〰🐚Siren Series🐚〰

Vigilant Siren: Chapter 5

"What happened?" Jasleen cried out, barely keeping up with Suvanna. She wanted to get as far away from men as she could. The mermaid stopped her however, grabbing her by the arm. "Suvanna, calm down. Tell me what happened?"

Suvanna could only stumble through her tears, unable to keep up her regal appearance. "You were right. I was not vigilant enough. I let him play me like a fool. I feel so stupid."

"What did the prince do to you?"

Her eyes met Jasleen's as she swallowed a lump in order to answer her. "He wanted me to marry him. He wants my heart, to consume it."

Aisha caught up with the two, overhearing the conversation. "He wants to be immortal. There are rumors of an ancient spell that requires three maiden hearts to be consummated in order to obtain immortality."

"That is ridiculous, no man can gain immortality that way." Jasleen cried out. Aisha, however, was much more serious about the matter. "If he were to consume a sirens heart he might be able to."

Just thinking about it send shivers down Suvanna's spine. She thought such myths and rumors would no longer be believed in, in this age, but the opposite was sadly true. Two of the younger mermaid came back from the river bearing the heaviest news they could bear. Their expressions were gravely as they approached Suvanna. "Prince Hanuman has graves for his former wives in each corner of the castle. Some of the children working in the castle confirmed our suspicions."

Suvanna recalled the children with whom she spoke, her heart heavy at the thought of what they must have witnessed. This couldn't go on, someone had to stop this man before he made any more victims.

"I'm going to Ravan. I owe him and apology and he can help us defeat the prince." Suvanna announced. All mermaids nodded in agreement, although hesitant to ask a demon for help. Aisha lay a hand upon Suvanna's shoulder. "I hope you know what you're doing child? You're caught between two fires."

"Then we have to distinguish them both." She answered, leading the way towards Ravan's castle.

The moment Suvanna sat foot on land the doors to the castle opened, revealing Ravan with princess Akuti by his side. Suvanna was nailed to the ground as they approached her, the sound of the bridge being built behind them disrupting an otherwise quiet night. Suvanna saw the fear in Akuti's eyes widen when she spotted the bridge coming ever closer to her.

Suvanna dipped in a bow before Ravan, "You have my apologies. I accused you wrongly and was foolish not to listen to your advice."

"It's alright," Ravan starts, "prince Hanuman had already filled your mind with lies before you even sat foot on this island. There was nothing I could have said or done to change that, you had to see it for yourself."

"And now he will come for me," Akuti finishes unable to tear her gaze away from the bridge. She takes a deep shaking breath, steading herself. "It won't work, right? If he kills me he won't become immortal, right?"

Suvanna meekly nods, seeing the princess swallow a lump before she speaks again. "Then, he can take me. If that's what it takes to make him stop, he may have my heart."

"He won't stop," Ravan counters, much to the dismay of the princess. But Suvanna knows he's right. She had seen that icy look in his eyes, prince Hanuman didn't care for anyone but himself. "I want you to fortify the castle as much as you can. Make sure Akuti is hidden away. My mermaids and I will do anything within our power to destroy that bridge."

Ravan smiled upon hearing the steadfast nature in Suvanna's voice. "I'll help you. I might not have much power, but I can surely take on a few of those humans."

Suvanna was pleased with his offer, seeing a warm side to the otherwise cold demon. Prince Hanuman's troups were approaching fast, judging by their war drums, there was little time to prepare. "Please, be careful," Suvanna whispered to Ravan, feeling a part of her heart fear for his safety.

"It's you who has to be careful. I won't let Hanuman touch you." Ravan answered.

As Akuti re-entered the castle the gates closed with a loud stomp, overruling all the drums. Suvanna and Ravan stood side by side as they witnessed the speed in which the golden bridge was being build. If they would keep this up it would be finished before sunrise, no doubt. Suvanna let out a sigh of fear as Ravan lay a hand on her shoulder pointing something out at the horizon. "Did you call reinforcements?"

Suvanna followed his gaze and spotted several mermaids swimming their way. As she squinted her eyes she could make out the golden crown on the head of their leader, complimented by a ruby red fin. "That's no reinforcement, those are my sisters?" Suvanna crooked in a fearful voice.

She waisted no time entering the water and swimming to her sisters. Out of all the days she had to sing her Siren song, they had to pick this one? Suvanna had already enough to deal with right now, undergoing the judgement of Sedna wasn't something she wanted to add to that.

"Sisters!" Suvanna cried out as cheerfully as she could when she caught up to them. Lilac eyes glided over the faces she so rarely saw of her fellow sirens, landing on the one she hadn't seen since her birth, Seala, her youngest sister. Suvanna glanced back at the oldest, Sedna, wondering why she had brought their little sister to this initiation.

"Suvanna, my dear, it's time to take your place." Sedna announced with a slight smile.

"I first have to defeat a selfish prince who is killing maidens to become immortal. Can the initiation wait? Just for a day." Suvanna pleaded with her sister.

"Seems like the perfect opportunity to show your power if you ask me," Sedna sang , "Just destroy his castle." She waved at Ravan's island.

"No, that's the island of the demon Ravan." All the siren gasped in shock after hearing the inhabitant was a demon, forcing Suvanna to explain herself. "He has helped me, I can't destroy his home. Please, Sedna I just need a little bit of time."

Her sisters all looked hesitantly at each other, mumbling about Suvanna's situation. Sedna, however, didn't seem to care. Stalking closer to Suvanna, until warm breath brushed her ear. "Either you sing right now or you face the consequences. Kill the prince and the demon, and show them you don't mess with a siren of the sea."

Suvanna felt tears well up in her eyes at the thought of having to kill Ravan, simply because he's a demon. "Sedna, I won't kill Ravan. He's done nothing wrong."

Sedna's amber colored eyes bore into her, "Sounds to me like he has done something, he has stolen your heart."

5:00 Stop the music