The Seven Cities

The ship slowed to a halt, a splash heard as the anchor was thrown down. The chains rattled like a great metal snake as it followed the anchor down to the bottom of the ocean where it would bring the ship to a complete stop. The sun peeked out from beneath a thin cover of clouds to add a little light to the otherwise grey day. Captain Silver limped down from the Captain's quarters to the deck to join the rest of the crew. At the sound of the familiar rise and fall of Silver's peg leg, Jim looked up. A surly expression had turned his other wise pleasant face sour; his face had held that bitter mask since the day after the storm, when Silver had returned to the ship telling them all of Hook's 'tragic' accident. The moment Silver began his speech to the crew, Jim turned his face down and turned all of his attention to the mop in his hand; he had heard enough of Silver's lies.

Another island stood just a few miles away. This island had mountains too, tall ones covered in a lush green. The beach was clear white sand framed by tall green trees and a jungle that promised all sorts of treasure and adventure. Despite all of this, Jim could not find it in himself to get excited by the view. The reason they were there was dark and he knew if Hook was still alive, he would never have agreed to it. On the opposite side of the island there was an inlet called Mermaid's Cove. Ever since Hook had told him about going after the treasure of the island Eilon, Jim had been looking forward to going to Mermaid's Cove and seeing this place that only existed in dreams. The treasure of Eilon was a legend, one that Hook had not been afraid to go after. Eilon was an island that was said to have a cave that housed the treasure of 'to and fro the Seven Cities'. No one really understood the riddle of to and fro, only that the cave must keep safe a treasure trove to trump them all if treasure from all the Seven Cities were kept there.

The Seven Cities were the Seven original. These cities created by the gods had housed the first of civilization and had existed for eons. Most were abandoned now, taken over by monster or the ghosts of those who had fallen there. There were some Cities that had become dark and twisted and yet others that thrived without human contact; paradises that had fallen from the maps. Still others continued to function beneath the hold of the humans that raised them. One such city was the capital, Palisade. The cave on Eilon was a treasure many knew of yet none were crazy enough to believe actually existed; it was the El Dorado of that world. Captain Hook had believed in its existence and after years of searching had taken them to the island where the map leading to Eilon was. Silver had the map now and he had lead them to Mermaid's Cove to gather the rest of what he needed before they set off for Eilon.

Many nights, Jim and Hook had discussed Eilon and the treasure; what they would do with it, how they would split it; they imagined the monsters that guarded it and how they would get past them. Jim had not yet forgotten their talk of how to get into the cave itself; the story of the cave on Eilon said that a mermaid's blood would be needed to open the cave. Hook had told Jim that there on Mermaid's Cove he would lure a mermaid forward and gather a vial of her blood, it would be enough to open the cave. Jim still remembered his rasping, devious laugh as he'd told him,

"We'll need to get out of there fast you'll see, boy! Ol' Triton will come after us quick as he can, I'll bet my left hand!" Jim shook his head, not able to get rid of the sound of Hook's laughter. Hook had wanted to trick a mermaid and steal from her some blood. Silver wanted to kidnap a mermaid and kill her upon reaching Eilon.

"To be sure," Silver had told him with a wink. Jim felt his face harden at the thought. Silver would never be half the pirate Hook was.

A splash on the left side of the ship brought him out of his memories. Jim's head flew up, eyes wide. A pirate beside him, Thurl, smacked him on his back and gave a short laugh.

"Sour face today, Jim!" He exclaimed.

"Just like erry other!" Another pirate, Toadstool, jumped in; his laugh like the cry of a gull.

Silver's leg thumped on the deck again, gathering their attention. Jim angrily stuffed his mop back into its bucket, sloshing water all over his boots. His lip curled and he twisted the mop, soaking up the mess he had made. In front of the rest of the crew, motioning towards the row boat that would take the first group of pirates out to Mermaid's Cove, Silver gave out the orders again to make sure everyone was clear. The first group would go in and carefully scout the area, the second would be walking to meet them on shore and when they gave the signal, the rest of the crew would pull up the anchor and sail towards the inlet; there they would capture the mermaid that was farthest from the west side of the inlet; cornering her between the shore and the reef that extended out into the ocean on the east side. Listening despite not wanting to, Jim would have had to admit it was a good plan; had it not been the wrong one. Hook had known better than to capture a mermaid; never would he have dreamt of killing one of them. Of course, they were monsters-waiting to lure in unwary sailors to their deaths, but they were mythical creatures, creatures of the gods and therefore were not meant to be killed, let alone dragged out to be slaughtered.

The row boats were lowered and Jim felt his stomach drop with them. If Hook were alive...

"What if, if, if, but," he muttered under his breath. If Hook were alive, everything would be different. It does no good thinking over 'what if's, he told himself. He mopped with more anger and scoured the deck of any dirt. The ship was just about gleaming when the signal came, a gunshot from somewhere off the shore. His arms jerked as if the shot had been aimed at him. He muttered some more curses before throwing the mop down. With the rest of the crew he helped to lift the anchor and hoist the sails. They were off, whether he liked it or not. Still, as the wind picked up and began to run through his hair he took in a deep breath of the salty sea air and felt himself at home. Even without Hook, this was the place for him. The worry in his stomach about the mermaid did not disappear but it lessened and he looked out onto the oncoming cove with wide, excited eyes. Toadstool stepped up next to him and they both leaned out over the front of the boat, so low that the wooden figure head was next to their faces; flat expression watching the events as they took place.

Toadstool was the first to jump down, he rushed to grab the net from the deck and hoist it over the side. Jim heard them yelling his name and left his post. The moment he took up the net in his hands, the pit in his stomach returned. Toadstool shot him a toothless grin and helped him with his part of the net. Toadstool motioned for him to look out into the cove and together they turned their eyes to a place that many others only dreamed of.

The Mermaid's Cove was surrounded by lush vegetation, trees heavy with exotic fruits and flowers bursting from the undergrowth in a rainbow of bright colours. Pops of sun-bright yellow and summer-sky blue emerged from the endless green that slowly gave way to the white sand that looked as if it would be soft underfoot. Flawless the beach gently lowered until it was kissing the aquamarine surf that was lapping up to greet it. The impossibly blue waters broke against deep purple rocks that rose from the ocean and glittered in the sunlight that filtered through the clouds overhead. And on the rocks...Jim could hardly believe his eyes. Toadstool slapped him on the back again, the shock letting him know that it was real, they were real. Mermaids.

Their long tails shimmered with each movement in an array of colours as varied and bright as the flowers on the shore. Flawless skin reflected the sun's light, they moved back towards the water as they caught sight of the ship. Jim extended one hand, they had no need to fear him. Silver's cutting voice came from overhead as he shouted orders. Jim quickly retracted his hand, face once again sour and hard. These magnificent creatures had every reason to fear him.

Screams erupted from the bank of the shore; the mermaids there had found the crewmates that had landed upon the island and where trying to wade into the cove with a net. Jim watched half in horror, half in fascination as the incredible beauties that had seemed so innocent upon the rocks tore into the pirates. The ship was too far away for him to see any details but he could hear the pirates scream and saw the flash of swords as they were unsheathed yet the mermaids did not stop their onslaught. Silver shouted again and the deck was alive with movement but Jim remained frozen against the side of the boat, entranced. The mermaids lashed out and retreated, disappearing into the water that was no longer calm but foaming red. They left the pirate crew dead in the sand; the ocean water dyed red with their blood lapping at their sides. The boat lurched beneath him and he fell from his post. Toadstool grabbed his arm before he pitched right off the edge and pulled him back.

"Thanks," Jim said, breathless. Toadstool grunted, his eyes as big as saucers. Without another word he shoved a long sword into Jim's hands. Jim nearly dropped it, he was so shocked.

"I can't use this!"

"You're going to have to, boy," Toadstool said, voice high. He swallowed and turned back to face the side of the boat. The sun was setting and it cast the world before them a bloody red. The ocean foamed with the blood, the shore's immaculate white sands were stained and the row boat was overturned. Jim saw turbulence in the water; heading straight for them. Silver was still yelling over head from the captain's deck. The sword in his hands felt light. Jim grabbed the handle and swung it, testing its weight. Still light, even though the metal was sturdy. He swung again, slicing the curved blade through the air as if it were nothing. Toadstool nodded and ran up to do Silver's bidding. Jim turned from the Captain. The sun flashed off the metal of his sword and in the flash he saw the deaths of his fellow crew mates at the hands of the monsters in the Cove. He lifted the sword again and ran for the labyrinth of ropes that was attached to the main mast. Without another thought he jumped up and caught one. Shouts from the remaining crew protested his actions but he ignored them and, deftly catching the next swinging rope and using his free hand, hoiseted himself upwards. There was a rope ladder waiting for him where he had lifted himself and, wary of his blade, he climbed it. The crew's protests were growing dim as they turned their attention back to the issue at hand; the mermaids were getting close.

At least he had the sense to attack during the day, Jim thought. Turning his face to the dying sun his lip curled up in a snarl. But not enough to attack at dawn. The memories of his talks with Hook were eerily clear in his mind. He hacked away at one rope while gripping another and the night he had spent talking to Hook about mermaids came back to him.

"Devious little buggers," Hook had said, taking a deep breath from his pipe. He blew smoke rings into Jim's face, making him cough. "But nothing like the monsters they become at night. Those sirens in the moonlight," The captain had shuddered, his pipe glowing bright orange in his left hand. "No Jim, best attack at dawn. The beauties won't expect it and that's when to get them, off guard. It'll be hard but we'll manage. Than we'll run out of there like, well like Triton's at our backs-which you can bet any barnacle he will be," Jim had looked up into the night sky, imagining how the beautiful mermaids he had always heard of turned into beasts underneath the moon's gaze.

"Have you ever seen a mermaid, Captain?" Jim had asked, keeping his eyes rested on the moon. Hook took so long to reply Jim thought he had fallen asleep, as he was prone to do when he was smoking his pipe late at night. When Jim turned back to the Captain however he found him puffing out small little smoke rings furiously; one right after the other. His eyes were distant and his hook shook.

"Twice, Jim. First time I was sailing, second I was on the Cove itself," his voice was low and full of an emotion Jim couldn't identify. Jim said nothing, knowing that if the Captain wanted to tell him more, he would. As it turned out the Captain didn't want to tell him anymore and the moon had moved far in the sky before they went off to bed to prepare themselves for another day manning the ship. Just before they went their separate ways though Hook's hand, no longer wrapped around his pipe, fell onto Jim's shoulder. Jim had looked up at the Captain, taking in his long, thin moustache and huge red hat.

"Never forget seeing those mermaids, Jim. Best memories I've got," His eyes were distant again, voice low. Jim shivered and dared ask;

"I thought they were monsters, Captain?" It was another moment before Hook collected himself. He clapped his hand on Jim's shoulder and stepped back, a hollow laugh escaping beneath his fine moustache.

"Terrible monsters," he confirmed, eyes still glazed. "But beautiful, terribly beautiful," he whispered.

"Jim! Get down from there!" a shout from below startled him from his flash back. The rope in his hand had been cut. Shaking his head he reached out in search of the next one. The boat gave another frightful lurch. There! He reached for the rope, dangling right before him. His sword flashed, catching the last of the sun's crimson rays.

The ship leaned to the side and Jim jumped from the mast, anticipating the violent shudder as the main staysail and its mast fell to the left side. The crew shouted and scrambled to avoid being crushed by the swinging of the mast. Jim caught a swinging rope and felt a sharp shot of pain as his arm struggled to keep the rest of him from plunging into the mermaid infested waters. The sail fell into the water and the sound of it being shredded by the murderous mermaids below made his stomach turn. He nearly dropped his sword as he shimmied back up the main mast than jumped down again. He landed upon the deck in a roll, all the while wary of where his blade was. Toadstool caught his arm as he stood, dizzy from his fall. They exchanged a look and together ran to the side of the boat, grabbing the net they had thrown over earlier. Toadstool deftly climbed down and over, using the netting as a ladder. Another pirate, Dacks, saw what they were doing and joined Toadstool on the side of the boat. Jim heaved the netting upwards with all his strength but felt it slip. He shouted for help and two other pirates who were quick to react to Jim's tossing of the staysail joined him. Together the three of them held the net until they heard Toadstool's loud voice cursing up at them. Dacks shouted, than his voice turned shrill and he screamed. Jim shouted out and in unison the three pirates heaved the net upwards. The sun had completely faded, an eerie twilight over taking them. Jim shouted for more help and with his shout the net seemed to become lighter. He turned his head and two more pirates were helping to pull Toadstool, Dacks and hopefully their quarry upwards. The angry rush of water that was being churned by the mermaids' tails softened until it disappeared. Dacks fell onto the deck, bleeding and sputtering; he had lost an ear. Toadstool soon followed. Last to cross the deck was a figure that shone creamy white in the ghostly half-light, and glittered where the flawless skin became a tail made of radiant emerald scales. A mermaid.