Chapter 30: Dungeon delving, part 8

"Keep talking, Tommy," Rina couldn't get enough of Thomas's voice. It was like a drug. Like a smooth silk bundle, like fresh honey on butter. It made her warm inside and feel like she was home.

"You are weird, Rina. Go back to being angry with me," Thomas whined, and it came out so melodic, that the elf girl closed her eyes and enjoyed every syllable.

"Knock on the door, and ask whatever it is behind it to open it for you," Rina was pretty sure that it would work, too. Sirens had a magic effect on all those who heard their voice.

"What, have you gone mad? We already alerted it that we are here when you let loose that arrow. The slimes go first," Rina hummed to herself. She could listen to Thomas speaking until her dying day. So smooth was the voice of the dark-haired adventurer.

"Just knock, Tommy," she nudged him towards the door, and he huffed. Still, he went and knocked.

"Hello, sir Mini-boss. We would like to get pass you and crush your dungeon core to fine dust," Thomas said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. The door cracked open, and they saw a hag on the other side.

"Holy!" Thomas backed away. An SSS ranked creature guarding a D ranked dungeon? And, it wasn't even the final boss? What was happening here.

"Pretty voice, sweet voice. Keep on talking and Grissila will let you live," the hag said in her raspy voice.

"I...my name is," Rina hit him over the head.

"Hags can take control over you, if they know your name," she chastised.

"Let the siren introduce himself. I have to say, I have never seen a male siren before. Or, even a fat one," the hag felt up Thomas's chubby arm. He pulled it away.

"We mean you no harm," Thomas decided to try and weasel out of this, somehow. "We have come here only for the missing people."

"Missing people?" The hag had her eyes closed in pleasure. The voice was tickling her ears. It was like a bell chime that told her that more people have come into her cave. "They are dead, most like."

"They can't be," Thomas rasped, and even that came out like a melody. "How could they be dead? Why did the dungeon core even need them for?"

"This and that. Come, I will treat you to some stew," the hag took Thomas under the arm, and led him to the middle of the cavern, where a cauldron bubbled over a campfire. "Grissila has not had any visitors in a while. Most are too scared. Sirens are always welcome, even if they are fat."

"Would you like to hear a story?" Rina asked. "As thanks for letting us join you by the fire."

"Only if the siren tells it. I don't like your voice, little elf girl. Too chirpy," the hag made herself comfortable on a stone by the fire. Rina nudged Thomas.

"Tell her a story that will win her heart," the elf told him cryptically. Thomas gulped. He knew that sirens could brainwash people. He just didn't know if he could do so as well.

"Ok, how about the snake and the frog?" Thomas suggested, as he sat down as well.

"Whatever you wish, siren. As long as you keep talking," the hag's eyes were closed. It was almost like she wanted to go to sleep under the tunes of Thomas's voice.

"The story also needs me to play an instrument to tell it. If it is ok with you?" The summoner had no idea what the harp's limits were, but he hoped it could add power to his voice.

"You can play? Oh, you are a muse. A siren that has a sweet voice and talent for good melodies. Go on, then. Tell me how a snake ate a frog," the hag sighed and opened her eyes.

Thomas got his harp from his back, and began to play a cheerful tune.

"There once was a frog, the king of the swamp," he began to sing, as the hag and Rina began to sway in their seats. "But the other frogs rebelled, and he was king no more."

His tune became slower, almost mournful.

"Then, the king frog took his family of three, and said, be that way, away with me," the mournful tune continued, as Thomas thought about what else to say. "He hopped to a well, and went inside. Only to see a snake lounging on a lily pad."

The hag giggled at that, clearly expecting that the gore was coming now.

"The frog king said: Eat me not, brave snake. I have a court of traitors in the swamp, that you can swarm," Thomas began to play a more dramatic tune. The music echoing around the cavern as the harp glowed a brilliant soft yellow color. "And the king frog led the snake. Not to the swamp, but to a volcano. The snake had never seen one, and its blood was icy. It took the magma for warm water, and it jumped inside."

Thomas stopped talking, and played an urgent tune. As if the snake were before them, and dying because of the magma. He decided that now was as good a time as any to try and control the hag.

"Grissila, brave hag. You should eat me not, for you are the snake, and I am the frog. You died once, do not die again. Lead me to the core room, and stay within this cave," the hag let out a rasp, as she struggled and fell on the floor. As if she were burning. Then, her eyes snapped open, and she stood.

"I will lead you to the core room. Just don't trick me to go into a volcano again," she rasped, her eyes darting around frantically. Rina's eyes snapped open, and she rose her hand towards Thomas. They did a high five, and followed the hag out of the ninth level and into the final one. The tenth and core room.