Finn and Kasen ran to the town center. The square was filled shouting and yelling people, some carrying torches and makeshift weapons, while others hid under wagons and behind vendor stalls. One woman screamed louder than the others.
"Someone help! Please! It took my husband! Please, won't someone go after it and save my him!"
No one seemed willing to make eye contact with the woman. In their minds, the man's fate was certain and it was better him than them. Sensing the danger was gone, most of the people found cover inside the nearby houses or the tavern. The woman ran up to several of the retreating men, pleading for help. They either ignored her or said there was nothing they could do. Seeing a tall, heavily armored man and man armed with a bow, she ran to the knight and the hunter and grabbed the hunter by the arm.
"Please! Please help him!" she cried, peering desperately into Finn's eyes.
"What was that thing? What happened here?" Finn asked.
"It took my husband! It's an ahool, a terrible bat creature from the rocky shore. Please, its not too late. Will you please help bring my husband home?"
"Of course, we will," Finn answered. "I'm a hunter and I will hunt that beast and bring it down."
Kasen wiped coagulated toad slime from his shield, sighed and said "Yes, of course we will."
"How far is this rocky shore from here?" Finn asked.
The woman broke out in tears and collapsed to her knees.
"Eight hours by foot, three by horse," she let out in between sobs, knowing that any rescue attempt would be futile.
The heavily armored Kasen looked despondently at Finn and gave a slight shake of his head. Kasen knew they would not be able to reach the man in time, especially as night now came.
Finn didn't seem perturbed. "We'll bring him back if we can. If we can't, I'll make sure that monster can never hurt anyone else."
The women got to here feet, took a breath to steady her nerves, and an expression of steadfast resolve grew on her face. "Kill the ahool, avenge my husband! I don't have money or riches, but i will reward you if you do this thing for me."
Finn and Kasen agreed to bring justice to this winged beast, the creature the locals call an ahool. They where unable to find any assistance from the other members of the town, other than basic directions the the rocky coast, where the ahool nests. It seemed the people of this town have been living in fear of this creature for some time, but and no means, or perhaps, will, to defend themselves from it. Finn and Kasen, still tired and sore from their battle in the swamp, started the long hike through the night to the ahool's nesting grounds.
The pair of warriors trekked through the night towards the rocky coast. Luckily, the moon was out and it provided them enough light to traverse without using their torches. Finn couldn't help but feel relieved that he didn't feel different or strange when he looked at the moon. The cure must have worked. Finn surely didn't want to morph into a savage werewolf. Their travel through the night was long and slow going, but fortunately uneventful. As dawn arrived Finn could hear waves lapping softly onto a nearby shore. They could then see that they had arrived to the shore of a lake so large, it could be mistaken for a sea. large rocks and patches of grass littered the shore while tall pillars and stacked boulders towered along the coast, either displaced or eroded by natural forces eons ago. Finn knew instantly, this was the rocky shore and home of the ahool. The two drew their weapons and crept slowly down the shore towards the towers of rocks.
"Do you hear that, Finn?" Kasen inquired as he tilted his head.
Finn frozen in place and focused on the nearby sound. He could faintly hear a sweat, melodic singing coming from a craggy outcropping. It was as if the universe was beckoning him to a sweet embrace of euphoria and bliss. Finn was instantly unnerved by the sudden onset of this external force. It was counter to his hunter's instinct. He had read something in his books about singing, but what?
"It's… it's singing." Kasen said as he lowered his sword. "it's beautiful."
Kasen's face went stupid and he slowly walked absentmindedly towards the singing. "Beautiful…" he muttered.
"Kasen, quick! Cover your ears!" Finn yelled as he unslung his pack with haste, sending his ferret friend into a frenzied panic for a hiding spot. Finn produced a wax candle from his pack and pinched the soft wax and rolled it between his fingers before lodging the plugs into his ear. "It's a trick, the music is luring you to your death!"
"Huh? What was that?" Kasen muttered, slowing his shuffle towards the singing. "I have to go. They're calling me."
Finn grabbed the remaining candle wax and made an all-out sprint towards his friend. Just as he reached Kasen, he kept speed, but lowered his shoulder and bent at the waist. Finn tackled Kasen hard, spearing him at the waist. Kasen's armor clanged and clashed against the rocks and his helmet became dislodged by strike from Finn's palm, as the two rolled onto the ground.
"What? No! I want to go. I have to go!" Kasen yelled in a stupor, trying to get to his feet.
Finn, while not as strong as the armored knight, was fast and dexterous. Wads of softened wax covered Kasen's ear holes as Finn pressed the material with his palm onto the side of his friend's head.
"What in the hells was I thinking?" Kasen said. He quickly accessed his situation, donned his helmet, and got to his feet. He raised his shield and readied his steel sword and gave a tight nod to Finn in thanks. The alluringly sweat tunes no longer drifted in the air.
They turned their attention to the rocky pillar. Three unnatural forms could be discerned among the jutting rocks, one larger than the other two. The largest form was an unmoving dark brown mass with the silhouette of an unburst seed pod. The other two figures, where now skittering around on the rocks on long sinewy appendages spotted with black feathers with hard cagily, hag-like faces.
Harpies! Finn thought to himself. Inherently evil creatures with humanoid features and a misshapen face, the imitation that of an old woman. Their pointed, high cheek bones, beak-like nose, and inky eyes give the harpies an appearance of anything other than a women, and express only vile intent. The two harpies faced the two men in an aggressive animalistic four-legged stance. Black feathered wings unfurled and stretched like spread fingers from the harpies backsides. One after the other, the two creatures vaulted from the rocks. Their wings cut the air as they let out inhuman screams, and careened towards the men, the fresh meat on that wondered into their territory.
Finn nocked an arrow and took cover by a small boulder. Kasen took a hearty breathe to steady his nerves, readied his shield in his off-hand and sword in the other as he took off in a gallop to face the charging monstrosities. Simultaneously, Finn drew an arrow tight against the bow string. The closest harpy flew low to the ground, headed straight for his charging knightly comrade. Kasen's position between Finn and the Harpy prevented Finn from getting a clear shot. The hunter instead focused his attention toward the second harpy, which flew higher and slightly to the left. Releasing the arrow next to his cheek, it flew fast and true. the Harpy saw the arrow at the last moment, but it was too late. The Harpy deked in the air, but Finn's arrow stuck the creature at the base of its left wing. The wing was instantly crippled and the harpy tumbled to the ground and let out a shrill, inhuman scream.
Kasen and the lead harpy were almost at each other. Each moving full tilt, the harpy with black claws out-stretched and sharp teeth bared, Kasen with his armor clanking and chinking with every step. Just before the the two clashed, Kasen lept up and pushed off the side of a small boulder. In a flurry of motion, the harpy swiped at Kasen as he cleft his longsword with rageful vigor. A clash of metal and bones rang out. Kasen rolled forward on the ground and came to rest, crouched like a tiger ready to pounce. The harpy skidded and slammed into the rocks into two. The crone-like monstrosity had been severed from shoulder to opposing hip by the blade. The second second harpy, now unable to fly, was bounding like a mad dog on all fours toward Kasen, screaming like a ravenous banshee. Finn rapidly fired two arrows at the harpy. The first struck it in its side, transforming its scream into a shrill shriek, but otherwise unhindered its charge. The second arrow missed wide, snapping as it struck a rock. It was upon Kasen with its grotesque claws searching for his neck. Kasen raised his shield just in time and enter into melee with the harpy. The clawed hands pulled on his shield as the the pointed teeth snapped repeated near his face. Kasen struggled briefly with the harpy, not expecting its savage speed, but ultimately the monster was no match in brutish strength to the knight. Kasen used his shield to pin the harpy to rock, while his sword plunged into its target. The fierceness in the eyes of the harpy stayed as the life ebbed from the black pearls in their sunken sockets.
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Finn removed the wax from his ears and nodded at Kasen to do the same.
"I read about those creatures. Its said they lure their prey with their enchanted songs and they prefer their meals… living." Finn said, staring at the grizzly scene that lay before him.
"Thank you for stopping me. I… felt an irresistible pull. I was able to control my faculties." Kasen said. "But those were not the creature we seek."
As if being willed into existence by mere mention, a loud "AhhhoooOOOOOOool" rang out from the rocky tower that the harpies had occupied. The large brown seed pod on the outcropping unfurled like a blossom in the dawn. Two large leaves spread and formed into massive, leathery wings. The monster let out another howl as it stretched. The ahool snarled when it saw the two men who disturbed its slumber.
"The ahool," Finn said as he glared at the creature like a hunter seizing his prey in his gaze. "We will defeat it and search for the man."
Kasen nodded and readied himself for the coming battle. The ahool flapped its large wings and pushed off the rocks with its powerful legs. The flying creature made straight for Finn and Kasen.
"Stay back Finn, and try to fell it from the sky!" shouted Kasen.
"Right." Finn said, readying an arrow.
Kasen quickly clambered atop a boulder and shouted, "come at thee, foul beast!" and readied his sword and shield.
The ahool shifted its flight toward Kasen and partially folded its wings back, rapidly increasing its speed. As it descended, Kasen's eyes grew wide as the ahool filled his vision. It was more than twice as large as the harpy and its frame bore large knots of muscle.
The clawed feet of the ahool smashed into Kasen's shield, sending him careening off of the boulder and onto the rocky soil. The ahool swooped up and momentarily hovered in the the air. Finn saw the opening and released an aimed arrow from his bow. The arrow flew as if it traversed on a cord attached to the beasts chest, he was sure it would hit. With a speed that befuddled Finn, the ahool flapped its wings and shifted position out of the way of the incoming arrow. Kasen coughed in pain as he regained his feet beneath him. The ahool was focused on him, Finn and his arrows where no immediate threat it seemed. The bat-like creature flew like a bird of prey toward the armored Kasen. This time, Kasen wasn't caught off guard by his foe's incredible speed and was able, just barely so, to swing his sword cutting the flying opponent just before a powerful clawed leg struck him in chest. The ahool took Kasen into the air before twisting and flinging him into a pile of large rocks. Kasen cried out in pain as he clattered against the stone.
"Kasen!" Finn yelled. "Hey you big jerk, leave him alone!"
The ahool turned sharply to face Finn and let out a piercing "AhhoooOOOOoooll!"
"Uh oh. Bad idea. I shouldn't have done that," Finn said to himself.
The ahool flapped its powerful wings, gaining speed with every motion. Finn quickly drew an arrow to his cheek. Finn waited until the monster was close enough, that it would be impossible for it to dodge his arrow. The moment before the inevitable collision, he released the arrow. The adrenaline coursing through his blood made the instant feel like a dozen. Finn saw the arrow loose on a path to the ahool's chest. The ahool was moving directly towards the incoming projectile with no way avoid it. The ahool seemed to notice the arrow as it twitched its wings and contorted its body. The arrow passed within an inch of its body, but failed to find purchase. Finn could do nothing but dive into a rocky crevasse just in time as the ahool's claws scratched the stones as it flew overhead.
"I cant hit it, its too fast" Finn said despondently. "It'll just keep dodging my arrows…"
"The arrow!" he said with newfound confidence. Finn pulled the arrow covered in cheetah fur from his quiver.
"The speed arrow." He said while examining the spotted coat of the arrow.
Finn saw Kasen again get to his feet. He was clearly in pain, but Finn was impressed by his friends constitution and determination. Before Finn could say anything, Kasen let out a warcry and took off in a sprint toward the flying monster. The ahool was circling back around and appeared to revert its ire to Kasen. Finn had to act quick, he had to be fast.
Finn nocked the arrow covered in spotted fur and pulled hard to his cheek. The ahool was swooping down straight ahead of him for Kasen. Finn released the arrow. A golden beam, as fast as light, streaked from the bow and into the ahool's chest before disappearing as a glint in the sky. The wings of the beast instantly went limp and it plummeted from the sky into an unmoving heap amid the rocks before Kasen.
"Wow. That was fast," was all Finn could muster.
Kasen thanked Finn as the two regained their focus and composure. Ferrety crept from its hiding spot and climbed up to perch on Finn's shoulder. Once they were sure the monsters were indeed defeated and no more remained, they climbed and searched the rock spire for any sign of the man who was carried away by the ahool. They found the man rather quickly. What remained of him at least. It was a gruesome scene and by the looks of the feasting grounds, he was far from the first. Finn felt sorrow that he couldn't have saved the man, but he did feel pride in ensuring no one else would be harmed by the flying monster or the harpies. Kasen collected proof of their discoveries and the two made their way back to the town. It took a day and a half to make the trek as they returned to the town the following evening.
The square became hushed as Finn and Kasen approached, ragged and exhausted. The woman stood in the doorway of a small house. She looked expectantly at the pair, but all hope quickly left her expression as she saw the the pair returned not as a trio. Finn and Kasen approached her with reverence. Kasen curled his lips in and shook his head tightly once. She closed her eyes and fought to keep her lip from quivering. The woman inhaled slowly and opened her eyes with newfound resolution.
"Is it done? Did you avenge my dear… my dear husband? " she asked.
Finn nodded. "And more. It won't be back ever again."
"I have no money or riches to give you, but I promised you a reward." she pulled an amulet from around her neck and held it out to Kasen. "It's just an old heirloom, you could probably sell or trade it for something more useful."
The amulet was looped through a silver chain. The amulet itself was a cloudy light blue crystal that looked like ice from the coldest of depths. Simple silver and copper embellishments housed the mysterious crystal. Finn was enchanted by its simple beauty.
"We couldn't possibly. A good deed is its own reward," said Kasen, standing proudly like a knight.
"Yes I can." Finn said as he snatched the necklace and placed it around his neck. "Thanks for the necklace lady!" Finn said as he walked toward the tavern.
"You coming Kasen? I want to try that ale again."