The Siren's Song

Coraline Mermont, but you can call me Cora. ▼ Merperson ▼ Noble ▼ Adviser to the prince ▼ 26 ▼

[coralinemermont]

“My what?” Melanie lifts her hand to her face, confused as to how the blood got there in the first place. She never even felt the sting of a slash or anything that would result in an injury. Still she followed willingly, knowing that any place would be safer being out in the open.

“To be honest, for the longest time pirates have been nothing but a scary story told to misbehaving children. I’d forgotten how dangerous they were. A mistake that won’t be happening again.” 

“You’re hurt,” Cora said gently, grabbing her arm to help lead her away from the fighting. The human seemed to be in shock over the blood; luckily, the wound was just a superficial cut. Even more lucky for the pretty woman, the mermaid’s healing wouldn’t leave a scar behind. 

“Pirates have proven themselves more than a bedtime story. This is a nightmare.” They weaved around bodies and away from those brave enough to fight with swords. Cora tried not to think about all the wounded she was passing. There were simply too many to help; choosing who was the most likely to survive was taking a toll on her psyche. 

[coralinemermont]

Madness is a fitting word, I’ll give you that. Do you need help? Assistance with any injuries? I’ve taken the liberty of escorting some of the wounded to the castle for help and safety.

I’m alright, it’s nothing. I appreciate it, monsieur. I've collected as many injured as I can in the church but there’s too many for me to help. If you’d like to take as many as you can to the castle, they’d be safer there. 

[coralinemermont]

Nadia gave a cough as the dust settled around her and the woman trying to help. She was nice, to offer any services, but Nadia knew just being off your feet in a riot was dangerous. At her touch, Nadia felt something familiar run through her.

“Yeah, it’s my just arm. Not my leg. Otherwise, we would be screaming bloody murder and panicking about blood,” she spoke the last words with a sarcastic tone, making a tiny sound of pain as the woman pressed the cut with the cloth. Maybe it was a little worse than it looked.

“I’m not sure it’s the right time to joke about bloody-” Cora stopped herself abruptly when she looked up, finally getting a good look at the woman. She didn’t think she could ever forget those eyes. Soaking or not, she was beautiful. Dangerous, Cora reminded herself. Dropping her arm, she took a step back and reached for her hip even though there was no weapon there. 

“You. You’re a part of this,” Cora said, instead grabbing the vial of seawater on the chain around her neck. “Innocent people are being killed. You’re not welcome here.” 

[coralinemermont]

“Nothing that I haven’t seen before.”

Nadia was more focused on her injury, a cut up along her forearm, than the woman questioning her. Not deep enough to be anything serious, good. She would get it checked out after this idiotic raid if it got worse. But otherwise, she was okay.

Through the smoke and chaos, Cora didn’t get a good look at the human’s face. Instead, she gently grabbed her forearm and examined the bleeding cut. 

“It’s not immediately dangerous but I can take care of it. Can you make it to the church?” she asked, pressing a clean cloth to her forearm. Blood tinged the white cotton after a moment but it wasn’t too much. 

[coralinemermont]

“It’s just a scratch, Cora, really,” Serena insisted breathlessly, dismissing the taller mermaid’s concerns with a wave of one of her hands. Even as she spoke, however, the gash that ran along the curve of her hip and back up her abdomen burned and stung in protest, and she bent over just a bit with a small hiss of pain. “A really–big scratch, but still. Are you okay?”

Cora wrapped her arm under Serena’s shoulder to help support her, furrowing her brows in concern. Blood was seeping through her clothes and the noblewoman felt ill when she caught sight of it. 

“That’s not just a scratch, Serena,” she insisted, trying to help her friend away from the crux of the fighting. “I’m fine; I need to try to heal that cut. The church is just up the street. Can you make it?” 

[coralinemermont]

I’m fine, I was trained to handle situations like this. What about you, though…are you holding up alright, mademoiselle?

I don’t know; I haven’t had time to stop and think about it. It’s madness. 

[coralinemermont]

Kai chose, wisely, not to mention that he wasn’t going on this little expedition alone. He didn’t think she would be quite so supportive if he let that one leak.

He hesitated, though, concern for her outweighing his current plans, if only by a touch. He couldn’t let harm come to her either. “I was going to wait just a bit… when it’s darker, maybe. Would you like an escort?”

Cora fully expected Kai to go about his duties then and leave her to the expedition alone, so his next comment surprised her. It was strange spending time with him after so many months but the thought made her surprisingly content. It was a nice offer given how turbulent the kingdoms were; exiting the water was risky on any given day. 

“I won’t refuse an escort. Are you sure you have time?” she asked, giving him a little smile. “I’m going to a grotto on the shoreline. I have a cottage where I store my clothes.” 

[coralinemermont]

“You seem to be doing alright. That’s more than fine! As long as I’m close I’ll be fine.”

“No, no. I’m fine. Just a couple scrapes and bruises. Nothing I’m not used to or can’t handle. Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m as alright as I can be in all of this. Come on, we need to move.” 

Cora grabbed the mermaid’s hand and pulled her away through the crowds, dodging the crowds and debris. 

“I can heal you if you need it. What’s your name?” 

[coralinemermont]

I honestly don’t know, I…I can’t believe this is happening.

Why did they do that?

Your face...we need to move you out of here. Come to the church with me. 

I don’t know. Are you truly surprised pirates are doing this? 

[veronicasawyerz-blog]

[coralinemermont]

hayleytwell:

Gemma Arterton on her Olivier Nomination

[coralinemermont]

The Space Between || Coraline & Open

It was as she was attending to an elder woman who had a large cut along the length of her forehead that the church caught fire. Those sheltered under its shadow that were still conscious began to scream as half a dozen pirates came out of the surrounding smoke, yelling and tossing flaming torches onto the roof and through the windows. Cora’s heart jumped into her throat, threatening to choke her as many of the helpers fled. Some stayed, trying to rally those on the ground or carry out the more seriously wounded. 

She wanted to run. Gods, she wanted to run far away from this and never return to land, but there were little children and mothers with babies struggling to get away from the circling pirates. The men laughed as they slashed at the human’s feet, purposefully missing but pushing the group farther back towards the burning walls as the injured shrieked for mercy.  

Rage welled in her chest like a spring, hot and volatile, and the water in the basins the mer had gathered began to tremble. Cora stepped towards the church and raised her hands, splaying her fingers towards the flames without consciously considering what she was starting. Every available water source within 100 feet rose into the air, shimmering and twisting violently, before crashing into the church with a deafening impact. The infant fire was no match and extinguished instantly, hissing and screaming as smoke erupted from the blackened wood. 

“Filthy fucking fish!” The pirates standing beside the church gaped in fury at the woman they’d overlooked, allowing time for the humans to flee, soaked and terrified but alive. 

Cora didn’t have more than a moment to take satisfaction in her actions. Something cracked against the back of her head hard enough to black out her vision and when she regained herself, she was on the ground. Six men stood around her; one wrapped his first in her hair before smacking her face into the cobblestone. Cora screamed as blood streamed from her nose, wet and thick, and pain and terror clouded her senses. 

“Looks like we caught a fish out of water, lads,” the man who had her hair spat, pulling her up. Two others seized her arms, holding Cora in place as she struggled. “Think she burns like a human?” 

The pirate leading the group leered and stepped forward, his fingers finding the silver chain around her neck. It held a translucent vial of salt water that she always wore on land to keep up her strength. With a snap, he broke it from her skin and smashed it on the ground. 

“No better time to find out.” 

[coralinemermont]

Turning Point || Coraline & Open

Battle was not something Cora had ever experienced nor had ever expected to in her lifetime. Yet when King Wren called an emergency meeting and announced the humans were under attack by pirates, she knew she would have little choice. He had commanded those healthy and able to offer their bodies and power to the effort in an attempt to solidify the tenuous alliance between humans and mer. 

Everything was a blur after that; Cora soon found herself jostled onto shore with an incredible mass of merfolk, some shouting battle cries and others begrudgingly pushed along by the group. The noblewoman didn’t allow herself to think too much about what she was doing. This was a command from the royal family; besides, there were innocent women and children at the mercy of filthy, greedy, vengeful pirates. Human or not, they didn’t deserve that. Some of the humans she had met since coming up on land again didn’t deserve that. If the merfolk didn’t help now and Ronsanella fell, the underwater kingdom would be the next under attack. Cora understood that better than most. 

The town under siege was nestled against the outer walls surrounding King Bennet’s castle. She stepped into a scene straight out of hell. Swords rang against each other with metallic clangs, the ground shook with canon fire, and the air popped and shimmered with heat from stalls and shops catching flame. Children cried, men and women fled in every direction, and screams carried on the wind. So many people were hurt; a few lay dead on the cobblestones, blood pooling red from their bodies. 

It was a nightmare and Cora wanted nothing more than to turn and run in tears back to the water. Instead, she gathered a group of nearby mer and humans looking lost and directed them to set up a medic area by the church, away from the main battle. 

“If you’re mer and can heal, prepare yourself. We’ll need basins of water. If you can’t, I need two groups of four or five to find apothecary shops and bring back supplies. Whatever you do, don’t forcibly take anything and be gentle with the owners. We’re not looters; the items will be refilled when this is over.” If anyone survived. Cora’s heart thudded in her chest and she felt on the verge of vomiting, but it was easier to focus on what she could do here and now. She was no fighter. Confidence was what the eldest Mermont had in droves and she’d be damned if she stood aside in terror while innocent people were hurt. 

[coralinemermont]

Had Dimitri sent the little leech to spy on him or something? To see what, exactly, Alexander was up to? The idea was nauseating enough, but coupled with the stranger’s words—about being unwanted anyway and not stopping now—it took everything in Alex to keep from doubling over and vomiting in disgust. Instead, though, he merely rolled his eyes, hellbent on ignoring Delmar.

“It’s an expression…like with every disgusting member of your species, being a fish runs through your veins,” Alexander spat, his voice low, cold, and crisp as he addressed both the mermaid and her apparent pirate accomplice. Did Dimitri know about this too, then?

“Tail, head, torso, it’s all the same to me,” he said with a wave of his hand, crinkling his nose in repulsion. “You’re all scales and gills to me. Disposable, even.”

This was cute. A pleasant little conversation that he had pushed himself into without fully thinking through what it was that he would find. It wasn’t surprisingly that Alexander’s behavior was less than cordial. The news of Coraline’s actual origins were a bit more shocking, but not enough to have him back down. He’d enjoyed the girl’s presence, and unless she did something incredibly stupid, he saw no reason to hurt her simply for the fact that she had a tail. Unlike some, his desire towards the maiming of another person was low.

“Is there something I could do for you, Barrett?” Delmar debated sticking ‘lord’ to the front of that, but he was certain that he would be unable to do it without a biting level of sarcasm. It was one thing that wasn’t necessary, and more likely to spur a bigger issue. He shrugged, tilting his head and all but ignoring Coraline’s presence just a step behind him. “Or maybe insults are all that we can expect today.”

Expression or not, it was much too gratifying to see the pirate lord annoyed. Any satisfaction was quickly snuffed, though, as the monstrous human continued and he turned to address her. 

“I’d rather be a fish any day than a heathen like you,” she snapped, crossing her arms defensively. It was hard to tell whether she’d speak as freely if there wasn’t a large human standing in front of her, ready to move in if need be. 

Delmar spoke up then and Cora got the distinct impression that they knew each other, or of each other, though the origin was still mystifying. There was certainly no cordiality between the two. 

[coralinemermont]

Oh, this was just fantastic. She was barely even done with her shopping for the day and she had already managed to injure herself. If she had a mule, of course, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but she didn’t like the thought of forcing an already-overworked animal to pull her cart when she was more than capable of doing it herself. Well, she’d be even more capable if one of the (hopefully) helpful people in the marketplace stopped and offered her a hand. Thankfully, it only took a moment or two of looking utterly pathetic before a woman she had never seen before stopped and approached her. She was tall and willowy, graceful and beautiful, with a head of thick dark hair and delicate features that were currently composed into an expression of concern. 

Clara offered the stranger a grateful smile when she came up to her and gestured towards her injured hand, and she nodded tentatively before extending the aforementioned limb towards her. It wasn’t too bad—it was more of a nasty scrape than anything, but the skin was shredded and dotted with blood, and it stung a great deal. Her brows furrowed together when the woman stated that she didn’t have a bandage, but…nevertheless, she hesitantly placed her dainty hand within the palm of the brunette’s, and bit down on her bottom lip before speaking in a soft, timid voice. “Thank you, miss. I—I tugged a little too hard on my rope. You don’t, um…mind taking a look at it?” 

“I don’t mind at all.” The girl was so such a dainty little thing that Cora was afraid her porcelain skin would crack and bruise with further touch. Hesitantly, she settled her injured hand into Cora’s. The mermaid’s longer fingers curled over her skin slightly, keeping the hand in place as she examined it. It was a nasty rope burn that had eaten away at a few layers of the flesh; what worried Cora was the bits of dirt and hemp that had embedded in her skin. It was a brewing pot for infection. 

Cora never took the time to learn much about human medicine. There was no point when some of her people had healing abilities and the rest had magic-infused apothecary treatments. Would this small human’s hand be alright if she was treated by humans? Either way, she shouldn't pull her cart until it was healed, a venture that she surely lived off of. Cora sighed softly before giving her a little smile. “I don’t mean to frighten you, but I can take care of this now if you’d like.” It would only take a little power to heal her hand.  

[coralinemermont]

“Sorry. I just - I’m a little frazzled. The sea. If you’d just point me that way I think I could get there.”

“Don’t worry- how could you not be frazzled in all this mess? I can lead you part of the way to the ocean but I have to come back to help.”

“Are you hurt at all?”

[coralinemermont]

Melanie glanced at the flabbergasted woman before her, she almost wanted to laugh at how shocked she was. Did she truly believe all humans to be so cruel? Sure there were many who were, but then again there were many who were honorable and kind. The merwoman had a lot to learn about the human race, they were a chaotic mess of beings honestly. 

“Coraline Mermont, what a lovely name. Its a pleasure to meet you. You are the first mermaid that I’ve ever met…” Melanie tilted her head as a new thought crossed her mind, “…that I know of I mean. And no thanks necessary, honestly I should be thanking you. Its really easy to forget that Mer people walk amongst us now, really easy to feel apathy towards such acts as the one we just witnessed. Your biting response of my earlier comments really made me reflect on my own actions… or lack thereof. Hopefully you won’t have to witness such an act again.” Melanie sighed heavily at the thought, knowing how on edge everyone was and the vast amount of ignorance about merpeople in general… that was highly unlikely.

“Was there anyplace in particular you wished to go? I’d be more than happy to show you the way. 

“It’s a pleasure,” Cora repeated, though that was a dubious thought. She wasn’t very surprised that she was the first mermaid the woman had met -- well, as far as she was aware. Some mer blended in so well that it was impossible to tell. This human would’ve been oblivious if Cora hadn’t opened her mouth. 

The interaction got progressively stranger and the noblewoman felt that strange sense of admiration growing. The woman apologized with apparent sincerity, explaining how easy it was to forget the dangers mer faced on land. “I appreciate that. Now that you know, I just ask that you act if you see something similar again.” Cora was sure there would be similar events in growing numbers now that the tension between humans, pirates, and mer was nearing the brink of war. 

She wasn’t sure how much more of the woman’s company she wanted but it was with a burgeoning curiosity that she said, “I was going to the bakery but I can’t seem to find it. I would be grateful for some guidance.”

[sunhye-su]

“Ooof. Ow.”

“I - I’m no fighter. I’d just like to g - go home, please.”

[coralinemermont]

“I’m not going to hurt you. Where’s home?”