"Didn't anyone else hear that last night?" I asked over breakfast.
They all looked at me with confusion. I suppose it wasn't that strange, since I had stayed up the entire night. Liora had fallen asleep early, and I found it way too awkward to have her... 'put me to sleep' in front of everyone.
"Hear what?"
Aliza seemed curious, at least.
There wasn't much to do. Alwyn was working on something we didn't know about, and for whatever reason or another, that meant we had to stay a while at that campsite by the lake.
"I don't really know. It was like, singing?" I explained.
"A song?" she asked.
"But without lyrics. Like, ahem, laaa, la la, la la la laaaaa~"
Embarrassing... I sound like an idiot!
"You sure it wasn't a whale? I hear they sing," Liora suggested.
"...Are you an idiot? Whales don't live in lakes!"
"No... certain lakes have had whales in them, actually," Prince said.
"I had a pet whale once," Mari said.
I don't care! Actually... that's pretty cool!?
"It wasn't a whale."
"Were you dreaming?"
"No, I was awake."
"Maybe it was a random passerby," Aliza shrugged.
"Out here?"
"I bet it was a siren," Alwyn said, grabbing a plate of food. "Luring you over to steal your soul."
"I thought sirens lived in the ocean?"
"This lake is pretty big, isn't it basically an ocean?" he laughed.
He's making fun of me...
"A siren..."
Aliza seemed intrigued by that idea, though the conversation soon fizzled out and the others took over.
The day was short and lazy, and when it came time for sleep, I turned Liora away and stayed awake.
"Why? Aren't you tired?"
"No."
I sat atop a large boulder that looked over the lake, waiting for the singing again.
In the morning, I mentioned it over breakfast again. I had heard it late the previous night, and I couldn't believe it could possibly be some sea animal.
"I don't know. Maybe it's a monster?" Mari said. "Trying to lure us to our deaths. I think you should just ignore it."
"Isn't that just a siren then?" Liora groaned.
"I don't think it's evil. It doesn't sound evil..."
"That's the whole point, you idiot!"
"Shut up! If you didn't sleep like a bear maybe you'd hear it too!"
"Don't go looking for it, that's all I'll say," Alwyn added.
Aliza was silently thinking.
At night, I once again told Liora I'd be staying up.
"Three nights in a row? You're really obsessed," she mocked.
"Tch... I'm fine. Just go to bed."
"The siren's gonna eat you."
"...Just go away."
Again I climbed the same boulder. I decided that once I heard it again, I'd go and walk around the lake and see if it was actually coming from the water.
"Yo."
I felt a hand touch my shoulder. Aliza climbed up the rock and was holding two steaming mugs.
"Thank you?"
"Is that a question?" she laughed.
"No. Thanks. But why are you awake?"
"Well, I'm guessing the same reason as you?"
"Mmm." I took a sip. It was coffee.
Bitter...
"You really think it sounded like a siren?"
"I don't know. I've never heard a siren before."
"Hmmm... I have. I don't know how accurate I can replicate it—I'm not that great of a singer, but it sounded something like this: Saaaaaeeeee~ahhhhhoooohhh~La, La La, come here and I'll take your soul!" she giggled.
"Ah..."
Her singing was hauntingly beautiful. Almost as beautiful as she was in that bright moonlight. In the moment, I didn't know what that feeling in my stomach was. Looking back I realize I had quite the childish crush.
Embarrassing...!
"Laaahhh~leeeiii~lo~oh~ohhhhh"
Both of us turned to the lake and turned back to each other. We both heard it. It was definitely not a whale.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find it!" she said, leaping off the rock. I followed.
"But... how? We don't have a boat."
"Inside your hat! I put one in there a while ago!"
How...!?
I shook my hat over the water and the small rowboat fell out. Lady was sleeping inside. Well, until it hit the water, waking her with a jump.
"Nya!"
Last time I took a boat with her, things didn't end so well... hopes to this ending different
We climbed inside and Aliza started to row. Lady climbed into my lap, purring. As we got closer to the center of the lake, it became apparent that the singing was coming from beneath the surface.
"Damn, it's in the water. Sounds decently deep, too."
She seemed disappointed. We were directly above the sound, and it was resonating through the boat and even the water was vibrating slightly.
"...I'll dive in. It's a warm night, after all."
"No you aren't. The only reason I let you come out here is because I was here with you. I'm not letting you go down there, no way," she laughed.
Am I such a baby to you that I really can't even handle myself?
"I'll be fine. I'm a hero."
"Can you even swim? There isn't enough fat on you to keep a mouse afloat..."
"Pffft, can I swim?"
I kicked off my boots and threw off my robes and hat. Before she could stop me, I jumped off into the water.
Why do I need to swim? I'm going down!
I kicked downwards, clawing towards the singing. It became very loud once I put my head beneath the water, almost hurting my head.
Suddenly, I felt scratching on my back. I initially thought I was doomed, that the siren had latched onto me. It was actually just Lady, who had followed me into the water. I let her hang onto my shoulder and continued deeper.
The water was brighter than it should've been, almost like there was a faint light at the bottom. I was getting closer and closer to that light, until suddenly, it went out and the singing stopped.
What!? No! I was so close!
"Hello, Lin."
The light reappeared, revealing a strange, amphibian-like woman. She wasn't how I imagined a siren to look...
"Bluhbuhb!" I tried to speak.
Is it speaking to me!?
"I'm not an 'it,' Lin."
You can read my thoughts!?
"I can hear your thoughts, not read them silly."
Who are you? A siren?
"Not quite. Well, I suppose to some I would be a 'siren.' To you, I'm a person of interest."
Interest, huh? How come?
"The shadow, you haven't seen her in quite a while now, have you?"
You know the shadow?
"That's right. I'm quite similar to her, in many aspects. Quite different, too... but I shouldn't divulge any further."
So, what? You're here to help me instead?
"Not really. I don't care about helping you, I have no stakes. I'm just passing a message, a favor I long owed."
Okay, what's the message?
"You must delay your travels to the capital and instead make a stop in the midlands city Osvarra."
"Nya..." Lady gurgled.
Osvarra...? I've never heard of it.
"Your friends certainly have. By any means, you must go to Osvarra."
Why?
"I don't know, remember? I'm just giving you her message. Our time is up now."
What!? I only just got here, and you're leaving?
"No, you're leaving. Don't you feel it? You're drowning, boy!"
Oh, right! Thank you, siren lady!
I started to swim upwards, but my poor skills made it a slow struggle.
"Argh..."
I felt a current beneath me, and I was shot out of the water. The night air felt cold now that I was wet.
I fell onto the boat with a thud, with Lady following shortly after.
"Ny—ny... cruahg!" she coughed.
I looked up to Aliza. Instead of looking angry like I'd imagined, she stared with wide, bright eyes. I sat up, taking deep breaths.
"So? Did you see it? The siren?"
"Yeah, I did! Though it was a lot different than I imagined..."
"Like a frog, right?"
"Exactly... I thought sirens were fish demons?"
"Well, maybe they are? 'Human' demons don't look very human, do they?"
"I don't know? I've never seen a demon before..."
"That's for the better."
Osvarra... I don't think now's the time to mention it. How am I gonna convince them? Damn shadow! Never helping, only making things even more confusing...
"Let's get back and get some rest, okay?" she said.
"Yeah..."
It wasn't like I would be sleeping. No, just another boring night.