Spirits of the Earth

@Elf Lady Love

---

The waters of the sea remained undisturbed, a strange thing not only because of the plethora of ships humans seemed to constantly be adding to, but because there hadn't been a sighting since the break of dawn. Three sisters lounged on the sandy shore of a nameless island, soaking in the last of the light and warmth from a drowning sun. From the other side of the island, the pearly crescent had already risen well above the treetops, accompanied by the first few glistening lights which came without fail on every clear evening.

A brunette woman laid on the cooling sand, eyes closed with a faint smile on her face; a blonde laid on her front and propped herself on her elbows, feather-like fluke arched over her back; and the last woman sat with her tail completely submerged, her deep auburn hair draped over her right shoulder and fingers mindlessly twisting her long locks.

"Your turn, lovely," the blonde whispered in her smooth voice. The brunette opened her eyes and turned onto her side, as the redhead looked towards the horizon. As was expected, the black silhouette of a ship was surprisingly close to the rocky shore.

The brunette flicked her tail with a light giggle. "Foolish men," she cooed. "We didn't even need to go to them!"

"Shouldn't be much trouble," the redhead said almost tiredly. Raina Ambryl gave a short, devious smile to her sisters, then gracefully arched her back, disappearing instantly beneath the black water. She maneuvered easily through the treacherous waters, as she had done countless times before.

Her long hair glistened in the moonlight, deep blue eyes holding captive the few stars in the sky, as she effortlessly slid onto a low ledge of one of the taller stone formations. Giving one glance to her sisters on the now distant shore, Raina took a slow breath, releasing the same hypnotic melody (https://youtu.be/9y6NqH_JKDs) she had breathed upon the minds of so many sailors whose bones graced the sea floor.

The only curiosity which kept her singing her song was who would join her morbid collection this night?

Some people would call him mad for sailing out at sea alone, but Silas never understood their meaning of mad. Everyone is a little mad in their own right, and he was mad for adventure and discovery. Unfortunately, neither of those things had been found yet. It had been several days since he set sail on the blanketed seas, and although it had been a very peaceful trip, it was becoming a bit... boring.

Alone at sea and bored out of his wits. Because of course he was. His mind began to wonder.

Perhaps if he stayed behind with the rest of the crew he would be at a party right about now. Yes, a party full of food, laughter, and drink. Tipsy lips and lazy eyes as he met all sorts of interesting people. Maybe that would have been so, he thought. Or maybe he would have met a woman. A woman who wields a bow and arrow and rides horses, and he would spend all hours of the night trying to charm her with quick wit, poetry, and cheesy one-liners.

Well, a man could dream, and that sounded like a damn good one.

As he cast his gaze at the open waters before him, he began to hear something that just might turn his dull day around.

Just maybe.

"Is someone... singing?"

Well, this was an interesting turn of events - or rather, lack of one. The ship's course hadn't budged, and Raina actually took offense to that. Her song had worked without fail for over fifty years. Who did this crew think they were? Resisting her? That couldn't have been the case. Perhaps the men on board the vessel were simply hard of hearing, which seemed to be a shared thought, as her sisters glided up beside her. The same melody flowed from the lips of the femmes fatales, power enough to bring any human man to his knees in seconds.


Yet the ship kept her course.


It had now become personal to the three girls, especially to Raina whose pride had taken a decent hit. "Come, sisters," she whispered. The other girls, already mostly submerged in the water, disappeared into the depths. The last girl waited another moment before making a flawless dive into the still waters, her aqua-teal tail reflecting the red sun that had barely a sliver refusing to let go of the day.


The song they sang was only amplified under water, traveling undisturbed beneath the surface. The girls' bodies radiated the faintest blue glow in the water, making them visible when they were close to the ship. While the others simply were trying to draw the vessel back towards the rocks, Raina's curiosity was peaked. She had to see what kind of people had the power to listen to her song without succumbing.


Her auburn hair lifted from the sea with the gold and teal crown hiding her hairline and giving her regality on top of the mysterious allure. Raina's song kept flowing, a voice to match her supernatural beauty, as she swam beside the ship to discover the men immune to her spell.

The singing grew louder, and Silas couldn't help but feel a tug of his chest at the hymn. It was a beautiful song. Perhaps the most beautiful song he had ever heard, and something about it was just so haunting that it radiated a strange feeling inside of him that he couldn't describe. He felt like..

He felt like he was being hunted. The call for adventure was strong, but he didn't want to die either. He had heard the tales of brave young men lost at sea, never to be seen again with no proof of death or whereabouts of their body. They just vanished into thin air.

"Fuck this," he muttered under his breath, heading for the helm to turn the ship around.

Then he saw it, or rather, them. The blue lights swimming underneath the ocean surface, dancing and circling around his vessel with subtle purpose.

And then, he saw her.

Red hair and blue eyes peaking up at him from the the sea, and for a moment, time stood still. She was the most marvelous, most beautiful creature he had ever seen, leaving his eager, afraid, and mesmerized all at the same time.

"..Whoa.."

How was that possible? One man should not have been able to sail such a ship alone, which meant he must not have been destined for any true journey. Still, something about there not being a full crew soothed Raina's ego, as it meant only one fought her magic. That of course would not be excused, but at least it wasn't several people.

If she wasn't furious at his resistance, the mermaid might have even found him physically appealing...for a human.

Raina parted her lips ever so slightly, sending him the smallest smile and diving into the water again, not a single rogue droplet evident of any kind of disruption to the surface. She twirled slightly beneath the water, then emerged once more, gliding smoothly towards the ship.


She brought her left arm out of the water, fingers slender and skin kissed by moonlight. Raina smiled at him again, warmth and comfort emanating from her oceanic eyes. "Kiss me, my love," she whispered, as her sisters continued to sing. "Come to me..."

The song echoed across the waters, as though creating an entire world where a mermaid and her sailor were the only two beings in existence.

"Silas," she sang in the softest voice. "Come closer... Feel the warmth of my skin, Silas, like a night by the fire... Know the touch of a woman after so long at sea... What better feeling is there in the world? Experience safety and comfort with no worries of what troubles will befall you. Us, Silas."

Raina smiled, eyes reflecting the crescent moon. Her arm began to reach upward, beckoning him to touch her...

"An endless adventure," she whispered. "Come with me, Silas. Hold my hand, kiss me. Just us, until the end of time."

What a beauty.

The most beautiful thing about a woman, in what Silas believed, was her smile; and Gods, what a mesmerizing smile this one had. Looking at her for the briefest second, he caught her smile with his own, lips curling in pure enchantment as she slid back under the sea surface.

"Wait, don't go," he whispered, almost absently as he took a step forward and tried to follow her figure through the rippled waves before she returned back to the surface.

Her singing felt more like talking at that point, a well-versed discussion in attempts to get the man to throw caution to the wind and jump overboard to join her in the water. He was typically pretty well-versed himself, or at least he thought of himself as so, but at that moment no words were coming to his mind.

There was only curiosity burning in the back of his mind as he extended his own hand, getting just inches away from sliding his fingers into hers.

But he quickly withdrew, and then he throw her a cocky little smile. "That all sounds wonderful," he teased, "but I think I would have to buy you dinner first."

Raina's heart started racing, not out of love or desire, but instant fury. First, he had insulted her magic - intentionally or not was irrelevant. Now, he actually has the nerve to respond to her enchantments with sarcasm? Despicable!

Her deep blue eyes suddenly captured the glow that her body emitted under water, and her gentle smile disappeared. She put her arm down and backed away slightly. "I think you would be wise to save your coin, sailor," Raina said, her words laced in poison. "After all, you just might need a new ship."

The song suddenly stopped, and the other two mermaids shot past the redhead towards the beach they were lounging on originally. There was a sudden rumbling clap, echoing uninterrupted across the open waters. A smile returned to her face, though this time it wasn't seductive or gentle. She looked to the stars which rapidly vanished behind blackened clouds that seemed to roll in from nowhere.

Thrusting one hand forward, the mermaid sent a strong pulse through the water, easily enough to capsize his ship if it had been just a bit smaller. Raina released a light chuckle, beginning to retreat slowly towards the island without turning away from the scene she had just created. "If you had just come with me, Silas," she started, "we could've had eternity."

Two lightning strikes flashed in the black sky with thunder following barely a second after.

"Some may survive hearing a mermaid's voice, as that's how tales are passed on." Raina lifted her arms and clenched her fists, making the heavy clouds pour and winds start swirling. "There is a reason that you've not heard tales of a mermaid's wrath." She smirked, staring at him as the glow disappeared from her eyes. "Someone would've had to survive it."

Maybe this was just a bit too much for adventure.

Silas's heart raced from both fear and admiration as the beautiful creature just became an angry beautiful creature. "Hell, I'll build a ship," was his sarcastic retort. "I'll build us a ship, and then we can have dinner on it!"

Without waiting for a response, he dashed back to the helm of the ship, almost stumbling over himself once or twice as the waves pounded against the vessel in threatening form. Romance could certinaly wait a day if it meant he wasn't going to die. A little storm certainly didn't scare him, but sinking to the bottom of the ocean did.

Spinning the wheel to full lock, he attempted to steer the ship around when another thunderous crash of ocean wave launched him off of his feet.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Gravity took over, and his body was flung forward and, if it hadn't been for the handrails that uncomfortably broke his fall, he would have surely fell overboard.

And then he almost fell over, again, as another pulse hit the vessel with a lethal blow, and he could feel his boat capsize from underneath him.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

'I'm going to die.'

"You there, stop!" he called to the mermaid frantically. "What's the point of eternity if you-"

Silas couldn't finish his sentence before it happened. A stray piece of wood from the ship cargo traveled with the storm's wind, lugging him in the back of the head. Rendered unconscious, he flipped over the railing and dropped to the sea.

As the storm took on its own life, Raina laughed, turning to join her sisters on the beach for the show. The sailor was frantically trying to gain control of his vessel. It was adorable when they thought they could actually ride the storm. Her attention was drawn again when she heard the sound of a hard impact. His words didn't capture her, so much as they intrigued her. All men would find some way to plead for life, but he actually seemed angry. She turned around just in time to see his limp body vanish into the sea.

A small sigh escaped her lips, disappointed that there hadn't been more entertainment in his demise. Raina has summoned an entire storm, but he couldn't even die in an interesting way. Humans.

She continued towards the island, but she felt something tugging at her mind. It wasn't right. The girl refused to let him die like this; it was too easy, and she wasn't having it. Surely there would be some questioning to endure from her sisters, but Raina whirled around and submerged herself in the water, once again encircled in the faint glow.

Her sight underwater was perfect, so finding the unconscious man wasn't difficult at all. She swam over to him, eyes looking him over briefly. On a normal day, the mermaid would've simply let him join her collection as so many had before, but his ability to resist her song with such ease interested her. It wasn't a simple task, so she wanted to know more.

Raina held his hand in a firm grasp, pulling him quickly to the surface. The waters above had begun to calm, and even the clouds were starting to fade like the entire thing was an illusion. Of course the evidence was present in his sinking ship. Saving him was one thing, but she was proud of her work on the ship. That was a trophy she would keep!

There was another island off the coast of Serendipity a little less than half a mile away, so that's where she decided to bring him. It was tiring, but if she could summon a storm, she could pull a human to shore.

Raina pushed him far enough out of the water that he wouldn't slide back in, but she couldn't go too far out. She put her hand on his chest, carefully manipulating any water he might've taken in out of his lungs. Though, he would probably be tasting salt for quite a while.

What a strange dream.

Silas was venturing out at sea on his own, much to the disapproval of his comrades and other friends alike. He had set sail and coasted the sea for several days until he happened upon this majestic creature in the water that brought a terrible storm with her.

But it wasn't the storm that caught his attention. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, with the most beautiful voice he had ever heard, both while talking and while singing. 'Kiss me and take my hand' were the words she said, or some arrangement of them, and he was more than willing to throw caution to the wind and do just that.

There was a terrible storm, with terrible lightning and it was working its might against his vessel.. and, that's right! The ship was destroyed and brought down into the depths of the ocean. Well, thank gods it was only a dream.

...What happened next?

Right, he was pleading with the stunning woman in the sea before he.. blacked out.


Silas gasped back into consciousness, his chest burning but otherwise no apparent injury, not including the throbbing at the back of his head. It took him several moments for his vision to return, and that's when he saw her.

The woman of his dreams.

"Oh, hello."

Raina laid in the water, the small waves splashing softly against her back. She was propped on her right elbow, flicking her tail with a piercing glare aimed at the recently awoken man. There wasn't even a hint of a smile on her lips, and she clearly clenched her jaw a few times.

As soon as he spoke, the girl slammed her tail in the water, aiming to splash him. The logic behind the action wasn't really well thought out, but it was just something that kind of happened when she got frustrated.

"You're truly a disgrace to sailors and humans in general," she said, not bothering with any small talk. "I sang to you; my sisters sang to you; I summoned a damn storm and overturned your ship... And you fall overboard after being knocked unconscious by a piece of wood? That's one of the most boring deaths I've ever seen, so clearly you'll have to do better the next time."

Raina slapped her tail in the water again, sitting up and folding her arms across her chest. She looked him up and down briefly, then sighed, turning to swim back out to sea, but something stopped her.

"How did you resist me?"

Silas sneaked an amused grin as he watched the woman throw a mild tantrum with her tail.

He tilted his head, looking the woman up and down in awe. "Well, if I remember correctly, I did offer to buy you dinner. So I wouldn't say I entirely resisted you," he informed her cheekily. "And I can do that too, by the way." He moved forward until he was on his knees, and slapped the water drifting to shore with the palm of his hand. "What are you anyway? Clearly a woman, that much is certain, but definitely not like any I've seen before."

His eyes glided over her one more time, lingering in certain areas they probably shouldn't have for more than just a few seconds.

"Definitely not just any woman," he noted, now moving his fingers across his chin in speculation. "Certainly beautiful, of course, but certainly different. I'm not sure why-"

He stopped, just then registering something the woman had said before.

".. What do you mean you overturned my ship?"

Did he just...slap the water? Raina thought. Her eyes widened slightly and switched rapidly between his mismatched eyes. That was certainly not something she'd experienced before, and it really took all of her energy to keep from appearing amused.

"What?" She asked, leaning down again to stretch her body out. "Never seen a mermaid before?"

While human women would probably have taken offense to a man leering at areas considered to be private, the temptress didn't say a word, enjoying the attention he was giving her. She knew she was mysterious and beautiful, so it was only to be expected that a man would want to look. But...

At the mention of his ship, Raina released a breathy laugh. "You foolish half-life," she said, plucking a small shell from the sand and held it on the water's surface by solidifying a small part of the wave. "You misbehaved, so I had to take away your toy." She liquified the water again, making the shell sink. "I would tell you to look if it had been struck by lightning." The mermaid waved her hand over her shoulder.

She sunk.. ...my ship?

Silas sat there for a moment, still on his knees as he looked upon her with his mouth slightly agape. After several more moments he went to speak, but stopped again and blinked at her.

"Well, why the hell would you go and do something like that?" he finally asked, folding his arms over his chest and very much pouting. He looked away from her,  his nose turned upward as he refused to acknowledge the beauty that was in front of him. "I don't think I want to buy you dinner at all anymore," he said flatly. "It was going to be the best dinner of you life, too."

He fell back, off of his knees and onto his rear, arms still crossed and face still positioned away from her. "No I've never seen a mermaid before," he huffed. "I thought that was just an urban legend."

"Now you listen to me, you arrogant shit," she hissed, eyes burning. "Do not overestimate your worth. I saved your pathetic ass from drowning at sea, but I can drown you right here on this beach without even touching water. So I suggest you think about your words carefully."

The mermaid stopped flicking her tail, frustration quickly turning into anger at his overconfidence. She made sure to think about what she said as well, since something about this human seemed to bring out the worst in her. Gods, she actually saved a human because of him... What's wrong with me?

Taking a breath, she made sure to keep herself under control. "As you can see, mermaids are no legend," the girl said. "It would be wise to keep that in mind the next time you take to sea."

Raina released a small sigh and rolled her eyes. She hoped he wouldn't speak at all and just allow her an opportunity to slip back beneath the waves, but something about Silas made her pretty positive that he liked to hear himself talk.

Oh boy.

Someone certainly has a quick temper.

He threw her a sharp look and raised both hands in defense. "Well, I certainly see that now," he said with a smirk on his lips. "You obviously saved me for some reason, right after you tried to kill me, of course."

He waved the thought off before running his hands through his hair. "You should just make up your mind. Drown me or leave me," he almost teased. "I'm as good as dead, anyway. It is not like I can swim all the way back to Serendipity."

He sighed, studying her face for another moment. "So tell me, Sea Goddess," he started. "Why did you save me?"

Seeing the smirk on his lips, Raina flashed him one of her own. "That's the point, Silas," she said. "I've already told you: you did a horrible job at dying last time, so I'm giving you another chance."

The mermaid straightened herself out completely, holding herself up with her arms, while her tail was extended behind her. Raina saw his curiosity, but she was pretty certain he wouldn't like the answer to that question.

"Since you clearly won't provide an interesting death at sea, you'll stay here. It's a small island, not even a mile across. There's no food for humans, nor is there any fresh water. I'm giving you an opportunity to earn the right to your life and, more importantly, entertain me the way you should've in the first place."

The girl flicked her tail, submerging herself completely under the water and coming back up again.

"If you can survive for one week, all seven days, I'll personally bring you to the mainland and even restore your ship," she said. "But if you can't survive, I'll have the pleasure of watching you wither away to nothing until you rot." Flashing him a sadistically satisfied smile, Raina shrugged. "I wouldn't suggest trying to swim for it. Serendipity is well over a dozen miles away, and the sea is filled with legends. See you in a week, Silas." Raina began to turn herself around to swim back towards the ship she had wrecked.

Silas heard her words clearly before watching her drift off, back into the sea.

Seven days then. Count on it, he thought. At that point, he was more interested in learning more about the woman whose name he had failed to catch, despite her knowing his. Sure, he would take up her offer to bring him back to the mainland, but no doubt he would shoot for a little more than that.

Of course, he failed to mention his own intentions. Details.


The mermaid wasn't wrong - this little island he found himself on wasn't more than a mile long, and there wasn't enough substantial shelter for him to lay his head comfortably. He did find a little shade under a dying tree, however, and that's the spot where he awoke that morning. 

Sitting upright, he stretched his arms out and yawned as his vision focused in on his surroundings. The sun was already beating down on him, but at least the little shade he had kept his skin from blistering too much.

Okay. No food. No fresh water. How was he going to get through this for seven days? Well, the water didn't have to be that fresh, so he may as well start there. He remembered seeing a small watering hole on his way to find shelter, so he got to his feet and tracked it down.

And he drank the most that it had to offer at that time. Crazy how parched a man can get while being stranded on a remote island by some sadistic sea goddess.

Okay. Now time to find some food. The woman said there wasn't any, but she could be wrong. At least, that's what he kept telling himself as he searched high and low for any sighting of food, only to inevitably fail. It was only the morning and his stomach was already growling.

He was fucked.

Not only that, but he was fairly certain that water he just drank was doing something to his stomach. He probably should have listened to the woman about that, but to hells with it, he was angry with her, and surely it wouldn't be that bad.

There was certainly one way to take his mind off of things, at least for a few moments. He peered around, making sure that there were no legends nearby to watch him. Then, his shoulders sank and he leaned his head back as a brief moment of relaxation washed over his body.

Tinkle Tinkle. Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle.

"Ahhh," he exhaled in satisfaction. "Well.. I feel be-"

He stopped, eyes widened, as his words betrayed him and so did his stomach. The water he had previously drank came surging out of his mouth with very little warning, leaving him hunched over the sand with a burning throat and teary eyes.

"G-Gods," he choked, wiping his eyes. "How the hell am I suppose to survive for seven days on nothing?!"

The rest of the day went exactly like the morning, and he eventually found himself back under the dying tree with growing hunger and lingering dehydration.

She decided to watch from a distance. Raina was serious when she said she'd get the enjoyment of watching him die, so why would she stay away?

It wasn't every moment that she hovered around the island, though. After all, she had better things to do than watch a stranded sailor attempt to survive. Instead, the mermaid took the opportunity to explore the sunken ship.

There wasn't a whole lot that captured her attention on the ship. Whoever it was that owned the piece of crap really didn't have much of a collection.

Raina maneuvered her way around the vessel, emerging from one of the quarters to see her sister, Crystal. "You saved a human man?" Crystal asked telepathically, judgment evident from her frown.

"From drowning, yes," Raina responded. "He'll be dead soon, though. Trapped on a desert island, miles away from the mainland. Starvation or dehydration will probably get him, but it could be fun to see heat exhaustion."

Crystal gave her sister an approving smile, then swam off. Raina smirked, watching the coral-colored fluke start to fade away. She swam through a broken door into what she assumed was where the captain stayed. All kinds of fancy furniture and art, though most of it was in disarray from...well, being dragged to the sea floor after a storm.

Smacking her strong tail into an overturned desk, she broke a few of the locks. Some random trinkets fell out of it, but a small box caught her attention. Raina picked it up and opened the box to reveal a necklace with a teardrop aquamarine. It didn't look like anything really special, but something about it struck a chord with her. She slipped the necklace on and left the ship.

Making her way back to the little island, Raina saw Silas slump down against the same tree he had slept beneath the past two nights. He looked pretty bad, and this was only the second day. If he didn't get it together soon, he'd probably have only a little over a day left before dehydration took him.

Oh for fuck's sake.

Why did it have to be so gods damn hot on this stupid little island?

Seven days. Seven fucking days. He was only on day three, and he could already feel himself start to go a little mad. The second day was no more successful or eventful than the first, and the third day was starting to sing that same old song as well.

Nothing to eat. Nothing to drink. Nothing to eat. Nothing to drink. All just because he wanted to set sail on some stupid fucking adventure BY HIMSELF. They told him not to go by himself, they told him!

He had been slumped over under the tree for most of the day now. He hadn't even bothered getting up. What's the point? Nothing to eat. Nothing to drink. He may as well sit there with his eyes closed and conserve his strength for a while. Surely a human could survive without food or water for seven days, as long as he didn't die from the heat.

Yeah. That was something to hope for.

He sighed. "Fuck the strength," he decided. If he was going to die, he was going to die doing something he loved.

Softly, he began to sing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c33toXKeH70) He'd sing it several times after that, and a few other songs after that, too. He kept singing through most of the day, remaining in his designated position against the tree, until his voice started to grow hoarse.

Now he was really thirsty. Wonderful.

It was the early morning of the fourth day of Silas' week long trial. The crimson sun had just barely begun to rise, setting the ocean on fire. This sun was of course Raina's doing.

The previous day was possibly the most boring day in existence, aside from one part. The girl had been ready to leave when she heard singing. Silas, instead of trying to search for food or find a way to filter sea water, had resigned himself to his dying tree and started singing. In over sixty years, Raina had never heard a human's song.

His decision to not save his life probably saved his life.

A red sun at night,
Is a sailor's delight.
A run sun in the morning,
Sailors take warning.

This old rhyme was a way to warn sailors of a coming storm. As the early morning sun peaked over the horizon, Raina looked up at the sky to clouds quickly darkening. She slid gracefully onto a rock close to the shore.

Raising her hand towards the sky, the girl looked at the man who was still sleeping beneath the tree. It was a deeper sleep than normal, showing his weakness. Raina furrowed her brows slightly, then clenched her fist, allowing the sky to release a cool rain accompanied by a soft breeze.

The rain would continue until at least mid afternoon, but Raina dove into the water when she was sure it wasn't going anyway.

Silas woke to the fifth day feeling like a brand new man. Well, to an extent. He was still weak, still tired, head still a little foggy and hunger still plagued the pit of his stomach. However, the day before he was blessed with a miracle. The clouds gathered and brought the rain, and with that brought hydration and a break from the punishing sun.

Oh, how he wished he could go back to yesterday.

To think, he had briefly considered drinking his own piss. He was growing desperate, growing a little insane, but none of that became necessary with the rain. Someone must have been looking out for him, he decided.

It was the fifth day. The end of his little trial was in arm's reach, and a part of him was excited to see the mermaid's reaction.

'Ha! Told you I could do it! Now how about that dinner?' he played over in his head, though he would be lying to himself if he said this wasn't one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. Hells, maybe the hardest.

He had a little pep in his step as he made his way around the island he had grown so familiar with over the past five days. He must have had his feet on every square inch, and knew every thing there was to know (and everything it had to offer, which was mostly nothing), yet he continued his search. With the recent rain, maybe there was something for him.

He hummed while he searched. Music kept him at peace, as it always has, and last time he dusted off an oldie mother nature decided to give him a second chance.

The day was uneventful, but he made it to another night.

Her first encounter with Silas was tired. Raina expected it to be a simple death by song. It progressed into a rage-filled disaster, then a battle of will for survival. The sixth day of the week marked the next turn in the wildly emotional river, as she found herself actually starting to want the human to survive the next thirty-something hours.

Raina realized that she had to prepare for a way to get Silas to Serendipity if he did make it through. There was no way she was going to drag him through the water the entire way!

The girl smirked slightly, pulling the aquamarine necklace off and cradling it in her hands. "Shekra ekn ksuw e deaur," she whispered, breathing on the necklace. The stone glowed briefly, then returned to normal.

She put the necklace back on and returned to her island with a quick glance back at the man.

He did it.

It was the seventh day on the cursed island, and he was still alive. How he pulled it off was a mystery to even him, but he didn't question it. He sat with his back against the tree he had so "lovingly" called home for the past week, eyes closed as a gentle breeze cut through his hair. "Yes," he muttered weakly under his breath.

He was exhausted. He was burning up. He was starving and dehydrated. He got a lucky break about halfway through the trial with the rain, and now he was holding on just enough to see it through. He could only hope the mermaid was true to her word.

He wasn't sure if he had passed the test or not. His mind raced, but it circled in chaos, his thoughts falling apart just as soon as they formed. Was the trial over? Or did he have to make it the full seventh day as well?

It was no matter, but he would endure. He had made it this far already, now he just had to see it through and reap the rewards.

"Should probably.. look for her," he breathed before using the tree as leverage to get to his feet.

Whoa there.

His knees were weak, legs were shaking. He took one step forward when he felt his knees buckle, and he soon collapsed back down into the sand. Damn. He had no energy left. He had given everything he had to make it to this point.

Unconsciously, he gripped the necklace he wore around his neck. The aquamarine teardrop he had worn for as long as he could remember. Of course, he could barely remember anything past the last week. The seven days felt more and more like a lifetime.

He struggled, but got to his feet again. Have to keep going, but gods, it was so hard to walk.

Fingers still wrapped around the necklace, he glanced down to see it glimmer in the sunlight. It was the last thing he saw before the remainder of his strength, slipping into unconsciousness before he even hit the ground.

He did it. Part of her was frustrated that he was able to make it, but she knew that he wouldn't have without her assistance.

The girl sat on a rock near the shore, watching the man struggle to even stand. Heat, dehydration, and the beginning of starvation really took a toll on the human body, so Raina had no doubt that he didn't notice her. She dove back into the water as soon as he passed out on the sand, and she swam towards the beach.

What once kept her bound to the sea suddenly disappeared. Raina stood for the first time in decades. She was dressed in an abyss blue bodysuit with silver and light blue accents all over it, as well as a sheer skirt that hanged asymmetrically covering her left leg. The ethereal creature touched the magical necklace she wore around her neck, hips swaying naturally with every perfectly linear step she took.

The man had a week of growth on his face and was in just awful condition. Part of her wanted to leave him there. He wouldn't wake up again, after all. It would be pretty easy to just leave him to dissolve into nothing, but she had made a deal, which meant she had to honor her half.

Raina gently knelt to the right of Silas' limp form, as she removed the skirt from her bodysuit and laid it over the top half of his body to keep the sun off of him. Her dark eyes narrowed, catching sight of the small necklace he was gripping even in his unconscious state. She touched the one she was wearing, noting the identical nature of the pair. That was a wild coincidence if she'd ever seen one. Raising one brow, the girl took his necklace off of him and whispered the same enchantment onto it that her necklace had.

Putting his necklace on, Raina took off the one she had found in the ship and placed it on him. A small smirk tugged at her lips, and she turned him over to lie on his back. She put one hand on his forehead and one hand on his lower stomach, stimulating the blood flow and circulation. Though it would've normally been an extremely painful process, Raina's magic was designed for bliss, so he wouldn't feel a thing.

She looked down at him, right brow raised curiously. "Do yourself a favor, sailor man," she said, mainly talking to herself. "Find a new hobby." It should only be seconds before he came to, so Raina prepared herself for the worst.

Am I... dead?

Waking up from sleep was often harsh, especially when dreams were often times better than reality. However, on this day, Silas was more than accepting for another day to open his eyes. His eyes blinked open and the sun washed over his vision causing him to squint from both it's bright shine and the disbelief that he was still breathing.

Not only that, but there was something different. He felt absolutely fine. Sure, he still felt a little weak, a little beat up, perhaps even the equivalent of getting run down by a horse, but he felt alive.

It took several moments for him to make out the figure that loomed over him. He blinked several more times until he saw her. He almost moved to sit upright, but decided against him. He was fine right where he was.

"I didn't think you'd come back," he whispered, a slight grin of triumph trying to form into his lips.

But what was this? After a second glance, he noticed her legs. She had legs now! Did she always have legs? Maybe she did, and he had been too delirious to notice, or just delirious enough to imagine them. It really didn't matter regardless, because he really didn't care one way or another. He was ready to leave the gods forsaken island and get back into town.

He couldn't help but chuckle when the sound of his stomach growled it's way into the center of attention. Sighing, he closed his eyes and breathed easy, trying to focus on the light breeze that decided to bless him on the seventh day of the long, unforgiving trial.

"...Did I pass?"

"Yes," she said softly, biting back a snide remark about her assistance in his trial. "I made a deal, and I always keep my word." In any other situation, she would've happily bragged about her part in his success, but helping him could make her appear weak-willed. She thought it better that he seemed strong, than she seemed weak. Looking at the frail figure lying nearly still beside her, the mermaid almost felt a pang of guilt in her gut.

She took her skirt away from him, reattaching it around her waist and sitting back on her heels to give him some room. Raina turned away, glancing at the water, before taking a breath and standing up with her arms behind her back.

"I'm not carrying you to the water, so I suggest you find whatever strength you have left and come with me. And don't delay because I'm not waiting forever."

The mermaid turned and stepped directly over his chest. Her body was nearly entirely covered by the oceanic clothing she wore, though her bare toes pointed perfectly with each step and her skin practically glowed in the early sunlight.

His eyes shot open and were absolutely sparkling. "Yes ma'am," he said quickly before scrambling to his feet. Well, he tried to get to his feet, and he did, though it took him a couple of wincing moments to get there.

One would think a man on the brink of death would think about anything, literally anything, other than women, yet Silas's mind stayed on the now walking mermaid. Just look at her go. She was such a divine creature and, if she hadn't originally intended on killing him, he may as well have thrown caution to the wind and dropped to one knee to propose.

"You have pretty nice legs for someone with a tail," he said lightly as he followed her to the shore. It probably wasn't his wisest choice to tease, but really, he couldn't help himself. "What's your name, anyway?"

"I know," she said to his compliment. It wasn't the first time she'd walked on land, though it definitely wasn't a daily occurrence, so she was quite aware of her beauty. The request for her name did catch her off guard, though. "That's your question?" Raina asked condescendingly, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Not 'how are we going to get to land' or something of that nature?" Eyes tracing him up and down, she huffed slightly. "Raina."

Stepping into the water, the mermaid smiled. It was a truly rare thing that she experienced the sea against her legs. For a woman who spent her entire life in the ocean, she was mesmerized by it every day.

Raina walked deeper into the water until the gentle waves lapped at her waist. She flashed him a grin, dove into the water, then made a small leap out of the water as a dolphin would, her aqua tail glistening. Surfacing again, the mermaid looked towards the beach. "Are you coming, or not?" She asked. "I told you I'm not waiting."

Silas chuckled as he waded through the water until he was waist deep and next to her. "Now, why would I ask something like that? You were able to sink my ship with no issues, so I don't have any doubts that you will get me back to land," he said almost teasingly as he looked her up and down. "But, Raina, huh? Well, that's a really nice name. Suits your whole look, too."

Without warning, he dropped into the ocean, lingering under the surface for several moments before rising back up as what felt like a brand new man. He breathed in the air upon his surface and shook his strands about such as a wet dog would after venturing into a pond.

He ran a hand through his now wet hair, moving stray strands away from his eyes before shooting Raina a quick little smile. "I'm Silas, by the way, though I think you already knew that." He extended his hand, offering it to her as his stomach growled simultaneously with the movement.

How embarrassing.

"And I'm pretty starved too, apparently," he said sheepishly. "What do you like to eat? We should get something when we're back in town. My treat!"

Her eyes narrowed at him, and an expression similar to a grimace played at her face. "Is everything a fucking a joke to you?" She asked.

She swam a little farther out to sea, rolling her eyes and trying to tune out his voice. He never got a response to most of what he said, as she really didn't care to answer the ramblings of a human she had stranded on an island. I like him better when he doesn't talk, she thought to herself. Could just leave him here. He'll be dead within another day or two.

Raina submerged herself briefly, coming back up with a slightly defeated look on her face. "I'm not bringing you to land," she said simply. "You are."

A mermaid's charm could only be activated by a mermaid, but after that, it becomes the wearer's magic. "Farauk," she whispered, activating the magic in the necklace around Silas' neck.

He grinned as the woman swam away from. It wasn't a joke.

"I am?" he asked skeptically before the light burned from under his nose. Peering down, he noticed it glowing, the aquamarine necklace he wore around his neck. "..What is.." he muttered under his breath as he slipped his fingers on it. "What do you- AGH!"

For the next several moments, Silas couldn't control his own body or its reflexes. His back arched, his head shot backward, his chest poked out and his arms flailed around as if he were losing balance... and that was exactly what he did. Without any time to react, his eyes shot wide as he plummeted face first into the water.

Splash!

When he surfaced, he looked different. His mismatched eyes were now entirely blue, his hair a fire under the sun, his muscles more defined, and his legs.. they were gone. A strong, long teal-colored tail flipped out of the water and splashed about, hammering down on the surface with uncontrollable whips.

"W-What the fuck is this?!" he asked in a panic. "H-How do you control this thing?!"

Raina couldn't help but smile. Though she would've been more than happy to simply watch his idiocy for the rest of the day, he'd probably wear himself out to the point he couldn't make it five feet.

"It's a tail," she said. "Want it to stop moving? Stop moving it. It's not a separate creature."

Humans.

The mermaid swam back towards him, positioning herself parallel to him less than a foot away and looking back at their tails. She made a wave-like motion with hers, showing him the basic movement of swimming with a tail. "I'll give you the quick version because I don't have time for your incompetency," she started. "You can breathe underwater, your eyes won't burn while open, and don't thrash around or you'll attract sharks." Giving a shrug, she pursed her lips. "Not that it would be a problem, but they can be so bitchy towards unfamiliar merfolk."

Raina smirked, starting to move forward. He'd have to figure it out - mostly - on his own; there was no way she was going to be a mermaid mentor! Looking back at him, she smirked. "And you can speak to me through your mind. Let's go."

Without waiting for a response, the girl sank beneath the surface as gracefully as though she was part of the water.

Despite the initial and absolute shock, the whole thing was pretty fucking incredible. Though it started off rather dull, the sailor's sudden urge to find adventure has not disappointed. Sure, he had to suffer and push himself to the brink of death for a few days, and actually thought he was going to die on some of those nights, but now he had a tail.

He had a fucking tail.

It didn't take long for Silas to figure out how to control his newly acquired merman tail. Additionally, he felt more focused than he had ever been. He processed everything the woman was saying while fiddling with his new ability, and gave her his entire trust and he sank under the surface to follow the woman.

His eyes were open and he could see everything perfect - better than he could on land even.

He could breathe under water.

What a world to live in.

"Will I be able to.. change back?"

Raina found herself a little shaken from swimming alongside a man. And this wasn't just any man. She was swimming with a human man she had given a tail to after trying to kill him. Not only was she swimming with him, but it was in the ocean. He was in her home. The circumstances were unexpected at the least, but they had really never even been a fleeting thought in her mind.

"Of course," she said, turning onto her back while swimming. She touched the aquamarine necklace she was wearing, his necklace - of course he would never be able to tell the difference. "It's your magic now. Based in the necklace you're wearing. You can grow legs or a tail whenever you want. There's no spell or anything, just a thought. There are a few other perks, but that's not important right now."

Her arms pointed in front of her, left hand placed over right, and she twirled smoothly through the water. Though a mermaid's speed in the water was unmatched, Raina much preferred the graceful fluidity that came with having a tail.

"Where's your crew?" She asked finally. "Why did you go off without them?" If they had a decent journey, it was only right that she humored some kind of conversation.

He was in her home. Despite his utter fascination, he couldn't help but snicker at the thought. Perhaps he would meet her parents next too, he thought as he glided through the water. Interesting thought, or scary one?

"They are back in Serendipity," he informed her. "I remember they were having some sort of party for us, but I wanted to do some exploring. See what was out there, ya know?"

He realized how silly that must have sounded, and decided to change the subject rather quickly. "So, it's my magic now," he repeated curiously. "And I all I have to do is think about what I want and-"

Bad idea.

Silas's swift movements through the water faltered as he was suddenly with legs again, kicking to keep himself in a stable position and losing the ability to breath. 'Fuck!' he screamed internally before reaching for his necklace and thinking the opposite.

Well, that wasn't the smartest thing he had ever done. Back with his tail, and the ability to breathe, he shrugged off his little adventure and glided over to Raina. "Where'd you get yours?" he asked in reference to her necklace. "It looks exactly like mine."

Of course he would do that. Humans, fucking humans. She stopped swimming, watching him struggle with a judgmental glare.

When he got over his little episode, Raina folded her arms over her chest, pursing her lips briefly at the mention of the necklace. "On your ship," she said simply, reaching out to touch his necklace. "I found it in a little box in a desk drawer. The only interesting thing on that piece of shit."

She turned away and continued swimming, touching the necklace that she wore. Raina glanced over her shoulder, a habit she had developed to make sure she was aware of her surroundings. Too many surprise encounters with ships and nasty animals gave her a defensive reflex.

Turning onto her back again to face him, Raina touched the aquamarine around her neck. "However, I wanted yours, so I switched them." The girl smirked, then flipped around again and sped forward.

Look at that mermaid go.

The whole 'Hate to see you go, but love to watch you leave' didn't apply for just humans, apparently. Silas had a grin on his face through her obvious disdain, and then her explanation of where she found the necklace, and further more when she darted away from him. His grin remained broad and silly for some time until his mind registered the last bit she told him.

"You switched them?" he asked skeptically. "So you stole it, then?"

He remained still as he looked down and gripped the necklace around his neck. It looked exactly the same to him, but it felt different. So it wasn't different, she wasn't lying. Hells, he would have just given it to her if she wanted it that badly.

"Hey! Wait up!" he called back after she put some distance between the two. He swam forward in attempts to catch up, and though he had taken to his tail quite elegantly in such a short period of time, there was no way he would be able to catch her.

Of course Raina didn't answer his question, as she was pretty sure he already knew the answer. The mermaid slowed her movements, glancing back at him over her shoulder with another smirk.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you're going to keep up," she said tauntingly.

The sea was gorgeous that morning, marine life just springing back to life. Morning swims were her favorite, but this one just felt out of place. The faster she was rid of the sailor the better it would be for both of them. He had his life - thanks to her - and she just wanted to get back to hers. After all, it wasn't exactly in her plans to be interrogated by her sisters about why she helped a human.

Surfacing, Raina treaded water with her arms, while she looked around at her surroundings. They were about halfway to the shore, so it was pretty good timing. Dipping beneath the surface to see him, she motioned for him to surface and peaked out above the water again.

"When you get to shore, I suggest you drink water and get some kind of food," she said. "You might feel strong right now, but the moment you assume legs, you'll be back to where you were on the island."

Silas surfaced with a smile that was both broad and genuine, eyes dancing around their surroundings until they ultimately landed on her. "Sure thing," was his cheeky reply as gentle waves splashed lightly on his neck.

He dipped back under the water, putting a little more distance between the two in a playful manner before surfacing again, still smiling. He couldn't lie, he fucking loved every second of this. "You know, if you really wanted my necklace, you could have just asked," he teased, letting the back of his head rest atop the surface.

He swam back a little more, slowly as he stared up through the clouds. "What about you?" he asked. "Want to join me for food and water? I hear it's great for your well-being. Like I said, I'll even pay... if you can catch me."

He ducked back into the ocean and swam away from her, though not as fast as he would have liked to think.

Humoring his taunts would be one option, but Raina didn't want to let on that she was even slightly curious about the arrogant sailor.

"I could've asked for it," she said, sinking beneath the surface. "But that defeats the fun in just taking it."

Raina watched him dash away, grinning slightly to herself. He was enjoying this, but she didn't need him getting used to it. Last thing she needed was some asshole running - or rather swimming - around with a tail she gave to him.

Waiting for a little over three seconds, the mermaid started after him in perfectly streamlined movements. Her body and tail weren't even moving quickly, but she cut through the water with perfect fluidity.

Glancing over, Raina smirked. "You have a long way to go before you can challenge me, Silas," she said to him. "I thought about stopping you with a sheet of ice, but with the lack of a brain, your face is clearly the only feature you have that's worth anything."

Silas smirked, not knowing if he should be insulted or take the little compliment she threw at him.

He opted for the compliment.

"All I heard was that you think I have a pretty face," he replied proudly, trying his best to keep up with the woman. "Yours is nice, too."

Try as he might, he couldn't keep up with the seasoned mermaid, and felt himself tiring despite the breath of fresh energy she blessed him with. Steadily, the distance between the two grew longer until he decided to stop and idle for a few moments.

He still needed practice.

"When we get back to the land, that's going to be it, right?" he asked the obvious. "Go our separate ways and all that? Tell me never to come out to the sea again or face your wrath?"

"You're so dramatic," Raina said, releasing a slight chuckle and stopping when he did. "But yes, that's basically it. When I bring you to land, I expect to never see you again. Am I clear?"

Part of her just wanted to be rid of him at that moment. She honestly didn't care if he took to sea first thing the next day, but the mermaid never wanted to cross paths with him again. If she did, Raina knew that she would probably be expected - almost required - to kill him then and there.

Of course it wasn't that she was incapable, but she didn't completely want to.

Deciding that he'd had enough time to rest, the girl started forward again. "The sea probably isn't the best place for you anyway," Raina said, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he was following. "You're a shit sailor. Do something on land: maybe become a bard or whatever those singing people are."

"Yes ma'am, as clear as your beautiful blue eyes," he said almost absently, mostly forgetting that they could communicate telepathically.

Silas had every intention of seeing Raina again, despite her clear distaste for him. However, if she had that much distaste, she wouldn't have saved him. Not for a reason as terrible as "you're shitty at dying," at least. He grinned and followed her further through ocean depths, heading for land.

"Well, I am not a very good singer," was his idea of an honest reply. "But maybe you're right. I am pretty terrible at this whole sailor thing, maybe I'll take up something else. Maybe I'll use this little charm you have blessed me with and figure out a way to give people tails, so the ocean can be full of people like you and I alike. Then you would have all of the friends in the world!"

He could almost wince as he awaited the backlash.

At his humble reply, the mermaid stayed quiet, remembering that he wasn't aware his voice was what saved his life. Besides, there was no point in giving him that satisfaction.

Then, he talked about her magic.

"Your confidence is adorably misplaced," Raina said, not even turning her head. "I know every mermaid and merman in the sea, as we share kind of a telepathic bond, so the instant I saw someone unfamiliar, I'd kill you. Regardless, that wouldn't even be a possibility. Mermaid magic is impossible to replicate by anyone other than a mermaid."

Only half of that was a lie. She did share a bond with every merperson, but mermaid magic was easily replicated if someone knew how to do it. Her silver tongue was smooth though, so Raina hoped Silas wouldn't catch onto her little falsehood.

If the man could snort under the water, he would have. He followed the woman with a sly grin on his face as he listened to her warning, twisting his body around in a circular motion as he moved forward a couple of times just for the fun of it.

"I had a feeling you were the type who couldn't take a joke," he teased. "But I didn't think you'd be a liar, too."

He summoned a little extra strength to catch up to her, gliding through the ocean alongside the woman. "Are your mermaid senses telling you how far away we are from land?"

"Didn't think I'd be a liar?" She said mostly to herself. "When we first met, I told you I loved you, did you?"

Raina turned around to face Silas with a slight smirk. She swam upwards, peeking out of the water just enough so she could see without being noticed. They were barely two hundred meters away from the docks of Cerenis. There were a few ships nearby, as well as some fisherman dragging nets in with children running on the docks in the early daylight.

The mermaid lifted her head out of the water, glancing around. "This is where we part ways," she said simply.

Silas returned her smirk and his eyes followed her. "I never said you lied about everything," he thought to himself.

He swam up to surface just enough to peak at his surroundings, just as he did, and smiled just enough for the ocean water to slip into his mouth. Cerenis. It felt like he hadn't seen the mainland in ages. Back when he was on the island, he couldn't think of anything else he'd rather see.

Yet, now he almost felt resistant. It would be great to walk again, eat food, drink booze, join in the laughter at the local tavern.. But even if it was just for a short period, how is a man suppose to go back to that after experiencing... this?

He could think about that later. He should just be grateful that he had a second chance.

"Hate to hear it," he replied after a few pondering moments. "I was really enjoying our relationship."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Raina breathed, rolling her eyes as she turned away. "Get a hobby, Silas. Stay out of the water. Or I really will have to kill you next time."

Without giving the man the slightest opportunity to answer, the girl submerged herself again, beginning to swim away.

Raina surfaced one more time further away from Silas. "And take my advice. Don't let them see your tail." With a light chuckle, the mermaid dove into the water, fan-like fluke flicking water in the air, as she disappeared to the sea.

"S-Sure thi-"

He started to answer, but quickly realized he was talking to no one but himself. He glanced around above the surface for a moment before submerging himself under the water again, eyes searching for one last glimpse of Raina before she was out of his life forever.

No one. No where to be found.

It was almost.. bothersome.

However, the woman was right, and he did need to take her advice. He couldn't just swim up to the docks, tail and all, in some grand fashion. He would need to get just close enough to make a swim for it in his human state before climbing up the docks.

He shipwrecked out at sea and had to swim back to land. That's what he would tell them. Hells, it was basically the truth.

About time I was rid of him, Raina thought to herself, as she swiftly made her way to the island cove in which her clan made its home. Though not even midday, the sun was already hot, and the mermaids decided that they'd allow ships to pass through unharmed that day. There was really no purpose in cooking themselves for the deaths of others.

"What happened with the sailor?" One of her sisters asked, braiding another mermaid's hair and lounging in the shade the cove provided. "Just how mangled have the birds made his corpse?"

The redhead laughed lightly, almost trying to dismiss the topic. "How would I know, Stasha? You think I cared enough to check?"

The girls giggled together, and Raina took a breath, gracefully sliding onto a branch leaning into the water with her head resting on her hands. She was back where she belonged with her sisters, though part of her just wasn't at ease. She felt restless, but assumed it was because she was lying to her sisters about the human that she couldn't get off her mind.

It wasn't as big of deal as he thought it would be, and that was something he was grateful for. Raina was right, as soon as he reverted back to his normal human form he felt his bones weaken, and the hunger and dehydration kicked in, but he powered through enough to pull himself onto the docks until several passerby's noticed him and came to his aid.

His crew was thankful that he was alive, but that didn't stop them from giving him shit about going out on his own and destroying the ship in the process.

"How did you possibly accomplish that?" they asked.

"There was a storm. I lost course and crashed into some jagged rock," was the lie he heard himself often tell.

Meeting someone like Raina was a story for the ages, and one he would have absolutely loved to tell in the past. However, he felt like he shouldn't say anything, so he lied and kept that little event to himself.

The following night, after a day of rest, food, and water, he was at the local tavern with the rest of his crew. Stale smoke and the smell of alcohol twisted around the establishment, blanketing the small room of patrons whose laughter and clinks and clanks of their mugs overpowered the bard on stage desperately trying to entertain.

"What's wrong, Silas?" a voice cut through the man's thoughts. It was a fellow sailor, brows furrowed and lips in a small frown as he studied the survivor's blank stare. "You don't seem like yourself."

Silas gave him a slight shrug before sipping his ale carefully. "Just thankful to be alive," he said softly, barely audible through the roars of the crowd.

"Silas! Play us one!" another called out, much to the bard's distaste. "Sing us one of your songs!"

Oh fuck. Why now?

Silas loved to sing, and he would be lying if he said he didn't love the spotlight, but his mind was on other things.. on someone in particular. But as the moments passed, his comrades' requests became more of a demand, and their cheers only guided him to the stage.

Fuck it.

He didn't know what to play, so he just started strumming the guitar that was offered to him, and he sang (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ja8mcCys4E) a song unusual for the bar scene, in which the words were seemingly appearing out of thin air. It wasn't an uplifting tune to rally the masses, a comedic hymn to encourage their laughter, but instead an almost melancholy melody that demanded their attention.

And for the moment, that's what they gave him. The crowd silenced for the first time that night and listened.

Frustration was probably a more appropriate word for what she was feeling, but Raina found her frustration quickly spiraling into anger. The mermaid never showed or even felt the slightest hint of weakness, so whatever she was feeling at that moment had to have been the effects of some kind of powerful magic.

As the night fell, the mermaids parted to cover more sea. Glancing around for any leering eyes, Raina submerged herself and sped towards the docks of Cerenis. It was a much quicker trip that time, as she didn't have a human trying to learn his tail along the way.

Under the cover of night, she slid onto the beach. Her long tail split into legs, and the unique patterns on her clothing appeared to cover her human body. If he dared to cast this spell on me, he's going to be the one to remove it, whether he likes it or not, she thought, walking briskly through the quiet streets with pursed lips.

A familiar voice caught her attention, the same sound that she had heard not a week ago on the beach. Raina followed it to a small tavern with two lanterns hanging on either side of the door. There were a few houses nearby, one with clothing hanging on a line outside. She trotted over, taking the brown cloak and wrapping it around herself, as she made her way back towards the tavern. She pulled the hood over her long hair and walked inside, keeping her head down.

The girl waved off one of the barmaids, simply sitting at the corner table in the back of the room to listen to the man sing. It's not magic, she told herself, absently touching the necklace she wore and watching him lose himself in the music.

As his song would come to a finish, the mermaid felt a small smile relax her lips. Raina stood up and made her way towards the door. "I told you a bard would be a good profession for you," she said telepathically, pulling her hood back slightly to glance at him over her shoulder.

Raina quickly left the tavern, tossing the cloak over the line from which she had taken it and quickening her pace to a sprint back towards the blackened sea.

It was the strangest feeling, but while he sang his song he felt like he could feel her. Maybe it was just the enchantment she placed over him that made him feel that way. Not actual enchantment but the pure feeling of being mesmerized by her as a person, the feeling that hadn't left his side whenever he left her side.

He felt like he was singing to her.

And then the song ended, and there was applause.

Oh.

Well that was certainly nice to hear. He grinned from ear to ear, a little breathless at the positive reaction. He handed the wooden guitar back to the bard of which it belonged, and his eyes peered around the establishment as he stepped off of the stage.

With an absent mind, he cupped the necklace that hung around his neck before the familiar face slid into his mind.

'I told you a bard would be a good profession for you.'

Glancing at the door, he saw her. It was brief, and then she was gone, but he recognized that face, those eyes, anywhere. "Sweetheart!" he yelled almost involuntarily before quickly dashing after her. "Out of my way!" he cried as he pushed past one of his fellow sailors before exiting the tavern and looking around frantically.

Gone.

"Damn, where'd you go?" he asked under his breath.

There was no sign of her on land, so that could only mean one thing.

She'd heard him call out, but that wasn't enough to keep her there. She'd be a fool if it had been.

Raina raced across the docks, pushing off at the end and connecting with the water in a perfect and silent dive, legs disappearing into a tail as soon as she was submerged in the water.

The mermaid started swimming away, though she suddenly stopped, realizing that the last thing she needed was him following her to the cove. He hadn't been there before anyway, so the others would know that she led him straight to their home.

Fuck, she thought, turning back around and peeking up at the docks.

Raina decided to wait there until she was sure he wasn't coming after her. It was dark enough that no one would be able to see her unless they were really looking, so she wasn't worried about any wandering eyes.  She stayed mostly still in the water, tail waving slightly and arms holding onto the dock as she watched to see if he would chase her.

May as well dive right in.

That was his only thought as he sprinted for the docks. Through his pants and his legs slapping the cobble-stone alleys, he momentarily forgot how exactly the transformation from human to merman, and vice versa, worked. Thus, as he ran he stripped off his shirt about half-way through to his targeted destination, and managed to kick off one of his boots as well before a not-so-graceful dive into the sea.

His tail took form, as well as the rest of his improved features, as soon as he submerged under the ocean surface. "Where are you?" he asked rather quickly, eyes focused. "Why'd you come back? I never thought I'd see you again."

He grinned playfully, still searching for her. Perhaps he jumped in the wrong spot.

"Shouldn't it be easier for me to find you?" he almost huffed impatiently. "Can't I use mer-magic or something like that? Hellooooo?"

Raina watched his less than graceful transformation, as he stripped and made a shaky dive. She smirked slightly, submerging herself and watching him begin to look for her. I knew he'd follow, she thought.

"Desperation's a bad color on you, Silas," she said to the man, passing underneath him while the faint blue glow illuminated her body. "I told you not to come back to the sea or I'd have to kill you."

Not wanting to hold his gaze, the mermaid swam around him, forcing him to turn with her if he wanted to keep her in his sights. It was more of a power play than anything else, but Raina wanted to remind him that they were in her world and he was trespassing.

She stopped, eyes holding a strange combination of conflicting emotions. "Is that what you want?" She asked. "For me to kill you?"

Silas mustered a small smile and spun around as she stopped to meet her face to face, almost a if to block her path. "We both know you're not going to kill me, Raina," he said, eyes locked into hers. "If that was your intention, you would have done it a long time ago."

Abruptly, he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head, almost as if he were lounging back on a bed of some sort. His eyes were no longer on her, but instead up where the sea met the surface.

Why'd you come back? Was it to listen to me sing again? Do you really think I'm that good? Hey, I'm in the sea again but you haven't killed me! What gives?

All questions he thought about asking, but he settled for none of them.

"I missed you too."

"You think I-" Raina scoffed, folding her arms over her chest and looking at him. "Oh, shut up. That's not-"

The mermaid could've easily come up with some kind of lie that would fool anyone, but Silas having spotted her last one about the inability to replicate mermaid magic had her doubting whether she could actually slip a different one past him.

"Fine," she said, pursing her lips briefly. "I had a theory about you, but it doesn't matter now. You can't stay like this or my sisters will catch on and you will die. Be it by my hand or one of theirs." Raina shook her head, looking over her shoulder. "This is the last time I'm coming to you, and I hope that you value your life enough not to come after me."

Silas decided to be brave.

Braver than brave, he thought. Perhaps just plain stupid.

With a furrowed brow and an amused smirk, he straightened up and met her eyes once more. "Pretty adorable how flustered you are right now," he teased as he swam closer to her. "I think I would rather risk death if it meant I would get to see you again, especially when you act like this."

Delicately, he placed his hands on the woman's forearms, a slight involuntary wince sneaking in and out of his face as he was sure she was about to smack him. "I'm curious," he said on his bravest day. "What's this theory?"

Raina felt her muscles tense at his touch. This was so far out of her comfort zone that she couldn't even see it in the distance. If they had been on land, his expectation would've been correct, but being under the water made a slap difficult to execute, at least one that she would've been proud of.

Instead, Raina backed away, looking at where he was holding her. She slid smoothly out of his grasp.

The mermaid took a breath, looking into his eyes and touching the necklace she was wearing. "Silas," she started quietly, eyes giving an unclear warning, "please, don't make me do it."

Silas ignored her plea, but stayed in his position. "All I'm saying is that you didn't just come back here because you have a theory about me," he replied with a hint of impatience. "If it didn't matter, you wouldn't have let me see you back at the tavern."

He sighed, or at least what amounted to a sigh while submerged under water, and shook his head. "You don't know what you really did to me," he said quietly, slowly drifting toward her again, though it would almost appear he was doing so absently. "To give me such a gift, let me experience it for a day, and then tell me I can never come back here. To the sea of all places! You do know what my profession is, right? And there's a lot of sea out there! Am I suppose to just give it all up because you want me to?"

There was another sigh, and he was in front of her again. "Do what you gotta do then."

Listening to him speak was almost like listening to the last words of someone about to die. The last speech about why he did what he did. She never saw it through his eyes, never wanted to. When she had given him a tail, her only thought was getting him out of her life, but it didn't occur to her that she had actually introduced him to a new world.

Raina shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said, her hand gently against his chest with her eyes searching him. "If you can't give up the sea, then fine, but I won't be responsible for you getting killed coming after me." The mermaid placed her hand over the aquamarine and whispered, "r'dyuik," cancelling out whatever magic she had sealed into the necklace he was wearing.

"Wait!"

At least, that's what he tried to say, but something was different. He could hear his own voice in his head, but he could tell it wasn't transferring over to Raina. Not only that, but he could feel his eyes starting to burn with salt.

Oh fuck.

Legs. He looked down to see his own legs, floating there a little less graceful than his tail would have. He shot his head back up to give Raina a hard glare. "Why did you do that?!" is what he wanted to say, and most likely his face already said for him. He peaked up at the surface, and then back to her, and then back to the surface again, and then back to her once more. His head was starting to thud - his body was telling him he needed oxygen.

He would need to breathe soon.

Wait.

He would need to breath soon.

Two can play this game.

Fighting through the obstacles that he was now presented with, he folded his over one another and continued to stare at Raina, this time almost smugly with a look that said it all.

He had no intention to surface.

Why are humans so stubborn? Raina thought to herself, watching Silas not make any move to swim ashore. She stayed where she was, waiting for the human survival instinct to kick in, but it seemed he was fighting his own instincts. But for what reason? Just to prove she wouldn't let him die?

The mermaid shook her head slowly. "Just swim up, you foolish bastard," she said to him. "Is proving a point really worth your life?"

His stillness despite the discomfort told her that he wasn't going to budge. Raina had seen people drown thousands of times, and it wasn't pretty. At that point, it was likely Silas' body had actually given up, though his mind might not have even consciously realized it. Even if he decided to swim up, the likelihood of him actually being able to were very slim.

Damn it, Raina thought with a grimace, swimming towards him. At that point, there wasn't time to enchant his necklace, or even help him to shore, so she really only had one other option if he was going to live.

She took hold of her own necklace, ripping it off with a wince and tying it in a fast knot behind his neck, deep blue eyes giving him a furious glare. "You're a fucking idiot."

Stubborn? Yes. Fucking idiot? Also yes, but Silas couldn't help but muster a triumphant smile as the woman came to his rescue. He would've been a little more done for than he would have liked to admit if she had waited five more seconds, and he had already lost strength in the short span that he decided to be a jackass.

Then the necklace was bound around his neck, and he breathed new life. He could feel his tail underneath his torso again, but more than that, he felt his strength return. His eyes became more focused under the salty sea and no longer burned. He could breathe again.

Despite the cocky attitude, the sailor was sure as shit happy the woman decided to act against her better judgement.

"I knew you cared," he said as a soft, playful smile crept into his lips.

"Just because I don't want to watch you die doesn't mean-" She looked at the man, releasing a breath, knowing that he wasn't going to buy it either way.

Now that he was able to breathe, Raina found herself with the sudden urge to stop his heart. Humans.

The mermaid turned her back to Silas, sliding forward slightly and sweeping her hair away from her face. Raina turned back around, folding her arms and glaring at him. "Why?" She asked. "Why won't you just go? You'd be perfectly fucking fine if you never saw me again, so why would you do a stupid thing like that?"

Silas smiled before circling around her, swimming gently on his side. "Why does any man do something stupid?" he asked after making a full lap around her. "For a woman, of course. To impress her, or show her that he's capable or that he cares. C'mon, do you think I'd let myself drown for just anybody?"

He stopped and a slight exhale escaped his lips. "Why?" he repeated her question. "Why did you come back? Why haven't you killed me yet? You would be perfectly fine, if not better off, without me.. so why do you keep saving my life?"

"I told you," she said, momentarily clenching her jaw. "Apparently, I don't want to see you die. At the very least, I don't want to be responsible for you dying. That was the original plan, but..." Raina simply shook her head. "Plans change."

The girl ignored the circle he made around her, as she refused to let him think a small move of power like that had any effect on her.

Instead, she reached towards the disenchanted necklace, breathing new magic into the charm. "There," she said, extending her hand. "Your necklace is magical again. I want the other one back now."

"No."

He shot her a quick grin and a small wave before darting up to the surface. "I think I'll keep it for now," was his reply before shooting out of the water and up into the air. He was just close enough to the docks to pull it off, thank gods, transforming back into human form while suspended in air. He managed to not only land on the dock, but by some sort of miraculous luck he also landed on both of his feet before quickly flinging himself forward in a mad dash back into the heart of Cerenis.

There was no time to look back to see if she was in pursuit, but he was sure of himself that she would be. At least he hoped that she would be, so he continued to run - one boot, no shirt, and all.

He's an overgrown ten-year-old, the mermaid thought, rolling her eyes.

She secured the other charm around her neck, then swam to the surface, lifting herself slightly out of the water with a smooth transformation. Raina landed gracefully on the water's surface, walking over the small waves past the docks to the shore. She waved her arm overhead without even glancing up and a strong wind began to pick up, making the rooftops rattle and a few benches overturn.

Watching his retreating back, Raina smirked. The only effect the hurricane-like winds had on her was making her fiery hair whip around, but she would certainly be the only one to completely resist her own magic.

"I just want the necklace back!" The mermaid called after him, not stopping, but not giving him the satisfaction of a real chase.

Where did all of this wind come from?

He finally gave in and peered over his shoulder while he ran, barely spotting her off in the distance. Well, she didn't seem to be in any hurry. So much for that.

His neck whipped back around to face forward just in time to come face to face with the outside wall of a building. He was able to awkwardly lean back just enough to avoid cracking his skull open, but his chest and arms slapped the brick before he toppled backward and onto his ass.

Shit!

The roof of the building he was now under was rattling out of control, and the wind was blowing his hair in every which direction to the point to where it was becoming increasingly hard to see anything. Damn this stupid weather! What an inconvenient time for a storm to decide to show up and ruin all of his fun.

It wasn't until after he got to his feet and dusted himself off when realization sunk into his face. "Of course..." he muttered to himself.

It was her the entire time. Why hadn't he thought about that before? How could he have been so fucking stupid to not realize what she had done back on the island? Like he could have actually been so lucky for rain, the primary reason for his survival, to come through half-way through his trial. He sighed, shook his head, and turned to walk in her direction.

"If you detest me so much," he called out as he approached, "then why have you saved me not twice, but three times now?"

As he started to approach her, Raina waved her hand, as though sweeping the weather behind her. All became calm once more, and eyes appeared and vanished in windows to see what had happened without any questions answered.

It would've been easier than a shrug to act like she didn't know what he was talking about, but the look of certainty the man wore was more than enough for her to know he wasn't going to budge.

"I don't detest you," she said. "And I didn't save you on the island, Silas. Your song did." Raina shrugged slightly, glancing briefly at the ground. "I've killed thousands of people, singing for their deaths, but your music... It was different, and I hadn't heard music used for anything but darkness before then."

She folded her arms, right hand slowly rubbing her upper left arm, almost like she was rubbing away a phantom chill.

"...My song?"

He said that mostly to himself as he continued to walk into her direction, his arms folded over one another and eyes soft in thought. That's right, he thought. He did sing a song back on the island.. when he was sure that he wouldn't wake up the next day. He had almost forgotten.

As he reached her, his eyes lit up and his arms separated and widened as if he were about to hug her. "Raina!" he said excitedly. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me! I didn't know you were listening!"

His grin was broad and cheesy, and he removed the necklace from around his neck and cupped it in the palm of his hand. "Okay," he said with a heavy breath. "If it's what you want, I'll stay away from you and the rest of your territory, but only because you're kind of my favorite person."

He gave her a sly wink and tossed the necklace delicately into the air. "Catch."

The mermaid caught the necklace, turning the jewel over in her hands with a slight smile. "I'm not a person," she said, looking up at him and securing the charm around her neck. She removed the other necklace, tossing it to him.

Raina stepped forward, touching the necklace again. She looked at the messy state he was in and smirked, shaking her head.

"Do us both a favor," she said softly, taking his hand. The mermaid closed her eyes, gently kissing the back of his hand. She released his hand and looked up at him. "Forget me." With that, Raina turned away from him to start back towards the ocean.

Favorite mermaid, then, he thought as he absently caught the necklace.

He was surprised. He wasn't expecting her kiss on his hand, and though the surprise was a pleasant one, it caught him off guard and did something to him that didn't happen often: left him speechless. "I.." he stumbled on a breathy word as the woman walked away from him.

His face was hot. Maybe he was a little embarrassed, or a little flustered, or a little shy, or a little mad. He couldn't really tell, and he didn't really care. "Sorry. No can do," he finally said before taking a brisk step after her. "You can ask me to leave you alone but you can't ask me to forget you. That's insane."

Raina stopped, listening without turning around. She wasn't sure what else she could say. Of course he would forget her: it would take some time, sure, but the human memory won't hold onto someone forever.

Telling him to fuck off definitely would've been smart, and keeping both necklaces would've given her pretty solid insurance, but something fought her doing either of those things. It was easier to tell him to just wipe her from his mind, rather than tell him he couldn't see her again.

When he finished, Raina turned just barely, looking mostly over her left shoulder at him. "What do you want from me?" She asked softly.

She's going to fucking kill me.

That's all Silas could think about as he looked at the woman. Every movement she made caused his heart to race further. His palms were almost sweaty and his mouth was starting to dry. Why? Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? He never got nervous! Yet, now his heart pounded and thundered through his chest to the point to where he felt like he couldn't breathe. It was almost worse than drowning!

'She's going to fucking kill me,' he thought again as he absently stepped closer to her. He didn't even quite process what the woman had just asked him, though it was pretty obvious by her stance.

"I just want to try one thing before you go," he managed to say, shakily stepping in front of her.

'She's going to fucking kill me.'

'I don't care if she does.'

Without warning, Silas leaned forward and pressed his lips onto hers, wrapping an arm around her waist and placing his fingertips gently on the lower section of her back.

Raina felt her heart racing against her chest, and the wave of emotions was greater than any flood she had ever caused. Fuck it, she thought to herself. Her arm wrapped around his neck, while her hand was just at the nape of his neck. She took a breath, pressing slightly closer into his body.

There had been several times that she had to kiss - or almost kiss - a man to get him into the water, but this was the first time that there was some kind of effect on her. It was a warmth that she didn't want to let go of.

She pulled away from him, her fingers touching her bottom lip with a look of confusion and slightly regretful hesitance evident on her face. Her eyes closed, and she quickly wiped her hand on her cheek, hopefully hiding a stray tear.

Raina looked at the man standing in front of her, shaking her head slowly. "I have to go," she barely breathed, moving to hurry past him.

Wow.

That was fucking incredible. Silas stood there delightfully dazed after she pulled away from him. He really didn't know what came over him, what possessed him to do that, but he was so glad that he did.

His hand had subconsciously traced her cheek, moving hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear just in time to see her wipe away the tear. "Raina," he started to say, but then she had moved away from him. Go? Where was she going? His heart immediately dropped and his mind raced with the thought that he had just done something wrong. "W-Wait, don't go!"

He stepped after her, reaching out to grab her by the hand. "Will I see you again, at least?"

When he grabbed her hand, the girl stopped and looked from their hands to his eyes. His question was one that she couldn't even think about at that moment. Confused and feeling more lost than ever before, Raina just wanted to get back to normal.

Whatever that was now...

She parted her lips to speak, but wasn't even sure what she planned to say. Raina pursed her lips together and slowly pulled her hand out of his. There was no verbal response, nor the slightest hint of preference displayed by her body language. She looked away from him and took a few steps backwards, before turning with a light jog towards the docks.

Raina stopped at the beginning of the dock, looking back at Silas. Once again, she found herself at a loss for words. Despite wanting to see him again, there was no way she would make that guarantee when the likelihood was against it. Instead, she leapt into a sprint down the dock and dove off the end of it.

Silas didn't fight it. He felt her hand slip from his own and he watched her with soft eyes as she backed away and turned to flee back to the water.

What just happened exactly? She didn't say a fucking word, she just... left. He could still taste her lips on his own, and he could still feel her touch on the back of his neck. At least, that's what it felt like. He probably should have said something, but he didn't. Not at first.

Instead he walked toward the docks the woman had made her way for. His heart was still racing yet he was somehow calm at the same time, and his pace to the docks was slow. "Raina," he tried to communicate telepathically after seeing her dive under the ocean's surface.

He wouldn't go after her this time.

He knew they would see each other again soon.

Almost two weeks had passed since the night she had last seen Silas. It was strange to be in the life she considered to be normal and not feel right. It was late morning, and she swam towards the beach where she had first encountered the man. Everything looked much different under the water; held a more mysterious energy.

Raina stopped when she saw the ship. She hadn't been back there since she took the necklace from one of the cabins, so she had actually forgotten the vessel was there... Forgotten about her promise...

'If you can survive for one week, all seven days, I'll personally bring you to the mainland and even restore your ship.'

Though part of her was almost glad to have an excuse to see him again, the logical part of her looked at her tail, remembering just what their situation was. They were from two different worlds, and that wasn't just something to forget. Either way, a promise was a promise...

Despite being underwater, the ship really wasn't all that damaged. Even if some repairs had to be made, she would float. The mermaid outstretched her hand towards the boat, water swirling around it and breaking it free from the sea floor, up to the surface.

Raina followed it quickly, lifting herself to the surface and catching onto one of the ropes as the ship turned upright. She smirked and swung onto the floor, landing smoothly and making her way to the crows nest as the ship emptied of water. She held onto the mast, standing on the edges of the wooden rails with the salty breeze blowing through her hair.

A strong wind picked up, catching the ship and pushing her towards the Serenian docks. It didn't matter that the mermaid had never sailed in her life. Why would she direct the sails when she controlled the wind?

Almost two weeks since he last saw Raina, and not once was he able to take his mind off of her. Truth be told, he didn't expect to see her again, but he wasn't upset about it. He was happy. Happy to have known her in the short time, in that quick whirlwind of events, and it kept a smile on his face every day since that night on the docks.

Sure, she originally aimed to kill him, but instead she saved him. More than once. Why? Well, certainly she had grown a little sweet on him.. or maybe, it was just his imagination, and the affection only went one way. But she did kiss back, and that kiss meant the world to him. It sounded silly, playing it back in his head over and over again, because it was just a little kiss.. but it was the last thing he thought about before falling asleep at night, and the first thing he remembered when waking up the next day.

Something happens to a man when he is gifted such bliss, and Silas carried that euphoric sensation on his shoulders and in his face. He felt happy and content, and talked and walked in confident stride to the point to where other women around Cerenis were beginning to notice.

It happened gradually, but Silas had become rather... popular with the fairer kind. However, he wasn't sure why. He never had such luck in the past, but he'd be lying if he said the positive attention wasn't a nice feeling.

He resisted for a while, but try as he might, he couldn't keep turning down the company of a nice young woman when the likelihood of him seeing Raina again were slim to none. So, on this day, he found himself on a date. He and a lovely young lady sat on a bench near the docks, exchanging pleasantries and laughs for an hour or so, despite the man's thoughts being elsewhere.

The docks approached, ships anchored in the harbor with smaller boats tied off. There were several men partially in the water with a few women on the shore holding baskets and buckets that were probably filled with the morning's catch.

The salty air, sounds of laughter, wind at her back... That was definitely the kind of life Raina could see herself getting used to. She'd never sailed before, but that was a damn good first experience.

As she drew closer, only one person - rather two people - caught her eye.

Silas was sitting on a bench near the docks with a brunette in a sundress. Well, that certainly wasn't what Raina had expected to see upon her arrival. She narrowed her eyes, jumping down to the floor and releasing the ship's anchor with a loud splash into the water.

"I make good on my promises," Raina said telepathically.

She grabbed hold of a rope and leapt off the side of the ship, sliding gently when she touched the ocean's surface. The girl walked gracefully over the water towards the docks, drawing quite a few eyes as she did so. That was the point, after all.

Raina stepped easily onto the dock, walking closer to Silas without acknowledging the girl next to him. She folded her arms over her chest, a smirk tugging at her lips. "I think I'll take you up on that dinner offer."

I make good on my promises.

The huge smile on his face had nothing to do with Myra, the pretty young thing who kept him company by the docks, but everything to do with the voice that just cut through his mind. He jerked his head toward the sea to see the approaching ship, his ship, and her. Seeing his ship fully restored was one thing as he had completely forgotten that part of the deal, but seeing Raina walking through the water to get to him was what really mattered.

She looked just as beautiful as he remembered. It had only been two weeks, but it felt like they were reuniting after a lifetime of waiting.

Eyes wide and beaming from ear to ear, he stood to meet her eye level. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Silas, what is this?" Myra asked, growing hot in the face.

Silas barely managed to acknowledge his date's question, merely waving his hand absently as he locked gaze with Raina. "Sorry," he said in a murmur. "Something just came up."

His dismissal of his date was the ideal response, and Raina simply gave the other girl a slightly victorious look out of the corner of her eye. She looked back to him and reached out, sliding her hand down his wrist and lacing her fingers between his.

She nodded towards town and started that way. The mermaid flicking her left hand behind her, making a small spout of water leap up to saturate the other girl. A different smirk crossed her lips, knowing what she did without needing to turn around.

"She was cute," Raina said, glancing up at Silas. "Didn't think she was your type, though."

That's funny.

The man could've sworn he heard someone shriek behind him and then start yelling out his name, but it must have been his imagination. Raina had actually made the first move - accepted his offer and was now holding his hand as they started off into the heart of the city. "She's not," he replied with a warm smile.

He wasn't lying. Myra really wasn't his type. Hells, he never knew he had a type at all until he met Raina.

Calm down, he said to himself as they stepped together, trying to keep at least some composure despite his growing excitement. "So what changed your mind?"

"She did," Raina said, not bothering to hide her grin. "She seemed annoying, so I figured you needed me to save you again."

It was obvious that he wouldn't believe that little excuse, but she never actually intended on passing it off as a real reason. Still, she let a moment of silence pass before shaking her head.

"Okay, fine, I'm lying. I came to return your ship. It was going to be nothing; just leave the ship in the harbor and be gone, but I saw you on the dock and I guess..." Looking up at him briefly, she gave a small - almost coy - shrug. "...I missed you."

There it was.

The moment Silas had been unknowingly waiting for. Truly, he never expected to see her again; but then he did, and now here they were, and then she said that! Fuck. Yes. He looked down at her with a bright smile before wrapping his arm around to her back and pulling her into his chest. "I know," he whispered (and feeling like quite the bad ass in the process) before dipping his neck down and kissing her lips.

The kiss was short lived, as he quickly slipped his hand out of hers and used that arm to scoop her up from under her legs. "Right then," he said proudly, his wraps tightly wrapped under her legs and back to carry her in a rather lovingly way. "Dinner awaits."

The girl grinned when he kissed her, but it was quickly wiped away when he shifted their positions!

Ironic that a mermaid would prefer to have her feet on the ground, but Raina felt her chest tighten as Silas lifted her into the air. She wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively, glancing at the ground.

"If you don't put me down right now," she whispered into his ear, "I can ensure you won't be able to make it to the building."

Raina put one hand on the nape of his neck, gradually heating the water in his body just enough for him to feel what she was doing.

Oh shit!

"Yes ma'am!" he said, gently - but also rather quickly - placing her back onto the ground. He let out a large exhale and scratched the back of his head, his grin sheepish and a little fearful. "S-Sorry about that. I'm just so happy to see you, is all."

Silas hoped that would be enough for her to move past that little incident. He needed to remember just exactly who he was dealing with. She was definitely not just any other woman, and he best not mess it up.

His eyes kind of trailed to the ground, mimicking the appearance of a stray puppy who just got in trouble as he awaited her response.

Firmly on the ground again, she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Raina saw guilty pup look Silas was giving and rolled her eyes a bit, pursing her lips.

She glanced down and smirked. "Come on," she said softly. "You're supposed to be leading me. I don't know where we're going."

It wasn't a verbal acceptance, but she wasn't really good at that stuff yet. Instead, Raina simply extended her hand to him with a small smile.

His smile returned and he slid his fingers through her own, cupping her hand in a gentle but secure hold. "Right this way, ma'am," he said before tugging her along.

Would it be appropriate to take her to a tavern for a meal? Not only that, but the very same tavern she saw him perform at a couple of weeks ago? It would be a very Silas thing to do, as his comrades of the sea often would say, and so he decided yes. Why not? It is a great little spot - the food isn't half bad and the music there was always nice to listen to regardless of the performer.

"I have a great place in mind," he said through an excited breath. "I know you'll like it!"

The man led her towards a little tavern, and she instantly recognized it as the one in which she heard him sing. It was a nice place, though she didn't have anything to really compare it to! Though human food was a guilty pleasure, Raina hadn't made a habit of frequenting local taverns or inns.

As they approached, a small grin grew on her lips, knowing what he was doing without needing to voice it.

It wasn't as crowded as it had been the other night, though there were a few familiar faces from her prior appearance. She supposed it was because of the time of day: taverns typically started to fill after the sun started to set, so they had a few hours before everyone piled in. Good thing too, as Raina really wasn't looking forward to being surrounded by people.

"Is this the only place you know in town?" She prodded with a slightly conceded smirk.

Silas began to chuckle before she could even finish her question. "You caught me," he replied playfully. "It's not the only place I know, but it's the best."

He slipped out of her hand right before they were just outside of the building and took a couple of quick steps to get in front of her. He turned to face her with a quick grin. Obviously he was going to have to hold the door open for her. Even if he was technically taking her to a tavern, a place where drunks often frequented, didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to be a gentleman. "Right this way m'lady," he said as he held the door. "I'll find us a table in the back so we can have a bit more privacy."

He winked, deciding to tease. "If too many people see you with me, it may ruin your reputation."

"My rep-" She stopped herself, wiping the momentary confusion from her face. "Right."

She walked to the back of the room, making eye contact with one of the barmaids. Raina was flattered by his opening the door for her, though she wasn't really sure what the purpose of it was. Human etiquette was a foreign concept, so she just decided to accept the action with a small smile.

As they made it to the table, she tapped her fingers briefly on the wood. "So, I'm going to let you order," Raina said, biting her bottom lip in a grin. "I've never had any alcoholic drink, and I'm assuming it would be strange to ask for water with salt?"

Silas smiled gently as he took his seat. He didn't say anything at first, and instead slid his hands over the wooden table until they were on top of hers.

"What are we drinking?" the barmaid's voice interrupted, returning Silas's heartbeat to a steady pace for the moment.

"Wine," he said simply, a smirk tugging at his lips as his eyes stayed on Raina. "Red wine."

"You got it," was her response before she shuffled away to fetch their order.

"You'll love it," Silas said softly, tracing the tip of his forefinger in a slow circular motion around the back of her hand. "If you don't, you can always order water.. though, I'm afraid 'water with salt' may not garner the best response."

The mermaid smirked, turning her hand over with her fingertips touching the bottom of his wrist. She looked slightly up at him, casting a subtle shadow over her eyes without releasing his own from her gaze.

"I'll take your word for it," she said, her voice low.

Raina crossed her legs, delicately sliding her foot inside of his leg. Her hand stayed where it was beneath his own, though she didn't feel the need to still hold an intense stare. She wanted to know just who she was really dealing with then.

"What are you going to tell your shipmates?" She asked. "Surely you've already told them that the ships was wrecked, so how do you plan on explaining this miraculous recovery?"

How delightful it was to feel one of Raina's perfect legs slip into the middle of his own. It was enough to send a tingling sensation to his scalp and then down through his spine. The smile he wore remained playful and grew more satisfied as she flipped her hand over, and his once circling forefinger began moving in and out in correlation with his thumb.

"Well.. That is something to explain, isn't it?" he asked just before the woman placed two glasses of a dark crimson-colored wine onto the table. Instead of addressing her, Silas just peered up for a moment and gave her a little nod of thanks before returning his attention to Raina. "Maybe I won't," he said before taking a sip of the beverage, his eyes involuntarily closing as he appreciated the warm sweet taste trickling down the back of his throat. "I'm leaving the crew soon anyway. Maybe I'll just let them discover it themselves."

Delicately and without breaking contact, he slid the other glass a little closer to his company. "And you? I assume no one knows you are here right now."

There was no hiding her satisfaction at the effect on him brought on by her simply touching his leg. Her fingers on his wrists were subtly feeling his pulse, and she smirked when his heart sped slightly at the touch.

When the woman brought over the wine, Raina smiled politely, removing her hand from underneath Silas' and traced her finger lightly around the rim of the glass. "Of course no one knows," she said. "If someone knew, you would have already been dead and I would be forbidden from going back to my clan."

That was a question she hadn't really thought about in this decision. How was she going to go back? The others wouldn't take lightly to anything that had happened so far that day.

"Why would you leave your crew?" Raina asked, brows furrowing briefly. "You made an entire speech about being able to travel the seas, and now you're saying you're finished?"

Silas chuckled a bit while his lips rested on the rim of his glass. He took another sip and placed it on the wooden surface between them. "You asked me to," he said simply, his eyes drifting up in thought. "Besides, after what you showed me, nothing else can really compare. If I go back to just the daily life of a sailor.. well that would just be me being cruel to myself."

He took another sip of the wine, and each sip he took added another layer of glee to his already giddy smile. Placing it back down on the table, he eyed her still full glass and then his own. Perhaps he should slow down just a bit to save himself for any potential embarrassment.

"And I don't want to die," he said after another moment. "But I don't want you to be banished either.. So where does that leave us?"

Good question, the mermaid thought to herself.

She wasn't really sure what would come next, especially since their next move, whatever it was going to be, would turn into a potentially life-changing decision. The choice was to either resume their old lives and never see each other again, or stay together and throw the past away for an uncertain future.

Raina took a sip of the wine, placing the glass back down on the table. "I suppose that leaves us at dinner," she said simply.

"Right," he said as he took another sip, or rather half-sip, of wine. Placing the glass back on the table he eyed it for a moment. Empty. Peering up, he quickly motioned for the barmaid to bring him another. "No use dwelling on all of that right now. May as well enjoy ourselves while we are here."

The server placed the glass on the table quicker than Silas anticipated, and he was taking another sip before he even realized. Gods, he really loved a good glass of red wine.

With that, he decided a toast was in order. "To dinner," he said simply, raising his glass.

Raina lifted her glass, meeting his in the air, then took a small sip, while Silas was already on his second. She wasn't sure what the drinking habits of humans were, but the mermaid knew that she wasn't interested in consuming too much of the fruity liquid. Seeing so many sailors wasted on like drinks was enough to put anyone off.

"What would you do, then?" Raina asked, again running her finger along the glass rim. "If you were going to give up life at sea, would you then take on the position of town fool?"

Of course it was a joke, but she was actually curious where his ambitions lay if not on the open ocean.

Silas opened his mouth to answer her question when he was interrupted by the sudden applause of the rest of the tavern patrons. His eyes left her and scanned the room until he found the source of said applause: a bard, or fellow musician as the soon-to-be ex-sailor referred them as, had just taken the stage with guitar in hand.

He quickly took a small sip of his wine over their toast and placed it back onto the table before contributing with his own light clap. "Haven't really thought about it," he finally said, giving her his attention once more. "Maybe I'll just follow you around until you get tired of me. Who knows."

His grin was almost devious as his eyes darted between her and the bard, a plan brewing in his mind.

The applause startled her momentarily, as there had been no warning beforehand, but it passed just as quickly. "Seems I'll never be rid of you," Raina said, smirking at him slightly.

When a look that only could only have been interpreted as devious started to spread across his face, the mermaid easily put two and two together. She wasn't going to stop him, but his intentions weren't exactly locked away.

"A lively tune?" She asked, raising her brow with tight lips. "Or a ballad like our last night here? Choices, choices." Raina smirked at him, cocking her head slightly to the left. "You should know you're transparent while under the influence."

"Psh, no I'm not," he grinned and waved her observation off. Sure, she was pretty sharp to pick up on that so quickly, but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of confirming that she was one-hundred percent correct. Where would be the fun in that?

"And I have no idea what you are talking about," he blatantly lied, tracing the rim of his glass.

Perhaps it was because he was on his second glass of wine and he could already feel its wonderful affects dance on his lips, or perhaps he felt the idle conversation called for the need to be bold. Perhaps both. Regardless, Silas dropped an arm under the table, suddenly but slyly, and slowly traced his fingertips up her leg until they reached her knee.

"You can order any time you want," he said softly. "I'm not hungry for food." 

Raina glanced down at the table, almost as though she was looking through the wood, when his hand slid onto her knee. She felt her breathing intensify for a moment before she was able to get it back under control.

"Tell me, Silas," Raina said, matching his volume with an alluring tone similar to that which existed beneath her siren song. She slipped her hand beneath the table and placed it over his, gently guiding him towards the inside of her leg. "What is it you hunger for?"

The urge to look around to see if anyone was watching them was pretty strong, but Silas resisted. One of the benefits of a corner table in the back, the man concluded. He willingly accepted her hand guiding his own, and moved further between her legs to the point to where he was starting to hunch over the table. He could feel his heartbeat thud and pick up tempo like the drums that would lead an army into battle, and then-

"You folks want something to eat tonight?"

Silas smoothly (in his mind) leaned back into his chair and brought his arm back into his lap. He eyed the barmaid for a moment before forming a small smile. "She might," he said, nodding at Raina. "I, on the other hand, have somewhat of a weak bladder. Please excuse me for a moment."

With that, he took his glass and turned it upside down, finishing off his second glass of the night before standing from his chair and making his way to the back.

She didn't say anything, but smirked as soon as the man stood up. "I'm fine, thank you," Raina said, glancing knowingly to the barmaid as Silas left the building.

Taking another sip of the wine, Raina placed the glass on the table and stood up, making her way towards the bar counter. She sat down on a stool in front of the counter, humming an altered version of her hypnotic melody to the man behind the counter. It wouldn't make him kill himself or anything, but he did pay for their drinks!

The mermaid smirked, touching him gently on the hand without saying a word to him. It's almost too easy, Raina thought to herself, as she made her way back to her seat. She sat sideways on the chair that time, glancing at the pining barkeep with a satisfied grin on her face.

Silas didn't have a weak bladder whatsoever.

By the luck of the Gods, he was able to pull off somewhat of a miraculous feat. Thankfully, he knew the bard that had been performing that night, and gave him the "I'm on a date and I need your guitar" signal as he made his way to the separate entrance/exit in the back of the tavern. Thank gods there were two different entrances to his favorite tavern or he may not have have been able to pull it off.

He was less sneaky than he thought he was, but Raina seemed to be entertaining herself with the barkeep which was enough for him to accomplish his secret task (haven completely forgotten about her calling him out earlier).

Now outside and guitar in hand, he circled around the tavern, "borrowing" a shot of some sort of liquor from one of the patrons outside along the way for confidence and good measure.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said as he met her back at the table. "I believe you requested a handsome man to sing you a song."

Instead of taking the stage, he took a knee in front of her seat and began to strum and sing, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kX1FIsI8o) and for the time, all eyes in the bar were on them.

A feeling she couldn't hope to describe settling over her, as Raina watched Silas kneel in front of her with a guitar in hand. She looked away for a moment with her fingers doing a poor job of covering her smile. Looking around the room, she saw the smitten barkeep, the attentive crowd, including a bard who seemed to have the biggest smirk, and the barmaids who were whispering with smiles.

She brought her eyes back to Silas, and though she kept herself collected on the outside, she was internally giddy no one had actually sang to her before. "You're insane," Raina said to him telepathically.

As his song would come to an end, everyone - obviously - applauded the performance, and the mermaid knelt in front of him. She wasn't entirely sure what to say, simply leaning forward, touching her lips gently to his with a grin.

This is the best day of my life.

When Silas woke up that morning, he had no idea that the day would turn out this good. The day started out just like any other morning, especially as of late: Got out of bed, cleaned up, got dressed, and prepared for his date with Myra while Raina was the only thing on his mind. He never expected to see her again, yet here he was locking lips with the mesmerizing woman in his favorite local tavern - in front of everyone, at that.

He had never felt like such a stud before.

When the two connected, he involuntarily closed his eyes, enjoying the moment as if they were completely alone. Even through the light applause, he could hear the sound of their lips breaking away from one another. It was fucking incredible.

"Still want that dinner?" he whispered with a tipsy smile. "Or do you want to get out of here?"

Though Serendipity wasn't really a place where many public affections were seen as proper, a seaside tavern full of drunken sailors probably wasn't capable of giving even half a shit.

"How about you give the bard his guitar back?" Raina started, raising her brow with a smirk. "Then, let's get out of here. Drinks are on the barkeep. Besides..." The girl took his hand and locked eyes with him, bringing his hand gently towards the inside of her thigh once more and leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "You have to finish what you start."

Guitar? What guitar?

Oh.

The guitar. The guitar that he was currently still holding by the neck in the grip of his right hand. He had almost forgot. Apparently all it took was a kiss and quick distraction from Raina for Silas to throw all logic and sense out of the window, and he really wouldn't have it any other way.

The thoughts whirling around in his head were probably apparent as he sat there mouth slight agape and eyes eager at the woman's response. "Right," he finally said, clearing his throat in the process. "I'll be right back."

Silas' return of the guitar may be one of the quickest actions he had ever done.

Raina smiled, lips tight, as she stood up and turned with a fluid swish of her energetic skirt. Glancing over at the barkeep, she winked at him, which instantly made his entire face go red and his coordination disappear.

Silas couldn't have been faster if he had thrown the guitar to the man on stage, so Raina had no problem starting for the door. Her smirk never left, though it had turned into one for herself. She enjoyed the little power trip it gave her to see people practically falling over themselves for her... Even more so since Silas was immune to her seduction magic. It was fun the old fashioned way!

"I showed you my home," she said over her shoulder, making sure he was following her out of the tavern. "Take me to yours."

"Yes ma'am!"

Silas was grinning from ear to ear as he followed her out of the tavern. He picked up his speed so he could take the least, or at least just enough to match her stride and slip his fingers into hers as he stepped next to her.

He couldn't tell if his heart was skipping beats, going double-time, or was just not functioning at all. It didn't really matter, and he didn't really care. He had orders, after all.

"This way," he said with a sly grin as he tugged her along the corner path.

Silas' fingers between her own was a warm feeling, secure and safe if nothing else. It was an unusual sensation that the mermaid had never experienced before. The thought that one person - one human, at that - would be able to bring on the simultaneous feelings of security and rebellion would've been something she had scoffed at before then.

It wasn't such a long walk, as Cerenis wasn't the biggest place. As it was with most houses they passed in the area, Raina saw the home lifted a bit off of the ground, which she assumed was for flooding, though that wasn't exactly something she ever had to worry about.

As they approached, Raina allowed him to step forward to unlock the door and slipped her hand out of his, replacing it with the curve of her hip while she shifted behind him. She put her hands gently on his shoulders and leaned forward slightly, blowing lightly behind his ear with her lips almost touching his neck.

Click.

The door unlocked and then swung open. It wasn't much, but it was home. There were not really any rooms in the small building as opposed to it just being a giant, open-concept style room in which the kitchen area with an old wooden dining table resided on the left-side and his bed on the right side. Normally he might be a little embarrassed, bringing a divine woman such as Raina to a place like this, but the increasing tempo of his heartbeat and the tingling sensation running up his leg made him quick to dismiss any thoughts like that.

It wasn't but a moment after they entered that he slung the door closed and lightly pushed her up against it. Cupping her face with open hands, he ducked his head down just enough for their lips to meet, and his left hand remained while his right slowly slipped down her body until his fingers curled around her waist.

Taken slightly by surprise at his sudden move, the girl smiled into the kiss. She slid her hands down his chest and lightly gripped at the top of his hips, pulling him closer to her.

If someone had told her that was what she was going to be doing...well, ever...it would've been reasonable cause for drowning at the sheer absurdity. Now, she felt herself at the mercy of her own human desires, dominating her sensible side.

Her heart raced and breath intensified at his touch, unfamiliar and welcoming, as a chill ran down her back. She parted her lips just slightly, letting the tip of her tongue play at his bottom lip.

Hallelujah.

It definitely wasn't the day he was expecting, but it was absolutely the day he had been hoping for for weeks now. His tongue met hers for a brief moment before he broke away, sinking his face into her neck and caressing her skin with his lips and both hands now began to explore the rest of her body.

"Never thought I'd be so happy to get shipwrecked," he teased between pecks, grabbing her right leg from the bottom and hiking it up and around his waist.

A breath that was both amused and faintly piqued managed to escape her. She wrapped her leg around him and bit her lip gently with her eyes closed.

"Do yourself a favor," she whispered. "Stop talking."

She pressed her hips into his, swiftly waving her hand over her left leg to make her skirt fade away.

Her skirt vanishing didn't delay his actions in the slightest, though his eyes perked up just a bit. He proceeded to wrap his arm around to her back, letting his fingertips fall and squeeze at her rear before giving her another hungry kiss. His lips then traveled to her cheek for a moment or two before finding her ear, giving it a gentle nibble before whispering a breathy 'You don't give the orders here.'

Without warning, he grabbed at her hips and spun her around to face away from him before running his hand through her hair and lightly pulling her head back to continue his lips around her neck and ear.

She released slight gasp at the unexpected action, covering it smoothly with a soft chuckle. If he wanted to delude himself into believing he was in charge, she saw no reason to take that away from him!

Though his breath was hot against her skin, she felt chills spread through her body in continuous waves. Her hands pressed against the door, while her back arched to further the connection between the two of them.

Her chuckle brought out a little laugh of his own, but it was soon replaced with a low, hungry growl before he cupped her chin with his fingers and connected their lips once more. The sound of her skin echoed lightly off the wall as the man gave her ass a playful but commanding slap.

Backing off a few steps, he slipped his shirt off from over his head and tossed it aside before pointing to the bed. "You. Bed. Now."

She smirked, biting her bottom lip and speaking in a seductively daring tone. "Make me."

Silas' eagerness was apparent in his grin as he looked her up and down. "Okay. Just remember you asked for this."

Before she had time to react, he swooped in and picked her up. Unlike before, this time he hauled her over his shoulders and walked over to his bed before dropping her onto the soft surface. "I'd suggest you remove the rest of your clothes if you don't want me to rip them off," he said as he kicked off his boots and started to remove his pants.

There wasn't time for her to get anxious about being picked up before she was met with a surprisingly light surface. She'd never actually been in a bed before... It was more comfortable than she had thought.

Watching him start to remove his pants, another smirk crept onto her lips. Raina sat on her feet with her legs parted. She locked eyes with the man and ran one finger down the center of her body, starting at the neckline of her bodysuit. The clothing opened smoothly, falling off of her body as she traced downward, exposing her shoulders, breasts, and curves, stopping just below her waist.

"You finish," she said softly.

Holy shit.

Silas mouth sat agape for a moment at the woman's reveal of her body. It was perfection if he had ever seen it. His pants could wait, he thought, as he dropped to his knees and obliged. Gripping the sides of her bodysuit, he began to pull them down her legs, helping slide the openings past her ankles to reveal all of her.

She was truly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Oh my gods," he mumbled mindlessly before dropping his face in between her knees and slowly traveling up her inner thighs.

Raina smiled at his reaction, propped on her elbows as he obliged her request. "Goddess, darling," she said with a smirk, her heart racing again at his touch.

A slight feeling of confusion at his actions settled over her, but it went as quickly as it had come. In this area, she had absolutely no physical experience, but it was an area that came pretty naturally.

She felt a shudder run through her briefly. His hands almost felt cold, which made her realize just how warm her own skin was.

Her skin was so warm, so soft, so perfect to the touch and her legs felt so good suctioning his cheeks as he slid his face further to the point to where he couldn't stand it. He wrapped both arms under and around her legs respectively, pulling her body closer before pleasuring her with his mouth.

But wait! She was still propped up on her elbows. That just wouldn't do. He allowed one of his arms to slip away from its grasp on her leg and moved his arm up her torso until a hand was at her breasts. He never looked up or broke physical contact, but he lightly pushed down on her chest to guide her full back to the bed's surface.

Fully reclined, she caught his hand, lacing her fingers between his. She squeezed her eyes shut as he played with her body, arching her back at the new sensations crashing over her. "Fuck," she breathed slowly.

Her legs trembled slightly, and she gently tightened her hand in his own.

"Kiss me," she whispered. Though her voice was steady, it was almost a plea to let her body relax for just a moment.

He continued for several moments before peering up at her with a satisfied grin. "Yes ma'am," he said softly before climbing his way up the bed. He let a hand drop to the rim of his pants, pushing them as he made his way on top of her so they would slide down his legs in one solid motion.

Propping himself up and over her with his elbows on each side of her neck, he dipped down and placed his lips onto hers.

She ran her hands gently from his arms towards his hips, gripping him as though she were pulling him closer, inviting him inside.

Her legs bent outside of his own, and she lifted her hips just barely, slowly moving against him, skin to skin. She breathed in the kiss, not wanting to let go for even a moment.

Now propping himself over her with one arm, he let his other hand trace from her neck to her stomach until he positioned himself to enter her.

Oh fuck yes.

The initial surge of ecstasy hit as he moved inside of the woman, his thrusts starting off slow and almost caring as he met her gaze with parted lips.

Her body obeyed his hand while he traced down it, and she drew a slight breath, feeling him inside her and initially closing her eyes. Her grip on him instinctively strengthened each time he moved into her.

She held his gaze, her body's movements matching his own, while her heart beats unintentionally did the same.

Silas continued his pace, each thrust accompanied with a breath as he did what he considered the lord's work. He couldn't help but grin as he watched and felt her reactions, ducking down to give her a quick peck as the two continued to connect.

"You're so fucking cute," he whispered with a cocky grin before he began picking up his speed.

"I told you to stop talking," she whispered, not bothering to hide the grin that mirrored his.

Raina easily moved her body at his increased speed. Her hands moved up his back from his back, gently sliding her nails in his skin as her breath quickened. She leaned up slightly, once again locking lips with him briefly.

Silas absolutely loved the way she felt. From the touch of her lips, to her flawless skin, the pure bliss and warmth of inside of her. They had only just gotten started and he was already getting lost in her, letting his forehead rest on her own as his thrusts grew quicker and stronger until he was essentially throwing himself into her.

"Fuck this feels good," he breathed as their skin slapped together.

He had never been with a woman like Raina. If he carried on like he was now, he might lose it too soon. Abruptly, at least probably to her, he pulled out and got off the bed. "Come here," he said as he extended both of his hands to her.

Though it was absolutely without any notice, part of her was actually a bit relieved at the momentary pause. She propped herself on one arm, her free hand shaking her rose-colored hair loose again.

Raina moved forward, sliding her hands into his and her body towards him. The woman grinned, sitting at the edge of the bed and lightly kissing his lower stomach twice.

Silas bit his bottom lip as he smiled and he watched her kiss his stomach. After a moment, he tugged at her hands and helped her to stand off of the bed before leaning in and giving her another hungry kiss and wrapping his hands around her - one resting on her hip and the other on the cheek of her rear.

"Raina," he whispered before taking another nibble of her ear. "Saddle up."

He released his hold on her and dropped to the bed on his back.

Raina smiled at the almost playful drop. She climbed on the bed again, flipping her hair into place and moving her leg over so she was straddling his hips. The woman slid herself gently back and forth in a slow tease, before lifting herself up and positioning him for her to lower onto him easily.

She was in control that time. Raina leaned back with her hands on his thighs, moving her hips only around the tip for a few moments. She locked eyes with him, grinning and putting her hands on his chest, as she sank down, taking him inside of her completely and circling her hips against his.

Why couldn't he stop smiling?

Maybe because as soon as she sat herself on top of him, he could feel the tightness grip him in continued pleasure and it felt fucking amazing. Or maybe it was because he genuinely loved being with her.

Probably both.

He slowly moved his hands up the woman's stomach until they were at her breasts, and he cupped them into his palms for a few moments before reaching further and pulling her hair to bring her lips back down to his.

Her lips met his, and she laced their fingers together, pressing their hands against the bed. She smiled into the kiss, then sat up again, tightening around him every time she lifted her hips.

"Oh, fuck," she breathed, moving along him at a slightly quickened pace. Her eyes closed, and she bit her lower lip, as she felt an intense wave growing. "Fuck me," she whispered, slowing her motions just a bit.

"Oh fuck yes," he growled, grabbing hold of her hips as she grinded on top of him. With her motions, he moved his hands with her hips as if to guide her. He continued this for several moments and with each motion he felt like he was going deeper inside of her, and it was driving him wild in the best way possible.

Keeping one hand firmly on her hip, he moved the other up her body until his fingertips were wrapped lightly around her neck. Then, he used his elbow to prop himself until their chests were touching, and he leaned forward just enough through the woman's moves to get into her ear.

"Faster," he whispered the command. "Don't stop fucking me until you explode."

A primal feeling overtook her, heated even more by the sudden authority he took. The woman pressed her forehead against his. Her right hand gripped his waist, while her other was on his leg, keeping her balanced as she obeyed his command.

She moved with him, harder, faster, until it was too intense to continue. Her body trembled as waves of pleasure cascaded over her. Her grip tightened, and she bit her lip, chest heaving from the sensational overload.

His eyes could have slid to the back of his skull from the pressure she was building up inside of him. It was enough to make him want to burst but he grabbed hold of her hips and concentrated on working her through her first peak. "I could do this all day," he laughed as she began to slow.

His head lowered to her neck again, kissing it gently before moving his hands to run his fingertips through her hair. "Do you want to tell me how you want it?" he asked softly through his caressing lips. "Or do you want me to tell you how you're going to get it?"

Whaleshit, she thought to herself, her body working with his subtle movements. You can't do this all day.

"Neither," she said, leaning away from him slightly. The woman met his gaze with a grin. "I want you to show me." She pressed her lips against his, gently biting his lower lip and telepathically whispering, "make me yours."

Make me yours.

Perhaps it was just because of what they were doing, but that may have been the greatest thing any woman had ever said to him. Not only did hearing it make him grin with delight, but it also lit a fire inside of him and was accompanied with a low, hungry growl before he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her head into his shoulder. Lifting his torso up, he placed both feet firmly on the bed's surface before thrusting himself into her from below. It was quick and repeated, pounding away in between her legs like some sort of wild animal who didn't know where its next meal was coming from.

"O-Oh, fuuuuck yes, Raina!" he breathed in absolute pleasure before delivering a playful but commanding slap to her ass for good measure.

She flipped her hair to one side, pulling slightly away from his body with her hands against his chest. Her legs hardly supported her body through his hungry thrusts.

The initial sting his hand delivered turned into a slow burn, and she gasped, biting her lip.

She leaned forward, putting one of her hands on the bed for balance. Matching his rhythm, her hips rocked back and forth, making it feel as though she was taking him deeper and deeper with every thrust.

"Fuck, Silas," she whispered almost breathlessly. She gripped his shoulder and pressed their lips together.

He kissed back, a passionate and fierce kiss, while continuing his heavy thrusts for a few more seconds before slowing. He let his hands rest between her lower back and her rear, guiding her through a few more strokes as he dipped his face down to her breasts. "This is wonderful," was his muffled voice through the cleavage.

He peered up at her with a genuine smile before arching his neck back and letting his head rest on the back of his shoulders. The waves of pleasure were coming more frequently now, and he could feel his muscles tense and his body glisten from the good work they was doing.

He wouldn't allow her to know it, but Raina had complete control if she wanted it. He was getting close.

Raina saw the minor change in him, feeling his muscles clench in anticipation and his pace start to slow. It was obvious that, at that moment, she had him wrapped around her finger and something about that gave the woman an intense power trip.

She ran her hands down his chest, continuing her hips' rhythmic movements. The woman leaned into him, gently biting at his ear and kissing down his neck.

"Look into my eyes," she whispered into his mind, gripping his sides and tightening around him. "Give in," she breathed softly, "come to me."

Oh gods. He was going to blow!

He almost obeyed the woman, meeting her eyes with his own as she worked the pressure through his body and to the point of a near climax before he let out a sneaky grin and shook his head. "Not yet," he breathed before placing his arms under her legs and pulling her off of him. He could feel the surging sensation between to lower, regaining his composure.

Quickly, he hopped off of the bed and grabbed her hand to guide her to the back wall. He spun her around to face away from him, taking her from behind with one hand on her hip and the other clutching her hair from the back of her scalp.

At this point, he could feel himself lose all sensibility and went full animal again - the sound of their skin slapping together as he fucked her fiercely, thrusting into her while pulling her hair and letting his other hand travel up her skin to fondle her breasts. "Look at me," was his telepathic command.

That was unexpected! Though she wasn't sure why, having him take the dominance and power from her was strangely attractive...

She pressed her hands against the wall, her left leg bent outward just slightly on her toes while her right kept her balanced. His voice in her mind was what centered her in the moment, and she obeyed, looking back at him as he pounded into her from behind.

"Fuck..." she breathed, biting her bottom lip.

His grin was almost triumphant as she obeyed his orders. His grip on her remained strong and his stamina didn't cease as he punished her from behind. That's what it felt like, anyway: punishing her for his time on the island, or perhaps just because she made him feel so damn good. His hand moved up her neck and then to her face, his fingers wrapping around her jaw to keep her head in place as their eyes remained locked on one another.

The slapping of skin continued with his thrusts while his breathing grew harsh and the sweat from his hair dripped down to her back. It continued for a few more moments before it started to drive him mad. "You feel fucking incredible," he growled before going into another frenzy. Letting go of her face, he pulled her hair back a little more, letting his other hand grab her shoulder as he drilled her mercilessly.

"Ahhh," she gasped briefly, as he pulled a bit more on her hair. It wasn't necessarily painful, but rather the sudden motion had taken her by surprise. Her back arched perfectly, allowing him full access to relieve his frustrations through her.

She squeezed her eyes closed again, feeling his deep, hard thrusts repeatedly pounding into her. Small moans and gasps practically replaced her regular breathing, and she felt her body begin to once again tremble at the pleasure spreading from having him inside her.

This was it.

The woman of his dreams in his house. The woman of his dreams getting fucked wildly by him in his favorite position. This was the day he went from being an an ordinary sailor, or perhaps ex-sailor, to a fucking man among men. With each thrust, each slap of skin, each hair tug, each moan, groan, and growl, he climbed the ladder to the ultimate manhood, and what was sure to be a legendary climax.

"I can't hold on much longer," he breathed as he continued the vigorous punishment, his body beginning to tense as the pressure built inside of him to the point of being ready to burst.

 Her hips lifted almost without her noticing, and she opened her eyes again, meeting his gaze.

"Don't fight," she whispered to his mind, finding herself not entirely able to physically form the words in the tone she wanted to. She tightened around him again through each intense thrust. "Give over to me..." Her words, though not actually spoken, held the same seductive sound and power that her song did.

The slightest hint of a smile pulled the corners of her lips upward, as she felt herself breathing with him.

Oh Gods.

Oh fuck.

Hearing her permission was almost enough for him to completely lose control, but he fought through a few more thrusts with a breath and a moan alternating with each one.

He could feel it rising, and so he quickly moved his arms around her neck and tilted her head with two fingers and a thumb just enough to place his lips onto hers. With a few more hungry thrusts his eyes shut tight, his muscles tensed and the pressure built up to the peak of exploding.

And then it happened.

"Raina," he moaned with his release, breaking from her lips just enough to rest his face with hers cheek to cheek.

A warmth spread through her, as his whole body pressed against hers. Her chest heaved from the rapid breathing, and she didn't move from where they were for the moment, running her hand over his arm.

"Holy shit," she breathed with a light chuckle.

Raina gradually turned around to face him, her hands gently touching his chest, as she leaned up to meet his lips once again. "You're amazing," she whispered telepathically with a small grin.

"Holy shit is right," he laughed breathlessly before meeting her lips again. When the kiss ended, he let his forehead rest on hers for a few moments with a warm smile curled into his lips and his breathing slowing to regular speed. "You are," he said quietly before placing his chin on top of her head and gently wrapping his arms around her.

When he put his arms around her, Raina's grin softened to a small smile. She closed her eyes, cheek resting against his chest, as she felt his heart begin to steady. Something about that moment made her want to hold on. The warmth of their bodies, the smell of his skin; it was all just so surreal, and she held onto it as though it was the last time.

Part of her wanted to ask 'what now,' while the other part of her didn't want to even remotely think about what the days following held. For once, she actually lost herself in the moment.

Gently pulling away from him, she took his hand - rather, barely guided it with her fingertips to his - and nodded her head towards his bed wordlessly.

Raina felt... right.

He couldn't help but smile, and even laugh a little bit, when she motioned toward the bed. Nothing like a wild fuck to really put you in the mood to just fall asleep, though seeing it from someone as majestic and confident as Raina was... adorable. He continued to smile warmly and wordlessly at her for another few moments, and he almost found it hard to believe this was the same woman that tried to kill him not too long ago.

"Okay," he said softly before leading her back to his bed.

The dim light of early morning woke her, and it took just a moment to get her bearings. Raina glanced over at the man sleeping next to her with a soft smile, gently kissing his shoulder. She carefully slid off of the bed, quietly dressing herself with her boots in her hand. With brief hesitation, she stared at her hand on the door before shaking her head and leaving.

Oddly enough, the morning had a slight chill, but it was welcomed as she briskly walked back towards the docks. The closer she got, the stronger the breeze blew, and a smirk tugged at her lips.

Finally making it to the shore, Raina stepped over the small rocks and sand to where the water touched the land. She stepped into the shallow water, her bare feet submerged with the water lapping at her clothed shins. Though it was supposed to hold a welcoming feeling, the mermaid found herself almost being pushed away from the water.

"What the hell..." she whispered to herself. Raina tossed her boots aside, lowering to her knees with her feet underneath her. The water then splashed at her hips while covering most of her legs, and she closed her eyes, feeling the salty air and slowly turning his necklace over in her fingers.

Silas arms involuntarily stretched out as he stirred awake, eyes heavy for a moment as the early morning sunlight peaked through the window. "What a night," he muttered to himself while rubbing the fatigue out of his eyes. And it was truly a wonderful night, he thought, and his entire body still felt so relaxed from what occurred between them.

He rolled to his side to drape an arm over Raina only for it to be met with an empty section of mattress. "...Raina?" he croaked, his eyes peaking up to see no one there.

Oh no.

Gone already?

Sitting upright, he glanced around the rest of his small home to see she wasn't there either. Shit. He was really starting to get use to her being around, as short of a time it was. Sure, there was the lingering feeling that it wouldn't last, knowing who she was, but that didn't mean he didn't want it to.

Getting out of bed, he dressed and headed out the door.


Found her.

She looked more beautiful every day he had the privilege of seeing her, and despite the level of intimacy they shared the night before, his heart still raced out of control when he saw her.

"Good morning," he called out to her as he approached the water. "Going for a swim, are we?"

She tuned out most of her surroundings, just listening to the winds and the waves. Try as she may, Raina couldn't quiet the telepathic calls coming from her sisters. It felt as though her soul was being torn in different directions.

Then, his voice cut through it all.

Raina opened her eyes, not completely looking over her left shoulder towards the man. Her hand hovered over the water's surface, creating a whirlpool the size of her palm for a purpose she wasn't aware of.

"That was the plan," she said.

Raina didn't move from her kneeling position in the water. She felt trapped: if she stood, she was choosing him, but if she swam out, she was choosing her old life. It was as though she was frozen where she sat.

"They think I've been captured." She turned a little further to look up at him with an unsure expression. "They're calling out for me; my sisters. And yet, I'm still here. Care to explain that to me? Because I'm at a loss."

Silas didn't answer right away. Instead, he kicked off his boots after a moment of thought and made his way into the water. His bare feet splashed into the water and calm waves began to rise above his pant legs as he moved closer to Raina.

He kneeled next to her, submerging the lower half of his body into the water as he positioned himself next to her. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" he asked, ignoring the woman's question. "There's something so mesmerizing about the sea.. I've always felt it more my home than the actual land I sleep on."

He tossed her a soft grin before letting his hand find hers, his fingers slipping into hers. "I'd miss you too," he said after a few more silent moments, deciding that was as good of an answer as he could give. "I don't want you to have to choose... but... I don't want to lose you, either."

"You humans really are as thick as I thought," she said, a breathy laugh escaping her lips, as she looked down at their fingers laced together.

She heard some grumbling from the early fisherman nearby pulling in nearly empty nets, but paid it no mind. Raina knew what felt right, but she was terrified of what came next. With stability and control was the way she lived her life for years, and now, it was being taken from her.

Her eyes drifted to the raised ship that was anchored further out in the harbor. "I don't have to choose between my tail and my legs; I have to choose you or them." She took her hand out of his and touched the necklace he was wearing with a soft grin. "When I let you keep this, that was the moment I chose you."

"We're not the only things that are thick," he smirked as his free hand made its way up her thighs. He moved in to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "And I chose you the moment you stranded me on that island," he jokingly teased.

His lips found hers for a moment, and his eyes closed in pure surrender of his feelings for her. Once they parted, he took his hands off of her and stood tall. "Go for a swim?" he asked as he took a few steps deeper into the ocean. "Or am I not allowed?"

She rolled her eyes with pursed lips at his comment. Standing smoothly, the mermaid shrugged. "No one's stopping you," she said simply. "Though I would enjoy watching everyone in a panic trying to go after the fool who disappeared beneath the ocean's surface."

Raina gave him a slightly condescending grin and folded her arms over her chest, as she walked out of the water. The girl slipped her boots on, grimacing at the new feeling of sand getting in her shoes.

Huffing briefly, she looked at Silas and nodded her head to the right. "If you don't want your boots stolen, I suggest you put them on. Come on. There's a spot around the bend where no one goes. They think it's haunted."

Whoops, she thought to herself, remembering a few years before when she scared a few kids into thinking there were ghosts.

Silas let out an amused chuckle. "Gee, and just why do folks think it's haunted?" he asked, though already knowing the answer. He shrugged and made his way out of the water, scooping up his boots in the process as he joined her.

"So around the bend, huh?" he asked, slipping into one of his boots. "And here I thought I was banished from the sea forever." He tossed a playful grin before putting his other boot on.

"Don't get smart," Raina said over her shoulder, not waiting for him before she started off. "I am still in control of that magic, after all."

She had no plans to take it away from him, but he would do well to remember just why he was allowed to keep it! The mermaid slipped between a few trees that hid a small cavern with dark water flowing into it.

Smoothly, she slid down the side of the small hill and took a few steps at the bottom to keep her balance. The water was deeper than it looked, so it was easy to fall in when you were expecting to just step into it ankle-deep. Glancing up, Raina made sure she didn't lose Silas in the short walk.

Silas wasn't far behind her as she lead the way down to the water. There was a genuine smile on his face as he held up the rear, exciting and pure joy circulating through him and guiding him through each step. 'What a woman,' he thought to himself as he hurried to catch up.

Uh oh.

Perhaps he got a little too excited. Losing his balance down the hill, his body flung forward and was suspended in the air for what felt like an embarrassingly long amount of time.

Splash!

The mermaid took a quick step to the left, as the man rushed down the hill and lost his balance. She folded her arms and looked at him almost condescendingly. How did he ever survive at sea? Raina thought to herself, watching him fall into the water.

"Watch your step," she said after the fact with a smirk, looking into the water. "The hill's a little steep."

She took a step into the water, then one more and hit the drop. As her body disappeared beneath the surface, her legs her replaced by her fin. The mermaid smiled, glancing down at her tail through her glow in the dark water. After the brief hesitation, Raina surfaced again, watching for Silas to get his bearings.

Sure, she could've warned him about the hill and the water's drop, but this was far more entertaining.

Silas surfaced with a gasp for air and followed it up with an embarrassed chuckle. "Thanks for the warning," he said before swimming over to her reach, subconsciously transforming to mermaid form the moment his body slapped itself into the water. "Hey," he started as he floated across from her, "have I told you lately how perfect you are?"

"Yes," she said with a grin. "You were mumbling it in your sleep."

The mermaid submerged herself, one hand extended in front of her as she swam. "Try to keep up this time?" She teased him, speaking telepathically before suddenly pushing herself forward. "I like a challenge!"

The man couldn't help but return a grin with her own, and excitement rang out in his chest at her challenge. "You're on," was his reply before he let himself be submerged in the ocean waves.