He now wanted to know about his parents and to find the ones who made his life a living hell, all while having his older booties. With this power, he can help his friends and also kill that Daemon god.
He had this sudden clarity about all the things around. He knew what to do and now had the power to change things.
He wasn't a helpless farm boy anymore.
Responding to his feelings, the Origin energy inside him stirred awake.
It was while he was lost in these contemplations that he first noticed the disturbance in the water.
At first, it was just a sense of a presence, a feeling that something large was moving beneath the surface alongside their ship. The water seemed to ripple and swirl in patterns that had nothing to do with their vessel's wake, and occasionally he thought he caught glimpses of something dark and massive sliding through the depths.
Then he saw the eyes.
They were huge, easily as large as dinner plates, and they glowed with an inner light that shifted between red and yellow like the heart of a forge fire. They rose from the water just enough to break the surface, and Jaenor realized with a chill that they belonged to something far larger than any creature had a right to be.
It was a Sea Serpent.
The sea serpent's head emerged from the river like a living mountain, water cascading from its scales in silver waterfalls. Its body, what little Jaenor could see of it, seemed to stretch on forever beneath the dark water. Old wisdom gleamed in those burning eyes as it regarded the small ship with what might have been amusement.
But it was not the creature itself that made Jaenor's breath catch in his throat.
It was the figure that stood gracefully balanced on the serpent's massive head.
Saphyra had changed her appearance since their encounter at the castle.
Gone was the flowing water-silk dress and the elaborate styling that had marked her as enigmatic royalty. Instead, she wore a simple white gown that seemed to shimmer in the starlight, and her hair had been braided in a long rope that hung over one shoulder. She looked mature and more charming, though her oceanic eyes still held depths that spoke of ancient power and terrible knowledge.
With a simple and elegant motion, she leaped from the serpent's head and landed softly on the ship's deck not three feet from where Jaenor stood.
The sea creature sank beneath the surface without so much as a splash, leaving only gentle ripples to mark where it had been.
When Jaenor was about to say something, "Shh," Saphyra said softly, raising one finger to her lips as Jaenor opened his mouth to call out in alarm. "Please. I don't want to hurt anyone. I only want to talk."
There were only the two of them, as everyone went to rest. It was deep in the night, and not much of the stars or the moon was seen today.
Jaenor narrowed his eyes, staring at her.
There was something different about her voice now, something softer and more pleading than the commanding tone she had used at the castle. The raw predatory hunger was still there, but it was buried beneath layers of what seemed like genuine vulnerability.
"How did you find us?" Jaenor asked quietly, conscious of the sleeping crew below and the need to avoid drawing attention to their nocturnal visitor.
"The sea calls to me, wherever I am," Saphyra replied, stepping closer with movements that were fluid elegance personified.
"And you... you burn so brightly with Origin power that you're like a beacon in the darkness. I could follow that light across the world if necessary."
She reached out as if to touch his arm, then seemed to think better of it and let her hand fall to her side. "I know what you think of me. I know you believe I'm some kind of monster who only wants to possess and control. But that's not... that's not entirely true."
Jaenor remained wary, remembering her earlier attempts to enchant him.
But there was something in her manner now, something almost fragile, that made it difficult to simply dismiss her as a threat.
"Then what do you want?" he asked.
"I just want to mate with you."
Jaenor raised his eyebrows. From his earlier interaction, he had already guessed that. She was very outright with her desire and wishes.
"I can please you in ways no human woman ever could," she purred, each word rolling off her tongue like warm honey over silk.
"Let me show you a haven of pleasure… just once."
As she stepped closer, her presence was overwhelming—an intoxicating blend of power, beauty, and the subtle pull of her alluring figure. The air shimmered faintly around her, as if the sea itself bent toward her will. Her voice, laced with a song only half-heard, stirred something ancient in him. Her skin caught the moonlight like pearl, her eyes deeper than the ocean she ruled.
She was a siren queen—eternally graceful, endlessly dangerous.
Jaenor stood there, silent, eyes locked on hers.
His mind tried to reason with him.
It wasn't like she was trying to manipulate him—at least, not in any way he minded.
But those thoughts felt distant, drowned beneath the warm current of temptation rising inside him.
She hadn't bewitched him—at least, not entirely. There was no cage, no spell compelling his actions.
Just her presence, her offer… and the subtle ache in his chest that whispered: Why not?
He didn't have a reason to reject her.
Besides, who would turn down a siren queen? A goddess of the sea, seductive and ageless. A literal sea MILF.
And once again, Jaenor found himself thinking with his lower head.
He exhaled, slow and low, and let a grin spread across his face.
"Alright," he said.
She gestured toward the quieter part of the ship, where shadows cast by the rigging created a secluded area away from the main deck.
Saphyra was grinning from ear to ear.