Some people said Darsun Whitebeard was an eccentric. Others said he was outright insane. Almost everyone who met the man could agree on one thing - he was on a fools errand and had been for the last ten years.

The obsession was rooted deeper than that, Darsun knew. It went all the way back to when he was a child, listening to his grandmother tell him the myth of the mermaid with the Golden Comb. Even now, he can remember her crackled old voice as she told the tale, a voice that sounded like dry parchment.

--

"Legend say, there are mermaids in the waters of Aleris. They're a rare lot, and only come out when the sun is set and the moon's full, and only once a year. They are beautiful an' incredibly shy, so timid that they flee at the first sight o' man. I heard it said they might drop their comb in fright, a golden comb and very precious to the mermaid. Should a man get his greedy hands on the comb, the mermaid will visit him in a dream begging for him to return it, and will show him where great treasure lay beneath the oceans, so she might get her comb back safely."

"We should go find a mermaid.." Darsun said wistfully. "Then we could buy our own house, our own town, and all the food in the world. We wouldn't have to be hungry ever again! Da' could stop farming an' Ma wouldn't have to do any more chores.. you wouldn't even have to knit."

"It's only a myth, child."

"But what if it were true?"

"If it were true, then you'd still have a hell o' a time finding that comb, or the mermaid who owns it. All manner of frightful creatures infest our oceans, an' you're more like to find any one of them. Now discard this folly an' help an old lady to her feet."

--

Years had passed before he even thought about mermaids and treasures beneath the ocean. The child became a man grown, and such stories were the dreams of a younger man. Yet there came a day when he overheard a pair of sailors discussing such legends. At the time he worked at the docks, helping to load and unload cargo from the ships, and his beard wasn't white yet. They called him Darsun Redbeard, then.

"I sawr a mermaid," one of the sailors had said to the other in a voice rich with a rugged accent and the slur of liquor. The sentence instantly caught his attention and he eavesdropped inconspicuously while he acted like he was tightening the ropes on the box he was carrying. "Eyes as perty as the full moon, they were. And breasts twice the size."

"Nonsense, Todd. Yer talkin' out yer arse again. Give me that wineskin."

"Ey, I'm tellin' you true. Sawr her over at Bleakwater Cove, I did. She were sittin' on a rock in the middle of the ocean, combin' her hair. When she seen my boat, she dived under the waters."

"So you've no proof, that's what yer sayin'? Likely you were drunk and saw a sea lion."

"Nah.. She dropped somethin'. See?" The man rummaged from his cloak and drew out a comb. The gold glistened like the sun, and even from his distance Darsun could notice the intricate detail of the object. He peered closer.

The other sailor studied the comb closely. "Hey.." he looked from the comb to his friends eyes, then back again. "Yer tellin' me true?" He held out his hand to hold the comb, but Todd quickly put the comb back into his pocket and looked around cautiously. His eyes landed on Darsun.

"Hey! What are you lookin' at, boy? Get goin' before I clobber you! This aint your business."

Darsun obliged grudgingly, wondering all the while if the story he'd just heard was true.

--

A week later, he saw one of the sailors at the dock. It wasn't Todd - it was the other one - and this man didn't have the mean look or angry eyes of his companion. Darsun built up the courage to approach the man.

"Yer that crate boy," the sailor said as Darsun introduced himself. "My name's Ardles. Ardy the aardvark, they're like to say on the ship." He thrust out his calloused hand and shook Darsun's. "What do yeh want?"

"I.. overheard you talking with that sailor.. about mermaids."

The man spit into the dirt. "Yeh, what of it?"

"Was... was it real?"

Ardy shrugged. "Todd took off a couple days afterwards, took his little river raft and headed out into the great big blue. Ain't seen him since. That comb was a pretty piece of work though, I'll give ya that. Worth a small fortune."

Darsun nodded. But it wasn't the small fortune that peaked his curiosity. It was the big fortune waiting beneath the ocean waves that appealed to him. "Thanks for your time, Ardles."

"Yeh, and if you see that Todd feller, tell him he still owes me a drink."

--

He did see Todd, a month later. The man entered Hinewai Harbor commanding a massive hundred-oar galleon, not the 'river raft' Ardy implied. The vessel was laden with goods, apparently fresh from Joi. The ship had docked and Todd strolled out, dressed in fine red silk and clutching a handsome cane. He seemed intent on buying everything in the bazaar that caught his fancy. How did he afford all these luxuries?

Darsun had a very good idea.

The myth. It was real.

--

Ten years had passed, and Darsun had become radically changed. He was only thirty-two, but his red beard had faded into white, as had his thick curly hair. His face was lined with wear and tear, the face of a sailor. His body had grown twice as massive as the young man he'd once been, and he seemed more like a lumberjack than a captain.

His ship wasn't much to look at. It only powered fourteen oarsmen, but he had half as many on board. Years of searching the oceans for a mythical creature had forced Darsun to skimp on the crew. Most of the men that manned his ship did so because they believed the story as much as Darsun did and wanted a piece of the fortune.

"We'll find it this full moon, I know it," Darsun muttered. The legend said they came out only on full moons. Todd the sailor had said the same thing when he spoke with his friend. But there was a catch - where was the mermaid going to be when she surfaced? How could he find her?

His only lead was Bleakwater Cove, and every full moon for the last ten years he'd attempt to make an appearance there. Sometimes, things didn't go as planned, and he'd missed the full moon at least once each year.

Not this year. He'd been meticulous.

"Pull into Hinewai Harbor," Darsun directed the eight oarsmen - his entire crew. "Let's dock over there, beside that longboat. When we get on land, you guys fan out into the city and tell everyone that looks promising about our mission. We'll need a few more hands on board before we can attempt this. I don't want a repeat of that floundering two years ago."

As they did as directed, Darsun stared longingly at the Grand City. Hopefully someone here would be interested in his quest, but it seemed that as each year passed, he was mocked more voraciously. Two years ago, someone had tossed a bucket of fish tails onto his deck while he was on land. Last year, a sailor had set up a fake mermaid on the rocks just to watch Darsun's reaction as he dove into the ocean in full clothing.

He wouldn't be getting off his ship, even though he longed for the steady ground beneath his feet. He didn't want to face the mockery head on this time. His men would find people.

They had to.

Approximately five years ago in Madrin's history:

Madrin was twenty years old fresh from a mountain village in early spring. The splendor of Grand city was like something from the tales of his childhood. This impressive place and those beyond it was one of the reasons he left the isolated village of Angeasor. The structures were tall and made of fine stone, for the most part. The sky was partly cloudy casting a gloom about the city but, he didn't care.

He noticed a surly looking man in his late twenties wandering about, stopping anyone that listened, and spinning a story about lost treasure and mermaids. Madrin cared little for greed but, mythical creatures was another story. The man was spit on and cussed out regularly. However, the sailor kept on facing the jeers, with a determination Madrin couldn't help admiring. Well, he had set out to help others, so he approached the man after his most recent failure. "Greetings sir, are you alright." Madrin gave him some aid standing since his last listener had pushed the sailor to the warm stones of the road.

"Aye lad it's nothing new to me. Your actions are the surprise. My names Second mate Liam Wayson. Thanks for the help, I didn't get your name." The man had short black hair and gray eyes. A blade scar that started from his neck and kept going to just below his right eye was the most significant feature the common looking man had. Apart from eyes that reminded Madrin of his mother.

"Aye well met, I'm Madrin care to share your story over a pint. You look to me as if you could use one. However, I just got to Grand city myself. Where's a good bar?" The older man laughed loudly with clear happiness.

"A country boy huh, you really are different. Sure thing lad follow me." The pair ended up in a small pub near Hinewai Harbor named The Friendly Wench. The sign illustrated a young woman in her cloth undergarments laying on a bed beckoning seductively. The place clearly offered more than ale.

The pair took a small corner table in the empty brothel that sold alcohol. Their local clientele was likely still abed. Madrin noticed the sailor was observing him closely probably looking for his shock at such a place. The young fighter had no modesty issues he slept naked after all. Alerians as a whole were far to stuck on such things, he enjoyed meeting someone who wasn't. "Nice place, I'm enjoying the atmosphere." Liam laughed loudly at the comment.

"Young man your quite the puzzle. Your barely out of your teens yet have the discipline of a seasoned warrior. We could definitely use someone like you. I'll start with the old myth if you don't mind." Madrin nodded his agreement and ordered some ale for the pair on him. The proprietress was a middle aged woman of exceptional beauty. He admitted he could get use to such talented service.

After an hour of sharing his information, Liam got Madrin to sign up for the journey. "Captain Darsun Whitebeard Has final say. However, I see no reason for his refusal. Welcome aboard Madrin." The two men had a firm hand shake and headed for the fourteen man vessel.

The seas were growing choppier as the night moved on, and by the time Liam Wayson returned with Madrin Kir, the small vessel they attempted to board was lurching about on the furious ocean. Groaning and creaking, the ship rocked about as waves battered it incessantly.

The crew was in a state of emergency, and Darsun barely even grunted when he saw Madrin board the ship before he returned to his work. He was busy angrily commanding men to put more pitch on the seams, - no not those seams, you dim-witted sea-slugs, the seams that are leaking! - and Liam offered Madrin a helpless shrug before moving up to Darsun.

"Sir," Liam offered, but before he could make out another word Darsun had wheeled on him and Madrin.

"What are ya standing around fer?! Either get yer arses to work or get off board! Can't you see she's barely holding up?"

Grimacing, Liam nudged Madrin and they headed away from the irate captain. While they walked on the unstable ship, Liam tried to convince Madrin this was a good idea.

"The captain's just worried, that's all. I mean, we're in a harbor an' this damned river raft is still having problems. But don't you worry. By 'damned river raft', I of course mean the finest and swiftest mermaid-hunting vessel on the seven seas. Of course. You know how to tie rope? Help me with these mooring lines, they're gettin' a little loose. That's probably why she's getting tossed around so much."

Darsun approached them, wiping sweat and saltwater from his brow as he examined Liam and the new passenger with a scrutinizing eye.

"Sorry 'bout that," the captain apologized. "I get a little upset when we start taking on water.. for obvious reasons. The ocean's probably angry we're about to pull some treasure out of her depths." Studying Madrin Kir, Darsun offered an approving nod. "Yer a little young, lad, but it's nice to see a new face on board. The name's Darsun Whitebeard. Liam probably told ya, but we have an arrangement concerning the loots, should we find it. Everyone on board gets a fair cut. There's only one catch - the ship gets a cut too." He shrugged. "Some people ain't too happy about that, but this ship doesn't pay for herself. Anyways, we head out as soon as these seas calm down. In the meantime I suggest you make yerself at home and.." Darsun's eyes had wandered to another sailor. "And damnit, I told you that's NOT how you apply the tar! Use the rag you idiot!"

Darsun looked back to Madrin and offered a faded smile. "Good work's so hard to find these days."