Born From The Sea And The Waves

“Don’t leave anyone alive,” Shao ordered as Shang Tsung surveyed the situation on the deck.

The majority of the ship's crew had been dealt with, corpses littering the floor to the point it was hard to step over them all. Still, it was necessary. This ship supposedly was carrying great treasures, and Captain Shao had wanted to claim it for his own. Somehow, despite the nature of the ship's cargo, it seemed no one had expected a pirate attack, leading to one of the easiest takeovers Shang Tsung had ever experienced.

Still… That did make Shang Tsung dubious on if what they’d find in the cargo hold was worth it after all.

“Shang Tsung, Quan Chi,” Shao directed towards the two men, they both straightened up and stood to order. “With me. Let’s go see what this ship was carrying.”

“Yes Captain,” they replied in unison.

As Shao made his way past them towards the trap door to the hold, Shang Tsung shot Quan Chi a look. Neither of them particularly liked being subordinate to the brute of a captain, but it was undeniable that this was a better position than most in their profession. Since Sorcery had been prohibited, they only had the choices of suppressing their gifts or becoming outlaws. Shao had been eager to get magic in his arsenal, and so mostly let them do whatever they wished aboard his ship or during their rare expeditions on shore. Hell, if they were lucky and the Captain was feeling particularly generous they may even get some of the riches within this cabin.

For now, this position benefitted them, but that didn’t mean it would forever. They just had to bide their time.

Regardless, they both turned to follow their Captain. He’d already opened the trap door, and was making his way down the stairs. Shang Tsung and Quan Chi followed him down into the darkness, lit only by the light let in from the trap doors, and a few cracks in the wood. Shang Tsung flicked his hand, and several lanterns within the hold flickered to life. They didn’t add much light, but enough for them to see what was in the hold.

Or rather… to see the hold was more or less empty.

Oh I knew it. There’s nothing even here. There weren’t even any boxes, just something at the very end of the hold covered by a large cloth.

“What a bountiful treasure,” Quan Chi sarcastically commented, wandering around the room and folding his arms over his chest. “I can barely move there’s so much.”

“I do not understand,” Shao growled, head jerking around and teeth bared. “I was assured there was a particularly rare treasure on this ship.”

Shang Tsung’s eyes landed on the large cloth, and he raised an eyebrow. Rare treasure. Not treasures. Maybe whatever it was would be under the cloth. He went to approach it, blocking out Shao and Quan Chi bickering between themselves on how they could have been fooled so easily. The cloth was within reaching distance, and he grabbed at it, gently pulling until it slowly cascaded down and onto the floor. Underneath was a glass tank of some kind, completely filled with water.

It was what inhabited the tank that was truly interesting.

At first glance, you would have thought that it was a human man. That would be until you’d see the large fish tail, adorned with beautiful yellow scales, and the gills on the sides of his neck. His dark hair floated within the water like it was liquid itself. His head was hung low and eyes closed, but Shang Tsung could make out a muzzle or something strapped to his face. In fact, he had cuffs around his neck, wrists and the end of his tail, all attached to chains linked to the bottom of the tank. They barely gave the poor creature room to move, and what he could see of the skin underneath the cuffs looked red and raw.

Shang Tsung ran his hand along the glass, slowly getting onto his knees.

“Hello beautiful,” he half whispered, eyes captivated by the sight in front of him. Oh, I was so wrong. This was indeed a rare treasure, far more so than any amount of gold would have been.

“Is that a Mermaid?” Shao questioned, and Shang Tsung could hear two sets of footsteps approach him.

“Well, a Merman, by the looks of it,” Quan Chi confirmed quietly. Shang Tsung could see their faces reflected in the glass. Quan Chi looked shell shocked, he would be as aware as Shang Tsung was of the significance of what was in front of them.

“That is the great treasure?” Shao snarled, he looked far less impressed than either of his companions.

“Captain, I do not think you understand what you are looking at here.” Shang Tsung’s eyes never left the creature in front of him. He was captivated. Stories of Merpeople always told of their otherworldly beauty, but he could never have imagined just how stunning one would look in the flesh. “Merpeople have long been the subject of myth and legend. Many sailors and pirates have claimed to see them, but none have ever been captured for study.” He laughed under his breath, using a finger to trace the merman’s form. “A living Merman. Oh, he could bring us so much power. People would kill just for a glance at his beauty.”

“Are you sure he’s alive?” Quan Chi asked, tilting his head slightly. “He hasn’t moved at all.”

Shang Tsung blinked, that was a good point. He clenched his hand into a fist, and gently knocked on the glass. As if awoken from a deep slumber, the Merman’s head jerked upwards, his eyes shooting open. Two yellow eyes with slit pupils stared at Shang Tsung from the other side of the glass. His eyes were wide, as they darted around slightly, like he was trying to work out what he was looking at.

Suddenly he began to thrash, the chains and cuffs keeping him mostly in place.

Shang Tsung pressed his hand against the glass again as he whispered “shh, it’s okay, settle down now.”

The merman didn’t listen, just continued to try and break free of his confines. Shang Tsung clicked his tongue, he needed to find a way to calm the poor thing down. He stood up, looking towards the top of the tank and trying to find how to open it. There were no obvious latches. Had they ever intended to let this unfortunate creature out?

“We need to find a way to get him out of there,” Shang Tsung summarised, still trying to look for a way to get into the tank.

Captain Shao groaned loudly, and Shang Tsung turned just in time to see him grabbing his warhammer and lifting it. Shang Tsung’s eyes widened as he realised what he was about to do. He just about managed to dive out of the way of Shao’s swing as the hammer went slamming into the glass. The force was so great it shattered instantly, sending the water pouring out onto the floor.

The merman ended up on the floor of the tank, breathing heavily as he tried to adjust to the air. His wet hair hung over his face, but even so, Shang Tsung could see those yellow eyes looking at them with suspicion and fear.

Shang Tsung stepped back up to approach it. The merman yelped and tried to pull back, once more stopped by the bonds.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, I won’t hurt you,” he tried to say softly, but if the merman could understand him it didn’t do much to help. He reached to the back of the merman’s head, finding the straps of the muzzle and carefully undoing the latch. Despite the struggle, he was able to pull it from the merman and reveal the rest of his face.

There were thick red marks where the muzzle had clearly been cutting into his skin, but other than that, he could now take in just how spectacular this creature was. His face looked like it had been carved by some divine being, features somehow strong yet soft looking. Something Shang Tsung hadn’t noticed before was a large barely healed scar over his one eye.

The merman snarled at him, before speaking in a strange language that Shang Tsung did not recognise.

“Do you understand me?” He asked, but the merman didn’t react. Hm, well, at least the stories of Merpeople being able to speak human languages seem to be untrue.

He reached forward, taking the merman’s face in his hands. Fingers reached behind one of the mermaid’s ear’s, letting his magic flow and brand his flesh. The merman screeched, attempting to pull away from him, but Shang Tsung held him tightly, refusing to let him.

“I know, I know, just a little more.” Finally his spell was complete, and he let the merman jerk away. “There, you did so well.”

The merman’s eyes widened, and his eyes shot up to Shang Tsung’s face. He spoke in that language again, and while Shang Tsung didn’t know for sure what was said, he could at the very least tell it was a question. No doubt about the fact that he could now understand Shang Tsung as clear as day.

“One more spell, okay beautiful?”

He grabbed the back of the merman’s neck with a single hand, once more he tried to pull away from him. As the fingers on his free hand made contact with the delicate skin around the merman’s Adam’s apple, he could feel the merman begin to shiver. Once more, the magic flowed, and this time the merman whined as slowly a green symbol began to burn itself into his throat. The merman’s cries got louder and louder, his tail trying to fight the chains that held him.

And just like that, once more the spell was done. Shang Tsung released the merman, letting him shuffle back once more. If the chains were long enough, the merman would have no doubt reached to rub his neck, but they were far too short to even let him bend his elbows.

“What was-“ The merman paused, eyes widening in horror as he realised those two words had just come from his own mouth. Shang Tsung almost winced at the venomous glare he was given. “What did you do to me?”

“Just a few spells to allow for easier communication between us,” he assured him, but the merman didn’t seem to be having it. “Language spells. One so you can understand us, and one so we can understand you. Nothing terrible.”

“I do not wish to speak your filthy language, land-dweller!” The merman’s tone was as bitter as his stare. “Return to me my real voice.”

“Or what?” Shao questioned, glaring the merman up and down. “You are in a pitiful situation, creature. You are no threat to us.”

The merman spat at Shao’s feet. “I will drag you to the bottom of the ocean with me, scum!”

“Now, now, gentlemen, there’s no need for all this,” Shang Tsung interrupted, hoping Shao was not about to bring his hammer out again. He turned to the merman. “I believe there is a misunderstanding, we are not the ones who captured you.”

“That does not matter.” The merman bared his teeth, and for the first time Shang Tsung could really see just how sharp they were. Well, he guessed the species needed a way to tear through the flesh of the fish they ate. “All that live on the land have no regard for the beings of the ocean.”

“We are different from most land-dwellers.” His claim just made the merman scoff. “We have been cast out from the land, the ocean is our home and our freedom.” He chanced reaching his hand forward, brushing some of the merman’s hair out of his face. “We respect that which gives us refuge.”

The merman’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak. While the trust was clearly not there, the fact the merman allowed Shang Tsung to gently pet his hair was a signal he was maybe at least willing to hear them out.

“What is your name?” Shang Tsung asked, watching as the Merman fought the urge to lean into his hand.

“Kuai Liang,” he mumbled in response, closing his eyes as he did. “My name is Kuai Liang.”

“Kuai Liang,” Shang Tsung repeated, the name sounding melodic on his tongue. Truly a beautiful name to fit such a beautiful creature. “How exactly did you end up in this position?”

Kuai Liang’s face screwed up slightly but his mouth was tight. Eventually a single eye opened and he explained “my brother was caught in a net, I went to rescue him, only to get tangled in it instead. He could not reach me before I was dragged above the waves.” He shifted slightly, once more pulled against the chain. He grimaced as he looked down at the bonds. “The men who pulled me aboard their ship… I could not understand them. But they passed me on to other men, who put me in here.”

“Then I suppose if you could not understand them, you do not know what they were going to do with you?” He asked, and Kuai Liang shook his head in confirmation.

“What are we going to do with him?” Quan Chi suddenly asked, and Shang Tsung just about managed to tear his eyes away to look at his crewmate. Shao clearly opened his mouth to reply but Quan Chi cut him off with “selling him off is not a viable option. Anyone who would pay what he’s actually worth would not do business with the likes of us.”

Kuai Liang hissed and jerked back. Well, there went any progress Shang Tsung was making on getting him to trust them.

“Easy.” He pulled Kuai Liang back towards him, once more stroking his head to try and calm him down. “Maybe we can come to some kind of arrangement that would benefit us all.”

“Arrangement?” Kuai Liang growled. He moved his head forward and Shang Tsung stilled, thinking he was possibly lungeing to take a bite out of him. However, instead, Kuai Liang just rested his forehead against Shang Tsung’s shoulder, shuddering slightly as he did. Hm, maybe we didn’t lose his trust after all.

“Yes, an arrangement.” He ran a hand down Kuai Liang’s spine, feeling its subtle curve. Despite looking somewhat scrawny, he could feel powerful muscles under Kuai Liang’s skin. “They say a merperson’s voice can enchant even the most hardy of men.”

“No.” Kuai Liang’s short answer caught Shang Tsung off guard. Initially he believed the merman was just flat out refusing to come to an agreement, until Kuai Liang pulled back and looked Shang Tsung in the eye. “It is sirens who possess those abilities. I am not a siren.”

“I see.” He clicked his tongue. Well, he was learning from this, he supposed. Siren’s and Merpeople were two different species, and given Kuai’s sharp reply they didn’t like being mixed up.

“If it is an arrangement you wish, then allow me to propose this.” Kuai Liang shuffled forward, or as forward as the chains allowed. “Release me, and I can guide your crew to treasure your kind has only ever dreamed of.” His mouth quirked upwards into a smile. “Land-dwellers do so love their trinkets. And I know of so many, untouched for centuries, waiting for someone foolish enough to search for it. Impossible to reach, unless you have a guide, like myself.”

“What kinds of treasure are we speaking of?” Shao asked. Of course that would get his interest. Although, Shang Tsung had to admit, his curiosity was also peaked.

“Gold coins, jewels worn by monarchs long deceased.” Kuai Liang’s eyes flicked over towards Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, eyes narrowing slightly. “Magical artefacts with power beyond anything you could possess now.”

“What are your conditions?” Shang Tsung was not a fool. This all sounded so tempting, far better than if they’d just found actual treasure in the hold instead. But that was the point. It sounded far too tempting, far too generous for what the merman would get in return. “Because I doubt you would give us such information for your freedom alone.”

Kuai Liang tilted his head slightly, those golden yellow eyes staring him down.

“You say you are different from other land-dwellers.” Kuai’s mouth split into a grin. “Then prove it to me. Show me how much better than the average men you all are.” The way Kuai Liang looked at him, it was clear he knew they were no better than any other man. He was giving them a task he knew they would fail. “I will take you to all the treasures your heart can desire, so long as you display your so called superiority.”

“You are a devious thing, aren’t you?” Shang Tsung fondly commented. He had to admit, he liked Kuai Liang’s style. He’d make a good pirate in another life. “Fine, we’ll agree to your conditions.”

He half expected an objection, at least from Shao. He wasn’t usually the type who liked other people taking the lead. It seemed the promise of treasures was more than enough for him to agree.

“Excellent,” Kuai Liang purred, gesturing with the chains.

Shang Tsung didn’t need to be told what the hint was. He held onto the chains, once more letting the magic flow. After a bit of resistance, the cuffs unlocked and fell off to the floor. Kuai Liang lifted one of his hands and looked at his wrist. It looked very raw and painful, but Shang Tsung was sure a bit of ointment would help it heal nicely.

He reached forward, hooking his arms around Kuai’s torso and waist before hauling him off the floor. The merman wrapped his arms around Shang Tsung’s neck. Looking at his face, he looked incredibly smug, like he’d just won some sort of game. In a way, Shang Tsung believed he may indeed have done so.

“Gentleman,” Shang Tsung addressed to Shao and Quan Chi rather than dwell on the strange feeling that Kuai Liang had them all at his mercy. “Treasures untold await us.”

The three of them laughed, stalking off to return to the deck and then their own ship. Still, as Shang Tsung observed the merman still in his arms, and the gleeful mania shining in his eyes, he began to get the sinking feeling they may have been making a terrible mistake.

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