Depths

Through the early morning fog a small Isle could be seen surrounded by all sides with the crystal blue of the sea. Meredith took in her new home with skepticism. 'Is this truly where my parents grew up in? It's so small,' she thought leaning over the ridge slightly to catch another glimpse of the Isle. Instead, she turned to face the captain's stern gaze. "I wouldn't lean so close to the water. Pretty lass like ye might be taken from the ship and dragged into the blue by them Sirens," he said watching the water almost suspiciously and Meredith rolled her eyes. She stepped back and grabbed the small speech operator that dangled from a pocket of her denim jacket. She sat typing furiously in signs, before the speech moderator translated her words to English. "What I know is the Sirens came out to the world not three days ago and we are already afraid of them," the machine replied while she adjusted her curly mane of dark hair behind her hair band. The captain replied, "It's not that we are afraid of them lass, we are only watching our backs. With all the stories surrounding the new species from decades before... They were not painted in a good light to us sailors you understand." Meredith typed back, "I think we fear what we cannot understand, which is why I'm heading to Delphene Island myself. I don't wish any harm upon us, but neither do I condone fear of a species for fear's sake." She dusted her blue dress and standing upon delicate sandaled feet, she walked closer to the rig trying to spot a glimpse of the creatures that produced such fear in these men. Her father had forbidden her to visit Delphene Island, he wanted nothing to do with her mother or these abhorred creatures of the deep, which had made Delphene their home, but she wasn't a simple minded fool to follow orders simply for fear of these creatures.
She was the Princess of Andalusia and what she said always held sway over men. No one was allowed to hear her, a decree her royal father made for her to follow.

Meredith, sighed as the gentle breeze gave strength to the sails. She watched as the ship gained speed before she heard it. A beautiful woman was sunbathing on the rocks and singing. Meredith suddenly froze completely. She couldn't move and her mind was not her own. Something else lurked within the dark cracks of the mind.
'What do you wish to hear most human,' an angelic voice sounded in Meredith's head. It searched Meredith's mind till it settled into a memory of long ago.
'I see, your wish shall be granted, the payment is your death,' it's laughter sounding like chiming of sweet bells. Then Meredith heard it. It enchanted her, that voice so like her mother's, she had to follow it.
"Meredith what are you thinking! Get away from the edge," the Captain screamed trying to hold the girl down. Meredith struggled violently in their arms.
"Let me go! Mama is calling! Let me go," she screamed, trying to follow the voice of her mother.
"No use captain! That Siren is too strong! I suggest we head back toward safer waters," Anteros said, snatching some rope to tie around Meredith's still flailing limbs. The sailor had been on deck when the feeling of familiar magic flitted through the air. Siren magic always carried a distinct ill flavor to his palette. He'd known of Meredith and her Siren quest and hid as a sailor on board. 'Thank goodness for that or else I'd have the terrible burden of presenting a drowned princess to his majesty,' he thought carrying the girl towards a cabin. Even now she thrashed in her sleep from the Siren's wicked call. He glanced back, making sure no one had followed them before whispering, softly:
Break the spell and listen to I of the sea
Free her from thy wicked spell
Set her free.
He whispered harnessing his magic to let it flow through his words. Immediately Meredith stopped struggling in his arms and lay comfortably within them. He let his magic trail back within him, settling it down from the rushing inferno it had become from not wielding it for six months. It was a part of himself he wished did not exist and so he hid it. 'Besides magic is forbidden to men by the Sisterhood laws of magic,' he thought, reaching floor the light blue door signaling the Princesses cabin. Gathering some of his magic into the shape of a key, he opened the door and placed her among the blue pillows and comforter. She sighed, turning immediately to her sides. "Rambunctious even when asleep," he muttered swinging the door closed, making sure that his magic cushioned every noise following.

A sailor was on deck when the feeling of being watched flitted through the air. He turned slowly and met misty white eyes of a Siren. His scream alerted the crew who watched in horror as a Siren appeared behind the man, sung a sweet lullaby, and then plunged to the watery depths with the sailor.
"Sirens," he heard the cry and made it to the deck where men were throwing themselves off the mast and into the sea. He turned to face a Siren's face first. The first thing he did was head-butt the creature in the face. It dropped him screeching and holding her swollen nose. He noticed the claws, she bared.
'Those could scratch a limb clean off!' He rolled to his feet evading the snake like creature. 'These are not Sirens, are they? They are hideous beasts!' Anteros rushed toward the captain who was spearing the things with his sword weapon, made of glinting metal, now glinted red from the Siren massacre. 'If they're even Sirens to begin with,' he thought grabbing the thing closest to him, a spear decorated with ironically beautiful Sirens.

"Give us the girl," one the creatures growled drooling acid on the boat's floor. It slid closer eyeing him and rest like snacks for the taking. "You can't have the Princess," some moron replied, making the Captain hold his head in almost mental agony. "Never was the brightest, that one," he stated.
"Girrl, Give us the girl!"
He turned towards the captain. "They are obsessed with Meredith captain, why," he questioned poaching a Siren slithering from behind. 'Like hell I'll be captured again!' Before the Captain could speak, the thing launched itself through the floor boards towards the cabins below.
"Shit!"
"Ya took the words from my mouth," the Captain replied before both men flung themselves into the snake hole landing on the rickety boat bottom.
"This ship won't last the journey back Captain."
"Just get to the Princess, sailor! I'll take care of Her Majesty. We'll make it to Labrados that I promise you."

Anteros nodded as the Captain departed before charging the halls of Her Majesty in search for the Princess. A screech alerted him and he watched as the princess smashed the Siren with a wooden chair leg till the Siren retreated. Then she turned to glare at him, eyes straight from the sea, glared holes into him almost quelling him. "Sailor! Why are Mandrakes on this ship," she signed hands bloody from injuring the monster. "I knew they weren't Sirens," Anteros exclaimed catching Meredith's glare.
"Of course not, these things are far too ugly to be anything concerning Sirens although there's a rumor about the Mandrakes being controlled by Sirens," she signed back almost too fast for Anteros to catch. An explosion rocked the boat, sending them careening towards the floor. "Girrrl," the Mandrake screamed snatching Meredith by the ankle and dragging her through the floor.

"Ah" Meredith screamed catching Anteros' attention. 'I thought she was mute,' he thought launching his magic at the creature. He hated showing off his ability, but right now he had a Mandrake to get rid of before it dragged the Princess and drowned her. He aimed and let the magic do the rest. The mandrake shimmered before catching fire. Anteros reached the Princess as the Mandrake exploded, sending both humans flying. Meredith opened her eyes to find a leaky hallway and Anteros, her bodyguard, now that she inspected his face in the light. She stood barefoot, with the blue summer dress barely hanging onto her frame. Another explosion had her face first, kissing the ground again. Once more she summoned the strength to lift her body and climb up to the deck where men were being killed left and right.

The Captain was busy steering the boat away from a rocky cliff as men died, impaled or torn to pieces by the Mandrakes 'This was my fault, I did this! I led these men into Mandrake infested waters for the silly wish of seeing a Siren,' she cried silently, tears dropping like glass to the floor and exploding into unseen fragments. Meredith whipped her eyes and straightened her back. 'I can stop this! I have to! I'm sorry father, but I must," she thought drawing several signs in the air. She watched as the symbols hardened and then she spoke for the first time in seven years. "You will cease and desist," her Voice commanded the Mandrakes who did indeed stop their pillaging. "Turn back and fall to the depths where you belong or better yet, you shall lead Her Majesty to Labrados! Then you will fade into the depths!"
The Mandrakes assisted Her Majesty and its crew to the Labrados Islands where they then fell to the deep in sleep. There she was a lone girl amidst enchanted men. Making the same seals, Meredith locked her curse back within and pulled up the beaten communicator. It had a built in ship navigator as well as a locator which pulsed with Elven magic.
'Father is sure to be underway,' she thought collapsing against the railing where Anteros was clinging to.
"How bad is the damage," her communicator asked as the girl pulled on her hair in nervousness.
"Oh I'd say twenty dead, ten missing, and five critical and of course the ship is totaled," Anteros replied coldly.
"I can reanimate the dead but they'd only be husks," the communicator replied angering Anteros. "You can talk! So why don't you say anything," he replied snatching the communicator and tossing it into the sand. "It's forbidden to talk to me," it sputtered out before sputtering and dying. What the Mandrakes couldn't do, Anteros achieved in seconds as his heel met the communicator crushing it to unrecognizable metal. Meredith sho,ok her head and turned from him, ignoring Anteros who by now was steaming mad

"You won't talk because you're afraid Princess," he sneered turning and walking to the water's edge. Meredith growled before making jerky hand movements releasing her cursed Voice.
"You will fall into the water," she said simply and like some kind of self-prophesy Anteros fell into the dirty sea water. "Wha..." he sputtered confused. His legs had been strong enough before so why had he fallen? "Act like a fish," her Voice ordered and it had him trying to swim in sand.

"Cut it out," he finally said and Meredith redid her seal. "That is why I cannot talk to others," she signed before looking to the horizon where bell ships could be seen. 'Father,' she thought sadly. He understood her better than she did herself and had to have known she'd try to see Delphene Island for herself. It was the only tie remaining of her mother. Anteros, who was still cleaning the mud from his face, paled as he realized how much trouble he was actually in.
They were both in deep trouble as the King arrived on Labrados.