The Siren of the Titanic

Chapter 8: Confusion

Later that evening a maid came to my room. Talon had left me there after dinner so I could get a nap in. The maid knocked at the door before allowing herself in. The girl was young, looking to be in her early teens. She had short blonde hair containing streaks of baby blue and hot pink which matched her tail.

"Forgive the intrusion, sir. I was going to introduce myself earlier but you were with Lord Talon. My name is Ashleigh I will be your attendant if you need anything simply call or pull the cord by your bed. For now, however, I will take you to big sister Adhira for your training session." I followed the young girl down several hallways.

"I should give you a heads up. Adhira is known as the lightning beast, for good reason to. She is a captain with her own team and is extremely capable in battle. You know what they say about electricity and water. Anyway, she's a bit intimidating but she's a really nice person who cares about the people around her. But if she makes you do something strange, just know that she has a reason for everything she does. I should also probably mention that she's my big sister." Ashleigh smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, Ashleigh. Mind if I ask, what kind of mermaid are you? I mean are you a lightning user like Adhira?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm a Pearl Keeper. I can use echolocation to find even the smallest of valuables. Right now I collect different types of jewelry from shipwrecks, whenever I can. Although my time is usually spent here, working as a maid. I'm trying to save up enough to buy my own home."

"So can all merfolk use echolocation?" That's what I had used back within the darkness of the ship.

"No only Pearl Keepers can use it, silly. That's what makes us special. Each merclass has a unique ability that separated them from other merclasses. Keepers use echolocation, Weather Workers can sense natural weather patterns, Masters use magic without words, Slingers can remember even the hardest incantations, and Gazers can sense where each star is without even looking at the sky. Royalty are the exceptions, the king and queen gain the unique ability to use all abilities."

"So Masters can't use echolocation? Can sirens have multiple abilities? " Now I was confused. I controlled magic like a Master but I also had the echolocation ability as a Keeper.

"No, Masters cannot use echolocation, and sirens are just like normal merrow, they are just born differently. They still fall under one category or another." She looked back at me like I was stupid. "Anyway, we are here." We were at a large open 'air' training ground. A blonde mermaid sat in the middle, her tail folded under her as if she were sitting on her knees. Her eyes were closed but her head jerked up when she heard us. Her hair was pulled into two braids which wrapped around her head before falling down her back.

Adhira's tail was much like her younger sisters except Ashleigh's was pink and blue, her's was yellow, so light it looked white at first, and crimson. Lightning-like scars mauled her skin and tail, giving her a ragged and battle worn appearance. She wore a silver breastplate with a matching shoulder guard on the right side. Nothing ornate like the queens, but it was dented in areas, cracked in others, she had obviously worn it in battle many times.

Her face was scarred, a large scar running from above her right eye to the bottom of her left cheek. Another scar covered her right eye and a burn mark marred her neck. She was definitely intimidating. "Big sis I brought your new student. This is Frost." Ashleigh smiled happily, her voice causing Adhira to open her eyes and look at me with yellow cat-like orbs. Adhira looked me up and down, a look of disappointment crossed her features, but she finally 'stood' up. Her shoulders were broad and she was at least a whole two feet taller than me.

"So you look the part of Master of Ice, but a WEAK Master. You're scrawny, no muscle and probably can't use a weapon. Well, aren't you going to defend yourself?"

I turned to look at Ashleigh but she had left without me realizing, leaving me alone with Adhira. I gulped, my voice wavering a bit. "I wasn't a fighter ma'am. I was a runner, my muscle was all in my legs, my body kept lean and light for sprinting. As far as weapons, well I harpooned some whalers a while back. Killed off a few of them before they killed my friend." She pressed her lips together and poked me in a few areas as I spoke.

"Harpooned, you say? What, did you grab their spent ammunition and threw it back at them?" I nodded with a 'Yes ma'am' my body stiffening into a military-like stance. She gave a sound of approval at that, returning to gaze down at me. "Smart move. Where did you hit them, and how did you throw? " So I explained to her all that had happened that day, including the part where I had reacted creating my own spears of ice, and encasing Mars in a coffin of crystal ice. She nodded smiling.

"Well muscle can be added with training, but it seems you already have the fighting sense of a warrior. Usually only found in those of us with crimson tails. How unusual."

"Ma'am if I may?" She lifted her brows 'go on'. "I think I'm unusual in general."

"How so boy?" Her voice was gentle and gruff at the same time, instilling strength but showing kindness.

"I was speaking with Ashleigh and she told me that only Pearl Keepers like her have echolocation and Masters like me do not." She nodded following along. "But when I first woke up in the darkness of the deep ocean, where the ship I was on is sitting, I used echolocation to find my way around. I would make a sound and a picture would come back, clear as day. Yet I am a Spell Master, someone without that. See my confusion?" Her eyebrows knitted together in thought.

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?" When I nodded she hummed. "Siamak wasn't lying when he said you were special. Are you sure you were human once?" She asked and I once again nodded furiously.

"There is something weird about me, huh?" I looked down at the ground.

"Weird, no. Powerful, yes." I looked at her, questioningly. "You'll figure it out eventually, probably. Shall we start training?