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In his line of work, Arthur had received a countless number of odd jobs. He’d brave harsh cold to harvest rare magical flowers, made potions for dwarves, and polished a dragon’s scales. He was sought out by those far and wide for his magical know-how and expertise. But even with everything he’d done, all the things he’d seen, Arthur had never quite had a request like this.
A siren, he was told, had taken residence in a cave by a village. Or at least, his client thought it to be a siren. From the tale he’d bemoaned to Arthur, it seemed his village thought him a fool for believing a siren could be the cause of the disappearances of local fishermen. Arthur, while skeptical, was curious enough. Sirens, as far as he knew, tended to stay away from shores occupied by those who dwelled on the land, being so solitary that their existence was even at times considered a myth. It was no wonder this client was being labeled a madman.
But, even if it turned out to be the delusions of a paranoid man, Arthur’s curiosity was enough to bring him to accept the job. After all, it wasn’t every day he had the chance to study a siren.
The job was simple. Find out if there truly was a siren in the cave, and if there was, get rid of it. His client had at first asked him to kill the creature, but Arthur had managed to get him to agree to a middle ground. He wasn’t one for needless violence, if he could avoid it, so simply removing the siren would be enough by him. Perhaps he could even talk to it and convince it to leave. He doubted it, sirens were incredibly territorial after all, but he supposed it was worth a shot.
He arrived at the small, seaside village in the late afternoon, giving him enough time to check into the local inn and set up for the night’s work. He’d brought only what he thought he might need; a potion to help resist the siren’s spell, some earplugs just in case, an enchanted net in the likely event that the siren resisted, and a sleep inducing powder. Though he wished for this to be resolved fairly peacefully, a knife hung on his belt as well. You could never be too careful, after all.
When the sun had finally set, and the glow of the moon was reflected on the ocean’s surface, Arthur made his way to the shoreline. The tide was low, allowing him to easily access the cave where the siren supposedly dwelled. The lap of the waves against the sand was muffled by the plugs in his ears, the soft crunch of sand unheard by him. He stepped slowly, cautiously, towards the water.
The moment he stepped into the ocean, he sensed it. A dark, magical force sparked out in the distance, by the rocky cavern entrance still several yards away from him. So there was a siren in the cave, and it knew he was there. Arthur tensed his jaw, but continued towards the cave. The dark force swelled, angered by his presence, yet he pressed forward. As he waded through the water, the sound of a haunting melody suddenly began to echo from within the cave, and Arthur was grateful for the potion he’d taken. He could feel the slight tug of the song’s spell, but his mind stayed clear, aided by the plugs in his ears. As lovely as the song was, with the potion staving off its hypnotic tones, there was a murderous intent to it. The siren was clearly angered by the trespasser. But Arthur had a job to do.
With each step forward the song grew louder. While the low tide had brought the water level down enough for Arthur to enter the cave, the surface still rested at his waist. He’d have to be careful. One hand clutched the knife at his belt, the other he lifted above the water. A snap was all it took to light a magical flame in his palm, vanishing the darkness of the cavern.
As soon as the light was lit, there was a hiss and a splash. Arthur’s gaze darted to the back of the cavern, just in time to see the ends of a purple tail disappear in the shallow water and the ripples it left behind.
On guard, he shifted in the water, watching the surface intently. Even with his light, the water was dark, and it was impossible to see where the siren was. But he could feel the movements in the water, and if he just stayed focused, he could--
Suddenly, a grip latched onto his leg, then there was darkness. A brief panic rushed through Arthur’s as he found himself submerged underwater, but he forced himself to calm down. It was impossible to see, but he kicked out, trying to push the siren off of him. He hit something, but the clawed hand on his leg didn’t let go. He could feel his back hit the sand on the floor of the cavern, and only then did the grip shift, reaching out to grab his shirt now, a second hand reaching to grab his neck and choke him.
His flailing and struggling getting him nowhere, Arthur’s mind raced to find a way to fight back, to free himself, lest he become another soul lost to the sea. In a last ditch effort, he fumbled for the knife on his belt, struggling to unlatch it. It took a moment and nearly dropping it, but soon he held it in his hand. The urge to breath was strong, and it took all of Arthur’s strength to stab the knife up at his attacker.
A screech pierced through the water, and the hands pushing him down let go. With another surge of adrenaline, Arthur pushed off the siren and broke through the surface of the shallow water, gasping for air. He flicked on his light again. The siren was writhing near the surface, trying to swim away from Arthur. Acting quickly and without thought, he dropped the knife, now reaching for the small pouch that also hung on his belt, quickly opening it and throwing the contents toward the siren, holding his own breath as he did so. It didn’t take long for the siren to calm down, only a moment later slumping in the water, fast asleep.
There was a long silence, then, exhausted, Arthur let out his breath. He hadn’t expected this to be easy, but he also hadn’t expected to have to stab the poor thing. Stepping forward, Arthur held up his light to get a better look at the siren.
It was male, from what he could tell, with short brown hair, almost the color of a dark chocolate. Purple scales speckled its skin, its long tail and fins matching the color of its scales. In sleep, it was almost ... beautiful. That was, if you ignored the bleeding wound on its side. Arthur frowned, feeling a bit guilty. Carefully, he reached out to gently push the siren towards the end of the cavern, where the water had receded enough to leave a small patch of land. Once the sleeping creature beached, Arthur inspected the wound. The cut was fairly deep. He worried the siren might not survive without treatment, treatment that not many would be willing to provide.
...Well, he did have to remove the siren from the cave. And it was his fault the siren was injured in the first place, having knowingly trespassed on its territory. The least he could do was take care of the creature until it was well enough to return to the sea. With a resigned sigh, Arthur reached for the the third and final item with him, his enchanted net, and got to work.
As it turned out, getting a siren from the cave to his secluded home was actually a bit easier than he’d expected. Fork over enough gold and people would take you and anything with you anywhere, no questions asked. And luckily for Arthur, it seemed his sleeping powder had hit the siren rather strongly, for the entire trip, it, or he, he supposed, stayed fast asleep.
The trip took the better half of a day, and all the while, Arthur tried to decide just what to do with the siren. He clearly couldn’t just leave him out of water; already he looked rather pale and dry. If he was remembering right though, he thought he might have a crafting spell to make a large tank somewhere in his collection. All he’d have to do then was summon some sea water, and he’d have a nice place for his unexpected “guest” to stay.
Once he was home, he worked quickly, not wishing to leave the siren out of water any longer, and before long, had a nice sized tank in his living room. A bit inconvenient, but it would have to do until the siren’s wound had healed. A simple levitation spell later, and the siren was placed gently in the tank.
Exhausted, Arthur flopped onto his couch, watching the siren settle at the bottom of the tank. He’d have to change the creature’s bandages later, but for now, the tired mage was in need of a well deserved nap.
The sound of an insistent banging and low, frustrated growls were what finally pulled Arthur from sleep. With a yawn, he sat up, rubbing his eyes, not at all surprised to find the siren awake and incredibly furious. That was understandable. Unperturbed, Arthur stood, stretching with a groan, watching with one eye as the siren glared at him before going back to ramming a shoulder against the glass of the tank.
“Stop that,” Arthur sighed, walking up to the tank. The siren halted. If looks could kill, Arthur would be dead on the spot. Those cold eyes glared at him with a fury. They were a deep purple, he noted, a gorgeous, rare color. “You’ll aggravate your wound if you keep up that sort of thing. So just calm down already. And don’t think of trying to sing and get rid of me. You’re nowhere near the ocean, you’ll just be stuck and starve without me.”
He got nothing but that silent glare as a response. This was going to be tough. “...Can you understand me? Can you even speak?”
More silence. Arthur was ready to give up when finally, a soft voice spoke. “...Where have you taken me, human? What do you want from me?”
“Ah, you can speak!” Arthur clapped his hands together. “Wonderful, that makes things easier. For starters, this is my home, about half a day’s travel from the shoreline you’d made as your home. I apologize for uprooting you, but the locals weren’t entirely happy with your presence.”
The siren scoffed. “That is not my fault, it is there fault for not leaving me be.”
“Regardless, they wanted you gone. So I came to remove you. I was going to attempt to just ask you to leave but clearly you weren’t in the mood for any sort of discussion. Ah, I apologize for wounding you as well, but I did want to leave in one piece.” Arthur gestured to the bandages. “That, by the way, is why I brought you here. You’d die if I left you, and I’m not one to make a habit of killing sentient creatures. So I brought you here to help you recover. I have full intentions of setting you free once you’re better, of course, but until then bear with me. Oh, and sorry for the small space you have, that’s the best I could do, unless you’d rather be confined to my tub.”
Another silence fell between him, the siren simply looking at him with an almost puzzled look. After a moment, he spoke again. “...How do I know you do not keep me here with the intent of making me some experiment of yours? I would rather kill you and later perish than to live a life in captivity.”
“Your skepticism is understandable, but I promise that’s not the case,” Arthur reassured, crossing his arms over his chest. “The most I’ll do is document your health, maybe note your behavior, unless you’d rather I not. I’ll admit, I’ve never met a siren before, and I’m incredibly curious about you, but I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. It’s my fault you have to be here, after all.”
The look the creature gave him was piercing, but Arthur didn’t falter. Finally, the siren looked away. “Fine. But the moment I am well, you are to release me.”
“Of course,” Arthur said with a nod. “You have my word.” He paused. “So, do you have a name? Anything I can call you?”
“No.” The siren’s answer was blunt. “I’ve long forgotten my name.”
“Hm, that’s inconvenient. I suppose I can think of one for you later. I’d rather not just call you “siren” this whole time.” Arthur chuckled to himself. The siren didn’t seem amused, but didn’t object. “Ah, my name is Arthur, so you may call me that. I’ll bring you something to eat later, but let me know if you need anything. For now though, let’s get those bandages of yours changed.”
And so, Arthur’s life of having a siren as a roommate began.
The first thing he did was craft a bit of a ledge on the tank that the siren (and Arthur himself) could sit on, so that he could more easily change his bandages. At first his guest was fussy and didn’t want to let Arthur anywhere near him, but eventually the bandages were changed. That evening, Arthur made a trip to the nearby village to purchase some fish for the siren, having little idea of what else sirens even ate. The siren didn’t object to the fish, so Arthur took that as a sign that that was fine.
From there, they settled into a fairly mundane routine. In the morning, Arthur would give the siren some fish, then change his bandages. He’d do some work, they’d eat lunch, and repeat the process in the evening. The siren wasn’t much for conversation, so Arthur let him be. If he was in pain, he wouldn’t say, so the mage forced himself not to worry about it.
One afternoon, as Arthur was pouring over an old textbook, he paused, looking up from it and glancing to the siren, who sat in a corner of the tank. “...I said I’d give you a name, right?”
The siren looked to him with a frown. “...You don’t have to.”
“But it’s odd not having something to call you. I’m giving you a name.” Arthur paused to think, tapping a finger against his chin. His gaze wandered back down to his book, a name on one page sticking out to him. “...Roderich.”
“Pardon?”
“How about Roderich? It suits you.”
A pause. The siren seemed to think it over, brow scrunched together, then, surprisingly, he nodded. “...I suppose that will do.”
Arthur felt himself smiling slightly. “Roderich it is, then.”
After that, the days continued to pass, but the atmosphere in Arthur’s small house no longer felt so tense. Arthur found himself chattering to the siren about mundane things; his work, the prices he was charged at the market, whatever came to mind. The siren, now named Roderich, listened closely, but quietly.
At first, he never responded, but one day began to ask questions. What was life on land like? What sort of things did they sell in the market? What did land food taste like? It was a surprise at first, but Arthur, glad to see his guest opening up finally, was happy to answer. Roderich turned out to be rather curious about land and the humans that dwelled on it, a trait that was almost endearing, if you could ignore the fact that he was, for all intents and purposes, a fairly dangerous monster. It was easy to forget that, though, when said monster was bugging you about what type of fish he preferred.
“Stop bringing me salmon,” Roderich said one day, just as Arthur was putting his coat on. He blinked, surprised, turning to glance at the siren.
“What was that?”
“I’m tired of salmon, it is all you ever bring me,” the siren huffed. “Imagine if you only could have one type of meal every day. That is what the past two weeks have been like. So bring me something else.”
Raising a brow at the request that was very close to sounding like a command, Arthur shrugged, but nodded. “...I suppose I can do that. Why didn’t you ask me before, though?”
Roderich only huffed again and turned his head away, frowning, almost pouting. “I’m telling you now, aren’t I? Does it really matter?”
“I suppose not, no,” Arthur conceded. “Alright then. I’ll be back in a few hours, without salmon.”
The trip to the market was uneventful, but successful. It wasn’t hard to find some other types of fish that weren’t salmon, though Arthur groaned a bit at the increased price. Taking care of a siren, it turned out, wasn’t entirely the cheapest endeavor. At least he wouldn’t have to do this forever, he figured. Roderich was healing fast. It wouldn’t be more than another few weeks before he was well enough to return to the ocean.
Arthur was surprised to find himself a bit saddened by the thought. He’d grown quite used to Roderich’s presence, even if the siren spent most of the day frowning at him. He didn’t think he’d yet seen him smile. But regardless, it would be odd to have his home silent again, free of his guest’s complaints and remarks.
He pushed open his front door, shaking his head slightly. There was no use dwelling on it. “I’m home,” he announced, shuffling off his shoes at the door and setting down his bag before shedding his coat and hanging it upon the rack by the door. The sound of moving water could be heard behind him, and when he turned, he saw Roderich holding himself up on the perch of his tank, watching him intently.
“Did you bring what I asked for?”
Arthur rolled his eyes, picking up his bag again. “No welcome backs or how was your trips? Really now. I go out of my way to buy you the fish you want -- the more expensive fish, might I add -- and you don’t even thank me.”
He heard Roderich scoff as he set the bag on the couch, rummaging through it. “I shouldn’t have to thank you for such a simple thing.” Arthur looked at him with a frown as he unwrapped the herring, feeling a slight sense of victory when he saw Roderich pause. “...But I suppose I can thank you.”
“You suppose?” Arthur sighed, approaching the tank. “I suppose that you’re welcome.” He climbed a few steps up the small ladder he’d placed on the side of the tank, setting the fish down on the perch. “Well, here you are. Enjoy.” As he climbed back down, Roderich took the fish, going back under the water to eat it.
Arthur sat down on the couch, watching silently for a few moments. He’d noted from the beginning that Roderich ate very carefully, unlike how he’d pictured a siren would eat. There was never much of a mess, and he ate slowly as well. “...Do all sirens eat so daintily?” he asked, breaking the silence. “Or just you?”
Seeming annoyed by the interruption, Roderich frowned, but responded after a pause. “I don’t know. I haven’t met another siren.”
Well, that was interesting. “Oh? I knew sirens were solitary, but that seems a bit extreme. You really haven’t met another of your kind?”
Roderich shook his head. “It isn’t that strange. I’ve just stayed away from any other forms of life. I prefer to be alone.”
Arthur hummed in thought. “Is that so? Then why did you choose to live in a cave so close to a human settlement?”
He got no response. Roderich ignored him, going back to his fish. Arthur sighed, leaning back on the couch. “Alright. You don’t need to tell me. That’s none of my business, after all.”
A silence hung between them for a while after that, Roderich occupied by his meal, and Arthur occupied watching Roderich. When it seemed the siren was nearly done, Arthur got up again, pulling something else from the bag he’d brought from the market. “If you’re done with that,” he began, stepping towards the tank, “I brought you something else.” This seemed to catch Roderich’s attention, who floated up to the top of the tank, curious. “It’s not much, but you kept asking me about food on land, so I thought you might like to try some.” Carefully, he climbed back up the ladder, showing Roderich what he had; a small box of strawberries.
The siren peered at the box and the fruit within as Arthur sat himself upon the makeshift perch. “...What are they?”
“Strawberries. They’re a type of fruit.” Arthur picked one up from the box, plucking off the green leaves before handing it to Roderich. “Here, try it. It’s sweet.”
Almost cautiously, the siren took the strawberry in his hands, inspecting it a moment before taking a cautious bite. The wide eyed look of surprise that blossomed on his face a moment later was enough to have Arthur smiling a bit. Roderich took another bite, much quicker that time. “...It’s good,” he declared, finishing off the strawberry just a moment later. He glanced to the box. “...Might I have more?”
There was a chuckle on Arthur’s breath as he nodded, nudging the box towards him. “Of course, I got them for you. Have as many as you like. Ah, but don’t eat the leaves, they aren’t--”
Roderich made a sound of disgust, having already bitten into the leafy end of one of the strawberries. Arthur blinked, then was unable to hold back laughter, much to the embarrassment of Roderich, who splashed water in Arthur’s direction. Gathering himself, still rosy cheeked, Arthur caught his breath. “Sorry, sorry, I won’t laugh, but don’t be so quick to eat them, they aren’t going anywhere.” He reached for another strawberry, plucking the leaves off once again for the siren.
More time passed. After bringing home the strawberries, Arthur made sure to bring a different type of fruit for Roderich to try after every trip to the market. His favorite were the strawberries by far, so he always brought a few of those as well. It was fascinating to watch the siren taste every new thing offered to him. He still hadn’t smiled once, but there was light in his eyes that wasn’t present when he’d first awoken in Arthur’s home.
His wound was progressing well, as well. Though Roderich said little regarding it, Arthur could tell he was swimming about the small tank easier, and was able to hoist himself up onto the perch with little difficulty. It wouldn’t be long before he could return to the ocean.
Once again, Arthur found himself frowning at the thought, then frowning more at his frown. He’d always known that eventually Roderich would have to leave. But damn it all, he’d grown attached to the grumpy siren. It’d be a shame to have to part with him. But, it was what had to be done...
Allowing himself a small sigh, Arthur continued through the market. He figured this would be the last time he’d have to restock, seeing as it was only a matter of days now before he could take Roderich back to the ocean. He’d purchased the fish he needed already, but was now searching for something else to bring back to the siren. As he walked, his gaze fell upon a small bakery. Well, it was the last time he’d be bringing anything to his guest. He might as well treat him well.
When Arthur returned back to his home, he heard Roderich swim up to the top of the tank. “Welcome back,” he said, glancing at the bag Arthur held. “How was your trip?”
The past few times Arthur had returned from the market, Roderich had actually greeted him. It had come as a pleasant surprise. “It was nice. A bit busy today, but I got everything I needed.” Arthur set the bag on the couch, pausing, hesitating before continuing. “...By now your wound is basically healed, you know.”
Roderich paused as well. “...That is true.” Another pause. “I take it I can assume you will return me to the ocean soon, then.”
Arthur nodded slowly. “Mm. Yes, I will. I’m sure you must be excited to go back.”
There was more silence. Roderich seemed to be deep in thought. “Yes... I’m looking forward to it. This tank is quite cramped.”
Arthur allowed himself a short laugh. “I’m sure it is.” As they spoke, he’d pulled a small box from his bag and grabbed a fork from his small kitchenette before making his way to the tank. Roderich looked at it curiously.
“More fruit?”
Arthur shook his head. “No, something different this time.” He climbed up the ladder, sitting on the perch. “I figured since you’d be leaving soon, I ought to get you something nice.” He opened the box. “It’s called cake. It’s a type of sweet we make on land. This one has strawberries in it, since I know you like those so much.” He held out the fork. “Try it.”
The siren, clearly interested, looking at the fork with a frown. “And what is that? I’ve seen you use one before.”
“Oh. It’s a fork. We use them to eat.” Roderich took the fork from him, holding it clumsily, a look of concentration on his face. “...Do you need--”
“I’m fine.”
Roderich interrupted his offer of help, causing Arthur to chuckle fondly and leave him to it. It took a few tries, but soon the siren had an alright grip on the utensil. “Alright, now use it to cut into the cake.”
Very slowly, Roderich took a piece of the cake, inspecting it carefully before tasting it. Just like before, when he first tried the strawberries, the siren’s face lit up. “Oh my...” he muttered, glancing from the cake up to Arthur. “...I’ve never tasted anything like it before.”
“I take it that you like it.” Arthur smiled softly as Roderich ate another bite of the cake. “Dig in. It’s all yours.”
When Roderich looked up at him again, Arthur almost felt his heart skip a beat. The siren was smiling. Just a soft thing, the corners of his lips barely lifting, but the happiness in his eyes shone bright. “Thank you, Arthur. I love it.”
Feeling suddenly bashful, Arthur laughed again, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, you don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I can do after keeping you cooped up in that tank for over a month.” He paused, looking away, his own expression slowly falling. “...Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you back to the sea.”
He could feel Roderich’s gaze on him. “So soon? I thought you’d wait a few days.”
“No, I can’t keep you here any longer. It’s not fair to you. I’ll take you back tomorrow.”
Roderich paused, letting silence hang in the air a moment, before nodding. “...Alright. If that’s what you wish. ...Thank you again for the cake.” Arthur glanced back to find the cake gone. He raised a brow.
“You sure ate that fast.”
There was a splash of water at his side, and his smile returned as he watched Roderich duck under the water again without a word. Gathering up the cake box, Arthur climbed back down the tank. He needed to prepare for their trip.
The next morning, they left early, with the sunrise. To make sure Roderich was comfortable, Arthur had wet a large blanket and wrapped it around the siren’s tail as a way to keep him hydrated, as well as hide his tail from curious passersby. For this trip, Arthur decided to pay a bit extra to rent his own horse and cart rather than pay someone else to take them. He figured Roderich would prefer it if there wasn’t a stranger with them the whole way.
Most of the trip went on in silence, Arthur sitting at the front of the little cart, Roderich safely tucked away in the back. From time to time, he would ask the siren how he was, which was usually met with a soft response, but otherwise, conversation was kept to a minimum. It was hard to think of what to say. The crunch of the cart’s wheels upon the dirt road and the clip clop of the horse’s hooves filled air as they traveled, and helped keep Arthur distracted enough to not think of the nearing goodbye.
After many hours, though it felt like just a few minutes to Arthur, they reached the sea. With a tired groan, he hopped off the cart, stretching, breathing in the salty air.
“Well. Here we are.” He glanced to Roderich, who still sat silent in the cart. “...You ready to go home?”
Roderich didn’t answer. He only gazed out at the open ocean. Arthur sighed, rounding over to the back of the cart. Wordlessly, he helped Roderich untangle himself from the blanket, then, with a bit of effort, heaved him out with a grunt.
The area he’d stopped them at wasn’t much of a beach. Large rocks scattered the shore, making it easy for Arthur to walk out to where the water would be deeper. He took careful steps, doing his best not to drop the siren in his arms, before finally stopping on the last of the rocks and setting Roderich down upon it. He sat down beside him, looking out at the water.
“...I guess this is goodbye,” he said after a short moment. He looked to Roderich out of the corners of his eyes. “Sorry again for all the trouble I caused you. Next time, don’t make your home near a village, alright? I don’t want to get another call about a siren.”
Roderich was staring at the water that lapped up at his tail, still silent. It wasn’t for another moment that he spoke. “...I was lonely.”
Arthur blinked. “How’s that?”
“...I was lonely.” Roderich met Arthur’s gaze. “That is why I moved to that cave.”
A pause. “...Oh.” It was all Arthur could say.
“I wasn’t always a siren, you know,” Roderich continued, looking back to the ocean. “I was once a normal merfolk. That time though, it’s... it’s blurry. I don’t remember it. Well, I didn’t. But I began to. And when I began to, I began to become lonely. So I moved closer to that village. But...” He paused, sighing. “I can’t fight my own instincts. Any who came close, I killed.”
As the siren spoke, Arthur watched him quietly. “Well, you didn’t kill me.”
Roderich scoffed. “Only because you stabbed me.”
The lightest of smiles played across Arthur’s face. “And I apologize for that. But... perhaps this is pretentious of me to assume, but maybe that was a good thing.” Roderich frowned at him, and Arthur gestured for him to let him continue. “What I mean is, you said you were lonely, right? So, even if I did stab you, I hope at least that staying with me... helped your loneliness, even a little.”
“Mm...” Roderich hummed in thought, turning once more to the sea. “...Yes. I suppose that’s true.”
For a few minutes longer, silence fell over them, and Arthur joined Roderich in watching the tide ebb and flow, enjoying the peace. When the silence was broken once more, it was by Roderich. “...I should go now.”
There was a reluctance in Arthur even as he nodded in agreement. “You probably should.”
The sound of water splashing signaled that Roderich had finally slipped into the ocean, but when Arthur glanced down, the siren was still lingering at the surface. He glanced up at Arthur. “...Wait here, just one moment.” Before Arthur could ask why, Roderich dove beneath the waves. He waited, and after a minute or so, the siren returned, gesturing for Arthur to lean down. He did so, kneeling upon the rock to get closer to the water.
Without words, Roderich took Arthur’s hand and placed within it a tiny shell. Arthur looked at it curiously. “What’s this for...?”
“Keep it.” Roderich’s hand lingered upon Arthur’s. “As... as a token of me. And if you ever return here, throw it into the waves. I will see it, and come to greet you.”
Arthur stared at the tiny shell, so unassuming, yet suddenly so significant, and nodded. “...Alright. I’ll do that.”
“Good.” There was a pause. And then, Arthur felt himself tugged down a bit more, and his eyes widened as a light kiss was pressed upon the corner of his lips. He stared at Roderich, who looked back with those deep purple eyes of his. “...And when you return, bring me more of that cake.”
The grip upon Arthur’s hand tightened once, then released, and just like that, the siren named Roderich disappeared beneath the waves, leaving the mage to stare out at the glassy surface of the sea, tiny shell clutched gently in his fist.