Siren Charms

by Nethhiri

Summary:

A hunter of man sets her sights on the hunter of pirates. Why does she feel like she wants to savor this meal in particular?

Notes:

For the purposes of this story, the concept of siren is a combination of a mermaid and a harpy. The siren is a shapeshifting humanoid creature with an appetite for flesh to fuel its transformations. They can appear as a winged humanoid, a mermaid, or a winged mermaid. As long as the siren has fed, it is able to transform at will. The flesh of other creatures is metabolized into energy that feeds stem cells to rapidly divide and turn into the wings and/or tail of the siren. When the appendages are damaged severely, they remain damaged until the next transformation. The blood and saliva of sirens can be used to promote rapid healing.

As the siren is an entity of the ocean, devil fruit users taste horrible to them and will make them sick if they consume their blood or flesh. Sirens are very rare, thought of only as a myth. They are beings that have split off from Fish-men and are thought to have the blood of Lunarians flowing through them, hence the ability to form wings and a tail. They do not possess the abilities to control water or flame as the Fish-men or Lunarians do. However, they do possess superhuman strength, senses, and durability. In the water, they are faster than a Fish-man. Both of these things aiding in their capability as a top tier predator.

In addition to shapeshifting into a harpy or mermaid-like form, they can force themselves to appear more human, without sharp teeth or nails. Though to an experienced eye, their canine teeth appear much sharper than a normal human, even when they attempt to blend in. A siren normally has slitted pupils and varied shades of yellow to orange irises, but can make them appear rounder and more green so as not to alarm their prey. If using any of their siren 'powers', it is extremely difficult to hide these features.

Sirens are very beautiful by nature, thought to have evolved the shapeshifting traits in order to lure their three favorite types of prey, humans, Fish-men, and Lunarians. Often it is said that their voices have hypnotic powers over any being that hears them, though it is more of a suggestion than full-blown mind control. Pheromones given off by the skin of a siren and their mysterious aura only improve the efficacy of the hypnosis.

Sirens are found only in the New World, in very secluded areas. They are extremely territorial and only come together to reproduce. It is unknown if they can reproduce with other races. They are nocturnal and the coloring of their hair, feathers, and scales reflect this, commonly being near-black with iridescent reflections of other colors catching the light.

Chapter 1: Prey

What was that irresistible smell? 

Inky black wings cut through the foggy, damp, air. You had been flying around aimlessly for some time before being swallowed by fog. Echoes of a battle sounded somewhere in the distance, originally luring you in this general direction. But then, oh, but then! Then there was this intoxicating stench that pulled you, reeled you in. It had been days since you last ate and you were so hungry. The scent alone was making saliva pool in your mouth and causing your teeth to sharpen in anticipation. It was getting stronger as the wind carried you closer and closer. You heard bits of a conversation, the words chopped up by the changing winds. The fog broke as you descended into the treetops. Silently and gracefully, you landed on the side of a tree, holding a branch to keep you steady. 

You pulled your goggles onto your forehead so you could look with your naked eyes. Below you, there was a scarlet red stain on the ground, like a giant had wounded the earth. The sharp iron essence made your mind hazy with bloodlust. Focusing further, you saw two men standing in the center of the stain. One was frantic and yelling. The other was standing completely still. The second man seemed to be the source of this red stain. Your eyes widened. It shouldn't be possible for someone to be standing with that much blood loss. You would know. You were experienced in helping people lose blood, an expert even. The first man, a blond, half-carried the other away from the scene. 

When some time had passed and you could safely investigate, you swooped from the tree to alight on the surface. It was more than you had anticipated. There was no way that man would survive. Which was a shame, since this was the delectable scent you had honed in on. A clawed finger ran through still-wet blood that had collected in a divet on a stone. You admired the way the liquid ruby substance clung to your finger, refusing to drip to the ground. It was starting to clot and dry. Your pupils turned into slits when you popped your finger into your mouth. So good. It might be the best you'd tasted. No wonder the smell alone had you in its clutches. If it was this tasty after sitting, you got goosebumps thinking about how good it would be fresh from the source. 

Flitting from tree to tree, you maintained cover, following the trail of blood leading to your prey. You frowned when you saw that he was surrounded by his comrades. There was no way to get close. But you were patient. They were having some kind of celebration. All you had to do was wait until they were completely drunk and stuffed full of food and they would pass right out, which is exactly what happened. 

Under night's cover, with snoring all around you, you silently stalked between sleeping bodies to get to your target. He had been bandaged up and was surprisingly still alive. The pulse of his heart softly thumped in your ears. It sounded poor. You took inventory of the man: mint-green hair, tan skin, broad shoulders, muscular, and he had swords lying next to him. The sickly tone to his skin told you that he scarcely had blood enough to power his vital organs. You could receive instant gratification by draining the rest, put him out of his misery. It would be quick. Another thought punctuated that one. Or, you could bet on him. He looked strong. Maybe he could pull through with some help. Then you could really savor him and take your time draining him dry. The doctor that patched him up was clearly skilled. The gluttonous side of you decided to take a chance. 

Kneeling by his head, you brought your wrist to your mouth, drawing a red line down it with your teeth. A voice that sounded like many soft voices speaking at once left your mouth, "Open." The man's lips parted slightly, enough for you to let the blood run down your hand into his mouth. "Swallow." When you thought he had had enough, you closed the wound on your skin with a slow drag of your tongue. The super-powered blood running through your veins would jump start his body into making more of his own. You gently pushed his chin up to close his mouth, sliding your clawed fingers tenderly along his jawline. You hadn't noticed before how handsome he was. A plus. His heartbeat slowed, but became stronger. A good sign compared to the shallow, rapid beat that he had had before. 

With a leap into the air and one strong downstroke of your oil-slick colored wings, you disappeared into the foggy sky once more.

Notes:

P.S. This is at the end of Thriller Bark.