I was just a mere fisherman, setting off for the first time to a land unknown.
I packed only enough that could fit within one trip. My family helped me get to the docks, using their own means of transport to bring as much as they could for me. I was thankful to have them, but where I was going was a trip that I must take alone. I could never grow as a fisherman if I stayed with my father, being told how to do each task step by step. I needed to step out from under their shadow.
They tried to convince me otherwise. They warned me of the Krakens that broke ships like toothpicks and let Poseidon's nemesis pick up the remains. They warned me of the Thunderbirds that would pick ships almost at random, and make contests of which ones they could snip with god's lightning from a distance. But worst of all, they told me, they told me of the sirens.
Cruel, trickster creatures with wings that blended in with the ocean until they shifted into hues of purple. Purple hair is neatly cut like an opera star. Compact unassuming bodies to make being caught seem like a pipe dream and their invitations to appear optional. I was told once you entered one, you could never back out, and you will be revealed to their true existence. They will whisper sweet songs in your ear while dragging you underwater, murdering you as the air slowly ran out, and water came in to fill the lungs instead.
I didn't let it stop me, however. I was determined to risk it all if it meant I could come back to my family as a better fisherman. I aimed to become one of the best, then manage the best in a future company. If I couldn't handle a few sirens, what's to say I wouldn't be able to resist the greedy business partners that sing songs of mutual partnerships, only to stab me with a rusted knife through a hidden clause?
I set out with high hopes, seeing my homemade flag flap in the rough winds of the sea. My ship was big enough to house a small sleeping quarter and a small cooking place for fish. Other than that, it had fishing equipment I had brought on board, and a steam-powered harpoon cannon that came with the ship. One shot from it could tear a hole through a warship, and the shaman I bought it from gave it to me as a deluxe option for the price of a sick horse on three legs. Now if that wasn't a steal, I don't know what will be!
Before I even got out of the gulf, however, I came across a song. It didn't seem particularly aimed at me, especially since a light fog concealed my identity. Were the monsters just able to sense me by the smell? Sweat grew on my brow as I steered away, but somehow, the song kept sounding closer. I focused on the wheel all I could and made a turn, only to see my hands go the opposite way.
In two seconds I had already succumbed to a siren's spell, but I wasn't out yet! I immediately went to the harpoon. Spinning the primer on the side to tighten the spring lock on the cannon. I had practiced this many times, and this was no more than a routine. The spell couldn't stop something so automatic, and the harpoon cannon was ready to fire, aimed at the sound that coasted my ship further and further towards it...
"Have at theeee!" I yelled once I saw a sliver of skin. "What evil did the word bring to me!?"
I got my answer as the fog disappeared at once. Confused, I looked around but kept one eye on the siren of these waters. Her hair was black and long, the bangs covering her eyes. She wore a pink crop top and a purple-white skirt around her waist. Sticker markings of cat heads and paws were on the cheeks of her head, with two blue dots on her neck and shoulder. Her head panned as I floated by her. I could feel her gaze upon me, watching my fingers circle around the trigger of the cannon.
"It would be so easy..." she said as I thought the line in my head. Was a siren was reading my head? "Try it, I understand.~"
"I..." I moved to press the trigger, aiming my cannon at her. Her expression stayed indifferent, even as I moved the cannon up to her head. "You haven't done anything to me," I said to her, expecting some attack that I would have to suddenly react to. My steeled myself, the grip in my hands holding the cannon's handle tight. Veins surfaced on my arm, yet the siren's body still remained relaxed on her rock. "Did you like the song?" she asked. Playing her game, I gave the most neutral answer I could, shrugging while keeping my grip on the cannon tight. She nodded and ruffled her wing, a notepad falling out of it.
"What is that?!" I yelled, trying to disorient any attacks. She ignored me, seeming to flip to a blank page to write. The ship moved beyond her, the fog settled back in, and soon the view was too obscured to remain locked on her. Disappointed but worried for my life, I went back to work on edge. To my surprise, I filled my fish with salmon on my first venture out and even caught a mermaid. Obviously avoiding mamono, I threw it back in before she could bite me. Satisfied with my hull, I went back to shore and showed it off to my family. They asked if I had any trouble during my travels, and I thought back to my encounter with the Siren. It was so nonchalant that I almost threw it out there, but it bit my lip. "Nothing of note," I said. "I came back without any scars on my body, that should be evidence enough!"
They still told me of the dangers, but seemed to trust me more now. The next day I went out expecting little to be caught. I had such a good hull last time; it was only natural my next attempt should come upon empty waters. Like yesterday, the fog set in and I ran to the cannons.
Spring.
Load.
Ready.
As easily as ever, I loaded my harpoon and waited. This time, I noticed her bronze skin as the shadows parted. The more solid pink scheme on her clothing, with the added leg sleeves over her feather-covered legs. The edges still overflowed over like the siren she was, but seemed more cheerful to see me. Her smile faded as I went by with earplugs though, my eyes staying on her the entire time. Once again, she shook out her notepad and started to jot down what she saw as the fog separated us once more.
As expected, I got no fish that day. I had simply had the luck of a god, or beginner on the first day, and figured my hauls will eventually have to level out to something I can build off of.
On the third day, I once again went in with my earplugs, even taking a new path to avoid the Siren's resting rock. Somehow, I still got into fog, and eventually wandered right on course for the rock. She smiled as she watched my ship kick into reverse, doing all it could to stop right before it could dash up against the jagged surfaces. "Are you mad!?" I yelled in anger, waiting for a response. She said something, but I couldn't hear it.
"What!?" her mouth moved again, just barely audible through the plugs. In frustration, I took them out. "Speak up!? I can barely hear you!"
Then she began to sing. I realized it after the first few notes that she had been mouthing the entire time. I had been tricked, bamboozled! I rushed to put the pieces back in, but it was too late. I could hear the song connect to me through the plugs. I went back into the ship and put it in full reverse, escaping before too much damage could be done.
That day, I caught another large hull of fish. It was a very peculiar path I took that took me out into the open ocean more than I had coal to power, but it gave me a good hull once more. I barely made it back within coasting range before I ran out of coal, letting my ship bump to a halt against the docks before tightening everything down. My coasting back to shore took me back beside the rock, the Siren having a big smile on her face as I passed at the mercy of the wind. I realized it was getting dangerous; the third day turned out to be like the first, but once again, I had almost fallen for the siren.
I decided to increase the coal I had on hand on the fourth day. I could afford it with all the sealife I was catching, and was prepared for any tricks or leads the siren could try to lead me down. When the fog came, I made sure to cut my engine and keep my plugs in, deciding to stubbornly wait out the siren. I could hear the song through the plugs, but I had barricaded myself in my room. Whatever taint she did to me, it could not serve any purpose I simply waited.
Knock Knock. The door was knocked and then opened wide. There was the siren, having grown legs and arms to look more human than she was letting on. "You didn't stop by today," she said with a small level of concern. "It's dangerous to wait in fog like that."
I was pretty sure she just didn't wish to miss her chance to play with me more. To tenderize her food before she saited herself. I didn't say a word, lifting my pillow to show a knife. She smirked and leaned against the door, twirling her hair. "I would enjoy a little fight in you," she said. "I figured since you could hear me through the plugs, I could just use that to my advantage."
"What do you mean?" I asked. She put a hand to her ear. I did the same, but didn't hear what she was speaking of. She approached and took one plug out with the swiftness of a cat. I moved to bring my knife to her hand, but then I heard something more terrifying - the sound of my ship's engine.
"The plugs prevented you from properly checking if the engine was off," she said. You have been burning your fuel the entire day, and when was the last time you put more coal in?"
On that cue, a worrying boom vibrated the entire ship. Something in the engine had snapped, starved for fuel for so long.
"It's a shame," she said. "Although, I could bring you back to shore, for a price. Or you could kill me, but I'm sure my blood will attract a mershark that would not be as kind~"
Left without much of a choice, I obliged and let her do what she needed. After she whispered her price into my ear, I hovered around the harpoon cannon, watching her dive back into the water. I presumed she was going to cross the deal and bust a hole in my hull right then and there, but it was a few minutes before I felt the ship begin to groan. She was pushing it back to the docks, giving it one last shove before hopping back on her rock with a farewell wave. "Remember our deal!" she said eagerly.
I would have to obey on the fifth day, going into the fog once more. I didn't try to fight the temptation, letting the song guide my right to her. I cut the engines and let the ship coast right by her rock, coming to the side of the hull with a pot.
"Finally, I've always wanted to taste cooked salmon~" she said, clapping her hands together excitedly. I rolled my eyes and reached the pot to her, but she shook her head.
"No," she rejected. "It is too far for a handoff. You will have to get off the ship~" I looked at my feet, seeing the edges of my shoes just off above the waters. I didn't want to do it, but killing her was still far too risky. I stepped off, being caught in her wings, and guided to a seat beside her. I still knew at any moment that she could bite my neck off, but for the past week nothing had gone too arry. Still, seeing the teeth sink into the meat was enough to reassure my decision to keep my knife in my back pocket.
If I recall correctly, that was when my descent truly started. I had been catching and taking from the seas I worked in, and now I had spent my fifth day feeding a dangerous creature my cooked earnings by hand. My body shivered every time her teeth grazed just a bit too close to my fingers, but she always cleanly bit off the fish meat every time. I could not keep up the attentiveness, but even then she never missed. I began to do it aimlessly, watching the waters gently sway back and forth, and that damn song softly be hummed in between bites. A sensation went through my body and grabbed my focus. I turned and started to panic when I saw my finger in between the jaws of her mouth. She quickly caught on to my growing fit and put more pressure on it, not letting my finger be pulled away so easily.
"It would be so easy~" She said while keeping her grip on the finger, her sharp teeth pricking against my skin. I held my breath, pulling and pulling as her grin grew devilish wide. I wanted to scream, but a wing came to my face, its feathers rubbing against me. "...but I won't~" she said, finally letting go. "At least, not yet~"
I laughed. It felt like the safe thing to do, to laugh along and wait until I could be worried somewhere else. She let me go that day, and as expected I didn't leave solid ground after that. I had made enough fish to pretend I was still working, but I spent the next few days fishing. My thoughts would wander back to that moment when I fished, seeing my finger trapped in between her jaws. Never again, I thought, looking at my finger. I could feel still the graze of the fangs against my fingerprints. It was frightening, I could have lost my hand, or worse.
Yet, her warm gaze made me feel safer there in her grasp than I was in the boat, armed to the teeth.
I shook my head and reevaluated. No, I...wanted...to be with her? It didn't seem right. Stupid even.
While I thought, my fisher line pulled downward. I reeled my catch in, and there she was, hanging with her wing hooked tight the on. She smiled as she saw me, pointing to the hook. I quickly removed it and pulled her to shore, apologizing profusely to her. She just laughed and laughed, admitting she only did it when she hadn't seen my ship in a few days.
"Well why would I? You almost bit off my finger!" I said.
"Almost. I never was going to~" She teased. "Unless..you wanted me to?" She pulled herself into my lap, wrapping her wings around me. The world seemed to fade around me as she smiled into my eyes, seeming as harmless as ever. With my seat, and her wing slightly ruined, the land I can run into, and the sharp objects in my fishing case, I had all of the leverage; Yet, I felt like I was on the rock once more, away from the comforts of man, if only to trade it for the comfort of the siren song.
Nervously, I nodded to answer her question. It was the only option...right?
"Good~" The word oozed off her tongue. She spoke it as if it was a reward for my obedience, then yanked herself backward. She took me with her, and we both ended up splashing into the water. Somewhere, I remembered that this was how they took their lives. I started to reach, panic, but once more she hugged my body. All of a sudden, I could breathe through the water as perfectly as I could air. It felt natural, as if this was the foregone conclusion I had been avoiding uselessly this entire time.
"Good boy~" She said. Those were the final things I heard in the light of the surface water, as she swam deeper and deeper into the depths. The waters were silent as the emptiness of space as we went closer and closer to the bottom. She whispered sweet sayings into my ear and sang her song in full. It lasted all the way until we touched the bottom, her last note ringing in my ear like church bells.
"I wrote it just for you~" she said.
"Is that what you had been noting down?" I asked back.
"No, that was just plans I wanted to make for you," she said, starting to move along the abyss.
To this day, it is where we reside in matrimony, singing our love song to any other that happened to pass by. I was taken somewhere that everyone around me believed was the end, but I ended up feeling more alive and loved than ever.