Chapter Text
In the dark streets of a large kingdom in the south sea, there was a small building set into the side of one of the streets. The building was a tavern, small, but reactively cosy. Soft amber light poured from its windows, flickering as the occasional patron passed by.
The tavern was no different to any of the others which lined the streets of the kingdom, but its close proximity to the docks and minimal guard patrols meant it was a hotspot for pirates and smugglers, looking to catch a drink and share tales without fear of harassment.
Drunken singing spilled into the street, accompanied by the soft gurgling of the gutters flowing through the narrow street, and the occasional call of a bird upon the rooftops.
Boots clunked against the polished wooden floor, and drinks splashed messily as the patrons weaved and danced around the room. Raucous laughter would occasionally break out across the room until the owner hushed them with empty threats of calling the guards.
Perhaps the most unexpected occupant of the tavern was a small boy, around nine years of age, who loved to sit and listen to the patrons tell their tales for hours on end. He and his friends would then later reenact these tales, much to the chagrin of his parents when one of them inevitably ended up injured.
The name of this boy was Sero, and his parents were the owners of this particular tavern, hence his presence in the adult establishment.
Sero’s favourite tales were those that the pirates would tell though. Luckily many of them were all too willing to share a tale, and with such an eager audience, one story would turn into many, and one drink would turn into many, to his parent's delight.
He was currently perched on the edge of a table, face cupped between his palms, listening to a regular recount another of her tales. She was an older woman, known as Camille. A retired pirate with an eccentric personality and a flair for storytelling. Her dark curls were held back from her face by a worn bandana, but would constantly threaten to escape as she threw her head back to gesture wildly.
A belt slung around her hips contained many pouches, the contents of which would change every time Sero asked her, and a small silver flask she would occasionally sip from but never share.
Aside from the flask, she wore no jewellery and carried little of monetary value, except for a simple gold band around her ring finger, an uncommon trait for pirates. The band never left her finger, even when her hands were covered in bandages. This was a frequent occurrence, due to the large number of rowdy brawls she participated in and started on occasion.
Her dark skin was covered in scars of varying sizes, each carrying a story more thrilling than the last. Most nights, she would willingly recount these stories to Sero. Stories of harpies, giants and sea monsters great and small, and all the treasure they had protected. Jewel encrusted jellyfish, sheep with coats made of golden wool, fruit that was sweeter than the largest of cakes. Wonderful stories of adventure and excitement but all a lifetime ago.
When Sero asked her why she had given it up, she had fixed him with a fond look and an uncharacteristically soft smile.
“There’s only one thing that could tame this spirit, lad. Love.” Her tone is laced with uncharacteristic fondness.
She glances out the window as she speaks. A plump middle-aged woman is wrestling with a wicker basket across the street. Each time she grabs at the basket it wobbles, threatening to tip its contents onto the cobblestones.
Sero wrinkles his nose, shoulders drooping at the disappointingly mundane answer. “Love? I’d never give up adventuring for love!”
She laughs and tweaks his nose gently. “Spoken like someone who’s never experienced it. But just you wait, one day you’ll meet someone who’ll change that. Someone you’d give up anything for. Besides, I haven’t given up adventuring, just got a new kind of adventure now.”
“What kind?” Asks the boy, perking up a little.
“Living life to the fullest my boy! Even on land.” She throws her arms open wide, indicating the raucous surroundings.
“Pft. That’s lame.” He snorts.
She swats at him gently, and he twists to avoid her hand, hopping from the table as he does so.
“Ah, believe me, there will come a time when you too, fall in love. And it will light your soul on fire and fill you with a satisfaction adventuring never could.” She promises.
“No way, I’m never gonna fall in love. I’m gonna be an adventurer forever!” The boy declares, fist thrusting firmly into the air.
To his annoyance, this only seems to amuse her further, as she downs the last of her drink, and departs the table, with a swish of her elaborate tailcoat and a knowing wink to the child.
Her steps are firm as she threads her way through the crowded tavern to the door. She is easy to spot, the vivid red of her coat stark against the dark jackets of the other patrons. As she steps out into the street, she makes her way towards the woman with the basket, who is still wrestling with it unsuccessfully.
Bending her knee, she easily lifts the basket, muscles flexing prettily under the moonlight. Camille lets out a loud snort as the woman flushes red, and wraps her spare arm around the woman’s waist.
Tiredly the shorter woman rests her head against the former pirate's shoulder, slipping her own arm around Camille’s waist. She leans up to plant a sweet kiss on the taller woman’s jaw murmuring her thanks softly, before snuggling further into her side.
Feeling a pair of eyes boring into her back, Camille cast a backwards glance towards the tavern, briefly meeting a pair of bright eyes and a mess of black hair, before they ducked out of sight below the windowsill, only to reappear a moment later in a half baked attempt at stealth.
She smirks mischievously, as she tilts her lover’s chin up to look at her gently. Calloused fingers caress the soft skin of her partner, before she closes the distance, kissing her passionately.
The kiss is short and tender, enough to disgust the nosy child, but not enough to attract any attention.
Anyone else watching the pair would have seen the obvious affection between the parties, as the two began to amble towards their home.
For a child of Sero’s age, however, he could only see the tragic end to a lifetime of adventure.
***************
Later that night, Sero lay awake. He was tucked in his small bed, soft white sheets cuddled around him. It was soft enough, for a bed belonging to a tavern, though the wooden frame would creak under his weight when he shifted.
Frustrated, the boy lay on his back and huffed loudly. He couldn’t manage to sleep. Through his open window, he could hear the slamming of tankards, the screech of chairs and the rumbling of deep laughter and off-key singing.
He could also practically smell the ocean, only a short stroll from his room, even for a small child's legs.
Rolling from beneath his covers, he flopped onto the floor with a soft thud. Standing up, he headed over to his small window.
It was close-set to the ground, away from the front of the tavern and the street it was located upon.
Sliding his legs out the window he dangled loosely for a second before his feet made contact with the paving outside. It was cold against his bare feet, as he hauled the rest of his body awkwardly out the window.
The sound of a door opening made the boy freeze, irrational fear that it might be his parents checking up on him, even though they never left the front when the bar was open.
The door slams and a conversation picks up outside. Sounds like drunks arguing. Ugh.
Sero picked himself up and headed hurriedly in the direction of the beach. His feet making a soft slapping noise against the paving. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair, carrying the smell of the sea and fish to his nose.
The beach is a small cove on this side of the island. Soft white sands stretch for miles, and the waves are deep blue and seem to reflect the stars back at themselves.
Small scarlet crabs stir the sand as they scuttle across the coastline and aqua starfish stud the large grey rocks that cluster near the docks. A couple of wooden fishing boats bob gently in the harbour, abandoned by their owners for the night.
He steps onto the beach, and the breeze sweeps particles of sand across the beach, causing the whole surface to shift like some giant entity is breathing gently below the surface.
Buried in the sand were the occasional chunks of sea glass, glimmering slightly under the soft glow of the moon, like delicate jewels.
But it wasn’t any of this that had drawn the young boy to the beach. Looking back, he might tell you it was a strong pull of fate in the pit of his stomach, an unavoidable sense of destiny, that he needed to be here right now, on this night.
However, right now, he was searching for the largest shell he could find on the beach. He had bet his friends he could find one that would put them all to shame. Of course, Bakugo was never one to back down from a challenge and Sero was concerned the fiery blond might stand a chance at beating him.
Spotting a sizable contender, the boy bent and scraped some of the sand from its sides to free it from the sandbed. He tugged at it, but it refused to move.
Grumbling, he scraped more sand from the sides of the shell and gave it a small wiggle to loosen it. He tugged it again, with more force, and on the second tug, it was released with a satisfying squelch. Unfortunately, he had overestimated the force he would need to free the shell, and was sent tumbling backwards into the waves, landing heavily on his behind in the shallows of the sea.
Water-soaked his trousers and shirt instantly as the waves lapped at him. The sand was washed over him and clung to his form as he struggled to stand, irritatedly grumbling to himself.
“Stupid shell…”
He lifted it into his hands to examine. It was large and spiral-like, covered in sand and pearlescent and reflective inside.
Suddenly a loud gurgling and a crash sounded through the quiet cove, and a rush of water was forced up the beach, soaking Sero from head to toe, and knocking him back over into the shallows and knocking the shell from his hands.
Saltwater burned his eyes and his vision blurred. He coughed and spluttered, forcing the saltwater from his lungs. Through his blurry eyes, he could make out the silhouette of something large emerging from the water a few feet away. He began to wipe hastily at his eyes with his drenched shirt sleeves, backing up into the sand.
When his vision finally cleared, what he saw rooted him to the spot in shock.
Rearing out of the water was a creature. A creature Sero had never seen before. Around three feet of it appeared to be neck, and it was covered with thick scales, like armour, protecting its nostrils, eyes and ears. Its head was flat like a serpent but raised in certain places by fragments or horn or scale to give it a reptilian appearance. Water dripped from its back in rivets, and seaweed clung to its rough scales. It swayed back and forth, shedding some of the seaweed from its back.
His instincts screamed danger, as he scrambled backwards in the waves, desperate to stay out of striking distance from the monster. Luckily, it seemed the beast's focus was on something else, wriggling desperately within its jaws.
Pinned between the serpent's teeth was a squirming...fish...person? Whatever- whoever they were, it was clear even to him that they were in a serious amount of pain.
Hisses and cries were drawn from their throat as they struggled against their captor.
The creature’s teeth pierce the flesh of the figure’s tail, sinking deeper as they thrashed, the beast tightening its jaws, and drawing dark blood which oozed around their scales before dropping into the ocean.
Sero stared, paralysed as the person continued to thrash, fighting to get some purchase on the creature’s face, to lever the mouth open and free their tail. However, this merely prompted the serpent to bite down harder, dragging a pained shriek from its victim.
The figure continued to flail, managing to twist their body so they were facing Sero. Even upside down, their eyes connected. Their eyes were blown wide in fear and pain, begging him for help, to do something.
Something, deep in their gaze spurs him into action, and without thinking about it, he flings the shell he had been holding as hard as he could at the beast’s head.
It sailed through the air, straight and true, and connected with the serpent's head with a resounding crack, splintering into shrapnel upon impact.
The beast roared in pain, and the figure was able to free their tail from its mouth, sending them tumbling gracelessly with a large splash, into the surf below.
Their tail is the only part of them visible beneath the water. It lies still for a second, as though dazed, before it darts off into the depths, away from the monster.
Flailing wildly, the serpent reeled back, its yellow eyes lolled horrifyingly in its head, as it searched for the source of the projectile.
Slowly, it focused on Sero, paralysed with fear in the wet sand below.
Yellow eyes bore into him, fixing him to the spot, pupils narrowed to slits in its head. The beast recoiled into an S formation, as the serpent prepared to strike. Sero scrambled backwards in the sand, frantically searching for something to defend himself, but there was nothing.
All the boy could do was watch in horror as the beast's head lunged towards him at a frightening speed. His vision was filled by tongue and teeth as the beast struck the sand next to him before pulling back, throwing him in the air and sending him tumbling down the beach.
He hit the sand hard, sprawling on his back and all the air was knocked out of him with a resounding grunt.
He had been frozen in place, there was no way the creature had missed him. Unless...
It was toying with him.
The serpent turned to him and grinned a raggedy razor-toothed smile full of menace at him. It prepared to strike again, barely having to move to be back in striking distance.
His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs were shaking so hard, he doubts he could stand, let alone run.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Sero waited in anticipation for the beast to lunge again, as he blinks the burning tears from his eyes.
But it never did.
A figure leapt from the water, the same one, he realises, that had been gripped between the serpent's teeth moments before. They sail through the air, before landing on the serpent's neck.
Something was grasped within their hand, as they raised it high and stabbed it into the creature’s neck with all the force their small form could muster. Dark liquid oozed from the point of impact, and the beast hissed horribly in pain. The small merperson continued to slash at the neck, trying to find small weak points in the armoured beast.
The serpent began to thrash, attempting to dislodge the assailant from its neck, but they lodged the object deep into the flesh and hung on tightly.
The serpent thrashed harder, swaying violently from side to side. Eventually, the object loosens and dislodges the object and the merperson from its neck, and throws them clear, towards the beach and Sero, where they landed with a dull splat on the wet sand.
The beast was still hissing in pain, like a furious snake. It turned its attention back to Sero, who had managed to struggle to his feet, prepared to attack if necessary.
The beast regarded him, then the prone form of the merperson. Then, deeming them too much work to be an easy meal, it turned and fled from the cove, disappearing beneath the dark surface.
As soon as he was sure the beast had gone, Sero collapsed back into the shallows, as his legs gave way, breathing shakily, heart hammering in his chest as tears spilled over. He stared up at the stars until they blurred beyond recognition, and hot tears began to flow, mixing with the seawater on his face.
He felt the gritty texture of the sand beneath his head, as he took deep, shuddering breaths, trying to comprehend exactly what had just happened.
Slowly, his breathing steadied and his heart slowed. His chest stopped heaving and he realised there was a loud slapping sound, not unlike a fish flopping on a deck when it had just been caught. He turned his attention to the source of the sound.
The merperson was laid a few feet away in the wet sand, repeatedly flicking their muscular tail in an attempt to flip themselves towards the water. Their arms attempted to drag themselves towards the tide, making painfully slow progress. Though he suspected they would be able to reach the water eventually, it probably wouldn't be before the fishermen came to start their morning's work.
Sero scrambled to his feet, hurrying towards his saviour, water licking at his calves as he waded through the deeper water towards them.
“Here, let me help.” He spoke softly, extending an arm towards them slowly. They recoiled slightly, eyeing him warily.
He knew he should probably feel some kind of apprehension or fear himself, after all, he had just seen this person attack a sea serpent with enough vigour to drive it off.
But, something about their face, the way their eyes flicked nervously between himself and the ocean, and the splat they had made on impact with the sand had eased his fear.
They were young, around his age he suspected. Their tail shone slightly under the moonlight, covered in dried blood where the serpent’s teeth had ripped into it. It was about twice the length of their torso, and fanned out into a delicate-looking fin, though the tail was anything but delicate. Composed of considerable muscle, it could probably propel them through the water at considerable speeds. Sero shivered, trying not to think how fast the serpent must be able to swim to catch them.
They tightened their grip on something in their hand, presumably the weapon they had used earlier as if preparing to defend themself.
They met his eyes slowly, and he gave them a soft smile, hands upturned in front of him. They relaxed slightly, and released the object into the water, sending up a small cloud of sand, like a tiny jellyfish.
“I won’t hurt you, I promise.” The boy attempted to reassure them.
They swallowed nervously and accepted his hand slowly. Their hands slid down his arm, grabbing just past his forearm, and Sero tugged them carefully, as they wriggled, attempting to dislodge themself from the beach.
Pulling them towards him, Sero wrapped his arms carefully around their torso, avoiding brushing their injured tail. They were colder than a human would be, he noted.
He began to tug, pulling them backward into the sea with all his tiny might. They winced as the saltwater licked over the wounds on their tail.
“Oh, you’re injured. Should I stop?” Sero asked. He didn't know much about treating injuries though, so if they needed urgent help...
They shook their head in response, flinging droplets of saltwater across his chest and Sero idly wondered whether they could talk at all. They clearly understood him, even if they couldn’t.
“Okay.” Sero resumed tugging their form further into the surf.
It took a long time, and the progress was slow. Sero wasn’t particularly strong for a child of his age, and the merperson’s fishtail was heavy and dragged awkwardly on the sand.
Eventually, they were able to get far enough into the water and Sero gently released his grip on them. They kicked their tail experimentally a few times. Each flick of their tail took them further from his arms, and soon they were circling him freely, seemingly unimpeded by their injury.
As for Sero, he was chest-deep in the water by this point. Had they gone any deeper, he might have struggled to keep his balance on the shifting seafloor, sand giving way with every step.
Splashing happily in the water, the merperson seemed to have forgotten their wounded tail entirely. They moved through the water swiftly and efficiently, circling around him.
The sight was enough to make him smile, relaxing and laying back to float freely in the water, enjoying the coolness lapping at his skin.
It was a peaceful moment, undisturbed by noise other than the water and-
Splash.
A large spray of water hit him square in the chest, pushing him towards the shore.
Blinking in surprise, Sero lifted his dripping locks from his face to realise the source of the splash had been a playful move on the part of the merperson who was giggling nearby.
He narrowed his eyes at them and they returned his frown with a cheeky smirk and a second splash.
Sero gasped in shock as the second wave drenched his hair again.
Shaking his dripping locks from his face, he shot them an almost evil smile.
“Oh, it’s on.” Sero grinned, hitting his own wave of water towards them. They let out a squeal and dove beneath the water to avoid his splash, disappearing from sight.
Scanning the depths, amongst the disturbed sand Sero searched for the flash of colour to give away their location.
But it seemed they had completely disappeared. The sand had settled, and he still couldn’t spot the telltale glimmer of moonlight on scales.
It was only a second later when he found himself being shoved beneath the waves, water shooting up his nose, that he realised they had popped up behind him.
Almost as quickly as he was dunked under, he was hoisted back above the water by arms stronger than his own. Water dripped down his face, and he coughed salt water from his lungs. As he spluttered, he shot the culprit an annoyed glare.
They seemed unperturbed and merely giggled at him again, puffing out their cheeks like a fish.
“Alright, alright, you win,” Sero grumbled, removing a piece of seaweed from behind his ear.
They grinned triumphantly at him, waving their tail at him victoriously.
Rolling his eyes, he returned their grin with his own signature smile.
A soft warmth seemed to envelop them. The moment seemed to stretch on for hours, and Sero wondered idly if this warm feeling was the merperson’s doing, before a casual glance at the sky revealed it was almost daybreak, and the heat was the sun beginning to rise in the sky.
Both children looked at the sky in horror as the water started to turn a light purple under the reddish-pink sky, before giving each other a similar look of mild fear, that only children out past their bedtimes can share.
The merperson looked out into the deeper sea, then back to Sero.
“Do you have to go?” He asked.
They nodded reluctantly, swimming closer to him. The two stared at each other for a moment before they dipped their head towards him.
“Thank you.” They uttered quietly, so quietly Sero almost missed it over the sound of the water as they flicked their tail and disappeared into the dark depths, and the open ocean.
Sero stared at the spot where they had disappeared for a moment, the feeling of the cold water suddenly more prominent than it had seemed in the moments before. Disappointment and irritation flooded through him, as he realised he would likely never see them again.
He had wanted to ask them questions, their name, what being a merperson was like…
Were there more of them?
What else lived out there?
Ripping his gaze from the dark water, he began to head back to shore, thankful that he was a fairly strong swimmer. Fatigue from the nights had begun to settle into his muscles, making it difficult to swim, despite the calm water. As he made his way back, something small floating on the top of the water caught his attention.
Cupping the water in both hands, he managed to capture the small object. Inspecting it closely, he realised it was one of the merperson’s scales, which must have been dislodged during the attack.
It was smaller and thinner than those of the sea serpent, which seemed to serve more as armour for the beast. Plenty of these heavier scales littered the water's surface nearby. They were thick and pointed, with a strange ridged pattern to them. The merperson’s scale was smaller and more rounded in comparison, only slightly pointed at one end, like a teardrop. A small spot of dried blood could be seen towards the base of the scale.
Pocketing the scale, Sero continued to make his way towards the shore, only pausing for a moment at the edge to scour the shoreline for the object the merperson that had been holding and dropped nearby.
He found it, not more than a few feet away. It was a tooth, about the size of his fist. It was shiny and smooth, like a shark's tooth, but more jagged and elongated, designed to puncture and rip through flesh with terrifying ease.
Shivering slightly, at how close those very teeth had been to him Sero added the tooth to his pocket and dragged himself from the shallows, water dripping from him and pooling at his feet.
Then, the boy began his trek home, clothes heavy and wet, feet squelching against the wet paving stones and exhaustion finally settling upon him after the adrenaline of the night’s activities faded from his small body, and the early morning breeze began to chill the child’s wet skin.
It was only a short walk, birds chirping in the early morning sunlight as he clambered back through the open window of his home.
He padded quietly past his parent's room, into his own. Removing the items from his pocket, he placed them carefully on the table nearby. Then he shed his sodden clothes and chucked them into a pile in the corner before sliding into his bed. The sheets were warm and dry, and before long the child was asleep, dreaming of merpeople and ocean adventures.
The events of the night had only added fuel to a burning fire in the pit of his stomach. A desire for adventure that would determine his future now burned brightly
inside him.