Anya stood at the edge of the crowded bar with her
heart pounding in her chest. The scent of spilled ale and pipe smoke filled the
air, while the sound of clinking mugs and laughter echoed around her. Her mind
raced, replaying Calypso's words : "No
one's going to join your crew, not for something as dangerous as this and definitely
not for a woman."
But Anya wasn't about to let that stop her. She
couldn't. Somewhere out there, across the vast and dangerous seas, she believed
that her father was out there, and no one was going to bring him back except
her. Even though she had told Calypso that she didn't need anyone's help, she knew
she couldn't sail alone. She needed a crew, men willing to venture into unknown
waters and risk everything for a shot at finding her father.
Taking a deep breath, she mustered up courage and
climbed onto one of the empty tables in the centre of the room. The loud
chatter of the bar didn't die down immediately, but a few heads turned in her
direction. Then she raised her voice.
"Listen up!" she shouted with her voice trembling
slightly but growing steadier with each word. "I'm Anya Larkspur, and I'm
looking for a crew!"
The room fell quiet for a moment. Dozens of eyes
turned toward her, some curious, some skeptical, and some openly mocking. Anya
forced herself to keep going, pushing past the fear eating her insides.
"My father is lost somewhere across the seven
seas," she continued. "He went in search of treasure—treasure guarded by the
mermaids, the Siren's Hoard. I know most of you have heard the legends."
Murmurs broke out across the room, and Anya
quickly added, "This voyage isn't just for me. The treasure of the mermaids—if
it exists—will belong to all who join me."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a loud, mocking
laugh cut through the tension. A burly man at the bar stood up, wiping ale from
his beard as he pointed at her with a sneer.
"You're delusional, girl!" he shouted. "No one's
ever gone looking for the Siren's Hoard and come back alive. Not to mention
you're a woman! Who in their right mind would follow orders from the likes of
you?"
Laughter erupted around the room, and Anya felt
her cheeks burn with humiliation. But she clenched her fists, refusing to let
their words defeat her.
"I can do anything you can do," she said fiercely
while glaring at the man. "And I can do it twice as well. I didn't come here to
be insulted, I came here because I need a crew. If you're not man enough to
join me, then stay here and rot in this tavern for the rest of your days."
The laughter died down, but no one stepped forward
to support her. Anya's heart sank. She had known it wouldn't be easy to
convince them, but she hadn't expected it to go this badly. After all Calypso
was right. She was about to step down from the table when she noticed a man
staring at a wanted poster on the wall behind her. His eyes narrowed, and then
he raised his voice in alarm.
"That's her! The girl from the poster! She's
wanted for 10,000 quid!"
Anya's blood ran cold. She turned around and
spotted the worn, crumpled poster pinned to the wall. Her face was sketched in
crude lines with the reward amount in bold letters underneath. The men in the
bar then scrambled to capture her.
"Get her!"
Panicking, Anya grabbed the edge of the table and
vaulted over it, making a run for the door. Shouts echoed behind her as chairs
toppled over and men rushed after her, but she was already halfway out the
door. Dusk was already settling in and it was the perfect escape for Anya.
She could hear their footsteps closing in and
their voices growing louder. But she didn't stop. She clutched the map tightly
to her chest, the very map she had risked her life to steal. If they caught her
now, everything would be lost.
The docks were just ahead. She had no crew, no
support, but she knew it was now or never. If she didn't set sail tonight, she
might never get another chance.
Once she had gotten to the docks, she scanned the
ships anchored there. Most were too large and too heavily guarded. She needed
something small, something she could manage on her own. Just then, her eyes
fell on a modest vessel, not much bigger than a fishing boat, but enough to
take her across the sea.
With a quick glance over her shoulder, Anya saw
that her pursuers were closing in. There was no time to hesitate. She made a
break for the ship, leaping onto the deck just as someone onshore spotted her.
"There she is!" the man shouted, pointing in her
direction.
But it was too late. Anya had already untied the
ropes and pushed off from the dock. The sails caught the wind, and the small
ship began to drift away from the shore. The shouts of her pursuers faded into
the distance as she fell to the deck, panting with exhaustion.
She had done it. She had escaped. But now, she was
all alone….
Hours passed as Anya drifted across the open sea.
The stars above her were the only light in the darkness. Her eyelids grew
heavy, and despite her best efforts, she finally gave in a fell asleep.
When she awoke, her stomach growled loudly,
reminding her that she hadn't eaten since her escape. She searched the small
cabin below deck but found nothing. If she was going to survive, she needed to
find food. Grabbing a fishing net from the supply locker, Anya climbed back on
deck and cast it into the water.
Minutes passed with no sign of a catch. Just when
she was about to give up, the net jerked violently. Anya gripped the rope
tightly, pulling with all her strength. Whatever was caught in the net was
large—much larger than any fish she had ever seen.
With a final grunt, she hauled her catch onto the
deck, gasping in shock as the creature tumbled out of the net. It wasn't a fish
at all. The creature was long and sleek, with shimmering scales that glistened
in the moonlight. His torso was humanoid, with broad shoulders and muscular
arms, but where his legs should have been, a powerful tail flopped against the
deck, sending droplets of seawater everywhere.
"A merman?!" She gasped.