Chapter Text
Some people say that those who are not human shouldn”t be seen as anything more than a threat or a treasure of sorts.
It makes sense, if you think about it. Humans fear change. That includes anything that goes off the ordinary. With animals it was easy enough to take all their value as living beings. They were food sources, things to be breed and used as people needed or desired. The power belonged to all of humanity, or so politics claimed, even though only a few got the priviledge to hold some kind of leverage over others.
One of them was Erwin Smith.
He was born lucky, with the priviledge of learning how to write and read, how to give speeches that demanded respect from those who listened... and with the charisma needed to rule and conquer. It was not a surprise; such were the benefits of being born in a noble family. Luxury covered his every craving as a child, and the maids spoiled him rotten by giving him the most forbidden sweets they had in the kitchens. Erwin didn't get to see his father that often. It was normal, being part of the elite could be demanding in terms of time. It was not a very well kept secret that if Friedrich Smith played the right cards, he could gain the favour of the King himself.
And so his ever lasting absences at home were justified, just like that. Even as a kid, the blond didn”t let himself be fooled into believing that all that time was related to work or even fraternizizing with his father's colleages. Sweets weren't the only things he earned from the time he spent playing with the maids, and all of them enjoyed sharing little bits of information that his mind puzzled together. They were very clear about how they shouldn't have told him about how little loyal Friedrich was to Elizabeth, Erwin's mother, but then again, what damage would it cause to tell an innocent child who didn't deserve to be left out in the dark?
Poor kid, Erwin heard again and again, each time they thought he wasn't near.
It was okay. Their pity only made getting information easier, and Erwin was too smart to let that opportunity pass.
His mother wasn't all that attentive of him, but unlike his father, the blond knew that it certainly wasn't because of her high status in society; like him, she wasn't all that fond of the tea parties and balls she had to attend daily. It was all about keeping the house of Smith present in every noble's mind, to make sure to leave a mark and to be respected as they should.
Erwin felt truly inspired by how elegantly she moved, how her jaw would clench oh so slightly whenever something was not to her liking, how she would always smile at him whenever she heard of his accomplishments - like when he successfully managed to ride a horse - and how her eyes never seemed to give away any of her thoughts... her face was the very definition of façade.
Sometimes, when her schedule was free, he would talk to her or take a walk through the forest together, and read a book under the shadow of an old oak near their residence.
Erwin Smith, the heir of the fortune of his father ever since he was born, didn't believe in fairy tales.
He admired and enjoyed the events that happened in them, however, things like mythology and legends were just that for him: stories made up by people when they were bored. He lived in a world where things like that were only labelled as an unnecessary distraction, and he was sure that if his father were to find out there were such heretical books in their house he would burn them in a pyre. Erwin was his heir, he claimed, and as such he should stop acting like a child and grow up into a man who would take over his company, marry a young lady of prestige, and give him gorgeous grandchildren.
But Erwin Smith, captain of the Sina, had witnessed more than enough evidence to know that some legends held more truth than what most people thought.
His change in life style had been predictable to those who squinted hard enough.
If there was something that the blond hated, it was the pressure, the burden on his shoulders that came with his family's title. That he could have lived with, in all honesty. But his father's egoism had reached a point he didn't want to stand anymore, and once he saw an opportunity to run away from it all, he took it without hesitation. By using his head, he soon earned himself a place as a part of a crew, and it didn't take him much effort to slowly worm his way into the minds of those around him.
A mutiny took place, the former captain was abandoned in the first port they reached a few days after, and as a consequence, Erwin took over his place.
A few years passed until he managed to earn the trust of every member of the tripulation, and by then, the man was already well into his twenties, his hometown casted away to the far, dark corners of his mind.
Erwin pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes wandering up and down the map on his desk. In order to get provisions, the ship had docked in the port of a small village. Although he allowed his crew to go out in the night to steal and have fun as they plased, the captain hadn't left his cabin, already planning the next stop in their route.
They could go to warmer waters, but he didn't feel like risking an encounter with the float that belonged to the King himself. The Military Police, which hardly ever did anything to earn their name, were far too fond of luxury and comfort to sail too far from the capital, and they usually avoided wild waters, since their cowardice kept them away from danger. They probably were doing the right thing, if they valued their lives that much. He didn't think they would last a night if they ventured further into the sea.
Even though they weren't very competent, their ships were, and their cannons and speed were to be feared; only a fool would dare attack them directly. The Sina, as splendid as it was, could hardly rival with them without help from other ships, and very few pirates would expose themselves to such danger.
Pirates lived to loot, to drink, to enjoy the freedom that the seven seas provided them.
Looking at the map again, Erwin made his mind. They would go south for now, if the wind allowed them to do so. The crew would probably be tired after having their fun, and very few memebers would be sober enough to keep watch during the night; it would be unwise to venture into those waters if the wind was against them, or else they could wander out of the right track.
It would be a while until his men arrived, he noted, and yet he found himself needing to clear his mind before the upcoming headache managed to set in. The blond got up from his chair, briefly looking through the window at his left. The sea was calm tonight, its waves lazily hitting against wood. The window he was looking through hardly allowed to see anything, apart from the surface of the water iluminated by the moonlight; it was the other window in his cabin the one that faced the port, the village's light dimly casting the room in shadows.
His steps carried him to the door, a hand raising to open and close it behind him. The light breeze on his face made him close his eyes for a few seconds, the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. This was where he belonged. Not in a fancy cage.
Slowly, in no rush at all since he was all alone, he walked down the stairs to reach the deck. Only the moonlight and a couple of oil lanterns allowed him to see the steps in the dark as he neared the rail, leaning his upper body a bit over it. It still got to him, how volatile the ocean was. When he became part of this crew he learned to respect it, to fear it, and to workship it. The sea was much like a capricious deity, and its whims could end up being your downfall if you weren't careful. Even now, as calm as it was, Erwin liked to observe it.
But he felt as if he was the one being observed.
Immediately, his right hand went to the hilt of the sword hanging from his belt, looking backwards in order to avoid getting ambushed by his back. Nothing. His eyes shifted to his sides, watching out for any threats... and yet he found nothing, again. Although he hadn't found any evidence of it not being his imagination, he still kept his senses in alert. Something wasn't quite right. The feeling of being watched didn't vanish despite his efforts.
A minute passed until he forced his muscles to relax from their tense pose. Perhaps he was just too tired.
His gaze fell back to the water...
...only to find a pair of silver eyes boring right into his.
They didn't blink, not even once, as Erwin continued to look into them. The lack of light near the surface of the water didn't allow him to see clearly who it was, nor any other features of their owner, but those quicksilver orbs seemed to glow eerily in the dark.
Hypnotizing him, captivating him.
Patiently and somehow waiting, demanding him to join their owner in the water.
Erwin found himself holding onto the rail, nails digging into the hard wood and abandoning his grip on the weapon by his side. It would be oh so easy... to jump into the water and find out to who belonged such fascinating eyes. His neck craned, looking downwards, and half of his body was already bent over the rail. The captain was halfway there. He just needed... to open his hands and let himself fall forward...
He closed his eyes.
For a second, he let go.
"Captain! What kept ya up this late? We brought rum!" A cheerful voice chimed, coming from behind. In the back of his mind, he managed to recognize the voice. It belonged to Hanji, the second in command, and the only woman in the ship. It was only then when he noticed more voices and steps coming his way. The other members of the crew had returned from their little trip to the village.
And just like that, the spell was broken.
Not even a second later a splash caught his attention, making his neck almost snap when he turned to the place the mysterious figure had appeared at.
The only thing he got to see was a tail covered by silver scales before it disappeared underwater.