Tom sat on a barrel in the kitchen helping Nyx peel vegetables for supper. They were running with a ghost crew of ten sailors. It had been agreed that people could pass to the nearest town if they didn't want to risk their lives. Since they would sail directly into siren waters. The crew that left wished them well, and they went on their journey.
Tom looked up as Nyx was conversing with Rune. He was most likely looking for a snack. He was always hungry. Tom concentrated on peeling the potato in his hand. He couldn’t get used to these “normal” senses. They weren’t as sharp as his wolf senses. After he had passed out he had woken back up on The Lucinda May, Destru had watched over him worriedly. He had been incredibly sore and weak, trying to stand was enough to make him exhausted the first few days.
He had changed more than just getting human ears and losing his tail. He had been slightly muscular as a wilkolak. While he still had some muscle tone, he hadn’t realized how much of it had been because of his wolfness. Destru had helped him get used to his new self. He had never realized how much his tail had helped with balance. Or how much he had relied on his wolf hearing and sense of smell.
Nyx looked towards the deck when he heard feet pounding above them. “You should check on them,” he instructed, as he continued to chop vegetables.
Tom nodded his head, grabbing his sword that had been resting near the door. Nyx couldn’t go into the sunlight to help them if they were under attack, anyway. Tom felt the sword at his side. Destru was helping him learn how to use it. He was thankful he was a fast learner, because he knew he’d have to use it any day now.
Tom got to the top deck in time to see a couple of men being brought on board. They were sopping wet and shaking in terror, scratches littering their body. “What happened to them?” Tom asked as he came up to the men.
“Sirens!” the taller of the two all but screamed. “You must take us to the nearest port!” The man turned to Destru, who had overseen them coming aboard. The man had a wild look in his eye. He was definitely terrified of something.
“How did you escape?” Destru asked, trying to comprehend what was going on. People didn’t escape sirens, especially when they were hunting you.
“We fell overboard,” the other man spoke up. Tom regarded him as he explained the fighting that had taken place. This man was closer to Tom’s age, with brownish hair and bright green eyes. “We didn’t see them coming. Their skin blended in with the water. Everything was peaceful, then the next it wasn’t. I got pushed into the water and Jethro jumped in after me.” The younger man looked around at the gathered crew, his face falling. “Where’s the rest of your crew?”
Destru grimaced as he prepared to tell these poor men they weren’t safe. “We’re hunting sirens.” Destru had a guilty look on his face as the two men looked on in horror.
“Please, I have a wife and a child back home,” Jethro pleaded, falling to his knees. “I can’t face them again.”
“I as well,” the younger sailor dropped to his knees, copying his crewmate. “I barely escaped death last time. I don’t want to test fate again.”
Destru looked to be at a loss. “The nearest port is a good couple of days from here.” The sailors looked panicked. Destru didn’t want what few men he had to follow suit. “But I’ll consult the charts and see if we can do a minor detour.”
The men nearly passed out in relief upon hearing this.
“Rune, take these two to Nyx and get them warmed up,” Destru continued while motioning towards Tom to go to his cabin.
“Right away Cap’n” Rune saluted, then showed the survivors to the kitchens.
Tom followed Destru to the cabin, worry gnawing at the pit of his stomach. They stayed silent until the cabin doors closed. “Destru, what’s the matter?” Tom asked. There were charts scattered all over Destru’s table, mapping supplies scattered everywhere.
“I thought this was a common fishing ground for the business back in the last town,” Destru started. Moving his map supplies until he could find a compass. The needle continued to spin, never finding its north marker. “This blasted thing hasn’t stopped spinning for three days now.”
“What’s that mean?” Tom asked, confused.
“There is something messing with the compasses in the area. I think the sirens have magic users among them, and they’re putting up wards to mess with the sailors.” Destru explained, putting the compass back down.
Tom contemplated for a few moments, glancing toward the compass and the maps, then outside. “Are we lost?”
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Destru sighed, sitting in a chair, looking defeated. “I’ve been sailing for many years, and I’ve never encountered something as strange as this. I know how to pilot by the stars but,” Destru sighed once more. “They’ve moved.”
“I don’t understand...how do stars just move out of place?”
Destru shook his head. He pulled a bottle of alcohol towards himself and popped the top off. “Powerful magic... keep those sailors occupied. Hopefully, we can keep them alive through this.” Destru swigged from the bottle before being thrown from his chair. “What in the blazes?” he shouted, getting to his feet.
Tom and Destru rushed to the deck as everyone picked themselves up.
“Capt’n!” a shout from the crow’s nest. “Reef! It goes for miles!”
“Coral only grows in shallow waters,” Tom thought out loud. “I thought we were in the middle of the ocean.”
“I had thought that too,” Destru ran to the front of the boat, looking to see how bad the ship was. Destru started calling out orders, the crew scrambling to get everything done. There was an air of danger about the boat. Nyx must have sensed it in the kitchen, because he didn’t allow the other sailors to come up and help.
Tom finished securing a sail when he felt a tap on his shoulder. “Can I help you?” He turned to see who wasn’t doing their job. His breath caught in his throat.
A siren was standing in front of him, their needle teeth barred in a smile. “How delightful,” she continued to smile. “You found the rope.” She reached forward, ready to grab at his shirt.
Tom stumbled back in surprise and pulled his sword out. “Sirens!” he let out a shout. He wasn’t sure if more had come aboard or not. “Where’s Tess?” he growled as he focused his attention back on the siren in front of him.
The siren in front of him chuckled. “Oh, a feisty one. Wants to know about the priestess.” The siren moved her hands, and a sword appeared out of thin air. “I was told you’d be a puppy.”
Tom gritted his teeth. The siren talked about the priestess, which meant she knew where Tess was. The siren made the first move, making Tom take a step back to defend himself. “I want to see Tess,” Tom roared at her. He heard the clashing of metal all around him. He was going to be on his own for this fight.
The siren smirked, moving back to take another swing at him. “She’s nestled up at home studying. She’s forgotten about you, puppy.”
Tom felt his heart break at the siren’s words. He almost forgot to defend himself. The siren and Tom went a few more rounds of hitting swords together before breaking apart once more. He was getting fatigued. He hadn’t practiced as much as he would have liked.
“Does puppy need a nap?” the siren pouted, her unnerving smirk never leaving her face.
“Never!” Tom bounded forward only to be stopped in midair. He looked around to see a siren in the middle of the ship with her hand up. The rest of the crew had been frozen in the air, too.
“Enough of this play,” the siren with her hand up commanded. “Tie them up. We’ll be bringing them all home.”
Tom looked to his right to see Rune struggling in midair. Small terrified whines escaping his throat. He wanted to comfort him, but was pulled away when his feet touched the ground and he was surrounded. The sirens knocked his sword out of his hands, then bound his hands behind his back. Pulling on his hair to keep him still as they teased him with their teeth, threatening to take a bite out of him. Once he was bound to their satisfaction, they tied him to the mainmast, the rest of the crew joining him.
Everyone’s attention went to the kitchen entrance when a siren was thrown onto the deck. She was covered in scrapes and bruises. Tom held his breath as he realized Nyx couldn’t come into the sunlight. “He’s just a humble troll,” Destru called, a slight tremble in his voice. “Let him be, and he won’t bother you.”
“I want the sailors that are with him,” the lead siren demanded. She licked her lips as she stared into the doorframe. Nyx’s figure could just be seen in the shadows. “I can smell them.” She raised her hand towards Nyx. He seemed to stiffen in response. “Troll, if you don’t want to come into the light, you’ll give me those sailors.”
The only sound that was heard in response to her request was a low rumbling of displeasure.
“Very well,” the siren turned her hand into a fist and brought her hand closer to herself. Nyx’s form came closer to the door. His face unchanging as the sunlight threatened his very existence.
“Wait! Stop!” one sailor called from behind Nyx. “Don’t hurt the troll. We’ll come up willingly.”
The sailors made their way up to the top deck. The head siren smiled, dropping her hand, releasing Nyx. “See, was that so hard?” The head siren seemed to glide up to the newest sailors who stood where they were, shivering. “It’s rare my lunch gets away from me,” she continued, circling the men. Suddenly she punched Jethro in the back with a squelching thud, the man gasping in surprise. He looked down to see the siren’s hand through his chest, holding his heart, blood spurting out as his heart beat its last few beats.
The other sailor began backing away. Trembling so hard, he nearly tripped himself as he tried to get to the side of the ship. “Time for dinner,” the head siren called. She pulled her hand back through the sailor’s chest, letting him collapse to the ground. The remaining sirens jumped on the younger sailor. Devouring his screaming form. Destru and his crew did their best to look away. There was no way to escape the screams from being etched into their brains. Tom looked on from his position between Destru’s men as the head siren took a bite out of the heart. Blood fell to the ground as it drained from the arteries. She watched the sailors writhing form as the remaining sirens fought over what was left of it.
“Come sisters,” the head siren clapped their blood stained hand, as the other sirens finished up. “Let us head home to our priestess. We must prepare for the new moon ceremony.” The head siren waved their hands, and the ship fell into the water, no longer stuck on the coral. “Gather their weapons and put them where they can’t reach them,” the siren sang as she moved to the wheel of the ship.
Destru shared a look with Tom as the sirens sailed the ship forward. There was magic at play here... and it was dangerous.