Curiosity

The Elf breathed heavily as he slowed his pace. The Orcs wouldn't follow him into a swamp; the brutes want nothing to do with boggy places. He suppressed his scream into a wince for the fear of attracting unwelcome attention. His hand was clasped tightly onto his wounded side, but blood still dripped past his fingers and onto what little solid ground the swamp provided. He shouldn't have helped the innkeeper.

  Of course the man was getting robbed every night. He never locks his doors, and he has no security. So even a group as dumb as a clan of Orc bandits can be could rob the man with ease. And instead of dealing with it himself, he guilt-tripped the Elf who just happened to be the only one around who could listen to the innkeeper's woes. The bitter Elf muttered, "Thanks, old man."

  Eventually, he could barely keep walking. Every breath was painful and labored. He watched the world blurr as he began to feel lightheaded. The world around him numbed, but the pain didn't. When he finally couldn't stay awake any longer, he fell forward as his eyelids closed. He didn't hear the water move or see the siren approach.

The curious half fish swam up to the shallow water that licked the edge of the land and pulled herself closer to the Elf. She poked his shoulder, then his back, but she got no response. She didn't see his face until she flipped him over. He was a little pale, like most Elves, and his skin was smooth. His ears were long and slim. His long hair was pitch black, like a new moon's night. He wore a thin meadow-green long-sleeved shirt under a black, Elven leather vest that covered his neck. He had almost-black pants and dark brown Elven boots.

  She almost wanted to spare him. But he was the perfect victim. He was unconscious and injured, but he was still alive. There was still a subtle movement in his chest, and his pulse was still there. Just barely. All she needed to do was steal a kiss, then he would receive the curse before he died and she would finally be Human again. She drove her finger under his sharp jaw before gently pinching his chin. She lifted his face towards her, closed her eyes, and leaned forward. Then she hesitated. She bit her lip as she opened her eyes.

  She might never get a chance to find someone like him again. When she saw the Elf walking through the swamp ground, he seemed to have great endurance even when suffering. Yet he also had a warm aurora, as though he'd loved before. And she adored his looks; his Elvish genes didn't hold out on him. She could always kiss him in his sleep when she was bored with him. 

  Instead of a kiss, she gave him a song. An old but beautiful Celtic song with healing lyrics, and an elegant, magical voice to match. She observed the wound that slowly healed, and she decided that he must've been hit with a mace. An Orcish mace, most likely. 'Only an Orc-made mace could do this amount of damage', the siren thought. 

  The Elf gained a piece of his senses as the injury started to disappear. He didn't know where he was or why he was there. He heard singing, but he didn't know who or why.

  He wasn't awake enough to answer his own questions, and he didn't have the energy to look around; he couldn't move, and he could barely open his eyes. The only thing he saw before he lost consciousness again was a dark, murky-teal tail with silver fins. 

When the Elf cracked his eyes open again, the sun was almost ready to wake. After processing what had happened and what events lead up to him waking up in the middle of a swamp, he was confused. His side and hand were both stained with blood, but he felt no pain. The injury was gone, and he was alive. As he was lying on the ground, trying to decide what happened, he heard the sound of water and a voice saying "Took you long enough to wake up." He sat straight up and looked to his left to see a woman with fins and a mischievous smile. Her pale skin was tainted with blue. Her long navy blue hair was weighted by the water. Her lips were blue, like the ocean deep. Her eyes appeared as a pair of perfectly round emeralds.

She noticed and instantly grew fond of his hazel eyes.

  The siren said, "I healed you, so you're injury-free." He gently felt his side as he said "Yeah… I kinda noticed since I have a bloody side and no wound." She asked while he stood up with a stiff and sore body, "So what's an Elf doing in a swamp with a bloody side? Get'n into trouble?" He kept a straight face as he said, "That's none of your concern. I appreciate the healing, but I should be heading out."

The siren didn't let the Elf turn around before she said, "Leaving so soon?" He resisted her sad puppy eyes. She felt her chance slip away when he replied, "I have to get back to town. No offense, but a swamp isn't my favored place." She said as he started to walk away, "I could guide you out of the swamp if you'd like." He didn't turn around. He just stopped.

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Sup, Pups! Just a few quick announcements!

This is my first book being posted on this app... sorry for the crappy quality. I'm just using this story to get the hang of things.

I promise the next story will be better!

ALSO: The very last episode will be a Q&A!

You can ask me or any of the characters any question! (But please keep it appropriate... please?)

I/the characters will answer as many questions as possible!

♥️THANKS FOR READING♥️

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