The King's Remorse

Not Malice, No. Just Ice-Cold Indifference. Yes, Just a Complete Lack of Caring.

"What's what, Scorn?"

"I just saw mist in the air."

"Come on. Hang on this time." I jump back when Wolf's arms wrap around me again. She doesn't hesitate before the twins and the wolf glow again and we dissolve into nothingness.

When we reappear, we're a little ways from where the Singing Marshes and the Siren's Lookout are. So that's where everyone is. The choppy waves have become violent and crash into the cliffs, sending massive swells of water hurtling across the stone and into the marshes. A faint humming drifts across the grasses as they blow in the breeze that's calm despite the furious waters.

A creature bursts from the ocean, drenching everyone in seawater. Smooth baby blue skin gleams brilliantly in the sunlight, contrasting beautifully with the dazzling orange frills marked with dizzying jagged lines of dark blue. It's the prettiest being I've ever seen. It inhales before parting its jaws in a scream. But instead of a harsh sound, it's the most beautiful song I've ever heard. I'm rooted to the ground, entranced by the music the creature is creating. My eyes widen with awe as my breath catches in my throat. In the back of my mind, I notice Wolf standing in front of me, saying something, but all I can hear is the enthralling song of the creature. Somehow, I know it's the Siren. Yes, that's it's name: the Siren. My lungs cry out for air, but taking a breath would distract me from the Siren's music. The Lullaby, yes, that's what this song is called. Every neuron in my brain is focused on the Lullaby the Siren is singing. Why couldn't we listen to this all the time? I slowly sink to the ground as I feel my muscles relax. My vision starts to black out, and I willingly follow. Anything to be able to hear the Lullaby just a little clearer. Yes, please, please let me black out. I don't want anything distracting me from the Lullaby.

Then, suddenly, the song stops. I'm unable to move, and not from the Lullaby. I'm paralyzed, my neck is tingling, and my body is burning ever so slightly, as if I had a fever. My vision has blacked out, and I'm teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. It feels like a million little daggers are slicing through my skin, which crawls with heat. I cannot move. Unsuccessfully, I try to block the pain out. Momentarily, I pull back from my body and slip into oblivion. But then I return.

Bit by bit my senses return. I feel the familiar weight of my armor and the ache in my ankle that can never seem to go away no matter what I do. Deafening silence gives way to shouts, though I cannot process what they're saying. I taste the salt in the air as I regain enough control to open my eyes. "Scorn! There you are!" Huh? What happened? I shake by head a bit to try to clear the fog from my brain. The tingling on the back of my neck lessens a bit.

"What happened?" I roll to my side and push myself up to a seated position, moving my limbs to bring life back into them.

"Not gonna sugarcoat it: you almost died."

"How?"

"Some monster creature. It started screaming but then I guess my Midnight Wolf powers kicked in and I'm not sure what happened after that. But then I sorta like came back and then you were almost dead. You were just, like, lying on the ground. I don't know how I did it, but a bunch of the constellations summoned themselves and then somehow kept you from dying. God, I gotta find Dove. I've no idea how to control the constellations," Wolf says, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Uh, well, thanks." I think I processed about 5 words of that.

"Can you, like, get up or do you need help? Should you be getting up?"

"I'll be fine. Let's go see what that thing was." My legs shake, but I manage to stay upright. I brace myself on my knees as my vision starts to close in until it clears up again.