The Beast Within

CHAPTER FIVE

Without waiting for anyone, Adrik grabbed a boat with a paddle sitting in it and shoved it out to sea, running to jump in it.

Ceraun broke free as well, eyes wide in a panic as he held his still bloody harpoon, running beside Adrik to the already afloat boat.

"Aye, lads! Ye are never going to catch up to her!" An adult called to them but they were already rowing, hard like their lives depended on it, perhaps not theirs but a life did.

Ceraun couldn't look Adrik in the eye, the black fire burning in his hazel depths was even more terrifying than the blackened sea.

The Siren waited a bit, as if to taunt them and their powerlessness, just when they got within attacking range, it let out a mocking shriek before diving to the very depths of the sea.

Adrik yelled Dew's name for what it seemed like would be the last time, throwing his paddle to the side in preparation to jump in as well.

"If you try to stop me…" Adrik began in a dark voice, ripping off his shirt. "I swear by the Pillars that I will mix the blood of the Siren on your harpoon with yours."

Ceraun just made a snorting sound, following the other's action. "Why would I want to do that?"

They could still see the Siren's head bobbing in the distance, she was aware of their intentions and planned to lure them out to sea, to her domain where she would reign in terror.

Ceraun and Adrik nodded to each other and jumped together, in the same moment that another boat had pulled up, the fishermen casting a net into the sea to catch the suicidal boys.

"What do ye think you do??!" A portly fisherman raged at them - it was Dew's father. "Are ye such absolute dunces as to think you could possibly defeat it, in the sea!!!"

Ceraun was not listening, already struggling to get out of the net by trying to cut a hole in the netting with his harpoon but his limbs were all tangled up in the holes of the fish net.

It also didn't help that the other fishermen were rapidly pulling them into their boat before the Siren changed her mind and decided to attack.

That might have been the case in any other situation but it was obvious that the Siren was still wary seeing as her partner was lying headless on the shore.

"Mister Edgen!!" Ceraun yelled, still struggling and making it difficult for them to be pulled in, Adrik had gone cold as stone.

"That is your daughter, how can ye just let her die!!" He raged at the man, impatiently tearing the netting off him when his feet were firmly planted on the rocking boat, readying to make another pointless effort.

Mister Edgen's dark blue eyes the same shade as his daughters flashed with a faint glow as he reared his fist back and punched Ceraun right in the face.

Ceraun didn't have a fighting chance, body weakened from the fight with the Siren and his numerous wounds, he fainted dead away on the impact of the blow, a bloody nose to add to his trail of injuries.

Adrik just sat quietly at a corner of the boat, eyes dead and staring at the Siren who still held Dew's body in a closed claw like a lifeless doll.

The Siren shrieked haughtily some more, spinning around as if to taunt them but Adrik knew what would be the outcome if they tried to save Dew who didn't even look alive anymore.

They would all be torn to shreds or drowned and they would still lose Dew, she was the only reason they were even able to defeat the first Siren.

The Siren rose to her full height, her powerful tail whipping up a small whirlpool around her before she dived right in, the sea calming instantly.

Waves created from her exit steadily pushed the boat back to shore, to the mourning village, the sun was setting, the wind cold.

Adrik couldn't feel anything or maybe he was getting hypothermic from the cold, he glanced to the side at Ceraun who was still passed out cold on the boat floor, the fishermen that had come to rescue them equally quiet, no one needed to row so they all huddled together in the boat, stares empty.

Burning bile was churning up Adrik's throat, who was he to blame? Ceraun? Who inadvertently saved the village for all his foolish bravery? Elder Feyrer? Whose lightning wasn't strong enough to keep the Siren down? Dew? For not bloody listening to him for once in her life?

He flopped to his back and curled to his side, trying to hold the shredding pain at bay… or did this all happen because they were all too weak.

They reached the shore with a bump, the jarring motion rousing up Ceraun who sat up instantly, black eyes mad.

It was pitch dark now and his eyes took a while adjusting to the darkness.

One by one the fishermen trudged out of the boat, none of them ever thinking of this end of the day when they left their huts bright faced and cheery that morning.

The boat slowly emptied out, everyone wet, shivering and hurt, gloom settling over the village like a second skin - in the distance, a wail started up, the sound pure and keening, a sound of pain, a sound of loss.

Mister Edgen was one of the last to leave, his face looked like it had aged a couple decades in a few moments as the moonlight reflected against his round, saggy face.

He placed each of his hands on Ceraun's and Adrik's shoulder. "I'm sure she would have been proud of you and she would have wanted you to live to mourn her properly." He said to them, his voice distant and wracked with grief.

Ceraun and Adrik watched him lumber away with great difficulty, like his limbs were suddenly too heavy a load to bear.

Guilt settled in Ceraun's middle, sure as the broken boats and torn nets settling down to the bottom of the sea, the feeling was eating him from the inside out.

He was the reason Dew had died, if he had just gone back to the village like she told him to or he had told her to leave… maybe… maybe…

Adrik stood up next, head hanging off his shoulders, bare skin gleaming in the moonlight.

"A...Adrik…" Ceraun tried to reach out, perhaps to… apologize?

Adrik made no indication that he had heard the other, trudging through the wet sand as he made his way to the dark hits lined up in the distance.

No lamp was lit in the whole village, keening wails picking up as a head count was no doubt made and the missing were accounted for.

They would all come out the next morning to pull out what salvageable body parts and boat parts from the sea.

A heavy weight settled over Ceraun's soul, a weight so heavy he staggered underneath it.

He left the boat only to fall to the sand, the sharp little stones tearing open his lacerations again.

He clawed at his heart, why did it hurt so much? Except perhaps for Dew he hadn't exactly known the others that had gotten killed.

Then why? Why did he feel the grief of the village like a leader for their people?

Why did the thought of the villagers so helpless made him want to rage across the seas and bring back the head of every Siren that lived?

He staggered and fell to the ground, coughing up blood, his vision tunneling out.

In the distance he heard a voice, someone was calling for him, a blue glow in their hands, he rolled over to his back and stared at the moon… he had to protect…