Chapter 3

"What's happening there?" Alma sits on the docks, watching as the fishermen carry their catch for the day. She notices a man on a small boat leaning towards the water with his hand thrust in it as if catching something – or drowning something because that something splashes water everywhere.

"You should really learn to mind your own business," Gregory says beside her. They're almost kicked out of the inn with what happened earlier. Alma had sort of angered the owner's wife when she said, "They could've picked a decent name like, I don't know, something other than that! I mean, it's understandable if they don't live in a harbor, you know?"

A plump woman, her cheeks a rosy red, came around the corner with groceries and eyes that can pierce a hole on Alma, "Ya got a problem with the Mud Donkey Shack girlie?"

"N-No-" she stammered.

"The Mud Donkey Shack!" never leaving her eyes on Alma, the woman says again as she enters the inn muttering things about foreigners.

Alma shakes Gregory's arm, still looking at the man on the small sailing boat, "I think something's going on there."

"He's probably just-"

"I have a bad feeling," she looks at him. "Let me just see it." Gregory tried to stop her but she's already walking towards the man.

"Excuse me," she says. The splashing stopped as soon as she arrived, but the man still has his hands under the water. He's clearly keeping something under there, she thought.

"Can I help you?" Alma thought she saw a dark gleam on his eyes. "Yes, what do you have there?" she stares at the man. She took a mental note on what he looks like – small, probably just about five feet, bald, and yellow teeth that could make any dentist gag.

"Not your business, missy," he dismissed.

"I have a name and it's not girlie or missy," she says before jumping on the water. Gregory choked on his sandwich as he dashed to where Alma jumped.

There, under the water, is a woman. Thoughts raced on Alma's mind after seeing the woman. I think she's dead, she thought but then she also has a feeling that she's not. Then she opened her dazzlingly milky blue eyes. Is she okay? How is she still alive? Alma thought. But she didn't expect her to answer, I'm okay.

Alma tilted her head, thinking, was that a voice? Did the seawater reach her brain already? I can hear you loud and clear, the woman looked at her intently. You can hear me? Alma thought. Yes, the woman said. Apparently, they're able to talk telepathically now.

What's he doing to you? Are you hurt? Alma asks.

The woman shook her head, I'm unhurt but this man is merely a fisherman who wanted to get rich. He's been following me for some time now.

What do you mean?

I'm a siren.

Alma looked at her legs hoping for a tail but it doesn't seem to appear. I can show you, milady. Just not in front of this man. Right, the man still has his hands around her neck. Alma bit it and he let go screaming with pain. Sorry it took so long, she says. Just then, strong hands pulled her out of the water.

"What do you think you're doing?! Are you planning to die?!" an angry Gregory yelled. Alma mustn't have been under the water for so long, what's he going on about?

"I won't die that fast," Alma glares, "besides I just saved a..person."

"You've been underwater for more than 10 minutes!" But Alma wasn't paying attention to Gregory's tantrums.

She found the woman sitting on one of the stone benches lining the dock, "There. It's her." The woman has a strangely white skin, almost translucent under the sun. "Hi, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name's-"

"The Water Pillar," she says. The woman bent on one knee and bowed, "My lady."

"W-water? Me?" Alma laughed at the joke, "What are you saying? I'm not-" but the woman still has her head bowed. "Oh, please rise. You must have mistaken me for someone else."

"But I don't. Only the Water Pillar can communicate like that to all creatures of the sea. We've been waiting for you to come."

Gregory chimed in, "So there's no one guarding Atlantis?"

The woman looked at him skeptically, "Why do you care, scout?"

Gregory scoffed, "I was merely concerned for the safety of you people. But I guess I shouldn't bother since it's not my business anyway."

"That's enough," Alma said, stepping in between the two. "I didn't get your name," she says to the girl, "My name's Alma. What's yours?"

"I'm called Isla, my lady," she bows her head once more.

"Isla, that's a wonderful name. How many of you are here?"

"I'm not certain, my lady. We've scattered around the world to find you when we found out the previous Water Pillar has died."

Alma nodded, "I see." She hugged herself for warmth as the sun sets down on pink and violet hues. "It's getting dark, do you have a place to sleep?" she asks Isla. Gregory looked at her with surprise but it was gone for an instant. Isla nodded, saying that she's been provided a place to sleep at the Mud Donkey Shack as she also works there as a waitress.

"It's the fastest way to gather information," she says.

Night came and both Gregory and Alma prepared for bed. "We're staying in the same room after all," Alma says as she dusts the bed sheets. "Better to keep you where I can see you so I can keep you safe. Besides we're on separate beds anyway..my lady."

"I told you to stop calling me that. Just talk to me casually, jeez."

"Alright."

They both lay quietly under the dim light of the candle, neither saying a word. But one thing's clear, everyone in the kingdom of Neravic is searching for the pillars – including those who want them dead. "They should be here soon," Gregory breaks the silence.

"Who?"

"The scouts assigned to find the pillars. There are four of us, though not to brag, I can do it by myself," Gregory lets out a soft chuckle.

What the hell, why does it sound so handsome, Alma thought.

"So is this kind of like your rendezvous point?" she asks.

"Yeah. This place actually is a safe haven for scouts and pillars. At least, here on Earth. Neravic is different."

Something about him is different. Maybe it's the candlelight or the light fabric of the white shirt he's wearing, maybe it's the way he looks at Alma when she's talking. It's safe to flirt a little, right? She thinks. Trust me when I say she really wants to and she was about to if it weren't for a knock on the door.

"The Lorax," a voice says. Gregory opened the door to five exhausted people and one dripping wet teenager about to freeze to death.