Tragedy
Tragedy is something that can happen to anyone, at any time: whether it is heartbreak, death, or loss of any kind, the wounds run deep in the hearts of the ones left behind; fresh wounds bring extraordinary pain, but even an old scar can still sting. Even if the one wounded isn’t human.
Piper Sun was a young woman in a noble family of sirens. Her clan, especially her mother, worked closely with the royals of the Mid Atlantic Sea as the Atlantian military; their job was to keep those of merfolk kind safe from the surface dwellers, at any means necessary. This meant that any human that wandered too far into the territory of the Atlantic royal family was quickly disposed of in the most gruesome of ways: drowning, slaughters, and many other gruesome slights were all common tactics of the Siren Military. After all: “By any means,” they said, “no matter how inhumane”.
One particular day, Piper had wandered out of the territory to find somewhere—preferably deserted—so she could practice her intoning; a Siren’s song is a very powerful weapon, being the cause of many a fisherman’s death. However, for our lovely maiden of the sea, she never had the heart to join in on the clan’s “protection” methods. She loved to sing, but she hated to harm the innocent.
She sang a song of Elder Gods, in a language that sounded so foreign to any who listened, but yet it sounded so beautiful. Her voice could carry for miles if she sang under the waves, but on land it didn’t carry as far. Despite that, it was an alluring tune, one that just so happened to catch the attention of a passerby.
This passerby wasn’t attracted to the mysterious pull of the lullaby, no: his own curiosity drove him to learn why there was such a song being played on this lonely beach. A man of mechanical parts, he was, but with the curiosity of a feline. This day would change both his life, and Piper’s for eternity.
Was it fate? Or may it have been something more sinister set in motion? Nevertheless, this uncanny meeting between an ex-genocidal robot, and a pacifist Siren became something extraordinary: Piper had begun to develop affectionate feelings toward Tartarus—the machine—the more time she spent with him. However, this did not bode well with her mother, whom became furious that her daughter would interact with such a creature without trying to dispose of it.
In a fit of rage, Mother Sun had the local Sea Witch curse Tartarus, turning him human, thus making him more vulnerable. This—of course—frightened the poor lad when he learned of his newly cursed state… he was a wanted man, after all, and this not only left him vulnerable to the tones of the Sirens, but the organic beings on land who wanted his dismantled for his crimes. Piper couldn’t stand for such a disaster, so she dedicated her time to try and protect him, even going as far as the run away with him.
They may have escaped danger for months, but no matter how fast one runs from creeping shadows, they always seemed the creep up on them, causing further turmoil and exhaustion. They were both doomed to suffer repeated accidents, until the worst tragedy of them all happened… that tragedy marked the end of their journey together, despite all her fighting and desperate attempts to save him…
She still lost.
Being tracked by land and sea, left nowhere for the odd couple to run; no matter where they went, someone found them. That last time, they were cornered between the two parties they were trying to flee, and left with a choice: make a sacrifice or die together.
Piper tried to think of a plan. She didn’t want to lose the man she loved, nor did he want to leave her; but he too had affectionate feelings for she and couldn’t bear to see harm come to her on his behalf.
He surrendered to the land, before telling her to return to the sea. She refused, trying to cling to him for dear life as he was dragged away in cuffs.
She was thrown back into the sea…
Taken away by the soldiers and members of the clan she left behind to pursue her affections, never to see the surface or her dear Tartarus ever again. They say the sea rose that day, caused by the tears the siren never stopped crying; if you listen closely to the waves, you might hear a haunting tune about the dangers of love and sirens.
