“Cilia, please stop,” Doku softly requested with a blush. “I’m starting to get a little overwhelmed here.”
Cilia looked to her worriedly then quickly hugged her chest while scowling back at the group. Doku breathed out and regained herself from Cilia’s rough fondling of her then fastened her shawl back over her bosom before holding a wing over it and looking down with concern.
“I’m sorry about that. She can get a little protective of me,” Doku quietly explained, then turned her head towards Daniel who slowly peeked between his fingers to make sure she was decent now. “You don’t want to look at me at all, do you? Do I make you uncomfortable? I’m sorry.”
“What? No, no,” Daniel insisted with a weak smile at her. “It’s not that at all, really.”
“It’s alright,” Doku softly said as she stood up and cradled Cilia in her chest. “I know I’m a pathetic harpy. You must think I’m a joke. I understand. I think that about me as well.”
“Wait, that’s not true,” Daniel said shaking his head.
“It’s okay, I’m not expecting to have a husband in life with how I am. I can’t fly, I get sick so easily, and my only friend is a Darker One. No man will ever love me. I already know this.”
“You’ll get a man someday, Doku,” Cilia promised with a hopeful smile.
“I can’t even fly myself up to our cliffs back home, how could I possibly carry a husband up there as well?” Doku lightly laughed without any amusement. “It’s okay though. I have you. Come, let’s keep searching for your home. We’re bound to find it soon if we keep looking.”
“You’re much too hard on yourself,” Kroanette said as she lowered her shirt over her chest, with Pip popping her head up between her cleavage and watching the newcomers with a curious eye.
“Thank you for your kind words, but you don’t understand,” Doku softly reasoned while shaking her head. “Anyway, sorry to bother you all. If you don’t know where Cilia’s home could be either then our search continues. Sorry again about all this.”
She sighed then started walking past the group while holding Cilia close in her chest. As she did she stopped and turned her head as if to glance to Kitten who was watching her with a dull stare.
“I’m sorry about what I did to you earlier. I didn’t mean to.”
“Get out of my sight before I cook and feed you to my master,” Kitten hissed while crossing her arms in discontent.
“Wait, you’re just going to leave? Just like that?” Luna asked curiously.
“Yes, that’s right,” Doku said lowering her head with remorse.
“You’re not even going to try to seduce Daniel or fly away with him?” Falla questioned.
“What?” Doku said looking towards them with confusion. “Fly away with him? I couldn’t do that. I don’t like to fly, remember?”
“So that’s why you’re not trying to steal him away?” Luna asked tilting her head.
“Steal him away? That’s horrible,” Doku replied with a hurt expression. “Even if I could fly like my sisters can, what makes you think I would just steal him away like that? That would be so mean of me.”
“But, harpies steal men away all the time,” Alyssa pointed out while scratching her head. “They snatch them up and fly off to their cliffs to keep them as husbands against their will.”
“No we don’t,” Doku insisted shaking her head. “That’s so mean to say. We don’t steal or kidnap humans.”
“You don’t?” Daniel asked curiously.
“Of course not. Why would you think that about us? We don’t do anything bad with humans. We like humans.”
“But, we thought…” Specca unsurely said before turning to Alyssa in question, the witch returning the puzzled look while Daniel thought about what they had written about harpies in their guidebook.
“Is that right?” Daniel asked looking back to his mates. “I remember the entry about harpies pretty well. They like human men so much they kidnap and keep them in their nests as husbands.”
“No we don’t!” Doku cried out in a soft voice. “That’s a lie! Why would you say something like that? We don’t hold men against their will. Where did you hear such things?”
“Doku would never be mean to a human,” Cilia argued with a scowl at the group. “How dare you say that about her.”
Daniel slowly walked up towards the harpy and watched her carefully, seeing her stepping back and seeming afraid of him while keeping her head lowered. Standing in front of her he remained silent, watching as she trembled a bit in fear before she slowly lifted her head as if to look at him with unseen eyes.
“You don’t kidnap men to breed with?” he asked with growing curiosity.
“No, we don’t,” she answered shaking her head.
“Then how is it you breed? How do you get humans to mate with you?”
“By marrying them.” Daniel looked at her with wonder as she lowered her head and held Cilia close to her. “We do everything we can to show your kind we want to be with humans. We bend over backwards to please you. We learn to cook, we learn to clean, we practice with how to raise our children, we do everything we can to be good wives for you. Even though we’re monsters… we try to make it work. We try to be good with humans.”
Everyone watched as she started crying and shaking her head, with Cilia looking up at her with remorseful eyes as the harpy turned her head away from Daniel.
“Is that really how humans see us? As monsters who would rape them by force? That’s so mean. We try so hard to be loving wives for you humans, we do our best to make you happy. What are we doing wrong?”
“Are you saying the humans that are with your kind chose to be with you?” Daniel asked in wonder.
“Of course they did,” Doku softly answered.
“They love you for who you are?”
“I don’t know,” Doku said turning her head back towards him. “I was taught that it didn’t matter if the man loved us or not, the important thing was they chose to be with us. That meant we were doing our job right.”
“What do you mean by that?” Kroanette asked.
“They’re letting themselves be used by humans,” Clover spoke up with a raised eyebrow at the harpy. Doku turned her focus towards the elf as did everyone else as she smirked a bit. “She pretty much said it all out loud. They’re so desperate to get a man they’ll crawl on their wings and knees to keep one close. Love doesn’t matter, as long as they get fucked by their men that’s all they care about.”
“That’s not true!” Doku softly argued with her. “We want them to love us, we want a genuine husband who cares about us! We want what human women have, we want that life. We’re sorry we look like this, we’re sorry we’re different, we just want to be loved!”
“So the stories about you kidnapping men and taking them up to your nests isn’t true?” Luna asked.
“Of course it isn’t,” Doku insisted with a sniffle.
“And the part about you pushing the men out of your nests to their deaths because they refused to be with you?” Falla inquired curiously.
“What?” Doku cried out in a soft voice. “That’s so cruel and awful! Is that what humans are really saying about us? That we would do such a horrific thing?”
“You mean it isn’t true?” Alyssa asked with puzzlement.
“No, it’s not!” Doku argued before she dropped to her knees and hid her face behind her wings. She cried while keeping her head hidden from everyone, with Daniel watching her with surprise before turning to Alyssa and Specca as the two looked to each other with bewilderment.
“Could all we know about them be a lie?” Specca pondered.
“Well we sure as hell were wrong about the elves,” Alyssa pointed out while glancing to Clover. “Very wrong.”
“But the elves purposely chose to deceive the world and hide their true nature from humans,” Kroanette mentioned. “It sounds like the harpies haven’t been trying to hide their caring nature at all.”
“Yeah, it
took a long time for those rumors we made to spread too,” Clover added. “It was actually more work than you think, we really busted our asses getting humans to think we were such dainty and innocent creatures. Paid off pretty well in the end though.”
“Not something you should be proud of,” Kroanette remarked with a dull glance to her, then looked at Doku curiously while stepping closer to her. “Still, if what this one is saying is true, then why do humans have such a tainted image of harpies if they’re so devoted to being loving wives to mankind?”
Daniel looked down in thought as he tried to come up with the answer then noticed Cilia flying up from Doku’s wings and watching the harpy crying on the ground with saddened eyes. The fairy then growled and glared at Daniel while fluttering over in front of his face.
“You made Doku cry! Meanie!”
“Wait, how did I make her cry?” he nervously asked with hands raised up defensively. “I never tried to do such a thing.”
“You said she was mean to humans and rapes them. Doku’s never raped a human before in her life, she’s still a virgin!”
“Cilia!” Doku whined while keeping her head hidden behind her wings. “Don’t tell them that!”
“Oops. Sorry, Doku,” Cilia nervously apologized to her with a weak smile.
Pip flew over and hovered in front of Doku, wings buzzing quickly behind her while she watched with a worried eye the harpy weeping in sorrow. After a while Doku slowly parted her wings and looked at the fairy with tears dripping down her cheeks.
“Please don’t cry anymore,” Pip softly requested.
“I’m not a bad monster,” Doku implored. “Harpies aren’t bad. We’re not.”
“I believe you. I’m not afraid of you anymore,” Pip assured then flew over and hugged the harpy’s head. “Please don’t be sad now. Cilia knows you’re a good monster, so I know it too. Bad monsters don’t cry like you did. You’re not bad. You’re good.”
Doku slowly sat up and lowered her wings, sniffling and turning her head towards the group as they watched her in silence. Cilia zipped over and hugged Doku’s chest while Pip continued to hold onto the girl’s head and ruffle her hair a bit.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel spoke, with Doku turning her head towards him as he stepped closer to her. “I never meant to accuse you or your kind of being so mean to humans. We’ve only heard stories about harpies, but never met one in person to see the truth. Please, enlighten me, tell me what harpies are really like. We’ll make sure to spread the word for you.”
“What I’ve told you is the truth,” Doku confessed while lowering her head. “We’re not bad monsters, we truly do wish to be real wives to humans. We’ve seen the love and care men give their human wives, and we want that as well. So we learn how to cook your meals, clean your homes, take care of the family that we want to have. We’ll do anything to get that, but not resort to using force or being cruel. If we do that how could we possibly think of ourselves as loving wives to mankind?”
“So you don’t hurt humans? Even those that reject you?” Kroanette asked.
“Not at all,” Doku promised her. “Quite the opposite actually. You see we’re not much for fighting, we’re quite frail in combat, so we learn to defend our family with what magic we can.”
“You can use magic?” Alyssa said in surprise. “I never knew harpies could do that.”
“Not all can, but many try to learn what we are able to in order to care for our loved ones. Nothing elaborate or fancy I’m sure, just simple spells to heal wounds or cure illnesses. As I said we’ll do anything it takes to have a husband, and being capable of using magic often attracts potential mates as a sign that… we’re not so useless.”
“Can you use magic?” Daniel asked. Doku looked to him while remaining silent as he walked over and kneeled down before her. “Do you know how to use any magic as well?”
“I know a few things, though I’m not any good with them,” Doku admitted with a frown. “I’m a very bad example of what harpies are like, please don’t judge my kind with how I am.”
“From what I can tell your kind are far more gentle and caring than I thought,” Daniel reasoned with a small smile. “I’d say you’re a very good example of what a harpy is capable of. I’m glad we could meet like this, Doku.”
Doku blushed brightly with a faint whine escaping her lips, a shaky breath being made before she quickly ducked down and held her wings around her head again.
“You’re being far too kind to me! I-I’m really not all that good, I can’t do anything right! It’s true! But please don’t think all harpies are as useless as I am!”
“Stop calling yourself useless,” Daniel implored with a worried smile. “You are being way too hard on yourself.”
“But I am!” Doku insisted while peeking at him from over her wings, although her eyes remained hidden behind her bangs. “I can’t fly, I get sick with heights, I never learned to cook too well, I make more of a mess every time I try to clean something, and the magic I learned how to use is something that’s just silly and useless like I am!”
“Girl, you need some fucking balls,” Clover dryly said with a raised eyebrow at the harpy.
“I actually agree with her for once,” Specca mentioned shaking her head. “You need to have more confidence in yourself.”
“I’m sure you’re much more capable than you believe yourself to be,” Kroanette hopefully reasoned.
Daniel gently took hold of Doku’s wings and lowered them, with the harpy then lowering her head and trembling with a blush on her face. Cilia promptly zipped over and fluttered about in his face, pushing him back before she flew over and hugged Doku’s chest while glaring at the boy.
“No touchie, she’s mine,” Cilia stubbornly asserted.
Daniel smiled a bit and nodded then saw Doku keeping her head lowered with her eyes remaining hidden.
“You need to stop being so rough on yourself. I’m certain you’ll make a wonderful wife for a man someday, one who will truly deserve you.”
“You can’t mean that,” Doku said shaking her head.
“I do,” Daniel said with a nod as he stood up. “Don’t lose faith, Doku. You’re a kindhearted girl, you’ll find someone who’ll appreciate you, no matter what you are.”
Doku slowly looked up to him while holding a wing over her mouth, seeming to be watching Daniel from over it with eyes that nobody could see. Daniel smiled down at the harpy then showed some puzzlement and scratched his head.
“Just out of curiosity, what kind of magic did you learn to perform anyway?”
“I-It’s nothing,” Doku stuttered while quickly shaking her head. “I know some basic healing spells and such, and… something else… it’s nothing.”
“I’m sure it’s not nothing,” Daniel reasoned with a chuckle. “I myself am just learning to use magic, I know every little bit that we are able to do successfully is a step forward. Please, what can you do?”
Slowly Doku stood up while holding a wing over her face, the harpy keeping her head lowered while everyone watched her curiously.
“I-I-I better not, I’ll just make a fool of myself.”
“Please show us?” Alyssa asked. “I never knew harpies could even use magic, it would be nice to see it.”
“No, I’m… I’m not really good with it.”
“Yes you are,” Cilia giggled as she fluttered over and landed on the harpy’s shoulder. “Don’t be shy, Doku. You’re really good with magic. I promise, I’ve seen it myself.”
“But they won’t like it,” Doku insisted again.
“Please?” Luna kindly asked. “I want to see. I really do.”
“Me too,” Pip chimed in as she sat down on Squeak’s head, the two of them watching Doku curiously as the harpy shook her head once more. “Can you show us? Pretty please?”
“No… no… please, no,” Doku softly whined.
“I’m sure it’ll be exciting to watch,” Kroanette mentioned.
“Oh yeah, real thr
illing,” Clover flatly said while looking away and crossing her arms.
“Yes, I agree,” Kitten chuckled with a sly smile at Doku. “Please, show us the great power you harpies possess. Wow me with your abilities.”
Doku backed up and whimpered as the group glared at the cambion.
“Kitten, shut your mouth and do not speak until I say so,” Daniel ordered.
“But what if Triska wishes to convey something important to you?” Kitten asked while feigning a troubled frown.
“What’s she saying now?” Daniel asked with a raised eyebrow.
“She’s yelling at me to shut the hell up,” Kitten flatly answered.
“Then do it,” Daniel ordered before turning to Doku with a gentle smile. “Sorry about her. But please, could you show us?”
“Please?” Specca kindly asked, a glimmer of a saddened frown coming across her face briefly before she forced a smile to hide it. “We need to be on our way soon, we have… something very important to take care of. If you could show us the marvel of a kindhearted harpy using magic, it might help lift our spirits a little.”
Doku looked around at the travelers, seeing them appearing to be hiding some concern or apprehension about something, then looked down while fidgeting her wings behind her.
“I… um… well… lift your spirits, you say?”
“Of course she can do that, that’s her specialty,” Cilia agreed with a few eager hops.
“What’s her specialty?” Alyssa asked.
“Everybody sit down!” Cilia called out as she flew off Doku’s shoulder and zipped in a circle around the group. “Everybody sit down, we’re doing this now!”
“Wait, what’s going on?” Falla asked with confusion.
“Doing what now?” Luna said curiously.
“Sit down! Sit down!” Cilia repeated as she kept flying around them in a blue blur. “Sit down, sit down, sit down!”
“Cilia, we don’t have to do this,” Doku weakly called out while holding a wing outward towards the fairy.
“No, it’s alright,” Daniel assured before he sat down on the grass. He looked around to all the girls and motioned for them to sit, with them slowly doing so while watching Cilia flying in circles nonstop around them. Kitten sat down next to Daniel and smiled bitterly towards the harpy, with him then scooting off to the side and Squeak quickly sitting in between them to keep the cambion away.
Chronicles of Eden - Act VII Page 12
