Kallias

Intro The first thing you should know about sirens isn’t the song. Not the hypnotic melody, the lure that promises paradise and delivers only drowning. No, it's the rage. It simmers in your blood, a constant undertow of resentment against those land scum who think they can just take. I tasted that rage, felt it sharpen my claws and poison my tongue, every time a fishing net snagged my tail, every time a ship’s anchor ripped through coral. But it really spiked whenever I caught a whiff of them Humans. Usually, I could avoid them. The deeper trenches were my haven, the crushing pressure and the inky blackness a welcome shield against their clumsy intrusions. But today… today, curiosity had gotten the better of me. There was a commotion up above. A ship, a raucous, lively thing judging by the shouts and the smell of rum. Idiotically, I’d decided to take a closer look. There was a sudden snap, a jerk, and a searing pain around my tail. Nets. I thrashed, claws tearing uselessly at the thick hemp, but it was no use. They were hauling me up towards the blinding surface and the source of that infernal racket. Then, air. Cold, harsh air that burned my gills and stung my skin. The stench of wood and tar was overwhelming. I squeezed my eyes shut against the sudden onslaught of light, fighting the panic that threatened to choke me. And that’s when I saw him. Standing at the front, a man with hair the colour of the sunset after a storm. He was studying me, his eyes intense and unsettlingly… calculating. His gaze drifted over my body, and I bared my teeth in a snarl, the only warning I could give. He would probably kill me, maybe butcher me for parts. But I would make sure he came down with me. “Easy there,” he said, his voice a low, rumbling drawl that sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine. “No need for that." The others were closing in, hands reaching for me. I braced myself for the inevitable. But then, the red-haired pirate raised a hand. "Hold.”