Wonomi gulped.
“Sirens may be a sweet-hearted species,” continued Vaeludar. “But not respecting anything their personal habits could have deathly consequences. Sirens are the most sensitive species when it comes to personal talks and personalities. They’re rough to go around. She told me these things sometime after I rescued her and before she left to go live with King Uragiru.”
Then Vaeludar went silent and the boat sailed went on
The hours turned the day into dusk and the dusk into night. Stars dim as a firefly brighten the night sky. The moon was crescent, a small light glimmered the surrounding swamps. Trees were shown but weakly. There were mixtures of different sounds of birds, monkeys, slithering snakes, and other loud animals echoing in the trees.
Wonomi, Monico, and Galvin went to sleep. Flarefur still sat in the center of the boat without a care in the world. Flavius went to sleep next to Naìra. Vaeludar stood a foot away from his foster brother and sister.
For the rest of the day, he began to wonder where Marina was. He told her to be back at night. She was gone for a long time and there wasn’t a dripping sound that would have been a sign of her being close by.
“Vaeludar?” whispered a girl’s voice.
Vaeludar turned and lifted his hand. A small fire ignited on his hand and brightened the darkness. He eyes gazed where he heard the girl’s voice, and he hoped it was Marina.
The fire showed Naìra standing close.
“Naìra? What are you doing staying away this time of night?” asked Vaeludar.
Naìra dashed and hugged her foster hybrid brother.
“Why do I bother to ask? If you want to sleep beside me, it is fine. Just hope Flavius doesn’t get mad when he sees his little sister sleeping close to the hybrid.”
A splash was heard.
Vaeludar quickly drew his sword out with the other hand not having a burning fire. He concealed Naìra behind him and aimed the light toward the boat’s edge.
In the flashing light, Marina showed herself with another small bundle of fish: a small group of catfish. Vaeludar signed and placed the sword back and helped Marina climb back into the boat. The fire burning on his hand faded.
Overjoyed by her return, Vaeludar welcome Marina back and had nothing else to worry about. There hadn’t been any danger since that morning. Now they would be able to continue on, which the boat did for when it was first found.
After Marina’s return, the three sat down together. Naìra stated she wanted to know more about Marina and Sirens. So Vaeludar left Naìra in the care of Marina, not wanting to hear of what Marina was going to say he didn’t want to hear about.
Vaeludar went to the head of the boat, to overlook potently dangers that may lie ahead of them.
FOG OF HALLUCINATIONS
V
aeludar woke up by the scent of something rotting like a fruit drenched in mold. Before his eyes was a very, deep, strong fog; a fog that was obscuring the light of the sun. Now he has encountered another fog that killed his eye vision to see ahead. There was light but it was faint. It was like being out in the sea where there are the strongest fogs. Before his eyes, the fog brewed strong that he could not see through.
The lake the boat was sailing on must have moved to a more dreadful place than the swamps. There was no knowing of what dangers could be lurking in such a frightful environment that could scare a snail right out of its shell.
In a short time, the boat was slowing its sail on the water. Black trees that grew without leaves or branches were being shown as the boat neared one. A tree would appear and disappear as soon it was seen as the boat passed by.
No sound of a howling monkey or the sighting of a flying bird made Vaeludar and the Siren are well aware they could be entering enemy territory. The humans and the Griffin on the boat were sound asleep, leaving Vaeludar and Marina the only ones awake.
Vaeludar grew suspicious if the boat was evilly enchanted. He grew more suspicious where the boat was actually taking them. He could feel coldness of bitter misery and sadness within in the fog. He could smell a fire roasting a foul, skunked, scent of a garbage-smelling corpse that be left to rot in the sun. Vaeludar couldn’t visually see with his hybrid eyes, but he could smell, and the air was too foul for him to breathe. He thought the air was toxic for a human to hallucinate.
From the fog, there was a ruined building burnt to ruble. Only standing burnt sticks and a small trace of a big roof were the only remnants of the building.
Other ruined buildings with were followed. The river flooded about the lower half of the buildings. It was a dreadful village the boat was sailing through. All the buildings of this once lively village now lay half buried in water.
“We seem to be entering a flooded town,” whispered Marina’s voice, in a meek, soft tone.
Vaeludar never thought he would her whispering in such a meek, soft voice. He’s very used to hearing the Siren’s fishy voice, he not used to a softer tone of her speaking. Her voice sounded clear like Eliana’s voice.
“This village looks like used to, at one point, once prospered for several generations, until some kind of flood engulfed this entire village,” he said. “Water never rises this high unless if a dam was struck down or a very powerful hurricane. We are hundreds of miles from the beaches, and there aren’t any storms that
