Blade(Part 3): Dusk

Chapter 22: Catherine

Just before the Hydra's ship was destroyed, members of Catherine's crew managed to capture a member of the Hydra's crew to bring him on board the Falcon. He was an officer in red Skaolan armor, and must have killed a dozen of the Falcon's crew before he was captured. The soldier had been interrogated by Radames ever since he was captured, questioning where the Siren was. Catherine detested the sounds of a man screaming with pain, so she sat on the edge of the deck with her feet dangling off the side with Taia while Radames and a few other members of her crew interrogated the Skaolan officer. Taia began to whistle her sea shanty again, and Catherine couldn't help other than to allow tears to flow from her eyes at how beautiful it was. Taia would tease her if she saw her crying, so she quickly wiped them away.

"So, the Peacekeeper that's on your list now calls themselves the 'Siren'," Taia suddenly said. "And they're all named after monsters. What is a siren?"

"Well, as far as I know, they're one of the more subtle kinds of monsters," Catherine answered. "They'll sing to you, seduce you, and then kill you." She almost regretted saying that to someone as young as Taia, but Taia seemed to have a rather calm reacting to her brutal description of one of the deadliest demons that plagued Zenartha. Her sailing on the Sea of Orathan had hardened her, as it had hardened Catherine.

"Sounds like the kind of death a man would find pleasant," she said. "Unless you..."

"I don't, Taia," Catherine interrupted. They both chuckled.

"I will admit, though, living on Sparrow had made me wonder whether or not there was ever someone out there for me," Catherine continued. "But someone like me, or us, in a place like Skaola?"

"Right," Taia agreed. "I don't know how someone even remotely like us, or your family, can be left in this country." There were so many evil people in the court of Aziz that it couldn't even be considered corruption. It was one of the few things that the King and his Skaolan lords had in common. They wanted blood, nothing more. The Peacekeepers were worse, starting wars from the shadows, causing the deaths of thousands for their own personal gain. She already knew they all deserved to die, and wished she could kill more of them than the two that her mother told her to kill. As far as she could tell, though, the Siren was even worse than the Hydra. If she was anything like the demon that she was named after, then she seduces people to learn whatever information she could from them, then kills them. Her train of thought was broken by a sudden screech from Arn. Catherine saw him fly straight over the Falcon, and over the sea, heading south. He was flying towards Orathan's southern landmass, to Skaola's mainland. It was unclear why Arn would lead Catherine towards the one place she was never supposed to go, but he had never led her where she didn't need to go before.

"I just hope the Siren doesn't think she can win me over," said Catherine. "That would not end well for either of us. It would be worse for her, though."

"Cat," Radames suddenly called. "So, that officer we captured told us that all of Skaola's Peacekeepers are on their way to Septe for a gathering."

"All of them?" Catherine gasped. "Including the Siren? In Septe?"

"Yes," Radames answered. "Which means I'll be below deck while we're there. The Skaolans don't take kindly to duar in their capital city."

"I know," said Taia. "But can I come with you, Cat?"

"To Aziz's city?" asked Catherine. "Absolutely not."

"Please?" Taia begged.

"Taia, you realize that Septe is the one place no one should go, right?" Catherine hissed. "I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to you." Taia hung her head with a deep sigh.