Nepta's smoky peak was becoming more visible beneath the low clouds as they drew close. The sea had turned into a deathly still mill pond as they entered deep within psyren’s territory. Grey cragged rocks littered the once smooth path and Clues ordered the sails to be pulled up in order to slow their progress and allow easy negotiation. Orlson stood with Decks on the edge of the Crux watching uneasily as Clues steered her through the maze of unstable cliffs and rocks.
Meanwhile, Xander lay on his bed feeling confused and bewildered. He knew Briganti was in love with Orlson, it was obvious to everyone and he in turn was still in love with Dorcas. He wondered why their parents had insisted on the union, when it made them both so unhappy. He swore to himself that once they returned to Demeter he would find out how to break the pact, for them both. Then, suddenly, from nowhere, he heard the most beautiful and haunting sound. He stood up slowly and made his way outside towards the noise.
Bri jumped down from the rigging with a thud and was just about to shout the Trio, when she noticed everyone walking past her to the edge of the ship. Even Surrial seemed to be entranced.
'What are you guys doing?' she shouted, and that’s when she heard it, the sound of cats wailing causing her skin crawl with disgust. 'Psyrens,' she hissed.
Running to the other side, she grabbed a large hemp rope and got ready to tie her men down. Then she saw with horror that Clues had left the wheel. A thud behind her startled her, it was Eyes.
'It's the psyrens, Bri,' he said.
'I know, you get the wheel,' she said. She watched him run and grab it. 'Wait!' she said suddenly. 'Why is their song not affecting you? You are a man aren't you? I mean we have not got it wrong all these years?'
Eyes looked at her as a red blush reached his cheeks. 'Yes, I am a man, but I don't...'
It suddenly dawned on her what he was saying and she nodded at him. It explained so much. The reason he never followed the others into brothels, or never showed interest in the maidens that they came across.
She grabbed the rope and made her way towards the crew, but as she did there was a crunching sound as the ship hit something hidden beneath them, causing her and her men to fall. The psyren’s song was beginning to pick up pace as it reached its crescendo, and the men were soon on their feet once more following the sound.
Orlson and Xander were both dangerously close to the edge of the ship and she knew she would not get to them in time. She heard Dorcas’ voice deep in her head and closing her eyes began to work her own charm. Opening her eyes, she could see she had Clues, Decks, and the Trio and to her surprise even Surrial’s attention. She slowly circled them with the rope and then with all the strength she could muster dragged them to the mast and tied them to it. Her breathing was now quick and fast from the effort and her arms ached from dragging the men’s weight, but she had to continue.
Next, it was Orlson and Xander, but no matter how hard she tried she could not hold their attention, Orlson would not even turn her way and with a splash he had gone, but she was still within Xander’s reach. However, just as she touched his hand, Eyes struggled to hold the Crux steady, and hitting another piece of rock, Xander fell into the water with another splash.
Bri shouted to Eyes to let the Crux ride, and grabbing a piece of rope she made it into a lasso and tied it to the end of a fishing harpoon and began to scan the sea. The water around them was filled with bobbing heads of the psyren’s, all ugly and contorted with their own vanity.
She frantically tried to remember a magick spell her father had taught her. One that they had used while fishing. The spell would cause the rope or fishing line to find its catch for them without having to wait for the bite. Mother had called it cheating, but they had laughed and said it was harmless fun.
Rummaging through memories she tried to grasp it, but it kept flitting away. Damn it! She cursed inside and once more she tried. There it was and she grabbed it with every bit of her consciousness. She whispered the words and waited for the lassoo to respond. Suddenly, it twitched on its own accord. It was ready to catch whatever she asked it to.
'What are we looking for?' Eyes asked,
'The princess,' Bri whispered, her eyes watching the sea.
'How will you be able to tell?'
'It takes a princess to find a princess.'
The psyrens had now started to pull their slimy bodies upon the rocks and their singing caused Bri to shiver inside.
The psyrens had once been mers, thousands of years ago. Then, King Casper ruled and he’d made the mistake of choosing his youngest son, Monti as his successor. However, his eldest son Raquan resented the decision and took some of his followers and waged war.
The war was the biggest the Celestian Sea had ever seen and grew so ferocious that King Casper begged Zolar and Zilva for assistance. As land dwellers they could not fight the war for them, all they could do was summon up every magick power they could find and create a curse. A curse condemned Raquan and his followers to darkness. The curse ravaged the king’s enemies, and they lost their mer beauty and charm and became nothing more than the splurge that sat at the sea’s bottom.
Raquan begged for forgiveness and Casper, still loving his son, offered him the waters at the very edge of Celestia to rule, and there they remained, with no beauty and no charm, the only thing that was left was their voice, which grew and developed into a weapon of revenge, so that no man who heard it would ever survive.
Bri took aim as her eyes scanned the waiting psyrens, praying their princess would emerge. Then she saw it, in the distance, the familiar blue aura of royalty that had enveloped Alaina’s face. She aimed and then fired, as the rope tightened.
She felt Eyes take the end and they both began to pull as fast as they could, the weight of the psyren’s princess making it difficult. With one last pull, the princess landed at their feet on the deck and like lightening Bri had dragged her slimy body up so she now faced her people, with a knife at her throat.
'You cannot hold me ransom, Zilva princess,' the princess sang.
'I want my guardian and prince back,' Bri hissed at her, trying to keep a tight grip on her, but it was like holding a fish. 'Tell them to give them back.'
'And why should we?'
'Because I will kill you if you don't,' Bri said pushing the blade further into her skin.
'Do you think I fear death?' the princess laughed.
'No, but you fear losing this,' Bri said pointing the blade at her voice box, 'Your voice is your only power.' She felt the princess’s body tense
'I can't give you both,' the princess sang, her voice quivering slightly.
'Why not?' Bri asked.
'Ancient law. No one is above it, not even me. You can only have one. You must choose.'
Bri felt her stomach turn cold. She had to choose between her soon to be husband and the man she loved.
'I want to see them' she whispered.
The princess sang out to the sea as some of the psyrens began to dive into the water. A moment later, two water spheres rose to the surface, each with Xander and Orlson inside. They both looked frightened and panicked.
'There they are Zilva princess. The choice is yours.'
Bri glanced at Eyes for support, but he merely looked down at his feet.
'Is there a problem?' the princess sang with a sickly sweet smile.
'No, there is no problem,' Bri snapped.
'Well choose, then maybe I could go back to my people without being dried out.'
She closed her eyes, she couldn’t look at either of them and make the decision she was about to make.
'The prince. I want the prince,' she said.
As she the words left her mouth Xander landed at her feet and the psyren’s princess jumped, taking Orlson with her. The air was now silent as the men began to wake from their stupor. Each looking shocked at being tied to the ship’s mast, especially Surrial who seemed indignant at his weakness. Xander looked up at where Briganti stood a
nd went to grab her hand.
'Why?' he asked.
But she refused to answer and fled to her cabin.
The psyrens dumped Orlson on the warm rocky beach of Nepta. He lay there for some time. The devastation he felt at Bri’s choice ripped through his wet and tired body and though the volcanic rock was warm all he felt was chilled to the bone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Celestia's Tales: The Lybiria Scales Page 24