I felt my breath huff as I ran down the cobble stone streets, weaving between colorful buildings that shone in the sun of our Spanish city.
I wove through rooftops and stalls like some sort of vigilante superhero.
There was a mixture of gorgeous costa rica architecture and somewhat run down parts of the city as I ran with my bare feet slapping against the stones in a pitter patter.
I giggled now feeling free. Using a semblance of a bit of my powers to help me hop a bit higher with each step until I was on the rooftops.
I couldn't levitate with my powers, witchcraft is normally quite human like. However, I was not human. I was what many humans call a Siren. Truth be, Sirens probably had nothing do do with my nature. Sirena, the Spanish word for mermaid. It is merely a description.
To be precise, I am actually a half Witch, half Siren like being. Maybe I am a Naiad, maybe I am a water nymph, or a Selkie I do not actually know. I could only guess.
I was born on land to my father. He was quite abusive and just a plain old normal human. I am not sure, maybe both my parents were.
As I grew up, my powers only strengthened and my distance to that family grew wider.
I shook my head of it instead focusing on the people chasing me. I'm on my own now. I needed to get back to Eco. He was probably waiting at our 'home'
I pinned my back against a building, flattening myself to conceal my presence as a bunch of Mafia sort of people ran past.
They weren't just your typical mafia, there was something different about them, just as there was me.
Most people may think that Mafia is some hot cool trope. I admit at times I did too. I was there to gain intell. It hadn't gone so well.
I breathed out when I sensed the presences of those individuals scattering further away, now turning to head towards home.
Suddenly a woosh split past my ear, it was swift, swifter than I. I couldn't even register what was happening before I was pinned to the wall.
"Wha- eek!" I said now staring at a girl with long dark brown, locks, almost pitch black if not for the red streaks in the hair peeking through. She angled herself so I couldn't see her face.
"Going somewhere?" The woman asked in an impish voice. Even if I couldn't make out her face, she sounded as if she was smirking and raising her eyebrows at me.
"You're the leader, aren't you" I said examining her up and down. Squinting my eyes against the blinding light behind us that had cast the shadows. "Blasted weather" I muttered.
It was much to hot out here, I glanced to my left towards the bright water not far from here that was lapping at the shores. Mentally calculating my next move how to get there, there was a small road and boardwalk area before the waterline.
Maybe I could make a run for it. She followed my eyes as if anticipating that very thing. Now caring me in further.
"What might a girl like you be doing around here" the girl asked with curiosity.
"None of your business" I retorted now sticking my tongue out at her before ducking and running again.
She was very fast, it seemed there was no way I could out run her, which was very strange. I was usually faster and swifter than most humans. I struggled to quite fit in society but there were very few people I let like me. I didn't even know how to 'breathe' underwater long enough.
I was effectively a novice to my own being, the only difference is I spent so many years researching it and working on it so I would not lose control.
It was getting a bit towards the evening now, I truly needed to get back to Eco. My little brother. He was waiting for me to return with food I was sure. So my determination to shake this tailer increased.
She cuaght up to me again, "You smell like the sea." She said trying to make me lose my footing, as if playing with her prey. I smirked at her "what are you a mosquito?"
She seemed to actually luagh a bit finding my commentary amusing. I made an impish face and started giggling a bell like siren hum. Focusing my energy into hypnotizing her. If I can't run, I need to make her forget I was ever here.
"You were chasing a very tall burly man, someone unlike me in all aspects. That person, you lost track of. I was never here. You will not continue to follow me, nor remember my face" I said to her sing songy.
It worked, very well. It only drained a bit of my exuberant energy to do. I had to focus quite strongly on my tone and words to embue the right magick in it.
She had the hazy look in her eyes before snapping back into focus and running past me now, as if I was just some bystander rather than someone she was trying to track down.
Good, now I could return home. I dusted off my hands and felt proud of myself now diving into the water and swimming off shore a bit til I was just a bit outside the city in one of the poorer areas.
I found myself carefully and joyfully ambling towards an old abandoned storm drain or an ancient bomb shelter. I wasn't particularly sure which, I just knew this one was very hard to find.
Some years ago I found it when wandering, trying to avoid the commonly beaten paths. I found it covered in graffiti on the exterior but many people seldom entered it due to it being huanted.
That was more than perfect for me. I liked ghosts and spirits. I always had a very strong affinity to them. It was no glamorous super power, it hurt me more than it did me good. Especially when you see things you wish you didn't, some wished to harm you and you talked to people who 'didn't exist'
However ㅡ they still kept me company when no one else had. Not all spirits were bad, now I learned largely how to distinguish and deal with them.
"I brought us some bread!" I called, a boy about 8 in appearance ambled out slowly with a neutral look of melancholy on his face. He had white hair, it wasn't naturally white, but he dyed it some long time ago, or rather thats what he said. Truth be, it seemed to be a mark of his powers.
The boy was more powerful than I, he was small, and we bore no relation or blood. Neither of us had family. I took him in and built us one.
"Look, I found it in the dumpster of a wealthier supermarket, it was completely undamaged and still packaged. I also found us some other deserts. One foreigner lady even gave me 2 cupcakes for my voice!"
He looked at me about as softly as Eco Sirocco could. He'd lived many, countless years, still not aging. It can drained him so intensely til most of his emotions disappeared.
He was no vampire, or anything such. He was 'human' but one stuck with whst one could define as a curse when I found him.
I looked at the walls of our den. It was not necessarily fancy luxery but it was quite nice, with both of our own flare to it. There were dorky drawings, splashes of color, hints of moonlight. Little tapestries and even some portraits I drew of us to make it feel more like home.
I sat down my stuff at our makeshift table. Pulling out the food and handing him most of it. He shook his head quietly pushing back the bread to me.
"You don't need to treat me like a kid" he said gently.
"I don't deny that you are far more knowledgeable and wise than other kids your age Eco, but biologically you're still young. It shows in many of your mannerisms too. Your brain isn't developed yet and that is a huge factor for emotional regulation and maturity" I said munching on my bread.
I would be more gentle, however I was around him long enough to see how this nature conflicts.
Now glancing at the wall of sigilo I put around and the spirits in the room I was so aquinted with. "Be gentle on him, he is still a child like you said" Isabella reminded me. I nodded to her.
"We don't want his powers to act up, though they've calmed down since he's lived with you" Santiago said to me
They all chiming in their thoughts and advice. I gave them a nervous smile "I get it I get it. I have my first day of school tomorrow can you all worry about me more please" I said.
Eco looked around unfazed, he can't hear or see them as I do but he is well used to me doing this. "Pucha" (this basically is a statement of exasperation like gosh or Aish)
One said rubbing her temples. "It is stressful wondering who will lose control first, Myst, the mix of species or Eco the time traveler" she said.
"It will be alright" I reassured them getting up now to look at my clothes I hung on my rack. "Can you guys help.me pick out what exactly to wear tomorrow? It's my first time trying to fit in with the humans after this long, I don't want to mess it up" I said.
They all glanced at each other "Sure, but someone like you probably is best matched with non humans" they nodded in agreement some tsking their tongues.
I luaghed wondering where that came from, not having a clue what my future held.