Checkmated

Life Can Be Cruel

    Darkness and the stench of blood wafted through the air, filling the lungs of a tiny 4-year-old sirens nose. Kenna stared blankly at the wall of her parents' cave; tear streaks laid dried on her pale cheeks. The young female's family had just been slaughtered as she lay hidden behind a boulder in the darkest part of the cave, her mother stashed her there only moments before the hunters had infiltrated their home and taken the lives of more than 30 sirens, including the queen, Kenna's mother. Life had been cruel to the child and she wished she would have died with her family. A soft voice called into the cave and Kenna curled in on herself, trying desperately to make her body as small as possible. The last thing Kenna saw before grief overtook her was a woman with pale blonde hair and emerald green eyes leaning over to pick up her fragile body and take her from the cave of horrors.

When Kenna opened her stormy grey eyes, she was met with a breathtaking view of a waterfall. Slowly she stood and stretched her sore arms and legs, moving to the edge of the lake she had woken up on she stepped a foot in and smiled as her tail began to replace her legs. As a siren she could make her tail appear simply by putting her feet in water and it would disappear as soon as she was dry again. Kenna dove into the water and stretched her body, the water caused her body to lose all tension and wash away the tear stains that lined her cheeks.

"Little siren, what are you doing awake?" The melodic voice that called from the shoreline caused Kenna to duck beneath the water quickly, in an attempt to save herself. She peeked above the surface and saw the woman who had rescued her, she quickly swam to the edge of the pool and got out to meet her savior. "Child, there is no reason to fear, I will protect you. I am known as Davena and I won't let anyone harm you ever again." The sincerity in her voice eased Kenna's fear slightly but not all of it disappeared

"They killed my mommy" the child's tiny voice seemed to drift on the wind as she stood before her savior with fear and anger in her eyes. She didn't know who this woman was or why she had saved her, but Kenna vowed to keep herself guarded until she knew this woman was safe to trust. For the next 10 years, Kenna lived with Davena and trained daily to avenge her family, she wouldn't go down without a fight. Kenna never allowed herself to get close to people because she had seen death and the inane violence caused by mankind, she refused to let herself be made a victim again. 

"Come now, my little minx, work harder and defend yourself" the male screaming at Kenna made her anger flare. He was her brother, her trainer and her comrade in battle but there was times, such as this, that she just wished he would leave her be and let her do her own training. Kenna had been distracted for most of the morning as it was the eve of her 19th birthday, she knew that the next day she would be done with training and sent into the world to search out the murderers of her family.

"Leave me Draken, I wish not to fight you this day" her voice was more of a snarl than actual words but she knew the male would understand her. His cold grey eyes flashed over to his younger sibling, the one his mother had rescued all those years ago, he had come to love the small female as if she was his blood.

"Little minx, you must train, it is your last day with us here and I need to know you are prepared to take on the world ahead of you. You are still very little and I do not wish to see some human take you over and ruin the innocence that I still see swimming in your sweet eyes. Please indulge me in just one more battle, I wish to know you are ready for mother to release you" Draken stopped moving his sword and stared vacantly at the nearly full grown woman that stood before him. The young siren he had met many moons before had seemed so tiny and fragile, her stormy grey eyes laden with tears and pain from the loss of her mother and family. The petite female now stood at 5 foot 11 inches, her body had matured to that of a gorgeous young siren, breasts that would draw any male's attention her way and get her the answers she needed, hair as red of a fire engine, lips as soft and pink as a water lily and eyes as deep and stormy grey as the clouds above the seas of time. Deep in his heart, Draken knew the siren was ready but he wasn't quite ready to allow her away, she was his to protect and protect her he would, until his dying breath. 

"One more battle, my brother but that is all, I will fight no longer" Kenna drew her daggers from her boot and advanced slowly, stealthily towards Draven, her eyes shining with mischief and her lips parting to release a soft siren song, luring the male in for the kill shot. As Draken stepped towards his sister, she stepped to the right and placed a dagger against his throat, a grin gracing her lips.

"You know better than to use your song, that is unfair" Draken tried desperately to hide the grin from his face, she was ready and he knew that. After a few more sparing blows, he told her she was done. Kenna left the training arena and headed towards her room to prepare for the ceremony that was to take place at midnight, when the moon rolled onto her birthday and cast shadows upon her future