It didn't take long for Alexander to become bored just like Artemis did on a daily basis. The silence was overwhelming and there were many unexplained things he wished he had the answer to. The glowing tree was what interested him the most.
"Did she leave the forest?" He sat up looking around to see if Artemis was in sight but she wasn't. Alexander knew not to move from the spot in case he did something which might lead to his death. He wasn't sure how far he could venture off to with Artemis not around. Which places would anger the strange force in the forest and make it want to kill him or make him become one of the lost people he saw earlier?
"Why are you still here? What are you waiting for?" He questioned the sirens as many more had come to the surface to watch him but said nothing. "Are you waiting for the chance to drown me? I won't be going close to that water."
There was no way he was going back close to the water even when Artemis was here. The sirens could stop trying to use their beauty to lure him there because he was not going anywhere. He was thankful for the many stories he once thought were fairy tales that his father had told him.
Alexander kept his eyes on one particular siren. The one that was the closest to him and eyes moved when he shifted his position. She had to be the leader and the one who must want something from him.
This siren with long brown hair and bluish eyes reached out her hand for him to come to take. When he didn't budge, she opened her other hand which contained different colored rocks.
"You want to tempt with rocks from the water," he almost laughed at the offering but in her world, the rocks must be a valuable offering. "They are pretty but it would be better for you to keep them. I haven't forgotten how you find the most pleasure in drowning people like me. You were quick to try it now that the Goddess is gone.
The siren titled her head looking confused by his words but he was certain she understood him. Since he wasn't interested in her shells, the siren placed her hands back in the water and continued to inspect him.
"You find something odd about me?" He asked as the gaze was one of trying to figure out a person. He liked to believe they were curious because they didn't have too many people to drown while being stuck in the forest. "The only odd thing here is this," he held up the hand Artemis placed the fallen artifact on.
Once again, the siren reached out her hand for him to take.
"Unless you plan to communicate that you can take this thing off of my hand, I won't be going anywhere near that water. Can none of you speak?"
The siren finally spoke after Alexander mentioned it but he could not understand a word of her foreign language. She spoke with great confidence as though she expected him to understand a word of what she was saying.
"Is there a book on how to understand your words? I feel that what you are trying to say to me is important," he continued to study the siren. "Stop holding out your hand to me because I will not take it. My life is already in the Goddess's hands and I don't wish to put it in your hands too."
The small crunch of a leaf switched his focus from the siren to Artemis returning not too far behind him.
"What are you doing?" Artemis asked upon seeing him talking to the sirens. No regular human could ever understand the words of a siren. She was surprised to see how quiet the sirens were as they watched him. They normally did not stay up on the surface this long and would've tried singing to lure him to the water. Had their first failed attempt discouraged them?
"Can you understand what they say?"
"Here and there. Not many who aren't sirens understand the language but I have been here a long time with them and picked up the skill of understanding them. If you continue to pay attention, their words will become clear to you one day. What did you ask of her to make her want to speak with you?" Sirens were more aggressive creatures especially around men so their calm behavior was a mystery to her. What was it about Alexander that they suddenly liked? Had he managed to charm a siren? 'Why am I not surprised?' she thought.
"Are you trying to say their language becomes understandable just by listening? Please tell me how that works. Is it magic?" He asked.
Artemis walked past Alexander going towards the siren who held out her hand for him earlier. "Did she offer you something?"
"Stones. I'm not going to the water for her to drown me. I figure you would love the honor of being the one to kill me," he said causing Artemis to smile. "What were the stones for?"
"A peace offering which is surprising but it's starting to make sense to me. You have a weird family lineage that might not make your king too happy. Did you enjoy being normal Alexander? You might be hunted one day in the future just like I am by your king you know he doesn't like people who aren't normal. Will he make an exception for you?"