In a Civilized Manner

The warmth of the hot spring enveloped Edris as he submerged in the water, its heat just a touch warmer than a typical bath. It wasn’t scalding, just enough to relax the muscles as he floated.

Beside him was the nobleboy he dragged down. Like Edris, he was also submerged, his previously aristocratic composure completely useless beneath the water.

Edris blinked, his vision adjusting to the underwater world where light filtered through the water in shimmering beams. The subdued atmosphere was abruptly disrupted by a presence in front of him.

The mirsun’s eyes sparkled, glistening like stars in the depths of the spring. A diamond-shaped mole at the corner of one of her eyes caught the rays of sunlight and reflected them like a prism, adding an ethereal beauty to her already attractive appearance. Her hair, a cascade of colours, billowed in the water like a slow-moving current.

She moved gracefully, almost lazily, her gaze locked onto Edris in fascination.

Edris’s heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm. The book about mirsuns stated that these creatures, although vicious to those they deemed a threat, were extremely lenient towards children and rarely harmed them.

As the mirsun tilted her body, inching closer, Edris could tell from her movements that she was trying to seduce him—a tactic typical for mirsuns to their preys. Her intent was clear, her eyes luring him like a siren’s call.

It wasn’t new for the prey to fall into a trance at her beauty, but Edris managed to keep his expression unfazed. He observed her approach with a slight frown, refusing to be swayed by her allure.

Her lips parted slightly as she leaned forward, her intent obvious now—a kiss. Just as she neared him, Edris drew back his head, but the action seemed to prompt her even more.

Confronted with her inching face, Edris reached sideways, grabbing the nearest thing to shield himself.

The nearest thing happened to be, once again, the young noble.

The blond boy, who had been floating about and minding his own business, suddenly found himself thrust between Edris and the mirsun. Before he could protest, her lips connected with his, and his eyes went wide in shock.

Both the mirsun and the blond boy froze in surprise. The latter, now exasperatingly choking on water, broke the kiss and pushed away in panic. As he gasped, his elegant brown hair began to shift and shimmer, slowly turning a fiery red.

Only then did it occur to Edris that the boy must have been using some sort of disguise magic, which ended up being inadvertently dispelled by the mirsun’s kiss.

The mirsun, realising her blunder, pressed her hand over her lips in chagrin. She released the boy and let him float back up to the surface. Now on the sidelines, Edris couldn’t help but regard the scene unfold with amusement, a slight smile tugging at his lips as the red-haired boy sputtered and cursed under his breath.

But soon, Edris felt his own lungs burning, the air in his chest depleting. He kicked toward the surface, but the mirsun, clearly embarrassed by her earlier mistake, circled back toward him, her eyes narrowed in determination.

She wouldn’t let him leave so easily.

For a moment, they held each other’s gaze, tension thick between them. Edris raised an eyebrow and then, without a word, pointed behind her. The mirsun hesitated, her lengthy hair swirling around her, before turning.

Another mirsun—more imposing and with eyes wide—floated a short distance away, watching her every move. The shock on his face was unmistakable.

The mirsun panicked. Without hesitation, she swam off, her hair fluttering behind her as she darted toward her mate, no doubt to explain the situation. But even then, before she left, she pounced at Edris with one last tug, wrapping her hair around him and yanking him up toward the surface with impressive strength.

Edris shot out of the water like an arrow, the sudden brightness of the sunlight blinding him momentarily. His drenched clothes clung to his body as he soared upward, wondering briefly where he’d land.

That was when he felt someone catch him.

Suspended in the air, Roos smirked down at him, her form levitating with elegance as spirlings swirled around her.

“A womaniser, are we?” she snickered. The spirlings glowed softly, keeping them both aloft.

Edris, already speechless from the chaotic situation, only averted her gaze, saying nothing. But Roos wasn’t done.

“Let me down.” He sighed.

She grinned. “Call me teacher.”

Edris looked up at her. “Really now?”

“If you don’t,” she said, all of a sudden proper, “I might just drop you.”

Her tone was casual, but the warning was clear. Edris knew her well enough to know she wasn’t bluffing. The last thing he needed was to be dropped back into the spring where the mirsun and her jealous mate were waiting below, no doubt keeping an eye on him.

“...Teacher,” Edris muttered, his pride stinging but his survival instincts sharper.

Roos’s laugh echoed in the air as she tightened her grip on him.

“There we go!” The spirlings continued to carry them higher, well out of the reach of the chaos below.

“You said you’d let me down!” Edris struggled in her arms, glimpsing at the lake below them that was decreasing in size.

“I said I wouldn’t drop you!” Roos exclaimed, letting out a thrilled holler.

It was only moments later when the woman finally decided to spare him and descend back onto the ground.

Edris hunched over, coughing from the series of events. Just as he barely enjoyed his moment of peace, one of the adventurers from the other group stumbled toward them, his face pale with fear. He had been part of the party being hunted down by the two remaining mirsuns.

Desperation dripped from his voice as he approached.

"Please," he gasped, eyes darting toward the water where the mirsun lurked. "Help me! I- I'll pay anything!"

Roos tilted her head, her usual playful expression fading into something more detached.

"You lots brought it upon yourselves. There's no escaping a mirsun once you've made an enemy of them," she said plainly, shaking her head in what seemed to be genuine regret.

“But—”

“Do you see the gash here?” she interrupted him, signalling to the back of both his hands. “You’ve been marked. It’s a symbol for a mirsun’s prey. Even if you manage to escape now, the rash will eventually erode into your flesh and expand to the rest of your body.”

Her tone was final, offering no hope.

“They won’t disappear until you die.”

The adventurer’s face went ashen as her words sank in. Behind him, the surface of the spring rippled, the masculine mirsun creeping forward. His body didn’t fully leave the water; instead, his hair, long and sinewy, floated out, creating a bridge that allowed it to propel forward.

Supported only by that thick, flowing hair, the creature smiled, blood still dripping from his lips. His deep pupils locked onto the terrified man, then they flicked toward Edris.

A chill ran down the latter’s spine as the mirsun grinned at him, revealing rows of sharp, spiked teeth. It was an untimely, grotesque expression, immediately sending the hair on the back of Edris's neck to stand on end.

Satisfied by the boy’s reaction, the mirsun turned its attention back to the adventurer. This time, its gaze landed on Roos, studying her vigilantly as though anticipating interference. However, Roos only gave a light bow, her arm sliding through the air as she stepped aside, making it clear her disengagement.

The adventurer, realising his fate was sealed, coughed out an address, the words tumbling from his mouth in a frantic rush. "Please, tell my family... tell them I’m sorry..."

His voice was cut off abruptly as the mirsun’s hair bound around his neck, dragging him straight into the deep waters. The splash barely lasted a moment before the spring returned to its eerie calm, the only evidence of what had occurred was the brief bloom of red that quickly dissolved, purified by the natural flow of the spring.

Roos watched the ripples subside, her eyes distant. She turned toward Edris, her usual teasing smile absent. "Were you scared?"

Edris looked at her. "Scared of what?"

Roos hesitated momentarily, her eyes narrowing as she examined his face. Then, with a quiet sigh, she muttered, "Of me."

There was an odd note of vulnerability in her voice, so unlike the carefree tone she usually carried.

"I didn’t save him. Sometimes, expeditions are like this. One moment, you're laughing, enjoying the thrill of it all, taking in the beauty of the scenery—and the next, you're dead. That’s just how the world works."

Edris blinked. He studied her face, trying to understand the weight behind her words, but the confusion lingered. "Why would I be scared of you?"

For the first time then, Roos’s expression changed. Her eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something—perhaps surprise—crossing her features. She peered at him in silence, searching for something in his face.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, her momentary seriousness vanished, replaced by a bright laugh. She ruffled his hair, their exchange vanishing as no more than a fleeting moment.

"Come on, let's get going," she said, already turning away. "The sun's about to set."

As they prepared to leave, the sky began to change, casting the springs in hues of amber and gold. The mirsuns, now retreating into the water, glistening in the fading light. Their bodies, catching the last rays of the setting sun, sparkled like glitter scattered across the water’s surface.

The springs themselves blended seamlessly with the colours of the sky, creating a surreal landscape where it was difficult to discern where laid the line of the horizon.

Though lethal and unpredictable, the mirsuns were undeniably beautiful as they danced beneath the surface one last time before submerging fully into the depths. Their final performance, one last display of their ethereal grace, left the remaining adventurers in silent awe.

Sitting cross-legged on the edge of a nearby boulder, Edris sifted through the photos on the diffusion orb. He had to admit, despite the violence and chaos, the mirsuns were indeed beautiful.

Skimming through the pictures, he paused on one that had captured the moment just before he’d been dragged underwater, the older boy’s shocked expression frozen in time. Edris snickered at the sight, amused by how out of place the boy had looked just moments before being pulled into the water.

The noble group had already retreated by the time he resurfaced. They had left in a hurry, likely to prevent their young master from doing anything else foolish. Edris was glad they had gone; he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the potential consequences of the riches, especially after the unintended incident.

Before they’d left, the butler had approached Roos and Edris, offering them a pouch filled with gold coins.

"If you would kindly," he had said, his tone urgent, "please forget what happened today. Consider this a compensation for your trouble."

Edris had looked to Roos, curious as to why they were being bribed, but she seemed to understand the situation well enough. She simply waved the pouch away with a casual flick of her hand, muttering something about "rich people" before moving on.

She didn’t bother explaining it to Edris, but the latter was accustomed enough to pay it any mind.

The other group of adventurers, more amateur and likely inexperienced, had already bailed the moment the mirsuns went berserk, leaving only Edris and Roos to witness the final serene moments of the spring.

The evening descended, casting a quiet over the area as the once chaotic scene settled into calmness. The springs bubbled quietly in the background, and the night sky stretched wide above them, a blanket of stars twinkling like scattered jewels.

Roos insisted they stay the night, and with little else to do, they set up a small camp by the geysers. Now quite the experienced, Edris built a modest fire, the flickering flames casting gentle shadows on the rocks.

The night was uncommonly peaceful, the hum from beneath the water creating a steady lull that mingled with the crackling of the fire. Above them, the sky put on a breathtaking display—a meteor shower streaked across the dark canvas, painting trails of light in its wake.

The stars themselves were vivid, far clearer than they’d been in any of the places Edris had ever been, and he couldn’t help but watch in awe as the meteors danced across the darkness.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Roos said softly, her voice unusually calm, almost reverent. The fiery woman, for once, seemed subdued by the majesty of the moment.

They sat side by side, watching the meteors dart across the sky. Edris didn’t know exactly how long, but they spent at least hours that night, talking quietly about a mix of everything.

Roos rambled about the lifecycle of the mirsuns, how their hair was their most prized possession, used for both attracting mates and defending their territory. Their conversations drifted to lighter topics, like the easiest dishes to cook without ruining the kitchen—a subject Edris felt particularly attacked by.

"Do you remember the Blade Hunters' Association? We ran into a few of them back in the Dene Jungle. You know, those types," Roos said with a laugh. "They’re always so intense. Always chasing after trouble."

Edris gave her a sidelong glance and muttered under his breath, "Like you’re one to talk..."

Roos burst into laughter, loud and carefree. "You’re still too young to understand," she teased. "Wait until you’re my age—"

Edris rolled his eyes. "You’re saying that like you’re ancient. You’re only twenty-five."

For a moment, Roos chuckled softly at his words, but then the laughter died on her lips. The air between them shifted, and Edris, sensing the change, glanced at her.

Roos was no longer smiling. Her face had gone pale, her eyes wide with an expression he had never seen before—an emotion unfamiliar to her usual bravado.

"Roos?" Edris called, a note of uncertainty creeping into his voice. He leaned toward her, trying to figure out what had caused the sudden shift in her demeanour.

The woman didn’t answer.

Her body was frozen in place, and her gaze was fixed, staring into the distance with a strange intensity. Something was wrong.

"Roos?" Edris repeated, his voice louder this time, but she remained motionless, her eyes wide, her breath shallow.

The night had fallen silent, the hum from the springs disappearing into the cold air.

And then, without warning, the night felt too still.