Secrets Revealed

Casavir grunted as another siren came from behind and tried to swipe him with her claws from behind. He blocked it, but the sudden force and the unreal strength of the sirens.

They arrived in the town in the late hours of the night to immediately be greeted with 20, maybe 30 sirens that attacked any one. The village was in ruins, everyone dead. They got there too late.

Another ran up to him claws out; dried blood covered most of the sirens' hands. She wailed like a banshee and scratched him, fortunately it hit his armor, and only making a slight dent then pressed his skin. He swung his sword upward, and the siren screamed once more before crumbling down and dying. Before he even takes another breath, another was on him. She tackled him and they tumbled into some tall grass, disappearing from the battle as they rolled down the hill. He lost his sword as they tumbled down, but luckily he landed on top of her. He bashed her with his shield and she screamed at him again. He slashed her neck and she made a choking sound then her life escaped her eyes.

As he returned up the hill, bodies of sirens lay everywhere. He watched as Shandra flipped over one and snapped her neck as she flew over her. Shandra landed on one knee. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and she turned her head to see him.

She gave a sad smile and said, "Raven taught me that."

Kelgar pulled his axe out of one as it gave one last scream. "By the Nine Hells," he swore, wiping sweat from his forehead. "There were so many of them! I thought they didn't work in groups."

Neeshka nodded. "There were too many of them to be a coincidence."
"Right, we should look around; see if there are any survivors."

Casavir looked around the shattered town, then back down at the bodies of the sirens. He walked down the street, and stopped when something caught his eye. He swore the curtain of one of the building twitched. He looked out of the corner of his eye and looked at the window. He then headed for the door and went to open it.

The door handle jiggled, but didn't opened. "It's locked."

"No problem." Neeshka said, pulling out a lockpick from her hair and a knife from her boot. She bent over the door handle and Casavir listened to the lock tick as she attempted to open the door. She kicked the door open. Casavir walked inside to see it was a house. In the corner, there were a group of children, shaking in fear. He hesitated, Casavir didn't know if he was good with children but was pretty sure he wasn't. He then spotted a woman who went back to her children.

"What do you want?" She asked, pointing a cutting knife at him. He froze for a moment then spoke.

"We heard of your uh… problem and-"

"Ha! This ain't no problem, it's a damn infestation. Sirens killed everyone in town, but me. I was smart, stored up food for winter than hid in my home, before it even happened."

"How did you know?" Shandra asked.

"Simple, rumors started around. A young lad out hunted was kidnapped by a siren called Sierra. Two days later they found him, dried up with no blood. Knew that somethin' was starting and now I'm waiting for them to pass."

"We've killed the sirens that were plaguing the town, you can go." Neeshka said.

"Ha! There are more. In the water cave nearby. I would just leave, before you end up dead." The woman said in her shrilled, rough voice. "Now out with ya! I don't need them returning." She pushed Casavir out and slammed the door in his face.

"Well she was a cheery woman." Neeshka rolled her eyes.

"Where's the cave?" Kelgar asked, looking around.

"It must be nearby." Shandra said, walking out of the town. Casavir walked up next to her and looked around. They walked on until they came across it.

"Get down!" Shandra hissed in his ear, pulling him behind a bush. Kelgar and Neeshka hid behind him.

"What?" Casavir whispered.

"I saw a movement, in the mouth of the cave. Raven said to trust your instincts, that your eyes never lie. We should wait here a moment and-" Suddenly a siren appeared out of the mouth of the cave, followed by another.

"What should we do?" Neeshka whispered.

"What we've been doing. Hack and Slash!" Kelgar said, getting up and walking over to the Sirens. They looked at him in shock. He gave a rueful smile then swung his axe into one of the siren's skull. She gave a scream and collapsed. He then flung his axe and it landed in the gut of the other one and she fell. "What is it with you guys an' the screamin'; I'm going to go deaf!"

Neeshka rolled her eyes again and crossed her arms. They walked into the cave.

When Casavir first arrived, he didn't know what to expect but this wasn't it. The cave was small, with only a small clear pond in the center. A woman floated above it, with her eyes closed, and her head tilted back. Her hair was blonde, almost white, and her face flawless, perfect. Casavir knew this must be a siren.

He took a step and cursed himself when he accidently kicked a pebble across the small room, making their presence noticeable.

"I know you are here." The siren said, opened her eyes. They were the same color as the pond she floated above, a deep blue. "You may step closer."

Casavir hesitated then was lightly nudged by Shandra and he walked up. The siren gazed upon him then squinted at him.

"You are not Elvorflamathraven (El-vor-fla-math-ra-ven)." She said. Casavir was confused. She was expecting someone else? The siren cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said, her voice clear and soft. Pure, almost. "I am Sierra, I will not harm you."

"How do we know you won't?" Shandra said. "And how do know we won't harm you?"

"Because I have the answers you are dying for." She said simply. "You are missing a leader, you all wonder if she is alive. I know the answer."

"How do you-"

"I know Elvorflamathraven." Sierra said, interrupting Casavir. When she got puzzled looks she sighed and rolled her eyes. She then transformed her appearance. Her hair turned black and shortened. Her eyes flashed yellow, and her ears pointed. A scar right above the heart formed and flashed a blue; horns erupted from her scalp and bent backwards. Tattoos faded upon her skin. She looked exactly like Raven.

"You mean Raven?" Casavir asked.

"Yes, yes, whatever she calls herself now." Sierra said her voice identical to Raven's. Casavir looked her up and down. How did she know so much?

"How do you know her?" Neeshka asked. "She never mentioned her knowing any… sirens."

"Who would?" Sierra asked. "I used to live in the swamp she grew up in. Never liked the ocean much. I met her running around, hunting swamp beetles. I knew her mother too."

"She would never talk to someone like you!" Kelgar said, his jaw clenched. "She-"

"Why wouldn't she talk to her own aunt?" Sierra asked, transforming back to her original form. They all scowled at her. "She never told you did she?" Sierra looked around at the faces. "She is half-siren."

"You lie!" Shandra yelled. "She isn't a blood thirsty monster!"

Sierra sighed. "Her mother was a siren, her father a teifling. An odd combination if you ask me, but then her mother was more human than… 'Blood thirsty monster'"

"Why wouldn't she tell us? We're her only close friends."

"Maybe because she didn't want you to know." Sierra said.

Casavir glared at the siren. She noticed his reaction, as if for the first time. "Why should we believe you?"

Sierra leaned in closer and whispered in his ear. "Because, I know something you don't" She move closer. "She's alive."