NOVEL NEXT The Siren's Song
2015, Hailey, Age 8
I was sitting in the living room with so much anticipation. Dad had called me and said he was bringing someone home. It should've been a happy day. It's been lonely since Mom died. I know it's not his fault, but Dad's always been busy with work. When I heard the door open, I rushed ahead like an excited puppy, hugging him as tight as he could, "You're home."
"Yup, and I've got someone I want you to meet," He said with the same warm smile he always greeted me with before stepping aside. There was a small boy, a little younger than me, with messy black hair. "This is Ryan. From now on, he'll be living with the two of us."
My eyes instantly lit up with joy. It was like having a little brother. Excitement overcoming my manners, I ran and tackled him in a big hug, "My name's Hailey! It's nice to meet you! I hope I can be a good big sister!" I exclaimed with a bright smile. However, when he finally looked up at me, that joy was met with disdain.
"Sister? My only family is locked behind bars because your old man couldn't be bothered to do his job, and you want to be my sister?!" He exclaimed in outrage, pushing me off before running up the stairs. Dad tried to comfort me, but I knew it was my fault. This was the beginning of my complicated relationship with my new brother. I only wish I could have made it better before it was too late.
Five and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Ryan, Age 15
I groan as I get up, looking around. Makoto never came home last night. After getting dressed, I was going to head out to find her, but when I made it to the steps, everyone was already gathered, "What's the big...?" I began to ask before seeing Makoto with some guy, a Demi-Human with lion features
"Hello, everyone! My name is Jareck, and I'm Makoto's new boyfriend! It's nice to meet you all," He said with a soft bow. What the hell? After all that happened on that date. Did I mess up that bad? Was she just toying with me? "You bounce back quick," I said with clear spite
"Well, you said you weren't sure," Makoto bit back before looking at Jareck with a smile. Something about it wasn't right, though. It looked so...forced. Something's not right. Suddenly, though, everything goes black. When I come too, I'm strangling him with all my strength. He gasped for air as my grip tightened.
"What did you do to her!?" I demanded to know, my rage only growing as my fingers dug into his skin. Jaune and Eliza tried to pull me off of him, but my Draconic Presence held them down before, eventually, Xandric snatched me away, flying off on his leather wings, "Let me go before I cut your wings again!" I demanded, and he complied, almost too well, dropping me on a rooftop
"There, now will you please calm down?" He asked just as Jaune and Eliza burst up. I looked at them, about to say something, but I could tell they weren't right either. Jaune looked prepared to fight, and Eliza looked, for lack of a better word, heartbroken.
"Care to explain what that was about?" Jaune asked
"Wasn't it obvious? Something's wrong with Makoto, and that guy's the cause."
"They both seemed okay to me," Eliza spoke up, slowly approaching. She looked concerned but, once again, forcefully so, "Ryan, I know you two didn't have the best date, but that doesn't mean you can attack someone when she moves on."
"And besides, if they break up, you just sent your chances to try again into the dirt, my friend."
"What is wrong with you two? It's no-!" I tried to explain but was cut off by a sharp elbow from Xandric, "Ow! What was that for?"
"You don't need to hide it. You were just telling me about how sorry you were." What game are you playing, Xandric? Without many options, I just nodded and played along with what he was saying.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, okay?"
Meanwhile, Makoto, Age 15
I watched as 'Jareck' recovered, gasping for air. It was actually somewhat satisfying seeing him so helpless, and if I had any control over my body, I may have finished the job myself. Once he recovered, he decided to set up a little 'date.' He seemed quite hungry after nearly dying and bought us a whole buffet, "Well, so much for this being an easy job. I expected your boyfriend to be angry, but to actually try to kill me? It's almost commendable." As he mocked Ryan, I felt something akin to a collar around my neck being snapped. It was a feeling I had grown used to after one night. It meant I could speak my mind again.
"Not my boyfriend, and probably never will be, thanks to you," I grumble as I at least decide to eat my piece of the meal, "But did you really think some illusion magic would work on him?"
"Not really, but I am surprised my Siren Song didn't. He must have been on guard the moment he saw me." That pretty much sounds like him. Jarred let out a small sigh, "I guess I got comfortable. This is a world where crime is barely a factor outside the Dark Island, a world of suckers that a thief like me doesn't even need to try in"
"Great. So you were morally bankrupt back home, too?" I asked, warranting a glare as the ethereal collar snapped around my vocal cords once again. He seemed genuinely angered by my statement, his fists clenched in preparation for the worst.
"You don't know anything. Clearly, you didn't have it too great yourself if you died and got summoned here," He spat, slowly calming himself down. The collar broke once again, and his glare turned to something more somber, "Tell me something. Do you really want to leave? During our fight, you seemed so sure, but I highly doubt you thought it through while we were trying to kill each other."
I hummed, not sure whether or not to answer. He is the enemy, but at the end of the day, he's like me, just a young man whose life was cut short. Maybe opening up can help him do so in turn, "My family needs me. My mother died when she gave birth to my two brothers, so I had to take care of them ever since. I can't stay here and leave them alone."
"I see. If I had a family to call my own, maybe I would be the same." I could barely make out what he was muttering, but eventually, he looked up at me and smiled, "Still, if you ask me, you've done enough for them. I mean, you've been looking after them as best you can, and judging by the fact you're here, you probably died protecting them. You should get a chance to be happy. So put your family out of your head and answer me again. Do you want to leave?"
To say I was shocked was an understatement. Why would he care? Still, maybe he had a point. I've learned so much about myself since I got here. I actually like clothes for one. I like the way they feel and how the colors come together like a work of art to make something beautiful. I even made friends and found someone I care for just as much as my family, someone who does what he thinks is right regardless of his personal feelings, someone I would never see again if I left. This time, it wasn't the Siren Song that forced me to silence. He let me go back to our shared room in the pyramid, though I could still feel his hold on me as I went to bed for the night. The next morning, everyone was up and about, doing their own thing. Jaune was gone, probably off dancing or doing something to impress Eliza. Maybe that was for the best, though. They were clearly under Jarred's spell, too, which told me a lot about how I could escape. For one, it's a unique Hero Power, like Ryan's Crimson Mind. That explains why Eliza couldn't detect and counter it and Jaune... well, he didn't have any reason to be suspicious. Ryan's suspicious of everyone, so he is immune. But that only avoids being caught. It doesn't help me get out. As I thought to myself and entered the hallway, I didn't even notice as I bumped into someone.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Ryan, Age 15
"So, you gonna tell me what that was all about?" I asked Xandric as we talked between ourselves in the hall
"Simple. If you didn't back off, they may have gotten violent," Xandric answered in a very matter-of-fact tone, "The Souls in my Shifter broke me out of it, but I was under the effect of the Siren Song. The same would logically apply to Jaune, Eliza, and Makoto."
"Siren Song? I didn't see any mermaids around."
"Because there weren't any. Siren Song is the name of Jarred Aguilar, Hell Hero Blue. It controls the body of the unprepared target." The mention of a Hell Hero had me pale. I knew all too well I couldn't fight one alone, and I doubt Xandric would be much help if he had to drag me away to avoid a fight. "I take it you understand the severity now?"
"Yeah. What do we do?"
"There isn't much we can do, I'm afraid. We don't know what he wants, and he has three hostages who he can command to fight us. Combine that with him having our only healer and curing the Siren Song is out of the question. Our only option is to take this to King Shay." Without any ideas of my own, I complied, but on the way, I bumped into someone. I stumbled back while she hit the floor like something right out of some cheesy rom-com Hailey would watch. Looking down, it was Makoto, yawning as she stood up.
"Oh, hey, you two. Are you okay, Ryan?"
Even now, she seemed somewhat worried. I couldn't help but smile, much to her confusion, before patting her head while she was down, "I'm fine. Hey, when we get you out of this Siren Song thing, I wanna talk, okay?" It sucked that this was how I had to figure out something so simple, but I could say with confidence that whatever Makoto felt, I felt the exact same. Though, that was tested whenever I felt her foot connect with my shin, sending her to the ground
"Y-You jerk!! I'm not under some Siren whatever!! And don't pat my head!" She demanded through her blushing while Xandric dragged me away to our destination
Makoto, Age 15
I watched them leave, managing to smile with what little free will I had left. I was worried Ryan wouldn't catch on. Thank you, but I'm not going to sit around and let you do all the work. I went right back to Jarred, hoping to gather information while they find a way to restore control to me. He was staying in a small apartment, though still it was somehow more luxurious than a hotel suite on the inside, "Ah! Welcome back, beautiful. Did you sleep well?"
"I could actually have control of my own body. That would have made it much better," I answered, prompting him to laugh, "Now, if I may ask, why are you doing this anyway? If your objective was to just rough us up, you could've easily done so, but instead, you're doing...this."
"Wow, cutting straight to the chase, are we? Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to tell you since you can't tell anyone anyway," He answered with a confident shrug. Thank goodness he's this arrogant, "King Zeddral wants info, and I'm not leaving without something. Luckily, I believe I found something. There's been a weird influx of Dwarves coming into the city. Now, while all the Kingdoms are open to anyone, Dwarves specifically aren't the tourist types. So they're probably here on business."
I just hummed and listened, now genuinely curious myself. What could possibly be going on? I push that to the back of my mind and continue the conversation, "So you want to use me to get into the Pyramid?"
"That is correct. I was planning for this little scheme to go on for a week, but your boyfriend changed things. We'll be acting tonight," He answered simply, a smirk crossing his face as I was forced to do the same. When he wasn't looking, though, I had Mera sneak out. Hopefully, that'll help them come up with something.
Xandric, Age 116
"I see. That is quite the difficult situation," King Shay admitted, his chin repeatedly tapping his chin as he tried to think of a plan, "But what does he want?"
"We haven't gotten that far, and I doubt he would tell us," Ryan answered, clenching his fists in rage. Given what I saw in his nightmare, it makes sense he would be furious. All his friends are under someone else's control, and there's little he can do. Anyone would be furious, especially him.
"Perhaps I could be of assistance," A soft, almost nurturing voice offered. Before we could ask any questions, Makoto's Goliath floated onto Ryan's shoulder, "Jarred is collecting information for Zeddral. He has his eyes on the Dwarven scientists in the Pyramid." King Shay's eyes widened at the mention of that. I hadn't seen any scientists during our whole stay here.
"Alright, Peacock. Spill it. What's going on?"
"That's on a need-to-know basis and..." He tried to argue, but Ryan interrupted him, grabbing him by the collar
"That's not what I asked. I asked what is going on." To further add to his intimidation, Ryan used my Draconic Presence as I demanded answers. Eventually, he snatched his hand away and walked to the door, motioning for us to follow, to which we complied.
"You know, most royals wouldn't entertain you after that stunt. Just for future reference."
"I know. I don't wish to make a habit of it, but you're smarter than those other big shots give you credit for. You know how big this secret of yours can be if the demons figure it out." He seemed to smirk at Ryan's answer as he led us to a teleport pad of some sort. I had seen them in Zordonia during invasions, but they were mostly localized to the city and larger villages. When we all stepped on, he input a code, and in a flash, we were somewhere else entirely, a dark room with a massive gate-like structure in the center. The walls had no windows and were lined with torches and tubes filled with a light blue substance. It wasn't until I saw the traced outline of a person moving around that I knew what it was. I was tempted to strike at King Shay. I wanted it so bad. Instead, I only said one thing.
"You better have a damn good reason for this. But first, let's make a plan."
Makoto, Age 15
Later that night, Ryan and Xandric invited Jaune, Eliza, and us out for dinner. Were they planning something? Why bring us out like this? They acted totally natural, chatting as if 'Jareck' was part of the team. Did he get them too? "I'm shocked you two are so friendly now, given our first interaction," Jarred noted as if he were pointing out my very thoughts.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I just freaked at seeing Makoto with another dude. But if she's happy..." Ryan said through his teeth, clearly reluctant to say that dreaded sentence
"Well, all's well that ends well, I suppose," Jaune remarked, sipping his drink, "Though I must admit, would it not be dangerous? Makoto now has an easy weakness for demons to exploit."
"That will not be an issue." Xandric stood up, looking at us expectantly, "Ryan, we should show them," he said in an insistent tone, to which Ryan got up without a fight and motioned us to follow. We walked through the streets and into the pyramid. What are you doing, guys? This is exactly what he wants! We were then led onto a teleport pad and led to a sort of lab. However, it was filled with guards, their ears all plugged and weapons drawn.
"Wh-What is this!? What's going on?"
"You can drop the act, Jarred. Oh, and release my friends while you're at it," Ryan demanded, Jarred's illusion becoming undone before everyone's very eyes, and Shay came out, a green aura emitting from him before spreading out to me, Jaune, and Eliza. I suddenly felt free, like control of my body was mine once again. Without hesitation, I shifted, immediately attacking Jarred and sending him flying.
"I'll make you pay for all of this," I growl as he shifts soon after. Despite the circumstances changing in our favor, he didn't seem concerned. He threw his nun chuck, and like a boomerang, it went around to knock all the guards unconscious before returning to him. Quickly, Jaune, Ryan, and Xandric said the words...
"World Combine..."
"Souls Combine..."
"Heroes Unite!!" They called out and transformed, ready to fight. We all charged at him, knowing none of us stood much of a chance alone. He dodged and deflected each of us with ease.
"You know, we don't want to hurt you guys! You're just doing what you're told! Not thinking! But if you keep going like this, I might have to!" He exclaimed, throwing our Heroic Spirits to the side, "Ritto, send in the Kraken Goliath!". On command, a rumbling could be heard outside the walls, and a giant tentacle ripped the top off the pyramid. A giant mechanical beast, no...a living being converted to a machine, just like Xandric's Goliath. Great, now they have them now. The gate began flickering as the spirits stabilizing it were forcefully removed with the roof, with beams shooting out in all directions.
"Ryan now might be a good time to use the Heroic Titan!"
Ryan nodded and began giggling like a school girl, "I love this part! Oh Mighty Goliaths! Heed my call and unite to destroy the evil that would do this world harm! Come Forth, Heroic Titan!!" he chanted, and our Goliaths grew to combine, including Xandric's Bat Goliath which turned into wings. Once we were all brought into the cockpits, I thought we were ready to fight. Sadly, it didn't do much good as the Kraken's tentacles easily held us back, its acid coating melting the armor of our trump card. Still, Ryan didn't seem concerned as suddenly, the sky opened up once again, revealing a metallic Chimera, Gorgon, and Hydra. Did he summon them with his Crimson Mind? We weren't notified by the Dwarves. Immediately, the three beasts rushed in, forcing it off and holding it down so we could launch ourselves into the sky.
"Finishing Move: World Splitting Chop!!" We all screamed at the top of our lungs as he leaped into the air. But before we could finish our move, we were blinded. When we regained our sight, the Kraken was gone, and we were left in a crater. Mountains for corpses littered the ground beneath our feet, Animari City was gone, and more importantly, we were left stuck between two large groups of men.
"Where are we?" Jaune asked
"Not where, Jaune." Eliza turned serious, carefully gazing at the two different uniforms of the men on the ground, her eyes narrowing into a glare, "When."