Chapter Text
Franziska kept her eyes on the surface of the water, the sound of ocean waves joining the song of the fishing flute.
Her father, Manfred von Karma, had woken her up early in the morning, telling her that she, at the age of 13, was old enough to learn how to catch mermaids. She was to be a great mermaid hunter like the rest of the great mermaid hunters that were the von Karmas before her. Franziska knew she wanted to be a mermaid hunter like her father when he took her with him on his boat for the first time, but even if she didn’t, what choice did she have? The weight of generational expectations weighed on her shoulders, of absolute perfection and a lasting legacy. Ever since the von Karmas moved to this country centuries ago, they’d established themselves as great mermaid hunters. Franziska couldn’t ruin that all because the sheer sentience in the mermaid’s eyes made her uneasy.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, kissing the world in a gentle warm glow. Franziska could feel the morning breeze on her skin and smell the scent of the sea in the air. It was too early for most people to be up, making the whole world seem still and sleeping. Later, everyone would wake up and go about their daily lives, but for now, all that was awake were her and her father and the vast open ocean. Before her was not just the sea, but an ocean of opportunities for her that she just needed to seize and learn to seize. She was ready, she’d been ready for years, and in a few years, she’d even be ready to do this on her own.
Today, Franziska was being taught how to fish. One couldn’t hunt mermaids without knowing how to fish in the first place. Franziska knew vaguely what to do, from watching her father hunt for fish and mermaids alike, but for the entire morning her father had been teaching her exactly what to do, giving precise instructions that she stored away in her mind. He taught her how to rig her harpoon, how to spot for fish—and hopefully soon, mermaids—and how to play siren drums and fishing flutes to lure mermaids and fish. He was playing the flute right now, an eerie almost melancholic song filling the air. With each passing note, more and more fish swam up to the surface, almost mesmerized by the magic song of the flute. Franziska was mesmerized too, watching the fish swimming with each other.
“I see them, Papa!” Franziska said, pointing to the fish that were practically skimming the surface. “There are so many of them.”
“Careful! You’ll scare them off!” Manfred scolded her. “Some days you only have one opportunity, so don’t squander that opportunity by such silly things as amazement.”
Franziska nodded.
“Look at them, Franziska.” Manfred said, picking up his harpoon. “You have to be patient, wait for the perfect moment to capture them once and for all. Once you see the opportunity to strike, you take it no matter what. If you don’t take it, it may be your last.”
Franziska jumped in surprise as her father suddenly lunged his harpoon into the water, piercing the flesh of the fish. It flailed in the water, but Manfred didn’t relent, holding on to the line tightly as he let the fish tire itself out, tossing the buoys into the water. Franziska knew better than to help her father, instead she watched him, took note of his technique, and wondered if she could do the same—though she knew that she could. Finally, the fish stopped fighting, and Manfred pulled the fish to their boat, using the gaff to help pull it into their boat. As
“There.” Manfred looked down at his handiwork, then looking up at his daughter. “Nothing but absolute perfection.”
“Of course, Papa.” Franziska said.
Manfred nodded, wordlessly handing her another harpoon.
Franziska took the harpoon in her hands, turning to the vast sea of crystal blue waters. She stared at the ocean, where fish still swam, seemingly oblivious to one of their own having been pierced and pulled to the boat. That was the fishing flute’s doing, putting the fish into a trance with its gentle melancholic fish song. They’d had the flute for generations, given to the first von Karma to hunt mermaids by a sorceress. Franziska’s grip tightened on the harpoon, it felt heavy in her hands, as though the weight of her predecessor’s scrutinizing gaze was on her.
She stared at the closest fish, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
It’s now or never.
Franziska threw the harpoon at the fish, piercing its flesh. She practically fought for her life as she tried to tire the fish in, remembering a few moments too late to toss the buoys into the water. This was harder than her father made it look, Franziska struggling to hold on. Finally, the fish stopped struggling, and Franziska pulled the line and the fish to their boat. She struggled to get the fish on deck with the gaff, but she finally managed. She grunted as she finally hoisted the fish on the boat, and her father was watching her with a sharp calculating eye. The fish wasn’t that big, at least not compared to the one her father captured, but it was still a fish.
“Hm, not bad I suppose.” Manfred said, he was done with dealing with the other fish, putting it in their ice box. “Come here, let me show you how to kill and bleed it.”
Franziska nodded, going over to her father. She watched and listened intently as her father explained what he was doing, stunning the fish and then killing it. It was a little gross to watch her father make precise incisions on the fish to bleed it, but it was a necessary part of the job. They’d gut it after it was done bleeding, her father told her.
Soon, she knew, she’d be ready to mermaid hunt all by herself.
⊱ ─── ⋅💙🐚💙⋅ ─── ⊰
Franziska was all alone on her father’s boat.
Her boat, she had to correct herself. She was only 20 when her father died, when he had left everything to her, telling her as he died that she had the weight of the von Karma legacy on her shoulders. She knew that, knew it the moment she first got on the boat when he first taught her, when she smelled the ocean in the air and felt the brisk breeze of the morning. The sun seemed bashful as it rose up in the sky, kissing the seascape horizon in its warm loving light. Dawn and dusk were the perfect times for mermaid hunting, her father told her. Just like fish, but they were smarter than fish. They were clever, evaded hunting much more than mere bluefin tuna. Franziska had to be vigilant, especially on her own.
The air felt emptier without her father, without him barking orders to her and telling her how she could improve. Being out at sea on her own, Franziska felt like a kid all over again, who marveled at the fish that swam up to the surface as her father played the fishing flute. She always thought she was ready to hunt for years, told everyone that she would be as great as every von Karma before her. But now that it was just her, with only her boat and her harpoons and her wits by her side, Franziska felt like a child lost in the dark night forests. It seemed that everything her father taught her was just out of reach, Franziska could graze it with her fingertips, remember it but never feeling like she actually did.
Focus, Franziska von Karma.
You can do this.
Franziska looked at her siren drum, one passed down from every generation of von Karmas. Her father had given it to her on her 18th birthday, and today would be the first time she used it…without her father. She sighed, picking up the drum and examining it. It was made by the same sorceress who made the fishing flute, though she’d recently had it fixed by the local sorceress Thalassa Gramarye when it was starting to rust. It was metal, with slits cut into it to perfectly mimic mermaid wails. The mermaid’s wail sounded so…ethereal, like the whisper of winter as snow began to cover the tops of spruce trees. It could put anyone, mermaid or human, into a trance. But it was part of the job.
Alright.
She took a deep breath.
She could do this.
Franziska started to hit the metal surface of the drum, just like her father taught her. A melancholic song began to fill the air, one that she knew very well. Just hearing the music of the siren drum filled her mind with thoughts of her father, teaching her how to hunt mermaids. He was never gentle, like her mother always reminded him to be when he took her for hunting. But he didn’t need to be gentle, she was resilient. He knew that, and the fact that he couldn’t scold her anymore almost brought tears to her eyes. Franziska buried those thoughts deep in her mind hoping they wouldn’t surface—at least, not while she was hunting—and kept her eye on the water’s moving surface.
Then, she saw a blur of purple in the water, and it surfaced.
A mermaid.
Franziska sprang into action when she saw the mermaid surface, grabbing her harpoon and pointing it at the mermaid. She carefully eyed the mermaid, waiting for the right moment to strike. The mermaid frolicked in the water, almost taunting her to take the first shot. Franziska had to be patient, just like how her father taught her. If she struck too early or too late, this could be the last opportunity for the day. As she gripped her harpoon tighter, the mermaid glanced at her from the water. Their eyes met, and Franziska was struck by how…sentient those eyes looked. Intelligence and surprise reflected in her black eyes like starlight sparkled against a night sky.
She hesitated a second too long.
With a great splash of water, the mermaid escaped. It all happened in a flash, and all that was left of the mermaid were bubbles that popped on the water’s surface. Franziska stared at the water’s surface for a moment, before she realized that she’d lost her chance. The mermaid was gone now, slipped from her hands even before she realized it did. One moment of hesitation, and it was gone.
“Son of a foolishly foolish fool!” Franziska cursed to herself.
The opportunity was right there! Why didn’t she take it?
Her father would have never made that mistake, he would’ve taken the opportunity by the throat and captured that mermaid with expert precision. Franziska cringed as she imagined how her father would scold her for such a simple mistake, and she should be scolded for it. One second of hesitation, that was all it took for the mermaid to escape, to slip from her grasp no matter how tight she held on to it. Franziska was mentally chiding herself as she sat down and rubbed her forehead, groaning. She hoped that this wasn’t her only chance for today. Her father always said to grab opportunity as soon as she saw it, it might be the last chance she had for today. She only hoped that wasn’t the case for today.
Franziska put down the harpoon and picked up the siren drum, and the von Karma sigil painted on the blue metal surface mocked her. She glanced at her right arm, where the von Karma sigil was on her skin. It was a birthmark, every von Karma was born with it, her father and his father and his father’s father and up until the first von Karma who came to this town. Her birthmark seemed to be mocking her too. It broadcasted to the world who she was, the legacy that she was to uphold for the rest of her life. She was a von Karma, even if right now, after her foolish mistake, she didn’t feel like one.
She sighed, closing her eyes.
Focus.
But no matter how much Franziska played the siren drum, filling the air with the melancholic wail of a mermaid, not a single one came to the surface. Not in the morning when sunrays said their first greetings to the world, not during midday where Franziska foolishly kept playing her drum instead of eating lunch—even though midday was the worst time to hunt for fish, and not during dusk as the sun began to dip below the horizon. She stayed at sea hours after the sun had gone down, playing her drum and staring at the water’s surface in search for a ripple in the water’s surface, a chance to catch a mermaid. Nothing, aside from fish there was nothing in the water.
Her father was right, sometimes…the first opportunity of the day was truly the last.
Even though she wanted to stay out at sea for even more hours, Franziska found herself getting tired. Even von Karmas had to sleep, it seemed. She sighed, putting away everything she needed for mermaid hunting and going over to start the motor of her boat. She took hold of the helm, taking one last look at the dark seas before she made her way back to shore.
⊱ ─── ⋅💙🐚💙⋅ ─── ⊰
The house felt emptier without her father.
Franziska needed to get used to it, she knew. Her father wasn’t there to wake her up in the ungodly hours of the morning, telling her to accompany him for mermaid hunting. They couldn’t eat breakfast together anymore, hardly talking and yet knowing that neither of them had to say anything to know that they loved each other. When Franziska went to the kitchen to make herself breakfast, she had to remind herself to not hope that her father was already up, eating and gentle chiding her for waking up so late—even though the sun was barely peeking from the horizon. She sat down by herself, making herself a ham sandwich and staring out at the window that overlooked the vibrant blue seas.
When Franziska’s mother was still alive, she was the one who talked the most during meals, asking Manfred how his day was and Franziska what she learned in school. Franziska noticed her father growing quieter with her mother gone, though he’d grunt a thank you when she offered to make him a cup of tea. He stared out at the sea more, apparently that was where he and her mother Frieda met. She stowed away on his and his father’s boat once, and when Manfred found her, Frieda laughed and said it was true love. On rare occasions, while he stared wistfully at the sea, he’d tell Franziska a story of him and her mother, then he’d shoo her away and tell her to get ready for bed. Franziska treasured those moments like the rarest pearls.
The morning was quiet, only the sounds of the waves lapping at the shore and the occasional seagull squawking filling the air. Franziska preferred it this way, she was still feeling rather sluggish from getting home so late last night. She’d go later in the evening, during the hours that the bright warm colors of the day made way for the dark cool hues of the night. That was the bperfect time for hunting mermaids, and she’d redeem herself easily, no more hesitating. Just as Franziska finished her sandwich, mentally debating if she should make another, she heard someone knock at the door.
Whoever could that be?
Franziska walked up to the door, seeing a familiar man grinning at her.
“Franny, there you are!” Gant said.
Damon Gant, he was the vice president of their town’s Mermaid Hunter’s Guild, though he was promoted to president after Manfred’s death. Gant and her father were great friends, Franziska remembered how Gant would be at the helm maneuvering the boat as Manfred fought to tire out a particularly stubborn mermaid. They actually were the ones who established the guild in the town, taking in anyone who hunted mermaids in the town. Franziska still remembered when she was initiated into the guild, the men and women grinning as they welcomed another von Karma who was destined for great things. But considering what happened yesterday, Franziska didn’t feel like it was true.
Ugh, stupid self-doubt. Von Karmas were not supposed to feel that.
She was supposed to be perfect.
Franziska kept her face neutral as she greeted. “Hello, Damon Gant.”
“How are you?” Gant asked, then adding before she could get a word in edgewise. “I heard that you had your first mermaid hunt yesterday…alone!” He then grinned. “I’m sure that you caught lots of mermaids!”
Franziska cringed. “I…didn’t.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“I…didn’t catch a single mermaid.” Franziska said, grimacing at how Gant frowned a little.
“Really, now? I’d think that a great von Karma would be able to catch a mermaid without her daddy’s help.” Gant said.
Franziska scowled. “Don’t mock me, Damon Gant.”
“Hahahaha! I’m just kidding, Franny!” Gant said with a jovial laugh, it just made Franziska scowl more. “Honestly, I’m not surprised. Your father just died, of course you’d be a little…out of it for a while.”
“He’s been dead for a couple of months now.” Franziska corrected. “As a von Karma, I should not let such foolish things such as grief affect me.”
“Of course, Franny.” Gant said, then asking. “May I come in?”
Franziska nodded, opening the door wider and watching as Gant went inside.
She made the two of them tea, earl gray with a squeeze of lemon juice and a spoonful of honey, just like how her father liked it. Gant visited them often when her father was alive, though lately he’d been busy once he was promoted as the president of the guild. Franziska had to say, it was…odd having Gant by himself and not talking to a very annoyed Manfred. Franziska handed Gant a mug of tea, watching him take a sip as she sat at the table.
“I gotta say, you’re better at making tea than Manny!” Gant said with a laugh.
“Thank you.” Franziska said, sipping her own tea.
“You know, I’m rather surprised you’re still here. I thought you’d be out at sea by now.”
“I’m going later.”
“Taking the morning off, eh?” Gant asked.
“I came back rather late last night, so yes.” Franziska replied.
“Ah! I remember when me and Manny came home late after hunting! We’d go to the guild and we’d have fun telling stories to each other. Man, he told the best stories.” Gant then grinned. “You should come with me to the guild one time, Franny! We’d love to have you.”
“No.” Franziska replied. “I’d rather not waste my time on such foolish things.”
“Ah, of course. The offer’s still there.” Gant said, and then he added. “I have to say, even though I expected you to be a little out of it, I didn’t expect you to not catch any mermaids.”
Franziska sighed. “Yes, I know.”
“When your mother died, dear old Manny used that grief to fuel him, not to hinder him. My, you should have seen how many mermaids he caught the first few months of your mother’s death!”
“I know.”
“Really, Franny. What would your father say? He’d be quite disappointed in you. Be glad he’s dead, otherwise you’d never hear the end of it.” Gant continued.
“I just hesitated.” Franziska tried. “That’s all it took…and I didn’t catch it.”
“Rookie mistake, I didn’t think you’d make those anymore.” Gant said.
“And I won’t make that same mistake again.” Franziska said, feeling the embers of resolve slowly start to spark to life. “I’ll catch a mermaid, for Papa, for the von Karma name.”
Gant grinned. “I know you will, Franny. You’re a von Karma!” He pointed to the birthmark on her arm. “That says so, and it says that you more than anyone are capable!”
Franziska glanced at her birthmark, the von Karma emblem. She could do this, she would do this.
For her father.
“I guess I should leave now.” Gant said, getting up. He patted Franziska on the shoulder. “Good luck capturing a mermaid, Franny.” He grinned widely, an unsaid warning in his voice as he said. “Don’t disappoint us.”
When Gant left, Franziska stayed in the dining room and continued to drink her tea. It was quiet again, but she preferred it that way. She stared out at the sea from the window, with waves lapping up at the rocky shores of the beach, making a soothing sound that was sure to lull even the most high-strung into a serene calmness. Out there was a sea of opportunities for her to grab by the throat with no mercy, just like her father.
This time, she wouldn’t hesitate.
This time, she’d be worthy of the von Karma name.
No matter what.
⊱ ─── ⋅💙🐚💙⋅ ─── ⊰
Franziska stared up at the sky, the sun making its journey to dip below the horizon.
So late into the afternoon, Franziska could feel the air go from warm to cooler and the sky go from bright to darker. In a few hours, it’d be evening, vast night skies with sparkling stars dotting the black velvet like trees in a forest. The sounds of the water lapping at the boat’s surface filled the air, a calming lullaby that helped to ease Franziska’s nerves. She couldn’t be nervous, she reminded herself as she looked out at the sea. The late afternoon sunlight danced on the evermoving surface of the ocean waters, a mesmerizing sight that would distract anyone, but not her, not Franziska. She had a reason, a goal, an obligation, to be here. And she was going to do it, no matter what.
She was out at sea, ready to catch a mermaid and prove once and for all that she was worthy of being a von Karma. No more hesitation or self-doubt or whatever was the foolish obstacle, she was a von Karma, and she was going to prove that. Franziska cringed as she remembered how she hesitated, let the mermaid get away, she wouldn’t let that happen again. Franziska stared out at the familiar sight of the sea, her determination as warm as the sunrays that were saying their last goodbyes as the sun made way for the dark night. She glanced at the siren drum, picking it up and setting it on her lap as she sat down.
Okay, ready.
Franziska began to play the siren drum, and again the ethereal sounds perfectly mimicking a mermaid’s wail filled the air. It wouldn’t be long before a mermaid—or multiple, hopefully—would surface and Franziska would finally have the chance to right her wrongs. She kept her eye on the water, searching for any ripples or signs of life. Patience was the key, her father always told her when she got impatient waiting for any mermaids while playing the siren drum. And then she saw it, a ripple in the water, a blur of purple. The very same mermaid that Franziska had encountered first, it was perfect. Franziska hurriedly put down her siren drum and grabbed her harpoon, keeping a cautious eye on the mermaid.
There, the perfect opportunity to strike.
Go!
Franziska shot her harpoon, almost cheering when she saw it pierce the flesh of the mermaid’s tail. It wasn’t over yet, though, Franziska keeping a firm hold on the line and tossing the buoys into the water to tire out the mermaid. She held on for dear life, trying not to lose the harpoon or let go. Mermaids were much tougher than fish, Franziska knew when she first tried to catch one, and then her father took over her when she got too tired. They fought for what felt like hours, and Franziska was grateful when she felt the mermaid tire she pulled the line, dragging it to her boat. With the help of her gaff, she got the mermaid on deck. Franziska caught her breath, unable to believe it.
She did it…
She captured a mermaid!
Replaying in her mind what her father taught her once she caught a mermaid, Franziska grabbed her ice pick and held it high, ready to strike the mermaid in the brain and kill it.
But she stopped at the sight of the mermaid beneath her, afraid.
The mermaid, it—she, for some reason Franziska wanted to correct herself, she—stared at her with wide and terrified eyes. She was beautiful, Franziska realized. Long and radiant black hair, tan skin, soft features on her terrified face, a shimmering practically opalescent purple tail that was bleeding where Franziska had pierced it with her harpoon. The mermaid was kissed by the setting sun, rays of light illuminating every beautiful feature of her face. She was more beautiful than any human that Franziska had ever seen. She shouldn’t have looked at her like that, with such intelligent and big eyes, black as the night sky that was coming and shimmering like the stars did against a deep black velvet.
Franziska shook that thought off. She should just get this over with, and make her predecessors and the guild and her father proud.
But she couldn’t.
She couldn’t.
“Why can’t I do it…?” Franziska murmured to herself. “Why?”
The mermaid kept a wary eye on Franziska, especially her ice pick. Franziska was lost in those eyes, as deep and velvety as the sky that was slowly darkening with cool blue hues. If they were on a human woman, Franziska would think that they were gorgeous enough to risk flirting with her. They’d laugh and talk about whatever caught their fancy, and then they’d kiss underneath the starlit skies. But those eyes were on a mermaid, on a breathtakingly gorgeous mermaid. Franziska couldn’t imagine killing such intelligent and beautiful eyes, eyes that looked at Franziska like she was her personal grim reaper.
She couldn’t do it.
She needed to set this mermaid free.
Franziska dropped the ice pick, which made a loud clang! sound as it hit the floor. The mermaid jumped at the sudden noise, her tail flailing in the wind. Franziska stared at her for a moment, at the harpoon that pierced her tail. Blood pooled on the surface of her boat’s floor. Any sorcerer would kill for mermaid’s blood, Franziska knew. They had healing qualities, allowing mermaids to heal remarkably quicker than humans. She needed to take that dart out though, and she needed to do it fast, all of her harpoons were enchanted to counteract the blood’s properties.
Crouching down, Franziska inched closer to the mermaid, who looked terrified. She grabbed the detachable metal dart of the harpoon, slowly trying to pull it out, she knew better than to yank it out.
The mermaid’s breath hitched and she hissed and pain, thrashing in Franziska’s grasp. It was utterly annoying.
“Stay still, fool.” Franziska said, trying not to tear too much flesh from the mermaid’s tail. The mermaid squirmed, and she glared at her. “Still.”
The mermaid was breathing heavily, but she nodded. She stayed still, warily watching as Franziska ripped a strip of fabric from her shirt and wrapped it around the entry point. That was all Franziska was doing for her, she was already patching up a mermaid, going against everything her father had ever taught her. She shook off the image of her disappointed father, tying the bandage around the mermaid’s tail and then standing up, pointing at the water.
“Go.” Franziska said.
The mermaid gave her a confused look.
“Go!” Franziska said, louder this time. “Before I change my mind, you fool!”
The mermaid glanced at the water, then at Franziska. A small smile made its way to her face, and dammit, it shouldn’t have been the most beautiful thing that Franziska had ever seen in her life.
“Thank you.” She said.
With a splash of water, the mermaid hopped into the water and swam away, Franziska keeping an eye on the blur of purple that slowly traveled away. She couldn’t believe what she’d done, she’d…let a mermaid go. And usually she’d be upset at herself for squandering the opportunity and she was sure to regret it only hours later, but right now? She…felt like she did the right thing.
Franziska went to the helm of the boat, going to shore and trying to forget how beautiful the mermaid’s eyes were.