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A storm was not the thing Grian expected to end up killing him.
Really, it was a lot more likely the pirates that had kidnapped him were gonna be his end.
But even below deck, in the brig of the ship, he could tell the storm outside was a nasty one. Anyone in their right mind would be saying their prayers right now. He could hear the footsteps above him, rapid and heavy compared to the harsh rain that pounded the deck. Even the pirate who had been tasked to guard him had run up with everyone else. All hands on deck, as they would say.
Grian wasn’t even sure how he had ended up in this mess in the first place. He was just a simple fisherman. And he hadn’t thought his prices were too steep but the pirates had begged to differ and tried to steal from him. Of course Grian was going to defend himself and his stock. Although, in hindsight, fighting back against pirates probably hadn’t been the smartest move.
Okay, so maybe he did know how he ended up in this mess.
A harsh jerk of the ship caused Grian to slide across the ground and hit the wall with a loud thud. He winced at the pain in his arm. With his hands tied behind his back, he was unable to reach out and stop that from happening.
He heard more yelling from above but with the sound of the storm it was hard to tell exactly what they were saying. He pressed his face against the wood of the wall and closed his eyes tight. He supposed he was just grateful it was the storm that would take him out and not the pirates themselves.
His eyes opened wide as he suddenly heard the voices upstairs start screaming . Even despite the storm and everything, the pirates had never sounded so afraid . It put Grian on edge, his nerves tense as he wondered what was happening up there.
And then, before Grian could fully process it, a sudden large weight slammed into the ship. No, not just slammed against it. The weight went through the ship, right in front of Grian, right down the middle and breaking the pirate ship in half.
The storm and ocean rushed to meet Grian all at once and Grian was helpless as he was swept away alongside the rest of the pirates and the wreckage of the ship. The waves tossed him around, slamming into him hard and fast. He was unable to reach the surface, unable to gasp for the air he desperately needed. His hands were still tied too and without the use of his arms his kicking feet were all but useless.
He sunk further, his lungs reaching their limit. The salt water hit his eyes, making them sting. But he ignored it because through the water, he made out the ship. Or what was left of it. All but planks remained, floating and sinking all around him and mingling with the bodies of the pirates. Most seemed to be dead already.
Grian couldn’t hold it in anymore and he let out a gasp. The water poured into his lungs and he thrashed about, wanting desperately to claw at his throat. His energy was quickly drained though, and his head became light as he breathed in more and more water. His eyes slowly drifted shut and everything went dark.
Grian woke up with a gasp and a cough, sitting up and leaning over his side to cough up whatever water was left in his lungs. He took deep breaths, trying to get as much air as possible. He gripped the warm sand beneath him and then, as the coughing and his need to breath subsided, he simply laid there for a few, peaceful moments.
His eyes opened again, slower this time. The sun was high above him, shining down with not a cloud in the sky. It was a sharp contrast to the storm he had been stuck in just a moment ago.
Or, maybe not just a moment ago. How long had it been? How was he even alive ? He swore the last thing he remembered was giving into the ocean and drowning .
Grian sat up, taking in his surroundings. He seemed to be on a small island in the middle of the ocean. He looked toward the horizon line and there seemed to be other small islands surrounding him but no sign of the mainland anywhere.
There was also no sign of anyone else. No ship debris, no other bodies even. Just him, all alone.
But then he took a look right next to him and noticed the rope that had been tied around his hands. Just now realizing his hand were free, he rubbed his wrists earnestly, having quiet the rope burn on them. Had the rope finally unknotted while he had been in the water?
But no, upon closer inspection, the rope had been cut . There was a very clear line through the center of the rope, leading to two separate pieces as he managed to untangle them. But if the rope had been cut, and so cleanly too, then that meant…
“H-Hello?” Grian tried to speak but his voice sounded harsh even to his own ears. It had been nothing more than a whisper despite his attempt to shout and so he cleared his throat and tried again. “Hello!” This time his voice sounded more normal. He stood up, keeping the rope in hand and looked around for any clue as to who might have saved him.
Grian whipped around toward the shore as suddenly, a large being started to rise from it. He made out red and then a pale color as it lifted higher and higher above him. Grian backed away, processing that the red was curly hair and the pale color was skin .
It was a giant woman. But no, that wasn’t all. The dark blue scales that lined her face, the gills around her neck, the fins coming out of her head…
He was in the presence of a giant mer.
“Oh, you’re awake!” The giant mer exclaimed, a smile on her face. Grian gulped nervously, wondering what was going to happen. He heard stories of giant mers. Horror stories. Stories of them eating any human they came across and of killing anyone foolish enough to go into their territory. Was he next?
As Grian was silently freaking out, she leaned down closer, placing her arms in the sand in order to do so. Grian yelped, backing up even more but it was useless to run. The island wasn’t that big and the giant mer could probably reach him no matter where he went on it. “Are you alright?” She spoke again and Grian paused in his panic, confused.
“Wh-What?” He stammered out, looking into the large green eyes. The mer tilted her head.
“I asked if you were alright. I think you took in a lot of water when you were sinking.” She said and then her head leaned down even closer, right in Grian’s personal space. Grian was frozen in the spot, trying not to move less the mer jump and eat him in one bite. “You seem to be breathing alright…” She said with a hum, more to herself.
“I…Why do you care?” Grian asked, the question coming out a little more harsh than he had wanted. He winced at his own tone but the mer didn’t seem angry at it. Instead, her eyes softened.
“Sorry. I guess I am a bit scary, huh?” She said with a little giggle. A bit was an understatement but Grian kept his mouth shut. “I just want to make sure I didn’t hurt you when I smashed that ship. I didn’t realize you were in there.”
Grian blinked. “You…were the one who broke the ship?”
The mer nodded, now looking a little frustrated as she looked back out towards the water. “They were in my territory. I would have just let the storm handle them but they seemed like they were fighting it well.” She hummed a bit. “I almost admire them for being able to do that. That storm was no joke. But I still couldn’t let them get away, so I smashed their ship to pieces.”
Grian vaguely remembers a large weight slamming through the boat. Now he knew what it was.
“Why didn’t you let me die then, with the rest of them?” Grian asked, more confused than anything now. Did she just want a snack for later? But then, why did she seem to care about how he was feeling? Or if he was hurt? Things weren’t adding up.
Her frustration slipped away and went soft again. “Why would I do that? I could tell from the way you were tied up that you were there against your will. It wasn’t your fault you were taken into my territory. So when I saw you, I grabbed you and took you here.” She explained. Grian bit his lip and found himself stepping a bit closer.
“So…you aren’t going to eat me?” Grian had to ask, just to make sure.
The mer’s eyes went wide. “Of course not!” She shook her head and then huffed. “I don’t know what kind of things are said about mers but I don’t make it a habit to eat other sapient beings. Kill them, sure. But I think eating them is taking it a bit too far.”
Grian nodded in agreement and finally let himself relax a little. It seemed the giant mer really had saved him, not as a snack for later, but because she knew he wasn’t a part of the pirates crew.
“Well then, thank you for saving me.” Grian said with a slight cough, looking away from the giant eyes. The mer grinned in return.
“Of course!” Something large splashed the water behind her and Grian jumped at the suddenness of it. He looked behind the mer, to see a giant tail, the same shade as the scales on the mer’s face, moving up and down in the water. “I’m Gem, by the way.”
Grian returned the smile, finally believing that he was safe. “I’m Grian.” He paused for a moment. “So…what happens now?”
Gem bit her lip, making her sharp fangs abundantly clear. Grian tried not to be scared by them. “Well, it’s up to you really. But I can’t leave my territory without making some other mers really unhappy. Or get close enough to the mainland to take you back home.”
That sounded a lot like he was stuck here. He said as much out loud. “So I’m stuck here?”
“Oh no, there are other ways! Like, I could help you make a boat in order to get yourself back to the mainland.” Gem suggested. “There are a lot of spare parts floating around in my waters from all the ships I’ve destroyed.”
Grian thought about it but there really wasn’t much to think about. That was his best option. His only real option, it seemed like. So, he nodded. “That sounds like a plan then.” He had never built a ship before but hopefully, with Gem’s help, it wouldn’t be too difficult. “Should we get started?”
Gem grinned and nodded.
They got to work.