No Prey, No Pay

Chapter 1

He never thought the damn pirates could fish him out the water that easy.

Harpooned like a cursed whale by the final part of his majestic tail and dragged on the hard wooden floor of the ship.

His own precious blood splattered on the deck while all the mates of the captain laughed and laughed.

Being out of the water wasn't a big problem...at least until his body was still wet, but if he started to dry up, it would really dangerous "So, dear Prince!" the blonde captain barked with is raspy voice, a vicious grin on his lips "if there is not a single jewel in your ocean as you insisted, then I think I'll have to settle down with the gold they'll give me for your flesh" he said walking slowly towards him.

Aoi gulped silently, he didn't want to show his inner fear to the human, but he knew perfectly what the blond guy was talking about: merfolk's flesh was looked up by human like a remedy for all kind of illness...including death.

Their bones transformed in powerful amulets and their guts used like food or making particular instruments "I swear on my bloodline, human! Free me if you do care for your and your men's life!" Aoi shouted, growling his anger while his clawed hands tensed on the wood.

If would not be for the harpoon still in his tail, painfully blocking the major of his movements, Aoi would likely jumped at the throat of the pirate, opening great gushes with his sharp teeth.

The captain laughed again with the crew, before kneeling down in front of the merman and Aoi could see a more cold, harsh smirk under the band covering his nose.

His dark eyes were staring directly into his own soul, he could feel it "swear all you want...if you don't give me the treasure I need...I'll make one out of you..." he whispered, moving his irises up on the tiara Aoi still managed to have stuck on his head.

Symbol of his political power, but all of his most nasty spells could only be casted with his weapon...the same trident he lost while he was captured.

The only thing Aoi could to in that moment was baring his teeth and hiss at the captain, before launching himself onto him trying to bite the life out of him.

That mere, lowly human...how he dared look the Prince in the eyes??

Aoi was able to draw some blood from a forearm before heavy and powerful hand sinked in his long, silky black hair to yank him back, almost raising his figure from the deck "ah! what a fierce thing we have here..." chuckled the captain.

The merman closed his eyes shut for the pain he felt in his scalp, while his tail flopped against the wood with wet, hard sounds "I love when my little victims put up some fight" the blond human rose his wounded arm to his lips, opening them to let out his rosy tongue.

The captain then caressed the ragged edges, picking up a good amount of his own blood before talking again "Kai, let our guest enjoy the view until sundown, will ya?" "yes Captain Reita" the human that grasped Aoi's hair spoke.

Immediately the merman fell on the deck on his own tail, before feeling a couple of strong hands get his wrists up above his own head "ah, I'll take this too" the captain -Reita was called so?- took the Prince's tiara from his head.

Not taking, but literally ripping it from his forehead, taking away a lock of hair that was still tangled around the little comb on the side.

Aoi growled, thrashed, trying to move his tail or claw at the men that tied him up against the big mainmast of the boat.

Oh, when he would be free...there would be hell to pay.

The man Reita called Kai finished to bind Aoi's chest with the thick, rough rope, before giving a couple of pats on the merman's gills, just under his solar plexus, four on both sides of his body "you're lucky it's a little cloudy today" he told the Prince.

Aoi's heart sank and his cyan eyes went from the man to the sky, where just a few fluffy clouds dotted the clear celestial vault.

They...planned on making him stay there? Under the harsh, hot sun?? "w-wait! No!" Aoi started to scream, a threat and a plea tone in the phrase "you can't...I'll dry up!" and at that moment the once playful voice of Reita arrived at the Prince's ear like a life sentence.

His tone was husky, heavy and hard "good, more fish jerky for my men" Reita murmured.

The captain turned and walking with wide strides he closed himself in his quarters, while the crew started to move around Aoi, returning to their places and make the ship move.

Aoi panted with the first stings of pure fear: drying up was the first way to die, for a merfolk.

His gills, without proper lubrication, would stick more and more often to one another, closing up and making him breathe painfully.

The amount of air that his mouth would procure to his big lungs would never suffice.

Aoi knew that after that, the heat stroke would come later if he didn't suffocate quick enough.

He tried to use his claws to break free of the ropes, but his fingers were too far away and even wriggling wasn't enough to reach even one of the ropes Kai used to bond him to the mainmast.

Every time a man of the crew passed by him, Aoi growled orders, begged to be released, trying everything in his power to be heard from the human or from someone of his people.

Why oh why he needed to make a damned stroll that day??

Why he needed to meddle with those peasants, those humans??

His guards where all at the castle and even if there where some in the outskirt of his realm, he was too far away to use his voice to call them.

But out of the water...he used vibrations for his alarm calls and in the open air they dissipated too much, resulting maybe higher in pitch, but the duration was shorter...

Also, the third time he tried to scream for help, using his raspy, high voice to call for the guards -or anyone really-, one of the ship's boys approached annoyed, thrusting some cloth deeply in his mouth "shut the fuck up! Christ, you're a noisy one" he muttered before returning to scrap the deck.

Aoi felt the fluffy texture of the fabric start to dry up his tongue and the inner parts of his cheeks and there, he succumbed to the fear.

The Prince folded his body forward, moving his tail to curl up as much as he could and prayed on everything sacred in the Oceans to be able to reach the night, the cold, humid and safer night.

Trembling softly, Aoi closed his eyes and hoped that someone at home searched for him... afterall he was expected to the next Great Annual Marine Meeting to discuss some trading with other friendly realms... his good friends would surely note his missing, right?