[The Siren] Betrayal

“There’s nothing here… No monster… That’s good…”

The howling of the wind drowned out Teles, her gentle voice fading into the snowstorm. Her form grew more and more distant, and then, it was gone.

A pale serpent with a glowing blue maw of hundreds of teeth.

She stood amongst the biting blizzard winds, the ice stinging on her face.

A shriek pierced her ears.

Teles had stood there just a moment before, where the monster stood now.

Her paws were frozen in the snow; she couldn’t make herself move. She just… stared.

The pieces were slowly slotting into place.

She had to move. Move. Do something. Do anything.

The siren grabbed its victim by their shoulders, lifting them off the ground. The poor nyulop trembled, their blade falling from their paw as the bright blue glow lit their face.

She moved.

Avezi wasn’t the only one to rush forward, and she wouldn’t be the last. Drawing her bone dagger, she aimed it at the smooth skin of the creature that had appeared. Strike fast, before the beast could do anything. But as she stabbed down, her dagger didn’t pierce the body of a monster. Instead, a blue mist filled her vision and she staggered as her dagger instead struck air.

Avezi and those who had joined her in the first attack looked around the peak quickly, spotting the monster as it came flying at them. A round maw opened wide as the siren aimed to strike its attackers. Blue smoke surrounded it again as other Islanders drew their bows and then the siren was to their left. It was fast. She wasn’t sure if it could teleport or was using illusionary magic. Whatever it was, it made the siren hard to track.

In a quick moment, everything fell into chaos.

Expeditioners clashed with the siren. Some landed their strikes, many swung wildly. Few had ever wielded a weapon and even fewer were proficient in them.

A gentle voice floated on the wind. Teles’ voice. She asked them to stop fighting. It was okay now. They were here and they could rest now. Avezi’s head felt fuzzy and she pressed her paws over her ears. Her scarf over her head muffled it, but only slightly.

Don’t listen to it. Ignore what it asked.

Teles’ voice calling to them in the snowstorm. Not constant, but present.

As if she was still there. As if she was standing in front of them, a warm smile on her face, her bright blue eyes shining with hope.

Avezi could almost see her.

It was intentional that she had sought out those who had little weapons experience, wasn’t it?

“Come with me. You’re safe now.”

She had lied to them.

Teles had lied to them. For months. She had led them to this peak with the promise of saving their villages; of keeping everyone safe.

There was no monster at the peak of Windsong Mountain.

Only her.

Boo would be heartbroken.

Boo.

Avezi scanned the clearing, dodging and keeping distance.

Where was Boo?

She couldn’t focus.

The siren’s tail lashed as it whipped around to bite one of the Islander’s who was attacking it, and sent her flying to the ground. Gasping, Avezi pushed herself up, fumbling for balance in the deep snow. Get up, before she was noticed.

Where was Boo, where-

Boo wasn’t a combatant. This was worse than she could have anticipated. She had expected to be able to stalk the beast from a distance, give Boo time to prepare or stay away from the skirmish. Instead, they were thrust headfirst into the fray.

Were they okay?

She managed to get to her feet, clinging to her dagger and ducking under the siren’s tail. Someone else was distracting it. Maybe not intentionally to save her, but it was enough for her to put some distance between her and the creature. Frantic eyes searched through the snowstorm. Where, where-

Through the sea of white mist, she caught a glimpse of a bright green draken. They were looking around anxiously- until an injured astralit rushed up to them. Boo held out a claw, and a glow surrounded the astralit’s injury.

They were safe.

The anxiety faded from her body.

They were outside the fight. Not completely safe, but far enough away. They were helping in their own way.

Avezi turned red and orange eyes to the monster that stood at the peak of Windsong Mountain.

With her expedition partner’s safety confirmed, she could focus. It didn’t mean the fear faded. To stay alive, she had to keep some small fear for her life. But in her chest burned two potent emotions.

Anger. Betrayal.

The siren latched its teeth into a draken’s shoulder and it away, bright crimson staining the white snow. An eyeless head turned in her direction.

For what felt like an eternity, they stared each other down- though it could have only been a brief second. Tension in Avezi’s body wound itself so tight it could snap with the slightest movement on either side.

Taking a deep breath, Avezi drew the Lucky charged mana in the air around herself and channeled it into her knife. It was more difficult than usual- as if the mana particles had to move through a thick sludge and it took more of her strength to drag them through. As she channeled her magic, she could feel an oppressive aura radiating off the siren; likely the cause of her difficulties. But… it wasn’t impossible.

A soft pink glow emanated from the cold metal as she tightened her grip. Her bone knife felt lighter in her paws.

The siren leapt forward, its unnatural shrieks ringing in her ears. Avezi darted forward, each step assured by her boosted luck. The bitter winds whipped around her as she dodged under the swipes of the siren’s claws, swinging her blade to bite back. She held onto the anger in her chest. In close step around her, from all sides, were all those who had been misled by Teles but aimed to attack her now.

They faced the monster at the top of Windsong mountain.

Avezi faced the one who she had once called her friend.

The cold winds howled.