Jazathya had feared that the path to Jabod’s mansion was going to be a tiring slog through the jungle, or even end in a monster attack if she was particularly unlucky. It was therefore a pleasant surprise to see that this island was practically domesticated despite being in the Depths. There was a beaten path through the jungle that some dock workers had said would take them straight to the alchemist’s abode.

Occasionally they would pass groups of workers who wandered off the path, gathering various plants and berries in large woven baskets. From what she could see, they were mostly plants that had long ago been transplanted outside the Depths and now grew in farms across the world.

The bachelor’s root that controlled fertility, various kinds of medicinal leaves and healing berries, the spice plant that gave mazaroni spice, the coconut of virility which cured old men’s impotence, Jazathya spied all of them and more. But there were twice as many that Jazathya couldn’t identify. But then she recognized the contents of one basket as that plant of water breathing she’d seen in her vision and surmised that these others were likely plants that didn’t have such a widespread appeal to the outside world.

The cuddlesfish remained in high spirits throughout the trek, hugging her and happily babbling out an endless series of “mip” sounds the whole while.

“If you’re seriously going to keep the thing, you have to give it a name,” Kel said.

“Hmm…” Jazathya hummed as she considered. “He really seems to like to say mip.”

“Mipmipmip!” the cuddlefish chimed in as it continued to snuggle against her chest.

“Do all of them do that?” Jazathya asked.

“No idea,” Kel shrugged. “I’ve never seen one of these things before. Niva’s the one who lives here.”

“What is she, anyway?” Jazathya inquired. “A Diver?”

“I’m not exactly sure, to be honest,” Kel admitted. “I haven’t seen her in years. She always talked about going off to Darazzo to become a Diver when we were growing up, but she isn’t part of any guild and was deflecting all my questions about what she’d done with her life yesterday. I don’t know how she makes a living, other than petty theft.”

“Charming,” Jazathya interjected, causing Kel to wince.

“I believe she means well at heart, but she’s not exactly the best company for a woman of your station to keep. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have even let her meet you. Now she’s dragged you into her crazy scheme for gold and…”

Jazathya held up a hand to silence her. “No, don’t blame yourself. I agreed to this, and frankly, it’s still better than wallowing in self-pity alone in my room.”

The two walked in silence for a few more moments, until the cuddlefish unleashed another stream of happy mips.

“Oh, right, you need a name,” Jazathya mused, as she held the animal up to her face. “How about…. Mipmip? Would you like that?”

The cuddlefish waved its arms frantically in what might have been celebration, saying “Mipmip!”

“Then it’s settled. You’re Mipmip from now on,” Jazathya said. Mipmip continued babbling in glee as Jazathya brought him in for another hug.

Shortly thereafter, the ground began to slope upwards towards a break in the treeline. Coming up to it, the two women saw that their path terminated at a large wooden mansion, surrounded by a tall metal fence. It sat upon a high cliff above the ocean, with the shore on either side narrowing to a single high point which the mansion occupied. At the mansion’s side was a circular stone pool filled with clear blue water, and soaring above the mansion was a tall, pointed tower.

As they drew closer, Jazathya heard a sound coming from the tower. She likened it to birdsong, but to compare it to the squawking of some songbird would be as insulting as comparing the finest elven opera singers to a farmer humming while he worked. It was utterly entrancing, the catchiest and yet most soothing tune she had ever heard. She had to hear more of it, move closer so that….

Jazathya cast a spell of shielding around her mind.

She could still recognize the song as beautiful, but it no longer carried with it the compulsion that drove her closer to its singer. She quickly turned to Kel, but the knight was still stumbling forward with a glassy look in her eyes.

“Kel!” she yelled as she tried to grab her by the shoulder, only to have her hand shrugged off and the other woman speed up to escape her grasp. Jazathya quickly sat Mipmip on the ground with a shouted “Stay!” as she ran to catch up to Kel. Unfortunately, she was less athletic than the soldier, and Kel made it into the fence’s gate before she could stop her.

There was a flapping noise above them, and Jazathya looked up to see a dark skinned woman with feathered wings growing down from her arms like two halves of a large cloak swoop down to land on the top of the fence, which was twice the height of a man, leaving its new occupant far outside Jazathya’s reach.

Taking a closer look, the woman’s face was a pure and inhuman black around the mouth, suddenly switching to an equally stark white on the cheeks. The skin around the eyes was stripped in the two colors, and the eyes themselves were yellow with large black pupils. The feathers on her wings were bright red near the tops where they met her arms, changing to green and then blue as they descended down towards the bottom. Her short hair was the same brilliant shade of red as her upper feathers. She continued singing even as she flew and landed, and Jazathya could see that her teeth were sharp and pointed.

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“Stop whatever you’re doing to her!” Jazathya demanded.

The creature stopped singing but ignored her, and a glance towards Kel showed she was still in a stupor. “Why have you come to the house of Jabod?” the siren asked, in a thick accent that Jazathya could not place.

“We are seeking information about a man named Kashin Qadullah, also called Abdohl, who may have offered to sell stolen property to Jabod,” Kel said flatly.

“Let her go! I’m warning you!” Jazathya yelled.

The siren clicked her tongue in frustration, glaring down at Jazathya from her perch on the fence. “Disrespectful mage,” she said, but Kel suddenly stumbled and turned her head side to side, taking in her surroundings. “Wait here. Husband will have words with you.”

“What’s going on?” Kel asked as they watched the siren fly back up into a window at the top of the tower.

“She hypnotized you, made you tell her why we came,” Jazathya said. “So much for subtlety.”

“Nothing for it now but to wait for him to meet us,” Kel said, still eyeing the tower’s window for any hint of movement.

They stood together, on edge for any sign of hostility, for several long minutes before the front door swung open, revealing the siren. “Come,” she said, beckoning them in.

She led them to a well appointed sitting room, much like many of the Darazzini noble’s greeting parlors Jazathya had been in and out of over the past few months. Sitting in a large padded chair was an elderly man she took to be Jabod. He hardly looked the part of a former Diver. Rather, he was an old, balding man with white hair, dressed in the stained work robes of an alchemist.

The siren skipped over to him and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. They exchanged a few words in a rapid, clipped language full of tongue clicks, which Jazathya did not recognize. He then turned to address them as they sat on a couch.

“Tek’rovat tells me you want to know about my meeting with Abdohl,” he said.

“Yes, we…” Kel began, only to have Jabod talk over her.

“Let’s get this over with. Yes, a man by that name came here and tried to recruit me into a cult. No, he didn’t give me any information that could be used to track down other members or whatever spirit or spirits they’re worshiping. I know of no specific illegal activities he was engaged in, but he kept hinting that my skills as an alchemist would be a great asset to them and offered a line of nonsense about advancing my work beyond my wildest dreams. So if they are doing anything illegal, it’s likely either kidnapping people for ingredients or experimentation or else they’re running drugs. There. Done. Any other questions?”

Jazathya was speechless, but Kel managed to get out a “That was quite a lot of information all at once.”

“You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had to put up with this,” he said, his voice full of irritation. “Every loon in the city thinks that just because I married a spirit, I’d be willing to worship one, and they all think they’re the first one to have ever come up with the idea of recruiting the famous alchemist with Depths-exploration experience. So now I explain everything to anyone who comes around asking. Quicker and easier that way.”

“I thank you for your willingness to help,” Kel said. “Is there anything else you can tell us about him?”

“Honestly, the lad’s heart didn’t seem in it. I’m used to the real crazies trying to extol the virtues of the lords of the deep Depths, but he seemed like he was just going through the motions, parroting back some vague dogma he’d memorized.”

“And he didn’t mention anything about how exactly they could improve your alchemical work?” Jazathya asked.

“Well, after it was clear that I wasn’t joining any cult, he started hinting that he could sell me something of that nature, but I wasn’t going to risk a deal with someone like that. Too much danger of blackmail or it all being an elaborate ploy to get me into the cult.”

“But if he ‘disappeared’ right after the sell, there would be no risk to you,” Jazathya pointed out, earning a glare from Jabod. “And shouldn’t your little pet bird have been able to force him to admit if he were planning to double cross you?”

“No!” Tek’rovat spat in annoyance. “My song could not reach him. Its f’um… f’um… tch!“ She shook her head in frustration as she searched for the proper Artrellian translation for the word she’d tried to use. “Dream,” she finally settled on. “My song’s dream lacked the power to enter him. There was already a stronger f’um in his head.”

“There you go,” Jabod said. “You’re either looking for a cult led by a stronger spirit of entrancement than my wife or he was an addict of Depths-based drugs. Dream kelp, most likely.” He then turned to Tek’rovat again and said something in her language, earning a giggle. She kissed his neck a few times while he none-too-subtly gave her ass a squeeze.

Jazathya snorted at the sight of the rich old man enjoying his trophy wife. No wonder he chose to live right next to the jungle where they harvested the coconuts of virility. “Don’t give me that look,” Jabod said. “I know what you’re thinking, but sirens aren’t interested in gold or jewels. They feed on obsession.”

“It’s true,” Tek’rovat said. “This search for immorality is beautiful! Husband’s ambition is so…” she licked her lips, flashing her fangs as she did so. “Delicious.”

Jazathya shuddered and was no longer certain who was taking advantage of who here. She turned to Kel, only to see that she had her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes sparkling. “You two are truly blessed to have such a strong love!”

Jazathya sighed. “Back to the topic at hand, do you have any evidence that you didn’t accept Kashin’s offer to buy the alchemy equipment?”

“I’m not letting you search my house for it if that’s what you’re asking,” Jabod replied. “If you choose not to believe me, that’s your own business.”

Kel turned to Jazathya. “Anything else?” she asked, but Jazathya shook her head. Though she was still suspicious of Jabod, she couldn’t think of anything else to ask that could trip him up or else clear him.

“In that case, I’ve been delayed from my work long enough. Show them out, darling,” he said. Together they exited the house, the siren’s sweet, but lo longer magically enhanced, song at their back as Jazathya picked up Mipmip and they began the long walk back to the city.