Chapter 8

                                    

                                          
The sea looked beautiful at night. It was calm, small waves crashing on deadly slippery rocks. Skull Rock and the moon were providing enough light so you could be careful with each of your steps. For a moment, your eyes wandered to the weird looking little island, not far away from where you were standing. If you were a good swimmer, you would have made it there. But you sensed something dangerous lurking around, and you quickly guessed it were the allies the Shadow was speaking about. Carefully, you reached the top of the rocks and looked down. Yes, the sea was dark, but you could see ghostly scales passing by, and it was definitely not a fish or a shark. 
"Who are you looking for, little earthling?" Someone spoke with a hiss. 
Your eyes flickered immediately to your right, your hand flying to your sword. A marvelous creature was casually sitting on a rock next to you, their long and shiny wet hair reaching her mid back. You guessed it was a woman but it was very hard to tell: she looked more like a shark than anything. Yet, you found her endearing and charming. She gave you a wide smile, and you discovered a mouth full of fangs. You grimaced a little at the thought of being bitten by her but decided to regain your original composure.
"I am... The Shadow. It told me about you I guess." 
"Are you speaking about that pesky little being that enjoys throwing riddles at us?" She groaned, glancing at the sea which became more agitated. "My sisters and brothers don't approve of it..."
"Yeah." You chuckled nervously, as you could feel more pairs of eyes staring at you. "That's the Shadow."
"What do you want then?" The black haired creature questioned, seeming to be bored and looking at you like you were her next meal. 
"He talked to me about you and I becoming allies. Like I could do something for you, and in return I will... do something for you." You explained simply, and were welcomed by loud laughter. 
You looked around, confused. The other creatures had emerged, head above waters, their eyes piercing through yours. Some even licked their lips, ready to eat you. You didn't even know if it was possible but your guts was telling you it could happen if you made a wrong move. 
"What's so funny?" You asked, a little irritated, but keeping a hand on your hatchets in case of a fight breaking out. "I really need allies so I can overthrow Peter Pan. I am sure you have heard of him?"
"Yes... He often offers us to eat his... dead lovers." The creature continued, but with a sadder tone. "But we don't like rotten food. Luckily, we can eat anything else!"
"I am sorry to be rude but I really don't want to hear about... how you eat. Listen, I really need your help. And the Shadow seemed to know more about you, and seemed to be certain you would be able to become one of my allies. Tell me what can I do for you?" 
"Fine." The siren glanced at the others. "I must discuss it first with my family. Stay here." 
She dived into the water, splashing you efficiently. You groaned, and shook your wet sleeves. You definitely needed new clothes, and warmer ones. Maybe you could ask Tinkerbell to sew you new ones. They were taking too much time, and you didn't like that. They could plot anything down there and you wouldn't be able to do much against a gang of sirens. Since when have you become paranoid? 
Eventually the siren appeared again, and she crawled on the rock. The way she moved was intriguing, more like a lizard. She sat down, and motioned that you should sit with her. Instead, you knelt down, not wanting to get dirtier. 
"There was a traitor in our ranks. She longed to be the leader of our pack, but didn't have the power for it. So, she betrayed us. Sell out our secrets to Pan, and we found the body of our previous queen after we found out about what she had done. Bring her to us. We would love to feast on her. In exchange, we promise to serve you. In the meantime, we agree to work with you." The siren quickly ran down, sounding more and more serious. "Is that a fair deal to you?"