Siren’s Port, The Serpent Isles - 18th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH

  The faint scent of salt drifted along the cool breeze. Regis tilted his head back to face the bright sun beaming down from a crystalline blue sky. The Siren’s Port was not far from Aldrend and the White Cliffs, but it felt like an entirely different continent. The earth here sloped downwards, shifting from sheer cliffs into sparkling sandy beaches broken only by the occasional field of stones and boulders. It was distinctly warmer here as well, and the movement of the tides were softer in their push and pull.

  Up ahead, Regis could make out the shape of the Siren’s Port and the sprawling town just inland of the dock. Many buildings, he noted, had been constructed atop stilts to raise them above the ground in case of flooding. Beyond them, he could see a few ships in the harbor, ranging from small rowboats to massive, multi-story sailing ships. There were people too, though in the distance, they were little more than silhouetted dots moving up and down the streets.

  Beside him, Halcyon stepped forward, the angel’s face scrunched as he sniffed the air. “Yep, that’s definitely the ocean,” he muttered. Regis raised an eyebrow.

  “I didn’t think you were adverse to water.” The angel certainly hadn’t complained when they’d fought the fomorians.

  “Well, it’s different when I can’t fly.” Hal fluttered his bandaged wings for emphasis. “Plus the salt gets in my feathers.”

  “Ah, I see.” Regis turned back to the port, eyes scanning the ships once more. “I’m afraid this trip will likely not be pleasant for you, then. My apologies.”

  Hal snorted and gave the demon a good natured shove. “It’s not like I’m gonna die if I touch the water,” he joked. “Besides, it’s just a trip to the mainland. Not that exciting.”

  Regis’s eyes narrowed as something caught his attention. “Perhaps it may be, in this instance.”

  The demon nodded his head at the port, and Hal’s head immediately snapped in that direction. Though it was difficult to make out the details from their current position, a crowd was slowly gathering along the beach, but the throng of people made it impossible to determine what they were looking at. Regis strode forward and slid down the grassy hill they currently stood on, Hal following behind him, and made his way over to the growing crowd.

  The closer they got, the more the murmurs of the gathered people filtered into the passing wind. Regis could now see that they were not looking out into the ocean, but down at something that had washed onto the shore.

  “Excuse me,” he said as he carefully wove through the crowd. Most didn’t pay him a second glance, and as he neared the front of the group, he soon discovered why.

  Strewn across the white sand was a body. Regis could make out limp, damp clothing and stringy hair sprawled out around the corpse. What little skin he could see was grey and colorless, but the most striking thing about the body was not the color of the flesh, but its texture.

  The corpse’s torso had been entirely flayed open. A few sharp ribs protruded out from mangled flesh, stark white. Torn skin revealed rotting muscles and soft organs. Regis assumed the body had been a human, but it was so mutilated that it was difficult to know for certain. The face was in no better state; it looked as though a creature had bitten the features directly off, leaving only the corner of a mouth drooping downwards from the gaping wound.

  Murmurs passed through the gathered spectators, several people holding their hands to their mouths or otherwise struggling to look directly at the dead body. The only one who dared approach it was a middle-aged human man wearing gloves, likely a doctor of some sort, who carefully inspected it with his brows furrowed.

  “Horrible,” someone whispered nearby. “You think that’s Rose? Her poor kids!”

  “Is that the fourth one this week?” another voice asked.

  “Fifth, I think.”

  “I didn’t even know she was missing…”

  The murmurs continued, little bits and pieces of conversation reaching Regis. His own gaze remained on the corpse, carefully studying the wounds. They had clearly not been formed from a weapon, but from teeth, and not just any teeth. The demon recognized their shape.

  “Mers.”

  The hushed whisper confirmed Regis’s suspicions. At the front of the crowd, the doctor slowly straightened. The gathered onlookers immediately quieted, waiting with bated breath for him to speak.

  “Dead for at least two days,” the man confirmed. His eyes were troubled. “Merfolk attack.”

  The crowd immediately burst into chatter as the man’s words were processed. No one, Regis noted, seemed particularly surprised. These attacks must have been occurring for quite some time. Interesting, he thought. The merfolk could be quite vicious, but they typically did not swim so close to shore. Among the ocean dwellers, they’d long been second to the fomorians, though it was reasonable to assume they’d risen in the hierarchy since Regis’s decimation of the latter.

  The doctor cleared his throat, quieting the crowd. “Could someone please help me move the body?” he asked.

  A few onlookers exchanged looks, eyes flitting nervously at the mutilated corpse. No one seemed particularly eager to volunteer. Regis took the opportunity to step forward.

  “I can help,” he offered. Behind him, he heard Hal join him. The doctor looked relieved. Moving corpses, the demon suspected, was not a particularly popular task.

  “Thank you,” the man said gratefully. He pulled out two new pairs of gloves as well as a large piece of canvas with two wooden sticks attached to the ends that formed a portable stretcher. “We just need to bring her to the mortician,” he explained. “It shouldn’t be too far.”

  Around them, the crowd slowly began to disperse now that they’d found their answers. Now that there were less people around, Regis gave the surroundings a more detailed look, noting the bloodied sand and stones leading into the clear ocean waters. His gaze shifted back over to the corpse while the doctor prepared the stretcher.

  “Are merfolk attacks common here?” he asked. The human glanced over at him, studying both him and Hal more closely.

  “Are you two travelers? I don’t remember seeing you around.”

  “That’s correct. We were passing by when we saw the commotion.” Regis furrowed his brows in sympathy. “Horrible. The poor woman.”

  “It’s a real tragedy,” the doctor murmured. He sighed. “I’m sure you heard the crowd talking, but there’s been an uptick in merfolk attacks lately. They used to be rare; I don’t know why this is happening.” His eyes were serious as he turned to Regis and Hal. “The two of you should be careful too. Nasty creatures, the lot of them.”

  The man finished spreading out the stretcher and nodded to the demon and angel, who moved to opposite sides of the corpse. It was a bit difficult to move, given the mangled and deteriorated state of the body. They had to fold what was left of her limbs into her gaping ribcage to avoid the limbs detaching completely. Still, with enough caution, they managed to get her onto the stretcher to lift up.

  “This way,” the doctor said, nodding his head towards the town proper. “Thank you again for helping. I know it’s not a…pleasant task.”

  “Please, there’s no need for gratitude.” Regis frowned. “If you don’t mind me asking, when exactly did these attacks accelerate?”

  Below them, the sand slowly gave way to solid dirt, and the sound of clattering hooves and carriage wheels filling Regis’s ears as they approached the town. In the bright sun, the wooden buildings appeared golden, and the streets were bustling with people. Most gave the trio a wide berth, so it was fairly easy to navigate down the roads.

  “About a month or so ago,” the doctor replied as they turned around a corner into a quieter street. Regis internally raised an eyebrow. He’d assumed the increase in attacks was the result of the System, but this did not match the timeline unless the merfolk had received access to the System weeks ahead of other species.

  “I think that was the first big attack this year,” the man continued. “We thought it was a one-off; the merfolk around here usually eat sea life. They’re not above attacking a human stranded in the waters, but as long as you stay by the shore and don’t go into their territory, you should be safe. We assumed the poor boy had ended up there by accident and washed up on the shore.”

  “I’m guessing the attacks didn’t stop,” Hal said. The doctor’s brows furrowed.

  “No, they didn’t.”

  “Did you notice anything odd before the first attack?” Regis asked. “My apologies if I’m being too forward. I used to do a bit of research on merfolk, so I’ll admit I’m rather curious as to what could’ve caused this change in behavior.”

  “You wouldn’t be the only one.” The doctor frowned. “The waves were stronger the weeks before, and there were more reports of merfolk sightings than usual, but I can’t fathom how that would lead to this.”

  Regis hummed, digesting the information. “Did anyone hear singing?” he asked. The human paused.

  “Now that you mention it,” he began, “a little before that, a few fishermen swore they heard singing, but it didn’t compel them, so they thought it was someone playing a prank.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  The doctor gave Regis a curious look. “Do you have any theories about what’s happening?” There was a tinge of hope in his expression, perhaps an indicator of how desperate the situation in the port had become, if he was placing his faith in a stranger. Slowly, the demon shook his head with a sympathetic frown.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m as in the dark as you.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The man’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Ah, of course.”

  His steps slowed, and Regis glanced up to see that they’d reached a squat, dim building at the end of the road. The curtains inside had been drawn, obstructing the view of the windows, and a single bell hung over the dark wooden door. The doctor carefully pushed it open, gesturing for Regis and Hal to step inside. The bell rang softly above them as they entered.

  “Please leave the body there,” the human said, pointing to a long table situated in the center of a dully furnished, dim room. “Wallace must be out right now.”

  Regis and Hal carefully slid the corpse off the stretcher, leaving the now bloodied cloth and their gloves in the corner by the disposal area. “Thank you again for your help,” the doctor said once they were done.

  “Would you like us to wait here until Wallace returns?” Regis asked. The man shook his head.

  “No, I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’ll let him know what happened once he’s back, then I’ll report to the mayor. I imagine they’ll close the port for the rest of the day.”

  Regis nodded. “I see. I wish you luck. May this town soon see peace.”

  The man gave a weary smile. “I hope so too.”

  The demon turned and stepped back outside of the building, the bell ringing lightly above them, and was immediately met with the bright sunlight beaming down from above. Once the door shut completely, Hal raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, looks like we’re gonna have to wait ‘til tomorrow for that trip.”

  “It seems so, yes.” Regis took a moment to scan the surrounding area, then turned to begin walking towards the main street. He recalled passing by an inn earlier that they could reside in for the night. The delay was unfortunate, but they hadn’t had a strict schedule to begin with. Perhaps they would use the extra time to explore the rest of the town before setting off for the mainland.

  “Soo, mers huh.”

  Regis nodded, turning a corner onto the main street while Hal walked casually beside him. “Yes, that is what it would seem.”

  The angel hummed. “You were asking a lot of questions back there. You think something else’s going on?”

  Regis didn’t answer immediately, instead nodding to a passerby with an amicable smile as they continued walking. Now that there were more people around them, he took care to speak in a lower murmur. Even with Hal’s [Beyond Perception] trait obscuring his wings, the two of them still naturally drew attention, it seemed, judging from the glances in their direction. He’d rather keep their conversation to as few ears as possible.

  “I initially thought the attacks were related to the System’s appearance.”

  Hal raised an eyebrow. “Not anymore?”

  The demon shook his head. “No. I have a few theories as to the cause of the merfolks’ recent behavior, but I do not think it is related to the System.”

  “Huh. Guess it’s not our problem, then.”

  Regis raised an eyebrow, sending the angel a wry smile. “You seem rather happy about that.”

  Hal shrugged. “They’re nasty fuckers,” he said by way of explanation. “And every time I see a mer they try to eat me. Not cool.”

  The demon chuckled. By then, they’d reached the inn he’d seen earlier, and he slowed his steps as they approached the door. It seemed rather quiet currently, given the time of day, but he suspected there would be more people once it was evening. He gazed up at the sign, scanning the worn, sun-faded letters. This would do for the night. With that in mind, he raised a hand and pressed open the door.

  “For now,” he said, “let us head inside.”

  The rest of the day passed with little fanfare. Word of the mer attack quickly spread throughout the town, and as the doctor had predicted, the port was closed for the rest of the day while the guards investigated the incident. Regis suspected this was less out of a true desire for answers—they already knew who was responsible for the attacks, after all—but an attempt to quell rising panic. He heard a number of people dressed in traveling clothes whisper about canceling their trips the next day.

  As for Regis and Hal, they spent the rest of the day leisurely exploring the town. It was rather easy to, as the streets thinned once news spread, though that also meant a few shops closed early. When they returned to the inn, Regis took the opportunity to sort through the magic components they’d taken from the High Mage’s manor, then tested his newly acquired [Demonic Whispers] ability. It behaved as he’d expected it would, though its range at its current level was a bit more limited than he’d like. He supposed he’d simply need to level it more for its range to increase.

  All in all, it was a rather uneventful day. Regis found himself enjoying the slow pace, a sentiment Hal did not seem to share, but he was nonetheless glad when the next morning arrived. A bit of relaxation was welcome, but they did have other matters to attend to.

  Hal stretched his arms to the sky, yawning. It was another clear day, the sun bright and blinding in its brilliance. The angel adjusted his bag and squinted at the road ahead, using his hand to shield his eyes from the light.

  “Doesn’t look as busy as yesterday,” he muttered, pale eyes studying the port as they approached. Indeed, there were noticeably less people mulling about than before.

  “I imagine they’re uneasy to traverse the waters.” Regis’s gaze shifted to one of the larger sailing ships, which had by far the longest line waiting to board it. He nodded in its direction. “It does seem people are eager to leave the Isles while they can.”

  Hal turned to look at the ship in question and frowned. “Guess the boat’s gonna be crowded.”

  “Most likely, yes.” Regis stepped forward in the direction of the ship, the sounds of the chattering people waiting to board quickly reaching his ears. A few signs indicated that this ship was indeed headed for the mainland, though the murmurs alone would’ve been enough confirmation. Several whispered of the corpse from the previous day, anxious eyes flitting between the clear ocean waters and the massive ship. One group had even gathered around who Regis presumed was the captain and were bombarding him with questions on the trip’s safety, the likelihood of a mer attack, and any other matter of concern they could think of.

  After a brief scan of the area, Regis stepped to the side, where a small ticket booth stood. A frazzled-looking human man was flipping through a large record book, but the paper pasted onto the booth listed the ticket prices and expected trip duration. It was much less crowded here than near the ship itself.

  Smiling pleasantly, Regis approached the booth. “Good morning,” he greeted.

  The man jumped a little before looking up, gaze darting between the demon and angel. He cleared his throat. “Er, good morning. How can I help you?” His voice was strained; Regis suspected that the crowd had been questioning him before the captain had appeared.

  “I would like to purchase two tickets to Ithren, if I may.” He nodded in the direction of the ship. “I do hope there’s still space.”

  The human frowned. “Let me check,” he said, already flipping through the pages of his book. Regis waited patiently while he scanned the lines of text before finally nodding. “You’re in luck, there’s space for five more.”

  “Wonderful.” Regis reached for his coin bag and pulled out the designated amount for two tickets. While he handed them over to the man, he remarked, “It seems quite busy today.”

  The human made a noise that was halfway between a snort and a wheeze. “Oh you don’t know the half of it.” He dropped the coins in a tray inside the booth. “It’s been nonstop all morning. Everyone wants to get off the island, but they’re too scared to go near the water. It’s an Ark damned mess.”

  The man shook his head with a sigh and handed over two slips of paper that Regis assumed were the tickets. “Anyways, the ship’ll start boarding in a few minutes. You two arrived just in time.”

  “Thank you,” the demon said politely, giving the human a final nod before turning to make his way towards the chattering crowd. He handed Hal his ticket; the angel had waited just outside the line and seemed to have been studying the passengers.

  “Have you noticed anything?” the demon asked.

  “Eh, not much. Mostly humans, a few half-elves and full elves, and one half-giant.”

  Regis nodded. The makeup of the passengers didn’t surprise him—Ithren had had a fairly large elf population twenty years ago, and he doubted its makeup had changed much in the past decades. He noted some movement near the front of the line. Boarding, it seemed, was starting.

  After joining the line themselves, all the passengers were slowly herded onto the ship after a quick look at their tickets. The process itself was fairly quick, and Regis guessed that the crew was eager to leave as quickly as possible, if their hurried movements and constant glances at the ocean were any indication. Paranoia from the merfolk attacks, it seemed, was universal.

  The demon and angel soon found an open space on the top deck that was far enough away from the crew so as not to disturb them. Most of the other passengers opted to travel in the lower decks, though a few lingered at the top as well. The view here, Regis thought, was certainly much better compared to the levels below. The wind was stronger, and he could feel the faint spray of ocean water as waves crashed along the sides of the ship. He found himself leaning against the railing to get a better look out into the vast sea. Hal, by comparison, seemed content to lounge back, head tilted up to face the sky with little interest in watching the waves.

  They hadn’t departed for long; Regis could still see the shoreline and the port from where he stood, but between the constant rocking of the ship, the refreshing feeling of the wind on his skin, and the occasional shouts and murmurs of the crew, the journey easily fell into a rhythmic lull. It was rather relaxing, he thought, and perhaps it could have remained that way had the waves not then shifted.

  A sharp jolt violently rocked the ship. A few passengers stumbled and fell with startled yelps while the captain quickly barked commands at the crew. Below them, the wooden boards creaked in a low moan, the sound nearly drowned out by the roar of rushing water.

  Regis was immediately on alert. Careful to maintain balance, he pushed himself away from the railing and made his way over to the other side of the ship, where the movement had originated. As soon as he’d gripped onto the railing and leaned over to look into the waters, a second sudden wave nearly flipped the ship over.

  Barrels and other scattered supplies were thrown across the deck. The demon heard muffled screams from below as the lower decks panicked, but he ignored them, maintaining a firm grip on the railing as he continued to peer down into the water. His eyes narrowed. That wave had broken the pattern of the tides thus far—the surge had clearly not been natural.

  “Pull back, pull back!” the captain yelled, straining his voice to be heard over the growing panic. The rest of the crew scrambled to get in position, but no sooner had they done so than a second wave abruptly crashed into the opposite side of the ship, flinging the loose items in the other direction. This time, Regis could make out a faint, smaller splashing sound just below the roar of the main wave.

  “Reg!” Hal yelled, pointing behind the demon. He turned around just in time to see a shadow disappearing beneath the water. He frowned. At this rate, the ship would sink. This was clearly a coordinated attack, but he had no abilities with the range to reach the creatures lurking below. Not in his current state.

  Another tide swiftly rose, rapidly racing towards the ship. This time, Regis could see several different shadows moving within the waters.

  “Hal,” he said, and the angel was immediately beside him. He nodded at the waves. “Do you have any abilities that can reach them?” If they could lure the creatures to the surface, they would be significantly easier to deal with.

  A wide grin spread across the angel’s features. In a flash, Hal snapped his fingers. Icy blue light burst around his hand as a bolt of pure white lightning shot forth from his fingertips. Regis raised an eyebrow. That must be a new ability that he’d received from the System.

  The lightning streaked forward towards the roaring sea below, the water lighting up as it was hit. A shrill scream reached the demon’s ears as the electricity pulsed through the waves. The shadow closest to the surface thrashed in sharp, jerking movements. Keeping his eyes on the creature, Regis silently unsheathed his sword.

  Just as he did so, the surface of the water split apart. Stray droplets sprayed outward as a figure leapt out from below. Under the bright sun, a long scaly tail gleamed like metal, its texture in sharp contrast to the smooth skin of its upper torso. One of the passengers shrieked and scrambled away, the rest of the crew watching on in wide-eyed fear. The form was unmistakable, confirming Regis’s suspicions—these were merfolk.

  The merfolk landed back in the water with another splash, but this time she kept her head above the surface. Dark stringy hair drifted around a pale face as she peered up at the ship. If one did not know better, the gaze would almost seem curious.

  The creature’s face contorted. In one smooth motion, the merfolk’s jaw unhinged, stretching open to reveal rows and rows of sharp teeth circling a gaping maw. The corners of her mouth rose in a wide grin that sent more passengers rushing for cover. Regis, on the other hand, remained in place by the railing. He smiled down at the water as more merfolk began to surface, all grinning up at the ship that they’d marked as their next prey.

  Slowly, the demon raised his blade and pointed it down at the creatures. It had been a long time since he’d fought creatures on the sea. This, he thought, was sure to be interesting.