A/N: gapes at Jess Wow… That's like, 60k PLUS words! In one sitting? Geez, I love you! ;) huggles Yeah, I could use all the beta readers I can get. I still need to figure out who all had said they'd be willing to beta, and then I'll probably email everyone about it. :) Thanks!
Chapter 30(b): Discoveries
I sat up and groaned. "Fine. Get my pack ready and let me get all set and I'll get going."
Shean looked surprised. "What? I was going to go."
I gave him a flat stare. "Sure, Mr. Hero. Go ahead and go down there and drown yourself at the first sign of singing. See if I care." I snorted. "There is no way I'll let you go down there. I'm apparently the only one who can go down there without any trouble."
"Yeah, but – but – but –" Shean stuttered.
"If I may," Relakk interrupted. "Val's right, Shean. I don't think you or I would be safe going down there. I know you probably just don't want to let Avalla endanger herself, but don't be stupid. It's better if she goes down and gets that little flower that the elves seem to want."
Shean sighed. "Fine. But if you get killed, I'll never speak to you again."
I grinned. "No, duh." We always used to say that whenever someone in a book we were reading said Shean's line, and it had become something of a joke.
I was quickly packed and ready to go, complete with a little container so the flower wouldn't get crushed. I was just starting down into the valley when Shean ran up and spun me around to wrap me in a nice, long kiss.
"For luck," he whispered in my ear as he let me go. I punched his shoulder and grinned.
"That's Leia's line, you dork. But one for luck," I added, giving him a quick kiss. "I love you."
"I know," he said with an answering grin.
"There ya go, Han," I replied with a wink as I started down the slope.
The eerie singing quickly grew louder as I got farther down into the valley. The only sound was the singing: no birds, no insects, nothing, just the singing. It was very uncanny and unsettling. I shrugged my pack into a better position, glancing warily around. The singing was slowly becoming less luring and more frustrated.
I shivered as I walked down farther into the valley. It was getting colder, but I was getting goosebumps from something else. I couldn't quite identify the feeling, but I didn't like it. Foreboding, maybe… but there was something else. It was going to drive me insane, so I drove it away first.
I heaved a relieved sigh as I saw the bottom of the valley in front of me and picked up my pace, un-slinging my pack to take out the little container I would put the flower in.
Without warning, I was bowled over and felt myself tumble down the hill, tangled with another body about my size, though a bit lighter. I tried my best to kick and punch as the other being tried to pull my short hair and rake me with long nails. We finally hit the bottom of the valley, but my attacker didn't let up.
I managed to get a hand down to my boot and pulled out the dagger that I kept inside it. I delivered a nice cut on the other person's arm and heard a scream. They gave me just enough slack in the moment of surprise and pain that came with my dagger that I could jump to my feet and place a hard-soled boot on my attacker's stomach.
I stared. This was no human. It looked like a female, but she had a medium shade of purple skin and green eyes, as well as fangs and two-inch nails. Her hair was a lighter shade of purple with green streaks. She glared at me, her green cat eyes turning to slits.
"Curse you, human," she hissed, extending her S's like a snake.
"What are you?" I asked, bewildered. I kept my dagger raised and my boot on her stomach, exerting enough pressure that she shouldn't be able to get up.
"I am a syrin, you idiot."
"What's your problem?"
"My problem is you, mortal. You should not be here. You have kept a tasty meal from my sisters and I. You will pay."
"I won't pay anything to you or anyone. Why did you attack me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I couldn't be sure there wouldn't be more of these 'syrins' waiting in the trees for the right moment to attack me.
"I have already told you. Now, you will let me up, or I will call my sisters to my aid."
"How do I know that you won't attack me the moment I let you up?"
The syrin let out a hiss. "You have my word. A syrin never breaks her word."
Warily, I let her up, keeping my dagger raised. Abruptly, she let out a weird, warbling cry. Two more syrins sprang from the trees.
"You gave your word," I yelled at her as I tried to get in a decent defensive or good offensive position.
The first syrin laughed cruelly. "Ah, but I did not promise that I would not call any of my sisters once you freed me. You mortals always miss the details."
I would have cursed myself if I cursed. Since I didn't, I decided it would be better to think of a strategy – quickly. I wished with all my heart that my magikk had been strong enough that Relakk had taught me the teleport spell. But he hadn't, so I had to make due. And idea swiftly formed itself as I thought of my magikk, however.
Maybe Relakk hadn't taught me the teleport spell, but he had taught me the spell for some small telekinesis. I wouldn't be able to pull trees up from their roots or anything, but I should be able to throw rocks at these creatures.
With this plan in mind, I quickly backed up to where my pack lay off to the right where it had fallen and rolled to when the syrin jumped me. Hopefully I would be able to knock these things out with rocks, then grab my pack and the flower that I now saw grew nearby and run before they woke up.
The syrins slowly advanced on me as I raised my dagger in my right hand while bending to the left to take out the container to put the flower in. I quickly found it, since it was on top and popped the lid. (Have I mentioned that I love Glad containers and lids?) I dropped the container on the ground and prepared for a fight.
One of the syrins lunged at me. I slashed her with my knife in my right hand while calling up a large rock about the size of my fist I'd spied with my left hand. I threw it as forcefully as I could at the syrin's head. It hit it with a solid thunk and she dropped to the ground. Her sisters slowed down just a fraction. I still had work to do.
I dropped my dagger back into its boot sheath and called up fist-sized rocks with both hands. The other two syrins came at me at the same time. I flung the rocks at them, but only hit one. I frantically tried to think of something else to do. She was almost on me. Out of reflex, I kicked. (Have I said that I have some pretty nice kicks?)
Anyways, the syrin fell (No, she didn't fly backwards twenty feet. That only happens in the movies). With the time I had while she got up, I found another stone and used both hands to propel it towards the syrin. This time, it hit her head squarely.
I grabbed the container, picked the flower as well and quickly as I could, and then snapped the lid on the container, grabbed my backpack and ran, trying to put the container into the pack as I did so.
To my dismay, I heard yells. I wasn't sure if it was that the other syrins had found the three that I'd knocked out or if they just hadn't made it in time when the first syrin called them, but now they were after me. Needless to say, I ran for my life.
Just as I began to think I wouldn't make it out, I saw the rim of the valley. I gave it everything I could, glad that I had had such work-outs when I played the weekly games with the band back in Kyrria to give me a bit of extra stamina.
I stumbled up the last few yards out of the valley to collapse into Shean's waiting arms.
"What happened?" Shean asked as he held me, concern in his voice.
"Gotta get away," I gasped. "Gotta get away from the syrins."
"Why, what –"
"Now," I yelled, not asking, but commanding.
Shean didn't wait. He helped me run as Relakk grabbed his and Shean's packs and ran after us. I could hear the frustrated shrieks from the syrins fade into the background as we got farther away.
A/N: There, that wasn't too bad, right? And I got it done in a timely manner! I'm so proud of myself! ;) Anyways, don't forget to review; that makes me happy, too.