Chapter 6
A young woman sat on a beach, playing on a harp despondently. The tune was melancholy and beautiful. Her long blond hair trailed behind her like two giant wings. As did the green cape she wore. Her eyes were closed so she did not see the man approaching. He stopped some distance away and sat on a rock.
She began to sing:
'Twas Friday morn when we set sail,
And we had not got far from land,
When the Captain, he spied a lovely mermaid,
With a comb and a glass in her hand.
Oh the ocean waves may roll,
And the stormy winds may blow,
While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the landlubbers lay down below, below, below
And the landlubbers lay down below.
Then up spoke the Captain of our gallant ship,
And a jolly old Captain was he;
"I have a wife in Albrook town,
But tonight a widow she will be."
Oh the ocean waves may roll,
And the stormy winds may blow,
While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the landlubbers lay down below, below, below
And the landlubbers lay down below.
Then three times 'round went our gallant ship,
And three times 'round went she,
And the third time that she went 'round
She sank to the bottom of the sea.
He listened intently to the song until the last notes drifted away into the crashing waves. She finally opened her eyes and glanced in his direction.
"What brings you to this desolate place?" she asked quietly.
"I came to hear you play Siren," said the man in red and black.
"What? How did you know my name?" she asked, clutching the harp tightly.
"I know of the tales sailors tell," he said, scratching his beard. "Of a beautiful woman who lives on a shore and plays lovely songs."
Siren smiled sadly. "With a voice that lures men to their doom."
The man nodded and looked across the beach where he could make out pieces of lumber that had washed ashore.
"Have you come to meet your doom?" she asked, idly strumming the strings.
He looked her way again. "I'm not planning on it. But I would like to hear you sing again."
She looked down at the sand by her feet. "Everyone who hears my voice dies."
"Why do you weep for them?" he asked.
She pulled a wind blown strand of hair out of her face. "It's just so sad. My voice brings nothing but destruction and despair to all who hear it."
"But they died happy. Most aren't that lucky," he said evenly.
She looked away. "If you want to die try the cliff behind you."
The man smirked. "I didn't come here to die. I want you to come with me. Leave this place."
She shook her head. "No, I am cursed." When he chuckled she stood, her emerald eyes staring down at him. "How can you find that funny?"
He held up his hands. "I'm not laughing at you. I am far more cursed than you are. Let me help you use your Esper powers."
Siren backed away fearfully. "How did you know that?"
He rose smoothly. "Because I am the Esper Diablos. I know what our kind has suffered at the hands of humans. You can help us. What do you say?"
She looked across the endless ocean. Eventually she looked back to see his hand extended. "I can save other Espers, like me?" she asked.
Diablos nodded. "You don't have to be alone Siren."
She took his hand.
A young woman sat on a beach, playing on a harp despondently. The tune was melancholy and beautiful. Her long blond hair trailed behind her like two giant wings. As did the green cape she wore. Her eyes were closed so she did not see the man approaching. He stopped some distance away and sat on a rock.
She began to sing:
'Twas Friday morn when we set sail,
And we had not got far from land,
When the Captain, he spied a lovely mermaid,
With a comb and a glass in her hand.
Oh the ocean waves may roll,
And the stormy winds may blow,
While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the landlubbers lay down below, below, below
And the landlubbers lay down below.
Then up spoke the Captain of our gallant ship,
And a jolly old Captain was he;
"I have a wife in Albrook town,
But tonight a widow she will be."
Oh the ocean waves may roll,
And the stormy winds may blow,
While we poor sailors go skipping aloft
And the landlubbers lay down below, below, below
And the landlubbers lay down below.
Then three times 'round went our gallant ship,
And three times 'round went she,
And the third time that she went 'round
She sank to the bottom of the sea.
He listened intently to the song until the last notes drifted away into the crashing waves. She finally opened her eyes and glanced in his direction.
"What brings you to this desolate place?" she asked quietly.
"I came to hear you play Siren," said the man in red and black.
"What? How did you know my name?" she asked, clutching the harp tightly.
"I know of the tales sailors tell," he said, scratching his beard. "Of a beautiful woman who lives on a shore and plays lovely songs."
Siren smiled sadly. "With a voice that lures men to their doom."
The man nodded and looked across the beach where he could make out pieces of lumber that had washed ashore.
"Have you come to meet your doom?" she asked, idly strumming the strings.
He looked her way again. "I'm not planning on it. But I would like to hear you sing again."
She looked down at the sand by her feet. "Everyone who hears my voice dies."
"Why do you weep for them?" he asked.
She pulled a wind blown strand of hair out of her face. "It's just so sad. My voice brings nothing but destruction and despair to all who hear it."
"But they died happy. Most aren't that lucky," he said evenly.
She looked away. "If you want to die try the cliff behind you."
The man smirked. "I didn't come here to die. I want you to come with me. Leave this place."
She shook her head. "No, I am cursed." When he chuckled she stood, her emerald eyes staring down at him. "How can you find that funny?"
He held up his hands. "I'm not laughing at you. I am far more cursed than you are. Let me help you use your Esper powers."
Siren backed away fearfully. "How did you know that?"
He rose smoothly. "Because I am the Esper Diablos. I know what our kind has suffered at the hands of humans. You can help us. What do you say?"
She looked across the endless ocean. Eventually she looked back to see his hand extended. "I can save other Espers, like me?" she asked.
Diablos nodded. "You don't have to be alone Siren."
She took his hand.