The Bleeding Heart {Closed}

[Fadded]

“Watch the waves, boys,” Geran grinned.
Geran looked out across the ocean and placed his hands on his hip. The gentle breeze tugged at his clothes and the black sails of his ship. Soon, he’d have one of the pretty little sirens in his grasp. Normally, a siren itself fetched quite the hefty price, but the royal family was practically giving him double what the siren was worth to bring them one alive. Geran leaned against the rail and stared into the depths. He and his crew had been searching for a few days now and he knew they were going to get lucky soon. One of his lackey’s constantly blew on a little shell they discovered not too long ago that almost echoed the Siren Call. Sirens were extremely curious creatures; it would be lured by the strange echo that was like their call and yet… wasn’t. Maybe the older sirens would stay away and be cautious, but the younger ones were always adventurous. Now was just a waiting game.
~~**~~

Rónán swam through the water humming under his breath in search of shiny little things. He loved shiny things. He usually collected pearls, but every once in a while he’d find something the humans had lost to the waves. Rónán moved closer to the ground and watched the sand move around his bright copper colored scales. He kicked up a little more dirt and something caught his eye. He tilted his head to the side, his short copper strands swaying around his face. He moved closer and pried the thing out of the sand and turned the shard in his hands. It was sharp but it was shining. He looked into it and saw his face. He gasped and dropped the shard and shuffled backwards. Was this another siren’s territory?

Rónán looked around himself but there was no one else around him. That was strange. He went back to the shard cautiously and looked into it again. He saw the other face and looked up. No one. He touched the glass and so did the siren inside it. Then he touched his own pale cheek and the image did the same. Was this him? Was it showing him himself? What a strange concept. He giggled a little and moved the glass around in his hand before he put it in his little bag; another little treasure he had come across a little while ago. Humans always made such interesting things.

The young siren was getting a bit hungry though. It was time to end his little scavenger hunt and find some food. He turned to go on his way when a soft sound reached his ears. He stopped and listened. It was a song. He tilted his head to the side and swam closer to it. It was so strange. It was like a call, but there were no words. Why was a siren singing a call without words? Why could he hear it? He hadn’t lost anyone close to him. Was this a different type of song? Who was singing it? Was it something like the mirror he had picked up?

The closer he got, the more he realized it was coming from above. Was the siren sitting on a rock? But he didn’t see rocks in this area that made it all the way up to the surface. He did see something on the water though. A good distance away, Rónán poked his head up out of the water and looked at the source. His eyes widened at what he saw. A ship! A human ship was the source of the sound. Was the call one of distress then? Was a siren onboard the ship, calling for help? Then why wasn’t the siren screaming, saying the words? None of it made sense!

Rónán bit his lip and debated with himself, his green eyes scanning the horizon. Maybe he should move closer and see if he could see the siren in trouble. What could he do for the siren on the ship though? Probably nothing, but he couldn’t just leave his ocean brother or sister without trying. He slid under the water again and moved closer till he was pressed against the ship. He looked up but he couldn’t see anything. He strained to try and look but the ship was too high for him to look into. He moved away from the ship a little but even this angle didn’t provide him with much information. He did see some humans walking around though.

Then his world shattered.

A net was suddenly pulled up out of the water around him and he was quickly ensnared by the ropes. Rónán gasped and thrashed in the net as he was pulled away from the safety of the water and towards the center of the ship. His thrashing only got him tangled in the ropes pressed around him. Rónán extended his claws and fangs as he hissed at the humans around him that just laughed at his distress. The net dropped onto the deck and Rónán flopped around most ungracefully. Rónán let out a screech in his fear and anger.

The crew crowded around the trapped siren and laughed or grinned at the helpless creature. One of the men waved a shell in Rónán’s face before pressing it to his own lips and let out the melody that Rónán had been following. His eyes widened in disbelief. He had followed the sound into a trap! He hissed at the humans and tried to swipe at them with his claws but they were too far away for him. Rónán turned his attention to the ropes and tried to pull at them and bite them but they were strong.

“Back up! Back up!” a man growled and moved his way through the throng of men.

Rónán looked up at the taller man wearing a hat. He snarled but he was probably as threating as newborn rabbit the way he was tied up in the net. The man crouched down beside him and pulled Rónán’s face up to examine his now golden eyes and caress his hair and cheek. Rónán snapped his fangs trying to bite him but to no avail.

“We caught ourselves a beauty, boys. Set sail for the shore. Time to bring in our guest,” Geran grinned before he hoisted the siren up and walked him to a little hole in the ship they had prepared with salt water and dropped Rónán in before he shut the door; locking the siren in darkness.

It was a few days before the pirate ship set anchor beside the private port for the royal family. Things happened in a flourish of movement then. The men on the ship hoisted Rónán out of the darkness and carried him to a rather large house. The captain greeted the guards and said some words and then Rónán was carried out into a yard and deposited on the ground beside a large area of water. He was held down while the captain cut the ropes and he was shoved in the water. Once in his element again, Rónán hissed at the humans and darted away, confused and terrified. He wanted to go home. This water tasted like sea water. There had to be an opening somewhere. He swam beside the wall he was trapped within and saw an opening at the bottom but it had bars.

Rónán went to it and tugged at the bars as hard as he could but they didn’t budge. He gnawed on the metal but hurt his teeth for no use. He panted against the bars and looked up at the surface in desperation. How was he going to get out of here? He didn’t want to be tortured for his tears. He turned back to the bars and tried to squeeze through but the space was too small for him. After a little while, he gave up and just lay against the wall. And he was so hungry… He hadn’t eaten since the day he was captured. He didn’t know how long that was. What was going to happen to him now? He looked down at the little bag he still had with him. He reached in and took out the little shard of mirror and just looked into it as he waited for his fate.

[DarkOne]

"Almost done Prince Cyrus," the barber, Sam, said. A couple of minutes later the barber stopped snipping away at his hair. Cyrus opened his eyes as he looked in the mirror. His straight hair now stopped at the middle of his neck. The shorter hair caused his features to look sharper. He watched as Sam brushed the hair off of him.

"Nice job," he said. Cyrus ran his fingers through his very light blonde hair. He looked in the mirror once more before he got out of the chair. Then he looked around, his eyes narrowed. His brother had left with his guard. I hope he didn't go there again. I will find out later. He took in a deep breath. He looked at Sam. Cyrus took some coins out of his pocket and placed it in Sam's hand.

Once he left, Cyrus looked around outside for his brother. His guard followed him closely. Faris was nowhere in sight. Cyrus rolled his eyes. He will be home later. I will not worry about him. Younger brothers are troublesome.

Cyrus had a twin brother who was born seconds after he was. His name was Faris. They looked exactly alike. Well, besides their eyes. Including their hair styles now. Faris had hair which he kept braided, it reached the middle of his back. Faris's eyes were frost blue. Cyrus had odd eyes, eyes which marked him for an early death. He had golden irises.The very edge of his irises were black.

He climbed onto his horse, Raven. Cyrus watched as his guard got onto his horse. They rode side by side to the castle. They did not speak. Cyrus wasn't one to strike up a conversation. Cyrus hopped off his horse and walked to the stables once at the castle.

Once in the stables he unsaddled his horse in her stall. He got her water and hay. He brushed her as she ate and drank. He hummed to himself as he cared for her. He had her since she was a foal.

"P-prince Cyrus, you are not required to do that. I can take over for you," said the stable boy. Cyrus paused in his brushing. He glanced at the stable boy.

"It is fine Andrew. I am capable of caring for my horse, but thank you for the offer. I am almost done anyways," he replied. The stable boy nodded and ran off to do his other duties. About ten minutes later Cyrus finished with Raven.

He put the brush away, pet Raven's neck, and then left the stables. He headed to his room. When he was at his bedroom door he saw his mother out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to looked at her. Her jaw dropped opened a little.

"Cyrus! How dare you cut your hair! How could you?!" she questioned. Her voice was filled with anger. Cyrus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He looked away and entered his room. Cyrus bolted his door shut. As his mother knocked on the door, he ignored her.

"Cyrus! Cyrus! Get out here right now! We need to have a talk!" yelled his mother. She was banging on the door. Cyrus rolled his eyes. He stayed silent as he took off all of his jewelry and placed it on his dresser. Cyrus slowly rolled his shoulders back. It felt like hours before his mother finally stopped banging. He waited a while more before he opened the door. Cyrus called over a servant.

"Go get me a bucket of cold water with a piece of clean cloth," Cyrus said. She nodded and hurried off. He slid his shirt off before he went to lay on his bed. He closed his eyes. It didn't take long before the servant returned with what he need. Cyrus got out of bed and stripped. Then he dipped the cloth in the bucket. Cyrus wiped all of the sweat and grime off of his body.

After a few minutes he dried himself. Then he slid on a pair of golden silk pants. Cyrus quickly button up the pants. The pants closed tightly around his ankles. Cyrus grabbed a large folded quilt. He placed the quilt over his forearm. Cyrus walked out of his room. He quickly walked down the hall as he didn't want to bump into his mother.

"Cyrus, wait!" his brother, Faris, called out. Cyrus stopped in his tracks. He turned and glared at his brother.

"Why are you giving me that look?" his brother questioned.

"You left me at the barber shop," he said curtly. His brother nervously bit his bottom lip.

"You went to the brothel, didn't you?" he asked. When Faris's cheek turned a rosy red, Cyrus already knew the answer. He shook his head in disappointment. Cyrus walked away from his brother. Faris grabbed Cyrus's upper left arm.

"Wait, I have to tell you something," Faris said. Cyrus looked at his brother with annoyance.

"Then tell me," he said.

"Your present is here. It is at the beach," he said. Cyrus rolled his eyes. His family had been talking about this present for weeks. They always refused to tell him what the present was though. They said it would change his life forever.

"Will you tell me what the present is?" he asked. His brother shook his head; A mischievous grin on his lips.

"No. Go to the beach and you'll finally find out what it is. You seem to be on your way there," he said. Faris gestured to the quilt. Cyrus sighed in frustration. He was even more irritated now. Cyrus walked down the hallway and then the short stairway. He unbolted the wooden door that led to the beach.

That is odd. The door is never bolted. Did they bolt it because of the present they got me? What type of present would require the door to be bolted shut? Cyrus walked outside to the beach that resided behind the castle. He shut the door behind him. Then he bolted the door close from the outside. Cyrus always did this. He did not want anyone to disturb him.

His eyes slowly scanned the beach. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Then he raised a brow. Cyrus did not see anything besides a broken net. Why would he lie about the present being here? Is the present suppose to be that net? Is this some kind of joke? Does he want me to be even more annoyed with him? He shook his thoughts away. Cyrus took in deep breaths to try to calm down. He walked over to the center of the beach. Cyrus laid his quilt open close to the water. He placed it a few feet away from the wet sand.

Next he walked into the cold sea. Goosebumps formed on his body. He dove into the water. Cyrus swam for a while before he came up for air. He was waist deep in the water. Cyrus pushed his wet hair out of his face.

Minutes later Cyrus started to float on his back. He closed his eyes as he relaxed. I think I will stay here for the rest of the day. Maybe even stay the night. I will just need to get something to eat later.

[Fadded]

Rónán stared into his little mirror Shard for a little while before his anxieties finally overcame him again. He put the shard away and went to the little bars that hinted at the open waters. He traced the bars up and down trying to find a weak spot. The bars were solidly connected to the wall, but he did see the bars going down into the sand. Maybe he could dig his way under it all. Rónán extended his claws and started to dig at the dirt. Rónán dug until his snapped his claws and his fingers turned bloody. Exhausted, the young siren just leaned against the bars with trembling hands.

That's when he felt the disturbance in the water. He tensed and jolted for a little hollowed out rock and curled up. At least in a rock he couldn't get hauled up in a net again. He didn't think that getting caught a second time would really help him with anything. He didn't want to be tortured. Why were humans so cruel? He hadn't done anything to anyone. He just wanted to go home and be safe. He sniffled a little and wiped at his eyes furiously. He couldn't cry. He couldn't let himself cry. That's what the humans wanted. He took a few deep breaths and stopped the tears.

When Rónán realized nothing was attacking him, he calmed down bit. Someone was swimming. Was it another siren? It didn't feel like the fluid motions of one of his sea brethren. He tilted his head to the side. It was just one person. Was it a human? He never knew humans could swim. He had never seen them in the water before. Rónán uncurled from his hollowed shelter and cautiously moved towards the disturbance. He saw the lone human swimming then. Why was a human in the water? What did he want? What should he do? Should he kill him? No... he couldn't. Rónán didn't have the heart to. Maybe he could get food from this person. He didn't want to beg though. His stomach growled and made up his mind for him then.

Rónán swam up to the surface and poked his head up and swallowed hard. He was so scared. He couldn't swim way if this human decided to hurt him. "H-hello...." he said softly.

[DarkOne]

Cyrus opened his eyes as he sensed something near him. He jolted up and splashed around when he heard a voice say hello. His eyes widen. He quickly looked around. Cyrus’s eyes landed on the head. He slowly moved backwards towards the shore. Who the hell is this? Is this human my present? Did they get me a slave? Why would I want or need a slave? The servants are good enough. Or is this a whore? Why would they get me a whore? I am pretty sure that is a male. Why would they get me a male whore? Are they trying to insult me? I should go right now an- Wait. Maybe Farris is playing a joke on me...he loves to do that. Let me find out why this male is here before I lose my temper. He cleared his throat.

His thoughts had made him angry. He took in slow deep breaths to calm down. Cyrus slowly ran his fingers through his wet hair. He stared at the male. Cyrus stood still now; the water reached the middle of his stomach. He shifted his weight. Cyrus decided which questions he would ask the male first. He took in one last deep breath.

“Hello, do you have a death wish? What are you doing here? Why are you here? Are you a slave or a whore? Is this some type of joke? Did Farris hire you?” he questioned. The questions came out one after another. He did not want to be patience and have this male answer one question at a time. He titled his head as he thought of another question. He glared at the male. “Are you an intruder? If you are I suggest you get out of my sight now. I have no qualms about taking you to the dungeon to be tortured if you do not,” he stated; his voice harsh. He crossed his arms as he waited for the answers to his questions.

Cyrus slowly licked his lips. He watched the man very carefully. I came here to relax but I guess that is not going to happen any time soon. Instead of relaxing I will have to deal with this man. He better not be my present; this better be a joke. He glanced up at the light blue sky. Cyrus watched as a flock of birds flew by. A few seconds later his gaze returned to the male. Cyrus was annoyed at just his presences; he rolled his eyes. Then he looked the male in the eyes. “I have some advice for you, do not lie to me. If I find out you lied, I promise you that you will regret it," he stated.