--- Cain's POV---

Orion was quiet today. It has been a few days since I told him my past and I tried to talk to him as much as I could. Each little snippet of information he slipped, I stored away in my mind. To be honest, I was quite jealous of him.

How would it feel to be a Siren? To roam the ocean wherever you wanted to go, with no laws to stop you? Nobody threatening to enslave or murder you when they have the chance? I glanced back at him before frowning when I remembered his education on Mermaids.

In truth, he wasn't that free though. Even though he had the entire ocean, even the land to explore, he was never truly free and truly safe. Mermaids couldn't transform but Sirens couldn't spend their lives on land, as they would wilt away and die.

To be hunted down when spotted until you were dead or broke pursuit by getting on land... It rather seemed an awful life. Always looking over your shoulder, always having to be on the lookout...

I looked back at Orion, frowning when my eyes flitted over his form. Even though he was eating the meals that were provided to him and drank the seawater we offered, he looked pale. Pale and skinnier than when we first met.

Sirens aren't meant to be caged...

A troubled sigh escaped me as I pushed open the door, feeling Orion's eyes on my back. I couldn't risk losing him, but if I kept him caged, I would slowly kill him. He looked at me with a frown, eyes wandering to the door and back to me when I didn't leave the room.

"You can go out, if you like. Even go and swim. All I ask is for you to return...you're not my prisoner, certainly not my slave." I sneered at the word before shaking my head. As powerful as I was, whatever lethal reputation I managed to gather up throughout the years on sea...

This pretty little thing could easily kill me.

Orion frowned, slowly pushing himself off of the bed. "How would I know you wouldn't send one of your men after me?" I chuckled humorlessly, guiding him outside as he gathered the attention of the men by his mere presence.

"Most of these rats don't know how to swim in the first place. If I were to send them after you, I'd send them to their watery graves." Orion blinked, eyes widened as if shocked that only three of the crew aboard could swim, myself excluded.

"What do you guys do if you fall overboard then?" The siren wondered as I waved the men off, though Archer walked closer and answered for me. "Drown. Very few can or are willing to learn how to swim due to superstition. Most captains aren't happy to have crew onboard who can swim though, undermines their authority."

When Orion just cutely frowned in confusion, I added, "Say that we're running out of supplies or we managed to get a big heist. A pirate that can swim could grab more than his share and swim for land when we're near it."

He nodded at that, tilting his head slightly while his eyes flitted to the men. It was clear that he hadn't expected this information, most likely assumed I would've kept it to myself.

But what was the point? Even if all crew knew how to swim, what chances did they stand against a siren? Orion walked closer to the edge of the boat, glancing up when some men drew their swords but were quickly waved off.

"What makes you think I'd come back?" He asked defiantly, eyes piercing as he held onto the banister, as if preparing to vault himself over it if need be. I sighed deeply and scratched at my neck.

"You could've escaped a long while ago, if what you said was true. After all, you could've easily controlled us with your song, forcing me to let you go. I'd rather give you the choice and can only hope for your return. I'd rather not see you wilt away just because I'm too afraid to give you the freedom you need."

Orion remained quiet before he blinked, eyes turning to look at the ocean. Whatever he sensed, it made him take a few quick steps away from the banister, eyes pinned on the water. A few men chuckled, sneering about a siren's fear of water but I trusted Orion's instincts.

"Do you think they can get on board?"

His blue eyes flickered over the water, not in a panicked manner but almost as if he was tracking something.

Or several things.

"Depends on if they're hungry enough."

Hmmm... The water seemed calm enough, not a single fluke in sight. The sea splashed against the brig several times, breaking the otherwise tense silence. "How many are there?" I asked, feeling myself tense up when Orion's hands clenched into fists.

"I don't know. It's not the Merfolk you see that you fear." He glanced at me over his shoulder. "It's the ones you can't see."

Almost immediately after, the sea exploded and a Mermaid flung herself aboard, trying to snag onto Orion. My treasure instantly dropped himself down on his hands, legs melding together seamlessly before his powerful tail slammed into the side of the Mermaid's face.

She let out a piercing shriek, as no doubt the force behind the smack had broken several bones in her face. Landing on the deck with a wet thud, she dug her claws in the wood, clawing her way towards Orion.

Almost with bored nonchalance, Archer walked up to the Mermaid from behind, cocking his pistol before shooting her in the back of her head. She let out a rattling hiss that gurgled into silence, her tail twitching and flailing on its own.

"Well... that was anticlimactic... I expected more from a mythological creature." He murmured, sounding close to being disappointed. Orion coiled his tail while observing the creature on deck, gazing at her body.

"Starving, just like I thought. If I were you, I'd stay away from the edges of the boat. There's no telling when they'll try another sneak attack.

One of my men scrambled back, provoking some hesitant laughter from the others while several others climbed into the rafters to check from a safer vantage point.

"They're still circling the boat! Five of them, from what I can tell Sir!" I nodded at that tidbit of information before motioning towards the body. "Toss her overboard. It might distract their attention a bit and with any luck, they'll get bored soon." 

"Knowing our luck, we'll be dead soon." One of the crew muttered softly. They heaved the dead mermaid up, dropping her the second her tail flailed around. Orion hissed softly, baring his teeth as the bleeding mermaid weakly scratched at the floor of the deck.

The second she even attempted to go after Orion again, I stepped forwards, unsheathing my cutlass before easily slicing it through her neck. "I'd like to see her recover from this." I spat, grabbing her head by the hair before flinging it to the sea.

A splash resounded when it hit before multiple dorsal fins sliced through the water. The men quickly got to work to toss the corpse overboard, stumbling back as soon as it hit the water.

Almost instantly, merfolk were circling the boat, fins splashing through the water and pelting us with crimson seawater as they devoured their fallen. Orion sighed wistfully before blinking up as I dropped my shirt in his lap.

It was much too big for him but he understood, dragging it over his head before shifting back, allowing the fabric to barely cover his nudity. I didn't even need to ask him to go back to my cabin, as he quickly got on his feet and scampered inside and away from prying eyes.

"Gentlemen, let's try and put as much distance as we can between us and those things while they're still distracted. Unless anyone wants to volunteer at being bait?" I sneered lowly after catching several of the crew leering at Orion's pale skin.

They blinked and quickly averted their eyes, running back to their posts as if their lives depended on it.

As a matter of a fact, it does... any longer and I'd flung one of them overboard just for the hell of it.

Scoffing to myself, I let Archer know our course, men scrambling to lower the sails and get rid of those merfolk. Everyone would rest easier knowing those things weren't anywhere near the boat when night falls.

And I could only hope that Orion would chose to stay when the coast was clear. I just had to be a patient man and show him that I meant him no harm. I could've forced the issue like many a pirate would've...

But I am a man, not a beast. I might rob, plunder and kill in order to live but I wasn't a heartless wretch. I still had honor and carried the memory of my mother and sister with kindness and love. I would never dare to defile their memories and lessons by forcing myself on my treasure.

I stood on the deck and watched the sun arc over the ocean while the wind slowly picked up. Soon enough Orion would be able to make his choice.

But what would he choose, when given freedom or myself?