EDIT: July 11th, 2019
HELLO TIS I! This is weird I know but hear me out. If this is your first time reading this story, GREAT. You didn't read the trash that had been rotting here before. If you have been reading this before this date, I am so sorry. So my writing style has changed as I've matured and grown, and this is one of my first stories. I've been on a writing spree as of late, and when I went to write the next chapter for this story, I had no idea where I was going. I couldn't remember. When I went to reread this bitch to try and remember, I was honestly quite horrified. It's not good. Not nearly how I like it. I blame my younger self. SO with that in mind, I couldn't keep writing the next chapter knowing how crusty this is, so I am rewriting. It will stay basically the same, plot-wise, but I'll add more lore, more detail, more interaction, just more in general. To give you a clear picture, this chapter originally was about 5,000 words. This edited one is 6,892 words long and that's with me having taken a whole fucking scene of about 1,000 words out! So if you have never read this story before, you got nothing to worry about, if you have read it, prepared to be amazed by some more plot and interactions, and readable fucking English. I will be editing every chapter like this before releasing a new chapter. I will be posting this notice as a new chapter so everyone following will be aware and can curse me out. If you don't see an Edit note in a chapter, it has not been updated and honestly, I suggest you read a paragraph or two, just to see how vastly different it is and why I'm doing this.
On another note, I should be updating all of these soon, I just finished this chapter, once I finish 2nd chapter it will be updated so on and so forth. Please enjoy the new and improved chapter!
Also, please consider visiting hPKJrwQfk and donating $3 to my broke college ass. Or just look at it to make me feel better lol. Enjoy reading!
"I want to be human." The merman whispered to no one in particular. Emerald eyes watched the fish swim lazily by in flashes of silver and blue, eyes flicking to the different sparkles of gold and silver whenever a beam of light would catch on to the metal. The ocean, his home, was full of life and beauty, full of adventure and mystery. But the prince felt that at this point, he had done it all down in the depths. He tangled with sharks, swam with dolphins, played with seals, explored sunken treasures and fought mighty beasts in the deepest trenches. Not to mention he was a prince, he's had chances all his life for fame and he definitely had enough fortune. But something was missing, it wasn't enough. Crown Prince Eren Jaeger felt something was missing, and he was convinced that whatever it may be was on the surface, waiting for him to just reach for it.
I don't care if I'm the Prince of Eldia. I don't care if I'm next in line for the throne. I just want to be free. The brunet sighed and flicked his verdigris green tail lazily in the shallow sunlight of the cavern. Hundreds upon thousands of human relics glimmered on the carved shelves and crevices on the walls and floor. All were items he found, sunk to the bottom of the ocean and within reach. Sometimes he would stumble upon them randomly, other times he would search for more things to add to his collection. Eren found lots of treasures in chests and ships, the whole collection of human things kept within his little cave, the only place he could be alone.
The hobby started because of his mother. She kept a brass lamp she had been gifted by humans from her homeland. It was beautiful and colorful designs Eren had never seen before were etched into the sides surrounded by colored glass. His mother claimed that it held something called a 'flame' and Eren always admired it, having never seen anything like it before and naturally, his mother encouraged his curiosity much to his father's chagrin. His father hated humans and everything about humans. Eren couldn't blame him, he's heard the stories of merpeople being pulled and gutted but that wasn't the only thing his father hated. It was that they took who he held most dear, Eren's mother.
Eren resented the humans for a while after his mother's untimely death, but every time he saw that lamp, he couldn't help but be fascinated by their work. As he studied them, he became more and more infatuated with humans and their odd ways. Now he was at the point where learning about them wasn't enough, he wanted to be among them, become them. He wanted to adventure the lands for himself and see if his research was true. Were there really lands of ice and sand? Are mountains so tall they rose above the clouds? He knew so much yet has seen so little, that his only true wish is to adventure the world above, no matter the cost.
Eren's dream would never be realized since he would only be able to gain human legs for mating. And even then I'm not allowed to see the humans. The King would never approve my appeal for legs for anything other than mating. Eren fingered one of the gold chains he was adorned with and sighed. He had been dressed to meet a princess today, Princess Mina Carolina of Sheena. My supposed mate.
Eren argued for weeks with his father about the forced marriage, pleads becoming more desperate as her date of arrival approached. I just don't understand why I'm being forced! Mom told me all the time that I have to wait for the right one, the one I love more than life itself! Besides… I'm not…
"Gah! This is so frustrating!" Eren growled angrily, tail whacking hard into a box which slowly fell, forks and spoons spilling about in a flurry of silver. Eren has had quite a crisis with coming to terms with his homosexuality, convincing himself he just didn't want to mate with anyone, rather than try and figure out why his muscled guards looked so fine. It would also help if his grandfather hadn't passed a law against homosexuality either, erasing any evidence that they even existed before his reign. It always seemed odd to Eren, as it was well known that mermen could get pregnant, but only when they have intrusive sex enough times that there body shifts to accommodate.
I don't even have a choice with choosing the traditional island I'm to be mated on! What type of whale shit is this!? All royal merpeople since as long as anyone can remember would always find a private island where they would not be disturbed and mated there for a few days. It was rather odd all things considered since they did have reproductive organs in their tails, but as his father always says, 'Tradition is tradition is tradition.' It's so whack. The shift is due to a pendant given to merpeople at birth, custom made for each child and can only be used for them. Most mers kept them hidden until the coming of age where they would present the magic pendant to the newly grown mer, but Eren's father decided to keep it hidden in order to force Eren to comply. With that pendant and the magic of a royal, they were given new powers, including that of shifting into human form.
Of course, I matured nearly 2 great moons ago, but my dead beat fucking father wants to ensure I'm mated before I can shift so that I can't leave. Eren groaned, fisting his hair tightly and accidentally dislodging the pearl hair chain his father made him wear. He watched it slowly sink to the ground, allowing himself to do the same and just stay, floating about until he was in front of a reflective glass surface. It had dark gold ornately wrapped around the reflective surface that was symmetrical on both sides of expertly crafted swirls that made his eyes follow each wisp and curl. Eren's best friend Armin told him it was called a mirror. Armin had a whole book on human things he found in the archives, with it he was able to tell the prince what some of the things he collected were called and how the humans used them.
Although mers didn't have mirrors, they did have reflective silver and gold that worked in a similar way, but not as well as the one the humans made. The mirror showed a lean but muscular male with a dark tan and aquamarine eyes that seemed to change color as often as his mood. Speckles of gold speckled around the irises and if he became angry or passionate they turned to gold. He wore a beaded crown of jewels on his long brown hair that flowed wildly about him. It was traditional for males to wear their hair long in royal families, but Eren often tied it into a bun to get it out of his face. To have it short was almost like treason, signaling to his subjects that he refused the crown. He had come close once, but Grisha begged and Eren had been more naive then. He also wore gold and pearls along with three flashy necklaces. Each necklace had the pendants of past kings and was only to be worn for ceremonies, which is why his dad made him wear it.
He had a gold armband around both of his bicepses that resembled an eel and simple gold bracelet. He also had a thin cloth wrapped around his waist in a milky white color that swayed with his movements, also creating drag in the water which meant he couldn't move as fast. No doubt to make sure I couldn't swim away. It had a gold belt over it adorned with jewels and pearls. Most of the jewels were aquamarine or emerald to compliment his tail, the scales all uniquely colored and tapered off a bit towards his stomach, just under his birthmark. All royals were born with a unique birthmark that looked like a tattoo. It's supposed to show who they are or will be in the future. If it's a key it could mean they will unlock something or sword if they are a great warrior. They can have multiple birthmarks or only one, Eren's great, great grandfather had 12, though some historians speculate only some of those were actual birthmarks. Eren had three, the dark brown lines varying in thickness as if drawn by a skilled calligrapher.
On his stomach was a pattern inside a circle, five lines on each side curving like fingers around the circle. The middle bit was four spirals pushing against one another in a symmetrical pattern. The elders and chief priestess claiming the symbol was representative of great strength, comparable even to a titan.
On his lower back was an X, the lines curved and delicate with three dots on the bottom half of each line, connecting one another with three thin curving lines. It represented a great battle, the elders thinking that the three dots represent how many years the battle will take place.
The last one was the biggest, spanning the entirety of his upper back. It was very complex yet simple, lines refusing to cross each other but flowing smoothly around one another. The main lines made two triangular shapes, the one on the side of his shoulders a lot shorter than the main line. They had no bottoms, lines sticking down from the main two and contouring into his muscles. The elders gave very different answers as to meaning. Eren ignored them all, as not one was similar to the other, but also because he came to his own conclusion. The patterns and lines, they looked a lot like the gulls he saw fly above him, the beautiful flappy things that carried them as they flew. I wish I was a bird. Then I could fly away from my father, from the imprisonment of the castle walls.
He stared up at the surface above and decided that it's time he stopped procrastinating and go meet the princess before he gets in trouble with his father. Again.
With a sigh and a stretch, he drifted towards the entrance, tail pumping sluggishly as he pushed the stone into place, ensuring no one would enter his cave of wonders without him knowing about it. Especially the King, he would definitely wreck it. Or Mikasa, she would probably lecture me about how dangerous humans are. Again. Eren turned, starting the short trek to the palace where he's forced to be mate was no doubt waiting.
-The Little Merman-
"Corporal Prince Levi sir! The decks and bunks have been cleaned, sir!" Marco reported as soon as he was invited into the office. It was blindingly clean, not a single pile of clutter to be seen with all the stacks of papers neatly placed in a stack nearly larger than the prince. Although that's not all that big to begin with. Marco thought, holding back the chuckle when the Corporal looked up at him.
What a ridiculous outfit. Levi thought, studying the saluting brat before him. He wore a loose, open black button up shirt with red pants that were purposely ripped and tattered as well as a black and white bandana around his brown hair. The whole crew thought it would be fun to dress as pirates while on this voyage and made sure to play the part as well. They even managed to rope me along. Although that damn captain's hat was bound to go.
"At ease brat. I told you this already, you can call me Levi. None of that Corporal Prince Levi sir bull shit." The small prince ordered, putting down his pen when Marco finally dropped the salute.
"Aye aye, Corporal!" He smiled and Levi just shook his head in exasperation.
"Tell the crew that they can take the rest of the night off and enjoy our last night at sea." He ordered, eyes already drawn to the shitty mountains of paperwork he still had yet to finish. Fucking bastards, making me do all this fucking paperwork over a small scuffle. That damned princess just wanted to get in my pants! Of course, I'll shove her away! Levi thought before looking up when he didn't hear the door close. Marco stood there, wringing his hands and looking like he needed to shit.
"Anything else you would like to add Marco?" Levi asked with his usual deadpan tone and the chocolate haired male noticeably gripped the doorknob tighter than before.
"The crew would like you to come out and onto the deck, sir." He said softly but determined as he finally looked into Levi's silver eyes with his nervous brown ones. After a minute of staring Levi sighed and stood.
"Would they now?" He asked sardonically. Marco nodded.
"Yes, sir." He replied quickly and Levi raised his hand toward the door.
"Lead the way then." The prince said, trying to hide his drowsiness, causing him to waver for a moment before walking down the hallway.
The poor man has been working hard at sea for the past 3 months and he really just wanted to sleep. They had stopped at a port to negotiate trade with a small country and Levi ended up in deep shit when the princess tried to feel him up during dinner. The king didn't believe his story of course, taking sides with his daughter who glared at him until he boarded his boat. This is why Erwin should've gone on this stupid fucking voyage. Why did the council think sending my antisocial ass would work? Erwin was the current 'King' of Mitras, running the kingdom in Levi's stead since the former king passed when Levi was 18. Erwin is the son of his father's most loyal friend and councilman, so naturally, when he retired to teach, Erwin took his place and became the king of Mitras until Levi could inherit the crown.
Of course, Levi was currently in quite a predicament with that. He could've become King during his father's passing, had he been married. He could be king now if he were married. The royal council begged him since the time of his father's passing to do just that, hardly hiding their thinly veiled attempts at getting the irate prince to fall in love with the daughters of kings, noblemen, councilmen, and even local villagers. Levi ignored each attempt, opting instead for his second route to kingship. March 25th of his 25th birthday. March 25th was the day of independence for Mitras, and thus a tradition was formed. Should the prince or princess remain unmarried by their 25th birthday, they will be considered eligible for a coronation only after the independence day of the kingdom has passed, and a vote is cast to the kingdom. They can either vote for the prince or princess to become king or queen regardless of marital title or keep them as they are.
Besides, I don't want to fuck a princess, I want to fuck a prince. The council had heard his plea but dismissed it. They had no problem with him being gay, but he needed to produce an heir, something Levi couldn't do when in a gay relationship. Is it really that easy for them to dismiss me though? How can I marry a woman I can't love or sleep with? I want someone that will love me, someone to look forward to talking to me, not the gold diggers they've been sending me.
Levi could feel a headache forming from this topic again so decided to silence the thoughts and continue forward, head held high. Marco began whistling a happy tune as he walked, the sound grating on Levi's overworked nerves but decided to merely let it slide this time. Luckily the burgundy colored hall was a short walk, and they quickly made it to the dark door. Marco stopped his whistling, thank fuck, and opened the door, yelling out a quick "Now!" as he walked out. Now? What the…
Stepping out the door, he quickly put two and two together.
"Surprise!" The crew cheered, many throwing handfuls of rice as soon as their prince and captain stepped out the door. The deck was lit well, torches and lanterns scattered the deck neatly and lit up the entirety of the main deck. To his right, he spotted a few tables full of food and belatedly realized the last time he ate was a greasy egg that morning. Food first then, once I figure out what the fuck is happening. Next to the food table were 4 large barrels, all clearly labeled beer and Levi smirked. Of course, these idiots would bring more beer than food. He could see that many of his crew had already helped themselves to the free beer, hands clutching mugs while some danced about the deck.
All these things seemed small once he looked around and quickly saw a rather large statue of a man right in the middle of the deck. One booted foot rested on the rock in front of him, face forward looking out towards the horizon with an eternal look of constipation. He wore 3DM gear and held two thin swords at his sides, seemingly ready for a battle based on how he held them. He wore a button up shirt underneath all the carved leather straps, a green cape flying in the immortal wind with the wings of freedom chiseled onto the back. What the fuck… why?
"Marco." Levi murmured, still looking at the ornate stone statue.
"Yes, sir?" He was running back over, having joined in the rice throwing with all the other idiots.
"Why is there a giant ass statue of me on my deck?" Levi finally asked, staring when Marco began to laugh merrily.
"We wanted to celebrate the upcoming day of independence sir! The country vote will be cast and you will be king! Also, we wanted you to have at least one night of fun before we got back to Mitras." Marco explained sincerely, the whole crew cheering. Tch, these idiots, going through all this trouble for me. After a moment of silence, Levi sighed and a small but affectionate smile lifted his lips before he went back to his normal scowl.
"Well? Isn't anyone going to get me a beer?" He asked with a huff and raised a brow, everyone brightening with happiness to see they got their usually stoic captain to smile, even if only for a second.
"Aye aye captain!" The crew resonated as everyone scrambled to get their soon to be king a beer. Music began to fill the ship as everyone ate and danced, singing old songs of home and the sea. Once he got his beer from Petra, Levi quickly got some stew and headed to a corner table, quiet and content to eat and watch his comrades have fun. This definitely beats paperwork at least. He thought with a snort, turning to watch the sunset over the horizon. Much better indeed.
-The Little Merman-
The king was absolutely livid when Eren got home.
The brunet arrived at the sparkling palace late and scared Mikasa to death with 'worry over your wellbeing.' After apologizing to both his father and Mikasa multiple times he was forced to meet the princess. In the main chamber, they finally saw them. The princess was beautiful, with dark flowing hair and grey eyes, he could see she was quite a beauty. Eren was actually quite relieved for a moment, thinking that maybe this would go well before she opened her mouth and began talking. Her voice was very high and whiny, her eyes trained on the prince entirely when she spoke. Princess Mina of Rosalia was her name, and the prince was her game. To his credit, Eren did try and see good in her but found the situation even less appealing when he realized that this girl was trained to try and win his heart. She did everything, flipping her hair, touching tails, touching hands, blinking her eyes, claiming that everything he liked was also her favorite. She was all over him the whole time, the fakeness of it leaving Eren's head reeling.
Eren eventually had to excuse himself, unable to bear with another moment of her whining voice. Grisha was nearly shaking when he swam by, angry that Eren would dare leave the princess early. He's probably gonna threaten me with humans again. King Grisha hated his infatuation with everything and anything human, he always told Eren and Mikasa that the humans were wretched creatures, cannibals that murdered their own kind and could never be trusted to keep their word. That they would eat him if he ever went to shore. Eren sighed and kept swimming, eventually leaving the palace and slowly starting towards the surface. Just to see the gulls, nothing more. Eren liked to watch them fly, hoping one day he might be able to do the same.
As he got closer, he noticed the light from above, flickering and fading before being renewed in a display blurred by water. What are those bright lights up there? Did humans make them? Eren raced to the surface, breaching the water with a small splash and gasping in amazement. Bright lights exploding in the sky in all kinds of colors, making loud booms and whirring noises as they diminished on the way down. They left behind grey clouds, whispy and light before they too faded, replaced with new exploding lights every few moments. What are those things?! They're so beautiful.
The creator of such beauty seemed to be the huge ship sailing about 20 meters away that was lit up strangely. The red and orange hue was a lot like sunken paintings he had seen, but very different from the blue and green light he was used to. He tuned in to the noise and heard lots of laughter and singing (if it could even be called that) coming from that direction. Were the humans celebrating something? His curiosity outgrew his fear and trepidation, and before he knew it he was beside the ship, staring up at the odd and large contraption before him. The chatter and festivities were quite obvious now that he was beside the ship. Cheers and shouts echoed around him, and it wasn't the angry kind but the happy kind. I wonder what they're celebrating? Maybe I can just… take a small eensy weensy peek. No one will know and I can just jump in at the first sign of danger! Eren thought, determined to see humans in action.
Eren quickly looked for a way up, circling the ship until he found what Armin told him was a 'rope' hanging from a hole on the side of the deck. There were flashes of movement through the hole, so Eren immediately knew that was where he needed to go. With a plan set, he dove under, swimming farther than probably needed but he had to get this right the first time. If he didn't jump high enough, the humans might hear his splash and his chances of seeing them discreetly would be ruined.
Eren took a few breaths, calming himself for a moment before letting out a low note.
"Aqua vitae,
quaeso quest in adjutorium meum intende." Eren sang, eyes glowing with magic as the current shifted, a small whirlpool beginning to form around him. Golden light tendrils swirled about the singing merman, slowly swirling, speeding up as it got closer to his tail. He felt the power build, gathering in him and granting him the speed he'll need to jump up there.
"Oceanum exaudi orationem meam,
da mihi potestatem fugere."
His tail was glowing gold, lighting up the area around him, fish swimming closer in curiosity.
"Audi vocem meam,
velle meum det mare…" He sang the last note, his flukes quivering with the need to swim. With a mighty thrust of his tail, he swam to the surface, breaking through with a splash. Eren twisted and twirled, willing the water to follow him and help him. The water did as he willed, bringing him up the side of the ship until his fingers reached the touch feeling rope. Had anyone on the ship been looking, they would've seen a glowing merman, jewels shining in the moonlight and water flying in a thick column to carry its prince. The water could only help him for so long, the column collapsing as the Mer began to climb the ship. "Yes!" The brunet whispered excitedly, pumping his fist but squeaking when the rope nearly slipped from his fingers. Alright maybe do that some other time.
He struggled for a bit, arms unused to his weight, especially out of the water where gravity really pulled him down. However, he eventually made it to the hole and was relieved to see the large beam he dragged himself over could be used as a seat. It was the perfect height, just allowing his head and shoulders to be seen through the hole, a prime spot for the mer.
Once he was comfortable, he looked through the hole and was simply amazed. Humans were everywhere. Their bodies were hopping, twirling, running, walking, dancing, skipping, and sitting, legs all moving about on the deck. There had to be over 100 of them! Eren's eyes were whipping from one pair to another, looking for differences and similarities, finding so many within only a few meters of him. Some wear cloth to the nub, some all the way down, some with none and some with cloth completely covering their legs! Holy shit. The ship was loud. Laughter and chatter filling Eren's ears, surprised to find that he could understand almost everything they were saying. Their faces were very much like a mers, surprising Eren considering he was told they were quite scary.
He was told that humans were evil, corrupt and vile with large fangs and gnashing teeth as they ripped people apart. Sharp nails that ripped bone from flesh and murdered thousands a year with cold unfeeling eyes. But... what I was seeing contrasted greatly with what I was told. They seemed happy and alive and friendly, having a joyous celebration as anyone else would. They didn't seem that different from us at all.
He took in the different items, recognizing things from his own cave before his eyes saw it. A large statue made of some sort of stone, stood erect on the deck, standing tall of what appeared to be a man. He wore similar clothing to that of some of the dancing humans, but he carried what looked kind of like swords. Two rectangular boxes hung off his hips and a long, stone cloth flowed behind him as if he had been suddenly pulled forward. What really drew Eren's bright green eyes though was the face. Chiseled and smooth features, a sharp jawline, mysterious hooded eyes, a furrowed but delicate brow, and a resting bitch face. A hairstyle like Eren had never seen, with shorter hair but the bottom seemed to be cut completely off. I wonder how he did that? Actually… he looked around and saw that quite a few humans had that weird really short cut. Eren likes the statues style best but was quite intrigued at the new revelation.
That statue was… gorgeous.
Eren's stomach was shifting around like a pack of tuna fleeing from a shark, tingles spreading through him the longer he looked at the statue. I wonder if this is some sort of deity? A hero? He sure looks very heroic. Maybe some sort of mythical figure? Eren pulled himself up a little more, resting his head on his arms as he relaxed a bit more, feeling content to look at the beautiful statue. If this ship sinks, I'm definitely taking that statue. Gods how can I even think like that! Oh, how Eren wanted to touch that perfect man.
Why… why am I feeling like this? Surely others see how perfect he is? How strong he looked… Eren imagined those arms around him, the tingles spreading down to his flukes as a blush quickly forming on his handsome face. What was that!? I'm not really imagining being held by a man! What is wrong with me… dammit he's just so attractive.
Eren really couldn't help the sigh, resting his head and imagining the statue in his cave and a feeling of utter joy filled his chest. Nothing wrong with just looking. Right?
-The Little Merman-
Levi watched from the side as all the crew danced about, nursing his lukewarm beer with one hand. He could easily tell how excited they all were to be back home, the voyage a whole three months away from friends and family. Levi was glad that everyone seemed so happy. He spotted Eld and Gunther playing darts, every throw missing while they complained about governors and politics. Petra and Oluo were beside the beer, tongues so far down the other's throat Levi was sure they would choke. While I'm glad they finally got together after all this awkward flirting and Oluo trying to imitate me to earn her love, why do they have to do it right here? The short prince sighed, ignoring the two to see that Marco had begun a conga line, a small chuckle escaping him when he thought about how quickly shitty glasses would've joined, probably screeching the whole time like the idiot he was.
Everyone in the line was singing a traditional fighting song, screeching out the lyrics in time with their kicks. Marco leads them happily, wrapping around the masts and the large ass statue right in the middle of the deck. That statue… where the fuck am I supposed to put that? Where do people usually put statues of themselves? It was quite flattering that they even made the statue, someone spending a shit load of time to get the features right no doubt. It made him look taller, more regal even, a true exemplary prince. Levi had doubts about his future, about his kingdom and his people. He really did love them, all of his subjects were special and Levi made sure to never forget that. However, the impending deadline for him to choose a wife was nearing, and while he knew it had to be done, his heart clenched at the mere thought of it.
Sometimes, Levi thought about becoming someone else. Maybe a commoner, someone who could run a tea shop and marry whoever the fuck they wanted to if at all. Or maybe a bird, so he could fly and be free from the physical word. Or maybe a mermaid, spend all his days swimming in the ocean, playing with dolphins and all that other bullshit. But alas, he was born in the underground city.
A wealthy noble from another kingdom had hired scum to kidnap the queen and hide her, hoping to weaken the countries morale enough to conquer it. If anything, the citizens fought twice as hard, annihilating the offending army in only a few days. They never gave back the queen though. Kuchel remained in hiding, having been told her kingdom and husband had been destroyed, and that she could only gain her freedom by killing the healthy baby boy she had given birth to during that time. She refused, taking care of her little prince with everything she had. The noble had been slain in combat, so the thieves were now in charge of the missing queen and prince. Levi could never remember what happened to her, only ever seeing her beaten body when they were done with her in the one room. She would often cry and talk about his dad, but Levi was too young to remember what she said. He did remember her dead body, the way she looked and the smell after a few days. The scum gave them little food, and his mother had been adamant that he should eat all of it. That starvation was eventually what killed her. And it's all my fault. If only-
"Fire!" A voice shouted, knocking the prince out of his inner thoughts. Levi whirled around, staring wide-eyed as he saw one of the beer barrels had tipped over, alcohol sloshing all about the deck. Someone must've knocked into one of the torches, as the liquid was quickly spreading, orange flames licking at the mast and quickly spreading. There's no way to put it out now, it's getting too big!
"Abandon ship! Get into the lifeboats now!" Levi ordered voice echoing over the crew as everyone scrambled to secure the lifeboats. Levi cursed under his breath and quickly went into the cabin, hearing the alarm bell being rung frantically. Good, anyone in the cabin will surely hear it.
Within minutes nearly the whole deck was up in flames, the sails and mast charred beyond recognition while wooden beams fell all around him. He had ensured everyone in the cabin, luckily only a few people, had gotten out and everyone was filling the lifeboats. Levi was barking out orders, ensuring that everyone got out safely while the debris clattered around him. Petra was doing the final headcount, giving him a quick nod to say that everyone was in fact there. Relief coursed through him, happy to know that everyone would be alright.
"Prince Levi! We have to go!" Petra called, holding the pulley steady with Oluo while she waited for her prince to climb aboard. The flames were getting closer, tendrils flicking at the ropes of the small ship, threatening to singe and snap if Levi didn't hurry. Levi growled, lamenting the passing of his favorite ship and rushed forward, about to join them when he heard it. A grunt of frustration, or maybe a shout, but it came from behind him. Levi looked over, grey eyes narrowed as he searched for the source, hoping with everything in him it wasn't someone still on board. Of course, his hope diminished when he saw a tanned hand gripping the floorboards from underneath a hole in the railing. There's someone on board, they're probably stuck. I have to-
"Levi! Hurry!"
Right, in a moment the lifeboat will catch on fire. If I don't go now, we all die. But if I go now, that person will die. With a decision made, Levi sighed and took out his cutlass, holding it steady and looking into Petra's eyes.
"I'm sorry. You need to go. There's someone else on board." His words chilling, he swung, the pulley above him snapping from his precise slash, dropping a screaming Petra and crew into the dark ocean below. Levi quickly raced across the deck, minding fallen debris and patches of flame as he went until he finally made it to the other side. It only took a few moments before he spotted them, and he felt his jaw drop.
Beautiful. Tanned skin and hard muscles but a lean figure, a bare-chested man was struggling against a beam that must've pinned him to the side of the ship. He had long brown hair, strands sticking out from a bun on the back of his head and covered in jewels and pearls. Thick brows and light pink lips that had Levi wishing he had met this man before. But what really struck him, were his eyes, a perfect blend of blue and green. However they were filled with tears, and Levi quickly remembered exactly what was happening around them and that this was no time to pop a boner.
"Oi! Give me your hand!" He quickly ordered, leaning over the rail to better grab him. The boy seemed shocked upon seeing him, eyes wide with terror. "Give me your hand! We need to get out of here!" He yelled, hissing when a plank of wood hit his shoulder from above. The handsome boy merely stared for a moment, terror and wonder on his face as he studied the prince before him.
Is… is he… the statue from before? He looked the same, sharing all the features on the statue and more. How is this possible? Eren quickly snapped out of it when the ship groaned, the beam pinning his tail tightening until he lets out a growl. "C'mon take my hand dammit! Live!" The man maybe statue yelled, holding out a pale hand to the very terrified merman. Eren quickly grabbed Levi's hand and gasped, nearly letting go when he felt pure electric shoot down his arm and into his chest. Levi felt it too, eyes blinking when he saw what looked like literal lightning traveling up his arm from where their hands connected. I must be hallucinating, the smoke or something must be fucking with me. What the fuck… Levi gritted his teeth, ignoring the tingling sensation in his arm and chest to instead pull the boy.
The beam held firm, the merman crying out at the stretch as his tail was dragged across the many sharp splinters. "We need to get to the water!" Eren yelled, eyes glowing as he willed the water forth. The magic only lasted a moment though, his concentration and fortitude waning the longer he twisted and pushed against the beam. Levi, upon seeing exactly what the problem was, let Eren's hand go and sat down. He pushed himself through the hole, and with as much strength as he could kick the beam, hoping to dislodge it enough for the man to slip through. Eren quickly saw what he was doing and tried to help, pushing hard against the ship and pushing his tail back with all his might. At last, the wood moved just enough for Eren t0 wiggle free, and he slipped through and right into the frigid water.
Levi quickly followed, diving in and blanching at just how cold the water around him was. He felt as if he was being stabbed by thousands of knives, the water dragging him deeper every second his body stayed immobile from the cold. However, Levi was more worried that the man wouldn't be able to swim with what must be injured legs of some sort. He kicked as hard as he could, dragging himself to the surface and breaching with a heavy gulp of air.
"Oi! Can you hear me?!" Levi called out, frantically looking for the boy above water but coming up short. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!" Levi growled, panic rising as no sign of the handsome and mysterious appeared. He must be underwater. He could be drowning. An image popped in his head, that pretty face with eyes wide and lifeless, floating at the bottom of the ocean while fish merely swam around him. Dead. Levi's heart was pounding, his ears picking up on each pound as if it were a drum of war. He can't be dead. He can't be dead. He can't be dead! Levi dove, eyes stinging from the salt and to be honest pretty useless in the dark water. He struggled against his need for oxygen to blindly swim, hoping like a madman that he'll somehow find the man before it was too late.
Little did he know, the merman watched him closely from below, not entirely sure what to do now that a human has seen him. He's seen me, but I don't think he realized just how different we are. Surely he'd kill me, leave me to die in the hot stuff if he knew. Should I not do the same? That's what my father would want. Eren thought, watching the man swim in circles, seemingly searching for him. But… he risked his life to save me. He's currently looking for me… not to mention that weird bolt when we touched. What was that? Was I releasing magic without realizing it? Eren wondered, growing concerned when the human stopped moving. I have to help him. Eren swam up to the human, pulling him to his chest and breaching the surface. When he didn't immediately start breathing, Eren panicked and prepared to bring any magic possible to save him. Just as he was about to sing, the human gasped, coughing up water harshly.
"Are you ok?" Eren asked, receiving no answer from the very limp human. What the hell do I do now? The land is a good while away… and I can't just leave him here… fuck. Eren knew that he was fucked, the weird statue now human was too handsome to simply leave there. Guess I'm going to shore.
Seeee! I'm changing the plot a bit and trying to add more interaction between the two. I had found a few plot holes and character development issues when rereading to decide what the fuck I was gonna do so I will be changing and fixing those bitches ASAP.
Leave a comment if you like this better and shit, or to curse me out for leaving yall hanging for so long.
Also, please support my dumb ass and buy me a $3 coffee. Cause you love me. Right?
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