More or Less a Mermaid

[Syrawenn]

"Swimming is fun." The newly named creature nodded his head vehemently at Zarkazar. "Great fun, you never know what you'll find. And yes, I have heard of Mermaids. Better yet, I heard mermaids, haven't you?" There was something so sweetly innocent in his voice that it was hard to make out whether he was being serious or not when tilting his head at Bahjek.

Mackaree stepped aside at the unvarnished threats Zarkazar uttered. He gulped and even endured the incredibly downgrading pat on the head. "No, no, no, nothing scary, I assure you!" He hastened to confirm his earlier words. "Uh, It's just...when we're here anyway, and there is a box, well, let's get it out! As for traps on it...well, nothing a little song can't remedy..."

He looked sideways at Anarie when she suddenly burst out in a lovely monologue. A tad taken aback the little man made yet another step away from the group that seemed to be turning against him rapidly. "But...as a professor of the Little Known School of True History..." He began, but was interrupted by Luminon.

"No songs?" His eyes grew big. "No singing at all? Nothing? In that case you don't get the box." The strange fellow folded his arms much like any offended humanoid.

The water lapped at Bahjek's feet.

Mackaree raised his hands in defence. "Dear, DEAR lady, I can't swim. You can't possibly ask me to come with you if you'll drown me along the way! We won't get much wiser if you let me die like that!"

The water surrounded Bahjeks feet.

The little green creature was turning a deeper green.

[Guest]

Anarie smirked at Master Williams worries of dying. She knew he didn't understand much Elvish and if he did he made no outward sign of it, and felt safe in her next native tongued comment. "Oh you won't die, not yet at least little man." Smiling at him in a saccharine way she started to wade into the water. "Not all that deep it is from my seeing. With men of all these surely save us they will if we be drowning. No risk, no reward? Yes?" She took the several pieces of dried rags from her pack and started knotting them together in a mismade rope. The water lapped against the back of her caves, and while cold still gave her a relaxed feeling like the gentle caresses of a fey lover.

"Illuminatus will be for keeping us safe. He is for liking knowledge as we and since knowing what is in chest of yours is having knowledge he would for being to place blessing of his upon us all and getting of the chest. So you see? We are being in no danger at all." She had finished the rope, hoping she had made it nice and tight and stood in the water, waiting. It didn't matter to her that the present company might not share her affinity for the All Seeing, All Knowledgable, Father of Light; Anarie was an Iluminite and that was all that mattered just then.

"It is seeming to me Master William that you is asking of us all many a thing but for doing many a thing yourself you not wanting. If for wishing restoration of faith for yourself of in us all then must be you doing something besides wise standing round about and for doing nothing but talking. Perhaps if doing this thing, I help. I sing for you and Luminon. He is seeming to like singing and if I singing he is happy and maybe for getting box he can. I am hearing that Sea Elves are good underwater."

She realised that everyone would be confused by her bad Common and tried to simplify it. "Master William, if you not wanting to help with getting box underwater then you must be helping later and must be swearing on Illuminatus that you be upholding such promise. If you lying he will surely strike you down with Holy Might. Not liking such thing I don't think you will. If you promise this thing, I will sing and maybe Luminon will get your box. If not wanting to promise, then you and I can get box ourselves and maybe be swallowing some water. Third option beyond that being that we sit in this cave forever not moving and talking of arguing until we all for dying of starvation." She had her hands on her hips and stood with her lips pouted cutely and her spooky eyes wide with some strange kind of anticipation. Anarie enjoyed having people listen to her for a change, important people like Master William.

"Well, what for say you dear Master William?"

[Guest]

Zarkazar listened to the woman's garbled Common. He walked towards the green creature in a brash and confident manner.
"Right you, yes you," he pointed at it with his sword, "I don't know if you're a sea elf or not, and frankly I don't care. But you're obviously suited to this environment so why not do us a favour? Pop down and grab this box for us, then we can get out of here. I mean, I don't want to worry anyone but this cave seems to be getting more water in it." He turned to Anarie and smiled his most charming smile. "As for singing, young lady...I'd rather you didn't." His recent experiences had put him in a bad mood.

[Syrawenn]

Master William was getting increasingly nervous yet again. Like a small child he stamped his foot on the cold rocks. "You don't understand!" He implored. "Without singing, nothing will happen! You must sing or we will surely die. Look, the water is already rising!"

His flabby hand pointed towards the waterline which was creeping up on them. Already Bahjek's feet were under water now, since he had not moved from his place.

Luminon surveyed the edgy Zarkazar with his slender arms folded. "If you don't care, then I don't care." He replied with a smile and sat down, looking decidedly darker green than before. The water was still rising. "Sing!" The little creature commanded, mirroring Anarie's lovely little pout.

"Amos, Kito, we could use some help!" Mackaree cried out to the vanished twins. No answer followed except the wet echo of his own words. "Do something!!"

[Guest]

"What's all this talk about singing?" said Zarkazar, to all those gathered. "Why is it so damned important? If it gets us this box and gets us out of here then fine, sing until your head falls off!" He walked closer to the green creature, and put away his sword. "Sorry about my harsh words," he smiled and stretched out his arms. "You want a song my friend, then you should have one, but what is in it for us? The only things that are free, aren't worth having." Unless they've been stolen he thought. All the while he was trying to get in grabbing distance of the green skinned figure.

[Guest]

Bahjek was getting tired of all the fighting that was going on around him and his feet were soaked. When the elf had realized his feet where in water his mind started to race. This is not good the longer we stay here the more water comes in this cavern. He observed.

Seeing that his feet were soaked now Bahjek finally deicide to move. He had become angered because William would not tell the party anything but that the Elvin maiden must sing. Bahjek moved along the slippery, wet rocks as he moved the elf slipped several times to get to William.


"William," Bahjek said is a very cold voice, "I am going to give you three choices. One you can lead us out of here right now, two you can explain very quickly why we will die if Anarie does not sing." he looked at the little man as he started on his third reason and drew his dagger. "Or three you will hand one of us the lamp and we will find our way out." The elf's body weight had been shifted as he said all this and he was getting ready to strike the little man as he moved closer and closer.

[Syrawenn]

The little greenster stood his ground, oblivious of Zarkazar's ploy to get closer. He stuck his little pointy nose into the air and spoke in haughty tones: "We trade songs. If we don't, you're not supposed to be here.You don't know the rules, you don't play."

Mackaree was pulling at whatever hairs were left. "The way out is the way we came in!" He pointed at the entrance that had granted them access to the roomy cave. "But parts will be under water already! Didn't you notice the ups and downs? Oh, this is a disaster!"

Clearly the small man had forgotten about the strange manner in which Zarkazar had joined them, because he looked at their latest arrival instead of Bahjek who had posed the question. For some reason William had troubles with looking at Bahjek, period, or maybe it had something to do with the fact that the former was moving closer and closer to Luminon without the creature reacting to it.

The water was rising at an alarming rate now. Soon the entire party found themselves ankledeep in saltiness. The crates with material were soaking up the moist, causing yet another squeak from Mackaree. With the current speed the entire hallway would be filled up soon.

"He's trading the box for a song! Please, anyone, sing!" Out of panick the man started to hum 'itsy bitsy spider', although it might have been 'Mary had a little goose' or perhaps 'the wheels on the cart'. Either way it wasn't very musical, nor very clear and all it did was evoke laughter from the green being.

[Guest]

The little greenster stood his ground, oblivious of Zarkazar's ploy to get closer. He stuck his little pointy nose into the air and spoke in haughty tones: "We trade songs. If we don't, you're not supposed to be here.You don't know the rules, you don't play."

"Play?! A game this is not. Who are you being to request favors? We can be getting out on our own!" Anarie placed her hands on her hips, her resolution on the matter higher than usual. She wasn't about to be ordered about by a sea-elf, and a child-like one at that. "Are you even fully grown?" She asked in Elvish not expecting an answer to be forthcoming and not caring much.

As the water rose around her boots it tested the waterproofing abilities of the material. If it got any higher it would run over the edge and soak her feet. It didn't even feel cold. Though that could simply be a false illusion her body was faking her mind into believing caused by the duration spent in the dank cave that would be everyone's watery grave if they didn't get out of there.

Mackaree was pulling at whatever hairs were left. "The way out is the way we came in!" He pointed at the entrance that had granted them access to the roomy cave. "But parts will be under water already! Didn't you notice the ups and downs? Oh, this is a disaster!" Anarie sat on a protrudence of rounded rock, the water reaching up to her knees as she sat, but she didn't care. "A disaster you put us in professor."

Clearly the small man had forgotten about the strange manner in which Zarkazar had joined them, because he looked at their latest arrival instead of Bahjek who had posed the question. For some reason William had troubles with looking at Bahjek, period, or maybe it had something to do with the fact that the former was moving closer and closer to Luminon without the creature reacting to it.

The water was rising at an alarming rate now. Soon the entire party found themselves ankledeep in saltiness. The crates with material were soaking up the moist, causing yet another squeak from Mackaree. With the current speed the entire hallway would be filled up soon.

"He's trading the box for a song! Please, anyone, sing!" Out of panick the man started to hum 'itsy bitsy spider', although it might have been 'Mary had a little goose' or perhaps 'the wheels on the cart'. Either way it wasn't very musical, nor very clear and all it did was evoke laughter from the green being.

Anarie had to smirk. "Singing of your voice should be working on you. Not sounding so good." She turned her attentions to their green skinned host, who seemed to be enjoying himself thuroughly. "Say you of this elf kindred. You be taking us out of here, then we be singing. Same of game, new of rules."

[Guest]

Zarkazar was still no wiser as to the importance of song, and was now close to the green creature. It'll swap the box for a song? How about swapping the box for the ability to keep its neck? He didn't intend to hurt the creature unless neccessary, so was careful when he made a sudden lunge and grabbed at it.

[Guest]

Anarie noticed their less than savory friend creeping his way toward the sea-elf. From her perch she couldn't see the intent in his eyes but she didn't need to in order to know that she didn't trust the human. She got up and took a leap at the man before he reached the sea-elf, not seeming to care about her trajectory. "No!" She yelled out as she launched her slender body at his own.

[Syrawenn]

The little Sea Elf giggled. It was strange under the circumstances, but definitively fit the childlike state of the creature. He looked at Anarie and blinked rapidly with his eyes while she talked about a different kind of deal with him alone...which still involved his beloved songs. "You are smart. That's why I like you. Smaaaaaart!" Drawing out the last word in a high pitch he clapped his hands together and beckoned Anarie to follow, completely ignoring the rest of the group as if they did not exist in his little universe.

At the same time William stood agape after the Achadhiel's remark. His colour changed from a flushed red to a deep purple, anger reflecting in his eyes. "Oh no, you're not going to do this. Do not foul this up. We are this close. I could be the most powerful man of Tazlure! You're not going to take it away from me!"

With these words he grabbed for the upper crate and revealed a small crossbow. Before he could nock an arrow Zarkazar leaped into motion, aiming to grab the little greenster.

Anarie yelled.
Luminon squeaked
Mackaree cursed.
In one fluent motion the human and the achadhiel met halfway, tumbling into the rising waters together. The green creature dove into the water and made for one of the protruding rocks. His slender face was wrinkled in anger as he spoke a few monosyllabic words and pointed at Zarkazar.

Immediately the water started to bubble, several dark tentacles breaking the smooth surface and reaching for the man's legs.

[Guest]

Zarkazar coughed and spluttered as he hit the water with the woman on top of him. Anger flashed through his mind then he looked into her eyes and smiled.
"Milady, I know the Zarkazar charm can be a little strong sometimes, but this is hardly the time, control yourself! I'll be happly to oblige later, but please be gentle, I bruise easily." Then he noticed the writhing tentacles moving through the water. He shoved Anarie to one side and drew two blades. "Call them off, you little green bastard!" he yelled and began to hack at them. "Call them off and I promise I'll kill you quickly!"

[Guest]

The tall half-elf snarled at Zarkazar ill toned comment and reached for his legs, her hair plastered to her face. She yanked roughly to pull him back down, more frightened then ever that he would harm the sea elf.

Something slimy touched her leg and she shrieked when she saw the dark tentacles in the water. "Maya Mala!" she cried out in an old and brief prayer as she reached for the dagger in her boot and stabbed at the the creature in the water. "Luminon! Get us out of here! We will sing whatever you want, just get us out of here!"

She was too frantic to attempt her bad Common and didn't have time for verbal mistakes. A mouthful of water was spit out as she continued to fight off this new unknown devilry.

The small shallow section of the pool seemed to disappear beneath her feet and she yelled briefly until the water went over her head, leaving nothing but a ripple and a spalsh where she had gone under.

Under the water the sounds of yelling and splashing seemed muted, but louder . . .almost a hollow sound. Anarie was disoriented and panicked as she tried to find the surface again. A glint under the water caught her eye . . .it was the box.

If Master William wanted in so badly then it must be important. She made her decision in a split section and swam to the bottom until her hands touched on the smooth surface.

[Syrawenn]

Had this been a comical piece performed by the finest of the Roque d'Ancourt Company of Comedies Zarkazar's timing could not have been better. There should have been roaring laughter from the audience or at least victorious applause to encourage him to entice the lady further until of course she would fall into his arms.

As it was the man was stuck with a pair of rather slimy tentacles -instead of warm, loving arms- wrapping themselves further along his legs with the clear intent of pulling him under. There was just enough time to take a deep breath instead of wasting it on cursing the greenster who was clearly enjoying himself.

A moment later Zarkazar was under water, moving at considerable speed as he saw Anarie flash by, clearly not interested in his fate but rather intrigued by the very box he had located earlier. Luminon had no intention of letting anyone go, especially since none of the promised songs were being performed. Instead he happily hopped from one leg to the other, dancing to a tune only he could hear in his silly little head, directing the many-armed creature to yet a deeper place.

Slashing at the tentacles did prove to be a nice move as at least one strong arm removed itself in a chorus of bubbles. It was quickly replaced by two others, forcing Zarkazar to either befriend the monster or find a way to kill it before he ran out of air.

If there was an answer to Anarie's plea, she could not hear it as her ears filled with water when she dove deeper out of her own free will. Safe from the creature's long arms she was free to explore the depths while next to her the charming lead in this comedy-turned-drama was fighting for his life. The huge bubbles and blobs created by the struggle made it hard to keep a clear focus on the chest as it's view was obscured from time to time.

Foamy waves drifted in and out of her view, making the box look like an illusion more than anything else. Sounds were drowned and voices distorted. Someone shrieked, or was it laughter? Her hands encountered something solid -and not too slimy. It could not be the monster, since it remained still. Warmer than rock and colder than a living being, it seemed the lady had reached her goal.

Now it was up to her to either go up for some life-saving air or to try and play around with the absolute center of Mackaree's world. The sturdy wood looked rather green under water and the lock was rusty. Cockleshells grew at the bottom, snapping at the streaming water. No weight held it down, except that which was inside. It might actually be possible to lift it on her own here in the weightless water. Maybe it would even yield to her touch and open, but all this remained in her hands alone.

[Guest]

OOC: You played off my post rather well You've given what I assume is the okay to retrieve the box but I don't intend to open it or anything like that until this situation with Luminon is resolved.

IC:

The murky water seemed like a cloud of thick fog, but Anarie knew that to open her mouth would be her death. The air in her lungs could stay only so long before it sought to burst out from it's confines and once one exhaled they inevitably had to inhale.

Her eyes caught on the box but she had no time to study it's surface. The muck that gave the undoubetdly aged container it's platform didn't seem to be holding it at bay, but rather offering it up as a prize. As if it were a simple Punabi Box, but Anarie knew that if it were a simple Trinket Trunk that Master William wouldn't have as severe an interest in it.

His behavior had warranted a swift and un-ceremonial reprimand and in truth he was hardly deserving of anything he wanted, let alone an item that he seemed to crave and care for more than the lives of his company and perhaps even more so than himself. The Half Island Elf had no time to think on such matters and it seemed folly to be so close to the box and not reach for it.

Ivory hands went for the trunk and grasped it tightly as the figure who took temporary possession of it used the 'floor' of the cavern's pool to discern her direction. If the bottom of the pool was here then the top must be above and though Anarie could not seem to see any light she forced her slender body upward through the water, the box tight against her ribs. The surface of the water broke briefly and Anarie took in big gulps of air, taking a moment to figure out where everything was.

She didn't know where the seemingly body less tentacles had originated from, but the frolicking of one rock hopping sea elf gave her a pretty good idea. Once she had sucked in enough oxygen into her deprived body she raised her voice in a tenor that she hadn't thought herself capable of. She knew that the Sea Elf understood her native words, and rather or not Luminon chose to respond to them in the same language made no effects on his abilities to understand Anarie and she felt that it would be easier to tell him what she wished him to do with words that she had a masterful understanding of as opposed to the hyper conflated jabberings of a tongue that would take her many a yahren to gain full knowledge of.

"Luminon! You will stop these attacks at once. I have Master William's trunk and I shall sing you a song, but know this, I will sing nothing and my wrath shall be great indeed if you don't take us out of here . . .right . . .now!!! Her voiced carried, as if using the walls to increase the volume of her words. She held the box up for all to see but kept it firmly in her own grasp, waiting for Luminon to make a move and hoping that her false bravado was believable enough. A prayer to her beloved Illuminatus was quick in coming, though the words themselves were silent but it didn’t make their hopeful wishes any less potent.

The dagger she had concealed earlier within her boot was now held in her left hand, the business end pointing in the direction of Master William and it's owner didn't have any problems in using the item to keep any potential humanoid attackers at bay, though a bigger weapon wielded by a more capable individual would have done a better job. Anarie noted that this whole scene seemed like a comic aside in some macabre play that the denizens of The Abyss might enjoy watching but she took no pleasure in the cold, clammy reality of their situation.

[Guest]

As the waster rose Bahjek tried to making his was to the wall so he could use it to help keep his head above the water. Bahjek watched every thing unfold into a disaster.

Bahjek saw William's the crossbow and decided enough was enough. The elf did not wait for William to attack instead Bahjek lunged at William aiming for his arm with the dagger moving as fast as he could in the water. Oh K'Tan allow me to hit my target and PLEASE get me out of here alive. Bahjek prayed ,the first time in years,as he passed Williamhe felt his dagger hit something. The elf was ready for this mess to be over with.

[Guest]

Zarkazar kept fairly calm as the tentacles dragged him beneath the water (drowning was no longer new to him after recent escapades). He tucked one blade in his belt and put the other between his teeth, then grabbed onto a swishing dark tentacle and tried to drag himself along it, towards a point of origin. If he could find the body of the beast, perhaps he could strike at a vital point.
Before my bastard lungs explode, hopefully!
As he moved through the raging water and bubbles, he made a solemn vow (to no god in particular) that if he got chance, the little green beast that had set this creature upon him would feel considerable pain by his hand. Or feet; he wasn't fussy.

[Syrawenn]

The air was sweet after the suffocating water, granting Anarie a moment's respite in a quickly deteriorating situation. Wildly moving water gave an accurate position of Zarkazar and the seamonster. Purplish blobs showed themselves for flickers before disappearing again the salty foam. Tentacles grabbed thin air and bounced against the lowered ceiling now that the water was rising, missing the greenster by only so much.

It was nearly impossible to lift the loaded box up over the water, but the top lid was clearly visible while the rest was still supported by the salty inner lake when the woman made her claim, audible to all save Zarkazar who was still immersed in an underwater struggle.

Above water another fight took place as Bahjek jumped for the instigator of this mess. William screamed and pulled the trigger.
The arrow flew.
Bahjek stabbed.

Somewhere in the middle the weapons met and clashed. The arrow was diverted from it's chaotic path, landing harmlessly on the ground. The knife skipped off the arrow's point, ending up in poor Mackaree's right arm rather than his chest.

The little man grabbed Bahjek and together they rolled over the floor into the water to join the underwater scene that was taking place. It was hard to make out what was going on other than a desperate struggle for life and air...until another set of strong arms grabbed both Bahjek and Mackaree to join the bizarre dance.

Zarkazar allowed the creature to pull him closer to the main body where a sharp beak was snapping it's delight. Now that the man was no longer opposing the forceful tentacles the creature was coming closer at considerable speed. Over the beak two large eyes surveyed the new prey, pulling in not one, but three men simultaneously.

Mackaree tried to scream, bubbles leaving his mouth in silent horror and trying to push Bahjek in front of him to encounter the monster first.

Luminon was not in the least concerned with the goings on. He stopped his little dance and stared at Anarie with a sudden shy look in his face. He shuffled his naked feet on the slippery rock, folding his arms behind his back. "Can't." He confessed, biting his lip. "Can't make her go away. Didn't call her, just woke her. Can't make you go away unless I touch you. They are strong men, they'll do fine. Don't you wanna put that box down before it pulls you down?"

[Guest]

Anarie realized that defending the box was the least of her worries. Laizuriel was still tied securely against her back but she couldn't see well enough in the low light environment to begin with and trying to make an accurate shot at a creature whose location she couldn't pinpoint in the chaos taking place would be nigh on impossible.

The more the achadiel took note of the sea elf's child like nature the more she came to believe that it truly was a child, or at least a juvenile of the species. Perhaps the sea elves had no 'maturity' to speak of, likened to nymphs, and thusly could not behave similarly to the adults of the so called civilized species of the rest of Tazlure. It made her feel even worse for havening yelled at the little green elf.

Undoubtedly heavy as the box was it didn't weigh her down nearly as much as Anarie's heavy heart. She truly didn't know of an out to the situation and she had no time to think of anything. Illuminatus should have blessed her with an idea by now, but he hadn't. Anarie was sure that there must be a reason that her god had not come to her aid, she could never believe that he would simply abandon one of his children in their hour of need.

Thoughts jumbled inside the young elfess' mind and seemingly slowly a dominant memory, old but clear, came to the fore. It was one of the many tales her father had told her in her elfling yahrens. The story had been about a curious young maiden named Pandsala who had been in a situation amazingly likened to the one Anarie was in now. It had been a fight over a tiny bejeweled box and once the party that naive Pandsala was in had recovered the box, hidden away in a secret mountain, the party had been sealed into the cave and were faced with being buried alive in the darkness when the box had called out to Pandsala, a voice inside her head. The whole time the way out had been in the box they were all fighting for. Anarie couldn’t seem to recall exactly what was in the box that had aided the party in their escape but the rest of the story was memorable enough.

Anarie knew that the tale was a piece of fiction, or at least she had been presented with it as such, but right now it was all she had and perhaps Illuminatus had made her remember the story for a good reason. With desperate purpose Anarie went to open the large trunk. "Lumi be with me. She whispered.

[Guest]

Zarkazar took his sword from between his teeth and, despite feeling as though he'd swallowed half an ocean, made a lunge for the underwater creature. He aimed his blade at one of its massive eyes hoping, if not for a fatal strike, then to at least blind the bloody thing!

[Syrawenn]

Pandsala's story was a beautiful analogue for the situation Anarie found herself in. Faced with an incompetent and treacherous expeditionleader, a hotheaded assassin, a witty would-be hero, a multi-tentacled monster and a green sea-adhiel there was not really anything left but to go for gut instinct and open the box.

The insane situation called out for deadly traps and poisonous locks on the seemingly important chest. Monsters would have to defend the contents lest they be spread through the world or perhaps it was fated to remain closed until the end of days. Anything was possible in this increasingly unbelievable tale.

To open it Anarie had to touch the old locks on the sides. They popped with a little rusty complaint and like the huge anti-climax this expedition had already proven to be the box simply opened.

Unbelievable indeed.

Yet here it was: the wetness had barely touched the insides of the hood of the trunk. The moldy scent emenating from it was hardly strong enough to choke on. Immediately it became clear that the source of this smell had to be the several loose pages of parchment lying in the box. Fading letters in regular patterns proved them to be more than simple notes or letters.

Not paying attention to the greenster Anarie never noticed the little being jumping off the rock and swimming towards her. Even when it came closer there was no splashing sound. Only his intense gaze made her aware of his presence. His delicate features revealed he was speaking, the arched eyebrows the only hint of his surprise since no sound came out of Lumi's mouth.

The splashing and thrashing in the water was still continuing, on two places at the moment -although it was hard to say which was the bigger monster: the tentacled being or Mackaree- yet there was no noise.

Anarie's movements in the water caused drops to fall off her sleeves back onto the surface...in utter silence.

In a huge tableaux vivant the struggle went on when Lumi touched one of the pages with a careful finger. A soft tingling sound broke the eerie silence, proving the woman had not gone deaf. The tiny bells grew louder, turning into a sweet voice singing something which resembled a lullabye.

Hush, hush,
There is no rush
Soft, steady
A step when you're ready

The whispering voice did not need the volume to be heard. Penetrating the salty surface of the water all those fighting suddenly realized they had not been hearing a thing for several flickers now that the strange song reached their ears. Zarkazar was close enough to the monster's eyes to make his bold move, his lungs nearly bursting for lack of air. The man's aim was true, pointy end first into the glazy eye. The cornea resisted shortly before the blade overcame this slight barricade and encountered the squishy part. The eye popped without sound. Filthy white strands mixed with the water and obscured his sight.
The pull stopped, the beak closed and the bulging eye went blank.

Quick, swift
Avoid the rift
Know how
A second step now

Mackaree frowned under water, letting go of Bahjek and trying to make his way back up to the surface.

Stop and look
At the road you took
If someone dares
Down the third stairs

Lumi smiled at Anarie, his incredibly green eyes sparkling with mirth. His own voice chimed in, childlike and innocent compared to his anger before. It was obvious that he knew this part of the song as he took up a countermelody to finish what might otherwise be an eternal circle of repeating notes.

High and low
Where to go
Without a doubt
Fourth step out

Everything was silent again. The pages were still safely in the box, but the topmost parchment was hardly readable by now where it had seemed so clear before the song started.

The water reverted back to it's soothing self, softly touching the rocks in a melody of it's own. Mackaree broke the surface, audibly gasping for air and staring at Anarie as if she had just grown three extra arms and a tail.

Lumi blinked his eyes. "You can sing this to get out." He smiled. "I had forgotten about this song. Thank you." Impulsively threw his wiry arms around Anarie in a hug.

The woman had gotten what she wished for: Lumi was with her.

[Guest]

The stillness of sound had finally broken, though many would lament it's return since it required the end of the eerily lovely melody. Anarie couldn't think clearly, her mind fractured into parts of the past and those of the present. Thoughts of another trunk in a sunny room with the sound of birds outside the window . . .a box that smelled like early morning jasmine. Her mother's trunk.

It had taken several turns with a thin hair pin, Anarie's first attempt at picking a lock, to finally open the trunk and even then it took some time before her tiny hands could lift the heavy lid. Her little half-elf nose was assaulted with dust and she sneezed before another smell, that of flowers came from old potpourri sachets that had been placed in the trunk.

Curiosity had always been one of the little Mistress Laizuriel's traits since perhaps even the cradle and that day had been no different. Her father had forbade her entrance to this room and she was lucky that the staff had been otherwise preoccupied and gave her time to make her escape from their sight and time to pick open the lock of the room itself and the trunk within. It looked so inviting; made of dark wood and inlaid with leafy patterns. Now as it opened she frowned in disappointment at finding nothing but a bunch of old notes.

Anarie took them out anyway for inspection. Her grandmother had just started giving her lessons on reading Elvish last yahren and she was eager to read something other than the dreadfully dull planners that the elder Lady Laizuriel had made for her grandchild. Small ivory hands removed a thin layer of dust from the parchment, sneezing cutely as it reached her nose and she began to read, not knowing at that time that she was reading her dead mother's notes to her father.

From the moment the voice started singing Anarie had begun to cry, lamenting a voice that should have been there in her elfling yahrens, a voice that should have sung her to sleep, a voice that had been unfairly cut from existence. Salty droplets fell from her fair cheeks and fell in time with the water from her sleeves.

Fair hands that had grown larger from childhood but still were quite dainty held onto the rim of the trunk as Lumi came forward and embraced Anarie's frame. She embraced him back, his voice breaking her reverie, almost too tightly as if clinging onto his slight body. Her tears landed on Lumi's shoulder before she raised her face to smile at him.

She would never forget those words, not ever and she started singing them with her own voice. It was a shy tenor at first, wavering with remaining melancholy but slowly she gained her voice and continued on in the words that felt oddly familiar.

[Guest]

Zarkazar staggered out of the water, swaying and puking. He saw the green creature hugging Anarie and felt a rage surge through him.
"You, you little green bastard!" he spluttered, holding up his sword which still had eye-juice dripping from it. "Get ready for a whole new world of pain!" He stumbled towards it, intent on causing serious physical harm.

[Guest]

Anarie was forced to stop her sining, interrupted yet again by the same man who seemed intent on staying here. She placed her body in front Lumi's in a protective stance. "If for harming our friend here you are then an idiot you must be. Only an idiot would be of attempting assasinate only friend we are having. Lumi did not for summoning yon creature, but he for was helping us out of here. He helps and I seeming to be only one to want to get us out of here, so unless you are for wanting to stay here forever of time then suggesting of mine that you stand still, relax and quiet up."

[Guest]

Zarkazar reluctantly stopped himself from doing something violent and threw his hands up in the air.
"Those tentacles didn't appear until your snot coloured friend pointed at me and started mumbling!" he protested. "And what's with all the emphasis on songs? Clearly this expedition was for the box, not mermaids, so what's in it that's so special? And by the way, this creature had ample time to help us, he just sat on a rock being annoying and asking for a punch in the face, why is he suddenly going to help us now?' He took a deep breath, and felt a measure of calm return. A slight measure. "You must understand, I was transported here out of the blue. I'd been promised a great reward for rescuing a mermaid- which I did- and then I'm suddenly in a cave with a bunch of strangers who all seem to know more about what's going on than they're telling me. I'm wet, cold, in pain and rather frustrated."
Zarkazar held out a hand to the green fellow. "If I've seemed impatient it's only because nothing has turned out as it should, a friend of mine was killed during the rescue, and now it seems he died in vein. If you want to help us I accept that, and I hope we can shake hands and forget about my abruptness." Zarkazar wiggled his fingers for a handshake from Lumi, and smiled that charming, friendly smile of his that he'd practised so often.