Natalya

Sand… It was everywhere and worst of all, we had no ship and our representative Captain was lost. I was sleeping when the ship was having problems; but woke up due to the loud sounds. No one could sleep under such conditions. The one that came to my rescue was Toris. This Colonel was everywhere I was and it was displeasing me greatly. He was irritating me with his kind character and protective manner. I hated it; at least that's how I felt. Feliks was with us, musing about the whereabouts of Elizabeta. "I could not protect her," I muttered to myself, not expecting anyone to pay attention to me. To my dismay, the only one who pays me more attention than his own injuries or fundamental needs was Toris. "Do not worry. She is a strong woman, she knows how to protect herself," he said calmly, watching me with attentive eyes. "Plus, you were in no condition to take care of her."

I looked at my hands, they were almost cured but I still could not use them properly; wielding a sword was out of question. Thankfully my fever had gone down; it could not impair my mind anymore.

"Do you really think he meant what he said?" Feliks asked; his eyebrows were knitted, his face masked with a scowl. He was referring to Arthur Kirkland, who had crossed our path almost an hour ago. He and some of his crew discovered us. The Captain had claimed that his ship course had been extremely affected by the fog and the stream the mermaid on our board had created. Neither he nor I knew about the mermaid's power until it was mentioned by the Colonel. Kirkland, upon hearing Toris speaking about the water creature, listened attentively. Toris told him about the ship's wrecking and her connection to the powerful amulet the Prince was wearing. This surely was an interesting notion for the pirate whose smirking was plastered on his face. Every time Toris mentioned the mermaid, my blood started to boil. It was an unknown feeling. I was not sure if I was angry with her or him, but he always seemed to smile when he was talking about her. This had already occurred yesterday evening, when both were having a conversation; I was a little upset and could not explain why. Maybe it was the presence of both. Before Toris could utter the part of why she was on our ship in the first place, Feliks had intervened. "Due to the breaking of the ship, the crew was split. Lizzie is not with us…"

"She is alone?" Kirkland asked, aware of the situation she was in.

"The Prince, along with the mermaid could fetch her," Toris added. At that, Arthur stood up, motioning his crew member to come near him. They were planning something.

"What are you up to?" I inquired angrily. Kirkland, who was well informed of my spirit and impatience, smirked. "We are forming a strategy which would help us finding your beloved Captain Elizabeta," he informed me, proud of my flabbergasted reaction. He wanted to find her? His stupid grin held such arrogance and mystery. One thing I learned about my own profession: Pirates cannot be trusted.

"Why?" Feliks stood up, asking the very question everyone had in their mind.

"We can only survive if we are all together. Only God knows who is lurking in the depths of these woods," Arthur answered, pointing his finger towards the forest which was kilometres away from us. "Did you know that this was the enchanted Island of the water dragon? And if the Prince, who has inherited the blood of the one that has sealed the dragons and is in the possession of the amulet which holds the dragon, arrives on this very land, what do you think would happen? We are not aware of the power this Island has."

It was silent, until Toris coughed, "you mean, the dragon could accidently be freed?"

Kirkland nodded, "That is why we need to find him and especially the mermaid who is, besides the amulet itself, a guardian who is capable of sealing the dragon."

From where did he have gained this information? Was it a conversation topic amongst the pirates? Nevertheless, it was a logical process to find all of them and after this conversation. Kirkland and his men had split up. I wanted to join them, but was too injured according to Toris.

Feliks was still thinking about Arthur's words. I certainly did not expect them to return quickly, but looking towards the beach, I discovered that four people were returning. They were too far away to be recognisable, but I was sure I saw Elizabeta and her companions. As they came closer, I saw her laughing along with the Prince while Kirkland was carrying the mermaid on the back. The creature was still wearing some of my clothes; a shirt and trousers which were teared. Apparently her wound has reopened again, preventing her from walking. Some blood was dripping down her leg. While Elizabeta was jesting and smiling, Sakura was blushing and trying to hide her face. I never thought I would see her flushed; she did not strike me as one who could be affected by anything, but being carried around by Kirkland certainly was a reason to be embarrassed.

"I-Is h-he carrying her?" Feliks' face was just as shocked as Toris'. No one had expected Kirkland to carry anybody. For some, he was a good fellow, but for most people, he was a heartless Captain. I could tell that he was both; you just had to choose how you would approach him. He thought of us as rivals.

As Elizabeta caught our eyes, she ran. I hated hugs but hers were welcoming. She embraced me, "Thank God you are alright."

The rest of her group arrived. "Has Sakura's injury reopened?" Toris inquired, showing great concern. One could see that some kind of ointment had been put on the leg, but it did not stop the bleeding.

"Yes, we have found some peppermint and Kirkland," Elizabeta pointed to said Captain, "insisted on coming back to you immediately. He suggested carrying the mermaid so we would be here faster."

"So that is your name. Sakura," Kirkland grinned. Sakura shot Toris a desperate look. It seems that she did not want Kirkland to know her name or carrying her. She seemed to be completely overwhelmed by such closeness. The Colonel understood, "Let me look at your leg."

Kirkland, not amused to be ordered to let the mermaid down, frowned down upon the brunette. "Are you a professional doctor or what?"

"Yes he is," Feliks stated, defending the Colonel to his surprise. Arthur scowled, having no other option but to sit the mermaid down. "Thank you," she muttered, unable to cope with this situation. She had told us that she was not used to kindness. While she moved her leg to give Toris a good view of her wound, Kirkland observed both of them.

"What happened with Kirkland?" I asked Elizabeta, who rolled her eyes. "I think he admires her. Since he has seen her, he acts completely protective. You had to see his face when he learned about the incidences in which she got hurt. He was furious beyond reason."

"He knows that she is a mermaid," I said to her, "Don't you think he wants to use her for any purpose, such as selling or for a great fortune?"

Elizabeta shook her head and explained that such ideas where not in his mind. Strangely enough, he was acting extremely kind towards her, even if it was a bit forward. But this seemed normal, after all, we were talking about Arthur Kirkland.

"She seems to be overwhelmed by his attention," I whispered to her.

"You have no idea. She has never met such people as we are. I think she never had expected such an event," Elizabeta smiled, amused by the sight of a slightly overprotective Kirkland. "If he is provoking Toris or any other, I will warn him," I muttered darkly. Now I was getting upset about Toris tending to the mermaid and the possibility of Kirkland messing with the Colonel.

"Aha," was all Elizabeta said. She almost sang it. "What is it?" I asked confused. "Oh nothing, just thinking about the lovely atmosphere," she smiled with a weird look. Was she hinting at something?

[A/N: I hope this chapter is okay :O, I am sorry for posting it so late (past midnight here :'D). And yes I am hinting the "love is in the air" atmosphere here :'D *whispers* It has began ~]