The next morning, Anya awoke to an unfamiliar scent of roasted fish wafting through the small cabin. Her stomach growled in response, but she was confused. Who made that? She hurried up to the deck as panic had started to creep in. Had her ship been overtaken in the night? She thought.
She rushed up the steps with her heart pounding, only to find the deck empty.
"Nereus?" she called, scanning the horizon for any sign of the merman but there was no sign of him. She became scared. Maybe she shouldn't have trusted him after all.
"Nereus?" she called again. She muttered to herself, regretting her decision to let him stay on the ship. She should have been more
careful.
"What if he was on his way back with others? What if this was all a trap?!" I thought out loud. Just as she was about to go back below
deck, Nereus appeared from behind a stack of barrels with a smile on his face
and something in his hands. It was food. Roasted fish.
"I make fish… for Anya," he said. His English was still rough but clear enough. He rubbed his stomach and pointed at hers. "You…
hungry. Stomach… loud."
Anya's eyes widening—not just because of the food, but because of what she was seeing. Nereus, the merman who had been so gravely injured the night before, now stood before her… on legs. Human legs. She stared
in shock, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
"L-legs…" she stammered, backing away. She tried to make sense of it. The night before, his tail had been broken, leaving him unable to
swim. But now, he stood there, perfectly fine—and not a trace of his tail remained.
Nereus noticed her reaction and took a hesitant step forward with a soft expression. "No… no fear," he said, holding up his hands in what seemed like an attempt to calm her down. "I… not bad men."
But Anya couldn't help herself. She stumbled backward. Her fear overwhelmed her, and she fell to the deck. Her breath began coming in short, panicked gasps. She had seen strange things before, but nothing like this.
Nereus's face fell, and he took a step back. His attempt to help her had clearly backfired. He wanted to help her up, but when he moved
closer, she quickly shook her head, refusing to let him touch her. Her eyes were still wide with fear and confusion, and she wasn't sure what to think of him anymore.
Seeing her discomfort, Nereus stopped and bent down to place the roasted fish in front of her. He straightened up and then turned away, walking slowly across the deck. Anya could hear his footsteps—human
footsteps—fade as he moved toward the stern of the ship. He had wanted to help,
but all he had done was frighten her.
Anya sat on the deck, staring at the roasted fish he had left behind. Her stomach growled again, reminding her of just how hungry she
was, but doubted him. What if it's poisoned? She thought. But the smell was so enticing, and she hadn't eaten anything since before she had escaped the bar.
Tentatively, she pulled the fish closer and sniffed it. It smelled good—really good. Her hunger won out in the end, and she took a small bite. The flavour burst in her mouth, much better than anything she could have
expected. She quickly devoured the rest. When she was done, she leaned back and
sighed, feeling a little guilty.
"He just wanted to help me… and I treated him like a monster." Anya though out loud.
She knew she had to apologise. Nereus had made food for her, despite everything, and all she had done was reject him. She pushed herself to her feet and began searching the ship, calling his name.
"Nereus? Nereus, I'm sorry!" she called, but there was no answer. She looked around the deck, scanning every corner, but it was empty. A sinking feeling started to grow in her chest. Had he left the ship? Where could
he have gone? She called out again with her voice growing more desperate, but
still nothing.
Nereus was gone.
Meanwhile, back in the small town where Anya had left behind, Jack stood outside his home holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. His eyes scanned the bold words printed at the top: Wanted for 10,000
Quids. And in the center of the paper, staring back at him, was a familiar
face—Anya's.
He rushed to her house, hoping she would be there, but it was silent, deserted. What had she done? He had known something was off about her lately, the way she had been so secretive, clutching that old piece of
paper wherever she went. And now she was wanted?
Jack's mind spun as he pieced together the clues. It had to be about her father. She had been obsessed with finding him ever since he had disappeared at sea. And the only way Blackbeard himself would be after Anya was
if she had something that could lead to the treasure he had been chasing for
years.
"Anya, what have you done" Jack whispered to himself. It all made sense now. The map, the rumours… Anya had found it, hadn't she? That had to be why she was wanted. And now she was out there, sailing on her own, chasing after something she barely understood.
Jack crumpled the wanted poster in his fist. He couldn't let her face this alone. But there was only one person powerful enough to offer any sort of protection or assistance at this point—Blackbeard himself.
Dreading the path he had to follow, Jack made his way to the infamous pirate's stronghold. Blackbeard was not someone Jack ever wanted to meet face to face, but he had no choice. He needed to make sure Anya would be safe, and if that meant striking a deal with the devil, then so be it.
Blackbeard was as terrifying as the stories described—tall and imposing, with a face marked by scars, his dark beard plaited with small, ominous beads. He eyed Jack suspiciously as he entered the room.
"What business do you have with me?" Blackbeard growled.
Jack took a deep breath, trying to hide his fear. "I know how to find the treasure you seek."
Blackbeard's eyes gleamed with sudden interest. "And what makes you think you do, boy?"
Jack swallowed hard. "Because I've seen the map," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "The same map the wanted girl has. I know how to find the treasure."
Blackbeard leaned forward with his dark eyes narrowing. "You expect me to believe a whelp like you can lead me to the Siren's Hoard?"
"I can," Jack said confidently. "And I will. But you have to promise me something."
Blackbeard's expression darkened. "You're not in a position to make demands, boy."
Jack stood his ground. "If you want that treasure, you'll listen. Anya—my best friend—she's out there looking for it. You want the Hoard? Fine. But you keep her safe. That's my only condition."
"You want me to keep the very girl that stole my map safe?!" Blackbeard emphasised with anger. Jack had no idea Anya had stolen the map.
"That's not true… Anya would never do anything like that." Jack said in her defence.
"You have no idea who you're trying to strike a bargain with boy!" Blackbeard sneered. He signalled his men to capture Jack and they did as ordered.
"You will lead me to the Siren's hoard and your friend will pay dearly for stealing from the greatest captain alive." Blackbeard threatened. Then he gestured to his crew.
"Ready the ship! We have a treasure to find" he grinned.