An unusual sight causes you to pause your swift movement as you glide through the warm waters on your usual free-time swim.
Strange things are littering the ocean floor.
What's this sword doing here? And is that… a cannonball there?
Your lashes flick from side to side, surveying the unusual scene.
Untouched by the hungry sands that swallow everything that sinks to the murky depths of the ocean, your beloved ocean floor is littered with human tools.
You can't help but swim a little closer, and that's when you see it: the flotsam of a shipwreck.
Your eyes are quickly drawn to the ominous shadows marring the bright blue waters surrounding you. With your curiosity getting the better of you, you decide to investigate and move up even closer to what remains of the wreckage. Among the usual debris, you notice the first human body, or at least what's left of one. It's hard to tell because parts of the corpse are severely damaged, most of its skin has been burnt off, and the sight is overpowering. Gagging a little, you shake your head and swim past it. A futile attempt to escape this reality, though. You gulp at the sight of many other equally mangled bodies and their remains dotting the scene before you. There must have been a battle or an accident.
An intense one at that…
The contrast of the aquatic life of fish, coral, and algae starkly clashes with the tragedy that must have transpired here. The beautiful colors of your once-lovely coral reef feel tainted. A school of tiny fish circles around you, completely oblivious to the loss of life. An overwhelming feeling of loss and despair washes over you like a heavy fog as you decide to continue on.
With a gentle sway of your mermaid tail, you drift among this colorful nightmare. The pieces of the shipwreck have damaged and broken your favorite coral reef. It is a typical human trait, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake - at least that's what you've been told all your life. You swim in the area for a little longer, aimlessly, just like your stunned mind.
The dangers for ships in this area are clear. The warm climate makes it prone to monsoons and storms. Sometimes the swift changes in weather surprise even you, and you live under the water! Beautiful rock-cliff formations and shallow waters make for a most perilous journey for any type of vessel that dares approach this area. You've seen shipwrecks - the ocean floor is littered with them, but you've never had the misfortune of seeing one so… fresh.
A devastating sight, but then a thought crosses your mind:
Could there be any survivors?
You pause for a moment before you decide it would be wiser to continue on with your day. It's not any of your concern; it shouldn't be at least… that's what everyone else would say. The Merfolk palace is always bustling with activities, so getting a break from it can be a nice change of pace, and you will not let this shipwreck ruin your well-deserved quiet time! They might have marred your favorite spot, but the warm and inviting water and the morning sun still call to you.
With a graceful swipe, you pull your hair and its ornamental pearl decorations behind your pointy ears and continue towards the small island close by. There is a remarkably comfortable rock formation on the beach of the small island nearby that perfectly faces the lagoon's most beautiful view. It isn't as colorful as your favorite coral reef, but it will have to do! Blissfully basking in the warm sun should help take your mind off the gloom that threatens to overwhelm your senses! The occasional glimpses of blue and yellow fish swimming by are enough to put a smile on your face already. Your eyes follow them as they circle around you and closer to the edge of the waters. They seem to be a little more daring than usual.
That's when you see something in the waters that is not a fish:
A person is floating above you.
Unsure of what to do, you watch as the waves drive the body from side to side. As if drawn by a strange force, you decide to investigate. You approach the shimmering surface, lights dancing around the limp, shadowy form. Another sway of your tail helps you breach the gateway between warm waters and bright blue sky. It takes your eyes a moment to adjust, but you can quickly recognize long muscular arms slumped over a large piece of wood.
You use your slender hand to shield your eyes from the sun.
Your sight is instantly drawn to the long, wet tresses partially covering a young man's face, messily clinging to the milky skin like beach-stranded algae. Is he still breathing…?
You blink rapidly, trying to banish droplets of saltwater from your feathery lashes. You cannot tell… not at this distance. In your head, you hear the warning teachings of your parents and your best friend of the past years, "Never, under any circumstances, intervene with the affairs of humans."
You can't help but hiss through gritted teeth, "Oh, will you shut up already! I will do as I please. I am a princess, after all!" With a huff under your breath, you shake your head wildly to physically banish their heeding words from your mind. Your avid shaking sends your pink hair flopping through the air and the pearl strands adorning your neck and head rattle softly.
So you swim even closer.
As you stare at this stranger's face, you can't help but take note of his beautiful features. His full lips and aristocratic cheekbones are quite mesmerizing. Indeed, he would look very nice if only his face wasn't so… lifeless at the moment. What in all holy places have you gotten yourself into now?! This young man could be dangerous. You know nothing about him except that he is a human.
You've heard all the stories, of course. Stories of humans burning and slaughtering Merfolks alike in the name of their gods. You can't help yourself, and you move even closer, hardly able to breathe. His eyes are still closed, and he is still just as unconscious as he was before. This feeling in your chest, though… It's a strange one. Your palms grow sweaty, and your heartbeat quickens.
You shouldn't interact with him, but you find your fingertips reaching for the sodden hair clinging to his forehead. The anticipation inside you builds as your fingers touch his soft skin. Your head snaps back quickly. Did you really just touch a human!?
Wait… no, don't get distracted!
He is still warm!
You lean back in the water, holding your hand - the one that touched his skin - to your chest, and nervously glance around.
You know no one else is around, and you simply can't help yourself.
Your elongated canines dig down into your plump lower lip as you ponder your options. You make your decision…
Bringing the shipwreck survivor to the lagoon shore took a little more effort than you expected. You are a merfolk princess, so someone else should be doing the hard work for you!
Even though… you finally managed to drag his body off the flotsam of wood and onto the shore.
Now he lies limply beneath you in the sand of the lagoon. The tide continues to lick at his legs, but the shallow water lets you use your mermaid tail to move around, so it will have to do for now. Your long nails still dig into the shoulder of his sodden pirate jacket as you stare down at him. Holding your own breath, your eyes watch his chest rise and fall, ever so gently.
This means he's truly still alive!
A million thoughts enter your head at that moment.
What would your parents say?
What would your friend say?
What would your ancestors think of you?
Blinking nervously down at his unconscious shape, you think of your options.
He probably swallowed quite a bit of water, would pushing his stomach help? You ponder as you weigh the chances. You nod to yourself, trying to gather your courage.
You can do this!
Another huff escapes your lips, and you lean over him to place both hands on his chest, where his lungs are. His ribs expand ever so weakly; the movement provides the courage you were lacking. Using all the force in your body, you close your eyes. Trying to drown all the thoughts in your head, you focus on the task at hand. Do it! Do it! You think as hard as you can.
Using your own body weight, you begin to force the water from his lungs.
The drum of your heartbeat pounds in your ears with every heaving motion. You push the rattling of your pearl headdress, the screeching seagulls, and the sensation of your pink, wet locks that obscure your sight far from your consciousness and let nothing but the pushing of weight into your mind.
Your concentration is broken when your feverish pushes are interrupted by his coughing.
You quickly lean back to observe his face.
He's breathing more normally now, but you can still make out the rasping of his throat as he coughs up water. Your heart jumps again as you watch him struggle to clear his throat.
Suddenly, his eyelids flutter open.
Worried whispering escapes your lips, "Are you alright human?"
"Y-Yes, I'm fine," the now marooned pirate answers in a hoarse voice.