Well... the best I could do concerning the artist was chingastronaut on tumblr, but uh... I actually have no idea if they actually did it? I went down a rabbit trail of sites, and that's where I ended up, even if I didn't find this specific image on there.

xXx

Keith looked around at the ruckus around him, trying not to let his confusion and curiosity show as he was pulled-- dragged was more like it-- from the top of the ladder towards the side where the captain waited with a smug grin. It seemed like the entire crew was on deck, all of them rowdy and excited for... something. As more and more of them noticed him, they started jeering at him and... cheering? What was going on?

A pirate came from the other side of the deck and said something in the captain's ear, too quiet for Keith to hear over the raucous crowd. The captain nodded, and the pirate disappeared into the crowd.

The captain, with his ridiculous hat, turned to address Keith. "Care to see if the ocean still favors you?"

Keith regarded him warily, his hands still abound in front of him. "I wouldn't say it's the ocean," he said coolly. He could feel Lance growing nearer. He would be able to see him when he went under.

The captain nodded slowly, still smirking slightly. "Mm hmm."

He felt something wrap around his ankle. He moved to pull away as he heard a click, but his foot came to an abrupt halt. He looked down and found a manacle around his ankle, attached to a ball and chain. He stared at it for a moment, wide-eyed, then looked back up at the captain, his eyes narrowed. "Not taking many chances this time, are you?"

The captain raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth barely lifting. "Fewer than you realize."

Keith furrowed his brows slightly, but before he could say anything, he was shoved to the edge of the deck where there was an alarming lack of a railing. He looked over the side briefly, then pulled away. "I suppose you're going to dump me overboard now," he said tensely.

"Not as dull as you seem, are you?" the captain chuckled. Keith glared at him, and he shook his head. He stepped forward and rested his hand on Keith's shoulder. "It's really a shame I had to do this twice," he said as if he were apologizing to Keith for the loss of a pet.

"And it'll work just as well as the last time," Keith muttered.

The captain shook his head and sighed. "I'll be seeing you soon."

Keith suddenly saw the ropes hanging over the side, dangling into the water below. "Wait, no!" He pulled against the captain's hand, but the captain grinned maliciously and shoved him forward. He teetered desperately on the edge for a moment, then found himself falling. He managed to suck stuck in most of a breath before he landed hard in the water.

The ball dragged him straight to the bottom thirty feet below. The water swirled past his face, encouraging him to release what little precious air he had to the world growing farther above. He fought desperately to get free from-- well, really anything. He didn't really care whether he got his hands free or his foot at this point, so long as it was progress.

The ball came to a stop on the sandy seafloor. He continued pulling at the rope on his wrists, then noticed a length of rope at his feet. When he looked closer, he was alarmed to see a net all around him, extending several yards in all directions. His earlier realization and now his fear was confirmed-- he was bait.

Lance had to stay away. He had to just leave him. It didn't matter if it meant that... that Keith drowned... if it meant...

He struggled to fight against the darkness starting to spread in his vision. Lance was--

"KEITH!" He twisted in the water as best he could to see the approaching glimmer of blue.

His lungs couldn't hold out anymore, so as the air erupted from his mouth, he did his best to shout, "No!" He shook his head as long as he could, then slipped into unconsciousness.

Lance knew the bubbles. He remembered them from the last time. And now he had a sense of urgency. He darted forward to Keith as his head slowly lowered, his hair lifting in defiance of gravity but deference to the currents. "Keith, come on," he said quietly as he grabbed his shoulders. He looked up to the surface for somewhere he could take him, but there wasn't anywhere to go, and he was certain there wasn't the time to swim him up there. He pulled out the shell and, as quickly as he could, formed a bubble of air around Keith's head.

He watched his face expectantly for him to stir, but the sailor remained awfully, horribly still. "Keith?" He grabbed his shoulders again and shook him gently. "Keith!" He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. Lance started to panic. What could he do? Keith needed-- what? There was air right there! What was he missing? Keith had been conscious just earlier. He'd seen Lance. He'd tried to say something. Lance hoped desperately that it hadn't been important. Maybe Keith's human lungs couldn't handle water like Lance's could. Then what? What could he do? He could-- He could--

He took Keith's head in his hands and pulled it forward. Filling his lungs with air from the bubble, he put their lips together and breathed into Keith's mouth. As he pulled away for a second breath, Keith coughed. Lance sighed with relief as he coughed up more and more water, gasping for breath.

"Let's get you out of here." Lance lifted Keith's hands to his mouth and bit into the ropes. A few moments later, they fell away, carried to heaven-knows-where by the gentle currents.

"You--" Keith coughed again. "You have to go. Now," he gasped, then continued trying to empty out his lungs.

"Wait, what do you--"

Suddenly they were shooting upwards. Something was around them, keeping Lance from swimming away, or even using his tail. The bubble was ripped away from Keith's head, but it was hardly a moment before they were above the water, somehow suspended over it.

Keith shifted in the net so he wasn't crushing his own arm anymore. "I was bait," he said weakly before going back into a coughing fit.

Lance turned to look toward the ship but found that it was below them, getting closer and closer and--

They hit the deck with a loud thump. Lance started thrashing around, trying to get untangled. "Lance," Keith tried to say, but he could only continue coughing.

There was a rasp of metal on metal as the pirates drew their swords and pointed them at the two captives. Lance, seeming to realize that he was only tangling them both even more, finally stopped struggling glared at the hostile crowd around them.

The captain stepped forward with his hands clasped behind his back. "I did say I would see you soon," he said smugly.

"Let us go," Lance demanded.

"I don't believe you're in any position to make requests," the captain said mildly, then gestured to his crew. The came forward and started taking the net off of them. Lance sat still as they lifted the net away, then promptly smashed three pirates over the railing with his tail. The crew swarmed around him, grabbing his arms and his tail, but he thrashed around, flinging them across the deck. One managed to get a ball and chain similar to Keith's on his tail, but it hardly hampered him. He continued fighting them, slashing with his nails and swinging his tail in every direction.

Keith watched speechlessly as he struggled to even breathe properly on his hands and knees, the net still draped over him. Lance... Lance was incredible. He was single-handedly fighting an entire crew of pirates, all at once. It was awe-inspiring to see the beautiful blue creature put up such a ferocious fight.

"I would recommend you stop that," a voice behind him said. Keith lifted his head weakly to see the captain with his sword just over his neck. "Or else your sailor friend will be coughing up more than just water."

Lance froze and looked at Keith. Keith looked from the blade to the mermaid helplessly. Lance drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, seething with fury. "I'm going to kill you," he said in a dangerously low voice.

The captain looked mildly entertained, but mostly unimpressed as he ordered, "Put him in the pen." The crew did as they were told and carried him into the captain's quarters, where Keith could hear the occasional thump and splash. Maybe that meant they actually had water in there...?

"As for you," the captain continued, "we really must do something about your irrational and pesky will to survive."

Keith was incredibly annoyed when his body decided that now was the time to return to a coughing fit. The captain put his sword under Keith's chin, and Keith's eyes grew wide when he realized that he couldn't stop. He had to defend himself, to at least move out of the way, and he couldn't even breathe properly. He had to move, to DO something, to--

"He's still useful, you know."

"Did I ask you, cripple?" The blade disappeared from his throat.

"No, but I feel like if I have enough reason to speak, I don't need to be asked." Keith slowly lifted his head to see none other than Kuron standing five feet away, relaxed despite the insult as he addressed the captain.

"Oh, really?" the captain challenged.

"Look, he might just be another mouth to feed-- not that you've been giving him much anyway-- but when we hand the mermaid over, the druids might consider him useful for getting his song." He shrugged. "Just a thought."

The captain considered it for a moment, then turned back to Keith. "Maybe it's your good fortune I need to change," he muttered as he stepped past the sailor to his cabin, where the sounds had mostly died down except for the occasional rattle of wood on wood. "You get to take him back to his cell, since you're so intent on keeping him around. And make sure you tie him back up."

By now, Keith's lungs seemed to have gotten rid of most of the water in them, and his coughs had reduced to intermittent bursts. He panted slightly as Kuron crouched beside him. "Make this easier on both of us and don't try anything," the pirate sighed.

"Why would I do that?" Keith asked in an unsurprisingly raspy voice.

"Just don't do anything I don't tell you to, and this will stay pleasant," he said in a warning tone, then lifted the net off of him. "You're not in any condition to get very far anyway."

"Gee, thanks." Kuron pulled him to his feet, steadying him when he staggered. "Why are you even helping me? You could finally have some peace and quiet with me dead."

"You kidding? With you dead I wouldn't even have an excuse to be down there." Kuron shoved him toward the ladder. "Go on, get on with it."

Keith stumbled slightly, hugging his arms to his chest. "Thank you so much for that," he muttered. His gaze drifted into the captain's cabin as he passed it. Most of the pirates had left except a few standing at the desk on the far side, but what drew Keith's attention was the large wooden box off to the side against a wall. He could see the lid rattling, and he assumed the top was a grate of some sort because he could occasionally see splashes of water and glimpses of blue or tan.

"Oh, come on. It's not the worst thing I could do," Kuron said. There was some sympathy in his tone, but he quickly pushed Keith along to the ladder.

xXx

Keith stared at the wall blankly. He'd barely moved since Kuron had retied his hands (which with one hand, Kuron thought, should have impressed him more than it did) and locked him back in the cell. If the light coming through the tiny gap in the wall beside him meant anything, it was late. Probably near midnight. The timber creaked quietly with the rocking motion of the ship. The same musty, salty smell that had filled the brig earlier was slightly stronger now that Keith had brought more ocean water on board. He didn't notice, though. The only thing that registered in his mind was his necklace growing slowly but steadily warmer.

Kuron was in his usual position at the base of the ladder, eyes closed. However, he wasn't sleeping. He was listening to Keith's shallow breaths, wondering and-- dare he say it?-- worrying. Now that single glimmer of hope that he'd had was gone. What was that like? Kuron had never had to cling quite so desperately to one thought, just to have it torn away.

Well, maybe he had. But not quite like that. Not a hope for his own life.

They sat in silence. Hours had passed that way, and they both figured hours more would.

Then they heard it.

At first, they weren't sure they were actually hearing it. It started soft. But before long, it was unmistakable.

Lance was singing. Though the words were indecipherable, the melody was powerful. The night itself resonated with the eerie sound; the very air seemed to pulse with its energy. And though no one could understand what he was singing, one thing was clear: it was heartwrenching. All of his pain and sorrow was being put into pure melody for all to hear, and the effects were apparent. Even from the bottom deck, Keith and Kuron could hear the pirates crying in the sleeping quarters above, grown men weeping like babies.

Kuron blinked and was surprised to find tears streaming freely down his face. The song evoked emotions he hadn't felt in... not since...

He looked to Keith and saw that his expression was nearly as blank as before, but now with a tear trail on each cheek and a sad smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Kuron opened his mouth to say something, but didn't trust his voice to say it. He promptly shut it again and went back to pretending to sleep.

Even with the effects of the song tugging at his heart, he was also relieved. The necklace was cooling down as Lance progressed in the song, and as it grew cooler, the song grew softer and less agonizing; it was more melancholy and wistful now. After a few more minutes, it died away completely. Though it was still warm, the shell had cooled and no longer burned at Keith's throat. And though Keith didn't know it, Lance's had done the same thing.