All that Glitters

[DragonSong]

"Hmm..."

Quite abruptly, Morgana got to her feet and moved away from the table, crossing to stand before the Cook and the cabin boy. Moving slowly, as though she was approaching a wild animal that she didn't want to startle, she knelt to bring herself on the child's level and tilted her head at him curiously.

A hint of a smile curved at her lips, a real, genuine smile, nothing like the mysterious beckoning or wry smirks she had shown Kasim and the rest of his crew. Keeping her voice low and even, she murmured, "Hello, youngling."

It was not difficult to thread just the barest hint of magic into her voice-- not enough to bewitch or beguile, just enough to lower one's defenses, to plant the idea in their head that the person that voiced belonged to was safe.

[Paladienne]

Kasim shifted in his seat as Morgana abruptly rose, reacting to her sudden movement with a defensive move of his own. But when she didn't come flying toward him ready to tear out his throat, he blinked in confusion. It was a short-lived feeling as he saw her head toward Cook and the boy, but he was out of his seat in a heartbeat and a half step behind Morgana. When she stopped and knelt before the boy, Kasim froze, his hand going up to stop Cook from doing something stupid.

The boy paused in cutting the skin off his potato and lifted his head to look straight into Morgana's eyes. What was written there on the boy's face, even Kasim couldn't fathom. It looked as if the boy had seen the one thing in the world he desired most, and yet still couldn't trust that it was right there in front of him. The boy's head tilted up and back until Kasim found himself looking into those haunted, terrified eyes of the boy.

Kasim smiled, a gentle thing that was more encouraging than anything else, and dipped his head once in a nod. If Morgana had wanted to hurt the boy, she would have done so already, and there would have been nothing Kasim or Cook could do to stop her. But there was something about her demeanor, something about the way Morgana held herself to the boy's level, that made her seem less threatening than she really was.

Slowly, the boy's lips parted and he croaked out a greeting in a voice rusty from disuse. "Hello," his eyes darted toward Kasim again, who mouthed Morgana, "Mor... Morgana."

[DragonSong]

She smiled again, dark eyes glittering almost fondly. She tilted her head at the boy and asked evenly, "Do you like it here?"

Children were honest, when they could be. It seemed she had just inadvertently stumbled upon the perfect test of these sailors' character, and she wasn't going to pass the chance up.

[Paladienne]

The boy leaned back from Morgana, uncertain about her. To Kasim, he saw the boy's action for what it was - wariness born from betrayal by adults, and perhaps a little fear of the unknown creature in front of him - and he wondered if the kid was going to be fine talking with Morgana. He didn't want to interfere, knowing Morgana wouldn't hurt the child. The boy ducked his head and stared at the potato in his hands, his tiny fingers rubbing the skin of the tuber as if it could bring him some comfort.

Finally, the boy said, "Yeah."

There was a heartbeat of silence before the boy raised his head and looked at Morgana, offering her a small smile that showed missing teeth. "Yeah. I like it. I can eat whatever I want. I can sleep whenever I want. I'm too little for most stuff, but everyone teaches me. They don't yell at me when I wanna do something. At least..." he fell quiet and his cheeks stained pink, his eyes drifting to Kasim for a moment. "At least when I won't get hurt."

[DragonSong]

Morgana hummed softly in the back of her throat, the barest thread of magic once more working its way into the sound: meant to soothe, to calm and comfort.

"Good," she murmured, and reached out slowly, carefully, to smooth the boy's head back from his forehead. A bit startlingly perhaps, she leaned in to press a soft kiss to his forehead. Invisible to the human eye, a spark of magic jumped from her lips and sank beneath his skin-- poor protection, all things considered, but all that she could do for now.

At least if the child somehow fell overboard, he need not fear drowning, for a time.

Abruptly, the siren got to her feet again. With another small smile for the boy, she murmured, "Blessed be, little one," then turned and made her way back toward the upper deck, her swaying movements almost ethereal.

[Paladienne]

The boy flinched when she kissed his forehead, his eyes closing tight and his shoulders jumping up toward his ears. When she pulled away, the boy cracked open one eye and lifted his hand to rub at his forehead, uncertain of what just happened. Both Kasim and Cook stared at the boy, unsure of what they were expecting.

Then Kasim's attention was drawn to Morgana as she rose and flowed away from the small gathering, heading back to the upper deck. Kasim watched her sway, his lips curling into a slight frown. He let her go, turning back to the boy, who was looking up at him with a stricken look. Kasim moved to crouch in front of the boy and lifted his hand to lightly push back the boy's hair to reveal his forehead.

"Nope." Kasim said with a smile. "Nothing there. She didn't drool on you."

"But... people always drool when they kiss." the boy protested, still shocked. Out of the corner of his eye, Kasim saw Cook's lips twitch as he fought to keep from smiling. The boy touched his forehead in wonder.

"Apparently not all people," Kasim replied, rising. "What do you think of her?"

"She didn't drool. She's nice." The boy said, his tone a little subdued. He kicked his little feet, then picked up another potato and rolled it over in his hands. "Is she staying?"

"For the time being, I think so." Kasim winked at the boy. "Make sure dinner is something special for her, eh?"

The boy smiled shyly. "Okay."

Nodding, Kasim moved back to the table to grab their bowls and followed after Morgana. When he caught up to her, he offered her the bowl she'd been eating from. "I wasn't sure if you were still hungry, and I consider it an insult to eat in front of people if I'm the only one eating something."

[DragonSong]

Morgana glanced at Kasim for a moment, considering, then nodded and took the offered bowl. She wasn't actually hungry-- she'd had quite a large meal just before the captain had found her, after all-- but she didn't see the need to reject what was clearly an attempt to be polite or friendly out of hand.

Strange, that. Normally such a notion wouldn't bother her, but considering the current situation...perhaps she would do well to attempt to ingratiate herself to Kasim somewhat, even in the odd ways that humans did.

"Thank you." She nodded to him once before turning to continue on her way, gliding gracefully over the deck, adjusting easily to the pitch and rock of the ship beneath her feet as she moved toward the outer rail.

[Paladienne]

Kasim studied Morgana for a while, carefully spooning his meal into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. She was an enigma, certainly. A puzzle to figure out. A puzzle with teeth. And since Kasim didn't want to have his throat ripped out and his innards feasted upon, he knew he had to tread carefully around her.

"He's hoping you'll stay, you know," Kasim called after her, his eyes upon the glowing waters as he followed almost languidly behind her. "You're one of the only people who's ever been kind to him in his lifetime, the crew of this ship notwithstanding."

Kasim scraped his bowl clean, then lifted it to his mouth to lick up the remnants that his spoon couldn't quite reach. It was completely inappropriate and inhuman and impolite, but he didn't think Morgana would care. He knew better than to waste food, even if it didn't seem like it was wasting. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and offered Morgana an impish smile.

"Feel free to do whatever you want today. We'll be doing our own stuff, too."

Then he turned to head back belowdecks to return his bowl and spoon to the kitchen, reemerging onto the deck to head to the helm and take back over. The rest of the crew went about their day as usual - washing the deck, mending torn sails, coiling rope, and otherwise maintaining the ship - though they were always polite to Morgana when they came across her, and never once complained about her being in their way, whether she was or not.

[DragonSong]

Morgana inclined her head once, almost regally, in recognition of Kasim's words, but otherwise she offered no reaction.

He's hoping you'll stay.

Would she? For how long? She at least planned to see through this intrigue with Kasim's map and her pilfered amulet. Her fingers moved up to trace the edges of the pendant as she thought of it; it was oddly soothing, the repetitive motion of her fingers against the metal, feeling the way the silver warmed to her touch.

She meandered her way about the deck, easily sidestepping sailors as they went about their duties, though she would occasionally nod in response to their greetings. She eventually found herself on the bow of the ship, arms folded over the rail as she leaned out into the sea wind, eyes closed.

The sea was calling her. She had just over a day left before she needed to return, even briefly, but the pull of the water below was strong. She swayed just slightly over the rail, leaning out as far as she reasonably could without risking unintentionally plunging into the ocean.

[Paladienne]

Kasim, for his part, mostly ignored Morgana while she wandered the deck. The crew, taking the hint from their captain, gave her mostly a wide but respectable berth, treating her like an honored guest instead of a pest, which they considered their truly unwanted guest and made it quite clear when he came above deck and wandered around. They didn't do anything ostensibly evil to him, of course, but the crew kept their distance and Kasim, for his part, watched the merchant like a hawk.

They continued to sail for some time, with nothing but the sunlit sky above them and the azure sea gently rolling beneath and around them. The occasional breeze that blew over the deck brought the smell of saltwater, and Kasim closed his eyes and breathed deep of it. When he opened them, he stared out on the horizon, watching as the waves glittered in the sunlight, waiting for the call of land or something else equally interesting.

He looked down at the map and the lines he'd drawn on it, thanks to Morgana's pendant. Judging by where they were, even in this landmark-less expanse, Kasim figured they probably had another day or three before they were able to see anything resembling a destination. He would check the stars tonight, he decided, and make sure that they were still on the right course. It would be foolish to have come this far and not make sure they were on the proper course. They had limited supplies, after all. Even if they were able to fish for food as they traveled, they would still need fresh water, and for that, they needed to find an island or coastline that offered a river or spring.

He looked up from the map toward Morgana, watching her sway along the rail. She was leaning out quite far, but she seemed to have a steady hold of herself. He frowned, studying her. Perhaps they would drop anchor tonight. If they did, everyone could rest a little and Morgana could do whatever it was she needed to do.

[DragonSong]

The siren rather abruptly turned from the bow and made her way back around the edge of the deck, one hand resting lightly on the rail all the while as her eyes remained on the swells of water surrounding them.

What exactly was she doing here?

Morgana sighed and found her hand moving up to the pendant once again, fingertips tracing softly over the metal. Her face rather suddenly set in a frown and she turned to make her way back toward the captain.

"What will you do with it?" she asked sharply once she was within earshot of Kasim. "This treasure. You have said why you want it, but you have not said what will be done with it."

[Paladienne]

Kasim watched the siren approach, noting her stride and the seriousness with which she stepped. He admired her long strides, her confidence and the rigidness with which she held her body, and he could tell before she even reached him that she intended to speak with him. And that whatever it was that she wished to speak about was something serious, and he ought not joke with her, nor even try to give her a hint of a lie. She wanted a straightforward answer, and it would be worth Kasim's life if he didn't give her what she wanted.

Morgana had shown him that quick enough during their first meeting, and Kasim didn't think he'd read her wrong. Of course, he knew the old adage about assuming, and while he could be an ass on the best of days, he certainly didn't want those best days being his last days.

He lifted an eyebrow at her question. What did he want to do with the treasure? Why did he have to answer that? Wasn't it obvious? Hadn't the sailors she'd tempted into her lair to be her dinner regale her with stories of their great exploits? Hadn't she learned what humans do with treasures that they had obtained? Of course, she was asking him, and not anyone else, and what he wanted to do with the treasure was certainly far different from what anyone else would do with the treasure.

"Well," Kasim began, speaking slowly as he ordered his thoughts, "I supposed it depends on what the treasure is, exactly. Because it could be gold, silver, jewels, silk, a magical item, or any number of expensive and wondrous things. Or it could be just an old pot, or an oil lamp, or a batt of wool." He shrugged. "One man's treasure is another man's trash. It's all in how you look at it, I suppose. But no matter what it is, the treasure will be split equally between myself and my crew, and you, if you wish for a share, and even that bastard in all the finery. Then you can do whatever you want with it."

He caught himself then with a soft breath, and after a second's hesitation, continued, "As for me, my portion will go back into the ship." He reached out and patted the wheel. "It's expensive keeping her seaworthy. Barnacles have to be scraped off her hull, her sails need to be repaired, and sometimes planks need to be replaced. And any frayed ropes need to be replaced as well. If there's anything left over from that, then food, potable water, wine, beer. Staples that won't go bad on long journeys. And if I have anything left from that," Kasim trailed off, turning his head to look out over the dimpled water, watching it glitter in the light. "If I have anything left over, I give it away to those who need it more than myself."

[DragonSong]

"Mm." The siren looked away again. There was the barest hint of tension released from her shoulders--evidently she was satisfied with his answer. She didn't say anything else though, simply turned to rest her palms against the upper deck rail and leaned out slightly, as she had when she was standing at the bow.

"There is an awful lot of effort humans seem to exert in an effort to exist where they are not meant to be," she noted almost blithely into the sudden quiet. "Have you ever considered that perhaps your kind was simply not meant to live upon the sea?"

[Paladienne]

"It's been my experience that my kind," Kasim began, his voice as dry as the salted pork in the hold, "do a lot of things that they aren't "meant" to do."

He took a moment to consult the map, then made a slight adjustment to their course, glancing toward the sky as if to confirm that his slight adjustment was correct. Then he returned his attention to Morgana, studying her with dark eyes that held no light, no amusement, just a full serious expression. He wasn't angry with her, nor was he upset. But he knew that her words were spoken with a serious gravity, and he was respecting them as such.

"But then, if we all did what we were "meant" to do, the world would be a boring place, wouldn't it?" Kasim continued. "You and your sisters would never know what it was like to meet a human, to learn from them, to be with them. You wouldn't know anything about the land that begins at the shores of the oceans. People wouldn't live, learn, and grow. People would stagnate. And not just humans, but all the peoples that exist in this world, both above the water and below it."

He fell quiet for a moment, ordering his thoughts before he continued on to answer the question she had really asked. Finally, Kasim began speaking again, his words measured and careful. "As for whether or not I've ever considered that humans aren't supposed to live upon the sea, not really. I've grown up on the sea. She is as much my home as she is my parent. I may not understand all of her quirks, her moods, but I know when she's upset, when she's happy, when she's sad. I know when it's a good day to sail, when we should find a sheltered cove and drop anchor for a few hours or a few days. I respect her, and I know that if she so chooses, she could destroy me." He lifted his shoulders. "It isn't something I consciously think about, but I know what awaits me. I don't know when it'll come, and I prefer that, but that's what makes life worth living. The not knowing."

Kasim turned his eyes away from Morgana then, back onto the waves of the glittering sapphire waters. He smiled, some warmth returning to his eyes. "And whether I really do belong upon the sea or not doesn't really matter, does it?"

[DragonSong]

Morgana blinked at him. "Have I offended you?" she asked, rather blandly, as though she was simply observing. There was perhaps the barest flicker of interest behind her eyes however, slightly belying the even tone.

She looked away again. "I did not mean my words to be an insult to your species, bold one. If anything, I...am impressed," she admitted, almost reluctant, after a long moment. "It is a very...human trait, I suppose. To never be quite content unless you are turning the laws of our world inside out."

[Paladienne]

"Insult me?" Kasim shrugged. He didn't honestly know how to respond to her. Yes, he did feel insulted, but that was only his own emotions getting the better of him. He couldn't judge her by human standards for she wasn't human. "I guess, a little. But it's not like I can't understand where you're coming from. And for me to feel insulted by your words is a little foolish, I think."

He looked toward the wheel, studying the grains of wood along its polished surface. "Humans are... one of the most amazing and the most dangerous and most stupid species to exist. We're never satisfied with what we have and always want more, but when we get that more, we regret it. We never appreciate what we have until it's gone."

Kasim raised his eyes to the sky and smiled. "Maybe that's why I do what I do, I don't know. I rarely have reason to do much of anything, other than because I want to. So long as I'm alive, I can learn and grow and become something I wasn't yesterday."

Finally he looked at her, his smile still in place and finally reaching his eyes, making them light up as if there were an inner fire contained inside them. "Besides, life would be dreadfully boring if we all did what we were meant to do, don't you think?"

[DragonSong]

The siren stared at him in silence for several long moments-- so long, in fact, that it began to be unclear if she intended to respond at all.

When she did, it was perhaps the least expected response she could have given: "I think my sister would like speaking with you, bold one," she mused lightly, tilting her head at him like a curious bird of prey.

[Paladienne]

"Your sister, huh?" Kasim frowned slightly, studying Morgana for a minute. "You sure you wanna share, just like that?" He shook his head. "Well, whatever. Just so long as she doesn't decide to do... you know... anything untoward."

He returned to the wheel and reached to take hold of it. His fingers had just closed around one of the spokes when a sharp whistle rang out from the crow's nest. Kasim immediately jerked his head up, his gaze focusing on the young man in the basket atop the mast. The young man was leaning partway out of the basket, keeping his grip on the rim and saved from tumbling out only because of the rope tied tightly around his waist. His arm was pointing straight out toward the left, using his spyglass to indicate something behind their ship. Kasim felt his heart begin to pound, knowing there were few things that could have his lookout give a signal whistle. Rarely would anyone charged with lookout duty give a false alarm, so Kasim immediately had shifted to survival mode, his hand tightening on the wheel as he waited for the lookout's clarification.

"Captain!" the young man shouted, his voice causing everyone above deck to stop what they were doing and turn to face the crow's nest. "Colors of the port side!"

Kasim quickly spun about and searched the horizon in the direction his lookout was pointing, but he couldn't see anything for the longest time. But then he saw it, a silhouette far off to their left and gaining fast. Kasim twisted at the waist to grab his own spyglass, extending it quickly and putting it to his eye. Magnified, he saw the ship - a large galleon meant for battle, slow but efficient - quickly closing the distance between them, having gained the advantage by coming up on their blind side. He directed the spyglass toward the highest point on the largest mast of the ship, focusing on the colors flapping in the wind above the half-full sails. A large black flag snapped back and forth, folding onto itself and out again. Kasim was able to make out a white stylized skull and crossbones on the otherwise black field. The skull was wearing a tricorn hat and had fangs where its canines were supposed to be.

"Shit!"

Kasim didn't need to scan the deck of the galleon to know that it was full of men who were armed to teeth for a takeover. The flag flying proud told him everything he needed to know, mostly because he recognized it. While Kasim dabbled in piracy himself, he made a point of avoiding the territories and preferred prey of other pirates. He held true the Pirate's Code of Honor, and for that, most other pirates that sailed these seas left him alone. Others would make an exploratory pass by his smaller ship, causing Kasim to offer to pay tribute to the larger ship's captain to preserve the integrity of his own crew and his ship. But there were a few who didn't care. A few who were only out for themselves and had various shades of honor that were always skewed in their favor. And this was one of them. One Kasim had insulted before, but hadn't believed the man would take such offense as to attack him so blatantly.

Of course, he wasn't sure that his enemy knew who he was yet. There was one way to find out.

"Raise colors!" Kasim shouted, his voice booming out loud with authority. "I want those bastards to know we're not afraid of them!" He didn't bother to look to see if his orders were being followed. He knew they would be, the moment he shouted them. Within minutes his ship's flag, a dark blue trident on a grey field, was snapping in the wind above their heads. He lifted the spyglass again, focusing on the deck of the ship. "What are you going to do now, eh?"

His answer came when the sails unfurled to their full length, bowing out as they filled with the wind. He saw the shadows of cannons as they were pushed out portholes, and knew there was no escaping. They'd lost that chance before they'd even known they'd had it.

Kasim cursed again and snapped the spyglass closed, turning his attention to Morgana. His eyes burned with a strange fire, and his face seemed to lose its boyish charm, becoming dangerous.

"Morgana, I won't ask you to fight for us. And I won't hold it against you if you abandon ship to save yourself, either." Kasim's voice was hard, and held a razor sharp edge. "But if you stay, you might get involved in this, and this doesn't concern you."

Then his attention was off her and given to his crew. "All hands to stations! Full sail! Let's try to outrun these bastards!"

There was a raucous cheer from the men and women on the deck.

And a heartbeat later there was a flurry of activity as they armed themselves, pulled the long guns into place and began to load them, and sent the sails snapping out to full to catch the wind. Kasim spun the wheel to change course, using the wind and his smaller ship to advantage. Yet he knew, somehow, it wasn't going to make much of a difference.

And it didn't.

But his quick movement of changing his ship's course prevented that first cannonball from ripping a hole into the hull of his ship.

[DragonSong]

Morgana chuckled to herself at Kasim's response. "My sister is...unorthodox, for our kind," she murmured, the barest hint of something like a fond smile on her lips. "I highly doubt she would attempt to take what is mine. She's never had much backbone. No, bold one, I do truly think she would simply enjoy speaking with you..."

The words were barely out of her mouth when the whistle sounded from the crow's nest. The siren suddenly snapped to attention, feeling the hair stand up on the back of her neck.

She may be new to the workings of the ship, but she could sense approaching danger as well as any other creature of the hunt.

There was a flurry of movement and shouting, and try as she might she couldn't quite track it all, did not entirely understand what was happening. She did see the approaching ship, and her lips curled back in a silent snarl as the other vessel grew ever nearer.

Hunters.

Humans could call themselves "pirates" all they wanted, but she knew the difference.

She spared just a glance for Kasim when he warned her what was coming. Her eyes had gone flat and dark, that glimmer of starlight in their depths utterly hidden behind a shark's cold stare. Her hands braced against the rail of the upper deck, claws digging almost half an inch into the wood as a growl rose in her chest, her whole body leaning slightly toward the other ship as though subject to a magnetic pull.

Her mind was racing. She could... She could actually do something, but it was risky. Not to herself, of course, but to Kasim and his people.

To her surprise, that actually mattered to her. Just a bit.

"Kasim." She turned to face him, mouth drawn in a tight line. "Tell your crew to remember what they love. What the sea can never give them. Tell them to hold the thought tight-- or they may be lost."

She hesitated a moment, actually hesitated, then very abruptly wrapped her fingers around his upper arm and jerked him toward her, pressing his chest against hers and sealing her lips to his in a brief but fierce kiss.

That should be enough for now. Kasim and the cabin boy, at least, would be safe from the siren's song. For a time. If the captain did as she suggested, and the crew were strong enough of will, they should also be able to fight off the spell of her voice.

She supposed it would have to be enough.

Breaking away from Kasim, she smiled slightly and lifted a hand to cup his cheek, the touch surprisingly gentle considering what her sharp nails had just done to the railing. Then, without a word, she turned and sprinted to the side of the ship, shedding her borrowed clothes as she did.

With an easy grace that belied the sudden tension in her chest, she threw herself over the port rail, toward the approaching ship, and her body entered the water in a graceful arc with barely a splash to mark her passing.

[Paladienne]

When she said his name, Kasim was about to tell her to find somewhere better than on deck to stand if she wasn't going to get involved, but the words died in his throat as he felt her lips press against his. His brain fizzled to a stop as he felt her soft flesh against his own, her body pressed against his in all the right ways. He stared, wide-eyed, even as she pulled away from him and started toward the rail of the ship.

When his brain caught up to his eyes, Kasim started to shout for her to wait, but she was already gone by then, sliding smoothly into the water and vanishing beneath the rolling waves. Cursing, Kasim turned to his crew and quickly relayed the siren's orders. Then, he added a few of his own.

"Get those sails down and pray to the gods of the wind to give us some speed!" he shouted. "Tie yourselves to the rails, to the mast, to the cannons, and plug your ears with whatever you can!"

There were a few questions, but Kasim flung his hand in the air and cut them off midsentence. His crew quieted instantly, knowing their captain wouldn't shout out random orders just to please himself, and there had to be an explanation for it. So they obeyed, as fast as they could. Kasim took his own advice, tying himself to the post the wheel was on, and ripped fabric from the cuffs of his pants to stuff in his ears. He didn't know what Morgana was planning, or what she was going to do, but he wasn't going to ignore her warning.

Even with the cloth stuffed in his ears, Kasim still heard the cries of his crew and the distant boom of the cannon from the other ship, and he spun the wheel, trying avoid the cannonball roaring in for them. He managed to avoid it, but only glancing; the iron ball crashed into the railing near the fore of the ship but missed tearing a hole through the hull. Kasim cursed and looked toward the sails, seeing them filled with wind and stretched taut. But it wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough.

Kasim looked behind him to look for Morgana, to try and find where she was, but all he saw was the wake of his own ship, the wings of water flying from the front of the galleon, and the looming shadow of battle.