Chapter 1. The Unlucky Cooks

The rowdy street alongside the port market never been busier than July morning, all kinds of ships and fisher boats returned to the harbour after a long summer night fishing. laying their fishing nets across the streets and butchering their big catch.

Young to old, rich to poor, royal chefs to housewives, all kind of people gathered around like some kind of ritual. It is indeed a ritual of Nusana Natara as the Kingdom of a Thousand Islands where fishing is the main live hood. 

Every day is the same, but this particular July at the date of fifteen , something's made the street even louder.

"HES BACK! THAT UNLUCKY COOKS IS ALIVE!". 

Said the old man after seeing the figure of a man in his early twenty walking to the port market. All attention of people has been averted from their business towards this man referred as the 'unlucky cooks'. Many of them rushed to him and surrounded him with many questions. That man just smiled back in response, looking dehydrated and sleep deprived. 

"GO BACK TO YOUR OWN BUSINESS OLD CROW BUNCH! Don't you see the miserable look in his face? Give way to this man so he can recover!".

A kind old lady barges into the crowd and pulled the unlucky cook out, then she dragged him to a shabby woodhouse near the shore.

"Thank you so much for helping me out there Mrs. kuta, but can I still stay here? My rent period ended one month ago, and I don't even have a job right now to pay for it".

"You stubborn little man, don't mind the rent right now, just get some rest while I make you something to eat". 

Mrs. kuta then walks to the kitchen but she stopped for a moment.

"And don't mind what the folks back in the port said, you're lucky enough to come back after gone missing for a month sailing across Bermuda ocean, I won't ask you any question, I'm just glad that at least you coming home in one piece".

That unluckily lucky cook lost in his thought, it's his habit to lost appetite when he has a lot to think, so he just stared at the meal prepared by the kind old lady in a long time. 

Sun sets, the chilly evening wind crept into his room, along with three terrifying creatures that slips through his door, approaching him in the darkness so casually. One of them grab his neck and dragged his head up till it's almost reach the ceiling.

"I know you won't come back for us you foolish human, but I will come after you even in your dreams".

The only thought that come to his mind was only the nickname of him that granted by people. He really is an unlucky cook. He survived. Even with those three months drifting above Bermuda ocean, and he also brings his worst nightmare back home. 

"Start making the things like usual right now". 

The creature that strangled his neck sure is scary but at one glance, this creature built just like an average normal man, he even has healthy tanned skin, stunning beautiful cold face and long shiny black hair. His eyes slanted with a cold dark silver iris makes him even more ethereal. The only place that differ him from a human beings is his point ears and silver scales that spread along his long legs and some part of his hands also his neck. It's really dazzling even in the middle of this dark room. The other creature resembles him but it's seems to be a woman, she limped off towards the both of them.

"Your majesty, he can't respond to you when you're holding his neck that hard. Human is fragile". 

She talks with elegant voice and demeanour, her skin is also tanned but she is very thin and looks fragile, dark hair and curly with a slight purple hint that also reflected light purple light. Dark silver scales spread along her legs, hands, neck and her pointy ears. Her droopy hooded eyes glisten with a light blue sky iris with a hint of silver that glows in the dark could melt everyone heart with just a mere sight. But the cold beauty keep strangled the poor man neck and denies her words with unrelated matters.

"don't call me your majesty, were not even in Bermuda right now".

The third creature, who looks slightly different with the other two also walks to them. His silver wavy hair almost looks white with a really pale light skin, but his scale was dark bronze in contrast that make his whole being is paler than a corpse. He has thin almond eyes with a bronze iris that seems to reflect a hint of gold in this dark room. 

"Brother sol, calm down a little, we don't want to decapitate or kill this human when we desperately need his help, right?".

He finally let the poor cooks neck go. 

"Call me with respect".

"…Alright, your majesty".

This merman is really too childish for his title.

Thought the poor, dehydrated, sleep deprived man that just been strangled by a man twice his body size. He got up on his feet again and sit back down indifferently, like this has been his daily routine. Luckily, the three mere folks is fully dressed with a stolen sailor clothes from the ship crew that the cooks boarded. It took a lot of hard work and efforts for the poor man to persuade them just for wearing a pants, so its became a feat in itself for him to see them in those clothes.

"Your majesty, pardon this my interruption. but I need to prepare the ingredients first. I need to earn money to buy all the necessity at the central kingdom market tomorrow. The market opens at dawn, I'll go there as soon as it opens. Meanwhile, all of you need to stay low and avoid people eyes, I can only offer this shabby place to hide. Mrs kuta, the owner of this house, my landlady doesn't live here so it's safe".

The majestic man didn't even reply to him and walk towards the sickly mere woman, he carried her bridal style towards the door. 

"Nebula, you need to sleep in the reefs near the shore for a while, alba will guards you while I'm away, I'll be back when sun risen above a quarter of sea horizon".

Followed by the mere man called alba, the three of them disappeared into the darkness outside the room.

Feeling a little relived, the poor unlucky cook can yet to go to rest, after all he is a professional, so even when life goes down the bottomless pit, he still needs to prepare for tomorrow.

Half an hour later.

"Your majesty, you're back".

King of Bermuda ocean that go by the name of Solune, walks inside the shabby castle belonged to this foolish human. His expression sure is of pure hatred and disgust towards the place and its owner, but he has no other choice. The owner then approached him while holding a wooden bucket in the size of two people heads.

"Your majesty, I've collected seawater in this bucket. Please bear with this for tonight, I'll make you a bigger vessel to sleep tomorrow".

Solune make an even angrier face but didn't refuse the bucket, the foolish human conveniently placed it beside the end of the bed. After stranded in the ocean with these creatures for quite sometime, he learned a thing or two from them.

Merfolk can go to the surface and breathe air, but breathing underwater makes them easier to sleep.

This is a fact that he never even imagined to learned in his entire life, but coincidence make him work as a chief cook on a ship, ship that eventually got caught in a huge sea storm and stranded all the way to Bermuda ocean, the forbidden ocean really meet people expectation by having all kind of terrifying monsters, the terrifying monsters that he happened to meet is no doubt the scariest human-eating people called merman, and under some unspoken circumstance that the merman's swore to kill for, the unlucky cook became their slave in charge of their little sister meals everyday ever since. That's why when the stranded ship run outs of food supplies, the cooks have been blackmailed to bring the three of those merfolk's siblings back to where he come from, his home the land. 

Now, the cooks look at a man lying face down on his bed, half of his face drown under the bucket of seawater unmoving, looking like a dead body after being drowned by a bucketful of water.

Maybe this wasn't a coincidence after all, more likely a really bad fate of an unlucky man, but he can only sigh and go the kitchen then sleep on the floor beside the fireplace. He's still not crazy enough to sleep near a ticking anger bomb that can detonate even with his mere breath. Besides, he really needs to sleep right now in order to at least get one hour of sleep. The cooks prepare a big kettle full of water and boil it above the fire for his custom made alarm, after that he finally get to close his eyes.

It's still dark outside, but the sea wind has subsided little by little after midnight, and turned into a calm breeze by the time the cooks finish preparing, he didn't intend to take the morose king who stands out too much to the central market, so when he checked on him and seeing that he still asleep, he just plan to go and come back as soon as possible before that pair of cold eyes opens and judging him sinisterly. He warily closes the door and whisper his permission to go when suddenly a stern cold voice answered.

"Where are you going without me?".

Before the door even entirely closed, he opened it again and saw the previous dead body that lying on the bed had already standing tall beside the bed.

"Pardon me for waking you up your majesty, you should go back to sleep. I'm going to the central market… it won't be long".

"the moon still up, you said its open at dawn".

The tyrant king pointing his finger to the window, his menacing expression saying 'you dare lie to me and plan to run away! I shall chop off your head off and serve it to the sharks'. 

"Yes, it is true your majesty, but the road is quite far and I can only walk by foot, so it takes up around one hour or so, by then I get to keep my promise and fulfil your wish upon arriving right when the market opens".

The tyrant king pondered, his slave then went back on his way but he hear footsteps creeping behind. 

"Your majesty.. do you not wish to go back to sleep and come with me instead?".

"I'm not even sleep earlier, I just closed my eyes".

Looking at that stubborn king, he can't help but obey. After rummaging for something inside his backpack for a while, he then handed over a cloak for his majesty to wear. Even though the merman has dressed neatly with 'borrowed' clothes of the sailor back at the stranded ship, his beautiful face, pointy ears and long silky black hair still stands out.

"Then you need to wear this your majesty, put it over your head when we arrived, and walk close to me".

The king has always been a man with few words, so it will be easy for him to just quietly follows behind, even when he stared him to death with contempt all the time, he can pretend not to notice as always.

The professional cooks never late on his schedule, so he always estimated everything correctly. They both arrived at the central market precisely when it opens.

Here at the central Market, you can find all kinds of food, spices, even cookware that you can't find in the port market, that's why going here is like a vacation for a chefs and housewife because they can restock ingredients.

In this place full of people, street lights and vendors. The only person who fascinated by it wasn't just the cooks alone. 

Deep in the ocean, the only lights he ever sees was when Jellyfish migrates, and anglerfish lightbulb and a bioluminescent algae, and above the ocean was when the night sky full of stars, but both always have the same white blueish colour and feels cold.

The colourful street lights shines with warm colourful tones such as yellow, red, green and purple. Human chattering here and there, strange things that he have never seen laying on display. The tyrant was enchanted in every step that he took, until something terribly catches his attention and made his footstep come to a halt. The professional cooks who have his own tight agenda didn't even notice the death glare behind him have been missing for quite some time. He then walks further and further until the both of them separated by a considerable distance

The central market has five sections. Farmers market where all the vendors sell all kinds of vegetables and fruits, butchers' market where they sell animals meat, port market usually supply their needs of fish daily. Spices section sells all kinds of spices, and this land is granted with over 30 different kinds of spices. Food market is for vendors and shop that sells processed food and mainly ingredients to supply the royal kitchen, there's many restaurants and bar here that's also supply all kinds of alcohol and turning to a gambling place by the night. The last section sells tools from woods to silverware, things from furniture to clothes, and because of that it's bigger than the rest of the sections. Each section is as big as the port market and harbour combined. So, it really easy for a person to get lost in the crowd, especially kids.

The tyrant king being left at one of the furniture vendor while the cooks keep walking to the blacksmith. He walked slowly but surely while twisting the ring on his index finger, seems a little lost in thought.

"This ring is fake, you can't trade it with money".

After hearing the man who looks like a craftsmen statement, the cook's expression hardened. 

"Have you checked it correctly? The jeweller guarantee it is pure silver when I get it years ago".

"I've worked in this blacksmith for ten years and have tested the authentication of all kinds of jewellery and precious metal for God only knows how many times. Besides, peoples tongue slicker than a snake ".

Feeling dejected, the cooks lost his only hope of earning fast money. He took back his ring and put it on again. He stared at it for a while, after that he proceed to turn around and planned to inform the tyrant king the delay of schedule because of this unexpected event. The cooks afraid of losing an arm or leg upon the king's rage, to his surprise, he's losing the Tyrant king himself.

'Shit, since when?'

He can only curse inside his mind while retrace his way back, looking everywhere for a tall figure in dark-brown leather hood. He forgot and shouted for 'your majesty' earlier and it attracts people attention. The really unlucky cooks then proceed to search for his only burden in silence.

Luckily, or rather unluckily. After going through all the five sections on the central market, he found an odd crowd in front of a furniture vendor with a tall figure in the centre.

"If you don't intend to pay, give that back and leave right now!".

The man in his forties shouted angrily at the tall figure, he's grabbing the hem of the man cloak tried to snatch back the mirror on his arm. But the tall man don't even budge a little even though he used all his strength to pull him. The crowd found this bold thief amusing and gather around the vendor to encourage a fight. The tall man just silently stand tall like a persistent reef among the violent sea waves. Seeing his expression got ugly irritated and eyes staring daggers with murderous aura at the poor salesman, the cook rushed to his side.

"mister mebel! I'm sorry, its he's first time coming here so he didn't know how transaction works. I'll pay for the mirror that he took". 

It's a given that he knows the shop owner because he used to work here. 

"wha.. sunny boy it's you! Where have you been all these three months? I thought you were dead somewhere at the sea, and you even accompanied by this troublesome looking fella!". 

"it's 'sunyi' mister mebel.. thank you for your concerns, but unluckily I'm still alive and kicking".

The old man mister mebel then let go of solune cloak, instead he grabbed sunyi shoulder and shaking his body heavily, his eyes checking sunyi body condition all over. The crowd attention shifted from the tall figure to this poor cooks that they know well.

"whoa sunnybee, you look like a corpse even more than I last saw you! Did you not eat for a whole week?!" said a middle aged woman who approached them.

"sunyi boy, did you finally gave on being a ship cooks and come back here to work? If so I really need a hand at my shop". 

Another old woman also approached him while carrying a full shopping bag.

"hey old hag, don't steal my employee in front of my nose, he obviously came back to work at my shop". 

Mister mebel said while crossing his arm, greatly seems full of pride.

"I'm sorry everybody, I just here to grab some cooking necessities. And here mister mebel, I'll pay for the mirror with this". 

Sunyi then took the ring from his index finger again and handed it over to him, he have thought of another way to earn money, it's a little troublesome method but it's easier than have to work twelve hour a day and mingle with lots of people. The old man mebel sure looks a bit surprised.

"what? Isn't this the precious ring your late wife? It's even more expensive than that simple mirror".

"yes I know, so I hope you'll kindly trade it with the mirror and some money for me. The blacksmith I've been to just now claimed that it's fake but I know it's real. I'll come back later with a lot of money to buy it back from you. Can you help this old employee of your for now?".

The old man sighed and take the ring, he disappeared to the shop to get some money. The crowd has already dispersed by now and the people who know sunyi left after chatting a while with him. The tyrant king just stood there watching, sunyi get a little worried of how quiet his become after the commotion. He approached him and said softly.

"the mirror is indeed beautiful, princess nebula surely will be delighted".

"how… did you".

The tyrant king fall to his knees and clutching his head even before he finished his sentence. Sunyi become alert and hurriedly trying to hold him.

"Sol-your majesty! Is it because you too far from the ocean?.. please bear it for a while, we will go back as soon as I brought some cooking ingredients".

"my head hurts, why did you gave your most precious items to that bastard?! And why do you know I'll give this mirror to nebula?!".

Seeing the cold and arrogant king on his knees while clutching his head, sunyi sighed with pity.

"you don't have to think of anything right now your majesty. Just stay by my side until we go back".

Even though solune glared at sunyi with bloodshot eyes, he obediently stayed still by sunyi side until they both went back with a lot of things. 

The sun has risen to the horizon by the time they arrived at the house. Sunyi swiftly prepared one simple portion of breakfast that consist of vegetable fried rice with sunny side up egg on top. He also prepared a glass of fresh cow milk that he brought from the market. He arranged it on top of a table while waiting for solune to fetch the princess from the shore. He then stared at the mirror that bought with a price of his wedding ring. Unexpectedly, instead of being sad, sunyi smiled at that mirror in his hand and even chuckled a little, it's unknown of what strange thought have crossed his mind in this situation.

*

"whoa, little human! how come this 'fried rice' named food of yours is even tastier than the same food you made back then".

Princess solune happily chewed on and complimented while inspecting the grains of food in her spoon. 

"thank you for your kind words princess, it's just that I used a fresh and a lot of ingredients right now because it's hard to preserve vegetables for a long time in the ship".

 "the foolish human will became arrogant, so don't praise him for a measly thing like this nebula".

Said the arrogant king that sat beside her, chewing on fresh raw salmon. 

'Look at his attitude while eating the food I prepared'.

Sunyi pondering while looking at him, then the more sensible mere folk that seated in front of him also talks.

"thank you for preparing a meal for us mortal human, but it's unnecessary for you to prepare it for me and even separated the bones, I can hunt food for myself at the ocean so rather that wasting the time to do useless things, use that time to prepare more food for the princess only".

'even when he tried to be polite, he still piss me off'.

Sunyi found it funny and helpless when they called him by anything but his name, so he's just go along with it. Afterall, he just has to bear with them for a while, he also wants to help the poor innocent princess that looks just like in her teens if she were a human. 

Apparently, all this chaos happened because of the princess illness, she is allergic to fish, squid and even seaweed. The usual food for a mere folk. 

It's unknown to sunyi what has happened to the princess that makes her unable to eat sea creatures. If with human knowledge, she will be diagnosed and treated with intense care at the hospital in the capital, seeing her sorry state of starvation with a sunken cheek and an overly protruding collar bone. But sunyi didn't dare to suggest that idea seeing his overly protective brothers, beside even though they look like human, they have a fish scale underneath those clothes. So it's impossible for a doctor to examine the princess without revealing her identity. While sunyi pondering this and what to make for lunch, the princess has already finished her breakfast.

"maybe I'll eventually become a human being, but if you keep providing me with delicious food, I'll have less regret losing my Bermuda princess title". 

The princess talks with a playful tone, but her eyes looks sad. Seeing this, her brother solune hold her hand and said with a resolute face.

"don't talk nonsense nebula, I'll find a way to break this curse in no time. And I'll break the neck of the one that dare to curse you in the first place".

The dining room atmosphere suddenly get chilling cold and full of solune murderous aura. Not just him, even alba have a gloomy face, he then suddenly stares at sunyi with unknown intentions. That stare was full of unfathomable emotion that makes sunyi tremble with fear, actually he even afraid of alba more than the tyrant king for some reason. 

"i-I'll make sure to take care of princess nebula meal and monitor her health for as long as it required".

"You should, it's an order from the king of bermuda". 

Sunyi nodded quietly with that alba statement like it's have been his fate to do so.

Little did he know, being entangled with these three mere folks is a decision that he will a regret for a lifetime.

___

Authors note.

My glossary for those who confused by some terms.

Mermaid (female)

Merman (male)

Merfolks/ mere folks (two or so mermaid and merman, female and male)

Cooks (chef, usually chef that works at the ship)