The Siren

Born in Brazil in 1696, my parents stowed me aboard a cargo ship when I was young, in hopes of sending me off to a better life. Before reaching its destination, however, it was captured and looted by pirate Captain John Quelch. I was discovered- and brought aboard as a 'pet' for one of the younger pirate boys- Nathaniel Jones. He began to teach me how things worked on the ship, and as I grew more comfortable around the crew I began to help them where I could. I learned English, I became adept at sword fighting, yet it was my singing that captured the attention of all. I led the crew in their shanties as they worked, and was quickly dubbed 'The Siren.'

Less than a year later, Captain Quelch was caught, and hung. Nathaniel and I, along with several others in the crew, escaped and went our own ways. For years, the two of us simply roamed the seas, jumping from one crew to the next, chasing adventure, with no ties to anything or anyone but each other. In 1708, I fell ill, unable to sail and hardly able to sing. Nathaniel left, sailing away to find me a cure. He was gone for two months, one of the most painful times in my life. His was the only love I'd ever known, and to be apart was torture. Every day he was gone I would sing, waiting for my jolly sailor bold to come back to me.

Then, when I was 19 years old, the unthinkable happened. Nathaniel Jones, my pirate mentor and the one who had been with me through all my adventures, perished. The pain I felt when he sailed away was nothing compared to this. How could he? The one I would give everything for, how could he leave me like this? It was betrayal, and it stung more than anything I could imagine. I was frantic, I needed him to stay with me, forever. I wasn't ready to be torn apart. And so, I took his heart. I carved it out, and cradled it in my hands. At last, it was mine, and I was never going to be without it again. I took the first bite, not noticing or caring about the mess I made. Once it was gone, I wrapped the rest of him and gave him a proper pirate's farewell. As I watched him sink, I thought about what I'd just done. It thrilled me, in a way treasure hunting never had. I needed more.

I recalled once a tale Nathaniel had once told me- of a spell that could enchant my voice to "draw all near unto it." He mentioned it after I had begun to be called The Siren, and the memory now rose to the surface of my brain and I couldn't let it go. I searched, and I hunted, until I found the way. Sneaking into the hut of the Voodoo Queen, I found what I needed and took it. By the time she found me, it was too late. I had performed the spell and reaped the benefits. However, Calypso does not tolerate theft. As punishment, she stole my soul and left me with a curse- "You are to live a life eternal, never to taste human again." She captured me, and kept me locked away.

It wasn't much later when I was being moved from one prison to the next. Blackbeard, hearing of my powers and hoping to use them to lure ships to him, had come to the Voodoo Queen and made a trade. She kept my soul, but Blackbeard got my voice. He took me aboard, sailed off, and demanded I sing.

"Are you sure you want me to?" I asked him with a smirk, taunting him. Flushed with anger, he demanded once more that I sing for him. I gladly began to do so, enchanting him and his entire crew. I forced them to scuttle the ship, most of the men drowning in the process. What few escaped took the treasure with them, but I didn't care about them. I was free, Calypso's Curse keeping me from drowning in these watery depths. What I didn't know about the curse, but very quickly found out, was the Curse also kept me on the ship, meaning I was as trapped now as I was before. For nearly 300 years, I sat in that cage, thinking of Nathaniel and how I'd never see him again- until the wreckage was finally discovered and recovered. I too was brought up, but I could not seem to enchant anyone with my voice, not like before. They would stop and listen, but they would not be controlled.

It was not until the Voodoo Queen came to boast that I realized she had altered the curse once again, before blessing Intersal's journey that led them to the wreckage, and subsequently me. Although she could not take my powers away, she could- and had- vastly reduced their effects. She taunted me, belittled me, and even removed the door from my cage. This illusion of freedom was nothing more than a flaunt of her power over me. She set up her hut nearby, knowing I could never reach her. I have had years to plan my revenge, all I need is to retrieve my soul and lift this curse. Wait for me Nathaniel, I will see you someday.