"Steady." James yelled, watching his crew maneuver the mast and sail while he steered the ship through the narrow pass. "Don't let the sail get stuck and keep your eyes out for rocks and debris, Ty." the captain instructed and gently turned the rudder starboard.
The young prince stood at the front of the ship together with Ty, watching the still, clear water and everything underneath it. It was filled with countless sunk ships, sharp rocks and various types of large fish. Kendall gulped and frowned. "This is horrible..." He mumbled. "How?" he asked and the pirate by his side shrugged.
"Must be deep." He said. "I can't see anything." Ty muttered and shook his head.
"C-Captain, rocks on starboard side." Kendall called out and James smoothly averted the danger. "What are you talking about?" Kendall then asked, turning to the young pirate. "Do not tell me you did not see those?" He asked.
Ty shook his head and Kendall frowned and turned around to look at the rest of the crew who too seemed confused and a bit too relaxed. "You shouldn't worry, your majesty." Ty said. "The captain will get us out of this." Kendall rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the water. An eerie noise sounded and the young prince frowned. It sounded like a pained screeching, like metal being rubbed against wet porcelain.
"What is that noise?" The blond asked, holding his hands over his ears to try and shield them. "What in the world could ever make such a sound?" He asked and turned to Ty who also seemed to be listening in on the noise. "Ty?"
"Oh, sorry, your majesty. I was just listening." Ty said and gave a sheepish smile. "I've just never heard anything like it." He said and Kendall nodded and worriedly glanced over at the crew who too seemed to listen. "It's quite... beautiful, don't you think?"
"Beautiful?" Kendall questioned and listened to the awful screeching. "I would certainly not call this beautiful." He huffed and yelped when the boat came to a stop. He looked up to see the sail stuck on the cliff above them.
The young prince turned his head to see the crew seemingly spellbound and swaying around on the ship with dazed expressions on their faces. Kendall frowned and climbed down to the deck and walked around amongst the crew.
"Hello?" He called out and waved his hand in front of one of them. "Jenkins? Woodland?" He called out and frowned. "Hello?"
He got no response and frowned, turning up to look at James, who was leaning against the rudder wheel, casually running his fingers up and down the smooth wood while sighing. Kendall walked up the stairs to the rudder deck.
"Captain?" He asked warily. "Captain Diamond?" he called again and placed his hand on James' arm. "James?" He asked softly.
Again he was met with no response. "K-Kendall?" the young prince heard and he swirled around and spotted a confused latino on the deck. "What in the world is going on?" he asked.
"Carlos! Carlos, please help me. James won't answer, no one will. What do we do?" Kendall whined and hurried down the Carlos' side.
"It's the sirens." Carlos whispered and looked around. "They're singing." He explained and the blond furrowed his eyebrows and looked around.
"Singing? Is that that horrible screeching?" He asked. Carlos tilted his head a bit and frowned.
"Screeching?" He asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about but the only thing I hear is divine singing." He said and sighed. "It's like soft velvet, flowing around you. Caressing you, lulling you to sleep." He said and listened to the sweet sound of the siren's singing.
"I cannot hear it." Kendall said. "The only thing I hear is wretched wailing and godforsaken howls." He huffed and shook his head. "I do know that we have to get out of here." He stated and looked around. "How come you aren't spellbound?"
Carlos grinned and pulled out his wooden trinket from his pocket. "I told you it'd come in handy." He said and Kendall lit up in a smile.
"Splendid, Carlos!" He exclaimed. "Now, help me get the sail loose." He said and the two worked their way up to the mast to try and get it free. After a while of picking, pulling and some heavy lifting they managed to get the sail loose but the ship still refused to move. "Perhaps we are stuck?" Kendall asked worriedly.
"I don't think so..." He mumbled and pointed down on the deck, where a group of young women were climbing aboard the ship. They were young, lean and beautiful and Carlos was sure that if it wasn't for his amulet he'd be throwing himself by their feet in a matter of seconds.
The prince on the other hand stared with horror filled eyes as pale, lanky creatures with webbing between their long fingers and toes boarded the ship. Their eyes were glowing pale pink and you could faintly see their insides through their thin skin.
"By the lord..." Kendall gasped and slapped his hand over his mouth, sick by the very sight. "They are hideous. Monsters..." He choked out and Carlos gave him a puzzled look. "We have to get them off the ship." Kendall stated and Carlos agreed, seeing the sirens dance around amongst the crew.
The two friends climbed down and Carlos was immediately surrounded by sirens. The called for him, touched him and sang to him. Kendall on the other hand was curiously watched on a distance and warily approached by one of the larger sirens.
"What goes there? A godlike creature much like ourselves?" It hissed and Kendall flinched back.
"Away!" He shouted at it. "I am nothing like you." He said and the siren tilted its head.
"A royal amongst humans, an apprentice amongst Gods. You've got the body of a human, though your beauty is divine. What brings you here?"
Kendall frowned. "We are passing though. Let us through! We mean no harm!" He told them and gulped, seeing the crew wandering back and forth on deck, nearing the railings. "D-Do not take them!" Kendall yelled.
"For what does that matter to you? They're mere men, nothing like yourself." The sirens sang. "Someone like yourself does not belong amongst filthy humans. Stay."
"Damn you all!" Kendall shouted and looked over at the latino who was sending him helpless and frightened looks. "Let them go." Kendall ordered and glared at the hideous creature in front of himself. "Let them all go! Now!" He shouted.
Kendall flinched a bit when someone bumped into him and he frowned seeing James. The brunet looked down at him with a pair of struggling eyes. He was struggling, Kendall could tell. He took a gentle hold of James' hands and kissed them both.
"My love, please do not do this... fight it." He pleaded and looked up at James.
"A God falling for a human?", "A monster of a human on top of that.", "A monster with no end."
The young prince felt anger flaring in his chest and he let go of James and turned back to the creatures littering the deck. He clenched his hands into fists and glared daggers at the sirens. "Leave." He ordered. His voice was strained and harsh. "Leave this ship and leave these men alone."
"Exciting, he's protecting them.", "Peculiar.", "Most interesting indeed."
The prince tried to force some air into his lungs. "Tell me, my prince... why do you hold on to these humans? Why have you chosen, of every single creature in the universe, this monster? Why is he the one you've given yourself to?"
"He is not a monster." Kendall hissed, rage building up, fists clenching and chest heaving.
Carlos frowned and watched as the prince seemed to become brighter by the second. His skin lighting up like it was radiating its own glow, his emerald green eyes darkening before lighting up like lanterns in the dark, blazing bright green.
"He iS No mOnsTer." Kendall voice rang out, outlined by several others, though the prince was the only one who spoke. Carlos couldn't help but gawk at the prince. "hE is My One aNd oNLy LovE. LeAve Us NoW!" Kendall shouted, pointing with his finger against the railing. "lEaVe us! LeT uS PaSs!"
"There is no reason for us to let them go. There is no reason to let him go."
The young prince growled low in his throat and it sounded louder than thunder. He gently pushed the captain of the ship aside and stepped forward towards the sirens. "LeAvE uS!"
"K-Kendall..." Carlos breathed but the prince didn't hear it at all and focused all of his attention of the sirens. Carlos' eyes grew wide when the illusion shattered and the beautiful women's real shape was visible for him.
The sound of glass shattering rang out and the amulet Carlos held on to crumbled into tiny pieces in his hand. The crew seemed to awaken and James shook his head, as if he was clearing it from dizziness.
"What have you done? Our spell vanished."
"LeaVe ThEse MeN AlOnE. Be GoNe, or Else I wIlL dEsTroY YoU." Kendall growled. The crew gasped, seeing this and flinched back. "LeAVe aND Do nOt BotHer Us aGaIN." James furrowed his eyebrows and cautiously watched his lover who was only a few feet away. He was glowing bright and didn't seem to have anything in mind but the sirens.
"Let us free you from the monster." The sirens said. "You'll be free."
"He iS mY FreEDoM..." Kendall said softly before regaining his angry setting. "noW BE GonE!" The prince roared and lifted his hand and swept it through the air with his palm facing the creatures. He started chanting. Mumbling silent spells and snakelike hisses. "bE gONe!" Kendall shouted.
The sirens hissed and let out shrieking wails as they started to smoke and seemingly burn from the inside. "Back, sisters! Back!" They howled and quickly fled the ship, diving back into the clear waters and disappearing to take refuge down amongst the shipwrecks and underwater caverns.
Kendall started trembling. His glow faded and the light in his eyes slowly subsided. He let out a shaky breath and gulped. The world was spinning before his eyes and James just had enough time to dash forward and catch the prince before he fell to the floor and lost consciousness.
Soo... Sirens... I don't really know what I was thinking when I wrote this but it's okay. I thought that it turned out pretty cool anyways. The next chapter will have some kind of important back story and a little bit of a plot development. Just a tiny bit :)
Thank you all for reading! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and that you like the story so far! Take care and have a nice day! :)