From the Depths

Henry could barely hear Ren’s words as they inched closer to the sand below. A haunting sound had begun to fill his ears as they approached what he now knew to be women, he was finding it hard to focus.

“It’s affecting you, this is a bad idea, let’s go back before they see us.” Ren pleaded in a hushed whisper.

Henry shook his head as a dull ache set in as he resisted whatever magic was filling the air from their voices. He craned his head to the side and he eyed Ren’s scared gaze. “You know what they’re doing, yes?”

Ren nodded grimly. “You’re strong to be resisting the song.”

Already they could see men from the village walking aimlessly down to the beach and toward the group of three women.

“Can you do it as well?” The pain in his head was causing him to grimace. “Cancel it out or something.”

“I-I don’t know how, I’ve never tried. But it only works on allure and attraction. When it comes to men the women are strong. It wouldn’t work on you if I did it.” Ren wasn’t following.

Henry ensured they stayed out of sight, keeping Ren behind him and hiding the Siren's smaller form behind his own as they descended the stairs. Once on the sand, they darted around to a small recess in the rock face.

“It’ll work for me.” He stated plainly.

Ren scrunched up his face confused. “Nonsense, that would mean that you would find- oh.” His eyes opened wide as a slight blush filled his cheeks as he realised what the Knight had meant. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

“Not you, you baffon! Just men in general are more attractive than women.” He hissed. “But keep that to yourself, please. Kirea trusts you so I'm trusting you.” Besides, it was the only thing that may give them the edge they needed.

Thinking on it for a moment Ren slowly nodded. “Then... it could work... maybe.”

“It’s worth a try at the very least. Stay here, and make a run for the cave when you see an opening.” Henry instructed.

“I can’t get in without you opening it though!” Ren pointed out.

Henry cussed to himself, he hadn’t even thought to add Ren to the rune inside the cavern. This was going to be one hell of a fight to get the merman back in his pond.

“You’re going to have to stick close to me then, we charge for the opening, and I’ll get you in.” Henry wasn’t even sure of his own plan. “They’re not going to give up and go away if we wait them out are they?”

Two of three women appeared to be sniffing the air. Slowly they inched closer to the stone wall, the entrance to the cavern. Were they tracking Ren by scent? The third stood back her head tilted to the sky with her mouth open, she must be the one singing. Though he couldn’t actually hear anything he surmised it must be a higher-pitched frequency.

“I’m not sure how they found out I’m still alive, maybe one of them caught wind of my scent where I was found. But no, they won’t stop until they find me and kill me. They have what they want from me, I’m a liability to the race now.” He informed in a whisper. “They’ll likely track my scent up the castle... and to...” He couldn’t say it, he didn’t want to believe mating with her had been wrong, but it was hard not to think that right now... he’d put her in danger.

“Kirea.” Henry finished for him with a heavy sigh. “Then I’ll just have to kill them.”

“More will be sent!” Ren protested.

“Then I’ll fight them off as well, no one is getting to her or you.”

Ren felt chills run up his spine as he found the declaration touching. “I can just turn myself in, and solve all the problems.”

Henry’s brow furrowed with anger but instead of arguing, he stated one simple fact. “If you go missing the King will kill us.”

Ren’s hand clenched at the material covering his chest as his heart clenched. “Then... we fight.” He stepped up close to Henry’s side and nodded up to him sternly.

Taking a deep breath he opened his mouth and began to sing. His sirens’ song was completely different from the females, it was a deeper, darker, more haunting of a melody. And Henry could actually hear it clearly.

The women’s heads snapped to the sound the moment they heard it. With their target in sight, grins inched across their wicked faces as they ran for the pair. Sharp raver-like teeth filling the mouths of the beautifully disguised monsters.

Henry’s head exploded with clarity, the pain from earlier completely disappearing as something else took its place. His adrenaline soared, his breathing heavy as his muscles expanded demanding oxygen. His focus was on the three women who were charging for them as his hand clenched around the tiny dagger, his only weapon.

Three against one, he’d fought against worse odds before, but he’d never had to protect someone during a battle. He needed to close some of the distance between them and the cavern to get Ren safely inside. He took a tight hold of the siren’s arm and lunged forward, breaking into a run.

They were fast, faster than humanly possible and better at moving on land than Ren was. Henry’s eyes could barely keep up with the blurred images as he was rushed. Claws missing his face by mere inches as he barely managed to dodge and pull Ren out of the way. They were aiming for his throat, a quick and easy kill method.

To his surprise a jet of water collided with his stomach, it would have normally knocked him from his feet but his body felt stronger. It probably had something to do with Ren’s song.

Henry shoved Ren toward the rock face rather forcibly. The impact winded the siren for a moment and his song was interrupted, Henry fell to one knee as pain shot through him, looking down he was bleeding and rather heavily. However they were doing it, he didn’t know, but the water they had shot at him had been raver sharp, cutting into his abdomen. But he knew magic when he saw it.

Ren quickly recovered and continued singing bringing Henry back into the flow just as a clawed hand was about to slice through his jugular. Henry grabbed the deadly elegant hand, yanking it and its owner down toward him. The snarl on the woman’s face morphed into shock as she collided with the ready dagger.

From experience in the war, he knew he needed to aim for the heart or decapitate magical beings otherwise, they would just heal. He lodged the small weapon as deep as he could, greatly missing his sword.

Her mouth fell open as he twisted the dagger making sure it had hit its mark. Shoving her to the side the dagger slid out with ease as she fell heavily to the soft sand. Slowly the ground began to stain red beneath her. Two to go.

The other two women shrieked as their comrade fell, the high-pitched sound causing Henry to wince from the outrageously high frequency. Using the disorientation to his advantage he grabbed for Ren and made hast for the rock face that would be their salvation.

Slamming his hand down on the cold rocky outlay he shoved Ren through as soon as it glowed. “Stay in there and don’t come out!” He ordered.

“But what about you? You can’t stay out there!” Ren screamed from the other side of the doorway. He attempted to come back through but Henry had already closed the door. “Henry!”

Ren could hear the sounds of scuffed footwork but could see nothing. “HENRY!” He desperately screamed.

Ouside, the two remaining women were relentless and pissed. The pain and exhaustion of Henry's wounds caused his movements to be sluggish and slow.

One siren hissed to the other, the sound was followed by a series of clicks. Were they... communicating?

Thankfully they had given up on singing, more focused on trying to behead him now. One of the women lunged for the rock wall, but Henry remained focused on the one whose hands were surrounded by swirling water. He didn’t need to worry about the entrance, he’d sealed it. All that was left was to kill these two... before they killed him.

Inside, Ren’s fists pounded the rock face before him. Tears threatened to escape the corners of his eyes. Screaming for Henry wouldn’t help, only one thing could. He sang, he sank to the ground surrounded by his now beautiful home and he let loose his voice with all his heart, praying that it would keep Henry safe, praying that it would reach him through the rock.

Henry gasped as his body filled with the mysterious power again, he couldn’t hear Ren singing, the sound was blocked from within the cavern, but somehow it could still reach him. He grinned manically at the approaching mermaid in human skin, he felt invincible.

He blinked and the creature appeared to move at lightning speed, spurts of water as sharp as knives flew at him at an alarming pass. He managed to maneuver out of the way of a few jets, but not all. They punctured his limbs, embedding themselves deep in his flesh before splashing back to a liquid form and running down his arms and legs. He hissed as there was no avoiding the damage, but the pain was no longer stopping him from breathing or moving unhindered. Though he knew deep down the feeling was only temporary, the pain would come when Ren stopped singing. However he didn’t need to let them in on that, in fact, he could use it to his advantage.

He gasped hugging his damaged leg as he fell to one knee, it was an act and the siren fell for it. She closed the gap ready to deliver the final blow. He lunged forward rolling over the sand and out of her reach, he brought the dagger down on whatever he could reach.

She wailed in pain as he heard the plonk of her fingers hitting the sand before him. He laughed as she scurried back to a safe distance. She hissed at him while giving him a snarling glare.

“Hiss at me all you want bitch, I’ll cut out your tongue next!”