Into the Deep - 1. Chapter 1

 

 

Into The Deep

 

Toumas woke in his small fisherman's hut as he always did, to the salt of the sea and the crash of it's waves against his ears. He sat up and swung his feet off the bed, the weathered planking cold underneath his bare feet, and combed a hand through his dark, mussed hair. The sea sighed and sang to him, as it always did. Toumas stood and stretched, dressed, grabbed his nets and was through the door as the sun rose. The sea was singing to him and he intended to answer it.

 

He sang with the rest of the fishermen as they threw their nets and hauled in their catches. The sea sang to them and they sang back, against the rhythm of waves and rope hitting the water. Toumas pulled in a good load of fish and saw something strange, a pale color and shape amongst the fins and gills and black staring eyes. He reached into the mass of wrestling, squirming bodies and pulled it out. It was an egg, smooth and oval, laying heavy in the palm of his hand. He frowned, turning it. It was uniform white, no symbols or markings on it and larger than most he had seen.

 

"What do you have there?" his friend Pontus asked, glancing over from his own tangled net.

 

Toumas shrugged. "Egg," he said, holding it up. "Yours?"

 

Pontus shook his head. Toumas shrugged and set it aside, in his satchel where he kept his spare sandals and netting. It was a strange object to pull from the sea and he assumed one of his coworkers had dropped it. He would keep it safe until someone asked for it. If no one did, then it would be a good addition to his meal that evening, a splash of new flavor to his usual diet of fish and seaweed. Toumas continued to haul in the days catch, singing and laughing with the other men there. No one inquired about the egg and even though he eventually asked around, no one claimed it. Toumas shrugged it off and returned home at the end of the day, several fish strung up on his line for his dinner, and the rest off to the market to be sold. He fried up his fish and studied the egg. He cracked it open, and the yolk and surrounding white slid out smoothly, both the right color and with no odor, into his pan and he fried it up as well. Toumas ate, then walked out the shore, scrubbing his pan with sand to clean it. He rinsed it off well, then stripped and waded into the ocean. He swam for a few moments, diving into the dark quiet underwater, then floated on his back to stare up at the stars in the night sky winking back at him. This was his favorite part of the day, being held in the sea's buoyancy, relaxing into the gentle rhythm of the sways underneath him. He eventually made his way back to shore, familiar enough with his home to avoid disorientation in the dark. His father had lived in this lonely hut for a long time before marrying and producing a child, as had his father before him. Toumas knew it was expected of him to eventually find a wife and produce a son (or several), have a life in town and leave the hut empty again until one of his offspring took over the business of catching fish. Toumas was not looking forward to that part of his life and was content to put it off as long as possible. All of his family had worked at or with the sea and it was as much a part of him as the blood flowing in his veins or the brown color of his eyes. He knew the timing of the sea--the pattern of her tides, when she would be bountiful with her supply of fish and when she would be stingy, when she was open and welcoming and when she was destructive and vengeful. He felt at home here, at peace on the cliff above the sea, with her whisper always in his ear and her presence always surrounding him. The thought of living away from her, in the stink and noise of the town saddened him.

 

The sea was his lover and he wanted no one else.

 

Or so he thought.

 

The next day was another good one for hauling in fish, perhaps the best that season. Toumas was pulling in the bulk of the catch, bringing about a few grumbles from his companions. His captain was pleased, though, as he gave Toumas his purse for the day. Toumas, feeling cheerful and adventurous, walked through town briefly, buying various breads, wine and fruit--olives, plums, pomegranate and figs, things he knew his sister would like. He stopped by to see her and his ailing mother. Ligera greeted him with a radiant smile as always, and his mother gave him the same vacant, gap toothed smile she always gave him when he pressed a kiss to her withered cheek, but there was no spark of recognition in her faded brown eyes. His mother used to be as beautiful as her daughter, but she had wasted way after her husband's death and was now a shriveled, wasted shadow of her former self. Toumas sometimes wandered if she would still be vibrant and healthy if his father was still alive…another unfortunate victim of the sea.

 

He spoke to Ligera, who took rare midday break from her clacking loom to share a glass of wine with him. She proudly showed him her wedding dress and veil, both products of her own hands and talent. Toumas teased her briefly, bringing a blush to her cheeks. Toumas had arranged her a husband after their father had perished and she would be wed as soon as he returned from his training as a solider. She knew little of her future husband, but Toumas had taken care to be sure the suitor was at least loyal to his country, compassionate and a good supporter.

 

He kissed Ligera soundly on both cheeks before he left, then went by the apothecary and spent the rest of his purse to lessen their considerable debt. Their mother was not faring well, but the steady diet of medicine at least made her comfortable and healthy as possible. If there existed a remedy for a broken heart, he would sell everything he had to obtain it, but unfortunately, there was little to bring her back to the way she used to be.

 

Toumas was contemplative that evening, when walking outside after dinner. His visit home, while pleasant, left a bit of bittersweetness in his chest. He loved seeing the beautiful woman his sister was growing up as, but it always reminded him of how things used to be, when their father was alive and their mother was happy.

 

He looked at the sky. There were no stars tonight, and the moon was not visible, all hidden behind a thick scree of clouds. He walked to the cliff edge and tilted his head back, enjoying the cooler air of the evening playing over his face and body.

 

Toumas was lulled into a deep sense of peace and relaxation, the rhythm of waves almost hypnotic when a chilling cry, the ice cold sound that would only issue from the throat of a predator, shattered the stillness of the night. It was a horrible sound that screeched through his ears and sheared the edges of the cliff with a deafening echo. Toumas glanced around, his head still ringing from the force of it and his eyes straining the blanket of night all around him. It was too dark to see more than vague outlines of landmarks he already knew. Something, a large monstrosity descended, black against black and struck his face with blunt force. Toumas stepped back, instinctively raising his hands to ward off the unknown attack. Something sharp and honed to a cruel point, scored his face perilously close to his eye. Cursing, he stumbled back again, not remembering how close he was to the crumbling cliff edge. The creature attacked again, striking him on the side of the head and scoring another razor sharp line across his temple. Dazed, he lost his footing and felt the stomach dropping sensation of empty air underneath him. His stomach flexed helplessly, trying to regain balance on ground that was simply no longer there. He let himself fall, praying that he would at least miss the rocks and in the back of his mind, registered the melancholy that he was unable to see the moon again before he died.

 

He hit the surface of the water with a breath stealing crash, unable to recover before the sea parted and swallowed him.

 

Toumas awoke the next morning, gasping as he sat up, at home in his bed. He took a deep breath, still feeling the sensation of water filling his nose and mouth, sending burning tendrils into his lungs as he fought for air that wasn't there. He shook his head. He didn't remember being rescued, or being taken home. But here he was, in his bed, clothes and hair still wet. Toumas stood up, shucking his wet clothes and stripping the wet sheets off his bed. He walked into the bathroom and raked back his wet hair, studying his reflection. He looked the same, with the addition of several scratches from his attacker. He flexed his shoulders and rolled his neck.

 

He was sore, sure, but that was it. He sighed and changed into some clothes before dealing with breakfast. He couldn't remember what had happened after he fell into the sea, which was disturbing, but he was back home, undamaged and not dead. That was all that mattered.

 

Work was difficult that day. Toumas' sore muscles grumbled and complained, but what bothered him was the sound of the sea. Usually he heard the familiar melody of the waves, the gentle bob and swell of water against the boat, the gentle roar as it crashed onto the rocks of the cliffs near the shore. This time it sounded different, like it was speaking directly to him, whispering his name.

 

TOUMAS. TOUMAS. TOOOOUMASSSSS.

 

None of the other fisherman seemed to hear it and so Toumas chalked it up to his imagination, which was apparently building on the previous night's experience and was trying to spook him.

 

But it wasn't just the strange, haunting sound of the sea that drew him, but the very thought of the ocean underneath him. While he appreciated the sea's vastness and enjoyed swimming in her cool waters, he had never felt the kind of compulsive curiosity he felt to explore it the way he did now. To slip under the cerulean blue to find all that was hidden below, not just the fish that he pulled from her womb, but the shells and coral and other delights he often saw at the market. It was so strong he found himself leaning over the railing of the ship, staring down into the endless patterns of the waves below him, not even noticing how far over he was leaning until his balance passed the precarious tipping point and he found himself sliding forward.

 

"Toumas!" A rough hand grabbed the back of his tunic and pulled him away from the railing. Toumas spun around to see Pontus, a friend and former lover of his, staring at him, wide eyed and red faced. "What the hell is wrong with you? You almost went over the edge!"

 

"I--" Toumas blinked, hard, trying to will his thoughts back into proper rational order. "I was looking at something."

 

"What?" Pontus asked.

 

"I don't know," Toumas admitted. He refused to acknowledge that rather than being relieved that Pontus pulled him back from what was certainly a suicidal headfirst plunge into the water, he was actually a little disappointed.

 

"Hey, are you okay?" Pontus asked, his broad tanned face showing nothing but honest concern. Toumas glanced over his shoulder, back at the tempting beguiling blue.

 

"I think I will be."

 

* * *

 

Toumas sat outside, looking up at the moon and thinking. The sea was still sighing his name in the balmy evening air, inviting him in.

 

He found himself thinking of Pontus. They had been lovers, once upon a long ago time, tumbling together in his tiny home, hungry for each other and speaking in a language of grunts and moans. Toumas missed it sometimes, the feel of those hands; roughened by the salt and sea and the friction of the fishing nets.

 

Toumas lit his pipe and smoked, continuing to stare at the moon as the smoke drifted upwards towards it, eventually curling away in the the sky. Pontus had grown anxious for a family, so he had eventually went to find a woman and make a child. Toumas, content with his simple bachelors life for the moment, did not follow suit. He found company when he wanted it, which wasn't very often.

 

Now, though….

 

TOUMAS. TOUMAS…

 

He closed his eyes and continued to smoke. He felt his mind relaxing and loosening up and memories of the other night rose up. He could remember the frightening attack of the unknown, the breathless free fall and the crush of his body against the surface of the water. He remembered sinking, struggling blindly, unable to orient himself to the surface. Arms closed around his body, hands gripped him…

 

And then?

 

Toumas struggled to find the memories inside his mind, but they weren't surfacing. Someone had saved him but he couldn't remember who. The answer was there, in the sea that had been beckoning him.

 

He could still hear her voice in his ears, still feel the relentless pull of the sea in his body. It spoke to him, in this brain, in his heart and in his gut, calling him back.

 

Toumas lay awake most of the night, watching the moon's slow progress and smoking, listening to the sea's call. He watched the moon sink to her resting place and the sun creep up to take his glory. He eventually stood up and made his way down the cliffs to the water's edge. The boat would be coming in soon but he wouldn't be at the harbor to meet it. Toumas strolled along the rocky shore, then kicked off his shoes and shed his clothes, walking naked into the water. It was like coming home. The cool water closed up around his body as he entered it, the smooth sensation soothing him. The pull was stronger now, filling up his chest with the desire for the sea, drawing him onward. He swam out, until he was surrounded by water and the shore was nothing but a small sliver on the horizon. He took a breath, filled up his lungs and dove.

 

His father, who had made his living on the sea the same way Toumas did, had taught him to swim and how to react if caught in the turbulent environment of the ocean. Always swim towards the light, he had been told. You couldn't always orient yourself underwater if you had fallen overboard but you know you were heading to the surface, instead of deeper in the sea or towards the hull of a ship, if you aimed for the light. Toumas turned his back against the light and swam in the opposite direction, to the deep blue that darkened into indigo and then was too dark to see. Objects darted around him, fish and other ocean life and still he swam, emptying his lungs in a stream of silver bubbles and he swam, down and down. His lungs burned for air and he breathed in compulsively, unable to stop himself, feeling the deep searing pain as water filled up his mouth and nose. The burn in his chest was an agony and he felt the first stirrings of fear. He could die any moment now, deep within the ocean, alone.

 

But even through that, the call remained, and he followed it heedlessly.

 

Toumas. Toumas.

 

Arms around him. Hands on his face. A mouth fixed over his, breathing air into his lungs.

 

Welcome home.

 

 

Toumas awoke with a gasp of air that was almost painful to his body. His eyes registered stone, a few shafts of sunlight penetrating the high ceiling of the space he was in, giving scattered illumination. He was sprawled on a rock ledge a few feet above the water. It resembled a cave of some sort, probably an underwater cove on a beach. There was a splash and a shape moving under the water towards where he sat. Toumas drew back slightly, and watched as a human head, then a torso surfaced from the water. The stranger floated on his back lazily for a few moments. His body was covered with healthy muscle under pale skin down to his torso before it melded into a gray film of scaled skin that shimmered with water droplets. He had a handsome face, with dark eyes and long dark hair that floated like a puddle of spilled ink around his head. He disappeared under the water again and resurfaced near where Toumas sat and folded his arms on the ledge, regarding him with open curiosity.

 

"Who are you?" Toumas asked.

 

I think the question is, who are you? the man answered. It took a minute for Toumas to notice that the man spoke without moving his lips.

 

"I-My name is Toumas."

 

Why are you here, Toumas?

 

"I was trying to figure something out."

 

And what is that?

 

Toumas stared at the man's face. "Did you save me the other night?"

 

Yes. It is our job to protect those who are given to the sea through violence. It is rare we come across those that come in willingly.

 

"Who are you?" Toumas asked again. A chill was creeping over his skin.

 

We are children of the sea. You shall know me as Tyrrhenian.

 

"What are you going to do with me?" Toumas asked.

 

Tyrrhenian raised an eyebrow. Well, that is an interesting question. You came into the sea willingly. I am not obligated to protect you. Yet, I did. I took you here to this safe place and I can safely guide you back home. But I require a price for my trouble.

 

"I don't have any money," Toumas said.

 

I need no money.

 

"What do you want then?" Toumas asked. Tyrrhenian regarded him, then lifted himself up onto the ledge, droplets of water clinging to his chest and tail. Toumas, overcome with curiosity, reached forward and stroked the tail, feeling the play of powerful muscles underneath the scales. It was long and smooth, the tip of it still resting in the water, but Toumas could still see the powerful flukes, the same iridescent gray as the rest of the tail. The stranger's hand captured his own, brought it up so that Toumas was touching his belly, then his chest. Tyrrhenian moved in closer, sighing softly.

 

It has been a long time since I have felt a human touch. Tyrrhenian said. And you are a handsome man. The stranger released his hand and Toumas didn't withdraw, slid it up Tyrrhenian's neck until Toumas was pulling him close and stealing a kiss from the cool, pale lips, tasting salt water and the secrets of the deep.

 

 

Tyrrhenian had been insatiable, and Toumas was soon lost in the waves of pleasure that crashed over him, only able to remember broken pieces of sensation…the feel of the creature's heavy weight upon him, the heat that radiated off his human flesh, the taste of his mouth. Toumas could remember crying out as Tyrrhenian's mouth worked his cock and the delicious unbearable friction as they rolled, undulated and thrust against each other on the hard stone. Toumas fell asleep shortly afterwards, spent and exhausted, his head resting on Tyrrhenian's chest. He was bitterly disappointed to wake up back in his fisherman's hut atop the cliffs. He sat up, brushing back damp hair and rubbing salt and sleep from his eyes, then dressed and went outside. It was still light out, mid to late afternoon, judging from the sun. Toumas remembered Tyrrhenian's words.

 

I took you here to this safe place and I can safely guide you back home.

 

And here he was, safely back at home. And wishing he was back in the sea, with Tyrrhenian. Toumas sighed softly, raking his hair back. He had never wanted more than his simple life serving the sea. But now…

 

TOUMAS. TOUMAS. TOUMAS.

 

The sea still called his name. And he was still compelled to answer it.

 

Instead he turned and went to re-enter his home. He stopped mid-turn, catching a movement out of corner of his eye. There was figure standing in the trees, watching him. A female, long and dark. She approached him, slowly. Her eyes and long hair were as dark as the depths of the ocean and she was wrapped in a cloak of jet black feathers. As she drew closer, she unfurled the cloak, revealing her nude body. She wasn't unattractive, but Toumas still had the memory of Tyrrhenian's touch all over his body and wasn't interested in what she was wordlessly offering. He shook his head and stepped back. She paused, looking confused, then advanced again, holding out her arms for him.

 

"No," Toumas said, finally. "I don't know how you got here but I can lead you back to town if you want. You'll need some clothes."

 

The woman gave him another puzzled look, then spread her cloak wider, to reveal her body, sliding her hand over her breasts and belly in an openingly seductive manner. She gave him an inviting smile and reached for his face. Toumas caught her wrists in his hand and pulled her hands away from him. "I'm not interested," he repeated, releasing her wrists and pushing her away. She stared at him blankly for a moment more, until he turned for the house.

 

She let out a sound that was a cross between a snarl and a scream, morphing into a monstrous black bird in front of his astonished eyes. It rose into the air, beating massive wings, and dived for his face. He threw up his arms, much like he did when attacked before as claws scoured his arms and the beak jabbed at his scalp and forehead, seeking out the soft meat of his eyes. Unlike the other night, he was not near the cliff edge and wasn't disadvantaged by lack of light. He fell to the ground, tucking his head to present a smaller target and cast around for one of his nets. He found one, worn but still intact and tossed it up towards the bird. His first throw missed, but his second one snagged part of a foot and trapped a wing, allowing him to bring it down. It changed forms midair, hitting the ground as a human female again and leapt at him, full fury and letting out the shrieks and caws of a frenzied animal. The sheer momentum knocked Toumas off his feet and he hit the ground hard, disoriented for a moment.

 

She took that pause to free herself of his net and morphed into her bird form again. He spun and jumped to his feet, prepared to defend himself, but she wheeled away and flew out of sight, apparently accepting defeat for the time being. He sighed and wiped a hand across his forehead. His arm was smeared with blood, both from the scratches on his arm and the wounds on his head and face. He used sea water to rinse the wound and applied pressure to the worst of them to staunch the bleeding.

 

He was increasing curious about this bird-female hybrid and the reasons for her attacks. She was obviously the same creature that attacked him the other night and he doubted it was spurning her advance that had enraged her so. He sat down. The bleeding had slowed and was already clotting. Had he not just had a passionate encounter with a man who was half fish just a few hours prior, he supposed he would have been alarmed at a creature that could easily shift between human form and bird form. If he could figure out what all of them wanted from him, that would sure clear things up.

 

He erred on the side of caution, and spend the remainder of the day inside, windows covered just in case the bird decided to return. It did not, and when he returned to work, Pontus eyed the marks on his face and arms with evident concern.

 

"What happened yesterday?" Pontus asked. "I was worried when you weren't on the boat."

 

"Fell," Toumas grunted, hoping the lie would explain away his injuries and his absence and discourage any further questions.

 

The next day, the sea was calling to him again. Toumas didn't even try to deny it. He left his nets by the front door, ran down to the shore and dove into an oncoming wave. He could see the blur of the sun through the wavering veil of water as he sank, then turned away from it, and headed for the deep. He didn't make it very far before he felt arms wrap around him and a playful kiss to his neck. Toumas turned and saw Tyrrhenian's dark form next to him. He smiled.

 

Hello, Tyrrhenian greeted him.

 

Toumas didn't try to reply, but did notice, with a little bit of wonder, that he was able to breath fairly normally. He would inhale water, then exhale water, somehow able to filter in air to his lungs while doing so. Tyrrhenian was pulling on his hands, drawing him ever deeper. Toumas kicked with his feet to keep up, feeling awkward and clumsy next to Tyrrhenian who was able to cut through the water in a manner that appeared effortless. Tyrrhenian brought him to the cove where they had made love prior, pulling Toumas close and kissing him again as soon as they surfaced.

 

"I can breathe!" Tomuas exclaimed with wonder.

 

Tyrrhenian smiled at his enthusiasm. Yes. It is one of the sea's many gifts. I gave you my breath when you first swam down here. So as long as you are with me, you can breath as I do.

 

"What other gifts do you have?" Toumas asked. He remained in the water, thighs gripping Tyrrhenian below the waist. He could feel the flex of Tyrrhenian's tail as it worked to keep them afloat and could feel the slight swell of Tyrrhenian's member as it began to wake up and harden.

 

We can see every aspect of the ocean, even when it is too dark for natural light. We can travel to the bottom of the sea and not be affected by the pressure of the water. We can travel anywhere there is water and do not require voices to communicate. And we have the obvious physical attributes. Tyrrhenian flexed his tail again and Toumas felt a more insistent nudge. Toumas moved forward to kiss him as his hand closed around Tyrrhenian's shaft underneath the water. Tyrrhenian made a strange humming sound deep in his throat and returned the favor. They made love again, in the water, Toumas pressed up against the rocky wall as Tyrrhenian thrust against him, their mouths locked together. Toumas gripped Tyrrhenian's shoulders and buried his face in his hair as waves of pleasure crashed and swept over him. It was then he realized that he had finally found what he wanted. A lover. A home.

 

~~~~~

 

Tyrrhenian worked Toumas over just as thoroughly as before, leaving him exhausted. He lay sprawled on the stone ledge, letting the warm air dry him as he watched Tyrrhenian swim. He moved through the water as fluidly and effortlessly as any fish, his hair streaming out behind him. He resurfaced near Toumas and Toumas reached out to touch his face. Tyrrhenian turned his face into the caress, pressing his lips against Toumas' palm. Toumas didn't withdraw his hand, but kept it there, tracing over the angles of Tyrrhenian's face and stroking his hair. His heart did a slow strange roll in his chest.

 

You are thinking something, Tyrrhenian observed.

 

"When we are done here, you will take me back home?" Toumas asked.

 

I will.

 

"What if I don't want to go?"

 

You must, Tyrrhenian replied. You are a land dwelling creature, you belong on the land. I am a sea creature, I belong in the ocean.

 

"But isn't there a way I can stay?" Toumas protested. "I mean, someway I could be like you? Then I wouldn't have to go. I could stay here and we could see each other whenever we want. Do this-" He gestured around the small cove "-whenever we want. Isn't there some way you can make me like you are?"

 

It's not that simple Toumas, Tyrrhenian told him. His eyes were sad but held his gaze firmly. It is not in my power to change you from a land dwelling creature into a sea dwelling creature. You would have to end your life on land and sacrifice yourself to the sea. And our kind do not reproduce. You would never have heirs, children.

 

"I don't care about that," Toumas said. "I have no need for children."

 

Those who do become part of the sea need to be clean, pure. And you are not.

 

"How am I impure?" Toumas asked. His stomach sank. If sex made him unclean, then it was too late for him. Even before Tyrrhenian, it would have been too late.

 

You have a curse upon you, Toumas, Tyrrhenian told him. The sea will not accept you unless it is lifted and you are cleansed. I can take care of you, but I cannot keep you here. The sea will not allow it.

 

"What curse?" Toumas asked. "What is it?"

 

I do not know. I can see it on you, but I don't know what it is or what caused it. That is a mystery you will have to discover on your own. Tyrrhenian's eyes softened as he observed Toumas' heartbroken expression. You can still see me. I can still visit you.

 

It wasn't enough. Toumas thought, staring at the cove and Tyrrhenian's face. He had a taste of it, this world, this lover and now it was a hunger he couldn't ignore.

 

Toumas slept most of the afternoon after Tyrrhenian returned him home. He crept out at night, but didn't stay long, afraid of another visit from the winged predator. He stayed inside, thinking over the last few days and racking his brains to figure out what had cursed him. Had he done something to displease the Gods? When the sun came up, he was no more the wiser, and went into town, cleaned up at the public baths and then went to a temple. He laid his meager gifts down as offering and bowed to the priest who approached him.

 

The priest gently inquired about his business there. Toumas, who had little contact with the scholars and priests who populated this part of town, was ill at ease.

 

"I have a problem. There is a creature who is harassing me and I seek to know why. I have reason to believe that I am cursed, because of her, and I know not why or how to resolve it."

 

The priest nodded. "Well, I do not know why you might have attracted such misfortune. Have you sought inside yourself and found no answers?"

 

"None."

 

"Well, then I would suggest undergoing dream incubation where you can ask for guidance from the gods. Morpheus might be able to shed some light on the matter."

 

Toumas was willing to try anything, so he underwent the sacrificial offering, the cleanings and binding required. He laid down in a room underneath a statue of Morpheus, breathing in the deep frankincense incense as he closed his eyes and drifted off.

 

He opened his eyes, mildly disappointed to find himself back on his familiar clifftop, overlooking the ocean. A figure approached and Toumas saw a man, golden skinned and handsome standing beside him. He wore sandals, and a hat affixed with golden, iridescent wings and carried the kerykeion in one hand.

 

"Your home," the man said, looking out over the ocean.

 

"It is," Toumas agreed.

 

"You want to know why you cannot become one with her," the man said, gesturing to the sea.

 

"I was told I was cursed," Toumas said.

 

"You are. Do you not know me?"

 

"No."

 

"I am the patron of thieves. For that is what you have become."

 

A thief? Toumas thought in dismay. He had never stolen in his life. "According to who?"

 

"Her," He pointed and Toumas followed his pointed finger. He saw the figure in the shadows of the trees again. He took a step back and bumped into the man, who was radiating a harsh heat against his back.

 

"She won't hurt you, " the man reassured. "See?"

 

Toumas looked again and saw that she was weeping, covering her face with her hands.

 

"I haven't done anything to her."

 

"You are a thief. That is why I am here. You stole from her."

 

"I didn't take anything from her!" Toumas exclaimed, frustrated. "I have never seen her before!"

 

The landscape shifted and blurred around him and Toumas found himself back on his fishing vessel, the boards rocking slightly underneath his feet. He was holding a large egg in his hand, just like the one that he fished out of the water a few days ago.

 

"How often do you pull eggs from the sea?" his companion asked. "You take what the sea gives you. But if it didn't come from the sea, it's not yours to take. You should have thrown it back. It belongs to her-" the man pointed up at the sky, where he could see her dark form circling, "-and she wants it back."

 

"Why? What does she want with it?"

 

"That is Peisinoe. That egg carried her voice, her song. She wants it back."

 

Toumas felt cold dread coalesce in his belly. He knew who Peisinoe was. Anyone who had ever worked near the sea had heard stories from sailors and adventurers from all over the about fearsome Sirens.

 

"You stole her voice," the man intoned solemnly. "She will haunt you until it is recovered. Until then, you are cursed."

 

"But it was just an egg," Toumas said. "I didn't know."

 

"Ignorance is no excuse. When you pull something from the sea that has no business being there, you must always return it."

 

"I can't," Toumas whispered. "It is gone. I consumed it."

 

In the seamless transitions of dreams, Toumas was back on the cliff, and he was staring up at Tyrrhenian's beautiful face, cradled in

the sea creature's arms. He was weeping and Toumas tasted the saltwater tears as they landed against his lips.

 

"The sea needs a sacrifice," Tyrrhenian was telling him. "But so does she."

 

Toumas felt his chest tighten at the sight of Tyrrhenian's tears and reached up to wipe them away. The hand that he lifted, however, was already covered in a crimson stain. Blood…

 

Toumas woke with a startled jerk, bathed in a clammy sweat. He rested his head on the marble floor and took a couple of long, deep breathes, trying to calm himself, then laughed hollowly. It was a mad sound. He lay there, praying to the gods. He prayed to Hermes, patron of thieves, even unintentional ones. By the time an acolyte came for him, Toumas knew, horribly, what needed to be done. And more horribly, that he was willing to go through with it.

 

* * *

 

The sky above Toumas was a dull slate gray, with occasional swathes of clouds snatched away for early morning sunlight to bleed through. Pontus watched him, his normally open, cheerful face full of obvious concern.

 

"I don't understand why you are doing this," Pontus tried, again, to reason with him. "You will die. If the exposure doesn't kill you, the sea will. One large wave and you'll flip, drown."

 

"I'm giving myself over to the sea," Toumas said. It was a half truth, but it suited his purposes well enough. He pulled at the knot that secured his feet and laid back on the raft to allow Pontus to tie down his hands. Pontus did so, tying strong knots because he knew Toumas would test them, which he did. Satisfied that they would not break when he started to struggle, Tomuas relaxed back, staring up at the diseased sky. Pontus knelt down down next to him, uncertain.

 

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice tight with despair. "Once you go, I can't bring you back. The current is too strong."

 

"I am sure," Toumas said. "This is what I want. It's sacrifice I must make. Just make sure you keep your promise."

 

"I'll keep an eye on Ligera," Pontus said. "I'll check on her so often my own wife will be jealous. I swear to you."

 

Toumas smiled. "I love you Pontus. You are a good friend."

 

Pontus sighed and gently pushed the raft out to sea, wading in up to his waist, then shoving it out into deeper water. Toumas lifted his head enough to see his friend fade into the distant horizon as the raft was taken by the current. He resumed staring at the sky. When he was busy making preparations, obtaining a raft, saying good bye to his sister, he had felt satisfied with his decision, at peace. He knew he couldn't live the rest of his life with Peisinoe's curse hanging over his head, waiting for attacks every few days. He had fought her off twice, true, but the first encounter would have killed him if not for Tyrrhenian. And even though she had only targeted him, he couldn't help but wonder if she would try to take her wrath out on other members of his family. He had been plagued with uneasy nightmares about visiting Ligera and finding her and his mother lying on the bloodstained floor with empty sockets where their eyes had been.

 

Now though, there was the panic and fear and inescapable sense of dread rested heavy in his chest. There was no turning back now, he was to accept the consequences of his actions.

 

From where he lay, Toumas could see a minuscule figure on the cliff edge where he used to live. As he watched, it jumped, and the figure morphed mid-air, drifting on a current of air, coasting closer. Toumas wanted to close his eyes, pretending this wasn't happening, but refused, focusing on the bird as it came closer, dropping down towards the sea and the waves. It landed near his legs, staring at him with beady black eyes, ruffling it's feathers as it was touched by the sea mist. Toumas lay exposed, naked except for his loincloth, staring back at it.

 

"Well, here I am you bitch," he growled. "Come and get what you came for."

 

The agony was so great it bordered on exquisite, and his screams echoed across the sea.

 

 

Toumas stared up at the sky without really seeing it. Blood pooled in his abdomen, where Peisinoe had torn him open with her beak and claws. She had eventually found what she was looking for, a tiny green pebble residing inside him, that she had plucked out and swallowed. Afterwards, she had transformed back into a female and had given him a gentle kiss before flying away, trilling out a hauntingly beautiful song with her restored voice. And left him there to die.

 

The blood continued to flow, sending out fresh waves with each breath and heartbeat. Something rocked the raft and Toumas opened his eyes to see Tyrrhenian next to him, staring down at him just as he did in the dream, tears in his eyes.

 

Oh, Toumas, Tyrrhenian took in the scene with despair blossoming in his dark eyes. Why?

 

"I wanted--to be with you," Toumas whispered, blood slipping from the corners of his mouth. "To break the curse, so we--so you--"

 

I know, I understand, Tyrrhenian said, pushing Toumas' hair back from his sweaty face. Tyrrhenian moved, untying the bonds that held him down, moving awkwardly once he was out of his natural environment. He gathered Toumas in his arms, his lover's blood smearing a dark trail over his own abdomen and tail. I'll make it happen,Tyrrhenian promised, stroking Toumas' face. All the gifts of the sea. Just like you wanted.

 

Toumas smiled weakly, letting his head rest against Tyrrhenian's chest, his eyes already heavy. He was having trouble keeping them open, but that was okay. Tyrrhenian was with him, and that was all he wanted right now. "I love you."

 

Tyrrhenian bent down, kissed him, then let them fall over the edge, into the sea. Toumas, cradled in the arms of his lover, finally let his eyes close. Finally happy. Finally at home.

 

Into the cold.

 

Into the blue.

 

Into the deep.

 

End.

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