For about three days, Aqua had been on her journey. She found out very quickly how big open sea is, and that you CAN NOT get tired, otherwise you'll float to the depths. Luckily she found a whale here and there and they'd offered her a break, and directions. Finding food was a little bit harder also and there weren't many choices, either something was too big, too small, or other "I'm not getting eaten today!"
Aqua had been traveling northeast further out, and where there were more islands. The marlin said "where ocean touches rock", but that was all he said. Aqua assumed he meant an island, but there were so many. Not to mention the Leviathan, what if she runs into it, what if it attacks her or worse!
Aqua groaned from exhaustion, flopping her body down on the back of a fin whale. "Way is the ocean so big..?"
The whale chuckled listening to his little hick-hiker. "Yep, it's pretty big, most of this world is nothing but ocean."
"It will take me forever to find the others!" Aqua cried out.
"Hey try and keep your chin up, I'm sure you'll find your pod. And all bet that some one else has seen them. A sign will come, you just have to keep yourself alert."
The golden mermaid sighed, laying on her back she gazed up at the surface. The sun's rays reflected through the blue water onto her scales making them glistened like gold.
"I should let you know, the further out you go the higher chances you'll have of running into other creatures."
Aqua sat up, curious on that he meant. "What do you mean? What kind of creatures? Not something...dangerous right?" She asked, getting a little scared.
"Boy, you have lived in salutary. No they're more like you, creatures from myths and legends, gods that are worshiped by humans. But yes some are monstrous."
Aqua gulped shaking a little. Great not only did she have to worry about the Leviathan but she had to look out for multiple monstrosities?!
Suddenly the current got a lot stronger. Aqua flipped on her stomach grabbing her spear as she griped the whale tighter. "Hang on tight back there, the current just picked up." The fin whale said, as he pushed on.
Aqua held on as tight as she could. The current then jostled them as they went as fast as a torpedo. Through all the flailing Aqua's bag slipped off her arm. "My bag!" She cried watching it sink. "I have to go get it!" She jumped off the whale swimming back for it.
"Wait! I won't be able to come back for you!" The fin whale cried but it was too late, the current pulled him away leaving Aqua alone, in the middle of nowhere.
Aqua swam as fast as she could to reach her bag, stretched her spear out hooking the strap, she grabbed it. Hugging it to her chest she tried to catch her breath. She opened her bag to make sure everything was still inside, but what she was most concerned about was her shell hair clip, thankfully it was safe too. Sighing in relief she swung the bag back over her shoulder, but when she turned around and looked up the whale was gone.
Aqua groaned out. "Great, lost my ride." She did a full circle. "No signs of life anywhere." She swam up it she reached the surface. "And no land...AAAHHH!" She screamed in rage. "What am I supposed to do now?!" Squinting her eyes she looked up at the sun, it was noon. So if the sun rises in the east and sets in the west then she could still figure out where she needed to go.
Gathering her coordinates, Aqua dived back down and swam east.
It was around late evening, and Aqua was exhausted, her tail was so tired she couldn't even keep a float. Good thing luck was on her side, coming up she saw a cliff rock. She looked up at the cliff then down to the dark depths. Aqua suddenly felt a strange tingle go up her spine, she recognized that feeling, that only happens when she senses treasure. And it was coming from down below.
It was dark, too dark to see, but if treasure was down there, maybe she could sleep on the ocean floor. Finding her courage and gripping her spear tight ,she slowly swam down. She swam for a about five minutes till she spotted something. A pole with a flag of it, the skull and cross bones made it clear, this was a pirate ship. Swimming out around it she got a full view of it. It had been split in half, and by the look of it, had been sunken for a long time. Aqua was use to little ships nothing big, so seeing something this large amazed her, there was probably thirdly rooms inside, maybe a even bed room for her to rest in.
Looking like it was deserted she swam threw one of the cannon holes leaning into the gallery. It was a lot bigger inside then it looked. Aqua was mesmerized. "Wow, this place is huge." She said, swimming around eyeing everything. "I wonder what it was like before it sunk." She looked at one of the cannons. She then noticed another hole in the ceiling leading up to the next floor. While she swam up, she didn't notice the large tentacles coming from outside the ship.
Aqua then found a room that she quite liked, the caption's cabin. This room looked like it belonged to a king, golden swirls on the wood work, emerald green curtains on the windows, and a golden chandler. There were three chest filled with gold and jewels that spilled out onto the floor, a red wardrobe on the right side wall, but what really stood out was in the center of the room. A table and chair with silverware for dinning, and in the chair was the skeleton caption. Aqua had seen drowned bodies before, and wasn't faced by it, so it was not a shocking reveal. But something caught Aqua's attention from behind the skeleton, a big comfy bed next to the windows.
"Thank Neptune." She swam over and jumped on the bed, sighing in comfort. She set her bag and spear down and dozed off to sleep.
But unbeknownst to her, something was watching her.
Aqua slept through out the night, when morning came she sat up stretching her arms. "Ah, I haven't slept that good in a long time." She sighed. Looking around the room, she decided to look around, even though she couldn't bring all this stuff with her a little digging around wouldn't hurt. Going through the gold she found lots of things that caught her eye, but she fought to try and not take any of it, she was on a mission, treasure was not important right now.
Next she turned to the wardrobe, now Aqua has found human clothing before she just didn't think they were worth much, and seemed uncomfortable. Especially when it came to the lower half when humans wore "skirts" they looked like restraints on their legs. But she had wondered what is was like to wear clothes, I mean she wore her Atlantis armor and that was kind of like clothes. Pulling open the doors she gazed at the colorful fabric that floated in the water. There were so many choices.
"Wow..." Aqua gasped as she pulled out the clothes one by one. There was a a large mirror on the wall, she then got an idea. Dress up!
The first thing she dress up in was what she assumed belonged to the captain clothes. A long red coat with silver buttons, with matching cuffs,and collar, a big hat with peacock feathers on the side, a gold eye-patch on her right eye and a sword. "AROGH!" She yelled, swinging the sword around. "Swosh swosh, buckle buckle!" She laughed, thinking she looked ridiculous. "Okay, what else is there?"
To her surprise she found dresses, something only the females would wear. "Ahh, was this a gift for someone?" She smirked, asking the skeleton pirate. "For your girlfriend back home." She held it up in front of her measuring it out. It was a white sleeveless ball gown, with gold trim over the shoulders. Aqua gazed at herself in the mirror, wondering what it would be like to be human, but she quickly brushed it off, how silly of her to think that.
She then noticed a some white fabric. Curious, she set the dress down and pulled it out. The fabric was silky with a maya blue color on the bottom and gold trim. Aqua eyed the fabric loving the soft feel under her scaly hand, she wanted to wear it, but how? It was just a pieces of cloth, unless. Taking off her armor and belt she ripped a layer off, then wrapped the fabric around her hips and tied it to the side like a sarong, then she took the smaller piece and tied it around her breast. Turning back to the mirror, it looked like she was wearing a knee high skirt with a matching top.
Aqua smiled as she twirled, loving how the clothing looked on her. unbeknownst to her, giant tentacles were surrounding the ship as one very large eye peered into the cabin. Suddenly a very loud yet feminine voice said, "That looks great on you."
"AAAHHHH!" Aqua screamed, turning around to see a large glowing yellow eye staring at her. Quickly she ducked under the table thinking it was the Leviathan.
"Do not be afraid goddess covered in gold, I mean you no harm. I am Kraken." It said to her in a deep feminine voice.
"Kraken?" Aqua whispered, she had hear of that name before. Slowly she came out from under the table and looked back at the eye. "You wouldn't happen to be the Kraken, the giant octopus, ship sinker, terror of the deep?"
The giant octopus chuckled causing the ship to shake. "Yes, that is I. And I know what you are, mermaid, Poseidon's daughter, known for your singing and love for treasure."
"W-well it's not a big love." Aqua blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm very sorry for intruding on your home, I thought it was empty."
The Kraken shook her head. "No need, at the time you seemed tired. I am curious though, what is a beautiful creature like you doing all the way out here?"
"I am on a search, to find my pod, and the rest of the mermaids."
"Ah yes, I have heard of the disappearance of the mermaids." The Kraken blinked her eye. "The Leviathan. It is just like me, just like you, creatures of the ocean, legends, gods even. We do not harm each other unless we must. The Leviathan is a prisoner of the King..."
"Prisoner? King..?" Aqua asked, swimming closer to the window.
"A human who thinks he can tame us like animals, and command us." The Kraken hissed, becoming angry. "The Leviathan is being used, to gather all the mermaids and bring them back to him."
"Please, just tell me where this Emperor is. If he is holding the mermaids hostage then I must save them!" Aqua pleaded.
"He is far north, on a jagged rock castle surrounded by ocean. The water there has been tainted black, nothing lives nor grows there. It is a tomb." The Kraken blinked again. "If I were you, I would not go there. You will see the same fate as did you kind."
Aqua looked to the ground, taking in what she said. She was right, if she got anywhere near there the Leviathan would surely capture her, that is if she even makes it that far.
"But if you must go, there is a way in tricking him." Aqua looked back up at the eye. "Before you were mermaids, you were humans." Aqua's eyes widen, as the Kraken pointed a tentacle at her. "Many do not know this because they have forgotten this ability. If you were to go on soled land and get completely dry, your scales will turn into skin, your gills will become lungs, and your tail will split into two legs. You will be a human."
Aqua gasped out stumbling back a bit. 'Human? I could be human? I could walk on land, have legs?!' She looked back to the giant squid. "Really, I can do that?"
The Kraken nodded. "Yes, but be warned, if you touch or even get the tiniest bit of water on you, your legs will go back into a tail and become a mermaid again. Use caution."
Aqua nodded, grabbing her spear and stuffing her armor if her bag, she gave a slight bowed to the giant octopus in respect. "Thank you Kraken, your kindness and wisdom is appreciated." She then glanced down at the clothing she was wearing. She really loved it and didn't want to leave it behind. "Umm..."
"Keep it," The Kraken smiled, "And I wish you all the luck in the sea."
Aqua nodded, before swimming to the door, to the deck. But was blocked my a giant tentacle. She looked back to see the massive Kraken pull her body up onto the deck. "There is something else I should warn you about. The further you travel, the higher the chance you'll run into him."
"Him? Him how?" Aqua asked.
"A monstrous crustacean with a hunger for shiny things. If he catches you," She pointed her tentacle at the mermaid, "You will face an even greater torture then your kind has with the Emperor." She moved her tentacle out of the way, before smiling. "Good luck to you."
"Thank you." Aqua bowed again. Swimming away from the ship she waved goodbye, as the Kraken did the same, till the ship was out of sight. And ones again, Aqua was on her own.