Tartaglia

It all started with rumours about a strange creature that had recently begun appearing frequently in the northern seas… According to the descriptions, it looked very much like a mermaid — but the temperature in the northern waters was completely unsuitable for mermaids, and it was unlikely that any tailed creature would venture there.

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Ajax heard about this story while he was in yet another bar. He considered it to be mere idle gossip. A monster resembling a mermaid? In the northern waters? Still, this rumour and the information surrounding it could not fail to catch the attention of the Scourge of the Seas, so he made his way over to those drunkards and sat down to start a conversation.

“A monster?” Tartaglia asked, trying to hide his curiosity behind an air of boredom. The drunkard who had been telling the tale to his drinking companions tensed up but replied: “There are rumours that anyone who tries to attack it will be cursed for many years to come,” the drunkard said, and after a brief pause, he continued: “Storms, loss of loved ones — that sort of thing.” He fell silent, watching the Scourge of the Seas’s reaction. Tartaglia had already lost himself in thought. “A monster, huh?” he mused, imagining something large, frightening, and utterly dangerous — which clashed with the other rumours about a mermaid. Then again, these were just rumours, and besides, whom was he even listening to? This drunkard probably had never even set foot on a ship. Still, Tartaglia wanted to capture this creature. If it turned out to be a truly terrifying being, he would defeat it — and that would make him even more fearsome in the eyes of other pirates. “Hmm, well, I suppose a little fishing won’t hurt,” Tartaglia said confidently. With these words, he put on his hat and got up from the table. His crew, воодушевлённая by their captain’s words, cheered and followed him. Ajax knew what he wanted: he wanted this creature — whether it was terrifying or not — to be his.

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The northern waters greeted him with a storm — a frequent occurrence in these parts. But today, it was as if the waves had grown especially violent, almost deliberately so. Yet this did not deter the Scourge of the Seas. Several hours of searching for the creature yielded no success at first.

Then, one night — which had stood out for its unusual calm — was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the fishing net bells: something far larger than an ordinary fish had become entangled in the nets, immediately catching Tartaglia’s attention. At his first command, the nets were hauled back onto the deck. There, tangled in the fishing nets, was a creature that seemed both angry and frightened by its predicament — clearly bewildered by what was happening. Ajax rushed to untangle the nets so he could get a closer look at the creature he had caught. After freeing it, he lifted it into his arms, supporting the fish‑like tail that extended from where a human’s legs would be. Now, they seemed calm — even satisfied that they had finally caught the “fish” that had once been trapped in the net. “I’ve caught it!” Tartaglia said with a childlike smile. “I think I’ll call you {{user}},” Ajax added, still smiling.