On the third day, he stumbled down the long road from the beach to the castle wearing clothing he'd stolen from the ship, playing the part of a lost traveler. It wasn't entirely a charade; he was indeed far from home and traveling, but his destination was no mystery.

Several two-legged strangers passed him before one stopped to talk with him. As they spoke to him, looking at him in the eyes, he shuddered, his hatred for the two-legged race so intense that he was finding it difficult to interact with them, but he had no other choice.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the two-legged asked.

"I'm not," Hyungwon replied in their ugly language, the syllables scraping at his throat. "I've been wandering for days...I'm quite lost, you see..."

"I knew you didn't look familiar," the two-legged beast mused, fingers scratching at his chin. "Where exactly are you from? And where you are going?"

Hyungwon couldn't give an answer for the first question – he could neither proclaim the truth, that he had swam up from the depths of the ocean many fathoms below the Above, and he did not know any two-legged shelters he could claim to be from – so he merely answered the second. "I've heard of a castle nearby, I was hoping to stay there until I can find my way."

"You're in luck," the two-legged creature said, baring his teeth at Hyungwon in what was meant to be a friendly gesture but came across to Hyungwon as intent to devour. "I was on me way there myself, have some business to discuss with the lord of the estate. I can take yuh there, if yuh'd like. But you'd have to talk with the lord yerself if yer looking to stay there."

"All right," Hyungwon agreed, and the two fell in step, Hyungwon fighting simultaneous urges to recoil from the ugly creature or to eat him whole. Strangely enough, though, two-legged creatures had stopped being appetizing to him since he had wound up in the Above. However, if his choir hadn't eaten during the hunt – if they'd been captured before they'd had the chance to feed – they'd be starving.

That would be his first goal, then – to keep them alive long enough for him to figure out how to help them escape.

--

The castle was staggeringly big up close. Hyungwon and his choir had made the cave their shelter, and although there were narrow passages that led farther back, they had gone largely unused. The main hollow of the cave had big enough to fit all seven of them, but there wasn't much excess room once it was full. And yet the two-legged creatures were greedy enough to build a gaping monstrosity to shelter not only their kin but their trophies as well.

He followed the two-legged merchant in, eyes wide as he took everything in. He still wasn't used to seeing so many colors; every floor was covered in rugs of the most intricate designs, golden threads dancing across the fabric. Walls were softened with vibrant tapestries depicting foreign lands and majestic creatures that Hyungwon didn't have names for. He could almost understand why the two-legged creatures felt the need to collect so many trophies. He'd never known that there was so much to see.

"The lord of the castle is Lord Barrymore," the merchant explained as they were led by a servant deeper into the two-legged creatures' lair. "He's the one yuh'll have to make your case to. He's a kind man, but he's fiercely protective of his family, especially his daughter. She's supposed to be married off soon, but rumor has it that he's been refusing offers from her suitors because he's not ready to give 'er away."

That bit confused Hyungwon. Sirens didn't have a set age for marriage – in fact, they didn't have a marriage custom at all, really – but how old could this two-legged daughter be? Hyungwon had been just a child when he'd last seen his parents. Did the two-legged creatures pick mates so soon?

Hyungwon's surprise was great when he followed the merchant into a large chamber framed by enormous windows to find the Lord Barrymore and beside him, the creature that must have been his daughter. She was no child, or at least, not such as Hyungwon had been imaging. She looked to be in the prime of her youth, with long golden tresses of hair that shone like gold from the light streaming in through the windows. Her cheekbones were set high in her face and smeared with what seemed to be a perpetual blush. Her eyes glittered like the jewels that sometimes made their way to the ocean floor, jewels Hyungwon had never had the eyesight to truly appreciate. In addition to her lovely features, she was dressed in the finest of silks, fabrics that caught the light and almost seemed to glow.

Hyungwon knew very little of the two-legged creatures' culture, but he could tell at an instant that she was what the two-legged creatures would consider beautiful. To him, she was still an ugly two-legged creature, but perhaps less ugly than the rest.

Sirens didn't mate based on physical appearance, for obvious reasons; while some sirens dwelled in shallower waters and could examine the features of potential mates, deep-sea sirens could barely make out such things as facial features. Instead, they mated based on voice, selecting a mate whose tones and timbre resonated well with their own. Given the crude nature of the two-legged beasts' language, Hyungwon doubted they chose mates on such complex characteristics.

Lord Barrymore greeted the merchant with a degree of familiarity while Hyungwon took a moment longer to observe the daughter, wondering how old she was and why she was still with her parents – hadn't she already learned all the necessary skills to survive on her own? Why then did she live in this castle?

The girl looked up at him, bejeweled eyes meeting his own, and the blush on her cheeks darkened as she quickly looked away, pretty pink bow lips tilting into a pleased smile which she hid behind a pale hand.

"And who would you be?" Lord Barrymore asked, the question directed at Hyungwon, who looked up at the lord.

"Just a traveler," he answered carefully. He hadn't yet seen his choir, so he needed to find a way to stay in the castle as long as it took for him to guarantee their departure. "I've lost my way a bit, as well as most of my possessions. I'm seeking a place to stay for a few nights."

"We have several guests rooms available," Lord Barrymore said, scratching at his chin like the merchant had done earlier. Hyungwon took that to mean the two-legged creature was thinking.

"I'm afraid I have no money that I could give you," Hyungwon answered, realizing that the surest way to guarantee his position would be to act slightly reluctant. Nobody trusted someone who had nothing to give yet asked for much.

"Nonsense," Lord Barrymore declared. "Offering a room to a traveler is a simple act of hospitality. We have no need for your money. Your gratitude is enough."

"Then you have my thanks," Hyungwon said and, mimicking the merchant, gave an awkward bow, his blood boiling as he did so. He understood from context that the act was one of deference, of inferiority, and it angered him that he should have to show such respect to any two-legged creature, much less the one who had caused such tragedy.

Be patient, Hyungwon told himself as he stood back upright, his eyes flitting over to find the girl looking at him with another secretive smile.

Be cunning, he reminded himself.

Use everything at your disposal.

He smiled back at the girl.

--

Her named was Aurelia, it turned out. The two things Hyungwon had learned about her in the past week were that she was beautiful, and that she was lonely.

"I don't want to get married," Aurelia complained. Her voice was probably something the two-legged creatures could write poems about; to Hyungwon, it sounded thin and plaintive. "Or at least..." She gave him a glance from the side of her eyes, playing at subtlety and interest at the same time. "Not one of the bores my father wants me to marry."

Hyungwon just gave a small smile and said nothing; he found that Aurelia liked it when she felt like people were listening to her, which seemed to be a rare enough occasion for Hyungwon to have found himself special to her in that way. It wasn't just the fact that he listened, though; he often caught her staring at him. He supposed that the two-legged face and body of his that he found ugly were pleasing to two-legged creatures for reasons he couldn't be sure of. When she looked at his face, it felt like she was stealing it from him, drinking in the image of him for herself. Greedy creatures, the two-leggeds were.

And he would use that greed for his own purposes.

"I'm afraid I should be leaving soon," Hyungwon confessed after they'd walked a little farther. They had to walk around unoccupied parts of the castle to avoid being seen by the servants or her father, who would not appreciate the sudden interest his daughter had taken in Hyungwon.

Hyungwon had inquired once about a mother – surely two-legged creatures had those as well – but Aurelia had informed him with sad eyes that the lady of the castle had passed away several years ago after falling very ill. Aurelia's eyes had watered at the mention of her mother, and Hyungwon realized that the water wasn't a sign of a broken body but instead of a broken heart.

"Why must you go so soon?" Aurelia asked, clamping her hand on his elbow and pulling him to a stop.

"I've already been here for a week," Hyungwon stated, keeping his voice soft. It had puzzled him at first; two-leggeds appeared to track time by the day, when his kind ran on the clockwork of the night. "Besides, there is something I'm searching for, and if it's not here, then I must search elsewhere."

"What are you searching for?" Aurelia asked, her eyes wide and curious and trusting, so trusting.

Hyungwon acted hesitant before shaking his head. "It's a silly thing, it probably doesn't even exist and therefore is a pointless search-"

"Please tell me," Aurelia pleaded, tugging at his elbow again. When he met her eyes, she set her jaw. "I promise I won't laugh at you if you tell me."

He took a long moment to stare at her before leaning in and whispering in her ear. "I've never seen one, but I've heard tales of creatures from the sea with faces like you or me but with tails like fish," he confided before pulling back and throwing in a small laugh and a shake of his head. "Of course such a thing can't exist, but I've been following stories and whispers...I was drawn to this castle because I'd heard such rumors, but I have found myself wrong once more." His original plea had been that he was a lost traveler and this whimsical story went against that, but he thought it would appeal more to Aurelia and aid in his search.

Aurelia was quiet for a moment before she looked down at the ground, his lips pursing with nerves. "I...have heard of something like that here," she admitted in a soft voice. "I've never seen such a thing," she quickly threw in, looking up at Hyungwon, "but Father sometimes brings back such strange things. There's a room he won't let me enter, but I see him go in with merchants or travelers sometimes. If those creatures you mentioned...if Father has them, that's where they must be."

Hyungwon felt a thrumming beneath his skin, a sudden need to go to this room immediately, but he knew that to move too quickly would be rash. "Do you think there's a way I could go in when no one's looking?" he asked and, taking into consideration the way Aurelia's cheeks flushed near his presence, he leaned in a little closer. "We could go together...?" he suggested.

Aurelia swallowed before tugging at her golden locks of hair. "I don't know, if Father finds out he will be very upset with me..."

Hyungwon took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Touch felt so different as a two-legged human; skin felt warm beneath his hands, which was odd in and of itself, but there was a softness to it that he didn't recall feeling as a siren. Two-legged creatures were so fragile, after all. "If the creatures I'm searching for are truly here, then I needn't leave so quickly," he said. He was weaponizing her loneliness, but he didn't have it within himself to feel sorry for her; sirens spent most of their lives suffering through that same loneliness. She was but a spoiled creature surrounded by every kind of wondrous thing and yet she still felt that sense of cold that had dwelled within him.

"All right," she whispered, her voice tinged with a sort of nervous excitement. "I'll come to your room at night, and we can go together."

Hyungwon smiled as they continued walking and she continued her petty complaints, but his mind was on his brethren. Would he finally see them tonight?

--

A soft knock brought him to his door, and he opened it to find Aurelia standing outside, her foot tapping nervously and a small lantern hanging at her side.

"Did anyone see you?" Hyungwon asked, keeping his voice low, and Aurelia gave a firm shake of her head.

"Not a soul," she confirmed, and Hyungwon nodded back before stepping out of his room and shutting the door behind himself. "This way," she whispered before pulling at his arm.

Hyungwon frowned but let her lead him forward. Even though the sense of touch was different as a two-legged creature, it wasn't something he'd quite gotten used to after a lifetime of otherwise conditioning. It didn't help that two-legged creatures like Aurelia were altogether too touchy for his sense of comfort.

She led him to a wing of the castle he hadn't visited yet. At one point, she motioned for him to press himself against the wall, and they both hid and tried to obscure the light thrown off by the lantern as a servant walked past in an adjacent hallway. Once the coast was clear, they were on their way again, Aurelia guiding his steps until they were in front of a large oak door.

"This is it," she whispered, her voice equal parts nervous and excited. "I'm not allowed in here, so I don't know what's inside, but if they're anywhere..."

Hyungwon nodded and stood behind Aurelia as she inserted a black key into the lock.

"I snuck it from Father's room," she said with a grin, and with a turn of the key, the door opened, groaning. She stopped immediately, and they both held their breaths as they listened for the footsteps of anyone in the area. Once it became apparent that no one had heard the sound, she opened the door a little wider, wincing as it responded with another creak, and they both slipped inside before she shut the door behind them, slipping the key back into her cloak.

The lantern's light wasn't sufficient to brighten the entire room, so Aurelia moved over to the heart and used the flame from the lantern to light a small fire.

As the darkness receded, they both turned around to see the something far more glorious than any of the treasures in the rest of the castle: a large container of glass which had been filled nearly to the brim with water, and on the bottom of the tank were five creatures that Hyungwon recognized with a heavy heart.

Instinctively, he tried to communicate with them, but his two-legged body lacked the proper hardware. He felt the words getting caught in his throat, unable to be clicked, unable to be conveyed. He was so close, and yet all he could produce for them was silence. Despite the air all around him, he felt as though he were suffocating.

"How strange," Aurelia murmured, moving toward the tank to stare at them. Her delicate fingers came up to splay against the glass. "It's just like you said," she said, her eyes drinking in the sight of something magical and foreign. "Faces like humans, but tails like those of fish..."

Hyungwon came to stand next to her. Again, he futilely tried to click out a greeting to them, but his two-legged self's throat refused to cooperate. He considered tapping against the glass, but the siren language relied heavily on pitch and tone. A rhythm alone didn't convey enough meaning to suffice. He couldn't even tell them that he was here, that he was him.

"Why aren't they moving?" Aurelia asked, pulling her hands back from the glass to wring at them.

Hyungwon frowned; he'd been too agitated at having finally found them that he hadn't fully processed their condition. As Aurelia had suggested, they were all lying on the bottom of the tank, bodies still. He sensed that they were still alive, but for them to barely be able to move...

"They're probably starving," Hyungwon whispered, his stomach clenching painfully. Why had it taken him so long to find them? How many days had it been since their hunt had gone so abysmally wrong? 8 days, 9? "And they probably can't see."

"Are they blind?" Aurelia asked with something like horror in her voice. Of course a two-legged creature would value sight above all else.

"Not blind," Hyungwon corrected. "But they're used to swimming deep in the sea. Their eyes aren't made to process this much light. It's probably very painful for them, if they're able to see anything at all." It would have been painful for him too, if he hadn't given up his siren form, which was painful in its own unique way.

He noticed a set of stone steps carved into the wall to the right of the tank that appear to lead up to its top, likely a method for dropping food or creatures into the tank, and he moved over to the stairs. Aurelia, who'd set her hand on his elbow when he'd been explaining, followed after him.

They took the steps up, and once they'd finished climbing, the open top of the tank was equal with their footing, the water just several inches below them.

"They're so beautiful from up here," Aurelia said with a small gasp.

Indeed, the light from the hearth below illuminated the shimmering nature of their tails, and for the first time in his life, Hyungwon was able to see that all their tails were colored differently in subtle ways. Each tail had the same base hue, but there was a slightly different overtone to each one.

Belatedly, he wondered what color his own had been, but he bit down on his tongue to perish the thought. He was no longer one of them. All he could do was help them from afar.

Hyungwon took half a step back before he nudged Aurelia, and she fell into the water.

She shrieked, bobbing under the surface for a second before coming back up, spluttering. "Hyungwon-" Her bow lips spit out the small amount of water she'd swallowed before she extended a hand toward him. "If you're going to push me in, then you should at least join me," she said, her voice coy as she kicked her legs to keep herself afloat, but Hyungwon didn't move forward. His eyes weren't on Aurelia but rather on the movement at the bottom of the tank.

Hyunwoo – at least, Hyungwon though it was Hyungwoo but he'd never seen him in the light before so he couldn't be certain – sensed it first, the abrupt disturbance in the water, and Hyungwon could see his throat moving as he clicked to the others, sounds he could no longer hear.

A few moments later, Aurelia's laughter turned to screams as she was dragged down to the bottom of the tank, and the clear water was stained a murky pink. He couldn't see the transpiring events with perfect clarity, but he was occasionally able to make out a flailing limb – an arm with a large chunk missing, a leg missing the calf muscle.

The thrashing in the water gradually slowed, and then the water became still again. One of his brothers had swept sand over the bones, and it was as though nothing had changed at all, only Hyungwon noted with relief how their movements were starting to look less languid.

He had traded Aurelia's life for theirs.

Strange.

He thought he'd feel more guilty about it.

--

published 04/08/21 (mm/dd/yy)

3491 words