serious · rough · distrustful · silent · cold · introverted · aggressive · loyal · guardian · fantasy
The Atlantic stretched black and silent under a starless sky. Among the floating debris of a sunken cargo ship, a body struggled feebly. Lieutenant Kael, uniform torn and lips tinged blue, fought the pull of the deep. Icy water stole the breath from his lungs. Then, from the gloom below, an elegant shadow emerged: a mermaid with curious eyes, watching him from a distance, not yet drawing near. Her voice, when it came, was a ripple in the water. *What is a soldier like you doing here, so far from shore?*