Undine’s cryptic words didn’t move Sol into believing hern fully. The way she carried on with her sinful life, he could have easily mistaken her for one of his more favored siblings, at least in the eyes of the father they were such. Did she wish to win a war against those that made the sea their business? It would be an unyielding fight the way she carried herself in killing random pirates and sailors. Why the whole thing was laughable, but he didn’t find it so funny. All that power in the world at her fingertips and it was a shame that she would waste time like that.

“Your family business is yours. I care not for these brothers of mine unless they stand in my way”, he said dryly. He hadn’t cared back when Steele was a young boy; in fact, he took advantage in his father’s attention turned towards him and the girl that was born first among the sins and struck when the time was right. He was so close, yet in the end, he was defeated and it still angered him so. He allowed himself only a bit of his temper showing before he took a sharp, long inhale and breathed it out, a faint smoke seeping from his mouth. “You slept for quite some time; what makes you think that this group is still active? Are they human?”

“I highly doubt that we will know the other as well as you may think. I simply wish to complete my own set of goals. If you wish to hunt freely, so be it. You are no prisoner on here unless you get in my way.” Pouring some more wine, Sol did ponder about this treasure that she seemed so fixated towards, but it didn’t seem like she would be going after it anytime soon. “Just as your secrets are yours to keep. It matters not to me either way unless they in some fashion suit my own purpose.”

“They aren’t human… A group like them would not disappear so easily.” She watched his smoke but kept it to herself. Something seemed to irk them in their conversation and it was noted for later.

“To use each other to the best of our abilities or even for you to use me. Knowing each other is the optimal solution. I don’t plan on leaving nor getting in your way. I will be using you for information as much as you will be using me.”

Time and fun went slowly for Undine. Often she would watch the waves and only very seldom would she go on the hunt or would she move. There were times when a low whistle would leave her lips and something in the distance would sink. Not every ship was met with this but the ones she deemed a problem were. She was very good at picking out the bad apples and very seldom was she wrong.

It happened a few nights in when Undine could not get warm. Something was bothering her bones. Something was making her skin prick up. The people on board this vessel were scared of her and for good reason. She often emerged from the water bloody and it was very clear what she had been doing. As beautiful as she was she was a terror. So she made her way through all the doors into Sol’s chamber that night. She was quiet as she slipped into the bed and up next to Sol.

The question would come and she would bat her eyes at him. “The ship is very cold right now.”

He suppose that she would know more about this group she wanted revenge on so badly. Still, if she knew about their location, she would have already took care of her business, but Sol wasn’t too sure that she did. “Information?” What sort of knowledge would she require from him? About demonic magic? About the world around them? Sol could probably indulge the magic part, but certainly not this brave new world they were in. Hell, if anything, he would be the one asking Undine about that.

The days after went by slowly as he plotted his return to Abed in time. He had to regain his footing and recruit more for his sinister cause. At times, he would let Undine go do her own her thing as long as she didn’t get too out of control or if it involved his men. Normally he would know by the state of the ocean whether or not she was out of hand. Fortunately it didn’t seem to happen, or at least not too often. Even with the ship wrecks, they served to save him both time and energy. It did make things easier in the long run as well, letting him plot longer.

When he had retired retired to his bed, Sol hadn’t planned on another to take to it as well. The cold night didn’t faze him as his body heat was easily able to repel it away. Sol had started to inch his way to slumber when he felt someone climb into his bed and merely turned enough to see who had the audacity. It wasn’t much of a shock to see it was Undine there, though he wasn’t one for distracts. “Why are you here?”, he grumbled before rolling his eyes. Of all the people abroad, of course he would have to be chosen. He was also too tired to fight with her over this. She was damn persistent, for the lack of a better term for it. That, and he knew that he would be able to warm her up unlike the rest of the people here. Yawning, he merely looked at her before he closed his eyes.

That had been the first night of many that she would crawl into his bed and wrap herself around him. It became a common occurrence. Nothing more would happen and nothing less. It was just as she said it was. He was a source of heat just like the sun was. The sun was more dangerous for her though she kept herself soaking if she wasn’t needed.

Undine was rather sluggish the next few days. She was never far from Sol. Asleep on a sofa near him or watching him work. Her own mind was plotting heavily even if it didn’t look like it. Her blue eyes softly danced over his work as she pulled the blanket against her more.

“Lord Sol, a ship approached with a pirate’s flag. It looks to have a griffin sku–” his cultist was cut off as Undine flung up.

“With a snake coming through?” It was more of a hiss as the waters got rough. The cultist was imbalanced but Undine caught him as the waters quieted. “I’ll fucking torture them all. Very. Very. Slowly.” There was a roar that came from her lips as she looked at Sol. “I need you to come with me. My magic isn’t going to work on them.” Her voice was so dark as she let the man go. “Keep the vessel at a distance. Reverse if we have to. I can’t protect us from that ship. They have my scales. Which works more like a repellent of my magic abilities. They also have information that I need. Otherwise, I would ask you to blow them up here and now."

As annoying as it could be, Sol allowed for her to stay at his side like a puppy did with its master. He was positive that he couldn’t talk her out of it and since she wasn’t bothering him, there was a lack of worrying about it. He’d work and she would be there, just as much as when he slept. Slowly he grew more eased with her presence though he wasn’t a fool to trust her completely. He didn’t allow that much for anyone.

It wasn’t until days later when he was mapping out the underbelly of Abed, according to one of his more trusted cultist’s knowledge, that his gaze lifted up towards the man that burst into his room. Undine, who was on a sofa, seemed like she knew who’s ship that was. Unfortunately, he knew this from both her tone as well as the ocean’s reaction resonance with her emotions. “Undine, calm yourself, girl”, he spoke sternly as he put his quill down and stood up. “Who are they?”

Perhaps it was all part of that secret she had vaguely spoken off a while back. He couldn’t imagine her being this upset over anything else. “Fine. Then we’ll just sneak into their ship somehow. Do you have any sort of ideas?” Sol would prefer to keep her under control, no matter what. And if he had to deal with them, then it would be like dealing with something that was in the way of his goals. But wasn’t that what they were doing, even if it was indirect? “Your magic might not work, but I’m fairly sure that mine will. They won’t have anything to protect them from my wrath”, he said, letting a smile curl up. “I want to know what’s the deal with them soon, however. I don’t care when you tell me, but I think I should know just why this particular group of pirates irks you the most.”

“They are Abedian Pirates… an ancient order of sorts. Think of it like a pirate hierarchy in this area. Every pirate from here to Karith follows any order the pirate lord says. They don’t have a name perse but a flag that everyone in these waters can identify. Their main source of revenue in recent years has been in the spike of demand in mermaid scales. Obviously, we are hard to catch and we are even more to contain so they use methods to get ahold of us. Once they have a hold of you they dry you out like a fish fry using the sun and a little water to keep you from transforming back. Not all mermaids are like me… I have learned to transform at will but my sisters are different. Then they take a device that plucks the scales and pull them out one by one… It’s agonizing. It’s painful.” Her fingers scratched at her legs a bit.

“It’s humiliating. What the men do to the women are worse but I escaped before then. The person who sold me out I want to know where he is so I can gut him like a fish. If it hadn’t been for my sister Eldora knowing something was wrong… She only showed up because it hurt her too. She didn’t finish the job. I went out of control and the next thing I knew I was waking up leagues under the sea to my father watching me slumber. Telling me it had been forty fucking years since my rage.”

She kept her power balanced as she looked at Sol. “I was in love once. With an elven man who was a sailor at sea. Sold me he did. To a group of pirates for a measly fifteen hundred silver. He took what was mine and handed me off. I was in so much shock that I had no chance to fight back before they nullified my magic. That’s why I want to rip them to shreds. That’s why I want my answers so we can kill them. As for sneaking on the ship I have a damn good idea.”

It took them a little bit but she used her magic to give him breath as they went under the sea. They managed to get in close to the other ship before she directed him to a weak spot in the hull. Once a hole was made she sealed it up easily. The stench of death was all around them. “This is their workshop…”

Bodies of dead mermaids were around them. Jars of scales and even tapestries formed from them. It was empty of people for now because everything there was dead and salvaged. “We should make our way up.”

Sol took a deep breath and latched his eyes onto her. Well, at least he was starting to grasp just why she was so vexed. It was…understandable. Then again, the greed of people ran deep, nothing really had changed in that aspect since his imprisonment. His arms folded against his chest and he nodded as he listened more and more to her tale. Her revenge ran deep into her blood it seemed- a trusted one fooled and stole from her and these pirates tried to maim her back then.

“Trust and love…I find one to be a complete illusion and the other, well it can be real but wary to give.” Perhaps in time, he would be able to trust others, but love? That was out of the question. “I suppose that we should handle this problem.”

He didn’t have time to think of a plan as Undine dragged him into the sea, fortunately also giving him a means to breath as they swam over to the pirate ship. After they boarded it, he looked towards the now repaired spot of the hull and shook his head. “We should be having company shortly.” He felt drenched but otherwise, no harm done. His attention turned and was appalled by the sight of butchery. He’s seen the many faces of evil with people, but this was one of the worst seen yet. Sol was familiar with death and casualties, but this wasn’t done in war or a necessary killing. It was sickening, and he could feel himself on the verge of letting it out, but he found his grounding and followed her up the stairs.

Sure enough, one of the pirates were sent to investigate and immediately Sol grabbed him and covered his mouth. “You scream…” Sol stated as his touch started to burn him slight. He could here the mumbling of pain from him before ceasing. “And you will get more, got it?” He nodded at him before the hand was released slightly. “Talk, where’s your captain?”

“He’s up above the deck.”

“Good, so you will report that nothing happened and you can all carry on. If you do this, then perhaps you may live to see another day… “ Hesitantly, the man rushed back up and Sol followed a good distance behind. “That should buy us some time… even if he does betray us. Just one more body for the grave as far as I care.“

“Illusion or not I was happy for a time. The sea was peaceful and I was never angry. The sea sings when it is happy… Did you know that? The sound it makes is magical.”

They were on their way soon as they went up through the hole. “Of course,” she said as she looked around. There were a few faces she knew. “These… I know them. Friends you could say if I had any. True Maidens of the sea. Good women.” It made her angry but she kept her temper down as they moved up the stairs. “I was once tied to one of those tables. Forced to endure what they had been.”

She quieted down as they caught one of the pirates. She made an amused face as Sol did what she assumed he did best. Right now he did it better than she did. She nodded a bit before they went up on deck. Her eyes grew a bit larger as an older elvish looking man turned to them up on deck. “I was wondering when your beautiful would grace my deck once more. You don’t change, do you? If anything you become more appetizing the more I look at you. It’s shame you were sold for such a small price. I would have paid ten times the amount I gave that Lloyd fool.”

Undine bit her lip hard so she wasn’t enticed to try and fight him there and now. On the pirate vest was a patch of midnight blue and golden scales much like Undine. “You wear me like an animal.”

“Because you are an animal. He sold you because he found out that you were a monster. Monsters are there to be hunted. For forty years I tried to look in every nook and cranny of Abed to find out where you went.”

Her blood began to boil. “I wasn’t in Abed. I was someplace far, far away. Where nasty dirty mermaid hunters won’t go.”

“My dear don’t put yourself in the same category of creature as a mermaid. It was your bloody nature that made you wind up on my ship… Did you tell your friend this?” The pirate motioned towards Sol. “The animal that you are? The murderer? You should be put down like the beast you are and maybe even stuffed so I can show all of my friends my greatest hunt.”

“Not particularly.”

Sol had far better things that warranted his concern than the singing of the ocean, but he let the subject change. There was some work to do, and time was passing them by the longer they went to discuss these things.

He wasn’t too surprised to see that Undine recognized a bunch of the mangled mermaids. Apparently, these pirates made their life work out of her friends, and she was lucky to get out alive. But from the state of the deceased, death would have been a blessing. As annoying as it was, they were soon discovered by one of the men up on deck. “Well, I guess mercy’s only a word”, he muttered, his intention now clear for the one that he had spared. Killing him wouldn’t haunt him in his sleep, but it was a pity. Then again, could one really trust a demon like Sol?

“I’m guessing he is the leader?” Sol merely watched the interaction between the two and started to flex his fingers anxiously. He anticipates a fight, and that was one of his key weaknesses- when he sensed a remote chance to fight, he would be ready to dive right in.

Too many words were exchanged for his liking as he looked around, seeing how much of the crew were actually around them. One thing that came to his attention was the mentioning of her being a monster. Sol’s eyes shot out at the pirate and held a cruel look upon him. “Animal…beast…monster, is it?” He slowly started to walk towards, no fear lingered in each step he took. “We are all monsters, but you and those like you think you are different. That you are ‘civilize’ and you beret those that only act in their nature.”

A pearly smile formed as he drew closer, the air around him was suffocating with the increasing heat that poured from his body. “You hunt for sport, and yet you call her an animal?” He would prefer to burn this ship to ashes with the crew being swept by the ocean itself…but perhaps he would settle for a few of them. His eyes then shifted over to the man they had talked to previous, the betrayer. He teleported over to his direction and taking a quick inhale, his breath shot out in the form of a bright flame that consumed the screaming ruffian before pushing him overseas. “Anyone else wants to dance? They will end up like him.” It was clear that he was releasing his restraints, which wasn’t a good thing at all for any of them.

“Aye, he’s the leader.” That look he carried hadn’t changed since the last time Undine was awake. If anything it made her glare more intense as the vivid memories fueled a rage deep in her.

The leader backed up a bit at Sol’s advance. “Doesn’t she hunt for sport? Doesn’t she go overboard? The rumors of Undine the Sea Witch have spread for the better part of two centuries. The stories were sporadic and she disappeared on and off over those two hundred years. You know the glory that got brought to me just from having her on my ship? Just from taking some of her scales? That’s a legendary monster you got with you.”

“Enough,” Undine’s voice raised. Sol was on the move as he started to dispatch several of the men on board. Their screaming made her smirk as she began to walk across the ship. “Where is he?” There was a rough growl from her lips as the captain pulled out a sword towards her. The tip to her chest as she pressed it closer. Blood started to flow but her blue eyes were drilling into the captain’s eyes. “Where is he?”

“I’m not about to let the greatest catch go… but if you want to know where Aarav I will tell ya. He still does work for me once in a while. Off the coast of Abed, there is a small chain of islands. He has his family on one of them.” That caused a twitch of not being pleased from Undine. “Oh, you thought… You thought he loved you didn’t you?”

“A creature like me knows no love.” She swatted the sword away as it cut into her chest and she was quick as she jumped on the man. Her horrid mouth revealed as she bit into his neck and shoulder. The man screamed as he tried to get her off but in her hand was the scales as she threw them into a torch nearby. “And now I’m going to show you no mercy just like a monster.” There was a hiss from her as she dismantled him bit by bloody bit. His screams turned into gargling and eventually, they stopped as she dropped body parts from her hands. Her blue eyes didn’t look amused with his death. “That was too fast for a creature like yourself.”

She moved over the ashes and looked up at Sol. The water would get rid of the blood that was coating her body but she held out her hand. “It’s time for them to die now… You can do it if you wish… or I can… but first, we need to leave. And then after this… I need to make a trip to a farm." Her blood was boiling and once again the sea was upset just by her presence. "I want what's mine."