WARNING: Malnourishment, mention of eating humans

"Friend?"

Patton looked up in surprise. "Yeah, friend. You know what a friend is, right Kiddo?"

Logan looked at him blankly through the glass. "I know the word." He said eventually. "But the meaning... I'm afraid it's lost on me."

"Uh, well a friend... A friend is someone you love despite everything. You'd die for them or kill for them but you'd also kill them, given half the chance." Patton said, laughing a little.

"You mean a soulmate?"

Patton laughed a little and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Depends on what you mean by 'soulmate', Kid-"

"Is Virgil your soulmate?" Logan asked, interrupting.

"No, course not. He's my Kiddo."

Logan stared at him blankly again. "I don't understand. Could you explain more?"

"Uh, you're asking a lot of me, Kiddo. I'm naught but a humble pirate." Patton said, laughing a little awkwardly. Logan kept on staring at him.

"You're right. You are." He said. "But you're my only source of information. So I'm asking questions."

"Kiddo, you're asking a lot of me-"

"I know. You've said."

"Kiddo-"

"Why do you call me Kiddo?" Logan asked. "We're the same age."

"Um..." Patton was stumped for an answer. Logan's stare turned from blankness to disappointment. He turned his back to Patton without another word. He was worryingly thin.

"Kiddo? Are you okay?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I can see your spine through your skin." Logan looked over his shoulder at Patton. "Are you getting enough to eat?"

Logan shrugged. "I suppose. I'm lucky to get anything to eat."

"What do you mean?"

Logan turned back around to face Patton. "I assume you know somethings about mermaids since you are neither scared of me or captivated in wonder."

Patton nodded. "Then you'll know that merfolk's diet mainly consists of humans. And seeing as we only really live in The Spirit's Triangle, rumours mean we can't get enough food for everyone."

"What d'you mean?"

"Well... humans have been telling stories about us for years. And soon, the stories scared humans away. So we get no food." Logan shrugged like it was a simple fact of life. He tapped the cage. "I shall probably get more food here than I would ever back at the castle."

"Castle?"

Logan looked at Patton. "Oh yes. It's how I met Remus. He's one of the princes and I worked at the castle. I was the librarian." He drew himself up a little more as he said this.

"What are you and Remus, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We are soulmates." There was a touch of uncertainty to Logan's voice as he said this.

"You keep mentioning soulmates. What're soulmates?" Patton asked. "Cause I know the basic myth of them but I'm not sure if it's different for you."

"What are soulmates for you humans?"

"They're someone you meet who you'll meet forever. They make you whole. Not physically but they're the person who you'll meet and stay with all your life."

Logan nodded. "It is kind of like that for merfolk. Except we're physically made whole. Soulmates are exactly that. Lovers who give you a soul."

"What?"

"When merpeople are born, they have no soul." Logan explained. "Soulmates come along and give you a soul. Remus has his soul because of me. We are soulmates." There was definitely uncertainty in his voice now.

"Why aren't you sure about that?" Patton shrugged. "If you're soulmates then..."

Logan cut him off with a shake of his head. He made a little 'x' on his chest with one of his claw-like nails.

"No soul. None at all."

Sorry this chapter's so late. I just had singing club and a late chapter's better than no chapter, right?
Bye,
Blaize