This was a fool’s errand.

 

How did Raizel think that he, a Lord’s son–if he could even call himself that–was capable of a grand pirate adventure across the Eastern Sea to find an alleged Sea Witch?

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The gem was lost. If it ever existed to begin with. He was going to die before he ever got the chance to wish upon it for a different body.

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In his short 19-years of life, Raizel hadn’t seen a lot of disturbing things. Back in West Law, there was the usual abundance of filth and grime that comes with a portside city, and sure, there were also the public hangings that he personally found barbaric for a supposed civilized society. But the hangings are disturbing in the way that seeing someone die in front of you is disturbing.

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The siren in front of him was different. It was disturbing in the way like nightmares that come to life are disturbing.

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The uncanny creature’s sinewy arms are braced against the wooden debris as it leans against the body that the captain and him had come to retrieve. Its pale skin is pulled tight across its sternum and collarbone. A set of narrow, pointy ears sit far back on either side of its face, guarded by gills that slowly move in and out, synchronous with the rise and fall of its bare chest. Long strands of wet hair hang forward in front of the gills, the water causing the pitch-black hair to glisten.

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The blue sea surrounding them is still as unshattered porcelain.

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Raizel glances at the body beneath the siren.

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Despite the body showing no sign of life, Raizel feels slightly relieved to not recognize the shredded tunic.

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This wasn’t Haelyn.

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While the captain continues to point her pistol at the siren from her seat at the front of the rowboat, Raizel slowly reaches for the ore that’s lying across the middle bench.

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“Perhaps we should get going.” He casually says, trying his damnedest to keep his voice from shaking.

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The creature’s black soulless eyes dart to him. Sitting atop prominent cheekbones, the two pits look more like hollowed out craters than organs needed to see. It opens its mouth slightly, letting out a soft hiss, revealing tiny, jagged teeth.

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“Or we can stay a bit,” Raizel says, slowly letting go of the oar.

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The siren lets out a couple of sharp clicks, dragging itself closer over the body.

 

“Don’t,” The captain says, voice stern, as if she were scolding a misbehaving child. She lifts her pistol higher, pointing directly at the siren’s head.

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He’s got to admit, the captain lives up to the rumours–a truly fearless pirate queen indeed.

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If he had to choose, Raizel’s not actually sure which one he’d rather go against–the one whose shooting arm doesn’t even tremble when she’s up against a creature that only exists in myth and legend, or the horrendous sea demon itself.

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The siren opens its mouth, letting out a soft hiss while simultaneously revealing multiple rows of extremely tiny and sharp little dagger teeth.

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A chill runs up Raizel’s spine, and he involuntarily shudders.

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Maybe he’d choose the captain.

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The late afternoon sun glints against the silver-blue shimmer that flashes across the taut skin, a perfect match to its luminous opal tail.

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A tail that’s flicking irritably in and out of the water.

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The silky fins that branch off in the shape of a V remind Raizel of the long ribbons the ladies back in West Law would wear, often tied at the wrists and trailing down behind them as they walked. Only once did Raizel get stuck in such a ridiculous getup.

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This time he shudders for a whole different reason.

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“Uh, Captain,” Raizel mutters beneath his breath. “The siren doesn’t seem happy.”

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“I know,” Captain Keres responds between clenched teeth, eyes never once leaving the siren.

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The siren’s eyes shift sharply between the two of them.

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“What do we do?” Raizel whispers.

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“I don’t know.”

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Raizel sucks in a breath. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

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“I mean,” the captain grinds out, “that I don’t know.”

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How could the queen of the seas not know what to do?

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Pop!

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A shot rings out behind them and all three of them, including the siren, jump, whipping their heads towards the captain’s ship that sits 100 yards behind them on the open water.

 

Raizel was so distracted by the one sea demon, he forgot about the whole crew of useless pirates, who haven’t made any effort to help them.

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“Oh, stars above,” Captain Keres breathes out.

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Gliding towards them at impeccable speeds are three more sirens.

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Raizel’s stomach lurches and he swallows hard.

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All three sirens dive in and out of the water synchronously, their bodies arching, creating half-moons as their rainbow tails reflect against the sun.

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A hard elbow to the ribs sends Raizel tumbling backwards off his seat.

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The captain slams herself down on the middle bench. Her pistol already tucked into her wide-waisted belt, she grabs the oars, slamming the paddles into the water.

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The captain doesn’t even get one full row in before a high-pitched screeching song rings out and the boat lurches backwards towards the debris.

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Horrified, Raizel leans to the side to look around the captain.

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His eyes widen in fear.

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The first siren has the bow of the boat gripped tightly. Long fingernails, or at least what Raizel assumes are fingernails, as he doesn’t quite want to think of any other type of alternative, dig into the wood. The siren stares at Raizel and opens its mouth, giving him a complete view of its many, many rows of sharp teeth. Much more than Raizel caught from the hiss moments before.

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The creature lets out another high-pitched screeching song, the peculiar octaves a stark contrast against the utter silence of the surrounding body of water.

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The fast-approaching sirens echo the song back.

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Like an electric shock, the sea around them ripples out.

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Before Raizel even has time to consider being afraid of why or how the sirens’ song affected the waves, the boat sinks deeper into the water as the three sirens latch onto the other end of the boat.

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The world around them once again goes quiet.

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“We mean no harm and we will be on our way,” The captain says, voice steady. Her face is grim. Again, not an ounce of fear to be seen.

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Captain Keres moves to row again, but the sirens hold the boat in place.

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Raizel shifts so that his back is to the captain, the seemingly better option than having his back to three sirens.

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Similar to the first one, their fingers are still dug deep into the boat. All three have the same large black eyes, hollowed back on top of stark cheek bones. The two sirens on the right also have the same dark hair, floating behind them in the water. However, it’s the one on the left, gripping the prow, which gives Raizel an unsettling feeling at the bottom of his stomach.

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Its hair is a rich shade of burgundy. The way the wet hair glides over the siren’s smooth porcelain skin makes Raizel think of spilled blood. Its hands have flecks of gold dust trailing from the tips of its fingers and up to its wrists, before fading out in the same way the farthest stars within the Milky Way seem to fade into the vastness of a clear night sky.

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“We did not know these waters were yours,” Captain Keres repeats. “We mean no harm.”

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“Those who come to look…” A voice of liquid nightmares speaks.

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Raizel whips his head from side to side, trying to figure out which siren the voice is coming from. Yet not a single mouth appears to be talking.

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“…often find more than what they seek.”

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Raizel looks at Captain Keres to see if she’s hearing it too.

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The way her eyes quickly shift to his is all the confirmation he needs.

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Before he can even open his mouth to voice his fears, the boat begins to rattle violently. A low humming starts up, getting louder and louder, as devious laughter comes from all around them.

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Frantically, Raizel reaches out to the sides of the boat, trying to grab a hold of something to keep himself from being tossed out of it and into the sea.

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A warm, dry hand grabs his own, linking their fingers together.

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Surprised, he looks at the captain. He honestly didn’t think she was capable of physical touch.

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She scoots off the bench and slides into the empty space between the two benches. She gives him a solemn nod. “Don’t let go.”

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“Don’t let go?” If she thought that was helpful in any way, it was sure as hell not. 

The humming stops.

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Then, the sound of water rushing in over the sides, coming at him from all directions.

 

Just as the water reaches his chest, the wooden bottom of the boat blasts out from beneath them, immediately sinking them into the sea.

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Something cold wraps itself around Raizel’s ankles and he takes one last gasping breath. Whatever it is that has a hold of him drags him down. He tries to kick himself free, but it’s as if someone has tied solid iron around him.

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Disoriented, he tries to look up, but all around him is dark water. Even the sun has abandoned him. He shuts his eyes tightly. But it’s no use. His lungs burn. His eyes sting.

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This truly was a fool’s errand. To try to find the Sea Witch. To try to find the gem. To try to have an adventure. To try to be someone other than he is.

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He’s not brave. He’s not courageous. His father was right. This wasn’t a world for people like him, just half a man drowning in the farthest part of the Eastern Sea.

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He cannot take another moment of the thoughts, the burning, sinking feeling of regret and despair. As he’s about to open his mouth to let the sea take him, something squeezes his right hand. If he could shrug, he would. What’s another sea demon that’s come to latch on. To have their fun with him.

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He gives his hand a little shake, but whatever it is firmly squeezes his hand again, followed by three more quick squeezes.

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The saltwater stings his eyes as he opens them to look down at his hand, but the dark sea keeps him blind.

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He tries to wiggle his fingers free, but the thing clutches tight, proceeding to give three more squeezes.

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His lungs feel as if they are about to burst out of his rib cage, and if he’s not mistaken, his heartbeat is starting to slow.

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How’d he even get here?

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Three more squeezes pull Raizel from his thoughts. It’s almost as if the creature is trying to communicate–

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The captain!

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If he had the air to laugh, he would. She herself is a creature of the sea indeed. Some might even call her a sea demon. Not to her face, of course. No, no. They wouldn’t have a tongue to speak with if they dared.

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Raizel cannot understand how he even forgot that Captain Keres was still with him. It’s as if, for a moment there, he lost himself. Was it the lack of oxygen, or have the sirens manipulated his mind? Do they even have the power to do that?

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The memory of the bottom of the rowboat being blasted away comes back to Raizel.

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Yes, the sirens have the power to manipulate minds.

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Right before the bottom was torn away, the captain had slid in next to him.

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Raizel squeezes her hand three times.

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Don’t let go.

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He continues squeezing in intervals of three until, inevitably, his lungs give out, and like the sea, his mind goes dark.