Won by a pirate captain in a hand cards, Pip struggles to survive as a lowly cabin boy aboard The Mottled Swift. Eido is the youngest of an ancient race called many things by mankind: siren, mermaid, witch, demigod. Yearning to escape from their island prison, Eido investigates a mysterious ship in the harbor and winds up rescuing young Pip from drowning. Together, Pip and Eido must elude both their peoples, leading them to a desperate voyage into the Land of the Dead, where they will find their loyalties - and their friendship - tested.