Watching Brizo disappear into the water I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sway of her hips before the water obscured them from view. Trailing my gaze up the ocher stripe like markings that ran up her back it caught on the round puckered scar that mirrored the one on her front. I knew exactly what had caused that scar. A harpoon longer than I am tall had punched through her upper chest barely missing both of her hearts. Had I not happened upon her unconscious form in the edge of the surf she would have bled to death well before she had awoken.
To most a Siren would seem foreign, alien and they are. They have two hearts, skin varying in color from the deepest black to the purest white with everything in between, a set of venomous fangs, four fingers on each hand, retractable claws tipping those fingers, slit pupiled eyes that shone like every jem imaginabe, and a slight natural camouflage to aid them in the sea. But these differences don't make them less than us, if my experiences are anything to go by they are better than us in many aspects.
The only person I've met that could hope to match a Siren male's size and strength is Jantzen. I've yet to meet someone who can match that of the females. They are larger, stronger, faster, and more ferocious than their male counterparts. They also made up the vast majority of their fighting force. At the beginning of the war humans underestimated them due to their obvious femininity. Scores died due to that ignorance.
By the time my sister, brother, and I were old enough to join, the war had been going for several years and none knew of our existence until we emerged from the trees and volunteered for marksman, frontline, and covert roles respectively. Despite the obvious wariness directed at us we flew through the training and emerged at the top of our respective classes.
My younger sister, Selene, a tiny thing who is a carbon copy of our mother, can hit any target with any weapon given that weapon is capable of hitting the target in the first place. At the other end of the size spectrum my older brother Jantzen is a massive wall of muscle that has yet to be breached. Out of the three of us I was the best at stealth, followed closely by Selene.
As children our mother told us that we each would have a role to fill in a very important event in the future. She always called Jantzen her Little Protector, her Shield. She called Selene her Little Watcher, her Eyes. When she spoke to me about my role a deep sadness would fill her eyes. She called me her Little Avenger, her Shadow. We all knew our mother was strange. Not all there. But it didn't matter to us, she loved us, taught us to survive both on land and in the sea.
Blinking away the memories of my past I turned to make my way back to my little tree house. It's the safest form of permanent camp one can have out here. It's up off the forest floor where most of the predators and megafauna roamed. It also provides a great view of the surrounding forest without giving away its position.
Stepping through the weighted flap that covered the entrance I was met by a grumbling yowl. "Oh hush Artemis. You're the one who went and wandered off. Hello sister." Hearing a familiar sigh of frustration I turned and met the cerulean blue eyes that were so much like our mother's, just like everything else about her. "How is it that you always know when I am trying to surprise you?" Reaching out I ruffled her short hair. "You have yet to get so good at hiding as to avoid my notice, Sel."
Batting at my hand she clambered up onto my back like a yowler climbing a tree. "So, did one of the Sirens come to the beach?" Nodding I set my bag down and flicked a glance at the large harpoon sitting in the corner. "Yes. We have both seen her. Though you did so through your scope. Her name is Brizo and she says the younglings are safe."
"Did she…" Reaching up I pulled Selene off my back. "Recognize me? Yes. She even figured out the fact that I was one of the humans to help build the Accords. Which is no surprise given the fact that she is, or was, a Siren tactician." It was then that Selene asked me a question that threw me for a moment. "When are you coming back to the city?"
Looking over I saw the unsure expression she wore a moment before she wiped it away. "Why?" Not looking at me she mumbled something I couldn't quite make out. "Come again?"
"I'm dating someone and I want you to meet him. Jantzen already has and can't get a read on him and I can't read him objectively. So we need, I need, you to meet him before we get any more serious than we already are." Meeting her pleading eyes I understood why she wanted me to meet him. We had secrets that would be hard to keep from someone that is that close to us. Nodding I pulled her bow from the wall and held it out. "Help me hunt and I will meet you both in the square at midday tomorrow. Tell Jantzen to be there too. It'l be easier to read him if he's not focused on me."
Beaming she took the bow and strung it. "Tomorrow then." With that we set out on a hunt.