Dark Waters Rising

Difficult

"Valentine." It was Cordelia who spoke. 

Valentine turned his head, not quite facing her, but showing that he was listening.

"Wesley has succeeded."

He turned fully then, seeing the anxiety plainly on her face. She was worried for what was to come. To be honest, so was he. 

"Our scouts report two ships on route for Aurelia."

"Two?" Valentine's brow furrowed.

"The Blight of the Sea leads with the Queen Adelaide close behind."

"As friend or foe?" Valentine asked.

"No shots have been fired."

Valentine nodded, not sure how Wesley managed it, but grateful that his former crew would have help. 

"Then there is one more piece to set into motion."

"Val," Cordelia's voice stopped him before he could leave the room. "I'm scared."

He turned to his little sister, unsure of how to comfort her after so many years apart. Eventually, he settled for pulling her into a hug. Her hair, white as snow, danced around his own ebony locks as her chin pressed into his shoulder.

"That is good," he said. "Courage cannot exist without fear."

"Just don't die. I don't think I can lose you again."

"I don't plan to," he smiled lightly. "At least for a few more months."

"That's not funny, Val."

Valentine pulled away and looked Cordelia in the eye. "I will do everything I can to keep myself safe so long as you do the same."

Cordelia nodded. 

"Go now," he told her. "Make sure you're nowhere near the palace until this is over."

Another nod. 

"I will see you again, brother."

"Aye," he said. 

Then, he turned his gaze toward the mountain he was about to climb. The one with an Aurelian palace perched at its peak. 

"It is time."

----+------+----

"Here," Roman slapped a jar into Castor's hands. "Put this in your ears."

Castor looked down at the warm, golden sludge and frowned. This wasn't going to be pleasant. 

He dipped a few fingers into the pot of melted beeswax before drizzling the liquid into one of his ears. It stung a little, since it was still a tad too hot, but did the job of muffling his hearing. Once the other ear was clogged up, it was evident that he was still able to hear the outside world, but it was much more drowned out. Unless someone was right next to him, he could pretty much ignore their existence all together.  

"You sure this is going to work?" Castor asked Roman as the latter handed him a harpoon gun.

"Ambrose is focusing his magic on preserving the integrity of the ships. As long as he keeps us floating, we have the high ground and the advantage."

Castor inhaled, nodding his head as he looked out over the waves. He was afraid, there was no denying it, but it was too late to back out now. The sirens would soon be upon them. 

 "Castor, I..." Roman started, but seemed to lose the words. "I... have something to say."

Castor's brown eyes turned to face the man, but the green eyes were having trouble meeting his own. 

Roman rubbed the back of his neck unsurely. "I, uh..."

Just then, a faint singing caught both men's attention. Castor's eyes were immediately drawn to the sea to seek out the source, but Roman's fingers were quick to pull his face back.

"Keep your eyes on me, Castor. Don't listen to them."

Castor was having trouble focusing. It felt like a fog was creeping into his mind. He tried again to look toward the sea, but Roman's hands, firmly placed on either side of his face, kept him in place.

"Look at me, Castor."

He was losing him. Roman could see that. With a faint sheen of tears forming in his own eyes, Roman swore under his breath.

"Gods damn it, Williams. Why are you so difficult?"

And with that, Roman pulled Castor's face toward his own. Their lips connected, and just like that, the rest of the world fell away. As Roman pulled away, an annoyed look on his face, Castor's eyelids fluttered open and a perplexed expression crossed his features. 

"Focus, Castor," Roman said firmly. "And sing."

Castor blinked, and before he did anything else, he grabbed a fistful of Roman's shirt and pulled him in for another kiss. 

After a moment of relenting to it, Roman pulled away again, about to say that there was no time for that, but Castor had already moved away, focused, and belting the first verse of a well-known sea shanty. Other members of the crew joined in, creating a cacophony of noise that drowned out the siren's song and broke dozens of other men out of their stupor. 

Castor loaded a harpoon into his gun before pointing it over the rail of the ship.

"Fire at will!" he bellowed to his crew over the tune they sang. 

And just like that, dozens of guns spat spears into the water, some hitting their marks. Castor's was not one of them. Inhuman shrieks echoed from the waves, made louder by the ropes that dragged the injured creatures out of the water by the harpoons that impaled them. 

"Head and heart," Castor muttered to himself as he helped one of the men beside him haul up a catch.

When the flailing creature came onto the deck, Castor was quick to draw his sword and impale the creature's chest. He must've missed the siren's heart the first time, because it took another sickening squelch from his crewmate's sword for the beast to go still. 

As nearly black blood bloomed around his feet, Castor withdrew his sword and reloaded his harpoon, joining in with the chorus of the song as he took aim for a second time.

By the looks of it, the Blight of the Sea was doing much the same as they were, and if the churning water was any indication, this was about to be a very long day. 

Spotting a shimmering glint of scales beneath the waves, Castor took aim and fired. 

----+------+----

A/N

Do you guys know of any interesting or badass cryptid/fairytale/mythical/magical creatures that aren't way overused in popular media (so not vampires, werewolves, sirens, etc.)? Preferably creatures that aren't just one offs, like the Loch Ness Monster, but are more species oriented (there's more than one of them), like the Gabriel Ratchets or Will o' the Wisps. I'm extremely interested in folklore creatures, so if there are any legends around where you live or that you know of and think are cool, please share them! For instance, Wendigos are probably the most well known cryptids in my area. 

Happy Wednesday,
-Mora Montgomery