Guardian. Sea Goddess. Shifter.
A Guardian as changeable as the sea.
Origins
Serene is vastly unknown to many who’ve read THE COMSTOCK CHRONICLES simply because her story wasn’t ready to tell until now. So, today I want to introduce you to Serene Ferrowin, Guardian of the Waterspark.
The youngest sibling of the elemental Guardians, Serene is quick to smile and laugh. But watch out, because this Guardian’s temperament is as changeable as the sea. When she is angry, the entire ocean heaves with the force.
To create this character, I researched the Greek myths of Calypso, Circe, Amphitrite, and Thalassa, and pulled out what suited my needs. You will find pieces of these myths, in Serene and other characters, woven into The Siren’s Call.
When Serene and her siblings finished creating the world of Zephralos, dragons arrived in the world, followed by humans. The dragons’ inherent magic caused most of them to take an affinity for Serene’s siblings, but a few of the dragons followed Serene into the sea. The dragons who sank into the sea didn’t breathe fire, but breathe steam. They scald their prey when hunting and these dragons developed smoother skin without spikes to glide through the water easier. Their feet also became more webbed to aid in swimming.
Originally, Serene lived in an underwater castle in the bay of Mirror Mer. She ruled down there for generations, building up coral cities and establishing laws that govern the seas all around Zephralos. Then one day when she surfaced to meet her brother, Tellen, Serene found a handsome prince by the name of Bose Comstock standing next to him.
Some time after that, Serene and Bose married and the Western part of the Comstock empire was given to them to rule. Even though Bose had the Waterspark, he still enjoyed being on the surface more than under it. So together, they built Mirror Mer palace, a conical structure shaped like a conch shell carved from stone.
Fun facts:
1 – In my original concept of the Comstock Chronicles titled The Heart of Mirror Mer, Mirror Mer was my primary location for the story. Mirror Mer bay held many secrets, including a pink pearl that could grant wishes if you found it during the summer solstice celebration when the pearl diving competition was held. This concept stemmed from a dream I had where I could breathe underwater and explored massive coral and rock cities and caves. (Still one of my favorite dreams.)
2 – The name Mirror Mer came to me while I was playing with my community orchestra, and the new song being passed out to us was called Le Mer by Debussy. Le Mer translates to The Sea, and I thought the name Mirror Mer sounded catchy. The more I built this fantasy world, Mirror Mer bay was constructed to look like a hand mirror, so the bay I made the bay perfectly round.
3 – After writing The Heart of Mirror Mer, I realized I needed to develop the backstory for this novel. So the more I dove into the history of Zephralos, the more I realized I had almost an entire series I needed to write before I got to this story. So The Comstock Chronicles was born.
How the Sirens became corrupted
When Serene lived underwater in Mirror Mer bay, she taught her followers how to control ocean currents, speak to the sea creatures, and create life in that domain. Three of her followers, Sirsa, Mira, and Cleo, proved to be extremely adept at controlling the water element.
After proving they were ready, Serene made these three part of her inner circle, sharing secrets that few would ever know. They learned how to communicate over vast distances, using pools of water like enchanted mirrors. They also learned how to use the water to obtain secrets.
The trouble and subsequent downfall of Mirror Mer started when Sirsa met a red-headed stranger on the shore. However, it wasn’t until after Mirror Mer fell Sirsa realized who the red-headed man truly was—a Paradise python deep in the pockets of Fiora and Darius. And by then, Sirsa, Mira, and Cleo’s treachery was complete.
Perhaps this story will show up as a short story one of these days. It’s an exciting tale.
What happened to Serene after the downfall of the Guardians?
Upon discovering Sirsa’s treachery, Serene stripped the three women of their Water Guard status and powers. The magical pearls that signified their status were taken, and they were banished to an island far from the mainland. Serene cursed them to become winged monsters they ever entered the ocean again.
*You can see what these monsters would have looked like if you check out the sirens in ancient Greek mythology. Odysseus runs into some on his travels in the Odyssey.
If you would like to read what happened to Serene during and after the attack on Mirror Mer, you can read what used to be the first chapter in The Siren’s Call below. (There’s a new chapter 1 that I’ll reveal next week!)
Do you have questions about Serene or any of the other characters in the Comstock Chronicles?
Leave a comment on this article and I’ll answer them.
You can also reach out to me in a personal message using the contact form. I always respond to sincere inquires.
Want to learn more about other characters in The Comstock Chronicles? Click here.
1.1 – Serene
1287 years earlier – Mirror Mer Castle
Wails broke the darkness for the third time that night.
Serene sighed and tossed her pinseal covers over to the side, padding to the cradle. The moment Serene’s hands closed around the new baby, she instantly stilled. The Water Guardian smiled as she took her precious Cordelia into her arms. The little loaf-sized bundle nestled into her, hungry. Despite how much she’d rather be sleeping, Serene smiled at her little one as she held her close. The sway of the gentle waves breaking onto the shore below Mirror Mer Castle, a gentle thrum in the background.
The girl’s tuft of blond hair stood straight up like a rooster’s comb no matter how much Serene matted it down. However, all four of her rowdy, sea-tossing boys agreed it was their favorite thing about their new sister, though they’d never admit to admiring anything else. Serene loved everything about her only daughter; her soft pink lips, her button nose. And it was hard to ignore how Cordelia’s eyes lit up when she focused on her family’s faces.
A scuffle sounded outside her room. Serene glanced at the door, brows pinching in confusion. It was too early for the guards to rotate.
A groan rose from the figure beneath the blankets on the bed. Bose, her husband tossed the blankets and sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “I’ll see what’s going on. Watch, Dylan is sleep walking again and likely startled one of the guards.”
Bose staggered over to the door just as it burst open, knocking him backward. A mob of black clad warriors poured into their room. Her heart disappeared as the mob overwhelmed the half awake Bose. Serene screamed her husband’s name—a mistake.
Serene clutched her daughter close and ran for the closet. The baby squirmed in her arms, crying at her meal being cut short.
The lock for the secret panel in the closet clicked open beneath Serene’s fingers, but before she could enter the passageway, several sharp pin pricks stuck her back through the sheer nightgown. She collapsed to her knees, setting her baby on a blanket before the numbness from the projectiles overtook her. Within seconds, she slumped immobile into the secret passage. Cordelia cried louder, unable to understand why her mother set her down.
Then the scent of smoke wafted toward Serene.
I should have known.
Fiora, Serene’s elder sister, appeared above her in the dim closet. Fiora’s hair rippled like coals in the fire as she kneeled at Serene’s side. Red splotches marred the baby’s face as her cries increased. The Fire Guardian wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“I can’t understand why you’d burden yourself with such noisy things. It gives me a headache.”
Serene’s eyes widened. Why was Fiora here and why had she attacked them? They’d done nothing to her.
Whatever was in the darts that had hit her, was making Serene’s tongue go numb like the rest of her, preventing her from asking the questions flying around her head. All she could do was stare as Fiora curled her lip at the crying baby, silently pleading her sister wouldn’t hurt the child.
Then, warm hands groped at her neck, fishing out the chain of her medallion. The aquamarine gem glittered in the single moonbeam spilling into the closet. Fiora smiled before pulling it off Serene’s neck.
The loss of power from the Water gem caused Serene’s stomach to churn, and she thought she might retch. Tellen never told her what would happen if her gem was taken. Had he known? It had been Fiora’s idea to create the medallions in the first place, and the thought make her ill.
“Thank you, little sister. You’ve just assured the destruction of Liteya and the Comstocks.” Fiora threw one last disdainful look at the baby before leaving.
By now, the baby’s wails were insistent. She couldn’t understand why her mother wouldn’t pick her up. Serene tried to move again, but whatever the black clad warriors had hit her with held her bound.
An icy wind blew in through an open window and goosebumps rose on Serene’s arms. Her baby was screaming and thrashing around so much that she threw off the blanket. She had to recover the little girl, or the cold seeping into the room would kill her.
No matter what Serene tried, the poison in her veins held her prisoner.
Bose! she thought desperately. There was no response. Did the darts interfere with her mental link to her husband? She couldn’t even sense him nearby. Cordelia continued to cry and thrash. Until the little girl turned blue. Then the silence was more deafening than the cries.
***
Serene stood on the crumbling stone dais of the Norenium outpost, a small island in the middle of the Dosian Sea, fists trembling.
Three women kneeled before her. Her disgraced guards. Her friends turned to enemies. The first two held their chained hands out to her, begging the Sea Queen to hear their pleas. The third woman was silent, her loose dark hair covering one topaz eye as she glared up at the Guardian.
“How did she get in?” Serene demanded, clutching the blanket that once wrapped around the infant she’d buried under the waves two days ago.
“We were attacked from behind. They used the darts the dragon’s horde favored. We were powerless,” Cleo said.
“Since when did a Wave runner become so weak!” Serene cried, her voice pitching higher. “Because of you, my husband was beaten to the brink of death, three of my sons died in the fire that ravaged my home, and my daughter—”
Serene wiped her eyes as her lips trembled.
“I was forced to watch my daughter slowly freeze to death while I was paralyzed, unable to help her. I watched as she took her final feeble breath. I couldn’t even move my body for another two hours!”
The dark waves outside the porous structure thrashed against the island, spewing water onto the black stone shore. Rain poured from the sky, and the wind whipped wildly around them.
“Fiora must have turned one of the guards,” the second one said “There is no other way—”
“Don’t make excuses for your failures. You were supposed to be my heart’s sisters. You were my most devoted friends. I trusted you to protect my family. And you failed.”
The third woman raised her chin as Serene drew closer, eyes drawing to slits. The leader in this.
The soldiers who had helped bring her disgraced guards stood in the back of the room, spears ready. The moment Serene disappeared, they had orders to get themselves back to Mirror Mer anyway they desired.
Serene lowered her voice, filling it with every ounce of power that remained to her. “From this day forward, I curse you Sirsa, Mira, and Cleo. I curse you that if you ever step into the ocean again, you will become no better than the sharks of the sea. Slaves to a hunger that can never be satiated.”
With that, Serene plucked off the chains around their necks that each held a large pearl of varying shades. Her hand clenched around the chains before she turned her back on the three women and stormed from the chamber. Mira called after her but the Water Guardian was already running over the ledge of the cliffs to the ocean below, becoming one with the water. Refusing to feel the loss of her family again.
