The Tale of a Hybrid and a Siren (old version)

The Siren in a Village

Before the cart moved any further, it halted in a fair distance to the nearest buildings to the west. The cart reined his horse to a halt and slowed the movement of the cart's wheels. Ahead there was a gathering of buildings aligned on the dirt and small, narrow areas meant to be alleys and streets. Wells installed to pull up water from a single budget tied to a rope. In the center was a large circular stone structure with marble stone statues surrounding it.

Through the streets and near cottages' corners, wagons lay dormant in use. Stalls and vendor carts with little roofs giving some shade to the sellers selling many items were parked through the roadway lying near the gathered buildings.

The old man's cart stopped away from the closest vendor selling out small flaky food dressed in wheat flour, with egg yolk, and fried over a pot of burning oil.

The old man looked back at the girl hopping off the cart and walking to the front of the cart. "Thank you," is all she said to him.

He only nodded his head in response, but before he could leave, he had something to say. "What will you do now?" he asked with concern.

Marina felt the tone of concern coming from the man's voice, and she suddenly felt a sudden jerk of her shoulders. The change of voice was changed. She didn't know if her nerves were reacting to a bug crawling on her arms or her ears twitching, but she remained aware of the man's question. "I don't know," said Mariana. "I guess I search for something or someone. I don't know. I don't know what or where a siren would go if living upon humans. But whatever I find, it will be on my own."

"Okay, very well. But before you go, take this," said the old man. He reached into a pocket of his shirt and held out a small bag. A small string had the bag tied to the top and sounds of metal pieces clang into. He tossed the bag to Marian who caught it in her hands. "This is money and use it wisely around here.

"Do you know how it works?" he asked.

"Yes, before I met you. I snuck on humans many times in disguised forms to see how they live their lives. Money is one thing I found the hardest to live by, but I think, no, I know I can manage. You'll find out that unlike other sirens I can learn faster than ever."

"Then before you go off, try to go to the town's tavern: Griffin's Coastal Feather. They have rooms always available to the weary traveler, but they do cost."

"I think I'll manage it somehow."

The old man nodded his head again and whipped the reins once to get the horse moving the cart again. Marina gazed as the traveler rode ahead of the siren, and Marina kept silent as the rider rode on, disappearing through the vendors and the people crowded around the vendors. The siren gazed at the travelers walking past her, and she kept her hood covering hair and face.

She saw she wasn't alone, there were another dozen or so people having their faces covered in hoods. But there was a majority of thirty people walking past her without hoods and each carried a pack of items on their backs.

She wasn't even in the set of buildings yet, and the road was already crowded with people walking past her. A few may stare at her, but they didn't seem to care; she just looked like another traveler passing by on the road.

She took a deep breath and walked in the direction the cart disappeared to, but she had no intention of following the old man. He was the human she'd been with the longest, but it was time for her to see if other humans were as nice and good as he was. However, she had doubts that many others would act like him. Humans will act harshly and with the worst hostility toward her. Sirens still have the reputation of eating humans, and the humans will act violent as soon as they spot her.