The midday heat was almost unbearable to be outside in, but despite that, the streets of Leona where busier than ever. Carriages pulled by heat exhausted horses lined the streets for as far as the eye could see and not a single cobblestone was visible among the endless sea of people. Regardless of how they where getting to they're destination, whether by carriage, train, caravan or on foot, they where all travelling to the same place for the same reason.To Capri, to see the games known in every corner of the land as The Witch Trials. Most wouldn't even have a ticket to get inside but just knowing that they where in the same city at the same time as some of the most powerful people on earth, was enough for entire families to migrate half way across the country.
There had been a time when Star and her father had been one of those families. She had never really understood what the excitement was about, why it was enough for her father to spend his very last gold coin on getting there, even if it meant that they had nothing to return to once the week of games was over. Star could only sympathise to a point with her father's obsession with fame and glory before bitterness set in. For the time where he had been a highly decorated and respected army officer had long since passed even when she was a child and the magical blessings her ancestors had supposedly received had either died out before being passed onto him or had never existed in the first place. So as she grew up and became stronger, her resentment for this ritual did so, equally, until Star swore she would never do something as meaningless as watch the games again. The only time she would ever step foot in Capri was when she was the one competing.
In just 4 days time everything Star had spent her life surviving for, would finally pay off. And before long she would be face to face with Capri's Crimson Queen herself. Wanda Sapir. Star did not plan on going easy on her. There could only be one Queen after all.
Despite the suphocating atmosphere of Leona, Star felt more alive than she had in a long time. After all, this was the final job she was ever going to have to do. One last mission and it would all be over. So while she couldn't wait to follow the crowd to Capri, she was practically enjoying her turbulent walk to the docks. Counting the number of colourful houses she passed, as if they where the number of seconds left until that medal was hers, Star couldn't help but smile. Nothing could stop her now.
Finally breaking away from the crowd, and into Leona's dockyard, even the breeze coming from the ocean had a heat behind it,
Removing her sunglasses, Star surveyed the area. It was busy, but not with people, only ships swaying lightly in the water. Since Capri was too far inland to travel too by boat, with only narrow streams reaching the city, they had all been left behind. Meaning Star could easy choose any of them to 'borrow'. Usually whoever had commissioned her was not as nearly as accommodating as her current employer was.This time a boat by the name of The Ruby had already been provided.
It didn't take Star long to find it, despite not being the biggest, it looked to be easily the most expensive ship in the harbour. It's sail was blood red and its hull shon iridescent in the sunlight. Instead of it's name being painted across the same, the word Ruby was spelt out in either real ruby's, or cleverly looking tinted glass. Star decided it must be the latter since a ship with actual gemstones welded into it was far to valuable to be carelessly placed in the hands of a mercenary. Star throught that if they where real the owner of the boat was pretty stupid.
She wasted no time climbing on board and familiarising herself with the ship's controls, before taking note of the striking cherry red seat covers and ivory paneled interior. There where steps that led down to the lower deck which consisted of a sleeping area and vanity. There where also steps leading upstairs to a table and chairs, and further back was a marble topped bar that was sheltered by the slanted red roof. On the corner was a small bowl of cherrys. Whoever had commissioned her was wealthy for sure. After finishing her tour, Star hauled up the anchor and listened out for the ship's engine which steadily hummed.
The Ruby was ready to go.
After manuverying the boat out of the harbour, Star pressed down on the accelerator guiding The Ruby swiftly across through the water. It wasn't long until the town of Leona was a speck in the distance. Once out in the open ocean Star let down the anchor and breathed in the sea air. Both the sky and the water where a perfect sapphire blue. The sight was beautiful.
Star headed upstairs and poured herself a drink, mixing the fanciest looking bottle of rum she had ever seen and classic can of cola into a glass that had a rose carved into the side of it. She eyed up the cherry's wondering if they'd even be worth eating, having been sat in the heat for hours. She eventually decided against it and took her drink over to the table, sipping on it casually. Star glanced out onto the open ocean, the horizon was clear as day but she knew better than to trust it would stay that way for long. Whatever would could she would be ready for but in the meantime, she had to admit this was nice.
After hours of waiting, Star was now bored. The calm before the storm had gone on long enough, she thought it was weird that nothing was around for miles after she had even been warned not to take the job. It was pretty far fetched that a sea snake had grown big enough to swallow a person whole but a job is a job she had thought. Whoever had commissioned her had made it clear in they're letter that they wanted it dead no matter the cost. In Star's line of work it was pretty common to loose your life, that was the cost but in her current case the only way she was at risk of dying was from boredom. There wasn't so much as an oversized fish around.
She'd rather this not drag on too long as she still needed to make the 2 day trip to Capri. She wouldn't have even had to take this job if it weren't for the fact that in order to stand out in the games she was going to need a flashy outfit. Having incredible skills in combat was one thing but it was also important to stand out, in order to get the public's attention.
Star began to haul up the anchor, realising she was going to have to get the snake's attention or face waiting even longer.
She grabbed the ships wheel and began to streer erratically from side to side causing the waves below to thrash against the boat. Star hoped the sudden movements would disturb the snake enough to draw it out.
She glanced to the side as a blur in the distance caught her eye, it appeared to be a smaller island. She thought it strange as it wasn't on any map she had seen before.
She looked up ahead once more and was shocked to see what looked like a person swimming in the water, she immediately turned the wheel all the way in an attempt to not hit them, Star hit the break and The Ruby jumped to a stop. Keeping her eyes transfixed on the water she ran to throw down the anchor, peering over the side to see the person in the water. The waves crashed again the boat from all side and sea foam fell as the waves eventually began to calm down.
"Shit" Star muttered as she ran from one length of the boat to another. There was no sign of the figure in the water.
"Hello? Please tell me I didn't just kill you."
She yelled out to the ocean.
"Just say something"
Suddenly laughter filled the air. Star ran over to the other side of the boat and watched as
The girl continued to laugh.
"Oh wow, your face," The girl burst into more laughter, saltwater, streaming down her face.
"You should look at yourself in the mirror, that expression is hilarious"
"What" Star stared in disbelief.
"Yeah it's funny, what you don't think this is funny?Really I think even though you hit me, your the one in shock." She exclaimed before her laughter continued.
"Oh my god." Star said to no one in particular.
She looked at the girl before blinking again in disbelief.
"I hit a mermaid."
"Oh right, yes I am a mermaid and yes you did in fact hit me, so I suppose you did. Hit a mermaid. I suppose to a human like you that's pretty, well unreal?"
"How."
"How what, how am I a mermaid?" The girl asked.
"No how are you even alive, your not even hurt" Star questioned.
"Oh would you like me to be?"
"No, no of course not. It's just I fully hit you. It doesn't make sense your not bleeding" Star said.
"Ah well, it's a good thing I'm not. Otherwise I'd have to deal with sharks, and I don't feel like doing that today, it's such a lovely day, I wouldn't want to ruin it." The girl mused.
"Right, what's your name?" Star asked.
"What's yours?"
"Star"
"Which star?" She asked
"Huh? No Star that's my name" Star replied
"Oh, so you wheren't even named after a constellation or anything like that then, that's kinda lame."
"How is that lame, it doesn't even matter" Star replied.
"Hah, if it doesn't matter to you, then I guess it doesn't really matter at all then." The girl said wistfully.
"What's your name tho?" Star asked again.
The girl seemed to get a face away look in her eye, brushing away a strand of wet pink hair she said.
"Doesn't matter. But you should take your boat somewhere far from her, the sea serpent is on a rampage, it'll be passing through here soon."
The mermaid began to swim away. As Star called after her.
"Wait, do you know how long it'll be until it's here"
"Yeah, about a minute, so unless you want a countdown until your death I suggest you leave, quickly." She called back with a wave goodbye.
Star watched transfixed as the mermaids tail cut through the water easily. The colour of the water reflected onto her pale skin, giving it a slightly blue tint. Star couldn't believe what had just happened. She wished the mermaid hadn't left so soon, so she could have asked which direction the snake was coming from, and gotten the gils name. Star wasn't worried killing the sea snake or sea serpent as the mermaid had called it, she had slain giant bears, bulls and many other creatures before but she wished the mermaid had told Star her name. Star ran back up the steps to the top floor of The Ruby and wondered if there even was a difference between an over sized sea snake and a sea serpent. Either way it didn't matter. It needed killing.
From the top deck, Star's view of the ocean in front was clear, and to her surprise she could see the mermaid swimming towards the boat until she was right next to it.
"Hey, what are you still doing here. I told you if you stay you'll die." The mermaid yelled.
"I've got a job to do, I'll be fine. You should leave." Star yelled back.
"You humans are so stubborn, your too stubborn. Oh your so gonna die." The mermaid laughed." Before disappearing below the surface.
A second latter Star could hear water dripping and foot steps from below, she looked down at the deck.
"Oh you really have no idea how funny your face is." The mermaid laughed before heading into the control room.She grabbed the red curtain from the window and tied it around herself before grabbing the wheel.
"What are you doing?" Star yelled as she raced down the stairs. Suddenly the boat tilted to the side.
"We're still anchored. Stop it." She yelled.
"Then unanchor the damn thing." The mermaid yelled back.
"How are you doing this you have legs?" Star yelled running to the helm.
"Let go" she said.
"Do you want to die." The mermaid cried.
"I'm here to kill it, so stop trying to move the boat." Star said.
"You? Kill the immortal serpent. That's so not funny that it is funny. Your an idiot if you think you can." The mermaid laughed.
"You don't even know what it is."
"If it's alive I can kill it, it's that simple." Star said. "Now let go of the wheel."
The mermaid's eyes glazed over as she looked into the distance. Her arms dropped.
"It's too late for that." She spoke.
Star looked up at where the mermaid was looking.
"I don't see it." She said.
"No. You wouldn't would you." The girl said with a shaky laugh.
"But your about to."
Suddenly something crashed into the side of the boat. The mermaid was thrown into the wall. Star clung onto the wheel as the cabin flew sideways. She watched as the back half of the boat was disappeared. What looked like a moving wall made of emerald scales
Moved rapidly cutting through.
"Get on top of it, if you want to survive." The mermaid yelled back at Star while she climbed up the cabin floor that was now tilting upwards.
Star pulled herself upwards through the falling cabin. Glass and debris rained down from above as they made they're way.
"Shit. It's to slippery to climb." The mermaid exclaimed. Well since we're going to die the second it comes back around to finish the ship off, I might as well tell you my name. It's Es-"
"What are you talking about, there's no way I'm dying here." Star interrupted.
In her hands where two silver blades. She handed them to the mermaid before two more appeared in her hands."Use these to climb that thing, then tell me your name."
The mermaids face was the picture of surprise. Then she smiled. "Fine, I don't know where you just conjured these from but fine."
"Let's climb."
And so they did. The ocean below crashed louder than ever, as the spray whipping at they're feet. The Serpent was so tall Star found it hard to believe they wheren't climbing a tall cliff instead.
Despite the mermaid making the climb in a curtain fashioned into a dress, she was surprised quick. Star thought that maybe what she said about the shark wasn't an exaggeration. When she looked below she saw that the once beautiful Ruby had been reduced to nothing more than an insignificant shipwreck. She seriously wondered what her employer was thinking sending her after this beast in that. She also wondered what this mermaid's name could be. E something. It could be anything, but at least she had something to look forward to once they reached the top. Star knew there would be no rest until the Serpent was dead.