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It was a wonderful life. Calanthe was the daughter of Erasmus, a wealthy magistrate of Greece, and had had pretty much anything she’d ever wanted; she had a loving family in her father, her mother Filipina, a priestess of Athena, and her older brother Alexander, a soldier in the Greek army, and a strong friendship with her slave-girl Ines (as well as all the other slaves in her family, really; they were known for being extremely good to their slaves). On top of all that, Calanthe’s outstanding beauty had prompted many of the young men in Greece to ask for her hand, but now, she was truly in love – and engaged to be married to him, too. To young Leonidas, only two years older than herself, and who had fought in various battles alongside Alexander.

Little did Calanthe know, however, that her happiness was soon to be taken away from her.

A couple evenings ago, Alexander had told his family that he was needed to fight in another of Greece’s battles against Babylon – and when Calanthe had asked, he had told her that since he and Leonidas were in the same part of the army, that meant that Leonidas would be going off to fight as well.

And now, on this particular evening, Calanthe and Leonidas were walking along the tops of the cliffs near the sea together and talking somewhat about this fact.

“You leave in two days, then, with Alexander?” Calanthe asked as they walked.

“I do. And by the gods, I wish I didn’t have to go,” Leonidas replied.

“So do I,” she answered, looking up at him. “But if anything were to happen to you –” Tears came into her brown eyes.

Leonidas shushed her gently. “Nothing will happen to me, dove. Even if I’m wounded, I’ll fight to stay alive harder than I would fight any accursed Babylonian soldier!”

Calanthe stopped walking as she looked out to sea. “Still, it would mean postponing our wedding. Great Hera, if only there were some way you could stay!”

As she paused, she felt a hand slip around her waist. “I’ll be coming back to you, Calanthe, I swear to you.”

Calanthe turned to face Leonidas again – her tears had silently spilled over. “I’ll be waiting for you, Leonidas,” she whispered as she wiped her eyes. “And I’ll ask my mother to pray to Athena to protect you in battle. You know how much my family loves you…almost as much as I do.”

As they started walking again, the gentle sea breeze ruffling their hair, Leonidas declared out of the blue, “I’ll tell you what, dove…I’ll swear to you that I’m coming back to you on…on…on everything that’s in the world!” He paused. “Because I can’t think of just one thing that's good enough for me to swear on,” he finished – and smiled when his joke got a laugh out of Calanthe.

“And this,” he added as he pulled a ring off his finger. It was nothing fancy – just a small band of gold with a round piece of amber dug out from an old tree in the center of it. “As a token of my vow,” Leonidas stated. Still giggling slightly, Calanthe took the ring and slipped it onto her own finger. She looked up, smiling, and promised, “I’ll wear it until you return – and then I’ll give it back to you.”

Leonidas smiled as he took Calanthe in his arms. “Calanthe, you look absolutely gorgeous when you smile like that – I believe you look even more beautiful than Aphrodite herself.”

Calanthe was still smiling, but all of the silly girlishness in her smile had faded. She tilted her head up a little as Leonidas leaned down slightly and met her lips with his. Calanthe closed her eyes as she lost her fingers in Leonidas’s short brown curls and felt his arms pull her close. Oh, she would never get tired of his kisses!

It was too bad, however, that this would end up being one of their last ones.

A few days later, Leonidas and Alexander had left for battle together.

One morning, about a week after their departure, Ines was styling Calanthe’s hair when Calanthe asked, “Ines…do you think our world will ever know peace? Peace between men, and no more battles or wars to be fought, ever again?”

“At the moment, it seems not, my lady," Ines answered. “And I don’t think there will be peace here until the gods declare that there shall be peace on Earth.”

Recalling the various stories she'd heard about battles and feuds between the gods, Calanthe answered bitterly, “They may have to learn peace first themselves.”

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As the months wore on, the battle dragged on as well. Letters would occasionally come to the family from Alexander, and Calanthe received letters solely to her from Leonidas. She knew he thought about her nearly all the time.

Eventually, the letters stopped coming – but in Alexander’s last letter, he had explained that it would be the last one for a while.

“Give my love to everyone back at home,” the letter had read, “and let Leonidas’ family know that he's well, too. Calanthe, he’s still thinking about you a lot!”

One morning, a couple weeks after this final letter came, Ines was assisting with Calanthe’s bath when Calanthe declared out of the blue, “You’re lucky, Ines.”

Ines paused, still holding her jar of water. “How do you mean, my lady?” she finally asked.

“You’re in love with another one of our slaves, Ines, and you get to see him all the time. Me, I'm in love with one of the men in our army, and I haven’t seen him for months.”

Ines went pink to the roots of her hair. “Your family was…certainly wise – to hire Iosif as your brother’s slave, my lady,” she stammered.

Calanthe laughed merrily. “You yourself told me you were in love with him and he with you, Ines!” she answered. “And if you two were ever to marry, you’d at least have my blessing, even if no-one else’s!”

Ines froze. That was exactly what she’d needed to hear – as she then whispered to Calanthe.

“Do you mean it, Ines?” Calanthe asked incredulously. “And my parents have given their blessing?”

The slave girl nodded.

“Quickly, then – help me finish my bath and then go tell Iosif your news!” Calanthe answered. “Be happy together!”

More months wore on, until it had been about a year since Alexander and Leonidas had left. Ines and Iosif were now happily married, and news finally came that the war was nearly over.

About a week later, Alexander returned home, looking worn and tired, and was welcomed by his family. The war was over, and Greece had won, but she’d paid a pretty heavy price.

At the family’s meal together, Alexander told the family some of the better stories from the different battles they’d fought. However, Calanthe noticed that he said very little about Leonidas.

“And what about Leonidas, Alexander?” Calanthe asked a couple minutes after he'd finished relaying the stories he had to tell. “Is he now home with his family, too?”

Alexander looked away, clearly upset. He paused for a long minute, and when he faced Calanthe again, he croaked out, “He’s…not…coming – back, Calanthe.”

Calanthe went white as a sheet. No…

“What happened?” she finally answered, slowly.

“A couple months ago, he was wounded pretty badly – worse than ever before,” Alexander replied. “He fought pretty hard to stay alive for you, but…he was so badly injured that he died three days later. He only ever talked about you when he was fighting for his life.” He paused. "You were…you were even in his last words.”

“What did Leonidas say about me?” Calanthe asked quietly.

“He asked the gods for forgiveness for breaking a vow he made to you…and he said he loved you. And that was it.”

That was it for Calanthe, too. She shakily rose from her spot, still pale. “I’m not very hungry anymore,” she whispered before walking back to her room in a daze. No-one tried to follow her or persuade her to stay at the table.

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Calanthe spent the next three days in her room, speaking to no-one, accepting no meals, and barely sleeping, trying to accept the fact that Leonidas was gone forever. The only person she saw was Ines, and the two never even spoke. Ines would simply assist Calanthe with her bath, dressing, and fixing her hair and makeup, and would then leave.

So her mother’s prayers to Athena to protect Leonidas in battle hadn’t been enough. Neither had her own prayers to each of the gods – she’d prayed to every single one, even the ones who had nothing to do with war, but to no avail.

On the fourth day, however, Calanthe left her room and walked down the house’s main hallway. A couple of the slaves inquired where she was going when they saw her about to leave the house.

“I’m going out; I’ll be back,” Calanthe said simply. And then added quietly to herself, “Maybe.”

A while later, she had reached the edge of the city and was walking along the tops of the cliffs she and Leonidas had walked along together, a little over a year ago. A sea breeze was blowing her chiton and pinned-up curls. Calanthe looked out at the sparkling sea and listened to the far-off cries of seagulls.

I’ll be coming back to you, Calanthe, I swear to you…

I’ll tell you what, dove – I’ll swear to you that I'm coming back to you on…on…on everything that’s in the world! …Because I can’t think of just one thing that’s good enough for me to swear on…

Nothing will happen to me, dove. Even if I’m wounded, I'll fight to stay alive harder than I would fight any soldier of the opposing army…

Calanthe, you look absolutely gorgeous when you smile like that – I believe you look even more beautiful than Aphrodite herself…

Different things that Leonidas had said that day rang through her head. This was the very spot that he’d spoken those words over a year ago, and the spot where they’d shared one of their last kisses…

I’ll be coming back to you, Calanthe, I swear to you…

And now he would never come home.

As Calanthe stood on the tops of the cliffs, something made her take out her hairpins and ornaments and let her deep-brown waves flow down around her shoulders; one by one, she flicked her hairpins into the water down below. As she pulled her hand away from her hair, she saw something on her finger: the very ring that Leonidas had given her as a token of his vow to return.

Calanthe stared at the simple amber ring; as she stared at it, tears came to her eyes and overflowed – and with that, Calanthe wept for the first time since learning about Leonidas’ death.

When she had calmed down somewhat, Calanthe stared back out at the sea. Her true love was gone, and she wondered: how would she go on with life with her heart broken like this? Life didn't even feel worth living anymore…

Calanthe was vaguely aware of her feet leaving the rocky cliff. And of the sea wind whipping through her long hair. And then she was aware of the falling feeling she got inside as she plummeted towards the water.

And then the harsh feeling of hitting the water.

Take me now, Poseidon! Calanthe thought as she sank through the waters. Let my soul go down to Hades, and your home be a grave for my body.

You aren’t going down to Hades today, dear girl, but I’ll still take you, a voice answered – but it was not the voice of Poseidon. This was a female voice.

Calanthe opened her eyes. Who are you? she thought. How are we talking to each-other? Am I breathing underwater right now?

You are indeed breathing underwater – because of me. I can hear your thoughts, and you can hear mine.

But who are you, then? If you’re not the great Poseidon, then are you one of the other gods or goddesses of the ocean?

I’m not a deity of the ocean, dear girl – I AM the Ocean. I am in every drop of water on the Earth, and I have worked for people since the beginning of time. However, I need help; I need to be fed, and I have been able to do this Myself for the longest time, but I cannot do this much longer. So I have created a plan to fix that.

How? And where do I fit into this?

I’m getting there. I need girls and young women who I can recruit to work for me as singers. Sirens.

Why, we have singing creatures in our mythology called Sirens! They’re birds with the heads of women who sing and lure sailors to their death.

I know that they’re in your mythology. And that’s why, since your people of Greece are the first people to believe in such a creature, and you are the first girl of your people who has come to Me in such a way as this, I am offering you the chance to be my very first Siren. If you choose to stay, you will serve Me for a hundred years, and during that time, you will never age a year, or get hurt or fall ill; you will also never need to eat or sleep. However, you will not be able to speak to anyone the way you normally would, because your voice will be poison. The only time you can let people hear your voice is when I command you to sing – and that will only be when I need to be fed.

But what would you eat?

The Ocean paused. Who do you think causes ships to sink, and why?

Is that what you eat?

Yes. Your voice will cause people to want to come to you, and then they will jump overboard and thus feed me. I will explain it more as the time for your first singing draws near. However, if you break any of my rules as a Siren, such as refusing to sing or deliberately using your voice to kill your old enemies, I will just as quickly end your life.

Calanthe felt a bit uneasy. She didn’t like the idea of killing people…

You will do this for a hundred years, and at the end of those hundred years, you’ll get your voice and your mortality back. If you decide to become a Siren, I will put my magic in you, and that will make you immortal and invincible – although you will still look like yourself; you will not look like the creatures your people call “sirens”. However, this is up to you; if you decide to refuse my offer to be my Siren, I will let you drown now and go down to Hades. The choice is yours.

Almighty Zeus! Calanthe thought to herself as she debated. She could serve the Ocean, killing innocent people with her voice and unable to speak normally to anyone without them drowning themselves – or she could die now and forget all about her troubles.

Still, she didn’t really want to die – although she did want to forget about her sadness regarding Leonidas. Perhaps if…

If I become a Siren, will I forget about my human life?

It might take a while, but you eventually will – unless you deliberately decide to hold onto certain memories. And once you become a human again, you will forget everything from your life of being a Siren.

Hmmm… Calanthe debated a little more. Finally, she answered, Alright. I’ll stay and work for you.

What’s your name, dear girl, and how old are you?

My name is Calanthe – and I’m seventeen.

She could almost feel the Ocean smiling. Wonderful. Well then, Calanthe, welcome to My service.

One moment, please, just before you change me.

Of course.

Calanthe surfaced, with assistance from the Ocean, and felt as the Ocean solidified under her feet for miles out. She walked far out into the middle of the water, further out than anyone could ever swim (even further than any Olympic athlete could swim), and stopped as she looked down at Leonidas’ ring on her finger. If she were to keep this ring, would that be holding onto him – and her sadness? Undoubtedly.

After a few reluctant seconds, Calanthe pulled the ring off her finger. She looked at it for a long moment, and then threw it far, far away – as far away as she could. It landed in the water with a small splash, and then sank down, down, down…until it reached the Ocean floor – never to be seen again.

Goodbye, Leonidas; you’re truly gone now, she thought. Goodbye…goodbye…

Calanthe paused. I’m ready now. Change me.

With that, the Ocean tugged her under the water, and Calanthe felt her mouth be gently pulled open – and then felt something get forced down her throat and go into her veins and mix with her blood. It was a strange feeling, and a bit frightening, but it didn’t hurt at all.

Moments later, her beauty was magnified by ten as she fully became a Siren: her eyes grew brighter, her skin grew more luminous, and her hair grew thicker and wavier. As the Ocean pulled her deeper down, her chiton fell away, and sea-salt began clinging to her skin. A minute later, she was wearing her very first glittering sea-salt gown – that would be the first of many.

Her new life had fully begun.

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Two years later, Calanthe had forgotten all about Leonidas. And her family. In her early days of being a Siren, she went back to her home for one day and had realized, upon seeing their preparations for a funeral for her, that her family believed she was dead – and that there was nothing she could do to convince them otherwise. When they’d seen her, they’d believed she was a ghost and had been terrified out of their minds.

Calanthe had, for the most part, enjoyed being a Siren. Agreed, it was hard to have to sing and murder innocent people, but generally, Calanthe could overlook that (until the next singing, anyway). She enjoyed being carried through different parts of the Ocean faster than any Olympic athlete could swim, adored the beautiful sea-salt dresses that she’d had over the years, and loved that she could never age or get hurt or ill. Often, she would live on and then sleep on the shore of whatever country she’d happened to travel to, even though she knew she didn’t need to sleep. The Ocean, however, understood that she liked to indulge in human needs such as food and sleep sometimes.

However, in more recent years, something changed: Calanthe wasn’t perfectly happy.

One day, after five years of being a Siren, Calanthe suddenly ran off the cliff she was standing on and threw herself into the Ocean, feeling worse than ever before.

Calanthe! What in the world is the matter? The Ocean sifted through Calanthe's thoughts, trying to solve the evident problem. Slow down; your thoughts are coming on too fast!

Just take my life now, Ocean! Calanthe’s thoughts screamed, near tears, as she sank to the Ocean floor. I can’t stay in this life another minute; I’d rather die than go on like this!

The Ocean was clearly alarmed. But what’s the matter, Calanthe? Settle down and tell me once you’re calmer.

Calanthe only calmed down a tad but broke out in open tears as she went on. I can’t spend ninety-five more years like this! I can’t talk to anyone or befriend anyone since my voice will kill them – I’m so lonely and bored these days that I fear I’m going mad! Just kill me now and put me out of my misery!

Ah. The Ocean paused a moment as She gently soothed Calanthe. I see now; since I’m not in any way human myself, I often forget the ways of humans – even though you’re a Siren, part of you is still human. I remember now that humans need interaction and companionship with other humans – and as luck would have it, I happen to have a solution. Since I can tell whenever someone is in My waters, I have found a girl who is in danger of soon drowning; I’ll take you to her, and We shall convert her into a Siren, too, if she is willing.

Where are we going? Calanthe asked as the Ocean began swiftly pulling her through the water.

To Africa; this girl was caught in an undertow. I think she’ll make a fine Siren. Once we find her, you will have to explain what it’ll mean for her to be a Siren. We must move quickly now, though; your new sister is waiting!

A few minutes later, Calanthe had nearly reached the coast of Madagascar. Before long, she spotted both a small boat and a limp figure being pulled deeper and deeper under the water.

That’s her! Move quickly now, she’s nearly gone!

Calanthe obeyed; she swam close to the girl, and with help from the Ocean, pulled her out of the undertow and swam back to shore upon surfacing. She sat on the beach with her toes in the water for about a minute, cradling the nearly-drowned girl’s head in her lap.

Is she dead, Ocean?

No. Just deeply unconscious.

Pretty soon, the girl’s breathing grew deeper – although more ragged, also. Shortly after, she gasped and choked as she came to and began coughing up seawater.

Once she could breathe normally again, she turned to Calanthe. “Did you save me?” she asked. “Or am I dead? I've never seen anyone with pale flesh like yours!” She spoke in a language Calanthe had never heard before, but Calanthe, being a Siren, could understand her perfectly.

“I did save you, but you’re still alive,” Calanthe answered.

The girl squinted. “I have never heard your language,” she started, “but I can still understand you! Why is that?”

“I think that’s due to the fact that specifically, I’m talking to you,” Calanthe answered. “Let me elaborate: my name is Calanthe, and I am what’s called a Siren. I serve the Ocean by feeding Her. And now, we want to invite you to work for Her as well.”

“What would the Ocean eat?”

Calanthe paused. “Ships. People on those ships. I sing and make them want to come to me, and thus, the Ocean is fed.”

“That does not sound like a good life; it sounds terrible!”

“There are good things about it. As a Siren, you can never age or get hurt or sick, and you don’t need to eat or sleep. If you decide to become a Siren, you’ll serve the Ocean for a hundred years, and then you’ll get your voice and your life back. During those hundred years, however, you can’t speak to any human the way you normally would, or they’ll be under the Ocean’s spell. Does this all make sense?”

“A little…” the girl answered, clearly confused.

Calanthe laughed. “Don’t worry, you’ll understand it more, the longer you serve Her. But during your time as a Siren, all your memories of your human life will eventually fade. I can’t even remember what my life was like before I became a Siren.”

“You remember nothing?”

“Nothing.”

Pause. "It’s your choice; you can join us, or return to where you're from.”

The girl looked at Calanthe. “I’ll do anything to get away from my old life!” she suddenly blurted. “I’ll stay!”

“What’s your name, and how old are you?”

“Mbali; I’m sixteen.”

“What happened to make you want to leave, Mbali?”

“I am the daughter of my clan’s chief. Recently, my father betrothed me to a man who I don’t even love – and so I stole one of our canoes and ran away. But the ocean gods must have sought to punish me for running away, for they pulled my canoe and me under the water. But I won’t go back to my father and my betrothed, never, never!”

“Then you can stay and become a Siren,” Calanthe answered. “Follow me, and you’ll be transformed into one of us.”

With that, Calanthe pulled Mbali to her feet and led her into the water. Before long, the Ocean pulled both girls under Her waters, and the same process that had happened to Calanthe five years earlier happened to Mbali; the Ocean’s magic was gently forced down Mbali’s throat, her looks were enhanced tenfold, and her clothing and decorative ornaments fell away as sea-salt began clinging to her dark body, forming her first sea-salt gown.

I have been reborn! I am a goddess! she cried out; Calanthe laughed and smiled at her. She herself would never be lonely again.

After Mbali had been a Siren for several years, she and Calanthe recruited another girl to be a Siren, and another girl after her several more years afterward. From then on, the Sirens the Ocean took on would never be alone.

And to this very day, the Ocean still recruits Her Sirens…