by Bill Mays
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The smell of death and rot filled her nostrils. Her skin crawled with goose bumps. The tomb called her forth. It beckoned for her to open it. Before she could touch it, the heavy lid began to slide off and a bright green light burst out followed by a shadowy hand with an iron grip. A searing pain shot through her as the hand sizzled cold on her bare arm. Arianna sat bolt upright. It was another nightmare that awoke her. That same crypt returned, but this time it was much worse. The priestess ran her hands over her face in an effort to wipe the images away. She then heard the most beautiful voice singing. It was a woman’s voice. For a second she thought her dream was continuing. A quick scan showed Dalia and Jillian to be sleeping. Curiosity took the priestess to the edge of their camp. She could see the two Kandairian soldiers lying on the ground under a not too distant tree. What were they doing? The flashes of distant lightning lit up the area. There were pleasant smiles on their faces, and they looked to be sleeping. The sweet song ended. She still was not sure where it had come from. Suddenly, a large form dropped from the branches of the tree hanging over the men. It had the torso and head of a lovely, dark-skinned woman, but the rest of its body was that of a giant vulture. The huge black wings were spread wide to either side. The thing smiled maliciously down on the two entranced men as it rubbed its clawed, human-like hands together. The she-creature’s lips parted impossibly wide to reveal rows of sharply pointed teeth, like those of a rabid dog. Arianna was frozen in shock for a second before her voice would come to her. In that second, the creature snapped Rolf’s windpipe in her jaws while ripping Cuthbert’s throat out with her clawed foot.
Arianna screamed and then began frantic shouts to the camp. “Awake! Everyone get up now! She is killing them! Hurry!”
The woman-creature’s head snapped up to glare at the priestess. Her face twisted into a hate-filled glare and her teeth were coated with blood and gore. The creature’s dark eyes locked on the emerald-clad woman.
Flade, Mani, and Petre were up and moving for the priestess’ voice in moments. Dalia, Ganze and Jillian gathered around the camp in search of enemies. Their weapons were ready for any challenge, well almost any challenge. The she-creature leapt into the air and glided the short distance to land right on top of Arianna. Two giant sets of talons stabbed into the priestess’ shoulders. The impact of the creature knocked her from her feet and pinned her to the ground. Arianna cried out in fear and pain. She did not have the strength to move under the monster’s full weight.
“Help me! Get it off of me!” She screamed out.
Flade ran to her cries with everyone else filtering in behind him. He was the first of the group to see the creature standing on top of the struggling priestess. He was also the first to see it for what it was.
“Careful!” He yelled to the others as they arrived, “It’s a harpy. Her voice can affect your mind …” Before he could finish his sentence the harpy began to sing.
Her sweet voice filled the ears and minds of the entire group. All except Arianna felt the mesmerizing charm seeping into their consciousness, pushing away all other concerns. The priestess was in too much pain even to consider becoming relaxed. Her worship of Rashas, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, made her virtually immune to charms anyway. Petre, Jillian, Ganze and even Mani let their weapons fall to the ground. Their eyes became glazed and their cares faded away. All they wanted was to lay back and listen to that enchanting song forever. They began to meander closer to the singing creature. All were heedless of their companion pinned and struggling beneath it, screaming for help.
Dalia felt the pull of the melody but forced it from her mind. She noticed Flade struggling with resistance as well. Flade knew what was happening. Though he had never encountered one of the deadly creatures, he had heard the stories. His consciousness struggled to resist. He knew to give in meant death.
“Force the song from your thoughts,” a voice whispered in his mind. “Use your mental control to block her power over you. You can do it, concentrate.”
The extra encouragement was enough for the ranger to break the song’s hold over him. Without another pause, he hurled a knife into the harpy’s leg. She screamed out in anger and dug her claws deeper into Arianna’s shoulders. With a powerful leap and a strong flap of her feathered wings, the creature lifted into the air. The priestess still dangled from her grip, struggling for freedom. With the harpy’s song ended, the others had been released from her charm but it would be a moment before their wits were cleared. The she-creature flew awkwardly with her good-sized prize in tow. The priestess was too large to carry away into the sky so instead the creature made huge gliding hops. It refused to leave empty handed, but it was not dumb enough to think it could handle the whole party of armed humans at once. Arianna’s screams of pain intensified each time they came crashing back into the rocky ground. Flade and Dalia chased after them, but the harpy’s leaps were lengthy and the slick ground slowed their pace. Arianna was quickly losing her senses. She felt helpless. Each bash into the ground knocked her closer to unconsciousness. She could not think to call on a prayer and her cudgel was far from reach with her shoulders skewered. All she could manage was to hold onto the harpy’s legs and try to lessen the pain. Occasionally, she would muster up the strength to kick at her captor. Even her screams had begun to weaken.
Flade caught up enough to throw two more knives. He aimed both for the creature’s wings. He was trying to slow her pace. Dalia felt useless. All she could do was run along calling out for the priestess to hold on while she tried not to slip on the slick, rocky ground. Arianna was visibly growing weak. She had stopped kicking altogether.
“No!” Dalia gasped when she noticed the woman’s legs dangling limp from the gliding creature’s grip.
The lady stopped running and threw both hands to her temples. She had to do something; the harpy was getting away. She searched her memories frantically. In all her years of study there had to be something of use. She wished now more than ever that she had been able to complete her training at the school. Dalia focused all her concentration on the bird-woman. She had learned of this technique but never actually tried to put it to use. If there was ever a time to try, it was now.
Flade was losing ground. The winged monster was getting away with Arianna in tow. He sprinted with all he had, knife poised to throw, but his best was not good enough. He cursed the sky as the creature soared away. Suddenly, the harpy cried out, gripping her head, and then lurched to the side, crashing to the ground. She dropped Arianna’s unmoving body in the process. Flade glanced back, but Dalia had fallen behind. The ranger knew it was her efforts that somehow grounded the creature. He raced to the priestess’ side. She was lying in a bloody mess in the mud, but she was still breathing. When he looked up, the harpy rose to its feet again, shaking her head from side to side groggily. The creature looked over and spotted the man kneeling over her prey. Using one of her human-like arms, she pulled the knife from her leg. She then leapt in a single bound to land on Flade. The ranger was agile even on the rain-slick rocks and rolled aside just in time to avoid the sharp claws of her feet. The creature was able to slash him across the back with one of his own knives, though.
“She’s mine!” The harpy screeched baring her sharp teeth.
“Never!” Flade growled back as he dodged to the side narrowly avoiding her talons again.
The ranger lashed out with a solid kick to the she-creature’s face, snapping her head to the side violently. The harpy spit out some blood, then dove for the slender man again, spewing curses. Instead of its claws, it used its huge wings to knock him off balance. Flade began to summersault away but the strong wing had an impressive reach. It sent him clattering across some not so soft rocks. The monster was over him instantly. The harpy cackled with laughter then jabbed his exposed thigh with the stolen knife. Flade was the one to cry out in pain this time.
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“My lady,” Petre helped Dalia to her feet. “Are you
alright?”
The woman was on her knees in the mud. She was recovering from the drain the new technique had placed on her. She only hoped it had been enough.
“Where did they go?” The youth asked frantically once he realized the lady was uninjured.
Dalia pointed the direction the harpy had gone and the quickly growing number of companions present rushed to catch up to the monster. Dalia’s head was overcome by a splitting pain so intense that white light flooded her vision. She was unable to run and was forced to walk at the rear of the procession. Ganze was more than happy to assist her. It kept him at a safe distance from any possible confrontations with the flying she-creature.
“Hold on Flade! We’re coming!” The knight yelled into the darkness as he led the others. The party rushed in search of their lost companions.
Mani’s shouts helped to bolster the ranger’s spirits. At least he knew they were on their way. He was taking a pretty good beating from the creature. He was just beginning to wonder if his efforts had only succeeded in giving the vulture-woman a bigger meal. The harpy now had one of the ranger’s legs and one of his arms pinned beneath her. Her clawed, bird-feet held on with a vice-like grip. The slender man offered more resistance than the priestess had, but he still could not manage to shake her hold on him. A pair of arrows struck the she-creature in rapid succession. One took her in the back another in the wing. The harpy turned her head to see two men armed with swords joining the battle. One of them wore the plated garb of a knight. She could see that hers was a losing fight. The young girl with the bow was already lining her up for another shot. With a burst of strength, the harpy took to the air leaving her pinned prey behind. She flapped higher furiously to escape any further injury, spewing more curses at the interlopers. Only one more arrow grazed her leg. Though her flight was unsteady, the creature managed to stay aloft. Soon the harpy was little more than a dark line across the clearing night sky. Flade pointed to where Arianna lay and then let his own head fall back into the mud with an exhausted sigh.
Mani soon stood over him with a grin on his bearded face. “This is no place to rest, ranger,” he chuckled as he offered a hand to the prone and battered man. “Don’t you look a mess? I guess even the pretty boys can get sullied.”
“Yes, about that, I know I often run ahead of the group scouting and all, but honestly where monsters are concerned, I wouldn’t mind a little help,” Flade grinned back as he accepted the offered assistance.
Dalia and Ganze arrived on the scene. Jillian and Petre called the lady to Arianna’s side. The two were trying to help, but the priestess was in bad shape.
“She needs your healing attentions, my lady,” Petre called again. The boy was growing frantic.
Jillian was doing her best to prop the woman’s head up and keep her breathing without drowning in the puddles and rain. Mani supported Flade as the party regrouped around Arianna. The knight commander caught the look on the gangly man’s features. Ganze held a smirk for him.
“One word out of you and I’ll personally feed you to the next monster we find,” Mani warned.
“For your own sake, believe him,” Flade half-coughed, half-laughed.
The priestess was badly hurt but Dalia had her awake and standing fairly quickly.
“Can you travel?” Mani asked sincerely. “We can rest a little if need be, but I’d prefer to clear the area in case that vulture has friends.”
“I’ll manage,” Arianna replied with a strained whisper and a glance skyward. “What of the others? Rolf and Cuthbert?” Jillian shook her head from side to side.
“They didn’t make it,” Petre whispered.
Arianna’s head hung low. “May Rashas guide them to an afterlife of pleasures beyond their wildest dreams,” she whispered the prayer aloud. Her face contorted to anger. “And may Rashas also visit some ugly disease on that feathered bitch!”
Flade could feel the intense sorrow and rage radiating from the man supporting him. Mani said nothing, but his anger was evident in every jerking movement. He basically dragged the battered ranger along at his side.
“Give me just a moment and I will tend to your wounds, handsome,” Arianna purred to Flade as she massaged her own injuries with rose-colored fingers. Dalia had been drained and was able to offer only the most basic of recovery efforts. “It would seem I owe you my life, again,” Arianna smiled seductively as she moved to touch the ranger’s bleeding leg. “I don’t believe I ever thanked you properly the first time.” Her lips pursed and she leaned over slightly more than necessary, exposing her ample cleavage.
The ranger looked very uncomfortable. “I can claim only part of the credit. Without Dalia, you would have been lost; and without the others, we both would have fallen to its hunger. I suppose that means you have everyone to thank, my lady,” Flade grinned back nervously.
“I fear I am too tired for that much gratitude at the moment, but perhaps later,” Arianna grinned.
Her blatant advance pulled some color to Flade’s cheeks. As always, she enjoyed the fun. Right now, it was only to distract her thoughts from the two men’s deaths. Could she have saved them with a quicker reaction? She doubted it, but still the priestess felt again as if she did not belong on the road of adventure. She would pray for guidance on the topic later. Now there was healing to be done, and rites to be said for the departed.
Mani guided them away after a few words and a prayer led by Arianna for his lost soldiers. He hated leaving their bodies to the animals but there was no choice. The ground here was hard and they did not have the resources to carry them along. They collected what provisions they could carry from the men and then headed in the direction of the storm. His soldiers were all gone now. The knight did not miss that realization. He traveled with good people for the most part, worthy comrades. The sad truth was he had nothing left to offer the resistance except terrible news and himself -- what a homecoming that would be. He pushed those thoughts aside. The news of King Arios’ fall was the most important thing at the moment. He would focus on his mission and keeping the rest of these people alive. Mani would lose no more men, he vowed silently. Later, he would find a way to repay the Dark Lord for his unholy efforts.
They moved carefully over the next few days, always with an eye to the skies. No one wanted to chance being caught off guard by another harpy. It did not matter that Flade assured them the winged creatures usually hunted alone, and were a rare sight to begin with.
“Just the same, I think I’ll keep an eye to the treetops from now on, probably for the rest of my days,” Ganze replied. For once, Arianna agreed with him.
Traveling on the heels of a storm was not the best of journeys. The plains quickly became a flash-flood zone. Large puddles and currents of water set the party to zigzagging through their days. It was on the third such day when Flade spotted a fresh set of prints in the mud. At least the foul weather offered some advantages.
“Look here!” He called out to Mani.
The knight was quick to respond with a close inspection. “Hoof prints?” He asked, unsure of what he was looking at.
“A horse with rider came through here very recently. Whether they are friend or foe I cannot be sure, but I suggest we follow them in either case. This is the first sign of riders since entering the plains.” The ranger had a glint of excitement in his eyes.
“I have a good feeling about this,” Arianna mumbled instinctually.
“That is enough for me,” Dalia stated. “Lead on.” Mani nodded to the women and encouraged Flade to do just that.
“I wonder if all their decisions are reached so casually,” Petre whispered as he watched the exchange.
“I don’t doubt it,” Jillian whispered back. “They are a strange bunch.” The two youngest members of the group brought up the rear in hushed conversation.
After a few short hours, Flade waved them to a stop. He motioned Dalia forward and signaled for everyone else to remain silent.
“Here we go again,” Ganze whispered
to Coal, “I wonder what manner of beast he’s found this time. I’m sure he’ll be wrestling with it any moment now.”
“Shhh!” Arianna hissed at the gangly man.
Dalia cautiously made her way to join the ranger. “Can you use your talents to look just beyond those rocks?” Flade was still unsure how her powers worked.
“Consider it done,” the lady stated confidently as she closed her eyes tightly and raised a hand to her temple. “There is a man there. He is a foreign rider with dark skin in need of rest. I do not recognize his origins. He is accompanied only by his horse.” Her eyes flashed open. “There were no Drackmoorian symbols visible.”
Flade thought about what she said for a moment. “Care to join me then?” He grinned.
“I would be honored,” she replied evenly as they advanced on the resting man together.
Flade used his uncanny skills with stealth to maneuver between the dark-skinned man and his horse. Dalia approached the stranger directly. The rider was on his feet with a blade drawn instantly. His garb was different than was common in Kandair, or even Merintz. He wore pattern-dyed leathers with wooden accents to his armor. His face held weird markings in a reddish paint around one eye and even his sword had a strange block shape to its blade and leather straps tied around the hilt.
“Who are you?” He shouted menacingly, his voice held a thick accent that was also foreign to the desert-land natives.
“We are but messengers seeking out the resistance. Do you have any ideas where they might be?” Flade stated bluntly startling the man with his sudden appearance. He was hoping to see if this man was friend or foe by his initial reaction to the statement.
“Please, we are not enemies. We have come from Merintz with news of King Airos,” Dalia offered.
The man stood eyeing them suspiciously until Manifor Stormblade stepped into view. “What goes on here?” The knight demanded. “Who is this man?”
