Strange Creatures

Captivated

Kristin Kemper on tumblr made this beauty.

At this point, I'm just putting art of Klance with mermaids somehow involved.

xXx

"It's time."

At the sound of the words, Keith was wide awake. The moon had set, and the only light was that of the stars, but it was as if all of his senses were heightened. It was time to save his crew.

He could see the ship in the distance. It was still fairly small due to the space between them, but he knew it was so the watchmen couldn't see them. "And we're all ready?" he asked Lance.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Lance answered apprehensively.

Keith closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He reopened them and fixed his gaze on the distant ship. "Good. Then let's get started."

Lance out a large conch shell. "This can put a bubble of air around your head, but it'll burst when it comes into contact with the surface, and a strong current can pull it off."

Keith nodded. "So be careful and don't surface unless I'm planning on staying up. Got it."

"The current will push the boat toward the ship on its own, and since there's hardly anything in it, it'll catch up soon enough. Theoretically. So all you need to do is get on board and get them into the water. The dolphins will take it from there."

Keith made a 'time out' sign with his hands. "Wait, since when were the dolphins going to actually help them? Weren't they just going to push the boat?"

"Since about ten minutes ago. While you were sleeping, I talked to them, and they agreed to help get them to and into the boat."

Keith grinned. "That's great! Lance, you're amazing!"

The mermaid turned so Keith couldn't see how deeply he was blushing. "Thanks," he said simply. He regained his composure and turned back to the sailor. "So are we going now?"

Keith bit his lip, staring at the ship. "I can't see what else we could do to get ready," he answered tensely. "Let's get started." He stood and stepped into the water.

He plummeted down beneath the surface, then came to a stop about ten feet below. Lance swam down to where he held his breath, eyes tightly shut, and used the shell. A bubble of air grew into existence around his head.

Keith opened his eyes when he suddenly felt air around him. He took in a slow and careful breath, and when he felt the cool air enter his lungs, gave a small sigh of relief. Lance grinned at him. "You're breathing underwater now!" he said eagerly. His voice sounded strange, muffled, but at the same time, amplified and perfectly clear.

"You know, people can breathe underwater. It's just that usually we don't survive," Keith commented dryly. Lance stared at him speechlessly. "I was joking." The sailor started swimming forward, Lance following wordlessly. After a moment, Keith realized the full significance of what he'd said. "Okay, maybe it was a bit too dark," he admitted. "But I guess that's what I get for trying to lighten the mood when I'm thinking of all the different ways I could get killed here."