Chapter Text
Cold. That’s all Jacob could feel. Why was he falling? No, not falling. Sinking. He was sinking. Sharp pain in his head jolted him back to reality. He was drowning. The water rushed past his face, filling his mouth before he could react and close it. The storm had been awful and yet, he still left the cabin like an idiot. Harsh waves rolled over him, dragging Jacob deeper into the ocean. Just as small black dots began to appear on his vision, something seemed to swim closer. ‘Great. I’m going to be eaten by a shark or something. How fun.’ he thought, beginning to give in to unconsciousness. Before he did, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his midsection, dragging him upward. If the arms belonged to whatever he saw, then it was no shark.
‘Monster!’ Jacob’s brain seemed to scream. All his instincts kicked in, leading to a small fight with the creature as he attempted to escape. Before long, his limbs gave in to his exhaustion, leaving him to the mercy of whatever sea monster had found him. It wasn’t long before he could breathe again. Coughing, he tried to jerk away.
“Will ya cut that out? Or do ya wanna die out here?” A feminine voice hissed. Glancing up, his eyes met with two black voids, each with a single slit of gold, surrounded by teal-green scales. He gulped slightly. He had heard stories of sirens, dangerous ocean-dwelling monsters who ate men, growing up and he honestly didn’t want to sit around and be eaten. Jacob began to reach for his knife, only to find it gone. “Dude, whatever you’re looking for, don’t bother. Just chill out and let’s get you back to your boat.” She swam forward, grasping Jacob’s arm.
“Let me go!” He growled, attempting to pull away. She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Oh, so you’d rather lose the boat? Listen, dumbass, I’m tryin’ to help you. But fine, have fun.” With that, she released his arm, diving back under water. Jacob scowled, turning in the direction he last remembered the ship heading. He could faintly see it in the distance before another wave crashed over his head, forcing him under. As he tried to swim after the ship, the sea pushed him all over, disorienting him until the ship was out of sight. “Told you. Now, will you just let me help?” Jacob slowly nodded. He was going to die anyway, might as well try.
She was fast, no doubt about that. The ship appeared on the horizon, a small dot on an ever-changing ocean. But no matter how fast she swam, the siren couldn’t seem to catch up. Waves pulled the duo down, ripping Jacob from her back more often than not. As the storm seemed to worsen, she gave up.
“Dude, we are not catching that ship. Not in this weather.” She yelled over the wind. “We’re going to shore.” With no more energy left to argue, Jacob simply let her do as she pleased.
The shore was empty when they reached it. Without hesitation, the siren tossed Jacob onto a rock, pulling herself up beside him. He coughed a bit, not looking her in the eyes. “Sachh.”
“I’m sorry?”
“That’s where the ship has to be heading. It’s a port city. The only one along this shore here.”
“How do I get there?”
“Not too hard. Follow a path up inland a bit more and it’ll lead you right to it.”
“Right. Um, thanks, I guess.” With that, Jacob slid down the rock, wading through the still rough water towards land. A splash was heard behind him, signaling that the siren had joined him in the water. “Shouldn’t you head back out to sea or something?”
“Nah. Too risky to swim home. I’ll just have to join you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“And I don’t care enough to be one. I’m heading the same way as you.” Finally out of the water, Jacob turned around curiously. She began to swim closer with an annoyed look. “Dude, turn around.”
“But how do you plan to be on land? I’m not carrying you.”
“What a nice thing to say after I hauled your sorry ass out of the water. I’ll be fine on my own, just turn around.” Sighing, Jacob did as he was asked. He could hear her splashing slightly before a hand touched his shoulder. “Alright, let’s go.” He wasn’t sure what he was expecting but whatever it was, it was not the sight before him. A tall girl stood beside him, wringing out her hair slightly with webbed fingers, those black eyes watching the sky. Tied around her waist was a simple skirt, though it seemed to flow with her every movement, her gills moving with every breath. He felt his heart skip a beat. “Come on, before the storm gets any worse. We need to move, idiot.”
“Jacob.”
“What?”
“I’m...ah...Jacob.” He eyed her warily. “Though I’m not sure why I said that.” She waved him off, rolling her eyes.
“Guilt from treating your savior bad? Fuck if I know. I’m Mack.” With that, the two set out silently for Satchh.