Once the ship was loaded back up with the supplies and crew, Mark set the heading. Mark kept his eyes at the ships stern to be sure that they weren't being followed. He didn't believe so, but the ocean had many secrets that he couldn't see. He refused to relax, until he checked his pocket watch. They were two hours out and he had seen no one come up to the surface. He wasn't sure if Merpeople had to come up for air... He wanted to believe they did though. Turning to walk up behind Bob, he asked him in a low voice. "How is she holding?" Bob glanced at him, answering casually. "She's a bit stiff. With fresh pitch on only one side, it's causing her to drift to Port side." Mark nodded to himself. He knew this would happen. Dropping a hand on the ships railing, Mark told him just as casually. "Do what you can to keep her on course."

Mark had already started down the stairs as Bob stated out. "Aye aye, Captain." Heading toward his cabin, he stopped at the door and sighed heavily. He was tired, but knew what he'd have to deal with inside. It was almost more appealing to sleep below deck with the crew... Almost. Opening the door, he stepped inside to find Sean shackled and gagged to a chair. Only now the chair was tipped over on its side. The Merman's tail flopped in an irritated manner, while muffling out something to him with a heated look. Mark rolled his eyes, moving closer to position the chair back in its upright position. Afterward, he moved to his desk to sit and look over his map. Getting away from the lagoon was the main priority, but they still had repairs to make and needed a island or a port to finish. It was difficult to concentrate though, when Sean kept muffling out noise at him.

Slamming his hands on the desk, he yelled out in a fowl mood. "WHAT?!" Sean fell silent. Mark had already reached his boiling point though. Storming around his desk, he reached out to yank the gag from Sean's mouth roughly. Sean turned his head, but glared at him from the corner of his eyes. Mark took a step forward, grabbing Sean's jaw and growling out through clenched teeth. "What's wrong? Catfish got your tongue now?" He felt Sean's jaw tense up a moment and expected a fowl comment in return. Instead, Sean told him rather calmly. "Please, give me my amulet back." Mark released Sean's face and groaned loudly as he rolled his eyes. He started to move back to his desk to ignore Sean, when Sean spouted out to him desperately. "PLEASE! I need it! Look at my tail!" Mark reluctantly turned to look. He saw nothing at first... Then saw that the tail was peeling in places. Moving back, Mark kneeled down to look it over. The scales were so dry that they were cracking and peeling off their top layer.

He took a piece and slowly peeled it off. Sean's tail jerked away as he yelped in pain. Mark stared at the fresh scales beneath the part he had peeled off and touched them. They were smooth to the touch, but when he pulled his hand away, he noticed a light coating of blood on his fingers. Sean's eyes began to water as he pleaded to him. "I can't be out of water like this... I'm drying up. If my tail dries out too much, than it will become damaged and I'll never be able to swim again... I'll be paralyzed from the waist down... Please!" Mark lowered his eyes to the floor in hesitation. He didn't want to give Sean a means of escape... but there was a possibility that this could kill him. Sean tried to lean forward, telling him hopefully. "I'll let you shackle my ankles if it will make you feel better... but please... Don't let me die like this?" Mark sighed, removing the amulet from his pocket.

A tear ran down Sean's cheek and for the first time, Mark noticed that Sean's upper body was red with sunburn. Gritting his teeth, he grumbled out. "Fine, but just because I don't need anymore dead weight on this ship." Mark stood up, cautiously slipping the amulet around Sean's neck. When the amulet was fastened, it began to glow a bright blue and Sean cried out as the dry scales on his tail tore free to morph into legs. The transformation looked painful, but he wondered if that was only because Sean's tail was so dry. After his long slender legs appeared, Sean hung his head in both relief and pain. The amulet faded back to normal and Mark shuffled his feet uncomfortably. Sean lifted his head to understand why.  Watching Mark move to a large chest in the room, before he told him gruffly. "I should probably give you something to wear. You don't want to give the crew any more of a reason to hurt you." Sean glanced down to see that he was naked by human standards. Among the Gam and the Pod, this wasn't something to be ashamed of. No animal in the sea had 'clothes.'

Mark pulled out a few things for him, tossing them across his exposed lap. Sean stared at the clothes as Mark began to mess with the iron shackles on his wrists. The second his hands were free, he pulled his hands up to his chest to rub his raw wrists. A soft 'click' then drew Sean's attention to Mark, who pointed a pistol at him, saying very softly. "Don't give me a reason. Just put them on." Sean moved slowly. He didn't have the strength to take on Mark, or his crew at present. His legs were so sore that it physically hurt to move them. Carefully, looking over the clothes he figured out which one went where. He even snuck glances at Mark to see how he was wearing his, just to be safe. Slipping on the soft white tunic, Sean listened to Mark grumble out. "They'll be a bit baggy on you... but it's better than nothing." Sean hadn't noticed that Mark had lowered his gun at some point, until Sean staggered stiffly onto his feet, causing Mark to raise his gun like he was expecting him to run.

Sean took his time trying to slip into the black cotton pants. They felt really nice against his skin. It was only after he had gotten them over his hips that he noticed Mark was looking him over with a weird expression. The fact that Mark's gun slowly lowered to aim at the floor made him feel uneasy. Did he look that bad in human clothes? Had he put them on wrong? Sean turned to ask him, only to wince as the ship listed over the water and caused his shaky sore legs to give out. Mark dropped his pistol to catch him, slowly lowering him the rest of the way to the ground. Sean groaned softly, telling Mark in a slightly repulsed undertone. "Thank you." Mark released him, answering briskly. "Don't thank me just yet." Before Sean had realized it, Mark had taken a hold of his wrists and removed his golden bracelets and chain necklace. Sean wasn't too terribly upset about loosing them. They were just trinkets to him after all... but he felt like he should be offended by this.

Mark tossed the jewelry into the open chest where he had gotten the clothes from, then retrieved his pistol. Sean thought for a moment that Mark would help him up... but he didn't. Mark climbed to his feet, stepping back away from him a step or two. Sean kept his eyes on Mark's as Mark raised his pistol again to point at him. Sean could almost see Mark's mental walls rising up to defend himself. Sean stiffly rose to his feet, never looking away from Mark's eyes. When he was back on his shaky legs, he extended his hands out, grimly snapping out. "Well? Are you going to clap me in irons again? Or are you just going to stand there?" Mark flicked his wrist, causing the pistol to hint for him to move to the chair. Sean side stepped toward it, not wanting to turn his back on Mark. When he came to the chair though, he stopped. He didn't want to sit down.

Mark's eyes narrowed on him as he raised his pistol a bit higher and growled out. "Have a seat, Fish-boy." Sean crossed his arms over his chest, asking curiously. "And if I don't?" Mark didn't flinch as he stated out coldly. "How would you like our doctor to remove your legs? You don't need them to give us directions." Sean narrowed his eyes stubbornly on Mark, snapping back bitterly. "You hurt me and you'll get nothing from me. This I promise you, Captain." Mark smirked only slightly in amusement, retorting bluntly. "They all say that, until they endure it. This I promise you, Little Prince. Don't believe me... Just try and test me. I'd bet that before the week is out, you'll have told me everything about yourself and the Sea Crown. Care to call my bluff?" Sean uncrossed his arms as a chill ran up his spine. He didn't doubt Mark. He could see the bloodthirsty nature in his eyes. There was weight behind Mark's threat. His gut instincts were screaming at him to be cautious.

Sean hesitated, trying to think of a way to fix the rising tension in the room. He was a very good negotiator. He just had to come to a compromise. Raising his hands in slow surrender, he told Mark sincerely. "What about a trade?" Mark's expression lightened up to give him a curious look now. Sean's heart leapt. He had gotten Mark's attention, or at the very least caught him off guard. Staying calm and collected, Sean told him casually. "Here are my terms. You don't cage or shackle me anymore... And I won't run. I'll even help around the ship if you need me." Mark's eyes started to narrow back into a hardened look as he growled out defensively. "But...?" Sean swallowed nervously, lifting his chin confidently as he answered. "I'll lead you to the Sea Crown, But when you find the treasure... I want my freedom and your word that you'll never return to the lagoon again." Mark was silent a moment, then bitterly snapped out. "I don't trust you."

Sean stayed still, keeping his eyes on Mark as he honestly said. "Let me earn your trust then. I'm a Prince. My word is my bond." Mark scuffed loudly, growling out. "You just watched me kill your kin. Why on earth would you bargain with me?" Sean moved his hand slowly to his amulet, answering. "Because you showed an act of kindness and it puts me in your debt." Mark lowered his gun only a little, looking very confused now. So, he clarified for him. "You attacked the Lagoon and we responded in kind. You killed some of our people and they came to kill some of yours. We are not without honor. You gave this back to me. Now let me give something back to you." Mark looked unconvinced, When a sharp piercing whistle rang out over the ship. Sean flinched covering his ears in pain at the sound. Mark lowered his gun, his eyes going wide in horror. Holstering his gun, he dashed for the door and yanked it open.

The second Mark stepped outside the cabin, a man high above the boat stopped whistling to yell down at Mark. "CAPTAIN! SHIP TO STERN!" Mark ran away from the door and Sean stood staring at the open door with a blank look. He wanted to make his escape, but hadn't he just told Mark to trust him? What would that say about his Merman honor? Dragging his feet to the door, he stepped out and glanced around. The crew were leaning over the sides to look behind the ship, while others climbed the shrouds to get a better look. Stepping out a step or two more from the cabin, he heard a man tell another in a terrified voice. "It's a Man O' War!" Another man above him on the shrouds, lowered a small spyglass, gasping out to the others in a shaky voice. "By the powers... That's not just any Man O' War... That's the Battle Ballad!" Sean looked around confused as the crew began to tremble and reek of fear.

Crossing the ship, he climbed up the steps to the higher deck. Mark was standing at the stern looking through his spyglass and Sean followed Mark's glaze to the horizon. Even in the darkness he could see the ship crashing through the ocean after them. The ship was still a good distance away, but the wind was with them. Sean gapped at the sight of it. He had never seen a ship like this near the lagoon before. It was massive. Towering over Mark's ship by at least two whole floors and there were so many sails that they looked more like clouds. Sean stood in awe of it as Mark lowered his spyglass, barking out in a commanding voice. "ALL HANDS ON DECK! Unfurl every sail we've got! Stick to the shallows as much as you can! We've got to outrun her!" Tyler relayed to orders to the men on the lower decks, then turned to tell Mark in a low panicked tone of voice. "Captain... The ships barely afloat as it is. If that beast gets within range..."

Mark stared out at the open sea ahead and then back at the Man O' War, before stating in an infuriated voice. "These aren't Navel waters. So, find out why I've got a Navel Warship hunting my ass. If that beast gets in range, I want the fucker who brought it here to take the first shot aimed at my ship!" Tyler nodded, then quietly raced down the steps, leaving only Mark and the helmsmen on the upper deck with Sean. Mark took off his hat to run a hand through his dark bangs, before spotting Sean. Mark looked incredibly surprised to see him there. Sean straightened up, glancing out at the Man O' War as he said casually. "What's so terrifying about that ship?" Mark strolled up to him in about three striding steps, answering in a deathly serious voice. "That is a warship hauling one-hundred and twenty-four long cannons. Four at the bow. Eight at its stern and fifty-six on each broadside. They just have to get in range to light us up. A range that my ships cannons can't reach to return fire. If we can't outrun her... We'll all be at the bottom of the ocean in less than a minute. And before you start thinking about jumping ship-" 

Mark grabbed his forearm tightly, while Sean calmly cut in to inform him. "You'll never outrun her. Your ship is dragging... but you knew that." Mark clenched his jaw, his grip loosening on his arm a little. Sean could see it in his eyes that he was right. Stepping in closer to him, Sean whispered close to his ear. "Swear to me that you'll uphold our deal and I'll save your ship. Refuse and I'll enjoy watching you go down with her." To Be Continued...