It started with the sound of knocking coming from one of the crates in the storage bay. The crew-mate on watch at the time had thought they picked up a cursed object or perhaps the ship was haunted and immediately got the First Mate and upon breaking open the cargo, everyone in the room had collectively gasped at what they saw.
For the crew mates, they would see merfolk for the first time, but for the Ex-Admiral under Neptunes Union, she knew that face, as the girl contained in a glass drum and dazed, confused, was none other than a princess of one of the high lords of the sea.
“Captain, we have a problem!” She would say upon waking the white haired man who slept in a cushioned cot in the captains office.
The two of them soon stood in the cargo bay, the lid to the glass drum popped off. The man looked over their… guest “Huh. Mermaid.”
“Captain. Do you know who this is?”
“Idiot. No. This is a daughter of one of the highest Sea Lords on King Neptunes cabinet. You understand what this means right? What this looks like for us?”
“Awww shit!” He sighs and takes a moment to think. “Ok. Raise anchor, calm down the crew and turn the ship around. I’ll be up there in a moment.”
The woman nods and leaves to do just that and once the door to the cargo bay closes, he walks over to the woman in the glass jar. She looked disoriented and dizzy so he dips his hands in, helping her up so at least her torso is out of the water and she could lean on the rim.
“Hey there. My names Lial McKinley. Welcome to the King of Seas. Do you… know why you’re here?”
The world swam for such a good long while, a hilarious comparison, but the only good way to describe the feeling & state of her being. Hardly able to tell where she is, only knowing she was in water, that she was in a tightly confined space that was deeply uncomfortable, & that she did not want to remain in here anymore.
And thus she began to tap on the container, & tapping quickly turned to pounding, as well as she was able too in her disoriented state.
When other finally come for her, blue eyes & paled ears struggled to focus. Rapid blinking, attempting to make sense of what she's seeing, but it's all hogwash. Nothing that made sense. And in so many ways, that frightened her, why couldn't she get her senses in line? Was she... had she been...?
Just, only for hands to wrap under her shoulders, pulling her upward into air, lungs opening while the gils on her neck closed, making her look no different from any other human, aside from her tail, of course. She did her best to breathe the air in, while her hands clasped onto the rim of this glorified jug she had been placed in.
Eyelashes, heavy with water drops, blink in rapid succession, trying to steady her gaze onto the single person in front of her. He called himself 'Lial', did she hear that correctly? Her hearing seems to be returning sooner.
"Ugh..." She shook her head, while a groan escaped her. "Where... am I?"
The mermaid was clearly just as deeply confused as Lial was.