Siren’s Port, The Serpent Isles - 19th day of the Sardonyx Moon, Year 24 AH

  The merfolk in front threw back her head, jaws open as she released a piercing scream that echoed sharply above the ocean waves. Several crew members winced, and Regis heard Hal curse behind him. The demon smiled wryly. Merfolk could choose to use song or screams for their magic, and it seemed the current group had opted for the latter.

  The ocean below answered to the merfolk’s calls, rippling and lurching as more and more voices joined the wailing symphony. The boat rocked above the growing waves, and Regis saw the captain stumble and land hard on the deck.

  “Shit!” the human man swore, his voice shaking slightly. “Why in Ark’s name did this have to happen now?”

  He was an older man, Regis noted, with hard, weathered features currently twisted in barely-suppressed terror. On closer inspection, the man carried no visible weapons save for a small dagger at his side; it was likely that he and much of the crew would not be helpful in this fight. It would be difficult to move freely with them present.

  “Please gather the passengers and take shelter in the lower deck,” Regis instructed in a calm, but firm voice. The captain looked outraged at the mere suggestion.

  “And what, die down there instead? They’re gonna sink the damn ship!”

  “That seems to be their intention, yes.” The demon quickly scanned the deck as he spoke, taking in the scattered supplies, the billowing white sails, and the distance down to the water. The ship being as large as it was was a bit cumbersome, he thought. He would need to move closer for [Silence] to reach the merfolk. “I do not, however, intend on allowing them to succeed.”

  The captain’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “You got to be crazy! Ain’t nothing’s stopping those things on their own turf!”

  A few feet away, Hal snapped his fingers again, a second bolt of lightning shooting out towards the water and temporarily halting the voices of the merfolk. After the first attack, they seemed more wary of the ability’s range and managed to dive out of the way in time, but it did interrupt the formation of the next wave. The merfolk hissed up at the angel, who grinned, the tip of his finger still smoking.

  “Real downer there, buddy,” Hal drawled. He blew on the stream of smoke and shook his hand out. He did not, however, immediately move to fire another bolt. Regis assumed there was some sort of cooldown on the ability that they would need to account for in the future.

  The captain blinked, eyes darting between the angel and demon and the merfolk circling the ship below. He opened his mouth in protest, but Regis ignored him, instead taking note of one particular merfolk swimming closer to the ship. His head remained halfway submerged in the water, which made it difficult to make out his full form, but the shadow below him was quite large.

  Abruptly, a wide, thick tentacle shot out from below the depths and gripped onto the railing. Water dripped down onto the deck, staining the wood a darker color, and Regis could see the merfolk sneer, muscles rippling as he pulled.

  The entire ship lurched, and the captain shrieked as he stumbled. Regis quickly sprinted forward, leaping over a rolling barrel and carving his sword down onto the limb. The blade sliced through the soft flesh cleanly, severing it from the rest of the creature’s body. Regis heard a furious yell and noted that, because of the suction cups, the cut piece of tentacle remained curled tightly around the railing. He placed a hand on it and activated [Rot], letting it disintegrate beneath his palm. He did not know what the full extent of the merfolks’ capabilities were, and he’d rather not leave any openings for them in the future.

  That same piercing chorus rose again, twice as loud this time, and once again the ocean roiled. The captain cupped his hands over his ears and scrambled to his feet.

  “Shit shit shit! That’s it, screw it! I’m getting out of here!”

  The man’s words seemed to be all that the remaining crew needed to snap out of their own stunned stillnesses. They rushed towards the lower decks, flooding the narrow stairs in a frenzied dash to escape the danger. Soon, the sounds of pounding feet disappeared, and the deck was suddenly much emptier than before. There was much more space to maneuver now, thankfully, and Regis had a better view of the rest of the area.

  “Hal, are you able to use your ability again?” he asked. The waves were quickly rising, and given the sheer volume of the current shrieks, he suspected the next tide was intended to tip the ship over entirely.

  “Cooldown,” the angel yelled back, one of his hands covering his ears in an attempt to block out the sound. Regis frowned, considering.

  His gaze landed on a long line of rope left on the floor, then on the railing. After some quick calculations, he strode forward and quickly tied one end of the rope around his waist, then threw the other at Hal. He didn’t bother giving instructions; his intentions were made quite clear when his next action was to swing himself over the side of the rail.

  Keeping one hand firmly gripped around the railing, the rest of Regis’s body dangled over the water. From here, he had a clear view of the merfolk, and the sound of their voices was louder than ever. He felt something warm trickle down the sides of his ears and vaguely registered that the sound must be causing damage to his vessel’s eardrums. That, however, he could deal with later.

  Stretching his free hand down to the merfolk, the demon activated [Silence], projecting the silence field as close to the gathered creatures as possible. The air around them shimmered, and in the next second, that persistent wailing abruptly cut off. A few merfolks’ eyes widened, their mouths now hanging open soundlessly. The waves smoothed back down. The temporary relief, however, would not last forever. The silence field would dissipate once his ability wore off, and it was not effective outside its designated range.

  The long-haired merfolk who’d led the chorus immediately snapped her head towards him, identifying the demon as the source of the issue. In a soundless scream, she leapt out of the waters with deceptive speed, long sharpened claws extending out from her fingernails.

  Regis released the railing, narrowly dodging out of the way just before those nails pierced through the side of the ship. Wood cracked and splintered—screams rose from inside as the passengers panicked. Regis felt himself fall down towards the ocean, the wind rushing around him, before he abruptly stopped. The rope around him grew taut, and he glanced up. Standing by the railing, Hal was pulling firmly on the other end rope. Their eyes met, and Regis nodded his head in the direction of the merfolk as she began to fall back down towards the water. The angel’s eyes flashed in understanding.

  With a powerful heave, Hal swung the rope towards the merfolk. The momentum flung the demon directly in her path, and she made a confused shout as Regis suddenly appeared in front of her. She drew her arm back, ready to strike, but it was too late. Before she could react, the demon stabbed his sword cleanly through her chest and yanked it out again. Dark red gushed out from the wound as she fell limply down into the waters below.

  [You have gained experience!]

  A piercing scream rang sharply in Regis’s ears, and his body winced instinctively. The remaining merfolk released outraged roars, their voices blending together into a violent symphony. The field of [Silence] must have worn off by now. Several leapt out from the water, rushing towards Regis. He grabbed onto the sides of the ship and pulled himself upwards, avoiding the first, then slashed outwards with his other hand to force the second away from him. A bolt of lightning shot down the next one that approached. With the assistance of a sharp tug from Hal, Regis managed to grip onto the railing and vault back onto the deck.

  “I think you pissed them off more!” Hal yelled, jumping out of the way as one of the merfolk shot a blast of water at them. It slammed into one of the loose barrels, knocking it clean off the opposite side of the ship.

  “It would seem so. They’re much easier to handle now that they’re approaching us.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  As if to prove his point, another merfolk leapt over the railing, long snake-like tail whipping towards them. Regis ducked below the swing and gripped onto the tail, activating [Rot]. Black smoke bloomed out from his fingertips, rapidly climbing up the shimmering tail. The merfolk thrashed in pain, but he couldn’t escape the tight grip. Pinned in place, he had nowhere to escape as a precise swing cleaved his head off.

  [You have gained experience!]

  Below, Regis could see the merfolk swimming wildly about in a frenzied panic. They hadn’t quieted at all, but the waters remained steady and constant. As he’d suspected, the one he’d killed initially had been their leader. Without her, it seemed the merfolk were not able to conjure the same waves, and they lacked organization.

  Two more tentacles latched onto the railing from the same merfolk as before. Regis could now clearly see that his lower half resembled that of an octopus, albeit many times larger. The merfolk visibly strained as he once again pulled the ship closer towards him, and the demon had to grip onto the railing to steady himself.

  The ship creaked, wooden boards moaning as it began to tilt over. Regis quickly surged forward and sliced off one of the tentacles, Hal cutting off the other with his axe. The vessel slammed back down onto the sea with a loud splash that sent more water dripping onto the deck.

  A sharp breeze whistled behind him. Regis spun around just as sharp fangs dug into his forearm. He felt the teeth sink into his flesh, latching on tightly. In a split second decision, he slammed his arm and the attached merfolk into the ship mast. Bone crunched and snapped as the creature’s skull was crushed from the force of the impact. The grip around his arm loosened. The merfolk collapsed down onto the deck in a twitching heap, falling limp with a quick stab of his sword down into her neck.

  [You have gained experience!]

  A few feet away, pale blue light flashed as Hal fired off another lightning bolt, this time managing to hit the merfolk shooting water streams at them. She fell into the sea with a splash, leaving only four surviving merfolk left.

  Regis raised his blade, his wounded arm hanging limply at his side, in preparation for the next attack. It didn’t come.

  In the next moment, the remaining merfolk dove back down into the waters. Regis’s eyebrows rose as he saw their shadows turning and racing away from the ship, the floating bodies of the dead merfolk left behind. In the water, their speed was immense, and they quickly vanished from view. The demon stepped over to the railing to scan below, then did the same around the rest of the ship. Everywhere he checked, the waters were empty. The creatures had indeed, it seemed, fled.

  Hal snorted and lowered his axe as he came to the same realization. “Cowards.”

  “They’ll likely return soon.” Regis glanced down at his wounded arm with a frown. The flesh was more thoroughly damaged than he’d thought; it seemed that even with the [Demon Skin] trait and his current constitution, this human vessel was no match against the merfolk’s fangs.

  He glanced down at the one who’d been responsible for his injury, her body currently left in a lifeless heap atop the water-soaked deck. Stringy wet hair obscured any distinguishing facial features, but Regis noted what appeared to be a small red dot on the back of the merfolk’s hand surrounded by a few curling markings in black. His eyebrows rose. He recognized those patterns.

  The sound of footsteps pulled Regis out of his thoughts. He turned to see the captain poking his head out from below the staircase. His face was pale, his body trembling slightly as he took in the carnage left on the deck.

  “Are—are they gone?” he croaked.

  “For now.” Regis nodded in the direction the merfolk had disappeared. “I suspect they will return soon in greater numbers. If you do not wish this ship to sink, I suggest you make haste and return to the harbor while they are away.”

  His words seemed to snap the man into action, and he quickly ran all the way up the stairs, yelling what Regis presumed to be the names of the crew. More footsteps followed, and soon the deck was enveloped in a flurry of activity as they scrambled to turn the ship around. Regis elected to stay near the railing, where he could monitor the ocean and where he was not caught in the middle of the frenzy.

  An icy light glowed in the corner of his eye. He turned to see Hal with his hand outstretched. The glow faded, and Regis reached up to touch his ears. The bleeding there had stopped.

  “Thank you,” he said. The angel didn’t respond, his eyes instead fixed on the bleeding wound slicing open his arm.

  “Shit, that’s deep,” he cursed. “Nasty bastards.”

  “Are you able to heal it?”

  Hal frowned. “I can try, but it’s definitely gonna need bandages.” His brows furrowed in concentration. He raised his hands again, the same light from before once again emanating from his palm. Regis watched as strings of light stitched together parts of the torn flesh, other specks instead burrowing into the wound itself to cleanse it and slow the bleeding. It truly was a useful ability, the demon thought.

  By the end, the bleeding had fully stopped and portions of the cut were partially closed. As Hal had predicted, however, it seemed the ability was currently unable to seal the rest of the wound. The angel grunted as the light died down, shoulders slumping slightly in weariness.

  “I think that’s the best I can do for now,” he muttered. “Give me half an hour and I’ll try again.”

  “Thank you, this is already very helpful,” Regis said sincerely. He removed a roll of bandages from his bag to begin wrapping his arm with.

  Below them, the ship rocked back and forth as the crew worked to steer it around. Given that they were still close to the shore, they would likely have no issue reaching the port before the merfolk returned. They would not attack while on land.

  “So? What’re we supposed to do now?” Hal gestured at the sea. “Looks like those things’re gonna attack anything that goes too far out on the water. I doubt anyone’s making it to the mainland without an army of them coming after you.”

  “I would agree with that sentiment.” Though they’d managed to deal with the previous attack fairly well, it would be difficult to do so continuously for the length of a full trip. He also suspected ships would be even more reluctant to leave the port once word of this attack spread. At the same time, they could not allow this to stop them from reaching the mainland.

  Regis hummed in thought as he continued to wrap his wound in careful, methodical motions. There were a number of teleportation spells placed across Elaren to allow for faster travel, but these were maintained by the archmages. If they were to use one, their presence would immediately be registered by the owner of the magic, and he did not wish to risk their identities for such a reason.

  An extended journey by sea had not been the most ideal route, given the distance, but without the ability to fly or utilize teleportation magic in their current states, it had been their only true option. Now, it seemed it may also no longer be a possibility.

  Regis thought back to the marking he’d seen on the merfolk’s hand, then to the pieces of information the doctor had given them regarding the start of the merfolks’ attacks. His eyes narrowed. Perhaps, if his suspicions were correct, their original plan was not entirely lost.

  Up ahead, the shoreline grew more prominent as the ship sailed closer to the harbor. Regis could see other docked ships, and a few crew members released triumphant whoops as they neared their destination. Several passengers were already grabbing their bags and any other possessions that had survived the fight, eager to get off as soon as possible. Regis moved to do the same, but before he could do so, a shadow fell over them. The demon looked up to see the captain.

  The man’s thin hair was frazzled, and his face was still a few shades paler than normal. He wrung his hands in unease, but didn’t move from his current location. Regis finished tying off his bandage and rose to his feet, Hal following behind him.

  “Captain,” the demon greeted. “How are you?”

  The man’s brows furrowed. “I’m…alright.” His voice was slow and unsure, as though he was attempting to decipher the two in front of him. Regis nodded.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I see we’re nearing the port.”

  The human grunted in affirmation. “That we are.” He cleared his throat. “I, er, wanted to thank you two.” He jerked his head in the direction of the dead mer corpse. “I didn’t think you had it in you, but you saved all our lives. For that, I’m endlessly grateful.” The man lowered his head solemnly,

  “Please, there’s no need for that.” Regis smiled amicably. “We only did what we could.”

  The captain snorted and shook his head. “Humble now, are we…?” He paused in silent question, and Regis stretched a hand out in response.

  “Cyrus Sinclair,” he said smoothly, easily drawing on their false personas. He nodded at Hal. “This is my good friend and guard, Declan.”

  “Cyrus and Declan,” the captain repeated. He shook the demon’s hand firmly. “Tell you what, if you two ever need a favor ‘round here, ask for Fergus and I’ll do my damnedest to make sure it gets done. Captain’s honor.”

  Regis smiled. “Thank you, that’s very generous of you. I’ll be sure to remember that.” He released the man’s hand, who looked much more relaxed now that he’d spoken what he’d wished to say. He gave another curt nod of his head before turning around and stepping away to yell something else at the crew. By then, they were quickly approaching the port.

  “Don’t suppose we could use that favor to get him to sail us to the mainland, merfolk hazard and all,” Hal drawled once the man was out of earshot. Regis chuckled.

  “That may be a bit too much of an ask, yes.” His gaze shifted to the sea, then to the dead body of the mer again. “We may, however, be able to convince him of a free ride once we’ve dealt with the merfolk ourselves.”

  Hal raised an eyebrow at that. “Dealt with like fomorians dealt with? You know I’m never gonna say no to a fight, but that might be pushing it.” He fluttered his bandaged wings for emphasis.

  “I do not believe we could handle all the merfolk in our current states, no. That is not, however, what I’m suggesting.”

  “What’re you thinking, then?”

  Regis gave the shimmering waters another long look, then met eyes with the angel. He smiled.

  “Negotiation.”