A CURSED WAR

“She’s going to be fine,” Bree declared. The sun elf medic ran a tired hand across her forehead, smearing away the streaks of sweat that had accumulated in the furrowed lines of stress.

Iris nodded. “That’s good.”

On the makeshift cot they'd fashioned inside a tent, the harpy woman slumbered, her avian chest rising and falling in steady, if somewhat ragged, rhythms. Her features were etched in tranquility, her violent flailing and piercing cries from earlier when Bree and Iris had tried to help her a stark contrast to the quiet creature resting before them.

When they had initially tried to tend to her wounds, the harpy had responded with panic, thrashing about wildly, her inhuman shrieks reverberating off the tent walls. But with Akane's soothing presence and uncanny ability to communicate with the distressed creature, they had managed to calm her down, allowing Bree to carefully extract the embedded arrows and administer treatment with their dwindling supply of healing goop.

Bree glanced back at the harpy. “Do you know why they can’t speak to us? She looks like she used to be Loreni.”

“I don’t know,” Iris confessed. “Maybe something to do with what changed them.”

“At least Mocha and Akane can understand them, no matter how strange that is,” Bree added with a sigh. “I’m wondering if I should even question anything related to ‘mana shenanigans’ anymore.”

Iris agreed with that sentiment.

Still, Iris wasn’t sure how the magical creatures could communicate so easily, but it definitely helped at times.

Probably a trait or something like Mocha’s ability to let me understand her.

She had long realized that most of the wild things that had happened since she arrived in this world could be attributed in some way shape or form to ‘Crazy Mana Shit.’

The arcane phenomenon seemed to change everything at a basic level, and Iris was nowhere near qualified to figure out the extent of it.

I don’t have the patience for that shit.

She sighed.

“Keep an eye on her,” she told the medic, offering a nod to the kitsune curled up in the tent corner, her form once again that of a three-tailed dire fox. Akane reciprocated the nod with a languid yawn, her mismatched cyan and violet eyes half-closed in the dimly lit tent.

Stepping out into the cool embrace of the summer night, Iris shivered as a soft breeze weaved through her hair. A chorus of insects serenaded the darkened forest, punctuated by the occasional hooting of an owl and other night creatures.

As Iris approached the warm glow of the campfire, Kaira looked up at her, her elven features illuminated in the flickering light. Gods, she’s so gorgeous, even when clearly exhausted.

Her girlfriend offered a tired smile, her grey eyes shimmering with concern. “You alright?” she asked as she reached out a hand.

Iris let the woman pull her down to sit next to her and nodded as she settled in next to her. “Yeah. She’s sleeping, finally. Bree really is a miracle worker.”

Gryff, whose back was resting against a log, huffed in agreement. “That’s putting it lightly. She’s saved more people than I can count.”

Owlie was huddled on the opposite side of him, the creature’s large form reduced to a soft mound under the dark blanket of the night as it snored lightly.

Laken, who was standing near the fire, stirred the contents of a simmering pot before scooping some into a bowl. “Here, have some food,” he said, offering it to Iris. “The poachers had some supplies that hadn’t been damaged yet. May as well use them.”

Iris accepted the bowl with a quiet word of gratitude. Laken then filled another bowl, presumably for Bree, and ambled off toward the tent.

Leaning back and letting the warmth of the fire seep into her bones, Iris released a weary sigh. “How are we looking out here?” she inquired.

Kaira shrugged nonchalantly. “The bodies have been dealt with. We shouldn’t have to worry too much here in the camp.” She gestured to one side of the camp that played host to an unfinished palisade. “The poachers started building defenses before they were wiped out. It only covers one entrance, but it helps. We’ll take shifts tonight.”

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Iris nodded. “I’ll take the first one with someone.”

The sound of hooves approaching interrupted them and Iris turned, watching Mocha walk over and plonk down next to them. Her equine features were a mirror of their own exhaustion. “You alright, Mocha?” Iris asked, concern coloring her voice.

The horse nickered in response, ‘This armor is so heavy to wear for so long.’

Iris chuckled softly. “I know, girl, but it keeps us safe. You’re just not quite used to wearing it for extended periods yet. None of us are taking ours off–there’s too much potential for danger.”

A look of puzzlement crossed Kaira’s face as she glanced between them. “Her armor?”

Iris nodded affirmatively.

Kaira then moved closer to Mocha, her hand resting against the Mare’s neck. “You rest tonight, girl. We’ll handle the watches.”

Mocha lifted her head and turned to Iris with wide, questioning eyes. ‘Is she sure? I can do it.’

Iris shook her head in disagreement. “You’ve done great today. You rest for the night. Don’t worry, tomorrow’s going to be a tough day.” She shot a quick glance at Gryff, who was intently observing their exchange.

Addressing the three of them, she outlined the framework of her plan. “Hopefully, the harpy woman will be well enough to leave tomorrow morning. I’m going to need you and Akane at your best, Mocha. We’re going to assist the harpies in their fight against the Marauder Prince, so we’ll need you to translate. If all goes well, they should know where he is, and we can scout him out for a potential strike tomorrow night.”

Gryff yawned expansively, his hand coming up belatedly to cover his mouth. “It’s going to be a busy day.”

Iris silently agreed with him. Very busy indeed.

✦ ✦ ✦

Mocha's gentle but insistent nudging roused Iris from sleep, her dreams fading away as the morning light pierced through the thin fabric of the tent. Her eyes blinked open to the sight of the horse's head poking in, her large eyes filled with an anxious urgency that instantly kicked Iris's instincts into high gear.

‘Iris,’ the horse urged, her large eyes filled with urgency as her ears flicked backward. ‘Get up. The harpy is awake.’

Iris jerked upward as she pushed herself to a sitting position, her eyes squinting against the bright light.

She nodded and moved to stand up, the horse taking a step back as she groaned while getting off of the cot.

My poor back.

Grabbing a nearby jug, she poured water into a basin before splashing the cold liquid onto her face to help herself awake. The shock of the cold water against her skin helped clear the last of her sleep-induced fog, the droplets trickling down her face like a baptism of the new day.

Pulling her hair back, she quickly tied it, her fingers working on autopilot as she kept her attention on Mocha. The horse's large frame was hunched in the entryway, the normally graceful animal looking awkward and out of place as she tried to keep her head inside the tent.

A soft chuckle escaped Iris's lips. “You could have sent someone else, you know,” she said, her voice warm with affectionate teasing.

Mocha snorted in response, her equine irritation clear. 'It's too frustrating trying to communicate with them. I need to...' She paused, her expressive eyes thoughtful. 'I'll figure it out.'

With a soft chuckle, Iris fastened her belt around her waist, adjusting her sword to sit comfortably. “Alright,” she said, giving the mare a pat. “Let's go.”

As they crossed the camp, she waved to Gryff and Kaira, both already awake and busily preparing for the day. Laken and Owlie were notably absent, but Iris paid it little mind. They approached the large impromptu medical tent and Mocha lowered her head to enter while Iris followed closely behind.

Inside, Bree and Akane were already with the harpy woman, who was propped up on the cot, her birdlike eyes were filled with fear and her body tensed as if ready to flee.

When she caught sight of Iris, the harpy tried to scramble away, but Iris quickly raised her hands, hoping her non-threatening gesture would help soothe the panicked creature.

“Easy,” Iris said calmly. “I’m here to help.”

The harpy’s eyes darted to Akane and she chattered something in her melodic bird-like language.

Mocha translated. ‘She asked if the lightning goddess is here to finish what she started.’

The confusion on Iris's face was clear as day for a moment before the pieces fell into place. She remembered the earlier encounter with the harpies on the road, where she, Mocha, Sera, and Tanith had barely managed to escape.

The harpy woman must have been present during that encounter.

I killed a lot of them that day…

“Listen,” Iris began while trying to maintain a compassionate tone. “We are here to help. I want to stop the Marauder Prince from hunting and harming your people.”

At this, the harpy's eyes widened, the hint of fear being replaced with a glimmer of hope.

She chattered something in her melodious language, an urgency in her tone that Mocha didn't miss. 'Don’t judge me for this, I’m just repeating what she says,’ Mocha warned. ‘Prove it! Prove it! Let me see the fury of the skies in your eyes, the strength of your power.'

Taking a deep breath, Iris tapped into her inner mana reserves, calling forth her [Electromancy]. The raw power flowed through her, accumulating in her eyes, making them spark like a live wire, crackling with energy.