Sea Terrors
Timestamp: 4th of Ymiden, 716
Location: Rynmere Gazette
“What’s this?” Sabine looked up from her work as Abby slapped a piece of paper on her desk. “A bounty?”
Abby nodded. “Yep. A merchant claims his boat was attacked by two mer off the coast of Endor last season. Apparently they killed everyone else on the boat, seven or eight men in total.”
“…shit.”
“Yeah. The Iron Hand put up a bounty for the arrest of the mer. I thought we could do an interview with the merchant who survived. It might help catch the mer and, if nothing else, it’ll catch the public's interest.”
Sabine raised an eyebrow. “When you say ‘we’…”
“I mean you.” Abby patted her lightly on the shoulder. “He’s already here. He’s a bit, ah, nervous, so I said I’d give the two of you my office. Some privacy might help him feel more comfortable talking to you.”
“Thanks, Abby.” Sabine tucked the bounty into a spare journal and grabbed a quill and pot of ink from her desk. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
Seven or eight men – all dead from a pair of mer. Sabine’s forehead creased as she crossed the room towards Abby’s office. She didn’t know much about mer other than their underwater nature and the fables that she’d been told as a small child. Some of the stories painted them as beautiful, poetic creatures, but others described them as monsters who lured men to their deaths and killed indiscriminately.
Now she knew why.
The merchant sat with his back to her as she approached Abby’s office. He seemed normal enough – no nervous fiddling or shaking, like she would have expected from her boss’ description. Maybe Abby had read too much into the man’s disposition.
Sabine shrugged and stepped into the office, closing the door firmly behind her. “Hi! I’m Sabine.”
The man leapt out of his chair and sent it clattering to the ground as he whirled around to face her.
“Uh…”
He reddened. “S-sorry.”
Sabine blinked. “Oh, ah, it’s okay. Here, let me help you with that.” She dumped her journal and ink on Abby’s desk and reached down to grab the man’s chair, nearly knocking her head into his as he did the same. “I got it, I got it.” She waved him away and lifted the chair upright. “Here you are.”
“Th-thanks.”
“It’s no trouble.” She crossed to the other side of the desk and settled into Abby’s chair. “I’m sorry I startled you.”
“It’s f-fine. Not your fault. I’ve been a bit j-jumpy recently.”
Her voice softened. “I can imagine. Abby told me a bit about what you went through. That must have been horrible.”
He nodded.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to ask you a few questions about the attack.” She opened the journal to a blank page and flattened the spine against the desk to keep it from closing. “Are you comfortable talking about it?”
The merchant hesitated. “N-not really, but if it helps catch those mer…”
“It will,” Sabine promised. She gestured to the empty chair. “You can sit, if you like. I promise I’ll start with the easy questions. Why don’t you tell me your name?”
Location: Rynmere Gazette
“What’s this?” Sabine looked up from her work as Abby slapped a piece of paper on her desk. “A bounty?”
Abby nodded. “Yep. A merchant claims his boat was attacked by two mer off the coast of Endor last season. Apparently they killed everyone else on the boat, seven or eight men in total.”
“…shit.”
“Yeah. The Iron Hand put up a bounty for the arrest of the mer. I thought we could do an interview with the merchant who survived. It might help catch the mer and, if nothing else, it’ll catch the public's interest.”
Sabine raised an eyebrow. “When you say ‘we’…”
“I mean you.” Abby patted her lightly on the shoulder. “He’s already here. He’s a bit, ah, nervous, so I said I’d give the two of you my office. Some privacy might help him feel more comfortable talking to you.”
“Thanks, Abby.” Sabine tucked the bounty into a spare journal and grabbed a quill and pot of ink from her desk. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
Seven or eight men – all dead from a pair of mer. Sabine’s forehead creased as she crossed the room towards Abby’s office. She didn’t know much about mer other than their underwater nature and the fables that she’d been told as a small child. Some of the stories painted them as beautiful, poetic creatures, but others described them as monsters who lured men to their deaths and killed indiscriminately.
Now she knew why.
The merchant sat with his back to her as she approached Abby’s office. He seemed normal enough – no nervous fiddling or shaking, like she would have expected from her boss’ description. Maybe Abby had read too much into the man’s disposition.
Sabine shrugged and stepped into the office, closing the door firmly behind her. “Hi! I’m Sabine.”
The man leapt out of his chair and sent it clattering to the ground as he whirled around to face her.
“Uh…”
He reddened. “S-sorry.”
Sabine blinked. “Oh, ah, it’s okay. Here, let me help you with that.” She dumped her journal and ink on Abby’s desk and reached down to grab the man’s chair, nearly knocking her head into his as he did the same. “I got it, I got it.” She waved him away and lifted the chair upright. “Here you are.”
“Th-thanks.”
“It’s no trouble.” She crossed to the other side of the desk and settled into Abby’s chair. “I’m sorry I startled you.”
“It’s f-fine. Not your fault. I’ve been a bit j-jumpy recently.”
Her voice softened. “I can imagine. Abby told me a bit about what you went through. That must have been horrible.”
He nodded.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to ask you a few questions about the attack.” She opened the journal to a blank page and flattened the spine against the desk to keep it from closing. “Are you comfortable talking about it?”
The merchant hesitated. “N-not really, but if it helps catch those mer…”
“It will,” Sabine promised. She gestured to the empty chair. “You can sit, if you like. I promise I’ll start with the easy questions. Why don’t you tell me your name?”
