The sun shone high in the late August sky. It was extremely warm even with the sea breeze around them. James understood that it wouldn't be so easy to work and let his crew have a bit of slack, although he did have his limits.

They'd come upon the area where some merchant in the previous coast town had talked wildly vivid tales of sea serpents. James knew his crew were probably sick of being in the same spot but this merchant had promised big money.

He had just been sat in his quaters, marking where to go next before he heard clamouring and shouts from the ship. Not another fight. James sighed to himself as he got up, ready to tell his crew to get back to work and shut up.

But...the sight that awaited him was not a fight, or well, not a fight between crew. No, they all had their swords pointed at something in a net. Too small to be a sea serpent but..there was a tail.

"Oi!' James quickly shoved himself infront of all his crew. "What the bloody hell are you runts doing? Pointing your swords like dogs!" He looked at the thing- no man in the net, the mermans greyish-blue tail and pail complexion.

Most of all, James saw the defensive fear in the merman's gaze. He glared like he was summoning the Kraken itself, his body shaking- wait, shit. "Get him in a tub of water- sea water, quick!" James yelled to his crew, watching as they scrambled to his orders.

He kept a careful eye on them as they cut the merman free and placed him into the glass case they usually used to transport their bounties. "Back to work!" James called out, although his eyes were still stuck to the merman, silently vowing that this merman would never be a bounty.

"Are..can you understand me?" James questioned when all his crew, except for Sirius who always lingered until Remus dragged him away, had gone. He put a hand against the glass and watched the merman. "I'm James, and I'm the Captain of this crew. We're the Marauders- I'll make sure they don't hurt you."