Chapter 5

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Navi Sand hummed to himself as he dragged a mop across the worn wood of The Carnivale in an all too familiar pattern

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Navi Sand hummed to himself as he dragged a mop across the worn wood of The Carnivale in an all too familiar pattern. It was cleaner than usual thanks to the deluge the day before. It washed away the worst of the soot and made his daily chore just a bit easier. Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, he took a deep breath of salty air. It was one thing he was eternally grateful for. Being on the deck in full sun all day long was only bearable thanks to the refreshing air and occasional mist that blew off the water below.

A nearly tangible excitement had settled upon the crew that day, making the monotony a little less infuriating. It was all thanks to the prize they'd stumbled upon by pure luck. Only a true sailor knew that the legends of merlings were more than a story men told to get through lonely nights at sea. Captain Slank was one of the few that truly believed it. But they were clever creatures, too crafty and powerful to be caught. The mermaid in their tank was only a child, ignorant and curious enough to approach a human ship.

The Carnivale was a very peculiar type of vessel. They didn't transport trade from Essos to Westeros, nor did they use it to catch fish for the markets along the coast. No, they were involved in a much more specific type of business. The trade of curiosities. People were fascinated by the unexplained, but they also feared it. So few sought the adventure of a life at sea. Yet, still, they yearned for the freedom it provided. The Carnivale provided for all their whims and wildest dreams. Their catches were the most bizarre you could find. A scissor fish with a beak that chopped and clipped like the man-made tool it was named after. The double-headed tuna, a seahorse the size of a man. They had it all. And now, they had the greatest prize of them all, a real-life Mermaid. Beautiful as the sea herself, patrons would flock for a glimpse at her.

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