I awoke to the most beautiful sound, none like I had ever heard before.
I sat up and looked around me; Aku was nowhere to be seen. I seemed to be on a beach, but it was unlike any beach I’d ever been on. Where the viney shore hit the water, the landmass abruptly ended. On top of that, the island itself seemed to be moving. The crests of waves nearby moved away from me. I looked up at the sky and determined that we were headed to the southwest.
I dove into the water to investigate. The shore above wasn’t a plateau like I originally thought; it was more like a shelf or a bowl, the great mass of vines continuing deep down into the water. I swam deeper and looked up at the most peculiar sight; if I let my eyes unfocus just a little, what looked like four legs and a tail sprouted off of it. The large tail swayed gently up and down, moving like a sea creature.
I swam to the front of the massive living island and was greeted by a face wider than any creature I have ever seen in my entire travels. It’s beady, silver eyes never strayed from its course, and it didn’t notice my presence there.
This was a living being, and it was massive. It was mind-boggling that something like this existed in this world.
I swam back up to the shore, and the sweet melody drifted to my ears once more. Aku was still nowhere to be found, and I had an uneasy feeling about it. He was right next to me before I blacked out, but now he's just gone? Suspicious.
I ventured into the warm, humid jungle that has grown on top of this fascinating creature in search of Aku, yelling his name more times than I could count.
The melancholic sounds from earlier grew louder and louder the further I went.
There was something… haunting about it. The notes drifted off in harmonic succession, but the way it switched to minor notes when you least expected it to…
It conveyed an emotion I could distinctly feel, but could hardly describe with words.
I followed the sound with even greater determination, pushing past leaf after tree trunk after-
Abruptly I was on the other shore of this island creature. I slid to a halt, nearly catapulting myself off into the water once more.
My eyes were drawn to a person, perhaps a lady. I couldn't quite tell, but the females of both of our species seemed to share the large breasts on their chests. Her hair fell down all the way towards her feet, silky and black; eyes, like her hair, large and dark; skin, bronzed by too much time under the scalding orb above us. Blood red feathers sprouted from her arms and around her face, speckled with dark browns and creamy whites.
My mind was fuzzy as I gazed at her. She was truly striking.
The source of the melody was her voice, and she had Aku’s chin cupped in her clawed left hand. His eyes were glossed over, and it was obvious she had him in some kind of trance, for if Aku was in his right mind, he would have been roused by the pain of the woman’s talons poking into his skin.
She looked right at me.
If I was in her arms like that, I don’t think the pain would stop me either.
I shook my head.
That isn’t right. Aku is in danger.
I felt the buzz creeping back into my mind, but I shook it out again, covering my ears. I couldn't let her take control of me, or else we’d both be finished.
Once she noticed my resistance, she dropped Aku and ran straight towards me, increasing the volume of her song to deafening degrees. Instinctively, a shot a jet of water at her, knocking her down and shutting her up for just a second.
That’s all it took; her power over Aku faded and he awoke from his trance. But before he could even react, she began her song even louder this time.
I couldn’t resist it any longer. I felt myself begin to fall under her spell.
Helplessly I watched as Aku dove into the water as my consciousness slipped away.