“And since we have the last Siren with us, there is no telling what we are going to come across.” Vaeludar pulled out the sword from his back, with the sun’s light flickering with the swirling cloud inside the blade. “But I remember this rhythm all too well. I haven’t heard this music since I was younger.”
“What do you mean?” asked Galvin.
“Something too personal Flavius and I don’t want to remember,” answered Vaeludar, sternly. “We’ll end up seeing them ahead.”
Vaeludar walked to the higher rocky edges and looked where the river was rushing down. He could see a long line of smoke rising from a close fire pit. From a nearby distance, Vaeludar could see a few figures bending over like weakly elderly humans.
“Tell them,” said three soggy voices.
The group joined up with Vaeludar and hastily looked from the terrain they were on.
Before their eyes, there were three hunched, white-haired, frail old women with the ugliest faces imaginable with infected freckles.
One man behind them was standing lean and tall.
He stood slightly taller than Vaeludar’s height. His hair, clothing, part of his face, and little parts of his body were black. His face structure was devilish-looking and heavily scared with four scars of dried blood, two of red and two of blue. One scar in particular was stashed cross his left eye. The color of gold was in his right eyes while his scared eye was blinded. Two shortswords hung from his sleeves.
Vaeludar’s eyes glared with anger as soon he saw four familiar faces he came across five years ago. “It is them: three witches and their puppet,” said Vaeludar. Vaeludar jumped down and charged forward to them. He stopped while he was feet away, seeing how the piper he was hiding something.
“Hello… Fluting Piper. How’s the scar I gave you four years ago?”
The Fluting Piper stood aside and revealed a girl of eight years standing right behind him, which made Vaeludar and Flavius gasp. Much to their horror, the girl was Naìra.
“Naìra!” shouted Vaeludar.
Naìra stood there, hypnotized. She could not see her brothers nor hear them; Naìra was completely under their control.
“That’s twice: four years ago and now this!” said Flavius, charging forward.
“Flavius, don’t run!” warned Vaeludar.
It was too late; Flavius ran with great haste to save his little sister. The Fluting Piper jumped forward and knocked Flavius’s sword of his hands. The Piper swung his swords at his opponent’s arms and legs, wounding Flavius in the arms and legs.
Yelling by four strikes to the body, Flavius fell to the ground being unable to move. His body became numb and he couldn’t move a muscle. Unfortunately, the weapons the Piper was holding must be drenched with some kind of paralyzing drug.
The Fluting Piper jumped towards Vaeludar.
Vaeludar was ready; he once seen the Fluting Piper in action, waving the two shortswords to and fro like a ninja and a chef cutting vegetables with two butcher knives. Vaeludar struck his blade against the Fluting Piper’s shortswords. They clashed as sparks rolled out.
“I didn’t have a sword four years ago when you tried to take the twin girls. Now, I have a magic sword and you are going to feel what it will be like when you have been felled by a human dragon hybrid. And I am going to do what I should have done four years ago: kill you!”
He swung the blades around and kicked the Piper in the face just like he did when he first met the Piper four years ago, only Vaeludar scratched the Piper’s face with his dragon claws of his feet.
The Piper rolled down the hill like a rock. Seeing how he would easily end the piper, Vaeludar turned to his companions behind him.
“Wonomi, Monico, Galvin, get the witches. Marina, heal Flavius and get my foster sister. I have something personal to with and… WHOA!”
The Piper charged at full strength and head-butted Vaeludar towards his companions uphill. Vaeludar crash-landed at Wonomi and Monico while his tail whipped Galvin. Marina rolled away in the naked of time.
Marina was quick enough and pulled out two arrows to shoot the Piper. In her clear view, she quickly shot the two arrows.
However, the Fluting Piper knocked away the flying arrows aside with one shortsword. Marina didn’t look worried; she kept her cool and didn’t give into fear.
Unfortunately for the Piper, this was a distraction for Vaeludar to get back on his feet. Back on his dragon feet, he pulled Wonomi and Monico back to their feet with his tail. Then he flew into the air. He blew a hard gush of wind at the Fluting Piper and the witches and Naìra.
Naìra was blown down but not rolling down the hill.
The strong wind blew back the witches toward the trench, but the Piper skillfully moved dodged Vaeludar’s blowing wind. He threw down one shortsword and ran towards a fallen Naìra who seemed to be moving.
“Naìra, run!” shouted Vaeludar.
Naìra shook her head and blinked a few times. She saw the Piper running and jumping up, but it was too late. The Piper grabbed her and carried her down the hill, running very close to the edges of the trench.
Naìra screamed franticly as she was being carried by her captor.
“NO!” yelled Flavius. Flavius was still on the ground and couldn’t be able to move. Marina had her hands on him, but the healing process and moving a very slowly.
Anger began to swell within Vaeludar’s eyes and heart. His blood began to boil like steaming water. His claws, spikes, and horns sprouted two inches longer. Two small fins popped out of his back, upper arms and connected with his wings on his shoulder pads.
Vaeludar flew forward at a tremendous speed, faster than the Piper’s eyes can move. Vaeludar stopped inches away and punch the Piper’s face
