"Loud claps of thunder occasionally sounded from the dark clouds above, while a cold and harsh wind blew around me. My (H/C) hair blew in almost every direction, often smacking me in the face and skewering my vision. I'll admit it probably wasn't the best idea to go out shopping in this kind of weather, but apparently, I'm not the only idiot on the streets since the streets are just as packed as they usually are. Either these people are as stupid as me or they just don't give a fuck and by the looks of it, it's the latter since there are tons of people chatting away happily without a care in the world as well as a bunch of kids running around and playing like normal. What's even more shocking in my opinion is that basically everyone is wearing light clothing, as if it wasn't cold. I mean I'm here freezing my tit's off while wearing a fairly thick coat, and their prancing around in thin shirts, vests, and trousers. I'll admit my coat doesn't really do much to keep the cold out but it's better than what their wearing that's for sure. I brought my hands up to my mouth and exhaled into them, a small cloud of mist coming from my mouth in the process. Even though my breath might have felt warm it didn't help bring back the feeling in my fingertips and nose. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to the cold? I mean us mermaids don't really feel cold when in the ocean so maybe that's why? If this is how I react to wind I'd hate to see the thing they call 'snow'.

"As I turned the corner I Finally reached the main market area, stalls stood side by side reaching for miles down each side of the street. You could probably find anything here, from food to weapons. I'm not sure what town this is since I've lived my life in the sea, but I do know this place trades a lot with places all around the world. So you can pretty much find anything here and if you can't you can always ask the merchants to try and special order it for you. As I pushed my way through the crowds, the merchant's from every side of me screamed at the top of their lungs to try and get customers I eventually found the stall I was after. It was a small stall, defiantly not in the best shape. A lot of the white paint was chipped and peeling while some wood had been broken off in some places. The stalls sign, which read 'John's fresh fruit' in messy green writing, was slightly torn and faded. One of the legs was a little shorter than the rest so the owner had to place an old piece of wood under it to keep the stall balanced. Though it was run down it got the job done I guess. The stall had a small range of fruits such as Apples, banana's, oranges and a few others. It wasn't much but the fruit was good quality and fairly cheap compared to the other bigger stalls. Since I'm low on money, all I have are the coins I find in the ocean, it's the only choice I have. As I neared the stall the merchant behind it spotted me and began waving frantically. "(Y/N)! long time no see! Was thinking ya had left town or something," He chuckled. I smiled gently at the man and gave a small wave back.

"The merchant's name was Henry, his father was the owner of the stall but recently fell ill so Henry started looking after the stall. I'd only recently met Henry but he had a certain thing about him that made it feel like I'd known him for years. He's a pretty cheerful guy, always smiling and laughing. He's fairly good looking too, long brown hair half tied into a man bun, brown eye's like chocolate, slightly tanned skin and a sharp facial feature. Though it's a little hard to tell what his physique is like until he strain's to pick something up or flex's, his shirt would tighten and his muscular physique would become blatantly obvious. It's honestly no surprise that he's popular with the ladies. As for his age, I'm not entirely sure, I think he's around my age but it's hard for me to tell since us mermaids have different ways of telling time than humans do. "It's only been three days," I said with a small giggle. Henry's eye's widened as he gasped loudly "Three days! that's way too long! I'd much see you every day!" He purred, giving me a small flirtatious wink. A small sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head and rolled my eyes. The only thing that really annoys me about him is his flirtatious side, he flirts with pretty much any girl or guy that he talks to. "Could I get two apples?" I asked, hoping he'd get the message and stop flirting. Henry gave me a small pout but shrugged it off and began picking out my apples. "How's your father?" I asked. Henry seemed to tense for a second then looked up at me with a weary smile as if indicating that things were going too well. "He's... the same," He explained, his voice was low and somewhat forced. You didn't need to look at him to tell how much pain he was in.

"Did... the doctor say anything?" I asked. Henry let out a small sigh, his smile quickly fading into a frown "the doc said my father needs a special kind of medicine but... we can't afford it. the doc said without it... he'll... he'll," He said shakily, his voice was strained as if trying his best to hold in the tears. He didn't need to finish his sentence for me to know what he had meant, his silence was enough to tell me. My heart ached at the sight, both he and his father were good people... they deserved a lot better than this. I reached over the stall and placed my hand on his shoulder in hopes of confronting him "I'm sure things will get better..." I assured. Henry looked at me for a second. his eyes wide from surprise before he shot up straight. His cheeks were flushed a deep red as he scratched the back of his neck. I blinked at him in surprise as he held out a bag with three apples. He seemed rather flustered for a reason but I decided not to push for answers, "Oh um thanks... I only wanted two though..." I mumbled in confusion. "I-it's on the house," He stuttered as he shoved the bag into my hands. I gave him a shocked look and shook my head, handing him enough money for the three of them "No, I can't just take a free apple! it's not fair on other customers and I'd much rather you guys take the money and save for the medicine," I explained. He seemed a little taken back but soon smiled gently before whispering a small thank you under his breath. I was gonna say something when I felt something gently hit my coat. I looked down to see a small wet dot, my heart skipped a beat realizing my current predicament. "Oh looks like it's about to rain! about time right?" Chuckled Henry as he held his hand out to try and catch a droplet of rain. I gave a nervous laugh, looking around for the quickest way through the crowd. "Hey, what's the matter? you seem a little panicked," He questioned as he eyed me closely. I have a nervous smile and shook my head "I'm fine! I ah... gotta go! my ah father is waiting for me at home!" I yelled before quickly turning on my heal and taking off as quickly as I could. As I rushed through the crowd I could hear Henry yell out my name but I ignored it and kept running.

"Being stuck in the rain was the worst case scenario for me, the second water hits my skin I'm fucked. I mean it would be kinda hard to explain to the people on the street why my legs suddenly turned into a fishtail. I'd much rather avoid that at all costs. I dashed through the streets but the rain slowly started to increase, much to my dismay. If this keeps up there's no way I can make it back to the ocean before I change! fearing the worst I ducked into the nearest store just before the rain began to pelt down. Wow, I made that just in time. As I steadied my breathing a strong smell of alcohol filled my nose, causing me to gage slightly. I looked up to find I had rushed into a crowded pub. Men of many different ages littered the place, each as drunk as the last. I doubt there was even one sober man in the building, well aside from the staff. The pub was filled with loud chatter and laughter, a few men were even passed out but the staff and other customers only stepped over or around them. I'm surprised so many people are drunk already, it might be late in the morning but it's still considered morning. Your life must be going downhill if you're here drinking so early in the morning. "You ok dudette?" Asked a voice from behind me. I shot around to find a guy around my age, or so I think, standing there with a huge smile on his face.

"The man was a fair bit taller than me, though I'm fairly short so that's not new, and had eye's as blue as the sky. He had short blond hair with a strange cowlick reaching up from his side part and wore a plain white linen shirt, brown trousers and some old leather shoes which had definitely seen better days. His shirt seemed a little tight, revealing his somewhat muscular build. Dudette? "Oh, um I'm fine!" I chuckled slightly not sure of what to say. The guy's eye's seemed to scan me for a second before his loud voice beamed once more "What's a chick like you doing in a place like this!" He laughed. The guy seemed to be the only sober man here, well at least I think he is? I can't really smell if he's drunk since the whole place smells like alcohol but he seems a little too energetic? "oh um yeah, I was mostly just trying to get out of the rain," I chuckled while scratching the back of my head awkwardly. The guy hummed in reply and nodded "Fair enough, the names Alfred by the way! what's yours," He yelled happily. I cringed slightly at his loud voice, even if it is hard to hear in here he doesn't have to yell so loudly! "I'm (Y/N)... it's a pleasure to meet you," I said holding out my hand towards him. That was a very big mistake. As he grabbed hold of my hand he squeezed it tightly and shook it frantically. His grip was so tight I thought my hand was gonna snap and the way he shook my hand made my whole body almost leave the ground. After a minute he finally let go and the feeling flowed through my hand once more. That's one hell of a grip... I'd hate to get hit by this guy. "Since your here why not have a drink!" He yelled while slapping me on the back, his 'gentle' slap almost sent me saying into the front door, I had to stumble slightly to regain my balance. "Oh ah no thanks, I don't drink," I stated while rubbing my back gently. "Neither do I! but they serve water and juice to! they usually give it to the really drunk dudes, they often can't tell the difference!" He laughed as he began pushing me towards a nearby table which was already occupied.

" A man with shaggy blond hair, emerald green eyes and large bushy eyebrows sat at the same table with a half-empty glass of beer. It was rather obvious that he was drunk out of his mind, even without having to smell his breath. Beside him sat a few other men, all in the same state as he was. I cringed slightly, not really wanting to sit beside him or any of these men. I hated drunks, they smelled and were just out of their minds the majority of the time. As I took a seat next to the blond, Alfred sat in the vacant seat to my right. One of the staff members wade his way to me and Alfred and asked what we wanted. I don't have any money left after the apples so even if I wanted a drink I'll have to pass on it. I was gonna say something when Alfred butted in and said: "We'll both take a juice,". I looked at him in confusion and was gonna correct the order but the staff member walked away quickly before I could. Great... just great. "What's wrong dudette? you look upset?" Questioned Alfred with a curious look. I gulped slightly, I didn't know how to tell him that I couldn't even afford a glass of juice I mean It's embarrassing... "I... um... don't have any money," I mumbled, not really wanting to say it. "Huh? What did you say? I can't hear you, you're too quiet," He yelled loudly. I grumbled slightly but repeated my sentence a little louder than last time but yet again he claimed he couldn't hear me. "I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY!" I yelled out loudly. I could have sworn the whole pub went silent and everyone looked at me. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks as I felt the pairs of eyes staring holes into me. What felt like hours of them staring was probably on minutes or seconds but it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable. Eventually, the loud chatter and laughter began again and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Whoah dudette, no need to yell that loud," Laughed Alfred as he slapped me on the back once more. I let out a small growl, wishing I had of just stayed on the streets. I'd rather have my secret revealed than spend another minute in here... I looked out a nearby window hoping the rain had stopped so I could leave but to my dismay, it was only raining harder. "Don't worry, I'll buy your drink for you, or well Iggy will," Chimed Alfred. I don't like taking things from strangers but I doubt this guy is gonna let me go without a least having a drink with him.

"Before I could ask who 'Iggy' the bushy-browed man beside me said "W..who's... this?". With every word, he spoke the strong smell of alcohol was blown straight into my face. "This is (Y/N)! She came in to escape the rain!" Yelled Alfred from beside me. The bushy-browed man swayed slightly as he stared at me, occasionally hiccuping. His eyes trailed down and remained there for a few moments, it was obvious what he was staring at and it took all my strength to hold back the urge to slap the living daylights out of him. But I knew that by doing that he most likely wouldn't be the only guy I'd have to fight and in my current situation I'm very outnumbered. The man exhaled from his nose loudly before giving a small chuckle. I glared daggers into him, not sure on how to take his laughter. Without thinking, I said "Something funny?" in a somewhat cold and aggressive tone. The man locked eyes with me, his emerald green eyes sending chills down my spine. Simply by looking into his eyes, I could tell he wasn't the kind of guy I wanted to mess with. "I guess... you'll do," He mumbled, his voice low and shaky. "What do you mean 'I'll do'?" I asked in confusion. Before he could answer the staff member from before came back, two glasses of orange juice in his hands. He placed them in front of us and I picked mine up almost immediately, taking a quick sip. Hopefully, this distracts me "Lets... go shag... in the toilets," I sprayed the orange juice out of my mouth at the man's words. My head whipped around quickly, almost giving my self whiplash in the process, and I stared at him in disgust. If he has trouble forming basic sentences I doubt he'd even be able to do such a thing. Before I could voice my opinion Alfred spoke up "Iggy, I think you've had enough!" He laughed while standing up and approaching the bushy-browed man. Alfred placed a hand on 'Iggy's' shoulder and attempted to pick him up only for Iggy to struggle.

"Get your hands off me, you wanker!" Iggy yelled loudly. Wow, he actually formed a proper sentence... Despite Iggy's struggles he seemed to soon lose energy and eventually passed out. Alfred threw Iggy's over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and yelled "Alright men! let's get back to the ship!" A sea of groans sounded from around the pub but soon enough the majority of the men in the pub stood up and made their way out of the pub. "Ship?.." I repeated quietly. Wait, could they be... no, surely they couldn't be "Yeah! we're pirates!" Yelled Alfred, confirming my suspicions. No fucking way! these guys can't be pirates... they act nothing like them! and they certainly don't give off the pirate vibe. "We're actually in town stocking up on supplies. We're about to head out on a long journey in search of an old treasure," He continued, his eyes sparkling at the word treasure. Well, that's good, it means they won't be staying. Not that I dislike them or anything it's just pirates and mermaids have a complicated history as you probably know. "Apparently Iggy found an old map that leads to an old treasure that's worth millions! so we're setting out tomorrow afternoon and heading west in search for it! We're not sure what the treasure is but I'm sure it'll be amazing!" He yelled in excitement. Alfred reached into Iggy's pocket, resulting in a slight moan from the passed out man. Alfred didn't seem to notice, that or he tried to ignore it, which he wasn't doing very well since his face was slightly flushed. He handed me an old torn piece of paper, as I unfolded it I found an old map. The map looked to be a couple hundred years old, surprising it hasn't become dust yet. What surprised me tho was the fact it had the names of the underwater kingdoms mapped out as well. "Um... do you know what these names mean?" I asked, hoping he'd say no. Alfred looked at the map, a look of confusion consuming his features as he shook his head. Thank god, not that it really matters I guess since they'd never be able to reach our kingdoms. The only way they'd ever reach our kingdoms is if they drowned.

"I looked back at the map and studied the markings and such, the maps writing was in ancient mermaid language. I myself have trouble reading it since it's an old language and hasn't been used in hundreds of rotations (Years) so I doubt they could make out any of it. By the looks of it, this map is leading them to a treasure, which is over 36,000 feet under water. I don't know what the treasure is since I can't make out some of the writing but it seems to be pretty valuable. How did this map survive all this time? How does it even exist in the first place? and how did these guys get it? As I stared at the map Alfred suddenly took it from my hands in a hurry "Sorry gotta go dudette, nice meeting you," He yelled as he rushed out of the pub in a hurry. What a weird guy. I'd be worried about them having a map like that but I doubt it'll matter, after all, they can't swim to that depth so there's no reason to worry... even so, I feel like that map is important and shouldn't be in their hands. Deciding to shrug it off I looked out the window once more to find it had stopped raining. Thank god I can leave! I hurried out of the pub and into the cold air. Shit, I forgot how cold it was! I shivered slightly at the cold but tried to ignore it as I hurried through the streets. The streets were a little less crowded than before, most people probably went to find shelter. Other people though looked as though they'd use taken a dip in a lake while wearing their clothes. There are some people I honestly will never understand. As I exited the town I reached the shoreline, the loud crashing of waves could be hard. It was like music to my ears, it was my one true home... or at least it was. /

~TO BE CONTINUED~

and first chapter is done! I hope you liked the first chapter, i'm sorry if it was a little boring but i promise it'll get better. Next chapter is gunna be kinda the same, it's gunna be based around backstory and stuff. If you have certain characters you want included than feel free to comment them and I'll try to include them. If you have any advice or suggestions than feel free to comment them as well. Also let me know if you like these long chapters or if you want them shorter or longer. I'm sorry if i've made any mistakes, be it grammar, character or historical wise. I'm still new to fanfics but I'm doing as much research as I can to try and make this book as accurate as possible. That's all I really need to say so thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed and hopefully Ill see you next time ~