CHAPTER 31 - GAID'S REVENGE

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«"W-what..? What do you mean by… distract her..?"»

«"It means you fight, we fight, but I need you to distract her for a few minutes. You can do that, right?"» Natirra was not capable of doing that at all, and Gaid knew it well, that she wouldn’t be able to fend her off in any way, and she trembled at the thought of facing someone who had, with no effort at all, torn Gaid to pieces.

Even though Natirra wasn’t too surprised by Gaid’s skills as a fighter, she knew that he was a thousand times stronger than her, and that at that moment, he was standing only through sheer determination.

The responsibility, that crushing bastard, pressed down on her relentlessly, weighing on her like a boulder and even making it hard for her to breathe. In that moment, she had to stand her ground for the lives of two people, and not just that, now she was no longer a spectator—she was the main attraction.

«"Look, Gaid..."» she stammered, her voice full of despair. «"I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop her. I don’t think I have the strength to do it. I don’t think I can keep her away, not even for a single minute."»

The words came out as an admission, as if she wanted to free herself from the weight of that confession. She whispered it, deep down ashamed of this weakness, but she was afraid, and she couldn’t deny it.

«"Are you done with your little break, lovebirds?"» announced The Siren in a shrill voice, sitting in the same position she had been before the duel: back when the pirates were still fighting. Gaid, realizing there was no more time for discussion, responded quickly and bluntly. He placed both hands on my shoulders and, with firm resolve, told me what he thought.

«"This is the only chance we have to stay alive, so you’d better take it."» he said, with a resolute tone. But despite that, from the look on his face, I could see he wasn’t too convinced either.

«"For once, be a soldier, and not a coward."»

Those last words hit her harder than they should have. Gaid’s tone was filled with disappointment and frustration, but at the same time, carried with it a sense of urgency. It was as if he was trying to ignite a spark within her, but at the same time, it was clear that he was scolding her.

“Coward?” She felt a hole in her chest in that moment,

“Me? A coward?”

It wasn’t so much the situation she was in now that troubled her, but those last words. Deep down, she knew she was that, a coward, but she didn’t like hearing it said aloud—it irritated her, incredibly so. She didn’t quite understand why that irritation came suddenly, or from where, but looking around, she realized it was perhaps because, in that moment, she wasn’t the only person who would suffer because of her fear.

The Siren watched them closely, and the confrontation had become more than just a physical battle; it had become a challenge of determination and the ability to overcome her fears. It was, to some extent, necessary, given the tight situation, the only way forward. Gaid stared into her eyes, looking at her for what she was—a hope for his plan.

She didn’t know what Gaid’s plan was, but it was necessary for her to be part of it to try to win, to try to survive.

At least now, with no other option, she had to do it, she had to try. She sighed and, with surprising confidence, removed Gaid’s hands from her shoulders. Gaid too looked at her, puzzled. Natirra then pointed her fist towards The Siren, who finally could have some fun, and with the greatest confidence in the world, she shouted loudly and with a courage never seen before:

«"I’ll kill you! I’ll hang your tail on the wall!"»

A few seconds later, when Natirra saw The Siren smile maliciously and pin the hooks to the ground, just as she had done with Gaid at the start of his duel, she realized she had made the biggest mistake of her life.

She had the feeling her fate was sealed, that she was about to be roasted or thrown into the deepest depths of the sea.

But it was too late to turn back; there was no going back.

Even though she was already sweating from anxiety before the fight had even begun, she remained firmly anchored to the idea that she had been forced into this challenge. Besides, a part of her felt indebted to Gaid, who had done so much for her, even helping her escape and discover the truth. She had to prove she wasn’t the coward she’d been called, and this challenge was her chance to do it.

It was strange to think that just a few days ago, she couldn’t have imagined being in a situation like this. And that Natirra had been living her simple life on the island of Amelis, like a typical narwhal of her age. But that time was gone, perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was the sea calling her. But it was undeniable that now, she was here.

«"I’ll let you have the first move. You’re on my ship; it would be a shame if I didn’t give you a bit of a welcome."» Natirra closed her eyes.

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“One attempt, right?”

She remembered the words the Siren she had said to Gaid at that moment.

“You’ve got guts, quite a bold face.” Said The Siren, then, completely ignoring the surrounding environment, she sat down, using her tail as support for her nonexistent legs, while scratching it with one of the hooks, like a grandmother lecturing her grandchildren, as if she were giving a scolding.

“First I destroy your island, and leave you alive, and after my generosity, you dare to return. Curious cats die, you know?”

She had destroyed the village, or at least, seemed to have caused some damage to hia personal life, and she couldn’t allow it to continue. She would have to help Gaid… She didn’t really know how to organize her thoughts—at that moment her brain was a confused jumble of troubling thoughts and equal anxieties, but she understood one thing—it was time to defeat her, she had to try.

She turned towards Gaid and… he was no longer there.

She realized he had suddenly disappeared. At first, Natirra thought he might have fled, but… it was impossible. It didn’t make sense.

It had to be part of his plan, but that didn’t reassure Natirra at all.

“Damn, it doesn’t change the inevitable, which is that I’m alone, damn it… Well, not that he would have been much help in the state he was in.”

«"Such a coward, aren’t you in a hurry?"» The Siren was there, provoking her. It was her moment, and with a precise and determined lunge, Natirra rushed toward her, ready to throw a punch or just any kind of blow, but before the punch could land, she blocked the arm she was throwing it with one of her hooks.

«"You’re slow, and it wouldn’t have hurt anyway, but it’s a decent attempt."» She lifted her by that single arm until every part of Natirra’s body was off the ground. Then, with incredible violence, she slammed her into the ground. But she wasn’t finished yet—she flipped her onto her back and used her two hooks as rear supports, then with her tail, struck her from behind, sending her rolling like a barrel for several meters.

«"This time, I won’t spare you like I did with Stumpy Horn. He and I have unfinished business. You, to me, are dead meat, and you even made me wait."»

There wasn’t even time to recover before she was already rushing at Natirra with devastating speed, and before she could make any desperate reaction, with her left hook she carved a long gash along one of the poor girl’s legs, wounding her. Then, just like before, she kicked her again, and as light as a feather, she was sent flying meters away.

This time, The Siren was merciful, giving her time to recover, which Natirra inevitably did. But she knew it wouldn’t last, and despite her already low expectations at the start of the fight, things were even worse than she thought.

She was already in terrible shape, and the fight had just begun. Unarmed, with a gash on her leg that essentially made her less effective, and already short of breath, she could only hope that whatever plan Gaid had come up with would take effect immediately, because at this rate, she didn’t know how much longer she could hold out before losing her feathers—for real this time.

She couldn’t give up, she didn’t know what was happening inside her, but she felt a flame ignite in her heart, she felt as though a part of her soul was lighting up.

Despite being infected with fear, something inside her refused to let her give up, something kept her heart alive and her body standing, but she couldn't understand what it was. Something tugged at her brain, like some kind of sense of justice, a strange moral feeling.

“Am I really going to die soon?”

At least not without an attempt. How many hits had she actually landed… Not even one. She couldn’t allow that, she made one last dash, with unusual speed, ready to charge at the Siren once more with her terrifying surge of adrenaline.

This time, she aimed with her horn, but before she could deal any real damage, she suddenly felt blocked by something. With a quick glance upwards, she realized that the Siren's tail had partially wrapped around her own, before further coiling around her body and neck.

At first, her mind couldn’t fully grasp the situation, but then the harsh reality hit her as the young girl felt the tail tightening relentlessly around her neck.

Panic began to rise inside her as she realized what was happening.

She was being strangled by the Siren. In a fit of desperation, she tried to grab the tail that was squeezing her neck, but it was slippery and unyielding. The Siren, with a strength that seemed inhuman, lifted her body off the ground, making her feel completely powerless.

Her body screamed out for air, and as she fought to survive, the adrenaline coursed wildly through her system. All of her remaining strength was funneled into a desperate attempt to pry the Siren’s tail from her neck, but it seemed her grip was indestructible.

«‘You sailors are all so predictable, it’s almost funny, oh! Watching you charge at me, it almost looked like you could do something. But... No, it’s no fun anymore, it’s too easy.’» She grabbed her and, for the umpteenth time, slammed her back onto the ground, repeating the process about four times, picking her up from the floor and smashing her down with force, leaving her helpless on the ground, vision blurred, breath all but gone. She knew she was dangerously close to her end, and that all her efforts had truly been in vain.

This time, the Siren prepared for a final blow, to finish off Natirra after her mediocre performance. She positioned herself belly up, as if lying down but not completely, lifting herself a few meters off the ground. She was ready, her expression determined, as she raised her massive tail, aiming it directly at her head, now laying on the ground and totally vulnerable.

She looked up, staring at that threatening tail that loomed towards the sky. It was a terrifying sight, and knowing that tail would likely crush her head, she was aware she wouldn’t meet a pleasant end.

Her body trembled in terror as she mentally braced for the impact. Every second felt like an eternity, and the shadow of the Siren’s tail grew longer and longer above her. There was no more time to think of an escape, she had to do something quickly to save myself from this impending threat.

But suddenly, something stopped that act. Gaid, as if he had materialized out of nowhere, reappeared, this time less fatigued than before. Natirra didn’t know exactly where he had been, she hadn’t fully grasped it, but she understood one thing: it wasn’t her end yet, and she still had something resembling a chance, that she might survive.

Gaid screamed with all his might: «‘Roynel, this time... this time you’re truly dead!’»