It is intoxicating yet terrifying, and without thinking, the mercenary finds himself in the back room of the inn, his hands around the throat of an evil-eyed crone whose frock is drenched in the blood of animals. Before he can choke the life from the wretched creature, Ak stops him, and manages to incapacitate the witch. The pair turn to face the source of what they now realize was a call of distress.
Hers is an otherworldly beauty. The mercenary has seen several orphans on this island with gills in their neck, a stray set of fins down their spine, but nothing like this. The creature is covered in iridescent blue scales, her arms and legs end in sleek, webbed flippers. Her head is topped by a spiny crest, and her eyes seem pearlescent. She motions to her saviours – she needs a quill.
“A siren,” Ak assesses simply, as his companion fetches paper. The merchant translates as the siren writes. “She is seasinger, Maki. Very strong. Year ago, my father allow her to stay on island, but she cannot speak, cannot say one word. This is first time she make a sound in all that time. This lady-” he indicated the crone with his foot, “occultist. Want to sacrifice Maki. Maki owe blood debt to us.”
The mercenary looks at him quizzically. “Seasinger sirens very powerful. Learn to sing songs that make people follow, obey them. Can make a man jump off cliff. If very strong, can even control sea monsters. Different species than human or sea orphan. In past, never allowed on Haranu.”
“Occultists, many bad. Long ago, Haranu overrun with occultists, but chased out. They learn magic to cheat death, raise dead, control demon. But, they fuel magic with death. Some soothsayer, they only sacrifice fish, use maybe to tell future. But occultist kill people, sea orphan; especially kill siren, their blood give many magic. Sentence for practice occult on Haranu always been death.”
The crone moans softly. She is beginning to rouse. Ak Haranu stares gravely at his companion. “Fate is up to you."
19-Mar-2015 10:06:35
- Last edited on
19-Mar-2015 10:12:11
by
Rondstat