STORM UNDER A CLEAR SKY

Iris found herself sitting next to a fire with the guide harpy and the harpy queen who wore a persistent scowl. The queen bore Iris's presence with thinly veiled disdain while their guide filled the air with an incessant stream of chatter. In a moment of quiet, Iris saw her chance to steer the conversation toward their primary objective.

“So, what's the plan? Where can we help? You know this forest the best,” she said, hesitating before adding, “Our objective is the Marauder Prince.”

The queen's scowl deepened as she met Iris's gaze. “You killed my people, lightning bitch. You don't make demands.”

If she calls me a bitch one more time…

Iris shook her head, adamant in her defense. “No, you don't get to act all high and mighty. Your people attacked us and we just defended ourselves. We were literally just passing through.”

The queen looked away, but the other harpy chattered insistently at her, almost pleading. It was then that Iris asked, “Who is she to you?”

Their guide stilled at the question, glancing between Iris and the queen, before squawking out a response.

“This is my sister, Lavi, and you are only allowed to be here because you saved her life,” the queen grumbled reluctantly. Another squawk from Lavi, and she added begrudgingly, “...Thank you.”

There was a brief exchange of looks between the sisters, and then the queen sighed, seeming to collect herself before turning back to Iris. “Fine. We thought you were with that bastard. He was moving wagons that were protected by other... what do you call your kind? The ones with round ears?”

“We're often called terrans.”

The queen considered this, tilting her head thoughtfully in a decidedly bird-like gesture. “And you?”

“I consider myself human.”

“And what do you call us?”

“Harpies.”

A sense of satisfaction seemed to settle over the queen at this. “We were once Loreni. Most telv. Now… harpies.” She paused, seeming to test the word in her mouth, “This name. Is good.”

Iris ventured a question then. “Did the mana that changed you also take away your people’s ability to speak?”

The queen's eyes softened, a trace of sadness marring her fierce demeanor. “Yes. It changed us greatly,” she confirmed, lifting her winged arm. “My magic... My magic kept me more like before. In here,” she pointed to her head, an undeniable touch of sorrow in her eyes.

Iris found her gaze drifting, taking in the scene unfolding around them. Harpies were going about their tasks, some were soaring overhead while others scurried on the ground, their movements hinting at a harmony Iris hadn't expected in such a chaotic setting.

Away from them, Iris's party huddled together and spoke quietly amongst themselves. Mocha and Akane were engaged in a seemingly cordial chatter with a few curious harpies.

Meanwhile, one of the youngest harpies Iris had seen was showering affection upon Owlie, her youthful enthusiasm was positively adorable.

Her eyes caught Kaira's gaze. A wink from her partner sent a blush rushing to Iris's cheeks that was like a sweet interlude amidst the brewing storm.

The queen, noticing their interaction, asked with a small tilt of her head, “She your mate?” Her head noticeably twitched a few times before the bird woman corrected herself, “L-Lover?”

Iris nodded, a soft smile dancing on her lips. “She is.”

Her gaze strayed to the branches where a handful of male harpies were perched, their hostile eyes fixed on them. A pang of curiosity pricked at her mind. “What happened to the men?”

The queen's sigh weighed heavy with melancholy. “The men... Changed the most. They are precious. No child born since... this…” she said with a gesture at her body. “has been a boy. They are all we have. Precious. Must keep safe.”

A surge of sympathy coursed through Iris.

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She knew the stories.

But actually seeing the situation the harpies found themselves in… it was beyond tragic, it was devastating. When she had seen the men for the first time, she had a bit of hope despite being attacked… If they had males, surely they would be okay.

It seemed reality begged to differ.

Her joke about Tanith so long ago seemed quite prescient now.

What will happen when the men aren’t enough? Will they start abducting men to use for… purposes?

When Iris didn’t respond, the queen heaved a sigh, her gaze turning inward before she nodded to Lavi. “You may help. If only so less of my people die.”

Iris sat straighter on her log, her grip on the opportunity tightening. “Where can we help?” she asked again.

“You speak truth? You want to kill the Marauder Prince?” the queen asked, her voice betraying a hint of caution.

“Yes. He is the reason for our quest,” Iris affirmed.

A thoughtful silence hung in the air as the queen mulled over Iris's words. Lavi broke it after it dragged on a bit too long with a rapid-fire stream of chatter, drawing her sister into a heated debate. The animated conversation was punctuated by sharp gestures and an occasional accusatory point in Iris's direction.

The tension escalated until the queen threw her clawed hands up in exasperation, her gaze landing on Iris with a finality that left no room for arguments. “Lavi will guide you. You will strike at the prince from behind so his magic cannot be used against my people. After you attack, we will follow and attack from the front.”

Iris pursed her lips in thought.

After considering it, she held up a hand. “Tell me more of this plan, I need to be sure we aren’t rushing headfirst into a suicide charge.”

With a solemn air, the queen lowered herself to the ground, her sharp claws carving intricate paths in the dirt.

Iris watched intently as the harpy queen traced their paths, marked the potential ambush points, and sketched a rough layout of what she presumed to be the Marauder Prince's camp. Her every gesture, every sharp line and curve, depicted a strategic plan that was as ruthless as it was precise.

The queen’s detailed explanation of her plan, coupled with the occasional heated exchange with her sister, made the better part of an hour whittle away before Iris could even realize it. It was a complex operation that involved stealth, diversion, and a concentrated strike–a strategy that required careful coordination and timing.

When the queen finally finished and raised her gaze to meet Iris's, her eyes held a question.

Iris responded with a nod of agreement.

The harpy queen then divulged everything she knew about the prince, making Iris keenly aware of the monumental task that lay ahead of her. The evidence clearly pointed to the poachers and bandits having a hierarchy, with the strongest ruling at the top. Iris reasoned that anyone capable of bossing around Jorim, who himself had been a strong opponent, must indeed be a force to be reckoned with.

The Marauder Prince was a potent fighter with both magic and physical abilities.

A hybrid.

Like Iris.

And according to the queen, he’d gotten stronger by killing a veritable horde of beasts and monsters… And harpies.

The revelation underscored the magnitude of the challenge, but it also steeled her resolve.

The plan itself had merit and it seemed that Iris and her party filled a void that was deeply needed by the queen. A team that could take the fight to him, because despite their numbers and plenty of strong individuals, the queen was the only one with true magic.

The Marauder Prince had at least five remaining after Iris killed the beam caster.

So, while Iris and the others hit the prince himself, the queen could focus on whatever casters worked with the poacher’s well-equipped troops.

Despite the risks and the palpable tension in the air, this was their best shot at ending the conflict.

Iris was all too aware of the fact that they had been drawn into a larger conflict, one that had already claimed numerous lives on both sides. If they could take out the Marauder Prince, they might be able to turn the tide in favor of the harpies and end this conflict sooner.

And Iris knew, whatever the outcome, they were ready to face it.

The lives they could potentially save seemed worth the risk.

✦ ✦ ✦

Under the protective cloak of the fading day, Iris and her companions followed Lavi, their harpy guide, away from the frenetic activity of the harpy camp. The gentle rustle of leaves and twigs beneath their feet was the only sound that broke the eerie silence of the forest that lived in the shadow of the retreating form of the sun god.

Lavi, with her birdlike grace, flew ahead, navigating the dense forest with ease. Akane and Mocha were both in humanoid forms, to make them as small as possible, while the owlbear simply had the illusion of having no saddle. A single owlbear moving through the woods would not be out of the norm if it were seen Akane and Lavi swore.

An hour into their journey, they came upon a rather large patrol, which had them quickly hunker down and hide. Akane responded swiftly, her magical illusions shrouding the group, rendering them all but invisible to the passing threat.

Upon reaching their destination, the sight of the Marauder Prince's camp looming ahead brought them to a halt. Iris studied the massive camp that not only filled out the clearing but weaved in between the trees and was significantly larger than the fort they had previously encountered, its numerous wooden watch towers held scorpion siege engines that scanned the skies and merged seamlessly with the surrounding forest.

It didn’t have walls, but it did have what looked like… spikes that were planted and pointed outward into a raised earthen mound that encircled the entire camp.

I guess when your main opponent can fly, the necessity to build a wall becomes moot.