Fai eventually arrived in a little town. He quickly noticed that there was a rode leading up to the house he had just left; if he would've used it, he could've gotten here a lot faster. He shrugged, and began walking around, taking in the sights.
"Fai-san!" a voice called out from behind. Fai's shoulders slumped, and he ignored him, instead walking down an alleyway between two taverns. Taverns… He smirked. He'd have to visit them later.
Syaoran ran up to him, stopping quickly. Fai didn't turn around to greet him, but scowled ahead of him, shoulders stiff. Syaoran peered around him to see a sign posted on a wall ahead of them.
"SEA TOUR: GET TO MEET A REAL MERMAID! CHEAPEST PRICE AROUND."
Fai turned around to face the boy, a glint in his eyes as he noticed that the he had his sword with him.
"How about we go hunting?" He asked. Syaoran stared up at him.
"Fai…" He started until Fai waved a hand in his face to shut him up.
"I'm not going to kill it, just see if it will come to me so I can take my voice back."
Syaoran sighed, smiling. "Fine. Just don't kill it." Fai nodded.
F%**)&*$%#$*(&#&+)_&*_$#%&&((_#$#%**)&*)()_%$^^#&#*
"I can't believe this world has mermaids." Syaoran said to Fai as they boarded the wooden ship. Fai shrugged. He hated fish. A crewmember walked over to greet them.
"Welcome to the Seeker! You boys are here for the mermaids, right?" They nodded, and the man continued.
"Aye, you're in for a surprise. We have heard them singing lately!"
"What happens when they sing?"
"We have a higher chance of spotting more than one!" Fai grinned.
"Have either of ye heard of the mermaid, Maecenas?" The man continued. Syaoran shook his head.
"Merman, right? Isn't that a man's name?"
"Well, yeah, but she calls herself by that name… She's the prettiest fish you'll ever see, if you're lucky." Fai looked doubtful and the man laughed.
"She looks a bit like you, sir." Fai's eye widened.
"Tall, pale skin, pale hair. She likes to visit the ships; she's the only one that does. She's quite the talker too, though that's not like you at all. Quiet as a mouse you are, sir."
A fellow sailor waved to the man, calling him over. "I need help with these ropes, Hayden. You can talk later." Hayden nodded to Syaoran and Fai and went over to help, and Fai walked over to the bow as the ship left the harbor, smelling the salts as the breeze ruffled his hair. He shrugged the coat off as the sun warmed his shoulders. Syaoran started talking to the rest of the guests, trying to learn more about the mermaids. The boy stopped short as an eerie yet beautiful sound filled his ears.
"Oh! They've started already!" A woman cried out, clapping her hands in a pair of overly- priced gloves. Her companion nodded.
"Indeed! And we've only been out for a few minutes!"
Another voice began singing, making Syaoran start. He ran over to Fai, whose hands were gripping the side of the ship with a death grip as he gazed into the water. The voice grew louder, and something began to claw up the side of the ship. The guests quickly ran to the other side of the ship, eager to see.
"Maecenas!"
Fai gazed at the creature. She was beautiful, except for the gash across her face. She locked her gaze on him, smiling. Quickly waving her hand at her body, she became a human in a long white dress. She boarded the ship and smiled over to him, ignoring the rest of the humans.
"My human. Mine."
"You've stolen his voice!" Syaoran said. Fai nodded.
"Give it back."
%**)&*$%#$*(&#&+)_&*_$#%&&((_#$#%**)&*)()_%$^^#&#*
Sakura frowned as she helped prepare the feast. She had heard the singing voices, since they weren't that far from the water, and could easily pick out Fai's.
"No," She thought "It's not him, it's the mermaid!" She frowned, turning her attention back to the preparation. Syaoran and Fai would be hungry when they returned; the least she could do at the moment was help with the food.
"Hey," Kurogane growled, stomping into the kitchen. "Where is the kid?" Mokona looked up at the man before answering. "He's out with Fai." The ninja huffed angrily.
"What's the idiot mage doing out? He's caused enough trouble."
"I don't know, checking out the sights?" Ariel smiled.
"You know, Kurogane, you don't need to worry over them. They'll be fine, I'm sure."
Kurogane glared at her, annoyed. "I'm not worried; they just need to say something before they run off." He quickly left before the woman could reply.
Kurogane never worried about anything or anyone. Ever.