Prison Break

For the first time in a long time, Violet slept in that morning. Her body ached from all the work making a feast required the day before and unsurprisingly, the farmer was not hungry for breakfast just yet. Despite her body's soreness, Violet laid in bed with a smile on her face.

The dinner party went well. Her new friends in Pelican Town appeared to have a good time and left with enormous grins on their faces, insisting that they should do this again next year. Violet had not burned any of the food in a way that could not be corrected thanks to Sebastian's help. She did have to scrape off a bit of charred crust from a pie, but that was manageable.

After stretching, the pastel-haired woman gently brushed Sebastian's bangs out of his face to better look at him. Her boyfriend looked so peaceful in his sleep, lightly snoring from the angle his head rested on the pillow. Violet glanced over to see that Bruno shared her boyfriend's pillow, snuggled up on the other side of Sebastian.

The German shepherd's ears perked up in attention as Violet's gaze fixed upon him. "I can't believe you like Sebastian more than me!" she whispered in feigned offense. Bruno lifted his head and his black lips drew back to show off his row of pointed teeth, as if he were smiling.

The farmer did not actually mind that Bruno slept on Sebastian's side of the bed. At least the canine was not the jealous type who purposely hunkered down between them to make sure the couple could not even cuddle in the night. In their unspoken truce, both Violet and Bruno agreed it was only fair to share their guest, since he was a reliable source of warmth and a Sebastian sandwich allowed them both to benefit from his shared body heat.

Violet carefully reached over Sebastian to give Bruno a pat on the head. "Good boy," she said quietly as the two settled back down to rest a while longer. The farmer nestled herself in the crook of Sebastian's arm and snuggled close. Violet noticed the traces of tobacco that she used to smell in his clothing were gone now and the scent of pine was not as present, either. The farmer supposed that city life was to blame, at least for the latter.

Things are changing… Violet reflected. She was so proud of Sebastian for quitting smoking and although he had a minor slip-up, he was keeping with it. But the woman could not help but miss the days when her boyfriend lived in town, just up the mountainside. Violet harbored a selfish desire to ask Sebastian not to go back to the city tonight, but she knew that would be unfair to him. They already had this conversation, after all.F Violet had chosen to remain in the valley and Sebastian needed to finish his education. While she did not regret the decision to stay in Pelican Town, the reality of the situation sucked.

The farmer wondered how Sebastian would handle things when Jay came back from his sabbatical. Would they have a good relationship? Violet knew he had mixed feelings about the reveal, but after hearing Robin's account of what happened, it was hard not to label the misunderstanding as an unfortunate series of events that led to heartbreak for everyone involved.

Violet sincerely hoped that Sebastian and Jay could reconcile, if only for her boyfriend's sake. She wondered about her relationship with her own parents. Perhaps there was a story that she did not know that would put their divorce into better perspective for her? It probably was not as dramatic as Robin and Jay's, but Violet half-hoped that someday she could understand why her parents would not even speak to one another anymore.

Sebastian's entire view of his father had been shaken to its core after he heard his mother's explanation of what happened between them. Violet was apprehensive that allowing her parents to share their side version of events would only lead to more confusion. The two could hardly agree on anything, so Violet could only imagine their narratives would contradict each other. Still, the woman felt a nagging curiosity biting at the edge of her mind.

Maybe it would be safer to talk to Zach… she concluded for the time being. While her older brother had dodged questions about it in the past, now that she was an adult, Zach might be more forth-coming with answers. Besides, Violet was not quite ready to see either of her parents right now. Her father had sent a few letters in the mail to check in on her, but had not bothered to call since her move to Pelican Town.

Violet frowned, realizing that she did not know where her phone was. When was the last time she used it? Right, on Sebastian's birthday. The wavy-haired woman realized she may have left her phone at her boyfriend's. I hope Bex didn't call me, Violet thought with a grimace. Her best friend would burn rubber getting to Pelican Town if she did not respond within twenty-four hours under the assumption that something horrible happened.

"What's with that face?"

The farmer's deep blue eyes flickered toward Sebastian. He smiled at her.

"I think I left my phone at your place and I was thinking Bex will kill me if I cause her to worry over nothing like that."

Sebastian yawned, pulling his arm out from under her head. "Were you expecting to hear from her?"

Violet nodded. "Yeah, actually. I commissioned her primo Arturo for a few things and she'll be in town to drop them off soon."

Her boyfriend's left eyebrow rose inquisitively. "Did you get some art?"

The farmer did not want to give away too much information. Violet ordered a gift for each of her new friends in Pelican Town, even if they were not all something Arturo could make, he had a large group of friends and the farmer paid a handsome finders' fee for each gift. "Yeah! I wanted to decorate the farmhouse," the woman lied. It was a harmless fib, only to keep him off the scent for what kind of present he was getting for The Feast of the Winter Star.

"So, if Bex called and tried to schedule a delivery, I might be in trouble," Violet explained with a guilty grin.

Sebastian smirked. "I don't envy you that," he chuckled, wrapping his arm around Violet and pulling her close. "If I find it, I'll drop it off Tuesday night."

"What's on Tuesday?"

"Oh, I guess you don't know since this is your first year in town," Sebastian reasoned aloud. He shrugged, "Every Winter, a small group of traders dock down at the beach and sell their goods in a Night Market. It technically starts tomorrow and goes through Wednesday, but I only bother to go once," her boyfriend clarified. "Some of their stuff is kind of rare, but even if you aren't interested in buying anything, there's a guy who gives out free coffee."

Violet snorted. "Ah, so there's the reason you would willingly go out when there's a crowd," she teased, prodding his arm with her fingertips.

"I dream of that coffee." Sebastian's expression made Violet realize he was serious.

"That good, huh?" Violet was glad she did not get her boyfriend fancy coffee for the upcoming holiday. It would likely disappoint him compared to the Night Market blend. She decided to fish for more information. "Do you just use it up too fast?"

Sebastian shook his head. "No, the guy doesn't sell it, he just gives you one cup at a time and you can only have as much as you can drink at the Market! Otherwise I would have stocked up on the stuff," he grumbled, resting his chin on Violet's head.

I guess I can't get him a year's supply, she supposed with disappointment. "The injustice!" the pastel-haired woman gasped sarcastically, and Sebastian squeezed her tightly to his chest in retaliation.

"Stop! Stop, that tickles!" Violet giggled, throwing her body weight in an attempt to escape. But despite her pleas, Bruno joined in, licking her face while she was pinned to Sebastian's chest.

"That's not fair, you can't gang up on me!" the farmer cried indignantly, but she had to stifle her laughter to make sure that Bruno's tongue did not get into her mouth. Violet's face was covered in dog kisses, which she wiped on Sebastian's hoodie. Her boyfriend objected to being used as a napkin and finally released Violet from his embrace.

Bruno hopped off the bed, barking with excitement and headed straight for the door to be let outside. He probably wants to chase some rabbits and work off some of that energy, Violet assumed. She never met a dog as high-energy as Bruno and she was glad she had a whole farm for him to roam, otherwise the farmer had a feeling he would devote that energy to more destructive purposes, like chewing her boots. Following after her canine companion, she let him out and watched him gallop through the snow and disappear into the pine grove.

Violet felt a kiss on the back of her neck and recognized Sebastian had followed her. "Are you hungry?" he inquired, offering to get her something from the kitchen.

"How can you even think of food right now?" Violet groaned in disbelief, crossing her arms over her abdomen. "I still have a food baby from last night!"

Sebastian's eyes lingered on her abdomen. "Don't gawk! I just ate way too much," she shouted, embarrassed by the pudge from last night's feast. But the pensive look on her boyfriend's face hinted he was thinking something else. It prompted her to follow up with him. "Is something wrong?"

Violet spied a red tinge on Sebastian's face. He turned abruptly and headed for the kitchen to raid the fridge. "What?!" she demanded, concerned that he was not communicating something she ought to know. "Was it something I said?"

"...No." Sebastian avoided eye contact as he extracted a container of glazed yams and doled them out onto a plate. Violet leaned over to catch his eye and he sighed in defeat. "I just…" her boyfriend hesitated, scratching the back of his neck self-consciously. "I thought you would look just as cute with a real baby bump."

Violet felt the heat rise in her face and Sebastian cleared his throat. "N-not that I'm saying we should," her boyfriend clarified. "It was just a passing thought. I didn't even want to bring it up since it's so embarrassing to think of that kind of stuff this early in a relationship…"

"Right…" Violet echoed with a faint, nervous voice. "My bad." She tried her best to act natural as she took a seat to join her boyfriend at the table, but she could not focus on his words.

I'm going to overthink this all day, aren't I?

Talla observed her surroundings with the cool calculation of a predator. Nothing appeared amiss. The Gotoron soldiers sat in their usual, protective groups - like schools of herring - to feed, stand guard, and spend time at their leisure.

By the syren's estimations, the plan would run smoothly. They would leave the camp with a small caravan of Talla's more discreet allies, and when the sun set and the moon began to rise overhead, both she and the Doctor would split off and take the river back downstream to the camp in which the prisoners were kept. There would be no moon to provide light from above, forcing the warriors to rely on their torches. She would sing, the Gotorons would all fall asleep, and they would slip the captives out quietly in the night. All according to plan.

Despite this, the teal-haired demigoddess clenched her jaw in irritation. The success of their mission was only guaranteed so long as no one detected their deception. Talla spied the fidgety state of the Catfish from across the camp. His mustache twitched and the human man jumped whenever someone so much as glanced in his general direction. She stifled her prey drive and swiftly strode over to her companion.

She was upon him before he detected her presence. "Are you purposefully drawing attention to yourself or are you truly this foolish?" Talla hissed in his ear.

A few of the Gotoron warriors bellowed with laughter as Harvey tripped over himself in surprise and Talla glared down at the Doctor with a critical eye. "Get up!" Talla ordered and the mortal obeyed.

Dusting himself off, he apologized for embarrassing her. "Sorry, Talla, you scared me."

The syren exhaled sharply. "Cease your spinelessness this instant," Talla growled in a low voice. "You are a man returning to his homeland today, not a hermit crab crawling under the scrutiny of a seagull. Why should you be so anxious and easily startled?"

Harvey nodded as her meaning finally penetrated his brain. "You're right, Talla," he recognized with a tense grin. He removed his glasses and wiped the lenses clean, as he often did when he desired to avoid her disapproving looks. "I'll do better."

"See that you do," Talla countered coldly. She motioned to the crates in front of them. "Are you packed for our journey?" They had used most of the supplies she provided the physician, but that was a vital piece of information that Talla had kept from the Gotorons, even those she considered business acquaintances. Most of the crates were filled with debris found in the jungle so that there would be no suspicions, should the need arise to smuggle the prisoners out of sight.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, I believe so. I'm just going over a few things to be sure," he answered, glancing down at a clipboard nestled in the crook of his arm. The paper was slightly damp from the morning dew, but Talla could tell from the format of the list that her companion was organized at the very least.

Talla's eyes scanned the area to make sure none of the Gotoron soldiers were still interested in what they were doing. "I will have a few men load the cargo," the demigoddess informed Harvey. "Go fetch yourself something to eat and fill your canteens. It will be a long journey home and I do not wait for stragglers."

Despite the harshness of her words, the Catfish acknowledged Talla's order with a smile. "I'll do what I can to keep up," he promised her, though his tone suggested he was mocking her in some manner. The teal-haired woman watched him go, wondering why she felt a twitch in her eyes. Even when he obeyed, the Doctor found a way to irritate her.

Granny always outdid herself with morning meals especially, and Alex always appreciated that she made sure to always give him a little extra protein on his plate on Sunday mornings. While he felt a little overfull now after last night's feast and a large meal this morning, the jock was confident that by the time they walked up the mountainside, his stomach would settle. Once he finished his complete breakfast with his grandparents, Alex made his way toward the clinic to pick up Maru.

He was still a bit worried that she was not taking care of herself as much as she should, so he had a to-go box of leftovers from breakfast just in case. Granny was psychic or something, because she already had the container out when he mentioned bringing something for Maru. His grandma was generous with the serving sizes, so Alex guessed that she was concerned about Maru's eating habits, too.

Maru was already waiting outside when he walked over to the clinic to meet her. "Good morning, Sirius!" she called, greeting him with the nickname she gave him over the Summer.

He grinned. "'Sup, Glasses? Are you feeling better today?"

Alex had a feeling Maru had not been entirely honest as to why she totally zoned out last night, but she was a pro at avoiding the topic if it suited her. "I'm still stuffed, but I'm excited to inspect that strange rock wall!" the genius replied, shouldering her bag and making a beeline toward the mountain trail. "Thanks for coming out with me today."

I would have just shown up if you didn't invite me, Alex thought as he fell into step with her. Her legs were so short compared to his it was easy to keep up, though. "It's nice to switch things up once and a while," the athlete shrugged. "It keeps things interesting, you know?"

"I couldn't agree more!" Maru was nothing but smiles this morning. It weirded Alex out thinking that she looked so down last night and had done a complete 180 overnight, but stranger things had happened. Hell, there were wizards and shit in this town. That did not mean that Maru was completely off the hook, though.

Alex wondered how to go about asking Maru what was on her mind without sounding like he was being an asshole about it. He needed to think of something harmless to talk about first. "So… I guess Harvey's coming back from his trip soon."

"I know, I can't wait!"

Alex's heart sank at Maru's enthusiasm to have Doctor Harvey back. Was there another reason she avoided the dating topic with him? Was she into older men or something? Stupid! You didn't even think there would be a reason other than gridball that she didn't want to date?! the jock shouted internally. She probably stopped you short because she's into someone else.

But Maru's next words gave Alex hope. "It's not that I don't enjoy working at the clinic, but I want to have free time to do my own projects again," she explained as they passed the old Community Center. "It's a huge part of why I didn't immediately pursue a medical doctorate after obtaining my nursing degree. I'm still exploring my options."

"I think that's really cool of you," Alex confessed. "You're not giving into the pressure to choose what you're going to do the rest of your life."

Maru shrugged, "Oh, it's less pressure and more indecision," his friend assured him, tucking her hands into her pockets as they walked up the steepening path. "There are so many interesting things to study, I don't want to limit myself to just one."

The more she talked, the more relaxed Alex became. It was dumb to jump to conclusions like that. Maru was curious about everything you could think of, which is why she decided to help him out with gridball. She liked a challenge - which is something they definitely had in common.

Alex spied the usual flames from the homeless guy's campfire and wondered why anyone would choose to live outdoors in the dead of Winter. Sure, you could burn a lot of extra fat by doing all your training outside, since your body used it up a lot more just trying to keep warm, but Alex did not do that himself. He hated Winter. If it were not for The Big Game, the jock supposed he would just want to hibernate like a bear or something. As long as he did not lose all the results of his training.

Maru hurried as they got closer to the mine entrance and Alex picked up the pace to match her own. He could tell from the sparkle in her eyes that Maru was looking forward to whatever lay beyond the wall - assuming they could break through it. The spiky-haired brunet hoped that whatever was on the other side would not disappoint her.

They had to wait a moment for Maru's glasses to stop fogging up once they got inside, but that gave Alex a chance to stretch. He took up the pickaxe Maru borrowed from Sam and Abigail yesterday and made contact with the stone wall. The jock was confident he had the right form. Gramps used to be a miner back in the day and taught him how to swing a pickaxe without hurting himself when he was a kid.

After the first few attempts, Alex quickly tossed his letter jacket off to the side. It was too warm in the caves to keep it on and he did not want to risk tearing a seam anywhere. Granny used to sew it back up for him if something went wrong, but her eyesight was not so good anymore. After about a dozen attempts to make even a dent in the wall, Maru signaled for Alex to stop.

As Alex wiped the sweat off his forehead, Maru dug around in her backpack and pulled out a handful of small, red balls. "What're those?" the man asked.

Maru grinned like a kid playing a prank. "Cherry bombs!" she announced as she took a lighter out from one of her overall pockets. "I got the idea from Violet and Sebastian. They tried to blow up that big boulder that used to block the bridge to the east side of the lake."

"Did it work?"

She shook her head. "No, but I'm still willing to give it a shot!" Maru ran her hands over the rock wall and marked a few spots with some chalk. Alex wondered what else she kept in all those pockets.

"We're going to have to work fast," she told him, flicking the lighter to life. "I'm going to light these all at once and we're going to have to shove them into the holes I marked and make a run for it fast, okay?"

Alex nodded to show he understood. "Should we figure out our play now, so we're not trying to go for the same targets?"

Maru smiled at him. She looked so pretty when she did that. "That's a great idea, Sirius!" she praised him. Her eyes swept across the rock face and she made a suggestion. "How about you get the ones up high where I can't reach?"

"Got it, boss." The two went to work as soon as Maru lit the fuses and Alex grabbed his friend's hand as they made a mad dash for the other side of the cavern to stay clear of the blast. The loud pops of the cherry bombs echoed in the chamber and Alex felt his heart skip a beat as he heard the heavy thud of falling rock.

Maru cackled, drunk on success. "We did it!" she exclaimed, still giggling with joy as she led him over toward the pile of rubble. Alex glanced down at her hand and realized she had not let go, even though it would have been totally fine at this point. Was he reading too much into this?

Alex helped Maru over the mound of crushed rock toward a new opening exposed by the explosion. Once they were safely on the other side, they walked down the narrow passageway, still hand-in-hand. There were still lanterns along the wall, so Alex figured that this area had been part of the mines and blocked off later.

The duo came to the end of the tunnel, which opened up into a smaller cavern. It was empty except for a few chests, a small table, and a creepy little statue with glowing red eyes. Maru let go of his hand and darted ahead to examine the objects, but a strange voice cried out in a language Alex did not understand.

Whipping around, Alex searched for the source of the sound. There was no one behind them and he and Maru were the only people there. But as the jock faced Maru again, panic set in as he saw a hand reaching out toward his companion. "Maru, look out!"

Haley posed on the red sofa in the living room, curled up with her mug of hot chocolate. "Like this?" the blonde inquired with a tilt of her head.

Leah beamed. "Perfect!" The artist touched the pencil to her sketch pad and furiously drew a few shapes to get her started. "I really like candid sketches," the red head commented as she drew, "but it's nice to sit comfortably in the house this way. I feel like less of a creep."

Her new girlfriend's face scrunched in a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

The artist's lips twitched and she slightly regretted mentioning it, but now was too late to take it back. "I, uh… I drew some pictures of you on the beach this past Summer." Leah worried what Haley would say about it when the blonde demanded to see the sketches.

"Now?"

Haley's big blue eyes rolled in their sockets. "You can't just bring it up and not expect me to be curious!" she pouted, rising from the couch to stand beside Leah. Taking her cue, the ginger flipped through the pages of her sketchpad to find the work from two seasons ago. The blonde wrapped her arms around Leah so she could stand closer and get a better view of the drawings.

Leah was nervous that Haley would be scared away by the drawings. She drew Haley in a bikini in far more sketches than she initially believed. Sure, it was a public beach, but Leah did not have many other subjects in her artwork. There were a handful of other people, like Sam and his little brother, and the occasional one of Alex with his football, but for the most part Leah had chosen Haley as her Summer muse.

After a few moments of excruciating silence, Haley smiled. "You did your model justice." The curly-haired woman's smirk was smug in a way that surprised Leah. "Glad to know I'm not the only one."

That got Leah's attention. "What do you mean? Did you take stalker pictures or something?"

"No, but I caught a little more than I intended during one of our photoshoots and I didn't destroy them," she reacted coyly. When Leah gave her a confused look, Haley sighed and took her hand. "C'mon, I'll show you what I mean."

Haley led Leah to her bedroom and instructed her to sit on the bed. The last time she had been in this room, the red head did not have much time to admire her girlfriend's interior decorating. What first caught her eye was the mural on the walls. It was a sunny beach scene with sailboats drifting lazily in the distance. Glancing across the room, Leah noticed all the makeup and accessories on the vanity, but they were neatly organized despite the signs of frequent use. There was a matching pink rug in front of Haley's dresser and a stuffed animal on a small table in the corner.

The blonde opened a drawer and produced a small box. Haley strode over to the bed and joined Leah before handing her the container. The artist slowly lifted the lid of the lavender box to reveal an album of photos. "These are the ones you took for the contest," Leah recalled, leafing through the pages. They were all beautiful and the redhead had to admit she looked good in them, especially in the white Flower Dance dress that Haley recommended she wear for the photoshoot.

"What's wrong with these?" Leah paused on the last page of prints, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. "I knew you were taking pictures of me. It was a photoshoot."

Haley bit her lip. "Those are the ones I show people, but there's one I kept just for me…" The woman's hand slid under her pillow and sheepishly surrendered the photo to Leah.

"I haven't shown it to anyone," the blonde confessed. She shifted uncomfortably and turned to rest her back against the headboard. "I… finally figured out that I'm into you when I developed this one."

Leah blushed when she saw the photo. It was her, splayed out in the damp grass, her long red locks tumbling loosely over one shoulder. While the artist knew that her pose of caressing a flower with her fingertips gave off an air of vulnerability, it was the state of her dress that made her realize why Haley would not share this picture. The sole shoulder strap had slid off momentarily, and dampness from the morning dew made the top of her dress cling to her body. Leah had not worn a bra that day, since her cup size was one that allowed her to get away with that most of the time. There was absolutely nothing left to the imagination.

She blushed. "You… keep this under your pillow?" the artist finally inquired. Leah knew what that implied, but it was hard for her to believe that Haley had been into her for so long without her noticing the signs.

Haley frowned and snatched the picture back. "Look, I get I'm a total perv for having this or whatever, but it got me questioning a lot about myself." Placing the photo back in its hiding place, Haley balled her fists at her side. "I always assumed I was straight and so when I began to notice you as an attractive, single person in my life it was weird."

Leah watched her girlfriend carefully. "'Weird' good or 'weird' bad?"

"Ugh, you're still asking that after I confessed to you the other night?" Haley shot back in annoyance. "Like, I've heard of 'useless lesbians,' but I didn't think you all were this hopeless." Haley leaned over and gently tugged on Leah's suspenders to pull her in close. "Do I have to kiss you until you believe me?"

"I might need a little convincing…" Leah admitted with an anxious grin. The suspender thing was getting her more flustered than she expected. "This all still feels like a dream sometimes."

Haley closed the remaining gap between them, pressing her lips against Leah's in a soft, tender kiss. The redhead's heart fluttered and she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend as Haley's kisses became more enthusiastic. Yoba, Haley's good at this.

The next thing Leah knew it, Haley was on top of her, showering her with kisses along her neck and collarbone. But as things were getting hot between them, the blonde swung her leg over Leah and hopped off the bed.

"If this were a dream, I'd keep going," Haley explained with a teasing wink. "So, I guess I'll leave you wanting more to prove it's real…"

Leah was unable to conceal the undertone of disappointment in her voice. "You must have lied when you said you never had a boyfriend! There's no way you haven't kissed someone when you kiss like that," she moped.

Haley smirked. She's pleased with herself, Leah observed with mild irritation.

"Just because I never got serious with anyone doesn't mean I haven't ever had a little fun," the blonde laughed. "A woman has needs, you know. I'm practically a make out expert."

Leah must have shown signs of dissatisfaction with that new piece of knowledge because Haley returned to sit on the bed. "Don't worry," Leah's partner comforted her. "I'm only interested in kissing my girlfriend right now. I just think you deserve a little teasing for being so clueless."

The artist did not argue. Even she wished she had grasped that Haley was interested in her sooner. They could have been dating for a while now.

Haley held Leah's hand in hers and glanced at her side-on. "I don't really know how to be a proper lesbian, though, so you might have to show me a few things…"

Leah was about to reassure her girlfriend that they could take things slowly for the blond to get used to the idea, but Haley's lips were on hers again in an instant. Leah fumbled at the buttons on Haley's blouse while her girlfriend went to work on her sweater. As they shed their outer layers, the whole world started to melt away like the blurred ocean horizon painted on the wall behind them.

The moonless night was pitch black, with only Talla's dark vision to guide them back toward the Gotoron prisoner of war camp downstream. Harvey was a bit wet and miserable on his little raft, but the demigoddess had given him a talisman that supposedly made him look like a large log being swept along the current.

Talla, of course, chose to be in the water rather than sit on the raft with him. It was more comfortable for her to be swimming and in her natural form. Harvey was nervous being in the dark with the sound of rushing water on either side of him, but he trusted his companion enough to get them to their destination safely.

As he sat in silence, Harvey counted the days since he left home and discovered that today was his birthday and he completely missed it. There was only a few minutes left until midnight, according to his watch. While birthdays were not particularly eventful for him anymore, it felt a little odd for him to completely forget.

The doctor exhaled heavily as he laid back to stare up at the faint light of the constellations overhead. It would be a shame to die on my birthday, Harvey thought as he admired the twinkling stars in the ink-black sky. He did not recognize most of the constellations and somehow it made him feel lonely.

"Does something trouble you, Doctor?" Talla's solicited. Harvey jumped, startled by the sudden intrusion. As far as he could tell, the syren was still submerged, pulling the raft downstream so that they would make better time. Yet Harvey was sure he heard her voice.

"I can speak to you through the water as well, Catfish," Talla demonstrated, her body still invisible under the water below. "Just speak as you normally would, I hear you just as well." Harvey could tell she thought this was funny to scare him like that, but he was not about to insult the person helping him fulfill his promise to Jodi, even if Talla saw it as partial payment of a life debt.

"So what troubles you, Doctor? Do you still doubt my ability to save your friend?"

Harvey assumed this was one of Talla's passive-aggressive ways of defending her honor and went along with it. "I just realized it's my birthday, that's all."

"I suppose the aging process troubles mortal beings," she noted.

The medic exhaled heavily. "It's less my age and more that I'm alone. I hoped to be in a committed relationship at this point in my life."

"Are you so near death that you concern yourself with such things?"

Harvey shook his head to dispute her sentiment. "It's not a matter of death, it's a matter of life! Marrying another person is about companionship, mutual affection, and…" His voice trailed off. It felt strange having to defend himself for wanting a wife, but Harvey reminded himself that Talla was not a typical person. Harvey operated under the assumption that Talla did not have a history of rich personal relationships, but that may have been unfair of him to assume. "... The desire to find a "mate," as you tend to call them, isn't all about the fear of dying alone."

"Fine," the immortal woman acknowledged. "Even if you do find a mate, you do not perish simultaneously. One shall always survive the other!" Talla pointed out. "Does that not cause more grief?"

"You're right, in a way," the mustached man admitted as he listened to the sound of the current beneath his raft. "But I think that bond you share with another person is worth it in the end. You have happy memories to look back on…"

Talla exhaled sharply in exasperation, causing bubbles on the surface of the water. She muttered to herself, and Harvey caught some brief reference regarding the lack of reason behind human thought. He smiled to himself. While Talla did not understand where he was coming from, she cared in her own way. She mentioned grief after the loss of a mate. It made him wonder.

"Talla? Have you ever had a mate?"

He could hear her laughter even on the surface. "Hmph! I have seen my sisters suffer from such foolishness. I will not repeat their mistakes."

"You prefer mates that are more… solid?" Harvey replied teasingly, thinking of the squid that Talla's middle sister was dating.

Talla did not react to his joke. The medic assumed he must have offended his companion somehow, when she finally poked her head out of the water. Her dark teal curls were beaded with water droplets, which he could only see by the glow of the nautilus shell she wore around her neck. The soft light made the water look like tiny gold pearls, matching the lustrous shine of her smooth, golden skin. Harvey was often intimidated by her slitted, shark-like pupils, but he did not detect the typical annoyance in her gaze.

"My sister lives in constant danger of her identity being exposed to the humans because her ex-lover knows her name." Talla justified her stance in a low voice. "All that she has built could be erased with a single word. I do not care to risk the same fate, especially not for the affections of a lesser being."

Harvey did not want to be callous, but it seemed a bit dramatic, even for Talla. Mortal lifespans were so short by comparison, he did not understand why it was such a big deal. "Once this ex of hers dies, it won't be a problem anymore, right?"

"I never said Emela's ex-lover was mortal."

The answer puzzled Harvey. He had not considered that the syrens were not the only undying species out there. Unless Thorn and Deode had similar life spans to Talla and her sisters. "So, he's like you and your sisters?"

"Of course not," Talla spat, her powerful tail still propelling them along beneath the surface of the water. "That infuriating wastrel is the last elf in existence," she stated, her tone low and ominous. Harvey was engrossed by the new information, ready to hear more, but the syren placed a webbed finger to her lips.

"We are close now, be still," the demigoddess ordered, submerging herself under the water to better control the raft. With the light of Talla's talisman gone, Harvey was forced to resort to the sounds around him to figure out what was going on. A soft thud alerted the doctor that his companion had reached the riverbank. Groping for land, Harvey followed Talla's hushed instructions and crawled onto shore without falling into the water.

Harvey stumbled in the dark with so little light, since the only source was the immortal's enchanted nautilus shell, which was blocked by her body. "Be quiet or you shall alert the whole camp of our arrival," Talla hissed.

"It's because I can't see!" he snapped. "My 'inferior' eyes aren't like yours, I need glasses to see normally, remember?" Harvey immediately regretted his words. He knew he was being defensive, but the woman really should not blame him for tripping over things. She was the one with perfect vision.

In the dark, the bespectacled man felt something smooth and damp clamp over his hand. Harvey realized that Talla had taken his hand. Even when he faltered, his companion steadied him as she led the way through the underbrush. He was not sure how far they walked, but soon the footsteps ahead of him stopped and Talla no longer tugged gently at his arm. Harvey could see them now, the faint orange glow of the campfires up ahead.

"I will begin," Talla announced, a smirk gracing her lips. "Let us hope for your sake this does not cause too many casualties."

Harvey did not like the sound of that. "I thought the whole point of you singing the Gotorons to sleep was that there wouldn't be any casualties," he argued. "Is this a death song?"

Talla sniffed in amusement. "I do not have a death song, Catfish." She basked in his appalled expression for a moment before she accounted for her initial commentary. "Think of the men who tend the fire, or those soaking in the wash basin, or standing guard in the watchtower. What do you suppose may happen should they suddenly fall asleep?"

The results of his imagination formed a pit in Harvey's stomach, but he did his best to suppress that feeling. "I guess I can only have so many birthday wishes," the medic muttered bitterly, hoping for the best. "Very well, Talla. I'll cover my ears."

Another chuckle. "You need not worry, Catfish. My songs are most effective for those who speak the language I sing." Talla pondered for a moment, then added. "I will sing a Gotoron lullaby. It should put the men right to sleep."

Harvey was not sure how Talla made the brusque language of the Gotorons sound so beautiful, but the instant she opened her mouth and sang the first words of the song, he was haunted by the sound. While it did not lull him to sleep, the mustachioed man was soothed by the lyrics he could not understand. It took him a moment to realize that Talla had begun walking toward camp as she sang and he ran to catch up to her.

By the time they reached the Gotoron base, everyone in sight was lying on the ground, fast asleep. Talla glanced toward him, looking smug. Harvey supposed this time it was well-deserved. He would have never been able to accomplish something on this scale.

His companion lifted her hand and pointed toward the area of camp that was well-guarded by a pair of burly men a few moments ago. "I suggest we look for your friend there."

Slipping past the prone, snoring bodies of the guards on either side of the barrier demarcating the hostage's camp, Harvey and Talla entered the outdoor prison. There were several makeshift cages made of rope and reinforced pallet wood, holding about a dozen men each. Most of them were still awake, though some had dozed off like the Gotoron soldiers. Harvey could hear at least two of the prisoners panicking, bellowing about the end of the world. Even the doctor had to admit that to the captives, seeing their captors fall to the ground at once must have been alarming, no matter how much animosity they harbored for the Gotorons.

Harvey rushed toward the nearest cell and yelled, "We're here to rescue you! Can you tell us where the keys are?"

There was some squabbling among the detainees as they tried to determine whether or not to trust the strangers who suddenly materialized in the dead of night. Harvey could not entirely blame them, but he much preferred that they have as much time as possible to make their escape. The medic decided to short-circuit the debate by asking, "Is Kent here? Kent from Pelican Town? It's Doctor Harvey!"

The message traveled faster than the physician expected and a cry came out from a few cells over. Harvey rushed over to find a bruised skinnier version of his neighbor, but there was no doubt it was Kent. "Doc! How the hell did you find me all the way out here?" the blond man shouted and a wave of relief washed over the other prisoners.

"We'll catch up later!" Harvey responded, "right now we need to free everyone."

Kent thrust a finger out of the bars and directed the doctor to a man at a nearby campfire. "It's the big guy over there. They should be attached to his belt."

Talla deftly removed the ring from the man's clothing and handed it off to Harvey, who quickly unlocked Kent's cell. The men inside poured out of the small opening and out into the open yard. While they were free from their cell, they still had to get out of the enemy camp. The doctor surrendered the keys to a private who was impatient to assist the others, allowing him to personally check on Kent.

"It's good to see you, Doc," Kent greeted him, glancing cautiously over Harvey's shoulder. "But who's your lady friend? I thought she was chummy with the Gotorons?"

"She's the reason we're able to rescue you all tonight," the practitioner replied simply. There was dried blood on Kent's brow and several bruises on his face, but otherwise he seemed fine for now. Harvey knew he would have to do a proper exam for the prisoners once they were free and clear. For now, the men formed small groups for safety so that they would not have to bring so many torches and give away their position or their numbers.

"Head west toward the river and travel against the direction of the current," Talla instructed those who were prepared to leave. "We will bring up the rear."

There were some objections about being sent out into the dark without a guide, but they were squashed by the others who were more eager to put distance between themselves and the camp. As the flames of their torches began to fade into the distance, Harvey heard a commotion from the opposite direction.

A small group of men appeared, carrying flashlights and wielding firearms. The soldiers charged toward them and Talla cursed under her breath.

"I thought you put them all to sleep, Talla!" Harvey questioned. Something had gone horribly wrong. How could he keep the unarmed men safe?

"They must speak a different dialect than the main force," the syren explained sourly. She stepped forward, putting herself between Harvey and the Gotorons. "Take your friend and leave now," she screamed, shoving him toward the last group to leave. "And tell the men to cover their ears…"

Harvey hesitated, his feet frozen to the earth beneath his feet. He could not leave Talla to fight alone, but what use would he be against trained combatants? If she were harmed and not able to meet up with them, he and all the people they just rescued would be sitting ducks. The doctor had no idea how to get home from here, let alone their first stop on the long journey home.

But when Talla turned and saw him still standing there, she spat with fury. "If you do not leave, you will die, you fool! Go now, or I shall kill you myself!"

The venom in her voice was enough to snap Harvey out of it and Kent pulled him toward the safety of the darkness beyond. "C'mon, Doc, we gotta go!" the blond insisted.

So, they ran as best they could while his hands held a cloth against his ears to protect it from whatever danger was to come. Behind him, the doctor heard a piercing screech that sent shivers down his spine, but no one stop. The shriek hastened the escapees onward with a new sense of urgency. Harvey prayed Talla was alright and would keep her promise. Otherwise they would all be sitting ducks come morning.