphingburg to deliver supplies, Saupheri had met a young lady there by the name of Luzet and had fallen in love. That is when he decided to finally leave the ship and settle down. Now he was on his way to Iphingburg to tie the knot.

* * *

It took three more days before The Sea Bird docked into Mozwet Harbor of Iphingburg. The entire crew descended from the ship and rested at the sea-side hotel for a day before they prepared for the wedding. After the couple of days of preparing, the big day finally came.

* * *

"That was a nice wedding," Link thought late that night. He was sitting on a rock by the shore, looking out into the ocean. "Kinda makes me want to settle down." He let out a wistful sigh. "Where are you? Where are you, the right woman for me?" Suddenly a sound behind him shook him out of his pensive thoughts. He turned around to see one of his crew members, Sir Aulfred, standing there.

"Why are ye up, Cap'n?" Aulfred asked, taking a seat on a rock next to him.

"I couldn't sleep," Link replied, turning his gaze back to the mysterious ocean.

"What's on yer mind?" Aulfred asked inquisitively. He could tell by the look on Link's face that something was troubling him.

Link slumped. "I don't exactly know," he sighed.

"Are ye jealous?" Sir Aulfred guessed. "Ye know, that Saupheri found 'is girl an' ye haven't."

Link looked up at Aulfred. "Boy, you sure know me like a book! Yeah I guess that's it. I mean, when will my girl come?"

Aulfred heaved a sigh. "Dunna worry, ye'll find 'er," he assured his captain, patting him on the back.

But neither of them knew that it was she that would be finding him…

* * *

The next day, everyone bade their farewells to Saupheri and boarded the ship. As the ship drifted slowly away, they waved to him and his new bride. "I'm sure gonna miss ye!" cried Aulfred.

Link would have cried out 'so am I' if he hadn't been below deck in his private quarters at that time. He was filling his log book with the events of the previous day.

Captain's Log. Day 253

Today my first mate and good friend Saupheri married Lady Luzet of Iphingburg. Now the only companion I have left is Aulfred. But that is not what troubles me. It seems like my fair lady I have been dreaming about will never come. I've heard that all my men have ladies back home who are just waiting for them to propose. I haven't even had a friend that was female. Maybe I'm just not meant to ever get married. Whatever the case may be, I have to sail to Herunia now to deliver some swords and archery sets. Then I hope to return home and put captaining aside for a while and live with my mother.

He refastened the cap on his ink bottle, placed his feather pen on his night stand, and closed his log book. "Please, milady, let me find you."

* * *

After three days of perfect sailing, something went wrong. The once beautiful blue sky overhung with heavy grey clouds and a harsh wind began to blow. Then the waves started to grow and soon the ocean had turned black. The waves beat against the hull of the ship, causing it to toss and turn. In other words: a storm.

During all of this, Captain Link was lying in his quarters, reading a book called "The Legends of the Deep." He was so concentrated in what he was reading that he hadn't even noticed the chaos until Aulfred came down.

"What's the matter wit' ye?" he shouted. "Cun't ye tell there's a storm! An' a mighty one at that! Ye have t' do somethin' or we're all gonna drown!"

Captain Link put his book aside and calmly sat up. "It's just a small storm, we'll pass through." At those words, the ship jolted, causing his book to fall to the floor, losing his bookmark. "Man!"

"Nay!" Aulfred shouted above the roar of the waves. "It's so foggy ou' there that we're liable t' crash inta somethin'!"

"Stop overreacting," said Link. Suddenly the ship jolted again, except this time the jolt was more powerful. It caused Link to fall off his bed to the floor. "What is going on out there?" Link asked urgently. He got up and headed on deck.

When he got on deck, the sight was shocking. The waves were huge and cruel, the sky was dark and damp, and the deck was drenched and falling apart! "What in the High Seas?" he exclaimed. All of his crew men started to run around in fear.

"What are ye gonna do, Cap'n?" asked Aulfred behind him, in a grim voice. He knew that they couldn't be saved.

Link just stared about the chaos with a nauseous expression on his face.

"Cap'n?" Aulfred exclaimed, shaking Link by the shoulder.

Link was suddenly woken up to reality. "To the row boats!" he cried. "To the row boats!" His booming voice was heard by all of his crew who acted accordingly. Aulfred started towards the boats but then turned to see Link heading back below deck.

"Are ye mad?" he cried. "Where are ye goin'? We have t' go!"

"I have to get my log book," the captain replied with determination. Then he disappeared below deck.

"No!" Aulfred cried. "Come back!"

A crew member appeared behind Aulfred. "Sir, we have to go. Get in the boat," he instructed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"B-but the Cap'n!" Sir Aulfred protested.

"We'll wait for him, don't worry," the member said. Then he pulled him into the lifeboat.

As the crew members sat huddled in the three lifeboats, they watched things crash upon the deck. First came one of the sails, which landed on top of the steering wheel, splitting it in two. They cringed as one of the magnificent silken sails torn upon a wooden post. Suddenly there was a cracking noise. All the people looked up to see the second sail fall. It fell in the opposite direction, landing in front of the door to below deck.

"No!" Aulfred gasped. He saw Link come out to a blocked entrance, log book in hand. A look of horror came across the young captain's face when he realized he was trapped. He struggled to move pieces of the broken mast but failed. "No!" Aulfred wailed again, his vision clouding up. "Cap'n!"

Link looked up at him with a perspiring face and grim eyes. "Go," he said.

"Never! I will never leave my cap'n behind!" Aulfred shouted.

"Go!" Link exclaimed, raising his voice. "That's an order!"

Aulfred was about to protest when the man behind him untied the rope that attached to the ship, sending them out into the sea. "Cap'n!!!!" Aulfred screamed. "No!!!!!! Cap'n Link!!!" The last thing he saw before the high waves blocked his view was Captain Link's brave face as he stood on a sinking ship, his final stand.