The Iron Huntress

@Mile Phakphum The merman fought against the men carrying him, eye frantically scanning the crowd to find someone that didn't look like they wanted him dead; there were none.

Apo was weak now, pearlescent drops of golden blood dripping onto the wood of the deck and down the wooden staircase as he was brought into a dark room with a singular circular pool at the center. His strength was practically non-existent with the adrenaline of his fight or flight instincts coming down and the blood loss from his injuries beginning to make his vision do strange things.

As he was dumped into the pool of water barely large enough for his entire tail to submerge, he felt hopelessness. Even more so as time passed and then men who had brought him down were now gone. Apo didn't know how much time had passed until he heard the door open again before closing. He lifted his head weakly and saw the man with the eye patch again.

The mer-prince listened as the man spoke, his eye brows scrunching together in confusion. Had Apo met this man before? No. He had been mistaken for one of those vile sirens, the ones who were ruining the reputation of mer-folks.

His vision twisted again as he moved quickly, to counter argue with the man but his tongue felt heavy and all he could do was shake his head and reach out to try and grab the man before he left but I was already too late. Apo hadn't spoken the human language for awhile and with the injuries he sustained, the only word he could get out was "Wait" but the man was already gone.

Alone in the dark room below the ship the merman drifted in and out of consciousness as he tried to remain conscious enough if the man with the eye patch came back he could set the records staight. He never came and Apo succumbed to the bloodless, letting his mind swallow him as his body fought to heal.

@Apo Nattawin Mile had been sailing the seas since he could remember and as a kid, the news of magical and mystical creatures didn't escape his curious mind. He loved listening to the crew in his father's own ship tell tales of these stories from the deep but his favorite ones are those about creatures that were half human, half fish. They were called mermans, mermaids, and sirens. They're all very distinct with one another and something about them allured Mile even as a kid as he fed himself with those stories that the old men in his father's crew told him, stories that lulled him to sleep. As he grew older, he too wanted to find these creatures but only with the intention to watch them from afar because as much as he had respect for human life, more so for those that he's unfamiliar with.

He knew better than to anger these creatures who are known to be tied to magic and God himself and as their admirer, he wanted to just appreciate them and in his own way protect their existence. It was until he turned 18 and he was on his second trip during the summer when some of their men went missing. He was tasked by his father to join the crew to gain experience as a man aboard a ship. Stumbling upon the island where the ship last docked, they had set on an expedition to find their comrades, hoping that they're still alive and as he wandered alone, Mile found a hidden cove within the heart of the island and there, in the middle of it as the sun shines above the hollowed ground and into the cove and atop the middle of the rock, sat the most beautiful creature he saw in his lifetime.

The beautiful melody echoed inside the place and soon enough, he found himself enchanted and he was already chest deep in the water when the creature's appearance change, revealing it's true form. Luckily, someone heard his flailing and screams for help and he was rescued, and the bones of their dead comrades found in the bottom of the waters but it was too late as he didn't leave the place unscathed. As Mile fought for his life, and the crew as well, the siren managed to scratch his face and left a deep wound that left a scar from his hairline down his left eye and just above his cheek.

Since that incident, Mile swore to exact revenge on the creature who did this to him and the rest, the hatred and resentment deep within his heart still here years after and upon catching one in their nets, his eyes displayed the same vengeance he had for years. "Take him to the bottom of the ship and into the observation room. No one is to enter that room until we're back on land." Mile instructed his men and once everything's settled, he went to visit their cunning catch.

"What a sight. I finally got my hands on you. After all these years. I never thought I'd see you again but here you are now, under my mercy, just like how I was when you lured me in that cove, how I begged you for my life but you were set on killing me along with my men back then but the tides have turned and you'll soon be begging for yours, siren. You better be on your best behavior. I'll need to have my fun first before your execution."

With nothing but hatred and disgust in his gaze, Mile took a few steps backwards and fully turned his back on the creature as he left the room, his body trembling in anger and he left for his quarters to calm himself down, having to take a few swigs from a bottle of whiskey to aid him in calming down, slumped on his swivel chair with his arm over his eyes, panting softly and letting out a few deep breaths.

@Mile Phakphum "A little sunshine never hurt anyone, Annui. I haven't been to the surface in weeks, let me feel the warmth of the sun on my face. We'll be back before my father notices that I've slipped away from my princely duties"
Apo said, twirling his hand around and smiling at his best friend. "Please?"

Annui shook his head and rolled his eyes before agreeing, there wasn't much he could say to stop Apo. The surface was relatively safe when there weren't fisherman. The rest of the humans stayed away from the island, as the area was known for numerous shipwrecks due to the amount of large rocks you had to steer clear of. Annui didn't visit the surface much, only when Apo managed to convince him every now and then. This time, it would be no different from last. They would spend a little time on the surface, basking in the sunshine, maybe lay on the sand with their tails in the water. There was a large cove with sand that they would swim to. Often time watching the sun set before disappearing below the cold sea again.

Apo's smile widened, the crinkles around his eyes making him resemble what humans referred to as a cat. He pulled on Annui's hand, swimming out of the large pearlescent castle, large schools of fish swam past them and then a dolphin or two. As they made their way to the surface, they checked to make sure there were no boats nearby before breaking through the surface. They were unaware of the fact that a ship was on the otherside of the island and within minutes would see them.

The two merman with their pale skin and golden hair, looked at each other with a mischievous glint in their eyes before starting to splash each other. Annui suddenly stopped, picking up a sound. Annui's eyes widened as he saw the ship suddenly appear, pirates. His gaze locked with one of the humans aboard the ship, and then the human looked towards Apo who was oblivious to the impending danger. Annui saw the net as it was casted over the ship, pushing Apo under and away as the net captured him.

Apo was about to fight back against his friend until he saw what had happened. Annui was trapped in a thick fishing net, trying to break free to no avail.

"Annui!" He shouted as he rushed towards the slowly rising net, pulling his hairpin out which actually turned into a knife. Apo frantically cut at the rope, iridescent tears sliding down his cheeks as he felt he didn't have enough time to save Annui. Finally he held onto the net as it broke the surface, cutting as fast as he could as he felt his body rise above the surface. He put all his effort into slicing through the thick rope of the net, the knife slicing through his hand but forced to bare the pain. Suddenly he was dropped into the water along with the broken net and Annui.

The celebration was short lived as the humans had another specially made net ready, made with thick rope and wrapped in barbed wire. The net dropped on Apo and captured him in its venomous grasp. Annui was now the one trying to free Apo, shaking his head as nothing was working. Apo felt his entire body become scratched and nicked from the barbs embedded in the rope but he still fought with all his might to cut through the rope. It wasn't working. He was losing blood and draining his energy. There was no escape. Apo looked at his friend, shaking his head to stop the other from making a reckless decision.

"You have to go Annui. I'll find a way to escape. Go! Please!" Apo shouted in their mer-tongue. Watching as the distance between he and Annui grew, Apo felt the net pulling him up onto the ship. He felt the hard wood floor of the ship underneath him, he looked around at the humans who had captured him. Apo fought again trying to escape the net but it was no use. His gaze fell upon one of the men in the crowd who stood out amongst the rest. A tall-muscular man with black hair and silver near the roots. Strong jaw, high nose and one dark obsidian eye while the other was covered with an eyepatch. A scar ran above the covered eyes brow and below the patch, likely spanning over the other eye. There was anger and pain, Apo could sense it with the way the man had looked at him. He had a feeling if he didn't try to escape now he wouldn't make it out alive.

With all the strength he had left in himself, he held the knife that he'd used to cut through the first net only to have it ripped from his damaged hands by the same man who held anger in his eye. Apo knew from that moment on, he was trapped under that obsidian gaze. There was no escape.

@Apo Nattawin "All aboard!"

Hearing the Quartermaster shout atop his lungs, Mile headed out from his office above the deck. Clad in his usual garb of an all white uniform with specks of dark blue along the trimmings of the suit, he stood next to their navigator as they now leave yet another conquered island. This one's been on the hairs of their government for months as they rebelled and refused to pay their taxes. Although he feels for the people as the prices are starting to sky rocket again yet livelihood all around the globe is scarce, he couldn't blame the people wanting to keep whatever they earn to themselves but alas, he's just a decoy and also needs to survive on his own. Mile's not poor by any means, he's actually part of a noble family in an island that's fully developed and had caught up with the times yet the old and new still co-exists and one strong proof of that is the very ship that they're on.

On the outside it looks so polished, the layout is from the old times, even the design, but on the inside, modern day advancements can be found and everyone's well taken care of, unlike other's perception that those who are afloat on seas and oceans dies from hunger, that's just a rumor now and a thing of the past. Checking his watch, he nodded to the two gentlemen after being informed of their next location; an island infested by magical and deep sea creatures, the latter triggering a plethora of unwelcome memories for Mile and unconsciously, he's running his fingertips over his eye mask once again as he had already gone blind on his left eye due to a siren attacking him way back.

Calming himself down before he goes on a fit of rage again, Mile opened the balcony door of his office, watching as the sun starts to set, the horizon casting the colors of the infamous golden hour as wind blows past the area, making him take a deep breath as he tastes the salt in the air coming from the ocean. Staring at the waters below, he couldn't help but reminisce on his past and how he'd come to become the captain of the most formidable battleship in the world; The Iron Huntress.

Because of his "disability" and him looking rough, his own family and the government had always kept him at bay, sending him to missions and at first it brought him this feeling of immense joy and honor, thinking that they were doing it out of built trust but one fateful evening, as they celebrate another conquest of his battleship, he overheard the elders from his family spilling the secret that all because of his appearance and him being seen as a lesser noble because of his flaw and the fact that the government is threatened by his power over the army and some pirate groups, they decided to throw him like they did, faking the hero facade that they made him believe he's seen as.

Ever since he found out about all of this, Mile decided to keep to himself, rejecting any bounty and award as he knows they're all just to pacify him and that's what he'll do as well once he gets back to the mainland. He'll once again retreat to his abode and coop in there but this time, he plans to set on his own adventure and travel as he wants to retire for good, not knowing what the gods have in store for him as they now dock on the mysterious island inhabited by unknown creatures.