Eclipse

Chapter 35

Eclipse's POV
Maybe we were at the right spot. Oikawa told us where those disappearances were going. And here we were. Standing right back at the shore..

"So.. Can I ask what you guys do?" I asked Kaito who looked over at me while we walked.

"What do you mean."

"Like, the stories about you guys say that you lure sailors to their death by singing."

"What?"

"I dunno, that's what the stories say."

"Well, I mean. We can. But I don't know if that's ever been the intention. I've never done that, and neither of my dads have either."

"Really. So, are your songs as alluring as the books say?"

"I don't know what your books say. But our singing does have a charming effect." Kaito said with a sigh. She seemed almost upset. I tilted my head and took a few steps closer.

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no nothing's wrong." She mumbled, taking a few steps away. I looked at her, curious about what she was hiding. But whatever it was seemed to bother her. Or maybe she was just still really bothered about her dads. I would be too, but at least we were kind of getting a hint? I sighed, leaving her alone and stopping with the questions. After a bit of walking, I grabbed her arm and pointed.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Look. There's someone over there. This is really far from the village, and I don't think it's near anywhere else." I said, pointing to a man wandering by a large tree further down the shoreline. Kaito nodded and we began walking towards him quicker. Once the man saw us, he smiled.

"Are you two young ladies lost?" He asked with a raised brow.

"No. What are you doing so far out here?" I asked, the man just shrugging.

"I could be asking you two the same thing."

"We're looking for someone."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Have you seen a man with red hair at all lately?"

"Red hair, hm? As red as yours?" He asked, looking at Kaito who nodded. He nodded with a small hum before turning to walk off. Kaito and I looked at each other before following after him. The man turned the corner of a rocky cliff to show there was a ship he had in the water. Kaito began looking worried as I squinted, scanning what I could before stopping in my tracks and gently tugging at her arm.

"Hey... Look." I said, gesturing to a net that was lowered in the water. It was hard to see, but you were able to just barely spot the red hair and tail of Satori. And if you spotted him, it was easy to see Wakatoshi next to him. Both of them tangled up in the net and something covering their mouths to keep them from talking or possibly singing.

"My parents..." Kaito said in a whisper. I looked around, whispering back so that weird creepy guy wouldn't hear.

"Okay. I'm gonna see if I can distract that guy and whoever's on the boat. You go in the water, use the mermaid scale, and go underwater to get them. Here, you can use this to cut the ropes." I said, handing her a little knife in a leather holder I carried around. She looked at me uncertain as I turned and chased after the guy so she'd have a chance to get into the water.

Kaito's POV
Why was this girl helping me so willingly. We had no idea who these men were. But anyone who captured sirens, mermaids, or really any creature, even humans, were surely traders. Eclipse was busy talking, getting the guy to look ahead so his back was turned to me. I took the chance to go into the water, getting used to my tail again before swimming in deep and circling around to try and avoid being spotted.

I swam up underneath the net, both my dads looking at me with concern. I grabbed the little knife, thingy, that Eclipse had given me and got to work sawing away at the rope. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, these ropes were thicker than I knew. Then again, I've never really seen a net. Hunters would usually just lie in wait for mermaids or sirens to venture a little too close to shore and my dads always made me stay where the water was too deep and dark for humans.

Once enough of the rope was cut, I reached in and removed the rope binding their hands and then the soaked clothes covering their mouths. Both of them were careful to not move the rope too much as they made their way out of the opening I created. We had no time to celebrate since the men must have seen or heard. I looked up and saw them grabbing harpoon guns. My dad grabbing my hand to drag me off when I saw the creepy guy from earlier grabbing Eclipse.

"...Dad, we have to save her."

"What??" He said with surprise, pushing me away as a harpoon was shot towards me. Just missing.

"Kaito-"

"NOW." I said, both my fathers swimming to the surface. The men took their aims, but before the triggers could be pulled, they both opened their mouths and began to sing. I listened quietly to their voices. Both were hauntingly beautiful, just as every other siren's call. While the men on the boat were distracted by the song, I swam back quite a distance before swimming quickly towards the ship.

I was out of practice leaping, but I managed. I leapt out of the water, grabbing Eclipse from the deck before crashing back into the water. I snapped my fingers in her face to get her out of the trance. Plus. She'd drown if I didn't. Once she snapped out of it, she changed so she was a mermaid again. Both of us returning towards my dads.

Once we were out of range of the harpoons, my fathers ceased their singing and dove deep into the water with us where it was safe. Eclipse was laughing as I was dragging her behind me.

"Woahhhh, your guys music really IS enchanting. More than I thought."

"Yeah. Well. My dads have special music since they're the leaders."

"Guess so, but still, that was amazing. Anyway, thanks for saving me there." She said with a smile. I nodded slowly before looking back at her.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Use yourself as bait and distraction. How did you know I would save you. What if I had just saved my fathers and left?"

"Oh I knew you wouldn't do that."

"How do you know."

"I wasn't lying when I told you that one time that I knew you wouldn't hurt anything."

"Really?"

"Mhm. I see good in you." She said with a wink, swimming ahead. Leaving me a bit confused, but happy at her statement.