On being hit, Calliope winces, holding her breath as she speeds into sky. She was seldom on the battlefield and she certainly wasn’t meant to be today - but the diplomatic troupe she had been a part of had been caught off-guard, ambushed at the site where they were due to parlay with a tribe of Centaur. She goes to try and pull the arrow out of her thigh where it was now embedded, but finds herself unable to muster the strength to do so through the pain. It would just have to stay where it is.
Clenching her jaw, she starts up the familiar hum of the song that heats up metal - in this case a breast plate - as if in a furnace. She winces again - this time for the pain she has caused her victim - turning her head as their scream echoes out through the field. As she does, she realises that there is something else in the sky - huge birds, trained for battle. Yelping in surprise, she begins ascending, weaving as she tries to spot their master. Her eyes settle upon a man in leather, hand thrown above his brow to block out the sun as he stares up at her, teeth slightly bared arm out in command.
She attempts to cast a spell to distract him, to send him away. But, through his pain, his focus persists - and so does that of the birds. They slash at her with talons and beaks, ripping her dress and the flesh underneath. Blood begins to soak the fabric, her mind beginning to lose itself to the pain.
But, suddenly, the birds are called off and the Siren is left alone in the sky. As she scans frantically for the reason, Calliope finds her gaze drawn to the edge of the throng. Standing there is a man - a welcome sight and so familiar - his concerned stare meeting her eyes. Damon. A feeling of relief washes over her. But it is quickly mired by a host of other feelings: pain, regret, and confusion.
“But you… you weren’t there that day.”
As Calliope whispers these words, the world suddenly comes into focus. The lapping waves against the shore; the unconscious bodies on the sandy beach; and the hot, salty, tears running down her cheeks.