Seagull Islands. Ashwin had little time to observe these pieces of land scattered across the vast ocean, like rice grains spilled on the floor. Hearing their name, the teen expected to see some similarities in the island's shape. But the reason was much simpler. Upon arrival, the endless screams of seabirds greeted the ship. Ashwin looked at the white cliffs, which he initially thought were made of chalk or limestone, when the cliffs began to move. Thousands of white birds took a fancy to these rocky islands and built their nests there. Their loud screams targeted at humans, who disrupted their peace. And looking at the massive beaks full of small sharp teeth, Ashwin regretted not having a helmet or armor.

He wasn’t able to dwell on these thoughts for long. Along with a few other men, he was ordered to unload the ship’s cargo. Rolling down barrels wasn’t that hard, but moving crates with handcuffs was challenging. However, his captors showed no intention of making his life easier. When the cargo was loaded onto small carts, the captain commanded the group to head out. Again, Ashwin sighed, looking at those who got to stay on the ship. He being chosen to be among those who met the nereids worried him no less than the meeting itself. He glanced at Ziana. The girl didn’t look troubled at all. Yet, she left her honey squirrel behind at ‘Fenghuang’, not her saber. This was already a signal that the situation might get out of control.

The group stopped after an hour of walking. They hadn’t gone too far from the seashore. The shore here was filled with sand, but the waves hit sharp rocks before reaching it. Ashwin stretched out his hands. Carrying the cargo and walking such a distance over rough terrain tired him out. Jin gave him a flask of water, and the teen did not even try to refuse it or act tough. At that moment, he was too nervous to worry about his image in front of the low-life bandits. Gulping the liquid, which had become warm under the blistering sun, Ashwin stopped only when he could no longer drink. Jin clicked his tongue, shaking his half-empty flask. But before he could complain, the scarred man ordered the teen to bring the firewood.

Accompanied by Ziana, Ashwin walked along the shore, collecting driftwood. He sighed at the thought that these pirates would not give him even a moment’s rest. The teenager glanced at the men sitting on crates and barrels, drinking something stronger than water and chatting. They might have looked like careless workers after a long day’s work, if only some of them did not carry guns. Ashwin picked up a piece of driftwood whitened by the scorching sun. It seemed that life sent him new, insurmountable challenges every time he thought he had grown up and become stronger.

"Relax, they won’t waste bullets on you," said Ziana, following him with a few branches in her hands.

"Should this make me feel better?" uttered Ashwin, picking up another piece of driftwood. This one was damp, and he threw it back onto the sand immediately. His gaze lingered for a moment on the trail of line-like footprints in the sand. 'Are there crabs here?'

"Well, you have to make up your mind," the girl said, grinning and putting the branches she had been carrying into the teenager’s already full arms. She smiled at his frustration. "Do you want them to think you’re so dangerous that they’ll use guns, or do you want to stay low and appear harmless?"

Ashwin didn’t reply, he just stared into the girl’s black eyes. Ziana, still smiling, pushed him a little closer to the camp. They found enough firewood to start the fire. Ashwin looked up at the sky. The sun was close to the horizon, painting the sea and sky in orange and pink colors. He said nothing, but the idea of camping on an uninhabited island, waiting for nymphs, sounded like a reckless idea.

Despite his hopes, the second party did not appear until night fell on the shore. The darkness made sounds louder, and waves drowned out chatter. Ashwin stared at the blackness of the sea. Shadows cast by the fire on the sand reminded him of the time he had spent in Scarface’s troop. He missed the fire and people, ready to give up so much to return to civilization. And here he was, sitting with a bunch of thugs, still in handcuffs. Though many things have changed, once again, he was stuck in this feeling of uncertainty and lack of control over his life.

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"There are here."

A single whisper made everyone stand up. Ashwin turned in the direction that the pirates were staring. From the other side of the shore, tall figures moved through the darkness. Their path was lit by a dim light coming from their staffs. Unlike human fire, this was a pale blue and green color, reminding Ashwin of pictures of fish living in the deep sea. The teen counted five nymphs - twice less than the number of pirates - and he still doubted whether it would actually be advantageous if things went wrong.

The dryad he saw during the patrol with apes had similar features to those creatures. However, the nereids had aquamarine scales that reflected the pale light, making them look like silver fish Ashwin had seen from the ship. Their navy-colored membranes on their head crests contrasted with their bright scales. Some of them had these crests lying down on their heads, while others pointed sharp ends at the sky. They were wearing dark, tightly fitting clothes. Ashwin flinched when the black eyes of one in the group looked at him. To his relief, all the nereids kept their third eyes closed. It would have felt even more ominous if they were looked at with three eyes.

As if reading his thoughts, the nereid slightly opened her third eye and blinked. Ashwin tensed but remained still. The nereid’s smooth movements captivated him.

"Took you longer than usual." The captain broke the silence. His voice sounded calm and unaffected by the intimidating aura of his trading partners. Yet the teen noticed everyone was keeping their hands on their weapons. The small chest that one nereid was carrying made Ashwin think that nymphs also came prepared. The captain nodded, and his subordinates left the cargo and moved to another side.

With no greetings, the nereids approached the barrels and started to check the goods. After a few minutes, one of them, holding the chest, moved towards the humans. He or she, Ashwin wasn’t sure of the correct gender, placed the chest on the sand and opened it. Inside were colorful pearls. Although the teen recognized the rarity of the colors, it still felt unfair. His confusion increased when the captain pulled out a small flask and gave it to the nereid.

"It’s for the tailwind." Ashwin flinched, hearing a whisper right next to his ear. Ziana added, "They will fill it, and we can roam the sea without problems again."

"Mhm," mumbled the teenager in response. The girl’s breath tingled his ear, and goosebumps ran down his neck. 'What an unladylike behavior,' thought Ashwin, fighting the urge to move away from Ziana.

But all these confusions were child’s play, which were instantly forgotten when the scarred captain pointed his finger at the teen and said, "You can take him too."

These few words broke like thunder in the quiet night. Ashwin clenched his fists, glancing at the captain and the nereid in front of him. The black eyes of the nymph looked at the teen, evaluating his worth. Ashwin felt a cold sweat break out on his back under the weight of that chillingly calculating stare. There is no way these creatures will be kind to him. His mind readily reeled back from all the stories he had heard about people who had been captured by nymphs. The teen tensed his leg muscles - being killed during an escape attempt was a better fate than being obediently slaughtered.

"Wait." Ziana’s voice made Ashwin freeze. He thought she was addressing him, but she stood in front of him, talking to the captain. "You can’t just sell him to nymphs."

Her sudden brazenness caused the scarred man to cut her off. "I can, and I have just done so."

"Listen, boss, if it was your mortal enemy, I could understand." The girl continued to speak without regard for the nymph’s feelings. "But selling a child to them?"

'I’m not a child,' Ashwin thought, but he was prudent enough not to voice this. To his relief, another pirate said, "She’s right, captain. If you want to sell him, sell him to humans."

This kind of option was still offensive, but much better than becoming a nymph’s toy or a test subject. However, it was the captain who looked offended. The man growled at the sudden resistance, "He is useless anyway. Are you objecting to my orders now? You ungrateful pieces...!"

A whistling sound interrupted his angry speech. Humans flinched and reached for weapons. A pirate standing closest to the shore fell on the sand, a bloodstain spreading on his back. In an instant, the tense yet peaceful trade ended. Regardless of their original intentions, hostility accumulated over the centuries, severing the thin thread of contact. Looking at the raised guns and feeling the whirling sand filled with magic, Ashwin couldn’t even celebrate the cancellation of the deal.