The room was empty when she entered it, and it still was empty when she left it the next morning, though the empty beds felt occupied.
Skewers of grilled meat and a thin soup from the stalls on the main street filled her and Sven up. Thankfully it wasn’t too pricy. But with the dark looks she drew from the people, she was happy to leave the city as quickly as possible.
“Hello~ miss harpy! Excuse me!”
Rethia turned around, looking at a gasping guild employee. The woman looked suspiciously like the clerk from the guild shop.
“Yes?”
“Oh thank the gods, huff, I finally found you! Huff, fuuh… I’ve been running through all the inns this morning, but you weren’t anywhere! I’m so glad to catch you before you left the city.”
Rethia cocked her head and shifted uneasily. They were gathering attention.
“Why in the Sprites name did you search for me?”
“Ah, right, sorry. You see, ah… let’s go to the guild and discuss it there, yes?”
“Why?” suspicious, Rethia remained where she was.
“Oh silly me. Sorry. Looks like you got acquainted with the hospitality of the city? Ahem. The guild wants to issue you a special request. If you accept it and we’re at the guild, I can immediately log it to your tag.”
“Do I have to hand the request in at this guild branch?”
“No, no, no, of course not. You hand it in at the destination branch. So, are you interested?” The woman looked at her with begging eyes.
“Haah. I will at least listen to it. Lead the way.”
“Yay!”
They sat in one of the back rooms.
“To make it short, there was a caravan that left Fields End many days ago. They should’ve reached their destination, Etrimera, last week. It’s close to the western coast. Thing is, they checked in at the first of two mid-way stops, and we haven’t heard of them since then. Even if they went astray and missed the second mid-way stop, they should’ve been at Etrimera two days ago.”
“Haven’t you sent someone to search for them?”
“The branches sent someone out yesterday, when none of us received news from our Etrimera branch, but they couldn’t find the caravan. They are still searching.”
“Then you want me to search for them, too?”
“Yes, please.” The woman produced a map and put it on the table, dragging her finger over it. “This here is the planned route. They have stopped here and then went to cross this small, mountainous area. Here is the second stop. And here is Etrimera. You see, even if they went around this mountainous area, they should’ve reached Etrimera by now. It’s only a detour of four days.”
“Hm…” Rethia stared at the map. Should I help them? It’s a request from the guild. They will pay well. But I need to reach the coast, and find the First Settlement. I have a delivery to make! But Celia said to take my time… Look at the world… I’m not sure if I like the world right now. At least not this city.
“If they are lost in those mountains, it could take weeks to find them. At least their escorts didn’t show up again. They are still alive,” tried the woman to convince Rethia.
“Huuh? What do you mean, their escorts didn’t show up? If the caravan dies, the escorts die, too, right?”
“Not necessarily. The escorts this time are Wanderers. They have a strange… quirk… They… come back to life…” the woman shuddered. “In the last city they stayed in. Either… in a chapel, church or… in the adventurers guild.”
“No!” cried Rethia. “That’s – utterly unnatural! Why did the Great Sprites allow that? The dead should stay dead!”
The woman blinked at her. “You don’t know much about Wanderers, do you?”
“I haven’t met any so far.”
“Then you don’t… nevermind. Stay wary of them. They don’t act with any common sense. Now, back to business. Do you accept the special request or not? To search for this missing caravan and accompany it to its destination of Etrimera? All expenses will be covered once you all reach Etrimera.”
“You mean if I have to fly around and buy herbs to tend to injuries?”
“Among other things, yes. The branch managers of Fields End and Etrimera have decided on a handsome reward. And there could be more, depending on the situation.”
Rethia looked at the map again, then at Sven, nibbling on a nut, then back at the woman.
“Why not? It’s just a small detour for me, and I do have time to spare.”
The woman grabbed her claws: “Thank you so so much!”
They got the request logged to her tag. She also got a more detailed briefing of the on-going search, and that it would be great – but not necessary – if she could get in contact with the branches at the two mid-way stops. They could have news, by the time she reached the area.
And she got to copy the map, cross-referencing it with her own during her first lunch break of the day.
“Doesn’t make much sense that they need so long to get there. It’s maybe a whole day of flying to reach that mountainous area and the first stop. They are not even real mountains. They’re too small for that. Another day of flying around them, or a quarter day if I go straight through. Let it be half a day. I want to enjoy the sights and who knows who roosts there. Add an hour to that, and I would be at their second stop. From there its two days straight flying to reach Etrimera. And they need three weeks for that? Talk about slow.”
“Gi gig gigi,” was Svens shrugged answer.
“Anyway, let’s continue. The faster we find them, the faster we can reach the coast and search for the mermaids.”
They were back in the sky, quickly making their way to that mountainous area. To Rethia, it looked more like large rocks slapped together. They weren’t even as high as her home plateau, just barely higher than the harpy village. Half an hour away from it was a small city. Probably the first stop for the caravan.
It couldn’t hurt to check in with the guild.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
She landed a distance away from the small city, shrugged the cloak over her shoulders and walked up to the gates – where the guardsmen didn’t want to let her pass!
“Beastmen are forbidden in this city.”
“See here? I am an adventurer! And I have received a request from the guild to deliver something to this guild branch!” she shoved her tag into the mans face. He shoved her wing aside and glared at her.
“I don’t care. Your kind is not welcome here.”
“But I have to talk to the guild!”
“If you don’t leave, we’ll make you leave.” The guardsmen turned hostile, leveling their spears at her.
“That’s… that’s… rargh!” angry, she stalked away, stopping at a save distance to glare back at the guardsmen. Until an arrow was shot right in front of her talons.
With a squawk, she jumped back, then turned and fled into the sky. Tried to.
“Damn cloak!” Swept back by her opening her wings, it foiled her when she tried to pull them back up after the first downward swing.
Dropping down a good wingspan, she got her wings up again, pushing them down harder to get height and distance from that city. Tiny paws crawled over her, and then her wings were free to carry her away.
In a safe distance, she turned, hovering as she looked at the archers on the wall. A few more arrows stuck to the ground. Either they were bad at aiming, or her erratic flight had thrown them off.
“Thank you, Sven.”
“Guu~” The monkey grappled with the unwieldy cloak, stuffing it back into a pouch.
“Can you believe it? We’re here to get information to help that caravan and the city guards drive us away and shoot at us?! How dare they! Don’t they want that caravan found? What’s their problem?! And Isatha said that humans think of us as mythical creatures. As if! They treated me like I was- I was- raargh!”
“Gi, gu, gigii.”
“You’re absolutely right, Sven. Let’s leave. - Search for your caravan by yourselves, dimwits!” she screamed down at the guardsmen.
Going a tad higher, she flew towards the small mountains, staying very clear of the well-maintained and well-traveled road that led there. Who knew what other idiots were trigger-happy.
A bit closer and she saw the houses nestling into the side of the mountains. They didn’t have a wall, and carts left it to go to the city.
A horse trotted out of the village, quickly galloping towards her. Its rider carried a white flag.
“Hoh, the harpy!”
She gave the rider a critical once-over, before going lower, circling over him. The man wore leather armor and a sword.
“What do you want, human?” she growled.
“Were you sent by the guild in Fields End?” He had difficulty keeping his horse still, the beast prancing nervously in an attempt to keep its eyes on Rethia.
“And if I was, what’s it to you?”
“Thank god, you really are from Fields End! We need help finding the caravan! Please meet with the search leader at the mines!”
“Why should I? You’ll just shoot arrows at me when I come close.”
“What?! No! We would never!”
Rethia sniffed and flew away. The man followed after her. Even when she crossed the street twice, did he follow closely.
Persistent. I could just leave him behind, fly a bit faster.
She landed on a rock cluster south of the village, or were it really just mines? How could anyone go into such small tunnels and survive?
The horse trotted closer, until she hissed, spreading her wings threateningly. It stopped, throwing its head around.
“You are persistent, human, I’ll give you that.”
“Why did you say that with the arrows? We wouldn’t shoot at our promised help!”
“Then you would shoot at me, if you didn’t know I came to help?” she puffed her feathers.
“Of course not!”
“Tell that to your guardsmen!” hissed Rethia, pointing a wing at the distant city. Sven jumped onto her outstretched wing, chittering angrily at the man.
“This… I… That… But we…” stuttering, his face a mask of horrer, he swiveled his head between the city and Rethia.
Without its riders attention, the horse took two steps back, getting some more distance from the predator in front of it.
It took the man several minutes to get his thoughts – and the horse – back under control. “Would you please meet with the search leader? If not at the mines, for fear of your safety, then how about here?”
Rethia turned her head away from him, folding her wings carefully. Her feathers settled back somewhat, making her less threatening.
“I’ll be back with him quickly.” And off he was, racing his poor horse towards the mine-village. Rethia stared after him, nervously switching between talons.
Can I believe him? It went better than I expected. He didn’t attack me. Well, he didn’t have a bow and arrows, and I didn’t get close enough for his sword. And he did have that white flag. I wonder what it meant? Anyway. If they come with archers, I’ll just fly away.
They didn’t come with archers. Sadly. It would’ve put an immediate stop to her unplanned detour.
Three riders galloped towards her. The man from before, still with that white flag. An older, grizzled man, who looked uncomfortable, keeping a skeptic eye on the wide plains. Huh. Why does he feel like a forest dweller? And not only because of his green and brown clothes…
The third one was a small woman with pale skin and black hair. On a closer look, she had purple eyes and pointy ears.
A non-human in the company of humans… maybe the man spoke the truth, that they wouldn’t shoot at me? Then what about the guards?
The trio stopped two wingspans away from her rocky cluster.
“Thomas said you were sent by the Fields End branch?” asked the grizzled man. His voice was raspy, but he spoke with authority.
Rethia straighened just a little and nodded. “But they didn’t tell me about the greeting I would get at the first stop.”
The grizzled man made a grimace and the other two smiled helplessly.
“Seeing her in your company, I’m somewhat assured that the same won’t happen with you, but I’m still worried about the people in that mine-village.”
“Understandable, but unnecessary. That mine-village, as you call it, is an old mine and the new guild-branch. Too many non-human adventurers have been turned away by the guardsmen and their human companions have complained to the guild. But that is beside the point. You’re here to search for the missing caravan.”
Rethia once more nodded her head.
“Their tracks definitely lead into the mountains, not around them. But we lost them on the rocky ground. A small group of adventurers recently arrived on the other side, checking that the road is still intact and the signs are all there. Trackers are crawling all over the mountains. Yet we haven’t been able to find them. What can you offer to the search?”
“What can I offer? I was under the impression that the guild sent me here with full knowledge of my skillset.”
“Yes, yes. You can fly and make maps. But reading something and hearing it from the person is different,” grumbled the grizzled man.
“Are all humans so difficult?” asked Rethia, looking at the woman with pointy ears.
“Some are more difficult than others?” answered the woman, her voice soft and soothing.
“Mister, as you can see, I have wings. I can cross larger areas than your trackers can in less time. And you said yourself, you lost the tracks. What good are your trackers now? Going by the current information, you need to quickly search a large area. And I have good eyes. If they are out there, I will find them.”
The grizzled man muttered something inaudible, then turned towards his companions.
“Kaska and Thomas, you lead her to the crossing where we lost the tracks. You will be responsible for relaying information. Congratulations to your own search team, you two misfits.”
“Thank you, sir,” answered both of them. Thomas a heartbeat after Kaska.
The search leader galloped away, back to the mine-village.
“How should we do this?” asked Kaska – the pointy eared woman.
“Say, why are you carrying that white flag? What’s it mean?” Rethia pointed at the flag, unable to contain her curiosity.
“That… you don’t know the meaning of the white flag? But… Then why did you stop to talk with me?” Thomas was shocked.
“You didn’t have arrows to shoot at me and you wanted to talk. You looked… harmless.”
“Hahaha! Thomas! Harmless!” Kaska laughed loudly. “Only on a horse! You’ll change your mind once you see him hunting feral beasts.”
Rethia shrugged.
“We should take her to the crossing…” mumbled Thomas bashfully, storing the white flag in an Item Pouch.
“You can ride with me. As a half-bird, you should be pretty light, yes?” Kaska wiggled in her saddle, making room for Rethia.
“I don’t know… I’ll probably frighten the horse…” she looked at the proffered seat skeptically. “Besides, I can fly there…”
“But we can’t. Even with horses, we’ll be much slower than you are. Specially when we go into the mountains. Come, sit here.” Kaska patted the free saddle space, turning her horse around.
“If you insist…” not comfortable with it, Rethia hop-flew over, grabbing the saddle with her talons and crouching uncomfortably.
The horse shook its head wildly.
“Let’s get going.” Thomas led them towards the mine-village.
It was an uncomfortable ride. Rethia was constantly thrown around by the galloping horse and keeping her balance was a futile exercise in patience. She couldn’t even open her wings to help with balancing.
“This is idiotic.” Annoyed at having to ride on a horse of all things, as if she was a Landbound, she spread her wings and let go of the saddle. The airstream pushed her away and she flapped a few times, gliding three wingspans above the two riders.
“Whaat? Why did you do that?” cried Kaska.
“It’s uncomfortable and idiotic. I’m not a Landbound. I’m a harpy. I’m meant to fly, not crouch on a horse.”
“But, but,” blubbered Kaska.
“Just go to that crossing. I won’t loose you. Just wave that strange flag of yours when I should land.”
“It’s not a strange flag. It’s a universal symbol!” shouted Thomas, but Rethia caught the next updraft and soared away.
The pair entered the mine-village, exchanged their horses for three large, shaggy goats and went up into the mountains.
Both of them regularly scanned the sky, catching sight of Rethia circling overhead.