The ladies all savored the lukewarm waters. The roar of the falls ahead was still noticeable, but they had moved upriver enough for it not to be so annoying. After journeying through the Werewoods for almost four days. Not being able to have a proper bath was quite a bother for them, especially Kayla. However, as she passed the wash across her bare skin, a sudden distortion in the water caught her attention. She looked out into the deeper part of the river as she wondered if it was a fish or something. It better not be one of those gross blobs. The very thought of that creature caused Kayla’s pored raise. Though while she was preoccupied with those thoughts the gleeful voice of a certain ally caught her off guard.

“Wow! Kayla your skin looks so good!” Marilyn trotted across to her friend, “ah, it’s so soft too.” She grabbed onto her slender yet, well-toned arm.

“Hey! watch where you’re touching!”

“Eh! But your skin’s so touchable,” she giggled as her wet body pressed up against her, “especially here!” Marilyn reached her hands to a new target.

“Eep!” Kayla screamed out as Marilyn grabbed hold of her womanly orbs. “Hey! Not…there!” with her drenched in red, Kayla tried to escape the grasp of her overly touchy comrade. All the while the happy Marilyn groped her without restraint.

“They're so big I can’t help but want to grab them,” she giggled as she continued to squeeze the soft, yet firm boobs.

“Nay! I said…stop!”

“Could you too knock it off,” as they heard the words both girls turned to see Lacey with a wide smile plastered on her face, but the aura around her was far from a happy one.

“Ah… sorry,” the two replied in unison.

A small sigh left Kayla’s mouth as she began to stand up. While the sudden assault from earlier was unpleasant. What bothered her more, was the thought of those slimy creatures possibly being nearby. Although she wanted to enjoy the water a little more, the fear and disgust for those creatures won out and she made her move to return to camp.

“Where’re you going?” Marilyn asked.

“That’s enough bathing for me, and I’m getting hungry,” she replied with a quick lie as she walked off towards the riverbed.

“Eh?! Can’t we stay for a little longer?”

“Feel free, but don’t complain if we leave you behind because you couldn’t get up early.” Kayla continued, “you know how you can be, sleeping drooly.” she flashed a smirk at Marilyn, who immediately shouted back in embarrassment.

“Ah! Don’t call me that!”

Hearing the two Lacey tried to muffle her laughs but to no avail.

“Lacey! Don’t laugh!” Marilyn cried out as her face reddened.

Deep below the water’s surface, another was also smiling. It’s rows of razor-sharp teeth on full display as it swam up in silence to the noisy prey above.

“Fine, I’ll get out too…” Marilyn mumbled out.

“Then I guess I’ll get out too, it’s getting dark anyway,” Lacey joined her depressed group mate.

“Hm Hmm, hmm…” Suddenly a sound of rhythmic hums entered their ears. They all stood frozen in place as droplets of water ran down their bodies. The volume slowly increased, then behind them, a figure soon emerged from the water. It seemed to be a woman, her upper body stood bare over the river’s surface as her face and chest were covered by her drenched green hair, while her lower body remained submerged.

Her humming soon formed to singing and slowly, but surely the trio approached this mysterious lady, their eyes and faces were plastered with a dazed look.

What’s going on?!

This isn’t good!

It got the drop on us! The young ladies could only voice their surprise and frustration from their minds. For not even their mouths would obey them. As she continued singing, her body raised further out the water, and what appeared wasn’t skin and legs but a long eel-like tail. She parted her hair and revealed her smile filled with monstrous sharp teeth. Her ears were scaled fins and her neck and abdomen sides which were covered by the hair were exposed as gills.

No…way! Marilyn though as fear and shock overcame her mind.

Great just our luck! Kayla mentally cursed their current predicament.

I let my guard down! Why didn’t I realize there could have been a water siren here! As she and her groupmates were caught in the water siren’s melodic trap, Lacey’s thoughts were filled with frustration. The siren continued its song, its tone began to intensify and the river’s currents soon strengthened. Swirls of water began forming in the deepest region of the river, giving birth to a whirlpool, and at the center was the water siren herself. The current wasn’t strong enough to drag them just yet, but it wouldn’t be long before that changed, as their bodies were enslaved to her singing voice and continued forward deeper into the whirlpool.

Sirens are one of the most sadistic predators of the waters, while their enchanting voices can more than secure them meals. They took great pleasure in mentally and physically tormenting their prey first. In fact, most think that these she-devils of the water world prefer causing their prey distress than the act of actually eating.

That’s it my sweets! You were making such happy faces before, but now I want to see what those pretty faces would look like, along with her thoughts her eyes squinted and her mouth smiled as she sang, as you all drown helplessly in agony!

It was Lacey who was drew closest to the giant whirlpool. The pulling on her grew stronger and the water’s depth became deeper as she unwilling proceeded forward.

I have to do something! Or else everyone will… Marilyn thought, but as her friend approached closer and closer to a watery grave and both her and Kayla were soon to follow. Her thoughts became disarrayed. Something! I have to cast something! She panickily searched through her thoughts for an answer, just one spell that I can attack with, without a chant, come on think! Tears welled up in her eyes as she could only watch as her friend moved slowly to death. Even though she was only a few feet behind. I have to do something! I have too- suddenly she remembered her mentor’s words.

‘A magician’s strongest asset isn’t their spells but their minds, even a weak spell used creatively can be more potent than just casting a higher tier spell.’ Marilyn closed her eyes and focused inwards. Even a weak spell can be strong with enough creativity. With that thought, she cast the spell in her mind.

Oh! Looks like the first one’s about too- the water siren’s thought was soon interrupted as a small magic circle appeared It soon fired off gusts of wind right into her horrid face. Even though it was a minor spell it caused enough of a distraction to stop her enchanting singing.

“We’re free!” Lacey said as she swam back, the distraction also weakened the whirlpools currents.

“It’s about time,” Kayla also spoke out as she regained control of her body.

“Sorry, I know I should have done something sooner but-” Marilyn apologized to her comrades but.

“Save the sappy apology, we’re alive that’s all that matters,” Kayla said.

“Yea, Kayla’s right, for now can you give us something to guard against that singing, that distraction isn’t going to last long,” Lacey said as she made it back with the other two.

Marilyn’s sorrowful expression dissipated as she heard their words. She closed her eyes and wiped the droplets from them.

“Alright, leave it to me!” a smile once again appeared on her face. She spoke an incantation as a pink light enveloped the party of three. “This spell grants resistance to most mental assaults, it should be enough to handle a water siren.”

“Nice Mary! Kayla head to the campsite and get our weapons,” now that they were protected Lacey began giving orders.

“On it! You two try not to drown while I’m gone.”

“Just be quick, or we might beat her without you,” as Lacey replied the two gave each other a slight smirk before turning opposing directions.

“Ah! Enough!” the siren shout as it summoned a sphere of water and launched it at the magic circle. The attack blasted through the gusts of wind and shattered the circle, finally ending its assault.

“You’ll pay for that you pesky humans!” with those words she started to sing again, Huh? She thought as she saw that they didn’t become entranced again, “Tsk! Pesky magic human!” as she realized that Marilyn was the cause, she summoned a water whip and launched it straight at her.

“Look out!” Lacey grabbed Marilyn and pulled her away from the attack.

“Ah, gramercy,”

“Don’t thank me yet, we still have to beat her,”

“In that case, these should help put that fish face in her place,” Kayla shouted as she threw the spear toward Lacey, while she trotted through the water with one of her swords in her other hand.

“Great, thanks Kayla,” Lacey smiled as she caught the pole of her weapon. “Alright girls, let’s make this siren rue the day she tried to mess with us.”

The siren screamed out in anger as it summoned multiple water whips.

“Mary, shield!” as Lacey shouted, Marilyn, summoned a barrier that blocked the attack. Though it was tough on her as she gritted her teeth and squinted her eyes from the attack.

“Kayla, left, I’ll take right,” she said to Kayla, who responded with a nod. “Mary, can you give us an opening?”

“Hm, leave it to me.”

The siren heard their words and in turn strengthened the whirlpool around her. In return, Marilyn summoned another magic circle just like before. However…

“That won’t work again, little magic human!” the siren yelled as it shot another water sphere at it, “What?!” she said in confusion as the sphere flew right through it.

Marilyn smiled as the siren fell for her decoy spell circle, all the while she finished her chants.

Still, these humans can’t reach me as long as the whirlpo- her thought stopped as she witnessed the two armed ladies launched into the air. How?! She thought as she looked at their original location. Tsk! enhancement circles. Two magical circles slowly were where the two once were. The enhancement they provided as levitation for a short time.

“No! I refuse to let such peaky humans- ah!” while she was readying an attack for the two in the air, sudden gusts of winds blasted her face once again.

Sieging the opportunity, Lacey and Kayla dived straight for the siren.

Kayla approached first just as it broke Marilyn’s spell, she unsheathed her blade and with a swift twirl in the air slashed right into the siren. Bits of red flesh flew out, some seven dying Kayla and her blade.

The siren screamed in pain and immediately summoned another orb which caught Kayla by surprise. It fired it and with her being so close, she couldn’t avoid it. With a direct hit, it sent her crashing into the water near Marilyn.

Meanwhile, Lacey followed up with the attack, piercing right into the siren. She skillfully used the spear’s pole to swing around and offer a kick right into the siren’s monstrous face. Before twirling around the pole once more and kicking the siren right in its abdomen and sent it flying back. Lacey used the force from her attack to pull out the spear and launched away simultaneously, and with a gently floated down near her allies.

“Kay!” Marilyn cried out as she forced her way through the water to her.

“Re-relax, that w-was nothing,” Kayla stood up and gritted her teeth as she held onto the left side of her chest where the sphere hit her. A large red mark could be seen on it. Still, Kayla took up an offensive stance ready to fight again.

While Marilyn was worried, she could tell by how serious Kayla and Lacey were that now wasn’t the time and the fight wasn’t over yet. Even though Marilyn wasn’t much of a fighter her support spells really boosted the already capable duo of knight maidens and she was determined to still be of help to them.

It wasn’t long before the hunter became the hunted. Each side took their own amounts of damage, but the blood dripping cuts and wounds on the siren made the outcome of this battle apparent.

“Let’s end it! I’m getting hungry here!” Kayla shouted.

“Then let’s finish her off, Mary keep our bac-” but before Lacey could finish, the siren let out a piercing screech.

“What…! The…! Hell!” they all covered their ears as the noise overwhelmed them. Suddenly the water of the river pillared upward, with the siren on top of it. You pesky little human’s think you could get away with this! I’ll drag all of you to a watery hell!

The seer amount of animosity was enough to give chills to all three of them.

“Head back to the shore!” Lacey shouted as she noticed the water became shallow around their feet. Following behind her the other two girls ran to the riverbed. Marilyn however had a hard time keeping up.

They all rushed ahead, when a large shadow suddenly covered them, and a roaring noise came with it along as well as droplets of water.

“Oh Goddess…” the words left Kayla’s mouth, as they all turned back to see the enormous wave charging right at them.

“Marilyn cast a barrier,” Lacey said but her comrade was unresponsive as she just stared wide-eyed at the wave. “Marilyn!” she shouted her name but it was too late, with a clashing sound the large volume of water rammed into them. It swarmed the riverside and with strong currents carried off all things caught within it.

Those dreams were another vison after all… were Marilyn’s last thoughts as the surging waters carried her off.

“hehe,” the childish giggle sounded throughout the room as the girl stared at the magic mirror. “I can’t wait to see what’ll become of all this,” another mischievous grin parted her mouth.