123 Merewif’s Springs

HAELAN POV

Just when silence took over, Ottis started to appear to be a little strange. He became fidgety, as if wanting to say something. "Listen, guys", Ottis finally let the mouse out of chest as he finish roasting the last batch of the rabbits he caught. "After I show you the way to Caluso, my debt is paid. Then, I'm out of this group. Am I making myself clear?", he said out loud. He made sure that he's well heard.

"Deal", I instantly agreed. I don't know, but, there's something about Ottis that is leery. Probably because, he have betrayed me once, and I have no plans of being betrayed again. However, at some point, Ottis is slowly revealing his true self. From standing with us as a team, to leading a way out of Beorg, and now, cooking meals for us. I say, he isn't totally much of an awful person as what he depicted to be.

After sharing our first meal of the day, Ottis removed all signs that we've been here. He buried all the rabbit bones, and he trampled the bonfire that he made. Looking at the direction of the sun, Ottis went to the stream and placed water in his palm. He topped it with a small leaf and let it turn for a while until he threw it away. With my hands feeling tense, we then started our long journey to Caluso.

We were like in a race. Ottis trudged downhill the dead woods with great speed, like he was so eager to finish his binding mission right away. With a huff and puff, we never slowed down as we pass through the living forest. As we go further, the mossy ground turned rocky to muddy, and the trees carry lesser leaves. The fragrance in the winds disappeared, and was replaced by a stench that churns my stomach.

"What's this place?", I asked as we slow down. Looking at my friends, it seems that they aren't bothered by the sudden change in the ambiance, especially the reeking smell hanging around.

"We're near the…" Ottis leaned on a tree trunk as he catch his breath. At least the quick run took a toll on him.

"Is this Merewif? The mermaids' den?", Umbriel suddenly said.

"Bingo", Ottis briefly replied with a wink.

"Are we near Caluso?", Atrius uttered, panting.

"This is the easiest way to Snow Mountain", Ottis replied. "Quickly now, I don't want to spend the night here", he said as he turn his back on us.

"I thought we had to pass Black Caverns?", I recalled.

"Thanks to our little detour in Beorg Mountains, we won't have to deal with the spiders", Ottis replied.

"Sounds like good news to me. Ugh!", Jac shivered as he place his husky arms across his chest. He hates spiders.

"Wait", Umbriel held us up with an undeniable worry. "It has been so long since the palace warned the kingdom about passing here. I think we should go around", he said with pleading eyes.

"Why?", I asked. This dead woods surely isn't the nicest path to go through, but it isn't the worst either.

"It's a very dangerous place, Sir Haelan. Let's go back", Umbriel insisted as he tug on my cloak.

"What are you so afraid of? We'll just have to pass through", Ottis uttered with edginess. "Come on guys, this is the shortest way to Caluso", he stood firm on his preferred direction. Hence, none of us moved.

"Jac?", Atrius asked as he block our way. Unlike me who have started trust Ottis, Attius still have his guard up.

"This is better, I guess. With all these fruit bearing trees and beautiful flowers… fresh air… this place isn't too disturbing and eerie. Besides, Ottis got our backs for a while now, I don't mind trusting him on this one", Jac said as he shrug his shoulders. Among all of us, it is Jac who puts confidence in Ottis, all the time. Maybe, he's right. However, there must be something wrong with Jac's senses, that he called the dead trees lively and the stench fresh.

"Haelan?", Atrius looked at me asking for my opinion. Actually, we're already here, so might as well, we should all go. Besides, what could go wrong?

"Uh.. yea, let's go", I hesitated a little. We have each other, I thought. Then, Atrius nodded at all of us as we follow Ottis who's already far ahead.

"Are you coming or not?", Ottis yelled with his hands on his waist.

Umbriel, who's far behind, stood frozen with his hands clasped together. He just made me feel that we made a very wrong decision. I can tell, he's truly worrisome of what's in Merewif's Springs. "Relax Umbriel, nothing will go wrong", I reassured as we walked together.

As we go further, the skies dimmed a little and the stench grew stronger. I hoped for no rain in a place like this, especially now that I'm sensing entities. As we trail slow and steady, the sounds that fill the forest were frailty under strain. A few clicking and some gurgling of creatures can be heard constantly who seemed to be watching nearby, especially in the black water on one side.

"What's in Merewif's, anyway?", I asked Umbriel who looked like he haven't calmed down a bit.

"They say, Merewif is the home of the mermaids.", he said with his eyes upfront.

"That's awesome! I haven't seen one", I staggered with delight knowing I would get to see a water creature who's a half human with a half tail. I learned that mermaids are very beautiful, with tears that turns to pearl and hair smooth as silk, not to mention the gleaming scales on their tails.

"Oh No Sir Haelan, the mermaids here in Nether are far more different", Umbriel frowned.

"How different?", I asked as my shoes sink in the mushy ground making it difficult to lift my legs. And so, I focused more on my feet, and the dirty path I'm stepping on. Walking ahead, I could now hear a stringed instrument playing, and the winds started to become spiced and balmy.

"They are masters of illusion, and they lure men in…", Umbriel suddenly stopped that left me hanging.

"In what?", I turned to Umbriel and I got stunned at how his eyes turned out. It has a soft glow of faint black, with a million stars trapped inside. "Umbriel?", I worriedly called.

"Wow! What an enchanting spring!", Umbriel said with a flat affect. He had enthusiasm in his tone, but his expression didn't matched its fervor.

"S..Spring?", I was confused at where Umbriel could be looking at. I tried to look everywhere yet, what I'm seeing is far from enchanting. There were several fuming spring terraces ahead of us. Uninviting as it is, the water was all black, muddy and smelly.

It was only then when I realized that Atrius, Jacomus and Ottis were all standing motionless too. I approached each of them and noticed they all have the same eyes as Umbriel.

"Hey? What's going on?", shook them Atrius by his shoulders and yet nothing happened. It's as if he's sleeping with his eyes open. "Guys!! Hello??", I snapped my fingers right in front of Jac to at least wake them up from this very bad dream. However, just like Umbriel, their eyes were lost in chasm, snd their bodies are hard as rocks.

"It's so beautiful here!", Atrius said with no imminent facial expression.

"The water is so clear, I would want to take a dip", Jacomus uttered blandly.

"I'll go in first", Ottis spoke as if it was not him who's talking.

"Hello pretty lady, I'm so lucky to meet you", Atrius said as he greeted a naked woman sitting in one of the rocks in the middle of the springs. I took a good look at her and was caught by surprise by how she looks.

"Pretty lady? What are you saying?", I asked. The woman had black spiky hair, yellow slit eyes, scaly face, sharp teeth, with find as ears and a long black tail. There upon, five more mermaids appeared and seated on the rocks.

"That's intriguing. That lad doesn't seem to be affected by the Allicere symphony", one mermaid breathlessly said.

"Sound the psaltery louder, maybe its volume is too low", another one said with a very raspy voice.

I couldn't take off that repulsing feeling and fright rooting in my chest. It even grew more when the sounds from the stringed instrument one mermaid is playing became louder, almost painful to the ears. And then Ottis started to walk to the springs, like a magnet being pulled by the voice of the mermaid calling.

"Come now, the water is great", the mermaid called as she tread the water curvaceously towards Ottis. She stared at him like a predator about to catch its prey.

"Hey! Wait! Ottis, no!", I panicked when Ottis jumped down the spring. In a moment, the other mermaids hurriedly swam towards him.

"Come here, ladies!", Ottis said with his arms wide open. I tried to seize hold of him, but I only got his bow. And then I noticed, all the mermaids where advancing to Ottis except for one. The water creature playing the stringed instrument stayed in place and continued to play the deafening tune.

Deliberately, I assumed that the melody must have something to do with my friends being mesmerized under some sort of a spell. And so, I took an arrow and attempted to break the stringed instrument with one hit, hoping I won't hit the mermaid. And just when I needed luck, I broke the psaltery perfectly in half.

Instantly, Atrius, Jacomus and Umbriel snapped out from their nasty dream. They were a little disoriented for a while. But eventually, they took a grasp of our current situation. Ottis was struggling underwater, drowning as a mermaid took a tight grip on his leg.

"Hurry! Grab Ottis!!", I called the three. As we snatch Ottis out of the springs, a group of men suddenly came out from nowhere. With no grief, these men sliced and diced the mermaids who's cries chimed all over the nasty springs.