Under the Sea

Chapter 4 rewrite

Keith stared at Lance for a good few moments, just staring. Assassinate Zarkon? How?

"Not completely sure," Lance shrugged, and Keith realized that he'd spoken aloud. "But, if you agree, I'll take you with me home to Altea. We're already on course there now. If you don't want to, then you can go home."

Keith leaned back in his chair. "I'll.... I'll think about it." He said quietly, still shocked by even the thought of Zarkon being assassinated. "What if whoever takes his place wants the war to continue?"

Lance shrugged. "I'm hoping that Allura's plan will have a backup incase of that. I'm not really sure. You know as much as I do, now."

Keith nodded. "Do I have a time limit to decide?"

"Not really. I suggest you hurry, though. The winds are supposed to be strong tonight, and you probably don't want to be to far from your territory."

He had a point. Keith sighed. "Alright." He looked out the window. The sun was about half-way set.

"Until then, can I ask you a few things? About merfolk?"

Keith shrugged, not looking away from the window. "Go ahead."

"Is it true that humans came from merfolk that evolved with legs?"

Keith shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not a historian."

"Is there a difference between sirens and merfolk?"

Another shrug. "Not really. We're both the same species, and we all sing and stuff. Sirens are usually like the serial killers in my world, from what I've heard of humans. They live in packs of mostly girls, and they lure sailors to their deaths to collect their eyes, and.... Other reasons."

"Like?" Lance probed, scooting closer from his place on his bed.

Keith huffed, finally looking at Lance. "Multiple things. Sexual pleasure, to eat, to use their body parts for crafts, that kind of stuff."

"You had me at sexual pleasure. How does all that work?" Lance grinned that shit eating grin again.

Keith's ears burned at the thought, knowing he wouldn't be able to explain without an example, that would probably be himself. "Not disscussing that with you right now. Ask again later."

Lance was the one to shrug this time. "Alright. Is it true that merfolk wear necklaces, and that when it's stolen they get legs until they find it again? I mean, I'm guessing not since you aren't wearing one, but- Keith?"

Keith had grown silent at the word necklace, and hung his head. He didn't have the courage to saw it, and glanced at the window. The sun was almost completely set.

"Keith, what's wrong? Is- shit, is it true? That's not a myth? Then where's your necklace?"

"Lotor," Keith muttered, saying the name bitterly with resentment. "He took it."

"Why didn't you say anything? Why don't you have legs yet?" Lance demanded, standing up.

Keith huffed, glaring daggers at Lance. "I just met you! I thought you'd kill me!" He crossed his arms, leaning back. "I'm about to shed my tail, the sun is almost set. I suggest you don't watch, it's pretty grusome." He said, more quietly. "I thought you'd know, you're the damn pirate."

Lance shook his head. "I thought it was a myth! Why did he take it?"

"In case you managed to take me. Like I said, he wants my tail. He said that if he doesn't get a tail to sell, no one will." Keith's tone was bitter again, talking about Lotor.

"Does it hurt or something?"

Keith snorted sarcastically. "It hurts. A lot. You should leave the room," he suggested. "Please."

Lance looked concerned, but nodded. "Fine. But without your tail, you're gonna have to stsy on my ship."

Keith nodded. "I know."

"I'll be taking you with me to Allura," Lance warned.

"I know. Now get out."

Keith sighed in relief when Lance actually left, and watched as the sun disappeared beneath the waves.

~

Keith heard a knock, and cracked open an eye. It'd been a few hours, at least, and his throat was sore and dry from his screams, though he tried to muffle them as much as he could. He'd failed. Now, Keith was laying on the floor of Captain Lance's room, and he thought he'd fallen asleep. He wouldn't be surprised.

Lance cracked open the door, and surveyed the mess of blood and scales across his floor, and the naked Keith in the middle of them all. Keith knew his new legs were probably strewn in the blood, too, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Is it done?" Lance asked hesitantly.

Keith nodded tiredly. "Yep. It's over. You can come in." He yawned.

Lance stepped fully into the room, and Keith saw the plate stacked with human foods on it.

"I got you something. In case you were hungry." Lance said, setting it on his desk at the side of the room.

Keith nodded tiredly. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" Lance asked, assessing the mess more. "There were a lot of screams."

Keith shrugged a bit. "My legs kinda hurt. I'll be fine. Sorry you couldn't get a merman do assassinate Zarkon."

Lance sighed. "Yeah, but who knows, maybe it'll still work."

"Yeah, maybe." Keith lay there in the silence for a few moments. "Sorry I got blood everywhere. Usually this happens in shallow water so it doesn't make such a mess."

"So, what happens to the scales, do they just decay or something?" Lance asked.

"I can sell them to magic-users or whoever would buy them, maybe. I don't actually need them anymore."

Lane nodded. "Yeah. They'd be good in some potions, from what I'e heard." After a few more silent moments, Lance sighed, and stood. "Let's get you cleaned up."

It was a little difficult with all the blood on the floor and Keith's inability to walk, but Lance managed to get Keith into what he called a 'bath' in the next room in a bucket-like metal thing (Lance called it a tub), after he woke up the cook and had him boil some water. Lance left Keith to clean himself up, after he was shown how to. He ended up sitting in the water until it had grown cold and Lance came to get him. Keith was escorted out of the bath with something fluffy and white wrapped around him, so he could be dried off. Lance helped him with that, and went to the chest at the end of his bed.

"Do you merfolk ever wear clothes?" Lance asked.

Keith frowned a bit. "Are those fabrics on you clothes?" He asked, pointing to the fabric covering Lance's body.

He got a nod from the captain. "Yeah. Do you? Wear clothing, I mean."

Keith nodded. "Sort of. When we're trying to look nice. For the most part, though, no."

"So, what, everyone goes around naked? All exposed? What about during armor?" Lance questioned, turning to his wardrobe and digging around in it.

"That's different," Keith pointed out. "That's to protect us. And we wear things to hide our identities, or certain fabrics to decorate our tails."

Lance nodded, and turned back to Keith, showing him the fabrics he'd grabbed. He laid them out, and pointed to each one, telling Keith what it was called and where it went. After Lance had gotten to the pants, Keith stopped him.

"Why are you doing this?"

Lance just raised a brow with a smile. "Because I'm a gentleman. And we need you to defeat Zarkon. And," he added before Keith could scoff. "You're cute."

Keith stayed silent after that, and let Lance help him dress in the clothes. Which, Keith decided as he put on the shirt (with some help) first, he decided he would prefer to keep off.