HMS Tiresias. It was a quiet and miserable ship. An expedition had been signed and paid for by the Sirius Company, a small-scale crew on an even less incredible vessel to plot out a chart through what was being referred to as a frozen graveyard. Why had it been named such a thing? To Captain Robert A. Falcon, it mattered not. He was a tired man, before anything else. Years of sailing the mighty oceans of the Earth they lived upon was… Well, it was exhausting and dangerous.

And now the most dangerous task of his career had been laid upon him. The skeleton crew, if it could even be called that, was given only the most basic of necessities for an expedition like this one. Only just over twenty-five men aboard HMS Tiresias. Why? It was cheaper that way. Falcon knew from the deepest pits of his soul that a cheap ship with a cheap crew would cost less if they died like all the rest.

The frigid air made him want to meet his watery grave already. They were nearly there, supplies dwindling aboard their not-so-mighty vessel as the waters grew increasingly treacherous and wild. The ice was beginning to build up as well, making it increasingly difficult at the wheel.

The sails were icing up from the frosty mist, and the deck crew were driven mad keeping the sail maintained despite the icy sea spray. Luckily nobody had been injured climbing up the ratlines, proper shore leave was a good ways away.

The Northwest Passage had been sought by many before, usually resulting in death, and the waters were treacherous, even without the ice. The Royal Navy was much more interested in the dual task of getting rid of an old ship and pocketing a bit of cash on a pointless and dangerous endeavor than anything else.

Robert supposed it was his fault for getting on the bad side of the admiralty for questioning orders on more than one occasion

“You seem quiet today, Captain.” His First Officer, a man by the name of Rupert Shandling, remarked within the relatively silent borders of the Captain’s Quarters.

Falcon was not close to the First Officer. The only one who he brought over from his previous vessel was the Bosun, an odd man by the name of Caron Reece. He didn’t have the look of a normal bosun. He was hairless, beardless, and kept to himself off hours, and his body was far more lithe than his strength would indicate. But he was a trustworthy man, and knew the deck better than anyone he had ever met.

“Cabin fever, I suppose, Shandling.” The captain said, closing his log and personal notes. “The crew grows weary no doubt.”

“Aye, you’re right about that Captain. They should have known it was a notice of death, when they boarded Tiresias.” The tired officer sighed, looking out the window of the room, out into the icy waters before them.

“Our families will be richly compensated in the event of our demise, I suppose, not that it will do the young men any good. Clarkson’s barely 18 and they sent him out here ‘cause his ‘da killed a lord’s son in a duel.”

“What do you suppose we do?” His First Officer asked with widened eyes.

“For the time being, nothing. To raise any further dissent… would amount to treason, no doubt.” A sigh escaped from the Captain.

“We could turn back, seek asylum with the Americans. I doubt the men would complain much.” Shandling said, leaning against the desk.

“And lose whatever they would earn from this passage? Men do little to think in times like this. Even if they were to do so, the ice is growing increasingly hard…”

“And gain an ice breaker with an experienced crew, albeit a small one. I know their navy isn’t as small as it once was before their little Civil War, but that’s all the more reason they should take us. They probably lost many a good sailor to it.”

“Many are patriots as well. I think they would look down upon abandoning their home and families.” The Captain stood up from his chair, and paced to the other side of the room. “We must stay the course. It is far too dangerous, either way, to turn off course now. The waters are growing dangerous, as though they were to swallow us alive any moment.”

Shandling sighs. “I think most would rather live than die a futile death, Captain, but I suppose that’s why they picked you. Loyal to the end.”

“I have seen many great things in my career, Shandling. You would be surprised… how danger and adversity reveal the true colours of a man. To show what is to come for them. I fear no matter what choice I make, the outcome is the same for all of us.” Closed eyes followed by silence as he found himself deep in reflection.

There was a knocking sound on the door of the quarters, no words were spoken but few would dare bother him without warning. It must be Reece.

“Cap'n, we found somethin strange in the water. You might want to come see it.” The welsh accent of the Bosun said through the door.

“Strange? What do you mean strange? There’s nothing but ice for as far as we can see.” The Captain opened his eyes.

“I don’t know Cap'n but you must come see it.” He said.

“Very well. Come along, Shandling.” The man said, adjusting his coat slightly as the trio headed above to the main deck. The cold air hit hard, like a series of pit vipers biting at every centimeter of exposed skin. No wonder men went crazy in the cold.

Up on the deck, the entire crew had gathered around the port side of the ship, watching over the side of the deck with gaping eyes.

“Cap'n! Cap'n! We’re raisin’ it aboard!” Second Officer Richter yelled. “It looks to be… a person of some kind!”

Richter was a middle, a midshipman, barely 15, young, inexperienced, but somehow managed to piss off The First Sea Lord enough to get personally recommended this assignment.

“I recall giving no such orders Richter.” The captain said.

“Many souls have been lost in these waters, sir. Is it not our duty to give them a proper burial if their bodies are to be found?”

“We won’t hit land for months. I do not want to store rotting corpses aboard our vessel. We will perform a burial at sea” The captain said.

“It be too cold for corpses to rot in the air, Captain.” Shandling said. “And if he be a former member of the line… Well, we know for certain the company will collect payments upon his death.”

“It’s not a man Mr. Shandling. Or even a human.” The Bosun said as the creature was hauled over the edge by two of the deckhands, who crowded around it, gawking.

“Move, men! Where’s that damned doctor, Joseph?” The Captain said, trying to get the men off of whatever corpse had popped up. “Get yer bloody ass to the deck at once!”

Joseph, an old sailor, crawled from up under the deck with the surgical kit. “I’m right here Captain. As you’ve surely seen by now, it’s no human. I don’t know how much I can do.

“Shandling, get this motley crew back to their stations.” The Captain said, staring at the odd body.

“Isn’t that the Bosun’s job sir?”

“I said what I meant Shandling.” Robert said, spittle in his voice.

The Captain watched as the crew dispersed back to their stations while he remained up front.

The captain knew he needed his First Officer’s respect, but whatever this was, he only trusted the three there with him. Joseph wasn’t a part of his old crew, but was a close friend. A noble by birth, and a doctor by trade, the call of the sea took to him young and never let go. Joseph wanted to die on the sea, and begged to come along on this journey.

This was not something he could trust to those he didn’t know personally, because what he saw defied all explanation.

A monster. A true to God forsaken monster. It was neither animal nor man, yet one might be surprised by its appearance. The upper body was that of a woman, or mostly at least. Hair of brilliant silver, breasts exposed to the icy sea, and webbed hands with claws sharp. The eyes were pitch black, like lumps of coal staring up at the cloudy sky.

“Seems like it belongs in one of those American circus sideshows… not here in the freezing deep.” The Captain said, crouching down to examine the body closer. “Do you suppose it is some sort of forgery?”

“Why would somebody drop a forgery in the middle of the arctic Cap'n?” The Bosun asked. “No this is a Morgen… though I think you’d call ‘em Mermaids.”

“I suppose not, but… why would something like this exist in God’s green Earth?” He wondered aloud. “Look here, it seems to be gripping upon something fierce.” He pointed to one of its hands, curled tight as though it were clutching something close.

He reached down to pry open the hand, which felt colder than the surrounding air by a significant margin as if something was sapping all the heat from its surroundings. As he did pry it open, and grabbed the trinket with his hands, he felt it sap all the feeling out of his hand. It was a pearl, and the second it made contact with his skin it began to merge with him.

It vanished into his palm and he felt it move up his arm, crawling its way through him towards the center of all heat in his body… finally resting right over his heart. It drained the warmth from him, causing him to gasp and collapse onto his hands and knees.

“Damn! Damn it to hell! That is colder than anything I ever did feel. Like… all life was being sucked out of me.” The Captain said, holding his hand up to the light. “You did see such a thing, correct? It vanished into the aether… Out of existence entirely…”

“Cap'n… your chest be glowing.” Caron said, eyes agape.

“A terrible light.” The doctor said. “Truly horrible…”

The captain reached down and began to unbutton his shirt and quickly found the pearl embedded into his sternum, glowing with the soft light of a sickly full moon.

“A curse… truly a curse…” Joseph adjusted his spectacles as he stared closer. “Like the tales of our youth… These freezing waters home to the most horrific things we might be able to imagine.”

The glow soon dissipated, but the freezing cold remained. He could hear giggling from beneath the waves, far, far away.

“Do you hear that? That… sound?” The Captain asked, looking frantically out overboard to the ice.

“I hear nothin but the wind Cap’n” The Bosun said.

“Odd… Within a brief moment I could hear the loud laughter of fair maidens… perhaps something more sinister than that…” He buttoned his shirt back up and turned to face them.

“There are no women on ships Captain.” Joseph said, crossing his arms.”We need to put this body overboard, and we musn’t tell the crew of your predicament.”

“As I may have noticed, doctor.” The Captain growled at him. “This body… take it below, put it in the lazarette, where it is most cold. It will prevent the body from rotting for the time being. Such a creature, if truly a specimen from the water… would sell great onshore to someone. A valuable… valuable… valuable…” He clutched his head for a moment.

The bosun made his way down to the hatch, and shouted for two deckhands to come up and help bring the body down. Robert mustn’t let any of the crew know he was cursed.

Once more, he turned and looked out at the ice. He swore for the briefest of moments he could hear giggling once more, like a siren call asking him to jump overboard and join the others in the deep. For a singular moment, Falcon nearly agreed to do so… but he resisted the temptation. In silence, the man marched himself back to his quarters, locking the door behind him.

The Captain dreamt uneasily. Possessed by some cruel fevered dreams of the impossible. A castle built at the bottom of the ocean, a Queen ruling over her court with a smile on her face. The cold felt so comforting to her, so normal.

She would die soon, so it was time to lure another. To pass on the crown, and so the Captain floated gently before her, being observed.

“I’ve seen your face before.” The Captain said, staring at the face of the Queen. Her eyes were like shining sapphires, brilliant gemstones that would put the greatest of diamonds to shame. “Where have I seen it? That face of yours?”

“Because I have been following you for a long time.” The Queen replied.

“No… What matter of creature are you?” The Captain coughed heavily into his palms, looking down to see a deep black ichor staining them.

“The same as you, my Crown Princess. You took my final gift to you. I was the one watching over you. Ensuring you survived where others failed, but they still shunned you. They sent you to die.”

“Whatever do you mean?” The Captain growled. “Everyone is sent to die eventually… for the profits of the line. I am just a poor soul who drew unlucky.”

“Well, I have no interest in you dying. I ensured you would find me, that you would take my gift, that you would succeed me.”

“Seems like a lot of forethought for… whatever you may be? The Bosun called you… what was it? Mermaid? A siren? Those who lure sailors to their demise?”

“We don’t lure sailors to their demise, we lure lost sisters to join us. The ships are merely the means by which those sisters are brought to us, to you now.”

“I have little interest in doing anything that is not successfully returning home.” The Captain tried to turn away, but it was like he was trapped at the will of the Queen.

“Well it’s very lucky for you, we both share the same intention. Though you might want to decide to do so quickly. Things might get much more complicated for you, if you decide to stay above water for too long.” The Queen said. “We are one in the same now; it’s only a matter of time.”

“As I said, I have little interest in that. I will return to my home in Southampton and I will survive this treacherous journey. I will not die… nor falter like those who came before me… or those will come after me.”

“We will see, won’t we… we will see.” The Queen said. “Just do remember, you can breathe water from this moment forward, you won’t freeze in the icy waters. You can leave at any time. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Just follow the singing of your sisters to guide you home.”

“Never.”

“Oh well. All the more interesting then.” The Queen said, giggling. “In another night, perhaps you may change your mind… Crown Princess.

The captain awoke to slamming on the door. It was His First Officer. “Captain! You have to see this! It’s a nightmare!”

Robert shot up gasping for air, his body felt cold still, oh so cold, but it wasn’t distressing like it was yesterday.

“Whatever is it?” The Captain said, eyes blinking slightly in a desperate attempt to awaken himself and forget the nightmare he had. “What time is it, the middle watch? I haven’t even heard four bells, man! Whatever are you waking me for, that you cannot deal with, Shandling?”

“Just get out here!” His First Officer yelled.

The ailing man sighed and quickly donned his uniform, putting upon his hat, and returning up to the top deck.

As he walked he heard the creaking of the boards of the ship, rubbing, scraping, a noise every captain fears most. He didn’t want to know… but he could guess what it was… no he had to see it with his own eyes.

Above in the sky hung the moon, its light sickly pale like the pearl that sat in his chest, and as the first officer led him to the edge of the boat, it was obvious to see why.

Ice. Ice as far as the eye could see.

“What in the world is this?” Falcon’s jaw hung agape. They had been trapped in a field of ice, thick and hard, preventing the Tiresias from moving at all. It was stuck, its bow not strong enough to clear whatever was below.

“I was at the helm Cap'n and it just… appeared. I blinked my eyes and suddenly the ice was so thick that we weren’t moving an inch..”

The only visible water was a small circle surrounding the Tiresias on all sides. While movement outside of this circle was impossible, it was clear that the ice was perfectly clear within these bounds, all the way to the bottom of the sea.

Physically impossible by all means.

“Ice out of nowhere?” His eyes narrowed, as he turned to face his crew. “At first light we must attempt to break up the ice on our own, men.”

The Bosun stepped up. “Cap'n by all means, how are we supposed to get onto the ice at all? We’re stuck in a circle of freezing water. We would have to swim onto the ice.”

“Lower the rowboats, Bosun.” He narrowed his eyes again at the man. “There is enough clearance to make such a connection if need be.”

Shandling sighed. “We don’t even know how thick it is.”

“So what do you suppose we do? Sit here and do nothing while we wait to die?” The Captain roared.

“Cap'n… I know you are under quite a bit of stress right now.” The bosun said, glancing at his chest. “But perhaps we must simply wait it out. This is clearly out of our depth.”

“Bosun, follow me.” The man said angrily, walking to the bow of the ship and looking out where the moon was highest. “Look out in front of us and tell me what you see?”

“Ice, Capn.”

“This is a curse, Bosun. I suppose the kind of curse you get for removing a body you are not supposed to touch.” He leaned forward and smelled the air.

“Yes, I figured Capn. Morgen can be tricky like that.”

“Tell me what you know of these creatures, Bosun.” Eyes shuttered. “Now.”

“Have ye never heard old salty dogs rambled about Morgen? Mermaids? They haunt the tales of sailors like mad.”

“Only those of the sirens tales. Beautiful women who sit upon stone, luring less-than-innocent souls to a watery grave.” But there was something about his look that was… different. “But don’t tell me those stories we already know, Bosun. Tell me what you know. The reality of this situation relies on what you remember.”

“Yes, those are the stories, but those who claim to see ‘em say they pick favourites. They don’t go after whole ships like the more popular stories. They lure individual sailors. They touch a pearl and then they feel the call of the sea, hear the laughter, the calling. Sometimes they claim that they undergo changes before they succumb, but eventually they all do. They jump into the ocean and are never seen again.”

“I see…” His eyes opened up, and for a moment the Bosun could swear they were not eyes but sapphires. “You ask me why I tell them to do the impossible. Well I tell you this, because we are facing true and certain death. The ice goes on forever.”

“Capn… I mean this with honesty… but have you heard the call?” Caron asked

“I have heard the curse. This bloody curse that entered and tainted my so-” He began to cough violently, a black ink-like substance coating his hands.

“Capn… if you know what’s good for you, good for us… you need to leave.”

“A Captain never abandons his ship.” Falcon said, folding his hands behind his back.

“Once a Morgen has you, they never let go. It will kill us all to get to you.”

“They would never get aboard. How would they? We sit so high above the waters.” He thought of home… but for a moment his eyes widened as he began to be unable to think of the city he was born… the city he was raised in.

“Why would they need to leave the water when they can simply keep us from going anywhere. We’ll starve eventually.”

“And so what? I should simply give myself over to die? I think not. When they sent me on this bloody ship, I knew I would do one thing: survive. Survive this cursed passage which has claimed untold numbers of lives.”

He tapped the captain on the sternum, right over the freezing cold pearl. “You’re not one of us anymore. Do you understand? You’re one of them. You’ll survive. We won’t.”

“I’ll have the good doctor remove it. I am who I am, not whatever this God forsaken curse is.”

The Bosun sighed, his eyes turning sympathetic. “It will be alright Capn… understood? God won’t look unkindly upon accepting your fate with dignity.”

“I have never been the type to fear God.” The Captain said, turning and beginning to walk. “But I suppose if He has put such creatures upon His Earth… I would be wise to do so.”

It truly was a futile struggle to watch Falcon captain his ship after the sun rose and his plans were set into motion. Several men were sent down in the rowboats to investigate the ice, and see how thick it was; to see if it was even able to be broken was of the utmost importance. They must escape and outmaneuver whatever dark magics had overcome them in this lost world of ice and snow.

Falcon looked at his hands for a moment, and saw webbing begin to form between each and every finger, his fingernails turning into sharp black claws. He had to retreat to his quarters to acquire gloves to cover them up. Frightening really, to see the curse occurring in real time; to watch as his humanity was sapped away from him by this thing that had embedded itself within the crook of his soul.

The crews on the ice began drilling with their ice drill, which went to many times the depth they could break through. It was a slow and laborious process. The drill had to be spun by hand, cranked by teams who passed off the drilling duties one after the other.

“Captain… are you certain this is the right thing to do?” Shandling questioned.

“It is either this or face mutiny.” The Captain theorized. “Men like these are paid so little you wonder why they even do so at the end of the day. Give them a reason to turn on us, and they will… Make them believe they are helping to solve the issue, their resolve to believe in the leadership continues.”

The captain could hear the slight changes in his voice. It began to take on a softer quality, losing the harshness he relied on to give orders. It also became ethereal, sing songy… alluring even.

“Your voice, Captain… are you growing ill?” Shandling tilted his head in curiosity. “You haven’t seemed yourself since last evening.”

“I’m fine, Shandling.” The Captain said. “It’s just the cold.”

His lie was revealed a moment later when he coughed up more black ink into his gloves.

“Oh by the love of the Lord, Captain!” His First Officer looked horrified as he helped the Captain to the ground of the deck. “An infection? Brought upon by that corpse we raised?”

“As I just said, I am most certainly fine, Shandling… the doctor has already looked it over.” Robert said. Another lie, but he was certain the Bosun had kept the doctor appraised.

“I doubt that immensely. That black ichor is unnatural.” Shandling replied.

“All has been unnatural for the past day, has it not?” The Captain coughed again, this time dry and without any of that odd bile to follow it.

Shandling looked him over further, his eyes widening again. “You barely even fit your uniform anymore! You have lost what? Two stone since yesterday? You… You’ve been cursed, haven’t ye captain? For bringing that thing aboard?”

“You musn’t tell the crew.” The captain said. “You musn’t. They must look to a strong and hardy leader if we are to escape this ice field. If we are to survive longer than this week.”

The captain's eyes flickered to sapphires, before returning to normal.

“Captain… in my best opinion, you must remain in your quarters for the time being. I and the Bosun can keep you appraised, but this curse is progressing rapidly.”

“Yes… I do think you are quite right…” The man slowly got back to his feet, legs quivering and feeling slightly weak. It was as though he just ran for kilometers on end without stopping, dropping dead at the finish. “Where is the Bosun?”

Shandling held the captain up. “He’s with the doctor. Figure now it’s to talk about your condition.”

The captain was led down the hatch and back towards his quarters.

It felt like he was trapped in this place. As the day slowly descended back to night, the crew returning back to the ship without little knowledge of how deep this ice went. The knowledge made the Captain shudder in fear. It truly was an inhuman experience occurring to them. It was a horror of their own making… If only his Second Officer had not taken fate into his own hands to bring that cursed body aboard. They would have likely died, yes, but now their deaths were more than likely. They were certain.

The drill bottomed out entirely. Ten fathoms at the least. Sixty feet. There was no way out.

The Captain was fevered as he lay in his bed, coughing up more black ichor as his body changed before him. He didn’t fit into any of his clothes anymore, his voice was that of a gentle matron, and his body well… he had breasts. Large, full breasts, like that of his mother. His mirror showed he looked like her too. His hair had grown to the tops of his shoulders and his face had rounded out considerably.

He had become a woman, a sailor’s worst nightmare. But the agony wouldn’t even let him care about this anymore. He was exhausted, feverish, despite the fact he felt no warmth at all, and also he felt short for breath.

He felt like he shouldn’t be breathing air, as absurd as it was, it felt like the air was a thin choking miasma that sapped the energy out of him and left him sick and weak.

His legs were no better. Slowly, surely, they were feeling increasingly worse; like a series of daggers were repeatedly stabbing themselves into his calves and thighs.

A knock at the door came. His voice was becoming higher and higher, no longer resembling what it had been before. So rather he made a loud grunting noise in a desperate attempt to not be seen for what he was becoming. There was certainly no way any of his men would respect whatever this curse was doing to his body. It was transmogrifying him into… well was it his worst nightmare? He… He didn’t know.

The Bosun entered. Caron immediately took on a sympathetic look. “Not much of a Robert anymore, are we Cap'n.”

“Bosun…” The former man said tiredly. “Tell me… however is the damage to myself? Whatever this curse has done… I am too weak to rise up from my bed.”

“Well, if you were a lass I’d say you’re gorgeous. Which you might as well grow used to, ‘cause you are one.”

“Do you know… any way we might break this curse?” A desperate plea from what looked like a dying woman at the moment. Beautiful, yes, but also weak and ill as though ravaged by the consumption.

“You belong in the sea. ‘Yer dying like a fish out of water.” The lithe man said, taking a seat on the bed. “May I confide in you Cap'n? Honestly.”

“I always liked to think of myself as an honorable one.” He couldn’t bring to call himself a man. Something in his mind, like a wall, was preventing himself from using it to describe himself.

The man sighed, as if he were about to do something unthinkable. “I ain’t a man myself Cap'n.”

“Whatever do you mean?” The Captain raised an eyebrow. “Yes, you may not be the most… masculine, but there are many a man who isn’t.”

“Ma pa was a sailor, like his pa before him and his pa before him and his pa before him… but my ma bore six daughters, me being the youngest. I wanted to be a sailor like him, but you know the rules about lasses on ships.”

“Never to be more a passenger or of the help.” Another series of heavy coughs broke through the air, black ink covering the blankets that were on the Captain’s body.

“So I hid. Took on a fake name, bound up my breasts, put on a deep voice. ‘Least it wasn’t hard to pretend I had an interest in ladies. Turns out that was quite easy for me.”

“Whatever do you mean?” The Captain asked. “How was it easy?”

“Well, ‘cause I wasn’t quite pretending.”

“Ah… One of those types of people.” The Captain said, closing his eyes slightly. “I care little to pretend I would disapprove of such things. Capability is the only thing I care about in a crew… in my officers. Whether they be hypothetical men or women… whether they care for men or women. Bosun, you earned your place for your skill… your commission was made by your own two hands. Remember that.”

“I only say it because I understand, alright? Don’t be shy about being pretty.” The Bosun was doing everything to not stare for too long.

“Pretty? Even if I were to accept myself as such… I must look like I am on death’s door.” He let out a gentle laugh, similar to the ones of the calling.

“Ya do. I won’t lie. The crew is mostly asleep. I could get you to the sea if that’s what you wish, and I must suggest you do. It will only get worse.” It was a kind offer. Deep within the Captain’s mind, he wished to be let loose into the frigid waters below. Yet… there was resistance.

“I would… rather die.” A frown appeared upon the man… the woman… the man’s face. “We will all die regardless. Let this illness take me, Bosun. With my light extinguished, may you escape.”

“I fear that it won’t take you Cap'n, I fear it will take us.” There was something thick in the air. A stench of death perhaps?

“However so? When I die, what is there to keep this ship bound to the ice?” The Captain deflected, not wishing to think too much more about it. The best outcome was his own death, to drift off into nothingness.

“Any time a Morgen has been held against her will, her sisters return for her and leave few survivors.”

“I stay here of my own will. Why would they believe otherwise?”

“It may not stay that way for long. Your mind is changin’ Capn.”

“Bosun… whatever is happening up deck? You came down here to tell me somethin’, did you not?” The Captain avoided the comment on his mind changing. He needed to hold onto himself there for as long as possible.

“Ah, right. The second mate is pushin’ Shandling about seeing ya. Not sure how much longer we have until he finds out and he’s about as loyal as a starving hound.” The Bosun said.

“I see… Tell Shandling my illness has grown worse.” The Captain ordered. “He is understanding that I am dying, thus if I am to expire, there must be confidence in him as the acting captain.”

“If he is covering for your curse Cap'n it’ll be hard. There may be a mutiny. You need to think about that too. The second mate probably has the loyalty of half the crew, the younger lads.”

“Keep them focused upon the ice, Bosun.” Another bad series of coughs, one that went on for about an entire minute, the Captain barely breathing through it. “We would… not survive a mutiny. It would kill everyone.”

The Bosun sighed before standing up. “The three that know… we’re going to discuss putting you overboard Capn. You don’t belong up here anymore.”

The Captain opened his mouth to speak, to respond, an eerie melodious breath escaping from within. It made him shudder slightly, some piece of his situation seeming to lock into place in that moment, that even his voice was no longer human. Every time he heard a wave slap against the side of the ship it made him crave to leap overboard.

“Just rest for now. We’ll have an answer by morning.”

“I… I think I will, Bosun.” The Captain said, closing his eyes as he quickly fell asleep.

“You are certainly a stubborn one, new sister.” The Queen said, her voice sounding so much like the Captain’s new voice.

“Leave me alone… at this point I believe I would rather die.” The Captain replied, answering in the same exact tone of voice.

“You won’t die; it’s not that simple anymore. Even if that flesh dies, you simply join us to guide the next one.”

“What do you mean?” The captain asked, her voice sounding so weak.

“Our kind are of… a singular melody. When the singing stops, a new voice joins to ensure such a joyous song never ends.”

“I did not ask for this… Why… Why me? I am nothing. A failed captain sent to die.”

“No, but your voice was confused, discordant; every time I passed by your ship I knew you had what it needed to continue our song. The song of the Queen.” She said

“How was it confused?! What sets me apart from every other ornery bastard sailing the seas?”

“You love the sea, but hate the way the surface dwellers treat it. Treat you. So I gave you the sea, forever.”

“I never asked for such a gift… even then, why? Why does my body shift, my mind change?”

“Because you must become us as much as we must become you. It is an equitable exchange. The song changes you so that you may sing it as well as we did.”

“You are turning me into a woman! A monstrous one to boot!” She said.

“Can you even think of yourself as a man anymore? I reckon you can’t. You probably can’t remember your own name.” The queen replied, smiling softly.

“Yes! It… It..! A bird… of some kind… It was a bird, an aviary creature…” The captain closed her eyes, struggling to remember the name.

“Incorrect, but you can believe that. I think that sort of name would suit us. Robin perhaps?”

“Robin? A robin?” A groan escaped from the Captain as she began to cough once more, ichor flowing down her chin “I… I am Robin?”

“It suits us doesn’t it? Robin, Robin, Robin. There are no birds under the sea, but sometimes we love to sit on the rocky shore and listen to the birds.”

“I remember… when I was young… mother she would take me to the shores and we would just look out at the sea… its immensity and eternity… please… do not take my memories of my mother. She… was all I had.”

“We wouldn’t dare. We would never take our own joy. Your mother especially. We need those kinds of role models.” The queen said, leaning forward. “Did you not notice? We look much like our mother Robin.”

“I haven’t seen my own face… My legs are too weak to keep myself balanced.”

A mirror rose before Robin, revealing the mermaid in the mirror, long flowing black hair ran down her back, sapphire eyes burned in the window. A long sapphire mermaid tail replaced her legs.

Her hair was long halfway down her back, the pearl that was her beating magical heart was still embedded neatly between her exposed breasts. Her hands were clawed and webbed with ridges running up the side of each arm, and splotches of scales were scattered about various locations on the rest of her body.

“Mother…” A weak hand reached out and touched the glass before her. “You were right… I do look like her… I always had wondered what if… What if I had been born to be like my mother and not my father.” A sigh of longing escaped from the Captain, now known as Robin, as she pulled away from the mirror.

“Discordant songs reach out to us. Our father died before we could remember, Our mother was all we had, and so our song was discordant. You heard it, because you took the pearl.”

“What do you mean? You say us like you are more than one. You’re just one person, not… multiple.”

“You are us, we are you. The Chorus that is the song of the queen. Always there, to advise, to remember, to ensure the song rings out forever.”

“And what will happen to me? Will I remain when you… seep into every fold and crack within me?”

“We will change. That much is certain. We will become a new I, something between the old queen and the Crown Princess. It will not be painful, but we will be confused, lost, feverish for a time. Our stubbornness did not help.”

“I’m already growing increasingly ill… What do I do? The Bosun… She was right…”

“Try to return to the sea, if we cannot, if they try to stop us, sing, sing to the sea beyond. Help will come.” The queen said. “The song will come naturally.”

“You… you are correct… I must… speak to the Bosun at once… and escape.”

“It might be too late, but do not fret. We will persevere.”

Robin awoke, her body burning like she had been consumed by the worst and deadliest of illness. The air was so thin, so empty, her legs were gone, her eyes burning sapphires. She was a mermaid, the last vestiges of her humanity burning directly out of her.

The Bosun was sitting in the corner resting, apparently the woman had never left. Robin knew the girl was worried about her. She would be rewarded for her kindness.

There was a loud banging on the door, Shandling voice heard on the other side. “Captain, sir! Mutiny! The Second Officer is staging a mutiny!” The sound of a gun shot could be heard on the other side of the door, before a slumping noise could be heard hitting the ground.

The Bosun awoke and pulled the captain’s pistol off the table. The woman stared at the door, her gun raised.

“Bosun…” Robin coughed heavily. “They… killed Shandling. I can feel it… blood spilled, a song ended prematurely.”

“Orders?”

Robin could barely speak, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Surrender… they won’t harm… women.”

“No… we must get you to the water, Cap'n.” The Bosun replied, trailing off.

“Not… a captain… Queen perhaps.” More coughing, more black ichor.

“You have changed… truly…”

There was a banging on the locked door, they would get through soon, very very soon.

“What is your name… Bosun… Your real name… so I may remember it…”

The Bosun looked at the former captain, thinking for a moment. “Elain. Elain Reece. Sixth of six daughters.”

“You have served me well, Elain Reece.” Robin said, as she gritted her now unnaturally sharp teeth. “I am Robin, The Queen of All Oceans. Please… survive. Your song will not carry on if you die.”

Then the door fell, and things occurred rather quickly. Angry men, those who cared little for the sanctity of life, who would snuff out the songs of others.

“By gods!” Richter said, looking at Robin dying on the bed. “What sort of foul beast is this?”

Elain had somewhat undressed her while she slept, revealing her true nature to the crew. Binding needed to be rationed carefully, and she knew that much. She had a few broken ribs to thank for that information. Meanwhile, Robin was beginning to decline once more. The stress of Shandling’s sudden murder and the mutiny… she could feel the fever taking back over, her mind as Robin beginning to fade into a mess of notes.

“And the Bosun? A lass? How long have you both lied to us you filthy… Take them to the Lazarette. We’ll deal with them later.” Richter said, motioning to the rest of the crew.

“Take me… to the sea… ocean… I belong in the sea…” The Queen whispered to the men carrying her, but she was headily ignored

The Mermaid was picked up by two men, while Elain was led by gunpoint, hands up. The body of Shandling was also picked up as they were all led down to the cold bottom deck, and all three bodies were unceremoniously shoved into the cold, wet lazarette. The body of the last queen was gone by this point, evaporated into a glowing white fluid

“Need to get to the sea… sea, sea, sea… swish swish swish swish…”

“Capn, you aren’ looking good.”

“You are… a loyal bosun… pretty, you would make a wonderful mermaid… it could be done. A pearl made fresh, touch the skin and you become mine, mine, mine~”

“You are not well… We must get ya to the waters at once. But… we’re trapped.” The Bosun couldn’t help but run a hand protectively through Robin’s long and oily hair. “There may… be no escape for us.”

“Could sing, sing, sing but the song is all wrong…” The Queen murmured.

“How is it wrong, Cap'n?”

“Feeeeever.” She giggled, tugging on the Bosun’s collar, putting them face to face. The Queen’s breath smelled of the open sea.

“Ya… need the water, don’t you? The ocean… the seas… without it ya will never finish…” Elain wanted to kick herself for not carrying her to the water while she slept.

“The little ones will die eventually. Freeze and die, we won’t, not while I’m here. I protect youuuuu~.” The giggling she made was haunting like she was preparing for something… something someone as distressed as Elain could understand.

The queen pulled the Bosun into a messy kiss which tasted of salt and smoked fish, before pulling back and giggling, flopping into the puddle of seawater mixed with ichor and blood that sat at the bottom of the lazarette.

“Cap'n!” The Bosun pulled away, eyes widened and face reddened by the suddenness of the kiss and loving embrace.

“Blessed blessed blessed in the fun way!” The queen giggled. Her mind fogged. “Cold will leave you alone now. I told it to.”

“The cold? Even if that mattered now… We will die down here long before the cold does me in.”

“You feel warm yes? No freezing. You can drink the sea, breathe the sea! As long as I wish! The sea likes me… she listens if I ask nicely. She won’t take you.”

“Oh…” Her hand cradled the sickly monstrous woman’s face. The Bosun couldn’t help but hold her close and try to keep her warm. The fever was growing worse and clouding her mind further.

There was a sound of talking outside the lazarette before the sound of a knife slicing into flesh reached the inside as well as muffled screams, before a key clicked in the lock on the Lazarette door and Joseph revealed himself on the other side.

The short and rotund old man that made up the doctor, Joseph, quickly made his way. “Bosun! Captain! Oh what have they done?”

“We need to get the captain-... the queen to the sea. She can end this. We just have to get her to the captain’s quarters and get her out the window. Don’t bother with the deck; too dangerous.”

“Ah yes… of course… the siren’s corpse… it found another.” He shook his head, disappointed in himself. “If only I had not discounted old fisherman tales, then we might have avoided this.”

“Joseph… thank you… you will be… rewarded.” Robin whispered.

“We must get you to the water first, Captain, before any thanks are offered.” The old man cleaned the knife free of the blood. “Bosun, can you carry her on yer own?”

“I do rigging on the daily Doctor. I can carry an oversized fish.” Elain said, carrying the mermaid over her shoulder.

“Good. We must be quiet.” The doctor looked sadly at Shandling’s body. “Savages… the lot of them.”

Elain made an effort of picking the handgun off the guard by the door, just in case.

Brandishing his knife, the good doctor quietly led the two women up through the decks.

“Smart… playing along with the mutiny.” The Bosun said, as the Mermaid whispered to herself.

“Not quite. They had me locked in my office but realized I was probably more useful alive.” The doctor said, moving along through the hall and stabbing one of the men who had been left alive in the hallway. It was quite something to see how the doctor was so capable at both giving life and taking it away.

They walked up the stairs onto the gun deck, peering around for anyone who might see them. The crew were mostly up on the deck celebrating, leaving very few down in this critical area. The captain’s quarters had sizable windows. They weren’t meant to open, but smashing them would be a worthy sacrifice.

“Get the Captain down to the water. I’ll make a distraction for the guards so they don’t hear the glass shattering.” Joseph said, turning to head back to the upper deck.

“Do you intend to-”

“Bosun.. I have a horrible cancer of the lungs. This was my final journey. I fully intended to die out here. It matters not to me how.” He shook his head. “Farewell, Bosun. Farewell, Captain. It was a pleasure to serve alongside you.”

“I will remember your sing song… forever…” Robin whispered, ichor dripping down her mouth.

The good doctor vanished away, stepping over the drying spot of Shandling’s blood. It didn’t take long for a ruckus to start being heard above deck with the old dying man clearly making it worth his while to attack them for as long as he could.

Elain entered the room, crawling through the quiet and ransacked captains quarters to the windows behind the desk. She took the handgun and smashed it up against the large windows, glass breaking outwards into the water and ice, before setting down the Queen on the windowsill.

“Do you hear them…?” The queen asked, looking at Elain with big blue eyes. “The song… the song… oh the song is so loud now… I can hear the song, can you? Can you hear it?”

Elain listened for a moment… and for some strange reason she did… maybe it was the blessing, maybe it was the madness of the situation… but the sea was calling to her. But that didn’t matter now. She had to do this. It was time to save her captain and let her go become the queen she needed to become.

“They will come… the singers of the song… they will save youuuuuuuu.” Another giggle as she caressed the Bosun’s face. “Never forget… the song will come for you… too!” She poked the Bosun on the nose, before leaning back and falling backwards.

The queen fell into the ocean below with a loud and notable splash, and below it became clear that the ichor was seeping out of the Queen. The black bile, the last remnants of her humanity were purged and she began to sing, a loud beautiful song that took out over the ocean for miles around.

It was the most gorgeous song Elain had ever heard, and it wormed itself into her brain from head to bottom. It was clear from the start. It was a love song, one intended for her. It was, perhaps, the most beautiful thing that she had ever heard. Sure, she had not heard every song that mankind had ever sung, but this… this was for her. Tears dripped down Elain’s face as she saw shimmering under the water, as large crab-like women crawled up out of the sea latching onto the boat.

The suddenness of the attack was frightening to all of the mutinous sailors on the deck. Joseph had fallen already, a gunshot to the stomach leaving the old man to bleed out as the sound of the wooden hull being latched onto by the knights of the Queen.

There was screaming above decks as the crabs crawled up, gunfire and the sound of bullets clinking against armor, bloody screams and brutal slaying. It lasted only a few moments before everything went absolutely quiet, a disconcerting silence compared to both the sounds of mass death and the love song of the Queen.

Elain sat down behind the captain’s deck. As the seniormost surviving sailor, she deserved this chair. Not Richter. He was a traitorous man, the worst type to ever sail upon these sacred waters. He deserved nothing, for the men he killed personally and for those foolish enough to listen to him. For he stirred their fears and discontent.

To her surprise, she was not left to her own devices. A knight entered the room, carrying a wriggling screaming Richter in its large claws, allowing Elain to get a better look at the creature.

Imagine a crab with the torso of a woman attached to it. She had arms, but also large claws attached to her main body, long heavy armor plates covering her from head to toe. They were beautiful knights of the sea.

“Let me go, you devilish fiends! Demons, you are demons, the lot of you! Murdering men like this?! Who do you think you are?!” The former officer screamed, trying to weakly free himself from the crusher claw of the crab woman.

“The Queen has declared that his fate will be left to you, Elain of the Surface. Once his fate is decided we have orders to escort you to the nearest surface settlement. The ship is to remain as a grave to Queen Anemone.”

“What?! A woman won’t decide my fate!” The man pathetically said.

Elain took the gun, and stood up walking over to him. “Naval regulations state you are to be hanged by the neck until dead for mutiny and betrayal of the Crown of England. I don’t have a noose. but I do have this pistol. The rules of God dictate I give you a chance for last words. What are they Richter?”

“Think you have what it takes? Take the life of a man in cold blood? You’re all mad… Mad, I tell you!”

The woman placed the pistol against the base of his skull and pulled the trigger, splattering the man’s brains up against the ceiling.

“This is… quite the story, Miss Reece.” The sad and lonely looking insurance agent said, looking over the pages of notes and declared testimony by the witness. “Monsters of the deep, mutiny, and a ship to sail the seas alone for eternity?”

“It is the story as declared by the court martial arranged by Her Majesty’s navy.” Elain said, wearing a long dress.

“It is the defense you offered yourself. The mutiny is clear, what isn’t clear is where the HMS Tiresias is… I likely will deny this claim filed by the line as a result. I can do nothing without the ship.”

“Who knows. It isn’t for mortal men to seek it. You would be a fool to do so.”

“There must be some sort of evidence. Something that tells me that this whole story happened.”

“Hmm… I can show you evidence, yes, but you must promise me that this remain off the record so to speak.” She was quiet, her eyes piercing through the soul of the agent.

“Well, without the ship, I can deny their claim for the ship but… I must know just… for me.” The agent leaned forward, eyes filled with curiosity. “That tale was enrapturing.”

Elain took off the locket she wore, and opened it, sliding it across the table. Inside was a photograph of Elain sitting on a rock off the coast of Wales. Next to her was a mermaid, as described in the tales, looking quite similar to photographs of the captain; were the captain a woman, of course.

“I suppose that’s everything then. A mutiny occurred. You were the sole survivor. I have confidence to deny the claims made by the line, and as such.” He stamped a red ink seal upon the sent claims to him. “And I deny their insurance claim as well. You’re free to go, Miss Reece. Thank you… for the story. I do hope it… ends happily for you.”

Insurance Report for Lloyds of London

March 15th, Year of Our Lord 1879

• Name of Ship: HMS Tiresias

• Cause of Loss: Mutiny

• Crew: 25

  • Survived: 1

  • Missing: 1

  • Missing, Presumed Dead: 23

• Notes:

  • Mutiny caused by claims that the captain was cursed, and revelation of Botswain’s true sex.

• The claim that the mutinous crew were killed by ‘giant crab knights’ was unable to be verified.

• Survival of Captain Robert A. Falcon was verified, however he is listed as ‘missing’ as he has not returned to civilized society.

• Loss of HMS Tiresias among the fabled Northwest Passage has not been verified, but is likely.

• Sole survivor and witness, Elain Reece went missing five months after attached interview. Neighbors state she walked into the sea after receiving a waterlogged letter. Has been presumed deceased via drowning by local authorities.