The Creeky Dodger split the waves and raced over the lapping ocean. The sails billowed forward, shooting them toward their salvation. The wind flew through her hair, her hands on the wheel, a smile on her face. This was her ship now. And because it was hers she could will it. So as she held onto the wheel of the ship, she willed it faster, and propulsion engines appeared on this ship ready to take over if the wind died down.

They had been on the water for three days and there was no sign of a chase. Mellie had spent the past few days helping organize supplies and figure out the limitations of her powers on non sentient objects. As she tested it, she found that she could only change objects that were in her possession, or became her possession when she defeated their previous owner. Most of the items on the ship had been worked into healing potions and food supplies to suppliment the malnutrition most of the people were suffering from.

The 4 poster princess bed was shared in rotation with her friends. Mellie and Linda slept in 8 hour shifts, before Mellie made another memory foam mattress for the cabin floor from a few sets of clothes one of the slavers had in his room. More complicated objects required more fuel to convert. The captives deposited the junk they found on board outside the captains quarters doors and with each item, a little bit of luxury came. Baths and showers were made and placed above deck. Mellie made medicines and meats, sewing kits and stuffed animals. And today, she made a guitar.

The Norts knew music. They had their own types of piano and lutes. Guitars were new. Mellie made instruments and wine today. It was time for a celebration. Mellie left the captains cabin with handfuls of wine and juggling instuments. Rhiannah, unsurpised at Mellies magic at this point and helped Mellie set the stage.

"Are there any bards on board or anyone who can play an instrument?" Mellie inquired. Roughly ten minutes later a handful of bards were curiously circling the set of instruments. Mellie picked up the guitar and said "Just follow along."

Mellie had the skill Singer leveled to 12, by just existing in this world. Humming was up to 10. As the skills leveled she found her singing and hums sounded much prettier. Mellie began to play starting warming up with, 🎶Well, I won't back down. No, I won't back down. You can stand me up at the gates of Hell, but I won't back down.🎶

The bards stood around her plucking at strings beating on drums trying to follow the tunes. Mellie played for hours. All her favorite songs from home. All different genres. All songs of hope and family and loved. The people milled about drinking and leveling or in most childrens cases, gaining their dancing skills. The bards were leveling quicker than they had in their lives. The Bards were leveling all their instrumental skills, some gaining new skills like Sound amplification, noise reduction, and when Mellie played 🎶We are the champions🎶 everyones vision flashed Boon granted! Song of the Savior. +100% morale for 24 hours. Singing lvl 20!

As they splashed along the ocean, singing and celebrating, no one noticed the new faces that had climbed aboard, joining in the festivities. No one noticed until the morning, when the sirens had pulled their prey into the depths to mate and feed. The slavers had known to stay below decks when they passed through the reefs.

The Siren Queen lvl 50 felt the pull of the music from the passing ship. Some of her daughters felt the call as well, to breed, to mate and to entertain. The choir of Sirens surrounded the ship and shifted to their humanlike forms to climb aboard. Their statuses naturally adapted to their surroundings with magic that worked like the ring of concealment. Sirens only fed on the souls of the wicked after consummation to provide nutrition to their embryos. They specialized in soul magic. There werent many wicked aboard this ship, but any expansion was large for their long lived race.

The music and merriment abated thier craving to breed and feed as they joined in enjoying the dancing, conversation, foods and music. While they socialized, the sirens were silently choosing their main course for the night. The choir had found sustinence for their next gestation. Most of the passengers had pure souls so their company was neither threatening or disagreeable. In thanks for a wonderful evening they left behind a handful of magical pearls and one of the choir to learn about the new musics and culture in the society above them.

It had been hundreds of years since the sirens had integrated with the world outside their ocean floor. The sirens had to observe the passengers before integrating with them. Hundreds of years had changed the flow of language. But if Sirens were anything it was adaptable. They shifted their dress to mimic the sweatpants and black tshirt garb the rest of the passengers wore and dropped on deck one at a time.

Abigail Thundertone Siren lvl 15 wasnt ready to contribute a new birth for the choir. She had come out of curiosity and had once the sirens began leaving with their prey she boldly throught of an exciting idea. "Queen Mother! I wish to stay with the mans and learn!" This would be a very easy way to integrate with the manfolk, since she was already believed to be one of them.

The Siren Queen was enoying her time. She had already approved and assigned the dozen viable souls for consumption. She saw this ship for all its opportunities to breed and to learn their ways. "I approve, my daughter. If we continue to isolate ourselves we will miss this wonderful music and our songs will continue to stagnate. Two centuries have passed since the last epic was even scribed. We have the music but not the feelings captured in the scrolls of my youth. The sharkskin scroll containing their notes will soon be lost and what of us then?"

She took a breath and whispered to her daughter a truth that she was finally ready for. "Without our songs our magics will not be enough to hold back the Queen Kraken. Within the next century we may be forced to find a new Queendom Abigail." she admitted with a mournful yet sour expression. "Yes. I approve. Try to find the heart of a new epic while youre out in the world. Maybe you can save our Queendom Abigail. I believe in you." She kissed her daughter on the forehead and whispered "Be safe." and slipped back into the water retreating to her underwater palace. Twelve new sirens would be born within the week and she had to make preperations for the new choir. A Queens work was never done.

Mellie wound down after hours of her favorite songs. The last one she played for her mother. It had been a month since her mother passed. Her whole life had completely changed. She had very powerful magic now. Her mother left her this song to come here. This was her gift to her. And she sang for her mother.

"The sun may set the moon may wax

Swiftly dodge a dragons attack

I'll be in your shadow

When water crashes monsters call

The savior stands and rich men fall

I'm always in your shadow

My heart may push my heart may pull

Allied together hearts are full

Together we're your shadow"

Jackson listened to Mellie sing the slow melody as everyone listened quietly chatting with eachother. Her voice began to waver and her eyes watered. As she wound down the song she got a round of applause. Mellie feigned being tired and went to compose herself in the cabin. Jackson followed.