A storm had broken out, and Usman had been separated from his ship and the rest of the crew. He was alone on a small island in the middle of an ocean with no land in sight. He'd spent two days trying to find some way off the island, but there were none. The waves crashed against it relentlessly, leaving him shivering in the cold rain that fell day after day.
He had nothing left with which to build a shelter or make tools. There were no trees he could chop down for firewood. He'd already tried cutting one down and had failed miserably at it. His knife broke when he tried to cut into the trunk, and even though he used a different knife to try again, it broke as well.
He didn't know how long he would be stranded here. If the storm lasted much longer, he might die of exposure before anyone found him. But if he waited too long, he wouldn't have enough strength left to survive. He knew what the alternative was. Hunger, thirst, and misery. He didn't want to die like that. He wanted to live, to find a way back home. He wanted to see his family again.
On the third day, as the sun was setting, he heard something splash in the water near him. He turned toward the sound, wondering if perhaps a large fish had swum up close to shore and gotten caught in a tide pool. When he saw what had come ashore, however, he almost fainted. It wasn't a fish. It was a lady. A human being! But this human being, Anya, as she was called was a mer-person and she had come to save him after seeing the worried looks on the faces of his crew back on the ship.
Source
Usman stood frozen in place for several minutes, staring at the stranger who had just walked onto the beach. Her skin was pale blue, her hair black, and her eyes were the same color as the ocean. She wore a dress made of sea grass, which clung tightly to her body. Her feet were bare, and they disappeared into the sand easily as she stepped forward. She moved closer to Usman, looking him over carefully.
"Are you hurt?" she asked. "You're not injured, are you?"
Her words stunned him, and he shook his head. "No," he said, "I'm fine."
Anya knelt next to him and placed a hand on his arm. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "Thank goodness," she said. " Do you have any food? Water? Anything at all?"
Usman shook his head. "I've got nothing."
Anya sighed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to share my clothes then, won't we?"
She reached behind her back and pulled out a bundle of cloth. She unrolled it and revealed a beautiful dress made of woven seaweed. She held it out to him. "Here," she said. "Take it."
He took the dress from her hands and put it on. He began to wonder what a beautiful woman was doing at sea alone and with so much courage to save him from the brink of death. He wondered if maybe he should ask her about it, but he decided against it. He couldn't take the risk. Anya led the way as she explained she would be taking him back to his crew.
At this point, Usman was certain he was guided to safety by mer-people in a terrible storm at sea. His companions, who had met Anya earlier were convinced that it was the only chance, but they did not know how close to the truth they came until they saw her transformed.
"I can't believe you all are still alive," said Usman as he looked around the deck of his ship. The sea was calm and the sky clear. "The wind was blowing like a hurricane!"
"It's true, Captain." It was the woman who had spoken, the one called Anya. She was a pale creature with long hair and blue eyes. Her skin was white, almost translucent. "We swam through the storm, just below the surface. We didn't dare stay above water too long or we would have been swept away by the winds."
"And you kept me afloat until I reached the island?" asked Usman.
"Yes, Captain. I couldn't leave you to drown."
"Why?"
Anya shrugged her shoulders.
"Perhaps it is because I am part mermaid. Perhaps it is my magic."
"Magic? You mean there are more of your kind than just you?"
"There are others, yes."
"What do they look like?"
"They're mostly human, but some are half fish, like me."
"How many?"
"About two dozen."
"That's all?"
"No, Captain. But that's enough to make sure you reach shore safely."
"I don't understand."
"My people can change shape, so to speak. We can take on the form of humans when we want to interact with them. But we're also able to keep our forms, as well."
"So, you can turn into a mermaid whenever you want?"
"Yes."
"And you're able to help me now because you've taken on this shape?"
"Yes."
"But why?"
"You needed our help, Captain."
"Well, yes, but..."
"We saved you from drowning, and for that, you owe us your lives. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go back to my natural form."
"Of course. Thank you again, Anya."
She smiled at him then dove under the waves and disappeared.
Usman stood alone on the deck of his ship. He had no idea what to think about what had happened. The storm seemed unreal. There had been no thunder, no lightning. Just a strange calm after the chaos of the last few minutes.
He looked down at the wooden planks of the deck. They were scratched and dented, showing where the boat had come together against the rough seas. It was a miracle he had survived the tempest.
A hand touched his shoulder.
"Captain!" cried a man standing behind him. "Thank goodness! We thought you'd drowned!"
Usman turned to see the young sailor who had first seen the mermaids swimming beneath the waves.
"What are you talking about? I'm fine."
"You were gone for quite some time. Then suddenly you appeared right here on deck."
"That was Anya. She helped me get ashore."
"Anya?"
"Yes. She's a mermaid. She saved my life."
"I heard her call out to you, Captain. I saw her swim up from below the waves."
"Did you know?"
"Yes, sir. And she was beautiful!"
"Oh, she's quite lovely," agreed Usman.
"She told me she could save you from the storm, but I didn't believe her until I saw her change form and dived towards you"
"Well, you should have. She did come to my aid."
"Is it true that mermaids can change their shapes?"
"Yes, it is. But they do it on rare occasions because most humans would capture them for their selfish intentions."
"Captured?"
"Yes. Mermaids are very valuable. They're worth a fortune to those who wish to buy them."
"Buy them?"
"Yes. Mermaids are used in potions and cures. People pay fortunes to have them."
"Really? I've never heard of such a thing before."
"You wouldn't. It is the highest amount of secrecy."
"But why would anyone want to buy a mermaid?"
"Because they are extremely rare."
"Then do you think Anya and her folks will be in trouble for showing up to us and saving you?"
"You could be right. If they hadn't done so, I would have perished. So I believe we need to do something for them in return."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Maybe we could offer to build some fortress for them to keep them safe from those mischievous humans."
"Are you serious?"
"It's the least we could do."
"I suppose so. Let's go find Anya and ask them if they need our help with anything."
"Good idea."
The two men went below decks and found Anya's father.
"Father," said Usman. "I would like to thank you for helping me. I would also like to give you and your family some assistance."
"You can help us by building a fortress for our protection."
"You would trust us to do that?"
"I would. I've already spoken to Captain Alvaro, and he agrees."
"Very well. We will begin work on the project immediately."
"Excellent. I knew you would understand."
The next day, a crew of builders arrived and began to construct the fortress. In just a few days, they had raised a tall wall around the village and built a sturdy gate that opened onto the sea.
Usman and his crew continued to help with the construction of the new fortress. At this point, they were even, no one was going to hurt Anya's family and it was all because she saved him.
Afterward, they sailed back to their home port, which was located far away in the southern part of the kingdom.
