“Are we really getting anywhere with this?

This isn’t why I brought you here and the less time I’m in this
town the better.” said Princess Regina.

Kyros turns to her and says, “Agreed, if we don’t have this solved by the time our equipment is ready it
is best if we get underway. But if we can make some coin, or get better equipment while we wait, we’ll
be better prepared for what your task will require.”

Luke chimes in, “And having friends or at least leaving appreciative persons behind is often worth more
than the gold. Leave this town behind us with the townsfolk and the guards appreciative of what we do
and we have somewhere to fall back to if things go poorly. Especially it being a port town it may be our
escape if things go REALLY poorly.”

She shrugs and leaves the conversation as if she hadn’t been the one to bring it up.

Kyros gives Luke a sideways glance and he responds with naught but a slight eye roll as he walks back to
the others.

“Fia and Nightshade have gone into town” Eliona says to Luke “Do you think we ought to check out the
forest without them?”

“hmmm” Luke contemplates their situation “Not sure we should go off too far without them, and we do
know for certain those Sirens are leading men away.. I think we should see if we can after them again,
maybe a little better prepared this time.

Kyros nods and says “ear plugs…. If we cannot hear the song, we may be able to resist the power better
if not entirely negate it. But we have very little coin”

“No worries, I’ve got it. Let’s go.” says Luke

Kyros walks with Ssalask “You were really impressive against those raptors last night..”

“Yesss, There seems many great reptiles here. But I’m still greatest”

“Yes you were very intimidating; think you could teach me that?”

Ssalask beams with pride and anxiously attempts to help “Yesss! Put your arms up and out like thiss.
Puff up your chest and make yourself big like thiss. And make big noise.”

Kyros does as he suggests walk up to Eliona and growls “Raaarrrgh!!”

And Eliona nearly jumps out of her skin “What?! Why?!” she says realizing its Kyros

Luke, Ssalask and Kyros chuckle a little and Luke offers a hand to help her up.

They all make their way to the general store and Luke requests that Ssalask joins him and to not say
anything but to cause some commotion. Which he does. And Luke 5 finger discounts a set of ear plugs,
he sends Ssalask back out and then talks to the store keep about custom ordering a few sets of clothing,
to throw her off any suspicion about a theft. However, with only one set the group decides they should
hit the candle makers shop.

Kyros begins to talk to the candle maker about buying some wax. “500 Gold for a block of WAX!? Are
you insane?” “It comes directly from the royal family” explains the candle maker. “Certainly I heard you
wrong. I just wanted this block of wax, not to buy out your entire store” “Like I said it comes from the
royal family it’s expensive that’s the best I can do” Luke overhears and steps up “so are you saying you
personal put your life at risk and pulled this wax from the royal families ears? That’s where this came
from? Or are you saying they are now bee keepers? Or are you saying that you got this from a god
damned queen bee?... Because we are on errand from the royal family and I doubt they’d confirm any of
these claims.” The candle maker begins to shake and sweat “I…I could do 90 gold but my cost is 70 I.. I..
I have to eat.”

Luke steps closer.. “you have to eat… see where I come from the amount of wax my friend asked for is
less than a copper.. but I’ll tell you what.. see… you need to eat and” Luke draws his sword holds it up
towards his chest “and I need to wax my blade. See? It does need wax doesn’t it?” Luke nods and until
the candle maker starts to nod with him. “Kyros that block of wax over there the size of a soap bar is
about enough right? A gold is more than enough for that, right? It was just a misunderstanding of the
amount of wax right?” Luke keeps nodding at the candle maker and with the next nod from him Luke
says “Great! It’s a deal. Luke looks over his shoulder at Kyros and sees Ssalask with his hands covered in
wax up to his elbows having been playing in the hot vat. “Kyros the coin” And with an exchange of
glances they’ve used before Kyros tosses a gold onto the ground away from them for the keep to pick
up.
Kyros ushers Ssalask and Eliona back out of the store while Luke keeps the candle makers gaze fixed.

Luke chuckles as he meets his companions back outside and sees Ssalask clicking the hardened wax on
his two hands together. The amount he has is near on to 10 times what they were originally asking for….

“What is the point of this horrible gold coin that humans seem so enthralled with” … Kyros and Luke
begin going over the finer points of finance and trade. Which Eliona tunes out but Ssalask is incredibly
interested in. And they all walk back towards the beach.

As the companions draw near to the beach Kyros turns to Eliona “Keep an eye out for us hopefully the
ear plugs will do the trick, but if they don’t Do what you can to restrain us or knock us out.” Eliona nods
somewhat unsure how she’d do that but hopes for the best.

Ssalask, Luke and Kyros then put in the ear plugs and begin to move towards the water and sure enough
the Sirens again came and sang their song. Each would later describe it differently but one thing
remained the same, it felt somehow loving, felt safe, felt like perfection. But just out of reach.. if only
you could see the source… get closer to the singer it would all be better.

Ssalask and Kyros this time not getting the full effect of the song and they now felt the twinge of magic
that made the eerie sound feel like betrayal. But they could tell Luke was still effected, for his earplugs
were not as efficient as the wax. They moved in pretending to still be affected, and this time they got
near and when the Sirens went for an embrace they instead got steel instead of the flesh they expected.
A screech cries out at the unexpected attack as Ssalask bites off the left breast of the nearest Siren. This
breaks the hold they have on Luke and he reacts quickly driving in his sword and dagger to the siren
closest to him. Kyros moves in to attack the same one that Ssalask attacked and successfully grapples it.

At this the third changes form and reveals that it is in fact a Harpy. It begins to take flight and Ssalask
throws a dart at it and strikes it. The one Luke had attacked took flight and before it could get away is
struck in the heart with a shortsword and falls limp to the ground. And before the other Harpy gets away
Luke pulls his crossbow and catches it between the eyes. Kyros holds the third down to the ground and
begins to bind it, while Luke has moved nearby and has removed the arm of one of the fallen noticing a
tattoo that each of them has. Suddenly from the waters edge a panther begins to sprint towards the
companions attacking, but Ssalask quick on his feet swings his quarter staff with all of his might, and
clears the panther off its feet and flung 10 ft back. Luke seeing an opening takes it and stabs the panther
and it it’s shape falters and changes to that of their very own Eliona. Shocked Luke and Ssalask are silent
but Kyros sees it and immediately casts cure on her and the heat of the battle calms down.

Both Ssalask and Luke apologize profusely while the last harpy struggles against the bindings to no avail
and Kyros begins to question it. “Where are the men? Are there more of you? Where is your nest?”

The harpy answered. The first question by licking it’s fingers clean. “More than you can count” it said it
response to the second question. And to the third. “I’d die before telling you.”

Kyros asked again trying this time with Ssalask nearby hoping to intimidate. The same answers were
given.

Luke laughs allowed and says “Hey, this is a neat tattoo” as he waves the arm he removed from the first
harpy. As blood from the arm splatters the bound harpys face. “Oh look you all have them… I guess
they don’t need these yeah? I bet once tanned they’d make great armbands? What do you think?” as he
holds it up to his arm. Kyros looks at him like he’s lost it. “Think I could pass as one of you?” Luke then
slashes off the wings and steps around to the harpys sight again and holds the wing up behind him as
well as the tattoo, and flaps them clumsily. “Maybe I’m too pretty still but I don’t think I could be as ugly
as that pile of goo now….” Kyros stomache churns, yet Eliona is happy that the body isn’t going to
waste.. “So did you say you’d die first?” he grins excitedly. “That’s my favorite game..” Luke starts to
plug the feathers. “Will it just take once? I can only kill you and bring you back 30 times a day and I like
it to even out...” Looking up at the suns position he says “Meaning I have to keep you alive for about 20
minutes between each time I kill you.” Looks back at the group “I do have other things I’m supposed to
do but this..this is the fun part” “I don’t believe you” says the harpy. “Yeah you do, you saw me do it to
my own friend here” Realization and fear creeps across the harpys face who did indeed see Luke stab
Eliona who was now standing by them. “Look I don’t honestly care about your nest… but I was tasked
with finding the missing men.. I don’t need your life, if there are some of them to trade…. Can’t all be
eaten right?” The harpy now betrays her words with a look towards the fish who are now beginning to
glow. “the fish? You’re kidding, those are the men?” Ssalask takes a closer look, the realization of what
that would mean not having set in yet. “so these are coming back because the others died? Is that it?
How simple…”
Kyros asks again “where’s your nest?” “I will not betray my sisters, death first.”
Men start to form in the water where the fish had been and so without delay Luke walks around and
says “works for me” and stabs her through.

Kyros says “Luke! I was still finding the nest! I’m sure we could get paid a lot for clearing that!”
“Yeah, Heal her then”
Kyros sighs “I don’t have another one memorized!”

“oh um… Well the guards weren’t offering a reward anyway”