Chapter 3: Four Legs and a Braided Tail

He shows me pictures of people riding creatures with four legs and no fins or arms. Though they still have beautiful tails. Tails that are braided to match their hair.

I never thought that you could braid a tail. I look at mine. And imagine what it would look like if I could braid my scales.

He says that humans ride the creatures with the braided tails. In cities, in the countryside and even into battle.

I cannot blame them. Walking does seem incredibly tedious and inefficient. 

Ludwig shows me another picture. In it, yellow plants I’ve never seen peek through steaming orange water that’s trapped in tiny wooden bowls.

Ludwig claims it's delicious. A simple, everyday meal for humans.

When he notices how I'm gawking at the picture, he laughs and calls a sailor over.

When the sailor returns a couple of minutes later, he is carrying the dish.

Ludwig hands it to me.

I eye it suspiciously. It really is orange. And hot. I can feel the warmth through the bowl.

I smell spices I can't place. And see the strange yellow vegetables bobble to the surface.

I give Ludwig a questioning look.

He nods to me, trying to encourage me.

I sigh. Place the wooden bowl against my lips. And take a sip.

My mouth gapes open in a gasp. I look at Ludwig, wide eyes. He chuckles.

It's delicious! Tastes like autumn and sea salt.

I sip on it as Ludwig shows me yet another picture. Of people dancing around wood that gleams and steams.

Ludwig tells me that it's fire. Which is hot. And can burn you. Like a thermal vent in the ocean.

I gasp in awe.

It’s an entirely different world.

"Would you like to see fire?" he asks.

I nod enthusiastically.

"Then I’ll come by later, after I’ve talked to Konstanze," he says with a smile that makes his blue eyes shimmer like the ocean. "And bring you into the kitchen. Oh, she’s going to be so excited to see you. Perhaps a bit too excited…" He rubs his neck.

I raise a brow. "Wait, you want to bring me into the kitchen?"

I’ve heard tales about humans. I never thought they were true. Until well, yesterday.

Now I don’t know anymore.

I eye him suspiciously.

Is that why he fed me? Why he let me taste those delicious spices?

"I won’t let you eat me," I protest and glare at him.

"What?" he exclaims. "Eat you? Why would I do that?"

"Because you’re a human," I say. "And because I’m likely incredibly delicious."

He shakes his head vehemently. "No. No you…" I can see his brain trying to find the right words. Trying hard not to insult me. "We don’t eat humanoids."

I scoff. "Humanoid," I repeat. "I’m not a humanoid. I’m a siren."

"Ehm, right," he stammers. "But you’re… like a human. I can talk to you."

"You could talk to anything," I say. "You could talk to a plant. Does that make it a humanoid? Are you not going to eat it?"

Ludwig looks at me like I am a talking plant. "What? No, of course I’d still eat it," Ludwig says. "It’s not a humanoid. It can’t even talk back."

"What if I get a cold and lose my voice?" I ask. "Will I then no longer be a humanoid? Will you eat me then?"

Ludwig vehemently shakes his head. "No! That’s not how it works." He sighs. "Look, I can promise you that I am not going to eat you. No one on this ship is going to eat you."

I eye him suspiciously. "I’m still not convinced."

He bites his tongue. "I don’t know what else to say. How to convince you."

I scoff. "That’s not very reassuring!"

"I’m not going to eat you!" he protests again. "Which I’ve proven to you!"

"How?"

"Well, by you know, not eating you."

I eye him suspiciously. "Maybe you’re just waiting for the right moment."

He shakes his head. "Counter question. Would you eat me?"

I recoil. "No of course not!"

How could he even suggest that?

"See? We have stories of merfolk eating us, too," he discloses.

"Wait, really?"

But that's ridiculous.

"Yes. They’re called ‘Nixen’ and they lure men into the water and then-"

"That’s preposterous!"

Ludwig shrugs. "That’s how I feel about your accusations."

I take a moment to contemplate.

"Alright, so that one might not be true," I say. "But I’m starting to think that, at least some of those ancient tales actually are."

"I feel the same," Ludwig says. "Old stories can definitely hold a grain of truth."

He looks at me in a way I haven’t seen before.

It’s hard to place.

But I think it might be suspicion.

I try to match it.

And raise my brows even higher than his.

"I still don’t want to go into the kitchen," I admit.

"And you don’t have to," he says. "But I… I have to go," he adds and turns to leave.

"But…" I start and he stops in his tracks. "Maybe you can tell me more about them, when you come back? About those human tales."

He smiles. "Of course. And I’d love to hear more siren stories as well."

His hand is on the handle.

"Leia, " he says. "I am really thankful that you’re here."

I chuckle. "Well I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?"

"I don’t think that’s true," he says and just like that, he’s gone.

And the door is left unlocked.