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He liked to think that the sea was his kingdom. But maybe he wasn’t a good king for this kingdom. He was a pirate after all, the Captain of the Lady Luck, the man feared by all. He had is own fleet of twenty battleships owned by his most faithful henchmen. He was the terror of the seven seas, admired and feared at the same time by other pirates; even his name was something dreadful for all and if he remembered well, English crown wanted his head, and the Portuguese too. He was not only a good navigator, but also a very wise man. If he had men to follow him on his journeys and travels, to ask to be a part of his crew, it wasn’t because he was nice, no. They all know that he discovered many secrets of the sea if not all, and that he was the best on this kingdom that was the seven seas.
But no, Lu Han wasn’t kind. He asked a full obedience from his men, and every word he said was law. Don’t follow his orders and you will meet sooner Davy Jones at the bottom of the ocean. No really, he wasn’t kind. Egoist, selfish, but not a bad captain either. If you were doing well your job, you didn’t have to be afraid of him. He liked to have a crew whom followed him for his talent, his actions not because he was dreaded. For the rest, he really didn’t care. Right now, he tried to understand the map he has in front of him, and to find a good route to go to the Mother-of-pearls Islands. But really who had chosen this name?
“Maybe by the North? The golden routes should be enough secure for this journey.” he mumbled, his steering compass, drawing a new path on the map.
“Lu Han, you can’t go there, these islands, it seems they are haunted, no ones came back from there.”
“I will Yixing, I will. Mark my words. We are going to the north and I will find this treasure.” It was an order and Yixing knew he had no choice. Of course he knew why all his men were sceptical about this journey to find the treasure lost since the Silla Era. But the man was first a doctor before being his sailing master, and even if his advices were good, everybody in his cabin knew that Han wouldn’t change his decision. They would go to the north and find these bloody islands.
“Captain! Captain!” shouted a tall guy while his cabin door met the wall. Lu Han raised an eyebrow, glancing at the boy. Zitao was one of the youngest men he had on this ship. He knew that before he worked as an apprentice in another ship of his fleet before they took him here to work as a mate. If he remembered well, the boy usually followed his headquarter everywhere.
“Breathe boy. Don’t you see we are busy here?” asked Chen his boatswain, the one responsible that everything goes well on the vessel and at the same time the one supervising the main deck of this ship.
“ Headquarter … Headquarter Yi Fan came back. They ... He … He brought a siren!”
Making a sign to his men to follow him, Lu Han left his cabin to see if the tale the boy was telling was true. When he was outside, there were already a gathering at the other end of the deck, and graciously the captain went to crowd, his sailors letting him pass respectfully. But there were no tales, Tao had said the truth. Yi Fan had brought back with him from his exploration a siren. There were no doubt here.
The creature was beautiful, yet too dangerous like what they said in the sea legends. Of course a siren would have been dangerous, even lethal. It was hissing, writhing, trying to escape the fishnet around its tail without success. It was a male, slender, thin, gracious but still dangerous. Oh yes, still too dangerous. Mermaids and mermen were too beautiful to attract lost sailors and have their heart. On his shoulders skin, Han was able to see some scales glittering gently with the sun. One of his crewmen hissed, pushing the creature on the floor when the merman ripped his arm with strong nails sharpened as claws.
Laying there, still hissing and trashing like a fury, he was beautiful and Lu Han could only keep his eyes on him. His tail seemed powerful, the colour lost between aquamarines, jade stones and faded turquoise gems, his scales shinning iridescently under the light. He wanted to touch the ethereal fins at the top of this tail, the ones encircling his waist delicately, he wanted to know if it was as delicate as its seemed to be or not. The caudal fin at the end of his tail was as beautiful as the one he saw behind him, at the end of his small back, like the one a shark could have, but its seemed more solid, more rigid than the one around his waist.
“Captain! He was caught in the shipwreck; Headquarter Yi Fan brought him on our ship. He cut him on his chest.”
“Yi Fan?”
“More than okay Captain. This little cunt tasted my fist on his pretty face.”
His face. Naturally Lu Han took a look of the siren’s face. Even in rage, even with his lips swollen and bleeding, the merman was undeniably beautiful. So beautiful that it was indecent. Pretty. He had round and soft features that gave him a delicate looking. Beautiful, almond like eyes that seems to be black, but were more like two very dark emeralds. His lips bleeding, but full, and should make him more perfect every time he smiled. Han wanted to touch his cheeks, wanted to see him smile, but while rustling, he saw the small fangs the creature had, and even if his teeth wasn’t shark like, the captain was sure it was a weapon, like his claws, seeing how its were sharp. Long ash blond hair and black fin around his ears, hiding gills behind its, which looked like, sophisticate lace, the merman even had shells and a coral comb in his hair. He was truly beautiful and the legend seemed truer than ever in the man eyes.
“They said that if you sing, we will become your puppets merman, should I cut your tongue to be sure you will never control me?” The remark made him laugh. Really these men were so ignorant. The siren still hadn’t sing and Han knew perfectly why. He couldn’t do anything here on his deck. He was powerless in front of him.
“Don’t cut him Chen, I can always use his mouth for something else than singing.” Everyone laughed of course. What could be more delightful and funny than to see a powerful creature like a merman reduced to something so degrading? And after saying that, Lu Han crouched in front of the merman, catching his chin to see a bit better his face. Really he was beautiful. Even if he was showing his fangs, hoping to bite him maybe. “Put him in a cell, wet enough so he doesn’t die. Don’t forget to chain him to the wall.”
“Where are we going sir?” asked Yixing after he stood up, wiping his hand on his old red coat without looking at the merman who was still hissing while Tao and another man of his crew dragged him inside to the cells at the bottom of the ship.
“Home.” Even if he wanted to go as soon as possible to search the Nacre Islands, he knew he needed to go home. His ship, his beauty needed to have some repairs, and he knew his crew wished for some resting days.
“Why do you want to go back to Hong Kong Captain?”
“Chen. You will have three days to make this lady as clean and new as possible and I will go to the witch’s den.” He explained, glaring an instant at Yixing to be sure the man mark his words and alter the course of the vessel.
“This siren will eat your heart Han” was the only response he had from the sailing master, making his blood boiled inside him.
“And I will eat yours if you continue to speak about it.”
Don’t fall for sirens’ tricks Han.
I know Mother.
xoxo
He didn’t like Hong Kong bay. He didn’t like to be close to the city, particularly this close, close to the authorities and the English Crown representatives. But his ship needed some reparations and he needed to see the witch. Song Qian was her name. She was a beautiful lady, but also the kind of lady whom could have your heart cooked for breakfast. She was powerful, and fearful, but not for Lu Han. He wasn’t afraid of magic or women doing sorcery in the contrary of most of his crewmen. For them everything with a bit of magic, everything unnatural was a danger and something that couldn’t be on Earth. He needed to meet her to see what he could do with the merman so with Zitao and two of his men, he went to a small island close to the bay and went through the vegetation directly towards the cave the witch built her house. The place was more like an old inverted hull shaped roofing framework with rotten wood than a house to be honest. Pushing the old curtain, they walked through the passage till the larger part of the place. But instead of a gorgeous woman, it was a boy and as beautiful as he was, he was definitively not the witch.
“Where’s the witch, Buo Xian?” the Captain asked when he recognized the man who followed Song Qian everywhere. The woman often said he was like an apprentice, or something like that, not like he really cared about him. It was already a miracle that he remembered his name.
“Hello there to you too Han. Why do I have your lovely presence here?” he asked, the sarcasm dripping in his voice.
“The witch.”
“Not here. You missed her, she went this morning to the wood. Won’t be here for the week.”
It wasn’t good for his affairs. And Lu Han never liked when something didn’t went along with his plans. He needed the witch’s knowledge, and without her, he couldn’t do anything about the merman. Looking at the young man in front of him, the captain thought why not. Maybe he could have some details about the sea people. Pointing the big wood case they brought with them, he asked the boy.
“Do you wanna know what we have inside?”
“Treasures? Gold? Really, I don’t care.” Of course, Buo Xian was presumptuous and arrogant, believing he was the king here because he was under the witch’s protection. But with a sign the pirate ordered his crewmen to open the box, showing the inside to Qian’s boy-toy.
“A siren? You caught a merman? It’s impressive. Are your crew crazy yet?”
“Didn’t open his mouth. I needed the witch’s knowledge about his specie.”
And to be honest the captain was curious. Why the merman didn’t even try to sing of to speak to them, why he didn’t even try to fight or to run away. He was sure; he could have escape if he really wanted it. Sirens were known to be able to bewitch any human, so why this one didn’t even try anything? Yi Fan had said to him he only punched him twice, one punch in his face, the other in his back, but even so, he was conscious and hissing at them before. Even now when Tao was gripping his silky hair, he didn’t even scream, only rustled and whined pitifully because his hands were fastened with an old rope. Lu Han couldn’t deny he was curious about the sea beauty.
“You wanna know about legends? Like how they can make you obey by singing or even take human form to fool the sailor even without being on the sea?”
“The later Buo Xian.” Answered the captain suddenly interested. If the merman could take a human form it was a perfect way to keep him on his ship, under his control, without any problem.
“My name is Baek Hyun, stop using your stupid language to call me.” And if he tried to be menacing, it only made the pirates laugh.
“Can he even speak?” asked Tao curiously, his eyes never leaving the siren.
“Taozi you’re stupid, he can speak, sing, and perfectly understand us. I’m sure he’s just waiting for a way to kill you.” That could have been a reason for sure. The sirens were cunning and intelligent creatures. Maybe he was really waiting for the good opportunity to run away and at the same time to kill most of the men of his ship. Maybe. But the captain of the Lady Luck didn’t really care at this moment. The siren was under his power and he wanted to know if he could really become a human like them.
“Baek Hyun.” He said, insisting of the true name the boy gave them. A name that sounded harshly between his lips in the contrary of the Chinese he used to speak. “My patience is wearing thin. Tell me everything about this thing.”
“I don’t really know if it’s true, but sirens can’t take human form no? It’s only a fairy tale … ” spoke again the young mate of his crew, with an unsure voice.
“They can Taozi. If you dry their tail, they will have two legs, but they say also that’s very painful for them.”
“Dry his tail.” He ordered without thinking about the fact it could hurt the creature.
“What? Captain … You really want to keep it? I’m sure Buo Xian just wants to make fun of you … Plus the siren … He will curse you … Maybe we should let it go and say we are sorry.” Of course. His men were cowards as soon as anything magic, anything unreal happened.
“Dry his tail little boy. And make one of your trick to be sure his legs will stay waterless.” It was his final order. He spent too much time here, hearing the fear of his men, and watching the witch’s toy trying to play with them. He had enough. But it seemed the others and especially Baek Hyun didn’t understand that, playing with his patience.
“He won’t like you at all.” Lu Han couldn’t help but raising an eyebrow. Like he should care about the feelings of the merman.
“I don’t care.”
“It will cost you.”
“Please. Don’t angry me Baek Hyun.” He hissed, really wanted to grip the boy hair and made his face encounter his knee. But he needed the witch assistant for now. Thankfully the boy seemed to understand he was not in a good mood anymore and went to the box, his hands cupping the merman face with softness.
“I’m sorry. Just tell him what he wants, and you should not suffer.”
“Traitor.” The merman growled, scales on his skin flashing a deep dark emerald colour as his fins slapped against the water in warning, sloshing water over the edge of the box while trying to stay inside it. It was in vain. The pirate’s men shoved him outside, before pinning him on the hard soiled floor.
It was a strange thing what Buo Xian was doing. He was singing an old incantation, maybe the one to keep the merman dry and at the same time, the siren was whining pitifully, like he was asking to the boy to not do it. But as soon as the incantation ended, the silence was filled by the creature’s screams. It wasn’t something nice to listen. Really not. It was like a banshee’s screams, like someone was playing with his soul and making it scream. But really, Lu Han didn’t care if he was hurting the merman with his order; he didn’t care if he would be suffering every second of his life after that. He was more captivated by his tail. The scales were slowly retracting letting smooth and fair skinned legs appear. Even in a human appearance, the merman was gorgeous, and if Lu Han was honest with himself, he would have said he couldn’t detach his eyes from the creature now human on the floor. But cautious of the stares of the men on the piece, the merman moved his legs close to his body, a sharp gasp between his lips.
“Come on boy, what’s your name?” asked one of his crew men, the coward one.
“Why do you need to know that, human?” if the first time, when he was speaking to the apprentice of the witch, his voice was more like an hiss, similar to a snake, right now he had a very melodious voice, and he was sure, the day he would sing, they all would be under his power.
“Because you will warm my bed tonight, lovely and I like to know the name of the person whom I sleep inside. And if you’re not happy, I will let my crew play with you if you prefer.” The captain stated a smirk on his lips, enjoying the despair on the merman face. But when the siren kept his silence, the captain let escape a sight. Cunning and stubborn creature. It was still better that than his sarcasm.
“That’s what I thought … I will call you Xiumin. In my language it means: beautiful like jade stones.” He finished to say taking once again the chin of the creature in his palm and observing the emotions showing on his face.
“Like I care.”
Really, Lu Han’s patience was running. He didn’t like the sarcasm the creature used, he didn’t like the fact Baek Hyun was snickering behind him. But the captain knew how to keep his calm. Still having Xiumin’s face between his fingers, he looked at the witch’s apprentice with a small smirk. Like he could think he was out of trouble just because he helped him a little, the fool.
“So Baek Hyun it would nice of you to come with us, just to be sure your hex works well.”
“You want me to go on your ship?” Asked the boy suddenly afraid. “I won’t. I have to stay here for Qian.”
“Tao.” The pirates’ captain just said, sure the mate would understand what he was asking. His eyes were still on the mermaid, observing him with attention, a little bewitched by the fact he still had some scales on his skin, particularly on his shoulders and on his face like before, but also around his hips, and Lu Han wanted just one thing, to be able to put his fingers on its, to caress the skin and see if the creature was as sensitive as he thought he was.
“Captain! Are you out of mind, you …” Enough. Without letting his regard quit Xiumin’s one, he took his pistol and shot the man who dared to say he was out of mind. It was something he really cared about: his authority. And with a vicious smile, he appreciated the small whimper of the merman and the fear in his eyes. It would be so enjoyable to break the creature and make him his and only his.
“Tao, throw his corpse. We don’t want to anger the witch when she will be back, do we? Then come back and take the witch boy toy with us. I take the siren.”
After his last words, nobody tried to say anything else or dare to do something against its, and everyone followed his order. Lu Han removed his old red coat to put it around the merman frail shoulders, winning a movement when he tried to escape his touch. But Lu Han didn’t even stop at that, forcing the creature to put his arms around his neck before taking him in his arms. The merman was so light and still too afraid to try anything. Possibly his legs were hurting him too much, not like the pirate really cared about. Letting Xiumin close to his body he was very amazed about his smell, and while he was kissing his neck, a bit possessively, letting a hickey blowing on his skin, he couldn’t be more surprised about the taste of his skin.
“You taste like the sea, and smell like it too.”
“I’m a merman. Of course I smell like it.”
But do you also taste like a forbidden treasure?