But now, she was a part of me, an extension of my mind and body. As definitively as I could trust my survival instincts, I could trust her to keep me safe.
With senses more powerful than my own, she found a ship floating a few leagues away and led me towards it.
We encountered nothing along the way—presumably because any creature that felt us coming fled as fast as possible.
The closer we drew to the ship, the more nervous I became. I contemplated what I would say. How was I supposed to convince these people to listen to me?
I considered my options. As a mermaid, I could lure them. I could threaten them with the serpent. But I didn’t want to use force. They had to agree to peace on their own volition.
We stopped at the ship’s bow. The materials stung my skin and coated my tongue in something thick and bitter. The sight of its broad hull, so unnatural among the blues and greens, sent a chill through me.
Abruptly, pain stabbed through my body. Every cell vibrated. I moaned, raising my hands to my ears. It was that noise again. But how? The serpent had destroyed the ship.
Hadn’t she? I couldn’t think, couldn’t remember. That terrible pain filled my head, paralysing me. I grew dizzy from the pressure of it against my ears.
Eriana shook her head, releasing blasts of air from her nostrils in agitation.
I barely heard her speaking to me.
It is from inside the ship. Should I break it?
No,I thought.Don’t attack. Let me talk to them.
I summoned her closer. Her eyes narrowed and her head lowered, reminding me of a cowering dog. I climbed onto one of her great heads. Shielding myself with the mane of horns, I asked her to rise from the water.
We broke the surface and a different explosion of sound met my ears. It took me a moment to understand what was happening. They were firing machine guns at us. Bullets ricocheted off the serpent’s scales. She didn’t offer so much as a groan of protest, and soon, the bullets stopped.
My ears rang in the silence.
“I am not here to hurt you,” I said in English, uncomfortably aware of my accent. “Please, lower your weapons so we can speak.”
My words were met with silence. I leaned around the mane of horns enough to see their faces. A crew of about twenty Americans stood on the deck, aiming at the serpent. They were faint with terror, several of them visibly trembling.
“I am Metlaa Gaela, Daughter of Kasai. I come from Eriana Kwai, and so does this serpent.”
The crew followed my voice and caught sight of me atop the serpent. I must have appeared small and insignificant compared to her. They glanced to each other, still looking frightened.
“I’m here on behalf of merpeople. We wish to negotiate with you to end this war. Please, turn off that noise.”
A man with a neck as wide as his head stepped forwards. “We thought the serpent was commanded by the merman king.”
“The king is dead. The serpent is under my control, now.”
The crew tensed. There was a groan of fingers tightening over triggers.
“She will not harm you.”
“And if we kill you?” said the wide-necked man.
Eriana gave a low hiss.Careful, daughter. These soldiers do not know control is passed by blood.
“Then the serpent will avenge her master,” I said, lying easily.
There was a beat of silence. I felt Eriana’s pain, her second head still beneath the surface where the noise blasted.
I said again, more firmly, “Please stop that noise.”
“Are you surrendering?” said wide-neck man.
